On newspaper pages and television screens across the nation images of the Main Building Fire stood in full color. People around the world were able to witness the terror, destruction, and sorrow of the darkest day in campus history. And yet, people are pounding on the doors of Admissions, desperate to get accepted.

“Something has happened in this last couple of days.” admissions recruiter Shahrzad Sameri said. "From 5 o’clock from about five o’clock Tuesday evening to today [May 8] we’ve received 54 applications for incoming freshman.”

Despite the difficulties for technology-based communication on campus (many phone systems and e-mails are still offline), Sameri says people are still finding ways to get through. “We still have students calling in concerned, ‘What about my file?’ ‘ Am I accepted?’ ‘My Financial aid?’

Mike Acosta, Vice President of Enrollment believes the coverage of the fire demonstrated the community at the Lake. The images of students coming together and offering support to each other showed “what being part of the Lake is all about.”