SEMO'S BIG IMPACT

It isn't hard to see that Southeast Missouri State University is back in session. The town swells with thousands of additional people each day. It may be easy to grumble about the increased traffic, but Cape Girardeans should also appreciate the economic impact of these students. The university provides tremendous economic dividends to the city and region.

A 1995 study by Southeast's economics department estimated that the university's 8,000 students spend about $21.5 million in Cape Girardeau County in a year.

The return of the students is certainly a boom for Cape Girardeau's many restaurants and bars. The students' presence plays a major role in the hundreds of restaurants that have located in this city. But students buy a lot more than just food.

Greater numbers of students are living off campus. They rent apartments, pay for utilities and buy groceries and other staples at local stores. They buy clothes and frequent laundromats. In short, these 8,000 students enhance all segments of the local economy.

A growing number of students also work full-time. These dollars earned turn back over again and again in the local economy.

Staff and faculty spending is also figured into the university's economic boom. The university is one of the top employers in town, and that reflects favorably in the county's economic well being.

The university also affords many other opportunities to Cape Girardeau, including a number of cultural and educational programs that wouldn't otherwise be available to the community. It is hard to imagine what Cape Girardeau or, for that matter, the region would be like without the vital presence of Southeast Missouri State University.