Huntington News

Issue date: 5/23/07 Section: News

Stipends for SGA e-board decrease this year

The Student Government Association (SGA) executive board will see a decrease in stipend payments this year. In accordance with an agreement last year between the Office of Student Affairs and SGA, Student Affairs pledged $60,000 for stipends to be dispersed during a four-year period. After matching the payments the first year, the total distribution for the five executives decreases by a little less than $7,000 for the incoming executive board. The Student Affairs pledge came after the university decided to get rid of the free tuition that was given to SGA executive board members. While the Leadership Scholars Program was created to give student leaders a chance to earn up to $10,000 a year, many in SGA felt the removal of the full scholarships was a hinderance to its e-board members. The Student Affairs' support ends with the 2009-10 school year, and while the new e-board is aware of this decrease in payment, SGA needs to increase its fundraising and self-sufficiency, Vice President of Administration and Public Relations Krystal Beaulieu said.
- Jessica Torrez-Riley, News Staff

ResMail beat 300 sites, named "Team of the Year"

Northeastern University's ResMail was named "Team of the Year" for the Northeast Region by the Pitney Bowes Service Leaders Award, Customer Operations Manager Kier Byrnes announced May 9. The ResMail team beat more than 300 sites to win the national award, which is given by Pitney Bowes upper management to recognize outstanding performance in providing high-quality, cost effective service to their customers. Pitney Bowes Management Services President Vince DiPalma and Regional Vice President Tom Benvenuto came to Northeastern to meet with staff and present the award. ResMail also received the company's "Site of the Month" award earlier this year.
- Jessica Torrez-Riley, News Staff

President Aoun and staff move to Columbus Place

President Joseph Aoun, along with 10 members of his immediate staff and supporters of the Board of Trustees, moved into their new offices at 716 Columbus Place March 29. More members of the administration may move, pending a review of how moving certain people will maximize "our effectiveness as a leadership team," Chief of Staff Mark Putnam said in an e-mail. The move was planned last August and announced in September. The purpose is to consolidate the president and board's office in one location, since the offices were previously separated in their space in Churchill Hall, Putnam said. They hope the move to this building, which also houses the Alumni Center, will bring them closer to alumni, and to the surrounding community. "We were pleased for the opportunity to locate the Offices of the President and Board of Trustees closer to the communities that surround the campus emphasizing the importance [of] our relationship with our neighbors," Putnam said.
-Kate Augusto, News Staff

Associate dean helps pass legislation on hate crimes

Last month, Jack McDevitt, associate dean of Northeastern University's College of Criminal Justice, testified before the State House Judiciary Committee in support of legislation addressing hate crimes.  Using his knowledge of hate crime statistics, McDevitt helped the legislation, also known as H.R. 1592, pass by a vote of 237 to 180. "H.R. 1592 is a vital next step in sending the message that Americans will not tolerate hate-motivated violence to be perpetrated on members of our society," McDevitt said in a university press release. After the bill passed in the House, Senator Edward Kennedy's office contacted McDevitt to help draft the Senate version of the bill. According to the press release, the bill aims to allow the federal government to assist local law enforcement with hate crime investigations; remove limits that allow federal involvement only if crimes occur while victims are engaged in federally-protected activities, like voting and going to school; and expand the reach of federal law to prosecute crimes motivated by bias against gender, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability. 
- Jessica Torrez-Riley, News Staff

Northeastern hosts fourth annual Beantown Blitz

Northeastern hosted the fourth annual Beantown Blitz, an off-season FIRST Robotics Completion, at Matthews Arena Saturday. More than 36 teams from across New England battled for dominance in a day-long competition. "The post season competition [is an opportunity for teams] to come out one more time and have fun," said Kyle Henry, a middler mechanical engineering major and director of the Nutrons, Northeastern's FIRST Robotics team. Team Birds of Prey from Hartford, Conn., team TJ2 from Bridgewater and team Norwell Robotics from Norwell won the competition. The Nutrons, which is comprised of local high-school students and several Northeastern student mentors, attended hoping to replicate its earlier success this year when it won the Boston Regional Competition, but were eliminated in the quarterfinals. The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges teams to solve a common problem in a six-week timeframe using a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules. Henry said this year's challenge was to create a robot to pick up inflatable tubes and place them in rows on a large, 3-layered central rack. The Nutrons will complete in another post-season competition, Battle Cry, at Worcester Polytechnic Institute June 15-16.
- Jessica Torrez-Riley, News Staff

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