Saginaw lacking college presence

November 5, 2007 —

Our campus has pretty much everything all other campuses have. We have dorms and places to eat and stores to shop in. There really isn't anything out of the ordinary on SVSU's campus - and I like that.

What gets me is what I run into just outside of campus, which is really nothing. Our "college" atmosphere just stops. It's secluded in a field and its perimeters are the football field and the 7-11 on the corner of Pierce and Bay roads. Beyond those points, there is nothing in Saginaw that really indicates there's a college in this city.

Take the University of Michigan, for example. I walk around downtown Ann Arbor and all I see are college students. It's their area. When they're done with a long day of classes they can walk down to Pinball Pete's or grab a tea at Bubble Island on University Avenue. Then maybe they'll do a little shopping or grab a bite to eat before waltzing back to their dorm room.

Michigan State University is similar. A Barnes and Noble bookstore is conveniently located right across the street from their campus. Ours is a couple miles away and is significantly smaller. Clothing stores like American Apparel and Urban Outfitters that appeal to those in their early 20's are just a couple stores down. We have a tiny mall and Tropical Smoothie, things any other town would normally have.

Sure, you could argue that we have a "downtown" area. I know plenty of students that hit up Hamilton Street for fun. But it's absolutely dead during the day and at night you could find someone in your English class roaming the street, but I bet he'll be at least 21 and is probably with people that don't even go to college.

That's all fine, but that's more of a bar atmosphere, not a college atmosphere. I don't think SVSU students have any real problems finding things to do once nightfall hits. It's during the day when we're at a bit of a loss. You can only walk around campus and sit in Einstein's Eatery so many times.

What besides our Thursday night college nights at bars and clubs make Saginaw unique? Why can't we drink bubble tea and then walk back to our dorms? I want to be able to walk with my college friends to a college hangout and get served by a college student. I don't want to go to the mall and hang out with loud families and teenagers.

Campus and Saginaw are like two completely different worlds. I'd love it if Saginaw took in some of our campus lifestyle and integrated it with the rest of the city-or even areas that are nearby. I realize this would be a hard task since SVSU is somewhat in the middle of nowhere. That doesn't mean the school doesn't exist, though. Give us a place to go besides TGIFriday's and Bennigan's. It's our turn for a Pinball Pete's.