LETTER: Hurley Wrong to Apologize for Wale Concert

Dear Editor,

President Hurley recently apologized to the residents of Fredericksburg for the lyrics used by rapper Wale at the Homecoming concert this past Saturday. Neighbors of the university expressed their complaints about the noise and content generated by the performance.

The problem that faces students at UMW and the residents of Fredericksburg is not the “high-spirited events,” as Hurley called the Homecoming activities, but rather the mounting tension between Fredericksburg and the school.

This can be seen in the existing “brothel” law prohibiting more than three people from being on a lease, strictly enforced parking laws surrounding campus and the noticeable lack of recognition of the school.

Even at our own mall, we’re overrun with Virginia Tech and UVA memorabilia, yet none for UMW.

This type of treatment seems unusual for a college town that benefits economically from our presence, especially since we’re a long-standing public university.

The Homecoming concert didn’t generate any violence or other noticeable infringement upon public safety for the residents of Fredericksburg, so why the upheaval?

I hate to draw comparisons, but it seems to me that larger schools with large sports teams are the cause for much more disturbance than our concert. The construction of the Anderson Center should alleviate this issue in the future, but other problems still exist.

Not meaning to be cheesy, but can’t we all just get along? We’re going to be dealing with each other for the long haul, so couldn’t we benefit from some understanding from one another?

We might be small, but we’re a college nonetheless. Choosing to live in the College Heights neighborhood should mean that you understand what may come with living right next to a university.

Overall, we don’t cause many problems for Fredericksburg. We should be allowed to have a great Homecoming weekend.

Brendan Oudekerk is a junior.