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MJLO

By MJLO
in Kalamazoo-Battle Creek

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Kayak1 Whistle-Stop

Kayak1

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I hear that there is a chance that WMU President Judi Bailey is going to be ousted today. Do you think that this will be a good thing for WMU and Kalamazoo in general?

What college president isn't under the gun these days with decreasing budgets. The big thing I think was the declining enrollment. I think schools like Grand Valley and Western are fighting for the same students and it looks like lately Grand Valley has been winning.

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GR8scott Burg

GR8scott

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What college president isn't under the gun these days with decreasing budgets. The big thing I think was the declining enrollment. I think schools like Grand Valley and Western are fighting for the same students and it looks like lately Grand Valley has been winning.

I disagree, I think WMU competes a lot more with CMU for students because both are larger schools with generally lower academic standards. Grand Rapids metro area even seems to have more of an affiliation with CMU than WMU. And MOST of Grand Valley students come from metro Grand Rapids while MOST of WMU students come from the East side. President Bailey is out because the only thing she really did while at school was cut programs, she is definitely not a student favorite. There has been some new building though that may be due to state funding

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mxobe Crossroads

mxobe

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LOL, I used to live in this building. We used to climb up into the 20' tall attic, cross the scaffolding, and then straight up a ladder through a hatch onto the roof, and drive golf-balls at the Pike House across the street. You could see the entire Kalamazoo Valley from up there

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In regard to East Town (?) Mall, we'd go there for $1 movies when I was in college. Always seemed like such a far drive out Gull Road. I don't even know if it's still there.

The old dollar theatre is not there any more. We used to drive out there in college too. "WMU class of 96'". We would go to the Meijer down the road to get soda and candy then go to the dollar movies. Oh the good old days.

I grew up on the east side of Kalamazoo in the Comstock area and my parents still live there so I'm familiar with the Gull Road area. The stretch has seen considerable commercial growth in the past 5 years since Gull Rd. was finally widened to 5 lanes.

I used to go to the East Towne Mall with my parents when I was younger and go to the shops and movies there. By the early 90's most of the mall was vacant except for the movie theater, an arcade, a karate place, and a few other stores. The theater closed in the late 90

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elliscm Crossroads

elliscm

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I have lived in downtown Kalamazoo for the past year. I have to say, it has been pretty amazing. I would definitely consider buying a condo if I wasn't moving away for work. This is what we love the most about living downtown:

1) Being able to walk to Bell's beer garden all summer long

2) Being able to walk to the festivals at the festival place (Rib Fest is my favorite)

3) Having a large selection of good restaurants within a few blocks

4) Being a member of the Radisson's very fancy gym just one block away

5) The library, where we can borrow art as well as books

6) The downtown police station, which has a beat cop on foot making us feel safe

This is what we don't like:

1) Panhandlers with fantastic stories (their mother just died at Bronson, sister is about to give birth etc.)

2) We witnessed the demolishing of the Upjohn building from our bedroom window

3) Francois et al, which has consistent noise violations (after 2 am) and attracts loud, drunk people who seem to like to get into fistfights and get their motorcycles growling really loud

4) So much construction right downtown, right under our window, some of which took place between 2 and 6 am

Overall, though, I love downtown Kalamazoo. It is really lovely and about a million times more intersting than Portage with its suburban strip mall dullness.

Here is my "Around Kalamazoo" photoset on Flickr. Just pics I took walking around this spring and summer:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/caliellis/set...57594202962434/

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GR8scott Burg

GR8scott

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heres a few recent updates on the WMU campus.

The new chemistry building is not quite ready to open for the fall semester but its comming along

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Heres the new visual arts center

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Here are some I took downtown earlier this summer

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showing a little bit of density

there have been many changes downtown this summer, I will try to make it down there on a nice day and show them.

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Weallneedhistory Whistle-Stop

Weallneedhistory

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Aaaggggghhhhhhh!!!!!

I can't believe what I am seeing on WMU's campus! I haven't really been down there to look around much since I graudated in '01, but they built a new chemistry building right in the middle of the campus? How many old trees came down for that? Instead of a new chemistry building, how is the Education building (Sangren Hall) doing, since it hadn't been touched since 1964 when it was built as of 2001. How much manicured lawn was torn up for this new building? I can't tell you how many peaceful naps I took on that rolling expanse of green lawn when I should have been in Econ 201 at Knauss, or how many books I read for class in the same spot with hundreds of other students. :cry:

I'm sure they'll plant trees, and I really should check it out before I make my final judgement, but from what I see in the pictures, it just doesn't really fit...but then again I prefer wide open spaces with green lawns, hills, and trees. The same with that visual arts center...there used to be a large garden of tulips and other flowers there sitting on a nice hill with beautiful trees. Now its just a very cold looking structure next to the parking ramp. I hope they at least cover up the gray walls on that v.a. center.

Some will call this Progress, and perhaps from a financial standpoint it is, but at the same time it is very sad that WMU felt they had no other choice than to put it right in the middle of campus.

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egrguy Burg

egrguy

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Aaaggggghhhhhhh!!!!!

I can't believe what I am seeing on WMU's campus! I haven't really been down there to look around much since I graudated in '01, but they built a new chemistry building right in the middle of the campus? How many old trees came down for that? Instead of a new chemistry building, how is the Education building (Sangren Hall) doing, since it hadn't been touched since 1964 when it was built as of 2001. How much manicured lawn was torn up for this new building? I can't tell you how many peaceful naps I took on that rolling expanse of green lawn when I should have been in Econ 201 at Knauss, or how many books I read for class in the same spot with hundreds of other students. :cry:

I'm sure they'll plant trees, and I really should check it out before I make my final judgement, but from what I see in the pictures, it just doesn't really fit...but then again I prefer wide open spaces with green lawns, hills, and trees. The same with that visual arts center...there used to be a large garden of tulips and other flowers there sitting on a nice hill with beautiful trees. Now its just a very cold looking structure next to the parking ramp. I hope they at least cover up the gray walls on that v.a. center.

Some will call this Progress, and perhaps from a financial standpoint it is, but at the same time it is very sad that WMU felt they had no other choice than to put it right in the middle of campus.

You said it better then I could. I thought the greenspace there in the middle of campus was excellent. Especially with all of those old oak trees. Its tough to replicate that within 5-10 years. Anyway, the building looks horrid, and there are other areas on campus that would be better suited for it. Probably, not cost effective in the short term, but long term, would add more to the overall campus.

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GR8scott Burg

GR8scott

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Besides the Valleys are is there any greenspace left? Has there been any redevelopment at east campus at all? Those buildings are beautiful with a great view.

theres still patches of green here and there, after the construction is done and the grass grows back there will be more. Theres plenty of green space at the parkview campus :D

And no there is nothing new on OLD east campus, I don't know if you are familiar with the new health college though.

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Kayak1 Whistle-Stop

Kayak1

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theres still patches of green here and there, after the construction is done and the grass grows back there will be more. Theres plenty of green space at the parkview campus :D

And no there is nothing new on OLD east campus, I don't know if you are familiar with the new health college though.

Yeah, I bid on it but Granger got it. Again, it took a nice big chunk of green space.

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