Going ... Going ... Gone: Wetzel Implosion

University News

Text-2-Plunge Winner Bill Schmidt pushes the ceremonial plunger to get the implosion "started."
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Going ...
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Gone ...
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Going ... Going ... Gone: Wetzel Implosion

July 14, 2012

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MACOMB, IL -- Amidst cheers -- and some tears -- Wetzel Hall on the Western Illinois University campus is no more.

At exactly 7 a.m. this morning (July 14), the 42-year-old residence hall was imploded. While the preparation for the demolition took months, the implosion brought the building down in well under 10 seconds.

Text-2-Plunge contest winner William Schmidt, a senior biology major from Mokena (IL), pushed the "ceremonial plunger" to implode the building at the end of the countdown. And within seconds, the 13-story hall was nothing more than a cloud of dust and bits of concrete.

Clean-up is expected to take approximately six weeks. Once the site it completely clear and leveled, work will begin to create a park on the grounds that once held Wetzel.

Videos and photos of the implosion can also be viewed at facebook.com/wiu.edu. Additional videos will be produced within the coming weeks featuring WIU alumni and staff who lived, and worked, in Wetzel, the preparation for the implosion and more.