Come say good-bye to Oakwood
About 2,800 men made Oakwood residence hall their home between 1969 and 2008… EMU is inviting them back this labor day, Monday, Sept. 1, for one last chance to walk those hallowed halls before demolition of the building begins.
Oakwood was slated for demolition earlier this summer to make room for an improved residence hall. The new building will be built to environmentally friendly standards, offer improved community space and provide safe, sound housing.
Visitors are welcome Monday, Sept. 1, to tour Oakwood between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and sign up to reserve a brick from the building. The bricks will be prepared with a bronze plaque in time for distribution at Homecoming and Family Weekend Oct. 11. Bricks can also be reserved online now.
A suggested minimum donation of $25 per brick will go toward creation of an Oakwood memorial entrance or hallway in the new building, using stone from the entryway of the current facility. Other memorabilia – such as plumbing fixtures – will be available for sale on the day of the visitation and at Homecoming.
Oakwood is currently stripped bare in preparation for demolition. Furniture has been sold or donated to Gift and Thrift for auction to benefit Mennonite Central Committee. Interior doors, mirrors, towel racks, and other miscellaneous items have been shipped to Ethiopia for use at the Meserite Kristos College.
Local alumni in the building trades will join EMU Physical Plant director, Eldon Kurtz on Saturday, August 31 to salvage copper and other valuable materials from the walls before demolition.
Cold drinks will be available at the visitation. Vouchers for lunch in the EMU dining hall will also be available for off-campus guests.
Questions about the Labor Day visitation event should be directed to Douglas Nyce, director of alumni and parent relations.
Visit the Oakwood blog to share and read postings about Oakwood memories.
Watch a webcam of the demolition and construction process.
Plan to attend The All-time Oakwood Reunion during Homecoming and Family weekend, Oct. 11, at 11 a.m. on the quad (between the “Woods” residence halls). Come for storytelling, tall tales, and special guests commemorating the dorm and the activities of its residents over the years.
EMU plans to seek LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification at the silver level for the Oakwood demolition and construction process. All materials in the original building are being carefully assessed for re-usability. Debris from the demolition will be ground into fill for the new project. Unusable waste will be sorted for recycling. Ultimately, very little waste from the original building will go to the landfill.
