Almost every college in the United States is surrounded by a town. This town can have everyday citizens that do not attend the university, but just simply live there. Some schools have large college towns, and some have small college towns. Universities in Boston, New York City, Miami, Chicago, etc. have large college towns, as they are in the center of massive cities with millions of people. Each college and college town varies depending on location and a variety of factors.
Penn State has a fairly large college town for being in the middle of Pennsylvania with not many other large cities around. According to worldpopulationreview.com, in 2020, State college had a population of 41,632 and is the 12th largest city in the state of Pennsylvania. However, “State College is currently declining at a rate of -0.42% annually and its population has decreased by -0.96% since the most recent census.” Many individuals who do not attend Penn State know that it is in State College Pa and is a large college town. Even those who live on the other side of the country, know of the big universities and what their college towns have to offer.
It can be argued that there is a divide between colleges, college towns, students, and non-student residents. Students who go to a college located in a college town do in fact interact with non-student residents of the college town. Students and non-student residents should have the same goals of keeping the town and community a safe and positive experience. They should also respect one another and not negatively interfere with one another. Especially on the weekends, college students should be respectful and not disruptive.
Students and non-student residents can relate to one another. They are both in close proximity to each other and have the same goals regarding community safety. Students and non-student residents also take the same transportation and are more or less always around each other and the same stores, restaurants, parks, etc.
Although students and non-student residents can relate to one another on a certain level, there is some tension. According to scholars.org, young people “often find themselves living in settings where they feel detached from the surrounding community and where tensions with long-term residents can lead to mutual distrust and negative blowups.” There can be a variety of reasons as to what leads to this tension. Scholars.org, discusses how this tension can be reacted to taxes. “Some tensions are rooted in the fact that colleges and universities are usually non-profit institutions exempt from local property taxes, even though the surrounding municipalities have to support extra services and infrastructure to accommodate their institutions of higher education.” Tensions can also be a direct cause of different lifestyles between students and non-student residents. It is likely that a college student who is in their teens to early twenties will have a different schedule and way of life compared to an individual who may be in their forties. Non-student residents may also dislike what students do, especially on the weekends, such as partying, drinking, being loud, and even committing crimes. Non-student residents may also feel like the town is theirs and not the college students, since they will only be there for approximately four years, and then move back home.
Students and non-student residents can resolve their tensions with both parties putting in their time and effort and coming into it with an open mind. First off, both parties need to change their mindset. Students and non-student residents each offer certain aspects and diversity. Diversity is an opportunity for individuals to gain more knowledge and be more accepting of others. College students can also learn about the town and its history, and how to help with any existing problems. College students could try and talk to and interview non-student residents, to see what their biggest concerns are regarding college students and the town itself. According to scholars.org, students at the University of Maine put in great efforts to try and solve the tensions between both populations. A class seminar spent a year doing research. This research assessed “underlying town-gown tensions, working in close collaboration with the town planner and manager, the town council, and university administrators.” Students got involved in their community and really looked at what they could do to help these tensions and relationships with non-student residents. I also believe that students and non-student residents can come together and organize events. They could have a town fair, carnival, fundraiser, etc., which would bring together both populations and allow them to meet and form relationships.
Colleges and college towns are unique to every area and university. Student and nonstudent residents will ultimately have tensions and disagreements, because of the very different lifestyles. Every individual who lives in the college or college town will be in contact with those who are students or non-student residents. We need to learn how to come together and come to mutual agreements and goals. This is the only way to keep a healthy, safe, and positive environment that people love living in. An open mind is a key factor in order to come to a solution and it is necessary that everyone accept one another no matter the differences in values, beliefs, schedules, etc.
Personally, I believe that Penn State as a university has a fairly good relationship with non-student residents in State College. We try our best to respect them and keep the community safe, while also enjoying the town, as it is our home for 4 years. Policies can always be implemented to make greater change, and I hope to see this in the future so that we as a community can have the best relationship possible with one another.
https://scholars.org/brief/bridging-social-divides-college-towns
https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/state-college-pa-population