MOURNING IN MARTIN
ALL THE RIGHT NOTES
Eastern fails to outscore the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks in Thursday’s game.
Eastern’s percussion group follow their passions of music. Page 3
Page 8
Dai ly Eastern News
THE
WWW.DAILYEASTERNNEWS.COM
Friday, Jan. 24, 2014
“TELL THE TRUTH AND DON’T BE AFRAID”
VOL. 98 | NO. 86
Inclement weather should not stop runners By Jarad Jarmon Associate News Editor | @JJarmonReporter
Dion McNeal | The Daily Eastern Ne ws
Quentin Jordan, a freshman biological sciences major and John Bailey, a freshman mathematics and computer science major manage to find some time to have a cigerette break after studying in the 24-hour lounge.
Residents cope with uneven temperatures By Jarad Jarmon Associate News Editor | @JJarmonReporter For some students in the residence halls, getting their perfect temperature is an ongoing battle leading them to wage war on their room’s “unforgiving” temperatures. Especially during these frosty, frigid and freezing months, students are fighting against their room’s temperature by buying space heaters, which are prohibited in the halls, or opening the windows, for those who find their rooms to warm. While they may think the are just affect-
ing their room’s temperature, Mark Hudson, the director of Housing and Dining Services, said when they change the temperature in their room, they probably are affecting the entire floor’s temperature. The residence halls are run off of a zone heating system, which regulates itself based on the temperature in the from the various thermostats on each floor. Each thermostat handles a specific zone on the floor. Each building has a slightly different method of using this system. For instance, Taylor Hall has a more complex system with hot decks, while Weller Hall is more perimeter heated.
Hudson said the system is always trying to stay between 66 and 76 degrees. This becomes difficult when someone owns a space heater or opens a window. When students open their windows, the system is tricked into thinking it is much colder than it actually is. To compensate, it then cranks up the heat, risking a spike, affecting other students like Andrew Lilek, who lives in Ford Hall. “I know, in our room, it is either extremely hot or extremely cold,” Lilek, a senior communication studies major, said. “It can have its pick.”
TEMPERATURE, page 5
District referendum to raise sales tax By Michael Spencer City Editor | @tmskeeper The Charleston School Board joined with Mattoon to place a referendum on the ballot for the primary election, which would raise the county sales tax one percent. The proposed tax hike, which will appear on the ballot March 18, comes after three consecutive years of state funding cuts, prompting Charleston district Superintendent Jim Littleford to suggest it is time for Coles County to take control of its education spending. “What I have learned in the past four or five years is that the state of Illinois is not a very good business partner,” Littleford said. The sales tax increase would provide the school district with an extra $2 million each year through the Illinois County Facilities Tax. General state aid has been prorated each year since 2011 and now sits at 89 percent of its previous total. Charleston has a sales tax of 6.75 percent, which is lower than surrounding cities, Littleford said, such as Champaign-Urbana, Tuscola and Decatur.
The sales tax hike will not lower property taxes because unlike in 2010, a “tax swap” is not being proposed. Therefore, property taxes will be unaffected if the referendum is passes. A facilities tax increase can only be applied to infrastructure issues and cannot be used to fund discretionary spending such as teacher or administrator salaries. The district has a laundry list of issues with its facilities, including taking steps to improve security, addressing issues with roofing and dealing with the modular unit at Jefferson Elementary School, which is constantly being repaired, Littleford said. The newest building in the Charleston district was built in 1968 while portions of Jefferson date back as far as 1927. Additionally, roads on district property are being continually patched and will need to be replaced soon. Twice in the last two years, ceilings have partially collapsed in district facilities. Littleford also said the general costs of running the school system has increased too. “What it took to educate somebody in 1965 is different than what it takes to educate somebody now,” Littleford said.
The potential impact of the tax on Eastern students is not lost on the superintendent, who said the last time the school board proposed such a referendum in 2010. District officials met with the Student Senate to discuss the hike. Littleford said students understood the importance of the tax then and did not object to the proposal. Another such meeting is not scheduled yet, but Littleford said it has not been ruled out. The Eastern student population does play a role in sales tax collection though. According to data from the Illinois Department of Revenue, two of Charleston’s three lowest months of collecting sales tax for 2013 came during the summer months. When asked about the tax, Mayor Larry Rennels reminded voters the money from the referendum would not pass through the city and ultimately, the decision will be made at the polls. “It’s going to be something the voters have to decide which way they want to go,” Rennels said. Michael Spencer can be reached at 581-2812 or at tmspencer2@eiu.edu.
Stripping their clothes off piece-by-piece, students will be running through the frigid temperatures expected for the Nearly Naked Mile at 10 a.m. Saturday starting in the Carman Hall parking lot. Roughing it through 20 mile per hour winds and temperatures below freezing, 30 registered runners, with more expected to join by the time the race starts, will be stripping down to their “bathing suit area” and running a mile. There will be 3-4 stations along the trail where runners will take off specific items. For instance, at the first station, they will take off mittens, hats and scarfs they may have on. Carrie Klaphake, a student life graduate assistant working with Alumni Services who is sponsoring the event, said they have been warning runners to wear layers when going on the run. Even though these temperatures can be dangerous over long periods of time, Jake Emmett, a kinesiology and sports studies professor, said it should not be too much of a worry for those running because it is only a mile. When temperatures drop, the body consolidates the blood from the arms and legs to the body to focus on keeping the body organs warm. Emmett said this process happens over a long period of time though. It would take roughly 30 minutes before frostbite kicked in. There could be a possibility of frostbite though, which causes numbness and blue coloration in the skin. He also said it will make the experience hurt a lot less because the body will heat up during the run because of the energy given off. About 70 percent of energy exerted from the body is heat. He said runners should worry more about icy patches instead of the temperature. Tyler Mink, kinesiology and sports studies graduate assistant, seconded this observation. He said there is always a potential for frostbite in cold climates, but it is very unlikely. Mink did recommend those with cardio vascular issues or asthma issues not to run though especially if the temperature gets into the single-digits. “It is hard for them to breathe in that kind of air,” Mink said. “It is not going to be easy on the pulmonary system.” The pulmonary system includes the heart and lungs. Mink also said it would be best if those running don’t expose too much bare skin. Klaphake said they are preparing for these temperatures. “EMT’s will be available. The police department is going to be there,” she said. There will also be volunteers to help out all throughout the trail. She said the volunteers will not be forcing the runners to get rid of their clothing. The run will start out in the Carman parking lot north on Ninth Street, into Jackson Avenue and then back down 12th street.
RUNNERS, page 5