Juniata’s Social Atmoshpere
When I first came to visit Juniata, I thought that it was a beautiful campus, friendly professors, small class sizes, and I felt very comfortable walking around campus. I was nervous because I knew that it was in Central Pennsylvania and I come from Los Angeles, California which is a pretty big city with plenty to do. So as you can see, how I was worried about diversity of the student body and mostly the social atmosphere. However, the students here strive to be open minded and up for an adventure at any time.
After being here for four years now, I can say that Juniata is a great school if you are looking for a small, close knit feel. My problem with Juniata is the locations of the school which at first was nice, but the weather can switch up at times and the town of Huntingdon, Pa is not that exciting especially if you are from a big city social scene. I heard about some local bars that students go to and the biggest places people go to are Sheetz, Walmart, and OIP, but other than that there really isn’t anything to do in Huntingdon unless you have a car and you go to State College, Altoona or Raystown Lake.
My biggest suggestion to any new student is try to come in with an open mind. Students at Juniata are very out there and they are bunched up in groups such as hipsters to athletes to the preppy walking around campus. If you can handle seeing people everywhere you go and playing Frisbee, Quidditch, or Light saber battles on the quad, then you will be fine here. Don’t get me wrong, I love the friends that I have made here and if I had the option to choose a different school then I would still pick Juniata. I would say get involved in at least one club while at Juniata! It will definitely help so you can feel that there is something to do.
There are a ton of clubs here and you can always start one if it does not exist here. We have a great Juniata activities board called JAB where they host Bingo, Cats and Cookies, Dogs and Donuts, Ice-skating, Stress Busters, and arts and crafts. Events like these bring students together contributing to the community atmosphere of Juniata. I found my home through the volleyball program. My love and passion for the game transpired into my academics. Volleyball pushed me to work hard in everything I do and I have learned to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Many people complain that small schools have less of a social life, and that getting to know everyone so quickly is boring. But they are not completely right, you just have to make your own fun. The people are what makes anything fun no matter what and that is why I believe people at Juniata still stay for all four years. We create our own memories.
