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the best thing about Denison is the opportunity to develop close, meaningful relationships with professors who truly care about your success. Denison is the perfect size; i know a lot of people from all departments and interests, but it doesn't feel smothering. most other people my age have no idea where Denison is, but other adults i talk to are always impressed and mention a friend or relation who went there. i spend a lot of my time in fellows, the 24 hour computer lab, and slayter, the student union. Granville is small, but there are some cute restaurants and shops and lots of charm. it's also close enough to Columbus to go into the city for entertainment. the administration is very approachable and consistently listens to student concerns. in November, we had a campus wide forum about diversity issues on campus. a few stupid students had been harassing others and we as a student body decided we wouldn't stand for it and we united together in opposition to hate. everyone seems really proud to be at Denison, we there's not as much school spirit in the traditional sense of caring a ton about our sports teams.
Lauren Sophomore
The best thing about Denison is the small community feel. People really get to know a significant portion of campus while spending time there. While a smaller school isn't for everyone it is something that Denison has to offer. One thing that I would like to change would be to have more people attend sporting events. It seems hard to get people to attend these events only because with over 150 student groups on campus there is a lot going on so people usually have their own commitments during games. Granville is a quaint college town that is nice and safe and there is plenty nearby to do as well as a good number of on campus events.
Brian Junior
The best thing about Denison is the way it looks. The buildings and the lay out of campus is very pretty. Other than that, Denison is not much but something that looks good on your resume. The school isn't too small for being a small liberal arts school, but being forced to live in dorm rooms all four years makes it seem alot smaller. If I could change one thing I would change 2, I would let fraternities live in their houses again and I would let people live off campus. There is no college town and living off campus might help that. Denison's administration is awful. After an uproar in the fall of 2007 they tried to have a convocation about diversity but even after every student that wanted to speak did, nothing changed. The school is headed down a bad road if the administration refuses to listen to the needs of the students. The only semblance of school spirit is shown at lacrosse games when 15 students show up hammered and immediately get arrested by the Granville Police Dept. also known as the gestapo. The most frequent complaints are about the lack of real food at the dining halls. Again, the administration refuses to do anything about it. The biggest thing that the kids at the rabbit hole are into besides getting drunk is doing an immense amount of drugs. The average greek life member has a cocaine tolerance higher than George Jung (Jonny Depp in Blow). Other than coke, some commonly used drugs are: weed, mushrooms, LSD, molly, and ecstasy.
M Sophomore
Best thing for Denison, in my opinion, is the size. It attracts the professors who want to teach, the students who want to learn (for the most part), and the community that wants to bond. I like being able to walk to class, or anywhere on campus for that matter, and see many people I know. Needs much (MUCH) more diversity, both in ethnicity, socioeconomic, and lifestyle choices. There doesn't seem to be one main place that everyone spends most of their time aside from their own dorm, though hot spots are Slayter Union (just to stop in and check mail or get food), the library (especially during finals week), and the dining halls. Granville is a cute little town with some nice restaurants and decent bars. If you need more excitement, there's always OSU and Columbus about 45 minutes away. On weekends, almost everyone stays on campus; the parties are plentiful and almost always open to the general student body. The only exception to this rule happen during special weeks devoted to Greek life, like recruitment, initiation, and Greek week. Denison provides plenty of non-alcohol related events to attend as well. For those on the more crunchy side: check out the Homestead. Off-campus, small group of men and women who work to make the place ecologically sustainable. Features really friendly people, no bathrooms, vegetarian/vegan meals, and an experience you'll never forget and likely never regret.
Kimbrey Freshman
Personally, I find the size of the school quite acceptable. My high school was small, and I could never get used to walking around campus and not recognizing anyone. When I walk to dinner, the library, or to class, I always see people I know. It makes you feel much safer than if you walk around and don't see anyone you've met before. I know everyone on campus either first-hand or second-hand. You could pick anyone at Denison, ask me if I knew them, and if I didn't, one of my friends would. When I tell people at home that I go to Denison University, if they are not major upper class, they don't know what I'm talking about because I grew up in an extremely rural area where kids grow up to be farmers and if they go to college, it'll be a state school. However, if I tell someone who knows about Denison that I'm a student there, their reaction is always "Denison? That's such a nice place to go. Very prestigious." If they don't say it out loud, the way they act says it for them. Personally, I find this reaction irritating because even though it's a nice school, it's just a school and it says nothing about me personally. All of the stereotypes (everyone's rich or extremely smart) do not really apply to me. I'm just a normal kid, and I happened to end up at Denison because of the English program. That's enough for me. Granville is actually rather quaint. The people go out of their way to make their yards look gorgeous. Even though there are no real food options in town, and shopping at a department store or mall are out (unless you drive fifteen minutes to Newark or Heath...and Easton is in Columbus only half an hour away), it's BEAUTIFUL. People are really nice, and when you walk into town, they're willing to say hello as they pass you on the sidewalk. Some people find it small, but I find it relaxing, peaceful. In November, there was a school meeting (for some reason I can't remember the proper word) discussing prejudice on campus. There were people who felt as if they were being put down because of race or gender or sexual preference. Acceptance is really important on campus, and if you are prejudice, I suggest you either don't go to Denison or you learn to keep your mouth shut. Some things are over the top, it's true...the way people respond to things as simple as "Your parents won't let you have a car? That's gay!" makes you very cautious. If you were to say that in the wrong company, you'd get several dirty looks, I promise.
Kayanna Freshman
Denison is a beautiful school. Its in the quaint little town of Granville, just 30 minutes outside Columbus, which is good if you ever get tired of quaint and little. The layout of the school is really nice, and even though it is small, only about 2100 undergrad, its laid out to make it appear and feel larger. The seasons are beautiful. Denison is a very arborous campus, and the trees turn great colors in the fall and spring. It is Ohio, however, and it gets pretty cold in the winter months, especially since Denison is built on a hill. At least the snow is pretty, most of the time. One of the best things about Denison is since the campus has such a gorgeous landscape, during the warm months a lot of people spend time outside on the quads, playing frisbee, laying out, cooking out, drinking, etc. During these times there is a real sense of community, which I think is awesome. Denison is also known for having a strong academic reputation. Class sizes are small, which I like, and the ratio of student to teacher is something like 11:1. Students get a lot more personal attention and help from teachers, but this also means that since class sizes are so small and teachers get to know all of their students, attendance is usually a priority and teachers tend to deduct points for not showing up to class. The living situation at Denison is sort of interesting, since students live on campus all four years. It's like dorm-style living, but every year you upgrade and by the time you're a senior, most students get to live in apartment-style dorms. It doesn't bother me, but some students have problems with not ever really being able to have their own space. It's just something you have to consider in making your decision about college. When I tell people I got to Denison, I usually get one of two reactions. The first is "Where is that?" and the second is "Wow, that's a great school, you must be smart." Even though Denison is small, a lot of people I meet who have heard of Denison know someone who went there and are impressed by the school. Actually, Steve Carrell and Jennifer Garner are Denison alums. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
Jill Junior
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