Herald photo by Ian Martens University of Lethbridge president Mike Mahon gives the thumbs up to a crowd of university officials, dignitaries and other guests after using an excavator to officially break ground Thursday on a new student residence at the University of Lethbridge.

Caroline Zentner
lethbridge herald
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Students will benefit in the long term, but Thursday's fun at the University of Lethbridge was all in Mike Mahon's hands as he took the controls of an excavator and broke ground on a new residence building.
"This is one of the most enjoyable things I've done since coming to the U of L. Driving that large backhoe was lots of fun," the president said.
Turns out he's a quick study, too. After a 15-minute lesson earlier in the morning, Mahon got the hang of it and executed a perfect manoeuvre at "performance" time.
Andrew Williams, U of L Students' Union vice-president academic and a fifth-year student, said the new residence is definitely needed, especially since most students come from outside Lethbridge. Last year more than 400 students from the Calgary area couldn't be accommodated in residence.
"In order to get into residence you either have to be lucky or you have to be very quick on the draw and get your application in the day they open," Williams said.
Living on campus gives students an easy commute to classes without the need for a vehicle or to pay for a parking pass.
"As a destination university, one of the things that a lot of students who are moving away from home to go to university worry about most would be finding housing. As a 17- or 18-year-old moving away for the first time, it can be intimidating to go and try and find a house off-campus. Some students even decide they're going to put off going to university because they can't find a place or it's something that deters them."
In addition to the security of living on campus, residence life offers plenty of opportunities for students to get to know each other through organized social activities.
Construction on the 10,000-square-metre building is expected to wrap up by September 2013. Located south of the Aperture Park Residence complex, the 259-bed facility will be built for about $32 million with a grant of $3.5 million from the City of Lethbridge, a further $21 million in internal U of L funds and a $7.5-million loan from the provincial government.