THE FENCE

I noted with some interest the other day a story on THE TENNESSEAN's website (6/5/08) listing recent building permits that had been issued by the City of Nashville's Codes Department.

One permit issued for Vanderbilt particularly caught my eye: $1.3 million for the Orion Building Corporation to renovate the Rand Hall dining area.

Rand Hall: It was in effect our student center while we were at Vanderbilt from 1969-1973 . The Sarratt Student Center was under construction during our last year or so on campus but did not open until the fall semester AFTER we graduated. Lucky us :(

The picture above shows about all the use we got out of the Sarratt Center. Even its construction had its controversy.

Remember the big chain-link fence that was erected all the way around Alumni Lawn?

It led to a campus wide protest by students who could no longer play on the Lawn or had to alter their campus walking patterns to and from class or elsewhere (like over to the Divinity School where the food was always better than Rand).

There were also plenty of protest signs placed on the fence and elsewhere around the campus that sought to tell University officials what they could do with their fence. Let's just say it was something that was likely physically impossible or, if it could be done, might be very painful. In a form of secret Vanderbilt pig latin it was: phuck the phence.

I am pretty sure this latest renovation of Rand is hardly its first since we left Vanderbilt 35 years ago. We'll have to drop by and see how he looks during our Reunion weekend October 24-25.

What are your memories of Rand Hall? What about the C-Room, the bookstore or the post office that were also housed there? Please leave your thoughts and memories below.

By the way, I know the Sarratt Center has had its renovations too. That's when you know it's been a while since you graduated. When buildings that were not even open when we were on campus are being redone!