Program attracts more freshmen

By Laura Pelner
Campus Editor

There will be more than 3,500 students on campus on Aug. 12, a week before the fall semester starts.

These students will be on campus for Boiler Gold Rush, the freshman orientation program that will start it's eighth year in August.

"I think the school pride is unbelievable at Purdue," said Patti Dulik, the coordinator for Boiler Gold Rush in the Office of Admissions. "Purdue students love their school so much. They are eager to help other people who are new to the campus have a good experience."

Dulik said the Gold Rush will be bigger than ever this year. "Back in the fall of '99 we were taking 2,600 freshmen, last year we were going to take 2,800, but because the interest was so high among incoming students we decided to take 3,100," said Dulik.

"This year we're taking 3,150 people," she said. "We would love to take more but we're not able to because we don't have the space."

In addition to the higher number of freshmen attending, there are also more Boiler Gold Rush team leaders. "We had over 500 applications," said Dulik. "That's really cool. Nobody in the U.S. has 500 people volunteering to give up several hours to volunteer to orient freshmen to campus."

Tauna Starbuck, the director of Boiler Gold Rush and a junior in the School of Science, said that out of the more than 500 team leader applicants, 380 will be chosen.

Dulik said, "We've got a really selective program going. We're turning away more than 100 people this year."

Both Dulik and Starbuck said they wish Boiler Gold Rush could take everyone who wants to attend the program. "If you want to come to freshman orientation, you should be able to," said Dulik.

She said that because of the size of the staff and the logistics of bringing so many people to campus, it gets difficult.

"We're looking to develop a plan over the next year to allow us to accommodate (more) people," said Dulik. "Our goal is to let as many people that want to come to this program (attend it)."

Dulik said the program is getting too big and that with the new plan she hopes it could accommodate 4,000 new students.

Starbuck said, "I think it's great (that the program is expanding). It will be good for the program. It will help every new incoming student, especially since we have international students too."

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Campus editor: Laura Pelner

Assistant campus editors: Kurt Esposito, Dave Stephens

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