Knox I think is different from a lot of schools because of the tight-knit nature of the Knox community. Galesburg isn't exactly brimming with culture, so there is a definite "Knox bubble" between us and the townies that the administration seems to support. This is somewhat understandable given the notorious crack-houses within five minutes of campus, but oftentimes students spend an entire term without going more than 10 minutes off campus. Everyone isn't going to know your name, but everyone is going to at least recognize your face. The Knox experience is quite different from the typical college experience. Because being anonymous is not really an option, neither are things like ditching class frequently, hooking up and dumping random girls at parties or anything else incredibly destructive. Professors know your name, people recognize your face, and it's quite easy to get a reputation, good or bad, very quickly.

The administration is a mixed bag. On the one hand, there's very little red tape at Knox. Signing up for classes takes maybe 15 minutes, declaring/changing majors is easy, and the off-campus program is very well-run. Unfortunately, it feels at times like the administration works autonomously from the student body. Last year, there was a big controversy with the swearing-in of two campus safety officers as policemen, ostensibly for "security reasons", but the general consensus on campus was that it was part of the administrations efforts to step up enforcement on underage drinking/drugs. Students were adamant in their rejection of this proposal, signing petitions, posting signs around campus, and showing up in large numbers to meeting discussing the proposal. The college essentially told us to fuck off, and pushed the resolution through despite student opposition. It wasn't so much that the resolution was passed, it was that is was made clear that the administration didn't give two shits what the students thought.

However, alcohol/drug enforcement is still relatively lax (you need to be doing something stupid to get busted), and Knox has held on to its largest and highest-risk tradition; Flunk Day. One day in spring (Students are not told when, leading to rampant speculation until the actual day) at 5AM it is announced that all classes/on-campus jobs are canceled and there's a huge festival including a number of activities. The two biggest parts of the celebrations are discouraged but not enforced by the administration. Generally, when you're woken up at 5AM, you get incredibly drunk and jump in an impromptu mud-pit in front of one of the dorms. 300 plus drunk college kids jumping into a mud pit would not fly at other colleges, but Knox's small campus and understanding administration allow what's guaranteed to be one of the best days of the year and a lifelong memory for anyone who experiences it.

Academics is where Knox really shines. Even in 100 level classes, professors are engaged in your learning and willing to devote obscene amounts of time to help you out. A story that comes to mind is my beginning acting class. Aside from weekly meetings to discuss everything from our progress in class to how our term in general was going, the professor would make meeting at ANY time the student requested. In preparation for our final performance, we got two 90-minute coaching sessions. Because of finals, it was difficult to find common time, and the professor actually met us at 11PM and worked with us until a little past 1 in the morning. This is closer to the exception than the rule among professors. There are occasional clunkers, but nearly every teacher on campus is dedicated to helping students maximize their education.

The down-to-earth personality of the student body leads to more practical discussions than the head-in-the-clouds nature stereotype of small liberal arts schools. Discussions are intellectual and heated, but not overly philosophic. This is also how I'd describe intellectual discussions outside of class. I've found myself less likely to pick over the finer points of Kant, and more likely to discuss how cultural differences between myself and my suitemates.

The main reason I came to Knox was the creative writing program, and I've not been disappointed. The writing professors are, much like the student body, more down-to-earth than one would expect. I call all my professors by their first names, and in general our relationship is less like student/teacher and more like experience writer/junior colleague. Aside from incredibly focused and instructive intro classes, professors are more than willing to discuss grad school and career opportunities in creative writing, and will even provide you contacts. However, the most striking feature of the program is the infamous workshops, usually run from 7:30 to midnight on a weeknight. It's a unique class, but one especially well-suited to creative writing. 4 and half hours is enough time for everyone to get their story/poem work shopped in depth, regardless of length. I've been told many times that there simply is no page limit in these classes. If you turn in a 30 page story, everyone will read, edit and critique all 30 pages with great attention. In addition to the one, large class, we meet weekly in small groups for a more focused discussion with our peers, and then usually once a week with the professor individually for an intensive workshop of your story. I cannot stress enough how much I've grown as a writer as a result of Knox's unique and challenging program.

Knox is a very laid-back, diverse community. There are frequent discussions of race, gender, and sexuality outside of the classroom, and this leads to a very aware and open student body. The discussions are often heated, but usually everyone is respectful and there's a genuine desire to reconcile the differences between us. One of the most refreshing things about Knox is the lack of racial cliques. At other schools, there's usually a black table, Asian table ect, but Knox is much more mixed. There are strong racial groups, but they make themselves open to the rest of campus. The campus is historically liberal (founded by abolitionists, a stop on the underground railroad and the first college to grant Lincoln an (honorary) college degree). Conservatism is present, but subdued. Unfortunately, some students are disrespectful toward a dialog with conservatives. Recently, John Ashcroft spoke at campus, and while the majority of the students in attendance were respectful, a handful repeatedly tried to interrupt his speech shouting things like "You're lying!". One student went so far as to ask, "Do you have a soul?"

To adopt a quote used to describe another college, "[Knox] is pretty boring. You need to do a lot of drugs." Galesburg isn't exactly a mecca of culture, and with Chicago 3 hours away, it sometimes feels quite stifling. The administration is good about bringing in speakers, but that doesn't solve the problem of what to do on Saturday night. The vast majority of the students drink, but a lot of times there aren't any good parties to go to, so sometimes students get destructive. There's a definite pot subculture on campus as well. It's not uncommon to see three or four students walking across campus discreetly passing a joint around. Harder drugs are a little harder to come by, but if you want to find them, you can. Outside of pot and booze, a lot of kids trip either shrooms or acid, and after that a small percentage use coke or X. Another big problem with Knox is that anywhere you can get food on campus is closed by 1AM, which is quite frustrating.

The general stereotype is that Knox students are white, middle/upper-class kids from the Midwest who are more down-to-earth than other student bodies at small, esteemed, liberal arts colleges.

The majority of the student body is very down-to-earth, especially compared to a school like Reed. There's tremendous diversity at Knox, but a lot of kids don't bother to look for it. The majority of the people working for admissions are, indeed, white, middle/upper-class kids from the Midwest, and some students complain about a lack of diversity. There is, however, a thriving international community on campus. I live with an Indian, a kid from Boston, a guy from Myanmar, a guy who was born in South Korea, but lived most of his life in South America, and a white kid from the Midwest. It's all a matter of being open to meeting new people and not staying in insular social groups.