ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 27, 1996 TAG: 9606270034
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: STAUNTON
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
Kim Bond debated Wednesday whether to put on her dress whites before addressing a throng of news reporters who were waiting for reaction from the lone Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership cadet on the Mary Baldwin College campus.
She opted not to. And, in a way, her decision demonstrated the apparent ease with which the college responded to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that VWIL, designed as an alternative to admitting women to the all-male, state-supported Virginia Military Institute, was not VMI's equivalent.
There was no hustle and bustle on the near-empty campus, aside from the college print shop, where two mammoth copiers cranked out 235 copies of the court's 81-page decision.
But the disappointment was evident, more in the court's finding that VWIL didn't equal the VMI experience than in the program's uncertain future.
"We would all have wanted to have, from the highest authorities in the land, affirmation of our program," said Brenda Bryant, who was hired last year to direct the VWIL program. "I would love to have had that."
Bryant said the high court made some points of comparison that she found incorrect.
"They talk about physical rigor and they say that VWIL could never have physical rigor as VMI," she said. "Well why couldn't we? What's it about this college that makes it impossible to have physical rigor? We require [VWIL cadets] to work out more than the guys do.
"And they talk about stress. Well, this isn't stress-free. If you ask VWIL students, they would definitely tell you that it is exceedingly stressful."
Bond, a Radford resident and VWIL company commander during the 1995-96 academic year, called nearly all of her 35 fellow cadets Wednesday. She said the entire corps had hoped for a different decision.
"But we're not going to let it affect the goals we all had," she said. "None of us came here in an effort to save VMI. We all came here for the leadership opportunities that it offered."
As for the program's future, no one dared to speculate.
Mary Baldwin President Cynthia Tyson refused to comment on the implications of the court's ruling for the college and VWIL.
"We shall give these matters our close attention in the coming months," she said at a news conference. "I have said we are going to be considering the evolution and development of the program in the months ahead and I cannot say more than that at this time."
The college's Board of Trustees - its chief policy-making body - will hold an executive committee meeting in July. The board's next full meeting is scheduled for October.
"We're certainly looking to various eventualities," said Crista Cabe, the college's spokeswoman. "It will take us a while to figure out where we are now, to figure out which fork in the road to go down."
VWIL students' education is underwritten by about $750,000 donated thus far by the private VMI Foundation and a legislative per-student subsidy that will reach $7,400 for each Virginia student next fall.
VMI has committed to giving Mary Baldwin 5 percent income from a $5.4 million endowment until the incoming freshman cadets graduate in four years.
But Cabe said the college will lose $500,000 pledged by the foundation for capital expenses. That money was contingent upon a favorable court ruling, she said.
Tyson declined to comment on the possibility of the college's launching a fund-raising campaign to secure VWIL's financial footing. Cabe said the college has received private contributions for VWIL in the past, but nothing substantial.
"I think from the very beginning there have been people both connected with Mary Baldwin and not connected with Mary Baldwin who sent us a check and said 'This is for VWIL','" she said. "But in terms of significant gifts specifically, recently? No."
Trimble Bailey, a VWIL cadet from Roanoke and company commander for the 1996-97 academic year, said Wednesday that she was glad the ruling was out after weeks of waiting.
But Bailey, 18, said she was disappointed.
"I never wanted to go to VMI," she said. It's not something I considered, not something I looked at. I looked at VWIL for VWIL. I think a lot of people have failed to see that.
"A big argument was there was no tradition. But you haven't given us time. You need time before you can start a tradition. When VMI started there was no tradition. It takes time to establish your own."
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Cindy Pinkston. 1. Cynthia Tyson, president of Maryby CNBBaldwin College, answers questions from reporters about the future
of VWIL Wednesday afternoon. Cadet Kim Bond is at left. 2.
(headshot) Bryant. 3. File/May 1996. Trimble Bailey of Roanoke is
shown at the VWIL dress parade May 19 at Mary Baldwin.