On April 1st, an Instagram post was shared creating a dialogue about âThe Furman Bubbleâ. This account defines the bubble as âa phrase used to describe FUâs relative lack of connection to the outside worldâ. The account owner goes on to say that âThe FU Bubble isnât an innocent byproduct of a private university campus. Itâs the result of conscious decisions that- whether in malice or not- exclude surrounding communities and maintain an atmosphere of wealth, whiteness, and privilegeâ. There has been a lot of tension resulting from this account as the owner continues to post and âcall outâ Furman students for âhoarding the wonders of the campus resourcesâ.Â
So what exactly does this person want to change? Iâll break this down one post at a time. After the initial post the next was one about the soccer fields near North Village. There is a picture of a sign which reads âFields reserved for Furman communityâ and the same in Spanish underneath that. The caption discusses how community members, many of them being Latinx, used to use the fields for pickup soccer. Now these fields are roped off with signs. From the caption; âthe signs include a translation into SpanishâŠItâs strategic: the people who play here donât speak English, and we donât want them here, so we have to let them know in their own languageâ.Â
The next post addresses how there used to be more parking spots around campus which were open to the public, which now are gone. The caption stated: âWe are suggesting that these choices make the Furman Bubble even less permeable than it already isâ. The next post was the same video of parking around campus with the caption: âFurman has been becoming more insular, white, and wealthy over the past decadeâŠâ.Â
A picture of the lake is next with a caption discussing how there are signs around campus prohibiting fishing, while Furman students are allowed to fish. A student commented: âI donât see why anyone feels the need to allow fishing in the lake whether it be Furman students or others. Furman is a school- not a parkâ. To this the account owner replied: â…by your logic, Furman should scrap the Rose Garden, running trails, trimmed hedges, ornamental trees, fountains, etc, I mean itâs a school, not a park, right?â.Â
Another post includes a back and forth from the DMs of the account. A student said that we should have access to things like fishing because we pay tuition, while the account owner said that the public should too due to public funding Furman gets.Â
On April 13th, a post was made about the Physical Activities Center, or PAC. Before Covid, the PAC was open to the public, and the account owner calls for this practice to be reinstated. They reference how students could be exposed to people such as a WWII veteran who, before Covid, utilized the PAC. Students had a lot of push back with this post.Â
âItâs crowded enough now, letâs not do that.â
âSomething to consider is that the majority of the community that elects to visit Furman is primarily white. So Iâm wondering if your energy is better spent advocating for why the institution should seek to establish better connections with non-white, non-heteronormative families or individuals that cme from different socioeconomic backgrounds, rather than bash, argue, or âcall outâ and not suggest anything usefulâŠâ
âJust say you want to watch college girls workout again and move onâ
The last post was screenshots of YikYak posts made by Furman students addressing their frustrations with âtowniesâ. A comment from someone who isnât a student, but visits campus, defends the students saying: â…The idea of a so called âFurman Bubbleâ is just a way for entitled folks to express their anger that they canât enjoy the same amenities as students who pay thousands of dollars to go to a PRIVATE universityâŠIâve never felt âunwelcomedâ… You just have to respect the fact that itâs a private university and they put their students first because thatâs what the university is there for. Itâs not an amusement parkâ. Â
Now, this is a lot to digest. While I am under no impression that Furman doesnât need to diversify or develop more community outreach programs, I fail to see how giving âtowniesâ parking spots on campus would diversify the student population. Senior Erica Daly gives a great summary of this situation: âI think that the Instagram has good intentions in mind when discussing that there is more Furman can do to engage with the outside communityâŠI do not think anyone at Furman objects to the idea that outside community engagement is important, but I think it is troubling to broadcast claims about the University’s intentions without citing a specific policy⊠If this account wants to engage students in creating a more open Furman community, the creators and its supporters should facilitate tangible actions instead of taking to social mediaâ.Â
Many students have brought this up, that the account âcalls outâ issues with Furman, but doesnât do much to suggest ways to connect to the community or diversify the student population. The creation of this account has created a lot of tension. Personally, Iâm bothered that the account owner is so hostile towards students in their replies, and does not address all the comments that students make about the debate. There are some very valid points made by students which are going unaddressed. Many women have expressed safety concerns towards opening the PAC to the community, and cited incidents of harassment and catcalling around campus to back this up. Keeping the PAC closed to the community eliminates these issues while working out. I have no problem with the families that want to walk around campus, I actually enjoy being able to pet the occasional dog on the way to class. That being said, I have had several uncomfortable experiences with campus visitors. I have been catcalled, followed, and seen people looking into dorm room windows. There has to be a better balance of community outreach while still respecting the boundaries of students.