A MAGAZINE FOR NEW STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
magazine
n o i t i d d a y t f o l a B
t pac l m i o d oul ip scho c e nc sh side a flag e r us ing amp becom c t f es new s goal o s ’ s UH ity’ tion s a How nivers z i t U rgan interes o the t n ’s tude tudent s f o s reds t every d n u s ed as h o almo v i h UH ring t rrame a e t u a c o H overc o the y oreof how Uo turn int f e B story acles t ay The y obst is tod t man tution i i inst
lu c he t n i o J
Summer 09 | Volume 19
A Student Media Publication
2009
WELCOME BACK
1
The News Record welcome back! 2009
Once a bearcat,
always a bearcat Gregory Williams chosen to become UC’s 23rd president PAGE 4
Soccer: Bearcats fall to top-ranked Zips 11 Uconnect provides new e-mail services 25 Slacker Solutions: Zelda music 22
Orientation 2009
New U Niversity U N I V E R S I T Y
Volume 43, Issue 1
O F
C A L I F O R N I A ,
w w w. n e w u n i v e r s i t y. o r g • w w w. n e w u . u c i . e d u
School Shooting Shakes UCI MURDER: The first school shooting in UCI history leaves behind shock and many unanswered questions
Staff Writer
The Editorial Board discusses why the proposed mid-year fee increases put students and their family in an impossible position. Despite the budget deficit, the increases cut at the very heart of UC’s promise of equal access and opportunity for all.
Students and Professors Are Walking Out in Protest of Budget
By Tiffany Liu and Stephanie Vatz Staff Writers
COURTESY OF STEPHANIE VATZ
Police cars block off a street in Verano Place in order to investigate the murder of Rebecca Benedict. times near parking lot 23. According to Lt. John Hare of UCIPD, officers were on scene “within a minute.” Brian Benedict was then arrested at gunpoint and interogated at the Orange County Jail. According to Irvine Assistant Police Chief Jeff Hutchinson, Benedict had no history of domestic violence but had visit-
ed the UCI Police office on Sept. 6 to inquire about obtaining full custody of his child. While the 4-year-old boy was in very close proximity to the shooting, it remains unknown whether he was actually an eyewitness. He is currently with his family. On the night of the shooting, UCI first-year medical student
I N S I D E P R E V I E W
The Privatization of UC Page 9
Monday, September 21, 2009
WALKOUT: The deterioration of the UC system leads to protest on the first day of school at UC Irvine
By Stephanie Vatz Sept. 13, 2009 marks the date of the first on-campus homicide in UC Irvine history. At approximately 7:15 p.m. in the Verano Place Housing development, 30year-old UCI alumni Rebecca Edwina Benedict was shot and killed by her ex-husband, 35year-old UCI physics graduate student, Brian Benedict. The shooting followed an apparent domestic dispute, possibly involving the custody of their 4-year-old son. Rebecca Benedict had primary custody of their son but his father was also granted visiting privileges. Upon returning to pick up the boy from his father’s residence, Rebecca engaged in an argument with her ex-husband, who later shot and killed her. Witnesses described the scene to police. They said that Rebecca was trying to leave the apartment at Verano Place when Brian Benedict followed her with a gun and shot her multiple
I R V I N E
Where no man has gone Page 17 The New U. treks to a Star Trek convention in Las Vegas to explore the universe and all of its nerdy contents. Our entertainment editor Natasha Aftandilians mingles amongst Scotty, Spock, Kirk and the rest of the gang.
Facebook Stalking
|
David (last name not disclosed), and his wife, Kristen Downing, were sitting at home in Verano Place when they heard gunshots and a woman’s scream. After ducking for cover, they received a phone call from their neighbors, other first-year medical students, who asked David for See SHOOTING, page 5
www.newuniversity.org
Page 23
From Mafia Wars to FarmVille, are Facebook applications more frightening than fun? One student talks about how Facebook just might know more about you than your very best friend does.
Women’s Volleyball
The Lady Anteaters finish with a sparkling 10-2 record in non-conference play, including an upset victory over No. 6 Cal, earning them a steady top 25 national ranking for the first time in program history.
The first day of classes is typically the day that students rush to class with a coffee in hand and get lost along the way. But this year, UC Irvine students are opting for a different kind of beginning for the fall quarter. UCI undergraduate students, graduate students, groundskeepers, union members, lecturers and faculty have organized a protest to be set on the first day of classes, Thursday, Aug. 24. A school-wide walkout has been planned to voice the discontent caused by some of the budget cuts made by the University of California. This walkout, however, does not mean cancelled classes. Most of the professors and faculty are still holding class and are simply instructing students on the future of UC and what they can do to help improve it. According to the walkout’s Facebook group, which was only formed a week ago, around 1,500 students plan on participating in an effort to change UC’s new direction. The faculty listed grievances involving layoffs and increased class sizes. According to Keith Danner, a lecturer in the English department, 46 groundskeeping and maintenance workers and 37 lecturers have already been laid off. In addition, the per-student funding for UCs has fallen 40 percent since 1990, according to a pamphlet compiled by Professor Carrie Noland and Associate Professors Adriana Johnson and Elizabeth Allen. The pamphlet also discusses the 4-10 percent pay reduction for most faculty and staff in addition to the 15 percent increase in student fees See FACULTY, page 5
Follow us at www.twitter.com/newuniversity
Monday, July 20, 2009
NewStudentGuide A publication of The Daily Illini
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
Survive and thrive: UI academics, campus life, athletics and community
2009 University of Kansas
INSIDER’S GUIDE presented by The University Daily Kansan
inside
UK
A P.R. Product of the Kentucky Kernel • UK’s Independent Student Paper
THE DAILY TEXAN N O I T I D E N IO T A T N E I R O
Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
www.dailytexanonline.com
UT’S SHINING SYMBOL OF
SUCCESS By Amy Bingham | Daily Texan Staff
F
or some it is a symbol of success, for others a source of pride. But when it glows orange, the UT Tower signifies to all that the Longhorns were victorious. For more than 80 years, the orange lighting of the Tower has been a shining, public symbol of UT’s achievements in academia
and athletics. But the history and significance of this tradition is not quite common knowledge. “The Tower is our most significant landmark,” said UT President William Powers. “I think the tradition of lighting the Tower orange for major achievements or celebrations or landmarks is a very important tradition.” Carl J. Eckhardt Jr., former engi-
neering professor and director of the Physical Plant, created the custom when the structure was built in 1937, according to the University’s Web site. While construction crews raised the beams for the physical structure, Eckhardt planned a lighting scheme that would turn UT’s new landmark
ORANGE continues on page 2A
Well-meaning students threaten lives of turtles
By Rachel Platis Daily Texan Staff Spring fever has come to campus, and love is in the air. The Tower Garden turtle pond is no exception, as female turtles begin to lay their eggs near shrubs and flowerbeds. The egg-laying season may explain why some students have seen the turtles crawling around outside the pond, but putting the turtles back in the water is not in their best interest, said biology professor David Hillis. “The female turtles lay their eggs on land, so when people move them, they just have to climb back out of the water again,” Hillis said. “The turtles will return to the pond by themselves after they
have laid their eggs.” Students can expect to see hatchlings crawling back toward the pond in the summer. “The turtles have begun to lay their eggs now and will continue to do so through June,” Hillis said. “We have already had several turtles digging nests and laying eggs this year.” Electrical engineering senior Josh Armstrong saw a turtle crawling toward the road this past weekend and put it back in the pond. “We were hanging out around the turtle pond eating lunch when we noticed turtles climbing around pipes toward the edge,”
POND continues on page 2A
The UT Tower, which stands in the middle of campus, can be lit for special occasions, including academic and athletic successes, and at the president’s discretion. Different colors are used to mark various occasions.
Peter Franklin Daily Texan Staff
INSIDE Longhorn pride
Events throughout the year celebrate University’s successes. p. 4A
Campus spots worth visiting
Which areas you may see while you wander the 40 Acres. p. 1B
Don’t be left out of the crowd Andrew Rogers | Daily Texan Staff
Turtles wandering out of the Tower Garden turtle pond are doing so to lay eggs and should not be moved back, a biology professor says.
How to get tickets to the always-sold-out games. p. 1C
T
. n
n o o i t a t een D
N T ON TO G G N I N HI A ASSH W W F OF YO TY SSIIT R E R IVE N NIV U U E T HE TH O OFF
l o o o i h h r c c O S S o o t t K K C A
School’s We're
back back
in session. school’s in Are you ready? Handed out at
D RawesgeDravzee your space
Find out wh ich events w ill get you gea red up and which ones you sh ould avoid.
PG. 23
B B
Call today! !! . 06DOS 5AND4DON’TS 3 .2 3 3 6
2
Orientation BUYING TEXTBOOKS
PG. 33 Run Date: Sept.25 ATTENDING COLLEGE Deadline: Sept.21 PG. 11
PG. 8 BacktoSchool
Ru n Date: 100 thingsSept.30 to do
before you graduate Deadline: Sept.23 Freshmen orientation and Dawg Days !
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSIT Y OF PENNSYLVANIA
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2009
Online AT at dailypennsylvanian.com ONLINE
Friends, sisters mourn Nursing junior 22-year-old Lindsey Goldhagen died at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania on Sunday BY JARED McDONALD Staff Writer guity about her favorite food: was it frozen yogurt or cheese fries? But it seemed that nearly everyone at her memorial service yester-
our GUIDE
OUT
CHECK
The one-word summaries of Nursing junior Lindsey Goldhagen varied between “passion” and “brilliance,” and there was considerable ambi-
to discovering
PHILADELPHIA
day, at Congregation Beth Israel in Northfield, N.J., agreed on one point: Goldhagen knew how to live life to its fullest, and tried her hardest to impart her wisdom to others. Goldhagen, 22, died at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Sunday morning due to complications associated with a liver transplant, according to a press release
by the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority. The transplant, which she received in 2007, “seemed to give her a totally new lease on life,” said her Uncle Alan at the service. Ashley Cummings, who graduated from the College in May and was Goldhagen’s sorority sister in Phi Sig, agreed, referencing a conversation she had with Goldhagen
FIRST STEPS ON LOCUST ELIZABETH ARGALL
- Hometown: Nesquehoning, PA - Prospective major: Undecided - Interests: Reading, board games, traveling, kayaking - Why Penn: Love at first visit - Goal for the year: Pick a major -Looking forward to: Meeting new people from diverse backgrounds
Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Argall and Jordan English
on the
RUN >> PAGE C1
FRESHMAN YEAR: THE RULES TO LIVE BY
OPINION | Welcome to “the best place in the world.” Recent graduate Julie Steinberg shares the top 11 rules to enjoying the Penn Life. >> PAGE A6
events@penn ‘DP’ DESSERT NIGHT
Join the staff of The Daily Pennsylvanian and 34th Street Magazine for late-night desserts at the ‘DP’ office. 4015 WALNUT ST., TOMORROW 11 P.M.
AN EVENING AT PMA Enjoy great food, dancing and free admission to world-class galleries. This is the NSO gala that everyone will be talking about! PHILA. MUSEUM OF ART, SAT 5:30 P.M.
COMEDY NIGHT AT IRVINE Participate in an evening of laughs with professional stand-up comics. Be sure to arrive early as seating is limited. IRVINE AUDITORIUM, SUN 11 P.M.
TOGA PARTY AT U. MUSEUM Penn’s world-famous Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology rocks out for the Class of 2013. UNIVERSITY MUSEUM, MON 9 P.M.
‘‘
In the past, a vegetarian option could be mashed potatoes, but it might have been made with chicken broth.” General manager of Penn Dining Paul Bulau, on Bon Appetit vs. Aramark >> PAGE A4
Editorial (215) 898-6585 • Business (215) 898-6581
SEE GOLDHAGEN PAGE A8
FRE SHMAN FOOT STEPS
>> PAGE B6
RELYING
several weeks ago. “She couldn’t be happier, just because she was alive,” Cummings said. “She was going to enjoy each day as if it were her last, because it simply could be her last.” Other close friends further spoke to Goldhagen’s passion for life.
SHIV KAPOOR
- Hometown: New Dehli, India - Prospective major: Finance and International Relations - Why Penn: Dream college for a decade - In 10 years: Pursuing an MBA and becoming an entrepreneur
JORDAN ENGLISH
Melanie Lei /DP Staff Photographer
- Hometown: Rowlett, TX Prospective major: Cognitive Science - Looking forward to: Enjoying good professors and meeting new people - In 10 years: Studying to become a neurosurgeon
KERRY MCLAUGHLIN - Hometown: Lima, NY - Prospective major: Nursing - Interests: Piano, photography, volunteering - Goal for the year: Make the most of opportunities and do well academically - In 10 years: Working in healthcare as a Nurse Practitioner cent multicultural and hail from 71 different countries. And, like each crop of freshmen before it, the Class of 2013 is better and brighter than its predecessor. But now that they’re finally setThey’re artists, mathematicians tling onto campus, it’s time to look and athletes. They boast an aver- beyond the numbers. age SAT score of 2175, are 44-perThis year, The Daily Pennsyl-
An occasional series will explore the first-year experience of four freshmen BY JESSICA RIEGEL Features Editor Along the road to college admissions, the Class of 2013 was often flattened into statistics.
vanian is following four freshmen through their first year of college. The occasional series will explore all aspects of the freshman journey, from moving in to cramming for finals — and everything in between. SEE FOOTSTEPS PAGE A4
UA kicks off latenight NSO events NSO | Activities, intended to curb heavy drinking, will include entertainment and food BY DANA VOGEL Staff Writer On a typical night during New Student Orientation, hordes of freshmen are seen pouring from the Quad and Hill College House on their way to the parties that lie just beyond 40th Street. This year, though, things are changing. The Undergraduate Assembly is launching a series of new late-night events in an attempt to combat drinking and offer an alterative to the “dominant culture of NSO,” in the words of College junior and UA chair-
man Alec Webley. The events are coming together as planned, though on a smaller scale than originally anticipated, he said. The organizations partnering with the UA include The Daily Pennsylvanian, the Muslim Student Association, the Queer Student Association, Penn Student Government, the Latino Coalition, the Panhellenic Council, the Penn Alumni Student Association and Hillel, among
Toby Hicks/DP File Photo
SEE LATE-NIGHT PAGE A10
Students enjoy food, company and fine art during the New Student Orientation event, “An Evening at the Philadelphia Museum of Art” last year.
Visit us online at dailypennsylvanian.com
Send story ideas to newstip@dailypennsylvanian.com
YEAR IN
REVIEW PAGES 8A-9A Saturday, August 15, 2009 Issue 19
T H E
E D I TO R I A L LY
PUBLISHED SINCE 1906 http://dailybeacon.utk.edu
Vol. 111
I N D E P E N D E N T
ST U D E N T
N E WS PA P E R
O F
T H E
U N I V E RS I T Y
O F
T E N N ESS E E
UT’s Rock relocated to preserve tradition Samantha Sutton Staff Writer After 43 years, UT’s iconic Rock has found a new home. The 98-ton paint-covered slab was moved kitty-cornered from its original location at the intersection of Pat Head Summitt Street and Volunteer Boulevard on July 15. “Other than Ayres Hall, it’s the most recognizable structure on campus,” Michael Turner, a UT alumnus, said. A crowd drew as the Rock was transported by crane onto a flatbed truck and then to its new spot next to the Music Building. “Oh, I think we’re all nervous,” Amy Blakely, director of UT media relations, said as the rock was being moved. Blakely said a replacement rock of equal size was ready in the event the Rock was damaged crossing the street. Luckily, it remained intact for the nearly 13-hour relocation process. The Rock was moved to accommodate the expansion of the new Student Health Center. Construction of the new building is set for this fall, Blakely said. Its new location was decided upon by Jeff Wilcox, 2008-09 SGA president, J.J. Brown, assistant dean of students, and Tim Rogers, vice chancellor for student affairs. Wilcox said he and Brown pondered the Rock’s new location and decided on the opposing street corner. “We wanted to find a loca-
tion with plenty of visibility and (that) was able to support the purpose of the Rock,” he said. “ And we kept coming back to the same corner.” Wilcox said the new loca-
tion allows the Rock more visibility from the street. Wilcox said campus administration played a big role in saving the historic cornerstone. “The new Student Health
Center has to go there and it’s nice that they are making real efforts to preserve this tradition,” he said. The Rock has been an symbol of the university since 1966. Since then it has
served as canvas for student expression. Turner said his fraternity was one of the first to paint the Rock in 1980. He recalled a disgruntled fraternity member painting a message
directed to his house on the stone. The next day the student’s words had been whitewashed by the university, only to give someone else the chance to rebut. And thus the tradition was born, he said.
George Richardson • The Daily Beacon
The Rock’s excursion across the road, kitty-cornered from its original location at Pat Head Summitt Street and Volunteer Boulevard, lasted nearly 13 hours. It went off without a hitch, and the Rock now rests in its new home.
Flu-shot campaign calls for three shots
$1.8 billion budget approved by Board of Trustees for 2010 Staff Reports
Anthony Cheatham • The Daily Beacon
The Associated Press ATLANTA — Get ready to roll up your sleeve three times for flu shots this fall. That's right, three times. This year's flu season is shaping up to be a very different one. Most people will need one shot for the regular seasonal flu and probably two others to protect against the new swine flu. Experts suggest you get that first shot as early as this month — if you can find it. "We'd like to get to Job 1 and get most of it done," said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University flu expert, referring to seasonal flu vaccinations. "Get it done before we start to tackle Job 2," the more complex task of swine flu vaccinations, he added. The five vaccine manufacturers that supply the United States are finishing up production of seasonal flu vaccine earlier than usual. Health officials say they expect about half
of the more than 120 million doses of seasonal vaccine to be available by the end of this month. Most of the rest are due out by the end of September. Some manufacturers report that distributors are quickly buying up supplies. Those five companies — including one that makes a nasal spray version of flu vaccine — are the same ones making the new swine flu vaccine. They are on track to start delivering the first batches of that in September, but the bulk of it isn't expected until late October or November, health officials say. That's sparked questions about how all this is going to work. Officials want to get as many people as possible vaccinated against both forms of flu, but a lot of that depends on consumers and how many trips they'll be willing to make to get shots. Why can't you get one shot for all — or maybe just two? The reasons have to do with logistics and caution.
Scientists believe the swine flu vaccine will be most effective if given in two doses, about three weeks apart, although testing is still under way to check that. Combining swine flu and seasonal flu in one shot is theoretically possible, but it was too late to try it this year. Decisions were made last winter about what flu strains to use in this year's seasonal vaccine, and production was too far along by the time swine flu hit in April to alter the formula. So seasonal flu and swine flu will have to be given as separate doses, even if it's during the same appointment. But it's not a matter of just giving both to whoever comes in. Supplies are expected to be limited, so the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has two different lists for who should be first to get the seasonal flu shot and who should be first to get the swine flu shot. See Flu on Page 12A
The UT Board of Trustees approved a $1.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2010 that includes one-time federal stimulus funding and increases tuition at every campus. Trustees at the board’s annual meeting on June 17 in Knoxville also approved Acting UT President Jan Simek’s plans for an initial phase of reorganization of the UT System administrative structure. The university has been preparing for a $65.6 million cut in state appropriations, and that cut is reflected in the fiscal year 2010 budget, which went into effect July 1. However, the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides funding for states to allocate to education. UT is slated to receive $92 million in total federal stimulus and state stabilization funds for fiscal year 2010. Total state appropriations are projected to be $514 million, slightly more than a year ago. Similar funding is planned for next year, but it will not be available for fiscal year 2012. “At the end of this period, UT will be a different university than it is now. We will be leaner and more efficient,” Simek said. “We are not saved. We recognize that,” he added. “There are difficult choices in front of us. There are difficult choices we have already made.” Uses for the one-time stimulus funds include retaining lecturers and adjunct faculty, upgrading technology in classrooms, maintaining facilities and undertaking energy efficiency projects. About 500 jobs have been targeted to be eliminated systemwide in the next two years. About 300 of those jobs are currently filled. Those positions will be shifted to stimulus funding in order to keep those affected employees at the university for up to two years before their positions are eliminated. Targeted positions at the System level will be moved to other non-state funding sources. During the next two years, the university will provide assistance to find other employment inside and outside UT, Simek said. UT Knoxville will receive the largest portion of the stimulus funding at $48.3 million. The board also approved recommendations to increase tuition. The university is projected to receive $392 million in revenue from tuition and fees, an increase of about $30 million from last year. The tuition increase for the Knoxville campus will be 9 percent, or $490 for in-state undergraduates and $564 for graduates.
W E L C O M E
B A C K
C A R O L I N A
G A M E C O C K S !
dailygamecock.com FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
VOL. 102, NO. 1 ● SINCE 1908
AMIRIDIS MAKES LONG JOURNEY TO USC PROVOST
Welcome Week Weather TODAY
HIGH 86°
Academic affairs VP discusses experiences, growth of University during tenure
SATURDAY
Liz Segrist
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
HIGH 85°
SUNDAY HIGH 86° Hannah Carroll / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
MONDAY
The new Honors Residence Hall will house more than 500 first-years and upperclassmen.
HIGH 86°
TUESDAY HIGH 92°
WEDNESDAY HIGH 92°
Construction finished on Honors Residence Newest dorm receives occupancy certificate, ready for move-in
Inside
Katie Jones
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
SPORTS
Who is ready for Carolina football? Check out how the freshmen and fellow Gamecocks are measuring up for the fall.
THE MIX
Honor s Re s ide nc e , USC ’s ne we s t residence hall, is complete after receiving its certificate of occupancy July 30. T he Honor s Re sidence w i l l hou se more t h a n 50 0 s t udent s of v a r y i ng classes. Most of the students are from the Honors College, but it will also house the Magellan Scholars and Music learning communities. University Housing Director Kirsten Kennedy said she’s pleased with the newest residence hall and thinks residents will be, too. “It’s gorgeous. It’s really amazing. The fi nishes are wonderful. I think [residents] are going to be excited to be t here,” Kennedy said. “It’s a new place and it has a real academic focus to it.” The Honors Residence is not without tribute to the Towers, which stood in the same location, Kennedy said. “When you walk in what’s considered the front entrance to the building, there’s k ind of an homage to the Towers that
PROVOST ● 4A
Hannah Carroll / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
A new cafeteria and coffee shop will open in the new Honors Residence Hall. were there before the Honors Residence. It’s just kind of neat,” Kennedy said. “The veil block that was outside the old Towers — we salvaged part of that and it’s on the inside. There will be some glass panels in there to honor the Towers that were HONORS ● 11A Preston Evans / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Alcohol use affects entire campus Students, faculty discuss consequences of drinking among 18- to 24-year-olds Check out what’s in, what’s out and what you should be wearing as you make your way around campus this fall.
See page 4B
VIEWPOINTS Columnist Bobby Sutton offers different advice: have fun, make mistakes and enjoy the ride.
BOBBY SUTTON Fourth-year media arts student
See page 8A
Michael A miridis has come a long way from his homeland in northern Greece to the University of South Carolina where he was recently named the University’s academic affairs vice president and provost. After a two-month internal search between Amiridis, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Mary Anne Fitzpatrick and South Carolina Honors College Dean Davis Baird, Amiridis was chosen for the University’s top academic post and will begin Aug. 15. “Of course I feel both nervous and excited moving from chairman to dean to provost, but it is great to keep learning more and more and to help people,” Amiridis said. A miridis has seen the universit y transform from an original teaching school to a national researching university during the last 15 years. But what impresses him the most is the University’s change “without losing our soul.” “The students and the sense of family and the sense of a small group that this university always had continued to be like this during these changes,” Amiridis said. “It has been very exciting living through this transformation while managing to maintain these core values.” Amiridis has served the university for the past 15 years initially as a chemical engineering assistant professor. He then became the chemical engineering department chairman and the College of Engineering and Computing dean before taking on the provost position. Peggy Breeland, an administrative assistant in the College of Engineering and Computing dean’s office, worked with Amiridis for the past three years and said she thinks his new position is excellent. “It’s a great challenge for him and a great opportunity
Graduate students could get own senate SG to consider new bicameral structure after year of debate
Liz Segrist
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
A lcohol is a major topic for many college students across the nation, whether it concerns Friday night plans or new regulations. Regardless of whether a college-aged student drinks on a regular basis or ra rely or never, alcohol has the potential to affect everyone. A recent study conducted by the National Instit ute on A lcohol Abuse a nd Alcoholism released in June was found that the rate of alcohol-related deaths for college-aged students rose and that drinking habits and driving habits did not differ much between young adults who attended college and those who didn’t. Researchers multiplied the Census Bureau’s number of 18- to 24-year-olds in the U.S. by the estimated percentage of alcohol-related deaths of the same age group, as reported by 331 medical exam iner studies. The result was then
Provost and Vice President of Accademic Affairs Michael Amiridis prepares to take on his new position.
Josh Dawsey
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Scott Fowler / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Firefox Bar and Grill near Bower Parkway is one of many places Columbia college-aged persons go to drink. multiplied by 30 percent since three-tenths of the age group attend college, revealing some shocking results. The number of alcoholrelated unintentional injury
deaths among college-aged students between 18 and 24 rose from 1,440 in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005, according to the study. These deaths were ALCOHOL ● 2A
St udent G over n ment of f ic i a l s s a y ide a s a r e in the works to create a bicameral Student Senate that would give graduate students equal power in making policy. If all goes according to plan, a bicameral student gover n ment — w it h one house represent ing u n d e r g r a d u a t e st udents and one house r e p r e s e nt i n g g r a d u at e s t ude nt s — s hou ld b e set i n place before SG elections next spring. But it’s not a sure thing, said SG Vice President A lex Stroman. The requirement would change the SG constitution, and that’s not something that happens often. “The committee hasn’t
met yet,” Stroman said. “There are no pla ns. T here a re ideas. A nd ultimately it has to pass the committee. This is a long process with a lot of hurdles to go through.” Va r i o u s p r o b l e m s plagued graduate student representation in the past, said Sen. Ben Bullock, a fi rst-year graduate student studying social work and public administration. “One of t he concerns we had in getting graduate students involved in the current system is that the Student Senate meets at 5:30 [p.m.] on Wednesday, a very bad time for most grad students, and doesn’t t a c k le i s s u e s o n t he i r radar,” Bullock said. “A separate graduate house w o u ld a l l o w g r a d u at e st udent s a leg islat ive vehicle that they can tailor to their needs.” I n t he past, g raduate st udent s were a l lot ted seat s i n t he St udent SENATE ● 2A
FRESHMAN SURVIVAL GUIDE THE DAILY ATHENAEUM – WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2009
WOODBURN HALL
TIPS TO MAKE YOUR TRANSITION TO WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY EASIER Limited parking forces students to find alternate forms of transportations PAGE 5
ALL PHOTOS BY LEANN ARTHUR/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
The Mountaineer Parents Club has been helping parents stay connected for 14 years PAGE 10 WVU’s Dining Services offers multiple meal plan options for incoming students PAGE 13 WVU COLISEUM
MOUNTAINLAIR
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 34 MORGANTOWN, WV
CREATIVE ARTS CENTER
DOWNTOWN LIBRARY
The WVU Office of Student Employment helps student workers find jobs PAGE 18 Incoming WVU President James P. Clements and Student Government Association welcome students PAGES 29 and 30 An easy guide to the WVU football ticketing process for freshmen students PAGE 39
view hill
™
of the
A College Heights Herald Special Edition
3.
T he Spirit of a Hilltopper
17.
Making the Transition
Summer 2009
39.
Keys to Success
Washington State University
Read more articles and find out what pearls of wisdom our staff has to start your freshman year off right. www.studlife.com
Sports aficionados: Get the 411 on the Wash. U. Bears and all the local St. Louis teams in SPORTS, PAGE 16
New to th the Lou? CiCi Coquillette Coqu illette helps you find the best m music venues in the area in CADENZA, PAGE 13. CAD DEN
STUDENT LIFE
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Louisiana Mo 63353 Permit #11
the independent newspaper of Washing ton Universit y in St . L ouis since eighteen sevent y-eight ORIENTATION 2009
Vol. 130, No. 1
www.studlife.com
Work on new Umrath, Wohl WU administration going ‘as planned,’ officials say moving forward
with tobacco ban Some criticize lack of student input and communication
I
EVAN WISKUP | STUDENT LIFE
EVAN WISKUP | STUDENT LIFE
COURTESY OF FACILITIES
Phase I of construction on the South 40 will be completed with the opening of Umrath Hall and part of the new Wohl Center this fall. Left: Umrath Hall under construction this summer. Right: the architect’s rendered image of the finished building.
Jack Marshall Contributing Reporter With move-in day quickly approaching, Washington University administrators say construction of the longawaited Umrath Hall and Wohl Center on the South 40 is going as planned. “There are certain activities lagging, certain activities ahead of schedule, but we are overall on schedule,” said Steven Rackers, director of capital projects & records. While masonry and landscaping are slightly behind schedule, some interior furnishing remains ahead. Phase I of the construction will be done before fall move-
in, according to Project Manager Nancy Marshall. This first phase includes the new Umrath and Wohl residential areas, a fitness center, certain stations at Bear’s Den, part of Bear Mart and a temporary dining facility. Residential spaces will be ready for early move-in students, which includes freshman participants in pre-orientation programs, student advisors and resident advisors. Phase II—which consists of the completion of the new Bear’s Den, an upgraded Bear Mart and College Hall, an assembly space for the residential colleges—will be done by August 2010. Dean of Students Justin
Carroll wrote in an e-mail that construction for College of Hall will start after the old Wohl is completely demolished. The University, he wrote, expects it to be done by fall 2010. According to a description from the architecture firm Mackey Mitchell and Associates—Umrath and Wohl’s designers—the lower levels of Umrath and Wohl will feature student activity spaces to accommodate 3,000 residents and a new dining service facility. “Modeled after European streetscapes, the site features an upper and lower plaza, which creates ‘outdoor rooms.’ Cascading stairs, ramps and a sloped garden lead from the
adjacent parking garage to the lower plaza, creating a social heart for the residential neighborhood,” the firm’s description reads. Due to the new Wohl’s LEED Silver certification, there will be other noticeable changes in Bear’s Den, such as china dishes instead of disposable ones to help reduce waste. The kitchen will use energyefficient hoods to reduce energy use, and food wastes will be sent to a composter. The loading dock near the dining facilities will be sheltered by a green roof that provides not only recreation space but also a vegetable and herbs garden for students to
See SOUTH 40, page 2
New dining options await students Chloe Rosenberg Staff Reporter As members of the Class of 2013 prepare to make Washington University their new home, Dining Services is scurrying to finish the new dining facilities on the South 40. The new Wohl Center, currently under construction, will house the new dining facilities. The former Wohl Center, where most of the South 40’s dining facilities were located, was demolished in mid-June. Amid student concerns, Bon Appétit insists the quality of the food options offered on the South 40 will not suffer from the transition.
The new Wohl Center will be built in two separate phases— the first of which will be finished before August move-in. The first phase will house both permanent and temporary dining facilities. A permanent dining facility will be completed with the second phase to replace the temporary one. The new dining hall is set to offer many of the same options previously available at Bear’s Den, including a bakery, grill and sandwich station in the permanent section, along with a tacquería, salad bar, global station and a hot kosher station in the temporary facility. A temporary Bear Mart also will be available for the 2009-
2010 school year. Ursa’s will be the only South 40 dining facility to remain unaffected by the changes. “It is going to be one of the top food programs and living and learning concepts in the nation,” Nadeem Siddiqui, resident district manager for Bon Appétit, said of the new facilities. The second permanent wing, which will open for the 20102011 school year, is set to house an Indian station and a Mongolian grill. In 2010, the temporary facility will be replaced by offices and a kosher kitchen—the first of its kind on campus. Until this point, all kosher food items have been prepared at the nearby Hillel
House and delivered to campus. Vegetarian options will be broadened next year as well. The dining facilities will have a separate grill and fryer for vegetarian food. Plans are underway to have at least one vegetarian option available at each food station. “I think that having the separate fryer is a good option. Seeing my food touch meat is a personal turn-off to me. That’s really good that they are trying to be more sensitive,” said junior Meghna Srinath, a vegetarian. All of the food in the new dining hall will be served a la carte. Though there will be no replacement for Center Court, a
Dan Woznica News Editor
Ashtrays soon will be a relic of bygone days at Washington University as all of the institution’s campuses move toward the implementation of a complete smoking and tobacco ban in July 2010. The decision to prohibit smoking and the use of all tobacco-related products on University property was announced last April by the administration, which framed the ban as a public health initiative intended to reduce the effects of secondhand smoke. “We’re not passing judgment on what you should or should not do,” said Jill Carnaghi, associate vice chancellor for students and dean of campus life. “We’re saying on our campus we want as healthy an environment as possible.” Carnaghi’s sense is that most undergraduates agree with the ban. But she feels many who supported it were nonetheless frustrated that the University made the decision without taking student input into account. “I think there was a good number that didn’t like the way the decision was made,” Carnaghi said. “They were upset with how the process went in the decision, rather than the decision itself.” Senior Tom Aylmer was one such student angry with how the University implemented the ban. “The people who implemented it didn’t give the students any say in the decision process,” Aylmer said. “I’d like them to at least inform the students as to how they
made the decision, what kind of research they did. They should address why they didn’t give the students any consideration.” Student Union (SU) also decried the lack of student involvement in the administration’s decision. Last April, SU passed a resolution requesting that the administration reconsider the ban after hearing students’ opinions on the matter. Although the University is not currently planning to reevaluate its decision, Carnaghi is leading a committee of around 12 undergraduates in the coming year that will offer student input to the administration concerning the ban and its implementation. “We’ll pull together a committee to identify what are the issues, what are the concerns and then how do we as a group—which is made up of a lot of students, some I hope to be smokers and some not—move forward with this in a realistic way,” Carnaghi said. The committee likely will include representatives from student groups that may be affected most by the ban, such as international students from cultures more permissive of smoking. Carnaghi said the committee also will work to engage the broader undergraduate population through open forums for students to express their opinions. The administration has created separate committees for working with the rest of the University population. The faculty and staff committee is headed by Alan Glass, director of Student Health Services, and Brad Freeman, associate professor of surgery, while the graduate and professional students committee is headed by Sheri Notaro, associate dean in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. At present, while the Uni-
See BAN, page 3
See DINING, page 2
Financial troubles: University prepares for another hard year In the midst of the worldwide economic crisis, Washington University is dealing with a difficult financial situation of its own. The administration estimates the University’s endowment is down by 20 to 25 percent as of the end of May, according to Chancellor Mark Wrighton.
“That [estimate] might be a little better than we had in mid-April, when I communicated it to the community,” Wrighton said in reference to an e-mail he sent to students, faculty and staff to inform them about the University’s financial situation. He followed up that e-mail with a “State of the University Address” on April 23, providing the community an opportunity to ask questions.
Wrighton said donations to the University have held relatively steady, even as the number of donors to the University has decreased. “[It] might even be ahead [of] last year,” Wrighton said. In fact, the total amount of money donated to the University in fiscal 2009 as of the end of May was 4 percent higher than the previous year, according to David
One Brookings Drive #1039 #330 Danforth University Center St. Louis, MO 63130-4899
Newsroom: (314) 935-5995 Advertising: (314) 935-6713 Fax: (314) 935-5938
Editor: editor@studlife.com News: news@studlife.com Calendar: calendar@studlife.com
Lauren Olens Assignment Editor
Blasingame, executive vice chancellor for alumni and development programs. Blasingame said the University is also outperforming peer institutions in donations. “I think most places are experiencing downturns,” he said. Blasingame attributed the University’s slight upturn to
See CRISIS, page 3
MATT MITGANG | STUDENT LIFE
Chancellor Mark Wrighton speaks on issues affecting the University at the “State of the University Address” on April 23.
®
Please Recycle