The Reporter

H uerrill, iris t speak for feminists Brett Henson news writer On April 11, the Guerilla Girls will come to the university in an effort to "reinvent the f word -feminism." Taking place in the Elizabeth Hall Chapel with their multimedia talk/ presentation The Birth of Feminism, the Guerilla Girls will be looking to change perceptions. The group, -known for their anonymous, guerilla-masked protests outside of prestigious art institutions and Hollywood gatherings such as the Oscars, also travel in pairs to make presentations about books (their latest, Bitches, Bimbos, and Ballbreakers) and the status of females in the artistic profession. The Guerrilla Girls movement dates back to 1985, and was a reaction by female artists in New York to an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art entitled "An International Survey of Painting and Sculptures." The event was regarded by many in the artistic realm to be a signifi- -c'ant showcase'- of international artistic talent. The event was targeted because out of 169 artists, only 13 were women. This disparity in representation inspired the group to organize under the call of the "conscience of culture", and sought to challenge the dominant institutions of High Art. "Women and Men of color have been denied equal access to becoming artists in our culture for centuries [and] have been neglected by museums and written out of history books" said Zora Neale Hurston of women and equality in the arts. Guerilla Girls have challenged this inequality through billboards, public appearances, and even bus ads, and have been documented in the popular media. The female student population echoes the disparity of women in art, and the ways in which they are represented. "It is hard for men to realize the pressures women face fitting the mold set forth in the media" said Kristina Banas, a Junior Art major. Anabel Bordon, a sophomore Art and Spanish major, said "women should put emphasis on character rather than outside appearances". Dr. Roberta Smith-Favis, professor of Art History, has studied the relationship between women and art, and said "the See GUERILLA, 2A KATE LIBBY / THE REPORTER Student Governement Association's President, Peter Urscheler, and Vice-President Ryan Hutson, cut the ribbon during the opening of their new office on The end' of the fall semester is drawing near as we look back on the changes the Student Government Association (SGA) has made so far. Back in September, President Peter Urscheler, junior marketing major, told The Reporter that his goal was to "become more accessible to students and to unify campus." "The Student Government is the students' own voice on campus," Urscheler explained. "We do what the students ask us to do, and unless the students go out and voice their concerns or their problems, we can't do anything." In previous years, students had to go through an exhausting process to voice any needs or concerns they had, which included attending meetings that were only held at certain times. But now SGA has a new office (Room 205 in the Carlton Union Building) where students can go for assistance. "Countless people put in hours to obtain that space, from the president and vice president of Stetson all the way to the maintenance staff," said Urscheler. "And I want everyone to know that that office space is not just for members, it is the office of the students—it belongs to every student at Stetson." Other ways to unify the campus have included established committees and sub-committees, including an environmental awareness committee, an alcohol task force committee, an athletics committee, an academic quality committee, and a Greek Life sub-committee. "We hope these committees will help us gain more student interaction and a broader view of student body," said Urscheler. Ryan Hutson, vice president of SGA and sophomore, said "In addition, we have created" a more efficient SAFAC process and, of course, our biggest improvement this semester is the office. It will be open over 40 hours a week for students to come and use as a resource." Academic Affairs Chair Anita Misir is also working hard to create a 24-hour study room on campus. This study rcfom was a result of students complaining that the library was not available at the times they wanted to study. A survey was taken, and, based on the preliminary results, SGA will work with the faculty and students to create a solution to the problem. Dan Burton, a freshman majoring in management and a senator in SGA, said, "SGA is a very honest and a productive organization that is going to do nothing but better Stetson University as a whole." Dan is currently working with other senators and committee chairs to, as Urschler said, "develop more significant and larger programs to affect more students at Stetson." "Studies show that the first six weeks of coming into a school [will] make or break your experience at that school," Hutson told SeeGOVRENMENT.3/. are: ©rie§ University holds only gathering in southeast Ali Aster news writer On Nov. 16, 2004, storytellers in twelve cities worldwide gathered to share true stories for the Eighth Annual Fray Day event. With the sponsorship of the Sullivan Creative Writing Program, Poetry at an Uncouth Hour, and Touchstone, the university hosted the only Fray Day event in the southeast. Fray Day is an annual event created to celebrate the anniversary of the website Fray (www.fray.com). This site publishes true personal stories submitted by people worldwide. There are only three rules concerning Fray Day: the stories must be true, they must be about the speaker, and they cannot exceed five minutes in duration. Concerning content, all bets are off. Fray Day was held in the Stetson Room in the Carlton Union Building this year. Upon walking in, guests could sign up for the roster by filling out their name and hometown on a note card. Some audience members chose not to share stories, but did take advantage of the pink Post-It notes available at the same table. These notes, on which people wrote short non- fiction anecdotes, were then posted on a board to create a "community project." Professor Andy Dehnart, a lecturer in English and communication studies, brought Fray Day to Stetson. "As a fan of Fray, I was eager to attend a Fray Day event, but one was never held near me. Last year, Nancy Barber, a colleague in the English department, and I brought Fray Day to Stetson," Dehnart said. "We continued the tradition this year." This year a little over two dozen people attended the event, and about twenty shared their stories. While some had trouble staying within the allotted time, all the stories were entertaining, and no two were the same. The genres of stories the participants chose to share varied from funny sexual encounters to sentimental memoirs. Most of the stories were humorous and lighthearted, but there were some serious and See FRAY, 2A Council for Student Acitivites dips Into 2nd semester budget for Rhymes Brett Henson news writer Internationally know hip-hop artist Busta Rhymes took the stage on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 9 PM in the Rinker Field House, at the Council for Student Activities-sponsored Big Show of 2004. Other performers included the Rhythm Defined Dance Troop, which includes university student Emma Lee Schmidt, and D.J. Nasty of 102 Jamz, a local radio station. The concert was free for students, faculty, and staff, and tickets were available to the general public. Busta Rhymes provided a nontraditional performance for music students, such as Yannick Innis, a junior music education major, who said, "most [R & B/hip-hop vocalists] aren't classically trained," something stressed in higher education music programs. Council for Student Activities was responsible for organizing the event, and the point person for the event, Ben Hustis, a Senior Digital Arts major, began organizing the event over the summer. He was attracted to Busta Rhymes because of his success in the hip- hop industry. "Kayne West and other multi-artist tours were unavailable because of scheduling conflicts," said Hustis. As a result, the group eventually decided on Busta Rhymes. The Rhythm Defined Dance Troop opened for Busta Rhymes. The group consisted of six dancers assembled by Emma Lee Schmidt, a junior communications studies major, whom CSA approached to perform. Schmidt has been dancing since seventh grade, and teaches a class in the Hollis Center. She plans on spending the summer in See BUSTA, 3A Wednesday's Forecast: Partly Sunny High 87, Low 62 Sunrise: 7:07 Sunset: 5:28 Precip: 0% Humid: 70% Vysf* Forecast on page 6A CALENDAR 3B NEWS 2A CARTOON 2B NEWSMAKERS 3A CROSSWORD 2B OPINIONS 4A HISTORY 2B RUMINATIONS 2B HOROSCOPE 2B REVIEWS 3B LIFE IB SPORTS 1C LETTERS TO EDITOR 4A THE FINISH LINE 3C MOVIE LISTINGS 3B WEATHER FORECAST 6a Relax Before Exams Staff Writer Katie Bircham polls students on how they deal with upcoming finals STORY 1B ilkes Honored Former Basketball Coach, Glenn Wilkes, has court named after him. STORY 1C Movie Listings Get showtimes and theatre locations for the upcoming weekend. MOVIES 3B