THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 19, 1996 TAG: 9602160007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
In 1969, I enrolled in a very small college in rural Southside Virginia. I can remember once walking out the back door of my dorm and into the woods. I came upon a flock of wild turkeys feeding and froze as I watched in fascination. No Western Civilization classes, no Vietnam, no rock'n'roll, no moon landings could take away from this.
Hampden-Sydney College was unique in its setting as well as its liberal-arts curriculum. It was one of only a few all-male nonmilitary colleges left in the country. The educational experience I received there was first-rate and rewarding. Since then, the single-sex-college offerings have been reduced to a much smaller number.
Today, Hampden-Sydney and Wabash are the only remaining nonmilitary schools in the country to offer this type of educational surrounding.
Since 1776 (a familiar date), the college has been educating young men and sending them out into the world. I won't go into a list of illustrative alumni (all institutions of higher learning have their own), but suffice it to say the college has had its share. I cannot say if single-sex education is right or wrong, but I can say that it is a time-tested tradition at Hampden-Sydney.
Hampden-Sydney College is not a school for everyone. I have seen the school grow from 535 students when I was admitted to just over 900 today. The small size is probably enough to turn off 60 percent of the college bound.
Recently, I sat through a College Admissions Night forum with representatives from different colleges and universities. Their consensus was for our children to find the school with the ``right fit.'' If the single-sex schools are taken away from us, haven't we eliminated a significant option?
The situation at Virginia Military Institute should not be compared to the self-evaluation process going on at Hampden-Sydney. The only similarity is that both schools are currently single-sex institutions. It is also unfair to compare Hampden-Sydney College with Washington & Lee University. W&L is larger and sits within a community of not one but two college campuses. W&L also offers a law school, whereas Hampden-Sydney graduates must go elsewhere for any post-graduate studies. Coeducation has obviously worked well at Washington and Lee, but it was not an easy transition. I have to wonder if the many all-female colleges are wrestling with this same query. The competition for the top student is not new, nor will it be eliminated at Hampden-Sydney by implementing a coed admissions program.
Still, the admission of women to Hampden-Sydney may be the right thing to do. (Look out Sweetbrier, Hollins, et al.). If the college survived the Class of 1973, it can surely survive coeducation. If nothing else, Hampden-Sydney College is a survivor. The only thing is, some of that unique ``Hampden-Sydney experience'' could be lost forever. I sincerely hope the trustees do the right thing for the old school.
CHRIS MORING
Norfolk, Feb. 13, 1996 by CNB