THE BG NEWS ESTABLISHED 1920 | An independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
VOLUME 94, ISSUE 79
University potential budget shifts
WWW.BGNEWS.COM
HIGH FLYING
FALCONS
College deans to manage budgets, competition in mind By Michele Mathis Copy Chief
In a time of a recovering economy, budget cuts are not surprising for many state universities. Students may have felt the weight of these budget cuts with their own personalized programs in restricted access to certain travel, performance, faculty and extra-curricular events. However, the weight of the lack of opportunity is about to get stronger. The University is beginning to think about implementing a new budget model called Responsibility Center Management [RCM] to turn financial issues into incentives for respective deans and professors to cut costs within their programs, forcing them to think about planning budgets more strategically. The RCM functions simply: the University will calculate all revenues and its expenses, and then distributes them to the respective colleges. For larger college programs that attract large enrollment, this is potentially good news. For the others that struggle with their numbers, RCM could be mean less money. David Attis, senior director of academic research at the Education Advisory Board, studies this model. “At a time of lean budgets and difficult decisions, people think of RCM as a way to make clear why they get money when they get money,” he said. Attis said that some believe this new budget model is presidents and provosts siphoning the responsibility off onto professors and deans underneath them during financially hard times. “Some think that this is a way to problem down … [and] let them make the hard decisions,” he said. One of the main functionalities of RCM is transparency, meaning that consequences to the decision to reduce certain program budgets must be understood and comprehended by all those who are making the decision. Scott Carlson, an editor for The Chronicle of Higher Education, said that the RCM requires a very strong
See BUDGET | Page 2
DIGITAL HUMANITIES: A new center recently opened in the library that helps students analyze online archives and other digital humanities projects. Full story on PAGE 2.
High Flyers see success, perform at sporting events By Terrance Davis Reporter
If you’ve attended a gymnastics home meet or basketball home game recently, there’ a good chance you’ve witnessed these Chicago natives showcase their talent. Their routines incorporate elements of cheerleading, gymnastics and choreography. Combined with a hint of hip-hop swagger, these crowd-pleasing acrobats have become must-see entertainment on campus. “We are entertainers,” said Desmond Mosley, secretary and spokesperson for the BG Highflyers. “Gymnastics and cheerleading incorporate more technical skills, and although we utilized those skills, we make our own stunts to really get the crowd involved.” Unlike most student-led organizations affiliated with Bowling Green, the Highflyers operate as an independent business entity in the state of Ohio. Former Cheerleader Thomas Jackson, the organization’s president and founder, decided to create the business back in January after receiving a vote of confidence from head gymnastics coach Kerri Turner. “Over winter break, I was sitting on the couch at my house thinking of various ways me and my friends could create an organization that’s different from gymnastics and cheerleading and ultimately we came up with the Bowling Green Highflyers,” Jackson said. “Our business is still in its infancy stage, but I’m amazed at how fast we’ve been able to gain recognition amongst our peers on campus. We really want to thank Coach K for giving us the platform to show our skills. She believed in our vision when no one else opted to give us an opportunity.” The Highflyers have made the most of that opportunity and their eye-catching performances have garnered them popularity and admiration from the local community. “Our first performance at the gymnastics meet really kick started this whole thing,” said Corey Young, treasurer of the Highflyers. “Cory Kirby, who works at the ticket office at the Stroh Center, kept hearing THE BG High Flyers perform at the Black Issues Conference February 28.
See FLYERS | Page 7
CNN host speaks to journalism students, faculty about his success
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
By Kathryne Rubright City Editor
ERIC BURGASSER | THE BG NEWS
DAZIEL ROMAN, a sophomore, donates blood during the Chavez Challenge Blood Drive. The blood drive lasts until Thursday in the Union multipurpose room from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. each day.
FALCONS LOSE EIGHT STRAIGHT The BG baseball team dropped to 5-14 following their match up against Michigan. A series of fifth inning mistakes held their offense to only three runs. | PAGE 5
BRIAN STELTER
Brian Stelter, host of CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” has found success by doing what other people haven’t. Stelter began his post-college career at The New York Times after gaining the newspaper’s attention by running TVNewser, a blog about the television news industry. “I just started it because I loved the topic, and I wanted a site like the one I’d made to exist,” he said on Tuesday night to an audience including journalism faculty and students. “I looked around and I was like, ‘There’s no site like this out there, and I wish there was.’” Stelter’s speech in the Union theater was the 2015 Florence and Jesse Currier lecture. The Curriers gave the Department
IMPRACTICAL EDUCATION Columnist Abbey Serena talks about gender. She says that gender labels are created by people, and that one can identify however they like, regardless of their sex organs. | PAGE 4
Host of CNN’s “Reliable Sources”
of Journalism and Public Relations an endowment that allows the department to bring speakers to campus, said Kathy Bradshaw, department chair. “[Stelter] pursued his interests and made something real of them,” said Kiley Brandon, a senior who attended the speech. Once Stelter reached The New York Times, he didn’t stop doing what other people weren’t. Not wanting to take stories that belonged to veteran journalists also reporting on television, Stelter forced him-
See STELTER | Page 3
WHAT IMPROVEMENTS WOULD YOU MAKE TO UNIVERSITY CLASSROOMS? “More comfortable seats and better air conditioning and ventilation.“ Ron Bogdanowicz Sophomore, Construction Management