An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890
10.31.2018 Vol. 219 No. 053
WEDNESDAY
DANIELLE PETERSON/ ISD
StuGov hosts town hall on ‘Budget 101’ BY MADELYN.OSTENDORF @iowastatedaily.com
BY MEG.GRICE @iowastatedaily.com Th e Ames Haunted Forest has been in operation since 1998, but visitors should be prepared for even more terrifying frights and sights for its 20th anniversary year. The Haunted Forest’s past actually began in Mesquite, Texas. The Ballard brothers, Lee and Lynn, met a gentleman, Curtis Craxton, building his own haunted house and eventually got talking about their own property. Craxton couldn’t believe the opportunities in the brothers’ possession — timber, parking and electricity. Craxton then convinced the Ballards to invest $70,000 in the creation of the Ames Haunted Forest. He was even a partner for a few years with the Ames Haunted Forest. Lynn and Lee Ballard have since owned and operated the Ames Haunted Forest for the past 20 years. Beginning Aug. 1 of each year, the families of Lynn and Lee implement construction. In groups of around two to 10, visitors to the
forest make their own way through the journey by following trail markers. Th ough the tour diff ers each year, visitors can expect a 20-minute-walk with four to five enclosures. These “scenes” can feature a variety of chilling terrors, from an insane asylum to an execution room. These rooms are not strictly imagined by the Ballard brothers, however. “Our actors are the ones that come up with most of the ideas,” said Lee Ballard. Most students come to college looking for a job, and the college students Ballard employs truly make the experience what it is today. Students can look at the Iowa State Job Board before the start of classes. “ The ones that do it ... they ’re really into Halloween,” Lee Ballard said. “They’re really creative and outgoing, and they all do such a great job. The students are the reason that we’re successful.” Wanting to keep the experience fresh for customers, Lee Ballard noted how they change the
HAUNTED FOREST
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ISAIAH JOHNSON/ IOWA STATE DAILY
GPSS discusses policy changes for clubs BY MATT.TIBERSAR @iowastatedaily.com The Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) is looking into policy changes and initiatives that could change the way they impact clubs and organizations. GPSS also discussed equal opportunity and the importance of voting in the upcoming midterm election. The meeting took place in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union Monday. G P S S Tre a s u re r R u i D i n g talked about the funding of clubs and events. The senators discussed a policy about whether or not the GPSS should fund cultural groups which are not directly
tied to a university department. Currently, the GPSS cannot fund such organizations. Ding then raised a question about what to do with clubs who serially violate GPSS spending guidelines. The rules are that a club or student group cannot spend more than half of the money allocated to them for an event on food. Senators looked into various ways to solve this problem, suggesting ideas such as a three strike policy, or reducing the amount of funds granted to clubs who violate the rules. Eleanor Field, the Professional Advancement Grants (PAG) chair, said she is working on overhauling the PAG website so that it
works better and more efficiently. Field also discussed changing some of the terminolog y surrounding PAG so that it is less confusing. One change made by F ield was through changing the name for applicants who have never received a PAG grant from “priority one applicant” to “first time applicant.” She also changed the name for applicants who are applying for their first grant in that year from “priority two applicant” to “returning applicant.” Assistant V ice President of the Office of Equal Opportunity, Margo R. Foreman, spoke in front of GPSS to discuss the services her office provides. She discussed
the Office of Equal Opportunity’s role in providing accommodations and access for students so they can succeed in both their graduate and undergraduate studies. Foreman talked about how the Office of Equal Opportunity wants to help make sure relationships between graduate students and their professors are positive and beneficial for everyone involved. “If you don’t have that collaborative relationship, if you don’t feel you have a voice to talk about how you’re impacted by the way exchanges happen, you almost become hostage to the relationship, just looking for the end of it, and that’s not what we want,” Foreman said.
Student Government hosted “ISU Budget 101” on Tuesday evening, a town hall-style meeting aimed at where money at Iowa State goes and how to get the best value out of your education. The event hosted five panelists from different areas of jurisdiction, all of whom gave a small presentation about their area of expertise as well as answered the audience’s questions about residential contract policy changes, Greek life, how funding is delegated throughout the university, where the Forever True funds will be going, student fees and international student opportunities. Pam Cain, the interim senior vice president of University Services, gave an overview of Iowa State’s budget to give the audience a framework to begin to town hall. Pete Englin, the assistant vice president of Student Affairs and the director of residence, spoke about the value of on-campus living and the benefits of ISU dining. Having options of on- and off-campus dining and residency also assists in giving current and prospective students the ability to find what fits their budget. Roberta Johnson, the director of the Office of Student Financial Aid, gave a presentation about the importance of applying for financial aid. Johnson stressed the importance of filing the FAFSA before Dec. 1 in order to be considered for the maximum amount of student aid. Beate Schmittmann, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, spoke about the diversity of LAS and how important student success is to the college. Ann Marie VanDerZanden, the associate provost for academic programs, explained her role coordinating student success opportunities as well as undergraduate opportunities. Before the town hall began, a survey was available for students to submit questions for the panelists to answer. The submitted questions asked about where student tuition goes, the nuances of student fees, how Iowa State helps prepare students, undergraduate preparation tips, new ISU Dining projects and wellness services for students.