Southeastern landscape to change with new residence halls

Monday, June 5, 2017
by: Rene Abadie


     HAMMOND – As the Southeastern Louisiana University 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.




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