The Stetson Reporter

"-ST -fX-J-.IW wed 05 sep-oi _L_£_J____-S_Q_J_ JJ_N _L_V_ElR_S I._I_y I N S I D http://reporter.stetson.edu SPORTS: Soccer teams had'rough weekend page 5b _ _ issue 3 volume 114| = ^^^^^^^-^^.^.~r~^^^-~ - • •■•- — ,i [ OPINIONS: Students debate the pros and cons of vegetarian food page 4a; j Oxford is now an option for study abroad By Dharshini Yogendra GUEST WRITER The university is now offering students the opportunity to study abroad at Oxford University in England through the International Program. Oxford University has gained the reputation of being one of the most prestigious academic institutes in the world. Having been founded in approximately 1096, it is the oldest English-language university in the world. "What makes this new* program so special is that Oxford University is a renowned institution," says Nancy Leonard, the director of International Programs. "You can say it [Oxford University] anywhere in the world, and anyone will recognize it." Oxford graduates range from the Sunder of Pennsylvania, William Penn and philosopher Thomas Hobbes, to present day personalities such as British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jonny Greenwood, guitarist of the British rock group Radiohead. Oxford is recognized for implementing a unique teaching method called the tutorial system. "At Oxford," Leonard says, "its not just going to class and listening. Students do a lot reading and writing papers, and then come in for tutorial sessions, where they meet with an advisor either personally or in small groups and discuss their work." This special didactic technique has helped the excellent reputation Oxford carry throughout the centuries. The university already allows students to study abroad in Mexico, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Russia, Spain and Nottingham of England. The new affiliation between Oxford and the university enhances students' opportunities to go overseas and experience another culture. Indeed, the new program is being greeted with enthusiasm by students who are thinking about studying abroad. , , ., ■....,. "I think this is a wonderful chance for everyone. I don't speak a foreign language, so I don't'have much choice in studying abroad," commented sophomore psychology major and prospective study abroad student Cythnia Phillips. Junior Payal Shah, a political science major who is studying abroad in Spain in the spring, says, "I think that opening another study abroad program see STUDY, page 2a ^Reporter C CORRECTIONS 1. "Calendar" ET CETERA, Issue 2. On Thursday we listed the Pizza and Games social as an IFC event. The event was actually hosted by ICE 2. "This Game Rules" SPORTS, Issue 2. In the photo caption of "MARK," one individual was labeled as Brian Motroni. The individual is actuallyBryan Knmon. 3. "ASO offers help for academics" LIFE, Issue 2. In the article it was noted that the Academic Support Office was a division of the Counseling Genter. The ASO office is actually a division of Campus Life. Contact Us 421 N. Woodland Blvd. 0 8409 DeLand, FL 32720-3751 386.822.7224 FAX 386.822.7233 [email protected] [email protected] opinions© stetson.edu [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Police bust nine underage students By Julie Farricker associate news editor Students looking for a place to drink downtown on the usual Thursday and weekend nights will soon find the police among them. The enforcement of underage drinking by law officers has moved from the parking lots to inside the bars, and nine university students were arrested last week. Last week, on Thursday, Aug. 24, the Half-Times Sports Bar had its usual activities of dancing and drinking and its social atmosphere, all of which make it a popular stu- „—-~—^ dent spot. Although the usual party scene in DeLand begins after eleven, Woodland Blvd. bustled with students as they headed downtown to . another main bar, such < — as the Blind Pig. It was the first Thursday night back for all students "The police aren't going to stop something so mainstream anyway. since spring semester ended in May. Students usually see police officers in the parking lots of Half-Times w.~—~-v~-, around one a.m. That night the arrests started as early as after midnight and continued until closing. Some students doubt the effectiveness of the police. "The police aren't go- —™ - ing to stop something so mainstream anyway," said sophomore marketing major Allison Foster. One student, according to the DeLand Police Department official re-. port, was "knowingly and unlawfully lit possession of a plastic cup that looked! smelled and foamed like beer." I I A student was asked to present- ID, but was only able to produce's" student card. The seven males and twq females, were charged with misde-f meaner offences and were given nol tices to appear in court on a later datej but were released.from the scene.' . *jj Contact Julie Farricker Zat [email protected]. - ■» Residential Life offers programs for new students By Teresa Schwarz managing editor Hall programs are a thing of the past as Residential Life launches a new program targeting the first- year students. Residential Life has created the "First-Year Program" in an effort to provide strong community feeling in the residence halls. The program is primarily targeting the first-year students because the university hopes it will improve student retention in future semesters. Residential Life has planned four components of the program that will encompass social, educational and instructional elements for first-year students as well as a subprogram for upperclassmen, which will include the other three components on a smaller scale. The program is currently planned by and targeted towards the East Side halls of Gordis, Carson-Hollis, Smith and Nemec. According to Michelle Espinosa, the director of Student Affairs, the program started the East Side because of the concentration of first- year students in those halls. The RAs on the West Side are encouraging their residents to attend the programs. They also plan to expand the program campus-wide in a few semesters. "We decided on this plan because it has worked well at other universities nationwide," Espinosa said. "At this stage, we are not capable of covering the entire campus, but everyone is welcome to the events, and the West Side RAs are coordinating with the East Side RAs to get more students involved in the programs." The social component is focused around "Patio —__» Programs" which are currently held at the Hat Rack patio. In the future Residential Life intends to incorporate other patio or courtyard areas in hopes of identifying "areas where students can social- PIED: Sidney Jackson gets drenched with a whipped pie at Thursday's patio party outside the Hat Rack, photo by joy di.on ize to encourage the community areas for the students," according to Espinosa. The first "Patio Program" was titled "Meet me at the Hat Rack Patio" with the VYB radio station hosting the evening. Through contributions from the sta- tion and Residential Life, the RAs were able to raffle off tickets to a Jessica Simpson concert and ■■•^-^^^-a^^ — a five-disc CD changer. They also offered free food and entertainment, for the students. The second "Meet Me at the Hat Rack Patio" offered pie throwing at RAs, cotton candy, a raffle for a 19- "We decided on this plan because it has worked at other universities nationwide." inch color TV and another disc changer. According to Elizabeth Arzillo, the head resident of Smith Hall and the chair of the Patio Programs planning committee, future raffle prizes may include a laptop, tickets to local concerts and theme parks, VCRs and large amounts of points. The Patio Programs will be held every Thursday night at the Hat Rack Patio starting around 9:30 p.m. in hopes of deterring the underage students from heading to the bars. The educational component uses a discussion format to bring faculty members to the residence halls to talk with students about various topics in small group workshops and large group presentations. The Faculty and Students Together (F.A.S.T. Pass) topics will range from stress management to a FOCUS reunion at various times through the. semester. According to Espinosa, the proT gram will draw across the disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences as well as the School of Business and the School of Music. :< The panel discussions are meanU to help the students learn important*- skills they will need to pass their classes with greater ease, thus re: ducing the survival rate of first-year students. ■ ;■ The information component is focused mainly on a newsletter titled, L.Y.F.E. The bi-weekly newsletter will be used to explain various events : and processes such as Greenfeather. and Spring Registration to students i who have never gone through these. events. , .. *_ The front page of the newsletter] will also be hall-specific for the four* east halls, informing the students of: the events, such as intramural sports ; see PARTIES, page 2S- Surveys highlight student satisfaction level By Dr. John Tichenor director of inst. research Each spring semester since 1991, the Institutional Research Office has conducted a Student Satisfaction Survey at the university. During the spring 2001 semester, questionnaires were sent to a random sample, of 600 students in order to examine students' opinions regarding a variety of Stetson services, facilities and policies. The goal of this survey is to improve students' experiences at the university through a better understanding of what students find most and least satisfying. As an overall measure of satisfaction each year students are asked, "Thinking back on your decision to attend Stetson, how would you describe that decision now?" As indicated in the table, positive student response to this item increased in 2001. Approximately 6 percent more of the respondents answered that attending Stetson was "one of the best decisions ever" in 2001 than in 2000. With this evidence, it is safe to say that students are generally satisfied with the university. Important areas in which the survey results indicate a need for improvement are course availability, faculty advising and the registration process. Nearly one-third (32.6 percent) of the respondents reported being "gen- see SURVEYS, page 2a Student satisfaction Thinking back on your decision to attend Stetson, how would you describe that decision now? Decision to attend Stetson 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 One ofthe best decisions ever 34.9 29.1 35.3- 35.0 24,7 Good decision 56.9 62.7 54.0 61.0 66.6 Bad decision 6.7 7.0 7.. 6 4.0 8.1 One'of the worst decisions ever 1.6 X . j~~* —X 1 0.0 .6 SOURCE: DEPARTMENT OF INST1TUTIOAL RESEARCH , mm mwatMmsm a._iJ&ssali»5J' j_''i_ly_S!_i5^^ aililii'irni _R_mr — " *- _