THE BG NEWS
HOLIDAY CELEBRATION Check out even more photos of community members and students at the Bowling Green Holiday Parade in an album on BGNEWS.com.
ESTABLISHED 1920 | An independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community
Monday, November 25, 2013
Volume 93, Issue 40
Living off campus cheaper alternative Prices of residence halls vary from $5,160 to $7,240 for academic year By Eric Lagatta Campus Editor
After students fulfill their required two years of on-campus residency, many like Amber Herron and Natalie Brown weigh the costs and benefits of campus life— but mostly the costs. Both Herron and Brown, sophomores, went to the Housing Fair on Nov. 13 to look for off-campus housing. They agree that living on campus
gets pricey, which is why they’ve begun looking for cheaper options off campus. Herron lives at Falcon Pointe this year, located off Klotz Road behind The Enclave. She resided at McDonald Hall her freshman year before moving off campus this year to save money. While Herron uses her credit card more for food and other items, she’s still noticed a significant difference in price since moving off campus.
“I think I’m spending more with my credit card, but it’s still definitely cheaper,” she said. Brown lives at Falcon Heights, which costs $3,095 a semester for a double and $3,620 for a single, making it the most expensive residence hall on campus. “It’s too much,” she said. “I think there are a lot of other options.” The BG News compiled all the
See BUDGET | Page 2
WWW.BGNEWS.COM
CAMPUS brief
GSS discusses Affordable Care Act
Employees from the Student Insurance Office discussed the Affordable Care Act’s upcoming changes to health insurance at the last Graduate Student Senate general meeting of the semester Friday afternoon. Tammy Ford, student insurance representative for the Student Insurance Office, said students should prepare for the changes by visiting HealthCare.gov and reviewing the insurance plan options before the changes take place Jan. 1. Ohio has five plans: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Catastrophic.
The premiums for the plans range anywhere from $200 to $450 a month, she said. Out of state students should check the insurance options for their states at HealthCare.gov, she said. Ford said the University student health insurance plan through United Health will continue to meet minimum requirements so users will not have to pay a penalty. Students enrolled in the student plan can waive for the spring semester but must do so before Dec. 15, she said. A series of forums will be hosted in January for students to ask questions. Students can contact the Student Insurance Office at 419-372-7495 for more information about the changes. The next GSS meeting will be Jan. 24 in the McFall Gallery from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Dining halls cater to community members, reduce student costs
Church, windmill among structures transformed into houses in city
The Oaks’, Dunkin’ Donuts’ sales increase By Dominic Binkley Reporter
EMILY REITH | THE BG NEWS
THE CHURCH house on Manville Avenue still has working bells in the steeple. Students live in the house and appreciate it for the wide open space inside.
from building to home By Alex Traczyk Reporter
Students aren’t the only people lining up to pile food on their plates at University dining halls. Ever since The Oaks and Carillon Place opened their doors in 2011, more members of the community have been choosing to eat their meals on campus. Dining Services has used a “deliberate strategy” during the past two years to expose dining halls as viable options to community members, said Mike Paulus, director of Dining Services. Before The Oaks complex, it was a challenge to get community members to eat on campus because of a lack of parking, Paulus said. The location of The Oaks at the corner of campus and the addition of more parking has led to an increase in community members, he said. Dunkin’ Donuts has also helped attract members of the community who make up 32 percent of the restaurant’s sales, he said. Paulus said community members allow dining halls to serve a “12-month function” because there are so few students on campus during the summer. Dining Services would be a 12-month business with only nine months of income if it weren’t for community members. Community members also help keep meal costs down for students, he said. “If I can increase the overall revenue to Dining Services on campus, I reduce the need to increase costs to my residents,” he said. Magdy AbouZied, general manager of The
See DINING | Page 2 Living in just a plain old house is becoming boring for some students at the University. Now some people are moving on to more interesting places, like churches, windmills and even an old crematorium. Jeena Kim, graduate student and instructor of popular culture at the University, finds it interesting that people live in such places. “I suspect that people appreciate the individuality that comes with living in a house that used to be a church or a windmill. Everyone wants to be someone,” Kim said. The residents of the church house said they wanted the house because of the reputation it has. Senior William Forrester lives in the church house and explained there was nothing too surprising about it. “We visited the house and it was huge. We knew the reputation that it was a party house and that is what we liked about it,” Forrester said. The house is an open floor plan with high ceilings, four bedrooms and two bathrooms all on the main floor. The bell tower can still be accessed through a little attic crawl space when first entering the house, and the bell still does ring. Senior Alex Howard also lives at the church house. He had no doubts at all about living there. “People just need to realize that it is not a church anymore. It’s just a big house that we can throw the football around in the living room,” Howard said.
See ODD | Page 6
Holiday parade brings students, residents together People travel from across state to attend By Amirah Adams Reporter
EMILY REITH | THE BG NEWS
THE WINDMILL on Clough Street looks out across a pond and is currently empty and for rent.
FLYING HIGH IN YPSILANTI The BG football team defeated the Eastern Michigan University Eagles 58-7 on Saturday in its second to last regular season game. The Falcons take on the University of Buffalo on Friday for the MAC East Division title. | PAGE 3
THANKSGIVING MATTERS Columnist Davood Dadfar explains how Thanksgiving is different for people. But the meaning of the underlying message includes considering one’s values during the holiday season. | PAGE 4
Numerous families bundled in coats and blankets lined Main Street early Saturday morning. The Bowling Green Holiday Parade occurred this past Saturday downtown. The theme for the parade was “Santa’s Toy Box.” Gerry Nwatkin, an international student at the University, wasn’t planning to go on the parade. “I came to get a haircut,” Nwatkin said. “I didn’t even know this was going on.” Other first-timers to the parade included Barbara and Danny Deakins from Garrettsville, Ohio. “We come from a very small town,” Barbara said. “This is a great parade; people in our town would love this.” Some students who attended the parade were involved with it during previous years. Senior Eric Juzkiw was there supporting Not in Our Town, and some of the people in the organization walked in the parade. “I walked in the parade my freshman year and volunteered my sophomore year,” Juzkiw said.
See PARADE | Page 6
What is the oddest kind of house you can imagine? “An underwater house.” Colin Schwartz Freshman, Biology