MOSCOW, Idaho — After the King Road home was torn down in December, The University of Idaho is looking to the future with progress on the Vandal Healing Garden.
Ryan Lorensen an architecture student at the university speaks to the importance of the project by saying “Hearing their vulnerability and emotion really opened my eyes to how important this memorial is.”
11 architecture students and 7 landscape students are tackling this project and recently have completed the design stage.
The university is proud that the memorial project team is comprised of students and noted that they have the heart of the university in their hands and to treat it carefully.
To capture the essence of the students being memorialized, some students on the team were able to meet with family members of the students that will be memorialized, to learn more about the students and how important this is to them.
Madailein McLenna said “We know this memorial won’t make everybody happy. But for some people, it’s going to mean everything.”
The garden does not have an official resting place yet as two locations are still being decided on. The MacLean field is the area the university is hoping to plant roots.
Two different sections of the field are being looked at, both located on campus between the College of Education and Health and Human Services building.
The team of students will continue fine-tuning the design in the spring semester and hope to have a final approval later this summer.
