UPD set multiple decoy cars in various parking lots across campus, leaving the windows down or doors unlocked in an attempt to catch someone stealing the permit. After weeks of the personnel intensive watch-out, UPD suspended the operation, UPD Chief Mark Foxworth said.

“It just didn’t prove to be successful at this point,” Foxworth said. “The thefts were all over the board, and we couldn’t pin-point it to a certain area.’

Foxworth said the amount of man-hours needed for such a decoy were too much given the results.

UPD still plans to work closely with Parking Services to ensure the problem doesn’t escalate, he said.

“I don’t think we are seeing more thefts than you would at any major parking area,” Foxworth said. “It’s a compliancy issue. People think it’s so safe they don’t need to lock their doors.”

There have been 38 parking permits reported stolen since Jan. 1, making up 40 percent of all campus thefts, according to UPD reports.

The discount permits were reported stolen most frequently, with the majority of the thefts
occurring in Lots 18 and 10.

Foxworth believes the isolated nature of the lots plays a large role in the number of incidents, he said.

“It’s a simple case where they are not thinking anyone is looking,” Foxworth said. “Lot 18 is probably the winner of the game.”

Attempts were made to contact students who filed reports, but everyone declined to comment.
UPD has made several arrests, but none of the suspects were linked to a pattern of thefts. They were all isolated incidents.

The charge for a stolen parking permit is a simple petty theft, according to UPD.

The thefts have come as a result of the campus community failing to secure their vehicles, and the majority weren’t forced entry, Foxworth said.

The permits are registered to the purchaser, so if Parking Services finds a stolen permit, a boot is placed on the car and UPD is contacted to begin the investigation.

But, Foxworth believes the majority of stolen permits are being sold on the Green or in the halls for a discount, he said.

If students are caught with a stolen permit they purchased, they can still be arrested for a criminal offense, Foxworth said.

The university was in talks last semester of possibly switching to a sticker decal to avoid thefts, but the idea was struck down due to the convenience the hanging decals offer for the car owners, said Vince Smyth, director of Auxiliary Services.

The hanging decals are much easier to transfer from car to car, where a sticker decal would have to be replaced each time, he said.

The university also ordered a sample of a transferable sticker, that doesn’t remain stuck in the traditional sense and can be removed, but that was never a serious option, Smyth said.

“Nothing further is being done,” Smyth said. “But, I wouldn’t be surprised if it is brought up again.”

E-mail Josh Salman at managing@unfspinnaker.com.

Another 8,000 stood outside, listening the rally from the speakers, since the fire marshals capped the event and didn’t allow them into the park.

Obama’s campaign stop was less than a week after Sen. John McCain’s rally at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena, and a pair of banner-trailed airplanes circled the sky during most of the rally with slogans “Florida is McCain & Palin Country” and “Raising taxes is not patriotic.”

“Florida is always close,” Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla) said. “Who wins Florida is likely to
win the election. Northeast Florida is still in competition.”

The bulk of Obama’s speech focused on economic issues in wake of the Wall Street investment bank meltdown, and he said President George Bush and Sen. John McCain’s deregulation policies were responsible for the current economic problems.

“When you hear about McCain talking about taking on the old boy network, McCain calls it a staff meeting,” Obama said during the rally.

Obama also said McCain had several economic and personal ties to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but said he has never accepted donations from
either corporation.

It’s unlawful for a candidate to accept corporate donations, but Obama received the second highest amount of donations from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac employees, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

“The U.S. government is issuing treasury bills to buy bad mortgages,” Nelson said.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Ma), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said Sept. 18 in a Washington press conference that the government needed to buy up bad mortgages, which would clean the arteries of the market.

Nelson showed dissention in his comments concerning the bank bailout.

“Come [Sept. 23] we will know where all the Democrats stand on this issue,” Nelson said.

Obama said he would cut 95 percent of the working class’ taxes, which would be less than under the Reagan administration.

Obama also geared a portion of his speech toward America’s educational system.

He said he plans on recruiting an army of new teachers
with higher pay and a stronger workload.

Lavonda Lindsey, a senior education major at UNF was in attendance and supports Obama because of his policy.

“I’m a proud supporter of Barack Obama because of what he wants to do for teachers,” Lindsey said. “We have a lot of budget cuts and he wants to increase pay.”

Democratic speakers also brought up Obama’s healthcare initiative and promised to stop insurance companies from discriminating against the sick.

E-mail Jonathan Morales and James Cannon II at news@unfspinnaker.com.

Several seniors at UNF reflected the results of a 2008 survey by the National Association of College and Employers in which 19,000 students all over the United States rated medical insurance as a top priority in terms of employee benefits.

The survey also asked about employer attributes and other employee benefits that students look for when seeking a job.

“Health care is such a big issue,” said Shannon Italia, director of the Career Management Center at the Coggin College of Business. “[Students] have probably seen it in their personal lives with their parents, aunts and uncles and are aware of the ramifications of not having healthcare.”

The benefits companies offer for health care are extraordinarily varied, and students should take time to understand the entire package, Italia said.

“Exercise caution and be very detail-orientated when comparing offers,” Italia said. “Sometimes the salary will be more than you expected, but the benefits package is much less comprehensive.”

Muhammad Hussain, a senior finance and economics major, said affordable health care is the main employee benefit he would want from a company.

“The cost of medical expenses has been increasing exponentially over the last couple of years and I want my family to be taken care of,” Hussain said.

Heather Hambrecht, a senior double majoring in philosophy and sociology, ranked health insurance and dental insurance as her top two picks, although she is not familiar with all the benefits that are available from employers, she said.

“You have to be healthy to work,” said senior political science major Esperandieu Elbon, whose first choice of a benefit would be health care. “If I don’t have insurance then [you will have] no peace of mind, and that will affect your performance at work.”

His second and third choices were paid vacation time and a retirement package, Elbon said.

Hussain and Elbon were in agreement that prestige was an important factor – but more so in the beginning of their careers when they will be establishing themselves.

“Early on in my career I will care about the prestige even more than salary,” Hussain said. “But after I have built up my resume, I would care more about salary.”

Besides health care, the benefits Italia recommended were some sort of savings plan and tuition reimbursement.

UNF’s Career Management Center in Building 42 can be a great resource for students who want some direction in critically looking at the offers that they receive, Italia said.

When students bring in offers to review at the Career Management Center, they often leave with more questions, but that’s not a bad thing, Italia said.

Top benefits students seek
1. Medical insurance
2. Annual salary increases
3. 401(k)plan
4. Dental insurance
5. More than 2 weeks vacation
6. Life insurance
7. Family friendly benefits (family leave, elder care, etc.)
8. Tuition reimbursement
9. Pension plan
10. Bonuses and commissions
11. Flextime
12. Performance reviews

Source: National Association of College and Employers.

E-mail Saman Quraeshi at news@unfspinnaker.com.

Two speakers debated: Robbie Foster, president of the UNF College Republicans, representing John McCain and Brian Mills, a Jacksonville attorney and co-chairman of Generation Obama Jacksonville, representing Barack Obama.

Gathering the two representatives was a challenging process, said Brandon Eady, a member of the Pre-Law Society and mediator of the debate.

“The people who ended up debating weren’t the people we thought initially,” Eady said.

When the Pre-Law Society decided to hold the event, they contacted the Republican and Democratic campaigns of Duval County about sending someone to speak. The Democrats were first going to send a student but then said they could send someone of higher caliber. The Republicans were then notified they could also send someone of equal caliber but chose not to. Mills was eventually sent on behalf of the

Democrats, and Foster, who Eady said, “really stuck his neck out for us,” volunteered.

The two spoke one at a time and were asked the same seven questions in the same order.

Compiled by Sarah Gojekian.

Gration spoke of Sen. Barack Obama to a packed UNF theater Sept. 23, commenting on his ability to listen, get insight, judge what the right thing to do is and then have the courage to act – qualities he saw in Obama during their trip to Africa in 2006, he said.

He said these same traits are needed in a Commander in Chief.

Gration joined Senior Advisor Richard Clarke in the first “Change we need” foreign policy campaign, which will be touring across Florida until Sept. 25.

In addition to discussing Obama’s foreign trips, Gration told the UNF community Obama was the only candidate who could restore America to what the founding fathers wanted.

“Who will use military forces in the right way? Who will use them as a last resort to keep America safe? That’s Barack Obama,” Gration said. “Who understands this complex world? Who sees the world in nuances? That’s Barack Obama. Who’s going to inspire the next generation to serve? There is only one person running for office who’s going to inspire us into service. That’s Barack Obama. He’s the leader we can trust.”

Clarke, who has served the last three presidents as senior White House adviser, agreed with Gration, focusing his discussion on Obama’s judgment.

“It’s not about experience in Washington – if it is we could just leave Bush in,” Clarke said. “It’s about judgment, and Obama has it.”

Clarke cited five examples of Obama’s judgment calls including resisting the war in Iraq, sending more troops to the Afghanistan war and choosing Biden as his vice president.

“Barack chose a vice president on the basis of what is good for our country, not on the basis of politics,” Clarke said. “Biden knows more about foreign affairs than almost anyone else in Washington. That’s good judgment.”

The tour continued with stops at eight other colleges and universities including the University of Florida, University of Central Florida, Gulf Coastal University, Florida Atlantic University and the University of Miami.

OPEN FORUM
The speakers allowed for an open forum with students and members of the community.

What is Obama going to do with the Russia and Georgia conflict?

“McCain announced he wants to throw Russia out of the G8. You can’t negotiate with someone after throwing them out,” Clarke said.

Obama is set on change in Washington and Biden is deeply rooted in Washington. How does that affect his plan?

“Obama is about change, not about throwing everyone out,” Clarke said.

E-mail Holli Welch at editor@unfspinnaker.com.

For those interested in attending, here are some quick facts.

Who
Dr. Nancy Rabalais, the executive director and professor of Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. Her research interests include biological oceanography, the distribution and dynamics of hypoxia water groups and the relationship between animals and sediment.

What
Rabalais will be speaking about the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico. She will touch on the effects Americans have had on producing algae blooms, which robs marine species’ oxygen and could one day deplete the source of shrimp and shellfish in the area.

When
8 p.m., Sept. 25.

Where
University Center

Experience
Rabalais teaches courses about biological oceanography and changing coastal oceans at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium and is currently working on eight projects in the field. Her projects include studying the effects of hypoxia on living resources of the Northern Gulf of Mexico and studying the mercury in marine fish and fishermen. Rabalais is also a member of a research group at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.

Education
Rabalais earned her doctorate in zoology from the University of Texas, her master’s in biology at Texas A and M University and her bachelor’s in biology at Texas A and M.

Compiled by Holli Welch.

This might sound like a bad dream or a snippet from a newscast, but is increasingly becoming reality, as mass casualty shootings have recently become prevalent in the collegiate landscape.

Since last year’s shootings on Virginia Tech’s campus in Blacksburg, Va., university administrators across the country have scrambled to piece together preventative and proactive programs designed to circumvent such tragedies.

The Supporting Our Students initiative was created at UNF last fall under the leadership of Dr. Maurcio Gonzalez, vice president for Student and International Affairs, as a central reporting structure to respond to situations of potential harm to students or others, with a goal of neutralizing campus violence before
it happens.

SOS is a campus-wide initiative to identify and intervene when students exhibit behavior that can affect the health and welfare of another student, as well as threatening or harmful behavior that can impact the campus community, said Dr. Terri DiNuzzo, director of the Counseling Center and chair of the SOS team.

“When someone doesn’t feel heard, they feel misunderstood,” DiNuzzo said. “Nobody cares that they’re having trouble or that they’re frustrated. It escalates and it results in violence. We’re trying to break the momentum of this process.”

The goal of the committee is to ensure the safety and security of the campus community while maintaining the dignity, welfare and privacy of the student who exhibits signs of distress – things like behavioral and mood changes or a growing propensity toward violence, DiNuzzo said. Any situation brought forth to the SOS team would be investigated to ensure accuracy of information while maintaining confidentiality, she said.

“I hope students trust us enough to be able to call, that we will abide by confidentiality and protect and ensure the privacy and dignity of everyone we’re assessing in every situation we’re investigating,” DiNuzzo said.

SOS relies on the cooperation of faculty, staff and students in reporting situations in which students might exhibit what they define as “behaviors of concern.” Traits such as isolation, changes in mood or behavior, withdrawal from friends or activities, increased absences, irritability and abuse of alcohol or drugs are just a few common causes of concern that SOS handles, in addition to violent behavior and threats.

“We’ve had some referrals where there’s been an e-mail exchange between the student and professor, where one student went way off from the conversation and showed some tendencies toward violence,” Foxworth said. “None of this is meant to be punitive by any means; it’s more to direct that person to get back on track and get the help they need.”

Should something escalate to actual violence, Foxworth said UPD has a plan in place.

UPD hosts an active shooter workshop for faculty and staff in which participants are shown a DVD showing how to effectively manage emotions and develop an effective mindset should an on campus shooting spree break out, and in some cases disarm and apprehend the shooter.

In addition, UPD officers have extensive training in handling such incidents, training usually reserved for members of SWAT teams and other police special units.

“We went to several SWAT commanders in the area and asked them to build a customized program,” Foxworth said. “We ended up with a three-day program put on by the Jacksonville Beach SWAT team that introduced our officers to a much more hands-on situation.”

The tactical training focused more on entries and response, and all UPD officers have been through the training, Foxworth said.

Even if it’s not a situation where there is concern about threat or danger, if someone is in distress, SOS wants to intervene in a timely manner before it becomes a crisis, DiNuzzo said. She also stressed a student-first approach in which any information has the same level of security as a counseling or medical record.

Vice president of Administration and Finance and chair of the crisis management team Shari Shuman echoed DiNuzzo’s sentiment.

“It’s all confidential,” Shuman said, “I couldn’t even tell you as the head of the crisis management team the name of any person that they’ve ever even looked at. I know of situations and examples to show that it’s successful but we have a highly ethical and respectful group that want to respect the privacy of the students and no one else is involved except for the student.”

E-mail Jason Yugartis at features@unfspinnaker.com.

Tickets are $28 to $42 for adults and $10 for students with an Osprey card.

Faculty, staff and alumni receive a 10 percent discount off the ticket price when they present their UNF ID at the Ticket Box Office.

A pre-show jamboree with music and food vendors starts at 6 p.m. on the Green. Local officials will be present to assist applicants in the voter registration process.

Students can be scuba certified at Aquatics center
Eco-Adventure will be sponsoring a scuba certification course (PADI certified) at the Aquatics center Sept. 25 and Sept. 26. It includes two weekend dives Sept. 27 and Sept. 28 in springs near Gainesville. Cost is $260 ($10 to sign up and reserve).

Calling all couples: seminar hosted by Counseling Center
The UNF Counseling Center is sponsoring a free couples relationship enhancement workshop at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 30.

The workshop will provide you with practical information to make the good times last a lifetime.

Compiled by Jonathan Morales.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sept. 23 again presents a tie between candidates Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain. Both attract 48 percent of the votes, and both are viewed favorably by 54 percent.

DEMOCRATS
Barack Obama
48%

REPUBLICANS
John McCain
48%

Election notes
• Both Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama have come out in support of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s proposed $700 billion bailout package to the investment banking institutions and are also calling for strong financial regulation.

• In response to Libertarian Presidential hopeful Bob Barr’s exclusion from the Presidential debates Sept. 26, he and the Reason Foundation have teamed up to broadcast Barr’s response to Obama’s and McCain’s positions in real-time via the Internet.

• McCain, in an Ohio rally Sept. 23, attacked Sen. Joe Biden’s comments on clean energy. He said, “my opponent is against the expansion of nuclear power. His running mate here in Ohio recently said that they weren’t supporting clean coal either. And the fact is that their billions of dollars in higher taxes would kill jobs here in Ohio.”

• Journalists have threatened not to cover Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s events surrounding the United Nations conference unless they are allowed more access.

Presidential Election countdown
41 days until the election Nov. 4.

Compiled by James Cannon II.

It all began with CareerWings, the Web site designed to help students find recruiting employers.

There are between 2,000 and 3,000 employers registered on the site for the purpose of bringing jobs solely to UNF students, said Jocelynn Heck, events marketing coordinator for Career Services.

“There are so many companies that you just don’t normally think of that aren’t on an ad or TV … but offer an awesome job or opportunity for growth,” Heck said.

And students don’t have to worry about their major causing potential limitations that stifle growth, Heck said.

“They’re just looking for someone that has a good education and is willing to learn,” said Career Services Director Rick Roberts.

Heck said employers check applicants from all majors when they are seeking to hire someone new.

“It looks like there’s opportunities for just about anybody,” said Kevin Lira, senior marketing major. “The more you talk to [the recruiters], the more you’ll find out.”

The information students gain from the companies can be just as appealing as gaining a position, said Shannon Italia, director of the Career Management Center of the Coggin College of Business.

“Sometimes it’s hard to know what you want to be if you don’t know what’s out there,” Italia said. “So you can come to this event and learn about what companies are here, what they’re looking for and what jobs exist. That can help you too as you’re exploring what you want to do, whether that’s to decide to declare a particular major, or if you’re in a major like management or psychology that’s pretty broad, it might help you narrow your focus.”

Students miss out on the great networking and potential career opportunities if they assume Career Expo is not for them, Roberts said.

“Students wait until their senior year, and sometimes it’s too late to do a lot of the planning that’s needed like getting internships,” Roberts said. “By coming as a freshman, sophomore or even a junior, they can talk to some of these employers and really find out what they’re looking for. [That way], they can put it together before they graduate.”

Out of the 16,000 students enrolled at UNF, only 400-500 students attend the expos, Italia said.

“Don’t wait,” she said. “So many times we hear from students that have graduated that come back and say, ‘I wish I had done this while I was still a student here.’”

The Career Expo occurs three times a year – once in the fall and twice in the spring.

The next expo is scheduled for Jan. 22.

Career services programs

“We’re one of the offices [where] conceivably every individual student on this campus would be able to use one of our services.” –Rick Roberts

• The STAR Program is a program which offers seminars, workshops and events to students who wish to improve their employability skills.

• The Career Discoveries Program offers activities such as Explore-A-Major Fair, workshops, peer advisement, counseling and career assessments to help students discover in their freshman or sophomore year what major would be best.

• Job Search Counseling includes career counselor staff in all five colleges that help critique resumes, show students where to search for a job and bring in staff to give practice interviews.

E-mail Rebecca McKinnon at staff3@unfspinnaker.com.