The Neighborhood Roundtable:Thoughts on the round table discussion

Thoughts on the round table discussion

It was nice first of all to have James and George tell us the brief overview on Lancaster.

From Fridays, round table discussion, the topics we have discussed had not been fully concluded throughout our three hour period. As it started out, I felt it was wonderful that we’ve invited such important people to our discussion. Guests of Students from the summer of 2011 Neighborhood Narratives class, Lucy Kerman (Vice Provost for Community and Education) Liz Lerman (Artist, Founding Artistic Director Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, CCR Founding Fellow) Jawole Willa Jo Zollar (Artist, Founder and Artistic Director Urban Bushwomen, CCR Founding Fellow) Mark Christman (Representative from University City District: 38th Street/South) George Stevens (President of the new 21st Century Business Community org and James Wright (Representative Peoples’ Emergency Center: 38th Street/North).

Overall outside of Drexel’s campus the communities such as Lancaster are all poor communities.
One of the greatest problems in poor communities is the frequent loss of a positive vision towards the future. I recognize like every other university in the world it is mainly based on a business.
Examples are from expanding campus outside its boarder; promote housing off campus a few blocks. The major debate on putting our University to act more on arts in the city is probably not going to be a success. Our University is well-known on its engineering programs and business coming in second. Through this we try to expand our co-op programs even with Dr. Kerman’s statement on Drexel's goal had been directing towards business and engineering programs.

It seems that the media, university research, and government agencies work together to paint negative pictures of neighborhoods and while ignoring the powerful capacities that exist within each. In such situations, families, community members, teachers, and children themselves all too frequently develop these self-destructive images of their own lives and their communities.I have confidence that Drexel can form a partnership with the communities around Drexel where they can really make a difference in the community. With all the account of Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike to Lancaster Ave, much has happened in the past. 


The History of Lancaster should be well preserved and better engage with communities. In the past the first president of Drexel, James MacAlister served from 1891 to his retirement in 1913. During MacAlister's term, Drexel Institute offered courses for the public in art and illustration, mechanical arts, domestic arts and sciences, commerce and finance, teacher training, physical education, and librarianship.  From our history, we should still continue to engage in arts and find ways to better partnership with the communities.  Overall I feel that President Fry is heading to the right direction, but it takes much debating and planning to do so.