Rhodes College

We went here on our trip to Memphis basically because one of my best friends went here and graduated six years ago so I wanted to see the campus. I will have to say that if my parents had taken me on a college tour here, there is an incredibly high chance that I would have attended here. And this is coming from someone that ended up in California for school. It is absolutely gorgeous and reminded me a lot of Oxford in England.

Love this school and campus, will miss it when Brooke graduates this year

As an alumni, I admit I have a love-​hate relationship with Rhodes. A very decent education, but with a diminishing reputation…
While I appreciate the wonderful professors and people I have met, I was disappointed with the Rhodes administration. Rhodes College simply does not take diversity seriously, and racial profiling and socioeconomic discrimination does occur on campus.
However, I have met amazing and life altering professors that have made me a better person. I would just be a bit wary if you’re coming from a more liberal area of the country or a minority of any sort.

I didn’t know this place existed. However we attended a Memphis Rock N Romp there this past weekend. The campus is gorgeous, like something out of Oxford University.
The facilities were great and I was in awe of the amazing architecture.

I am not writing this review as one who as attended Rhodes, but as a visitor to their campus. Aesthetically speaking, Rhodes brings a kind of beauty to Memphis that is reminiscent of England, with tudor-​style buildings and plate glass. When we asked if we could take pictures at the gate, we were told ‘no, unfortunately. It’s a very prestigious school, and they’re apparently very protective of the grounds.

Great school. It’s has both great academia and parties. It really small for a college so gossip wise it can be very high school. It’s small enough so that you will be known as an individual so don’t do anything stupid when you’re new here because you’ll be known for it. You’re going to want to go greek regardless because it is the social scene here. Ask anyone for the stereotypes of each house-​know they’ll talk their own up regardless.

Rhodes College provided a great learning experience for me, in and out of the classroom. It’s hard to narrow down what to review regarding a 5 year college experience, so I’ll list a few things that stick out in my mind…
The Honor Code — It’s a tradition with every incoming class to get all dress up and sign the college’s honor code, where you pledge not to lie, cheat, or steal, and report anyone you see doing any of the above. I actually was elected to serve on the student run Honor Council (which enforces the code) and presided over a few cases where students were suspended or expelled, until I started feeling like a hypocrite and declined to serve on the council for a 2^nd year. But for the most part, the code worked as there were no shortage of campus snitches.
The Rat — Our school for some reason had a stone, inscribed, statue of a rodent on the lawn in front of the cafeteria. (and no, I never bothered to read what it said) So that ended up being the affectionate nickname for our dining hall. Sounds a little weird to say «I’m going to the Rat for dinner», doesn’t it?
Project Townhouses — I found out after a few late night, alcohol inspired, estrogen driven, encounters with my roommate and her sorority sisters, that I needed a change of scenery. So the second semester of my freshman year, our Resident Hall Director offered me the opportunity to live in one of the 6 on campus project townhomes, which were normally reserved for upper classmen. So I moved and in return received a townhome complete with shared kitchen and living room facilities, 3 bedrooms, and 5 people, all working on the project of exploring campus views on the issue of diversity. Pretty sweet deal for a freshman, don’t ya think?
Rites of Spring — Annual campus ritual that’s closed to the public, where bands are invited on campus to play for an excessively intoxicated group of of-​age, but mostly underage students. It’s basically a 2 day music festival that everybody looks forward to… unless you hate being around drunk people. There have been some pretty good headliners in the past (e.g. Run DMC, Indigo Girls) and the biggest name while I was there was probably Vertical Horizon. On the flip side, Rites to Play happens during the same weekend, where students organize a carnival on campus for elementary children from the Memphis community. I had lots of fun painting faces and supervising musical chairs.
Life or Search — Rhodes isn’t necessarily a «religious» school per se, but everyone who comes to Rhodes has to choose either the Search or Life track. If you choose Life, you spend your next 2 years taking religious study classes that examine the bible in more detail.
If you choose Search, you spend the 1^st year studying how the bible came to being, how it was influenced by man, and then examining various gospels in light of texts from various disciplines including philosophy, politics, literature, and history. Your 2^nd year is spent specializing in one area — I chose philosophy, which I almost majored in until my my mom said hellz no! The Search track in my opinion, is probably at the heart of why one might choose to go to a liberal arts college. I loved it.
Ahh.this review has brought back so many memories for me. Looks like I just may go back for my 10 year reunion…