College Hill

It’s a little weird going to school here

With all these people

Who didn’t grow up here

And it’s crazy how scared everyone is

Of, like, traveling anywhere

Like, beyond College Hill

These are kids who, like,

Go to Morocco on Spring Break

But think downtown Providence

Is some kind of war zone

Or they’re just, uh, like,

Not interested

In seeing

What the city has to offer

Or whatever

And um--

You know, maybe it’s like that

With a lot of schools

And the places where they’re, uh,

Where they are

But I really found it confusing

Because, like, take these weekend trips

To, like, New York or whatever

And I’m saying--

There’s this thing going on in Providence

And they just wave me off

Like, whatever it is

It can’t be worth checking out

And, um, my school

The school I go to

I think it, uh,

Kind of encourages this

They definitely don’t--

There’s no talk of, like,

Community engagement

Aside from, you know,

Charitable stuff

Or stuff relating to, uh,

Our studies

But

There’s no, like--

Just go see what’s out there

Interact with your surroundings

With the city

There’s none of that

And then everybody graduates

And leaves

And never comes back

Except for, like, reunion weekends

Where they walk around

And go eat and stuff

And they’re like--

Wow, was this all here

When we were here?

And it’s like--

Yeah assholes

It was

I just get really upset by it

Because, uh, I don’t think

I’m leaving

When I graduate

I just, uh, I don’t think

That’s in the cards for me

So to see people

Just treat this whole city

Like, uh, it’s just a train station

Until they can get to

Where they want to go--

It just makes me

Really upset

And, like, people are saying--

Oh, that’s how everybody is

About their hometown

Where they’re from

And I’m, like--

Nooooo

There are some people

From some pretty shitty places

Who are, like, very proud

To be from those places

Haven’t you ever seen a movie

About Texas football?

Like, the town always looks like shit

But they’re all--

Woohoo, we have a great high school

Football team here

Go Rednecks!

It’s just crazy that, like, this place

Isn’t even that bad

And people are just dying

To talk shit about it

Or move away from it

And, like, nobody’s doing anything about that

Like, I’m not talking about

Fixing all the stuff that’s wrong

And, yeah, there’s a lot of stuff wrong, but--

Why don’t we stop talking about it

The way we do first

And then work on fixing it?

At least that way

We won’t have all these people

Who could help fix it

Moving away?

I mean, doesn’t that make sense?

I’m not saying I have all the answers, but--

Maybe we could start

With that