Interviews

Denison University

Responses from the Student Interview


From a student  who identifies as Major: Economics with a concentration in Organizational Studies
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Heterosexual Male


Summary


I’m an athlete, I’m in Investment Club, I’m in Call to College which is like Big Brother Big Sister, I work for Denison Sports Network, I’m in Greek life, and I’m in Denison Wine Society.


Background


Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

High School Experience: I went to a public school in central Ohio with a graduating class of about 150 students. There was somewhat of a culture of going to college. They obviously wanted people to go to college, but I don’t think the people there are as motivated as they are at other places.
First Generation College Student: No
Major: Economics with a concentration in Organizational Studies
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I’m an athlete, I’m in Investment Club, I’m in Call to College which is like Big Brother Big Sister, I work for Denison Sports Network, I’m in Greek life, and I’m in Denison Wine Society.
Have any of your extracurricular activities had a particularly big impact on your experience?
All of them have in their own way. My team and my fraternity have been the two big ones. My team because it gave me a schedule, gave me a purpose, gave me an outlet when school is tough and gave me a routine because I have class and then practice. The coaches have been phenomenal and have created a culture within the team where everyone works hard and pushes for each other. The fraternity has been kind of the same thing because you get really close with your fraternity brothers and it gives me an outlet on the weekends.


Academic Experience


Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
Predominantly my homework, especially with the higher-level classes, is a problem set a week or every two weeks. They can take anywhere from two hours to eight hours. Then there are probably two or three tests and the occasional project or essay.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or especially poorly?
Something they do especially well is that the professors are pretty transparent. They let you know what the course is going to be about, the difficulty level, and the expectations, and what they say is how it is. They’re also very helpful if you go to office hours, they’re always willing to help. They don’t just give you the answer, they make you work for it, which helps you learn.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I wouldn’t say it’s competitive in a bad way, it’s competitive in a good, motivational way. It’s collaborative in that there are opportunities to work together in a team setting.
What has been your favorite class in your major?
Intermediate Macroeconomics because of the professor. He was extremely helpful and genuine. He really cared about his students.
What has been your least favorite class in your major?
Introduction to Microeconomics. The professor was terrible and she is no longer there.
Do you feel that people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
Yeah, absolutely. Being a liberal arts school, people want you to say what you think whether it’s right or wrong. You can definitely say what you believe in and what you feel is right and there is no judgment there. You can be an open book.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice of major?
I chose Economics because I wanted to do finance, and, since it’s a liberal arts school and there is no finance major, Economics is traditionally what kids do who are interested in finance. I’m happy with my decision. Looking back, I would have scheduled my coursework so that I could have done a second major on top of Economics, maybe something I was a little more passionate about.
How was managing your sport and your coursework?
It’s tough sometimes. It gives you a routine. When you have an hour between class and practice you are doing homework and right after practice you are doing homework. Sometimes the offseason is kind of hard because you don’t have practice so you can push your homework aside. When you’re in season you are forced to do it. It’s tough, but there’s definitely enough time in the day to get it all done.


Reasons to Attend


1) The friends you make will be your friends forever.
2) The academics are next to none and only getting better.
3) The sports teams are actually competitive and getting better.
4) If you want to get out of your comfort zone. There are a lot of people who come from the New York and D.C. area and Granville is a lot different.


Reasons Not to Attend


1) If you don’t want to go to a small school, don’t go to Denison.
2) If you want to go to crazy house parties or bars, don’t go to Denison. It’s a little more settled down here.
3) If you want to major in something that is a little more concentrated, like finance or marketing, don’t go to Denison.


Around Campus


Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Smith Hall in a double
Sophomore: Crawford with one other roommate in a double first semester and then moved into a six-man apartment in Sawyer second semester
Junior: Sawyer in a six-man.
Can you describe the level of safety you experienced on and around campus?
It’s probably as safe as you can get. There’s not much going on in Granville, Ohio.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
Moe’s Barbecue
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
Easton Mall in Columbus. There’s a shopping area and it has restaurants and bars.


Social Opportunities


What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
At Denison basically all the parties are in the senior apartments, [The Sunset Apartments]. It normally ends up being a senior apartment party and then the bars afterward. The big night during the week is Wednesday night. Normally there are parties in the senior apartments and then people go to bars afterward. Then Friday and Saturday night are the other big nights.
What have been some of your favorite times at Denison?
I think pledging [my fraternity] was some of the best times in college because you get really close to all your fraternity brothers. Winning games with my team have been awesome. A lot of the guys on my team are different than my social friends, but there is no big gap there. They’re all great guys.
How happy were you with the nightlife? Is there anything you would change if you could?
If I could change it, there would be more spaces to have parties. They’re all in the senior apartments, so it gets kind of crowded. At first, I was kind of shocked by where we had the parties, but I’ve gotten used to it and now I like it.


Campus Culture


How did you meet your closest friends?
First semester playing on my team, then my fraternity, and then some other stuff through the school. Like, I did an Organizational Studies program where I met a lot of guys who I’m close with. I also met people through going to different events with the clubs that I’m in.
How would you describe the social scene?
It’s pretty active. There’s always stuff going on and [you can find things with and without drinking]. There are concerts, plays, clubs, and sports games all the time. You can do something every day.
What is the impact of Greek life on social life?
It’s relative for each person. Within my social life, it’s huge. All my friends are in a fraternity or a sorority.
To what extent do you feel people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
In my experience, there are no boundaries. Everyone is trying to hang out with everyone. Most of my friends don’t identify with different sexual orientations and most of my friends’ friends don’t, but that doesn’t mean that [there isn’t an LGBT community here]. That’s just my group. My group is also very racially integrated.
How would you describe the student body?
I think everyone has a little something different to bring to the table, which is what makes Denison Denison. The baggage that people bring with them is pretty unique because we have kids from all 50 states and 40 different countries. You get exposed to things that are completely foreign to you, which is pretty cool.


Careers


Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Yes. Because of my networking is the reason why I’ve had all three of the jobs I’ve had over my college experience. It’s huge.
How helpful has the career office been?
It’s pretty much nonexistent. I applied for a stipend through them and I got it. It helped me pay for my living situation this summer, which is awesome. For finding jobs, I’ve only gotten help through my own network.
Have you learned any computer programs that will be helpful to you professionally?
With most of my Economics classes I’ve worked in Excel, especially my last one I did a lot of Excel. It’s helped a lot in my internships over the summer.


Financial Aid


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