The Stetson Reporter

S^LJE-X-SUQUNI UURLXlM-JEJBLJSJILX^ UJ (9 < 0, H Z o life | Saturday night, the Elizabeth Hall Auditorium was filled with the sounds of Broadway. The Music School presented the Ninth Annual Broadway Revue. Directed by Susan Doraz, over 40 studetlt performers gave oustanding performances. Highlights of the evening included "Into the Fire," "Sunset Boulevard," "Woman," and "I Hope I Get It." [ read this story in Life, cover 3b ] wed mar°99 20 issue zu volume 111 ors will be able to by sara cotner | Starting this fall, all students with more than 90 credit hours will be able to move off campus without financial penalty or special permission, according to a change in policy approved by the President's Staff last Monday. \ The changed policy resulted from consideration of "everything from the developmental aspect of the students to the fiscal responsibilities of the university, and also plans for the renovations and the upgrades to the residence halls," said Michelle Espinosa, director of Resi- dentialLife. The decision reverses a policy that has been in place since the early 1990s. The policy required students receiving more than $ 1,000 of financial assistance from Stetson to live on campus, or face a financial penalty of up to $2,500. Special concessions were made for those who were over 24-years-old, married, or living with immediate family off-campus. Anyone who did not fall within any of those categories could go through an appeals process but would not necessarily be granted permission. All students, except those who meet one of the three criteria for exemption, are still required to live on campus until they earn 60 credit hours. This residency requirement has not changed. However, once students earn 90 credit hours they will not lose any of their financial aid if they decide to move off campus. Students, especially those with job commitments or internships, have been continuously asking administrators to re-evaluate the fairness of the policy, according to Espinosa. She recognizes that the revised policy will help "facilitate the development of a different lifestyle" for those students who spend the last part of their college careers "in a more realistic environment in terms of their working day." The change in policy emerged from discussions among the Enrollment Management Committee, the Council of Vice Presidents, and an SGA ad hoc committee. Beasley characterized the change as "a good joint effort" with students from SGA. The initial policy went into effect in the early 1990s due to the "decline in residence hall population" related to a decrease in enrollment, according to Vice President for Campus Life and Enrollment Management Jim Beasley. At that time, financial aid to students increased. Considering the maintenance of "the residential character of the campus during a period of declining enrollment, the tremendous commitment to financial aid for students, and the need to keep the residence hall revenue," the administration decided to implement the policy that penalized students who had financial aid if they decided to move off campus, said Beasley. "Part of the rationale," Beasley said, was that as the university was increasing its financial aid to students "it seemed appropriate for students to help maintain the viability of the residence hall program" by living on campus. > m -i •co < UJ m ~*xx :.tr-i Beasley said there is "always some student dissatisfaction, especially among seniors who want to live more independently." He continued, "We understand that and have always understood it." However, the university has not been in the financial position to allow students to move off campus because of the financial loss that the university would have had to incur. Beasley said the change in "the mid-1990s probably would have meant an amendment in our revenues... to the tune of maybe a quarter of a million dollars." -"I hate to say that everything's about the bottom line," Espinosa said, "but I think at some point we do have to consider that we do need to keep our residence halls full. The easier it is to move off campus, the less likely the residence halls are to be full." With an increasing enrollment trend, the university will how be able to keep the residence halls full, even as more seniors begin to move off campus under the new policy, according to Espinosa.- She said, "Even with this [change of policy] we may hit a point where we are over a 100 percent occupancy in the next few years." The upcoming residence hall renovations planned' for next spring also affect residency issues. Next January, students will have to move from Nemec Alpha and Beta ^^■v.-- ■4j$ %*}0 jtl |" .-•V.-SJ. ■».»1S' J £ '» ">»- ■^■4 >J *-»V« ijJt'' tousajrir ■Etfi. V * . *' .. *. P ^s*s* * ksSLv- "^ "■ *• * «**" -"V#% * v~ Air *^» * • 5K* Points can now be used to pizza from Domino's. i* BY JULIE GOWAN | Starting today, students can now call Domino's Pizza on Amelia Avenue and order up to $60 worth of pizza and other merchandise (excluding chicken wings) with their points. The pilot program is a result of an inquiry from SGA for a home delivery program on campus. "The objective of the pilot program is to satisfy the students' request and increase efficiencies in the Dining Services depart ment," said Paul Marcaurelle, director of Dining Services. "Although the initial program is a partnership with Domino's Pizza, the program is not restrictive and/or exclusive." Students are: excitied about the pilot program. "I think it's a great idea that Dining Services is doing this with Domino's, but I think it could have been done earlier in the year as well. Why did it have to come at such a late time in the year? Domino's is great and all, but I would like to see Subway or another healthy eating food establishment brought in for a pilot program as well," said Emily Castillo, a first-year student. The pilot program will run from now until May 10 when the Dining Services company, Sodexho-Marriott will, evaluate the effectiveness of the program and determine if it will continue the following fall. Sodexho-Marriott, the dining services company for the campus, has had success with the same program at Rollins College and the University of Central Florida. "We tried to piggy back from what their program was and to see if it will work as well here," said Marcaurelle. The idea for the pilot program began with Marcaurelle making a presentation to the executive committee of SGA, and speaking with members of Residential Life, Domino's Pizza, and David Noyes, vice president of Facilities Management and Dr. Jud Stryker about the implementation of the pilot program. Tony and Monica Reubach are the new owners of the Domino's Pizza store on Amelia Avenue and were happy when Marcaurelle approached them about the pilot program. "We knew of the suc- cess of the program at Rollins and UCF and Florida Atlantic. We're excited because not only our we increasing our exposure, but we're giving students another option to use their points at another place," said Reubach. "I know that students have been talking about the pilot program for about a week now and how they're excited about implementation of the program. It will be a good switch for students I think because now if you don't feel like going to the ATM or writing a check, all one has to do is put it on their points. It's a great way to use up leftover points at the end of the year," said Brad Jackson, a senior majoring in general business. "David Noyes was included in this list of people because there are some po tential negative impacts of the program. One of those is an increase in garbage disposal, and the other is pest control. As we go forward with this program it's going to be important for the students to dispose of their empty boxes and waste appropriately to minimize that impact, so in turn as we evaluate the program at the end of the year that is still has potential for use in the future," said Marcaurelle. Because this is a subcontract of the Dining Services, and Sodexho- Marriott is the contractor on the campus, only three signatures were needed to get the pilot program up and running. One was from a representative of the university, Dr. Jud Stryker, the regional vice president of Sodexho-Marriot Sue Tatum, and a representative from Domino's Pizza. [ see PIZZA, page 2a ] Why points for pizza? • Students wanted a home delivery program. •'It will help to reduce unused points. s Lower numbers of delivery people on campus. a»muHBh&&m*HaaiMMeuikMiaamBm to occupancies around the campus, so that renovations and upgrades can take place. "This change in policy may give us the breathing room to relocate those 60 students each spring," Espinosa said. She estimates that 40 to 60 seniors will move off campus each year. Carrie Gill, a senior biology major, said, "I am glad Residential Life has finally come to their senses, realizing that college students are adults and should not be confined to such inadequate housing if they do not choose to be." However, she is "angered that the decision was made this year" rather, than earlier. Gill "struggled" with Residential Life for permission to move off-campus without losing her financial aid at the beginning of her senior year. Even after an appeal to Beasley, she was not granted permission. Senior Jack Bladel did receive permission to move off campus without financial penalty after a process of "hell-raising." He said, "My parents had to come down here and talk to the people in person...That's pretty much how things have to been done when push comes to shove." The change in policy will go into effect this fall, and Beasley says "it will have some economic impact on the institution, but I think we can make it work." However, he continued, "With the rising enrollment it will certainly not have as much impact as it would have had two or three years ago." Sara Cotner is the managing editor o/The Reporter. 'Offensive* table tents returned to Commons Monday by andy dehnart | "Offensive" Women's History Month table tents were returned to the Commons early this week after administrators Friday asked Food Service personnel — who removed them a week ago — to allow them back on the tables. The table tents — small, folded paper signs — were removed by a Commons cashier and work study student last Monday after some people complained about them. The table tents, placed on the tables by the Women and Gender Studies program for Women's History Month, include statistics and other information regarding women. Some feature quotes about women by sexist men. Members of the Women and Gender Studies committee — faculty members Emily Mieras and Nancy Vosburg along with senior Sara Cotner — met with Vice President for Campus Life Jim Beasley Friday. After consulting with members of his staff and other departments, Beasley told Commons workers to allow the table tents to be placed back on the tables. Beasley said he spoke with dining services personnel, who "were very willing to accommodate by agreeing to have the group replace the table tents." Cotner said they met with Beasley because "Paul prohibited us from putting the menstruation table tents back on the tables. Paul made the decision from a managerial perspective, and, for us, the issue should have been based on educational rather than business principles." (Cotner is the managing editor of The Reporter.) The "Menstruation in the Victorian Age" cards, which feature three quotations from men about menstruating women, offended some students, faculty, and staff, according to Food Services administrators. According to Cotner, only a few cards with the menstruation quotes were in the Commons; most of the others focused on obedience, the Girl Scouts, and other topics. One of the menstruation table tents quotes Henry Maudsley: "For [ see TENTS, page 2a] QJ m todav IN IHb RtMORIbk LIFE; Women's History Month continues with such events as a poetry reading, lectures, and roundtable discussions, page ib SPORTS; A humorous look at coUege gambling from UC Berkley, page sb <D Sports writer has bias against Greeks by michael portnoy 11 have read several sports section contributions from Chris Tunno, and, while Tunno's writing ability is excellent, I question what appears to be an apparent bias against the Greek system. Each Tunno piece seems to have a jab or two at Stetson Greeks, even when we are not the subject of the article. The" Feb. 24 issue of The Reporter includes an article by Chris Tunno on the Homecoming basketball game. I enjoyed reading the commentary until I ran across the following unjustified attack: "After the halftime festivities of Homecoming, most of the Greek Stetsonites and others left the game." [ read this story in Opinions, page 4a ] atters BY emily eisenhauer I The Bible says, "from dust you came,and to dust you,shall return." What-K/ ]? ever spirituality you happen to embrace, we are?_ all unified in the fact that we are creatures of na-^ ^, ture, related to the environment in ways we don'tcCv:' yet fully understand. ,-c^ It's easy to forget this in the midst of daily class schedules, fasti' ^ } food, and hours in front of a computer; but periodically immersing VJZ» oneself in nature can be restorative and uplifting. t'"^\ This, among more concrete activities, is what Green Stetson is>^J_~ hooing to promote on campus — not just recycling, planting trees, or ~ -^ conserving energy, but a real love of nature, and an awareness. i, _ [ read this story in Life, page 1b ] **~/ ~ by eric English | March Madness is here and its being felt more than ever at Stetson. The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament starts with a bracket of 64 teams divided into four regions. Stetson was the host institution for the southern region first and second round action in Orlando. The eight universities represented at the Orlando Arena on March 11 and 13 included Maryland (2), St. John's (3), Indiana (6), Louisville (7), Creighton (10), George Washington (11), Samford (14) and Valparaiso (6). While the Hatters did not make the tournament the school was still well represented through its sponsorship of the event. [ read this story in Sports, page 4b ]