ASUP election packet: Get to know the candidates
The
For the love of art Living, page 6
Pages 8-9
BEACON
Vol. 113, Issue 16
Thursday February 16, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
www.upbeacon.net
IN A BIND
Courtesy of The Beacon
Library renovations spell complications for all Study space still undetermined “We know there will be an impact and (it will be) very inconvenient. We’ll do our best to make it good, and we know it’s going to be hard.”
Drew Harrington Dean of the Library
Ian Hilger | THE BEACON
Kathryn Walters Staff Writer walters14@up.edu When renovations to the Wilson W. Clark Memorial Library begin in May, so will a difficult chapter in academic life at UP: The University will be without a library for 14 months, including the entire 2012-2013 academic year. Although some library services will be available during the renovation period, those involved directly with the project acknowledge that the disruption will affect almost everyone on campus. The majority of the 250,000 books will be stored in the Tyson Hall garage. The circulation and reference desks as well as the multi-media lab will be moved to the Terrace Room below The Commons, and Franz Hall will be used for library instruction and administration, according to Drew Harrington, dean of the Library.
“We know there will be an impact and (it will be) very inconvenient,” Harrington said. “We’ll do our best to make it good, and we know it’s going to be hard.” However, the renovations leave the question of study space up in the air. “You kind of lose that environment where it’s removed from the craziness of the dorms,” sophomore Ellen Montanana said. Jim Ravelli, vice president for University Operations, said plans to create more study space for students have not been resolved yet, but some possibilities include opening up classrooms in Shiley Hall and sectioning off areas in The New Commons for studying. “The problem is that we don’t have a dedicated space the size of the Library everywhere on campus,” Ravelli said. In fact, it was concern for students’ study space that led Harrington and others involved
in the project to scrap original plans to store most of the Library’s books in The New Commons. “There was a feeling that it was taking more space than we felt students should have to give up,” Harrington said. “You’re having to give up the Library already, and it just seemed like we were making it too hard on everybody.” While students and faculty will not have immediate access to the books in the Tyson Hall garage, they will be able to request a book they want online. A library worker will retrieve the book and send it to the circulation desk in the Terrace Room, where it will be ready in a matter of hours for pickup. The books will be in closed stacks, which will be in an enclosed area that will take up the entire garage. However, heating and humidity controls See Library, page 5
Where have all the candidates gone? Even unopposed candidates require minimum 10 percent voter turnout Kate Peifer Staff Writer peifer14@up.edu With ASUP elections in less than a week, candidates are running unopposed in all races except for one: ASUP secretary. However, all candidates must still receive votes from the student body to be elected into office. “The candidates have to get 10 percent of the campus to vote for them,” incumbent CPB Director Sean Ducey said. A failure to receive a vote of 10 percent, or approximately 320 votes, would result in several problems, including a delay in
budgeting for campus clubs. “We are stressing the importance of this election because if they don’t elect them, there won’t be a student government,” current ASUP Vice President Chloe’ Ruffin said. Student government vacancies would result in a special election to fill the positions. It’s not clear what would motivate students to vote in a special election if they didn’t do so in the original election. However, Student Activities Director Jeromy Koffler is optimistic about getting enough voter turnout next week because turnout has ranged between 38 and 46 percent over the past four
years. “I think the chances of someone not being in place are slim to none,” Koffler said. Since most of the candidates are unopposed, the annual candidate speech night was cancelled. According to Koffler, reasons there are so few candidates this year are class schedule conflicts, many students applying for an RA position, strict application qualifications and an academic requirement. “It’s a complex issue,” Koffler said. “There is no one answer as to why there are so few candidates.” Ruffin believes students may not have the time or energy to
“We are stressing the importance of this election because if they don’t elect them, there won’t be a student government.”
Chloe’ Ruffin Senior, current ASUP Vice President
ASUP candidates President: Brock Vasconcellos Vice President: Kyle Hamm Treasurer: Caitlin Chu Secretary: Stephanie Fekete and Julia Balestreri CPB Director: Sean Ducey commit to being a part of senate and also may not see the benefits of the position as valuable. “I made more as a student worker working five jobs than as student body Vice President,” Ruffin said. The ASUP president, vice See ASUP, page 4