Graphic by David Jacobs.
CHARLOTTE HARGROVE | OPINION COLUMNIST | chargrove@butler.edu
Being a student at Butler University was the first time I had ever heard about the term “corn sweat.” Apparently, the corn literally sweats, making the surrounding areas hotter and more humid. Coming to the midwest from sunny, southern California was the first time I had heard this dialect.
While colleges and universities give students academic and professional advantages in the job market, they also provide students with diverse communication skills by introducing them to new climates, and other students from all over the world. When it comes to Butler, however, many students have noted that, while still growing, most students tend to come from midwestern areas.
First-year nursing major Scarlett Souliotis discussed where most of the students she has met are from.
“I’ve met a lot of [people from] Indiana that live about 30 minutes away,” Souliotis said. “I know there’s a lot of Michigan people here, [and people from] Illinois and Chicago. I feel like it is a big majority of midwesterners.”
Well over 50% of Butler’s student body comes from the Midwest.
Adjunct instructor in CCOM Josh Rattray believes students can benefit from a different learning environment and being surrounded by students from a multitude of regions.
“People find their voice in college,” Rattray said. “[Students] only know what they know so far because of where they grew up. Now they come [to Butler] and are exposed to a lot of different, new things.”
Although there is a large Midwestern population, some students find that the smaller school environment is beneficial to their learning. While I agree with the idea of concentrated learning environments, I believe that a smaller school may come with a less diverse environment.
Coming from New York, sophomore sports media major Kaleb Leiken spoke on how the smaller class sizes drew him to Butler.
“Going to a smaller school like Butler can really help me make genuine connections with my professors,” Leiken said.
While smaller colleges can sometimes disadvantage students in learning more independently, it can also aid in providing students with a higher education advantage due to the attention they receive from professors. In my classes, I have found the smaller the class size, the more I have been able to get out of my education. With less students it can be easier for professors to provide more attention for specific students.
“I have a lot of friends who go to bigger colleges and have about 400 students in their class,” Souliotis said. “They don’t really get to connect with their professor.”
Popularity plays an important part in colleges and universities being able to reach all corners of the world. Butler is becoming more well known now than in previous years.
“There is more exposure for schools now,” Rattray said. “Butler wasn’t on TV 15 years ago, everyday.”
Some students believe that the growth in Butler has mainly been due to the basketball team and its abilities. As uneducated in sports as I am — Butler basketball is no new topic for me. Whenever I got questioned about what exactly Butler University is back home, my answer always tied back to the 2010 and 2011 Final Four runs.
“Everyone usually hears about Butler through basketball,” Leiken said. “That was [the case for me seeing as] I am a huge basketball fan.”
While Butler still has some growing left to do in terms of gathering more students from outside the Midwest, the school has made a consistent effort in increasing their reach. Having so many different students from many types of backgrounds on one campus aids in strengthening and broadening our Butler community.
