The Ithacan Thursday, F ebrua ry 23, 20 12
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Volume 79, Is s u e 1 9
IC approves tuition rise for 2012-13 By brian rank staff writer
Ithaca College announced yesterday it will raise tuition 4.71 percent for the 2012-13 academic year, bringing tuition to $37,000 with room and board rising to $13,400. The total cost of attendance will be $50,400. The $1,722 increase is part of the 2012 budget, which was drawn up by the budget committee and approved by the ROCHON said he Board of Trust- wants the college experience to match ees last week. The its price tag. budget committee is led by the Office of Finance and Administration. Carl Sgrecci, vice president of finance and administration, declined to comment on the new cost of tuition. Tuition rose from the current $35,278 price — the lowest increase in a decade. The cost of tuition has gone up 20.9 percent since the 2008-09 school year. President Tom Rochon said the college wants to remain affordable while still covering its costs, including the institutional changes laid out in the IC 20/20 vision plan. “We have been very attentive in the last three or four years to the fact that the costs are very substantial and can be a very real burden for our students and some of our students and families,” he said. The college compares its tuition to 20 similar colleges and universities where they see students apply, Rochon said. The college’s tuition is still less expensive than 16 of those institutions' 2011-12 rates, according to a letter sent to parents this week. “We like that position,” he said. “We want to be a good value to students.” Freshman Karly Redpath said she was not aware the college usually increases tuition every year until they announced the new rate this week. “The tuition here is high and it’s going to get higher,” she said. “I don’t know if that’s going to affect anything I do, but I love it here.” Junior Ellis Williams said he worries that the increasing cost of tuition could prevent some people from attending the college. He said the college’s expansion, through initiatives like IC 20/20 and the center in New York City, will drive up costs and exclude potential students who don’t have the means to pay for it. “Students who potentially may be able to come to this campus know that it’s all about money at the end of the day,” he said. The budget also allots $88 million for institutional financial aid, according to a statement from the college.
Speak your self for
By kerry tkacik staff writer
Will Shishmanian is looking to find his voice, and he is not alone. Last spring, Shishmanian caught a glimpse of himself in a home video. The image was that of a little girl running around shirtless, asking to be called Brett. At that moment, Shishmanian said, everything clicked. An old familiar concept surfaced, and Shishmanian finally began to heavily question his true identity. Over the next summer, he came to the realization that his female history did not
match who he is. “Female pronouns made me cringe, and I hated my name,” he said. Today, Shishmanian, a junior at Ithaca College, is fully out as a transgender individual and is one of many who feel the way they communicate does not reflect their identity. He is part of a pilot group of nine people who attended the new Voice Communication Modification Program for People in the Transgender Community, a program that began last Tuesday. Transgender people do not want to stand out in society and attract negative
New voice modification program helps transgender individuals move confidently through society Photo By Shawn steiner Design by Molly Apfelroth
attention because their voices do not match their appearances, Shishmanian said. “I want to make sure strangers, not just people who are supportive of me, will be like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s obviously a guy,’” Shishmanian said. The program, a collaborative project between the Sir Alexander Ewing Speech and Hearing Clinic at the college, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Outreach and Services, and Planned Parenthood, aims to help that transition happen.
Guest Analysis
The ‘I’ in identity This piece was written by Lis Maurer, program director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center on campus. Maurer addressed some common questions people have when first approaching the subjects of gender orientation, sexuality and identity. Many of us are curious about sexual orientation and gender identity. We see a lot on TV and in movies about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. It’s on the news, in our legislatures, and sometimes even in our voting booths.
See voice, page 4
See identity, page 4
Dryden fracking ban upheld by zoning lawsuit decision ithacan staff A state judge ruled Tuesday that the Town of Dryden was within its rights to ban hydraulic fracturing, a decision that stopped a lawsuit filed by a Denver-based oil and natural gas company against the town’s ban. In August, the Dryden Zoning Ordinance was amended to ban all activities relating to the exploration, production or storage of natural gas extraction, according to the court document, Anschutz v. Dryden. Anschutz contended that the New York state Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Law placed the authority to regulate oil and gas development with the state rather than with local government. Mahlon Perkins, the attorney representing the Town of Dryden, said the case’s verdict was a sound
on the line Senior wrestler follows in family footsteps by joining ROTC, page 19
Ithaca resident Fred Gros protests fracking Dec. 1 on The Commons. Dryden was sued for banning fracking on city land and won the lawsuit. kevin campbell/the ithacan
decision by Judge Phillip Rumsey because it shows surrounding municipalities that they have the power to fight state law. “It’s a victory for the local
land use powers given to villages, cities and towns,” he said. “Certainly their zoning authority will not be usurped by the provision in the state Oil, Gas and Solution
Magic stitch
Dillingham costume shop manager dresses actors for upcoming opera, page 13 f ind m or e onl ine. www.t heit hacan.org
Mining Law that constitutes the supersession provision.” Rumsey determined that New York state oil and gas law does not restrict municipalities from changing their own zoning laws to halt natural gas pursuits, according to the court decision. Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, D-N.Y., said this decision, if upheld after a possible appeal, has the potential to set a precedent in state law. “I'm very pleased with it,” she said. “I’m not surprised, because I think the merits are there. It's a very compelling case, I think, for local control both in our state constitution and a lot of case law around this issue.” The lawsuit was filed by Denver-based Anschutz Exploration
See fracking, page 4
build it up Students seek more input in the college strategic vision process, page 10