DAVID HARDEN/Arizona Daily Wildcat Sen. Jered Mansell holds the resolution to save the Krutch Cactus Garden at last night's ASUA meeting. The board voted 10-0 to leave the garden where it is instead of moving it to build the Alumni Plaza.

Alumni Association will likely recommend cactus garden design

ASUA unanimously passed a resolution last night in favor of preserving the Joseph Wood Krutch cactus garden, one week after students overwhelmingly told the senate they wanted the garden to stay.

At last night's senate meeting, Associated Students of the University of Arizona Sen. Jered Mansell proposed a resolution directed to the University of Arizona administration and the Arizona Alumni Association suggesting that they preserve the cactus garden now and in all future campus construction and listen to the opinions of the students when making their decision.

Once ASUA President Ray Quintero signs the resolution, it will be sent to the administration as the official opinion of the student body.

"Hopefully, when they have a final plan, we can open it up to more discussion," Mansell said.

ASUA senators say they have been appreciative of the Alumni Association's willingness to listen to students and take their opinions into consideration.

"They really appreciate the comments from students and the cooperation of senate," Quintero said.

A representative of the Alumni Association said planners of the Alumni Heritage Plaza will take the ASUA resolution into consideration when they make a final recommendation about whether the cactus garden will stay.

"I think, especially, that the last resolution represents how much the Alumni Association shares with the students the appreciation for heritage and tradition," said Jay Rochlin, associate director of the Alumni Association.

On Feb. 8, the Alumni Association will present two designs for the Alumni Plaza to the Planning and Design Review Advisory Committee - which must approve all construction projects on campus.

One plan will incorporate the cactus garden, and the other will include moving it near Old Main.

In most cases, only one plan is presented to PADRAC, but because the committee was split between keeping the cactus garden and transporting it, PADRAC asked the Alumni Association to present two alternatives.

The Alumni Association plans on advising PADRAC to choose the plan that incorporates the cactus garden.

"At this moment we are leaning very strongly to recommending that PADRAC choose the proposal that keeps the cactus garden," Rochlin said.

The Alumni Association is in the planning stages of another project called the Heritage Trail, which could be incorporated into the Alumni Plaza. The trail may start and end at the cactus garden, Rochlin said.

The Heritage Trail would take people around the entire campus to approximately 15 different spots of history. The Alumni Association is asking people to share with them different parts of campus that they feel are part of the university's history.

Rochlin cited examples such as the fountain by Old Main and the fishpond located on the northwest side of campus.