Daily Egyptian 10/20/11

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Lt. Gov. Simon: ‘not the end’ of education reform discussion TARA KULASH Daily Egyptian Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon spoke about education reform at Lawson Hall Wednesday night. Simon said one area of focus for education reform is community colleges. She said she wants to increase the amount of students who complete their degrees, whether it be earning a certificate or an associate degree. Simon said as of Oct. 6 she has visited all 48 community colleges in the state to discuss this goal. “You really have to know more about community colleges and be a more visible presence at them,� Simon said. “Each of them has a niche. Each has a way they fit into the community.� She said one of the biggest issues colleges face is about half of students who enter them aren’t prepared for college

level math and English classes. “We need to start blurring the lines between high school and college,� Simon said. She said smaller schools are implementing college level math and English earlier. She said those schools don’t have a very broad curriculum, so they try to work with community colleges so their students will take college credit courses earlier. Simon said she also wants to focus on ways to direct tax dollars more efficiently to the classrooms. She said she believes one way this could be done is to lower property taxes and raise income taxes so the school funding can be distributed more evenly. The Southern Illinois Reading Council and the College of Education and Human Services hosted the speech. Please see SIMON | 4

From left to right, Jasmin Creek, a junior from Johnston City studying sociology; Craig Ross, a junior from Springfield studying art; and Clark Nelson, a sophomore from Chicago studying architecture, eat apples atop the Buckminster Fuller Dome in front of Quigley Hall Wednesday after supporters of Occupy Carbondale covered the structure

STEVE MATZKER | DAILY EGYPTIAN

with a large tarp for shelter. The group, which began protesting Saturday, had its tents removed Wednesday by SIUC Department of Public Safety police officers. Protesters expressed concerns when officers and maintenance workers discussed disassembling the dome to prevent them from using it as an alternative shelter.

Occupy group stands its ground;

reaches agreement with administration LAUREN LEONE Daily Egyptian SIUC Department of Public Safety officers told Occupy Carbondale protesters to remove their tents at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday from the lawn in front of Quigley Hall. Following tent removal, numerous protesters tied down a large tarp over the Buckminster Fuller Dome and relocated beneath it for shelter from the rain. Katy Wyant, of Makanda, said campus police returned to the site to tell the group to remove the tarp from the dome. “Some of us got up on top of the dome to hold the tarp and a bunch of us lied around the inside,â€? Wyant said. “We held onto it with our bodies and (campus police) began cutting it into pieces while we were holding it ‌ Now all we have

left are shards of some of these things. We all witnessed the police vandalizing our private property.� Rod Sievers, university spokesman, said Occupy Carbondale is allowed to protest but not allowed to camp out on campus. “No one is allowed to camp on campus,� Sievers said. “The homeless are not allowed.� SIUC’s Demonstration Policies and Procedures, as posted on its website, does not specifically prohibit tents or other forms of shelter during a protest or demonstration. Sievers said administrators reached an agreement with the group around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday that gave it permission to use two pop-up canopies only if there is rain. Sievers said the university gave the

group permission earlier this week to protest on campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Now, students who sleep overnight would be suspended and nonstudents would be immediately arrested. He said the agreement is between university administration and Occupy Carbondale and would not be precedent for future protests. Occupy Carbondale is one of many branches of Occupy Wall Street, a movement that started in New York City when people began to protest in the financial district Sept. 17. Supporters of Carbondale’s group have said they want to bring democracy to southern Illinois. Kyle Cheesewright, a graduate student in speech communication from Durango, Colo., and member of Graduate Assistants United, said the tents provided shelter from weather. Please see OCCUPY | 4

Energy supplements serve as students’ study tools KARL BULLOCK Daily Egyptian With midterms wrapping up and finals being six weeks away, some students turn to energy supplements to keep them awake while they study for tests late at night. Some of these supplements include coffee, caffeinated beverages, caffeine pills and Adderall to stay alert and awake while studying. Adderall, Ritalin and other prescription drugs have become popular among college students and young professionals who use them to improve performance according to an article in TIME magazine. TIME reported the drugs are normally prescribed to treat ADHD but healthy students use them to improve focus, concentration and memory. Jason Gillman, director of the Wellness Center, said some believe energy drinks actually provide energy, but in reality they just stimulate the body’s functions. The University of New Hampshire announced a ban on the sale of energy drinks as reported by USA Today Oct. 1. The main reason for the ban on drinks such as NOS,

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LYNNETTE OOSTMEYER | DAILY EGYPTIAN

The University of New Hampshire attempted Oct. 1 to ban the sale of energy drinks on campus because of associated health effects. Many students use energy supplements such as caffeine pills, energy drinks and Adderall to help stay awake

while cramming for tests during midterms and finals. Although students may believe these supplements give them more energy, they actually just stimulate the body and increase heart rate, said Jason Gillman, director of the Wellness Center.

Full Throttle and Red Bull was students’ tendency to abuse them not only by consuming too many, but also by mixing them with alcohol, masking symptoms of intoxication. UNH President Mark Huddleston repealed the decision the same night because he said there was not a clear rationale to eliminate energy drinks as an option for students. Joshua Harper, a senior from Ashton studying business, said he typically consumes four NOS energy drinks per week. He said he consumes energy drinks before meetings or study sessions to stay alert. The National College Health Assessment Executive Summary reported in fall 2010, 25.4 percent of students reported stress was the top reason they did not meet their highest academic potential. The second highest reported cause of academic impediment was when 17.8 percent of students said they had difficulty sleeping. The survey was a national research survey of 18 million college students. Please see ENERGY | 3


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