Volunteers paint Student Center
over MLK Jr. holiday weekend
By Jessica West
[email protected]
Staff Writer
During the extended holiday weekend in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., Georgia Highlands College students and faculty volunteers, working with the Student Engagement Council (SEC), painted the student center.
The idea to spice up the Student Center was originally proposed in the spring 2003 semester, but the question remained of how to make the Student Center �a little more inviting for the students,� said John Spranza, director of student life. He said, �It looked like a hospital waiting area.�
Georgia Highlands College students who went to conferences often noticed the decoration and liveliness of other colleges' student centers. Julianna Hunt, a nursing major, proposed the solution of improving the center to the SEC.
�Bo Bowling (secretary of the SEC) really was an integral part of the project,� Hunt commented.
During the 2003 Fall Frenzy students were given the opportunity to vote on the color scheme to be used.
�We decided we wanted to get a professional opinion on the color scheme and as luck would have it, Dr. Jon Hershey's wife is an interior decorator. She volunteered her time and expertise to come and give us a free consultation,� Spranza said. Hershey is a professor of English.
According to Spranza, the SEC voted to allocate funds from student money (gathered from student activity fees) rather than use state funding in order to extend options as to the selection of colors and a professional to assist the volunteers. The student money was used for paint and supplies, as well as to contract a professional painter to oversee the project.
�Since it came from the SEC, they (the students) were very adamant that they wanted this to be a student driven project,� said Spranza. He agreed this would give a sense of ownership to the students.
Bowling said, �I think it is representative of Georgia Highlands College's growth and increasing involvement of the student body.�
Georgia Highlands College plant operations workers typically complete such large projects during times such as holiday weekends to lessen inconvenience for students and staff.
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