CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS
Breaking Ground on the New Residence Hall
A moment to savor: the groundbreaking for a building that reflects the vision, generosity, and confidence of two very special donors to Menlo College. Making the moment even more extraordinary was the fact that the building took shape in the midst of a life-changing pandemic. “Our donors saw beyond the pandemic, and knew that Menlo’s future would be infinitely brighter if we could offer 288 more of our students the opportunity to experience the close-knit residential college experience that provides binding, often lifetime friendships,” said President Steven Weiner at the ceremony held on the building site on May 13, 2021. Though celebrants could not toast the anonymous donors by name, comments by President Weiner, Atherton Mayor Elizabeth Lewis, Dean of Student Affairs LT Rease Miles, Trustee Emeritus Chop Keenan ’66, and Board Chair Micah Ka-ne ’91 all acknowledged that the kindness of the donors will touch the lives of our community today, and the lives of generations to come. As President Weiner observed, “Bricks and mortar, generosity, and well-placed bets will do that.”
In recognition of the many students from the Pacific Islands that have graced the Menlo campus over the decades, the ceremony concluded with a traditional Hawaiian blessing performed by native Hawaiian traditionalist and cultural practitioner Kumu Kau’i.
59 SUMMER 2021
