UT to invest millions in campus beautification

#76
#76
jlindsa4 said:
Alabama is the same way.
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As I wrote some people think that all campuses need to look like a plantation to be "beautiful". They fail to realize that Knoxville is a pretty big city for a college town and our campus is urban in design. As a matter of fact if one was to compare our campus to other urban campuses I think ours would be one of the better ones.

Can we do better? Of course but I for one am tired of som many of our own people craping on our campus every chance they get. It aint that bad folks. It will get better.
 
#78
#78
gasguy98 said:
As I wrote some people think that all campuses need to look like a plantation to be "beautiful". They fail to realize that Knoxville is a pretty big city for a college town and our campus is urban in design. As a matter of fact if one was to compare our campus to other urban campuses I think ours would be one of the better ones.

Can we do better? Of course but I for one am tired of som many of our own people craping on our campus every chance they get. It aint that bad folks. It will get better.
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I may be wrong but iirc from reading this thread there hasn't been many if anyone saying we needed to have the plantation look. So if u r getting this from others you have spoken too than that doesn't mean that it's a good measurement of that thought. But I'd put money on if UT had a consistant plantation look over what it does now we wouldn't be having this convo right now.

Now it's just not people on here griping about how ugly the campus is. Anyone with any inkling of an idea if how the powers at be think knows that they don't care about what we think. They care about the perception of the people who make rankings like the Princton Review. That's BAD PR because that's what prospective students look at. UT doesn't have enough going for it at the moment to have one of the "ugliest campuses" in the country.

UT rode the football program for so long as its PR giant to bring in students. It's not producing like it did anymore so having this being a part of its rep isn't good. Can't look at from your eyes cause frankly no one of power at UT cares. It's a business move...no ands, ifs, buts about it.
 
#80
#80
865dude said:
I'll be on campus long enough to help pay for it. But never see it
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Welcome to the alum club when get there man! U can't have that selfish "I'll pay for it but never see it" mindset because u get to enjoy things that were being built when current alums were there, and it'll happen to all alums in the future in some way. Is what it is! And also our contribution as students to the total amount is soooo miniscule we barely paid for a couple bricks. Just sayin...
 
#81
#81
Oskie Volum said:
I may be wrong but iirc from reading this thread there hasn't been many if anyone saying we needed to have the plantation look. So if u r getting this from others you have spoken too than that doesn't mean that it's a good measurement of that thought. But I'd put money on if UT had a consistant plantation look over what it does now we wouldn't be having this convo right now.

Now it's just not people on here griping about how ugly the campus is. Anyone with any inkling of an idea if how the powers at be think knows that they don't care about what we think. They care about the perception of the people who make rankings like the Princton Review. That's BAD PR because that's what prospective students look at. UT doesn't have enough going for it at the moment to have one of the "ugliest campuses" in the country.

UT rode the football program for so long as its PR giant to bring in students. It's not producing like it did anymore so having this being a part of its rep isn't good. Can't look at from your eyes cause frankly no one of power at UT cares. It's a business move...no ands, ifs, buts about it.
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I wrote that I think we can do better. I wrote that I want our image to improve. I also wrote that our campus isn't that bad compared to other urban campuses. This is my opinion and the Princeton Review isn't going to change my mind.
 
#82
#82
I think they could do tons with the pavilion area outside of HSS and by the AA/theater building where the fountains are. That area needs more grass. I think in 5 years the campus will look drastically different though with the new dorm and university center built.

I still think my biggest complaint, but some people seem to like, is how ugly campus is by the river. That side of Neyland is disgusting, and so is the water treatment facility or whatever is over there. The river is such a great attribute to the campus and they have done nothing to embrace that. I am excited about the Publix/Walmart being built right off Alcoa Highway though. The buildings look great for what they are.
 
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#83
#83
gasguy98 said:
I wrote that I think we can do better. I wrote that I want our image to improve. I also wrote that our campus isn't that bad compared to other urban campuses. This is my opinion and the Princeton Review isn't going to change my mind.
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Which you have the right to have. I think parts of campus are beautiful too, but others just don't look good. Due to just a random mix. Im not saying to change your mind because of the Princeton Review, but we all need to acknowledge that yours, and even mine, isn't the consensus from people that don't have the attachment. Its like the friends that just have a baby and they think its the most beatiful thing in the world, and when finally get to see it you r like...damn!!...but put on a fake smile.

We both love UT and don't like it being drug through the mud, but can't argue with what they had to say about it. It's not like PR just found major schools to look at but they looked at and found some random campuses, so they looked at many and came up with UT at 7. I've been to U of Dallas and yes that school is just plain ugly.

At the end of the day the school doesn't care about your or my opinion. The PR will trump ours everyday of the week, so the school needs to do something about it. Glad they finally got he hint because a fix in the schools mindset is what is best for the schools image in the long run.
 
#85
#85
Personally, i dont care how "pretty" this campus is, its "pretty" enough for now. All im thinking about is finding parking next year for class.........
 
#88
#88
RockyTop22 said:
Personally, i dont care how "pretty" this campus is, its "pretty" enough for now. All im thinking about is finding parking next year for class.........
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They seem to only be taking parking out. Doesn't make sense. Parking for class is already terrible as it is.

I'd take another parking garage or even a damn parking lot over "Beautifying the campus" any day.
 
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#92
#92
Oskie Volum said:
Welcome to the alum club when get there man! U can't have that selfish "I'll pay for it but never see it" mindset because u get to enjoy things that were being built when current alums were there, and it'll happen to all alums in the future in some way. Is what it is! And also our contribution as students to the total amount is soooo miniscule we barely paid for a couple bricks. Just sayin...
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Thanks, and true! I'll see it when I come back for games!
 
#93
#93
I'm all for a badly-needed campus makeover but I have to wonder...

"We don't want to do a gradual improvement, although that would be great. What we really want to do is a quantum leap that transforms the view of this campus," said Dave Irvin, associate vice chancellor for facilities...

Most of the work could be done by the end of 2014, and it will be funded largely through student facility fees, Irvin said. He did not have an estimate for the total cost of the projects, citing ongoing number crunching, but said it would be more than the roughly $6 million already collected through the fees. UT will likely apply future fees toward the projects as they're collected.
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The ongoing need for normal facility upgrades will pressure admin to increase revenues. It will be interesting to see how much the facilities fee increases over the next few years.
 
#94
#94
DocVOLiday said:
If they really want something there (I dont), they should put a huge orange power T there. Or something to that effect
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That would be awesome if they had a nice orange glossy Power T at the top of the walkway
 
#95
#95
I think a good first step would be a gigantic statue of Peyton next to the stadium, straddling Neyland Drive like the Colossus of Rhodes.
 
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#96
#96
why os gene mcever not honored outside the stadium? he was tn's 1st all american in football.
 
#97
#97
It's about time. UT is long overdue for a makeover. Visiting campuses all over the world, coming back to UT is always a little bittersweet. Love the school, hate the campus (stadium excluded obviously).
 
#98
#98
bigeasy said:
I think they could do tons with the pavilion area outside of HSS and by the AA/theater building where the fountains are. That area needs more grass. I think in 5 years the campus will look drastically different though with the new dorm and university center built.

I still think my biggest complaint, but some people seem to like, is how ugly campus is by the river. That side of Neyland is disgusting, and so is the water treatment facility or whatever is over there. The river is such a great attribute to the campus and they have done nothing to embrace that. I am excited about the Publix/Walmart being built right off Alcoa Highway though. The buildings look great for what they are.
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Dude, the area they're going to build the Publix/Wa-Mart is literally the most polluted/toxic area in Knoxville. They were barely able to get rights to out a building there because so many university ecologists/geologists were up in arms about the hazards that would come to people shopping (or god forbid, working all day) in an indoor facility that will trap in so much toxic fumes.

Sure, it will be convenient, but I think I'll just keep getting my groceries from Food City and not worry about buying mutated fruit.
 
#99
#99
Sounds great. I love my alma mater but it's one of the uglier college campuses I've been on when compared to other state flagship Universities.
 
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