Knox College Top Questions

Though some Knox students are indeed weird, and most are liberal, I've never seen it as a real issue. I think it's actually pretty great because everyone can find their own niche! There are some problems between Galesburg residents (who are commonly referred to as "townies") but all it takes is spending some time in the town and with residents to break that barrier down.

There are a lot of hippies on campus, but not quite so many radical liberals. And for the most part a lot of views are respected around campus. There will be rude people wherever you go.

Knox is undeniably left-leaning. In a campus of nearly 1400 students, the College Republicans can claim 6 members. But, the campus does have a diverse political scene, as well as a very wide range of religious beliefs. And, the whole campus does not fit the hippie stereotype; we have several Greek organizations (not that some of the Greek kids aren't hippies). We are smart, and many of us were accepted to the Ivy League schools, but choose Knox for its much more laid back atmosphere.

Are Knox students weird? Maybe. I think some colleges that claim to have diverse, unique students end up attracting students who are all individuals in the same way, meaning that they are all unique compared to the people in their hometowns, but together they all end up with the same interests and opinions. What I love about Knox is that people are very unique, but in very different ways. We've got a bit of everything here, and I've found that each individual student I've met here has a very diverse set of interests and ideals, and most everyone is open to discussion about their opinions in a constructive way. Is everyone at Knox gay? Hardly. Knox is just a very open, accepting environment in many ways, which is attractive to people with diverse lifestyles because they are less likely to be chastised for them here at Knox than at many other colleges and universities. With regards to the 'Knox bubble,' I do think that there are some negative effects of the type of community that Knox advertises. People at Knox love the close sense of community we get here, and with that comes a tendency to react negatively to seeing people from Galesburg on campus; it creates in some people a negative attitude about the less fortunate "townies" who live in Galesburg and are not as fortunate to have gotten an education from a college like Knox. This attitude does not exist for everyone, but it is often reflected in Knox students' reflections on the town, and also on the attitudes expressed by people from Galesburg, who think that the students are a bit exclusive and self-righteous. We are currently taking steps to alleviate these tensions by incorporating Galesburg into Knox functions and taking some Knox events off-campus.

For some students, this is an accurate descriptions. But that also comes as a subjective thing, and some people might find others weird or not weird that I myself do. So it's hard to say.

The first one's pretty true. The people here are unique, but everyone's very nice for the most part. The second one is untrue (according to Betas) but a lot of them are jocks. And the sororities are not like stereotypical sororities. They're based on more than just being girly and partying.

Most of the people here are liberal, but there are quite a few conservatives too. We are known for having quite a few exchange students but the diversity of our campus is what makes Knox special.

Classes have been one of the last things on my mind! I mean, I think academics are really important and I do all my studying and assignments, but what really gets me caught up is the amazing opportunities presented every weekend with speakers, workshops, and parties as well as extra-curricular activities that just want students to get involved and take the reigns. I can't say enough good things about the theatre department here and how encouraged I've been to take my education into my own hands.

Yes.

(1) is extremely correct. it seems to me (as someone that drinks very little) that knox students are always counting down the seconds until classes (on a weekday) are out and the alcohol will begin to flow! (2) knox students are smart and opinionated. they know what they like/dislike and aren't afraid to talk about it. (3) knox really isn't all that liberal. our convocation speakers the last few years have been pretty liberal (obama, colbert, clinton) BUT i do not think the student body as a whole is as liberal as other schools i have visited. we do have a fair amount of die-hard conservatives, too (4) the latest PR slogan is "we are knox." however, its a running joke that knox students are really bad at making decisions. for many students, this stereotype is accurate. (5) contrary to the office of admissions, the student body isn't as diverse as they say it is. it seems to me that a majority of students come from chicagoland. international students are mostly european but there is an increasing number of chinese students on the campus as well.