Monday, April 20, 2015 | Volume 210 | Number 140 | 40 cents | iowastatedaily.com | An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890.
FROM A to Z
Iowa State celebrates rights of First Amendment By Matthew.Rezab @iowastatedaily.com
Zachary Zenko replaces Arko Mukherjee as GPSS president By Emily.Stearney @iowastatedaily.com Zachary Zenko, the next Graduate and Professional Student Senate president, has his sights set on being a professor. Zenko has been at Iowa State for three years working toward a Ph.D. In addition to starting his dissertation, Zenko has also been elected to be next year’s GPSS president. Zenko’s goals as a graduate student have always been clear. He knew he wanted to work for a university since his freshman year of college. “My ultimate goal is to become a professor,” Zenko said. Zenko finished the Preparing Future Faculty program last semester in preparation of entering the faculty workforce after earning his Ph.D. Zenko said his work in GPSS has helped prepare him for his future plans. “It’s a wonderful program,” Zenko said. “I recommend it to anyone who wants to become a faculty member.” After earning his degree, Zenko wants to either go on to do post-doctoral work or enter the workforce as a professor. Originally from Levittown, Pa., Zenko received an undergraduate degree from Edinboro University and a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. His first two degrees are in health and physical education and health physiology. “I don’t want you to think I studied to become a gym teacher,” Zenko said with a laugh. Now a Ph.D. student, Zenko specializes in exercise psychology and is beginning to prepare for his dissertation, which he hopes to obtain within a year. Amid his graduate studies, Zenko said he will remain involved with GPSS. Zenko has been involved with GPSS for his entire career at Iowa State, and will replace Arko Mukherjee as president for the upcoming academic year. Zenko started out as a kinesiology senator for two years before becoming vice president
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Whitney Lynn/Iowa State Daily
Zachary Zenko will replace Arko Mukherjee as GPSS president for the 2015-16 academic year. Zenko spent his first two years at Iowa State as a kinesiology senator before becoming vice president of GPSS this year.
Americans often claim to love and follow the Constitution, but sadly many citizens are unaware of its basic contents. The First Amendment Center, based in Nashville, Tenn., has found only 1 in 6 Americans have been able to name the five freedoms granted by the First Amendment since the yearly poll began in 1997. The five freedoms granted by the First Amendment are: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, the right to petition the government and freedom of and from religion. In an attempt to better educate students and the community, Iowa State is hosting First Amendment Day in honor of our sacred freedoms with Feast on the First on Central Campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday and will welcome Gene Policinski, chief operating officer of the Newseum Institute, for a lecture at 7 p.m. in the Curtiss Hall Auditorium. Katie Titus, president of the Society of ProfesPOLICINSKI sional Journalists at Iowa State, said she hopes the events are not just fun and entertaining, but informative as well. “First Amendment Day is a celebration of the First Amendment and First Amendment rights,” Titus said. “ It gives students a chance for debate and the opportunity to learn more about their rights.” Feast of the First will feature booths for clubs and organizations to spread their ideas and messages as well a soapbox area where attendees are encouraged to exercise their rights in the form of debate. Fighting Burrito will cater the event. Policinski has been a longtime advocate for First Amendment rights. He has been involved in journalism in one form or an-
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Jessica Darland/Iowa State Daily
The George Washington Carver Association and the Saint Thomas Aquinas Church cosponsored the homeless awareness sleepout Saturday.
Students experience night without a home By John.Kruse @iowastatedaily.com
Schuyler Smith/Iowa State Daily
LGBTA ALLIANCE HOSTS ANNUAL SPRING DRAG SHOW Molly Pumps awes the crowd during the ISU drag show Sunday. The show was sponsored by LGBTAA in support of Youth and Shelter Services. LBTA Alliance’s mission is to “provide a safe space where students and guests can discuss and learn about the LGBTA community, their sexual orientation and gender identity, have support in their acceptance of themselves and others as we strive to eliminate homophobia and heterosexism in all aspects of life on and off campus,” according to its website.
Despite the rain and chilly temperatures, Elizabeth Haut and several other ISU students spent a night huddled together in duct-taped-cardboard boxes. By choice. These students spent Saturday night outside to spread awareness about homelessness in America. “We don’t know people’s situations or what they have been through,” said Haut, student organizer of the event and junior in mathematics. “A lot of people go day by day wondering where
they’re going to sleep.” For the event, students were asked to fashion their own overnight shelters out of cardboard and duct tape, where they would spend the night. At least 2.3 million people experience homelessness at some time during an average year, according to Future in Humanity, an organization dedicated to helping the homeless. The event was supposed to have taken place on Central Campus; but because of the constant rain throughout Saturday, the event was moved to the bottom section of the St. Thomas Aquinas
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