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My two favorite aspects of life at St. Joe's are the spirit of the student body, and being located in the city of Philadelphia. Every student here has a lot of pride in where they go to school, and Hawk Hill is always a lot of fun. Students here work hard but know how to party, which is a good balance. Being in Philadelphia offers a lot of cultural and social oppurtunities for Hawks to meet students from other Universities and expose themselves to the art, theater, music, shopping, and bar scene of a big city. One complaint is that the neighborhood is pretty unsafe and sometimes it seems as though not enough precautions are being taken to protect students.
Brenna Junior
best thing about st joes: my friends, the campus in the spring (it's a really pretty campus, and with the new buildings and renonvaations going up its just gunna get better), the bars in manayunk one thing i'd change: the GER courses school is too small but i like it that way if people are from philly, St Joes is golden. outside of PA & jersey, it's "Oh.. you go where?" Philly is a college town, there are so many colleges in philly. there's a healthy rivarly going on. the administration is obsessed with improving the school's name & the "path to preeminence"..some teachers are awesome, others blow. biggest recent controversy: last year there were some racism issues. my soc teacher commented on those issues by saying that st joes was like a plantation, all the white kids went to school & the black people cleaned the floors & cooked the food. he wasn't being racist, but commenting on the lack of diversity at the school. there's some school pride
St. Joe's is small and personal which makes getting to know people and making friends very easy; that is definitely one of the best things about the school. It's small, but it's not too small. The campus is great and there's enough stuff to keep you busy. Even though it doesn't have a "college town", it has Philadelphia literally right down the road in one direction and King of Prussia in the other. There's definitely some administrative things that need some work, particularly campus security and residence life.
Matt Alum
The best thing about St. Joe's is how much of a community atmosphere has been built here. I transferred from George Washington University because I felt lost in the school, and coming to St. Joe's was the best decision I ever made. I think that the size of the school is just right. It's not large enough to get lost--people know your name and face and will smile and say hello-- but it's also not small enough that if you want to have a day where you don't see someone you know, you can't. St. Joe's is highly lauded in the Philadelphia area, and the network of alumni is extremely large. I always run into someone who has either graduated or knows someone that has graduated from St. Joe's and that bond is instantly made when they find out I also attend the school. Outside of the Philadelphia area, St. Joe's is only known for it's basketball program. On campus I spent most of my time in the Cafeteria (the "Caf") during free periods. Free period is something special to St. Joe's where on Tuesday's and Thursday's from 11-1 there are no classes scheduled and everyone gets a break to see their friends and spend some down time, or also catch up on work if procrastination has pushed it that close. I was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, and Greek life at St. Joe's heavily relies on free periods to see each other. In the Crimson Cafeteria there are tables that are unofficially dedicated to each fraternity and sorority. The time spent at those tables eating lunch, laughing, and generally just relaxing was the best time I had during the day on campus. Even if I only stopped by for a few minutes to see my friends it was great to have a place to go to where there was always someone I knew. St. Joe's students have an IMMENSE amount of pride in the school. It's very possible to get by without being involved in it, but it is an amazing feeling to be so connected to people through love of a place. The school motto, that "the hawk will never die," is true in the fact that going to St. Joe's gives people a special connection that they take with them out into their adult lives. Most recently I had the honor to see St. Joe's basketball team go to the NCAA tournament in Alabama. Two bus loads full of students went through the 18 hour bus ride down to see our team play. They lost, but even so, I can't even describe the pride we all had and the excitement we had in our team. Cheering that day, and the sounds of all of my friends, and the heartbreak that we all felt when they lost is something that I will never forget.
Sarah Senior
The size of SJU is just right for me, it is not too big that you don't know anyone in your classes but it is also not too small so you have many opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. When i am on campus my favorite place to be would be campion student center, I love sitting at the Alpha Phi table in the cafeteria with all of my sisters and being able to see so many of my friends in one place.
sjustudent Sophomore
I love Saint Joe's! The sense of community is unreal and I think the teachers and the faculty truly love to be of any assistance possible. It has a great social life and whether you want to stay on campus or go into Center City, it is always a great time!
Kelly Sophomore
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