Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR® WKU Archives Records WKU Archives 3-1-2016 UA12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 91, No. 11 WKU Student Affairs Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records Part of the African American Studies Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Journalism Studies Commons, Mass Communication Commons, and the Sports Studies Commons Recommended Citation WKU Student Affairs, "UA12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 91, No. 11" (2016). WKU Archives Records. Paper 6452. https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records/6452 This Other is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in WKU Archives Records by an authorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WKU BASEBALL JESUS PROM: LANDS BIG WINS IN WEEKEND A NIGHT OF TOURNAMENT CELEBRATION SPORTS, PAGE B4 PHOTO,P PAGE A6 TUESDAY,TUESDAY, MARCHMARCH 1,1, 20162016 > WESTERNWESTERN KENTUCKYKENTUCKY UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY > VOLUMEVOLUME 91,91, ISSUEISSUE 1111 Senate bill proposes change in restaurant tax BY MONICA KAST [email protected] A bill to reform how Kentucky restau- rants are taxed and how that money is distributed to Kentucky cities has been introduced into the Kentucky Senate. Senate Bill 166 is an optional tax for Kentucky cities that, if passed, will change the way that restaurants are taxed. Currently, restaurants pay a tax on their net profits, or gross receipts. The money from that tax is then given to non-elected officials, who distribute it to the tourism industry. If Senate Bill 166 passes, the new tax would be consumption based and would allow the taxes paid from res- taurants to go toward more tangible President Gary Ransdell speaks about the eff ects of the statewide budget cuts in Frankfort at the state Capitol building on improvements to cities. It is limited to Wednesday. The budget cuts could increase tuition by more than 3 percent. JACOB HURDT/HERALD three percent, and would only be put into effect if a city voted to allow it, ac- cording to Senate Bill 166. The money from the tax could be used for things such as construction, maintenance, or operation of tourism From: and economic areas in the cities of the Hill Kentucky. Senator Jared Carpenter introduced the bill to the Kentucky Senate on Feb. 9. The bill was sent to the Appropria- tions and Revenue Committee on Feb. 11, according to the Kentucky Legisla- To: the House ture website. “Instead of turning this tax over, it al- lows city governments to return up to Ransdell airs concerns with state representatives over budget 75 percent of revenues and how they’re expended,” J.D. Chaney, the deputy BY JACOB DICK the ability to do the very thing that the time where other states decided to raise executive director of the Kentucky League of Cities, said. [email protected] governor and general assembly expects the funding for state educational facilities. us to do in terms of productivity.” “Because [of] the money that’s been The Kentucky League of Cities pro- On Thursday, Feb. 25, President Gary During his testimony, he presented cut to higher education over the last vides “cities, leaders, and employees Ransdell took his turn before the state legislators with a study completed eight years ... there is no more across- with a number of services including House’s Budget Review Subcommittee by Budget Policy and Priorities that the-board option,” Ransdell said. “For legislative advocacy, legal services, on Postsecondary Education in Frank- showed postsecondary education us to address these cuts, we’re going to community consulting, training and fort to discuss concerns of the university funding in Kentucky was still at levels eliminate … services our communi- online training, policy development from Gov. Matt Bevin’s proposed budget. far below the pre-recession levels of ties depend on because we are a pub- and research, and more,” according Ransdell discussed the possibility of most states. The study showed that lic university.” to their website. Chaney described the at least 20 imperiled programs, jobs state spending on higher education in Ransdell also said there would be an league as an “association of city gov- losses and tuition raises at the univer- Kentucky decreased 27.6 percent be- expected 3 percent rise in tuition cost ernments.” sity while college students protested tween 2008 and 2015: a $2,949 differ- for students next fiscal year as out- Chaney said the League of Cities on the Capitol steps outside. ence per student. lined by the Council of Postsecondary helped “write and get the bill intro- “We’re here doing what you expect us Kentucky decided to decrease funding SEE RANSDELL IN FRANKFORT duced.” to do,” he said. “The cuts would hinder during the budget session last year at a PAGE A2 SEE RESTAURANT TAX PAGE A2 Students march on Frankfort for higher education BY MIKE CLARK tol Annex building. Kentucky [email protected] State University sophomore Kelsey McCormick, a music About 100 students from education major, said she was Kentucky's public universities worried her program would marched from Kentucky State face cuts. University in Frankfort to the “I want to know why [Bevin] State Capitol Thursday morn- thinks he can decide if my ed- ing as part of the March for ucation matters or not,” Mc- Higher Education. Cormick said. “My education The march was to protest the matters to me; education for 9 percent across-the-board all of us matters. I don’t think budget cuts to higher educa- it’s fair to take that away from tion that Gov. Matt Bevin pro- us.” posed during his Jan. 26 State McCormick is also worried of the Commonwealth Ad- her two younger sisters might dress. not have the same education- Murray State junior Emily al opportunities she has had. Ferguson, who helped orga- “They may not be able to fol- nize the event, said she left low their dreams in the state of Murray at 5 a.m. to attend the Kentucky,” McCormick said. march four hours away. One of the students' con- "We hope to let the legisla- cerns was that college depart- tors know we are here and we ments in the arts and humani- care," Ferguson said. ties would feel the budget cuts After reaching the capital, most. Students from Kentucky state universities gathered outside the Kentucky State Capitol Annex Thurs- the students took turns speak- day, Feb. 25, to protest Gov. Matt Bevin's proposed budget, which calls for a 9 percent reduction in ing on the steps of the Capi- SEE MARCH PAGE A2 state funding for public universities. MIKE CLARK/HERALD FIND YOUR PLACE Bowling Green's best resource for housing near the Hill. WKUAPARTMENTS.COM a2 MARCH 1, 2016 COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD WKU Model Arab League to receive honors at conference BY MADIHAH ABRI my opinion, but that was also Members of the [email protected] remarked by a lot of faculty, Model Arab League, and even the director wrote to from left to right, Over the past weekend, five me and said she was very im- sophomore Alexan- WKU students were honored pressed.” dria Knipp, freshmen at the regional conference for Dimeo said students par- Noah Stevens, senior the Model Arab League at Mi- ticipating in the Model Arab Chris McKenna, ami University in Oxford, Ohio. League can gain more than senior Hatim Alamri, The Model Arab League al- understanding from attending and junior Ella Shipp, lows participants to learn the conferences. statesmanship involved in in- “This is a gateway to real were all honored at ternational affairs among in- world career opportunities,” the regional confer- dependent states in the actual Dimeo said. “The National ence for the Model Arab League but on a smaller Council on U.S.-Arab [Rela- Arab League at Miami scale. Universities from across tions] have a lot of internships University in Oxford, the region compete, debate and programs, and so they are Ohio. JENNIFER KING/ and resolve issues currently actively recruiting people to HERALD happening within the Middle go on these internships and Eastern and North African re- recruiting programs, and this gions of the world. is one of the many places they gious award for outstanding “I loved working with some represented some countries “We simulate doing what recruit from.” chair in the entire conference. of the brightest minds and that are not as cooperative in the actual Arab League does. It Alexandria Knipp, Olive Hill Although the league pro- watching issues that are al- the Arab world,” Stevens said. mirrors exactly the actual Arab sophomore, uses the mock vides a chance to work in gov- ready implemented, but are Stevens found the challenge League, so we have the same debates to further her career. ernment and politics, some not widespread, grow under and environment refreshing councils and so forth,” said Da- Knipp will be attending the students attend the confer- those minds,” Alamri said. and enjoyed being around vid DiMeo, assistant professor United States Foreign Ser- ence for other reasons. Along with Knipp, Louisville other people as passionate as of modern languages and the vice Internship Program that “I decided to do it out of pas- senior McKenna won the distin- he is about international af- Arabic program and coordina- works with the Department of sion and desire to experience guished delegate award for the fairs and the Middle East. tor of the Model Arab League. State in Washington, D.C. and agenda setting,” Alamri said. Palestinian Affairs Commitee. “I think the Model Arab The Model Arab League Knipp is one of the original Alamri, a senior originally Stevens, an Elizabethtown League is a good example of chapter for WKU is only in its founders, along with Chris from Saudi Arabia, brought freshman, also received an how people our age have good second year, but the students McKenna, of WKU’s chapter both an American perspective award as outstanding delegate policy ideas and can represent have already managed to make of the Model Arab League and and the perspective of a Saudi for his leadership skills on the good ideas for … the future,” their mark at the mock de- has attended both years.