Lock Haven, PA: For four days last summer, I went with a good friend to volleyball camp at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania. Since my friend is graduating this year and wanted to go to a good camp, as well as check out the college, I, a junior, went along for the ride.

Lock Haven was founded in 1870 and is part of the state’s public school system. About 4,700 students are enrolled in the 75 undergraduate programs.

Once we got out of the car and took our bags to the dorm rooms, we wanted to walk around to get to know our surroundings. All around us were huge mountains. See, in Delaware, the largest hill (and yes, I said “hill”) is a mound of dirt that construction workers are using to make a new building. Those Pennsylvania mountains were definitely a sight for sore eyes! Near the campus is a delightful, quaint town that looked very peaceful.

Everything seemed pretty remarkable about this campus except for one minor detail. Since mountains and hills surround the town, there were many steps! I had the impression that the entire college was built on the side of a mountain. We walked down 482 steps for breakfast! Yes, we actually counted them. After breakfast, we had a two-and-a-half hour session in the gym. The thought of climbing back up all those stairs was almost too much, especially since I was so tired from training!

I don’t think I will be considering this college. It seems great, but the thought of having to deal with those stairs every day is too much for me. I’m really not lazy, but I was there for four days and can’t imagine being there for a school year. If you are interested in attending a school with a built-in exercise program, though, learn more about Lock Haven on their website: www.lhup.edu.



Reviewed in 2005