Medical City: Education Sector Update

Insight Magazine

By Nikki Stephens

With the University of Central Florida College of Medicine completing its first year and with plans for a Valencia campus, as well as a UCF new dental school in the planning stages, many of the initial large-scale education components of the Medical City are coming together nicely.

The UCF College of Medicine was established in 2006 by the Florida Board of Governors, the Florida Legislature and the Governor of Florida in order to increase opportunities for medical education in Florida, address the physician shortage and enhance the overall economy. According to the school’s website, www.med.ucf.edu, the College of Medicine is a forward-looking medical school with a culture based on partnership and collaboration and is an integral part of the growing medical city in Lake Nona.

In August 2010, the M.D. program enrolled its second class of 60 students, and for the second year in a row, the college received more applications than any other public medical school in Florida.

The UCF Medical school is also doing its part in building up the economy, even surpassing projected numbers. In 2006, the Milken Institute conducted a study to determine a 10-year economic-activity projection based on the addition of the school. In only two years of running, the school has reached 80 percent of that projection already.

A 2008 economic impact study says that by 2017 up to 30,000 new jobs could be added. UCF is also addressing the physician shortage around the country right now by producing up to 120 medical graduates a year.

Down the road, Valencia College broke ground on the first building of its new Lake Nona Campus on June 22. The Valencia campus will open opportunities for students to study biomedical and life sciences and to earn their associate degrees.

Dr. Mike Bosley, assistant provost at Valencia College Lake Nona, says the three-story, 83,000 square-foot building will open in August 2012. It will have 18 classrooms, six science labs, a library, a bookstore, small café and administrative offices. It cost roughly $21.7 million and is the first of four buildings proposed for the campus. All four buildings will eventually accommodate about 5,000 students and 250,000 square feet.

There is also hope for a UCF dental school in the area. Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala, senior communications coordinator for UCF News & Information, says UCF’s proposed College of Dental Medicine will be an economic driver for Central Florida, will strengthen the UCF Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona and will bring an increased focus to the emerging medical city.

The idea of a new dental school in the area is undergoing a lot of criticism though, which stems from state reports that say there are plenty of dentists in Florida, just not in the areas with the greatest need.

Kotala says the Florida Board of Governors is currently considering whether it is wise to invest in creating these costly dental schools when the schools won’t necessarily address the big picture problem. UCF responds to this debate by not seeking any state funds for the dental college. “We have a $10 million donation, will secure loans and are creating a funding model that requires no state funds,” she says. “The school will use tuition and fees as well as clinic income to be self-sufficient.”

The College of Dental Medicine is expected to create at least 110 local jobs as well as an initial economic impact of $73 million.

If the Board of Governors approves the building of a dental school, Kotala says the plan is to construct one building next to the UCF College of Medicine and have the school’s first 60 students start classes in 2014.

Comedian Ralphie May’s raunchy routine gets standing ovation

Central Florida Future

By Nikki Stephens

No race, religion, sex or subject was left out of the punch lines at Comedy Knight on Tuesday.

Headliner Ralphie May and opener Kyle Grooms performed their routines in front of a nearly packed UCF Arena. Both received standing ovations at the end of their segments.

May was on Comedy Central’s first season of Last Comic Standing, voted one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch in 2008 and appeared in the film The Best and the Brightest, according to his website.

Eddie Sanchez, a junior law and legal studies major, said even though May didn’t win Last Comic Standing, he thought he was funny and was excited to see him perform on campus.

May refers to himself as “racially insensitive, culturally controversial and politically incorrect,” but students say that is exactly what makes him funny.

“He was the most offensive raunchy thing ever,” said Kelsey Herrett, a junior interpersonal communications major. “But [he was] freaking hilarious.”

May took subjects that were gross on their own and then brought them to the next level, which Herrett said normal people just don’t go to.

Senior anthropology major Alex Shields had heard of May before from his Comedy Central performances and his YouTube videos. She didn’t think he was that funny on television or online but hoped to be pleasantly surprised by his live act.

“I think being in the atmosphere of a live show will always be better than YouTube,” Shields said.

May focused his jokes on his weight and racial stereotypes. At the beginning, he let the spotlight controller know that they wouldn’t have to work very hard because it “ain’t no Dane Cook show, and [he wasn’t] gonna be running around sweating.”

Even though he targeted many ethnic groups in his jokes, he brought the world into perspective by letting students know that they are all fingers on the same hand, meaning people are all humans even if one looks a little different than another.

“I’m obese but not obtuse,” May said.

After telling jokes for an hour and a half, which is double the time he was anticipating, May had a brief question and answer session with the audience. Students asked questions that ranged from his favorite sandwich to his view on marijuana laws.

He said that this performance was without a doubt his best show of 2010.

May said he and Grooms have known each other for 12 years.

“It is really great to see one of my longtime friends for the first time in several years,” May said.

Grooms spread awareness on serious issues through his jokes. He touched on politics, domestic violence, ethnicity issues and animal rights.

“I don’t have a punch line, these are just my public service announcements,” he said.

Both Grooms and May pushed the boundaries with their routines while reminding students of important life values.

“I thought they were a little inappropriate at times,” sophomore micro and molecular biology major Deanna Schneider said. Schneider had never seen either comedian before Tuesday. “But they definitely made me laugh.”

As part of homecoming, Comedy Knight was funded by the Student Government Association and was free for students to attend.

Homecoming T-shirts and buttons were also handed out after the doors opened.

Expo promotes healthy life

Central Florida Future

By Nikki Stephens

Many Knights were dubbed healthy last Wednesday after becoming more informed about their health and getting vaccinated on campus.

Several UCF departments and community partners collaborated to host the third annual Healthy Knights Expo.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention were some of the community partners that participated.

The event took place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at various locations on campus, including the Health Center, the Recreation and Wellness Center, Memory Mall and the Student Union.

The UCF Health Center had a walk-in clinic open for inexpensive flu vaccinations for students, faculty and staff without having to make an appointment.

“Over 140 people were vaccinated in four hours,” said Erin Kettles, UCF Health Services marketing director. “That is an excellent turnout.”

Cameran Tate, a junior communications, sciences and disorders major, said she makes sure to get the vaccine every year because she wants to ensure her health is taken care of. Tate said she has gotten the vaccination on campus the last couple of years.

Another event was held in the Recreation and Wellness Center. There was a cooking class to teach students how to eat healthy and prepare their own cheap meals.

Teresa Chmelir, associate director of prevention at the Counseling Center and the person in charge of coordinating the expo, said “the cooking demonstrations were designed to show students how to be savvy and nutritional on a limited income budget.”

There were also tables in front of the Student Union that handed out information on all aspects of staying healthy, including HPV information, mental health awareness, suicide prevention, biofeedback for stress reduction and diabetes screening.

As part of the diabetes screening, a few University of Florida faculty members were able to come down and test blood glucose through finger pricks in front of the Student Union, Chmelir said.

Questionnaires were passed out to students who could turn them in at any of the tables to be entered into a raffle. Kettles said this, and the fact that there was a lot of foot traffic, is how the tables passed out their information.

UCF Police were at Memory Mall hosting a drunk driving simulation Wednesday as well. Students could drive a cart around a course set up on the fields to see what it would be like if they were to drive drunk.

Kettles said the expo is trying to promote a holistic awareness, meaning UCF wants students to take all of their surroundings into account.

“We want to make sure students stay healthy,” she said, “physically, mentally and socially.”

Flu shots offered at Healthy Knights Expo

Central Florida Future

By Nikki Stephens

After Wednesday, UCF students will have to come up with a better excuse for missing class than having the flu.

The Health Center on campus will be hosting the Healthy Knights Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where students and faculty can receive inexpensive flu vaccinations without having to make an appointment.

Flu shots will cost $12 for students and $25 for faculty and staff, which is cheaper than the $28 flu vaccinations that the Orange County Health Department offers.

Those attending Healthy Knights Expo will pay on the first floor of the UCF Health Center and proceed to the second floor conference room for the vaccination.

Mirna Chamorro, a public information officer for the Orange County Health Department, said that vaccinations are important to prevent infections, especially during the flu season, which begins in October and runs through May. The peak of the season is from December to March.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against three different flu viruses: an H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the H1N1 virus that caused many illnesses last season.

The flu can feel like a regular cold with body aches, sore throat and a cough, but can also be a lot more severe like a high fever, vomiting and diarrhea, Chamorro said.

“Symptoms of the flu range from mild to severe and can lead to other illnesses and complications, such as bronchitis, pneumonia or even death,” she said.

Chamorro also said every year more than 36,000 people die from flu-related illnesses.

Angela DelPrete, a sophomore micro biology and molecular biology major, said that if you are susceptible to illness for whatever reason, you should protect yourself in any way that you can.

“Get your shots, wash your hands and avoid the germs,” DelPrete said.

According to the CDC website, anyone can get the flu, even healthy people.

Serious problems from influenza can happen at any age, but some people are at a higher risk of developing flu-related complications. Those at a higher risk are older than 65-years-old, people at any age with certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, women who are pregnant and young children.

The vaccine teaches the immune system how to fight off viruses by mimicking them, UCF Medical Director Michael Deichen said. The body can’t tell that the viruses aren’t real, so they attack them as if they were dangerous and create antibodies to fight off future infections. He said once a person has the antibodies, they are protected from that particular strain.

Deichen also said that it is a common misconception that you can get the flu from the vaccine.

“The vaccine can’t give you the flu because it doesn’t have any harmful viruses,” he said.

Securing the net

Central Florida Future

By Nikki Stephens

Security breaches aren’t just for the White House anymore.

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and the National Cyber Security Alliance is looking to raise awareness among college students to help them stay safe and secure online.

According to the 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report, college students lost five times more money than any other age group as a result of identity fraud or other online fraud situations.

Michael Kaiser, the executive director for NCSA, said college students are falling victim to this more than any other age group because it is the first time they are really in charge of their finances on their own.

Students simply aren’t aware of their credit reputation because they aren’t out buying cars and houses, Kaiser said.

Beverly McClung, a junior electrical engineering major, fell victim to an Internet hacker who stole her credit card numbers to make online purchases.

She said the hacker bought Spanish language tapes online from Australia.

“I have no idea how they got my information,” McClung said. “The transaction came through from a completely different continent.”

She was able to get her money back from the fraudulent purchases, but the person was never caught, and she doesn’t think they ever will be.

There are several ways for hackers to grab your information and use it against you.

Kaiser said not having up-to-date versions of security software can lead to people sending your computer viruses or other harmful programs.

He also said that hackers can attach a program to your computer that records your key strokes so they can steal your passwords and log-in information for everything you do.

“The Internet has created an explosion of accessibility to customer information,” McClung said. “But even with more security options than ever, breaches still happen.”

Gary Leavens, interim chair for the electrical engineering and computer science department, said hacking prevention is a difficult task, more so for companies than individuals.

When a company closes a loophole that hackers use to enter, those hackers just find another way in, he said.

“Cyber security is just a catch-up game, no matter how prepared [a company is],” Leavens said.

It is important for students to understand the possible cyber threats that exist so they can help prevent such things from happening to themselves.

According to Sgt. Troy Williamson, the UCF Police Department passes out fliers that tell students how to stay safe online, such as not posting personal information on their social networking sites.

UCF also offers a computer and network security course, which teaches the fundamentals of computer security technology, including cryptography, authentication, digital signatures and network security tools and applications,  according to the 2010-11 course catalog.

Cyberstalking is another type of crime that is rising among college students. In 2009, 34 percent percent of victims of cyberstalking were in the 18-30 age range, according to haltabuse.org.

Kaiser agrees that hackers are not only using students’ information to gain monetary benefits for themselves but to also harm their victims’ personal relationships.

He said hackers can pose as a student by creating online profiles in social networking sites and in turn create a series of online attacks.

NCSA wants students to get the most out of the internet while staying secure in the process. Kaiser said he encourages students to take October to learn about cyber threats and to implement software and protection services that they normally wouldn’t so that they can stay safe online.

Honors Congress hosts charity dance

Central Florida Future

By Nikki Stephens

The UCF Honors Congress hosted the Change for the Children Winter Formal on Friday in the Fairwinds Alumni Center in order to raise money for charity.

“I’m stoked,” said Nathan West, a freshman electrical engineering major. “The dance is fun, and it’s for charity.”

West heard about the fundraising dance at an Honors Congress meeting, which is the official club of the Burnett Honors College at UCF. West said he attends almost anything the club promotes. He even performed in a special “kick-off” dance routine at the formal with other members and officers to a mix of popular songs.

The event was held in the Alumni Ballroom in the Fairwinds Alumni Center from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday.

The $389 generated from the event was donated to the Change for the Children Foundation.

“This was our first attempt at an event on this large of a scale,” said Heidi Bolduc, a junior radio/television  major and philanthropic chair of Honors Congress. “We had no baseline dollar amount of what to expect.”

Bolduc said 115 tickets were sold before the dance and that she was expecting about 40 more people to show up and buy tickets that night. Tickets for the dance were $15 on presale and $18 at the door.

Honors Congress decided on which charity to donate to through an essay contest that was open to all Burnett Honors College students. Bolduc said 12 students entered the contest, and the club officers chose a winner based on writing quality and the significance of the charity. Courtney Crisp, the winner of the contest, won a free ticket to the dance.

Crisp, a freshman hospitality management major, said she chose the foundation because she is a fan of the charity’s founders, the Jonas Brothers.

The foundation focuses on three causes: juvenile diabetes, the Special Olympics and volunteerism. According to the organization’s Web site, the Jonas Brothers started the foundation to support programs that motivate and inspire children to face adversity with confidence and determination.

“I wanted to donate, but I never had the money,” Crisp said. “I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to raise money for their causes.”

During the dance, raffle tickets were sold for $1 for one ticket or $5 for seven tickets. All of the money from the raffle went directly to the charity. Prizes for the raffle drawings were donated by the UCF Alumni Association and included one-year membership to Forever Knights, T-shirts, drawstring backpacks, water bottles and mini Knightro figurines.

A Better DJ and Photographer, the company hired by Honors Congress as entertainment for the evening, also donated to the foundation. Michael, the disc jockey, donated a two-hour DJ session as a raffle prize.  Rina Marie, the photographer, took candid shots throughout the night as well as portraits of individuals, friends and couples in the lobby. For $5, students could purchase Internet access to all of the photos and print them out. All proceeds from the photographs was given to the Change for the Children Foundation.

Up in smoke

Central Florida Future

By Nikki Stephens

Student smokers are fuming over today’s increase on cigarette taxes.

“The new cigarette tax is just a way to tax a specific group of people to make money,” said Victoria Heaston, a sophomore advertising and public relations major and smoker. “It is an abomination and implemented just to repress cigarette smokers.”

The federal tax per pack of cigarettes will increase from 39 cents to $1 per pack today because of a law that President Obama signed Feb. 4. However, prices on many cigarettes rose weeks ago in anticipation of the law.

Michael Terlecki, a freshman business major, noticed the price increase in his novelty cigarettes, Djarum Blacks. The already expensive cigarettes increased from about $5.30 a pack to $7.20, depending on where he buys them, he said. If he continues to smoke four cigarettes a day he will pay around $140 more in one year than he did before the taxes were raised.

“I’m not going to smoke less because of the price jump, but I am probably not going to bum out as many as I used to,” Terlecki said. “I can’t afford to support my friends’ habits, too.”
Every state has an additional fee per pack that is allocated to various programs and trust funds depending on each state’s decision.

According to the Federation of Tax Administrators Web site, Florida has a 33.9 cent user fee that has not gone up since 1990. Last month Sen. Ted Deutch proposed a bill that would increase the tax per pack to $1.339.

Freshman psychology major and non-smoker Shelby Masland said the tax increases could be a positive move.

“If [the government] uses the fees responsibly and doesn’t give the money to CEOs, it might help the economy,” she said.

It is estimated that the tax would generate $871.3 million more a year, effective July 1 if signed into law. The revenue would go toward health care, medical research and health care education initiatives, according to the bill.

“It sucks for the people who are buying the cigarettes,” said Sarah Ford, a freshman event management major and smoker. “It could benefit a lot of other people, though, like those who are trying to quit.”

There will probably be a decline in the number of people purchasing cigarettes around the UCF area, Sean Snaith, director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness within the College of Business Administration, said.

He said tobacco is typically inelastic, which means that people will tend to still use it even though the prices increase. But because college students usually have a lower discretionary income, the tax increase is more likely to prompt them to smoke less or to stop smoking altogether.

“Anytime the price of a product goes up, we expect the demand to go down,” Snaith said.

Lottery leaves some homeless

Central Florida Future

By Nikki Stephens

Returning students looking for on-campus housing have to wait for their numbers to come up.

On-campus housing in the Nike and Hercules apartments had 500 open spaces for returning students that were given out in a lottery-style drawing.

According to an e-mail sent to students put on the waiting list from Housing and Residence Life, a total of 1,100 students applied by the Jan. 30 deadline. That  left 600 students wondering where they are going to live in the fall.

Meredith Varner, the assistant director of Housing and Residence Life, said the Towers are the only other on-campus residence halls that allot space for returning students.

E-mails were sent out starting Feb. 3 telling students whether they received housing in Nike/Hercules or were put on the waiting list. Those who did not receive a room are feeling confused and frustrated about their future living arrangements.

“I have no idea where I am living next year,” said Bradley Kasper, a freshman micro and molecular biology major. “I guess I’ll just have to live in an extended-stay hotel.”

Kasper is number 178 on the waiting list. He said he wants to take his name off the list to receive his $250 pre-payment fee back, but is hesitant to do so until he can sign a lease or make a commitment somewhere else.

Meanwhile, surrounding apartment complexes are filling up quickly, and most are no longer accepting applications for students looking to move in for summer or fall. Those students left on the on-campus housing waiting list have to decide to sign an off-campus lease now or hope they will get to live in Nike or Hercules.

“I really wanted on-campus [housing],” said Nick Poikonen, a freshman film major and number 259 on the waiting list. “I didn’t want to have to sign and pay for a lease if I could live on campus. Now I don’t know what to do.”

The lottery system has received mixed emotions from students because it doesn’t matter when the application is submitted as long as it is on or before the deadline. Those who applied early, like Kasper, said they feel like they deserve the housing more than the person that applied at the last minute.
“I applied a little late so I was more fortunate that it was a lottery,” said David Putney, a freshman philosophy major and one of the 500 students to receive housing in Nike and Hercules.

The university has tried several ways to choose who will receive on-campus housing in the past. It has used a point system depending on different factors such as grade point average or academic involvement, but has returned to the lottery style because there is less data to sort through and is the easiest to manage, Varner said.

“Fairness is in the eye of the beholder,” Varner said. “Random gives everyone an equal chance of receiving a space.”

She said the university mandates that a certain number of rooms are reserved for incoming freshmen, so there is not much the Housing Department can do about how many returning students receive housing. Varner said Housing and Residence Life does all it can to make sure students know when the deadline is and to make sure the assignment process is as fair as it can be.

Not all on-campus housing is difficult to receive for returning students. The Towers do not designate space to freshmen, and students are given housing on a first-come, first-serve basis. Varner said the Towers have a higher financial commitment due to the time length of the lease and the size of the apartments.

“I can’t live there. It’s an 11-month lease and expensive,” said Kasper, “but I would have if it [was] my only option.”

The Towers had 1,060 students apply by the Jan. 30 deadline, and all received housing. There were enough open spaces to assign everyone who applied for a room. Varner said if more than 2,000 students had applied, a lottery drawing would have to be used to determine who received a room the same as it did for the Nike and Hercules assignments.