Kathleen Scholl believes that the arrangement of the University’s campus affects the way student behave and learn. But, before we get into that let’s take a step back and look into the other evidence she provides to come up with this conclusion.

Well for starters according to (Gumprecht, 2007) “Americans expect a university campus to look different than other places.” He believes that the way the school is built helps influence the academic life and role it even plays in a community aspect. This statement alone clearly pushes more responsibility on the University to make sure the upkeep of the students and community should be it’s priority at all times.

This ties us into the next issue of “green infrastructure” which according to the author should go hand-and-hand with the open space campus. With the threat of climate change raising the need for universities to take charge and make a change for the younger generation to follow in imminent according to the article as well. With points being made it should be seamlessly combined with campus building, vehicular traffic, parking facilities, etc. By preserving this type of open-spaced green infrastructure, the article claims it’ll give the college more value and quality. Not only that but may even give the sense of community to the University as well.

That falls into the another topic of the student perception of the school which is vital to the article on how the students will reach. The report claims that student knowledge of the surrounding landscape and opportunities it offers might profoundly influence the student’s campus experience significantly. Interestedly enough there is little to no evidence to back this claim whatsoever. The author even goes as far to say that it’s a “…relatively new research domain”. But, the fact that it’s included tell me that the author feels secure about the little evidence out to support her claim that open spaces help student interact more positively.

The author also pushed the notion of breaks in-between classes in either an indoor or outdoor setting. Students should take a break occasionally from the learning session. The addition of the outside infrastructure may help students relax and not stress about the material.

So, in all the author, Kathleen Scholl, believes that a balance between nature and campus would be an excellent way to help students feel at ease.

Well, for starters Underground has changed a lot since the first time I went there five years ago. From a busy mall packed with life to a strangely quiet place with store merchants unsure where the business has gone too. Yes, unfortunately, this is the new Underground. Maybe I’m a little biased because of what I’ve seen how it was in the past…but, I mean can you blame me? Underground Atlanta, was the hangout/tourist spot for years but now many stores are closed and shops relocated. As usual, all isn’t lost with many of the warehouse clerks being very upbeat even with the slower past of the mall.

The one thing I can always say about Underground is that the people there are always friendly. After passing many merchants, I was always stopped and treated as if they’d known me for years. That simple act of hospitality even invoked me to purchase some items. The term “Southern Hospitality” is an understatement, and you’ll always feel welcomed within the mall itself.

That “Southern Hospitality” is why I’ve deeply saddened that the mall is in the current shape it’s in now. So, many good people and business owners are on the verge of losing their livelihood. It’s defiantly a night-and-day from what it was five years ago, but I still enjoy going there from time-to-time in invoking the time I first moved to Atlanta.

Underground Atlanta, is in the heart of Atlanta, GA located right near Five Points. As you may already know, Underground Atlanta is a shopping center opened in 1969. What makes Underground so unique is the fact it was built over Atlanta’s many Underground Railroad systems which are where the name came from.

As soon as you enter the vicinity, you’re greeted with a beautiful staircase that leads down to the mall. There are other entries into the building, but this by far is the most scenic and memorable one. Standing at the entrance, you can tell the mall is very…vintage. It almost gives you a feeling that you’ve stepped into a time machine of some sort and traveled 50 years into the past. The store vendors help sell this euphoric feeling with many boutique vendors not even having complete “store fronts” but only having carts with their merchandise on top.

From my disbelief, the store merchant claimed there was a “no photo policy” (I still manage to sneak a few here-and-there). But, while we’re on the subject of merchants I wanted to the point of the fact as soon as I walked in many started waving me down to get my attention to purchase something. I felt like I was in a farmers market where everyone has their store set up, and everyone tries to persuade you to buy their products. This was a whole new experience for me coming from the traditional mall of just walking into a store you were interested in and an employee helping you if you seemed “lost.” For the sake of maybe not going out, empty handed I agreed to buy something if she let me take a photo of her merchandise and which she happily agreed. I was supporting a small business, and I got to take a picture for the project, so it was a win-win for both us.

Unfortunately, over the years many stores in Underground have been closed down. I spoke to a few store merchants there, and they informed me that not as many people shop there anymore. Much “higher up shops” moving onto Midtown for the bustling shopping center. This became very apparent when I started to walk further into the Underground noticing the lack of people and many “for rent” signs and closed for business food court stations. It was a signal that a significant historical mall is maybe seeing the end of its days.