http://campusplan.princeton.edu/sites/campusplan/files/media/pcpbrochure_part2.pdf

Princeton's "Campus Plan" according to their website includes several of the nature/green spaces discussed in this article.

This reminds me of the class discussion we had in class about the "feel" or "identity" of the city of Atlanta, and what caused certain large cities to have a feeling to them. A campus landscape aims to create an identity and a community for its students, just as a city does.

According to the supplemental reading "How Slavery Shaped America's Oldest and Most Elite Colleges", the same schools discussed in the main article, like Princeton, were often greatly influenced by the institution of slavery. In the supplemental text, the author writes about how students pursued scientific research on the biological superiority of race, much like Thomas Jefferson wrote about in his Virginia notes. These universities created this idea of scientific racism, and therefore, served as the "third pillar" that supported the institution, behind church and state. The same schools that benefitted from the Morrill Act that granted land to universities served as active support for the institution of slavery. Juxtaposing the main article and the supplemental text, the history behind the most prestigious schools in the United States is a complicated and mostly ignored history. It is surprising that places of higher learning in the 1800s researched the theory of scientific racial supremacy and used it as a defense for slavery.

The Morrill Act of 1862 provided 30,000 acres to each state for specific use to colleges and universities. This helped establish the present day university system in the U.S. The act was being considered by the Federal government for several years in the 1850s, but with the succession of many opposing states during the Civil War era, the act was able to pass under Abraham Lincoln's administration. The act excluded any states that had succeeded from the Union. The second Morrill act (of 1890) made it illegal to prefer any specific race toward admission at a higher education institution.

"The Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890." 1890 LandGrant Universities. N.p., 2015. Web. Sept. 2016.

This can be compared to the idea that the built environment affects the way we live. Urban landscape architects work to create effective environments that promote happiness and ease of living for the people living there. Just like how a university needs a campus that promotes student welfare, a city or town need to have a well built environment to benefit its people.

Georgia State provides a perfect example of a campus that combines these two ideas. The downtown campus is large community that is directly contained and controlled by the city. Perhaps the environment of the city provides a better learning environment for certain students, and a much worse one for others. Some may enjoy the tall buildings, pedestrian lifestyle, and constant busy nature of the city.

Perhaps articles such as this one are dodging the true problems of university students today. If students are struggling academically, wouldn't the academics be the problem? The point this article makes is a relevant one, but is it relevant enough?

At what point does too much natural space/recreational structure hinder the academic mind? Do changes in campus environment such as the kinds mentioned here affect campus life such as partying and other extracurricular activity? Would badly kept natural space still serve as a positive aid for students?

In the article "So you like the University of Chicago’s rejection of ‘safe spaces’ for students? Consider this.", the writer outlines the official stance of the Dean of the University of Chicago to disown the idea of "safe spaces" on the school's campus. This article shows how this specific university chose a different way of creating a more effective learning environment for its students. Instead of creating nature spaces or huge recreational facilities, they attempt to promote more enriched academic discussion through dismissing ideas of "trigger warnings" and "safe spaces". This statement, despite proving to be very controversial amongst the public, attempts to promote the "freedom of thought and expression". The article mostly discusses how the statement from the dean was unnecessary due to the fact that debate and freedom of expression are always essential factors in any learning environment, especially universities, and that the statement dodges sensitive ideas such as PTSD and rape. However, the supplemental article explains how censorship hinders the "educational mission" of universities, and that providing an environment that flourishes different points of view and debate is a better environment than one that does not.

Strauss, Valerie. "So You like the University of Chicago’s Rejection of ‘safe Spaces’ for Students? Consider This." Washington Post. N.p., 30 Aug. 2016. Web. Sept. 2016.

Here we see an opposite example to schools like Texas Tech, LSU, High Point University, and University of Iowa. Cornell invested in more natural, green space for its students to create a better learning environment, while the universities mentioned in the supplemental readings created humungous, expensive recreational facilities to attract students to come to their school: a business move.

The articles "The College Amenities Arms Race" and "Lazy Rivers and Student Debt" both describe the recent excessive spending done by big schools on recreational facilities. Colleges that are not necessarily elite, but have a high student population, are becoming more likely to spend outrageous amounts of money on rock climbing walls, lazy rivers, and spas in order to attract students. In this article, however, the writers attempt to explain the importance of having natural, green spaces for students to experience in order to promote better learning environments. The supplemental articles show a different interpretation of this. Schools such as Texas Tech and LSU build luxurious facilities for their students that literally cost millions of dollars. The occasional park or peaceful green space for sitting and studying represent completely different priorities than the facilities mentioned in the supplemental articles. Rock climbing walls and hot tubs are being made to simply attract students, and are even increasing student costs significantly. However, the priority of the main article is to illustrate the importance of a holistic learning environment for students to perform better academically. Both also contrast the amount of student costs necessary to create better learning environments. While certain schools are spending millions to create club house-like campuses, creating green spaces and mixing the indoor and outdoor experience for students would not be very costly.

Newlon, Cara. "The College Amenities Arms Race." Forbes. N.p., 31 July 2014. Web. Sept. 2016.

Woodhouse, Kellie. "Are Lazy Rivers and Climbing Walls Driving up the Cost of College?" Inside Higher Ed. Inside Higher Ed, 15 June 2015. Web. Sept. 2016.