Social Activities/Greek System/ Drinking

Alumni Survey 2002 (1997 graduates)[1]

Student Services & Co-curriculum

What follows are direct comments students’ made in answer to the following questions: What had the most positive impact on you during your time at Eastern? And, What had the most negative impact on you during your time at Eastern?

Social Activities/Greek System/ Drinking

Positive Impact

Activities

Amount of social events activities. (68)
I was able to be involved in many activities while on campus. (87)
I was involved in many activities at EIU, especially Greek life, it gave me many opportunities. I would not have had anywhere elsewhere. (202)
Social activities on campus. (211)
Socially; my taking ballroom dancing and staying at Stevenson Hall. (218)
The fellow students and non-class activities. (251)
The social activities. (541)

Greek System

Joining my sorority (1)
My involvement with my sorority (Alpha Sigma Tau). It helped me with my classes (knowing I had to do well), social life and self image. (54)
My experience in the Greek System. (57)
My involvement in Alpha Phi and Pan Hellenic activities. (88)
My involvement in the Greek system. (121)
My fraternity – prepares me for a lot and I still have all my friends. (125)
I was a member of Alpha Sigma Tau sorority. It truly helped me with people and leadership skills. (165)
Friendships that were established and campus organizations (such as fraternities and sororities) that encouraged public service. (178)
The Greek system also encouraged me to do many service projects which was very positive for my experience at EIU. (191)
Sigma Chi Fraternity (316)
Sorority ASA, Greek life in general (322)
Membership in the Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Fraternity. (340)
My sorority experiences were a very positive impact. (356)
Association with Pi Kappa Alpha fraternal organization. (403)
Alpha Phi Omega, (outstanding pledge) (414)
My involvement with Beta Alpha Psi. (416)
Involvement in social/extracurricular activities such as the Greek system. (440)
Involvement in my fraternity helped me to develop social skills, relationship skills, planning, organization, management, responsibility for others, public speaking, etc. (443)
Delta Chi fraternity (leadership, organizational skills, public speaking) (458)
The sorority life of becoming active in the community and making friends (474)
TKA fraternity. (495)
Sigma Kappa Sorority (509)
The friends I made in my sorority. Questions 15-20 above mostly applied to my involvement in my sorority. (547)
Greek life/system (161, 205, 263, 264, 339, 370, 413, 425, 559, 613, 633)

Drinking

Women and Bars. (86)
Marty’s (611)

Relationships

Social ties. (19)
The friends and relationships I developed while on campus. (38)
Meeting new people (49)
Meeting my husband (59)
The friendships I made have been very important to me. (82)
Meeting new people and friends I loved (96)
Meeting new friends during dorm living and through classes (100)
The relationships I developed throughout the years. (109)
My husband had a positive impact. He always kept me motivated to study hard. (111)
I met many interesting and inspiring people. (124)
Meeting my wife. (125)
Experience of meeting people. (133)
Interacting with a variety of different people throughout campus and the city itself. More well rounded. (135)
The friends I made. My social skills. Learning to deal with others positively. I met my best friends and my husband at EIU. (158)
The diverse group of friends I met and lived with. (159)
It honestly was the personal relationships I developed socially and helping me step out of my own shell if you will. In my financial practice networking is key and I have such a strong base from college I cannot put a value on that. (173)
The social opportunities with other students. (183)
An active social life interacting with others. (222)
Learning to throw the best parties ever. (247)
Friendships that I made and being involved with MCSU. (250)
Meeting new people and making the best friends I ever had. (255)
I met my future husband! (259)
The most positive experience was the friendship I made at Eastern. The friendships remain very strong and close 5 years. (345)
The wide range of backgrounds I was exposed to. (361)
Also met my husband at Eastern, he is currently in MedicalSchool at SIU, Springfield. (364)
The relationships developed with other people from different areas of the state, friendships that have lasted past graduation. (382)
Opportunity to meet other adult learners focused on the same goal. (395)
Developing my social skills and making friends away from home. (402)
The friends I made while living in Stevenson Hall. Dorm life made me into the person I have become. (424)
Other students, the sharing of experiences with others and I felt comfortable attending as a 37 year old single mother of 2 amongst a younger crowd! (477)
I met my future husband while attending EIU. (538)
The most positive impact was the many friends that I made during my career at Eastern. (561)
Social interaction, friends that I will keep for life that I met at Eastern. (569)
The friends I had and my sister going to Eastern was a great benefit for me. (588)
Friends (141, 142, 150, 197, 261, 269, 275, 277, 278, 303, 308, 317, 323, 328, 337, 339, 359, 368, 376, 419, 497, 498, 500, 544, 567, 573, 589, 615, 624, 628, 629)

Negative Impact

Activities

Working 40 hours a week took away from experiencing a lot of EIU extracurricular activities. (40)
Lack of student involvement in clubs and athletics. (17)
Lack of social events without being in Greek system. Limited places to go for fun under age of 21. (93)
Needed more activities incorporated with the college and the area around. (189)
Lack of cultural experience. I.e. Plays. (315)
Student apathy. (379)
Not much for students not involved with Greek organizations. (412)
It felt as though you didn’t really have a connection to the university if you didn’t live in the dorms or belong to a fraternity. All of the activities tended to revolve around those groups. (470)
Being made to join clubs and organizations that I had to pay for when I did not have the time, money, or interest to do so. (548)
Not getting more involved in organizations. (570)
The apathetic nature of Eastern as a whole. (582)
Almost losing men’s swimming and wrestling to title 9. (589)
Charleston—a lot of history and nature that I didn’t know about that would have helped me enjoy my time more outside or involved with my study time.

Greek System

The current Greek system consistently divided the student population. (39)
I couldn’t afford to go Greek and although I participated in as much as possible, I was often left behind. I still had a great time, but had to find people who were non-Greek! (45)
Greek system had the most negative impact on me. Building a large Greek system seems ridiculous at such a small school. (85)
The Greek system. Let’s not try to center all camps and homecoming activities around them. (95)
Some of the people were not that friendly. (111)
Sorority involvement- if I could go back, I wouldn’t have wasted all my time/money with a sorority. (146)
Sorority chapter closed at end of my senior year so I haven’t been as active an alumna as I probably would have been at EIU. (202)
Going through the Greek rushing week. (237)
Campus activities revolved around Greek organizations. (272)
Too much fraternity stuff. Need to have activities for all students. (373)
The separation between groups of students such as Greek houses and off campus housing. (423)
The greater influence on social organizations (Greek, etc) rather than academics. (431)
Seeing the segregation between people in the Greek system to those not in the Greek system (fraternities and sororities). (438)
Fraternity life (448)
Since I was not in a sorority I never quite felt accepted by a lot of other students. (546)
Eastern is a very Greek school! (549)
Too many groups for frats/sororities. (592)
I went to a fraternity rush party once, I hated it. (598)

Drinking

Alcohol (152)
There is no culture. Campus life is very limited to drinking or very little else. I also felt that ‘free expression’ has gone over board at the cost of others moral beliefs (perversion is OK, moral standards are not). This is an attitude found all over campus. (250)
The underage drinking and pressure. (268)
The town lacked things to do besides drinking. (339)
Overly social atmosphere, underage drinking. (378)
Mayor Cougill raising the bar entry age to 21. The original bar entry age of 18 was the reason I chose EIU. Just kidding, there wasn’t a negative impact. (476)
Social – moving the bar entry age to 21, it took some to the spirit away from Eastern. The skill of going up to a stranger and striking up a conversation is not learned in the classroom, but in a bar. This is how a lot of relationships are formed and nurtured in the business world. (568)
I think Eastern needs to shed its image of the party school. (569)

Relationships

I met my future husband! (260)
Returning to school again. (374)
Psycho ex-girlfriends. (458)

Co-curriculum

Positive Impact

Being involved in other co-curricular activities. (1)
Being in athletics helped a great deal. My coaches helped out with my course load, course work and acted like father figures. Being on a team made it easier to adjust to the college life, just like sororities/fraternities helped others. (7)
The opportunity to take part in activities out of the class room. (9)
Being involved in different clubs. (53)
My involvement with the StudentRecCenter was enjoyable and fun (57)
Being an RA for Ms. Barbara Busch (59)
My participation with the university athletics department (62)
Working at the Daily Eastern News. It was practical experience that further embedded with me the lessons being taught in the journalism and communication courses. (65)
My year as a resident assistant in Douglas (72)
Intramural program was a positive to have because it provided a relief from a student’s studies. (82)
As an RA at Eastern, I got to meet so many great individuals. (99)
Becoming involved with activities related to my major (health studies). (100)
My involvement with intercollegiate athletics. (106)
All the extra activities I was involved in. (122)
RHA/ hall council (144)
The hands on experience at WEIU TV were very helpful (146)
I participated in many extra curricular activities which helped me tremendously. (147)
My employment in the Speech communication office and involvement with the department coupled with student activities (and student senate). (161)
Opportunities to become involved in organizations (169)
Playing Rugby. (181)
Extra curricular activities (recreation center) and develop a scholarly career path. (197)
Being involved in an RSO—Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (198)
office of student activities (205)
Becoming a resident assistant for two years (237)
My experience as an RA, being involved in NRHH and the recycling program. (250)
Being involved in campus organizations especially the marching band (254)
Involvement with the business clubs and Greek system. (256)
Ray Padovan and the swim team. (273)
I would have to say the student activities. (278)
Campus ministry (279)
The group I participated in CRHA, Intervarsity Bacchus, NRHH, Residence Hall Counselor, etc. (281)
Student government (285)
Women’s basketball (290)
Competing on EIU’s track and field team for four years. (292)
Get involved with the campus/student organizations. (295)
The student publications program – it may seem amateurish – but the program is worth more the any class at Eastern. (305)
Activities at Tarble (307)
My involvement with intervarsity, and RSO on campus (324)
Rec.Center (339)
Being an RA. (343)
Being a resident assistant. (346)
Cross country track helped me develop discipline that carried over to my class work. (347)
Clubs and organizations available to the student body. (365)
Competing on the mock trial team (pre-law). Working with the university administration on tuition and fee review committee. (379)
Working at the Daily Eastern News. (389)
Involvement with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. (400)
University Board, (subway chair), student teaching, Residence Hall Association, (Treasurer) – really helped me grow. (414)
Working for the student newspaper. Being surrounded by faculty that treated students professionally. This gave me a sense of what to expect out in the real world. (432)
I also enjoyed being an athlete (women’s swimming and diving). I’m not sure I would have had those opportunities at another school. (442)
When I enrolled in the study abroad program for one semester. (445)
Extracurricular activities. (448)
My job as a resident assistant had the most positive impact on me during my time at EIU. That job prepared me for the real world in many ways. It helped me to learn to manage multiple roles at once (student, role model, etc.). (450)
Sports (teamwork, diverse backgrounds). (458)
People I worked with in Old Main as a student worker. (468)
The workout facilities were great. (470)
Being able to participate in several co-curricular activities. (493)
Participating in intercollegiate track and cross country. (499)
The activities and recreation of residential housing. (506)
Real life experience at student publications. (598)
Beta Alpha Psi – Honors Accounting Fraternity (508)
The most positive impact was my experience as a resident assistant. It greatly prepared me for life after college by showing me responsibility, organization, and especially management skills. (513)
My involvement within different organizations. (515)
The Christian Campus House! Being able to continue my home was crucial to happiness and success at Eastern. (516)
business fraternity, philanthropy, intramurals, tutoring programs, etc…… (559)
Residence Hall Association and Bacchus. These organizations helped me become who I am. (565)
NewmanCatholicCenter (568)
Extracurricular activities helped me to learn to manage my time and prioritize. (583)
Christian campus house fellowship. I enjoyed the fellowship, the emphasis on excellence (doing all you do as if working for the lord), and I enjoyed the sense of community. (584)
Member of the varsity swim team (swimming for coach) ROTC. (589)
Two things my involvement in campus activities and, my campus involvement not only increased my enjoyment of college, but it also prepared me in dealing with people in the world. (600)
Being involved in a wide variety and large quantity of extracurricular activities. (613)
I was also an RA and enjoyed that tremendously. (641)
Working as student (tutoring was very helpful in developing communication skills). (643)

Residence Halls & Dining Services

Positive Impact

Living in Carman Hall my freshman year. (237)
Also living in the dorms for a few years is something every one should experience. (348)
Dorms social settings (363)
College life, learning to live independently. Stevenson Hall’s suites and co-ed living was a great experience. (420)
Interactions in the residence halls. (457)

Negative Impact

Really, I don’t recall anything too terribly negative, except possibly finding a fly (alive) in my grape juice one morning at Carmen hall. (20)
The decline of the on-campus housing. (38)
Dorm life. I don’t cope well with noise late at night, tight quarters and lack of privacy. (65)
dorm life. (79)
Bad roommates (116)
University Housing- I couldn’t wait to move out. (125)
Annoying floor mates/neighbors in the dorm (126)
The food could have been better.(135)
Housing assignments made freshman year (161)
Pemberton Hall –this dorm (especially the basement, the Pit where I lived is not as safe as other dorms—such as Carmen or Lawson. Someone just has to break one glass door and he /she is in the bathroom. Please tighten security or don’t have girls live there.(175)
Resident Hall counselors that showed favoritism over one group to another and failed to address concerns that were repeatedly broached concerning harassment and noise levels (not only resident hall counselors but also resident assistants (RA’S) )and the housing department failed to address concerns! (178)
not staying in a dorm longer (requirement of only one year) (193)
living off campus and being less “apart of the whole college experience” (admittedly by my choice) (195)
The dorm food (198)
The food in Stevenson Dining Hall! (245)
My last semester I had to move back to the dorms because everyone I knew went home to student teach. The way my situation was handled was extremely poor. In the end everything worked out. However for one month I was very upset with the dorm personnel. (280)
Bad room mates Jr. year. (290)
Foodservice (339)
Being an RA (343)
Living in Lawson as a freshman with a different roommate each semester. I did not have much in common with either one. It would have been easier for me to have had a roommate with the same major. (349)
The residents at Carman Hall. They were party goers. The RA’s did not set a respectable standard of living or enforce rules for terrible behavior. They are all freshmen, they need guidance! (365)
and the pointless dorm rules. (402)
dorms (412)
Dorm life. I had never been exposed to so many immoral drunk nymphomaniacs in my life. (516)
living situation (550)
The dorm life. It seems the dorms were set up for children, not college students. The computer labs need improvement. (581)
my roommates (596)

Career Preparation/Services

Negative Impact

As a whole at Eastern a popular phrase was “It will look good on your resume.” (6)
When I graduated I felt that I was prepared to go out and get a job, but my qualifications were less than expected in the field. There needs to be more preparation for real life, more focus on how you may not be able to get a job in your field of study even though you spend four years studying it! (37)
Not looking for better internships or more focused on what I wanted to do after graduation. (122)
Weak career services. (155)
lack of job placement in Chicago area for non-newspaper positions (194)
The inability to find an adequate internship or experience building job after completing graduate course work, but waiting for comprehensive exams (in Charleston). Lack of career searching support after graduation. (197)
Lack of assistance on internship programs (205)
The Career Services was not helpful in finding a job after graduation. (208)
Not choosing a major I would be able to use to get a job – not getting enough career counseling. (264)
Didn’t see many employers from Chicago area visiting campus even though majority of students were from the Chicago area. Didn’t see the university business college promote the other business disciplines as much as they did with accounting and computer information systems to attract employers/build value for other business disciplines. (265)
Career services and the internship process. There is little reason to have mandatory internships with no college support to the process. It simply leads to negative feelings. (354)
Little job placement help for my career. (362)
I was not happy with the help I received finding a job. I was forced to search on my own for a good position. (417)
Desired employment in Chicago following graduation but found most campus recruiters to be from areas other than Chicago. (452)
I don’t think they prepared us very well for what the job market would really be like and the availability of those jobs. (454)
Wondering how successful the process of job search would be and not knowing if the job market would fulfill my expectations. (528)
Didn’t have any career services for finding a job that compared to other universities and didn’t make any connections at Eastern for job networking. (602)
I didn’t have any connections when I tried to get a teaching job. It is really important to have a network of people so you can get your name in somewhere. I live in the Chicago suburbs and have struggled to find a teaching job because my only connections were the teachers in the school where I student taught. (641)

Financial Aid/Costs