By Sally Pyne
THEY’RE BA-A-A-ACK! Today marks the first day of the spring semester at Illinois State University. You probably noticed the increase in traffic…. waiting at stop signs that have been largely abandoned for the last few weeks. Perhaps you found longer lines at the grocery store? Had to wait for a pump at the gas station? We experience this phenomenon in the fall upon their return from summer break, but that migration certainly gets more attention, and a bit more “warning.”
I have always lived in a college town, but I find myself really enjoying the “seasonal” decline in population. I hesitate to enjoy it too much as Illinois State and the 20 thousand plus residents it brings to our community certainly provided my parents and I with satisfying careers. I have also heard fellow “townies” complain about some of the not so neighborly behavior some students exhibit, as well as the late evening activities that sometimes interfere with quality of life issues in town such as the weekend street closings in downtown Bloomington to safely get mostly students back home after a night of partying. But let’s not forget how much our community is enhanced by these seasonal visitors.
Besides the sports and fine arts and restaurant choices and retail that is found in college towns more than elsewhere, I’d like to concentrate on the economic impact of the students who come to McLean County for their education. They contribute more than $550 million dollars to our local economy. Illinois State University is the 2nd largest employer in the county and the money spent by faculty, staff and students has a part in creating more than 8,900 jobs here. These statistics were found through research done last year by Dr. Frank Beck, Director of the Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development, and Professor of Economics, Hassan Mohammadi . In fact, every dollar a student spends here puts an additional 50 cents into our local economy. Keep this in mind as you wait behind a group checking out at HyVee, ok?
So be patient folks. Smile and wait nicely. Be alert while driving & remember that these folks all have parents that love them as much as you love your own kids. They are back and we are happy to have them here.
Dr. Sally Pyne is a retired educator who has lived in the Bloomington-Normal community all but 5 of her 50-plus years. She is married to Ed who is editor and publisher of the Normalite newspapers and they are parents of two grown daughters.
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