For those who follow my articles regularly, you know the past few have been slightly angry pieces, so I figured I’d turn the mood around this week and list off the top seven reasons why Defiance College is a great place to go to school.
1. Small school
Defiance College only has roughly 1,000 students enrolled. This means that the class sizes are small and as a student you get to know the students in your classes and professors really well. Not to mention you get to know your classmates really well, which allows you to build lasting friendships with a lot of people. Defiance College isn't just a school. It's a family.
2. Travel opportunities
Defiance offers a unique travel experience that a lot of schools don’t. As a student you get the opportunity to apply to be a McMaster scholar, which is our own program through the McMaster School for Advancing Humanity to research and create a project to better the life of people in other countries. Students in the past have gone to Cambodia, Belize, Nicaragua, and Tanzania. There are a lot of other domestic trips offered to students as well based on majors and availability. Oh, and most of the cost is covered by the school.
3. Sports
The majority of traditional, undergraduate students here play sports on campus. This allows for students to relate to one another as collegiate athletes and helps to create a unique feeling of school pride on campus. We all bleed purple and gold and it shows when Jacket Nation jams the stands for every contest.
4. S.A.S.S.
The library houses an office in charge of student academic support services. Through this office, the school offers first year peer mentors, tutors, writing consultants, supplemental instructors, workshops and other resources to make sure academic success is inevitable. This office happens to be headed by one of the greatest people on campus as well.
5. Defiance, Ohio
Going to Defiance College means moving to Defiance, Ohio for at least 10 months out of the year. Somehow in four years you fall in love with a little town surrounded by cornfields. Maybe it’s because of the hometown places like Cabin Fever Coffee and Bud’s or maybe it’s because the town is quiet and makes you feel safe. It could also be because the town appears on TV shows like Scandal and Glee but regardless you fall in love.
6. Eric’s Ice Cream
Sure, there are a few Eric’s Ice Cream shops in Northwest Ohio now but Eric’s is a staple in Defiance and a frequent stop for Defiance College students. I highly recommend it.
7. Faculty and Staff
Because Defiance is so small you get to know the faculty and staff really well. Everyone gets used to seeing the same people working in the cafeteria and some students were upset when Edgar didn’t return to make omelets this year. All the students get to know the admissions counselors led by Brad Harsha, one of the most proud alumni still working at Defiance. The athletic director, Rudy, can be seen at every sporting event fist bumping players and making sure everyone is doing okay. I am convinced that relationships like this aren’t existent at other schools and these people who come in to work every day, smiling because they love their jobs and love helping the young people they work for succeed in life, are what keeps this school going.
Over my four years at Defiance College I’ve fallen in love with the school, the community, and the people. When I graduate and move on in life, Defiance College will always remain a key experience in my life and my blood will always run a little purple and gold.
