<p>I'm interested in Wheaton college in particular, and I love how it's rated highly for being a dry and drug-free campus according to Princeton Review. Students won't be playing beer pong or chugging liquor for fun at any rate, I would imagine, like they would be doing at other top schools, even Ivies. I know it's a liberal arts institution, but it was recently rated by PR as being one of the most conservative schools in the country (and best food hehe.) It's number one for anti-GLBT.....and I'm not sure what my opinion is on that. Homosexuals are children of God too! Is conservative thinking a bad thing? I'm not sure where I stand politically, but my parents are liberal. (I'm going to vote in the next election being party-blind haha). I only know from what my parents say of conservatives, and they're mostly negative things, so I'm kind of biased by nature. Is a conservative learning environment bad as for thinking open-mindedly? I would say I'm fairly open-minded.</p>
<p>I’m assuming that you’re referring to the Wheaton in Illinois, which is an evangelical college. Wheaton’s published “Educational Purpose” states: “Committed to the principle that truth is revealed by God through Christ “in Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” Wheaton’s . . . curricular approach is designed to combine faith and learning in order to produce a biblical perspective needed to relate Christian experience to the demands of those needs.”</p>
<p>In other words, Wheaton embraces inquiry and discovery, but only insofar as it conforms to pre-determined boundaries and limitations that the institution has chosen. This isn’t what most educated people consider to constitute higher education. Is it religious training? Yes. A caring community of believers? Very likely. But higher education is about whether one is truly open to learning, objectively reassessing, and if necessary, adapting one’s point of view. Being a successful and well-educated person in the 21st century requires that ability, and that’s not what Wheaton and other doctrinally-rigid religious colleges offer.</p>
<p>In “Believers: A Journey into Evangelical America” by Jeffery Sheler, the author quotes Dorothy Chappell, dean of natural and social sciences at Wheaton as saying "We do believe that God created the universe, and that Adam and Eve were the first humans,” Chappell said. “But we are agnostic as to how God did it.” At the same time, she said, Wheaton’s acceptance of evolutionary theory is limited to changes within a species rather than the widely held view that humans evolved from apes. “There is no assent given here to the view that Adam and Eve descended from hominids.”</p>
<p>So what happens, said Sheler, when the two sources of data – revealed truth and natural truth – seem to be in conflict? “It means we haven’t interpreted the data correctly,” Chappell said, “Either we’ve missed something in our science or we are failing to understand the scriptures correctly. We’re not afraid here of exploring truth. That’s what scientific research is all about."</p>
<p>Nope - that’s not scientific research; it’s religious dogma. It’s not the same science or scientific method that’s taught at the colleges and universities that are free of the restrictions of religious dogma.</p>
<p>gadad - well said!</p>
<p>I believe that Adam and Eve WERE hominids. I also believe in the story of Creation, which is accepted by many intellectuals. None of the “science” of any other theory has been proven, so why not? She admitted that they’re not afraid of exploring the truth…though people have different opinions, science is only fact when it is proven to be true, otherwise it’s just theory. Is Biblical material theory? I’m not sure…for believers, it’s fact, ambiguous or not.</p>
<p>Umm no. Scientific theories have obtained the highest level of evidence possible. Do not confuse scientific theories with philosophical ones. If you choose not to accept something which has a significant amount of evidence for it and has been proven in small scale then you are showing yourself to be ignorant. No true college would ever accept creationism as true…none.</p>
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<p>That’s not true. [Numerous</a> studies from all fields of natural science](<a href=“http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/search/topicbrowse2.php?topic_id=46]Numerous”>http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/search/topicbrowse2.php?topic_id=46) have proved that evolution does indeed exist. That doesn’t mean it’s incompatible with belief; I know plenty of people who accept a creation and evolution. Just don’t spread un-truths about other points of view if they don’t exactly mesh with yours.</p>
<p>There are more liberal schools that are good for non-drinkers. Swarthmore, Haverford, and Grinnell come to mind.</p>
<p>Are you interested in this place because you don’t want to be forced into a drinking scene? Because I can assure you that it’s possible to go to a more typical college and not partake in unscrupulous activities. It’s also possible to take part in such things responsibly and in moderation. Additionally, there are communities of committed Christians and politically conservative people on most every campus in the country, where you will likely find yourself welcome and accepted.</p>
<p>Conservative institutions like this one tend not to be open-minded towards secularist/liberal ideas. They have one direction, and you will likely not feel welcome if you have views which significantly diverge from that direction. More mainstream institutions, by and large, have representation of almost all points on the political spectrum.</p>
<p>However, if you honestly believe that the principle of evolution by natural selection has not been proven, I hope you aren’t planning on studying life sciences at a mainstream academic institution…</p>
<p>Don’t confuse conservatism in a strictly political sense with religion. Many people would be satisfied to find a college with a diversity of political views among its student body and faculty. Not to many colleges left in this category.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, I did not clarify myself. When I was refering to the fact that theories have not been proven, I was refering to creation, not evolution. Think Big Bang. Evolution and natural selection are not theories.</p>
<p>I’m not worried about being FORCED into drinking…I just don’t want to be around people who DO partake in it. Not that I’m against it…it’s just that, well, in many cases it’s illegal. Same thing with drugs.</p>
<p>I plan on studying Anthropology or Philosophy with Spanish.</p>
<p>Not accepting scientific theories to be true is not being ignorant…it’s being stubborn and bull-headed, and that’s how I am sometimes. My ideas are sometimes off-the-wall and I don’t always go with the crowd when it comes to opinions. Even if one answer is clearly obvious over the other, I still may go with that other.</p>
<p>I tend to debate with my peers. A lot. Mostly about literary characters, not science. Like Darcy and Bennet.</p>
<p>Be advised that avoiding anyone who drinks or smokes will keep you from meeting a lot of really cool people whose friendship and company will enrich your life.</p>
<p>Also, if you claim that you don’t question the principles of evolution and natural selection, you did quite a poor job of articulating what exactly you were sceptical of in your earlier post.</p>
<p>Also, intellectuals can and do believe in Creation. Like my physics teacher. I go to a public school and he openly professed his belief in the Biblical story. He’s one of the smartest people I know. Read Genesis. It doesn’t explain how God did it, but he did. Also, if you don’t believe in God or Heaven, read “God is for Real” by Todd Burpo. Great book. I’m not trying to convert anyone, but since we’re talking about a Christian school…</p>
<p>Like I already said, I did not make myself clear. I am aware that I might not meet good friends who smoke/drink, but where I’m from, I’m sick of it. My high school is in a rural community, and a few kids drink/smoke. Or so I’m told. (My particular class is unusual. Either you’re a top student or barely getting by.) They don’t care about school and they’re immature. One kid who smokes pot urinated out of his girlfriend’s bedroom window. My point is that I don’t think kids should be doing illegal things anyway, regardless of their personality. Sure, they might be the coolest kids ever, and I’ll admitt that I already met a girl who drinks heavily and she really likes me. It just shows that school is not as imporant to them and that they sneak things under the eyes of the police. My mentee, a freshman, was drinking and just barely escaped the police. It’s stupid.</p>
<p>Oh ok. I agree with you about the creation and evolution thing. I merely misunderstood your original post. </p>
<p>Also, I agree with IBfootballer. Some of the brightest and most interesting people I know drink and smoke semi-regularly, in high school to boot.</p>
<p>Oh, I believe it. The girl I was talking about it my previous post is very interesting. It’s just that college, in my opinion, shouldn’t be about beer pong. You pay big bucks for an education, and one shouldn’t waste away his/her parents’ cash to buy things that make you wake up barfing or in another person’s dorm without your clothes. It could happen. Read “The Naked Roomate.”</p>
<p>I have, and just because you associate with people who partake in such activities, even ones who get effing wasted every weekend, doesn’t mean you’re going to be a victim of their drunkedness. </p>
<p>If you’re using your parents’ money to buy booze and drugs, that’s one thing. But there’s nothing wrong with letting yourself a little loose and having a good time.</p>
<p>Personally, I’ve never even been drunk. Hell, the alcohol available to me is of sufficiently poor quality that I really don’t want to consume enough of it to get drunk. But I don’t see a problem with inviting my buddies to watch a game with a few brews, going to parties with my friends, and enjoying responsibly. And I don’t reckon my parents think that me doing these things represents me wasting their money.</p>
<p>You could also look at schools who have well-run and active substance free dorms and where there are plenty of alternatives to the party culture. If you are female, maybe look into a women’s college – there seems to be far less of the over the top partying there.</p>
<p>That’s fine if you’re into that stuff, but my idea of fun is going to the bookstore or people-watching or seeing museums. I’ve never been drunk either, let alone ever having more than a sip of wine, so I can’t vouch how fun drinking is. In fact, I went to a club in Spain in June for a type of exchange program, and my “brother’s” friends who were all 15/16 were drinking in the club and even dancing on top of a table thing. (The legal age is 18.) I didn’t drink anthing except water, but it was fun. However, it was fun because I was in a totally new environment; I had never been to a club/party where drinking was involved. It wasn’t fun because they were drinking…it was fun because I was letting loose, if only just a teeny bit. I danced a little, if you count dancing with a Spanish girl and having her twirl you around a little. Haha they MADE me dance. I wasn’t worrying about homework or tests, and I laughed a lot. And, the Americans didn’t drink. Well, at least when I was around them…</p>
<p>Also, all of those 15/16-year-olds smoked, which was also illegal. It didn’t bother me at all, but it was summer. School was out and there were no tests that had to be studied for. We laughed and joked in Spanish, and that was that. When school is in session, they still go out and party on the weekends…and that bothers me, because practically all of the town’s teens participate.</p>
<p>I realize that relaxation is a vital part of well-being and stress-relief, and I respect that in everyone. Everyone has their own way of doing it - that’s the thing.</p>
<p>Just an FYI, only less than half of the schools that I’m applying to are religious/conservative. The rest are very liberal at least to some degree, so hope is not lost for a more liberal choice, since that is what this thread seems to favor. Why am I applying to very-conservative and very-liberal? I don’t know. Just to see what happens. I think that I would be confortable in either…But, now I’m going to be honest. I know that most liberal schools are accepting of GLBTs…but, if my roomate was lesbian, I really think I would feel uncomfortable, not to be hurtful to anyone. According to “The Naked Roomate,” if “you’re GLBT, your roomate will have a 100% chance of rooming with a GLBT.” Nevertheless, it could and does happen. It is never a bad thing…it just may seem awkward. Well, what do I know? I do not know any lesbians. I will pray for them though. They are very disrespected by society as a whole.</p>
<p>Sure, there are lots of people who profess a belief in both Genesis/creation and evolution. It’s called ‘cognitive dissonance.’ Humans are great at it.</p>
<p>I agree with gadad. If the sort of intellectual conflict - not out of what’s ‘correct’ but out of a feeble attempt to hold two conflicting ideas simultaneously - sits well with you, then colleges like Wheaton should be fine. </p>
<p>I’ll also add that many alumni have objected to Wheaton’s placement on the anti-LGBT list by PR and have expressed disappointment that it’s perennially ranked at the top in it. Some have said Wheaton’s placement is not accurate, but I think it’s telling that the list is compiled from surveys of actual students and Wheaton is on the list every year.</p>
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<p>It really shouldn’t be a problem - it doesn’t make sense to assume that there would be any attraction or tension. LGBT students have to room with straight students all the time, and it doesn’t cause problems.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’ve never met one so I don’t really know.</p>