Alright, let's go uptown to meet Sophie, who's going to tell us why Oxford Ohio is one of the nation's best college towns. Sophie is a recent graduate, who majored in Media and Culture, Creative Writing and Strategic Communication. She has loved Oxford since she was a little kid. This one's gonna be great. Take it away, Sophie.
Thanks, Alex. My entire life I have loved Miami University. My grandpa was a mathematics professor here for 40 years and still lives just down the street with my grandma. My parents are Miami Mergers, which means they both graduated from here and got married. It seemed like Miami would be the obvious choice for me, but it wasn't until I sat down with the Chair of the Media, Journalism and Film department that I was sold on the university. And one thing I was always sure about, however, was the beautiful town of Oxford, Ohio. Oxford is consistently rated by Forbes as one of the best college towns in America. Its charm comes from the brick roads, various shops and restaurants and the blending of Oxford residents and Miami students. Uptown Oxford is always lively and active, whether it's during a Saturday morning farmers market or an evening concert in the park. I grew up attending those concerts with my grandparents and even playing in the fountains of town with my siblings. My family has a lot of history here just like the town has a deep history. When Ohio legislature chartered Miami University in 1809, it decided to place the state second public university in a wooded township already designated in 1803 to support education. The first there needed to be a town in which to place this new university, that would become Oxford. It was laid out in 1810, covering one mile square. Mile Square is now the heart of the town with student housing, local shops, restaurants and community spaces. You can enjoy national favorites, as well as local restaurants alike. There's always something going on Uptown in the Miami Oxford community, with so much to see and do like walking miles of beautiful trails or spending an afternoon at the community art center. Everything you could possibly want is right in town. Oxford is a place that feels like home, and uptown will be the site of many of your fondest memories while attending school at Miami University. Hey Alex, do you want to meet me uptown at a restaurant later to share these mac bites, back to you?
Sophie, thank you that was absolutely fantastic. Those mac bites look delicious. I'm coming over there when I wrap this up. It's obvious why Miami students consider Oxford their home away from home. It was literally built for students and today it's one of the most vibrant college towns in the US. Great job Sophie, take care.