Gemma Lurie
I think classes like Spatial Justice are crucial for students’ education at Occidental College, because they provide an unconventional framework to liberal arts schooling and also remind students that they are not isolated from the rest of world while they live and work on this campus for four years. For many students, Oxy may feel like a comfortable space where everything they need is readily accessible: food, dormitories, the library, classrooms, professors, the gym, etc. However, I believe that a key part of the complete liberal arts experience is to use the knowledge and resources that are extremely present and accessible on this campus to provide a lens to understand the world outside of Oxy, and to actually put into action the lessons learned inside many classrooms.
This class has shown me the complexities in doing exactly what I am describing: bridging the separation between Occidental College and the surrounding community of Highland Park. The complexities lie in the inherent privilege of this institution, the changing dynamics of Highland Park due to gentrification, and Oxy administration and students’ actions in Highland Park and how they influence the gentrification process.
In general, this type of social bridging comes down to building relationships to develop genuine community partnerships. The relationship between Occidental and the Highland Park community is at a pivotal point right now. Occidental administrators’ next step in developing the units purchased on York Boulevard will definitely impact this relationship. The way Oxy acts during this tense time of rapid change can either worsen the ways in which the community views Oxy, or it could potentially improve Oxy’s role in the neighborhood. It is up to both the administration and students to be socially conscious and critically aware of the complexities of the changing neighborhood and what type of role this institution will play as gentrification continues to afflict Highland Park.
I think the mapping component of this class has provided information that has previously been unreachable for me, and still remains unattainable for many people. I have learned a lot through the official census data, but I think that it is important to differentiate census data and actual testimonies of current residents, because both sources of information produce different takeaways within the multidimensional topic of gentrification.
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Bio
Gemma Lurie studies Sociology and Spanish and is currently in her third year at Occidental College. She has enjoyed critically learning about the numerous dimensions of gentrification in Highland Park, and thinks about this on global levels as well. Cities perplex her as she tries to make sense of the world, and is usually more and more confused from this by the end of the day. Nevertheless, she strives to expand her consciousness and have new experiences with each new day. Always wondering and daydreaming, Gemma enjoys listening to people’s stories, climbing on rocks, and chasing sunlight.