by Kristyn Proctor
Copy Editor
Freshmen settle into Bryan life. Despite not meeting projected enrollment, this year's freshmen class is still the largest incoming class/Triangle photo by Lana Douglas.
While many of the Freshman Class continue to settle into life on Bryan Hill, returning students casually pick up where they left off: just another year, with similar subjects, the same professors and enough friendly, new faces to make things interesting.
However, for the faculty and staff, these faces represent more than just fresh personalities with which to interact.
They are the product of weeks, sometimes months, of interviews, paperwork, prayer and last minute problem-solving: each face a continuously evolving story from a slip of green paper on the wall of the Admissions Office last spring representing new enrollments, to a name that will hopefully one day reside on a list of alumni.
That is, if the students make it that far.
Several dark, empty rooms across campus, along with a reduced number of tripled rooms in Huston and Long, tell a too common story. Their absent occupants, students who either left for various reasons or are yet to show, are faces and stories that all will miss in the coming weeks, especially considering the high hopes Bryan administration had last spring for enrollment numbers.
However, Mike Sapienza, vice president of enrollment management, says, even with lower retention numbers, Bryan is still expecting an increase in the overall campus enrollment, estimating that anywhere from 770 to 800 traditional, full-time students will be attending this fall.
“We projected 800…and we’ll probably be short of 800,” he said Aug. 24. “But regardless, we started out last year with about 715. Either way there’s going to be a significant increase in the total.”
Sapienza also says that the current fluctuations in enrollment are normal for most colleges.
“It happens. It’s why the Friday of add/drop is called the census date. We’ll be able to do a count of the full enrollment then.”
A room in Huston that was intended to be a 3-person room, is now left empty/Triangle photo by Lana Douglas.
For now, students are asked to stay out of the vacant rooms and not utilize any of the extra furniture without express permission from their resident director.
In the meanwhile, staff and faculty members like Coach Peter Bollant of men’s and women’s golf say they are praising God for helping the students they do have to get here.
“I’ve been really, really stressed,” he admitted. “First-year programs are always tougher to get going because no one knows the school has one. But, that’s how it is. You are never sure until last minute if things are really going to work out. I’ve had players drop out after signing a letter of intent a year ago…some not show up…I was even up Monday morning praying for one of my girls to do well on her ACT. It has been stressful right up until today.”
“But God is good,” he finished, smiling tearfully. “I can’t tell you how happy I am. We have such a great group of kids…and I know He pulled some miracles last minute…I just give praise and honor and glory to Him for His goodness.”
Tags: enrollment, freshmen, Mike Sapeinza, Peter Bollant
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