I wouldn’t ordinarily mention this, but it’s that slow part of summer.
I’ve made it to Stillwater about once or twice per year since graduating in 1999, but I have memories of Stillwater dating back to my Pre-K years when my dad was getting his PhD at OSU. I stopped into Stillwater a couple weeks ago and drove around town and the campus.
I saw many recent or ongoing projects around town and campus that appear to be significant upgrades in functionality and aesthetics, everything from sidewalk improvements, bike lanes, and bus service to entirely new buildings, new businesses, and building expansions.
Objectively I am pretty certain that these help the marketability and accessibility of the campus and town for future generations of Cowboys/Cowgirls. However, every time I visit Stillwater another building or business is gone. Aged brick facades and clearly dated interior work is demolished along with decades of delicately hand-crafted desktop graffiti. It’s replaced by buildings designed in the “Georgian Style”, but appearing just a little too new, a little too clean, with the mortar a bit too bright, with no distinctive odor, and lacking all my sappy nostalgic memories. God help me if Edmon Low Library ever goes paperless and loses that ancient book smell!
Additionally, the small Stillwater businesses and restaurants seem to be steadily yielding to national chains as Stillwater’s local charm is fading into generic “Everywhere USA”. Not to mention all the little bungalow cottages and dorms cleared in favor of new apartments or OSU facilities. I still see many old familiar places, but I’m starting to feel like I don’t really recognize much of this beloved place anymore.
I thought I was too young for Good ol’ Days syndrome!
Anybody else feel this way?
Are the changes good?
What places on campus or around Stillwater do you miss?
I’ve made it to Stillwater about once or twice per year since graduating in 1999, but I have memories of Stillwater dating back to my Pre-K years when my dad was getting his PhD at OSU. I stopped into Stillwater a couple weeks ago and drove around town and the campus.
I saw many recent or ongoing projects around town and campus that appear to be significant upgrades in functionality and aesthetics, everything from sidewalk improvements, bike lanes, and bus service to entirely new buildings, new businesses, and building expansions.
Objectively I am pretty certain that these help the marketability and accessibility of the campus and town for future generations of Cowboys/Cowgirls. However, every time I visit Stillwater another building or business is gone. Aged brick facades and clearly dated interior work is demolished along with decades of delicately hand-crafted desktop graffiti. It’s replaced by buildings designed in the “Georgian Style”, but appearing just a little too new, a little too clean, with the mortar a bit too bright, with no distinctive odor, and lacking all my sappy nostalgic memories. God help me if Edmon Low Library ever goes paperless and loses that ancient book smell!
Additionally, the small Stillwater businesses and restaurants seem to be steadily yielding to national chains as Stillwater’s local charm is fading into generic “Everywhere USA”. Not to mention all the little bungalow cottages and dorms cleared in favor of new apartments or OSU facilities. I still see many old familiar places, but I’m starting to feel like I don’t really recognize much of this beloved place anymore.
I thought I was too young for Good ol’ Days syndrome!
Anybody else feel this way?
Are the changes good?
What places on campus or around Stillwater do you miss?
