THE
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
M I S S O U R I
S T A T E
U N I V E R S I T Y
Volume 109, Issue 6 | the-standard.org The Standard/The Standard Sports
More than 100 years in print
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Students to possibly vote on the tear down of Taylor Health and Wellness
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Sunvilla is up and running All of the students who are supposed to live in Sunvilla are moved in
By Brian Wright Staff Reporter
The Student Government Association will soon decide whether or not to let students vote on the revocation of Taylor Health and Wellness. Eric Cooker of Hasting and Chivetta Architect delivered a presentation to SGA about tearing down Taylor Health and Wellness. Cooker and his firm have been working on this project since February and the Senate is looking to vote on this issue, to allow Missouri State students to vote for during the homecoming election. The resolution will be voted on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The firm has worked with other universities such as University of South Florida. The upgrades would include a women’s health center, sports medical clinic, free strep testing and a drive-thru pharmacy. There would be a student fee of $29 per semester during the building school year. This past spring semester a campus-wide survey was conducted to see the needs of students who used Taylor and the biggest concerns for students were cost, privacy as well as renovation. The survey was taken by over 800 students. Student Governor Caleb Doyle stressed to the senate that this would be an opportunity to see a visible change to the MSU campus. The renovation will include a doubling of the size of the current from 16,000 square feet to 37,800 square feet. Since the current site would need to be completely torn down to be rebuilt, there would be temporary facilities built. Taylor Health is currently connected to the bookstore, but the bookstore would not close. The two buildings would be broken apart to salvage the use of the bookstore. Also, there will be no loss to any existing programs that Taylor Health currently provides. The student vote is not the final step. The Board of Governors will have to approve the plan, as well as figure out financing. The architects and engineers will have to design the building. Currently, there is no official timeline until the student-body vote in October.
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By Han Zhao Staff Reporter @hanzhao0620
Sunvilla Tower is now back in operation after 16 months. All Sunvilla residents was moved in by Friday, Sept. 11. Approximately 100 students who were assigned to floors 3-9 stayed at the University Plaza Hotel and Holiday Express Inn for a month due to the construction delay. During the month, students were compensated with unlimited meal plans for campus dining halls, as well as the hotel expense. The university put $50 on these students’ accounts for Boomer Meals for the inconvenience. MSU also provided shuttle service to students who lived in hotels. Temporary housing caused some inconveniences for students. Junior chemistry major Pooja Vaidya stayed at the University Plaza Hotel. She said since her grandparents owned a motel in Lebanon, Mo. where she grew up, she didn’t mind living in the hotel. “The students have really been easy to work with,” Gary Stewart, the director of residence life, housing and dining services said. There is storage space on the 19th floor of Sunvilla Tower where students could store their belongings that they couldn’t carry or doesn’t fit in the apartment. Vaidya took advantage of the service, and only had her basic belongings such as clothes and food with her at the hotel. Stewart said the temporary housing arrangement cost the university about $200,000, and they will be charged back to renovation budget. The renovation gives the building a brand new interior. “All the appliances went, all the furniture went, all the u See SUNVILLA, page 8
Maddy Cushman/THE STANDARD
After over a year of renovations, Sunvilla is open to students.
Some students were charged unfair finance fees on their university bills By Nicole Roberts News Editor The Standard
Students have been charged late fees due to new federal changes, high student enrollment this semester and Financial Aid being short-staffed. As a result of some federal regulation changes, some students have flags on their FAFSA. The flag prevents students’ financial aid from being processed. In order to get the flag cleared, students have to submit the required paperwork to their financial aid office. If the Financial Aid office receives all of the correct paperwork, a Financial Aid employee then goes into the student’s aid records and removes the flags, which then allows financial aid awards to be processed. Amy Nelson, a junior general studies major, is one of many students who recently had a flag on her account, which was due to “unusual enrollment history.” According to Vicki Mattocks, the director of Financial Aid, “Unusual Enrollment History” was a new federal regulation last year that resulted in a flagged application, and it affects a small number of MSU students. After submitting the proper paperwork last summer, Nelson noticed a few weeks ago that her financial aid had not been applied to her account yet.
According to Nelson, a financial aid Mattocks said not every student who had ried that there aren’t enough employees to employee told her their office was under- an unusual enrollment flag has been delayed. process their financial aid packages, and we staffed and backed up due to the high number Nancy Myers, the should never be responsible for monetary of students. Since the office is backed up, accounting manager penalties as a result of that negligence.” they were not able to remove the flag from for Financial According to Mattocks, students who her MSU account before the Sept. 1 deadServices, said receive these finance fees normally have to pay line, which resulted in her financial aid packthe late fee them. This is because most of the time when a age remaining unprocessed. Since her finanstudent receives a financial charge, it’s because cial aid did not come in before Sept. 1, a late the student hasn’t submitted all of the required fee charge was added to her university bill. paperwork in time. “I understand being understaffed or over“The only time that we’ll request powered with unexpected work and enrollthat Financial Services makes an exception ment, but (the late fee) would still be the uniNelson received was technically a and remove the finance fee is if the finance versity’s fault,” Nelson said. “I should not be “finance fee.” Finance fees are applied to fee was caused due to failure on our part,” absorbing late fees for their failures.” students’ accounts when they don’t reach Mattocks said. “If we didn’t get something Mattocks disagreed about Financial Aid their payment deadline in time. These finance logged in in time, or if a student turned in the being understaffed, however. fees are part of the My Payment Plan, which all paperwork and it didn’t get processed or “(Financial Aid) has a staff of 27 full-time students agree to when they register. moved to the right department in a timely people, and I think that’s very adequate for the “It’s a way of telling students, ‘If I don’t manner, then I will ask that an exception be work that we do,” Mattocks said. “We are cur- pay my bill, the Financial Aid and Financial made. This process is done on a one-by-one rently short three full-time people however, so Services offices will start applying finance individual basis, though.” we’re short in the area that was responsible for charges,’” Myers said. Myers recommended that students should processing the unusual enrollment history. On Nelson didn’t think she deserved the watch their MSU email for information top of that and dealing with everything else, finance fee since she had turned in the regarding their financial aid or university bill, they didn’t get to that in particularly as quick- correct forms and had been cleared in the especially since email is the official form of ly as they should have or could have.” summer. communication between Financial Aid and Mattocks said the Financial Aid office han“If packages aren’t processed by Financial Financial Services and students. She also said dles about 15,000 students’ financial aids every Aid before they demand payments on the to not ignore emails from the offices. year and that even though students affected by account balances, and we are relying on those If students have any questions or concerns the unusual enrollment history are important, funds to cover our expenses, who’s at fault for about their financial aid or university bill, it’s unfortunately normal for a a few students’ missing payment deadlines?” Nelson said. they can contact the Financial Aid or Finanfinancial aids to be delayed or missed. “Students cannot be expected to sit around wor- cial Services departments.
Chinese students, professors are welcomed during the Chinese delegation By Brian Wright Staff Reporter
MSU welcomed 50 students and 10 staff members from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. An opening ceremony was held in the PSU theater Sept. 21 to celebrate the beginning of the Missouri State-Ningxia University Agriculture Education Program. The students were accompanied by the vice governor of Ningxia Yao Aixing, as well
NEWS
as Ningxia University President He Jianguo to begin a 10-month, 24-credit hour, customized curriculum in Agriculture. Dr. James Baker, vice president of research and economic development and international programs, led the ceremony to welcome the new students and staff. “It’s mostly going to all be focused on agriculture,” Baker said. “The students will do two things. First, they will do a couple of months focusing on English skills, and after that they will focus on their agriculture training.”
51 applicants gain U.S. citizenship page 2
One of the goals of this program is to increase international competence by bringing students in from another country. Unlike most exchange programs where individual students will be working individually, these students will be working together to help insure their success. Baker believes institutions will use more of these programs in the future. Missouri State and Ningxia signed an agreement in January for the exchange program to get started on Sept. 16. The International Leadership and Training Center are executing the
SPORTS
Men’s soccer beats 18th ranked team in the country page 7
LIFE
program at the university and the program costs about $1.8 million. Director of the International Leadership and Training Center Brad Bodenhausen will work closely with the students along with the Missouri State staff. “We’re putting together a specific program for them that includes English classes, classes in Agriculture related to wine-making, and also classes in agriculture related to animal science and crop production and also classes with students in agriculture in the spring,”
u See DELEGATION, page 8
PostSecret Live!
Students submitted their postcard secrets to founder Frank Warren. page 4