For three years, the fourth having just begun, I have lived seven out of the 12 months of the year in Bexley, Ohio. While I live on Capital University's campus, I am still considered a resident of Bexley, unfortunately. For those of you who have just started as first years at Capital, I want to fill you in on a little secret: The City of Bexley, and many of their residents, does not like Capital University and its students.

That may seem like a very aggressive statement, but if you go around and ask any Senior at Capital University, most of them will agree with this statement. Don't believe me? Here is a prime example: Thursday night of back to Cap week is always a very interesting night and many people venture to College Avenue in order to take the bus downtown. While many eager students were waiting on the bus, a man who lives right next to College Avenue Apartments came storming out of his house and began yelling at people in a very malicious and aggressive way using extremely vulgar language.

This man was screaming at students telling them to get off of his lawn which was located right near the bus pick up point. At this point, many of you are thinking to yourselves, 'Well, if a lot of allegedly drunk students were on my lawn, I would get mad too.' But this is simply not the case. Watching from the back of the action, I can vouch for all of the people that were waiting on the bus, one person crossed on the CORNER of his lawn. Not to mention the man threatened to fight a student if he, 'Got smart with him one more damn time.'

I can recall many instances where I have been looked at with contentment while shopping in a store or shop along Bexley's main drag of stores and restaurants. Along with judgmental stares, there have been countless instances where Capital has attempted to make improvements to our campus but have been blocked off by the leaders of Bexley for various, and incredibly idiotic, reasons. Take our stadium lights for instance. At one of the town hall meetings, or hearing I should say, a woman from Bexley stood up and said that adding these lights to the football stadium would, 'Increase crime' along the road that runs adjacent to the stadium. I'm not sure about you, but I'm very certain that criminals prefer DARKNESS to hide their crimes, not bright stadium lights, but maybe that's just me.

All of these things are incredibly frustrating to me for several reasons. First of all, why would you block Capital's attempts to BETTER their campus, which in turn will make it look better and then make Bexley look better. This is considering that the campus is located WITHIN your city limits. Secondly, how much money do you think the city of Bexley makes off of Capital University and its students? I would venture to say that once classes start up again, the stores and restaurants in the area increase their revenue stream by at least 25%. Without Capital University students I can almost guarantee that your stores, shops, bakeries, restaurants, and various other service entities, would NOT make nearly as much money.

City of Bexley, I've lived here within your city limits for three years now. You have attempted to block various attempts by Capital to improve their campus, you have complained about students causing problems (even though we hardly venture into the actual city of Bexley), you have passed new ordinances making the age to buy Tobacco 21 instead of 18 because, 'Capital Students have been buying our high school students tobacco products, and this will hopefully stop that.' (I don't even know where Bexley High school is located, do you?). Your policemen ticket Capital Students ruthlessly and show no sympathy, and in my opinion target Capital students unfairly, but that's just me.

I have spent a lot of time and money in the City of Bexley. I have respected the citizens who live here. I am speaking for me and many people who I attend Capital with, we want to get along peacefully with you and your residents. Does it make any sense for you to have a problem with a University being located in your city? We bring you a larger revenue stream, we put you on the map so people actually know where your little city is located, and I am 100% sure that if you supported us more, we would do the same for you. This should be a mutually beneficial relationship, yet you seem hell-bent on making things as difficult as possible.

Let's stop this animosity. Let's start respecting each other, and in turn I'm positive that both the City of Bexley and Capital University will grow and thrive TOGETHER.