Franklin & Marshall College - Local Atmosphere

College Prowler Take

When Fummers are so inclined, they have a variety of events and cultural activities to attend. Lancaster is no New York City in terms of its theater, but the local downtown theater, Fulton opera house, is nationally known to be of extremely high caliber. Cultural life has its lulls. However, Lancaster is bigger than it feels, and it is not easy to exhaust the local entertainment options we have. Events like First Friday provide an opportunity for students to remove themselves from the F&M bubble, and explore the appeals of downtown. The Central Market every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday is not to be missed.

There’s plenty for students to do around town, but local college-town relations have traditionally been strained. The James Street Improvement District is busily building relationships and helping students and “townies” get along better. But there are a few more fences to be mended.
 

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Students Speak Out

F&MMD says: Franklin & Marshall College 2013 Arts, Visual and Performing

Lancaster is a small city but... Lancaster is a small city but still has a lot to offer. There are a ton of really good restaurants and a few good bars. Millersville University is quite close, and there is some interaction between the two schools. 12345 Local Atmosphere: March 08, 2009 Report

F&MDD says: Franklin & Marshall College 2013 Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Lancaster is a diverse town that... Lancaster is a diverse town that offers great activities. The first Friday of every month, all the galleries are open late so that people can look in and walk around downtown. There have been incidents of violence, so you shouldn't walk alone in Lancaster at night. There are a few universities near F&M, including Millersville and Elizabethtown. 12345 Local Atmosphere: March 05, 2009 Report

F&MMB says: Franklin & Marshall College 2013 Business

The atmosphere is a small, artsy... The atmosphere is a small, artsy town. The town does not have a lot of fun activities. F&M people do not go to town unless you can go to a bar. The best bars are Annie Bailey's, Hildy's, and the Brickyard. The restaurants are good. The best high-end places are Strwberry Hill, Carr's. There are also good Mexican and Greek places. 12345 Local Atmosphere: March 04, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

I don’t really like Lancaster... I don’t really like Lancaster because I don’t feel that the school and the community are close. I think that some of the Lancaster residents consider us rich, spoiled kids and don’t give us much of a chance. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Freshman year there is so much to... Freshman year there is so much to do on campus, you almost forget that there’s an entire city to explore. I’ve been wandering into town on ‘adventures’ and I have fallen in love with the city. With five schools in the area counting us (Millersville, E-town, the Lancaster School of Art, Steven’s Technical College, F&M), there are a lot of young people around. And as for things to do, we have a lot, including theater, concerts in the park or at the Chameleon, coffee shops, restaurants, Central Market, the North Museum, art galleries, and some stuff I haven’t even gotten around to finding yet. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Facts

Did You Know?

Five Fun Facts about Lancaster:
• There's free wine every month at First Friday downtown!
• Bird-in-Hand, Blue Ball, Intercourse, and Virginville are all towns in Lancaster County.
• The movie Witness was filmed here, and many locals were extras.
• The Central Market is one of the oldest farmer’s markets in the country.
• Students often see the Amish walking around Lancaster, and some shopping centers even offer “buggy parking.”

Famous People from Lancaster:
James Buchanan – Fifteenth president of the U.S.
Benjamin Rush – Early surgeon and physician
Andrew Wyeth – Artist

Local Slang:
Lancaster is in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, and all of these expressions are heavily influenced by the version of German that the local Amish and Mennonites currently speak, though these words are not limited to the Plain Folk.
All – Empty. “This can is all! Get me another, please.”
Awhile – While you wait, a waitress might say, “Can I bring you a Coke awhile?”
Coke – Any fizzy beverage. “What kind of Coke do you want?”
Dassent – Dare not. “I want to break the rules, but I see a cop, so I dassent.”
English – A non-Amish person, whatever his or her actual nationality is.
Fasnacht – Dough fried in fat. The day before Ash Wednesday is known as Fasnacht Day in Lancaster County, and fasnacht is served in the dining hall.
Het up – Emotional, shaken up, riled. “I was about to start a fight, I was so het up!”
Mind on – Recall. “Do you mind on that nice college boy who used to come by here?”
Outen the lights – Turn off the lights. “Would you outen the lights when you leave, please?”
Plain Folk – The Amish, who shun electricity and other modern conveniences. You can frequently see their horse-drawn buggies around Lancaster County.
Redd up – Tidy up, clean; put a room in order. “Monday is redd-up day, so get your things in order.”
Wants on – To like somebody and want to hook up with them. “He’s looking at me; I bet he wants on.”

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