<p>I'm especially interested in the politics of the school, and in the diversity and tolerance (in broader senses of the words than they're usually used) of the student body. (And the weather. Is it very sunny?)</p>
<p>I'm a right-leaning libertarian, so I'd like a school that's not totally dominated by leftists (and has a little more than an <em>extreme</em> minority of rightist sorts) and where I don't have to listen to constant bashing of Bush and conservatives. </p>
<p>I'm also not especially crunchy. Would this make me stick out like a sore thumb? If it would, how would I get treated because of it? I went to Reed briefly, and people would -- seriously! -- stare at me. I've never visually fit in well at any school I've been in, but never otherwise been stared at, so I'm forced to conclude this was not so much about my attire as about Reed students themselves. Heck, since moving from Portland back to southern California (where it seems nobody can understand why anyone wouldn't like the sun), I've started carrying around an umbrella on sunny days, and the most I get is an occasional funny look, and that's only when I've got the umbrella. I don't so much not fitting in, but if the student body is going to gawk at everyone who doesn't look like them, I'm not really interested in going there.</p>
<p>We live up here by the left puddle, and so our thinking is a little muddled, if left-tainted. Whitman is very much the Williams of the Northwest. It is rural (though much sunnier - 310 days of sun a year - and much, much less snow in winter), lots of scholar-athletes, and lots of money. There's lots of liberal talk, but you would never mistake it for Reed. Lots of "all-rounders". Some "crunch", but most of it is surfacy. </p>
<p>If you are a right-leaning libertarian who doesn't like sun and those two issues are really important to you, I imagine there might be better choices. It's a really terrific school, though.</p>
<p>I am a first yr at whitman, and I have been answering questions on the whitman disscusion page. I think you'd really like whitman bec here people can do things that are very out of the ordinary and just be themselves without being stared at. for example, some people never wear shoes. but then, being preppy is ok too. really you can do anything you want. I actually went to china this summer, where everyone carries an umbella at all times bec many chinese women dislike to get tan and they are very sun conscience. i got very used to using an umbella for the sun, and was just talking to some people about bringing the trend to whitman. also, i am not a libreal, and i dont feel people talk politics very much here (we talk about current events and such, but left wing bush hating doesnt come up much) but we are an open community. whitman is amazing.</p>
<p>LAC Operon - hi, it's me asap from the other thread.</p>
<p>Does Whitman have much in the way of photography, either in it's curriculum or in the ECs - such as opportunities for newspaper photography or yearbook?</p>
<p>photography? hm, we don't have a yrbook i dont think. and there would be opp. in the newspaper (the pioneer), and we do have photo classes. but other than that, i dont know. but our campus is beautiful, so it would be great to take photos of!</p>
<p>Its been raining off and on for the past week or so... it's not sunny here like southern ca, i'm from the bay area, dad's family grew up in socal. i really wouldn't let the amt of sun deter you from whitman, its not overtly sunny - you won't get a sunburn even if your pale like me.</p>