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Steve Moore, Pulitzer Prize winner, named Professor in Practice.
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Morrison Center hosts “Generation Y.”
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Scholarships on the rise for female athletes participating in low profile sports.
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April 21, 2014 • Issue no. 57 Volume 26
First issue free
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Boise, Idaho
Barred from housing McKenzie Perkins Staff Writer
Felonies may cause trouble for house-hunting students
Being a felon does not necessarily disqualify individuals from living in oncampus housing at Boise State, but the presence of a felony on one’s record certainly makes the process of finding and renting an apartment or a house more difficult. “I was homeless for six months, and when you’re on probation, having a place to live, it’s like part of your agreement,” junior communication major Connie Grainger said. According to Grainger, she has two felonies on her record: injury to a child and intimidating a state witness. “It was for failing to protect my children from a volatile gentleman that I was seeing,” Grainger said.
“The gentleman I was with threatened to kill us if I got the police involved in one of our domestic violence situations.” Grainger was arrested and spent ten months in the Ada County Jail awaiting trial after her daughter reported a domestic violence instance to her caseworker. Grainger eventually decided to plead guilty in order to leave incarceration and start to piece her life back together. “I gave up. I should have pled not guilty. I regret it every day,” Grainger said. During her incarceration, Grainger lost custody of her children, who were all physically unharmed. After her release, Grainger searched for months for a
place to live, but was rejected because she could not find a job and had felonies on her record. “I applied at so many places,” Grainger said. “I know I’m not a violent person, and I know I’m a nice person and it was hard to find somebody who would give me a chance.” In the state of Idaho, companies are permitted to deny housing to prospective tenants if they do not pass a background test.
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Often, this means that an individual with a felony on their record may be unable to rent based solely on that felony, regardless of the time that has passed since the felony was committed. The process of finding and applying for an apartment for anybody with a felony on his or her record is further complicated when considering the Fair Housing Act’s protection for individuals struggling
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We find that if an offender has a job, positive social connections and a place to live, the likelihood that they will re-offend goes way down. —Jeffrey Ray
with addiction. According to City of Edmonds v. Oxford House, drug and alcohol dependency qualify as addiction. “Many felons, if not most felons, have drug and alcohol problems. As a consequence, they qualify for Fair Housing protection,” Jeffrey Ray, public information officer for the Idaho Department of Correction, said. A few apartment complexes, as well as Boise State, take into consideration the severity of the felony and allow the individual to appeal a background test. Boise State requires that a student inquiring about housing who has a felony on their record prior to residency on campus write
Tennis prepares for MW championships Staff Writer
The Broncos women’s tennis team will head into the conference championships with ‘clear eyes and full heart.’ This is an extremely exciting time for the Broncos as they try to send off their seniors in the right fashion while their younger players get to watch and observe the intensity of conference play. “I’m super excited it has been four good years, and we’re super excited to get out there we have had a really strong season this year and all the girls have been working extremely hard,” said senior Sandy Vo. Megan Lalone, of Stanwood, Wash. is one of those young players who have emerged for the Broncos this year; she has the best
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overall record for the Broncos playing in the third and fourth courts. Only being a sophomore she has plenty of time to learn and let this experience marinate. “I’m really excited. I am only a sophomore this year, so I still have two more years to look forward to it, but I feel like this team is a really special team,” said Lalone. “I feel like we can really do some great things this year.” Having players to learn from such as Vo and Anissa Bryant-Swift has helped the learning curve for the young Lalone. “It is a great learning experience to play with them and be able to learn from them,” Lalone said. Next year there may be some pressure in filling the shoes of Vo and Bryant-Swift but it seems that Lalone seems to be well equipped in doing so. “They are awesome. Awesome on the court- off the court and in the classroom,” Lalone said. Having experienced players leading the team into conference championships is something that gives the Broncos an advantage over
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their opponents. The Broncos feel as if they are the best conditioned team heading into the tournament but staying mentally and physically tough is going to be a
tough task ahead. “I just think staying mentally tough, physically we are all up there we have worked too hard to give that away, and I think we are one of the
fittest teams in the country,” Vo said. “Battling and loving that battle is going to be the most important thing into bringing home that championship.”
The Broncos thus far this season have created a bond and fun atmosphere, where they feel no matter the court they play on, they feel as it is if their home court. The conference championships will get going Wednesday April 23, in Fresno, Calif.
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a statement detailing the situation surrounding the felony. University Security, Housing and Residence Life, and University Legal Council will take into consideration this detailed explanation of the crime as well as its nature and timing before making a final decision. Finding and renting an apartment with a felony can be an extremely difficult and disheartening task. However, if it can be successfully accomplished, Ray believes it can lead to a decrease in recidivism. “We find that if an offender has a job, positive social connections and a place to live, the likelihood that they will re-offend goes way down,” Ray said.
Senior Sandy Vo (above) leads the Broncos into the MW championships on April 23.
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