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Collegenutx2, It wouldn't be fair for me to comment on your daughter because obviously her complaints are coming here second-hand but I'm getting dizzy following the logic of this.
Are you saying nobody goes to football games? Because even after a couple of "down seasons" that isn't close to the truth. Football attendance rankings of division 1/1-AA schools are readily available online. And I think that you and your daughter might have a misguided notion of how well-attended non-revenue sporting events are at most other schools. But what I really don't get is what keeps her from curing her "boredom" by attending games and cheering the teams on? You seem to be suggesting that it isn't really love of watching competitive sports that she's missing out on but some deep-seated need to have her passions validated by lots of other people. That's certainly something to contemplate.
With regard to things to do off-campus, it certainly is a bit of a challenge for a freshman ... without a car ... and who apparently dislikes walking ... to not feel landlocked. But what I really don't get here is what exactly it is that she's looking for?
Clearly it isn't restaurants because there are tons of good, cheap ones right off campus and upscale ones right across the river.
It isn't live music because the Funhouse (indie rock), Godfrey Daniels (folk music makes my skin crawl but others like it) and Wildflower Cafe (jam bands, etc.) are right off campus and other neighboring coffee houses and restaurants have music and such on the weekends.
It isn't art because there are a bunch of galleries on both sides of the river and on the first Friday of every month the ones on the southside all have receptions/live music that are well-attended.
It isn't bars because she isn't old enough but there is a decent, eclectic mix of them off campus.
As far as shopping (who does that on weekend nights anyway?) there isn't much right around campus but that's economics 101. There isn't a year-round critical mass of students to justify mall-like retail that caters specifically to them like there would be at a larger school. But there are a growing number of boutique-y shops (especially on third street) with an artsy sensibility that cater to people with actual money to spend. They aren't largely relevant to a typical Lehigh student but I would expect parents to have enough sophistication to recognize gentrification when they see it. It's one thing for an 18 year old Lehigh kid to conflate some poor surrounding areas with a downtown that has lots of artsy-eco-pinko retail and find neither appealing. But the two things are separate matters and the shopping is hardly indicative of an area in decline. Anyone who doubts that should research the massive Sands/Bethworks project which will have its first phases completed next year. Regardless of how one feels about gambling, the retail and entertainment components will be a huge benefit to students.
Not trying to be a shill or anything, but I can't really wrap my head around complaints that offer zero insight into someone's interests. Normal college students go to parties at night on weekends. Or bars. Or cultural events. Or movies. Or restaurants. Or coffeehouses. Or music venues. Or visit friends at other schools. Sometimes they do two or three of these things in one night. I loved fraternity parties, but yes, they do get stale which is why many people mix things up once the novelty of them wears off. Based on what you're saying it just sounds like your daughter is trying to pin her failure of imagination on anything/anyone but herself.
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