Student Profile
Kent
- Class: Junior
- Major: History
- Gender: M
- High School: Lexington Christian Academy
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
Wheaton's great if you like the conveniences of a nearby large city with the security and quaintness of a wealthy suburban neighborhood. Recently there has been a big controversy on campus that has made national news. The school has a policy that if a faculty or staff member is going through a divorce, they must talk about it with the administration. Well, a very popular professor on campus recently resigned because he didn't want to talk about a divorce he is going through. It's a difficult situation because no one wants him to leave, and no one thinks he should have to. In my opinion, the rule is in place because we are at a Christian institution and employees are expected to live up to or at least try to live up to Christ's standards. Now, I certainly don't think a divorce should cause someone to be fired, but I definitely think it isn't unreasonable to request that the employee talk about his divorce. How else would you know if a prof was just running away from his wife and children to marry some young, former student or something of the sort? At a Christian institution you have to have boundaries somewhere.
Academic Life
The professors are probably the single greatest aspect of Wheaton. This is the advantage of going to a small school. The majority of my profs have taken a real interest not just to get to know my name but me. When I show up for an appointment with my academic advisor, my meeting may last nearly 3 hours as this professor and I talk about my future and different options. It is clear they truly care. As far as the classroom goes, Wheaton's not too difficult for most if you really try. Grades are largely just a matter of effort. I hear from transfers from Cornell and Vanderbilt that this distinguishes Wheaton. Students say that the workload necessary to succeed is much larger at Wheaton. Now, I canÕt verify that, but IÕd like to think itÕs true. Supposedly grad schools know this too, and Wheaton students fair well as a result. I certainly hope thatÕs true because I plan on going to grad school. Also, IÕd say that if youÕre going to Wheaton, donÕt plan on getting a 4.0. IÕm not sure if itÕs possible, though, I think it largely depends on your major. Wheaton students are very competitive. Informal discussions that sound more like debates are fairly common to overhear in the dorms and cafeteria. These debates can be in any subject from theology to politics from social issues to sports. But the competitive spirit shines through in more areas than academics, particularly intramurals. I personally stopped playing intramurals simply because I donÕt think theyÕre fun. People take them way too seriously. I grew up my entire life playing soccer competitively and was recruited by several D1 schools. Unfortunately for them, I knew that I wasnÕt going to play varsity soccer in college. In my one season of intramural soccer, I was slide tackled and injured more times than I probably had been throughout my entire soccer career. Of course, no one was trying to hurt me. They just really wanted the ball.
Student Body
Wheaton is what you make it. You can find nearly everything at Wheaton. This includes the good along with the less than desirable. The vast majority of the student body follows the relaxed rules we have on campus. However, there are pockets of resistance, as there probably are in every school. In all, Wheaton is a very accepting place. Contrasted to high school, I feel no peer pressure to be someone IÕm not or to fit into some sort of mold. When I look at my friends, it does not seem to me like there is any particular reason that we are friends. We donÕt have much in common and in high school we probably hung out in very different crowds. We come from the South, the West Coast, the Midwest, the North (or as I call it, AoMY (Area of Mass Yankees)), Germany, and one of us even lives on an Indian Reservation. ThereÕs no rhyme or reason that we are friends, except that we enjoy each others company. ThereÕs no motivation to try to fit a mold because there is no mold. People accept you for who you are as long as you are real. A facade is easy to see at Wheaton.
The Best Things
The community.
