On Feb. 2, the institute announced it’s 21-member inaugural advisory board. Rick Mullaney, the director of the institute, expressed his satisfaction with the members who now make up the board.

“They are all great community stewards and leaders,” Mullaney said. “They really are.”

Some of the members initiated their acceptance by showing interest in the positions while others were approached by JU.

“All of them were enthusiastic in joining the board,” Mullaney said.

Mullaney said that the board is non-partisan and includes both Democrats and Republicans. Mullaney also commented on the diverse backgrounds that the board members will be bringing to the table.

Among the board members are doctors, lawyers and CEOs as well as many other distinguished members of the community, including JU alumni Brenda Ezell and Nina Waters. The members represent industries such healthcare, education, transportation, finance and economic development among others.

According to the press release, President Romesburg is also very pleased with the members and the contributions they will make to the institute.

“We have assembled a great team – this advisory board, our faculty and Rick Mullaney – to establish the institute and set a direction that will provide an excellent academic program for our students and a well-tailored community outreach program,” said Romesburg. “I am excited that such an esteemed group has agreed to serve on this board. This institute will create a vital link for not only the students of Jacksonville University, but also for the community and local leaders to discuss critical issues.”

The institute will be focused on building the first master’s degree in public policy in Florida with the goal of having a master’s degree program in place for fall 2013, and there is support for joint degrees opportunities with JU’s MBA and marine sciences programs as well as with Florida Coastal School of Law. With faculty approval, these joint degrees programs would be the first in the state of Florida. The institute will also provide community programs and forums, including an annual conference where leaders and academics will be brought together to discuss important local issues.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with the university and the other members of the board,” said Joseph Debs, a Chief Marketing Officer in the transportation business. “It’s a talented group of individuals.”

According to an official JU press release, the advisory board includes the following: Fernando Acosta-Rua, Ronald R. Austin, Dr. Yank D. Coble, Gary R. Chartrand, Robert M. Clements, Joseph N. Debs, G. Ray Driver, Brenda B. Ezell, Steve T. Halverson, Preston H. Haskell, Cyrus M. Jollivette, Kelly Madden, Douglas M. Miller, Honorable John S. Peyton, C. Daniel Rice, Ambassador John D. Rood (Ret.), Robert T. Shircliff, Richard L. Sisisky, William H. Walton, Nina Waters and Ben Warner.

The institute will hold its first meeting and kick off dinner on Feb. 28. The bylaws governing the board will be discussed, including how long members will serve as advisers.

JU Public Policy Institute Advisory Board pulled the following from the official press release.

1. Fernando Javier Acosta-Rua
Fernando Acosta-Rua is the Chief Operating Officer of American Pet Resorts – a chain of upscale pet boarding facilities located throughout the southern United States. He has served as COO since Jan. 2007 and has been involved with the company since Aug. 2004. Prior to APR, he was a partner at the Connecticut based private equity group, L&L Capital Partners. Acosta-Rua led an investment group to invest $11 million in American Pet Resorts, LLC, from Oct. 2005 through Dec. 2006. Acosta-Rua earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

2. Ronald R. Austin, Esquire
Ronald R. Austin, Attorney at Law, is engaged in the private practice of law as a principal in the firm of Austin & Austin, Jacksonville, Fla. The firm concentrates in representing governmental entities and in eminent domain, land use, mass transportation and bond/corporate matters. Austin is “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He is also listed in Martindale-Hubbell’s Register of Preeminent Lawyers in America. Austin formerly served as Deputy General Counsel for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in Tallahassee, Fla. and as an attorney representing the Florida Public Service Commission. Austin earned a bachelor’s degree from Alabama A&M University and a law degree from the University of Florida.

3. Yank D. Coble, M.D.
Dr. Yank Coble is Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Global Health and Medical Diplomacy, University of North Florida, and Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Florida. From 2002 to 2007, Dr. Coble served on the USA and WMA Delegations to the World Health Organization and Assembly. An endocrinologist in Jacksonville, Fla. for over 35 years, Dr. Coble is also active in his community. He served on the founding boards of the Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. and Leadership Jacksonville and as President of Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. Coble has medical degrees from Duke University School of Medicine and the London School of Medicine.

4. Gary R. Chartrand
Gary Chartrand is the Executive Chairman of Acosta, Inc. Acosta is a leading full-service sales and marketing agency. The Company employs over 21,000 associates and operates 64 offices in the U.S. and Canada. Chartrand received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the State of Florida in May 2001. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, St. Vincent’s Healthcare System, The Jacksonville Public Education Fund, State Board of Education and the KIPP schools in Jacksonville. Chartrand earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire.

5. Robert M. Clements
Clements has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EverBank Financial Corp and its predecessor companies since 1997. Clements joined the EverBank family of companies in 1994. Clements was previously a Vice President at Merrill Lynch & Co., where he was a member of the firm’s leveraged buyout group, Merrill Lynch Capital Partners, Inc.  Clements earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

6. Joseph N. Debs, P.E.
Joseph Debs is a member of the Board of Directors of RS&H and serves as Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to moving into the CMO position, Debs served as Senior Vice President and Director of RS&H’s national transportation and infrastructure practice, a practice that spans 14 states and the District of Columbia. Debs has been active in the planning and design of transportation systems for 35 years with responsibilities for many nationally recognized and innovative highway, bridge, transit, rail and port projects. Debs earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida and an MBA from the University of North Florida.

7. G. Ray Driver, Esquire
G. Ray Driver, Jr. practices in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, venture capital finance, securities law and general corporate law and is a partner in the law firm of Driver, McAfee, Peek & Hawthorne. Driver has experience in representing publicly owned and privately held businesses in a wide range of corporate transactions. Driver is a member of The Florida Bar, the American Bar Association and the Jacksonville Bar Association. Driver earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Montevallo and a Master’s degree in accounting and a law degree from the University of Florida.

8. Brenda B. Ezell, Esquire
Brenda Ezell is the founder of the Ezell Law Firm, practicing in the areas of commercial real estate and business transactions and state and local government law. Ezell is an active in community volunteer, currently serving as a member and immediate past chair of the OneJax board of directors, a member of the board of Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville, Inc., and the Mandarin Museum and Historical Society. Ezell earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Jacksonville University and her law degree from the University of Florida.

9. Steve T. Halverson
Steve Halverson is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Haskell Company, one of the nation’s largest integrated design-build organizations, with operations throughout the United States and Latin America and headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla.  Halverson is Chairman of the Florida Council of 100, Past Chairman of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and is Vice-Chairman for St. John’s University. Halverson earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Johns University, law degree from American University and completed executive business education at Dartmouth College and the University of Pennsylvania.

10. Preston H. Haskell
Preston Hampton Haskell, III is founder and chairman of The Haskell Company, the largest privately held construction company in Florida and a top design/build firm in the United States. He was a minority owner of the National Football League Jacksonville Jaguars, prior to its recent sale. He attended Princeton University and earned a Civil engineering degree with honors in 1960, received an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School in 1962 and continued his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Building Engineering and Construction.

11. Cyrus M. Jollivette
Russ Jollivette is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida’s senior vice president of Public Affairs. In this role, Mr. Jollivette provides executive leadership for community affairs and government and legislative relations. Prior to joining BCBSF in 2002, Jollivette had a distinguished career in university administration and public and government relations. More recently, he founded a successful consulting practice representing private sector clients in Washington, D.C. Jollivette earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from C.W. Post College, an MBA from Long Island University and a law degree from the University of Miami.

12. Kelly Madden
Kelly Madden is the North Florida Wholesale Regional President for Wells Fargo Bank. A 24-year veteran of the company, Madden started her career in 1988 with First Union National Bank, a predecessor institution of Wells Fargo. Prior to her current role, she served as North Florida Regional President. Madden has earned numerous awards in her career, including  First Coast Business Hall of Fame from the Florida Council on Economic Education, Women of Influence award from The Girl Scouts, the MS Hope award, and Top Women in Leadership award from the United Way. Madden received her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Florida State University.

13. Douglas C. Miller, P.E.
Douglas Miller’s 35-year public works and engineering career has incorporated both private consulting and municipal engineering. For the past 30 years he has been a managing principal of England, Thims & Miller, Inc.  Miller has directed construction management and contract administration services on construction projects valued in excess of one billion dollars.  Miller serves as District Engineer for multiple Community Development Districts in Florida. Miller earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida.

14. Honorable John Peyton
John Peyton was named President of GATE Petroleum Company, one of the largest privately-held companies in Florida, in January 2012 after serving two consecutive terms as Mayor of Jacksonville, Fla. He has been actively involved in the community, serving as chairman of the Jacksonville Transportation Agency, Jacksonville Symphony Association and Greenscape of Jacksonville. In 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Mr. Peyton to the board of trustees of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. Peyton earned his bachelor’s degree from Mercer University and completed the Harvard Executive Education Program.

15. C. Daniel Rice
C. Daniel Rice has served as President and CEO of Mayport Venture Partners, LLC since its founding in 2000. Rice currently serves on the Board of Directors of American Pet Resort, Inc. and has been an adviser to other portfolio companies on issues such as strategic partnerships, fundraising, business plan development, operational issues and restructuring. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Saint Vincent’s Healthcare System.  Rice received his bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and an MBA and law degree from the University of Florida.

16. Ambassador John D. Rood (Ret.)
John Darrell Rood is the Chairman of The Vestcor Companies, Inc. and The JDR Companies, Inc, both real estate development companies. In Sept. 2004, President George W. Bush appointed Rood as United States Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas where he served until 2007. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the State University System and a member of the Board of Trustees of Flagler College. Rood earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from University of Montana.

17. Robert T. Shircliff
Robert T. Shircliff has distinguished himself as a successful leader in business, civic, volunteer, philanthropic and religious organizations. He had a successful business career with the Pepsi-Cola bottling companies. He founded a consulting group specializing in equity enhancement and retired in 1988. He served at various times as president of the National Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Association and as a director of General Cinema Corporation, Atlantic National Bank of Jacksonville, EverBank Financial Corporation and others. He served as Chair of the Jacksonville University Board of Trustees and JU’s Campaign 2000. Shircliff earned his bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Indiana University.

18. Richard L. Sisisky
Richard L. Sisisky is President of The Shircliff & Sisisky Company, a management-consulting firm based in Jacksonville, Fla. His company has had consulting agreements with more than 200 clients, primarily franchised bottlers of Pepsi-Cola products in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Middle East. Sisisky currently serves as Lead Director of Stein Mart, Inc. and has held leadership positions in many not-for-profit organizations including Baptist Health System, Jacksonville Children’s Commission, The Bolles School, Jewish Federation of Northeast Florida and United Way.  Sisisky earned his bachelor’s degree from The College of William and Mary and a law degree from the University of Richmond.

19. William H. Walton, III
Bill Walton is a founding member of Rockpoint Group, L.L.C., a global real estate investment management firm with offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia.  In 1994,  Walton also co-founded Westbrook Real Estate Partners, L.L.C., a similar firm which the Rockpoint managing members continue to control.  Since 1994, the Rockpoint managing members have invested over $10 billion of equity capital in almost $40 billion of real estate around the world. Prior to co-founding Westbrook, Walton was a managing director in the real estate group of Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, which he joined in 1979.   Walton has served as a Director or Trustee on the Boards of several public companies, as well as private and non-profit organizations, including the American Enterprise Institute, Princeton University and Princeton University Investment Company.  Walton received an A.B. in 1974 from Princeton University and an M.B.A. in 1979 from Harvard Business School.

20. Nina Waters
Nina Waters is the President of The Community Foundation in Jacksonville.  Waters was promoted to this position in Jan. 2005 after serving as Executive Vice President for three years. Her primary responsibilities include the leadership and management of donor services, grant making and administrative services functions of the foundation. Prior to joining the staff of the foundation, Waters served as Executive Director for the PACE Center for Girls Jacksonville program for twelve years. Waters was the recipient of the JU Distinguished Alumni Award, Scouts Women of Distinction Award, and is chairman-elect of the Southeastern Council of Foundations. Waters earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Jacksonville University.

21. Ben Warner
Ben Warner is President & CEO of the Jacksonville Community Council Inc., Northeast Florida’s longstanding center for civic engagement in public policy. He is globally recognized for his work in community consensus-building around data-driven public policy issues, and has served as President of the National Association of Planning Councils and the international Community Indicators Consortium. Warner earned his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Brigham Young University and his Master’s in Social Work from Florida State University.

Photo courtesy of Ninoska Nunez

Zach Shacter has banged his last figurative gavel for the Jacksonville University Student Alliance. The former JUSA president gave up his seat when election results were revealed Thursday, Feb. 9. Among the positions announced were the new president and vice-president, the only two executive committee members that are elected by the student body and not within JUSA.

As the previous vice-president, Kathryn Judge, stepped down she commented on the transfer of control.

“It’s been fun,” Judge said.

Brandon Krouppa was elected president, and Trevor Touchton was elected vice-president.

As soon as the results were announced, Krouppa and Touchton moved to the front of the room to run the meeting.

“The first meeting was a bit shaky,” Krouppa said. “Most of it was from the shock of winning. I feel like this week I will be more organized and run the meeting more smoothly.”

“It was very shocking and unorganized, but not all transitions can be smooth,” Touchton said.

Despite the high number of votes cast in this election – over 500 – compared to the low numbers of previous years, members of JUSA felt that there could have been more participation. As a university with approximately 3,000 students, 500 is only a small fraction of potential voters.

“Unfortunately, many students do not know what JUSA is,” Krouppa said. “JUSA is a great organization that has a tremendous capabilities. We can’t send a man to the moon, but we can certainly make JU a better school than it already is.”

Krouppa is not daunted by the task of increasing interest and participation in JUSA over the next year.

“The biggest obstacle in JUSA is education,” Krouppa said. “First and foremost, education of JUSA members is key. Once JUSA members are empowered, then we can reach out and maximize the potential to make the changes students want.”

“JUSA needs to talk to about issues that students are truly concerned about,” Krouppa said.  “Also it helps knowing that JUSA is a great organization for improving the university.”

There were eight other representative positions announced at the meeting.  The At-Large representative is Zachary Helm, the South Campus representative is Katherine Thomas, the College of Arts and Sciences representative is Safiya Lawrence, the PanHellenic representative is Zoe Rocke, the North Campus representative is Sara DeBellis, the Commuter representative is Joseph Ramsey, the College of Business representative is Katherine Ramsey, and the Athlete representative is Chunia Graves.

Several more positions remain unfilled including the Fine Arts representative, the Graduate representative, the IFC representative, the International representative, the Nursing representative, Education representative, and the ROTC representative.

Anyone interested in applying for these positions should attend the weekly JUSA meetings in the Davis Student Commons room A held on Thursdays at 6 p.m.

Krouppa has big plans for JUSA and has put thought into what he could do if he had executive power to help JU.

“I would increase enrollment while maintaining the academic profile,” Krouppa said. “Many people would say things similar to ‘where’s my JU roller coaster?’ But increasing enrollment is realistic and would provide income for the school.  The more income the school has, the more JU can offer its students. Although being completely unrealistic, don’t get me wrong, I would love a JU roller coaster.”

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 Michelle Stevens

There is no doubt that Jacksonville, Fla. is not a city lacking of smells. Whether a set of nostrils are traveling over the Matthews Bridge or throughout the Jacksonville University campus, there are moments where they are likely to recoil. For a number of years, the city has earned itself a pungent reputation.

Speculation and blame for the city’s nauseating notoriety has been blamed on a history of paper mills, broken septic tanks and the corporate pollution of the St. Johns, the truth of this lying somewhere within the mix.

“From a historical perspective, I grew up in Jacksonville back in the sixties and it [the smell] used to be a lot worse because we had a paper mill,” said Deborah Venn, database manager for the St. Johns River Keeper. “The one thing I do know is it is a lot better than it was.”

This improvement is due to an anti-odor campaign, enacted by the city of Jacksonville in the 1980s which increased fines for company odor violations drastically in order to phase out the problem. However, while the air of Jacksonville has toned down, it has gone through more of a transformation than elimination.

In recent years, noses and thoughts have turned towards a grotesque aroma emitted by a number of Jacksonville waterways, mostly those branching from the St. Johns River.

For Jacksonville University, an institution situated along the river, this issue is still prevalent and spurs the ever present, inevitable discussion of the water’s reek. Hosting students and faculty from around the world as well as local areas, the school is a hotspot for opinion on the smell, ranging on both sides of the spectrum.

“I’m originally from New York,” said freshman Valerie Ortiz. “I moved to Jacksonville in 02’ and to be honest I have never really noticed the smell of it (the river).”

“What does the St. Johns River smell like to me? Ha! Funny, funny question; the St. Johns river smells like the Jacksonville Zoo uses it as a toilet,” said junior Daniel Holmes. “I mean, whoa. My friend Brent jumped in that thing before and hit the bottom, nothing but muck. Yeah, I have to say, it smells like one giant broken toilet.”

This rendition, while humorous, may not be far from the truth. According to the website of the St. Johns River Keeper, 50 rivers and streams branching off of the St. Johns were on the state Department of Environmental Protection’s impaired rivers list. These possess consistently high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, found in the intestines and waste of humans and other mammals. A 2005 Florida Times Union article reports that this is due to failure of a number of Jacksonville’s estimated 170,000 septic tanks as well as water treatment plants.

This references only one problem, Jacksonville’s water also contains pesticides, herbicides and other pollutants which not only add to the smell but make many fish species unsafe for consumption due to pollutants in their tissues.

It is clear that the issue of the city’s smell is one which runs deeper than a superficial desire to scrunch one’s nose. The curious odor turns out to be more than a minor nuisance to those who live and commute around Jacksonville’s waterways and septic systems. It sinks into a concerning matter of environmental and population health.

Simultaneously, JU played host to the North Florida Regional Latin Forum. Crowds of young students from middle schools and high schools in the area were milling about taking tests, participating in sporting events and costume contests all of Latin and Roman nature.

The National Junior Classical League is the largest academic organization in America for middle and high school students. The Florida chapter is the third largest in the world, and for JU to have hosted them was a great honor. Cheryl Sowder, Ph.D., professor of art history, acted as campus coordinator for the day’s events.

A series of misunderstandings took an otherwise very successful day down a rabbit hole of confusion, accusations, apologies and spoons.

“When they left here Saturday evening, they expected to be able to come back Monday morning to clean it not knowing the cleaning people come in very early.” said Janet Haavisto, Ph.D., English professor and head of the JU honors program.

The honors students left a sticky, white mess that has been described as disgusting, inexcusable and unacceptable. When the cleaning staff came in early on Monday morning and saw the mess, they reported it to the Coordinator of Facilities, Deborah Guy.

The blame for the mess at this point went to Dr. Cheryl Sowder and the Latin Forum that she helped coordinate. The reason is because no one  from Physical Plant or the administration building actually knew the honors students were working that Saturday. No one from the honors program had notified any one from the physical plant or administration that a group of around twenty students would be working without faculty supervision.

Over the course of the next several days, Dr. Haavisto sent numerous letters of apology and made many personal visits to those effected by the miscommunication.

As for the mess, it is barely a shadow of its former self thanks to the dedicated work of a trio of honors freshman and Linda Christoffersen, honors administrative coordinator, the Thursday after the fiasco occurred. Armed with nothing but drive, time and some spoons, the group decimated the ingrained spots of dried papier-mâché in the carpeting of their lounge.

“I think they all learned their lesson,” Christoffersen said. “I doubt they’ll make a mess like that again.”

On this particular evening of Feb. 13, she and two of her colleagues, Carole Barnett, Ph.D., professor of humanities, and Ginger Sheridan, assistant professor of photography, were addressing a fairly intimate gathering of students about Italy. This informational summit was organized and hosted by members of the Jacksonville University honors program.

Dr. Barnett began the festivities with an overview of Italian history and culture. She set the record straight about spaghetti; it is indeed from Italy and not something that Marco Polo brought back from China. Other interesting slides from her power point presentation included a recording of the Italian national anthem and a picture of carbonized pizza from the Pompeii archaeological site.

Next, Dr. Sowder presented on what Italy means to her and how it has impacted her life. She chronicled for the rapt audience her life story starting with her first trip to Italy when she was 20 years old to the present day. Her very favorite moments spent in Italy range from special moments on an archaeological dig site where “every time you scoop up a bit of dirt you’re encountering the past” to the quotidian stops in the coffee shops.

“I love the idea of the outdoor cafe. I try to replicate it every time I go to Starbucks,” she said.

Following Sowder was an entrancing operatic performance by JU honors student Jessica Thomas. She sang just two songs, but only one was necessary for her audience to fall in love with her voice.

After Thomas came Sheridan, who grew up in Florence, Italy. Right off the bat she sent the students into fits of laughter with her comparisons of the two kinds of Italian men. She used two famous statues of David to illustrate her point. There is Michelangelo’s David who is muscular and manly, and then there is Donatello’s David who is more effeminate. Both are accurate depictions of the two main types of men. In the end, however, she says all of their pants fit too well to put anything in them.

Sheridan painted a picture of Italy. She described the “Passagiato,” or the daily stroll that everyone takes between 4 and 7 p.m. to show off their fashion to their neighbors, and the difference between sitting and standing in a coffee shop. If you want to sit in an Italian coffee shop you can expect to pay anywhere from five to nine euros more than the lonely one euro you pay if all you plan on doing is standing there. Her presentation on these daily quirks brought the country to a whole new light for some listeners.

To round off the evening, a couple of representatives of Moon River Pizza did a pizza making and dough twirling demonstration. While the audience dined on some sampler pizzas that they had brought with them, they flung pizza dough up in the air and across the stage at each other.

“It went wonderfully,” said Dr. Haavisto. “The speakers were fascinating, particularly because they’ve not only studied Italian culture but they’ve lived there and worked there so they were really able to address the societal and cultural differences of today. They’ve made me really want to go. And Jess’s singing was just exquisite.”

The night got rave reviews by those present.

“It was an incredible exploration in to the pure essence of Italian culture and history,” said sophomore William MacIsaac. “[It was] educational, inspirational and defyingly brilliant.”

The organization’s goal for this forum, the third for this school year, was to increase understanding between the sexes. A lot of stereotypes exist between males and females. The organization wanted to end those by openly discussing the problems that often occur.

Panelists were chosen to provide diverse views in answering the questions.

Z-Formation is a women’s empowerment group on campus that meets weekly and hosts monthly forums to increase knowledge about dating, relationships and sex.

The forum began with Margaret Christian, a minister at God’s Ark of Safety, asking the panel of five men questions. These questions posed to the panel included what is the ideal perfect female, why men cheat, why men are afraid of committing in a relationship, and if it’s a problem when a female has more sexual experience than the male.

Audience members of both sexes listened to the opinions of each panelist and were then offered the chance to voice their thoughts on each question.

The biggest surprise of the night was to learn that every member of the panel had indeed cheated in a relationship at one point in his life.

Each panelist had his own reason for cheating. The main excuses for cheating were immaturity and intoxication.

“I cheated before because I was immature,” said junior Steven Shotola. “Those who cheat are just weak-minded.”

Sophomore Ernest Fleming had another point-of-view.

“Men cheat,” he said. “It’s the same reason women cheat on their diet.”

The men were all asked to describe their ideal female with body, looks and intelligence. Although physical attraction and looks were high on the list, they all valued intelligence and the ability to hold a conversation.

Opinions about whether dating requirements differed from marriage requirements were discussed. Some had the same requirements for both, while others were looking for certain things right now with no consequences in the future.

“I don’t know what girl is going to be my wife,” said sophomore panelist Brian Mwango. “I’m just trying to get the best girl I can.”

The guys were asked to define a fulfilling relationship. The common answers were a desire to make the other person happy, to constantly be around them, and to have a strength that is created as a team.

“You need 100 percent,” Shotola said. “If one thing is failing, it will ruin the rest of it.”

An understanding was felt among panelists and audience members by the end.

The Z-Formation hosts a dating class every Monday at 6 p.m. in Botts Lobby.

Photo by Lorna Kelso

As students and workers climb from one of the ladder rungs in their lives to another, from one deadline to the next, it can feel as though the enduring jaws of time are nipping at their heels. With the constant threat of falling behind, time spent pondering the meaning of it all, who we are, where we are, where we’re going and the like, can appear a less than attractive way to spend much deserved downtime.  However, about once a month, the occurrence of a philosophy slam changes this perspective.

In the casual atmosphere of a philosophy slam, every student has a voice and reason to express it. Organized by the Philosophy Club, the slams are an engaging way to explore topics that are meaningful but can seem intimidating in a classroom, in practice or from the sidelines of a political debate.

“Philosophy slams are a long standing gem at JU,” said junior Bryon Heylock. “They give the students and faculty the ability to bond in a less formal setting and to talk about intellectual issues.”

At the most recent philosophy slam, David Courtwright, Ph.D., spoke confidently into the microphone, his voice carried by the loud speakers that were scattered around the ceiling of the dimly lit bar known as the Northstar Substation. On the quiet Wednesday night, the stillness of the street outside was a stark contrast to the bold and boisterous discussions he led within the confining brick walls of the bar. As a published historian and presidential professor for the University of North Florida, Dr. Courtwright was well versed in the evening’s topic of interest, which was provocatively titled, “Is there such a thing as conservatism?”

As tradition dictates, the first few minutes of a philosophy slam were dedicated to presenting evidence for argument. Dr. Cartwright clarified that he believed there is no such thing as conservatism but there are conservatives. However, ideologically, economically and philosophically, conservatism is not a unified phenomenon.  Conservatives, on the other hand, do not need unity to exist.  Dr. Courtwright stated it has been argued that conservatism could possibly exist from a psychological standpoint within someone but not as a unified idea.

Dr. Courtwright used the Nolan Chart, also known as the World’s Smallest Political quiz, to introduce his point and to allow the audience to take a quiz to align their political perspective with the appropriate label.  He emphasized that political views exist on a plane, just as the diamond shaped body of the Nolan Chart demonstrated, with each corner representing the extremes of each particular perspective while the lines of the planes in between revealed a tendency to lean towards a particular political perspective. These included liberal (leans towards open-mindedness), conservative (tends to lean toward tradition), statist (supports highly centralized government), and libertarian (uphold political liberty).  In the center of the chart there was also a section for centralists (prefer most of the power with one organization).

After the introduction the floor was opened up to the audience, and from then on there was the rhythmic passing of the microphone from audience to moderator.

“I thought the most interesting turn that the conversation took was that so many people expressed dissatisfaction with the two party system,” said Dr. Courtwright. “It turned out to be more a discussion of what type of government we have.”

Overall, the students and communities were very receptive. Freshman Arielle Bass said, “It was fairly interesting, although I do not usually enjoy politics.”

This event is not associated with fall homecoming and will not be as large an event as the fall homecoming, but the office of alumni relations is trying to make this into an eventful weekend for alumni.

“We are trying to coin the term WAG because this will become an annual event happening every year in February,” said Lucas Meers, communications coordinator for alumni and parent relations.

Originally the weekend was planned to center around basketball, but the lacrosse classic is a part of the weekend now as well. Alumni are able to receive discount tickets to the classic.

The kick-off for WAG will be the Winter Alumni Gathering Party beginning at 6:30 p.m. The fall homecoming party was met with high success leading the office of alumni relations to plan another party with a live band, food and two free drinks with every ticket purchase. The party will take place at the Alumni House.

The next morning a champagne breakfast and campus tours begin at 9:00 a.m. There will be a continental breakfast with mimosas in the Kinne Center. The campus tour will be led by JU’s student ambassadors and will showcase the latest additions to the institution.

After the tour, at 11:00 a.m. the alumni will be able to head to the beach volleyball courts settle in for the Alumni vs. Student Volleyball Game against the new Division 1 Beach Volleyball team.

According to Meers, the student-alumni volleyball game will have teams of students going up against alumni. This will help alumni become more involved with the students and get the students to know their alumni. Also, it’s just to have a good time.

Starting at 1:00 p.m. basketball games start at the Jacksonville Memorial Arena, first the women play followed by a Green and Gold Lunch at 2:00 p.m. and finally a men’s basketball game at 3:15 p.m. The basketball teams will be playing against Mercer University.

Dolphins’ Night Out follows the games at 7:00 p.m. at Poe’s Tavern in Atlantic Beach. The school encourages alumni to visit neighboring bars and restaurants in the surrounding area. Alumni could either chose this event or “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” by Neil Simon at 7:30 p.m. in the Swisher Theater.

Finally to cap the weekend off the JU lacrosse team will be going against Navy in the Moe’s Southwest Classic. Tailgating begins at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets must be purchased at will-call. The game begins at 4:00 p.m.

Similar to University of North Florida’s homecoming, there used to be a big homecoming during basketball season at a basketball game prior to 1998 when the school gained the football team.

“I think it’s going to be a very fun event and will reconnect alums to get back into the school spirit before football season,” Meers said.

Photo by Grace Singer

Jacksonville University recently underwent a not so hostile takeover from over 40 companies. At least, that’s how the Career Expo, held at the Kinne University Center on Feb. 8, appeared. The Career Expo was held for the benefit of students nearing graduation, so they could peer ahead at what potential jobs might be in store for them after college life. It was a chance for ambitious students to meet with potential employers and get ahead of the curve. The administrators who organized the event, the students who attended, and the companies who took part in it seemed overall satisfied with the event.

It was certainly a good day for Jacksonville University itself. Several of the companies at the fair, were in fact, being represented by JU Alumni.

“CSX has a long-standing relation with Jacksonville University. We’re always pleased with the candidates amongst the students we get.” said Jeff Hollenbeck, aided by Michelle Kargbo, two JU graduates who were running the booth for CSX, a transportation company.

“I’m really happy to be here- the students here are always highly qualified; we’re always impressed with JU, not only the students, but their supportive teachers as well.” said Dwan Adams, the Regional Recruiter for the Peace Corps, which was also represented at the Expo.

The range of companies represented at the expo ranged from major corporations like CSX to non-profit organizations, such as The Peace Corps and the Step Up Organization, an organization fighting for scholarship programs for low-income families. The Expo organized the employers according to what majors would be compatible with which companies, presenting a color-coded guide and giving students who majored in anything from Communications to the Humanities a chance explore possible futures.

Students appeared just as impressed with the companies as the companies seemed impressed with the students; many students came to the expo with resumes in hand, dressed to impress in formal, business attire.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for life after graduation, I think.” said JU Alumni Heather Kane.

The Administrators who put the expo together expressed a pride in its accomplishments.

“We’re very excited. We’ve had over forty employers show up this year, and we’re just as excited about the student turn-out. It’s been a definite success.” said Devan Coughlin, Career Development Center Director.

In the end, the expo was a great opportunity for students and companies, with their minds set into focus on individual wants, to network, communicate and step forward into future potentials.