Indiana University - Arbutus Yearbook (Bloomington, IN)

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(BELOW OPPOSITE) If you ' ve never ventured from the immediate sur- roundings of campus, it ' s likely tfiat you aren ' t familiar with this southside scene. This Miller Drive area covers about a four-block region near Ind. 37. (LEFT) A garbage dump lies adjacent to a trailer near the Miller Drive area. (BELOW) Only a matter of blocks from Miller Drive is this First Street resi- dence. 21

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So close, but yet so far Dorms can be bad places to live sometimes — dirty bath- rooms, incinerators overflowing with pizza boxes and beer cans, and cramped rooms. But, most students do not realize that far worse housing conditions exist in Bloomington. Those who never wander past the College Mall or downtown area miss a view of a completely different side of Bloomington — the Miller Drive neighborhood. A No Dumping sign hangs on a tree surrounded by a yard full of old tires, trash and weeds which lie between two houses with rusty tin or torn shingle roofs. Cement block steps lead up to homes which bear spray- painted house numbers. Tattered curtains blow through broken screens while the windows in other houses are com- pletely covered with boards. Faded plastic flowers and old Christmas decorations adorn the house fronts, as plastic pink flamingos and horse-carts brighten lawns. These last decorations stand in the front yards of a small gathering of trailers, located near the Miller Drive area. A toilet and an old mattress sit outside the door of one of the rusted pink, white and turquoise trailers, as if someone had set up house in the front yard. Not far from this outdoor room stands an abandoned mail truck shadowing a garbage heap. Close in distance, but miles apart in appearance are the homes located on Sheridan Road and Southdowns Drive. Large brick structures with big bay windows lie beyond carefully-sculpted bushes and well-kept lawns. One home in the Southdowns neighborhood displays unique graphic designs on its garage doors, as brightly col- ored wheels and sails serve as markers for the car and boat storage areas. Rather than the sun-bleached wood paneling which cov- ers some Miller Drive homes, this house displays varnished wood siding placed at diagonals to form neat rows, giving it a rustic appearance. For students who know little about the city of Bloomington, the sights around the Miller Drive area and the contrasting views on Southdowns Drive and Sheridan Road can be quite an experience. Marianne Gleissner Ha; 2:s ' -ii,

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Born and raised here, their lU ties differ Most lU students know Bloomington for four or more years of college life. But for Jennifer Cobb and Melinda Sinn. Bloomington is also their home away from home — both were born and raised here. Cobb, a senior elementary education major, lived away from home three of her four years at lU. Sinn, on the other hand, lived with her family. She is a senior biology major. I ' ve seen the Bloomington townspeople change in their attitudes toward the students from the 1960s to the VO ' s. Cobb said. In the ' 60s, when the students were ' radicals, ' they were looked upon as aliens. But now, the town is realizing that lU students put money in their pockets, she continued. Sinn disagreed. According to her, the residents of Bloomington are getting along with the college students. The atmosphere may be a little more relaxed in the summer when there are less students. Workers tend to be more pa- tient at the mall, but there isn ' t a very big difference in at- titudes. Sinn explained. As high school students, their views about lU differed. Cobb said she was more gung-ho about lU in high school than now; in high school she walked around the commons and bookstore, buying lU T shirts and notebooks. Sinn said most of her high school friends did not care much about university activities. Her ties with the univer- sity involved attending concerts and occasional use of the library. However, many of her friends ' parents were profes- sors, she added. Sinn and Cobb agreed there were both advantages and disadvantages in attending college in their hometown. Cobb said she did not know the campus layout well, but, I didn ' t have to stumble around because I knew the best places to do things like laundry and getting my hair cut. I think it was more a bother than an advantage because I kept being reminded that I was still at home, Cobb added. I couldn ' t become a new person, like most new college students can, because I was constantly aware of my background. She said she became more independent when she moved into a dorm because she met new people and had different experiences. Sinn thought knowing where the buildings were located was the main advantage she had over new students. Accord- ing to her, growing up in Bloomington had more advan- tages than disadvantages, both educational and cultural, be- cause Bloomington has a lot more to offer than most Indiana towns. ' 7 think it (going to college in my home town) was more a bother than an advantage because I kept being reminded that 1 was still at home. - Jennifer Cobb