DISCOURSE
- School response to suicide threats laudable Editorial
- Myanmar's hope for democracy lies with China's intervention Editorial
- Study abroad internships are plausible, affordable Joey Clements
- Partisanship polarizes, doesn't produce good decision making Donald Postway
- Letters to the Editor
School response to suicide threats laudable
Editorial
The recent suicide threats made by students and reported in Police Beat this fall have served as a saddening reminder that suicidal thoughts are not uncommon among college students.
Suicide is an especially sensitive topic for those who knew former Spinnaker Editor in Chief Richard O'Bryant, who took his life in the office on campus in 2005, and for those who knew Ari David Frank, a University of North Florida student who killed himself in Building 50
in 2006.
Suicide is a problem among college students across the nation. It is estimated there are more than 1,000 suicides on college campuses throughout the nation per year, according to a report conducted by the American Association of Suicidology.
A disheartening number of college students have contemplated ending their lives. One in 12 students have made a suicide plan, according to
AAS statistics.
The good thing about this number is that most of these students have survived their depression and have received help toward improved
mental states.
What is most important for these students who are seeking help is that their universities support them through their recovery.
This was not the case for one student who attended George Washington University in 2006. He was depressed and considering suicide, so he checked himself into a hospital. A day and a half later,
he received a note from the GWU administrator that said his
condition was a danger to the
university and he could face possible suspension and expulsion from
the school.
He was also notified that he was barred from campus.
The administrators at GWU were worried the university could be held liable for suicidal events that could follow the student's threats, so they wanted to wash their hands by expunging him from the system.
They thought if he died, they couldn't get sued since they had already expelled him.
Could this happen at the University of North Florida? UNF General Counsel Karen Stone said the school is first and foremost concerned with students' safety.
"If we're aware a student is under stress, we factor in the student's best interest before liability," she said.
Stone empathizes with families who try to sue an institution following the suicide of a loved one, but says judges rarely find institutions liable for the deaths - especially if they have gone to great lengths to help students following threats.
The university can, however, remove a student if he or she is seen
as a threat to campus safety. Stone said legal outcomes differ on a
situational basis.
In another case involving a student who made suicide threats at Ferrum College in Virginia, the judge ruled that the university had the duty
to prevent suicide if the risk was readily foreseeable.
UNF currently follows procedure that ensures students get help either at the Counseling Center or at a
hospital, according to Dr. Michael Malec, associate director of
the center.
If students refuse to get help and a licensed mental health professional believes they are a danger to themselves, they may be hospitalized for up to 74 hours by way of the Florida Baker Act.
Whether students get penalized for missing class or receive an incomplete mark at the end of the term differs from case to case, Malec said.
Through its attempt to avoid
potential liability lawsuits and
apparent genuine concern for
UNF student safety, the university
seems well versed in covering every aspect of a suicidal student's safety.
If you or someone else is seriously considering suicide, around-the-clock help can be reached at the University Police Department at 620-2800 and during office hours at the UNF Counseling Center at 620-2602.
Myanmar's hope for democracy lies with China's intervention
Editorial
Myanmar's best hope for democracy lies with - get this - China's intervention
In the wake of reports that soldiers have killed thousands of people in Myanmar, including hundreds of Buddhist monks, one Swedish diplomat was prompted to say recently, "The revolution is over."
The deaths come as tens of thousands of citizens have taken to the street over the past week in peaceful opposition to the country's leadership, a socialist junta that's been in power since 1962. Since that time, the country has suffered economic squalor and brutal martial law - though these kinds of mass executions have not taken place since similar peaceful protests in 1988.
What makes this latest movement unique in the history of Myanmar - or Burma, as it is still called by those who don't recognize the junta's legitimacy - is that for the first time, Buddhist monks have lent their support to the effort, seriously undermining the government's public image, which for much of its claim to power depends on its so-called roots in the religious community.
But Gen. Than Shwe and his gang have proven, after brief hesitation, that they won't let theological concerns get in the way of a good old-fashioned power grab. The bodies of dead monks now line the Irrawaddy River like water lilies in a gruesome answer to their long-sought serenity - an interesting response for a government that routinely prints
messages like "We favor peace"
and "We oppose violence" in state-
run newspapers.
The fight is still alive in Myanmar, but the military is getting exactly what it wants from comments like the one from this unnamed Swedish diplomat. Calling the fight over before it's really begun is the worst thing anyone outside the country can do for those suffering inside. There are signs of loss, but there are also signs of hope.
Take, for example, China. China is a country that always acts in its own best economic interest and more or less doesn't care about the political philosophies of the countries it trades with, as long as the relationship
is prosperous.
What Myanmar needs now - or more accurately, what Burma needs now to overcome Myanmar - is strengthened resolve from the international community, not defeatist diplomats who turn at the first sign
of struggle.
That's the only way democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters will have the momentum to affect change in a country that
desperately needs it.
Study abroad internships are plausible, affordable
Student Opinion
Summer backpacking through Europe is a sort of pilgrimage for college students. They return brimming with stories about hostels that unexpectedly doubled as discotheques and illicit nights in Amsterdam. Such stints in Europe, however, usually cost thousands of dollars and provide little advantage after graduation.
Last summer, I decided to forgo the 50-pound pack and instead landed an internship in Rome for the United Nations World Food Program. In Rome, I - well, did as the Romans really do. I got up each morning and commuted to work.
At the United Nations, my tasks did not include making coffee or copies. Instead, I called the World Bank for information on funding programs and wrote memos for senior UN officials. In effect, my work helped feed hungry people from Bangladesh to Bolivia.
Weekends afforded ample time to stroll the Forum and peruse the Vatican Museum. Once June rolled around, however, the brutal heat and hordes of tourists began making the main sites less attractive. I, like the Romans, began spending my leisure time in the Eternal City's tranquil parks.
Unfortunately, many capable students do not pursue amazing internship experiences because of the practical difficulties of interning overseas. For example, I hopped the wrong train and showed up for work an hour late more than once over the summer. Of course, it's the challenges of living in a foreign environment that make the experience so rich.
Once you rent a flat and get a cell phone with the Italian vocabulary of a two-year-old, you can do practically anything. Living alone in a foreign city, however, can be lonely. Luckily, several great Internet phone services allow dirt-cheap calls to the United States. I talked with someone back home nightly and only spent about $30 in
calling fees.
My homesickness quickly subsided as I became friends with the other interns in my office. My Italian friends were great tour guides and knew all the great places to grab a bite and a drink.
After dinner, a favorite hobby became tossing coins at tourists near Trevi Fountain. Immature, perhaps, but nevertheless gratifying, as tourists are the necessary street-clogging evil of Roman life.
Even intrepid students might worry about the cost of interning overseas. The absurd cost of living in Europe and four-digit airfares can quickly chew into a student's budget. Fortunately, our university offers a great public sector internship initiative program to help defray the cost of globetrotting interns.
My eight weeks in Rome cost me about $4500, including transportation and rent. I only needed about $400 dollars of my own money for expenses like miniature David statues and museum admissions. The remainder of my funds came from a university Transformational Learning Opportunity grant, and scholarships from the Southside Businessmans' Association and the Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Association of Northeast Florida.
If you're thinking globally now, fall is the time to start planning. Think big, and start scouting the Web sites of the organizations offering your dream internship. Remember, there are thousands of amazing internships available and they go to everyday students like us.
Students looking for internship opportunities can contact Dr. Mary Borg at mborg@unf.edu.
Contact Joey Clements at discourse@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Partisanship polarizes, doesn't produce good decision making
Student Opinion
One of the odd things about the United States is the fact that it is both a very unified and a very divided nation.
This is especially true of the American political system. Although most politicians have the public's best interest at heart, there are strong divisions about what is the best way to address certain problems in our society.
These divisions are manifested in the two major political parties in American government. A lot of the national Capitol's time is wasted as the two parties squabble over their differences and stymie each other's efforts to pass legislation for ideological or political reasons.
What the situation lacks is balance and a general call for legislators to work across the aisle to find solutions to the United States' problems.
The reason why consensus is so hard to find in Washington D.C. is that both parties take relatively extreme views on issues and refuse to find the middle ground.
So what you end up with is one half of Congress being overly peaceful in an inappropriate situation, while the other half of Congress is suggesting we bomb everyone and let God sort them out.
This sort of division exists on all sorts of issues, including social welfare programs, civil rights issues and even education reform.
It should be obvious to the politicians that they will have to compromise at some level, but many don't
for a variety of reasons such as personal beliefs, political ambitions
or ideology. But the best and most fair answers are rarely found at the extremes. They are normally somewhere in the middle.
A playwright once wrote, "Must it all be either less or more, either
plain or grand? Is it always 'or', is it never 'and?'"
These are the kinds of questions that we need to ask ourselves if we are searching for the most effective and equitable way to make social and political decisions - especially those decisions that involve conflicting ideals, such as a conflict between individual freedoms and moral standards.
This doesn't mean we always have
to abandon our own personal beliefs.
It simply means we need to look for the middle ground.
In the end, we might choose not to stand in the middle and maintain our original positions on the matter. But the simple act of seeing the middle ground shows there was an attempt
to understand opposing points of
view and why others find them so
appealing.
Sadly, the ability to see the middle ground is undervalued in a two-party government system that emphasizes party loyalty.
Fortunately, the American political system responds well to the American people. Things like party loyalty are only important if we make party affiliation the foundation of our voting decisions.
If we start voting for the better candidate regardless of whether they are a Republican or a Democrat, then elected officials could speak more freely about the times when they disagree with their parties' leadership.
If we start demanding leaders who take a more centrist point of view and are true consensus builders, the parties will provide such candidates - or new parties will arise to meet that constituency.
The many challenges that face our nation are serious and complex and will require innovative and strong leadership to address these problems. It takes courage and strong character to challenge the status quo.
Finding officials who aren't afraid to look for and promote centrist or bipartisan solutions is essential if we want to build a stronger, better
United States.
Contact Donald Postway at discourse@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Letters to the Editor
Skate ban, intersection closing are just kneejerk reactions
Dear Editor,
It appears, based on the Oct. 3 "Skateboards, bikes might go" and "Council suggests roadway closure" articles, that the University of North Florida Safety Council is making ill-conceived decisions.
I am glad there are members who serve on the council that are reasonable enough to have the foresight to know banning skateboards, bicycles, and other non-motorized vehicles from the campus core is a ridiculous proposal.
There are too many students who depend on alternative modes of transportation, whether for ecological or economical reasons, to place a ban on skateboards and bicycles, especially when people are not breaking the law.
If a minority of the population breaks the law, then it would be reasonable to increase enforcement to minimize offenses.
Secondly, the proposal to completely close the road between the University Police Department and the Child Development Research Center needs closer consideration.
Instead of closing the road, the council should consider that the intersection be converted into a right turn only intersection with a barrier. This would reduce the number of rear end accidents because it would not be legal to make a left turn from UNF Drive into Lot 14, except at the traffic signal near the new Parking Services building.
If motorists ignore the barrier and continue to make left turns, those who are breaking the law should be duly punished. This is a solution that would eliminate the majority of the danger from the intersection without eliminating the intersection
altogether.
Safety Council: I appreciate your hard work and concern for students such as myself. Your magnanimity shows through your dedication, but I ask that you continue on with reason and foresight in future situations that occur.
Brandon Eady
Junior, English
Skate ban would affect only few, benefit many
Dear Editor,
Skateboards and bicycles are already banned on all covered walkways and should be banned on campus.
The argument that they are a major mode of transportation here is silly.
An informal survey over the period of a day showed far less than 3 percent of skaters and bikers were among the thousands of walkers moving between classes. But rare as they are, they do represent a hazard to those of
us on foot who must remain alert to them.
Bicycles should be ridden on roads and walked on walkways. Skateboards should be banned on campus.
Hanley Smith
Alumnus