Where’s the college town?

In the foothills where the hustle and bustle of modern day life fails to seep, is where you will find the University of La Verne. The picture-perfect scenery alludes to a quaint college life where students converse at nearby sidewalk cafés, and shop-owners welcome school-goers with tempting window displays and lots of must-have items.

Unfortunately, the above exists only in the imagination and expectations of potential La Verne students, who are unaware of the lack of a college-like atmosphere.

The problem lies, at least in part, with the lack of support ULV students receive from neighboring businesses. One would think that with a school in existence since 1891, the businesses would cater to the growing population of college students, who are potentially their greatest consumers.

As the ULV student population changes with time, the businesses remain partial to the older La Verne residents ­ or the younger students at Bonita High School.

Places like Warehouse Pizza, T. Phillip’s (formerly Heroes) and Nick’s Place, still do not offer college student discounts.

In the same un-welcoming environment are places like the high-priced antique shop, which stocks items clearly out of synch with college students’ likings.

The Coffeeberry, which has location and atmosphere in its favor closes its doors at 8:30 p.m., making it inconvenient for those with late-night classes.

Even on campus, students have little to choose from for recreation. The Student Center, while more occupied than last year, was intended to be a place for students to mingle and let loose but there is only so much BET and sports they can watch or air hockey they can play before they are bored and restless.

This uninviting atmosphere sends most students seeking a reprieve a few miles down the street to the Claremont Village, where the environment resembles New York’s hip and trendy Greenwich Village, with boutiques, small specialty shops and restaurants.

The environment is student-friendly and offers a casual atmosphere that draws the likes of many from neighboring areas. Starbucks is walking distance; music specialty shops like Rhino Records stock a variety of musical selections, and an assortment of neighborhood restaurants offer an array of foods from Italian to Barbeque.

Or take a more traditional college atmosphere like the University of Southern California just 45 minutes from La Verne. The campus has an open atmosphere that promotes community involvement through campus-hosted events rich with vibrant culture.

Downtown La Verne could be just as inviting if it hosted activities of interest to students. Or if the city had a coffee house, or juice bar that stayed open after-hours.

Local businesses could direct their advertisements to a college-orientated crowd, offer discounts that are specific to ULV students, get input on the kinds of things students would buy, like vintage clothing or CDs, stay open later, especially on weekends, and just make an overall effort to acknowledge that the students exist.

It would, after all, be a win-win situation for this sleepy town.

On campus, the school could sponsor non-club events, such as midnight breakfast, one-on-one tournaments and meet-the-community events. The University could survey students to find what they would like to see in the student center, create an area for amateur nights for local bands, poetry readings or anyone wanting to showcase their talent, and give away prizes through contests.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

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