Photo courtesy of Ninoska Nunez

The atmosphere was warm and welcoming yet loud and proud as Chili’s hosted a give-back dinner for the International Student Association of Jacksonville University last Tuesday, Feb. 7 at their Atlantic Blvd. location.

ISA is one of the largest groups on the JU campus consisting of more than 100 students from over 40 different countries. The give-back dinner was a fundraising event that was intended to help the organization cover some of its costs.

Ninoska Nunez, sophomore, is the president of ISA and explained how the dinner helped ISA.

“We get a limited budget and we are one of the biggest student organizations on campus,” she said. “We try to do activities that are free to the students so they can bond with other international students to get involved in activities and make friends. Our biggest problem is paying for these activities, especially for transportation.”

ISA is often allowed to use the JU vans, but sometimes renting them can cost up to $300 for a few hours. Nunez said that the money gathered from the fundraiser will not only help the organization cover transportation costs but also help with the costs of ISA’s upcoming cooking night.

The event may not have brought together as many people as ISA had hoped, but no one was complaining at the end of the night.

Tulsi Patel, junior, is the secretary for ISA. She said the event was fun for all involved.

“I think the Chili’s dinner went well,” she said. “We got a lot of help from Student life who attended, and Ms. Linda, from honors program, also came to support us.

Chili’s is a regular fund-raising spot for JU students and the restaurant has even hosted a give-back dinner for the Women in Aviation program. The give-back dinner consists of handing out a flyer with the bill. This flyer donates 10 percent of the bill towards the organization, in this case ISA, and no extra payment is required from the customer.

The flyer was put together by a Chili’s associate and ISA distributed them all over campus. Nunez said she wished more students had shown up to the event.

“The fundraiser was fairly good,” she said. “We had a lot of faculty show up, very few students. It was fun to see JU people come together for a nice cause.”

ISA representatives said they would not put aside the idea for another fundraiser event but perhaps one at the closer location so it is easier for people to come by on a weekday. Overall, ISA felt content with what they had accomplished and Patel was “surely happy with the results.”

“The international students had a chance to get together and enjoy a meal,” she said. “So it was fun.”

Photo by Grace Singer

In the popular Dr. Seuss children’s book, “The Lorax,” often seen as a parallel to criticisms of the logging industry, a young boy is told the story of an environment being destroyed. The Lorax is a lone voice against the mass deforestation that threatens his home; he “speaks for the trees.”

Nobody is speaking for Jacksonville University’s tree’s. On the north side of campus, trees are continuing to be cut down near the village apartments.

“I think it’s bad that they are ruining JU’s natural environment for no reason,” said senior Matthew Ernsting.

The reason for the removal of the trees remains unclear, despite repeated attempts to contact JU’s administration.

“I feel it’s okay if they are being cut down for a good reason,” said senior Kelly Martens.  “For example, if they were about to fall down on a student walking to class, then it’s good. But if it is not for a good reason, then it is not okay.”

This is a popular stance among the residents of the village apartments. Many are confused and do not like the removal of the trees but would accept it if it were happening for a “good reason.”

“I’d just like to know why they are doing it,” said junior Alex Bulgin.

Faculty on the third floor of the Davis Student commons, including Josh Earley, the director of student activities, and Dr. John Balog, the vice president for student life, had no idea why the trees were being cut down. Both Earley and Balog suggested that physical plant might have the answers.

JU’s Physical Plant, the necessary infrastructure used to support and maintain campus facilities, is located on-campus beside the Tillie K. Fowler NROTC building on the north side of campus.

Physical plant, when contacted, denied that any live trees were being cut down . They admitted to trimming trees and the possibility of removing dead trees. Joseph Coleman, speaking on behalf of Physical plant, said that trees would be cut down if they had a virus or were in danger of injuring students.

A phone call to Financial Affairs, which directs Physical Plant, went unreturned, and a second phone call went unanswered.

The students are left with few answers and less greenery on campus. Some students are unconcerned with the change.

“I don’t care,” said sophomore Tyler Hannon. “I’m not a treehugger.”

Some students are even pleased by removal of the trees.

“I’m all for it,” said junior Jay Angel. “Destruction is beauty.”

But most students miss the green giants that graced their homes.

“I want my trees back!” said junior Emma Allen.

Photos courtesy of Vincent Domena

“Dress to impress” is a phrase often heard when going on an interview or meeting someone important. On Jan. 25, the Career Development Center showed how to dress to impress and look successful.

The CDC, located on the third floor of the Davis Student Commons, paired up with Dillard’s, whose personal shoppers/consultants dressed Jacksonville University’s students and faculty members.

The event took place in Ross Theater, grabbing the attention of students and faculty walking in and out of the gym. When first walking into the theater, students were prompted to sign in, give their name, major and year in college. Before sitting down in the theater each student was given an evaluation sheet that they were asked to fill out at the end of the event and turn in. The evaluation questions consisted of how students felt the event prepared them for an interview and if they found the information useful.

The event showcased outfits appropriate for interviews, some for office wear and company parties. The first things students were told were the staples for a successful interview: be on time, be prepared and dress for success.

Women were shown in outfits that would be appropriate for an interview. Some of the options were navy, black or grey suits tailored to fit. Pantyhose that matched the skin tone were a must, along with closed-toed black pumps and minimal jewelry. Black pinstripes were also shown on some of the models paired with a soft color with no sign of plunging necklines.

“While going on an interview, you always want the attention on your personality and brains,” said Denise Lawley, the consultant from Dillard’s.

The male models came out in nice suits, except when dressed for casual Friday. A two-piece suit was the option for an interview with a tie that didn’t distract or take away from the face. For office wear, the same type of suit applied, except on casual Friday where khakis, slacks, a button down shirt, and sweater could be appropriate.

“I learned a lot from this event,” said sophomore Brett Durda, one of the male models. “I think I will be better prepared when I go for an interview.”

At the end of the presentation, many tips were given out regarding what to do before and while on an interview. Some of them were to make eye contact and to have a firm handshake when first meeting the interviewer.

“Do your homework and learn about the company,” said Lawley. “Learn everything about them so you can be remembered by them. You want to impress them with your knowledge on them.”

The last piece of advice was to always send a thank you card making sure the card is typed, but never emailed. Typing it will make it easier for the interviewer or boss to read while mailing it will make it personal.

Before leaving the event, the audience was reminded to attend the career expo or career fair coming up Wednesday, Feb. 8 and show off their new business attire.