Higher Education

Camden, New Jersey, quite possibly one of the most reviled cities in the nation, especially after attaining the title of "Most Dangerous" two years in a row. Though we don't relish it, (at least I don't) we Trentonians have a saying: "Well it could be worse, we could be as bad as Camden." Not long ago, Diane Sawyer went to Camden with 20/20 to show the American people just what kind of conditions existed in the city by profiling the lives of three children living there. Sawyer also demonstrated the outside municipalities' view of Camden by visiting nearby Moorestown. A young caucasian boy when asked "What do you know about Camden," replied very matter of factly, "You're not supposed to go there." The airing of the report sent the Governor's Office into a flurry of activity with various state agencies descending on the city like jackrabbits.

Yet despite the fact that Camden suffers an arguably worse fate than Trenton, there exists something in the city far beyond Trenton's wildest dreams. What is it? It's a 40 acre model of urban revitalization, employing 700 people total, with 5,384 people coming and going every day-550 of them living on location. It's a place where students come to study business, law, liberal arts, and more. It's a satellite campus of a school with a highly regarded national reputation and a lot of Jersey pride. Rutgers University maintains a presence in Camden and suffers no shortage of students enrolling. Can anyone argue why Trenton couldn't emulate such a feat? After all, Trenton was the birthplace of Rider University, The College of New Jersey, and Mercer County Community College, all long since moved out to Lawrenceville, Ewing, and West Windsor, respectively, though MCCC maintains a small presence in the city. Just to be clear, the purpose of this post is not to knock Camden or Rutgers for being there, but rather to say, "If Camden, why not Trenton?"

No one is suggesting moving Rider or TCNJ BACK to the city of Trenton. Such a move would make little sense in terms of space and cost. However, either moving a school or program to Trenton, or creating an entirely new school or program in the city could make perfect sense. Having recently been a college student not all that long ago, I can speak with some authority on why a college would do well to locate a branch or "satellite" within the city. First and foremost, college students who desire an urban setting to begin with care very little about WHERE they live as long as some very basic needs are met. This is evidenced by schools such as Temple University, Fordham University, and of course, Rutgers Camden. College students are not worried about the condition of the local schools or the crime, they're worried about getting to class on time, passing the test, and being able to order a pizza at 4 A.M. Next, college students are consumers with disposable income. If 1,000 undergrads were to descend on Trenton, they would need things. Food, drink, services, entertainment, etc...many needs which students would have the income to demand would need to be satisfied. Everything from coffee shops, to convenience stores, to dry cleaners, to bars and restaurants would be stimulated by not only students living on campus, but any additional on-campus individuals including but not limited to: commuter students, faculty, and support/administrative staff as well. Finally, students, faculty, and those who tend to congregate in such circles could serve to supplement the growing yet struggling arts scene in Trenton. Everyone knows that the atmosphere of a great "College Town" is one of diversity and variety. The arts scene in Trenton, funky Trenton bars and restaurants, and other growing entities in the city could experience a true synergy with the addition of an institution of higher learning. College students, as anyone who has spent time in a "College Town" can attest to, are "all hours" people. In fact, they are most active at the times that our fair city is usually quite dead. This in and of itself would be quite a boon to Trenton.

Need more reasons why a college would do well to come to Trenton? Two words: THE STATE. The fact that Trenton is the capital of New Jersey, as I've said before, is simultaneously a blessing and a curse. Perhaps the fact that the capital is located in Trenton is a blessing in that if not for it, it is difficult to say how many outsiders would come to the city if at all. However, with its monopolization of parking areas, and other wrongheaded decisions, the state has not always been entirely gracious toward its host. Despite these mixed blessings, the state would have much to offer a college campus located within the city. Five days per week, people from nearly all parts of New Jersey converge on Trenton. Many of these people are top experts in their respective fields and are professionals with much to offer. They work in the Department of Justice, Environmental Protection, the Legislature, the Governor's Office, and more. Of course the state does not have a monopoly on talent in the city. Lobbying firms, law offices, media entities, county courts, and other private firms are also located in the city. The opportunities for cooperative learning in a plethora of fields is nearly endless. All of this could be centrally located in a place where a student could have easy access to transportation, be able to walk to an internship, or meet at a coffee shop to work, meet with friends, or simply relax.

Put simply, with regards to higher education in Trenton, the sky is the limit. Not only could students benefit from the concentration of activity and expertise in the city, the city's residents could benefit from the students as well. Of course a college would provide jobs and stimulate the economy, but institutions of higher learning seem to have a common thread-they help people. Colleges and universities perform research, help to jump start projects and initiatives, and generally strive to make the world a better place through spreading knowledge and information. Imagine if college students were paired with Trenton youth for mentoring, tutoring, and skill building, there is no telling where something of that nature could lead. Much of Trenton's rebirth seems to be rooted in the past. Old buildings like the Exton Cracker Factory on Centre Street and the Broad Street Bank are finding new uses. All over the country, certain groups of people are slowly returning to the urban centers they once fled. Perhaps Trenton could do a bit to remind great institutions like Rider University and The College of New Jersey (TRENTON STATE!!!) where they came from, and that Jon Bon Jovi wasn't kidding when he said: "Who says you can't go home?"

Yes, that was corny, no, I'm not apologizing. If you read this blog and you're not an ardent fan of the Holy (Jersey) Trinity of Frank, Bruce, and Jon, that's your loss, not mine.

Slan go foill

In Praise of James H. Coston

Jim Coston has been mentioned in this blog before, but never in depth, but I feel at this point that it is very necessary to recognize just what an exceptional person he is. Elsewhere in the world of Trenton revitalization there has been an idea put forth that any private person, politician, business, etc...that has endorsed Mayor Palmer should be "blacklisted." The reasoning behind said blacklisting, I'm assuming, is to send a message to Palmer, and to chip away at his power base, which I don't disagree with in spirit at least. However, I think this situation can be likened to a man going into his doctor's office and finding out he has cancer. Of course, now there must be a treatment plan. Blacklisting EVERY person and business that endorsed Palmer is akin to shooting the cancer patient in the head in order to cure the cancer. I believe this analogy is helpful for seeing the error in the "blacklisting" approach. However, relevant to this post is the fact that eschewing this type of tactic is just one facet of Jim Coston's expert leadership style.

For those of you who do not know much about Jim, I suggest you browse his website, which contains an extensive amount of information about him. The simple fact that the man has bothered to maintain a website (and very impressive site, I might add) speaks volumes of his determination and drive. No other Trenton Councilperson maintains a website. Not one. A resident of the South Ward can log on to www.southtrenton.com and learn about Jim, his positions, the city, and read about new developments at Council, among other things. They also are given more than one way to contact the Councilman should they need to. I wonder if residents of other parts of the city would know how to contact their representatives in Council? I wonder, if they had a problem, would they receive any assistance with it, provided they could even get in touch with their Councilperson? I seriously doubt it since most Councilmembers don't even seem to want residents to show up to meetings, let alone contact them.

Regarding Jim's style of leadership, he is one of the few breaths of fresh air this city has seen in a long time. At first glance, Coston seems like a firebrand, an upstart, and quite a troublemaker. A cursory look at the local paper headlines would give a casual observer that idea. However, when one looks at the big picture, one sees that the reason Coston looks so revolutionary and confrontational is because our frame of reference is simply a bit skewed. In my experience with the city (which spans just shy of 30 years) I have never seen a member of Council who fought harder for accountability and truth, filed OPRA requests with such tenacity, or hounded slumlords with such zeal. Likewise, I have never seen a Councilperson who ever really listened to constituents praise and criticism with equal consideration. Trenton is just not used to people who believe in good government. Though good government is the way it's "supposed to be," it just hasn't been in Trenton for many many years, and Jim is simply doing the people's work. Of course the compassion and dedication to service that Jim brings to the office of Councilman comes from his vocation as a pastor, but I believe that we can find more people like him no matter what their occupation. Perhaps if we had more like people like Jim Coston on City Council, the man himself wouldn't seem so revolutionary. With enough people like him and a Mayor who shares their commitment, perhaps good government would just be "business as usual."

Slan go foill