2 Vol. XXX, Issue 12 | Tuesday, April 14, 2009 news Oh, the Humanity! lected 421 signatures in total, 30 of Wil - elected president, the consequence is said. By Natalie Crnosija son’s signators had put their SOLAR ID that the executive vice president will be - Senator Aharon Eliezer Benelyahoo numbers in the place of NetID num - come the president for the entire fol - joined in the criticism, saying that a bers. Though the USG election bylaws lowing year.” dangerous electoral appeals precedent The Undergraduate Student Gov - do require SOLAR ID numbers for can - The terms of vacancy would require could be established by accepting Wil - ernment’s Supreme Court unanimously didacy petitions, the petition forms re - governmental reshuffling in late Octo - son’s candidacy. ruled on March 30 that this year’s only quire NetIDs. Patestas, who followed ber, a task which the current Senate was Benelyahoo and Senator Syed Haq presidential candidate was permitted to the election bylaws’ NetID requirement, not eager to support. both pointed out that Wilson’s fate did campaign, and essentially win the USG disqualified Wilson on that basis. The Brady, who would later act as Wil - not fall under the Senate’s jurisdiction. presidency, after his candidacy was ini - reason for the invalidation of the son’s advocate during the March 30 This, however, did not halt the debate. tially disqualified by the USG Constitu - SOLAR ID number requirement exists hearing, expressed his dissatisfaction “We can make corrections to the tion’s incongruous election bylaws. because that number could be used to with the bylaws but said the situation bylaws,” Haq said. “But we cannot do Presidential Candidate Jasper Wil - steal students’ identities and should be was only a glitch in the bureaucratic anything until the court rules.” son’s signed petitions, the requirement struck from the bylaws, Senator Adam process, not a failure and could be cor - The amendments to this section of for a student to become eligible for USG Kent said . rected. the election bylaws were drafted prior campaign funding, were disqualified “The election bylaws are an unmit - There were five other candidates to the election but the Senate’s executive based on the use of SOLAR ID numbers igated mess,” stated Senator Kevin who had been rejected by the same pe - council has yet to amend the contradic - in the place of the required NetID num - Brady at the March 26. USG Senate tition conflicts as Wilson, Patestas tory sections that require only NetIDs. bers on the petition forms, said Kate meeting. “There is a contradiction in said. Following the court’s ruling, these “The amendments should be Patestas, the chair of the USG election the section as to how a petition is vali - perspective candidates will have to in - passed by the end of the academic year committee. Although Wilson had col - dated. Keep in mind that if there is no dividually appeal to the elections com - so this will not happen again,” Executive mittee to be recognized as candidates Vice President Geeta Malieckal said. and receive campaign funds. “We will do another sweep through the Alternatively, Senator Shamell bylaws before the end of the semester.” Forbes argued that the privilege being The elections bylaws conflict post - extended to Wilson’s uncontested can - poned the campaigning process for all didacy was unfair because other per - candidates by nearly a week. spective candidates were rejected “Everyone was victimized by this because they were vying for contested situation,” Brady said. “But rules are seats in the Senate. rules, right?” “It is unfair to open the election up for vacancies and reject others in simi - lar situations in contested races,” Forbes The Stony Brook Press 3 features Stony Brook Miami: Red Hot ogy’s founder Jim Simons and By Najib Aminy leading scientist Henry Laufer, who donated roughly $70 million. Stony Brook had also announced First there was Stony Brook Man - reaching $300 million in its capital hattan. Then there was Stony Brook drive. Southampton. Now there is Stony SBU, whose last attempt for ex - Brook Miami. pansion died with the failure of After months of deliberation, Stony Touro Law School, had been eye - Brook University is in the final stages of ing a number of institutions until acquiring the financially-challenged coming across the troubled FIU Florida International University and campus. The current faculty and adding it to its staple of campuses, ac - administration at FIU will be kept cording to an official close to President intact, according to the SBU offi - Shirley Strum Kenny. cial, however, some changes will be “The move was made to expand made. Stony Brook’s name and provide stu - For one, the school’s motto will dents with a cost-effective education be altered from “A first-class first not just in the New York area but also in class,” to “We are red hot!” Addi - Florida,” said the official, who asked to tionally, the athletic program will remain anonymous for leaking the in - follow Stony Brook’s scheme of red formation. “This acquisition will not and gray and change the mascot only increase the vast amounts of prop - from a panther to a seawolf. erty Stony Brook has but will increase Opened in 1972, Florida Inter - the amount of income the university national University has grown to rakes in.” the nation’s 25th largest university, The takeover follows a number of based on enrollment, with a size of budget cuts that have affected both uni - 32,000 undergraduates and versities. Florida International Univer - roughly 6,000 graduate students. sity was hit hardest when a number of Like SBU, FIU is a commuter its programs had been cut along with school located near some of the faculty and administration freezes. world’s most populated shorelines. “To allow the best academic setting Stony Brook Miami is scheduled to for our students we had no option but open in fall 2009. New Yorkers can to look into a possible merger or even expect to pay an in-state tuition acquisition with another university,” like Floridians. said Michael Rodrigo, an FIU public re - “At this point all that needs to lations officer. Rodrigo neither con - be done is dot the ‘i’s’ and cross the firmed nor denied SBU’s involvement ‘t’s,” the official said. with a possible acquisition. Students may begin registering The financial cost of the acquisition for classes sometime during late- has yet to be released but sources close April and early-May, according to to the deal are speculating the cost to be the Stony Brook official. Graduate somewhere between $370 million and programs are also offered from $400 million, a bargain price for a com - nursing, marine sciences, journal - petitive school. “It’s a buyers market,” ism and theatrical avant-garde. the anonymous source said. The acquisition announce - Just last winter, SBU received large ment is expected in early May. donations from Renaissance Technol - 4 Vol. XXX, Issue 12 | Tuesday, April 14, 2009 Editorial Board editorials Executive Editor James Laudano Managing Editor Andrew Fraley We’re not Saying We’re Bitter... Associate Editor Najib Aminy Spring Break is upon us, and for But this is all just par for the course, relocated due to renovations to the Business Manager those of us lucky enough to be stuck on right? People are supposed to go home Sports Complex, which never actually Katie Knowlton campus for the week, this can mean a for Spring Break, and the unlucky souls happened. I-CON isn’t coming back Production Manager number of things. To start, it means that who are stuck here for the week are in next year either. It may never be back. Tia Mansouri you’re stuck in a virtual ghost town for the very small minority. But has anyone So now we have a gym that’s not reno - News Editors a week, with absolutely nothing to do. else noticed that this is starting to apply vated, and an enjoyable weekend event Natalie Crnosija Campus dining halls have shorter to not just holidays, but weekends too? that no longer exists on campus. Cindy Liu hours, if they’re even open at all. Some Shorter campus dining hours, almost Without getting too sidetracked, we Features Editor buildings, like the Student Union, close no weekend events, etc. It’s almost as if would just like to say thank you, Shirley Alex Nagler at the wee hours of 6pm. A building, the school were discouraging student Strum Kenny, and thank you, Stony Arts Editor built for students with taxpayer money, life during the weekend, and not just the Brook University administrators, for Kelly Yu won’t even stay open for the poor out- holidays. But that’s not what Shirley making Stony Brook University such a Photo Editor of-staters and international students Strum Kenny has said. She’s claimed dismal place to be, not only during Roman Sheydvasser with nothing to do. Not that it really time and again that we’re a true resident school, but on the weekend too. We pre - Liz Kaufman matters; over the years the Union has college, with a robust weekend life. We dict a couple top spots in the next Copy Editors been stripped of almost everything that tend to disagree, Shirley. Another good Princeton Review “Least Happy Stu - Ross Barkan made it an enjoyable place to frequent example of this is the noticeable lack of dents” category. Go Stony Brook Uni - Erin Mansfield (if you don’t know what we mean, ask I-CON this year. One of the few long- versity! Webmaster yourself why it’s called ‘club alley’).