June 21, 2007 - ‘Transplant’ starting to feel at home in the Tier

Like anyone who takes up temporary residence in a new place, I’ve had a lot to learn.

When I arrived in Binghamton four years ago as a freshman at Binghamton University, I quickly learned about Bearcats, the bookstore, and the dreaded BU Police.

Campus life was grand for sure, but I knew next to nothing about the surrounding area, save a Wal-Mart down the parkway and a strip of bars on State Street.

Almost 150 undergraduate credits later, I can sketch for you a Malthus model — no problem (thanks, ECON 314!), but I’d still struggle to provide directions from Murray to Chestnut Street.

And what the hell is a spiedie?

Turns out, a spiedie is a sandwich with specially marinated meat, packed neatly into a sub roll straight from the skewer. I took a trip to a local spiedie spot on Front Street last week to experience the sandwich first-hand.

Nervously, I ordered a Buffalo Chicken spiedie. The taste was unfamiliar (and surprisingly underwhelming) — but all in all, it was very good (especially to a kid just getting accustomed to his first kitchen).

The sandwich certainly didn’t resemble “home” food — but that’s okay. Now, after four years on campus, Binghamton is home.

Sure, those years prepare you for real life. My time as a Bearcat has landed me a job, a nice apartment, and thousands of various memories to learn from. Student life has been great.

But real life in Binghamton, I’m quickly realizing, is a different story.

After a long childhood as a Long Island kid, and four arduous years of back-and-forth, I now call the City of Binghamton home — and with a new home comes plenty of new local traditions.

Through my eight months as a copy editor here at the Press, I’ve read about Matt Ryan, Lockheed Martin, and Endicott-Johnson.

But now I’m trying to learn the real ins and outs of this town: What are these famous carousels like? Why are the streets surrounding BHS so treacherous?

Can the B-Mets really be this bad?

More importantly, I’ll write about why everyone’s so down about this place. Hopefully, through my experiences as the new guy up here, you’ll see why I don’t think Greater Binghamton is really all that bad — and maybe, just maybe, you’ll start agreeing with me.

So this column is the first about how this “transplant” is coming to feel at home here in the Southern Tier.

In the months to come, I’ll bring you along as I experience true life beyond Binghamton University, and answer some of these questions: Why is there such a disconnect between the Binghamton University community and the surrounding area? Are all BU students really evil outsiders? And what types of local traditions should the entire community, students and local residents alike, try and embrace?

I might seem like just another young journalist climbing onto the soapbox, but in a way, many these issues transcend much of the feeling around the area, as the morale of local business-owners (those still here ...) and residents crumbles faster than the O’Neil Building. Hopefully, through my viewpoints, the tone of our community conversation, from our Web site to your homes, can start to change for the better.

So if there’s something in the Southern Tier you think I should check out, or someone I absolutely must meet, please e-mail me at cstrub@presscon nects.com. I’ll happily heed your suggestions, for when it comes to the area, I’m still as naïve as this column comes across.

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. He can be reached at cstrub@pressconnects.com.