Here’s an example of the sort of thing that I would like to do more of on EMUTalk.org: link to and discuss posts from other blogs, especially posts from EMU and Southeast Michigan bloggers. See this post from Mark Maynard, “emu president dr. susan martin on town/gown relations.” Incoming President Susan Martin did an interview with the Ypsilanti Courier, and one of her “great ideas” for building better relations between EMU and Ypsilanti was to have an Easter egg hunt at the President’s house. Mark has some better ideas:
While an Easter egg hunt on the grounds of the President’s house would be great, I suppose, I was hoping for something more. I was hoping for talk of programs incentivizing new faculty to purchase homes in Ypsi. Or, how about a promise to revisit the development policy that has all new EMU construction taking place on the far end of the campus, away from the City? Or, how about instituting a monthly breakfast meeting with key stakeholders in the community? There are any number of things that she could do that would improve the relationship, and thus both the City and the University. Hopefully she’ll realize that once she’s been here a while.
Ypsilanti doesn’t have to be a negative, holding the University back. It doesn’t have to be something that they hide from prospective students. Ypsi could be a selling point. There are tons of things that college-aged students would appreciate, from the Ugly Mug and bands at the Elbow Room to the Shadow Art Fair and the Dreamland Theater. My hope is that Dr. Martin recognizes this and really gets engaged. What the people of Ypsialnti really need isn’t an Easter egg hunt, but a dedicated partner who sees that our futures are intertwined. We need a partner that wants to be involved in the development of Water Street, the improvement of our public schools, and the betterment of our local economy. We need a President that fights to bring good, sustainable businesses to Ypsilanti, creating jobs for their students and contributing to the economic vitality of our City. We need someone, in short, who gives a damn.
Well said.
Mark is absolutely right! For instance, it’s always seemed odd to me that nowhere on EMU’s official web site are there any links to any local organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, directories of businesses, municipal organizations, etc. At least I’ve never found them. It’s like the city and the university inhabit completely different worlds.
If I were considering EMU as a learning institution or as an employer, I’ve want to know something about the surrounding area and what is has to offer. Those considerations are important for those who are going to pull up stakes and relocate themselves and/ their families, and often make make the difference in where one choses to hang their hat.
I echo Mark’s sentiments. As both an Ypsilanti resident and EMU faculty member, (and an prior neighbor of Mark’s) I recognize the need for creative and consistent community relations. I encourage the EMU community to seek ways to apply their scholarship in the public sphere. Such applications can help to foster connections and possibilities for years to come.
I applied for a grant that will support a community based arts (performance, primarily) project addressing specifically race and discrimination. This is not the university simply creating fly-by-night programming but creating with the community and for the community.
I arrived at the theme after talking with several community members/leaders (also surveying local blogs including Mark’s) about what they believe to be a city issue in need of addressing. 10 Graduate students will be working and collaborating with 20 Ypsilanti High students from the Saturday Scholar’s program. They will initiate 8 community dialogues (on the city, race and discrimination) with various community/city groups and stakeholders over a period of several months. These dialogues will serve as the impetus for a community based performance at the Riverside Arts Center that will catalyze a community dialogue. This is a year-long project hopefully leading to a yearly community arts program/project with the city and the university. That’s the dream. Has been mine for awhile. Hopefully, community members in addition to contributing to the dialogue will become part of the performance as well. Arts as a means of civic dialogue…so, here is one way the university is building a bridge.
>>>>>>>>It’s like the city and the university inhabit completely different worlds.
It used to be different planets….Kirkpatrick (despite all the mud he endured) bridged the gap from planets to worlds:-)
I hope the new President can lead on this but offering an egg hunt just won’t do it and I sincerely hope she was joking!
I just posted this comment on my friend Mark Maynard’s wonderful blog, and thought I’d put it up here too for the EMUTalk readers:
…..I don’t think there’s anything wrong with EMU sponsoring an Easter egg hunt, or talking about it. Indeed, as an EMU faculty member, I know that when the $6 million “University House” was first opened in 2004, this was one specific idea that was floated for how the house could be used for mutual town-gown benefit….and the powers that then ruled EMU said no way – what was in it for them? Indeed, that president who built the house and broke laws to do so, refused virtually every suggestion from community and campus groups for how the house should be used.
So I commend Dr. Susan Martin for being willing to consider ideas for how the house can be used. I doubt she thinks an egg hunt would be a world- or town- or campus-changing event, but it could be a nice, right? And one that would cost little and not take effort away from other, bigger hopes or projects. For those who like that kind of thing, an Easter egg hunt may be lots of fun — we’re talking about children under age 12, mostly, i imagine, and not even all of them;; and as far as i know very few of Ypsi’s children visit the EMU campus for any reason.
And Dr. Martin doesn’t become president until July 7. From the perspective of those who built University House, and who have largely run EMU for the last many decades, Dr. Martin, by proactively thinking of ways the town and the campus can cooperate, is thinking “outside the box.” The usual way of EMU administrators to do business with the town was to threaten and demand, and to hint of buying up property and taking it off the tax rolls if the town did not give EMU administrators whatever they wanted.
For that matter.. I think they/we/she should also consider a ‘hide the affikomen’ event as well.
For Gentiles like me, this wikipedia entry might help explain the “hide the afikoman/affikomen” event that Decky mentions. I think it’s a great idea: maybe eggs on the lawn, and matzah inside the house?
As a former long time colleague of Sue Martin’s, I commend EMU for your choice. You will not find a more capable, harder working, more dedicated public servant than Sue. I hope the faculty and staff tap into her energy and work with her to make EMU all that you want it to be rather than question every comment. Sue understands it, but she will need your help to do it.
Hide the afikomen, Decky?!? Too funny!!!!!!!