The Stetson Reporter

1 I t \ l\ wed jan-02 14 issue i*-i volume 114 V^x.^x^ SPORTS: Men's basketball ranks ninth in ASUN page 5b OPINIONS: cool; white people want to be? page 4a Human- rights activist speaks about history - By Dan Puchalla LIFE EDITOR "When we held hands and sang 'We Shall Overcome,' we really believed it," said Dr. Constance Curry, the guest at last Tuesday's installment of the Thurman Lecture Series. In Curry's presentation, entitled "The Beloved Community," she shared her experiences and thoughts from what she called the Freedom Movement. This lecture came on the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jan. 15. Curry, an acquaintance of Dr. King, had talked with him the day before his fateful trip to Memphis, Tenn., and she clearly remembers telling her friend that day, "Be careful in Memphis." "A lot of my generation is jaded by the lack of information in your generation," said Curry to the audience. "We were convinced that the real success was in planting seeds for a beloved community." Curry expressed concerns that the civil rights movement as it was in the 1960s no longer exists. Curry said that the criminal justice system—specifically the disproportionate amount of minorities in prisons, the advent of private prisons and the treatment of persons detained in connection with the Sept. 11 attacks—is the greatest concern of the civil rights movement. These conditions arise, said Curry, because of the lack of socioeconomic equality in the United States. "Our world today is muddled on the question of race and poverty," said Curry. "I think that, athough Dr. Curry was very intellectually stimulating, she had a distinctive liberal political slant, like all the speakers I have ever heard at this university," said senior English major Katie Harrigan. During Curry's visit to the university, she also spoke in Dr. Leonard Nance's Society of Law class. . "I enjoyed the lecture and found her statements thought-provoking", said junior religious studies major Kristyn Sommers, who is in the class, Curry said that she was somewhat immune to the influence of racist attitudes around her because she is the daughter of first-generation Irish immigrants. She recalled a story from her youth when she defended an African- American cafeteria worker from one of her classmates, who called her a "nigger."Dr. Curry now works as a professional mediator and public speaker. There are three more lectures in the Thurman series this semester on Feb. 14, Mar. 20 and Apr. 25. Dan Puchalla can be contacted at [email protected]. ^Reporter C ORRE CTIONS 1. "Local book shops provide alternatives to campus store" LIFE, Issue 13. In the photo caption, we mistitled the Family Bookshop as the Family Bookstore. 2. "Basketball program allegedly violates NCAA regulations'" NEWS, Issue 13. We misquoted Jeff Altier saying that the athletic dept. had violations. He said allegations. Contact Us. —&=------z==--~-~.—•—J 421 N. Woodland Blvd. #8409 DeLand, FL 32720-3751 386.822.7224 FAX 386.822.7233 reporter® stetson.edu [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] advertise® stetson.edu A r@focuses? reaffirms goals for semester By Amy Rigdon NEWS EDITOR The advent of each semester brings about new goals and Ideas to every pers on and organization on campus, including the Student Government Association (SGA), which held its first meeting for the spring semester on Jan. 16. The purpose of the meeting was to summarize last semester's bills, events and goals and also to focus on the* plans for the spring semester, which include spring SAFAC funding, the Honor Code and an election committee for next year's president and vice president. "[SGA] is trying to address approximately four goals that are larger than, in the past when SGA had a dozen smaller goals that were not com pleted." said Chris Girata,-vice president of SGA and a senior religious- studies major. A few specific committees mentioned their plans to continue work from last semester. .The social responsibility committee said that it was going to remove the Christmas tree from the CUB, and the academic affairs committee plans to continue to collect signatures for petitions for the Honor Code. In addition, SGA plans to continue to provide students with an SGA newsletter. . "We have had a higher representation from organizations and fewer people drop out of SGA than in the past, which can be contributed to the newsletter," said Girata. . ; - Girata said that SGA would also continue to poll the student body concerning campus issues that SGA can address and that last semester the four see SGA, page 2*1 Honors program faces alterations CONFER: Professor John Rasp and Director of.Honors Program Wayne Dickson discuss the curriculum, photo by wesley sun By WESLEY SUN vanced credit and the advanced credit The proposal calls for many new ■ that they're bringing meets the same implements, including team teaching EDITOR-IN-CHIEF requirements that the honors program methods, a new curriculum and the does." possibility of a study . . After recognizing the problem, abroad program. The Honors Program is facing Dickson set out to alleviate some of Tlie team teaching some changes. A new proposal from {hese troubles. He. assembled a com- involves professors the Honors Council has been adopted mittee comprise(j 0f students and indi- from various-disci- doing this," said Rasp. The new curriculum would exempt honors students from all general education requirements. It includes courses in all four years and from many areas of knowledge. The program begins when students take courses in epistemology and different ways of thinking. Tentatively named Theory of Knowledge, the course spans both semesters of the first year. The second year is aimed at applying students' knowledge to examine themselves, their own cultural community and other cultures around the world. These, sophomore courses include a course in justice and ethics as well as a study of thought in the Western world. In the third year, the honors students will initiate local community service projects and also participate in a study abroad experience. The final stage of the honors program, the fourth year, includes a senior colloquium, in jjd_ich_slu___ats are asked to -focus on a contemporary debate or crisis. Guest speakers will also be a part of this experience. The proposal is an outline of the future program. * Dickson has said that the specifics will be worked out in summer workshops, which the professors will meet and further define each course, including the specific texts and works to be studied. The Honors Council has approved this proposal "in principle, not in detail," said Dickson. see HONORS, page 2a and this could mean significant changes in the the program's structure and curriculum. Dr. Wayne Dickson, director of the honors program, has noticed that the program has been having some problems. Many perks of the program, including exemption from a few genera! education courses, are no longer as valuable to new students. "We have more trouble recruiting the very best incoming students and we have increasing problems with retention—students who start but don't finish the program," said Dickson. "Because of programs like IB and dual enrollment, students are coming in with more and more ad- viduals from each of the three colleges. Meetings were also set up and e-mails were sent out, inviting anyone to participate in several discussions regarding what the university's honors program should entail, "This was something that wasn't generated from the top down," said Dickson. "What came from the top was that we have a problem; we need to fix it. The solution is something that's been working its way up." The result of these meetings and discussions is the current proposal to change the honors program. The latest formal discussion of this proposal occurred Jan. 13. The Honors Council met, along with other honors students interested in listening and participating. plines working to teach a course of honors students together. Dr. John Rasp, the business school representative to the Honors Council, expressed his concern for unity. He mentioned that a tendency might develop towards division—that professors might be split into different "camps," as he put it. "I would rather say we have a team of educated people CONSULT: Students Krysten Sommers and Kasia Walosik give input to the proposal, photo by wesley sun CIT loses a-staff member to another ©olfleM© By Doreen Overstreet news writer Nick Ganesan, the director of technology infrastructure services for the Center of Information Technology (CIT), has taken a new position at Fayetteville State University. His last official day on the university's campus was Wed., Jan. 16, and a reception in the faculty lounge was held in his honor. Ganesan's new title at North Carolina's Fayetteville will be the associate vice chancellor/chief information office. Ganesan began working at the university in September 1999 and had pre viously worked for Embry Riddle's information technology department for 13 years. Ganesan's previous responsibilities included web development, campus network, student labs and the help desk. He will be taking on the added responsibility of a larger campus and overseeing the campus's radio and TV stations. Working in infer- ~ mation technology for a collegiate atmosphere has taught Ganesan a lot about people and .service. "Unlike information technology in a corporate environment, which has its "I will greatly miss the staff. They have been the best team of people I have ever worked with" employees operate under a mandatory standard," Ganesan said, "we have to work at balancing the different needs and services that faculty and students have, and know when it is appropriate to set certain standards." "I will greatly miss the staff," said Ganesan. ■ "They have been the best team of people I have ever worked with. Stetson does not know how lucky they are to have such a skilled and service oriented CIT department working for them." Bill Penney, who-was previously Ganesan's assistant, has been appointed to fill Ganesan's position. Penney joins the CIT's leadership staff including Dr. Shahram Amiri, Jim Snyder, director of enterprise technology initiatives and Dan Orie, director of administrative information systems. Penney said that Ganesan's most admirable accomplishments were' that he "identified people in CIT-and_placed them into the best position that benefited Stetson and themselves." Dan Herron, assistant web developer, who spoke highly of .Ganeson, said that he "defended you to the bitter end, to resolve, protect and respect your ideas. He is dedicated and takes , care of his workers and is'well versed in problem-solving."/ . Doreen Overstreet can be contacted at [email protected]. MMBEGJiB felBti 0iEBgi. ://