February 13, 2009
Volume 115 Issue 16
Interested in some extra cash? Take pictures and write stories for
Are you a lover or a hater on Valentine’s Day? see pages 6-7
The Sandspur
Panelists lead discussion about conflict in Gaza
State of college addressed
Nic Ramos the sandspur The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a dispute that has been ongoing for several decades, yet in recent history,the conflict has become particularly tumultous. This past December it once again escalated into violent military conflict. After eight days of rocket air strikes, the Israelis decided to do an amphibious invasion into Gaza. Both Palestinians and Israelis feel threatened by the other side, and although no real solution has been worked out to end the attacks on Gaza by Israel, the international community has been in protest over what they feel are crimes against humanity. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Arabs, Europeans and many other groups of people came together around the world to show that this was an issue on humanity and not of politics or religion, as many people characterize the problem. Last week the Society for a Just Peace in Palestine held a discussion panel on the current conflict in the Middle East. The organization wanted to spread awareness as well as create understanding about the issue. “Our purpose was twofold: to engage the campus in meaningful discussion about the events, and to ensure that people do not rely solely on biased media for their information,” said Fatema Kermalli, the president of the organization. The event was open to the public and lasted two hours, which included a question and answer period. The seven panelists presenting were diverse, ranging from a former member of the Israeli Defense Force, to a local Rabbi, to a Jewish advocate for peace in the region. “Our main concern with the panel was simply to balance the views that would be presented, because the only way to find the truth is to listen to both sides of the story,” said
See Diverse discussion, page 3
Read the State of the College Address in its entirety see page 3
L au r a H a r dw i c k e the sandspur
Courtesy of Chase Jennings
UNSANITARY: Residents of Rex Beach faced health risks as sewer water flooded the halls when drainage and pipe problems arose.
Sewage floods Rex Jennifer stull the sandspur
As we all know, not every dorm on the Rollins campus looks as glamorous as Ward. In normal dorms, the floors are carpeted, the bathrooms smell, and the temperature of a room really depends on the temperature outside. However, there are certain expectations that students have that should not be considered outrageous such as a roof, a bed and floors without sewer water. While the third request may seem rather specific, it was a serious problem that the residents of Rex Beach Hall were faced with at the end of last week. According to facilities, there was a clog in the pipe somewhere between the second floor of Rex and the third floor. The cause of the clog is unknown, but the result was an overwhelming toilet overflow of sewage that took over the bathroom and then flooded the entire hall and some rooms of the second floor.
Not only did this event stop all plumbing within the building for several hours, it uprooted students from their rooms, and posed a serious health concern for the building’s residents. Students in Rex Beach, particularly the boys living on the second floor, had several opinions on the matter of how the situation was handled. Resident Charlie Jicha said, “The people who worked to correct this situation did their best, but this whole situation could have been avoided. I found it very obnoxious that as a dorm we had to fight for a new carpet and that it took a week for the dorm to get somewhat back to normal. I still appreciate all the work that people put into this, and that all the residents were not forced to move.” Earlier this past week a meeting was held in the common room of Rex Beach for residents, members of Res Life and maintenance. During the meeting, questions were answered regarding the health risks and what was going to
be done from that point about the ongoing smell and molding prevention. Leon Hayne of Res Life said, “That night [of the flood] when maintenance came out for the second time, they were able to unplug that pipe; there are no more drainage issues or pipe issues. Any residual issues have been resolved also. The carpet on the second floor and the tiles on the first floor that were affected have been replaced.” Hayner goes on to say, “The air quality tests that were done came back showing little to nothing wrong with the air.” However, while Res Life has done a thorough job of cleaning Rex Beach, there was an issue that maintenance had been called previously about plumbing issues, yet little had been done. Hayner responded to this by saying, “There had been a call earlier about some water overflow.
See Plumbing problems, page 3
With the presidential fervor at its peak, and the unfolding of a strange chapter in Rollins College’s student life, Student Government Association President Marissa Germain fittingly called fellow students to a State of the College Address on Friday February 6. Students gathered on Mills Lawn to hear Germain speak. The chairs set up for the event were only filled to three quarters capacity. Attendees ranged from active college faculty and student leaders. Among the crowd was senior Salem Willis, who was taken aback by the lack of students at the address. Willis says “I wish more students came, or at least to SGA meetings which are all open to the student body.” Introduced by President Lewis Duncan, Marissa stepped up to a podium, standing tall in front of the Mills building. The setting reflected the locally famous scene in “Sydney White” where Amanda Bynes does the cinematic equivalent. Germain sought to address the college about the stage of transition that has fallen upon Rollins. Germain’s speech began with typical morale boosters—allusions to the nation’s new presidency, as well as recollections of athletic victories of the year. However, the serious nature of the State of the College Address was not ignored. Germain dove into the three current weaknesses of the student body. First, she commented on the lack of an informed student body. Germain lamented over the compartmentalization on campus, specifically in separate student organizations. She was clear and concise, asserting that the students only have themselves to blame.
See Germain’s Address, page 3