Updated on 10:55 a.m. Oct. 21 to include video.
As Elon University's new HealthEU building is growing from the ground up, Elon’s Student Government Association lended a huge helping hand in making it happen: $250,000 to be exact.
A record signed on March 13, 2025, states that the Vice President of Student Life, Jon Dooley, approached SGA asking for funds to contribute to the rock wall that will go into HealthEU.
SGA offered to match a $250,000 donation to total a donation of $500,000. In this record, it states that Dooley would honor this commitment by permanently naming an area of the HealthEU building for SGA.
SGA Student Body President and Elon senior Anya Bratić said that SGA’s contribution to the rock wall has not affected their budget for this year. The money that is going towards the rock wall was out of their “reserve money.”
According to SGA Vice President of Finance Ian Brecker, SGA’s reserve fund is made up of unspent student activity fees, which make up SGA’s budget, from previous years.
“At the end of each year, unused funds roll into this savings account,” Brecker said. “We keep a cap on it because the goal is for money to be used for the greater good of students now, not to pile up. We want students to see their fees in action during their time at Elon.”
Bratić said the senate unanimously agreed that the rock wall was a good use of reserve funds.
SGA Education Senator and Elon senior Connor Vaughn signed the record to move forward with the funding. Vaughn said that he believes the rock wall is an exciting opportunity for students.
“It seemed like ultimately, if we had not provided the funding that we did, there might've been a delay in the HealthEU building,” Vaughn said. “I didn't want anything to get delayed.”
The HealthEU building was originally supposed to open in the spring of 2026, but has been delayed to fall 2026 due to harsh weather during the summer. Vaughn said that although the building has been delayed, overall the funding for the rock wall was important to contribute to.
“I'd love to snap my fingers and have it be done before I graduate, but I know that's just not really realistic,” Vaughn said. “Regardless of whether the delay was with our funding or construction, it's a project that I think all the student government and the student body is happy to see going forward.”
The record states, “The Student Government Association recognizes the importance of contributing to areas of campus that will benefit the larger Student Body of Elon University; including the HealthEU initiative and building.” Bratić said that this contribution is not meant to exclude students who cannot physically use the rock wall.
“By no intention is it meant to single out students who are physically unable to use it,” Bratić said. “When we've heard from a lot of students what they really wanted to see, we are kind of listening to that. We did have so many students that were saying this was a huge priority of theirs and something they really wanted to see. We decided that this could be something that SGA could provide that was fun, that we knew would have a lot of support.”
President of Elon’s Student Union Board and Elon senior Sarah Carss is upset that her student activity fees went to a project she will not be able to see or use. Carss said that one problem with Elon University is that the administration is focused on the future and forgets about what is important in the moment.
“I spend the same amount as a freshman who's gonna get to use that rock wall, but I don't get to use that rock wall because I'm graduating now,” Carss said. “So it's kind of like, what about what I want?”
President of Elon Club Climbing and Elon senior Camille Cochran said that though she is graduating and will not see the rock wall, she is excited for those interested in climbing to have the opportunity to do so on campus.
“I was super excited,” Cochran said. “I'm not going to be here when it goes in, but that didn't really matter. I was just so happy that the climbers on campus are going to have facilities.”
Vice President of Club Climbing and Elon junior Leah Brooker said that she is looking forward to gaining more traction for club climbing because now they will not have to travel 45 minutes to Durham for practices.
“We have a community of climbers that are consistently going off campus,” Brooker said. “I think it's a barrier for a lot of people who want to join. So I think once we have an on-campus facility, the community will be even stronger.”