Ithaca College Digital Commons @ IC The thI acan, 2008-09 The thI acan: 2000/01 to 2009/2010 8-28-2008 The thI acan, 2008-08-28 Ithaca College Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/ithacan_2008-09 Recommended Citation Ithaca College, "The thI acan, 2008-08-28" (2008). The Ithacan, 2008-09. 1. http://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/ithacan_2008-09/1 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the The thI acan: 2000/01 to 2009/2010 at Digital Commons @ IC. It has been accepted for inclusion in The thI acan, 2008-09 by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ IC. OPINION READING INITIATIVE NEEDS NEW FOCUS, PAGE 10 MAKING HISTORY ACCENT ALUMNA STARS ON HIT TELEVISION SHOW, PAGE 13 First women’s sport added after Title IX study, page 23 THIS I SEE EXPLORING THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK, PAGE 28 Thursday Ithaca, N.Y. august 28, 2008 The Ithacan Volume 76, Issue 1 Convocation Rochon begins college’s next chapter initiates start of new year BY SAMANTHA ALLEN Eighth president refl ects STAFF WRITER Ithaca College’s 2008 convoca- on his expectations tion ceremony, which took place Aug. 25 in Ben Light Gymnasium, not only marked the beginning of for the upcoming academic year the academic year, but welcomed the class of 2012 and new college president, Tom Rochon, to the campus community. Incoming freshmen, faculty, staff Energy is what struck Tom Erica R. Hendry: What have fac- and several returning students, eager Rochon on the steps of the Gan- ulty, staff or students approached to hear Rochon address the campus nett Center as he watched stu- you about in your fi rst few weeks community for the fi rst time in his new dents, faculty and staff pour onto here? post, attended the the Academic Quad for a barbe- ceremony. cue following convocation. Tom Rochon: What has really struck Lynne Pierce, For video footage “I can just see it as I look me is how welcoming people have interim execu- of the ceremony, out across this,” he said. “It’s been and how eager they are to build tive assistant to visit theithacan. great to be starting up.” on our existing accomplishments the president, as- org/go/08con Rochon is Ithaca College’s and achieve even more. It’s such a sisted in prepar- vocation eighth president — the third in positive atmosphere of aspiring for ing for a day that, the past 40 years and the first to excellence, and it’s really wonderful Rochon said in his speech, would move the college forward from to be part of it. not be forgotten. the completion of its Capital “It’s a college-wide effort, it’s Campaign last spring. ERH: One of the issues you’ve in- always special,” Pierce said. “It’s Before beginning his role herited here is sustainability. We just about the start of a new school at the college, Rochon was the received another grant — is there year as well as welcoming the class executive vice president of the anything the college can expect? and the new students.” University of St. Thomas, a The ceremony began at about master’s comprehensive uni- TR: I know I want to engage the 11 a.m. with faculty members fil- versity in St. Paul, Minn. He Ithaca College community — fac- ing in wearing full scholarly re- has also held positions at Cla- ulty, staff and students — in what galia. The Ithaca Brass played remont Graduate University I call a strategic visioning process. a processional march as faculty and Princeton University. Th at means asking ourselves what and administrators took their Rochon spoke with Spe- would it take to fulfi ll our mission places on stage. cial Projects Manager Erica R. to be the standard of excellence The opening of ceremonies was Hendry about what the college for a residential, comprehensive marked by a faculty vocal ensem- faces and the “year of listening” ble singing the college song “Ithaca he said he’s eager to begin. See ROCHON, page 4 Forever,” as well as “The Star-Span- DIANA COWDERY/THE ITHACAN gled Banner.” Catholic Chaplain Carsten Mar- tensen delivered the invocation, a prayer that starts the ceremony. The pinnacle portion of the Temporary housing down Lounging around ceremony was the highly antici- 514 500 pated speech by Rochon, who BY DAVID DURRETT year is the main reason there are The temporary housing problem opened with a joke after greeting a SENIOR WRITER fewer students in temporary hous- at Ithaca College has fl uctuated standing ovation. Of the 1,481 freshmen coming to ing. Th is year there are 1,481 in- during the last decade “I can’t help but worry it’s all Ithaca College this fall, only seven will coming freshmen and 89 transfer going to be downhill from here,” have to live in temporary housing, ac- students while last year there were he said. cording to the Offi ce of Residential 1,838 incoming freshmen and 106 Rochon went on to detail his Life. Bonnie Solt Prunty, director of transfer students, said Prunty. freshman year and how daunting residential life, said by the beginning “A lot of times, like last year, we 179 the experience can seem. of October, everyone will be settled talked about the fact that we have a 167 “My fellow freshmen, I feel into rooms of their own. fairly large incoming class as well as 180 your pain,” he said, “And I feel “From a housing perspective, this the majority of seniors just want to your excitement.” is a really desirable way to open the stay on campus, but this year, the two 97 Student Government Asso- academic year,” she said. “Ideally we numbers balanced a little bit better,” 61 64 10 7 ciation President and senior Cor- wouldn’t have temporary housing she said. 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 nell Woodson gave a speech that when it opened.” Prunty said about 300 vacan- evoked similar excitement from Prunty said the number of stu- cies typically open by the start of the SOURCE: ITHACAN ARCHIVES DESIGN BY ALEXIS MCNUTT the crowd. dents in temporary housing is much spring semester, because students students to use the lounges as com- in temporary housing would move “You all are authors of your lower than in recent years. Last fall, move off campus, study abroad, mon areas and have more fl exibility out by the end of the semester. life story. This is the day you be- there were 179 students without graduate midyear or take other ac- if they chose to move to another “I think it’s a bad situation for gin writing another chapter in permanent rooms at the start the se- tions that require leaving their dor- room midyear. them. It’s not terrible, but it’s not the your book, this the day you start mester and 97 in fall 2006. mitory rooms, allowing everyone to “When we have so much tempo- dorm life, you know, having your with a piece of clean paper,” She said it is unusual to have so leave temporary housing by winter rary housing, it’s really, really diffi - own room,” Brinkerhoff said. Woodson said. few students in temporary housing break. Koenig said she hoped to have cult, because for most of the fall, all Last year, the Offi ce of Residen- Woodson said he thought the at the start of the year, and the last this year’s students placed sooner of the vacancies that come open, the tial Life requested a housing sur- president’s speech put him in a time there was an unusually low than that. vast majority of them get assigned vey in order to address the issue of positive light to students. number was in fall 2003, when only “Our goal is to try to have every- to students in temporary housing,” temporary housing. Th e survey was “He’s a regular person who hap- 34 students were in temporary hous- one out of temporary housing by she said. conducted by Tom Hier of Biddison pens to be the President of the col- ing at the start of the semester. Oct. 1,” she said. “We’re confi dent Sophomore Ashley Brinkerhoff Hier, a resource management and lege,” Woodson said, adding that Linda Koenig, assistant direc- that we’re able to do it, though we said students could go to places like La planning fi rm for institutes of higher convocation is not the place to tor of housing services and com- can’t guarantee it.” Vincita or the library if their lounges education, and 2,381 students re- present everything you believe in. munications for residential life, Prunty said having fewer stu- were used as temporary housing. She said a smaller incoming class this dents in temporary housing enabled said she was confi dent that students See DORMS, page 4 See CONVOCATION, page 4 find more. online. www.theithacan.org THURSDAY BRIEFING 2 The Ithacan Thursday, August 28, 2008 THIS Nation&World WEEK U.S. military brings aid to Georgia 28 THURSDAY A U.S. military ship loaded with aid docked at a southern Georgian port yesterday, and “Camp Out” part of the “Out Russia sent three missile boats to another of the Closet and Onto the Georgian port escalating the standoff in a na- Screen” fi lm series will be tion devastated by war. screened at 7 p.m. in Th e dockings came a day after Russian President Textor 102 Dmitry Medvedev recognized two Georgian rebel territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as inde- Radio station rush night pendent states, prompting harsh criticism from for WICB and VIC at 7 p.m.