In 1929 a college was founded by Samuel L. Tator in New Haven. This college was called Connecticut College of Commerce. In 1951, the name was changed to Quinnipiac College in honor of the Native American tribe that lived in New Haven. In 1966, the college grew so large that it moved to the neighboring town of Hamden. In 2000, the college officially became a university and made Hamden its home.
You’re probably wondering why I am writing about Quinnipiac’s history. Well, I can tell you. On the cover, there is an article about the latest Hamden Planning and Zoning meeting. The article, in short, discusses Hamden’s most recent concerns with Quinnipiac.
To start, Hamden asked the university to provide a bed for every single full-time student, whether they live on-campus or if they commute. You know, just in the case rent goes up and it is too expensive to live off campus or there’s a zombie apocalypse in Hamden and every student needs a place to stay.
Quinnipiac has 271 empty beds right now. I am a resident assistant for sophomores and there are five empty beds in my building. We definitely do not need to provide beds just in case every commuter decides to live on campus. It’s a waste of supplies and money that we do not have right now. We have to pay to build more athletic fields on Mount Carmel because of the 2013 Title IX settlement. We had to lay off professors last May and because of limited budgets some classes were cut for this semester. Would we rather want to be able to provide jobs or provide beds that no one is using?
But the real reason the commission wants there to be enough beds on campus is because some residents do not like Quinnipiac students. Throughout the meeting, commission members said they like students; they just don’t like when students cause problems. But their actions make me feel like this is all just talk.
As it states in the article, 22 students were charged by police last academic year after throwing off-campus parties. Can you believe that? A whole 22 students! Crazy. That’s less than 1 percent of the Quinnipiac’s student population that is causing trouble-off campus. And Hamden residents are complaining?
A resident asked the school to have the students be good neighbors, because that’s what we’re at college for, right? To learn how to be a good neighbor. Actually no, I’m paying tuition to get an education at college, which I think Quinnipiac is doing a pretty good job of so far.
Hamden’s Town Planner was disappointed that the school hasn’t listened to her idea to have QU patrol off-campus housing with a “vehicle with yellow flashing lights.” Quinnipiac responded by saying it’s not under our jurisdiction. It’s under the Hamden Police department’s jurisdiction, so maybe Hamden should talk to its own police department.
Students don’t move off campus because there isn’t enough space for them. They move off so they don’t have to deal with Residential Life, getting random roommates, visitor passes, etc. Part of the college experience is growing up and gaining independence. Moving off campus and having to take care of your own home is something that should be encouraged if anything.
Hamden residents, stop treating commuters like they’re college kids. They’re residents just like you and you need to treat them like adults. It’s time to accept that Hamden is becoming a college town, and you should have realized that in 1966 when Quinnipiac moved in. You’ve had enough time to realize it. Now embrace it.
