VIEWPOINTS
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HEALTH & FITNESS
SPORTS
Inside the meal plan
Summer research
Humans of Eckerd
Stay in shape
Soccer
Get to know the woman behind a friendly face at the caf.
Learn to manage the ups and downs
Get a kick out of men’s and women’s soccer coverage.
Student serves up opinion on caf food.
Students get their hands dirty in the field and in the lab.
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of the“Freshman 15.”
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Vol. 6, Issue 1 Sept. 19, 2014
Updated policies bring change to Eckerd social scene By Bryan Arnott & Sebastian Battle
News Editor & Contributing Writer In past years, campus nightlife has been a mixture of lights, sound and cramped space. This year, the college is trying to tone down the rowdy tenor of the weekends in hopes of promoting student safety and alleviating complex damages. The 2014-2015 Eckerd College Student handbook reflects the college’s attempts to resolve these issues through updated policies. Policy six under Residence Life Policies and Procedures outlines these new rules: “The use of disc jockey mixing boards, music mixing equipment and associated light controllers are not permitted in the residence halls, complex lounges and complex courtyards. DJ boards and mixing equipment may only be used outside of the residence halls or complexes in a designated location once permission has been granted in writing from the Dean of Students or his/her designee.” Dean of Students James Annarelli said that staff carefully considered the way in which they wanted to address these gatherings when making the new guidelines. “We preferred to address the challenge contextually,” Annarelli said in an email. “It was suggested by some students and staff that the truly large gatherings within complexes were occasioned by events that featured full DJ boards and extensive accompanying lighting effects. In limiting the use of such
DJ set ups within complexes, staff hoped to avoid the occurrence of unsanctioned large gatherings and their negative impact within these complexes.” Following the creation of this rule, students have been signing petitions for the parties at which they would like to have DJ booths -- often for the larger, themed parties, such as Toga -- and getting them approved beforehand. Annarelli added that there was no specific catalyst that caused the administration to create the rules this year versus in previous years. Rather, these updated policies were the results of a long-standing discussion between Annarelli and other members of the administration over the past couple years in response to the increase in the size and frequency of Eckerd’s weekend gatherings. According to Annarelli, many schools in warm places like St. Petersburg are experiencing similar problems regarding large parties. The new rules are a substantial adjustment for many students who are used to parties taking place in the middle of complexes, most notably in Kappa’s complex courtyard. Senior David Steren is an experienced DJ and has disc jockeyed in complex courtyards in the past. “Tables, electricity, places to dance… residential complexes fulfill all of those needs,” Steren said. Steren loves his role as a DJ and initially was angry with the new policies. “It’s a chance for me to showcase my art to a crowd that appreciates
courtesy of Lia Nydes
Junior Will Ribbans mixes tracks at a party.
it,” Steren said. “So when they’re just like ‘no DJ boards,’ that’s basically, to me, saying you can’t do what you love at your school… And I’ve honestly just been trying to do that.” However, Steren said he is fully aware of the issues with having parties where people live and is entirely open to alternative methods that
fulfill those same needs. Kappa Leighton Resident Advisor Marina Belotserkovskaya agreed that complexes, specifically Kappa, have been abused during parties, and that the policy was designed to mitigate damage. “The administration’s conclusion behind the initial policy, which was no DJ boards allowed in the com-
plex lounges, was that it gave off a certain energy that made the parties harder to shut down,” Belotserkovskaya said. She believes that students were initially confused about the policy. At the beginning of fall semester, Belotserkovskaya coordinated complex-wide meeting with AnSee DJ, page 4
Jane Goodall spreads message of hope at USF By Emma Cotton Science & Tech. Editor
Jane Goodall speaks at USF. Please Recycle
INDEX:
NEWS
photo by Alex Zielinski
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Jane Goodall, a legendary scientist who has conducted groundbreaking research in the field of animal behavior, conservation and anthropology, took the stage in front of more than 4,000 people at the USF Sun Dome on Sept. 9. Her lecture, titled “Sowing the Seeds of Hope,” is part of her 80th birthday celebration tour. She was greeted with a standing ovation and applause that lasted for several minutes. “Well,” she said, “one good greeting deserves another, so here we go…” She imitated a chimpanzee’s pant-hoot, a call that is distinct to an individual, with “who-whowhos” that became increasingly loud. The audience was silent. When she was finished she translated: “This is me, Jane,” followed by more applause. She continued on with the lecture, and meanwhile, people leaned forward in their chairs, eyes fixed on the podium, entranced with the scientist and her eloquent story. Jane Goodall began studying chimpanzees in the summer of 1960 in Tanganyika, which later became Tanzania. It was here that she first sat on a peak with her binoculars, observing wild chimps as they cre-
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ated and used tools, and it was here that she realized that each chimp had his or her own personality. Although she never obtained an undergraduate degree, she acquired her Ph.D. at Cambridge University, where she was told that everything she did was wrong. She shouldn’t have named the animals, she should have given them numbers. Goodall was disheartened by the criticism at first, but stood fast in her convictions. Now, Goodall travels across the world to talk to young people. In doing so, she empowers them to act on their aspirations as she did. “She has done so many amazing things in her life without much guidance,” said Junior Ciera Akins. “She can inspire young people because she was so young when she started. I think it’s really important and fantastic that she does that.” On the morning of Sept. 9, Jane Goodall made a surprise visit to about 200 local school children at the USF Botanical Gardens. The children sat quietly as she spoke of her early days in research. “People used to think that we, humans, were so different from the other animals,” she said, “that there was a sharp line, with us on one side, so arrogant and superior, and
all the other animals on the other side.” At the lecture, she described the moment when she saw a chimp pluck a blade of grass and use it, as a tool, to fish termites out of a mound so that he could eat them. At the time, humans were thought of as the only tool-using species on the planet. “Now we shall have to redefine tool, or redefine man, or accept chimpanzees as humans, ” Louis Leakey, her mentor, famously said. Here was a woman of just 26 years, in the 1960s, with no college degree, changing the definition of man. In 1986, Jane Goodall left the forest after attending a conference about conservation, where she heard about deforestation and the Bushmeat Trade, where animals were commercially hunted for food. “I knew when I left that conference that I had to try and do something to help,” she said. Since that day in 1986, Goodall has become a world-renowned activist for animal welfare and environmental conservation. In 2003, she was asked by the United Nations to serve as a Messenger of Peace. She travels an average of 300 days per year to encourage people to get involved.
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See GOODALL, page 4
The Current is a free, biweekly student newspaper produced at Eckerd College. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers.