AURORA - A year after announcing the decision to turn Wells College into a co-ed institution, the school already has its first male class officer.

Oren Robinson, of South Onondaga, is the Wells College freshman class president. The salutatorian of his class in high school, Robinson ran against two women and another man for the position in September.

There was no real campaigning for the annual position; the nominees just posted their picture and basic information on the campus Web site and in the dining hall. Students then got to vote online for this year's officers.

”I had experience, and I like getting involved,“ Robinson said. ”I just thought I could make a difference, and now I think I can.“

For the last week, Robinson has been busy planning the freshman-sponsored Halloween hayride. He is also involved in this year's Wells theater production, the Henry VIII a capella group, the jazz band and the college's recorder consort.

While Robinson has been embraced by his fellow classmates, not everyone is happy to see a male student rise to power so quickly.

”All studies and research show that males will dominate positions of leadership, even when they are a tiny minority of the whole,“ said Karin Wikoff, a 1986 Wells graduate and the Electronic Resources Librarian at Ithaca College. ”That is one of the biggest reasons we alums wanted Wells to remain single-sex. Women don't even realize how their shot at power is co-opted out from under them.“

Wikoff was among the alumnae who protested the decision to turn the traditionally all-women's college into a co-ed school last October. Wells officials stood by their decision, saying they were taking necessary measures to ensure the college's livelihood. Since the college opened its doors to men, it has seen a significant increase in enrollment, said college vice president Ann Rollo, but that is not enough to make all former Wells students feel at ease.

As an undergraduate at Wells, Betsy Truax served on the community court and gave the student address at the spring convocation in 1996, two activities she said she would not have tried for if Wells had been a co-ed institution.

”The thing about a women's college is that all leadership positions must be filled by women - there is no other choice but to rise to the occasion,“ Truax said. ”Now that Wells is co-ed, that is not longer the case.“

Robinson is the only male serving on the freshman board and does not feel his presence will take anything away from the women of Wells.

”I don't think this election was about gender,“ Robinson said. ”Wells is fostering women leadership all the time; however, gender should not be a qualification.“

Staff writer Ashley Lipsky can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 235

or ashley.lipsky@lee.net