Comments on: Local Perceptions: Towson’s niche in residential, business communities

By: TU Alum

TU Alum — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:12:46 +0000

“The University, while designated as a growth institution, maintains its commitment to student-centered, small class engagement.”

That’s from Towson’s mission statement. Towson has been told by the state that it needs to expand enrollment. Rather than misdirecting anger towards Towson, why not talk to elected officials in Annapolis?

http://www.thetowerlight.com/2006/01/governors-budget-includes-funds-for-towson-enrollment-growth/

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 03:48:10 +0000

If a local resident walks onto the Towson campus they are treated much better than if a Towson student were to walk into a local neighborhood. Without us local businesses and the community at large would severely struggle. The problem is the scumbags in the neighboring areas that seek to victimize Towson students.

By: reader

reader — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 04:02:58 +0000

Read, If you move into such a residential neighborhood and do not expect certain standards then you’re not very intelligent.

By: reader

reader — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 04:01:23 +0000

No. University students were very rarely living in the surrounding neighborhoods 10-20 years ago. Now that TU’s population is exploding more students are becoming guests in these neighborhoods. It is up to the students to adapt, not the permanent residents. If a group of students moves in next door to an elderly couple who do you think is going to have the bigger impact on whom?

Obviously if students move in next to permanent residents the students will be expected to be good neighbors. If you move into such a residential neighborhood and expect certain standards then you’re not very intelligent.

By: paloma

paloma — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:36:12 +0000

I can say, as a Baltimore native and Towson student, Towson U. is one of the most pleasant neighbors in the Baltimore area. The perception is – nice students, nice campus.One of the problems we are facing is the proximity of extreme poverty south on York Road makes the campus an easy place for thieves of all sorts to target. Security outside of campus has improved and need to continue improving. Remember Towson is also the county seat for Baltimore County, and an important city on it’s own merit. The university is definitely an asset.

By: grad student

grad student — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:00:50 +0000

There’s plenty of space for students. They just decided to put a senior living facility there instead.

And yeah, I do think people in their 60s should adapt to students. They knew the school was here when they moved here.

Besides this, many of us live here after we graduate. And even if we don’t, we pay taxes while living here and we contribute financially to the community.

Think otherwise? Get rid of the university and see what happens to area businesses.

Obviously students need to behave somewhat better, but if you move next to a university, no matter the size of the university, and don’t expect certain behaviors, you are not very intelligent.

By: Amanda Storey

Amanda Storey — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:17:09 +0000

Soooooo, buying and restoring an iconic part of Baltimore will “attract misbehaving and drunken students” (which is a load of bull, sorry not sorry), but the Recher Theater is shutting down and reopening as Torrent Nightclub, which has a far stronger stigma than a movie theater. Someone didn’t think that one through.

By: R. Simms

R. Simms — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:04:00 +0000

Uh, pardon me but the student population of TU has been growing by leaps and bounds for the last 10 years. There is not enough space to have them live in the same areas as the past. So it is TU that is causing the pressure. Students should consider themselves guests in local neighborhoods since they will be there four years.

Do you really expect homeowners in their 60s to adapt to students living nextdoor? It should be the other way around.

By: grad student

grad student — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 05:10:18 +0000

If people didn’t want to live in a college town, then why did they move next to one? Towson University has been here for over a hundred years. Everyone who lives in the area, even long time residents, knew it was here, and had to have known how students behave.

Perhaps if Towson University and the community at large really want to ease tensions, they would buy up property around the area for student housing – and I don’t mean university run housing because adult students don’t want that. There should be housing available that students can live independently.

Instead we have a senior living community right across the street from the university. Whose stupid idea was that?

Either the community needs to do something constructive like create housing for students away from the rest of the community or the community needs to realize that they chose to live in a college town and deal with the consequences.