When people think of the ultimate college town, Harrisonburg probably isn’t the first image that comes to mind. Many would think of New York City, with its cornucopia of culture, as the perfect place for a college student to get connected to society. Others would picture a town like Blacksburg, where the local university is, quite literally, a city. Despite the fact that our beloved Harrisonburg may not be the quintessential college town, I think a lot of us fail to realize how truly blessed we are to be residents of “The Friendly City.”
For most people, college is about two things: getting an education and having a blast on the social scene. Despite the jokes we make about the size of the town, the smell of the air and the occasional horse and buggy, Harrisonburg fully facilitates those two goals as much as any college town.
For starters, few places offer as much history as the Shenandoah Valley. Kids across America learn about Civil War battlefields and famous presidents from Virginia, but we at JMU have access to some of the most precious aspects of American memory.
Within Harrisonburg we can visit museums, tour renovated historic homes or walk through the beautiful downtown area and be transported to another era. We’re only minutes away from even more historic landmarks. Modern cities may be chic, but they don’t offer the opportunities that Harrisonburg does to get in touch with our roots.
If history isn’t your thing, Harrisonburg still offers plenty of educational opportunities for college and beyond. Its location in the valley allows students to explore environmental issues such as sustainability, alternative energy sources and mountaintop removal.
Even more, the huge research and technology development organization SRI International is coming to Rockingham County, opening up an enormous possibility for the JMU community. No need to travel to Silicon Valley for good educational opportunities; Silicon Valley is coming to Harrisonburg — and we don’t have to deal with the traffic or the smog!
In terms of social life, JMU students like to make cracks about the “cow-town” atmosphere of the city. We complain about the lack of concert venues, theaters, and other social or cultural gathering places. But if we’re perfectly honest, we know that those things don’t matter as much as we say they do. Social life in college is really about one core element: the people you share it with.
Whether you go to college in London or the boonies, your friends are the ones who dictate your social life. When you look back in 20 years, you won’t remember what bars you hit up, which concert hall had the best acoustics or which coffeehouse had the tastiest vanilla latte. You’ll remember the people who were by your side while you experienced it all—and there’s no doubt that JMU has some of the most generous, friendly and pleasant students in the entire country. Just ask my old neighbor, who decided against JMU because the people were “just too happy” for her.
Sure, going to college in a big city might put you closer to high-end shopping, the theater and sushi bars. But how many of us as college students would frequent “the shows” on a regular basis? How many of us could afford to eat at sushi bars and shop at Gucci every week? Harrisonburg may not be the capital of culture but it absolutely meets our needs as college students.
Maybe our mall isn’t Saks Fifth Avenue, but it has Old Navy and Auntie Anne’s. I’m satisfied.
Despite our complaints, Harrisonburg provides plenty of things to keep us college students occupied. We’ve got concerts and improv shows at TDU, hangout spots like Rocktown Grill and Dave’s Taverna, a mall, movie theaters, public parks, restaurants, coffeehouses, sports bars, tea rooms, pottery stores — and the list goes on. The sooner we stop complaining about the dogfood smell, the sooner we’ll realize how much Harrisonburg has to offer.
As I prepare to graduate and leave my college town, I cannot help but miss it already. Between the breathtaking views, friendly residents and wonderful memories I’ve made here, I’m sure a part of my heart will always remain in “The Friendly City.” We have our whole lives to move to the big city or the suburbs, but how many people in the world can say they’ve lived in Harrisonburg, Virginia? Don’t laugh — it’s much cooler than you think.
Kathryn Manning is a senior history and political science major.
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