Staff Editorial: Key to the city

Acrimony between universities and their surrounding cities is nothing new. In 1938, a Cambridge city council member alleged a "deep-seated and far-reaching [Harvard] conspiracy which has for its aim the capturing of municipal machinery, the very government of the city itself." The councilman wasn't alone in his beliefs - that day, the council voted unanimously to secede from Harvard University, filing a request to the state, "to enact legislation severing all relations between the city and the university." During the raucous meeting, two "mysterious" fires broke out in the basement of the City Hall.

Fortunately, things aren't so contentious here in College Park. But if asked, many would say relations between the city and the university and its students are less than ideal. And even the most involved students at the university wouldn't be able to get much more specific than that: At The Diamondback-hosted debate in April, the four candidates for Student Government Association president had little or no knowledge of the College Park City Council. But a group of students recently took the initiative to seek out the council's help. We hope their initiative is the beginning of a strengthened student-city relationship.

When administrators announced their intention to bulldoze about nine of the 13 total acres of forest in the Wooded Hillock area behind the Comcast Center, they set off a flurry of protests, including a SGA resolution and a student demonstration. Administrators were undeterred by the environmental concerns, and they reiterated their intention in May to proceed with the bulldozing as planned.

In response, a group of students, including representatives from the SGA and student environmental groups, convinced the city council to include the Hillock development in its agenda. Last week, the students' lobbying paid off. Mayor Stephen Brayman sent a letter to Vice President for Administrative Affairs Ann Wylie, endorsing the students' concerns and urging the university to both reopen dialogue with stakeholders and to, in his words, "explore the feasibility of revisions to current plans in order to minimize adverse impacts to the Wooded Hillock."

A single letter is unlikely to inspire a radical restructuring of the university's development plans. The more significant event, though, is that a group of enterprising students recruited the city council to work together on a shared interest. Students have already proven that they can impact city council proceedings. Two years ago, then-SGA President Andrew Friedson gathered nearly 900 student-written letters and convinced the city council to drop a proposed noise-violation bill. And at the end of the day, students share the council's fundamental concern - improving a city in a perpetual struggle to find appeal and identity.

After eight years in office, Brayman has announced that he will not be seeking reelection. With new leadership come new opportunities. Student leaders must take advantage by forging a stronger, more collaborative relationship.