Silliman Portal Building: Tree of Life
Leaving a legacy in our Alma Mater is an ultimate accomplishment of every Sillimanian. Even by inserting a single spoke on the wheel of Silliman’s progress makes you part of its grandeur. And the Tree of Life project is one perfect example of opportunity that lays spokes on the ground waiting for you to fill in and become one.
Spearheaded by Silliman University Alumni Council of North America or SUACONA, this project exhibits the recognition of imparter of donations for the development of Twin Portal Buidlings.
The tree of life, as the title suggests, is laid out like a tree with serveral sections, and these are the South Tree, the North Tree, and an Interactive Screen. It also comes with 350 leaves and six rocks that recognize the name of the donor. Each leaf acknowledges $1,000 donations and $5,000 for the rock.
A great and ambitious project so to speak, but considerably a significant view of Silliman Spirit at work! Indeed, we are proud to utter… “Silliman our Alma Mater, Loyal shall we e’er remain!”
FAQ (taken from www.suacona.com)
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Twin Portals Project and the Tree of Life
1. What is the goal of the Tree of Life? It is a way of acknowledging contributions to the Twin Portals Project by having your name as a donor/s, and/or those you wish to honor or memorialize, inscribed on a leaf or rock in the Tree of Life. 2. What will the Tree of Life look like? It will be a two-dimensional graphic presentation of a tree. 3. Where will the Tree of Life be located? The trees will be on the north and south walls in the lobby of the Portal West building. Each tree will have room for 350 leaves and six rocks for a total of 700 leaves and 12 rocks altogether. 4. How can I qualify for a leaf? By giving a contribution of at least $1000.00. 5. How can I qualify for a rock? By giving a contribution of at least $5000.00. 6. How much text am I allowed to write on a leaf or rock? While no number limit has been imposed, it only makes sense to be economical. About 60 characters including spaces should be a reasonable upper limit for the leaf, which measures 10.5 inches wide and 4.2 inches tall. We can have a few more words and lines for a rock because it is larger. Obviously, in both cases, the less characters, the easier to fit them in and the more visible the writing. 7. Is there a limit to how many leaves I can qualify for? No, there is no limit on how many leaves you can qualify for. But there is a limit of 350 leaves to each tree. As soon as there are 700 donations of at least $1,000 each, and ten donations of $5000 each, the Tree of Life project is complete. 8. I don’t have $1000 but I still would like to contribute toward the project. Can I do that? Yes, by all means. All donations of any size are appreciated and will be acknowledged. 9. Suppose I donate a large amount, is there a way my donation will be acknowledged at the Tree of Life? You can buy multiple leaves in increments of $1000. Alternately, large amounts in categories starting at $10,000 will be acknowledged through plaques that will be placed on the wall of the elevator shaft. The categories will be as follows: $10,000 to $24,999 $25,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $99,999 $100,000 and above (on the trunk) 10. Who can participate in the Tree of Life? All Silliman alumni and friends are encouraged to participate. 11. Where will the proceeds of this project go? Money raised through SUACONA for this project will go into the construction of the first of two Portal buildings that will be located beside the Gate of Knowledge along Hibbard Avenue in Dumaguete City. This is a creative and visionary form of entrepreneurship by 12. Will there be a Silliman body created with the specific duty of overseeing the management of the Twin Portals buildings? Yes. A three-person committee has already been created with the following as members: Prof. Cleonico Y. Fontelo, VP for Finance, Chair
13. Where can I get additional information about the project and get updates on its progress? Log on to www.suacona.com and click on Twin Portals Bldg. You can see photos of the building progress in the website’s Photos section and by clicking the Powerpoint presentation. 14. Now that I have decided to participate in the Twin Portals project, what do I do next? Use the donor form provided in the packet that may have been emailed to you earlier. If you don’t have the packet or you misplaced it, you can ask for another form or download the form from the SUACONA website and print it. Be sure to fill the form completely and send with your check. Write a check payable to the United Board for the amount you wish to contribute. On the memo line, be sure to write “Silliman Portals Project/SUACONA” so that the United Board can correctly designate your donation.
Mail the accomplished form and check to:
6119 Weatherwood Circle Wesley Chapel, FL 33545
15. Is my donation tax deductible? Your donation is tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. An appropriate tax receipt will be issued to you as soon as the United Board receives your donation. 16. What about those of us who are living in Canada? How will we send our contributions? And will we get tax deductions like those in the States? Make out your check to Silliman University in 1000 Canadian dollars for a leaf and 5000 Canadian dollars for a rock. Mail the check and form to the same address as written above. As of now, there is no counterpart in Canada of the United Board that will give you tax exemption. 17. How can the writing on my leaf be seen when the tree is so tall? Obviously, the closer to the ground your leaf is, the easier the writing can be read by the naked eye. That is why the earlier you buy your leaf, the better your leaf’s position will be. However, there is another way that the inscription on your leaf can be read. At the lobby, there will be an interactive screen in which the names of all donors will be listed. The location of your leaf and a facsimile of your leaf with corresponding inscription will be seen. For an additional contribution, the interactive screen can contain information about donors, memorialees and honorees or other information of your choice. 18. Can I give my donation in installments? You can take as much time as you want. Bear in mind though that your leaf or rock will be placed on the tree once you have paid the whole amount and the position of your leaf will be based on the date of the final payment.
If you have any other questions other than the above, please contact:
Rev. Dr. Federico I. Agnir Coordinator, Tree of Life Project
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