By the time students finish returning to campus after spring break, the space currently known as the Althouse Trellis will officially be renamed in honor of the Mermaid Society, an honorary donor group.

According to Tara Renault, executive director of Donor Relations, the space will be called The Mermaid Society Trellis beginning Monday, March 21. The official unveiling will take place during alumni weekend, held June 10-12 of this year, but the plaque will be on display before then.

The name has been voted on and approved by Donor Relations in partnership with Conference and Special Events (CASE) to recognize the Mermaid Society and its members. Of all spaces on campus, the trellis was chosen to bear the name because of its location as well as its high level of usage.

“We really love the sense of place,” said Renault. “We love our Mermaids and are excited to have a permanent space on campus (in the shadow of the cupola atop Old West where the Mermaid resides) that honors their loyal support of our college. … We just thought that having the trellis being in the same area in the shadow of Old West would be a natural linkage.”

The space was also considered with attention to the fact that it is often used by students for casual use as well as for programming events, what Renault calls a “space that is utilized and enjoyed by many.”

The Mermaid Society, according to the college’s website, is a group comprised of “alumni, parents and friends who have financially supported the college faithfully on an annual basis for the past three or more years.”

For the 2016 academic year, 3,332 Dickinson donors earned this recognition and approximately 500 of those have made a gift to Dickinson every year for 25 years or more, said Renault. The society also recognizes 37 Dickinsonians who have made a yearly gift for 50 or more years.