The Los Angeles Loyolan, Volume 94, Issue 22 - March 9, 2016

www.LALOYOLAN.com ASLMU campaigns kick off Candidates begin to make their values known for the ASLMU election. Sydney Maj'd News Intern @LALoyolan ASLMU elections are rapidly approach¬ ing, and the candidates have officially be¬ gun campaigning as of Monday. There are two teams running for the president and vice president positions, and 13 students campaigning for the 11 senate positions. The contestants will have until the vot¬ ing deadline to make their names known, and the upcoming debates will aid these candidates in that endeavor. The sen¬ ate debate will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9 and the Presidential/ VP debate will be on Thursday, March 10 at the same time. Both events take place in St. Robert’s Auditorium. Voting begins on Tuesday, March 15 at 9 a.m. and ends on Thursday, March 17 at 5 p.m. Senior political science major and Chair of the ASLMU Elections Commit¬ tee Alyson Aguerrebere shared her belief in the importance of voting. “Voting is hugely beneficial because it is one of the only ways for regular people to express their satisfaction [or] dissat¬ isfaction with their governing bodies. As students, we have the opportunity and responsibility to choose the leaders who best represent our interests and who will advocate for those interests during their time in office,” said Aguerrebere. "Voting is a great way of expressing yourself and having your voice be heard on our cam¬ pus." Come Tuesday, students will find a link to the online voting polls in their Lion mail account. The voting process itself is expected to take about 30 seconds to a minute on average. This year, ASLMU has a goal of having 53 percent of the student body vote, and hopes that students under¬ stand the importance of voting as well. “Whether you are a freshman or a se¬ nior, what is happening on campus im¬ pacts your student experience and the value of your education after you gradu¬ ate. Voting in the ASLMU elections means speaking up for the issues you care about and having a say in the future of our in¬ stitution,” said Briana Maturi, a third year advisor to the ASLMU Elections Commit¬ tee. "I have been very proud that in my three years as Elections Adviser, we have increased voter participation to over 50 percent of all undergraduate students. I’d like to see that percentage climb to show that all LMU students are invested in their community," said Maturi. See ASLMU Graphic | Page 2 LOYOLAN What happens when the responsibility of two stars falls to one? Page 17 EST. 1921 AMOUNTING TO A GRAND TOTAL OF $44,253.49 3.94% increase in tuition CURRENT COST OF LMU TUITION $42,576 VOLUME 94 | ISSUE 22 LMU'S RISING COSTS 2.94% increase in tuition 3.40% increase in tuition Information compiled by Kellie Chudzinski, Asst. News Editor: Graphic by Ashley Ma | Loyolan The 3.94 percent tuition increase is the highest LMU has seen in recent years. Kellie Chudzinski Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan LMU tuition and housing costs are both rising next year, which was addressed by an e-mail to the LMU community from President Timothy Law Snyder on Tuesday. The cost of tuition at LMU is set to rise by 3.94 percent while there will be a .75 percent increase of on -campus housing costs. This increase came out after a vote by the Board of Trustees was finalized, approving the budget for the 2016 to 2017 fiscal year. Annually, there has been an increase in tuition and housing for LMU students, according to previous Loyolan reports. The 2014 to 2015 fiscal year experienced a 3.4 percent growth in tuition with a .75 percent increase in housing. The increase continued in fiscal 2015 to 2016 with tuition officially raised by 2.94 percent, while housing costs grew by 1.5 percent. This was the lowest tuition increase and the highest increase in housing since 2010, which is a stark contrast to President Snyder’s latest announcement, which is the highest increase for tuition, standing on par with the rising housing costs. The LMU Financial Aid Office estimates on their website that the current cost of tuition and fees is about $42,576; the 3.94 percent increase would add $1,677.49, leaving the new cost of tuition at $44,253.49. The .75 percent surge in housing would increase the estimated cost of $13,630 by $102.22 for a grand total of $13,732.23. The budget increases include tuition, housing, utilities and maintenance for new technology capital projects, as noted in the e-mail. The budget references a strategic funding pool to help LMU accomplish its strategic plan. There was no further comment, however, on what that plan is. The new budget also allots for a 2 percent increase in the merit pool. The email also detailed how the scholarship initiative started by former LMU President David W. Burcham has reached a milestone. “We recently crossed the $80 million threshold in our $100 million Scholarship Initiative, allowing us to assist more students pursuing an LMU education,” Snyder wrote. President Snyder praised LMU’s achievements in maintaining its small class sizes as well as its ability to shape students. As noted in the letter, LMU has 13 Fulbright finalists, the most ever in the University’s history. Read about Senior Editor Sarah Litz's firsthand red carpet experience at the Oscars Page 3 Is Asst. Opinion Editor Cameron DeBoer for or against drones? Check out his article to find out. Page 9