<p>The “townie” perspective is interesting to hear, it is sometimes strikingly at odds with the impression of a college from the perspective of its students.</p>
<p>Of course the townies of Hamilton, NY have not been heard from here, and CC readers are signing up to be students not townies.</p>
<p>Well, my HS naturally sends quite a few students to Bucknell and all of my points about the type of student Bucknell attracts have been confirmed by friends that are currently students at Bucknell. The kids from my HS that went to Bucknell that I would say “fit the mold” are doing very well, while those that I would say do not have either transferred or aren’t totally happy with their experience.</p>
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<p>whats bucknells current pilot to lewisburg borough? what would its tax liability be on anything east of 7th street (the downhill dorms, the business building, the original quad, etc), as everything on the other side of that street is in east buffalo twp? then add the substantial payments bucknell makes to the recreation authority, the matching funds it has committed to the reconstruction of 5th st and a host of other financial commitments. id bet the university exceeds (by no small amount) what would otherwise be a 0.715% tax liability on assessed value. </p>
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<p>and the question of redevelopment investment vs basic education investment IS a fair one because you have no objective basis on which to claim that the states subsidy of public education is not fair. so its a question about resource allocation. you can disagree with that allocation, but its not fair to mis-characterize it. the grant money was given to get foot traffic in downtown lewisburg. there is no question that the new bookstore will increase foot traffic in downtown lewisburg. will that increase justify the states investment? perhaps not. so cancel the project. the state now has enough extra money in its coffers to distribute $15,000 to the lewisburg school district. thats the (generous) alternative. </p>
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<p>and, again, the school has no problem bringing controversial people on campus because it has no real free speech problem. the schools speech code is nearly identical to private school speech codes across the country and is similarly rarely enforced. the difference is that bucknell has a conservatives club (when i was in school, it was the second best funded student organization on campus… behind only the newspaper) that has long had an issue with the speech code. the issue goes back at least to the president to preceded mitchell, steffen rogers. the code has been ‘tested’ periodically by the club. and they finally got what they wanted with their affirmative action bake sale (which technically wasnt even shut down for fair speech issues). </p>
<p>end result? nothings going to change because, again, for all practical purposes there is no free speech problem. unless you want to sell cupcakes at different prices to different student ethnicities without a student space use permit. i know that was something i definitely would have done on a daily basis without that pesky speech code.</p>
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<p>on ‘fitting the mold,’ i didnt. okay, i wear lots of collared shirts. but im not from a wealthy family. i attended a rural school district. im about as intellectual as they come. and i had a great time. i knew tons of others who didnt fit that mold, either. they had great times, too. in fact, i dont know a single person who transferred for ‘fit’ issues. does that mean it doesnt happen? no. does that mean bucknell is a perfect fit for everyone? no. rather, in my experience its a far more diverse and inclusive environment than youre giving it credit for.</p>
<p>Fair enough points on student life, but don’t pretend the University pays the community back anywhere near the amount of money the school district, which is the majority of the property tax bill most area residents get (and is determined by which school district the plot is in, not which borough or township) would get if they could tax Bucknell property. The current rate is $1,403 per every $100,000 in value. That probably adds up to quite a bit considering Bucknell’s shy of, what, 500 acres? It’s also pretty easy to characterize the state’s subsidy of our school district as “unfair”. The school district in neighboring Sunbury gets nearly three times more per student.
That remains to be seen. The new bookstore is very inconveniently located. It’s not like you’ll be able to swing by and get a coffee on the way to class. To be honest, I don’t see students being able to head up to the bookstore more than a few times a year to get their textbooks. And IMO, the options for the general public are no more than what was offered at Page After Page (which didn’t do all that well). But, like I said, it remains to be seen. Bottom line? Using money to build a bookstore in the middle of a statewide budget crunch whilst cutting the subsidy for school districts is just bad governing.</p>
<p>malan89–you obviously have some knowledge and issues about Bucknell because you are a “townie.” I can not possibly address most of the issues you are writing about (w/o a lot of research.) Ericatbucknell has written very good knowledgeable responses. </p>
<p>I can say, interestingly enough, my D1 just graduated from Cornell. (Remember, I responded to this thread as a parent with a kid at both Bucknell(D2) and Colgate(S1).)</p>
<p>You have no idea about the issues in Ithaca and complaints about Cornell. We live in upstate NY and see roadway signs condemning Cornell. Our D1 told us about some racial unrest concerning a collegetown business recently that involved police, etc and was written up in the daily Cornell newspaper. </p>
<p>Then there are the suicides. Cornell supposedly has one of the highest suicide rates A tragic number occurred this year. But Cornell’s average is the same as any other college. It had no suicides for the last 3 years. But they are constantly condemned for this. </p>
<p>So the point is, unless you walk in the shoes, you have no idea of the view.</p>
<p>You know what? I totally understand where you’re coming from and apologize for hijacking the thread. Obviously it’s a completely different perspective living here rather than being a college student here. I came here simply to let OP know that ED is a big step and that they should be sure they are a good fit for the school (which would apply to any college, not just Bucknell or Colgate) and it somehow turned into a rant about issues that probably don’t affect many students on campus. I stand by all of my concerns with the University and how our area is treated in return for our hospitality, but I’m sure, like you said, that those are issues with every University.</p>
<p>I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this thread. I grew up in upstate NY (between Cornell and Colgate) and am a Bucknell alum. Both Lewisburh and Hamilton are nice small towns. I really like the idea of the bookstore on Market Street. I usually walked into town at least once a week. It seems that moving the bookstore into town will intermingle students and townspeople a bit more. (I just hope the store will be open on Sundays for Homecoming and Reunion!)</p>
<p>College life? Bucknell and Colgate felt wonderfully safe. Cornell’s size made it feel less so. While at Bucknell, I took advantage of day trips to NYC and Washington DC. Yes, there were times I yearned to be in a city. With age there hopefully comes wisdom, and having had the opportunity to live in 8 states since college, there are pros and cons in every locale). </p>
<p>Town and gown issues will always exist where the school is a large or dominant employer. And, debating tax policy, here of all places, seems futile. </p>
<p>Malan89, there’s a part of me that wonders if your family is affiliated with Bucknell and if you’re taking advantage of the employee tuition-exchange benefit to attend Cornell.</p>
<p>I just want to make it known that I am a proud parent of a Colgate, Cornell and Bucknell student, or grad (listed in order of our child’s age.) They are all great schools. Each kid got, or is getting , a superior education. And each school has its pros and cons.</p>
<p>Good luck to all of you students. If you chose Bucknell, you chose a great school.</p>
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No, but when we were experiencing financial difficulties, my Mom got a job a Bucknell Dining (I already acknowledged that despite a level of committment to the community that I see as weaker than many of its peers, the University does provide a positive economic impact) …which is run by a contractor and doesn’t give any of the benefits Bucknell employees get. Nice try, though.
Then pay for it.</p>
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I agree.</p>