First-year live-on requirement increases demand for off-campus housing

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PAGE 3 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

First-year live-on requirement increases demand for off-campus housing

Martha Topolnitski

Correspondent

The first-year live-on campus requirement has been pushing students, especially upperclassmen, to seek off-campus housing options as early as their second year.

Although students have a variety of options to choose from off campus, questions about affordability, convenience and proximity still remain.

This requirement was first implemented in the 2017-2018 academic year, and while there are spots reserved for first-years in dorms and parts of Wolf Village, returning students only had guaranteed housing options reserved for them in Wolf Ridge, according to Katerina Pawvluk, the associate director of housing operations, assignments and conference services.

“Wolf Ridge is an option strictly for returning students, so it gives them that option for them to be able to return if they want to,” Pawvluk said. “There are some other things we are looking at doing to provide more resources to returning students in finding housing accommodations.”

Pawvluk said that the requirement does have many positive aspects for first-years beginning their college careers.

“Research shows that students who live on campus do better academically, they transition better, they socially adjust a little faster when they live on campus, when they’re around support services and they’re around other students going through what they’re going through,” Pawvluk said. “They have all of the programs and all of the resources that are here on campus. They do much better in their first year and progress into their second year better.”

In terms of housing options, not only is space limited for upperclassmen, but many students must plan far in advance for the next year’s living situation.

With an early and small window to solidify the following year’s living situation, students may have to make decisions pertaining to housing in a shorter period of time, as explained by Tate Brandt, a fourth-year studying polymer and color chemistry.

“You definitely had to start looking [for housing] before winter break,” Brandt said. “After that, it really filled up quickly.”

Affordability continues to be a priority for students. Although NC State doesn’t have many housing opportunities for upperclassmen, students like Josh Walker, a fourth-year studying business administration and accounting, agreed that off-campus housing can be affordable while still being convenient in terms of proximity to classes and a satisfactory living space.

Walker stated that there is a variety of housing options available off campus, ranging from affordable apartments and houses to expensive ones.

“There are super cheap apartments, expensive apartments, cheap houses and expensive houses all over the place,” Walker said.

Even with numerous housing options available, off-campus housing options are being expanded upon, according to ITB Insider.

The newest residential building “The Standard,” which will be located on Hillsborough Street, is in the process of being built. This will be a new housing option for students within the next few years, as reported by ITB Insider.

According to ITB Insider, not only will this building offer new housing in addition to the existing buildings, like Valentine Commons and Stanhope apartment complexes, but it may also offer a greater variety of pricing options for students.

GLENN WAGSTAFF/ARCHIVE University Housing has an office in Pullen Hall.

Sexual assault reporting process explained

Boz Kaloyanov

Assistant News Editor

The U.S. Department of Education has proposed changes to Title IX, the federal legislation enacted to provide procedures for investigating sexual assault and harassment on federallyfunded college and university campuses. While these recent changes have prompted backlash from university community members, the process for reporting sexual assault on college campuses has largely been the same since the bill was passed.

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued what is known as the Dear Colleague letter in April of 2011, which urged colleges to follow certain procedures still in use today.

Dave Johnson, an assistant equal opportunity officer at NC State’s Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity (OIED), explained the implications of the letter and how Title IX functions on a day-to-day basis.

“The Dear Colleague letter outlined a national call for action because of statistics regarding sexual assault on college campuses,” Johnson said. “Research was being done; people were seeing things, like one in five women were victims of completed or attempted sexual assaults on college campuses.”

Later, during the Obama administration, the law was clarified further and some structural guidelines were established, according to Johnson.

“First, all schools are going to designate a Title IX coordinator, somebody who is in charge of all things Title IX at your university,” Johnson said. “The next thing is that once a school knows or reasonably should know of possible sexual assault on campus, they must take immediate and appropriate action to investigate the situation. If sexual violence has occurred, they must take prompt and immediate steps to end the sexual violence, prevent the recurrence and prevent its effects.”

The law covers a wide variety of forms of sexual harassment, including sexual violence, sexual exploitation and stalking. Ultimately, the most important factor to consider is consent, according to Johnson.

Johnson also pointed out supplementary parts of the legislature, like no-contact orders, which require two parties affected by a Title IX report to avoid all forms of interaction. Additionally, he mentioned that the law covers the issue of potential retaliation, so if a victim of harassment was treated unfairly by a party as a result of filing a report, the law would offer protection.

Filing a Title IX complaint begins at the OIED, where the primary task is to gather information, Johnson explained. Even then, while a report can be filed, whether the university officially takes action is up to the survivor.

“Unless there is a danger to the campus, we won’t proceed without a student wanting to

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PAGE 4 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

New student election requirements to make candidacy more accessible

Alicia Thomas

News Editor

On Monday, Feb. 4, all NC State students will be able to fill out an intent to run form for spring Student Government elections.

Compared to past academic years, requirements to be a candidate have changed to encourage students to run for Student Government, according to Lee Daniel, a third-year studying biology and commissioner in the Student Government Board of Elections serving as finance chair.

“In general, a lot of the changes that we tried to make were to limit barriers of entry as well as identify some of those that made it easier for candidates to get into the elections process,” Daniel said.

One of the major changes made to the elections process is shifting the intent to run forms from a physical form to online, where people have more flexibility to submit them.

“Previously, what candidates had to do is that they had to print out a sheet, fill it all out and slide it under the doors of the Student Government suite or deliver it in person,” Daniel said. “Obviously, that doesn’t work really well when people have jobs or other commitments 9-to-5 that prevent them from doing that, so we moved that online so people

NICK FAULKNER/ARCHIVE Vice President Meredith Spence Beaulieu, a fourth-year Ph.D. studying entomology, and Student Body President Jess Errico, a fourth-year studying mechanical and aerospace engineering, cheer with their campaign team at the announcement of their election on Thursday, March 1 in Talley Student Union. can access that whenever.”

Additionally, after a student fills out an intent to run form, they must attend an all candidates meeting, according to Daniel. After the meeting, candidates will be required to participate in a module, described as something close to a Moodle quiz, where students will have an opportunity to understand the Student Government handbook and policies further. “With the all candidates meeting, we’ve added a post module that candidates will complete there,” Daniel said. “So, the object with that is to summarize that information and to make one cohesive document that takes the handbook, which is a 27-page document, to try to [simplify] it down to, ‘Here are the most pressing things that you need to be aware of,’ in addition to all of the other policies that take effect with that.”

Another change made to the campaign process was the spending limit of candidates. In the past, spending limits for students running for Student Senate were $200, and for student body officials, the limit was $800. According to Daniel, the change was made through the Campaign Spending Reform Act, a Senate bill to make running for office more accessible.

“Spending limits for this election cycle have been reduced by 50 percent for all student body officers, and then for Senators by 75 percent,” Daniel said. “The goal with that was to lower the barrier of entry, because in my personal opinion, and a consensus of a lot of the people we talked to was that it’s kind of ridiculous that someone can spend an average of $700 and not win the position.”

According to Daniel, additional changes are being talked about in the Board of Elections that have not been passed that would give candidates more information about NC State policies, rules and regulations.

Students interested in running for a position in Student Government or students interested in the timeline of the election this year can visit the Student Government website.

REPORTING

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file a formal complaint,” Johnson said. “The options are kind of this: We know about something, somebody comes to talk to us, the first thing we’re going to look at is ‘is this a case?’”

If a report completed by the OIED gets approved by the survivor, it then goes to NC State’s Office of Student Conduct, according to Johnson.

“I put together a report, and that report goes to Student Conduct, then Student Conduct determines if they’re going to charge anybody with anything,” Johnson said. “So, just because we do an investigation doesn’t mean anybody’s been charged; we’re just gathering information.”

Student Conduct will then call upon the accused party, also known as the respondent, and the survivor to talk about what happened. Jessica White, associate director of the Office of Student Conduct, explained that her office will review the report and decide whether to issue a charge, which is a submitted allegation.

“We’re determining whether there’s sufficient information to issue a charge,” White said. “A charge is different from a violation.”

White explained that from that point, it moves on to a hearing process, which is often formatted as a discussion. During a hearing, the OIED may present their report findings, Johnson said.

“Our hearings are held in a conference-style room, so it doesn’t look like a courtroom at all,” White said. “I would compare it more to kind of a round-table conversation, in which it’s an exchange of information.”

Thomas Hardiman, director of the Office of Student Conduct, determines how to proceed from the given information, Johnson explained.

“He will hear the case, ask questions that are appropriate,” Johnson said. “Individuals have the right to ask questions, if necessary, [in the] least traumatic method possible, and he will determine if there was a violation of Student Conduct policy or not, and then decide what does that mean, and what sanctions will occur because of that.”

Once the hearing is over, White and others at Student Conduct analyze the information gathered and determine whether a university policy violation occurred.

“It’s really going to depend on the totality of the information, both in that investigative summary report and any clarifying information that is generated during that administrative hearing,” White said. “We’re going to take a look at the alleged student behaviors that occurred and … determine whether or not that rises to the level of a university policy violation.”

Further information on Student Conduct’s policies can be found online. Additionally, the OIED website has informative resources and provides students with a place to report harassment.

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On the Oval serves as primary food location for Centennial Campus

Lauren Greene

Correspondent

At On the Oval, a food court on Centennial Campus, a majority of the restaurants close after 3 p.m., excluding Gravity Cafe. This food court provides a wide variety of options condensed into one location, such as Talley or the Atrium on main campus.

Five years ago, NC State Centennial Campus opened Wolf Ridge student apartments along with the first major dining location, the Oval. The Oval contains five different restaurants, with four of them having limited hours of 10:30a.m.-3p.m. Gravity Cafe opens from 3p.m.-10p.m. making it the only food option on Centennial that is open during dinner hours.

Jennifer Gilmore, director of marketing and communication, explained the university selected the specific, limited hours based on the population at Centennial during those times.

“The population starts out really small in the morning and peaks during the day, when you have more students, commuters and faculty dining around centennial campus,” Gilmore said. “Then the population drops dramatically when you go into the evening. That is why the Gravity Cafe accommodates people who are there, which is not very a large population.”

Gravity Cafe used to be called Newton’s Diner, providing a more generic menu to students. According to Shawn Hoch, associate director of NC State Dining, students requested a bigger variety of food from Newton’s Diner, and that led to the creation of Gravity Cafe.

“Their perception was that you have a lot of burgers and chicken tenders,” Hoch said. “A lot of customers were saying, ‘we really enjoy this, but it gets old.’”

Although Gravity Cafe offers the only food service during certain times on Centennial Campus, Hoch mentioned it is the most economically efficient option based off the people who need food at that time. According to Hoch, creating endless choices at dining places without a real need would force meal plan prices to increase.

“[We] have to be responsible stewards of the university’s money, and make sure we are keeping the cost down with student meal plans,” Hoch said. “Everything dining does is selffunded and funded by the department, so we want to make sure we are not increasing cost to the students.”

Before On the Oval, iCafe provided the main meal service for students on Centennial campus. iCafe served Chick-Fil-A and other graband-go items. According to Shawn Hoch, this was meant to be a temporary food service and only lasted about three years.

Besides the Oval, two other food locations of Centennial Campus accept dining dollars that are often overlooked, according to Hoch: The Terrace Dining Room, located at the Lonnie Pool Golf Course, and the State Club Restaurant, located at the Park Alumni Center, serve lunch every weekday, along with Terrace Dining Room serving brunch on the weekends.

Both Gilmore and Hoch said that the university is always looking for feedback from students as well as ways to improve the university.

“We are only five years into this,” Gilmore said. “We are beginning to look into the next steps, and what are the things that we should be doing. How can we provide more variety?”

Hoch emphasized change and more dining options will arrive as Centennial Campus expands in the coming years.

“[Fitts-Woolard Hall] is opening in 2020, so there will be about 1500 new people residing,” Hoch said. “Each one of those things will impact the service on Centennial, and we will be conscious about those potentially new customers and who we can invest in them.”

SWATHI KARTHIK/TECHNICIAN On the Oval is one of the few dining places on Centennial Campus. It has 5 options: Cold Fusion Salads and Deli, Fahrenheit, Flashpoint Global, Newton’s Grill and Gravity Cafe.

Duke professor under intense international criticism after discriminatory email

Staff Report

A professor at Duke University sent out an email last Friday asking Chinese students in the biostatistics master’s program to not speak their native language at the school and workplace, resulting in an international debate.

According to NPR, the email was sent out by Megan Neely, the former director of graduate studies in biostatistics at Duke, who claims that two of her colleagues complained to her about Chinese students speaking their native language too loudly in the study areas.

Neely then sent out an email to all first and second-year biostatistics graduate students, which stated: “PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep these unintended consequences in mind when you choose to speak in Chinese in the building. I have no idea how hard it has been and still is for you to come to the US and have to learn in a non-native language. As such, I have the upmost [sic] respect for what you are doing. That being said, I encourage you to commit to using English 100% of the time when you are in Hock or any other professional setting,” according to The News & Observer.

The email was then on social media accounts, including on Duke’s Asian Students Association Facebook page, The News & Observer reported.

Duke’s Asian Students Association then released a statement about the email, stating that for international students, speaking in their native language is a means of comfort and familiarity with their home and culture, which is often suppressed in the States.

“It is also important to indicate that one’s use of another language should not at all be an indication of deficiency in English,” the statement read. “It is ultimately extraordinarily xenophobic to believe so and should have no place in an environment like Duke.”

According to The Washington Post, Neely then apologized for her email, stating it was inappropriate, after stepping down from her role as the director of graduate studies in the biostatistics department.

“I deeply regret the hurt my email has caused,” Neely said in the statement. “It was not my intention. Moving forward, it is my sincerest wish that every student in the Master of Biostatics is successful in all of their endeavors.”

Neely will continue to be an assistant professor at Duke, according to The Independent.

According to The News & Observer, the Chinese government has commented on the situation after expressing intense criticism.

Geng Shuang, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, spoke out about the situation at his daily press briefing in Beijing, according to The News & Observer.

“If a Chinese university required that American students not use English to communicate, I think this would not be normal,” Shuang said.

Duke’s Office for Institutional Equity has been asked to conduct a review of the biostatistics master’s program and evaluate ways to improve the department for all students.