By Katie Gaughan

A facelift on the grounds between the Palumbo Science Center and the student bookstore welcomed students and staff to campus this fall.  

The La Roche management team broke ground on the project in 2023. The space, formerly home to the temporary criminal justice classrooms, now features picnic tables and ground space that encourages outdoor recreational activities and gatherings.  

A current student who belonged to the management team during the 2023 summer witnessed the progress firsthand.  

The student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said, “I was working for the management team as summer help when they started. I mainly just remember them carrying the desks and other classroom furniture out of the temporary buildings.”  

Gutting the former classrooms was just the beginning of the massive project. 

A familiar and reliable face on campus in Marki Mulig, a member of the La Roche Management team, had much to do with the project from its start.  

Mulig said, “After the removal of the 12 units [temporary buildings] and lots of debris, we trucked in 147 tons of screened topsoil. Our machine operator, Jim, graded all the soil as you see today.” 

The job seemed like it was taking weeks, as the team used a skid steer, and hand tools in the process, but “in reality,” she recalls, “we had the majority of the work done in a few days.”  

She said, “After the soil was graded for optimal use and drainage in mind, we put down a little over 50 lbs. of grass seed and covered with 24 bales of straw and let nature run its course.”  

Mulig said, “Once the grass was coming in full, we made our first cut in the spring, 

 removed the fencing, and opened it to students and staff!” 

You can find and enjoy this new outdoor space to the left of the campus bookstore. 

The same student summer member of the management team said they were incredibly pleased with how the project turned out.  

“It was nice to see the team’s hard work really pay off,” they said. “I’m glad to know what went into making this space the way students and staff see it today. This was a great addition to campus and I’m happy to have been a part of this rewarding process.”