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Scholarship future doesn't look bright
By Kevin Lilly
Contributing Writer
Some things in life are a sure thing.
The future of Florida's Bright Futures Scholarship Program is not one of those things.
The largest scholarship program in the state may face change in the wake of this year's gubernatorial race.
The program's uncertain future has been quietly avoided in the debate over education for Gov. Jeb Bush and Democratic challenger Bill McBride.
Bush supports Bright Futures, a program in which the numbers of students receiving the scholarships has continued to increase since his election in 1998.
"By 2002-2003, funding has grown to $218.97 million, and we anticipate having 114,986 students in schools across the state under Bright Futures," said Cheryl Etters, spokesperson for the Florida Board of Education.
McBride also supports the program and plans to leave it largely intact with the intention to add more need-based grants and scholarships through state funding, according to Tera Frohlinger, McBride's issues director.
Although both candidates support Bright Futures, several education-related amendments are on the ballot for Nov. 5 that could affect the future of the program. Likely the most controversial, partially because of cost, is the class-size amendment, which according to some estimates, could cost $27 billion to implement.
The presidents of universities, community and private colleges said other educational programs such as Bright Futures could be in jeopardy if the amendments pass because paying for their implementation will drastically alter the way education money will be spent.
Some 1,200 UNF students received Bright Futures awards this fall. Those scholarships totaled more than $3.6 million, which is 74 percent of all UNF scholarships in the Fall 2002 semester.
Cuts in Bright Futures funding could have devastating effects for some students.
"I would have to take out loans, and my parents would help where they could," said Meagan Albright, a senior English major at UNF who has received the Merit Scholars award for three years.
"My GPA would drop because I'd have to have two jobs instead of one," said Danielle Ford, a junior International Studies major who also receives the Merit Scholars award. The cut in study time plus the worry of graduating with a large debt would hang heavy over her head, she said.
The program
"By 2002-2003, funding has grown to $218.97 million, and we anticipate having 114,986 students in schools across the state under Bright Futures."
-Cheryl Etters, spokeswoman for the Florida Board of Education
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guarantees students scholarships based on grades and other requirements met while in high school.
Students must graduate with at least a 3.5 GPA and perform 75 hours of community service to earn the Academic Scholars award, which pays 100 percent of tuition and gives students a book stipend. For the Merit Scholars Award, which pays 75 percent of tuition, a student must graduate with at least a 3.0 GPA.
Florida Legislators have changed the name of one of the Bright Futures scholarships. The Merit Scholars Award will be referred to as the Medallion Scholars Award, effective Jan. 7, 2003.
According to a spokesperson from the Bright Futures Program, the change was made to eliminate confusion from another scholarship with a similar name, the National Merit Scholarship Program.
The Florida Student Association, made up of student leaders from around the state, proposed several modifications last summer. Two of the proposals suggested increasing the GPA and SAT entry standards for the Medallion Scholars Award.
University of North Florida Student Body President Hank Rogers agreed with the proposals recommended by FSA.
"We [Florida] are in a budget crunch right now," Rogers said. "Increasing the standards would save money."
Contributing writer Kevin Lilly can be reached via email at uspinnak@unf.edu
King might be thrown from Senate throne
By Heather Darenberg
Contributing Writer
In a political race that has been likened to the Biblical match between David and Goliath, Andy Wojcicki is challenging Sen. Jim King for his position in the District 8 Senate race Nov. 5.
Wojcicki, 26, is running against the Republican veteran because he said he disagrees with legislation that makes it more difficult for citizens and groups that challenge developers, legislation King supported. Wojcicki, who is taking classes at UNF outside of a program of study, said he originally wanted to campaign for the person who was running against King. When he found out no one was running, he decided to run against King.
"I don't think we can afford to have Sen. King in that position of power," Wojcicki said.
King said Wojcicki has shown a talent for politics, but he still has more to learn.
"My opponent is energetic, committed, focused and in the wrong race," King said.
Wojcicki said one of his concerns is that the issues important to citizens are directly and responsibly addressed.
Wojcicki said King is very skillful at playing politics, and King will make people on both sides of an issue think he is on their side. Wojcicki said he feels that a politician has a greater responsibility to citizens.
"You have a responsibility as an elected official to let people know where you stand on an issue," Wojcicki said.
Wojcicki's priorities lie in the areas of education, environment and economics. His campaign issues tells people to "think E" when they go to the polls.
In education,
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Wokcicki
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Wojcicki wants to increase funding to public schools, raise teacher salaries, develop a Board of Governors, put children through a pre-kindergarten readiness program, and reform the voucher system and the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
In the environment, Wojcicki wants to develop urban areas in a way that will not harm the environment, protect the water supply, restore the St. Johns River, conserve the environment with Florida Forever and support more efficient use of energy.
In economics, Wojcicki supports investing in the state by spending money on education and environmental protection, developing sound fiscal policies, eliminating corporate welfare, enforcing growth management laws and developing ecotourism.
According to his Web site, "Jim King believes in a common sense approach to good government and is strongly committed to enhancing public education, improving the criminal justice system, lowering taxes, creating a strong economy for Florida and making government more efficient."
Wojcicki said he thinks it is possible he could win the race because his campaign has been well received. However, Wojcicki is also running against a 10-year veteran who is majority leader in the Senate.
"I don't think I could have chosen a more difficult race to get into," Wojcicki said.
According to the St. Petersburg Times, King said he knows anything can happen in a campaign.
"You cannot take any challenger for granted," King said to the St. Petersburg Times. "I'm running this race as if I were eight points behind and he was an 800-pound gorilla."
Contributing writer Heather Darenberg can be reached via email at uspinnak@unf.edu.
Domestic violence on stage
'For Better of For Worse' presented by Peer Theatre
By Erika Torres
Contributing Writer
Carrie thought she and James would be together forever. They had dated for four years, and James worked while Carrie went to school.
To their friends, they had the perfect relationship. That is, until James' hours at work were cut and the fairy tale romance halted.
Carrie started working to offset their bills. James began to feel inferior, and no longer "like a man," as he put it. He began to act territorial about Carrie, prohibiting her from talking to or seeing her friends.
If that wasn't bad enough, James became violent. He picked arguments like flowers in a field, except the flowers weren't blooming at Carrie and James' house. James started hitting Carrie, slapping her across the face; he beat her up once for going out to a club without his permission.
That was the final straw; Carrie decided to leave.
Carrie was lucky. She was able to escape from her batterer, and though her story is fiction, the reality of her situation remains.
In the United States each year, 1,500 women are not as lucky as Carrie, according to the FBI. They are killed by their husbands or boyfriends.
The University
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The cast of "For Better or For Worse" introduces themselves after the performance Oct. 24. The play depicted a girl's life who was affected by domestic violence.
Photo by Jason Pratt
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of North Florida Peer Theatre group, in existence for three years and comprised of UNF students, put on "For Better or For Worse" as part of Domestic Violence Awareness month.
"When you see your own peers trying to give you the message [about domestic violence], you get it," said Martina Williams, coordinator of Peer Theatre and rape awareness education coordinator for the Women's Center.
"The audience can get a lot out of this play, and especially how dangerous relationships can be," said Monique Williams, author of the play and peer educator for the Women's Center.
The statistics confirm what Williams said.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, every 12 to 15 seconds, a woman is battered in the United States.
Forty percent of teenage girls age 14 to 17 report they know someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend, according to a Children Now poll in 1995.
"People should care about this issue because, one, it's an important issue," said Alton Terry, who played James in the play. "And two, you might be in that situation and if you're educated, then you might be able to do something about it."
Editor-in-Chief Ann Luce contributed to this report. Contributing writer Erika Torres can be reached via email at uspinnak@unf.edu.
Simulation warns of drunk driving
CADIC office offers help for students who have become dependent on alcohol or drugs
By Astrian Q. Beal
Contributing Writer
The Jaws of Life tore through the metal like a can opener through a sardine can. The rescue workers peeled the roof from the crunched vehicle and put it aside.
The scene was like so many unfortunate accidents on the nation's highways.
Except the "rescue" took place on the University of North Florida Green Oct. 22. But no one had to endure a car accident to watch the jaws at work.
It was a demonstration of the power and usefulness of the Jaws of Life.
And it was a warning of the life-threatening severity of drunk driving at the Annual National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, sponsored by the Campus Alcohol and Drug Information Center.
The week also included a health fair Oct. 23, as well as paramedic and ambulance demonstrations.
"We constantly need to remind students about healthy alternatives to substance abuse," said Kevin Modglin, CADIC program manager.
During the health fair, students could pick up information pamphlets covering issues from stress to cancer. They also could receive chair massages and a depression test. The fair included experts who were available to discuss a variety of health concerns.
"The Health Fair's mission is to create awareness and to educate students on healthy lifestyle choices," said Shelly Purser, director of the office of health promotions. "We hope students will leave the fair with more knowledge or understanding about the various topics highlighted by the agencies that participated in the fair."
CADIC provides prevention services on three levels, which are strictly confidential. First, the center passes out information to help prevent students from experimenting with all forms of drugs and alcohol.
Second, CADIC offers help to students who have already begun experimenting with drugs and alcohol.
Finally, the center supports students who have become dependent on a particular drug.
"We promote responsible choices," Modglin said. "We want you to enjoy your time at UNF in a very safe way."
Contributing writer Astrian Q. Beal can be reached via email at uspinnak@unf.edu.
All the hubbub about moving the Hub to the Game Room
Lindsay Hutchinson
Contributing Writer
Feel like watching re-runs of Gilligan's Island between classes on a big screen TV?
How about venting your frustrations playing video games?
Just want a cozy place to curl up until your next class?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then the University of North Florida Game Room sounds like the place for you.
These are just some of the many changes in the game room, which has undergone a makeover courtesy of the Robinson Student Center faculty and staff.
"We wanted to provide an outlet for students [on campus] to get to know each other," said Erin Geraghty, programming coordinator of the Robinson Student Center. "[With improvements], we'll have students interacting more with each other."
A board of students known as the programming board has been working on improvements for the game room since spring 2002.
"The game room as it was did not fulfill the needs of our student body," said Gaius Jenkins, member of the Programming Board.
So far, the room has been painted, new lights installed, a permanent stage built and the pool tables reupholstered.
The next project the board will undertake is moving the computers from the Hub, located near the cafeteria to the game room. When this final stage is complete, the game room will officially be renamed the Hub.
Contributing writer Lindsay Hutchinson can be reached via email at uspinnak@unf.edu.
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Wednesday, October 30, 2002