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| Faculty member Susan Dennison speaking at the press conference today with some of the other opponents behind her. |
Students, faculty and alums of UNCG held a press conference in front of the campus library today to oppose the university's expansion into the Glenwood neighborhood. Almost 50 opponents of the expansion listened to speakers who said that the university's growth across Lee Street, particularly a proposed $91 million recreation center, represent misplaced priorities of the school. Speakers called on UNCG to immediately halt the expansion because enrollment numbers are down and jobs and programs are being cut.
Read more about the opposition expressed at a recent UNCG master plan forum.
A more detailed report of today's press conference and UNCG's expansion plans will be coming soon — stay tuned!
17 comments:
Fourteen people is a protest? I can find fourteen people who think the moon is made of cheese.
Mark, did you even read what I wrote?
1. I didn't call it a protest, it was a press conference.
2. Everyone there wasn't in the photo. As I stated above, there were almost 50 people there (not counting press).
3. I would love for you to find those 14 moon cheesers — interviewing them would make a pretty hilarious article.
So, my question is why wasn't there a protest when the Residence Halls were going in. Or the new POLICE SUBSTATION that is planned in a historically black community????? Why is the Rec Center the thing I see those folks predominantly concerning themselves with?
I can't speak for others but my concern with the expansion lies with the displaced families from Glenwood. Where are they supposed to go? And they're being pushed out when UNCG has a perfect adequate rec center already. I graduated three years ago but it can't be that run down already...
All issues are being addressed in regards to the police station, the residence halls, etc. The rec center is just the next step that UNCG is taking with their expansion so it seems to be the first line of defense whens peaking about expansion. But yes, we are all aware of the unneeded police station in glenwood and what it would create in our neighborhoods.
Being that I was on the Student Government committee the year this expansion was discussed and passed, I will tell all of you that this expansion cannot be stopped. I don't mean it to sound like a terrorizing force, but it's been in the plans for years, PLUS, the money for expansions and campus improvements that (all) universities make from tuitions, combined with an allocated set of funds from the government, all MUST be spent on improvements to the school's buildings, grounds, et cetera. The school has to spend that allocated total amount each year on projects and building.
If something wants to be changed, you start at the level that dictates how much gets allocated towards campus improvements.
I will say that this campus looks as beautiful and amazing as it does BECAUSE of all of this money. The other side of the coin is that UNCG was granted an extra allotment of money for this Glenwood expansion because UNCG needs to increase its enrollment numbers, especially the number of "on-campus housing" students.
Just because the money needs to be used in expansion, does it really need to be used for infiltrating the Glenwood community? And why do they need expanding when student levels have decreased dramatically? Allocate the money elsewhere, or don't use it for a priority that isn't realistic anymore.
I'll just go on record as a UNCG alumni... progress is a good thing and I am in favor of the expansion.
And, while I'm at it, it is past time the school start looking to start a football program.
I'll just go on record as a UNCG alumni... progress is a good thing and I am in favor of the expansion.
And, while I'm at it, it is past time the school start looking to start a football program.
To wagwa, of course its easy to support something when you're not financially obligated to pay for it. Also, progress IS a good thing, but not when we're forcing already financially burdened students to pay for something they may well not use during their education. And oh, did I mention - this is a liberal arts University, not one devoted to sports. Thanks.
hey wow quit wrecking the glenwood community. instead of spending your allotted funds on a new(er) rec center, try spending that money on fixing up the residence halls, many of which are falling apart. maybe rennovate the Graham building or any of the other buildings built in the 70s. Graham has a mold problem and as far as I've seen nobody is doing anything to fix it. half the residence halls don't have air conditioned rooms, South Spencer's "rec room" is just some tables and a TV from what looks like the early 70s. so if you want to increase on-campus housing, why not improve these? maybe increase the accommodations for the many students who feel that they can't make use of the residence halls or on-campus housing opportunities, such as trans* students.
"Unneeded police station"...seriously? Current police are in a BANK, and the last two times I called police in Glenwood (first time, woman being assaulted, second time, gunshots) the response time was like 20 minutes. Im glad for police station, and further, I hope they patrol these streets vigorously so I can live here without constant drug traffic, violence, and theft.
Privatization of public education - that is what it is called when household income in North Caroline and Greensboro, the community served, is down 5% while tuition is up 20%, fees are up 42%, athletics and facilities fees are up 77%. This is what you get when you cater to high incomes who can afford and low incomes who rely on Pell grants and Stafford loans - you graduate the former and you let the latte leave with debts Nd no degrees. What is the middle and working class to do? I guess go to GTCC. Thanks wagwa- we appreciate your honesty. You really don't care about democracy. Enjoy your McMansion. Respectfully submitted.
I'm not closely familiar with the expansion plans, and I should be since I'm a UNCG graduate student. However, I do think that displacement of neighborhoods and communities is only called "progress" by the colonizer. UNCG certainly has the power to expand, but only protests & media coverage like this will keep the costs to those without power from becoming invisible.
A university doesn't expand via colonization. It buys properties at fair market value from WILLING property owners. Many of those property owners bought those properties because they knew UNCG was going to expand and buy their properties. In the meantime, they let their properties become run down. They made a CHOICE to sell to the University. No one forced them to. So, how many families were displaced from these vacant homes, and if they were occupied by renters, perhaps the blame should be placed on the property owners. It's one thing to be against the expansion, but making up facts or implying that you somehow know how all of Glenwood feels about this project is lazy.
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