News-Letter

Media Credit: Conor Kevit More than 800 alumni, trustees and donors donned their finest black-tie attire to attend the lavish opening of the Decker Quadrangle last Saturday evening.

After almost five years of laborious planning, construction and $77 million in spending, the Alonzo G. and Virginia G. Decker Quadrangle officially opened this past Saturday night.

More than 800 alumni, trustees and donors donned their finest black-tie attire to attend the lavish dedication ceremony, which was held as part of Leadership Weekend.

Perhaps the most outwardly excited about both the dedication ceremony and the new quad was President William Brody. "It's fabulous, it's the best, it's spectacular," he said.

"It's an inviting presence for welcoming the new students," Dean of Students Susan Boswell said, adding that the quad "seems amazing and looks like it's always been here."

Tours guided by Hopkins undergraduate and graduate students allowed the attendees to walk through the fully furnished Mason Hall and almost-complete Computational Science and Engineering Building.

Attendees then dined beneath a giant tent that nearly covered the 75,000 square feet of the quad, where they also listened to presentations about the new buildings.

"It's an attractive way to introduce the school," said Raymond "Chip" Mason, a member of the board of trustees who donated the funds toward the creation of Mason Hall.

Though Saturday was the first time Mason saw the building, he seemed happy with the outcome, saying that the buildings and quad "bring back the school's tradition because the buildings resemble each other."

Mason insisted that he owes his involvement in the project to Jerry Schnydman, secretary of the Board of Trustees, who originally proposed to him the idea of building a new quad on what used to be a parking lot and baseball field.

The quadrangle was named after the late Al Decker of the Black & Decker Company and his wife, Virginia Decker. Al Decker was elected to the board of trustees in 1968 and was the first person to raise $100 million for the University.

Located on the southern end of the quad, Mason Hall houses the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, alumni meeting rooms, the Visitors' Center and the Public Relations Office. The building is now the first place prospective students see as they set foot on campus.

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