a g u y a C THE
Collegian
collegian@cayuga-cc.edu
www.cayugacollegian.com
Vol. 57 Issue 13
February 16, 2009
New SGO President Appointed
College Bans Smoking
By Kevin Cool, Staff Writer
By Jerald Smith, Staff Writer
Vice President Kimberly Patch takes over for Drew Young who transferred this semester. Cayuga Community College’s Student Government Organization (SGO) is under new leadership this semester. Kimberly Patch, the SGO’s vice-president will take over the responsibilities as president for the resigning Drew Young, who transferred to another college this semester. “I wasn’t too happy about it... didn’t know I could do it,” Kimberly Patch said about her presidency. The non-traditional student juggles studies with taking care of her husband and three children. Despite all her duties, Patch is always prepared, taking to the executive planning meeting a host of ideas for fund-raisers and other events. An election to select a new vicepresident will be held to fill the vacancy created by Patch moving up to president. Interested candidates must be full-time students, with a GPA of 2.5 or better. Some of the responsibilities of the SGO vice-president are coordinating a April 23 blood drive and assisting in general elections for the 20092010 academic year in May. SGO secretary Brandon Gilmore says the new vice-president needs
to be ready for the job. At the most recent Student Senate meeting Gilmore said that there is “a little tension between Fulton and Auburn advisors, but everyone has a difference of opinion.” He was referring to a dispute over whether the bus for the trip to Washington would pick up students at both the Auburn and Fulton campuses. The bus will pick up students at both campuses to make it easier for students at each campus. SGO treasurer Alaric Robin said, “Students seem willing to cooperate, despite tension between advisors.” Robin also said that the budget is, “$34,590.75 for all clubs and $11,372.31 for the SGO.” All students are welcome to attend Senate meetings which are held in the Business Industry Center. One of the events the SGO is planning a showcase of local talent called Cayuga Paloosa at the Auburn Public Theater, Saturday April 25th. They’re also in the process of planning a murder mystery dinner. To get involved in your student government e-mail CayugaSGO@ Gmail.com or call 255-1743 ext. 2468.
Economy Weighs on Students By Brandi St. John, Staff Writer
With the current state of the world and the economic turmoil the United States is currently experiencing, many college students are worried about losing their financial aid, possibly not being able to afford tuition. For the majority of undergraduates, most of the money that pays for school comes in the form of student loans. On average, a student graduates college with about $21,000 dollars in debt, some topping the scales at $100,000 or higher, according to emergingminds. org. And with the tuition at private and public colleges and universities skyrocketing, that is more than most students can handle. “I worry about losing my aid all together, “said a Cayuga Community College freshman who didn’t want to be identified. “If that happens, I don’t know what I’ll do. You need a degree to get anywhere in this day and age, but if the cost of getting an education becomes impossible to manage, how is anyone ever supposed to get more than a lousy minimum wage job?” With student loan companies reporting devastating losses, many states and universities are doing away with student loan programs all together. Loan agencies in Michigan, Montana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Iowa,
and more have announced cutbacks in their student loans. Generally thought of as a stable investment, students now must worry about their loans., according to emergingminds.org; Many state and local governments secure money for public or quasipublic programs through a venue that most people have never heard of called the market for auctionrate securities. Before the financial crisis, auction-rate securities offered government borrowers a very low interest rate and it offered lenders (banks and other corporations) ready access to their cash investment through regularly-scheduled auctions for the bonds, where they could sell their investment and get their cash back on sometimes a weekly basis. They were earning a higher return than they would with their money in a bank. All the investments were insured by companies called bond insurers, which specialize in guaranteeing this kind of debt. Here is where things started to unravel. These bond insurers also insure other types of debt—like sub prime mortgages. Now that these insurance companies are going to have to secure those loans, the banks don’t think they can guarantee student loan debt as well. continued back page
in Favorite Student Hang-out A popular hang-out for CCC smokers is the entrance protected by an overhang right outside the college’s business office in the Main building on the college’s Auburn campus. The area, which looks out into the courtyard, is quite often heavy with smoke, but no more. The college is trying to put a stop to it. On Monday, February 2, “NO SMOKING” signs were posted in the usual smoker’s outpost and the ashtrays were removed from the tops of the two trash cans. Despite the new signs prohibiting smoking there. There were still many smokers who either decided to ignore the signs and smoke there anyway, or they showed their frustration by throwing their cigarette butts on the ground due to the lack of ashtrays. “I understand the ban around the doorway, but smokers need a designated area for smoking. They need t o put an ashtray back there because kids are throwing their butts on the ground just to be defiant,” David Calkins, a smoking student at the campus, said. SGO Treasurer Alaric Robin said, “I don’t smoke and I don’t usually go out there. But I do think they need a place to smoke.”
Many smokers shared that opinion as well. Just standing out in the area for a mere few minutes an onlooker could hear several of the smokers say things along the lines of, “This was basically the designated smoking area, and if we can’t smoke here then where are we supposed to smoke?” “People should get used to it. When they go out to the corporate world they will find smoking bans that already exist. Being that there are children on campus, I fully support it,” said SGO President Kimberly Patch on the smoking ban. The differences in opinion on the ban are very clear, as are the strong feelings on both sides of the issue. Last Wednesday, just nine days into the ban, one smoker decided to show their anger about the smoking ban by ripping down the “NO SMOKING” signs. The college has local law on their side. In 2008, the Cayuga County Legislature passed a law prohibiting smoking within 35 feet of a county building. The college is looking to become a completely smoke-free campus later this year.
Email from CCC President Larson to the College Community Good morning, Beginning Monday, February 2, smoking no longer will be permitted in the overhang area outside the Business Office overlooking the Auburn campus quadrangle. New “No Smoking” signs will be posted in that area. The College community increasingly is concerned about the impact and health concerns caused by second-hand smoke and tobacco usage. The College Cabinet has voted in support of the move toward becoming a smokefree campus. A task force has been formed to brainstorm and discuss how to implement such a policy. The Board of Trustees will make the decision. In the meanwhile, please be reminded that the Cayuga County Legislature voted in 2008 to prohibit smoking within 35 feet of County buildings. As the sponsor of the College, we need to be mindful of that action. Currently, the College does have designated smoking areas. Please ensure that as a campus community we all are reminded of our mutual responsibility to honor them. Thanks. Dan