Ithaca College Digital Commons @ IC The thI acan, 2007-08 The thI acan: 2000/01 to 2009/2010 2-28-2008 The thI acan, 2008-02-28 Ithaca College Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/ithacan_2007-08 Recommended Citation Ithaca College, "The thI acan, 2008-02-28" (2008). The Ithacan, 2007-08. 6. http://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/ithacan_2007-08/6 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, 2007-08 by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ IC. OPINION GLOBAL EXPERIENCES ARE CRUCIAL, PAGE 12 CUE DANCERS SPORTS BOMBERS PREPARE TO HOST E8 TOURNEY, PAGE 27 Films fi nd their way to Oklahoma from Ithaca, page 15 THIS I SEE CARNIVAL DRAWS TODDLERS TO CAMPUS, PAGE 32 Thursday Ithaca, N.Y. February 28, 2008 The Ithacan Volume 75, Issue 20 New legislation could reduce textbook prices BY DAVID DURRETT STAFF WRITER Junior David Huber said when he fi rst came to Ithaca College his parents wanted him to pay for his own text- books. With textbooks priced as they are now, however, Huber’s parents have no choice but to help him pay for his books. “I can’t aff ord to pay for it all on my own because it’s so expensive,” said Huber. Huber is not the only one whose plans are impacted by these rising pric- es. According to the Public Interest Research Group, college students spend an average of $900 each aca- demic year on text- BY CONNOR GLEASON/THE ITHACAN ILLUSTRATION PHOTO books. Th e group WATSON said also said the prices there is little the of textbooks have bookstore can do to keep textbook risen dramatically, prices low. Shattering the silence now three times as expensive as they were in 1986. Sexual assaults reported on campus spark dialogue and policy change To counter the rising textbook pric- es, the U.S. House of Representatives Education Committee introduced a BY NATHANIEL WEIXEL and giving special training for student lations, including any form of sexual of- provision to the renewal of the Higher SENIOR WRITER justices on the college’s conduct board. fense,” he said. Education Act earlier this month, that A group of students and admin- He said the group hopes to present a Since July 2007, there have been requires textbook publishers to dis- istrators met Monday with the goal set of revised policies to the Board of only fi ve reported cases of sexual as- close information to colleges about of changing Ithaca College’s judicial Trustees in May. sault on campus. revisions, copyright dates and other policy in response to recent allegations Rothman said IC Feminists and Patty Tvaroha, the adult com- information regarding textbooks. Th is of sexual assault. SAFER had already been considering munity educator at the Tompkins will help colleges make more informed Junior Dan Wald, president of Stu- proposals to change the college’s policy. County Advocacy Center, said one decisions about purchasing textbooks, dents Active For Ending Rape, said the Brylinsky said the movement to in every four women will be sexually as well as produce less expensive cus- current policies on campus are not spe- change the college’s policies has been assaulted before they graduate col- tom versions without bundled materi- cifi c enough or geared toward sexual “brewing for a while.” lege. According to a National Crime als like CD-ROMs. assault cases. “Recent incidents [on campus] gave Victimization Survey, more than half Alexa Marrero, communications “Th ere are [policies] in place, but us the momentum we needed,” she said. of all sexual assaults from 2001 to director for the House Education there is always room for improvement,” On Feb. 3, a female student reported 2006 went unreported. Committee, said allowing colleges he said. “… Changing the language al- to Public Safety she was raped by an Suki Montgomery, assistant to make more informed decisions lows survivors to feel safer.” unknown assailant in Emerson Hall. director of the Counseling Center, would result in all-around lower Th e group that met on Monday in- Following that report, two more stu- said there is a national tendency to textbook prices. cluded Wald; senior Alison Bliss, presi- dents alleged they had been sexually not believe individuals who report “I think college costs are some- dent of IC Feminists; junior Sarah Bry- assaulted on campus during their time sexual assault. She said Ithaca College thing students all across the country linsky, a board member of IC Feminists; at the college. One incident occurred is no diff erent. struggle with,” she said. “By address- senior Aaron Bloom, president of the last March; another in the Fall of 2006. “It’s a community wide problem that ing the cost of textbooks, it’s another Student Government Association; Brian Both students reported they knew their we have a system where people don’t way to make higher education more McAree, vice president of student aff airs assailants. One of the alleged assailants feel safe to report [assault],” she said. accessible and aff ordable.” and campus life; Rory Rothman, associ- was a resident assistant at the time of While Tvaroha said the Center didn’t Marrero said it is diffi cult to predict ate vice president of student aff airs and the attack. He was not removed from have specifi c numbers for the campus, what impact the legislation will have campus life; Bonnie Solt Prunty, direc- his position. she said based on her observations, the on textbook prices but said the new tor of the Offi ce of Residential Life; and Since that report, Brian McAree, vice college follows the national trend. Few provisions would make a diff erence. Priscilla Quirk, a coordinator of health president for student aff airs and campus people report sexual assault when it Rick Watson, manager of the promotion for the college. life, said the group was reviewing Resi- happens because it is such a personal Ithaca College bookstore, said the Wald said the group’s main goals in- dential Life policies. crime, she said. bookstore does not decide what clude defi ning minimum sanctions for “In moving forward, we believe the Montgomery said sexual assault, textbooks they order. Th e store only students found guilty of sexual assault, campus may be better served to con- especially on college campuses, is a orders textbooks faculty members providing an off -campus advocate for sider a zero tolerance staff discipline request for their courses. the survivor during the judicial process standard for a specifi c category of vio- See ASSAULT, page 4 “We don’t decide on the books we have to buy. … Could [the new provi- sion] aff ect a faculty member and what How do you think the campus’ view they tell us to order? Yeah, it could,” CAMPUS RESPONDS of sexual assault is changing? he said. “It still goes back to whether there’s going to be enough stock of an old edition for a course, and because publishers stop making them when a “In light of recent events “My hope would be ... that “The awareness has new edition is coming, I don’t know.” [the issue of rape] has people would have a better increased, and there’s ... Louise Donohue, professor of come up in conversation understanding of issues good collaborative dis- modern languages and literature, said throughout ... campus.” around sexual assault.” cussion that’s occurring.” her beginning- and intermediate- level Junior Dan Wald Rory Rothman Priscilla Quirk textbooks typically change once every President, SAFER Associate VP, Student Aff airs Coordinator of three years and go up 10 to 20 percent and Campus Life Health Promotion See BOOKSTORE, page 4 find more. online. www.theithacan.org THURSDAY BRIEFING 2 The Ithacan Thursday, February 28, 2008 THIS Nation&World WEEK Roadside bombs shake Baghdad 28 THURSDAY Shiite pilgrims headed to a major religious gathering were again targeted by extremists yes- “Recent Work by the South terday when a roadside bomb detonated near a Asian Scholars Group” col- bus in Baghdad, killing one traveler, police said. loquium presentation from Th e blast came just days after a fl urry of at- 12:10 to 1 p.m. in the tacks on a massive pilgrimage to the holy city of Cayuga Lake Meeting room Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad. Shiites from across Iraq and some foreign visitors are marking “How to Get a Job and Keep Arbaeen, the end of a 40-day mourning period fol- a Job: Professional Ethics lowing the anniversary of the death of Imam Hus- and Workplace Integrity” sein, one of Shiite Islam’s most revered fi gures. presentation from 12:15 to Th e U.S. military blamed Sunni-led al-Qaida 1:15 p.m. in 211 Williams Hall in Iraq for the earlier killings, which seemed Biology seminar “Lofty Pur- aimed at provoking sectarian violence. Shiite re- suits: Flight and Steering in ligious festivals have been targeted repeatedly in Locusts” in CNS 112 at 4 p.m. the past few years. Screening of “Black August,” With the latest fatality, at least 64 people sponsored by the Center for have been slain in assaults targeting pilgrims. the Study of Race, Culture Th e worst of the attacks occurred Sunday when and Ethnicity in Textor 101 a suicide bomber detonated in a roadside re- at 7 p.m. freshment tent packed with worshippers taking Mesa Española from 6 to 7 p.m. a break as they walked to Karbala.