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The Independent Student Newspaper of Northern Kentucky University.

The Northerner
The Independent Student Newspaper of Northern Kentucky University.

The Northerner
The Independent Student Newspaper of Northern Kentucky University.

The Northerner
All content by Scott Wartman

Art gallery damage now called an accident

Scott Wartman
Six students came forward last week claiming involvement in the destruction of a three-foot sculpture in the Fine Arts building main gallery. The Department of Public Safety concluded the shattering of senior art student Maria Kammerer's sculpture entitled "Shedding" was an accident and not malicious.
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Science building nears completion

Scott Wartman
Architects, artists and scientists united to design the new Natural Science Building. The designers of the building noticeably kept Northern Kentucky University's trademark concrete exterior, but to gave it a unique edge, added aluminum to parts of the building. The idea was to remain consistent to the overall design of the campus, while trying to make it as unique as possible, said Omni architect's project manager Eric Zabilka. The campus' geometric concrete design known as "brutalism" was popular for civic projects in the 1960s but went out of vogue thereafter. Zabilka said the architecture is too distinct on campus for them to completely change the design. "The architecture on campus is so strong, ...
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New facility to aid student and faculty research, education

Scott Wartman
Physics professor Dr. Wayne Bresser's days of conducting experiments in a cramped space in the old science building with outdated equipment are numbered. Next semester, Northern Kentucky University will open up the $38 million technologically-savvy science building, which will give Bresser and other professors who conduct research the space and equipment needed.
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New residence hall almost a reality

Scott Wartman
Groundbreaking for a the new residence hall that some say will improve the quality of life on campus nears closer as the spring semester winds down. Work is set to begin in July on the $15.7 million building project which will add room for an additional 400 students and is set to open for the fall 2003 semester.
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Survey shows what the average student looks like

Scott Wartman
Freshmen at Northern Kentucky University keep busy. The average NKU freshman works more hours and spends less time doing extracurricular activities and reading for pleasure than students from other colleges, according to results from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program(CIRP) freshmen survey conducted two years ago.
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Job expo draws large crowd

Scott Wartman
Over 900 people came to campus last week seeking job opportunities from over 80 businesses at the Job Expo. The lagging economy may have contributed to the high turnout,s aid Karen Chinetti, coordinator with the Career Development Center, the organizers of the expo.
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Norse athlete facing charges

Scott Wartman
Cincinnati police arrested Northern Kentucky University basketball player Christopher Seabrooks on aggravated menacing charges last Monday. Seabrooks was arrested in the apartment of former University of Cincinnati basketball player Donald Little, where police allege Little tied up his roommate Justin Hodges and tortured him.
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McConnell visits campus

Scott Wartman
Students discussed politics with one of the nation's policy makers last week, Sen. Mitch McConnell(R-Ky). McConnell, Ky.'s senior senator, talked to students on a variety of issues including the war in Afghanistan, campaign finance reform and the Enron debacle.
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NKU tries to curb drinking

Scott Wartman
For two hours on a Tuesday afternoon last month, a group of five students sat wearily in University Center room eight and listened to the dangers of alcohol.
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Sculpture destroyed by vandals in main gallery

Scott Wartman
Around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, two students in the main art gallery in the Fine Arts Building reported hearing a loud crash and seeing three men run away. The crashing sound ended up being the destruction of a three foot ceramic sculpture, which was in pieces on the floor.
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SGA slate voting proposal vetoed

Scott Wartman
Student Government Association President Katie Herschede vetoed on Monday a new piece of legislation that would give students an option to run for the executive board on a slate, rather than an individual ticket. In a slate ticket, students vote for one group of people to fill all five positions in the executive board: president, executive vice president, vice president for public relations, vice president for student and academic affairs and vice president for administrative affairs.
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Study shows change in attitudes about sex at NKU

Scott Wartman
Current Northern Kentucky University students are having more sex than students 20 years ago, say surveys conducted by two psychology professors. Dr. Paul Bishop and Dr. Angela Lipsitz completed their sixth survey in 20 years last week, questioning the sexual practices and perceptions of students on campus.
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Neil M. Bush visits NKU

Scott Wartman
A member of one of the most prominent political families in the United States visited Northern Kentucky University on March 5. Neil Bush, brother of President George Bush, discussed a new business venture opening in Covington that could provide opportunities for students.
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New policy discourages course shopping

Scott Wartman
In an effort to curb a method of registering for courses known as course shopping, the Board of Regents passed a resolution earlier this month that will charge students $67 extra per credit hour over 16 hours. The resolution will go into effect next semester.
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NKU student dies in car accident

Scott Wartman
A woman who loved children and wanted to devote her life to working with them is how friends and family describe Melissa Ann Spanier. Spanier, 19, died on Sunday, March 3 when she lost control of her car while merging onto I-75 from State Route 18 and was broad sided by a tractor trailer.
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Bundling raises questions of accountability

Scott Wartman
An increase in tuition is not the only change students of Northern Kentucky University will be hit with this fall. An increase in student fees and a change in the way fees are paid, known as bundling, were also approved by the Board of Regents at its March meeting.
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State prepares for tornado season

Scott Wartman
As tornado season drifts closer, sirens all over the state of Kentucky will go off at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 26. The upcoming months of April, June and July traditionally see the most tornadic activity. While NKU isn't participating in any evacuation procedures during the drill, Ken Knipper, Campbell County director of emergency management, said drills like the one on March 26 accomplish a heightened awareness of the dangers posed by violent weather.
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Classes to expand 7 percent in fall

Scott Wartman
Like many freshmen when registering for classes, Megan Koomer must choose from leftover courses that haven't been filled up. "I am a freshman, so everything is taken," Koomer said. Next fall, however, Koomer, along with all other students, will have a better chance at getting the classes they want when the university expands the number of seats in classes by 4,298.
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IT Dept. improves its services

Scott Wartman
With the debut of the state-of-the-art science center just six months away, Information Technology will reform its service in repairing equipment on campus, making it faster and more visible. Since IT began overseeing the university's technology equipment two years ago, it has been plagued with a short staff, said Gary Pratt, Chief Information Officer.
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Fire safety poses another obstacle for the disabled

Scott Wartman
If senior Jeff Murray ever found himself caught in the upper levels of a campus building when a fire breaks out, he would not exit the building, but rather, he would sit patiently and await his fate in the stairwell. Since elevators are shut down during a fire alarm and some firefighters deem it too risky for anyone else to carry someone out, fire safety can be a great concern for someone who is handicapped.
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People learning to ‘undo racism’

Scott Wartman
Eastern Kentucky University freshman Illyana Walker visited the campus on the weekend of Feb. 22 in the hopes of finding the tools to combat racism. She was one of 67 people who attended the fourth annual "Undoing Racism" workshop organized by Students Together Against Racism.
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University considers the handicapped in new buildings

Scott Wartman
Two new buildings that open their doors on Northern Kentucky University's campus in the next two years-the new science building and a new residence hall, will feature increased accessibility for the handicapped. The new science building is first building to be built on campus since the Americans with Disabilities act was passed in 1992.
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Teachers combat plagiarism with new honor code

Scott Wartman
Some teachers at Northern Kentucky University hope to curb instances of plagiarism with a new honor code and use the Internet to catch literary thieves. The honor code is up for approval by the Board of Regents after having been passed last Spring by the Faculty Senate.
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WNTV movies to air only in dorms

Scott Wartman
In response to a handful of complaints regarding WNTV's airing of R-rated material on television screens on campus, the student-run station submitted a proposal to air movies exclusively in the dorms. The proposal was submitted on Tuesday to the board of vice presidents.
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Man who brought diversity to NKU to resign

Scott Wartman
The man who brought many credit for bringing diversity on campus and boosting enrollment announced at the end of last month he will leave Northern Kentucky University. In an e-mail, Dr. Gregory Stewart, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management, announced his resignation will be effective July 28.
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Valentine’s Day run called ‘Labor of Love’

Scott Wartman
On a damp, dreary February 10th afternoon, about 250 people ran or walked two miles around Northern Kentucky University's campus to raise funds for the cross country team and track club. This was the fourth-annual race dubbed the "Labor of Love" two-mile Valentine Day Run.
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Sodexho charged with unfair labor practices

Scott Wartman
Before attending a union meeting at the end of last November, Rorrie Vicers and Pam Welch said they were content in their jobs as caterers for the food-service provider Sodexho at Northern Kentucky University. After the meeting was over, both said their jobs got increasingly harder to bear, eventually leading to a permanent layoff.
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Russian visitors break stereotypes

Scott Wartman
Over the last two weeks, people frequenting the second floor of Steely Library heard an increase in the number of people speaking Russian. Seven students and three professors from the People's Friendship University in Moscow visited the campus to learn about the American education system, and possibly bring back ideas to infuse into the Russian education system.
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Greaves Hall use limited to formal occasions and concerts

Scott Wartman
While attempting to book Greaves Concert Hall for a comedy show during homecoming week last November, assistant director of Student Life Quincy Martin stumbled upon a unwritten policy at Northern Kentucky University preventing him from doing so-Greaves Concert Hall is not for non-musical, non-university sponsored student events.
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Pool closed briefly due to problems with filter system

Scott Wartman
The swimming pool in Albright Health Center resumed operations again on Friday, Jan. 17, after being shut down by the Kentucky State Health Department three days earlier. Technical problems with the new $130,000 computer-controlled filtration system installed in December caused the problem.
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Campus housing changes ways, eliminates confusion

Scott Wartman
When junior Jonathan Jackson moved into his one-bedroom Woodcrest apartment at the beginning of last semester, he found he wouldn't be sharing the small living space with just one roommate, but two people. Jackson said he wasn't given any notice of his additional roommate until he saw him lying on the bed as he was moving in.
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High grades linked to school involvement

Scott Wartman
The key to a high grade point average may involve participation in extracurricular activities, according to statistics from both the Student Life office and the Athletic department. The statistics show higher retention levels and GPA's among members of Greek organization and athletic teams.
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Best of NKU and Cincinnati too

Scott Wartman
After 20 years of helping small businesses get started, Northern Kentucky University's Small Business Development Center was named "best friend to mom-and-pop" businesses in the October Best of the City issue of "Cincinnati Magazine". Sutton Landry, SBDC's director for 15 years, said he was surprised to receive the award.
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Dr. King’s memory endures

Scott Wartman
Two events scheduled at Northern Kentucky University to celebrate Martin Luther King day will explore the history of the civil rights movement in Kentucky and highlight a local civil rights leader. The first event, which takes place Jan. 17, brings local civil rights leader and pastor of the New Prospect Baptist Church, Rev.
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Rising theft on campus is costing the university

Scott Wartman
Theft on campus in 2001 increased 28 percent from the previous year, costing Northern Kentucky University and its students a total of $63,000. Of the $63,000, $46,000 was campus property, most of which hasn't been recovered, said Jeff Butler, director of the Department of Public Safety.
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Freshman may have to live on campus

Scott Wartman
By the fall of 2003, a proposed freshmen housing policy seeks to require freshmen students whose home is outside commuting distance of Northern Kentucky University to live on campus. With this policy, the administration hopes to boost retention, said President James Votruba.
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Nelson navigates campus’ rough roads

Scott Wartman
What may be a small incline to some is a steep precipice to Northern Kentucky University junior Regina Nelson. Paralyzed from the waist down for the last 11 years from a spinal cord injury, Nelson said simple physical tasks take a lot longer for her than for than able-bodied people.
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Board-wielding man attacks DPS officer

Scott Wartman
What the Department of Public Safety deemed the most violent assault on a police officer at NKU took place over the holiday break when a man rammed a white van into the patrol vehicle of Sgt. Jay Baker and then attacked Baker and guard John Fiasco with a four-foot long piece of wood. The confrontation took place on the morning of Dec. 20 when Baker and Fiasco were talking at the information booth at the front of campus. Baker said a van parked by the police cruiser, and the driver yelled out of the window that he wanted to go to the airport. He kept yelling to come with him to the airport, Baker said. At first, Baker said he ignored the man, ...
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New policy aim: Make campus dances safer

Scott Wartman
Sign-in sheets, metal detectors and guest limits will greet party-goers attending dances on campus this semester. After a rumor of someone carrying a gun to a fraternity and sorority dance last November, Northern Kentucky University put a hold on all on-campus dances until safer regulations could be drafted. Four changes were made to better ensure the safety of the students attending parties on campus: Sign-in sheets, metal detectors, a police officer identification card check and a limit of five guests per NKU student.
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University hopes to transform Thriftway space into hotel

Scott Wartman
Northern Kentucky University may transform the 4-acre abandoned Thriftway property on U.S. 27 into a hotel and conference center that would give the college the ability to play host to seminars and house guests. The NKU Foundation, which bought the land in January 2000, plans on leasing the land to a hotel developer, said Dr....
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New arena will allow for numerous events

Scott Wartman
For some administrators and students at Northern Kentucky University, the 2005 tentative completion date for the long anticipated Regional Special Events Center isn't soon enough. Regents Hall, the current sports arena and event facility, was built in 1972 and is fast becoming outdated, according to the NKU athletic department.
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State budget cuts put arena in question

Scott Wartman
While Northern Kentucky University announced this fall a tentative completion date of 2005 for the much-anticipated NKU Arena, dubbed the Regional Special Events Center, the slow economy may delay the project. Because of the slowing economy, the state of Kentucky was forced to cut its budget by $600 million dollars.
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Student groups, others eye former Delta space

Scott Wartman
What to do with the 3,200 square feet of office space vacated by Delta in October will be the focus of a sub-committee of Northern Kentucky University's Space Committee. Suggestions brought up by students and administrators for the space located at the bottom level of the University Center include: moving the Academic Advising Resource Center; creating a banking service for students; creating a game room; using it for Greek meeting spaces; or bringing in another corporation. But the former Delta office likely won't house another business, said ...
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Conversations on race

Scott Wartman
The treatment of Middle-Eastern people since the Sept. 11 attacks and the need for more diverse classes and faculty were two of the many racial issues discussed last Thursday at the Campus Dialogue on Race. This year's forum saw both the largest panel, fifteen people, and largest audience in its four-year history.
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I’ll have one zombie invasion please!!!

Scott Wartman
I wish zombies were real. If the walking undead rose from their moldy, putrid tombs, then all my other problems in life would seem insignificant. Think about it. If a horde of zombies encircle my home bent on devouring me from limb to limb, I would no longer have to worry about that damn research paper I have due or what my career options are.
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NKU woos tech firms for jobs

Scott Wartman
If the Northern Kentucky University Foundation's plan succeeds, the Highland Heights, Ky., of the future may be full of prosperous technology companies. For the last two years, the foundation has worked with the city of Highland Heights, the city of Cold Springs, Campbell County and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce to attract established businesses to NKU's surrounding community.
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