The Stetson Reporter

wed feb-03 http://reporter.stetson.edu WHAT'S INSIDE News 2A Opinions 4A Life IB Sports 5B Etcetera 6a issue 16 volume 115 e LIFE: Sweeny Todd production reviewed page 5b FOCUS loses I Florida's First Private College Newspaper OPINIONS: Student advocates doing laundry off campus page 4a SOAR aspect of program By Julie Farricker associate news editor Summer Orientation Advanced Registration, more commonly known as SOAR, will not be taking place this summer. Instead, prospective students will have the chance to attend the Accepted Student Preview Day held on campus on April 26. FOCUS and SOAR provide ari opportunity for students to learn more about the university's academic programs and to meet faculty in the three undergraduate colleges and schools within the university. The programs also include recreation, entertainment, and special topic presentations that will helps students learn more about student life on campus. FOCUS and SOAR offer a wide variety of activities designed to inform and assist the new student in the transition to the university, either as a first- year student or as a family member of a first-year student. "SOAR was just a great time for me. It made coming to college much easier because many of the administrative tasks were out of the way; plus, I was able to meet my roommate and other new students as well," said first- year management major Randi Davis. During SOAR and FOCUS, new students will be able to take placement tests, review their course "preference "sheet," meet with a faculty advisor Yo discuss and confirm fall semester class schedules, and learn about the campus and student life at the university. Students also met faculty members, student services staff members, student orientation leaders, and other new students. Darald Stubbs, the director of student life,, said that due to a new method of registering with the Banner system, being on campus is-not essential for advanced registration for the new students. "Students will be assigned a faculty advisor once they pay the deposit. The advisor will contact them, registering will take place online, and students don't have to worry about taking time out [of] the summer to attend, since they would have already registered," said Stubbs. SOAR is not going to be eliminated just yet, since the Accepted Stu- ' dent Preview. Day, which has always taken place, will serve as a provisional alternative for now.. "SOAR is not being replaced. We're just trying other methods for now," said Stubbs. Accepted Student Preview Day will now also be involved with the Department of Residential Life, so prospective students can tour all the residence halls on campus. "Students' and parents' main concerns are getting registered, finding out how to pay for the school, and where they are going to live. The preview day should answer those questions, arid see SOAR, page 2a ^Reporter Contact Us 421 N. Woodland Blvd. #8409 DeLand, FL 32723 386.822.7224 FAX 386.822.7233 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] , [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] PEACE IN IRAQ 'No war, know peace' rally students DEMONSTRATION: Members of the DeLand community and the university protest the proposal of war. photo by amy rigdon By Bryan Funk ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR The nationwide debate on the possibility of war with Iraq came to campus this past Thursday with a peace rally held on the steps of the Carlton Union Building. Sponsored by the university's Religious and Spiritual Council, the Ethical Decision-Making Council, and Club Bridge, the rally drew an audience of both students and concerned members of the community. Speakers included students and faculty, who focused on a wide range of issues. Items of particular interest were President Bush's motives for going to war, the reactions ofthe international community, and America's own history with'terrorism. Legal and moral justifications for and against war were also talked about. The rally began with the reading of a multipart poem by first-year student Anna Maleby, a sports management major. The multipart poem was read in between in each of the major speeches given. "I believe you can't fight violence with violence," Maleby said. The first main speaker was Dr. Dixon Sutherland, professor of religious studies. He spoke of how the war made President Bush look like a school yard bully'and engendered more fear of him in world leaders than fear of Saddam Hussein. He spoke of the high price ofthe war, $100 to $200 billion, and the fact that it would only cause more hatred for the United States, and thus, more terrorism. "The war not only fails the morality test, it fails the sanity test," said Sutherland. The second speaker was Becky Cruse, a senior political science major. She introduced herself as a Republican who voted for George Bush in the 2000 election, but was now having trouble justifying a war on Iraq. The third speaker was Dr. Robert Sitler, a professor of Spanish. His speech highlighted the moral quandaries involved in a possible war on Iraq, as well as the human cost such a war would entail. As to terrorism, he spoke of the United States' own involvement in sponsoring terrorism, using the example of the Contras in Nicaragua. "I urge you, especially here at an institution of higher learning, to read about our own history, and don't be afraid to look at our ugly side. Every country has one, and we're no different," said Sitler. The next speaker was Dr. William Nylen, professor of political science. He continued to exhort the crowd to find a peaceful solution to the issues that have brought the United States to the brink of war. The final speaker was John Mills, a junior religious studies major and one of the organizers of the event. He summed up his reasons for helping to organize the rally: "I see it as another means for expressing our desire for peace. A couple [of] weeks ago, we did a letter-writing campaign, and that was one medium. I see this as another medium for expression and participation in our representative society," said Mills. He also announced the rally would be a continuing event. Each Thursday, a silent march in protest of the war will be organized around the Holler Fountain at 12:15 p.m. Some people attending the university peace rally carried a number of placards with slogans like, "War inspections, inspectioris work, wars don't," "No blood for oil," "War is expensive; peace is priceless,". "This war is terrorism with a bigger budget," "War starts with a Dubya," and "Has anyone seen our constitution lately?" The rally was not solely attended by detractors of the war. The College Republicans were also present to give their own perspective on the possibility of war with Iraq. They handed out fact sheets labeled "facts, not propaganda," which gave reasons for supporting the war. "We're out here supporting the president and our country, and we just want to make sure that all the people here are informed of facts, and not the propaganda. We understand that there are two sides to the issue, and we actually applaud these folks for coming out here and supporting America and exercising their rights as citizens. We just don't agree with them," said Karl Kanty, a junior political science major and president of College Republicans. "That's, why we're out here— not as college republicans, not democrats. Peace truly is, I believe, a nonpartisan issue, so we're just out here trying to let people know what they're rallying against," said Kevin Hanson, a sophomore political science and philosophy major, and a member of the College Republicans. Dr. Philip Lucas; associate professor of religious studies, spoke of education as key. "I just think it's very important for students and faculty to come together and learn about both sides of this war—Republican side, Democratic side, the Christian side, the Muslim side, and for there to be open debate and open expression of view points," said Dr. Lucas. "I think that's what we have to do at a university: Educate people on the issues, so they can make intelligent decisions." Bryan Funk can be contacted at [email protected]. SPEAKER: Dr. Nylen eloquently critiques the intended war in Iraq during the peace rally, photo by amy rigdon EN'S eviction possibily illegitim By Amy Rigdon NEWS EDITOR On the night of Tuesday, Feb. 11, four Sigma Nu brothers camped out on their front lawn, while others spent the night with friends after they were evicted from the Sigma Nu fraternity house. ' "We had a fire alarm go off earlier this morning, and when the fire inspector came, she noticed a few things we needed to correct around the house. We made the necessary improvements, but, as a result of not having quite finished everything, they closed the house down," said Jason Macedonia, fraternity counselor for Sigma Nu and graduate student in the MBA program. At approximately 10:30 a.m., the fire alarm sounded in the Sigma Nu fraternity house, and in compliance with standard procedure, the fire department came out to turn off the alarm and check the building. The fire alarm that prompted the fire inspections was labeled as a malfunction and was not due to any smoke or heat. During the routine walk-through, the fire" inspector noticed various violations,, which accumulatively caused the condemnation and eviction. "They noticed a couple of things throughout the house: extension cords, a toaster oven that didn't belong in the house—things of this nature, so they mandated that we remove these things, and they said the house would be closed at 4:30 p.m.," said Macedonia. "Most of the things were found in the rooms themselves, in individual rooms." Other areas of improvement included putting in fire doors and vent covers. "It wasn't a matter of dirtiness or cleanliness. It was a matter of...some minor violations adding up' to enough, where they said to prove to you that we are serious, we are not going to let you live here tonight. Tomorrow, you can fix it, and we will let you go back in," said Steve Davis, ari alumni member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. The Sigma Nu house was closed at 4:30 p.m. for the night of Feb. 11, and the 15 members of the Sigma Nu fraternity, who reside in the house, were offered housing in other fraternity houses' chapter rooms and vacant dorm rooms. Most stayed the night with friends or other Sigma Nu brothers; however, a few pitched a camping tent and lawn chairs and resided the night on their front lawn. "We are going to chill out in the front yard for the night and enjoy the benefit of brotherhood, light up the grill and cook some food and have a good time," said Macedonia, who stayed the night on the lawn. "We had four stay out on the front lawn by choice. It was fine [outside]. It was a bit cold, and we did have a water ballooning incident, in which water balloons were thrown at the front of our house and at our tents, but nothing came of it, no ' one got wet, and we pretty much laughed it off." Macedonia said that the fire inspector was to return Wednesday morning, Feb. 12, at 9 or 10 a.m. Macedonia unlocked the house at 9 a.m. to allow contractors to do electrical work, but the fire inspector neither came nor called. "At 4:30 p:m., long after we had completed everything that we needed to do, I was waiting for them to return to recertify the house. I called and left a message with the fire marshal, the head of the fire department. He returned my call about ten minutes later see SIGMA NU, page 2a http://reporter.stetson.edu- ___£*!_ tinummmuiiij