The QC, Vol. 86, No. 01 • September 9, 1999

              WHITTIER
COLLEGE
uaker
September 9,1999
ampus
C  O  L  L  E G.E
■ Take XI
M-
We review the serious' side of first
year student orientation with CSUN's
annual Shannon Center presentation,
Take XI.      ■
SPORTS
■ Football
The Poets are set for yet another
successful! season, despite losing 23
seniors last year. Don't miss our
profile of quarterback sophomore
Nick Tomasello.
The Voice Of The Campus Since 1914
OPINION    TOPIC
Are we ready for a Woman
President*
Students discuss if they're ready for
a female United States
President.
CAMP  U*.S
Orientation
W
We sent our team out early to capture the true essence ofthe first year
students' first five days.
College Enrolls Largest First Year Class in 25 Years
■ FIRST YEAR
by Carlos Estrada
QC News Editor
A first year class of 378 students arrived at Whittier College, making it the
largest in 25 years. The increase has affected several areas of the administration already and may affect other aspects of life
on campus as the year progresses.
The new class outnumbers the previous
year's class by thirty students although the
number accepted remained almost identical.
The yield, which measures the percentage of
the accepted students that actually attend the
school, jumped from 31% to 35%. This puts
Whittifer in the upper end ofthe average yield
for small liberal arts colleges.
"Melt," an admissions term that refers
to students that make a deposit but withdraw before the start ofthe academic year,
was minimal.
"It means people are choosing us for
the right reasons and sticking with us,"
Director of Admissions Urmi Kar said.
The increase can be attributed to a number of factors ranging from the changing
First Year Students Rush Through the Gates to Register
demographic of students entering college
to efforts by Whittier over the past year to
attract more students.
"There is a rise in enrollment across the
nation," Kar said, "We are beginning to see
a group of students known as 'Baby Boom
IF."
Kar added that in the last year her office
has entered into an aggressive strategy to
attract more and better students. This strategy includes working more closely with
high school counselors to raise the level of
interest in the college.
The rolling admission process at Whit
tier may also be a contributor to the increase. Applications are accepted well into
the summer, with some first year students
having been accepted as late as mid-August.
"California is leading the nation in pushing [admission] deadlines further and further back," Kar said. "The process is getting later and later as people wait for other
aid offers before making their choice."
The larger class initially caused minor
problems for the Offices of Residential
Life and the Dean of Students, and it still
may impact the food service.
As residence space filled over the summer other accommodations had to be made
for some ofthe applicants accepted later in
the admissions cycle. Three rooms in
Stauffer were converted to triple occupancy and the conference room on the first
floor now houses five first year men.
"We are going to make sure we do what
we can for those students while they are
temporarily inconvenienced," Director of
Residential Life Dave Leonard said. "I am
sure that as we start the room change period
we will be able to resolve their situations."
See FIRST YEAR page 4
Will Brings Promise to Whittier
■ PRESIDENT
by Steve Alvarado
QCAsst. News Editor
Katherine Haley Will, former
Provost and Professor of English
at Kenyon College in Gambier,
Ohio, has been selected by officials of Whittier College as the
school's 13 th president.
Will, who was sworn into her
new elected position in a ceremony on May 27, assumed her new
role on July 1. She replaced
James Ash Jr., who announced
September 1998 that he would
step down at the end ofthe 1998-
99 academic year, after a decade
in the position.
"I am very pleased to be here
at Whittier," Will said. "I look
forward to getting to know the
community and working closely
with its students, faculty, administration and trustees."
Will plans to focus on becoming familiar with the campus
community. "I will need to attend
to the internal administration of
the College, but also I will need to
President Katherine Will.
be out raising funds to support our
fine programs," Will said. Will
plans on placing a lot of emphasis
on completing the College's five-
year $70 million capital campaign
called, "Endowing the Tradition."
Will is supported by College
Officials and Board of Trustees.
"Dr. Will's academic leadership
experience, her fund-raising skills
and her commitment to liberal arts
education will all be important
assets to Whittier College as we
enter the next phase of our history," said Chairman of the Board
of Trustees Anthony Pierno '54.
Will is 46 and being the first
woman president for the college
in its 112-year history is monumental. "Being chosen as the president of [the College] is a great
honor and I am conscious that
being the first woman president is
a significant achievement," Will
said. "It's exciting to think of
leading the College into a new
millennium."
"[Will] has great experience
who brings strength and good ideas
to the College," Dean of Students
Susan Allen said. "She is committed to mentoring women and
maximizing their potential."
Concerning the state of the
administration, Will said that an
announcement will be issued
shortly concerning the search committee that has been formed for
the Vice President for Finance
and Administration. Hoang Hau
is currently serving an Interim in
that position which was left by Jo
See PRESIDENT Page 5
Katherine Will Get Personal
A Candid Interview with the New
President
■ INTERVIEW
by Sean Jernigan
QCAsst. News Editor
As the first female presi-
dent in 112 years of Quaker
diversity, President Katherine
Haley Will is guaranteed her
place in Whittier's history. Yet
her focus is not confined to considerations of gender. As she
sits in her office, relaxed and
confident, she mentions that
being ihe first woman is nol Ihe
most important part ofthe job.
"As important as that is to
me, it's not what I want to be
remembered for," Will said, "I
hope to be remembered as a
president who helped the community clarify and affirm its
values, and make Whittier a
stronger place."
President Will is not shy to
come out from behind her title.
She shows a strong willingness
to share the details of her life.
Will's academic career began as an undergraduate at Tufts
University in Boston, MA.
There, she was Editor and Chief
of her college paper and an active participant in campus activities.
Her undergraduate experience was a major force in her
eventual return to a small, private liberal arts college.
"I knew I wanted to live in a
culture like I experienced when
I was an undergrad." President
Will said.
When the topic of the feeling of distrust toward administrators, as evidenced by some of
the protests and actions held last
year is brought up Will listens
patiently. She was a professor
before she was an administrator, teaching at Augustana college where she met her husband
See INTERVIEW Page 5
ISSUE 1 • VOLUME 86