by David Blix ‘70, Faculty Contributor
I was talking over a cup of coffee the other day with some friends about that most mysterious of subjects—how to be a student at Wabash College.  One man (a faculty member) produced a list of rules from his pocket and laid it on the table.  “These work very well,” [...]

Wabash College has an admissions brochure that is famous among prospective and current students. “It won’t be easy,” it says of the Wabash experience, “but it will be worth it.” The mailing, received by hundreds upon hundreds of prospective students each year, is brilliant in its salesmanship.

For those unaware, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Steve Klein and his staff is located in Trippet Hall, on the far north end of campus. For many outsiders, Trippet provides the first glimpse of Wabash, and it is without doubt one of our greatest ambassadors. Beautifully furnished with artwork and stately interior architecture, it greets all visitors to campus, especially visiting prospective students, with a warm handshake and a classic grin, and offers them a splen­did view of our dear campus from wide, spotless windows. Fresh coffee, plush chairs and abundant literature invites guests to sit and relax, and maybe wonder what it might be like to spend a college career on such a serene campus. But a short exploration reveals that this inspiring view is seen only from the front of the building. Down the stairs and towards the back, that view becomes just a vague memory. It’s suddenly clouded out by closed doors, cubicles and drab gray walls that lack personality.

Probably the most publicly visible and most often criticized duty of the student government at Wabash is the dispersal of the vast sums of money allocated from the students each semester via the “Activities Fee”, which, over the course of the year generally adds up to around a half-million dollars. These funds are allocated to the more than fifty clubs recognized by the Student Senate through its Audit and Finance Committee, which must prepare the budget spreadsheets, handle all rela-tive affairs with the Business Office of the College, and operate under the policy guidelines set by the Senate as a whole.