Palin Trivia: Quick Name the Five Colleges that Sarah Palin Attended in Six Years to Get Her College Degree

Academics around the country are playing a weird new trivia game akin to Where’s Waldo — Collegiate Edition. I have been challenged by professors to name all of the colleges that Palin attended in her long pursuit of a college degree. Palin pools appear the rage among the academic set. For those who want to check their academic trivia, the answer is below. (Hint: she switched six times in six years but one college was a repeat)

1. University of Hawaii at Hilo (possibly one week)
2. Hawaii Pacific University (freshman year)
3. North Idaho College (two semesters)
4. University of Idaho (from fall 1984 to Spring 1985)
5. Matanuska-Susitna College in Palmer, Alaska (fall 1985)
6. University of Idaho (spring 1986, fall 1986 and spring 1987)

While she finally graduated from Idaho, she was named North Idaho College Alumni Association’s 2008-2009 Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award — for her two semesters.

Matanuska-Susitna College is usually the tough one in this seemingly endless journey in search of a diploma. It is offers vocational degrees on such things as Refrigeration and Heating Technology, but also appears to offer a two-year degree. Obviously, from the six-year effort to secure a four-year degree, Palin did not get credit for some of the time at these schools or did not take a full load. For academics, the issue is not two-year colleges (which can be excellent schools of learning), but the absence of a meaningful liberal arts or cohesive undergraduate training. It is very difficult to receive a rigorous and coherent college education when your degree is based on a patchwork of insular credits secured from five different colleges in six years. Since the college education is designed to broaden the minds and knowledge of individuals, such a record raises obvious concerns for traditional academics.

I expect a courtesy 30% of the bets from any of my colleagues who use this site to win their respective Palin trivia matches.

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