Summertime, Summertime,
Sum-, Sum-, Summertime

The gears continue to turn at full speed on this campus. Continuing Education and Graduate School classes, Freshmen/Parent Orientation, Alumni Reunion, children's sports, and recreation camps, W.I.S.E. Brown Bag programs- there's something for everyone! The maintenance crews are readying the students' rooms and apartments for their return, and we all eagerly await a wonderful, large, academically strong freshmen class-the Class of '03!
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions has reported that the numbers for the Class of 2003 are in and they look very strong, indeed! With 621 confirmed students, the class is one of the largest and brightest in the almost 100-year history of the College. Almost 70 percent ranked in the top 2/5ths of their class (30 percent in the top 1/5th!). Fifty-one freshmen served as class officers-six of them, class presidents. One hundred and thirty-four were sports-team captains, and there are several Eagle Scouts and Jr. ROTC members among them. The top four majors chosen were Business, Communications, Elementary Education, and Psychology. (One third of the class is currently undecided.) As a group, they are impressive with their commitment to community service. Many of them have volunteered to help those in need and want to continue this involvement on the college level.
The students come from 15 states as well as from Bermuda, Turkey, Poland, England and Israel, including a young man from Korea whose father is an alum. Many of these new students cited the recommendations by alumni as an important reason for their interest in the College. We appreciate alumni help in recruiting students, and always welcome their input and suggestions as to how we can attract even more excellent students to Assumption. Please join us in celebrating our enrollment successes, and we hope you will continue to support our efforts in the future.
And summer for our illustrious upperclassmen? Some stay on campus to prepare for their fall leadership roles as student government officers, or work in offices and take courses at night. The chorale traveled to sing for people in Austria, Hungary, and Poland. And three mission groups went with our clergy and some professors and staff to various places in the world to assist others (and, inevitably, learn more about themselves). Others went home to work, and to unwind from the rigors of academic life.
As editor, I'm always in the midst of planning, listening, and thinking in words and pictures of how to best tell you, symbolically, what we are learning, achieving, and contributing at Assumption as we evolve. I hope you enjoy the stories you will see in this issue's pictures-an astute and involved president being inaugurated; proud students being graduated; new students getting acquainted; alumni getting re-acquainted; achievers receiving honors; and re-creation-be it spiritual or through our sports programs. We really are a well-rounded, striving, thriving, supportive, and active micro-community-Learning. Achieving. And Contributing. We just do it, all year.
Remember to check the Web site (www.assumption.edu), often.

Nancy McBride
The Editor
(ACMag@assumption.edu)