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Thunday, November 9; 1978 , "The Finest of all the College Buildings" Alumni Hall: The Origin Lewis carried with him on his tour the Alumni Association in what is around the world,' more recently called Understage. Sue Quinn The long narrow room located Alumni Hall was to be "ar- behind the main meeting room chitecturally the finest of all the served as a banquet hall College buildtngs": it was for the collation, 01" light meal, WESTMINSTER, MD. It is designed in the Italian offered to the Alumni after October Zl, 1896; the cornerstone Renaissance style of architecture. for the new Alumni Hall of Western The need and desire for the The banquet room divided the Maryland College is laid with building was great at the time; lower level of Alumni Hall into "formal Masonic ceremonies" and however, it was not to be finished thirds; the two adjacent rooms with much hope and anticipation for three years. The familiar were the meeting rooms of the two Western Maryland College men's Literary Societies; the Indicative of the solemnity of the phenomenon of "delay" occurred women's Societies were beneath occasion is the list of articles because of financial problems; the the current Art Building. Literary contained within the stone. It in- dedication of Alumni Hall was on Societies of Western Maryland cluded the following: the charter June13,1~. were the social organizations; they and fundamental ordinances of provided students with literary Western Maryland College; an A primary purpose of the Hall contests and readings for en- historical sketch of the College; a was to house the Alumni tertainment. list of all the students connected Association and Literary Societies with the College during the first 25 of Western Maryland, as well as to The auditorium upstairs was years; catalogues of the College provide a central location for also destined to become a center and of the Westminster cOl?mencementaclivities for entertainment at the College. It Theological Seminary; and "the Assembly, committee, and was built for commencement holy Bible, a copy which President banquet rooms were created for proceedings, to seat 1200 to 1500. Traditionally, the commencement Hall was an Alumni Association period lasted a week, the initial meeting. event being the Baccalaureate The meeting rooms were used Sermon delivered by the College effeciently until the dissolution of President. and the culmination the Literary Societies. and the occurring with the actual com- removal of the Alumni Association mencement. The "week" usually to the H~rrison House started on a Friday and ended on the following Wednesday. All Alumni Hall remained lhe center commencement activities were for various academic and extra- held in Alumni Hall. Dr. Schofield. curricular activities at Western a Western Maryland alumnus and Maryland in many ways in the Biology/Chemistry professor period between its dedication and here until 1966, recalls that "the the present. This aspect of Alumni first thing in the new auditorium Hall will be examined in next , was the Baccalaureate Speech" of week's article entitled. "Alumni 1899; the second Hall: The Interim." event held in the - I Complete Jewelry, Watch, and engraving repair done on the premises' Diamond CiJY Alumni Association Roomlof Alumni Han has. been used ~s a meeting room for many different groups. ~ Further Ad"entures of 848.8660 .140 Village Shopping Center 876.1559 Westminster, ~d. 21157 I am joy. I am sorrow. I am fear. pity. love I am bird. I am clock: a mechanical man I am dream. I am nightmare: a martyr hung by my halo; both victim and bully: a lover impaled on my love I am puller of ropes. I am juggler: a candle burst into flame. a candle burnt out I am gorilla, caged behind bars. straining to meet you - to eat you I am mime: an impossible doer of things. a weaver of spells. a magician you can'! look away from KEITH BERGER,s han6&omebnlILani apol,shed ""ril>osoandan"nsoghilUlcommeolalor ()I1lhehumancond,I>on LonglSlandP,ess ..:.