Scene Magazine | Spring 2022
Nestled in the center of Hayes Hall lies an inner courtyard, where the sun shines down upon soon-to-be flowering beds of coneflower, hydrangea, and phlox. It is easy to imagine sitting quietly at peace in this open-air courtyard, listening to the stone fountain's babbling water. One can already hear the summer bees buzzing amongst the pollinator gardens.
The renovation of Hayes Hall Courtyard embodies what happens when Ambrosians work together for one common goal.
"This project has really been a collaboration by various groups on campus," said Laura Meloy '22, Student Government Association (SGA) vice president. GreenLife, the student-led environmental group on campus, cleared out a plot in the space and planted a pollinator garden. Engineering Club students constructed tables and the mason bee house using tools from SAU's state-of-the-art engineering labs. "Physical Plant was a huge help in getting rid of an old tree and installed a ramp in the doorway. And a whole group of faculty, staff, and students came together to help water the plants during the summer months."
GreenLife had burgeoning ideas for Hayes Hall Courtyard since early in 2020, but plans were sidelined due to the pandemic and no clear funding source. Unexpectedly, there was a small silver lining to the sad state of global affairs when the SGA found themselves with a surplus of funds due to the low number of requests at the height of the pandemic. Meloy began attending GreenLife meetings and discovered their goals for the Hayes Hall project.
"I volunteered, and it took off from there," she said. "There was a lot of enthusiasm and support from both SGA and GreenLife, and it was really exciting."
Students gather daily in this new space, a welcome retreat for studies or a quiet place to have a moment of outdoor zen within the hectic pace of student life.
"I think it is awesome that we had the opportunity to transform Hayes Hall Courtyard into a very functional and useful space," said Emma Duncan '22, GreenLife president. "We updated an area that was not being used into an eco-friendly place where students want to spend time."
Future plans include nature-related murals and other sustainable art installations from the SAU Art and Design Department and possibly a whiteboard on a building wall to make room for a future outdoor classroom.
"I hope that this collaboration inspires other groups to look for projects on campus that would improve the student experience," Duncan said.
–Shelley Little
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