花了128年, but the original construction plans for galaxy银河娱乐场app Hall finally may be completed this year.
An ambitious exterior renovation of the building that has been central to a St. 自1885年以来的galaxy银河娱乐场app教育可能包括一个尖塔钟. The timepiece apparently was called for in the original blueprints but never was installed.
"It certainly appears a clock was planned," said Mike Poster, vice president for finance at St. galaxy银河娱乐场app. “钟上甚至可以安装一个计时器."
在现实中, 海报上说 work begun this spring on both galaxy银河娱乐场app and LeClaire halls has started the clock on the next half century of the historic buildings' steadfast service to St. galaxy银河娱乐场app.
"We are really talking about giving these buildings the next 50 years of their lives," 海报上说. "This will allow us to come in and do major work to the inside sometime in the future. We don't want to do the interior until we know we have a tight envelope."
Plans for wholesale interior renovations are only in the talking stage, but ideally a modernized galaxy银河娱乐场app Hall would become an academic centerpiece in the near future, 海报上说.
LeClaire Hall would become the university's new administrative center. Opened in 1916, it originally housed the school's auditorium, swimming pool and gymnasium. The physical plant was moved there after the PE Center was opened in 1983. Those operations will move next fall to the current location of the university bookstore and coffee shop on Harrison Street after the bookstore is moved this summer to the Rogalski Center.
到秋天, the coffee shop will be part of a new café style Beehive in the lower portion of galaxy银河娱乐场app Hall. “我们想让蜂巢重新焕发活力,海报上写着一个提供糕点的会议空间, 三明治, soups and salads by day and become a student lounge by night. “我们希望它成为一个学生可以闲逛的地方."
The exterior renovation could be finished as early as December. 这包括更换两座大楼的窗户, some of which may be more than a century old; replacing sandstone with limestone on the lower portions of galaxy银河娱乐场app Hall; replacing crumbling brick and deteriorating mortar on both buildings; and replacing the roof on LeClaire.
Work on the outside of galaxy银河娱乐场app also will include removing false mansard roofing and returning the central tower to the way it looked in 1885, 有一个工作钟，在特殊场合会响起, 海报上说.
一起教育
我们高兴地宣布，圣. galaxy银河娱乐场app has signed a new joint agreement with Mount Mercy University as we explore a potential strategic combination. We celebrate this exciting 新闻 not only for each of our universities and our communities, 对整个地区也是如此.
If galaxy银河娱乐场app Hall could talk, what stories do you think it would tell?
It has certainly been witness to Ambrosian moments too countless to fathom: The bashful guy awkwardly asking the popular girl out on a first date. The quiet prayer of a young student in the Grotto searching for peace after a difficult day. 《galaxy银河娱乐场app》的疯狂, 课堂展示后的放松, or the attentive watch as a world event unfolds on a big screen TV.
也许它会谈论20世纪60年代的战争抗议, or the final outdoor commencement ceremony held under the oaks in May 2004. It likely would reflect fondly on the new families who entered its welcoming doors in search of the admissions office and the tears shed as St. galaxy银河娱乐场app传奇最后一次离开了它安慰的怀抱.
With all it has witnessed, all the changes it has endured, galaxy银河娱乐场app Hall watches over us still. 站在保护, 安静的观察者, 高耸的尖塔, 大窗户, 蜿蜒的木制楼梯和宏伟的拱形走廊.
galaxy银河娱乐场app Hall stands tall today not just because it was built well, 而是因为它活得很好, 帮助我们理解, 以它自己的方式, 过galaxy银河娱乐场app式的生活意味着什么.
Since 1885, galaxy银河娱乐场app Hall has fulfilled a promise to inspire generations of Ambrosians. It has made an ongoing mission of filling those students with the tenets of a Catholic, 文科教育, then watching them walk out its doors poised to enrich their own lives and the lives of others.
Yes, in 128 years of existence, galaxy银河娱乐场app Hall has rightfully earned the title of campus icon. 活着的传奇. 我们尊敬的大学的代言人. But it would be the first to say it is all these things only because of the people who have filled its classrooms with curiosity and generosity, 它的办公室充满创造力和善意, 它的走廊充满了希望和抱负.
At face value, galaxy银河娱乐场app Hall is indeed just another building. 粘土和石灰石，木制楼梯和常青藤墙. 是的，好吧，甚至是一些很俗气的地毯.
But because of you-because of the contagious laughter you've shared, 你挑起的对话, 你流下的眼泪, the lessons you have learned and the lessons you have taught-galaxy银河娱乐场app Hall has a steady and still strong heartbeat. 它呼吸着新的活力. 它活在你的故事里. And it eagerly awaits the untold more that are yet to unfold.
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