This January, a Winter Term class is in progress that will turn an eye, and a number of students, toward it. And conversely, its eye will once again be on the heavens.

The observatory in the Erskine building is again open to the stars.

With the help of Junior McClain, Erskine's Director of Maintainance, and Erskine friend Hillard Allen, the metalic domed hemisphere that has overlooked a hundred graduations is again home to stargazers. But while the dome itself is a century old, the telescope and computer inside give the students a 21st century aura to the 19th century surroundings.

"All we have to do now is align the telescope and we will be able to take pictures and download them directly to the computer," said Dr. Bright Lowry, the proud papa of the reborn room. Lowery, as the Young Professor of Chemistry and Physics at Erskine, was the impetus for the clean-up of the room that is a big part of the image of Erskine.

"I've been wanting to do it for a long time," Lowery said. "And since we knew, architecturally, we couldn't put an observatory in the new science building, I put together this course for Winter Term."

As far as he could tell, the last time students had been in the observatory for a class was some time around 1936. A quick look around, however, reveals that many other students since then have made their way up the dark tower to etch their names on the wooden walls.

"We went up there and collected as many names as we could," said Jim Gettys, Vice-President and Dean of the College. "Then we sent a letter asking them for financial support to help make the tower safe again."

It seems that the eternity of the stars is no match for a little graffiti.

Most of the repairs centered around replacing the steps and making the dome movable again. The top of the dome rotates so the opening can be moved to the desired area.