Knox College
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: History
Minor: Religious Studies
Student Self Identifies as: Biracial – Half Black and Half White Lesbian Non-Binary woman
Summary
I’m in the choir at Knox, I was a student-athlete last year but no longer do it, I’m part of the Improv Club, I’m a member of a sorority, the Union Board, and I do LGBTQ activism with Common Ground.
Background
Gender Identity: Non-Binary woman – I use she/her pronouns
Race/Ethnicity: Biracial – Half Black and Half White
Sexual Orientation: Lesbian
High School Experience: Public high school in Mount Prospect, IL with about 500 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: History
Minor: Religious Studies
Extracurricular Activities: I’m in the choir at Knox, I was a student-athlete last year but no longer do it, I’m part of the Improv Club, I’m a member of a sorority, the Union Board, and I do LGBTQ activism with Common Ground.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience? In what ways?
Improv was the first club I ever joined and it made me a lot of friends. The thing that shaped my experience, and so has choir. A lot of my friends are in it and I [have a leadership position] so I spend a lot of time there.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
It’s mostly reading and note-taking. Sometimes I have to do primary source analysis, especially because I mostly take English and History classes. It’s a lot of reading, which can be draining sometimes but it’s fun because you learn amazing stuff. There are some essays, but with History classes, the essays are usually midterms of finals. If you’re taking a more English-oriented curriculum, you’ll probably have a couple of essays each term.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
In terms of especially well, the History department has a lot of super-niche classes. Like, last spring term I took a class called Vikings. Most of the time things aren’t that specific, but what’s cool about it was that even though the topic was specific, we learned all kinds of important skills for being good historians.
How would you describe the learning environment? Is it particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s really collaborative. Pretty much every class I’ve been in so far has been a discussion-based class. Anytime there is a lecture period, it’s never a full lecture. There is always time and room for discussion and to ask questions. Since there are such small class sizes, it’s really easy to get discussions going and not feel like you’re the only one because everyone else is participating as well. [The average class size is 14 students.]
How accessible have the professors in your department been?
I think they’re really accessible. Especially because Knox has a trimester system, we only have three classes each term but they’re intensive. That’s nice because you’re essentially in class for less time so there is more time for office hours. We call most of our professors by their first name and you have their phone number so you can contact them when needed.
Do you feel that people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
Yes, I think so. The school itself is very liberal. We have a conservative club, [Knox Conservatives], but people don’t seem to like them very much. The political ideology is pretty one-sided, but when it comes to schools of thought in the sense of having different opinions on things, there’s a lot of opinions going on.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’ve always loved history and my favorite books are old, like, I love Shakespeare. I’ve always watched history documentaries and have been really into it. When I got into the position to choose what I was taking in high school I learned toward history things. When I got to college, I realized there is so much to learn. I love it.
Reasons to Attend
1) It’s extremely LGBT friendly, so if you’re gay look at Knox.
2) The art programs are incredible. If you’re looking for anything creative, it’s a wonderful place to be.
3) If you like expressing your art with your clothing, it’s definitely a place to be. There are lots of people who dress in artistic ways.
4) If you’re somebody who’s really driven and willing to work hard, Knox is for you.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) It’s super small and you’ll know everyone.
2) If you’re a Trump supporter some type of conservative, it’s not the place for you. It’s an extremely liberal school. [See The Knox Student article, “Conservative voices quiet on campus.”]
3) If you need to be in a city and can’t do small towns.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Sherwin-Neifert-Furrow with one roommate
Sophomore: Queer and Ally House with four roommates
How was transitioning from living outside of Chicago, IL to Galesburg, IL?
Galesburg doesn’t have as much stuff to do. There’s a train station in my town so I go to the city every weekend and we have the Woodfield Mall near my house so there was always something to do. In Galesburg, there isn’t as much commercial stuff to do, but that’s actually really nice because there are more social things to do. There are bars and some restaurants. It’s a cool town and there’s lots of charity work to do and concerts to see. There’s always something to do on campus.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I always feel safe on campus. There have been times when I come back from the radio room at night and have been a little scared, but only because I’m a female walking home. There has been some conflict between the LGBTQ Activist clubs and the conservative club, but even then, I never felt unsafe.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
There’s always a party going on somewhere. You can check Facebook for an invite and see what’s going on. The fraternities and sororities do a lot of charity events where they sell food, so a lot of weekends you can go and get $5 cheese fries and things like that. There’s also a lot of choir and band concerts, along with improv shows. I’m also part of the Union Board, and we plan all kinds of concerts, events, and trivia nights. Those are always really fun. Pretty much any group of Knox students can find a party to go to.
What nights of the week do you regularly do things? Are there regular places you go or things you do on certain nights?
I usually only go out on Fridays and Saturdays. On Wednesdays, one of the fraternities has an event on Wednesdays when you can go hang out with them. If a lot of people show up it’ll turn into a party, but if no one really shows up you get to sit on the couch and watch a movie in the middle of the week.
How has identifying as LGBT influenced your nightlife experience? Are there any LGBT nightlife options that you like to go to?
I wouldn’t say there’s specifically an LGBTQ nightlife scene, but if there’s an event on campus a lot of the Queer students will go together because we’re all friends. Because so much of Knox is LGBT, it kind of implies these spaces are fairly safe. It changes a little bit when it comes to certain fraternities, but all sororities are friendly. There are a lot of parties that are not Greek affiliated that are super Queer. You’ll know people and there’s always somewhere to go.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at your school? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I don’t think I’d change anything about it. There are some weekends when there’s nothing going on, which is frustrating in the moment but then I’m happy because I have to study. Most of the time there’s something going on. If there’s nothing going on, that usually means people are having tests.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
My first closest friends were my roommates freshman year. I met other close friends through the first friends I made, and through improve, choir, and mutual friends. I also met a lot of girls through my sorority.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Knox?
I think it’s really fun, accepting, and fun-loving. The social scene is really happy. If you’re ever at a party and feel uncomfortable, there’s somebody who can walk you home or make sure you’re comfortable. It’s a very caring environment.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
A lot. There are groups of students who’re just one race or sexual orientations, and the Queer students tend to hang out with the other Queer students. I think that’s a cultural thing more than a distancing of sexual orientations. It’s really mixed and I have friends of all races and sexual orientations. It would be hard to pick and choose because you meet so many great people. [The undergraduate population is 8% African American, 5% Asian, 15% Hispanic, and 17% International.]
How would you describe the LGBTQ community on campus? How strong is it?
It’s really strong, visible, and accessible. Especially this year with the Queer and Ally House being more open, there are always LGBT freshmen coming in and hanging out. The Common Ground LGBT activism group has been really great in reaching out to Queer students. The community is tight-knit but not exclusive.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
All the time. People in Greek life will hang out with their fraternity or sorority all the time, but it’s very mixed. I didn’t even join Greek life during my freshman year because I didn’t feel the need to. I ended up joining because a lot of my friends did, and I ended up really loving it. It’s not something everyone needs to do. It’s not an expectation.
How would you describe the student body?
Everyone is really driven. Everyone has a goal of what they want to do. You’ll find people who haven’t decided what they want to do yet, but you’ll never find someone with no motivation or drive unless they’re having an off-day. It’s encouraging because if you’re having a rough time there’s always somebody who will figure it out with you.
How do you like the size of Knox? How has that impacted your experience? [Knox has about 1,300 undergraduates.]
It’s tiny. I had a lot of fun in high school so I liked the idea of knowing people when I walk down the street. Even though Knox is smaller than my high school, it gives me more of a comfortable feel because I’m not just walking around in a huge campus where I’m just a number. It’s a more personal situation and I appreciate it. I also adore the class sizes because you get really rich discussions. I took one class during my freshman year and there were only five students in that class. It was very discussion-based. [The average class size is 14.]
Careers
Financial Aid
Have you used financial aid? If so, accommodating was the office to your needs?
They gave me a great grant so I could get through my first year of college. They worked with us closely. They’re busy so it might take them a day to get back to you, but they always do and it’s helpful.