JACKSON, Tenn. — Nov. 19, 2014 — Students, faculty and staff at 51社区 signed a steel beam and participated in a brief 鈥渢opping out鈥� ceremony on campus Nov. 19 to celebrate a milestone in construction of the new library.
The steel beam they signed will be the highest piece of structural steel when it is installed in the building later this week. Union President Samuel W. 鈥淒ub鈥� Oliver called the occasion an 鈥渆xciting and historic moment in the history of 51社区.鈥�
The ceremony featured recognitions of Bill and Carol Latimer, whose foundation provided a $10 million lead gift for the facility; Frank Wagster of TLM Associates, the main architect of the building; and Jim Campbell and other representatives from H&M Construction, the lead contractor for the project.
Anna Beth Morgan, the director of Union鈥檚 library; Hal Poe, the Charles Colson Professor of Faith and Culture; and Jenaye White, president of Union鈥檚 Student Government Association, offered brief remarks and prayers as part of the program.
Oliver said a 鈥渢opping out鈥� ceremony has Scandinavian roots, when workers celebrated the moment when they reached the pinnacle of a building project.
Construction on the library began July 1, and the building is scheduled for completion Oct. 1, 2015. More than 300 tons of steel have been assembled, with the largest beam weighing 26,000 pounds, Oliver said.