Earlier this fall, when approximately 80 prospective Washington students and their parents signed up for the first of three "Preview Weekends," they never guessed that their campus visit would put them in the middle of an international event like the first presidential debate.
Sponsored by the Student Admission Commission (SAC), Preview Weekend provides an opportunity for high school students and their parents to investigate and experience Washington University. The event includes campus tours, informational meetings, presentations by academic deans, overnight visits with current students and other special activities.
"It's impressive that the University hosted the debate and was still able to carry off this orientation as effectively as it has," said Sharon Charlip of San Antonio. She is the mother of prospective student Lauren Charlip. "There was no disruption of what they had planned for us. I think other institutions should take a leaf out of Washington University's book on how a weekend like this is done."
In addition to the regularly scheduled events, the weekend included a private screening of the debate on a large screen in Simon Hall's May Auditorium. Immediately before the debate, James W. Davis, Ph.D., professor of political science, presented the audience with a checklist of things to watch for during the debate. Following the debate, Davis, along with Gary J. Miller, Ph.D., the Reuben C. Jr. and Anne Carpenter Taylor Professor of Political Economy, held a discussion with members of the audience.
"This has been the most incredible experience," said Shelley Samuel of Chicago, whose daughter, Cindy, is trying to choose between Washington and the University of Rochester. "The electricity is incredible. Any time you can get this close and see what's going on, it's exciting."
Cindy's father, Ralph Samuel, has definite ideas where he would like his daughter to go to college. Ralph received a bachelor's degree in engineering in 1964 and a master's degree in business administration in 1967, both from Washington University.
"I have tremendous pride in Washington University tonight," Ralph Samuel said. "[Having the debate here] has strengthened the University in the national eye. But the whole weekend has been very positive. The weekend was a well-orchestrated, thorough introduction to the campus. I've always had a great respect for the University, and now I feel a sense of pride that our daughter feels the same way."
Stuart Marcus came to Washington University from Tampa, Fla., with his son, Aarrun, a prospective architecture student who has narrowed his college choices to Washington, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie-Mellon, and the University of Southern Florida's honors college, New College.
"He's an articulate, bright young man, so I'm fighting the urge to push him in one direction or another," said the elder Marcus. "But he's very impressed with the faculty here, and the debate has created additional excitement and interest for him. He's spending the night with a current student, and that might influence him even more than the debate."
Despite the hectic pace of campus life just prior to the debate, Harold M. Wingood, dean of undergraduate admission, said he believes that the weekend was an overwhelming success.
"The only thing we tried to do was not lose sight of the fact that their experience -- irrespective of the debate -- had to be a good one," he said. "I think we did a very good job at that."
If reaction to the debate is any indication, Wingood and his staff accomplished what they set out to do. For in the basement of Simon Hall, the largest rounds of applause went not to Bush, Clinton or Perot. Instead, the crowd erupted into spontaneous cheers whenever Washington University was mentioned.
"I'd like to go here," said Heather Fayhee of Paris, Ill., who is currently weighing Washington against Purdue University and the University of Illinois. "I'm definitely leaning toward Washington University."