Place vs. Technology

After telling a friend about my experiences interviewing graduates of Superior’s old Central High School, she was surprised to learn of how much those graduates care about their alma mater.

“I don’t care about my high school,” she said.

While I have memories of my Alma mater, I can’t say I would be completely upset it was to be torn down. I might be bummed briefly but the feelings I have for my old school are transient. So what makes me different from people like Marlene Case who graduated from Central High School in 1952 and says that students now don’t have the same school pride that students had in her day?

I suggest that the new age of media and technology is what accounts for my generation’s lack of connection to the physical world, and the older generation’s deep connection to place.

In the article “The Declining Significance of Space and Geography,” Jeffrey Henig and Frederick Hess suggest, “new educational technologies make space and place less relevant,” (60).

So as we continue to add layers of data over the physical world, we start to lose track of where we are in a geographical sense. As we build communities and learning environments around a dimension and not geography, we begin to lose touch with the physical world.

It makes sense. Most of my interactions don’t occur in the flesh; they are communicated through Email, social networking sites and mobile devices. Even while I am in class I can stay plugged in to the virtual world be means of new technology. Because we can be in more than one place at time, single places become less relevant; places like Superior’s old Central High School.

Now it’s easy to see where conflict occurs. When buildings have housed people from generations old an new, many perspectives of those buildings exist: Central High School probably means a lot more to a graduate from the 1950’s than it does to a graduate of the 2000’s. But how do we balance the differing sentiments of generations? The truth is, we can’t; they will constantly be budding up against each other in an old-world-new-world contention.

"Trash or Treasure"

Adele Willson and Gary Petri, architects specializing in educational, religious or historic buildings, offer advice for deciding whether an old school building is "trash or treasure."

They begin with information from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which "added historic neighborhood schools to its annual list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places," (1). Even though this information seems threatening, they do mention that not every building is worth saving; there are many factors that have to be considered.

"Sustainable Preservation"

Willson and Petri suggest that preserving an old building is the most sustainable option. They say that replacing an old building with a new, energy-efficient one might seem like the best option but often it's not. When comparing the energy present in the existing building to the amount of energy expended by demolishing it, "it becomes apparent that in some cases the most sustainable route may be to maintain the existing structure," (2).

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 65 million tons of waste per year can be attributed to the demolition of buildings, something Willson and Petri say should be considered when considering the affects of demolishing an old school.

The process, they say, should begin with the assessment of building's conditions. Architects and consultants should be used to determine the best possible solution.

"Community Icons"

Not only is the issue one of sustainability, it is also one of community. Willson and Petri suggest the sentiments of the community should be considered when making the decision of what to do with an old building; Who will be affected by the decision?

"The significance of an historic school may go well beyond the brick and mortar; its intrinsic value may be as a celebrated treasure in the community," (2).

"Performance Factors"

Considering the impact of a school's structure on its teachers and students is one of the most important factors when deciding what to do with an old building. According to the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), 15,000 school in the United States and one in five children suffer from poor indoor air quality. Ensuring that the building is safe is key in determining its fate.

Other factors like indoor lighting, acoustics, and even paint color can have an impact on the learning environment. These things should also be considered when renovating an old school or building a new one.

James J. Hill

The old statue of James J. Hill once towered over Central's front lawn. Now it sits in a railway station parking lot looking out over North 28th Street.

James Hill, referred to as the "Empire Builder," founded the Great Northern Railway. According to the text "Central A to Z," when Hill died in 1916, a movement was started to erect a monument in his honor. The Public Affairs and Great Northern Railway Committee raised funds and donations for the memorial and in May of 1926, a five-foot high bust of Hill, placed on a 13-foot granite base, was placed on the lawn at Central.

The statue remained there for 78 years until the Burlington Santa Fe rail yard removed it in 2003 despite public outcry. People who are familiar with the statue will point out a missing piece. The granite base originally had a bronze plaque on each of its four sides. The plaque on the front of the base, which displayed a railcar, is no longer there. It was removed when the statue was relocated. Graduates of Central like Marlene Case say it’s a disgrace that somebody would remove the plaque to sell or put on their mantle.

But just like the school, the plaque is gone. But the statue of James Hill still stares out over Superior.

Wisconsin's White House

Meet Marlene

Marlene Case, a 1954 Central graduate, lives 30 miles south of Superior. If you step into her house you will find an old desk from Central, a sandstone decoration from the building's exterior and over 50 bricks from its foundation. She said preserving bits and pieces of her alma mater helps to preserve her high school memories.

"Well that was all I could do. I wanted a piece of it, of what I could handle and what I could afford," she said.

In 2003, the year before the school was demolished, a citizens group was formed to save it. The group, Save Wisconsin's White House, was formed by graduates of the school. Marlene was a part of that group.

She said they did everything to save the building. They had picket lines, sent out flyers, made phone calls and met in front of the school board ... trying to convince them to delay demolition for one year so they could find someone to buy the building. But the school board voted unanimously to demolish and the group felt cheated.

Part of the reason Case wanted to save the building was because of the famous people who walked its halls. Calvin Coolidge, Bud Grant, Richard Bong, John F. Kennedy, Ernie Nevers, Ole Haugsrud, Bobby Specht and many more historical figures all had ties to the old school.

To this day she has trouble understanding how the city could demolish such a historical site.

“When you lose bits of your past like that it can’t ever be replaced,” she said.

And so Marlene is left with a few items to remember her old school by. Newspaper clippings, t-shirts, photographs and even bound issues of the Central’s old school newspaper where she worked as a page editor.

As she paged through the old issues, she stopped after seeing a picture of the men’s basketball team: “Everyone went to the games,” she said. She only wishes there could have been a women’s team because she and her friend were very tall and would most likely do well.

But all of that is in the past. And when Marlene drives by the old site where Central used to stand, she tears up. Maybe its’ nostalgia or maybe its anger, but Marlene will never forget the place she went to school.

Did you know?

Did you know that Superior's old Central High School was once a summer refuge for former President Calvin Coolidge?

Did you know that Bud Grant, one of the most successful Minnesota Vikings head coaches, was a graduate of Superior Central High School?

Did you know that in 2003, many Superior residents fought to save the old building but failed?

This information is most likely new to you. If you're a history buff or interested in the one of the northland's old schools, this blog is for you: Every week I will write about an interesting piece of history related to the old Central High School, a school that was once erect on Belknap street in Superior, Wisconsin.

As a senior journalism student at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), I am confined to the eastern neighborhoods of Duluth, Minnesota where the UMD campus sits atop the hill. When I look out of the living room window of my second floor apartment, however, I can see the lights of Superior, Wisconsin.

As a journalism student, I am very interested in place, whether its the organic food market down the street or the city of Superior across the bay. I enjoy putting myself in the middle of new places and learning more about the people associated with those places. Since I feel confined to the college neighborhoods i Duluth, I have decided to branch out and experience what the city across the bridge has to offer.

I began my journey by visit the Superior Public Library. Sandy, a very nice librarian, opened a reference book to a map of Superior. She explained the different neighborhoods and what they have to offer.

From there, I decided I wanted to learn more about Superior's history, so I contacted the Douglas County Historical Society. I did what every journalist should avoid doing, I asked them if they know of any interesting historical events, stories or buildings in Superior. Even though I should have done my homework before calling the historical society, they were able to provide me with some interesting information ... one being the historical importance of Superior's Old Central High School, the topic of this blog.

Stay tuned.