Volume LVI, Number 19
Serving UNC-Wilmington since 1948
February 10, 2005
Diversity plan
attempts
'culture change'
Hollan Peterson
Staff Writer
Last month marked the launch
of UNCW’s Diversity Initiative
Plan, which according to the plan’s
executive summary “is a bold
attempt to bring about something
akin to a culture change.”
The initiative plans to implement
an increase in minority enrollment,
the addition of a diversity course to
the basic studies curriculum, and
the fostering of a meaningful con
nection with the local community.
As of fall 2003, UNCW had the
third lowest student body diver
sity rate of all NC public universi
ties: 89.9 percent white, 4.8 percent
black, 1.7 percent Latino, 1.5 per
cent Asian, .8 percent American
Indian andl.3 percent other.
The biggest obstacle to promot
ing diversity is the “general percep
tion that has developed over the
years that UNCW is not tolerant to
a diverse climate” said Dr Denis
Carter, Associate Vice Chancellor
and Chair of the Diversity Initiative
Plan. In recent years this perception
has gained the attention of adminis
trators, faculty, and students.
In 2002 the Chancellor’s Task
Force on Diversity began to formu
late strategies that could enhance
the level of diversity at UNCW. In
fall of 2004, the Diversity Initiative
Plan went into action.
The Diversity Planning
Committee, which has been respon
sible for the initial phases of the
plan, met at the end of January to
review the status of this year’s top
priorities.
Two of the priorities for 2004-
2005 have been successfully
see DIVERSITY page 2
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A guy's survival guide
Nolan Dean t THE SEAHAWK
Patrick McCarthy
Senior Staff Writer
Every February 14th we
men are plagued with pres
sure to execute the perfect
Valentine’s Day. Don't fret
over your plans, though.
They're doomed to failure.
Something always manages
to go wrong: flowers wilt,
chocolates melt, or reserva
tions are lost.
Well, this Hallmark holi
day, it seems necessary to
provide our male readers with
a guide to surviving V-Day.
It should be forewarned that
each and every girl (or part
ner) is special and unique and these
suggestions are just guides, so use
accordingly.
The first step is deciding what
to wear Depending on what you
choose to do and where to go is
•ultimately the deciding factor, but
on her special day she wants to feel
like you went out of your way for
her, so if you don’t normally dress
up, give it a try. Cologne is key. In
a student survey, fragrances from
Ralph Lauren dominated.
“I love the smell of Polo Blue. It is
the ultimate man’s fragrance,” says
UNCW diver Christina Haley. Ralph
Lauren’s Silver was also a women's
see GUIDE page 6
SGA encourages students to get involved in UNCW politics
Justin Schoenberger
Correspondent
With one election already com
pleted, UNCW begins an election
of its own. Begining this month, the
Student Government Association
opens the floor for hopeful repre
sentatives.
February marks the start of the
month-long process of nominating,
campaigning and debating before
the March 15-17 election. Some of
the positions up for grabs include
student body president and vice
president; senior, junior and sopho
more class presidents; and numer
ous representatives including 15 at-
large.
“Anyone can be president or
student body vice president,” said
Rhonda Pennington, current presi
dent of the senior class. “You don’t
have to be a member of SGA. There
are positions for everyone out there.
If anyone wants to run for some
thing, they don’t need any previous
experience.”
In the past, SGA elections have
flaunted several positions that no
one ran for, leaving offices open
and jobs unfilled. The only way to
. prevent that, though, is for plenty of
students to run for office this year
- and that’s what Pennington and
the election board are asking.
One of the basic requirements
is that candidates have must have
completed at least one semester at
fiall-time status with at least a 2.5
grade point average.
“As of right now, we’re just try
ing to get students just to print off
a packet and nominate themselves
to run for a position,” Pennington
said. “Then we’ll just try to let other
people know the elections are com
ing up.”
Zack Wynne is the current presi
dent of the SGA. He has served for
two years and knows how impor
tant his job is.
“It’s really a full-time job,”
he said. “You have to be on
top of e-mails, answering the
phones, going to meetings
everywhere... it’s a lot of work.
60 hours per month is what’s
asked.”
After turning in an election
packet and being cleared to
run, nominees will begin cam
paigning on February 16 until
March 15. Then students will
get the chance to meet the can
didates in an informal setting
before kicking off the debates
at the Hawk’s Nest.
The requirements for each
position are noted in an elec
tion packet the SGA has pre
pared on-line at www.uncw.
edu/sga.
All packets are due in room
205 of the University Union by
February 11.
Call the SGA office at 962-
3553 with questions.
n
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Andrew Bader I THE SEAHAWK
SGA elections will take place February
16 through March 15.
CONTACT US
Editorial; 962-3229
Ads; 962-3789
www.theseahawk.org I
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