Tes Mehring

Discussions of proposed reassigned teaching loads could result in the elimination of The Sunflower, the campus yearbook, as a student-run publication.

“I raised the question with the interim department chair to see if we could create a course that students would enroll in so that (advising) could be a teaching-related kind of a function because that’s really what we’ve been instructed to do,” said Provost Teresa Mehring.

This conversation occurred after the fall 2008 Legislative Post Audit, which compared teaching loads of the six Regents Institutions, among other things. The audit showed Emporia State as having the highest reassigned teaching loads of any institution and the Kansas Board of Regents challenged the university to lower it.

“It makes us stand out in a very negative fashion and it makes us an easy target when it comes to budget kinds of decisions,” Mehring said.

A reassigned teaching load means that a professor is given time apart from teaching for research, advising or other things of that nature.

One such position is held by Tom Winski, who has an eighth of his job designated to advising The Sunflower. The proposed reassignments did not have his position as adviser listed. Instead, there has been discussion of yearbook as a class.

“There’re a lot of issues that need to be considered, not the least of which is if The Sunflower is a class and as instructor I’m supposed to give a grade, that conflicts with The Sunflower being an independent student publication,” Winski said. “There would be a perception that I would read through and grade things before-hand, which is a violation of student rights.”

Winski said, as proposed, the yearbook staff positions would remain paid student jobs. Lindsey Gentry, Editor-in-Chief of The Sunflower and senior business management major, said this could pose a problem in funding the publication, which currently runs on a budget of $90,000.

“I’m afraid of our funding being cut completely because if we’re considered a class and they’re already cutting things on the academic side, I don’t know how we’d have enough money if we didn’t have the support of Associated Student Government funding,” Gentry said.

In addition, if The Sunflower had an instructor rather than adviser, Winski said the instructor, not the Editor-in-Chief, would control the publication. This would allow for prior review and ultimately censorship, which is strictly prohibited in the College Media Adviser’s Code of Ethics, the recognized professional standard of conduct for advisers.

“Faculty, staff and other non-students who assume advisory roles with student media must remain aware of their obligation to defend and teach without censoring, editing, directing or producing,” the document says.

Article II of the Student Media Board Constitution, the governing document for the board and The Sunflower, reinstates this idea:

“The editors and managers of the student media are free to develop their own editorial policies and news coverage or content.”

But Marie Miller, Department of English, Modern Languages and Journalism interim chair, said that after talking to Winski yesterday, she realized yearbook as a class is not plausible.

“After I proposed this to Winski I learned it would not be possible because The Sunflower is a student publication and is funded by ASG and that it would not be appropriate to have class for this,” Miller said. “We will not have it as a course, we will have an adviser to the Sunflower not in a class situation. It will operate the same way it does now.”

But at an open forum yesterday evening, Mehring said yearbook as a class is still being considered. The first forum was on Tuesday, the second yesterday and the third was held after press time today.

Winski said communication could clear up confusion.

“I trust and hope that people making final decisions will listen to what people have to say and the law,” Winski said. “Whether it’s going to be a independent publication depends on whether they want it to be a student publication and the voice of the students or a publication of the English department.”

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Krueger

With a full agenda, Associated Student Government passed 10 bills, a resolution and a ratification, all without opposition, last Thursday at its last meeting of the year.

One bill readjusted ASG allocations for fiscal year 2011. The bill added $1,164 for the Empowered Students for University of Libraries and Archives to the total allocation amount, making the new total $139,624.

This group was one of three whose allocation requests were not heard at the last meeting.

“The day that we were scheduled to meet with the organizations we did meet with them, but I was in a meeting and then a blackout happened, and in that blackout, the papers got misplaced,” said Jonathan Rivers, junior secondary social sciences education major and chair of the Fiscal Affairs committee.

The other two groups either did not schedule a new meeting after the black out or did not file paperwork.

Four of the bills were reserve fund requests totaling $1,464 for the Kansas National Education Association, Student Honors Council, Biology Graduate Student Association and Collegiate Music Educators National Conference.

Five organizations were recognized: Emporia State University Students for Life, United Greek Association, ESU Student Chapter of USITT, Tops at ESU and the CKI Club of Emporia State University.

The United Greek Association has between 20 and 30 members and will focus on philanthropy as well as uniting fraternities and sororities across campus.

“What makes us different than Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Association is that we are not a governing body like they are, we are mostly a social organization and we are kind of like the umbrella between them,” said Kyle Farmer, sophomore secondary social sciences education major and president of the United Greek Association.

Farmer said the organization is already planning its first event, a week-long capture the flag game during dead week.

Emporia State University Students for Life, with 17 members, is already planning its first event as well: a chalking of hearts on the sidewalk to represent how many fetuses are killed per hour by abortion.

USITT, the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, with 12 members, plans to attend conferences as well as host workshops at high schools to teach students better ways to build sets and incorporate technology. The group hopes to strengthen productions at ESU.

TOPS, or Take off Pounds Sensibly, plans to help interested students gain knowledge of healthy weight loss and maintenance. There are currently four students interested in joining.

CKI Club, or Circle K, will focus on community service. Currently, most of the 15 to 20 members are freshmen and they are working on a book drive.

The resolution that was passed is in support of the ESU Sustainability Recycling Proposal, which promotes use of more recycling receptacles and recycling in general on campus.

And as it was his last meeting, Jonathan Krueger, senior political science major and ASG President, concluded his presidency the way he began, with a quote.

“Unlike presidential administrations, problems rarely have termination dates,” Krueger quoted President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Krueger said that though his presidency may be ending, “there is going to be a lot that everybody still has to tackle.”

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Preliminary discussion of next year’s tuition costs began yesterday afternoon at the Budget Development and Tuition Committee Meeting.

The committee has suggested a 5.5 percent increase, which will be debated next week. Last year, tuition increased by 4 percent for resident graduate students, 4.5 percent for resident undergraduate students and 7 percent for non-resident students.

Tuition rates were predicted to increase because of rising costs of health insurance for university employees, minimum wage and faculty promotions and fringe benefits.

A factor in the FY 2011 budget discussion is federal stimulus support. Last year, the university received $700,000, used roughly half of it for scholarships, $300,000 for equipment and $100,000 for temporary faculty salaries.

While the amount of stimulus money the university will receive for FY 2011 is not yet finalized, Ray Hauke, vice president of Administration and Fiscal Affairs and Budget Development and Tuition Committee chair, estimates it will be around $750,000.

“The regents have already told us informally that they’re honing in on us having to spend all of that money for tuition reduction related kinds of things or otherwise known as scholarships or financial assistance for students in the upcoming year,” Hauke said.

The committee may propose that 1.5 percent of the 5.5 percent suggested increase be covered by stimulus money, but only for students who are Kansas residents. After this increase and the considered stimulus proposal, the tuition for undergraduate residents would be $1,807. It would be $2,191 for graduate residents, $6,662 for undergraduate non-residents and $6,786 for graduate non-residents.

The proposed amount of stimulus money that would go towards tuition leaves roughly $200,000 for other expenses.

“In terms of the rest of the stimulus money, I think probably it could used one of two ways,” Hauke said. “It would be whether we want to recommend a third year of the Hornet Scholars Program, or it could be used for need-based scholarships.”

Committee members composed a list of things to consider including reinstatement of student jobs, continued support of the Hornet Scholarship, promoting a sustainable environment and unfunded mandates.

“We are going to have to increase tuition, so if in any way we can do that so that it restores a few more student jobs I think that would be beneficial,” said Jonathan Krueger, Associated Student Government president and committee member.

Jonathan Rivers, ASG Fiscal Affairs Committee chair and Budget Development and Tuition Committee member, said it is important to consider student perspective.

“If students can see that what they’re paying for actually is having dividends in some respect rather then just paying for some bill, I don’t think there’s a way that we can really show that, but additional opportunities like student jobs or just through scholarships, focusing on those are huge,” Rivers said.

At the meeting, the committee unanimously passed three non-tuition requests for fee adjustment.

One was a requested fee of $25 monthly for guests of Emporia State students to use the Student Recreation Center.

Another request added the $200 fee for International SWARM to the Comprehensive Fee Schedule.

“We’ve been charging this for two years, we just didn’t realize it wasn’t in the fee schedule so we thought we’d put it in there,” said James Williams, Budget Development and Tuition Committee member.

The last request raised Center of Childhood Education fees. Though it was passed, the committee plans to revisit it next week.

After the committee finalizes its tuition and fees recommendations, Michael Lane, president of ESU, will host a forum for students to ask questions at 1:30 p.m. on May 11 in the Kanza Room of the Memorial Union. The following day, the recommendation will be proposed to the Kansas Board of Regents for the final decision.

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Shovels turned before an audience of students, staff, community members and government officials at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Memorial Union renovations Friday afternoon at the east entrance of the Union.

“We are delighted to have this opportunity today to do the first major renovation in well over 30 years and to create a new environment, a new home, for the students of Emporia State,” said Michael Lane, president of Emporia State University.

Though initiated nearly 10 years ago, serious planning for the project began in 2007. Construction for the $25 million project is projected to begin in late May with a “facelift” for the east entrance.

Also in phase one, which will conclude in February 2011, are renovations to Webb Lecture Hall and lobby. Phase two will extend from December 2010 to August 2011 and encompass revamping the cafeteria and the Hornet’s Nest.

After the phase three renovation of Main Street, the project will be completed in June 2012.

In his remarks to the crowd, Lane recognized the contribution of the students, who through fees, fund nearly $18.5 million of the project. The remainder is funded by private donors.

“This project would not have been remotely possible without a dedicated group of students who put a fee on themselves which is significant, to ensure that this project could be completed,” Lane said.

Angela Blaufuss, ESU alumna and last year’s Associated Student Government president, campaigned for the renovations to increase voter turnout for the fee increase – 20 percent of the study body voted, a record high.

“We have to realize that there are students that come after us and we want a place that students feel at home,” Blaufuss said. “This union will help students feel excited to come here and will help welcome people to Emporia State.”

In fact, through “vision sessions” and priority activities, students have not only largely funded the project, but have influenced major decisions regarding the design and structure of the building.

“Whenever we were talking about a space and trying to design it, we would go back to the things we were told in those sessions and say, ‘ OK, well this really doesn’t fit what we were told students want,’ so we’d go back and redesign it or change it so that it would meet those needs,” said Dave Hendricks, director of the Memorial Union.

The renovations to the Memorial Union will make the campus more welcoming for prospective students, Lane said.

“As the new front door of Emporia State University, this building will provide expanded services for our students,” he said. “It will be the place that prospective students will come for admission materials and begin their tours. It will be the place where our graduating seniors will come to seek opportunities for their careers. It will be the place where international students will come for support as they arrive on campus and it will be the place where our students create their memories of what it was to be at Emporia State University.”

Jonathan Krueger, senior political science major and current ASG president, thinks the plans for the renovation reflect student requests.

“Our students, what they spoke, I believe we have delivered on,” Krueger said. “That is, they want a building that defines Emporia State University and I believe that from the moment anyone walks into the new facility, they will see ESU from the floor to the ceiling.”

The timeline for the project, as well as videos and pictures, will be updated throughout construction and can be found online through a link on the Memorial Union Web page at http://www.emporia.edu/murenovation/.

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Rivers

Associated Student Government unanimously passed SB09055, approving $138,459.38 in allocations for over 60 recognized student organizations for fiscal year 2011 at last Thursday’s meeting.

“It was really great meeting with all of these groups and hearing what they’re doing because I think they will do some fantastic things,” said Jonathan Rivers, fiscal affairs committee chair and junior secondary education major. “Emporia State has a really bright future.”

ASG received requests totaling over $225,000, an amount that Rivers said was less than the preceding year.

In order to reduce the allocation amount into a target range between $137,000 and $142,000, ASG first makes a series of guideline cuts.

“Guideline cuts are cuts that we normally make for all allocations, except we changed a few things this year,” Rivers said as he addressed the gallery.

He said that the amount that can be requested for lodging was increased by $20, which brings the total to $110 for 1 to 4 travelers or $200 for 5 to 8 travelers for two nights. Printing and publicity was increased to $275 and speakers to $450.

The guideline cuts reduced the requested $225,000 by about $80,000. To bring it the target range, an additional 14 percent was deducted from each RSO’s request.

“Basically the 14 percent reduced it down by like $500 which was pretty miniscule but put us where we wanted to be,” Rivers said in an interview. “It’s nice because last year they had to cut about 28 percent and they had to cut about $90,000-100,000, and we didn’t have to cut nearly as much, which was pretty encouraging.”

Lauren Halstead, president of the Didde Catholic Campus Center and junior elementary education major, said the process was clearly communicated and easy to understand.

“I think things went well,” Halstead said. “I ran into a couple problems in the beginning but I know people in ASG and they were very open and made sure that they were catering to me and that I was understanding the entire process.”

The Didde Campus Catholic Center requested about $4,700 and received roughly $2,100, more than Halstead had expected.

“This is actually a lot more than we’ve received in the past,” Halstead said. “I was actually really pleased even though we only got half of it. We just apply for as much as we can knowing that we wouldn’t get it all.”

The group will use the money to attend “March For Life” in Washington, D.C., a Pro-Life rally supported by different associations and political groups. In the past, some members of the Didde Catholic Campus Center went but had to find a different way to fund it.

Jessica Santifer, president of Sigma Gamma Rho and junior elementary education major, was also pleased with the funding that her organization received through allocations. Sigma Gamma Rho received roughly $2,300 and had requested nearly $4,300.

“I was actually quite surprised, I didn’t expect that we would get that much,” Santifer said. “I’m also in the Black Student Union and we got more than they did, so I was surprised by that, too.”

Santifer said the allocation money will go towards conferences, recruitment, community service activities and other things to help expand the sorority. It was reactivated on campus in December.

She thought the process went smoothly, but did not think that attending last week’s ASG meeting was necessary.

“I thought when I went to the meeting it was going to be more about the allocations,” Santifer said. “The timing of the meeting was not reasonable and it really didn’t address allocations. I didn’t think it was very considerate of people’s time to require them to go.”

Rivers said groups that are unsatisfied with the funding they received can go through the reserve fund request method next school year as extra funds are needed.

Because of complications and possible miscommunication with a few groups, ASG will review three more allocation requests at its meeting next Thursday.

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Miller

Six weeks after a devastating car wreck, Emporia State student Jessica Miller died last Thursday at her home in Americus. She was 22 years old.

“Jessica was a very positive person, and that is something I learned from her,” said her mother Carrie Miller-Hinz. “She always had a smile on her face, no matter what.”

Miller, a senior elementary education major, was injured in a Feb. 18 one vehicle crash on Road 130, in Americus. Her cousin, Matt Peres was driving and Miller was thrown from the car. Miller suffered head trauma and multiple broken bones. She had been a patient at Stormont-Vail, Topeka, and KU Medical Center, and was released to home hospice care last month.

Peres, 19, is recovering at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, Neb.

Miller was an eye donor, something her mother said she was passionate about.

“When she was 16 she got her driver’s license,” Miller-Heinz said. “Immediately she asked me, she said ‘mom, have you signed up to be a donor,’ and when I said ‘no,’ she exclaimed ‘that is such an important thing, why would you not sign up for something like that if you have the chance to save somebody else’s life?’ She was such a giving person.”

Miller’s father said she was also a great leader, and was cheerleading captain at Emporia High, where she was able to cheer for her favorite sport: football.

“I got her hooked at a very young age on the Chiefs,” said Darold Miller, her father. “One year we went to Minnesota to a game and we went a couple times to Kansas City.”

He and many others said she loved the Kansas City Chiefs, which was why they choose to bury her in a pink Derrick Thomas jersey, her favorite player. In addition, most pallbearers wore Chiefs jerseys.

“That was her favorite one, so that’s the one I gave her to wear, that was Jessica,” said Darold. “All her college friends came out, and they said, ‘yep, that was Jessica.’ She actually went and got that jersey a long time ago, and she wore it quite a bit.”

Miller was also passionate about teaching.

“She has always wanted to teach,” Miller-Hinz said. “She wanted to teach elementary because they show that learning, they give that back to you. She liked that gradual process.”

Miller had been student teaching second grade at Admire Elementary at the time of the accident.

“You could always tell that she enjoyed what she was doing, working with the children,” said Lendi Bland, Miller’s student teaching supervisor. “It just seemed like she was always really happy to be there with them.”

Miller was awarded by the Teacher’s College at ESU with Baccalaureate Recognition for the Bachelor of Science in Education on Tuesday. This was created by the faculty to honor her dedication to her education, which she had nearly completed.

Bland said Miller’s family supported her aspiration to teach.

“What I really admired about her was how hard she worked and how supportive her family was of her to get this far and be so close to graduating,” Blanc said. “In my talking with the family it seemed like something that they were just so, so proud of her for doing.”

Memorial donations or cards can be sent to Darold Miller at 101 E. Locust, Americus, Kan., 66835. Contributions may also be sent to Emporia State Bank, where the family created a memorial account.

Funeral services were held Tuesday Morning at Bethel Baptist Church. Miller was buried in Americus Cemetery.

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Lorraine Smith Rauch of Newton wishes she had another chance.

Rauch, mother of Tyler Smith, a 23-year-old Emporia State business major who was found dead of an apparent suicide last Wednesday, said everyone should be aware of signs and know where to go for help.

“I keep thinking, I should have caught onto this, I should have talked to him,” Rauch said. “The guilt and blame and anger will destroy an individual. But you have to remember that things happen exactly the way they’re supposed to, even though we may not like or understand it. God is the one who’s in control, I am happy that (Tyler) is not in anguish anymore.”

Smith, a 2005 Newton High School graduate, died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to Jennifer McCollum, a medical investigator with Frontier Forensics, Topeka. Frontier Forensics is part of the state’s district coroner system. Smith’s body was found at his apartment, 1015 East St., Apartment 9.

According to Rauch, Tyler had struggled with depression and anxiety for about three years and was receiving treatment.

Though he was a business major, Smith had switched back and forth as an art major.

“Ceramics was his passion,” Rauch said. “He started in high school, and it kind of helped him to vent his artistic side. He liked oil paints, though he didn’t see that as his primary strength, but we did. He painted several murals on living room and dining room walls, and he really admired Van Gogh. That was his style, texture. He got that from his grandma who taught him how to use a pallet knife.”

Smith had an independent study under ceramics instructor Todd Cero Atl this semester.

“He was a classic potter,” Cero Atl said. “The projects that he picked were always a little shocking, a tad risk-ay. He was a hard-working kid who always had really good ideas. He was never afraid to push boundaries and challenge the medium.”

Cero Atl was surprised by Smith’s death and said he will be missed in the department.

“The whole thing was a complete shock, I didn’t know what to say,” Cero Atl said. “He really touched my life and I will never forget about him. He was always down here working, it feels really empty without him now.”

Lynn Hobson, assistant vice president for student life, hopes those affected by Smith’s death will seek help, should they need it.

“The biggest thing, especially related to a student death, is trying to help those who are still here deal with whatever kind of emotional response they may have to the situation they are trying to deal with,” Hobson said. “It’s important that we reach out to his friends and make sure that they know there are people here who care about them and are available to help them.

Sally Crawford-Fowler, assistant director of student wellness in the counseling center, said that signs a person is suicidal include talking about committing suicide, being unusually down for about or more than two weeks and if they have a plan and means to do it.

“Other things to look for are people who are putting their affairs in order,” Crawford-Fowler said. “Maybe giving things away that mean a lot to them, or saying things like ‘take care of my little brother.’”

She said it is important to ask people how they’re feeling and if they think they are suicidal.

“I believe most people are uncomfortable asking that question because people think that’s putting the thought into the person’s head,” Crawford-Fowley said. “But people are either suicidal or they’re not, and you asking if they’re suicidal is not going to make them suicidal, but it will show them that you are concerned about them.”

In fact, 90 percent of those who commit suicide have a psychiatric disorder, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Rauch said friends and family should do everything possible, even though the person may be resistant.

“The individual is usually so private they won’t reach out even though there is a support network around them,” Rauch said. “Just do your best to pick up on the signs and talk to the person. Love them and hug them and try to help the best you can. Encourage them to get help, I think I made Tyler’s first appointment.”

Crawford-Fowley said people should know depression is treatable.

“Depression is a physical condition,” Crawford-Fowley said. “It’s not just ‘pull yourself up by your boot straps and get over it,’ it’s an actual chemical imbalance in the brain, and that’s why medication is important and therapy is important, so people can learn coping mechanisms to get past the depression, and people do get out of depression.

The Hunter Smith Memorial Fund was established in Smith’s honor. Contributions will go towards a college fund for Smith’s younger brother, Hunter.

Funeral services were held on Monday at Peterson Funeral Home in Newton. Smith was buried in Cassoday Cemetery.

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“Is now an appropriate time?” Many senators asked this of group representatives whose requests for increases in funding for their organizations were heard at the Associated Student Government meeting last Thursday.

After much debate, all three of the requested line item increases were passed, which will add a total of $5.43 for full time students and $0.56 for part time students to student fees starting next semester.

Jonathan Rivers, chair of the fiscal affairs committee and junior secondary social sciences education major, said that despite economic hard times, senate voted in favor of the organizations, all were publications, because of what they heard from their constituents.

“Even though our economy is tough right now, some services are indispensable,” Rivers said. “One of those, I think Emporia State students felt was the press, and they stood behind that.”

Ali Jordan, junior secondary English education major and President of Quivira, ESU’s literary magazine, requested an increase in hopes to gain more funding for conferences, speakers and to expand the magazine.

“The journal right now, the printing costs are increasing for us,” Jordan said. “We’ve only been able to print 150 journals a year. We’d like to have more pages in them, just because we’d like to be able to print more of the submissions we get.”

Printing costs were also a concern with the other publications. The Bulletin’s printing costs doubled this year, which, according to Kelsey Ryan, Editor-In-Chief and junior political science major, is why it is distributed once weekly, verses twice a week as in the past.

She said that other measures have also been taken to remain fiscally responsible.

“We will not be doing a Bullshit edition this year, that is one way we are trying to be fiscally responsible as far as printing costs go,” Ryan said. “And Clint (Gorton) has been doing an excellent job as our advertising manager – his collection rate is up to 94 percent. That is, as far as I know, the highest it’s ever been in the history of the paper, at least as far back as anyone can remember.”

An increase was still necessary to bring employee salaries to what they had been before a 30 percent cut three years ago, which will help with staff retention and equalization with other on campus jobs, Ryan said.

Lindsey Gentry, editor of The Sunflower and senior business major, noted similar reasons for requesting an increase.

“These increases will go towards printing as well as salaries,” Gentry said. “Last year, our funding was cut in half and so we’re trying to bring it back up to where it was.”

Next Thursday, ASG will host representatives of over 60 Recognized Student Organizations at its meeting where SB09055, a bill concerning RSO allocations for fiscal year 2011 will be debated. When passed, the allocations will also contribute to student fees.

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Dempewolf

Rivers

Facing a crowd of about 30 students, Associated Student Government presidential and vice presidential candidates took to the podium for a debate on the Main Street of Memorial Union Monday night.

Five questions predetermined by a moderator and others offered by student spectators were asked to presidential candidates Jonathan Rivers, junior secondary social sciences education major, and Joey Dempewolf, junior marketing major, who were coupled with their vice presidential candidates, Ashley McCullough, senior communications major, and Luke Drury, freshman political science major, respectively.

Though she already knows who she’s voting for, Nicole Smith, senior early childhood education major, attended the debate with an open mind.

“(The debate) gave me a more clear understanding of the issues that both parties want to address,” Smith said. “It just defined everything and laid out what they are passionate about and what they want to get done.”

For Emily Schmar, freshman pre-engineering major, the debate allowed presentation of both candidates.

“Actually, I’d only heard of one of the parties and I knew that there were two, but I had never heard or seen the other one around,” Schmar said. “But now that I have heard from both parties, I really know who I would like to vote for.”

After listening to both parties, Smith realized that each has a plan to address the issue that is her biggest concern.

“I’d heard a lot of the points before,” Smith said. “But I think the most important thing is that they are going to address the funding issues. I really feel like that is the most important issue.”

Schmar was interested to hear the candidates view on the communication issue between ASG and Recognized Student Organizations, which both candidates address as a main goal in their campaigns.

“I really enjoyed the idea of having meetings with the RSOs and having senators going to visit with different RSOs because I didn’t really understand how ASG works, I thought it was kind of like, they put on events, like UAC I guess,” Schmar said. “But now I really understand a lot more and hope that senators will go out and if they show their face more then RSO will understand what’s going on more.”

Rivers and McCullough announced that one way they will improve communication is by adding three staff positions to ASG.

“What we’re looking to do is create several new positions to help bridge the communication gap that we feel exists here at Emporia State,” Rivers said. “Generally, we are wanting to increase communication between not only ASG and the students, but also the Emporia community and ESU as a whole.”

Dempewolf and Drury said that one important thing that should be openly communicated is information about Memorial Union renovations.

“Last year we said ‘Put the ‘U’ in the Union.’ Well this year, we’re saying we’d like to ‘Keep the ‘U’ in the Union’ by keeping you guys up to date and ensuring that you know what’s going on with the Memorial Union renovations,” Dempewolf said.

Students are encouraged to vote online on April 5-7 through a link that will be sent to their BuzzIn email account.

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After a report by Athletic Director Kent Weiser, and much debate, the Budget Development and Tuition Committee passed a four percent recommended increase for athletics, which will add a projected $5.20 for full time students and 60 cents for part time students starting to student fees next semester.

Though the Athletic Department had requested a six percent increase, the committee negotiated the four percent increase, which 11 members voted to pass and one opposed.

Weiser presented information detailing steps that had been taken to cope with budget cuts after the department did not receive an increase in funding last year such as the ceased printing of media guides for all sports, hosting soccer games on campus instead of renting a more equipped facility, and decreasing travel, among other things.

“I know conducting an athletics program is expensive,” Weiser said. “But I very much believe that we are getting a pretty good bang for our buck and we’re stretching things quite a ways with who we compete with and what is expected of us and what we expect of ourselves.”

A major expense and concern of the Athletic Department is the ability to provide students with athletic scholarships.

“That basketball player is also a marketing major or a history major, and so on,” said John Rich, faculty athletic representative. “They are students that are in our program, they are not just student athletes. Athletics brings students into our program that would not otherwise be here if it weren’t for the athletics money that funds their scholarships.”

Amy Webb, associate professor, faculty senate past president and committee member, expressed an opinion that she thinks is felt by many non-athlete students.

“Students are always going to say ‘why are my fee monies paying for that student’s scholarship?’” Webb said. “Now, of course you can’t run a budget that way where each person gets to say where their taxes go, but there is some equity to be considered here. There are students that are facing reduced financial awards of their own, who are working additional jobs and they need to be able to feel good about this increase being equilateral and not necessarily lining the pockets of students and prospects elsewhere.”

But Jim Williams, vice president of student affairs and committee member, argued that enrollment is affected by the athletic program, which impacts academic programs.

“It does have an impact on enrollment and that impact on enrollment in some of the programs may impact whether some of those programs continue.” Williams said.

The adjustment of the increase from 6 percent to 4 percent was proposed by Webb and passed by all who voted except for Carol Russell, associate profess of elementary teacher education and faculty senate president, though it may be reevaluated later in the process.

This increase is only part of what is an estimated total increase of $34.03 for full time students and $3.92 for part time students for fees considered by the committee as part of the Campus Privilege Fees.

The other portion of Campus Privilege Fees is considered by Associated Student Government and is an estimated increase of $5.43 for full time students and 56 cents for part time students.

These totals, combined with the existing fee, bring the total projected Campus Privilege fee to $513.46 for full time students and $62.48 for part time students for next year, a 7.73 percent increase from this year. Exact numbers have not yet been finalized because after they are passed by the committee, they must then be approved by Emporia State President Michael Lane and then finalized by the Kansas Board of Regents.

The Budget Development and Tuition Committee plans to meet again in late April to discuss possible increases of tuition. The committee hopes to present their finalized recommendations for both the Campus Privilege Fees and Tuition in early May and then to KBOR on May 7.

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Triggered by what multiple sources said was an alleged physical confrontation at a Kappa Sigma party last month, the Judicial Review Board of the Interfraternity Council held a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The hearing was closed and JRB met in multiple locations over a two day period, starting at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Flint Hills Room of the Memorial. When the building closed at 10 p.m., the board relocated to a meeting room on the fourth floor of William Allen White Library until 11 p.m. when the library closed. JRB met again yesterday at 9 p.m. in a Towers Complex Conference room and adjourned after about 45 minutes.

Joseph Marten, junior and chief justice of JRB, refused to comment on anything that was discussed but did say that the board had made its decision, though he would not say what it was. It must be sent in writing to both of the parties involved within five days.

After that, any appeals will be handled by the Appellate Board, which consists of Jason Bosch, assistant director of student involvement for Greek life, Assistant Vice President of Strategic Partnerships Lynn Hobson, and IFC President Cody Pritchard, senior secondary mathematics education major.

Three confidential sources said the JRB hearing was taking place because there had been confrontation between a student who attended a party at Kappa Sigma and a member of Kappa Sigma. The student was allegedly asked to leave and refused.

Two eyewitnesses said when they entered the party, they had to sign in, show their ID and were marked because they are underage. They both noted a “black list,” which held the names of people who were not allowed in the party.

The student who was later escorted out was on the “black list,” said Kyle Lococo, president of Kappa Sigma. He refused further comment on the party or the hearing.

It is unclear whether the disciplinary action is targeted at the student, a Kappa Sigma Member or the entire Kappa Sigma fraternity. All parties refused comment.

One eyewitness said underage drinking did not occur at the party, while another said it did. However, both agreed that alcohol was a factor. They also agreed that there was confrontation as the student was asked to leave the party.

“(The student) threw a huge fit, (his or her) arms were flailing and (he or she) was kicking and was like ‘no, no, no, I don’t have to leave,’ and then finally they calmed (him or her) down and (the student) said ‘fine, I’ll go,’” said an eyewitness who testified at the hearing. “They were walking up the stairs and I don’t really know what happened on the stairwell.”

Another eyewitness at the party noted the same incident.

“(The student) had been asked to leave and didn’t at first,” said the eyewitness. “So they tried to lead (him or her) upstairs and (he or she) was all twisting and turning and then it turned into a huge confrontation in the staircase and you could kind of hear it and then they left and afterwards it got really quiet there were lots of whispers and no one could really tell what was going on for sure.”

Accounts of what happened on the stairwell varied, but all witnesses agreed that there was confrontation and two of them said it was physical.

The parties involved will receive the decision by the JRB in writing and from there will decide whether or not they would like the case to be reviewed by the Appellate Board. Lococo said he expects the process to extend over the next few weeks.

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