NASCAR: SHAKE AND BAKE Border war comes to Kansas Speedway for two competitors SPORTS LEVEL
SOCCER LOSES ONE, WINS ONE Team splits the weekend, losing to Nebraska and beating Iowa State
THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
Students perform at the Greater Kansas City Japan Festival NEWS 6/9
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MUSIC
A woman holding a drumstick above her head.
WWW.KANSAN.COM
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2008
VOLUME 120 ISSUE 28
ENROLLMENT
What drove record-breaking numbers?
Commitment to academics four-year tuition compact behind growth, officials say
This year's record-breaking enrollment at the University of Kansas has its roots in the quality of education the University offers, not last year's athletic successes, officials at the University say.
BY BETSY CUTCLIFF
bcutcliffkansan.com
The University saw enrollment jump to 30,102 from 29,260 last year, a 2.9 percent increase. This is the largest percent increase the University has seen on a year-to-year basis.
In a press release posted on the University's Web site, Chancellor Robert Hemenway credited the University's "high-quality education" as the reason for this influx.
U. S. News and World Report places the University at No. 40 on its list of top public national universities, tied with Big 12 schools Iowa State and Nebraska, while more than 70 percent of incoming freshmen listed the University's academic reputation as the main reason they chose to enroll, according to a survey given at
In addition to KU's academic standing, the new four-year tuition compact, enacted in Fall 2007, has also contributed to drawing more students, said Heidi Simon, associate director for the Office of Admissions and Scholarships.
freshman orientations during the sum mer.
The average ACT score for incoming freshmen is also at its highest this year, with scores increasing from 24.6 in 2007 to 24.8 this year.The national average score is 22.
"The value of knowing exactly what you're going to pay for four years is really helpful to families," Simon said.
The University has its most diverse student body ever this year. Minority enrollment increased 19.3 percent since 2007, with 12.7 percent of the 4,483 freshmen identifying themselves as Hispanic American, Native American, African American or Asian American.
Simon attributes this increase to changes in recruiting tactics.
"We are very specific and strategic in the way we recruit," Simon said "We try to do things a little differently to show that we can provide a diverse and open environment."
Recruiters spread their resources out more broadly this year, venturing to geographic areas they had never visited before, Simon said.
One theory for increased enrollment that Simon said should be put to rest was that last year's Orange Bowl and National Championship victories had influenced the increase in student enrollment.
"The proof is in the numbers," she said. "Our application numbers were way up last September before any of the wins happened."
She said that at least 70 percent of applications were received before the Orange Bowl, and that there was no significant spike in admissions requests after the two wins.
"While I think certainly having that publicity doesn't hurt, we probably won't see if it had any effect until next year," she said.
Academic success has been proved throughout the years. In the University's 142 year history, it has churned out 12 Pulitzer Prize winners and one Nobel Prize laureate. There have also been hundreds of awards given to students and faculty. Simon said that this was the kind of academic prestige and success that drew in a large percentage of the enrollment.
Edited by Adam Mowder
other Big 12 figures
Enrollment numbers, the ACT score and minority percentage from the schools' Web sites (latest available)
Iowa State
University of Kansas
26,160
ACT score: 24.5
Minority: 8.6 percent
30,102 ACT score: 24.8 Minority: 12.7 percent
Kansas State
23. 520
ACT score: 23.8
Minority: 21.6 percent
University of Colorado
28,624 ACT score: 26 Minority: 16 percent
28,624
University of Missouri
29,761
ACT score: 25.5
Minority: 8 percent
University of Nebraska
ACT score :24 Minority: 11.4 percent
University of Oklahoma
ORGANIZATION
29,721
ACT score: 25.6
Minority: 23.8 percent
Students volunteer at campus garden
Three dozen students gathered in the shady campus garden Sunday afternoon to learn about the ongoing project, as well as to create signs and decorations for the spot at the eastern edge of the campus. Maintained by EARTH — Environmental Action to Revitalize The Heartland — the multi-tiered garden was created in the space formerly occupied by the Hilltop Children's Nursery playground, with garden boxes built from the wood of disassembled decks.
FULL STORY PAGE 6A
DINING
Experiment leaves trays in the rack
KU Dining Services is forgoing the use of trays in the three residential dining centers on campus. It made the decision after "Try it Trayless," an experiment to reduce cafeteria waste, appeared to be successful. Other colleges around the country, including the Big 12's Texas Tech, have also completed the experiment with positive findings. It is one of KU Dining Services' many sustainability initiatives.
PROFILE
Student interns at 'The Daily Show'
Rachel Helling, Kansas City, Mo., junior, interned at "The Daily Show" last year. She says she had a great time working in on the show, but was glad to be a student again.
FULL STORY PAGE 6A
BY FRANCESCA CHAMBERS
fchamberskanans.com
Helling, a Kansas City, Mo., junior, had no experience in film or sketch writing at that time, but as she sat in her room in Hashinger Hall watching Andy Samberg perform on "SNL," she was inspired and determined to make her prediction come true.
Rachel Helling's friends laughed at her when she told them freshman year that she planned to work for "Saturday Night Live" someday soon.
Tyler Waugh/KANSAN
Six months later, Helling was turned down for an internship with "SNL," but she did receive an internship at "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."
"I ended up getting something else that was equally as awesome," she said. "Maybe more so."
Helling moved to New York after her freshman year before she was offered the internship at "The Daily Show" in October 2007. She had always wanted to move to the city and finally did when a friend said she would move there too. They lived with another friend who was in New York.
Helling received a call from "The Daily Show" the same day she faxed her resume. She interviewed at the show a couple days later, and on Oct. 31, she was hired for the internship. She began working at the show in early January 2008.
Helling left the University of Kansas and transferred to Hunter College in New York. In October 2007, she applied for internships at the major late-night comedy talk shows such as "SNL," "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report."
"I thought hed ignore us, because he was Jon Stewart, but he was very cool to us. I was very star struck at first," Helling said. "I totally got used to it. Then he was just my boss, just a cool guy."
Helling said she was impressed by the host, Jon Stewart, during her first few weeks at work. She said he was more involved in the writing and production of the show than she expected.
Each day, the interns who worked at the show full-time, like Helling, would rotate to a new job. Helling said most days she would do the typical intern grunt work
Abdul was not the only star Helling would see while working for "The Daily Show," Helling said she saw former "Daily Show" correspondent Stephen Colbert and
— getting breakfast for the crew and running scripts back and forth from Comedy Central's headquarters and the studio — but other days were more interesting.
After the cameraman finished filming the segment, Helling was sent to retrieve his bicycle from the stand to which it was chained. But when she put the key in the lock, it snapped in half.
On one day that Helling refers to as the worst day of her life, she was sent out with John Oliver, one of "The Daily Show" correspondents, and a producer to break into the FOX news studio.
She then had to explain to the crew what happened and found a security guard inside of Rockefeller Center who helped her.
Conan O'Brien.
"It it was a very intertin thing to do," she said. "But I saw Paula Abdul inside Rockefeller. That was very cool!"
But her journey with "The Daily Show" was not over yet. Helling's father was asked to travel to Denver for the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 25 to Aug. 28, on behalf of The Kansas City Star. When she learned "The Daily Show" would tape in Denver during the convention, she asked one of the show's producers if she could tag along and have her internship back for the week.
Helling finished her internship in June and moved back home in July.
This time around, Helling was not asked to be an intern, she was a paid employee. Her name even appeared in the show's credits.
"The first time I saw that I freaked out," she said.
Once, she was asked to stand in for correspondent Aasif Mandvi during rehearsal while he was on assignment. Helling said that was her favorite memory of working at the show.
Her father, David Helling, who is a
"I was like, 'Rachel, of all my friends, you would do that," Sarah Eyers, Kansas City, Mo., junior, said.
Helling's friends were also surprised, but one of her friends who was watching "SNL" with her when she made her decision to apply for the internships, said she knew Rachel would make good on her declaration.
reporter for the Kansas City Star and a former reporter for KCTV 5 News, said he was astonished when Rachel told him about the opportunity.
Helling did not want to return to Kansas at first, but she said she was glad she came back to finish her degree.
"You know when you live in New York, it can wear you down," Helling said. "Sometimes I would say, I wish I was just back in Kansas at a frat party, because I really had to grow up. In some ways I missed being a student, so it's good to be back."
index
— Edited by Ramsey Cox
Classifieds. 4B Opinion. 5A
Crossword. 4A Sports. 1B
Horoscopes. 4A Sudoku. 4A
ASSOCIATED PRESS
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2008 The University Daily Kansan
JOHANSSON WEDS RYAN REYNOLDS
The actors tied the knot in a small ceremony in Canada ENTERTAINMENT | 4A
weather
TODAY
75 50
Scattered I-Storm
Scattered T-Storm
TUESDAY
71 48
Sunny
Sunny
WEDNESDAY
71 49
Sunny