Over the past few years, Muhlenberg as an institution has been working to shed some positive light onto Allentown and to make downtown more accessible to students.  Mike Bruckner speaks to the importance of Muhlenberg’s shuttle services and pre-orientations, as well the importance of the current revitalization of Allentown.   

Click here to view the different destinations of Muhlenberg's Cardinal and Grey Shuttles.

Bruckner also describes the lack of interaction between students and Allentown from when he first began working here in 1996. Many students currently consider the Farmers Market and the Civic Theater to be gems, and we found it unusual that students of the past thought otherwise:

It is also important to consider how Allentown residents view Muhlenberg.  Dean Green told us that surprisingly, many local public school students are unsure of what Muhlenberg is and where it is located.  As a way to mend this, Muhlenberg will soon be offering scholarships specifically to local high school students:

Dean Green continued by saying the Farmers Market is an important location for the lives of students and residents to blend together:

Lastly, Susan Clemens tells of her Oral History classes, which from an academic standpoint, serve to create more intimate connections between students and people that reside or work downtown:

In conclusion, it seems that a combination of solutions are necessary to begin changing students’ perceptions of center city.  We need to make students aware of the different opportunities that exist, whether it is through this Scalar book, the shuttle service, or a class field trip.  The work that Professor Clemens is doing is really wonderful, because her classes help students make direct relationships with people in Allentown; I think this gets at the heart of what Dean Green meant when she said, “people are people.”  More professors should follow in Professor Clemens’ footsteps, and make a conscious effort to connect their courses to Allentown.  Most importantly, we need to stop telling freshmen that Allentown is unsafe. This is their home for the next four years, and they should not be scared to explore different venues and establish connections outside of the west end.  Visit the Campus and Community Involvement page for more information about volunteer opportunities within Allentown.