Rose Poly
October 28, 2014
G.D.O'Bradovich III
1
“Rose Poly” is my term of endearment for our local institution of higher learning. I use the term for two reasons: Rose Poly was conceived and endowed by a fellow Capricorn (and I'm not a believer in giving second handers credit) and I am an amateur historian. Greatness is not a term that is commonly applied to Terre Haute or to things Hauten. However, at least once a year, the airwaves trumpet the news that Rose Poly has been ranked in the top of undergraduate engineering schools for the umpteenth year in a row. However, Rose does not award doctorates, so in my mind, Purdue ranks somewhat higher than Rose Poly.
I was reading the requirements to attend Rose, not that I have any desire to attend, but I was curious and I was not disappointed by the freshman profile. The highlights are below with commentary:
I was reading the requirements to attend Rose, not that I have any desire to attend, but I was curious and I was not disappointed by the freshman profile. The highlights are below with commentary:
Median Class Rank (percentile): Top 7%
-Not me Over 300 participated in performing arts -No 290 played varsity sports -God, no. 289 participated in community service -Not me 111 participated on academic teams -No, (Not Offered?) 68 ranked in the top three positions of their high school classes (of schools that report rank) -Nope 35 were members of newspaper or yearbook staffs -Not interesting |
The incoming class has about 500 students, therefore many students participated in multiple activities. This is not surprising since the mediocre do one thing well and Rose Poly students are, if nothing else, exceptional. I did not apply to Rose Poly my senior year. Perhaps after almost two decades in a small town, I was ready to leave the small town life behind, if only for a year, like a well earned vacation from the mediocrity and complacency that are hallmarks of small town America.
The only activity that I did while in high school was during my senior year when I was a basketball manager. I had no interest in any aspect of basketball, either watching or participating, and my behavior would only change after being accepted to Purdue. I only agreed to the position of basketball manager when I learned there were an additional handful of underclass men as managers. In effect, I wouldn't be putting much effort into it. At this point, I didn't know the basic rules of the sport, although our team went to (won?) the sectionals my junior year.
The only activity that I did while in high school was during my senior year when I was a basketball manager. I had no interest in any aspect of basketball, either watching or participating, and my behavior would only change after being accepted to Purdue. I only agreed to the position of basketball manager when I learned there were an additional handful of underclass men as managers. In effect, I wouldn't be putting much effort into it. At this point, I didn't know the basic rules of the sport, although our team went to (won?) the sectionals my junior year.