95th year • Issue 13
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Veterans Day at UT / 10 » INSIDE Should the Washington Redskins change their name?
“ “ SPORTS / 4 »
“Thanks to the laws of this country, no one can make someone do something with their property that they don’t want to do.”
BLAKE BACHO Assoc. Sports Editor
“It’s also perfectly legal for me to conduct Ku Klux Klan rallies in my basement.”
Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919
SMOKING BAN
Smoking legislation snuffed out by SG By Amaris Smith Staff Reporter
In a 12 to 11 decision, Student Government senators voted down anti-smoking legislation on Nov. 5, leaving those on the University of Toledo’s main campus the opportunity to smoke in designated areas. The decision comes a week after the results of a survey on the topic were released, in which 60.2 percent of the 5,080 students who participated called for a smoke-free campus. In an interview the afternoon before the vote, President Lloyd Jacobs said he would wait on SG’s recommendation to implement a smoke-free campus or not.
“We live in a society where majority rules,” said Jacobs. “If the majority of students say they want to ban smoking then we’ll probably ban smoking. If students say they want to continue with the current situation or compromise, we’ll probably continue with the current compromise.” Senator Michael Peachock, author of the resolution, said he hopes to rework the legislation for further discussion. “It was a controversial topic, but what surprised me was that the opinions of the student body were ignored tonight and hopefully we can remedy it and fix this legisla-
STUDENTS SPEAK Read more student opinions about a campus-wide smoking ban inside and online at www. independentcollegian.com
NEWS / 3 » tion and move forward with the issue,” said Peachock. The resolution called for a smoking ban on any property owned by UT, including main campus, Scott Park, the Center for Visual Literacy, vehicles owned by UT and any land leased or See Smoking / 3 »
STUDENT GROUP
BALANCING ACT
JAY SKEBBA Sports Editor
IN BRIEF Pi Beta Phi accuses adviser of stealing $13,000 XThe University of Toledo chapter of Pi Beta Phi sorority filed a report saying a former adviser stole thousands of dollars from them, according to TV station WTOL. Two sorority officials filed a police report accusing a previous adviser, who was not named, of embezzling more than $13,000 from the sorority, WTOL reported Tuesday night. The Independent Collegian has reached out to the sorority for a comment.
By Becky Wittkofske Staff Reporter
Walk-In Wednesday, an initiative to assist students with advising, will begin Nov. 6 and create a weekly opportunity for students of all majors to talk to advisors and ask questions without scheduling an appointment. Meetings with advisors will be available to undergraduate students on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Each meeting session is designed to be around 15 to 20 minutes according to Kaye Patten Wallace, vice president for the PATTEN WALLACE student experience. Students can find answers to a variety of questions about their program, degree audits, finding resources and services, academic policies and specific academic decisions such as summer classes, adding a minor, or which class of several pre-chosen options would work best with a major. According to Patten Wallace, students should not use this time to ask questions which involve an in-depth review of their student file.
SCHOOLCRAFT COLLEGE
Organization aims to help non-traditional students survive and thrive at UT News Editor
UT women’s cross country team fell short of winning its fourth consecutive MidAmerican Conference Championship. SPORTS / 5 »
Wednesdays now open for walk-in advising
See Walk-in / 3 »
By Samantha Rhodes
3 points short
ADVISING
When picturing a college student, most probably picture young students straight out of high school who study, live and party on or near campus. But with only 29 percent of the nation’s 18 million undergraduate students registered as “traditional students,” according to Education Department Data, there’s a movement here at the University of Toledo to change the college student stereotype. Enter UT’s Non-Traditional Student Organization (NTSO). President and founder of the NTSO, Johnny Simmons is a fourth-year student majoring in entrepreneurship and marketing — and a 42-year-old father of five. Simmons said the organization was started in 2011 when he came back to college and felt like there wasn’t enough support for students in atypical situations. Now, the group holds weekly meetings and has about 20 members. He said UT defines a nontraditional student as anyone 25 or older, but argued that the criteria should be situational, not based on age alone. “Here, you could have somebody who is 23 and assuming full financial responsibilities for a 23-year-old female who has a kid and not living on a campus community and still dealing with life — that’s definitely not traditional because the traditional student lives on campus to enjoy the full college experience,” Simmons said. “It’s definitely more situational.” According to the Office of Institutional Research, 16 percent
of UT’s undergrad population in fall 2012 was made up of students 25 and older. But, by his own definition, Simmons estimates that non-traditional students make up at least half or more of the population. Sean Odoms, a fourth-year majoring in finance and vice president of operations of NTSO, said he sees non-traditional students as anyone who has nontraditional circumstances. “A non-traditional student could be anyone who has more than one mouth to feed at home, has bills to pay, and may not necessarily be that out-of -high-school student who has everything covered by parents,” Odoms said. “So who is a nontraditional student? It could be anyone who has a need that isn’t being addressed who could use a hand. Age is irrelevant.” Mary Luther, member of NTSO and third-year majoring in environmental studies, said one of the most difficult struggles for a nontraditional student is learning how to balance the college elements of life with family elements of life. She admitted that she had to learn this through trial and error without being overwhelmed. “The most important thing about the non-traditional student is that they need to find a happy medium, where their home life, school life, and work life are able to coexist together and that all elements are given the right time and attention,” Luther said. Simmons said the purpose of NTSO is to utilize the resources UT offers to non-traditional students, and to increase help for
students in those positions not only to succeed, but to have fun. “Let’s still have tailgate parties because we’re still college students,” Simmons said. “We’re just somebody to say we’re here for you and at the same time, still stop and take in college experiences, because I know life can be difficult at times.” Crystal Glambin, vice president of student success for NTSO, said she’s helped direct many nontraditional students to the right locations, people and resources they didn’t know existed. “Many of the non-traditional students didn’t really know what the legal fund and the Green fund were about, or how amazing the health insurance we get through the university is,” said Glambin, a fourthyear senior majoring in marketing and supply chain management. Simmons said NTSO also offers students various workshops dealing with issues such as computer skills, resume building, working out and exercise techniques, and health and fitness. Motivational speakers who were non-traditional students and were successful in their careers also come in to share their experiences with members of the group. But besides practical skill training, NTSO hosts family and friend nights where members hang out, go bowling or even barbeque. “All those efforts are to promote group cohesiveness,” Simmons said. “We want people to feel like they are actually a part of our organization and not just a number.” Meetings are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. in Student Union Room 3016. It costs $5 to join and $10 for a year’s membership.
UT links up with Mich. community college By Lindsay Mahaney Staff Reporter
The University of Toledo is partnering with a Michigan community college to offer bachelor degrees to students attending the college next fall. Schoolcraft College, located in Livonia, Mich., reached out to UT last spring, said Larry Burns, UT’s vice president of external affairs. He said the institutions discussed forming a partnership that would allow Schoolcraft students to obtain four-year degrees after earning a two-year degree. Burns said while classes will not begin until August 2014, UT plans to have advisors in place by May to begin aiding students. UT President Lloyd Jacobs said that he thinks the relationship with Schoolcraft will help the university continue to reach out to the students in the surrounding areas, particularly students from community colleges. “We are, and I am, very interested in the contribution of a two-year school to our community and our economic base,” he said. “I think Schoolcraft is particularly well positioned. We’ve been interested in reaching out to Michigan now for a couple years. This does that; this moves that well forward.” Schoolcraft’s director of marketing and communications Frank Ruggirello said the college president, Conway Jeffress, selected UT because UT’s programs build off the programs the community college offers. “I’ve heard him [Jeffers] specifically use terms about the University of Toledo and Wayne State too, that we are like minded, we do business the same way,” Ruggirello said. “He felt like the connection was a very comfortable one and there has been a lot of collaboration.” Burns said Schoolcraft recently purchased a building across from their main campus that they are in the process of See Community college / 3 »