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With Earth Day on the horizon, The Globe looks at local green efforts Columnist Mick Stinelli encourages equality in the music industry Xavier Stephens qualifies for NAIA championship meet in 800m event ppuglobe.com
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Issue 13
Berlin wins by landslide vote Legislative body votes down Kearns’ vetoes USG By Jordyn Hronec Co-News Editor
Jordyn Hronec | The Globe
USG President-Elect Jake Berlin in disbelief following the release of the recent election results. Berlin will take over the role of the USG President beginning with the upcoming summer session. By Dannys Marrero For The Globe
On Friday, Michael Gieseke, Dean of Student Life emailed the student body the verified results of the United Student Government elections.
In the email, after stating that this was a record-breaking election for student-voter turnout, Gieseke announced that Jake Berlin, a junior mass communication major, received 408 votes defeating current Vice President Britany
Arp, a sophomore political science and legal studies double major, who received 119 votes. Unlike previous years where the voting period stretched out for an entire
BERLIN page 2
This week, the United Student Government (USG) overturned two vetoes put forward by President Kaylee Kearns. The first veto applied to Resolution 03182019.1, which created guidelines for the redaction of information in meeting minutes. In a letter to all USG members, Kearns cited her concerns regarding a timeline for when redacted information would become public. During last week’s meeting, a motion to overturn the veto failed during a vote in the legislative body. However, members of Rules Committee recommended the resolutions be discussed in legislative body once again. President Pro-Tempore Megan Ortego cited senators’ confusion during the vote last week as a reason to discuss the resolution further. The resolution came under scrutiny, specifi-
cally by Senator Hattie Charney. Charney, who had been working to implement Pennsylvania’s already-standing Sunshine Act into USG legislation, stated that she was more interested in passing a more comprehensive resolution that would define privacy. “I just don’t feel comfortable passing something that we have to add on to in the future,” Charney said. “I’d rather have something that we can set, rather than doing something, and excuse my language, half-assed at this point.” Senator Jess Wrzosek spoke on behalf of the Rules Committee in defense of the resolution. “As far as putting something down and then adding to it and saying that’s not the way to do it, that’s literally the way to do it,” Wrzosek said. “All of our bylaws start with a heading, and then there’s 101.1, 101.2, 101.3, 101.4, whatever it is, we fine-tune everything.”
USG page 3
Tuition set to increase again PIONEER COMMUNITY Andrew Brinker Co-News Editor
“Running a university is expensive,” Point Park University President Paul Hennigan said. “Every year the costs to run this place rise, and that ultimately drives a tuition increase.” Tuition prices are rising for the 2019-2020 school year, a decision by the Point Park administration that has been an unpopular one in the past. But as Hennigan explains, the increase is unavoidable. “It (tuition) just varies on what the expenses are,” Hennigan said. “Our single largest expense increase in the budget is scholarships, financial aid for students, helping students be able to figure out how to afford coming to school. And then personnel costs. So, paying the faculty and staff, the student affairs staff, and then it’s all the facility costs.” A tuition increase is not something current students are unfamiliar with. Costs to attend Point Park have increased each of the last four school years. But the amount by which those costs are going up each year is itself slowly increasing. During the 2015-2016 school year, tuition for non-Conservatory students was $27,000 a year, and $34,400 a year for students in the Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA). Both of those totals rose for the 2016-2017 school year to $27,780 and $35,400 respectively. That’s a 2.9 percent increase. During the 2017-2018 school year, tuition was set at $28,860 for non-Conservato-
ry students, and $36,780 for Conservatory students. This year, those prices increased to $29,980 for those in schools outside of the Conservatory and $38,220 for COPA students. Comparatively, a 3.9 percent increase, or $1,120 more for non-Conservatory students and $1,140 more for those in COPA. Next year will be no different. Tuition will increase for the 2019-2020 school year by 4 percent from the current price to attend Point Park. Non-conservatory students will pay $31,180, while COPA pricing will be just short of $40,000 a year, at $39,740. Difference in tuition costs between Conservatory and non-Conservatory students has been a subject of dispute in recent years, as some COPA students believe that they should be paying the same price as students in other programs, while non-Conservatory students argue that they should not have to pay for Conservatory resources that they don’t use. Hennigan explained the difference in pricing between the two groups, citing a biannual cost study run by the university that consistently finds that COPA programs cost more to run. He also noted that the Conservatory’s smaller student-to-teacher ratio contributes to the price difference. “Conservatory programs are the most costly to run,” Hennigan said. “So it’s not necessarily fair for non-Conservatory students to subsidize Conservatory students. Conservatory students are paying for what they use, so to speak.” But not all students agree
with the tuition difference. Anton Johnson, a sophomore mass communications major, expressed his disdain for the way that the current prices are set. “It’s kind of messed up when you think about it,” Johnson said. “I mean the different sports teams use different facilities and they don’t have to pay more, so why should COPA students?” Johnson expanded, saying that he didn’t believe that most non-Conservatory students would be opposed to paying a small amount more to take the financial burden off of Conservatory students. “Honestly I feel like some students wouldn’t mind paying a little more so that COPA students can pay the same amount as they do. But I guess it depends on how much more.” Brenden Gill, a freshman cinema student, followed Johnson’s sentiment. “I mean I don’t really think it’s fair that we pay more than other students, mainly because I don’t really think that our extra tuition dollars actually go into COPA programs,” Gill said. But while some students oppose the price difference, Hennigan firmly believes that the higher COPA tuition is justified. “Are you learning?” Hennigan said. “Do you believe in making an investment in your future? If either one of those answers is no, I want to know why.”
Andrew Brinker anbrink@pointpark.edu
DAY: STUDENTS UNITE, VOLUNTEER DOWNTOWN
Jordyn Hronec | The Globe
USG Senator Grace Tyler Frank-Rempel signs-in a student at the Pioneer Community Day table in Village Park.
Jordyn Hronec | The Globe
Volunteers at the Wood Street Commons perform karaoke.
Weather Forecast Today: Cloudy H 55, L 40
Thursday: Cloudy, H 70, L57 Friday: Showers, H 65, L 47 Saturday: Cloudy, H 57, L 40
Sunday: Showers, H 48, L 43 Monday: Showers, H 53, L 39 Tuesday: Cloudy, H 59, L 44
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