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Published: Sunday, Mar. 14, 2010 / Updated: Monday, Mar. 15, 2010 06:56 AM

Rock Hill’s quest for a better college town

A conversation with Winthrop students reveals ideas, frustrations

Can Rock Hill become a better college town?

It’s a familiar question that has taken on new focus over the past few months. A group appointed by City Hall and Winthrop University is studying how Rock Hill can create more places for young people to eat, shop and hang out after classes or work.

The group will soon put out a report detailing ideas and specific proposals.

Can the mission succeed? Looking for answers, Herald reporter Matt Garfield sat down with a group of Winthrop students – all mass communication majors who agreed to stay after class one afternoon – for a conversation about Rock Hill’s college town dilemma.

Q. When you were visiting colleges, how much attention did you pay to the areas around campus? Was it a key factor in your decision?

Chris McFadden: “Charlotte’s so close, it really wasn’t a big deal as far as things to do.”

Alison Angel: “I looked more at tuition. I figured Charlotte was so close, I’d have something to do. I didn’t realize there was nothing around campus. And I didn’t have a car, so I couldn’t get to Charlotte.”

Monica Kreber: “I came here because it pertained to my major. I didn’t learn until I came there is not a lot to do. I visited the campus. I didn’t really think too much about Rock Hill as a whole.”

Claire Byun: “I actually did not visit before I came here.”

Kyra Warren: “I gave very little or no thought to what was surrounding (campus). I did visit the campus before I came.

I do wish I would’ve taken a closer look. I’m happy at Winthrop. I feel like Winthrop met my needs. Looking back, I should’ve looked at where the school was located, what was nearby. But I’m happy with my choice.”

Sophomore Jonathan McFadden: “I hadn’t really even heard of Rock Hill before. There’s still parts of Rock Hill that I haven’t been to. The downtown area, I just soared through it leaving. I’ve ridden through it. I haven’t stopped.”

Q. The college town committee held a public meeting to get ideas from students. Fifteen showed up to participate. What does that say about the extent to which students see this as a big issue?

John Fraser: “I don’t think students have any good ideas as to how to solve it.”

Kyra Warren: “We just kind of accept it. This is how Rock Hill is.”

Q. Describe what you do on a typical weekend. It’s Friday at 4 o’clock and you’ve got a night to do whatever you want.

Chris McFadden: “If I do something, I’m going to Charlotte. They just had the CIAA (basketball) tournament. They have a race week. I go to Wild Wing (or) some type of bar.”

Alison Angel: “My friends and I always head up to Charlotte, even if we want to just have a nice meal. The NoDa district has all the arts kinds of things. We go to gallery crawls and check out the specialty vintage shops. You can’t find that here.”

Monica Kreber: “As far as eating or going to a movie, Rock Hill does provide that much. But if we wanted to go to a concert or go shopping somewhere decent, we’d head to Charlotte.”

Claire: “I basically do whatever is free. It’s getting nicer outside, so we’ll go to Cherry Park a lot. Or we’ll go exploring. A lot of times we’ll go to Columbia because that’s where I’m from. I know a lot of places down there.”

Kyra Warren: I pretty much go to Charlotte. I’ve never been to Scandals or The Money. I like more upscale type places.”

John Fraser: (Speaking to fellow students) Have you been to McHale’s? That’s a place right down the street. They have local bands, some touring bands. But it’s one place, and it’s downtown.

Jonathan McFadden: “I spend a lot of my time studying. Personally, I like to go to bookstores. I like to read. Books-A-Million is on Dave Lyle, but I can’t get there because I don’t have a car.”