Phase Two of the McKinley Project, which runs from the Bethel Avenue entrance of campus to the Neely-Petty intersection, continued a plan to add more landscaping to Ball State University's campus.
Unlike the first phase, which was all contracted out, Jim Lowe, director of engineering and operations, decided to use some in-house help for the project.
During the summer, students involved with the Environmental Health and Safety Department took the task of making the campus look alive.
Lowe headed the project and was excited by the results.
"Surprisingly, I've not only had students, but faculty, staff and families give feedback," Lowe said. "It's just been great input from the entire community."
Lowe said he hoped students would appreciate the addition more if they were a part of it.
"If they created it, they better understand maintaining it," he said.
Junior David Watts, a landscape architecture major, said he worked 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day during the summer toward the deadline of move-in day.
"I'm impressed at the sheer amount of work done in a short amount of time," Watts said. Watts said he felt that the relandscaping turned out well, and that it was just something that needed to be done.
Alongside eight student co-workers and the Ball State grounds crew, he managed to move and place truckloads of mulch and foliage.
"My main contribution was the installation of trees and bushes," Watts said. "Over the course of a few weeks, we unloaded and placed thousands of plants. Luckily the work was enjoyable and everyone was pretty laid back. It was a great group to work with."
Lowe described the redone front entrance and vibrant scenery as something that built "a sense of community and identity" for a thriving campus.
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