Campus briefs
B LEGIT protests mountaintop removal at local Chase branch
Last Thursday, eight Santa Clara students and members of Bronco Leaders of Environmental Justice Investigation Truth (B LEGIT) protested outside of the Chase Bank at 55 West Santa Clara Street.
The protests advocated for Chase to stop funding mountaintop removal. According to the activists, Chase is the single largest financier of the practice.
Mountaintop removal mining is the process by which areas of forest are cleared and mountain tops are removed in order to access coal. The removed portions of the mountain are then moved to neighboring valleys, which can cause river contamination and health problems.
Three of the activists entered the branch and asked the Branch Manager and tellers to contact CEO Jamie Dimon to demand a separation from mountaintop removal.
The other Santa Clara students remained outside, displaying a banner reading "Chase. . . Banking on Dirty Energy."
The students were at the bank for a total of an hour and a half and talked to approximately 50 Chase customers, who they also asked to confront Chase.
"Chase is the single largest remaining financier of mountain top removal in Appalachia and we are demanding that they stop funding the practice that is literally killing local communities," said sophomore Laughlin Barker, the event's organizer.
Monday deadline for Business School transfer
Any arts and sciences or engineering students interested in becoming a business major must submit applications by Monday, April 12.
Internal transfer applications are available in Lucas Hall.
In order to apply, students must have a minimum GPA of 2.75, write a two-page personal statement, have completed at least two quarters of full-time enrollment and complete the application form by 5 p.m.
SAT scores will also be reviewed.
An informational meeting was held last night in Lucas 310 to help explain the application process.
"Although we would like to admit every student who is interested in the business school, the Leavey School of Business is oversubscribed and so we must restrict the number of internal transfers," said Jo-Anne Shibles, assistant dean of the Leavey School of Business, in a campus-wide e-mail.
File taxes for free
With the April 15 tax deadline approaching, IRS.gov is offering a free service online.
The service, called Free File, is partnered with approximately 20 software companies to allow users e-filing.
"You'll get refunds much faster," said IRS Media Relations representative Jennifer Henry Brown.
Because an old-fashioned paper return could take a month or a month and a half to receive a refund, Brown said the refund would come more quickly through an e-filing.
Brown said that an e-filed return would take about 10 days.
From staff reports. E-mail new@thesantaclara.com.