Hampshire College

           
Hometown: Allenstown, New Hampshire
Entered Hampshire: fall 2004
Area of academic interest: varieties of religious experience through history

I chose Hampshire because I was impressed by Hampshire's academic program as well as its rural location (I was particularly enamored by the sheep and llamas). When I visited the campus, I liked it a lot but was afraid that if I got my hopes up and was not accepted, I would be devastated. Once I received my acceptance letter and an excellent financial aid package, I began to get excited. My parents liked the idea of Hampshire but were afraid of the costs. I have an older brother in college, and my parents are older than most. The generous financial aid package that I was awarded, surprisingly enough, made it cheaper for me to attend Hampshire than my own state’s university. My parents quickly became as excited about Hampshire as I was when they realized they could afford it and I wouldn’t be way over my head in debt afterwards. Finally, the spirit of Hampshire won me over. I knew that if I went to any other school, I would always say, “I should have gone to Hampshire!” whenever I was unhappy. I just knew Hampshire was the place for me in my heart.

I appreciate that at Hampshire faculty members are given the freedom to experiment and expand their unique teaching styles under the umbrella of discussion-based, seminar-style classes. The informal format of addressing faculty by their first names does not sacrifice the vigorous academic nature of each course. As a student, I find the self-evaluation system largely helpful in giving me the skills to look within my experience and find areas in need of improvement. From my first day in a Hampshire classroom, I was encouraged to grow into a strong and vibrant student.

The Hampshire community changes as you progress through the Divisional system. There is a lot of excitement during the first year, but after a few weeks that excitement for me transformed into a strong desire to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible. This drive obviously slowed down my social life in terms of "hanging out." I find that most of my friends are from classes or share similar interests. This makes for extremely fun times. For example, I had to watch The Last Temptation of Christ for a course and made a party out of it. We had soda and popcorn and vibrant Saturday night discussion. I will never forget that night! I have a wonderful roommate who is helping proofread this profile, and she said that the wide variety of interests students have here is particularly impressive to her. She likes how so many students follow interesting and unusual academic paths. I agree and would add that students combine their academic lives with their social lives in such a way as to encourage deeper discussion and therefore produce more vibrant and well drawn conclusions. But there is no universal model by which to measure a Hampshire student.

My idea of fun is probably not the norm for students here, but that is the beauty of this school. You have the freedom to find your own fun. There is just not any one way to enjoy Hampshire. For instance, I like to take trips to the Dakin Animal Shelter to spend time with their cats (I miss my five cats at home... I am a bit of a crazy cat lady). I also enjoy attending lectures and workshops all over the Pioneer Valley. The best lecture last year was given by Noam Chomsky, and in May the Dalai Lama was in the area. Where else can you see important world figures for free right down the road? In the fall, I like to pick flowers and eat wholesome organic fruits and veggies from the Farm Center. I live in Enfield so I have my own large kitchen which I often use to experiment with new recipes.

I am currently in my third year at Hampshire, which translates into the end of my Division II. I am in the process of collecting all the work I have done over the past year and a half and consolidating my best work into a portfolio. I meet regularly with my two advisors, who help guide the development of my concentration without being overbearing or domineering. They are patient and caring guides whom I look up to for inspiration. Yet when I am going off-track, they will not hesitate to tell me I’m wading into dangerous waters.

My Division II has been the study of religious experience through history, which means that I have taken many broad religion courses focusing on mysticism and spiritual transcendence. I am fascinated by off-shoot religious sects and cults as well as apocalyptic end-time scenarios. I have also studied intensively the interaction of humans with nature and the role spirituality plays in an environmental philosophy. Lately, however, I have become particularly drawn to shamanism and prophecy, which I hope to explore more in-depth in conjunction with end-of-the-world mythology in my Division III.

I have conflicting future plans ranging from terribly unrealistic to moderately realistic. If I could do exactly what I wanted, I would open a cat colony and extended-stay home dedicated to the rescue of hopeless and desperate feline friends. Yet this dream will have to wait until I am an old lady, I am afraid. I would like to work for a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental conservation and historical preservation. Another somewhat-out-there dream of mine is to travel to the Amazon to study indigenous tribal use of psychedelic plants in attaining spiritual transcendence. At this point in my education, I am not certain about the future, yet I know that Hampshire is providing me with an outstanding liberal arts background that I can expand upon in any direction life takes me.

Hampshire has a progressive attitude towards education that makes anything possible. I obviously cannot compare Hampshire to any other college, because Hampshire is the only college I have ever attended. But from what I have learned speaking with students at other schools, Hampshire provides a freedom to take courses at other schools not found anywhere else. The importance of the Five College consortium cannot be understated. I can take as many or as few off-campus courses as I see fit. This expands my academic options infinitely.

The biggest surprise for me at Hampshire was that I was not at all interested in what I thought I was. I thought I wanted to study politics and sociology. But within my first year I realized that politics eats your soul. I learned a lot more about myself as a student and a person than I ever thought possible. The very nature of Hampshire makes it impossible not to grow as a person. I have discovered the spiritual world and unity of the human existence that makes it impossible for me to play the political game (I was very involved in politics in high school). If I had to declare some sort of major my first year, I would be in trouble now because I would be struggling to switch and scramble for requirements. Hampshire gave me a chance early on to sort out my thoughts and develop a personal philosophy that I can live with. I really do believe that Hampshire played a huge role in the woman I am today. This does not mean that I particularly like everything the school does. I write for The Climax, our newspaper, and am often very critical. But this is only because I love the school and want the best for it.

I love visiting the various Five College libraries, eating out in Northampton, cooking dinner with friends, visiting the donkey at the Farm Center, holding spontaneous dance parties, petting the campus cat Zipper, and studying with my wonderful roommate. My favorite writer presently is Daniel Pinchbeck, and I’ve been listening to Krishna Das constantly. Each semester I become obsessed with my coursework and am never at a loss for good reading.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter where you chose to go to college. Whatever school you attend will be good or bad depending on the effort you put in. Hampshire is a remarkable school for me because I feel very close to the mission statement and basic educational philosophy. I strongly believe that Hampshire is the right place for me to be. Please, please, please listen to your heart when deciding what school to attend. Do not let anyone decide for you. Hampshire could be a great fit for you if you want to work hard and take risks. I often joke with friends that the rest of my life is Division IV, and every big life event will be labeled as a Division. Perhaps when I am 40, I’ll be in Division X. My point is that Hampshire has the potential to engulf your life. I am proud to be a member of such a vibrant community.

The following quote from Daniel Pinchbeck's first book, Breaking Open the Head, suits Hampshire well: "If we don't explore the nature of our minds as deeply as possible, using whatever tools are available to us, what kind of world can we hope to create? What kind of world are we creating now?"