The volleyball team will exist for the 2010-11 academic year, District Judge Stefan Underhill ordered.

Underhill ordered the university to issue a compliance plan within 60 days, and “that compliance plan shall provide for the continuation of the women’s volleyball team during the 2010-11 season.”

“Competitive cheer may, some time in the future, qualify as a sport under Title IX; today, however, the activity is still too underdeveloped and disorganized to be treated as offering genuine varsity athletic participation opportunities for students,” Underhill said.

Despite an increase in the number and proportion of competitive cheer competitions, as well as a the creation of a National Competitive Stunts and Tumbling Association (NCSTA) championship, Underhill said he was “not convinced” that competitive cheer can be included in Title IX statistics.

The ruling is in agreement with Jeff Webb, CEO of cheerleading organization Varsity Spirit, who testified during the case. Webb said competitive cheering is as much a sport as chess, the Associated Press reported in an article from ESPN.

“The University naturally is disappointed that the court has disallowed competitive cheer as a varsity sport,” said Lynn Bushnell, Quinnipiac’s vice president for public affairs. “We will continue to press for competitive cheer to become an officially recognized varsity sport in the future.”

Bushnell added that Quinnipiac “intends to add women’s rugby” as a varsity sport for the 2011-12 academic year.

Additionally, Underhill took issue with Quinnipiac varsity roster numbers. He pointed in particular to the fact that certain athletes were counted three times for cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track.

“The University is still continuing to deflate the size of its men’s rosters and inflate the size of its women’s rosters,” Underhill said.

- Read about how the volleyball team battled for an injunction, and a chance to play their full 2009-10 season, from September of 2009

Read his full decision here, and stay with The Chronicle on this breaking news story.

Volleyball Ruling

It was not a response to textbook rental sites, bookstore manager Andrew Tranquilli said, but “they got a good jump on us.”

Online rental options have continued to pick up financial steam since their inception, most evident in the fact that Chegg.com secured more than $100 million in venture capital earlier this year. But the big advantage to a rental program on campus, Tranquilli said, was convenience.

“We’ll have the right books, the right editions, and if there is damage we can do a no-hassle switch,” he said.

Pricing will be “competitive,” and Tranquilli estimated a $100 textbook to cost about $45 for a semester-long rental.

While such figures have yet to be finalized, the current percentage would make a Quinnipiac rental more expensive than one from Chegg.com. A new English 102 text, “Retellings,” costs $91 at the school bookstore, which would make for a tentative $40 rental. The same book at Chegg.com costs $28.99 for a semesterly rental, though the Chegg book may or may not be used.

But according to Tranquilli, about 80 percent of Quinnipiac students make textbook purchases at the campus bookstore.

“It’s saving money,” junior marketing major Allison Skidmore said of the rental program. “A lot of money.”

A rental option would also bypass the buy-back process, where many students would not know the dollar value of their used books.

“You know that you’ll get your money’s worth,” physical therapy junior Rachel Nash said. “Before, you would wait in all those lines without knowing you were going to get money back.”

Allison Skidmore was reinstated as a candidate for SGA’s vice president of programming position as of this morning, Election Committee Chair Victoria Stankus said in an e-mail.

According to Stankus, “additional information and details” forced the committee to re-evaluate Skidmore’s candidacy.

“After the 2010 Student Government Association elections, the Election Committee will be revising and reworking the current election policy so as to prevent future situations such as this,” Stankus said. “As per SGA policy, any revision or changes will be brought to the entire general board prior to being adopted.”

“I’m just happy to be back on the ballot and running again,” Skidmore told The Chronicle this morning.

Below is the original text of the e-mail, received at 9:56 a.m.:

After our Election Committee meeting this morning, we have decided to make you aware of some changes that we have made in our decision regarding Allison Skidmore’s candidacy.

At 2:30 PM yesterday we carefully evaluated and discussed the information available to us at that time. However, after our decision was rendered, the Election Committee was made aware of additional information and details that called for a re-evaluation of her candidacy.

This morning at 9:30 the Election Committee decided to reinstate Allison Skidmore’s candidacy. This decision was made after much deliberation and consideration of the election policy and what is in the best interest of the student body.

After the 2010 Student Government Association elections, the Election Committee will be revising and reworking the current election policy so as to prevent future situations such as this. As per SGA policy, any revision or changes will be brought to the entire general board prior to being adopted.

Thank you for your cooperation,

The Election Committee of the Student Government Association

Dance Company’s yearly audition process was in opposition to the SGA chartering policy that disallows organizations from turning away students, leading the Public Relations Committee to recommend removing their charter.

According to the SGA Chartering Policy (as seen in the document below), removal of an organizational charter forfeits all rights and responsibilities of a chartered organization.

Further evidence from John Stinchon, assistant director of the student center, and Jennifer Walts, vice president of public relations, shows that SGA’s executive members had previously been aware of the violation of policy, but had done nothing to change it.

According to Stinchon, Dance Company’s executive liaison, the violation “had been brought to the attention of SGA before.”

He said two student center advisers spoke with the executive board about the Dance Company issue this academic year.

Walts, a member and former treasurer of Dance Company, said she had brought up the violation of policy to Dance Company last year.

When asked why she didn’t feel responsible to make SGA aware of the policy violation, she responded: “I have such a busy agenda that it really just slipped my mind. As terrible as that is.”

Walts later said in an e-mail: “It’s important to note that anyone could have brought this to SGA’s attention. They hold tryouts semesterly which are promoted across campus, but since they are the only spirit group chartered by SGA, this policy violation went unnoticed for a bit longer than usual.”

Dance Company has been a student organization for 23 years, and The Chronicle has reports of auditions dating back to at least 2002.

According to Dance Company President Danielle DiCarlo, Dance Company will not apply to regain their charter.

“It would not be in our best interest to get rid of our auditions,” DiCarlo said in an e-mail.

SGA could not report when the inclusion policy for chartered organizations was first implemented. The Chronicle attempted to reach Associate Dean of Student Affairs Monique Drucker, but she is currently on an extended leave.

Stay with The Chronicle for more on this developing story.

Below is SGA’s Chartering Policy. See Article II, Section II for the reason behind Dance Company’s charter removal.

Chartering Policy 2 11 09

When there is snow on the ground, the 19-year-old snowboards. When there isn’t, he surfs. When all else fails, he skateboards.

And on the rare occasion when none of the above options are possible, well, he designs award-winning snowboards.

Ventura was recently chosen as the winner of the Volcom Board Design Contest, designing a deck that “resonated harder and weirder with Volcom riders” than any other, Transworld Snowboarding contributor Adam Hawes wrote.

Ventura’s winning entry, seen below, won him a limited edition Volcom snowboard, but more importantly to him, a chance to see one of his designs come to life. Volcom plans to produce Ventura’s design for its professional riders.

“They said in the entry it had to be a tripped-out design,” Ventura said. “So I just gave them what they wanted.”

Ventura said he had a good feeling about his design, a mix of hand-drawn and Photoshopped layers with a nod to natural forms.

“I appreciate the way things are naturally,” Ventura said. “I get a lot of inspiration from surfing. I like to take stuff from the water to design.”

A sponsored snowboarder and surfer for Division 26, True Snowboards and Globe Shoes, Ventura has used his design talents to help stand out in the board sport world.

“That’s what companies are looking for these days,” Ventura said. “A kid who can promote.”

And while many of his friends decided to pass on the college route and snowboard professionally out west, Ventura decided to “play it safe” and go to school.

“I wanted an education,” he said. “And it’s been working out. Hopefully I can find a little nook and do some snowboard design.”

Plus one caveat: “I really don’t want to work in an office,” Ventura said with a laugh.

Nye, a Cornell University graduate, hosted “Bill Nye the Science Guy” from 1993 to 1997 on PBS and in syndication. Since then, he’s appeared on a number of game shows and television programs, both as his persona of “The Science Guy” and himself, most recently serving as the “expert” lifeline on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

The cabinet greeted students on the walkway alongside North Lot, providing coffee, assorted foods, and the ceremony tidbit.

Last year’s commencement speaker was William C. Weldon ‘71, the current chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson and a member of the University’s Board of Trustees.

For the intro to his famous TV show, see below…

Please stop selling drugs on the Quinnipiac campus.

Don’t stop it for the police, the University, or to keep your own criminal record clean. Stop it for the everyone else living on campus.

Students expect safety and security at college, but additionally, a sense of comfort. In an atmosphere devoted to learning and education, all residents must be able to clear their mind of any distractions. But when you bring marijuana or cocaine on campus, and worse, sell it, you take away the comfort of everyone around you.

“Yeah, we get cops here just about every week,” one student told The Chronicle after the arrest of freshmen Mathew Scherl and Bradley Burkhard.

That atmosphere is exactly the opposite of a successful learning environment.

More recently, freshman Peter Moran was arrested with alleged possession of nearly 60 grams of marijuana on Feb. 19. Had I been Moran’s roommate, I would not have been a fan of such property.

[CORRECTION: In the above paragraph, the article in the printed edition referenced Moran's "roommates." Irma, Moran's residence, currently has two-person rooms.]

We all must regain a sense of respect for the Quinnipiac community–not particularly the faculty or the administration, but the students. We all live together under the Quinnipiac banner, and we decide how to interact on campus. We all have the final say in how safe, how tolerant, and how active the Quinnipiac community is. The only thing we are defined by is ourselves.

If you are selling drugs on this campus, you are affecting the security and livelihood of your peers, and effecting a perforation in our community.

Don’t bring Quinnipiac security into our community. Don’t bring the Hamden Police Department into our community. Don’t do illegal things. Deal?

On Feb. 22, Livingston proposed to Quinnipiac administrative and student leaders a March Madness fundraiser to bring about funds, apparel, and awareness for the people he grew close to in South Africa.

During his fall 2009 semester, Livingston volunteered to coach the Kayamandi Township High School basketball team. The students not only dealt with impoverished conditions, but a serious lack of equipment and proper athletic attire.

“These kids come from nothing,” Livingston said. “One of the kids wore sandals to practice everyday.”

So he decided to do something about it. Livingston contacted Quinnipiac Athletic Director Jack McDonald, who shipped over basketballs, shirts, and shorts to the South African high school.

But it was only so much, Livingston said. As soon as he came back to the United States, he decided to do more.

For the first few days of the NCAA Tournament, Livingston, along with Sigma Phi Epsilon, members of the political science department, and Vice President and Dean of Students Manuel Carreiro will coordinate events, along with a basketball tournament, and raise funds for South African students.

“We’re really asking for small things,” Livingston said. “Grab an old basketball, shorts, and donate it.”

When coaching for Kayamandi, Livingston said he was introduced to the concept of “Ubuntu,” translated as, “Sharing is caring.” When his basketball players in South Africa were asked what the most important thing to them was, the answer was clear: Ubuntu.

“I believe in ubuntu,” Livingston said. “Giving back brings out the best in you. I want people here to realize that, too.”

It might be the dozens of press passes hanging from the cabinets. It might be the framed Washington Post cover with his byline on the page. Or it might just be the fact that he continues to enjoy the sounds of Czech radio on his computer.

Alwood was nearly killed in the Czech Republic in 2002. After extracting names of former secret policemen in Eastern Europe, he was pushed into a construction pit, broke his back, and contracted MRSA, then pneumonia. But when you’re a grizzled journalist like Alwood, you need to have a short-term memory.

“To be an investigative reporter, you can’t be scared by things like that,” Alwood said.

So there are no bad memories when the Czech disc jockey talks up the next song. In fact: “They just play really good music,” Alwood said with a smile.

Alwood’s experience in investigative journalism was recently realized on an international level, as he received a Fulbright Scholar grant to teach and do research in Bulgaria. Alwood is the first professor from Quinnipiac’s School of Communications to receive the honor, and will be one of 1,100 American Fulbright scholars sent overseas.

“We’re thrilled with it,” Michelle Moore, interim dean of the School of Communications, said in a phone interview. “It’s an honor and recognition of Professor Alwood’s teaching accomplishments, scholar research, professional experience and commitment to excellence.”

Photo credit: Andrew Vazzano

Alwood will spend the 2010-2011 academic year at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG), where he will teach a history of investigative journalism course similar to the senior seminar he currently teaches at Quinnipiac. But he will also be doing research on investigative journalism in Bulgaria, where six journalists have been killed in the past few years.

According to Alwood, the practice of journalism is the same in America and Bulgaria. The reactions to journalism, however, are radically different.

“The idea of watchdog journalism is just a whole new idea over there,” Alwood said. “Asking an elected official challenging questions is not even in their radar. They know about it, but it takes another type of consciousness to do it.”

But the times are beginning to change, Alwood noted. He remembered getting caught in a Prague protest not long ago, and soon realized it was a freedom of the press demonstration. Additionally, the Czech Republic adopted a freedom of information act. But casualties do exist, as evidenced by the six deaths, and closer to home with Alwood’s Czech troubles in 2002.

But Alwood’s fear-not mentality, one that has driven him since his investigative reporting days in the 1970s, will send him back to Eastern Europe with little worry.

“Of all the writers I’ve worked with, I was the one most likely to carry a concealed camera,” Alwood said.

And he isn’t joking.

In a 1976 investigative report, Alwood and his cameraman fashioned a suitcase to house a secret camera. He then rigged a concealed switch that allowed him to record, shooting video of a juvenile detention facility for at-risk youths.

“‘60 Minutes’ tried to do the same report,” Alwood said with a laugh. “But they couldn’t get in.”

The experience of Alwood is something Moore, currently the interim dean in the School of Communications, said reflects a faculty trend in using real-world experience to prepare students for life after college.

“That’s how we provide our students with the best exposure to what’s going on in the profession,” she said. “They help students really understand theories, but also the true skills and insight they are going to need to apply.”

And according to Alwood’s students, that has meant only good things.

“He knows what he’s talking about,” broadcast journalism junior Robin Schuppert, a sports writer for The Chronicle, said. “He’s been there, done that. He can back up anything he teaches with real-life examples.”
Schuppert, who has never taken a class with Alwood, still gets critiques and advice from his advisor on a weekly basis.

“Having Professor Alwood as an advisor and professor has been a blessing,” broadcast journalism senior John Merry said in an e-mail. “He is certainly one of the most qualified and accomplished professors here at Quinnipiac. While we differ in age, I communicate with him as a friend, and owe a lot of my accomplishments at Quinnipiac to him.”

• Meet The Fray

The Fray, best known for hits “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and “How to Save a Life” was the second-most popular rock band in SPB’s concert survey earlier this year. Rock band O.A.R, who is not currently touring, was the top choice.

“It was clear from the survey that students wanted a rock show,” SPB’s Mainstage Chair Megan Doyle said. “And, for the most part, they wanted The Fray.”

Forty percent of the 2,529 students surveyed chose The Fray as a top choice for a rock band. Akon and Drake were the popular rap choices, but the largest chunk of students (44 percent) called for a rock show.  Only 28 percent wanted rap.

“It’s what the students asked for,” SPB adviser John Stinchon, assistant director of the student center and student leadership development, said. “It may not be the first choice, but we got a talent that the students wanted.”

The Fray, a four-person piano-rock band, released their second, self-titled album in February 2009, highlighted by the single “You Found Me.”

“Every student’s heard at least one of their songs,” Doyle, who coordinated the contract, said. “It’s really significant that we signed them to play here. They’re a very right-now band, and they have a huge upside.”

Tickets will go on sale March 22 in the Student Center. Floor seating for undergraduates will be $25, and arena seating will be $20. Tickets will also sold on April 2 at the North Haven campus.

The Fray come after a sold-out Third Eye Blind concert on Oct. 10, 2009, the first sold-out concert in recent memory, Doyle said. She was “confident” that this Spring Concert will also sell out.

“If we sell out 2,700 seats, I will be the happiest person ever,” she said. “We broke a barrier selling out Third Eye Blind, and I think we can do it again.”

The Fray played on Sept. 23 at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. According to Carli-Rae Panny, editor-in-chief of the student newspaper The Spectrum, the rock band was better than expected.

“I was already a fan of their music but I honestly didn’t expect the show to be as great as it was,” Panny said. “I actually liked some of their songs better live because they performed them with a harder rock sound–as opposed to their softer-sounding recorded versions.”

SPB originally planned to have the concert on a Friday or Saturday night, but scheduling issues forced the concert to Sunday.

Because of the Sunday date, SPB plans to open the doors at 6 p.m. and begin the concert at 7 p.m.

One of the openers will be indie rock band We Shot the Moon, according to Stinchon. The other, which will be touring with The Fray, has not been named.