With a five-minute ceremony Friday afternoon, nearly 80 years of history came to an end.
The ceremony marked the closing of the Armory, Princeton ROTC's longtime home on Washington Road. Cadets retired the colors, lowering for a final time the American flag that had traditionally been raised outside the Armory each day and lowered each night.
"When we retire the colors, they will never fly over anywhere again," said Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Brown, director of the Princeton ROTC program.
"This is very much the end of an era," Cadet Battalion Commander George Schwartz '07 said. "The Armory has been my home away from home for four years."
The building is scheduled to be demolished this summer to make way for a new chemistry building that will anchor a natural sciences "neighborhood" south of Ivy Lane on both sides of Washington Road.
Construction will begin in September with a projected opening in the fall of 2010, Office of Design and Construction program manager Mark Wilson said.
The ROTC, meanwhile, will move to 294 Alexander Road in mid-June.
ROTC administrative assistant Charlene Hoffner said that though "the new building is smaller," she is looking forward to being in a "refurbished" building that "will be nicer in other ways."
The retired flag will be kept in a glass case in ROTC's new building.
The University ROTC program has existed since 1919 and has been based in the Armory since 1928.
The building, which was originally constructed as stables for horses on campus, also houses Outdoor Action's equipment room and climbing wall, the Program in Theater and Dance's scenery workshop, and storage for the facilities department.
Before the ceremony, Brown gave a speech explaining the flag retirement process and celebrating the cadets who have passed through the Armory in the past century. Brown praised the ROTC alumni who served in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War, as well those currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We also honor the future ... those that will take up the mantle," Brown said, recognizing the students currently in the program, who have responded positively to the move.
"Location is not so important as the people here," cadet Tom Haine '08 said.
The new building will in fact be closer to some students' dorms.
"It will make it easier to get there from Forbes," Schwartz said. As a freshman, he was the only cadet who lived there.
"It was a long, lonely walk here and back," he said.
Read More
Reunions, Commencement see isolated demonstrations as U. tightens protest warnings
Calvin Kenjiro Grover and Luke GrippoAt this year’s Reunions and Commencement, the University sought to get ahead of any potential demonstrations by exhaustively emphasizing its policies around protests and interruptions, including that those who disrupted an event could face arrest. However, there were only a few Pro-Palestine protest actions, all of them sparsely attended.
At this year’s Reunions and Commencement, the University sought to get ahead of any potential demonstrations by exhaustively emphasizing its policies around protests and interruptions, including that those who disrupted an event could face arrest. However, there were only a few Pro-Palestine protest actions, all of them sparsely attended.
Princeton awards 1,293 degrees to the Class of 2025 as speakers reference political headwinds
Maya MukherjeeReunions and graduation speakers referenced the tense political climate around higher education, adding urgent undertones — and sometimes overtones — to otherwise standard ceremonial speech fare.
Reunions and graduation speakers referenced the tense political climate around higher education, adding urgent undertones — and sometimes overtones — to otherwise standard ceremonial speech fare.
Joseph ’25 next Young Alumni Trustee in 21 percent turnout election
Vitus LarrieuGil Joseph ’25 won the Young Alumni Trustee election, which saw 21 percent turnout. Joseph, Stephen Padlo ’25 and Ben Wachspress ’25 competed in the final round of elections after advancing from a notably large primary in April.
Gil Joseph ’25 won the Young Alumni Trustee election, which saw 21 percent turnout. Joseph, Stephen Padlo ’25 and Ben Wachspress ’25 competed in the final round of elections after advancing from a notably large primary in April.