I recall vividly my undergraduate experience. Quarter-by-quarter I worked toward my bachelor's degree, paying tuition of $90 per term. In my final year, the cost increased, until the last quarter of that four-year degree cost $130, not including books or room and board, but still a bargain by the day's standards.

That was in the mid-'60s when, relatively, McDonald's All-American meal including a burger, fries, and Coke cost less than a dollar; a good pair of shoes popular to the day could be purchased for less than $4; and a gallon of gas was only a few cents.

Minimum wage was a dollar and a teacher's average beginning salary, the profession for which I was preparing at the top-notch teachers college, ranged to $6,000.

Gaining university status in 1965 was a giant leap for Ball State, but represents only a small step in the progress we have experienced since then. What a difference a few decades makes. Now students attend on a semester basis and Ball State boasts a comprehensive learning environment, offering undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees through seven colleges. But a Ball State degree, though it's grown considerably in stature, is still a bargain in today's economy.

The extent of what we offer is only matched by the diversity of those who come to claim it. This year's freshman class is a broad-based student body and includes individuals with varied degree interests and a wide scope of backgrounds.

This issue's lead feature capsulizes the first-year college experience. With the new academic year, 3,364 new freshmen moved in. To add a face to the word "freshman," Suzanne Clem reports the experience of four newcomers, explaining how they are integrating into college life. By comparison, we provide a question and answer segment by a father and son, one who graduated in 1976 and the other a new student on campus.

Though some individuals know exactly what career path they plan to pursue, others are uncertain, not an uncommon fact to any generation of student. Kevin Stein is an example of one who discovered his course in life through his courses at Ball State.

In our "On the Scene" we visit with Stein, a bachelor's and master's Ball State graduate who decided to make a career in English education and now holds the prestigious title of Poet Laureate for the State of Illinois.

An excellent liberal arts education begins through courses within the College of Sciences and Humanities. Read about just a few of the offerings in Ball State's largest college.

The diversity of the academic experience, enriched through extracurricular offerings, is paramount. Charlie Cardinal has been a mainstay of Ball State events for several decades. Step inside the costume as one current Charlie along with some alumni Charlies tell what it's like to be the revered Ball State mascot.

Ball State's programs to enhance the freshman experience represent only one outstanding effort that has brought national visibility to us recently. From the top-ranked entrepreneurship program to a premier master's program in student affairs and higher education administration, the university is being acknowledged among America's Best Colleges.

A vision of President Jo Ann Gora includes working both internally and externally to enhance the university's visibility. Clearly one way to do that is through increasing the number of nationally ranked programs. Rankings, like U.S. News and World Report's annual list of America's Best Colleges, are based upon several key measures and include the evidence of a high percent of alumni making annual contributions.

If you haven't already, please consider sending Ball State a gift to help us raise both the percentage of our alumni giving and the awareness of our outstanding programs at this university. You can make a difference.