Top 10 Stories of the Year

1. Eight Utah State University agriculture students and their instructor died in a 15-passenger van accident Sept. 26 near Tremonton after the van’s left rear tire blew out causing the vehicle to skid out of control and roll several times. Two other students sustained injuries from the accident.

2. Stan Albrecht becomes Utah State University’s 15th president Feb. 1 after former President Kermit L. Hall accepted a position at State University of New York in Albany.

3. With devastating Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in the United States and never-before-seen hurricanes approaching Europe, the world in 2005 will show the highest-ever financial losses for weather-related natural disasters according to an article by Reuters. Economic losses globally will exceed $200 billion and insured losses will be over $70 billion.

4. The doors to Utah State University’s Merrill-Cazier Library opened Sept. 19, to replace the Merrill Library originally built in the 30s. The 189,000 square foot addition to the SciTech Library has made the entire building a 304,000 square foot facility costing more than $40 million to build.

5. Utah State University’s mens basketball team beat No. 18 University of the Pacific in March with a 65-52 victory for the Big West Tournament title. USU marked its fifth Big West championship in eight years and broke Pacific’s 22-game winning streak.

6. Students presented mixed emotions after ASUSU made changes to the university’s traditional Homecoming dance and Halloween party the Howl. The Homecoming dance was changed to casual dress and students and community members were not required to bring a date. For the first time in 25 years, only USU students were allowed to purchase tickets in advance for the Howl.

7. Students adjusted to Utah State University’s transition to its new administration system, Banner, launched in April. Although the registrar’s office is working out minor complications, unlike the old QUAD system, Banner is easier to use, offers 24-hour service and can be accessed by any web-enabled browser.

8. A drop in enrollment from 23,128 students to 23,908 during fall semester increased in- and out-of-state recruitment efforts in an effort to make up for the decline. USU saw a decrease of 780 students from fall semester 2004.

9. Gasoline experienced a roller coaster ride of prices throughout the nation, rising from an average of $1.80 per gallon in January to more than $3 per gallon in October to dropping back down to $2.70 per gallon.

10. The arts is receiving more recognition with the establishment of the first official School of the Arts at Utah State University. The school is an umbrella program in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, that includes music, art, theatre, landscape design, environmental planning, interior design and creative writing.

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