Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Maybe I’m biased because I got my BS here and I’m on the Alumni Association board, but I guess I say involved because this school was great when I was a student and fun to visit as a resident of the surrounding community. When I was a student here, I was injured and couldn’t go to class for 6 weeks. To allow me to stay a full-​time student, the school sent someone to my house to administer tests and quizes and collect my homework. I only had to take one incomplete (had to do in-​class presentation) even though I was laid up for weeks. The education I got has given me great opportunities in my career.
As a visitor, I love the Gardens, paved trails, and unpaved bike trails for walking my dog. There’s also programs (i.e., Arts & Issues) for the community to attend. If you haven’t seen the campus in a while, you should drive through and see all of the new buildings going up. Just be sure to keep it to 25mph and stop for the pedestrians. Oh yeah, and beware of the geese.

I suppose it’s generally true that most universities enrich their surrounding communities in many ways, some recognized and some not. When I pause to think about all that SIUE offers to E’ville residents, it’s really quite a package. I have family members and friends among alumni and faculty, and they are better suited than I to comment on the educational experience. Personally, I occasionally go to concerts, lectures, and games. On a more regular basis, I use Lovejoy Library, the Gardens and associated trails for walking/​biking, and Cougar Lake, which actually has better fishing than most people realize (caught a BIG largemouth bass there just yesterday). At this juncture, my Unilocalin’ desire to give props conflicts with my fisherperson instinct to preserve the best water. You’ll have to find the fish yourself!