THE BG NEWS
EXPLORING THEIR ROLES LGBT members discussed their leadership roles in the community in a panel as a way to bring more awareness to people. Read more on Page 5.
ESTABLISHED 1920 | An independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community
Volume 93, Issue 55
South Hall renovations underway
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
WWW.BGNEWS.COM
A HIGHER RATE OF ACCEPTANCE CRIME FACTS:
$24 million project future home of School of Media and Communication
■■ Drug-related arrests in Bowling
Green in 2013: 362
By Alex Alusheff Managing Editor
For Louisa Ha and other coworkers in the School of Media and Communications, the ongoing renovation to South Hall is a compromise. “Our building and facilities are inferior compared to peer universities; everyone else has new buildings,” said Ha, chair of the telecommunications department, which resides in West Hall along with the journalism and communication departments. Steve The $24 million renovation Krakoff project started at the end of Vice December and is still in the proPresident of cess of asbestos abatement, said Capital Steve Krakoff, vice president of Planning and Capital Planning and Design. Design The plan is to completely gut the building, leaving only the exterior, and completely redesign the inside for the School of Media and Communication, Krakoff said. The project is being funded by state capital funds, which is state money set aside for these projects, bond financing from the University and donations, Krakoff said. Although tuition hasn’t been raised this year, money has already been collected for the project in the past years, he said. Depending on how long the abatement, design, demolition and reconstruction phases take, South Hall is scheduled to re-open in early 2015, said Project Manager Ryan Miller. A small addition is also being discussed and is still in the design phase, Miller said. After the move, West Hall will be torn down. The renovations will feature an expansion for television and radio production facilities, which Ha said will make the University more competitive. “Even community colleges have high-tech production studios,” she said. As a Traditions Building, South Hall is the first in the renovation process with Moseley, University and Hanna halls to follow. “You get into a lot of challenges with the older buildings,” Krakoff said. “You have to make sure the structure is still intact and you have to look for a degrading exterior.” While Krakoff said this may not be the case for South Hall, it can be a problem when renovating
■■ Possession under 100 grams of
marijuana is a minor misdemeanor
*Information provided by the Bowling Green Police Department
SCIENCE FACTS: ■■ Recreational marijuana has been legalized
in Colorado and Washington
■■ Marijuana can ease pain and nausea asso-
ciated with diseases such as cancer
■■ When ingested, THC acts upon parts of
the brain known as cannabinoid receptors, which influence things such pleasure, memory and coordination ■■ Amounts of THC in marijuana have increased in the past decades, up 15 percent from 4 percent in the 1980s *Information provided by National Institute on Drug Abuse
Tolerance grows for marijuana in US due to recent legalization By Seth Weber Web Editor
As states such as Colorado and Washington legalize marijuana, it seems that tolerance may waft eastward. A University student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said her experience with the drug has been positive. She started smoking when she was a freshman in high school because it was “just the thing to do.” She compared the drug to alcohol, and said she doesn’t understand why it isn’t legal when alcohol is. “I think it’s not as bad as it’s made out to be in a lot of media,” she said. Associate Professor of criminal justice Melissa Burek said views toward marijuana have softened through the years, and said legalizing the drug will be tell-
See DRUG | Page 2
See SOUTH | Page 2
Studying abroad offers unique life experiences
GIVING FOR A GOOD CAUSE
Panel discussion provided students with travel stories By Liz Sparks Reporter
STEVEN W. ECHARD | THE BG NEWS
Senior Elliot Anderson III, a liberal studies major donates blood to the Red Cross on Tuesday. He has been donating since his senior year of high school because he comes from a long line of nurses.
Falcons must toughen up The BG Women’s basketball team will host Eastern Michigan Thursday night as they try to add another win in the win column. The game will be hosted in the Stroh Center at 7p.m. | PAGE 3
After studying abroad in Hong Kong for a semester, senior Ce’Ara RiceMalkowski learned it was cheaper for her to study in China than it was to go to school at the University. She also learned that in certain areas it is acceptable to go to the bathroom in the street. At a panel discussion Tuesday night about studying abroad, Malkowski and three other students talked about their experiences. The panel was a collaboration between the Global Management and Leadership Society and The Center for Leadership, and is a part of the spring 2014 Leadership Workshop Series. Malkowski was joined on the panel
American economics
Columnist Derek Sutter talks about how America’s unemployment is down and why. He also talks about what changes need to be made within the country.| PAGE 4
by students Michelle Hicks, Andrea Badertscher and Andrell Hall. Each of the students had different experiences during their travels, which they openly shared. “People say Hong Kong is like New York, but it’s like New York on steroids,” Malkowski said. The city had no personal space; when people bumped into Malkowski, they would not apologize or say “excuse me,” because it was such a common experience, she said. Malkowski is an accounting major who is also minoring in ethnic studies. She said she would like to work in an international market after she graduates in May. Hicks studied in Spain for four
See ABROAD | Page 5
Where would you want to study abrOAd and why? “Russia. My sister is a Russian and such a variety of history and culture.” Josh Pecek Senior, Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies