DECISION POINT: North Idaho College is requesting approval of a Zone Change from the existing C-17L (Limited Commercial at 17 units/acre) and LM (light Manufacturing) areas within the Educational Corridor to the C-17 (Commercial at zoning district. 417| units/acre) the sentinel
NEWS
SITE PHOTOS: A.
Aerial photo:
Monday, FEBRUARY 13, 2012
NIC provides annual FAFSA help night
City Limits (RED)
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State Department of Education funds event Sarah Munds Assistant News Editor PUD-1-11 (YELLOW) In conjunction
ZC-4-11 (Blue)
Aerial view of the zone change of the Education Corridor. Courtesy of the Coeur d’Alene City Council Staff Report
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CDA City Council grants zone change approval Current photos:
ZC-4-11
FEBRUARY 7, 2012
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NIC hosted its annual FAFSA completion day event Feb. 4. These events, funded by the state’s Department of Education, provide assistance for students looking to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The Department of Education funds the FAFSA completion event every year for those interested in applying for federal financial aid. This year, events were held at the NIC Flex Learning Center, Sandpoint High School and Coeur d’Alene High School. Two more FAFSA completion days are scheduled. Lakeland High School is hosting its own Feb. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. while Kellogg High School’s is planned Feb. 28 at 6 to 8 p.m. as well. “Sometimes a student might have questions, and this allows people to fill out the FAFSA with someone from financial aid,” said Marissa Struck, an NIC finan-
Education Corridor takes another progressive step Tala Wood News Editor
scape architect representing NIC, the zone change allows NIC to get the unlimited height value of C-17, but the PUD limits it and creates the parameters “by which we he Coeur d’Alene City Council apmight develop a parking garage down the proved a zoning change that will road, 40, 50 years.” allow NIC to construct the new City Council members Steve Adams and buildings for the Education Dan Gookin voted against the measure. Corridor. Gookin, who lives in the Fort Grounds The quasi-judicial public hearing ZC-4neighborhood, expressed 11 was held during the concerns about shoreline regular city council meetregulations. He also objecting on Feb. 7 in commued to the effect the planned nity room of the Coeur parking garage might have d’Alene public librar y. on the view of the lake from The zone was The Education Corridor the houses in the neighborchanged to C-17, which hood on Military Drive. allows the land to have is a joint campus for Mueller said that of the commercial, residential NIC, the University of approximately 15 homes and civic uses, as well that might be affected, NIC Idaho and Lewis and as light manufacturing. owns six or seven of them. The approximately Clark State College. The Adams said he opposed seven acres of land were 17-acre tract was the site the request because he felt previously zoned as only he was denied his constituof the old DeArmond light manufacturing and tional right to approve the Commercial-17 Light. Mill before the NIC funding of the Education The Planned Unit Foundation purchased it Corridor project through Development (PUD) voting. puts regulations on the in 2008 for $10 million. City Attorney Michael other wise ver y loosely Gridley said there has been restricted C-17 zone. no violation of the Idaho Dave Yadon, the Constitution, and that the planning department diproject does not have to be voter-approved. rector, likened C-17 to a “big block of clay.” He called Adams’ statement “inaccurate and “It [PUD] takes that block of clay and misleading.” starts chipping away at it,” Yadon said. “It Now that the zoning change has been confines their [NIC’s] development into a approved, NIC has a year to finalize their very specific plan.” plans for the Planned Unit Development. According to John Mueller, the land-
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A Closer Look
cial aid technician. Those who attended NIC’s own FAFSA completion day received free pizza and a new jump drive after completing their FAFSA. “Students from any school can come to the workshop,” Struck said. “It’s a good opportunity for students who may not have access to a computer.” The FAFSA must be completed by June 1 for the 2012-2013 school year. “[FAFSA Completion Day] gives new opportunity to make sure that students know that Idaho supports them going to school,” Struck said. NIC’s individual school code is 001623 for those who have yet to fill their FAFSA out. For those who are interested in the Idaho Opportunity Grant, the deadline is moved up to March 1. Students that are currently enrolled in any Idaho college or university and making satisfactory academic progress according to their school may apply.
Briefs Theater opens new show The NIC theater department is presenting “Third” by Wendy Wasserstein. The play is at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16-18 and 23-25. The production is in the Schuler Performing Arts Center and admission is free. Seating is limited. The play is recommended for mature audiences for strong language use.
Author reads excerpts Renee D’Aoust, an NIC English instructor and author of “Body of a Dancer,” will read excerpts from her book noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 14 in the Writing Center in the Lee-Kildow Hall Annex. The book is a memoir of interlacing essays that explore the world of modern dance in New York City. The reading is free and open to the public. There will also be time for a question and answer period.
The ASNIC Club Fair meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. in the SUB plaza.
Faculty Artwork Exhibit
NIC will be closed on Monday, Feb. 20, for President’s Day.
For Employee Development Day, only classes that meet at 4 p.m. or later are in session on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
Cardinal Connections is looking for volunteers to share their creativity in talks of no longer than 12 minutes. It may explore any application of creativity, including art, music, science or industry. The speeches may be presented live or by video in the “Spark Lounge” in the SUB Activities Center March 12 through 14. For more information, contact Jamie Green at Ext. 5906 or jlgreen@nic.edu.
Annual ASNIC club fair
Campus to be closed
Day classes cancelled
Cardinal Connections
NIC faculty will have the chance to show their original works of art during the Faculty Artwork Exhibit Feb. 13 through March 23 in the Boswell Hall Corner Gallery. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Flu vaccines available Student Health Services, located on the second floor of the SUB, is offering flu vaccines. Call Ext. 7818 to make an appointment.
NIC Gay-Straight Alliance to hold speaker’s bureau Trained panel prepares for question, answer sessions to further LGBT education, exposure at NIC
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Christina Villagomez Staff Contributor he NIC Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), in coordination with the NIC Cultural Diversity Committee, is now offering an LGBT Speaker’s
Bureau. The panel will include three to four panelists and a moderator. After being briefly introduced, each panelist will take a few moments to share a portion of their story with the audience. After this will follow a question-and-answer period, in which the panel will answer questions asked by the audience and prepared questions from instructors or advisers. The panelists will all have received prior training, and each time are specially selected to represent the different demographics of the LGBT community, as well as to be tailored to the given audience and purpose of the panel. For example, if the panelists are meeting in the residence hall, they might share stories pertaining to campus life, or if meeting a parents group, they might relate stories about how their lifestyle or identity might have affected their family. According to Jon Downing, faculty coadviser for the GSA, the purpose of the program is to allow members of the LGBT community and their straight allies to have a platform to discuss issues, educate and share stories with students, faculty and community members, as well as to break down myths and stereotypes. “Having met even just one gay person or one transgender person in their life opens up the thought process for a lot of people, because most people’s own personal prohibitions or their own barriers to grasping the knowledge or wanting to grasp the knowledge, is that they haven’t met anybody who
Although Downing said he has met no is LGBT,” Downing said. resistance from administrators, he noted The panel isn’t just for the LGBT comthat the process of preparing the panel is munity however, Downing said. He would not entirely smooth, as they had to find a like anyone that feels like they belong in a sensitive way to address hot topics such “non-normative” group or identity to come as sex, where frank discussion could offorward and volunteer. fend some. Another issue, particularly with “I advertised this to the Gay-Straight AlNIC’s dual-enrollment programs, might be liance; they are the ones that are supplying the majority of the panelists, but the panel is parents’ objection to minors being part of the audience, as well as a potential legal literally open to anybody,” Downing said. “I problem with the state. hope it’s not just seen as the GSA’s putting One way the panel will deal with heated it on, because it’s not just limited to the GSA issues, particularly religion, will be by havmembers, it’s for anyone on campus.” An issue the panels will address is the ing a moderator to help diffuse any problem correct terminology to use when address- situations that might arise during the question and answer portion of the program. ing members of the “If the discusLGBT community. Ac“My panelists know that sion turns to somecording to Downing, thing like, ‘Well the the panel might disby being on this panel it Bible says this…,’ cuss whether terms definitely puts them in the [the moderator such as “queer” are still inappropriate. eye of the public, and that will say] ‘Okay, on, we’re not “Queer used to be is something they’re aware hold here to debate rea derogator y term; of, something we’ve talked ligion,’” Downing now it’s reclaimed, at least among the about and they understand said. However, young people,” the danger involved.” Downing says the Downing said. subject of religion Another explanais not totally offtion might involve JON DOWNING limits. Questions the gender-neutral Faculty Co-Adviser for the GSA asking panelists “hir” that is somehow they came to times employed. terms with their “There might be questions like ‘How do you want to be identity in terms of religion or philosophy asked about your identity?’ or ‘Is it OK if are considered acceptable. The moderator, who will be chosen by I use this and that word,’” Downing said. the panel members, will be someone exClarifying terminology is just one way perienced in dealing with panel programs, Downing said he hoped the panel will be who has been through the process several used. He said the goal is for it to be a refertimes. Another qualification for a moderator ence tool that can fill in the gaps of knowlis being familiar with the LGBT community, edge that professors and instructors don’t and is comfortable with the accepted termihave, and a way for LGBT youth to break nology. down barriers and share with their comEven with a moderator to control heated munity.
exchanges, there remains risks for the participants in the panel. “As part of the panelists’ training, we go over safety. At my experience at WSU, we had a couple of panelists who were recognized after hours in one of the parking structures there and they had to be hospitalized because of physical injuries sustained from the beating,” Downing said. Another challenge panelists might face could be their own potential anxieties at having to be the center of attention, compounded by the pressures of being, what is essentially, an ambassador of their specific community. According to Downing, panelists sharing their story, then having audience members pick it apart with questions can cause them to feel scrutinized. Downing might be the best person to be able to understand all this himself, having served LGBT Speaker’s Bureaus at both the University of Idaho and Washington State University. “You don’t have to agree with us, but as human beings, we need to respect each other, and that respect means being able to talk to someone, to be able to tolerate someone,” Downing said. “By feeding people the information we plan to give them, a growth tolerance is what I’m hoping for. The verbal threats, the physical threats, I think those will definitely be impacted by this program.” Downing said panelists were trained at the end of last semester, and he’s already been contacted by several enthusiastic faculty members that want to host the panel in their class, although no exact dates have been set up yet. For more information, or if you are interested in inviting the panel to your classroom or training event, please contact the NIC Gay-Straight Alliance advisers Jon Downing at Ext. 7149 or jadowning@nic. edu or Linda Michal at Ext. 3374 or ljmichal@nic.edu.
