June 24, 2010 • The Tech Talk • 3
Alumna earns first
WIA fund award
By ZACH BEAIRD
zeb001@latech.edu
Tech alumna Marla St. John was awarded the chitectural and interior design.
first Women in Architecture fund award June 1.
St. John was only one of many hopefuls for go into a professional environment,” St. John
this award and was pitted against female gradu- said.
ate architecture stu-
dents from all across
the nation but pre-
vailed in the end.
“I found out I won
a day before they
publicly announced
it,” St. John said. “Of
course I was thrilled
to find out I was get-
ting this award.”
To win this award,
applicants were
asked to submit an
essay answering why
there is such a signif-
icant difference be-
tween the number of
female graduate stu-
dents and licensed fe-
male architects.
According to the
WIA fund, women
currently make up 50
percent of graduate
students in architec-
ture, but only 15 per-
cent of women are
licensed practitioners
in the field itself.
In her essay, St.
John wrote, “there is
a fundamental differ-
ence between female
and male personali-
ties and roles that can
be seen in business in
general as well as in
architectural firms
.Women are typically Marla St. John, Tech alumna, received the caring for a family,
more organized and first Women in Architecture fund award.
look at things in more
detail, while males think on a broader scale. the ARE,” St. John said. ”You can’t take the exam
These differences are in no way a bad thing, it without multiple study materials.”
takes both kinds of thinkers to run a firm.”
The WIA said St. John’s essay was well-writ- now plans to begin preparing to take her ARE in
ten and thoroughly discussed the topic given.
St. John attributes much of her success in re- completed within the next year.
> CLEANING FEES from page 1
co-owner of American Maids
in Ruston, to walk through her
Park Place four-bedroom
apartment, and Ballard was
given a copy of the cleaning list
distributed to students. She
wrote a bid for $200 to clean
any Park Place four-bedroom
apartment.
“We clean apartments like
this all the time,” Ballard said.
“I think $400 for one apart-
ment is ridiculous.”
Sam Speed, assistant dean
for student life, said Tech, as a
government entity, must accept
the lowest bid for services, so a
contractor who believes they
have the lowest price should
offer a bid. He also pointed out
> ZUMBA from page 1
hypnotic Latin rhythms and
easy-to-follow moves to create
a one-of-a-kind fitness program
that will blow you away,” as
stated on the Zumba website.
“Zumba fanatics achieve long-
term benefits while experienc-
ing an absolute blast in one
> KAPPA SIGMA from page 1
being without a house could be
detrimental to any fraternity on
such a small campus.”
Brad Anders, Tech’s Intrafra-
ternity Council president and a
senior biology major, said there-
was relatively little that Kappa
Sigma could have done to fight
the university’s land grab.
“Eminent domain laws give
the state the right to take prop-
erty for state interests as it sees
fit,” Anders said. “And, as a
state university, they had an in-
terest in expanding the campus
east, toward Trenton.”
Anders said he was proud of
the way Kappa Sigma handled
the relocation process, espe-
cially since the sale, relocation
and purchase of a new house
was completely independent of
university and IFC assistance.
“All fraternity housing issues
are conducted within the frater-
nity,” Anders said. “Kappa
Sigma received no funding from
the IFC for this.”
Samuel Wallace, director of
facility and support services in
the comptroller’s office, said
the university’s purchase of the
Kappa Sigma house is the be-
ginning of a much larger ex-
pansion in advance of
construction for the research
park.
“Ideally, we want to develop
down Arizona Street and past
the old BCM location,” Wallace
said. “From Keeny [Hall] to
downtown will be in the re-
ceiving this reward to her education at Tech. She
graduated Tech with a master’s in architecture in
2008 as well as a bachelor’s degree in both ar-
“Tech laid the foundation for me to be able to
Robert Brooks,
assistant professor in
architecture, was one
of St. John’s teachers
during her days at
Tech.
“She was a hard-
worker and consci-
entious builder,”
Brooks said. “And
she was always a
pleasant and person-
able student to
teach.”
For winning the
inaugural award, St.
John will receive
COLLEGIATE
study materials for
the Architecture
Registration Exam,
or ARE, which allows
architect licensure.
St. John said the ma-
terials will be valu-
STATION
able as she begins
studying for her
exams.
However, apart
from her effort to ob-
tain her architect li-
1/2 Page
cense, St. John also
holds a job as a de-
signer for North
American Land De-
velopment while car-
ing for her family,
including her 4-year-
Submitted photo old daughter Mia.
“I have to juggle
working a full-time
job and studying for
ON FTP
With the reward from the WIA fund, St. John
July and hopes to have the seven section exam
that contractors often raise the
price for completing the job
Peel also provided informa-
tion about the use of funds col-
within a short time frame. lected from students for
Even though a company cleaning fees.
called CMLP completed the “Any fees collected from
cleaning tasks, Peel said it was residents with fines are placed
university housing that decided in an account to cover repairs
the amount of fees for each and replacements for the
task. She said checkout apartments, for example, pay-
processes and damage and ing a cleaning company for
cleaning fees at universities their services,” Peel said.
around the country which were Speed pointed out another
similar to Tech were re- factor he believes should be
searched. considered in fee appeals.
“We compiled the informa- “I think the thing we also
tion to come up with our sys- have to speak to is they were
tem,” Peel said. “Our given advanced notice what
coordinators, along with the the charges would be, so it is
student staff who checked the not like they were left in the
apartments, compiled the fees dark,” Speed said. “Things
and sent them out the first were given to them before
week of June.” checkouts.”
exciting hour.” the class.
Armendariz-Diaz, a 31-year- “There is a buzz around Rus-
old lawyer from Chihuahua, ton about Zumba, and every-
Mexico, moved to Ruston with one is talking about it,”
her husband, who is pursuing a Walpole said.
doctorate in engineering at Walpole describes Zumba
Tech, and two sons. as a high-energy Latin dance
Blair Walpole, a Zumba par- aerobic class. The continuation
ticipant, said having a Latin in- of the class will depend on par-
structor brings authenticity to ticipation this summer.
search park footprint.” park is going to improve their
Wallace said the develop- degree and their overall educa-
ment of the research park will tion,” Wallace said. “It will be a
provide long-term benefits that place for students to work. This
will far outweigh temporary will be where the cutting edge
headaches like the Kappa of ideas are improving the edu-
Sigma housing shuffle. cation and reputation of that
“For students, this research education for our students.”
Follow us
on Twitter!
twitter.com/thetechtalk
Monday Student Special
All U Can Eat:
$3.95 Spaghetti,
Sauce & Garlic Bread
* meatballs $1.00 each, drink not included
Dine in only
251-2222 • 101 N. Trenton, Ruston, LA 71270