New alumni center gets a jump on going green

Marshall University Foundation Hall, home of the Erickson Alumni Center, is joining the green revolution.

The hall, located on the corner of John Marshall Drive and Fifth Avenue, opened Saturday. To make the building more efficient, many initiatives were taken during construction, and the staff is working hard to do their part. 

"The new facility is already feeling like home," said Tish Littlehales, director of Alumni Relations. "This feeling is not just for those who work here but for all who visit. Recycling and working toward furthering the green initiative is something that brings everyone in the entire building closer."

The staff has been in the building for three weeks.

"We are trying to be more efficient," Littlehales said. "We ask everyone in the building to recycle each day."

There are two break rooms in the hall, Littlehales said. The two rooms have containers designated for recycling. Paper, glass, plastic and miscellaneous items are recycled in the hall.

"People have really been participating," Littlehales said. "The recycling is emptied every day and is typically full by the time it is emptied."

The building was constructed to be more efficient through the use of composite, ventilated roof insulation panels, a geo-thermal system, plastic laminates, windows with Low-E coating glass, aluminum window frames, gypsum board to improve indoor air quality and T5 fluorescent lamps, which are smaller in size than typical lamps, according to the center's brochure.

The building was not built just to be green. It was built to be visually pleasing.

"I walked in the building and was in awe," said Nancy Campbell, the national president of the Marshall University Alumni Association. "I was just speechless. This place is just amazing to walk into."

The alumni center is not just for the use of alumni, Campbell said. Students are encouraged to visit and use the alumni center for their events.

Sean Hornbuckle, student body president, attended the grand opening and noted the importance of students being involved with the alumni center.

"It is a great opportunity to come and connect with so many alumni," Hornbuckle said. "There is nowhere else where you are given the opportunity to network with so many successful and influential people in the Marshall community."

There will be a grand opening event for students to tour the center this spring, Littlehales said. The date will be announced within a few weeks of the event.

Ellen Kist can be contacted at kist@marshall.edu.