EIU's Old Main to Celebrate Coles County High School Students' Graduations
May-15-2014
Eastern Illinois University will share in the celebrations as Charleston, Mattoon and Oakland high school seniors graduate in the coming days.
On Friday (May 16) evening, the institution’s administration building (Old Main, a.k.a., the “Castle”) will be illuminated in red and gold in commemoration of Charleston High School’s graduation activities. The actual ceremony is set to begin at 8 p.m. in EIU’s Lantz Arena.
On the evening of Friday, May 30, the building will be decorated in green and gold in commemoration of Mattoon High School’s commencement, scheduled to take place at 8 p.m. at the high school.
Oakland High School’s graduation ceremonies are also scheduled to take place on Friday, May 30, with activities beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the school’s gymnasium. EIU will honor those students with purple and orange lighting on Old Main on the evening of May 31.
The programmable lighting system allows Eastern to celebrate university and community events. The system was installed in response to Eastern’s efforts, in working with the city of Charleston, to create a “collaborative landscape/streetscape plan” from the Neal Welcome Center, located at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Douglas Street, eastward to 18th Street (Route 130).
In addition to helping provide a welcoming corridor along Lincoln Avenue, the new lighting is expected to strengthen the connection between campus and the community, and showcase the building’s outstanding architectural features.
