The Carrier

On Wednesday, residence hall visitation hours were extended by two hours effective next fall after College President Stephen R. Briggs signed the recommendation submitted by the Student Life Council. 

The new visitation hours will be 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. during the week, and 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. 

“I have received and signed the paperwork authorizing the change for the 2008-2009 academic year, with the understanding that increased use of the roommate contract will be implemented to facilitate roommate problem-solving and conflict resolution and to protect roommates from abuses of the visitation hours.” 

According to Briggs, students who need rest in order to attend an early morning class or start on-campus jobs early should be given priority over students merely wishing to entertain guests.  

In addition, scheduling arrangements will have to be worked out through Residence Life in how to responsibly accommodate RAs to staff the additional hours.  

Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Debbie Heida said the new hours will be reviewed after a year, and changes may be made after the one-year trial period. 

“We’ll see how we are after the first year and go from there.” Heida said. 

The visitation discussion started in the spring of 2007 at SGA where Senior John Luke Weaver started a subcommittee to SGA’s Student Affairs Committee to address visitation hour concerns. The proposal was presented to the students in the SGA meeting on November 13, 2007.

The proposal presented to Student Life Council requested 24- hour visitation on weekends, but the council proposed that weekday hours stay the same. The original proposal also requested that study rooms be open 24 hours in all the residence halls. Quiet hours were proposed to remain the same even with the 24 hour weekend visitation. Residents were also to escort visitors of the opposite sex out of the building. 

The last change made to visitation hours was in 1994, which originated from an SGA motion to adopt the hours currently instated. 

“Berry has a history of making gradual changes over time rather than drastic ones,” Heida said. 

Heida said the new hours will be reviewed after a year and changes may be made after the one-year trial period. 

March 29 was quite an anticipated night for us — all the hype, all the talk, all the coverage for three hours of fun. I would like to say that the whole evening was very impressive other than Eef (he was a bit strange) but Ben Folds is an incredibly talented artist who puts on a great performance.I had no idea how much work goes into an event like this. I knew that KCAB had been planning this for pretty much the entire academic year, but I was able to get a feel for this myself as I went back and forth to the Cage all Saturday afternoon trying to secure my press pass. First of all, the people that they had to put up with that day and the previous days seemed as if they were not in touch with a little thing I like to call reality. I met the road manager for Folds upon my first arrival at the Cage at 2 p.m., and he proceeded to ask me if my pearl earrings were real to which I responded “no,” and he was utterly mortified. I shrugged my shoulders, looked at him and told him I was on a college budget, wondering what this whole exchange had to do with my press pass. I hope my pearls, or “non-pearls,” had nothing to do with my wait for the pass. I finally got the pass at 6 p.m. KCAB put up with a lot of nonsense to give us our big artist. The KREW was there until 2 a.m. Saturday setting up the stage, and most of them returned six hours later to start getting ready for the big day. The security was tight, and it included a pretty cool-looking bomb-sniffing dog. It was crazy how many middlemen there were between Berry and Ben Folds. A lot of the KCAB people had their own Folds people to take care of and make sure they were comfortable, who were in turn  making sure that Folds was set up to rock the night away on his piano. I have to say, I felt pretty special wearing my photo pass having security clearance in the building.I was a bit disappointed that they would not let me behind the barricade of the fans and Folds. It was quite interesting fighting the crowd to get my shots. I don’t think they were very happy with me when I busted in there to the very front of the crowd but I left them alone after three songs. Folds is an amazing artist, he had the piano, one keyboard to his right side and one resting on top of his piano. He worked all of them. Watching his hands through the lens made me realize his sheer talent and coordination. I just would like to applaud all of KCAB for all of their hard work and everyone else that made our big concert a reality. I would encourage students to come to events like this even if it is not your favorite artist, that way we can encourage more big names on campus in coming years.�

The largest campus in the world is going green. This is what College President Stephen R. Briggs has agreed to in the President’s Climate Commitment Act.

This week ODK, a national leadership honors society comprised of juniors and seniors have pulled together with other organizations to help Berry become green.

Green Committee Chair and senior Lowell Pratt proposed to aid in Briggs’ Climate Commitment and also to bring student organizations and groups together. ODK’s Green Committee was formed last fall. 

ODK wanted to make a visible impact on campus. Each day this week has been focused on a different aspect of Berry going green. 

The Green Committee consists of 25 members who are working to make this week a success. 

“I did not realize how many environmental resources there are out there,” Pratt said. “I don’t profess to be a tree hugger; however, with a little bit of discipline and minor changes, so much can be accomplished to better the environment.” 

Monday was environmental education day in Krannert during lunch. There were Chico bags for sale. The bags are intended to replace shopping bags to cut down on plastic and paper bags in the grocery store. 

A member of ODK, junior Chelsea Hauk, had a table with natural cleaners for the household. Things like laundry soap and Windex can be harmful because of the toxins in the cleaners. 

Hauk researched various natural ingredients to make homemade cleaners. 

She used ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, washing soda and essential oils to make unharmful cleaners. Hauk made an oil concoction to help kill the mildew in her bathroom. 

Junior Blair Schermerhorn headed up an art contest that is being held in Krannert all week long. 

The judges for the event are Assistant Professor of Biology Catherine Borer, Professor of Fine Arts Thomas Mew and Associate Professor of Fine Arts  Brad Adams. Judging will take place on Friday. This show features student art made from recyclables.

Associate Professor of Biology William Davin has been a leading faculty member in assisting with the President’s Climate Commitment Act. Tuesday night Davin spoke at SGA about this act and the RecycleMania Challenge. 

Berry and 201 other schools are participating in this challenge. According to last week’s totals of trash at Berry, each person uses approximately 16 pounds per week. Currently we are at a recycling rate of 25 percent, and the goal is to reach somewhere around 45- 50 percent.

A  light bulb swap is taking place in Thursday, March 6. 

Students have the opportunity to bring their old incandescent bulbs to trade for energy efficient compact florescent bulbs in Krannert and RA offices. 

This project was headed up by Vice President for Campus Services junior Laura Sutton who began research for the project in January.

 Home Depot and Wal-Mart gave discounts on the light bulbs. 

“All of the time spent researching has made me more aware. I try to turn off the lights every time I leave a room.” Sutton said. 

Students may track the weekly results at www.recyclemaniacs.org.

Recently I had a conversation with my dad about the Jena Six controversy in Louisiana. I told him I felt I was watching something from the ‘60s pre-civil rights movement or, rather, something that could have happened during that particular era.
For those of you who do not know, the Jena Six are six black students from Jena High School in Louisiana who are, according to some, being charged excessively for actions during a racially discriminatory schoolyard fight on the first day of school. This fight was one of many other racial incidents in Jena, La., last year at the start of the school year.
As a result of these six students, many colleges and high schools around the nation have raised their voices in protest against racial discrimination.
On Sept. 20, more than 10,000 people gathered in Jena to protest the legal workings of our courts in the South. The protestors pointed out that this incident should not have happened at all.
I was talking with a friend of mine at lunch Monday about this very incident. He said this is just the way things are in a lot of small rural towns in the South.
I disagree. These actions are unacceptable. We should never settle for “the way things are.” As students and citizens of this country, we should stand up for what we believe in.
Racial “wars” have been going on for hundreds of years, and, unless the heart of man changes, they will continue to go on. Let’s not forget the foundations of our country — “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
These truths should indeed be self-evident. No human being is better than another one.
We must realize racial battles do not happen solely in the South. All over the world there are wars being fought in places such as Darfur, for example.
Although it seems like nothing can be done to prevent such incidents as the one in Jena, La., you can make a difference in your everyday lives.
Students collected money this past Tuesday, as well as once this week, in Krannert for the Jena Six and their legal defense fund. So check it out, get involved and let’s begin making a difference wherever we can.

Welcome to Berry!

I know that’s the fiftieth time that you have heard that today, and it is probably getting old. However, you should consider yourself privileged to be here.

Did you know that the United States leads all other nations with a quarter of its population college-educated? Yes, we are indeed among the most privileged people in the world.

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