| Title | Exploring My Own Personal Experience Between Lehigh and The Bethlehem Community |
| Author | Jacob Kassis |
| Date | 12/11/18 |
| Description | The attached map is a visual representation of each and every location that contributed to my Lehigh experience at the conclusion of my first semester. I chose to break it into six respective categories: Housing, dining options, locations of my classes, places to study, places I established social life, and other locations in the area that I would deem as notable. |
| Format | An interactive map |
| Subject | Interactive map, Bethlehem, Community, Personal, Experience |
| Rights | Attribution-NonCOmmercial 4.0 International |
| Source | Google MyMaps |
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1hYB3RdHTnSV5YSFpUS0sEjtvY2FWBt8r&ll=40.61199778062931%2C-75.3754616130127&z=15
Synopsis:
To properly contextualize the 2018 Lehigh experience, it is important to capture the most prevalent elements that contribute to student life. Creating an interactive digital map is perhaps the most effective way to present modern-day Lehigh life to future students because it illustrates how our campus merges with the Southside of Bethlehem in order to create a unique and socially diverse college experience. Although I have completed only a single semester here at Lehigh, I feel adequately prepared to create a visualization that can highlight the experiences and opportunities that each respective community has to offer. My digital map is divided into six individual categories that contribute to each student’s day-to-day life: Housing, dining options, class locations, places to study, social scenes, and other miscellaneous places that Lehigh students are more than likely to encounter. Through the lens of my map specifically, here is what each if those categories signify:
Housing- Where I lived throughout the entirety of my first semester.
Dining Options- Each and every establishment from which I have ate at least once in my Lehigh career. It is these interesting places where I met countless friends and had great conversation.
Class Locations- Where each and every one of my classes was held during my first semester.
Places to Study- The campus’s libraries that proved crucial in studying and completing work during the first semester.
Social Scenes- Places where I most frequently had the chance to interact with my friends and peers, and where I was also able to learn about community culture and values.
Miscellaneous- Places on and off campus that did not necessarily fall under one of my specified categories but still played part in my college experience.
Upon arriving to campus during orientation, I knew what to expect from Lehigh’s campus and how it would contribute to my daily life here. However, I did not have such exorbitant expectations for Bethlehem as a city and what it had to offer. Coming from New York City, I was of the mindset that no other urban environment could even approach The Big Apple. While I still do believe I am not wrong about Bethlehem in its entirety, it has had a large part in my evolution into a Lehigh student. Friends and I have discovered the restaurants and social scenes it has to offer. Personally, I am of the belief that South Bethlehem becomes a much more enjoyable scene for students over the age of 21. Although its nightlife isn’t exactly vibrant by any means, having the option to consume alcohol creates more purpose to venture into Bethlehem. Currently, my only purpose for visiting Bethlehem is to get food or support local shops and businesses.
Student interaction with the city ultimately depends on many factors, which creates a rather complex relationship between the two. Initially, I had no desire to venture into South Bethlehem. That was due to the fact that Lehigh’s campus provides most conveniences that students require. Over time, I became more open minded and embraced the fact that Bethlehem will be my home for the duration of my college career. However, that does not signify that other members of the community have followed suit. I believe that a main catalyst in the negative student attitude towards Bethlehem as a city is misconception. A publication from Lehigh’s own Brown and White beautifully encapsulates the thoughts of Breena Holland, director of Lehigh’s South Side Initiative: “She said that the problem generally stems from power imbalances, a lack of trust, cultural and economic difference, a legacy of cultural disrespect, a history of economic exploitation, transient student populations and a university that is primarily run by people who do not live in the local community” (Zabronsky). I believe the most advantageous solution is Lehigh implementing more community-related programs in the South Side. Nevertheless, that solution itself could prove to be flawed due to the complexity of this pernicious relationship.
It must be acknowledged that a fractured relationship has historically existed between Lehigh University and its surrounding community. This convoluted relationship has existed since Lehigh started to undergo a major expansion project in the 1940’s. A Scholarly article on how gentrification subsequently causes the displacement of low-income individuals from their properties can act as an adequate comparison to what Lehigh has experienced in the better part of a century. In describing the role of renewal projects: “It was clear enough why people were leaving their neighborhoods: in many cases their neighborhoods were physically not there anymore” (Fraser 442). I believe a revitalization of student interest in the surrounding Bethlehem community during modern times can mend damages previously inflicted by the university and teach further generations of students that history does not need to repeat itself.
After uncovering such a theory in my research, I decided to look further into the complexities of the relationship between Lehigh and Bethlehem. More specifically, I aimed to find what exactly Lehigh has done as an institution to restore and benefit the community in more recent times. A scholarly article describes how an initiative taken by the university since the early 2000’s: “Through efforts such as the construction of Campus Square, the creation of myriad community and academic partnerships, and the development of a strategic plan to engage positively in community development initiatives in South Bethlehem, Lehigh has brought a new level of excitement to the campus and community alike” (McGrail 107). My inclusion of this publication is to illustrate the fact that the modern differences that Lehigh and Bethlehem share are more due to attitudes of students, regardless of the recent Path to Prominence. An essential aspect of modern Lehigh life is understanding this crippled relationship, and how we have the ability to change that reality. If Lehigh and Bethlehem can mend their relationship to already combine with a prestigious academic environment, then Lehigh can become greater in the future than it is now.
Works Cited
Fraser, James C. “Beyond Gentrification: Mobilizing Communities and Claiming Space.” Urban Geography, vol. 25, no. 5, 2004, pp. 437–457., doi:10.2747/0272-3638.25.5.437.
McGrail, Frederick J. “Lehigh University and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: Partnering to Transform a Steel Town into a College Town.” Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, vol. 17, no. 3, 2013, pp. 91–107., doi:10.22443/rms.inf.1.14.
Zabronsky, Katie. “Misconceptions Strain Lehigh-Bethlehem Relations.” The Brown and White, The Brown and White, 28 Oct. 2014, thebrownandwhite.com/2014/10/27/lehigh-bethlehem-relations/.