February 8th, 2012

Page 1

WEDNESDAY | 2.8.12 MaceandCROWN.COM | Vol. 54, Issue 15

“Her Melody Lingers On” A Benefit Concert in Memory of Claire Cucchiari-Loring By Siaga Johnson Staff Writer The fifth annual Scholarship benefit, “Her Melody Lingers On,” was held at Old Dominion University on Friday, Feb. 3 at the Diehn Recital Hall in memory of ODU student Claire Cucchiari-Loring. The benefit featured a silent auction where various prizes and services were auctioned off, and also hosted various pianists and choir vocalists who performed a variety of numbers. Having a passion for music, Claire Cucchiari-Loring was on her way to graduating Magna Cum Laude from Old Dominion University in May 2007 with a degree in music. Her musical experience at Old Dominion ranged from collaborations with the Madri-

VB Lifeguards renew their contract see A2

gal Singers and Jazz Choir, as well as singing vocals for the Jazz Band. Tragically, the community lost her to the hands of domestic violence. Her memory is currently being honored by a scholarship in her name, as well as a yearly benefit geared toward showcasing musical talent and hosting a silent auction from various vendors in the Hampton Roads community. The Claire Cucchiari-Loring Memorial Scholarship was established in Claire’s memory, as an opportunity to reward students of ODU with outstanding musical talent. Students who receive this scholarship are viewed to embody similar ideals that Claire had in terms of musical talent. The scholarship is sponsored by donations from family, friends and supporters. “In recognition of the musi-

Get close up with Yesim Girensunlu see C3

cally talented recipients of the Claire Cucchairi-Loring Memorial Scholarship, established by her family and friends in 2006 to honor her memory

Down and dirty with Wrestling see C4

and her gifts of music, passion and a generous spirit,” is engraved in the plaque students awarded the scholarship are given. continued on B2

February: Black History Month see B1

ODU Forecasting Team Predicts 1.97 Percent Economic Growth Old dominion studies hampton roads economy By: Andrew Tompkins Contributing Writer According to the Old Dominion University Economic Forecasting Team, the Hampton Roads area is projected to see an increase in real gross regional product of about 1.97 percent over the next year. The team comprised of three ODU business faculty members; professor Vinod Agarwal of economics, finance professor Mohammad Najand and the newest member to the group who joined this semester, professor of economics, Gary Wagner. Each year the ODU Economic Forecasting Team researches data and creates an annual Economic Forecast for the Hampton Roads region. The team presented their findings on Jan. 25 during Old Dominion’s Economic Outlook Conference at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott. With 350 registered attendees, it is clear that local businesses have an especially vested interest in knowing the region’s fiscal prediction. As one of the few regional forecasting groups in the area, the findings are widely respected as an excellent indicator of the coming year’s economic outlook. Hampton Roads is a distinctive area in that it has a unique combination of privatized and governmental contract-

ing. As one would guess, the single largest factor that affects the Hampton Roads region specifically is the amount of military spending from the national budget. “Department of Defense spending accounts for roughly 46 percent of total output for this area,” professor Agarwal said. When the national economy picks up steam and continues to improve, so do smaller communities and regions. Areas like Hampton Roads get a lot of help thanks to heavy government spending as well. According to the national yearly forecast, the Department of Defense spending will be roughly the same as last year’s which means an estimated direct flow of about $20.75 billion of spending into the area. Consequentially the regional forecast predicts an encouraging change in a number of areas including a decrease in the unemployment rate and increases in hotel revenue (+2.6 percent), taxable sales (+3.8 percent), and general cargo tonnage (+2.9 percent). This translates to a projected increase in tourism income and port and shipping revenues. Though the projected increase in real gross regional product is below the region’s historical average annual growth rate of 3.2 percent it seems the economy is taking a turn for the better.

One facet of the financial system that continues to struggle is the housing and building permit market. Building permits for new residential construction projects are expected to decline over 11 percent in 2012, reflecting continued repercussions from the housing market crisis a few years back. With a predicted drop in the unemployment rate for Hampton Roads from 7 percent to 6.2 percent in 2012

this news is especially encouraging for ODU students. For comparison, the projected national unemployment rate will likely hover around 7.9 percent. Students who are currently looking for a job or graduating in 2012 are faced with a much better regional job market than last year. Additionally, since the economy is predicted to grow in tourism this could spark an arrival of new jobs particularly in the summer and

spring seasons. Even with the predicted drop, the unemployment rate is still one of the highest for Hampton Roads in the past decade. Local businesses may also see a growth in the coming year but likely not a substantial one. “Local businesses should be growing, but not all sectors are expected to grow, it is possible local government sectors may continue to lose jobs,” explained Agarwal. Since the economy has been recovering slower than expected it will take time to see what kind of impact this will have on the region. Even though the forecast team has projected growth in many areas, the growth may take place at a much slower than normal pace. It is clear by looking at the findings and projections that there is still a significant economic problem in the community. Ideally, the Hampton Roads community will continue to improve directly with the national economy. Students can look up the findings and view the actual presentation by going to the Forecasting Project’s Website at www.odu.edu/forecasting.

NFL Super Bowl

Feb 6

#SuperBowl #Patriots win the Super Bowl and get their sweet revenge against the #Giants http://bit.ly/zNmjaD

Free HRT and Tide Feb 7 Tickets #Transportation gets easy with the help of the Office of Parking and Transportation. Pick them up at the parking garage or #WebbCenter http://bit.ly/Arp9LS

Condom Olympics

Feb 7

#ODU gets knowledgable about condoms at the Condom Olympics, hosted by LGBTQ http://bit.ly/xm2z6J

Norfolk Weather Feb 7 #Weather #hotandcold What will this weeks weather bring to Old Dominion University and Hampton Roads http://bit.ly/zlDK4a


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February 8th, 2012 by Mace and Crown - Issuu