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At its spring meeting held at the Stetson University historic campus in DeLand, the Stetson University Board of Trustees announced the election of four new members to the board. [Read more…] about Stetson University Board of Trustees Elects Four New Members
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Many children are drawn to using toy weapons in creative play and will spend the summer chasing siblings, yelling bang or exchanging the foam bullets of a Nerf gun with friends. But, does this behavior indicate a propensity for future violence?
In a recently published paper, Blasting A Way into Crime: Aggressive Play with Weapon Symbols and Its Implications for the Law, Christopher Ferguson, Ph. D., and Sven Smith, Ph. D., of Stetson University examined the relationship between weapon play and concurrent aggression, and later violent crime. The pair found toy weapon use to be an unlikely risk marker for criminal behavior.
Ferguson and Smith also examined the role of violent video games in the development of youth psychopathy and as a crime indicator in A Longitudinal Analysis of Shooter Games and Their Relationship with Conduct Disorder and Crime, concluding that the role of violent video games in the development of youth psychopathy is very little, if any.
In both studies, Ferguson and Smith examined survey data collected from the Bristol’s Children of the 90s longitudinal study which recruited pregnant mothers and gathered data from the moms at different stages of their children’s lives until the child reached 15.5 years old.
Blasting a Way into Crime
Many scholars and policy makers are concerned that violent toy play will encourage aggressive behavior in a way that influences the public’s well-being. In the past, researchers agreed stating that children’s mere exposure to the use of weapons encourages deviant displays of aggression. However, there was little research in the past 20 years regarding weapon play as an indicator of violence. The research conducted by Ferguson and Smith was designed to determine if there was a link between play with toy weapons and criminal behavior, while controlling other factors that could encourage crime.
“In recent years, we have heard some people complain that boys playing with guns might contribute to what’s being called ‘toxic masculinity,’” said Ferguson, professor of psychology at Stetson. “Our analysis could not find evidence for this concern. It appears that playing with toy weapons, whether among boys and girls, is a fairly innocuous activity and is not associated with negative outcomes in kids long-term.”
Ferguson and Smith examined data collected from more than 2,000 mothers on the Children of the 90s study when children were age 3 and 15, for correlations between children’s play and criminality. While the initial analysis shows a significant relationship between toy weapon play and later criminality, when other variables were introduced that may account for this correlation — including gender, diagnosis of ADHD and diagnosis of depression — the relationship was noticeable reduced. The study found the relationship between toy gun use and later teen criminality was trivial in size and, therefore, not a risk marker for later criminology.
“Parents can probably feel a lot better letting their kids play with toy weapons if their kids are so inclined. This does not appear to be a risk factor for negative outcomes among kids,” added Ferguson.
Shooter Games and Their Relationship with Conduct Disorder and Crime
As school shootings continue to devastate far too many communities, the media and law makers are often quick to point to violent video game play as a cause of violent behavior. For more than 30 years, there has been a concern among the public and lawmakers that violence depicted in video games may have an impact on violent behavior and delinquency in youth and young adults. Similarly, scholars have disagreed about whether violent video games impact behavior.
In this study, Ferguson and Smith examined Children of the 90s data to determine the impact of the shooter game genre use in childhood on later adolescent conduct disorder and criminal behavior. It compared violent video game use to later violent behavior, along with other variables that could impact behavior.
The research revealed that early childhood mental health symptoms at age 7 related to ADHD, depression and early conduct disorder predicted criminal behavior at age 15. Male gender also increased the likelihood of violent behavior at 15, but exposure to shooter games did not predict adolescent conduct disorder or criminal behavior at any statistically significant level.
“Our analysis adds to a growing body of literature that indicates shooter game play is not associated with violence or severe conduct problems among kids. If policy makers are serious about tackling issues of violence in society, they would be better suited to consider other issues that are more clearly linked to violence and conduct related outcomes,” said Ferguson.
Christopher Ferguson is a professor of psychology at Stetson University and co-author of Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong. He has clinical experience particularly in working with offender and juvenile justice populations as well as conducting evaluations for child protective services. In 2013, he was awarded a Distinguished Early Career Professional Award from Division 46 (media psychology and technology) of the American Psychological Association. In 2014, he was named a fellow of the American Psychological Association through Division 1 (General Psychology, effective January 2015). In addition to his academic work, he has published a historical mystery novel entitled Suicide Kings.
Sven Smith is a legal and an organizational sociologist and an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Stetson University. His life’s work incorporates thought from a variety of disciplines. He has worked at the think tank for the American Bar Association, the American Bar Foundation in Chicago, Illinois, where he worked as a lead researcher/supervisor on The American Jury Project, interpreting data from a set of videotaped, actual jury trial deliberations using social-psychology, sociology and legal theory. He is also an attorney and has extensive trial and appellate experience, trying cases and arguing appeals in the criminal, civil and administrative arenas.
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The secret is out! And the big reveal now has become the rich reward — with a new energetic look and feel for Stetson Athletics and Hatter Nation.
During Stetson’s annual Late Night Breakfast at the Rinker Field House tonight, athletes took the stage for a “fashion show,” wearing new Nike® uniforms that sported freshly restyled Athletics logo/brand marks designed to capture both historic Hatter spirit and progressive movement into the future.
A day earlier, Stetson Athletics Director Jeff Altier saluted the diligence of a committee that had spent two years in research and development, encompassing all sectors of the Stetson community – students, faculty, alumni, Trustees, former athletes, coaches and others.
“I am very proud of the work they did,” said Altier. “This group took a great deal of time and effort to solicit input from many, many focus groups, allowing students, faculty, staff and alumni the opportunity to influence the final result.
“The new Stetson logos and branding give the entire Stetson University community a set of icons to be proud of,” commented Ricky Hazel, associate director of Athletics. “The logos honor the long history of Hatters Athletics while at the same time reflecting a clean, modern feel that will carry well into the future.”
The highlight of the logo redesign is a warm embrace of the Stetson “S” in place of “SU.” Also gone is the hat sitting tilted atop the SU. Instead, a new centered, tilted hat is introduced and neatly incorporated into the Stetson “S” to infuse “energy” and “excitement.” The hat comes with a lively accent band.
Notably, the lone S is a return to Stetson’s past, when it was the standard-bearer for Hatter Athletics for nearly a century. In the late 1990s, a transition away from the “S” brought “SU.” Lately, however, Altier had said that “people saw the ‘SU’ and they saw the hat, and they immediately thought West. So, they were thinking Stetson was in Texas.”
To further strengthen ties to tradition, the existing Stetson Athletics’ Hatter Green (a dark shade of green) and the university’s Stetson Green (a lighter, brighter shade of green) are the lone predominate colors, accompanied only by white, black and gray — with their use strictly outlined in a Stetson Athletics brand identity book.
The signature use of two different greens is “very uncommon” in intercollegiate athletics, noted Joel Jones, assistant vice president of University Marketing. He called their use “distinctive” and “ownable.”
“We purposefully brought in the brighter university green and married it with Athletics green, because we didn’t want to lose any of our history, tradition and nostalgia,” Jones explained.
So with a nod to the past, a new era beckons for Stetson Athletics.
Learn more about Stetson’s journey to a new brand look for Athletics on Stetson Today.
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Stetson University will celebrate its 132nd commencement in DeLand next week, honoring 828 graduate and undergraduate students. That number represents the third-highest total number of graduating students Stetson has honored at commencement. Again this year, the graduate and undergraduate ceremonies will be divided.
Stetson will confer master’s degrees on 180 graduate students from the College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Business Administration on Thursday, May 10, in the Edmunds Center, 5-6 p.m., with a reception for students, family and friends in the Edmunds Center immediately following the ceremony. Doors open for guests at 3:45 p.m. The Edmunds Center is at 143 E. Pennsylvania Ave., DeLand, Florida, 32723.
Stetson will honor 648 undergraduate students at their commencement on Saturday, May 12, 8-10 a.m., in Spec Martin Memorial Stadium. Doors open for guests at 6:45 a.m. Receptions for students, family and friends will be held on the DeLand campus immediately following the ceremony. Visit the commencement website for times and locations. The stadium is at 260 E. Euclid Ave., DeLand, Florida, 32724.
On the DeLand campus, students and faculty nominate and vote on the keynote speakers. This year the graduate ceremony keynoters are Rachel Faircloth, business, and Lucianna Chixaro Ramos, creative writing. The undergraduate speakers are Kaitlyn Orien Silva Forsythe, digital arts, and Lucas Ludwig Coura, voice.
In addition to the two commencement ceremonies, Stetson celebrates student achievement with the ROTC Commissioning Ceremony and Undergraduate Awards & Recognition. Both events will be on Friday, May 11, in Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, Florida, 32723. ROTC’s commissioning will be 10-11 a.m. and the awards event is 3-5 p.m.
Live streaming of the commencement ceremonies can be seen on Stetson Broadcast Productions. For more information and details on commencement 2018 events, please visit the commencement website.
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On Wednesday, April 11 Katie Koestner, founder and executive director of the Take Back the Night Foundation will present the keynote address at an event designed to empower victims and help end sexual violence and harassment. Stetson University’s Take Back the Night event will begin with Koestner’s talk at 8 p.m. in McMahan Hall, 417 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, 32723. Following the address, attendees will move to Stetson’s Palm Court for a speak out, rally and candlelight moment of reflection. The event is free and open to the public.
“The theme of this year’s Take Back the Night event is ‘Shatter the Silence, End the Violence,’” said Cathy Downes, Stetson University’s executive director and Title IX coordinator. “Our hope is that attendees will feel empowered to speak up and to step up to change the current culture.”
During the speak out individuals will be invited to share words of encouragement or support for victims, a relevant poem or personal experience as a person affected by sexual assault or harassment. The evening will close with a candlelit vigil and moment of quiet reflection for those affected.
The event is part of a campus-wide initiative to empower victims and end sexual violence. In the days leading up to the Take Back the Night event student groups including PACT (Peer Advisory Council for Title IX), SASA (Students Against Sexual Assault), NOW (National Organization for Women), WELL team (Wellness Educators for Lifelong Learning) will ask the community to make signs of support, sign a pledge to end sexual violence and provide general knowledge about sexual violence prevention, reporting and intervention.
Koestner is also president of Campus Outreach Services, a national organization dedicated to developing research-supported curricula, model policies and outstanding educational programs for schools on student risk issues. She has provided keynote speeches and programs for more than 2,000 schools across the country to raise awareness about the prevention and response to sexual and technology-related misconduct. She is the co-author of two books on sexual assault policy and procedures for schools and the creator of “Responding to Sexual Misconduct: A Customizable Training Manual for Schools.” She is credited with convincing the world you could be raped by your date. Koestner’s speaking career began at age 18 shortly after her own personal experience. Her dedication and vision have been the source of program development and policy change on both community and national levels.
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Stetson University will host Tim Wu, author, policy advocate, and professor at Columbia Law School, who will present, “Is the First Amendment Obsolete: Free Speech, the Internet and the University.” Best known for developing the theory of Net Neutrality, Wu also directs the Poliak Center for the study of First Amendment Issues at Columbia Journalism School.
Wu’s speech will be Wednesday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m., at Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, 32723. The presentation is one in a series of speeches for Stetson University’s Social Justice Lecture Series.
In addition to his work on Net Neutrality, Wu writes about private power, free speech, copyright, and antitrust. In 2014, he ran as the progressive Democrat candidate for lieutenant governor of New York. His award-winning book The Master Switch (2010) has won wide recognition.
Wu is a contributing writer at NewYorker.com and a former contributing editor at The New Republic. In 2013, National Law Journal included him in “America’s 100 Most Influential Lawyers,” and in 2014 and 2015, he was named to the “Politico 50.” He formerly wrote for Slate, where he won the Lowell Thomas Gold medal for Travel Journalism. In 2015, he was appointed to the Executive Staff of the Office of New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman as a senior enforcement counsel and special advisor.
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On Sunday, February 25, one of the world’s most recognized contemporary solo pianists — and former Stetson student — George Winston will perform a benefit concert in support of Stetson University’s School of Music Scholarship Fund. Winston won the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1997 and was awarded a Doctor of Arts and Letters Honorary Degree in 2004. This exceptional event will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL 32723. General admission tickets are $40 per person. A limited number of tickets are available for VIP seating and a post-concert reception with George Winston. Both can be purchased at www.stetson.edu/music-tickets.
“George Winston’s career has spanned more than 40 years, he has sold more than 15 million albums and his music is known around the world,” said Thomas Masse, D.M.A., dean of the Stetson University School of Music. “We are delighted that our community can experience his music in the intimate setting of historic Lee Chapel and deeply grateful that he will perform this benefit concert to enable Stetson to continue to provide scholarships to future musicians.”
The Stetson University School of Music awards talent scholarships to qualified music and non-music majors every year through a competitive talent scholarship program. Upon completion of an audition students are placed into consideration for the scholarship.
Attendees of the concert are also asked to join in support of the Neighborhood Center of West Volusia by bringing a donation of canned food to the concert. Collection baskets will be located at the entrance.
George Winston grew up mainly in Montana, and also spent his later formative years in Mississippi and Florida. During this time, his favorite music was instrumental rock and instrumental R&B, including Floyd Cramer, the Ventures, Booker T & The MG’s, Jimmy Smith, and many more. Inspired by R&B, jazz, Blues and rock (especially the Doors), George began playing organ in 1967.
In 1971 he switched to the acoustic piano after hearing recordings from the 1920s and the 1930s by the legendary stride pianists Thomas “Fats” Waller and the late Teddy Wilson. In addition to working on stride piano, he also at this time came up with his own style of melodic instrumental music on solo piano, called folk piano.
George is presently concentrating mainly on live performances, and most of the time he is touring playing solo piano concerts (the Summer Show or the Winter Show), solo guitar concerts, solo harmonica concerts, and solo piano dances (with R&B and slow dance songs). For more information visit GeorgeWinston.com.
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The “right to a clean and healthy environment” proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution, drafted by Stetson University professors Clay Henderson and Lance Long, is one of only six out of 2,000 public proposed amendments advanced for further consideration by the Florida Constitution Revision Commission. The proposed amendment will be considered by the Florida CRC Judiciary Committee in Tallahassee on Nov. 28.
The “right to a clean and healthy environment” proposal or P23, sponsored by Commissioner Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, would amend the Florida Constitution to provide that “the natural resources of the state are the legacy of present and future generations” and “every person has a right to a clean and healthful environment, including clean air and water.”
Henderson, executive director of Stetson University’s Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience, proposed the right to a clean environment at a public hearing in Jacksonville earlier this year.
“Floridians have demonstrated time and again that protection of the environment is a fundamental value that should rise to a constitutional level of protection,” Henderson said.
“The proposed amendment provides Florida citizens with a constitutionally enforceable right to a clean and healthful environment,” said Long. “It does not create an independent right to bring legal action, but it does set a standard applicable to any action by a private or public party.” Long teaches legal research and writing, and environmental law and environmental advocacy at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, where he also serves as faculty adviser to the Go Green Committee on campus.
The proposal was drafted by a small group of environmental lawyers including Henderson and Long. Stetson law student Kai Su helped prepare the proposed amendment by researching similar provisions in other states. The proposed amendment was presented by Executive Director of Conservation Trust for Florida Traci Deen.
The Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience at Stetson University in DeLand focuses on water and environmental research in order to offer policy options to protect natural resources in Central Florida and beyond, combining student and faculty research across all university colleges – in partnership with other institutions and community stakeholders.
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Florida Formations: Shifting Seas and Sediments at Stetson University’s Gillespie Museum tells the geologic history of the state through its distinctive rock units and array of ocean-formed carbonate formations, each with a story about past Florida environments and climates. Divided into four-time periods, the exhibit brings viewers through 500 million years of geology featuring key developments, specimen samples and a touch tank where guests can hold agatized coral, Megalodon teeth fragments and Florida marine fossils. This exhibit is free and open to the public.
In connection with this new exhibit, a presentation on “Florida’s Surficial Geologic Formations” will be presented in the museum’s Science Café series. Nov. 16, 7 p.m. It features Assistant State Geologist Guy “Harley” Means, who has been a consultant to the project.
“Florida is known for many things including beaches, Disney World, oranges and plentiful sunshine. But not many people appreciate the geology that makes our state unique,” explains Means. “We don’t have mountains, canyons or much topography, but we do have a diversity of geologic features that are equally impressive.” Florida’s surficial geologic units are comprised of limestone, dolostone, quartz sand and clay that reflect more than 40 million years of geologic history.
Museum admission and the presentation are free and open to the public. The Gillespie Museum is at 234 E. Michigan Ave., DeLand, Florida, 32723. For more information call 386.822.7330.
Guy H. (“Harley”) Means was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. He attended Florida State University where he received both a bachelor and master of science degree in geology. He is a licensed Professional Geologist and has been employed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of the Florida Geological Survey (FGS), in Tallahassee for over twenty years.
During his tenure at FGS he has acquired professional experience in Florida stratigraphy, paleontology, hydrogeology, archeology, zoology, natural history and conservation. His research interests include: stratigraphy, paleontology, karst, geoarchaeology and the hydrogeology of Florida’s numerous springs. Means coauthored a popular book entitled Roadside Geology of Florida and has published numerous articles and scientific publications on many aspects of Florida’s geology, paleontology and archaeology.
The Florida Formations exhibit was designed and created by Karen Cole, Ph.D., director of the Gillespie Museum at Stetson University; museum staff member Wendy Tanner, an anthropologist and archaeologist; and Ben Tanner, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Environmental Science and Studies Department at Stetson University. Means, along with his co-author, Jonathan R. Bryant of Roadside Geology of Florida (Mountain Press), worked with the Gillespie staff and faculty on shaping the narrative and timeframe of the exhibit interpretative panels. Copies of the book will be available during the Science Café for signing by the author.
From a geological perspective, the Florida that is known today, the distinctive peninsula of land and gently sloping shorelines, is a relatively new phenomenon. As Professor Tanner explains, “Geology is not the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Florida, but we have fascinating geological history, particularly with respect to sea level changes. Some of our best records of past sea levels come from Florida, and our Florida formations reveal the dynamic nature of our local environment.”
The exhibit opens with illustrations and a description of how Florida developed from its African origins and igneous and metamorphic rock foundation that formed approximately 500 million years ago, to the separation of the land mass from the Florida-containing, mega-continent called Gondwana. The exhibit then takes viewers through the four distinct time periods of Florida’s formation, beginning about 145 million years ago, highlighting global conditions at the time, sea level variances, marine and mammal activity, and key formations.
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As a member of the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success, Stetson University announced it is participating in the coalition’s application fee waiver for members of the U.S. Armed Forces to honor the military service of veterans and to encourage veterans to apply and graduate from college.
“Only four percent of all undergraduate students are veterans, and less than one-third of those veterans enroll at a four-year public or private university,” said Annie Reznik, executive director of the Coalition. “Our hope is that this waiver will not only inspire more veterans to apply to Coalition schools, but also convey that our members greatly value their service to our country, and now want to serve them. Plus, with their excellent track record of supporting students — and the graduation rates to prove it — Coalition schools are truly smart college choices for veterans.”
“Stetson recognizes that veterans face unique challenges, and this fee waiver is a way to facilitate that transition,” said Joel Bauman, vice president for enrollment management. Bauman added that Stetson University is military and veteran friendly.
The fee waiver is seamlessly integrated into the Coalition’s online application, and is the easy to use. Applicants simply indicate their status as “currently serving” or “previously served” in the U. S. Armed Forces, and a list of member schools that honor the waiver will be listed. Qualifying students will then automatically bypass the payment screen when they submit their application.
The Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success is a group of colleges and universities across the U.S. that is committed to making college a reality for all students through its set of free online college planning tools, MyCoalition, that helps them learn about, prepare for and apply to college.
For more information visit, MyCoalition or coalitionforcollegeaccess.org.
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