The policy prohibits all forms of tobacco use including e-cigarettes and a variety of smokeless products on Stetson buildings, structures, grounds, parking lots and in university and personal vehicles while on Stetson grounds.

“I am proud that Stetson University residential campuses will be completely smoke- and tobacco-free next August,” said President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D. “Stetson is committed to providing a safe and healthy living, learning and working environment for our students, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors.”

Stetson began implementing smoking restrictions in 2007 by banning smoking near buildings and air vents. The new policy is the result of several years of research, focus groups and a university task force that determined that smoking was inconsistent with the values of the university.

Stetson will offer a variety of resources to help members of the Stetson University community quit smoking, including a series of free education programs about smoking and free resources for those who want to quit, including cessation products and classes. The university task force determined, “Our university commitment to health and wellness, one of our shared values, requires us to protect non-smokers but also to support smokers in reconsidering a behavior that has been scientifically proven to have serious long-term health consequences.”

Compliance with this new policy rests with all members of the Stetson community. Community members are empowered to respectfully inform others about the policy and the ongoing effort to enhance awareness of and encourage compliance with this policy.  Violation of this regulation may result in corrective action under the Student Code of Conduct, Human Resources Policies and Procedures, or other applicable University Regulations or Policies. Visitors refusing to comply may be asked to leave campus.

Stetson will use the next 10 months to continue to educate the Stetson community and visitors about the new policy with a series of informational sessions, health fairs, human resource training sessions, student tours of campus, in marketing materials and on its website at stetson.edu/breathe-free.

“Four years ago, the Stetson community embarked on a strategic planning process that resulted in our 2011-14 Strategic Map,” says President Wendy B. Libby. “That process and its outcomes will be valuable resources in planning our next Strategic Map, as together we think boldly and innovatively about Stetson’s role in higher education and prepare our students for significant lives.”

Over the past few years, Stetson has exceeded enrollment goals, increased its financial health, enhanced academic programs, hired new faculty and staff, and created a more vibrant campus environment for students.

“This is an important time in the life of Stetson University,” says Provost Beth Paul. “Strategic planning offers us wonderful opportunities to bring our community together for rich, creative discussions that inform our strategies and move Stetson forward. It’s an inclusive process that allows us to prioritize our thinking, articulate our goals, identify new or reallocated funding that supports key initiatives, and invest in action that elevates our university to new heights.”

Tim Fallon and Stacey Zawel of TSI Consulting Partners, Inc., will assist Stetson in strategic planning efforts this year. The process kicks off next week with open discussion sessions, focus groups and an online survey, which will help us assess our strengths and weaknesses as well as the critical issues we face and the key priorities we should establish in our Strategic Map.

Mark Your Calendars!

There will be several opportunities this year to offer input into the next Strategic Map:

“Seeing Stetson In Context” Open Discussions

It’s a time to think big, toss ideas around, examine major trends in higher education and assess the opportunities that lie before us. Plan to attend any of these one-hour discussions. Take a look at Resources posted on the University Planning website, and bring your own material for conversation!

10-11 a.m., Oct. 14; 124 LBC

3-4 p.m., Oct. 14; Faculty Lounge, CUB

10-11 a.m., Oct. 15; TBD

4:30-5:30 p.m., Oct. 15; Faculty Lounge, CUB

Online Survey

Next week via Stetson Announce, we’ll launch a short, anonymous, open-ended survey that asks for your thoughts on Stetson’s strengths, critical issues we face, and key priorities we should establish. Your participation is important! Your input will help shape our 2014-19 Strategic Map.

The University Planning Website

Pertinent strategic planning documents, including a timeline of the 2013-14 strategic planning process, are posted at https://www.stetson.edu/other/planning/ . Please check back often for information updates and new resources.

Beyond Access and Affordability: An Education of High Value

You can also read this blog written by President Libby on Huffington Post, posted 10/2/13. 

With such weighty words as access and affordability lingering in the air after President Obama’s bus tour last month, it’s easy to get caught up in the higher education mantra and its vagueness. The phrase paints visions of low unemployment rates and an educated workforce unconstrained by student debt.

But access and affordability are not enough to get the world where it needs to be. For one, it becomes too easy to think we can solve the world’s issues with quick degrees at a low cost, with less consideration for quality of the learning – that is, the deep learning that comes from reflection, application, iteration and rigor.

We devolve into education as transaction; we might as well get the empty calories from a vending machine. Tomorrow’s workforce raised on the educational equivalents of fast food, chips and candy bars. Is this how we will shake up education?

A better strategy is to lead our discussions with a global concern for the substance, purpose and outcomes of education – without which access does not matter.

In contrast, UNESCO’s new Education for All Global Monitoring Report Team analysis focuses on the need for quality education, highlighting the linkages between it and the reduction in mortality rates, increased tolerance for differences, and economic growth. How can we talk about access to higher education when worldwide UNESCO estimates that more than 250 million children still may not be able to read or write by the time they reach fourth grade?

In our own country in particular, one in three public school fourth-graders taking the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress reading test performed at or below the “Basic” level (NAEP).

A Values-Driven Education

In at least the richest nation in the world, literacy in our children cannot be optional, nor can we shrug aside issues of poverty, violence or discrimination in which education and the prospect of “having prospects” so clearly have a role. Embedded in education must be concern for the character of our citizens to combat this indifference, so we make the right and important choices as we care for our sick, teach our children, grow our food and lead our companies.

Quality education is about far more than the 3 Rs and its liberal arts underpinnings that teach valuable skills like critical thinking and problem-solving. Education, at its best, is threaded with values – those shared ideals that champion and protect what’s important to us, and that elicit the finest within us. While values education may happen in the home or community, there is a critical role for schools and universities to play as we impart new knowledge – and with it, provoke the discourse that instills personal and social responsibility.

At Stetson University, our values are the foundation of all we do as we dare our students to live a life of significance. Our values are the expression of who we are and what we believe in; even before our students start classes, they are involved in community service programs. And our Bonner Scholars program is built around leadership experiences and long-term relationships with organizations in need. We are sixth on Washington Monthly’s list of master’s universities that contribute to the public good. Each September we immerse ourselves in Values Day, where we cancel classes and engage in a full slate of workshops for students, faculty and staff across our university.

On Values Day especially, we embrace and espouse the values we’ve agreed on as a community: personal growth, global citizenship, intellectual development, and at the heart of them all, personal and social responsibility. We discuss the evolution of civic engagement, and why it matters, and what our Center for Community Engagement does and how it integrates our curriculum with our community. A session explores Mayan culture, examining their practices and beliefs, which challenges our assumptions and prompts us to look at our own culture with fresh eyes. The world is both a bit bigger and smaller the day after Values Day.

Quality Outcomes

I do firmly suggest that education should lead to a job, but more importantly it should also lead to a life – a personally satisfying life in a society we want to live in. Where all individuals and organizations – as part of their mission and values – devote time, energy and innovation to a cause or entity without even considering ROI, because the benefits are priceless and wide-reaching. I am well aware that this smacks of idealism, but that’s a badge I am comfortable wearing.

Access to a quality, affordable education interwoven with values takes us to this level and beyond ourselves – beyond mere success and into a more meaningful realm: significance. Leadership expert John Maxwell advocates that you “can’t have true success without significance; significance comes when you add value to others.”

Education can be a powerful change agent. In a world where human slavery still exists and clean water is not a universal right, we are in desperate need of reprioritization and a recommitment to values. Our values are, after all, our fallbacks as well as our guideposts, and what unites us in times of crisis when there is no logic or experience to show us the way.

Surely measuring our students’ random acts of kindness and the impact of civic engagement on our communities is just as important as quantifying the number of graduates we send out into the world and the salaries they make. A global, values-driven society – that’s the legacy I’m most interested in seeing education preserve.

By President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D.

]]> http://www.stetson.edu/portal/stetson-today/2013/10/an-education-of-high-value/feed/ 0 http://www.stetson.edu/portal/stetson-today/2013/10/weapons-of-mass-distraction/ http://www.stetson.edu/portal/stetson-today/2013/10/weapons-of-mass-distraction/#comments Tue, 01 Oct 2013 05:00:33 +0000 Mary Anne Rogers http://www.stetson.edu/portal/stetson-today/?p=8767 “Distracted Driving” is receiving a lot of attention these days, particularly the alarming statistics of death and injury caused by drivers who are talking or texting on cell phones. Forty states have already banned cell phone use while driving and, starting today, Oct. 1, Florida will do the same.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 3,000 people annually are killed as a result of distracted driving. They also cite that teens and young adults are the largest proportion of drivers who are involved with fatalities directly related to cell phone use while behind the wheel: a whopping 21 percent of all car crash fatalities of 15 to 19 year olds can be blamed on driving while using a cell phone.  A recent study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) showed that someone texting, dialing or grabbing the phone while driving is three times as likely to crash than a driver who is not distracted (www.Distraction.gov).

It could be argued that Florida is slow to jump on board with this initiative and some argue that while passing the law is a good first step, it may not be enough. “It’s important because it is the first step towards creating a primary law,” said Joe Steward, Community Traffic Safety Team Program Coordinator in DeLand (District 5, Florida Department of Transportation). “Honestly, it will not make a big difference. Florida law applies only to secondary violation…and the law also does not even apply to drivers in stopped vehicles. Those of us who grab our iPhones to check an email the minute traffic slows or whenever we stop at a light can still text legally when behind the wheel.” In other words, breaking the law that begins today is a secondary offense, requiring an officer pull over an offender for another traffic infraction (e.g., speeding, running a stop sign) before issuing the $30 fine.  And being able to use your phone while stopped at a signal or in a traffic jam isn’t sitting well with those who wish to enact tougher legislation on the matter.

If the stats and police enforcement don’t scare some “straight” then watching a recent documentary short by Werner Herzog might do the trick. “From One Second to the Next” is a 35-minute film that debuted on YouTube this summer. Four major wireless carriers—AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint—partnered on the film project that stemmed from Herzog’s work on 30-second commercials for anti-texting and driving. It has scored millions of views and made a significant impact on raising awareness about distracted driving. The raw emotion of the film comes from people who have been impacted as the driver at fault, the victims left with shells of their former lives, or the family members who’ve needlessly lost loved ones. They are unified in their message: don’t text and drive.

by Trish Wieland

]]> http://www.stetson.edu/portal/stetson-today/2013/10/weapons-of-mass-distraction/feed/ 0 http://www.stetson.edu/portal/stetson-today/2013/09/volleyball-defeats-jacksonville-3-2/ http://www.stetson.edu/portal/stetson-today/2013/09/volleyball-defeats-jacksonville-3-2/#comments Mon, 23 Sep 2013 05:00:21 +0000 Mary Anne Rogers http://www.stetson.edu/portal/stetson-today/?p=8661 For the second time in less than 24 hours, the Stetson volleyball team triumphed in five sets, posting a 3-2 victory over visiting Jacksonville Saturday afternoon at the Edmunds Center. Pictured right, Kayla Weller celebrates after the Hatters completed a dramatic come-from-behind victory Friday night. Photo courtesy of David S. Williams. For this and all Hatter sports news, visit GoHatters.com.

The Hatters (10-5, 2-0 Atlantic Sun) took the deciding set 15-12 to win for the ninth time in their last 11 games and stay undefeated in conference play.  The Dolphins (10-2, 1-1 A-Sun) suffered just their second loss of the season.

Stetson won the first two sets by identical 25-23 scores, but the Dolphins rallied with 25-14 and 25-21 victories in sets three and four to even the match 2-2.

In the decisive fifth set, the Hatters led 8-5 at the changeover, but after the Dolphins forced a tie at 12-12, Stetson head coach Tim Loesch called timeout.

“I had a couple of things to say to the girls, but it was the same old thing that I always tell them,” Loesch said. “Maybe that helped a little bit.  A couple of the players and captains stepped up and said things that are very meaningful to our girls – what we are all about and we want to play for each other and do our part.”

With the Dolphins serving out of the timeout, Cailyn Prewitt took a pass from Kayla Weller and spiked down a tiebreaking kill that would give Stetson the lead for good.

“Mel just said she was going to call the ball as loud as she could to try to split the blockers for me,” Prewitt said. “Kayla just gave me a perfect set and I went up and banged the ball.”

Michelle Kastner then served for the Hatters, and Ellen Hawks slammed home an overpass right at the net to give Stetson a 14-12 lead.

Kastner’s next serve dipped quickly and found the court for a game-winning ace.

“I knew right when (coach) Meghan gave me that serve I told myself I was going to get the winning ace right there for my team,” Kastner said. “We came through and I was so proud of our team.”

“I am really proud of the girls for bouncing back,” Loesch said.  “We got off to a good start and won a couple close games. JU was very determined and they fought back. They posed some challenges to us but our girls stuck together in adversity, and executed our game plan under a lot of pressure, and I am just really proud of them.”

Kaley Melville led the team with 17 kills, but it was her eighth and final dig of the match that put her at the 1000-dig mark for her career.  She became just the fifth player in school history to record 1000 kills and 1000 digs in a career.

Tiffany Creamer tallied 14 kills and Prewitt added 10 to join in the offensive effort.  Kayla Weller collected a double-double of 45 assists and 12 digs.  Kastner and Julie Bassett also reached double-digit dig totals.

Ellen Hawks added eight kills and six blocks.  Evann Dickerson and Weller each served two aces. The Hatters recorded 12 blocks as a team and hit .191 for the match.

“It was really a team effort, from the girls screaming on the sidelines, to our substitutes who came in and executed their roles, to our starters who had to do it for two hours-plus today, and were able to do it at the end of the game,” Loesch said.

Stetson will visit Bethune-Cookman at 7 p.m. Tuesday night at Moore Gym in Daytona Beach.

In a game filled with big plays, it was visiting Birmingham-Southern that made the most of its opportunities to take a 49-34 victory over Stetson in front of a sell-out crowd of 6,104 fans at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium. For this and all Hatter sports news, check out GoHatters.com.

Combined, the two teams piled up almost 900 yards of offense. There were also three defensive scores and a host of other momentum turning plays in the game. (Donald Payne, pictured left, scored his second TD of the year on a fumble return. Photo courtesy of PhotosinMotion.net.)

With the loss, Stetson falls to 1-2 on the year while Birmingham-Southern ran its record to a perfect 3-0.

“It stinks to lose,” Stetson coach Roger Hughes said. “You can’t win a ball game when you turn the ball over eight or nine times. You can’t win a ball game when you don’t win the explosive play ratios. We couldn’t stop their run game consistently and offensively, we weren’t as consistent as we needed to be. There were a lot of reasons for that – penalties, dropped balls. We have to continue to get better.”

Big plays, both for and against the Hatters, were the story of the night. Overall, there were more than 10 plays in the game that went for more than 20 yards, and most of those were made by the Panthers, who finished with 487 yards of total offense, including 266 yards rushing.

“There were several turning points,” Hughes said. “The interception that we returned for a touchdown late in the second quarter. Donald Payne had a huge play to get us back in the game. It seemed like every time someone made a big play, the other team came back and countered.”

The biggest play turned out to be a blocked field goal by the Panthers’ A.J. Ford on the first play of the fourth quarter. The block prevented the Hatters from taking a 37-35 lead at the time and, with a 33-yard return by LaPrintence Gunn. BSC converted that change of momentum into a touchdown 10 plays later.

The Panthers added an insurance score with 5:44 left when QB Tyson Beacham hit Sam Vermilyea with a 49-yard TD pass.

Beacham connected on 18 of 32 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns. He was also intercepted twice.

Even with those picks, and a pair of lost fumbles, the Panthers won the turnover battle. Stetson quarterback Ryan Tentler was picked off five times in the game to go with the blocked field goal and one lost fumble.

“It is always disappointing when you feel like you are beating yourself,” Hughes said. “We had a lot of dropped balls, and you can’t do that. We had a snap over the quarterback’s head, we had holding penalties. It seemed as if every time we had something go right for us in the second half, something stopped us.”

The first half was non-stop action with both teams moving the ball up and down the field at lightning speed.

Stetson got the scoring started with Taylor Dunn hauled in a one-yard pass from Tentler to cap an opening eight-play drive that covered 86 yards.

After an exchange of punts, Birmingham-Southern got on the board when freshman tailback Joe Moultrie broke through the Stetson defense for a 29-yard TD run. The Panthers then came right back after the Hatters failed to answer, and put together another quick scoring drive. Beacham hit Tyler Johnson for a 28-yard scoring pass.

The Hatters got their offense going again early in the second quarter when Darius Chapes plowed into the end zone on a two-yard TD run to cap an eight-play, 75-yard drive.

After BSC missed a field goal on the Panthers’ next possession, the fireworks started. Stetson’s Mike Yonker got blistered by Gunn after a short pass from Tentler and lost the ball. BSC’s Sidarius Gotell scooped up the loose ball and sprinted 27 yards for a touchdown.

The Hatters didn’t miss a beat, taking the next drive 65 yards in 11 plays, capped by a 12-yard Tentler to Darius McGriff touchdown pass.

The Panthers needed just 46 seconds to answer when Isaac Nichols, who came in for an injured Moultrie, split the Stetson defense for a 61-yard touchdown run. Nichols finished with 201 rushing yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns.

After Tentler was intercepted for a second time, it looked as if the Panthers might go up by two scores, but Chris Atkins put an end to that when he intercepted a Beacham pass and returned the pick 48 yards for a tying touchdown.

In the third quarter the Panthers caught a couple of breaks early. The first came when punter Hagen Mancuso mishandled a low snap. After getting manhandled and slung around by the oncoming Stetson rush, Mancuso stayed on his feet and flipped the ball to running back Marquis Pratt, who turned a potential disaster into a 15-yard gain and a first down.

Even though Stetson’s defense eventually forced another punt on the drive, the Hatters wound up deep in their own territory and, when Tentler tried to throw over the middle on first down, linebacker William Weller stepped in front of the throw, giving the Panthers the ball right back at the Stetson 21.

“That Tampa Two defense was one of the things they did that we had not seen before,” Tentler said. “I should have recognized it, but I wasn’t expecting their linebacker to drop into that middle zone, but they were just a sound defense. We knew they were going to be sound. They’re a good team.”

Five plays later, Nichols was stopped short of the goal line on second down, but when the ball popped out, teammate Zac Phillips fell on it in the end zone for a touchdown to give BSC the lead 35-28.

After Stetson punted on its next possession, Donald Payne made his presence felt with a sack of Beacham, forcing a fumble that Payne scooped up and carried in for a touchdown. The PAT attempt by James LaGamma was blocked, a problem that reared its head again later in a more crucial situation.

That blocked field goal to start the fourth quarter turned into what was essentially a game-sealing touchdown when Nichols crashed into the end zone from three yards out.

Tentler’s fourth interception later in the quarter gave the Panthers a chance to go for the knockout. Beacham delivered, hitting Sam Vermilyea for a 49-yard score on the first play after the turnover for the final points of the night.

For the Hatters, the preseason is over. Stetson will embark on its first season as a member of the Pioneer Football League next Saturday when the Hatters host defending league champion San Diego. USD lost to Harvard 42-20 on Saturday to fall to 1-2 on the year.

“With San Diego coming up, we will have to be on our game and not have any flaws,” Payne said. “We are ready for conference play. We’ll be down about this game for 24 hours, but then we know that we have to get right back to the grind to get ready for San Diego.”

Tentler said the team had better get their mistakes straightened out because they know San Diego will be the best team they have seen.

“We’re starting with one of the best in the conference,” Tentler said. “We know they have two returning All-American defensive ends, two All-American wide receivers. It’s not getting any easier. We know it’s going to get harder and harder as we go along. We can’t just throw our season away just because we won one, and just lose all the rest. That’s not what we’re about. We’re going to come back even harder. We’re going to try and get a win, and that’s what we expect to do.”

Tuesday, Sept. 24 – Barefoot Wine Founders to speak in LBC

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey (pictured), the founders of Barefoot Wine, will be speaking at noon, Sept. 24, about how they started their company with no capital and no knowledge of the industry, and built it into a leading brand before selling it to the largest wine company in the world. This event is free and open to the public. This event is sponsored by Stetson University’s Prince Entrepreneurship Program and the Family Business Center. Rinker Auditorium, LBC.

Saturday, Sept. 28 – Smithsonian Museum Day

Stetson University, along with 11 participating museums and galleries located in West Volusia County, will celebrate the annual Smithsonian Museum Day. Each of these participating museums will be open, free of charge, offering free tours, refreshments, as well as artistic, hands-on activities for children. A shuttle will be available for free transportation to eight out of the 11 participating museums, including: African American Museum of the Arts, Florida Museum for Women Artists, Museum of Art, Stetson University’s Gillespie Museum, Hand Art Center, Natural History Museum located in the Sage Hall Science Center, the Henry A. DeLand House Museum & The Robert M. Conrad Educational & Research Center, and the DeLand Memorial Hospital Museum. This event gives the opportunity to promote cultural education in an interactive way. Visit the Smithsonian Magazine website for more information.

Saturday, Sept. 28 – 6^th Annual Instrument Petting Zoo

Hosted by Stetson University’s School of Music, 9:30 a.m. to noon, Presser Hall, 419 N. Woodland Blvd. Children of all ages are welcome, free of charge. Kids will be able to see and play musical instruments up close and enjoy complimentary snacks. DeLand Discount Music will be providing instruments for the event. Sponsors include Volusia County Alumnae and Eta Pi Chapters, Sigma Alpha Iota, Stetson University School of Music, Stetson Community School of Music, and DeLand Discount Music. For more information, contact Stetson’s School of Music at (386) 822-8950 or visit http://www.stetson.edu/music.

Monday, Sept. 30 – BLACKFISH screening for the Stetson community 7 p.m., Athens Theatre, downtown DeLand

A mesmerizing psychological thriller with a killer whale at its center… This award-winning documentary was directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, and features Stetson’s own John Jett, visiting research professor of biology, who worked as a whale trainer years before teaching. Jett will introduce the film to the Stetson audience, and will be on hand for a Q&A immediately following the film. For more information about the movie, visit: http://blackfishmovie.com/. For more information about the screening, contact Stetson University Marketing at (386) 822-8920.

Wednesday, Oct. 16 – Social Justice Lecture by Peter Edelman: “So Rich So Poor: Why it’s so hard to end poverty in America”

This is the inaugural lecture in Stetson’s new Social Justice Lecture Series. Edelman is director of the Center on Poverty, Inequality and Public Policy, Georgetown University. 8 p.m., Stetson Room, CUB. Open to the public, free of charge.

Thursday, Oct. 24 – Author, activist Janisse Ray will guest lecture on “A Growing Revolution to Save Food” as part of her week on campus as the Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow Program. More information to follow.

Stetson University’s Fall 2013 Intercultural Programs presents six lectures/presentations:

• Tuesday, Sept. 24 – Staceyann Chin – Spoken-Word Artist - Staceyann Chin is not just a spoken-word poet, she is a performing artist and LGBT rights political activist. In addition to performing in and co-writing the Tony-nominated Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, Staceyann Chin’s work has been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Pittsburgh Daily, and she has been featured on 60 Minutes and The Oprah Winfrey Show. 7 p.m., Stetson Room, CUB. Open to the public. Sponsored by the Cross-Cultural Center and the Multicultural Student Council. More information contact Tri-C, 386-822-7402, tri-c@stetson.edu.
• Monday, Sept. 30 – rita zhang – Asian American Counternarratives: What does it mean to be Asian American in the 21^st Century?  -  Her counternarrative will touch upon broad themes affecting the broader Asian Pacific Islander American community, including the model minority myth, intergenerational-conflict, racial marginalization/invisibility, and gender. Come and learn more about current APIA issues and gain insight on how to better serve/ally with the APIA community. 7 p.m., Stetson Room, CUB. Open to the public. Sponsored by the Cross-Cultural Center and the Asian Pacific American Coalition. More information contact Tri-C, 386-822-7402, tri-c@stetson.edu. 
• Thursday, Oct. 3 – Stacey Waite – Workshop  - Stacey Waite is a poet from Long Island, New York.  She received a Master of Fine Arts in poetry in 2002 and a Ph.D. in Composition and Rhetoric from the University of Pittsburgh. Waite has published four collections of poems: Choke (winner of the 2004 Frank O’Hara Prize in Poetry), Love Poem to Androgyny (winner of the 2006 Main Street Rag Chapbook Competition), the lake has no saint (winner of the 2008 Snowbound Prize in Poetry) and Butch Geography (Tupelo Press, 2013). 2:30-4:00 p.m., Tri-C. Sponsored by the Cross-Cultural Center and the Multicultural Student Council. Open to the public. More information contact Tri-C, 386-822-7402, tri-c@stetson.edu.
• Tuesday, Oct. 22 – Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington and Rev. Sam Offer – The Journey To Wholeness: Black, Christian, and Gay - LGBT History Month Keynote speakers. Jamie and Sam are two Black, Gay, Ordained Preachers in the Christian Church. They each have had a remarkable journey navigating and reconciling what it means to be all of who they are. They will inspire, encourage and challenge you. Come on the Journey to Wholeness: Black, Christian and Gay. 7 p.m., Stetson Room, CUB. Open to the public. Sponsored by the Cross-Cultural Center and the Asian Pacific American Coalition. More information contact Tri-C, 386-822-7402, tri-c@stetson.edu.
• Wednesday, Oct. 30 – Amer Ahmed – Addressing Islamophobia: Proactive Efforts to Address Hate and Bias On and Off Campus The post-9/11 era in the U.S. has exposed a significant degree of prejudice and bigotry towards Muslim people and those who may be perceived as Muslim. Racial profiling, surveillance, bias incidences and bullying continue to be widespread not only in society at large, but on college campuses as well. In light of this reality, questions remain regarding what campuses can do to proactively address these issues. Participants will learn the current realities related to Islamophobia and practical steps that can be made to address the issue. 7 p.m., Allen Hall. Open to the public. Sponsored by the Cross Cultural Center and the Multicultural Student Council. More information contact Tri-C, 386-822-7402, tri-c@stetson.edu.
• Monday, Nov. 18 – Debra Freemont, Umonhon “Omaha” Tribe of Nebraska - Debra Freemont is the Interim Program Director American Indian Student Services at the University of Colorado- Denver. In this capacity she provides support to Native American students, coordinates programs around social justice issues that impact Native American communities and develops awareness programs around identity, culture, heritage, and traditions. 7 p.m., Stetson Room, CUB. Sponsored by the Cross-Cultural Center. More information contact Tri-C, 386-822-7402, tri-c@stetson.edu.

Contributions by Maurie Murray, Courtney Allbee

GO HATTERS!

Thankfully, it was just a single week off for the 2013 edition of the Hatters as they took a few extra days to assess the state of the reinstated program and also prepare for Saturday’s home tilt against Birmingham-Southern.

Kickoff for the game at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. As of Wednesday, fewer than 500 tickets remain available for Saturday’s game, as well as for next week’s Pioneer Football League opener against San Diego.

After splitting the first two contests of the year, more work on splits was in order last weekend. Hatters head coach Roger Hughes made sure to take some time for team bonding and fun during the week off, taking the squad bowling last Saturday morning before giving them an afternoon free to watch other college football games. He also took plenty of time to ensure that his young team, with just two games under its belt, continues to develop.

“Hopefully we improved fundamentally as a team and we hope we’re fresh coming out of it,” Hughes said of the bye week. “Those are the two main things. We want to be fresh as we really start to get into the meat of our schedule. We have Birmingham-Southern this week and then we go into the conference and we know that it doesn’t get any easier any time soon.”

In addition for the time to rest, the Hatters also put in some work.

“It allowed us to go back and get some fundamental things cleaned up. It allowed us to put more time into special teams. It was also nice in that we had a JV game (on Monday at Jacksonville). That allowed some of the younger guys an opportunity to get on the field for some game experience. It allows us another chance for evaluation to see who’s progressing and getting better so that we can make the appropriate changes on the depth chart.”

One player who has stood out so far has been starting “dawg” safety Donald Payne. The team captain has been named the PFL’s Defensive Player of the Week after each of Stetson’s games this season. Payne leads the squad with 21 tackles overall and boasts a well-rounded stat line that also includes 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

The offense has been keyed by quarterback Ryan Tentler who leads the Hatters in both passing and rushing yards through a pair of games. In fact, Tentler is the only player amongst Florida’s 11 Division I programs to lead his team in both passing and rushing this fall. Helping with the rushing total has been solid protection in front of him. Tentler has not been sacked yet through two games.

Birmingham-Southern, a formidable Division III squad, will bring a 2-0 team south to DeLand. The Panthers averaged 47 points and 441.5 yards of offense over their first two games as BSC dispatched LaGrange and Hendrix. BSC allowed 35 points per game however in winning those two shootouts.

“They’re very well coached,” Hughes said of the Panthers.” They’re very disciplined. They aren’t one to do a lot of different things, but they do things very well. They execute. Defensively, they don’t let you get big chunks of yardage. They make you take it in four, five or six (yards at a time) and see if you’re patient enough to do it or if you’re methodical enough not to make a mistake.

“Offensively, they’re very similar to some of the things we do. You’ve got to be disciplined. They run option, they run a lot of zone stuff and they throw it around. Anytime you get good athletes in space, it’s a challenge. I don’t know if our matchups are great. We’ll know more once we get near. Clearly they are very sound and well coached.”

A couple of things the Hatters have done particularly well through two games are stop opponents from scoring or passing efficiently. Stetson’s 11.5 points against is fourth in the nation at the FCS level. The team has also held its foes to an 85.91 efficiency rating that ranks fourth in the nation as well. Stetson has allowed just one passing touchdown this fall while Chris Atkins, Bobby Jakubek and Donald Payne have all recorded an interception for the Hatters.

Seeing the big picture, Hughes gives a share of the credit for this to the Hatters’ special teams.

“I think one of the reasons that our defense has the stats they have is that we have not had to defend many short fields,” Hughes said. “Our kicking game, with James LaGamma, has been brilliant in placing the ball inside the 15. That just makes a whole different ballgame if your offense has to drive it 85 and 90 yards every time. For us to be able to cope with our inexperience, we have to be able to do those things. We cannot beat ourselves, because other people have plenty of weapons to beat us, if we let them.”

Indeed, the Hatters rank a solid 18th nationally in kickoff coverage, yielding just 17.0 yards per return. While the punting averages for LaGamma (38.1 yards) and Eric Fogle (34.7) aren’t numbers that leap off of the page, they have done effective work in kicking directionally and high enough to limit returns and maximize field position gains. LaGamma has left five of his 14 punts inside of the 20 and has had four fair caught. Two of Fogle’s three punts resulted in a fair catch.

As a result, against Warner, Stetson enjoyed an advantage of 16 yards in average starting field position, inaugurating drives at their own 38 while the Royals lined up at their own 22. The field position stats at Florida Tech were skewed by Stetson’s turnover on downs at the FIT seven in the final seconds, but, removing that drive, the Hatters enjoyed a 34-30 field position edge in Melbourne.

Another area of strength has been in turnover margin. The Hatters stand at plus-two, a sum which ranks second in the Pioneer Football League. The Hatters are one of 10 teams nationally to not throw an interception so far in 2013. Individually, Tentler is one of just six quarterbacks not to be intercepted with at least 48 passing attempts. The importance of the crucial turnover ratio can’t be understated with such a young squad.

“We have to do that,” Hughes said. “It’s something we emphasize as a coaching staff on both sides of the ball. For us to have a chance to win, we have to win the explosive play ratios and we have to win the turnover margin. We have to continue to do that as the competition continues to get better and better and more experienced. We have no chance if we turn it over and give up short fields. I would argue that had we not turned it over in the Florida Tech game, we probably win that game.”

The conference season is around the corner, but before the Hatters concern themselves with two-time defending league champion San Diego next week, Birmingham-Southern has their full attention. The lone meeting between the sides, a 19-0 Panthers win in 1931 probably will have no bearing on Saturday night’s tilt at Spec Martin Stadium. But, regarding the 2013 edition of Birmingham-Southern’s squad, Hughes is impressed with what he as seen through two weeks.

“This week, we’re going to be presented with different challenges defensively,” he said of BSC. “They have a running quarterback and they do some nice things option-wise. We’re going to have to remain disciplined. We didn’t really have running quarterbacks the last two teams we played. That adds another dimension. That forces you play more disciplined football.

“They play a lot of split backs, two backs in the backfield. They’re similar to what we do offensively. So, it’s not like we haven’t seen some things, but they’re a little more spread out with getting their quarterback on the perimeter.”

Hughes said the Panthers base 4-3 defense, which plays a lot of two deep zone in the secondary, is not fancy, but is effective.

“They’re very sound and their kids are well-coached,” Hughes said. “Their kids play very hard. They don’t stay blocked very long. And, it’s obvious, they’ve put in a lot of time on special teams.”

It all sounds like an entertaining night of football in DeLand is around the corner that Hatter fans will not want to miss.

With ticket supplies rapidly dwindling, fans who hope to attend the game on Saturday night are quickly running out of time. The few remaining tickets are available by visiting GoHatters.com/tix or by calling 386-738-HATS.

Check out gohatters.com for more information.

To register for any of the following workshops, call Donna Nassick at 386-822-8923. Some of the workshops have a limited enrollment and depending on the numbers, the locations will be assigned later as we get closer to the workshop date. For the workshops designated as “brown bag lunches,” you are encouraged to bring your own lunch, and the SUM office will supply drinks.

9.26.13/NOON-1 p.m.  How can I reach my audience? (Brown bag lunch)  Who should attend: Anyone who wants to learn how to promote themselves or their programs to the media. We will discuss the role of Public Relations within Marketing, tools such as Stetson Today (including calendar and announcements), news releases, talk radio, media pitches, story ideas and talking to the media. (This is not media training.)

10.10.13/NOON-1 p.m.  Stetson Brand: The Power of Significance (Brown bag lunch)  Who should attend: Anyone interested in learning how the university brand affects the way we market and advertise our products and services. Beyond logos and color pallets lies the brand – the intersection of science (strategy) and art (visual identity) that drives emotion. See what the university brand is and how it bridges the gap between us and our audience , and why it is the foundation for all you might want to do.

10.14.13/9:30-10:30 a.m.  Those Blasted Emails!  Who should attend: Anyone who communicates with groups of people. Tired of too many emails? Don’t add to the problem. Determine the best way to reach your constituents before hitting the send button. Learn when to use email blasts, internal email lists, announcements, social media or none of the above. We will also discuss changes to the announcement section on Stetson Today and how it can help you get your message out. We’ll look at examples, discuss the differences among them and review tips for writing to reach your audience.

10.16.13/1:30-2:30 p.m.  Demystifying Content Management for the Web  Who should attend: Anyone who has a hand in managing an official university website or is interested in learning about content management. It’s not that content management is all that complicated; rather it’s that there’s a lot to consider. Who is your audience? What kind of experience do they expect? How are they experiencing your website: These make up some of the first questions that should be asked as you build a website That’s relevant to your users, and practical not only to use but to maintain. Remember, your website is how you speak to the world. Let is shine! 

11.12.13/NOON-1 p.m. (Brown bag lunch)  Speaking with the Media – Basic Training  Who should attend: Anyone who might anticipate dealing with the media (print, broadcast or digital) Despite its name, media training is not actually for the media. It’s for you – someone who may need to communicate with the media. It’s an invaluable experience that will arm you with the basic essentials you might need to comfortably and effectively engage with the media.

11.13.13/NOON-1 p.m. (Brown bag lunch)  Good Presentations Don’t Just Happen  Who should attend: Anyone who has to construct a presentation assisted by technology. The workshop is designed to explain best practices for presentations, the effective use of technology to make your presentation relevant and memorable, and what tools are available as you prepare.

It may have taken a little over 22 hours from start to finish, but Stetson’s first victory in the modern era is officially in the books. (Head Coach Roger Hughes gets a gatorade shower from the Hatters following the victory. By: PhotosinMotion.net)