On many college campuses across the country, there are buildings and other locations that students are not allowed to access on a regular basis. And then there are places that students really don't want to access under any circumstances. When I was teaching at Bob Jones University, I would hear tales from some of the security folks about some of the strange things that went on in the Art Gallery, Rodeheaver Auditorium, and Amphitorium in the middle of the night. Just the thought of walking through the Art Gallery during the wee hours sends shivers up and down my spine, what with all those paintings and sculptures looming up in the dark as you went from gallery to gallery.Here at Pillsbury, one of the places that is generally is off-limits to students is the tower on top of Old Main, which serves as our administration building. The fact is that over the years students have surreptitiously managed to make their way up to the tower for a spectacular view of Owatonna. Although we have just finished final exams, Tuesday was "Student Appreciation Day" on the campus. Dr. Crane announced in chapel on Tuesday morning that anyone who wanted to do so could legally walk up the three flights of stairs and spend a few minutes in the tower. So a number of us did so, including me.
It was a clear day with blue skies all around, although it was quite windy when you reached the tower. We are told that the Old Main Tower is the highest point in Steele County, so one can see quite a distance from that vantage point. I used my camera phone to take several photographs. In this photograph you can see the men's residence hall, and at the lower left is the house that we lived in for twelve years between 1984 and 1996. We can tell you many interesting stories about what it was like to live on campus and in such close proximity to the men's residence hall. I suspect that there are stories that we don't even know anything about. One of the things that Nancy didn't miss when we moved out of the old house was the periodic invasions of bats that took place when one of the kids would leave a door open on summer evenings. Nancy HATES bats!
This photograph to the right is of the northwest corner of our campus, at the intersection of South Grove Avenue and East Main Street. If you look closely, you can see the back of the sign welcoming vistors to Pillsbury College.Although I enjoyed my time at the top of Old Main in the Tower, I was glad to come back down to terra firma. I really don't care for heights all that much. And did I share with you the fact that although I have been at Pillsbury College for twenty-three years, this was the first time that I ever made the trek to the top of Old Main. There's a first time for everything.
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3 comments:
Interesting. Thanks. Good photos for a phone!
One of the other off limit areas on campus is the tunnels. And after going from the old Pillsbury Hall to Old Main back in the 60's who would want to go back. (Other interesting tunnel trecks are documented in the 50th anniversary book). Just one of those things that we did that our kids had to out do our actions. And one of those was the infamous Pillsbury Snowman that appeared in the "Tower" just before the annual Christmas Concert. That was the 2nd generation and now we have 3rd generation kids tracking over these "hallowed" campus grounds. They are making their own memories.
The tower was high, but I went higher still. The picture here doesn't show it, but there used to be a radio tower attached to the side of the main tower. The height of it exceeded the pinnacle of the main tower by something like ten feet. I swayed in the wind from the very top a couple times. Pictures to prove it are at https://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/group.php?gid=2323718969&v=wall. I think I have three photos there. It's one of the craziest things I ever did.
Mike "Griz" Grismore
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