The UAlbany campus police are offering $1,000 for the name of the person who spray-paint stenciled a message protesting the cancellation of Fountain Day on columns around the campus podium. In other news: the end of the semester is May 12 -- not that anyone's counting the days. [ASP]
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My three year old son absolutely loving riding the train around Huck Finn's (Hoffman's) Playland this summer.
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Comments
Student #1: Hey, Joey. It really sucks that Fountain Day got cancelled. We weren't even here for Kegs N' Eggs.
Student #2: Jimmy, it sure does. Hell, I betcha 99 percent of us weren't even there, but we still got screwed, yeah.
Student #1: We sure did. Hey, let's get the message out. We could spray-paint "Did you know 99 percent of UAlbany students were NOT part of the Kegs N' Eggs riot but were punished for it" all around campus. That'll do it.
Student #2: Great, man. And ya' know what Abe Lincoln said? “If by the mere force of numbers a majority should deprive a minority of any clearly written constitutional right, it might, in a moral point of view, justify revolution.â€
Student #1: Yeah. And ya' know what Ralph Waldo Emerson once said? "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
Student #2: Umm, yeah.
... said Bob on Apr 6, 2011 at 7:11 PM | link
Why could they not use that 1000 to hold fountian day? It would be a better use of cash.
... said bleaker days on Apr 6, 2011 at 10:12 PM | link
The stencil would have to have been created somewhere right? Or that could narrow down the suspects to stencil expert. This could turn into a UALBANY version of Clue...
... said ashallann on Apr 6, 2011 at 11:42 PM | link
Hmmm, stencil, eh? Sounds to me that this person took a clue from 90's NYC 'peace punks'. Maybe check that lineage? Reminds me of a lot of WWIII pieces with a crybaby attitude instead of hard left politics.
... said James at 44 on Apr 7, 2011 at 8:44 AM | link
Well, the reason they're NOT holding Fountain Day is that they know the news media would descend upon it and look for every way to further embarrass UAlbany's students--because drunken debauchery is now "the story." Sooo, let's protest it by turning it into another news story that can be used to embarrass UAlbany! *facepalm*
... said Ed L. on Apr 7, 2011 at 10:01 AM | link
What an idiot. Nothing says we are a group of responsible students like vandalism (sarcasm). When found they should be kicked out for simply being too dumb to be considered a student of higher education.
... said DH on Apr 7, 2011 at 10:11 AM | link
In all honesty, this graffiti should be considered a welcome addition to the rest of UAlbany's ugly, soul-crushing concrete campus.
#firstworldproblems
... said FogHat on Apr 7, 2011 at 10:43 AM | link
I'm still waiting for the "We spent 200,000 grand and all we got was Bill Clinton" stencil.
... said thewilderness on Apr 7, 2011 at 11:10 AM | link
"dude bro it's so unfair that we were all punished for the misbehavior of a few...let's show just how unfair that was spray painting school property--that's not misbehaving at ALL"...
(btw my sources tell me the fountain was/is going to be off for the next two years for repair anyway--canceling Fountain Day was just perfect PR timing)
... said Rebecca on Apr 7, 2011 at 11:17 AM | link
Instead of vandalizing the school and giving more reason that the students of UAlbany can't have nice things.... a much better 'protest' would be for the students to show up for Fountain Day anyway. Get a bunch of people to wear bathing suits, bring the beach balls, water guns and whatever else and show up at the fountain as usual, just without the water.
It might look odd, but it would show that they can't take the tradition of fountain day away from the students just because 1% (or less?) of the student body acted like idiots. It would be a lot better press for the school than vandalism.
It would be the fountain equivalent of a sit-in, I doubt any reprimanding action would be taken against people participating... but then again I don't know UAlbany's policies.
... said Paul on Apr 7, 2011 at 11:24 AM | link
@ Paul...There is massive security surrounding the fountain and the rest of the campus to prevent that. They also painted the fountain and taped it off with caution tape...likely done at this time to prevent such things from occurring.
But to address the countdown of UAlbany students leaving...As a UAlbany student I am embarrassed by the participants in Kegs & Eggs, and I am embarrassed by whoever participated in the graffiti, but I am also embarrassed for your naive comment.
First of all, it is widely known, but not acknowledged, that only a portion of the participants in the Kegs & Eggs events were UAlbany students, some of them were even local residents.
And second, without the Univeristy's presence (including the students) this city would be a lot worse off than you seem to think we make it. We contribute an inordinate amount of money both directly and indirectly to the city and help to create a "college town" that is rich in arts and culture. Yes, this is also created by many local residents and other individuals, but not solely. Have you ever considered that some of the businesses and culture you love so much are products of UAlbany? Take for instance your posts about businesses like the Hudson River Coffee House? A product of a successful UAlbany student enriching your city.
With all due respect, don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Having said that, I love your blog and appreciate everything you write about.
... said Jessamyn on Apr 10, 2011 at 11:46 AM | link
@Jessamyn: You're right -- the riot participants represent just a tiny slice of the student population. The counting-the-days line was just a nod to the idea that this has been a difficult semester -- for students, the administration, the city -- and a break would be welcome, rather than a general comment on the worth of UAlbany to the city.
(Whether the university is the "hand that feeds the city" is an interesting question -- I wonder if there's been a study on the total economic impact after counting all the contributions and expenses.)
... said Greg on Apr 11, 2011 at 7:44 AM | link
I'd also be curious to see the results of a study that determines just how much SUNY Albany students contribute to the local economy. From my non-scientific research (ie. living in Albany, working at local businesses, and paying attention to my surroundings) I would hazard a guess that unless a person owns a pizza place, bar or is a slumlord, the economic benefit to the city is marginal (I'm not including large chains, the mall, etc. Not too much trickle down from them, for me, as a homeowner).
I went to a SUNY school and one of the reasons was the reasonable tuition; I didn't have a lot of money to spend as a student, and I'm going to make the generalization that lots of other SUNY students don't either. Let's not exaggerate just how much money is flowing from their wallets to our pockets.
I don't know if the university makes PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) to the city coffers, so I do wonder: when a student who lives on campus calls 911, who's paying for it? When I have to listen to the incessant pile driving of the construction of the new residence hall that is being built in---literally--my neighbor's back yard (which was formerly a lovely wooded area with a walking trail), I wonder how I'm benefiting from this.
Please, enlighten me.
... said Rebecca on Apr 11, 2011 at 11:46 AM | link
Dear Jessamyn:
UAlbany ain't no UMass Amherst.
... said Dave on Apr 11, 2011 at 8:21 PM | link
Rebecca,
The Fountain was going off sometime this summer- they still cancelled the already scheduled event.
The economic impact of the University at Albany is over $4billion (this includes students, faculty, staff, expenditures, etc.) That is, sure, maybe students aren't giving you their money directly (and I don't know what your business is) but the faculty and staff that are here for those students may very well be. Look at Nanotech alone- that's 2,200 high paying jobs that weren't here 10 years ago, wouldn't be here if there wasn't a UAlbany, and they all have money to spend. If it wasn't for the students there wouldn't be a UAlbany, and there wouldn't be that $4billion impact.
It's interesting to complain about the University building new on campus housing after so much up-roar about students living off-campus but to each their own.
To answer you last question, when someone on campus calls 911 the University Police Department responds. UPD is a NYS accredited police agency- they have their own officers, detectives, K9 unit, etc. They are paid for by the University (ie dorm fees). If the 911 call is a medical emergency STUDENTS respond. The University has a student run ambulence squad that is also NYS accredited, and funded largely by student activity fees.
Hope that helps enlighten you!
... said AlbanyNick on Apr 12, 2011 at 11:20 AM | link
@AlbanyNick,
Close on the 911 costs. It is a bit more complex due to the fact that part of SUNYA is in Albany, part in the Town of Guilderland.
Call for Police: You get UPD.
Call for Fire: On the east side of campus, you get Albany Fire Department, a paid department paid fro by the citizens of Albany. On the west side of campus you get McKownville Fire Department, an all volunteer agency supported by taxes paid in the McKownville fire district.
Call for EMS: On the east side of campus, SUNY's Five Quad Ambulance covers Basic Life Support (BLS - EMTB level care) and Albany Fire provides Advanced Life Support (ALS - Paramedic level care). During the times 5 Quad is not available (winter breaks, summer, and when 5 Quad is already out), Mohawk Ambulance (paid for by Albany) and Albany fire provide BLS and ALS coverage. On the west side, when 5 Quad is not available, BLS coverage is provided by Western Turnpike Rescue Squad, a volunteer run EMS agency funded in (small) part by the towns of Guilderland and North Bethlehem, and ALS coverage is by the Town of Guilderland EMS Services.
As to the economic impact of SUNYA vs the costs, it's all statistics and swags. I'm sure it can be justified either way. The university not only has many students, but is a pretty good sized employer and consumer of locally produced goods and services. On the flip side, if the campus was nothing but factories, the situation would be different(higher employment density, possibly higher pollution, possibly higher tax base, lower draw for 'research'). Anything but SUNYA is an 'I suppose' case.
Any good sized city is going to have university and local interests that sometimes come into conflict. A small percentage of the students are going to misbehave and cost the city something, and some small percentage of the locals are going to be unhappy with the university's plans/implementation for something costing the university money to adapt and respond. It's a symbiosis.
... said komradebob on Apr 12, 2011 at 12:10 PM | link
@komradebob
Five quad covers bls for all of UAlbany- technically even downtown. and theyre here for parts of the breaks at least since I see them at giants camp. Youre right about ALS and fire coming from GEMS/McKwonville or APD but the line isnt east/west. I think Indian Quad and part of the athletic facilities are in Guilderland-not really the point though. (although I'll add that a decent amount of ualbany students volunteer with mckwonville and wtrs.) I guess I don't have an answer to the question of "does ualbany pay pilot?" But my point was more that ualbany isn't a complete drain on the city/town. Just like apd and gems back up five quad, it works the other way too. And upd is always around the downtown campus and on the roads between the campuses too.
You're other points are well taken. Clearly if they didn't build a university it would still be a golf course right?
... said Albanynick on Apr 12, 2011 at 8:43 PM | link