Student Profile
Amy
- Class: Senior
- Major: Psychology
- Gender: F
- High School: Idaho Falls High School
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
One thing about which I wish the Lewis & Clark College administration cared more is the relationship between our campus and the greater Portland community. Yes, we are geographically on the outskirts of Portland, but that does not mean that we should not interact with the city more. The worst thing is the orange bus that announces to the rest of the city that this school is private and wealthy. It is embarrassing getting on that bus downtown. Last summer when I was working in downtown Portland, I wore my college t-shirt to my first day of work. I never wore it again. People from the Portland community asked me throughout the day: "So, you're really rich, huh?" "So your school is full of hippie rich hypocrites, right?" "Oh...you're the school that has that free bus." The administration, despite their rhetoric, does not care about our reputation in Portland and even does things, like painting the bus an unavoidable unsightly orange color that announces to the entire city that we get free transportation. They do not like us and the administration does not want to do anything about it.
Academic Life
The best thing about L&C is the relationship between students and professors. Every professor makes him or herself very available. They are friendly, learn everyone's name, and genuinely care about whether the student learns the material. Every year, we have a Teacher of the Year competition and I find it difficult to choose who to nominate because there are so many outstanding educators.
Student Body
It is really hard to be Christian on this campus. Even though my politics are liberal, the instant mention my religious affiliation, the L&C student will assume that I am conservative and narrow-minded. When a Christian points out that it is hypocritical to call yourself "open-minded" and then pass judgment on someone's perspectives and intelligence based on their religion, the person will invariably not care in an effort to prove that they are "a rational atheist." There is a false assumption on this campus that Christians do not believe in evolution (I believe in evolution), hate gay people (I am an advocate for GLBTQ rights) and are overall unintelligent people. When I mention that I am Christian, I feel obligated to add a series of caveats: "oh! I'm not one of THOSE Christians who is trying to convert you!" "...but I'm liberal!" "...but I believe in women's rights and gay rights!" Even with those caveats, you run a tremendous risk of that person alienating you for the rest of your time at college with him/her.
The Best Things
The academics, the professors, the library, the nationally-ranked speech & debate team
The Worst Things
The social dating scene, the failure of the administration to listen to students' real complaints, the poor relations with Portland, Christian hating
