USAES Administration Hall

The USAES Administration Hall is a large building on the campus of the United States Academy of Extranormal Studies at Evansville, Indiana. It was built in the late 19th Century, and was severely damaged by an F4 tornado that moved across the campus on March 18, 1925 during the tornado outbreak that spawned the infamous 'Tri-State Tornado'. It is located just before the Academy Forest, at the very edge of the USAES Old Campus.

The Administration Hall was fully rebuilt, and has seen several major renovations throughout its history (including construction to allow heating and air conditioning; before then, discreet mystical wards throughout the building allowed personnel to regulate temperatures in all major areas of the building, as well as around the water-regulation systems; this allowed for hot and cold running water in the building, full indoor toilet and bathing facilities and purification/disinfection capacities that made all water safe for all uses. (This warding system was in primary use through the entirety of the USAES campus until the end of World War Two; it is still the primary system used within the older buildings of the USAES Old Campus. Standing four stories tall, the Administration Hall has a number of large staircases, several elevators (including two large freight elevators for moving heavy materials) and a network of dumbwaiters.

In the early 1960s, sources within the United States Government provided USAES staff with samples of Basic Salazarium; cadets and staff from the USAES Advanced Cybernetics, Mechanics and Electronics Program (ACME) were allowed to synthesize significant amounts of the metal in order to assist with campus-wide renovations (particularly in the extremely magically-active Old Campus) and allow electrical systems to be set in place across the entirety of the USAES campus. Despite this, there are still many areas on the campus (and within the Administration Hall itself) that rely on magical systems.

While most were removed during the renovations to the building, there are still several working fireplaces on the main floor of the Administration Hall. One is located within the Commandant's Lounge, while two large ones are in the Great Foyer, where the cadre ceremony for new Cadets Sixth Year (or 'sprouts') is held at the beginning of Foal Summer each year; there are also many small 'sitting rooms' throughout the first floor equipped with enchanted Franklin stoves to allow small groups or couples to have time to themselves without breaking any rules in the USAES Honor Code. (This was important, as USAES was a co-ed educational institution as well as military academy since its inception. USAES was the first U.S. military academy to accept women, persons of color (including Native Americans) and citizens of other nations. While persons of LGBT orientation were officially barred from attendance until 2011, unofficial Academy policy has waxed and waned; in general, 'Don't ask, don't tell' has been USAES policy since the late 19th Century. It is also telling that LGBT activities, or simply being of LGBT orientation, is specifically not mentioned in the USAESHonor Code as being against Academy rules.)

During the winter months, fires are kept lit; cadets and others are welcome to spend time in the area and relax, do homework, and enjoy themselves (in keeping with the old tradition of the Great Foyer being a gathering place for all comers to spend time before the fires, take lit torches back to their own fires within their dorms, and being a neutral area where all cadets could congregate regardless of rivalries.

The Office of the Commandant (and of the Deputy Commandant) is located on the second floor. In addition, the Cadet Commander of Corps is afforded an office on the second floor, as well as the Academy Ombudsman and the ranking First Cadet during the academic year.

There is a large mechanical clock built into the face of the fourth floor of the Administration Hall. It possesses numerous permanent enchantments, as well as several enhanced attributes from the ACME program, and is as accurate as some atomic clocks.