The Reporter

thins &.J..E-.J"_Sja._-N ~U, M„"L. V_E apr-05 seeks to promote awareness oi civil liberties Brett Henson associate news editor ACLU seeks to promote awareness of Civil Liberties on Campus One of the traditional hallmarks of college students is a sense of social awareness and political consciousness; this often takes the form of participation in groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). On na tional, state, and local levels, this citizen's group concerns itself with "the protection of the constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights", according to George Griffin, adjunct professor of communications and founder of the campus organization. While the group has no current membership on campus, fees to join are five dollars, and the group is also sponsoring the inaugural Award for Social Justice. This year's recipient, Kelly Britcher, a sophomore majoring in political science, said she will "put the [award] money to where there are SAFAC deficiencies". Money can be put to the organizations of her choice; these include OSAPE (Organization for Students Actively Pursuing Equality), Kaleidoscope, and College Democrats. While locally and statewide the ACLU does support gay rights issues as they pertain to marriage and the adoption of children, the group considers itself to be a non-partisan group. "I believe that if both parties educated themselves- as to what the ACLU does...then they would come together in support of civil liberties," said Britcher. Ori the local level, Griffin has seen ACLU involvement in a variety of issues, most notably the call for paper trails on touch screen voting. It is the ACLU's position that voting machines should also provide hard copies of the records. "[The issue] is logical, not partisan," said Griffin. Other issues include educating high school students as to their rights, and in the past has taken the form of a benefit concert in downtown DeLand, known as Rock for your Rights. "I have been surprised with some of the apathy of students," said Griffin. Another area of contention has been the requirement that.students pledge to the flag in Flagler County. While a parent of the student can write a letter allowing for non-participation, the student is required by a state statute to stand, to which the ACLU objects. Statewide, the group is in opposition to legislation that opposes the rights of See ACLU, 24 BirgerSoiland news writer a, ■JNS& There exists some university students who take adderall and ritalin in order to increase their ability to focus for class. revalent among students that he had no knowledge of this going on at the university. A member of the Greek community claimed that "there are many students at Stetson who use Adderall, whether they need it or not, and it's in high demand." Pressure is on students to stay involved with university activities and still have a social life. Students have to make good grades to fulfill goals, maintain scholarships, and keep parents happy. Questions they ask themselves might be: What are my priorities? Therefore, some students ask: "What's wrong with taking a few pills to help stay up a couple of extra hours before a big test?" One student answered, "I don't even see Adderall and Ritalin as drugs. All it does is help me stay awake so I can read or write some extra pages." Unfortunately, this impression is mistaken. Adderall is a stimulant, and therefore it does enhance brain activity, alertness, attention and energy, but it also increases blood pressure and heart rate. According to the Nation Institute on Drug Abuse, there are several problems with abusive use of such chemicals; high doses often can lead to hostility, paranoia, or raise body temperatures to dangerous levels; irregular heartbeats can also occur, along with cardiovascular failure or lethal seizures. If combined with over-the-counter cold medications that contain decongestants, blood pressure may rise and cause irregular heart rhythms. When mixed with alcohol chances of complication are even higher. Being able to stay awake See DRUGS, 2A Though some people are always seeking new ways of reaching "highs" and an altered state of mind, drugs have also been created that can help people focus better so they can excel in school and at work. These drugs exist for people who have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but stu- "de'hts who do not need them take them to achieve better grades. Students were asked to answer a number of questions about drugs on campus, and the answers that were received were somewhat alarming, but not surprising. Members of the Administration were unable to be reached for comment Prescription drugs According to nationwide research, people in America constantly use prescription drugs non-medically. According to government estimates, 6.3 million citizens commit in this criminal offense. Painkillers and "study-steroids," like Adderall and Ritalin that increase a person's ability to focus seem to be the most popular choices for students. A study done by the University of Michigan in 2003 stated that nearly 5% of college students said they had tried Ritalin the past 12 months. Several students on campus were asked about what they knew about prescription drug abuse on campus, and only one student said Lonetta Wilson news editor Morton The Campaign for Adolescent & University Student Empowerment, or CAUSE, is a community service based organization, which works closely with Stetson and the outside community to empower young people and promote participation in positive activities. CAUSE was founded in fall 2002 and involves all sorts of volunteer opportunities. Not unlike other volunteer organizations on campus, student involvement varres from-occasional to highly committed. Matt Morton, a junior political science major is CAUSE Coordinator and co- founder. Morton said of their sixty volunteers, "Because we have a pretty large organization with a number of different programs, there are lots of ways for students to get involved according to availability and interests. We do programs with teens that range from community service programs, to leadership trainings, to kickball games. We also have a program called YAR (Youth As Resources), which is like a mini-foundation run by young people." Morton refers to those who put time in regularly, as "super volunteers," and adds, "[those who] come more often tend to enjoy more meaningful mentoring relationships with the teens." One of CAUSE'S main focuses is improving conditions in DeLand. "Currently CAUSE focuses most heavily in the impoverished Spring Hill community located in the DeLand area. We're currently working in partnership with Stetson and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties to build Volusia County's first youth-run teen center in this Spring Hill community," said Morton. CAUSE plans on branching out to Deleon Springs and have close communication with other chapters across the state. Another of the organization's projects is the YAR program. Morton stated of this program: "One of CAUSE'S most popular programs is Youth As Resources (YAR)—a youth- See CAUSE, 2A Stetson Hall holds 'doggone' fundraiser for the Humane Society of Volusia County Jamie Kinsley LIFE EDITOR A puppy yapped in a makeshift pen on the slice of grass centered in the roundabout in front of the Commons on Mon., Apr. 11. The Hall Director of Stetson Hall, Leisel Winchester, other Stetson Hall RA's, and a few residents busied themselves between the puppy, Sonny's BBQ, and a bounce house. All three things, the BBQ, the puppy, and the bounce house, were a part of the fundraising event Stetson Hall held for the Humane Society of Volusia County. This event raised money by charging one dollar to go in the bounce house and one dollar for a plate of Sonny's BBQ—petting the puppy was free. "The Volusia County Humane Society gets no federal funding because they do not euthanize their animals," said Kerri Charelston, senior integrated health major. The puppy that the VCHS donated was thought to be a golden retriever mix. Though the students from Stetson Hall that put on the event had to return the puppy to the Humane Society by the end of the day, the Volusia County Humane Society told the students they could name her. One hope for this event was to find a home for the puppy who seemed See PUPPY, 2A Thursday's Forecast: Partly Cloudy High 82 Low 59 "-" :-& Precip: 0% Humidity: 62% Sunrise: 6:53 a.m. Sunset: 7:55 p.m. .**"- ■ aV" a" TSajaST' CALENDAR LIFE MAD CAMPUS METRO REPORT NEWS 2B IB 3A 2A 2A E*< $&&*£■ NEWSMAKERS 2A OPINIONS 3A REVIEWS 2B SPORTS 1C STUDENT GOVERNMENT 2A ne rceporcer usisir Find archived stories at http://www.stetson.edu/ organizations/ reporter WWW.WVHUMAN The West Volusia Humane Society will receive donations ESOCIETY.COM from event. 5 V is 8,9-sja ii'.W a ,s, =--.»■ a? t%& Xi\I Brittany Fountain reviews Bloc Party's recent album. STORY 1C rtevjew Blair Townley reviews Matthew McConaughey's "Sahara" STORY 2B