Ohio University

Ohio University
Religion, Learning, Civility; Above All, Virtue

Background Information: Established in 1804, Ohio University is the oldest public institution of higher learning in the state of Ohio and the first in the Northwest Territory. Admission to Ohio University is granted to the best-qualified applicants as determined by a selective admission policy. Located in Athens, OH, Ohio University is a place where you live, learn and grow. Students come to OHIO for an excellent education. And that's only the beginning. Here they become scholars, leaders, researchers, and engaged citizens. They study abroad, volunteer, and form friendships that last a lifetime. (OU website)

Initial Thoughts: Honestly, the only thing I knew about before I researched Ohio University is that it was widely known to be a "party school" at my high school, and in particular, its "Halloween" celebrations. After looking at the website, however, I became much more familiar with the "promise" that OU offers to its students --- the promise to help its students grow to their fullest potential. Based on this information, I would expect OU to have a campus that will allow its students to be both comfortable and challenged at the same time. I have a few reservations about such expectations, however, since OU is located out in the middle of nowhere....

Notable website features: virtual campus tour, Voices of Promise video

The Campus

• Layout: OU is divided up into "Greens" -- College, North, South, East, West --- and incoming freshmen come to love whatever "Green" they are put in, regardless of what Green it might be. This camaraderie is heightened by the fact that all freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus in either all-freshmen dorms or mixed-level dormitories. Being a state-sponsored institution, OU is quite large, boasting about 1,800 acres in size in the classic college town of Athens, Ohio. In fact, it’s easy to see that the city of Athens exists for Ohio University and its students; Uptown Athens features a few university owned buildings, and also an assortment of cute eateries for the students of OU. In terms of the actual campus layout, I have to say that OU is situated in one of the loveliest parts of Ohio. My tour guide told me that OU basically built on one big hill – so for those who fear the flatness of the buckeye state, rest assured that I have found a place that features something than flat land! Those who live in Ohio can surely understand my excitement at such a revelation!
  
  
• Architecture: OU's brochure tells me that the proper term for OU's architecture style is "Georgian" -- and you can click here for an explanation of what that entails --- and the residence halls/academic buildings definitely lend itself to such an explanation. I really can't comment on this subject, but I can tell you that what really struck me about OU is its diverse landscape and subtle homage to Greek themes. Like stated before, OU is located in a part of Ohio that has beautiful rolling hills (instead of just corn fields!), making some parts of OU to be either a climb up or a "roll down." It's quite unlike anything I've encountered thus far in my travels, and I must admit that I hold OU's campus in high affection. I didn't think I'd like it so much, but its white columns and ivy growing on buildings really got to me.
  
  
• Scale: The only bad part about my tour was the fact that I think I only saw 1/3 of the entire 1,800 acre campus (and understandably so). However, I must say that what I did see, I really enjoyed. In terms of scale, be mindful that OU is a public institution, which naturally requires it to be much bigger than the previous colleges I have reviewed. Despite the fact that OU is on a much larger scale than the aforementioned institutions, it still felt “small enough” to me --- meaning that despite the fact that it is “big,” I don’t run the risk of being lost in the “shuffle.” I think this is a great feeling to come away with because it soothes the fear that most people have regarding public universities.
  
  
• The Student Center: I absolutely loved Baker University Center. I think it has to be the grandest student center s I have seen thus far, and definitely the most memorable. Baker University Center looks to be somewhere in between a hotel and a mall. It does not feel very “homey,” but it is definitely a sight to behold. It has 5 floors, and each floor serves a specific function. For information about what is located on each floor, please click here.
  
  
• Student Living: OU’s housing is divided up into “Greens” (North, South, East, and West), and these Greens do a lot to foster community life. Students usually love and become extremely loyal to whatever Green they might be assigned to. This love is facilitated by the university’s requirement that all first and second year students live in the residence halls on campus. Most of the residence halls are co-ed, but OU does have a couple non-traditional residence halls that cater to the specific needs of its students like the all-women’s residence hall and one that is substance free. Furthermore, parties are technically not allowed to be thrown in residence halls in order to promote a more studious and comfortable environment. In terms of safety, one must acknowledge that OU is a large university (definitely not as big as OSU, but it’s still a good size), and I was told that a “buddy system” is highly recommended. After all, Athens is a college town --- not just strictly a “small town” --- and crime does occur, even though there is campus security and the local police force.
  
  
• Notable Attractions: The thing that I enjoyed the most about OU is its homage to Grecian themes – which is incredibly fitting since it is situated in Athens. Aside from that, I loved the diversity in landscape at OU – flat land and rolling hills were mixed together to form the beauty that is Ohio University – and as a person who goes to an institution whose campus is incredibly flat, I found this to be a breath of fresh air. Anyway, sorry to get ahead of myself and bogging you down with vague descriptions. I guess I really should narrow it down to one singular thing --- and that thing has to be the Class Gateway on College Green. It is located just before the start of Uptown Athens. Coming in from the “gates,” the inscription reads “So enter that daily thou mayest grow in knowledge, wisdom, and love.” When you depart from OU, these are the words that bade you farewell, “So depart that daily thou mayest better serve thy fellowmen, thy country, and thy God.”

Final Conclusions: I was pleasantly surprised by OU. I didn’t know what to think of it because it’s always been so infamously referred to as strictly a “party school” --- and whether or not this is true, I have no grounds to say --- all I can tell you is that I really, really liked the campus. I thought it was beautiful in such a classic kind of way. Athens is definitely a college town, and I found myself wishing that my university was situated in such a setting. It’s definitely picturesque. In fact, I think that might be the best way to describe OU – picturesque – with its rolling hills, vast amount of greenery (so many trees!), and old buildings. I urge you to visit OU – if only to experience something than utter flatness! – I think you will be surprised with what you might find.

Photostream of OU: see the campus in pictures!

Still not convinced? Experience it for yourself. Schedule a visit today!