Holy Cross Breaks Ground on Pfeil Recreation Center
“If you build It, they will come”
Holy Cross College held its groundbreaking ceremony for the Pfeil Recreation Center on July 15. President Richard Gilman was not present due to a family obligation, and so Dr. Tina Holland, vice president of student affairs, hosted the event. In her opening speech, she said the recreation center is “an essential step for the fulfillment of our mission at Holy Cross College, dedicated to the development of all our students in mind, body and spirit.”
Father Michael Sullivan, chairman of the philosophy and theology department, led the invocation and was followed by Jerry Love, chairman of the board of trustees. Athletic director Nathan Walker spoke of the immense impact the facility will have on the college, explaining it will not only be a fitness center, but a home for the student government and student activities offices, truly making it “the hub of campus life.”
Walker also quoted the movie Field of Dreams, “if you build it, they will come.” He connected this quote to Holy Cross by explaining that building this recreation center will help retain current students, as well as attract prospective students. “If you look around, they are already here” Walker said. “There are coaches here. There are student athletes here. There are leaders here. Now, with the construction of this recreation center, more will come.”
The former and current student body presidents, Jared Sawyer and Steven Henderson, also spoke at the ceremony. Both rising seniors and student athletes, Sawyer and Henderson brought student perspective to the event. Sawyer stated, “the recreation center is something the students have been looking forward to for a long time.” Henderson agreed, and added, “the Pfeil Recreation Center will help establish a greater sense of school pride and community in the student body.”
In the end, Father Sullivan led the audience in blessing the ground. The ceremony concluded with Holland, Love, Sawyer and Henderson donning hard-hats and making the first thrust into the ground.
Published 7/27/2007 by Katelyn Palmer