The All State

On Tuesday, Nov. 2, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new housing facility took place in an empty grassy plot of land across the street from Marion Street lot and next to Castle Heights lot.

Joe Mills, Director of Housing and Residence Life, said the new housing facility will take about 18 months of construction and is due to open Fall 2011. Mills said construction would start on Monday, Nov. 2, with the erection of the fence around the construction site.

Mills, President Timothy Hall, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Sherryl Byrd, CEO of Rentenbach Contractors Don Freeman, Project Manager David Whaley, Architects Lane Lyle and Marshall Duncan and Jimmy Mann and Site Superintendent Joe Lane all wore white hard hats and used gold shovels to toss dirt for the groundbreaking ceremony.

Mills said this groundbreaking ceremony was different from the traditional groundbreaking of bringing in several tons of nice dirt.

He said he wanted to actually dig into the dirt they would be digging.

“One of the downsides of being the fastest growing university in Tennessee is that you run out of space,” said APSU President Timothy Hall. He said in a couple of weeks APSU is going to celebrate having 10,000 students at the university and campus housing was 98 percent occupied for this fall semester.

Hall said, “Unfortunately, this space is not going to be the space that adds to what we are doing, but we need this space to help take down our older units and provide more current and up to date facilities for our students.”

Hall said as early as spring he is expecting the preliminary designs and thinking about a new a housing facility that will expand our current capacity.

Mills said the new housing facility will cost about $25.5 million. He said there will be 416 beds with double occupancy and the whole first floor will be a common area.

“We got a lot of student input, so I think we are building what they want to have.”

Mills said it is being discussed to put freshmen in the new housing facility.

He said the double occupancy will allow for students to meet new people.

He said it is a goal to get freshmen involved in the university because the sooner they get connected, the sooner they will be successful.

“We’ve got to get them connected to the university.”

The construction should not affect traffic or parking, Mills said.

He said the construction will only take up two rows of the Castle Heights lot and students should be able to park in the Marion Street lot to accommodate.

Freeman will be the contracting manager of the project. He said in the last two years, his company has begun the construction of six university housing projects.

Freeman said building the new Housing facility at APSU will be a challenging project because we have to pour about 3,000 yards of concrete and lay 400,000 bricks.

Hall said, “There has been more energy on this campus this year then I have ever seen before. I think it is taking us to a new level and we need the new space to curve that energy and the students that are coming to us in increasing numbers.”

Mills said when Freeman’s firm was picked through the bidding process, everyone was very excited. If the entire project runs well, like the way he and his staff are administering everything right now, then we are good to go.

Shamai Larsen, a senior cadet in the ROTC program and a health and human performance major, was awarded the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross of Achievement during a Special ROTC Awards Ceremony Thursday, Oct. 1.

Colonel Mark Mitchell, the commander of the Fifth Special Forces Group, presented the award.

“I am truly honored to be here and spend a few moments with the Army’s future leaders,” Mitchell said.

“The last eight years have been very difficult in a lot of ways and for young people to stand up and say that they are willing to go serve our nation in whatever capacity the nation asks them to serve is a real moving experience for me.”

The Legion of Valor Bronze Cross of Achievement is presented annually to a cadet who has demonstrated scholastic excellence in military and academic subjects to stimulate the development of leadership.

The award consisted of a Bronze Cross of Achievement, a DVD from the Legion of Valor called “Real Stories of Real Heroes” and a certificate. Larsen was the first APSU student to receive this award.

“I was shocked,” Larsen said. “I was surprised and got really nervous, but this is such an honor.”

Larsen holds a 4.0 GPA and is a member of the APSU women’s cross country team and indoor and outdoor track teams.

“The experience I received on active duty helped me out a lot. I was able to keep my GPA up and I was blessed enough to be physically fit to be an athlete. All these things probably helped [when being considered for this award],” Larsen said.

Mitchell said Larsen’s performance academically, athletically, in a leadership environment and in the ROTC program is stunning and this award is well deserved.

He also said the younger cadets have a wonderful role model with Larsen and should try to duplicate her achievements and level of performance.

Larsen said she wants to go into active duty.

In addition she wants to be the best platoon leader she can be while serving.

She hopes her example can inspire younger cadets to face all the challenges presented and do their best at all times.

“This [award] means that all of my hard work has paid off,” Larsen said.

“I hope I can be a good example to the younger cadets in the ROTC program. To always try for their best and do everything they can to help their military career.”

For here for video of the awards ceremony.

By Jenelle Grewell | Assistant News Editor

Chartwells and AP dining services partnered with local farms within an hour’s drive of Clarksville to promote local produce and create awareness of the many health benefits of eating well and buying local in the recent event “It Takes You-Eat Local” during the week of Sept. 21-25.

The week-long event featured a daily menu item prepared using locally purchased produce directly from the partner farms. To promote awareness of the benefits of eating local, reasons to eat local were posted around the APSU Café.

“In a nutshell, we decided to participate in this program because it’s a great way to highlight yet another way AP Dining is involved in campus sustainability efforts,” said Charlie Partain, marketing manager of Chartwells at APSU.

Partain said it could be argued there is nowhere on campus where there are more opportunities for students to make sustainable choices.

The farms included in the partnership were Clinest Farms, Howell Farms and Smiley Farms. Yellow and green squash were purchased from the Clinest Farms in Springfield to prepare the stuffed squash and beef stir-fry entrée.

The Howell Farms of Bellevue provided heirloom tomatoes to prepare marina for the ravioli marinara and three-cheese tortellini. From Smiley Farms, eggplants were purchased to prepare eggplant parmesan.

Partain said local farmers do not use genetically modified seeds or excessive pesticides.

“Local farmers also usually appreciate their water and soil quality more than most large-scale farms because it affects their livelihood,” Partain said.

Chartwells was able to work closely with the local farms because Chartwells partnered with the local Freshpoint distributor in Nashville. Freshpoint is North America’s largest produce distributor.

Compass Group North America, the parent company of Chartwells, has extended the “It Takes You-Eat Local” campaign to other markets all across the U. S. They want to promote their pledge of encouraging responsible and sustainable practices, to educate customers about sustainability practices, the benefits of eating local produce and how buying local affects our community and wellness.

“Buying local produce helps the environment in our community and nationwide,” Partain said.

Partain said buying local can cut down on the massive amount of fuel needed to transport produce across the country when people buy locally.

“Buying local produce helps support local family farms in our area and allows them to preserve their land as open space instead of it becoming a strip mall or subdivision,” Partain said.

Partain said students enjoyed the program.

“We even had one student who made his friend try out eggplant parmesan because he worked at the farm that produced it over the last summer break picking eggplants.”

Partain said he wants to stress how people should buy local produce and supplies year-round whenever possible.

“We chose this week as a way to highlight just one of our efforts to support local commerce and our environment,” Partain said.

By Jenelle Grewell | Assistant News Editor

The new Tennessee law to allow handguns to be carried by handgun-carry permit holders in parks, Public Chapter 428, went into affect Tuesday, Sept. 1. The Associated Press reported 70 cities across Tennessee have decided not to pass the new new Tennessee law.

Clarksville was one of the cities to opt out of the law in July. A month after Clarksville chose not to pass the law, City Council members struck down a resolution to repeal the ban proposed by Fourth Ward Councilman Wallace Redd.

Lance Biles, APSU director of Public Safety, said the law would not affect APSU campus. “The laws about guns on campus did not change,” Biles said.

The Associated Press went on to report a second vote on the new law after Clarksville Police Department Deputy Chief Mike Parr said 58 of the more than 13,000 crimes committed in Clarksville last year were committed in parks.

Supporters of the ban say it will protect park users, especially children. However, opponents say the ban will create a patchwork of rules that ruin the law’s intention, which is to make it possible for people with licenses to have more freedom in carrying guns into more public places.

“Any time you have a weapon, it gives you more reason to abuse them,” Biles said.

Some APSU students shared Biles’ concern. Robert Gallowitz, a sophomore marketing major said, “I think the law will cause more problems and that it is unnecessary to have hand guns in parks.”

Brooklyn Singleton, a freshman undecided major said everyone has a right to bear arms and doesn’t see the big deal.

“If people are concerned about the safety of children then they shouldn’t want guns to be carried, period, because children are not only in parks,” Singleton said.

It was also reported that with so many cities opting out of the new law, people in support of the law are pressing lawmakers to take the decision out of the hands of local city governments and up to the state.

“I think the decision should be left up to the state. [Allowing guns in parks] would just cause mass confusion from state to state,” Gallowitz said.

Richard Locker of the Memphis Commercial Appeal wrote on the newspaper’s Web site, www.commercialappeal.com, that he hopes Governor Phil Bredesen will do his part to urge legislature to “roll back some of the gun laws it passed this year at the urging,” he said, “of a relatively few but passionate people.”

Biles said this law would probably never affect the APSU campus. He said such a law is unnecessary when the campus has such a dedicated security force.

For the complete list of Handgun Carry Permit T.C.A. codes, log on to www.tennessee.gov/safety/handgun/handguntca.htm.

– Jenelle Grewell, Assistant News Editor

By Jenelle Grewell | Assistant News Editor

On June 11, the World Health Organization declared the novel H1N1 virus, swine flu, to be a pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to update their guidance about responding to the H1N1 influenza as new developments arise.

According to the CDC’s Web site (www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/) as of 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, in over 50 states and territories, 9,079 people have been hospitalized because of the swine flu and 593 have died.

On August 28, APSU President Timothy Hall released an e-mail stating two commuter students were suspected of having the swine flu.

Since the release of that e-mail, APSU has assembled a task force due to the pandemic. Sherryl Byrd, the associate vice president of Student Affairs is a member of the task force.

The list of the other faculty, staff and students who are included on this task force can be found by e-mailing flu@apsu.edu.

Byrd said the goal of the task force is to increase awareness of preventative measures that can help reduce the spread of the flu; make available educational information regarding symptoms and CDC’s recommendation for treatment; provide and distribute appropriate cleaning supplies for offices, classrooms and residence halls; inform the campus community of how to respond to suspected cases; and monitor reported cases in order to make recommendations to President Hall if necessary.

“It is impossible to prevent an outbreak,” Byrd said. She said preventative measures such as hand washing can significantly reduce cases of the flu.

Byrd said the qualifications for members of the task force included knowledge and experience related to nursing, public health, microbiology and epidemiology, as well as any staff members whose positions or areas of responsibilities would provide critical support for ongoing preventative and response efforts such as in Housing, Residence Life and Dining Services, Health Services, Physical Plant, Public Safety, Human Resources and Public Relations.

Byrd said other measures implemented to reduce cases of the flu around campus are:

— Participating in a webinar on Tuesday, Sept.15, titled “H1N1 Campus Management: Perspectives from Human Resources, the Business Office and Health and Safety Management.”

— The task force has met Aug. 24, 28 and Sept. 4, and meetings will continue as needed.

— Established contact with Montgomery County Health Department to track local cases of suspected H1N1 flu.

— APSU Health Services is registered with the Tennessee Department of Health to receive the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available, track suspected cases of the flu by those visiting the clinic, have disposable thermometers available to monitor temperature of those with suspected flu and masks available in the waiting area if needed.

— Eight ounce bottles of hand sanitizers were given to new students at Freshman Convocation.

Chad Brooks, assistant professor of biology, gave a presentation about regarding preventative measures, good hygiene and flu symptoms at both the Freshman Convocation and the Faculty/Staff Convocation.

—The APSU Health Services site was updated with current information and links to other resources such as the CDC.

A dedicated e-mail address was established for questions and to report suspected cases for tracking purposes which will be monitored by Task Force members. This e-mail address is flu@apsu.edu.

— Hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes have been provided to all offices and common areas, one personal four ounce bottle for each employee and a large bottle for their office.

— CDC flyers were sent to each building coordinator to be posted in the all the buildings and restrooms to encourage people to “Cover Cough/Clean Hands.”

— An e-mail from the provost to all faculty requesting H1N1 preventative measures be discussed during the first meeting of each class, asking faculty to develop accommodations for students who are absent due to the flu as much as possible and reasonable and make more use of D2L capabilities.

— A request for faculty and supervisors for employees to document self-reported suspected cases of flu from students in their classes to the task force Web site, so campus cases can be tracked.

— Eight ounce bottles distributed to residence hall rooms and apartments and commercial sized hand sanitizer dispensers for all lobbies.

— Information flyers e-mailed to all residents, CDC flyers posted in residence halls, preventative measures and the video of Brooks’ presentation airing on the Housing television channel.

— Discussions at mandatory hall meetings for all residents and students asked to self-report suspected flu cases to a RA and or hall director.

— “Clean Rooms” are designated if a roommate of a student who is suspected of having flu wants to be moved.

— Contact and methods established to get meals to sick students if needed.

Byrd said APSU has a campus-wide, detailed Emergency Preparedness Plan that covers a health emergency among many other possible scenarios can be found on the A-Z index.

“The task force will continue to monitor suspected cases to determine what additional responses are warranted, if any,” she said. “We encourage all students to register for the AP Alert to be notified quickly in the case of any campus emergency,” Byrd said. Byrd said in the extreme and unlikely case that the flu outbreak becomes so severe and widespread the cancellation of events or classes becomes necessary, the AP Alert will be used as the first and fastest way of notification.

For more information on H1N1, students can visit www.apsu.edu/healthservices/H1N1 for links to resources.