This past weekend marked the return of thousands of Binghamton University students to the area, as classes were set to begin first thing Monday morning.
“Welcome Back Weekend,” as it’s called, is perennially a major event for the Southern Tier, as scores of students move back into their on- and off-campus residences around Greater Binghamton.
For a community questioning its ability to attract and retain young professionals, one would think that this weekend would be one of joy. The annual influx of not only more people, but more money — very often Mommy and Daddy’s money — would seem to provide the area with exactly what it desires.
But in some instances, that’s not the case.
The City of Binghamton announced last Thursday — freshman move-in day — that a set of security cameras was being installed around the downtown Binghamton area. These devices are being implemented, apparently, to prevent “major” crimes in several “hot spots,” including State Street, a popular hangout for college students.
This “Big Brother” concept is a touchy issue for many people. The idea of being watched by the government, even in a limited capacity, inevitably leads to paranoia and consternation.
It’s bad enough that the city thinks that crime is so out of control that they need cameras to help. But it’s doubly unfortunate that the city chose to “Welcome Back” its thousands of students with this thinly veiled declaration.
As was discussed in-depth in Monday’s Press & Sun-Bulletin by both a Guest Viewpoint and an op-ed piece, Binghamton University students are not a band of derelicts. Those crazy Bearcats are not interested in simply ravaging this area that many of them call home for four or more years.
The students’ presence actually helps the area in many ways. There’s the well-known fact that BU is the No. 1 employer in the area, providing thousands of jobs for both blue- and white-collar workers. The university’s presence has also spawned a sprawl of businesses that depend primarily on student spending, most notably University Plaza, which continues to expand rapidly with the summertime addition of a Starbucks café.
The students themselves also provide all kinds of support to the community. As I wrote about last month, sophomore Nick Matyas is now a full-fledged member of the Johnson City school board. Hundreds of fraternity and sorority members participate in community service events, and the school’s annual Relay for Life event, run by student volunteers, has become one of the largest of its kind in the country.
Despite all that, the city decided it would draw a line in the sand last week by juxtaposing the announcement of the new surveillance program with the student body’s arrival. Ouch.
The division between the local residents and the students is well-documented, and this inconveniently timed announcement didn’t help matters. Even by announcing the news earlier last week, or perhaps this week, the program would not have come off as such an obvious potshot at the thousands of residents who contribute so much to the area.
Strub is a senior at Binghamton University, a part-time copy editor at the Press & Sun-Bulletin and a new resident of Binghamton’s West Side. His column appears Thursdays.
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