Mock rally encourages political awareness

By Sarah Diener
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Rebecca Daly

(Top) Two First Coast High School student delegates eat lunch outside of the University Center Nov 13.
Bottom) Duval County high school juniors and seniors sign-in for the convention the same day.

High school and college students from across Duval County came together in the University Center Nov. 13 and 14 to discuss political platforms, social and economic reform, and foreign policy, and to register to vote during a 2008 mock convention.

The two-day convention, sponsored by UNF and the Duval County Supervisor of Elections Office, split student delegates into different states and challenged them to decide on issues, develop platforms, and vote for presidential candidates.

"This event lets students know what happens during an election and gets them involved in the political process," said Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland. "They aren't just listening, they are participating."

Each student delegate was chosen by their respective high school using criteria such as GPA and class schedule, Holland said. Guest speakers and informational booths were present to educate attendees about the different presidential candidates for the 2008 election.

The 18-24 age bracket in Duval County has become the largest group of registered voters, and this event was intended to increase the trend, said Tracy Collier, director of education and communication for the Supervisor of Elections Office.

Collier also said UNF was the perfect location for the event because it promotes learning, and she hopes high school students will take the first step toward attending UNF or another institution of higher education by visiting a college campus.

"We want to motivate students to go to school and make a difference in their communities," Collier said.

Voting statistics
Of registered voters in Duval County:

44.6% - Democrat
36.7% - Republican
14.7% - No party

Source: Supervisor of Elections Office

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Where are your student fees going?

The Student Fee Assessment Committee is a joint committee comprised of university officials and Student Government representatives that is responsible for making recommendations to President John Delaney about the breakdown of student fees. The committee has had three meetings this semester. Below is a summary of which departments have presented their requests for next year.

Health Promotions

PRESENTER: Shelley Purser, director.

CURRENT FEE: 93 cents per credit hour.

REQUESTED INCREASE: none.

Student Medical Services

PRESENTER: Dr. Fred Beck, director; Doreen Perez, director of administration.

CURRENT FEE: $2.90 per credit hour

REQUESTED INCREASE: 76 cents per credit hour.

REASONS: SMS will relocate to the new College of Health expansion, growing from five to 10 rooms and from 2,500 to 8,900 square feet. The staff expects a 33 percent increase in requests for service.

Counseling Center

PRESENTER: Terri DiNuzzo, director. Current fee: $1.80 per credit hour.

REQUESTED INCREASE: 10 cents per credit hour.

REASONS: DiNuzzo said the center does not currently have enough space or staff to serve its patients. It needs money to fund an increase in psychiatric services and a new part-time crisis counselor, as well as an increase in hours for the nutritionist.

Activity and service fee (Student Government)

PRESENTER: Betty Garris, SG comptroller.

CURRENT FEE: $7.83 per credit hour.

REQUESTED INCREASE: 22 cents per credit hour.

REASONS: Student Life is preparing to move into the Student Union and must increase its staff by at least two positions, Garris said. SG would also use the funding to continue its existing programs.

Athletics

PRESENTERS: Dr. Richard Gropper, director; Dean Billick, chief of staff.

CURRENT FEE: $12.68 per credit hour.

REQUESTED INCREASE: 81 cents per credit hour.

REASONS: Athletics is requesting money to support the transition to Division I, including support for scholarship budgets, staff, and improvements to existing athletic facilities.

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Cutbacks bring unclear future for some student jobs

More than $2 million of school budget allotted to student jobs

By Laura Hyman
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On-campus student jobs might soon come under the knife as UNF administrators work to respond to the state's higher education budget recall.

It's up to individual divisions to decide whether to cut student jobs, said Ricky Arjune, the university's budget director.

The budget is divided among the vice presidents of each division and fluctuates according to the needs in each department.

Everything that is funded by state money could be impacted by the cuts, he said.

"Our object is to protect instructional activity," he said. "Most departments need student assistants. It is convenient for the department, and it's convenient for the students. Right now, the numbers don't look too bad."

Student jobs were intentionally designed to offset the cost of education by giving students the opportunity to earn money to help with their expenses, said Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, vice president for student and international affairs.

"I consider myself to be an ardent advocate for maintaining our student positions, and I will continue to be steadfast in this goal," Gonzalez said, adding he was not aware of any student positions in his division being lost due to the cuts.

Sarah Whitmore, a junior psychology major, works in the Environmental Health and Safety Office as a student assistant and echoes Arjune's statement about convenience.

"I like working on campus," she said. "It's convenient, and since I don't live on campus anymore, it makes me feel more involved on campus."

There are currently 596 student jobs on campus, including those in the College Work Study Program and those working as graduate assistants, according to Rachelle Gottlieb, vice president for human resources.

The average wage is $10.62 an hour for an average of 20 hours a week, which amounts to a total budget of more than $2 million per semester.

The Federal Work-Study program cannot be affected by the cuts because it is financed through the federal government, not the state.

The program is a federal establishment designed to assist students who show financial need by placing them in jobs both on and off campus.

Even though work-study is more popular at larger schools, the program is looking to expand in the 2008-2009 school year, said Jim Owen, director of One Stop Student Services.

"If you use all your money, you can ask for more the next year," Owen said. "We'll be eligible for more money next year. We currently have 46 students placed. Our goal is 70."

The challenge, he said, is that the majority of UNF students are commuters.

Unlike the University of Florida, where the school comprises majority of the city, there are many outlets close to campus to find work, like the St. Johns Town Center.

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Professor says threat of technology is dependent on personal usage

By Ashley Beland
STAFF WRITER

Robert K. Pietrzyk

One of three preachers who has been on the Green during the past week under UNF's freedom of speech policy talks to passing students.

Technology is not inherently dangerous, but can be used by people to either positive or negative ends, said UNF Assistant Professor Dr. Paul Harwood in a Nov. 7 lecture.

In a talk titled "Technology's Threat to Democracy," Harwood said technology can have a number of dangerous implications, but when used appropriately, can be a great asset in informing the public about political decision-making and other constructive things.

"The impact that technology has on society is all-encompassing," Hardwood said. "The real threat is how we use and how we are going to be allowed to use technology."

Harwood used a multimedia presentation that included a video clip from YouTube about a man learning how to use a book. The video illustrated his point that technology is harmless without a literate user.

"Technology is used every day, but we don't recognize that technology is not to blame [for problems]," he said. "We are to blame."

Harwood, a four-year UNF employee, chose his lecture subject to be in sync with his new book on the topic, "Educating the First Digital Generation."

The YouTube clip tied into another project sponsored by the American Democracy Project, which hosted the lecture. Soon, students will have the opportunity to tape questions for videos to be broadcast on online for the coming YouTube Republican Debate, said Dr. David Jaffee, assistant vice president for undergraduate affairs.

"What we are talking about is developing people's citizenship skills to participate in a democracy," Jaffee said. "It makes students aware of the different forms of activity and the relationship between those activities and the vitality of democracy."

Ryan Taggart, a sophomore communications major, said he was attending the lecture because it meant extra credit for his media literacy class.

"It was very informative," he said.

The American Democracy Project, sponsor of "Technology's Threat to Democracy," is an organization that works to raise student consciousness about political affairs and encourage student and community political participation. UNF's chapter is part of a larger network that includes 144 other institutions.

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Visiting preachers test school's free speech policy

By Andrew Zangre
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Rebecca Daly

One of three preachers who has been on the Green during the past week under UNF's freedom of speech policy talks to passing students.

Students crowded on the UNF Green numerous times over the last week to listen to and argue with visiting evangelists, bringing into focus once again the university's free speech policy.

Any person, regardless of whether they are affiliated with UNF, is protected by the university's policy to allow them to speak their mind in outdoor areas around campus whenever they see fit.

The current free speech policy was revised in 2004. The UNF Educational Policy Committee revised the policy to remove "internal inconsistencies," allowing people to demonstrate more freely on campus, said Karen Stone, vice president and general counsel.

"It was a question of keeping with the times," Stone said. "We changed to a new 'open policy,' which recognizes the basic freedoms of speech."

These changes came about in February 2004 after the school's implementation of "Free Speech Zones" came into question amid cases at other schools across the country.

The university originally designated squares of land where students could perform or protest, Stone said, which implied that such practices were prohibited elsewhere on campus. This segregation was a source of controversy among students.

"[Free Speech Zones] were a lightning rod for litigation," Stone said. "Our intent for them was completely misunderstood."

The improved free speech policy allows any person or group to schedule formal gatherings or demonstrations in outdoor areas as long as they receive approval from Student Life.

Someone trying to schedule an event must also meet several "content-neutral criteria," Stone said.

These guidelines ensure that the event will take place at a reasonable time and place and will not interfere with routine activities.

These expressions of speech are welcome on campus as long as the performer is "held responsible for orderly behavior" and causes "no disruption of academic activities, scheduled public functions or pedestrian or other traffic," according to the policy. Offenders of the speech policy are reported to the university president, rather than local authorities.

Stone said that the office has not been made aware of any problems since the free speech policy was implemented.

Free speech practices like this have become what sophomore Jacob Sylvia considers a spectacle.

"It's all for shock factor - on the preacher's side and the students' sides," Sylvia said.

While the UNF policy allows demonstrators to come and go as they please, the same is not true at Jacksonville University, according to Associate Vice President Derek Hall.

On the campus of JU, which is a private institution, Hall said nonstudent demonstrators are asked to leave by school officials.

Regardless of what actual value visitors' comments might have, Sylvia said he prefers the open-door policy of public universities like UNF.

"If someone is exercising their right to free speech, you always have the option to sit there and the option to walk away," Sylvia said.

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Club hopes to host first online political primary

By Sarah Diener
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

University of North Florida students have a new way of showing their political colors: through a national political Internet movement called "Unity08."

According to the organization's Web site, the movement aims to host the nation's first online primary. Unity08's Web site will show an Internet "convention" in June and online delegates will nominate a "unity" ticket composed of one Republican and one Democrat.

Unity08 hopes to get a third-party ticket on the ballot that will eventually win the presidency.

Club President and Campus Coordinator Joel Crandall said he hopes the club will host a forum for those who want to see political change. The club's officers agree.

"Even if this isn't a realistic goal at the moment, it's good to challenge our norms and think about what people from different spectrums of the political community are doing," said Ospreys4Unity Treasurer Zach Thomas.

The club plans to publicize its work through flyers, which can be printed out from the Web site, and by networking via Facebook and talking to other students, Crandall said.

Unity08 was started by major political contributors who felt there was too much separation between political parties and wanted to use their money to fund non-traditional candidates.

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