The Student Government Union and finance committee are finishing up for the year, and a few big decisions have been made. SGU voted to use some of the surplus funds in the student activities budget to help finance the new business center.

David Ostrander, Vice President for University advancement, made a proposal before SGU on Wednesday, April 14th, to request $10,000 a year for the next 5 years. The money will help finance the new business center that is to be constructed on campus, starting this summer.

The purpose of using student funds for this project is to reduce the University’s expenditures. As more money is raised for the project, the financial strain on the university is eased, which leaves more money for other projects and keeps tuition stable. Since the money is surplus and no more organizations will request funding, there is no need for it to go to waste. However, there will be a vote every year, and the current SGU at the time will decide to keep funding it or not.

Despite the long-term benefits, some students do not believe that the money should be spent outside of student services. Undergraduate student Joseph La Mendola said, “The SGU should have allocated the money for something that the current student body can benefit from.”

What typically happens to the leftover money set aside for on-campus student organizations? Last year, the surplus was used to add new equipment and televisions to the gym. It was also spent on better computers in the Student Activities Building and shirts that are distributed to students at athletic events.

“The student funds left over stay within student services,” SGU president Jessica O’Keefe said.”Last year it was used to get new treadmills, new computers for the SAB… the money was spent on things students needed.”

Any additional leftover funds will be ruled on by the finance committee. Although meetings end with the academic year, the fiscal year extends to July, leaving plenty of time to decide how the surplus is spent.

The student activities budget is funded by the SGU activities fee every undergraduate student pays each year. This money is then made available to student organizations on campus to help fund events. The event must be available to all students and enrich the campus in some way, so money is not given to private events.

During the year, student organizations can file requests with the finance committee to obtain funds for an event; however, certain criteria must be met by the organization to have a request considered. The organization must be recognized and be in good standing with the SGU and all university departments, and can have no more than three absences from SGU meetings. The organization must also have at least 25 percent of its members attend an SGU leadership conference and the community service days in fall and spring.

This semester, roughly half of the recognized organizations on campus were ineligible to receive funds from the SGU finance committee. The issue isn’t the guidelines for fund allocation, which are relatively minimal. Several organizations turned their paperwork in late or not at all, resulting in ineligibility for their organization.

When an eligible organization wants funding for an event, they must fill out an allocation form and return it to the SGU finance committee, formerly headed by Treasurer David Mulcahy, which will review and rule on the request. The organization will either be accepted or denied based on criteria, although the committee can grant a percentage of the requested funds, rather than denying the group outright.

Mama earth has been blown up, frostbitten, suffocated, dehydrated, drowned, melted, stepped on each day by billions, and keeps on turning; so why not give her a break?

So there is this seeming “fad” going around. People all over are telling one another to “go green” and “save the environment.” These people have been working hard to make products that begin the quest to save the planet. These people may just save the world. Why not be one of them? With all of the new “green” advances, saving the planet is easier than ever. From pens made from plastic bottles to “waterless washing machines,” mama earth is slowly getting a little greener.

Going green is a nice thought, however, it may seem a little difficult to “go green” in dorm life. Have no fear, creative green products are here!

1) First, the pen company Pilot has come out with a new pen campaign for college kids. It is called Bottle 2 Pen or B2P, and these new pens are 89 percent recycled material. The unique thing about them is that six pens are made from one plastic bottle. Imagine this: for each 24 pack of bottled water bought, 144 Pilot recycled pens could be made. These pens are not just economical, they also write very smoothly. They will soon be sold in college bookstores all over.

2) Additionally, Wal-mart is selling many new items that are recycled. For instance, they now sell notebooks that are made from recycled material. They also sell purses, book bags, and lunch boxes made out of recycled chip bags, juice cartons, and candy wrappers.

3) Another product that is becoming increasingly popular is dry shampoo. The dry shampoo is usually a powdery substance that is put into hair to clean it and get rid of excess oil- defeating the greasy unwashed look. This method is good for those folks who like to wash their hair once per day or more, which uses excess water. This way, hair could be washed with water once every other day instead of daily, saving plenty of water. A brand to look into is Bumble and Bumble.

4) The new method of “hand-me ups” as opposed to the popular “hand-me downs” is a great way to reuse electronics. When wanting a new cell phone, camera, or computer for the new advanced features, hand the old ones to mom and dad. They might find use from the electronics basic functions, while this generation is texting, emailing, Googling, Youtubing, FaceBooking, Skyping, and taking pictures all at once on a small handheld device.

5) Instead of buying a large pack of single use plastic water bottles, buying one really good metal water bottle can save a lot of material. Besides using a lot less plastic, these newly popular metal water bottles are fantastic insulators. If the water starts out cold, chances are, it will end cold. When all is said and drank, refill at the water fountain instead of buying a plastic bottle filled with water.
6) This one may not be too popular, as many enjoy spending leisurely hours standing in hot water, but cutting shower time down can save a lot of water. Even cutting shower time by two minutes can save 1,000 of CO2 from being released into the air.
7) Try buying some clothes at thrift shops. It is important to reuse as many items as possible, so that less need to be produced. Since most of the clothing styles out these days are based upon vintage styles such as the off the shoulder T-shirt, animal print, leggings, leg warmers, cardigans, etcetera, why not find these items authentically, and cheaper, at a thrift or vintage shop?

8) Instead of turning lights on during the day, use the daylight naturally provided. Open up the windows for some beautiful baby blue sky. Sunlight can also be a mood lifter, so it’s a win-win solution. Another way to save energy is to use LED Christmas lights instead of large lamps. They are both decorative, and energy efficient.

9) Instead of buying brand new textbooks for a lot of money, swap books with friends, buy them half off, or use renting websites like Chegg.com. Last year, Chegg.com planted a tree for each book rented, and has planted over 4,000 acres of trees.

10) As opposed to Google.com, try Blackle.com. It is the Google search bar, but instead the screen is black, saving loads of energy in each search.

In addition to these very cool ways to be more green, there are new inventions coming out this year to help save resources. A British company named Zeros has developed a “waterless washing machine.” This machine uses nylon polymer beads to pull beads off of fabric instead of the usual machine full of water. Although this machine technically does use some water - one cup is necessary per load- it uses much less than the typical machine. It also saves energy, because when the clothes come out, they are almost completely dry, eliminating the need for a dryer.

These are just a few of the many creative ways to “go green.”

Sponsored by the Junior Class, this workshop was led by Magali Tort, Associate Relationship Manager of KAPLAN Test Prep and Admissions. KAPLAN is a company which offers different programs including higher education, English language, test preparation, professional education, k12, and compliance programs. Tort, talked to students about their test preparation program, and offered advice and practical information concerning test scores and the application process.

Called a Kaplan Information Seminar, Tort went through four steps including understanding “why”, brainstorming, focusing your themes, and writing and editing with the students.

To start the admission process, Tort first recommended researching different schools and compiling a list of potential universities. Each school has a different program and purpose, and understanding what one is applying for is important.

Having a good GPA and good GRE score is essential for the application process, as it is the first eliminating factor admission officers look at. Tort stressed the importance of getting a good GRE score on any entrance exam one is taking. KAPLAN offers a free test online at www.kaplan.com, which is imperative to take before attempting the real test. Although a student can take the test up to 5 times in one year, repeating the real test for a higher score will look bad on the students part; thus, Tort strongly suggests taking practice tests until one is comfortable and happy with his score.
The personal statement is the next element of the application process that graduate schools look at. Later in the workshop, Tort had students practice developing a theme for this statement, which would give it character and uniqueness. It was recommended that three different people read this essay/statement for error, content, and professional image.

Extra-curricular activities are important, and Tort encouraged students to take advantage of the different opportunities on campus, suggesting that any leadership position one might attain would look very good on an application.

“Give your professors, bosses, or coaches enough time”, Tort said, “to write a good letter of recommendation. These people are very busy, and need ample notice for courtesy and respect.”
Before one even asks for a letter, make sure that the professor likes you. A student needs to make sure that they will be getting a good recommendation letter, and should be up front with the person their asking.

When it comes to the actual application process, students learn that it is a tedious task. Often, the applications can be filled out online, but Tort told students to set enough time aside for this part of the process.

Finally, the interview is the last part of the package. This is important, because schools want to gain a sense of the student’s personality. Thus, it is important to be true to yourself in both your writing and interview, and not contradict between the two, giving the admission officers an ambiguous representation of oneself.

Overall, the group of mostly junior students left the workshop thinking about the large project ahead of them of researching and applying schools. However, during the workshop, they were given time to think about their vision, purpose, and goals for graduate school. Thus, although applying for graduate school is a big project, having one’s goals set in mind will motivate the student to find the right program for them, a step in creating their better future.

The Pacioli Accounting Club hasn’t been around for long, but is making its own path in the Saint Leo community of clubs on campus. The club was just recently approved by the University’s Student Government Union (SGU) at the end of the first semester, but has some big plans in the future to become one of the most influential clubs on campus.

You don’t have to be an Accounting major to be in the recently added club to Saint Leo, the Pacioli Accounting Club, but you have to at least have an interest in business. Accounting is commonly phrased as, “The Language of Business,” and with this statement, it is how all businesses operate and communicate.

The club was named after Luca Pacioli, an Italian friar who wrote the first ever accounting book on double-entry accounting, holds the modern day title of “the father of accounting.” So who better than to name an accounting club after the man who started it all?

The club is sponsored by Dr. Passard Dean, an accounting professor here at Saint Leo who teaches Accounting Principles, Intermediate Accounting, and Accounting Information Systems. He is very excited for the club to begin its way back into Leo.

“Next year in addition to bringing in speakers, the Pacioli Accounting Club plans to take field trips to organizations where they can experience accounting in action. It is important that students understand the far reaching impact of the field of accounting because, ‘It is an accrual world and the language is Accounting!’” Passard Dean quotes for the path the Pacioli Accounting Club plans to take in the following year.

Already in the 09-10 school year, the Pacioli Accounting Club has already had two speakers, one of which is the President of the AICPA of Florida. These kinds of events promote the Business School and offer networking opportunities as well as furthered knowledge of continuing education in the business profession. It also prides itself with the intent of trying to land many of the accounting club members internships in order to jump start one’s business career.

There is a lot of opportunity to grow within the club, as there are a lot of positions to fill, as well as many committees that range from about three to five students each. All positions are interviewed based to make sure qualifications are met.

The club holds big plans for the school year of 2010-2011 so be sure to check out the Pacioli Accounting Club at the start of the semester in the fall!

The library is full, the coffee is flowing, stress is building, and the sleepiness is not from a night on the town. Graduation is right around the corner.

Now that the end of the year has come, it is time to write those final papers, make summer plans, and plan ahead for the next semester. That is, some of us. It is not only the final days of the semester; it is graduation for many of our fellow Saint Leo students. Along with the diploma, graduation marks the beginning of facing reality.

When asked about how he felt about graduation, senior Josue Vazquez replied, “The amount of anxiety I’ve felt this semester has at times affected my well being. However, my effort, trust in God, and my instilled Saint Leo core values put rest in my heart and peace in my mind to know everything will be alright. I plan on playing professional basketball overseas and then having a successful career in law enforcement. Thanks Saint Leo and good luck to my fellow peers.” Vazquez is walking proof that the reality of life after college isn’t limited. Even though college is over, graduation brings an endless list of real world opportunities.

There is of course always the choice to leaving the classroom and jump into the employment pool. Not everyone will find ease in making the change to work life though. It is also not always simple to find a good job right out of college either. It is important in the job hunt for graduates to put themselves out there. For starters, a really great resume! Somehow between all the studying, partying, and doing all those things college kids do, the little extras can be missing from it. No worries, even after walking across the stage there are ways to keep building that resume.

Continuing education at either graduate school or law school is a good way to further develop degrees and job likeability. Saint Leo provides opportunities to continue studies at the university, after obtaining a bachelor’s degree. For a large part, universities offer graduate programs online. There is the option also, of taking a few classes at community colleges for further education or to take classes there wasn’t time for before.

Then, there is the happy medium between school and work, an internship. Interning is a wise choice. It gives students or graduates the chance to work in the real world, learn from it, and decide if that is truly the right career path. It is also a great opportunity for networking. Good networks could be the key to landing the job. Internships can also be the gateway to seeing the world. There are tons of internships available in all fields around the globe. Going overseas is not limited to internships.

Graduate schools exist everywhere around the world too. Some simple Google searching could result in opportunities to take classes, play sports, or intern. Another intriguing option is to teach abroad. Schools in many other countries are seeking graduates who would like to teach English overseas. Even just teaching a year can be an outstanding addition to resumes and experience.

If working or ongoing studies doesn’t sound appealing, there are more exciting alternatives. For some, the peace corp. might be an inviting selection. It could be a chance to have fun, take a breather from forced work, see the world, and shine a little brighter on paper. Attractive information on resumes doesn’t end with work, grades, and experience. Culturally aware and educated individuals add to the package. Employers look for graduates who have an open eye to different cultures, a keen sense for the world they live in, and are well rounded. For example, speaking a foreign language can be the deal breaker between applicants, and today it is more and more often a requirement. In saying that, if feasible, traveling the world could be the best bet for after graduation. What better time than now?
The countdown to graduation might be relieving, nerve racking, disappointing, or exciting. It just might be all of the above. Graduates this year will walk across the stage, proud of their achievements, glad of their memories, thankful for their friendships, and hopeful for the future. Their caps should be thrown happily, as they can rest easy that there is life after graduation; the good times aren’t over yet. Whichever path the soon to be Saint Leo Alumni’s take, hopefully the time spent at this university was worthwhile, and that they can leave here loving the person they’ve become. Congrats and good luck 2010 Graduates!

On April 4, 2010, I woke up at 11:30pm at night after attempting to fall asleep at 9:00pm. It wasn’t the most pleasant night’s sleep, but at least I caught some sleep. After all, I was about to embark on a journey to outer space that wouldn’t be over until close to 9:00am April 5.

It all started last summer when my dad got in contact with a pilot of his from his days working on the F-22 at Lockheed Martin at Edwards AFB, California. Air Force Colonel James Dutton wrote him to say that he had been selected to a NASA space shuttle mission. My dad’s face beamed with excitement for Jim (or Mash as he had more commonly been referred to because it was his pilot nickname). Dad said that Jim had always dreamed of becoming an astronaut, and he was so happy for him to finally realize his dream.

The months passed by quickly, and they were filled with continuous viewing of the NASA channel and watching the space shuttle missions take off from highway 301. I was called out to the living room so many times by my dad when he was watching the NASA channel because he either a) saw Jim at Mission Control in Houston, Texas or b) he heard Jim talking to the space shuttle. It was like every time was the first time he heard it. My dad kept in constant communication with Jim, trading memories of their days at Edwards and excitement for the future.

One day, my dad told me that Jim had been selected for a definite mission scheduled for March 18, 2010. I was so excited. It was like even I knew someone going into space; after all, how many times can you say that your dad had a future astronaut working for them? Things got even better through the conversation when he told me that Jim had invited us to the launch. How amazing is that?
In the months leading up to the launch, Jim was nice enough to send us some autographed pictures and information about the current launch. I was so excited to get my picture because I put it up in my room as soon as I got it.

Fast forward to April 5, 2010. We arrive at Kennedy Space Center at 12:30am. The place is teeming with hundreds, if not thousands of people. The Center opens up on launch day very early, or late, to those who want to be surrounded by space exploration. The Center goes all out for launch day: there is live streaming of news from Mission Control, past astronauts come for speaking engagements, and large screens are rolled out to feature up to the minute news and video of the preparations for the launch.

The best part of the experience was meeting others from Jim Dutton’s “support crew.” I could tell these people apart from the rest because they all donned the same shirt I had on that sported a small “Dutton Support Crew” logo on the top right of a white t-shirt. My dad even reconnected with a few people he knew out at Edwards. It was so amazing to see how many people were connected to and supported Jim in realizing his dream.

We got into line to board the buses to the viewing site around 2am. Around a hour and a half later, we were onboard the bus. The neat thing about being in line, though, was meeting a woman who had trained Jim to make the most out of the onboard instruments in Houston. My dad talked up a storm to her, and he even showed her the hat he made as a tribute to Jim and his time working with him on the F-22.

When we got to the viewing site around 5am, I was shocked at how many people were there. I didn’t count all of them, but the viewing stations that were sectioned off kept going. I couldn’t believe it. There were hundreds of people in each section. When we finally settled down into our section, we sat in our chairs wrapped in our blankets. We were straight across from the launch site, around six miles away, but we could see the brightly lit launch pad and shuttle. The external tanks glowed a bright orange to the shuttle’s stark white.

At 6am, everyone’s heads turned towards the sky. A bright speck floated from west to east in the twilight. This was the international space station… what the shuttle was to hook up with. Minutes later, at 6:21am, the shuttle blasted off from Cape Canaveral in a race to catch up with the station that had just flown overhead. Screams, flashes, and shocked faces were simultaneous with the launch. I screamed my lungs out for Jim as he set the shuttle on course for the station.

Discovery is on course for a fourteen day mission to “Remove [the] current Ammonia Tank Assembly on S1 and install new ATA (old ATA to be installed on Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier)” and deliver “The Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM)[which is ] is one of three differently named large, reusable pressurized elements, carried in the space shuttle’s cargo bay, used to ferry cargo back and forth to the station.” (NASA.GOV)

As an out of this world bonus, on April 13, my dad, Steve Shanahan, got a call from Jim Dutton on board the space shuttle. They only got to talk for a few minutes because the satellite connections were breaking up, but it was worth every second. “It was one of the highlights of my life. He called while he was over Whistler, Wyoming. It just blew my mind. Glad my wife and mom heard it, or people would say I was dreaming again” said Steve.

When Senior Colleen Shanahan graduates, she will have left a unique imprint on many organizations.

She is an intelligent and talented young woman who has excelled in academic and extracurricular activities throughout her four years at Saint Leo University. Shanahan is an english major with a specialty in creative writing. She is in the honors program, the Sigma Tau Delta English honor society, and the Delta Epsilon Sigma Honor Society. She has made the Dean’s List five times, and passed her junior oral exam, which she jokingly considers to be her greatest achievement. In addition to her impressive academic career at Saint Leo, she has also participated in Quiz Bowl all four years, and has been published in The Sandhill Review for photography and poetry. Shanahan has been the online editor for The Lions’ Pride for two years and speaks highly of her experience.

“I’ve enjoyed [working at the newspaper] with people I’ve known since I came to Saint Leo, the flexibility of the job since I am a commuter, and the ability to enlighten the Saint Leo community with many different genres of news and entertainment stories,” said Shanahan.

Shanahan also belongs to the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority, and has been Vice President, Treasurer, and Triangle Correspondent for the organization. She is a top contributor to her sorority, and is a big sister to two of her fellow Sigmas. This year she served as a Sigma Rho Chi for sorority recruitment.

“I’ve enjoyed gaining lifetime friends, sisters, and leadership skills that I can use in the future whether it be in the workforce or in daily life,” said Shanahan of her experience in Sigma Sigma Sigma.

After she graduates, Shanahan plans to pursue her Masters of Fine Arts in either creative writing or writing for children and young adults, and holds the possibility for a PhD in the future. She would like to become a professor and teach creative writing and also write in her spare time. Shanahan appreciates her time at Saint Leo and feels her four years have been very beneficial.

“Over the four years, I realized why I was meant to come to this school. The students, faculty, and staff I have met shaped me into the person I am now. I also couldn’t have become who I am today without the overwhelming love and support from my parents, family, and friends. My writing has grown significantly, and I have a lot more confidence in it. I’ve also grown personally. I am not as shy as I was during freshman year; I am more outspoken when it comes to things I believe in or need to get done. I have also learned to enjoy myself even when things have been hard. I’m not going to say that things have always been peachy, we all hit bumps in the road, but I’ve come out a better person in the end, both personally and scholastically because of Saint Leo,” Said Shanahan.

Colleen Shanahan will be missed at Saint Leo University, but is wished the best of luck in the future.

“Edges” the musical is not just a typical show with cute dance numbers, creative props, and Broadway tunes. This show is about the lives of four young individuals searching for the answers to questions like “Who am I and who do I want to become?”

As college students on the brink of entering the real world without a clue, this show is about all of our lives, our uncertainties, and our futures. Each character portrayed a unique persona plagued with the fear of facing the world not knowing who they are and where their path will take them.

The best part about this show is the fact that I saw myself in the faces of the actors and heard my questions in their songs. I could completely identify with their worries and insecurities because that is exactly where I stand in life at this moment. I feel part of the greatest appeal about this show is that the entire audience could relate to the characters’ journeys. At some point or another, everyone goes through this difficult transition in life, and it was motivating to feel that I am not alone in this struggle.
Among the cast are all familiar faces, three of which are veterans to the Saint Leo stage. Actors Adam Wethington, Amy Persaud, Anna Robinson, and Jeremy Valdes performed with amazing passion and dedication. Wethington’s penetrating eyes and amazingly solid voice created a playful yet powerful stage presence. Persaud truly blew me away with her stunning looks and incredibly beautiful voice which resonated in my head all the way home. Robinson’s cute portrayal of the girl next door was amusing and a good break from many of the more intense numbers which caught my attention. Valdes’ elevating voice and honest conviction touched my heart and made me feel the most connected to his character.

The group numbers in particular which were a definite crowd pleaser included the songs “By my friend” and “Man of my dreams.” Roars of laughter blew through the audience throughout these quick-witted numbers, which seemed to alleviate the emotion caused by the more powerful moments of the show. The cast sang beautifully together with pleasant harmonies that particularly shined through the opening and closing numbers.

Among the list of songs, “Dispensable” was my favorite. Persaud and Wethington’s duet truly touched my soul and brought slight tears to my eyes. I felt connected to the actors, and the emotions portrayed in their voices and faces brought me back to a devastating breakup where I indeed felt dispensable. This number moved me, and I want to thank the actors for their dedication to this song.

There was no doubt in my mind that Director Melissa Hollis would once again create a spectacularly moving show. Her hard work and dedication to her productions are always apparent and appreciated. I am saddened at the thought that this will be my last review of Hollis’ shows, and I want to thank her for her dedication to making these productions some of the best I have ever seen.

04/28/10: Thirty Seconds to Mars
Genre: Rock, Alternative
Signature Songs: The Kill, From Yesterday
Location: House of Blues Orlando, Lake Buena Vista
Time: 7:30pm
Price: $27

4/29/10: Alexisonfire
Genre: Post-Hardcore,Screamo
Signature Songs: No Transitory, 44 Caliber Love Letter, Young Cardinals
Location: State Theater, Saint Petersburg.
Time: 6:30pm
Price:$14

More after the jump

5/07/10: Southern Voice Tour: Time McGraw with Lady Antebellum and Love and Theft
Genre: Country
Signature Songs: Tim McGraw – Grown Men Don’t Cry, Lady Antebellum – Need You Now, Love and Theft - Runaway
Location: Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa
Time: 7:00pm
Price:$25-65

05/13/10: The Flaming Lips
Genre: Experimental Rock, Space Rock
Signature Song: Do You Realize?
Location: House of Blues Orlando, Lake Buena Vista
Time: 8:00pm
Price:$33

06/01/10: Imogen Heap
Genre: Electronica, Alternative
Signature Song: Hide and Seek (used in Jason DeRulo’s Whatcha Say)
Location: House of Blues Orlando, Lake Buena Vista
Time: 7:30pm
Price: $23-46

07/23/10: 2010 Van’s Warped Tour
Location: Vinoy Park, Saint Petersburg
Time: 12:00pm
Check warpedtour.com for band listings

07/25/10: 2010 Van’s Warped Tour
Location: Firestone Amphitheatre, Orlando
Time: 12:00pm
Check warpedtour.com for band listings

07/28/10: Dave Matthew’s Band
Genre: Blues Rock
Signature Songs: Crash Into Me, Ants Marching, Funny the Way it is
Location: Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa
Time:7:00pm
Price:$32-67

07/30/10:Rihanna: Last Girl on Earth Tour with Ke$ha
Genre: R&B, Pop
Signature Songs: Rihanna –Umbrella, Ke$ha – Tik Tok
Location: Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa
Time: 7:30pm
Price: $20-90

08/25/10: Jack Johnson: To the Sea Tour 2010
Genre: Acoustic, Folk, Soft Rock
Signature Songs: Flake, If I Had Eyes, Banana Pancakes
Location: Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa (also in Orlando on 8/24/10)
Time: 7:00pm
Price: $35-55

09/05/10: Honda Civic Tour presents Paramore with Tegan and Sara
Genre: Pop Punk, Alternative
Signature Songs: Paramore - Misery Business, Tegan and Sara – Hell
Location: UCF Arena, Orlando
Time: 6:30pm
Price: $ 23-33

I sit in the Saint Leo cafeteria. Across from me is one of the Theater department’s veteran stars, Miss Julia Teal, who sits with her hands in her lap and a polite smile across her face. She wears a simple white gypsy blouse hidden underneath is an ink blue camisole. Three different silver necklaces dangle from her neck and her dark almost black hair is parted and flows evenly past her shoulders. Her makeup is flawless as she sips from her glass of water. A bowl of spinach, beats and black olives sits before her, untouched.

Q| You’ve been acting with Saint Leo since your freshman year, how did you feel when you got the lead part in last spring’s production of Fool for Love?
I felt really excited and then a bit worried about such a big role.

Q| Have you always been interested in acting?
No, only in high school did I consider acting in a play.

Q| What other theatrical experience have you had prior to Saint Leo?
I was in little plays in elementary school and had the parts of a farm animal and an angel.

Q|I understand you participated in your school marching band do you think that helped you with your performance ability?
Yes, it helped me know how much work goes into a performance and about the discipline it takes to practice for a show. I felt really nervous during marching band competitions but I learned to perform my best even under pressure.

Q| Has anyone else in your family been interested or actively involved with theatre?
My mom and dad, occasionally go to plays or a musical that’s about it.

Q| How do you prepare yourself for a role?
I look through the script at what the story is about to get a sense of who my character is. Usually it’ll remind me of an actor or a character in a movie; maybe even more than one, I’ll try to watch clips on youtube. I try to create the character in my mind. I focus on the emotional parts in the script and work out what the character is feeling and why. I get passionate about my character’s story focusing completely on their perspective. I’ll act out bits in the script for friends and family and see if they got what I was trying to convey.

Q| Could you share with us some of your future projects that you may be working on at the moment?
I’m rehearsing for the school production of the play Woyzeck in which I play a carnival worker. I’m also taking a playwriting class and am looking for inspiration for a play. It’s harder to write a good play then I realized.

Q| I understand that you are an International Relations major are you planning on maybe minoring in theatre?
No, though I admire the theater and all the skill it takes to put on a production I don’t think it is for me. I enjoy acting but I don’t think I’m professional caliber.

Q| What are your plans for the future? Do you see yourself acting alongside your career choice?
I plan to work for the government in the State Department. I think my acting skills will help me when I am presenting ideas or talking in front of large groups of people. I don’t think I’ll be an actor in a theater, though.

Q| What has been the absolute best advice you’ve received about acting?
I was watching an interview with Anthony Hopkins and he was talking about his role in Silence of the Lambs. He said he read the script over a hundred times, analyzing it. He also pointed out little habits he gave the character that no one would have noticed but added to the overall effect. His analyzing the character and attention to the smallest detail was the advice I took away.

A popular Saint Leo event, Theta Phi Alpha’s Rock Against Cancer, returned to campus for its third year on Saturday, April 10th. Sponsored by Arizona Peace Tea and Henry C’s in Dade City, the lineup consisted of Connor Zwetsch, a sixteen—year old girl from the Tampa area, Boxer and Clover of Orlando, returning Veterans The Shoreline, also of Orlando, and last but not least, headlining band Mae, hailing from Norfolk, Virginia.

Though always a memorable time for Saint Leo students, this year’s concert featured a few new and memorable twists: Mae played an all-acoustic set, complete with a water jug as a drum, and removed the barriers for their act so the crowd could sit right next to the stage. Started three years ago by Saint Leo alumni Shelley Peterson, this event has only grown more popular over the years, managing to pull in 2,000 dollars this year.

The concert has also increased in terms of sponsorship, and also in popularity of the bands in attendance. Overall, the night proved wildly successful, and with such good fortune, hopefully next year’s will be just as good.

When most people are safe in their beds sleeping, one Saint Leo student is up driving to Daytona Beach as early as 2 a.m. in the morning. Her passion is surfing. She does this at night, when the water is black and there is no one else around. After getting her fill, she makes sure that she is back at Saint Leo in time for her morning classes, without missing a beat.

Tara Baseil is not your average student. Born and raised in New Jersey, Baseil wanted to get involved in a sport unlike the typical softball and basketball.

“It was the summer before my freshman year of high school. My neighbor invited me to stay at a beach house they rented out in Long Beach Island in New Jersey. He taught me one morning and I fell in love with the sport from that moment on,” Baseil says.

Baseil does not come from a surfing family. She was always the athletic one. She and her brother are the only ones interested in surfing. When Baseil first started surfing, she did it more as a hobby than anything else. She was committed and when she got her first board, she also got a coach. Baseil reveals that after a lot of training she decided to enter some contests, where she started placing first.

She was able to get companies interested in her, and after that she was signed by her first company, “SurfTech.” By her senior year in high school, she signed on to work with her second company, “Sommerset.”

“When you get sponsored, some companies will give you a choice to get money or free advertising supplies. I get paid with a pay check and that pay check depends on how many hours I surf per week,” says Baseil.

Trouble occurred when Basil wanted to attend Saint Leo in Florida for college rather than pursuing surfing as her main focus.

“A lot of people at college always wonder why I came to Leo since the Gulf coast of Florida does not have many waves. I came to Leo for the education and small classes. I love how I am actually a person here instead of a number,” Baseil says.

She wanted to expand her horizons and she didn’t see how surfing could provide that. Education is always important to Baseil and she was always determined to put her education before surfing. Especially in case she got injured, she wanted something to fall back on.

Baseil is quite the world traveler; she went to France with the school during Thanksgiving break during Fall of 2009. When Baseil travels with her family, she is sure to bring her surf board along with her. Some of her favorite places to surf are Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia.

Ever vigilant, Baseil is always cautious while in the water. After hearing the news about other surfers who have gotten their legs or arms torn off by a shark, she gets nervous because it could happen to anyone. Her response is to just watch out how far she goes out into the water.
Baseil has two vivid memories of surfing.

“The exciting situation was when I came in first place for my surfing contests. It was exciting to get sponsored by two companies and start to train for my professional contest that will be in Hawaii this upcoming summer. The scary situations were when I was a mile away from a Great white Shark. The shark attacked a kid a few miles down the beach from where I was. Another scary situation was when I was surfing in Hawaii my board got caught on a coral reef and I was caught underwater where I felt I was about to drown until a lifeguard came and cut me loose from my board.”

On the surface Tara Baseil seems to be your average outgoing, friendly college student. No one would think that she has such an amazing talent hidden beneath the surface. It will be interesting to see where Baseil will go from here. Will this psychology major fulfill her dreams of helping people, or will she inspire people from the waves? Whichever she chooses, Baseil is an inspiration for anyone with a dream.

The Saint Leo baseball team came up big on Green and Gold day as they beat the visiting Webber International University Warriors 28-10. The Lions pounded out 28 hits en route to their second-largest victory of the year.

The Warriors got things started immediately in the first inning. After a walk and a double play, Lance Lozan and Nate Goldstein hit back-to-back homeruns to give Webber International a quick 2-0 lead.

The Lions responded in the bottom half of the inning by scoring four of their own runs. JC Suarez singled through the left side and after stealing third base, scored on a sacrifice fly by Eugene Garnett Jr. Some poor fielding by the Warriors allowed the Lions to take advantage and take a 4-2 lead after one inning.

Matthew Hewitt was the starting pitcher for the Lions but could only get through four innings. He allowed four runs on six hits while striking out one and failed to get the decision.

The offense did not slow down for the Lions as Suarez collected his second of three hits on the day with a homerun off the Warriors starting pitcher Will Arnold. Arnold only lasted two innings and took the loss while giving up eight earned runs on 11 hits while only striking out one. The Lion’s DH, Blake Turner also homered in the second inning for two of his six RBIs on the day.

After four innings, with the score 13-4 in favor of the Lions, Hewitt was replaced by Austin Buck. Buck pitched two innings while allowing one unearned run, giving up no hits, and striking out two batters. Buck earned the win for the Lions making him 2-5 on the year.

The Lions put up runs in every inning except the fourth but had Turner on third base when Suarez grounded out to end the inning.

The sixth inning saw the Lions put up another four runs thanks to a homerun by Garnett Jr., and a 3-run homerun by Turner, his second of the game.

Webber International scored three runs in the seventh inning but Saint Leo responded with three of their own in the bottom of the seventh. Two hit-batters by the Warriors’ pitcher, Jason Benkert, helped the Lions continue to put up runs.

The eighth inning saw Benkert hit another two batters as the Lions put up another two runs. Webber scored two more runs in the top half of the ninth inning but the Lions’ pitcher got Billy Farrell to line out to end the game.

Saint Leo beat American International College by a score of 29-8 on May 6, 2010 to record their largest victory of the year.

The last four years I’ve spent at Saint Leo University have been some of the best of my life to date. Undoubtedly, one of the biggest influences in my life both professionally and socially has been the Lions’ Pride Newspaper.

I started working on the paper my freshman year because it was one of the few jobs on campus which employed non-work study students. I started writing editorials from the very beginning and always enjoyed voicing my opinions on various issues. At the end of the year, I was promoted to Layout Editor and have been doing it ever since.

The layout was not always an easy task to complete, nor was the job of an editor always pleasant. This was my first taste of being in a leadership position, and it was very stressful. The people I had counting on me on a weekly basis included the staff writers, my co-editors, my supervisor, the student body, members of the English Department and our esteemed administration. At times it was a struggle to try and balance the hours I put into this paper along with classes, other jobs, and my social life.

Despite the stress, the long hours, the weekends I spent in the newspaper office, the late nights I spent editing articles and harassing the staff to get their content in, I also got so many positive things out of this job. I was able to gain experience not only as a journalist and columnist, but also as a leader and a team member. I was able to travel to California two years in a row for newspaper conferences and had amazing experiences there. I attended important administrative functions and covered some hardcore news stories.

I have been known for my She Said editorials and was able to express my opinions to the campus despite of some “touchy” subjects we brought to the table. I gained the respect of my co-workers and faculty members, but most of all, my supervisor Valerie Kasper. Without her, I would not be the writer, the leader, and the hard worker I am today. I appreciate everything she has done for me over the last four years, and I am greatly saddened that we have finally reached the end.

I would like to say that every student who is part of this campus is truly a lucky soul. Saint Leo has provided me an environment to grow, learn, and express myself in ways I never thought I could. The tight knit community and kindness spread throughout Saint Leo is undoubtedly hard to find in the other corners of the world. To all the faculty and staff members I have met and connected with, you have taught me great things and helped shape the person I am today. To the friends I have made along the way, you are amazing people and will always hold a special place in my heart. I would especially like to thank Simone Williams and Kristin Brittain for being two of best friends a girl could ask for. You two have changed my life.

I will never forget the memories I’ve made and the things I’ve learned during my time spent at Saint Leo. I am appreciative of all the opportunities this great institution provided for me. To the future Lions’ Pride staff and editors, I want you to give your all to this great publication and continue to make it better and better. Don’t let me down guys. And that’s what she said.

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end,” and graduation is just the next bittersweet step. College has been the fastest-slowest four years of my life, and it’s over.

The experiences I had and the memories I have made at Saint Leo are priceless. This institution has brought me places I have never dreamed of going too. I was given the opportunity to drink Guinness in Ireland, tour castles in Wales, have wine in Bath, and I learned the five W’s of journalism in California.
Over the past four years I have loved, lost, cried, laughed, drank, sobered up, read, written, I have been challenged, persevered, caved, and learned. I will never forget the memories I have made and the people I have met during my time here. From learning to cook in a microwave in Beniot Hall to “family dinners” in apartment 4208, and road trips with the “tripod,” I will never be the same.

I have worked for The Lions’ Pride for four years, and I have had the honor of serving as Editor in Chief for the past three consecutive years. Working with The Lions’ Pride has been invaluable to me. Not only did I grow as a writer, but as a person as well. Joining the paper was the first thing I did once I stepped foot on campus. Never did I think as a freshmen staff writer that I would be in charge one day. Through my four years the newspaper has been through many changes including editors, writing styles, offices, etc. We have seen everything from threats of law suits to praises and admiration. I cannot thank newspaper advisor and English professor Mrs. Valerie Kasper enough for the time she not only invested in the newspaper but her students as well. She has served as more than a mentor, and it has been my privilege to learn from her.

As exciting as graduation is I am deathly sad to leave Saint Leo behind. I know I will always have fond memories and my education to fall back on, and without Saint Leo I wouldn’t have either. I have evolved more as a person over these past four years than any other time. The small community, its familiarity, and caring atmosphere have been more than just a residence and school to me. I believe Saint Leo’s best assents are the teachers. St. Edwards’ third floor hallway has become a second home to me. I would like to thank all of the professors who have shaped my life over the past four years. The time and care you invest in your students is immeasurable. Thank you.

I would like to thank the faculty, staff, and students for remaining loyal to The Lions’ Pride. I have loved seeing the number of readers increase over the years. Please continue to stay tuned, I know this paper is not nearly done yet. I would like to wish my graduating class good luck, go live, grow, and learn. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for us. Remember, you cannot hide from The Lions’ Pride.

Frankie Keel, from Fairfax, Virginia, is a Communications Management major and plans on continuing his career interning at the Tampa Bay radio station. Number 11 for the Lions, Keel plays as an attackman on the field. Just in the first official game for the 09-10 Lacrosse season, Keel captured three goals against Rollins College. Beginning the Deep South Conference, Keel scored a goal in a gut wrenching game where the Lions won 10-9 against big time rival, Florida Southern College.

“We won our conference championship on our last game of the year and ended my career with a win and a Deep South Conference Championship” says Keel about his biggest career highlight of Saint Leo LAX. “I would have to say my favorite memory of SLU LAX is when I legally body checked a player from Southern New Hampshire and sent him to the hospital after their team was talking trash to us” Keel says when asked about his favorite Saint Leo Lacrosse memory. Congratulations Frankie, the Lions’ Pride wishes you success with the rest of your senior year!

Saint Leo University just had its Student Government Union (SGU) elections this month, and I congratulate all who won their elections and commend all who ran. That being said, SGU is a relatively invisible force on campus even during election week, and that is unacceptable. An anonymous source from SGU stated that voter turnout was approximately 20 percent for every class. This means that only 300 students determined who is representing our over 1500 on-campus student body.

SGU is a governing body of the students elected for the students. There are bi-laws and a student constitution that is integral to the representation of the student body. SGU is important to this school, and as students we have the right and obligation to be the checks and balances for our representatives.

I conducted a random study of 50 students at the library with 4 easy and confidential questions. The results may not be submitted into any official journals, but are astounding. Of those surveyed, 28 percent were unable to identify what the acronym SGU even represented. Only 24 percent knew where or when SGU meets, and most didn’t understand that the student body is allowed and encouraged to attend these meetings.

This is a staggering lack of basic knowledge of the student government, and leaves over three quarters of our student body with no idea of what the proper forum is for them to get their voices heard. It is unacceptable for our student body to be so poorly educated in issues that affect their university. Saint Leo University is important to every student that walks its halls; the education here will prepare them for their lives after academia. If students don’t pay attention to things as important as how funds are being allocated, read tuition costs, then they may be overlooking other important areas.

Of those that were aware of what SGU is and does, students gave an approval rating of 65 percent, which is acceptable. I truly believe that SGU is doing a great job and that they have our best interests at heart, but I also believe it is part of their responsibility to get knowledge out to the student body.

I want Saint Leo University to be the best it can be, and I want to be represented by the best we have to offer from our student body. Our student body cannot be represented if it is unaware of and indifferent to the governing process. This means that SGU needs to step out of their box and get people involved. It also means that students need to wake up and take initiative by actively seeking ways to help out our university community.

According to the White House’s website, health insurance is now more affordable by creating the largest middle class tax cut that America’s health care has ever seen. The new bill also reduces the cost for 32 million small business owners and families who cannot currently afford health insurance. The bill is said to reduce America’s deficit by over 100 billion dollars over the course of ten years, and by more than one trillion dollars in twenty years by decreasing government overspending.

“[The bill] sets up a new competitive health insurance market, giving millions of Americans the same choices of health insurance that members of Congress will have,” said the White House’s website.
Those who are already insured under a health care plan will be able to keep the same doctor and health care plan if they wish. The reform will lower premiums for those plans by reducing administrative costs. Beginning January 1 of 2011, it will be a requirement for insurance companies to spend most of Americans’ premium dollars on medical care, not on their own profits. In September 2010, insurance companies will not be allowed to drop an insurance holder because of sudden illness.
Also starting in September of 2010, it will become illegal for health insurance companies to deny coverage to children due to a pre-existing condition. Children can also be covered under their parents’ insurance until age 26 unless the child is already covered under an employment health care plan. In 2014, the child can choose to stay under their parents’ insurance plan even if they are already covered through their employment. The health bill does not affect Americans’ choice of doctors.

“Under this budget, we will provide the health and human services that Americans depend on more effectively, slashing waste and focusing programs on results,” said Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

The bill has many benefits for Americans as a whole, but what about the upper class?

According to StreetInsider.com, the downside to this bill is that unearned income will be taxed by 3.8 percent if the individual makes $200,000 per year, and also for couples annually making $250,000 collectively. This tax applies to unearned income such as dividends, rents, royalties and capital gains. Also, Medicare tax will go up to 2.35 percent from the current 1.45 percent for those individuals making over $200,000 per year.

Health care companies will be taxed an extra 2.3 percent on medical equipment sales. The pharmaceutical industry will be charged an extra three billion excise tax per year. In addition, tanning salons must pay an extra ten percent tax per year.

With change comes some good and some bad, but Obama made this reform with positive goals in mind. According to HealthReform.gov, his goals are to reduce the long-term growth of health care costs, protect families from severe debt or bankruptcy due to health care costs, guarantee American’s choice of health care plans and doctors, improve patient safety and quality of care, maintain coverage when an American loses or changes their job, and to assure affordable and good quality healthcare for all Americans.

“As a nation that is so focused on helping other countries, how can we possibly move forward in any positive light if we don’t first help those next door to us? This plan for health care is a step in the right direction to making a difference for the average person regardless of job status or education level.”  - Freshman, Catherine Tallant

“I don’t think that the government should be the dictators of our health care plan. The medical professionals should be driving our health care concerns. It has always been part of our employment package to decide what policy we choose and now they want to take that choice away from us. Also, the fact that the congress members themselves put in a clause that states they can opt out and get their own insurance while us as Americans must take what they give us is scary. If they have this option, then there must be something that we don’t know about. What’s good for the goose should be good for the gander!” – Sophomore, Elizabeth Conroy

“I would like to nod to both the Hippocratic Oath, particularly the line, “I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone,” as well as the UDHR, Articles 1, 3 and 25. All physicians must take the Hippocratic Oath, and Eleanor Roosevelt played a big deal in the UDHR and Article 25 specifically. If a person were to receive a medical procedure which she could not pay for after the fact, the hospital can’t undo the procedure (despite the “Repo” craze). This isn’t unheard of, hospitals do often have to count some losses for the good of patients, but they do a great deal to avoid this when possible and it does lead to malpractice or breaches of the Hippocratic Oath, which, at least when my dad took it, was a big deal requirement for physicians.” - Junior, Joseph Sears

“I support the bill because I believe the greatest strength of the United States is our people – regardless if they are rich or poor, black or white, young or old. Together we weave a patchwork quilt capable of producing something beautiful. But if we decide that some of our brothers and sisters are not worthy, for whatever reason, to contribute to the warp and weft of this our American quilt, if we do not aid them when they are sick and hurt, then we not only have committed an immoral act reprehensible in the eyes of this world and the world beyond, we have weakened our country. Our strength is built on diversity. If some of our folk cannot pay the outrageous cost of simply keeping body and soul together, then we must as a united people do something about it. Obama’s healthcare bill is that something. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start. With this bill 30 million people who did not have healthcare coverage now have it. This bill allows people who have preexisting conditions to get coverage. This bill is the right thing to do because it’s the compassionate and logical thing to do.” - Karen Bryant

“Peoples’ basic health should not be handled in an unregulated market where companies are just out to make as much money as possible at the expense of lives. I really can’t see how people call this bill socialism or communism since the government has not by any means taken over the industry” Junior, Julia Teal

“The concern I have about the bill is that in the long run, my generation will be paying for it.”  -Sophomore, Mike Shaw

On April 15, students, faculty, and attending public will come together for Academic Excellence Day and learn about the projects and accomplishments of Saint Leo students.

“Overall, Academic Day is an opportunity for students to support each other, learn what their peers are working on,” Dr. Spoto said, “and to celebrate with their success.”

Academic Excellence Day starts at 1:00 pm, where student projects and presentations will be given in the Library, Lewis Hall and Crawford Hall until 3:50 pm. From 3:00-3:50 pm musical performances in Selby Auditorium will be given. The day concludes with an awards ceremony from 4:00-5:15 pm in the SCC Boardrooms followed by a reception lasting until 6:00 pm on the SCC Patio.

“Academic Excellence Day is a reflection on the students’ progress,” Penny Freeman said, “It gives them the opportunity to showcase themselves and their developed projects.”

The presentations are broken into different categories according to the discipline they represent. Further, the projects are either presented by a single student if he worked alone or a small group if it was a collaborative effort.

“Holding Academic Excellence Day is keeping with the values of excellence,” Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Durst said, A manifestation of our core values, Academic Excellence Day is an opportunity for students to show their hard work and is a day for students to receive attention and congratulations from their peers and faculty.”

Dr. Spoto, Dean of Arts and Sciences, is in charge of running Academic Excellence Day while Penny Freeman organizes it. Essentially, it has been held for more than a decade at Saint Leo. Originally just an awards ceremony, Dr. Astolfi reorganized the day’s procedure and added student presentations before the ceremony.

In this year’s Academic Excellence Day, senior Bill Dentinger is presenting “How Using MYSTATLAB® In An Introductory Statistics Class Affects the Final Grades?”

“I have been working on this project since the beginning of this spring semester,” Dentinger said, “I meet with Dr. White for 55 minutes once a week to discuss and work on this project.” A math major, this senior level project is a requirement for graduation and Dentinger is taking a class that correlates with it.

Senior Honors students are required to present their senior honors project on this day. These projects were picked the second semester of their junior year and developed with a faculty advisor during their first senior semester. Other presenters include students from all majors who showcase their projects or papers.

Fellowship and worship is thriving within the walls of Saint Leo’s resident halls as students come together to make up the ministry called “The Quest.”

“The Quest” is a student run ministry. The ministry has been around for about ten years, formally known as the “Lighthouse.” The “Lighthouse” started as a protestant ministry that was recognized as an official club on campus, and was led by John Zeller, the Chaplin for the Saint Leo University baseball and basketball teams. After some time, the club lost allocations, but continued to survive from the offerings of students who attended each week. The group met in Selby Auditorium, and almost every seat was filled. For two years, junior Krystal Filsinger attended regularly. With the leaders of the ministry graduating, they asked Filsinger to take over. Taking charge of her own calling and purpose at Saint Leo, Filsinger investigated the history of the “Lighthouse” and joined with other students to form a small leadership team. The students worked together to keep the ministry alive and active. As a group they made the decision to form a new face for the “Lighthouse”, and together they changed the name to “The Quest.”

After presenting their new name and mission for the ministry to SGU leaders, they decided to bring it up in the next official Student Government meeting. The group elected two senators and put together their roster. After the plans of the ministry were presented, a unanimous vote accepted the club. Upon this acceptance, they formed a leadership team and responsibilities were assigned. They found a pastor, Jake English, and held their kick-off for “The Quest” in the beginning of fall semester 2009.
“The Quest” is now a growing and thriving ministry here at Saint Leo University. The group meets every Monday at 9pm, currently located on second floor, apartment four lounge. Every week there are cookies and other refreshments. Pastor Jake shares an encouraging message from the Bible and everyone comes together to talk and get to know each other on a deeper level.

Flisinger said of the Quest, “God has truly blessed this ministry and it could not have been done with Him.”

“The Quest” is open to all students of any religion or denomination. The group does not require knowledge of the Bible and welcomes all to come.

Filsinger said, “it is a time to come take an hour break from our stressful and busy lives, to hear an uplifting and encouraging message.”

The meetings open and end in prayer, and Pastor Jake and sometimes others share a short message. Afterwards, the floor is open for conversation, comments, and discussions. The relaxed and comfortable atmosphere of “The Quest” brings together college students to appreciate God and life, and to learn more about God’s purpose in our life.

The group invites and encourages all to attend, relax, and find the answers to life’s burning questions. The group’s mission statement is:

The “Lighthouse,” or now “Quest” is an organization that provides a spiritual atmosphere where students of all denominations and faiths are welcome to worship Jesus Christ. We are a group of students that grow spiritually through small groups, weekly prayer services, weekly meetings, and community service opportunities. We encourage and support each and every student’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Current leaders are President, Krystal Filsinger; Vice President, Tory Zelman; Secretary, Kelsey Cunningham; Treasurer, Cody Allen; Historians, Anysia Weiht and Josue Vazquez; SGU Senator one, Justin Weaver and SGU Senator two, Aubrey Donovan.

Now, this reporter knows you have heard it all before: “Click here to claim your FREE LAPTOP, Congratulations, you are the thousandth visitor to our site click here to claim your prize, Like X store? claim your gift card here!” Everyone knows that nine out of ten of these sites are scams to get your personal information and credit card. Well, what if this reporter was to tell you there is actually a legitimate site that gives away prizes without the scam? It’s true, and you can start earning bucks to claim amazing prizes.

Swagbucks.com is a search and win site that allows you to earn “swagbucks” that can be put towards prizes and contests. There are many ways in which you can earn swagbucks:

1. Searching: Here, all you do is perform natural searches for something you would already be looking up. Swagbucks are awarded at random times that have already been determined, so doing a lot of searches in a short period of time won’t help you. Swagbucks can monitor searches and void your membership if you are caught doing too many searches at a time. You can earn random amounts of swagbucks for searches if you hit it at the right time.

2. Swag codes: Swag codes are given out at random times by either “The Swag Guy” or “The Swag Girl.” Sometimes the codes will be given straight out, but other times, the codes will be in what is called a “Swag Hunt.” This is where either Swag Guy or Girl will give hints as to where to find the codes. With every code, though, comes a time limit. Once the time limit has passed, the code is expired.

3. Shop and Earn: This is where you go into Swagbucks’ virtual mall, click the link to the store you want to go to, purchase an item, and earn swagbucks. There are a lot of stores, so there are a lot of opportunities to earn more bucks.

4. Friends: If you have a lot of friends who are into winning prizes and using search engines, you can possibly earn swagbucks from their participation. When you sign up through swagbucks, you get a swag username that you will always be associated with. If your friends sign up, using your referral link www.swagbucks.com/refer/username, you can earn what they do up to 1000 swagbucks.

5. Special Offers: This is where you sign up for products or services in return for swagbucks. Be careful, here. Some of these outsider programs make you install programs, give credit card information, or charge you for products. If you choose to earn swagbucks this way, be careful and know what you are getting into before you sign up for it. The offers wouldn’t be listed if they weren’t legitimate, but it is up to you, the consumer, to be responsible for what you sign up for.

6. Banners: These are banners you can put in signatures on messageboards or your blog that direct people to your referal signup page. This can attract people you don’t personally know, but as long as they are signed up underneath you, you will earn what they do up to 1000 swagbucks.

7. Trade ins: Here, you can send in your old cellphones, mp3 players, video games, and game consoles in exchange for swagbucks. The amount of swagbucks vary from unit to unit, the more swagbucks will of course go to newer products. For example, Call of Duty 3 with game case and instructions will net you 927 swagbucks, without the box or instructions it is worth 470 swagbucks. After you view what your products are worth, you print out a pre-paid mailer, send it into the company, and receive swagbucks.

Now, we move on to the good part, the prizes. Swagbucks offers a lot of prizes for all amounts of swagbucks. You can redeem your bucks for gift cards, gift items, clothing, seasonal items, and digital downloads. If you are feeling lucky, you can give a go at swagstakes for all sorts of good prizes (they have given out large gift cards, an Amazon Kindle, and even autographed items , and enter a swag lottery where you can earn more swagbucks with a low entry fee.

To start earning swagbucks, go to www.swagbucks.com and sign up.

One of Saint Leo’s many charitable organizations, Students Engaged in Rewarding Volunteer Experiences, better known as SERVE, recently sent a group of 15 students and faculty to San Jose, Costa Rica. The expedition was Saint Leo’s first time organizing a trip of this nature through an outside organization, and proved to be a very enriching and positive experience for its participants. According to sophomore Emily Pierce, “The best part of the trip was to be able to give the teachers a much-needed break, and play with some amazing kids at the same time. Experiencing a different way of life was pretty cool too.” The group primarily worked at a school, Casa Del Nino in the city itself, but on the weekend ventured out to sites such as the Irazu volcano and Playa de Jaco, one of the country’s famous black sand beaches.

At the beginning of the trip, the group went on a tour that encompassed sites such as the Irazu volcano, the Basilica de Nuestra de Senora de Los Angeles, the Orosi Valley (the latter two pictured above) and ended the day with lunch at a restaurant by the river. This was only a very small sample of the natural beauty of the Costa Rican landscape, which is well known for its beaches, rain forests and volcanoes.

The second part of the weekend brought the group nearly three hours from home, to Playa de Jaco along the Central Pacific coast of Costa Rica. On the way, the group also made a stop to Casa De Cocodrilo, a bridge overlooking a river that had mass amounts of crocodiles sunbathing on its banks. Though hot, and the root of a couple bad sunburns, many said spending the afternoon in Playa De Jaco was among the trip’s highlights.

Working at Casa Del Nino proved to be a positive experience for the SERVE Group. Pictured above, on left, is trip leader Chelsea Shoemaker and one of the preschool children from the school, which ranged in age from preschool to roughly second grade; though some estimates from Maximo Nivel, the organization in charge of arranging the trip, report the presence of around 60 children, our group only worked with around 30. Also pictured is participant Cody Parks taking a break from fixing up the school’s playground to play with some of the older children.

The group was in charge of handling several different activities for the children in the older grades to participate in, from talent shows to planting flowers to having their vital statistics taken for growth charts. Above, the kids are painting their names and decorations on their flower pots. Later, after the pots were all done, they were able to plant the flowers themselves.

Georg Buchner’s modernist masterpiece, Woyzeck, was acted within the walls of the Selby Auditorium at Saint Leo University.

Buchner began writing Woyzeck in 1835. He was a 23-year-old German playwright, medical student, and social revolutionary. Buchner died and it is unknown when the final scene was actually written. Four drafts of the play were left after he died. All of the original drafts included scenes in different orders, and different endings have been adapted over time. The production by Dave McGinnis followed the play quite closely to the chronological storyline with an added touch of his own personal charisma.

The play centers on the life of a young, lowly rifleman, Franz Woyzeck. Through interactions with his wife, captain, and doctor, it is obvious that he lacks control over his environment, and the circumstances in his life that have weaved together to destroy him. This play is seen as both a dehumanizing and working class tragedy.

“In essence, this play explores how the world actively seeks to terrorize its inhabitants without pity; how life destroys the human free will.” McGinnis said in the director’s note.

On the third night, the room was crowded with faces of anticipation. The play began with dimmed lights and a spotlight on a simple, yet efficient set. The eerie interaction between the characters Woyzeck and the captain provided a strong lead into the play. The in-sync movement of the two characters and the flow of their lines began the play very well.

Each scene was short, but presented its purpose very well to the play as a whole. Each character was very appropriately dressed. The extra characters were uniquely similar but cleverly separated by wearing the same fabric in different colors.

Julia Teal, the showman, caught the attention of the audience as she rambled on about her horse, shouting what would be a very important lesson for a theme of this production. It should also be added that the horse, Dan Losey, also did a great job and gave the crowd some good laughs, even as he was simply galloping off stage.

In the somewhat confusing, yet intriguing scene within a scene, the characters of Marie and the drum major turned into statues while they held perfect stillness and silence as the opposite scene was taking place.

Christopher Collier, who played Woyzeck, really took on the role naturally. He got across every sense of the craziness of the Woyzeck character. His moments of monologue in the spotlight were captivating and enacted smoothly. He displayed strong passion with anger and insanity. This made the character very believable and attracted the audience’s compassion.

Brittney Currie’s character was seen in different lights as she fooled the innocent with her baby and then displayed her cruel and animalistic side as she frolicked with the drum major. “We’re all going to the devil.” Brittany said.

After discovering the wife’s infidelity, the audience can feel for Woyzeck. Then, in the fight scene, he is given a physical beating to go along with his heartbreak. As the characters each give him a swift kick, it was the perfect portrayal of the saying, “kick him while he’s down,” in both figurative and literal sense.

Through the scenes and the promising acting, the insanity and hurt within Woyzeck showed on stage. The tragic scene of murder appeared as real as it could be on a campus stage, and it left questions of what might happen next.

This is a very deep play and can be seen as quite somber. The Saint Leo cast did a good job of conveying this while still producing an enjoyable and interesting play. The audience may have felt as crazy as Woyzeck after the play since such a play can be quite confusing. Nonetheless, the characters performed their best and undoubtedly left their audience in discussion about the true nature of this play. That is, whatever the true nature of the play was to be. Buchner left it up to his audience to discover that. Whether it has this ending or another ending, the story of Woyzeck is one that will keep its edge for years to come.
Don’t forget to eat your peas!

On the third Saturday of every April since 2008 ,record stores that sell 50% music retail, are not publicly traded, and have 70% of their stores in the state they originated in, sell special releases from various artists available in no other capacity.

Record Store Day was started on April 19, 2008 with a performance by Metallica in San Francisco. Since then, it has featured special releases, meet and greets, and other various music related activities.

The idea was created by a man named Chris Brown,( who bears no relation to the R &B singer), and was founded by Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Don Van Cleave and Brian Poehner. In American, 700 stores participated in addition to hundreds more internationally. Most musicians have responded to record store day with resounding support.

“It was in a tiny little record store back in the early Sixties in my hometown of Hannover, West Germany, where I put the headphones on to listen to a rare song that was really hard to find in those days. “My Bonnie” by Tony Sheridan & the Beat Brothers (later known as The Beatles) rocked my heart and started a passion that never left. Record Store Day forever! Cheers,” said Klaus Meine of the Scorpions.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple offered a different approach to support Record Store Day.

“Buy real records in real shops, or I’ll come round your house and scream at your mother,” Said Gillian

Henry Rollins, former lead singer of Black Flag, offered his opinion on saving the record business and music purchasing.

“I have watched independent record stores evaporate all over America and Europe. That’s why I go into as many as I can and buy records whenever possible. If we lose the independent record store, we lose big. Every time you buy your records at one of these places, it’s a blow to the empire,” said Rollins.

Bruce Springsteen offered his opinion on how record stores are changing.

“I buy CDs all the time. I’ll go into a record store and just buy $500 worth of CDs. I will! I am singlehandedly supporting what’s left of the record business. I hate to see record stores disappear, and I’m old-school in that I think you should pay for your music. But what my kids do is download a lot of things, pay for them, and then if they love something, they’ll get the CD. That may be the future,” said Springsteen.

This year, Record Store Day features many special releases including an exclusive live EP by Jimi Hendrix, a new single, Wrecking Ball, by Bruce Springsteen, an EP by Queens of the Stone Age previously unavailable in America, and a single by the new super group, Them Crooked Vultures, featuring an unreleased track called Highway 1. Also many albums will be reissued on vinyl for the very first time and many albums from the past will be available remastered and in new formats.

Record store day will be supported by many area record stores, but they all are located in Tampa. These are Vinyl Fever, both of Hot Wax’s locations, Mojo Books and Music, and Sound Exchange. For more information on all the releases and participating stores go to recordstoreday.com.

On February 20, 2010, the Saint Leo women’s soccer team traveled to Stetson University to play in a 7v7 spring tournament. Freshman Kelli Jones, who had played in all 16 games for the Lions in the fall, was there with the rest of her team participating in the tournament. It was supposed to be another day of normal soccer games for Jones, a midfielder from Wheaton, Illinois, but a freak accident changed everything.

Jones, who attended Wheaton Warrenville South High School in Illinois, started 12 games for Saint Leo during the 2009 fall season. She scored the first goal of her college career on September 25, 2009 against Clearwater Christian. For this season, she totaled two goals and two assists in more than 1100 minutes of playing time.

On that day in February however, Jones didn’t get much playing time. As she approached her opponent who had the ball during one of the games, her opponent attempted to clear the ball. Jones turned her head as she saw the kick coming but the ball struck her in the back of the head. She went down immediately. Without delay, Coach Ged O’Connor came to her aid.

Jones never lost consciousness and was communicating fine with her teammates and coach. She felt nothing more than a headache. After a few minutes, she left the field under her own power and did not play for the rest of the day. While on the sidelines, she remained coherent and was monitored throughout the day.

Once the team returned to campus that night, Jones was checked out by the athletic trainer and seemed fine. Later that night, it was determined that she should be checked out at the hospital. She was taken to Pasco Regional Medical Center where they checked her out and felt that she should be transferred to Tampa General Hospital.

Jones’ parents flew down to accompany her while in the hospital. She remained there for three days before being released. After leaving the hospital she returned to her home in Illinois with her parents to be monitored and begin recovering

She remains at home, and according to her coach and teammates, who are in contact with her regularly, she is recovering extremely well and is showing signs of great improvement and is expected to fully recover.

In the upcoming season, Jones is again expected to play an important role in the success of the Saint Leo Women’s soccer team.

Senior swimmer Kyle Gramm is finished with collegiate athletics, but is continuing his athletic career with coaching.

This semester, Gramm is interning as a sixth grade math teacher at Centennial Middle School in Dade City, where he was appointed the boy’s head track coach for this season.

Gramm holds practices after school five days a week for an hour and a half.

“I am enjoying being the track coach,” Senior Kyle Gramm said, “I feel that this position will give me valuable experience and help me obtain my desired career as a math teacher. Ultimately, I would like to continue coaching throughout my teaching career.”

Gramm said that his experience as an athlete here helped him attain the job. Understanding how college athletics worked and being part of the team, helps Gramm manage his own team, and his ability to help his runners to achieve personal goals. As Gramm was a captain of the swim team, this leadership position helped his transition between being an athlete to a coach easier. Overall, Gramm is happy with this new position, hoping to have a successful season with Cyclones, and is glad he is able to use his athletic experience to give back to the community.

Gina Schifano, from Tampa, Florida, is majoring in Biology, and hopes to go to graduate school and get her Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

Schifano has contributed a lot to the Tennis team over her four years. She has obtained the Excellence Awards her Freshman and Sophomore years (2007 &2008). She was deemed Sunshine State Conference player of the week in 2008, and won the Sodexo Award worth $1,000 Scholarship for Saint Leo Women’s Tennis in 2009.

Schifano reminisces her collegiate tennis career with her favorite memory being her Sophomore year and going to Regionals for the first time in SLU’s tennis program history.

“It was amazing. Our team just clicked and we were strong all around. That year was our year and I will never forget it!” said Schifano.

Other hobbies that Schifano enjoys working out, friends, and being happy. Congratulations Gina, the Lions’ Pride wishes you success with the rest of your senior year!

On April 21st, a ceremony will be held at Kafe Kocopelli in Dade City, FL to induct the inaugural class of Zeta Chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society (NCAHS).
20 members will be inducted at this ceremony, with men’s soccer junior Bruce Cutler achieving the highest G.P.A. of 3.97, followed by cross country runners Alison Luthman and Emily Zambito, tying at 3.91.

“We are please to institute another way to recognize our outstanding student-athletes, this time on a national level,” Athletic Director Fran Reidy said. “They deserve this honor and recognition.”

NCAHS recognizes the most important academic students of collegiate athletics. Chi Alpha Sigma is represented at 187 colleges and Universities in 40 states. The first member and creator, DePaw University, is the Alpha Charter.

Saint Leo joins four other Universities from Florida who recognize this Honor Society, including Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and University of Florida.

Although there are many organizations that honor top athletes with high academic achievements, there were none that honored all participants of a team, who succeed both in the classroom and at their sport. Thus, founded in May 17, 1996 at Depaw University of Greencastle Indiana, Chi Alpha Sigma recognizes college students who received a varsity letter in their sport and have attained a G.P.P of 3.5 or higher after five full semesters.

The purpose of the NCAHS is to encourage, recognize, and enhance student athlete’s academic accomplishments. Both a self nomination and nomination from a coach or member of athletic department is required.

The criteria for nomination includes leadership skills, commitment to community service, high academic record, athletic accomplishments and potential, discipline, determination, good moral character, and a positive attitude.

This year’s inaugural class has committed to participate in a community service project of helping organizing food before the semester ends.

Overall, Saint Leo recognizes the importance of academics for the student-athletes. Other recent accomplishments include 37 Saint Leo student-athletes who were named to the 2009 Sunshine State Conference Honor Roll. Requirements to be eligible for this honor roll were to attain a minimum G.P.A. of 3.2 and be a member of a Sunshine State Conference DII sport’s team. Men and women’s cross country and soccer, and women’s volleyball were eligible for this award.

Volleyball Kaitlin McKenna and Cross Country runners Emily Zambito and Eric Dirth posted 4.0 grade point averages, placing them at top qualification for this Honor Roll.

For the 2008-2009 seasons, women’s soccer and softball, and men and women’s cross country and swim teams were recognized with All Academic Awards this year. With only a few weeks left of the semester, hopefully student-athletes will end this year strong and continue their efforts in both the classroom and their sport.

I’m fairly certain that most people have taken their respective sides on Obama’s new health care reform. However, I’m not so confident because for the first time ever, I am touched by both the benefits and the downfalls for a reform that is supposed to be “the solution.”

Let me explain myself. According to Obama’s website, this health care reform is going to provide health coverage for 95% of the country while still maintaining the current health care system. Where is this money coming from one might ask? To put it frankly, people like my parents. The money provided to pay for all these uninsured Americans comes from raised taxes for people making over $200,000 a year. It also takes a toll on the pharmaceutical companies, who will be charged an extra three billion dollars in excise tax every year.

My parents are both in the pharmaceutical business. They fall right into this income range. Under normal circumstances, I suppose I wouldn’t give a second thought about where the money is coming from for this reform. I have always believed that every American should have health care as more of a right than a privilege. However, now this right will be given at the expense of people like my parents who have worked hard to advance in their careers and earn as much as they do. And believe me; they’re still paying their student loans off.

I don’t know about other families in this income range or how they spend their money, but I can tell you that the Gaisers lead a modest life. It’s not as though we have mansions, expensive cars or take exotic vacations. I’d say most of my parent’s money goes to us kids. They pay four college tuitions at 3 different universities. They take care of my extended family and are always very generous to my friends and their families. They throw parties for everyone to enjoy and they donate to good causes. They are the most giving people I have ever known.

I guess now more than ever, since they’ll be helping millions of Americans get health insurance.
To me, this reform is bittersweet. I have always been a believer in Obama as a person and a President and I haven’t totally lost that belief. It just seems to me that this money could’ve come from some other source.

What about the insurance company stock holders themselves? Why isn’t the money coming from their pockets? I’m sure the funds that the government could get from pawning of couple of their billion dollar yachts and private jets would be more than sufficient in paying for many health insurance plans. These people are the reason people can’t afford health care in the first place!

In the mean time, people like my parents get penalized because they make more money, however nothing in comparison to these greedy CEOs and stock holders. These monsters might as well have my folks pay them directly, since it seems that’s where it’s still going anyway.

Perhaps one has to be in my position to understand where I’m coming from. This law is a great thing for so many people, but it still affects my family negatively. I hope those who benefit from this reform can be appreciative for it.

And that’s what she said.

When boredom struck a group of Saint Leo students two Saturdays ago, they decided there was absolutely nothing better to do then to light an entire bundle of newspaper, over 100 papers, on fire in the Benoit barbecues.

When I decided to attend Saint Leo University, I didn’t fully comprehend the importance of the Core Values, to be brutally honest I thought they were childish and couldn’t believe that the University actually followed them. Alas I was proven wrong. Now as a senior in my last semester with just about a month left till graduation, their importance couldn’t be any more evident. Like our wonderful handbook says, they are a “practical, effective model for life and leadership in a challenging world.”
With that said, we would really love to see more students emulate these core values on a daily basis. To anyone considering burning school newspapers, did you know it is against the law and punishable? If we knew who you were you could be prosecuted. Why, one may ask? Well, The Lions’ Pride is a student newspaper and is considered property; ergo, those papers would be deemed stolen, and when they were found as ashes they would be deemed destroyed stolen property.

In addition to the legal consequences of burning campus newspapers, there is also the consequences imposed by Saint Leo for “creating a fire safety hazard.” Please refer to your Student Handbook article 4 section B11, under fire safety states, “Students are expected to act with due regard for the health and safety of others. Violations of this standard would include, but are not limited to, such behaviors as: failing to evacuate a building or failing to cooperate with authorities during a fire alarm or drill; deliberate or negligent activation of a false alarm; tampering with fire safety equipment; creating a safety hazard, starting a fire or causing an explosion. Students will be held financially liable for the fines imposed by the Fire Department, applicable expenses (clean up, recharging a fire extinguisher, etc.) and will be subject to disciplinary action.”

If students are bored on a Saturday night, perhaps they should consider doing homework or studying. If this is not appealing, perhaps students should check out the events going on around campus. There are more and more events happening on a daily basis and NO ONE should ever be that bored.
Unfortunately, people who light papers on fire, probably don’t read them. But for those students who do, try to encourage fellow classmates to consider the worth of the paper and how hard this team works to create it for the campus. It’s likely there were bystanders who could have prevented this inexcusable act. The Lions’ Pride would appreciate an apology from those who are guilty of this crime, but likely will not receive one. Please know it’s a great insult to use our papers in such a disrespectful way.

To all of our readers, thanks for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Editors Jessica O’Keefe
and Katie Gaiser
on behalf of The Lions’ Pride Staff