Northern Iowan t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f n o r t h e r n i o wa’s s t u d e n t - p r o d u c e d n e w s p a p e r s i n c e 1 8 9 2
SEPTEMBER 28, 2012
I
FRIDAY
VOLUME 109, ISSUE 10
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
CEDAR FALLS, IOWA
I
NORTHERN-IOWAN.ORG
BOARD OF REGENTS
GOVERNMENT
BOR proposes replacing tuition set-aside program DANCE MARATHON
LINH TA
Bedecked in orange, students gear up for next Dance Marathon
News Writer
could use federal, state or local government-issued photo IDs or a student ID from any Iowa high school or public or private college. Iowa residents who do not have a photo ID could obtain one free of charge, and if a voter forgets their ID on polling day, another person with a valid ID can attest for him or her. Additionally, state election staff would help elderly people in assisted living sign affidavits allowing them to vote. Other panelists included John Johnson, UNI professor of history; Chris Martin, UNI professor of communication studies; Michael Blackwell, a member of the executive board of Blackhawk County NAACP and director of UNI’s Center for Multicultural Education; Donna Hoffman, UNI professor of political science; and Jordan Bancroft-Smithe, student body president. Former state representative and state senator Pat Harper was the moderator. Discussion opened with Johnson, who described the history of voting in the
Tuition could decrease as much as $1,000 in future years if the regent universities change the way they provide institutional financial aid. The Iowa Board of Regents recently proposed to phase out the current tuition set-aside program at the three Iowa regent universities and replace it with a new $40 million state-funded financial aid program for students. The BOR voted this summer to get rid of tuition-funded scholarships over the next five years and created a committee of university officials to come up with a plan to do so, according to an article from CBS News. At the BOR meeting on Sept. 12, the committee revealed the $40 million financial aid program, which would replace tuition dollars used for financial aid with state tax dollars. The BOR submitted their request to the legislature at the meeting. They will vote on the full plan at their next meeting on Oct. 24 and 25. The tuition set-aside program currently in place uses 15 percent of tuition revenues from students and sets it aside to help with financial assistance, according to Joyce Morrow, director of financial aid at the University of Northern Iowa. The program currently provides 40 percent of UNI students with grants and scholarships. “So many families are in different situations, but a needy student may not have enough money to cover tuition and fees (and) room and board…” Morrow said regarding the use of the grantbased funding. The merit-based funding helps fund the Presidential Scholars program, honors program, departmental scholarships and scholarships awarded upon admission, according to Morrow.
< See VOTER ID, page 2
< See TUITION SET-ASIDE, page 2
An orange-themed dance event on the roof of Maucker Union had prospective Dance Marathon participants stomping and strutting their stuff Monday night. < See PAGE 4 WOMEN’S SOCCER
UNI picks up 2 1-0 victories in past week The Panther women are fighting back after a string of tough losses. < See PAGE 6
COLBY CAMPBELL/Northern Iowan
From left: NISG president Jordan Bancroft-Smithe, Iowa secretary of state Matt Schultz, director of UNI Center for Multicultural Education Michael Blackwell and UNI professor of communication Chris Martin at the panel discussion “Voter ID: Voter Fraud or Voter Suppression?” on Sept. 25.
Panelists discuss voter ID laws BROOKS WOOLSON Staff Writer
FOOTBALL
No. 1-ranked Bison to challenge No. 14 Panthers this weekend
It’s now or never if the Panthers want to make their way to the FCS playoffs this season – UNI has seven games left and likely must notch wins in each one to play in the postseason. < See PAGE 6 CAMPUS LIFE
Family Weekend will host ‘extended’ Panther family for fun and food A variety of activities await parents, siblings and other visitors this weekend. < See PAGE 4
University of Northern Iowa students and members of the local community packed into Lang Auditorium Tuesday night for a heated panel discussion on voter identification laws. UNI’s American Democracy Project and the Black Hawk-Bremer League of Women Voters sponsored the panel discussion, titled “Voter ID: Voter Fraud or Voter Suppression?” Thirty states have enacted voter ID laws. In Iowa, secretary of state Matt Schultz, who was a panel member, endorses passing a bill requiring Iowa residents to obtain a photo ID in order to vote. Schultz’s proposal is before a committee of five Republicans and five Democrats, who are debating how it may be implemented. It has not been brought to a vote in either the state House or Senate. “If somebody cheats, they are taking away your vote and mine,” Schultz said during the panel discussion. The proposed bill states individuals
STAFF
Haire steps into role as director of public safety CODY GRIMES News Writer
OPINION
It’s more than just a game Columnist Ruane makes a case for the importance of Panther athletics, invoking a sense of unity and pride. < See PAGE 3
INDEX OPINION............................3 CAMPUS LIFE....................4 SPORTS.............................6 CLASSIFIEDS.....................8
Helen Haire began her position as director of the University of Northern Iowa’s department of public safety on Sept. 4. Haire succeeds longtime director Dave Zarifis, who retired in April. “My plan is to ensure that the (public safety) department members have the training and tools necessary to provide the safest environment possible for the UNI community,” Haire said. “Another very important part of the plan is to engage
the members of our community through education and awareness so they understand that safety is a community-wide effort which requires everyone’s participation.” Haire was most recently employed by Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., as police major. There, she coordinated teams involved in evidence, IT management and campus camera systems. “I think the biggest difference between my position at LSU and my position at UNI is
COLBY CAMPBELL/Northern Iowan
< See HAIRE, page 2
Helen Haire, the new director of the department of public safety at UNI, works in her office. Haire began her position on Sept. 4.