New 6-ton spirit rocks harder than ever before

A 6-ton chunk of limestone will crank up the volume of UTD's spirit rock.

UTD's current granite spirit rock, originally plucked from the park area between the Student Union and the Bookstore, will be permanently replaced with a paintable petrous canvas from a quarry in Gerald, Texas, according to Associate Provost Michael Coleman.

The rock was selected because of its distinctive personality and because limestone, unlike granite, is common in Texas, Coleman said. The lighter density of limestone was also an advantage, he said, because a granite rock the same size could weigh more than twice as much.

"We were attracted by the fact that one had been cut on a 45-degree angle and looked a little woosh-like," said Coleman, who is also dean of Undergraduate Education.

Coleman said the rock cost about $3,000, including transportation. The crane needed to place it will cost about $2,000. Site preparation, which may involve replacing a foot of dirt on the grassy plaza with gravel - which can be raked to conceal spilled paint ­- will cost $1,000.

The cost of the rock will be "split between the academic side of the house and the student life side of the house," Coleman said, with Undergraduate Education contributing half the funds and Student Affairs covering the rest.

Student Government (SG) had set aside almost $5,000 to pay for a larger, permanent rock, but released those funds back into their account in June, when the timeline for the rock's purchase became uncertain.

"I didn't know when we were going to get this rock. I didn't want SG to hold their funds, not use them, and then have it not materialize," said Darrelene Rachavong, vice president of student affairs. "I told them to use their money for something else and we'd pay for it. SG is driving this - It's their idea."

During a April 15 unveiling ceremony, former SG Vice President Ana Tavares, a historical studies senior, said the spirit rock was inspired by a similar monument at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Basheer Benhalim and Felicity Lenes, student body president and vice president, respectively, for the 2006-07 school year, proposed the idea for a spirit rock, she said.

The fate of the current spirit rock is uncertain. Both Rachavong and Coleman said it may remain on campus in a location yet to be decided.

"I suspect it's grown too distinctive to simply put it back (in the park)," Coleman said.

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