Presbyterians open campus
house By William P.
Thompson William_Thompson@link.freedom.com Created on: April 18, 2006 -
11:41PM - 7849
Lisa Jaynes helps herself to
the relish tray at the grand opening of the Presbyterian
Campus House Tuesday at the corner of South Avenue K and West
University. The house will be used for various activities by
Eastern New Mexico University students wh
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It was more than 15 years in the planning
stages, but a brand new $90,000 campus house for Presbyterian
students at Eastern New Mexico University opened its doors Tuesday
at the corner of South Avenue K and West University.
Millie
Boyle of First Presbyterian Church in Portales said a fund was
started years ago when the parents of state senator Stuart Ingle put
$20,000 in a special fund before they died.
"It was the
Betty and Cress Ingle fund," Boyle said. "It wouldn't have started
without Betty and Cress. We knew we had that money and then Phil
Million (a member of First Presbyterian) and I finally said we
wanted to get this accomplished."
Boyle said more than 20
volunteers pitched in with labor and financial contributions.
"The volunteers saved us thousands of dollars," Boyle said.
Shannon Webster, executive presbyter of the Sierra Blanca
Presbytery which oversees Presbyterian churches in southern and
eastern New Mexico, said the national Presbyterian General Assembly
contributed another $40,000 to the project which began in 2005 after
the old Presbyterian Campus House was torn down and literally hauled
away.
Kelsey Jaynes, co-owner of Garden Source in Portales,
was one of the volunteers who donated some landscaping labor to
beautify the exterior of the new house.
"It (the house)
helps students who are Presbyterians and gives them a place to hang
out with other Presbyterian students." Jaynes said.
Greg
Hobbs, an elder of First Presbyterian Church, estimated the square
footage of the house at about 1,200 square feet. He said the house
is currently used for university religion classes, and that although
now there are only four students who make regular use of the house,
he expects that number to grow now that Presbyterian students have a
new house with which to attract students.
Terence Tonye
Biaga, an ENMU student from the African nation of Cameroon, said he
envisions visiting the new house once a week when school is in
session.
"I think there are many more students who will come
here now that a house like this exists," he said.
Church
members said the house is being used infrequently now until the end
of the spring term, but next Fall it will become more of a place in
which Presbyterian students can socialize and "drop in" from time to
time.
