By: Melissia Hayes (Whetstone Writing Staff)

Light drizzle didn’t stop students from coming to the celebration of Wesley’s new plazas.

President Johnston and other state officials gathered in the north plaza to commence the ceremony.

“It was a phenomenal celebration with a great turn out,” Johnston said. “The new changes influence campus in a positive way.”

Charminta Brown and other students said they agree.

“The new plazas bring a sense of community,” Brown said.  “It feels more like a college and embraces new students to feel welcomed.”

However, the creation of the plaza was not an overnight success.  Becker Morgan Group’s Gregg Moore explained the process.

“It took about two years to plan and get authorization to get started,” she said. “The two streets that the plaza covers were legal streets, but now they belong to Wesley.  Once that was handled, we had to get the street vacated and handle all utilities.”

The architect behind the plaza, Arden Bardol, shared her excitement about the ceremony.

“I live about three blocks away, and the biggest thrill I get is driving down Cecil St. and I see students hanging out,” she said.  “The ultimate idea of the plaza was to take the large space and break it into spaces.  So, we created the north plaza for gatherings and school activities.  The south plaza is more ceremonial and more of gateway to downtown.”

Darryl Scott, 31st District state representative, said he could not be happier with the outcome.

“I enjoy the change and it looks even better than the projected pictures,” he said.  “Today was a nice celebration.  It wasn’t the best weather but it was beautiful to see students and the community join together for the ceremony.”