-= NMSU PANORAMA - Summer 2005 =- Giving Back: Memorial Wall to Honor Deceased Students, Faculty and Staff

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› Memorial Wall to Honor Deceased Students, Faculty and Staff
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Memorial Wall to Honor Deceased Students, Faculty and Staff

By Julie M. Hughes '95

Design concept by Sam Meraz

A preliminary design concept for the new student, faculty and staff memorial wall.

NMSU is moving forward with plans to establish a memorial wall to honor students, faculty and staff who have lost their lives while they were members of the campus community.

The project has received support from the Board of Regents and commitments of funding from the university administration and the Associated Students of NMSU.

"The impetus for the construction of a student, faculty and staff memorial on the central campus has been from the students," says Robert Peterson, a major gifts officer for NMSU's Advancement Office, who is leading the fund-raising efforts. "The death of a member of our campus community often leaves us grasping for ways to remember them. If we develop a memorial, we will not have to re-invent a way to celebrate a person's life. There will already be a pre-established manner in which to reach out and a permanent way to honor their contributions to NMSU."

Yolanda Harris, the mother of NMSU student Zach Harris, who died in a car accident last August, said the memorial would mean a lot to her family and her son's friends.

"The project would bring a lot of comfort to my family," she says. "A permanent memorial would validate his existence and his life."

The location being recommended for the memorial is immediately south of the College of Health and Social Services building. The memorial will adjoin the International Mall and be nestled between walkways that provide access to the Health and Social Services building and the Clara Belle Williams and Speech buildings.

The project's initial design concept was led by Ernesto Alvelais, a former ASNMSU vice president, and developed by Sam Meraz of NMSU's Office of Facilities Planning and Construction. This initial design has a park-like setting and a curved wall area that could bear the names of those who have lost their lives while at NMSU. Additional input will be sought as the design concept is further developed.

"Students will benefit from this memorial. It offers them a way to remember and honor our fallen students," says Austen Fulmer who served as ASNMSU president during the 2004-2005 school year. "Whether you know a lost student or not, they are a part of NMSU. This also is important to the Las Cruces community. Students, faculty and staff serve this area, so when we lose someone who has contributed to the community, we should respect and honor their service."

The NMSU Board of Regents approved the project in May 2004 and the university will contribute $25,000. In March, the ASNMSU Senate approved a $25,000 one-time allocation to support the wall.

Alumni also are contributing to the project, including Deby Fowler-Wiest, who received her bachelor's degree in accounting in 1980. Fowler-Wiest says she remembers losing one of her business professors, Patricia Christmore, to cancer and thinks this wall will benefit the campus community. Fowler-Wiest, president and general manager of Concrete Designs in Tucson, Arizona, has offered to coordinate the design and use of ornamental precast concrete to add value and appeal to the project. She also has pledged at least $3,000 to the project.

The project is expected to cost about $170,000, Peterson says.

Anyone interested in making a donation to the memorial wall can contact Peterson at (505) 646-4358 or peterson@nmsu.edu

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