SPB and SGA reach f aculty, students f ightCo tter prop osal The strange story agreement on fund ing behind a strange stone By KATIE HAMM p laces beech trees in j eopardy that By BRAD KASNET EDITOR IN CHIEF NEWS EDITOR By BRAD KASNET The executive boards of the Student NEWS EDITOR The Colby campus is filled with Programming Board and the Student plaques and memorials commemorat- Government- Association met weeks ing those who have contributed to the ago to resolve SGA's concerns about The proposal to construct an College over the years, but one of the SPB funding, with the meeting being addition to Cotter Union has placed most unique monuments on this, or successful from both ends. two copper beech trees near the likel y any campus is the stone monu- According to SPB President building in jeopardy and some fac- ment inconspicuously located across Carreau Mueller '05, "we did our best ulty and students are trying to help Mayflower Hill Drive, between the to catch everyone up to speed, get save the trees. Colby Green and the Alfond-Wales everyone on the same page and under- Conceptual plans of the addition Tennis Courts. stand motives and initiatives. We did to Cotter propose a wing on the what we could to let them do what north side of the building, towards they need to do." Miller Library. Although the plans She was unable Over the past month, the source and are still preliminary, they indicate amount of SPB's funding has been a that one of the trees would need to to fight gravity, concern for SGA, as they discovered be cut down) although the other which came up that SPB receives funding from College would be protected. allocations in addition to funding from Professor of Science, Technology, and seized her SGA. At the Nov. 7 Presidents' Council and Society Jim Fleming and like a dragon Professor of English Linda Tatelbaum have launched an effort to and brought her spare both beech trees from being to the bottom. Fve told the cut down in any renovations to whole group Cotter. "They're magnificent trees," Roger Babson Fleming said. While no one is sure Author, "Gravity:.Our Enemy No. 1" that our how old the trees are, they could be [Executive upwards of 100 years old. Fleming has begun to circulate a Tlie stone is known as the "anti- Board's] con- petition and has launched a website gravity stone" and has been a part of cerns are (http://www.colby.edu/stsfteeches/) the campus for almost 45 years now. It in an attempt to prevent the trees is inscribed with the following enig- resolved. from being removed. "We hold vari- NOAH BALAZ S/THE COLBY ECHO matic message: "This monument has ous viewpoints on the architectural Professor of English Linda Tatelbaum presents her idea for an expansion of Cotter Union that provides an been erected by the Gravity Research Cat Welch '05 plan itself, but our shared concern is addition while saving two copper beech trees. , Foundation, . Roger W. Babson, Student Government Association the loss of one or both of the mag- founder. It is to remind students of the President nificent beech trees on the north side contradiction" of the College's circle around a stand of pine trees that plan that proposed an addition to blessings forthcoming when a semi- ' ' ' ' ' • ¦• • ¦ \ ¦ • of the budding," reads the petition. efforts to be environmentally friend- was eventually cut down to make way the south side of the building on the insulator is discovered in order to har- "We request a formal reconsidera- ly. "The decision to remove such for the building. site of the current patio outside of ness gravity as a free power and meeting, SPB funding was discussed, tion of the plan that would more prominent and venerable trees con- Goldfarb Family Distinguished Page Commons Room. "I'm not an reduce airplane accidents. I960." but neither .Mueller- nor SPB Treasurer deeply—reflect - Colby's - -current tradicts Golby.'s high-profile-green' Professor- of- American rGovernment architect and I'm nottrying' to com- - -As- the -inscription - indicates,—the Caitlin McCusker '05 revealed the 'green' initiatives." initiative," reads the website. Cal Mackenzie served on the original pete with professional architects," anti-gravity stone found its , way to amount of funding SPB receives from Fleming and Tatelbaum hosted a "Awards for environmental excel- building committee for Cotter Union Tatelbaum said, but she wanted to Mayflower Hill in 1960 after a gift the College. kickoff to their efforts on Nov. 29 lence may add to Colby's reputation, and wrote on the website that the orig- show that there were alternatives from businessman Roger Babson, who According to McCusker, the SPB that was attended by about 20 facul- but our status is undermined by a inal architect of the building, Jefferson available to building an addition was known for predicting the stock Executive Board did provide a line- ty members and students. Those in decision that fails to think 'green' in Riley, designed the building to protect that not would require cutting a market crash in 1929 and founding item budget to the SGA Executive attendance, discussed de-valuing the the two beech trees. "Jeff was beech tree. Babson College in Massachusetts. He Board, allowing them to now know various strategies to rooted land- adamant about saving what he Signs have been placed next to the gave the College a gift of 500 shares how much SPB receives from other help achieve their ' 's 450 scape. referred to as 'those lovely copper beech trees to help raise awareness of stock in American Agricultural sources than SGA. goals. While the plan There Tatelbaum beeches.' Only when the design that they may be threatened by the Chemical Corporation, worth "It all looks great," said SGA does call for protect- acres and arrived at Colby (essentially two buildings linked by an new building. Those in favor of sav- $12,500, with two conditions. The President Cat Welch '05, noting that ing one of the trees, there's some- in 1982. "In that arch) ensured that the beeches would ing the trees planned to attend the first was that the shares could not be she had no worries about the amount of the need to save both time, many of survive was he comfortable with the forum on the addition held sold for 35 years. The second condi- money SPB receives or the way it is trees was stressed. "If where else to the trees I've site selection," Mackenzie wrote. Wednesday, Dec. 1, and hope to col- tion was more unique. According to spent. Welch said that it was agreed by you cut down one, drink coffee. formed relation- "Certainly the architects know lect signatures for the petition by College Historian Earl Smith, "the both groups that the information would you might as well cut ships with have how important those trees are to us," Dec. 8. They will present the peti- other condition was that the College remain only within the SGA Executive down both," James Fleming been cut down," Vice President for Student Affairs tion at the faculty meeting scheduled build a monument devoted to the dis- covery of something that would be Board and Presidents' Council and the Tatelbaum said. Professor of Science, Technology, she said. "For and Dean of Students Janice for that day and have the faculty vote public will not be privy to the numbers Because of the way in ' and Society me, these trees Kassman said. The plans as drawn, on a sense of the faculty resolution immune to gravity." without further discussion with SPB. which beech trees represent the though, were deemed to be the best opposed to an addition that would Babson took a deep individual "There are some PC members that are yiuvv , auui c ajj cuuiai- last straw." fit for the building. "We very much threaten the trees. interest in the study of gravity. He suf- still concerned about SPB spending," ed that cutting down one tree would When Cotter was originally being like the idea of an addition that links "There's 450, acres and there's fered two personal tragedies that were Welch said. "I've told the whole group cause the other to die. built in 1984, Tatelbaum and the two sections." somewhere else to drink coffee," caused by gravity. His son was killed that our [Executive Board's] concerns Tatelbaum said that removing one Professor of English Phyllis Tatelbaum was unconvinced , Fleming said. in a plane crash and his sister drowned of the trees would represent a "green Mannocchi joined students to form a though. She offered an alternative Continued on Page 2 Continued on Page 2 SGA referendum hopes to make minor const ituti onal chan ges SGA, this new constitution is focused proposed constitution is the creation Currently, one class representative write the document along with er proposal in the spring if this refer- By BRAD KASNET more on minor changes to make the of a class council for each class, simi- serves on Presidents' Council while the Williams Hall President Ben Poulos endum passes. "It's the first step in a • NEWS EDITOR document • more updated and work- lar to the first-Year other is a member of '08 and First-Year Class process," Klaus said. able. "All the changes that arc made Class Council that the Student Representative Tim Williams '08. The "In the old constitution there arc A constitutional referendum will be are basically made in how SGA con- currently exists, The Programming Board , group also consulted with SGA things that arc just plain irrelevant, held on Wednesday, Dec.