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Does Grand Forks have a college atmosphere?

Yes
1 (33.3%)
No
2 (66.7%)
Unsure
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 3

Author Topic: Does Grand Forks have a college atmosphere?  (Read 2774 times)

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Offline Sal Atticum

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Does Grand Forks have a college atmosphere?
« on: October 01, 2007, 10:16:52 AM »
That's the question. I think it does (since it is a college town), but I think it could be more integrated, and more culturally enriched for the students (as well as being better for the townspeople as well).

To get you thinking, this article just appeared in the DS:
Quote from: Martin Rottler
The college atmosphere of our city
By: Martin Rottler
Posted: 9/28/07
Recently, a few members of Student Government met with members of the City Council to discuss items of interest to UND students and the city of Grand Forks. One of the meeting's closing comments was from Hal Gershman, who "heard there are many students who love the University of North Dakota but don't like Grand Forks." This was a somewhat poignant observation that is closer to the truth than most non-UND related residents of the city think. I'm glad to hear that he is open to thoughts and ideas about how to make the working and living relationship between the students and residents work better, as there is quite a bit the city and students can be doing to bridge the gap.

One of the biggest complaints many college students have about the city is something that is largely beyond the control of city leaders: a lack of a central social area with things for college students to do. In other cities big and small there is an easily accessible (to students) area that has bars, restaurants, and shops geared towards students and the larger university community. The development on the Bronson property near the REA seemed to try with proposals for housing geared for students with entertainment and dining options geared toward the same audience. Downtown has many dining and entertainment options, but for many there are no viable transportation options. The Cab Crawler service, although helpful, can be time consuming and is not efficient for carrying students to or from downtown. If a group of students who are "of-age" and live near the university or on the south end want to enjoy a night on the town, their options for transportation are limited. If the Council and Student Government worked together to provide alternative transportation, many of our complaints of having "nothing to do" would be partly assuaged, especially since there will soon be even more all-ages entertainment options (the new movie theatre) in the downtown area.

There are things that go on in this city that don't make sense to people like me at all. One of the biggest things that make me go "huh?" is the fact that City Council elections are held separate from all other elections in the middle of the summer. This practically guarantees, whether intentional or not, that the minimum number of UND students will be able to voice their opinion in an election that is important for the community. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that this might be intentional, but I'm sure there was a reason for it at some point. Moving the election to fall in-line with state and national elections would no doubt increase voter turnout. I've voted in City Council elections once since I got here, and that was after going through a long-winded absentee balloting process. If the date can't be moved, the city government should at least work to publicize and ease the process for students to get ballots to vote in absentia.

A topic of contention often heard amongst my peers is treatment by the Grand Forks Police Department. I tend to take student complaints about situations involving the GFPD and UPD with a large grain of salt. 18-22 year-olds (myself included) often love to play the "victim" card, even if they might be breaking the law. Any "social gathering" could be misconstrued as a "wild party" by unknowing neighbors who then call the police. When they come, according to some people, they are obviously the bad guys regardless of the fact that the students were being a nuisance. Every police officer I've come across in this city has been polite, professional, and helpful. The situation regarding relationships between students and residents in neighborhoods surrounding the University is something that requires outreach from both sides. Students need to make sure they get to know their neighbors and open the lines of communication in case there is an issue. Residents need to do the same thing and be open to the fact that we are students and might have a different lifestyle then they are accustomed to.

Grand Forks is a unique city with many positive offerings. In my fourth year of time here at school, I'm glad that members of the greater community are working towards building a positive relationship with the 12,000+ students that attend UND. It can only get better from here.
© Copyright 2007 Dakota Student

Here is what I have to say about it:
There is a problem of having "little to do" as a student, but only if you make it one.  Downtown is two miles from campus--which can be easily walked until late October when it gets chillier.  Having a responsible person to be DD is also an option.

We don't want to talk about those things, because they make life hard. I definitely agree. I've said before that UND needs to decide whether they want to integrate with Grand Forks or distance themselves from it.  If the former, the landowners near UND need to be worked with directly and convinced that they could make money off of developing their property into restaurants.  If the latter, then it falls to UND to provide help for students who wish to do something other than study.  Note that this doesn't necessarily include another drinking establishment on campus.  I think that Night Life at UND has been very successful, and I hear that it's very fun.

If you want change, remember to contact your Student Senate member!  This is how things get changed.  It's a slow process, but if we use the Student Senate, it will become more powerful.  Whining to your buddies that you can't go to the bar every night doesn't change anything--discussing more taxis with your senator might.  Don't forget--if the Senate puts something into place, USE IT, or it will go away.  This IS your money they are dealing with, but if you ignore what they do and continue to drive drunk or just whine, they'll get rid of the program.  Cost/benefit people!

There are a lot of things to do in this town, if you know where to look.  For many of you, you already know where the bars are, and the problem is responsible transportation (apparently because none of your friends can be truested to be sober enough to drive).  If it's something else (live music, theatre, alternative entertainments), there are a few places to look:

-Campus Dakota, which has a weekly calendar of music, theatre, meetings and other things for students to do.  www.campusdakota.com
-Culturepulse, which has the same but for greater Grand Forks, and includes art showings and dance performances. culturepulse.org
-Still Fighting It, a blog by a local musician who posts the weekly musical events.  mattfacingsouth.blogspot.com

If you want to take the Grand Forks city government to task for having City Council elections in June, let's do it.  Let's find out the procedure for getting this changed, let's find an already sympathetic city council member to back us, and let's change things.  Whining about it is not going to help.  If enough students think this is important, it will get done.  If you want to talk more about this, contact me at [email protected]
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Offline Meest

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Re: Does Grand Forks have a college atmosphere?
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2007, 12:55:50 AM »
No it doesn't. Between the rezoning of the residential area right by UND making it illegal to rent a house to more than 3? people at a time to "Cut down on party houses". So if you have a 5 bedroom house you want to rent your screwed as the property owner because no one's going to want to pay the rent for the extra space between 3 people. Believe me, I've been there, seen it happen. I had friends that 5 maned a house before the change, then switch renter's but keep 5 people in the house (Two people moved away) and suddenly it was a problem.

Same goes for Loud party's.... Honestly, what constitutes loud? its the discretion of the cop. how can you as a citizen then make sure you are not breaking a law without asking a police officer? How is that legal at all? You have a speedometer to tell you how fast you're going in you're car, so you know if you're within the speed limit. Give us something to work with for a sound limit! Its ridiculous that a law that poorly worded and thought out could have made it through the city council.... Along with the fine and record that comes with it.... if i remember right its a felony? not just a misdemeanor?  Honestly give us a limit.... 84dbA at the property line? or something.... not just at the cops discression thats, bullying and just not right at all. If the cop doesn't like the noise its to loud for him, if its a Harley flying by at 1 under the speed limit. its fine for him.... discresion has no logic or science to it at all.... no Constancy.

I honestly have never heard the transportation complaint before.... I've lived in this town since 94, and have had numerous friends from in and out of town going to school at UND and the tech.... Honestly, get a a group of friends and grow the hell up and take turns being the DD... is it honestly that much of a let down to be sober one weekend a month? hell you get back at 2am you can then drink with your buddies once you decide you're not going anywhere else for the night! problem solved! Maybe my friends are a little to logical.... or maybe to practical...

I do agree that there needs to be more to do.... but more to do also means Grand Forks as a city needs to grow up a little bit.... Welcome to the world of entertainment... that means having door covers if you want decent bands, that means being open to new music, and not wanting to listen to you're top 40 shit come out in the bar band version at you're local watering hole.... That means supporting the places that do it, that also means that there needs to be musician's that understand how to use the gear, and how to perform. It all comes with time.

All in all I think the City of grand forks itself has distanced itself from UND, as if putting a barricade in the way of talking and bargaining with them.

That comment by Hal i think is slightly amusing..... coming from Hal.... considering his place of business in town.

Offline Admiral Ackbar

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Re: Does Grand Forks have a college atmosphere?
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2007, 08:19:04 AM »
I think its a college town sure. We have colllege kids here, get drunk every night what more do you need?
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Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Does Grand Forks have a college atmosphere?
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2007, 09:29:58 AM »
Here's a follow-up article (not really, but addressing related things).  I am very impressed with the DS for actually doing interviews and doing some investigative news this year.  Good job!! :thumbsup:

Quote
Date change is considered for city's election
Alterations to make student voting easier are being looked at by Student Government
By: Nikki Voigt
Posted: 10/9/07
Student government members are currently working to make it easier for UND students to vote in Grand Forks city elections.
Until 1991, city elections were held on the first Tuesday in April of each even-numbered year. Then the North Dakota Legislature adopted a statewide action to consolidate city, county and school elections with statewide primary elections held in June.

"The arguments made for consolidating local elections with state primaries were to cut costs and save money to enhance voter turnout," said Pete Haga, the Mayor's Assistant. "They were also concerned with reducing voter burnout that many people were getting from having to vote in several different elections at different times of the year."

According to Haga, although concern that the move would have an effect on college students was not brought up in the discussions of the change, the action was not targeted against student voters.


Voter accessibility

"It does make sense to hold all these elections at the same time," said Amanda Kaler, Student Government's Governmental Affairs Commissioner. "But it makes it hard for students who move back home or who are gone for the summer to get their voices heard in the elections this way."

Kaler said that Student Government is currently working on a plan to get the city elections changed to November to benefit students.

"I'm hoping to get the North Dakota Student Association to support this plan," she said. "Our next meeting is in October, so hopefully we can get some good discussion on this going then. I want the other representatives to check with their cities, so we can gather statewide support for this."

"I believe that the date of elections can be changed through actions at the state legislature level," said Haga. "If something can change in the first place, there is a way to get it to change back."


Change process

Haga said that an interested person or group would have to give a proposal to a local legislator who would put it into draft form and get it to the legislature for discussion.

"It wouldn't be able to be discussed until the 2009 legislative session," he said.

Kaler said that for this year, Student Government is going to gather absentee ballots and have them in their office or somewhere else on campus where students can have access to them.

"Students can apply for absentee ballots 30 days prior to elections," Haga said. "The city is working with Student Government to get the information about absentee ballots out to everyone and to make them more accessible."

"We want the students to know that they are citizens of Grand Forks and they do have the right to vote," Haga added.

"It's important for students to be able to vote in city elections, because this is where they live nine months out of the year," Kaler said. "These elections will affect them more than the ones in their hometown will, because they only live there for three months."

Kaler added that UND students are a huge chunk of the Grand Forks population, and deserve to have some say in local issues.
The city isn't against having more students voting in city elections, either.

"We do want students to have their voices heard as residents in this community," Haga said. © Copyright 2007 Dakota Student

I'll add my comments here again as well, mostly because I don't know if they will stick up on the DS site:


I've outlined my ideas about this in response to an earlier article, but I would like to add to that.

Interesting article, and almost to the point. Is Student Government going to be working towards getting the election date changed until 2009, or is the vote going to come up while everyone is asleep at the wheel? As much as getting absentee ballots out there can probably help, I think we need a goal and a plan more solid than "let's get the election date changed."

Who are we going to vote for? Why are we going to vote for them? What do the students actually want out of the city government? How are we going to coordinate this and rally the majority of the students to get out and vote?

I think that we need some support _now_. Is there, in fact, anyone currently in city government that is willing to hear from the students? Is there someone at Student Government that is willing to head up coordinating a "list of demands" from the student body? Is there someone in the community who would be willing to run and be elected by the students (if we ever have so much clout as to be able to vote)? Is there a STUDENT who would be right for the job?

Handing out some absentee ballots and making a Facebook group isn't going to cut it--if you want to be taken seriously, and if the students are really as part of this town as they think they are, then we need to use our contacts with the full-time residents to our advantage. We need a plan and a goal, and it should be in place or in action by the time this supposed vote happens to change the date.

College students are ephemeral, and the city government knows this. If we have nothing long-term in place, the city won't even think about listening to us.

I am open to suggestions.

Other comments on this article at the DS
JUST EXTRA POLISH. I DO SOME WORK WITH EXCELL SO I KEEP THE CAPS LOCK ON :-P

 

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