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News »Obama: New plans to improve access to community college and loans. A3 Opinion »Women: Theories on why men avoid taking women’s studies classes. A6
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Theorion.com | Wednesday, February 4, 2015 | Vol. 74, Issue 3 | First copy free, additional copies 50¢
Obama proposes plan to pay for college
REMEMBRANCE
Michael McClurg
Staff Writer
President Barack Obama rolled out a bold proposal during his State of the Union address: make the first two years of community college completely free. To be eligible for the program, called America’s College Promise, students would need to be a part-time or full-time student, have at least a 2.5 GPA and be making steady progress toward graduation or transferring to a four-year institution. “You gotta earn it,” Obama said during the speech. The goal of this plan is to increase graduation rates, lower student debts and decrease the income gap. The tuition program would help an estimated 9 million students each year if the plan was passed into law by Congress. The plan is expected to cost $60 billion over 10 years. Seventy-five percent of the cost would be paid for by the I’m thankful federal government, and the rest of the that I was able tab would be picked to finish as soon up by participating as possible. It’s states. a lot of work to Students working finish in two their way through years. community college prior to a transfer would find the Valerie Ilacqua, program helpful, masters srudent said Valerie Ilacqua, a Chico State student working on her master’s in speech pathology. “It took me two years,” Ilacqua said. “I’m thankful that i was able to finish as soon as possible. It’s a lot of work to finish in two years. Unfortunately, they didn’t prepare me. I had to take six classes every semester to finish.” Student debt and graduating on time are two major issues currently facing post-secondary education. According to a study by the National Center of Education Statistics, out of 19,000 students who entered community college for the first time in 2003, only 25 percent of them received a certificate or associate’s degree within six years. College graduates in 2010 finished school with an average debt of $26,000. This new policy also calls for community colleges to make reforms to increase student learning outcomes. Obama is also proposing an extension of the American Opportunity Tax Credit to 2017. The tax credit, which covers student’s tuition and other enrollment fees, saves students $2,500 a year. It covers the first four years at a post-secondary institution and is awarded to taxpayers with a joint income of $160,000 or less. Obama’s plan, which would have to be passed through Congress before being enacted into law, is modeled after similar free tuition programs in Chicago and Tennessee. Michael McClurg can be reached at
newseditor@theorion.com or @theorion_news on Twitter.
INDEX Corrections
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Weather
A2
Police Blotter
A4
Opinion
A6
Sports
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Directory
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Features
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Sex Column
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A+E
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Kristina Martinez/The Orion
Debbie Smith, far right, and others share information about the hazing death of Matthew Carrington prior to a screening of the A&E network’s “Campus Nightmares” in the Bell Memorial Union.
BEFORE HIS
STORY IS LOST Family remembers loved one’s death through raising awareness about hazing Kristina Martinez
Staff Writer
Friends and family of Matthew Carrington gathered during a small candlelit vigil held Sunday in his honor. Carrington’s mother, Debbie ... to end the Smith, and brother, Travis Smith, senseless deaths were among those at the vigil late of our young Sunday night. people by Vigils and events that commemeducating them orate Carrington’s life are everyon the dangers thing, his mother said. Carrington was 21 years old at of hazing. the time of his death on Feb. 2, 2005, which was caused by water intoxiDebbie Smith, cation from hazing acts conducted Carrington’s mother in the basement of the former Chi Tau fraternity house. During the hazing, Carrington and other pledges were forced to do pushups and repeatedly drink water while fans blew cold air on them. Debbie Smith walked the streets of Downtown on Sunday, placing fliers at Madison Bear Garden and other establishments trying to spread the word of Carrington’s story. She has found Chico State to be extremely cooperative with her cause. Many of the fraternity and sorority houses Debbie Smith visited Sunday left her with a great experience, she said.
Monday’s movie event in the Bell Memorial Union aired A&E network’s “Campus Nightmares,” a film that re-enacts the events that led to Carrington’s death. The movie is a true representation of who Matt was as a person, Debbie Smith said. She wants to help educate young people on hazing in order to prevent incidents like Carrington’s death from happening again. Debbie Smith created the Anti-hazing Awareness Movement for that very reason. Carrington’s death prompted her to want to change the hazing culture, she said. “Hazing is out of control because it’s not recognized,” Debbie Smith said. “They don’t see it before it gets out of hand.” The group is a nonprofit organization created in memory of Carrington’s death. Its mission is “to end the senseless deaths of our young people by educating them on the dangers of hazing.” Smith and others are determined to continue their efforts to end hazing. Kristina Martinez can be reached at newseditor@theorion.com or
@theorion_news on Twitter.
Kristina Martinez/The Orion
Debbie Smith, Matthew Carrington’s mother, hands out fliers at downtown business in order to share her son’s story.
Zingg’s speech addresses reaccreditation Jenice Tupolo
Staff Writer
Chico State students, faculty and staff gathered at Harlen Adams Theatre Thursday afternoon to hear President Paul Zingg’s spring 2015 convocation speech. Zingg’s address centered on Chico State’s accomplishments. He pressed an ongoing theme of “an extraordinary Chico State,” highlighting the university’s readiness to be reviewed by a regional accrediting agency in spring 2019. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of the six associations responsible for accrediting private and public schools, universities and colleges in the U.S. Chico State’s next review is planned for 2019. Zingg reviewed observations and recommendations from the agency’s prior
visits in 2007 and 2009 and stressed how the university can learn from them. “In order to go forward, we need to look backward,” Zingg said. In its review, the accrediting group was impressed by the university’s commitment to student success and challenged Chico State to heighten its expectations, strengthen diversity and better define the Chico experience, Zingg said. “So we will bring forward this spring proposals to add to our current strategic plan a seventh priority in diversity and an eighth in civic engagement,” he said. Further steps in preparation include an analysis of the school’s budget structure and development, the continuation of softening borders between
Trevor Ryan/The Orion
Chico State President Paul Zingg delivers his 2015
» please see SPEECH | A3 spring convocation address on Thursday.