Few incentives for Hopkins grads to stay in Baltimore
"A huge reason for me to stay in Baltimore was Hopkins," said Alfred See, a 2007 Hopkins graduate and current Hopkins medical student. "The community is not the best, but that's not the most important thing to me when I'm a student. The only time I would begin to feel concern about living in Baltimore is when I have children."
Tian Jiang, also a 2007 graduate, shares his view. "I don't plan to stay in Baltimore permanently," he said. He explained that despite the crime rate, he returned to the city a mere few months after graduation in order to work and to apply to graduate schools. "I'm going back [to Baltimore] because I'm familiar with it and I don't want to stay at home for too long," he said. Like many other Hopkins students, Tian agrees that Baltimore isn't where he'd like to settle down for good.
When asked why they think students aren't very enthusiastic about Baltimore as a hometown, both Jiang and See agree that a major issue is the fact that most students remain unfamiliar with it throughout their college careers. "There is a lot of Baltimore that undergrads have difficulty exploring," See said. "I have found many more parts of Baltimore with my new classmates, and I'm glad that I stayed in Baltimore because I am seeing a different side and may even be feeling a hint of Baltimore pride." Jiang observed that "the student body and Baltimoreans have mutually low opinions of each other" mostly because they do not interact.
Hopkins has been encouraging safe exploration of the city, providing students with services such as escort vans, the new Flexcars and shuttles that run from campus to nearby locations. But students remain reluctant to stray too far from campus. "It's one thing when you're going with the entire class to do community service," said freshman Weixi Zhong, "but entirely another when you're visiting an unknown area with a small group." In that sense, school-organized events such as Involved are chances for students to discover the city.
Tian Jiang, also a 2007 graduate, shares his view. "I don't plan to stay in Baltimore permanently," he said. He explained that despite the crime rate, he returned to the city a mere few months after graduation in order to work and to apply to graduate schools. "I'm going back [to Baltimore] because I'm familiar with it and I don't want to stay at home for too long," he said. Like many other Hopkins students, Tian agrees that Baltimore isn't where he'd like to settle down for good.
When asked why they think students aren't very enthusiastic about Baltimore as a hometown, both Jiang and See agree that a major issue is the fact that most students remain unfamiliar with it throughout their college careers. "There is a lot of Baltimore that undergrads have difficulty exploring," See said. "I have found many more parts of Baltimore with my new classmates, and I'm glad that I stayed in Baltimore because I am seeing a different side and may even be feeling a hint of Baltimore pride." Jiang observed that "the student body and Baltimoreans have mutually low opinions of each other" mostly because they do not interact.
Hopkins has been encouraging safe exploration of the city, providing students with services such as escort vans, the new Flexcars and shuttles that run from campus to nearby locations. But students remain reluctant to stray too far from campus. "It's one thing when you're going with the entire class to do community service," said freshman Weixi Zhong, "but entirely another when you're visiting an unknown area with a small group." In that sense, school-organized events such as Involved are chances for students to discover the city.
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