The Center of the Universe

Philo, Illinois. Before today I had never heard of it. But I'm actually quite glad that I know what it is, where it is, and some of its built environment. 

We got to go in the big turtle shell van (WHOOT WHOOT) and road tripped on over to Philo. It's actually not too far…just about a fifteen minute drive. On the way over we got to see (or miss all of them, if you were me) a bunch of grain elevators, which as I understand it, were essentially the center of a given community of farmers so they could sell their grain. Philo was no exception. There was one just off the main intersection in the downtown area, amongst a bank, a couple bars, town hall, the water tower, and the post office. It seemed like a great example of what I picture small town America to be.

We got to drive around town for a little bit as well. We started with the graveyard on the other side of 130…Professor Hinders noted that almost all of the tombstones were facing Philo, as if the city of living and the city of dead were mimicking one another. As we kept going, we saw that, similar to many small towns, all of the streets are named after presidents. I mean ALL of them. Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Harrison, Benjamin…all of them. Anyway, we drove by the Catholic school and church just a few blocks down. Professor Hinders explained that he asked a local what the probable percentage of catholics in Philo was, and he said it was most likely 50%. This might be because when the Germans settled here because they knew how to drain the marshy land, most of them were catholic and that has stayed demographically significant until today. 

There is even something like a miniature suburb right next to Philo - I guess it is still in the city limits - that is much newer looking. Although most of the original or older houses in the town are nicer the closer they are to the center or downtown area, this new subdivision is a favorite for University of Illinois instructors. As Professor Hinders explained it, Philo is sort of like a "bedroom community" for Champaign-Urbana, just like St. Joseph-Ogden or Savoy. I guess it's no coincidence that this many people are living in these smaller communities when Professor Hinders told me on the way back that most instructors from the University cannot afford to live in the homes like the ones we passed in Urbana on the way home. They were small, but actually pretty nice. I'm sure it would be less expensive to live in Savoy or Philo.

Finally, we ended our trip with a stop at the local watering hole. That's right, the good 'ol Philo Tavern. Professor Hinders graciously bought us some nice, alcohol-free beverages and a few snacks. It was a great way to end a long day by telling stories and relaxing together, much like people in small towns do quite often, I'm sure. 

The ED Building…and KAM.

We recently got to visit the Education Building. It was nice…I had actually never been in there before. To be honest, I had always sort of judged it as an ugly building constructed in the 60s or 70s that I would probably never have to go inside. Well, I was wrong about never having to go into it. BUT it also isn't such a bad building after all. Aside from part of the exterior not being beautiful in my eyes, it has quite a bit to offer campus in terms of its addition to the built environment.
I really liked that it has two small lobby areas on each side of the building. It made it welcoming for those who wanted to learn and served as a gathering area. However, the north entrance did not exactly line up with the gap between Wohlers Hall and the Architecture Building. This may have been unintentional, but it was fairly noticeable once someone arrives inside the building. Similarly, the south entrance is not identical to the north entrance. There is only one door, but as Professor Hinders explained, it was seen as a less significant entrance.
Once we hit the basement, things started to get a little more interesting. The basement is actually significantly larger than the first floor. It fans out underneath the grassy area and enclosed terrace area to the west. To me, it represented how knowledge has deep roots that we may not see. Anyway, my favorite part of the building was the outer terrace. Just outside the west entrance is an uneven grassy knoll area, with trees and plants. It seemed like a good area to study, and although was poised next to a less than beautiful building structure, gave a nice touch to the feeling of community. The top floor was actually very cool as well. We got to see how the mechanical systems were aided a bit with vents in the doors and on the windows near the ceilings. Until there was central air conditioning, this helped to ventilate the building. The balconies off the offices were also very cool….although I am sure it does not meet building standards.
We also got the chance to walk over to the Krannert Art Museum, which is much nicer than I had realized. Although we were not able to go in the east entrance, we saw the Lorado Taft sculptures in the entryway. It was a nice tribute to an artist with a lot of influence here in Champaign. Once we went in the correct way, we locked up our bags and got to explore freely. I am pretty conservative, so most of the art was kind of….modern for my taste. There were some very interesting plans for levies and ways to prevent flooding near rivers. Other exhibits made use of everyday materials, three dimensional concepts, and there was even a (mildly) interact exhibit where you pull a handle connected to a pulley system. What this trip made me realize was that Champaign-Urbana is actually quite a diverse campus, not only in terms of people but in terms of atmosphere and surroundings. Between the FLB and Foellinger, Lincoln and Krannert, there is a lot this place has to offer. And that's a pretty cool thing.

The Stacks/FLB/Smith

Last Thursday was a good day. We got to enjoy the nice weather around campus and see not one, not two, but THREE amazing work of architecture, all headed by our renowned professor Mr. Hinders. Amazing. We got to start at the Graduate library, where I was able to see the stacks for the first time in my life. Let me tell you, it was quite an experience.
The stacks are carefully guarded by a pair of students and a couple older librarians. You must have your iCard to check in, and no bags are allowed it. This is supposedly to prevent theft of the valuable and ancient materials that lie just beyond the corridor. Inside we were able to see remnants of what the stacks used to look like, which had cast iron shelves. These actually doubled at the supports of the actual structure of the building. Pretty amazing. But if you go farther in, they are just regular metal shelves that are controlled by an automatic moving system so that more books can be fit into a smaller space. However, the mechanical system seemed to not be fully functional when Professor Hinders tried to use it. The space had low ceilings, and was probably seemingly more cramped than it was due to the fact that I knew how much information was actually stored there.
The Foreign Language Building was quite different, and served a much different purpose than the Main Library. First off, the FLB is quite ugly in my opinion. As Professor Hinders described it, it looks like an upside-down ziggurat. He theorized that the architect wanted to symbolize a reversal of the Tower of Babel, as was in the Bible. So instead of trying to reach up to God, the upside-down pyramid shape allowed for more light to come in from the large windows at the top to shine below on us, in essence, letting God in to give us more knowledge. What a good story. Even disregarding the biblical reference, the inverted shape makes it feel as though the entirety of knowledge of the world is coming in to a small space so we can learn from other cultures. But really, the building is just not pleasant to look at. But, at least I pulled some symbolism out of it.
Finally, we hit Smith hall. Another music building. That is where I auditioned for the Varsity Men's Glee Club senior year. The building is very romantic feeling once you walk inside. But there is much more to it than just walking inside. First, you pass through columns. Then you pass into a small entryway. Then, you are in a much larger hall with the main concert hall just ahead of you, yet you are still separated from it by another passageway. It made it seem like quite a process to get into the place where the arts were being performed or held. I thought it was an interesting choice of architectural environment.

Center for Wounded Veterans

I was really glad we were able to get a tour of the in-progress Center for Wounded Veterans over on Nevada. Although the project has a few months before it will be finished, I could see how excited the construction manager and associate Dean from the College of Applied Health Sciences were about the project and how it is going to affect those who use the facilities and campus itself.
This may have been the first time I actually took an in-depth tour of a building yet to be completed. It seemed a bit naked, yet I could see how it was coming together and it actually made me really proud to be a part of this campus. We started in the basement, which to be honest, was the least interesting part of the tour. We could see the elevator shafts being put in and all the mechanical systems being installed. (It was nice that we actually got to see the mechanical systems this time!) After that, we headed back to the first floor and saw the main communal living spaces that the veterans will get to utilize. There was a rough space that I would call a living room, with a flanking space that has a kitchen area. What I really liked about the space was how open it was--there were windows on all sides so nearly everything could be seen. The Dean from AHS talked about how a lot of the veterans have a problem retiring home and sitting somewhere where they cannot see all their surrounds, and they like to sit up against walls. I can see how hard it would be to change this behavior coming home. I hope that this aspect of the building helps the veterans adjust accordingly.
The upstairs was fairly barren as well, but showed some staff rooms for physical therapy and housing for some fourteen veterans themselves. Although the rooms were small, I feel as though the veterans will be very grateful for the opportunity to live on campus in a great learning environment.
The greatest thing that I got out of the tour was the choice of location of the veterans center. The Dean told us that the Nevada location was chosen over ten other locations that the university offered to AHS. They thought it was the best location in terms of closeness to the center of campus. They wanted the veterans to feel at home being on campus, and did not want to isolate them. That is why I think this is such a noble project.

The Cemetary

When Professor Hinders first told us that we would be doing a tour of the cemetery, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little surprised. But once we got there, I was able to see how even a cemetery is a good example of a built environment. Not only how the cemetery is set up, but the structures that make up the cemetery itself form an environment that represents familial ties and memoriam of those who have passed away.
We first went through the chapel and indoor mausoleum, entitled the Mount Hope Chapel. Professor Hinders noted that some students find the indoor mausoleum a bit too intense and uncomfortable. It was interesting to think that just behind a few wall plates were several bodies of family members and strangers right next to one another. However, the environment inside the chapel and mausoleum seemed very respectful and was even a bit of a contrast from the outside, where most of the people laid to rest.
The cemetery is positioned perfectly between Champaign and Urbana, and originally a provision held that there would be a large street that would cut through the middle of the cemetery so as not to interrupt the conversation between Kirby, where much of the athletics of the school are held, and the main part of the campus. However, it was probably realized that this would be quite disrespectful, and the school ceded back the land. This is why it takes me so long to get to basketball games every year.
The land that it is built on is fairly hilly. This has led to a number of problems, with the freezing and thawing that our land is accustomed to, such as tombstones and memorials falling over. It really bothers me that these have remained in disrepair…I could not even try to count how many fallen tombstones I saw during the short hour-and-a-half tour we took.
There were also several symbolic things I must make note of. Many of the athletic greats in Illinois history were on the far west side of the cemetery, lined up very closely with 50-yard line. Robert Zuppke and George Huff made this list, along with Dwight Eddleman, as his tombstone reads, "Illinois' greatest all-around athlete."
Finally, we saw the resting place of a man named Atkins, who was one of the wealthiest men in Champaign. It was interesting that he had such a large obelisk, and he even had a square area marked out around where his family members will probably be laid to rest as well, despite the fact that he was the first to leave this earth.

Campustown

Our Journey to begin walking and talking about campus town started at Temple Hoyne, as we moved to Wright Street and ventured up to Green. Looking down Green, I saw the long stretch that we consider "campustown." To be honest, I had never really thought of the Green Street and close surrounding area as Campustown, but I'm glad I got that cleared up.
A lot of people complain about the condition of campus town. Aside from the obvious trash laying around and general grime that comes along with a downtown style area, there are quite a few aesthetic and functional problems with the area specifically. Some have been fixed. Some have not. Hopefully the remaining ones will be better for future Illini, as it is a misrepresentation (in my opinion) of what campus should be and gives it a bad name.
The first thing we talked about was how a lot of the campus town area has been planned to be restructured and rebuilt. A few students and a professor years ago came up with a revitalization plan for the fronts of the buildings and the streets themselves. In recent years since I've been here there was even a plan to make Green Street a pedestrian-only mall. Obviously that didn't pan out. BUT the corner of Green and Wright, as Professor Hinders told us, is considered by most to be the best representation of what campus town should be. As you move further down, past fourth street, Green Street feels a lot more spread out and less condensed, and less like a city or downtown.
I hope that in the future more businesses or apartments fill the space to make the entirety of Green feel like the block from Wright to Sixth or Fifth. It is clear that a lot of new things are going up, like the apartments across the street from 309.
I guess I shouldn't be totally negative about Campustown, as we actually did talk about some things that are gone that used to be there. Papa D's (my favorite campus town late-night eatery) used to be a drive-through bank. As Professor Hinders told us, that caused a lot of problems with traffic and pedestrian safety with the cars trying to move in and out. 309 (nicknamed the "whopper" back in the day) used to be a Burger King with a drive-through. It had similar problems. Luckily those are gone.
The one thing I would love to see improved is the boneyard creek area. There is a great opportunity for a nice walkway or path going between Green and Healey, and I think it would add a nice tough to campus town. Thus far, it really only runs from Wright to Sixth/Fifith area. That would be a great improvement for campus if it were to change.

Downtown Champaign (West Urbana??)

As the title suggests, the first thing I learned today was that Champaign used to be called "West Urbana." I'm glad they changed the name.
What I did not realize was that Urbana was settled first, and that many of the people who founded it were from Urbana, Ohio. This makes sense. When people wanted to spread out from Urbana, they moved west and of course named the city impulsively "West Urbana." Most of the buildings were built away from the border of Urbana and West Urbana so that the factories and buildings were not upwind of the more residential areas. We talked about this as we crossed Park Street (the most common street name in America) downtown and moving towards Virginia Theater and the Park.
One thing that stuck out to me in the beginning was the idea of axes again. This was sort of a throwback to the first class we ever had. The streets are sort of cockeyed downtown right by the transit station. One street goes to (symbolically) Washington D.C., which sort of creates a pie shape with the other streets it intersects, notably the City Hall.
My favorite part of the tour overall was when we talked about the park and its surroundings. This was West Side park, not too far from downtown and pretty large in my opinion. Professor Hinders said that it was and is the main park in town. Not too far away (just across the street in fact) is one of the local high schools. And, coincidentally enough, there is a Methodist, Presbyterian, and Catholic Church on any given side of the park. What does this all have to do with anything? Americana was a sort of cultural ideal that was present in a lot of small towns. At one time Champaign may have fit into this category, where people did not separate three aspects of their life (cultivation of the body, mind, and spirit). So, you could get exercise, learn, and save your soul all in the same area. I found this extremely interesting, and even relatable to my life on a smaller scale. My school had a large playground and church all in the same vicinity, as is common in parochial league schools.
The biggest thing I took away from this trip was the overall idea of interpreting why things are the way they are. Often times I walk around places without really thinking about why things are there and not just the fact that they are. After all, I think that is the point of the course.