I was always taught that if you didn’t know what you are talking about, don’t say anything because you risk sounding unintelligent. It appears that Nathan Crabbe did not know what he was talking about when he spoke of Campus Partners making the guidelines for revamping High Street (2/4/98). We agree that the Akron “Zip Strip” sucks (I too am from Akron), and we also agree that High Street doesn’t need to look like a mall, but that is where the compromise stops. For Crabbe to say that most of the renovations will be done to follow “Campus Partners’ guidelines” is ridiculous. I work at Campus Partners as a work-study employee, and I have only missed one High Street Design Committee Meeting. If Crabbe had been there, he would have met the people who actually came up with the plans. He would have seen how much personal time and dedication that each person there has put into the project.For the record, there has been no decision made on the tearing down of historical buildings and businesses (as a matter of fact, we are trying to make sure that doesn’t happen), and if a specific building is not up to code, it is the responsibility of the building owner to fix it. Also, the committee has only made recommendations to put glass in the front of the stores, not ultimatums. These recommendations were made to make shopping more appealing, which in turn brings in more shoppers, which leads to higher profits without having outrageous prices.Furthermore, to imply that Campus Partners doesn’t care about students is just more evidence of Crabbe’s ignorance. Many students probably don’t even know that there are a number of students on the committee, and the consulting group that has evaluated High Street stated in their report that High Street needs to cater to the students. Statements like that never make it into the pages of the Lantern.The main objective of revamping High Street is to make it presentable and accessible to the university district, not to create City Center II. In addition to this, it should be recognized that Campus Partners is merely a liaison between Ohio State and the community, not a political entity that creates laws. The redesigning of High Street has been a lengthy process and soon people will begin to see the benefits of rebuilding.It seems like all I read in the Lantern is negativity towards Campus Partners. I ask this of all the students that complain: If you are so concerned about what Campus Partners does and does not do, then why are you not at any of these meetings that go on in the university area?
Carl M. Rice is a junior majoring in geography.
