The Easterner: Volume 102, Issue 27

Volume 102, Issue 27

www.TheEasterner.org

May 15, 2019

THE INDEPENDENT, STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF

EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Left on red 3 News | 7 Arts | 8 Features | 12 Sports

Read 7:08 PM

The board of trustees recently approved EWU Athletic Director Lynn Hickey’s request to delay completion of the pre-design phase of Roos Field renovations until October.

The athletic department will present pre-design renderings and a business plan at the Oct. 4 BOT meeting.

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An empty Roos Field. The board of trustees approved EWU Athletic Director Lynn Hickey's request to delay completion of the pre-design phase until October on May 10.

Taylor Newquist for The Easterner

Features

News

SOAR Career Conference

Addressing the $3.6 million budget gap

This conference connects students with their prospective industries with presentations on new and innovative technologies from professionals in large corporations.

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@The Easterner

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Eliminating jobs and restructuring various departments and programs are only a few of the ways the university plans to address the $3.6 million budget gap. Whether it’s the decline in enrollment or changes in state policies that has caused this budget gap, many people and departments at EWU will be affected, some more than others. Page 3

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Editor in Chief Michael Brock 509.359.6737 easterner.editor@ewu.edu Managing Editor Jeremy Burnham easterner.mngeditor@ewu.edu Multimedia Director Richard N. Clark IV easterner.multimedia@gmail.com Chief Copy Editor Amanda Haworth easternercopy@gmail.com News Editor Dylan Harris easterner.news@gmail.com Sports Editor Taylor Newquist easterner.sports@gmail.com Arts & Features Editor Erik Rotness easterner.aef@gmail.com

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Web Editor Colleen Ford Social Media Editor Matthew Pennell

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Copy Editor Sam Jackson Reporters Drew Lawson Malati Powell Marco Vargas Karolyn Wambold Photographers Mckenzie Ford Bailey Monteith

Wednesday, May 22.

Director of Student Newspaper Carleigh Hill Faculty Adviser Jamie Neely

About The Easterner Mission We, as independent student journalists at The Easterner, inform our EWU audience of the governance, activities and views of our community.

We provide a voice and a learning environment for students to engage, connect and make informed decisions.

Circulation The Easterner publishes a weekly print version as well as web content during the week at http://www.TheEasterner. org.

The Easterner is distributed throughout the Cheney campus and business district as well as Riverpoint and various Spokane businesses. If you would like the Easterner to be distributed at your business call The Easterner office at 509-359-6737.

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Corrections The Easterner never knowingly publishes inaccuracies. If any error is found, The Easterner is obligated to correct the error as soon as possible, regardless of the source of the error. The Easterner does not remove any editorial content from TheEasterner.org. However, if there is a factual inaccuracy in a story, the editors will run a correction or an update as needed.

Corrections: 1. In Issue 26's article titled, "Bloomsday," The Easterner incorrectly credited the photographer for the photo of senior distance runner Gracie Ledwith. Bailey Monteith took the photo.

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DYLAN HARRIS News Editor

Enrollment rates

EWU is working to address its projected $3.6 million budget gap by eliminating jobs and restructuring various departments and programs.

President Mary Cullinan and Uriel Iñiguez, chair of the board of trustees, sent out an email to faculty and staff on April 8 notifying them of the budget dilemma the school is facing.

“Budget gaps that large are unsustainable for a university our size,” the email said. “They hamper our ability to provide financial assistance to students and to invest in our faculty and staff.

Moreover, softening enrollment in winter and spring terms have led us to expect further reductions in the annual budget proposal.”

Mary Voves, the vice president of Business and Finance at EWU, presented the first read of the 2019-2021 operating and capital budgets at a May 10 board of trustees meeting. While state funding, economic changes and some increases in general costs were mentioned as contributing factors to the budget gap, lower than projected enrollment rates also had a drastic impact.

“Index one is really what funds the core of our budget,” Voves said. “Those are our traditional, tuition-paying students. … We have experienced some softening of those enrollments.”

The lower enrollment rates may be an issue for EWU in coming years as well.

“We are projecting for ‘20 … that those numbers will continue to soften,” Voves said.

Because many operating expenses, like interest payments, repairs and energy costs, for example, are necessary for the school to be able to operate, there has to be reductions across academic departments and colleges instead, Voves said. Positions have been and will continue to be eliminated and some layoffs are to be expected.

State funding “The state policy decisions obviously had a number of impacts on us,” Voves said to the board of trustees. “Those were the limitations on tuition authority, the limitation in compensation funding, and then enrollment started to taper in ’16 and in fall of ’18. We really experienced a pretty significant decline.”

Cullinan and Iñiguez said in their email to faculty and staff that “state funding has decreased and is always unpredictable.”

Despite past policy decisions that have had effects on state funding, according to the EWU Government Relations website, the 2019 legislative session resulted in “historic outcomes for higher education.”

EWU was able to secure some legislative priorities from the state, including $1.8 million to help with compensation increases. Although this was deemed a win by the university according to the EWU website, the school is still dealing with a change of policy in 2017 that affected funding for higher education employees’ increases in salary and benefits. According to the legislative agenda for EWU’s 20192021 state operating budget legislative priorities, about half of compensation increases are covered by the state, a dramatic difference from prior to 2017 when these increases were fully funded.

State funding is just one side of the equation, however.

Impacts

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Taylor Newquist for The Easterner

EWU facing $3.6 million budget gap

The Easterner -

Board of trustees Chair Uriel Iñiguez and President Mary Cullinan listening to the first read of the budgets. They will vote to approve the budgets in June.

“There are a number of impacts,” Voves said. “I’m not going to go through those in detail, because we’re still in the reduction and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion of force process with our employees and is reducing one vacant position. Other with our unions and I want to be sensitive reductions for the Office of Diversity and to the people that are being actually laid Inclusion were absorbed by the Office of off and not really reference that.” the President. The Office of the President Though more specifics will likely be will also be realigning some positions and given at a later date, Academic Affairs and reducing some operating costs.

Business and Finance will be experiencing Athletics is realigning scholarships and the biggest reductions through this first grants and is reducing operating costs. phase of budget realignments because There may be more cuts, however, as they are the two biggest departments at the university works through its budget EWU. process.

Academic Affairs may decrease its “As we move forward through this,” number of deans and consider changes Voves said. “you will see that we also will to faculty release times. Predominantly be probably expecting further budgetary vacant positions have been eliminated too realignment. … That’s a nice way of saying in an effort to cut back costs. we’re going to have more cuts as we move Business and Finance plans to eliminate forward.” mostly vacant positions and reduce some With declining enrollment rates, EWU positions and position terms. Voves said is exploring new strategies to attract that “there will be some layoffs in this and retain more students. Angela Jones, unit.” the vice president Student Affairs is for Student Affairs facing a reduction and Jens Larson, of direct and the associate operating expenses vice president and will be for Enrollment eliminating some Management, vacant positions. spoke at great It also plans to length at the May reinvest additional 9 board of trustees savings for the work session about future, particularly factors causing into efforts the decrease in toward improving enrollment and enrollment rates. ideas to improve University these rates.

Advancement will Some of the MARY VOVES also be eliminating contributing VP of Business and Finance vacant positions, factors to the

“We anticipate that

this is the new normal for Eastern. We will probably be ... constantly adjusting our budgets as we move forward

”

www.TheEasterner.org

decline in enrollment are a steadier economy, greater online competition and the influence of bachelor’s of applied science programs that are being offered at community colleges now. With a lower unemployment rate, like the country is experiencing now, fewer people are getting back into school or starting school, according to Larson.

EWU is already attempting to become more competitive in the online education realm by adding a 100% online MBA program. Attracting more transfer students is another concern for the school, as its enrollment projections for transfer students are expected to be down 12%.

Looking ahead Whether it’s the decline in enrollment, changes in state policies, inaccurate projections or a combination of factors that has caused this budget gap, many people and departments at EWU will be affected, some more than others.

“We anticipate that this is the new normal for Eastern,” Voves said. “We will be probably … constantly adjusting our budgets as we move forward.”

Many reductions and cuts will go into effect in July 2019, while the remainder will go into effect in July 2020. Board of trustees and legislative approval of the budgets will happen this coming June.

The Easterner will provide updates as this story continues to develop and more specific information is made available. •

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News

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Taylor Newquist for The Easterner

ASEWU PR specialist removed from position

TAYLOR NEWQUIST Sports Editor Madyson Rigg, this year's ASEWU public relations specialist, was removed from office by the ASEWU Superior Court May 10 for not performing all of her required job duties.

"I understand the decision of the court," Rigg said in an email to The Easterner.

"I feel disappointed that the other work that I have been diligently involved in this quarter wasn't considered during the deliberation."

The official judgment found that Rigg did not meet the following five requirements of her position: communicate at least one time per quarter with The Cheney Free Press, The Spokesman-Review, KEWU and any local

area television or radio stations, serve as chair of the Public Relations Committee and meet at least two times a quarter, maintain and update the ASEWU website on a weekly basis, be present for regular office hours, and submit a bi-weekly activity report by 11:59 p.m. every other Friday during the academic year.

Rigg was cleared of a charge of failing to meet twice a quarter with The Easterner and the EWU director of communication and media relations.

The court also found that Rigg neglected to create and distribute a press release for the ASEWU General Elections

by May 2 and to chair one Public Relations Committee meeting before April 30.

"Some of the citations were due to a misunderstanding, not negligence," Rigg said.

Taylor Newquist for The Easterner

ASEWU Chief Justice Raúl Sánchez begins reading the complaint before Public Relations Specialist Madyson Rigg arrives to the hearing. Rigg was removed from her position on Friday, May 10.

Rigg listening to the formal complaint. She was removed from her position for violating multiple ASEWU bylaws.

Rigg told the Easterner that she will not be challenging the ruling.

The judgment was delivered by ASEWU

Chief Justice Raul Sanchez. Afterward, Sanchez said that the court had no further comment on the matter. •

Biology professor receives grant MARCO VARGAS Reporter EWU biology professor Javier Ochoa-Reparaz and his team of four professors will reportedly receive $415,000 from the National Institute of Health for their groundbreaking research on the effects of microbes within the human gut, which is what Ochoa-Reparaz has been working on for a few years. Ochoa-Reparaz, who submitted the grant to the NIH, is the principle investigator of his team of professors from EWU and WSU. “We are the primary receivers of the grant,” OchoaReparaz said. “Most of the money comes to Eastern.

Collaborators at WSU will help us analyze some of the data that we will be collecting. They will also collect some data

from samples that we provide from the experiment.”

Ochoa-Reparaz said that receiving the money from the NIH is important for EWU laboratories.

“It means a lot,” Ochoa-Reparaz said. “Unfortunately, it is hard for us to compete with nationwide laboratories in similar work that we do. In my opinion, it is very important for Eastern to have this grant not only for the PIs, but also for undergrad and grad students because they get access to research that mostly is restricted to bigger universities or medical schools.

This grant is designed to train undergrad students on this type of research. We are required to work with undergrad students for every experiment that we do in this project.”

Ochoa-Reparaz said that he and his team have a goal to use some of the money for collaboration on the capacity of doing research.

www.TheEasterner.org

“One of the mechanisms that are used to continue to do research is collaboration with other labs or universities,” Ochoa-Reparaz said. “My goal is to continue (collaborations) with other national institutes to expand our research capacity. Perhaps research that we cannot do at Eastern because we don’t have the equipment or knowledge. This grant allows you to expose a research in conferences, where you can meet people like researchers.”

According to Ochoa-Reparaz, the grant will also be beneficial for training undergrad students in basic research.

“We can teach using PowerPoint presentations or using research as a tool,” Ochoa-Reparaz said. “This grant is important for that. The main goal of this grant is to train our students in the research field.” •

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New online MBA offered

News

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State's new affirmative action policy KAROLYN WAMBOLD Reporter

AMANDA HAWORTH Chief Copy Editor

This fall, EWU will be implementing a brand new online Master of Business Administration program. The program will be affordable compared to other MBA programs in the region, and accelerated so that students can finish in just 11 months.

Businesses are less likely to hire master’s graduates without certification from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. EWU’s upcoming online master’s program is certified with AACSB. This accreditation takes years to acquire, but EWU has this accredited to their MBA program.

“The AACSB—we have been accredited since 1974 and in the business college it’s been since 1976 ... We offer four concentrations.

As I did some research, a lot of MBA online don’t offer concentrations,” MBA program specialist Lorene Winters said.

The current MBA program is not as convenient to some students being that it is in person Ahmad Tootoonchi, dean of the College of Business and Public Administration said. Even though it is a night-class program, many master’s students work as they obtain their degrees.

“Due to recent changes, fast-paced changes and complexities associated with global environment, people’s career, economic, educational and social aspect became really increasingly demanding,” said Tootoonchi. “So our online MBA program has been designed in a way that provides the students with accessibility, affordability and flexibility to deal with those demands of their lives more effectively. Considering what goes on in people’s lives in today’s environment, completing a graduate program in a totally face-to-face environment is almost impossible for working adults. So we designed our program in a way that will really provide students with opportunities to complete a master’s degree in business administration in a accessible, affordable, flexible manner.”

Winters elaborated on the cost of the program.

“We require three foundation courses, that’s it. And they are $388 per credit. So if you needed all three, you’re looking at an extra $4,656. For just one class it would be an extra $1,352,” Winters said.

According to Tootoonchi, EWU could not have marketed this program without the help of Academic Partnerships.

The Easterner -

Student working on a laptop. EWU's new MBA program will be offered 100% online and can be finished in just 11 months.

“We have collaborated with Academic “We have had an existing face-to-face Partnerships in preparation and launching MBA program that is taught in the evenings the program," Tootoonchi said. "Our here in Spokane for many years,” Martin faculty members and staff played a said. “I don’t recall how far back, but for a significant role but also our Academic number of years. And we—Eastern—has Partnership collaborated. Particularly decided to move into the online space since in the area of marketing our programs that will improve the accessibility of our and also providing support in qualified MBA program and make it more accessible faculty that we to a lot … students might need to hire who are former to teach classes Eastern students and also design who are working of the courses professionals. technologically.

They’re trying Because online to improve their classes have to be credentials, they’re designed well.” trying to further Numerous their education. meetings and And the evening preparation have MBA works for a gone into making lot of them. But for sure nothing goes a lot of people even wrong with the that sort of time DR. WILLIAM MARTIN program when it Chair of Finance and Marketing commitment for launches this fall. traditional quarter Tootoonchi emphasized the guarantee of can be a challenge.” the quality of the program.

The commitment might be easier being “The emphasis is those foundation that it is not in a physical classroom. courses are required only of the students “The online MBA gives students who do not have undergraduate business significantly more flexibility to take courses background because we want them to be when they want to,” Martin said. “They will prepared for taking our required courses,” be able to work on course material when Tootoonchi said. they want to. They won’t have to show up Dr. William Martin is currently an to a particular class at a particular date and assistant professor and an interim chair time. They will have a span of availability to with the department of finance and get to work on that when they choose.” marketing. As far as the new MBA online There is another online master’s program, he is very much involved. He program that was started by the education and the other chairs have been working department this past fall. to figure out the mechanics of the “They are working with the same program. partner that we are that is called Academic “We’ve been working to source new Partnerships. It’s a private entity,” Martin faculty to help us teach these sections,” said. “Academic Partnerships is helping Martin said. “Since we are going to be us with doing a lot of communications. teaching a significant number of new They’re doing a lot of promotions for their sections, we need additional faculty to help program. They will be doing the same for us cover those sections.” our program as well. Eastern is responsible The reason to include an online version for developing all the curriculum, teaching of the courses, is to help make it easier for all the courses … All of that will be done by the working student.

Eastern faculty.” •

“The online MBA

gives students significantly more flexibility to take courses when they want to.

”

www.TheEasterner.org

The Washington State Legislature is in the process of passing I-1000, which would add affirmative action laws and policies in employment, education and contracting.

According to the Ballotpedia website, "I-1000 explicitly allows the state of Washington to implement affirmative action laws and policies while continuing to ban discrimination and preferential treatment," based on certain characteristics, such as race, sex and age."

"To look at things from a bigger picture, EWU seeks to attract students from underrepresented and underserved populations, but does not have an affirmative action process for student recruitment and reviewing of application," Director of Recruitment for Admissions Jana Jaraysi said in an email to The Easterner. "We continue to welcome and admit all students regardless of whether I-1000 becomes law or not."

According to Annika Scharosch, associate vice president for civil rights, compliance and enterprise risk management, EWU is closely tracking I-1000 to see if someone gathers enough signatures to require a referendum.

According to the Ballotpedia website quoting the initiative, an affirmative action is a policy where "an individual’s race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, age, presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability and military status are factors considered in the selection of qualified women, honorably discharged military veterans, persons in protected age categories, persons with disabilities, and minorities for opportunities in public education, public employment and public contracting."

“With respect to employment on campus, EWU is already required by federal law to have an affirmative action program,” Scharosch said. "EWU seeks to increase its employment of people from historically underrepresented groups, but it does not grant preferential treatment to anyone on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or any other protected status.”

According to the Washington State Legislature website, I-1000 passed in the House 56-42 on the third reading. It then passed in the Senate 26-22 on the third reading as well.

“The on-campus jobs will not change if Initiative 1000 goes into effect,” Scharosch said. “With respect to off-campus jobs, there may be some impact, but this would be up to individual businesses (and) agencies.”

The affirmative action policy was passed by the House and Senate on April 28 and if there are not enough signatures on the petition to veto the bill, I-1000 will be in effect by July 28. •

News

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Dylan Harris for The Easterner

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Spokane City Hall located across the street from River Park Square. Spokane voters passed a public safety levy to increase the number of police officers in the city in order to address property crime issues.

Spokane addressing property crime DYLAN HARRIS News Editor Spokane has the highest property crime rate in the state of Washington and the third highest property crime rate in the nation according to a recent report by the National Council for Home Safety and Security Association.

Those rankings are not flattering, but the city of Spokane has plans in place.

Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart said that steps have been and will be taken to address the problem. One of those steps can largely be credited to Spokane voters.

“We just passed a public safety levy that will book 20 more police officers,” Stuckart said in a March interview. “Up until that point … we have put 34 new officers in the various budgets.”

The $5.8 million tax passed overwhelmingly, despite opposition from Spokane Mayor David Condon, and will also pay to retain 30 recently hired firefighters.

“The mayor was not supportive of the public safety levy because he felt like the spend was not thought out as well as he would’ve liked before he went to ask the voters,” said Marlene Feist, the acting director of communications and marketing for the city of Spokane in a March interview.

Feist added that now that the levy has passed, the mayor will work with Spokane City Council to ensure the funds are properly distributed.

Feist and Stuckart both placed some of the blame for such high property crime

rates on systemic problems such as drug use and poverty, but Stuckart says it goes further than that.

Stuckart said the police department, in 2018, didn’t have enough officers to look into many of the reported property crimes.

“From last year, from 2018, you have over 4,000 property crime reports that somebody has reported in, many of those they know who did it, that never got followed up on,” Stuckart said.

Stuckart said part of the reason for the limited funding for the police department was a lack of trust from the Spokane community. He mentioned the infamous Otto Zehm case from 2006, in which Spokane police officer Karl Thompson was convicted of using excessive force when attempting to detain Zehm, who was developmentally disabled. Zehm died two days after the incident.

Stuckart said that by voting to pass the levy, voters have expressed more trust in the Spokane Police Department.

“We’ll be there in 18 months in order to address that,” Stuckart said. “For the first time, I’d say probably in the last 30 years, we’ll be able to say we’re at the strength we need to be for a city our size.”

Despite the high property crime rates, Feist said there has actually been some signs of progress.

“We’ve created special task teams in the police department to work property crimes specifically, and they’ve had some pretty good success,” Feist said. “For the first time, our vehicle theft number went down this year while the rest of the nation went

up. We have seen property crime actually reduce over the years.”

While adding more police officers is a logical step to address property crime, Stuckart said that more has to be done.

“We have a really low median household income,” Stuckart said. “We’re a community that has high poverty rates. Our median household income is about $10,000 … per household lower than Tacoma, which is basically the same size as Spokane. Their police force has 60 more members than ours does.”

Stuckart said that by raising the median household income, there would be more funding for the police department. He also said that this would help address the root of the problem.

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“If you have a community of high poverty, somebody is more likely to commit a crime, a property crime especially, because they’re destitute,” Stuckart said.

Feist also said that there needs to be better supervision of property crime offenders once they are released. She said the city is in the process of trying to pass a measure that would require better supervision.

“We’ve been looking at property crimes for a long time now, so clearly those statistics are upsetting to us as well as to our citizens,” Feist said.

Statistics often fail to tell the whole story, but the third highest property crime rate in the nation is undeniably a problem. •

Arts

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How do you think EWU can improve a sense of community on campus?

“More free stuff on campus with people trying to show off what they can do. I enjoy just hanging out in like a gathering area where you can be free to talk."

- Bryan Emtman, Sophomore “I think overall Eastern is doing great. I like when they set up all the little booths in the campus mall. I wish I had better access to job opportunities for learning about those."

- Alaina Tappe, Senior “There is not much to do.

I (think) if there would be more public speeches or something like that it would be good.”

- Preston Gano, Freshman “I don’t really see many problems with how it is right now. I think they do a great job of getting people involved and having a lot of events for people to do."

- Elijah Hammer, Freshman “I think handing things out more would be good.

I know people don’t pay attention, but if you shove it in their face they would at least look at it.”

Looking Back

Council battles discrimination THE EASTERNER Archives

This story was originally published in The Easterner, Vol. 51, No. 2, September 30, 1999 and has not been changed except for AP style.

The ASEWU unanimously voted on Tuesday, to approve a resolution that would forbid "discrimination of any kind" on campus.

The resolution was brought up for discussion at the Tuesday ASEWU council meeting by President Danny Caldwell. Caldwell said that it had been brought to his attention that over the last two years the gay, lesbian, bisexual group SAFE, has experienced difficulty keeping its posters and flyers up.

"They will put up a poster and the next day it will be gone," said Caldwell.

"This is not acceptable ... students need to be aware this is going on."

"I see us as almost being racist campus," said Caldwell.

Caldwell went on to explain the controversy that occurred two years ago when former ASEWU President Leshund Lambert received racist hate mail for being an African American in authority.

Caldwell also included in the resolution a stipulation that if a situation of discrimination were to arise that the ASEWU would press legal charges as a whole rather than as individual students. Caldwell questioned Matt Chase, dean of students, as to how the ASEWU should go about implementing the stipulation. Chase responded that if the discrimination occurred on campus the council would first have to abide by the procedures in the student conduct

ASEWU President Danny Caldwell adresses the student council regarding discrimination on campus. code before consulting with legal authorities about protocol for civil suit.

"Somebody is not being a very kosher person," said Caldwell. "I want to catch this perpetrator."

"We should make this a lot broader than SAFE ... I think we should include all groups," said Caldwell, in response to questions about the breadth of the resolution regarding groups other than SAFE.

Also at the meeting, Chase criticized the tailgate party at last Saturday’s football game. Saying that though the party was supposed to end at the beginning of the game, EWU police tried twice to disperse the crowd.

During the second half of the game, police located Chase in the stands, and asked him to help them disperse the crowd.•

Confessions These posts were originally published on Instagram @EWU_Confessions. The purpose of this platform is to provide a safe-place for students to comfortably share their experiences and to support one another. The account @EWU_Confessions is not affiliated with The Easterner and is independently operated by an EWU student. In order to submit confessions, please go to @EWU_Confessions on Instagram.

- Morgan Williams, Junior "I think Eastern can improve its community by first showing up to events on campus. For example, I was helping out with sustainability week, and we had really low attendance."

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The Easterner, Vol. 51, No. 2, Sept. 30, 1999

Easterner Asks

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- George Hebard, Senior

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Feat

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“It’s an explorati

appreciating the and appreciating could have.”

EWU’s production of “Niagara Falls” by Steve Yockey takes the audience through a portal to examine love, regret and the life that could be.

wwwTheEaste

tures

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ion of love and life that you have g the life that you - MJ Daly Actress, Senior Show times are May 16 at 5 p.m., May 17-18 at 7:30 p.m. and May 19 at 2 p.m. at the EWU Theater.• Erik Rotness for The Easterner

erner.org

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Features

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Bailey Monteith for The Easterner

10 - The Easterner

The 600,000 square-foot Amazon fulfillment center in Spokane County is under construction. Representatives from Amazon will hold a presentation during the SOAR Conference on the fulfillment center and begin recruiting for its operation.

Conference makes connections SOAR Career Conference brings presentations on innovation from large companies MALATI POWELL Reporter Students can look into the future of industry leaders like Amazon and Microsoft while putting their feet in the door at the first SOAR Career Conference on May 16.

“The SOAR Career Conference, really it’s based around innovation,” said Romeal Watson, internship coordinator at EWU. This conference is geared toward connecting students with their prospective industries with presentations on new and innovative technologies from professionals in large corporations.

“If you’re excelling in school that’s one

thing, but that doesn’t always necessarily mean you’re prepared for the industry that you’re going into,” Watson said. “If anything you want to go so you can hear from the professionals themselves speak about what it’s going to take to be ready for this industry and where things are actually going.”

Representatives from Amazon will present on the new fulfillment center in Spokane County and recruit for the center.

This is a 600,000 square-foot fulfillment center and the first in Eastern Washington, according to the Seattle Times.

The Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality headset will be demoed courtesy of Pacific Northwest National Laboratories. One of

the speakers, Daniel Sanner, will present on new and popular research at PNNL. Some of these topics include cloud security, testbeds, critical infrastructure and machine learning/artificial intelligence.

According to Sanner, the research he’s speaking about is in need of interns and graduates to assist. He will also touch on tips and tricks for earning an internship or job at PNNL. “We really love innovation at PNNL and keep our minds open to alternative user experiences such as AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality), and MR (mixed reality),“ Sanner said. “Headsets like these are valuable for training

and education, but could be even more valuable in the near future for day-to-day tasks on the job or at home."

CEO of Fatbeam Greg Green will attend the SOAR Career Conference to speak about entrepreneurship and effective leadership in 2019. The afternoon keynote will be held by Mark Gustafson, Director of Innovation and Strategy at Avista.

The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the PUB on May 16. Visit the SOAR Career Conference website at ewu.edu/soarcc for the most up-to-date roster of speakers and list of PUB room locations for the event.•

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Features

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Revitalized EWU climbing club provides students competition and atmosphere of family

Senior Haley Golden climbs down the bouldering wall at EWU. Golden started climbing at EWU two years ago, and is now the climbing club's treasurer. competing or devoting time to the club by climbing.

“We’re a family is what it comes down to,” Golden said. “I’ll be climbing in the (EWU) gym, and someone I don’t even know will sit there and cheer for me to be able to climb a route. So everyone there is just awesome.”

Junior Harry Curry said that the wall looked cool, and he began climbing there a couple times a week during fall quarter.

Soon after, he was approached by club members and encouraged to join.

“We all have the natural ability to climb up the wall, and it’s fun to learn from everyone

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

The EWU climbing club has been making strides to reach new peaks for the sake of the university’s climbing community.

Senior Tim Hamersly told The Easterner in an email that he became president of the club because he cares a lot about climbing and that he wanted to “revitalize the EWU climbing community’s interest in climbing.”

For the first time in several years EWU climbers participated in the Northwest Collegiate Climbing Circuit (NC3) Northwest division.

“I wanted to make sure EWU was represented well at the competitions,” Hamersly said.

On April 6 EWU hosted an NC3 competition called, Climbtastic Voyage 2019.

Seven out of the 17 other colleges in the division came to compete.

Competitors were split into male and female divisions and then categorized into levels from recreational (lowest), to advanced and to open (the highest). Senior Katie Farmer was EWU’s best female competitor.

Hamersly placed No. 3 overall and was EWU’s best male competitor.

“Eastern has a legacy of some great climbers and I think it’s important to continue bringing people into the community to experience pushing themselves physically and mentally all while having a good time and getting in shape,” Hamersly said. “I am proud to represent EWU when I meet other climbers outside.”

It was about two years ago when senior Haley Golden started scaling the EWU Climbing Wall. She said that climbing was the best thing for her. It was from then on that she “just kind of blossomed” as a climber.

“I just fell in love with the sport,” Golden said.

Golden, like Hamersly, wanted to take action and get more people involved in climbing at EWU. This fall, Golden became treasurer of the club and recruited other climbers to join. Now, the club has about 30 members. Golden said between 10 to 15 members are considered “active,” by

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

SAM JACKSON Copy Editor

Senior and climbing club president Tim Hamersly boulders at the EWU Climbing Wall. Hamersly took third at EWU's climbing competition in April.

else because I’m obviously new at it,” Curry said. “Everybody has wisdom that you can gain, and then through that you can form really nice friendships.”

Whenever Curry is in a bind with a new route on the wall he watches the other climbers and studies their movements.

“With climbing club … there’s a lot of coaching that we do,” Curry said. “So if someone is climbing a route and struggling, someone who can climb the route will sit there and tell them, ‘You know, if you want help I’m more than willing to coach you.’

So that’s what’s really cool … you’re gaining kind of a family through climbing club.”

Members of the club also include EPIC Adventures staff who conduct student climbing trips throughout the year. Other members work for the EWU Climbing Wall and teach a variety of non-academic and academic climbing courses.

Non-academic courses include Belay Certification, Lead Climbing and Rappelling. Academic courses include Intro to Rock Climbing and Climbers Self Rescue. The full list can be found at the Climbing Wall website, sites.ewu. edu/recreationfacilities/climbing-wall/ climbing-wall-classes/. “(Climbing) is there for everyone," Golden said. "It doesn’t matter how small

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you are, how tall you are, how big you are; you can do rock climbing. It’s not so much a physical aspect but a mental aspect. And it works on your problem solving skills.

It’s literally available for everyone.”

The club meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 p.m. at the EWU Climbing Wall in the URC. To join the club go to its Eaglesync page, orgsync. com/92162/chapter and fill out the current risk acknowledgement form, orgsync.com/92162/forms/334955.

Club dues are $15 per quarter. Club meeting times for next year have not been finalized but they will likely be the same as this quarter, according to Hamersly. All climbing equipment is free to use at the Climbing Wall.

“Having more people in the club will encourage more people to enjoy and spread the word about the awesome sport of climbing,” Hamersly said. “The club is also fairly small and having a larger club means we would be able to do more outdoor trips, and we could even hire a professional climbing coach if there was enough interest. I especially encourage any beginner or intermediate climber who is looking to improve their technical climbing abilities while getting to know peers in the climbing community, to join.”•

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News

EWU launches Prairie Restoration Project EWU officially began the Palouse Prairie Restoration project on May 8.

The 122 acres of land behind Roos Field will be restored to the natural plants and vegetation that were there before it was used to cultivate wheat beginning in 1953.

“We have the final layout design finished, and in the fall for this year we will start planting an acre of native plants to try and see which plants will work in the soil and what will not,” project manager and sustainability coordinator Erik Budsberg said.

According to Michael Terrell, the landscape architect for this project, the architectural design involves working with EWU students, staff, faculty and the Cheney and Spokane community. The process includes a number of steps and tasks that are completed in collaboration with Budsberg and EWU staff.

“There is a lot of research and meetings to collaborate with key stakeholders (students, faculty, staff) to develop the plan that meets the goals and desires of the EWU community,” Terrell said. “Input is sought out throughout the process to make sure we are on the right track.”

Some of these goals include using the land to provide education, research and recreation opportunities.

According to Dr. Rebecca Brown, professor and chair of the biology department, the department’s research assists in the restoration process.

“Part of the reason the biology department is involved with the restoration project is because of our knowledge of the land and soil,” Brown said. “We have the research on which native plants would work better than others in the soil to handle the climate.”

“This project is to convert the prairie from agricultural use and back to a more traditional prairie ecosystem that is found in a few areas of the Palous," Terrell said.

"Over 98% of the Palouse Prairie has been lost to various types of development.”

EWU

KAROLYN WAMBOLD Reporter

The current site of the Palouse Prairie Restoration Project behind Roos Field. This EWU-owned land has been used as wheat cultivation since 1953.

According to Brown, other goals for the restoration are to engage the community outdoors and to help with leadership among students with research and school studies.

Students are able to go out to the prairie and help with the research to help the restoration.

“We will be starting to plant about 10 acres of native plants that we have grown in a greenhouse around Fall of this year,” Budsberg said. “We will experiment with these 10 acres for a year and by fall of 2020 we will start planting all of the prairie.”

Included in the project plans are the development of a mountain bike skills center, trails for walking, biking and skiing, outdoor classrooms and research plots.

To follow the project’s progress, visit its official website at sites.ewu.edu/ palouserestoration/project-timeline. •

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News

Responte appeals election board's decision Reilly Responte is continuing his fight for the ASEWU presidency.

After the ASEWU election board denied his grievance last week, Responte has filed an appeal of the decision to the ASEWU Superior Court.

The court will meet to hear the appeal

on May 21 at 5:30 p.m. in Patterson 220.

Responte lost the general election to President-elect Key Baker by 11 votes.

His grievance accused Baker of violating campaign rules. The board cleared Baker on all charges. •

Sports

BOT appoints stadium task force The EWU board of trustees has assembled a task force to work with the athletic department while it prepares a proposal for renovating Roos Field.

BOT Chair Uriel Iñiguez announced the task force after athletics gave a presentation at the May 10 BOT meeting.

A plan for stadium renovations was originally scheduled to be proposed at that meeting, but the board approved Athletic Director Lynn Hickey’s proposal to push the date back to the Oct. 4 BOT meeting— where the department will present predesign renderings and a business plan. “(The task force) will evaluate a fundraising plan and a timeline for enhancement of the athletic facilities during the upcoming comprehensive fundraising campaign,” Iñiguez said.

“They will review potential fundraising sources for the athletic facility enhancements.”

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Iñiguez said that the review of potential fundraisers will aid the BOT in assessing the department’s proposal and determining the fundraising capacity of a potential project. The task force will present its findings to the BOT “no later” than Sept. 15, and the board will assess the information at the Oct. 4 meeting, Iñiguez said.

The task force will be composed of eight people. Iñiguez appointed Judge Robert Whaley, Kim Pearman-Gillman, Vicki Wilson and Judge James Murphy to the task force from the BOT. Mark Thompson, chair of EWU Foundation, appointed Krisann Hatch, Mike Mumford, Rick Mount and Mike Ekins to the task force from the Foundation.

“We’ve been talking for awhile about this—hopefully a plan will come together now that everybody is involved in evaluating this,” Iñiguez said. •

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Sports

The Easterner -

13

Still on top DREW LAWSON Reporter EWU senior Larry Still is accustomed to reaching new heights.

Still cleared 16-feet-5.5-inches in the pole vault on May 11 to win his fourth Big Sky Conference title. He won the BSC in the 2016 and 2018 indoor seasons, as well as the 2016 outdoor season.

While the Richland native has found success in his career, the victories haven’t come without challenges.

Still has dealt with several injuries that have hindered his ability to consistently remain on the track, but has still found a way to increase his vaulting height.

“He’s improved quite a bit,” EWU pole vault coach Eric Allison said. “He came basically as a 15-feet-6-inch athlete. Now he’s almost two feet higher. We’ve still got another year with him. If he hadn’t had so many injuries I think we’d be a little farther along.”

During Still’s sophomore season, an injury to his patellar tendon kept him out of vaulting for six months. Last season, he suffered a near-fully torn hamstring and

has been dealing with a groin injury this season. Still said his mentality during the recovery processes was to enjoy the time he had in the sport.

“You can’t always control when injuries are going to happen,” Still said. “Pushing through them and getting stronger, so I don’t have those injuries, is pretty much my mentality.”

Still said this season has gone “wonderfully,” because he hasn’t had to deal with those injuries and has stayed relatively healthy throughout the indoor and outdoor season. This year he won two BSC titles and broke the school record for pole vault with a jump of 17-feet-6.5 inches at the Pelluer Invitational on April 12. That jump is currently tied for No. 21 in Division I men’s track.

EWU head coach Stan Kerr said the injuries have caused Still to have somewhat of a roller-coaster career as an Eagle.

“When he’s on, he’s really on,” Kerr said.

“You get hit with a couple of injuries … It takes a long time to get back to that high level of performing.”

Kerr added that the coaches, including himself and Allison, have had to push Still

EWU Athletics

Vaulter finds success through adversity

Senior Larry Still practices the pole vault in the EWU field house. Still has won four Big Sky pole vault championships in his college career. to get through his injuries.

“At this point, to get back on top (he) knows what it takes,” Kerr said. “You have to get a little bit uncomfortable to get to that level that he wants to be at. Eric knows how to push and how to hug.”

Kerr said that when Still first came in, the coaching staff had to get on him for having some struggles in the classroom.

Still said he’s been pushed a lot and has noticed an emphasis on getting involved in the community.

“Eastern’s really big on giving back,” Still said. “Whether it’s working middle school meets, pushing academics, pushing being a good teammate. The (coaches) push a lot of fundamentals.”

Still said time management has been a skill he’s had to learn throughout his collegiate career.

“Between sports, church and school, it’s a lot,” Still said. “You gotta be focused down and you gotta be scheduled. If you’re not scheduled, you might be late a whole bunch.”

Still picked up pole vaulting his freshman year at Richland High School.

He had planned on playing baseball, but his friend encouraged him to try track and field. Pole vaulting is the only event Still has ever done competitively.

“I tried out for the first week of track, and my friend said, ‘hey, come try this stick thing,’” Still said. “I said, ‘what do you mean?’ and he said, ‘yeah, you take a stick and jump in this big mat.’ I went and tried it out and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Still plans on trying to continue his pole vaulting career after his EWU stint is over.

“That is a big dream of mine,” Still said.

“Depending on how everything goes, I’d like to make a run at the (Olympic) trials.

That’d be really cool.”

Allison said he thinks Still can eventually reach a mark in the 18-foot range and that they’ll try to get him a mark to where he can compete in the trials. For now, Still looks to the West Regionals and a chance to qualify for the NCAA D1 Outdoor Championships. •

Junior Larry Still competes at two outdoor meets last year. Still broke the EWU record in the pole vault at the 47th annual Pelluer Invitational this year with a mark of 17feet-6.5 inches. That mark is currently tied for No. 21 nationally for this outdoor season. | The Easterner Archives

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Sports

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Bailey Monteith for The Easterner

Bailey Monteith for The Easterner

Big Sky outdoor championships

Senior Madison Doepker winds up to throw discus at the Buc Scoring Meet on March 16. Doepker medaled in the hammer throw and javelin at the Big Sky outdoor championships.

Doepker launches two podium throws

Madison Doepker

Hammer

Javelin

Mark — 58.89m

Mark — 47.14m

BSC rank — No. 2

BSC rank — No. 4

Regionals seed — No. 39

Regionals seed — No. 41

Reaction — "It was pretty unexpected because Javelin hadn't been my strong suit all year. It's an honor to keep competing in two events."

Larry Still secures fourth pole vault championship

Mark — 5.02m BSC rank — No. 1 Regionals seed — No. 14 Reaction — "I'm thankful for the coaching and everyone that has helped me get here."

Five Eagles take home bronze

Junior Madison Doepker was the lone EWU thrower to medal at the Big Sky Conference outdoor championships, and will be the only Eagle thrower at the West Regionals.

Doepker earned first place with a 47.14-meter mark in the javelin and third place with a 58.89-meter mark in the hammer throw.

Doepker previously earned third place in the javelin last year at the BSC outdoor championships. The last EWU women's athlete to win a conference outdoor throwing championship was Kaytlyn Coleman in 2016.

Joe Gauthier — 100-meters Mark — 10.54 seconds BSC rank — No. 5

Dominique Butler — triple jump

Bailey Aiello — pole vault

Mark — 12.11m

Mark — 4.82m

BSC rank — No. 4

BSC rank — No. 3

Killion McGinnis — high jump

Bobby Say — triple jump

Mark — 2.04m

Mark — 14.72m

BSC rank — No. 3

BSC rank — No. 5

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s

Sports

5.15.19 - V102 I27

The Easterner -

EWU Athletics

Eagles pick up 13 medals

15

The women's pole vault team poses on the podium after sweeping the event.

Senior Samantha Raines topped the group with a 4.08-meter vault.

Women's pole vault sweeps The Eagles secured first, second and third place in the women's pole vault.

The trio became the first from EWU to sweep an event at the Big Sky Conference outdoor championships since 1983.

Seniors Samantha Raines and Elizabeth Prouty finished No. 2 and No. 3 in the BSC indoor championships on Feb. 22.

Both vaulters hold the top two conference marks of the season as of May 14.

1. Samantha Raines

EWU Athletics

Mark — 4.08m

Junior Keshun McGee competes at the Big Sky outdoor championships. McGee became the winningest male athlete in EWU history, after he earned his sixth career conference championship.

McGee picks up sixth gold Junior Keshun McGee joined a class of his own at the Big Sky Conference outdoor championship, earning his sixth career conference first place medal.

McGee won his fifth and sixth medal, with first place in the long jump and triple jump.

Both marks were personal bests for the Bremerton High School graduate, who sits on top of the BSC rankings heading

into the West Regional championships on May 23-25.

He holds EWU records in both his respective events.

McGee is nationally tied for No. 30 in the long jump and No. 47 in the triple jump.

He previously won the same events at the BSC indoor championships on Feb. 22.

Long jump

Triple jump

Mark — 7.73m

Mark — 15.52m

BSC rank — No. 1

BSC rank — No. 1

Regionals seed — No. 12

Regionals seed — No. 20

Reaction — "I knew I could win both events, it's just a matter of time and patience for me. I'm looking forward to some big jumps."

BSC rank — No. 1 Regionals seed — No. 36 Reaction — "I was really proud of

everyone. I think if we do what we're capable of we can make it on to nationals as well."

2 . Elizabeth Prouty

Mark — 4.03m

BSC rank — No. 2 Regionals seed — No. 41 Reaction — "(The sweep) has always been a dream. We knew we had the team to do it ever since I got here, it was about waiting for the right timing."

3. Katrina Terry

Mark — 3.83m

BSC rank — No. 4 *Content gathered by Taylor Newquist and Drew Lawson

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Sports

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Athletic Director Lynn Hickey and senior associate athletics director for external affairs Devon Thomas sit in front of the board of trustees on Friday. The BOT approved Hickey's proposal to postpone the Roos Field renovation proposal until another meeting in October. | Taylor Newquist for The Easterner

Stadium on standby

Hickey pushes back Roos Field renovation proposal to October meeting MICHAEL BROCK Editor in Chief Eagle football fans eagerly looking forward to a renovation proposal for Roos Field will have to wait until the fall. At the board of trustees meeting on May 10, the board approved EWU Athletic Director Lynn Hickey’s request to delay completion of the pre-design phase until October.

“I know that everybody is anxiously waiting for renderings and the cost and what we’re going to do to enhance the stadium,” Hickey said. “But at this time, we really feel that we need to continue to work with the architects to further review the scope of the project.”

In November 2018, the university hired the ALSC Architects of Spokane to assist in the pre-design process and set out a functional plan for updating the facility. Hickey said that although they have a “good foundation for a plan,” more work has to be done.

ALSC met with a number of focus groups in the past few months to determine a number of “guiding principles” for the stadium’s most pressing needs. Among the list were phrases like “game day experience,” “be Spokane’s team” and “campus connectivity.” In addition to those, Hickey said the athletic department

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needs to consider the long-term needs of the student-athletes and coaches, and look to add more exclusive seats.

“We need to address enhanced and additional premium seating to allow us to increase our football revenue numbers,” Hickey said. “It’s not so much that we need a lot more seats, but we need premium seating that we can add some extra amenities.”

Hickey cited the football team’s FCS playoff run as one reason for the delay, but added that the waiting period “will not greatly alter our timeline.” With the board’s approval, the athletic department will present pre-design renderings and a business plan at the Oct. 4 BOT meeting.

In the meantime, Hickey said the department will continue strengthening fundraising while also identifying a financing plan and potential donors. Because it is against state law for the university to pitch in money, the renovations will need to be completely self-supportive and will rely heavily on contributions from fans and alumni.

Devon Thomas, the senior associate athletics director for external affairs, spoke during the presentation about the department’s fundraising efforts so far this year.

There are two ways to donate: through the

Eagle Athletic Fund and by contributing to a specific team or project. Thomas said that the latter are “restricted” funds, meaning they can only be used on certain things the donor specifies. The EAF is “unrestricted,” but is used primarily for allocating scholarships.

Focusing just on the EAF, $381,136 has been contributed as of May 6. This is a 30% uptick from the entire 2018 fiscal year. Combining the EAF and the “restricted” funds, $666,485 has been raised, compared to $634,967 all of last year. Since the department’s fiscal year runs through June, Thomas said “every dollar that comes in is icing at this point.”

He also noted that the numbers will continue to increase as more already-placed donations start to be reflected.

“Since Feb 1, from a major gift standpoint, we’ve had seven commitments to the EAF of more than $10,000,” Thomas said. “Three of those over $50,000.”

Thomas said only two of those seven donations have been partially accounted for. Last month, a record of over $130,000 was raised at the 38th Annual Orland Killin Scholarship Dinner. All the proceeds go to the EAF and have yet to be added to the tally.

The last major renovation to the football facilities was completed in 2004 when a

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three-phase, $4.5 million project added a press box and an additional 1,100 seats to the south end zone. Nine of the 13 Big Sky Conference football stadiums have undergone renovations in the past 15 years since EWU had its last. Hickey also noted that it’s been 20 years since the football locker room was updated.

“It is time to address one of the most visible structures on our campus—the largest gathering place for Eagles,” Hickey said. “The needs for the stadium to have a face lift are legitimate and they must be addressed in a timely manner for the success of our football recruiting and competitive success as well as addressing our fan experience.”

In 2012, a $65 million multi-use facility defined as the “Gateway Project” was proposed, but fell through due to a lack of funding. The project included two locker rooms, suites, a training room and a new university bookstore among other components.

Although it is currently unknown how much these new renovations would cost, Hickey and the athletic department is mindful of its responsibility to develop “a project that is realistic and financially sound and is in the best interest of our campus and external community.” •

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