Penn Editorial

Do not let anyone tell you differently: IUP students are a part of the Indiana community.

In Fall 2009, IUP reported 14,638 enrolled students. The population for Indiana is 34,170 as of the 2000 U.S. Census.

Those numbers are a little dated, and some students are commuters, but it remains that IUP students compose a significant portion of Indiana's population.

When school recesses, the absence of the student population is obvious all over town. Many local businesses that students frequent, especially bars, are much less crowded than during the school year.

Yet instead of embracing IUP students as a part of the greater community, we are often shunned and perhaps even despised by year-round residents.

The complaints of the community are not unfounded: some college students throw or attend raucous parties and get into trouble.  We can be noisy and brash, but so can many people who do not spend their days on campus.

It is often overlooked that many college students are also community volunteers or part of the workforce. We spend a great deal of money at local establishments including bars, restaurants and retail stores.

In short, we stimulate the economy and help make Indiana the town that it is. Why then should we be treated as lepers amongst the larger community?

Granted, the Indiana Borough Council recently added a non-voting position for an IUP student representative, but how sure can we be that the voices of students will actually be heard?

A great deal of this treatment comes from small groups of IUP students who behave badly and are incorrectly taken as a representation for the entire student body.

A bad impression goes a long way, and repairing our image can be nearly impossible. This year, we stress the importance of proving to borough residents that we are upstanding, intelligent citizens.

Treat the town and its people with respect, and it could open many doors for you and the university community. It will also keep your name off of page four of The Penn.