5 College Amenities So Insane You'll Want to Go Back to School
Before heading over to EKU's Faculty Massage Parlor for my morning rub down...
Credit: University of Missouri
College
admissions are competitive. Not only are students willing to shiv their
best friend if it helps get them on the wait-list at Duke, but colleges
have entered a no-holds-barred amenities arms race in an insane attempt
to lure the best and brightest to campus.
The unfortunate result:
An onslaught of ridiculous, resort-quality perks that have pampered
high school kids conveniently forgetting that the most popular major at
the college they're about to enroll in is agriculture. Here are five of
the most outlandish.
An on-campus ski resort
Michigan Technological University - Houghton, Michigan
Major in poli sci, minor in shredding the gnar: MTU actually boasts a
real-life ski resort on campus. Sure, it's a Michigan ski resort, but
it's a ski hill nonetheless. Basically free for students, Mont Ripley
(one of the snowiest "mountains" in the country) offers 112 acres of ski
terrain, 24 runs, and two chairlifts.
A personal dairy bar
South Dakota State - Brookings, South Dakota
Run by the college's Dairy Science Department, the dairy bar at SDS goes
through about "18,000 pounds" (or around 2,093 gallons, if you're not a
dairy farmer) of milk a week. Students make and sell over 60 ice cream
flavors (some of the best in the state, according to the Food Network),
and claim to have invented Cookies n' Cream in 1979.
A lazy river and beach club
University of Missouri -- Columbia, Missouri
Sports Illustrated named Mizzou's rec center the best in the
country -- no surprise, considering the 293,000sqft gym cost $50 million
to build and offers students a palm tree-shaded lazy river with a
waterfall, over 100 cardio machines, and the resort-quality "Tiger
Grotto," complete with whirlpool, sauna, and hot tub. Oh yeah, there's
also an "on-campus beach club" called Truman's Pond. Dear Lord.
A private steak house
High Point University - High Point, North Carolina
Every date's a cheap one at High Point, where, in addition to the
on-campus movie theater (that shows first-run features) with
complimentary snacks, roaming ice cream truck, and multiple swimming
pools/hot tubs dotting the pristine campus, this North Carolina school
boasts its own fancy steak house -- as in "no-jeans-allowed" fancy -- at
which students indulge in a weekly three-course meal of filet mignon,
seared duck breast, etc. Yep, with their dining points.
Adventure Outfitters
Western Washington University -- Bellingham, Washington
Prefer hiking to hangovers? An outdoorsman's paradise, WWU runs its own
Outdoor Center for students, faculty, staff, and alumni; in addition to a
bike repair shop, there's also a rental center that loans out
everything from ice picks to sleeping bags, as well as organizes
kayaking, rock climbing, and skiing excursions.
2 comments:
Not sure if these sort of amenities are going to attract the sort of student one might hope for in post secondary. Sad part as we are currently seeing on our own campus is that if they campus down the road has a fancy rec center, luxuary dorms or a FBS football team, then you have to have it to or else they other guy is going to steal your undergrads.
Not saying college should be Spartan existence but I am not so sure we are turning out graduates who are any better than (or even as good)the ones a couple of generations ago. If we are spending more, seems like we should be seeing greater achievements, not your team on ESPN III on Thursday night or graduates who think their student lifestyle will match that of their first year of post grad life.
Yeah if you look at UK, money is going into fancy third party managed/constructed dorms not classrooms or resources. Similarly, you look at EKU and all you hear about is enhanced athletic facilities (new gym floor, baseball field lights, gift $ for football stands and tearing down structures for green space. At the same time existing instructional space continues to deteriorate. Also, why is EKU going into agreement with private appartments for dorms while tearing down or converting existing dorms to office space?
Post a Comment