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Monday, April 13, 2015
Northern Star
815-753-5606 H @NIUNorthernStar H NorthernStar.info/Opinion
Final papers should not have page requirements
Letter to the Editor Letters to the Editor are the author’s opinion alone.
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Reckless spending concerns student
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
Willie Carter Senior biology major
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
Perspective
Faith Mellenthin | Northern Star
Lupstein ticket needs to earn students’ trust Northern Star Editorial Board
Nathan Lupstein and the members of his Voice of Change ticket need to apologize for their role in collaborating unethically with Business Adviser: Maria Krull 815-753-0707 a Board of Elections member during the controversial Student Departments Association executive election. Newsroom: 815-753-0105 SA Senator Jake Swick, who Advertising: 815-753-0107 Classifieds: 815-753-0707 served on the Board of Elections, resigned from the Senate on About us Wednesday and in doing so avoidThe Northern Star is a limited public forum whose content is determined exclu- ed a hearing where he was being sively by its student editors. Information charged with leaking election inpresented in this newspaper and its webformation to the Voice of Change site is not controlled by NIU administraticket. The ticket was disqualified tion, faculty or staff. by the Board of Elections in late The Northern Star has a circulation of 10,000 Mondays and Thursdays. It March. Swick, who was supposed publishes online at NorthernStar.info to remain neutral as a member every day. A single copy of the Northern Star is free. of the board governing elections, encouraged the Voice of Change Additional copies are 50 cents. to appeal its disqualification. Letters to the editor A screenshot provided to the Letters should not exceed 300 words and Northern Star by the Senate may be edited for clarity and brevity. The shows Swick, who is a fraternity deadline for a letter is 4 p.m. one day before the desired date of publication. brother to Lupstein, encouraging Submissions may be held due to space the Voice of Change to appeal limitations. Letters written by students should include its disqualification via text: “3 sanctions=automatic disqualifithe author’s year and major. Letters should include a phone number where the cation, we need to appeal, its not author can be reached. Phone numbers over, its far from over.” will not be published. Letters may be Raquel Chavez, SA vice presisubmitted to Editor@NorthernStar.info. dent and the student trustee-elect, Advertisement policy and Scott Friedman, who headed The Northern Star does not knowingly ac- campaigning for the Voice of cept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, handicapped Change, responded to Swick and asked him questions about appealor veteran status, or sexual orientation. Nor does the Northern Star knowingly ing the ticket’s disqualification. print ads that violate any local, state or Swick crossed serious ethifederal laws. cal lines and should have been To place an advertisement, contact the tossed from the Senate had he Northern Star advertising team at 815753-0108 or ads@NorthernStar.info. not resigned. At the same time, To view advertising rates, go to he is not the only one at fault: NorthernStar.info/site/advertise/. Lupstein’s ticket members and his campaigners should have refused Hiring Student employees must carry a minimum to accept any information leaked of six NIU semester hours and must have to them. Instead, they took a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. Swick’s information, appealed Students of all majors and experience their disqualification and won levels are welcome to apply. Apply at www.NorthernStarJobs.info. the election on April 1. Adviser: Shelley Hendricks 815-753-4239
Ryan Ocasio | Northern Star File Photo
I have been at NIU for almost five years and have grown to love the NIU campus, students and staff and its community. I have always tried to do my best in my classes and treat others with the respect we all deserve. There are times when I can cheat, take advantage of others and abuse my power; however, I don’t because it is not the right thing to do and I refuse to hurt people I love. As you may or may not know, there was an article posted in the Northern Star on March 30 titled “Walters paid $460K in 18 months.” This article states Ron Walters was paid $460,000 in 18 months for consulting Baker on his Master Plan Thesis. It states Walters was paid for his services even though he was not scheduled to work at times. Also, he was reimbursed $32,000 for travel expenses against state regulations. I do not hold Walters accountable for these actions; he performed his job and was highly compensated for it. But, I do hold the president and his staff accountable for their lack of judgment. All the students and staff have heard the last few years about how enrollment has fallen, there has been budget cuts and there will be even more cuts to come. I understand when there is a reduction in income and a rising cost in goods/ services there has to be adjustments, but to pay one individual roughly half a million dollars for consulting is outrageous.
Read Online | bit.ly/1aW38Hf
Vice President-elect Reggie Bates (second from the left) campaigns for the Voice of Change on March 24 in the Martin Luther King Jr. Commons. The Voice of Change ticket must re-earn student’s trust after collaborating unethically with Jake Swick, an SA senator who served on the Board of Elections, the Northern Star Editorial Board writes. Swick had been charged with leaking information to the Voice of Change. He resigned from the Senate on Friday.
Star empowers all to tell their stories
The Editorial Board doesn’t doubt Swick collaborated with Voice of Change, and it’s embarrassing that Lupstein’s ticket hasn’t already apologized for its role in the matter. Students deserve better than that from their leaders. Students cannot trust an executive team that breaks the rules. Students cannot trust an executive team that lets one person — in this case, Swick — take the fall for their unethical behavior. Lupstein and his ticket members must apologize to students and the Senate and look for ways to rebuild the community’s trust with the SA. They should use this an example to learn about conflicts of interest, which were rife in this election: Swick was only in the Senate for a week before a fraternity brother, Senator Adolfo Sto. Domingo, nominated him to the Board of Elections; Swick collaborated with Lupstein, his
Those who experience sexual assault are silenced far too often. The Northern Star wants to give them a voice. As April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Northern Star Editorial Board is inviting members of the community who have faced sexual assault to share their stories and struggles in letters. Anyone may participate. There is no word limit. If the writers choose, letters may be published anonymously to avoid people being revictimized by having their name revealed. Letters will be published in the Perspective section of the newspaper, where the community has always made its voice heard through letters to the editor. If you wish to participate, email Editor@NorthernStar. info with questions, comments and, if you are so inclined, your story.
Read more To read the Northern Star aritcle about Jake Swick resigning from the Student Association Senate, go to Page 5. fraternity brother, to help Voice of Change get elected; and other conflicts of interest — like the fact three of five Board of Elections members were fraternity brothers to Voice of Change candidates — were not disclosed to the public. Lupstein should also consider carefully who he appoints directors since making wise, ethical decisions in that area can help him show students he’s more interested in caring for and leading them than in working for his own advancement. The Voice of Change does not deserve students’ respect or support. Lupstein and his executive must act to re-earn it.
Northern Star Editorial Board