Goodbye McCormick Hall......New "hotel"/dorm ideas....

[jsglow]

There are plenty of campuses with a plethora of food options. I'm sure the dining hall food is fairly standard compared to other college campuses. I am certain the non-dining hall food options are completely atrocious compared to what you can get on most campuses.

What? Chili, straighten wades out!

[Galway Eagle]

There are plenty of campuses with a plethora of food options. I'm sure the dining hall food is fairly standard compared to other college campuses. I am certain the non-dining hall food options are completely atrocious compared to what you can get on most campuses.

If you're only referring to the campus itself I'd agree but isn't one of the best parts of being a city campus that you can go 10min into town and get great food?

Also Marquette Gyros RIP

[wadesworld]

If you're only referring to the campus itself I'd agree but isn't one of the best parts of being a city campus that you can go 10min into town and get great food?

Also Marquette Gyros RIP

Yeah I just mean easy access to at least decent food.  Heck you couldn't even walk to a grocery store anywhere other than Kampus Foods until the last 2 or 3 years.

When I was a junior and senior you could wake up at 10:30 on a Saturday, shower, and your options within walking distance were Broken Yolk (ate it so much I got tired of it by senior year), Qdoba (ate it so much I got tired of it by junior year), Cousin's, Jimmy John's, Subway, Real Chilli, Dog Hause, Marquette Gyros, and Papa John's.  So 3 low quality sub shops, 3 drunk food options, a $20 pizza the quality of a frozen pizza, and 2 quality options.

Compare that to a school like UWM where you have Noodles, Five Guys (though I think that's now been replaced by Qdoba?) Halal Guys, and Jimmy John's (at least), plus a Coldstone Creamery...all on a single block.

[real chili 83]

Yeah I just mean easy access to at least decent food.  Heck you couldn't even walk to a grocery store anywhere other than Kampus Foods until the last 2 or 3 years.

When I was a junior and senior you could wake up at 10:30 on a Saturday, shower, and your options within walking distance were Broken Yolk (ate it so much I got tired of it by senior year), Qdoba (ate it so much I got tired of it by junior year), Cousin's, Jimmy John's, Subway, Real Chilli, Dog Hause, Marquette Gyros, and Papa John's.  So 3 sub shops, 3 drunk food options, a $20 pizza the quality of a frozen pizza, and 2 quality options.

Compare that to a school like UWM where you have Noodles, Five Guys (though I think that's now been replaced by Qdoba?) Halal Guys, and Jimmy John's (at least), plus a Coldstone Creamery...all on a single block.

Ahem.

[dgies9156]

Brother and Sister Scoopers, I've been reading the last page and a half of this thread and I have to say, this is a dismal take on college selection.

I'm not arguing whether McCormick needed to come down or not. Probably did but it seems like a waste that it was not refurbished. I'm sure some beancounter can justify the knock-down and replacement but geez, it sure seems wasteful.

(Incidentally, Vanderbilt is doing the same thing. Carmichael Towers, which bordered West End Avenue in Nashville and are high-rises built about the same time as McCormick, are being knocked down as well, replaced by smaller more intimate dorms)

What I'm concerned about is priorities in decision making for sending young folks colleges. I always thought it was about education. About finding the right fit for what a student wants to study. About finding an educational environment that works.

We looked at Iowa and Iowa State for my daughter a few years back. The absurdity of things like hot tubs the size of my house. TVs in the rec center that cover a huge wall. I once confronted Father Pilarz at an MU function in Chicago about tuition and he explained to me that tuition was high because students demanded better recreation, nicer dorms etc. The kids get hung up on the wrong things -- the things of the moment rather than education for life.

Not a word about education from Father Pilarz!

[Galway Eagle]

Yeah I just mean easy access to at least decent food.  Heck you couldn't even walk to a grocery store anywhere other than Kampus Foods until the last 2 or 3 years.

When I was a junior and senior you could wake up at 10:30 on a Saturday, shower, and your options within walking distance were Broken Yolk (ate it so much I got tired of it by senior year), Qdoba (ate it so much I got tired of it by junior year), Cousin's, Jimmy John's, Subway, Real Chilli, Dog Hause, Marquette Gyros, and Papa John's.  So 3 low quality sub shops, 3 drunk food options, a $20 pizza the quality of a frozen pizza, and 2 quality options.

Compare that to a school like UWM where you have Noodles, Five Guys (though I think that's now been replaced by Qdoba?) Halal Guys, and Jimmy John's (at least), plus a Coldstone Creamery...all on a single block.

From what I remember you were a year or two ahead of me so we also had Ms Katie's, Open Pantry Burritos, Taco Bell, McDonald's, and that place next to Taco Bell. Not saying it was a great selection, just that there was more than people give it credit for. Heck a person in straz would've had Quiznos, and Dunkin Donuts as well.

That said the grocery thing was always a pain in the A$$ either bus to MSOE, take the limo to valley fields then walk to the Pick N Save on National or survive off the dollar store/Open Pantry/Kamus Foods crap.

[Galway Eagle]

Brother and Sister Scoopers, I've been reading the last page and a half of this thread and I have to say, this is a dismal take on college selection.

I'm not arguing whether McCormick needed to come down or not. Probably did but it seems like a waste that it was not refurbished. I'm sure some beancounter can justify the knock-down and replacement but geez, it sure seems wasteful.

(Incidentally, Vanderbilt is doing the same thing. Carmichael Towers, which bordered West End Avenue in Nashville and are high-rises built about the same time as McCormick, are being knocked down as well, replaced by smaller more intimate dorms)

What I'm concerned about is priorities in decision making for sending young folks colleges. I always thought it was about education. About finding the right fit for what a student wants to study. About finding an educational environment that works.

We looked at Iowa and Iowa State for my daughter a few years back. The absurdity of things like hot tubs the size of my house. TVs in the rec center that cover a huge wall. I once confronted Father Pilarz at an MU function in Chicago about tuition and he explained to me that tuition was high because students demanded better recreation, nicer dorms etc. The kids get hung up on the wrong things -- the things of the moment rather than education for life.

Not a word about education from Father Pilarz!

This. I get food being a real draw back as that's something that's important. But like the "Mancave" in OD, I was maybe in that twice and yet they had that as a huge selling point to incoming students

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

There are universities with fantastic food. Google Virginia Tech's dining some time,  it will make you drool. MU was a far cry from that when I was there. Though I've heard it's gotten better.

I was fine with the off campus options. Got a lot of walking in my four years. Certainly not as good as other universities but a lot better than many. I worked at grand valley state for two years. There literally was three restaurants in town besides fast food and they were 15-30 minute walks from the dorms.

The real challenge was grocery shopping. How's the new sendicks working out?

[StillAWarrior]

There are universities with fantastic food. Google Virginia Tech's dining some time,  it will make you drool. MU was a far cry from that when I was there. Though I've heard it's gotten better.

I was fine with the off campus options. Got a lot of walking in my four years. Certainly not as good as other universities but a lot better than many. I worked at grand valley state for two years. There literally was three restaurants in town besides fast food and they were 15-30 minute walks from the dorms.

The real challenge was grocery shopping. How's the new sendicks working out?

The on-campus options (i.e., cafeteria and other meal plan) at my kids' schools has varied.  Georgetown is really not very good. Not a lot of options, and what there is isn't that great.  Call it a D+ or C-.  Purdue is very good (occasionally showing up in the "top college food" lists).  Lots of options (although I think my daughter eats sushi about 10 meals per week).  I'll give it an A.  Elon was kind of middle of the road -- a B or B-.

Off campus is a different story.  There are a huge number of options within walking distance of Georgetown (M Street and Wisconsin Ave.), but everything is just obscenely expensive.  Elon had virtually nothing nearby within walking distance.  Purdue has a lot of solid options pretty close by.

[StillAWarrior]

Brother and Sister Scoopers, I've been reading the last page and a half of this thread and I have to say, this is a dismal take on college selection.

I'm not arguing whether McCormick needed to come down or not. Probably did but it seems like a waste that it was not refurbished. I'm sure some beancounter can justify the knock-down and replacement but geez, it sure seems wasteful.

(Incidentally, Vanderbilt is doing the same thing. Carmichael Towers, which bordered West End Avenue in Nashville and are high-rises built about the same time as McCormick, are being knocked down as well, replaced by smaller more intimate dorms)

What I'm concerned about is priorities in decision making for sending young folks colleges. I always thought it was about education. About finding the right fit for what a student wants to study. About finding an educational environment that works.

We looked at Iowa and Iowa State for my daughter a few years back. The absurdity of things like hot tubs the size of my house. TVs in the rec center that cover a huge wall. I once confronted Father Pilarz at an MU function in Chicago about tuition and he explained to me that tuition was high because students demanded better recreation, nicer dorms etc. The kids get hung up on the wrong things -- the things of the moment rather than education for life.

Not a word about education from Father Pilarz!

None of my kids picked their schools for dorms or food.  Academic was the primary factor for all of them (with athletics being an important secondary factor for one).  Financial aid was also very important in their decision-making.

One of the funny things with my son was that when we began taking college tours, one of his key criteria was the rec center.  When it was all said and done, the school he selected had absolutely the worst rec center of any school we visited.  It actually gave me some comfort in the end that he was picking for the "right" reasons.

[Warrior Code]

Yeah I just mean easy access to at least decent food.  Heck you couldn't even walk to a grocery store anywhere other than Kampus Foods until the last 2 or 3 years.

When I was a junior and senior you could wake up at 10:30 on a Saturday, shower, and your options within walking distance were Broken Yolk (ate it so much I got tired of it by senior year), Qdoba (ate it so much I got tired of it by junior year), Cousin's, Jimmy John's, Subway, Real Chilli, Dog Hause, Marquette Gyros, and Papa John's.  So 3 low quality sub shops, 3 drunk food options, a $20 pizza the quality of a frozen pizza, and 2 quality options.

Compare that to a school like UWM where you have Noodles, Five Guys (though I think that's now been replaced by Qdoba?) Halal Guys, and Jimmy John's (at least), plus a Coldstone Creamery...all on a single block.

Do you actually believe Noodles and Five Guys is that superior to Qdoba and the sub shops? Or were you just tired of Qdoba and the sub shops?

[RJax55]

Brother and Sister Scoopers, I've been reading the last page and a half of this thread and I have to say, this is a dismal take on college selection.

I'm not arguing whether McCormick needed to come down or not. Probably did but it seems like a waste that it was not refurbished. I'm sure some beancounter can justify the knock-down and replacement but geez, it sure seems wasteful.

(Incidentally, Vanderbilt is doing the same thing. Carmichael Towers, which bordered West End Avenue in Nashville and are high-rises built about the same time as McCormick, are being knocked down as well, replaced by smaller more intimate dorms)

What I'm concerned about is priorities in decision making for sending young folks colleges. I always thought it was about education. About finding the right fit for what a student wants to study. About finding an educational environment that works.

We looked at Iowa and Iowa State for my daughter a few years back. The absurdity of things like hot tubs the size of my house. TVs in the rec center that cover a huge wall. I once confronted Father Pilarz at an MU function in Chicago about tuition and he explained to me that tuition was high because students demanded better recreation, nicer dorms etc. The kids get hung up on the wrong things -- the things of the moment rather than education for life.

Not a word about education from Father Pilarz!

That's unbelievably poor answer to your question from Pilarz, but then again, his tenure at MU was short for a reason.

Look, I get what you're saying here, but you need to be realistic that students seriously looking at MU are going to have other options that likely will meet their educational priorities as well. There are many excellent schools out there. So, if the educational fit is similar, I get and understand that perspective students would look at these other factors in making a college choice.

[wadesworld]

Do you actually believe Noodles and Five Guys is that superior to Qdoba and the sub shops? Or were you just tired of Qdoba and the sub shops?

I don't overly enjoy sub shops as a whole and I did get tired of Qdoba.  There's something to be said about variety.  There is none of it in Marquette's food options.  I think Noodles is, generously, very average.  But at least it's a different option.  Five Guys...eh, especially for the price.  But at least there would be a burger option right on campus (I know there is now, but Marquette Gyros was your only option when I was there).

[ZiggysFryBoy]

The new dorm is definitely in the plus column. It would be interesting to know how many kids changed their mind about attending Marquette after the housing assignments came out and they didn't get in.

Glow and I went to a recruiting event in a suburb of Chicago and one Mom asked which part of the Commons had the view of Lake Michigan so that she could ask for it on the housing application.

It was truly a remarkable act of self-control for me to keep a straight face on that one.

Guessing that mom sent her kid to ND.

[🏀]

It was a sad, sad day when Ziggy's closed up. Left a giant crater in dining options.

Hegarty's had above average bar food as well. I ate there a lot.

[warriorchick]

Yeah I just mean easy access to at least decent food.  Heck you couldn't even walk to a grocery store anywhere other than Kampus Foods until the last 2 or 3 years.

When I was a junior and senior you could wake up at 10:30 on a Saturday, shower, and your options within walking distance were Broken Yolk (ate it so much I got tired of it by senior year), Qdoba (ate it so much I got tired of it by junior year), Cousin's, Jimmy John's, Subway, Real Chilli, Dog Hause, Marquette Gyros, and Papa John's.  So 3 low quality sub shops, 3 drunk food options, a $20 pizza the quality of a frozen pizza, and 2 quality options.

Compare that to a school like UWM where you have Noodles, Five Guys (though I think that's now been replaced by Qdoba?) Halal Guys, and Jimmy John's (at least), plus a Coldstone Creamery...all on a single block.

Well there is a noodle place called Tangled now, so now you are down to UWM has an overpriced ice cream shop and a middle-eastern place that Marquette doesn't. Big Whoop.  And UWM doesn't have a Sobelman's.

Also, college students as a rule don't have a lot of money for "quality food options".  My guess is most of them are fine with the choices they have.

Also, UWM has 3 times the students that Marquette has, and it is in a high density middle-class neighborhood. The Marquette neighborhood has the quality and number of food options that it can economically support.

[Galway Eagle]

Well there is a noodle place called Tangled now, so now you are down to UWM has an overpriced ice cream shop and a middle-eastern place that Marquette doesn't. Big Whoop.  And UWM doesn't have a Sobelman's.

Also, college students as a rule don't have a lot of money for "quality food options".  My guess is most of them are fine with the choices they have.

Also, UWM has 3 times the students that Marquette has, and it is in a high density middle-class neighborhood. The Marquette neighborhood has the quality and number of food options that it can economically support.

Screw solblemans bring back Angelos!

[StillAWarrior]

Well there is a noodle place called Tangled now, so now you are down to UWM has an overpriced ice cream shop and a middle-eastern place that Marquette doesn't. Big Whoop.  And UWM doesn't have a Sobelman's.

Also, college students as a rule don't have a lot of money for "quality food options".  My guess is most of them are fine with the choices they have.

Also, UWM has 3 times the students that Marquette has, and it is in a high density middle-class neighborhood. The Marquette neighborhood has the quality and number of food options that it can economically support.

Saying that "the Marquette neighborhood has the quality and number of food options that it can economically support" is just another way of saying that it doesn't have the quality and number of food options as some other schools.  On the flip side, saying that "UWM has 3 times the students that Marquette has, and...is in a high density middle-class neighborhood" is just an explanation of why UWM has more food options.  This isn't a judgment of Marquette that needs defending.  There's no shame if Marquette has fewer food options that other schools.  Your post above is a very clear and reasonable explanation of why Marquette has fewer options, so I'm not sure why you seem to be disputing wadesworld's statement that MU does have fewer options.

For the record, I have no idea what "other" food options there are at either MU or UWM these days.  I just thought it strange that you seemed to be disputing what wades was saying, but simultaneously explaining why he's right.

[Its DJOver]

Well there is a noodle place called Tangled now, so now you are down to UWM has an overpriced ice cream shop and a middle-eastern place that Marquette doesn't. Big Whoop.  And UWM doesn't have a Sobelman's.

Also, college students as a rule don't have a lot of money for "quality food options".  My guess is most of them are fine with the choices they have.

Also, UWM has 3 times the students that Marquette has, and it is in a high density middle-class neighborhood. The Marquette neighborhood has the quality and number of food options that it can economically support.

For the record Cold Stone closed and a wing place is there now.  Also has a couple of pizza places that lack in quality but make up for it in price in that 2 block stretch, but Oakland Gyros is, and will always be the best thing on that "strip".  All that said, Sobelman's is the best "college" restaurant in the city.

[wadesworld]

Well there is a noodle place called Tangled now, so now you are down to UWM has an overpriced ice cream shop and a middle-eastern place that Marquette doesn't. Big Whoop.  And UWM doesn't have a Sobelman's.

Also, college students as a rule don't have a lot of money for "quality food options".  My guess is most of them are fine with the choices they have.

Also, UWM has 3 times the students that Marquette has, and it is in a high density middle-class neighborhood. The Marquette neighborhood has the quality and number of food options that it can economically support.

I think you missed the end of the sentence.  They have those options...on a single block.  Not a strip of a main street.  That's just one, single block of UWM's campus.  Not the entire extent of all the food options UWM has to offer.  Literally a single block.  Like if they were lined up on the north side of Wisconsin Ave. from 16th to 17th St.

And what I read from the rest of your post is that yes, UWM's food options kick Marquette's to the curb.  "Quality food options" don't have to be super expensive.  You can spend $8.00 on some nasty hot dogs or $8.00 for a giant platter of pretty good halal food.  That's not going to kill a Marquette kid's pocket.  They're able to spend $40,000.00 to go to Marquette each year, I think they can spend a couple extra bucks for a Qdoba meal instead of a Taco Bell meal.

[warriorchick]

Screw solblemans bring back Angelos!

As a newer alum, I am surprised you would care that Angelo's is no longer there given that you are now of legal drinking age.   

[shoothoops]

Brother and Sister Scoopers, I've been reading the last page and a half of this thread and I have to say, this is a dismal take on college selection.

I'm not arguing whether McCormick needed to come down or not. Probably did but it seems like a waste that it was not refurbished. I'm sure some beancounter can justify the knock-down and replacement but geez, it sure seems wasteful.

(Incidentally, Vanderbilt is doing the same thing. Carmichael Towers, which bordered West End Avenue in Nashville and are high-rises built about the same time as McCormick, are being knocked down as well, replaced by smaller more intimate dorms)

What I'm concerned about is priorities in decision making for sending young folks colleges. I always thought it was about education. About finding the right fit for what a student wants to study. About finding an educational environment that works.

We looked at Iowa and Iowa State for my daughter a few years back. The absurdity of things like hot tubs the size of my house. TVs in the rec center that cover a huge wall. I once confronted Father Pilarz at an MU function in Chicago about tuition and he explained to me that tuition was high because students demanded better recreation, nicer dorms etc. The kids get hung up on the wrong things -- the things of the moment rather than education for life.

Not a word about education from Father Pilarz!

Vandy and MU are apples to oranges. Vandy has made the move away from traditional housing to Residential Colleges. Carmichael Towers served their functional purposes since 1967/70  but the time came to replace. While functional, they were aesthetically displeasing as well.

Vandy now has Ingram Commons for all Freshman, which consists of about a dozen buildings. Other than maybe the South 40 at Wash U. there aren't many as nice. Since building the commons, Vandy has also added Bronson Ingram Moore College, Moore College, Warren College for upper classmen. (They still have several, about a dozen, other housing facilities.) The Towers and West End Ave will gain 3 additional new residential colleges and a gothic tower. All of which will be in place in a few years for their 150th anniversary. This project is $600 million plus on top of the past mentioned projects. Some of the completed dorms are as nice as I have seen anywhere.
Few American schools other than Harvard, Yale, etc..do residential colleges.  Vandy and Wash U frequently get high on lists for food, dorms, campus etc....with good reason.

McCormick was well past its expiration date. It was more
cost effective to move on. Hopefully the prime location will be put to good long term use by MU.

[Galway Eagle]

As a newer alum, I am surprised you would care that Angelo's is no longer there given that you are now of legal drinking age.   

I have my memories or lack there of from my first year and a half 😂

[🏀]

I think you missed the end of the sentence.  They have those options...on a single block.  Not a strip of a main street.  That's just one, single block of UWM's campus.  Not the entire extent of all the food options UWM has to offer.  Literally a single block.  Like if they were lined up on the north side of Wisconsin Ave. from 16th to 17th St.

And what I read from the rest of your post is that yes, UWM's food options kick Marquette's to the curb.  "Quality food options" don't have to be super expensive.  You can spend $8.00 on some nasty hot dogs or $8.00 for a giant platter of pretty good halal food.  That's not going to kill a Marquette kid's pocket.  They're able to spend $40,000.00 to go to Marquette each year, I think they can spend a couple extra bucks for a Qdoba meal instead of a Taco Bell meal.

Unrelated, but have you seen Taco Bell's prices lately? You can get a burrito and a water for the same price as their value meals.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

It was a sad, sad day when Ziggy's closed up. Left a giant crater in dining options.

Hegarty's had above average bar food as well. I ate there a lot.

Heg's had great food, for a dive bar.

Thanks for your sympathy.