For fun: first impressions of colleges based on tours...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We saw them flying together on US-29 when we drove to UVA in October. And speaking of Charlottesville, remember Trump said there were "good people on both sides." He also fought the Pentagon to keep Confederate names and battle flags.

But, let's get back to the question about how visitors discern a "woke" campus. I'm genuinely curious. We've toured about 20 schools and I would be hard pressed to name any that were "woke." We did see a "stop Asian hate" sign at an SLAC in New England and the girl who served us grilled cheese and soup near Wellesley had a small nose ring and the guy at JP Licks in Harvard Square had dread locks. There was a group of kids smoking weed at the College of Charleston and a bunch of kids playing Spikeball and drinking out of red solo cups at UVA. But, the students at BC looked like the kids at W&M, Princeton, Wake Forest, UNC Charlotte, Vassar & Pitt. NYU, Duke, GW and Columbia had more international students, but we weren't picking up any "virtue signals."

You didn't see wokeness on campus. Then you need to get out of your bubble to get to know the real world. Are you aware that Virginians voted democrats out of office because they were turned off by the wokes in schools and on school boards? Are you aware that many college professors are forced out of their positions because they speak politically incorrect opinions? Colleges are supposed to be the place where students and faculty engage in provocative ideas. No, that is not allowed anymore. Anyone who dares risks to be fired. But you could not see any wokeness on campus. Adorable.

The whole "wokeness" thing is disinformation. The whole CRT OHMYGOD thing is total disinformation. Glad to see people acknowledging they fell for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We were touring much different schools than Auburn. Mainly liberal arts colleges in the Midwest and northeast. The largest school we toured was W&M. I don’t have strong feelings about people announcing their pronouns. Since so many were doing it I figured it was something being done on college campuses these days.

Pp you quoted (Auburn visitor) here
Oh you are correct it definitely is being done at a lot! My son has mostly been visiting large state universities and has encountered it--CU Boulder did.

I definitely expect to hear the pronouns announcement these days at colleges. But, the one time the info might have been helpful was on a tour at Juniata with an excellent tour guide who I was not sure was male or female. Eventually he mentioned being gay and when discussing the school's gender inclusive dorms and other supports for LGBTQ students but nobody on our visit proactively mentioned pronouns

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We were touring much different schools than Auburn. Mainly liberal arts colleges in the Midwest and northeast. The largest school we toured was W&M. I don’t have strong feelings about people announcing their pronouns. Since so many were doing it I figured it was something being done on college campuses these days.

Pp you quoted (Auburn visitor) here
Oh you are correct it definitely is being done at a lot! My son has mostly been visiting large state universities and has encountered it--CU Boulder did.

I definitely expect to hear the pronouns announcement these days at colleges. But, the one time the info might have been helpful was on a tour at Juniata with an excellent tour guide who I was not sure was male or female. Eventually he mentioned being gay and when discussing the school's gender inclusive dorms and other supports for LGBTQ students but nobody on our visit proactively mentioned pronouns

But why would it have been helpful? You aren't going to have an ongoing relationship with the tour guide. The tour guide won't hear you if you are telling your friends/family about the tour, so even if you used the "wrong" pronoun, it's not like the tour guide will be around to hear it and be offended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

DC was turned off by all the woke stuff and virtue signaling.

I'm curious, how would you and your DC feel about a campus that has Trump flags in the windows and students wearing MAGA hats?

College educated is not associated with Trump's demographic. What university is full of Trump flags and MAGA hats?

I can't say that I've witnessed it, but states where 80% of the population voted for Trump (like Alabama, West Va.) would probably have Trump flags and MAGA hats on the students. And while Trump does love "the poorly educated" voters, some of his voters surely do have college degrees. (sadly)

Poster that did the tour of Auburn last month here-

I didn't see a single confederate flag or Trump flag/hat. And we drove there from--get this!--West Virginia! Two days before we drove down, we attended the WVU/Iowa State football game--no Trump/Confederate stuff there either!
Also visited University of Alabama several months ago and did not see them.

Then you didn't drive in I-68 or I-64 or I-79 because they are on both sides of the highway throughout WVA.

I drive those highways daily. I’ve never seen a Trump/Confederate flag there.

Then you aren't looking.

I'm not the PP you quoted.

You do? When you are out driving instead of keeping your eyes on the road, you're eyes are peeled looking for Trump signs? That very odd, and dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

DC was turned off by all the woke stuff and virtue signaling.

I'm curious, how would you and your DC feel about a campus that has Trump flags in the windows and students wearing MAGA hats?

College educated is not associated with Trump's demographic. What university is full of Trump flags and MAGA hats?

I can't say that I've witnessed it, but states where 80% of the population voted for Trump (like Alabama, West Va.) would probably have Trump flags and MAGA hats on the students. And while Trump does love "the poorly educated" voters, some of his voters surely do have college degrees. (sadly)

Poster that did the tour of Auburn last month here-

I didn't see a single confederate flag or Trump flag/hat. And we drove there from--get this!--West Virginia! Two days before we drove down, we attended the WVU/Iowa State football game--no Trump/Confederate stuff there either!
Also visited University of Alabama several months ago and did not see them.

Then you didn't drive in I-68 or I-64 or I-79 because they are on both sides of the highway throughout WVA.

I drive those highways daily. I’ve never seen a Trump/Confederate flag there.

Then you aren't looking.

I'm not the PP you quoted.

You do? When you are out driving instead of keeping your eyes on the road, you're eyes are peeled looking for Trump signs? That very odd, and dangerous.

You've never seen them flying on the back of trucks? They're all over once you get to Stafford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

DC was turned off by all the woke stuff and virtue signaling.

I'm curious, how would you and your DC feel about a campus that has Trump flags in the windows and students wearing MAGA hats?

College educated is not associated with Trump's demographic. What university is full of Trump flags and MAGA hats?

I can't say that I've witnessed it, but states where 80% of the population voted for Trump (like Alabama, West Va.) would probably have Trump flags and MAGA hats on the students. And while Trump does love "the poorly educated" voters, some of his voters surely do have college degrees. (sadly)

Poster that did the tour of Auburn last month here-

I didn't see a single confederate flag or Trump flag/hat. And we drove there from--get this!--West Virginia! Two days before we drove down, we attended the WVU/Iowa State football game--no Trump/Confederate stuff there either!
Also visited University of Alabama several months ago and did not see them.

Then you didn't drive in I-68 or I-64 or I-79 because they are on both sides of the highway throughout WVA.

I drive those highways daily. I’ve never seen a Trump/Confederate flag there.

Then you aren't looking.

I'm not the PP you quoted.

You do? When you are out driving instead of keeping your eyes on the road, you're eyes are peeled looking for Trump signs? That very odd, and dangerous.

You've never seen them flying on the back of trucks? They're all over once you get to Stafford.

Nope. And I love in central Virginia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My thoughts when visiting with DS --

Chicago: beautiful campus with amazing and varied architecture; tour guide was funny and charming . . . and very adept at moving us to the sunny side of the street so we could get out of the freezing cold (note that we were visiting during spring break)

Dartmouth: squirrel drinking out of a beer can . . . seriously .... that's pretty much all I remember

Michigan: tremendous energy and diversity . . . how come I never visited this place when I was applying to school?

Lehigh: tour guide was smart, unassuming and genuinely excited about his classes; this could be a great school, but the trustees need to find a way to abandon this hell-hole location and move the whole place somewhere -- almost anywhere -- else

Hey, the Lehigh Valley is pretty awesome when you get to know it (Lehigh prof for 7 years.) Beautiful campus. Just too much Greek life for my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We were touring much different schools than Auburn. Mainly liberal arts colleges in the Midwest and northeast. The largest school we toured was W&M. I don’t have strong feelings about people announcing their pronouns. Since so many were doing it I figured it was something being done on college campuses these days.

Pp you quoted (Auburn visitor) here
Oh you are correct it definitely is being done at a lot! My son has mostly been visiting large state universities and has encountered it--CU Boulder did.

I definitely expect to hear the pronouns announcement these days at colleges. But, the one time the info might have been helpful was on a tour at Juniata with an excellent tour guide who I was not sure was male or female. Eventually he mentioned being gay and when discussing the school's gender inclusive dorms and other supports for LGBTQ students but nobody on our visit proactively mentioned pronouns

But why would it have been helpful? You aren't going to have an ongoing relationship with the tour guide. The tour guide won't hear you if you are telling your friends/family about the tour, so even if you used the "wrong" pronoun, it's not like the tour guide will be around to hear it and be offended.

DP here. Regardless of what our political leanings are, most people are polite individuals and feel the urge to use the correct pronoun when referring to someone in the third person. It's basic decency, really. Even if we don't want to be forced to use it by law, we are driven by our social instincts to do it.

[Anonymous]

Oh my gosh, you people are ruining a fun thread. Stop talking about political flags and woke-ness. (Unless it is simply to report your first impression of a college.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My thoughts when visiting with DS --

Chicago: beautiful campus with amazing and varied architecture; tour guide was funny and charming . . . and very adept at moving us to the sunny side of the street so we could get out of the freezing cold (note that we were visiting during spring break)

Dartmouth: squirrel drinking out of a beer can . . . seriously .... that's pretty much all I remember

Michigan: tremendous energy and diversity . . . how come I never visited this place when I was applying to school?

Lehigh: tour guide was smart, unassuming and genuinely excited about his classes; this could be a great school, but the trustees need to find a way to abandon this hell-hole location and move the whole place somewhere -- almost anywhere -- else

Hey, the Lehigh Valley is pretty awesome when you get to know it (Lehigh prof for 7 years.) Beautiful campus. Just too much Greek life for my kids.

Abandoned steel mills aren't my idea of beautiful, but to each their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Trump flag...who cares. Confederate flag. Just no.

But the two are often flown together so how would a student discern the difference?

What kind of people are you associating with that fly both Trump and Confederate flags?

What college is full of trump and confederate flags?

Trump had a flag? I’ve lived forever in rural Virginua and Charlottesville and have never seen this

Give it a rest. Don’t drag Trump into every discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My thoughts when visiting with DS --

Chicago: beautiful campus with amazing and varied architecture; tour guide was funny and charming . . . and very adept at moving us to the sunny side of the street so we could get out of the freezing cold (note that we were visiting during spring break)

Dartmouth: squirrel drinking out of a beer can . . . seriously .... that's pretty much all I remember

Michigan: tremendous energy and diversity . . . how come I never visited this place when I was applying to school?

Lehigh: tour guide was smart, unassuming and genuinely excited about his classes; this could be a great school, but the trustees need to find a way to abandon this hell-hole location and move the whole place somewhere -- almost anywhere -- else

Hey, the Lehigh Valley is pretty awesome when you get to know it (Lehigh prof for 7 years.) Beautiful campus. Just too much Greek life for my kids.

Abandoned steel mills aren't my idea of beautiful, but to each their own.

The cool-looking steel mill is no longer abandoned— it has been turned into a casino, which is worse. But it doesn’t seem to affect campus. The area is thriving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Trump flag...who cares. Confederate flag. Just no.

But the two are often flown together so how would a student discern the difference?

What kind of people are you associating with that fly both Trump and Confederate flags?

What college is full of trump and confederate flags?

Trump had a flag? I’ve lived forever in rural Virginua and Charlottesville and have never seen this

Give it a rest. Don’t drag Trump into every discussion.

Trump? This started with some colleges are all woke and liberal tirade.

[Anonymous]

Apparently some poster on here thinks that the opposite of being awake is trump.

[Anonymous]

Since when is it irresponsible to read signs on the side of the road? I thought it was necessary for safe driving.

As you drive from city to city in PA, you will see a TON of pro-Trump signs, including new ones ("Biden is not my president"). We also saw one sign outside a factory, "HIRING THE UNVACCINATED ONLY."

Yeah, these things caught our eye, driving around, since in Bethesda, it is all "Honk if you love Dr. Fauci." (Which we do!)

So the culture of the surround area stood out to us, but it was not reflective of the culture on the campus we were visiting.