Campus health explored

Jen Quinn

Ruckus amps up legal music sharing

By Holli Welch
MANAGING EDITOR

As fines for illegal file sharing steadily increase across the country, the University of North Florida is offering students a free and legal alternative to music downloads.

Ruckus (www.ruckus.com), a music downloading Web site, partnered with the university last year to offer more than 3 million songs for students to download. Since then, close to 3,100 students have signed up and downloaded more than a million songs, marking a huge success for all involved, said Ed Cheely, director of campus sales.

"Based on the success at UNF we expect to offer the network to another five to 10 colleges and universities in the coming year," Cheely said.

Florida Atlantic University and Eckerd College have also partnered with Ruckus. There are plans to increase the record label selections as the college community expands, Cheely said. He said a facelift will be done to thesite in the fall to provide students with more personalized features and music sharing.

"Students legally share their music through Ruckus by viewing lists of their friends' top songs and then downloading them from the site," Cheely said. "We also offer the school's top-10 feature, which is a fantastic way to discover new music."

The availability to legally explore new music is limited, according to Russ Crupnick, an entertainment industry analysis.

"The volume of music files purchased legally is swamped by the sheer volume of files being traded illegally," Crupnick said.

Nationwide, there have been 582 million songs downloaded since 2006, of which 52 percent were downloaded illegally.

While university admini strators might love new music, they are more excited students can share their favorites from a legal online source, according to Alison Cruess, information technology services communications coordinator.

Cruess said UNF has had some problems in the past with peer-to-peer file sharing on campus, which was handled on an individual basis. UNF now requires all campus residents to install a policy key the first time they connect to the Internet. This key looks for peer-to-peer files, and if found, quarantines the computer.

Students who refuse to accept the policy key, or are caught file sharing, are unable to connect to any off-campus Web sites, Cruess said. For these students, www.unf.edu is the only online site available. This leaves sites like Mywings - which links from www.unf.edu - unavailable for students without the policy key.

"We want to help students download the music legally and to be able to run it on their computer," Cruess said. "Our partnership with Ruckus provides that service."

This service is free to all students and continues with a $5.99 monthly fee for alumni. There is also a $20 monthly charge to run the downloaded music on an MP3 player, though the program is not compatible with iPods.

For students that want more than music, Ruckus offers a variety of movies that can be downloaded for a $15-per-semester fee.

Cheely said Ruckus plans to build on their video selection during the next year.

Visit www.ruckus.com for more information.

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Tuition still under question for 2007-2008 academic year

By Tami Livingston
NEWS EDITOR

Jen Quinn

After week of debate, tuition prices for fall 2007 have been decided. But spring prices have yet to be determined.

After nearly a month of conflict, tuition for the State University System of Florida's 2007- 2008 academic year has finally been determined - at least for the fall semester.

Gov. Charlie Crist's veto of a 5-percent tuition increase for state universities, approval of an incremental increase in tuition beginning next fall at the University of South Florida, University of Florida, and Florida State University, and a subsequent 4-percent budget-wide cut have resulted in the Florida Board of Governors voting July 8 to join a lawsuit filed against the legislature.

All but two of the 17-member board voted to join the lawsuit filed July 3 in the Tallahassee circuit court by former state Sen. Bob Graham, which challenges the legislature's authority to decide tuition.The suit states tuition rates fall under the control of the BOG.

"The Board of Governors has been tentative in the use of their power, and we've been waiting and hoping they would screw up the courage to do what they are supposed to do under the Florida Constitution," Graham said.

According to Bill Edmonds, director of communications for the BOG, the State University System has not been receiving adequate state support for each student who is enrolled.

"For years, the state has only provided a fraction of the cost for enrolled students so that 5,260 students in the system are not covered by state funds," Edmonds said.

"This is not a pattern of behavior that will allow our universities to do the vital and effective appropriate management of public funds to achieve the excellence Florida deserves in its state university system," Graham said.

Low enrollment funding coupled with the recent $100 million budget cut also led the BOG to vote to increase tuition in January 2008 by up to 5 percent.

Edmonds said the increase amount has yet to be determined, but an increase of 5 percent would generate approximately $9.5 million.

"It's not a lot compared to $100 million, but with it we're hoping to get through the cut without having to lay off professors," Edmonds said.

An enrollment freeze has also been enacted, prohibiting all universities from increasing the number of students they will enroll next year.

Because the fall semester starts next month, Edmonds said the board decided not to increase tuition for the Fall 2007 term because "we thought we'd be springing something on people that they weren't prepared for."

At UNF, President John Delaney said a significant portion of the new money from the spring tuition increase will be added to the university's financial aid offerings.

And at a faculty association meeting July 5, he said he didn't think the cut would affect UNF too much in terms of what happens in the classroom.

"I think this will resolve favorably as the people intended it 2002 [when amendment 11 was passed, creating the BOG], and the power of the State University System will be with the board of governors and not with politicians," Graham said.

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Health service offices fight drug abuse

By Sarah Diener
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Jen Quinn

UNF students and staff have conflicting ideas of whether or not prescription drugs are a problem, but all agree that mixing or taking them illegally is dangerous.

While prescription drug use across the country is on the rise, University of North Florida officials are trying to combat abuse issues in students.

A 2004 study of college students conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that 7.4 percent of college students have at one time used a prescription drug that was not prescribed to them. The numbers are steadily rising each year, according to NIDA.

Attention deficit disorder drugs like Ritalin and Adderall have become increasingly popular for college students, who use the drugs to stay up all night to study or mix the drugs with alcohol for stimulation. Prescription painkiller use is also on the rise. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America reports one in five individuals between the ages of 18-24 have tried Vicodin, Oxycontin and Percocet. These drugs are strong painkillers prescribed to treat pain from surgery, injuries, and diseases like cancer.

UNF Prevention Services Coordinator Kevin Modglin said he has heard rumors of prescription drug abuse on campus, but doesn't believe it to be a significant concern among students. Still, Modglin said that the Campus Alcohol and Drug Information Center offers help and information about prescription drug abuse.

"Our programs are tailored to the individual, and we will treat students according to what they need help with," Modglin said. CADIC offers literature and programming to combat illegal drug use on campus and will soon offer a "Drug Topic of the Month" on the CADIC Web site for students, Modglin said.

"I have seen no increase in the abuse of prescription drugs on campus," said Lt. Tammy Oliver of the University Police Department.

UPD follows state law when handling cases of illegal drug use, and using someone else's prescription for a narcotic is an offense that could result in jail time, Oliver said.

Students at UNF have conflicting reports of drug activity on campus.

"I've never seen anything going on with prescription drugs in our dorm," said Sophomore, Education major Daniela Altavera.

But some students disagree.

"When someone gets a prescription for Adderall, everyone tries to get some from them," said senior English major Thomas Murphy.

There has been no prescription drug abuse reported in the 2006-2007 school year, Assistant Director of Residence Life Conduct and Mediation Services Nicole Houle said.

Resident assistants perform regular health and safety inspections of residents' rooms to look for signs of any illegal activity and are to report and drug related findings, Houle said.

If caught illegally using prescription drugs, students are referred to Student Conduct for a hearing to determine the severity of the case and are then usually referred to other student resources, such as CADIC or the counseling center, for treatment.

"We have great RA's and hopefully this will continue to be a non-issue," Houle said.

Dr. Frederick Beck, director of Student Medical Services, said there's great danger in sharing prescriptions. Beck said side effects of using narcotics can include decreased heart rate and respiratory problems, and ADD medications can lead to increased heart rate, appetite suppression, and even sudden death if used not properly.

"I can explain all the dangers and the precautions to a person who is getting the prescription, but when it is used by someone else, they don't know those dangers and the results could be catastrophic," Beck said.

Members of the UNF community raised concerns that prescription drugs were too easily accessible for students to abuse. In response, Student Medical Services instituted a policy where they would not prescribe ADD medications Adderall and Ritalin for students, and would instead use lower-dose versions of drugs like Strattera, Beck said.

Beck said narcotics are rarely prescribed unless a serious health issue is present. When narcotics such as Vicodin and Percocet are prescribed, the patient is informed of how to properly use the drug, to not allow anyone else to take it, and to beware of dependency problems.

The counseling center agrees with Student Medical Service's stance on prescribing stimulants to students, and requires extensive medical and psychological evaluations before diagnosing an individual with ADD or variations of ADD, according to Diane Joyce, nurse practitioner for the counseling center.

Joyce said students that come in with symptoms of ADD must fill out a thorough checklist of around 100 questions.

"We can't always know if students are being truthful," Joyce said.

Joyce said a handful of students have come back to her office admitting that they tricked her into prescribing the drugs and apologized for the incident.

The counseling center tries to maintain a heightened awareness of students looking for drugs, but caters to each individual on a case-by-case basis, she said.

Joyce's advice to students who are legally prescribed stimulant drugs is to not tell friends or colleagues that you have been prescribed the drug, not to share the drug with anyone else, and to keep the medication in a safe place.

"Students are under the illusion that a legally prescribed drug is safer to take than an illegal drug," Joyce said. "And it really is not."

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Feds warn colleges to offer students variety of lenders

By Jodi S. Cohen
CHICAGO TRIBUNE

In their most aggressive response yet to problems in the student loan industry, U.S. Department of Education officials said Monday they've sent warning letters to more than 900 colleges and universities reminding them not to limit student choice in picking a lender.

The letter was sent to campuses where 80 percent or more of the federal student loan volume in 2006-2007 was handled by one lender.

Jeff Baker, policy liaison at the Department of Education's federal student aid office, said a search of a student loan database revealed that a vast majority of students at each of 921 campuses chose the same lender.

"That was a little flag to us that perhaps the institution isn't quite being open enough to their students and parents," Baker told thousands of college financial aid officials gathered for the annual conference of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

The June 29 letter marks the first time the department has sent targeted letters to campuses in regards to their use of preferred lender lists.

Baker said campuses could face fines or be barred from participating in the federal lending program, known as FFELP, if they violate the department's student loan policies. That also includes a prohibition that bans college administrators from accepting gifts, payments or other perks in exchange for steering student borrowers to a particular company.

Some critics say the Department of Education's involvement is overdue, coming in the wake of federal and state investigations into the $85 billion student loan industry, including arguably cozy relationships between colleges and lenders.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has accused the department of being "asleep at the switch" in its oversight of college loans.

"This is a good step [...] but they should be far more aggressive in policing the relationships between lenders and colleges," said Michael Dannenberg, education policy director of the New America Foundation.

The financial aid group's national conference comes soon after several college-aid officials lost their jobs when it was revealed they held stock in companies on their universities' preferred-lender lists.

Meanwhile, other colleges and universities that received fees from lenders based on the number of student loans issued agreed to reimburse students.

But pending federal legislation and proposed regulations by the Department of Education would include a requirement that schools list a minimum of three unaffiliated lenders and disclose how the lenders were chosen.

Supporters of such lists, which have become common practice, say they protect students by pointing them to reputable companies.

The Department of Education did not provide a list of schools that were sent the letter last month.

At a conference session Monday afternoon, attorney John Dean of Washington Partners LLC told an overflowing room of financial aid counselors if their institutions received the letters, they'd "better take a look at their rationale" for why such a large share was held by one company.

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Campus Ministry gets new name

By Matt Coleman
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The on-campus organization formerly known as Campus Ministry has undergone a name change.

The University of North Florida's President's Cabinet made the official decision to change the name of Campus Ministry to the Interfaith Center May 10 after a series of "listening sessions" suggested the word "ministry" might imply an emphasis on Christianity.

The sessions were organized by the Committee on Equity and Civility and included Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hispanic, female, and African American interest groups.

A draft of a report compiled by Dr. John Frank, liaison between the committee and Vice President for Student Affairs Wilfredo Gonzalez, stated a major concern of the campus community was the religious implications of the word ministry.

Frank said the draft is not complete and "the informal report gleaned anecdotes and experiences from session participants that may or may not be representative of a larger constituency."

According to the draft, members of the Jewish Student Union said the word ministry "automatically implied" a Christian bias.

While it was made clear by session participants that the leadership of Campus Ministry was in no way religiously biased, the assembled group believed the name should be changed.

Suggestions taken from the meeting included Interfaith Alliance and Multi-faith Department.

Shari O'Brien, acting director of the Interfaith Center, said the decision to change the name was spurred by the desire to promote an inclusive campus environment.

"We want to uplift the students on campus," O'Brien said. "We responded to the concerns brought up during the listening sessions and made sure no student groups felt excluded."

Frank said President Delaney called for the formation of the Committee on Equity and Civility December 2004, in order to gauge the climate of tolerance for various interest groups on campus.

The impetus for the committee's foundation was an ongoing division between 2004-2005 Student Body President Jerry Waterston and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group PRIDE.

According to a Spinnaker article from 2004, Waterston elected not to sign a fiscal request from PRIDE due to his personal stance on the issue of homosexuality.

PRIDE President Jeremy Lightner brought the issue to the attention of Dean of Students Tom Van Schoor and Gonzalez. After a series of conversations between PRIDE and university officials, the committee on equity and civility was implemented on campus to promote a supportive on-campus environment.

"The goal of the committee is to make sure student interests are not being marginalized," Frank said.

The committee discussed the possibility of a new series of listening sessions with different focus groups during its June meeting.

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BOT Leaders behind university's initiatives

The University of North Florida Board of Trustees was created in 2002 by the Florida Board of Governors to serve as the governing body of the university.

The Governor of Florida or the BOG appoints members of the board.

The student body president and faculty association president traditionally fill the student and faculty member slots.

Name: Bruce Taylor - Chair

Appointed: January 2003-January 2005, by Gov. Jeb Bush

Reappointed: January 2005-January 2010.

Occupation: Chairman and CEO of Taylor Engineering Inc.

Education: B.S. from U.S. Naval Academy; M.S. in Oceanographic Engineering from University of Miami; Ph.D. in Civil and Coastal Engineering from University of Florida.

Community Involvement: Honorary Alumnus of UNF; member and past chair of UNF Engineering Advisory Council.

What do you consider to be the most important function of the BOT?
"First, the board is responsible for hiring, evaluating, and terminating the president of the university. The second important responsibility of the board is to advise and assist the president in establishing the strategic tools needed to guide the university in the achievement of its long-term goals. Finally, the board of trustees must ensure that the university is being run in a fiscally sound and responsible manner."

Name: Wanyonyi Kendrick - Vice Chair

Appointed: January 2003-January 2006, by Gov. Bush.

Reappointed: January 2006-January 2011.

Occupation: Chief information officer for JEA.

Education: BBA and MACC from UNF.

Community Involvement: Certified management accountant and certified public accountant; member of the Jacksonville Information Technology Council.

What do you consider to be the most important function of the BOT?
"Firstly, I would like to say what an honor it is to support such an amazing university that truly values the uniqueness and diversity of each student. The board is responsible for establishing and monitoring the governance structure of UNF. On a more personal basis, being the primary cheerleader and sounding board for the university's primary stakeholders, including the student body, the faculty and the president."

Name: Edythe Abdullah

Appointed: January 2003-January 2005 by Gov. Bush.

Reappointed: January 2005-January 2010.

Occupation: President of Florida Community College of Jacksonville downtown campus.

Education: Undergraduate degree in religion from Valparaiso University; J.D. from University of Florida.

Community Involvement: Inductee of the Florida Adult and Community Educators Hall; adjunct teacher at FCCJ.

What vision do you think the board has for UNF in the future?
"To provide access to unsurpassed higher education to any prepared individual seeking to develop his/her capacity to life fully, contribute wholly, and have a lasting impact onthose which he/she lives, works, and socializes."

Name: Luther Coggin

Appointed: 2002, by Gov. Bush.

Reappointed: January 2003-January 2005, January 2005-January 2010.

Occupation: Retired, chairman of Coggin Automotive Group.

Education: Unknown.

Community Involvement: Chairman of the board of directors of Cygnet Private Bank; director of Legacy Trust Company; recipient of 2002 Prime F. Osbourne III Distinguished Business Leader Award; operates several private companies.

What do you consider to be the most important function of the BOT?
"There are no great cities without a great university. The Board of Trustees' responsibility is to work with the president, faculty and students with the clear understanding that our responsibility is to oversee and advise, not to operate. We also have the privilege of fundraising to assure our visions of excellence are achieved. I am honored to serve on the UNF Board!"

Name: Toni Crawford

Appointed: January 2003-January 2006, by Gov. Bush.

Reappointed: January 2006-January 2011.

Occupation: Chairwoman of Jacksonville Children's Commission, registered nurse.

Education: AA from Florida Community College.

Community Involvement: Serves on School Readiness Coalition.

What vision do you think the board has for UNF in the future?
No response.

What do you consider to be the most important function of the BOT?
No response.

Name: Wilfredo Gonzalez

Appointed: January 2003- January 2006 by Gov. Bush.

Reappointed: January 2006-January 2011.

Occupation: District director, U.S. Small Business Administration.

Education: BA from the University of Puerto Rico; HEW fellow.

Community Involvement: Member of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Board of Directors; member of the Police Athletic League of Jacksonville Board of Directors; serves on the Florida State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

What vision do you think the board has for UNF in the future?
"Besides continuing to enhance the quality of education and development of our student body on campus, we envision becoming more integrated with our surrounding communities. "

Name: Hugh Greene

Appointed: June 2007, by the Board of Governors.

Reappointed: January 2010.

Occupation: President and CEO of Baptist Health.

Education: MHA from the Medical College of Virginia; B.A. from Wake Forest University.

Community Involvement: Member of Brooks College of Health Dean's Council; serves on Board and Executive Committee of the Alliance for World Class Education.

What do you consider to be the most important function of the BOT?
"I am excited about the vision already set forth by the board of trustees that I have the privilege of joining. That vision includes providing exceptional value and quality education for students, continued excellence in teaching, development of outstanding targeted programs, as well as serving as the major center for thought in our community."

Name: Ann Hicks

Appointed: January 2003-January 2006, by BOG.

Reappointed: January 2006-January 2011.

Occupation: Retired.

Education: B.A. from Mount Holyoke College; B.A. from UNF.

Community Involvement: Jacksonville Public Library trustee; Habijax board member; Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens board member; awarded UNF College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumnus Award; past president of the UNF Foundation.

What vision do you think the board has for UNF in the future?
No response.

What do you consider to be the most important function of the BOT?
No response.

Name: William Klostermeyer - UNF Faculty Association

Appointed: September 2006-September 2008.

Occupation: Professor of Computer and Information Sciences at UNF.

Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science from University of Florida.

Community Involvement: Founding member of the Center for Combinatorial Computing and Discreet Mathematics at West Virginia University; current UNF Faculty Association president.

What do you consider to be the most important function of the BOT?
"I believe each board member has his or her own views for the future of UNF, though many of us share common goals. My personal goal for UNF, as a faculty member and as the faculty representative on the board, is one of academic excellence. I hope that UNF can continue to carve a niche as a midsized comprehensive university with a focus on quality students and quality faculty."

Name: Joan Newton

Appointed: 2002-January 2003, by Gov. Bush.

Reappointed: January 2006-January 2011, by BOG.

Occupation: Retired.

Education: Unknown.

Community Involvement: Chairman emeritus of Regency Centers Corporation; former member of the Florida Board of Governors; former Jacksonville Business Woman of the Year.

What do you consider to be the most important function of the BOT?
No response.

Name: Carol Thompson

Appointed: September 2003-January 2008, by Gov. Bush.

Occupation: Retired.

Education: Nursing diploma from Bethesda Hospital School of Nursing; B.A. in Political science from City University, New York; M.S. in Allied Health Administration from UNF.

Community Involvement: Former executive vice president of Baptist Health; former president of Baptist Health Foundation; former chair of Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.

What do you consider to be the most important function of the BOT?
do you consider the most important function of the BOT? "Working with the university leadership and faculty to determine the visio and strategic goals for the university, and then to monitor and evaluate performance and accomplishment of the goals."

Name: Rachel Tutwiler - Student Government

Appointed: May 2007-April 2008

Occupation: Student.

Education: UNF senior majoring in political science.

Community Involvement: Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.; member of the African-American Student Union; College Republicans member.

What vision do you think the board has for UNF in the future?
No response.

What do you consider to be the most important function of the BOT?
No response.

Name: Kevin Twomey

Appointed: January 2003- January 2008, by BOG.

Occupation: Retired.

Education: Bachelor's degree from University of Virginia; Master's degree from George Washington University; M.B.A. from Duke University.

Community Involvement: Former president of the St. Joe Company; former Vice Chair of H.F. Ahmanson and Company; distinguished alumnus of the U.S. Navy Supply Corps.

What do you consider to be the most important function of the BOT?
"We work to have a productive relationship with the university's president and staff, and to develop and follow a plan that will ensure the future and success of the institution."

Compiled by Tami Livingston

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University relocates tortoises to make room for housing

By Tami Livingston
NEWS EDITOR

Rebecca Daly

A University employee holds a tortoise that was captured near Kernan Boulevard for relocation.

The University of North Florida is relocating some of its residents - at least, some wild ones.

For the last two-and-a-half months, university employees and volunteers have been locating, trapping and excavating gopher tortoise burrows on the Eastern Ridge of campus near Kernan Boulevard. The tortoises are being captured for relocation to the Nokuse Plantation, a 48,000-acre private preserve in the Panhandle, to make way for the construction of the new Osprey Fountains residence hall.

Gopher tortoises are native to Florida and live in underground burrows, which also house more than 350 other species. The tortoises dig their burrows on high, sandy land and therefore are greatly affected by land development.

The tortoises are listed as a species of special concern, but are qualified to be re-listed as threatened. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has developed a management plan aiming to conserve gopher tortoise populations. The FWC is also encouraging the ban of interim take permits, which allow construction on inhabited lands, after July 31, requiring all developers to submit a plan for tortoise relocation to protected habitats.

While the university has a take permit, administrators decided to relocate them instead.

"We didn't just want to kill all these tortoises out there," said Richard Crosby, associate vice president for administration and finance. The University's Environmental Advisory Council discussed relocation and a recommendation was then forwarded to UNF President John Delaney.

Other species living on the Eastern Ridge will be able to escape the construction and relocate themselves, but the tortoises could not, Crosby said.

After conducting a burrow survey of the 76-acre plot in May, biologist and gopher tortoise relocation manager Dona Kerlin and her team identified the active burrows. Camouflaged bucket traps were then placed in front of more than 70 burrows for the tortoises to fall into. The traps were checked twice a day for six weeks and a total of 34 tortoises were caught. Two tortoises were caught using a mini-track hoe to excavate their burrows. One burrow was over 30 feet long and over 7 feet deep, Kerlin said.

Among the volunteers were four students from associate professor of biology Anthony Rossi's class.

"It's definitely hard work, but it's rewarding doing something good for the animals and the environment," said Sara Bledsoe, a senior biology major.

Similar action was taken last fall on the tract of land that has now become the North/South Road, resulting in the relocation of 11 tortoises, Crosby said.

"If we have enough funding we plan to relocate the tortoises on the north side of campus where Greek housing is going," he said.

The cost of the current relocation project is approximately $50,000, but Crosby said the university is investigating whether it can have the take permit revoked and receive a refund to help offset the price of relocation.

Even with the cost, Crosby said relocation was and is the right thing to do.

"They [university officials] didn't have to lift a finger for those tortoises," Kerlin said. "They already had the take permit and all they had to do was come in and bulldoze."

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Students aim to simplify textbook transactions

By Holli Welch
MANAGING EDITOR

Two students at the University of North Florida launched a Web site July 16 in hopes of defeating the inevitable: spending all the money saved up from summer jobs on fall textbooks.

Senior finance major Eric Fuller and senior international business major Mike Beaulieu created www.fukso.com, a free Web site that networks students at UNF to buy, sell and trade books on campus. The site offers UNF students the ability to negotiate prices and eliminate the middleman in the textbook process, Fuller said.

"The concept of the Web site is students helping students," he said. "It is networked logically and should save students time and money when buying books."

Fukso creates profiles for members after they sign up with lists of the books they need now, books they need in the future and books they want to sell. The site then generates a second set of lists featuring the names of students who are seeking to buy or sell the same books.

"The process is easy and is constantly updated, so students can instantly get the book they need instead of waiting for weeks from other online services," Fuller said.

Students agree that having more control over the selling process would be an advantage over other services.

"Lately every time I go to sell a book, they haven't needed it and won't buy it from me," junior building construction major Sean Foster said. "I would probably use the Web site because I have a bunch of books that I was unable to sell and I know that other kids will need them."

The site provides the network to introduce students to each other, but each textbook transaction - including the price and location to sell - is left up to students.

Fuller and Beaulieu are planning to create trade zones on the Green and at Starbucks and Wackadoo's to serve as selling locations. These designated zones will be available as soon as the university clears the request, Fuller said.

The idea for Fukso originated from a Facebook group Fuller created in 2006. More than 600 UNF students were members of the book trading group and used it successfully, Fuller said.

After the test run at UNF, Fuller said they plan to release the Web site service to other college communities and offer various college networks.

Students interested in joining the site can visit www.vnetus.com/fukso.

"We hope to have everyone at UNF using the site and saving money," Fuller said. "As long as other services are not ripping off students, we'll be happy."

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New program encourages health among Ospreys

By Sarah Diener
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

In an effort to improve the health and wellbeing of faculty, staff and students, the University of North Florida has started a campus wide wellness program called "Healthy Campus: 2010."

University officials were inspired to start the program after attending a presentation by the American College Health Association where a plan to make college campuses healthier was presented, according to Kevin Modglin, prevention services coordinator for the Campus Alcohol and Drug Information Center.

The Office of Health Promotion and CADIC were chosen to lead the effort, which started by having students fill out surveys that asked about wellness and health issues such as sexual behavior, drug and alcohol use, diet and exercise and mental health, Modglin said.

According to survey results, binge drinking and unprotected sex are the largest health issues, as 64 percent of the student body reported having unprotected sex and 70 percent of students involved in Greek Life reported binge drinking at least once within a two-week period.

The results do not indicate if the survey percentages represent the number of individuals within a given category who answered they have exhibited a certain behavior, or if the percentages are part of the total number of students surveyed.

"We are examining this data to establish goals for making UNF a healthier campus," Modglin said.

Modglin said that the university plans to create committees dedicated to focusing on different health issues around campus and devising plans to help combat unhealthy behaviors.

Faculty and staff in the Brooks College of Health are participating in Healthy Campus: 2010 by creating their own version of the hit television reality series "Celebrity Fit Club."

Members of the "Brooks College of Health Fit Club" meet every Friday to discuss nutrition, stress management, and proper exercise techniques, and each member of the club exercises on their own or with others to lose weight and get healthier.

Twyla Gainey, senior secretary for the School of Nursing and the Department of Athletic Training and Physical Therapy, goes swimming with a coworker every Tuesday and Thursday to help meet her goals.

"It is a lot of information that you learn," Gainey said. "But it's fun."

The club plans to have a final weigh-in at the end of August, and the individual with most weight lost will win a prize.

Options for funding more programs are still being explored, Modglin said, and data concerning student health is still being analyzed in an effort to understand the issues and develop effective ways of dealing with them. Committees are expected to be formed sometime this fall.

"As educators we focus so much on intellectual aspects, but this gives us a chance to emphasize the physical," said Dr. A. Russell Smith, the Department of Athletic Training and Physical Therapy chair.

Smith said with approximately 25 percent of Florida falling under the category of obese, this program will be highly beneficial for everyone involved.

"It shouldn't be that when you think of college, you thinking of gaining weight like the 'Freshman 15'," Smith said.

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Giuliani brings foreign policy, fiscal conservatism talk to campus

By Tami Livingston
NEWS EDITOR

Rebecca Daly

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani spoke of the qualities of a true leader to the University of North Florida and Jacksonville community July 7 at the University Center.

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani spoke at the University of North Florida University Center July 7 to a packed room.

After having to open a retractable wall on one side of the room to accommodate everyone in attendance, Giuliani walked into a standing ovation and country band Brooks and Dunn's "Only in America." Speaking for almost an hour, Giuliani addressed what he thinks is needed in Washington, the war in Iraq and fiscal responsibility.

Giuliani said politics is currently lacking leadership, which he said requires two things.

First, he said, a "leader should know what they believe in and tell people that." Giuliani said too many politicians rely on opinion polls to tell them what to believe.

"A leader sets a course and tells you what direction he or she thinks we should go in," he said.

Secondly, Giuliani said, a leader must be optimistic and believe in their country.

He said according to recent polls, a majority of the American people think the United States is going in the wrong direction.

"America is not fundamentally going in the wrong direction," he said.

"We've got problems - they're big ones," he said, "but there's never been a country with more freedom, more prosperity [...] We're a good country with good, solid principles and should use them to solve our problems."

Terrorism is a large problem facing the United States, Giuliani said.

"The response before 9/11 was incorrect," Giuliani said. "They should've been treated as acts of war, not just criminal acts," referring to the attacks on the U.S.S. Cole and American embassies overseas.

He said America needs "to appeal to those in the Middle East that can be our friends" and "put our own defense first and people's opinion of us second." He said Democrats "don't get the magnitude of the threat that we face."

Giuliani also said President George W. Bush needs to do everything he can to create a society and government "so when we leave, we leave with an ally against terrorism."

Regarding his stance on Iran and nuclear weapons, Giuliani said "Iran is the biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world [...] it should not be a nuclear power." He said stronger sanctions need to be enforced against Iran.

Giuliani also discussed his views on fiscal responsibility, stating he is "committed to restoring fiscal discipline to Washington."

Giuliani said he plans to do this by lowering government spending and taxes in order to put more money in the hands of the people. He also advocated for the downsizing of government. Giuliani referred to his time as mayor of New York City to exemplify those practices in action.

During his speech, the audience was decidedly supportive, except for when Giuliani responded that he as of that moment would not sign the Fair Tax Bill unless it could be proved to him it would not tax the middle class more than now.

Amid some booing, one audience member yelled "Read the bill and then talk!"

The mood lifted again when Giuliani said social security needs a bipartisan solution and people should be able to use some of their social security money in other ways.

Giuliani said he's aware Florida has a critical primary, and he's focusing on the Sunshine State early on with events and fundraising and expects other candidates to begin doing the same.

After answering some more audience questions, Giuliani left the room amid another standing ovation and Rascal Flatts' "Life Is a Highway."

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Gainesville lead surfaces for missing man

By Tami Livingston
NEWS EDITOR

Davis

Flyers have been posted on campus in the hopes someone might recognize or have information regarding the whereabouts of a 26-year-old Westside man who has been missing for over three weeks.

Michael Austin Davis was last seen June 25 at his sister's house. His family and friends have not heard from him since he was picked up in a taxi to run errands, and there has been no activity on his cell phone or his bank accounts since then.

Personal items such as his computer, backpack and a blank check from his father are accounted for. A friend of Davis posted the flyers on campus hoping someone would recognize him and call in.

Local news stations have covered Davis's disappearance, and his parents took out an ad in the Florida Times-Union July 10. While they have received a some calls in response to the flyers and stories, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is handling the case.

Michael has yet to be found or contact his family and friends, said Davis's father, Jim Davis.

A new lead surfaced July 17 when a woman called after seeing Michael's picture on the front of a Palatka newspaper.

"A woman called and said she's pretty sure she saw him in Gainesville recently," Jim Davis said.

Jim Davis described his son as a laid-back, polite young man who has been depressed lately.

His friend Amy said he is family-oriented and his disappearance is completely out of character.

"He's not a real heavy partier, but he loves people," Jim Davis said. "We're just doing everything we can to find him."

Davis is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds, with brown hair and a scar on the right side of his face.

"We're desperate to find him," Jim Davis said.

If you have seen or have information about Davis, call his family at 375-1900 or (850) 340-0446, or JSO at 630-0500.

For more information about Davis, visit www.findaustindavis.com.

Contact Laurel Wright at uspinnak@unf.edu/a> -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE