Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU The Utah Statesman Students 1-21-2011 The Utah Statesman, January 21, 2011 Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/newspapers Recommended Citation Utah State University, "The Utah Statesman, January 21, 2011" (2011). The Utah Statesman. 157. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/newspapers/157 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Students at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Utah Statesman by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 UtahThe Campus Voice tatesman SUtah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com since 1902 Residence hall awarded School of the year By MAX PARKER DAHL “To be chosen as school of the year is a RHA. “Compared to other bids, the regional we are, and what we can do.” staff writer great honor for us,” said Kaitlyn Allen, the executives said that ours was particularly The RHA is responsible for the “Humans national communications coordinator for the strong. It’s all about letting people know who vs. Zombies” phenomenon that swept campus The organizers of the “Humans vs. Fall 2010, and turned it into an arena: sprint- Zombies” game last semester raised the bar ing, shooting, sweating, swearing and scream- for residence halls everywhere. The game ing students attempted to be the last human helped Utah State University’s Residence Hall standing. Association (RHA) on their way to being Plans for another round of the game are awarded “School of the Year” for the 2009-10 underway, and members of the RHA are academic year. continuing to plan activities that involve and The nod for “School of the Year” was voted include students; those who live on campus upon by members of the Intermountain in the dorms, and the student population at Affiliate of the National Association of large. College and University Residence Halls, after “It is overwhelming with all the clubs on reviewing a 30-page bid prepared by members campus and can be intimidating as a new stu- of the USU-RHA board. dent,” Allen said. “Members of the RHA take Universities in the Intermountain region initiative and set up activities to build leader- run the length of the Rocky Mountains, ship.” including a swath of states surrounding Utah, The RHA has a weekly meeting Wednesday as well as the Alberta and Saskatchewan prov- USU’S RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION WAS awarded “School of the year” 09-10. -See RHA, page 3 inces of Canada. Regional executives said USU’s 30–page bid was “particularly strong.” ANIE AGHABABYAN photo Possibility of more budget cuts on the way Utah legislature takes a look at the state budget and proposes a 7 percent funding cut of all state-sponsored programs USU’s state-provided funding: enrollment over the past few years. He said the By ROB JEPSON combined factors create a $49.8 million deficit for staff writer the school, even without additional budget cuts. (by the millions) USU’s director of state and federal relations, USU president Stan Albrecht met with mem- Neil Abercrombie, said the proposed cut is not 2008-09: $162.4 bers of the Utah legislature Wednesday to present final. information regarding the projected effects of a “What (legislative) fiscal analysts offered are newly proposed seven percent budget cut to USU’s not proposals,” he said. “They’re just offers on the 2009-10: $150.2 funding. table to begin discussion. So, it’s not a cause for Each fiscal year the Utah legislature examines alarm.” 2010-11: $143.9 the state’s budget and looks for ways to reconcile He said the legislature proposed the seven per- any existing deficits. This year Utah’s budget is cent cut as a starting point to see how it would 2011-12: $142.9 roughly $313 million short of projected spend- affect the various state-funded programs. The ing costs. In order to balance the budget, Utah purpose of Albrecht’s presentation was to inform Congress is proposing a seven percent funding cut members of the higher education appropriations – A total of $23.5 million less to all state-sponsored programs, including higher subcommittee what the effects of the cut would education. The seven percent cut, if enacted, be. funding than in 2008-09 would be in addition to USU’s budget cuts from “They are not intended to be final numbers,” previous years. he said. “We realize the state is in a very tight Albrecht told members of the higher education position to balance the budget, and USU is very appropriations subcommittee – the committee carefully considering the budget cut, but we’re not A 7 percent budget cut could tasked with deciding how much state funding to panicking yet about what’s being discussed. The allot to higher education institutions – that reduc- session hasn’t even started yet.” potentially require USU to drop: ing USU’s budget by seven percent would poten- Albrecht agreed saying it isn’t quite time for tially require USU to drop 270 courses, 68 regular people to start planning accordingly. faculty members, one executive position and 74 Albrecht said, “I would just remind everyone – 270 courses staff members. that the session hasn’t even started yet; numbers The cut would force USU to reduce faculty, being discussed at this point will bear little – 74 staff members increase class sizes, and hire more adjunct profes- resemblance to what the final budget will be at sors to make up for the lack of full-time profes- the end of the session in March. Accordingly, it – 68 faculty members sors, Albrecht said. is important not to overreact to anything you are He said USU’s budget is already projected to seeing at this point.” – 1 executive position be in the negative due to past budget cuts, the rate of inflation, and a steady increase in student – [email protected] Grant intended to help Peeping Tom scares residents through our window before and heard us speaking Spanish, ranchers and farmers By DAN SMITH or has seen us somewhere else and knows that we speak news senior writer Spanish.” The student said she and her friend left the area to pick up By RHETT WILKINSON An unknown individual was seen by Aggie Village resi- a friend from Bullen Hall on campus. staff writer dents peering into windows outside of apartments around While they were waiting in their car, she said they saw a 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 8. In the past month, Utah State University Extension has dark figure who was wearing different clothing from the win- An engineering senior who wished to remain anonymous dow peeper. benefited financially in two big ways. One of these financial said she and a friend were frightened twice in one night. “We were parked and we saw someone right behind our benefits can be attributed to a new faculty member who previ- The student said she and her neighbor were in her apart- car standing with his arms crossed looking to us, just staring ously taught at the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR). ment that night and heard a rapid knocking on the neighbor’s at us,” she said. “It was weird, it was totally weird.” Dillon Feuz, USU professor of applied economics, said one upstairs apartment door. When the neighbor got up to see She said when their male friend came outside and got in of the school’s chief marketing agencies received a grant of who it was, the person was already gone. the car, the group left. The man who was “stalking” them more than $300,000, while raking in even more money initial- “Through the balcony, she saw a person watching through started running after the car as if to chase them. ly intended for UNR, due to a transfer that took a professor my window,” the student said. The student said she called the police from the car as they Reno to Logan. She said the individual was wearing a black jacket and a drove. Last semester, the United States Department of Agriculture dark-colored beanie but could be identified as a white male. Later, she said, she and her friend decided to spend the (USDA) awarded a $315,535 grant to Risk Management When her friend confronted him, she said he responded in night together because they were still feeling spooked. Spanish as if he knew that was the women’s native language. “He said, ‘Hola, como estan?’ like ‘How are you?’ and then -See MONEY, page 4 ran,” the student said. “I’m guessing he was already looking -See POLICE, page 3 Inside This Issue 1/21/11 USU men’s www.utahstatesman.com basketball Sundance Film Festival team sets Check out our Fun Stuff page, opens in Park City. record with lots of comics, many of them win over La local, contests and puzzles. Page 5 Tech, 74–57. Next week, watch for a new student cartoonist, as well! Page 9 Official Student Newspaper of Utah State University • “It’s All The News You Need!” 2 Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 Page 2 World&Nation Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com ClarifyCorrect The policy of The Utah Statesman is Backpack bomb found at MLK event to correct any error made as soon as possible. If you find something you SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – FBI bomb until later, expressed concern would like clarified or find unfair, agents are checking “fruitful leads” about the number of people who please contact the editor at 797-1762 in a bombing attempt at a Martin could have been injured or killed if it or TSC 105.