The Ithacan, 2009-09-03
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Ithaca College Digital Commons @ IC The thI acan, 2009-10 The thI acan: 2000/01 to 2009/2010 9-3-2009 The thI acan, 2009-09-03 Ithaca College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/ithacan_2009-10 Part of the Higher Education Commons OPINION COLLEGE SHOULD BE OPEN WITH STAFF, PAGE 10 TREND ALERT! SPORTS BOMBERS WELCOME 69 FRESHMEN, PAGE 23 Students on campus wearing similar dresses, page 13 PHOTO FINISH FIELD HOCKEY FALLS IN OPENER, PAGE 28 Thursday Ithaca, N.Y. September 3, 2009 The Ithacan Volume 77, Issue 2 Faculty council discusses raises A for employees BY JACQUELINE PALOCHKO simpler NEWS EDITOR A proposal to use revenue generated by the largest freshman class in Ithaca life College history to provide raises for fac- ulty and staff was presented at a faculty council meeting Tuesday evening. Area residents Don Lifton, as- sociate professor of create own energy management, pre- sented the proposal to and live off the grid reverse the college’s decision to freeze sal- BY REBECCA WEBSTER aries for the 2009-10 STAFF WRITER academic year. Down a gravel road and nestled deep Lifton said fac- in the woods, On Warren Pond Farm ROCHON said ulty and staff across he would like a prospers with a small harvest and a cou- the campus — from faculty governance ple of dedicated caretakers. Jill Swenson, professors teach- task force. one of those caretakers, said it is all she ing 250 students needs to be satisfied. in an auditorium to custodians hav- “I’m a lot happier,” she said. “I’m a ing to clean bathrooms used by lot freer.” an additional six residents — are But it’s not just because of her thriv- not getting compensation, despite ing small harvest or her husband, Sam the projected $3.3 million sur- Warren, that she is content. She is living plus resulting from the additional off the grid — making her life, and her 519 students. energy, all on her own. Lifton said he believes the admin- According to a 2006 article in USA istration made a mistake admitting Today, more than 180,000 families live off 74.2 percent of the 12,752 applicants the grid, with that number increasing by the college received. 33 percent every year. In essence, those “If the administration would just choosing this alternative lifestyle are not admit they made a mistake, we’d be attached to the regular electrical grid, a couple of residential windmills and a experience a deficiency of sun, wind able to find a solution,” he said. “But rather they attain their energy for their homemade waterwheel built by Warren. or water power for an extended pe- so far, no one in a leadership position homes through other renewable means, The energy produced through riod of time, they maintain a propane is coming forward to accept the blun- such as solar, wind or water energy. these renewable energy sources is generator on the side of their home. der for overshooting.” For Swenson, a former journalism pro- stored in batteries that they keep A homemade burn shed for hay bails John Rosenthal, professor of math- fessor at Ithaca College, what had origi- hidden in their home. Those batter- from their land pushes hot air in to ematics and a member of the budget nally started as a petite cabin powered ies give them enough stored energy heat their home. committee, said the budget meeting by a small group of solar panels is now to give electricity in the night and held earlier in the day did discuss fac- one powered by two sets of solar panels, often for a few extra days. If they See WARREN POND, page 4 ulty increments. He said there was a request to raise the minimum wage Former Ithaca College professor Jill Swenson walks Saturday afternoon through On Warren Pond Farm. Swenson and her husband, for college employees to 50 cents per Sam Warren, are two of many Ithaca residents living off the grid and creating their own source of energy with solar panels. hour above the living wage. LAUREN DECICCA/THE ITHACAN Carl Sgrecci, vice president of fi- nance and administration, said the budget committee will be meet- ing over the next couple of weeks to gather information about excess of Genders share space revenue and expenses for the current fiscal year. He said addressing the declining demographics in terms of high school graduates in the college’s in Terrace 12 bathroom student recruitment areas will be a top priority. BY AMANDA FOX this problem never existed before,” “The budget committee will be STAFF WRITER Rhodes said. “She got back to me taking a long-term perspective on Complications with on-cam- and said that gender-neutral bath- both potential enrollment and the re- pus housing this fall are now rooms aren’t allowed.” lated financial implications before it translating beyond the dorm Jessica Blasko, the residence makes any short-term recommenda- room and into the bathroom. director for Terraces 9-12, de- tions concerning use of the project- On the third floor of Terrace 12, clined to comment. ed bottom line for the current year,” one bathroom is reserved for Rhodes decided to present Sgrecci said. women only and the other one suggestions to the residents on The council voted 20-0-1 to rec- alternates between being a male the floor and take a vote, suggest- ognize the impact of the global fiscal or female bathroom. ing two female bathrooms on the crisis at the college and recommend- In the past, Terrace 12 has floor, with the males using the Freshman Megan Ort stands outside the bathroom in Terrace 12 on ed that the lost payroll increment for been a coed-by-wing dormi- downstairs bathroom. But anoth- the third floor. The bathroom is being used by both males and females. 2009 be restored in the future as the tory. This year the floor is domi- er solution was suggested: to have LAUREN DECICCA/THE ITHACAN college’s fiscal health improves — nated by females with 38 women one female-only bathroom and particularly the college’s endowment, and four men. This presented a one bathroom that switched gen- tem in which post-it notes were put I’ve seen girls go in there and guys which faced about a $500,000 drop problem to the resident assistant ders depending on the need. The on the door along with a magnet to go in there, and no one complains. this year, Sgrecci said. on the floor, sophomore Cher- second suggestion was voted on, be used to indicate if the bathroom It seems to be working out.” Warren Schlesinger, associate pro- rie Rhodes, about how to divide and it was decided both males and is in use by one gender or the other. Ed Girzone, an architect in fessor of accounting, said even though the bathrooms. females would share the bathroom “If a girl went in, she would put the interpretation units of New he would have liked an increment this Rhodes said she consulted her but not use it at the same time. the magnet on women and until York State Building Codes, year, he agrees with President Tom resident director with the situation. Rhodes said that her RD was also she came out, no guys could go said even though no one is “I first asked my RD about this a fan of this new solution. in,” Rhodes said. “A lot of people See SALARY, page 4 a couple weeks ago, and she said The solution turned into a sys- seemed comfortable with that. SeeA L VATORIES, page 4 find more. online. www.theithacan.org [THURSDAY BRIEFING] 2 The Ithacan Thursday, September 3, 2009 THIS Nation&World WEEK { } Earthquake kills 32 in Indonesia 3 THURSDAY A disaster management official said the death 360 Magazine Rush Night, toll from a powerful Indonesian earthquake has for students interested in more than doubled to 32. joining, will be at 7 p.m. in the Social Affairs Ministry official Mardi Taughannock Falls Meeting said more than 700 houses and buildings Room in Campus Center. have been badly damaged in yesterday’s 7.0 magnitude quake. 4 FRIDAY Scores of people have been injured. Many of the victims died when their homes SAB movie screening of “Star were buried in a landslide triggered by the temblor. Trek” will be from 7 to 11:55 The official Antara news agency reports about p.m. in Textor 102. 30 people are trapped under rocks and dirt from the landslide in one village. 6 SUNDAY The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake struck at 2:55 p.m. (7:55 GMT) off the southern Catholic Community Mass coast of the main island of Java. A tsunami alert takes place at 1 and 9 p.m. in was issued but revoked less than an hour later. Muller Chapel. Wildfires destroy national forest 7 MONDAY Firefighters made more progress yesterday against a giant wildfire that has ravaged a Hillel Buttermilk Falls Hike, a national forest north of Los Angeles as investi- Hillel annual event, begins at gators searched for information about how the noon. Participants should bring fire started. a bathing suit and meet at the Officials are still trying to figure out what Textor Flagpole. set off the blaze in the Angeles National For- PeopleLiving try to stay dryunder with a plastic coversheet for protection yesterday in New Delhi, India. According to est that had burned nearly 219 square miles, the Indian Ministry of Agriculture, monsoon rains from June 1 through Aug.