Those hallowed halls

For years, the bright light of the Palestra was obscured. Dirt and grime had climbed up the building's walls. Disrepair prevailed as well, with dark, dilapidated hallways offering a great contrast to the glowing athletic temple that lay just inside the arena. In the midst of such neglect, generations of basketball legend -- from the glorious Big Five doubleheaders of the 1950s to Penn's Ivy League titles of the 1990s -- were nearly allowed to drift from memory into history for a new generation of fans hungry for tradition. Thankfully, the recent renovation to the Palestra corridors have restored proper luster to a building whose history is certainly worthy of some upkeeping. We couldn't help but notice this past weekend -- amidst the excitement that came along with two excruciatingly-close basketball games -- that the "new" Palestra has finally lived up to its original billing. After all, when professor William Bates named the building in 1927, he envisioned the structures of Ancient Greece, which would attract spectators to marvel at the grandeur of the building, as well as the action on the court. Thursday night's festivities proved that such an attraction has returned to the Palestra, no matter what the game's outcome. Fans lined the outer hallways, marveling at the displays and mementos celebrating over 70 years of basketball history. And the on-court presentations -- with famous personalities like Julius Erving and Chuck Daly -- were fitting tributes to the people and events that earned the Palestra the reputation as "college basketball's most historic gym." Just think of that in contrast to the last few years, when fans frequently hurried in and out of the building before and after games -- all the while spending no time appreciating the many wonderful moments the Palestra has given us. Without doubt, two million dollars is a tremendous sum to spend on the renovation of any hallway -- even if the money comes from private donors. But in this case, we commend both the donors and the Penn Athletics Department for finally returning the Palestra into a building worthy of its reputation. Thanks for turning that light back on.

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