Thursday, April 25, 2013 Vol. 43 Issue 30
THE
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Men’s Tennis wins GLVC Title pg. 7
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Students look forward to next chapter By JESSICA STALLINGS Staff writer Senior Chelsea Schmidt, who will graduate in May with a degree in marketing and a minor in psychology, said after being in school for four years she is very excited to close this chapter of her life. “I’m most excited about not having a pile of homework staring at me every evening and weekend and to have free time,” Schmidt said. Schmidt said during her time here she learned to always do what is right and to do your best work at all times, even if you think no one is watching or will notice. “Doing my best at everything is something my professors have taught me, and something that has proven to be very valuable to me,” Schmidt said. Schmidt is one of 1,500 students graduating in May. Commencement this semester will be held on campus in the Physical Activities Center (PAC) for the second year in a row. Five separate ceremonies will be held over two days, May 3 and 4, with a reception in University Center East following each ceremony. Undergraduates will participate in four ceremo-
nies, one for each college, on Saturday, May 4. A ceremony for graduate students will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 3. The Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education ceremony will be held at 9 a.m., College of Nursing and Health Professions at 12 p.m., Romain College of Business and Division of Outreach and Engagement at 3 p.m., and College of Liberal Arts at 6 p.m. The doors to the PAC will open one hour prior to the start of each ceremony. Kindra Strupp, assistant vice president of Marketing and Communications, said students are told not to have their cell phones on them during the ceremonies, and not to wear anything not given to them by their college. “Beyond what each college gives the students, they are told not to wear any additional adornments,” Strupp said. For many students it is a tradition to decorate their mortarboards. “While we recommend against it, there is no written policy forbidding it,” Strupp said. Live video of each ceremony will be streamed in Carter Hall in the University Center. The ceremonies
Conference Center would impact campus nature By: JAMES VAUGHN Staff writer
As plans for the unconfirmed addition of a Conference Center to USI’s campus move forward, students and environmentalists express concern for the proposed location. Recent design plans illustrate the possible Conference Center on the west side of Reflection Lake. University architect Mike Mohr said construction would affect some of the Bent Twig trails. “A lot of them are up along the northern part of the lake,” he said. “As for the ones on the south end, I don’t know if they’re going to be rerouted or what.” Trees are going to have to be torn down as well. He anticipates some opposition, but they do not have a plan in place to deal with that yet, Mohr said. Sophomore computer science major Derek Keerl said he spends a lot of time in the Business and Engineering Center staring toward the lake. “Looking out at the lake is amazing from the upper floors,” he said. “Seeing this Conference Center back there would just destroy the peaceful image that I enjoy. It’s my small getaway when I’m spending hours toiling away at assignments. It’s the one place I can look to and see nothing but nature when I’m surrounded by buildings.” He doesn’t believe a Conference Center would benefit the student body, he said. “It’s already absurd to think that they would destroy a natural landscape for a building,” he said. “Especially for a building that would be used by so few.” CONFERENCE CENTER on Pg. 3
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2013 Graduation • More than 1,500 students will graduate • More than 300 students will graduate with honors • More than 20 percent of the 2013 graduating class earned a GPA of 3.6 or better • Commencement ceremonies will be held in the PAC over two days, May 3 and 4 • The graduate ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. on May 3 • Undergraduate students will have four different ceremonies on May 4: • The Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education, 9 a.m. • College of Nursing and Health Professions, 12 p.m. • Romain College of Business and Division of Outreach and Engagement, 3 p.m. • College of Liberal Arts, 6 p.m. • Doors will open an hour prior to the start of each ceremony • Live video of each ceremony will stream in Carter Hall • The ceremonies can also be viewed online at http://instructech.usi.edu/spring2013/
GRADUATION on Pg. 3
New sorority ‘adds another dimension to Greek life’
Photo courtesy of Photo Services Charter members of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Theta Rho Chapter. Front Row: Briana N. Howard, Alaisha Johnson-Rhone, Tennille Baxton-Vaughn, Chelsea Brown, and Whitney Bowie. Back Row: Ariel Crenshaw, Briony Towler, Sydney A. Watson, Erica G. Langley, Kelsey E. Miller, Christina Pullings, and Kali Hayes.
By JESSIE HELLMANN News editor Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) charted a new chapter on USI’s campus Sunday night. AKA, which is the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by African-American college women in the United
States, welcomed 12 USI students. David Stetter, fraternity and sorority life director, said USI has worked for over a year to find 12 women, which is the minimum amount of required members to charter, who met the GPA requirements and could meet the financial requirements. “I’m really proud of them, and
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I’m really, really excited,” Stetter said. He said when he started working at USI in 2010, a student’s parent said she wanted to start discussions about creating an AKA chapter at USI. “Last night her daughter was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. as one of the charALPHA KAPPA ALPHA on Pg. 3
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