You know that old question, ‘What came first: the chicken or the egg?’ Of course you do, everyone does. Well I often consider, “What came first: Penn State University or the Borough of State College?”
If you have never thought about that before, then you should. Many students go on with their day-to-day lives never considering the University’s relationship with downtown State College. And to those of you reading who may not be as informed: no, Penn State does not own downtown. And yes, there are other people that live in State College that aren’t University employees or students. I know, shocking. Well as a leader in student government, I along with fellow student leaders, have to work with the Borough of State College rather frequently.
Want more street and ally way lighting downtown? –Need to talk to the Borough
Want to talk about nuisance property points? -Need to talk to the Borough
Want to register an event downtown? -Need to talk to the Borough
See what I’m getting at? Needless to say, the relationship between the University and State College is extremely important, and should always be positive.
Yet… this is not always the case.
So let’s bring it back to my first reference: what came first?
Borough of State College: Founded in 1896
Penn State University (originally named the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania): Founded in 1855
Hmmm… interesting. So what would State College be if the university was never founded 11 years before its creation? Well first, I would argue that it would not be called State College. Second, it would probably be a small town just like Bellefonte with a population well below 10,000 people. The economy would not be as strong, small businesses would not be as successful, and the job market would be much more limited.
So, you may ask, what are you getting at Alex? Well guys, I wanted to bring to your attention the positive impact that the University (and its primary constituents students) brings to this town we all get to call home. Penn State does SO MUCH for State College and, quite frankly, the town would not exist without it. State College should value, appreciate, and be thankful for the almost 50,000 students that walk its streets every day. We (students) should not be referred to as “bugs” that coalesce around street lamps or “scary and drunk.”
And that, my friend, is why you should support BugPAC. With upcoming Borough elections, BugPAC is supporting four candidates for election to the State College Borough Council that are student-friendly. Michael Black, Marina Cotarelo, Dan Murphy, and Evan Myers are three individuals that recognize the University’s importance in State College and are thankful for the students that live here. To find out more information, please go to BugPAC.org to learn more! It is detrimental to our future as Penn Staters that these three individuals are elected and I hope you can support them just as I do.
Follow Us!