<p>I was looking through the Wesleyan viewbook and it seemed very artsy/art-focused. Especially the residential life section - all the students spotlighted seemed really creative/unconventional. It's not a bad thing, I'm just curious to know if that's true, if a lot of the students are edgy and artsy, or if it's just the image the college is trying to create for itself?</p>
<p>I received the same packet in the mail today and the television set in the background of one picture is clearly tuned to an old episode of "The West Wing". So, I'm thinkin' some of these people have graduated already. ;)</p>
<p>Or they like Bravo!</p>
<p>wesleyan is populated with large amounts of both hipsters and hippies. definitely a quirky reputation which attracts quirky students. very liberal campus, with unconventional activities and groups</p>
<p>I almost never see this appellation applied to anywhere but Wesleyan and, for the life of me, I get this picture of a guy with a pompadour dragging a pocket comb through his hair. I know the Film Studies Dept is known for its whimiscal influence on generations of Wes students, but, is "Ocean's Eleven" (the original Rat Pack version -- not the one with George Clooney and Brad Pitt) <em>that</em> popular at Wesleyan?</p>
<p>Hipster is pretty widely understood. I'd think, John, that as a New Yorker you'd hear about it a lot. :)</p>
<p>But seriously, the viewbook (particularly the residential life insert) is fairly inaccurate. I don't know if this info has since been removed, but the booklet used to state that you were allowed to paint your dorm room walls. You cannot do this; in fact, they'll fine you $500 if they find out you did. This was a source of some consternation for the ResLife professional staff people (I'm an RA...I had to be talked at by them a lot in my time at Wes.) All dorm/house walls are painted a color that students ruefully call "Wesleyan White".</p>
<p>I'm not saying our student body isn't unique -- I think it is and I wouldn't have it any other way. But I've probably heard literally hundreds of prospective students worry that they won't be outlandish enough to fit in. This probably only remains a legitimate concern for a very, very small number of people once they're actually students here.</p>
<p>Xmatt:</p>
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<p>I'd think, John, that as a New Yorker you'd hear about it a lot.<</p>
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<p>Oh, dear. I heard that Williamsburg is like, the capital of Hipsterdom. Is that true? Part of my fear is that I may be one without knowing it. :o</p>
<p>Btw, the Mets just scored a run in the final NL playoffs . Oh, no. Now, the Cards have tied it. Will you be around Homecoming?</p>
<p>The Mets news makes me unbelievably sad :( Oh well.</p>
<p>Anyway - I think the Wesleyan student body has a lot more "quirky" kids than at many other schools. However, quirky is fairly ill-defined, and I'd take it to mean kids who think independently and have opinions and interests that aren't easily categorized or stereotypable (student athletes who are studio art majors, students who don't like Republicans or Democrats or Green Party but their own mix of beliefs, etc). There are also a ton of students (such as myself) who don't have a ton of artistic talent, are math/science students, and very extremely happy.</p>
<p>I know a lot of students at Wes and I wouldn't say that they're "hipsters" "hippies" or "quirky". I'd say that they're just not your typical rich, preppy, or ordinary college people. People who are more open-minded and have more varied taste. It's a liberal arts college - not like say a lot of national u's like Miami or Penn etc. By artsy, practically every college and LAC has what you might call "artsy" people. It's a lifestyle factor and a reason why a lot of national u's don't have a really big "expressive and open" college crowd. Just some insight.</p>