The Shield Sept 4, 2014

Page 1

In this Issue Vol. 45 Issue 3

THE

Thursday, September 4, 2014

SHIELD www.usishield.com

Lifelong friends remember active, ‘outgoing’ student

By RACHEL CHRISTIAN News editor

On a rainy afternoon, Megan Lengacher sat on the floor of her house with friends and family, looking at photos of Emily Lengacher, her second cousin and close friend. “There's some kind of comfort in it,” Megan said. “In seeing her smile and talking about her laugh. She had one of the most infectious giggles I've ever heard.” Emily, a senior exercise science major, died Friday when the right rear tire of her vehicle blew out, causing her to lose control of the wheel on I-69, the Washington Times-Herald reported. Emily was not wearing her seatbelt and was ejected from the car, the Times-Herald also reported. She was pronounced dead at the scene by the Pike County Coroner. She was 21. Megan, a junior graphic design major, said the small, tightknit community of Davies County was shocked by the news of Emily's death. The entire area pulled together to offer support to the Lengacher family. “No matter where we were, when we heard what happened, we all came home again,” Megan said. “This community just pulled together to remember her.” Megan and Emily had been friends since the second grade

Labor day at the lake Photo courtesy of Megan Lengacher

Megan and Emily Lengacher are second cousins. and shared an apartment together their freshman year of college at USI. Emily's outgoing personality and upbeat outlook on life inspired Megan and others. “She got me out of my shell, and got me to try things I never would have done otherwise,” Megan said. “We had the same last name, so we were always associated with each other. It's like we were linked somehow.” As Megan and other friends of Emily's sat around and looked at old photos of her, the girls felt like someone was missing. “The hardest part is knowing the person you miss is the one you want here the most,” Megan said. “It just feels like she should be here, too.” Many who were close to Emily said she made friends easily and loved to be around people.

Photos by ARMON SIADAT/The Shield

Jeannie Kuebler, senior administrative assistant of Intramural Operations, passes out popsicles Monday during the university’s annual Labor Day at the Lake event. Students dove in for a swim, relaxed with friends on the shore and participated in various activities, including frisbee.

LENGACHER on Pg. 3

Enrollment drops, again Fewer students apply, more transfers enroll 9,364

9,908 7,506

1.2% 7,544

10,467

2.5% 7,942

10,820

By RACHEL CHRISTIAN News editor Enrollment dropped again at USI, falling 5.4 percent for the second year in a row. According to the university, 9,364 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled in classes this fall. In the fall of 2001, 9,362 students enrolled, according to the Evansville Courier, making this year's enrollment the lowest in 13 years. For the first time, no conditionally-admitted students, "who may not be as prepared for a four-year college career," were admitted. The university continues to credit its higher standards to the dip in enrollment. Kindra Strupp, assistant vice president for marketing and communications, said there are many factors that go into the overall enrollment number. "USI saw an 18 percent in-

crease in its graduation rate," Strupp said. "More students leaving can have an impact on the overall enrollment figure." Strupp said the university will continue to strive to remain accessible to students, but will also continue to raise its academic standards. President Linda Bennett stressed the importance of strengthening recruitment in Saturday's news release. "We have to continue to look at ways to attract new students," Bennett said. "The reality is that the demand and competition for these students is higher than ever." The amount of freshman and transfer student applications has also fallen over the past three years, as well as the number of students who actually enrolled after being accepted. Strupp said the number of high school graduates in southwestern Indiana has declined since 2009, and the

rate of those who are college bound in the region has also declined. After a 12 percent increase in the number of graduate students last year, the university also saw a slight decline from 989 to 950 this year. On the other hand, the amount of transfer students rose by 10 percent this year, according to the university. For Taylor Dossey, a sophomore occupational therapy major, USI wasn't even on the list of schools she was considering when she graduated high school in 2013, and she enrolled at Manchester University. For her, learning about USI's occupational therapy program prompted her to transfer. Logan Long is a freshman English and history major from New Palestine, Indiana. When he graduated high school in 2012, USI was a possibility, but he chose to attend

ENROLLMENT on Pg. 3

2011

2012

40%

42%

44%

The Shield is a designated public forum.

2013

Total Enrollment

2014

Conditional Admits

Total Applications

Admitted and enrolled

No Conditional Admits

Data unavailable

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