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Thursday, September 12, 2013
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Enrollment at NIU dips again By FELIX SARVER fsarver@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Although overall student enrollment at Northern Illinois University this fall is down by 731 students, the university has increased its number of freshmen and graduate students. According to university officials, there are 21,138 students enrolled for the 2013 fall semester. The enrollment represents a 10-day count for the period that ended Monday and is a 3.3 percent decrease in enrollment from last fall’s enrollment of 21,869.
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It was the fourth consecutive year of overall enrollment decline for NIU, which had 24,424 students enrolled in 2009. NIU officials attributed the overall decrease to a declining number of high school graduates in the state, a 1.7 percent decline in new transfer students and a large graduating
class for the 2013 spring semester, when about 3,400 students graduated. Paul Palian, NIU director of media and public relations, said many other factors contributed to the overall decline this year, including greater competition from for-profit colleges and out-of-state institutions. NIU wants to continue to attract students who are strong academically but also make sure resources are in place for students to succeed, said Eric Weldy, NIU vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. One common problem with
student retention is college affordability, he said. Many of the students who are of age to enter college today would be the first in their family to attend college and may not have the financial means to enroll, he said Senior student Marquita Chatman said she wasn’t surprised by the student enrollment dipping this year. Students have a hard time paying for school and some receive no help from parents, she said. Despite how expensive NIU is, she still finds it a good university to attend.
See NIU, page A4
BEARING WITNESS
Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com
Nursing student Michael Awopileda studies Wednesday outside Founders Memorial Library on the Northern Illinois University campus in DeKalb.
Russian prestige on line in Syria
Local firefighters remember Sept. 11
By JULIE PACE and NANCY BENAC The Associated Press WASHINGTON – The White House tried Wednesday to pin the success or failure of a diplomatic option to secure Syria’s chemical weapons on Russia rather than the United States as Secretary of State John Kerry headed for Geneva to work on a Russian proposal for international inspectors to seize and destroy the deadly stockpile. On a different diplomatic front aimed at taking control of the stockpile away from the Assad government, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council met Wednesday to consider goals for a new resolution requiring Syria’s chemical weapons to be dismantled. Whether a U.N. resolution should be militarily enforceable was already emerging as a point of contention. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an opinion piece for The New York Times, called for caution in dealing with Syria, saying that a potential strike by the U.S. would create more victims and could spread the conflict beyond Syria as well as “unleash a new wave of terrorism.” Rebels who had hoped U.S.led strikes against the Syrian government would aid their effort expressed disappointment, if not condemnation of the U.S., over President
Curtis Clegg – cclegg@shawmedia.com
Firefighters from Sycamore and Cortland and police officers from Sycamore bow their heads during a brief 9/11 prayer ceremony Wednesday at Johnson’s Junction near the Sycamore Fire Department in Sycamore. By CHRIS BURROWS cburrows@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Jeff McMaster wanted to make an impression on DeKalb’s youngest firefighters Wednesday. DeKalb’s assistant fire chief selected a moving documentary, assembled a detailed, numbers-filled PowerPoint presentation and
spoke passionately to a couple dozen firefighters, civic leaders and residents gathered in the basement classroom of Fire Station 1. Late in the presentation, McMaster broke his cadence and called out to a firefighter seated in the second row to emphasize why he is so passionate about taking an educational approach to a solemn anniversary.
“Adam, what grade were you in 12 years ago?” he said. The firefighter, Adam Miller, replied he was in fifth grade. As a new generation of firefighters replaces those who wore the uniform on that tragic day, the more experienced first responders have shouldered the task of
See 9/11, page A4
On the Web To view video of Sycamore’s prayer ceremony, visit Daily-Chronicle.com.
Inside n Nation pauses on 9/11 to pay tribute to victims. PAGE A2
See RUSSIA, page A4
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