Technique
Rockin’ Techies
Friday, November 11, 2011• Volume 97, Issue 16 • nique.net
Read about top Tech bands to recently hit the local Atlanta music scene.411
The South’s Liveliest College Newspaper
France-Atlanta Regents to consolidate campuses partnership grows By Emily Cardin News Editor
By Jordan Lockwood Contributing Writer
This past weekend, the College of Architecture, the Center for European and Transatlantic Studies and the Office of International Education at Tech hosted a conference examining the suburbs of Paris and Atlanta. Titled “Outer City/Inner Suburb: The Physical, Social and Cultural Fabric Beyond the Center,” the conference was a part of the larger France-Atlanta 2011 Conference. The event, intended to explore and compare the banlieues (meaning ‘suburbs’ in French) of Paris and other major cities in France with the inner suburbs of Atlanta, focused on the historical and cultural perspectives significant to the Franco-American relationship. Through the lens of suburban communities, the conference examined the broader social and cultural variations in the two countries and how these are related. Presentations covered topics such as urbanization, demographic change, innovative architecture, immigration and evolving social and cultural landscapes. Participants included academics, architects, artists and policy-makers from both the United States and France. “I enjoyed a presentation given by a French architect about the work he’s currently doing in Toulouse with regard to the renovation of many high-occupancy apartment buildings in the suburbs. Even though I’m not an architecture major, the situation of the lives of immigrants in the suburbs in Toulouse parallels on-going issues concerning the changing demographics in the suburbs of Atlanta, and I found his presentation to be very interesting,” said Kristin Meagher, a fourth-year IAML major. Many of the presentations touched upon the importance of maintaining an open dialogue between the two countries, for reasons much larger than the political relationship between the French and American governments. “Living in a large country like the United States, it is often easy to become solely focused on one’s own country, culture, and way of life,” said Benjamin Bennett, a fourth-year IAML major. “The cultural dialogue fostered by events such as this one is simply invaluable.” Pierre Cohen, Mayor of Toulouse, France, one of Atlanta’s sister cities, was a guest speaker at the conference. He visited to reinforce the See France, page 4
The University System of Georgia (USG) is conducting a study to determine if the 35-campus system should reduce the number of institutions it runs to help cut administrative costs. After a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 8, the Board of Regents (BoR) released the criteria that would be used to consider campus consolidation. Though no specific campuses have been announced as potential sites of consolidation, Chancellor Henry “Hank” Huckaby told campuses not to panic. The consolidation study
is one of the first initiatives Huckaby introduced after he was named head of the university system this past May. A longtime university administrator and former state lawmaker, Huckaby is responsible for repairing the notoriously tense relationship between the BoR and state legislature. “I know this will be somewhat controversial to many,” Huckaby said during the meeting on Tuesday. “But if we’re going to do what has to be done we must be willing to take on tough issues. I didn’t agree to become chancellor to maintain the status quo.” Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration Steve
Wrigley said that this internal look was needed to ensure the System has a 21st century structure with the right network of institutions offering the proper range of degrees. “The overall purpose of this is to make the system stronger and make us more effective,” Wrigley said. With numerous campuses in the state and rising education costs, the purpose of the study is to cut spending in light of the fact that students are paying an average nine percent higher in tuition and fees the state over. Huckaby originally announced the study and its potential implications regarding campus consolidation in
Sept., emphasizing the fact that a number of inputs and factors would be used in the analysis of campuses. The six different criteria that will be used to analyze institutions for the potential for consolidation include the increase of opportunities to raise education attainment levels; the improvement of accessibility, regional identity and compatibility; the avoidance of the duplication of academic programs while optimizing access to instruction; the creation of significant potential for economies of scale and scope, the enhancement of regional economic developSee Regents, page 6
Walk highlights safety concerns
Photo by Sho Kitamura / Student Publications
Students, faculty and members of GTPD walked through and around campus for the biannual Campus Safety Walk. Problem areas around campus, including the location of areas where crime has occurred in recent weeks were explored. By Madison Lee Contributing Writer
Students, faculty and administrative leaders came together to participate in the biannual Campus Safety Walk on the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 8. The event allowed
members of the Tech community to review the effectiveness of current security measures and identify immediate issues that could create dangerous conditions for students. The participants assembled at Crecine Residence Hall
plaza and proceeded to make their way from West to East Campus, following a route frequently taken by students. The event served as a forum for discussion as students and administrators were encouraged to voice any safety risks they observed and make sug-
gestions for improvements. “I’d say that this was the most successful walk we’ve had in recent semesters…we had a great turnout, and this positive collaboration is really important because there’s always a fine line when dealSee Walk, page 7
Women’s Leadership Conference draws largest ever crowd By Elizabeth Perreault Contributing Writer
Photo by Jasmine Burton / Student Publications
Women from around campus and the greater community gathered last weekend to celebrate and explore empowerment.
Last weekend, students, faculty members, staff, alumni and community partners gathered in the Student Center Ballroom for the for the 13th annual Women’s Leadership Conference. This year’s theme “Radiate from Within, Shine on the World” was explored through a series of workshops, networking opportunities and guest speakers that focused on empowering women and encouraging leadership roles in school, the workplace and community. The conference began on Friday evening with a network-
ing session followed by a dinner and keynote speaker. This year’s speaker was Dr. Annie Anton, a Tech alumna from the College of Computing who is currently a computer science professor at North Carolina State University. After dinner, the Woman of Distinction Award was presented to its recipients in the undergraduate, graduate, alumna, staff and faculty categories. The distinguished women who were honored with this award in these categories were Lisa Thornsberry, Erin Spinner, Susan Davis, Rosalind R. Meyers and Dr. Gilda Barbabino, respectively. The conference continued into Saturday morning, where Gail
Evans, a distinguished lawyer and author and currently an associate professor in the College of Management, gave the breakfast speech. After breakfast, participants attended three workshops of their choice. Workshops covered topics dealing with issues ranging from body image to personal finance to making the most of oneself and finding one’s own passions. “My favorite part of this year’s conference was the Saturday morning keynote speaker. She gave concrete and practical steps that women can use in helping achieve equality between the sexes See Women, page 4