tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post3157562150087044003..comments2023-11-09T14:29:37.102-06:00Comments on St. Louis City Talk: SLU: Will it be a good next 15 years or not?Mark Grothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15778135869139492251noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-65877301416451376892013-10-22T13:27:00.270-05:002013-10-22T13:27:00.270-05:00First off I want to say terrific blog! I had a qui...First off I want to say terrific blog! I had a quick question in which I'd like to ask if you do not <br />mind. I was curious to find out how you center yourself and clear your head <br />prior to writing. I have had difficulty clearing my thoughts in getting my ideas <br />out there. I truly do take pleasure in writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are lost just trying to figure out how to begin.<br />Any suggestions or hints? Cheers!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/Reputation-Management/Consultant-Consulting/prweb11036488.htm" rel="nofollow">online reputation managment</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-63600431473468275222013-01-28T13:54:20.186-06:002013-01-28T13:54:20.186-06:00@ Kevin - while the sculpture park at Grand & ...@ Kevin - while the sculpture park at Grand & Lindell may leave a bit to be desired visually, it is one of the few green areas of SLU that actually gets use. As a dog park, it has provided the few Midtown residents there are with a good place to take their dogs. This is a great place to have in the neighborhood when Grand Center finally starts some decent housing development.Devinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04185308116326839716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-67003184860324581282013-01-16T14:53:19.686-06:002013-01-16T14:53:19.686-06:00Also, one more thing...
I grew up in St. Louis, r...Also, one more thing...<br /><br />I grew up in St. Louis, right down the block from Wash U., where my father works. The street I grew up on, as well as the other streets in my neighborhood, is a wonderful mix of students, people who work for Wash U., and people have no Wash U. affiliation whatsoever. Ever since I have been at SLU, I have thought it is so strange how few SLU faculty members live in the immediate, surrounding neighborhoods. (Then again, there are few, immediate surrounding neighborhoods.)<br /><br />I realize that SLU faces certain social/economic issues in the city that Wash U. does not have to deal with. However, I cannot help but imagine what SLU would be like if its faculty lived all around its medical campus, or the possibilities for similar neighborhoods between Vandeventer/Spring (north of Lindell) and Vandeventer/Sarah (all the way from Lindell to 64). Both areas are literal dead zones of activity but border some of the nicer, established neighborhoods.Kevinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-12070524395615114102013-01-16T14:38:14.965-06:002013-01-16T14:38:14.965-06:00As a student at SLU, I can tell you that the gener...As a student at SLU, I can tell you that the general consensus is that Biondi will not be President a few years from now. By no means will he be forced out, instead, it seems he is being given time to "gracefully" step down.<br /><br />Personally, I detest the way SLU handles itself within the community. However, I can also tell you that there are PLENTY of students, faculty, and staff who know SLU has a negative reputation in the city, in many different areas. Also, the whole tenure issue is just a small part of the overall problem. In reality, the professors and students complain about the "atmosphere" that has festered at the school. So maybe it is just me being an optimist but I truly believe the next 15 years will be infinitely better, for SLU really is full of many forward thinking people. <br /><br />Additionally, SLU has steadily been accumulating a massive endowment but continues to slip in national rankings. Now, finally, they may be thinking outside their normal processes, ala Wash U. Unfortunately, at this point, SLU cannot knock down much else. There are already rumors of more student housing, as well as making the FP/Grand intersection at grade. Five years from now, I would almost guarantee that plans for development occur for the disgusting "sculpture park" at Lindell/Grand and even more in the area between Vandeventer and Sarah. It also helps that Midtown is growing, as well as more businesses are investing in the area in general...<br /><br />Random side note: It may be heresy, but I do not think closing West Pine was the worst idea ever - Heck, Wash U did that to multiple streets decades ago. No matter what, students still want some "college campus" feel and it has allowed SLU to be MUCH more competitive. SLU simply has to do better job of development immediately around this area...aka no more parking lots, fountains, sculpture parks, etc. at major intersections around their campus. Kevinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-72776396954633010292013-01-10T00:48:45.401-06:002013-01-10T00:48:45.401-06:00What I gathered from a pre-med friend I have at SL...What I gathered from a pre-med friend I have at SLU, is that the uproar with Biondi began with his push to make tenure harder to attain. Anyone have a link to where I can read up on the full story? I know this drama has been going on for a while, I just haven't found a credible source that covers the entire story. Great post Mark Groth! Thanks for this blog and the work you put into it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09643461849284612369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-81815274174731244142013-01-03T12:59:09.082-06:002013-01-03T12:59:09.082-06:00Wow, great post and great comments. As a graduate...Wow, great post and great comments. As a graduate of SLU, I have many of the same misgivings about the current track of leadership. When I was at SLU, it was evident that Father lacked the ability to play nicely with others, but at that time, SLU was it in Midtown so no one cared. It seems that in some ways, Father is a victim of his own success. Now Midtown has other interested parties and, hopefully, Father or another president will learn to get along with and assist their neighbors.Ted Y.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-40312914715946177022013-01-02T02:47:07.040-06:002013-01-02T02:47:07.040-06:00The pathological secrecy, bullying, unilateral act...The pathological secrecy, bullying, unilateral actions and high handedness is inevitable with any organization in the Catholic Church. It exactly follows the MO of Catholic hierarchy. I'm a lifelong Catholic and '93 grad of SLU. I love my education, but have to avoid the unhealthy power structures on which almost every Catholic organization are based. I worked in them for over 20 years. The only hope for the future of SLU and her essential contribution to STL is a new Board, and a new President more rooted in faith and prayer, but still savvy as is Biondi. But someone hit the nail on the head, Biondi has spent his ideas and vision. and now surrounded by yes men, SLU grows in power but stagnates in vision Brian Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03902415314831468509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-9583230274810387532013-01-01T11:15:25.240-06:002013-01-01T11:15:25.240-06:00Great post. For the record, the Wash U art departm...Great post. For the record, the Wash U art department and engineering school are largely within St. Louis City, as is the medical school. The city limit is 600 feet west of the center line of Skinker. I believe most of the rest of the campus is actually in unincorporated St. Louis County, as strange as that seems. Still, there is a big difference with SLU. I don't have data, but my observation is that Wash U trains global leaders who generally leave St. Louis, while SLU trains our own regional leadership. SLU may have the bigger direct impact of St. Louis as a region.<br /><br />I wish SLU would invest in Midtown in the way Wash U is investing in the Loop.Presbyteriannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-49272231295766795372012-12-31T16:05:26.558-06:002012-12-31T16:05:26.558-06:00I believe Harris and Stowe were originally separat...I believe Harris and Stowe were originally separate teachers colleges, one for white and the other for blacks.CMThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00741001592528653269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-91544696521258947382012-12-31T12:27:37.329-06:002012-12-31T12:27:37.329-06:00I love the phrase you used: "urban moat"...I love the phrase you used: "urban moat". Great description of the 'feel' of those vast spaces.JAEnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-30257335214300053622012-12-31T09:05:44.928-06:002012-12-31T09:05:44.928-06:00^Anonymous 12/30/12 4:57 PM, I'm not sure abou...^Anonymous 12/30/12 4:57 PM, I'm not sure about SLU's history as far as rankings, but they are #91 in the nation according to US news and world report: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/st-louis-university-2506<br />Mark Grothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15778135869139492251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-7693954824423083392012-12-30T23:38:43.114-06:002012-12-30T23:38:43.114-06:00Is it just me or Does FR. Biondi share an eerie si...Is it just me or Does FR. Biondi share an eerie similarity, with the visions of NYC builder Robert Moses. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moses Both had little regard(and held disdain) for for the context a of the city of around them, and both had complex machine and cronies, that kept them in charge of city or college policy.Just replace Biondi's green space and fountains , with Moses's expressways and housing projects and there pretty much the same person.Kevin McElligottnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190846390008853053.post-32358818783828509652012-12-30T16:57:07.263-06:002012-12-30T16:57:07.263-06:00Father Biondi must be stopped.
The school keeps f...Father Biondi must be stopped.<br /><br />The school keeps falling in the rankings, and he's a big part of that. He helped make the degrees worth anything (let's not forget that it wasn't a highly regarded school 30 years ago), but his complacency and the culture of yes-men now means that a degree from SLU isn't worth as much as it was ten years ago.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com