CF Close to Choosing Bookstore

Tuesday's College Faculty meeting opened with lively announcements regarding the vacant Co-op bookstore and prestigious award-winners among the student body.

In regards to the bookstore, the two finalists hoping to assume managerial control of the currently empty space presented their proposals to the bookstore committee. The College expects to have an operating bookstore by the end of the year.

Professor of Chemistry Norm Craig then updated faculty on the Goldwater Scholarship Program, a merit competition awarding one or two year grants to outstanding science majors. For the first time, Oberlin has three such scholars: juniors Michael Cardiff and David Oertel and senior Mark Kramer. Junior Daniel Kimmel received an honorable mention.

President of the College Nancy Dye then proudly announced that three Oberlin students have received Watson fellowships this year. "This is the first time in a several years that Oberlin has received three Watsons in one year," she said. Wellesley College was the only other school with three Watson recipients this year.

Concluding the opening announcements, Dean of the College Clayton Koppes announced that this has been a bumper year for hiring new faculty, as 16 tenure-track faculty have been hired.

Director of Admissions Debra Chermonte and Senior Associate Director of Admissions Paul Marthers proceeded to present an admissions summary for the class of 2004. This year has produced a large crop of prospective students, as the college received 4,180 applicants, the second all-time highest number ever. 1,998 were accepted, producing the desirable acceptance rate of 47.5 percent. The Conservatory likewise yielded a second all-time high with 1,110 total applicants and an acceptance rate of 28.7 percent.

Chermonte and Marthers said that All Roads Lead to Oberlin will last for the entire month of April, and that as many as 1,000 of these accepted students and their parents may descend on campus. When asked about scholar-athletes, Marthers reported that three valedictorian, football playing, Ohioans have shown interest in attending Oberlin.

Associate Vice President and Campaign Director John Hays then presented a report on Oberlin's Capital Campaign. The campaign is ahead of schedule, having already garnered $89.5 million, with $75.5 million left to raise with over half of the campaign remaining. Professor of Economics Robert Piron inquired about the single largest gift thus far, and Dye replied that one anonymous donor gave $11.5 million last year doing likewise this year. "He's a very nice man," Dye quipped, eliciting faculty chuckles.

The meeting concluded with a report from Professor of Biology David Benzing regarding the activities of the College Faculty Council Committee, which has scheduled 10 Saturday discussion groups to receive input from faculty, with the long term goal of addressing their concerns and improving faculty members' professional lives.