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By Kathi Stearns
Staff Writer
ATLANTA—Members of the Marist administration, student body, chairmen of
the Second Century Capital Campaign and Archbishop John F. Donoghue broke
ground for an assembly center and aquatic center Sunday, May 16.
Archbishop Donoghue prayed that the Lord would bless the work that was about
to begin.
"May the Saints in heaven look with approval on how we have accepted
and furthered their legacy-and may the young men and women of this generation,
and future generations, thank us all heartily, and remember us in their
prayers, for what we have done on their behalf."
Father James Hartnett, SM, president of Marist, told the crowd of 800 that
this project helps fulfill the mission of Marist allowing the school to blossom
beyond all expectations.
"Our mission is not content merely to erect edifices of brick and
mortar no matter how magnificent," he said. "The Marist mission must
be to transform the hearts and souls of the young men and women who grace the
halls of this institution. How great it is to break ground; how awesome it is
to break into hearts. The red clay of Georgia is no match for the red tissue of
God."
The proposed $8.6 million assembly center will house athletic events,
assemblies and meetings of students, parents and alumni, the baccalaureate Mass
and graduation, award assemblies and extracurricular activities. The center
will seat 1,600. Currently in order to have an assembly of the entire Marist
family, the school has to rent a facility, such as Symphony Hall or Perimeter
Church, or split the event into separate sessions.
The aquatic center, estimated to cost $3.4 million, will house an
Olympic-sized pool and allow Marist to offer swimming and diving courses and
will bring a variety of aquatic competitions to the campus.
Michael Maher, headmaster of the Marist School, told those in attendance
that the profound positive impact that these new facilities will have on the
community couldn't be overstated.
"The positive benefits of these wonderful facilities will have reached
a level that most of us have only dreamed possible before now," Maher
said.
Students echoed the words of Maher.
"After playing our winless but wonderful seventh grade football season,
I decided to swim for the Marist swim team," said Derek Carlson. "I
can tell you first hand how spectacular the swim center will be for us. Today I
stand before you representing every Marist student and I thank you for a Marist
school experience that will be far beyond my grandest dreams."
The project is being funded through a Second Century Campaign at Marist
aimed at raising $25 million. Pledges from the campaign, which began Oct. 11,
1998, already exceed $23 million. All new construction is expected to be
completed for Marist's centennial on Oct. 2, 2001.
"We all act as building blocks for the future," said Clarence
Smith, class of 1968 and co-chairman of the campaign. "Everything we do
for the school helps build for the future memories for the next hundred years
of serving the Atlanta community."
Other projects include the renovation of the science labs, a $1.2 million
effort completed during the summer of 1998 thanks to a gift from the Guy
Millner family. The facilities are now accessible to the handicapped, are
equipped with Smartboards and new computers in each room, have white boards in
place of chalk boards, workstations powered to handle laboratory experiments
and other modernization.
Construction of the Alumni and Development Office, which is being displaced
by the assembly center, is also underway. Renovations to the rectory and Kuhrt
Gym are also planned. Modernization of the rectory will help meet the needs of
the Marists and the renovated Kuhrt Gym will be used for intramural sports,
enhanced programs for seventh- through ninth-grade athletes and open play for
the entire student body. All three projects are estimated to cost a total of
$1.2 million.
Through the capital campaign, Marist also seeks to enlarge its endowment for
tuition assistance by $1 million, faculty enrichment by $1 million and provide
$3 million for plant maintenance to offset increased operating and maintenance
costs resulting from the new construction. Additionally, the school's Annual
Fund, which provides 10 percent of the school's annual operating budget, will
continue to raise an estimated $2.6 million over five years.
Marist is a private, nonprofit, college-preparatory school for 1,025
students in grades seven through 12. It is operated by the Society of Mary
(Marists) and has a unique mission-to form the whole person in the image of
Christ by blending three distinct traditions: the pursuit of academic
excellence, the heritage of Catholic education and the spirit of the Society of
Mary. The campus is located at 3790 Ashford Dunwoody Road.
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