The perverse incentives of academia
6 years ago
April 22, 2009
It's gone!
The building I spent half of my life in as an undergrad has been demolished. Mostly wooden and some 90 years old, it was definitely on its last leg even when I was there, but it had that old-timey charm and character. And now it is a parking lot. It is sure going to be weird to visit my old campus with it being gone...
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isn't that a funny feeling? my old undergrad campus had a huge renovation over the past several years and now has dorms plural (!!!), a huge new gym and library and the science building has actual enclosed hallways instead of them being open to the elements. the place is so different now.
my word verification was addelio, reminds me of adios!!
How in the world did your UG institution get permission to destroy an older building? We can't even tear down 50 year old buildings that are ugly. Let alone 90 year old buildings that are pretty!
Ok, it just occurred to me that you may not have gone to UG in the US. So, disregard my previous comment. :-)
my dorm from the first two years is gone too!!! it definitely will be weird when i next go back to have it just be....gone...
My postdoc lab got demolished about a year ago... I came to watch, it is indeed a very strange feeling. I work right next door now in the replacement building so I'm used to seeing the temporary parking lot now (today there were a couple of confused-looking Canada geese in it).
Quiet - it is quite a strange feeling! My current campus is "renovating" some things as well, including the art gallery I got married in, and it is very very sad.
Amanda - I said it "had character," not that it was pretty :) I think it had structural problems, so they didn't have a way to save it. Oh, and it was in U.S. alright - old buildings in Ukraine are much more likely to be made of stone and still be standing centuries later.
Phizzle - I hear you! I might get to visit this summer, and it will be very sad without it (and very strange to find the department in a new building - I will have to actually look up where to go!)
Cath - an end of an era, eh? I had the same feeling when I discovered my favorite childhood park in Ukraine was now a subdivision...
Yeah, character does not necessarily mean pretty. Still, a few years ago Public U. spent a ton of money restoring a building on campus because they couldn't just tear it down and start over (which would have been cheaper!). It was built with brick, though. So, that might've made a difference. Do you have any pictures of the old building?
Amanda - I have pictured of friends inside the building, but not of the outside... The old brick buildings on campus sure look more interesting, but I think I will still miss that one, if only because of how much time I spent in it.
I picked my UG institution due to the atmosphere of the department which was tied to the building. I hear it is a business building now...but I haven't been back since I graduated....
Albatross - that would be strange too. Is it odd that we expect things to stay just as they were even though we move on?
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