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The Rocket www.theonlinerocket.com
Friday, November 30, 2012
Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper
Est. 1934
Volume 96, Number 11
Strike authorization vote passed APSCUF hopes to hasten contract negotiations with PASSHE By Jonathan Janasik Rocket News Editor
The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) voted to pass the strike authorization vote, which allows the APSCUF leadership to call a strike at will. APSCUF’s last contract with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) expired in June 2011, leaving both parties to negotiate the terms of a new contract. President of the SRU chapter of APSCUF Dr. Patrick Burkhart has stated that little progress has been made
between the two parties within the months of contract negotiations. Because of this, APSCUF recently held a strike authorization vote in order to increase pressure on PASSHE to reach an agreement. “I’ve heard that it has been effective in that regard, and in that both sides have been coming to the table with proposals that seek compromise on the issues,” Burkhart said. According to Burkhart, 86 percent of the entire faculty in APSCUF voted, and 91.4 percent of the faculty from SRU participated in the vote. The results were that 95 percent of the faculty voted that the strike authorization should be passed.
Burkhart reported that APSCUF has agreed that they will not go on strike during the rest of the fall semester. This will allow APSCUF and PASSHE to negotiate for at least two months without giving students any reason to worry about a strike. “Keep in mind that the contract is between PASSHE and APSCUF,” Burkhart explained, “It’s our contract, it’s the administrations contract as well. Everything that is in there was agreed to by both sides, and I believe that both sides benefit from having a clear agreement. It reduces ambiguity, it reduces misunderstanding, and it produces predictably.” Burkhart explained that PASSHE wants the contract
to be decided upon so that they can predict their expenses. This is important because bankers are reluctant to lend money if they do not know how much money their clients will have. If an agreement is not made within the next two months, Burkhart stated that he is planning on holding at least one town hall meeting where students and community members will be able to voice their concerns and ask questions to the SRU faculty members of APSCUF. The two main issues that APSCUF and PASSHE SEE PASSHE, PAGE A-2
Upper campus parking SRU students create 'Gangnam Style' music video lot project put on hold By Erica Kurvach Rocket Staff Reporter
The $800,000 construction project for the Kraus Hall parking lot was to be finished by this past summer, but the project was put on hold last spring due to the cost. The new parking lot would have given Rhoads and North Hall residents and students with classes on upper campus more convenient spaces to park. Former president, Dr. Robert Smith, gave the cons ent to demolish Kraus Hall and build more parking spaces. However, acting president, Charles Curry, stopped the project since it was expensive and the University was changing presidents. Mr. Herbert Carlson, the assistant vice president for Construction, Design and Management, had to send contractors to remove Asbestos out of the building. “Asbestos is gone in the building,” Carlson said. “It is gutted out and has been removed in the bathroom. The building inside is pretty much bare walls.” President Cher yl Nor ton a l l owe d t h e project to stay on hold and wants to study about another option to reduce the cost, according to Carlson. As a result, they have two options to decide from. One way is to take a closer look at how Kraus building might be used. Secondly, they can hire a facility master planning firm to look at all of the buildings to study broader issues of the campus. “We have to consider in tough budget times and consider the best option,” Carlson said. In t h e m e a nt i m e , Norton and Carlson are deciding where they want the University to be in the future.
Currently, the Miller Auditorium is b eing renovated. Projects c om i ng up are t h e modification to McKay Education building and the conversion of the University Union. Carlson is also facing new environmental legal regulations. One of the new major requirements is to have an infiltration system. This system requires Carlson to build parking lots designed in a way that will allow storm water to run off the yard, releasing slowly and giving a chance to percolate into the soil of the property. Before this new regulation, the storm water had to run off the lawn and did not have to saturate into the soil. Last year’s estimated cost for both the Robert M. Smith Student Center and Patterson Hall and K r au s Ha l l p a r k i n g lots were $1.4 million. That price included the realignment of Morrow Way. One may notice the Smith Student Center’s r ai n g ard e n by t he entrance which is another storm water system. Carlson said that the East and West Lake parking lots are good because the water flows down and off the parking lot. The Facilities and Planning Department’s original approach to building this parking lot is to use penetrable pavement that will allow rain water to saturate into it. The Kraus Hall parking lot, located on South Main Street, is still open to campus residents. The building used to be a residence hall and is closed for 2012 to 2013 year, according to Student Consumer Information. The building was constructed in 1966.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NEIL SACHS
Jang Roh, a graduate student, heads up the dance team in a music video created by Morgan Lambert as a communication project. Lambert's inspiration for the video came from MIT's video version of 'Gangnam Style', and hopes for the music video to be featured on MTV.
Campus trail for students with disabilities approved By Maria Heintzinger Rocket Contributor
The Slippery Rock University Storm Harbor Equestrian Center is in the process of incorporating a “Sensory Trail” into the trail system on campus. The trail will be open to the university. However, it is being designed mainly for people with disabilities. “[We decided on it because of] a need for more sensory components in our program. We wanted to make it more nature based, so the sensory trail incorporates both elements,” said Gramlich, Equestrian Center facility manager. The majority of the work that is done by the Equestrian Center is centered on assisting those with disabilities, and this new opportunity provides them with even more room to grow in that area. The current trail that they will use is in serious need of renovating, and that is how the $20,000 Alcoa Foundation Grant will help. Once it is completed, the “Sensory Trail” will take on the formal name of the "Alcoa Foundation Transition Trail." The current pathway that will be updated is near the compost piles at the Macoskey Center and is about an eighth of a mile long. The main goal of the trail will be to
stimulate the senses, largely smell and touch, by providing interactive stations at several spots along the way. Many different plants will be used at several of those stations and even the usual sounds of nature will appeal to the senses. “Because the trail is located where it is, sight will also play a role. It gives us a great view of campus and there are many things to look at while walking on it,” Gramlich said. The team has many potential ideas that they hope will tie into the trail once the construction of it is underway. It is expected to take approximately eight months to complete, and although there is not a set date as of now, they hope to get started on it as soon as possible. A project of this size could not have been tackled alone, and Gramlich feels that she had some very productive assistance. “I had some great help from Christine Glenn’s class and a small group of students that did some research for this project. We are hopeful that this group will help to construct it along with other students from Parks and Recreation,” Gramlich said. Glenn, an instructor in the Parks and Recreation Department, has been busy with the updating and renovating of the entire trail system. The “Sensory Trail,” however, was one
of great importance to her. “As an educator, anytime I can give my students a real-life project to work on, it means a lot. I feel that I was very lucky to be involved with such a great design project and to have students that are doing such solid work,” Glenn said. The team consisted of four students who worked on the site analysis, during which they studied the conditions of the current trail site and program recommendations. They designed the trail path, made proposals of where the sensory stations should be, and planned on what could be incorporated into these stations. A couple of those students expressed a strong interest in continuing work on this project during the implementation stage when the time comes. Because Glenn and her students have recently become even more involved with the entire trail system at the university, they understand the positive results that can come from this type of project. “We are really lucky on campus to have green space available and that is why the university is working to protect it and allow us to be able to access it in a sustainable way. It really is a great opportunity for a campus like ours,” Glenn said.