Students look forward to college, where they get to make their own decisions, find themselves and meet types of people from places they have only heard about.
As they enter Madison County, whether they attend Eastern Kentucky University or Berea College, they quickly learn that at these local institutions, students come from everywhere.
“Richmond is 26 miles southeast of Lexington, Kentucky,” according to the University’s Web site. “Interstate Highways I-75 (north south) and I-64 (east west) make the metropolitan areas of Cincinnati, 112 miles to the north, and Louisville, 110 miles to the west, within convenient distance by automobile.”
With this accessible location, Eastern is in a position to attract students from various surrounding states.
There were 15,753 students enrolled at Eastern for the fall 2006 semester. Of those, 11,438 students were full time and 4,325 were part-time. Also, 1,035, or 90 percent, were undergraduates and 1,131 were graduate students. Eastern also had a list of 2,410 transfer applications, where 1,441 were accepted and 952 enrolled.
Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana have led with the highest state enrollments for five years.
Kentucky has 13,835 students, of which 2,058 are first-time freshmen. Ohio follows with 1,057 and 272, while Indiana adds 101 and 25.
Madison, Fayette and Whitley counties are the top three leaders for total student enrollment and for first-time freshmen.
Twenty-two percent of Eastern’s students come from Madison County, while 10.5 percent arrive from Fayette and 4.8 are contributed by Whitley.
However, Trigg and Edmonson counties are the only two in the state that do not have any students at Eastern.
Although it is nice for a university or college to have a high enrollment of people from the state where the school was established, it is another to have students interested in the institution from all around the world.
“As we continue our efforts to reach more and more Kentuckians with quality higher education in order to meet the goals of House Bill 1, it is also critical that we prepare all our students to succeed in an increasingly global society and workplace,” said Eastern’s president, Joanne Glasser. “Because they bring such diverse perspectives, EKU’s international students enrich the teaching-learning process tremendously and help build bridges of understanding and goodwill.”
At Eastern, the enrollment level is pretty consistent, said Beth Blanchard, coordinator of international services.
“With 9-11, it dipped down just a little bit, but it stays right about 200,” Blanchard said. “International students bring such a diversity to our campus; different cultures, different foods, different outlooks and in every class that they sit in they bring a different perspective to American students, so it really kind of broadens everyone to have the presence of a international student here.”
Of the 145 international students enrolled in fall 2006, Eastern had 37 students from India, 19 from Nepal and 10 from China, along with at least one from 33 other countries and six unknown.
“We’re just real happy to welcome international students.” Blanchard said. “We have admitted about 90 new ones for the fall. We’re just delighted when they come. They come from 56 different countries, which is just pretty amazing.”
Founded as the “first interracial and coeducational college in the south,” Berea College continues to open its door of education and experience to the people of “Appalachia and beyond.”
Last year, Berea had 1,520 undergraduates representing 40 of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., and 71 foreign countries.
Berea also enrolled 21 transfer students out of the 154 that originally applied and 388 first-time, first-year freshmen, according to school statistics for 2006 to 2007.
Kentucky and the Appalachian region make up 73 percent of the enrollment list, while 7 percent, or 110 students, contribute to the international pool.
Havanna Hagans can be reached at news@richmondregister.com or at 623-1669.
Local News
Campus diversity
Local colleges grab interest internationally
- Local News
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Friday at library : Lecturer to portray founder of Berea
John G. Fee, abolitionist and founder of both Berea and Berea College, will be portrayed Friday night by performer Obadiah Ewing-Roush as part of Kentucky Humanities Council Chautauqua performance series at the Madison County Public Library. There is no charge to attend the 7 p.m. event.
As the son of a slave-holding father, Fee witnessed firsthand the benefits of having slaves and the profits that could be made from their labor. When he graduated from college and enrolled in Lane Theological Seminary, he began to understand the inherent wrong and destructiveness of slavery. -
Berea woman dies Tuesday in Laurel County crash
A Berea woman, Tommie Johnson, 60, died Tuesday evening in a Laurel County crash, according to the the Laurel Sheriff’s Office.
The accident took place about 7 p.m. at the junction of Maple Grove Road and KY 363 south of London, as Johnson was attempting to turn onto the state highway.
Laurel County Chief Deputy Eddy Sizemore said Johnson’s Chevrolet Cavalier pulled out in front of a Dodge Durango driven by Charles Joseph, 19, that was traveling south on KY 363.
After being extricated from her vehicle, Johnson was transported to St. Joseph-London hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Joseph also was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries, according to the accident report. -
Finally February
Ian Rosser, an Eastern Kentucky University student from Lexington, clears snow from his car parked on campus Wednesday
morning after about an inch of snow fell in Richmond. Temperatures are forcast to be in the upper 40s today. Kentucky has seen a lot of rain in the past few months, as was predicted by the Farmer's Almanac, but very little snow has fallen. -
Volunteers needed for equine therapy
The Appalachian Foothills Therapeutic Equestrian Center will be hosting two, one-day volunteer training workshops for those interested in helping others with special needs.
The volunteer orientation days will be Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but only one day of training is required, according to Mark Martin who co-owns Appalachian Foothills Therapeutic Equestrian Center (AFTEC) with his wife Cheryl.
The all-volunteer organization, which is based in Jackson County, uses horses to help humans deal with physical and emotional challenges. -
Man accused of holding samurai sword to girlfriend’s throat
A Madison grand jury will hear the case of a man accused of threatening to cut his girlfriend’s head off, and attacking her father with a samurai sword.
Russell M. Masters, 42, of Richmond, is charged with two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, which is a Class D felony, and fourth-degree assault (domestic violence with minor injury) and resisting arrest, which both are Class A misdemeanors. Masters could receive one to five years in prison on each wanton endangerment charge, and the misdemeanors both carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail. -
Arrest made in connection with stolen jewelry, computer
Richmond police have made an arrest in connection with property stolen from two homes last fall.
A woman reported to police Monday that she had discovered several items that were missing from her home on South Killarney Drive and her grandmother’s home on Raintree Drive, according to Richmond Police Chief Larry Brock. The items were a set of gold hoop earrings, a white Sony Vaio laptop, a yellow gold heart pendant, a gold tennis bracelet and a ladies’ wedding band with a diamond setting.
The complainant said the belongings had gone missing sometime between August and October. -
US 25 business owners scared of five-lane plan
Voices of Berea business owners upset about upcoming construction on US 25 will be taken to the state level, according to city administrator Randy Stone.
Several people operating businesses along a section of US 25 gave comments Tuesday to the Berea City Council, asking them reconsider plans to widen the road to five lanes.
The design is a five-lane highway with a center turn lane and a 10-foot shared use path on one side and a 5-foot sidewalk on the other side. -
Grand jury to hear copper theft case
The attorney for a man accused of stealing copper from a handful of electric poles questioned his identification as the same person who took copper from 32 poles two days earlier.
Public defender Meena Mohanty questioned Richmond police officer Nicholas Duvall during a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Madison District Court. Her client, Jeffrey W. Nester, 46, of Fourth Street, was arrested in connection with a Jan. 23 copper theft. He is charged with second-degree criminal mischief, theft by unlawful taking, possession of burglary tools and failure to notify address change to the Department of Transportation. These charges are all misdemeanors that, at most, carry a sentence of one year in prison. -
Judge weighs constitutionality of legislative redistricting
Kentucky’s deadline for filing to run for legislative seats was in flux on Monday because a judge did not immediately rule on a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of newly redrawn district boundaries.
Franklin County Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd said he expects to enter a ruling in the case by mid-week.
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Couple recovering from injuries suffered in weekend house fire
A couple was hospitalized after their home was set ablaze Sunday by a spark from a cigar, according to a county fire official.
County Fire Chief Jim Cox said the city and county fire departments were called to the home at 111 Concord Road in the early afternoon. Waco Volunteer Fire Department and the Richmond Fire Department also responded.
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