Marquette University to build $96 million dormitory, demolish McCormick

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I was an RA in OD back in the day. I've met my fair share of high and might d-bag RAs. But to be honest, I've met my fair share of high and mighty d-bag non-RAs. Pretty much encountered them at the same rate among the two sides. If anything, my time as an RA mellowed me out. I like to think I wasn't one of the d-bags. Hey Bagpiping Boxer, how'd I do?

[keefe]

I am guessing Room 1012 in McCormick is actually slightly bigger than I picture in my mind now.  I swear it seemed like you could touch both walls standing in the middle of the room.

The from footprints on the two walls I would say the middle of the room was exactly the width of a pair of spread female appendages.

[SaveOD238]

I was an RA in OD back in the day. I've met my fair share of high and might d-bag RAs. But to be honest, I've met my fair share of high and mighty d-bag non-RAs. Pretty much encountered them at the same rate among the two sides. If anything, my time as an RA mellowed me out. I like to think I wasn't one of the d-bags. Hey Bagpiping Boxer, how'd I do?

I worked with TAMU those two years.  Hoping I'm one of the non-d-bags.

But you know who is d-bags?  People who destroy property, flood hallways, draw penises all over everything.  If you did that, it's no wonder your RAs hated you and it's no wonder the HD tried to make your college experience miserable.  Make a little noise, have a few small parties, be a reasonable human being, and no one bats an eye.

[jsglow]

I worked with TAMU those two years.  Hoping I'm one of the non-d-bags.

But you know who is d-bags?  People who destroy property, flood hallways, draw penises all over everything.  If you did that, it's no wonder your RAs hated you and it's no wonder the HD tried to make your college experience miserable.  Make a little noise, have a few small parties, be a reasonable human being, and no one bats an eye.

+1

[🏀]

If you're hoping you weren't a douche, you likely were.

And yes, people that create destruction are bad.

[SaveOD238]

If you're hoping you weren't a douche, you likely were.

First year, probably.  Second year, as TAMU said, mellowed me out

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

If MU wants to hold a raffle with the winner getting to detonate this piece of crap, I would pay big bucks for tickets.

FYI - Freshman year sixth floor, 1981 McCormick Alumni

Now you're talking Heisy! 

Like selling bricks from the 'Lanche.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I remember one night a wing mate was so drunk and still some how made it back to McCormick and into the elevator.  On the way up, he passed out leaning against the doors so when they opened on 9, he just fell out.
Instead of helping him, someone instead pulled out masking tape and marked the floor in front of the elevator like it was a crime scene.  He laid there until an RA came by and grabbed some to help drag him to his room. 
The tape line remained for the rest of the weekend.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Chico may remember them.  We had these guys everyone called the "Lushbusters".  When someone passed out horribly drunk they pulled out magic markers and would draw on them. 
Someone did eventually catch up to them......

[tower912]

84-85, 727.   Fairly generic drunken stupidity.

[GGGG]

I heard it can't be "renovated and modernized" because of the extensive water damage that took place on the third floor in 1986 or 1987....

Also at some point, building new is cheaper than remodeling old.  We have some residence halls on our campus that were built in the late 60s, and we have found that tearing down and rebuilding is about the same as remodeling them the way we want them remodeled. 

[jsglow]

Also at some point, building new is cheaper than remodeling old.  We have some residence halls on our campus that were built in the late 60s, and we have found that tearing down and rebuilding is about the same as remodeling them the way we want them remodeled.

Sultan, you missed chick's joke.  SOMEBODY has to chuckle at her joke.  Goodness knows old sourpuss me ain't doing it.

[KampusFoods]

I call first dibs on the ice cream machine!

Gotta think Wojo already has a bid in on that, given the stuff's success on the recruitin' trail.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I remember one night a wing mate was so drunk and still some how made it back to McCormick and into the elevator.  On the way up, he passed out leaning against the doors so when they opened on 9, he just fell out.
Instead of helping him, someone instead pulled out masking tape and marked the floor in front of the elevator like it was a crime scene.  He laid there until an RA came by and grabbed some to help drag him to his room. 
The tape line remained for the rest of the weekend.

What year?  This sounds familiar.....

[Da 'Lanche]

84-85, 727.   Fairly generic drunken stupidity.

84-85, 403....can still smell the morning vomit in the stairwells...

Revisited  a few years ago when my daughter was looking at MU....compared to other universities McCormick as a dorm is atrocious..most non-MU alum parents in our touring group looked around like...wtf is this place?!

[warriorchick]

Also at some point, building new is cheaper than remodeling old.  We have some residence halls on our campus that were built in the late 60s, and we have found that tearing down and rebuilding is about the same as remodeling them the way we want them remodeled.

Yeah, I was joking, but seriously, McCormick is probably the most cheaply-built building on campus.  Schroeder is made out of brick and granite.  McCormick looks like it was made out of flattened 12-pack cartons.  It's one of those buildings that looks kinda cool when it was first built, but quickly turns into a piece of crap - like the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago.

[Coleman]

I worked with TAMU those two years.  Hoping I'm one of the non-d-bags.

But you know who is d-bags?  People who destroy property, flood hallways, draw penises all over everything.  If you did that, it's no wonder your RAs hated you and it's no wonder the HD tried to make your college experience miserable.  Make a little noise, have a few small parties, be a reasonable human being, and no one bats an eye.

Seriously though, I never destroyed property, generally was respectful of other folks, just good old-fashioned harmless college shenanigans that the hall staff was bent on interrupting.

Examples:

-Random room raids the minute after girls are no longer allowed on your floor (1 am)

-Seeing you with a red cup in the hallway and then searching your room for alcohol and forcing you to dump out 2 perfectly good handles of $10 whiskey, even though said red cup was filled with water.

-Demanding that you attend the official sober events like Bingo at the Annex

-Acting like you have some sort of real authority instead of seeing yourself as a resource for residents

Not all RAs were like this, but there seemed to be a string of them during my years at MU (2004-2008). I'm sure it was because the Hall Directors were generally the least fun human beings ever born, and they made the hiring decisions.

[StillAWarrior]

Also at some point, building new is cheaper than remodeling old.  We have some residence halls on our campus that were built in the late 60s, and we have found that tearing down and rebuilding is about the same as remodeling them the way we want them remodeled.

831 '87-'88

This is very true.  And given some of the unique challenges presented by that building, I honestly think the best case scenario for a remodel would be an "ok" dorm.  Tear it down.  Build a couple nice new dorms.  Use the prime real estate wisely.

[bork]

Use the prime real estate wisely.

Yeah, I am curious what the plan is.  Between the old Jes Res and McCormick, that's a lot of open land around the AMU.

[Coleman]

Yeah, I am curious what the plan is.  Between the old Jes Res and McCormick, that's a lot of open land around the AMU.

Honestly, I hope they keep most of that space green. It would go a long way in making MU feel more like a traditional college campus. Continue building on the east and west ends of campus to expand the campus footprint and put in as much green space in the middle as possible. That seems to be the direction.

[Herman Cain]

Honestly, I hope they keep most of that space green. It would go a long way in making MU feel more like a traditional college campus. Continue building on the east and west ends of campus to expand the campus footprint and put in as much green space in the middle as possible. That seems to be the direction.

I agree with this analysis.

[GGGG]

Honestly, I hope they keep most of that space green. It would go a long way in making MU feel more like a traditional college campus. Continue building on the east and west ends of campus to expand the campus footprint and put in as much green space in the middle as possible. That seems to be the direction.

Maybe they can close Wisconsin Avenue!  Wouldn't that be a great idea?  I bet that would go over well!!!

[mu03eng]

720. 2004-2005

Our RA was awesome, super laid back...let us have the run of the place. Of course the stuck up hall director fired him by Christmas break. That woman was bent on ruining the college experience, and in return we generally made her life miserable. Who chooses to live in a college dorm once you are no longer in college?  Besides our floor's RA, your observation is spot on.

Too many good times in McCormick to list. And honestly most of them are just better left unsaid. I really will miss it. 16th and Wisconsin will never be the same.

509, 99-00

We had an awesome RA freshmen year(sophomore year in East was like night and day....though I think we drove that guy to quit), he'd let us get away with just about anything that couldn't be immediately detected from another floor.

I remember one time a guy was making a beer run into the hood where his ID worked better and he went around taking orders. RA ordered 2 6packs, all told I think the guy had orders for like 4 cases to bring back. I don't remember the whole story as to why he was only able to get 2 cases bought and back to the dorm....but that led to some squabble over how we were going to split everything up. RA walked into the common room, grabbed his 2 6 packs and when we protested said "power has it's privileges and you guys will get me in trouble one of these days so I'm getting while the getting is good." then walked out. Loved that guy.

We got a little bit of revenge by stacking our empties in front of his door in the middle of the night so he had a wall to walk into in the morning.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

What year?  This sounds familiar.....

It was either autumn 1987 or spring 1988.  Any date more exact other than my freshman year McCormick is a little fuzzy....

[StillWarriors]

84-85, 403....can still smell the morning vomit in the stairwells...

Revisited  a few years ago when my daughter was looking at MU....compared to other universities McCormick as a dorm is atrocious..most non-MU alum parents in our touring group looked around like...wtf is this place?!

I hear you on this one. I've been looking at schools with my son (including MU), and have been somewhat disappointed at how MU compares in terms of how nice the facilities and campuses are at some of these schools (e.g. SLU, Dayton, Xavier). Dorms, cafeterias and rec centers have been so impressive. As much as I have great memories from McCormick, MU does need to upgrade some of the facilities to stay current and competitive. I know several kids who in the past five years who were deciding between SLU, MU and Dayton, and most chose SLU or Dayton. This stung a bit and I wondered why...having seen some of the campuses, and significantly the aid/scholarships available, I can understand the trend somewhat, though my strong bias is still towards MU.

The green space on campus is a huge selling point. It is water well under the bridge at this point, but it would have been a game changer had the vote gone through as anticipated on closing Wis Ave years ago.