The Appalachian
TheAppalachianOnline.com
Vol. 86 No. 20
SGA opposes tuition hike
Thursday, November 10, 2011
24/5 back for exams, atrium to close for spring by ANNE BUIE
Senior News Reporter
Hank Shell | The Appalachian
SGA President Lauren Estes listens in as representatives from across campus defend tuition increases. SGA voted to oppose the proposed raise in cost.
Increase would raise costs 12.3 percent, $389.26 for in-state undergraduates by HANK SHELL News Editor
by ANNE BUIE Senior News Reporter
T
he Student Government Association (SGA) voted unanimously Tuesday to oppose a proposed 12.3 percent increase in tuition for the 2012-13 school year. The SGA bill will be used as a recommendation to the Board of Trustees for their consideration of the fee proposal. Sophomore John Secrest, off-campus senator, wrote the bill. “Tuition has always been really important to me,” Secrest said. “Even though I’m a senator, I’m a student just like everybody else with bills to pay and I don’t exactly have $389 laying around.”
In its current state, the tuition proposal would mean a $389.26 increase in yearly tuition for all Appalachian State University students, said Tim Burwell, vice provost for resource management and chair of the tuition committee. The bill also reaffirmed SGA’s counter-proposal of a 6.5 percent tuition increase, which was introduced during the committee’s discussion phase. The 15-person committee – made up of Student Government Association representatives, faculty and administrators – passed the proposal nine to four with two abstentions. SGA Vice President Mattie Hardin, who sat on the committee, said “students were outnumbered” in the tuition debate. “They’re using tuition to
overcompensate for their loss from the budget cuts,” she said. Hardin also sat on a separate fees committee that passed a general fee increase proposal – $525.26 for undergraduate resident students. SGA approved that recommendation. “The money they asked for and everything we found – that is justifiable and it would positively impact the students’ lives,” Hardin said. “They’d definitely see the benefits.” Currently, the proposals exceed the UNC system Board of Governors’ tuition and fees increase cap by 5.8 percent, but Burwell said there was some “wiggle room” for universities that can justify their needs. “We gave up almost $23 million in appropriation going into this year, so we decided that we needed to try to go above the 6.5 percent or at least
request it, in order to make up for that loss of appropriation,” Burwell said. If approved by the Board of Governors, the move would raise approximately $5,950,228, 33 percent of which would go toward financial aid, Burwell said. The remaining balance would go toward restoring a little over 18 faculty positions, supplementing Belk Library’s crippled budget and bandaging general funding that has seen 30 to 40 percent cuts in some areas. The chancellor will present his revised version to the Appalachian Board of Trustees at their Dec. 9 meeting. The Board of Trustees will then send its approved version to UNC system President Thomas Ross, who will then present it to the UNC Board of Governors for final approval.
Candidates get results of sluggish election by MIKE RUTLEDGE
Intern News Reporter
Eager anticipation hung in the air of the crowded courthouse basement Tuesday night as the Boone Town Council candidates, their families and supporters waited for the results. When the dust settled, re-elect Andy Ball received the highest number of votes with 456, or 32 percent, of the total. Re-elect Lynne Mason was second with 406 votes, or 29 percent, and newcomer Allen Scherlen was third with 388 votes, or 28 percent of the vote. Anne Rasheed appeared on the ballot and received 121 votes, despite dropping out of the race in October. The candidates were competing for two four-year terms, with the third place Margaret Cozens | The Appalachian candidate getting a two-year (From L - R) Re-elect Lynne Mason, newcomer Allen Scherlen and re-elect Andy Ball celebrate and term. “I’m excited about my next speak with supporters in the basement of the Watauga County Courthouse after learning election four years on the council results Tuesday, Nov. 8. Mason and Ball earned four-year terms, while Scherlen will serve a twoand moved by the response year term. of the community to the “I’m honored that so many people came issues and the platform that I had this term, and it’s been an honor to serve our cycle, which is the same one I had last time community and be re-elected by the citizens out and voted for me and that the race was – environment and sustainable growth,” of Boone,” she said. “I really look forward so close,” he said. “This is an exciting time in said Ball, the second Appalachian State to continuing to serve residents. We have a Boone and I look forward to working with number of pressing issues that we have and the other council members to complete the University student to serve on the council. projects that we ran our campaigns on.” Upon learning the results, Mason will continue to be working on.” Scherlen, an Appalachian librarian, was thanked her supporters. see Election Results , page 2 “This is actually going to be my fourth happy with his first election experience.
Correction
A Nov. 8 story in The Appalachian contained a quote attributed to sophomore hospitality and tourism major and Belk Hall Resident Assistant (RA) Molly Brown. That quote was misattributed. The quote read, “I understand the need to always be able to change the responsibilities in our positions, but at the same time going back and always quoting the same part of the contract is somewhat demeaning.” The quote should have been attributed to senior sustainable development major Kaitland Finkle, senior RA of Belk Hall. Additionally, a paraphrase in the same story attributed to RA Council President Vonté McKenith did not communicate McKenith’s point clearly. McKenith never said the discussion was over. He said a clearer way to phrase his point would be, “The time for discussion about the changes is not yet over. RAs are continuing to make their voice heard, but it feels as if they are only getting so far.”
The Library Services Committee has decided to cut 24/5 service to the Belk Library Atrium, effective in December, University Librarian Mary Reichel said. “This semester we’re finishing having one security guard 24/5 for the atrium,” Reichel said. “There hasn’t been very high usage of it but we will be open two weeks around finals.” The recent loss of $1,942,000 from the library budget, and the ensuing loss of 24/5 library service, prompted the Student Government Association (SGA) to pass a bill supporting the loss of 24/5 atrium service in exchange for 24/5 library hours during the fall 2011 exam week. Mattie Hardin, SGA vice president, and Alex McPherson, SGA director of academic affairs, had proposed this idea at the beginning of the year, said Ken Johnson, coordinator of learning and research services for the library. “Once they passed the bill, the timing was perfect,” Reichel said. “The library has what is called a library services committee that’s made up of faculty, staff and students. Alex is a member of the academic affairs committee and the bill was passed within the past ten days before that and she came to that committee with the recommendation, so we got the input from that committee that helps us make decisions about policies and procedures of faculty and staff and we all agreed.” Originally Reichel wanted the atrium to be open 24/5 for the duration of the school year, but SGA-conducted surveys showed students wanted the 24/5 service during the fall 2011 exam week instead. The library plans to be open 24/5 during spring 2012 exam week but confirmation has not been finalized. “That’s just slightly hinging on making sure the private security firm accepts our contract,” Johnson said.
Alpha Tau Omega returns to ASU by ANNE BUIE
Senior News Reporter
Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) is bringing its Iota Pi chapter back to Appalachian State University, according to greeks.appstate.edu. “ATO strives to recruit the highest caliber men, and in turn become one of the most pre-eminent, respected organizations on every college campus,” said Jordan Fischette, leadership consultant for ATO. ATO took a hiatus from Appalachian in 2008 after failing to recruit enough men, Fischette said. “We have been working closely with the university and with the office of Greek life ever since we left,” Fischette said. “When we received an invitation to return to App State we couldn’t have been happier.” Jamar Banks, director of Center for Student Involvement and Leadership, believes that the return of ATO will have a positive impact on fraternity and sorority life at Appalachian. “I think any time you have a new group that comes back with a new energy and enthusiasm - that is contagious and could impact the community in a very positive manner just from being excited about being in a fraternity and sorority environment,” Banks said. Appalachian students who join ATO now have the opportunity to be founding fathers and make the fraternity their own. “I think starting a fraternity is going to be life-changing,” said Jay Brennan, an ATO founding father and sophomore business and economics major. “You’re not just following in the footsteps – you’re making the trail.” Brennan didn’t get a bid from other fraternities at Appalachian, but he said that he’s so much happier to have this opportunity. “There’s something about these guys,” Brennan said. “They’re different. There’s something more than your average fraternity.” Brennan says he is looking forward to gaining the leadership skills that ATO teaches. ATO offers a number of leadership programs like Altitude, LeaderShape, Presidents Retreat and Emerging Leaders conferences, according to ato.org. The fraternity has already recruited Appalachian leaders from the Student Government Association, Eagle Scouts and Appalachian Ambassadors. ATO will begin colonization on Nov. 11.