New Dean of Students named Willie London is making big plays in the lives of the Lions. From new dress code rules to the infamous no phone policy, life on campus will be quite different.
London agreed to an interview about these issues and here are the main takeaways.
Mikkelson: “What do you want the Lions to know about you as the new Dean?”
London: ”I want them to know that I am fun, loving, and disciplined. I love the routine of life, it makes things fun for me. I love working with the students.”
Mikkelson: “Do you have any interests outside of school?”
London: “I golf nonstop. I love rap and hip hop. My favorite artists are Jay-Z and 2Pac.
Mikkelson: “What drew you to become Bellarmine’s new Dean?”
London: “I’ve been in education for a while, and teaching in the classroom—I love it— but I only get to work with a small portion of the student population. The dean role lets me work with the entire student body. I love working with different personalities. I love learning what makes them tick. I want to help them along their path.
Mikkelson: “What motivates you to succeed in your everyday life?”
London: “What motivates me to succeed is watching other people progress. In my lifetime I feel like I’ve achieved way more than I ever thought I could. A poor kid from Louisiana, there weren’t a lot of expectations from me, and to be here at Bellarmine is icing on my life so everything is just a blessing.”
Mikkelson: “What do you want to come out of your first year at Bellarmine?”
London: “I want the students to understand that setting a standard and adhering to that standard because it’s not going to drop. So that standard is knowing what’s expected of them. My first year that I think is successful is to have kids at the end of the year go ‘you know what, that was a fun year even though we lost we didn’t have our cell phones. We didn’t really miss it.’ Because bringing back that student interaction I think is much more important than trying to send a message to them when you can just talk to them.”
Mikkelson: “What’s the biggest challenge you faced from the student body so far, if any?”
London: “The biggest challenge is getting them used to a new personality and some new rules. The students seem to have adjusted really well and I’m really proud of them. I think they’re just gonna get better and better.”
Mikkelson: “Can you tell me a little bit about the new cellphone policy and why Bellarmine as a whole is cracking down on it?”
London: “It’s not just a Bellarmine thing, this will be nationwide because we realized what the data says about how harmful cellphones are. We’re only slightly ahead of the curve. Other schools have implemented these policies. Come next year every school is going to have a similar policy.”
Mikkelson: ”Do you see the policy evolving in the future?”
London: “I want to keep it the same. It seems to be going pretty well, and I don’t see any need to change it.
Mikkelson: “How do you see the new dress code affecting students, and how do you see it changing at all in the future?”
London: “I don’t see it affecting them at all. As of next year, there will be some evolution of it. The policy will be cleaned up due to the gray areas surrounding it. Next year I can see the dress code being simplified so that you can tell what is and isn’t allowed.”
Mikkelson: “What are your plans for the new student handbook?”
London: “For the most part, it’s just clarifying what is and isn’t allowed. Joggers and footwear will be clarified.”
Mikkelson: ”Do you have any other plans besides dress code and cell phone policies in the new handbook?“
London: “I could see us cleaning up the Mass dress code because the school wants Mass to be a very formal event, so we want no denim and ties for the young men.”
Mikkelson: ”What do you think the future holds for Bellarmine?”
London: “I think the future is bright for Bellarmine. Students are adapting well to the changes. I think we’ll see a growth in student population, engagement, and climate.”
Overall, London aims to clarify and simplify student life and dress code. His main changes are to remove gray areas from the handbook and keep cell phone use down during the school day. The new Dean has been an adjustment for the Lions, but London is excited for the future.
