The Reporter

thurs 0. M AL.}1, E..R..S...1...1-.Y Bryan Funk NEWS WRITER The Student Government Association meeting last Wednesday, March 15, was followed by the initial information session for this year's upcoming presidential election. Both eligible tickets, consisting of a presidential and vice-presidential nominee running together, met with the members of the election's committee to go over the schedule and ground rules for their campaigns. Campaigning begins formally on March 27 and continues through two public debates on March 29 and 31 until election day on April 5. Campaigning may consist of posted advertisements, rallies, and most other kinds of solicitation, pending approval by the SGA elections committee. The debates will feature questions from both the elections committee and students, and will allow candidates to explain and expand on their campaign platforms to the public. Only four applications were submitted before deadline, leaving this year's race to two tickets. The first consists of Nathan Davis, a junior management major, running for president, with Dyleeng Beach, a junior political science major, as his running mate. The other ticket features Will Stoetzer, a sophomore humanities major, as candidate for president and Marie Villard, a sophomore business major, as potential SGA vice-president. From their applications,. Davis and Beach's platform focuses first on parking reform, including only awarding as many parking passes as there are spaces to fill, adding special Greek permits for Fraternity and Sorority members living off campus, and reapportioning the proceeds from parking tickets. They also plan to enhance Public safety by raising officers' salaries and adapting the department's goals to better serve the students. Other issues include adopting a "Plus-Only" system of letter grades to remedy the'lack of benefit from "A+" scores and providing a fax machine free of charge for students to use. Regarding SGA's role on campus, Davis said, "The sheer growth in Student Government membership shows that more of the student body is not only aware of SGA, but is interested in taking a more proactive role. In the next year, I would like to see the Stetson Student Government hold an active membership of around 85 Senators. This will greatly improve our ability to participate in more events and activities on campus. Also, I believe that through the monthly 'Town Hall' style forums our administration will sponsor, the student's will have a much greater opportunity to engage their leaders and to take a more active role in how the Student Government is run." Stoetzer and Villard's platform is similarly wide ranging. They hope to secure more, accessibly 24 hour study space for students. They also wish to reform Public Safety in order to reduce current problems such as vandalism and- parking tickets. In regards to student housing, the platform seeks to make on-campus residences healthier, and to reevaluate the school's alcohol policies. They also want to encourage campus relations with the community and the university's relationships with its peer schools. Along with pushing the honor bike program and continuing SAFAC reform, the platform would see to the expansion of dining options on campus, especially for special diets such as vegetarians and the lactose intolerant. Of their plan for SGA itself, Villard said, "We will also work toward having more town forums and presidential roundtables, possibly once a month, where students can come to us in confidence with some of their most pressing issues and their goals for their organizations and the campus. We need to emphasize the communications between all groups on campus as well as all of the schools because this is what will make us the best SGA." Both ticket's candidates have extensive experience in SGA and other campus activities. In addition to his role as an SGA senator, a position he's had since January 2005, Davis has served as Chief of Protocol and Chief of Recruitment and Development, as well as president pro-tempore of the senate. Also a senator, Beach is co- chair of the Financial Affairs Committee and participates in both Model Senate and Model United Nations, as well as working as social chair of Alpha Chi Omega. Stoetzer, along with his duties as a senator, is chairman of the policy reform committee and is spearheading the current reforms of the AFAC and SAFAC systems. Finally, Villard is currently SGA corresponding and recording secretary, as well as a senator, and is a news writer for the Stetson Reporter. Both pairs of candidates hold each other in evident respect. Davis said, "I have had the privilege of working very closely with Senator Stoetzer over the last year on several SGA projects and am very proud of everything we have accomplished." In a similar vein, Villard noted that, "First and foremost, we consider Nate and Dyleeng to be our friends and this election will do nothing to break that bond." Contact Bryan Funk at bfunk@stetson. edu Next year's sabatical recipients are serious about their time off Caitlin Reagan news editor Every seven years, the university's professors are given the opportunity to apply for a sabbatical leave. 'During this period, professors will pursue their interests by conducting extensive research and traveling. Next year, 13 professors will participate in a sabbatical leave. However, each professor will be concentrating on their own specific field of interest. After 14 years of teaching at the university, Dr. Michael King of the.Biology department will be spending the fall semester completing two research projects including one that was granted to him by the National Institutes of Health. "My research is designed to understand how the mammalian brainstem processes information about what is being eaten and produces the appropriate behavioral responses," said King. King explained that even though a sabbatical is also a rest period, he'll be entirely dedicated to his research and will be on campus almost every day during the week. "The only time I plan to be off- campus in the fall is when I will be attending the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting," he said. King also mentioned that six students will be working by his side on research projects. Modern Language professor, Richard Ferland, will be taking spring semester off in 2007 in hopes to produce an article concerning the Jansenist/Je- suit controversy in 18th century France. "Many Jansenists went into exile in the cities of Amersfoort and Utrecht rather than risk imprisonment during the 18th century, so there is an extensive correspondence between those in the Netherlands and their counterparts in France concerning many aspects of life: religion, politics, social and literary developments," said Ferland. Ferland explained that during sabbatical most professors pursue their research and also enjoy their time off. But for most, they create new courses, write articles, papers, books in hopes of a promotion. Ferland would also like See SABATICAL, 2A CHRISTOPHER EVANS / THE REPORTER Students from seven different schools came together for the Floyd M. Riddick U.S. Model Senate. a_K_ REPORTER Chris Evans news writer The 35th annual Floyd M. Riddick Model United States Senate was held this past weekend, uniting seven different schools from three states. This year, 60% of the participants canle from schools other than Stetson, the majority of them were not studying political science, much to the delight of the program's founder,' political ""science" professor Dr. Wayne Bailey. "The model U.S. senate has meant much to generations of students," said Bailey in his introduction for the program's keynote speaker, State Representative Joe Negron, R-Stuart. Bailey believes that it is "the most intensive learning experience" a student can have on the subject. The model senators debated real- life issues and not always represented their own political ideologies. "It's fun to portray the other side," said Student Director Kevin Winchell, a junior political science major. Winchell had been planning the event since September: He had participated in the event the previous two years as a senator, and said that usually about five senators on each side of the aisle switch their political allegiance for the three-day event. '. "It's definitely a game, but it's also a mix of personalities.-'''said Ryan Hutson, also a junior political science major, who portrayed Senator Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania. Among the issues addressed in the general assembly were the budgeting money for victims of Katrina and the war in Iraq; an amendment banning gay marriage, civil unions and adoption; CHRISTOPHER EVANS / THE Republicans raise their cards for a vote during the Floyd M. Riddick U.S. Model Senate. nuclear proliferation and China's aggression towards Taiwan; and the confirmation of John Roberts for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The senators stayed true to character, engaging in heated debates over contentious issues when addressing the senate. But it is in the committees where the real work is done. "You're missing out on a lot if you only go to the senate meeting," said Hutson. It is in committees where bills are first sent and often stay, with their fate based on the decisions of the committee chair. As Specter, Hutson chaired the judiciary committee; from which he said he gets "ultimate power." "[Students] get into the real meat, the real character of their senators in committees," said Diana Lopez. Lopez, who has served as Senator Bill Nelson of Florida in the past, graduated from Stetson in 2004 after double majoring in English and political science. She now goes to the Stetson Law School in St. Petersburg. Lopez was one of five judges, who were charged with picking the six most outstanding senators, the most outstanding committee, and most outstanding committee chair. Those awards were given out on Saturday night at the closing banquet. When the judges had finished their grading, senators took the opportunity to have more liberties with their characters, and bills that were proposed dealt with legalizing anything from marijuana and gambling to prostitution and human cloning. See SENATE, 2A CAT changes to a longer, computerized test Trista Etheridge NEWS WRITER The MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) measures the grasp that Pre-Medical students have on all the concepts and principals involved in their prerequisite classes, in addition to testing their verbal reasoning, writing abilities, problem solving skills and more. Traditionally the MCAT is taken by the pencil and paper method, but after August 19th things will be changing for the first time in over ten years. The test will now be administered strictly by computer, a method with which many students are unfamiliar. "The reaction [to the upcoming change] has been one of principally in- quisitiveness," writes Dr. Gavin J. Putzer, M.D., M.Ph. and instructor for the MCAT course at the university. Junior Jeffrey Cara, a Pre-Med student, will be taking the last pencil- paper version of the test offered this August. He expressed a dual perspective of the new format and noted some of its advantages and its inconveniences, saying "the CBT MCAT has the benefit of being a much shorter test than the current paper version." He adds that "...it will carry with it the benefit of being offered 22 times a year instead of twice a year. It will also enable applicants to receive their results quicker." On the other hand Jeff points out that "Although I took the current full length [version] on the computer...it only adds to the difficulty...[;]staring at a computer screen reading in-depth passages adds a great deal of eye strain." Cara also mentioned that it was a hindrance to not be able to take notes on the readings either. Eighty-two percent of four thousand students at Kaplan U responded to a survey that they felt a computer ized test would present them with a greater challenge then would a traditional test; nearly the same amount have never taken a computer-based test before. This test takes longer than the GMAT, the LSAT, and the GRE, even at its new shortened length. Over 55,000 students take the MCAT each year approximately and this method is partly meant to make it easier on all these students to be able to take the test on their schedule rather than arranging around the available times in April and August only. The Senior Communications Manager at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions advises that careful preparation be exercised to avoid repeating the MCAT because of the difficulty of it. The test was changed to a critical thinking angle in 1991 from a science topical angle. "In my opinion, with the format of the exam changing from a paper and pencil exam to a computerized exam will necessitate a brief period of time by the student to become acquainted with the new format. However, once a student does become familiar with the computerized format, it should not adversely nor positively affect a student's scientific ability or proficiency from being accurately measured," said Dr. Putzer. The approach to this new method of administering is being approached with caution but high hopes for success. Registration for the CBT version of the MCAT began on January 17 of this year and is offered in select cities across the country, the closest to Florida being in Atlanta, GA. According to the Princeton Review the new version of the test is two-and- a-half hours shorter, has only 67% of the questions, and the return time on See MCAT, 2A Thursday's Forecast: Precip. Chance 30% Cloudy w/ showers High 72 Low 54 CALENDAR 3B NEWS 2A CROSSWORD 2B NEWSMAKERS 3A HISTORY 2B OPINIONS 4A HOROSCOPE- 2B RUMINATIONS 2B LIFE IB MOVIE REVIEW 3B METRO REPORT 2 A STUDENT G0VERNMENT3A MOVIE LISTINGS 3B Relay for Life Samantha Lange reports on fundraising for the fight against cancer PAGE 1B i«©¥i0 Rewiew Movie critic Blair Townley weighs in on McConaughey in "Failure to Launch" PAGE 2B Iii Danielle Williams recaps Baseball's Yale Shutout PAGE 1C