Want Ad: Small liberal arts college seeking bustling and exciting college town. Quality shopping and restaurants open past 10 p.m. during the week are a plus. Will do community service to improve city. For years, Brandeis students have pondered whether to consider Waltham a college town at all. Nightclubs and restaurants have come and gone, and the city has transformed its overall image. The Brandeis name has at times been synonymous with this town and at other times absent from its identity.

What has not changed, however, is Waltham's inner struggle with what it wants to be and Brandeis' struggle with what it expects from the city.

Perhaps it is important to first define a college town, and what students might expect from theirs.



Bona fide college towns

The University of Michigan, located in Ann Arbor, the mother of all college towns , is much farther from the closest major city, Detroit, than Waltham is from Boston. "Ann Arbor has most of what is expected," Michigan student Jenny Nathan '05, said "We have access to movie theatres, jazz clubs, malls, bars and cultural opportunities. Restaurants are open late here and there are a number of house parties each night. All we really lack are big name concerts and affordable housing."

Bloomington, Ind., home to Indiana University, shares similar characteristics with Ann Arbor. But students in "B-Town" also said they expect plenty of late-night delivery services and hyped-up sporting events.

"Bloomington is like a bubble. It has everything we need from necessities to entertainment. It is easy to let go and enjoy living here," Indiana student Jennifer Gubitz '05 said.

Often serving as lifelines for the towns where these goliath universities are found, schools with close to 40 thousand undergraduate students dwarf Brandeis in size and naturally have an entirely different "town-gown" relationship.



Brandeis reflects on Waltham

While many students at these schools have clear expectations of their town, Brandeis students are not as homogeneous in their views. Waltham's proximity to Boston, and the fact that it contains two small universities - Brandeis and Bentley - leaves students with diverse opinions of what they want from Waltham.

One Brandeis student, Allison Smizer '07, who has lived in Waltham all her life, thinks that Brandeis students are vital to the Waltham community. "I remember seeing many ways in which Brandeis students gave countless hours back to the community in the hope of improving it," Smizer said.

According to Smizer, some of her peers in high school looked at Brandeis as just the local college, but others "saw it as a reason to work hard in school." She added that "Brandeis awards a few of the best students in Waltham with full, four-year scholarships each year."

Some students, like Ben Walker '04, don't consider Waltham ready and able to fulfill many off-campus needs.

"Waltham doesn't really offer much in my opinion," said Walker, who grew up in Bloomington. "The restaurants close early, which sends a message that Waltham businesses don't even see students as a primary market."

Wesleyan University may provide a more apt comparison than the large state universities. Nestled in Middletown, Conn. - a town much like Waltham - Wesleyan has an undergraduate population of approximately 3,000 students.

Indeed, Wesleyan student Allison Burson '07 gave a description that rings familiar to Walker's view of Waltham. "We really only use Middletown for basic needs like groceries, banks, and drug stores." Burson said. "Students don't leave campus very often because Middletown is not a very happening town."

Kelly Koby '04, who lives off-campus on South Street, said that Waltham meets her everyday needs. "There is plenty to do around here. We don't really need Boston for that much," she said.

Koby also said that she sees a positive relationship between Brandeis and the community. "This is Brandeis," Koby said, "We aren't like other schools that cause problems in their town because students here don't all walk around drunk in the streets every night."

According to administrators, Brandeis is looking to better educate new students about ways to utilize Waltham. Assistant Director of Student Life Alwina Bennett said in an e-mail, "We are thinking of enhancing our Waltham-orientation for new students and their families."

Specifically, Bennett continued, "We want to educate people about the resources (Charles River Museum, the Embassy Theater, the Waltham Artists Collaborative, variety of ethnic restaurants and stores); we hope to help them understand how escort and the van services can help them access Main and Moody Streets, and can help them make other transportation connections."

Some Brandeis alumni feel that much has changed in the city-university relationship since their time here. in the past several years. Michael Sisselman '82 said, "Waltham used to be a working-class town with few shops and restaurants. The only reasons we would visit were to go to the bank or buy groceries."

Sisselman's wife, Dr. Karen Dahlman '84, said, "We used to have to go all the way to Watertown to get pizza."



From the outside in

On the flip side, many Brandeis students wonder what Waltham residents think of them and the school. The reality is that residents of this town have equally wide-ranging views as the university students, though among this reporter's limited encounters, three main categories prevail.

The first group can be called "Separationists." While these residents seem not to have a problem with Brandeis' presence in the community, they do want to keep the city's nightlife the way it is.

"I don't want businesses open much later than they are. Students will just have to find someplace else to party," Joe Lydon, a Waltham resident for 15 years, said.

A second group, which can be named "Indifferentists," make up the bulk of Waltham residents surveyed. These individuals have little or no interest in the relationship between Waltham and its universities.

Waltham resident Reggi Richard, a stay-at home-mother who has lived in Waltham for 10 years, said she doesn't even consider Waltham to be a college town.

"Sure, it has neighborhoods like Cedarwood that are full of students, but the majority of this city of 40,000 has nothing to do with the colleges."

Another resident of 10 years, Tomas Rosado, said that with the exception of visits to Victory Supermarket, he rarely encounters college students. "The universities here are good for the city, but I rarely ever see their students," he said.

Some residents of Waltham care greatly about the school-town relationship, however, and have visions of Waltham working harder to become a more useful college town. These can be called "Bridge-Builders."

Shirley Byan, who was in her twenties when she moved to Waltham in 1961, said that right now, Waltham is not a college town. She wonders where all the students are, and remembers past years when Waltham had more clubs and live music that drew a significant nightlife to its city center. Shirley also remembers a time when students were more involved in their community, especially those from Brandeis who took to the streets in protest in the 60s.

Shirley's daughter, Linda Byan, who moved to Waltham as a young girl, attended Bentley College. The younger Byan sees the potential for a positive relationship between the city and its schools and thinks that plenty of students already visit the city.

As Bridge-Builders, both women have a vision for Waltham to become more of a classic college town. "This town really needs more of a nightlife. We need it not just for students, but for everyone. People here just need to get out more," the daughter said.

"It is important that university students spread their talent to the students of Waltham schools. Many young children could use better tutoring and after school activities," her mother added.

The most crucial Bridge-Builder of them all is Waltham Mayor-Elect Jeanette McCarthy. After living in this city all of her life, she said she believes Waltham fosters positive relationship with its schools.

"There is a very good interaction between both colleges and Waltham. Both schools have tried to be good neighbors," McCarthy said in a phone interview. "While there have been some problems in the past, such as students trashing their neighborhoods, these issues have been addressed."

McCarthy is not satisfied with the current condition, however, and said she hopes for an even greater level of interaction between students and residents. "I want to see more collaboration between our two universities to improve this town," McCarthy said, "In my term as mayor, I will work to increase the cultural interaction between the schools and Waltham."

Waltham businesses that frequently deal with student - mainly restaurants - are working to better attract and accommodate students.

Matt Corbett, assistant general manager of Margaritas Mexican Restaurant on Moody Street, said, "We recently instituted a 'college night' on Wednesday evenings in which students with an ID receive a discount. It hasn't really taken off yet, but we are working hard to market the idea to the students in the area."

In response to the complaints by students that restaurants close too early, Corbett said, "We don't feel the need to stay open any later on the weekdays than ten o'clock. Business usually dies down by 9:30 anyway."

Generally, both students and residents alike said they understand the reality of living in Waltham. It will never rival college towns like Bloomington or Ann Arbor. It will probably never have the quality shops that one can find in Harvard Square in Cambridge, admitted both groups, and chances are restaurants won't ever be open much later than 10 or 11 p.m. during the week.

Brandeis students use Waltham mainly for buying groceries, banking services, small shopping trips and occasional outings at local restaurants. For a big city entertainment experience, Boston will always win out. Thus, Waltham seems to be exactly what it wants to be and what most students expect it to be: a small town with all the necessary stores for daily living. It is not a college town, but merely another suburb of Boston, and most people said they intend to keep it that way.