Against a celebratory backdrop of student and administration collaboration, approximately 20 student demonstrators gathered at the South Lawn Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Wednesday morning to protest former resident assistant Danny Zydel’s firing and broader issues permeating the university. “We want transparency,” said freshman protester Sam Britt. The demonstrators were largely comprised of Zydel’s former freshmen residents from Patton Hall. Before the event began, they assemble

President Bob Fisher is one of the highest-paid private university presidents in the country, raking in $1,119,690 in the 2012 fiscal year, according to public tax forms. His total compensation increased 13.5 percent from his $968,435 salary as reported in the 2011 fiscal year. The fiscal year runs from June 1 to May 31. Fisher’s salary started with a base pay of $819,021. He also earned $141,268 in bonuses and $222,863 in deferred compensation to retirement or other funds. A

University President Robert Fisher visited members of the Black Student Association Friday morning in a special closed meeting to discuss comments he made at the Vision 2020 Town Hall. “We talked about Vision 2020 and my mistake in using the word, ‘segregation,’” Fisher said in an interview Friday afternoon. At the Vision 2020 Town Hall on Monday, Fisher was asked if the university would consider adding new historically black Greek organizations to campus. There is currently

Junior Danny Zydel was fired from his resident assistant job in Patton Hall on Monday and will officially be removed from the position at the end of the semester. Zydel, president of Student Activities Programming Board and Belmont presidential scholarship recipient, was dismissed by Jason Rogers, university council. Anthony Donovan, director of Residence Life, confirmed the firing but declined comment. Dr. Jeffery Burgin, associate dean of students and supervisor of Residenc

President Bob Fisher addressed students and faculty at his annual state of the school Opening Convocation on Wednesday, looking back at how far the university has come, but also planning for the future. Fisher started his remarks by showing a series of then and now photos of different spots at the university. He stressed the radical change made possible through the building of new residents halls, new academic facilities, Rose Park complex and the new Chik-fil-A, which receiv