Flint: College Town or Michigan's Frown?
Andrew Gellings
Issue date: 3/2/10 Section: News
In the past few decades, Flint has become known as a city stricken with crime, poverty, and unemployment. However, Flint provides college courses to over 30,000 Kettering University, University of Michigan Flint, Baker College, and Mott Community College students (3). These courses create a solid foundation for students who will soon be in the job market. In order make Flint a safer, more enjoyable college town, the Riverfront Residence Hall has been opened along with the Flint River Trail, a trail connecting the University of Michigan Flint to Kettering University and other surrounding areas.
Flint is ranked as the third most dangerous city in the United States (1). Because of this, a trail connecting the University of Michigan Flint to Kettering University could be a very dangerous idea. Partly wooded, the trail gives criminals many places to hide. This poses a threat to young college students traveling from one campus to the other, allowing them to be attacked and robbed, or worse. The risk of this happening is even greater at night. It is nearly impossible to prevent crime from occurring, even in a controlled building such as student housing. This is because criminals are not always strangers. Someone living in the residence hall could easily commit a crime toward another renter. For some students, drinking and drugs are a daily opportunity to "have fun". This "fun" can become a safety hazard very quickly, especially when students get together in large groups to party. When under the influence of alcohol and drugs, many become more easily persuaded into doing something stupid, including stealing from someone else. With a building full of young, rowdy college students looking for a good time, bad choices are bound to be made.
However, the Flint River Trail and the Riverfront Residence Hall are great ways to turn Flint into a safer, more enjoyable place for college students to live and attend classes. The trail, which runs along the Flint River, connects Kettering University to the University of Michigan. If a class is not offered at Kettering University, some students take the class at the University of Michigan. The trail allows students to walk or bike between classes, allowing students to save gas and get exercise at the same time. Although it is argued that the trail may be unsafe at night for students, precautions can easily be taken. Biking is much safer than walking. Pedestrians may also carry a flashlight and mace as self defense. The biggest safety precaution would be to use the trail only during daylight hours. In the future, lights may be added to the trail to make night-use safer.
Flint is ranked as the third most dangerous city in the United States (1). Because of this, a trail connecting the University of Michigan Flint to Kettering University could be a very dangerous idea. Partly wooded, the trail gives criminals many places to hide. This poses a threat to young college students traveling from one campus to the other, allowing them to be attacked and robbed, or worse. The risk of this happening is even greater at night. It is nearly impossible to prevent crime from occurring, even in a controlled building such as student housing. This is because criminals are not always strangers. Someone living in the residence hall could easily commit a crime toward another renter. For some students, drinking and drugs are a daily opportunity to "have fun". This "fun" can become a safety hazard very quickly, especially when students get together in large groups to party. When under the influence of alcohol and drugs, many become more easily persuaded into doing something stupid, including stealing from someone else. With a building full of young, rowdy college students looking for a good time, bad choices are bound to be made.
However, the Flint River Trail and the Riverfront Residence Hall are great ways to turn Flint into a safer, more enjoyable place for college students to live and attend classes. The trail, which runs along the Flint River, connects Kettering University to the University of Michigan. If a class is not offered at Kettering University, some students take the class at the University of Michigan. The trail allows students to walk or bike between classes, allowing students to save gas and get exercise at the same time. Although it is argued that the trail may be unsafe at night for students, precautions can easily be taken. Biking is much safer than walking. Pedestrians may also carry a flashlight and mace as self defense. The biggest safety precaution would be to use the trail only during daylight hours. In the future, lights may be added to the trail to make night-use safer.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
jacksondm
Jacksondm
posted 3/02/10 @ 12:56 PM EST
The Flint River Trail has existed from downtown Flint for about 6+ miles north to Blue Bell Beach and Stepping Stone Falls for about 30 years. The UM-Kettering link is a new extension of a long existing trail. (Continued…)
David Beaulieu
posted 3/03/10 @ 4:05 PM EST
The more people that use these trails the safer they will be. I have rode on them for years and never had a problem.
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