College presidents from coast to coast have jumped aboard the Amethyst Initiative, a movement to rethink the drinking age. More than 130 college officials since June 20 have signed the statement, urging America to spark a public debate and saying, "It's time to rethink the drinking age.
Alcohol decreases brain development in adolescents between the ages of 16 and 20. Studies performed by the American Medical Association (AMA) have shown an adverse effect on the sections of the brain that control memory, learning, verbal skills, adult personality and behavior.
Pres. Priscilla Bell and the Board of Trustees are working rigorously to attain the necessary land next to NIC and set up the infamous and heavily-debated Education Corridor. With such a heated topic already on their agenda, Bell and the Board are not prepared to sign the Amethyst Initiative as many other schools have done.
NIC recently contracted with a Blackwater Worldwide subsidiary, The Backup Training Corp. to provide digital law enforcement training for students. As a subsidiary of Blackwater, The Backup serves as the "digital arm" of Blackwater by providing computer-based training for law enforcement, according to Rick Gallia, Backup's director of digital operations.
Vice presidential candidate for the Republican Party and John McCain's running mate Sarah "Barracuda" Palin attended North Idaho College during the spring and fall semesters of 1983 before going on to become a journalist and later a politician. Born in Sandpoint Feb.
Sept. 18, 1933, is an important day in the history of North Idaho College and the 75-year anniversary of that day is nearing. With the college's 75th birthday on the horizon, NIC will be welcoming the community for a commemorative celebration in honor of the milestone.
A number of issues have scattered rocks on the road to construction of the Education Corridor. Charges of poor planning, mismanagement of public property and a conflict of interest have degraded its very foundation. Dick Phenneger, business analyst and candidate for trustee of NIC, expressed in an interview his concern about the apparent lack of a business or financial plan in the Corridor's master plan.
A special session of the board of trustees on Sept. 9 cleared the Corridor to Higher Education by authorizing the drawing up of a memorandum of understanding that will elucidate the college's will to purchase the 17-acre mill site from Marshall Chesrown, owner of mill site LLC.
Students living in dorms this year may think twice before inviting their friends over for a few beers due to a new device being put into use. The Alco-Screen saliva alcohol test strips will be used to identify any students who have consumed alcohol or to detect the presence of alcohol in any liquid.
The campus is growing at a rapid pace. This year, the projected 2 percent increase of student enrollment more than doubled. Enrollment increased by 4.4 percent, or 206 more students than last year. The increase of students is affecting NIC in ways that were not a major problem in previous years, mentioned Eric Murray, vice president of Student Services.
This summer, the college installed the e2Campus Emergency Alert System in an effort to improve campus security. The system, dubbed NICAlerts by NIC officials, allows college leadership to instantly inform faculty, staff and students of campus emergencies via email and text messaging.
Prior to the beginning of the semester, Kent Probst, staff member since 2003, vacated his position as NIC's vice president for community relations, forcing NIC to quickly find a replacement to fill the position. On Aug. 18, John Martin, a former regional director for Sen.
Seven students will campaign this month for four positions available on the ASNIC board. The candidates are: Justin Knoles, 21, general studies; Sheyne Possman, 19, drafting; Torri Meagher, 19, social work; Chris Waltrip, 20, computer science; Melissa Owens, 27, social work; Syafig Fuller, 20, general studies/dance, and Kelly Clausen, 18, elementary education.
During the summer NIC incorporated a fast, cost-effective way for students and faculty members to communicate with one another. Maxine Gish, director of admissions, took over the NICmail responsibilities from Eric Murray, vice president of Student Services.
Students will soon have the option to gain more NIC credits from home. For the first time, North Idaho College will have online course degrees available for students. In the near future there will be enough online courses for students to receive a full Associates of Arts or an Associates of Science degree.