The Lumberjack — Issue 12 — Fall 2012 — Vol. 99

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LUMBERJACK The

NorthernArizonaNews.com

INSIDE

AZ Election Results, p. 5 Prop. 120 and Prop. 204 fail, Kirkpatrick wins narrowly over Paton.

VOICE SINCE 1914 • VOL 99 • ISSUE 12 • NOV. 8, 2012 - NOV. 14, 2012

NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT

BROTHERS GOW RETURNS TO FLAG

Drummer Nathan Walsh-Haines and guitarist/vocalist Ethan Wade returned to Flagstaff with the Brothers Gow band at the Orpheum Theater on Nov. 3. Brothers Gow is orginally from Flagstaff and is now based out of San Diego. (Photos by Amanda Ray) see BROTHERS GOW page 22

Vice President McMahon set to retire BY AURELIA ACQUATI

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n Nov. 5, NAU President John Haeger announced Vice President MJ McMahon will be stepping down from her position in June 2013. McMahon has served as vice president for the university for more than 10 years. In a letter to faculty and staff, President Haeger said McMahon has been involved in a number of NAU’s advancements. “MJ has extended NAU’s reach nationally, maintained a close collaboration with the Arizona Board of Regents and built closer ties to the Flagstaff community,” Haeger said. “I have relied on her insights and am grate-

ful for her continual support.” Sarah Bickel, current associate vice president for student affairs, will take over McMahon’s role as vice president starting July 2013. Haeger said Bickel is wellprepared for fulfilling this new role due to her previous experience on staff. “Sarah is a trusted member of NAU’s senior staff and her long academic career has prepared her well for this important duty,” Haeger said. “. . . At the same time, please welcome Sarah as she transitions to a challenging leadership position.” McMahon will continue to serve as a consultant to Bickel and retire at the end of next year.

AZ student loan debt low nationally

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BY CLARK MINDOCK

ccording to a The Institute for College Access & Success, Arizona colleges and universities are ranked 45th in the nation for average graduating student debt. The study found Arizona students were just behind California students with an average of $19,950 of student loan debt upon graduating in 2011. An estimated 49 percent of Arizona college graduates had debt in 2011. Voluntary reports from 1,057 private and public schools across the country were considered when conducting the study. The average student debt for those who earned bachelors degrees in 2011 nationwide grew from $25,250 to $26,600 — slightly more than a five percent increase, according to a press release from the institution. “The reasonable higher education costs in Arizona undoubtedly contribute to the low level

of student debt,” said Sarah Harper, director of Office Affairs for the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). “Despite increases in recent years, tuition and fees at Arizona’s public universities remain competitive among similar institutions.” According to the report, graduating student loan debts correlated to regional similarities, with the West and the South having the lowest student loan debt. The highest student loan debt was found in the Midwest and the Northeast. Recent college graduate unemployment rates had decreased slightly from 2010, but still had not retuned to previous rates. Of recent college graduates, the unemployment rate for 2011 was 8.8 percent, down from 9.1 percent the year before. The unemployment rate for those with only a high school diploma was more than double of college graduates at 19.1 percent. “Apparently I do [have a significant amount of student debt] off of freshman year alone,” said see DEBT page 4

Go to NorthernArizonaNews.com for daily updates, multimedia packages, extra content and stories before the issue hits the stands.


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The Lumberjack — Issue 12 — Fall 2012 — Vol. 99 by The Lumberjack - Issuu