84 – 79 | Cyclones ‘outmuscled’ in loss to No. 3 Kansas
WEDNESDAY
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January 13, 2011 | Volume 206 | Number 79 | 40 cents | An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890. ™
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Outdoor recreation
Greek council helps students develop skills
Weathering
the storm
Backpackers conquer Death Valley challenges
By Alayna.Flor iowastatedaily.com The greek community offers an opportunity for freshmen students to become a part of a council that teaches new students about philanthropy and leadership skills. “The Emerging Greek Leadership Council serves as a training ground for greek students, as well as university leadership positions,� said Bobby Schmid, junior in mechanical engineering. Schmid participated in EGLC when he was a freshman. Today, he is still involved as president and said the skills he gained have been very rewarding. “I now am ready to take on higher roles as an [ISU] student not only because I have learned what it means to be a leader, but also the practical expertise that makes an event a positive experience for all those who attend,� Schmid said. Schmid said EGLC holds three events
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ISU provost’s office
Policy outlines faculty salary adjustment By Paige.Godden iowastatedaily.com The second budget memo and corresponding policy was released Tuesday by the ISU provost’s office outlining a new salary adjustment policy for faculty. “Salary adjustments for faculty and staff are made for several reasons: performance, market/equity, retention, etc. These adjustments occur during the year, but a large majority of the performance-based adjustments are effective on July 1 ... for 2011 there were some performance-based salary adjustments given that were effective July 1, 2010,� said David Biedenbach, program manager for the provost’s office. The policy is intended to “provide a common understanding regarding the purpose of salary adjustments, establish the rationale for annual salary adjustments and guide consistency and accountability in compensation practices for employees covered by the pol-
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Regents
Board considers ISU request for land purchase By Paige.Godden iowastatedaily.com The Board of Regents is calling a meeting Thursday to consider approving Iowa State’s request to purchase real estate at 6110 and 6120 Creston Ave. in Des Moines from Iowa Veterinary Specialties. Iowa State is requesting that the board “consider the following actions requested ... related to the acquisition of assets of Animal Emergency Clinic ... for the amount of $4.56 million, and authorize the operation of IVS through a non-proďŹ t entity [Iowa Veterinary Services Corporation] affiliated with the university,â€? according to the agenda. The university would purchase the properties from IVS for about $1.5 million, using a Wells Fargo Master Lease and is also asking the board to “approve the university’s proposed ďŹ nancing plan for the purchase of real estate and business assets [$3,010,000] of IVS,â€? according to the agenda. The board would also have to approve the restated articles of incorporation and bylaws
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Members of the ISU Outdoor Recreation Program trip to Death Valley National Park backpack down Surprise Canyon on Jan. 4. The group was hit by a snowstorm as it hiked up the trail to Panamint City, a ghost town at the summit. Courtesy photo: Clark Colby
By Kari.Dockum iowastatedaily.com Furnished with only a woodburning stove and a few supplies left by previous visitors, the abandoned cabin dubbed “The Hiltonâ€? of Panamint City didn’t look like much. To Matt Nosco and his fellow backpackers, though, it was better than any ďŹ ve-star hotel they could have encountered. “It was an absolute godsend,â€? said Nosco, junior in journalism and mass communication. “As we reached the cabin, it was just an instant morale boost when we realized that we had a real shelter there for us to rely on.â€? After a 4,000-foot, six-anda-half-hour ascent up Surprise Canyon in Death Valley National Park, the 12-member group — traveling through the ISU Outdoor Recreation Program — welcomed any reprieve from the falling snow
An abandoned cabin served as a shelter for the members of the ISU Outdoor Recreation Program trip to Death Valley National Park. A snowstorm forced the group to stay in the cabin for two nights and utilize only a wood-burning stove and supplies left in the cabin by previous visitors.Courtesy photo: Clark Colby
and strenuous hike they’d just endured. Some unexpected weather A major snowstorm was the last thing Nosco and his group expected to face as they traveled to Death Valley between Dec. 30 and Jan. 7. Known as the hottest, dri-
est and lowest place in North America, Death Valley National Park spans three million acres of land covered with canyons, the Panamint Mountains and sand dunes. Each year, there is an average of 2.5 inches of rain fall and temperatures hover around 65 degrees in January.
“We’d looked at the weather for when we were going to be out there and all the reports we’d received were, for the most part, dry,â€? Nosco said, who was serving as support leader on the trip. “It was going to be cold, colder than we thought ... but we had no expectations of [a snowstorm] happening.â€? The ďŹ rst warning of a storm came just before the group planned to hike up Surprise Canyon, forcing the hikers to set up camp at a small ghost town called Ballarat at the base of the trail. The snow the man warned of didn’t come that night, but the group had no way to check additional weather reports and set out at 10 a.m. the next day. As they ascended the Surprise Canyon trail, a storm system developed in the canyon below, slowly gaining on the group. “At ďŹ rst it was just kind of light
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Black Cultural Center
Students, faculty gather for open house Center serves as foundation for black cultural identity By Jaleesa.Epps iowastatedaily.com Wednesday night, students and faculty gathered in the Black Cultural Center to take a break early in the semester. Some watched “Copsâ€? on a at screen TV, others sat around a table talking about the new semester with friends. The BCC hosted an open house which offered snacks, beverages and a place to relax with new and old friends. The BCC, located at 517 Welch Ave., includes meeting areas, study rooms, a browsing library and a full kitchen. It also offers free Internet and cable. It is an option for students who may need a space for their study group or organization. “The BCC has always been used by student organizations to hold meetings or programs of their own. One of our most recent programs included the Stress Less Week, which took place the week before ďŹ nals,â€? said Ashleigh Smith, graduate assistant in statistics. “The Multicultural Student Affairs office opened the BCC for stress-free zones which allowed students to come and take a break from their studies while enjoying snacks, beverages and all the amenities the BCC has to offer.â€?
Robert Braswell, left, graduate in educational leadership and policy studies; Ashleigh Smith, graduate assistant for the cultural center; and Ebony Willians, coordinator of multicultural programming, talk Jan. 12 at the Black Cultural Center open house. Photo: Huiling Wu/Iowa State Daily
The BCC serves as a foundation for black cultural identity and is a “home away from home� for black students. “It is important to have a place that belongs to us. It is a very comfortable place to be,� said Mechelle Salley, senior in psychology. Although the BCC serves as a center for
blacks, it is also open to all students, regardless of race. It is a place of hospitality for all members of the Ames and ISU community. “The BCC is a hidden treasure. Many are unaware of its existence but it’s a great space for any type of gathering,� Smith said.
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