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.