Small Towns are sooooooooooo cool!

[Padraig18]

If you remember, I posted last week about Blair Hall at Eastern Illinois University being severely damaged by a fire. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of the busiest buildings on campus, housing both classrooms and offices.

In today's paper, the university ran the following full-page ad, complete with photos of the fire, etc.:


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Dear friends and neighbors:

Henri Nouwen wrote, "When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand."

As awful as it was, the fire at Blair Hall could have been much worse, and the outpouring of love and concern from the citizens of Charleston, our students, faculty and staff has been overwhelmingly supportive and will not soon be forgotten.

As I stood in shock watching the flames consume Blair Hall, I also noticed many incredibly kind and selfless acts going on around me: ordinary townspeople helping to drag hose and carry tools for the firemen, freeing the firemen themselves for the important work of saving the building... local businesses bringing coolers of ice, bottled water and cold drinks for the firemen, policemen and others working... local restaurants and grocery stores bringing sandwiches, pizzas and cold meat trays to feed those same people... the students and building-service workers who helped to save the filing cabinets, computers and other valuable equipment on the first and second floors while over their heads, the building burned... to the off-duty and volunteer firemen and policemen from 23 surrounding communities who arrived unasked, wanting only to help, and who did help enormously... and to the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, the Business and Professional Women's Club and the University Professionals of Illinois, who purchased and donated nineteen new desktop and seventeen laptop computers to replace those that faculty and staff members lost to the flames, water, heat and smoke.

I am a city boy, born and raised, and when I came to Charleston and EIU as a young professor almost 38 years ago, it was not my intention to long remain here, yet here I am today. What I discovered here many years ago was something I had never experienced before--- a true sense of 'community', and belonging. I have never regretted my decision to remain here, and in every sense of the word, Charleston and EIU are now my home. This community's response to last week's fire has yet again demonstrated the absolute rightness of my decision to remain here, and it is my fondest hope to grow old here among you, my colleagues and friends.

In closing, let me answer the two questions that have been uppermost in everyone's minds, "Can Blair Hall be saved, and will it be rebuilt?". The answer to both is a resounding "Yes!". I have the report of the structural engineer we hired to answer the question about Blair Hall's structural integrity, and he has determined that the walls and foundation are still sound, which means that the building can be restored. The insurance company has promised prompt payment of the full proceeds under our property and casualty insurance, and Gov. Blagoevich, Speaker Madigan and Senate President Jones have all promised to acquire full state funding for any shortfall in reconstruction funds, which will allow us to fully restore Blair Hall to its former grandeur.

Once again, let me express the profound gratitude we all here at EIU feel for the innumerable acts of kindness, love and compassion shown us all this past week. We know we are loved, and wish you to know that your love is returned tenfold. Thank you, and may God bless you all.

---Lou Hencken, President


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Pretty cool, huh? :D

[redqueen]

1. Yeah... that is cool

Man, I gotta move... soon!

[Padraig18]

2. Come here!

It's a nice place, with nice people. :)

[Padraig18]

3. Kick

[Cuban_Liberal]

4. As a city boy myself, I know what he means!

There's an incredibly high level of social cohesion here, and it's always impressed me favorably.

I'm very pleased they're going to rebuild Blair Hall; it's a stately, imposing edifice worthy of its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, I'm pleased that Gov. B. will turn on the financial tap to make up for any shortfall in funding; that alone should be good for 1000-1500 additional votes in 2006. :)

Edit: typo