The Knox community is probably the single largest factor that creates in us such reverence and appreciation for our institution. The student body is a very diverse one-- not only culturally and ethnically but socioeconomically as well. The openness that most students promote causes lots of social and intellectual blending between small groups and cliques, so much so that nearly any student could find a comfortable group here. Another principal aspect of the Knox community is the high amount of agency that is encouraged within it. Faculty and administration are truly here for the students and serve to encourage us to take initiative-- since its such a small school, any one student can easily start up a club, column in the newspaper, radio program, independent study, or even help a professor design a new course.

The community results in a lot of school pride, though its not usually expressed in terms of sports. Don't come here if you care more about being on a winning athletic team than receiving a first-rate education.

The attention from professors at Knox is unparalled, as far as I know. I have many favorite classes, and my advisor and I are great friends who routinely share life experiences and thoughts. Classes are generally very engaging, which is good because we only take three at a time. This way, you can delve deeply into a few subjects and really get a "feel" for the discipline in order to determine what matters to you. Moreover, Knox's relatively lithe core requirements allow students to take a variety of disciplines before settling down into a concentration.

In addition, Knox courses tend to be unconventional in style and content. Professors often prefer a seminar-style discussion format rather than straight lectures, and they often include convergent information from a variety of sources to illustrate the bigger picture of whatever you're studying. I probably won't know to what extent Knox classes have enlightened me and stimulated my mind to seek more knowledge until after I've graduated, but what I can say now is I am very pleased with the wide range (sciences, arts, humanities) of intellectual and extracurricular pursuits I've dosed myself with here.

We are intellectually open while at the same time engaged towards higher goals. We are cooperative more than we are competitive. Greek life is perhaps the largest visible divide among students, however the level of involvement within any particular house varies widely, and all parties and events are open to everyone. I would be surprised if there was any one Greek student here who did not have friends who were not Greek, and vice versa.

Academics keep us pretty busy during the week, or at least feeling like we should be busy, but Knox students certainly like to let off the steam often. Weekends can be very fun wandering from place to place all within a close radius (no driving), but students looking for more of a clubbing scene might be disappointed by Galesburg's quaint but cozy bars. Parties can be very fun and are easy to organize. Another plus is that only security patrols campus-- no cops allowed unless something is seriously dangerous and they are called in.

Student theatre and music performances are generally high quality, and Knox does well to bring a wide array of interesting speakers and musical acts to campus throughout the year. John Ashcroft just visited recently to much protest and unrest among the students. It was fun.

That we are open-minded and diverse, which is true. That we are stuck-up and wealthy for going to an expensive private school, which is by and large false-- Knox simply extends gratuitous financial aid to all types of students.

That we are stuck in the Knox bubble and disconnected from the real world. This is true to some extent because most students stay on our small campus most of the time, however, the Knox curriculum emphasizes learning about the world outside from many distinct angles and disciplines so as to contruct a "wholer" understanding of what we're interested in. Though we may act somewhat disconnected while at Knox, I would argue that this type of in-depth education serves to provide us with a better approach to the outside world once graduated.

See above.

Knox is small, but if you can handle that, it offers countless opportunities for growth, both socially and intellectually.