Rally held for RIC ballot question

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- Rhode Island voters will be faced with seven questions when Election Day rolls around, one of which will fund major renovations at a state school.

Our research has come up empty for groups in opposition to Question 3, though supports showed up in droves at Rhode Island College Wednesday.

Cheers and chants filled the campus as students and faculty hope for RI residents to vote in their favor.

"I would like to say I was part of an era of great history and advancement and improvement at Rhode Island College," said junior Hillary Costa.

If approved, voters would sign off on the state collecting $50 million in bonds to fix up three buildings on the college's campus: Craig-Lee Hall, Gaige Hall, and the Fogarty Life Science Building.

"Every student on campus takes at least one, if not multiple classes in that building, so they've been heavily used for over 40 years without significant renovations," said RIC President Nancy Carriuolo.

Costa, who's a political science major, wants future grads to be proud of the building.

"The political science department is up here in caliber, as to the quality of the program, but the facilities that we're given are down here, they just don't compare," she added.

For those saying that $50 million seems a little pricey for some renovations, the school's president has an answer.

"If you think about the fact that we're working on not one, not two, but three buildings, it really is cost-effective, rather than building a new building at some point," said Carriuolo.

If voters do sign off on the initiative, the project wouldn't be finished until January 2017.