Friday, Jan. 21, 2011
Utah Statesman The
Campus Voice since 1902
Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com
Residence hall awarded School of the year By MAX PARKER DAHL staff writer
The organizers of the “Humans vs. Zombies” game last semester raised the bar for residence halls everywhere. The game helped Utah State University’s Residence Hall Association (RHA) on their way to being awarded “School of the Year” for the 2009-10 academic year. The nod for “School of the Year” was voted upon by members of the Intermountain Affiliate of the National Association of College and University Residence Halls, after reviewing a 30-page bid prepared by members of the USU-RHA board. Universities in the Intermountain region run the length of the Rocky Mountains, including a swath of states surrounding Utah, as well as the Alberta and Saskatchewan provinces of Canada.
“To be chosen as school of the year is a great honor for us,” said Kaitlyn Allen, the national communications coordinator for the
RHA. “Compared to other bids, the regional executives said that ours was particularly strong. It’s all about letting people know who
USU’S RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION WAS awarded “School of the year” 09-10. Regional executives said USU’s 30–page bid was “particularly strong.” ANIE AGHABABYAN photo
we are, and what we can do.” The RHA is responsible for the “Humans vs. Zombies” phenomenon that swept campus Fall 2010, and turned it into an arena: sprinting, shooting, sweating, swearing and screaming students attempted to be the last human standing. Plans for another round of the game are underway, and members of the RHA are continuing to plan activities that involve and include students; those who live on campus in the dorms, and the student population at large. “It is overwhelming with all the clubs on campus and can be intimidating as a new student,” Allen said. “Members of the RHA take initiative and set up activities to build leadership.” The RHA has a weekly meeting Wednesday
- See RHA, page 3
Possibility of more budget cuts on the way Utah legislature takes a look at the state budget and proposes a 7 percent funding cut of all state-sponsored programs By ROB JEPSON staff writer
USU president Stan Albrecht met with members of the Utah legislature Wednesday to present information regarding the projected effects of a newly proposed seven percent budget cut to USU’s funding. Each fiscal year the Utah legislature examines the state’s budget and looks for ways to reconcile any existing deficits. This year Utah’s budget is roughly $313 million short of projected spending costs. In order to balance the budget, Utah Congress is proposing a seven percent funding cut to all state-sponsored programs, including higher education. The seven percent cut, if enacted, would be in addition to USU’s budget cuts from previous years. Albrecht told members of the higher education appropriations subcommittee – the committee tasked with deciding how much state funding to allot to higher education institutions – that reducing USU’s budget by seven percent would potentially require USU to drop 270 courses, 68 regular faculty members, one executive position and 74 staff members. The cut would force USU to reduce faculty, increase class sizes, and hire more adjunct professors to make up for the lack of full-time professors, Albrecht said. He said USU’s budget is already projected to be in the negative due to past budget cuts, the rate of inflation, and a steady increase in student
enrollment over the past few years. He said the combined factors create a $49.8 million deficit for the school, even without additional budget cuts. USU’s director of state and federal relations, Neil Abercrombie, said the proposed cut is not final. “What (legislative) fiscal analysts offered are not proposals,” he said. “They’re just offers on the table to begin discussion. So, it’s not a cause for alarm.” He said the legislature proposed the seven percent cut as a starting point to see how it would affect the various state-funded programs. The purpose of Albrecht’s presentation was to inform members of the higher education appropriations subcommittee what the effects of the cut would be. “They are not intended to be final numbers,” he said. “We realize the state is in a very tight position to balance the budget, and USU is very carefully considering the budget cut, but we’re not panicking yet about what’s being discussed. The session hasn’t even started yet.” Albrecht agreed saying it isn’t quite time for people to start planning accordingly. Albrecht said, “I would just remind everyone that the session hasn’t even started yet; numbers being discussed at this point will bear little resemblance to what the final budget will be at the end of the session in March. Accordingly, it is important not to overreact to anything you are seeing at this point.”
By RHETT WILKINSON staff writer
In the past month, Utah State University Extension has benefited financially in two big ways. One of these financial benefits can be attributed to a new faculty member who previously taught at the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR). Dillon Feuz, USU professor of applied economics, said one of the school’s chief marketing agencies received a grant of more than $300,000, while raking in even more money initially intended for UNR, due to a transfer that took a professor Reno to Logan. Last semester, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded a $315,535 grant to Risk Management
Inside This Issue
(by the millions)
2008-09: $162.4 2009-10: $150.2 2010-11: $143.9 2011-12: $142.9 – A total of $23.5 million less funding than in 2008-09
A 7 percent budget cut could potentially require USU to drop: – 270 courses – 74 staff members – 68 faculty members – 1 executive position
– robmjepson@gmail.com
Grant intended to help ranchers and farmers
- See MONEY, page 4
USU’s state-provided funding:
Peeping Tom scares residents By DAN SMITH news senior writer
An unknown individual was seen by Aggie Village residents peering into windows outside of apartments around 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 8. An engineering senior who wished to remain anonymous said she and a friend were frightened twice in one night. The student said she and her neighbor were in her apartment that night and heard a rapid knocking on the neighbor’s upstairs apartment door. When the neighbor got up to see who it was, the person was already gone. “Through the balcony, she saw a person watching through my window,” the student said. She said the individual was wearing a black jacket and a dark-colored beanie but could be identified as a white male. When her friend confronted him, she said he responded in Spanish as if he knew that was the women’s native language. “He said, ‘Hola, como estan?’ like ‘How are you?’ and then ran,” the student said. “I’m guessing he was already looking
1/21/11 Sundance Film Festival opens in Park City. Page 5
USU men’s basketball team sets record with win over La Tech, 74–57. Page 9
through our window before and heard us speaking Spanish, or has seen us somewhere else and knows that we speak Spanish.” The student said she and her friend left the area to pick up a friend from Bullen Hall on campus. While they were waiting in their car, she said they saw a dark figure who was wearing different clothing from the window peeper. “We were parked and we saw someone right behind our car standing with his arms crossed looking to us, just staring at us,” she said. “It was weird, it was totally weird.” She said when their male friend came outside and got in the car, the group left. The man who was “stalking” them started running after the car as if to chase them. The student said she called the police from the car as they drove. Later, she said, she and her friend decided to spend the night together because they were still feeling spooked.
- See POLICE, page 3
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