UPDATE: The statue has been placed in its permenant home. Check out the photos >

Illinois’ most revered football player, Red Grange will be honored this week in a number of ways. After being labeled as the Greatest College Football Player of All Time last year, there is a lot to be said about Red Grange.

The Illini have chosen to honor the player with an eternal monument, a statue on the west side of Memorial Stadium. The Red Grange statue is expected to be installed today in its permanent home looking over the west lawn. The statue is made of bronze with an estimated cost of $350,000 paid by an anonymous donor. It will sit high upon a 14- to 18-foot base made from the same brick and limestone used at Memorial Stadium. It was built by UI Fine Arts alum George Lundeen and has a height of 12 foot, twice that of Grange’s.

In the statue, Grange will be standing on one leg, ball in hand, “hellbent for the goal line,” Lundeen said. “That’s not the title. We’re just going to call it ‘Harold “Red” Grange.’ ”

At first, Illinois officials discussed a lifesize statue. Lundeen wanted something bigger.

“Even 12 feet isn’t going to look real big outside,” Lundeen said. “It’s amazing how small something looks when you get it scaled up against something like the stadium.”

The new feature is part of the Memorial Stadium Renaissance project. Saturday’s game is the dedication of the statue. Read more about the statue and its designer here.

Some other ways to honor the Galloping Ghost include the Grange Rock,  which was unveiled by the University last year as a timeless symbol of Illinois’ storied history. Additionally, WILL TV will air never before seen footage of a 1982 interview with Red Grange at 7pm tonight as part of a special “Illini Night” production. 

Don’t miss it!

Photo Credit: The News-Gazette, Inc.

Today marks the 46 year anniversary of the opening of Assembly Hall. Did you know that it was a UIUC architecture alum who designed it?

His name is Max Abramovitz. He graduated from the School of Architecture in 1929 with a bachelors and went on to receive his masters degree from Columbia University. He designed three buildings on the UIUC campus including the Hillel building, the Krannert Center and the Assembly Hall. He also designed a number of buildings at the campus of Columbia University.

His most prominent works include the United Nations Headquarters building, New York; Avery Fisher Hall (at Lincoln Center, originally the Philharmonic Hall, opened 1962), New York; the Corning Glass Center, Corning, New York; the U.S. Steel Tower (aka USX Tower) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the National City Tower in Louisville, Kentucky; and the Tour Gan, La Defense (Paris), France.

Mr. Arbramovitz died in the fall of 2004 at the age of 96. His legend at UIUC will be remain forever.

Editor’s Note: I’ve heard rumor that the Assembly Hall design was actually submitted as a final architecture project upon which it recieved a failing grade. The validity of this rumor has yet to be determined. If you have any information please pass it on to The Quad.

This is the first edition of a new series on The Quad called Society Spotlight where we focus on a student group at UIUC.

Name: Student Alumni Ambassadors
Location: Alice Campbell Alumni Center
Point of contact: studentalumniambassadors@ad.uiuc.edu
Website: http://www.uiaa.org/urbana/saa/

Mission: The purpose of SAA is to establish, foster and promote the development of beneficial relationships among the University’s students, alumni, staff, faculty and the campus community. SAA also promotes the activities of the UI Alumni Association through its programs and services to create and instill the spirit of the Illini in University of Illinois students.

The following is an excerpt from an interview with SAA Membership Co-Chair Ashley Soriano:

What do you do?
We program events for current students and alumni. These include iHelp, Homecoming Kickoff, Pep Rally, GradFest, and more! We also host alumni and work service requests for President White. We help students make lasting memories while on campus and then make alumni feel welcome and comfortable when they come back.

What is the most interesting thing you do?
Some of our members love meeting alumni and getting the chance to get to know them. Others love instilling pride and Illini spirit in current students. No matter what, the friendships and bonds we form as a group as very unique.

What drives your group members?
Our group members are driven by their pride in their work, SAA as an organization, and in being an Illini. Many times, we just want to spread our love of the group and of our school to everyone. We have the most dedicated, inspirational, driven, and Illini spirited group of students on campus.

How many hours a week does a typical member give?
We usually have one weekly meeting on Tuesday nights, and then everyone puts in a little more time during our major events. However, the more a member puts into SAA, the more that member will get out of it and enjoy it.

What do your group members do for fun outside of working for your organization?
We have been know to play sand volleyball dressed in superhero costumes as well as play intramural volleyball together. We also get together for other social events like playing pool volleyball, going out to movies, and dancing.

How to join?
Visit http://www.uiaa.org/urbana/saa/howtojoin.html for information on how to join and to find an application.

The Student Alumni Ambassadors have a total of 62 members split between an executive board of 8 members, co-chairs for every event, and a very dedicated group of general members.

The Student Alumni Ambassadors are a great group to work with and I encourage everyone who is interested by this post to consider joining. There will be an Info Night for those interested in learning more about SAA, being a member, going through the application process and more tomorrow, on Tuesday, January 27th at 6 pm at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center. Dress is casual and jeans are welcome.