The Reporter

Wednesday, November 19, 1997 it A. racial commentary you wouldn't believe. Letter, 6a Volume 110, Issue 11 News:-';-'1-"' ,. 2--3a"M Forum'"* "" " '4""-*Sa's EtCetera"'-" 'r^a™r^ Life''' '1 -3b' g Spbfts™," "TT^^JJJ"1! ^■W^v-. http://the-reporter.home.ml.org Winlii.iiM.riiiu'iiilihiiM iiiimlji^h.n iiWh>iiiii iiy River flows with great acoustic music. Life, page 1b Stetson University, DeLand, Florida * A. • *" t - ' " ''I.,'1!. - .'■^Arvu «^~r- / \\ i ^"|!1 7 ! ■ s 11 i ■ Jul; » w -j:t -" rv? Auniversity report revealed inequities in the Athletics Department even though "gender equity and the means of funding it" have become a major priority. By SARA COTNER ig-screen TV. Leather couches. Wooden lock ers with name plates. This isn't a scene from the inside of a country club; this is a scene from the inside of the men's locker rooms here. During the 1995-96 school year, the three men's sports had access to three locker rooms located conveniently next to the training room, while the four women's sports requiring locker rooms shared only two. In the spring of 1997, the University assigned a committee to review the athletic department in terms of this type of gender inequity. The Equity Committee, comprised of faculty, students, and staff, investigated recruitment spending, scholarship funding, locker room facilities, travel arrangements, coaching salaries, opportunities to participate, in major sports, and expenditures on sports equipment. As an NCAA mandate, universities and colleges with NCAA affiliation must perform internal assessments and write reports that delineate the findings. This December, representatives from the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) will come to Stetson to evaluate the report written by the Equity Committee. The report," reviewing Stetson's progress toward equity for male and female athletes between 1993 and 1996, concluded that "gender equity and the means of funding it became a priority goal within the Athletics Department." Progress during these three years included the separation of the volleyball/softball coaching position, the addition of 2.4 scholarships for women's athletics, reliance on a coordinator to better address gender inequities in travel, and the construction of the Wilson Athletics Center to provide space for additional locker room facilities. The report also highlighted persistent inequities. In 1993-94,82 percent of the recruiting dollars went toward the men's teams. By 1995-96, the number had decreased to 74 percent of total funds. Further, 42 male athletes had the opportunity to participate in sports designated as "major sports" (basketball and baseball), while female athletes had only 16 opportunities (basketball) during the 1995- 96 school year. The operating budget for the men's basketball team was $78,033 in 1995-96 and only $57,001 for the women's basketball team. In the area of coaching, the men's basketball team had three full-time and one part-time assistant coaches compared to one full-time assistant coach and one part-time assistant for the women's team. Also, the average salary for the assistant coaches in the men's programs in 1993-94 was 246 percent higher than the assistants for the women's teams. By 1995-96', the average salary was 75 percent higher. According to committee members, much of the inequity stems from the system of accepting donations. Donors can support the entire Athletic Department by giving money to the general fund, or they can restrict their donations by supporting particular teams. Since men's teams have existed longer than the women's teams, they have larger structures of support. Even if the University equally funds male and female athletics, the restricted donations allow financial inequities to persist. Dr. Gary Maris, dean of the College of Arts ... j and Sciences, says that the primary problem the University must solve is how to "balance out external supporting systems so that they don't disrupt equity internally." The initial draft ofthe Equity Committee's report suggested that 25 percent of all restricted donations go toward the general fund, according to Dr. Nancy Vosburg, associate professor of foreign languages and author ofthe report. The Steering Committee, the internal group responsible for reviewing the report prior to external review, rejected this proposal for fear that the stipulation would discourage people from donating. Dr. Vosburg disagrees with this fear and says that "it is the responsibility ofthe University to educate the public about equity. We are underestimating the intelligence and the goodwill ofthe community when we assume that theyare uneducable about issues of equity." The final draft ofthe report states that "the recommended goal is to achieve a substantial donor-based support for major women's sports within five years, and an equitable distribution of institution resources for all men's and women's sports within five years."' Dr. Kaivola, associate professor of English and a member ofthe Equity Committee, feels that "the revised document does not mandate demonstrable progress towards equity in key areas." According to Title IX, passed in 1972 to prohibit discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity, universities accepting any federal funding must ensure gender equity. Even though Stetson is not currently in compliance with all ofthe Title IX requirements, an issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education cited Stetson as one ofthe "leaders in the country" in commitment to gender equity. Jeff Altier, director of athletics, says that in 1993, the University was "addressing issues that a lot of places weren't addressing." He recognizes that the department has made "significant moves" although the progress has been "slow." Dr. Karen Kaivola arguesJhat an "ambivalence about how committed we are to attaining equity" still exists. "If attaining equity were really a top priority, I think the final report would mandate progress rather than merely requiring progress to be monitored in annual reports. Our intentions usually sound good, but progress keeps getting deferred." The Athletics Department initially committed to gender equity by 1996 in regards to "facilities, staffing, and scholarships" but is now projecting that this will be achieved by 2000. Further, "achieving gender equity in salaries and operating budgets has been pushed back from 1998 to 2002." Joe Cincotta, a junior baseball player majoring in sports administration, contends that the men's and women's teams are "treated equally. The locker facilities are different because of the money that the individual teams bring in." He also says that the men's teams do not receive any more attention than the women's teams. Amanda Prokop, a first year softball player majoring in athletic training, disagrees. "In a sense, the sports are treated differently. The softball players change in their rooms before heading out to the field because we don't have our own locker room. We also don't get as much as attention." Janiece Holder, the volleyball coach and member ofthe Equity Committee, notes that "great strides have been made" since she played volleyball at Stetson. "It's been slow," she says, "but progress has been made/" f> view the entire Equity Committee report at http://www.the-reporter.home.ml.org 'sssszzsz: —■■■'■^■•f-linn .iiithiiiiili ?««aflu±yft£A! gaMLJ j Policy y The lamps will be prohibited starting next semester because of the risk of fire caused by the bulbs. By ANDY DEHNART Editor-.in-Chief Halogen lamps will be prohibited in the residence halls starting next semester. The lamps, the most common of which^ stand six feet tall, have bulbs which create* significantly more heat than normal incandescent bulbs do. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least 11 deaths and 189 fires since 1992 involved halogen torchiere lamps. Michelle Espinosa, director of residential life, said that "the university risk management officer and the university's insurance adviser... recommended that we go ahead and ask students to remove [halogen lamps] to eliminate the risk as soon as reasonably possible." .The change will be effective immediately following winter break. Espinosa said it is "not advisable to wait until next (academic) year." The lamps "are being banned because of the fire hazard they pose, especially in a residence hall setting where they are likely to be in close proximity to curtains, posters, bedding on bunks or lofts, and other personal decorations," Espinosa said. "There have been problems at other colleges" with the lamps, Espinosa said. Other schools implementing similar bans have compensated students by trading the halogen lamps for other, safer lights. "At this time, we do not plan to compensate students for their lamps," Espinosa said. However, residential life will "arrange to store lamps (tagged and inventoried) for those students who cannot take them home," she said. Early next year, "the student staff will do room inspections. After that, just as with nay fire safety regulation, when seen, they will be addressed. Mid semester room inspections...will occur in mid to late March." "Violations will be documented and appropriate judicial action will be taken," Espinosa said. Ben Wills, risk management officer, said that several other schools have had halogen lamp-related fires. Many use the lamps as an alternative to the florescent lights found in all residence hall rooms. Manufacturers began a voluntary program in September that provides lamp owners with free wire covers that sit over the bulb, preventing direct contact with potentially flammable materials. According to the CPSC, the "wire guard over the glass bulb shield will reduce the potential fire hazard by making it harder for flammable materials to touch the lamp's halogen bulb." Wills said halogen bulbs bum about twice as hot as incandescent bulbs, and can ignite cotton quickly upon contact. The wire guards, he said, also get hot and contact could cause a fire as well. A letter will be sent to all students Monday detailing the new policy. Goodbye Stetson's rose ^y.'^M1?' ^'" "i^? -•.;-. v •'.-'• %^Pm$ TRIBUTE: Resident assistants Jason Crockett, right, and James DiCarlo as the young and old Elton John, respectively, sing their version of John's "Candle in the Wind" to departing Assistant Director of Residential Life Michael Almeida. Photo by Paul Davis By ASHLEE JONES and ANDY DEHNART A veteran journalist said he has a "lot of respect for politicians," because they "expose themselves to what a democracy requires." Lawrence O'Rourke, apolitical journalist, visited Stetson's campus last week as part of a program that brings experts to schools. O'Rourke came to Stetson as part ofthe Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation's Visiting Fellows Program, which brings experts in different fields to schools across the nation. In addition to corresponding for McClatchy Newspapers, a Sacramento, Cal.- based chain, O'Rourke, 59, writes a weekly column on politics. O'Rourke has covered politics, Presidents and campaigns for 34 years. "Every day, I am in competition—we all are," O'Rourke said. He must make his stories "readable and accurate." Separating opinion from truth is not an ^insurmountable challenge, he said. "My column clearly is an expressions of my opinion." In his news pieces, he said "I try to be fair to both sides." In addition to speaking with classes and groups on campus, O'Rourke gave a lecture on "Marketplace journalism: Politics to Paparazzi," Thursday in the Elizabeth Hall Auditorium. "Borrow money, buy a knapsack, fly to Europe, hitch hike across country, sleep in train stations and get out there," O'Rourke suggested to students in a journalism class. Besides working as areporter, O'Rourke wrote a biography, Jeno. and a book. The American Teacher, coauthored Between God and Caesar, practiced law and spent many years as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education. "I've been lucky to work in the fields that I have. As a journalist, not many people have experiences what I have, but as a reporter you have to deliver stories clear and on time,*" said O'Rourke. He explained that the journalism profession is rapidly changing. "Be open and flexible to different jobs. Having several different occupations in your lifetime is good because it challenges you, and with challenges comes opportunity," said O'Rourke. O'Rourke has covered many stories, from political elections to Nixon's trip to China to today's "fast track" policy, but said that the divided government is a great story. "I've been covering the best, ongoing story in Washington—the Republican Congress verses the Democratic President. It is a story in itself watching Newt Gingrich struggle to control the heart and soul of the Republican party,"' O'Rourke said. IhtMcClatchy is a national newspaper wire that serves over 180 papers from-North Carolina to Canada. O'Rourke talked about his daily schedule, which starts with an early breakfast with a news source, moves to his desk in the Senate Press Gallery, and ends in his office around 6:30 p.m., when his story is due. "I'm in competition with the Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Times and many other good papers so my work has to be readable, interesting and accurate," O'Rourke continues. "Even though I've been doing this for many years I still have problems keeping up with the changing styles of today. I guess you could call me an 'old turkey,'" he said. He explained that Capital Hill is a fascinating place for a journalist, and suggested to students that a liberal arts curriculum supplemented with journalism courses is the best route to take. inside FORUM: Disney's Celebration is far from Utopia, 4a LIFE: Hawke's rGattaca' is a great science fiction flick, 4b SPORTS: Basketball starts season with a loss, 6b