[NU Sports] OT: Chicago bid

[mlinhardt at netzero.net]

I can't believe I am defending Florida.  Florida is definitely not top 
tier among state schools -- Michigan, Berkely, UT-Austin, etc. but it 
is right up there.  In most college studies I have read they say only 
good things about UofF.

That being said it is impossible to compare Northwestern and Florida.  
>From a campus perspective alone we are a fully built-out school 
surrounded by a fully built-out community.  We can't build new 
buildings or the requisite parking without tearing down existing ones 
or removing the limited greenspace.  Their campus is 10 times the size 
acreage wise yet it only has 4 times as many students.  Beyond that 
they are allowed to build 20+ story dorms which make a better use of 
the space they have.

In regards to the Chicago bid I am apprehensive about the disruption 
caused by the equestrian, mountain biking, etc. that are supposed to 
be 5 miles north(Lakewood preserve Wauconda) of my house.  The 
infrastructure is not there to support ANY additional traffic(ZERO 
public transit near the site).  Beyond that I use and pay for the 
forest preserves they are planning to "borrow".  Furthermore many of 
the lesser roads that are talked about being "closed" for security 
purposes are among the only safe roads to cycle on.

I am not among the group of homeowners in Lake County that are trying 
to kill the olympics, but I have some not-in-my-backyard 
inclinations.  Chicago can have their fun and given Chicago's size 
there won't be much disruption, but don't spread the pain into 'burbs 
which are not designed to double their population.

-- "SjT \(Stephen J. Truog\)" <sjtruog at yahoo.com> wrote:
<snip>
And then you get to the school itself, where an NU
degree is so far out of Florida's league that they'd
need a telescope in Gainesville to glimpse it.

I really don't think we need to compare ourselves to
mass jock factory schools like Florida, Ohio State,
Texas or USC. NU is in another category and to be
honest, that's fine by me. I sure as heck know where
I'd want my kid to go.
<snip>


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