OT: Kirwan-Blanding coming down (link)
- Thread starter ZenCatFan73
- Start date
This makes me realize how old I am. They were built after I was a student. I also see my old fraternity house in the photograph but they have been kicked off campus so there goes that. The times are a changng.
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This definitely makes me feel old as I lived in Haggin hall and then "upgraded" to Kirwan 4 after that before moving to apartments with my buddies. And although my dorms and eating places weren't as nice (though I loved K Lair and those fries) I finished with about the tenth of the debt the current students graduate with - with much better job prospects in a less competitive environment.
The schools have talked about how they've increased tuition due to cuts in state funding but then you hear about them building 1 billion dollar dorms and you start to wonder who's idea it is to do the spending, and whether students would be willing to live in slightly less nice dorms and pay 30 grand less during their time at the school. Just seems like students are fitting the bill for unnecessary spending.
The schools have talked about how they've increased tuition due to cuts in state funding but then you hear about them building 1 billion dollar dorms and you start to wonder who's idea it is to do the spending, and whether students would be willing to live in slightly less nice dorms and pay 30 grand less during their time at the school. Just seems like students are fitting the bill for unnecessary spending.
Had to carry a mini fridge up the stairs to my room on the 16th floor of Blanding. Looking back, should have just done without a fridge for a bit.
The newest dorms are not paid for by UK. A third party company comes in and builds them, gets most of the revenue from them, and then after 30 years, UK owns the building. It was a sort of mortgage just to get some desperately needed construction done. They're easily overcoming the loss since undegrads are pouring in.
And forget what any of them say, tent raise tuition because they can and that's the only reason.
It's a fact that UK's state funding has dropped since 2000. It's also a fact that 10 years ago UK had among the worst student housing of any state university. UK found an innovative way to add over 4000 beds without paying a dime for them.
The Kirwan-Blanding buildings had extremely small rooms that are far below the standard for modern universities. They could not be renovated to enlarge the rooms because they have some asbestos in them which would make renovations prohibitively costly. And yes, housing quality does matter to most students considering multiple colleges nowadays.
UK is still an excellent value for higher education. I don't know how much room and meal plans cost now but I know they are competitive with benchmark colleges.
The Kirwan-Blanding buildings had extremely small rooms that are far below the standard for modern universities. They could not be renovated to enlarge the rooms because they have some asbestos in them which would make renovations prohibitively costly. And yes, housing quality does matter to most students considering multiple colleges nowadays.
UK is still an excellent value for higher education. I don't know how much room and meal plans cost now but I know they are competitive with benchmark colleges.
This makes me sad some of these older buildings are coming down...Lost my old dorm Hagan Hall a few years ago some great memories there!!
When were you on campus. I lived in Haggin and Kirwin 4. I too enjoyed K-Lair immensely. Just curious. I loved every second I lived on campus.
We use to have an intramural Hagan Hall championship in basketball. There were over 500 freshmen men there; so the competition was stiff. Our floor C3 won the championship that year, and we had a few all state kids on our team!! The governor's son Steve Nunn was also on our floor!! I'm sure our trophy was still in that lobby before it was torn down.. :-((
I was there 1970-71, and yes I loved the K-Lair. Use to meet my friend Doug Kotar there and a few of his football buddies for a burger and fries!!
I remember looking forward to spicy chicken tender day at K-Lair, I want to say Wednesdays.
I love their fries of course we didn't have to walk far to get them!! lol
I spent my only semester of on-campus housing way up in Kirwan. 2 small beds, desk, dresser and closet to hang a few clothes in. Almost had the room to myself until they stuck a Lebanese guy with me at last minute. Joe Wakim - wonder whatever happened to him?
Lived in Haggin the year before they closed the entrances, K Lair biscuits and gravy for me
Does anybody know what they built on the old Haggin Hall site I haven't been there in years...I remember the interior open court yard we had there....I think my room number was C310.....
Haggin Hall, 1983-84. First on my hall with a telescope. First on my hall with a pet. I had a tarantula and then a guy around the corner got a snake and someone else got hermit crabs.
Twin towers
Mike Phillips. AKA The Bear. I used to play summer ball with Mike outside beside the tennis courts. He and I never lost a game No one could stop him. He had guys hanging all over him and still scored. I had the good sense to keep feeding him the ball and then sit back, watch, and laugh at those trying to stop him as he manhandled the competition. He liked to compete and played pickup just as ferocious as he did playing for the Cats. What memories that pic brought back.
Lived in Holmes hall as a freshman. Our 77/78 national champs lived on the bottom floor...Macy and Givens lived directly below me and my roommate...Got to play ping pong with Givens..lost 7-0, then beat him 7-0...lol...only 2 times we played against each other...
Got to know Chris Gettlefinger fairly well..Was able to play basketball with him at Alumni Gym several times....good times!!
Got to know Chris Gettlefinger fairly well..Was able to play basketball with him at Alumni Gym several times....good times!!
Room 1813 in Blanding Tower...unfortunately spent too much time there my frosh year sleeping off the partying the night before, instead of going to class. They are ugly as sin and really aren't conducive to modern student living so not sad to see them come down.
Was this 1992? Entrances were closed, but still snuck in women and booze through the first floor windows.
I was there 89-90, then they closed it up the next year. I’m glad to have had such an impact on the place.
UK 75-79
Haggin Hall vet. (Oak Leaf with clusters) Then two years in the Tower. (last year off campus)
K Lair memory..... open face pot roast sandwich with gravy. Pretty sure the bread was cardboard.
Hate to see them go but things change.
Haggin Hall vet. (Oak Leaf with clusters) Then two years in the Tower. (last year off campus)
K Lair memory..... open face pot roast sandwich with gravy. Pretty sure the bread was cardboard.
Hate to see them go but things change.
For the record, two years in Holmes from 1999-2001. No air conditioning. I forget my room number but it was at the very top floor corner, right across from Jimmy Johns and Kitty O'Sheas. I could hear the bands all night. I played a lottttt of Diablo II....
That's great a new Haggin Hall..!! Thanks BWO74 sounds like we went to UK about the same time!! Not only Haggin Hall I miss, but standing in line for good seats at Memorial Coliseum, watching football at old Stoll Field, shooting baskets a few times with Ronnie Lyons on the chain goals, watching the freshman team practice at Alumni Gym with our 1st black player Tom Payne, and walking to class on those cold mornings!! lol
Lived in Kirwan Tower - 20th floor, and Blanding II (I think), as an RA for one semester.
Also spent a semester as an RA on north campus (Keeneland Hall). Decent building, actually, but no AC. Took a lot of showers.
Fire alarms were a huge issue at Kirwan Tower. Just a terrible situation with people pulling alarms and smoke coming from cigarettes, microwaves, you name it.
Frequently in the middle of the night.
One night, during finals, the fire marshall actually brought us back in by groups of about 50 and gave a long speech (a smoke bomb had been located) about how this is not a joke.
In my mind, I'm thinking, "finals are not a joke either".
In all sincerity, I feel like the University should have bumped my GPA by half a point that year for making me endure a semester in K-tower. Drunk roommates, fire alarms, etc. Just not a good situation for having an 18-year old adjust to both life away from home and college academic expectations.
But, I had a lot of fun.
Also spent a semester as an RA on north campus (Keeneland Hall). Decent building, actually, but no AC. Took a lot of showers.
Fire alarms were a huge issue at Kirwan Tower. Just a terrible situation with people pulling alarms and smoke coming from cigarettes, microwaves, you name it.
Frequently in the middle of the night.
One night, during finals, the fire marshall actually brought us back in by groups of about 50 and gave a long speech (a smoke bomb had been located) about how this is not a joke.
In my mind, I'm thinking, "finals are not a joke either".
In all sincerity, I feel like the University should have bumped my GPA by half a point that year for making me endure a semester in K-tower. Drunk roommates, fire alarms, etc. Just not a good situation for having an 18-year old adjust to both life away from home and college academic expectations.
But, I had a lot of fun.
Lived in Kirwan Tower - 20th floor, and Blanding II (I think), as an RA for one semester.
Also spent a semester as an RA on north campus (Keeneland Hall). Decent building, actually, but no AC. Took a lot of showers.
Fire alarms were a huge issue at Kirwan Tower. Just a terrible situation with people pulling alarms and smoke coming from cigarettes, microwaves, you name it.
Frequently in the middle of the night.
One night, during finals, the fire marshall actually brought us back in by groups of about 50 and gave a long speech (a smoke bomb had been located) about how this is not a joke.
In my mind, I'm thinking, "finals are not a joke either".
In all sincerity, I feel like the University should have bumped my GPA by half a point that year for making me endure a semester in K-tower. Drunk roommates, fire alarms, etc. Just not a good situation for having an 18-year old adjust to both life away from home and college academic expectations.
But, I had a lot of fun.
Back during those days the freshmen football players stayed at Blanding-Kerwan, and I remember some of the mean ones like Mike Fanuzzi use to sneak over to Haggin at night, and pound on our doors!! If your door was unlocked they would throw your stuff out into the court yard...They were too big for us to fight; so we just ran!! lol I told my friend Doug Kotar a freshman football player to tell them to leave my room alone, and he did...Doug was a great kid and star for UK who went on to play for the New York Giants...Sadly to say he passed much too young of a malignant brain tumor... :-((
Thanks guys I don't get on here much, but I enjoy talking about the old days at UK...GO CATS!!
Kirwan I, 1970-72. . . swimming, tennis, golf and baseball players lived there. My first home away from home. . . great memories there. It was considered state-of-the-art at the time. Loved the fountains which were lit up at night. And the green space in the middle. And Blanding Beach!!!
Sad to see it all evaporate.
Sad to see it all evaporate.
I did 2 years in Haggin. Had a room that faced Donovan Hall. The janitor would come empty our trash every morning and borrow my binoculars to take a peek for action in Donovan.
I stayed in one of the towers for a summer camp during high school. They seemed very modern to me.
I had a job serving meals at a sorority house. Excellent food. Occasionally had K-lair breakfast.
I stayed in one of the towers for a summer camp during high school. They seemed very modern to me.
I had a job serving meals at a sorority house. Excellent food. Occasionally had K-lair breakfast.
Ah ... yes. Images burned onto the retina in my mind.
If only thongs had been invented back then!
Twin towers
I was at UK the same time as Phillips and Robey. When I drove back and forth to my parent's house in Louisville on I64, I would pass the two Shelbyville exits one was KY 53 and the other was KY 55 and it always went through my mind that one was the Phillips exit and the other was the Robey exit. You think strange things on a boring car ride.
Haggin Hall (B-3) in 1975...remember we played Holmes Hall in the annual flag football game (we lost-I got beat deep!) Also remember a couple football players on our floor got away with a lot of stuff! Chicks after hours, maybe a little 4:20....good guys though....remain nameless! We were always were checking out the action at Donovan Hall across the way.
Kirwan Tower and the low rises after that...boy those rooms were small. Doesn't seem that long ago....
Kirwan Tower and the low rises after that...boy those rooms were small. Doesn't seem that long ago....
I got stuck with a room mate from Louisville that thought everybody from eastern Kentucky was a dumb hillbilly...We didn't get along, and I was glad to see him go home every weekend!! Yes, the rooms were small, and I had top bunk...lol
I had the top bunk too. I woke up a few Sat mornings with the bed shaking as my roommate banged some fat chick in the bottom bunk.
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