Carlos Pringle | ESU Bulletin

Breaking a lease can be a difficult process.

Breaking a lease can be a difficult process. But if you are living in poor circumstances, Patty Gilligan, the Human Relations director for Emporia, has advice.

“Know your options for breaking your lease, and come talk to me, or use the legal services offered by ESU, you won’t find a cheaper way to talk to lawyers,” Gilligan said.

There are many options to break a lease but most are under bad circumstances. If you are simply having a problem with your roommate or just need more space, the best option is to ask for allowance to sublease. Subleasing is a transfer of your current lease to another individual.

The most common reason people need to break lease is a lack of maintenance by landlords. Gilligan said that if repairs don’t get completed to inform the landlord they have 14 days to repair them. If the repairs are not completed you can give 30 day notice and legally void the lease.

Another option if you are not having issues is to buy out your lease. This method involves paying out what you still owe to the landlord. It is the most expensive option but can allow for recouping the money because if the property is rented by someone else the landlord cannot take your rent as well as the new tenants.

“If you got an apartment that was in good repair when you got it you’re probably looking at a good landlord, if you’re looking at a property that needs repairs and they say they’ll get it done don’t sign that lease,” said Gilligan.

Gilligan said it was important for renters to know their rights so they can defend themselves from inefficient landlords. Carlos Pringle, graduate student in history, has lived under multiple landlords here in Emporia and has generally had good experiences.

“I did have a slum lord but a change in management kept me from needing to break my lease,” Pringle said.

The dorms are not covered by the city but rather Residential Life on campus. Cass Coughlin, director of Residential Life, provided some options for breaking the dorm leases. There are six methods to leave the dorms without incurring penalties. In order to break the housing agreement you must submit your reason to Residential Life.

The options include marriage, leaving the college by method of transfer, graduation or withdrawal, or with written approval by the director of Residential Life. Being called into military service as well as sponsored learning activities off campus and significant medical problems are also options.

If the housing agreement is broken for any other reason multiple penalties are incurred. They include the forfeiture of the $145 payment and you must pay 40 percent of your remaining total for the semester.

All of this information is available on ESU’s website under Residential Life.

Charlie Heptas

PRINGLE

It’s not surprising when a person from a military family joins the armed forces. But for Carlos Pringle, junior history major, it wasn’t just family that influenced his decision.

“I’ve been praying that (God) shows me what his will for my life is, where he wants me to be at,” Pringle said. “God has been laying it on my heart that I should pursue chaplain or some kind of pastoral position.”

While Pringle has been on campus, he has done several things to further his goals.

“He was really awakened to his need to truly give his life to the Lord,” said David Hintz, pastor of Flint Hills Christian Church and Pringle’s mentor. “Since then, he has really had a tremendous appetite, for the Bible, for the word, for Christian fellowship.”

As a member of the Christian Challenge and Campus Crusades for Christ, Pringle works with other members of the group to spread his message of spiritual encouragement and help others in need.

“I figured, once (God) laid it on my heart, I should do it,” Pringle said. “I’m going after it.”

Pringle has also been involved in a number of other activities on campus including project challenge and Upward Bound. He was also a member of the Emporia State cheer squad for two years.

“(Campus Crusades for Christ) are getting together a music praise and worship team,” Pringle said. “That’s what I do. I’ve been doing music since I was twelve, maybe younger.”

Pringle also has a passion for music. He can play the drums, the bass guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and the piano. He even learned a little bit about how to play the violin.

“My most vivid memory of Carlos involves an end of the year presentation where Carlos’ group did a musical number about Roman history,” said Deborah Gerish, associate professor of social sciences. “It had the whole class in hysterics. It was guitar, lyrics, music. It was beautiful. And I still tease him about it.”

Although he is no stranger to the guitar, Pringle is most familiar with the acoustic guitar, despite the fact that the bass was the first guitar he learned to play.

“To master (the bass), you have to put in a lot more hours,” Pringle said. “The acoustic guitar is more where I’ve mastered and the piano is more where I’ve mastered.”

Pringle has a long history of adhering to strict rules and commands. In high school, Pringle participated in Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, also know as JROTC, for four years. He was the drum fight bugle corps commander and a command sergeant major.

“The ROTC would put on a show at assemblies,” Pringle said. “I made the music, formed the unit. We had the three point hats, the old leather skin drums.”

Pringle joined the Marine Corps Reserves in January 2008. For him, the decision was all about serving his country.

“I wanted to go into the military before I got too old,” Pringle said. “If somebody asks me, ‘what did you do?’ (I can say) I joined the Marine Corps Reserves.”

As a reserve, Pringle has to report to base one weekend a month to take classes and do basic drills. Over the summer, he will have to complete a three-week session on base.

“I’ll do three weeks somewhere, wherever the unit decides to go help out, move ammo around,” Pringle said.

His unit is not currently activated, but could be if there was need for them to be deployed. Pringle is 2311, which means he is an ammo-technician specialist.

“It’s kind of like Wal-Mart stocker with ammunition,” Pringle said.

Although the military is often associated with violence, Pringle doesn’t want to have to be aggressive.

“I don’t want to ever have to be put in a position where I have to hurt anybody,” Pringle said. “If I’m deployed, I’d rather be deployed as a chaplain.”

A chaplain is a pastor for those who are in the armed forces. Becoming a chaplain in the military requires 72 hours of schooling. Pringle will have to take that in addition to what he has already completed at ESU.

“He’s made some real significant strides in battling some personal issues that kind of help him to act spiritually,” Hintz said. “He has a real heart for people, a real heart for trying to reach out to others.”

Pringle estimated that it will take him another four years of school and an extra two years for studying under a supervising pastor.

Pringle said his main goals are to help those in need.

“I know I have a heart for people and I’m asking God to give me a heart to want to serve others,” Pringle said. “I’ve been really selfish in my past. I just want to help people, counsel people if they need it. If they need anything financially, if I’m able, just give it to them.”

Ashley Peaches/The Bulletin