SG violations referred to conduct
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Sen. Nick Peres addresses Student Government at the elections violations hearing April 13. |
Despite a temporary disqualification, Rachael Tutwiler and A.J. Souto will be the next Student Body President and Vice President.
The elections commission assessed Tutwiler and Souto with two major violations during a hearing April 13 because Souto allegedly verbally assaulted two senators during elections. Because Tutwiler and Souto ran on the same ticket, they were both considered disqualified until a university administration decision negated the violations.
Tutwiler and Souto appealed the violations to the judicial council, which was then told the behavior involved in the violations did not fall under SG jurisdiction, said Chief Justice Robert Allen.
Tutwiler and Souto have one remaining minor violation against them for campaigning within the polling regions as far as the Spinnaker was able to confirm before publication.
Dr. Lucy Croft, assistant vice president of student life, said she and SG Adviser Laurel Kendall sought clarification from UNF's general counsel's office in regards to the election process. Croft said Associate General Counsel Marc Snow advised them because the violations centered around behavioral issues, they are a student conduct issue.
"It becomes a potential student code of conduct issue and therefore no longer a Student Government concern," Croft said.
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Emergency plan in place
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Police respond to the Virginia Tech Campus, April 16, trying to secure the scene where a student gunman shot and killed 32 students and teachers, eventually turning the gun on himself. |
The recent tragedy at Virginia Tech has left many in mourning and wondering: What if it happened at the University of North Florida?
According to University Police Department Chief Mark Foxworth, the department and the university have an emergency plan and are trained to deal with major situations. The university's emergency response plan covers situations such as bomb threats, terrorist attacks, hazardous materials, fires, natural disasters and hostile intruders on campus.
"We prepare as much as possible and we train as much as we can, but the magnitude of something like this [the Virginia Tech shooting] is overwhelming," Foxworth said.
In an emergency situation, the campus and local community would be notified in numerous ways, Foxworth said. The campus community would be notified via e-mail, the UNF Web site and through the public address system. The system reaches all buildings on campus with the exception of the portables, he said. The local media would also be notified.
UPD recently received a grant for an emergency system that can be programmed to call every telephone on campus with a message about the situation, Foxworth said. It can also be programmed to call some cell phones, he said.
However, Foxworth said, "It's brand new and hasn't been completely
installed yet."
The university also has a crisis management team composed of various administrators, faculty and staff, said member Dan Endicott, director of environmental health and safety. During an emergency, the team is responsible for assessing and managing the situation, advising President John Delaney, and contacting the outside community, he said.
If a situation similar to the Virginia Tech shooting occurred on campus, Foxworth said the main motive of UPD would be to remove people from the affected area, evacuate them and contain
the shooter.
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UNF, JU evaluate river's health
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The University of North Florida and Jacksonville University are working on a research project to assess the extent of the St. Johns River's failing health. |
The Environmental Protec-tion Board recently signed legislation allowing the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University to begin studying, evaluating and grading the lower St. Johns River basin.
The EPB will provide $223,012 for a joint project between faculty and students from the two universities to produce a comprehensive report of the health of the river. The funds should cover the two years of research that will be included in the State of the River Report.
One of the most important things to develop is a data baseline, said Dan McCarthy, the director of the Marine Science Program at JU. McCarthy co-authored the State of the River Report proposal with UNF professor Dr. Patrick Welsh. He said once the baseline has been set, the researchers will be able to convey the health of the water to the community.
"What's going to be a challenge is to display it in a way the public can understand," McCarthy said. He said the team will work with other governmental groups who have experience in different areas to make the data more accessible.
Both universities will focus on separate issues regarding the river's health. North Florida will concentrate on harmful algae blooms, while JU will research river biotics, which includes fishery data, vegetation and marine mammals, McCarthy said.
"JU and UNF are equal partners in it [the research]," McCarthy said. "I'm very excited we'll be able to put something together in a year."
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