The GuiLFORDIAN
February 27, 2015 | 3
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GREEN LEAF
Continued from page 2
But, more importantly, the scope of the project increased once
work began. According to Vamell, the original plan would not
have required additional permitting.
“The space was supposed to be left open (with) no new
finishes going down,” said Vamell. “We got into a lot more work
related to plumbing and having to put a new panel in to support
the electrical needs that were given to us. It just started to grow,
so we knew we were going to have to come back to it.”
The school did indeed come back to it and began taking steps
to fix the problem during the fall semester.
“We went down and met with (the city) in the middle of the
fall and said, ‘Hey, this is what we did; this is what the project
looks like,’” said Vamell.
“They said ‘No problem.’ They said just submit it and we’ll
look at it as soon as the break comes.”
According to Vamell, it is time to put this issue behind us and
look forward to the Greenleaf s reopening.
“That doesn’t change where we are: that we have a beautiful
project that we’re finishing the permitting on that students get
to enjoy as soon as that’s done,” said Vamell.
“We should have stopped the project and permitted it, right
then and there. And we didn’t do that. We chose to finish the
project up and deal with it afterwards.”
The Guilfordian contacted Tim Rouse because he had
supervised much of the constmction and permitting. Rouse left
his job as project manager in the middle of January to work
as constmction project manager for UNCG. He declined to
comment for the article.
The Guilfordian also reached out to Assistant Director
of Facilities Brian Wenger, who took over many of Rouse’s
responsibilities when Rouse left, and Director of Facilities Brett
Hacker. Both declmed to comment.
How it hurt the Greenleaf
Regardless of how it happened, the delay in reopening the
Greenleaf has been an ordeal for the co-op.
“It’s pretty devastating to the Greenle^, considering we’re in
g new space, we’re trying to^establish ourselves and we (may end.
up) out of business for two months,” said senior and clerk of
the Greenleaf s accounting committee Ben Strozier. “It’s making
these new avenues we’re trying to open up tough. So we’re being
super conscious about all of our business decisions, trying to
ensure that the Greenleaf stays around.”
Senior and Greenleaf member Chelsea Yarborough recalls
permits coming up in the early meetings with Vamell.
Yarborough says that the Greenleaf considered getting the space
up to restaurant code in order to expand the menu, but that the
process was too long, so the idea was dismissed.
Yarborough was under the impression that because the
Tlf i
The Greenleaf Coffee Cart will travel between Founders and the Library, selling
coffee, tea and baked goods. The new cafe space in the library, The Greenleaf @
Hege, will also open soon and continue to operate even when the Greenleaf reopens
Greenleaf only qualifies as a coffee shop, permits were
uimecessary.
Most involved with the Greenleaf were confused about the
situation.
Miriam Biber, associate director of Alumni Relations and
Greenleaf advisor, indicated that she had been told very
little about what caused the situation in the first place. With
everything up in the air at the beginning of the semester, the
Greenleaf members are doing what they can to continue to have
a presence on campus while waiting for the chance to finally
reopen.
At this moment, the plans for the Greenleaf are still
awaiting approval from the zoning reviewer. Once the plans are
approved, the city will inspect the space before granting final
approval for the permit.
Guilford also has several projects it intends to complete in the
coffee shop, including a new exterior door for ventilation and
hardware upgrades.
“Sometimes the city is fast, sometimes they are slow,” said
Vamell. “We’ll get it back up and mnning as quick as we can.”
The view from above
President Jane Fernandes visited the Greenleaf several times
during the fall semester.
“I saw a wonderful environment, and a relaxiag place for
students to hang out,” Fernandes said.
However, the administration recognizes the importance of
following city codes.
“I understand why we need to do it, absolutely,” said Fernandes.
^I^^st sorry that it happened after we were already open.”
Fernandes sees a bright future for the Greenleaf
“I really look forward to working with the Greenleaf in a lot
of ways, to do different types of services for the community
that promote fair trade and sustainable products ... I’m proud
to support that. I’m proud of the Greenleaf. I’m proud of the
students. I hope we get through this very quickly and things will
get back into business.”
Whatever means necessary
The complications with reopening the Greenleaf prevent the
co-op’s central mission within the Guilford community.
“The Greenleaf is intended to be a radical third space,”
Vinograd said. “Not having a physical area for us to have that
really just takes away a very important part of what the Greenleaf
is. We’re not just coffee and tea. You can have that anywhere.”
In spite of the difficult circumstances, Greenleaf members are
working to carry on their presence on campus. They have been
working on two alternatives.
“We are developing our Greenleaf Coffee Cart as a solution
while we are closed, and our space in Hege Library is coming
together really nicely, so I’m excited for those developments to
come into fruition,” said Yarborough.
Students learn $mart $tart to salaries
BY NICOLE ZELNIKER
Features Editor
On average, white women get
paid 77 cents to the dollar a man
makes.
“Over time, women earn much
less than men do,” said Kathy
Pearre, Women Are Getting Even
employee. “You are the people
who have to make the case to your
employee about your worth.”
Although starting salaries are
often different, one of the reasons
men earn more overall is negotiation.
“Men tend to negotiate, even
in their first job,” said Women’s,
Gender and Sexuality Studies Chair
Julie Winterich. “Women tend to be
happy that they have a job at all.”
On Feb. 18, the women’s, gender
and sexuality studies, English,
philosophy, rehgious studies
and psychology departments at
Guilford College and the American
Association of University Women
hosted the Smart Start workshop, a
seminar teaching college-age women
how to negotiate salary.
“(Negotiation) is not something
that is taught to women, so I was
excited,” said junior Fiona Lloyd-
Muller. “It was a chance to learn
how to that.”
Many students graduate desperate
for any job.
“Students coming out of college
now are just so happy to get a
salary,” said Associate Professor of
Philosophy Lisa McLeod.
Facilitators showed attendees the
WAGE Calculator, which determines
the average salary for a specific job
in your area. For example, the
average volunteer coordinator in
Greensboro makes about $44,000
on average.
“All job seekers tend to
underestimate what they have
to offer,” said Pearre. “Do your
research.”
Presenters also showed students
how to balance their budget.
“Getting a salary can be
meaningless if we don’t know what
our budgets are,” said Winterich.
There were problems students
had with the workshop, even
though they learned a lot. The
workshop lacked diversity, even
though African-American and
Latina women trail their white
counterparts in salaries, 67 and 57
cents to the dollar respectively.
“Women in marginahzed racial or
ethnic groups will receive even lower
salaries than white women,” said
senior Khadija Carr. “There wasn’t
(much said) about that. That was
something necessary. There were a
lot of women of color in the room.”
Although presenters enforced
the idea that the techniques taught
in the workshop apply across the
board, there was still a feeling of
exclusivity.
“If the model that the American
Association of University Women
has in mind is a white, able-bodied,
straight, cis(gender) woman, that
puts her in a more difficult position
than a white, cis(gender) man, but
still in a different position than
other people who might identify
as women or gender queer,” said
McLeod. “There needs to be some
adjustment in the way they’re
thinking about stuff.”
Community members met on Feb. 18 in the Gilmore Room to learn about negotiating a salary and wage inequalities.
This exclusivity was not only
an issue during the presentation
but remains a challenge in today’s
society.
“The research I’ve seen has been
on cis(gender) women, (and) it does
matter if you’re a person of color,”
said Winterich. “We need to know
that.”
Overall, students found the
workshop more helpful than not.
At least 14 of the 15 participants
would recommend this workshop
to a friend. All participants said
the workshop taught them how to
balance a budget and benchmark
salary and benefits.
“The resources that were provided
were very helpful,” said junior Zana
Hicks.
All partcipants said their
confidence had increased over the
course of the workshop.
Presenters and Guilford staff
shared several tips throughout the
workshop, one of which is to do
research before coming into an
interview.
“You want to know what’s going
on within the company,” said Jada
Drew ’07, director for Educational
Initiatives and Partnerships.
Another tip: relax.
“It’s not going to be taken
as offensive,” said Pearre. “Stay
positive. It’s just a discussion.”