I feel that Gallaudet is has more of a school for the deaf feel than as a university. Take a look at other schools for the deaf in the U.S. Even though I have not visited most of the schools, but I have visited my fair share – most of them are not within walking distance to a shopping center, restaurants or stores.

I also don’t believe that the administration at Gallaudet will do anything to invest in community since they do not understand business or have a strong business acumen. The majority of the administration has a degree (or two) in human services or humanities. Other than the business department at Gallaudet, I do know that two administrators that have business degrees: V.P. Paul Kelly and Gary Aller. I hate to say this but they run the most ineffective and corrupt system I have ever seen in a college setting.

The business school at Gallaudet is not great. I know people who have graduated in that program and they are struggling to find a job in the business world. I looked at their program and it seems to me that it is very limited. But if they would wake up and understand investments and how to do it, they will teach their students about civic engagement. Students will then have a better chance of getting jobs since they will be able to add their experiences on their resume.

One last point I would like to add… Another reason the Gallaudet administration will not invest into the community is because they do not have to sell their name to prospective students. Gallaudet does not have other schools to compete with other than NTID or CSUN. They already have a worldwide reputation – the name itself is a recruitment tool already. Other universities have invested their money in order to spruce up their surrounding neighborhood or set up businesses so they can maintain (or hopefully increase) their enrollment because they have to compete with other universities. Gallaudet is basically a monopoly and they are not capitalizing on this “monopoly” even though it is in its best interest to do so.

I would love to see more University involvement in the area. One way or the other it will soon be a very different neighborhood. The link below can give you a sense of what is happening in the area at the moment. The massive amount of development here is the real story.

While it ain’t pretty, take a trip to A Litteri for Italian wholesale and wine. Yummy subs too. There is nothing like it.

http://www.livejournal.com/~thom202

Sadly, H Street really hasn’t recovered since. I saw a few changes when I visited DC in September, but not enough of a radical change to warrant saying the area is “safer.” Attempts to improve the near NE, such as Hechinger Mall, didn’t work.

When I first came to DC and Gallaudet, Orleans Place (and many other streets in the area!)was infested with drug dealers, Trinidad had ambulances and cop cars blaring sirens nightly, and it was generally not the best part of town. While I lived off campus, visited friends off campus, and never had problems at all at any time of day, I do know of others who have been mugged. One friend was mugged twice.

It didn’t help that Union Station and Mass Ave weren’t all that great either, until Union Station was refurbished and re-opened as a tourist attraction and transportation hub in September 1988. Since then things have improved in that area, but not up along NY or Florida Avenues. Now with the opening of the new Metro stop and new construction in that area, slowly encroaching gentrification spreading from there and from Union Station’s environs, and a tight housing market all over, I see change coming for the areas west and south of Gallaudet. Despite the rise of property values, Trinidad is still one part of town I wouldn’t hang around in, day or night.

Now, as to improving things: administration or no administration, BOT or no BOT, why wait for the powers that be? I’ve always felt that student groups, such as the Greek system, should perform some community service, do outreach with the neighbors. It’s easy to hide out in the fortress called Gallaudet; it’s harder, but may pay off in the long run, to go out door-to-door and meet the neighbors, send a rep or two to neighborhood meetings, etc. If those property owners and renters that are law-abiding and responsible see that Gallaudet cares about the community at large, it’d be easier for everyone to keep an eye out for each other and to work together to keep the neighborhood clean and healthy. If Gally’s population doesn’t care about the surrounding area, why should those in the neighborhoods outside care about Gallaudet? Just a thought…

As far as partying and drugs go, no school is immune– some have a larger, wilder reputation (deserved or not) than others, but no school lacks problems with alcohol/drug abuse. The campus may or may not have a bigger problem with sexual abuse/assault than other campuses, but I’m not qualified or knowledgeable enough to comment on that.

One final thing– Joe Dirt, you’re off a bit– Gallaudet is one of SEVEN federally-funded post-secondary institutions– the five military schools (West Point, Annapolis, and the schools for the Coast Guard, Air Force, and one more that escapes me at the moment); Gallaudet; and Howard University (although it may be that Howard’s funding has been reduced a bit in the last couple decades).

(Sorry– my “comment” a post on its own!)

Gallaudet University could start by buying some of the buildings and fix them up into empty storefront. The lease payments received from the storefronts should eventually cover the cost of bringing them up to code. It would clean up the neighborhood, encourage people to invest more into the homes to raise property values, and make the area safer. All big pluses for Gallaudet.

So why wait any longer?

I could go on and on because I feel very strongly that we deserve a safer place and the process is going to take a long time before we get there. But I feel we need to make some noise about this. Some community action and I don’t know how. Does anyone?

From a RENTER’s perspective, I don’t have to put up with unsafe neighborhoods. From an INVESTMENT perspective, you may want to invest in a up-and-coming-but-still-unsafe neighborhood to get in while the going is good.

But a typical college student shouldn’t have to fear for his/her life every time he or she walks to school (also at night).