Beloved diner O’Rourke’s will be reopening on February 11th, partly due to extensive fundraising efforts by Middletown residents, Wes alumni, University administrators and current students. The effort to rebuild the historical diner is a model for how town-gown relationships should be, in which past divisions are put aside in favor of working for a common good (in this case, the common good involving hash browns and pancakes that all can enjoy).
As any student who’s ever shame-facedly crossed Broad Street to avoid walking in front of Traverse Square could testify, there’s no denying the tension between Wesleyan’s “ivory towers” and Middletown’s North End. When students head back to O’Rourke’s to enjoy an alternative to Usdan’s brunch, in between bites of scrambled eggs they should question why O’Rourke’s functions as a safe space for students, unlike other Middletown locales such as, say, the Red Dog Saloon, the roller-rink or even the local bus station, which don’t see the same rate of student use. As the recent initiative to install security cameras around campus shows, safety is undeniably a psychological barrier in the University’s dealings with Middletown. The coalition that came together to rebuild O’Rourke’s, however, is an inspiring example of town-gown collaboration across barriers. It is most definitely a reminder that the University has a responsibility to instill in students a sense of obligation when it comes to engaging outside the “ivory towers.”
Students should also take inspiration from the fact that youth turnout most definitely contributed to Senator Obama winning the Connecticut primary. According to the Middletown voting registrar, 634 students registered as Democrats in order for their vote to count on Super Tuesday. What if 634 students spent two days a week volunteering at the Green Streets Arts Center? Or what if 634 students turned out for local Middletown elections, not just for national elections? If 634 can demonstrate such enthusiasm for Obama or Clinton, we hope that 634 can also find a way of demonstrating such enthusiasm for even more community building between the University and Middletown.
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