A single-sex college is now a rare thing in this country. Indeed, there are only three men's colleges left in the nation, Wabash College being one of them, along with Hampden-Sydney College and Morehouse College, the latter being, by all intent and purposes, an HBC (historically black college) institution.
There are more women's colleges, with Smith College and Sweet Briar College to name the most reputable among them.
The history of American colleges in general, particularly concerning colleges that once accepted only men, is inherently rooted in discrimination. In the time before they were seen as modern contributors in society with just as much working potential as men, it was once unthinkable for women to attend a college or a university.
That was begun to be changed when Oberlin College was founded in 1835 as one of the first coeducational institutions in the country. From that point, it became less and less acceptable for institutions to justify and consist of a single-sex demographic.
Many of these institutions changed because of the trend. Some transitioned because of necessity. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, one of the top engineering-based colleges in the U.S., became co-educational in 1991 after it recognized that more and more women were entering into those technical fields. It was sensibly found that remaining an all-male institution was no longer viable.
It is necessary to note that Rose-Hulman transitioned with full transparency and the blessing of the students, faculty, and administration together.
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When my mother brought up the prospect of me becoming attending Wabash College, I said almost instantly and harshly, "No. I am not going to a school where there's only guys." In my mind, the very demographic went against everything that I understood from public school, where there were indeed girls who I felt were smarter than me.
The very idea of a single-sex college was closed-minded to me.
Soon, when the denial letters came in from both Davidson College and especially Kenyon College, I felt like I was beaten up. I thought that my writing talents would sit well in Gambier, OH, but it didn't come to fruition.
Reading the letters while we were vacationing in Kitty Hawk, I realized my only choice was between Wabash and Hanover. DePauw was out of the question, and they had no mind to give me any financial assistance. I ended up, with reservations, at least giving my future alma mater a chance.
Fast forward to Honor Scholar Weekend 2013. I had previously visited Wabash for Top 10% Day and had already had a feel for the environment that I would eventually call home.
I was enamored by the faculty that I met, and was comforted by how close everything (and everyone) seemed to be.
The place seemed special, totally unique, despite it being all-male. It didn't matter. I found that I became endeared to the place by those I interacted with and by my future classmates.
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Wabash is the institution it is because of elements grounded in the liberal arts tradition. I firmly believe that and have believed it ever since the moment I was rung in as a member of the Class of 2017. As a senior, I have had a lot of time to reflect on what makes Wabash so special as a liberal arts college.
The Brotherhood promotes and encourages close relationships with faculty, staff, and peers. The Gentleman's Rule is what should keeps us grounded in our daily activities while as students and as graduates:
“The student is expected to conduct himself at all times, both on and off campus, as a gentleman and a responsible citizen.”
The Gentleman's Rule has a simple but deeply individual meaning. It symbolizes what the College is founded upon in being all-male. Many don't get why it guides everything we do because it is so open.
Wabash has no rulebook. It just demands sensibility, humility, and gentlemanly behavior towards everyone and every task that we encounter. And we are look out for each other.
At first, I thought that the Gentleman's Rule was a clincher in the dog and pony show we thought we saw with every speech given by Dean Raters '85 and then-President Patrick White. They emphasized so much about a Wabash Man's maturity and excellence with what seemed the same dribble as at other institutions, I didn't know how to decipher it at a men's college. My dad, a Butler pharmacy school graduate, certainly didn't get it.
But my mom got it. I think that the Gentleman's Rule reminded her of the principles that grounded her very own undergraduate single-sex education at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College.
She understood the environment. She understood the traditions. She understood what Wabash College could give me in return for my efforts.
I credit her understanding to my finally not just "getting it," but accepting Wabash as a place where I could grow.
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The growth of all of the men who come through Wabash is worth the effort at preserving what we aim to do best here. We have no need to grow over a thousand students. This only stifles a student's ability to have positive relationships within their residences and in the classroom. The student-to-faculty ratio is a unique element that is seen in few other institutions across the country.
If the intent is to have Wabash grow beyond its current accessible campus, that's fine. We just have to be prepared for the prospect of having non-stop projects to accommodate our students. DePauw has been at if for the last four years. I have seen it as their neighbor, the administration should recognize it as what we don't want to be.
Also, there tends to be a problem with retention when tuition is boosted every calendar year, with little to show where it goes beyond just feeding those endless projects. It isn't a population issue, it is a money issue, while also being an issue of administrative intent.
The liberal arts educations is never all about the money or the intent to build beyond means.
I bring these criticisms up because they are the focus of an administration that, from a senior's perspective, has seemed out of touch with what has made the College so great. I want nothing but the best circumstances at retaining Wabash College as the liberal arts that is envied for its connections, its strong curriculum, and its students living the Rule, everyday.
It is also time that we promote and protect the idea of the single-sex college that we all embraced. St. Mary-of-the-Woods has lost its way with becoming co-educational, with the seeming indifference from many Wabash Men.
It's time that we come to help Woods Women defeat the regime of President Dottie King, and see that they build their curriculum to par with Wabash.
We hold an inherent connection with them, and we hold the similar tradition that sets both apart. Our foundations encourage difference making, critical thought, and effective leadership for the betterment of our communities.
That was the vision of St. Mother ThéodoreGuérin; and it was the vision of the Presbyterian ministers who knelt in the snow in the fall of 1832. And it is a vision that we are called to honor.
