The numbers are up and Mills is entering a second promising year. President Holmgren’s goal of a steady rise in the number of students is making its mark. This year’s number of incoming students is up by 4 percent.
The increase is a good sign for Mills because it shows that there are women who believe that a single sex institution is a place where they can strengthen their views without the distraction of their male counterparts. The benefit of having a larger student body is that Mills will become more active. More bodies means more students in clubs. There are many clubs on campus that would draw students to take part in them. Mills offers clubs such as MEOW which deals with environmental issues. Or students could join the Femme Dems, the democratic club. Students could even join the famous Cheese club and share their experiences and expertise on cheeses. Student life will only improve.
There will also be more participation. Even a slight increase in the number of students involved in an individual club would make a dramatic change. Whether the students are far away from home or simply interested in a hobby or a specific issue, students will find them in any of our campus activities. The increase also means more voices. With a larger number of students, the student body will have a better advantage of having their voices heard regarding specific concerns or issues. More students would also mean more voices to listen to. We are a liberal arts college that promotes all points of views.
But most importantly, the rise in students reveals that many women value high quality academics in a small campus setting. Many students see how promising Mills is because it focuses on challenging the minds of women. Mills is a place where women are instructed in intimate settings of small classes. Discussions with professors take place five feet from the students as opposed to state universities, where a screen is sometimes required to see professors. Mills offers closer professor and student relationships and small classes.
There is a growing number of women with the desire to further their educations at an all women’s college and it shows in our numbers.
