Springfest time

By Tom Cronin - Public Affairs Reporter

 Springfest, an event that lasted only a weekend in its early years,

Flagathon (April 13, 5:30-9:30 p.m., Student Center ): Participants will be given time to create team flags.   Flag & Chant Competition (April 13, 10 p.m., Student Life Plaza )   Scavenger Hunt (April 14, 9:30-11 p.m., Student Center )   Trivia Game Show (April 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Housing Commons)   Springfest Dance (April 15, 9 p.m.-midnight, Lincoln Residence Hall Great Room)   Captain's Meeting (April 16, 10:30 a.m., Housing Commons): Attendance by all team captains is required.   Breakfast (April 16, 11 a.m., Housing Commons)   Kickball (April 16, Noon-4 p.m., softball field across from Pennyroyal Court ) Sand Volleyball (April 16, Noon-4 p.m., sand volleyball court across from Pennyroyal Court )   Flag Football (April 16, Noon-4 p.m., field across from Housing Commons)   Ultimate Frisbee (April 16, Noon-4 p.m., field across from Housing Commons)   Mud Tug-of-War (April 16, 4-5 p.m., mud pit across from Housing Commons)   Cookout and Awards Ceremony (April 16, 6-9 p.m., Housing Commons parking lot)

will last an entire week this year with the addition of a Sunday night barbecue and a basketball game between the Blue Crew and members of the UIS faculty, staff and administration.

Cynthia Thompson, director of student life, said that this year's Springfest theme is “Brought to You Since '92,” a television-related theme that makes reference to the event's opening year. Before the existence of the Office of Student Life, Housing launched the first Springfest in 1992 to bring students together.

“Even though there were students, they weren't necessarily close or working together on events because of their differences in ages, and families, and that type of thing,” Thompson said.

In 1992, then Assistant Director of Housing and Residential Life Bob Brophy and Housing Residents' Council Chairman Jimmy Fiduccia put together the first Springfest after concerns surfaced about the limited amount of activity occurring on campus, according to Assistant Dean of Students Jim Korte.

Springfest lasted only a weekend in its earliest days, Korte said, but the basic model for the event is the same today as it was 13 years ago. Thompson said that Springfest has always had a focus on team competitions, but the event has grown in recent years to include competitions such as “Name That Tune” and trivia contests, in addition to the more traditional athletic competitions.

“If the teams are doing it right and really strategizing, they're really putting a lot of thought into who their team members are because they want brawn for the tug-of-war,” Thompson said. “They want a good singer and a good artist for the flag and chant competition. And then you put in the trivia kind of thing, all of a sudden you've got intelligence involved. So you want a little bit of everything on your team.”

Thompson said that number of students participating in Springfest and the student enthusiasm for the event have grown over the years, especially since the introduction of the Capital Scholars Program. The number of registered teams has climbed from six in 2002 to 14 this year. Sixteen teams signed up for this year's Springfest, Thompson said, but two of them have since withdrawn.

This year's events will kick off at 5 p.m. on April 10 in the UIS Gym with a basketball game between the Blue Crew and members of the UIS faculty, staff and administration. The cost of attending the event is $2 for students and $5 for the general public, and profits will go to the UIS Student Foundation.

The game will be followed by a barbecue in the Student Life Plaza or in the Student Center in case of rain and it will also be open to the public.

Thompson said that Springfest participants will have the opportunity to earn points for their teams by attending the events that have been scheduled throughout the week. A list of events following the April 10 barbecue is below:

Captain's Meeting (April 10, 8:30 p.m., Student Center ): Attendance by all team captains is required. T-shirts will be distributed and flag starter kits will be available.

Whose Line Duo (April 11, 8:30 p.m., Brookens Auditorium): Members of UIS Forensics will give a presentation in the style of the TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”

Name That Tune (April 12, 8:30 p.m., Student Center )

After-School Special (April 13, 3:30-5:30 p.m., UHB 2008): Students are invited to participate in “1 in 4 No More,” a sexual-assault prevention program sponsored by Student Life, the Women's Center and the Women's Issues Caucus.

SGA debates creation of fee referendum for international and multicultural student affairs

By Jason Satek - SGA/General Assignment Reporter

The Student Government Association met on April 3 with 12 members present, the largest number this year. A voting quorum was achieved, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited and the session began.

The audience participation section started with a tandem presentation by Jonathan GoldbergBelle of the International Affairs and Terri Jackson of the Multicultural Student Affairs regarding a $6 fee referendum that will be put to the student body as a whole during the student elections of April 13-14.

Due to budget cuts, the programs are seeking additional revenue to better promote their services. The debate over whether SGA should lend their support began with members expressing opinions on both sides of the issue.

Advocates for the commuter students pointed out that the effect would be limited to a certain section of the academic populace, while representatives with interests in the international field countered that these programs were worthwhile and could be the beginning of something larger.

Encompassing the whole discussion was the fear that in allowing a fee to be created, it could mean that the current rate might be subject to increase at a later date. After spending time to examine the issue and ask questions of the presenters, a roll call motion of support for the issue was passed 6 to 3, with 3 abstentions.

Assistant Dean of Students Jim Korte briefed the SGA during administrative reports on a candidate forum for the new office seekers, to be held in the Public Affairs Center cafeteria on Thursday, April 7 from 5-6 p.m.

Student Life Director Cynthia Thompson followed with a report on Springfest, scheduled to begin Sunday, April 10 with a fundraising basketball game involving the faculty. Thompson also advised that 14 teams are signed up this year, down from the 16 of last year but likely to have a better showing as some of those teams were not active.

Under Standing Committee reports, the SGA were updated on the preliminary organizational efforts to form a university collation with other Illinois schools in regards to lobbying the state government in strength, as is done in other states.

Following that, Inter-Club Council Board chair Adam Waters updated the SGA on the ICCB meeting held earlier today.  Approximately $16,000-$17,000 of the semester budget had been allocated, meaning that money had been spread to “about 30 clubs, or around half of the student organizations on campus.”

The possibility of pooling any remaining ICCB and SGA funds for a joint effort was discussed, but could not proceed without firm financial figures.

Updates on the finalizing of the Greek Life Survey and on the two lobby days - Illinois Board of Higher Education, April 13 and Campus Compact, April 10-11 - were given to close out Special Reports.

Turning to new business, the composition of the Student Fee Programming Board was brought up, with ideas ranging from winnowing the number of members, to its possible abolishment in order to bring a less bureaucratic sense to lobbying and monetary distribution. Korte stepped, relaying the historic origins of the current group, with no action being taken due to the nature of the situation and the lateness of the semester. Members agreed to continue looking for an acceptable solution.

Taking up the status of the UIS Constitution, the members proceeded with a second reading, verifying wording and clarifying intent. Of significant note were the decision to require 2/3 of the voting student body for amending instead of a simple majority and a clearer definition of the service term of appointed members. Final ratification will be put to the students during the upcoming elections. A motion to pass the new Constitution to a third reading passed, and the meeting adjourned. 

Criminal Justice Honor Society Celebrates its 2nd Annual Induction Ceremony and Graduate Dinner

By Janee Mitchell - Feature Writer

Alpha Phi Sigma is a nationally recognized criminal justice honor society; According to the website, the honor society began in 1942 at Washington State . The honor society sprouted from a small group into a nationally recognized honor society by 1976. Alpha Phi Sigma became a part of UIS in 2003 with the Epsilon Chi Chapter.

Epsilon Chi Chapter members and criminal justice faculty members assembled on Sunday, April 3 for what the honor society's advisor, Leanne Brecklin, said is the first formal ceremony. The grad dinner had been done in the previous year separately from the induction. Brecklin said this year the criminal justice honor society grad dinner was combined with the new member induction ceremony.

Meagan Warnke recieves her gold honor cord during the Criminal Justice Honor Society induction ceremony and graudate dinner on Sunday, April 3 2005.

The Epsilon Chi Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma inducted the following students into the national criminal justice honor society: Kevin Behl, Colin Cook, Clay Dowis, Dean Evans, John Fairley, Zachary Heard, Michael Mazrim, Dara Matson, James Simmons, Randall Stewart and Meagan Warnke. Behl, Cook, Dowis, Fairley, Heard, Mazrim and Warnke are graduating this year as well. The new inductees were presented with certificates and welcomed into the society as they signed the chapter's book.

The honor society also said their goodbyes to 11 other graduates: Angi Adams, Nicole Danner, Ronda Guyton, Jodi Harmon, Tarver Haven, Gail Humiston, Mischa Ortega, Joseph Rieger IV, John Sivia, Franklin Stacy and Virginia Well.

All graduates were presented with a gold honor cord to wear in acknowledgement of their honor society membership and accomplishments. The graduating executive board members: Rieger, president; Danner, vice president; and Behl, treasurer, received special honor cords for their service.

The inductees and graduates enjoyed what would be the first and last dinner with the Epsilon Chi Chapter as they waited for the ceremony to begin. Rieger gave a speech congratulating the members. The members also received the opportunity to introduce themselves and discuss their future aspirations, which for some includes the Drug Enforcement Agency, National Park Services and other areas of law enforcement. The evening was concluded with a cake bearing the Alpha Phi Sigma symbol.

Springfest Time

SGA debates creation of fee referendum for international and multicultural student affairs

Criminal Justice Honor Society Celebrates its 2nd Annual Induction Ceremony and Graduate Dinner