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2 Seconds, 15%, and Engineering Hall

Golden Eye Candy – Bobby German – Winter Sunrise – click to enlarge

I failed to mention that yesterday was the Winter Solstice, or shortest day of the year. Today, we can celebrate an extra 2 seconds of daylight! Sunrise is 7:17AM and sunset is 4:38PM, giving us 9 hours and 21 minutes of daylight. source


Virtual Events

6-6:55AM Cardio Lift Interval
8-8:55AM Tai Chi
8:30-9:30AM Virtual Power Training
10:15AM Virtual: Baby Time with the Library
11AM-12PM All Levels Yoga Virtual
3-5PM Hard Times Writing Workshop


Real World Events

15% off at the Holiday Art Marketclick to enlarge

9AM Golden Walks – Wednesday Morning Celebrating Life @ Golden Library
10AM-5PM Holiday Art Market @ Foothills Art Center (through December 29)
4-5PM First Chapters @ Golden Library
6PM Pong Night @ Coda Brewing
7:30PM A Christmas Carol @ Miners Alley Playhouse


Live Music

Shawn Eckels at the Golden Mill, 5-8PM

5-8PM Shawn Eckels @ Golden Mill
6PM Live Music @ Miners Saloon
6:30PM Open Jam/Mic at Over Yonder Brewing


Golden History Moment

1970 Christmas card from the Mines Athletic staff – drawing by Prof. Robert Taylor – click to enlarge

The December 22, 1970 Golden Transcript showed the holiday card that the Mines Athletic department had sent out that year, which featured a drawing of Engineering Hall, signed by the coaches. The article included a good story about the origins of that building.

According to an unfinished manuscript by Dr. Regis Chauvenet (Mines President, 1883-1892), the building was narrowly saved from the scrap heap. In 1893, the 9th General Assembly appropriated $20,000 for a “Hall of Engineers.” It was to be the second building on campus (the first has since been razed). The bill had been signed by both houses of the legislature and was on its way to the governor.

President Chauvenet and a member of the Board of Trustees were present, waiting for the bill to be signed by the governor, but found it had disappeared. They hurried to the engrossing room, where the final version of the bill was to be produced. There, they were

…confronted with huge piles of “dead” material about to be thrown out as trash. Somewhere in those masses of trash was the appropriation bill. After hours of sifting, spurred on by a fifty dollar reward offer if the bill were found, it was finally located and presented without objection to the governor for signature.

Engineering Hall, 2006 – click to enlarge

When the pressed red brick building opened in 1894, the half-basement and first floor housed the physics and electrical engineering departments. The top floor was the “draughting” department.


Thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts, and to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!

Highlights