So my son fell in love with Haverford. He read the entire handbook and tried to delve deep to understand the honor code and the culture. He loves that the school’s emphasis on making an intentional, thoughtful community and it’s focus on allowing students to be responsible and independent. It appears that the students have a lot of say. However, he worries that sometimes it’s fun to just let go in college and be mischievous and suspend the rules. He wondered if there is also a place for that too at Haverford before he must be a fully enter the real adult world. He also wondered how earnest the students are, given the honor code. While he is excited about the culture, he has friends at Wesleyan and some other LAC’s that can be thoughtful student and citizens, but they also like to cut loose and be crazy on some weekends. He wonders if there is a place for both at Haverford
There’s a difference between having fun and breaking the rules. My sense is that Haverford students have fun. They have parties. They go out. But that they don’t define fun as rebelling by breaking rules. They do not strike me as kids who are “wild” in that sense.
If breaking rules is underage drinking or smoking weed, no worries. It happens. There are definitely parties - some bigger, often smaller. Haverford kids have fun, too.
Look up Quaker Bouncers. I think it speaks to the school’s ethos. Haverford is one of the most student driven colleges I can think of. The administration isn’t heavy handed at all.
So what kind of rule breaking are you talking about exactly?
My experience is that sometimes college-aged students do dumb things and exercise poor judgment in the name of fun. Our friend’s son and friends “stole” a campus golf cart at their college and drove it around. When I was at school, some students broke into the dining room and stole captain crunch. There were also pranks of removing all classroom furniture and placing it set up perfectly outside building. I don’t think the first 2 incidents were anything to be proud of, but none of the students involved had repercussions (except fixing the problem). I was never a participant in these activities but I’m glad there was room for it, as young adults are growing up, experimenting with alcohol, drugs and limits, etc. (My friends involved in these antics are now responsible, great citizens.
I was hoping to hear from some Haverford students about their experience.
Haverford students don’t post here frequently at all.
I also think things have changed a lot everywhere since our own college days. I don’t think breaking into buildings and stealing things, even Captain Crunch, would be viewed well at many colleges these days. How does one go about “fixing that problem” anyway? Buying new cereal?
Your son seems to appreciate this:
“He loves that the school’s emphasis on making an intentional, thoughtful community and it’s focus on allowing students to be responsible and independent. It appears that the students have a lot of say.”
With that environment and trust from the administration and fellow students comes some personal responsibility. In many ways, there is less restriction than other colleges. You’re not going to get fined and written up by someone for underage drinking, for example. It’s not an authoritative environment at all.
Pranks do take place. Nobody seems to mind as long as it isn’t destructive. Haverford students are normal students. They aren’t all “rule followers”, goody two shoes by any means. Many are very independent thinkers but most/many are also thoughtful. But there are jerks everywhere, too.
Thanks doshicos. I looked at the Quakers bouncer site and forwarded it to my son. Very helpful
My son is a student at Haverford. He says there are parties. He also says that parties happen on Friday and Saturday night. Most students have fun and let loose on the weekend but are pretty serious about their studies the rest of the week.
There is very little college driven enforcement of rules. The students have a tremendous say in how things are run and the honor code has a social component which give students both responsibility and authority to enforce.
My kid has close friends at Haverford and he has visited them for “fun” weekends when his own breaks have allowed . They are social kids – not wild kegger drink til you puke types – but they are lively, social guys. They have done things both on and off campus (availing themselves of access to Philadelphia ).
Hi, I am a current junior at Haverford! Rest assured, while people do work extremely hard here, typically every Saturday night people take a break and go out to the main party on campus. Sometimes, on Friday nights there are parties too, but the main night to go out is definitely Saturday.