David Lei | A critical juncture

Penn has always seemed a bit out of place in West Philadelphia. The privileged students of this Ivy League University practically live side-by-side with some of the city's most economically impoverished families. We are, to put it simply, two harshly different worlds.

However, I've seen some subtle but significant changes in the relationship between the campus and the surrounding community over the course of my three years here. Tensions that were "out of sight, out of mind" for most Penn denizens are now directly in our collective line of vision. And if you, like me, found yourself near the intersection of 40th and Walnut streets this past Saturday evening, it's likely you got a good glimpse at the new opportunities and challenges facing University City.

As you undoubtedly know, at around 9 p.m. Saturday, a massive crowd of high-school-aged West Philadelphia residents converged on the western corner of campus. It descended on McDonald's and The Bridge, among other establishments, and quickly flooded the entire area. Indeed, a sea of people lined sidewalks along 40th Street from Sansom Street all the way down to Spruce Street.

These kids weren't, by most accounts, around to make trouble. They had come simply to enjoy the warm weather and spend time with friends - and a large gathering certainly wasn't deliberate or planned. But even the harmless can quickly spiral out of control.

Concerned about the potential for a mob, dozens of police officers and Penn security guards arrived on the scene at around 9:30 p.m. The spectacle of nightstick-wielding authorities completely shutting down traffic, shouting for everyone to "move along" and loading the disorderly onto paddy wagons was quite a sight to behold.

Of course, similar incidents have happened all year, but none were as large or unfolded as dramatically. This might be, therefore, the right moment to take a step back and re-evaluate our response to what looks like it will become an increasingly regular weekend occurrence.

In an interview conducted before the events of Saturday night, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush told me, "We understand that these are not bad kids. These are kids doing just what all kids do." Indeed, many are attracted to Penn because it is so much safer than the communities in which they live.

I've written before about the so-called "40th Street corridor" and its potential to serve as "a stitch in the seam" separating Penn and its neighbors. In our interview, Rush described the area to me in terms of a burgeoning boardwalk. She also stressed that all are "welcome here" - that is, of course, unless public safety is compromised.

If that's truly the case, I hope our heavy-handed way of dealing with these kids comes to an end. We should be proud that progress in the neighborhood has made it a safe enough place for teenagers to hang out at night. Moreover, in the greater scheme of things, this is an opportunity to develop far more friendly rapport with our neighbors - we're not known for easy town-gown relations, and this could be a way to better integrate the Penn population into the community.

With opportunity comes challenge. The changes we've been celebrating on 40th Street might have come too rapidly. Someone should have realized that all of the recent retail openings might lead to exactly the current problem.

I'm excited about the arrival of Capogiro Gelato, supposedly by the end of this month, and the opening of Tap House in August, but I'm more than a little concerned about how many more attractions 40th and Walnut streets can handle.

For now, at least, I think the area's had enough. I hope developers will realize they should press "pause" and wait to see how well the 40th Street corridor can absorb all of these crowds before pressing forward. These new businesses will only bring more interest from the community, and treating community members with hostility is not the way to handle the situation. It preaches exclusivity, which we cannot afford.

Penn's Division of Public Safety, Philadelphia Police and University City District - the nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in University City - have started an "entertainment committee" to explore this issue and find alternatives for local kids. I look forward to the solutions they come up with.

David Lei is a Wharton junior from Brooklyn, N.Y. He is the former Executive Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian and is the executive director of the College Republicans. The Lei-bertarian appears on Mondays. His email address is lei@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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