MONT^T
COLLEGE
ALETHEIA
Volume XXXI, Number 4
Montreal College
31 October 1997
Dean Lankford revamps admissions procedure
Staff promises high 1998 recruitment
By Heather Conroy
Admissions hoped to bring in
at least 150 new students this
year, but the department fell
short of their goal by 56; only 94
new students arrived in August.
“I guarantee (student enroll
ment) will go up next year,” prom
ised Lisa Lankford, the new Dean
of Financial Aid and Admis
sions.
According to Lankford, of the
94 new students, two have quit.
After meeting only 62% of the
goal, Lankford says, “We’ve had
a decline for the past several
years. A lot of independent
schools have experienced a drop
in enrollment.” Lankford added,
“We’ve made many changes and
re-built the admissions office and
updated our marketing strategy.”
Admission renovations in
clude improved literature to at
tract prospective students, in
creasing focus on counties and
states touching Montreat and
paying more attention to public
school systems for recruitment.
The efforts are already paying
off; the admissions office has
already met November’s recruit
ment goal.
Lankford was recently pro
moted to spearhead both the Fi
nancial Aid and Admissions de
partments, which, until this year,
were directed separately. The
change means that teamwork and
communication are essential in
both areas.
Many see the combination
positively. Freshman work study
Leah Yarbrough commented on
the merger of these two depart
ments, “I think its great. Every
one works well together. Team
work is important.” Gigi Bartlett
agrees, “It makes more sense to
put them together. In order to
go here, most people need finan
cial aid. It makes things a lot
easier on new students.”
Most students have passed
through the Financial Aid office,
because 97% of the student
body receive financial aid. Last
year the average amount of aid
was $7700 per person.
photo by Mindy CUnard
(L,R) Adam Johnson, Stephanie Italiano and Tim Partlow
enjoy one of the last short-sleeve afternoons outside Belk.
Spirit Express to play exhibition
By Jeremy Isaac Witteveen
The Spirit Express basketball
team will play the Cavs tonight
in an exhibition match at 7 p.m.
The Spirit Express is a tour
ing, Christian Basketball team.
Based out of Memphis, TN,
the team’s purpose is to use this
ready made platform of athletic
in Jesus Christ.
Since its beginning. Spirit Ex
press has competed against
some of the finest college pro
grams in the country, winning
approximately 75 percent of their
games. Victories come over such
teams as Arkansas, Virginia
Tech, New Orleans and Tennes-
competition to share their faith see.
Board of Trustees discuss college future
Discussion to improve campus facilities, new sports complex
By Shayla Ghiotto
Thursday and Friday of last
week the Board of Trustees held
individual and joint committee
meetings to find out how the
college is doing, and how it could
improve. Some topics of discus
sion were - a need for an im
proved sports center complex,
better facilities for sports trainer
Ben Cook, dorm renovations and
how to increase student popula
tion.
The trustees, who meet twice
a year, are friends of the college,
alumni, and business persons,
who have heard about the col
lege and are interested in its
WAABHl»Ti!
progress. They support the col
lege through donations of time,
money, advice, to the college.
Chairman of the Board of Trust
ees Dr. Howard Edington said,
“It is not where the college has
been, but where we are going
from here, and how to create a
community of learning and faith
attractive to the world outside.”
SGA President Tim Partlow
attended many of the meetings
and said “I thought the trustees
seemed to have a genuine con
cern for the students.”
A major concern repeated at
many subcommittee meetings
was the need for new or reno
vated facilities. The trustees want
to make that happen.
Barbara Johnston, Chairman
of the Student Development
committee, said “I was Impressed
by the quality of spirituality, and
the sense of community among
staff and students, we are grate
ful to God, and feel it is a result
of the quality of students.”
Sam Simpkins, student repre
sentative at a tliree hour Finan
cial Committee meeting said, “I
was able to learn a lot about how
the school works and the diffi
culty involved in delegating
money.”
Lankford set up a question
and answer session the first
week in September. “Not a suigle
person showed up. It was dis
appointing.” However, she is
arranging another session to
give students with concerns,
comments, or questions a chance
to listen and be heard in Decem
ber.
Lien,Y.A.C.H.T.
serve Asheville
homeless
By Tricia Sissine
Last Thursday, 25 members of
the group Youth Against Com
placency in Homelessness To
day (Y.A.C.H.T.) gave more than
three hours of their time to serve
the homeless. The group serves
dinner and talks to the people at
The Rescue Mission in down
town Asheville.
The Y.A.C.H.T group, which
started only a few weeks ago by
transfer Ali Lien, works weekly
with The Rescue Mission, a or
ganization serving homeless un
dergoing rehab treatment. Their
main focus is not to preach, but
to listen and to be friends the
people. “It is all about building
relationships,” commented
Freshman Erik Webb..
The mission of Y.A.C.H.T. is
to “Serve the Least of These,”
according Lien. The group gath
ers Thursdays at 3 p.m. to pray,
then they go to the Rescue Mis
sion and work there until about
6:30 p.m.
The last time they went, the
group was so big they split up.
Some of the group went out into
Asheville and spoke to people
out on the street, while others
served dinner. “We try not to
preach to them. We just want to
listen to them, and be there for
them,” Lien stated about talking
to the people in Asheville.
In Mid-November the group
will be collecting blankets, cloth
ing, and as many Bibles as they
can get, to give to the homeless
people in the area.
Emily Willis said, “I loved it, I
did not want to stop. It made me
want to quit school and keep
doing this.”