Denison’s rise

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

some people probably expect Denison to be located in a flat, treeless prairie-type setting, and are pleased to find its campus is lush & not flat. It feels more like a New England college than a typical Midwestern school.

And, while we still joke around about Ohio, Granville is an adorable village with a New England vibe

You sort of have to admire how unabashed DCUM's self-styled coastal sophisticates are about advertising ... uh ... the gaps in their historical awareness. Ohio was originally settled as Connecticut's Western Reserve (name ring a bell?), extending from Pennsylvania's western border theoretically as far as the Pacific. And while the Western Reserve didn't cover all of Ohio, and the territorial claims were soon ceded by Connecticut in the early 19th century, a lot of the development of the northern half of Ohio prior to the Industrial Revolution followed New England cultural patterns. That explains why a lot of small Ohio villages look a lot like New England ones, and why Ohio has a lot of rural SLACs on the New England model, relative to other Great Lakes states (and also why Cleveland was build around a 'public square" like cities in New England, and also why abolitionist sentiment was so strong in Ohio, like in New England, making Ohio the 'northern trunk line' of the Underground Railroad). That Granville (founded 1802) and Denison (founded 1831) have a New England feel is hardly surprising.

As for expecting Ohio to be flat and treeless like Kansas or Illinois ... can't help you there.

And much of Illinois, Indiana, Wisonsin, Iowa, Michigan, etc. is rolling hills with pretty little, (or vibrant land grant) college towns. I don't think of them as evoking New England as much as just being midwestern college towns.

[Anonymous]

They are rising, for sure, will keep jumping. Pres Weinberg has used the strong per student endowment to great use (ahead of Colgate, Bucknell, Middlebury, Wesleyan, Holy Cross, Trinity) Columbus is fast growing tech city only 25 min from campus in Granville. Which is picture perfect town with real amenities, which kids and parent desire. Moderate politics. Everyone lives on campus in beautiful dorms, and sports teams are strong. Merit Aid without need. If you have 2-4 kids, it adds up $.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are rising, for sure, will keep jumping. Pres Weinberg has used the strong per student endowment to great use (ahead of Colgate, Bucknell, Middlebury, Wesleyan, Holy Cross, Trinity) Columbus is fast growing tech city only 25 min from campus in Granville. Which is picture perfect town with real amenities, which kids and parent desire. Moderate politics. Everyone lives on campus in beautiful dorms, and sports teams are strong. Merit Aid without need. If you have 2-4 kids, it adds up $.

oh puhleeze.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Related question: Why are conservative/RW posters on the rise here boosting colleges in the south and places like Ohio, all the while decrying other schools as being too "woke", or having too many "pink haired boys."

We see you and know your agenda.

We visited Denison (and Kenyon and a ton of schools in the surrounding states last spring break)

Conservative/RW posters would be very surprised at the student population at Denison. Just because it’s in Ohio, doesn’t mean there aren’t pink haired kids there.

DC really liked it FWIW and we aren’t conservative or RW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Related question: Why are conservative/RW posters on the rise here boosting colleges in the south and places like Ohio, all the while decrying other schools as being too "woke", or having too many "pink haired boys."

We see you and know your agenda.

We visited Denison (and Kenyon and a ton of schools in the surrounding states last spring break)

Conservative/RW posters would be very surprised at the student population at Denison. Just because it’s in Ohio, doesn’t mean there aren’t pink haired kids there.

DC really liked it FWIW and we aren’t conservative or RW.

It’s frustrating to see recurring negative comments about Denison and Ohio that seem based on stereotypes rather than actual experience. As someone with a student attending Denison, I know these assumptions don’t reflect reality.

While not overwhelmingly political, Denison leans Democratic. For context, while Trump won Licking County overall, Biden won Granville in the 2020 election (I can't find the numbers for 2024), and the school is just 25 minutes from Columbus, which strongly supports Democratic candidates (Harris also won many other cities in Ohio). Additionally, Connie Schultz, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and wife of Senator Sherrod Brown, is a professor at Denison.

Denison’s student body is diverse, with about a quarter of the students coming from the Northeast and many others from across the U.S. and internationally. I'm a Democrat, but I want my kids to be able to have discussions with people across the political spectrum, and Denison encourages that (see: https://denison.edu/magazine/winter-2023/148750).

Instead of dismissing an entire state or college based on assumptions, I'd encourage people interested in Denison or other Ohio schools to do their research. I'm sure other posters would say the same about some southern schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Related question: Why are conservative/RW posters on the rise here boosting colleges in the south and places like Ohio, all the while decrying other schools as being too "woke", or having too many "pink haired boys."

We see you and know your agenda.

Uh, I’m a conservative and I’m not sure what you think my “agenda” is. I know Kenyon and Oberlin are very lefty because I know women who went there. I would not recommend them as antidotes to woke insanity that’s for sure. But I also know they give pretty good merit, which may make them worth it for some. Don’t know anything about politics at Denison.

[Anonymous]

We visited last year, but DS didn't apply. Good, solid, very Midwestern college, but didn't seem exceptional at anything. Definitely not bad on any score, but no wows either (definitely not on academics, which seemed pretty average). Was a solid B+ school.

[Anonymous]

Granville is a nice town. Columbus is a growing city. Put those two together and you have a nice location for a liberal arts college.