Lehigh University offers many courses in the Baker Institute for Entrepreneurialism, Creativity and Innovation that give students an opportunity to learn from other entrepreneurs in business and in society. One course offered in the spring is ENT 198: Art Entrepreneurship Community. In this course, students explore the dynamic relationship between art(ist), producer (public, private, single & multiple) and audience. A significant part of their learning is through applying their own talents to the annual Spring on Fourth festival. Through this practicum, students have seen the impact of their work in terms of relationship building between the South Bethlehem business community and the campus.
They have also been given a great opportunity to see how a festival impacts local businesses. These local businesses are the backbone of the local economy; and students are learning all of their owners by name - and not by name tag. They have become very familiar with the assets of the community around their campus - and are coming to understand the value and shared responsibility of supporting a local economy through events and festivals that raise the quality of life for all citizens who live and work in the same zip code.
The following series is written by the students of ENT 198 - Spring 2013.
In downtown Bethlehem, the Steel Ice Center has been a fun place for young kids to learn to skate and play youth hockey. Many ice skating lessons with kids from the Lehigh valley are held there daily and on Friday and weekend nights many kids come for the public ice skating sessions. However, with the increasing popularity of the Lehigh University ice hockey team over the past five to seven years, more and more older crowds have gathered at the ice skating rink on nights. The Lehigh valley is a place that is close by to businesses where Lehigh alumni work and to be able to spend a night watching the ice hockey team with old friends is a special thing that the skating rink wanted to capitalize on. So in an effort to bring the community of Lehigh University and the public together, the Steel Ice Center has created the Steel Ice Pub.
The Steel Ice Pub is a bar that is connected to the rink where people can come stop by, especially on weekend evenings, and catch an ice hockey game or watch a sports game on the beautiful flat screen TVs while enjoying a drink and a meal with their friends or co-workers. The pub has only recently opened and having played with the Lehigh University ice hockey team this past season, I can say that I was surprised by the growing number of people who stopped by in such a short time. Unlike a regular bar off campus, people from the public who stop by can get a glimpse of the Lehigh University atmosphere with the hockey team and their fans in the stands while dropping by to watch a football game on TV in the bar. And with students from Lehigh University, they can watch their buddy on the ice and enjoy a beer at a low cost. The place is just a fun and collaborative way to bring the community together and support the growth that the Lehigh Valley is going through in these past few years. So if you are around, stop on by and you’ll have a good time.
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Enrique Carrion
Lehigh University
Class of 201527 Memorial Dr W
Bethlehem, PA 18015
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