Newspapers Pan Cole Hall Proposal

February 28th, 2008 at 03:07pm Andrea Zimmermann

Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s proposal to raze Cole Hall brought a lot of heat today from newspaper editorial boards and columnists around the state.

Many believe it is too early to entertain the $40 million idea to demolish Northern Illinois University’s Cole Hall, where a shooter killed five students and himself on Feb. 14. In its place, the governor wants to construct a new building named Memorial Hall.

Here is our story for background.

But as a Northern Star columnist points out, NIU, like every other university, has other infrastructure needs in far worse disrepair than Cole Hall.

NIU has an immediate need in determining the future of Cole Hall, but NIU also has needs that have existed and seemingly been ignored in Springfield for years.

The Stevens Building has needed money for renovation for nearly 10 years now, as President Peters attested to in a Northern Star story nearly one year ago.

The AP found mixed reaction from NIU students.

On one of our other blogs, we have invited your comments as well here. So far, you disagree, some vehemently so, that tearing down Cole Hall is fiscally irresponsible.

Those comments are not too far from the rest of the state’s columnists and editorial boards.

Our own Chuck Sweeny summed it up nicely today:

Do I have to explain how this would set a dangerous precedent? There are state university buildings all over Illinois, many of them older than Cole Hall, that need to be replaced. Others need extensive remodeling to bring them to 21st-century standards.

The governor and NIU leaders should not trivialize the massacre of students by using the traumatic event to lay a guilt trip on the General Assembly to fund a new building with $40 million the state doesn’t have.

The Chicago Tribune’s editorial board wants to slow the runaway train, too:

At the moment, Cole Hall speaks of trauma, madness and life’s fragility. But it could also be transformed into a reminder of resilience, that precious human trait.

The Daily Herald raises some important questions about the razing:

What are the survivors’ wishes? What do the families want? What do the students and faculty and alumni think would be meaningful?

NIU alumnus and Chicago Sun-Times columnist Phil Kadner joins the dissent:

Cole Hall should stand as a reminder that terrible tragedies can be overcome.

Students should continue to learn there as a tribute to those who, through no choice of their own, no longer can. …

Tear it down and all the bad things inside will go away, he implies.

Well, a new building would always remind me of a very expensive publicity stunt.

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