Students of Eastern maintain, as a long-standing truth, that they are not welcome in the Charleston community. Despite ever-increasing evidence to the contrary, such as the formation of an External Relations Committee and city leaders who insist the town likes its temporary residents, most students believe they are disliked by Charleston simply because they are students.

Well, folks, it’s a little hard to dispute big, clear signs in store windows that say “EIU Students Welcome.” It’s also hard to miss them, considering there are nearly 300 businesses that have agreed to display the blue-and-white placards, with some posting more than one.

The Charleston Chamber of Commerce came up with the program and signs to show students their presence is appreciated by the city and its residents.

It’s easy to be cynical and say business owners are only interested in our wallets and the city is smiling at the thought of increased sales tax revenue. That is probably true. But the amount of new business these signs will generate is negligible compared to the benefits of the goodwill expressed by the community.

Yes, there are people in Charleston that aren’t happy with the university or its students and would probably be happy to watch the campus go up in flames. But to label the entire city that way is extremely similar to saying that all Eastern students do is binge drink and vandalize private property, a stereotype that offends most of us.

Charleston is a unique kind of city because of the university. It is something like a summer resort town with the seasons reversed. From May to mid-August, the local economy hibernates, waiting for out-of-town visitors to return and spend truckloads of money. Without the students, Charleston’s economy would not be nearly as robust.

The city knows this, and tries to accommodate us as much as possible. It is a symbiotic relationship, and we would do well to recognize that.

Relations between the city, the university and the student body have been strained in the past. But Charleston is doing its part to prove that it wants to make “EIU Students Welcome,” and we can no longer deny that.

The editoral is the opinion of the editoral board of The Daily Eastern News