U. showing off for prospectives

Thousands of prospective students are expected to pass through Houston Hall's Bodek Lounge between now and the end of April as high school seniors decide if the University is the place for them. About 120 prospectives and their family members travelled from all over the United States and even overseas to attend the beginning of Locust Weeks yesterday. The admissions office has planned such daily events as a presentation of student performing arts groups and student and administrator discussions of their impressions of the University. And Kite and Key Society ambassadors greeted prospective students and their parents in the lounge while their tour guides led residential tours throughout the day. "The admissions office has done its job accepting people," College junior and Kite and Key board member Debbie Algazy said. "Now it's up to us to sell the school to high school seniors." Most of the high school seniors said they liked the University campus which buzzed with activity in yesterday's fair weather. "It had a real sense of energy," said pre-freshman Mimi Lien from Connecticut, who perceived the University as a "laid back, easy-going, social, friendly type of place." Ije Ude who hails from Nigeria and attends school in England seemed to have gotten a similar impression. "It's what I picture college to be," Ude said. And prospective student Adam Petrick from New Jersey said he liked the campus-in-a-city atmosphere. "It's really nice to see a campus setting in the middle of a city," Petrick said. He said he was surprised to see "stereotypical campus life . . . in a city school." While some prospective students thought the University was a diverse community, others said they received a different impression. "It doesn't seem like there's just one type of person here," said high school senior Chris Owens from Delaware. "It's pretty conservative here," said prospective student Nate Mordo from Washington D.C. He added that he perceived University students to be "uptight and preppy." Pre-freshman Arthur Kaseman who was also from Washington D.C. agreed. "Everyone seems to dress the same," Kaseman said.