Week of January 31, 2011
Campus snowstorm coverage page 17
Vol. 83, Issue #16
Water main break shuts down campus By Devin Noll Anchor Staff Writer
Anchor Photo/Devin Noll
The water main break closed the walkway between Alger Hall and the Art Center.
RIC professor brings Egyptian protests home
The spring semester began with a major water main break at Rhode Island College. According to campus officials, it was the first time in the last 20 years that the campus closed due to a water main break. The leak in the water system was first reported to Facilities and Operations by Campus Police on Monday, Jan. 24 at 8:30 p.m. Frank Montanaro, the assistant director of project management, assessed the situation at the scene. Water was coming up from the ground between the Art Center and Alger Hall, flowing into the air and down the hill into a sewer drain.
See WATER Page 5
Finance Commission denies Asian Student Association funds By Kyle Grant Anchor News Writer
By Hayden James Anchor Staff Writer
When a young Tunisian man, Mohammed Bouazizi, set himself aflame to protest against the economic situation and oppressive government, a cry rang loud among the Arabic population. Since the 1950s and the liberation of Egypt, the government has been ruled by the military. Recent protests have been sparked by years of oppression, military rule, a high unemployment rate among young adults and food Anchor Photo/Kelly Beshara-Flynn
See EGYPT Page 5
“This was the perfect area for this to happen; no cars are affected and the water can go right into the drain,” Montanaro said. Jan. 24 was also one of the coldest on record at night, reaching temperatures as low as -2 degrees. Montanaro and other Physical Plant workers stayed to monitor the situation for three and a half hours. The walkway was blocked, and any further work was postponed until Tuesday. Workers returned to the break on Jan. 25 at 8 a.m. The break had remained the same overnight. Montanaro and Ed Brady, the director of Facilities, Operations and Capital Projects, searched for the valve that
Officers and members of ASA were not pleased with the Finance Commission’s ruling.
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Despite accumulating snow and cancelled classes, the Finance Commission still met for the first time this semester on schedule. A number of clubs submitted requests for the meeting, though the most heated debate revolved around the Asian Student Association being denied an allocation for a February conference. The meeting took place on Jan. 26 at 12:30 p.m. in Parliament Chambers, Student Union 307. The first organization to make a request to Student Community Government, Inc.’s financial committee in the spring semester was the college radio station, WXIN. See FINANCE Page 6