OT-Experience Purdue

[burbo]

I visited the campus yesterday with my daughter, she was invited as a high achieving student (yeah I bragged a little there), along with a couple of hundred other students and their parents. Other than attending a few basketball games over the years, and then having to make a quick trip right back home, I haven't been on campus but just a few times since graduating in the mid 80's. The change in the campus was astounding from what I recall during my years there.

1) The smoke stack is gone. I recall reading about that when the decison was made and knew it would be gone, but still strange to not see it as a landmark while on campus.

2) The green space and landscaping in the center of the campus was beautiful compared to my years there. I haven't visited any other BIG campuses other than IU a few times, but I have a hard time seeing how anyone can say Purdue is an ugly campus if they've been there in the past few years. No doubt living in southern Indiana, I have to hear from way too many IU fans and homers about that topic. But I wonder how many IU fans that repeat that garbage have been on the Purdue campus in recent years, and I bet the knotheads that complain about the concrete on Purdue's campus somehow seem to think limestone is beautiful.

3) While walking across the Mall, I asked if anyone has carried the torch for Brother Max since his passing. One alumni parent knew what I was referncing, the Sr. student leading us on a campus tour was not aware of Brother Max or any disciples.

4) Terry and Fowler Courts gone, but not forgotten. Actually, I doubt too many people miss those places. We didn't have an opportunity to visit any of the newer dorms, although they look very nice from the outside. Might have to schedule a day back up there for a more in depth view of that part of campus.

5) Few of the dorms have dining halls now, 5 dining halls across campus, and the food was a wee bit healthier and many more choices than 30 years ago.

6) 1 year for an in state student is going to cost approximately the same as my 4.5 years cost total, not couting any scholarships of course. That wasn't news to me, but still shocking to sit there and realize that it could just be a few months away.

Most of that is likely not news to many of you on here, but it was quite an eye opener for a middle aged fart that hasn't visited campus often through the years.

 

[SIBoiler2]

1) The smoke stack is gone and since we know the reason they might build another one it is unlikely we'll see one in our lifetimes.
2) 90% of the Loosiers telling us our campus is ugly and IUs is a world class beauty have never set foot on any campus.
3) Should have asked the guide if he knew why the lions roar. His answer would have told you how complete his education has been.
4) If a student never experiences life in Terry, Fowler, the W halls or Cary they really haven't experienced life on campus.
5) Not sure I want to see a prospective mate at breakfast time in a food court. The old dorm setup was too costly to maintain but did provide a little refuge from some social interactions.
6) Just think what it would cost if Mitch wasn't trying to keep a lid on. The travesty is that it was not uncommon in the late 60s, early 70s to have a summer job that paid for nearly the whole year. Not sure you get much more for your $ today on campus than you did then.

 

[GodFamilyCountryPurdue]

It was nice to be able to put a robe on and walk to the cafeteria in Tark for breakfast. Brother Max; haven't heard that name in a while.

 

[BoilerBulldog]

I lived in Terry Courts. It was my last choice (forgot to send in my form) but I loved it. We didn't have a counselor in our unit so that helped. But we regularly had kegs in our room and could walk from room to room with a beer and be (almost) safe.

 

[rjmpu82]

I lived in Cary and Tarkington. Listened to Brother Max often and spoke with him a few times. Purdue served me well. My daughter graduated in 2014. My son attended for 3 years and was just accepted into dental school a year early. Purdue has served both my kids very well. Campus has changed...I have been there dozens of times over the past 5 years. The food courts on campus are some of the best in the country. You can get breakfast at 2 am in the dorms or just have some hot cookies delivered to your room. Hard for me to imagine why Purdue gets a bad rap other than the fact that if you go there, you actually may be required to do something besides party.

 

[burbo]

I lived in Terry Courts for a year, we did have a counselor in our unit, so that reduced our fun, and we also paid quite a bit in damages to those flimsy walls.

I was amazed at what they do to help the students succeed now compared to back in the day. They presented info on the Exploratory Education program and how successful it is at helping students declare a major. After 2-4 semesters in the program, 85% of the students graduate in their first or second choice of major and in 4 years.

I'm hoping that my daughter has taken enough AP dual credit courses to finish in 3-3.5 years.

 

[Wheels Of Steel]

burbo and BoilerBulldog, I, too lived in Terry Courts, although for my freshman year, we ate across the street in Fowler House. Great memories! No counselor in our unit, and the fellow we did have for a couple of years was a vet back from Vietnam who didn't give a rat's a** what we did. Lot's of great parties, although burbo, as you correctly recall, we did pay hefty check-out bills in the spring (and this on top of our damage deposit and all the charges they could pin on specific people).

 

[SqueakyClean]

My freshman year was the last year for the Terry Courts. If you think you trashed them, can you imagine what kids did to those places knowing that they didn't have to pay the check-out bills because the buildings were being demo-ed at the end of the year.

I went to a Halloween party where all the furniture was bolted to the ceiling, including a twister game where guys were holding up girls upside down so they could actually play. At least they had the good sense to put a mattress underneath them.....

I also saw a room that was a ball pit of empty beer cans. Seriously. 3' high. All the kids in that room just slept in the front room. I chickened out and didn't try it cause it looked like it would hurt if you weren't completely toasted first.

It's been about three years since I've been back on campus, but I agree. The place has changed alot for the better.

 

[aggar66]

I lived in Bloomington for 5 years, and I've never understood the "ugly campus" crap. Sure they have limestone that came from quarries nearby, but I've always felt it looks dingy after a couple years with all the black streaks. Give me red brick anytime.

 

[BoilerBulldog]

My freshman year was the last year for the Terry Courts. If you think you trashed them, can you imagine what kids did to those places knowing that they didn't have to pay the check-out bills because the buildings were being demo-ed at the end of the year.

I went to a Halloween party where all the furniture was bolted to the ceiling, including a twister game where guys were holding up girls upside down so they could actually play. At least they had the good sense to put a mattress underneath them.....

I also saw a room that was a ball pit of empty beer cans. Seriously. 3' high. All the kids in that room just slept in the front room. I chickened out and didn't try it cause it looked like it would hurt if you weren't completely toasted first.

It's been about three years since I've been back on campus, but I agree. The place has changed alot for the better.

That is awesome. Thanks.

 

[Frankie611]

Junior year we were in the basement of some crappy old house on campus for some alleged pudding wrestling. They didn't disappoint. Probably half a dozen chicks in swim suits took turns slamming each other down in a kiddie pool full of GFS chocolate pudding. Hot chicks too, real hot. That was a mess.
There was also the time we set up a swimming pool in our apartment. None of us were mechanical engineers so we didn't worry about the thousand pounds of water we had stressing floor joists. Some guy (appropriately named "Big Fat Party Animal") lived upstairs and came home wasted from the bar one night. He is standing next to the pool and falls on the side. Luckily two of us thought quick enough to pull him in the pool so he didn't dump all the water on the floor. We drained the pool the next day...until Maymester.

 

[boilerpt]

"90% of the Loosiers telling us our campus is ugly and IU's is a world class beauty have never set foot on any campus."

This.