Denison University Top Questions

Denison students are dedicated to education, and dedicated to building lasting relationships with each other and the school.

The student body is diverse enough that you can and will meet many people who are similar to you. It has been over a decade and I am still close friends with five of the people from my floor freshman year in East Hall. The more involved you are with various groups, the more people you meet. The only thing that I think really needs to be improved is the GLBT climate, but it has improved in the last decade, at least as much as one can tell from the occasional homecoming or class reunion visit.

The great majority is very WASPy and rather well off. There are a ton of people on scholarship, atleast all the smart ones and the few diverse people. All of my friends are on some sort of merit aid, if not also financial aid. Most students interact only with people similar to themselves, it's hard to be between friend groups here as your friends basically become your family, so groups don't interact. Most people would have a hard time mentioning a news event that is off campus. Everyone is really nice though, they are always polite and respond to greetings. It's a pretty conservative bunch though but only politically speaking, but politics aren't really a big deal on campus.

My classmates are intellectually driven students competing with each other seeking to gain more knowledge.

Smart and engaged yet often inclined to procrastinate and dissipate; however, they are still very involved in various aspects of our community. Unfortunately, most have little school spirit, and look at the four years of college as four years of reckless fun. Few truly appreciate the liberal arts philosophy.

They are extremely driven, bright, curious, career-driven individuals. Many of them know how to have a good time and relax on weekends, but they also know that they are here for academics. My classmates are also talented in many areas, not just cerebral. They are very active in greek life, volunteering, sports, intramurals, music, art, working, etc. A majority of them are also very preppy and from the East Coast, but I do not feel as though they are not open to meeting others. Typically people here fit a mold, however.

I love my friends but some people I could definitely do without. A lot of people here dress very nicely, are from wealthy upper-middle class families, and are very conservative. This school seems exclusive and overwhelming at first but once you find your place, it is the greatest place ever. They're cliquey, they drink a lot and the love to wear polos.

I love my friends

Most of them are good people, easy to make friends.

Students are diverse and yet many are very similar, upper class students that wear uggs, polo shirts and burberry...

Elitist. Many of the fraternity/sorority student body simply think they are better than everyone else.

May 26th at the homestead 30th reunion.

Denisonians For Obama got to participate in a conference call with BARACK OBAMA!

There are students from all kinds of backgrounds and the students that interact with all kinds are the ones that get the most out of their Denison experience. If you are open-minded and understanding of cultural differences and respectful of your fellow students, then you can earn the respect and friendship of any other Denison students. Many students are independently-minded and act accordingly, so there aren't many standards for dress or behavior; everything that is respectful of others is acceptable. It is a liberal atmosphere and, thus, anything is acceptable, whether it express conservatism or liberalism, upper-class or middle-class. At Denison, you can be who you are or want to be without concern for others' judgment if that is what you want to do.

Denison's student body is White, good-looking and stylish, however when you walk around the quad you are likely to see people who "break the mold" such as hippies, punks, nerds, and people of other races. It would be hard to be of any socio-economic class other than upper middle class to upper class. Girls always wear designer clothing as well as some boys. Much of the student body from the East coast went to boarding school. Students do not wear sweatpants to class. Boys were khakis and polos and girl wear sun dresses (when the weather permits). The important thing is to always be carrying your expensive tote if you are a female. Denison students interact with people of their own kind. The Black students are mostly seen with other Blacks and the frat brothers stick to themselves. Most students are from Ohio, Connecticut or the Chicago area. Many students are politically active and aware of important current events.

Another great thing about Denison is what everyone brings to the table. No one comes from the same background and everyone is different and that is great at a school like Denison. All different types of students interact and at least try to make acquaintances with other groups. If there were four tables of students in the dining hall they would be the multicultural group, the athletes, the theater majors, and the students who like to show off their money. Each group is unique and individual however outside of the dining hall and in the dorms or classrooms they all mix and get along great.

I personally haven't experienced any discrimination in these aspects but the forum certainly revealed that problems do exist. I have come across a lot of different kinds of students at Denison but the college seems to be big enough that every kind of person manages to find friends to mix around with. Most students wear skirts, shorts, t-shirts, or dresses to class during the summer and winter coats, jeans, and boots during the winter. Interaction is there between different types of students but it is limited. A lot of the times I feel that most students stick to their own kind. Most Denison students are from America. I think Denison has students from all types of economic backgrounds and yes, I do think that students are politically aware. No, I have not heard students talk about how they'll earn one day.

I seem to blend in with everyone on campus. I'm a rich little white girl who basically pays a full-ride, which is not cheap, and gets looked past for im just like the stereotype, someone dressed as a prep, polite, and a smart-ass for we tend to think we know everything.

One of my biggest problems with Denison (and one the administration has been trying to fix for many, many years without success) is its diversity. Most of the students that attend here are white and upperclass or white and middleclass. But very few are lowerclass or of a different ethnicity. We have plenty of students from outside the country to pad the ethnic diversity when it comes to nationality, but very little domestic diversity occurs at Denison. Denison is well known for being a very liberal Liberal Arts College. Its LGBT population is very prominant, and the club Outlook (kind of like a college Gay-Straight Alliance) often coorisponds with the Black Student Union to host functions.

I had great experiences with peopel of all races, genders and creeds. One of my best friends was a black male from inner-city Chicago. I am a white male from the suburbs. We had more in common than society would ever let us believe, but we had to find that out for ourselves. People don't have to have the same background to be friends. In fact, none of my close friends were from my area. That being said, similar racial and cultural groups do flock to each other, but that is indicative of our culture as a whole. The most important thing is to not avoid the issue. Everyone is aware that race organizes our society, so why not talk about it? Put the issues out in the open, and much of the tension will be dissolved. I have some minority friends who feel out of place at Denison, but wouldn't this be true of anyone in a drastic minority position? I found that if you treat everyone with kindness and respect, it doesn't matter how dark your skin is or what God you worship. Take the diveristy at the school and use it to your advantage- other people have invaluable experiences that you will never have; learn from them, and let them learn form you.