<p>Wow! “Discussion” on gay sex = “Life of the Mindless” :(</p>
<p>As a washu alum, I am appalled at the derisive replies Potawatomi received from current students. Unfortunately, it just reflects the true nature of this school’s students quality. All the more to transfer out of this school if students attack and mock parents’ genuine concerns. Washu kids are truly disillusioned from their bubble and disrespectful of others opinions. </p>
<p>I disagree with you Rayb. I think the students have been very civil in their discourse with the OP, and have sent their best wishes for OP’s son finding happiness at UIUC. </p>
<p>I find it odd that Rayb140 and the OP both have such low post counts and have posted very similar threads complaining about WashU’s engineering program. Just sayin.</p>
<p>Rayb is complaining that he/she did not learn enough as a BioE but made it to Stanford PhD program anyway (I am shocked Stanford admitted someone who was so ill prepared but I digress) and OP is discussing why MechE is badly taught even though his/her son might not have yet taken a single class in MechE.</p>
<p>On a side note, I am a bit confused about the research money comparisons with other schools. Research money is obtained by the professors through grant proposals and only the beginner professors are funded by the school to get started. So I am not sure why it would be the University’s fault if professors are not getting grants of their own. May be the whole lot need to be fired and new professors need to be hired but since there are so many factual errors already made in OP’s posts, I wonder if someone from WashU can provide actual research grant numbers for engineering departments.</p>
<p>If the level of discourse on this thread is appalling to anyone, then his/her experiences as a student at Wash U must have indeed been painful. If that is the case, however, I doubt that a transfer would remedy the situation. Questioning, testing and stressing thoughts and pre-existing belief systems, sometimes harshly, is a virtually universal part of college learning, both in and out of the classroom. A thick skin is required, as is the understanding that giving offense is rarely intended. Ideally, both the challenger and the defender come away more informed. In the case of the OP, while his/her son may find the engineering program in Champaign to be more satisfactory from an academic perspective, as a UI alum I can guarantee that there will be similar dorm discussions as the ones encountered at Wash U. I’m confident that this would be the situation just about anywhere other than maybe schools with specifically targeted affiliations. Most schools offer numerous opportunities to associate with like-minded folks or those with similar backgrounds, if you look. </p>
<p>While judging a school after one semester is fraught with pitfalls, let’s assume that the OP’s son is 100% correct in his assessment of WUSTL as it pertains to his perceptions. That it wouldn’t change no matter if he spent 3 more semesters there at minimum. I think it is a given that in every class of 1500 or so students at any university such as WUSTL, e.g. Duke, Northwestern, Emory, Tulane, USC, etc. there will be a handful of kids that find the fit was nothing like they expected. It is nearly inevitable.</p>
<p>But the very high freshman retention rate at WUSTL indicates than most students are not having these issues, at all. The OP will claim that is because of the sheeplike behavior, as they see it. I strongly disagree, the students at WUSTL are very different in many aspects. At nearly every school in this peer group, most freshmen are not strongly religious, at least as far as active practice. Everyone knows that most people of this age, on their own for the first time, are exploring ideas new to them. New philosophies, new experiences, changing academic interests as they get exposed to some topics for the first time in their lives… But honestly, who doesn’t know that most 18-22 year old people tend to be liberal in their views towards things like homosexuality, race, religion, etc. I completely reject the OP’s statement that WUSTL students and profs are intolerant towards religious people. I know that as an overall statement that is simply untrue. I just know too many students that have gone there who have had the opposite experience. That is the problem with one anecdotal experience such as we are discussing here. Look how easy it is for another anecdote to simply cancel hers out, i.e. NewJersey17 who’s D is also a freshman and relates the opposite experience when it comes to religious tolerance, just to cite one area.</p>
<p>If the OP is that convinced that UIUC will provide a far better experience for her son, then I am sure we all wish him well. She has made her views towards WUSTL quite clear. I would suggest, as a member and not as a moderator, that she would be better served now to focus on the positives of moving forward and not use one experience, with little data and over a very short time, to make such declarative assertions about the overall state of Washington University in St. Louis.</p>
<p>Would be a strange coincidence to have two posters posting similar thoughts on WashU at the same time… with no prior history in the board.
Anyway, if thats the way they feel, good luck to them … onward and upward…
I dont think this diminishes or enhances the school in any way whatsoever. 2 among thousands is a very low percentage of disgruntled enrollments.</p>
<p>:) So it sounds like WUSTL will be perfect for our liberal-politics Jewish family that doesn’t care about “accreditation” - on the engineering degree…but in all seriousness, two things:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I hope the kid is happier at a new place; UIUC is great in engineering.</p></li>
<li><p>I think it is reasonable (and desirable) that a dorm would have conversations designed to make gay/lesbian students feel comfortable and welcome. There’s really no risk that Christians would feel unwelcome, being such a large majority and the default American population, IME. And if the unwelcome feeling is because they can’t express negative feelings about <em>other</em> people’s lives, then that is a good learning experience. No one should express negative “beliefs” about strangers’ personal/sexual lives; MYOB.</p></li>
</ol>