THIBODAUX – A landmark building on the campus of Nicholls State University will soon fade into the Thibodaux institution’s 60-year history. Huey P. Long Hall, a residence hall for several generations of Nicholls students since the late 1960s, is scheduled to be imploded at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22.
Extending the influence of Long Hall on the university community, Nicholls officials have decided to create a new Huey P. Long Hall Endowed Memorial Scholarship, to be awarded to a student living in on-campus housing.
To fund the new scholarship, raffle tickets will be sold to the public for $10 each beginning Monday, Oct. 13. After a drawing at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 22, the individual who purchases the winning raffle ticket-and is present for the drawing-will press the button setting off the explosive charges that will bring Long Hall’s tons of steel, bricks and concrete to the ground in a cloud of dust.
The event has been dubbed “Bringing Down the House.” It will be a prelude to the Nicholls vs. Southeastern Louisiana football game in Guidry Stadium at 1 p.m. on Nov. 22.
“An event of this magnitude in the history of Nicholls really deserves to be commemorated, and what better way to do that than to endow a new scholarship fund with the proceeds of this raffle,” said Mike Davis, assistant vice president for administration.
“We invite the public to join us in this effort to improve the Nicholls campus environment in two significant ways, physically and intellectually,” Davis said.
Long Hall will be the fourth and final obsolete residence hall to be demolished at Nicholls this fall. The university is also demolishing Meade, Millet and Zeringue residence halls and plans to have those projects completed by the end of the semester.
“The four outdated buildings have been replaced with top-of-the line student housing facilities that offer 21st century amenities and services to our students,” Davis said. “While we are a bit wistful at seeing these older facilities disappear, we are overjoyed about the prospects for our current and future students to experience one of the very best on-campus living environments available at any college or university in our state-or the nation.”
Ticket orders are now being accepted by four campus offices: the Office of Alumni Affairs, (985) 448-4111; Department of Athletics, 448-4792; Office of Development, 448-4009; and Office of Institutional Advancement, 448-4005. The tickets will be distributed on Monday, Oct. 27, and sales will continue until just prior to the implosion event.
