Carrier April 1, 2010

8/9/2019 Carrier April 1, 2010

1/12

AUSTIN WOLFF

News Reporter

Students hold high tensions and many questionsfor Residence Life after three days of the room selectionprocess.

The process began Sunday night with rising seniors andjuniors going for alternative housing in the Townhouses,Centennial or Thomas Berry residence halls.

away because of their lottery numbers. Several studentssaid the information in the e-mails was very misleading,causing them to think they would be able to get their resi-dency of choice on that night. Lindsey Taylor, director ofResidence Life, said the biggest change was the addition ofsearch of alternative housing.

Alternative housing is historically the most contro-versial, so we did an individual night this year to try toalleviate that, Taylor said. We wanted to make sure thatthere was no question about who got into those halls so wecould make sure that the housing was truly for our seniorand junior students. The feedback weve heard for years isthat seniors and juniors should have priority to alternativehousing. We agree.

Esther Cho and Katy Haney, both sophomores (risingjuniors) who were planning on rooming with rising seniorsin alternative housing, were turned away because of their3,000-level lottery numbers.

They should have told us when we were supposedstudents with different class ranks couldnt go tonight

[Sunday.]They are way too unorganized, Haney said. Weve

heard three different things through three different Resi-dence Life people about when to come and we still endedup coming at the wrong time.

Taylor said the reason for making alternative housing should be a rite of passage to alleviate any questions orconcerns about who is going to be living in those rooms.She also said that students perceive the changes as beingmore exaggerated than they actually are.

The semantics get really confusing in this, Taylor saidThats why we sent out multiple communications aboutwhen students with certain lottery numbers should showup. We tried to keep it clean and clear for our sake and forthe students sake, so if there are any kinds of questions,we know when students went through.

Many students said this was the most misleading part

of the process. Laura Smolley and Maggie Smith, bothsophomores, said they were under the impression thatthey could room with upperclassmen, but when they ar-rived Sunday night they were turned away.

I thought it was really confusing, Smolley said. Therewere a lot of unnecessary e-mails sent and I think by try-feel fair to people who have good lottery numbers, becausetheres still a chance that you dont get what you want eventhough everyone may all be juniors or seniors. The lotterysystem doesnt work.

I think the housing process is really stressful this yearbecause nobody knows what day they are supposed to behere on, Smith said. At least last year, they divided us

by classes. Everyone keeps giving us different informationand the e-mails are not worded in any sense that we canunderstand them.

Students also said the process on Sunday took too

long. Junior Jessica Sapp said she found the process to be

It was completely ridiculous that after waiting for threehours, you found out that juniors with more hours got in

before a real rising senior who has been here for three yearscould get it, Sapp said.

Junior Brittany Luksic said she thought the process wasunprofessional.

At one point in the night [Sunday], they switched alot of the townhouses from girls to guys because of acomputer mess-up, Luksic said. I can understand thishappening because of a mistake, but its extremely unpro-fessional when you have this many mess-ups, and its justridiculous.

Taylor said part of the reason for the Sunday delay wasbecause of the amount of people who arrived early.

Students started showing up around six for a selec-tion process that didnt get started until seven, Taylorsaid. With room selection, its not like youre going to

regardless of when you come, so you only have to worryabout being there by the time it starts.

Between Sunday and Monday, Residence Life mademinor adjustments to the process, causing it to run moresmoothly. Instead of students waiting outside the waitingroom for 7 p.m. to come, they began being checked in atalternative housing, taking extra time on Sunday that wasnot utilized on Monday. Taylor said the room selection pro-cess is always a live and learn process for residence life.

We get questioned every year about the order peopleget selected for Centennial and the Townhouses, so we hadthem list all of their lottery numbers on the cards to en-sure that the process was as fair as possible, Taylor said.It gave us great checks and balances, but it did slow theprocess down.

Junior Amelia Heine said while the process was frus-

trating, she was glad Residence Life was being thoroughwith the lottery numbers.

I appreciate the efforts residence life made by double

checking the students lottery numbers to ensure that up- around seven groups that I saw turned away because ofthese efforts.

Taylor said Residence Life has looked at many optionsfor the room selection process, trying to develop the one

With this process, is there a perfect way to do it? Tay-lor asked. Unfortunately, there is not. What we try to dois make the process as fair as possible for the entire student

body. When were trying to house 1,500 people, we cantdevelop a process where everybody walks away happy.What we can do is try our hardest to make it fair and hope-fully clear. The hardest part about this week is that, no mat-ter how hard we try, someone is always going to be left

disappointed.Students had various suggestions about how to makethe process easier.

Junior Meredith Shelton, Sapp and Heine mentionedmaking room selection an online process.

Most other colleges have an electronic system, and Ithink that would really work here, Shelton said.

They could try to do it like other schools do, which isall electronically, Sapp said. It also goes by the studentshours, not just putting people with a generalized amountof hours being thrown into a giant lottery pool.

I really wish we would move to an electronic systembecause as it stands right now, waiting in a room is a wasteof our time, Heine said. We have the capabilities for anelectronic room selection. Everyone dreads room selectionwant to live with.

Students suggested other solutions to make room selec-

vv Sports | Page 4Features| Page 9

|Page 12 Fact of the Week:

CANDLER HOBBS Asst. Photo Editor

Students, staff weigh in on room selection

SEE SELECTIONP. 2

Junior A.J. Lepore and his roommates make their room selection for the upcoming academic year. Some studentsexpressed concern that the room selection process was time-consuming and burdensome. This year, the process was heldin the newly-remodeled Spruill Ballroom in Krannert Center.

Dancingwith theStaff

HEALTH In 1964, Randy Gardner went264 hours (11 days) without

sleep.

BILL


2/12

NEWSPAGE 2, CAMPUS CARRIER APRIL 1, 2010

Beyond Your Ears 2

@#&%YEAH

ITHURT

Buy one Piercing,Get One Free!

Wide Variety ofReplacement Jewelry

Female Body Piercer with13 years experience

326 Broad StreetRome, GA 30161

www.myspace.com/beyondyourears2

Maxine Plourde(404) 274-6352

Student-operated Viking Cycle Works opensMATTHEW STOKES

Staff Writer

On March 22 the Viking Cycle Works opened, becomingthe latest student-operated campus enterprise.

The shop is located in a red brick building adjacent to

The process of starting this business began in Octoberof 2008.

The idea came to Rufus Massey, assistant vice presidentof enterprise development, via class of 2009 graduate BenPopple, during the fall of 2008 Massey said.

Popple had $500 to give as a gift as every Berry seniorclass does, Aaron Jermundson, director of multimedia ser-vices and a HPE instructor of mountain biking, said. Thesenior class wanted to donate the money to the bicycleprogram at Berry, but it really did not exist besides a class

Jermundson said.That is where they fermented this idea that we should

go ahead and maybe consider having a bike shop, Jer-mundson said. And it sprung out from there.

Popple made a presentation to the board of visitors in

Massey said. This member, who asked not to be named,donated $1000 to the business venture Massey said.Ben started recruiting some younger students that

could get this thing going, Massey said. One of thosestudents was [freshman] Casey Retterer.

Popple in February he said. During the summer of 2009a great deal of planning was done, and this planning stagecontinued into the fall semester Retterer said.

During the summer the gating process for the businessbegan, senior Erika Chester, marketing and communica-tions director for all Berry enterprises, said. This processis designed to ensure that through this venture a.) studentenhanced, and c.) it is practical for Berrys campus, Chestersaid.

If someone comes to us with an idea we have to vet it,

if it is going to be useful for the students.

In the fall, her primary involvement with this businessbegan, Chester said. Without Chester and her Berry Enter-prise Student Team (BEST) members, there would be nofunding or direction for this business Jermundson said.

Another person that helped in the process was AllisonRyan (C08) Retterer said.

She wood burned a poem into the bar that we havein there. It took her more than eight hours to burn it inthere, Retterer said. She put Robert Frosts, The RoadNot Taken.

This poem gave the shop a lot of character, Viking CycleWorks general manager Retterer said.

Another source of great help for this project was CycleTherapy, a bike shop in Rome. Trey Smith and his staff atthe shop provided Retterer and all of the parties involved

wisdom on successfully running a bike shop, Retterersaid.

After going through about 20 different opening dates Jermundson, Retterer and his staff settled on March 22,an ideal date considering that it was the day when classesresumed following Berrys spring break, Retterer said.

Noted cyclist and travel writer Willie Weir made a guestappearance, which was planned in great detail by Chester,

Jermundson said. College President Stephen R. Briggs alsomade an appearance Retterer said.

One student who was excited by the opening of theshop was freshman Daniel Stewart, an avid rider himself.

It strengthens the biking community at Berry, Stewartsaid.

A major concern for the shop that employs seven other

student workers is who will take over once Retterer grad-uates. The next several general managers will each beexpected to do great things.

I plan on coming back in 10 years and seeing the shopbigger than ever, Retterer said.

For more information about Viking Cycle Works andother student enterprises visit berrystudententerprises.com.

DREW WHELCHEL, Staff Photographer

Freshman Joe Sherman is

SelectionCONTINUED FROM PG. 1

Sophomore Jamie Walker said Tuesday night went smoothly, but

As far as once we got into the whole lottery calling process, theycouldnt have done anything better, Walker said. Checking in was

the longest part. They only had one table working on getting peoplein. We wouldnt have had to waste so much time if they had morethan one table.

Junior Nic Smith said he has a solution to make the process fairfor everyone.

Why dont they just add the class hours of the individual peoplegoing for rooms together? He asked. That way, if there are threeseniors and one freshman, their hours added together would beless than the people with all seniors, so the groups with the highestamount of hours would have the best chances.

Taylor said there are pros and cons to every system available.

What is great about computers is that students can do the pro-cess at their convenience, Taylor said. They dont have to neces-sarily wait like they do in the face-to-face process, but there is abso-lutely no room for questions and there isnt someone standing therewith you asking how they can help you.

Taylor said the process is the best that Residence Life could makefor this year.

From our perspective, we have improved our process a lot,Taylor said. It is always going to be an emotional process. If stu-

dents have any suggestions to do this better, well take them. Oneof our largest improvements is the location we are in this year. Thelobby was a little more peaceful, even when tensions were high. Itwas clear what was available and what wasnt at all times. From ourside, it is better this year than in the past.

Dennis Goshorn, director of housing, was unavailable for aninterview, but Taylor said he is planning some focus groups afterroom selection to get feedback on the process this year. Any kind offeedback from that would be what drives the changes for next year.

Taylor said Residence Life is open to all student suggestions onhow to make the process of room selection easier.

Berry to host legendary neurosurgeonANDREW BLEVINS

Deputy News Editor

Berry College will welcome

world-renowned neurosurgeonBenjamin Carson Sr. as the fourthspeaker in the Gloria Shatto Lec-ture Series.

Carson will speak at 8 p.m.Thursday, April 22 in the Cage

Center. Admission will be free, buttickets will be required for entry.Student, faculty and staff ticketswill be distributed at the informa-

tion desk in Krannert Center fromMonday, April 5 until noon Mon-day, April 19.

Carson is well known for hiswork with conjoined twins. In1997 Carson and his team became

separate twins who were joined atthe tops of their heads, and he hastaken on many other high-risk

surgeries.In addition to his accomplish-

ments as a physician, Carson is arecipient of the Presidential Medalof Freedom and has been featuredin the TNT movie Gifted Hands:

The Ben Carson Story. CNN, andTIME magazine have lauded himfor his work, and the Library ofCongress has called him a living

legend.A limited number of tickets

will be distributed to the generalpublic. Those interested shouldcall 706-965-6603.


3/12

NEWSAPRIL 1, 2010 CAMPUS CARRIER, PAGE 3

Robert Morgan PoetryReadingExplore Appalachian cul-ture through poetry tonightat 4 p.m. in the ScienceBuilding Auditorium. CEcredit offered.

Battle on the MountainSee professional ridersriding real bulls tonight at8 p.m. at the Gunby EquineCenter on Mountain Cam-pus.

The Vagina MonologuesHear a theatrical reading of

the play tomorrow and Sat-urday at 8 p.m. for $3 in theKrannert Underground.

COM Awards DessertSee the CommunicationDepartments studentawards Monday, April 5 at5 p.m. in the Ford LivingRoom.

Good HairWatch and discuss a docu-mentary with comedianChris Rock exploring themeanings of good hairfor African AmericansMonday, April 5 at 7 p.m. inthe Science Auditorium. CEcredit offered.

Symposium on StudentScholarshipSee the fruits of studentresearch from Tuesday toThursday in the ScienceBuilding.

Sorting Out Autism Spec-trum DisordersGain a better understand-ing of autism with a talk bySamuel Fernandez-CarribaTuesday, April 6 at 6 p.m.in the Science Building Au-ditorium. CE credit offered.

Consuming Kids: TheCommercialization ofChildhoodabout the explosive growthof child marketing Tues-day, April 6 at 6 p.m. inthe Evans Auditorium. CEcredit offered.

German Movie Night: InJulyinternational relationsamong young people inGermany Tuesday, April 6at 7 p.m. CE credit offered.

The Age of Empathy: TheEvolutionary Beginningsof Moralitythe Oxbridge Lecture Seriespresented by Frans B. M.de Waal Wednesday, April7 in the Science Audito-rium. CE credit offered.

Mallory Owens: President

Major: GovernmentBorn in: Atlanta, Ga.Q:

What made you decide to run forpresident?A: Generally speaking, I have a pas-

sion for community, so I want to eventu-ally do something with local governmentand I feel like this would be a good start-ing place for that because Berry is a com-munity. I feel that Berry is very similar tolocalities in that everyone has a role, andso I think its really neat to be able to seehow everyones roles work out togetherand so thats something that I want to beinvolved in, is trying to see where thereare gaps and work with the administra- -

tion as a community. Another reason why I want to be the President ofSGA is because I love serving people and meeting practical needs withmaximized results.

Q: What attributes do you think make you a good candidate for the

job?A: Im really responsible. Im dedicated, committed [and] hard-

working. Whenever I commit to something Im 100 percent committedto that I think that I can be creative, so Im looking forward to comingup with new initiatives if Im elected.

Q: Whats the last book you read on your own time?A: Going Rogue: An American Life, by Sarah PalinQ: What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?A: A lawyer.

Derek Hay:Vice President of Student Services

Major: InterdisciplinaryStudies Major, DisabilityStudies

Born in: Columbus, Ga.Q: What made you

decide to run for Vice Presi-dent of Student Services?

A: I wish I could bepolitically correct and sayI wanted to make a differ-ence and all that stuff, butmore so I just ran this pastsemester because they hadsome people drop out and Iguess I decided to continuerunning because I found Iliked the position and the

fact that I could, instead of just complaining about stuff goingon or issues around campus I could actually have something todo with the process and maybe get things changed and inquireabout different stuff going on around campus.

Q: What attributes do you think make you a good candidatefor the job?

A: I dont want to use any clich answers here, but Im reallypersonable. I feel like people can come to me with concerns andissues and Ill do my best to get things done.

Q: Out of all your experiences at Berry, which would you sayhas been the most fun?

A: Watching someone burn a couch by Dana.Q: Whats the most frightening thing youve ever done?A: Wrestling a six-seven hairy sasquatch named Dave.

Hannah Reeves:Vice President of Campus Services Brittany Shadburne: Secretary

Major: Business ManagementBorn in: Riverdale, Ga.Q: What made you decide to run for

vice president of campus services?

A: The reason I decided to run for thisposition was its kind of in line with whatI want to do in my future career, which iscorporate event planning or event plan-ning, and a lot of what the Campus Services

job involves is taking things and bringingthem to the campus, like blood drives and

baked goods and organizing them, so itkind of falls in line with what I want to doin the future.

Q: Whats the most frightening thingyouve ever done?

A: Not a big thrill-seeker I guess itwould be my junior year, about seven of us piled in the car and we wentto a place in Rome called the Cotton Block its kind of a sketchy area,and we went there at night and it was pretty terrifying. And then wewent to the jail, and there were these little cells in the side of the road,and we went by those and stopped and looked in them, and if you look

supposedly youre going to see red eyes.Q: What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?A: Getting into college, trying to succeed in everything I do and

then also getting this job, and just striving to be the best that I can.

Major: Secondary MathEducation

Born in: Orlando, Fl.Q: What made you decide to

run for Secretary?A: I ran for Vice President

of Campus Services back inJanuary when they did the ran-dom election. I didnt win, but Imade an upset in it, and I reallyenjoyed it, so I decided to runagain. I chose Secretary becauseits an organized position, andIm good at being organized.

Q: What attributes do youthink make you a good candi-date for the job?

A: -nitely. There are some people that were on it and they were com-pletely unorganized and I know that was part of their downfall. Ilove to do all the background work that nobody really likes to do,and so I think thatll help out a lot.

Q: Whats the most frightening thing youve ever done?

A: BOLD this weekend. We were up on high ropes. Not too bigon heights, but I got over that a little bit.

Q: Whats the last book you read on your own time?A: That Summer, by Sarah Dessen

Stephanie Wright:Treasurer

Damien Brooks:Treasurer

Major: Double-major in Accountingand Finance

Born in: Roanoke, Va.Q: What made you decide to run for

Treasurer?A: The treasurer position was one

that Ive found interesting throughoutboth my high school and college career, but it hasnt been something that Ive

had time to do in the past and I justthought it would be a fun position, anditd be a position where I could use myaccounting talent to be able to give backto Berry with something that Im goodat.

Q: What attributes do you thinkmake you a good candidate for the job?

A: I think to be a good treasurer, youneed to be somebody who is very organized and is really focused on get-ting things done and getting things done well. I am extremely organizedand also when I do something, I want to do something with excellence.

Major: Triple-major in Eco-nomics, Finance, and Math

Born in: Rome, Ga.Q: What made you decide to

run for treasurer?A: I think that there are some

things that they [SGA] could do better. I dont want to say any-

theyre all doing a great job andtrying really hard. I just thinkthat there are better things thatwe could do.

Q: What attributes do youthink make you a good candidatefor the job?

A: Im experienced withaccounting-type work and budgeting because Ive held treasurer -cial management and accounting positions. In general, though, justresponsibility, I think, is important.


4/12

SPORTSPAGE 4, CAMPUS CARRIER APRIL 1, 2010

Cinderella is still dancing atthe Big Dance; I think. The-napolis, Ind. and not just becauseButlers campus is located inIndianapolis. The Bulldogs arein the Final Four, which is beingheld at Lucas Oil Field in India--lers campus. The Bulldogs, whostudents, will have a home courtadvantage. But their opponent,Michigan State, does not seem tocare; the Spartans are in their sixthFinal Four since 1999. Some mightsay the Big Ten has an easy road

to the championship because theywould be playing the Bulldogs the Bulldogs. Just ask Syracuse,Murray State and the University are back in the Final Four andthey have to play the red-hot BigEast Champions, the Mountain-made is second trip to the FinalFame, 600-plus wins coaches willmake this Final Four memorable.

Butler Bulldogs, HorizonLeague: The Butler Bulldogs have been to the NCAA Tournamentonly nine times in school history,and their success has not come Stevens is only a third-year headled the team to a 30-win season and

became the third youngest head

history. This season he has led hishistory. Keep in mind Butler hasnot lost a game since December 22,2009, when they lost by 10 points

with scoring averages the doubledigits. But when you see the stats

be leading the way with points he does, the Bulldogs have a nicechance to make it to the NationalChampionship game.

Michigan State Spartans, Big

Ten: and coaching history, the Spar-tans are expected be in this posi-

in this same position. The Spar-

but everyone on the team has arole and they play it well. Thereare only three players who averagedouble-digit points on the season.Kalin Lucas leads the team with14.8 points per game. The Spartanshave been involved in close gamesin every game in the tournament:a three point win over New Mex-ico State, a two-point win overMaryland, a seven-point win over

Northern Iowa and a one-pointwin over Tennessee. This maycome in handy against Butler. It isimportant to have experience play-ing with the pressure. But these

close games may mean that a lossis just around the corner.

Duke Blue Devils, AtlanticCoastal Conference: There issomething about NCAA basket-

ball that needs an ACC team inthe Final Four. The NCAA tour-nament would not be completewithout Coach K on the sidelinewith his Duke Blue Devils. CoachK has not only proven his leg-endary status by winning NCAA

championships but coaching NBAplayers in the Olympics. The Dev-years in the tournament, losingin the Sweet 16 or second roundgames, but this year the Devilshave plowed their way through

to the Final Four. Many expertselite players that they have beenScheyer, Kyle Singler, and NolanSmith average about 20 points agame. The three pointer was notthe Elite Eight. Nolan Smith and

Jon Scheyer are both starting tothe Blue Devils do what they do and hit threes, then their oppo-with them.

West Virginia Mountaineers,

Big East: seasoned team in the entire tourna-to heights it has not seen in a while.Four with his second Big East team.point guard Darryl Bryant, whohas averaged almost 10 points perwho averages almost three points had to learn to shoot the ball right-

contributors on the team. DeSeanButler, Kevin Jones and DevinEbanks average double digit pointsper game, and play big basketball.not because the Mountaineers arelack talent. Coach K will have histeam at their physical peak in the

CAMERON CARTERStaff Writer

Cinderella story continues into Final Four

Sophomore Kerri McGinnis passes the ball playing water polo. The one-day tournament on March 30 was sponsored by the

DAVID CHIEM Staff Photographer

BRITTANY HOWES, Graphics Editor

For more Final Four

action, check out

the sports page on

www.

vikingfusion.

berry.edu

Marco? Polo!


5/12


6/12

Popcorn BallsCONTINUED FROM PG. 1

They just kept talking about how awesome the new courtroom was and how theirthrones were so freaking comfortable, right? Before we got even halfway through ourpresentation, they were waving their gold scepters at us and telling us that if we didnt -ever that is. It was really just a big disappointment. Im not sure how many options areavailable to us at this point.

Not all students are against the changes.Senior Bruce Benton said he likes the new Berry.Oh my God! Am I dead? Is this heaven? he said before doing a swan dive into the

newly converted water park reservoir.In an interview in his new high-security underground bunker beneath the Spire,

Briggs said he and previous administrators had thought students would be morereceptive to the various renovations and additions if they were led to believe they wereplanned gradually.

Actually, weve known how Berry would end up for a very long time. MarthaBerry drew up the original blueprint in 1910, and weve pretty much been workingfrom that ever since, he said. The extent to which she was able to anticipate modernarchitectural techniques is pretty incredible.

Briggs allowed me a glimpse of the document, which appeared to have been drawnin crayon and later traced in pen.

Of course, well be adding more as soon as the technology becomes available,but that may be decades away, he said. I only wish Ms. Berry could see her schoolnow.

THATS WHAT SHE SAID 91/365

Bumpus to join Jersey Shore castLOU E. GEE

Guido Beat Writer

Julie Bumpus will become the eighth housemate in MTVs

hit reality show Jersey Shore.I couldnt be more ecstatic, Bumpus said. Getting

casted for the show really is a dream come true.After Angelina Jolie Pivarnick was evicted from the

shore house in the debut season of the show, producersimmediately began looking for a new party-seeking house-

Were thrilled that we found Julie, said SallyAnnSalsano, executive producer of Jersey Shore. She hitshas some real gusto about her.

Bumpus has everything, except the infamous Guidettelook. The current housemates wonder if Bumpus lack ofItalian ethnicity will affect friendship ties and the overallmood of the show, according to Nicole Snooki Polizzi.

Its just like, I wanna like have a real chill good-asstime in South Beach, Polizzi said. I dunno if Ima be ableto kick it like I do if one of my ladies isnt a real Guidette. I

gotta have bitches that like, have my back, ya know?Bumpus, who will supposedly go by the nickname of

J-Bump, said she believes that she will mesh well withthe current cast, and that she has no fear of shore housetensions that were so rampant in season one.

Im not afraid of drama. Drama is my middle name,Bumpus said. I think Ill be able to get close with all thehousemates, yet stir things up every once in a while to keepthe show interesting.

achievement during a press conference earlier this week,as a whole.

Berry faculty, staff and students should be very proudof Dean Bumpus, Briggs said. I believe that her work onJersey Shore will expand Berrys pristine image to aneven larger level, and that the Head, Heart and Hands

motto will touch audiences like never before.

Beach area of Miami, Fla., is slated to begin production inMay. Bumpus is planning on leaving for the shore houseright after Mays graduation ceremony ends, and will be

Berrys freshman orientation program.

Personally, I cant wait to get to the beach, said thesoon-to-be J-Bump. Season two is gonna be one heck ofa good time.

MTV.COM

Berrys Associate Dean of Student Affairs Julie Bumpus will join the cast of MTVs hit television series JerseyShore during its second season in Miami, Fl. this summer. Bumpus stressed that this would not interfere with her SOARresponsibilities or her position as a freshman advisor. Bumpus said she was looking to meet new people, but not to hookup.

For more info on the completion of BerrysWonderland, check out www. vikingfusion.

lucky students to be given Dr. Briggs GoldenTicket tour of the newly-renovated campus.


7/12


8/12

MARCH 32, 2010PAGE 4, CAMPUS CARRIER

Berry to add curling to winter sportsJACK FROST

Winter Sports Insider

A new phenomenon will be sweeping Berry College inSpring 2011.

Curling is coming.Curling, a sport that has gained an astonishing amountof ridicule and popularity since the 2010 Winter Olympics,is usually more popular in cold climates. It is played withtwo teams, each with four players, curling stones, curling

brooms and proper shoes. The object of the game is to accu-mulate as many points as possible on a painted bulls-eye

before the 73-minutes are over, the referees freeze and thespectators fall asleep.

Curlers propel the stones by straddling the ice andfocusing intently on the stones, furiously brushing the icearound them and screaming at them. This years long win-ter has prompted administrators to make this drastic, fool-ish addition, claiming it will diversify the colleges popula-tion and athletic viewing opportunities.

Who wants to be mainstream all the time anyway?said College President Stephen R. Briggs. Now weve gota bunch of things that distinguish us from other institu-tions: deer, our student work program and curling.

A new sport means more construction, so get over it. serve as the competition arena. A large, movable dome will

be built over the curling sheet to shield spectators and par-ticipants from inclement weather and belligerent wildlife.

The arena will be nicknamed the The Berry Bubble(until someone rich enough donates money to it) and will

be remote-controlled and bullet-proof.We want to take every precaution building this arena,

said Athletic Director Todd Brooks. Once the cobblestone them up again and make room for the Berry Bubble.

There will also be a concession stand, which will besponsored and supplied by Aramark.

Curling players are about as common as Quidditchplayers, but that isnt going to deter zealous recruiters.Sarah Egerer, director of International Programs, said sheis thrilled to be part of the process. She said recruiting will

start immediately and their initial targets will include stu-

Ever since the Division III move took away athletic

scholarships, this will be a great way to attract more inter-national students, Egerer said.

Briggs said he is very pleased with the addition.After watching the Olympics, we knew this was

well be undefeated.

Berrys new addition is unprecedented in the NCAA;no other school offers it as a varsity sport.

to tryouts.I cant believe they didnt think of this before, Pitts

said. Im really glad it wont interfere with baseball sea-son either. I think Id be pretty good at it; I can yell reallyloud. Wanna see?

in participating in the teams inaugural season. Applicants

must have stones to apply.

Students demonstrate

MARTHA GRETZKY, Staff Photographer

Victor Viking reunited with long-lost twinYACKO WARNER

&

WHACKO WARNER

Warner Brothers

After a month-long search for Berrysmascot, Victor the Viking, it has been deter-mined that he neither wants to be foundnor will he be returning this semester.

College President Stephen R. Briggs said

he received a letter from Victor on Wednes-day morning stating that he has beenreunited with his long-lost twin, YosemiteSam, and that members of the Berry com-munity should make no attempts to contacthim.

The postage stamp on the letter wasmystical ink. However, according to TheWorld Atlas and the Britannica Encyclope-dia, there is no city, state or country called

said Jason Peterson, communication pro-fessor. But you know it cant be too faraway because quite frankly, despite the factthat he is a Viking, Victors sense of direc-tion is lacking.

The incident Peterson was referring tooccurred in December 2009, when Victorwas planning to attend a Christmas eventat the WinShape Retreat Center.

I gave Victor a map and told him thatall he had to do was follow Viking Trail,said Ricky Williams, director of intramuralsand outdoor recreation. How he ended upin Alabama is beyond me.

Williams mused that Victors twin,Yosemite Sam, must have gotten all thenavigation genes.

Yosemite Sam has spent the last fouryears in and out of anger management andhas a strong aversion to bunny rabbits.

his brother will have on him, said John

Azar-Dickens, professor of psychology. Inthe time Ive known Victor, Ive found himto be very impressionable, which doesnt

bode well for him.Victors letter to the president stated

that he felt like he was being smothered bythe cheerleaders but that he does not regrethis time on the squad.

I know my time with those cheerlead-ers helped me realize that if I can surviveworking with them, I can handle anybody,Victor wrote. Even my brother.

Victor went on to write that he is feel-makeover.

Sam convinced me that I should dyemy hair red like his and that cowboy hats

are what the ladies really like, Victorwrote. And boy was he right; all the ladiesstare at me now. Its like they cant taketheir eyes off me.

A group of students said they wereplanning a rescue mission for Victor, butmany parents refused to sign their permis-sion slips.

We really, really wanted to rescue Vic-tor from the bad man, said Johnny Bates,a third grade student at Berry College Ele-mentary School.

Student reaction from the college wasmuch the same.

freshman Candie Summers. I used toalways go up and squeeze his beard. Man,

Im going to miss him.Senior Jeffrey Delano said he was shocked

to hear about Victors disappearance.Our mascot disappeared? Wait, since

when do we have a mascot, Delanowondered.

I know how much Victor meant to thestudents, but hes gone now, said Janna

Johnson, associate director of athletics. Itstime to move on.


9/12

FEATURESAPRIL 1, 2010 PAGE 11, CAMPUS CARRIER

KATHERINE LAVEYFeatures Editor

The United States health care system has

been a controversial issue since Franklin D.Roosevelt implemented his ideas of SocialSecurity during his presidency. Economistseven predicted there would be a time tooverlook the health care polices. Over thoseseven decades there was some reform.President Lyndon Johnson implementedMedicare and Medicaid, which were alsopredicted to go bankrupt after a period oftime. Medicare was provided for millionsof elderly Americans without healthinsurance while Medicaid was gearedtoward impoverished Americans.

In 2008, President Barack Obama pro-posed a drastically different reform, a sys-tem geared to provide health care for everycitizen. In March 2010, Obamas bill waspassed with a majority House vote, 219-212.

According to the White House Web site,the proposed bill will provide approxi-mately 32 million or somewhere between12 to 17 percent of Americans with healthinsurance.

It is also essential to a more effective -ing to the site.

Associate Professor of Government andInternational Studies Eric Sands reactionto the health care bill is that it was terriblyexecuted.

Social security is bankrupt becauseof government and health care is a train

Senior Class President Jacque Smithsaid she believes the health care systemwas heading toward bankruptcy.

give both Congress and the Presidentadvice/predictions on spending) have saidthat with our previous plan, Medicare andMedicaid would go bankrupt within 50

The bill is said to increase access [toquality health care] and decrease cost, butSands said he disagrees.

You cant improve access withoutincreasing cost; decreasing the cost isunlikely to happen, Sands said.

He said he sees the cost as just beingmoved around.

There was a massive shift of debt fromthe older generation to the younger gen-

He also said that he does not think stu-dents realize this will be a burden on theirshoulders.

happy about the bill, except that his con-gressman voted against it.

He was trying not to lose support

Many political parties believe that thehealth care system is broken. But there arereactions to the recent bill that lead someto believe it may be on its way to recoveryor it may not. Is it a step in the right direc-tion for America? Opinions are varied frommany Americans. Some believe the billdoes not cover the real sources of the healthcare problem.

Associate Professor of CommunicationBrian Carroll said Americans know thehealth care system is fundamentally bro-ken but he is not sure how governmentplans on paying for this reform.

I believe its a fair accusation that Carroll said. He said he favors the redistri-

bution of wealth in favor of providing forthose less fortunate.

Obamas method of payment will worksimilarly to a progressive income tax. Thosewho earn more money, a certain bracket of

people in the top 5 percent, will pay moretaxes for federal insurance.

Lang wrote editorial pieces for the Car-rier last year stating some of his viewsabout what he believed to be right and

wrong, politically.I believe it to be a human right for Those who are in the 1-3 percent wealthi-est should return some moneyits per-

Sands said the tax has its own problems.The tax increase is potentially dangerous

because it punishes those who work hard.We need to be cautious because many

wealthy people drive growth in the econ-

He said he believed a tax decrease onare more inclined to take pay raises at workand may invest in stock, which in turnwould drive our economy.

The question arises, Why do theysaid.

Smith said she also foresees a couple ofproblems with the bill, especially economi-cally speaking.

Because there are heavier taxes onthose with more income, it gives peopleless incentive to work hard for their earn-

We as students, she said, learn in basicEconomics 210, the Laffer Curve, whichillustrates this principle. She also saidit undermines the capitalistic drive ofAmerica.

As for the economy, Lang said the bill there were portions he liked within it.

Denying coverage for pre-existing

said Lang. My dad was dropped from our

Now, the bill would not allow insur-ance companies to do things like that, Langsaid.

Smith, who does not know whether tooppose the bill or not said her initial reac-tion, was that she was thankful for theidea of parents still covering their children

But she said she was concerned with thefact of how large government control will

become with the regulation.For me, the scariest part of the bill is

branch of government that the people havevery little control over) will grow bigger

and bigger and lead to unnecessary spend-Carroll also said it was scary seeing gov-

ernment control over health care policy. system, he said.

Carroll said there are problems withhealth services in America such as people

being over-medicated, which is one of the believes the high costs of care and medica-tions have been problematic as well.

Sands said he believes the problemexists with tort law, not insurance com-panies. The medical malpractice and theamount of lawsuits doctors have to dealwith are a real problem, Sands said.

Unnecessary test and procedures are of administrative costs and health insur-ance frauds we need checks [and balance

Family Practitioner at Floyd MedicalCenter James Collins M.D. said he wonderswho is going to pay for the millions of peo-ple coming into the health care system andwho is going to take care of these patients.

Quality of care is going to decreasebecause they are going to have to turn pri-who are nurse practitioners and not certi-

As for the economy he agrees that we

are in a massive amount of debt.The last thing we want to do is run

have focused more on creating jobs and theeconomy than a health care bill that seems

Collins said it is inevitable to not prac-tice defensive medicine.

I always have to be thinking what ITort law isnt there [in the bill] because they wouldnt want to hurt their fellow

One thing about the bill he said hewished they could have proposed yearsago was cutting millions on fraud, Why

He said he considers himself an opti-mist and hope the bill works, only time

Senior pre-med major and StudentDirector of the Health and Wellness centerCasey Colvard said she opposes the recenthealth care bill.

Colvard said. It is very uncharted as far as

She said she believes the bill is going to

damage health care in the long run becauseof the government regulation.

It isnt going to be a competitive mar- -vard said. Quality isnt going to increase,

but decrease in areas such as technology,drug research and the quality of physician

When she graduates she plans to go tomedical school and eventually become apharmacist.

I really hate to see government con-trol over the pharmaceutical companies

because it will remove competition amongthe drug companies and the drug research

She said she believes it is the govern-

ments responsibility to insure those whocannot afford health insurance but forthose who can afford it, it is more of anindividual responsibility.

Not only will there be repercussions butsaid.

The suspected date when we couldpotentially see the bill in action would not

be until 2014. Government combined theregulation of education loans into the bill aswell. They are going to regulate more con-trol over federally funded student loans.

believes it states that 10 percent of incomewill be directed to student loans when theygraduate from college.

After ten years, students who work forthe government could potentially see theirreally complicated; its 15 pages longandWashington usually throws pork into big

bills like this all the time, it might actually

Smith said it sounded like they are re-the government would have more controlover loans.

I think this will help students com-ing out of professional [law or med] andgrad schools, that have an overwhelm-ing amount of debt. Also the governmentsaid.

She said private banks would probablysuffer from this new education bill.

Loan forgiveness already existed forthose willing to go into government jobs,

There are markedly lower salaries forthose who work for the government, andthe loan forgiveness coupled with good -

The health care bill, mixed with a fewpolices on education will still have to beupheld in the Supreme Court. Sands saidhe believes it to be constitutional, but sug-gested that, come election year, if Republi-cans want to win, they shouldnt repeal the

bill, but reform portions of it.Collins said he disagrees and that

Republicans might win this election yearas well as try to repeal the bill.

Reactions to Obamas health care reform bill

Health & Wellness Center provides health care for students and faculty. Thenurse can check your vitals, ask your symptons and give tests or prescribe medication,as well as provide guidance if you have other health issues. A nurse Practicioner, CayeBurch is available for female GYN care on Mondays. Other things are provided, such aspregnancy tests for women as well. Rooms are usually equipped with materials for check-ups, information pamphelets, sinks and a bathroom. Students should take full advantageof the health care while on campus.

CANDLER HOBBS,Asst. Photo Editor

To share yourthoughts on the

health care bill, starta forum at www.

vikingfusion.berry.edu


10/12

Opinions matter, just not asmuch as we wish. Often, it is notthe opinion itself that is impor-tant but instead the inherentright to the opinion.

The health care issue wasonce thought of a bill that wouldnever see the light of day, and ifit did, it surely wouldnt pass atcongress or be popular amongthe American people.

Behold, the bill did passalong with hoards of animos-ity and disapproval from manysectors. While it is apparent that

many people are opposed tothe health care bill, it is a but anexample in the large scheme ofgovernment apathy towards thecitizens.

Although many are rejoic-ing at the promise of the new

bill, many cant help but won-der why and how this cameinto place. The government toldus it would be discussed. Theytamed our fears by suggestingthe involvement of C-Span.

Many opposed. Some wouldsay, the majority opposed, but alot of that is speculation. Statis-tics on opposing and approvalgroups are scarce. The ones thatdo exist are at the national levelwhile what we really need isinformation at the district andstate level. It would allow peo-ple more solace if they knew theU.S. really wanted this.

Although this is valuableinformation, people could careless. It would not matter if thepolls showed a majority towardsa favor or opposition. It is clearthat the government had some-thing in mind and they actedon it, with little regard to publicopinion.

At Berry, the comparisonis uncanny. Probably the mostubiquitous issue on campus atone point was student housing.

First, the administration toldus that we would have to liveon campus. Crowds of peopleprotested this at meetings andin the weeks that progressed.However, the decision was

made. Students would not beable to apply to live off campus,with few exceptions.

Then the administrationupped the anti when theyaddressed the idea of turn-ing Dana coed. This created adichotomy between people whoand those who thought com-pletely the opposite. A group ifDana students formed a petitionwith over 400 signatures.

Dennis Goshorn called ameeting to address the issue and

the disapproval of the campus.Despite testimony from variousstudents and the petition, Resi-decision.

However, many students wereunder the impression that themeeting was an opportunity tochange their minds and possi--theless, many felt that ResidenceLife had made the decision

before the meeting began, mak-ing the experience a waste oftime and merely a formality.

It seemed as if Berry wason a roll. Then came the everso popular smoking ban. Stu-dents started to get word of thesmoking ban, and students wereupset, even those that do not

It didnt matter that thething was smoking. What mat-tered was that this issue cameout of thin air, and students feltcompletely in the dark.

The campus encourages us tospeak out and maintain a levelof discussion on campus. Whatdoes this discussion mean whenat the end of the day it holdslittle to no importance to facultyand the administration?

The health care bill is obvi-ously on a higher level than the

smoking ban or even the hous-us that as sad as it is and no mat-

brother always has the last say.

PAGE 10, CAMPUS CARRIER APRIL 1, 2010

Students input needed for campus decisions

The Carrier editorial reflects a consensus of the The Carriers editorial board.

signed[un]

The Carrier Editorial

Kyler Post

Editor-in-Chief

Charnele Noel

Business Manager

Amanda Griswell

Managing Editor

Jessica Hoover

Copy Editor

Claudia Hagan

News Editor

Nicole NeSmith

Opinions Editor

Katherine Lavey

Features Editor

Ashley McIntyre

Sports Editor

Laura Diepenbrock

Entertainment Editor

Meredith McDermottPhoto Editor

Brittany Howes

Graphics Editor

Jessie Duckworth

Online Editor

Alisha Dosani

Asst. Business Manager

Andrew Blevins

Deputy News Editor

Lauren Jones

Asst. Features Editor

Megan Benson

Asst. Sports Editor

Tristan Harrison

Asst. Entertainment

Editor

Candler Hobbs

Asst. Photo Editor

Anna Smith

Asst. Graphics Editor

Kevin Kleine

Adviser

EditorialBoard

THE CARRIERBerry College

Recipient of Georgia College

Press Associations SeniorCollege General Excellence

Award, 1988-1998, 2000-2002, 2004

Campus Carrier490520 Berry CollegeMt. Berry, GA 30149

(706) 236-2294

E-mail: [email protected]

The Carrier is published weekly exceptduring examination periods and holidays.The opinions, either editorial or com-

mercial, expressed in The Carrier are notnecessarily those of the administration,

Berry Colleges board of trustees or TheCarrier editorial board. Student publica-tions are located in 202 Richards Gym.The Carrier reserves the right to edit all

content for length, style, grammar andlibel. The Carrier is available on the BerryCollege campus, one free per person.

Room selection process bringscomfort, sanity to studentsKYLER POST

Editor-in-Chief

And a Happy April FoolsDay to you, too, my friends.

When I started receivinge-mails from Residence Lifenearly a month ago, I shouldveknown I was in for a night ofwailing and gnashing of teeth at

room selection. But, as I often do, doubt. Surely they had learnedfrom previous mistakes andshortcomings in the selectionprocess. Surely.

Sunday night I learned Icouldnt have been more wrong.I arrived at the scheduled time,-cess so that I could wrap up myweekends homework, you know,the thing most normal collegestudents are doing at 7 p.m. ona Sunday night. I entered Kran- at the very end of a very longline. Imagine having to wait an

hour to be publically castrated.That basically sums up the wholeexperience for me.

After waiting what seemed tothe ballroom, only to discoverthat lottery numbers were goingto be read one by one. This isntThe Price is Right. I just want

to get this process over withand get back to, I dont know,actual academic work.

As rooms in alternativehousing began to quickly dis-appear, the mood of the roomturned from one of anticipa-tion to one of pure, uninhibited

hatred. The shouting and hostil-ity reached pro wrestling levels.Friendships were tattered. Soulswere damaged forever, and allthe while, the Residence Life staffremained, vigilantly calling out a

single number at a time.But the terror doesnt stopthere. Monday night opened the on-campus housing (as if therewere off-campus housing, any-way). Single rooms were at apremium on this night, as appar-ently people would rather paythe ridiculous $233 fee to livealone than actually branch outand meet a friend. But, again,the dwindling number of singlerooms raised the terror threatlevel to a deep crimson.

and on.

I realize that the room selec-tion process is a delicate, compli-cated one that must be handledvery carefully. But is there no wayto handle these proceedings in a will always be animosity amongstudents that dont get roomsin alternative housing, but thisyears method of parading thefaces of the haves in front of

the have nots creates personalfeelings of anger. At least before,you had no way of knowing whostole your coveted townhousespot because so many peoplewere called at once. Isnt the pur-pose of Residence Life to culti-vate the on-campus community?If everyone is required to live oncampus, I would hope that theywould go out of their way not torile up students.

Furthermore, communicationwas also an issue. We all got the

e-mails. We all knew a good bitof the changes put in place thisyear. But there were still sev-eral aspects of the room selec-tion process that were enactedwithout proper communication,

both within and without. Evensome resident assistants seemedto be unaware of several of thesechanges.

In short, room selection shouldbe an uplifting process. I mean,come on. Youre choosing whereand with whom you will live forthe next school year. Shouldntthat be exciting and joy-provok-ing? Instead, room selection onlyseems to breed animosity amongstudents and between studentsand staff.

You can be sure of only twothings about the room selectionprocess each year. One, it will

be drastically different from lastyears process. And two, it willmost assuredly suck.


11/12

OPINIONSAPRIL1, 2010 CAMPUS CARRIER PAGE 11

What is the best/worst AprilFools prank youve ever been a

victim of?

Kartee JohnsonFreshman

LETTER SUBMISSION POLICY

Letters to the editor must include a name, address andphone number, along with the writers class year ortitle. The Carrier reserves the right to edit for length,style, grammar and libel.

E-MAIL: [email protected]

Ray MarvinSenior

SHAWN REGANGuest Writer

Delanie MillerFreshman

Jessica GilkerSenior

Shaun BergerJunior

I switched aclass with my(twin) sister. Wehad pop quizzesthat day.

Someone set a trash-can full of waterabove the neigh-

bors door and theyopen it and ruinedtheir stuff.

My mom told mygrandparents thatmy uncle was in acar wreck and thatthey had to go visithim.

My mom told usshe was pregnantwith twins.

Melanie ScottSenior

My mother calledand said my car hada recall on it andsaid they had totake it back.

SOUROSH AMANI

Guest Writer

With the approval of the new healthcare bill, Ted Kennedys dream has

become reality. In theory, the bill pro-vides every American with the chanceto proper health care. Ted Kennedy

believed that health care is a right andnot a privilege. I fully support thatstatement. However, there are still mil-lions of Americans against the bill.

The latest survey that was conductedby a CNN/Opinion Research Corpora-tion released Monday indicated that 56percent of the public is against the newlegislation, with 42 percent approvingthe bill. There are several reasons whythe majority of Americans are againstthe bill.

President Obama signed a law onTuesday that changed several aspectsof the bill. A main concern of thesechanges are that the overall costs of thelegislation increased to about $940 bil-

lion for the next 10 years; this is about$65 billion more than the original planincluded. People wonder where thismoney will come from.

Many Americans also believe thatthey will not be able to choose theirown doctors and hospitals with thehealth care plans that are run by thegovernment. I understand the concernsregarding the bill. However, I believethat this plan is necessary and will ben-I also believe that some of the concernsof the people against the bill are notreally valid.

For instance, it is not true that many

Americans cannot choose their owndoctors anymore. With the new healthcare system, there is also place for theindividual to choose his or her owninsurance and treatment centers. Eventhough Medicare and Medicaid will berun by the state, insurance companiesare still allowed to operate.

This development will hopefullylead to a more competitive medicalmarket place, where insurance com-panies have to lower their prices andoffer better products in order to stay

in business. There are also many otherinsurance for about 32 million Ameri-cans. Many of those people previouslyhad no health care at all. Children arenow covered on their parents healthcare plans until they are 26, insurancecompanies are not allowed to denypeople because of pre-existing medicalconditions, and by 2014 every Ameri-can has to be insured by law.

However, I do agree the costs of the bill are high. Hopefully the U.S. cangradually pull its troops out of Iraqand Afghanistan in the next few yearsso a part of that money can be spent on

health care. I am sure that the Ameri--port this plan that has the intention ofproviding health care for every Ameri-can citizen.

Growing up in the Netherlands,health care was something that wasaccessible to everyone regardless ofyour income or medical background.That is why I support PresidentObamas plan and see a bright andhealthy future for many Americans.

Joe Biden is right. Health care reformis a big deal. The bill overhauls ournations health care system and createsmassive new entitlements, mandatesand tax increases. As President Obama-islation into law on Tuesday, many arestill trying to understand exactly howthe bill will affect their lives.

In truth, the bill contains so manyprovisions that nobody truly knowswhat the net effect will be, let alonewhat it will cost. So, whats the gist?

The crux of the legislation, most ofwhich does not come into effect until2014, will extend health insurance to all

Americans. While it contains neither aEuropean-style single-payer systemnor the hotly-debated public option, -ing of our current system. How this isaccomplished will affect Berry studentsin a number of important ways.

Beginning in 2014, the governmentwill force all Americans to purchaseIndividuals and families making upto 400 percent above the poverty level(the current equivalent of $88,200 for afamily of four) will receive subsidiesto help them buy insurance. Med-icaid coverage will be expanded tolower-income earners earning less than$30,000 for a family of four.

While these measures are expectedto extend coverage to 32 million of theuninsured, questions have been raisedabout how this will work in practice.Since insurers will no longer be ableto deny coverage based on preexistingconditions, another key component ofthe legislation, there is an incentive forhealthy individuals to take advantageof the system by not buying healthinsurance until they get sick.

opportunistic behavior, you ask? Notquite. They begin at a meager $95 in2014 and increase up to a maximum of

$695 or 2.5 percent of income, which-ever is greater. This is far below theaverage cost of an insurance policy. Bypaying the penalty and waiting untilhealth care is needed, individuals cansave thousands each year in health

care costs, all the while driving up pre-miums for everyone else and therebystrengthening the incentive to takeadvantage of the system. Although itis unlikely public-spirited Berry stu-dents would dare take advantage ofsuch a sweet loophole, the same cannot

be said for the rest of society.Employers with more than 50 work-

ers will be required to provide cover- Students who go to work for small

businesses will be able to purchaseinsurance at competitive rates throughstate health insurance exchanges, while through their employer.

However, with substantial subsi-

dies being doled out to individuals andfamilies earning less than $88,200 forhealth insurance, employer-providedplans may actually be more expensivethan independent plans. For instance,a family of four making $45,000 would

be eligible for a $7,250 subsidy andcould to enroll in an independent planfor around $2,000 a year. This wouldlikely be less than their contributionto an employer-provided plan. Like-effective to not provide insurance andface the annual penalties of $2,000 perworker. With the average employer-provided policy costing over $13,000 a-ing insurance amounts to enormoussavings for employers.

Effective later this year, studentsthat are fortunate enough to get theirinsurance through their parents policywill be allowed to remain on their planuntil age 26. This, no doubt, is wel-come news for most students as theyleave college with a mountain of stu-dent loan debt. Those who buy cover-age on their own will have access tocheap coverage in the state exchanges,

but it will likely be more than they arecurrently paying.

The bill also includes reforms thatwill streamline the student loan sys-

tem by eliminating the need for private banks to provide the loans. Instead, beginning this summer, the govern-ment will provide the loans directlywhich it claims will save nearly $68 bil-lion over the next decade. In turn, the

new law will increase Pell Grants andmake it easier for students to pay backtheir loans after graduation. While thisis widely seen as good news for bothstudents and colleges, dont expecttuition rates to decrease anytime soon.

These massive insurance and educa-tion subsidies, which certainly redoundto young adults, have to be paid some-how, and they will undoubtedly comedue in the form of higher future taxes.With Medicare and Social Securityentitlements already set to go bankruptwithin a few decades, our future taxrates are going nowhere but up.

Beginning in 2018, the so-calledCadillac plans, valued at $27,500 forfamilies and $10,200 for individuals,

will face a 40 percent tax. By then, manycurrent students will surely be footingthis bill. In addition, the governmentplans to collect $1.2 trillion over thenext 10 years through a combination oftax rate and capital gains increases topay for the new legislation. Suddenly,a current students incentive to earn a Moreover, these increases will likelyslow economic recovery and reducethe amount of income reported.

As the dust settles around this issue,it is clear that the reforms are neithercompletely bad nor good. It extendscoverage to the uninsured and willlikely make health insurance moresecure from job to job. However, itfails to address the root cause of ris-

ing health care costs. Only 12% of ourhealth expenditures are paid out-of-pocket by consumers. The rest is paid

by our employers, insurers or the gov-ernment and discourages consumersto shop around for health care services.Nevertheless, the bill that became lawthis week will affect each one of us con-tinually throughout the coming years.Regardless of what we ultimately thinkabout it, we ought to make sure ourvoices are heard loud and clear in thepublic discourse.

This girl pretendedto get engaged tosomeone, but a

month later he didpropose.

Making sense of health care


12/12

Carrier April 1, 2010

Documents

Transcript of Carrier April 1, 2010