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31November t1_jdf965x wrote

Reply to comment by rileybgone in Temple limits public access to food court following violent incidents by Sunset_Bleu

Temple isn’t responsible for the local neighborhood, though. It is a relatively affordable university giving jobs, a clean subway station, and the third largest police force in the state to the community, plus guaranteed customers every single year. I don’t think the dozens of food carts, local shops, or fresh grocer grocery store would be there (or be there in that quantity) if there weren’t 40k customers at Temple, do you?

The university has been around for well over 100 years, so everyone living near Temple chose to live there. Temple didn’t just buy the lot next door over night.

If the neighborhoods around Temple need more resources, they need to find investors or lobby the city. Temple is a university responsible for university students and employees. If you aren’t one of those two things, it really doesn’t owe you anything. If serving the locals helps the students or employees, then that’s great, but if giving locals access hurts the students or employees, then the right thing for Temple to do is exclude them. Put your own mask on before helping others.

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sandwichpepe t1_jdfjwfp wrote

just wanted to point out that students living off campus en masse is a relatively recent concept (within the last 30 years or so) while most people who have been living here since the 50s/60s. About 20 years ago my block was entirely non students, now it is 95% students. Just want to point out that a lot of the people who originally moved here only moved to this area because it was dangerous to move into other neighborhoods as black families. Redlining was very much legal then.

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rileybgone t1_jdfazbc wrote

Temple was founded as a night school to help poor people get college degrees, only in the last 30 or 40 years has it expanded to be a large university. Temple has expanded its campus through a significant chunk of North Central and has displaced thousands and created a rent bubble in the neighborhood. The school doesn't provide enough housing for students, and many live off campus. Temple has a responsibility, written or not, to ensure they at least provide some benefits for north central and giving them access to 1 indoor food court is the least they can do. They dont even allow memberships to the library which is absurd every single liberary, university or not, should allow the general public memberships to access the extensive amount of material they otherwise may not be able to get. It's not like the students don't cause trouble either. Just during the eagles game a month ago, they flipped a car a few blocks off campus.

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dskatz2 t1_jdgt7dg wrote

Are university libraries typically open to the public? To my knowledge, the answer to this question is no. University libraries are for students who go to that school, not the general public, and that's how it should be. Providing a public library is the city's responsibility.

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UndercoverPhilly t1_jdibidi wrote

In general I agree with you.

State universities (depending on the state) usually have community access to the libraries although you still need to prove you are a resident with ID. Temple is a "public" university but not part of the state system or is it? Penn State will let community visitors use the library but they have to register first for access.

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sneeze-slayer t1_jdkv5jq wrote

? Most university libraries are open to the public to browse. To check books out you sometimes have to pay. If it is a major library (which is most university libraries) then it is a federal depository library which is required by law to be open to the public.

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worsedadever t1_jdfcun9 wrote

That was before the game even started!!

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rileybgone t1_jdfd6fc wrote

My point exactly. They want to talk about residents of north philly they also need to address their own students who think north philly is a place its okay to act like a dickhead

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Glad_Nefariousness_6 t1_jdh6s5r wrote

They weren’t students that flipped the car and they’ve been charged with serious crimes.

Have these kids been charged with crimes at least as serious? I highly doubt it.

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silverminnow t1_jdj2rik wrote

As far as I know, the people who flipped the car were not Temple students.

Also, anyone with a state ID can already use the library and borrow materials, not just Temple students and faculty. You just sign in at the security desk on the 13th street entrance.

I agree that Temple not providing sufficient student housing screws over people living in the surrounding area though. There really needs to be more student housing offered by Temple.

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