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College Town Life | Featured College Towns | College Town Issues | |
19-25 ESU
faculty, staff, students grow bountiful harvest The plots, each 200 hundred square feet, were prepared by Jim Martin, manager of campus care services, and other members of the university’s grounds and landscape crew. For $20.00, ESU faculty, staff and students were entered into a pool of gardeners and assigned to a plot using a lottery system in June ... The community garden now features a bountiful harvest of various fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers and has evolved into its own sub community on campus. Members of the Community Garden Committee, lead by ESU staff members Rick Roeber, Marie Reish, and MaryAnn Fish, are already looking forward to expanding the community garden project for next year – they’ve applied for a grant that will enable ESU to increase the number of available plots and even include a handicap accessible garden in the future ... City,
EIU emphasize student neighborliness “Oftentimes a single knock at the door and introducing yourself to your neighbors goes a long way,” said City Manager Scott Smith ... Harvard
plans to redo Allston sidewalk as promised long ago In recent months, Allston residents have complained about the long delay in the work as Harvard continued with plans to build a science complex, student housing, and other facilities in the neighborhood. Harvard, like many area universities, has been in the midst of a building boom and has tussled with residents over various issues ... Wanted:
some fresh ideas Instead, Concordia today welcomes out-of-town students to a new, temporary residence in the former Grey Nuns motherhouse, acquired by the university in 2004. The co-ed residence, in the west wing of the imposing limestone building facing St. Mathieu St., is open to first-year students. Applicants are assigned space in the 238-bed residence by lottery; rates range from $4,500 to $4,900 for a nine-month stay ... Green,
GWAR shows coming A Lone Star State native, Green garnered a large following in honky-tonks and college town venues across the United States. The intimate shows put the performer in close proximity with his fans, who respond in kind by singing along, beers in the air and stomping out their worries to the rhythms of tracks from Lucky Ones, Cannonball and other favorite recordings ... Record
freshman class among those moving on campus “It was my first choice,” said freshman Robyn Charlton, who arrived yesterday from Santa Cruz. “You're pretty much guaranteed friends.” ... UW's
new Ogg Hall 'more than just a place to live' The six-story residence hall at North Park and Dayton streets cost $28 million to construct, with costs for design, green space, art and demolition of the old Ogg bringing the total cost to $36 million ... Housing
plan angers residents The news that Ingleside Mobile Home Park is slated to be razed to make room for the 190-unit Devonshire Apartments came as a shock to resident April Burton, who grew up there. "I've lived here 22 years," Burton said. "I don't know where I'm going to go or what's going to happen." ... Cheating
Scandal in Hanover Draws Debate Audio But this summer, a high school cheating scandal has shaken this ivy league town's foundations and forced a debate on individual responsibility.....and academic pressure ... City
sees influx of businesses The newest addition to uptown, College View Restaurant, debuted Aug. 16. College View, dubbed "Uptown Oxford's Breakfast House," features a cereal bar with 14 different types of cereal for mixing and matching; unique breakfast sandwiches like "The Dead Elvis" and the "Sasquatch Sausage Double Stack;" baked goods; and several other breakfast choices ... Trendy
in all but prices The used clothing retail franchise, which built its following in college towns, opened its doors to customers on Aug. 9, just as its target group -- teens, tweens and college students -- were back-to-school shopping ... California
consultant addresses Center City issues "What we found is there are often issues with the night life," said Peters, president of the Responsible Hospitality Institute. Peters has traveled from California to numerous cities across the United States to meet with officials as they work to revitalize downtowns while trying to prevent negative behaviors that may be associated with night-life entertainment ... Students
feel impact of city ordinances According to Sgt. Jim Squance of the OPD, summer was very quiet with a very low volume of tickets written.… Stillwater's
orange revolution Fowler said Stillwater's population was 39,000 in 2000, estimated at 46,000 in 2006 and could hit 50,000 by 2010, he said. That growth, Fowler said, is second only to Broken Arrow. "It's a great time to be in Stillwater,” he said. "The city has been able to maintain its college town environment, but the growth has created more of everything.” ... New
Ogg Hall opens to 600-plus new residents "The new Ogg Hall is more proof that university housing is more than just a place to live. It's a place to learn - with an emphasis on academic support and promoting student involvement and leadership," says Paul Evans, director of University Housing. The new six-story facility - along with Newell J. Smith Hall, which opened last year - replaces the outdated 13-story towers of the old Ogg Hall. The old facility closed to residents last spring and will be demolished beginning next month ... Ground
Broken For New Purdue Dorm Back
of the Envelope Travel: Ithaca's Gorges... and Booze But you'll have to act fast as students are already filtering back in to crush the tranquil small town vibe with a tidal wave of emptied 30 packs and crushed red cups ... Oxford
businesses hear details of new alcohol ordinance Wednesday, Oxford businesses had an opportunity to be ready for local changes after months of strategizing to reduce irresponsible and under-age drinking ... Antioch
College alumni association raises $5.3M About 20 alumni chapters raised the money during Support Antioch College Weekend held in cities around the country Aug. 17-19, its alumni association announced Tuesday night. The new haul brings the fund's total to $7.8 million, which the group has raised since Antioch University's board of trustees voted to close the college. On June 9, the board said that financial exigency is forcing it to temporarily close the college in July 2008 ... Oxford
ranks No. 4 for retiring The city of Oxford was ranked No. 4 on TopRetirements.com in an "unannounced popularity contest," according to the Web site's president, John Brady. From Jan. 1 through Aug. 1, each time a visitor to the site viewed a certain city's profile page, a "vote" was recorded ... Ryan
Gauthier: Finding Oxford ... and Ohio "No, it's not that Miami ... it's in Oxford." "You're moving to England?" ... If my first couple of weeks with the Oxford Press are any indication, things are going to be more interesting than I anticipated. In one week, I heard about plans for a huge school renovation/construction plan, sat through a city council meeting packed to the doors with passionate citizens determined to be heard and fielded phone calls from countless concerned readers wanting me to investigate various leads. Not exactly the slow-paced life I expected from a small town like Oxford ... Green
goes to school "Taking care of the planet is a global issue, but it starts with the individual," Raghav says, standing in a demonstration dorm room lined with carefully selected products: the energy- efficient, the biodegradable, the sustainable. Unlike the guys' room next door, there isn't an electricity-sucking appliance, off-gassing polyester beanbag chair or synthetic sheet in sight ... First
impressions last a lifetime While I certainly don't think the university intended for there to be chaos, or to grapple with housing issues again, I hope officials take this year's opening as a hard lesson. It's magnificent to have growing enrollment, increased popularity and be considered a prestigious university, but no matter what the end result is, first impressions last a lifetime ... Editorial:
Downtown wants more investors Cities that have experienced a downtown renaissance know that small businesses are the key ingredient in becoming livable and people-friendly ... Bowie
State University plans could bring new dorms, retail Dr. Mickey L. Burnim said the university is in the early stages of acquiring 214 acres of county property to build dormitories and retail next to the MARC train station in Bowie ... Dorms
are so yesterday. Today, students want décor with their degrees. Fade
to blacktop? First, in April a legal notice appeared in the Press & Sun Bulletin requesting proposals for the rehabilitation of the Alms House. A proposal was submitted on June 28. The nearly 20-page "Expression of Interest" detailed plans for converting the Alms House into a multi-purpose building, while respecting the architectural significance of the structure and complementing the character of the college campus. The plan proposed the following layout: on the first floor, a coffee house, deli and bookstore; second and third floors would provide student housing; and in the basement -- an activity room, storage units and laundry facilities. Completion of the project was estimated to take 12 months. The proposal was submitted by an area developer with a successful track record of similar rehabilitation projects. As proposed, Broome County would retain ownership of the property, and total cost to the county was estimated to be significantly less than the cost of demolition. Too good to be true? On Aug. 14, the developer received notification from BCC, stating "on July 26, 2007, the Board of Trustees rejected the Expression of Interest deciding it is not in the best interest of the college to accept the terms and conditions of the proposal." No further explanation was given ... Boulder
renters pay the big bucks The annual Coldwell Banker College Home Price Comparison Index, which measures the average cost of a 2,000 square foot home, named Boulder as having the eighth most expensive housing costs of 119 Division 1A colleges. Students hoping to find affordable housing will also fight zoning restrictions and a growing landlord-friendly market ... Bogey's
still up for sale But it won't stand out for much longer if Mark Nemmers cannot find a new owner ... In looking for the ideal place to open a bookstore, Nemmers traveled as far as Seattle, Wisconsin and Sacramento. While in Sacramento, someone mentioned Davis. Nemmers crossed the Causeway and fell for the small college town. "Davis felt so much like a college town that I knew I wanted to open it here ... Café
Roma location to be taken over by new 3rd & U Café "We want to make this a welcoming place to hang out," Gilchrist said on Tuesday, sanding and lending a hand to construction workers at his future café. "We will hit on every cylinder and make it neighborhood-friendly." ... Travel
Postcard: 48 hours in Halifax, Canada Halifax is a university town with a naval base and a busy port which makes for a great pub culture and vibrant downtown scene ... County
law may threaten student housing Prince George's County law states that no more than five unrelated people can live in a house, but several students ignore the law due to the limited affordable housing options near the campus. The city is looking to the Maryland Municipal League for advice in solving the issue of overcrowding ... Six
is not a crowd College Park Mayor Stephen Brayman has expressed a desire to institute a "best practice" to more effectively enforce overcrowding laws in the city. This new scheme would use input from the various parties involved- landlords, tenants and citizens. But the idea that this is a situation that requires an extra push of enforcement is simply not believable ... Boston
College wants arrests of rowdy students “We are sending a message, setting the tone, and we want to see
how this works,” said BC’s vice president of community affairs,
Tom Keady, at a BC task force meeting Tuesday. TU
street party to feature fireworks The building will house student and visitor services, alumni offices and the president's office. The event will include an activity fair at 7 p.m. for students to learn about campus organizations. The university and Student Association presidents will give short speeches ... The
College Second Home Part of the market is being driven by parents opting out of paying increasingly expensive on-campus room and board fees, which average $8,149 a year at a four-year private university, according to the College Board. Michael Zaransky, the co-chief executive of Prime Property Investors in Northbrook, Ill., a real estate firm that owns college housing near several campuses including the University of Illinois and Purdue, described a Federal Housing Administration financing program known as a “kiddie condo” loan, which he said could make the purchase of an off-campus residence for a child even more attractive ... STUDENTS'
LET AGENCY COULD END LOUSY DIGS Unipol, a charity, signs up landlords who agree to a code of conduct including standards of maintenance. It was set up to advance education by providing good quality accommodation to students, attracting them with guarantees of quality and responsible landlords. It has the support of Nottingham City Council and both city universities ... Fires
in colleges, universities rising nationwide The report, issued by the National Fire Protection Association, said the number of college housing fires rose from 1,800 in 1998 to 3,300 in 2005. From 2002 to 2005, there were 39 deaths and nearly 400 injuries from fires in residences including dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses and barracks ... Cortland
considering nuisance party law Under the proposed law, not only would the host and attendees of the party be penalized for their involvement, but the landlord or property owner would also have a legal responsibility. They could be fined up to $500 and face 15 days in jail. More than 2,000 SUNY Cortland students currently live off-campus and in city neighborhoods, and most don't agree with the proposal. They say the parties are part of living in a college town ... GPD
cracks down on drinking Students
rescue woman from house fire "You don't think about (the fire)," said Hillis, 21. "You just hope that someone else would do the same thing for you." ... Whole
Foods' Wild Oats deal keenly felt in Boulder "It is the leading area in terms of the aggregation of natural food companies and entrepreneurs and even trade journals," said Organic Inc. author Samuel Fromartz, who describes Boulder as "ground zero" of the natural and organic food industry ... Being
Herself: 'Green' activist finds way to get her messages out “In some ways, it reminds me of Winston-Salem and in some ways, Chapel Hill,” she said. “I really like being in a college town and a smaller town because there is this sort of intellectual environment. It’s really a manageable town and has a lot of natural beauty.” ... Urban
plan, but city keeps options open Twenty-four-story buildings would punctuate the landscape in satellite downtowns near Arden Fair mall and Arco Arena. A university town would bustle at 65th Street. Tired-looking arteries now devoted mostly to shopping would be transformed with thousands of housing units ... Students
face losing out in housing shortage More than 60% of the city's full-time student population were not housed in private or university accommodation in 2005-06, international property advisers Savills said. The result is a "significant shortage" of student accommodation in Glasgow ... D&C,
area colleges launch The Loop The Loop, a partnership of the Democrat and Chronicle and seven area colleges, formally debuts today on the Web at RocLoop.com. The site is largely staffed by students at those colleges ... New
business brewing Four sets of 11 beer taps stand out. They're topped with handles of various shapes and sizes representing the wide variety of draft beer Mug Shots will be offering Sept. 1, the day when draft beer becomes legal in Florence ... Mug Shots is among numerous Florence businesses preparing for Sept. 1. Some expect to see a significant boost of customers as a result of being able to sell draft beer ... Shortage
of dorms takes a toll on University of Wisconsin But then she got the bad news: On-campus housing was full. Schallock would have to find her own place to live in a city 3,600 miles from home. Schallock is one of more than 500 students who will be turned away for housing this year at Wisconsin’s flagship university, the only one in the Big Ten that does not guarantee on-campus housing for freshmen ... New
housing options Students’
needs build, so colleges must build That demand — as well as students’ growing reluctance to share a bedroom, much less a bathroom — is helping fuel the biggest residence hall construction and renovation boom in nearly 50 years. The pool of college-ready students is expected to shrink by 2010 because of demographic trends, so universities are vying to attract every student they can with more space, more privacy and more outlets ... In June, College Planning & Management magazine reported 85 new residence hall building projects under way nationwide. The median cost for a residence hall completed last year was $20.1 million, up 20 percent from 2005, the magazine reported. Those higher costs are passed on to students in rent, which jumps 3 percent to 6 percent every year ... Woman
who lost home, job to Katrina moves to new student housing "It is bittersweet as my babies go off to college, but it is a fresh start for me," Diane Dodt-Gauthier said as she moved into The Oaks at Louisiana State University at Alexandria. She said she moved her sons to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette Thursday. The next day, son Michael helped her carry a mattress and boxes up three flights of stairs to her new one-bedroom apartment ... Colleges
focus on student safety Campus officials say they are more prepared now than they were last year for the unlikely risk of a shooter opening fire. Xavier University plans to launch a mass emergency voice and text messaging system this fall. Northern Kentucky University is installing cameras at the entrance to all residence halls this semester. Many schools are focusing just as hard on safety problems that are much more likely to occur - such as underage drinking and the related crimes that can result. At Miami, where classes start Monday, police have launched their biggest enforcement blitz in years ... Riders
hit the streets of Tuscaloosa for Hot Hundred “This is a nice area that draws the outdoors group,” Mason said. “Being in a university town helps draw younger participants. “It’s really easy to get to rural areas fairly quickly. On Friday night I ran into a family from St. Louis who were taking their child to college, and the father seriously considered riding in our event the next day. “I have met several people like that. We just have such a sense of community that attracts people.” ... Kent
nears next step in downtown redevelopment Asembling land for project After Sept. 19, the city can finalize a purchase agreement to buy the Kent Hardware building and surrounding property owned by Demmer Enterprises for $365,000. About a month's time will give the city official at the center of the purchase, City Manager Dave Ruller, time to think about consulting Kent City Council and that next step. "Obviously we're assembling the land for the purpose of redevelopment," Ruller said. "The question then becomes trying to market the site. We have some choices we'll have to make and, honestly, some of those conversations are happening now." ... Officials:
Rowan Blvd. still on track For about seven years, borough officials in conjunction with Rowan University have been planning a revitalization of the downtown area ... "The goal and the vision of all of this is to recreate what we call the quintessential college town," ... Denver's
bike trails wind through urban chic and pastoral pleasures Truthfully, there wasn't anyone on my right, but let's just say I was practicing. This was urban biking, after all -- in the middle of Denver, where cars and people throng the streets and sidewalks. Yet the Mile High City's bike paths were hardly a traffic jam of spokes and wheels. In fact, at times it felt more like the New Frontier -- if the pioneers rode hybrids with aluminum frames and 21 speeds ... Other college towns for bikers: Boulder, Colo. Sayer calls Boulder ''the classic mountain bike town,'' and the city has the numbers to back up that claim: 150-plus miles of bike paths and 192 miles of bike lanes. In addition, the bike paths follow the storm drainage system, so you can ride virtually everywhere without crossing the street. To toughen up the legs, pedal up to the Flatiron Mountains, or for a ''wild biking experience in the city,'' Sayer recommends the 18-mile Boulder Creek Path. City of Boulder, bike info. Click on City A to Z and go to G for Getting Around Boulder. Madison, Wis. Madison's bike plan dates to 1975, but the city is still building trails (at last count: 35 miles of off-street bike paths, 35 miles of on-street bike lanes and a 120-mile network of signed bike routes). For example, you can bike from downtown to the lakeshore and around farmland, says Sayer, adding that ''Madison has exceptional signage and an innovative share-the-road program.'' City of Madison, bike info. Austin. The city that produced Lance Armstrong has myriad bike programs in the works, including, of course, the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, a six-miler that will connect the eastern and western portions of the city. For now, you can bike any number of routes, such as the hilly Dam Loop, Shoal Creek Trail (with a creek crossing) and Mary Moore Park trail, where bikers can stop and picnic or shoot some hoops. Austin City Connection, bike info ... College
cash "We took a look at how many of the college kids we were getting here in the store in Jackson and felt like Oxford would be a perfect fit," he said. "I think most of the kids - certainly not all - have some discretionary income to spend. Fortunately for us, they're dialed into the product lines we carry." College students are returning to campuses across the nation with $198 billion in spending power, according to a Harris Interactive study ... Change
in air for art district Potters coexist happily with biotech researchers. Architects and steel workers mingle over the tofu scramble at the Westside Cafe. No one fights over parking, and the bougainvillea is always blooming. But change is looming, and not even Berkeley's stringent industrial and multi-use zoning laws -- which have kept gentrification mostly at bay -- can protect a neighborhood forever ... Auction
for Habitat to continue Dr. Pat Walker of Elba withdrew his bid of $1,000 for the house at 703 Elm Street, citing unfairness to such a worthwhile organization as the reason. “I was prepared to pay $10,000 for the house,” Walker said. “At $1,000, I felt like I was stealing it. I just couldn't do that.” ... Surprise!
College digs aren't quite like home What Leah Lage got: five roommates, one huge, open room and a window into a public hallway. Arrangements like Lage's are more common than you think. Although the Association of College and University Housing Officers says nobody knows exactly how many schools and students are affected by overcrowding, they say the problem is fairly common ... Dubois
focuses on space crunch "We may be three to four years from saying, `No more,' if building progress doesn't improve," Dubois said during a question and answer period after he, Provost Joan Lorden, faculty and student representatives made speeches about the future ... West
Chester neighborhood debates change "Each time we saw the proposals, they got worse," said Shirley Porter, who, with her husband, has been very active in the East End Neighborhood Association. "Those 900 condos would be as much as one-sixth of the borough's population" (estimated at just over 18,000) ... Residents said they were concerned that the condos would turn into student rental units, with West Chester University just a short distance away. They also feared the proposed hotel and restaurants with liquor licenses would attract the students. Student housing and underage drinking have been sore points in the borough ... Future
in doubt for riverfront student apartments Barker was a toddler when his family rented from the University of Texas while his father attended the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. Now, he's a student at UT's School of Law. Residents of the Brackenridge Apartments gathered Aug. 7 for National Night Out, an annual crime-fighting event. The apartments provide a safe haven for University of Texas graduate students — many of them from abroad — amid Austin's skyrocketing rents. "It's an incredible community, full of international students, tons of families and kids," said Barker, whose wife is expecting their first child. "We just love the apartments and would hate to see anything change." But change seems almost inevitable, not only at the Colorado apartments but also at the university-owned Brackenridge apartments a half-mile away. The land is a developer's dream: 74 acres of gently sloping riverfront dotted with live oaks in affluent West Austin ... UIC
opens largest residence hall on campus The building is named the James J. Stukel Towers for the former university president and UIC chancellor. The dorm has 740 beds, academically-themed living areas, a computer lab and a 150-seat student event center. The Stukel Towers are the third residence hall in a south campus development at the 25,000 student university. It has single and double rooms ... Ball
State's new dorm, Park Hall, ‘feels like a hotel’ This suits one of the residence hall's first occupants, Ball State sophomore
Jill Scholten, just fine.
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