Florida’s Top College Paper
Vol. 75 No. 13
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JUDGE: University Must Rescind
UT...
Plagiarism Charge; School Appeals charged, or did she merely use improper citations, as her attorney claims? Second, did UT’s conduct system A merciless plagiarism case wrongly deprive her of an appeal and, rages on after nearly 20 months therefore, due process? of litigation as the University of Background Tampa appeals a judge’s order to The grade stemmed from a Spring clear the name of a now-graduated 2006 plagiarism charge leveled by criminology student. LaRose on Knight’s final term paper. In March, Circuit Court Judge He contends that she improperly cited Ralph Stoddard and plagiarized ordered UT to remove parts, resulting The University’s the “F” from Andrea continual uncompromis- in an “F” in Knight’s transcript, to the four-credit ing behavior resulted in adjust her GPA and to criminology the denial of Plaintiff’s expunge all mentions course. due process rights. of plagiarism from U T ’s - Judge Ralph Stoddard her UT record. The internal school has appealed academic the injunction, but her lawyer integrity board, which was made up is confident that the ruling will of seven members of UT’s faculty stand. and staff, found her responsible in “We put a whoopin’ on them,” July of 2006. said Joseph Bryant, Knight’s Knight and her attorney aggressive attorney. “We won an sought an injunction to stave off historic victory to have a grade the hearing but were denied. removed. We have crushed them.” They later filed an amended UT, however, is questioning motion for an injunction to whether the judge has jurisdiction have the “F” removed and the to intervene in an argument over a plagiarism conviction stricken UT student’s grades. from her record. Letters and courtroom Knight, who now works exchanges between Bryant and as a paralegal, hopes to apply UT attorney John Campbell to law or graduate school but demonstrated a deep animosity now faces the stigma of a that was noted several times by plagiarism conviction and the judge, including once when a four-hour “F,” Bryant said. he closed his hearing by thanking The decision caused the two of them for “getting along “irreparable harm” in the better now.” eyes of Circuit Court Judge The case is hung on two R a l p h S t o d d a r d , w h o complicated questions. First, did awarded the immediate Knight plagiarize the term paper, as See “Court” [7] criminology professor Tony LaRose By Peter Arrabal Editor-in-chief
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November 14, 2008
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Meets Manatees
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P.E.A.C.E. Expands Alternative Spring Break Program for Students By Ellery McCardle News Editor
“They are cultural experiences no matter where we go,” said Katrina Vidal, Alternative Spring Break Coordinator of P.E.A.C.E. With growing popularity and increasing applicants, The University of Tampa’s P.E.A.C.E. program has expanded its traveling volunteer opportunities to more than just during spring break. “My freshman year, we only offered one spring break,” Katrina Vidal, ASB Coordinator and UT senior said. Vidal became ASB Coordinator during her sophomore year. She went to a conference last year and
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“It’s really working well and found that many schools have larger they have a lot of good ideas,” programs. Vidal said. “Some schools have 20 trips a November Trip year and I thought that was cool,” The group’s first trip this she said. year was during Expanding Staff November 7-9 To plan six My freshman where they went trips alone was year we only offered to “Give Kids too much to one spring break. the World” in handle for Vidal, Katrina Vidal, ASB Kissimmee. s o P. E . A . C . E . Coordinator Students expanded their w o r ked with staff after deciding to add more trips. terminally ill children who J u n i o r Hannah Duprey and sophomore were staying at the resort and Christina Smith were chosen as attending a theme park. However, not all applicants P.E.A.C.E. co-coordinators for could go on this trips. There were ASB.
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37 applications for this trip, but there was only room for 12. Vi d a l a n d h e r t w o c o coordinators reviewed and graded each application in order to choose who would go on the trip. This is the group’s second year in a row that they volunteered at this event. “Everyone last year went and said they really liked it so we decided to go back,” Vidal said. Duprey said that since there were so many applicants, she wishes everyone could go. “It was amazing and frustrating at the same time,” she said, adding that P.E.A.C.E. would do whatever it takes to make the students’
experience a great one. Students not selected for the Kissimee trip will have a chance to go on a different trip. On the Nov. 15 trip, a different group of students went to Sea World and participate in the “Give the Kids the World” fundraiser. With high gas prices, the cost of the trip rose from $25 to $50 per person. Vidal said that some people who were chosen for the trip declined after the rise in price. Winter Trip The volunteering will continue into December as another selected group will go to the Immokalee
Women’s Soccer [23] Course Evaluations [5] Gay Marriage [19] Gwyneth Walker Concerts [17]
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