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HRC, SGA recommend lower electric
fees in Bluebell, Larkspur
By Tom Cronin
At a meeting on Nov. 21, the
Housing Residents’ Council passed a resolution drafted by
members of both the HRC and the Student Government Association,
which recommended a $15 reduction in monthly electric charges
next semester for residents of Bluebell and Larkspur courts.
The resolution recommended
maintaining this semester’s $35 monthly fee for residents of
Clover, Marigold, Foxglove and Pennyroyal courts, and it
explained that the fee was reasonable and “in line with the
spirit of the flat utilities charge” for these residents.
Residents in the apartments and
townhouses will be required to make four monthly payments next
semester, but the payments will actually cover the costs of a
five-month period, according to Loni Oehlwein, resident director
of west campus townhouses.
SGA approved the resolution a
few hours after HRC approved it, and copies of the resolution
were then forwarded to John Ringle, director of housing and
residential life, and Dr. Christopher Miller, vice chancellor
for student affairs.
Included in the resolution was a
recommendation that Housing draft and send residents a memo that
would clarify the new flat charge and outline the actions that
would be taken in response to the HRC/SGA resolution. Housing
residents did not receive a memo meeting this description before
The Journal went to press, and Ringle could not be
reached for comment on the resolution.
This semester, Housing began
charging townhouse and apartment residents – aside from those
living in Sunflower Court – a monthly rate of $35, which comes
to $28 a month with four payments over a five-month period. At
the Aug. 22 HRC meeting, Bluebell and Larkspur residents said
that the charges were unfair to them because their electric
costs have historically been much lower than those in Clover
Court and the townhouses.
The HRC/SGA Utilities
Committee’s analysis of approximately 15 months of data showed
average monthly electric costs of $27.64 for Clover Court;
$27.30 for Marigold, Foxglove and Pennyroyal courts; and $15.71
for Larkspur and Bluebell courts.
Recognizing that the average
cost of electricity does not come close to $35 a month – or even
$28 a month – in Bluebell and Larkspur, the utilities committee
recommended the $15 reduction in monthly charges for next
semester for residents in these courts, HRC Chairman Chris Wyant
said.
The reduction, he said, would
make up for the amount that Bluebell and Larkspur residents have
overpaid this semester and the amount they would likely overpay
next semester with a $35 monthly rate.
“We had to take into
consideration that …the price of gas is going up, and also, it’s
supposed to be a really hard winter,” Wyant said. “And so, we
were trying to guesstimate – everybody hated that word before –
but try to guess at … how much cushion that we need to enable
Housing to still be ok, and came up with, I think, a pretty good
compromise.”
At a meeting on Nov. 18, Housing
officials discussed reducing the monthly rate for Bluebell and
Larkspur residents by $10, Oehlwein said. Following the meeting,
the officials received an e-mail from SGA President Tyson Roan
recommending a larger reduction, she said.
“Tyson e-mailed all of us and
said that, basically, since everyone had overpaid this semester,
that we should go ahead and decrease the amount that Bluebell
and Larkspur would pay in order to kind of subsidize for what
they had overpaid,” Oehlwein said. “The only problem with this
being, that is, as electricity and gas rates go up, we don’t
know if that will be enough of a cushion for Housing to be able
to take care of our electricity.”
Model Illinois Government offers varied
activities, opportunities to experience political interaction
By Stephanie Orr
Many students of the University
of Illinois at Springfield look forward to March not just
because of spring break, the weeklong college vacation
traditionally used for partying. Some students eagerly look to
March because that is when the Model Illinois Government
simulation takes place.
Jason Stuebe, a UIS senior
majoring in political studies, said delegates from UIS join with
delegates from roughly 27 public and private institutions
throughout Illinois for the simulation, which takes place March
3-6 in Springfield.
He said there are two governing
bodies to the simulation: the executive board and the
organizational assembly. The organizational assembly is
comprised of the head delegates from each school. The executive
board is comprised of students elected to offices, such as
governor, that mirror actual legislative positions in Illinois.
Stuebe, a four-year member of
UIS’ MIG delegation, will serve his second term as president of
the Senate at the 2005 simulation. The head of UIS’ delegation,
Carly Hawkins, also a UIS senior majoring in political studies,
will serve as his chief of staff.
According to Hawkins, UIS plays a
big part in the MIG simulation due to its proximity to the
capitol. Students from UIS often occupy positions on the
executive board. In fact, students from UIS have occupied the
office of governor for the last four years.
UIS’ delegation has a history of
being very good, according to Hawkins. “We’ve won the Best Large
Delegation twice in the past three years, and we also get a lot
of individual awards,” she said.
“I think MIG is a valuable
experience for people that are interested in or plan to go in to
politics because it truly is a microcosm of the real thing.”
But MIG isn’t just for political
studies majors. Communication majors are also drawn by the MIG
Journal, a daily news publication produced for the three days of
the simulation. Student journalists from throughout Illinois
staff the paper.
This year Heather Shaffer, a
junior communication major from UIS, will serve as the
editor-in-chief of the MIG Journal. The position of
editor-in-chief is open to any MIG participant that is
interested. Shaffer submitted her resume and three writing
samples, and, after a phone interview, was awarded the position.
This is Shaffer’s third year in
MIG. Previously, Shaffer went with the UIS delegation as a
journalist.
“It’s going to be an exhausting
weekend,” she said.
Shaffer looks forward to seeing
what kinds of original legislation, bills written by students
participating in the simulation, will be presented. Last year,
she recalled, someone proposed legalizing prostitution in the
state of Illinois.
“Some of those bills are the
funniest ones they debate,” Shaffer said.
According to Hawkins, the plan
for this year’s simulation is to prepare the delegation as much
as possible, have fun and do well during the MIG weekend. She
said she is confident that UIS will do well this year.
“My personal goal is to fill
every role, something we haven’t been able to accomplish in the
past, but that I think is critical to our success and longevity
as a large delegation,” Hawkins said.
Stuebe does not intend to
participate in MIG after this year, but not because he doesn’t
like it. In fact, he said he’s been approached by a number of
delegates about running for governor. However, Stuebe said that
he made a promise to participate in MIG only for the four years
of his undergraduate studies, and he intends to keep that
promise.
“I am excited for my last year in
the Senate and serving as the president, and my focus is going
to be on shepherding through my legislative agenda and hopefully
field the talent and groom the next president and educate the
younger members,” Stuebe said.
Stuebe, Shaffer and Hawkins all
seem to agree that participating in MIG offers students valuable
learning experience.
Stuebe said, “My time on the
E-Board and in ‘the well,’ that’s what the main area in the
Senate chamber is called, has given me invaluable lessons in
leadership and the legislative process, lessons that I will
value for a long time.”
MIG is a lot of work, but
according to Hawkins, “It’s also just a lot of fun; it’s not
serious all the time.” |
