SPRING EDITORIAL BOARD 2017
Among all of the places to live in Alabama, Auburn remains one of the most resilient.
At its heart lies Auburn University, which has had a profound effect on the city. Auburn University provides not only an intellectual component to the area, but it also benefits the community economically.
One of the biggest issues floating around the political sphere concerns trade deals.
With Donald Trump assuming the presidency, some trade deals will now be under executive scrutiny; plans are underway to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and there are plans to potentially renegotiate NAFTA.
All of this trade talk has risen to the top of the political news because of the damage trade deals cause to certain United States industries, such as manufacturing.
Certain cities, especially ones heavy with manufacturing jobs, have been hit hard due to increased international competition resulting from opening trade with other countries.
The economic landscape has shifted, and some workers have been left behind. Auburn, however, is an example of a city that pulled through its job loss with help from its university.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, Auburn’s partnership with the University gives the city an economic boon, one that eases the shift from low-skill jobs to high-skill jobs.
Auburn University attracts companies like General Electric, a company that depends on an educated workforce.
Additionally, as The Wall Street Journal points out, companies are able to work with universities on research. This may result in greater efficiency in the production process.
We are proud of the way Auburn has weathered this storm, and we hope the example it sets will influence college towns around the nation to find university-driven ways to succeed through economic hardship.
Despite hardships, the Auburn-Opelika area has risen through the ashes of companies like Pepperell Mill and transformed itself into an economically viable place to live.
We hope similar outcomes become more prevalent throughout the nation.
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