Where's the best place to live as a catholic young adult?

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it could be your calling…just saying…we are called to take the hard road…
 
Blessedwithfive said:
I gotta know…what is the deal with Steubenville? PM if you have to…but inquiring minds want to know…
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It has to do with money. Steubenville is a major employer and player in the area. They’ve burned quite a bit of “political capital” by getting money to work on “public” projects in and around campus (lights, roads, housing) that the community felt was better applied to the area at large. Given the abject poverty walking distance from campus, I can’t say I disagree with their neighbor’s issues.

In short, it depends on what side you’re on. Like Steubenville and it’s “just the politics of getting things done and they ‘help’ the community annnnyyyyway”. For those who are neutral or dislike Steubenville U they have some legitimate complaints. Steubenville U does have the loudest and largest voice and that can be frustrating to other VERY worthy causes. Causes that would be addressed in other communities without a private uni. Back to the flip side, not unlike other private college cities…but back again if you go to Steubenville (uni) and Steubenville (city) the campus does look like a grand palace of opulence and parts of the greater area like bombed out wastelands…unlike other colleges where the balance is a bit more level.
 
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My daughter was looking at the college back in 2011. We went to look at it but it was actually “too Catholic” for even us. And we are really pretty Catholic…but we didn’t know all the latin responses and she was defiantly looked down on because she was public school educated. Our pastor knew our family personally and wrote her an excellent recommendation (along with the deacon) and she was accepted. Once we got there and saw at the town, we decided against it. She actually went to Gove City College just a little to the north and had an excellent experience. At that time the college was in pretty sad shape and the town was downright scary…and my daughter went to an intercity public school…
I am sad to hear that the town hasn’t gotten better. Back in the 70’s my uncle worked there and it wasn’t bad then.
 
Louisiana used to be a very Catholic place to live. But, it appears “NFL Money” has been making Hellenistic type movements in the ways of peoples lives. And that’s not to mention the posse comitatus types that want to make their stamp in certain geographical areas.

Hopefully, the about to be new FBI will crack down on some of that foolishness.
 
Xanthippe_Voorhees said:
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Blessedwithfive:
I gotta know…what is the deal with Steubenville? PM if you have to…but inquiring minds want to know…
Click to expand...
It has to do with money. Steubenville is a major employer and player in the area. They’ve burned quite a bit of “political capital” by getting money to work on “public” projects in and around campus (lights, roads, housing) that the community felt was better applied to the area at large. Given the abject poverty walking distance from campus, I can’t say I disagree with their neighbor’s issues.

In short, it depends on what side you’re on. Like Steubenville and it’s “just the politics of getting things done and they ‘help’ the community annnnyyyyway”. For those who are neutral or dislike Steubenville U they have some legitimate complaints. Steubenville U does have the loudest and largest voice and that can be frustrating to other VERY worthy causes. Causes that would be addressed in other communities without a private uni. Back to the flip side, not unlike other private college cities…but back again if you go to Steubenville (uni) and Steubenville (city) the campus does look like a grand palace of opulence and parts of the greater area like bombed out wastelands…unlike other colleges where the balance is a bit more level.
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Well, there is always “town” vs “gown” issue in all college towns. Whether Steubenville City likes it or not, they are a college town. So these issues exist in all college towns, but less so in cities where a local college is not the main employer & not the main focus.
 
I respectfully disagree. Grove City College in Grove City Pa seem to coexist well. My other daughter goes to Messiah College and the town and city are both doing well. I have seen it work in Oberlin Ohio as well.

With five kids (four in college or graduated) I have seen too many colleges. Steubenville stood out as unbalanced. And that is where the huge rape case was from a few years ago…in the town not the college.
 
phil19034 said:
Whether Steubenville City likes it or not, they are a college town
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They really weren’t established that way, so you see the problem with accepting that. Steubenville was established as an industrial center, a massive steel producing area as well as the rest of Ohio Valley.
 
phil19034 said:
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Xanthippe_Voorhees:
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Blessedwithfive:
I gotta know…what is the deal with Steubenville? PM if you have to…but inquiring minds want to know…
Click to expand...
It has to do with money. Steubenville is a major employer and player in the area. They’ve burned quite a bit of “political capital” by getting money to work on “public” projects in and around campus (lights, roads, housing) that the community felt was better applied to the area at large. Given the abject poverty walking distance from campus, I can’t say I disagree with their neighbor’s issues.

In short, it depends on what side you’re on. Like Steubenville and it’s “just the politics of getting things done and they ‘help’ the community annnnyyyyway”. For those who are neutral or dislike Steubenville U they have some legitimate complaints. Steubenville U does have the loudest and largest voice and that can be frustrating to other VERY worthy causes. Causes that would be addressed in other communities without a private uni. Back to the flip side, not unlike other private college cities…but back again if you go to Steubenville (uni) and Steubenville (city) the campus does look like a grand palace of opulence and parts of the greater area like bombed out wastelands…unlike other colleges where the balance is a bit more level.
Click to expand...
Well, there is always “town” vs “gown” issue in all college towns. Whether Steubenville City likes it or not, they are a college town. So these issues exist in all college towns, but less so in cities where a local college is not the main employer & not the main focus.
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Note that I mentioned that there is always a tug between towns and private colleges. However, it is rarely so stark as Steubenville’s is and is almost never so “off mission”…for instance my friend went to a private college in Ohio but they were an integreal part of the community (vet college). Steubenville is kinda it’s own thing and while they do help their community, it’s very token and quite frankly enormously miniscule compred to what my CINO college did.
 
If you’re near a Catholic Church, you’re in a good place. Maybe you should just pray, “God, where do YOU want me to go?”

You sound like an upstanding, devout, and intelligent young Catholic. Perhaps you are called to be a “missionary” in the United States, going somewhere that may not be very devout but still the place where God would like you to be. Be open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.
 
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Ok, let me rephrase… I should have said it happens it a lot of college towns, not all. I was a figure of speach.

Anyway, some towns and colleges actually mesh very well because the town and the college are similar… similar values, similar people, etc.

Case in point is Swarthmore, PA and Swarthmore College. Both are pretty liberal, and the college kids there pretty much are good reflection of the community.

So they get along pretty well. But also, the town grew up around the college.

Grove City College is the 2nd most conservative college in America (according to Wikipedia) with a first time alcohol police violation of a 1 week suspension.

Messiah College has every student signs a “Covenant” that practically bans both on- and off-campus the use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco as well as gambling, profanity, “occult practices”, sexual intercourse outside of marriage, and homosexual behavior.

Steubenville on the other hand used to be a big party School. I’m sure that their party school years contributed to the friction.

I’m sure there is also a culture clash. The University is one of the ultimate centers for Catholic Culture, yet the Diocese is only 7% Catholic with only 39,800 Catholics living in the ENTIRE Diocese. In the city, 21% are Catholics but 45% of the city isn’t affiliated with a religion.

So I’m sure there is also some cultural push back too.

I went to the University of Delaware and the always had a big love/hate relationship – though it started to become better after the Chrysler plant in the city limits closed and the University turned it into a science park. Before that, I used hear people complain left and right that it was unfair to the city that the University didn’t have to pay property taxes.

Point is, if the people in the town see a college as a drain, even if it isn’t there will be conflict. I’m sure that Steubenville has issues due to history, culture clash, and frankly the school wanting to keep kids safe from people like the Wu Tang Clan.

God Bless
 
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Xanthippe_Voorhees said:
Note that I mentioned that there is always a tug between towns and private colleges. However, it is rarely so stark as Steubenville’s is and is almost never so “off mission”…for instance my friend went to a private college in Ohio but they were an integreal part of the community (vet college). Steubenville is kinda it’s own thing and while they do help their community, it’s very token and quite frankly enormously miniscule compred to what my CINO college did.
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But this is also pretty typical of most colleges that have a closed campus. Colleges that spread into the town, with kids living all over town, walking down city sidewalks in-between classes, etc. are pretty involved with the community. Vs the closed campus that is completely cut off from the neighborhood.

So the open campus set up is going to be be more involved with the community, while the closed campus system is often like city within a city.

God Bless
 
phil19034 said:
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Xanthippe_Voorhees:
Note that I mentioned that there is always a tug between towns and private colleges. However, it is rarely so stark as Steubenville’s is and is almost never so “off mission”…for instance my friend went to a private college in Ohio but they were an integreal part of the community (vet college). Steubenville is kinda it’s own thing and while they do help their community, it’s very token and quite frankly enormously miniscule compred to what my CINO college did.
Click to expand...
But this is also pretty typical of most colleges that have a closed campus. Colleges that spread into the town, with kids living all over town, walking down city sidewalks in-between classes, etc. are pretty involved with the community. Vs the closed campus that is completely cut off from the neighborhood.

So the open campus set up is going to be be more involved with the community, while the closed campus system is often like city within a city.

God Bless
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Not really. My CINO campus was “closed” and not within city limits. It was exactly the same size as Steubenville. However, we were deeply involved in the community. The education students started TA work as sophomores, providing local run-down schools with hundreds and thousands of volunteer hours. Computer students rotated running classes at the library, senior centers or did other NP work. Catering students did food waste mitigation work with local businesses. Business students wrote campaigns for NPO’s and Catholic schools. Accounting students did taxes. Theatre students ran plays…I can go on and on.

Basically, if you went to college you WERE involved in the community. There was no way to avoid it. Each student was required to do 3 hrs per semester per class on top of any class requirements.

Steubenville does none of this. And don’t give me the “area is worse” crud. The places that my college impacted were FAR better than a few towns over outside of our reach.

Closed campus shouldn’t mean that the students are in their ivory tower. For the most part it does at Steubenville…so when they get money to re-pave a street or erect comfortable housing the people get testy. They see themselves getting nothing when the college gets richer and richer.
 
phil19034 said:
Grove City College is the 2nd most conservative college in America (according to Wikipedia) with a first time alcohol police violation of a 1 week suspension.

Messiah College has every student signs a “Covenant” that practically bans both on- and off-campus the use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco as well as gambling, profanity, “occult practices”, sexual intercourse outside of marriage, and homosexual behavior.

Steubenville on the other hand used to be a big party School. I’m sure that their party school years contributed to the friction.
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Yes, my kids did attend conservative protestant colleges. We tried very hard to find conservative Catholic colleges but just couldn’t find any. Most were just CINO or so far removed from the community (Steubenville) that our kids didn’t fit in. Another of my kids graduated from Baylor. It is a Baptist College with a great Catholic presence.
Just an aside, Messiah College has the local Catholic priest as a professor.
 
I will have to say the Steubenville does not “smell like the sheep”.
 
Blessedwithfive said:
I will have to say the Steubenville does not “smell like the sheep”.
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Steubenville the school is a great little bubble. Students and staff LOVE being in a Catholic Bubble.

But it is a bubble…and in reality, the very definition of Catholic is the opposite of bubble.
 
The Gulf Coast area from New Orleans to Mobile. There’s plenty of job opportunities, a decent sized catholic population, and we have a beach
 
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