Director of Public Safety speaks

Current campus safety issues

By Katie Bresnahan

Recently the UMass Dartmouth campus has endured several crimes, including an armed robbery and four laptop thefts. Also, now that the Red Sox are in the Major League Baseball Playoffs, Campus Safety is once again preparing for potential riots.

Around 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, a student parked his car in Lot 13 and started walking toward Aspen Hall. On his way, he was approached by two people in a black sports car who asked him for cigarettes and directions.

“They drove up ahead and they circled back,” said Colonel Emil Fioravanti, UMass Dartmouth Director of Public Safety. He added, “They got out of the car and struck up a conversation with him. Then, one of them produced the handgun. And the second person got out of the car and searched him for money. They took a watch. They got back into the car and they left.”

Immediately after this, the student went and used what Fioravanti believed to be one of the emergency phones to call Public Safety. He said, “We put some cars out immediately…not only from our staff but also from the Dartmouth PD. They searched the campus but could not come up with a car from the partial registration that he gave us.”

Because this is a serious crime, it was required by the Department of Higher Education, under the Cleary Act, that Public Safety provide the campus community with timely notice of the occurrence. “We put out a notification [later that] morning,” said Fioravanti. He added, “The Cleary Act gives us the latitude to of not notifying the community if it’s an open investigation [which this is], but we felt strongly enough that the rest of the community needed to be notified.”

To avoid situations like this, Fioravanti says that UMD students should use the DartVans whenever possible, walk in well-lit areas and try not to walk alone. If a student walks alone, Fioravanti says, “Many times you present yourself as a victim. There is safety in numbers.” He also asks that students report any suspicious activity to Public Safety by dialing 9191 from a campus phone or by calling 508-999-9191. He added, “Students should program that number right into their cell phones.”

Public Safety has several new emergency phones on order and they are working to improve lighting on campus.

Another recent problem is the four laptop thefts, which took place in Roberts Hall last Thursday night, as students slept in their rooms. Fioravanti says that the rooms from which the computers were stolen were left unlocked. “In all of those cases, those losses could have been avoided had someone locked their door,” he said.

Fioravanti stresses that students should not prop doors. Public Safety has collaborated with the Department of Housing and Residential Life to give information to students about how to keep themselves safe. He added, “I can’t stress enough how important it is for people to keep the integrity of their building. We’ve had a number of reports of people tampering with the emergency doors rather than using the main entrances. And that’s counter-intuitive to the whole process of the buildings’ security. They’re really foresaking safety for the sake of convenience. But they’re also jeopardizing the safety of everyone else in that building.”

UMass Dartmouth Public Safety is also preparing for any potential Red Sox riots, like those that took place on campus in 2004. Fioravanti said, “On the proactive side we’ve worked with the Division of Student Affairs collectively, to put the word out to provide other options of other things for students to do as a way of celebrating or enjoying the series and playoffs.”

As a way to create awareness, letters were sent out to students and their parents. Fioravanti said that the Department of Housing and Residential Life put up a lot of posters warning people.

Fioravanti warns, “Bad behavior, or any damage is going to have consequences.” He added, “The university is self-insured. Any damage that occurs to a building is born, ultimately by students.”

“We have thought out a lot of scenarios that could happen and if necessary we will deal with it,” said Fioravanti.

If there are riots, Fioravanti advises students to “stay in the building. Stay away from trouble. If they see trouble brewing, they need to immediately get away. They need to return to their residence halls and stay inside.”

Once there is a legal order given to disburse, and students do not listen then they will be subject to legal action.

Of possible riots, Fioravanti said, “We’re pretty optimistic that [students] will have a good time but we’re not going to have any problems.”

Police search for missing student

Charles M. Allen, 22, last seen on Friday, October 12

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. — The Dartmouth Police Department and UMass Dartmouth Department of Public Safety are searching for a missing student. Neo Babson Maximus, a.k.a. Charles M. Allen Jr., age 22, was last seen on Friday, October 12 at approximately 3 a.m. in the area of College Lane, North Dartmouth. College Lane is off Chase Road, in the vicinity of the university.  

Mr. Maximus is described as a white male, 5’11’’ - 6’0’’ tall with a slim build, short light brown hair, and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing dark sweat pants with a red stripe, sneakers, and carrying a long sleeve white t-shirt.  

Mr. Maximus is a non-resident, fourth year student. A 1999 Ford Expedition registered to Mr. Maximus was found unoccupied on campus. Foul play is not suspected at this time, and an extensive search of the area is ongoing.  

Anyone with information concerning Mr. Maximus please contact the Dartmouth Police at 508-910-1735 or 508-910-1776 or the UMass Dartmouth Department of Public Safety 508-999-9191.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Speaks in New Bedford

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., one of the nation’s most stirring advocates for protection of the environment and social change, will be the keynote speaker for a special kickoff event hosted by the City of New Bedford on Thursday, October 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Zeiterion Theatre, to launch the third annual Bioneers by the Bay: Connecting for Change conference.

New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang will welcome Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to the city and will speak about the importance of addressing environmental and conservation issues at the local level.

The internationally acclaimed environmental conference presented by the Marion Institute from October 19 to 21 at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth features talks by prominent activists and authors along with workshops, a program for high school and college students, exhibits by sustainable businesses and organizations, films, music, art and a farmers market with local and organic foods.

Over 2,000 participants — including students, teachers, green business innovators, scientists, and local grassroots leaders — will share their experience and vision in environmental causes such as clean water and energy, health, and social justice with nationally acclaimed speakers.

Kennedy, a lifelong champion of conservation and environmental business practices, serves as a chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper organization and president of Waterkeeper Alliance. He was named one of “Time Magazine’s” “Heroes for the Planet” for his success in helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group’s achievement helped spawn more than 130 Waterkeeper organizations around the globe.

A clinical professor and supervising attorney at Pace University School of Law’s Environmental Litigation Clinic, Kennedy co-hosts “Ring of Fire” on Air America Radio. He has authored several books, including the New York Time’s bestseller, “Crimes against Nature.”

Kennedy’s talk is free and open to the public, with limited seating available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information about the talk or to register for the conference, visit www.connectingforchange.org

or call the Marion Institute at 508-748-0816.

About Bioneers: “Biological pioneers”

A national, non-profit organization, Bioneers was founded in 1990 on the West Coast by Kenny Ausubel — a social entrepreneur, author, and filmmaker — to promote practical environmental solutions and innovative social strategies for restoring the Earth and communities.

Ausubel most recently served as an advisor to and appears in Leonardo DiCaprio’s feature documentary, “The Eleventh Hour.”

The Marion Institute, based in Marion, Mass., is the Northeast host for this year’s Bioneers program, in partnership with the City of New Bedford, UMass Dartmouth, and other sponsors.

The institute’s worldwide programs support efforts to enhance life and a sustainable future for the Earth and its inhabitants.

For more information about the Marion Institute, visit www.marioninstituted.org.

Don Howard Wall to be unveiled this Saturday

By Katie Bresnahan

The Donald C. Howard Student Leadership Wall will be unveiled this Saturday “as a way to pay homage to a person who obviously has dedicated his life to the university, and who has touched a significant amount of students and who has clearly had an impact on developing students into leaders,” said Dr. Jean Kim, UMass Dartmouth’s Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

Donald “Don” Howard was the university’s first Dean of Men, in the nineteen sixties. His title eventually evolved into Dean of Students. When he retired he became Emeritus Dean of Students. Howard currently works in the Alumni Affairs Office.

According to Kim, the wall will showcase photographs of Howard and leaders who he brought from off campus to speak to students about leadership, government, entrepreneurship and other topics. It will also include awards presented to student leaders and student groups annually.

“It will be a display of not only Don’s contributions, to keeping the focus on developing students into leaders, but also names of students who have [risen] up to that challenge and have assumed significant leadership while they were students here,” said Kim.

When Howard became Emeritus Dean of Students, Kim said, “There was a plan to raise funds to create a Student Leadership Development Center in his honor.” Since funding is slow, she added, “[The Director of Alumni Affairs, Joe DeMedeiros, and I] thought that it would be a good thing, at least while we’re waiting to develop this center, to do something as a phase one, and that phase one would be that we would do a dedication to Don Howard in the form of [the] Don Howard Student Leadership Wall.”

“Because of his longevity and also because of the quality of work that he did [Howard] has legions of students who feel very loyal to him and appreciative of what he has done for them,” said Kim.

One student whom Howard impacted greatly is Jesse Green, a College of Visual and Performing Arts student who graduated in 2003. Green created a sculpture in Howard’s honor. The statue is called “He believes in me,” and it will be unveiled along with the wall this weekend.

Kim says that the Don Howard Wall is important because “when you churn it all down, part of the mission, if you will, of the Student Affairs Division in particular, and the university in general is to develop our students into future leaders. For me he is someone who embodies that mission. So I think it’s important to pay tribute and appreciate people for their significant contributions.”

The Don Howard Wall is symbolic of some of UMass Dartmouth’s core values, Kim said, including developing student leaders.

The dedication of the Donald C. Howard Student Leadership Wall will take place this Saturday, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Student Affairs office, on the second floor of the campus center. According to Kim, “We wanted to do it during Homecoming when a number of alumni would come back; a lot of alums would know about Don Howard.”

Charlton College of Business to change degrees

By Kayla O’Malley

“Our accreditation in business — that’s why I came here. They’re going to try to make it just easier for themselves with the paperwork? I mean, come on,” said senior management major Nick Prizio about changes in the works for business degrees at UMass Dartmouth.

Many Charlton College of Business (CCB) students were outraged last May when they discovered the administration had been working to change the Bachelor of Science (BS) they had been promised to a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).

Unbeknownst to students, the process of changing the BS to a BBA has been in the works for over a year. According to CCB Associate Dean Dr. Matthew Roy, “The idea was originally discussed in 2005-2006. However, it takes time to research, write a proposal and have the curriculum committees read and deliberate on these matters. That is why it was presented in 2006-2007.”

Roy explained that research was done on the potential benefits and drawbacks of the BBA after this change was originally suggested by the former provost Dr. Louis Esposito. Then Roy and CCB Dean Eileen Peacock wrote a proposal for the change, which was reviewed and unanimously approved by the CCB Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Finally, the proposal was presented to the University Curriculum Committee for review.

The foremost benefit that would result from implementing the BBA degree would be the relative ease of adding new business concentrations. According to Roy, this “would take between two and three years to accomplish with approvals needed right up to the State Board of Higher Education. Given a single BBA degree, we could review the matter and approve it in house much more expediently [six to twelve months].”

CCB Accounting Professor Dr. Fred Jones commented that although he is unaware of plans for any new concentrations to be added in the near future; implementing the BBA now would allow the desired flexibility to add new concentrations whenever the need may arise.

After this degree change proposal had been in the works for almost an entire year, word of the proposal was leaked to students in May. Prizio explained his initial reaction to the news, “I was kind of curious because I wanted to know what was going on. I probably overreacted. ”

Senior accounting major Kris Bedard added, “It’s like they were trying to go through the back door and not let anybody know about it.” No effort had been made by the CCB administration to notify students.

Without any authoritative information on the change, the most readily available source of information was word of mouth, which led to rumors

Prizio explained what he had originally been told about the proposed degree change, “They’re trying to change your Bachelor of Science to something else…There’s supposed to be a process involved, and we’re not being a part of it. You’re going to have a hard time finding a job, and your degree is going to be worth less as much when you go out in the workforce.”

According to Roy, students’ fears about the degree change were entirely unfounded. First of all, students who are already enrolled in the CCB will still receive a BS degree upon graduation. Second, for future students whom this change would affect, the course requirements for each concentration would remain the same.

Also, Roy stated, employers have no preference of either degree over the other.

Less than two weeks after students had discovered the degree change proposal, it was discontinued. According to Roy, this was completely unrelated to the negative student response.

Although student reaction may not have stopped the proposal, it deserved, and was given, much attention.

Also due to student reaction, Dean Eileen Peacock spoke briefly about the proposal at the Beta Gamma Sigma induction ceremony and sent an e-mail statement about the situation to all CCB students two days later.

When asked if there was any requirement for student input or involvement in the formal process for reviewing the degree change proposal, Roy stated, “Past practice at UMD shows that student involvement in these types of processes is limited. This is not unusual at other universities, either, because the faculty are the guardians of curriculum.”

Dr. Jack Chopoorian, a University Curriculum Committee member, added, “Student members are called for on the College Curriculum Committee by the Faculty Federation Agreement, but none of the departments of the college have ever chosen to appoint them.”

Even though CCB administration and faculty weren’t required to tell students about the degree change proposal, this does not mean that they shouldn’t have.

Bedard also described how he thought students should have been informed of the proposal. “E-mail them. Let everybody know.”

According to Roy and Chopoorian, not only will this change be proposed again this year—it already has been.

The CCB administration has taken student response into consideration for their second attempt to replace the BS with the BBA. In addition to the process followed last year, Chopoorian stated, “The Student Advisory Council will also be presented the benefits of the plan during the coming academic year and asked for comment.”

The CCB Student Advisory Council is made up of thirty students of various majors, GPAs, and years of graduation. When asked how students could join this organization, Roy replied, “There is a short application that will be sent out electronically in the next few weeks.”

Chopoorian said, “Dean Peacock is a board member of the professional association that accredits business schools worldwide and a leading consultant on preparing schools for accreditation. There is no way she would have taken up this suggestion from the provost’s office if she believed it would be harmful to the college, university, or, most of all, students.”

Think pink

You and your breasts

DARTMOUTH, Mass.— According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women, ages 15 to 40. Surprising, isn’t it? As young women and men, we assume that the issues associated with breast cancer are irrelevant; breast cancer only strikes old women and we have many years before we have to worry about it.

Diagnosing breast cancer is more difficult because young women have denser and thicker breast tissue compared to older women. When breast cancer does get diagnosed in a young woman, it is usually more aggressive, leading to lower survival rates. Not only are young women more likely to die once they are diagnosed with it, but they deal with issues that older and post-menopausal women do not. Young women with breast cancer struggle with pregnancy, the possibility of early menopause, more advanced cancers and much more.

Furthermore, there is little research done in this area and young women are considered an unrepresented population in the field.

So, how do you know if you are at high risk for it? Having a mother, daughter, or sister with breast cancer significantly increases your risk. Having other relatives, such as grandmothers, aunts, or cousins with it also plays a role. If this is the case, it is important that you talk to your doctor about your genetic risk and maybe even see a genetic counselor. There are specific genes that experts can look at for to let you know how high your risk is.

Race is also a risk factor. Although Caucasian women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, African Americans are more likely to die from it.

Other risk factors include early menstruation (getting your period at 12 or earlier), having had your chest radiated at a young age, and having had other cancers. Some studies have shown that extended use of the Pill can cause a slight increase in the chance of developing breast cancer, but more research is needed. Talk to your doctor to learn more about your risks and about how birth control may or may not affect you.

If you haven’t done it already, now is a good time to start building a relationship with your breasts. You should become familiar with how they look and feel. This can be done through monthly breast self-exams. If you notice any change in your breast over time, including but not limited to lumps, see your health care provider immediately.

October is breast cancer awareness month, and the Women’s Resource Center will sponsor a THINK PINK week from October 22 to the 26. It’s time to become aware. We encourage you to wear pink throughout the week in solidarity with breast cancer victims and survivors.

To learn more, stop by tables at the campus center during THINK PINK week. The Women’s Resource Center will be tabling and providing pamphlets, ribbons, and goodies all throughout the week.

On Tuesday, October 23, a bake sale will be held to raise money for breast cancer charities. Help support breast cancer victims nationally.

For more information, contact Kim Sylvia at ksylvia@umassd.edu or at (508) 910-4584. Visit us in Pine Dale Hall or visit our website at www.umassd.edu/wrc.

SCIENCE OF THE NOW

Tracking early forms of life on Earth

By Nathan Yetton

Our knowledge of life’s progression on Earth is based on a fossil record. The farther back in time one goes to decipher our evolutionary history, the more difficult it becomes to interpret.

One of the fundamental problems with deciphering the fossil record is that the earliest organisms left very few traces. Precambrian life consisted of huge quantities of organisms which contained neither bones nor hard exteriors. Also, the earliest life was small, often single-celled. How do we track the process in which life changed from nothingness to hard-boned creatures?

One of the ways that we look at the advent of life is not through their remains, but their waste. On early Earth, life as we know it did not exist. One of the mechanisms for deriving energy and thereby propagating life was oxygenic photosynthesis. In other words, it utilized sunlight and oxygen to produce energy.

Nowadays this mechanism is all but lost, but its derivatives still exist. Animals utilize oxygenic respiration, and plants photosynthesize with carbon dioxide (CO2). This oxygenic photosynthesis leads to the production of chemicals known as 2-methylbacteriohopanepolyols (2-MeBHPs). They are also used in regulating cell membrane fluidity, an important quality of cell membranes, as it determines the strength of the cell’s membrane or skin. Finding large sediments of these substances in geological formations enables science’ ability to determine the age of life.

In a paper by Sky E. Rashby et al. from the California Institute of Technology, a question is asked challenging the use of such substances in the fossil record. What if oxygen is not necessarily required for production of 2-MeBHPs? If oxygenic photosynthesis isn’t required, how does that change our notion of the fossil record and early life on Earth?

Rashby et al. addressed these questions by examining an oxygenic bacteria (they do not utilize oxygen) in environments without oxygen. The reason for testing the ability of some organisms for producing 2-MeBHPs without oxygen is to evaluate our understanding of the fossil record. Without an accurate representation of history, the theory of the evolution of life has to be remodeled and rethought. In this case, if some organisms can produce 2-MeBHPs without oxygen, the evaluation of the early earth environment and its impact on evolution needs to be revised and reorganized to fit with current data.

If 2-MeBHPs are producible without oxygen, what does that mean for a reformation of the theory of the origin of life? It means that if we have determined the age of these hopanepolyol deposits and estimated the age of oxygenic photosynthesis for example, then we might have made a grave error in estimating the age of respiration or the modern photosynthesis. They could have evolved much later than we expect. This is a shift of the fundamental understanding of life on our planet.

As it turns out, those 2-MeBPHs are producible in an environment without oxygen. The basic assumptions of natural history may need to be reevaluated to properly understand them.

It may not seem relevant to every day life, but the basic understanding of life’s origins has a direct effect on the modern evolutionary theory. Whether or not life took longer or less time to evolve and how fast it got to where it is now is important in understanding how life changes and will change in the future. These basic principles trickle down to high school education and everyone’s perception of life itself.

ACE: Combatting illiteracy

By Annie Willis

Literacy is an undeniably essential tool in the world today. Without the ability to read, jobs are nearly impossible to obtain and life becomes exponentially harder than it already is. Unfortunately, the literacy rate in New Bedford is one of the lowest in all of Massachusetts.

Luckily, there is a club here at UMass Dartmouth that works hard to combat illiteracy. Advocate Celebrate Educate (ACE) is a shiny new name for the club formerly known as the Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education (SCALE). This fledgling organization focuses on bridging the gap between the campus and community by addressing literacy and education needs.

Last year, the club worked primarily in the Boys and Girls Club of New Bedford. They teamed up with Peace Works from the west end to host a Harvest Fest and a Spring Fest for children at the Maxfield City Garden. Besides offering an array of games, activities, and snacks, they also featured numerous books as prizes.

As another program, a handful of the Boys and Girls Club’s best readers made their debut on the New Bedford Public Access Channel last winter reading many different types of holiday books.

SCALE also sponsored an Alternative Spring Break that worked locally in New Bedford and Dartmouth on different community service projects. They teamed up with Youth Build, a program in New Bedford that helps young people, ages 16 to 24, work towards obtaining their GEDs while learning life skills by constructing affordable housing in the area. The dynamic combination of determined youth took the community by storm with their desire to help make a difference in the world.

This year, with an enthusiastic new name and a slightly altered mission, ACE has many great plans for the community. The year will kick off with their annual Harvest Fest, which will take place on Saturday, October 27, at the Maxfield City Garden.

ACE is also going to be focusing on creating more localized Alternative Breaks for every season of the year.

For more information about creating a better relationship between UMass Dartmouth and the surrounding communities through service, literacy and education, email Sophal Kea, president of ACE, at u_skea@umassd.edu.