In a town of just over 7,000 people, a university with about 1,800 students is bound to have an impact. That is certainly true of Lexington and Washington and Lee University.
During the summer, “it’s dead here, there isn’t as much going on,” said James McDaniel, a resident of Buena Vista that works in Lexington. McDaniel said the town needs the students’ business, but it also deserves a break.
“I love it when students are here,” said Susan Small, who splits her time between Northern Virginia and Lexington.
The university pays its fair share to Lexington and employs a large number of people, but when students leave for the summer, it can be a nice break for the town, Small said. Seasonal changes help the city to breathe and wind down.
Small said one issue she sees is with the advertising of events at the university. To bridge the gap between the city and Washington and Lee, Small said the university should bring community members into what they are already doing instead of planning more events in the community.
Kathy Waters, a resident of eight years, said that when students are not on campus, it is much easier to get a reservation for dinner. But overall, she said she appreciates the university’s presence.
“The kids are great,” Waters said.
According to Joan Harden, who has lived in the area since 2013, one of the challenges to having the university on Lexington’s doorstep is parking. When it comes to street parking, there are 435 parking spots on and near Main Street, and 441 parking spots that are not directly on the street as maintained by city records. Students can take up a significant number of spots.
Harden also wishes that the speaking tradition would return to downtown.
“Sometimes I say hello, and it looks like they don’t know you,” Harden said. However, she says, it is nice to see the number of students volunteering.
Marisa Charley is an associate director of the university’s Shepherd Program and the Bonner Program director. She said that as a school, we must ask ourselves, “What are our responsibilities as an institution?”
The Shepherd and Bonner programs work with Rockbridge Area Recreational Association, Rockbridge County High School, YMCA, Rockbridge Area Health Center and many more partners according to their websites.
“Students not fulfilling commitments” is the most common reason why community members refuse to work with the university’s student engagement programs, Charley said. The number of students who don’t adhere to their commitments is not egregious but enough to make some potential partners warmer to relationships than others.
“Overall, there has been an upward trend of trust and relationships among the community and the university,” said Charley, but “bad experiences don’t just go away.” Student attitudes are a major factor in sending a positive message to the Lexington community.
According to Charley, it comes down to whether students see themselves as part of the community, or if they see the community in service to them for the time they are on campus. “The different postures that these attitudes bring are critical to the relationships between Lexington and Washington and Lee.”
