Finding Common Ground: Greencastle, DePauw navigate town-gown relations
By: Lucy First
Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: News
This summer, while students were shopping for dorm items and textbooks, President Brian Casey and Greencastle Mayor Sue Murray were discussing University relations with the community that in 1837 raised $25,000 to convince the Methodist Church to establish a school here.
For Greencastle resident and communication professor Jeff McCall, Casey's actions are a step in the right direction.
"Dr. Casey is well on the path because he has made a concerted effort to get to know what's going on in the community," McCall said.
A strained relationship?
McCall, who has lived in the community for 23 years, said that negative perceptions of University-Greencastle relations are "exaggerated."
"I think the relationship is better than people give it credit," McCall said. "That's not to say there aren't some strains from time to time, but the people I know in Greencastle recognize that the University is a key player in the community's success."
President Emeritus Robert Bottoms, who served as the University's president for 22 years, said he believes that the community and DePauw have maintained a "healthy" relationship.
Not everyone sees the relationship as positive, however. English Professor Gregory Schwipps called the current relationship a "missed opportunity," and placed blame for problems on both DePauw and Greencastle.
"I think that there's a lot of potential for some very rich interaction that both sides often ignore," Schwipps said.
"I agree that I don't think things are strained now," he added. "The problem is no one would categorize them as good either."
History of problems
McCall said publicized events of conflict and history have contributed to strains in the relationship.
"Part of it is just history," McCall says. "There have also been some well-known instances where people didn't get along very well or students caused a commotion, or students' names end up in the newspaper."
For Greencastle resident and communication professor Jeff McCall, Casey's actions are a step in the right direction.
"Dr. Casey is well on the path because he has made a concerted effort to get to know what's going on in the community," McCall said.
A strained relationship?
McCall, who has lived in the community for 23 years, said that negative perceptions of University-Greencastle relations are "exaggerated."
"I think the relationship is better than people give it credit," McCall said. "That's not to say there aren't some strains from time to time, but the people I know in Greencastle recognize that the University is a key player in the community's success."
President Emeritus Robert Bottoms, who served as the University's president for 22 years, said he believes that the community and DePauw have maintained a "healthy" relationship.
Not everyone sees the relationship as positive, however. English Professor Gregory Schwipps called the current relationship a "missed opportunity," and placed blame for problems on both DePauw and Greencastle.
"I think that there's a lot of potential for some very rich interaction that both sides often ignore," Schwipps said.
"I agree that I don't think things are strained now," he added. "The problem is no one would categorize them as good either."
History of problems
McCall said publicized events of conflict and history have contributed to strains in the relationship.
"Part of it is just history," McCall says. "There have also been some well-known instances where people didn't get along very well or students caused a commotion, or students' names end up in the newspaper."
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Mary Smith
posted 11/14/08 @ 10:46 PM EST
Several DePauw alums, staff and students came out of a downtown Greencastle establishment Friday night to find their vehicles towed from the vacant Crown Equipment parking lot at Jackson and Walnut streets. (Continued…)
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