12 to Midnight

As part of ongoing efforts to change the university’s image as a party school, in 1994 former President Patterson authorized the creation of a university-sponsored daycare for children of faculty, staff, and adult students. The daycare, named Tiny Wings, opened two years later on the ground floor of the Education building. The daycare was staffed by full-time, licensed caregivers as well as part-time Education students seeking hands-on experience.

From the very beginning, Tiny Wings eschewed typical babysitting and instead emphasized educational curricula. Toddlers were taught rudimentary sign language before they even learned to speak, jump-starting their communication skills. From that early foundation, Education researchers gained valuable insight into learning development by trying a variety of teaching techniques and subject matter on older toddlers.

Within two years, Tiny Wings had earned a reputation as the best daycare in town; a nurturing place for happy, smart children. Unfortunately, their stellar reputation led to a long waiting list for vacancy and grumbling about favoritism. To alleviate the problem, in mid-1998 Tiny Wings was moved from the Education building to larger accommodations in the former Forestry Sciences building, which had been scheduled for demolition. Meanwhile, construction began on a new, state-of-the-art daycare facility.

With construction of the new building more than 80% completed, the university abruptly shut down Tiny Wings. Neither the staff nor parents made a fuss over the closure, and within a month the incident was largely forgotten. This may be due in part to those who would talk–the staff and parents the staff quickly finding new jobs in other cities. Oddly, nearly all the parents of children who attended Tiny Wings found reason to leave Pinebox as well.

For a while the new construction sat incomplete, but was eventually remodeled and completed as a student coffee house/lounge that remains open to this day. The Forestry Sciences building, Tiny Wings’ final home, proceeded with its demolition ahead of schedule.  The former building is now a parking lot.

Since closing Tiny Wings in 1999, the university has left daycare in the hands of the surrounding community. Most folks have forgotten about Tiny Wings, considering how much time has passed. A lot of time. In fact, some of the little tykes who were there when the whole thing shut down would just about be old enough for college…