It's Official

At 2:55 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, during a grand official ceremony, IU President Myles Brand officially named the Theatre/Neal-Marshall Education Center a part of the IU campus. \nThe ceremony was the finalization of the dreams of many, including staff and students from both the Theatre and Afro-American Studies Departments.\nRepresentatives from each department spoke to a diverse capacity crowd of more than 400 at the Ruth N. Halls Auditorium.\nBrand called the celebration "the culmination of many years of hard work by numerous people and organizations."\nDescendants from both the families of Marcellus Neal and Frances Marshall, the first black male and female IU graduates, were also present to welcome the new center.\nMelissa Smith made the trip all the way from the Kokomo campus of IU to partake in the ceremony. She is the president of Umoja, the Black Student Union of IUK.\n"Now African Americans can come and learn about culture on a predominately white campus," Smith said.\nThe official ceremony began with a welcome from President Brand, and statements from Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm, Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez, the chairpersons of both the Theatre and Afro-American Studies Departments and student representatives from each department. \nJunior Marshawn Wolley, president of the Black Student Union and the student speaker for the Afro-American Studies Department, gave his take on the new building.\n"This occasion will come and go," Wolley said, "but this building will remain for a long time…remember this building as a symbol of from whence we came, and as a reminder of where we are going."\nDaniel O. Kelly, project co-director and a partner with MGA Partners Architects, summed up the new building as unique. \n"It was our goal to create a unique vessel," Kelly said. "A great pot where the flavors of art can be simmered and served." \nAfter the awarding of two honorary doctoral degrees to Herman Hudson and R. Keith Michael, two figures instrumental to the building of the new center, the building was officially dedicated.\nKeynote speakers Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee took the stage to express their excitement about the importance of such a facility as the Theatre/Neal-Marshall Education Center. Davis and Dee, a dynamic duo in the world of Broadway theater and film, have visited IU before. \nThey came to IU's "Black House," a precursor to the modern idea of the Black Student Union. Davis noted the evolution from the old fraternity house he visited 40 years ago to the new state of the art center.\n"This building goes back to the beginnings of all human aspiration," Davis said. "I've been waiting a long time for centers like this to appear."\nDavis also spoke about the need for an alternative diversion for youth instead of the constant influence of media.\n"Hollywood sinks lower and lower as we produce fewer artists," Davis said. "It is sad that so much power is so negatively wasted." \nDavis and others said the new center can play an important role in the reversal of that trend.\nAnd Mayor Fernandez said he believes the new center is a huge investment in Bloomington, providing an economic and entertainment boost. \n"IU has played a powerful role in building a better Bloomington," Fernandez said. "IU makes so many contributions to this community in arts and culture, which makes this place such a special place to live."\nPresident Brand said he could not be happier with the results of the day.\n"This event put a glow on my heart," Brand said.