The Reporter

ft i 1 1 % s. i 1 ■■*•• L~iSI—I ins The Truth At Stetson Umiversjty Volume CXIX Issue 18 Thursday, March 22,2Q07 By MICHAEL RIGGS A man dressed like a Public Safety officer interrogated a female student at fraternity row early Saturday morning and then followed her back to her dorm, according to a report attained from Deland Police Department. First year student Sara Riopelle, whose name was attained from the same police report, was getting ready to leave fraternity row at 2:00 a.m. on Saturday, when a man dressed in a black baseball cap, a dark polo shirt and dark pants, and who appeared to be in his late 30s, knocked on her window. "I saw one of their cars go by, and then I saw an older man in a baseball cap and I figured he was with Public Safety," Riopelle said. "The man asked me my name, where I live, what year I was and my room number." Riopelle gave the man her personal information, denied being under the influence of alcohol and then asked to leave without being written up. The man agreed to "let me go this time," Riopelle said. A newer model white sport utility vehicle then followed Riopelle back to Gordis and drove by slowly as she walked up to her room. The driver did not stop or get out of his vehicle. The Public Safety officer who met with Riopelle after the incident told her that "officers don't normally ask questions [in that manner]." According to Public Safety Director Jim Hess, who did not name Riopelle, the man at no time insisted that he was a Public Safety officer or that he was in any way affiliated with university staff. Riopelle confirmed that the man never stated that he was affiliated with the University. He was wearing a blue polo shirt with no insignia and a black baseball cap "pulled down low on his face," Riopelle told a Public Safety officer. "This could have been anybody. This could have been concerned alumni, a parent or even a student. As of right now, it's a suspicious incident" Hess said. Asking a student for personal in formation is not illegal or against University rules, but "with the events going on around our world and in our country, we have to be cautious" Hess said. Both the Deland Police Department and Stetson Public Safety have issued a B.O.L.O., or "be on the lookout" for the man who questioned Riopelle. Deland Police Department and Public Safety are also investigating claims that two female students were approached by the same man on Saturday evening. "Friday night is documented and we are sure happened, but the stories about Saturday night have been a very long case of somebody telling somebody else," Hess said, and "can be traced all the way back to the Friday night story [concerning- Riopelle]." Dean Espinosa had not spoken with Riopelle at the time this article was written, and declined to offer comment or name Riopelle as the female involved in the incident. Contact Michael Riggs at mriggs@stetson. edu. By RACHEL HOLLEMAN Plans to close down the fraternity houses for the 2007-2008 academic school year have been cancelled. In late January a community forum was held to discuss the proposals surrounding the fraternity houses. At that time it was said that the fraternities would be moved to Nemec hall and new houses would be built. The delay came about, however, because alumni voiced their concern about moving the fraternity brothers without first having a set plan. Members of the Board of Trustees asked that the university . wait and develop a plan for the new houses. Their concern was that the displacement of the men would be too long without such a plan. As it stands now, the fraternity houses will be demolished during the summer of 2008 and the men will be displaced, during the 2008-2009 school year. "It still would have taken us until the Fall of '09 so why displace them for two years when we can make it one?" said Dean of Students Michelle Espinosa. Even though the houses are in poor condition, they are not uninhabitable, do not break any fire codes and the university will continue to furnish them. "I appreciate the concern from the alumni. Being displaced for two years would probably result in losing new members," said senior integrative health science major Jeff Cara. The university feels that Nemec Hall is the best choice for the fraternities during 2008 because the structure of the building allows the fraternities to keep their separate identities. Until the time comes to demolish the houses, a task force, which consists of university staff, Alumni from the fraternities, students from the fraternities and members of the Board of Trustees, will be working on a plan that will best suit everyone's needs. There will also be a sub-committee, the design advisory committee, which will work with the architects and construction workers. This group is made up of faculty advisors from each chapter, Roger Foley, Bruce Stanley, Dean Espinosa, and Dr. Beasley. Right now it is thought that there will be approximately eighteen beds per good for the university in some unexpected ways," said Espinosa. There has been a strong resurgence of alumni communication because of this issue and it is thought that there may be an .'XVx.-x . x ,,»xC'f;-X'.»?» i - •^Aft/X'ix-, > - -* -- •'. --' P-^'iZP'-'l \'. »-»<»-w-' - s house and a chapter room fee will be paid. Without this fee the room rates would rise in the houses. How each chapter pays for. this will be up to them. Individual buildings will be built close together in order to make the best use of the land. /' Eventu- ,._.-"' ally the land that fra- "*---... ,—"■*"' ternity row resides on will be shared among the fraternities and other housing on campus. "On the upside, it could be really increased number of people attending Homecoming due to that interaction. There will be an Open Forum on March 23rd from 10:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. to discuss the steps taken thus far and answer any remaining questions. Contact Rachel Holleman at [email protected]. Photo Illustration by Maggie Abraham. Residential Life Makes Housing Changes for Upcoming Year By HEATHER MARTYN During the 2007-2008 academic year, Stetson University will remove upperclassmen from the current Wellness Housing site at Carson-Hollis, turning Carson- Hollis into a freshman Wellness residence hall. The north side of Emily Hall wiil be turned into Wellness Housing for those upperclassmen who wish to remain in that type of environment. "This year Residential Life is converting Carson-Hollis into all freshman housing," said Assistant Director of Residential Life, J.J. Evans. "The- north side of Emily Hall will be avail able as an opportunity for upperclassmen to still live in wellness if they choose to." The 2006-2007 school year is the fourth year that Stetson University has designated Carson-Hollis as a wellness hall. The decision to make the change from all classes to a first year student-only dorm came from the top of the Residential Life Staff in an attempt to build community among the first-year and allow upperclassmen the chance to live in wellness, but also have the luxury of suite bath instead of community. Although students have shown adversity to this plan, administration feels that it will work. The issue of Emily Hall's reputation as a louder,' freer, and more problematic dorm is one reason why some students feel that Emily is not the right choice. Senior political science major Ryan Hutson offered insight into what he believes Residential Life could do differently by stating that instead of closing off half of Nemec Hall and overcrowding the West Side of Campus, Nemec could act as a wellness dorm - for upperclassmen wishing to remain in that environment. This would allow those students to remain in an all- wellness environment and avoid issues that have surrounded Emily Hall in the past. For the 2007-2008 school year, the east side of campus, except for Hall A and the apartments, will focus on freshman students. Programming will focus on acclimating the incoming students to Stetson University campus life and assisting in the transition from high school to college. "For freshmen it builds community and makes that connection stronger," stated Patty Henke, Assistant Director and Alcohol Education Coordinator of Residential Life. "The more you can acclimate yourself with campus and campus life, the better off you'll be." "Community baths can be a good way to do that," she added. Residential Life feels that by placing freshmen students in community baths, they will be better able to familiarize themselves with Stetson University and college life, because everyone will be in the same transition phase. For the 2007-2008 school year, Smith, Gordis, Nemec, and Conrad Halls' will be freshmen-only dorms and the north side of Chaudoin Hall will contain rooms for the incoming freshmen. Conrad will remain a female-only residence and Nemec Hall will primarily be male, depending on the number of student admissions. "We are not opening all of Nemec," said Henke. "Three of the pods are going to be open and we will open the others as need be." In addition, the first floor on the west side of Stetson Hall will house a mix of freshman and upper-class Honors Program students. Upper-class students will have the option of living in Chaudoin Hall, Emily Hall, Hall A or the apartments. "Realistically, there is still a lot of upper-classmen housing," stated Henke. "A lot of universities today have freshmen-only housing." "It is a natural shifting," she added, of the need for freshmen living in housing consisting of community bath and upper-classmen in suite-style bath. Contact Heather Martyn at hmartyn@stetson. edu. »WEATHER *-* i •> THURSDAY High 82 Low 60 FRIDAY High 80 Low 50 SATURDAY SUNDAY High 70 High 71 Low 47 Low 51 »LSFE Emily Sawyer gives the scoop on The Holiday. PAGE C2 ^OPINIONS Three professors and a student discuss Adacemic Freedom. PAGE B2 »SPDRTS Sherrel Fonutain is interviewed for the Hatter Profile. PAGE D1