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Show NEW BEGINNING: Utes WHOLE NEW WORLD The new Whole Foods location opened Monday at Trolley Square » transition to new roles in spring ball » 6 4 DAILY UTAH CHR www.dailyutahchronicle.com The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice ©201 1 Tuition could increase 7.8% Scott Wiseman of academic affairs. "This is why we tried really hard to find a balSTAFF WRITER ance between maintaining the Restore funding to academic departU officials offered a public quality of the university and the In-state undergrad 12 credits ments.:,... ...4,1. presentation, "Truth in Tutuition increase." Out-of-state undergrad 15 cred "-Student services ition," to discuss the proposed Tuition at the U is divided into suppd- . tuition increase that could be two tiers. Tier one is the budget, Out-of-state uate 12 credits(facilities, electricity, implemented this summer. decided by the Board of Regents, The proposed increase for and tier two is decided by the U. tuition and student fees is set The overall 7.8 percent increase at 7.8 percent, a lower increase than the 9.5 for an out-of-state undergraduate would in- is composed of a 5 percent increase in tier percent increase instituted last year. The crease by $783 per semester. one and a 2.8 percent increase in tier two. average in-state undergraduate student tak"Of course, we do understand that in a Although this is still a proposal, the numbers ing 15 credit hours will expect to see an intough economy, this is hard for students," crease of $247 per semester. A i5-credit load said David Pershing, senior vice president See TUITION Page 3 AO. RICHARD PAYSON/The Daily Utah Chronicle U officials gave a public presentation about a proposed 7.8 percent increase in tuition for the 2011-2012 academic year. Impad-Tuition—"1111 and Fees . In-state unddrgrad 15 credit)..,IF-I4. Legislative Impact on Japan is far-reaching session is u community responds to earthquake devastation adjourned Laura Schmitz STAFF WRITER Passed bills will affect education, immigration 201 egislative ession "mlIPMA Andreas Rivera STAFF WRITER The 2011 Utah Legislative Session adjourned Thursday, putting an end to the 4o-day period of policymaking and controversy. Many bills took the spotlight of the media, creating debate among lawmakers and the public. Among the highlights were immigration, gun control, the education budget and government transparency. The majority Republicans won most debates. Kirk Jowers, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, said the governor and legislators made a fair budget and should be commended. Republicans most likely met their goals of creating strong immigration legislation, he said. The Democrats met their goals as well. "In the final week of the session, the Legislature blackened their own eyes by pushing the GRAMA bill," Jowers said. In a legislative session review at the institute, both Republicans and Democrats gave the session a B+ grade, Jowers said. Besides the controversy near the end, it was a great session, he said. Higher education The budget for higher education, including all public universities, has been reduced by 7 percent. There were talks during initial appropriation meetings that the cuts could be up to io percent. The final budget was decided at 7 percent. Bills related to higher education that passed include a bill that would give tuition waivers to family members of deceased National Guard members. Another bill would allow family members of people in the Utah military who are stationed elsewhere to receive instate tuition. Failed bills include one that would have prohibited public universities from granting professors tenure. The bill was met with harsh criticism both locally and nationwide. Utah would have been the only state to ban tenure. Another controversial bill that failed See LEGISLATURE Page 3 As widespread damage continues to rock Japan after the earthquake-induced tsunami Friday, members of the U's campus community have also felt its effects. "It's overwhelming," said Hung Tran, a senior in information systems, who is originally from Vietnam and is the president of the International Student Council. The 8.9 magnitude quake was the largest in Japan's recorded history. As of Tuesday, 2,414 people have been confirmed dead, 3,118 missing and 1,885 injured, according to Japan's National Police Agency. "The damage is devastating," said Shoji Azuma, a Japanese language professor from Japan. "I have a sister-in-law and family who were in Japan (during the tsunami). They lost their house. We were not able to establish communication until yesterday through the Internet." Azuma's daughter lives in Japan and escaped the tsunami by less than a day. "She had a Spring Break trip back to the U.S.," Azuma said. "We don't know what would have happened. It was very ASSOCIATED PRESS Vehicles are submerged by floods next to the debris of the tsunami devastation caused by the 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Sendai, Japan. See JAPAN Page 3 Imminent Utah quake would be less drastic Chris Shapard STAFF WRITER Many Utahns have kept the thought of the long-overdue Utah earthquake looming in the back of their minds, and when events such as the devastating earthquake in Japan occur, that fear comes front and center. Although the quake that will someday rattle Utah could be devastating, there is no chance of it being as large as the one in Japan. Beyond the fact that there would be no tsunami, the physical properties of the Wasatch tectonic plates prevent an earthquake greater than a 7.5 magnitude from occurring, said Katherine Whidden, research seismologist at the U seismograph stations. Japan is a subduction zone, Whidden said. In a subduction zone, the pacific plate— off the coast of Japan—pushes against the earth's crust, submerging beneath it and thrusting the crust upward, she said. This pushing force is what created the massive 8.9 earthquake in Japan. Because Salt Lake City does not lie on a plate boundary, it would experience a pulling-apart force instead. "It's easier to pull things apart," Whidden said. Although the quake would not reach the magnitude of the one in Japan, there is still a very significant danger, said Keith Kober, director of the U seismograph stations and professor of geophysics. Kober said there is potential for many different dangers. The lifting of the earth could cause the Great Salt Lake to flood and liquefaction to occur, which means the ground would lose its strength. That would make landslides a serious threat, especially near See UTAH Page 3 RICHARD PAYSON/The Daily Utah Chronicle The U lowered its flag to half-mast to show support for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Opinion editor named new editor in chief of Chronicle Andreas Rivera STAFF WRITER Brandon Beifuss The 2011-2012 editor in chief for The Daily Utah Chronicle has been selected. Brandon Beifuss, a junior in economics, has worked at the opinion desk for two years and is the opinion editor. The Student Media Council, a com- mittee of students and faculty, selects the editor. "I was motivated by my experience here," Beifuss said. "I've seen areas that are strong and areas we can improve on, namely the website." Sara Copeland, the current editor in chief, said Beifuss took initiative in learning about different sections of the paper and how they come together as a whole. Beifuss said he plans on launching The Chronicle's revamped website by the end of this summer. He also said he plans on working more closely with the other student media entities, such as KUTE and Newsbreak, to bridge the gaps between the media. David Vergobbi, professor of communication and chairman of the Student Media Council, said he was impressed by Beifuss' organizational skills, which are essential for an editor in chief. He also said he was also impressed with Beifuss' new ideas and vision for The See EDITOR Page 3 |
