The general education revamp committee is in administrative limbo, waiting for approval of a proposal that they say cannot work.
In light of budget cuts and potential faculty reductions, the reformative measure could be approved and forwarded to the next checkpoint, or it could be postponed indefinitely or denied.
Archive for February, 2009
Gen-ed proposal falls short
Friday, February 20th, 2009World News In Brief 02.20.09
Friday, February 20th, 2009World News in Brief for 2.20.09:
Iraqis celebrate Valentine’s Day
Hugo Chávez victorious in vote
JEM rebels strike tentative deal
Japan’s finance minister to resign
“Who’s An Activist Now?”
Friday, February 20th, 2009President Obama has been busy. He has worked his stimulus bill through Congress, ordered the Guantanamo Bay prison closed, rescinded President Bush’s global gag order on abortions, and signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. But Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s recent battle with cancer reminds us that President Obama’s most important action as president may be his appointment of probably two but possibly three judges to the United States Supreme Court.
Stimulating Corruption
Friday, February 20th, 2009I’m sitting here on the final night of my internship in Washington, D.C. in deep retrospection.Throughout my three months here, I have gained invaluable knowledge and experience, but most memorably, I have witnessed history. No, I’m not talking about President Barack Obama’s inauguration; I am talking about the stimulus bill passed in both houses of Congress tonight, Friday the 13th. This $787 billion ($1.1 trillion with interest) piece of legislation could spell the end of American exceptionalism. Unfortunately, all of us folks who were crying “socialism” during the election were right, and on this night our worst nightmare has come true.
Lazy Zipper 10th Anniversary
Friday, February 20th, 2009The Lazy Zipper show this weekend marks the tenth anniversary of improvisational comedy on campus.
The origins of the group go back to spring quarter 1999, when the regularly scheduled spring musical was cancelled because the director left the school. Jeff Steele, then a visiting faculty member in the theater department, was asked to take over as director of the musical. Steele declined the offer because he did not have the time to prepare. Steele instead decided to cast a comedy show in place of the spring musical. “[We wanted to] build a show from nothing,” remembered Steele.
Writing this article made me hungry
Friday, February 20th, 2009I have put myself on a vegan-only diet for a month. Yes, I purposely picked the shortest month. But to be fair, this well-timed challenge is keeping me from consuming a diet consisting entirely of discounted conversation hearts and half-priced chocolate bonbons. This experience has been both easier and harder than expected, but valuable overall.
Prin News In Brief 02.20.09
Friday, February 20th, 2009Principia News in Brief 2.20.09:
STATE SENATOR SPEAKS TO STUDENTS ABOUT BLAGO SCANDAL
STUDENT-DIRECTED/PRODUCED PRODUCTION WINS OVER CAMPUS
AWARD-WINNING POET COMES TO PRINCIPIA
SUSTAINABILITY TEAM PRESENTS PROGRESS AND CONCLUSIONS
PRINCIPIA CONTINUES WEEKEND DANCING SPREE
Students hold China conference
Friday, February 20th, 2009The first weekend of Spring Quarter (April 2-4), Principia College will host a Public Affairs Conference (PAC) entitled “China Rising: Politics, Economics, Resources and Culture” to address these questions. Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, Prin’s PAC is the oldest student-run conference of its kind in the United States. Every year at PAC, student delegates gather together with professional experts and faculty to discuss the most relevant issues of the time.
Dance Production 2009 preview
Friday, February 20th, 2009The production includes 54 dancers who represent every major on campus, performing 13 pieces across a wide spectrum of dance styles. “There’s a lot of high-energy dances this year,” says Harper-Wilcoxen. Some are “highly athletic and unbelievably grueling … others are more lyrical [and] will give the audience a bit of a breath.” This morning, I’ve seen ballet set to rock, lyrical tap pieces, hip-hop grooves, and everything in between.
Faculty Positions To Remain Empty
Friday, February 20th, 2009College president Dr. Jonathan Palmer, along with other upper level Principia administrators, decided last week to defer several new faculty hires for one year. This decision, made public on Tuesday, February 10, was prompted by the unforeseen need to cut an additional $400,000 from Principia’s budget for the next fiscal year.
Palmer gave this explanation of the events leading up to the decision. In September of 2008, Principia’s plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009, included growing the budget by $1.1 million. As the economy faltered, however, it became clear that this plan was no longer feasible. Currently, Principia’s upper level administrators are looking to decrease the institution’s budget by 8.1% for next year in order to draw no more than 7% from the endowment.
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