Corvallis facing issue as one community

Students. What does the word bring about in your mind?

For many students, I'm sure that pulls up a friend's face or their own, alongside images of studying in the library, drinking a beer at Clod's or McMenamins, and shopping at Freddies. However, for those who either grew up here, "townies," or working adults who moved here, the mention of students elicits a long list of complaints: parking, lawn furniture, parties, noise, garbage and crowded housing — to name a few.

In November, Oregon State University President Ed Ray and Corvallis Mayor Julie Manning hosted a town hall meeting that allowed for public comment on long-term livability issues in Corvallis. And the usual complaints about students from residents followed. However, this meeting was a start of long-term discussion, evidenced by a new collaboration project formed by Ray and Manning to problem solve and address the long-running issues of livability in our university and small town community.

I say "community" and not "communities" because, ultimately, we are one community, not two; we both affect each other and need to start treating each other accordingly. We need to not only change infrastructure, but also how these two distinct groups of people interact with one another. I think this new collaboration is a start for a much-needed attitude shift between the university and city communities. And I have seen plenty of attitude from both sides.

 I have come at, and continue to experience, this issue from all angles: as an undergraduate student, resident, non-traditional student, and city and university employee. I was not, and am not, a typical student: I grew up in Corvallis, graduated from OSU, travelled, worked at the Corvallis Public Library, and now work as a classified university staff member while attending classes on the side.

I've heard a lot of complaining from everyone, and particularly from a small, but very vocal group of residents. But unlike these residents (and I am joined by many others in this opinion), I enjoy and appreciate the student presence here. Without it, this town would not exist or would be like many of the other small towns of Oregon: culturally limited, stagnant and homogeneous. Students blow in with the crisp autumn winds and allow the town to expand and breathe in a new year full of new faces.

What I'd like to hear and witness are more constructive conversations and creative problem solving, not pointing fingers and bitter complaining. Some residents, quite frankly, need to quiet down for a minute and recognize that many students have moved away from their homes to come here to study and therefore, will have very different priorities than people who live here on a permanent basis.

To be clear, I am not excusing all bad behavior perpetrated by (probably) a small group of students. Throwing multiple parties in a week that results in trash strewn down the block and drunken screams in the middle of the night is not responsible, much less neighborly. So please don't be surprised if your older neighbors call the cops. However, when a prejudice grows and blankets all students, or even just younger people in general, it becomes unacceptable.

I remember when I began attending OSU, I started receiving different treatment at places of business that I had been frequenting since I was a child. Simply because I looked like a "student," some residents looked at me with a scowl, imagining me stealing merchandise, partying all weekend, and breaking beer bottles in the middle of the road at three in the morning while screaming at the top of my lungs. If I chatted with any of these older residents and if they asked me where I was from, I would reply, "Corvallis." With that one word, their shoulders would relax and they would start to gladly inquire about my history of Corvallis. Not all residents treated me in such a manner, but it happened often enough for it to be a problem that can infect any attempts at compromise and collaboration for solving livability issues.

Residents need to face a few certain realities to start a shift in attitude that will lead to more collaboration. Students are students. They are not going to stop renting out living rooms to save money, hosting parties that run until 4 a.m., parking their cars on the street and leaving couches in the front yard. To pretend otherwise is foolish.

Why can't collaboration happen on a smaller level? Why can't neighbors reach out? I am speaking to both students and residents, and particularly to residents who are older with established lives. Students are busy and preoccupied, and sometimes just don't realize it has been two days since the garbage was picked up. Why not help out in some small way? It could be the start of a conversation. And students, you need to understand that you are living in a city that feels like home to others.

What happens here in this small patch of the world really matters; Corvallis is home for me. I don't travel over the breaks or summer because my family and my community are right here. I want this community to thrive and a little understanding on both sides will go a long way. Things might not fix themselves overnight, but an attitude shift on both sides is a step in the right direction.

Kelly Holcomb is a non-degree seeking graduate student with a bachelors of arts in English. The opinions expressed in her columns do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Barometer staff. Holcomb can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.