2008 Woodie Awards
RSSSouth Side views vary among profs, staff
By Desiree Annunziato
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: News
Depending on where they live, professors and staff opinions about the South Side of Bethlehem vary.
Heibatollah Sami, professor of accounting, commutes a long distance to Lehigh, from an area outside of Philadelphia.
He said he thinks a lot of professors live relatively close to campus. Sami used to work at Temple University, in Philadelphia. When he decided to come to Lehigh two-and-a-half years ago, he chose to commute because he did not want to move. If he could not deal with the commute, he would have to live closer to Lehigh.
So far, Sami has been happy with the situation and he feels no need to change it. He said the commute gives him time to think about work.
"In the winter, I will stay in a hotel right off campus if the drive back is bad, but I have only had to do this one time in two years," Sami said.
Sami said Temple's surrounding community has a high crime rate, but he has never had a problem at Lehigh late at night.
"Crime can happen anywhere," Sami said, adding that he thinks it would be hard to find faculty members that live right near campus.
George Nation, professor of law, has lived on the north side of Bethlehem since 1985. He said he never looked at the South Side as an option for a place to live.
"The South Side is pretty rough, except for the campus," Nation said.
He said big improvements were made over the years. The new luxury condos built near Riverport Steel Fitness is a good thing for the community, as is the Promenade shops at Saucon Valley, he said.
Many employees at Rathbone Dining Hall, who work for Sodexho, live near campus.
Mary Zenz lives in Fountain Hill, which is ten minutes away from campus and is considered by many as part of the South Side. Zenz said she is very pleased with her community. She rents her house and said the price is reasonable for her. She has lived there for 10 years.
Zenz said her neighborhood is quiet because it is located in an area away from any busy main roads and has fewer houses. She said there is little crime, if any at all, but said there are parts of South Bethlehem that are bad.
Heibatollah Sami, professor of accounting, commutes a long distance to Lehigh, from an area outside of Philadelphia.
He said he thinks a lot of professors live relatively close to campus. Sami used to work at Temple University, in Philadelphia. When he decided to come to Lehigh two-and-a-half years ago, he chose to commute because he did not want to move. If he could not deal with the commute, he would have to live closer to Lehigh.
So far, Sami has been happy with the situation and he feels no need to change it. He said the commute gives him time to think about work.
"In the winter, I will stay in a hotel right off campus if the drive back is bad, but I have only had to do this one time in two years," Sami said.
Sami said Temple's surrounding community has a high crime rate, but he has never had a problem at Lehigh late at night.
"Crime can happen anywhere," Sami said, adding that he thinks it would be hard to find faculty members that live right near campus.
George Nation, professor of law, has lived on the north side of Bethlehem since 1985. He said he never looked at the South Side as an option for a place to live.
"The South Side is pretty rough, except for the campus," Nation said.
He said big improvements were made over the years. The new luxury condos built near Riverport Steel Fitness is a good thing for the community, as is the Promenade shops at Saucon Valley, he said.
Many employees at Rathbone Dining Hall, who work for Sodexho, live near campus.
Mary Zenz lives in Fountain Hill, which is ten minutes away from campus and is considered by many as part of the South Side. Zenz said she is very pleased with her community. She rents her house and said the price is reasonable for her. She has lived there for 10 years.
Zenz said her neighborhood is quiet because it is located in an area away from any busy main roads and has fewer houses. She said there is little crime, if any at all, but said there are parts of South Bethlehem that are bad.
