Onyx Spring-Summer 2019

Aspire Higher Campaign. The Campaign kicked off in February 2018. The I Love Le Fer initiative is one of the Aspire Higher Campaign priorities focused on campus infrastructure improvements and enrollment. On February 23, 2018, the Le Fer Ballroom was named and dedicated in honor of Anita Tiberi McMahon ’61 and her late husband, William, the first to give $1 million to the Aspire Higher Campaign. In addition to the ballroom floor, the I Love Le Fer initiative has already supported the creation of a prep kitchen and new set of bathrooms near the ballroom. The campaign has also supported the renovation of Sullivan Parlor and Sacred Heart Chapel, the creation of Studio ’64, a student studio for dance, yoga and meetings located on the ground floor, Le Fer tower window

based company that no longer exists. I can imagine that in 1923 it was common for one of the workers to stop by their deli on their way to work to pick up a sandwich for the day.” The installation of the new ballroom floor was completed in January. The floor consists of a mixture of red and white oak, and while darker than the original, those using the ballroom have commented on how the darker hue enhances the ambiance and beauty of the elegant space. The oak has also proven to buffer footsteps and noise better than the maple, improving the sound quality of the room. “The new oak floor is just as durable as the original, if not more durable. We’re confident we’ll get another hundred years out of the new floor. It was a good investment as well as a needed investment,” Wood adds. The new floor was made possible by the I Love Le Fer initiative, which is part of the $22 million comprehensive

replacements, and refurbished the crosses at the top of Le Fer, Guerin Hall and the Conservatory of Music. The next set of gifts to the campaign will be used to enhance the quality of student life on campus through renovation of bathrooms, community spaces and dorm rooms. “Le Fer Hall is more than a building. It has been, and continues to be, a center of living and learning at SMWC. Support of the I Love Le Fer initiative enables us to provide students with the necessary modern amenities they find at other institutions, while they enjoy the beauty of our unique, historic Le Fer Hall,” said Saunders.

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