March 22, 2012

Page 1

The Appalachian

TheAppalachianOnline.com

STUDENTS ELECT

Suspensions reinstated

Elections for Student Body President and Vice President will take place Friday, March 23 through Wednesday, March 28 on Appalnet

by MEGHAN FRICK

Associate Editor, Editorial Content

A

ppalachian State University has reinstated suspensions for four Appalachian football players and another student accused of sexual assault by junior history secondary education major Meagan Creed, Creed said in an interview Tuesday. Two of the students accused by Creed were also accused by freshman sustainable development major Alex Miller, as The Appalachian reported in the March 1 article “Athletes Accused.” Those two student athletes were initially found responsible for the charges brought by Miller, but were not found responsible for the charges brought by Creed, according to the March 1 article. The students initially faced summary suspension from the university, but the suspensions were overturned based on a discrepancy between Appalachian’s Code of Conduct and the UNC Policy Manual, according to the March 1 article. But Creed was informed Thursday, March 8 that suspensions for all five students had been reinstated, she said. The decision came exactly one week after The Appalachian published Creed and Miller’s allegations March 1. The suspensions have increased Creed’s feeling of safety on campus, she said. “Yesterday was probably the best day that I’ve had since all this happened, because I could relax on my own campus,” she said. “I’ve spent the whole day on campus – outside, enjoying the weather, enjoying Appalachian again.” Dean of Students J.J. Brown said he could not comment on a specific student conduct case. He did, however, comment on recent concerns raised about the student conduct process. Brown said students should bring concerns to his office, because the Code of Student Conduct is reviewed and evaluated each year. “I’ve said to a number of students who have expressed concern in the last couple of weeks that if they have any concerns about our student conduct process, we welcome their feedback,” Brown said. Vice Chancellor for Student Development Cindy Wallace, Director of Student Conduct Judy Haas, Provost Lori Gonzalez and Associate Vice Chancellor for Communication and Cultural Affairs Hank Foreman all referred The Appalachian’s reporter to Brown. The Appalachian does not print names of alleged sexual assault victims unless given permission by the alleged victims. Both Creed and Miller provided that permission.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Vol. 86 No. 40

Information compiled by Anne Buie

Freemyer & Lee

Hatley & Hanna

Cox & Barnes

Evan Freemyer is a junior political science major. Robert Lee is a junior political science major.

Steven Hatley is a sophomore business management major. Chelsey Hanna is a junior international business major.

Jake Cox is a junior political science major. Eric Barnes is a junior management major.

Qualifications/Experience

• Lee and Freemyer have both served as senators since their freshman year. • Lee and Freemyer have been members of the SGA Rules Committee.

Platform/Issues

• Freemyer and Lee want to continue pushing Appalachian State University’s leading role in sustainability. They hope to establish energy use monitors for residence halls and train resident assistants to use the monitors efficiently. • Freemyer and Lee hope to utilize the Association of Student Governments to show statewide support for the Teaching Fellows. They hope that the support will force legislature to evaluate the consequences of cutting the scholarship program and could eventually refund the program.

Qualifications/Experience

Qualifications/Experience

• Hatley has been involved in SGA for over 18 months. • Hanna has been an off-campus senator since December 2011 and is currently president of the Net Impact club.

• Cox has served as a senator and as director of international and environmental affairs for SGA. • Barnes has served as a senator and as director of legislative operations for SGA.

• Hatley and Hanna said they are committed to an open door policy between SGA, administration and students. They support the idea of creating a 24-hour phone hotline for students to contact SGA members about concerns. • Hatley and Hanna are looking into adding more flexibility within the general education program by adding lower-level foreign langauge classes.

• Cox and Barnes’ platform is called F.O.C.U.S., which stands for feasibility and organization, communication, unity and sustainability. • Cox and Barnes are looking into the feasibility of adding more phone lines for Safe Ride and opening Sanford Mall to tailgating. • Cox and Barnes said they are trying to implement sensitivity training for professors for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender community.

Platform/Issues

Platform/Issues

SGA presidential debate highlights student concerns by ANNE BUIE

Senior News Reporter

The candidates for student body president and vice president discussed a variety of issues, including campus safety and the inefficiency of the Association of Student Governments, at the Student Government Association presidential and vice presidential debate Tuesday. This year’s tickets are: Jake Cox and Eric

Barnes, Steven Hatley and Chelsey Hanna, and Evan Freemyer and Robert Lee. The candidates answered questions from a debate panel and from the audience. Each ticket had three minutes for an opening statement, two minutes and 30 seconds to answer questions and three minutes for closing remarks. Candidates also had the opportunity for a 30-second rebuttal if needed. James Terrell, the panelist from club

council, asked candidates how they planned to improve student safety on campus. “In order for students to feel united, they must come to campus knowing that while here, that they are safe,” according to the Cox-Barnes platform. Cox-Barnes wants to add more blue light telephones and improve the security in parking decks at night. see Debate, page 2

90.5 WASU wins 2012 mtvU College Radio Woodie Award

by KATIE REULE

Intern News Reporter

Appalachian State University’s student radio station, 90.5 WASU, “The App”, won the 2012 mtvU College Radio Woodie Award, according to its website. WASU received more votes than nine other national universities to win best college radio station of the year. “The next step is to get the word out that we’re here and we’re better than we’ve ever been,” Music Director Torrence Welshans said. “We have to keep getting better, to keep our name out there. Our 40th anniversary is April 14th, and it’s shaping up to be a pretty exciting year for us.” WASU has competed for the Woodie award since 2009 and won the second-place Shoulda Coulda Woodie Award in 2011. The mtvU Woodie awards are a yearly competition that

let voters choose their favorite music artist, music video and college radio station, among others, according to MTV’s website. Welshans said WASU gathered support and votes through student involvement, local support, faculty promotion and the help from 106.5 “The End,” a radio station in Charlotte, after making it to the top 10. “We were a small fish in a big pond,” Welshans said. “We were up against schools from major cities like Chicago and Seattle. We’re from Boone. That’s huge that our small community came together to beat such big cities.” For a complete list of the finalists for this year’s College Radio Woodie Award, visit wasuradio.com. Freshman communication major Judith Bernholc works a shift at WASU’s studio in Wey Hall.

Dorm receives LEED certification Mountaineer Hall’s sustainable design merits gold rating by the Green Building Council

by CATHERINE HAITHCOCK Senior News Reporter

Appalachian State University’s Mountaineer Hall received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification for its energy-saving and sustainable design this month. The LEED rating system was developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) as a way to transform building practices by providing a framework for developing green building designs, construction and maintenance solutions, according to usgbc.gov. The 234-unit residence hall received a total of 68 points based on its features. Sixty-five points are required to obtain gold certification. Mountaineer Hall, which was de-

signed with sustainability in mind, had to go through a commissioning process to ensure that the building and all of its entities were operating properly in order to be certified, University Sustainability Specialist Crystal Simmons said. Appalachian’s Board of Trustees enacted a policy that states all new buildings and major renovations must meet the standards of the LEED silver certification. “This certification says a lot about University Housing because we are not required to become certified - we just have to meet those standards,” Simmons said. “This shows leadership and initiative on their part to pursue this.” This is Appalachian’s second LEED gold certification. The first was awarded in 2010 to Frank Hall after it underwent green renovations in 2009.

Amy Birner | The Appalachian

SGA acknowledges general support for university Student Conduct Board by ANNE BUIE

Senior News Reporter

The Student Government Association passed a bill to support the Appalachian State University Student Conduct Board at their meeting Tuesday, March 6. The senators wanted to acknowledge the student conduct board’s hard work, sponsor and Off-Campus Senator Francis Ramos said. “They do not receive the positive recognition they deserve and that shouldn’t be the case,” Ramos said. “It is not fair to them.” Ramos said the bill was not written in response to any case currently involving the student conduct board. Doughton Hall Senator

Rachel Quirin wrote the bill. Director of Academic Affairs Ann Tate also sponsored it. Senators debated about giving the student conduct board support during the meeting. Off-Campus Senator Frank Byrne voted and debated in favor of the bill. “This is more important than the passage of any senate bill,” Byrne said. “As a campus, we have a lot of healing to do. We need to examine the policies that contributed to this situation and we need to look at how to educate the students, faculty and staff to prevent future assaults. We need to move forward as a university so that a tragedy like

this doesn’t happen again.” Off-Campus Senator John Secrest supported the bill. The bill would reaffirm SGA’s support for the student conduct board amidst the current scrutiny it’s facing, he said. “SGA continues to support this institution whose purpose and drive is to see students championed, students properly attaining justice and or defended in cases of accusation and treated fairly,” Secrest said. Not all senators supported the move. Newland Hall Senator Katherine Glassman voted and debated against the bill. “I feel like we should see Conduct, page 2

Correction A March 6 story in The Appalachian contained a factual error in a story regarding a “It Gets Better Video” produced through University Communications and Appalachian Media Production. Due to a reporting area, Assistant Director of the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership Suzette Patterson was quoted saying that the LGBT Center produced the video. It also mistitled Troy Tuttle as university photographer. Tuttle’s title is University Creative Director.


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March 22, 2012 by The Appalachian - Issuu