NOVEMBER 13, 2007 PUBLISHED BY THE STUDENTS OF TRINITY VOL CIII, No. 9 COLLEGE SINCE 1904 m S$&&S'.M&^ Cable Cost Sparks Debate By ELIZABETH ANDERSON '11 by the SGA through the SAF. with and put under consideration. CONTRIBUTINGWRITER Over the course of the next year, it An early examination of other will be necessary to Trinity's stu- NESCAC schools' SAFs indicates Due to increasing costs of dent population to remember this that Trinity's cost falls somewhere cable service, the Student fact as they consider whether or in the middle. Pedro proposed, Government Association is consid- not they would like to continue to "instead of raising [the fee] by $20 ering not providing students' have cable provided to them." to $30 every few years, we should dorm rooms with cable television Andrew Pedro '08, President of follow another student govern- next fall. Every February, Comcast the SGA, pointed out that cable is ment's initiative and make the SAF increases the price of cable, and probably "a service most students one percent of tuition.- So, if Trinity's contract with the provider use" and an increase in the SAF fee tuition costs $36,870, then the is set to expire in July. could help cover it. However, SAF would cost $369. With the Technically, Trinity does not Associate Director for Operations extra $29 we could then begin a provide students with cable. The and Judicial Affairs in the Office new contract and continue to money to pay for it comes from of Campus life TJ. Barber said finance cable in all the individual the Student Activities Fee (SAF), that one concern is that "this rooms." E.G. Caner which is included in each student's amount will only continue to grow This proposal could help in Several students performed at the Voices Raised in Power event last Thursday. tuition and is controlled by the and the money could be useful in continuing the SGA's ability to SGA. Currently, this fee costs other places." provide cable to all students' each student $340, and has not Andrea Wise '11, a member of rooms. While many may oppose WGRAC's Voices Raised increased since 2001. The SAF pro- the SGA, notes that the issue an increased fee, it may be neces- vides funding for all student organ- should not be framed as whether sary. It has not increased in six izations, as well as the approximate or not the SGA should pay for years nor does it appear to be suf- $165,000 spent annually on cable cable, but rather "given the current ficiently high enough to cover the in Power Event A Success television. A planned five percent budget, should we pay for cable increasing costs. By REBECCA BROWN '11 emotions regarding sexual vio- price increase by Comcast in for everyone, or should we allocate Were the SGA to eliminate CONTRIBUTINGWRITER lence and other injustices on February will increase the cost of those funds to potentially more cable from its budget, students campus, to celebrate talent, and cable by about $8,000. According worthwhile causes?" It is impor- would have the option of purchas- Last Thursday, Nov. 8 the the themes of survival and to SGA Vice President of Finance tant to note that no official votes ing it on their own. Presently, stu- Women & Gender Resource empowerment." Beth Frazier '08, "From a budget- have been cast, nor any policies dents can purchase packages above Action Center, Sexual Assault As for why the topic of vio- ary standpoint, cable is one of the enacted. Currently, all expressed Task Force & Sexual Assault lence against women has been most expensive services provided opinions are just ideas being toyed see SGA on page 8 Response Team hosted the third chosen to be showcased at annual 'Voices Raised in Power' "Voices," Lockwood said, "This event at Gallows Hill to promote was our third annual 'Voices' and Perez Re-elected Despite Controversy awareness about violence against originally we felt that to keep the ByUIIJELA.VADO'09 the city's mayor unprecedented women. " cct- alive1 and' in- the campus! CONTRIBUTING WRITER Students put on several per- consciousness first semester, we ments was a durational increase formances, all with a message of needed an event that would Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez of mayoral terms from two to empowerment. The acts includ- involve students from many dif- will keep his job for four more four years. Another amendment ed dance, personal experiences, ferent organizations. Secondly, years after beating contenders promoted the mayor to chief poems, and musical performanc- the 6-10 weekend of the semester with 49 percent of votes cast in executive officer of the city, stat- es. One of the coordinators for is called the 'Red Zone' - the last week's elections. Perez's cam- ing, "executive and administrative the event, Director of the time when incidence for first and paign had been challenged by powers of the city are vested in Women & Gender Resource second year student rape and sex- more than five contenders and the Mayor." Action Center Laura Lockwood, ual assault is highest. Also we felt swarms of controversy. "The system it replaced [was] it important to talk about sexual says her ambitions prior to Much of the controversy sur- a [city-] council-manager form ol T > Thursday night were "To give rounding Perez stemmed from government in which the mayoi students a stage to express their see VOICES' on page 16 2003 Charter revisions that gave was weak," according to Associate www.trincoll.edu Director of the Leonard Perez was re-elected Mayor last Tuesday. PHOTO ESSAY Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life Andrew closest contender, I. Charles Walsh. "Since 2003, Mayor Perez Mathews, received 35 percent of has gathered an unprecedented votes. Even the post-primary amount of power into his hands- court appearance of Perez's con- he is both mayor and Chair of troversial home improvement the Board of Education, for contractor did not defer many example." Perez has been forced votes. Perez maintained 49 per- to defend his contentious cent in both elections, while appointment of himself as Mathews was able to gain only Chairman of. the Board of five percent over his primary Education. Walsh explained that score. Perez was predicted to "win "his opponents say [his excessive the General Election because power] is a sign that he is a lone there [were] so many candidates ranger who doesn't play nicely in running against him," Walsh the sand box with other city added. politicians. This centralization of Many believed that Perez's power is one of the reasons that recent corruption allegations he [had] so many opponents in could have sealed his fate. Three this election." weeks ago, Perez's friend Carlos The majority of voters did Costa, and several of his employ- James b. Kukstis not agree with Perez's critics, ees were fined for renovating A photo essay details many of the renovations that are being done as part of the Long Walk Reconstruction Project. Above, apparently, and Perez won the Site Supervisor Steve Gentilucci. Pictures taken inside Jarvis and Seabury. as well as on the roof can be found on page 9. election by a large margin. His see TRINITY on page 8 —K Editorial 2 r **** J Opinions: Opposing views on the SGA's proposal to cut campus cable, page 3 Opinions 3 Seniors end career Announcement 6 News 7 ~ with win against Features: Ask Annie shares the best local dining-in and-take-out eateries, page 14 Features 11 rival Wesleyan, •• Arts 17 ' I ••' Sports 24 page 24 Arts: Trinity Alum and Director Steve Gyllenhaal visits Cinestudio, page 17 www.trinitytripod.com . S2. Hie Trinity Tripod EDITORIAL Crtpofcr e What Are We Paying For? BiU Cosgrove '08 Lauren Ttarlik 09 site. Over the past few weeks, seniors According to Trinity's Web site, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR "Students at Trinity College can have received multiple e-mails from choose from a diverse and rigorous lib- the Office of Campus Life notifying eral arts curriculum that broadens the them that Senior Packages are avail- NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITORS FEATURES EDITORS mind and deepens knowledge." So able to be purchased for $300. One James Kukstis c'10 Mike Robinson '08 Lizzie Brown '09 imagine the shock first-year students cannot help but wonder why seniors Jordyn Sims '10 Krystal Ramirez '10 Aileen McBride '09 must have had last week when they have to pay $300 to enjoy the benefits ARTS EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR STAFF WRITERS^ tried to enroll in their courses for next of being a senior and graduating from Sara Yoo '08 Stephanie Apstein '10 Carver Diserens '09 semester. Many of them "were having Trinity. Seniors have paid their stu- Matt Fuentes '09 trouble getting into their first (or sec- dent activity fees and tuition costs for PHOTO EDITOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Anne Benjamin '10 ond or third or fourth!) choices for almost four years now. Why can't any Erin Caner '10 Alyssa Simpson '10 Anne Bouthilette classes," according to an e-mail from of that money cover the cost of the '10 Dean of Faculty Rena Fraden. Senior Package? ANNOUNCEMENTS SENIOR EDITORS Priyanka Jotwani To not be able to enroll in any of Of course, these additional expens- EDITOR Jason Acunzo '08 '10 your top four choices for courses is es are not unique to Trinity, as the Krystal Ramirez '10 Ashley Bell '081' unacceptable at a small liberal arts cost of higher education has risen to Nora Harrington '08 BUSINESS school such as Trinity.