Knox College Top Questions

There honestly isn't a typical Knox student, there's just too wide a range of personalities to hone in on just a couple. I think this is because students are encouraged to explore all of themselves whilst here and so someone who might be a "jock" in high school finds out that he loves music and joins the choir, or he is a writer who submits and helps run Catch (Student run literary and artistic magazine). The way that many students here are involved in various parts of campus life, and express multiple facets of their personality make it that there is no typical Knox student. It also adds to the diversity of perspectives and views on campus when students are so well rounded.

Most stereo-types you will find here are that most people are really chill. People definitely like to talk about the big issues, but all opinions are accepted. We are a very open environment that you can feel comfortable speaking in. The running joke is that if you put 4 Knox kids in a room, you'll get 5 opinions. It's pretty true, but at the same time if you are not someone who isn't really sure about the issues, or doesn't know if they want to speak up you will not be ostracized for that.

Its difficult to put Knox students into "stereotype," but the truth is most of the students here are interested in being intellectually stimulated and challenged by their classes, professors, and peers.

Probably the most common stereotype of Knox College is that we are a little weird. Which is only slightly true. Every Knox student is unique, no two of us are alike, and we are all very passionate about something. People that don't understand the Knox atmosphere can interperet this as strange. Some of us have only one passion and others are passionate about everything we do. We are passionate about our majors, our clubs, our sport or our extracurricular activities. And if you are ever feeling uninspired or discouraged there is sure to be someone nearby to show you his or her passion and inspire you to find yours again.

As far as the typical stereotypes are concerned, Knox certainly has it all. We have the "jocks" who trudge across campus at six thirty every morning for practice, the "artsy types" who arrange installations of clay monkeys in the campus trees, the "politicos" who are always glued to a televised debate in the student lounge. The thing about Knox, though, is that more often than not, one person will embody all--or at least many--of these stereotypes. My roommate whose side of the room is littered with lacrosse sticks, soccer balls, and running clothes? She's also presenting a paper on methods of art education at a state conference. My friend who just spent a year studying media and technology in Denmark? He's also captain of the swim team and working on his portfolio for poetry class. At Knox, everyone is die-hard passionate about something. The great thing is that your "something" doesn't have to be limited by all the other activities and passions you choose to pursue.

Honestly, I do not see a stereotype at Knox. Every student is so unique and individual that I can't pin-point one stereotype, we have it all.

Honestly, I do not see a stereotype at Knox. Every student is so unique and individual that I can't pin-point one stereotype, we have it all.

The high school experience for many incorporate a plethora of stereotypes -- the jock, the snob, the hipster, etc. Well many may want to stereotype Knox students but the point is they can't. Yes we have athletes and the socially awkward. But being a Knox student, the general consensus around campus is if we are attending Knox we all must be somewhat weird. And we're okay with that. We're terrible at sports (D3) so no one's head can really get gassed. Also because it's a liberal arts campus there's room to do whatever. You have theatre folks who also major in chem, athletes who perform in the tri-yearly Terpsichore dance show (organized by students), etc.

Many seem to characterize the typical Knox student as a 'loner' or a 'geek' or an 'outcast'. While Knox College is certainly the destination for high school outcasts that never really 'fit in,' it is also the destination for countless jocks. With around 1/3 of the student body electing to 'Go Greek' as the common saying goes, it should be clear that the social environment at Knox College is centered around alcohol, party culture, and sports. The athletic department is in disrepair, however, with the football team winning 2 games over the previous 2 seasons combined (and the Men's Basketball team finishing with 2 wins and over 20 losses last season). This leads to a vague sense of 'jock unrest' culminating in garbage cans being littered throughout campus every weekend night. The campus is ugly and dirty because of it, adding to the impossibly bleak campus aesthetic. While this certainly isn't the only social activity at Knox, the 'outcast' portion of the student body hangs out in Post Lobby (the all-girls dormitory's public lobby) and plays video games, Magic: The Gathering, various online MMORPG's, and participates in Knox College's very own Live-Action Role-Playing Club (LARC). If you aren't an outcast or a jock, you may be out of luck, unless you can deal with a choice of larping or a frat party each weekend.