The All State

Gregory Jones | Staff Writer

My time here has spanned most of the last decade, so I feel comfortable discussing the university’s actions in regards to conservation and remain assured I am not narrowly selecting a small sample of its history. The university’s energy efficiency has been outdated for the bulk of its existence.

To be fair, for most of that time energy concerns were little more than a whisper from a minority of students, faculty and staff. Given the source of energy has been dominated by fossil fuels and that there was little or no question about the harmful effects of extraction or pollution and such power was relatively inexpensive, there was no alarm sounding when someone left the lights on all night in Browning.

But as time has issued forward, such given statements have fallen to the background. Now days, there’s an uproar for energy efficiency and energy which is clean, less environmentally demanding, less expensive and less hazardous to human health. Yet, in checking the numbers, we’ve made little progress out of the energy dark age.

The university’s utility budget has been steadily increasing until very recently. In 2009, APSU spent $4.7 million on utilities; about $4.1 million in 2008 and $3.9 million in 2007. But, it’s not all bad news. In 2010, an important phase of the Ameresco project was completed.

From this project we’ve made significant improvements to the university’s boiler system, which drastically decreased the total expense on utilities. Additionally, a three-part steam line project is underway, which will replace the degraded pipes transferring steam across campus. Have you seen steam rising from various grates on the sidewalks? Probably not as much since phase one of the steam line project completed last summer, but I’m sure you have noticed.

I was under the impression steam was intentionally being emitted or eliminated as excess from the boiler. In reality, what you’re witnessing are dollar bills dispersing into the wind. In meeting with Timothy Hurst, assistant vice president for Finance, I was informed steam is being lost all over campus as a result of the inefficient and deteriorating pipes. Fortunately, phases two and three are scheduled to begin shortly, so this costly problem should be corrected soon.

I mentioned the significant decrease in utility costs. How much, you ask? Last year, the utility bill totaled about $3.9 million. As the current figure shows, APSU stands to spend roughly $3 million in 2011. That’s about 25 percent lower than the projected budget this fiscal year. If you follow the trend of utility costs, you find the university hasn’t been this far under budget in quite some time. And there’s good evidence the university’s decision to update the boiler and steam lines is responsible.

The Ameresco project cost around $7 million. If APSU saves at least $1 million annually, it’s pretty clear the project will pay for itself in due time. There isn’t much question about whether or not investments in energy efficiency projects are a good idea. The savings alone speak for that.

The big question is where will those savings go? Tennessee is currently facing a serious budget problem and surely large savings, like those from the Ameresco project, will be factored into how the university will continue to operate without pulling on students’ pockets any more than necessary.

While I think it is a respectable decision, I have to disagree it would be the wisest use of the money. I think savings from conservation or sustainable projects should be reinvested into other projects. A large investment in renewable energy could be the ticket to getting ahead of surging energy costs and gaining distance from sources of power, which pose potential hazards to humans and the environment.

As many students have suggested, we could erect solar canopies over all of the campus’ parking lots and attach them to adjacent buildings. A solar project of that scale could immediately and substantially reduce the university’s total energy consumption.
Some would disregard such a project due to its cost. But, as we’ve seen, sometimes energy projects can pay for themselves. In the long run, investing in clean energy is a small price to pay. TAS

Kristin Kittell | Assistant Perspectives Editor

As someone who’s been in a relationship with the same guy for an excessively long amount of time, I’ve found the lines between the person I am now and the person I was before him are usually faded at best.

It would take days of hunting through old notebooks and MySpace fossils to distinguish whether I decided to enjoy acoustic music before or after meeting my guitar-toting boyfriend. Did I enjoy road trips in vintage cars? Was I always so hopelessly naïve in all things concerning romance? Most importantly, will I miss the person I used to be?

So the burning question that was birthed by this string of musings is: Do we, as American youth, allow our relationships to erase our identities, replacing us with love-struck faces we don’t recognize in the mirror years later?

According to senior computer science major Brian Barbour, the road to couple-assimilation is simply a matter of “more planning around each other.”

“We include each other’s interests.”
Barbour, a confirmed un-bachelor for the last year and three months, is well past the stage of awkward formalities and has entered an era of comfort with his significant other. In this comfort, Barbour confesses, he has adopted a few new interests, some of which I can guarantee would not be on the roster for any single man’s typical night out.

“We go shopping more,” he states. “I never listened to country music until now, and I have watched a few more girl movies.”
But from his perspective, no life-altering transformations have occurred, which leads me to wonder if the changes we make to ensure our relationships last are even changes we notice. Eventually, we have to step back and consider whether or not we would maintain our newfound interests should the relationship fall to pieces.

If you’re faking your way through your fifth chick flick this month, squeezing out tears and preparing a post-movie commentary, you’ve probably gone too far. Girls, do not pick out a favorite hockey team and track their scores all season because you caught your boyfriend checking out a game at the bar last weekend.

Adopt only the hobbies you can carrying on post break-up. Take notes from Brooklyn Singleton, a sophomore business major who picked up one thing in particular from her boyfriend of a year and a half.

“I like to go to the gym now, more than I ever did before,” she states. Would she continue should she find herself single? “Yes,” she said. “I would still go to the gym.”

There’s nothing wrong with joining in for a game while your boyfriend engulfs himself in “Call of Duty,” but there’s nothing wrong with kicking back with a book either.

As I approach my three year anniversary, I can absolutely promise I will never again be the arrogant 17 year-old I was when I met him. I suppose I can credit this partially to growing up, but I know without a doubt most of who I am reflects the partner I’ve had.

I’m not afraid to say I don’t want to listen to him play Christmas carols on his banjo. This doesn’t make me a bad girlfriend. He’s free to let me know he doesn’t enjoy cleaning out barns in the Tennessee summer heat, and I don’t have to resolve to discard him. This is why we work. TAS

Jenelle Gewell | News Editor

I am no stranger to flying. With family and friends all around the country, I am more comfortable on an airplane than I am on a school bus.

Nashville Internatinal Airport began to use full body scanners, which allows passengers to get through security with a full body X-ray scan as opposed to a pat down. The two most common outcries heard about the full body scanners are lack of privacy and health issues.

Privacy? Please enlighten me as to how someone patting me on every crevice of my body counts as less invasive than someone seeing the outline of genitals.

John Pistole, TSA administrator, told US News that TSA has taken several steps to protect the privacy of passengers. He said it is TSA protocol that any TSA official who sees the passenger going through the scan will never see the image of the scan and vice versa.

Pistol also said the machines do not have the capability to store any images of the scans. So, to all my fellow worried airline passengers out there, no TSA official is going to make jokes or share the images of blue/gray X-ray shapes. To those who still find the scanners to be an invasion of privacy, I just have to say I am glad you feel that way.

Airplane security varies from regular mall or bank security drastically. If someone pulls out a gun in a bank, you have a chance to run away; if someone pulls out a gun on an airplane, you do not have a chance of escaping. In airplanes, you either land or you do not land; there is really no other option.

I am more than happy about these scanners; it makes me feel more secure that a raving lunatic is not going to bring my plane crashing to the ground.

The health nay-sayers should also be silenced. The scanners give a small dose of radiation to take the images. TSA told The Huffington Post the radiation from one scan is lower than a single dental X-ray. TSA said a passenger would have to go through the scanners more than 1,000 in one year to even meet the maximum recommended level.

These scanners are not as powerful as getting an X-ray at the dentist or the doctor. Are the same people who are crying out about radiation at the airport also going to refuse an X-ray if they have a broken bone at the doctor’s office?

Overall, I am very pleased with the new body scanners to help airport security. Allow me to get a quick snap shot of my body over a rubdown from a stranger any day. TAS

APSU has recently announced housing changes to take place Fall 2011. They have caused outrage in many current students, even prompting them to start a Facebook page in opposition. The editorial board members of The All State discussed the positive and negative effects on students.

With a record enrollment of freshmen this fall, APSU has had to readjust to the overwhelming student growth in recent years. In light of this, construction projects are now under way to ease the stress of an already overpopulated campus.

While APSU has remained a relatively small school, housing has recently become an issue due to overcrowding and there seems to be no resolution in sight. Many of the editorial members feel the changes are unfair to current students who have been living in certain residence halls on campus.

Upperclassmen would be forced to move out of Blount Harvill and Sevier Hall, where the double occupancy rate is $1,980 per semester, to Meacham, Miller, Hand Village and Two Rivers apartments, where the double occupancy rate ranges from $2,185 to $2,200 per semester and up to $3,300 per semester for a private room.

While many current students are enraged by these changes, some students think it makes sense. An editor points out, “People getting kicked out obviously sucks, but the fact remains 85 percent of housing students are freshmen.”

This reasoning makes sense to the majority of TAS’s editorial board, who believe APSU is simply using common sense, catering to prospective students who would more than likely be required to live on-campus as other schools have done.

Yet the frustrations of many students could be accredited to the untimely decision by APSU to tear down current residence halls in order to make room for new ones. Although housing changes were expected and are inevitable, as demonstrated by the growth in student enrollments, many believe the changes should have been done long ago, preventing the current situation.

Despite opinions on what could have been done, the question remains on what APSU and students should do to reach a common ground. An editorial member expressed their concern by suggesting, “If they are going to force the upperclassmen out, then the prices need to be changed for fairness.”

Ultimately, students affected will just have to cope and make the best of an unfortunate situation. Upperclassmen will have the options of paying equalized rates or moving to an off-campus apartment which could save them money but cause a few inconveniences along the way as well. TAS

The downturn of the economy has prompted many Americans to seek a college education in order to have a better opportunity at finding jobs.

The editorial members of The All State discussed the advantages and drawbacks of pursuing a post-secondary education during these difficult economic times.

Although a high school diploma had previously been the basic requirement to attain a blue collar or even a white collar job a decade ago, it appears a bachelor’s degree is now the new standard when it comes to bare minimum credentials.

With this in mind, a great number of Americans are now pursuing a four-year degree with the purpose of presenting themselves as valuable and indispensable prospects in an extremely competitive work place.

However, with so many people looking to add a college degree to their résumé, the worth of the degree itself is losing validity.

While the idea of being employed and even finding a prosperous career is enough to motivate anyone into furthering their education, this may not be the wisest route to take.

Unless student grants and scholarships cover the full tuition and fees of attending an institution, the reality is student loans are more likely to contribute to an already dreary financial situation.

Some of the editorial members at TAS agree the misuse of student loans is one of the main negative aspects of attending a university out of economic stress.

A multitude of students rely on their loans as a means of partial income, in turn, disregarding any common logic or consideration for the future.

But not everyone finds themselves in such a predicament. Even though college students have, for the most part, been known to struggle financially, this may not entirely be true. There are many opportunities such as work study programs and lower paying jobs like waiting tables and customer sales at the local mall, which are enough for most young college students to get by.

So, is there reason for college students to be concerned with the economy and the job market? It all depends on who you ask.

A career is obviously the ultimate goal for all those who choose to pursue a college degree, however, it is not until that goal is nearly achieved that most students begin to reflect on the next step of the process.

One editorial member mentioned “I do not have much of an opinion about jobs, because I am not thinking about it yet… If I was not considering going to graduate school, the current economy and job market certainly would have changed my mind. Figuring out and finding a career is a scary concept, especially if jobs are limited and everyone is making your future options seem bleak.”

In contrast to this, there are a multitude of students who are near their graduation day or have already graduated, and still can’t seem to find jobs, including those not requiring college degrees.

They have chosen to better their chances at finding well-paying, secure careers, only to find themselves in desperation and ambiguity.

In the end, there is nothing left but uncertainty. Attending college is, for lack of a better word, a gamble. The best thing a student can do is to have a concrete plan. Research your chosen career field, its trends, future outlook and the return on the investment you’re making.

A bachelor’s degree has become not only immensely accessible, but a necessity to anyone who desires a better future.

With the economy and job market slowly gaining momentum, students can only hope their degrees will reward them at long last; nevertheless, it’s sad and unfair to think that in today’s modern society, college could be a risky option.

The new millennium brought along a wave of changes concerning politics, education, technology and everything in between.

One of the major changes seen during the last decade has been regarding the environment and the proposed initiative of leading “greener” lives.

While Americans make an effort towards a cleaner and more beautiful world, The All State’s editorial board members discussed some of the positive and negative environmental changes they have noticed here at APSU.

A reform towards a more environmentally friendly campus has been slow in gaining momentum, however, the majority of TAS’s editorial board members agree that positive change has certainly taken place.

While new students may not immediately be aware of the transformation our campus has undertaken, those who have attended APSU over a number of years can undoubtedly tell the difference.

The overall appearance of the APSU campus has been rejuvenated and tremendous emphasis has been placed on aesthetics. The task of beautifying has been approached in a successful manner, in turn, helping the university economically, as well as adding much needed appeal in order to attract future prospects.

The milestone APSU has achieved with the enrollment of more than 10,000 students may, in many ways, be a product of the school’s charm. In spite of this, the growth of students also constitutes greater measures to maintain the progress made so far.

Many of us fear the positive changes, which have taken place during the last few years, may be reaching a plateau, and a reversal in the process may be in APSU’s future.

Some of these negative aspects are already visible in remote areas around the school grounds.

Overflowing trash bins, inconveniently placed recycling containers and the neglect of various sections of campus, including the vicinities behind the Foy Fitness and Recreation Center and behind the football field, seem to point to a negative trend we can all do without.

In addition, the likelihood of APSU cutting its budget in the near future could pose a major setback to the green initiative the university has adopted.

Not only will the effort to preserve an environmentally conscious faculty and student body be diminished, but the effects of higher demand by the increase in students will make a tremendous negative impact as well.

As a response to the possible damaging consequences APSU faces, at TAS, we believe the good work that has been done can continue as long as everyone takes a part in helping.

Some previous initiatives have done well in helping the cause in the past, as one editorial board member states, “buying a thermo in exchange for cheaper coffee and drinks should be better advertised.”

In the end, environmental changes occurring around campus affect us all in numerous ways.

Although our actions may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, we are the ones who can truly make a change at APSU for the better.