<p>Could you please tell me about the Nearest Wall-Mart or Target etc…??? How far are they…??</p>
<p>The nearest Target is around six miles away. I think Wal-Mart is at least that far. I believe Rhodes does a late night trip to Target during orientation week. It is generally pretty easy to get a ride with someone when you need to go shopping.</p>
<p>thanks shyparentalunit</p>
<p>Hi All,</p>
<p>First off, weather in Memphis: In August it is very warm and humid, so be prepared with shorts and lightweight tops (and maybe a swimsuit!).</p>
<p>As for crime in Memphis and around Rhodes: I am currently a senior (soon-to-be grad of Rhodes) and a female. I came from a very sheltered environment and had very little “street smarts” but have done well in Memphis. Campus safety at Rhodes is extremely thorough when it comes to protecting the safety of students and constantly patrols the neighborhoods around Rhodes to ensure that students are safe–I have even seen campus safety aid fatigued runners who wanted a lift back in the air conditioning. They are a great team and truly educate students about being proactive about their own safety when they are outside of the gates. Like any larger city, Memphis has its share of problems, but if you take basic precautions (go out with a friend or a group at night, don’t walk/run along in the dark, lock your vehicle, remain alert, etc.) than you shouldn’t have any troubles. Although the statistics may look bad, common sense goes a long way to avoiding bad situations. Memphis is such a wonderful town and has a great partnership with the Rhodes community that the benefits far outweigh any complaints about the city. KO</p>
<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>I was reading some random reviews about Rhodes College and unfortunately I came across a negative post by one of the Rhodes College alumni. Now I have weird feelings about the college. Even though I have decided to enroll and I’m really excited, I want you guys to read the post and tell me whether or not it holds any depth (I’m sure most of the stuff is not even true)</p>
<p>Curmedgeon, Koveracre and Lynxinsider…I’m depending on you guys on this one :P</p>
<p>Ok, so here it goes</p>
<p>Introduction
I chose Rhodes originally because I was looking for a northeastern liberal-arts style school in an urban area of the South. I’ve got to hand it to the communications department and administration–Rhodes is obsessed with its image. They pitch magazines filled with smiling faces in magazines and have a website full of “statistical flexing;” that is, filled with BS-laden profiles of perfect students who are “making a difference.”</p>
<p>I want you to make your own judgement about the school. To do that, you need to visit Rhodes in person and see the school outside of the tours you’re given and the perky “Rhodes Diplomats” you’re assigned to. Rhodes is a school where certain kinds of people can flourish and others will perish.</p>
<p>Campus Life and Social Life
“Quality” parties become rarer and rarer each year. It used to be that students didn’t have to get smashed beyond belief to have a great time; however, in recent years, it’s been my experience that there are three kinds of people at the parties; People smashed out of their minds, people who are taking care of the smashed people, and people who don’t really fit into either category and look utterly bored. Maybe this is the party scene at all colleges…?</p>
<p>Rhodes has a couple solid sports teams, but there’s rarely a big student turnout for them. Clubs are small and clique-ish, but that’s part of their inherent nature, I think.</p>
<p>Academics
In many of my classes, participation and attendance are heavily weighted compared to the assignments. What does it say about a school’s academics when professors have to heavily penalize students who don’t show up for class? It reflects that students don’t WANT to be in class which is troubling indeed for a campus that claims to have amazing professors and involved students.</p>
<p>A big thing I’ve noticed at Rhodes is that professors are quick to hand out busywork to create grades–a double-edged sword–which further frustrates students. They can’t spend the time on the truly thought-provoking assignments because they’re so busy scrambling around trying to “get everything done.”</p>
<p>A huge problem with the Rhodes academics are their inflexibility in terms of the core curriculum. Rhodes just recently switched over to a new curriculum that is rigid and unforgiving. A failed or dropped course in one semester will almost assuredly mean an overload (at extra cost, of course) or perhaps even an extra semester later. The system is supposed to be better, but I have yet to speak to a student that likes it. On that note, Rhodes has taken the stance that AP credit does not count toward core requirements–so getting a 5 on your AP biology test isn’t good enough, and you can look forward to taking Intro Bio. That’s just one example, but you get the idea.</p>
<p>Student Body
I saw an earlier review titled “Liberal atheists.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. Rhodes is an unfriendly place to the unique and the independent people. If you’re a white, wealthy, conservative Christian, you’ll find no problems in terms of the social scene at Rhodes. While you may be fortunate enough to find “liberal sympathizers” if you consider yourself one (or heck, even a moderate,) they are a far cry from the majority here.</p>
<p>Students are stressed most of the time, and moreso than my friends from other colleges/universities. There’s an overarching miasma of “I should be doing something right now,” that even infiltrates the social lives of students. It’s rare to find people who are content to “just hang out,”. Students always feel the need to be going somewhere or doing something or feeling guilty over assignments they ‘should’ be working on. I’d rate it as a very mentally unhealthy campus in general–the counseling center (paid for by tuition, so it’s “free of charge”) is typically close to booked on any given day with people who are on the brink of a nervous breakdown. I see a lot (and I mean a LOT) of tired and haggard faces during the week. Sometimes, on weekends, students are so exhausted and stressed that they have no desire to do anything except shut themselves up in their rooms and sleep.</p>
<p>In Closing…
Rhodes has a lot of problems, currently. The administration is hostile and unbending in terms of the students and administrators seem to have forgotten that students are consumers and have a voice. There is a frightening tendency for administrators who advocate for students to be removed from staff (however the method/terminology used…they don’t work here anymore!) and quickly replaced.</p>
<p>Free speech is a huge issue on campus right now. Another issue that the administration covers up as much as possible is that rape and sexual abuse/assault happens frequently on this campus. And diversity…oh, diversity. The administration pats itself on the back every time Rhodes gets another black student–because apparently to Rhodes, diversity = black. The culture is one of segregation (more often than not, the black students keep to themselves and the white students keep to themselves and that’s okay?) which leads me to mention that the board of directors for Rhodes is–you guessed it–made up of white, wealthy “good ole’ boys” from the Memphis area. Huge surprise there.</p>
<p>So you’re probably wondering why this review is so negative; well, it’s because I’ve read the other reviews, and they’re so typical of Rhodes students–rank and file, pasted-on happy faces saying, “Oh, this place is so wonderful.” It can be, don’t get me wrong. But like any college, there’s a lot more to it than gothic architecture and smiling faces. If you took the time to read these reviews, then you deserve to see more of the picture painted. Good luck in your college search, and I hope you find a college that is the right fit for you.</p>
<p>I need your honest opinions :)</p>
<p>My full response can be found by using the advanced search function. If these things were true, and Rhodes was a despicable place trust me, I’d let you know. I’m not the bashful kind. </p>
<p>There are some kernels of truth. Rhodes kids are busy. Rhodes kids study hard. There are no easy A’s so far for my D. No Rhodes student I have ever talked to has said anything different. </p>
<p>There is wealth among some students. Sometimes substantial. There is some “over-whiteness” but they are actively working on it. (Give them a hand.;)) </p>
<p>The drinking is out of hand at many campuses. Hamilton, Colgate, and most every other elite or almost elite campus my kid visited wasn’t any different. I wish it was toned down. I did it myself but as an old fella I can be hypocritical. 
Rhodes appears to manage the excesses as well as any of them.</p>
<p>It is a fine college. Come. Enjoy. Live openly. Learn from and around some of the best. You will be welcome.</p>
<p>Here’s the statement with which I most agree out of that review:</p>
<p>“I want you to make your own judgement about the school. To do that, you need to visit Rhodes in person and see the school outside of the tours you’re given and the perky “Rhodes Diplomats” you’re assigned to. Rhodes is a school where certain kinds of people can flourish and others will perish.”</p>
<p>As it turns out, Rhodes isn’t the place for everyone. For the people who come and find it isn’t a fit, it can be a negative experience, but it’s rarely the end of the world. This reviewer clearly had a negative experience, which is truly unfortunate.</p>
<p>I’ve already spoken to the mix of political perspectives among students on campus, but someone like the reviewer might just take that as “statistical flexing.” The truth is that it doesn’t matter how the student body is or isn’t composed if you don’t find your niche. If you can’t find the people you get along with, then it will seem like they don’t exist. I don’t see this happen often, but obviously it does happen.</p>
<p>I don’t speak to issues of social life on campus. I’m not a student, and consequently I’m not the right person to tell you anything about the party scene. I’ll say that I would find it surprising if this reviewer’s perspective on the social scene is widely held. </p>
<p>Two of the issues that the reviewer alludes do but doesn’t specifically describe: 1. The college has been working with a group of students on a smart policy governing student get-togethers and the use of alcohol at those get togethers. Whether you like the current policy, the new policy, or neither, I think what’s important is that a group of students was able to bring the issue up and successfully convince administrators to take action on it. 2. My guess is that the “administrator who advocates for students” and was dismissed is a referral to the previous dean of students. He was here for a few years, and he left. He didn’t share the details of his departure with students, and the college didn’t either. His departure was largely unpopular with students. His replacement, the current dean of students, has been at the college a long time and in this job for a few years now; she is a strong student advocate. </p>
<p>My experience with the academics at Rhodes did not match the reviewer’s experience. If you want to make the judgment for yourself, you could ask your admissions counselor for a copy of the syllabi of some of the courses you might be interested in taking. The syllabus for a class lists the objectives of the course, the readings, the assignments, and the grading and attendance policies for the instructor. A syllabus is not a standard or boilerplate document - it’s not something the college puts together. It’s something that each individual professor puts together, just like they each set their own class policies.</p>
<p>You can read about the new curriculum (Foundations of the Liberal Arts) in the College Catalog (available at rhodes.edu under “Academics”). There are 12 specific areas (F1 through F12) where you have to complete one or two courses. If a class is approved to count for multiple foundations, then it will count for multiple foundation requirements. Also, any major or minor courses you take that are approved for foundation credit can count towards both the major/minor and the Foundations curriculum. Theoretically, it should be much, much more flexible and forgiving than the old distribution requirements curriculum. In practice, the only problem I’ve heard students complain about is that there are not enough courses approved for foundation credit. Again, you can look in the Catalog and see what courses are approved for F1-F12 credit. It might be worth noting that the issue of the new curriculum was confounded by the transition of many courses from 3 credits to 4 credits. That means that a typical full load went from 5 courses (15 credits) to 4 credits (16 credits). That move was required by the regional accrediting body, SACS-COC.</p>
<p>I have not heard anything at all about anyone trying to cover up issues of rape or other crimes on campus. There’s actually a student-led event every semester where students are invited to write and draw on t-shirts in a way that describes ways in which they’ve been impacted by sexual assault. The students then hang those t-shirts on closelines around the main quad. I do understand that one of the problems with addressing issues of sexual assault is the reluctance of victims to come forward. That has to be incredibly difficult to do. The main effort I’m aware of to help victims feel safe is the Women’s Center.</p>
<p>As to diversity, the college does work hard to recruit non-white students. I would assume that black students are targeted in particular because Memphis is a city where blacks make up over 50% of the local population. The vast majority of local academically talented minority students here are black. The official statement on diversity is found here: [Rhodes</a> College | Rhodes College Commitment to Diversity](<a href=“http://www.rhodes.edu/collegehandbook/10309.asp]Rhodes”>http://www.rhodes.edu/collegehandbook/10309.asp). If diversity is an issue important to you, then you might be interested in seeing one of the college’s bridge-building projects, [Crossroads</a> Home](<a href=“http://www.crossroadstofreedom.org%5DCrossroads”>http://www.crossroadstofreedom.org).</p>
<p>Krakenjack,</p>
<p>The Rhodes described in the negative post which you cite is not the same Rhodes at which my son, just today, finished his freshman year. For him it has been a happy, successful year of hard study, unexpected academic discovery, new culture (we live a great distance from Memphis) and best of all, fun times with new, close friends. </p>
<p>Regarding the original subject of this thread, which is safety, or lack thereof, in Memphis, let me second those who have previously noted that the campus itself is more than secure. Memphis is a big city with its fair share of big city problems. But, as long as you use your wits, as you must in any metropolis, you can safely and comfortably explore and experience all the good things Memphis has to offer.</p>
<p>Curmedgeon, Lynxinsider and parent100…thank you so much for your response. I just wanted to clear things up. I’m pretty sure that the alum who wrote the review must have some personal issues with the college and wasn’t able to find her niche, and about diversity I’m an international student from Pakistan and I’m a practicing Muslim and up till now I’ve never heard of someone talking negatively about Rhodes(except the student who wrote the review). No matter what people say I think Rhodes is the perfect match for me and it seems I can’t wait wait till august. :D</p>
<p>krakenjack, you’ll find your own Rhodes reality. Too often these threads about schools become cheerleading forums. It’s good that people are positive about the places that in most cases they have invested hugely …in $$, time, and emotionally. </p>
<p>The better course, rather than buying into the cheerleading (marketers call this phenomenon post-purchase justification …because of those huge investments that cannot be changed, we are inclined to want you to buy what we’ve already paid for. YOUR buying it helps us to confirm we made a good purchase. And we are hugely fearful of any possibility that our investments were anything but stellar. But if so, misery loves company.)</p>
<p>…or rather than buying into the chronically sour-grapes negativism is to keep asking questions with potential to glean truths that will lead you one way or the other. Gauge your respondents. We’re not all “equal.” Parents have their own insights and biases. Students a different set. Others, who knows. (Who’d buy anything one self-named “Whistle Pig” would be selling?! 
)</p>
<p>And recognize WHO you are asking to answer, knowing that you’ll get one response or the other, in many instances. Ask a parent who’s just spent a $quarter of a million on their beloved offspring’s education if it was good? What would you expect them to say? Ask an angry or disappointed someone who was a social outcast or academic whimp or rejected med school student about her undergrad institution, what do you think they’ll tell you? You get the point. Be discerning and filter the info, upside, down, and in between. </p>
<p>But seriously, you can discern the issues. Memphis is metro with all the potential problems; Rhodes deals with those in specific ways that seem to be careful and thorough; but that doesn’t alter the issues; diversity is an issue at Rhodes. It’s an issue at virtually every college, and Rhodes has its nuiances. </p>
<p>What’s the point? Use the info you gather here to make your own assessments in light of your own values, beliefs, needs. But don’t think you’re going to get YOUR answer from any of us. Look for the facts. The rest are mostly simply opinions, some of which are possibly more valuable than others. There can be much to be gained from cheerleaders and equally so from nay-sayers.</p>
<p>But neither will paint the picture you’ll see at Rhodes or anywhere. </p>
<p>Despite what many here, who are instantly offended when one offers anything they perceive as negative (remember, their heavily invested in a place, processs, people they cannot afford to be failed) or contrary to the pollyannish views of some others … </p>
<p>you can become a worthy critical thinker without being critical.</p>
<p>And that’s what Rhodes and most worthy institutions of higher learning would establish as a most worthy goal for their students.</p>
<p>WP will say this post is “defensive”. So be it. My record on CC will show I’m a straight shooter. I’ve lived very open on these boards and my post history is available to all. Check me out. I don’t have rose-colored glasses about this or any other school. </p>
<p>As to “cheerleading” and “Pollyanna-ish views” and defensive: If you look at some of WP’s posts about “other schools” you’ll see they “know of what they speak”. ;)</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>As to anybody who wants to challenge anything I’ve ever posted , as to Rhodes or anything else, as being “Pollyanna-ish”… pick something specific. I’m right here and I’ll answer to it. ;)</p>
<p>Let WP say what he will. You stick to your own opinions.</p>
<p>Now to your point, no one was endighting you, Curmudgeon. Your welcome, entitled to do as you have. You’re allowed to point the cheerleader, pollyanna finger at yourself, if you believe it is merited.</p>
<p>But please don’t point it at me or others.</p>
<p>(OT: Everybody move along. This has been percolating for a while. Just two old cusses having a tussle that was sure to happen someday. )
…
Everyone knows how to use the search function, right? If you’d like you can put in a poster’s name…+ (just for an example ;)) the word “liberal” and you’ll find some mighty fine reading 'bout … most anything. Makes me all teary eyed and patriotic. Lee Greenwood style. . ;)</p>
<p>And BTW, </p>
<p>
Let the record reflect I was just strongly agreeing with you. ;)</p>
<p>I come from a unique perspective, krakenjack…I disagreed with my D’s choice of Rhodes. Search my past posts around March and April of 06. My D and her mother chose Rhodes. I chose Yale. Secondly, I have very little “invested” in the decision. My kid received a wonderful scholarship. So, it wasn’t my decision and largely, it’s not my $. That makes my position somewhat unique. </p>
<p>I have been more than pleased.</p>
<p>^^ your D was accepted at Yale…!!! :O</p>
<p>Yes. …But she chose Rhodes. (Over my opinion. That happens a lot with her. ;)) That’s the point. Even before her scholarship was upgraded she had already ruled out about 10 good schools. Some more substantially known and/or significantly higher-ranked (if anybody cares about rankings).</p>
<p>WOW…She chose Rhodes over Yale…Amazing</p>
<p>krakenjack, you’ll find plenty of kids at Rhodes who turned down high profile schools to attend.</p>
<p>Yeah I’m pretty sure… But is it all because of the financial aid $$$ or some other factors as well…???</p>
<p>I know its a little off topic but I wanted to know about the Dorms … I was going through the floor plans etc and most of the rooms for males are about (14 x 15) or (13 x 13) in size for doubles… So are the rooms big enough for two people or do students get crammed up a bit.??</p>