The Maneater -- Volume 76, Issue 26

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themaneater The student voice of MU since 1955

Columbia, Missouri • Friday, December 4, 2009

Vol. 76, No. 26

Universities aim to up minority grad rates ZACH TOOMBS News Editor The UM system, along with more than 20 other university systems, announced a goal Thursday to increase the number of lowincome and minority college graduates by 20 percent before 2015. The 24 university systems participating in the initiative, known as Access to Success, educate almost 40 percent of undergraduates attending public four-year colleges and universities, according to a news release from The Education Trust, one of the organizations behind the initiative. Deborah Nobel-Triplett, the UM system assistant vice president for academic affairs, said the university is in the early stages of examining the data gathered from The Education Trust’s report on low-income and minority enrollment in higher education.

themaneater.com

Remembering Karen Kahler

LOW-INCOME STUDENTS

The UM system, along with 23 other university systems, revealed its goal to lessen the gap between the number of low-income students who graduate high school and the number of those who enter college. low-income

41%

low-income students graduating high school in Missouri

59%

students entering college in Missouri 16%

84%

low-income students not graduating high school in Missouri

low-income students not entering college in Missouri

Source: Access to Success KATIE PRINCE/GRAPHICS ASSISTANT

“One of the advantages of being a part of this initiative is access to data we wouldn’t normally have,” Nobel-Triplett said. “Previously, we had data for minorities graduating see EDUCATION, page 6

NICK SCHNELLE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Friends of recently deceased mother, MU student and Activity and Recreation Center instructor Karen Kahler, show their respect at a vigil Thursday night at the ARC. Kahler's estranged husband, James Kahler, was charged with her murder, as well as the murder of her two daughters.

MSA promotes bookstore savings Senior journalism student

wins Marshall Scholarship

MEGAN PEARL Staff Writer MU is attempting to save students money on textbooks, but the University Bookstore is concerned about relaying the different options to students. The Missouri Students Association’s Academic Affairs committee is looking to perform a “textbook blitz” to begin mass advertisement of the rebate and rental programs the University Bookstore offers. The textbook savings are new to MU as of this semester. MSA passed two bills acknowledging the new rental program at MU and announced MSA will put out flyers and utilize other modes see BLITZ, page 6

ZACH MURDOCK Staff Writer

SARAH HOFFMAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Legislation for a "textbook blitz" project was introduced by the Missouri Students Association Academic Affairs Committee on Wednesday night in Stotler Lounge. The project's goal is to reduce textbook prices for students by allowing the rental of books, guaranteed buyback and certain rebates.

George C. Marshall, the program began in gratitude for the assistance the U.K. received from the The U.K. Foreign and U.S. after World War II in the Commonwealth Office named Marshall Plan, the office’s Web site senior Brian Pellot a member of stated. “I’m absolutely thrilled to the 2010 class of Marshall receive this award,” Pellot Scholars on Tuesday. said. “I was on the treadAccording to the office’s mill at Mizzou’s Rec Center Web site, the U.K. govwhen the Consul General in ernment has awarded Chicago called me to share 35 American students a the good news. I was out Marshall Scholarship since BRIAN of breath and surprised to 1953, giving exceptional PELLOT hear word so soon after American students the opportunity to pursue graduate the interviews, but ecstatic.” According to the office’s Web degrees at top U.K. academic and research institutions. see SCHOLAR, page 6 Named for Secretary of State

Feelings mixed toward Paul leaves MSA Senate with to-do list technology requirement MEGAN PEARL Staff Writer Missouri Students Association President Jordan Paul released a list of projects to jumpstart Senate action as a part of his final executive report. “It’s kind of a spark to get things moving for the young kids in Senate right now,” Paul said. “This way I can tell them how to do it, they find out how things work and they also get things done.” Paul said the projects origi-

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nated from the Big 12 Student Government Conference he and MSA President-elect Tim Noce attended last month. The list is comprised of ideas for student government action that has been successful at other schools. The list was handed out in the full-Senate meeting Wednesday. It was also Paul’s last full-Senate meeting as president of MSA. “I think the most important issue is representation or getting down in the trenches with student issues,” Noce said. “I believe that

the idea for an issue of the week survey and tabling one or two days per week by senate could dramatically improve this.” Baylor University’s student government practices the issues of the week idea, Paul said in his outline of the list. The student senators conduct paper surveys from a table on campus to figure out what is important to the student body. Paul said MSA has not practiced the tabling method in the past in see IDEAS, page 6

JARED GRAFMAN Reporter The School of Journalism plans to continue its trial run of requiring freshman journalism students to have a Web-enabled audio-video player through next year’s incoming freshman class, said Brian Brooks, associate dean for undergraduate studies at the school. Brooks said there is still some confusion about the requirement in regard to iPod touches and iPhones.

On themaneater.com

Candlelight vigil

Listen to The Maneater's Arts podcast for a discussion on the best (and worst) of 2009. Visit themaneater.com for additional stories and online-exclusive content.

More than 100 people gathered for a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Karen Kahler, who was killed Saturday. Outlook, page 10

“It is not a requirement for students to have an iTouch or an iPhone but rather a device with the ability to play video and audio files and access the Web,” Brooks said. Although the J School doesn’t specify which brand of Webenabled audio-video player is required, its Web site states the “requirement is best met by purchasing the Apple iPod touch.” Brooks said the new technology requirement has been sucsee IPHONE, page 6

Cap and trade protests Student groups organized protests both against and for a recent letter from UM system President Gary Forsee. News, page 3


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