After the college list has been narrowed down, the travel begins.
Feeling that I already have a late start on evaluating colleges, I commence at the end of summer. I plan to make two college visits each trip.
My journey begins with Ripon College. If Wayland could be enlarged and dropped down in a new location, Ripon would be its big brother: it is situated within walking distance of a quaint town, and it even has an historic graveyard nearby.
My family and I park and hop out to find the campus under renovation. Wandering around a bit, we enter into the middle of the campus and marvel at the Wayland Hall-esque buildings. In the library, we find a few eager students already studying. The basement contains a cozy computer room, and the main hall of the library has a shelf dedicated to books by alumni.
The dorms have single, double, and quad Living Areas, and all of the furniture looks new. The lounges look like the Study from a game of Clue, and the floors appear to be granite and marble.
The bookstore is occupied by two ladies preparing the texts for student purchase; they graciously invite us in to look around. I grin when I see English books that most Wayland students have already read: The Odyssey, Romeo and Juliet, and even Hamilton's Mythology.
As we climb upstairs, girls that are getting done with a sports camp are repelling down. At the top, we find the main lunch hall with ready-to-eat-food at the buffet tables. We turn the corner to find the seating area, and a kind Sodexho provider offers us lunch. Having had only breakfast, we appreciatively accept. I try some pizza and a salad, while my sister and mother get wraps. Our tummies full of victuals and our eyes full of scenes to remember, we return to our vehicle and head off to the next destination.
Marian college greets us with a full heat wave, as we step out of the car. The day is warming up, and we look for air-conditioned cover. We find the chapel and breech the monstrous doors to be overwhelmed with a stench that can be best described as decayed feces. The room needed fresh air after being sealed for the long summer.
Quickly escaping, we head to the circular library and find bookshelves that are on tracks that can be wheeled back and forth. Space is conserved by allowing access to only a few rows of books at a time. Stepping outside, the campus feels deserted and wide open. A glass-walled building that houses classes for the business school is up ahead. We stride over and find a lady chanting mumbled words about the college. Deciding that the day is complete, we return home.
The next double-visit is directed by my Dad. We head up North to visit Lawrence University. Parking near the Music Conservatory,we walk through and decide to find the main office to get a map of the campus. Heading to the grandest building, we find a man with a map and feel oriented enough to explore.
We cross the threshold into the outside and find ourselves in the pit of an amphitheater. Trudging up the stairs, we are at the foot of the multi-level science building. Casually walking in, we discover teacher offices interspaced with classrooms. Descending, we reach a hallway with expensive scientific equipment. Pasted on a few doors are radiation warning signs. A student is experimenting in one room, and I jokingly take a picture. The flash freaks out the student, and he peers his head out the door.
Now ascending, we summit and overlook the Fox River to see a new dorm facility being built. Impressive. The landscape around Lawrence is well-groomed and attractive. The four-tiered Lawrence library is breathtaking. More books were crammed into that building than I have cumulatively seen in my life. The spacing between the shelves could only fit a nerd. They could lock me up in that library for years, and I would hardly notice that time passed, being so engrossed in the literature.
Being pulled out by my Dad, we plan on finishing the last loop. Heading across a bridge, we see some other parent/student groups funneled into a door. We slyly follow. Down the hall, a welcoming committee explains that today is a Visiting Student Day, and that a free lunch is being provided. Score. We scoot through the line and find a table and are joined by a parent and kid. Chitchatting, a physics professor joins us and glows about the campus. Before it gets too late, we have to continue to the next college.
St. Norbert's, current school of Cait Randerson and Xerxes Okray and former school of Mr. Peters, is the next destination. Parking next to a pub, we ambulate up the stairs and find a posted map and orient ourselves to walk into the admissions office. We meet a lady and ask if she has any visitor literature for us. The lady comically says that the woman that deals with recruiting Wayland just got married and is on leave. She loads us up with paper work and sends us on our way.
We go though the International Building and take pictures of railings that my Dad's business made. We then happen into the old academic building that is now home to campus administration. The science building looks a bit out-dated compared to the new chapel.
The center of the building of worship has an awesome baptismal fountain and a prayer room. Being the main hang-out, the Student Center is well kept up. There is a snack bar, an entertainment area, and study nooks and corners.
Interestingly enough, during summer training, some Green Bay Packers stay in a St. Norbert's air-conditioned dorm. We move on.
UW Steven's Point is a spacious, green, and soon-to-be-lively campus.
Students are moved in and gearing up for the year. A few are wandering around somewhat disoriented. By the library is a beautiful mosaic made up of 1.5 by 1.5 inch tiles with nine different designs that, when viewed from far back, give the impression of a man and other creatures.
At one resident house, guys are playing soccer with beer in one hand, and, across the street, girls are playing badminton with a wine cooler in their hand. The athletic fields are huge, and I hear that the UW pool has been used for the Special Olympics.
Looking online at colleges is nothing compared to sensing them up close. The musty smell of the library or the warm glow of the people or the zest of chicken nuggets cannot be understood from cyberspace. I urge all Wayland students to get out there and start wandering around a college campus or two. You will be glad you did!
Feeling that I already have a late start on evaluating colleges, I commence at the end of summer. I plan to make two college visits each trip.
My journey begins with Ripon College. If Wayland could be enlarged and dropped down in a new location, Ripon would be its big brother: it is situated within walking distance of a quaint town, and it even has an historic graveyard nearby.
My family and I park and hop out to find the campus under renovation. Wandering around a bit, we enter into the middle of the campus and marvel at the Wayland Hall-esque buildings. In the library, we find a few eager students already studying. The basement contains a cozy computer room, and the main hall of the library has a shelf dedicated to books by alumni.
The dorms have single, double, and quad Living Areas, and all of the furniture looks new. The lounges look like the Study from a game of Clue, and the floors appear to be granite and marble.
The bookstore is occupied by two ladies preparing the texts for student purchase; they graciously invite us in to look around. I grin when I see English books that most Wayland students have already read: The Odyssey, Romeo and Juliet, and even Hamilton's Mythology.
As we climb upstairs, girls that are getting done with a sports camp are repelling down. At the top, we find the main lunch hall with ready-to-eat-food at the buffet tables. We turn the corner to find the seating area, and a kind Sodexho provider offers us lunch. Having had only breakfast, we appreciatively accept. I try some pizza and a salad, while my sister and mother get wraps. Our tummies full of victuals and our eyes full of scenes to remember, we return to our vehicle and head off to the next destination.
Marian college greets us with a full heat wave, as we step out of the car. The day is warming up, and we look for air-conditioned cover. We find the chapel and breech the monstrous doors to be overwhelmed with a stench that can be best described as decayed feces. The room needed fresh air after being sealed for the long summer.
Quickly escaping, we head to the circular library and find bookshelves that are on tracks that can be wheeled back and forth. Space is conserved by allowing access to only a few rows of books at a time. Stepping outside, the campus feels deserted and wide open. A glass-walled building that houses classes for the business school is up ahead. We stride over and find a lady chanting mumbled words about the college. Deciding that the day is complete, we return home.
The next double-visit is directed by my Dad. We head up North to visit Lawrence University. Parking near the Music Conservatory,we walk through and decide to find the main office to get a map of the campus. Heading to the grandest building, we find a man with a map and feel oriented enough to explore.
We cross the threshold into the outside and find ourselves in the pit of an amphitheater. Trudging up the stairs, we are at the foot of the multi-level science building. Casually walking in, we discover teacher offices interspaced with classrooms. Descending, we reach a hallway with expensive scientific equipment. Pasted on a few doors are radiation warning signs. A student is experimenting in one room, and I jokingly take a picture. The flash freaks out the student, and he peers his head out the door.
Now ascending, we summit and overlook the Fox River to see a new dorm facility being built. Impressive. The landscape around Lawrence is well-groomed and attractive. The four-tiered Lawrence library is breathtaking. More books were crammed into that building than I have cumulatively seen in my life. The spacing between the shelves could only fit a nerd. They could lock me up in that library for years, and I would hardly notice that time passed, being so engrossed in the literature.
Being pulled out by my Dad, we plan on finishing the last loop. Heading across a bridge, we see some other parent/student groups funneled into a door. We slyly follow. Down the hall, a welcoming committee explains that today is a Visiting Student Day, and that a free lunch is being provided. Score. We scoot through the line and find a table and are joined by a parent and kid. Chitchatting, a physics professor joins us and glows about the campus. Before it gets too late, we have to continue to the next college.
St. Norbert's, current school of Cait Randerson and Xerxes Okray and former school of Mr. Peters, is the next destination. Parking next to a pub, we ambulate up the stairs and find a posted map and orient ourselves to walk into the admissions office. We meet a lady and ask if she has any visitor literature for us. The lady comically says that the woman that deals with recruiting Wayland just got married and is on leave. She loads us up with paper work and sends us on our way.
We go though the International Building and take pictures of railings that my Dad's business made. We then happen into the old academic building that is now home to campus administration. The science building looks a bit out-dated compared to the new chapel.
The center of the building of worship has an awesome baptismal fountain and a prayer room. Being the main hang-out, the Student Center is well kept up. There is a snack bar, an entertainment area, and study nooks and corners.
Interestingly enough, during summer training, some Green Bay Packers stay in a St. Norbert's air-conditioned dorm. We move on.
UW Steven's Point is a spacious, green, and soon-to-be-lively campus.
Students are moved in and gearing up for the year. A few are wandering around somewhat disoriented. By the library is a beautiful mosaic made up of 1.5 by 1.5 inch tiles with nine different designs that, when viewed from far back, give the impression of a man and other creatures.
At one resident house, guys are playing soccer with beer in one hand, and, across the street, girls are playing badminton with a wine cooler in their hand. The athletic fields are huge, and I hear that the UW pool has been used for the Special Olympics.
Looking online at colleges is nothing compared to sensing them up close. The musty smell of the library or the warm glow of the people or the zest of chicken nuggets cannot be understood from cyberspace. I urge all Wayland students to get out there and start wandering around a college campus or two. You will be glad you did!
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