Millersville University is conveniently located in the heart of Lancaster County, surrounded by an abundance of corn fields and a city that nobody’s ever really heard of, or wants to visit. If you’re not out rushing to class, you’re most likely driving a half hour to closest Target to buy new things that you probably don’t need, but it’s fine you’re going to buy them anyway. Not only is Millersville in the middle of Amish territory, you’re constantly haunted by the horrible smell of manure and who knows what else filling the air. Even if you’re a freshman, much like myself, it’s pretty easy to relate to these pretty true facts about the infamous Millersville Marauders.

1. You always know what shoes to wear on a Tuesday or Thursday because it’s most likely raining.
2. You can do your Biology project on the squirrel to student ratio because it’s way too high to be environmentally healthy (probably about 3:1)
3. No matter what time of year it is, there’s always construction going on around campus, so you’re promised an early alarm featuring the sound of bulldozers backing up and moving around.
4. The school cares more about the swans then they do about their students…the pond’s even heated, but the dorms barely have hot water.
5. Even though the school cares about the swans, the student population can’t even tell them apart. Is it Seville or Miller? Who knows.
6. You find yourself hoping the pond overflows so you don’t have to go to your classes. (Clearly the pond is very important here).
7. When you need to know somebody important in order to go out on a Saturday night, or you’ll probably end up walking around for an hour then ordering food from House of Pizza.
8. When you try to go to lunch at 12 and you find yourself standing up to eat or waiting an hour to get a sandwich because of the common hour.
9. You see the entire 21+ population at the one bar in town.
10. There’s at least one fire alarm a week in the dorms and it’s usually at the absolute worst time possible.
11. The only reason HoPi (House of Pizza) is still in business is because it’s the only place most people can go Thursday nights.
12. “Early Childhood and Special Ed, how about you?” Is the most common phrase around campus considering over a quarter of the population are education majors.
13. Going to the Sugar Bowl but forgetting you can’t use a meal swipe because it’s sadly not apart campus.
14. But you can use Marauder Gold for absolutely anything, including 3 a.m. runs to Sheetz (or Sugar Bowl).
15. When you call the Student Memorial Center the “Smack” and non-MU students have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.
16. Trying to find parking after coming back to campus and searching for a spot for 10 minutes or having to walk at least half a mile to your destination.
17. Wednesday $1 drinks at the Village is the highlight of most students week.
18. The only road leading to MU is constantly backed up and there’s no way around the traffic.
19. If you’re visiting Millersville it’s most likely not for the football team considering we’ve barely won a single game, but barely anybody knows that the Field Hockey team won the championship.
20. Last but not least, you really know you’re at MU when you ask what a “Marauder” is an half the student population has no idea. (P.S. It’s a land pirate)

Out of all the schools in Pennsylvania, I’m happy I chose to be a Marauder at this amazing school. It may have it’s cons, but the pros definitely outweigh them. I absolutely love the people I’ve met here and wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. I am happy I can call this place my second home, even if it sometimes drives me crazy.