40 WOICK^
Meredith
February 27,2002
Hi
ERALD
VolumeXVnL,Issue ^
Science and mathematics building
reaches summit with “topping out’
□ Ceremony
that began in
Scandinavia in 700
A.D., is still around
today.
Christina Holder
Edltor-ln-Chiet
The last beam of the dome
in the new science and
mathematics building was
secured on Friday at a
“topping out” ceremony to
mark reaching the highest
point of construction safely.
At noon Meredith students,
staff and community
members gathered around the
construction site to sign their
names on the beam before it
was lifted by a crane to its
final resting place atop the
building.
“I’m very proud of the
team, especially proud we
have reached this point safely
and on time,” said Pat Rogers,
proprietor of Rogers Builders,
the company overseeing the
construction of the building.
The dome was decorated
with an evergreen tree and an
American flag to signify a
tradition “whose roots reach
back through the j:enturies,”
according to Rogers.
The first evidence of a
“topping out” ceremony dates
back to 700 A.D. when
Scandinavian citizens placed
trees on top of newly
constructed homes to appease
the gods they believed lived in
the wood used in the buildings.
The ceremony was usually
followed by pouring wine at
the base of the tree and eating
food together.
Over the centuries, the
tradition has taken on a
different look in other cultures:
The Britons poured ale at the
base of the tree, the Germans
danced and gave speeches and
the Chinese coated the beams
■ of temples with chicken blood.
Today in the United States—
in which topping out
ceremonies are held for most
large-scale construction
projectS"the event takes on a
more modern and personal
tone. The tree is still there, but
so is an American flag as a
symbol of patriotism. No
longer does the ceremony aim
to appease the gods but to
honor reaching the apex of
construction without any lost
lives.
A 160-member crew has
been working on the building
during the week and on nights
and weekends to meet Friday’s
deadline.
Geoff Crowell, the general
superintendent, said that
because of the “different
scopes of work," coordinating
projects on the site with the
contractors was difficult.
However, he was pleased with
the work completed thus far
by his team and said that
construction was "on or
ahead” of the building’s final
deadline of Dec. 13, 2002.
Lou Jurkowski, one of the
architects with the BJLAS
firm, spoke to the gathering of
people shortly after the beam
was placed.
Jurkowski said that the
building was “a concrete
statement of where Meredith
wants to put her future and
imagination.”
She said that careers based
in math and s(:ience are the
“place to be” and are “a neces
sity and not an accessory” for
Meredith students of the
fiinire.
Crowell said that his crew
would continue to “close in
the building” next. The most
noticeable changes will be the
addition of brick, windows
and a finished roof.
$38 million budget
officially approved
Placing the final beam of the dome symbolizes the
summit of construction for the new science and
mathematics building.
Staff Photo by Christina Hovdeb
JONI SMfTH
Managing Editor
The College’s Board of
Trustees approved the $38
million budget at a meeting on
Friday, voting unanimously
for the proposal.
Chair of the Board of
Trustees George Griffin made
the presentation to the Board,
according to Vice President
for Business and Finance Bill
Wade.
Wade said the Business and
Finance Committee had previ
ously met to discuss the bud
get, enabling the final vote to
be unanimous without
extensive discussion.
The Business and Finance
Committee began meeting in
January and the Executive
Committee started its series of
meetings in February to study
and discuss the proposed
budget.
President of the College
Maureen Hartford presented
the budget to faculty two
weeks before the Board’s
vote. The budget was
approved in the form that was
presented to faculty.
Among the highlights for
the $38 million budget are a
3% salary increase for staff
and a 6% increase for full
time faculty.
The budget does not
include a salary increase for
adjunct faculty.
The budget also focuses on
increasing financial aid,
beginning bond payments on
the new science and
mathematics building, adding
additional faculty to reduce the
teaching load'on professors,
providing funds for undergrad
uate research and continuing
various leadership programs.
The process of developing
and approving the budget for
2003-O4 will began in late fall
when the Business and
Finance Committee and the
Executive Committee meet
again again.
The 2002-03 budget takes
effect July 1, 2002.
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