Busy semester

Students at Southeast Missouri State University survived a cold move-in day Sunday. And as they settled into unpacking, cleaning and socializing, their thoughts quickly switched to surviving the spring semester, during which university officials will focus on long-awaited changes.

Sophomore Emily Brown rolled in from Oklahoma with a single carload of everything she thinks she'll need for the next four months.

Moving in alone was not such a daunting task anymore, because she bought a mini dolly before she arrived at the Towers Complex at Southeast Missouri State University. However, getting through the semester seems more perilous.

"Trying to do 'Guys and Dolls,' having 17.5 credit hours and having some fun on the side is a little stressful," Brown said about her workload. She will not likely be able to visit her family over spring break, she said, because the classwork and the upcoming musical will demand most of her attention.

One attention-grabbing decoration hardly went unnoticed during the moving in -- hundreds of red cut-outs and banners that covered hallways, doors and message boards to rally spirit for the Redhawks.

The official unveiling of the new mascot will be at 4:45 p.m. Saturday before a men's basketball game at the Show Me Center.

As a cashier at the university bookstore, sophomore Keaton Wade of St. Louis still fields several questions a day from customers who are unclear about why the university's mascot was changed.

"People just want something different" is his usual response, he said. Wade, who is a community adviser in New Hall, moved in a week earlier than the other students to prepare for move-in day, which included decorating the halls from ceiling to floor in Redhawks cutouts and banners.

Another difference Brown will welcome is the River Campus, which will be the location of both her majors of theater and dance and historical preservation with an emphasis in museums.

Bids on construction contracts for the River Campus will be issued at the end of January and the first week of February, said president Dr. Ken Dobbins.

"We hope that many local contractors will participate in the bidding process," he said. Construction is to begin in April.

Southeast officials also anticipate the appropriations that the legislature and Gov. Matt Blunt will issue on Jan. 26, he said.

"I think that the General Assembly and the governor will be challenged this year because of shortfalls," Dobbins said. The appropriations provide about 50 percent of Southeast's budget, and the decision will affect student fees and programs.

Senior David Kaskay dreads the possibility of more budget cuts, he said, because he already pays out-of-state tuition and needs to complete two more years at Southeast in order to make up for the credit hours lost when he transferred from an Illinois community college.

Additional Southeast objectives include a survey conducted by the student government to gather students' ideas on what needs should be met, such as having a swimming pool at the recreation center or extra funding for after-hour weekend activities.

University officials will then assess "how the student needs mesh with the resources available," Dobbins said.

Also, Dennis Holt, vice president of administration and enrollment, will head an investigation that will determine why Southeast students decide to leave -- whether to drop out or to transfer.

When considering the rate of students staying, "we're pretty much at the national average, but we would like to be above the national average," Dobbins said.

jmetelski@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127