During the past few weeks, any news from the ISU administration has likely been bad news. Whether it’s student expulsions from Veishea or closing residence halls, there’s few reasons for an ISU student to be optimistic.

Thankfully, there’s finally some good news. Recently, ISU administrators announced that fall enrollment of international undergraduate students jumped 25 percent from last year.

This is no accident — this is the result of aggressive recruitment. Ann Gogerty, senior international admission counselor, circles the globe to bring new students to Iowa State. This month she’ll be sent out to Japan, Korea, India and Kuwait.

However, most ISU students probably won’t blink after hearing this news. Although they understand it looks good on paper to have a large international population, it doesn’t solve most students’ immediate concerns — like paying for next semester’s tuition.

Nevertheless, an increase in international enrollment will benefit all ISU students in more ways than they realize.

Here are a few reasons why:

First, Iowa State is bucking a national trend of declining international student enrollment. Across the nation, international student enrollment increased to a measly 1 percent last year, thanks to the ridiculously complex process of obtaining an American visa in our post-Sept. 11 world.

This means Iowa State is gaining ground while most universities are seeing their international student enrollment plummet.

Second, international students who study in the United States help our economy. They purchase over $11 billion in goods and services annually, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. This economic stimulus will eventually work its way down to all of us.

Third, most international students represent the smartest people in their nation. There’s a much higher standard for international students than there is for Iowa students. Some of the smartest people in their academic field study at Iowa State.

Lastly, these students will make an impact for generations to come. When international students pack their bags and head home after their studies conclude, they take home a firsthand knowledge of democracy, market economics and America.

In an age when some countries consider America a synonym for terror, we can use as many advocates abroad as possible.

Kudos to the ISU administration for its aggressive recruitment of international students. Keep up the good work.