News-Record.com

My column today:

Nationally, the press for High Point University has never been better.

“This once-sleepy institution in the hills of North Carolina has undergone a revival in the last couple of years, thanks in part to its jaw-dropping menu of student services,” The Chronicle of Higher Education noted in its July 4 edition.

Last week, an Associated Press story from New York about student amenities on college campuses led with HPU.

I sent copies of both articles to my 16-year-old niece in Michigan. A college that spoils students with concierge service, valet parking and birthday cake is her kind of place.

The news at home, though, has been a little less peachy. Or, as High Point City Councilman Latimer Alexander put it Monday, “The honeymoon, it’s just over.”

Alexander and other city officials have been fielding complaints from neighbors of the rapidly expanding university, some of whom feel almost run over. But he’s got his own gripe: Bicycling on West College Drive next to campus on a recent weekend, he was stopped by an HPU security officer who informed him he was on private property.

The university is petitioning the city to close West College, but it’s still a public street.

Some High Pointers think HPU, led by its energetic, charismatic and irrepressible president, Nido Qubein, is growing too fast with no end in sight. It now covers 140 acres, compared to only 90 just a few years ago. Almost ready to open a residential “village” that will house hundreds of students and offer bowling, movies and a steakhouse across West Lexington Avenue from the main campus, HPU is poised to swallow the College Village Shopping Center next, rumors say.

Except the rumors are wrong, Chris Dudley, vice president for community relations, told me Monday (Qubein is out of the country).

“The reality is the university has really expanded as much as we’re going to expand,” Dudley said. It may consider acquiring additional properties adjacent to residence halls, but “we really have what we need.”

Some neighbors remain unhappy — not surprising if they never counted on living near several hundred college students. Some complained about a new billboard facing their homes. It featured nice-looking college kids, but city officials say it violates the sign ordinance. Construction noise, heavy machinery and more activity naturally disturb nearby residents. And some think the school has become too vigilant about security.

“We take very seriously our promise to our parents that we are going to keep our students safe,” Dudley said. Security personnel now discourage pedestrians from cutting through the campus.

Alexander noted with concern the college’s tendency to build walls — with bricks and mortar, but in other ways, too. Offering everything students need on campus might keep their dollars out of the cash registers of local businesses.

Not so, said Dudley. The university operates a shuttle bus that takes students to Oak Hollow Mall and other retail centers. The concierge service makes reservations for students at High Point restaurants. Summer camp participants from out of town stay at the downtown Radisson. More than a hundred summer program students just attended the premier of “The Dark Knight” at a local theater. Increasing numbers of students and faculty boost High Point’s fortunes. And, area contractors are getting all the construction work.

“The university has a $321 million-a-year economic impact, and it’s growing,” Dudley said.

Everybody has a point. As a High Point resident, I am amazed and impressed by the university’s dynamic changes. A few years ago, I never would have thought to encourage a niece to apply. There’s a good reason why applications and enrollment are surging.

Yet, somehow, contradictions have emerged. While the university often hosts community events like a free, outdoor Arts Council concert Sunday, some in the community feel alienated. While it promotes public service, it risks creating an image of students who are pampered and self-indulgent. While it contributes immensely to High Point’s economy, its appetite for growth unnerves some.

I don’t see any impasse that can’t be overcome with time and good will. If HPU’s growth spurt has stopped, neighbors will relax. If more students spend money around town, businesses will benefit. And if the university welcomes the public for cultural and athletic events, or just to enjoy the beauty of the campus, relations will improve.

Honeymoons always end. It’s what follows that counts.

Thanks for reading. You can call me at 373-7039, email me at dgclark@news-record.com or, even better, post a comment here.