Unleashing the panther in the plaza

Photo courtesy of Krono Lescano

Sofia Galiano/ BBC Managing Editor

A $3 million renovation project three years in the making is now complete and will be unveiled during Week of Welcome.

Panther Plaza, the terrace located outside the Wolfe University Center, and a two-ton panther sculpture will be presented in a ceremony on Aug. 29 from noon to 2 p.m.

Jazmine Felix, Student Government Association president at the Biscayne Bay Campus, said the plaza renovations are to accompany the recent Panther Square renovations in WUC.

“We had to go to the outside,” she said. “We couldn’t just leave it hanging.”

The SGA-funded project was an effort to make better use of the space outside WUC and to make the campus more inviting, according to Felix.

She said bringing a panther statue like the one at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus to BBC and remodeling a space that was previously occupied by a few picnic tables is a huge deal because it shows that the campus is growing.

The plaza contains yellow tables with umbrellas and an open space for students to mingle.

There are also power outlets available so students can charge their devices while sitting outside.

Giveaways, food and ice cream will be given during the event in Panther Square, in addition to a special something to commemorate the date, said Felix.

Another project Felix undertook involved bringing back the 260 flags that previously hung from the ceiling in Panther Square but were removed when WUC underwent construction last year.

“A year later, I brought them back,” said Felix.

Now, a less expensive and more compact version of the flags are displayed on a glass window on the third floor of WUC, adding a pop of color to the area while representing the diverse community at FIU.

-sofia.galiano@fiusm.com