Richard Cracchiolo

School’s out

Richard Cracchiolo, Copy Editor

Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s all over. I always thought that I’d have some impassioned speech when my time at The Northerner came to a close, but I got nothing. I think what I’ll miss most...

Regent, business president skis in free time

Richard Cracchiolo, Copy Editor

Terry Mann is one of many members that make up NKU’s Board of Regents. Some of us may also know that he is the President of Kentucky Alternative Programs, but here’s a look at the man behind the regent...

Rec Center construction to wrap up Fall 2015

Richard Cracchiolo and Tori Lentz

With the Rec Center construction set to wrap up construction by the fall semester, the Student Government Association was invited on a tour of the construction site. What they saw included the early steps...

‘Bravely Default’ puts new spin on classic JRPG formula

Richard Cracchiolo, Copy Editor

When I was a kid, my absolute favorite game was Final Fantasy 6 (or Final Fantasy 3 if you played the Super Nintendo Entertainment System incarnation of the game). From the story to the battle system,...

NKU to switch to incentive-based budget model

Richard Cracchiolo, Copy Editor

NKU President Geoffrey Means and Provost Sue Ott Rowlands unveiled plans at a forum to introduce an incentive-based budget of funding that will aim to reward departments and colleges on performance. The...

Did you click on the ‘Account Report’ spam email?

Tori Lentz and Richard Cracchiolo

Students, staff and faculty across campus received spam emails linked to malware Monday afternoon. The emails spread through attachments titled ‘Account Report’ and spread through people’s address...

In memoriam: Mary Cupito

Richard Cracchiolo, Copy Editor

I speak for myself and my family here at The Northerner when I say that we are mourning one of our own. Mary Cupito, a journalism professor, passed away after a long struggle with cancer. It’s a common...

‘Dark Witch’ provides a fun, weird challenge

Richard Cracchiolo, Copy Editor

Lately, I’ve been playing a lot of action/platformer games. Of course, I replayed some of the early Mega Man games, as well as some newer titles like Azure Striker Gunvolt. There’s just something about...

Convocation speech kicks off spring semester

Richard Cracchiolo, Copy Editor

NKU began the spring 2015 semester with its usual tradition: a convocation speech. The speech was delivered by President Geoffrey Mearns and detailed NKU’s accomplishments in the past year as well as...

First look at ‘Alpha Sapphire’

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

The first thing I did after leaving school on Friday was pick up my pre-ordered copy of Alpha Sapphire and I pretty much played it nonstop over the weekend. Currently I’ve beaten the first five gyms...

‘Gunvolt’ could be this generation’s ‘Mega Man’ (SPOILERS)

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

As I browse through the selection of games on the Nintendo 3DS’ eshop page, I’m realizing that there’s a lot of new 2D platformers out there. I’ve found a few that I really like, but none more...

Pokémon remakes play with nostalgia factor (SPOILERS)

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

Nov. 21 marks the release date of the new Pokémon games. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are retellings of the franchise’s third generation games Ruby and Sapphire, complete with a more in-depth...

BREAKING: Former dance coach improperly used $6,800, could be center of investigation

Kevin Schultz and Richard Cracchiolo

NKU’s legal counsel met with a Campbell County commonwealth attorney on Nov. 3 to discuss a potential criminal investigation into the activities of former NKU dance team coach Jennifer Hilvert, according...

Internet scammers prey on student victims

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

Maria Della Bella, a junior electronic media broadcasting major, was looking for a job like most other college students. She thought she got lucky when she received an email from someone named Thomas Hank,...

‘Gender inclusive’ restrooms resolution put on hold

Tori Lentz and Richard Cracchiolo

A new SGA resolution that would attempt to add more unisex bathrooms on campus was postponed until next week after an 18 to 11 vote. The resolution, proposed by SGA Student Rights Secretary Elizabeth...

NKU fights sexual assaults

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

With new federal legislation being proposed in both the house and senate and while over 70 different universities across the country are under federal investigation, NKU is taking measures to make sure...

Democracy Square drives national issue to NKU

Richard Cracchiolo, New Editor

Democracy Square Live’s first event of the semester had students discussing the heightened national attention of sexual assaults on college campuses as well as ways NKU is handling it here at home. The...

Budget cuts lead to layoffs

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

Putting the plans it devised last spring to deal with its budget problems into action, NKU had to make some layoffs over the summer. According to President Geoffrey Mearns the university had to terminate...

Strategic plan numbers paint a bright picture

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

President Mearns and the other members of NKU’s Fuel the Flame campaign released tangible numbers stating target goals as well as how far the university has come towards reaching those goals and where...

Convocation speech reminds university why it’s special

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

Northern Kentucky University’s original dedication was held on a cold November morning in 1961, according to President Mearns. He said that many elected officials spoke with optimism that a $1 million...

Mearns addresses NKU budget

Stephen Wilder and Richard Cracchiolo

Eliminated positions, budget cuts, increased tuition, money received for the future Health Innovations Center and progress being made on the state funding issues are just among a few topics NKU President...

UPDATED: Jose and Hahnel found ‘not responsible’ for libel charges, grievance dismissed

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

The judicial council of the Student Government Association decided that the campaign coordinated by now SGA President and Vice President elects John Jose and Kat Hahnel did not use libel. Furthermore,...

Professor’s work breathes new life into medieval literature

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

A professor of English received a $59,924 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to fund her project that ties medieval literature with modern day digital elements.Dr. Tamara O'Callaghan...

SGA proves it has humor

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

As many people know by now, our Student Government Association decided to pull a prank this week using a fake resolution that said NKU would adopt a school uniform. What’s probably equally common knowledge...

UPDATED: University fights financial woes

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

President Mearns announced in an email Monday that NKU will get the $97 million for the Health Innovation Center. SGA President Erik Pederson said at Monday's SGA meeting that the 2.5 percent statewide...

Financial woes to take toll on NKU students’ tuition

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

NKU is expected to see an approximate five percent increase in tuition if it receives no aid in its financial burdens. According to NKU’s President Geoffrey Mearns, the university needs an approximate...

SGA releases Spring 2014 semester budget

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

The university’s Student Government Association released the budget for this semester, which reveals the plan to spend $8,400 of the total $10,620. According to SGA’s Secretary of Administration...

Town hall postponed over controversy

Tori Lentz and Richard Cracchiolo

After criticism from various groups on campus, the Student Government Association has decided to postpone Monday’s scheduled town hall meeting that would have helped decide which nationally branded food...

NKU getting upgrade

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

The NKU Village’s wireless internet bandwidth is expected to receive an upgrade sometime in the future, expanding its current 450 megabits per second speed, to a possible 1 gigabit per second. There...

Blessings can be found in even the worst situations

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

The current snowpocalypse has not been fun. While each of us here at The Northerner love our jobs, the weather and other factors have made this a difficult week. And for me it all began with illness. Over...

NKU community withstands arctic weather

Maggie Pund and Richard Cracchiolo

The NKU community braved the subzero temperatures and winds that rolled throughout campus and across the Midwest this week. "I've just been avoiding going outside," said Shea Cecilia, a sophomore music...

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Compromise could welcome more positive reception on tobacco ban

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

The countdown has finally ended; tobacco has been banned from NKU. And I’m just going to say it. Northern Kentucky University makes me want to smoke. While I know this ban is a campus-wide policy,...

What will NKU’s new tobacco policy mean for violators and those trying to quit?

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

As students, faculty and staff made their way back to campus for the new semester, the tobacco-free policy has changed and continues to change the dynamics of daily routines for many of the campus’ tobacco...

Alumna undertakes deathly pursuit

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

Death is a healing process. When someone passes away, their loved ones who are left behind still need time to heal and move on. It is a process that survivors of the deceased should not undergo alone...

Convocation speech kicks off new semester

Richard Cracchiolo, News Editor

Northern Kentucky University rang in the new semester with a convocation speech that covered 2013-18 Strategic Plan’s implementation. The Strategic Plan is going to be pushed along by cross-divisional...

SGA plans to improve internet on campus

Richard Cracchiolo, Staff writer

To quell the complaints of shoddy internet at NKU, the Student Government Association is working with the IT department to improve the wireless internet connections throughout campus. While the...

Fear shouldn’t hold you back

Richard Cracchiolo, Staff writer

Last week, I had a mid-term. This was in a class that many of my classmates think to be a challenging one. Throughout the day, I saw many of them freaking out, struggling to cram as much information as...

SGA allocates $2,000 for emergency book fund

Richard Cracchiolo, Staff writer

Dean’s office allows students to recover books after accidents The Student Government Association voted to give $2,000 to a fund aimed at replacing students’ textbooks that could be destroyed...

Task force takes next step in ban

Richard Cracchiolo, Staff writer

NKU’s tobacco policy task force is transitioning the university to tobacco-free this semester by putting up permanent signage, developing a compliance policy and talking to smokers. The campus-wide...

Chase College of Law hires new dean

Richard Cracchiolo, Staff writer

Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law named Jeffrey Standen as its new dean on July 1, 2013, replacing former dean Dennis Honabach. Honabach announced last fall that he would...

Residence halls may see increase in Internet bandwidth

Richard Cracchiolo, Contributing writer

The Information Technology department is trying to raise funds to expand the bandwidth of the NKU residential village’s Internet connection. Doug Wells, the director of infrastructure at NKU, said...

Tobacco task force meets for early planning

Richard Cracchiolo, Contributing writer

NKU’s tobacco policy task force met for the first time last week to begin discussing NKU’s transition to a tobacco free campus. The task force will meet once every week or two and will feed the...

Chase announces new SBA representatives

Richard Cracchiolo, Contributing writer

Chase’s Student Bar Association announced its election results on Mar. 1 during its Monte Carlo night. Fred Rodgers was elected president. According to Joe Cunningham, the current Student Bar Association...

Chase gives students a chance to give back to law school

Richard Cracchiolo, Contributing writer

The Student Philanthropy Program at Chase Law School is holding a Monte Carlo night to raise money toward scholarships for students of the college. Donors can decide where their donations will go...

Guest speaker honors Chase’s life

Richard Cracchiolo, Contributing writer

To many students at Northern Kentucky University, the name Salmon P. Chase is just that, a name. Students and faculty recognize the name, understanding its association with the college of law on campus,...

Law, informatics combine for annual event

Richard Cracchiolo, Staff Writer

This weekend, the annual Northern Kentucky Law Review’s Law and Informatics Symposium on Labor and Employment Issues will focus directly on social media in the employment context. As social media sites...