This year, the senior class gift will be the Mercyhurst anchor. After considering proposals from the Senior Gift Committee for three potential gifts, President Michael Victor made the final decision.

Meaghan Hubert, president of the committee and member of the Class of 2016, weighed in on the meaning behind the anchor.

“The statue will be a feature of campus used to represent the strength and determination of Lakers everywhere,” Hubert said. “This gift is a way to boost morale and Laker spirit, as well as serve as a sign of athletic and academic luck.”

Hubert and the committee also hope the anchor becomes a new hotspot for photo opportunities among both current students and alumni.

By donating $100 or more, any member of the Class of 2016 will see his or her name engraved on the statue. The committee’s goal is to raise at least $10,000 by getting as many seniors to participate as possible.

When asked how the experience has been, Hubert stated that “the whole senior gift process has been very successful so far. The committee has been working hard in coming up with gift ideas, presenting our proposals, and now planning all of our fundraising events.”

Seniors should mark their calendars for Mercyhurst’s annual Senior Week for Feb. 8 to 12. The week will include such traditions as the Senior Date Auction and the 100 Days Until Graduation Party at the Corner Stone Bar and Grille. The party will serve as a fundraising opportunity for the gift, and it will be exclusive to donors who give at least $20.16.

To donate to the project, seniors should visit www.hurstalumni.org/Classof2016. It is also not too late to join the committee in its efforts to make this project happen. Interested seniors should contact Meaghan Hubert at mhuber95@lakers.mercyhurst.edu and follow @MUSeniorGift2016 on Twitter.