The Reporter

Wednesday, April 8, 1998 rQRSJM-i> Countercultures are unoriginal versions of the past Column, 5a Volume 110, Issue 24 (904) 822-7224 . FAX: (904) 822-7233 News: [email protected] Life: [email protected] Forum: [email protected] Sports: [email protected] Ads: [email protected] General: [email protected] http://the-reporter.home.ml.org ^--^-^-** Norm Macdonald: Donald Ohlmeyer was right "He ain't funny." Life, page 1b Stetson University, DeLand, Florida :e >SET!0N \> heading candidates Rodriguez and Melody remain unchallenged in the 'race* which ends today. \jr By JEFF HAMRICK News Editor The Student Government Association will hold elections today to determine who will be the president and vice president for the 1998-99 academic year. Candidates Roman Rodriguez and Liz Melody remain unchallenged for two of the most influential student positions at the university. « Rodriguez, a rising senior majoring in computer information systems at the School of Business Administration, will be running for president on their joint ticket. i a IPS > b iS feci ■•At p m «t«^ ■'> Repairs on the elevator in Presser Hall will also begin this week. By ANDY DEHNART Editor-in-Chief The Rinker Intramural Field will be leveled and repaired starting this week, forcing some Emily Hall residents to find new parking spots. Workers will recontour, irrigate, and sod the field. Better drainage and a more level playing field will be provided for as part ofthe project, according to David Noyes, vice president for facilities management. Part ofthe library addition includes excavation of dirt on the north end of the building. Instead of hauling out 4000 yards of fill and then trucking in 4000 yards to even the field, Noyes said fiArmmaflnsMaBBM tne ^rt ^rom me nortn end KJJJSEmBmBI of the library will just be relocated. "It makes sense to put [that dirt] on Rinker Field," he said. Noyes said he has asked the contractor to delay work in the morning until 8 a.ra, rather than 7 a.m. Although contractually the contractor is not obligated to do so, they have agreed. Noyes said this will "minimize disruption" to the residents of Stetson Hall. In the future, "parking will be restricted for special events," Noyes said. The area will also be available for overflow parking. The goal, Noyes said, is to try "to give the students a better place to have their games...that's the whole purpose behind it." "Unfortunately the students at Emily [Hall] must relocate their parking" he said. The west side of the field has been designated as student parking since first semester. Some students were angry about alteration to their parking spaces at Emily. "Are they going to use this field for intramurals this semester? I don't see the point of resurfacing the field this semester if they're not going to use the field this semester," said MoiraMilevoj, a senior majoring in sports and exercise science. "I don't understand why they couldn't have waited until the summer when everyone was gone." "I wonder where people are going to park on Monday," said Milevoj. Noyes said the area near the Wilson Center would be available for Emily Hall residents, in addition to the space between Chaudoin andEmily Halls. Also this week, work begins on the elevator in Presser Hall. The casing in the 40- See UPDATE, page 3a o Melody, a rising senior majoring in psychology at the College of Arts and Sciences, will be running for vice president. Neither of the candidates are Greek. In the university's decades of history, the positions of president and vice president have always been held by Greeks. This year's election is also the first time a set of candidates have run with no opposition. Rodriguez, who is originally from the Dominican Republic, is also the first international student to run for the position of president. Both candidates acknowledged that there was not a great deal of interest in this year's election. "There's a lot of new people on SGA this year," said Melody, explaining that the officers of SGA must come from pools of older senators. "I think a lot of the students are not very aware of SGA or what it can do for them. It may be that there is not a whole lot of interest in what SGA is doing right now," said Rodriguez. "We plan on changing that next year. We plan on being very active and letting people know how they can get things done through SGA." Melody said that "getting people interested" in SGA is one of her top goals. Rodriguez said that "even on the presidential level, I think that what the student government can do depends entirely up to the commitment of the students who compose it. If we can get that working, then we can do a lot of things." Melody and Rodriguez agree that their toughest obstacle for the next academic year will be "getting the administration to work with us." The administration has not always cooperated with past SGA initiatives, including the Melody SURVEY > A. survey of 2001 college students included first-year students here. CLASS OF 2001: First-year students Mike Kelton and Karla Campos exercise in the Hollis Center fitness room. A recent nationwide survey of the class of 2001 found that 91 percent are satisfied with their physical appearance. Campos says she is satisfied with her body but "there is always'room for improvement." Kelton is one of the 9 percent who isn't happy. "I'm never satisfied with my body. That's why I always try to get a workout in a day. But I really like my butt." Photo by Paul Davis By ANDY DEHNART Editor-in-Chief In three years, the first graduating class of the millennium will walk down the aisle. This group of students, which includes Chelsea Clinton, are as dynamic as any group before them. A recent study conducted by Louis Harris and Associates for Northwestern Mutual surveyed 2001 first-year students at 101 colleges across the country—including Stetson. The purpose: to gauge the group's thoughts on a variety of social, economic, and personal issues. Highlights of the survey include: ► 90 percent think that helping others is more important then helping oneself. Seventy- three percent have volunteered in the past year. \> 42 percent believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. 56 percent think the nation is on the right track. ► 68 percent said education was their biggest concern about the future, followed by crime (65 percent), the environment (54 per cent), disease (53 percent,) and the health care system (45 percent). ► 94 percent intend to get married, at an average age of 26 years old. 91 percent want to have an average of three children. ► 95 percent think that getting along is more important in dating than race or religion. ► 68 percent think that premarital sex is acceptable when two people love each other. 64 percent think that living together before marriage is a good idea. S> 61 percent think that divorce is an acceptable solution for two people who are unhappy; 38 percent think divorce isn't the answer. ► 55 percent have a negative view of race relations; 72 percent think that it is likely that a person of color will be elected president within their lifetime. 63 percent think it is as likely that a woman will be elected president. ► 94 percent intend to vote in elections. ► 89 percent believe in God. 75 percent believe in life after death. 68 percent attend religious services regularly. 45 percent think that religion will be more important to them in the future. ► 47 percent plan to enter the Work force immediately following graduation from college. 33 percent said that a high salary is important. The average starting salary predicted for post-graduation work is $38,000. ► 81 percent said that home ownership is important to them. I> 34 percent are Democrats, 31 percent identify themselves as Republicans, and 24 percent say they are Independent. f> 24 percent agree that money buys happiness. 76 percent disagree. ► 91 percent are satisfied with their physical appearance. 9 percent are not. ► It given the opportunity, 4 percent would have dinner with John F. Kennedy, 4 percent with Jesus Christ, 3 percent with Bill Clinton, and 1 percent with Brad Pitt. f> Three-fourths of those surveyed are white, 11 percent are black, 12 percent are Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, or another race, and 8 percent are Hispanic. . organization's request for the development of an on-campus radio station, the creation of a 24-7 visitation policy, and tuition reform. The Reporter asked the two candidates whether or not the university should fund the construction of anew chapel. "The decision concerning the chapel is not left to us," said Rodriguez. "It's an issue which we're going to have to take up with the student body as a whole. I don't think that a small group of students, like 5 or 10 students, are really going to get their way...but if the entire student body gets together and has a joint opinion, it will be considered." The candidates were also asked to describe their position on co-curricular requirements for students at the School of Business See RACE, page 2a WINNERS ¥ The university also received top honors from Florida Leaders/or a community service program. By THE REPORTER STAFF Florida Leader magazine recently named The Reporter the top newspaper at a Florida private college. In the magazine's Best of Florida Schools 1998 issue, The Reporter edged out the University, of Miami's. Hurricane and other private school publications to win first place. Also in.the issue, Stetson was awarded the "Most Harmonious Helpers" award for the Project Harmony initiative. "When Stetson University got together with Volusia County Schools, the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch, the local Sheriff's Department, and the Police Athletic League to create a program to teach middle-schoolers conflict resolution, the results were pure harmony," the magazine says about the program. Regarding the newspaper's first place award, the magazine article says "While The Hurricane at the University of Miami is as strong as ever, The Reporter at Stetson University takes top honors for its remarkable progress over the past year. Editor Andy Dehnart not only spruced up the paper's look with a complete redesign, but as he says, 'We've really increased the way students can interact with us." The Oracle at the University of South Florida won in the public school category and The Observer at Broward Community College received first place in the community college category. Last year, The Hurricane—which is published twice weekly—took first place followed by The Avion at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. "Unquestionably, the newspapers of past years had a lot of room for improvement. We've-made a number of extremely positive changes, and it is obvious that The Reporter is the best newspaper now that it has ever been," said Nicky Dodro, circulation and marketing manager for The Reporter. Editor Andy Dehnart chalked that up to his staff and their energy and dedication. "It takes a certain type of person to work 30 hours a week in a bomb shelter-like office for criminal wages. But we have 12 of those people, all of whom commit themselves to making The Reporter the best paper it has ever been." The magazine named Embry Riddle's student government as the best SGA in the state; Barry University came in second. UCF's SGA discuss microcosmic effects ot See BEST, page 3a 0 By JEFF HAMRICK News Editor A panel of journalists and media experts examined the news media's role in shaping a community's image and development during a public forum presented by Volusia Vision and other county groups. • The experts met last Wednesday, Apr. 1, at the Elizabeth Hall Chapel to discuss the microcosmic effects ofthe news media. The event was poorly attended by university students. The program began in the afternoon and focused on civic journalism, the ethics of journalism, minority perspectives of journalism, the relationship between journalists and the community, the perspectives of local leaders, and audience reactions to the forum. Speakers included Washington Post political columnist David Broder, University of South Florida Professor of Journalism Ethics Jay Black, New York University Professor Jay Rosen, and St. Petersburg Times columnist Bill Maxwell. Some ofthe university's American Studies students and journalism stu dents from Bethune-Cookman College presented informal local research. The event was sponsored by the university, Bethune-Cookman College, the Volusia County Chapter of the Florida Public-Relations Association, and Volusia Vision, the county's only regional civic action organization. John E. Evans, current chair of Volusia Vision and director of corporate communication for Halifax Community Health Systems in Daytona Beach, said VThe way news is shaped by the news media can have enormous consequences for the communities they serve, both positive and negative." "We believe that both those who lead and those who report on our community can benefit from a frank discussion of the issues and a better understanding of each other's needs and goals," said Evans. Civic or public journalism itself is controversial, conceded David Byron, chair ofthe forum's planning committee. "Civic journalism is an attempt to reengage citizens and to improve journalism in ways that may help stimulate civic discourse," said Byron. "Its opponents say the new concepts of civic journalism violate the traditional journalism tenets of impartiality, detachment, and objectivity," said Byron. The forum's first speaker, Rosen, argued that modern journalists should "drop the devastating illusion of themselves as 'amused bystanders, watching the idiots screw it up.' " In a recent article, Rosen argued that journalists do not merely report facts—they also frame and narrate the "story of our common life." Rosen believes that journalists have a duty to foster an American society which is "a nation of citizens, with common problems, an inventive spirit, and a rich participatory tradition." Maxwell, who has been recognized as a practitioner of civic journalism, focused on how journalism covers the political process. He fears that the public is being left out of the "press-politics equation." The team of students presenting their research from the university and Bethune-Cookman College talked with a variety of community leaders about their opinions of news coverage in Volusia County. Joan Williams, community relations director for Olds Hall Samaritan in Daytona Beach, said that her chapter became involved in the project "because our mission as an organization is building relationships based on trust and mutual understanding and this forum is a major step in that direction." The Department of Public Relations contributed to this story. Inside FORUM: Columnist responds I LIFE: Canines and puppy to charges of anti-Semitism, 5a love visit Stetson Hall, 1b SPORTS: Baseball team splits weekend series, 4b ten News 2 - 3a Forum 4 - 5a Et Cetera 6a Life 1 - 3b Sports 4 -'5b