An Introduction

Hello all! This is actually my first post, because I can usually keep myself busy enough in the office that I've so far been able to avoid writing a blog post. However, the day has come that I can no longer put off my introduction to the world of blogging. So here goes nothing.


I am a fourth-year, Sociology Major-Peace Studies double major Clarkie from Long Island, New York. With the hope that some prospective students (instead of current attendees who already know how awesome Clark is), I am going to describe why I chose Clark.





1) The faculty. When I visited, one of the things I made sure to do was to speak with a few faculty members in a variety of departments. Each one I encountered emphasized how grateful they were to be at a university that allowed them to put so much effort into their teaching and took pride in the relationships they were able to form with students. My experience has exceeded even the high expectations these conversations gave me, and I've found that the professors here not only know their fields "in both breadth and depth" (as the administration is fond of saying), but also truly care about their students.





2) The administration. While not quite to the point of allowing us to dictate the rules of the school (Why don't we eliminate finals altogether? :-P), Clark's administration is the most flexible and supportive I've heard of. There is an option to self-design your own major, processes to petition to take five classes, to take a class pass/fail, to audit one extra course a semester, to have an internship count for credit or as a work-study position, and the President holds open office hours a few times each month.




3) The students. Here I must make an admission - I am a huge nerd. Most days, there is literally no place I would rather be during the day than in class. I know that sounds like an exaggeration, and maybe it is only because, as a senior, I am in classes I find incredibly interesting, but I love being in class. That said, I recently visited a friend's college and sat in on one of his classes, and left emphatically muttering about how grateful I was to go to Clark. I have never been so proud to identify with other people my age as being part of the Clark student body has made me. There is such a range of personalities to be found here, and what we may lack in political diversity - we are, after all, a fairly liberal liberal arts school - we certainly make up for in enthusasim! Clark students are quirky, friendly and the most supportive and eager to learn that I have ever seen. And that, I must say, has made all the difference.

After Long Silence. . . .

Due to the fact that I have been chairing for the last year and a half, I have not had time to keep up with the blog. However: I have also finally hit on the idea to have the Work Study students in the English office begin to be the main contributors. I wonder if the blog could be a kind of English Times in real time--we'll have news, photos, announcements take place here as well as the usual places. Towards that end, I have invited five new authors; please welcome them effusively:

Micah Martin

Milla Smith

Jen Cantin

Devon Grayson-Wallace

Daiva Slotkus Miksyte

I also have the assurance that they will not shirk their appointed tasks to dabble in posting!

Thanks!

Jay