By CHRISTI SPENCE
Contributing Writer
As many students know, but can very easily forget, Piedmont College is housed on two different campuses: Demorest and Athens.
Because the campuses seem to be so separated, few students may have the chance to experience both, and many may wonder what the other is like.
Though I live on and have primarily taken classes at the Demorest campus, I am currently enrolled in two classes that are held in Athens.
Since I attend both campuses, I have noticed many differences between the two, yet I have been surprised at some of the similarities.
The Demorest campus is very small compared to many other colleges in the area, but it is a giant when measured against the one in Athens. Despite the small size of the Athens campus, it houses a library, gym, dining hall and ample room for instructional needs.
This is similar to the facilities that Demorest offers.
A major difference between the campuses is that Athens has no on-campus housing. Every student that attends Piedmont College in Athens must commute.
This leads the Athens campus to have a smaller overall population than the Demorest campus, and since Athens doesn’t offer housing, it ensures that the price of attending Athens will be less.
Also, the Athens campus does not have access to the ability to house or maintain the sports teams that aid in giving the Demorest campus much of its acclaim.
Another difference I’ve noted during my commute is that the feel of the Athens campus is much different from the quiet, sleepy town of Demorest. This is simply because it is housed in a city filled with life, people and culture.
This makes the experience of attending the Athens campus indescribably different than the experience that Demorest lends.
From what I’ve seen, the Athens campus is conducted much like the one in Demorest, simply on a smaller scale.
The classes that I’ve taken on both campuses have offered what one would expect from any college course.
The scheduling between the two campuses is so similar, in fact, that all of my classes for this semester are offered at the same times in both locations.
Another similarity is the relationships that students make with one another.
Students on the Athens campus are mostly non-traditional, and while a non-traditional population is represented at the Demorest campus, it is a minority due to the on-campus housing that is available.
One interesting thing I’ve noted during my Athens classes is that despite the commute, smaller spaces and lack of sports teams, the students there share a deep, connecting bond as they persevere through their college years.
Though the student bodies differ, bonds like these are also represented heavily on the Demorest campus.
No matter the ways that the campuses differ, they are both full of potential and positivity.
While the communication and relation to one another can sometimes be blurred, students must not forget that they are all a part of the same institution.
Together, the Demorest and Athens campuses continue to build the legacy that Piedmont College has established.
