The power on the campus of Louisiana Technical College was out for a brief moment but officials at Louisiana Technical College were all smiles as students and faculty returned to school for the spring semester Monday.

“This is not the first time the lights went out and we know how to deal with it,” Camille Jarrell, assistant dean of students at LTC, said. “Everyone continued to work and Cleco were able to fix the problem before we went home for the day.”

Jarrell said she did not know what the problem was but prior problems was because of a transformer.

1/14/08 Christina Dooley, financial aide officer at Louisiana Technical College, uses a flash light after the lights went out at the school in the afternoon. Lee Ball/The Daily Iberian (it looks like lights were out on that side of ARA) Advertisement

Besides losing power in the afternoon, officials at the school said they are pleased with this semester enrollment.

Annette Faulk, dean at LTC, said this year’s spring semester ‘s enrollment of students was looking good.

At 2 p.m. Monday, Faulk estimated there were 350 students enrolled for school for the spring semester.

On the first day of  the spring semester of 2007, Faulk said there were about 300 students enrolled.

“Right now the unemployment rate is real low in this area and students are working during the day and getting a good training at night,” Faulk said. “It seems like every semester enrollment is steadily growing at the school.”

Louisiana Technical College offers day classes in accounting technology, air-conditioning and refrigeration, care of young children, carpentry, computer electronics technology, electrician, computer networking, machine tool, medical office assistant, office system technology, nursing and welding. Free training evening classes include welding, drafting, machine tool technology, construction, residential carpentry, air condition and refrigeration.

“We still have a number of openings in our night classes and registration is still ongoing,” Faulk said. “All students have to do is come to the school with some identification and register. We did early registration the last two weeks and I believe the students and faculty were ready to get to class.”

First time students at Louisiana Technical College Dale Bonin, 19, and Jasmine “Jazz” Sanders, 22 said they were happy to be starting school.

“I am still undecided on what training I want to take up while I am here, but I do know once I finish I am going to try to find a good-paying job,” Bonin said. “I went to the University of Louisiana (at Lafayette) when I graduated high school and I didn’t like it. Hopefully when I finish up here I can find that good job that awaits me and make a decent living.”

Sanders echoed Bonin’s statements.

“Once I complete this welding program I will be looking for a good-paying job,” Sanders said. “Right now companies are paying their workers around $18 or $19 (per hour) for certified welders. That is some really good money, and I can see myself doing that once I finish my training in the next couple of years.”