NEWS

Election '08 preview

The Florida Primary
Florida is once again in the national spotlight as Republican candidates traverse the state in hopes of securing last minute votes. Higher than normal voter turnout is expected despite the early primary date and absence of Florida democratic delegates. Below is a glimpse at the top candidates in the Jan. 29 primary election.

The Leading Candidates

HILLARY CLINTON 		EXPERIENCE: Former first lady; U.S. senator from New York since 2000.
CURRENT DELEGATES: 210
PRIMARIES WON: New Hampshire, Michigan, Nevada
WEB SITE: www.hillaryclinton.com
MITT ROMNEY 		EXPERIENCE: Massachusetts state governor 2003-2007; Republican nominee for U.S. Senate 1994.
CURRENT DELEGATES: 72
PRIMARIES WON: Wyoming, Michigan, Nevada
WEB SITE: www.mittromney.com

BARACK OBAMA 		EXPERIENCE: U.S. senator from Illinois since 2005, illinois state senator 1996-2004.
CURRENT DELEGATES: 123
PRIMARIES WON: Iowa
WEB SITE: www.barackobama.com
JOHN MCCAIN 		EXPERIENCE: senator from Arizona since 1986; Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 1982.
CURRENT DELEGATES: 38
PRIMARIES WON: New Hampshire, South Carolina
WEB SITE: www.johnmccain.com

JOHN EDWARDS 		EXPERIENCE: U.S. senator from North Carolina 1998 - 2005. Ran for president and then vice president with John Kerry in 2004.
CURRENT DELEGATES: 52
PRIMARIES WON: None
WEB SITE: www.johnedwards.com
MIKE HUCKABEE 		EXPERIENCE: Arkansas Governor 1996-2007, Lt. Governor 1993-1996.
CURRENT DELEGATES: 29
PRIMARIES WON: Iowa
WEB SITE: www.explorehuckabee.com
* Presidential Candidates ranked by total number of delegates as of Jan. 22, 2008. Not all candidates are included.

Voting Resources
Duval County Elections
Supervisor of Elections: Jerry Holland
105 E. Monroe Street
Jacksonville, Fl 32202
(904) 630-7777

Florida Presidential Primary
- Early Voting January 14-27
Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
- Polls open Jan. 29 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Early Voting Information
www.duvalelections.com

More election and voting information:
www.votesmart.org
www.usa.gov
www.votesmartflorida.org
election.dos.state.fl.us
www.govtrack.us
www.ontheissues.org


Compiled by Tami Livingston
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Miracle Kate's, Chartwells at odds over contract

Hot dog stand owners decline Chartwells proposal

By Sarah Gojekian
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Miracle Kate's Hot Diggity Dog Stand is no longer serving students because of a recent dispute with Chartwells.

The decision to stop serving was made by Rick and Mary Yeoman, owners of the stand, after they were presented with a new contract by Chartwells.

The conflict began when Mary notified Chartwells Director Dave Jordan of what day they would begin serving again after winter break, she said. Jordan responded with the contract, which now said they could serve one day less a week and could be asked to leave at any time, Mary said. The Yeoman's declined the offer.

Jordan said he asked the Yeomans to discontinue serving on Fridays because the campus is emptiest that day, and the stand would not make enough money to take up the space that it does.

But the couple believes it's a personal issue because of the amount of money they make, forcing other on-campus dining spots to compete for business.

Mary estimates they served 150 people a day.

The stand was brought to campus about a year ago by Student Government. It is named after the Yeoman's granddaughter Katelyn, who has aplastic anemia.

"We were just on campus to serve up our food and had no idea it would escalate into the success it has become," Mary said.

She said they are heartbroken that they will no longer be able to serve the friends they've made among the staff and students, but they could not come to an agreement with Chartwells and felt it best they leave.

"There is nothing we could do about it. They made it rough for us and it's not worth the headache," Rick said.

"We were told that there would be a guaranteed spot in the new line-up [after the student union is completed] for us," Mary said.

Jordan disagreed.

"They knew all along they would not be needed when the new building came. The campus can not support a lot of new food chains without a massive population [of students], he said."

Students will have many options when the student union is completed including Quiznos, Asian Bamboo and three other fast food venues, Jordan said.

Jordan said he is shocked at their decision to leave.

"Last year they were upset about their sales [and now they're doing so well], so I am very surprised," he said.

Currently, the Yeomans will continue to serve workers on the student union and College of Education and Human Services construction sites, as they have been doing for the last few weeks.

Jordan said this situation will be reviewed.

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Election 2008 by the numbers

Each week the Spinnaker staff summarizes the life of the Osprey in this little space. This week, however, we want to preview the upcoming election by reporting the number of registered voters in Duval County.

249,355 Registered Democratic voters in Duval County as of Jan. 22.

205,494 Registered Republican voters in Duval County as of Jan. 22.

Compiled by Holli Welch
Contact Holli Welch at managing@unfspinnaker.com --  PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE

Candidate platforms at a glance

Democrats

HILLARY CLINTON
- Health care: Favors a universal health care system called the American Health Choices Plan that would give tax credits to families to help cover costs and would not deny individuals because of preexisting conditions.

- Iraq: Has a three-phase plan: start bringing troops back to the United States within 60 days of taking office, focus on stabilizing the region and creating new diplomatic initiatives to help Iraq recover.

- Higher Education: Plans to implement a new $3,500 college tax credit, increase the Pell Grant maximum and invest $500 million in community colleges.

BARACK OBAMA
- Health care: Plans to create a national health care plan with guaranteed eligibility for everyone and create a National Health Insurance Exchange for those who want to purchase private insurance.

- Iraq: Wants to begin immediately removing troops once in office and have all combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months but keep some troops there to protect the U.S. embassy and diplomats. Plans to prevent the creation of permanent bases in Iraq and pursue diplomatic efforts to create a Middle East Compact and form an international group to address the humanitarian issues in Iraq.

- Higher Education: Would create the American Opportunity Tax Credit to offset the first $4,000 of college education for most Americans, cover most tuition costs at public colleges and make community college tuition free for most students, eliminate the current federal financial aid application.

JOHN EDWARDS
- Health care: Plans to provide universal health care. Wants to require employers to cover employees or help finance their health insurance and implement tax credits, reform insurance laws and expand Medicaid and State Childrens Hospital Insurance Program. Plans to create regional "Health Care Markets" to increase choices.

- Iraq: Plans to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq within nine to 10 months once in office and prohibit permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq. After withdrawal, he will retain troops in neighboring countries. Believes the United States should intensify training of Iraqi security forces. Plans to hold a peace conference in the Middle East

- Higher Education: Will support early education high schools, high schools on college campuses that will let students earn a high school diploma and anassociate's degree in five years.

Republicans

MITT ROMNEY
- Health care: Against government managed health care. Plans to implement a free market federalist approach to encourage private health care insurance. Would make health care expenses tax deductible and divert some funding for the uninsured at emergency rooms towards helping the needy buy private insurance.

- Iraq: During his recent speech on campus, Romney said he wanted to add 100,000 troops and provide them with body armor.

- Higher Education: Campaign officials did not respond to inquires before deadline.

MIKE HUCKABEE
- Health care: Against national health care. Plans to work with the private sector, Congress and health care providers to overhaul the health care system and reform medical liability; adopt electronic record keeping and make health insurance tax deductible for individuals and families. Low income families would get tax credits instead of deductions.

- Iraq: Against removing troops from Iraq. Supports having a regional summit with Iraq and neighboring countries to encourage those countries to become committed to stabilizing Iraq.

- Higher Education: No position paper as of yet, according to campaign spokesperson Jim Harris.

JOHN MCCAIN
- Health care: Would reform the system to decrease costs. Would provide each individual with a $2,500 tax credit to increase insurance coverage and allow people to get health insurance from wherever they wanted. Wants health insurance to be transferable from job to job.

- Iraq: Supports a greater military commitment in Iraq. Would send more troops to fight insurgents, intensify training of Iraqi police and armed forces and also put more emphasis on non-military initiatives to bolster the economy in Iraq.

- Higher Education: Campaign officials did not respond to inquires before deadline.

Platform information courtesy of candidates' spokespeople and Web sites.

Primaries After Florida
Feb. 2 Maine (R)
Feb. 5 Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho (D), Illinois, Kansas (D), Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana (R), New Jersey, New Mexico (D), New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah
Feb. 9 Kansas (R), Louisiana, Washington (D), Nebraska (D)
Feb. 10 Maine (D)
Feb. 12 D.C., Maryland, Virginia
Feb. 19 Hawaii (R), Wisconsin, Washington (R)
March 4 Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont
March 8 Wyoming (D)
March 11 Mississippi
April 22 Pennsylvania
May 6 North Carolina
May 13 West Virginia, Nebraska (R)
May 20 Kentucky, Oregon
May 27 Idaho (R)
June 3 South Dakota, Montana (D), New Mexico (D)
Source: www.votesmart.org

Compiled by Tami Livingston
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Traffic study continues; results expected in March

By Siddie Friar
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It's 5:35 p.m. and senior health administration major Kyle Kugler has been sitting at the light at UNF Drive and Alumni Drive since 5:15 p.m. The light has changed three times but he has yet to make it through the intersection.

"There are just those peak hours where everyone is trying to get off or onto campus," Kugler said. "It used to make me really mad, but now I just find some good music, relax and wait. There's nothing I can do about it."

University administrators, however, are working to do something about it.

Director of Facilities Planning Zak Ovadia is leading a project to address the traffic issues on campus.

"With my background [in facilities planning], I could see right away that the roads today are just not meeting the students' needs," Ovadia said. "The school was built in the early '70s with little idea of what kind of expansion there would be in the future. The campus has developed but the roads haven't."

Five months ago, Ovadia petitioned the state for funds to begin a traffic survey for UNF.

The survey began last semester and was allotted less than $50,000, but more funding may become available, Ovadia said.

"You have to think about how best to control traffic to benefit all involved," Ovadia said. "Will lights work or would roundabouts be better? What sort of new traffic issues will there be with the new buildings? There are lots of elements to consider."

"We had the master plan for UNF which takes it into 2015," said Mark Manuel, a traffic engineer with Herman, Timms and Miller, which conducted the traffic study. "We tried to match that plan to provide the best traffic plan possible, mainly focusing on intersections and pedestrian traffic."

The firm's survey team studied how many vehicles drive on campus, where they are entering and exiting, and the routes traveled the most.

The study also examined pedestrian traffic throughout campus and in the housing areas.

"Traffic surveys take a lot of time," Ovadia said. "They were out there physically counting cars and taking notes on traffic patterns. That is a lot of information to process."

Firm representatives will present their ideas for improving campus traffic flow to Ovadia in the beginning of March.

He will evaluate the study and decide what changes are financially possible for UNF.

"I expect that they will have a lot of answers, but they will be costly," Ovadia said. "Nothing is promised. We just have to start with something feasible and work our way from there."

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Program expands 5-fold since beginning

By Laura Britton
STAFF COLUMNIST

While the On Campus Transition Program has been at UNF for a short time, it has already proved a success, said OCT Director Crystal Makowski.

The program, which is a partnership between the university and The Arc Jacksonville, a non-profit organization that provides services for the intellectual and developmentally disabled, started with three students last year and currently has 17 students enrolled in classes this semester.

Through the program, OCT students are given the opportunity to attend classes, participate in clubs and various organizations and can work at on-campus internships.

"I never imagined it would get to this from just three students," Makowski said.

The 17 students have a variety of disabilities ranging from Down syndrome to Anoxia - a condition which limits the amount of oxygen to an organ or a tissue - and joined the program to gain more skills, Makowski said.

The students are typically in the program for two to four years depending on if they have to pay privately or receive scholarships, Makowski said. Many students have scholarships provided through The Arc Jacksonville.

Each student has a program of study instead of a major, she said. There are five areas that the students must complete through their classes: career development, health and social skills, independence skills, and various electives depending on their interests, Makowski said. Each student receives a letter grade for the classes they take.

"I am very appreciative of faculty for allowing our students to come in and participate," Makowski said.

Program administrators are working on expanding the program and would like a housing program to begin in summer B of this year, Makowski said. This would allow two OCT students to enhance their life-skills, which include good hygiene and time management by working with a student volunteer who also lives in housing.

A formal meeting has not been scheduled between The Arc Jacksonville and the university's housing department, but that is in the works, Makowski said. Administrators have, however, done some informal planning and are hoping to have the program in place for summer classes, she said.

Makowski said she is hoping UNF will soon be recognized as a model disabilities research hub for Florida since the OCT Program is evidence and research based, with UNF being the primary location. UNF is the pilot site for the program, but there are plans to branch out to other sites around Northeast Florida, she said.

OCT student Moira Rossi said she is enjoying her time in the program. Currently she is taking a small group communications class and a music class, which piques her interest because of her love of singing.

She said she especially likes her music class because she gets to learn about many different kinds of music.

"I want to be an international sensation," Rossi said.

Moira's music teacher, assistant professor James Curry said Rossi smiles a lot in class, but he hasn't had the chance to get to know her one-on-one yet since the semester just began.

"She seems to be having a great time," Curry said.

Senior psychology student Jeanie Chen works with the OCT students as a social mentor. She works three days a week and takes them to lunch and walks them to classes. She said the students are fun to hang out with and finds her time with them rewarding.

"I call them all my friends," Chen said.



Student spotlights
The OCT program began last year with three students and has grown to accommodate 17 students. The following three students are participating in the program this semester:


Jessie Callison		 Age: 20
Taking: Sports Management, a cultural diversity class and an internship with the athletic training department
Experience with the program: Made a lot of friends and gets to work with athletics
Wants to be: An office manager

Tawski Frazier		 Age: 19
Taking: Foundations of Business and Beginning Library Information Systems
Experience with the program: Made a lot of friends
Wants to be: A massage therapist

Jasmine Brower		 Age: 19
Taking: Gender in the United States and Introduction to American Government
Experience with the program: Likes it because she "gets to experience college life for the first time," and believes you should get the challenging classes done first
Wants to be: A police officer


Contact Laura Britton at discourse@unfspinnaker.com  --  PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE

Northwest companies look to develop volcanic energy

By Les Blumenthal
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

Deep beneath the Cascade Mountains in the Northwest, where molten magma heats the Earth's crust and occasionally bursts through cracks and fractures in violent volcanic eruptions, lurks an energy source that scientists think could be tamed to help power the region.

Though there's been little exploration, and no deep test holes have been drilled, the geothermal potential of the Cascades - which run from Washington state south through Oregon into Northern California - is starting to attract a buzz.

In the next 10 or 15 years, some predict, commercial-sized power plants could start generating electricity.

"As this area is predicted to contain vast geothermal resources, development plans for the Cascades are becoming an increasingly frequent topic of conversation," said a report late last year for the Department of Energy.

Behind Iceland, which gets more than 26 percent of its electricity from geothermal plants, the United States is a world leader in geothermal development, with plants producing more than 3,000 megawatts of electricity.

California is No. 1, and resources in such other Western states as Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Oregon are being developed. Nevada has been dubbed the "Saudi Arabia of geothermal."

A recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology study found that the amount of geothermal power that could be recovered from deep drilling would represent almost 3,000 times the amount of energy currently consumed in the United States.

Last year's Energy Department report said the Cascades contained "potentially significant" geothermal resources, but it cautioned that the effort to tap these resources - including drilling miles into volcanoes to tap "supercritical fluids" - won't be easy.

Even so, the hunt is under way, and some energy companies have zeroed in on areas that they think could be developed.

Near Baker Lake, north of Seattle, an Oregon company is waiting for leases from the Forest Service and considering a 100-megawatt geothermal plant that could provide enough electricity for 100,000 people.

Steven Munson, the chief executive of Vulcan Power Co., said there was more than an 80 percent chance that the plant would be built.

It would be designed to blend into the landscape, and the power it would produce would be cheaper than the electricity from a new natural gas-fired generating plant, Munson said.

"We are very serious about this," he said.

On the east slopes of the Cascades, in Yakima and Kittitas counties south of Seattle, a Utah firm, Raser Technologies Inc., is focusing on 5,000 acres of International Paper Co. land for possible development.

"There is a lot of geothermal in Washington state," said Richard Putnam, a Raser executive. "It's already happening. It's a matter of how much and when."

In the rough triangle from Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams in southern Washington state to Mount Hood, east of Portland, Ore., there's enough geothermal potential to develop 1,000 megawatts of electricity, the equivalent of three or four gas-fired generating plants or a large nuclear plant, said Susan Petty, the president of AltaRock Energy in Seattle and a geologist.

The Cascades are part of the so-called "Ring of Fire" of active volcanoes and earthquake faults that surround the Pacific Ocean. Geothermal development also is under way in such countries as Japan and Indonesia.

Southeastern Washington, eastern Oregon, southern Idaho, eastern California, Utah and Nevada are in a zone - known as the Basin and Range - where the North American continent tried to pull apart 30 million years ago.

The area is marked by deep fractures in the Earth's crust that tend to be pathways to the deep circulation of hot water.

Though that water is hot enough to run steam turbines, Petty and others said the temperatures of the geothermal water and hot rocks underlying the Cascades might be even better for producing power.

And because magma is closer to the surface in the Cascades, the drilling holes there might not have to be as deep.

Hot springs and other surface indications of geothermal activity are easier to spot in arid areas. In the Cascades, the "rain curtain" and runoff from melting snow make it harder to pinpoint potential geothermal areas.

"The Cascades have always been an area of interest, but it is so wet the heat flow is masked," said John Lund, the director of the Oregon Institute of Technology's Geo-Heat Center in Klamath Falls.

Some potential hot zones underneath the Cascades might contain hot water that could be pumped to the surface and used to produce electricity.

In others, water might have to be injected into dry hot rocks, then pumped back to the surface.

One reason for the growing interest in geothermal in the Cascades is a requirement that 15 percent of the energy that Washington state's major utilities use come from renewable sources by 2020. California and Oregon have similar requirements.

Democrats failed in their effort to include a federal renewable requirement in the energy bill that Congress approved last year.

But Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., has introduced legislation that would set a national goal that 20 percent of electrical production in the United States come from geothermal resources by 2030.

The bill also would authorize spending nearly $500 million over the next five years on geothermal development.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services  --  PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE

Romney: D.C. is broken

Presidential candidate visits UNF

By Matt Coleman
EDITOR IN CHIEF


Jen Quinn  enlarge image

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stopped at the University Center Jan. 19 during a campaign visit to Florida. The former Massachusetts governor spoke about his primary wins in Nevada and Michigan.

The heavy rain and tornado warnings didn't keep more than 700 people from coming out to the University Center Jan. 19 in support of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

The center was filled to capacity with locals eager to hear the Republican presidential candidate discuss his stances on illegal immigration, the flagging economy and family values.

Romney began his speech after an introduction from Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford and got the crowd going as he spoke about his commanding win in the Nevada primary.

A major focus of Romney's speech was his goal of bringing change to the White House.

He stood in front of a large blue-and-white banner etched with the phrase "Washington is Broken." His wife, Ann Romney, said her husband "wants to go to Washington, D.C. and clean up the mess."

Romney spoke about how his experience as a businessman gives him a perspective many of the other candidates lack.

"Hillary and Obama - they say they want to improve the economy," Romney said. "How are they going to do that when they haven't had the private sector experience?"

The crowd cheered the loudest when Romney discussed his plan for illegal immigration.

"That's a drag, and that's got to stop," Romney said.

Hampton Ray, a freshman political science major, said he plans on voting for Romney during the primaries. Ray said his father, Lake Ray, is running for state legislature and is also backing Romney's campaign.

"I like his stance on immigration and his private sector experience," Ray said.

Ray said he believes Romney will end up with the Republican nomination.

"He just seems to be the right person for the job."

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Gator alumni offered on-campus memorials

By Oscar Corral and Jennifer Lebovich
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

For years, University of Florida alumni have insisted that the path to heaven runs through Gainesville. Well, they may soon have a point.

The university wants to build a columbarium to bury the ashes of loved ones right on campus, in a serene spot next to Lake Alice, where alligators roam freely.

The University of Florida would be the first university in the state to do it, and one of only a handful around the country.

But the school isn't doing it for the money. It would charge just enough for upkeep, said University of Florida Vice President Paul Robell, one of the people overseeing the project.

The school is doing it for the soul. Gator spirit, to be precise.

"I understand that when you first hear about it, it might sound strange, but when you really think about what's important to you and the happiest times in your life and the passions you hold of where you went to school, it does make sense," said Katie Marquis, director of membership and marketing for the University of Florida Alumni Association. "People just live and die and breathe the Gator Nation."

Robell presented the idea to the University of Florida board of trustees last month, and said he received enthusiastic support.

The rationale behind the columbarium, he said, is that many alumni today tend to affiliate themselves with the university as much as with their hometown or the place they raised a family.

"Society today is very mobile, and the days of someone being born in a community, staying there all their lives and dying there just doesn't happen anymore, so people want to have a tie, and their tie is often their university," Robell said. "It's a logical resting place."

The University of Florida isn't the first school to propose a columbarium, a vault with niches for urns. Staff members visited other schools that offer such a service, including the University of Richmond in Virginia.

Richmond finished a columbarium in 2002 with space for just under 3,000 niches - each with a spot for two urns. The niches cost $3,000 each. So far, the school has sold about 60 spots and hasn't done any marketing of the services.

"The intent here is not to sell out for over 100 years," said Louie Love, the director of administrative services at Richmond. "We're not trying to use it as a fundraiser. It's to create a story over 100 years of people who have been associated with University."

For many, the Virginia school stirs fond memories of their youth.

"People who come and buy usually talk about the beauty of the campus," Love said. "The university has meant a lot to them."

The University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., recently completed two mausoleums to give alumni a chance to make the school's campus their final resting place.

The school has had a cemetery since 1843, but spots were limited to faculty and staff, along with their families.

The mausoleums have crypts and about 800 companion niches and 200 single niches.

About 30 percent of the spaces have been sold, said David A. Harr, assistant vice president for auxiliary services at Notre Dame.

The Rev. William D. Seetch of Notre Dame wrote a Web site letter about the "Coming Home" project, the school's plans to offer alumni a resting place.

"For many of us, Notre Dame is where we return most often," Seetch wrote.

"That it would be the desired spot to be laid to rest is no surprise. For many of us this side of heaven, Notre Dame is home."

But a final resting place at one's alma mater doesn't appeal to everyone.

"It's not something that I would do, but I'm sure there are people that would," said University of Florida alumnus Ricardo Souto, 33, a lawyer with the Miami firm Shutts & Bowen. "When most people make a choice about where they want their remains to be, they want to be with the rest of their family. But some people consider the University of Florida to be a family in and of itself, so maybe it's perfect for them."

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services  --  PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE

Board of Trustees Update

The following is a summary of the business conducted at the UNF Board of Trustees meeting Jan. 17, 2008.

- Board Chair Bruce Taylor and UNF President John Delaney gave remarks.

Item 1A: Presentation
A member of the Volunteers in Medicine Program gave a presentation to board members outlining the program's background, its ties to the Brooks College of Health, and its current financial and personnel needs.

Item 5B: Consent Agenda
The Board approved the recommended $.72 increase in the Athletics, Health, and Activity and Service fee. It approved a memorandum to clarify the relationship between the Training Service Institute, the Board of Trustees and UNF. It also approved a change to the 2007-2008 Audit Plan. The 2008-2009 parking fee proposal was pulled for further discussion and changed to Item 6A.

Item 6: Housing
New housing rates for 2008-2009 were approved by the board with an amended motion to move the deadline for the $300 cancellation fee from March to May. The average increase to the fees is 4.15 percent.
- 2008-2009 Housing Rates:

07-08 08-09 Increase
OSPREY VILLAGE
1 bedroom Double $2,375 $2,450 $75
1 bedroom Triple $1,910 $1,975 $65
1 bedroom Private $4,750 $4,900 $150
2 bedroom Quad $1,675 $1,730 $55
OSPREY HALL
Double $1,660 $1,740 $80
Triple $1,300 $1,350 $50
Private $3,320 $3,480 $160
OSPREY LANDING
Double $2,105 $2,195 $90
Triple $1,660 $1,740 $80
Private $4,210 $4,390 $180
OSPREY COVE
Double $2,105 $2,195 $90
Triple $1,660 $1,740 $80
Private $4,210 $4,390 $180
THE CROSSINGS
Double $2,355 $2,475 $120
Triple $1,910 $2,000 $90
Private $4,710 $4,950 $240


Item 6A: Parking
The board discussed the parking fee increase for 2008-2009 in the context of a $5 increase in the transportation benefit for faculty. Board members voiced concerns about ensuring that the cheapest permit available could still be purchased with the benefit. The proposal was passed on the contingency that an increase is planned for the transportation benefit.

Item 7: Tuition and Fees
The board approved an adoption of the final tuition and fees regulation for the university. The amendment for the 2008-2009 period was implemented as an emergency regulation from the Board of Governors in October 2007.

Item 8: American Federation of state, County and municipal Employees
The board approved a new tentative bargaining agreement between the UNF bargaining team and the AFSCME. Four items were discussed:
- A clarification of the six-month probationary period for each position in the agreement.
- Individuals who are unsuccessful in their promotions will be given the opportunity to return to previous or similar positions if job openings are available.
- An increase to the transportation access fee to $90.
- Document required standards for the state-funded $1,000 bonuses.

Item 9: Grants
The board approved the delegation of authority for the UNF president to approve state university Research Commercialization Assistance Grant proposals.

Item 10A: Quarterly Budget Report
Vice President of Administration and Finance Shari Shuman presented the report and fielded questions from other members. Shuman explained how the university is anticipating further budget cuts in March and each division was asked to reduce its budget by 2 percent.

Item 10B: Investment Fund
Shuman presented the board with the recent changes to university investment. Monies were transferred to a new investment account with Evergreen Services Company, LLC from the previous statewide fund.

Item 10Bi: Investment Fund Delegation
Board members approved the delegation of authority to open investment accounts and the ability to designate individuals who can make transactions on the accounts to the university president.

Item 11: New Officers
The board elected new officers. Bruce Taylor will continue as chair of the board and Wanyonyi Kendrick will continue as vice-chair.

The next Board of Trustees meeting will be at 2:30 p.m. April 17 in the University Center.

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Spring recruitment numbers disappoint Greek Life leaders

By Josh Salman
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR


David Morico  enlarge image

Members of Greek Life gather on the Green Jan. 14-18 for IFC recruitment week. Though Spring recruitment normally adds around 20 recruits to each chapter, Greek Life reported a much lower turnout.

The Interfraternity Council fraternities at UNF had the lowest recruiting numbers in recent history at its annual spring rush open-recruiting week Jan. 14-18.

UNF currently has seven IFC fraternities, all of which participated in rush week. According to Greek Life Adviser Tyler Young, Chi Phi recruited 19 students, while Pi Kappa Phi and Delta Upsilon gained only five recruits. Young said most chapters usually average up to 20 recruits in the spring.

"Personally, I was a little disappointed in this year's IFC spring numbers for 2008," Young said. "I think that the across-the-board numbers could have definitely been higher."

The final numbers of recruitment within the IFC fraternities were not reported.

Young believes the low numbers could be attributed to the fact that a lot of the chapters are under new leadership, including five with new presidents.

"They are in a transitionary period in terms of reevaluating how to go about recruitments," Young said. "The chapters are working on some things to get better numbers and reprocess recruitment at UNF."

As a result of the low numbers, Young is expecting some bylaws to be passed in the IFC constitution that would allow fraternities to recruit throughout the entire year.

"At first I was a little worried, but I think this [is] just a fluke," Young said. "We have never had low numbers like this since I've been here. I think it's something we'll get past."

Greek membership at UNF consists of more than 1,000 students and membership is projected to hit 2,000 by the end of the next academic year.

"It has been slow compared to fall, but I think we're right along with everyone else," said Justin Dixon, a junior political science major and president of Pi Kappa Phi. "I don't think it will be a gigantic number for anyone."

Fall is the heavy semester for recruiting due to orientations and the number of new students to the university, Dixon said.

"In spring rush numbers are always lower," said Brandon Alanis, a sophomore nursing major and member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. "Everyone that has come out seems to be excited though; we've meet a lot of good guys."

To help increase Greek development, UNF has developed a plan to designate 23 acres to Greek Housing, which is planned to begin construction within the next 12 months.

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Film festival added to LGBT awareness week

By Tami Livingston
NEWS EDITOR

University officials and students are gearing up for the second annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Awareness Days Jan. 28-Feb. 1.

This year the awareness days include many student-driven activities and two events new to Northeast Florida - an LGBT film festival and a Gay? Fine By Me T-shirt campaign, said LGBT Center Coordinator Emily Rokosch.

"It's very hard to see gay, independent films in Jacksonville and we're hoping to fill that void," Rokosch said of the Queer Film Festival to take place Feb. 2.

Rokosch said she is excited about the film festival and believes it is the first of its kind to be held in Jacksonville.

"We're hoping to turn it into a multiple-day event in the future," she said.

The Gay? Fine by Me T-shirt campaign was organized by LGBT Center students and will take place Jan. 31.

"We felt like it would promote a bond between the LGBT community and their allies on campus," said junior sociology major Eleni Akapnitis, who helped organize the event.

The T-shirt campaign has appeared at campuses across the country, Akapnitis said and by wearing the T-shirts, the university is supporting equall rights and speaking out against homophobia.

Akapnitis said LGBT officials are expecting almost 300 people to attend the event on the Green and hope the turnout will be just as good as the other events throughout the week.

"There are a lot of different activities geared toward different audiences," Akapnitis said.

The goals of the week are to advocate for LGBT and to increase the visibility of the center to the university, Rokosch said.

"There are still students stopping by and saying they never knew the center existed," she said.



Events

Jan. 28
Paint your Pride
11 a.m. - 2 p.m., the Green.

LGBT Open Mic Night
6-10 p.m., Building 14, room 1700.

Jan. 29
Luncheon
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m,
Building 14 rooms 1601-02.

Athens Boys Choir
7-9 p.m., Robinson Theatre.

Jan. 30
Fairness For All Families
Forum, 7-8:30 p.m., Robinson Theatre

Jan. 31
"Gay? Fine By Me" T-shirt Campaign Rally
3:30 p.m, the Green.

Feb. 1
The L Word Night
5-10 p.m., Robinson Theatre.

Feb. 2
Queer Film Showcase
11 a.m.-8 p.m., Robinson Theatre.



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Professors turning to virtual classrooms, labs

By Kara Andrade
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS

One day Professor Jeremy Kemp entered his classroom and found himself next to a student dressed as a gigantic monarch butterfly.

But Kemp was not startled in the least that one of his students had sprouted wings. Since he started teaching at the virtual campus of San Jose State University's School of Library and Information Science, students have also appeared as robots and giant bowls of Jell-O.

"I am looking at representations that they create, and that's just as valid as real life," said Kemp, assistant director of the virtual campus, which opened in May. "I have a sense of being there and being with the person."

San Jose State is one of a skyrocketing number of colleges and universities across the country to make the leap into the virtual frontier using Second Life, the Internet-based world created by Linden Lab of San Francisco.

Some 300 schools, with about 4,200 educators from around the world, are now taking part, said Claudia L'Amoreaux of Linden Lab.

Stanford University recently developed a new Second Life site that includes a virtual library. Stanford's School of Education and the humanities lab also have sites.

In the world of Second Life, people create "avatars," or virtual personas, after downloading a free program.

A few mouse clicks launch users into a "real time" community with an average population of 40,000 to 50,000. The visual environment is created by the users.

"Residents" - people logged in at the same time at any given point in a day - can be from anywhere in the world speaking different languages. They use a voice program to chat with each other.

"The 3-D Internet is this immersive place, and it's very different than any kind of Web-based learning," L'Amoreaux said.

Other creative uses for Second Life have included business ventures that sell everything from cars to clothes to pizza. Charities fundraise and avatars even buy tickets for Second Life rock concerts featuring bands such as U2 and Duran Duran.

In his virtual reality, Kemp goes by the name Jeremy Kabumpo, an elderly man who wears cardigan sweaters and loosely fitting pants and teaches at the 16-acre virtual campus.

The campus has three-dimensional models of San Jose State, including the historic bell tower, classrooms, a student union and faculty offices with staff hours.

On any given day, Kemp logs into Second Life from his laptop and finds his students struggling with the building of virtual objects, such as flying carpets, and helps them learn online skills. He often chats with his students using the Second Life voice tool, which helps him tune into his students' frustrations.

Kemp said students and teachers find it impossible to ignore the virtual personas talking to them from cyberspace.

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