Although the sky was overcast and the wind was flowing, spirits could not have been higher this past Friday for the groundbreaking of the newest addition on the campus, Marquez Hall. Festivities started off with a performance by the CSM marching band and chorus, followed by a pleasant acknowledgement to the many people who helped make this building a reality by President Scoggins. “As you may know, 1980 alumnus Tim Marquez and his wife, Bernie, laid the groundwork for this new facility with a generous challenge grant of $10 million in 2005. Since then, more than 150 individuals and corporations stepped up to that challenge, contributing nearly $27 million and helping Mines fulfill its vision for a new home for petroleum engineering at the school. Thanks to donor support, Marquez Hall is the first academic building on campus completely funded with private resources.” President Scoggins then thanked the students for their support in helping fund the addition to the building through a portion of their student fees, “Because of [the student’s] own investment, we were able to add approximately 25,000 square feet of much-needed classroom space through a separate wing addition that will be built on the southeast side of the Marquez Hall building.