I never went to the College’s Day for Admitted Students; I was in Houston visiting Rice University. I returned from my Texan excursion convinced that I wanted to go there, and if it weren’t for my parents’ final say, I think I would have. Admitted students day plays a huge role in a prospective’s decision, but it also creates some anti-College backlash. Considering how much I enjoy being a student of the College, I’m pretty glad I didn’t partake in the festivities, knowing the kind of anti-College backlash it creates.
p. Last year, students passed out flyers titled “The Top 10 [or 5, I don’t remember] Facts Your Tour Guide Won’t Tell You.” The flier was about free speech (ironic, since nobody took away the right to give out said flyers), how much Williamsburg hates the College and maybe something about Greek life just to round out the pack. The outcome in the student panels, however, was quite positive, thanks in most part to the honesty and candidness of the panelists there.
p. This year in Wawa I heard an alumnus tell a prospective the “real deal” about the College. Personally, I couldn’t care less if the prospective even accepted the admissions offer, as he was bragging to me about how often he ’shrooms and how totally awesome acid is. Just what we need — another socially retarded bragger-type. But as someone committed to the success of my alma mater, I said, what the heck, even the lamest of prospective deserves a fair look at campus.
p. Mainly, I’m befuddled by the need to tell people to stay away. Discouraging students to come via drunken Wawa rants only harms the progression of the school into something better. There’s no way for students to affect the College if they’re somewhere else. Additionally, Mr. Alumnus, what on Earth makes you think you’re so cool as to be hanging out in Wawa on admitted students weekend … alone … and striking up conversations with innocent (read: not interested) bystanders.
p. I think this all feeds into the anti-tour guide sentiment some students on campus have. As a biased tour guide and lover of the campus (I am a lover in the sense that in a real relationship there is a give and take dynamic, and not everything will be perfect), I am clearly very proud of the school. Tour guides are not crazy, lying pushers as some people suspect.
p. Tour guides often use each other’s anecdotes, jokes and stories. Each guide has a flavor and appeal to a different person but we are all unified as representatives of the College. Unlike at some other schools, the guides here are all volunteers, so there is absolutely no reason why students who weren’t genuine would get up and try to seduce students into attending a place they hated.
When I did my overnight at Washington and Lee, my student host was both a volunteer and utterly miserable. She told me so on multiple occasions. Actually, she told me not to go there at all. The trip, needless to say, was a disaster, but as it was a scholarship competition, I had to stick it out and pretend that I a wanted to go when, in reality, I called my mom crying and pleaded with her not to make me, even if I got a full ride.
p. I think that girl should never have agreed to host me. I think that girl probably should have transferred. The alum in Wawa never should have talked to me. I think, perhaps, that during these crucial decisions-making times, students should understand that the best way to make a change on campus is to infuse it with fresh blood. Then everyone can bitch to them once they’re here.
p. __Charlotte Savino is a Confusion Corner columnist for The Flat Hat. She had generous offers from some of the country’s most prestigious private universities.__