Campus Updates

So if you haven't figured it out by now I am in a sorority. About two weeks ago the chapter was asked to have two members participate in a housing meeting, this wasn't just any housing meeting, no this was a meeting that was going to discuss future plans for a Greek Village on campus. I was unable to attend because I had class at the time, but was very interested.

I havn't found out too much information but I do know that there is talk of tearing down the Lincoln Quads. Now what they will do with that space after they tear them down I am unsure. I have heard that the school may place the village in that area and build another building for independent housing elsewhere. If and when these plans will take effect I am not sure, but I do know that the campus does seem to care about updating it and making it more beneficial for the students. Not only for the independent students but for the Greeks as well. They seem to want to make the Greeks feel welcome on campus, by creating our own housing.


Now I am not saying that with this we are going to be secluded and come across as stuck ups and better then everyone else because we are given our own area. No, I don't want that at all, but if these plans were to pass, it would make joining a sorority or fraternity seem a little more exciting with a slight VIP feel. This would be a great idea to help promote Greek life on campus, which in turn could be another solution in removing the "suitcase campus" title from ISU. I know since I have joined, I have spent more weekends on campus then I used to. I also feel that this could be one way to raise enrollment on campus as well.

Revamp or Not

Back in February a few of the Student Government Association candidates where walking around and presenting their speech to the public. They came to one of my sororities chapters. In their speech they stated that one of the things that SGA was looking at doing was revamping down town Terre Haute for the students. They would like to bring something closer to campus for the students to do over the weekend, this may be a solution to removing the "Suitcase campus" title that ISU has.

This is a great idea, with one major problem. If we were to revamp down town, there is the chance that they may either do what we do best and tear down some buildings, or if not tear down, remove all exterior and interior decorations to bring Terre Haute into the 21st century. Doing this would erase the visual history that we have left.

As much as I would like to have some places to go to and hangout, that could be more student oriented, I don't want to see the history just get wiped away. If they do decided to revamp, I hope they would restore the building inside and out, and then work with the style and decorations that the buildings already have. You can revamp a building and bring it into today's time without wiping away the old times, just restore it and enhance its features.



There is one building that they have restored, not to exactly what it looked like in 1927, but close. It has the look of a new building and a feel of an old. This is what needs to be done with the rest of Down Town, restore the buildings, bring them back to life and you will bring the life back to Down Town Terre Haute.

Cafeteria Entertainment

ISU has installed several flat screen TV's all over campus. A couple in the commons, one in the Lincoln Quads Dinning Hall, I believe there is one in Stalker Hall, and there maybe others. The one that bothers me the most is the one in the Quads Dinning Hall, it has been installed for several weeks now and has never been turned on.

Tonight was a "special" dinner, it was themed Tour of North America, with food from Charleston and Miami. With this theme they also provided some movie entertainment. The Dinning Hall was showing Forest Gump , but not on the flat screen that has been installed, no it was a another TV that they brought in to the dinning hall. I am so glad that the money I put in to improving the school isn't really doing anything, or at least I am not getting anything back in return.

(image coming soon!)

Terre Haute's "Scarecrow"

This past week my sororities officers had a important meeting with one of our Regional Collegiate Specialist, Dani Weatherford. I am the Vice President of Finance so I was at this meeting. Dani went to Depauw, so Indiana isn't new to her, but knowing this didn't keep me from being embarrassed every time the shotgun went off to scare away the crows. I am used to this going off every night, but that night the sound of the shotgun seemed closer and it went off more the usual. I to be honest was waiting for Dani to make a comment, but she never did.

Some of my other sisters, made faces that showed their embarrassment, as well as little comment like, "Oh my", or "that seemed close." But Dani never seemed to catch on, and I can only assume that she already new what the shotgun was for.

After living here for three years now that is just another noise of Terre Haute that I am used to, but if my Grandparents or friends were to come and visit I feel they would think I live in a battle field. With all the sirens going off at all hours of the day and night, and the shotgun going off to scare the crows, I wouldn't blame them for thinking that. I just wish the first impression someone gets from Terre Haute isn't a bad one, but I hate to say that it is. This city used to be one of the must see towns back in the 1920's.

Indiana Weather

I apparently can't get used to Indiana weather. Even after living here for nine year, it still amazes me how it can go from 50 degrees one day to 32 degrees the next. When I woke up this morning I just expected it to be another fairly nice day, before I even stepped out of my room I heard one of my roommates say, "It's snowing?!?" I then immediately knew that my day was going to be a tough one. Now I do love waking up to a fresh, untouched blanket of snow on the ground, as long as I don't have to go outside.

Walking across campus to get to and from classes everyday isn't a big deal, but add snowy and windy weather and it becomes torture. Especially when campus wasn't quite prepared and didn't have salted sidewalks, or streets. Although I do appreciate it when they do salt and shovel the sidewalks would it kill them to shovel them completely? Some people don't understand that a sidewalk isn't just for them, nobody really likes walking in the snow.

In other words, if I could ask the school to do something to make this campus a better place to be, besides providing well kept classrooms with up to date technology for optimal learning, it would have to be clearing the sidewalks completely. So it makes walking to class a little easier, and less stressful in the winter time.

A Building I Love

I feel that I have always had an obsession with older buildings, I love the way they look and how much detail was put into the inside and outside architecture and decor. You don't really see that in buildings that are built today. The detail put into a building really gives it its character, it almost brings the building to life. And I think that an older building that has been well maintained or restored and is still used today, almost allows you to step back in time when you step through the doors.

I have only been to the Indiana Theater once, but the minute I walked through the doors, I felt like I was stepping back in time and almost a little under-dressed for the occasion. I would love to go back soon, and ask to see if I can take some picture of the inside. This place is amazing in my eyes, and I think you will see what I am talking about if you were to go see a movie there. In visiting the building again I plan on learning more about its history. When that happens, I will post another blog and tell you all about it.

The Dirty Haute

I am not going to lie. When I first starting telling people that I was going to school down here in Terre Haute, I wasn't all that proud. It wasn't so much the fact that it was Indiana State University, it was more because of the city itself.

My Junior and Senior year of high school I spent some time looking at where I was going to go to college. ISU was one of my top options because of it's Criminology and Criminal Justice program, but I wasn't so sure about moving to Terre Haute. Some of my friends at school called it the "Dirty Haute", warning me of the smell and the kind of people that live here. After living here for about three years, I haven't really got the "Dirty Haute" vibe.

Now I will say, I don't feel comfortable walking around Terre Haute by myself, but then again who is. I do get a whiff of a sewer smell every once in awhile, but it's bearable. I am very interested in learning more about the history of Terre Haute, and comparing and sharing what it has become today.