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THE VOLANTE NOVEMBER 20, 2013
Staben to be president at U-Idaho Megan Card The Volante
Use it or lose it First-year Lexy Pillatzki pays with her flex Monday night in Muenster University Center at the newly opened Einstein Bros. Bagels.
MALACHI PETERSEN/THE VOLANTE
University officials look to restructure meal plan options Trent Opstedahl The Volante
Monday’s grand opening of Einstein Bros. Bagels at the Muenster University Center marked the first of two transition phases into the newly expanded student union building. With the second phase set to go in effect at the beginning of the spring semester when the MUC expansion is completed, University of South Dakota officials are looking to evaluate the need
to restructure meal plans for the 2014-2015 school year. According to Jeff Baylor, USD vice president of Marketing, Enrollment and Student Services, a university-comprised committee will assess how students respond to the centralization of dining services in the MUC throughout the spring semester. “We already know that we’re going to need to evaluate how our meal plans are serving our students as the
changes come,” he said. Changes include the relocation of the Commons into the MUC and the addition of two more national food franchises, Chick-fil-A and Qdoba. Unsure of how students’ spending habits will adjust with the new dining facilities, Baylor said student surveys and meal plan, flex dollar usage will have a crucial role in the restructuring process. “We really don’t want to do
anything right now because we want to respond to the students and their needs,” Baylor said. Before any price changes to existing or future meal plan options could go into effect, the university would need to submit their proposal to the South Dakota Board of Regents during their annual budget meeting in April, said Monte Kramer, SDBOR system vice president of finance and administration. As part of the tuition and
Please see MEALS, Page A7
STUDENT MEAL PLAN BREAKDOWN
USD MEAL PLAN OPTIONS Coyote Block 80
Coyote Block 80
80 meals | $700.00 flex | $81.99 facility fee | Cost: $1,454.50
44 percent
Coyote Block 55
Flex C
55 meals | $765.00 flex | $81.99 facility fee | Cost: $1,330.60
Coyote Block 55
Coyote 10
Flex B
15 percent
Coyote 17
Coyote 10
Coyote 10
10 meals per week | $264.00 flex | $81.99 facility fee | Cost: $1,330.60
10 percent
Flex A
Coyote 17
Coyote Block 55
Coyote 17
17 meals per week | $264.00 flex | $81.99 facility fee | Cost: $1,651.85
5 percent
Flex A
Flex A
$1,248.00 flex | $81.99 facility fee | Cost: $1,330.60
8 percent
Flex B
Flex B Coyote Block 80
$690.00 flex | $45.36 facility fee | Cost: $736.55
14 percent
Flex C
Flex C
$345.00 flex | $22.90 facility fee | Cost: $367.90
fees budget, Kramer said meal plan prices are regulated by the SDBOR using the “Meals Away From Home” consumer price index. Kramer said while meal plan prices are set by the SDBOR, individual institutions determine meal plan options. “If they want to add a new meal plan or adjustment we usually let them,” Kramer said.
4 percent
Source: Phil Covington
Source: usd.edu
APPEALS UNIVERSITY APPEALS BOARD MEMBERS Adam Chicoine, director of food services Phil Covington, associate dean of students Erik Muckey, Student Government Association president Student Accounts representative Residence Hall Government Association student representative Two community advisers — appointed by Phil Covington
Provost Chuck Staben will depart from Vermillion Feb. 15 as he transitions to his newlyappointed position as president of the University of Idaho, said STABEN University of South Dakota President James Abbott Monday. “Losing an important member of USD’s executive community is always bittersweet, but I can’t help but be happy for him,” Abbott said. In his absence, Kurt Hackemer, associate vice president for academic affairs, will serve as interim Please see PROVOST, Page A6
No citations issued for texting ban Levi Gutz The Volante
No citations and only two warnings have been issued for texting while driving nearly five months after Vermillion’s City Council enacted a citywide ban, said John Prescott, city manager. Vermillion Police Chief Matt Betzen said while the law is hard to enforce, the threat of a citation is deterring crime. “People could be doing something on their phones that is legal, but once you make the statement something is illegal, most people will just obey the law,” Betzen said. Betzen said the law would be enforced against individuals who are putting themselves and others in harms way. “This law gives us the tools to deal with the most flagrant abusers, those who are totally not paying attention at all while driving,” Betzen said. Vermillion became the fifth city in South Dakota to implement a law against texting and driving, and while no one has been given an actual citation, Prescott said the law was a good decision.
Source: usd.edu
Please see CITATIONS, Page A8
Counseling center treats sexual harassment daily Trent Opstedahl The Volante
In part three of this fourweek series about women's issues, The Volante focuses on what it means to be sexually harassed on campus and how to handle it. It could happen anywhere — walking through the Muenster University Center, arriving to a morning class, working an
eight-hour shift or conversing at a house party. No matter the time or place, the number of college students who have or who are experiencing sexual harassment and/or abuse is on the rise, according to a 2012 study. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports in their study, "Sexual Violence Facts at a Glance 2012," that about 13 percent of women and 6 percent of men have admitted
to having experienced sexual coercion at some point in their lives. Reflecting this study's findings, Lauren Schuur, coordinator of prevention services for the Student Counseling Center at the University of South Dakota, said between the eight counselors on staff, at least one of them sees a patient on a daily basis who has experienced some form of sexual harassment or
VERVE
Verve previews the Department of Theatre's production of "Les Miserables."
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assault. "The perception here in Vermillion is people think they don't have anything to worry about and it's really safe, and the reality is things like sexual harassment do happen," Schuur said. In an effort to change Vermillion's general "perception" of sexual harassment and abuse, Schuur has focused her efforts on an awareness group known as the "Sexual Assault
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What is sexual harassment? Harassment, typically of a woman, in a workplace, or other professional or social situation, involving the making of unwanted sexual advances or obscene remarks. Response Team," a community-based group aimed to pre-
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vent and confront sexuallybased incidents. Currently in the process of being revitalized, Schuur said the group's main efforts consist primarily of education. "We're looking at what we can do as community members of Vermillion to get the perception out there that stuff happens," Schurr said. Please see HARASSMENT, Page A7