NEWS
NOTES
AND
4
TOWER
|
Winter 2013
university’s
9/11 memorial
and a celebra-
tion of the
anniversary of
Dr. Martin
Luther King
Jr.’s epic “I
have a dream”
speech.
Golden Bear
Plaza was dedicated Oct. 5 as part
of Family Day. It sits on the former
site of the vehicle fleet garages
and the coal-fired power plant,
which was erected early in
the 20th century. At that time the
area was the southernmost part of
campus. As the college expanded
over the next 80 years, the plant
became closer to the center of
South Campus.
The reality of transforming
this area into an open plaza began
to take shape in 2006, with the
New Open Spaces Beautify Campus
creation of a
new heating
plant on the
outskirts of
campus. The
old plant and
garages were
demolished
and construc-
tion on the
new plaza
took place over the past year.
Some of the highlights include
lighted outdoor basketball courts
and a refurbished barbeque pit,
which was originally located behind
Risley Hall. The barbecue pit
(pictured above) was a gift to the
university from the Class of ’44
and was used for tailgates for
football games into the early ’90s.
The bronze golden bear statue,
formerly located in South Dining
Hall, stands proudly at the plaza’s
center.
College Hill Memorial Grove,
formerly known as Bell Plaza, was
dedicated May 9 in memory of
those students, faculty and staff
who have died. The concept of
the grove came from students who
wanted a place to hold memorial
ceremonies and to honor classmates
and friends.
The area, which is located
between Stratton Administration
Center and Old Main, is shaded
by large oak trees and appears much
like it did 100 years ago. The bell
in the center of the grove was dedi-
cated by the class of 1910. It rang
in the Old Main clock tower for
many years before it was replaced
with an electronic system.
The name “College Hill” was
first used in the late 1920s as a
postal address and as a common
term to identify the campus. Prior
to 1928, when KU was known as
Keystone State Normal School, the
area was known as “Normal Hill.”
College Hill Memorial Grove
has already been the scene of the
Right: Guido Pichini ’74, chair of the PASSHE
Board of Governors and KU trustee, joins Briana
Berry ’15, Residence Hall Association president;
Avalanche; Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, president,
Kutztown University; and Nick Imbesi ’14,
Student Government Board president, at the
dedication of Golden Bear Plaza.
