f%m*- February 9, 2006 Volume 45 Issue 16 HlGHLINECommunity Colleg: Minimum wage under fire Budget bill increases Billwould student include tips in loan rates servers' wages ByMichelle Ericksen By Chandra J. Smith STAFF REPORTER STAFF REPORTER Student loans face the largest history State lawmakers have mini- cut ever inthe ofAmeri- mum wage reform on the menu can politics. for the restaurant industry, but A massive blow was dealt to local servers don't think House student loans when the United Bill2838 would taste very good States House of Representatives ifitbecomes law. voted for its largest cut ever. $12 State law currently defines a Bya 216 to 214 vote, bil- wage as money paid for work lion dollars were cut from stu- done as part of employment, dent loans in a new budget bill and any employee age 18 and approved by the U.S. House of Representatives over must be paid no less than on Feb 1. minimum wage.. As of Jan. 1, Democrats voted against it, Washington's minimum wage while Republicans largely voted Photo by Keith Daigle rose to $7.63 hourly, the highest for it. in the nation. The state mini- Former Highline student Wes Van Duyn waitingtables at Red Lobster. The billcuts include approxi- $12 mum wage is indexed, which mately billionby increasing toward transfer- means itrises each year withthe dent working "Iwas putting in 80 hours a gether to finda solution to this," parent loan interest rate from to four-year university, cost ofliving. ring a is week. But then Isee a waitress Sullivan said. 7.9 percent to 8.5 percent. HB2838 aims employed at Gamestop for min- making more than me," he said. Anthony Anton, vice presi- The budget measure provides ,___ imum wage. to change the law ? i^mawmamii But Sullivan stillrecognizes dent of one such group ofres- some new money for some stu- 1^^^^^ tjhat tips are necessary. taurateurs, the Washington Res- dents. The bill appropriates f Mfically for ' tipped employ- '*fpliiiilli "Restaurant servers are hard- taurant Association, also said $3.7 billion for students major- ees withthe con- working people, and their pri- wage compression is a part of inginmath, science and foreign cept oftip credit. '^iflBH mary income really does come the problem. This means that language. This concept §mj$!g>B& from tips," Sullivan said. the smiling faces greeting and The bill also retains a 6.8 means that any- $F*~7~~~• While he admits to help- serving the customers are mak- percent cap on student interest , *\u25a0 w-i. \u25a0" ' rates, one whoreceives. y.; - 4£Idon't know ing a few servers who couldn't ingthe most money, whilecooks which will protect stu- tips would ' , , any better to make their own rent when he and bussers in the back of the dents as interest rates continue report \ ' ' r ) \u25a0 ( huge, that money as j L ' create a owned the res- _ restaurant do torise. \u25a0^\u25a0 a — •^'"^ i^^.^ « credit toward the ™"5 ever-widening More than 109,000 students wage the employer pays. gap between in the state of Washington are But the servers want to keep social classes. There needs to currently using student loans. allofthetips they earn, not count be this gap. There needs to be It takes $12 billion out of the janitors. That's how the world them portion of wages. ' program and uses students and as a ***- ' fv The billalso goes on to pro- needs to work." j '] $12.31 anhour parents as revenue raisers, said pose that the minimum wage of According to the bill'sspon- intips inaddi- Luke Swarthout, PIRG spokes- Rep. Sullivan, tipped employees should stay sor State Brian i.r tion to mini- man. ' where it is now at $7.63. Ifa D- Mukilteo, this is about res- mum wage. The bill, which was passed wanting tipped employee isnot procuring taurant owners to sur- by the Senate last December, is enough tips inthe last 30 days to vive, not about targeting the now going through conference parents college stu- add up to minimum wage plus single and report. It then has to be voted the cost ofliving,their employer dents who typically make up a on by the House and the Senate would have topay the employee restaurant's staff. He said it's able to take time \u25a0J&ii^^^^^H formation by again before it goes up to the Sullivan the difference. about servers making too much off,"he' said. "It checking 500 President. money in tips while the restau- gets to the point operations "We are sort of waiting for rvjhis also means that employ- 1 rant industry ,such as restaurant servers is on the decline. where itdoesn't make sense to who report to the IRS. He ex- the 'dust to settle' on this toreal- who are depending on tips as a Sullivan has seen this first- stay inbusiness. Iwould hate to plained that ifa server waits on lygauge the impact," said High- main part of their income could hand when he owned and man- see restaurant owner operators four tables an hour for just four line's Director of the Financial be paidless than minimum wage aged Riley's Pizza and Brew- inWashington state doing all of hours, and each table leaves a AidOffice Steve Seeman. "The once the state minimum wage house in Mukilteo from 1990- their own labor." $4 tip, that server has poten- impact of the cuts willlikelybe rises again. 2004, and he managed an Ally's "Ireally want laborers and Pizza before that. Dan Watson, a Highline stu- restaurant owners to work to- See Wage, page 16 See Bill,page 16 fkm2 2/9/06 SLIF The Thunderword <Y/ Rats are man's new best friend R V\i ByMichaela Parfait clothes, popping out some- die. Matsumoto-Maxfield says STAFF REPORTER times. that rats make great pets. Matsumoto-Maxfield "Children that are 7 or 8 years Many people see rats as ver- gave the audience a test, old are the youngest who should min and test subjects oflabora- which displayed that the have pets, because a 5-year-old Males admonished tories, but Tarisa Matsumoto- history of rats goes back might be out of control and not Maxfield, a writing instructor to about 10,000 years. Did take proper care ofit." for vandalizing here at Highline, thinks other- you know that there are Rat cookies with a cute iced wise. over 300 different rat spe- face of a rat were served at the Two young males were At the Science Seminar held cies? Theodore Roosevelt seminar and everyone wlto^t- banned from the Library for last week on Feb. 3, Matsumo- even owned a pet rat inthe tended seemed to enjoy a year. On Feb. 2, a 16-year- to-Maxfield presented her view White House while he was because they were half gone be- old, and a 14-year-old boy were that rats have much in common inoffice. fore the seminar started. given admonishment papers for withhumans. Unfortunately, rats only Ifyou would like to attend the vandalizing and defecating in Matsumoto-Maxfield live about two years and next science seminar, Instruc- the library. brought the three rats that live then they die because of tional Design Director Marc withher to the seminar, and she Photo byAliciaMendez pneumonia. Rats are simi- Lentini will be talking about emerging web technologies. Student suffers introduced Frank to the group. lar to humans because if Frank was seen playing around Tarisa Matsumoto-Maxfield explains they lose a friend or mate, It willbe held\on Friday, Feb. from sprain on his owner's shoulder and the lives ofrats, whileher pet rat they will grieve, which 10, at 2:20 p.m.-3:10 p.m. in crawling through her hair and Frank scurries around her neck could also cause them to Building3, room 102. A student was injured in an aerobics class. Monday, Feb. 6 after she stepped on the side of Quarter hours are Monday- an aerobics board and fell. She " your table jostles e w s B 11 c Test Thursday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Jostens suffered a minor sprain and re- Il'N' . tCM and Friday from 9 quired no medical attention. tennis skills a.m.-noon. juniors for jewelry The Math Center is located inBuilding 26, room 319. Highline willbe overrun by Leaf blower stolen The table tennis club is hold- All students enrolled at screaming high school kids once from trailer ing a tournament for anyone Highline have access to the re- again on Friday with the much- who is interested. sources. awaited return of the 8th annual Students, staff, and faculty For more information call Jostens Leadership Conference. stole An unknown person are all invited. Only the first 206-878-3710, ext.4343. Approximately 1,600 little gas power leaf blower. The a Help bridge gap 48 people to sign up willget to darlings from the area vdMse leaf blower was stolen from the participate. invading the Pavilion to sSKRa grounds crew trailer while it with the BSU This willbe held from Fri- Delve deeper uncontrollably over the prospect was parked in the East Lot on day Feb. 17 to Saturday, Feb. 18 into Waodani ofgraduation and jewelry. Tuesday, Feb. 7 at around 3:00 The Black Student Union is in the Recreation Center of the This inexplicable day of ex- p.m. having a panel discussion titled Highline Student Union. citement willrun from 8 a.m. to "Bridging the Gap between Registration begins at 10 a.m. Campus Crusade for Christ 1 p.m., featuring guest speakers, Gas-less van stops Africans and African-Ameri- on Feb.