How many times have you heard students and professors alike complain about the "Brown bubble"? Brown is the most selective university in Rhode Island, and this elite image is, somewhat deliberately, reinforced by its literally elevated geographical location on top of College Hill. Besides providing a brochure of Providence attractions to incoming freshmen, the University does not do much to encourage students to explore beyond campus boundaries.
On a weekly basis, the closest most students will get to going down the hill is for the two-for Tuesdays deal at Geoff's sandwich shop (or for a movie at Providence Place). What's more is that the bubble is growing more widespread. As the University's increasing presence on and around Thayer Street indicates, Brown's further expansion will continue to widen the divide between students and Providence.
A couple weeks ago, The Herald published an article detailing the University's plans to buy the property on Thayer Street that is currently occupied by City Sports, a useful yet underperforming store ("U. plans to purchase Thayer St. property," Oct. 23). The lot, which is a couple blocks from the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center, will be owned by the Brown subsidiary Fairview Inc. until the University decides to purchase and develop it for educational purposes.
The City Sports property is not, by any means, the first domino in the line; it is preceded by many other Fairview holdings, among them the strip mall that houses Bagel Gourmet and Wings 'n Things near the southern end of campus. We suspect that this purchase is an indication of Brown's gradual takeover of the businesses immediately surrounding its campus. Former president of the College Hill Neighborhood Association Will Touret even told The Herald, "I can only assume that Brown is looking to control that block in the long term." From Pembroke to Grad Center, College Hill is becoming ever Browner.
According to the University's website, "the various dining and shopping options on nearby Thayer Street give it the atmosphere of a classic college town." But if the University keeps buying up lots, College Hill will be a literal interpretation of the "college town" - a section of the city that is owned by the University itself. Combine this with the fact that the Gilbane Development Corporation will begin constructing student apartments on Thayer next year, and it is easy to see how the bubble could easily start to become impermeable (or at least, unwelcoming) for the non-Brown affiliated population in Providence.
To be fair, the University has been openly expanding its presence in Providence for several years now. The move of the Alpert Medical School to the burgeoning Knowledge District and the many renovations that have been made since to the area demonstrate that the University is not focusing its efforts solely on expanding its College Hill presence. But these particular efforts, while significant in that they have the potential to foster what city officials call a "knowledge economy" in Providence, will have little impact on breaking the bubble itself. The Med School is almost entirely separate from the undergraduate population, and thus does not draw members of College Hill into downtown Providence.
We cannot yet predict what the effect will be on Brown students, but we are on the side of diversification. If the University begins to encompass most of College Hill, we believe that students will not only be more confined to the bubble than ever before, but they will also begin to increasingly question whether they even need to escape it or not.
Editorials are written by The Herald's editorial page board: its editors, Dan Jeon and Annika Lichtenbaum, and its members, Georgia Angell, Sam Choi and Rachel Occhiogrosso. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
