Stadium Faces Potential Loss of Funding
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Thursday, March 3, 2011 Volume 105, Issue 20 the university SGA proposes graduation change SSIiTs in news 3 the student newspaper of the Taboo disorders draw emotion University of Tennessee Mocs take North Division at Chattanooga in features 6 in sports £ Stadium faces potential loss of funding Bv MATTHEW KENWRIGHT executive director Merril Eckstein Eckstein said. "We will need to Other organizations including investment in the stadium than ASSISTANT NKWS EDITOR said. find increased revenue in other high school football teams, other renters. The director said the funds areas such as a higher price tag for Chattanooga's semi-pro soccer UTC borrowed money to Prices at Finely Stadium may account for IO percent of the parking, increased rental fees and team, band competitions, the contribute to Finley Stadium's change as the Chattanooga City budget. stuff like that." First Tennessee Pavilion and non construction,and it pays $155,000 Council considers not funding the Eckstein said without city Parking fees range from $5 in profits rent the stadium, and their to $175,000 a year in debt service, facility. support, the stadium will increase the surrounding parking lots to rental fees may be increased Hart said. The city has provided $60,000 operation prices to compensate. $10 in the North Lot in front of Eckstein said the University's "We have a vested interest in for several years, Finley Stadium "We are really squeezed," the stadium, Eckstein said. football games provide the biggest overall health of Finley Stadium," turnout and resources. the athletic director said, "We're Finley receives $10,000 from fulfilling our obligations in regards UTC for each game, and the to the rental fee, debt service and University keeps the money from increasing attendance so they can ticket sales, the director said. generate revenue off parking and Finley's Stadium Corporation concessions." representatives present to the Hart said home game ticket city council March 8, and a final sales totaled $211,188, and the decision will be reached July I, average home game brought in Eckstein said. $42,237.60 Carol Berz, Chattanooga UTC determines ticket prices councilwoman and the budget and attendees should not see committee chair, said she was those prices increase, the athletic reluctant to discuss the issue director said. before she reviewed the proposal Hart said UTC and Finley March I. Stadium have a complex Berz said she supports relationship. the stadium, but she wants to The city and county-owned see Stadium Corp.'s five year facility is operated by a private projection. company and separately managed "The board supports the by Executive Director Merril concept, but we have to review the Eckstein. level of funding," Berz said. Sam Nienow.a Franklin, Tenn., Chattanooga taxpayers must freshman, said, "I do not eat or be considered, because they pay park there so it doesn't affect me, for the city's operations and 60 but 1 would like to know why the percent of the county's budget, city may make this decision." Berz said. AJ Montgomery, a Memphis Rick Hart. UTC's Athletic sophomore, said. "I am outraged Photo by Brad Bacon Director, said the University is not by this proposition. Why, Team spirit: As the UTC marching band takes the field for halftime, students and fans in Finley Stadium involved in the discussion. Chattanooga, why are you making cheer them on. If ticket prices rise, the stadium may not see this large of a crowd. Hart said UTC has a larger us pay for this?" Google servers cause problems with MocsMail+ BY JESSICA MKHKIROS campus that said by 8 a.m. let them know what's going on so don't expect this to be a recurring emergencies like bad weather or STAFF REPORTKR Tuesday, about 75 percent of the they can get it resolved for us," issue. bomb threats through email," she accounts were resolved," he said. Wilson said. "But sometimes they Megan Foley, a junior from said. A number of students and "By all indications, everything get back to us, and sometimes Dalton. Ga., said: "If they e-mail Wilson said it is important teachers had problems with their was resolved that same day." they don't." ever went down for longer, it for students to report technical UTC e-mail accounts last week. Wilson said the problems were "One of the advantages of using would be catastrophic. Students problems to the 1TD as soon as Monty Wilson, assistant vice on Google's end, and these are not Google Gmail is they take care of and teachers would be lost " possible, or the department won't chancellor of chief information the tirst ones they have had lately. everything, but a disadvantage is Amelia Gunn, junior from know anything is wrong. officer, said the affected accounts "Google is a huge company, that we don't really know what Decheid, Tenn., said she was He said students can contact appeared to be down between and big companies have issues they do," he saul. unnerved by the email problems. the IT help desk by phone at Monday Feb. 21 and the following too." he said. Wilson said it has been a "It could be dangerous if it (423)-425-4(XM), or students can morning. "We do have contact with fairly reliable system since the went down for too long, because go to the UC computer lab to "We put out a notice to all Google's technical folks, and we conversion last summer, and they a lot of people find out about report a problem. Academic pressure blamed for low retention rates Bv GABRIEI.I.E CIIEVM IIR doing so in an efficient and timely STAFF REPORTER way." Alice Holmes, a Chattanooga With recent legislation saying senior, said she thinks UTC's state funding will now be based graduation rate needs to be higher, on graduation rates rather than and students should be more enrollment, UTC will need to focused on school if they are reevaluate its 42.26 graduation going to be in college. rate. "I think a lot of people just According to Philip Oldham, come to school just because their provost and vice chancellor of parents want them to, not because academic affairs, the retention rate they want to," Holmes said. "1 should rise in the next few years think UTC's rates absolutely need as the freshmen retention rate to improve." continues to go up. According to the National He said the stale's calculation of Center for Policy Analysis Web graduation rate is Hawed because site, "Even among the students it doesn't include transfers. most likely to succeed - those He said UTC's graduation who begin their college career as numbers are more important full-time freshmen in four-year and more accurately show the colleges and universities - only university's output, which is six out of every ten, on average, around 1,200 to 1,300 students get a B.A. within six years." each year. Oldham said that UTC is trying "There are a lot of reasons to answer questions such as how thai students don't complete their to help students who lose their degree, but academic pressure is HOPE Scholarship, in order to one that we hope to resolve with better serve students needs and more academic advising and help those who are struggling counseling," Oldham said. financially. "It's about institutional "I think students will see a alignment for the singular goal of lot of opportunities to really get Photo by Matt Kenwright graduating students that are well focused on their education here in Retaining attention: A large sociology class meets in an auditorium in Fletcher room 100 for Dr. prepared to launch a career and the future," Oldham said. LeMoyne's Sociology of the Family class. UTC cites class stress as a part of the low retention rate. Main office: (423) 425-4298 Advertising office: (423) 425-8101 Fax: (423) 425-8100 caitlin-case@mocs. utc. edu + www.utcecho.com Thursday, March 3, 2011 Volume 105, Issue 20 2 news Contact news editor Caitlin Case at [email protected] The Campus Crime Log Compiled by Matt Kenwright The campus crime log is a search his vehicle. The police St. individual was found vomiting. for underage drinking weekly feature of the University found a plastic bag by his door A woman said she was on Police found that 19 people were 12 people under 21 were cited Echo and is compiled from with one gram of marijuana inside Facebook talking to friends under 21. for underage drinking in lieu of UTC Police reports to keep and $4,023.83 in a duffle bag when another woman wrote on Police seized two vodka arrest, and five UTC students were students aware of incidents on behind the passenger seat. the victim's Facebook that she bottles, one rum bottle and 24 cited to Student Affairs. campus. Reports are listed in Police also found $30 in the was going to hurt the woman's Smirnoff bottles in the common Four non-students were chronological order. car's center console, an empty unborn baby she was carrying area, balcony, freezer and trespassed from UTC property. plastic medicine bottle that and something about an attempted refrigerator. A 23-year-old man admitted to Feb. 23,2011 smelled of marijuana and a plastic murder charge. Police released five minors providing the alcohol. bag with marijuana residue and The victim said she and the and trespassed them from UTC Police charged him with 11-0250 Police responded to a scales. angry woman had previously property after they determined the Contributing to the Delinquency harassment call at 501 Oak St.