Media Tip Sheet (March 8-22, 2004)

CONTACT SHARON ASHTON
OFFICE OF MEDIA RELATIONS AND EVENTS
(904) 620-2115


Each week we prepare a “TIP SHEET” for Jacksonville-area media highlighting events and activities of interest to the community. Please feel free to contact the Office of Media Relations and Events at (904) 620-2115 for additional information on any event. Information also can be obtained by visiting the UNF Web calendar at http://www.unf.edu/calendar. Individuals attending all events on campus are reminded that $2 parking permits are required and can be purchased at the Information Booth as they enter campus.

Public Perception of Kerry

Super Tuesday made Sen. John Kerry the unofficial Democratic nominee. How did the Massachusetts senator come from being behind in the polls to being the top contender to face President Bush in the 2004 election? Dr. John Parmelee’s research looks at how the top four Democratic candidates portrayed themselves to the public prior to the New Hampshire primary and Iowa caucus. Parmelee looked to Jacksonville-area residents to see how they received the candidates through their “meet the candidate” videos. (They even predicted Howard Dean’s outburst.) To speak with Parmelee, contact the Office of Media Relations and Events.

Students to Learn Abroad During Spring Break

UNF will be on spring break March 15-19, but many students will participate in trips abroad. One group of students is collecting donated school supplies to give to children in a Mayan village in Belize. The Honors Program is sponsoring two trips – to Ecuador and the Bahamas – for students. The Ecuador trip is a service learning trip, and the students will help a village in the Amazon to build a butterfly house to expand their eco-tourism project. Video footage will be taken during the Ecuador trip.

The Coggin College of Business also will sponsor two trips. In Argentina, students will study the history, culture and business climate of the country. In London, the students will be exposed to the history, geography, politics and social norms that lead to the development of the Euro-zone. For information about these programs, contact the Office of Media Relations and Events.

Diamond to Speak at UNF

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared Diamond will speak Wednesday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the University Center. Diamond wrote "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies," which won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction in 1998. The book takes a different look at history by examining environmental factors that led to today’s civilization. The lecture is free to UNF students, faculty and staff, and World Affairs Council members. General public tickets are $15. For tickets, call the University Box Office at (904) 620-2878.

Internet Usage Moves Beyond Work, Home

The Pew Internet and American Life Project released this month a report on people who use the Internet in places other than home and work. Dr. Paul Harwood of UNF worked on the study that found that more than half of Internet users go online in multiple locations. The study can help shed light on how people use the Internet and where, which can play an informational role in discussions over such things as Jacksonville’s Wireless Internet Zones, and Internet and e-mail use at public libraries. To view the report, visit www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/PIP_other_places.pdf. To speak with Harwood, contact the Office of Media Relations and Events.

March Madness Predictions

Dr. Jay Coleman is continuing to fill out his Dance Card for the NCAA’s March Madness. Coleman has developed a math model that predicts the college basketball teams to be chosen for the NCAA tournament with up to 97 percent accuracy. Using this procedure, the Dance Card has never missed on more than three spots in the years 1994 through 2003. To learn more about his method, go to www.unf.edu/~jcoleman/dance. To speak with Coleman, contact the Office of Media Relations and Events.

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