FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2000
: ush outlines plans for increased Pell grants
by Carolyn Barta
August 31, 2000
Knight-Ridder Tribune
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- George W.
Bush spent the day talking about
education -- an issue he is convinced
resonates with swing voters -- in ap
pearances in Pennsylvania, a criti
cal battleground state, and New
Hampshire, where he is trying to
woo voters who supported John
McCain in the primaries.
In a new proposal, he called for
the expenditure of $5 billion over
five years to fully fund first-year Pell
grants, providing greater access to
college for low- and middle-class
students.
But Bush was forced again to re
spond to continuing criticism from
his opponent, Democrat Al Gore, in
cluding the charge that Texas has
lagged behind other states in provid
ing health coverage for uninsured
children.
Participating with CNN.com in
his first combined online, on-air chat
Wednesday, Bush said states must
"aggressively sign up" those who
qualify for Medicaid. For children
who aren't eligible for Medicaid but
are below 200 percent of the federal
Commuter students looking
for reasons to stay on campus
by Billy O'Keefe
August 31, 2000
TMS Campus
CHICAGO (TMS) Life doesn't al
ways go according to plan, even if
those plans are sketched out on a
blueprint for everyone to see.
Take the historic Ludington Build
ing. Located in Chicago's South
Loop and owned by Columbia Col
lege since March 1999, the
Ludington was earmarked one year
ago as the school's next big thing.
Students would finally enjoy all the
luxuries -- a game room, a food
court, a performing arts area -- that
most universities and college towns
take for granted.
Somewhere along the way, how
ever, those plans faded away. Sure,
you can still play in the cutting-edge
Book and Paper Arts Center, hut it's
not exactly the kind of game stu
dents had in mind. And while the
Glass Curtain Café has ample seat
ing and plenty of ambience, you bet
ter bring your own lunch or you'll
go hungry. For student perfor
mances, the Hokin Center down the
street, while very limited in facili
ties and capacity, is still the place to
go.
For many schools around the
country, the botched addition of yet
another food court and yet another
place for games wouldn't raise an
eyebrow. But at Columbia, where 95
percent of students live off campus
and a lack of facilities scares students
all the way home once classes ad
journ, the mood is that of a commu
nity in desperate need of some food
to eat, some games to play and
someplace to go besides home.
Life at Columbia reflects that of
the typical commuter college, which
is anything but the typical college ex
perience. For commuter students
around the country, college isn't all
about frat houses, marching bands
and happy hours at the tavern.
Rather, it's about train stations, car
pools and rush hour on the express
way. Cab fares replace meal plans,
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poverty line, he said, states can use
the Children's Health Insurance Pro
gram passed by Congress in 1997.
"We anticipate signing up
400,000 children in Texas," he said,
adding that. "We spend over $4 bil
lion a year to help the uninsured in
our state...
Gore has said his goal is for all
children to have health care cover
age by 2005.
Our goal, - Bush said, "is to make
sure we sign tip children ithin the
law. I've heard the political rheto
ric, that We don ' t "ant to sign u p
children to the Children's ! health In
surance Program. That's not the
truth. It's the same old-style politics
-- to make an accusation that has no
truth to it and hope it qicks
"The state oh Te \as is a compas
sionate state. We care about our chil
dren. We probably care about our
children more than somebody in
Washington, D.C. does," he said.
Earlier in the da . Bush listed his
higher education goals before an au
dience of 700 junior and senior stu
dents at a high school in Hampton,
NH., and again in Fsie, PA.
Pennsylvania, winch holds the
fifth largest numhcr ()I electoral
votes at 23, last voted Republican
gas card , . bc,ome moo. iinportant
than take ID,. anti the only time you
talk about Alpha oi Beta (luting
your freshman science class.
The rni cHio, ()I North Cwolina
- Try attending
basketball t; 1//1( 1111 a
711C.Sally !light,"
there 111(1V bC (11)01II
12 .studeni\ . the
bleachers, and that's.
being optimi.sli(
-Aaron KratusT,
1()/inet h'ariv quelcht
at Chapel Ilill and CM), crsity of
North Carolina at Charlotte. Same
school, right'? In the words of the
great Bart Simpson, "not bloody
likely." True, the schools sound alike,
and each boasts a lull-time popula
tion of more than 10,000 (14,397 at
Chapel Hill. 10.521 at Charlotte, ac
cording to U.S. News and World Re
port). But while the Tar Heels ignite
the scoreboard and light up the night
on weekends, UNC-Charlotte's cam
pus barely even glows. In fact, most
students don't even go home on the
weekends, because they're already
there: 72 percent of the student popu
lation lives off campus grounds.
The attitude in Charlotte is like that
of most commuter schools: Get in,
get the work done, and get the hell
out before rush hour swallows you.
And with so much of the student
body adopting this routine, it be
comes as much a tradition in some
schools as pep rallies and point shav
ing does in others.
"UNC-Charlotte is what I would
call a 'suitcase school,'" says Brad
Burdick, a 29-year-old earth science
\:\IATIONAL CAMPUS NE-WS
in a presidential race in 1998.
Besides increasing first-year Pell
Grants from $3,300 to $5,100, he
proposed "enhanced" Pell grants to
students who take advanced place
ment math and science classes in
high schools. He also called for a tax
deduction that would allow families
to put $5,000 a year into tax-free
Educational Savings Accounts.
"1 want to make sure schools are
affordable for children of all walks
of life," he said.
Bush said he wants to increase
education spending totally by $25
billion. The biggest chunks would to
go to the Pell Grants, along with $5
billion for an early education read-
nig initiative
In New Hampshire, where Bush
experienced his biggest primary de
feat, state GOP Chairman Tom Rath
said Republicans who supported
McCain are coming over to Bush. As
for independents, he said, "it's hard
to predict where they'll be."
He said of Bush, "the symbolism
of him coming back (after the pri
mary loss) is very important."
McCain is expected to visit the
state in October.
major. "A good number go home on
the weekends, which I don't under
stand. They're finally away from
home, yet they choose to go back to
their parents' house."
Of course, Burdick is no rogue.
"The only time I spend at school
when I'm not in class is when I'm
studying." he said.
Are UNC-Charlotte students a
hunch of nerdy bookworms? Nope,
and that's why they don't hang
around. For students like Burdick,
there's just nothing else to do here
besides homework; very little enter
tainment is within walking distance
of the school, and the most accessible
clubs are a good drive away. What's
more, few students are inclined to
hang out at school all day just so they
can go out at night, when they can do
the same waiting at home and save
thousands a fortune in
collegespeak on the cost of a dorm.
Some students really don't mind.
"I'm here for a lot of reasons," said
Columbia student Chris LaPelusa, 21.
"Meeting people is possible, but it's
not a big deal either way. I don't have
time to hang around here anyway
with my job."
But while the degree is still the
thing, and attendance isn't exactly
suffering - Columbia's student body
is expected within the next few years
to surpass 10,000 for the first time -
most students still want more. And
more they shall receive, as schools
strive to offer road warriors more than
a classroom and the occasional wash
room experience.
For three years, Barry University
(7,500 students, 750 of which live on
campus, according to University
Spokesman Joe McQuay) has hosted
the monthly Commuter BBQ, a free
lunchtime soiree for students un
blessed by a meal plan. Columbia, in
addition to the Ludington Building,
has acquired four buildings in the past
year alone and is working to bridge
the gap between classwork, student
activities and the burgeoning enter
tainment in Chicago's South Loop.
And for those who would like a crisp
PHOTO BY JEFF MIL! ER
Presidential candidate George W. Bush is welcomed to Erie by Pennsylvania Governor Torn Ridge. Bush
spoke in Erie about education before continuing his campaign swing through New Hampshire and Ohio
view of Chicago's swanky State
Street, the college is combining
forces with three other schools to
build a $2OO million "super dorm"
sometime within the next two years.
Many commuter students would
agree that Columbia is on the right
track. A good college town naturally
needs a college, but it's the bonuses
like bars, parks, restaurants, arcades
and yes, housing that complete the
picture; student organizations, sports
and activities, safe bets as they are,
aren't always enough.
"Try attending a basketball game
on a Tuesday night," said former
Barry student Aaron Krause, a first
year graduate student at hoops
crazed Indiana University. "There
may be about 12 students in the
bleachers, and that's being optimis
tic."
Asked what they would build if
they could add one thing to their cam
pus, most students had an easy an
swer: someplace to go.
"A street close to campus with
nothing but entertainment, bars and
clubs would be great," said 20-year
old UNCC Business major Trent
Paino. "Most colleges have that."
Burdick agrees. "It only makes
sense to put these clubs within walk
ing distance. Right now, everybody
has to drive downtown to go danc
ing."
Still, like most experiences, the
college experience begins and ends
with people. You need headcount to
get headcount, and when a huge
chunk of students go home all the
time, new students simply follow
suit. Some students believe that all
the buildings and clubs in the world
won't change a thing if they don't start
the process themselves.
"It's not hard to meet people, and
it's definitely worth the effort," Paino
said. "But during the weekend,
people who live on campus go home,
and those who live off campus tend
to stay off.
"I would hang around campus a lot
more if there were more people who
did the same."
Former U. Of Vermont
athlete receives $BO,OOO
for hazing incident
by Billy O'Keefe
August 31, 2000
TMS Campus
Less than two weeks after
strengthening its policy against haz
ing on campus, the University of
Vermont reached an $BO,OOO out
of-court settlement with a former
hockey player whose story helped
trigger the new policy.
Goaltender Corey LaTulippe
joined the Catamounts last year as
a freshman but left the team after
an October incident in which he
claims all first-year players were
forced to walk naked holding each
other's genitals, drink excessive
amounts of warm alcohol, and eat
seafood pie until they vomited.
LaTulippe's lawyer subsequently
slapped the university with a fed
eral lawsuit. University administra
tors and some of LaTulippe's team
mates were also named.
After an internal investigation in
January found several athletes un
truthfully denying the events of the
hazing, university President Judith
A. Ramaley canceled the remain
der of the Catamounts' 1999-2000
season. Additionally, authorities
charged two players with provid
Scooters Rule?
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ing alcohol to ininol
Last week, the boat d t 1 trustees
approved a new ant idia im!policy.
which, in line
with a state' !licasure
passed earlier this Vicar, plohibits
any act intended to "humiliate, de
mean or endanger the mental or
physical health of a student," re
gardless of the person's willingness
to participate in the act.
In addition, the uni V plans
to continue a preventive education
program that began in June, and
have approved funds 1 or a Life
Skills program for student athletes.
A Life Skills coordimo,or will in -
rive Friday to furl!
Act establish nrui
eventually teach the program,
which promotes team-building ex
periences and cooperation.
Since the hazing 'dent took
place. LaTulippe has left Vermont
entirely and is now attendnip an
other school.
In a statement earli
this year,
Ramaley said that it k the
university's responsibility to set an
example by which other schools can
follow.
"Our most important legacy may
be to take a leadership role in find
ing, instituting and sharing solu
tions," she said.