The Ithacan Thursday, October 27, 20 11
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Volume 79, Is s u e 8
Citizens unite to fuel local economy
SGA vote backs equal drug policy by candace king staff writer
Alex Colket, creator of a new website called Swidjit, stands outside Culture Shock on Wednesday. His site offers a forum for local businesses.
michelle boulé/the ithacan
by nicole ogrysko staff writer
Local entrepreneurs are creating new business models to change the way Ithacans communicate and work with each other in an effort to rejuvenate the local economy in a post-recession era. At a panel Oct. 13, the Sustainable Enterprise and Entrepreneur Network identified four initiatives — Ithaca Hours, time banking, Share Tompkins and a website called Swidjit — as sustainable efforts to revive the local economy. In 2010, annual consumer spending
dropped 2 percent nationally, according to data from the Bureau of Labor. Economic growth fell by 0.6 percent in 2009 and grew by 2.4 percent in 2010 according to the Tompkins County Index of Economic Activity. Michael Shuman, economist, author and research and economic development director of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, a network that represents local businesses in 30 states nationwide, said if Tompkins County revitalizes local businesses, it has the potential to create 21,473 new jobs and $1.2 billion in possible new wages.
During his speech, "Revitalizing Tompkins County," on Tuesday, Shuman said boosting local businesses benefits the environment, public health and global image. “At the end of the day, a local economy leaves a community richer,” he said. In 1991, a group of community members created Ithaca Hours, a local currency to keep money in the community between small businesses and individuals. The organization celebrates its 20th anniversary this month and is the longest running
See economy, page 4
College awaits A&E sustainability certification by kacey deamer staff writer
Ithaca College is in the process of finding out just how sustainable the Athletics and Events Center is, culminating years of planning and construction. The A&E Center will gain silver or gold sustainability certification next year, falling short of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design's maximum platinum certification, which is held by two other buildings on campus: the Peggy Ryan Williams Center and the Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise. The center’s size and large open spaces hinder the building’s ability to gain enough points for platinum certification. Moody Nolan, the architectural firm behind the A&E Center, has completed 14 LEED-certified projects, according to Howard Blaisdell, a senior associate at the firm.
Blaisdell said silver certification is an impressive achievement because of the A&E Center’s size and purpose. LEED certification is the country’s top distinction for green building design, construction and operations. There are four levels to the LEED program that a building can achieve: basic certification, silver, gold or platinum. Certification is based on a points system — out of 100 possible points — and a new construction or major renovation needs to achieve at least 40 in order to be LEED certified. The A&E Center and its surrounding property is extensive, covering nearly 15 acres, according to Rick Couture, associate vice president of facilities. A 130,000-square-foot field house and a 47,000-square-foot aquatics pavilion are included in the A&E Center. These large spaces are hindering the college from receiving the
best revival Driven Puerto Rican student successfully re-auditions for theater department, page 13
highest LEED certification of platinum, according to Couture. The A&E Center is unlike the Peggy Ryan Williams Center, which is made up of smaller offices, Couture said, each with its own opportunity for sustainability
features like motion sensors, trash and recycling stations, specialty windows and other features. “Because the A&E Center is a lot of open space, there’s
See leed, page 4
Students walk to the Athletics and Events Center, which was officially dedicated Oct. 15. The center cannot receive platinum certification.
graham hebel/the ithacan
Rise above
Club sports teams display passion by overcoming economic obstacles, page 23 f ind m or e. onl ine. www.t heit hacan.org
Students for Sensible Drug Policy at Ithaca College is moving forward with its initiative to equalize disciplinary penalties for marijuana and alcohol possession after receiving support from the Student Government Association. The initiative will address the judicial discrepancies between the two substances by FLAHERTY said SGA wants to make requiring the same sure students are disciplinary and ed- treated fairly. ucational interventions for both infractions. The penalty for marijuana possession is currently more severe than that for underage alcohol possession. Mike Leary, assistant director for judicial affairs, said the penalties for alcohol and marijuana possession and usage are consistent, but not definite until meetings with the student who committed the offense are conducted. "There is some judgment used by all of our hearing officers and I think that it's to the student's advantage," Leary said. "But what we normally do is, if a student is involved in a first time marijuana violation, is normally one semester probation and an online course called Marijuana 101 and then if there is a second marijuana violation, it would be probably a year of disciplinary probation." Leary said the first violation for underage alcohol possession is typically a written warning. "We have another online course called Under the Influence which the student would take," Leary said. "If it was a second time violation, it would be a semester disciplinary probation and an alcohol education seminar." After reviewing SSDP's proposal, SGA agreed to endorse the organization's initiative in a 14-2 vote Oct. 12. Junior Rob Flaherty, vice president of communications for SGA, said that it was important for SGA to convey an accurate message to the student body about the penalties for marijuana and alcohol possession and use. "Illegal use of drugs is the same no matter what," Flaherty said. "We want to make sure that students are being treated fairly and equally throughout the process and I think that this is a step in the right direction." Though SSDP has received support from SGA, the process toward instating
See policy, page 4
full voice Media outlets should strive for balanced coverage of protests, page 10