Knox College Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Jonathan

I really like the atmosphere at Knox College. The smaller campus, classes, and student body make it a close-knit community. Professors only teach two classes a term so they have lots of time to talk to students and answer their questions. The professors are also really open and I am happy to say that I love having my Choir Director's guacamole at her house as we listen to our performances as a group (the whole choir). She also happens to be my adviser and has really inspired me to pursue music. The one thing I'd change is how departments communicate. I feel like there could be more inter-department projects. For example, we have great theater and music departments but we don't have musicals, I think that would be a great addition to the resume of any actor or singer going into worlds of opera or musical theater. I spend most of my time in the Center for Fine arts as I'm a music major and a studio art minor. I'm either practicing, drawing or composing for piano.

Emily

I absolutely love Knox. It is a really welcoming, warm environment that places a high value on diversity, creativity, initiative, and community. I have always been encouraged to pursue my interests and have been given many tools and opportunities to do so!

Emalie

I love Knox College. It is a very friendly environment, which I was not used to back home. People say hi, wave to each other and sit down and have lunch with you even if they are not your best friend. I think it is pretty cool to have that at a school. Knox has about 1400 students which is smaller than my high school, but I love that. It makes for a really open campus and a lot of friends. There is always someone you know walking around. I spend a lot of time either at the Gizmo or in the Student Lounge. The Gizmo is sort of like a little fast food restaurant. It has good food and is a place where you can hang out and study in. Our student Lounge has some of the comfiest chairs ever and it is really nice to do homework.

John

Knox college has really down a fantastic job of providing me some tremendous opportunities, many of which have been facilitated by faculty taking an active interest in my education and and future. Many advisers and professors have helped me receive quite generous sums of money to fund my own research projects, and as a biochemistry major I cannot underscore how fantastic of an opportunity that is, and as a student I feel deeply supported by the entire community.

Catherine

I love this school. I have from day one. The people I met my first night on campus are the people I am still best friends with today, three years later. And I've picked up some new ones on the way. The thing I really love about the social dynamic is that your major doesn't define you. I am a science major but my closest friends are in the creative writing department, political science, photography, and elementary education. The school is small enough that you recognize most people by the end of the year but there are still new people to meet in every class or every night out. When I tell people I go to Knox they are either impressed or completely oblivious. To those that know Knox, primarily in Illinios, the name carries a lot of weight, but because it is so small many people have never heard of it. I spend most of my time hanging out with friends in one of the cultural centers on campus or in the student lounge. The Gizmo is also a favorite place to study or socialize between the warm atmosphere and the food. It’s not unusual to find a faculty member hanging out in the Gizmo either. In general I like the school's administration. There has been a lot of turnover in the last two or three years as administrators that have been here for years retire or move on. I am really optimistic about the goals and drive of our new president, Teresa Amott. She's been very active on campus, attending events hosted by clubs and the school alike. She wants to get to know the student body and our personal goals for the college and how she can ally them with her own. Students and faculty alike are proud to be at Knox. There is a lot of mutual respect between professors and students and thanks to the Honor Code there is a lot of encouragement and opportunity for cooperation on school work. A lot of people wear a lot of purple and Knox themed clothing on a daily basis. Support for athletics by the student body has been weak for a few years now but this year has shown a huge improvement at attendance of sporting events. And the games have been a lot more fun for athletes and non athletes alike as more people are becoming involved. To me, and most of my fellow students, Knox is home. I can’t imagine having chosen to go anywhere else.

Shayna

Being from New York City, Knox was not an easy place to transition into. It is small, in the middle of cornfields and about 3 1/2 hours away from Chicago -- major no bueno if you need a city fix and have no family there. Anywho, I always did my work and had a great personality about it. However, I think my change in demeanor for the small town got around. One day while walking Deam Javier Romano approached me. He knew me by name and said he heard good things, would love to speak to me and asked me to make an appointment with his secretary. So, I did and not with the naïvité that this conversation would be all peaches and roses. We did indeed have a good conversation, but he did bring up concerns about city students on Knox Campus. We talked about how we could fix the problem of dwindling excitement experienced by students from major cities and how we could remedy that. He said he would fund it and from then on I had a new respect for Knox. Faculty members absolutely do what they can to ensure all students get their money worth and feel at home. Definitely a memory I will never forget!

Kenton

- There are many opportunities for research grants, most of which are readily accessible to students (often too accessible actually). - Social scene is terrible; one must chose between live-action role-playing and getting sloppily drunk at one of the many fraternity parties each weekend. - Poor relations with the town of Galesburg - Worst nickname in the U.S. (Prairie Fire) - Administrative Bureaucracy is very complex; access to funds often becomes an issue of bureaucratic untangling. - Nothing to do ever. - Student Government is weak and ineffective. - Students are generally 'leftists' and are generally not strongly religious. - Students are politically apathetic. - Typical student works hard, produces sound, yet bland and unimportant work (possibly due to not requiring standardized testing scores for admission). - Nothing happening in the community at all; don't go here if you want to foster connections or try to make a difference. - Ugly campus. - Generally, Knox College is a poor institution with an ugly, depressing campus, no social scene, and students without initiative. The faculty is helpful and small class sizes allow for one-on-one instruction (if the student reaches out). Research opportunities are plentiful.

Ben

Knox likes to pride itself on being a haven for bright students and people with a strong social consciousness. The reality, thought, is that it has become a magnet for students who can afford the high price and are into partying their weekends (and weeknights) away.

Aurora

Most of the people I know have a love-hate relationship with the school. The very best thing about Knox is the people. Although they may often do crazy things, if something goes wrong, there will always be people willing to look out for you. You can make some of the best friendships in the world at Knox. However, classes are very demanding, and it is fairly easy to get stressed out. Also, although you would assume that it is easy to get bored, as on-campus activities are somewhat limited, there is always something going on at Knox, often student-directed. In sum, even if they profess to hate the school, most students are still intensely loyal to Knox. They care about what happens to Knox, and take action to make sure it remains the college they want it to be.

Morgan

A small school in a small town makes for close friendships

Jennifer

Knox could fall under the Cheer's theme song ("Where everybody knows your name...") because the size of the campus really does lead to an overwhelming awareness of every one on campus. You may not know a person, but you definitely know who they are and probably something about them. This gives the campus a personal and comfortable feel that sometimes can be overwhelming or lead to what some call our "rumor mill" or "gossip mill," but which mostly provides the energy and life of our campus social life and I don't think that most people would be willing to give it up if they really though about it. Everyone has a niche on campus, whether you are the gaming type, activist type, uber-academic, fun-loving, athletic, or any other category that you would be willing to file yourself under. Your interests and extra curriculars really define who you are on our campus and there are plenty of opportunities to create your own niche. At Knox, you really feel like you have the power to accomplish things. The administration understands that we are adults who are capable of making many decisions for ourselves and allows us to learn from the challenges we may face by trying to make them. Independence and freedom are two qualities that I say define every part of the Knox experience.

Dale

Knox College is a great school. I came here for the Creative Writing program and ended up broadening my horizons to History and Classics as well. The campus is large and the college community is tightly knit, which adds to the sense of family you get at Knox.

Patrick

The best thing about Knox has got to be the cultural diversity; there are students from all over the world. Having conversations with my peers was often times more educational than classroom experiences. However, there really isn't much to do here. There will be a couple of performing arts events per term, perhaps an art show here and there, but that's about it. Knox pulls in one "big" act per year, but they usually get some second-rate comedian or a magician - only recently has the school caught on that students would much rather have a live music act than something of that sort. Knox was just the right size when I began my first year in 2004 - right around 1200 students. Now, we're approaching 1400 and it's bad news. We're running out of places for students to live (they've resorted to building cramped dorm rooms in the basements of pre-existing residential buildings) and the relationships between students and faculty have suffered a lot. 3 years ago, Knox made the submission of standardized test scores optional on the application, and it clearly wasn't the best choice. I completely agree that the SAT and ACT are corrupt and inaccurate measures of intelligence and academic ability, but the classes that have entered Knox since the test-optional policy was instated are visibly less-intelligent than their predecessors. Knox is in Galesburg, IL - a town in which I've lived for ten years now. Galesburg is a relatively small town which has been plagued with economic plight for the past 6-7 years. Several large factories outsourced to other countries, leaving thousands of blue-collar workers unemployed. Stores began closing left and right, and people left Galesburg in search of new opportunities. Now, we have a mall with more vacant space than stores and no real opportunity for recreation. There are nice spots here and there - coffee shops, Lake Storey, Standish Park Arboretum, and nice restaurants downtown - but mostly, you're left wondering what to do with yourself in your downtime. So, Knox students devised their own solution to this problem: ALCOHOL! If you don't go out drinking 3-5 nights a week, you probably won't have many friends and you will probably hate Knox, and you will probably transfer. So it goes. The administration are money-grubbing appeasers, who have no problem lying to students to stop big problems from developing. The faculty are largely very intelligent, passionate, caring, and kind - although there is some anti-Greek sentiment here and there. Visiting faculty are almost always disappointing. The Greek system is big, with close to 10 organizations encompassing over 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student population. Despite its size, the Greek system is largely a positive presence on campus and is not elitist.

Dawson

The bset thing about Knox is the relationships. Education at Knox is not simply learning in the classrooms, but learning how to effectively deal with people who are unlike you, or don't share your direct interests. The professors challenge you to be critical of anything, because otherwise your view will be biased and thus useless.

Jay

Knox is an extremely tight-knit community. There's a bond between the professors and the students. You won't be just a number to them. You will be a person that they will take a personal interest in. You get a much more personalized education process here than if you were to go to a big state university. When it comes to relationships among students, I feel the bond is even stronger. I've made friendships here that I know I will keep and hold dearly for the rest of my life. I met a lot of friends and that only makes the college more enjoyable. Another thing about Knox is the ability it gives us to flourish. Back in high school, it was rare that an underclassman received a major role in a play or musical. It simply wasn't done. The director would play favorites and always cast the same people in the lead roles. When I came to Knox, I was cast in a play right from the beginning. The director saw I had potential and wanted to see where I could go. It was a wonderful experience and I'm overjoyed that I was able to participate in something like that.

Sasha

A GREAT SCHOOL. YES PEOPLE ASK, WHERES KNOX WHERES GALESBURG? especially back home in india, people go to huge univrsities with popular names, and they scorn when i say liberal arts college and that too not SMITH OR WELLESLEY but knox! but hey they dont know how amazing the education and experience is. great personal attention, great teachers, amazing funding and resources, amazing potential to grow. every step is nurtured and no idea is impossible. u dream and knox makes it possible. college town yes- twqo cute coffee shops close to campus many pubs too. nice arboretum apart from everhything else on campus.one doesnt need to venture out too much but when u do it is fun. a home away from home knox feels like and yet with all the international diversity it feels like a small globe. there is a lot of school pride and a lot of teamwork. i like the go green spirit these days. the food fat could reduce more and more organic food could be brought in( example- PHASE OUT WONDER BREAD PLEASE) new dining services director is great as he is trying to introduce better and more global food. knox deans' are amazing and so humble and approachable. facultuy and administration is one of the best strengths of knox college.

Michael

When I tell people that I go to Knox, I usually get a response like: "where is that?" or "I have never heard of that school." It is a very small school(1350 students) and is smaller than my high school. My favorite thing about Knox is that if you want to pursue an extracurricular, you can. Even more, if you want to hold a position in a club or organization, you can, if you try.

Caitlin

Knox is a small liberal arts college in the midwest. While small (under 2000 students last year), Knox doesn't always feel small. There's always something going on, and it's really easy to get involved. The faculty are, for the most part, very accessible and easy to talk to as well as amazing teachers. The dorm situation encourages interaction between people with the suite living style. Sometimes Knox can be kind of boring if you aren't involved.

Jerry

Knox is a very open minded college, but at the same time they judge you. People here won't judge you for your sexual orientation, or your radical anarchist views. Rather republicans, conservatives and closed-minded people are in their closet. Very small, everyone knows everybody, nothing is a secret. Good luck keeping one. Knox is so small that unless you are a freshman, no one is new, and meeting someone new is as rare as seeing a ghost. People in Illinois know the college, no one else does. The administration is willing to help you. Sometimes they are so dumb that makes you wanna beat the shit out of them. But well, what can you do? Nothing. Just wait and wait for them to do their work. The Professors are the best part of this college, I would say. The small student body allows students personal interaction with the professors, and professors are always willing to help you. They even offer their help before you even ask. Also, some professors are really smart and very respected in their area.

Tasha

Despite recent controversy, I think that Knox is a place very open to discussion. John Ashcroft was brought to Knox by the Knox Republicans this past spring, and there were a lot of protests, which got some very negative feedback. People kept saying Knox was not a place open to non-liberal ideas, but in John Ashcroft coming to Knox, his ideas were discussed, and the behavior of the protestors was vastly discussed, which I think means we have a good campus dialouge going. Everyone really likes Flunk Day. It's the best day of the whole school year. Most of the administration is in touch with the students, except for the President, who is mostly in touch with making Knox financially impregnable, which also has its merits.

Kate

There are some people who are enrolled at Knox who claim that there is a significant division between the "athletes" and the "scholars." The cafeteria is set up in a way that subtly promotes this theory. The athletes arrive on campus early for pre-season and as a result they sit on a specific side of the cafe; this forces the new-commers to sit on the other side. This gives the impression that there is a divide between athletes and scholars, but in reality this isn't true. Of course there are some people who choose to associate themselves with only one particular group, but overall there is an outstanding mixed community.

Andy

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.

Brian

At Knox each year we celebrate Flunk Day. Each year one day during Spring term, classes are canceled and the entire campus is filled with fun activities. Each year a group of Seniors are chosen as Friars and are charged with the task of alerting the campus. This year I was chosen as a friar and had an awesome time. We were kept up in the night before and completely surprised when we were told that we were Friars, the first group of students to know that Flunk day was indeed tomorrow. It was awesome. The day was filled with fun and friends. I rode a mechanical bull, saw a concert by Lucky Boys Confusion that evening and spent the day in the sun with my friends. I cannot believe that it was my last...

Mandy

Knox is incredibly well known for academics and is well respected, especially in the scientific community. One of the best things about Knox is all the independent student research which occurs and the extent to which the independent research is funded by the school via Richter Grants, HHMI Grants, etc. Few schools, large or small, will offer such opportunities to their students. Relationships between faculty and students are more casual than found at other schools too. Ask a random sample of Knox students, and you will probably hear the largest percentage of them have been invited to a Professor's house for dinner or on a first name basis with some professors.

Tyler

I think people have either heard of Knox and like it or they have no idea that it exists. Everyone that does know about it really likes it, though, and they know that it is a fine institution. The fact that some people don't know about it is probably because of its size but I don't think that is a bad thing. Knox is just the right size. The campus is nice and you can get to know everyone at the school. The class sizes are small and you are able to get individual attention and really connect with the professors, which is a big plus in my mind. Being a student at Knox has really opened my mind and some of the courses I have taken here have changed my life.

Meredith

Great professors who are dedicated and personable. Knox is just the right size which is small enough to know a lot of people, but not too small that you know everyone. People think its cool that I go to Knox. I spend most of my time on campus with my friends. The Knox administration is easygoing and good to work with. Knox college is located in Galesburg which is a small industrial community. Greek life is the biggest controversy on Knox. People are afraid that the Greek life will become all encompassing, but I doubt it will ever happen. Yes much school pride in the Lincoln Douglas Debates, our muscat the Prairie Fire,the crazy squirrels always running around on campus as well as Flunk Day a time old tradition of partying with no classes for the day. One experience I will always remember is Pump Handle where all students and Knox staff introduce each other at the beginning of the year and shake each others hands. The most frequent student complaints are that Knox is situated in Galesburg which is a small town without much going on in the town, yet Knox is quite active within the school community.

Lavinia

Knox is a relatively small school, which is really nice because you know almost everyone, and also sometimes problematic because you know almost everyone. When people hear I go to Knox, their reaction is either "I've never heard of that school" or something about what a wonderful school it is and how they or someone they know went there, almost went there, or wish had gone. Pretty much everything of interest happens on campus, because Galesburg, while is has its merits, is not the most exciting town. Nearly everything shuts down by 9:00pm. The on campus activities are more than enough to keep a person busy. And if you really want to go into town, the Broadview is open 24/7 with karaoke on Friday nights.

Annie

Knox is a small school which has it's positives and negatives. You find that you can recognize most people on campus but the rumor mill is fairly large. Galesburg is a small town with few things to do however there is always something on campus going on.

Kim

I like that Knox is in a smaller town, yet big enough that there are things to do. I also love that Knox is a small college and that you know everyone if not by name at least by face.

Jamie

The best thing about Knox is the size. I am at Arizona State right now and 55,000 people is very intimidating. I have classes of 200 people, and many classes I want or have to take are online and I hate them. At Knox, the professors are full-time faculty and your classes are always small discussion size. The one thing I often got frustrated about was the variety of classes offered, but once I got to a large university I found out that it is a problem there too. Most people when I told them I go to Knox they would have no idea what I was talking about. I spent most of my time in the theatre where I had a student work study in the costume shop or in the library. I never really left campus, and so I wouldn't really consider Galesburg a college town. There is plenty of stuff to do on campus, so I really only ventured out to the train station or grocery store. Knox's administration was always helpful and I knew many deans personally, who were willing to go out of their way to help me. The biggest controversy when I was on campus was a male Ginko tree that smelled really bad. Half of the people wanted to cut it down, half of the people fought to keep the tree. It was rather rediculous and silly in my opinion, but I am glad that that was the only major controversy we had to deal with. There is not much school pride, most of the sports teams were not very good, but basketball games were always packed and a lot of fun. The two major problems I had with Knox were the poor on campus housing conditions and extremely subjective grading. If you didn't like a professor in your department you didn't have the option to not take classes with them and thus I really think my grades suffered because of this. But the pros of a small campus might outway this issue to you, because at large universities you are graded by bubblesheets and often people who are not good test takers have much poorer grades there. It is important to assess your personal learning style and needs when picking the size of college you would want to attend.

Ryan

THe best thing about Knox is its size, the faculty members, and the people. The administration is strong and get along with the student body well. It is a really social campus - its hard to get lost in the shuffle of people. I know almost everyone - or at least can recognize most people on campus so I feel safe, comfortable, and I have a place where I fit in. It is not a college town - Galesburg isn't the most fun city, but we have a good time. We find things to do. THere is school pride...but we don't have great sports teams so sports aren't huge. Some teams can be if they have a great season. We have Flunk Day - an all school carnival. The date is chosen by the administration. THe whole campus is woken up at 5:30am, classes are cancelled, and we party all day. We enjoy each other - eat as a whole community on the Lawn of Old Main - its an incredible day. It alwyas reminds me why I'm at Knox.

Maria

The personability of the faculty and students. It truly feels like a welcoming homey environment. I rarely want to go home to visit my parents because I love it here.

Steven

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.

Stef

The size of the school has its pros & cons: the classes are relatively small, professors know your name, but then again if something happens Friday night, a good 75-90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of campus knows about it Saturday morning. Galesburg is ok. It has good, affordable places to eat. Some of the residents will treat you rudely because you're from Knox, but its really not that bad. School pride: I don't think any of us really know what that means at Knox. I've been to two sporting events and you could count the observers on two hands, and we lost. However, the mascot (prairie fire) gets a lot of attention each spring term when the bio & environmental studies departments set it a prairie on fire. It's pretty awesome. There are probably videos on youtube.com. Reaction: When people hear I go to Knox, they usually respond with, "Where is that?" No one really knows where Knox is. The administration (not professors) doesn't really seem to care about your academic needs unless you are a creative writing major - they don't seem to plan things out well; they are also rude, for the most part. Dean Bailey is nice, though.

Maurice

Knox College, overall is a great place to be. I am really glad that I made the decision to come here and would not change it for the world. I am from DeKalb and that is home to NIU so I am familiar with big state schools and I knew that wasn't for me. The best thing about Knox is the size and the ability to really form relationships with your porfessors and staff. I have a professor who is leaving next year and I am going to help her pack. It is a relationship that extends past just the classroom and thus fosters personal growth not just academic growth. My least favorite thing about Knox are the students that by trying to embody liberalism miss the whole point of Knox and liberal education. For example this past fall we had a speaker come to campus who was pro-life and anti- gay marriage. There were students that were outraged by her being on campus. But the idea of liberal education is to hear things from all points of view not just yours.

Anna

Knox is a very prestigious school. Though it's small and your every day common person probably hasn't heard of it, Knox's name carries a lot of weight in the academic and professional community. The campus is beautiful and historic, and parts of Galesburg are as well. Galesburg has a pretty bad reputation on campus because there are many run-down areas in the town due to a high unemployment rate. However, it gets a lot more attention than it deserves and I've never found the town dangerous or scary. I would have to say that my favorite thing about Knox is the close relationships you form with EVERYONE! I'm friends with my professors, suitemates, people I work with, etc. It's a small college and if you don't know someone, you probably recognize them or their name.

Gene

The best thing about Knox is that it's academics-centered. To tell you the truth, most people don't care at all about sporting events--more people attend the theater shows than football games. It's all about having an intellectual discourse. The professors here are amazing--they are all about their students. All of the professors teach their own classes in addition to doing research, and 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the time they would be more than happy to meet with you and discuss your work. I've heard a lot of good things about the English department professors being excited to critique or workshop student works even outside of the classroom. It's generally safe to assume the same about the rest of the departments, too. The biggest controversy on campus right now is about the Greek organizations. Now before you skip this paragraph altogether, hear me out. Knox has a very different Greek system than any other college in the nation. I won't go into detail here, but trust me, it's not like anything you've seen in Animal House. Most of my time on campus is divided up between classrooms, the library (where I work), and either my room or the common room right outside of it. The Knox dorms are suite-style, so you really get to know the people you're living with and you have a space that you all share. I love it. One thing I'll always remember is the Flunk Day scare of April 23, 2008. 40 seniors decided that they would be funny and run through the first-year dorms screaming that today was Flunk Day. (Flunk day is the one day during spring term where classes are canceled and a huge carnival takes over campus). It was 5 am when they did this, and we thought they were serious. But then Campus Safety showed up and everyone scattered - so we knew it wasn't flunk day.

Kate

Knox College is a small school in a small town, but it educates students with big dreams. Knox students make the campus what it is, and tolerence is very high here. We are one of the most diverse campuses in the nation, and a variety of opinions permates every discussion, in classways, hallways, dorm rooms, and even bathrooms. We are a quirky school with a long history and various unique traditions. Right now, we are awaiting Flunk Day, our Spring Carnival, held on a different day each year. The celebration causes all classes to be cancelled, and the students enjoy a day of relaxation, music, carnival rides, and for many, drinking.

Margaret

There is no way to name the best thing about Knox. I could name any number of things, from the sense of community, to the wonderful faculty members, to Flunk Day. Even though Knox wasn't my first choice school by a long shot, I can't imagine being anywhere else, and I recommend a Knox education to anyone who thinks they might like a place like Knox because I truly believe Knox is a unique place for people to create an identity. If I had to change one thing, I would probably wish for better food, but no matter where you go, you're going to get sick of the food, and the "Caf" does offer the materials to make some pretty delicious food if you are willing to get creative. Our new Dining Services Director is also taking big strides to make new options which he often cooks himself, and wants to get the students involved in the decisions, so I expect that will get much better as time goes on. When I tell people that I go to Knox, I get one of two reactions. Either they have never heard of it and have no idea where it is, or, they know someone who went there and therefore react very positively to the idea. One of the main things that attracted me to Knox was that every person I met who'd gone to Knox or knew someone who did said that they absolutely loved it. They LOVED it. I never even met someone who said they just LIKED it. That excited me. I spend most of my time on campus either in my suite with friends hanging out or doing homework, or in the Center for Fine Arts, where most of my extracurriculars are held. When the weather's nice, I spend as much time outside as possible because the campus is gorgeous in the fall and spring. Galesburg is far from a college town, which was one of my biggest aversions to coming here in the first place. However, I rarely find myself needed to go off campus to find entertainment. There is always a lot going on right here on campus, and when I'm not attending one of those things, there's always homework. If I do feel the need to get away, Peoria is a 45 minute drive, and it's also very easy to just take the train up to Chicago. Group trips to Target are always a blast as well, and there are 5 dollar movies on Tuesday nights at the town movie theatre, with free popcorn and drinks included. Knox's administration is very approachable, as well as very dedicated to doing the best they can for the students. The Deans at this school are all wonderful people, who genuinely want to give you the best for your money here, and are there to help you through both academic and personal struggles. At Knox, the students really do have a voice. The biggest recent controversy on campus has been a debate about whether or not to continue to have Greek life on campus, or whether the current Greek system should be capped so that it doesn't continue to grow. Both faculty and students have been debating the issue for a while now, and it is still an ongoing discussion. While Greek life on the Knox campus is profoundly different from the stereotypical Greek system of a large university, some people don't think it's positive effects on the student body outweigh what they see as negative effects, so a lot of research is being done on what the Greek system does and does not do to make Knox a great place to get an education. There is a lot of school pride here, and I love that it's not school pride that's focused on a sports team or anything like that; we have genuine pride for the institution that is giving us our education. I love it here. There are many things unusual about Knox. We have a purple track... one of five in the country supposedly. We also have one of the few remaining college carnivals: a day called Flunk Day which happens every Spring Term. It is a surprise day, starting around 5:00 a.m., when students are woken up by a group of Seniors known as the Friars, and a day of festivities occurs in place of classes for the day. Another unusual thing about Knox is the ability of students to be consider equals with their professors. For example, I have had dinner with several of my professors, and have no qualms about going to see them and talk to them about class or about life in general. That kind of comfortability with the faculty and administration was not something I expected to encounter in college. Another interesting tradition is Pump handle. It begins with the President shaking one of the Dean's hands, and then another Dean shakes both of their hands, and a line forms, so by the time everyone has passed through the line, you have shaken the hand of every student and faculty member at Knox. One experience I'll always remember was my first night at college as a first-year. There is an event called "Play Fair," in which the entire first-year class is brought together on the lawn at night and you play a bunch of ridiculous games to get to know each other. What's wonderful about it is that you are there, at a time when you're vulnerable and uncertain, yet you're standing there with your entire class, doing ridiculous things together. There aren't that many colleges where you could get your entire class together in front of one building to play games together.

David

The best thing about Knox is the the multitude opportunities available to sculpt a college experience uniquely fits who you are and what your interests are. With the presence of so many different organizations, clubs, activities, and groups; a student is able to become a part of something on campus very easily. This involvement would allow a student to thrive in their own personal way in their own personal interests. Another good thing about Knox is the size. Coming from a rather large high school (of roughly around 3,400 students), It was an experience to go to a school with less. But I had an interesting high school experience, in that almost everyone knew who i was, and THAT feeling, has been able to be reproduced here at Knox very easily. Along with knowing the students, the faculty becomes a very close resource and an ally in a students learning experience. Your not a number here.

Emily

People are generally very open-minded, and the professors are incredibly helpful. The big picture is that everyone wants you to do well and wants to help you do well. The atmosphere is so supportive, it's hard to believe after going through high-school where it's so easy to slip through the cracks. Here it's almost impossible.

Anita

The best thing about Knox is because it's so small, you get to know a lot of people really well. That can be good and bad, because that also means that everyone knows a lot about you too. Most people have never heard of Knox, but once you experience it, it's something you'll never forget. Galesburg is not the greatest town, but there are plenty of activities/parties to go to on campus. The administration at Knox seems to be very helpful in assisting you to accomplish anything you dream. Recently, John Ashford, a big conservative, came to speak at our campus. There were some protests and a lot of controversy over whether they were disrespectful or expressing their right to free speech. The controversy wasn't about the fact that they protested, it was how they went about doing it. As a whole, our sports teams aren't very good, but we still show a lot of school pride.

Kelsey

Knox is located in Galesburg, IL, which isn't the nicest town, but inside the Knox bubble is perfectly safe. Students generally enjoy their classes, especially those within their major and everyone's doing their own thing- delving into their passions and coming up with awesome discoveries. People are so heavily-involved in campus activities that eating during the day becomes a luxury. Knox's administration are really cool people who are easy to talk to and know where the students are coming from. There are running jokes, and funny stories about the Deans and other administrators floating around. They are just a friendly group of people. Campus has a lot of corners you can tuck yourself away into, or big open places you can work or hang out in. Post Lobby, the Gizmo, and CFA (green room and terrace) all are great places to just relax and socialize. But if you want to get some real studying done, there's always nooks and crannies scattered throughout the library. Sports aren't a real big thing on campus, but school pride still exists, mostly because we are proud of individual student's accomplishments and how they reflect on us as a whole.

Ben

Knox has the most open-minded yet closed-minded people I know. Everyone wants to seem open-minded yet when right-wing political or conservative religious ideas are expressed people seem to become very offended and attack the people who express unpopular ideas instead of attacking the ideas themselves. It is frustrating.

Lauren

I'm pretty happy with Knox overall. I know my professors and they know me; I'm not another body taking up space in the classroom. I've also had lots of opportunities to apply all that I'm learning in the "real world." There's lots of homework and you can choose to do it or not. Knox students seem to be pretty good at BSing there way through class and, thus, avoiding homework until the night before midterms/finals. Galesburg isn't a college town and it probably never will become one...so don't get your hopes up if you choose to come here. Granted, there are still plenty of things to do. I spend many nights hanging out with friends at Gizmo or in each others rooms relaxing. On weekends, I tend to go back to Peoria with friends or stick around in Galesburg but go out to eat or to see a movie. Now that its spring term, everyone on campus is looking forward to Flunk Day - an annual spring carnival at Knox. Nobody knows when Flunk Day is besides the planning committee...so one day, the whole campus will wake up only to realize that classes have been canceled in exchange for a day-long party. Alcohol, drugs, mud pits, foam pits, and craziness are to be expected.

Emily

I love the Knox student body. There really is no "typical" Knox student, and the one thing that brings us all together is how different we all our. At Knox, I have always felt free to be myself, however weird and wacky that might be, and people appreciate me for it. My first week at school, I met many of the people who would become my closest circle of friend randomly sitting in a circle in a sidewalk junction in the quads throwing a ball to each other. This group continues to meet weekly over a year later. One complaint I have about Knox is the town. Galesburg is in the middle of nowhere and the campus is not situated in the safest of neighborhoods. I do not feel comfortable leaving campus by myself at night and there really isn't anywhere to go even if you do leave campus. Although we are only a few hours to Chicago, you won't get there as often as you might like to think you will. This can get pretty confining.

Andy

Knox is great. Class sizes are small, you have one on one with your professors, who almost always (I haven't had one yet who didn't) have you call them by their first names. Most of them don't like being called something that "makes them feel old." There's always something going on or someone to run into and randomly strike conversation with. That's pretty much how everyone makes friends.

Levi

Knox is a great small community where there a lot of diverse opportunities, but you still have extremely close interaction with faculty and staff. The town of Galesburg isn't amazing, but more than adequate for a college town. Most everything you would want to do is on campus.

Emily

One of the best things about Knox is the first real warm, sunny day at Knox after a long winter. Everyone is in their summer dresses, shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops. The Gizmo Patio is packed with students having lunch or a snack, studying, and hanging out.