Editorial: What doesn’t come to mind?

When you think of Lehigh, what comes to mind?

Maybe it’s late nights studying at Linderman and Sunday brunch at Rathbone. Maybe it’s the routine hike to Drown and the picture-perfect photo opportunities in front of the Alumni Memorial Building or the University Center. Maybe it’s any other definitive campus moment that a myriad of Lehigh students experience on a day-to-day basis.

College, to many, signifies the initial step in adulthood. During your first year, you’re 18 years old (or nearly 18) and holding up on your own for the first time. You’re engaging with a life that’s all brand new: meeting new people, learning new things and living somewhere new. 

By your second year, you might still love Lehigh, but in comes the inevitable sensation of feeling trapped— stuck in the unchanged, everyday cycle of going to the same classes, same dining halls, same extracurricular activities and so on.

Is this how we’ll spend our entire four years? As adults, aren’t we supposed to feel free instead of trapped? That freedom is there, you just might not know where – yet.

You’re not subjected to staying on campus and living through that cycle. There are many other things to do other than hang out in a dorm room a few doors down the hall. 

If you open your eyes and look around, you will see what South Side Bethlehem and the entirety of the Lehigh Valley has to offer you.

Don’t just spend your four years of college getting to know Lehigh, spend your four years getting to know the entire surrounding community.

Hundreds of events happen year-round in Bethlehem. There are concerts, film-screenings and performances, ticketed and free, at the SteelStacks – right around the corner of campus.

Additionally, the Lehigh Valley is a major hot-spot for plenty of festivals. Last week was the Celtic Classic Highland Games and Festival in downtown Bethlehem, and starting next week is Oktoberfest, which features authentic German food and drinks as well as live music.

Local businesses are abundant on both the North and South sides of Bethlehem – all within walking distance. The next time you have a craving for Chipotle opt to summer a small business such as Rakki Ramen, The Goose or Alexandria’s Bistro. 

In need of some new scenery? There are tons of parks and trails for when you want to take a walk to a destination that isn’t a classroom. The Greenway is the perfect place for an easy walk, or if you’re looking for a hike, the monumental Bethlehem Star is right up the hill. 

Your limits aren’t just within walking distance. Lehigh also offers free shuttling to off-campus locations on Saturdays to places such as the Lehigh Valley Mall. 

The list goes on and on.

Coming to Lehigh doesn’t necessarily mean staying on campus. When you come to Lehigh, you’re also coming to Bethlehem and integrating yourself into the community that exists outside of campus. 

Immerse yourself in all that the Lehigh Valley has to offer. Opportunities are out there that you don’t know you’re missing out on. 

It’s time to get out of that mindset of staying on campus when there is an entire community for students to explore. 

You have freedom, so make the most of it – all you have is four short years.

When you think of Lehigh, what doesn’t come to mind?