Butlerites lament wreckage upon return

The clanging of a live construction site in the former Butler College quad greeted students upon their return to campus this week, bringing emotions of shock and nostalgia.

A demolition team razed the quad's 43-year-old buildings, which included Lourie-Love, 1922, 1940, 1941 and 1942 halls.

"It was a shock to see the buildings come down," Dean of Butler College David Stirk said.

Students came forward to express nostalgic sentiments and reminisce over the time they enjoyed in the Butler quad.

Kathleen Li '10 said Butler "was the place where I made all of my freshman year memories ... It's all gone."

Construction of new buildings will commence in mid-September and is scheduled to be completed by fall 2009, at which point Butler College will become a four-year residential college to be paired with the two-year Wilson College.

But students are worried about the effect the demolition will have on the Butler community. The college's residents currently are spread out among Bloomberg, Cuyler and 1915 halls.

"I think that Butler produced close classes," said Jonathan Weed '09, a past resident of the Butler quad. "It's just a big hole now, and I didn't expect that."

Support nonprofit student journalism. Donate to the ‘Prince’. Donate now »

Weed said the close living quarters of dorms in the quad fostered the same tight-knit friendships seen in Forbes College. Now, Butlerites are bonding over their undesirable housing assignments.

"It isn't going to be a serious problem, but it won't be the same," he said.

Li said another threat to the Butler spirit is that her peers might abandon Wu Dining Hall for the newer Whitman dining hall, which offers a more extensive food selection.

Stirk, however, remains positive. "Students seem to be excited about Cuyler as temporary housing," he said, and that Cuyler is within sight of Butler's dining hall.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

A Butler Quad Blog documented the demolition process with pictures throughout the summer.

Some students responded to the project through online comments. Sarah Verrill '07 expressed her unexpected feelings of "regret and nostalgia" when she viewed photos of the demolition.

In another blog post by Jennifer Mickel '07 entitled "A Lesson Lost," she criticized University architect Jon Hlafter '61 and the school for hewing to current architectural trends, rather than designing with an "eye for longevity."

Members of the Classes of 1940, '41 and '42, which funded the college's original construction, expressed regret earlier this year that their contribution to the University would disappear.

Commemorative plaques will likely be placed in the Butler dining hall for the dorms built to honor World War II casualties from those classes.

Stirk said the plans for the reconstruction are "well-thought out" and "integrate Butler and Wilson in interesting ways and sightlines."

The new dorms will be 112,000 sq. ft. and house 289 students, mostly in four-student suites.

Stirk said the plans will add program space in the form of classrooms, common areas and a cafe.

Another new feature will be an outdoor amphitheatre in the middle of the buildings. This will serve as a common area for reading, recreation, theater and picnics, Butler Director of Studies Matthew Lazen said.