Wednesday, October 23, 2019 INSIDE: n Organization raises HIV/ AIDS awareness, offers free testing, Page 2 n Homecoming week offers events for current,former SFA students, Page 6 n Editorial discusses importance of impact of posts made to social media, Page 7 n Lumberjacks to play homecoming football against McNeese University, Page 8 SGA votes to call Surfin’ Steve’s water dyed purple for Homecoming week referendum to institute $5 green fee By Raquel Torres Editor-in-Chief The Student Government Association Senate has voted unanimously to call a referendum on Oct. 29 and 30 to let students choose whether or not to institute a $5 per semester green fee. As a result, a coalition has been formed by students. Jacks Go Green is a student initiative to encourage environmentally friendly projects at the University. SGA president Scarleth Lopez, a senior psychology major from Dayton, said the green fee will support green student project proposals, such as bike sharing, solar power and campus community gardens. “The $5 per semester green fee will be applied to students,” Lopez said. “The revenue from this money will be used to fund projects proposed by students, faculty and staff at SFA. These projects will be chosen from students, faculty and staff. They will be the ones to say, ‘Yes, I want this project here on campus,’ or ‘Maybe not this project.’” If students vote “no,” the green fee will not be presented to the Board of Regents for consideration. If students vote “yes” and the regents approve, the fee is expected to appear on students’ ebills in the fall of 2020. “After that point, the board will be appointed and the board will say, ‘Here’s how much money we have, here’s the projects that we can do,” Lopez said. The board will be composed of students, faculty and staff members. “That way, we get the student perspective and their say in where their money goes, but the faculty and staff members who will know sustainability and school policy better will also have a say,” Lopez said. Top right photo by Cameron Keplinger / All other photos by LaShauna Bell / The Pine Log Hollyn Grizzaffi, junior biology major from Denton, was informed about the green fund by her A classic tradition, Surfin’ Steve’s water is dyed purple each year to kick off the beginning of Homecoming week on campus. New SFA President sustainability professor. Dr. Scott Gordon participated in the long-standing tradition for the first time alongside members of Traditions Council while students cheered on. At “We are trying to implement a $5 fee per student, Students also enjoyed food and live music at the event. per semester. It’ll all go to any type of sustainability or environmentally friendly project that people propose. Students, professors, anyone can propose a project to go to a committee of majority students, to go through,” Grizzaffi said. Jacks Go Green is tabling at the student center UPD reports three sexual assault incidents on campus plaza every day except Fridays, to get students to By Meredith Janning incident does not want any vote “yes” on Oct. 29 and 30. News Editor police action,” Goodman “I think that being students here, this is our said. “That’s one of them. campus. We should take care of it. We should be sure Between Sept. 30 and We do have an incident that it’s beautiful for all the different generations of Oct. 6, the University Police that’s currently under students coming through. We’re really just trying to Department reported three investigation. We’re working help the earth,” she said. incidents of sexual assault with the district attorney’s Grizzaffi said that for students, this means that on the crime log. Two of office, and we’re collecting their voice will be heard. the incidents occurred evidence to determine “Everyone is trying to be environmentally friendly, at Lumberjack Landing, whether or not charges will but there’s not really a way to do that on campus yet,” and the third happened at be pursued or not. Grizzaffi said. “There’s not a group that you can go Lumberjack Lodge, although “In order for us to take to, to say, ‘Hey, I want to have solar panels on our Assistant Chief of Police Craig any law enforcement action, buildings’ we don’t have the money for it, we don’t Goodman said there is no the victim of a crime has to have it set aside, but when we’re voting yes to this, reason to believe the incidents want police action taken,” we’re setting aside money from the students, from are connected. Goodman said. “And, there tuition to go toward these sustainability projects.” Of the three incidents, are cases where you will have “Our campus would probably grow because that’s one is open for investigation, a victim of a crime, and they a big thing that people look for in their college whereas the other two are not, choose not to involve law campus, like, ‘Hey, what are they doing to be with one victim not wanting enforcement. And, that’s my sustainable?’ And we have a beautiful campus. We police action and the other understanding of this case just want to keep it that way,” Grizzaffi said. Photo by LaShauna Bell / The Pine Log refusing to speak with police. right now. They’re not ready to Claire Lingle, sophomore environmental Two of the three sexual assault incidents that were reported to UPD “Someone received involve law enforcement.” science major from Houston, encourages students happened at Lumberjack Landing, a freshman level dorm. Assistant Chief of information second-hand Goodman said that there is to vote “yes.” Police Craig Goodman said there is no reason to believe that the incidents [and] reported it to us, but “I don’t see a downside to this. For the cost of a are connected. the person involved in the See UPD on Page 3 Starbucks coffee, every semester you can help the environment on campus. It’s really small, but I think $5 is worth it,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot of people saying they don’t like additional fees, which I completely understand. Our argument to that is the PO Box rental that we Students give perspective on being college conservatives pay without even knowing is $10. We also pay to By Ryan Eubanks people about the topic. This resulted go to the Rec Center. With those fees, it’s not really Contributing Writer in a lot of hateful comments by the consequential,” Lingle said. democrat club. When they had a An SFA student retweeted a tweet Students stopped by the Jacks Go Green tabling pro-choice presentation, not a from Young Conservatives of Texas event to write down suggestions on what they want single republican party supporter at Texas State University’s Twitter to see on campus from the green fee. Ideas include expressed their viewpoints Oct. 9 vocalizing how hard it is to composting on campus, recycle bins, reduced plastic negatively to them.” be a conservative on liberal college waste, less plastic packaging, more trees on campus According to Cleveland, the campuses. and water refill stations. harassment caused the Campus The student, Savan Cleveland, “The ball is in your court. We’re doing everything Conservative chapter at SFA to close senior engineering major from we can to help educate you and the opportunities temporarily because admins began Houston, added to the tweet. you would have if we passed this referendum. Just to leave and attendance dropped. “Let’s bring this to SFA,” Cleveland vote and say ‘yes.’ This is something we can decide “Campus Republicans is a said. “Our campus has become very on,” Lopez said. wonderful place for people to voice liberal lately, and conservative Lopez said that if passed, this referendum would their opinions. We are trying to voices are being ignored.” have to be voted on again in five years. pick up some pieces right now and Cleveland explained that political “Let’s say you’re a freshman and the year before, figuring a way to reduce the hate groups started to change after the they decided to pass it. By your senior year, you’re speech from the left,” Cleveland said. 2016 election. A year after joining the going to have to vote on it. Let’s say these past four Aside from conflicts between Campus Republicans chapter at SFA, years you haven’t seen anything happen, you haven’t student organizations, some Cleveland said that the emergence seen any good projects, you don’t know where your conservative students experienced of the SFA College Democrats money is going, you can vote “no.” But if in those issues with faculty members. club changed the dynamics for four years, you see community gardens happening, Hunter Ross, a junior wildlife conservative organizations. you see more solar power things happening, why not management major from Pollok, “Any fundraising or awareness vote on it again?” recounted an experience he had programs were immediately shut There will be an open forum at 2 p.m. Wednesday with an English professor. down due to Democrat groups,” in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Theater. The “I took an English class and I’m Cleveland said. “An example for this forum will include faculty members and students on not going to say the professor’s the panel to explain the green fee. is when we had a pro-life booth. We were giving out fliers and talking to See CONSERVATIVES on Page 3 Photo illustration by Garrett Uhl / The Pine Log @ThePineLog Pine Log Channel Volume 102 Wednesday, Oct.