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Ohio Univeristy is Ohio's first and finest University, something we as a student body take great pride in. Generally speaking most people are unaware of the fact that OU and OSU are not synamous terms and often confuse the two. But after enlightening them a little they begin to undertand what out school is all about. There are a plethora of student organizations that people can become involved in, ranging from political to social groups, and sports clubs to advocacy organizations. You're sure to find your niche here at Ohio University. Finally our school is known for its beautiful campus and being the epitome of a "college town." Campus is located at the heart of Athens and since the campus and surrounding community is not as large as some other schools in Ohio *cough OSU*, its not unusual to run into your professors or administrators on weekends or on your way to class.
Ben Senior
The best thing about OU is the atmosphere and the scenery. There isn't a more beautiful place to be in the middle of the fall or the beginning of spring. If there's one thing I would change, it would be the use of all-freshman residence halls. They get a little crazy when first year students don't have anyone to look up to; it's like they're still in high school. I feel like the size of OU is perfect. It's a little big compared to other schools but you can't walk anywhere at any time without passing someone you know. Perfect size, in my opinion. When I first started at OU and told people that I went there, the reaction was typical-"That's a party school, you know". Now that I'm older and have been here for a few years, people will ask normal college-kid questions: What year are you? What's your major?, etc. Athens is definitely a college town and I love it that way. Coming from Columbus, home of Ohio State University, I couldn't imagine going to a university where it's part classes, part skyscrapers. I love the college town atmosphere. Ohio's administration could be a little better, let's be honest. They're doing a lot of things that the student body doesn't agree with but you can't please everyone, right? I couldn't tell you what the biggest campus controversy is, to be honest. It changes from group to group, organization to organization-whatever those people are passionate about. I feel like there is a lot of school pride. You'll see at least 5 people wearing an OU shirt every day. It's not out of control school pride, however (cough-OSU-cough). People don't get out of control. The most unusual thing about OU is the fact that it's haunted and that everyone knows it. OU is home to The Ridges-an old insane asylum. Pretty unique=) The experience I'll never forget is that with my fraternity-Alpha Phi Omega. APhiO is the reason I still go to OU and has provided a number of my college memories. Overall, Ohio University is fantastic. I honestly couldn't imagine being anywhere else for four wonderful years of college.
Caitlin Junior
In my opinion, the best thing about Ohio is the atmosphere and environment. When I first visited OU I immediately fell in love with the campus; it has a college town feel to it. The buildings and scenery is beautiful. In regards to size, I think it is just right. There are enough students for the community to be diverse, but the scale is not so immaculate as to compare it to Ohio State University, for example.
Kim Sophomore
Ohio University offers its students just about everything one could want in a college experience. Although Athens is a pretty small town, it has a culture and experience all its own. The campus is absolutely beautiful; hilly for some variety in the landscape, plenty of gorgeous, tall trees, many trees and plants that blossom into beauties in the spring, lots of grassy areas great for Frisbee, football, or just laying out, old brick buildings, and incredible common areas like the new Baker Center and Ping, the recreational center. OU seems to be the perfect size: big enough that you can meet plenty of new people, but small enough that you'll see familiar faces around town that make you feel at home. I find OU's sense of pride really comforting yet exciting at the same time. For example, literally hundreds of students any given day can be seen wearing an OU T-shirt or hat, which I think says a lot about our opinion of our school. In that way, it's comforting to know that we all share OU as our home. Of course, it's exciting too because it brings out a certain drive and motivation in all of us to ban together under our alma mater. OU is unique in many ways, but it is widely known for being one of the most haunted places in the country. I guess that just goes to show that even the deceased don't ever want to leave this amazing place!
Amanda Freshman
The best thing about Ohio is the friendly and laid back atmosphere. Everyone seems to be in a great mood, especially on the weekends. I think that while OU is a fairly big school, it is not overwhelming like it would be at a larger Big 10 school. If I could change anything about OU, it would to have better athletics! But on the upside of that, all of our sporting events are free to go to which is always nice. For the most part, I spend my time on campus working out at Ping which is a nice place for me to relieve stress. Ohio University is definitely a college town, but I love it because we have the city atmosphere of bars and stores uptown surrounded by the hills of Appalachia. There is not a whole lot of school pride from what I can tell besides on game days against Rivals such as Miami University. One experience about Ohio I will always remember woud be going to the Ridges and getting to see the haunted places--it was then that I formed my group of best friends. Halloween is always much anticipated and people begin planning their outfits even in spring. People complain about how our 8 week break from Thanksgiving is to after New Years is too long, however it's a great time to just relax or earn back all the money you wasted fall quarter. The long break just means we get out later for the summer.
KR Freshman
I love going to Ohio University. I feel like it is the perfect size for a school, and it's a quaint college town. There isn't much to Athens outside of the campus, but it feels great to be a part of it. When i tell people i go to Ohio, i always get the big-eyed, "Oh, the party school", and that bothers me, because plenty of people here don't drink. And most people know how to control themselves, though you do sometimes have to dodge puke when walking down the sidewalk on a friday night outside the bars. The administration cares about the students and the atmosphere thats created here, we get e-mails and chances to communicate with them all the time. There is a lot of school pride, on any given day you will find tons of people with an Ohio t-shirt or hoodie, and most people love it here.
Elisse Freshman
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