ST. GEORGE -- Soon Dixie State students will have one less excuse for being late for class. Tuesday construction crews began work on a clock tower, which will become a focal point of the new university.
Students watched as the 80-foot steel structure went up on the campus’ mall lawn. Administrators have been planning the tower for the past several years. It’s part of a larger plan to bring the former state college in line with other state universities.
Most universities also have a tower, a clock tower that’s kind of the center of campus, place that students go to take a picture, or place to meet,” said DSU campus services executive director Shelly Ruesch. “This will become our place.”
Ruesch said they want the clock tower to become sort of a landmark. The state of the art structure will have speakers inside the tower, capable of a chime, but also able to play various songs.
“it’s not anything like St. George has seen before,” Ruesch said. “It has a large number of led lights that are inside the structure, so at night it will glow.”
The $1.2 million tower will be finished with fiberglass panels and is designed to complement the nearby Holland building. Students say the modern design reflects the direction the university is headed.
“I think it’s a really great thing,” said senior Brandon Shubert. “Every good university should have one. And it’s going to be a nice thing once it’s up.”
“It’ll be nice to have something that’s just kind of more homey and more takes in the effect of a campus,” said freshman Falcon Parker.
Work on the clock tower is expected to wrap up the second week in April.
