ASUSU votes to move Statesman for computer lab expansion project
The Utah Statesman will likely be moving from its office in the first-floor hallway of the Taggart Student Center after the Associated Students of Utah State University voted on a resolution Tuesday to expand the TSC computer lab.
ASUSU President Quinn Millet said the move was part of a continued effort to make the TSC more student-friendly. Since the first floor receives the most traffic in the TSC, the computer lab is the most used on campus.
Millet said in renovating and optimizing space in the TSC, the computer lab would be expanded into space currently occupied by The Statesman office. The Quick Stop would also be expanded to prepare for students living in the new Student Living Center, set to open in fall 2006 and house more than 500 students.
In what Millet said was a deviation from usual ASUSU procedure, the legislators discussed and voted on the resolution in one meeting in an effort to get it implemented this year, before new legislators are ushered in. The resolution did not specify a new location for The Statesman, causing alarm among newspaper employees.
Editors and writers from The Statesman lined one wall of the senate chamber to demonstrate their opposition to the move from the TSC. Brooke Nelson, editor-in-chief, said she was concerned moving The Statesman office from the TSC would be detrimental to the quality of the paper. She asked the legislators not to pass the resolution until it was amended to state where The Statesman would be moved. Prior drafts of the legislation had stated the third floor of Mountain View Towers as one option.
“If expanding the computer lab is in the best interest of the students, we’re all for it,” she said. “We don’t feel comfortable being kicked out without knowing where we’re going.”
Spencer Cheshire, an advertising representative for The Statesman, said he was concerned moving The Statesman from its location would harm its advertising income. Ninety-two percent of the paper’s income comes from advertising, Nelson said. The rest comes from student fees.
“If the paper takes a hit we will be back next year for a fee increase,” Nelson said.
Millet said the main level was valuable because of the high level of foot traffic passing through. He said there were 34 employees working out of The Statesman, and if each one received three guests a day the office would have only a quarter of the traffic the computer lab does. Nelson said there are 94 students on the newspaper payroll.
“The positive is that we’ll utilize the space that would benefit the most students,” Millet said. “The negative is the relocation.”
Holly Scott, ASUSU public relations, proposed an amendment to the resolution stating The Statesman would be given a new office within the TSC. The amendment was shot down 4-3 with several abstentions. This doesn’t guarantee the office will be moved from the building completely, but leaves that option open. An ad hoc committee of Statesman and ASUSU representatives will work together to decide on a new location.
Millet said student services had extra money that had been set aside to buy furniture for the new library. It turned out new furniture did not need to be purchased, so the money will be used to fund the expansion.
Other business discussed was the approval of bike lanes and routes on campus. Representatives of the USU Community Bike Coalition presented potential, designated bike lanes on campus. The group will make a formal proposal next week.
Students on campus had expressed concern about pedestrians’ safety on campus with bikes around. Last year a policy change was approved to allow bikes on campus.
“There are a lot of concerns that people feel unsafe with people whizzing around on wheeled rides,” said Laura Sherry, a member of USUCBC.
Bike lanes will be a complete separation of bikes and pedestrians and routes will be a suggested separation, Sherry said. The lanes will be marked by signs instead of paint, Sherry said. The lanes would run along 700 North, 700 East and a portion of 1200 East.
“We tried other ways and got a lot of complaints,” said Adam Christensen, USUCBC chair.
Also approved was a resolution presented by Academic Senate President Spencer Watts to give students called for jury duty time off school.
-ella@cc.usu.edu