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Issue 12 | Volume 151 |April 23, 2019
A Campus B Industry & Technolgy
Sarah Fairchild Chief Copy Editor The world was stunned speechless Monday afternoon when reports rolled in that the Notre Dame Cathedral had caught fire. The historic place of worship had been under renovations at the time the conflagration began; and although there has been nothing conclusive, Paris police believe that the spark that set the building aflame may have been unintentionally caused by an electrical short-circuit. Regardless of how it started, videos and pictures of the towering spire of Notre Dame spewing flames from its peak was awe-inspiring, pulling on the heartstrings of all who watched. The fire damaged large portions of the 850-year-old building before
Photo Courtesy: iStock and CNN
it was finally extinguished after a raging nine hour battle. Putting out the inferno was one of the most complex operations the Paris fire service had ever undertaken, and at one point, it was feared that the entire structure might be lost. Thankfully, this was not the case; as scores of priceless artifacts were rescued from the Notre Dame and taken to the Louvre museum for safekeeping. Along with the breathtakingly beautiful trio of stained glass Rose windows, the Crown of Thorns, the Tunic of Saint Louis, and a large painting known as the “Mays de Notre Dame” were saved from the fire’s kiss. Even the great pipe organwhile damaged- was retrieved from the wreckage. Sadly, the 300 foot spire was not as fortunate, the famous belfry crashing on top of
the cathedral’s wooden roof in a shower of embers. For many, the cathedral was the heart of Paris. The gothic structure among the most visited tourist attraction in Western Europe. Now all that remains is the twin bell towers and the outer frame of the historic building. But from the ashes, hope rises anew; as donations poured in from all around the world in the days following the disaster. When all was said and done, individuals, companies, and institutions had donated or pledged 845 million euros ($950 million) to rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was a spectacle to see some of the countries wealthiest families try to one-up each other by donating the most to the cause. And the aid didn’t stop there. Ubisoft, a game company most
famous for their Assassins Creed series, chipped in another 500,000 euros to the rebuilding efforts, along with something even more valuable- the 3D map of the cathedral as it was. The Notre Dame is a prominent feature in Assasins Creed: Unity, and the game developers were allowed exclusive access to map the ageold cathedral for the game. Ubisoft also made the game free to play so that users could experience the virtual landmark as it was before the fire. President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild the Notre Dame within five years’ time, and is already making preparations for an international architecture competition to design a new spire. The soul of France may have been burned, but - like the spirit of its people - it has not broken.
Composite by: Sarah Fairchild, Rajan Khanna, K’Andrew France-Beckford