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Printer-Friendly ModeVote will affect SVSU's future regardless of results
February 27, 2006 —
Tomorrow marks a crossroads for both Kochville Township and Saginaw Valley State University. Regardless of the outcome, the referendum on whether or not to rezone land for an expansion of off-campus housing will mark an end of an era. Voter approval to rezone the land would mean further integration between Kochville and SVSU, with more off-campus development near SVSU likely. A rejection will likely embroil the Township in an extended legal battle, and could scare off any investors from building near campus for some time.
Our purpose is not to convince you how to vote, or what to think. Rather, our intent is to make you realize that today's decisions affect tomorrow's actions. Regardless of the outcome, additional student housing and small commercial shops will affect SVSU students - maybe not us, but possibly our younger siblings.
Today, most students do not come to SVSU for the rich, rewarding campus environment. They come for more tangible reasons - close proximity to home, a moderately priced education, and, most importantly, a degree. One needs only to witness the rows of available parking on weekends as students depart for either home or for another college town with more going on.
Each side in the debate has its merits. Further development would help to create a more cohesive campus culture; with more students living closer to campus, campus extracurricular participation will likely increase. As a result, SVSU will come closer to shaking off the college in the cornfields reputation it has been tagged with since its inception. At the same time, development causes some serious reservations. Even with more students living closer, the businesses are likely to struggle to survive during the summer months when few students are in the area. Any decline in enrollment will likely lead to empty apartments.
Both sides have their flaws, as well. Developers see no qualms about destroying the lifestyle of Township residents; as long as it brings in profits, longtime residents do not seem to matter. Residents are ignorant about the effects of their words; those who say that they like students and SVSU but do not want to live near them are making a contradictory statement.
The development has ripped open some wounds in Kochville that are not likely to be healed anytime soon. Four Board of Trustees members face recall directly resulting from their approval of the rezoning. Kochville contains a diverse population of commercial, residential, and agricultural interests that are often directly opposed to one another. One lesson that may be learned from the referendum is that while majority rules, ignoring the rights of the minority fissures society.
SVSU is not synonymous with Kochville Township the way other universities are with their cities; everyone knows that when someone is "going to Central," he or she is going to Mount Pleasant. Ask people if they are going to SVSU, and they are likely to ask where SVSU is at and what there is to do there. It is difficult to find good answers for each question. Saying we are in a small, relatively unknown township does not have the same appeal as saying we are from a well-known college city; and let's face it, this area does not exactly offer many options in the form of entertainment. SVSU has recently adopted the motto "Something more, Something better;" right now, it's lacking in both accounts, at least in terms of the overall campus feel.
SVSU is not CMU, and Kochville Township is not Mount Pleasant. The goal should not be to emulate this or any other college town. The relative youth of the University allows it to grow under its own terms, in its own direction. In order to create a more cohesive campus culture, students are going to have to work with residents, regardless of whether the rezoning referendum passes tomorrow. Even if SVSU does not resemble its current self in 20 years, our degrees are defined on where we attended college - its reputation will help to determine the worth of our degree.