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SGA modifies course evaluations

Sean Bruce, News Reporter
April 23, 2013  

Last Sunday, the Student Government Association passed Resolution 18: Supporting a Change to Course Evaluations and Addition of Withdrawal Interviews. Essentially, the legislation will provide for online course evaluations, allowing students who were unable to attend class on the day that evaluations... Read More

Campus Senate wraps up last seating of the year

Sean Bruce, News Reporter
April 23, 2013  

Last Friday, the Campus Senate had their last meeting of the 2012-2013 academic year. They focused on hearing committee reports, passing the last few remaining resolutions and beginning the nomination process for leadership positions on next year’s senate. The first item of note dealt with... Read More

Campus Senate tackles the Illinois Open Meetings Act

Sean Bruce, News Reporter
April 10, 2013  

The Campus Senate dealt with issues raised by the Illinois Open Meetings Act last Friday. Not only did they examine the legislation’s effects on their own bylaws, they also held significant amounts of debate concerning the law’s implementation concerning a resolution that came up for consideration. The... Read More

SGA tackles elections, parking and attendance issues

Sean Bruce, News Reporter
April 10, 2013  

The SGA passed five items of legislation last Sunday during a productive and quick-tempo meeting. Resolutions concerning a variety of topics, such as parking, funding, and SGA election signatures were considered and decided upon. The first item of business discussed dealt with the upcoming... Read More

Hanfu Mi named new dean for Education and Human Services

Sean Bruce, News Reporter
April 2, 2013  

The search committee responsible for selecting the new dean of the College of Education and Human Services (EHS) has chosen Dr. Hanfu Mi to fill the spot. This experienced educator, who has been a professor at the State University of New York at Oneonta since 1998, will bring an international... Read More

Campus Senate expands student options

Sean Bruce, News Reporter
March 27, 2013  

UIS students can look forward to yet another degree path available to them in the near future. The Campus Senate voted unanimously on Friday to create an Information Systems Security major. The program would teach students skills related to computer security, especially about database protection. According... Read More

The last run of the Turbaned Tornado

Sean Bruce, News Reporter
March 5, 2013  

Many find running a marathon a challenge, but try that at the ripe age of 101. World famous runner Fauja Singh, also known as the Turbaned Tornado, the Turbaned Torpedo, the Running Baba and the Sikh Superman, ran his last official race in Hong Kong on Feb. 24, retiring from the sport just... Read More

SGA stalls in the face of adversity

Sean Bruce, News Reporter
February 26, 2013  

Despite the efforts of Internal Vice President Shonda White, who was directing the meeting in President Ryan Bouray’s absence, the Student Government Association didn’t achieve much last Sunday. The committee members had to face several difficulties during the session, including absences,... Read More

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Career Fair aims to help students in a difficult job market

Sean Bruce, News Reporter
February 20, 2013  

Students turned out in near-record numbers for this year’s Career Fair. With over 120 employers showing up, they had many opportunities to explore potential jobs and make connections with members of the business world. According to the Career Development Center, “The Springfield Collegiate... Read More

Political Activism and the SGA

Sean Bruce, News Reporter
February 12, 2013  

The SGA meeting last Sunday became the site of two different sides of political activism. First, alumni Thomas Swanson introduced a petition in support of the creation of a new Liberty Studies minor. Second, the SGA answered a funding request to serve as an award for student organization participation... Read More

Funding the University

Sean Bruce, News Reporter
February 5, 2013  

Medical researchers at the University of Illinois Springfield and Southern Illinois University can look forward to new funding opportunities thanks a generous donation. The Caryl Towsley Moy, Ph.D., Endowment Fund for Collaborative Research will provided support for researchers from both institutions... Read More

This chart represents the number of students each SGA senator represents.  With the implementation of the new international student senator, approximately 250 students will be directly represented in student government.

SGA creates international student senator position

Sean Bruce, News Reporter
January 29, 2013  

Members of the Student Government Association voted last Sunday on a resolution that would create a position for an international student senator in the SGA, following a lengthy debate. Though members raised a number of concerns about the legislation, it narrowly passed. The resolution in question,... Read More

Situational generosity

Sean Bruce, Columnist
December 4, 2012  

The holidays have long held the connotations of giving, family, close-knit emotional bonds, and several other positive emotions that seem to invoke nostalgia from the majority of Americans. It is a time to share experiences with loved ones, enjoy good food, and occasionally indulge in an act... Read More

Burdened journey of higher ed

Sean Bruce, Columnist
November 13, 2012  

Once, not too long ago, college was viewed as a fortress of sorts, protecting its students from the harsh realities of the real world until they had learned and matured enough to cope. These seekers of knowledge could plumb the depths of their curiosity while learning valuable skills that will... Read More

Voting in the age of the young

Sean Bruce, Columnist
November 7, 2012  

Can you trust a high school student to vote? Argentina has recently done just that. On Oct. 31, the Argentine government lowered the voting age from 18 to 16, joining Brazil, Ecuador, and Nicaragua as South American countries with voting ages less than 18. The change in voting age will allow... Read More

Is it over yet?

Sean Bruce, Columnist
October 30, 2012  

The campaign season will come to a close after a long and difficult battle between the two, or more if you include primaries, candidates. Whether they have chosen to support the incumbent Barack Obama or the challenger Mitt Romney, people all across America can agree on one thing this November... Read More

Parties of trouble

Sean Bruce, Columnist
October 23, 2012  

Halloween is coming up, and children across the country begin their plans for costumes and candy. For those of us who have largely outgrown the practice of trick-or-treating, it serves as an excuse to throw a party. College students, especially, use this time of year to have wild nights and... Read More

More than Just Death From Above

Sean Bruce, Columnist
October 16, 2012  

We’ve all had those days where, due to some unfortunate series of events, we got caught out in the rain. Luckily, not many of us have had to deal with the kind of precipitation Cassie Bernard faced. According to delmavaranow.com, a news website dedicated to city of Salisbury, MA, the Virginian... Read More

What the frack?

Sean Bruce, Columnist
October 9, 2012  

Have you ever wanted to harness the power of a volcano? Well two companies intend to do just that. AltaRock Energy and Davenport Newberry plan to use the highly controversial method of hydroshearing to create a steam-based generator next to the Newberry Volcano in Oregon. Hydroshearing is a... Read More

Nutritional education

Sean Bruce, Columnist
October 2, 2012  

Evidence suggests that an increasing amount of college students in some states are turning to food stamps to supplement their diets. Rising tuition and expenses combined with a poor job market force larger numbers of students to seek welfare as a means to get by. According to the Virginia Department... Read More

The next small step

Sean Bruce, Columnist
September 26, 2012  

Astronomers have recently discovered another planet which has a good chance of sustaining life. Gliese 163C, as this planet is called, lies a mere 50 light years away from earth and is one of two planets orbiting a red dwarf star in the Dorado constellation. Xavier Bonfilis, of France’s... Read More

Death for speech

Sean Bruce, Columnist
September 18, 2012  

How valuable is free speech to us? Most Americans seem to take it for granted that they can say just about anything without fear of consequences, and we forget that it’s a privilege earned through sacrifice. Yet is this freedom worth dying over even when the speech protected is reprehensible?... Read More

The view from the top of the volcano. Well worth the thousands of steps to get here. Also the ice cream at that stand was pretty good.

Far from home, part two

Sean Bruce, Columnist
September 11, 2012  

Back by popular demand, and because I intended to anyway, here is another account of my travels in China. Over the course of the month I spent abroad I visited a number of fascinating places, but the one that sticks out most in my memory is the weekend trip I took to the Wudalianchi national... Read More

Far from home

Sean Bruce, Columnist
August 28, 2012  

If you ever get the chance to travel internationally, I’d say take it. You may find yourself thousands of miles away from home, eating food that tastes great (but will make you sick more often then not), surrounded by people who don’t speak English that you’ll have to communicate... Read More

Food for thought

Sean Bruce, Columnist
July 18, 2012  

One of the most unifying aspects of human existence is the need to eat. Every man, woman, and child on this planet needs to consume some form of nutrition on a regular basis to sustain life. College students are no exception to this general rule. Indeed, if my personal experience has taught... Read More