A common theme on the Commonwealth campuses seems to be a distaste for the so-called “Power of Three,” with many students, faculty members, and alumni voicing how much they despise the branding of Commonwealth University. A large part of the college selection process is having pride in the university you choose to attend. As a freshman, this was the first time in my education I was able to select my education.

The choice to go to Bloomsburg University was a relatively simple one. Both of my parents are Bloomsburg University alumni; the school offers good programs for my major (media and journalism)  and has an abundance of clubs and activities to keep my time out of the classroom exciting and enjoyable. That being said, I chose to go to Bloomsburg University, take classes here, study here, and be involved with the programs at this university. But due to the integration, this has made this process more difficult. It is hard to identify with a school that’s name is pushed to second in its title.

It makes little sense to me to lean so heavily into the idea of Commonwealth University when each campus’s identity is unique and proud of its respective campus. Around campus, I’ve heard people talking about how they are Bloomsburg students regardless of the name and I could not relate more to this sentiment. Bloomsburg is a school with a rich history and resides in a small and proud town. Bloomsburg University was opened in 1839 as Bloomsburg Academy and since then has gone through a variety of name changes to reflect the campus life at that time. For instance from 1927-1960 the university was known as Bloomsburg State Teachers College to reflect its primary function of educating educators. Through all of the changes, one thing has remained the same: Bloomsburg has always been Bloomsburg.

Now it feels as though Bloomsburg University history is being hidden behind this new identity-lacking school, which very few students see as home. Students at Bloomsburg, Lockhaven, and Mansfield live different campus lives with unique clubs and activities, and that is not something that should be forced to change. Our campus roots run deep and I feel strongly about being represented as an individual school rather than forcing three unique campuses to conform to one overarching identity. The school of the Mounties is Mansfield, the Eagles reside at Lockhaven, and the home of the Huskies is Bloomsburg.