Prospective students not influenced by strike
PDF Families that visited the campus this weekend for the prospective student open house didn’t seem to be affected by the ongoing labor strike.
In order to avoid the event, the Faculty Association decided to picket Saturday at the Town Square Pavilion. Morteza Daneshdoost, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and lead negotiator for FA, said faculty members at the strike were even doing their best to recruit the visiting students.
“We are telling them, reassuring them, that this is not going to go forever,” he said Saturday at the pavilion. “This is a great university and we hope to see them here and teach their kids.”
Katharine Suski, interim director of undergraduate admissions, said none of the prospective students she talked to asked her about the strike.
“We have no way to know what impact the strike had on those that came,” she said. “It was on the Chicago news and around the state, so we just have no way to know if that impacted our visitors.”
Suski said she didn’t think the Occupy Carbondale tents seemed to influence the students’ decisions to attend SIU either.
“We just explain to them that it’s a university campus and everybody has their right to say what they want to say, and it’s just a good experience for a lot of them,” she said.
Jessica Toran, an incoming freshman from Carol Stream, said the strike didn’t influence her decision to attend SIU, especially since she didn’t see any of the pickets. She said the reason why she has decided to attend the university is because of the beautiful campus and outdoor activities.
Other students who chose SIU said it was because of the outdoor atmosphere as well.
Jacob Patsch, an incoming freshman from Montgomery, said he vacationed at Garden of the Gods with his family and it made him interested in the school.
“I’m a big outdoors and nature person,” he said. “So then I realized that this school was close to that, and I started checking it out and I liked it.”
Patsch’s grandmother, Melinda Stephenson, said she was a freshman at SIU in 1969 and visiting the campus brought back good memories.
“It’s changed a lot. There’s new buildings, but a lot of it is still the same. There’s the same good vibe,” she said.
Brittany Travis, an incoming freshman from Cowden, said SIU offered her the best scholarship for her high ACT score. She said the strike wouldn’t prevent her from choosing the university.
“I think today pretty much sold me. I just like the vibe of the people here,” she said.
Travis’ mother Kim Travis said she likes the small-town feel of Carbondale.
Suski said she was happy with the event because it seemed students were focused on campus life.
“Students have a lot of questions about different majors and what they would be studying,” she said.
Crystal Bouhl, assistant director for marketing at University Housing, said she was happy with the turnout of the event. She said families loved the scenery and outdoors as well as the complimentary lunch at Lentz and Trueblood dining halls.
“I would say once students and their families come and experience our campus and see it for themselves, they’ll decide to come here,” Bouhl said.
