As far as buffets go, Lakeside is relatively good. It’s not going to be $20 per entree restaurant-type good. UA tried having a fancy sit down restaurant and it didn’t work. Eating at the same place each day will get tiring, even if the food is top notch. That’s why many upperclassmen decline the meal plan and only eat at the dining halls once or twice per week.
The reason a lot of food places in the Ferg close early on Fridays and the reason why there is no 24 hour dining hall is simply lack of demand. Campus is very quiet on Friday afternoons as few classes are held at that time. It’s not cheap to have a food stand or dining hall open to serve 5 people per hour, if that. For those who have to eat late at night, the dining halls offer to go boxes.
Having recitations on the same day is better for scheduling, Not all students have recitations each semester and thus can take later classes on Tuesdays.
When the second Rec Center was announced, people were surprised that it wouldn’t have a pool. Understandably though, pools are expensive to maintain and insure, especially if they are somewhat deep (this is why hotel swimming pools built after the early 1970s are almost always less than 6 feet deep). The aquatic center is designed for use by UA’s swimming teams and clubs, hence the restricted hours.
As for the 24 hour dining hall. Bama tried having one open til really late, and not enough students used it. They have to throw out food every XX minutes, so obviously having one open all night could soon be a huge waste.
Glad to hear that Lakeside is improving.
@iamfuniswear you have some specific issues. I suggest a couple of things…write those complaints and send them to the “head people” of Lakeside (their names can be found in Bama Dining) and send those complaints to the “head people” of Bama Dining. Also…if you see dirty tables, then ask to speak to the manager on duty and show him/her.
Improvements come when the right people receive the complaints.
I was always annoyed by the fact that after Thanksgiving there is just dead week and finals before the long Christmas break. I wish they would push the start of the fall semester back so that finals would be over by Thanksgiving. Summer semester would have be pushed back of course. Then they would have to have interim in December instead of May.
What I love about what we don’t love: UA LISTENS!!!
Just this moment I got a survey via email from UA regarding their airport shuttles. This was sent to all folks who made a reservation within the last 4 months, and while they want our feedback as parents, they also want us to forward the survey to our kids, because the survey really is about gathering the riders’ feedback.
Also, note this message from them which was sent with the survey:
"Please note a change in the reservation deadline for the Spring Break and end of semester shuttles. Reservations will now close 2 days prior to the scheduled shuttle departure to allow more time to coordinate the number of drivers and buses needed. Thursday, March 12th reservations will close on March 10th at 3pm. Friday, March 13th reservations will close on March 11th at 3pm. Reservations for Saturday, March 14th, Saturday March 21st and Sunday March 22nd will all close on March 12th at 3pm. Please see the reservation site for more information at http://housing.ua.edu "
“Back in my day” at U Florida (mid 1980s), we paid a “student activity fee” ($50/semester ??) and had some decent entertainment for free on campus. I recall seeing REM, Tom Petty, other up and coming rock bands, comedians, and jazz ensembles. Also, the rec center at UF had free movies – ones that had just about ended their theater runs (this was very early in the VHS tape era) and were about to head to cable.
Not a UA issue, but I wonder why someone hasn’t invested in building a movie theater within walking distance of campus. I know that they take up space, but a small multiplex (6-8 screens) would likely do some good business during the regular school year with the campus kids, and would give locals a downtown option for seeing a movie. I hate that the kids have to drive to see a movie. If I had the $$ to invest …
At my older son’s university they played 2nd run movies in the union for either free or a moderate price. These are movies that are just coming out in DVDs. I know they do this at other schools that we looked at. Would be nice if this could be done at the Ferg.
Kids are so used to Netflix, streaming etc. I doubt they would pay money to see a movie in a second-run theatre. Back when I was in school, we would ford through the protesting hippies and go downtown to a storefront theatre that showed old movies. I mean OLD - the Marx Brothers. You sat on benches that they’d thrown together. I think the theatre only lasted about a year and a half.
I don’t see much demand for a second multiplex, especially when so many students have cars and could carpool to the existing one. The Bama Theater downtown shows some independent films, usually 4-8 per semester.
At my older son's university they played 2nd run movies in the union for either free or a moderate price. These are movies that are just coming out in DVDs. I know they do this at other schools that we looked at. Would be nice if this could be done at the Ferg.
[/QUOTE]
??
Bama has been doing this for as long as I can remember. The theater in The Ferg has been showing movies for years.
Actually, it looks like it hasn’t done so in about 2 years per this schedule – http://ferguson.ua.edu/movieschedule.cfm. I couldn’t find anything that is updated.
Students now are getting FREE HBO To Go and other nice cable perks. I’m guessing there just isn’t a lot of demand for films to be shown on campus, especially when so many athletic and other events at UA are free to students.
Which is a shame. I ran the film program at my college and I tried to mix in favorites with some offbeat and foreign films, and that was at an engineering school. Being exposed to films other than what you’re used to opens up minds and new worlds.
Agreed, @NoVADad99. But don’t assume the kids don’t watch those “offbeat and foreign” films in their dorms. I know my son has set up viewing parties with friends on his floor to share their favorite movies and cable series with each other. He’s also meeting his fine arts requirement for engineering this semester by taking an honors course on the films of Stanley Kubrick, which he’s really excited about!
<<<
Which is a shame. I ran the film program at my college and I tried to mix in favorites with some offbeat and foreign films, and that was at an engineering school. Being exposed to films other than what you’re used to opens up minds and new worlds.
[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
That sounds like it should be a club activity. A newly founded club could help bring these offbeat films to the school, advertise them, and show them.
However, now that I think about it, I think that’s what goes on at the Downtown Bama Theater. I think that is where the off-beat movies are shown. A club could help promote that and plan trips on certain nights (dinner and a movie) to get groups to go together.
If the school is providing free HBO in the dorms, then that is likely why they’ve stopped showing movies in that Ferg theater. Demand always trumps plans…if few were showing up to the movies, it’s hard to justify keeping the activity.
I am a current freshman at UA and I have noticed some problems that I have tried my best to fix but nothing gets done about them. First off is the gluten free options in the dining hall. It is beyond me that at a school so large, they couldnt put a gluten free station in. Also they are constantly running out of gluten free options. I never have a choice in what I eat, its always whatever they have. The workers at the dining halls, act like it is a chore when I ask for gluten free food. They normally roll their eyes and say they are out even if the break is sitting on the counter and I can see it. They are just too lazy to change their gloves. UA needs to make drastic improvement on gluten free options. They always have vegetarian options and even have designated plates. Though being a vegetarian is a choice and they are rarely as nervous about cross contamination as though of us with gluten allergies.
My next complaint is a fairly simple one to solve but for some reason it has yet to be solved. The doors to certain buildings consistently break. For example, I live in ridgecrest west and every time you swipe into the building you have to wait to hear a click from the lock and then open it. And when you pull the door without hearing the click, the door breaks. You have to wait for someone to come out or go to a side door.
My last complaint is the lack of bonding experiences in suite style dorms. I know it comes with the territory but I think we should have more social events for the floors. I still do not know any of my neighbors. I know I could go knock on their doors but I feel like floor bonding would be a more effective way to meet everyone.
Overall I do love UA but there are some minor things that need to change.
bamagirl18, keep talking to the powers that be! Sometimes it takes a while to get action. And make sure you’re complaining to the right people. My advice would be to go to the top of the department…and beyond that if you have to. And in the South, always be nice!