2008 Woodie Awards
Students establish Union-Schenectady Alliance to revitalize the College's hometown
Cara Gallivan
Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: News
It took an extended trip to the Middle East for Steve Walker, '08, to decide once and for all that he wanted to change Union's relationship with Schenectady. A vision of "a Schenectady [that] Union students would never want to leave" has been a glimmer in Steve's eye for over a year.
The vision is coming closer to reality with senior Josh DeBartolo's collaboration and the efforts of other fellow students on a new committee called the Union-Schenectady Alliance. "While I was over there, I actually had time to think," Walker explained, "and I decided that I wanted to make it happen, with or without a grant."
DeBartolo, who grew up about 45 minutes from campus, noted that improving Schenectady has always been of personal interest for him: "developing Schenectady is not just about Schenectady itself. It would not only help out Union, but it would benefit my hometown too."
Last week, the budget-less but determined committee met for the first time, for introductions and the first round of talks on what they hope to achieve, as well as how to get there. Together, the members hope to "elevate the perceptions Union students hold of Schenectady and to promote the social and economic development of the city."
Walker and DeBartolo devised a unique strategy to meet this admirable challenge head-on. This past fall, they presented a plan to the Center for Economic Growth on how to develop a Schenectady where students would want to live and work after college.
"We tried to steer away from the economic growth approach," DeBartolo explained. "We figured the city's administration had probably already considered most of what could be said over the thirty years Schenectady has been in this depressed state."
"Instead," he recalled, "we tried to give a fresh perspective, looking at the situation as if it were a relationship two people would enter into: First, we need to create the initial attraction to the town. Then, through increased interactions with the city, a relationship of mutual care between city and individual, and between individuals themselves, will develop."
The vision is coming closer to reality with senior Josh DeBartolo's collaboration and the efforts of other fellow students on a new committee called the Union-Schenectady Alliance. "While I was over there, I actually had time to think," Walker explained, "and I decided that I wanted to make it happen, with or without a grant."
DeBartolo, who grew up about 45 minutes from campus, noted that improving Schenectady has always been of personal interest for him: "developing Schenectady is not just about Schenectady itself. It would not only help out Union, but it would benefit my hometown too."
Last week, the budget-less but determined committee met for the first time, for introductions and the first round of talks on what they hope to achieve, as well as how to get there. Together, the members hope to "elevate the perceptions Union students hold of Schenectady and to promote the social and economic development of the city."
Walker and DeBartolo devised a unique strategy to meet this admirable challenge head-on. This past fall, they presented a plan to the Center for Economic Growth on how to develop a Schenectady where students would want to live and work after college.
"We tried to steer away from the economic growth approach," DeBartolo explained. "We figured the city's administration had probably already considered most of what could be said over the thirty years Schenectady has been in this depressed state."
"Instead," he recalled, "we tried to give a fresh perspective, looking at the situation as if it were a relationship two people would enter into: First, we need to create the initial attraction to the town. Then, through increased interactions with the city, a relationship of mutual care between city and individual, and between individuals themselves, will develop."
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Rick Gallivan
posted 2/19/08 @ 12:16 AM EST
What a wonderful article and mission for the students of Union. I am very proud of all of them, especially Cara. Too bad some people don't get it (you know who you are!). (Continued…)
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