Stentorian
VOLUME XXIXIISSUETWO
The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
stentorian@ncssm.edu
OCTOBER 2008
Alcohol Use Sparks Controversy
By Eli Hornstein
On Saturday, October 18,
students were found drinking alcohol at
an IVIZ in Hunt. A student or group
of students reportedly mixed soft drinks
with liquor.
An SLl on duty found students
with alcohol in the residence hall
rooms. Some students were found to
have consumed alcohol by breathalyzer
tests. Harry Tucker, director of Campus
Resources conducted the investigation.
According to Chancellor Gerald
Boarman, although the full scope of the
problem is not known and may neVer
be, “I’m not naive enough to think that
students don’t drink, but it’s usually one
student or a student and a friend....my
trust and the standards of this institution
have been breached by this absolutely
deliberate attempt to involve this many
students.”
Despite the wide scope of
the incident, Boarman stressed that
punishment and restrictions will be
on a case-by-case basis, “I see this as
an aberration, and I don’t like to take
action against the whole.”
In the wake of the initial series
of rapid responses, some students have
leveled accusations of unfair application
of disciplinary standards. These
students asked for an investigation
into not only the drinking, but into
allegations of possible favoritism. In
response, Boarman stated that, “no one
has been let go.”
Boarman added that what students
see as unfairness may stem from a
misunderstanding of the disciplinary
procedures at NCSSM.
“Initial investigation is made
by SLIs or security personnel, who
make a preliminary report,” Boarman
explained. “Mr. Tucker then does a very
thorough report, including each and
every rumor and each and every student
who was involved; this report is not yet
complete.”
Students
officially
charged in the
investigation
with a violation
of the Student
Code of
Conduct were afforded full due process,
including appeals.
Studpnts found guilty may face
any of the sanctions set down in the
student handbook, available on At-A-
Glance.
SG Constitution Under Review
Recent events have brought
to light a problem with the Student
Government Constitution adopted last
school year.
“Because last year’s constitution
wasn’t approved by the Chancellor’s
office, as is required by the UNC Board
of Governors, SG will now be operating
under the 1998 constitution,” stated
Kevin Cromwell, Director of Student
Services.
. A committee with representatives
of each of the three branches of SG
Have you been affected by this
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will work on possible revisions to the
constitution. The committee members
include Kevin Kimball, Alex Lew,
Hetali Lodaya, Sydney Ness, Ashwin
Peres-da-Silva, Cindy Wei, and Jennifer
Zhu.
In the 1998 constitution, any
amendment or institution of a new
Constitution can be made in several
ways: a petition of one-quarter of the
student body and SGA approval by a
strong majority, a petition of one-half
of the student body and a majority vote
at a meeting of the student body at a
meeting where half of the student body
is present, or if two-thirds of the studnet
body signs a petition for a change in the
constitution.
According to Cromwell, all
current SG officers will be retained in
their positions until an amended, or
new, constitution is approved.
Problems in Economy to Affect NCSSM
By Alex Lew
Homeowners are defaulting on their mortgages. Shareholders are losing
thousands of dollars as they read the newspaper over the dinner table. Governments
around the world are trying unsuccessfully to put things back on track again.
The thing is, NCSSM students aren’t homeowners, and have no bad
mortgages to stop paying. Students at the school are somewhat removed from
the process. They do not feel the
economic crisis in the same way
that millions across the country
are feeling it.
The economic meltdown
affects them in other, smaller
ways.
For instance, in the coming
months. Economics instructor
James Title predicts that the PFM
will be seeing a bit more business.
The free food, he says, will be a
big plus in this time of economic
hardship.
“People will say, ‘Yes, I’ve got time, I could go up to Ninth
Street to get something to eat, but I’d rather not spend that money,”’
Title said. “Or at Happy Half, instead of selling ten pizzas, the
pizza guy will only be able to sell eight.”
It’s a reality that many people are facing: as stock prices
plummet and money is lost, families around the world are having
to tighten their belts and reign in their everyday spending. Students who used to
eat out every week may find themselves dining in, and the arguably overpriced
vending machines will probably be seeing less business. That said, a meal here or
there is altogether not that important. NCSSM’s students will almost certainly feel
the biggest effects of the economy’s downturn in other ways.
“It’s probably going to influence some college choices, because it will
impact people’s ability to pay for college,” Title said. “It may affect NCSSM
students less, because you’ve got a tuition grant, which makes it easier. But for
the people thinking about going to Harvard and Yale—how much financial aid are
they going to give to someone in [the middle class]? Financial aid is going to be
harder to come by.”
One of the reasons that this aid will be hard to find is that the Federal
Government might have to cut its budget, too.
Congress has been spending a lot of money to try to find fixes to the recent
economic meltdown, and as such, will have to compensate for those expenditures
by spending less in other areas like education and federal student loans. Just this
month, the President signed into law a $700 billion bailout bill, and House Democrats
are looking at a $150 billion stimulus package as a short-term solution.
Some are unhappy with the amount of money the government is pouring into
short-term solutions.
“The $700-billion bailout plan is like a band-aid that we’re putting on
the problem,” said junior Markus Le. “At some point, it will burst off and
we’ll be stuck where we started.”
In order to understand the effects of the economy’s recent plummet better,
it is necessary to look at the cause. While the origin of the current situation
is certainly disputable, most agree that the subprime mortgage crisis was a
major contributor. Subprime mortgages, or mortgages sold to people with
low credit scores, are not altogether bad, but when combined with predatory
lending practices and adjustable-rate mortgages, they can have a very negative
impact.
One of the bigger problems occurs when banks, eager to make a profit,
convince homebuyers to pay beyond their means and take out a $250,000
instead of the $150,000 loan they had wanted to buy.
Banks believed this sort of predatory lending would make them a
profit, but when the homeowners couldn’t make their payments and started
defaulting on their mortgages, banks lost that money.
Banks, having lost millions due to bad mortgages, can no longer make
other loans as easily. When companies can’t take out loans, it hurts their
employees the most.
With unemployment up, tax revenue is down, and the state, too, has to make
budget cuts. Governor Mike Easley, predicting that tax revenue will be 3-4% lower
this year, is calling for a statewide 4% spending cut. This cut, applicable to all state
agencies, may also end up affecting NCSSM.
“Governor Easley is telling [educational] agencies that he is holding back
3% of their state budget in case NC’s economy continues to decline,” Ed McBride,
NCSSM director of operations, said in an email interview. “It is better to withhold
budget funds now and plan for the budget reduction rather than have to make a
huge budget cut near the end of the year.”
McBride said that one area the school would explore would be a freeze on
filling vacant positions. Another might be that faculty and students travel less.
While the specifics are a bit hazy, one thing is sure: students, too, will feel the
burden of the economic meltdown.
Junior Senator
Election Results
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