Pacific University (PU)

Pacific University is a rapidly growing liberal arts college ���nestled in an extremely small and quiet town��� in Oregon. Facilities are generally ���new and up-to-date.��� Classes are small. ���The science programs are top notch��� and ���a very good optometry program also draws students.��� Some arts and humanities programs are ���lacking,��� though. ���It is frustrating being involved in a major that isn���t a science major,��� admits a sophomore. ���The adjunct professors seem to be a little more lost��� but the ���approachable, flexible��� full-time faculty is ���the number one strength of Pacific, hands down.��� ���I���ve had nothing but positive experiences with my professors,��� reflects a biology major. ���For the students who are committed and really want to learn, professors will bend over backwards to help them.��� Some students tell us the administrators are ���very student oriented.��� Others gripe that getting into classes can be a challenge and call the administration ���Pacific graduates who couldn���t get jobs elsewhere.���

The ���laidback,��� mostly ���upper middle-class��� students here tend to come ���from Oregon and the surrounding states,��� or from Hawaii. Some caution that ���The two groups do not mix well at all.��� In the cafeteria, ���the left side is full of Hawaiian students and the right side is for the white students.��� This unique divide notwithstanding, ���Pacific is made up of a wide range of personality types.��� ���Everyone���s odd in an interesting way.��� ���There are some jocks.��� There are ���hippie-like students.��� There is the contingent that is ���studious and extremely busy��� and ���there are the slackers.��� ���There are people who don���t party at all and there are those who go to parties every weekend.��� ���You���ll never feel like a freak or an outcast,��� promises a first-year student. ���It doesn���t matter what your beliefs and opinions are; you are accepted as you are.��� Politically, this campus tilts left, though students with ���the chutzpah to attempt activism��� contend that their peers ���are very apathetic.��� Students without self-professed chutzpah say they don���t see much point in ���ineffective protests.���

The food at Pacific gets a lot of complaints. ���Some dishes are done very well. Others look like something you���d plaster a wall with.��� Also, though some of the athletic programs are pretty good, ���school spirit is a little bit lacking��� as well. Otherwise, students here rave about their ���comfy and beautiful environment.��� For fun, ���there���s a lot of just hanging out.��� The Hawaiian Club throws ���an amazing luau each year��� and ���there generally is a party every weekend,��� but ���most social gatherings are small.��� Forest Grove���s location ���makes it hard to find things to do off campus,��� says one student, ���but forces me to find things to do within my residence halls with my friends���that can lead to some crazy nights with board games. Every once and awhile there���s a party, but it's usually busted.��� ���Portland is close, though, and so is the beach.��� ���Hiking, kayaking, climbing,��� ���snowboarding on Mount Hood,��� and outdoor activities galore are within easy reach. ���It���s best to bring a car,��� advises a sophomore.