top 10 reasons to go to Wesleyan

<p>stole this from another thread. i'm kind of intersted in what you guys would say.</p>

<p>student body - very intelligent but not just book smart- also a lot of talent, not competitive with each other, care about things greater than themselves (generalizations but seems to be more like this than at other places)</p>

<p>^^ good to hear that :)</p>

<p>this may sound kind of superficial but the woodframe houses sound totally awesome to me :D (beyond the people and academics and opportunities and atmosphere of course)</p>

<p>Because my sister's dentist's dogsitter's uncle says that the New York Times said that they have a naked dorm.</p>

<p>^ my tour guide told me that too</p>

<ol>
<li>it's a gorgeous campus</li>
<li>personally I got a lot of financial aid</li>
<li>Joss Whedon graduated from there</li>
<li>they have houses for seniors</li>
<li>they plow the driveway and mow the lawn for those houses</li>
<li>have an exchange program with Caltech</li>
<li>pretty good in sciences</li>
<li>Wes kids seem pretty chill</li>
</ol>

<p>Top 10 reasons not to go to Wesleyan:</p>

<p>1-10: Michael Bay graduated from Wesleyan.</p>

<p>excellent film studies program</p>

<p>Make fun of Michael Bay all you want. He's very generous to the school, and he's quite successful at making fun, escapist, shoot-em-up, huge special effects, big budget, popcorn movies that millions of people line up to go see to have a good time. Yeah, that's right---to have a good time. In other words, he gives a lot of movie goers what they want. Not every movie experience has to be an intellectually penetrating meditation on life. But there are lots of Wesleyan filmmakers who do those films, too. So yeah, come to Wesleyan because Michael Bay is an alum.</p>

<p>Oh yeah, come and continue the myth of the naked dorm, too, if you want.</p>

<p>did you say naked dorm? explain, kind stranger.</p>

<p>i heard wesleyan has an awesome writing program</p>

<p>from weleyan trivis site:
Many Wesleyan graduates have written best-selling books, including the late Robert Ludlum ’51 (The Holcroft Covenant, The Bourne Identity), Robin Cook ’62, (Coma, Chromosome 6), Michael Palmer ’64 (Natural Causes, Extreme Measures), Sebastian Junger ’84 (The Perfect Storm, Fire), and Daniel Handler ’92, using the pseudonym Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events, children’s book series).</p>

<p>Akiva Goldsman ’83 received the 2001 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for A Beautiful Mind.</p>

<p>And this is just a few writers</p>

<p>"wesleyan trivia" - sorry - half asleep</p>

<p>
[quote]
Make fun of Michael Bay all you want. He's very generous to the school, and he's quite successful at making fun, escapist, shoot-em-up, huge special effects, big budget, popcorn movies that millions of people line up to go see to have a good time. Yeah, that's right---to have a good time. In other words, he gives a lot of movie goers what they want. Not every movie experience has to be an intellectually penetrating meditation on life. But there are lots of Wesleyan filmmakers who do those films, too. So yeah, come to Wesleyan because Michael Bay is an alum.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well.</p>

<p>That's lovely that he donates to the school, but much of his miserable filmography (Transformers and Armageddon come to mind) typify the all-style/no-substance stagnation that tends to surround Hollywood. The fact that they have such mass appeal is entirely irrelevant; President Bush's reelection campaign also had enormous mass appeal.</p>

<p>I'm fairly distressed by your suggestion that movies have to fit into either extreme: Michael Bay films, or "intellectually penetrating meditation on life". Far from it, and this coming from a guy who prefers Tim Burton over Kubrick, Ratatouille over Raging Bull.</p>

<p>So, to summarize, I really wish Wesleyan wouldn't advertise the fact that Michael Bay (synonymous with empty, bloated filmmaking) is an alumnus. I still love the school. </p>

<p>And, yes, I realize the naked dorm is a rumor; I was joking.</p>

<p>As happy as I am that Micheal Bay gives generously to the Film Department, I must say, as a major, I'm far more proud of the fact that Joss Wheadon when here!</p>

<p>Anyway, my top ten reasons I think people should come to Wes (no particular order, other than that the first is most important):</p>

<ol>
<li><p>The student body! Interesting, quirky, diverse, laid back, open-minded, passionate, fun…what more could you want?</p></li>
<li><p>Undergrad focus. Small class, lots of research opportunities for science majors, opportunity to develop close relationships with professors and classmates, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>The fact that we’re bigger than the normal LAC, but still have the small school feel. I personally found most LACs a bit too small, Wes is the perfect balance between small enough to still be really intimate, and big enough that you don’t know everybody. </p></li>
<li><p>Housing! Pretty good dorms for Freshmen and Sophomores, and then apartments for Juniors and woodframes for Seniors. Not to mention the bazillion program houses. And housing is garenteed all four years.</p></li>
<li><p>Everyone stays on campus on the weekends (I mean, it’s totally possible to go to NYC or Boston, and every weekend some people do, but not enough to make a noticeable difference). There are always people around and things to do. And not just parties: there are plays and dance shows every weekend, lectures, games of capture the flag, hanging out in dorms etc.</p></li>
<li><p>One of the best film series in one of the best college movie theaters in the country. </p></li>
<li><p>Foss Hill! It’s like a quad, only you can sled on it in the winter and have giant waterslides in the fall and spring. Best thing ever.</p></li>
<li><p>Although Middletown isn’t like the greatest place ever, it’s actually really good for what it is. Main Street has lots of restaurants, a movie theater, laser tag…a carnival even comes once a year! It’s pretty awesome to have all that in easy walking distance.</p></li>
<li><p>The campus. Some people don’t like it, but I love that it’s eclectic instead of uniform, and college row in the fall and spring is the most beautiful thing. </p></li>
<li><p>All the little quirky things that are (more or less) unique to Wes, like the Tunnels, and the bells that play everything from the fight song to the Beatles, and the fact that you can buy a little cup of cookie dough at WesWings, etc.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>(z), don't be distressed.</p>

<p>Half the country found bush's reelection campaign repulsive. Hollywood makes Hollywood movies because they make (or studio execs think they're going to make) money.</p>

<p>Wesleyan filmmakers make every type of film for every type of movie goer. And they do it well. That was my point. I love Ratatouille, Raging Bull, Kubrick, and Tim Burton (sometimes). :)</p>

<p>Fair enough. You're a film studies major at Wesleyan?</p>

<p>Othe reasons: amazing music department, number one in (NSF) national science funding, O'Rourke's diner featured in Gourmet Magazine, three telescopes on campus, no ridiculous core curriculum so you can get a real education of your choosing, really good student run radio station...</p>

<p>Anthony Braxton teaches there. Enough said.</p>