Students construct safe, attractive upgrade to campus landmark

First-year students in Matthew A. Francis' Construction Hand & Power Tools course are in the midst of replacing the circular benches around four Zelkova trees in front of the Klump Academic Center.

"The years have taken their toll on the wood seating areas, and safety was a concern," said General Services' Chad L. Karstetter, horticulturist/grounds and motorpool manager. "We reached out to Matt and his BTC103 classes with an idea, and they accepted the challenge to revive that area. They are doing an awesome job."

Each of Francis' four sections has been responsible for one of the benches, removing the old boards and replacing them with a durable composite made of recyclable material.

A Penn College News photographer was on hand as one of the classes turned a sunny October Tuesday into a productive outdoor lab, in which students brought aesthetic improvement and heightened safety to a high-traffic area outside the oldest building on campus.