OPINION
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the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble , and to petition the government for a redress of grievance WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 PAGE 5A
The new Oread Inn's development undesirable
DRAWING BOARD
Proposed hotel will detract from the campus' atmosphere
PATRICK DE OLIVEIRA
The city of Lawrence and the University of Kansas are at risk of losing an important part of the community.
Support for the construction of a hotel on Mount Oread, in the intersection where the The Crossing is located, is growing. The Oread Inn, as it is tentatively called, would be seven storeys high and would severely alter the dynamics of that area.
In her masterpiece, "The Death and Life of Great American Cities", the late urbanist Jane Jacobs illustrates the importance of diversity in neighborhoods and of natural expressions of urban life. Although Jacobs' book is for the most part directed at big cities, I think several of its arguments can be applied to smaller ones.
The Historical Resources Commission voted unanimously against the proposal. However, Monday the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission showed support for it and will issue a formal recommendation Oct.22.
If we analyze what the current intersection contributes to the community, and what the changes that the potential hotel will bring, it should be clear that the redevelopment is a mistake.
First, it will take away the life from that area. The deck in The Crossing means that as long as the bar is busy there will be eyes and movement on the sidewalks. Before Yello Sub closed its doors, the movement was even greater. As Jacobs argues in her book, this is crucial for a healthy city life. It provides the dynamics that makes city life—and our campus life—so exciting, and also provides security. As long as these dynamics are present on sidewalks it is safer for people to walk places.
It is almost certain that if a hotel is built there the movement will decrease. What will be the incentive for students to hang
out in that area? The plans mention a parking garage being built. This just means that there will be less pedestrian traffic and more car movement, resulting on potential traffic jams and risks for pedestrians.
The area is also a centerpiece of Lawrence's history and personality. KU alumni
remember the spot with nostalgia and visitors comment on how unique it is to have a bar that is pretty much on campus. The buildings in that area are crucial for the visual diversity that makes our campus so beautiful. The contrast between the big University buildings and the bar that looks like a wooden shack makes walking around and observing the environment much more interesting—take the boredom in the repetitive patterns in suburbs as an example. To build an imposing, large and impersonal structure so close to campus will destroy that diversity. Not to mention that it will shadow our campus buildings and make them less interesting, and alter the signature skyline.
The hotel will not add anything to the community if it is constructed in that area. Perhaps it will somewhat benefit the economy, but at what cost? It is mostly students who live in that area, so how will the hotel improve students' daily lives? Will it give students a place to hang out on a hot Friday afternoon? Will it give undergrads and upperclassmen a place to socialize at the beginning of the semester? There is a delicate balance in college years between academic and social life, and that area helps maintain it.
The uniqueness of having a bar—and until recently an excellent sandwich shop—at the edge of campus should be something that the Lawrence community takes pride in and fights to preserve. I am sure plenty of alumni currently living in Lawrence spent at least a few of their Friday afternoons as undergrads having a beer and meeting people at that area. To deprive current and future students of that opportunity and to take away part of Lawrence's soul would really be a shame.
De Oliveira is a Belo Horizonte, Brazil junior in journalism, history and peace and conflict studies.
TUESDAY MORNING
MAX RINKEI
Instead of flipping on the TV, enjoy a good book
Reading is a crucial aspect of education, not to mention a great pasttime
S sometimes, after too many hours of studying. all I want is to cure my
un I want is to care my pounding head with some sort of mindless dribble; luckily for me, the TV or computer is only a click away. We can entertain ourselves so easily today. Yet in those off hours when our heads aren't pounding from ridiculous amounts of studying and we can entertain ourselves in more useful ways, we still choose the mind-numbing activities. So I ask, what happened to the good old-fashioned book?
Recently, I went to see the movie "Becoming Jane", which is a fictional biography of the 18th Century novelist, Jane Austen. Yes, it was a chick flick, so there was a lack of men, but more noticeable was the lack of young people. My friends and I were the only ones there under the age of 40. In fact, I've never seen so much grey hair in
one place before (other than Hometown Buffet on senior discount night, that is). I think this incident shows that either old folks have a serious fetish for Jane Austen, or more truthfully, that young people just don't read anymore.
As college students, even with reading constantly forced upon us, most of us read only what is required, or not at all. I honestly cannot understand how anyone can get through a class without reading the text, but I know it's
common to do so. There's not a large enough number to count how many times I have heard my friends and other students complain about having to read for a class. We're in college, and if you haven't noticed, reading is how you learn. It makes you intelligent. Why pay $800 for books if you're not going to read them?
If reading for class is a rarity, then reading for pleasure is practically nonexistent. It seems as if we try to find every possible way to get out of reading "the hard way." Like Cliff's Notes and audio books. Audio books are not reading. Audio books are an excuse for those who don't want to put forth the mental effort to concentrate on one activity for 20 minutes.
Then, there's the ever-present "I just don't like to read." Okay, I can understand some
people not liking to read. I don't like to dissect things. But, if we have an entire generation saying they don't like to read, there is a problem. And that problem is that we prefer to glaze over in front of a TV rather than put forth the effort to read a book.
According to an Associated Press/Ipsos poll, conducted in August 2007, 25 percent of Americans adults haven't read one book in the past year. Reading anything is good, so long as you're reading, be it magazines, newspapers, the back of the cereal box or whatever. But don't forget the merits of the good ol' book. Personally, I recommend Ms. Austen.
Hudson is a Wichita sophomore in journalism and business.
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Isn't it funny that George Bush is following his policy of No Child Left Behind, yet he is willing to leave behind four million children in health care?
I'm pretty sure that my bio TA is way hotter than your math TA. He's probably smarter, too.
How did I not pre-order Halo 3?
Woe is me.
To the two girls in tutus walking down Tennessee: You look hot and sassy. Hot and sassy.
Sigma who? Sigma Nu.
I hate the Pizza Street commercial, because the song always gets stuck in my head.
I got us a pizza and cheesy bread to share, so give me a call back so we can watch Monday Night Football.
Will you ask central housing if I can have a job as a deskie? By the way, this is Chris.
My roommate has a poopy butt.
I ordered chicken tenders,not chicken farts.
To the guy who almost flattened me inside of the Union the other day: you are a freaking idiot.
Just because we hide in your room doesn't mean we have to tell you exactly why we are hiding in your room.
It's starting to get cold outside. I want some nice days between my hot days and cold days.
friend that he's not any good in bed?
Free for All, how do I tell;my boy-
I suck at Facebook tetris.
Life without physics lab this week is so good!
Why can't we extend the free wireless to the dorms? If ResNet worked, I wouldn't care, but I hate paying 95 bucks for nothing.
How funny is it that I laugh every time I hear the word “trilobite” Haha!
Can someone make the Pizza Street Commercial stop! That jingle is slowly killing me, aarrggghh!
I drank to drown my pain, but the damned pain learned how to swim, and now I am overwhelmed by this decent and good behavior.
I think Kansas is the only school I know of that charges you to ride the bus and to have Internet. Lame
People on bikes need to either realize that rules apply to them too or get run over. There, I said it.
The 3rd floor bathroom smells like fried penis.
Coke! Coke! Coke!
TALK TO US
My foot fell asleep, dammit.
Erick R. Schmidt, editor
864-4810 or eschmidt@kansan.com
Eric Jorgensen, managing editor 864-4810 or ejorgensen@kansan.com
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Erick R. Schmidt, Eric Jorgensen,
Darla Slipe, Kelsey Hayes, Bryan
Dykman, Brandon T. Minister, Angelique
McNaughton and Benjamin R. Smith
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