DISCOURSE
- College rankings useful but only a start Editorial
- New leadership can breathe life into Osprey reputation Editorial
- Spinnaker pledges continued integrity in campus reporting Matt Coleman
- Gibson fails to show empathy, sorrow for tragic Malian deaths Fatima Hussein
- SG president promises opportunities in store for students this year Rachael Tutwiler
College rankings useful but only a start
Editorial
The University of North Florida was recently ranked as a best value college by the Princeton Review for the second year
in a row. But what does that
ranking mean?
According to the Princeton Review Web site, UNF appears on two of their lists: as a Best Southeastern College and an America's Best Value College The goal of the Best Southern College list is "to identify some of the colleges and universities that we feel stand out within the region." A best-value college is defined by the site as "one of the colleges designated as one of the best overall bargains based on cost and financial aid-among the most academically outstanding colleges in the nation."
While being able to include a statement about being ranked as a best college can provide an impressive appearance on college catalogues and reports to parents or trustees, students, educators and parents should be aware of how rankings are calculated.
Before taking a ranking at face value, people should research what aspects of a university or school were considered in the ranking, how many people were surveyed, and whether those surveyed consists of a range of people - not just administrators or educational experts, but also the students attending the institution in question to have a more well-rounded and as unbiased view of the institution as possible.
According to the Princeton Review, UNF is one of 146 Southeastern colleges to receive the designation of a best college.
The review bases its ranking on surveys completed by thousands of students from campuses across the nation. More than 90 percent of the surveys are completed online, but some are conducted in person on campus.
The survey is composed of 80 questions ranging in categories from "about yourself" to "your schools academics and administration," "students," and "life at your school."
The Princeton Review strives to provide a complete view of the college experience by not just focusing on classes, but everything else students experience while at a school, from the administrators and advisers that register them for their classes to the social habits and atmosphere of the institution with questions like "How widely used is beer?"
While some rankings only consider academics or class size and don't take the student experience into consideration, others also calculate their rankings by surveying fellow educators and their opinions about the reputations of other institutions without even considering student opinions.
So while college rankings can be a useful tool to help a prospective student determine whether an institution could be the best choice for them, people should always consider how the information the rankings are based upon is compiled, and how it is calculated, before taking a ranking at face value.
New leadership can breathe life into Osprey reputation
Editorial
A university is one of those amazing things in life that feels like it's worth much more than the sum of its parts. What makes the University of North Florida such a wonderful place to learn and grow is not necessarily the campus, the buildings or
the classrooms.
It takes hard work from all of the individual departments and the devotion of administrators and students to create a proper learning environment.
Like a well-oiled machine, it only works when every cog and gear is turning properly. By tapping the experienced Dean Billick to lead the Athletics Department, UNF has taken a strong move toward ensuring Osprey athletics, and consequently the university as a whole, is stronger than ever.
Billick is not so much a new gear in the machine of UNF as he is a rearranged one. He will soon be stepping into the shoes of the newly created chief of staff position for the Athletics Department, but for the past 12 years he's been a consultant for the university. His 40-year career is filled with successful experience in areas where UNF needed him most.
To illustrate, the Athletics Department is in the planning stages of overhauling some of the older facilities, as well as building news ones.
Billick, as the No. 2 man for the University of Cincinnati Athletic Department, helped design and secure funding for the $105-million Varsity Village project that housed swimming, basketball, baseball and football arenas.
But all the new facilities in the world will mean little if UNF sports teams can't bring their game to the level of those teams that have been playing NCAA Division I sports
for years.
Billick has been where we would like to see UNF athletic teams in the future: NCAA tournaments. While at the University of Pittsburgh, the football team he administered made 12 college bowl appearances and the basketball team made eight trips to NCAA tournaments. He even helped the relatively small Lamar University bring home four conference titles.
A stronger Athletics Department will also have profound changes on the student body as a whole.
One of the most ironic things about the world of academia is the fact that a school is often better known for its athletes than its scholars.
Winning sports teams improve the school's national reputation, which can specifically help UNF recruit some of the strongest and smartest prospects to join the university. Winning sports teams also encourage students to attend more games and cheer on those who play for their
alma mater.
In other words, a stronger department will boost both morale and perception regarding UNF both inside and outside of the school.
It certainly looks like there are great things on the horizon for UNF athletes, and that's something everyone should be happy about hearing. In order for UNF to grow into a stronger institution, every department on campus must strive for excellence, from the Athletics Department to Parking Services.
With Dean Billick now in a better position to use his experience to guide sports at UNF, at least we can be confident we have one department covered.
We can only hope that in the future, the administration is as keen at recognizing and recruiting the same kind of talent in other areas.
Spinnaker pledges continued integrity in campus reporting
Letter from the Editor
There is an unfortunate truth about the newspaper industry: What is newsworthy is not always what is good.
Sit in on any course offered by the communication department and you'll undoubtedly hear the phrase, "If it bleeds, it leads." Thankfully, the amount of bleeding at the University of North Florida is kept to a minimum, but the sentiment still
holds true.
Stories that involve negative incidents oftentimes receive more coverage due to the dramatic nature of the events. The recent mine collapse in Utah is going to get more attention than the opening of a local petting zoo. Anyone who has craned their neck to view a car wreck can
attest - human suffering is
intrinsically compelling.
The media's coverage of the Iraq war has been soundly criticized by far-right pundits because of the lack of positive stories coming from the land of sand and oil. The problem is not a vast liberal media conspiracy, it's that fluffy human interest stories aren't terribly captivating when shrapnel is flying through the air.
Although UNF is nowhere near as chaotic as the United States' latest military debacle (even though students parking during the first week of school would beg to differ), the campus still has its share of stories - good and bad - that demand coverage.
It is our duty as the UNF student newspaper to chronicle on-campus happenings of interest to our readers, whether that deals with rising tuition rates, the practices of student organizations, or the weekly
Police Beat.
We are not a public relations outfit, we don't publish press releases, and we don't choose our content based on whether the stories will reflect positively or negatively on the subject. Our only goal is to objectively present the news to our readers in a professional and unbiased manner.
This policy will invariably lead to conflict with people who think their organization or person is beyond the scope of our coverage, but the news business at its heart is a direct reflection of the human condition. It encompasses all aspects of our society - the good, the bad and the potentially ugly. If the media only covered stories that portrayed the world in a perpetually cheery light, we would be doing a great disservice to readers.
As a university newspaper, we don't always have to take ourselves so dreadfully serious (and we don't, just check the front page). It is our dedication to our work, however, that drives us to present every side of the story.
The only people we serve are our readers, and we pledge to do everything in our power to cover the news pertinent to them.
Contact Matt Coleman at editor@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Gibson fails to show empathy, sorrow for tragic Malian deaths
Student Opinion
When I routinely flip through Clearwire's various news stations, I never hesitate to stop and vegetate on FOX News Channel's finest program, "The Big Story w/ John Gibson." After sitting through Gibson's "Word" last Monday, I found myself wide-eyed and openmouthed in response to remarks made by the host.
Following the mention of the March fire in New York that killed 10 Malian immigrants in their cramped apartment, Gibson attacked the victims, claiming their deaths were proof that immigrants should not be allowed to live in the United States. Gibson's logic concluded that the real tragedy was the ultimate inconvenience the incident caused our nation's janitors and firefighters with the cleanup of the victim's remains.
After Sept. 11, the nation quickly and collectively responded to the deaths of the victims in a surge of sadness and memorial. Yet after the catastrophic deaths of the Malian immigrants in the deadliest fire in New York since Sept. 11, not a single mention of their names, nor a solitary picture of the victims - nine being children - were shown.
Instead, the media and the conservative movement trivialized their deaths to promote political agendas - specifically, that immigrants are the demise of this country. To them, an immigrant's migration to the United States is enough to provoke their death, which, presumably, is accomplished intentionally to create a further nuisance to the American public.
It is clear that portraying (and lambasting) immigrants as faceless beings who invaded this country to steal its wealth - which, ironically, was stolen from them to begin with - shows there is an inherent desire among the right-wing media to demonize those whom we might otherwise identify with. In their eyes, it would be disloyal for Americans to sympathize with the plight of people who struggle with the same things this nation's citizens' struggle with.
In a country where the majority of inhabitants were initially immigrants themselves, it is truly shocking to witness the solemn remembrance of one group of people and the denouncing cries of hatred toward another, the only difference between the two being their locations of birth.
Gibson's rampant deprecation of the innocent victims of the blaze, who should have been greatly recognized demonstrates not only his obviously racist narrow-mindedness toward anyone not born under the red, white and blue, but also suggests his America can no longer be distinguished as the country embracing of diverse ethnicities we believe it to be. The additional victimization of the Fatoumata, Harouma, Sisi, Djibril, Hassing, and Soumare families provided by Gibson is a glaring product of his own abhorrent intolerance.
Contact Fatima Hussein at discourse@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
SG president promises opportunities in store for students this year
Staff Opinion
Fellow Ospreys, welcome to the University of North Florida 2007-2008! This year will be the start and continuation of several exciting developments for our campus. I firmly believe this year will be better than any other, but it's your involvement that will guarantee it happens.
My involvement with Student Government taught me to truly be a leader. From it, I have learned that by being involved in SG I can be a part of something bigger than myself. SG oversees a $3.1 million budget used to assist in the operation of various departments and student activities on campus.
The organization is comprised of executive, legislative and judicial branches that together work to meet student needs and improve the quality of campus life.
For example, SG recently brought Starbucks to UNF because we realized many students would benefit from and enjoy it being on campus. In the near future there will be an African-American Studies minor for students. Student Government saw this was a need on the campus and is currently working with administration to finalize the minor. Student Government also has four agencies, including the African-American Student Union, Club Alliance, Osprey Productions and the Volunteer Center.
AASU is responsible for the development and implementation of cultural enrichment through activities that reflect the various interests of the student body with a special focus on African-American culture.
Club Alliance oversees the maintenance of student clubs, provides unity for clubs and helps them excel. OP's mission is to provide a variety of entertainment at little or no cost to the student body for the purpose of enhancing campus life.
The Volunteer Center's purpose is to connect students to community-service organizations in the city and provide opportunities to interact with the community while on campus.
As you can see, in SG there is something for you. As your student body president, it is my goal to make sure you have the best experience as a student, enhanced by additional opportunities that will make you even more prepared to be successful in life. Your SG leadership team is passionate about serving you! We hope to be resources and a support for each and every one of you.
If there is a concern or question we can research or help you with, don't hesitate to contact SG at any time. We are here to represent you and it is my desire to unite our voices on the issues that impact us all as we move forward!
Contact Rachael Tutwiler at sgapres@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE