Every school identifies honesty as a core value, but Proctor seems particularly successful at acting on this ethic. (Open forum assemblies four times per week help.) Trustees here for the weekend will have plenty of time to listen to one another speak about fiduciary responsibilities, building projects and capital giving. What they crave, though, is time chatting informally with students, so we set aside Friday evening for this valuable exchange.

This was a no-holds-barred affair, touching on rules changes, peer pressure and academic stress, but a positive tone was set early by Ethan--a ninth grader--who recounted with genuine emotion the power of wilderness orientation, and the manner with which he was accepted into his dormitory.

Patrick--a straight-talking senior from Houston, Texas--had the crowd doubled over with his insights. "Is the workload too severe?" "Well, I had two papers due today, but--hey--you could always choose to go to public school."

"Will the new curfew that denies co-ed dorm visits until 6:15 PM (Mondays-Fridays) make a difference?" "Absolutely." "How about the fact that--starting this year--a disciplary violation stays on your record for your whole career at Proctor?" "Huge difference. It's a wake up call."

When talk of rules & regs prompted Frank Gibney '71 (left, below) to recall some of the draconian measures that governed student life during his time here, Bill Peabody (right) observed that today's codes are ultimately Frank's fault....