If asked, many Baker University students would say that the reason they chose to attend Baker was the personal and small-town feel that comes with a private college in a town like Baldwin City.

Baldwin City is tiny, certainly no bigger than the stereotypical rural midwestern town. The perfect place for a college like Baker, which strives to give students a personal classroom experience, making each student feel more like a person than a number.

Many students talk negatively about the city, but a part of going to college is loving the college town atmosphere. Baker is one-of-a-kind in terms of its programs and offerings, but Baldwin City adds a sort of charm to it as well.

From the outside, students at larger universities do not understand the appeal of such a small town, but as BU students, we should be the ones who find the lovable parts. Over and over we hear about the “Baker family” and how it is such a tight-knit community – why does that have to change on a Friday or Saturday night?

Baldwin City may be small but it offers more entertainment choices than many students realize. No, there isn’t a movie theater or a night club or even a McDonalds, however, there are other choices for food and entertainment that could arguably be better options for students and are beneficial for both Baker and the rest of the Baldwin City community.

The fact that Baldwin City does not have some of these things can be considered more of an advantage than inconvenience. Having fewer distractions keeps students more focused on academics, and the drive to Lawrence is more likely to dissuade students from choosing to go out and party instead of study for tomorrow’s test.

A movie theater can be replaced by Netflix and a couch full of friends. The club could be a weekend frat party that is carefully planned and close to home, making it easy to make the right choice to walk home after that last drink.

Other than the monetary and safety benefits of living in Baldwin City, the small town atmosphere brings us closer together as a campus.

For those of us who are 21, the Mine is a good time. Instead of going to a Lawrence bar where you only know one out of maybe 30, here it’s people you see every day, whether its on the sidewalk by the Osbourne Chapel or in Collins Library.

College is a time to foster friendships and make memories, both of which can be done in this city if students take the time to look for it.

Just because Baldwin doesn’t have the variety of out-on-the-town entertainment doesn’t mean that it is lacking possibilities. Places like the Mine, the Baldwin City Diner and the Lumberyard Arts Center – local businesses that are a part of the community we as Baker students live in – are often forgotten when students choose where they want eat or spend their time.