University of Missouri, St. Louis IRL @ UMSL Current (2000s) Student Newspapers 6-7-2004 Current, June 07, 2004 University of Missouri-St. Louis Follow this and additional works at: http://irl.umsl.edu/current2000s Recommended Citation University of Missouri-St. Louis, "Current, June 07, 2004" (2004). Current (2000s). 185. http://irl.umsl.edu/current2000s/185 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Newspapers at IRL @ UMSL. It has been accepted for inclusion in Current (2000s) by an authorized administrator of IRL @ UMSL. For more information, please contact [email protected]. VOLUME 36 June 1, 2004 Your source for campus ,news and information See page 8 The best and worst in athletics THECURRENTONLINE.COM U NIVE RSITV O F M ISSOUR I· S T. L OUIS The Current j Bopp is in; Abraham is·out has funding ---------,-----_._--- Stephanie Student court Bell,a reinstated member of the overturns election student court, ". committee's decision responds to a question from for '04·'05 to disqualify Bopp SGA presidential for SGA presidency candidate Scott Bopp • Budget committee during a decides to cut BY STEFANIE TAYLOR student court News Editor hearing in funding by $20,000; early May. The Student After a lengthy student court appeal Court voted to administration finds hearing on April 29 and 30, the Student overturn a Government Association (SGA) .. funds elsewhere previous officers were finally elected. As of decision by July 1, Scott Bopp will serve as the SGA president and Mindy McNabb will Elections serve as vice president. The appeal BY STEFANIE TAYLOR Committee. ,. ". __ ~ . ~ •• • • •• ___ ~ • • ~ ·. Mh" · • •• •• __ • came after the SGA election Bopp will News Editor committee disqualified Bopp and his assume the running mate, Erin Abraham, due to office of SGA elections rule violations made by their The Current, UM-St. Louis' president on campaign manager and former SGA student news publication, has July 1. recovered its annual budget of vice president, Beth Grindstaff, $38,000 after the Student Activities Grindstaff was accused of unethical Budget Committee (SABC) denied conduct after allowing Abraham to use nearly $20,000 in funding. Following the Office of Student life after hours to the SABC's denial of appeal, make copies of campaign flyers. Chancellor Thomas George and Vice The Student Court decided Bopp Chancellor of Student Affairs, Curt would be allowed to serve as president Coonrod, stepped in to solve the because he was not directly involved in the offense," Dempsey said. ''But ''My understanding is that the student Abraham against Kenyatta Thacker Millennium Student Center computers, budget crisis. the offense. Brandon Dempsey, junior, since he wasn't the person who did it, court upbeld the decision of the and Mindy McNabb. Thacker and which could have been used for voting. The Current and its former Editor­ mass communications, serves · as a we couldn't charge him with the election committee regarding Erin McNabb originally appealed to the Bopp and Abraharnndividually in-Chief, Jason Granger, threatened to member on the student court "We offense." because she was invOlved in the act election committee, with complaints of appealed formally to the student corut sue over censorship violations. The chose to allow Scott to serve because, Mindy McNabb maintains that that was in question." unethical conduct regarding the use of after being disqualified by the election lawsuit would have named the listed in the election committee rules, it Bopp was not at fault. "Scott did not The original election paired the Get the Office of Student Life and committee. states that the candidate must commit do anything wrong," McNabb said, Real Slate of Scott Bopp and Erin campaigning too cbsely to university as the defendant. see SGA ELECTION S , page 3 According to the Student Press Law Center, withdrawing or reducing financial support constitutes Recent storms censorship and violates the tin;t amendment guarantee of freedom of is closed the press. cause only Chancellor George said that he did not feel pressured by the possibility }awsuit. ''Lawsuits happen every day. minor damage Its pan of running a university," George said. "We support the student to campus newspaper. It is a viable entity in this institution." BY S T£FANIE TAYL O R Vice Chancellor Coo,nrod. News Editor accompanied by Bob Samples, ' After several days of aggressive University director of winds, hail and tornado warnings, UM­ communications and marketing, St. Louis seems to have endured. contacted other local and regional According to the police department, no universities with student newspapers property damage was reported, but of similar quality to determine how winds caused two tree.<; to fall in Lot 11 ... other institutions handle student on South Campus. I newspaper funding and payroll. The Althougb the campus witnessed , discoveryexaminedUM-Kansas City, little damage, the Environmental Central Missouri State University and Health and Safety department is Truman State among others. reevaluating their emergency ''It was across the map. We had lots operations plans for severe weather. of input, and there was no single These procedures detail responsibilities ~J model, but we' found that UM-St of s1lldents, faculty, staff and police Louis spends a lot of money on officers during severe weather, salaries," Coonrod said, referring to "I think that the campus is the results of the research. prepared," Craig Robinson, '''There is a conflict because the Environmental Health and Safety administration supports the students in manager, said, ''But there is always determining how the money is spent, room for improvement" tr but we also support the newspaper and According to Robinson, most ils presence on campus," Coonrod campus buildings have their own said. ''Wejust try to dO'what's best for procedures for severe weather or other the University and the students." emergencies. These plans include basic Accoriling to Chancellor George, ABOVE: severe weather safety, such as seeking a an organization as visible as The Garage N, located on West Drive located just north of the CCB, was closed to small interior room and staying away Current,. there were bound to be traffic at the end of May. The Office of Transportation and Parking Services from windows. personality clashes. ''I think, in this cited the garage's deteriorating condition as the reason for its closing . "Most of the buildings are tornado • ' particular situation, some personalities resistant because of their masonry," just got in the way," George said. RIGHT: Robinson said. The current Editor-in-Chief, Kate The emergency operations plan also Drolet, will meet with administration Workers barricaded the deteriorating metal staircases in garage N, with requires all police officers to make in the near future to det.em:rine a plan sheets of ptywood. rounds during storms to secure all to keep The Current from once again buildings, The officers are required to If becoming at risk for loosing its stay on their rounds until the storm .--- -- . _. ._.. .. .... funding next year. Several models __ _-------_._- - - -------------- --- -- -- becomes a threat to their personal have been examined, such as the UM­ safety. Because of mutual aid Kansas City mode], which allocates a ammgements, UM-St Louis would be base amount plus inflation each year. KWMU's Weber takes home two AP awards able to receive assistance from local "After a few meetings, we've law enforcement if necessary, ,discovered that we really had the same BY STEFANIE TAYLOR Scott Air Force Base. '"We try to take according to Robinson. goals for the newspaper," said Drolet -"'- --' -- ' iieu;s' EdJio~; - national news and find local angles." "With a campus community, it can ~ Weber admitted that he's not be really difficult to maintain On April 17, in Bloomington, lL, known for breaking stories. "As I was accountability," Robinson said. It is S{!,z CURRENT FUNDING·, page 3 Tom Weber was honored with First researching the Nightingale series, I much easier to make sure all of the place in Best News Writing and First kept saying to myself, 'God, I hope I faculty and staff are accounted for than Place in Investigative Series from the don't see this in the newspaper to try to account for students. ''In the ;INDEX Chicago-St. Louis Radio division of today. '" Weber said he encountered a residence halls, [students] don't !mow if Bulletin Board 2 the illinois Associated Press lot of bureaucracy because the story someone has gone to class, gone horne, ==~~=c=._~ ___---" Broadcasters Association 2003 involved the military. or is at a bar." News 3 Journalism Excellence Contest Tom ''I was very happy to receive Robinson recommended that Qp,ililions 4 8: 5 Weber works as the News Producer for awards from the Illinois AP," said students inform othen;; where they are ~ ___ _ _ --,c......::;;;,.....::. l on-campus National Public Radio Weber, a Chicago-area native. ''It was headed during times of extreme 'The Sdence Column 5 I (NPR) station, 90.7 KWMU-FM. also rewarding to be up against key is awareness and : Fea~~res 6 & 7 The award for Best Investigative Chicago reporters." Weber said he corruounication,"he said, Robinson ~. Series was awarded for Weber's piece, spends a lot of time keeping up with advised students, faculty and staff to be ~rts 8 & 9 "Nightingale's Swan Song?" '1 guess the news. 'The good reporters are the mindful of weather conditions and plan A a E 10 & 11 I you could say that I broke the story," ones who go out for a cup of coffee accordingly, N1:Jt'n but the funk 12 said Weber. His investigative series and come back with three story ideas." ''I think everybody sees bad KWMU news producer Tom Weber recently received two Illinois -. - . 1 examined President Bush's proposed summer storms each year.