Class of 2004 to raise funds for reading garden
Last night, the Class of 2004 board announced their senior gift plan -- a reading garden outside Van Pelt Library's Rosengarten Reserve.
"They're going to clear it out... and make a nice seating area," said Engineering junior Kunal Gupta, a co-chairman of the Class of 2004 senior gift committee. He added that it will complement the cafe the University is planning on building in Van Pelt.
According to Gupta, architects pitched three options to the class, and the committee chose this one, which will be named the "Class of 2004 Reading Garden at Van Pelt."
Class of 2004 President Meredith Seidel, who also serves as a co-chairwoman on the gift committee, said that the project is planned and built by the University, and that funds raised by the class in turn free up money in Penn's endowment for scholarships.
She added that the gift drive is more about getting members of the class involved than paying for the actual gift -- the cost of which is based on those of previous years.
"Hopefully, we will raise more than that and exceed the cost of the site," Seidel said. "Our target is to have as much participation as possible."
The announcement was made last night at a meeting aimed at encouraging students to help plan the gift drive.
"We've had a great turnout tonight, and almost everyone that showed up is getting involved," Seidel said.
--Madlen Read
