the
Herald By and for the students of Hobart and William Smith Colleges
GENEVA, NY
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2009
VOLUME CXXX ISSUE 26
Answers Withheld District Attorney’s Office Delays Arraignment and Release of Autopsy Results
Holes in Budget Readout Leave Students in the Dark
By Shena Vagliano ’09 Editor in Chief It has been four months since our campus was shaken by the unthinkable tragedy of a student’s death. Questions surrounding the cause of Warren “Kim” Kimber’s passing have abounded as the police have continued to investigate the case and the release of initial autopsy results were delayed without explanation. However, for a brief moment this week it seemed as if those questions were finally going to be answered. The New Jersey Star Ledger reported on Tuesday April 28th that Ontario County District Attorney Michael Tantillo said in an email statement that criminal charges in the Kimber case would be announced at an arraignment—a reading of criminal complaints against a defendant during which time they enter a plea of guilty or not guilty—on Thursday April 30th at 9:30 a.m. at the Geneva City Court. The toxicology and autopsy results were to be made public during the arraignment; however, Tantillo would not specify who or how many people would be brought up on charges. However, the District Attorney’s office announced on Wednesday that the arraignment would not be taking place. The Finger Lakes Daily News reported that Ontario County Assistant District Attorney William J. Hart said via email on Wednesday that “Upon further review of the file, our office has determined that further consideration must be given to conducting a grand jury presentation relative to this matter.” In a phone conversation with The Herald Tantillo stated that the Kimber case will likely go to a grand jury in May. For clarification, a case goes to a grand jury in order to determine whether there is enough evidence for a trial.
By Tim Hollinger ’11 Opinions Editor
Kim Kimber ’11 was found dead in an off-campus house on January 31st of this year.
Earth Week 2009 a Success By Stacey Rice ’11 Herald Contributor Earth Week 2009 was a tremendous success. Campus Greens, the Environmental Studies and Geoscience departments, FLI, the HWS Goes Green Program, and many other groups and individuals put together a week’s worth of heavily attended events. The events, which ranged in focus, touched on a variety of issues pertaining to environmental sustainability and, most importantly, provided the HWS community with an outlet to “Take the World in [their] Hands”—the goal and catch phrase of EW 2009. The real and measurable impact of EW 2009 was achieved through the participation of the HWS community, who seized this opportunity to decrease their environmental impact. Participants saved 4,275 gallons of water during the 3 days of going trayless. Over 2,000 disposable plastic bottles were collected and recycled during the water bottle exchange, and 400 students, faculty and staff committed to not consuming water from disposable plastic bottles. Literally thousands ate low impact local foods from Saga and during the sustainable picnic on Sunday. All of these efforts contributed to an exceptional Earth Week that ultimately reduced the Colleges’ impact on the environment. The measurable impact reduction achieved during EW 2009 was supplemented by a series of presentations: a Q&A between the audience and Climate Task Force (with guest Sustainability Guru from Ithaca College, Jason Hamilton) about the HWS Sustainability Program kicked off the week; an incredibly competitive sustainability focused Jeopardy event, featuring a dancing Professor (you missed something special if you didn’t make it to this event), capped
Campus Happenings
a busy Tuesday; Wednesday, Earth Day, featured a local food discussion led by a panel of community members, an HWS student, and an alum (big thanks to Professor McNally for her inspiring performance); Thursday was marked by an exceptional lecture on climate change, by a world authority, Stephen Schneider. These presentations contributed an invaluable educational component to Earth Week that addressed environmental sustainability from a variety of different approaches and perspectives. EW 2009 culminated on Sunday, April 26 with the solar cookie bake off. Participants designed “off the grid” baking devices that were capable of baking cookies. Three highly qualified and esteemed cookie tasters judged the cookies and solar ovens. The competition was fierce, but in the end Julie Freier took the prize for best cookie, and Claire Brown, Kerry O’Neill and Tess Wiggins won for the most creative oven. Tess Wiggins was also the overall winner of the stamp card Earth Week raffle! Along with baking, students also enjoyed a delicious “sustainable” lunch which featured organic and local foods from Red Jacket, Normal Bread, Stony Brook Cookies and many other local vendors and utilized compostable plates, utensils and napkins. The lunch was accompanied by great music from Revision (a local band from Ithaca) and several student acts, such as the Scope and Brad Hester. A big thanks on behalf of the Climate Task Force to all who lent a hand in making Earth Week 2009 a huge success, including those who attended the events!
Without students, there would as they have in the past for tuition be no Hobart and William Smith should go to the finical aid office Colleges. Student tuition accounts for as soon as possible. The school’s around 75% of the school’s income. top priority will be to keep students Yet, despite assurances that things enrolled. are changing, students still are not Tuition will be going up 3.5% being given all the details of our within the next year. This sounds current financial situation. like a large increase, and it is, but it The administration has been is also the lowest in the past 44 years. working hard to become transparent The budget team has been preparing with regard to the budget by for every scenario and is thinking presenting a readout to members of realistically about how bad things both student governments. However, are financially for many students’ during the readout to students the families. We have a $1.2 million presenters failed to mention that deficit. Our endowment is down 27%. the Colleges lost $700,000 to fees Discretionary spending has been refinancing a halted, as well as variable rate major building The budget team has bond, and projects. Our been preparing for ever y spent last staff may not see scenario and is thinking summer and salary increases. fall scrambling realistically about how bad Donations are to find the down 8-10% and things are financially for cash. When are not as big. many students’ families. the budget President Gearan readout was has said that he given to faculty is nervous about and staff members, almost half an the next few years, but is confident hour was spent discussing the bond and knows that HWS has weathered and what had happened to it. Why worse situations. were students not informed of this? Yes, the state of affairs is bad, HWS is doing much better and may get worse, but the Colleges financially than most colleges in are doing everything they can to help America as of late. The deftness of ensure that students, faculty, and staff the staff and trustees in dealing with will be okay. Additionally, they are the ongoing economic meltdown working hard to maintain traditions, should be applauded. The school has events, and student programming. moved to free up more money for It appears that they are doing a finical aid to the tune of $2.6 million; good job, so why are they not telling additionally, administrators have students the entire financial story? stressed that any student who is at BUDGET continued on Page 2 risk of not being able to pay as much
HWS’ EMS Celebrates One-Year Anniversar y By Karissa Seeberger ’12 Arts and Entertainment When asked what message Gibson McCullagh ’11, the captain of the HWS EMS team, would most like to relay to the student body regarding emergencies, he answered, “I want them to realize that we are there purely for their health and wellbeing; we are not involved in any form of disciplinary action.” Gibson works four nights a week on call and has to juggle all the responsibilities that his job demands including budgeting and the EMT class, as he is now certified to teach. The heroes of the night are undoubtedly the EMTs, who are truly devoted volunteers. They dedicate much time and effort to being an EMT, with little outward incentives. Sometimes they even end up using out-of-pocket money to pay for gas. Though most would assume that it is a stressful job working a 12-hour shift every two weeks, especially on the weekends with the most urgent calls, the one-year-old EMS support network is one of the best and the members really look out for one another. They are sensitive to signs of students being burned out and are understanding of any personal
problems that may be affecting them. On the average weekend there are three calls and over the academic year the calls will total around 70. The process of becoming an EMT is lengthy and time-consuming, as the application alone for HWS EMS is nine pages, when compared to most other universities that only ask for a one page application. One hundred and twenty hours of EMT training in the semester are mandatory. They require classroom sessions, readings from a hefty text book, and practical medical training. The EMTs also need to shadow those who are already certified as part of their training. It is essentially as though they are taking a fifth class. It is far from an easy process, and we have 12 new EMTs who have recently been trained. According to Gibson, “All the students are fantastic academically and in good social standing.” It is a major commitment and they keep our school safe. Aspirations for next year include forming a stronger relationship with the Geneva community and providing the city with mutual aid response.
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