Photo by: Grace Singer

Horse Sense and Sensitivity is a volunteer group that helps people through the use of alternative therapies. It is located at the Boys’ Home Association and Families Services, which neighbors the Jacksonville University campus.

The Boys’ Home offers Family Foster Care and Specialized Therapeutic Foster Care programs. It helps troubled youth, families and children with special needs and disabilities through the use of alternative therapies.

When the Department of Children and Families removes children from their home due to neglect or abuse, the children are placed at the Boys’ Home. The center expanded in 1997 and now accepts boys and girls. Children often enter the foster care system with physical and emotional needs that are addressed through the services offered at the Boys’ Home.

A major therapy utilized at the Boys’ Home is hippotherapy. Hippotherapy is a form of physical, occupational and speech therapy. The goal of hippotherapy is to improve neurological function.

Horse Sense and Sensitivity is mainly run through the use of volunteers. The volunteers help care for the horses and participate in the therapy sessions as assistants to the therapists.

Volunteers are integral before, during and after the therapy sessions. Volunteers groom and tack the horses prior to the class. During the classes, volunteers serve as horse-handlers and side-walkers to ensure the safety of the riders. They can also help cleaning up the property and care for the horses after the sessions. Sponsors can provide payment for the therapy sessions for children and adults and for the care of the horses.

Horse Sense and Sensitivity welcomes two new instructors to the organization, Jennifer Yudow and Pam Dent. Yudow is a graduate of Jacksonville University. Dent is a certified counselor who has volunteered at the Boys’ Home for over a year.

The organization also welcomes Mandy, the Boys’ Home’s newest horse. Mandy is thirteen hands tall, which measures 52 inches tall. Mandy is also thirteen years old.

Classes at Horse Sense and Sensitivity were not held during this summer but are now starting again. The first fall classes started on August 30, 2011. The classes run in the afternoons and last for 45 minutes each.

If volunteer hours are required for graduation, students can always volunteer next door at the Boys’ Home. Students can learn more about this program through the Service Learning Office in the Gooding Building.

The Boys’ Home is always welcome to volunteers, donors and sponsors. Any type of volunteering, donating, or sponsoring would be greatly appreciated.

photo courtesy of ju.edu

Last Tuesday night I imagined myself travelling for days to an unknown land with proper shelter, food, or water. I imagined myself holding on to a fast-moving train for several hours at end. I imagined myself not being able to see my parents for years to come. I imagined myself being chased and beaten up or in some cases even raped by Mexican gangs and it terrified me. Alas, children as young as seven years of age go through everything I just mentioned several times before they are able to make it in the United States and see their parents who left them behind years ago. Sitting in the Terry Concert Hall, I felt lost, scared, sick to my stomach, and unloved. That’s how Sonia Nazario made me feel sitting in my seat as she told the story of Enrique and many other children like him who travel from Central America into the US in search of their parents.

Nasario grew up in Kansas and Argentina and graduated from Williams College. She later received her master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She was the youngest writer to be hired by the Wall Street Journal and her passion for writing has always been towards social issues, something she continued writing about with the Los Angeles Times. Her Pulitzer Prize winning novel, “Enrique’s Journey”, has moved people all across the United States and is one of the most chosen books from freshmen all over universities and colleges in the United States.

As a little girl growing up in Argentina, she noticed blood on the street. Upon discovering it belonged to reporters trying to shed light on circumstances of that time, she became determined to become a journalist and speak for those who often times were unable to for themselves. Nazario uses her amazing story-telling capability that grasps her audience’s attention from the very beginning. Her willingness to make this terribly painful journey by herself to experience what Enrique did proves her determination in life. This determination has brought her very far and I believe has made her see life differently from most people. She does not judge any book by its cover. She carefully and thoroughly reads its content before making up her mind and this is a quality that I will forever admire in this woman. Her efforts to make life better for those less fortunate than the rest of us are truly great. She sheds a new light into the lives of the poor in Central America and what they go through every day. I for one would never have thought that nearly 51 percent of women come here for a better future for their children, but their children are back in their respective countries feeling unloved and miserable.

Nasario continues to fight for people in the US as well as Central America. She has written several articles on addict mothers and the impact their substance-abuse issues have on their children. Nasario wants to educate the world one reader at a time on how difficult poverty, addiction and, sometimes, determination itself can be. It came as no surprise that she received a standing ovation from the JU student audience. Her journey from humble beginnings to successful writer is all due to her own hard work and dedication.  Sonia Nasario is an outstanding award-winning writer, a determined personality, an extraordinary person and a wonderful human being.

On April 6, Swisher Library held its annual Off the Shelf Poetry Event and Luncheon in honor of the National Poetry Month as well as the School Library Month. The event took place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the front lawn of Swisher Library. The event was co-sponsored by TRIO Student Support Services.

The National Poetry Month started in 1996 and takes place every April to celebrate poetry as a vital part of American culture. The Poetry Event was also helped by Poetry magazine that donated free copies to be given out to the participants. Also, every April as part of the American Association of School Librarians, libraries nationwide are encouraged to hold activities to bring students and teachers together.

The event was open mic and JU students and employees were allowed to go up when they pleased and read any piece of suitable literature. The open mic sessions welcomed more pieces than just poetry short skits, such as music, mime, stand-up comedy, and much more. The open mic sessions took place during lunchtime and free lunch was provided to all those who attended. TRIO Student Support Services were on hand to provide the feast that included picnic snacks such as hot dogs, chips and soda.

The poems that were recited were personal and some of them written by the students and faculty themselves. Whether short or simple, or long and in-depth, the self-written poems described not only the poet but gave the audience a different view of literature; it could be anything expressive.

Jody Kamens, the Learning Center coordinator at Swisher Library, was one of the organizers of the event and said she truly enjoys listening to other people’s creative sides especially since it takes a lot to get up in front of everybody like that.

“It is a student activity that really brings people together out here,” Kamens said. “With all these poets around, I like listening to their creativity and we always want to encourage that.”

The audience was indeed interested in what everyone had to say which was evident from their participation. There were pieces from Edgar Ellen Poe, Dr. Suess, Jack Politski, self-written ones and even a little something from the Bible and Qur’an.

David Jones, another organizer of the event and the director of Swisher Library, is a poet himself who has written dozens of pieces.

“It is student participation and everybody enjoys performance,” Jones said. “You know it is not a class and it isn’t graded so they are more excited about it.”

For freshman Taylor Agnew the event was quite an interesting experience.

“I have never been to something like this so it was very surprising to see what people said,” Agnew said.

All in all the Poetry Event was a lunch-well-spent listening to fellow JU students bring out their creative and literary side. The crowd was awake, loud, and cheerful, especially when a TRIO member decided to rap the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song.

Courtesy of JU

Former United States Air Force veteran, doctor of educational leadership, published author of numerous peer-reviewed articles, and the 2011 recipient of Jacksonville University’s Professor of the Year Award, Dr. Barry Thornton has quite a list of accomplishments to add to JU’s college of business’s faculty.

He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Hartford with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and his Master of Science from University of North Florida. He then pursued education and received his doctorate.

After he found education was his calling, he joined JU’s staff in 1988 to teach economics. His list of courses now ranges from economics to statistics to management science. Dr. Thornton also serves as chair of the division of accounting, finance, and economics for JU’s College of Business.

Now that he holds the title of Professor of the Year for the 2011-2012 school year, his contributions to JU have been dually noted.

“The award is the highest peer recognition given to a JU faculty member,” said Lois Becker, senior vice-president of academic affairs, according to an article on the JU website. “It recognizes a professor who best embodies as a teacher the ideals of the University.”

On his off time, Dr. Thornton spends his time enjoying the outdoors by bicycling, motorcycling, or comfortably lounging with his yellow lab, Pal.

He also enjoys researching specific economic interests, such as he pricing of initial public offerings or the evaluation of firms.

Through his passion for economics and such a strange pairing with statistics and management, Thornton has developed a unique view on problems, which leads other professors and students to include his thoughts on important projects. Dr. Thornton is admired by his students as one of the most laid-back and low-key professors on campus.

“He always makes examples that really relate to students,” Senior Gretchen Syverud. “His relaxed attitude is really easy to understand.”

He has also done a great amount of service to the community after JU Alumni Randall Scott Amos passed away in 2006. Dr. Thornton helped develop the Scott Amos – Dr. Barry Thornton Leadership Scholar Award. The award is presented at a luncheon hosted by JU every year.

The 2010 winner was Jeremy Thornton, who was presented with the award by Randy Amos, Scott’s father. Randy Amos is also pursuing a chance to open an “encouragement center” on JU campus, near the chapel.

Dr. Thornton and Professor Horner are both helping develop such a center to counsel and guide students to their futures.

There is very little time left before Jacksonville University says goodbye to its most recent class of seniors. There will be tears, laughs, and sad farewells at graduation, but what most seniors are probably most worried about is what will come after.

While we are officially out of the recession, the job market is still in fairly bad shape.

Trying to support yourself can be a terrifying prospect. Here are several tips for finding your dream job.

1.     Don’t be afraid to take internships. Yes, you may have to work for free for a bit, but as long as you don’t plan on having children you will be the only person you have to support. Don’t miss out on a possible job in your field of study because you weren’t willing to put the time in.

2.     Always dress professionally. It may seem obvious to most people, but employers pay significant detail to how clean the person they are hiring is. It pays to be fresh.

3.     Avoid employment Web sites as your primary search tool. While you may get lucky and they will land you a job, you are more likely to get frustrated with sorting through the junk and spam that now clog the sites. Instead, take the time to visit the company and introduce yourself. People like to put a name to a face. Even if they aren’t hiring, ask them to keep your resume on file. They will be much more likely to look you up the next time they have an opening.

4.     Treat your job search as if it IS your job. If you can take the time to job search for a full 9 to 5 day with a busy schedule, you will have a significantly higher chance of finding a job opening.

5.     Remember to utilize your resources. JU has plenty of tools to help alumni find employment. The Career Development Center has some upcoming job recruiting events that will be taking place on campus.

AXA Advisors
Wednesday, April 13th, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Table recruiting in Davis College of Business

Bank of England Recruiting Day,
Tuesday, April 12th, 10 a.m. -3 p.m.
Submit your resume to the Career Development Center at careers@ju.edu
for consideration no later than Thursday, April 7 at 5pm.

Enterprise Holdings
Wednesday, April 13th
On campus interviewing for Management Training Program:
Apply on the College Central Network (Job ID: 2209131)
for consideration or submit your resume to the CDC careers@ju.edu

Contact the Career Development Center at 904-256-7054 for questions.

6.     Spend time making sure your resume presents you in the best possible light. It should contain every important skill you have. You never know what extra talents employers might appreciate. But make sure what you put on there makes sense. They do not need to know you were the captain of your intramural football team in college.

7.     Be prepared to accept a not-so-great job at first. A good job will be hard to find, and you may have to put up with a less than ideal position at first.

8.     Be knowledgeable about the job you are interviewing for. Nothing looks worse than being unprepared to answer questions about the position.

9.     Use your contacts. Ask all your friends if they know of any jobs. Most people get jobs through social networking. Go to a job fair and make more contacts if yours dry up.

10.  Most importantly, stay positive. Just because you weren’t hired doesn’t mean you weren’t qualified. It’s impossible to know exactly why employers chose one candidate over another. For all you know you lost out to the boss’s son. Keep in mind: eventually you will be the best person for the job.

Courtesy of Sarah Morris

There are some places, deep in the rainforests of South America or surrounded by the vast emptiness of deserts in Africa in third world conditions, that are almost inaccessible to any kind of aid or support from developed countries.

However, the challenge of rescuing and helping those people is the place to which recent graduate Sarah Morris feels drawn. The aviation major wants to use her special skill set to serve people in need, a very honorable ambition.

The December graduate not only graduated with her diploma, pilot’s certificates, and instructor’s certificates in hand, but also the Candi Kubeck Award for Top Female Pilot, the McKenny Award for most outstanding member of the JU Flight Team, of which she served as co-captain, the JU Women’s History Month Student of the Year Award, and she was recognized by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots as the Bright Hope for the Future of Aviation.

If all of these awards and recognitions weren’t enough to show you how dedicated to her passion she is, she also tutors at JU, serves as a ground instructor for the JU aviation program and volunteers in numerous student organizations including the Aeronautical Honor Society, Alpha Omicron Alpha.

However, even as an outstanding member of the JU community, Sarah Morris places the reasons of her success on the support and encouragement of her family and professors.

“I have always been taught to put forth my best effort in everything I do and to never give up and keep working, especially when things get difficult,” Morris said. “However, the biggest factor that has gotten me where I am is the never-ending support from my family who have always encouraged me to chase after my dreams. I’ve developed a personal relationship with all of the professors, and I know that I can go to them for guidance and mentorship.”

Pushing herself to always do her best has helped Morris mold her dream into a reality.

Even though she was a hard worker, things still went wrong, but her absolute determination is the one thing that kept her from quitting. After catching the “flight bug” from her first discovery flight, Morris used her JROTC to learn about aviation and hasn’t stopped since.

“Never give up and keep working, especially when things get difficult,” Morris said. “I don’t think I’d really want to change anything even if I had the chance to do it again. I definitely made mistakes along the way, but I learned more from the things I messed up than the things I did right.”

Sarah Morris will be a name mentioned in the JU Aviation Program for years to come, as an exceptional example of character and academic excellence. However, the flight program at JU is more expensive and time-consuming than many other traditional majors offered at the university.

Aviation students focusing on their instructor’s certificates spend the majority of their time creating lesson plans and training exercises. Students concentrating on their pilot’s certificate spend much more time at the airfield and in the plane.

It could almost outnumber their time in an actual classroom.

It seems like an almost impossible task to complete, but Morris offers a few words of encouragement to students in the field.

“To be able to fly, it is worth every hurdle, every battle, and every effort you put forth,” she said. “No, it’s not easy, but it is worth every step along the way. Don’t give up, and enjoy the journey.”

Three Jacksonville University students started a non-profit organization in April 2010 to help feed hungry children around the world via the Internet.

The organization’s name is Hatua International Inc. Hatua is a Swahili word that means “progress” or “the first step in many steps.” JU students and founders of the organization, senior Kasey Sousa, Chris Garson and Fidele Ishimwe, chose this name because the goal was to say something without really saying something.

Hatua’s One Plus One program has helped feed more than 3,600 hungry children around the world since April 2010.

“If there’s something bothering you about the world and you want to do something about it, I know it sounds cliché, but with just a little audacity, you just throw it out there and things happen,” Sousa said.

Hatua, working with World Food Programme’s Fill the Cup, makes this possible with 25 cents, which goes to feed a starving child for a day. Technology is used to help members share their meals any time of day from anywhere with a click of a button. Once each meal is shared it goes to Fill the Cup.

The system works through a central database created by the Hatua founders. Once signed up on the website a member can set up different sharing venues, which include texting, Facebook, Twitter, or any mobile device. Texting is the most popular option and members can text “share” to the number on the website and 25 cents can help feed a child.

“We came up with these venues so people could share really easily,” Sousa said.

When the venues are chosen, members can choose his or her payment method – check or credit card – to pay for the meals shared on a monthly basis. Even though the quarters are shared instantly, members are charged once at the end of each month and only after 30 meals are shared and each contribution is tax-deductible.

With the sharing venues, Hatua is growing larger this year. At Latitude 30 patrons will have the opportunity to share their meal right from the menu.

“It’ll mean that people will be able to say ‘I’d like to share my meal’ and with an added quarter to their check they will feed a child for a day,” Sousa said.

The three men couldn’t stop talking about this idea and decided to run with it.

“It was probably 2 a.m., and it was that moment that we could have just stopped talking about it or decided maybe we should do something about this,” Sousa said.

After months of late nights still balancing school and work along with the new venture, Hatua was ready to go. The founders traveled to Africa to experience, firsthand, the life of the Africans. While they were there they followed where the quarter went and confirmed that it went where it was meant to go.

The purpose of Hatua is to get people to think about world hunger. In 2010 the founders presented research on hunger at a national conference.

“Part of the reason Hatua has an educational aspect is because One Plus One is not meant to save the world and feed every child, it’s meant to get people thinking about it and thinking about it positively,” Sousa said.

After his graduation from JU, Sousa plans to attend law school at the University of Pennsylvania.

Photo by Grace Singer

Relay For Life spent 18 hours Friday night on the University Green. The staff and students helped make this the best fundraising year yet.

Teams of students and staff, 31 in total, raised money prior to the event and even sold things while relaying for additional fundraising efforts. Relay For Life raised $14,860.51, higher than any previous years the event was hosted on campus.

The event kicked off at 6 p.m. with a Survivor’s Lap and followed by all other participants; cancer survivors always lead the first lap of the night. Survivors include anybody who has been told they have cancer. This lap is to celebrate those who have proven cancer can be defeated and to inspire others to fight.

The Luminaria occurred at 9 p.m. and is an important aspect of Relay For Life. The Luminaria Ceremony is a remembrance ceremony to light the pathway for the evening. A lit candle is placed in paper bags each bearing the name of someone who has battled cancer.

Fundraising is a yearlong event. All participants can raise money all year by simply e-mailing a link to family and friends. Additional fundraising events occur on-site as teams sell food and drinks, paint faces and do crafts to raise more money before the end.

The highest fundraising team was the Honors Student Association (HSA), which raised $2,900.51. JU Faculty and Staff was the second highest fundraiser with $1,405. Delta Delta Delta was the third highest donator raising $999.

Junior Deric Ford was the Event Vice-Chair for the 2011 Committee. He was proud of this year’s successful event.

“Relay 2011 proved to be the most successful year yet,” Ford said.

Many people left throughout the night causing the amount of people per team to diminish greatly. Due to such low numbers by the next morning, the Closing Ceremony was cancelled.

The Team Development Chair, Sophomore Katherine Ramsey, was proud of the fundraising, but was slightly disappointed about the turnout.

“It’s the most money we’ve raised at JU which is exciting for us and although we didn’t have a great turnout, it was a lot of fun and hopefully it will be even more successful next year,” Ramsey said.

Junior Krista Prieto was one of this year’s Entertainment Chairs. She participates for personal reasons.

“What disappointed me was I didn’t get the feeling a lot of people were there for the right reason,” Prieto said. “I don’t think they understand what Relay is all about. I mean, I Relay for my father and aunt who both suffer from skin cancer. I’m not saying people should only participate in Relay For Life if they have been affected by cancer, I just wish people would understand why it’s so important that we work so hard for the cause.”

Freshman Kayla Zucker has been participating with Relay For Life for four years and volunteers at Sunrise Day Camp, the only day camp in the country free of cost for children with cancer.

“I’ve been working with my day camp kids who have cancer, so I do it to support them and all my campers I have lost due to cancer,” Zucker said.

Junior Texell Longoria enjoyed his time at Relay 2011. Longoria was an Accounting Co-Chair for the 2011 Committee.

“The bands were really good,” Longoria said. “I liked all the events that happened during the night.”

The committee is looking for more teams next year who are enthusiastic and more willing to participate. They cannot wait to make next year the best fundraising and participation year yet.