A student memorial is becoming more of a reality as the SGA student senate passed resolutions to initiate building a student memorial on campus.
At its meeting Feb. 19, the senate passed two resolutions that will allow SGA to take the next steps in the project.
“We want a tranquil place that all members of the Auburn Family can appreciate the ones we have lost,” said Walker Byrd, SGA president-elect.
According to Jackson Pruett, vice president of initiatives and senior in political science, the first resolution said SGA senate supports the project.
“As SGA executives, we can say this project is a priority,” Pruett said. “When the senate comes through and says this is a resolution, it means something that carries a lot of weight to administrators and the people outside of SGA.”
The second resolution is a financial pledge that would put aside $300,000 for the project and would come from the student activities reserve fund. The money would be put aside and used only for this project.
“Until we’re ready to move dirt, the money is not going to be spent,” Pruett said. “It’s really to help us to kind of garner other financial support.”
The memorial will replace the existing Garden of Memory at the corner of Samford Avenue and Mell Street across from the President’s Mansion.
According to Jack Wagster, assistant vice president of facilities and sophomore in business, the memorial will be 4.25 acres, the landscaping and pond will be updated and a new staircase will be added.
Seven pillars will line the park, called the Path of Remembrance, and each pillar represents a different part of the Auburn Creed.
“We thought about this for a long time,” Wagster said. “We thought this would be the best way to honor everyone equally.”
According to Pruett, students, staff and faculty will have a way to look back on the lives of someone they lost by visiting the different pillars.
“If someone knows someone who’s passed away while overseas, they can go to the pillar that represents serving our country,” Pruett said. “If someone wanted to appreciate an athlete, they can go to the pillar about sports.”
Pruett said several student memorials are already on campus, but not everyone who has passed is included.
“There is a memorial at Samford Hall, as well as in the Student Center, but we wanted one space that all members of the Auburn Family can appreciate,” Pruett said.
The next step is for the SGA to take the project to the University senate and the Board of Trustees in April.
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