Upcoming Construction at WSU
By this time next year there will be a steady flow of construction on the Worcester State University campus. Nothing is completely set in stone yet, but there are plans for a new Athletic and Wellness building, a campus greening project, re-facing of the Library, a new dorm building, and lastly there is the potential of a new parking garage. Needless to say the next few years here are going to be busy.
In 2006, Worcester State first started to think about the idea of making a new Athletic and Wellness Building said WSU President Barry Maloney. These sorts of projects take time; a college does not just decide one night to build something the next day. It takes years to plan out every big and small detail that must be looked at. The projected date for the opening of the new Athletic and Wellness building is the fall of 2015. The old athletic building will be completely torn down and the new building will be built in its place. It is projected to have two basketball courts; one varsity gym and one gym for practices, intramural sports, and public use. Around the varsity court there will be a walking track and seating will increase to about 2,000. The new gym will be “the whole magilla,” said Maloney. Never again will there be people standing around the entrance wishing for a seat. There will also be empty studio classrooms for fitness classes (or any other classes that need a space) and a café like the Java Junction in Waslyean Hall.
The tough part about this specific new building being constructed is the fact that many offices are there that will be destroyed once construction starts. Maloney said that to deal with this problem there will be a “floating village” of trailers located in the square of staff parking between the Sullivan building and the Learning Resources Center. Do not forget about the many sports teams that use the gym building for practices and games. Currently there is no solution to this other problem but most likely varsity games and practices will be held at a neighboring college.
The greening project mentioned above is still in its early “green” stages the president said. The basic idea is to have a grassy area with benches and picnic tables where the students can sit and relax. A few possibilities are to have the grass extend from the existing pond all the way up to the library. This would take away a considerable amount of parking, but at the same time it would “provide extra safety,” said Maloney, for everyone walking on campus because instead of walking through the parking lots and crosswalks that no one seems to notice, they will walk through the grassy campus park area. Although nothing is set in stone this greenery project could be a really nice addition to the campus, especially during the summer where it could be a place to hold events for students.
This March through December of next year, WSU will start the list of projects with the Library update added President Maloney. The plan is to fix the water leak in the Library that has been going on for a while now and to also give the library a more inviting look. The stairway will be updated, and the cement walls will be torn down and replaced with an ivy lattice along the library entrance. The school also plans on re-siding the library; making it a brighter cream color.
There may be some concern about the hours of the library and whether or not it will be open or have long enough hours, especially during finals. Assistant Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing Lee Ann Scales, Assistant Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing, said that the library “won’t be offline” and that most of the construction will be “behind the scenes work.”
There has also been talk about a new dorm building to be completed by 2015 that would add 300-400 beds. President Maloney said that “this is not about adding students; it’s purely about serving the existing demand.” Because of the new dorm and greater demand there would be a new cafeteria built in it that would be for all on campus students. The old cafeteria will be repurposed for something else. This new dorm will be situated between Dowden and the sports field and will be built into the hillside so students will have a great view of the fields below. With the creation of this new dorm there will also be evening out of the tuition fees for each dorm building. There will no longer be an expensive and cheap dorm; they will all be around the same price. Though this may not happen right away, there are also thoughts on off campus housing for students, but that will be later down the road.
And of course, one of the biggest problems on campus, parking, will hopefully be fixed. There is a lot of talk about what exactly to do; new garage or satellite parking, or maybe both? With all the new buildings being put on campus and the construction going on the school is going to have to find 600-1,000 spaces elsewhere for student and faculty parking. The idea of a new garage on campus, most likely near the sports fields, is a good but will not happen right away and will not help the problem of where to park for students on campus now. President Maloney is currently “talking to the general community” and “exploring as many options as possible.” There are no firm plans as to what or where student and faculty will park, but they are working on finding places.
Lastly, how will the school pay for all of these projects? The first thought that comes to mind is raised tuition bills, but that is not what is going to happen. In an article found in the WSU Alumni Magazine I found lots of information on the projected costs in the next year. The school has an AAA rating, they are allowed to borrow significant amounts of money for projects. These state loans will take care of a little over 50% of the Athletic and Wellness building, the of the money will come from the schools personal money reserves. Students will only notice a small increase in tuition of $408 for student fees. For commuters this means tuition fees will be $7,653 and for residents it will be $17,533. These are about an 8.8% increase from what students are paying now.
Overall there is a lot going on in the next few years. WSU has the money to pay for the projects and plenty of new ideas to deal with the parking problems now and to come.
Education for Power
The Education for Power event, back on February 19th here at Worcester State University, was one of many once a month events put on by the Worcester Free School. This was by far the “biggest one yet, presenter wise” said Liz Swenson, who is the founder of the Free School. This event’s presenters were mostly made up of professors from surrounding colleges; Worcester State University, Clark University, and WPI. The event, oddly enough, was centered on action heroes in childhood cartoons like; Batman, Voltron, Wonder Woman, Captain Planet, and He-Man & SheRa. Each action hero was assigned to a room and had a different theme, for instance Captain Planet had Earth and eco-friendly themed lectures.
Katherine Mitchell, an attendee and Education for Power, saw the event posted on their Facebook page and thought “the different lectures seemed really interesting.” Mitchell attended the Voltron: E.P.O.C.A – Building Relationships – Building Power with speakers Luis Bajana, Jaime Ayers, and Kevin Welby. She found it to be “very interesting” and was glad she went.
The next event, Holistic Health Day, will be on March 24th at their site at 97D Webster Street here in Worcester. The day will include direct teaching to a subject (Yoga, Co-Counseling, Meditation, or Fitness) while others will include community discussion and recipe sharing for people with specifics diets (gluten free and vegan). In May, Worcester Free School is planning two workshops, one to discuss Advocacy and Self Advocacy and the second will be a knitting and crocheting workshop.
The Worcester Free School is “a group working to develop better ways for people in the community of Worcester to learn from each other, and improve their lives and communities through education,” information taken from their Facebook page. The idea for this group originally came about from the Occupy Movement last year and how a number of Occupy sites had free schools that taught people about different issues that needed to be addressed in the movement. Swenson said “we wanted it to be free and educational, and open to everyone in our community,” and that’s how it’s been run so far. Anyone is welcome to join.
Swenson further stated that “personally, I love learning new things. I think people should learn all throughout their lives as it brings more depth to life. We all recognized that it is incredibly important to a community that people are able to pass on the knowledge and wisdom that they have gained. Worcester Free School is a way to help people do that.”
Meetings are Thursday nights at 9pm at 97D Webster St. It’s a small group but they’re always looking for people to come and participate and help get things going. For more information visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WorcesterFreeSchool
Kindle or Nook?
eReaders first came out in 2007, and since then they have developed into a must have item. They are not only helpful for the avid pleasure reader, but for the student as well, who can buy textbooks for their eReaders. But which should you buy; the Kindle or the NOOK?
The Kindle and the NOOK have a lot in common. They can both store thousands of books; much more than your average bookcase and library combined. It takes less than a minute to download a book. You can borrow books from libraries and both of the new versions of the NOOK and Kindle have color screens and are able to download applications, watch movies, TV shows, listen to music, email, and surf the web with the built in Wi-Fi.
If they each have so much in common then what are the differences? Why choose one over the other? It’s tough to say which one may be better. First off there are more Kindle eReaders to choose from; there’s the “Kindle,” “Kindle Touch,” “Kindle Keyboard,” and the latest edition to the Kindle family, “Kindle Fire.” Each Kindle has the option to come with or without 3G capabilities. The NOOK only has three options; the “NOOK Simple Touch,” the “NOOK Color,” and the “NOOK Tablet.” Secondly the Kindle has cheaper eReaders ranging from the “Kindle” at $79 and the “Kindle Fire” at $199. The NOOK ranges from the “NOOK Simple Touch” at $99 to the “NOOK Tablet” at $249. This information comes from www.amazon.com and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook/379003208.
The Kindle also has a few technology advantages that the NOOK doesn’t have. For one the Kindle has a “text-to-speech” application that allows the Kindle to read words to you and you can play audio books on this as well. A more recent update is the “Kindle Cloud Reader” which allows you to read Kindle books both online and offline from your firefox, goggle chrome, or safari browser. You can add, organize, and access your existing Kindle library without downloading any software. This is an interesting and helpful device, especially for people who practically live on their laptops; most students for instance.
An adult student I met, Tina Bourgeois said, “I bought the kindle to save money on expensive text books as well as provide ease when traveling (not having to carry heavy books).” Look up your textbooks on Amazon and see how much they cost on the Kindle; guaranteed 90% of them are actually cheaper on the kindle then the actual hard copy textbook. But the Kindle isn’t perfect, Bourgeois says “No page numbers is a huge bummer and the Kindle is also not great for looking at graphs and charts. You can also highlight and take notes on the Kindle but it is very different than having a physical book to flip thru. If the textbook is going to be used HEAVILY in a class then I would say no to having the text on your Kindle. For instance, I would not recommend that a Nursing Student purchase an Anatomy book on the Kindle, but I would recommend that a communications major would find it very helpful.” Basically Bourgeois is saying that it’s helpful to have the Kindle if you know you will only have simple readings to do, but if you’re going to need to be studying your textbook daily, with all the graphs and charts and pictures, then it may be in your best interest to buy the hard copy textbook.
On another note, focusing more on the positives of having a Kindle instead of hard copy books, Patricia Woodbury, a Sophomore at WSU, says it’s “cheaper to buy books on the kindle instead of going to the book store all the time.” Think of all the gas money you save by not having to drive to buy your books. You can just sit in your dorm, or bedroom at home, and download a new book in seconds. When asked whether or not she would recommend the Kindle to other students, Woodbury replied with, “I love my kindle. I would especially suggest it to students on a budget, or who don't want to lug around three reading-for-pleasure books at once.”
Both the NOOK and the Kindle have their pros and cons and when it comes down to picking which to buy, it often comes down to which company you’re more loyal to. Overall though, when it comes to pleasure reading or simple text readings for class, an eReader is the right thing to get.
The Traveling Glass Artist
Unlike their fellow glass artist at the Worcester Center for Crafts Glass Studio Caitlin Vitalo, who likes to make intricate glass art to be on display, Eric Cruze and his wife Tomoko (Tomo for short) make vessels. Vitalo explains these to be “function glass pieces; like bowls, glass cups, or ornaments.”
The beginning of the interview took place in Cruze’s very small and crowded office, if you could call it that. It was a room that was more like a closet; he had a table showing his current projects, a wall of shelves that jutted out into the limited walking space full of glass pulled into rod like shapes. In the corner there was an odd machine humming away, spinning and mixing what looked like dirty water used to rinse a paint brush.
“I don't have a specific process when designing, although I go through a similar process, starting with an idea about the material, and then integrating function and form,” said Cruze. His process seems simple; he heats the glass, then pulls it and adds color as he pulls. Once the glass has the desired look, he and his wife break it into smaller rods that are then allowed to cool. Later on he will reheat these rods and mold them into the vessel he wants to make.
Vitalo stated that Cruze is a “very clean, precise, and hard worker.” An example of this work is a fairly simple looking bowl with an orange color in a honey comb design. The glass was exactly like Vitalo explained it, clean, but precisely made; it had a clear vision and such a simple and organic look that it would look good in any nature lovers home. This particular honey comb bowl would go for $500. Cruze explained that the glass industry is expensive, and the more you add to it the more it costs.
As a young adult, Cruze went to Virginia Technical College to become an architect. After years of working as an architect he became discouraged. He did not enjoy the constraints and lack of freedom involved with his job; so he started to take classes in glass art and never looked back. With his new passion, he first travelled to the Czech Republic “because of their long tradition with glassmaking,” he said. It is a place where he believed he could receive more training in the art of glass making. The Czech Republic was also where he met, and fell in love with, Tomo.
At one point, Cruze and his wife were given the chance to teach glass work in Gifu, Japan, for a year, which they accepted. “The Japanese students were excellent - serious, thorough, respectful,” he said. Cruze and his wife moved back to America not too long ago to “set up our studio, and start our production lines of glass tableware, lighting and jewelry,” he said. Although Cruze is happy here he and his wife plan on moving back to Japan in the future.
The studio that Cruze and his wife own is in New Hampshire, and it’s very small. It does not have all the bells-and-whistles needed for their work. So he has to also work out of the Worcester Center for Crafts Glass Studio, but this can be costly. Cruze and Tomo are paid for the time spent helping out and teaching at the Glass Studio or Craft Center; this money is almost always put toward renting studio time. In a way, then, the glass studio is more like a co-op for Cruze and his wife; they donate their time and in return receive studio time for their craft.
At one point while talking with Vitalo, she said that Cruze is, “The nicest person at the studio and a really great guy.” It’s true he may be quiet and not very outspoken, but Cruze is driven and has a goal in mind. He knows what he’s doing and where he’s going, but again he is not your average glass artist; He molds and shapes the glass instead of blowing it, he has only recently started a production line to sell his work, and he has travelled around the world to study and teach his trade. Cruze truly believes in himself; as artist and a teacher and anyone who has the pleasure of talking to or learning from him will not only learn the beauty of glass art, but that it is never too late to start over and follow your dream.
Contact Information:
Eric Cruze - E_cruze@yahoo.com
Caitlin Vitalo - cvitalo@gmail.com
WSU Lottery System
Worcester State University has been making a few changes this year that will affect student’s lives here on campus, but none affects them more than the housing change from the student controlled system last year, to a no student control lottery system. A fellow Student Voice staff member sat down with James Mournighan (Assistant Director, Residence Life and Housing) and Adrian Gage (Assistant Dean, Student Affairs, Director of Residence Life and Housing) and asked them questions about this new lottery system and the differences there will be from last years system.
Last year’s system depended upon the housing deposit that every student who wanted to live on campus had to pay. If a student paid the deposit early enough they were guaranteed housing. If a student did not pay on time they were waitlisted. Then students would be divided up by class: rising seniors would go on the first day, then rising juniors, and lastly rising sophomores. Incoming freshmen and transfer student would send in their paper work and had rooms already set aside for them.
On the day students were told to sign up on, they were lined up based upon credits earned. Those who had the most credits would go first and those with the least amount would go last. This way, the ones who had been there longest and dedicated most of their time to the school had the first choice, which seemed to work out well.
This year, the deposit means nothing, like the intent form, it just lets the college know you want to live on campus. It doesn’t matter when you hand in the form, or when you pay your deposit, you could be the first or the last person, and it won’t make any difference. You won’t be given any special treatment or prize for handing it in early. The only thing that really matters this year is what number you’re given for the lottery and everyone has the same chances at getting 1 or 500.
“It seems like it could be very unfair to some people and others will get lucky with housing. At least with the credit system, it prioritized the students that had more invested into the school over new students/students with lighter class schedules.” Coady LaCroix, Junior, Computer Science Major
Instead of waiting in line to pay a deposit and hoping they had not taken to many deposits already, students were asked to turn a simple intent form notifying Res. Life that they intended to reside on campus during the 2011–2012 school year. Students had until March 11 to pass in these forms. After this point Res. Life would assign each person who had passed in an intent form, a random lottery number not based upon year or credits earned.
Students with lottery numbers that coincide with the amount of rooms available will be allowed to pay deposits during the assigned time and will not get any advantage when it comes to room selection based on when they pay. Those whose numbers fall below the number of rooms available will be placed on a waiting list and put in order by class, once grouped within their class, students will be placed in order once again by their lottery number. “If someone goes on the waitlist and they have a concern, come see us,” said James Mournighan of Res. Life.
Basically the new lottery system is pretty simple, again making it easier for the faculty but creating a lot of stress for students. If you’re one of the lucky students who are not on the waitlist then on April 14, from 4:30-8pm, you will line up first by class and then by number, in the North/South auditorium. This way students won’t miss any, or many, classes and there won’t be any safety hazards of lining up outside in the cold or filling up the hallway.
There will still be a same room/same house choice and mixed gender housing, but there is no chance to sign up for a house or suite as a group as in the past. If students want to live with a certain group of friends they must all separately sign up for the same dorm at their designated time. However students may still sign up to share a double room with a friend. The student with the lower lottery number can pull that student in with them.
According to Res. Life, there is less space set aside for Freshmen in Chandler and Wayslean, so hopefully no more freshmen living with seniors in Wayslean suites.
This new lottery system might be fair in the sense that all students have the same chances of getting on campus housing, but some students are feeling jipped out of rights as returning students.
“I thought that the credit based system was much better since I have lived on campus all 3 years here and now my senior year I could get a crappy lottery number and not get housing.” Coady LaCroix, Junior, Computer Science Major
“Honestly I don't think that it’s a bad idea because other schools do it. I just don’t understand why they are springing all of these changes on us right now. I am a little worried as to where I'm going to live next year because if I don’t get housing that means that I'm going to have to get an apartment, but I think it’s a fair way.” Adriana Robles, sophomore, Criminal Justice and Spanish major.
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