Centre News

The 2010 Fiske Guide to Colleges says that at Centre, students
"are progressive, intellectual, and perhaps more well-rounded
than their peers at neighboring schools."

The guidebook discusses not only the academics but the social
aspects of Centre as well, mentioning how athletic events typically
draw large crowds of students.

At Centre, the 2010 Fiske Guide says, there is "an unparalleled
closeness between students and faculty."

Edward B. Fiske has long praised Centre College. The author of the annual Fiske Guide to Colleges and former education editor of the New York Times, Fiske writes and publishes a college guidebook he calls selective, subjective and systematic.

USA Today applauds Fiske's work, calling it "the best college guide you can buy." What sets the Fiske books apart from many other college guides is that they cover a range of specific topics, from academics to the student body to the social scene, as well as including quotes from current students.

For each edition of the book, Fiske and his editorial team take about 300 "of the best and most interesting institutions in the nation—the ones that students most want to know about—and write descriptive essays" about each of them.

In the 2010 edition, Fiske extols Centre, as he has in past editions. He describes the College as a school with "an unparalleled closeness between students and faculty" and as "college the way it used to be, with Friday night parties on fraternity row and Saturday afternoon football games."

As in past editions, the guidebook also quotes a student who describes the College in one sentence: "We have an amazing balance of 'northern academics' paired with 'southern hospitality,'" the student says.

Because these two attributes meet at this liberal arts institution, Fiske believes, Centre students "are progressive, intellectual, and perhaps more well-rounded than their peers at neighboring schools."

Like many guidebooks and publications, the 2010 Fiske Guide to Colleges describes Centre's small size as an asset. The essay quotes a Centre biology major who says that the College's size gives students "the ability to get involved and have a direct hand in making improvements."

Getting involved is exactly what Centre students do. From initiating the Green Fund (in which students pay an annual $20 surcharge on their tuition to purchase renewable energy credits from the local Mother Ann Lee Hydroelectric Station) in 2007 to formulating plans for a student garden in January 2010 to creating student organizations reflecting an array of interests, students at Centre know that they have the power to incite change on campus.

When discussing life outside the classroom, the Fiske Guide to Colleges says that "social life is largely on campus" (where 98 percent of students live for all four years). Among the events the 2010 guide discusses are shows at the College's Norton Center for the Arts, gatherings on Greek Row, community service projects, athletic events and more.

The essay about Centre ends by advising prospective students to visit campus for themselves, something the College's admission office also propounds. "With a safe, bucolic campus, an emphasis on academic excellence, and faculty and students who care about forming lasting friendships with each other," Fiske says, Centre College is a great place to call home.