| Howdy!
Those are some great questions, Zach!
As always, I would like to start out by congratulating you on being accepted as a Marquis Scholar. I know that this means you worked very hard throughout high school (and also that you probably have a very hard decision to make as to which college/university you wish to attend in the fall!)
The off-campus trips for Marquis Scholars are great fun and are great diversions from writing papers, taking exams, etc. All of the trips require a deposit to reserve a seat on the bus, but that money will be returned to you after the trip. ALL expenses (tickets for shows, food, coach bus transportation) are paid for. The Marquis Scholar faculty advisors plan all the trips, and are ALWAYS asking for suggestions. Most of the time, trips are on weekends so you don't miss any classes. We have had trips into both Philly and NYC to see broadway shows, go to museums, listen to famous speakers, etc. All trips are educational in nature, but that does not mean they aren't fun! I have gone on a few of them (and missed a few because I just had WAY too much work to do), and they were all good times because you go with some great people (other Marquis Scholars, usually). Tickets for each event are always limited, but Marquis Scholars always get the first opportunity to claim their seats. Any tickets left over are offered to the entire Lafayette community.
Just to reiterate, don't worry if your finances are tight...the Marquis Scholar program has a huge budget to play around with! You are correct when you say that spending money is very tight in college, but these trips are one way to get off campus without having to shell out any cash.
The political climate at Lafayette is active, yet not as active as the climates of other colleges. The campus population is just slightly more Democratic. There are clubs and activites representing ALL political viewpoints (College Democrats and College Republicans, of course), so if you wish to get involved politically, go for it! I have found that the campus is very accepting of ALL viewpoints simply because we all know that college is a time for people to voice their opinions on certain issues. Personally, politics is just "not my thing", but that doesn't mean I can't participante in and benefit from the activities held by "competing" political organizations.
The meal plan is annoying...I think that is the number one gripe of all Lafayette freshmen! You have 20 meals each week which are impossible to use up, and that is how the food distributor (Sodexho) maintains a profit. Once you miss a meal, you lose it. I know I'll be switching meal plans next year to a plan with less meals and more flex dollars. It really isn't that big a deal, but we (we being Lafayette freshmen) like to make it a big deal because we feel guilty when we waste our meals. Oh well!
The food is actually really good...I tasted the food at all the colleges I visited, and Lafayette had the best food by far (no joke!). We offer so many options for such a small school. There are FIVE places to eat, each offering so much in terms of variety. A new sub sandwich place just opened up on campus called Simon's with the BEST toasted sub sandwiches, and Gilbert's has the BEST grilled panini sandwiches for lunch.
I am actually arriving back on campus tomorrow afternoon (Spring Break has come to an end), but I am really looking forward to the last few weeks of my freshman year at Lafayette. I have made some great friends and have been blessed with the most interesting, dedicated, and fun professors this semester.
Zach, I have a feeling you have a tough decision ahead of you which you must make by April 1st...my best advice: follow your gut instinct. That is all there is to it!
J
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