ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, August 23, 1996 TAG: 9608230066
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: STAUNTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
38 CADETS return as sophomores, defending the special virtues of the school.
The Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership, set up to offer women a chance to attend a military school without letting them into Virginia Military Institute, has welcomed its second freshman class.
Despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that VMI must either admit women or give up its state funding, VWIL is still an attractive option, incoming students said Wednesday as they lined up for registration.
``I really like the opportunity they provide that is so different for women,'' said freshman Katheryn McCormack. ``From what I hear, it's a good program, and I think it's going to help us build confidence. It's just going to make us stronger.''
While VMI ponders whether to open its doors and 157-year-old traditions to women, the 38 cadets who have already gone through VWIL's first year defended their school.
``It wasn't supposed to be the same [as VMI]; it was supposed to be different, but with the same goal of turning out citizen-soldiers,'' said sophomore Melissa McNamara of Vienna.
The program at Mary Baldwin College includes military instruction, strict academic structure and physical training. It is underwritten by about $750,000 donated by the private VMI Foundation and a legislative per-student subsidy that will reach $7,400 for each Virginia student next fall.
Foundation funding of about $22,000 a month will continue for the incoming class of 2000, college officials say. In addition, Mary Baldwin awards scholarships of varying size to many students to offset the $19,755 tuition.
While McCormack and other VWIL freshmen were registering, about an hour's drive away, first-year cadets at VMI were being screamed at by upperclassmen in what could be the college's last all-male ``rat line'' initiation.
The VWIL sophomores will get their own chance to bring freshmen into line.
``I don't know what it's going to be like,'' said Natalie Weatherburn of Norfolk. ``The sophomores like to say that they've never had anyone to pick on them. Now we do.''
While this class is the first to enter without the VMI case hanging over its head, the sophomores are still breaking new ground.
``Last year was tough,'' said Trimble Bailey of Roanoke, company commander. ``We were trying to establish rank and were just learning where we wanted this program to go.''
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