Today's News

IDAHO SPOKESMAN REVIEW

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NIC trustees

Taryn Brodwater

Staff writer

October 26, 2004

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Jim Hammond is Post Falls' city administrator, a former mayor and former councilman. Coeur d'Alene Police Sgt. Christie Wood serves on the local school board. Tyler Allen Smith's political career included a stint on the student council in high school.

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The three have varying levels of political experience, but one thing in common: A desire to shape the future of Coeur d'Alene's rapidly growing community college. They're vying for a seat on North Idaho College's board of trustees in the Nov. 2 general election.

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Smith, 19, is an NIC student whose platform includes a push for student representation on the board of trustees.

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Through tuition and fees, Smith said students "are putting about a quarter of the money in the pot. One board member should be there to represent the students."

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A 2003 graduate of Superior (Mont.) High School, Smith said he has grown fond of North Idaho and is comfortable committing to a six-year trustee term. He has a couple more years left at NIC and plans to stay in the area after he completes his criminal justice degree.

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Smith is an NIC cheerleader, works at the Goose Grill in the NIC Student Union and has lived on campus. He served on the residence hall council.

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Wood, 43, is the police department's public information officer. She is married to David Wood and has an 18-year-old son, Bryan, who attends the University of Montana.

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She recently took classes at NIC as she completed her master's degree at Lewis-Clark State College. She also attended NIC when she was younger.

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Wood said she felt great support from the college as a nontraditional college student and wants to help promote that opportunity for others. Now that she's done with school and is an "empty nester," Wood said she has plenty of time to dedicate to the trustee position, while maintaining her commitment to the Coeur d'Alene's School Board.

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She said her experience on the school board would aid her in the role of trustee. She's also an advocate for keeping the college affordable.

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Hammond just completed a term on the state Board of Education and was recently appointed as chairman of the state's Charter School Commission. The 54-year-old city administrator is married to Cyndie Hammond and has three sons and four grandchildren. Before becoming city administrator, Hammond was an elementary school principal in Spokane and Post Falls.

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"I don't want to make judgments about the issues before the board until I'm elected and have a chance to see all sides of the issues," Hammond said. Some candidates base their campaign on certain issues, he said, then are elected, "get the full picture" and change their views.

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He said he does want to help NIC remain affordable and accessible for students, though. He said the college needs to provide as much access as possible for all students, whether they're seeking a degree or a professional or technical certificate.

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MOSCOW DAILY NEWS

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OUR VIEW: New fees for Idaho schools aren't fair

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Craig Clohessy

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Students will be the loser if a fee structure plan is adopted by the Idaho State Board of Education.

As proposed by the presidents of the state's colleges and universities, students in certain fields would be required to pay higher fees depending on the level of expertise required to instruct the courses.

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Called matriculating fees, undergraduate students in fields like engineering or nursing would pay more than their counterparts majoring in English or history.

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There's no doubt the idea sounds good to the presidents, who have spent years trying to convince state lawmakers to adequately fund higher education.

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Finally realizing nothing new is going to come out of Boise, the presidents are looking to the students to fund a greater percentage of the cost of higher education.

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Not that there should be any surprise here. Students have been hit with 10 percent or higher fee increases for the last three years.

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This new proposal simply provides a way to suck more money from students and at the same time make it look fair.

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The problem is matriculating fees are anything but fair.

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As proposed, areas like engineering or the sciences that cost more will require higher fees. What it also does is make such areas of education unattainable by poor students and those in the middle class unwilling or unable to get the grants and loans needed to pay the loaded fees.

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Boise State University President Bob Kustra told the state board last week he only recently warmed to the idea of matriculating fees. He noted in the past he had opposed such models for funding higher education.

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"Times have changed; that was then, this is now," Kustra said. "We need to price our products more realistically ...We need to examine a high tuition, high-aid model for fee structure. Only with increased fees can we expand our programs.

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Kustra's choice of words, using tuition in his statement, was surely a slip of the tongue. Charging tuition is against the state constitution.

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Despite the slip, the rest of what he is saying appears clear.

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Those serving in the state Legislature refuse to provide sufficient funds to run the business of higher education in Idaho, so some of the students will be made to pay the price.

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IDAHO PRESS-TRIBUNE

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Boise State backs Taco Bell deal; Education: Students, faculty plan to meet today to consider protest related to farmworker treatment

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By Adam Rush

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Idaho Press-Tribune

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BOISE -- Boise State University officials say an agreement to change the name of the Pavilion to the Taco Bell Arena benefits the school despite concerns expressed by some students and faculty.

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In June, Boise State signed a$4 million, 15-year agreement with ES-O-EN Corp. of Meridian to rename the Pavilion to the Taco Bell Arena. ES-O-EN owns Taco Bell stores in Idaho, Utah and Oregon.

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"Those are monies being set aside for scholarships," Frank Zang, the director of communications at Boise State, said. "It helps pay the bills to operate the facility. There are financial benefits that are part of this 15-year agreement."

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But some critics at Boise State would like to see the school drop the sponsorship agreement with Taco Bell.

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The campus' Faculty Senate is scheduled to vote on a draft resolution today says "Taco Bell has been sanctioned by a number of universities for its poor record on human rights, most particularly its exploitation of farmworkers."

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Among the concerns raised by activists are the wages paid to farmworkers, some of whom help supply Taco Bell's tomato supply in Florida.

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University officials counter that local Taco Bell restaurants -- those involved in the Pavilion sponsorship agreement -- are not part of a labor dispute in Florida.

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Recently, however, some students and faculty staged a small protest on campus. The gathering was held in conjunction with a lecture by Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and former United Nations high commissioner for human rights.

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"She's taken a really firm stance against Taco Bell," Jessica Fry, an organizer with the Idaho Progressive Student Alliance, said. "And a lot of students are embarrassed that they're going to graduate in the Taco Bell Arena. It's really disheartening."

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Boise State has had a relationship with Taco Bell for years through ES-O-EN, and officials said similar concerns have not been raised in the past.

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"The corporation is a local business that does not buy its tomatoes from Florida," Zang said. "And the owner is a member of the local community and a good partner to Boise State."

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The Taco Bell logo has appeared in game programs and on signs at the football stadium in the past.

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"When Boise State was negotiating this new and expanded contractual relationship for the naming of the Pavilion as Taco Bell Arena, the university had no reason to believe that opposition would surface about the new agreement based on our relationship with the local franchisee," Zang said. "Every time our athletic director recognizes or thanks sponsors, he always mentions Taco Bell."

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Tough economic times and lean budgets make corporate partnerships a necessity, Zang said.

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"Our agreement is not meant to be a political statement," he said. "It is a statement about how the university is serious about finding funding for its programs during tight budget times."

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Activists meet today

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Members of the Idaho Progressive Student Alliance are holding a meeting at 7 p.m. today in the Special Events Center on the northwest side of the Student Union Building. They will be meeting with farmworkers and others concerned about the parent company of Taco Bell -- Yum! Brands.

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IDAHO STATESMAN

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Farmworker fight with Taco Bell comes to BSU

Faculty to vote on reversing arena name change

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Bill Roberts

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The Idaho Statesman | Edition Date: 10-26-2004

A longtime fight between Florida farmworkers and Taco Bell Corp. has landed at Boise State University.

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BSU's Faculty Senate is expected to vote today on a resolution calling for the school to back out of last spring's agreement changing the name of the former Pavilion to Taco Bell Arena.

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Some faculty members say they have concerns over working conditions among Florida farmworkers who pick tomatoes that wind up on many Taco Bell customers' plates.

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However, a Boise-based Taco Bell franchise corporation that signed the naming agreement with BSU says it doesn't buy tomatoes from Florida where many of the farmworkers complain they are underpaid. The State Board of Education approved the name change.

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Some faculty members said they also are concerned because they don't think the university included them in the decision to change the building's name.

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Even if the faculty resolution passes, don't expect a name change anytime soon.

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The faculty senate has no effective power to change the name beyond expressing the view of the 30-member Senate that represents the school's instructors.

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Tuesday's vote is the latest signal by several BSU faculty and students, however, against the university's decision to sell naming rights on the arena for $4 million over 15 years to ES-O-EN Corp., which owns 56 Taco Bells in Idaho, Utah and Oregon.

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Two events are planned at BSU today in connection with the Taco Bell Arena naming.

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• The BSU Faculty Senate will meet at 3:15 p.m. today at the Hatch Ballroom in the Boise State University Student Union Building.

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• Lecture and discussion surrounding the issues behind the Taco Bell Arena naming, 7 p.m., the Special Events Center, sponsored by the Idaho Progressive Student Alliance.

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BSU is a little behind many colleges and universities in handing over its naming rights to a company such as ES-O-EN. Corporate naming rights are common across the country. Fresno State's basketball arena, built last year, is the Save Mart Center and University of Louisville's football stadium, built in the late 1990s, is called the Papa John's Cardinal stadium.

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Despite the upcoming vote, neither ES-O-EN nor BSU administrators are rethinking their agreement.

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"We have a binding contract, we expect Boise State to honor it," said Don Ricker, ES-O-EN marketing director.

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BSU students are also drawn into the naming of the Taco Bell Arena, which plays host to a number of events including BSU basketball games and graduation.

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About 15 members of Idaho Progressive Student Alliance picketed earlier this month over the decision to rename the building Taco Bell Arena. And a couple of weeks ago, the student senate tabled for further discussion, a motion to oppose the university's decision renaming the arena.

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Some BSU students don't see problems with naming the Pavilion after Taco Bell. Fatima Naseem, a BSU senior, said the only criticism she's heard is that Taco Bell isn't a very prestigious brand. If the building was named the Mercedes Benz Arena, "people wouldn't be so upset," she said.

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Faculty pushing to dump the Taco Bell Arena name say the Taco Bell Corp. buys many of its tomatoes from companies that pay unfairly low wages to its workers.

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"The farmworkers who are the pickers for Taco Bell in much of the country are living in very, very substandard living conditions and not earning wages that make it possible to support their families," said William Whitaker, a member of the faculty senate and a main backer of the resolution.

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Some of those farmworkers were on BSU's campus Monday telling students that workers live below the poverty level, earning only 40 cents for every 32 pounds of tomatoes they pick.

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Companies like Taco Bell, and its owner Yum! Brands - the world largest fast food company - contribute to workers' financial plight by driving down the price they will pay for tomatoes, said Lucas Benitez, a co-founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a farmworker group from southwest Florida. "They demand the cheapest product," he said.

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Taco Bell Corp. says it has met with Immokalee workers and has tried to work out differences. The company took out a full-page ad Monday in the BSU student newspaper, "The Arbiter," saying it has tried to address the farmworkers' concerns. "We are willing to help them find an industrywide solution," said Sally George, a Taco Bell spokeswoman.

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BSU's faculty is divided over the resolution. Taco Bell's name has been prominent with advertisement in both the sports arena and Bronco Stadium for about five years - when ES-O-EN began its corporate relationship with BSU - and no one has complained, said George Murgel, faculty senate president.

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But if the faculty voices strong opposition, it could chill the school's chances to raise more private money at a time when state financial support for Idaho colleges is diminishing. "Future donors may be reticent to give donations," Murgel said.

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Ten years ago, more than 13 percent of the state budget went to higher education, this year, less than 11 percent was allocated to the schools.

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TWIN FALLS TIMES NEWS

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CSI considers smoking restrictions ... Student senate considers funding to create smoking huts

By Karin Kowalski

Times-News writer

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TWIN FALLS -- The fate of a potential smoking restrictions at the College of Southern Idaho remains hazy.

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The student senate on Monday decided to revise a survey on student smoking habits and distribute it in classes this week to gather feedback.

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Earlier this month, the senate approved a policy that would ban smoking within 30 feet of building entrances. The ban is contingent on creating alternative locations for smoking around campus, such as huts akin to shelters at bus stops.

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Stephanie Standley, the student body secretary, said the measure will prevent littering and promote health on campus. Last week's meeting saw contentious debate about where such shelters might be placed and whether or not they could mar the beauty of the campus.

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The shelters would be paid for with $3 student fees that previously went for accident insurance. Students are now receiving that insurance as part of a larger package, so the senate has about $24,000 in fees that it can use toward huts and other projects. Huts could cost between $4,000 and $6,000 and would be see-through, ventilated structures, Standley said.

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Last year a survey on smoking received about 70 responses, but senators decided an updated survey might better represent student opinion.

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On campus earlier in the day Monday, students could be found smoking in various places.

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CSI SMOKE

College of Southern Idaho student April Martinez smokes a cigarette in the gazebo near the flag poles on the school's campus Monday. Martinez said an idea being considered by the student senate to construct smoking shelters would not be a bad idea.

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Photo by ASHLEY SMITH/The Times-News

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April Martinez, an astronomy major originally from Ogden, Utah, took a smoke break in the gazebo across from the flag poles. It was about 40 degrees in the midday sun. She said smoking away from building entrances is not a big inconvenience and specific smoking shelters would be a good idea.

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Jerry Browne, network support major from Boise, did his smoking on a bench near the Taylor building. He's trying to quit with a goal of having his last puff before Thanksgiving.

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Browne said huts for smokers would be "like putting them on display," so he wasn't sure if huts would be popular with students.

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Inside the Taylor Building, Carolyn Turner is the information office supervisor. She said smoking near doors creates a smoke problem inside buildings.

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"When you open the door, it sucks it inside," Turner said. Ashtrays near doors also encourage smoking, she said.

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At the senate meeting, students debated the shape of the policy and the content of the survey. Senator Luis Carabajal said a complete campus smoking ban would be better than just having smoking in designated areas.

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In March, the Legislature passed the Idaho Clean Indoor Act, a smoking ban for most public buildings in the state except bowling alleys and bars. CSI's buildings are smoke free.

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Students came to the consensus to make minor changes to the survey about where huts might be placed and decided to solicit responses and consider results at the Monday meeting, which begins at 4 p.m.

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Students and staff can call the senate with feedback at 732-6690.

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Times-News writer Karin Kowalski can be reached at 735-3231 or kkowalski@magicvalley.com.

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IDAHO FALLS POST REGISTER

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School considers full-day kindergarten

Educators using trial runs to test parents' reaction

By SCOTT MURPHY smurphy@postregister.com

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BLACKFOOT - Irving Kindergarten Center is a laboratory.

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It doesn't house any explosive chemicals, but it is quietly conducting an education experiment.

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Blackfoot educators want to learn what kind of impact full-day kindergarten has on students as opposed to Idaho's traditional half-day of instruction and provide evidence of its advantages to the Legislature.

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So this year for the first time, three of the center's nine kindergarten classes are full-day. The state is paying for a half-day of instruction. The district is picking up the extra costs.

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Principal Linda Dunbar said although the full-day students were prescreened, the difference between the students in both programs isn't huge.

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"Seventy percent of our students struggle," Dunbar said, so there's not a great distinction between students in traditional half-day classes and the full-day students.

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The school, which has housed kindergarten students exclusively since the early '80s, is overseeing 333 students this year. The school's Idaho Reading Initiative scores show that 82 percent of Irving's students are at grade level when they head for first grade.

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"We turn out a good group of kids academically," Dunbar said.

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Teacher Angela Forrester said the full-day classroom setting allows for a greater comfort level for students and means academics aren't the sole focus.

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Of course, other kindergarten teachers also work on activities but are crunched for time and have to mainly worry about improving her students' academic ability, Forrester said.

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"I get to do a lot more with my kids," she said. "I have all day to do more activities."

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For example, Forrester enjoyed having her students make a flag following a lesson about the Pledge of Allegiance.

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"I just feel really privileged because I get all day with them," Forrester said.

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Even when she feels under the weather, Forrester said the students are fun to be around and she challenges herself to find the needed energy to work with the students.

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What teachers want

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* Students whose parents read to them 10 to 15 minutes per day.

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* For students to recognize their name when they see it and know the alphabet.

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* Physically prepared. Have full stomachs and be fully rested.

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* A positive attitude about school.

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Source: Amanda Forrester, Kindergarten teacher at Irving Kindergarten Center

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School District 91 wins $360,000 P.E. grant

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Idaho Falls School District 91 has been awarded a $360,000 grant to improve student physical education. The district was the only one in the state to win a grant from the Carol M. White Physical Education Program, which awarded more than $60 million to schools around the country.

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Taylorview Junior High School P.E. teacher Susan Schultz worked with teachers throughout the district on the grant application. The funds will be used to update P.E. equipment and technology in both elementary and secondary schools.

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Elementary students will receive instruction from the SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) program. They will also get pedometers to show how much they walk or run.

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Junior high and high school P.E. teachers will get hand-held computers to record grades and heart-rate monitors that allow them to tell how much time each student exercises at his or her target heart rate.

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Secondary students will also use advanced pedometers and participate in the Tri-Fit Program, which measures fitness through factors including body fat percentage, nutrition analysis, heart rate, flexibility and strength.

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