Gonzaga University attracts students who want to make a difference in the world — and enjoy a hefty dose of the Bulldogs’ March Madness basketball .
The mindset at this school overlooking the Spokane River in eastern Washington is centered around the Jesuit philosophy of educating the mind, body and spirit. Although students from all religions attend, about half of Gonzaga‘s 5,100 undergrads are Catholic.
Zags are “social justice-centered” and want to get out into the world and solve problems, says Dean of Admission Julie McCulloh. The vast array of service opportunities available through the Center for Community and Service Learning run the gamut from spring break service trips to pairing off with senior citizens in the community. The school is routinely recognized as a top feeder for Teach for America and the Peace Corps.
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Spirituality pervades the liberal arts core curriculum, which requires all students to take classes in writing, global studies, philosophy and religion. First-year seminars teach new students about Gonzaga’s Jesuit mission and prep them to meet the school’s academic standards; choices have included an English class on Freaks, Geeks and Outsiders and a religion seminar titled Psalms and the Human Condition.
The school’s 16 Jesuit priests teach classes and act as spiritual mentors, and some also live in residence halls. “They know a little bit about everything,” says Analuz Torres, a junior from El Paso, Texas, who took a Latin class with a Jesuit professor.
Students say it’s a bucket-list item to befriend at least one Jesuit before graduation. Popular academic paths include accounting, science programs focused on undergraduate research, and degrees in business, special education, psychology, nursing and engineering.
With a 12-1 student-faculty ratio and average class size of 22, professors take time to get to know their students, students say. “They really care about our success,” says Alexis Brown, a junior nursing major from Rocklin, California.
Gonzaga competes in Division I athletics and boasts an intramural program with one of the highest participation rates in the U.S. Teams in Ultimate Frisbee, soccer and badminton, among other sports, hold regular practices while on the quest for a coveted championship T-shirt.
“Everybody wants a shirt,” says sophomore Julian Moreno, a broadcast journalism major from San Francisco who participated in the Freshman Games intramural competition last year in soccer, flag football, volleyball and inner tube basketball.
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But sports enthusiasm reaches its peak during basketball season, also known as “tenting season.” To secure one of the 1,200 student seats in the McCarthey Athletic Center for a Bulldogs game, students routinely camp out overnight.
Torres, who grew up watching the team’s March Madness games on TV, says tenting is a “must-do,” even in freezing weather. Gonzaga’s student section is often listed as one of the most enthusiastic in the country for men’s basketball, rivaling those of universities three times its size.
Freshmen and sophomores live on campus in housing ranging from four- and six-person suites and traditional doubles to apartments. About 60 percent of juniors and most seniors live off campus.
A new student center houses dining options ; a technology bar with the latest gadgets from Microsoft, Apple, Google and Amazon ; and a rooftop greenhouse. The 152-acre campus also boasts the Jundt Art Museum, which holds glass pieces by Dale Chihuly, along with other rotating exhibits. A new performing arts center should be completed next winter.
Some 50 study abroad programs are available, and Gonzaga has a campus in Florence , Italy, where students can study for a year, a semester or during the summer.
Closer to home, there’s easy access to hiking, biking, fishing, skiing and rock climbing, and students need only walk down the scenic Centennial Trail to get to theaters, museums, restaurants and shopping in downtown Spokane.
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This story is excerpted from the U.S. News “Best Colleges 2018” guidebook, which features in-depth articles, rankings and data.
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Washington College Road Trip: Gonzaga University originally appeared on usnews.com
