Elmira College

Date: Feb 04 2012
Major: History/Histories (art history/etc.) (This Major's Salary over time)
Elmira College presents itself as "a purple bubble" which is exactly what it is … a self-involved, repressive, purple-obsessed bubble that considers anyone from the surrounding community inferior and strongly discourages students from venturing off campus. Even if students do leave campus, there is little night-life in the city of Elmira except a few run down bars. The nearest club is 30 mins away in Corning. The students and many members of the faculty are very helpful, easy-going and friendly. However, the administration is stagnant and oppressive. This is easily seen by scrolling down a list of administrators with a graduation year after their name. At first it seems cool "wow look how many people loved EC and spent their whole life there" but in reality its "wow look at all these people who never left college and never experience life 'outside the bubble'." The President has been around for 25 years or so and the Vice President graduated in the 70s and hasn't left since. This means that there has been no change of voice in decades and the school represents this. Any student who voices opposition to the administration is dealt with harshly and has a target on his/her back for the rest of their time at the school. A few people are actively involved in clubs and activities and those people end up being in charge of everything. This is probably why the school has such a low retention rate. While Elmira may once have been a prestigous institution of higher learning, it is now stuck in the past like a kitchen that hasn't been renovated since 1984. The name may mean something to some employers, especially in the big majors like nursing and education, but let's be real, most people have never heard of it. The majority of the students choose Elmira because of the scholarships they grant but many spend the rest of their years there wishing they had gone elsewhere. Perspective students should be warned what hides beneath the purple paint and pristine lawns.