99th year • Issue 9
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
THE INDEPENDENT
Rockets pick up win against CMU SPORTS / 4 »
COLLEGIAN
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Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919
INSIDE
PHILANTHROPY
CONSTRUCTION
Carlson Library cuts the ribbon on renovations By Emily Schnipke Editor-in-Chief
Toledo splits MAC wins at home SPORTS / 4 »
UT celebrates LGBTQ pride
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COMMUNITY / 4 »
“These students are not the people that took the inclusion survey, but they are the people who need to be addressed...”
EDITORIAL
Better ideas for better results
OPINION / 3 »
Alzheimer’s walk
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COMMUNITY / 4 »
“Restricting a group of people from fighting for our country because of the way they identify themselves is incredibly malicious and should not be permitted.”
RILEY CLIFTON If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all OPINION / 3 »
The University of Toledo’s Carlson Library has been in various states of construction since 2010, which is longer than a normal student’s typical time at the university. On Oct. 12, the construction officially came to a close with a ribboncutting ceremony hosted by Beau Case, dean of libraries, and Sharon Gaber, university president. The library construction cost around $3 million for these last stages of construction, which included the first, second and third floors. Major changes included the new glass wall on the east side of the building, a second floor that opens to the first and new study rooms and carrels. Gaber and Case, along with Jimmy Russell, Student Government president, and Jason Toth, associate vice president for facilities and construction, spoke during the official library opening. The ceremonial ribbon was cut on UT’s Founder Day, which this year is the university’s 145th birthday, and the first annual Day of Giving. Gaber spoke about the changes made in one of the university’s most important locations. “…where new ideas are conceived, where research takes flight and where diverse ideas are freely exchanged,” Gaber said. “Amenities like group study rooms, individual carrels, more places to use computers and modern furniture — modern, I like that, and modern furniture — and all of these new features will ensure that Carlson Library will continue attracting students through its doors. And, I have to say, my favorite addition to the building is this new glass wall, which lets in so much natural light and really brightens up the space.” Gaber said that over the summer she would walk into the library to see the changes as they would occur and was happy to see students studying and enjoying the sunlight. “It’s important that this is a place that students want to be because library services are fundamental to student success,” Gaber said. “To the students who are here today, despite Google and other search engines and mobile apps, when it comes
UT hosts first Day of Giving By Olivia Rodriguez Staff Reporter
EMILY SCHNIPKE / IC
(From left to right) Student Government President Jimmy Russell, UT President Sharon Gaber, Dean of Libraries Beau Case and Associate Vice President for Facilities and Construction Jason Toth cut the ribbon Oct. 12 in Carlson Library for the official opening.
to research and discovering new knowledge, UT’s librarians are unsurpassed in providing direct, personalized assistance. There’s still no app that will compete with that.” Both Gaber and Case thanked Barbara Floyd, former interim dean of libraries and university archivist, who recently retired after 35 years at the university. Floyd was one of the leaders who pushed for the library’s renovation and changes.
car seating” and “dining seating,” as Case affectionately calls them. The second floor has always been designated the noisy floor, where students are encouraged to collaborate. “I have boasted, and I will continue to boast, that no other university library in the world offers as much group study space as we do in Carlson,” Case said. Even though the final vision came from the university, the original
“...when it comes to research and discovering new knowledge, UT’s librarians are unsurpassed in providing direct, personalized assistance.” SHARON GABER UT President
“If you look around you, this space doesn’t really look like a traditional library,” Case said, “but it really is. University libraries still do everything we have always done. We have books, manuscripts, archives… we also have electronic books and journals and databases. We have faculty staff and experts that curate collections and connect people to resources. We will always be a place where people discover and learn.” Libraries are places of study, according to Case. The renovation has introduced over a dozen of different styles of seating. For example, the second floor holds “European train
idea came from students. Student opinions created the need for collaborative space and group study rooms. Case said they will always reach out to students for their opinions. “One of the chief complaints I heard back when I was a freshman was, ‘I wish our library was a little nicer,’ and ‘I wish we had some better study spaces here on campus,’” Russell said. “Well, after touring these facilities, I’m excited to say I think those students’ concerns have been met here at the university. Our library is now a beautiful place that anybody can go and study and has all the opportunity in the world for group study.”
The University of Toledo raised $453,837 through 1,604 gifts Oct. 12 for the UT Foundation’s Rocket Forward Day of Giving. The UT Foundation had meetings with various UT organizations and colleges that participated in the daylong event that lasted 36 hours with 16 participating entities. “It was really nice to be able to pick what the money is donated to so that we could tailor our priorities to meet the needs of the students,” said Benjamin Barros, dean of the college of law. According to the Rocket Forward website, many of the colleges picked scholarships, progress funds or unrestricted funds. “The unrestricted fund allows the deans to use the money as they see fit for the students or staff,” Barros said. Dean of the College of Business and Innovation Gary Insch said, “This was a way to get the students involved and to think about philanthropy before they leave the University.” There were challenges that happened during the Day of Giving such as the Birthday Bash, where the first $10,000 in gifts raised from noon to 1 p.m. received a matching donation on Oct. 12, which was Toledo’s 145th birthday. According to the Rocket Forward website, Rocket Nation Early Bird Challenge matched the first $10,000 that came before noon. The colleges participated
in a separate competition called Battle of the Colleges to see which college received the most gifts. The College of Nursing was first winning $5,000 with 99 gifts. College of Arts and Letters was second with 95 gifts. Third was the College of Health and Human Services with 84 gifts, according to the Day of Giving website. Student groups also participated in a competition called the Happy Hour Challenge to see which group raised the most money between 5 and 7 p.m. According to the Day of Giving website, The Independent Collegian came in first place, raising $785 to win an additional $3,500 prize. The Sailing club was second with $325 and third was the Rocket Marching Band with $208.01. Many of the colleges and groups had donor matches, so that they received more money. Some of the deans provided donor matches as well. “I believe in our students, faculty and staff. And I commit to making sure everyone has what they need to succeed,” said Charlene Gilbert, dean of the college of arts and letters. Gilbert said “Our college did very well with the Day of Giving and I am very proud of the commitment demonstrated by our students, faculty and staff.” According to a UT Rocket Marching Band Facebook post, the Rocket Marching band held a performance to thank the people donating to them.
MORE ONLINE
UT brings awareness to domestic violence
By Gabrielle Huff Staff Reporter
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the University of Toledo is holding many events that shed light on the issue. According to a UT press release, the first event, Bystander Training, held Oct. 11, was a public event to train people on the safest ways to intervene in instances of stalking, sexual violence and relationship violence. The Purple Ribbon Campaign allows people to pledge to never commit, accept or stay silent about domestic violence. Students and staff wore purple ribbons Thursday in Finish reading this piece online at www.IndependentCollegian.com
DIVERSITY
UT administration reacts to student response By Salma Abuyasein Staff Reporter
A student diversity and inclusion study conducted in April 2017 was met with controversy over findings earlier this semester, when an article by The Independent Collegian found that students didn’t feel the survey was accurate. Students cited the small sample size, diversity of those who took it and lack of collaboration as their reasons.
“We want to do the very best we can to make sure that students know we are listening. My door is always open.” WILLIE MCKETHER Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion
Member of Black Student Union and third-year communication major Isis Walker said she feels that UT is very segregated, with the many ethnic and cultural groups staying to themselves. Other students, like Jamal Shaheen, a third-year professional sales and marketing major and president of the Muslim Student Association, said he doesn’t feel like the survey had enough participation to accurately represent the student body. According to the survey, of the 18,683 students enrolled at UT, only 1,135 students participated, and 82.2 percent of those students said they have a high feeling of inclusion. Only 4.49 percent of students said they did not. “Of course, we wish every faculty, staff and student at UT would have participated in the survey; however, for a population our size, the response rate is considered statistically significant, allowing [Willie] McKether’s team to glean important
information from the survey results,” wrote Meghan Cunningham, director of communications, in an email responding to the previous article. The idea of the diversity and inclusion survey is to get all students’ thoughts and to hear what they’re saying concerning diversity at the university, said McKether, vice president of diversity and inclusion. “I always say to students, if there’s anything that they may feel like we missed, come have lunch, on me; let’s talk about it because I need to make sure that I maintain the pulse of what’s happening on campus with our students in particular,” McKether said. “The only way to make changes on campus is to hear your voices.” The Office of Diversity and Inclusion took the student response and used that to create programs that help address the feelings of students who don’t feel included, he said. To help students feel more includ-
ed, McKether suggested a possible solution to get different students to work together to blend different backgrounds together. All students need to voice their thoughts to help improve the issues of diversity so that the university can better help students in whatever possible, he said. “We want to do the very best we can to make sure that students know we are listening. My door is always open,” McKether said. It is also important that all students, faculty and staff feel included. “Diversity should be everyone’s concern,” McKether said. The Diversity and Inclusion survey will be conducted biannually, with the next being issued in the spring of 2019, with the hopes of seeing an increase in student participation in the survey and the feeling of inclusion amongst students on the university campus.