When I came to NIU (back in 1978) the MLK Mall was an ugly paved lot. The reclamation of this spot, the introduction of some grass, a few trees, seemed a small victory. But now it sours. The Wirtz House, one of the few buildings west of Swen Parson which would not be better placed below ground, is to be ripped down. What must those responsible be thinking? Never mind the building’s history! Never mind that it is genuinely attractive! Never mind that it is structurally sound, while that “jewel of the prairie,” the Holmes Center, regulary sheds its skin! Just think of how that little space on which Wirtz House stands can be better used! It is … absurd.

To murder another fine building for the sake of the university’s often misguided plans is criminal.

Michael C. Hickey