For the October 15 issue of my university's student newspaper (I'm Editor-in-Chief), we did a point/counterpoint section on Wheeling as a college town.  I took the position that it is. Most people seem to think I lost, but it was a tough argument to make and I think I represented it well. I'd love to hear your thoughts on either side:

 

http://www.wju.edu/cardinal/CC/cc_online101509.pdf - the articles are on page eight

 

Point: As a College Town, Wheeling Succeeds under the Radar

Wheeling, as the nexus of the Ohio Valley, is not only the political, economic, and cultural hub of the region, it is also a center of higher education...

 

Counterpoint: College Atmosphere Does Not Pervade Wheeling

When someone mentions the words "college town" to a person in the general public, the common answers are Columbus (Ohio), Austin (Texas), Athens (Ga.), Morgantown (W.Va.), etc...

You presented your point nicely, but I definitely would not call Wheeling a "collge town".  When I think of college towns, I think of one of two things: 1)A city that is defined by having a university there, or B)A city with so many colleges and universities that there is an undeniable collegiate feel to the city.  The first type I associate with Ann Arbor, Athens, Oxford, Boulder, etc.  The second type is a little trickier, but Philly and DC both strike me as places where this occurs.  I didn't even know Wheeling had a major university to be honest.

Wheeling has WV Northern Community College on the southern fringe of downtown and Wheeling Jesuit University, which is too far to the east of downtown. Will comment more later.

Wheeling is not a "college town".  A college town, as most people understand the term, is a small to midsized city that is home to - and takes its indentity from - a large university that is located there.  The university is the focal point of the city and a large percentage of the businesses there are oriented towards the university's population.  WJU has a very small enrollment and it does not have a large footprint on the city.  Most residents in Wheeling identify more with WVU located 79 miles away than they do with WJU.  Morgantown on the otherhand is the definition of a college town. 

definitely not... Wheeling is less of a college town than Wooster... which I believe also falls short of the "college town" classification...

^ You guys are right. Wheeling is no college town. Our colleges are too small and spread out across the area. Athens is defiantely a ture college town.