When the Office of Physical Plant began dismantling several dilapidated benches on the Old Main lawn, Jordan Ford thought their removal wouldn't attract much attention.
"I wasn't expecting anybody to even notice," said Ford, the assistant director of the Office of Annual Giving.
But two student leaders have raised concerns about the benches' removal, contending removing the benches disrespects the Penn State Class of 1900, which originally donated the benches as its class gift.
"I feel that we have our traditions here at Penn State, and one of those traditions is the senior gift," University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) at-large representative Sean Meloy said. "Those benches are a respected part of campus, and now they're gone."
The 50 stone-and-wood benches, many of which were located on the Old Main lawn, have deteriorated with age and are in the process of being replaced with black iron benches, university spokeswoman Annemarie Mountz said Tuesday.
Remains of the original benches will be combined to create two piecemeal commemorative benches for the Henderson Mall and Allen Street Mall, Ford said
Meloy said all the benches should be restored, rather than removed.
"If they could have restored two of them, I don't know why they can't just restore all of them," he said.
UPUA Academic Affairs Chairman Matt Smith said students should have been consulted on the benches' removal.
"Those gifts aren't just for the university. The university is students, faculty and administrators," he said.
Mountz said the university wants to "honor and commemorate the original gift" by replacing the old benches with new ones.
Ford said the benches' removal was "unfortunate but necessary." He added some class gifts, like the "class ivy" that grows on some campus buildings, often need to be replaced or removed because of age.
"It's obviously something we try and avoid if we can," Ford said. "If I had my way, all the gifts would always be there forever, but it's not realistic to think that they won't need to be replaced."
The replacement benches will still honor the intentions of the Class of 1900, Mountz said.
"The spirit of the gift was to provide a place on campus to sit and admire the mall," she said. "We're putting new benches there that will maintain the spirit of the gift."
