FiatThe Student Newspaper of LuxAlfred University What’s Fire in Knight Club wreaks watery havoc BY ABBY TRIPP light flashing in Powell, she said. She added that this would MANAGING EDITOR not have been an issue had the University not been closed Inside for Thanksgiving break, saying that students or staff would A fire in the Powell Campus Center Knight Club on Nov. 28 have been in the building and immediately been able to con- resulted in significant water damage to the Knight Club, Li’l tact emergency services. Alf Café and Nevins Theater. “Some of the buildings [on campus] are centrally moni- “There was a fire in the sound room,” said Patricia tored,” Schwartz said. If an alarm is activated in one of these Debertolis, director of Powell Campus Center. buildings, emergency services are immediately contacted. The fire activated the Knight Club’s sprinkler system; “It calls to a central monitoring station though a company water from the sprinklers extinguished the fire. we have hired,” Schwartz said. This company then calls 911, After the fire was extinguished, the sprinklers remained she continued. on and water dripped down into Li’l Alf Café and Nevins In buildings such as Powell Campus Center, where the Theater, said Debertolis. alarm only rings internally, it is up to an individual in the The fire was discovered by a Physical Plant employee building to contact Security; Security then immediately dis- between 12 and 1 a.m. said David Peckham, assistant direc- patches 911. ALFRED tor of Physical Plant. The University is slowly but surely phasing in central COMMUNITY RADIO Immediately after the situation was discovered, “the water monitoring for all buildings on campus, Schwartz said. was shut off and a small crew of Physical Plant people were The process is happening “a little bit at a time,” Schwartz called in to clean up the water,” said Peckham. said. “It’s a progression that’s been happening,” she added. LISTEN UP ALFRED! GET It is difficult to be sure of when the fire actually occurred, Because emergency services weren’t dispatched, an inves- IN TOUCH WITH THE said Pat Schwartz, AU director of safety, security and tigation of the fire could not begin immediately at the scene, COMMUNITY THROUGH telecommunications. The employee who discovered the fire PHOTO BY MELANIE BRAUN ACR. recognized that there was a problem when he saw a strobe SEE KNIGHT CLUB, PAGE 4 The ceiling in Nevins Theater sustained water dam- age following a Nov. 28 fire in the Knight Club. PAGE 5 MEDO’s Desert Rose Students take issue with work-study cap BY MATTHEW BUTTS “No one ever told us that we could- MAKE-UP TIPS STAFF WRITER n’t work over our hours,” said Chantal Jackson, senior communications Alfred University students are con- major. WANT TO LEARN cerned about the manner in which Three notices about the changes in SOME NEW MAKE-UP their work-study awards are being dis- the work-study system were sent out TIPS? persed. Many students feel that there early this semester. Every year memos should not be a cap on the amount that are sent out to every employer on they can earn per semester, as long as campus, and it was made clear what PAGE 6 it is not over the total amount they are students could and could not do on the entitled to for the entire school year. green interview card that every work- “If it is your award, then you should study student receives, according to be able to receive it when you want Pierce. it,” said Shandel Carter, junior psy- Many students say that the way that chology major. the University communicates its The University has in place a com- work-study procedures are ineffec- pletely new information system called tive, especially through e-mail. BANNER, which disperses financial Jackson found out from her aid by term. When a student reaches employer through e-mail that her his or her semester limit for work- hours were limited. “They should do a PHOTO BY MELANIE BRAUN study, the system will automatically better job of making sure everyone cease payment to the individual, knows,” she said. WINTER SAFETY Members of the Middle Eastern Dance Organization entertain the audience as part of according to Director of Student Work-study is federal funding with Desert Rose, a Nov. 19 performance that brought together the talents of several cam- Financial Aid Earl Pierce. a University match. The federal fund- pus performing arts groups. Prior to BANNER, Legacy was the ing portion is 75 percent of the award BE SAFE DURING THE system in use; it was also automated and the University handles the WINTER. CHECK OUT in terms of financial aid, but some of remaining 25 percent. When a student WHAT KIND OF the intricacies were done by hand, earns over his or her given award, the FOOTWEAR WORKS AU researchers’ fuel cell technology gives according to Pierce, who said the Department of Financial Aid then has BEST FOR ALFRED. change was needed. to pay 100% of the wages, which the hope for environmentally friendly cars Students also say that Alfred university wants to avoid, said Pierce. PAGE 7 University had previously allowed Since work-study is a federal pro- BY SHAUN LATULIPPE travel. them to earn more than their allocated gram, the university has to be compli- DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Many problems with fuel cells need to be amount and is not allowing them to do ant with federal guidelines and regula- solved before we ever see a fuel cell car on the so this year. tions. AU has beefed up the Fuel cell technology may some day be a practi- road, said Hall. How can the massive amount The practice of not allowing stu- monitoring of financial aid awards cal alternative to gasoline with the help of of hydrogen necessary be stored in a car? dents to earn more the semester because the University would be held Alfred University glass science researchers. “I don’t know about you, but I would rather amount was always in effect, said liable if discovered by an auditor, Mathew Hall, professor of biomaterials and not have a cylinder of hydrogen strapped to the Pierce, “[We are] just monitoring according to Pierce. That is why over- glass science, delivered the last of this year’s back of my car,” said Hall. “It’s a bad thing.” what we’ve already had in place.” awards are not encouraged – especial- Environmental Studies Fall Speakers Series. Gasoline is just as dangerous as hydrogen Earning more than the semester ly earning a year’s award in one He talked about the latest developments he and gas; the risk of explosion is not any greater, award is prohibited because it semester, which many students say his colleagues are pursuing to make fuel cells said Hall. The trouble with hydrogen is having becomes an over-award, said Pierce. that they wish was possible. available to all. a safe place to store it. The solution Hall is Years ago, students hardly worked “I won’t be able to work a lot next Fuel cells are a way of making oxygen and hoping for is to store the gas in microscopic over their assigned amount, but within semester, so I will not be able to get MOVIE REVIEW hydrogen produce electricity. Its only byprod- spheres of glass. the last few years, the number of stu- my whole award,” said Carter. uct is water, making it a viable alternative to Hydrogen would be stored in the capsules dents working over their semester Students argue that often classes for gasoline for fueling cars. until the gas is needed in the fuel cell, where it award has increased. There were pro- the following semester clash with ALEXANDER THE Using fuel cells in cars can drastically limit is released, said Hall. visions that permitted for small other schedules, which would make it GREAT OR MAYBE NOT the amount chemicals in the air, like carbon “Traditionally getting hydrogen [to come amounts of over-awards, but with the too difficult to work. Participation in SO GREAT. FIND OUT IF dioxide among others, said Hall. The technolo- introduction of BANNER, this can no COLIN FARRELL’S NEW gy was first used during the 1950’s for space SEE ENS, PAGE 5 longer happen. SEE WORK STUDY, PAGE 5 MOVIE IS WORTH SEE- ING. Movie buff moves through Herrick films PAGE 9 BY ADRIENNE EGGLINGER three movies a day. But with this semes- Oppelaar. PRODUCTION MANAGER ter ending, he has been watching about Oppelaar’s favorite movie is Donnie four movies a week. Darko, a cult classic that came out about Do you know how many movies are in He is trying to focus on his double three years ago. He said the best movie Herrick Library? major, mathematics and physics, and he has watched so far from Herrick’s Richard Oppelaar does: 1088 videos maintain a 2.75 GPA in order to keep his collection is Dr. Strangelove. The one and 106 DVDs. scholarship. For him, watching a movie that made him think the most was 5 Easy Oppelaar, a freshman, knows because is used as both a method of procrastina- Pieces, starring Jack Nicholson. he is going to watch all of the movies in tion and a reward for doing his work. Throughout winter break, Oppelaar Herrick’s collection. He’s already “Rich is constantly watching movies. plans to view Herrick’s movie list watched 40 movies. Although he has slowed down a little, he online, rent them and continue watching “Rich is a guy really into movies, has been watching them almost reli- the movies at his home in New Jersey.