Wheaton College-Wheaton Top Questions

What are the most popular student activities/groups?

Ryan

this is episode two for Dodgeball: The True One Hit Oneders

Ryan

This is part one of Dodgeball: the true One Hit Oneders

Kendall

Wheaton requires its students to sign a covenant, part of which is an agreement not to drink alcohol while enrolled. So Wheaton students' social lives have to revolve around other things. Students are very community-focused. Dorm rooms are often left open, lost items are often returned, and games are huge. Fraternities and sororities don't exist, but there are many other student groups that function similarly, like men's Glee Club.

Emily

Wheaton is not a party school as we sign the community covenant which as a stipulation of being a part of a community with underage students we won't consume alcohol even if we are of age. Consequently, the kinds of fun range from lots of Intra-murals, water balloon fights, awesome pranks, hanging out in parks, going to the city and much more. We are a lot more creative with our fun than just drinking games and we have a lot of it. Most people are involved in a lot of different activities and this is where a lot of your friends often come from. The football team has the highest sense of camaraderie at Wheaton. There is the "football section" of the dining hall and it can be intimidating to approach any football player. The dating scene at Wheaton tends to be very serious. If you come WORK TO CHANGE IT! More people need to be asking others out on casual dates without the pressure of obtaining a "ring by spring." The Bench is a tradition at Wheaton reaching really far back. The Juniors and the Seniors fight over the possession of what is now a slab of concrete with two handles. This is a serious game with a ton of rules surrounding it which is for the most part fun for all involved though only a select few, mostly guys, get to even be involved. Weekends often bring train rides to the city, the metra station is basically on campus, and just enjoying the outsides when it is warm. The guest speakers at Wheaton are AMAZING because of the importance of Wheaton in the Evangelical community and its proximity to Chicago, chapel, which is a mandatory 3 times a week, is full of great opportunities to hear speakers from all over the world.

Paul

Wheaton brings a lot of wonderful speakers and performers to the college, and it is very convenient and great to be able to see all of these speakers and performers. The campus is very dry, except for a small underground party scene. Most people study a lot. The school newspaper is very popular on campus. I met my closest friends in the dorm I was in Freshman year. All freshmen and sophomores must live in the dormitories. It was aggravating to have to live in the dorms as a sophomore (especially with closed-floors) while my friends at other colleges were already in apartments/houses.

Allison

most students are involved with at least one extracurricular group on campus -- popular groups include those found in the OCO (office of christian outreach) and other ministries on campus. it's pretty common for students to leave their doors open in the dorms and there typically is a strong sense of community among dorm floors. there aren't frats/sororities and there isn't much focus on drinking since it isn't allowed at all -- it's pretty rare to hear about people drinking on campus. off campus it's fun to go to naperville or chicago to try different restaurants, go to festivals or concerts, etc. athletic events are very popular -- especially soccer (men's and women's), football, and men's basketball.

Phil

Many here complain about these things, myself included, but I'd like to add a positive note: At Wheaton, if you do not find a place to fit in, it can only be your own fault-- and you'll probably find some people with that same fault and fit in with them. Honestly, no matter who you are-- black or white, male or female, Christian or Athiest, athletic champion or closet dungeonmaster, public safety officer or pot-smoking drunk-- you will find friends here. Sure, the majority of students try to fit into a tight category- white, smart, fit Christians- but if you are none of these things you will not be alone, and on the contrary you will find strong rapport. I'm constantly amazed at the diversity.

Amy

There's so much to do on campus, it's honestly hard to choose how to spend your time. There are intramural sports teams, a plethora of different ministry opportunities, as well as jobs, student organizations and clubs, and so much more. There really is something for everyone. You can meet your closest friends in classes, through mutual friends, in the dorm, or randomly walking across campus. It's great to try to get to know people who you wouldn't normally cross paths with. Wheaton's social life doesn't revolve around drinking. In fact, drinking is prohibited for Wheaton students. Of course, there are some people who simply don't care about that rule, but the rule still impacts the social life of Wheaton in a very positive way - since drinking has to be secretly, it's not the center of everyone's social lives, and that's very cool (and rare) in a college these days. There is so much fun to be had that doesn't involve alcohol, and Wheaton gives plenty of opportunities for that.

Alex

I am involved with the Football team and the wrestling team on campus and these two teams are very close, but in different ways. The football team is close because we spend so much time together but there are ninety of us so we aren't too close. The wrestling team is very close because there are only fifteen to twenty of us and we spend a good amount of time together. There are pretty much no fraternities here, people don't party very often, and there isn't a great amount of things to do off-campus besides go into Chicago.

Rebecca

My room left our dorm room open a lot. It's more fun that way, but it's also harder to get your work done. It's not a good idea to try and do your homework in your dorm room. I didn't go to a lot of sporting events. I was involved with the band and music scene on campus because a lot of my friends were in bands. The dating scene on campus is interesting. At least in my group of friends, I think that people are pretty cool with it. Just because you hold a person's hand doesn't mean you'll get married to them, and I think that people understand that better now than they did before. Because the school is small, everyone knows everyone else. If you have a distinguishing feature especially, you'll get a nick-name and be known by that. I had a friend everyone knew as "Pocohontas" and another as "the girl from Australia." The harp twins were really popular as well. If you come to the school, I think that you would catch on. I know that first semester I stayed up really late hanging out with people. You're just talking, or walking around Wheaton, sitting on rooftops. . .

Sarae

There are no frats/soroties allowed on campus underclassmen live in either fisher or traber-smith residence halls. upperclassmen either live in Mac-Evans or Williston dorm rooms or in a campus apartment or house. There is also a large group of mostly seniors who live in off campus apartments or houses. There is a train station right next to campus that will take you downtown Chicago in about 45min, this is pretty popular on the weekends. A lot of people participate in either a campus sport or club. Football games are especially popular but Soccer games are popular as well. Throughout the year there are IM sports that many students participate in and different clubs such as Koininia (Asian club), William Osborne (African American), Indian Culture Club, Gospel Choir, MuKuppa (missionary kids/third culture), Unidad (Hispanic), International Justice Mission, and many other clubs. Most people make friends from their floor and stick with them throughout their four years. The dating scene is serious relationship emphatic.

Shelly

This year I have been involved in the Office of Christian Outreach serving on BreakAway cabinet, planning Spring Break missions trips (which I would highly recommend if you go to Wheaton ;) ). I think that there definitely is no problem finding something to get inolved with at Wheaton. In terms of finding friends, it seems that most often people make friends with those on their floors freshman year and for the most part retain them during the rest of their time.

David

Improv Club; every other Friday night; $1 admission fee. about 75 min of the most hilarious entertainment you've ever seen. OK, but besides Improv, which is a campus favorite, there are tons of things that happen every weekend (and sometimes every night of the week). I am actually annoyed when lots of things go on during the same night that I want to go to. There are two theaters, no, make that three that put on productions fairly regularly. Dating... well, that is very complicated. Many people assume the best way to go is to get married or engaged in the four year timeframe you're at Wheaton. Don't stress. Just Chill. Let happen what happens and you'll save yourself undue stress. Parties- Define parties. Much of the world defines parties as drinking till you don't know where you are. I personally enjoy remembering my parties as well as where I am when I'm there. Since the no dancing rule is limited to campus (even then, there are 4 or 5 dances a year sponsored by college union and dance classes offered by the school and dance clubs) many people just go into the city of Chicago to dance. One thing that kinda bums me out about Wheaton and the surrounding area is the time everything closes; 10 PM ish. I am normally up till 2 AM. I'm in the Fischer Dorm and things are normally pretty lively till about midnight. Even then people hang out in my room till 2 Am or past just doing homework together or playing Super Smash Bros. My roomie and I would always leave our door open if we were in. If homework really had to get done, we'd just go to the library.

Rusty

Wheaton provides tons of opportunities for students. Whether its ballroom dances or intermural sports, Wheaton gives students a chance to experience it. Its location in suburban Chicago provides students with plenty of opportunities to get off campus if they wish while various groups provide plenty of on campus activities as well. Dorm life is a great source of activity with different floors hosting different social events throughout the year. Students are very supportive of not only the varsity sporting events but also the club sports while being equally supportive of those who are involved in artistic activities.

Amy

Dating scene: Taken way to seriously at Wheaton. BE PREPARED for that. There are very few casual relationships. Most are long term and do not start until months if not years of knowing the other individual. If that freaks you out/ makes you slightly nauseous don't worry you would not be alone in that feeling at Wheaton. Many are frustrated with this fact but its a hard trend to break. Theater= amazing. Admittedly I am biased in this arena so if you wanted a more non-prejudiced opinion look elsewhere. The theater is called Arena theater and it is a very small theater. It makes for more intimate shows. All of the actors in the shows are picked from a pool of thirty students that make up the group Workout. If you are interested in acting tryout for Workout. If you are interested in backstage work just go and ask around. We always love help! Partying: like I said it is not unheard of. Especially on the weekends. There are a majority who do not party and majority who do and there are many who are in between those two extremes. Students in dorms leavign doors open: In my experience yes the doors are often opened. They're left closed if the room is sleeping or doesn't want to be disturbed. This is definately more true for smith/traber than for fischer. Floor community is much stronger in Smith and Traber whereas in Fishcer friends are made more often in the lobby area.

Leslie

Frisbee is big. Freshman/sophomore dorms are a LOT of fuN! There are crazy activities - planned and unplanned going on ALL the time. Everything from shaving peoples' heads outside to suntanning on the roof, to throwing waterballoons at innocent victims from high up windows, to duck-taping RAs to the tree, to skipping class to have fake battles or sit on couches outside and order pizza. It's crazy.

Dave

There's a lot going on. At the same time, you might be bored. There are tons of student ministries and activities you can get involved with, beyond getting involved with a local church (highly recommended and encouraged at Wheaton). But, the unorganized social scene is poor. Because there's not alcohol, there's really no parties, and that means you spend a lot of time on your dorm floor or apartment. Speaking of dorm floors, something happens at Wheaton that really doesn't happen anywhere else. There's an amazing amount of dorm floor loyalty, and there's also a fair amount of floor traditions and stereotypes. The 40 guys or 30 girls on a floor will be mostly friends for the rest of their time at Wheaton, and for some, those will be their only friends. It's a tight-knit group on dorm floors. Wheaton athletics are very popular, and rightly so. The football team is fun to watch, and usually pretty good (one of the Wheaton LB was just drafted into the NFL), and the mens soccer teams are usually national contenders. The women's soccer team usually aren't as fun to watch, but only because they always win. They went undefeated last season, and have won the DIII national title three of the last four years. The basketball team made it to the DIII elite eight this year. Wheaton sports are a lot of fun. There is no Greek presence on campus, beyond fake frats like Men's Glee Club. Concerts are usually top-notch, and chapel (three times a week, required) brings in some phenomenal speakers (John Piper, Michael W. Smith, Phil Keaggy, and Kevin Vanhoozer are just a few of the top names I remember from this year).

Jake

In regards to Wheaton's social life, I believe we are radically different from many other campuses across the country. Wheaton is almost completely dry (#2 behind Brigham Young) and I find this encourages a healthy social atmosphere. Here, you can have parties with people who are fully engaged, sober, and aware of what they're doing. We have a great time watching movies, just hanging out, or going to a soccor game or an improv show (we've got two hilarious improv comedy troupes comprised of interested students). For those people who aren't interested in a campus where the party starts Thurs night, and where you're not ostracized for refusing to drink, Wheaton might be the place for you.

Rachael

If I'm up at 2am on a Tuesday, I'm probably studying, watching a movie, chilling in the Student center, out on a Taco run, or taking a walk on the Prairie path with a friend. At 2pm on a Saturday I'm probably studying, playing frisbee in the quad, playing sand volleyball in front of a dorm, walking to down town Wheaton to check out the shops, relaxing at our nearby coffee shop La Spiaza, or taking the Metra train to down town Chicago to walk the Magnificent Mile, watch a concert in Millenium park, hang out in Wicker park, or check out a new resturant in China town.

Stephanie

The College Union is really stepping up to the plate in providing events that are actually cool. They arranged an Iron and Wine concert on campus last semester, as well as several other bands. They are also making efforts to provide spaces for student musicians to practice and perform, and there is a burgeoning music scene in the works! The dating scene is kind of weird and awkward at Wheaton. Many people who are actively social, involved, and who (in my opinion) are quite date-able, have gone for three, or even four years without dating at all. Dating is taken quite seriously, especially with the pressure to marry or to be extremely spiritually devoted before dating. Many girls have turned guys down with the excuse "I just don't think God is calling me to date right now". Many relationships have broken up because on of the persons involved doesn't feel that they could marry the other. Although sometimes guy/girl relationships can be a bit tense or awkward, I've had very rewarding platonic friendships with members of the opposite sex. People party more than you'd expect. It's usually done off-campus, and it's a lot tamer than many other schools, but it's there nonetheless.

kate

With Chicago a quick train ride away, whenever you're bored you can just go to Chi-town!! There's always something fun to do, especially in the fall. In the winter the ice skating rink in Millennium Park is set up, and my friends and I love going down to the city just before Christmas break to skate. The House of Blues always has good concerts going on too. Wheaton's campus is great because all the students share one thing in common: our love for Jesus and our acceptance of him as our personal savior. That doesn't mean that we're all perfect, but you can be pretty sure that if you leave your wallet on a table in the cafeteria, or lose a cell phone, or even leave your laptop open on a table by itself for an hour, no one is going to steal it. Trust me, I've done it many, many, many times. Sports events are popular. I love our football team. Our basketball team went to the NCAA Elite Eight this past season, and we're only losing one senior! Our women's soccer team has won 3 NCAA National Championships in the past 4 years! The awesome thing about Wheaton sports is that we have really good athletes, many of whom had D1 offers, but who chose to come to Wheaton for more than just sports. They wanted the Christian atmosphere and good education that Wheaton provides. Whatever the case, it makes for some great sports!

Elizabeth

A lot of social life, especially freshman year, is formed by where you live. People become really good friends with the people they live with. My main friend groups come from my floor, my job, and my church. There are a ton of activites adn teams to get involved in, so a lot of people have close friends from those things. Since we don't drink, a lot of fun stuff is either going out to Chicago or doing something random like laser tag. Dorm life is great. People generally leave their doors open. Last saturday night I went out to eat with friends, watched a movie, and played in the rain on the playground at the elementary school accross the street from my dorm.

Rachel

My closest friends are girls on my floor and guys on my brother floor. Floors are very close, usually, and have been great as a means for making friends. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I am probably writing a paper. Or I'm watching Boy Meets World with my roommate and telling her that we're going to regret it in the morning. Options off-campus are limited since Chicago's just a train ride away.

Paige

Workout Theatre is responsible for several interesting low-budget productions every year, and it's typically a big deal when they put something on. WheatonIMPROV offers bi-weekly night entertainment, and there's a good deal of other campus activities to keep up with. Some great speakers come in and talk about their fields of study. Student life is where Wheaton is different from so many other colleges, and an area in which it either shines or darkens. There's stuff to do, but it's mostly very nerdy or cerebral. No drinking or illicit sex unless you know the right people or want to go to downtown Chicago for a night.

Justin

Many students leave their doors open, even when they aren't in the room! Stealing is quite uncommon on campus, but unfortunately it does happen. I've heard a few stories about iPods being stolen, especially toward the end of the year. But again, these are just a handful of incidents. Many students are open to getting to know other people. Students tend to be pretty inclusive about their groups, and many groups overlap. One of the most annoying things is that it's really hard to find someplace private to be with someone of the opposite (whether they are your girl/boyfriend or just a close friend). This is because there is a closed floor policy (students of the opposite gender aren't allowed on the floor except when the floor is open, which happens a couple nights a week).

Andrew

As far as activities go, if it's out there and doesn't involve anything that might be deemed "sexual", it probably exists at Wheaton. I think that's partly because Wheaton students come from all across America and bring with them various sports and activities. For example, before I came to college I had no idea that the sport of rowing really even existed, and now I'm a rower on the Men's Varsity A boat. I had also never seen a waterpolo game, a lacrosse game, a wrestling match, or many other things that are not common occurences in my life. As far as dorm life goes, it's great. I never keep my door locked and whenever I'm in my room, the door is open. Now, the other gender isn't allowed on the floor except for a few hours a couple times a week, but it's not as bad as it sounds. Freshmen come in and complain about the "closed floor" policy a lot at first, but then they start to get it. I don't know anything about women's floors, but men's floors really come together. If the other gender was always on the floor, I'm sure that I wouldn't know my floormates nearly as well as I do. We really have time to bond, and in retrospect I am very thankful.

Josh

partying is almost nonexistent, but we try to have fun. most of my friends are the guys i live with and see every day, but i try to have several different groups of people that i am close to.

Shane

IM sports on campus are pretty good. my soccer team rocks, although we can never seem that final game. The social life on campus is great for upperclassmen and ok for underclassmen. Since it is really cold about 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the school year, people don't do much outside. And freshmen are not allowed to have cars, leaving a very limited amount of options. But we get very creative... But even for those with cars, everything in the city of Wheaton closes at 9:00, so unless you want to drive 40 minutes into Chicago, there aint much to do. However, that said, the college does have a nice recreation centre, as well as an amazing gym/work room/indoor track/climbing wall/extra basketball court. And there is always the elementary plaground right off campus too. Dating her sucks. All of the girls are so serious about dating that they only do it for marriage. Not that marriage is a bad goal, but seriously, you can't think THAT far ahead on a first date. So basically, not much casual dating happens on campus. I have tried both casual and serious dating here, but after awhile the all of the girls seem to get commitment problems and just run away. It sucks, but that just Wheaton for you.

Alex

The dancing rule sucks, but people still have lots of fun. There are groups of people interested in pretty much everything so most people can find their niche pretty easily, and people are up at all hours, leading to lots of opportunities to hang out.

Carson

Club hockey has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. It is a team that sees little success on the ice, but off the ice the bonding of the players was remarkable. C-Train is our faithful manager who organizes the whole thing and he is the main reason the team exists. He inspires us to give our all through out the season.

Will

Freshman aren't allowed to have cars, so you're either stuck on campus your first year or you make friends with upperclassmen. It's not too bad, as a lot of people live in the area and have cars at home, and we're right next to the metra line that leads into Chicago, so for $5 you can get a weekend pass. My favorite activity is the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and with $10 student tickets, it's a lot of fun to get a group together and head into the city. There's amazing shopping in the city as well, and with so much public transportation available in Chicago, it's easy to get around or just walk. Winter does limit some activities, especially for people like me not used to cold winters. But almost everyone has their door open in the evenings, and there's bound to be someone getting a group together to watch a DVD or play Halo 3, or just listen to music and chill.

Emily

Wheaton does not have Greek life but I don't miss it at all. I'm not sure if I would rush if I went to a school that offered Greek life, but I'm definitely fine without it. Most people meet their friends based on where they live on campus. Each dorm has it's pluses and minuses but there really is no bad place to live. At least on my floor, most girls keep their doors open unless they're studying. The door open thing is great because it invites people to come in and get to know each other. As an RA next year I'm going to encourage that on my floor. Also, community bathrooms in some of the dorms help you get to know everyone on your floor pretty quickly. There are people who go to bed early and people who love to stay up all night so you can find someone to talk to pretty much regardless of the hour. Freshman year, without cars, it's sometimes hard to find something to do but after freshman year alot of people have cars and we go do things almost every night and definitely every weekend. Also, if you don't have a car but want to go into Chicago, the train runs right by the campus and it's really easy to get to the city on the weekends. Wheaton has lots of musical events on campus because of the Conservatory. There is also some theater and lots of athletic events. I was a varsity athlete my freshman year and I can say that the athletic community is great at Wheaton. It's also great not being an athlete because I have more time for other things. The group that I have loved most since being at Wheaton is Honduras Project. This is a group of about 25 students and one faculty member that meets all year and does team building and work projects on the weekends in preparation to spend Spring Break in Honduras living in a remote village and digging trenches to install a gravity-fed water system for the village. I made some incredible friends through Honduras Project. It was such a great group and we really learned to rely on each other and trust each other. It was also very life changing to go and live with the people of Honduras and experience their lives and be able to tangibly help them. I would do it again in a heartbeat and I would recommend it to any future Wheaton students!

Alex

football and basketball. i am involved with softball and an active fotball and basketball supporter. yes they do leave their dorms open. athletic events are very popular especially football. i met her through softball and my roomates. i am studying if i am awake at 2 am on a tuesday but usually i am sleeping for my 8 am class on wednesday. go to the movies, open floor and have movie night go out to dinner it totally depends on how much money you want to spend and how you can get there.

Marie

Wheaton is probably a lot like you would expect a small Christian school to be in terms of social life. On the weekends, there's really nothing to do. We aren't allowed to smoke or drink, and our open floor policies keep members of the opposite sex from coming into our rooms (except for in apartments and houses), so it can get a little quiet. Most students are either up late doing homework or just hanging out with friends. I stayed in Fischer, which is the loudest dorm on campus, and it was pretty eventful at 3 a.m. in the lobby. But, it's nothing like a state school would be. As for dating, most people at Wheaton want to be dating, but aren't. And if you are, you're usually serious enough to be considering marriage. It's really weird. Feel free to break the mold, though.

Becky

Intermurals are really popular, especially volleyball, ultimate, and soccer. Almost all students leave theri doors open while they are in their rooms on their floor: this is a sign that they want others to stop on by and hang out. Not many of my friends are dating. I have been dating for over six months however, and that's been really fun! It is a little difficult for shy girls to find a date becuase often the guys at Wheaton need a little prompting, however, that is not true for all guys. In fact, every newer class that enters into Wheaton seems to have an easier time in the dating scene. However, both the guys and girls are really high quality! Partying, as far as alcohol is concerned, almost never happens. An extremely small percentage of students drink, smoke, do drugs, etc. As a whole, the Wheaton kids know how to have good, quality, (and not to mention hilarious) time that you can actually remember the next morning!

Chris

I don't have a social life, but I hear it's fantastic. I never leave campus, but I play a lot of board and video games with my friends. There are frequent student concerts (rock or otherwise) and sometimes professional musicians do concerts as well (Iron and Wine, for example).

Dave

The underclassmen dorms (Fischer and Smith-Traber) generally are pretty active, especially Fischer. Doors are often open (although it depends on your individual floor and the specific year). Athletic events are decently attended... We aren't D1, so the school pride isn't through the roof, but we have some solid teams that are really fun to watch. The dating scene is kind of scary. A lot of people here misinterpret an innocent coffee date as a wedding proposal. This leads to a lot of hesitation about dating. It's a shame really, because there are so many fantastic, attractive, very dateable people here.

Laura

If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, there are three reasons. 1) I'm studying. 2)I'm having fun with friends, goofing off watching a movie or something. 3) I'm having a deep conversation with my friends, potentially theological. How did I meet my closest friends? On my floor. In my human origins class. Stopping to pet the same dog. Having a random conversation, and then progressing. Playing games in my friend's room and then continuing to be hug buddies. Greek life - non-existent.

Erik

Wheaton is a really safe campus. I never locked my door once, and nothing was stolen. Dorm life is fantastic, the people on your floor will become family. There are TONS of activities around campus, but you have to be willing to go and try them out.

Harper

Ther are a lot of different groups/clubs on campus. There are writing/art/sports and other clubs. Is is very easy to get involved on campus, and I highly recommend it. Most people keep there doors open, I do, and unless I'm studying or sleeping it is a great way to foster floor unity and friendships. I met my closest friends on my floor freshman year and also on a trip to China I went to in May after my freshman year. The dating scene is unique. Wheaton students complain about it but that is a result of the overall openness of the campus and very much depends on the individual. There are no fraternities/sororities, and the drinking scene is minimal due to the community covenant, which all students must sign, promising that they will not consume alcohol or other drugs while a student. However, there is a fair amount of students who drink, but they do it in private. The College Union always has lots of things going on campus in terms of concerts and events. There is usually a fair amount of things to do on campus on the weekends, as well as anything someone wants to do in Chicago which is a 40 minture train ride away.

Aaron

tooo much tooo busy and soooo great.

Grace

Everyone is involved in something different on campus. I am involved in the Wheaton College Jazz Ensemble as well as many bands on campus like Then Moses Hit the Rock and the soon-to-be-formed Matt Peterson Band. Those bands play in rock shows on campus (and off campus sometimes like the Will Duvall Band) many times a year. There are also concerts by students at our coffee shop on campus at least twice a week. Theater performances are very good I think. Just a few weeks ago I attended The Illusion, which I was enthralled with. Many attend concerts, football games, soccer games, softball games, swim meets, and many other events on campus. Fischer dorm is the most "alive" dorm on campus. I lived there this year and will next year as well, and loved being involved in things like raids and coffeehouses. In Fischer there are two girls floors to every guys floor, and raids are comprised of a floor having a party for its brother and sister floor in the middle of the night. Coffeehouses are usually low key performances in which anyone in the dorm can perform, while the audience drinks coffee inside or outside (depending on the weather). Dating at Wheaton is a little bit awkward. When I went initially I had a boyfriend from home, but now I have one from school- and he's awesome. We had been best friends most of the year, and decided to start dating. Since at Wheaton we have a "closed floor" policy in which people of the opposite-sex are not allowed on the floor other than specified periods (which are three times a week at least for at least three hours), alone time must be deliberate. A lot of the time that's frustrating, but I actually kind-of am glad it's like that, for it helps me focus on making my relationships more intentional and less based on physical attraction.

Steven

Social scene is all about the people doing creative things like generating floor rivalries or kicking it with people they love. Downtown Wheaton is great, and there are a lot of good churches in the area too.

Mike

Social life can be lame. Football team always hangs out.

Hannah

Wheaton doesn't have too much of a social life. The College Union plans schoolwide events which are always real entertaining and well done, but it doesn't plan a ton of them. Maybe once a month at most.

Michael

Everyone does something.

Nico

The most popular groups include people involved in sports (football, basketball, intermurals, etc.), service organizations, and music groups (choir, orchestra, band, etc.). I met my closest friends on my floor. That is pretty common at Wheaton. There aren't any fraternities or sororities at Wheaton, but I have never felt like I was missing out on something by going to a school without Greek life. Wheaton has so many other clubs and organizations that provide the same service opportunities and social outlets that frats/sororities aren't necessary. Wheaton is really good about having lots of random and fun things to do on the weekends (and during the week) like concerts, dances, shows, cookouts, etc. Off campus, it is really easy to get to downtown Chicago. The train station is really close to campus, and it's pretty cheap to get downtown. Chicago, of course, is an INCREDIBLE city to live close to - tons of concerts, amazing restaurants, and fun stuff.

Michael

Often the most rewarding social experiences at Wheaton are just talking about issues with your peers. Wheaton isn't a great college town, but it does have Chicago right there which adds a lot of opportunities.

Nick

The social activities and life that are sposored by the school are completely ridiculous. Students establish great friendships at Wheaton because they want to (not because of any roller disco).

Sarah

Wheaton's community covenant requires students to abstain from alcohol, and most of them do, with significant effects on the social life of campus. The improv club puts on sold-out shows every two or three weeks, the theatre is popular, concerts are well-attended, and groups go into downtown Chicago on a regular basis, all without alcohol. Students know how to have fun and how to be silly, even if they're sober. Most dorm floors have a real sense of community. Doors are often left open and the RA is there to provide support and guidance rather than to enforce the rules. Guys are not allowed on girls' floors and vice versa, except at specially designated times two or three evenings each week. This is sometimes frustrating, but not having to worry about running into people on your way to the shower is a pretty important benefit. The lobbies and lounges in the dorms provide places to meet up with friends of the opposite sex even during closed floors. The dating scene at Wheaton is strange and also a little difficult to describe. Most Wheaton students are looking for husbands and wives, not casual boyfriends and girlfriends. Engagements sometimes seem more common than breakups. Getting a relationship started, then, is a pretty serious business. Never having dated anyone is not unusual at Wheaton; I would estimate that a third to a half of the student body has never been kissed. People do date, and very happily, but you have to be pretty serious about it.