Students from the class of 2010 have chosen which gift will represent their legacy: a rain garden to be included in the Cunz Hall renovation.
The tradition of class gifts dates back to 1891, when students planted five elm trees. Since then, classes have continued to donate gifts to the university. Previous gifts have included the Orton Hall chimes, the statue of William Oxley Thompson and the 2009 gift of the Block “O” fire pit outside the new Ohio Union.
The new Cunz Hall Rain Garden will be located in the traffic circle near Cunz Hall and the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The rain garden will feature native Ohio plants, as well as a walkway. The rain garden will be environmentally friendly and filter its water from nearby drains. Specially selected plants whose roots can absorb toxins and pollutants filter the water. This filtration will reuse run-off water instead of dumping it into the Olentangy River.
The Cunz Hall Rain Garden is a part of the Cunz Hall renovation.
Renovation began in late October and project manager Renee Watts said it is expected to be completed by July of 2011 and open for fall quarter 2011.
Watts said that going green is an important part of the Cunz Hall renovation and the plans include reusing existing materials and installing more efficient lighting and HVAC controls. She said the plan is to include more natural light by opening the building and including a “green” roof by installing plants such as switch grass.
The Cunz Hall renovation is the university’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified renovation. The United States Green Building Council grants the LEED certification.
The overall cost for the Cunz Hall renovation will be $24.34 million and the cost for the rain garden will be around $45,000.
Stanley Lemeshow, dean of the College of Public Health, said he is very grateful to the class of 2010 for this gift. He said the main goal of the College of Public Health is to protect the health of people and the environment, and this gift fits perfectly with that goal.
Lemeshow said that the donation of this gift proves this generation is very aware of the environment and how it affects health.
Students are being asked to donate $20.10 for the rain garden and a commemorative plaque. Tina Thome, director of Campus Campaign, said that it is traditional to ask for a donation in the amount of the year of graduation; however, donations actually range from $1 to $1000.
“If even half of the 2010 graduating class gave just $10 we would well exceed the project total cost,” Thome said.
For more information about the 2010 class gift or to donate, visit giveto.osu.edu and click on the class gift section.
