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Thursday, February 26, 2015
815-753-5606 H @NIUNorthernStar H NorthernStar.info/Opinion
Perspective
Northern Star Campus Life Building, Room 130 545 Lucinda Ave. DeKalb, Ill., 60115 Web: www.NorthernStar.info Fax: 815-753-0708 Editorial Board Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board; columns reflect the opinion of the author alone. Editor in Chief & Publisher: Kelly Bauer Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-0105 Managing Editor: Keith Hernandez Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-0177 News Editor: Jackie Nevarez Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9643 Digital Editor: Margaret Maka Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9644 Perspective Editor: Rachel Scaman Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9637 Sports Editor: Frank Gogola Sports@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9637 Scene Editor: Sabreena Saleem Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-5606 Photo Editor: Ryan Ocasio Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-1602 Other Assistant Scene Editor: Darius Parker 815-753-5606 Advertising Manager: Derek Noel Ads@NorthernStar.info 815-753-0108 Circulation Manager: Andrew Parnell 815-753-0707 Adviser: Shelley Hendricks 815-753-4239 Business Adviser: Maria Krull 815-753-0707 Departments Newsroom: 815-753-0105 Advertising: 815-753-0107 Classifieds: 815-753-0707 About us The Northern Star is a limited public forum whose content is determined exclusively by its student editors. Information presented in this newspaper and its website is not controlled by NIU administration, faculty or staff. The Northern Star has a circulation of 10,000 Mondays and Thursdays. It publishes online at NorthernStar.info every day. A single copy of the Northern Star is free. Additional copies are 50 cents. Letters to the editor Letters should not exceed 300 words and may be edited for clarity and brevity. The deadline for a letter is 4 p.m. one day before the desired date of publication. Submissions may be held due to space limitations. Letters written by students should include the author’s year and major. Letters should include a phone number where the author can be reached. Phone numbers will not be published. Letters may be submitted to Editor@NorthernStar.info. Advertisement policy The Northern Star does not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, handicapped or veteran status, or sexual orientation. Nor does the Northern Star knowingly print ads that violate any local, state or federal laws. To place an advertisement, contact the Northern Star advertising team at 815753-0108 or ads@NorthernStar.info. To view advertising rates, go to NorthernStar.info/site/advertise/. Hiring Student employees must carry a minimum of six NIU semester hours and must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. Students of all majors and experience levels are welcome to apply. Apply at www.NorthernStarJobs.info.
Ryan Ocasio | Northern Star
About 70 cigarettes and butts were collected Wednesday on the east side of the Campus Life Building. There used to be ashtrays there and by other buildings around campus. They’re starting to disappear, leading to smoking litter.
Ashtrays need to stay at NIU Smoke-Free Campus
Northern Star Editorial Board
The Smoke-Free NIU task force needs to maintain a litterfree campus by keeping ashtrays at NIU until the Smoke-Free Campus act’s July 1 mandate — not before it. In a January meeting, the task force discussed removing all campus ashtrays in or before June to comply with the act, said Deborah Haliczer, task force member and Employee Relations and Training director. But, no decision was made at that meeting, Haliczer said. Ashtrays throughout campus began disappearing as early as Feb. 2, leaving people to throw their cigarette butts onto the ground. Ashtrays have disappeared — and in some cases,
The Smoke-Free Campus Act will prohibit smoking tobacco at all public Illinois universities. The act with go into effect July 1.
Faith Mellenthin | Northern Star
reappeared — between Reavis and DuSable halls, the east and west sides of the Campus Life Building and the west side of the Holmes Student Center near the buses, among other locations. On Wednesday, there were 69
cigarette butts littering the lawn where an ashtray used to sit on the east side of the Campus Life Building. The problem will worsen if the task force doesn’t return and then keep the ashtrays until smoking becomes illegal on campus.
Letter to the Editor
City’s way of making website ADA compliant ‘just isn’t right’ Bessie Chronopoulos Former DeKalb mayor
Because of a deadline set by the U.S. Department of Justice through a settlement agreement to bring the website into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City Council was finally convinced that it was right to authorize an expenditure of over $50,000 to enhance the website. Well, of course the city should be in compliance. No argument there. It’s the rush and the cost factor that is bothersome. Facts learned by reviewing the
agreement... 1. The city needs to come into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 2. The city was notified that it was being investigated on July 8, 2013. 3. The agreement was signed by the city attorney. There are two dates on the document: Jan. 12, 2015, and Feb. 3, 2015. Questions... 1. Why is there a rush to meet a deadline if the city was aware of this back in 2013? 2. Is it proper for the city attorney to sign such an agreement?
3. The city’s Commission on Disabilities and the local Regional Access and Mobilization Project should be called upon to assist with making the needed adjustments. Were they consulted? Certainly there is enough talent in DeKalb given the fact that we have a major university and dozens of talented people who could help with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards and later, a bit at a time, improve our website. Something just isn’t right with the way this matter was handled ... not at all right.
Removing ashtrays from campus is unacceptable and should be discussed at the task force’s March 6 meeting. A university that is willing to endure the costs of beautifying its campus by landscaping and updating signs on campus needs to show its community that maintaining the campus’ look is a priority. Mounds of cigarette butts outside of lecture halls do not show university stakeholders NIU is taking that priority seriously.
Pass
SA starting quick with bus changes
Fail
NIU spends money on Holmes revamp To read what’s a pass and what’s a fail as judged by Perspective Editor Rachel Scaman, go to bit.ly/1DrE6Jd.