The space that connects the SAC and the pool has been known to be a mere pathway for as long as it has existed. To some, it has been a waste of space, while to others it has been a quick shortcut to the pool or the gym. This school year, the Class of 2008 gift will be a patio for a “senior space” in perpetuity. The scope of the gift, whose price tag is $150,000, has surprised adults associated with such gifts in the past.
According to Executive Director of Development, Dan Courcey, the size of class gifts in the past is “not normally more than $500.” This year is different. The senior class thought of a way to leave their mark on the school. “The patio will be a place to hang out and vent after school,” said Ben Pascale’08. He also said that the senior patio project is a way of “utilizing a place that has been dead. It will also be a way of opening doors to the school to more space.”
Pascale and Mr. Courcey initially thought the cost of the gift to be $5000 and anticipated the patio to be done by graduation, but such an early finishing point has not been possible. Instead, the gift has ended up being $150,000. Meetings were held to discuss the issue. “Fundraising has played a key role in this gift,” added Mr. Courcey.
Students surveyed think that the patio will make the day more fun, improve Choate’s aesthetic appeal, and act as a place to reflect on the day’s occurrences. According to Pascale, the patio will be a place for the Choate community to “use its imagination and to open the door that leads to ultimate possibilities.” Most of the Choate community cannot wait to see what the patio will be like. In Mr. Ford’s words, “We will know when we get there.”
