Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 5

It's not uncommon for Megan Galvin
to smile and wave when she sees her
next-door neighbor Marta, a longtime
resident of Grand Rapids' West Side,
an area west of the Grand River and
south of Three Mile Road.
"Marta and I met over the fence
in our backyard. She speaks some
English and I speak some Spanish, so
we shared a few conversations and
quickly became friends," said Galvin,
a senior majoring in art with an
emphasis in visual studies.
Friendship, pride and community are common characteristics
of the more than 28,000 people who live on the West Side, and
those traits are what Galvin said make the area so special.
Galvin's experience in an art class on the West Side
influenced her decision to move there. In the course - called Civic
Studio - she and her classmates explored the question "Who
thrives on the West Side?" They presented a set of scenarios about
economic and social dynamics to the community, which looked
at changes, challenges and growth the area is facing, such as
economic development, gentrification and monetization.
"I poured so much of my heart into the West Side, learning
about the disparities and getting to know the residents that
I decided this is where I needed to be," she said.
Galvin, from Rockford, is just one of the estimated hundreds
of students who live on the West Side, home to Grand Valley's
Pew Grand Rapids Campus, where university collaborations with
residents, organizations and schools are common.

The story begins
The university joined the West Side in 1986, when state legislators
approved Grand Valley's downtown Grand Rapids campus. It was
a time of growth and rejuvenation for the city. In May 1988, the
Eberhard Center opened.
"The building seemed a bit removed from West Side
neighborhoods because it was on the east side of the U.S.-131
expressway, so people did not feel they were being infringed
upon," said Pat Waring, director of community relations for

Grand Valley. "As the university grew in
this area, however, residents began to
express concern."
Since Waring joined the university in
2000, she has been tasked with listening to
and working with residents who live near
the Pew Campus. She has been a board
member of the John Ball Area Neighbors
(JBAN) for 16 years and served on the West
Grand Neighborhood Organization board.
She meets monthly with a group of faculty
and staff members to discuss the West Side,
and said that has been helpful to identify
potential issues and opportunities to work
with the community.
"When I joined JBAN, residents wanted
zero change in their neighborhood; they
thought Grand Valley's proximity was
enough," she said.
The campus has steadily grown over
the years: DeVos Center and Keller
Engineering Labs were constructed in
2000, the Kennedy Hall of Engineering
in 2007, and, most recently, the
L. William Seidman Center in 2013. New
buildings, Waring said, brings more people,
cars and activity.
"A large presence like Grand Valley in
an urban neighborhood is impactful. It
affects neighborhoods and the culture of
the community in many ways, including
economically and residentially," she said.
Through outreach initiatives to West
Side neighborhoods, residents' outlooks
began to change.
"The voices I hear are more accepting
and residents now see the university as
a stabilizing force in the neighborhood.
They see us as the community's university,"
said Waring.

"I poured so
much of my
heart into the
West Side,
learning about
the disparities
and getting to
know the
residents that
I decided
this is where
I needed to be."
Megan Galvin

WEST SIDE STORY

5

F E AT U R E S



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017

West Side story
Knowledge for all
Hopes and dreams for a better future
Fund honors son's memory
Athletics
Q&A
Off the Path
Research
Arts
Campus News Briefs
Alumni Giving
Alumni Profile
Alumni News Briefs
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 1
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 2
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 3
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - West Side story
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 5
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 6
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 7
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Knowledge for all
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 9
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 10
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 11
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 12
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Hopes and dreams for a better future
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 14
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 15
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Fund honors son's memory
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 17
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 18
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 19
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 20
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 21
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Athletics
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 23
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Q&A
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 25
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Off the Path
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 27
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Research
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 29
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Arts
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 31
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 32
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Campus News Briefs
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 34
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 35
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 36
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 37
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Alumni Giving
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 39
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Alumni Profile
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 41
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Alumni News Briefs
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 43
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 44
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 45
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 46
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 47
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 48
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https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/Grandvalley/GVMFall2014
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