Fantastic Furman worth a visit

By Emily Barksdale
St. Marys High School

Put aside the fact that Furman falls at no. 41 on US News & World Report’s 2007 Top Liberal Arts Schools, and focus for a moment on the campus’ sheer beauty. Anyone with 20-20 vision would be happy there.

But that is not the school’s only appeal. Founded in 1826, Furman University, located just outside Greenville, S.C., is one of the top colleges in the nation. Known for its unique “engaged learning” environment and plethora of internship and research opportunities, the school operates on a unique trimester schedule with breaks around the holidays.

Academics at Furman are top-notch. With slightly more than 3,000 students, the student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1, and the average class size is 20.

Its close proximity to Greenville, which has a population of about 400,000, makes Furman an ideal school for social people interested in more than an isolated book-focused experience. Greenville is a city constantly growing in population and appeal. There are countless restaurants, shopping centers, sports events, cultural displays, parks and productions to see.

Or, if you’re up for a really big city experience, Atlanta is only two and a half hours away. It is a definite change from rural West Virginia. Also, though, Furman is just a few hours from either the mountains or the beaches.

However, don’t let its proximity to such an urban area let you think that Furman is simply a city campus that becomes inevitably meshed with the city. The students enjoy the abundance of activities, yes, but Furman is an entity all its own. The campus even has its own 30-acre lake and 18-hole golf course.

Students live on campus for the duration of their undergraduate years, but upperclassmen have the privilege of living in the secluded North Village apartments on the back edge of university grounds. Also, students are allowed to have a car on campus all four years, unlike some schools that prohibit freshman from having them.

Furman is a Division I school in the Southern Conference, which, for the not-so-athletically-inclined means that sports are kind of a big deal. Furman is known for its excellent men’s and women’s soccer teams, and its football team is noteworthy, too.

If you’re into sports but don’t think you’re good enough to make the team, don’t worry. Furman has 19 club teams and intramurals offered throughout all three terms.

Also, Greek life is a tradition at Furman. The school has 16 chapters from which to choose, and all are very active on campus and in the community in service and social activities. Furman runs on a delayed-rush system, which means that you can get adjusted to college and work out all the kinks before you have to worry about which fraternity/sorority to rush.

Daniel Dining Hall, which is open 12 hours a day, is large enough to hold hundreds of students at a time, so you’ll never be lonely, and with its variety, everyone is sure to find things they like. Meal plans are flexible, and if you get tired of the food there, there’s always the Pala Den food court or the Tower Café in the University Center.

Furman is very proud of its large, newly renovated James C. Duke Library, which contains over 400,000 books. Its catalog and databases can be accessed from anywhere on campus. Furman is also home to computer labs and 24-hour study rooms, the perfect locations for nights of cramming before exams.

The dorms at Furman are very nice. There are 12 residence halls, plus all of the North Village apartments. Some of the dorms have hall bathrooms, which the staff cleans, and some have suite bathrooms, which you are responsible for maintaining.

Each hall has a resident assistant and two freshman advisers, plus a resident assistant’s roommate, who is similar to a freshman adviser. Dorms range from single-sex to co-ed by floor. All come with a microfridge, desks, desk chairs, beds and a dresser. They are air-conditioned and have closet and additional storage space.

Furman has a gated campus and its own Public Safety staff, allowing students to feel very safe at all times on campus. It also has an infirmary and a counseling center.

If Furman sounds like a school you’re interested in, visit www.furman.edu to take a virtual tour, check out the class catalog and arrange a visit yourself.