T h u r s d a y, s e p t e m b e r 3 , 2 0 1 5 | U s i s h i e l d . c o m | v o l . 4 6 i s s u e 3
Enrollment falls 3rd year in a row by bobby shipman editor@usishield.com @ShieldsterBobby
Overall university enrollment dropped for the third year in a row, a decrease of 3.6 percent. According to the university, 9,029 graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in classes this fall. Last fall, 9,364 graduate and undergraduate students enrolled at the university, which was the lowest enrollment number since fall of 2001 during which 9,362 students enrolled. Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Communications Kindra Strupp said the university attributes this drop to “an intentional effort to attract and enroll students with stronger academic performance indicators.” Also, she said, the decrease can be attributed to the fact that the university has graduated recordbreaking numbers of students over the past several years. In addition, nearly 1,700 first-time college students enrolled at the university for the 2015-16 academic year, the university’s largest freshmen class in two years and an increase of 4.8 percent from last fall. According to a press release from the university, approximately 54 percent of incoming students earned college credit while in high school. The majority of students come from Vanderburgh and contiguous counties. Students come from 90 Indiana counties, 36 other states and 69 countries. Minority and international students make up just over 13 percent of the student population.
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Photo by hannah spurgeon | The Shield
Arriving at The Loft early, Taeyan Dissett, a freshman business major, eagerly eats a healthy dinner. Overall, the changes in Sodexo dining hours didn’t bother her at all.
Stomachs, students grumble Students speak about hours changes by Gabi wy news@usishield.com @ShieldsterGabi
Grumbling stomachs spoke, and Sodexo answered. Sodexo shifted breakfast options from retail dining to The Loft, and options like Cyclone Salads and Fiesta Fuego are open longer on weekdays as well as on the weekends. Upperclassmen were divided on whether or not Sodexo has stepped in the right direction with the hour changes this year. “It’s improved,” junior advertising major Loghan Daab said. “Making Fiesta Fuego open longer was definitely a good call by Sodexo. It makes more people want to stay on the weekends.” Senior theatre major Maximilian Spears did not see progress as a result of the changes. “They’re trying, but they’re really just failing,” he said. “Sometimes only the CStore is open, so kids are trekking across campus to eat there.” Interviewed students from freshmen to seniors complained of a lack of open dining options on the weekends—a dilemma for on-campus residents who had difficulty commuting to outside eateries. The
students said these problems still exist seeing as The Loft isn’t open for dinner on the weekends. Freshman business major Katie Marquardt said the university lacks “substantial” food on Saturdays and Sundays. Because her hometown, South Bend, is six hours away, Marquardt said she is fortunate to have a car to drive to the CStore when options in University Center are closed. “People who live in the dorms have to have meal plans,” she said. “I’m paying tons of money just to go hungry on the weekends.” While students have already spoken out both for and against the hours, the effectiveness of the changes aren’t obvious this early in the semester. Director of Food Services Chris Briggs said that all of the university’s dining hour changes were based on “what the customers wanted.” He said that last year, Sodexo’s Student Board of Directors conducted surveys and communicated with students. The board is made up of students who want to help make decisions by thinking of dining innovations or providing insight from their own experiences eating on-campus. Based on the results, Briggs and Sodexo
staff decided that the necessary targets of adjustment were Friday, Saturday and Sunday. “Some things (about the survey results) that surprised me were that the complaints weren’t particularly about Burger King,” Briggs said. He said that while Burger King no longer offers breakfast, The Loft’s earlier opening time on weekdays compensates for one less morning option. The Loft closing for dinner on the weekend shifts customers to retail dining such as Burger King, Cyclone Salads and Fiesta Fuego. Because Sodexo extended dining hours for various food services, Briggs said he had to hire more workers, increasing the roster of employees to more than 200. “These changes increase the cost of food services, and that cost is passed on to students,” he said. He said that because pizza deliveries now originate from campus, the pizzeria in the C-Store only serves in-store customers. He hopes to “speed service and improve quality.” Briggs said that overall food sales between dining options seem to have held up, but it is still too early to properly evaluate improvement.
New physician brings ‘caring and honest concern’ by zackary willem zmwillem@eagles.usi.edu
Dr. Ward Harbin joined the University Health Center this semester and is bringing with him many ideas to help reshape the view of health care at the university. Harbin is a physician specializing in basic check-ups for problems such as sore throats and lacerations. “It’s almost like a medical director job. I share the load with the nurse practitioner, Melissa Attebury. I tend to do more male issues and physical exams,” Harbin said. Before Harbin was
hired, the health center was understaffed after losing Dr. Richard Redford because of extended medical leave. “Hiring Dr. Harbin really helped alleviate the stress on the center’s staff,” said Brandi Sitzmin, the health center’s practice manager. “He gets along (well) with the students and really cares for them. He will take time for students if need be,” Sitzmin said. The health center takes preventative steps to help stop diseases and sickness on campus and assists anyone who isn’t at their healthiest. “The idea of health care
is that (it) is usually reactive when treating diseases, but USI’s is preventative and I like that,” Harbin said.“I would like to bring the idea of establishing student physician relationships and show caring and honest concern.” Harbin said caring for his in-laws inspired him to become a physician. “Showing concern for the geriatric world drove me to become a physician. It’s been the ultimate midlife crisis for me,” Harbin said. Harbin makes the health center feel like home for many patients and coworkers.
Photo by alyssa smith | The Shield
Dr. Ward Harbin goes over paperwork with nurse practitioner Melissa Attebury.
Physician, PAGE 3
On Stands Now
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