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Earlham College
- Local Atmosphere

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Earlham College - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler1.93

Local Atmosphere

C-
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Comparable Schools' Local Atmosphere Grades:

Quick Stats

Points of Interest
  • Cardinal Greenway
  • Cope Environmental Center
  • Glen Miller Park
  • Hayes Arboretum
  • Middlefork Reservoir
  • Whitewater Valley Gorge Park

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Often referred to as the “Earlham bubble,” the campus can feel like an oasis from the harsh world some days and an overscrowded desert island on others. When family and friends come to visit, students can be hard-pressed to find a cool hangout to take them to off campus. Richmond is truly devoid of good ethnic food and urban culture, but don’t think you’re totally stranded. With an open mind, you’ll come to appreciate the grounding effect of a bike ride around town. Don’t let the abundant conservative bumper stickers get you down. Despite the general contrast in political leanings between Earlham students and Richmond dwellers, if you walk down the sidewalk with a smile, you’ll be greeted with the same. Volunteering in the community is also a great way to help bridge the Richmond-Earlham divide. With jaw-droppingly low literacy rates and increasing unemployment in the area, your efforts will not go unappreciated. Those addicted to metropolitan culture, a happening music scene, or ethnic food should look elsewhere, or tighten their belts for the long haul. Keep in mind, Earlham is only for you if you can stand not seeing your place of residence on your favorite band’s touring schedule for four years. But when it comes right down to it, Earlham wouldn’t be Earlham if we were transplanted to New York City or San Francisco. Come to Earlham if you’re willing to forego urban comforts in exchange for a close-knit campus community. If nothing else, commiserating about the dismal lack of atmosphere can be a point of bonding among the student body and new faculty.

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Earlham Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Local Atmosphere at Earlham College

transferring

'14

Business Management

1.5
D+

Well...There's a Wal-Mart...

There is not much to do in the town of Richmond. It has a very blue collar feeling. From what I've heard, the bars are creepy. There are a few restaurants that are good, but not in walking distance. There is a movie theater, but they closed down for a period of time due to bed-bugs. There are some fast-food places, but most Earlham students eat only organic vegetarian food. North of Richmond there is a cute Amish grocery store. There is also a small mall with a few popular stores. The only place I've ever walked to off campus was Marsh, a grocery store, and professors houses.

Mar 08, 2011

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Local Atmosphere at Earlham College

Anonymous

Student

Richmond is a Midwestern town of...

Richmond is a Midwestern town of about 40,000, I believe, and it’s fairly conservative. There’s no ‘nightlife’ to speak of, except a few down-home kinds of bars, which I hear can be fun. Earlham is not the place to come if you are looking to go clubbing or be in some kind of nightlife hotspot, but I think almost everyone knew that before they came. Personally, I am enjoying getting to know Richmond (and the Midwest in general). It’s easy to trash it as being dull, but if you have the attitude of just trying to get to know the culture of a new place and a new region of the country, it can be fun.

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Local Atmosphere at Earlham College

Anonymous

Student

There are some other institutions...

There are some other institutions of higher education in Richmond, but there isn’t a whole lot of intermingling (this could be changed, though). I have met other people my age from the town who don’t go to Earlham. There are plenty of things to do with friends, and there are bigger cities close by; however, there are no good restaurants in town. There is one good sandwich shop, a bagel place, and a Mexican mart; that’s really it. Learn to cook! Stay away from the dirty men in the town, of which there seems to be an abundance. Check out the old record factory and the historical society. Around Indiana and Ohio there are lots of Native American mounds.

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Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the local atmosphere on the following topics

What is the local atmosphere like at your school?

What is the proximity to other universities? Is there much interaction?

Can you see yourself living here after graduation?

Facts

Shopping Centers Richmond Square Mall
Major Sports Teams
  • Indiana Pacers: basketball
  • Indianapolis Colts: football
City Web Sites
Distances to Nearest Major Cities
  • Cincinnati: OH: 1 hour, 25minutes
  • Dayton: OH: 50 minutes
  • Indianapolis: IN: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Did You Know?

Five Fun Facts about Richmond:

• Richmond was settled in 1806 by North Carolina Quakers and was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
• National Road (now U.S. 40) was the path for westward traveling pioneers and became the first interstate highway in the early 1800s.
• The Gennett Record Company of Richmond began recording jazz in 1916, and over the next 30 years, it attracted the likes of Hoagy Carmichael, Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, and Jelly Roll Morton.
• William Jennings Bryan recorded his Cross of Gold speech in Richmond.
• Labor Day weekend through October you can get lost at McMaze Indiana, a multi-acre cornfield carved into a maze in the shape of Indiana.

Famous People from Richmond:
Harry Henley (inventor of the roller skate)
Charles Jenkins (inventor of the first motion-picture machine, the phantoscope)

Local Slang:
To be a true Richmondite, make sure to pronounce “wash” as “warsh” and end sentences with prepositions. For example: “Where are you at?”, “Where are you going to?” or “Why did you do that for?”

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

Kerasotes Cinema 10
600 Commerce Rd.
Richmond
(765) 962-6753

Kerasotes Show Place 11
4713 National Road E.
Richmond
(765) 966-0000

Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at Earlham

Name: Anna Benfield

Hometown: Takoma Park, Md.

Major: Women's Studies

see all student author bios >

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