Grand Valley State University ScholarWorks@GVSU Volume 43, July 10, 2008 - June 7, 2009 Lanthorn, 1968-2001 9-8-2008 Lanthorn, vol. 43, no. 06, September 8, 2008 Grand Valley State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/lanthorn_vol43 Part of the Archival Science Commons, Education Commons, and the History Commons Recommended Citation Grand Valley State University, "Lanthorn, vol. 43, no. 06, September 8, 2008" (2008). Volume 43, July 10, 2008 - June 7, 2009. 6. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/lanthorn_vol43/6 This Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Lanthorn, 1968-2001 at ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Volume 43, July 10, 2008 - June 7, 2009 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Volunteer Opportunities Fair comes to GVr B3 Valleys battle for Lakers take bite Camp Fire out of 'Hounds in USA, A3 football opener, B1 Grand Valley State University www.lanthorn.com Monday, September 8, 2008 Enrollment figures continue to rise this year By Kathryn Lynch-Morin GVl. Staff Writer Despite the sagging Michigan economy and a record increase in tuition,Grand Valley State University is set to have the largest student body in its 48-year history. GVL / Bri Goodyear The new class numbers 3,938, which Top: Freshman Caroline MacLaren, whose room was next to tops last year ’s incoming freshmen 138, was forced to leave her things out in the sun to dry by more than 400 and increases total Left: Residents of North C Living Center crowd outside the enrollment by 1.8 percent. This will building while DPS Officer Bill DeWitt makes sure everyone is safe. be the 26th straight year GVSU has The fire alarm went off at 10:48 Sunday morning due to a fire that increased its student body size. started in Room 138. “GVSU is a great educational value and offers a lot of high-demand programs that help students prepare for finding employment in a challenging RA job market, ” said University Registrar ignites dorm fire; no one hurt Jerry Montag. The enrollment increase is in line Baking experience causes North C Living Center evacuation Sunday; residents battle smoke, water damage with past growths, yet for the first time since 2001, the mean ACT score and By Kyle Meinke There were no injuries and damage was contained and water damage, said Capt. Brandon DeHaan, assistant GPA of the incoming freshman class GVl. News Editor primarily to the single nxtm, he added. director of DPS. There also was minimal water damage in declined from the previous year. “A security officer put out the flame right away with a the adjoining room to the north. The average ACT score dropped North C Living Center caught fire at 10:48 a.m. Sunday fire extinguisher, ” DeWitt said. ‘The room and hall filled “I was at the gym when it happened, but when I got back from 242 in 2007 to 23.8 this year, after a resident ’s assistant, trying to bake cookies, preheated with smoke, but the flames were contained. ” I thought there had been a fire drill, ” said freshman Caroline while the mean GPA decreased from her oven with a plastic dishwasher rack still in it. Each of the more than 100 residents were evacuated See Fire, A2 3.57 in 2007 to 3.53 this academic Jenna Mitchell, of Room 138. was trying to make sugar from the building for almost three hours while officials term. cookies when the room began to fill with smoke. Flames determined the extent of the damage and recharged the See more: Visit www.lanthorn.com for an GVSU officials said the dips are ignited after she tried to open the oven, said Bill DeWitt. an alarm system. the product of admitting 400 additional officer with the Department of Public Safety. updated version Mitchell’s room is uninhabitable because of smoke, fire freshmen, and not a decline in class quality. “The application pool was as strong as it has ever been," said Lynn Blue, vice provost and dean of Academic Myles Brand meets with GVSU Affairs. “Grand Valley freshmen match student athletes, recognizes freshmen at the best schools in the NCAA president visits GV state when it comes to GPA and ACT MRpr achievements on, offfield scores. ” GVSU received about 1000 fewer By Brian Beaupied applications this year, but did increase GVL Sports Editor paid orientation reservations by 10 percent. NCAA President Myles Brand visited Grand Valley Class breakdown for other Michigan State University Saturday to speak with student athletes schools are not yet available, but and present the university with the 2008 U.S. Sports according to a report released by the Academy National Association of Collegiate Directors university last year, GVSU freshmen of Athletics Directors ’ Cup. averaged a 24 on the ACT, third highest In June, GVSU clinched its fifth straight Directors ’ in the state. Also, % percent of GVSU Cup as the nation ’s top Division II athletics program. freshman students earned a GPA of 3.0 Brand spoke to university coaches and the Student or better, second only to the University Athlete Advisory Committee about the importance of of Michigan-Ann Arbor ’s 97 percent. academics and whyGVSU should remain a Division II To accommodate GVSU’s growing program, in addition to touring the campus and taking numbers,the university has taken efforts in a GVSU football game. to ensure students still have access to “What’s special about the Directors ’ Cup is that it the same services and resources as in doesn ’t just involve one or two teams but a wide range past years. of teams ,” Brand said. “I have an opportunity to go “Personal attention is what so many to many campuses — that’s one of the special treats of our students sought by enrolling of this job — and this is one of the best. To be at a here, ” said Matt McLogan, GVSU campus that has just won the Directors ’ Cup for five vice president of University Relations. consecutive years is quite remarkable. ” “This fall, in anticipation of additional GVL / Brian Beaupied enrollment, we completed new housing, Executive discussions: NCAA President Myles Brand talks with President Haas at a press conference held in the Kirkhof Center Saturday See NCAA, A2 classrooms and student activity space. ” GVSU had a net increase of about 30 faculty to help facilitate the growing student body and ensure class sizes and Incoming class suffers drop in diversity, concerns officials availability remain manageable. More than 60 additional GVSU employees were added for this academic year. By Kyle Meinke The dip does not come as a surprise. Blue and other university officials students who graduate from targeted As for the economy. Blue said it does not affect freshman enrollment the GVL News Editor Blue said. point to Proposal 2, a 2006 state law schools in those areas. Since the recruiting cycle began last that banned race- and gender-based Other recruitment methods — same way it would upper division or Minority enrollment among August, GVSU was receiving fewer preference programs, as an obstacle in like bus tours, targeted mailings and graduate enrollment because freshmen incoming freshmen at Grand Valley applications from minority students, minority recruiting. marketing — are also focusing on normally do not foot the bill for higher State University dipped 29.6 percent though exact figures were not available “This is the first class post-Proposal minority recruiting. education. this year, despite as of press time. 2, and there is a new learning curve But the inability to directly offer “The poor economy just isn't an the school admitting “We knew way back in January we for us,” said Jodi Chycinski, GVSU minorities financial aid and scholarships issue for freshmen and the numbers its largest class in would be facing a director of admissions. hinders GVSU’s efforts to diversify, prove that,” Blue said. history. downturn, ” Blue “Minority enrollment “Scholarships have officials said. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Michigan’ s July GVSU enrolled said. “Now that we is of the highest always been a big “Proposal 2 is a bit disappointing, but 387 Asian, African can see the numbers, recruiting tool, but it’s the reality, ” Chycinski said. “The unemployment rate was 8.5 percent, American. Hispanic we ’ll try to figure importance to Grand we can ’t offer them Admissions Office must now find new which was highest in the nation .A tuition and American Indian out where the holes anymore like we have in ways to go about its business because increase of 132 percent compounds the Valley ... A great deal students this year, are and if there are the past. We now have to this university really values diversity. cost of a higher education. down from the 550 remedies to enhance of study will go into rework the opportunities See Diversity, A2 ktym hmorin @ lanthorn com admitted last year, our ability to generate we provide. ” according to records minority. ” this (alarming trend). ” Awards, like the released by Institutional Analysis. GVSU is not Bert Price Minority Minorities comprise 9.8 percent of the alone, she added. LYNN BLUE Scholarship, are no freshman class, which falls short of the Maintaining minority GVSU VICE PROVOST, longer offered, which Year Students Percent of class 15 percent reached the past two years. DEAN OF ACADEMIC SERVICES enrollment is makes it more difficult 2008 387 9.8 percent Whites make up 89 percent of this becoming a statewide to recruit minority year ’s incoming freshman, while 34 problem because the students. 2007 550 15.6 percent students did not report their ethnicity.