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 Savannah: Mayberry or metropolis? By Gene Friedman For those who never watched “The Andy Griffith Show,” Mayberry was the fictional town in North Carolina that Andy Taylor (actor Andy Griffith) patrolled as the unarmed sheriff. He was assisted by his bumbling deputy Barney Fife in settling the neighbor disputes and daily frustrations that predominated in this small, friendly, nearly crime-free town. In contrast to neighborly, rural, homogeneous Mayberry, a metropolis is a major urban center. Think of cities such as New York, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta and Los Angeles. And these cities, in turn, carry with them very different implications about crime and city living than Mayberry. It might be difficult to compare Savannah to these two extremes as it bears a resemblance to both of them, yet is neither. This has caused problems for people unfamiliar with the city as they have often found themselves in difficulty by underestimating it. With a population around 130,000, Savannah is considered a midsized city. If it was located elsewhere in the state it might actually “live” like one. However, Savannah lives like a much larger city because of several factors that come together. As a major tourist destination, Savannah annually hosts about seven and a half million visitors from all over the world. Savannah is also home to the fastest-growing maritime port in the country. Ships constantly dock here, bearing flags from many nations. There is also an international airport as well as several universities in the city. A major Army base is located in the heart of Savannah. A number of other military installations, including the largest post east of the Mississippi, are nearby. In addition, Savannah contains museums, art galleries and other cultural attractions that cities of a similar size do not have. It is a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city that belies its population numbers. Students who come to the Savannah College of Art and Design from some of those larger cities might mistakenly view it as a “Mayberry” even if they never saw the TV show. They might forget their street smarts and drop their guard when they see the magnolias and azaleas or the Spanish moss hanging from live oak trees. They think, “Surely there can’t be any crime in such a beautiful place!” On the other hand, students from true small towns might not understand the need to develop the requisite street smarts to survive in a large city. Trouble occurs when students from either of these groups fail to understand the reality of Savannah. It is like every other city in 21st-century America, with all that implies. There are the same concerns and social issues here that are found anywhere else in this country or, for that matter, in the rest of the world. There is no such thing as a crime-free environment. And while crime at SCAD is extremely rare, it is important to remember that Savannah is a city where there is crime. Also, because of the fact that college buildings are located throughout the city, safety of the SCAD community is inextricably linked to that of everyone else in Savannah. It is imperative, therefore, that students, faculty and staff, as well as residents and tourists, understand Savannah and become active participants to secure their own safety and that of everyone else in the city. Friedman is director of college security at SCAD. |
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