On Feb. 5 at 3 p.m., students, faculty and other members of the Jackson community gathered at the Carl Grant Events Center to celebrate the upcoming installation of the highest beam of the new academic building project in progress on the Great Lawn.
The Topping Out Ceremony, a tradition observed for hundreds of years, marks the practice of celebrating the placement of the last beam in construction. The forthcoming academic building is stated to house the McAfee School of Business, along with the departments of business and engineering. Anticipated to conclude in the spring of 2025, the construction project has been a focal point of development on campus.
At the event, attendees had the opportunity to sign their names on the steel beam before it is to be installed on Tuesday. After signing the beam, attendees were welcomed to indulge in refreshments, including hot cocoa and a variety of cookies. Beyond this symbolic act, the event served as an expression of gratitude for everyone involved in the project, from generous donors to dedicated construction workers.
University President, Dr. Dub Oliver, emphasized the collaborative effort.
“There are lots of people who make a project like this happen,” Oliver said. “But first, foremost and always we acknowledge God’s hand.”
Oliver took a moment to recognize the students who would benefit from the new learning spaces.
“I want to recognize and thank our students,” Oliver said. “You are the reason that we build these buildings, because we want you to have the very best learning environments possible for you to pursue God’s calling on your lives.”
“We, as Union, are coming together to sign the highest beam,” Dannie Harrington, student body president, said. “We have asked students, faculty and staff to participate in this because we recognize that you all give a lot of time, both financially and spiritually, to this university. Each and every one of you work hard in and outside of the classrooms and offices and we wanted to thank you all and include you in this ceremony.”
Guests were not only encouraged to sign the beam but also to engage with dioramas illustrating the final look of the new building once completed. Just outside the Grant Event Center, these dioramas showcased how the building is expected to appear upon completion. Professor Brian Glas, the chair of the computer science department, added to the experience by providing virtual reality headsets. Using these headsets, attendees had the opportunity to immerse themselves in a 3D rendering, offering a lively preview of the upcoming structure. Brian Glas explained the impact of the virtual experience.
“Looking at the rendering on a screen is how most people have a chance of seeing it, that’s OK but it’s still flat. They aren’t immersed in it,” Glas said. “When I watch people put the headset on, there’s always a lot more amazement out of it because they are in the middle of it. They have that full immersion of being completely enveloped in the building.”
The Topping Out Ceremony traces its origins to ancient Scandinavia, where a pine tree was placed atop a new building. The purpose of this tradition was both spiritual as well as practical; when the needles of the pine had fallen, the builders knew that the wood frame of the building had fully dried out and was safe to finish construction without the wood breaking. Over the years, this tradition has evolved into the modern construction practice of marking the completion of a building’s structural phase by placing a final beam or element at its highest point. These beams or elements are often signed or adorned in some way. Today, the ceremony is a global phenomenon, symbolizing progress, teamwork and good fortune for the completed building.