ATLANTA — Some Georgia Tech students say a campus tradition is about to be ruined.
The university is remodeling an area currently home to a large sculpture and fountain. Once construction is in full swing, the 80-foot sculpture that some call "The Shaft" will be moved and the fountain will be demolished.
Student Jack Vaughn and some of his classmates believe traditions are important.
"It's such a symbol for Georgia Tech, especially in the spring around graduation season, when everybody takes graduation photos here," Vaughn said.
The Kessler Campanile and Fountain was built for the 1996 Olympic Games.
"There's a lot of alumni and students who have signed it," Andrew Johnston said.
Johnston started a petition opposing a $110 million university overhaul of a section of campus that would relocate the sculpture and remove the fountain.
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Officials said eventually, water could once again be part of the landscape.
"Because we know that it's an emotionally significant part of what happens on this campus, we want to make sure to plan things so that we can still have water in a future phase," Georgia Tech spokesperson Kate Curnow said.
Some students said it's not like the school is destroying it, just moving it.
"For all those graduation pictures and those memories linked to it, those can be moved, too," graduate student Alan Daou said.
But others said the spot means more to them than just a picture.
"You go here, and you see that campanile. You see that needle, and you feel connected. You know that it'll work out. We'll get through this semester. This is our home," a student said.
There's also a lot of steps around the area, an Americans with Disabilities Act complaint.
A campus spokesperson said when the work is finished, the area will be more accessible to students who use wheelchairs.
Additionally, the university said bringing a water feature back is still on the table.