University owned property should cater to all
Dear Editors,
Re: “University Avenue could reflect forward thinking” (Journal, Sept. 10, 2004)
Like it or not, Queen’s campus—both the physical structures as well as the institution itself—is an important and ingrained part of Kingston. Since the campus resides firmly within an important part of the city, and is surrounded by homes and businesses that belong to students and non-students alike, making the grounds accessible and enjoyable to the general community is imperative.
Queen’s should not solely be responsible for funding these improvements, but the institution and the students have a responsibility to make the campus a public space for all to enjoy. I say this because students going to Queen’s make the entire city their playground while they attend school between September and April—I refer mostly to undergraduate students here. As those of us who live in Kingston proper can attest, especially if you have enjoyed the city during the quiet summer months, the return of students in the fall is accompanied by the increased presence of garbage, noise and a generally bad odour in the “student ghetto” vicinity. In fact, Queen’s should be paying for public works as reparations to the City in general, given the negative consequences many students have on the area. I say the more public spaces on campus the better, and stop the elitist attitude that sees the campus as an isolated space in Kingston.
Andrew Stevens
MA ’05
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