On Campus

By Matthew Boyle, Rory Fish and Michael Newberger| gargoyle@flagler.edu

Would you rather live on or off campus and why?

Challenging students to reach out

By Stacey Palmieri | gargoyle@flagler.edu
Photo by Brenna Antram

“What I enjoy about the classes I get to teach is the students really want to learn what we’re teaching. It’s not something they have to do. We get students who are really great quality people,” Martha Shinn, coordinator of the Youth Ministry program at Flagler College, said.

For Shinn, teaching and working with kids isn’t just her job, it’s her passion. A member of Flagler’s 1978 graduating class, Shinn received a degree in social science with a minor in religion. She later received her master’s degree in theology and embarked on a religious journey to impact the lives of kids.

By Stacey Palmieri | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Students had to travel a few miles to the beach to catch some sun and enjoy the water when the on campus pool, which is usually open to all students, was closed due to the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.

The act requires all Florida State spas and pools to have a new drainage system installed after a tragic incident in which a young girl drowned by being sucked into the drain in a spa.

By Brenna Antram | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Group advocates for concerns of professors and students

By Stacey Palmieri | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Changes are happening at Flagler College as the faculty senate emerges as a school-run form of government.

The Flagler College faculty senate was first proposed in Dec. 2006 and approved the following January. It started as a faculty idea that quickly earned support from the college’s president and deans.

Students work to further understanding of mental illness and disorders

By Julie Hirshan | jhirshan@flagler.edu

At club night this semester, there was a new table for Active Minds. The group works to remove the stigma associated with mental health issues present on campus.

“We started getting stories,” Kat Daniel, co-president of the group, said. Students came and talked about family members and personal experiences with mental illness.

By Julie Hirshan | jhirshan@flagler.edu

With concerns growing nationwide about mental health issues and incidents related to alcohol abuse, Flagler College created a Behavioral Intervention Team. According to the BIT website, www.flagler.edu/BIT, the purpose is to ensure safety of students, faculty and staff, and prevent disruptions to the college’s mission.

By Sarah Vaccaro | gargoyle@flagler.edu
Photo by Brenna Antram

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

-Aristotle

Aristotle’s words represent the level of excellence Dr. Arthur Vanden Houten aims for.

By Eli Nuzzi | gargoyle@flagler.edu

As the grand nephew of the famous playwright Sean O’Casey (of Dublin, Ireland), Sean Patrick O’Casey (born Dec. 14, 1944 and died Feb. 11, 2009) made a name for himself within the St. Augustine community and especially at Flagler College. As part of the Theatre Arts Department for the past 10 years, O’Casey was a teacher, costumer and a dear friend to all.

Student Services hosts events to foster understanding

By Stacey Palmieri | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Diversity is being recognized this February at Flagler College with a Holocaust survivor guest speaker, along with many other culturally educational presentations.

Feb. 23 to 27 will be celebrated culture-style with the first Diversity Week. Hosted by Student Services, the event will be “a showcase of different cultures,” Kristin Nelson, director of Student Activities, said.