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Printer-Friendly ModeArson Watch an important reminder that city needs help
The Vanguard Vision
November 2, 2009 —
The city of Saginaw gets a bad rap sometimes. Some characterize it for its crime levels, joblessness and plight more so than for its achievements. What motivates people to speak unfavorably about our city can often be found in our headlines: “Angry Saginaw mayor on city violence: ‘Enough is enough.’” “Fourth-grade student gunned down in Saginaw while asleep in his bed.” “Drug addicts, gangs used abandoned school as den.”
Headlines such as these push a negative connotation on Saginaw that none of us hope for and many of us actively seek to change. Saginaw is home to plenty of hard-working citizens who care about the city’s image and its future. And the proof, too, is in the headlines.
It’s incredibly refreshing to see such uplifting newsprint as “Hundreds turn out for Saginaw Arson Watch 2009.”
Three years ago, Saginaw was lit up for Halloween in the worst way — arsonists set 42 homes ablaze in a single night. A sharp reduction has been evident since the city’s Arson Watch volunteers said enough is enough.
Although the rain played a role in discouraging arson, volunteers were still on hand around the clock, fortunately reporting just one fire on Devil’s night and a couple more on Halloween.
Thousands attended a Halloween party put on by the Saginaw Police and Fire Department on what has been dubbed “Angel’s Night” at the Dow Event Center. Parents and children were able to enjoy a fun and safe celebration thanks to the efforts of many volunteers.
It’s undoubtedly great to see a community work together to serve its citizens. It’s especially great to see college students who are willing to forego the age-old Halloween tradition of attending costume parties into the wee hours of the morning and instead fulfill an important safety role.
Those students who helped put on the community Halloween party at the Dow and who spent their evenings this weekend patrolling the streets deserve a pat on the back. A lot of college students aren’t willing to cancel plans to do this type of thing, but those who do are doing Saginaw a great service.
Events such as this, where a group such as Arson Watch receives a call to action, also serve as an important reminder to those of us who don’t venture too far from campus to experience Saginaw.
For some of us, it’s hard to picture hundreds of abandoned homes, many of which are damaged and serve as hotbeds for crime. We have a beautiful campus with some of the best living quarters, if not the best, in the state. The parts of Saginaw that need the most help are parts that a lot of us have heard about on the news or read about in headlines, but have never experienced first-hand.
In the aftermath of a rather successful Arson Watch night, we shouldn’t forget about the work we have yet to do to keep our community moving in the right direction. We can’t pretend the plight and violence behind our headlines exist in a separate universe from our university bubble. And a lot of us don’t.
Cardinals are some great contributors to bolstering this city’s image. Volunteers from our Greek organizations, our Habitat for Humanity chapter, our Student Association and our Alternative Breaks groups work hard outside campus walls. The Vanguard hopes efforts like those of Arson Watch volunteers will encourage more Cardinals to pay closer attention to their community’s needs and find ways to lend a helping hand.