In the 21st Century, your soul mate UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA may be just a mouse click away, page 9 January www.unfspinnaker.com 24 Volume 30, Issue 19 2007 Wednesday Glover pushes for education Campus BY LAUREL WRIGHT CONTRIBUTING WRITER a select few think about going to college, I sanctuary would like to see more kids go to college,” Glover said. Jacksonville’s former sheriff, Glover is the envoy for higher educa- Nathaniel “Nat” Glover, has been reach- tion into the community, especially the in works ing out to Duval County students as minority population, said UNF President University of North Florida’s special John Delaney, “the goal is to make sure JO A BY MATT COLEMAN advisor to the president. the student body is reflective of O BICALHO Glover, who began his work with UNF the community.” ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR in November, said he has been working to Delaney said Glover’s high profile in motivate, inspire and encourage young Northeast Florida makes him a great fit The administration at the students to think about higher education. Former Jacksonville Sheriff Nat Glover has been working University of North Florida is in “For so many years we’ve been focus- See GLOVER, page 6 as a special adviser to the president at the University of the preliminary stages of bring- ing on just finishing high school and only North Florida since November 2006. ing a multi-purpose building that will house lectures and reli- gious services to campus. The building, which was pro- posed by President Delaney, is estimated to break ground in three to five years. The structure has been referred to as a sanctu- ary by the university adminis- tration, and it will be the site of various events such as concerts and weddings. A definite price range has yet to be determined, but Dr. Pierre Allaire, the vice president of institutional advancement, estimated the con- struction would cost $4 million to $6 million dollars. “We’re in the preliminary stages of the project,” Allaire said. “The location and design haven’t been deter- mined. For now, we’re really explor- ing the con- ceptual side of a facility like Allaire this.” A request ILLUSTRA for proposal for the building has been released by facilities plan- TION: ROBER ning and various construction companies will bid on the proj- ect. Allaire said selection of a T K. PIETRZYK company will be based on the design work they submit, which will include estimates of the structure’s maximum capacity, and other various layout consid- erations. Allaire said the sanctuary Student Union racking up costs will be a versatile addition to campus, able to hold a wide range of different activities for a myriad of groups. BY MELISSA DIXON AND MATT COLEMAN tion, said recent estimates of approximately but we are in the cost estimation period and “We’ve spoken about includ- CONTRIBUTING WRITER AND ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR $37 million, place the student union about $2 we will make changes,” she said. ing storage closets to house vari- million over the proposed budget. The $37 President Delaney explained the initial ous items,” Allaire said. Ground has yet to be broken on the million estimate does not include non-con- cost of the building was estimated to be $35 “Whether the building is being University of North Florida’s new Student struction costs, he said. million, but that he expected the total cost used for lectures or for religious Union, but the project has already exceeded Shari Shuman, vice-president of adminis- would end up around $50 million. services, space will be provided the original estimated cost of construction. tration and finance, said that estimates of for equipment.” Zak Ovadia, director of facility planning, overall costs are around $45-46 million. See UNION, page 6 who also oversees the building’s construc- “It is over the amount we had estimated, See SANCTUARY, page 8 Consulting group calls for State University System overhaul BY TAMI LIVINGSTON undergraduate education, with a suggested mix of 90 per- NEWS EDITOR states “the conditions for success do not yet exist for the implementation of a long-term master plan for higher edu- cent full-time undergraduate students and 10 percent full- cation in Florida.” time graduate students. The colleges in the system would The Florida State University System needs to make The report also recommends be governed by the BOG. major changes to better serve the educational needs of fundamental changes to the existing While the report states that UNF,along with other exist- Florida residents but also to stay afloat, according to a new funding structure and formulas for the ing universities, “would be natural choices to form the report. state to place a higher priority foundation of the new state college system,” it also Issued by the Pappas Consulting Group Inc., the on the needs of the state as a addresses the reality that many of the schools already report was released last week and heavily criticizes the whole, instead of individual insti- have master’s and/or doctoral programs. It states “to current structure of the State University System and its tutions. expect them [the universities] willingly to give up entirely fiscal expenditures. The establishment of a State either their graduate aspirations or their substantial Pappas Consulting was hired by the Florida Board of College System is also recommended autonomy is not realistic.” To entice institutions to join Governors last year to examine the current SUS and make ILLUSTRATION: by the report. The SCS would be a the SCS, more resources would be allocated to recommendations for its long-term growth. subsystem of the SUS and could those institutions, according to the report. The report states that further study of the state’s consist of independent and com- “That’s not the type of university UNF sees itself future higher education needs is required and the SUS has JEN QUINN munity colleges, branch campuses, exist- being,” said UNF President John Delaney. Delaney said a focused on graduate and professional programs to the ing SUS institutions and new institutions. detriment to undergraduate education. The report also The state colleges would focus almost entirely focus on See SUS, page 7 PA GE 2 QUOTE of the WEEK WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2007 “Only two things are infinite: the universe and Awarded first place for Best of Show at human stupidity. the 2005 National College Media And I'm not sure Convention by the Associated Collegiate Press. O O O about the former.” – Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist Spinnaker Staff and 1921 Nobel Prize laureate in Physics (1879 – 1955) Editor in Chief Jenna Strom Art Director Robert K. Pietrzyk Business Manager Adina Daar Production Manager Ace Stryker Advertising Manager Kristen Montalto O O O O O O Adviser Joshua Stewart Editorials News Editor Tami Livingston Features Editor Sarah Houston Loan rate cut might cause deeper wounds Sports Editor Holli Welch Copy Editor Emily Bruce he newly Democratic the amount of aid available to stu- decrease the interest rates on those Photo Editor Rebecca Daly Congress recently passed a dents, the plan only encourages loans for five years and then they Web Editor Meghan Dornbrock resolution by 356 to 71 to cut more low- and middle-income stu- are right back where they are now. Graphic Designer Jen Quinn need-based student loan dents to carry enormous debts Instead of helping all students Discourse Editor Ace Stryker interest rates from 6.8 percent to 3.4 upon graduation. who receive financial aid, this plan Tpercent by the year 2011, a move Instead of offering students the alleviates a small portion of educa- Asst. News Editor Matt Coleman which has drawn criticism from chance to receive an affordable edu- tional debt for a few select Asst. Features Editor Ross Brooks Republicans and education cation, this plan only allows stu- borrowers. Asst. Sports Editor Natalie Nguyen analysts alike. dents to dig themselves in to an ever- Yes, the plan could help some stu- Under the plan, students could deepening hole of debt, and does dents save some money in interest save thousands of dollars when nothing to help those students who over the course of their repayment – Distributor Jason Strickland repaying their loans. However, the have already graduated with loans but that’s only if they can afford to Printer Florida Sun Printing plan only affects loans issued after or who are still in school but have repay their loans at all. Millions of July 2007. It will have no effect on already taken out thousands of dol- loans are disbursed every year to O O O current loans or any issued before lars in loans. This plan does also not millions upon millions of students. then. The interest rate cut will only help those students who receive According to the National Center for Robinson Student Center, room 2627 apply to subsidized Stafford loans financial aid from a variety of Education Statistics, 69 percent of 4567 St. Johns Bluff Rd. S. and not affect unsubsidized loans, sources other than subsidized all undergraduates in public four- Jacksonville, FL 32224 Perkins loans or loans taken out by Stafford loans. year institutions received financial parents. According to congressional This plan is also only a temporary aid in the 2003-2004 school year, 45 Phone: 904.620.2727 estimates, the plan would cost near- measure. The interest rates would percent of which were loans. Fax: 904.620.3924 www.UNFSpinnaker.com ly $6 billion – a cost to be paid by the gradually decrease over the next five Once those students graduate, banking and lending industries in years to 3.4 percent.