Twelve Oaks - Countless Memories
As the Southeastern campus landscape enters a new chapter in which Twelve Oaks reception
hall will give way to a new student housing project, we hope the community will join
with us in celebrating the myriad of memories made there.
Several initiatives are in the works as tributes to the building’s history, including
plans to name the southernmost of the two new residence halls “Twelve Oaks Hall.”
The other will be named “Ascension Hall” to continue the tradition of naming student
housing for the home parishes from which Southeastern’s students most often hail.
“Under this new project, future students will make lasting memories as so many did
in Twelve Oaks,” said Southeastern Alumni Association Executive Director Michelle
Biggs. “And, please rest assured that while the building is coming down, the live
oak trees for which it is named are not.”
A Facebook page, “Twelve Oaks – Countless Memories,” has been created on which individuals are invited to share stories and photographs
of events hosted at Twelve Oaks over the years. The page can be found at www.facebook.com/twelveoaksmemories. The photos collected will be formatted as a book to be housed in the university’s
official archives.
In addition, current fine arts student Madison Lane has been commissioned by the Southeastern
Contemporary Art Gallery to create a black and white lithograph of the building, which
earned awards for its architect John Desmond when he designed it in the 1950s. Lane
will work with Ernie Milsted, professor of printmaking, on the artwork, which will
be displayed prominently in the new Twelve Oaks Hall.
The full construction project encompasses several phases, and includes the development
of two housing facilities, outdoor communal space for students and landscaped plaza
areas. Once the entire project is completed, Southeastern will gain two additional
campus entry corridors designed intentionally to welcome those entering campus – the
parking area along Railroad Avenue and Texas Drive on the western side of campus.
“Please help us give Twelve Oaks the send-off it deserves by posting your stories and photographs to the “Twelve Oaks – Countless Memories” page on Facebook,” Biggs added.
Thursday, June 1, 2017 12:43:41 PM CDT
by: Allen Cutrer