When enough is enough
The London community is well aware of
the change in atmosphere when September
rolls around. The relatively average city
night on Richmond Row becomes an overwhelming
haven for students looking to
enjoy their weekends and time off from
school. Along with this additional crowd
comes a whole slew of issues that has
reporters of national outlets talking and residents
of the city arguing about what to do
about the student population.
As a student myself, I feel for both sides as I now live here full-time and call London home. I believe that the issues brought up time and time again seem to have a greater depth to them than simple youth debauchery or hooliganism. While we look back on the dreaded embarrassments of the past, it's hard to say that we should brush it off as just a bunch of young people looking for trouble.
Common discussions brought up usually involve the issue of student behaviour in their areas of interest. Typically, students of both Western University and Fanshawe College spend their time in the Richmond Row bars between Oxford and Central Streets. They rarely venture past these bounds unless they have to go home. On other days, time is spent mostly on campus or potentially out at the nearest LCBO or grocery store. People who live in London see the treatment of the city on weekend nights and then grow frustrated when said students leave after their eight-month stay and the local garbage collectors have to pick up the pieces.
The response of the city has been at times, heavy handed. During Western's Homecoming events at the end of September, as you probably already know, police handed out hundreds of dollars' worth of tickets, to the applause of some of these residents who take issue to the excessive noise during this massive event. But what is really escalating the tensions between these two groups and further criminalizing a common post-secondary lifestyle? There isn't one true answer.
My opinion on the matter is that students in the city simply don't have much to do. In a way, they encompass a completely separate population from the rest of London. They have their own areas that seem to be almost autonomous of how the rest of the city operates. Certain businesses completely rely on them as their main source of income and they dread the summer months when their customer base drops rapidly. With students, their area of interest is very slim. They have trouble connecting with this city and it's difficult to say whether this is sustainable or not. Various factors like unemployment and distance from home also contribute to their inevitable decision to leave when their education time is over, which leaves London as a crossroads city at best. It is a city where you meet people and grow as a person to go off and do better things elsewhere. In a way, this is a good thing. Very few places offer the opportunity that London does. On the other hand, London itself as a city has difficulty developing its own unique identity. As a musician who has played all around Canada, I see this very clearly in the local scene here.
London has a lot of potential. I've met some of the most amazing people here who I am going to be friends with (hopefully) for the rest of my life. If only the student body and local community could merge somehow and formulate a cohesive dialogue with each other, maybe the hostility will cease. Maybe someday we can see more local flair sprout instead of awful shopping malls and retail stores. It will take a lot of work, though, and it's definitely not something that can be undertaken by one person alone. This is a project that we all have to aspire to achieve together. Let's put aside the hostilities on both sides and work towards making this city a more comfortable experience. I think we all can say we deserve it.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
As a student myself, I feel for both sides as I now live here full-time and call London home. I believe that the issues brought up time and time again seem to have a greater depth to them than simple youth debauchery or hooliganism. While we look back on the dreaded embarrassments of the past, it's hard to say that we should brush it off as just a bunch of young people looking for trouble.
Common discussions brought up usually involve the issue of student behaviour in their areas of interest. Typically, students of both Western University and Fanshawe College spend their time in the Richmond Row bars between Oxford and Central Streets. They rarely venture past these bounds unless they have to go home. On other days, time is spent mostly on campus or potentially out at the nearest LCBO or grocery store. People who live in London see the treatment of the city on weekend nights and then grow frustrated when said students leave after their eight-month stay and the local garbage collectors have to pick up the pieces.
The response of the city has been at times, heavy handed. During Western's Homecoming events at the end of September, as you probably already know, police handed out hundreds of dollars' worth of tickets, to the applause of some of these residents who take issue to the excessive noise during this massive event. But what is really escalating the tensions between these two groups and further criminalizing a common post-secondary lifestyle? There isn't one true answer.
My opinion on the matter is that students in the city simply don't have much to do. In a way, they encompass a completely separate population from the rest of London. They have their own areas that seem to be almost autonomous of how the rest of the city operates. Certain businesses completely rely on them as their main source of income and they dread the summer months when their customer base drops rapidly. With students, their area of interest is very slim. They have trouble connecting with this city and it's difficult to say whether this is sustainable or not. Various factors like unemployment and distance from home also contribute to their inevitable decision to leave when their education time is over, which leaves London as a crossroads city at best. It is a city where you meet people and grow as a person to go off and do better things elsewhere. In a way, this is a good thing. Very few places offer the opportunity that London does. On the other hand, London itself as a city has difficulty developing its own unique identity. As a musician who has played all around Canada, I see this very clearly in the local scene here.
London has a lot of potential. I've met some of the most amazing people here who I am going to be friends with (hopefully) for the rest of my life. If only the student body and local community could merge somehow and formulate a cohesive dialogue with each other, maybe the hostility will cease. Maybe someday we can see more local flair sprout instead of awful shopping malls and retail stores. It will take a lot of work, though, and it's definitely not something that can be undertaken by one person alone. This is a project that we all have to aspire to achieve together. Let's put aside the hostilities on both sides and work towards making this city a more comfortable experience. I think we all can say we deserve it.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
