New Bookstore Construction Begins

No matter where your stand on the new $5.2 million construction project on the downtown Barnes & Noble bookstore has begun. The building will have 2 stories and will be 28,000 feet on Fourth and Fifth Streets and south of Cherry Street. This building will also house ISU Foundation Offices. The bookstore will have longer hours, cater to non-students and students alike, and has been said to be a new destination point for people downtown. I personally believe that if something's not broke, why fix it? The bookstore I've been going to for the past 3 years is perfectly fine to me and I could think of many more useful ways to spend $5.2 million dollars.

ISU Makes a Dream Come True

J.D. Miller, an elementary and special education major at ISU learned he had cancer in February of 2008. He went through remission, a relapse, and a stem cell transplant in March of 2009, only to find out the cancer was back and this time it was worse than ever. He was told he had only a few weeks to live. Miller had been taking classes via distance education and substitute teaching in Greencastle when he heard the news. To him, it seemed like his dream would never come true. That's when Indiana State University stepped in. One October morning in 2009, Dean Brad Balch and other faculty from the Bayh College of Education visited Miller in the living room of his home. There he was asked to put on his cap and gown and was presented an honorary bachelor's degree in education. Miller and his family were then presented with a framed diploma on behalf of the university's president, provost, and registrar. "I am excited to be an Indiana State alumnus. This means so much to me," Miller said. ISU also established a scholar in honor of Miller which will be presented to an education junior or senior who has been nominated by the faculty and established him or herself as a leader at Indiana State University.

The Paitson Bros.

The more I read about Terre Haute the more surprised I am about my ignorance to the history around me. While I have shopped at ACE Hardware for many years, I never stopped to think about the history behind the store, let alone realize the little print on the outside sign saying "Paitson Brothers". Robert and Stanley Paitson were operating their first hardware store, gas station, and auto repair shop on Locust and 1st Avenue in Terre Haute in 1927. Even though their store closed in 1979, their family name continued on and still thrives today in Terre Haute. One store named after the Paitson brothers is at 25th and Rose Street. This is a hardware store. Many have probably shopped there not knowing the history behind the Paitsons, me included. The other is a contractors building for heating and cooling. Either way, I'm sure the brothers would be happy to know the town of Terre Haute has not forgotten them.

Bayh Family Dedication

On April 16th, Indiana State University dedicated the College of Education to the Bayh family, who the building is named after. Evan Bayh's great grandmother Kate Ward and grandfather Birch Evan Bayh both attended Indiana State Normal School. Birch also founded the Student Athletic Associaton at ISU. Evan launched the school's 21st Century Scholars Program. This helped Indiana State University in moving from 40th to 9th in in the nation in students pursuing higher education. During the dedicaton, ISU president Dan Bradley presented an honorary doctorate in honor of Senator Evan Bayh's mother, Marvella Bayh who attended Indiana State Teachers College and passed away in 1979. "This would mean the world to my mo," Evan Bayh said. "This means the world to me. It will allow me to go home and tell my kids that her memory lives on in some significant way."

Washington High School Closing

Washington Alternative High School, a place of history, is undergoing some changes. The city has decided to close the building and relocate the students into Terre Haute South Vigo High School. In order to do this a daycare is being built onto South Vigo, allowing the students from Washington to bring their children to school. What will be done with the building is still unkown. We can only hope that Terre Haute doesn't do what they do best and tear down the building and all of the history that it contains as well.

The Deming Hotel

While taking a tour around Terre Haute in my English 305 class, I was happily surprised to see the old Deming Hotel lobby still looking as beautiful as it did in the 1920's. Although in my opinion the rest of the building could use a lot of work with it's appearance, I was still happy to see that Terre Haute had decided to preserve something so special. I was interested to see what the rest of the Deming Hotel looked like in the past. It was just as beautiful as I expected. I found pictures of the ballroom, dining room, lobby, writing room, barbershop, billiards room, and an actual key that was used for one of the guest rooms. For those who don't know, the Deming Hotel opened in 1914. It was built a fireproof building with 250 rooms and 200 bathrooms; Terre Haute's largest hotel and one of the largest in Indiana. The first name on the guest register was John Holmes who worked for Eli Lilly at the time and it's first manager was Billy Cochran. Guests at the hotel usually had dinner at 7 pm and dancing at 10 pm in the lovely ballroom where house bands and orchestras played. The building was purchased by Indiana State University to be used as a men's dormitory and later as a conference center. In 1979 it was renovated into apartments for the elderly and disabled which it is still being used for today.