QUChronicle.com August 27, 2014 Volume 84 Issue 1
SPORTS Defending the crown, page 12
OPINION Death of journalist, page 7
ARTS & LIFE Things to do off-campus, page 8
Setting new standards A new academic year brings new policy changes for students, including shuttle access, visitor limitations and alcohol fines. By AMANDA HOSKINS News Editor
For the first three weeks, first year students will be unable to take the downtown New Haven shuttle on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, according to Associate Dean of Student Affairs Seann Kalagher. This will go into effect starting this weekend and will end the weekend of Sept. 12 through Sept. 14. Freshman students will be allowed on the express shuttles to New Haven starting Sept. 18. “The main reason for doing this is because we are trying to get students to be engaged here on campus when they first arrive,” Kalagher said. Rather than simply showing your Q-Card to get on the bus for the first few weekends, you will have to tap your card to a device that will tell the Public Safety officer if you are eligible to ride the shuttle. This new system will only be in place for the next few weekends, but the university is looking into getting this tap system permanently, Kalagher said. He said Residential Life and the Student Programing Board plan to add more program-
ming during the next few weekends. Kalagher explained the university knows they cannot tell students they cannot leave campus. However, they want freshmen students to get to know each other and acclimate with the campus. “We are not telling first-year students that they can’t leave,” Kalagher said. “We are just saying that one way of getting off campus will not be available for the first three weeks.” He said the university has looked into studies about how important this is for fresh-
“We are trying to get students to be engaged here on campus when they first arrive.” - SEANN KALAGHER
ASSOCIATE DEAN OF STUDENT AFFAIRS men, especially at the start of their first semester. Some freshmen disagree with the university’s decision.
Law school moves to North Haven
“I think it makes it very difficult to get off campus,” freshman Luke Feidner said. “I guess it makes sense but people will just find another way.” Barstool Blackout is an event a number of students already purchased tickets to attend, but they can no longer rely on the school’s transportation. “I’m still not sure yet what I am going to do because all of my roommates and I bought barstool tickets before we found this out,” freshman Jenny Enfield said. “We are probably going to get a bunch of people and a taxi, but it is kind of annoying because the shuttles would have been so much easier.” While the university will not allow students to get on the New Haven shuttles from
campus, they will not deny students once they are in New Haven if they are stuck without transportation back. “If the freshman student is downtown and needs a ride back, we would not tell them no,” Kalagher said. Kalagher said the same swipe system used to get on at Mount Carmel will not be in effect in New Haven. OVERNIGHT VISITORS Residential Life also heightened visitor requirements for this academic year. Students will not be allowed to check in See POLICY CHANGES Page 4
Chartwells adjusts meal plans By JULIA PERKINS Managing Editor
Associate News Editor
see what’s happening on
award-winning website since 2009
POLL
Law students can now call North Haven campus home after the the School of Law building moved campuses. The old law building on the Mount Carmel Campus has been renovated into the Center for Communications and Engineering. School of Law Dean Jennifer Gerarda Brown is thrilled to move into the new building.
“The whole building is so thoughtfully designed to facilitate collaboration and learning,” Brown said. “It’s beautiful now, and will look even better when it’s filled with the sights and sounds of a new school year underway.” The new School of Law building is three floors and includes a library, courtrooms, classrooms, a law clinic and plenty of spaces
See LAW SCHOOL Page 4
Should freshmen be allowed to ride shuttles to New Haven during the first three weekends?
ONLINE
By SARAH DOIRON
Check out photos of the new Law School on our Facebook page.
CONNECT
AMANDA HOSKINS/CHRONICLE
The new law school library has an open area with a glass room for silent study and other small work spaces.
Last year when students ran out of meal plan money they had to scrounge up the extra cash to add onto their account, but this year may be different. Chartwells increased the amount of money on the meal plan and will give Bobcat Bonus Bucks to students who add additional money onto their account. “I know that part of that decision was to make sure students had enough to get through the semester and to help out with some of those problems we were seeing at the end of the semester where students were running out,” Manager of Card Services Deric Waite said. Students who add $400 to their account will receive a $50 bonus with this new plus plan, according to Chartwells’ website. Students, faculty and staff can also add $100 to their meal plans throughout the semester and get a $10 bonus as part of the Kitten Plan. Sophomore Paul Dean ran out of meal plan money last year and had to ask his parents to add money onto his account. He said he is happy with Chartwells’ new plus plan. “It’s great that they’re going to give us more money if we put more money into it,” he said. Students on the Bobcat dining plan have
$1,400 to spend in the dining halls this semester, up from $1,200 a semester last academic year, while students on the Boomer Dining Plan have $1,000 instead of $850. The Bobcat dining plan is for freshmen and students without kitchens in their residence halls, while the Boomer dining plan is for students with kitchens. Prices on some select items also increased, Waite said. For example, ocean spray juice costs $2.69 instead of $2.59 and bottled milk costs $2.25 instead of $2.07. Junior Maddie Eldredge lives on York Hill and said she rather would have paid the $850 on her tuition bill for her meal plan instead of $1,000. She said she has always stayed on budget with her meal plan money. “We have a kitchen now so I would have rather used that money toward grocery shopping,” Eldredge said. Yet, freshman Emma Pickering said she is glad to have $1,400 on her meal plan instead of $1,200. “I would rather have more money [on my meal plan,]” Pickering said. “You don’t have to worry about it so much. I have some friends who are upperclassmen. Especially the guys, they used to run out. I’m sure
The Quinnipiac Chronicle
See CHARTWELLS Page 3
@quchronicle