Easton, MA: On a chilly day last winter, about 20 students and I went on a tour of Providence College, Stonehill and Boston College. What surprised me is which college impressed me the most. I always thought I'd go to a big, urban college like B.C., but that day I fell in love with Stonehill.

Stonehill has a beautiful campus in North Easton. When we arrived, we were welcomed into the administration building, Donahue Hall, by our tour guide, a junior. She started by telling us a little about the college's history.

In 1948, the newly created Eastern Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross founded Stonehill College. Stonehill is a medium-sized, moderately selective, independent, undergraduate, church-related (Catholic) institution offering a degree in three major concentrations: liberal arts, sciences, and business administration. It is also reasonably priced. After receiving this information, we started the tour.

The campus is very picturesque. The buildings are fairly new and beautiful, including the Georgian-style mansion which is now the administration building. As we walked, the guide pointed out the various academic buildings. Next, we visited the housing. The college offers both townhouses and dorms which can be all-male, all-female, or coed. Although we were not able to see inside the townhouses, the dorms were very impressive. They were cleaner and brighter than some I've seen. Each dorm building had a common room with couches, a television, etc.

Next, we ate lunch in the dining commons. The Commons is a student center which includes student mailboxes, a game room, a TV lounge, a convenience store, cafeteria, and Student Government offices. The place was buzzing with students and the food was great. We also visited the very impressive Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex. Stonehill competes in Division II sports and offers ten men's and ten women's varsity sports, as well as

intramurals.

At the completion of our tour, we returned to the administration building where we had a meeting with Brian Murphy, the Dean of Admissions. He gave us some general information about Stonehill and the admissions process and answered any questions we had.

What I have written so far are simply facts. However, what I loved most about Stonehill was the feeling I got. There was

a sense of belonging and community. It

just felt right! I urge everyone to visit Stonehill. f




Reviewed in 1996