Here Comes the Class of 2007
With dean of admission and financial aid Robin Mamlet sending out the remaining 1,653 offers of admission in late March, the 597 members of the Class of 2007 admitted by early decision now have a sense of who their classmates will be. For the second straight year, more than half of those admitted are members of minority groups. Also up are the number of countries from which students hail (60-plus), the number of high schools represented (1,344) and the percentage of students from California (nearly 40). About the only thing down: percentage of applicants accepted, which dropped to 12.1.
For Commencement Speaker, Peru’s President
When Alejandro Toledo was elected president of Peru in 2001, it marked the culmination of his rise from poverty to become his homeland’s first leader of Indian descent. His story caught the attention of the Class of 2003 presidents, who recommended him as a top choice for Commencement speaker to University President John Hennessy. Toledo, MA ’72, MA ’74, PhD ’93, will take the podium at Stanford Stadium on June 15. “The choice of President Toledo at a time when international events are at such a critical juncture will set the stage for an important and meaningful address,” Hennessy says.
Relocating Students to Prepare for SARS
At press time, no one in the Stanford community had been diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. But that hasn’t stopped the disease from affecting the eight undergraduates living in the Governor’s Corner cottages near Lake Lagunita. In early April, the students were relocated so the cottages could be used as isolation units for SARS patients. Stanford took the precautionary action after officials in Santa Clara County—which has seven suspected SARS cases—requested increased vigilance from the medical community. The students, who were initially notified by e-mail and were given eight days to move, expressed frustration to administrators. But their predicament, unlike SARS, may have a cure: the University will consider giving each one an extra preferred year in the housing draw.
Toyon Bids Farewell to Its RF
Toyon Hall residents mourned the loss of their resident fellow, Rolf Faste, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and the director of the product design program, who died of esophageal cancer March 6 at 59. “Rolf taught us how to drive stick shift, to build model yachts, to draw stick figures, to unlock the magic of brain gym, to map minds,” wrote Toyon resident assistant Payal Dalal, ’03, in the Stanford Daily. “He relentlessly protected our right to throw campus parties and bought the dorm every available kind of chocolate during finals week.” An obituary will appear in the next issue of Stanford.
