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‘Every human has rights’ Students use class project to protest violence PAT SUTPHIN Daily Egyptian Under a curtain of darkness Monday morning, four SIUC students took part in an underground movement to draw attention to human rights violations — but their efforts would largely go unnoticed. Across campus, the students hung fliers that said, “Every human has rights� and posters of the “Vietnam Napalm Girl� image by Eddie Adams, an award-winning war photographer. But by noon Tuesday, only one of hundreds of the posters was left hanging. The students’ demonstration was part of a class project for MCMA 204, Alternative Media and Diverse Cultures, taught by Wendy Weinhold, a doctoral student in mass communication and media arts. The project began with students picking a social issue they felt strongly about and then finding a way to publicly address it by using alternative media, Weinhold said. Please see HUMAN RIGHTS | 4
PAT SUTPHIN | DAILY EGYPTIAN
A student in Wendy Weinhold’s MCMA 204 class holds up a human rights flier after hanging copies of it all over campus Monday morning. The group posted fliers and posters as part of a class project on social issues. The students were to choose a social issue that they felt strongly about, discover what mainstream media has done to inform the public about
it and find a way to use alternative media to further inform the public about what the mainstream media has left out, Weinhold said. SIUC maintenance staff removed more than 90 percent of the posters the same day. “Someone denied everyone an opportunity to learn about human rights when they tore those posters down,� Weinhold said.
Poshard proposes budget scenarios to faculty Layoffs, furloughs likely in FY2011 JEFF ENGELHARDT Daily Egyptian SIU President Glenn Poshard presented the best, worst and most likely budget scenarios for fiscal year 2011 to members of the faculty and staff Monday. In the most likely scenario, Poshard told a crowd of about 75 there is a strong potential for moderate layoffs and furloughs during his presentation at the Student Center Auditorium. It also included borrowing authority and no rescission from the fiscal year 2010 budget. Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposed budget decreases appropriations from $236 million to $219 million in fiscal year 2011. Poshard said he hopes to make up that deficit by asking legislators to restore the $87 million cut from
higher education because of the loss of federal stimulus money. He said the $87 million could come from the $500 million the state is saving from its pension reform. “It’s a big variable, but we’re hopeful about getting some of that money,� Poshard said. “At this point I don’t know if anyone has actually made a pitch for it other than us, but it is something all the universities will be working on.� The best-case scenario would result in no furloughs or layoffs, but a tax increase would need to pass, which Poshard said was highly unlikely. The worst-case scenario would mean significant layoffs and furloughs, but that would require the defeat of the borrowing bill, which Poshard said was also unlikely. With the fiscal year set to begin
July 1, Poshard said the borrowing bill is becoming more of a necessity than a safety net. The university will know how much borrowing could cost by the end of the month. After credit rating agencies Moody’s and Standard & Poor downgraded Illinois’ credit standing, Poshard said the university’s P1 rating is in jeopardy. The P1 rating would allow the university to borrow $100 million for roughly $1 million, Poshard said. If the university was downgraded to a P2 rating, it could cost three times as much to borrow. Duane Stucky, vice president for financial and administrative affairs, will meet with representatives from Standard & Poor at the end of the month to determine the university’s bond rating. Even with the borrowing authority, Poshard said furloughs and layoffs would be likely and guaranteed the administrative office would share the burden with the
rest of the university. He said the administrative ranks have already cut a $150,000 lobbying position in Washington and decreased an assistant’s salary from $96,000 to $60,000. “Whatever pain this university experiences will be felt at every level. We are not going to exempt the administration from this,� Poshard said. Whatever final decision is passed down, Poshard said it would be solely in the hands of incoming Chancellor Rita Cheng. Cheng, who made another visit to campus this week, said she is getting more comfortable with each visit and has been involved in the budget forming process since day one. “I just am trying to absorb as much as I can before I start full time,� Cheng said. “I’m learning quite a bit about the institution through the numbers and am very
involved in the budget decisions for next year. Next year will be here before I know it, so I need to know what’s going on right now.� Poshard said it is still difficult to pin down specifics because the Legislature has yet to form a budget. He said he hopes to see a resemblance of a budget by the General Assembly’s May 15 adjournment date. There is a possibility of a sixmonth budget, but it would be enough to get an idea of what the university can expect, Poshard said. “They need to find a way to deal with this, but the courage to deal with this just isn’t there yet,� he said.
Jeff Engelhardt can be reached at jengelhardt@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 254. SEE PAGE 4 FOR THE FACULTY’S REACTION TO POSHARD’S PRESENTATION