The value of mid-sized cities

Perhaps it is easy for me to appreciate smaller cities when I have never been to places like NY or Chicago. I have spent short amounts of time in London and Toronto, and loved them, but there is something that they cannot provide. I find that when I am in large cities everything becomes blurred into a mass of glass, steel, and pavement. I find it hard to find a sense of belonging in these sprawling metropolises. Smaller cities like Rochester and Syracuse offer a sense of culture that you can connect with. They offer distinct examples of period architecture that turn a walk down the sidewalk a step into the past. You can see where they have come from and, with a little imagination, you can see where they are going. Imagination - that is the problem for so many younger people in Syracuse, especially attending Syracuse University (which is located near downtown area of the city). Students don't see department stores and Starbuck's on every corner, and they decide that the place is the armpit of the universe and that there could not possibly be any redeeming qualities. Even more disturbing, countless students in the Newhouse school of communications feel the same way, and can't understand why professors make them become familiar with the workings of the city and county. All too often I hear the "I don't live here, why should I care" mentality. Even worse, there is the "I don't need to understand Syracuse to be a good student reporter here" attitude held by some journalism (especially broadcast journalism students). It is no wonder that so many people complain about the media, and that there seems to be a downhill trend in local TV news. In smaller markets, new college grads stay three years, or however long their first contract is, and then move on. This as the same stations reduce the number of reporters and constantly try to do more with less. WTVH, the CBS affiliate in Syracuse just fired Maureen Green, its most veteran reporter of 22 years. We need more reporters in smaller and mid-sized markets who have experience working there and have a deep understanding of the community. This takes time, but anyone can get on a quick track by looking in between the cracks and getting a behind the scenes look at a city or any other community. Explore, volunteer, and get to know the stories of the people who live there. This what a real community is about - not bricks and mortar, but the human connections and the collective successes and failures of a group of people. Once you tap into that, anyplace can become fascinating and rewarding. More students in Syracuse should try thinking this way, in between the weekly drinking parties, and actually give the chancellor's "scholarship in action" a try before they ignorantly reject it. The issues facing mid-size cities is interesting to me, and it is a topic that will be discussed in depth here in the months to come. For now, I invite you to take a look at the pictures of my home - Rochester, NY - and see if you can't see some of the charm I am talking about.