Feature

Triskaidekaphobia?
I don't think so!

Uday T. Islam

THE decisions for applicants for the class of 2013 are but a few weeks away, at least for those aspiring to come to the USA for undergraduate studies. As I go into the final semester of my sophomore here, I thought it might be a good idea to write a few words on my college-Colgate University, and hopefully provide a look into the institution that one might not be able to get from the website or the many communiqué throughout the application process.

Colgate University is one of the oldest, best known institutions of undergraduate education in America. Founded in 1819, it has become one of the most prestigious liberal arts institutions in the country with an endowment of around 800 million dollars. Over the past few years, US News has consistently ranked Colgate as one of the top twenty liberal arts colleges in the US and in one of its studies, identified Colgate was one of the “hidden ivies”.

Needless to say, at almost two hundred years old, it is an institution steeped in tradition. We have the oldest circulating college newspaper, the oldest college singing groups and many other firsts or oldests. The most important tradition though, is the obsession with the number thirteen. Colgate legend says it was founded by thirteen men with thirteen dollars and thirteen prayers. There are thirteens littered throughout our history and on campus.

The student population here is twenty eight hundred, putting it right in the middle of the pack in terms of the size of its student body. The campus is located in the small town of Hamilton, in the central NY county of Madison. The campus itself sprawls over approximately five hundred acres of lush green hills, complete with a golf course, our own cross country trail, a lake and a running stream. There is this irresistible small world charm to this place that seems almost timeless and endearing. Yes, it snows a few months of the year, and yes it can get cold, but it's all part of that charm.

The main academic buildings are clustered on and around one big hill. On the top of the hill lie four first year housing areas. Unlike some other schools, Colgate has dedicated living spaces for different class years. Along with these, there are seven major academic buildings with sprawling lawns between them. At the apex of the grid formed these twelve buildings, is the chapel- a place that figures prominently both literally and metaphorically, at Colgate.

Descending down the hill, lie scattered the main admissions building, the main library (with over a million volumes, half of which can only be retrieved using a state of the art robotic arm), the social sciences building, the arts and music buildings and the student union. At the foot of the hill are the dedicated sophomore housing areas, three massive fields, one of which is split by the stream running t the lake beside it. Once on plain land, there are university houses and apartment for juniors and seniors up and down the main street in Hamilton-Broad Street.

What is it like living at Colgate? For starters, an incoming first year has the choice of singles, doubles, and four or six person suites in the residence halls. At Colgate, one will find his/her niche-it is a very eclectic mix. During the weekday, if one has the time, downtown is only a ten minutes walk away. There is a theater, a Chinese restaurant, a sushi restaurant, several pizzerias, several bars-most any form of recreation is covered. During the weekend, go bowling for no charge at the university alley, play soccer, swim or just relax. I find myself doing the last most often. There are over one hundred student organizations. From debate to mixed martial arts, there are few interests that are not represented in the community. The speaking union in general, and debate in particular, is of the highest quality at Colgate. For the style and format of debate we do, Colgate is currently ranked sixteenth in the world and third in the country-with a steady and notable presence at international competitions.

For those of a more athletic mien, there are the intramural competitions for people who like to take sports a bit more seriously-or maybe just play with a bunch of friends with the added competition. A notch up, there are club sports that practice thrice a week and play against other college club teams and finally, varsity-the highest level of the sport. We play several sports at the very highest level and currently hold the soccer and women's field hockey titles. The home games are always a welcome distraction and the student body usually pours into the stadia in force at home games.

On to studies. Colgate is a liberal arts college. What does that mean? It offers undergraduate degrees like any school, but requires that by the time they graduate, the students take a number of required courses that help them explore philosophy, history, the romantic languages and literature and the natural sciences. This is the essence of a liberal arts education-help develop critical thinking by exposing the students to many different perspectives and ideas. For a college of its size, Colgate offers a substantial number of majors-51, at the undergraduate level; three at the graduate level-hence university and not college.

It is easy to look at student-teacher ratios and class sizes and miss the picture. A typical class at Colgate is anything but. Regardless of what course, what discipline and what professor one has, the classroom is more than a lecture hall. It is rather the site of intense debate, and an exchange of ideas and opinions between the students and the professor and among students. I have never before seen so much stress put on participating in class, and arguing one's own point of view.

This culture of encouraging debate and dialogue goes beyond the class room. The professors here are always ready to talk, always ready to look at things a different way, and always so eager to have students talk about how they feel on a subject. To add to the conversation, and the academic experience, Colgate brings high profile speakers to campus regularly. The most notable speakers this year have been the Dalai Lama, Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria, and former Secretary of State, Colin Powell. I cannot stress enough the feeling that I got here, and still do, that here, there seems to be no limit to the possibilities that you can explore.

I hope that this presents the picture of Colgate that I have in mind. It is not the biggest, not the richest, and there are colleges that claim to be better. But it is unique. It gives its students a great education, in a beautiful campus endowed with all the modern amenities a college needs. But most of all, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities and then helps the individual explore them in their own unique ways.

(Triskaidekaphobia, in case you are still wondering, is fear of the number thirteen.)