No. 01
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No. 01
University of north Florida June 17 www.unfspinnaker.com 2009 Wednesday Volume 33, Issue 1 UNF’s athletic admissions furthers Division I program News New state college By max jaeger staff Writer By Heather Furey Assistant sports editor UNF Athletic Director Lee Moon and his predecessors have emphasized the importance of UNF athletes’ ability to excel both in the classroom and in competition. “It’s the tradition of the university to have high academic standards,” Moon said. He said it is up to the athletic department to find athletes who want that quality education. “Our athletic admission’s standards by the previous policy were tougher than Duke University,” President John Delaney said. Will Dixon, Duke’s senior admissions officer, said there are no fixed GPA or testing requirements for a prosepective athletic student looking at Duke. The student merely has to contact the athletic department and Tuition rate set in stone for 2009-10 By Kim Nelson Assistant news editor they were going to utilize. Additionally, every state university except Florida A&M is highly considering implementing an additional 5 percent “tech” fee that would be earmarked for technical improvements around campus. Each individual percentage included in the 7 percent tuition differential inflates UNF’s budget by $171,000, according to the board. During the meeting, UNF Student Body President John Barnes voiced an imperative question into the phone. “I know we need an increase, but why the full 7 percent, why not 5 percent, or 6 percent?” Barnes said. UNF President John Delaney assured Barnes that the funds would primarily be pumped into hiring roughly 30 new visiting professors. See TUITION, page 4 � UNF revises student religious absence rules Riverside Arts Market By april schulhauser assistant features editor By Max Jaeger STAFF Writer Graphic: Chad Smith UNF released a notice of amended regulation May 11 regarding student absences on days of religious observation. Members of the Office of General Counsel revised the document so it would be in accordance with an amendment the Board of Governors made to Florida’s constitution regarding religious observances. According to the regulation, students must notify professors 10 days in advance of a religious holiday and must offer evidence of religious affiliation if the holy day does not appear on UNF’s university calendar as a day of religious observance. Under the old regulation, Section II.A. bullet four required students to make up missed work prior to the end of the term or as prescribed by the instructor at the beginning of the term. The amended regulation reads, “Missed work shall be made up in accordance with a timetable set by the instructor at the beginning of the term.” Though professors must set a timetable for completing makeup work at the beginning of the semester, Marc Snow, associate general counsel responsible for the initial draft of the revision, said there is no need for professors to include that timetable in their syllabus. “Accommodations are made on a pretty subjective basis,” Snow said. When the regulation passed See St. Johns, page 5 � Features Graphic: Chad Smith Energized by the state Legislature’s May decision to grant the UNF Board of Trustees the power to raise tuition up to 15 percent for the 2009-2010 school year, the board summoned an emergency conference call May 22 to finalize the budget ratifications. UNF elected for the full 7 percent climb, hiking undergraduate tuition 15 percent in total. UNF’s increase will not be covered by Bright Futures. The board members gathered around the conference table to go over the facts and conduct a final motion over speakerphone with Tallahassee budget officials. An 8 percent tuition excess was already set in stone, but on an individual university level, each institution had the power to choose how much out of an additional 7 percent tuition increase File Photo | Spinnaker Courtesy of Duke University See GRADES, page 14 � UNF student-athletes (right) are encouraged to succeed in competition and the classroom. In the past the university to held high standards, which are tougher than those at Duke (left), said Athletic Director Lee Moon. Joe Pickens, president of St. Johns River Community College, recently announced the college’s decision to enter the realm of four-year universities. The road will be long and difficult, but their current course of action won’t be expensive, he said. SJRCC will not be looking into a name change anytime soon but instead is focusing on one degree at a time. Two affordable flagship degrees are planned for fall 2010 and will not require additional facilities but only a small increase in faculty. The college has locations in St. Johns, Putnam and Clay counties. Prospective students living in those areas would find the commute to SJRCC attractive compared to UNF’s distant location, Pickens said. before the Education Policy Committee – a subset of the Board of Trustees – May 29, a member of the Spinnaker staff raised a discussion during open comments about the questionability of a timetable set at the beginning of the semester that is not required to be shared with students at that time. After discussion, the committee agreed to address the faculty about the issue and bring it back to the table at the following full Board of Trustees meeting June 25. Two other sections saw changes. Section II.A. bullet five, which read, “Professors and university administrators shall in no way penalize students absent from academic or social activities because of religious observances,” was stricken from the revised regulation. “It was extraneous,” Snow said. “A few groups asked about the change and found that reply acceptable. It is obvious UNF will not penalize students for See RELIGION, page 4 � Locally organized arts markets are cropping up all over the city. The Riverside Arts Market vends authentic pieces of art, organic produce and original crafts -- all while back dropped by singer-songwriters and performers. The weekly-held outdoor market attracts folks from all walks of life. It provides the possibility of an enthralling Saturday morning. See Arts Market, page 10 � Sports Tebow, Wuerrfel speak By heather furey assistant features editor Danny Wuerrfel and Tim Tebow came to the Jacksonville Veteran’s Arena May 8 to speak about their faith during the Night of Champions, sponsored by the University of Florida’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In addition to a television-style interview between Heisman trophy winners Wuerrfel and Tebow hosted by ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, a comedian and a band also performed. The event was geared toward Christians and was an opportunity for nearly 6,200 people to come together and share their faith. See Tebow, page 14 � News Page 2 Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Question of the week “What do you think is the best way to stimulate the economy?” w Sarah Deierlein Ben Hawkings Senior, English “Focus more government funds on economic research rather than waste money on the war on drugs.” Scott Perry Sophomore, Mechinical Engineering Keith Drummon Junior, Computer Information Technology “Lower sales taxes; lower everything!” Jordon Farell Junior, Computer Science “Tax cuts for small and large business owners.” Junior, Nutrition “End the prohibition!” “Spend money already!” Compiled by Kim Nelson. 7-day forecast Wednesday June 17 police beat May 20 - June 4 Isolated T-Storms 5 June 3 – Theft (Lot 2) 2 May 26 – Petty Theft 6 June 3 – Accidental Injury (Building 5) – A UNF staff member was servicing equipment in the pit by Building 50 when he accidentally inhaled chlorine fumes. The staff member started having difficulty breathing although remained conscious, ambulatory and speaking. Rescue responded and transported the victim to Mayo Clinic for observation. This case was non-criminal and has been cleared. (Building 43) – An employee called UPD to tell 7 them her cell phone and raincoat were missing. She said she was not sure where the items were stolen, but according to her service provider someone had made calls after the items went missing. UPD tried calling the cell phone to identify the thief, but the officer’s efforts were futile. 91/74 Rain: 30% THURSDAY June 18 Isolated T-Storms 88/75 Rain: 30% (Building 53) – An employ8 ee of Physical Facilities left his backpack under a stairwell. He left it there for 45 minutes and upon returning, found it was gone. The backpack contained his wallet, which had $100 in cash, an 9 Intellikey and a Building 53 access card. FRIDAY june 19 Partly Cloudy 7 1 89/75 Rain: 20% 3 5 SATURDAY june 20 Partly Cloudy 1 May 20 – Petty Theft 10 3 May 26 – Burglary (Lot 14) – A student parked his car and went to the Carpenter Library for 15 minutes, leaving his passenger door unlocked. Upon returning, he immediately noticed his parking decal was missing and contacted UPD. `Since the vehicle was 11 not forcibly entered, UPD could not process the vehicle for latent prints. 6 9 89/77 Rain: 20% 10 7 SUNDAY june 21 11 3 T-Storms 12 4 June 3 – Theft 11(Building 43) – A portable 19 91/72 Rain: 50% MONDAY june 22 9 Partly Cloudy 6 8 2 12 5 1 4 89/72 Rain: 10% generator was missing from the maintenance shop. There was no forced entry to the building. The generator was only discovered to be missing when a technician came to service it. Police have checked LINX pawn records for the generator and have found no record of it being pawned. – A student parked their vehicle in Lot 2, claiming to have their parking permit hanging from the rear view mirror. When they returned to the vehicle on the same day, the parking permit had been removed. Due to the lack of forced entry and the lack of printable surfaces, the vehicle was not processed for latent prints. 7 June 4 – Drug Possession (Building A) – An RA was walking by a room when she smelled what she believed to be marijuana, after which police were notified. The student admitted that the marijuana belonged to him, as well as a resonated multicolored pipe with residue on the coffee table. Also observed were several empty beer bottles and two empty liquor bottles. All subjects were referred to Student Conduct and the student with marijuana was issued a Notice to Appear. Compiled by Rebecca McKinnon and Kim Nelson. Online Log on to UNFspinnaker.com to read the complete report. TUESDAY june 23 Partly Cloudy 93/69 Rain: 10% For updated weather, visit UNFspinnaker.com. Source: NOAA Last month by the numbers Each week the Spinnaker staff reports what’s going on around campus: the good and the bad. In this little space, we want to summarize the life of the Osprey during the past week. 144 40 15 Confirmed deaths caused by swine flu. Offices and services have moved to new locations on campus. 63 6 Percent tuition increase was approved June 1. Days since the last Spinnaker was published. UNF Athletics media relations coordinators and marketing diectors fired. Wednesday, June 17, 2009 News New committee established to standardize financial aid By Angela Passafaro Staff Writer UNF formalized its financial aid procedures by creating the Financial Aid Policy Committee, subsequently establishing a Financial Aid Regulation, which went into effect Jan. 5. The regulation was made in response to a Florida Board of Governors initiative that was sent to all the universities in the state university system, said Willie Hunter, assistant director of student financial aid. The board made the initiative in order to ensure that all State University System of Florida universities specified their financial aid policies in a formalized document and instituted a Financial Aid Policy Committee. At UNF, the Financial Aid Policy Committee consists of the director of student financial aid, the associate vice president for Enrollment Services and representatives from the offices of Institutional Advancement, Office of the Provost, Administration and Finance, President’s Office and Student Affairs. “The Financial Aid Policy Committee was established with the responsibility to recommend university policy on matters relating to financial aid, recommend specific program objectives and facilitate the conduct of financial aid activities,” Hunter said. Nothing has changed in the financial aid policy itself, he said. The regulation is simply formalization, into a university policy statement, of the already standard procedures. “The financial aid director and staff still continue to develop and implement UNF’s financial aid procedures,” Hunter said. The goal in creating the Financial Aid Policy Committee was to gain a universal assessment of issues relating to financial aid at UNF. “The Financial Aid Policies Committee was established in hopes that it would provide more feedback from the entire university community on matters related to institutional financial aid programs,” he said. “[The committee] is also there to ensure that all things you should know • The committee is responsible for recommending university policy on matters relating to financial aid. • The committee will recommend specific objective is for financial aid programs. • They will also facilitate the conduct of financial aid activities. • The committee will provide feedback for UNF on matters relating to financial aid. program objectives are consistent with the university’s mission and strategic plan,” Hunter said. The committee will play its biggest role in the recommendation of institutional financial aid regulations. “Financial aid is already heavily regulated by the Federal Department of Education (Title IV standards) and the state of Florida,” he said. “The Financial Aid Policy Committee oversees and makes recommendations on matters related to the university’s institutional financial aid programs.” The committee has not made any recommendations thus far and does not plan to anytime soon because of the FDE’s already successful output of regulations, Hunter said. Even though the Financial Aid Policy Committee has been formed, Enrollment Services is the sole office designated to coordinate and administer financial aid at UNF, he said. Distribution of financial aid, now a part of official policy, will also remain unchanged. The Financial Aid Regulation will go unnoticed to many students because it only formalizes what was already UNF procedure. “Students will not notice any difference in their financial aid,” Hunter said. Page 3 Around the State Environment groups shoot back at Florida Panther gunman Various environmental and sporting groups have pooled money and are offering a $15,200 reward for information leading to the arrest in the shooting of a Florida panther. The cat was found April 21 in Hendry County, and the shooting is currently being investigated by Florida Fish and Wildlife. The shooter may face up to five years in prison, as shooting or killing an endangered species is a felony under state law. The perpetrator may also see additional jail time and could face up to $105,000 in fines. Contributers to the reward fund include the Humane Society, The Florida Wildlife Federation, Defenders of Wildlife and others. Around the Nation Sheriff shocks Texas woman, with taser for speeding A 72-year-old woman and great-grandmother were tased by a Texas sheriff May 11. The woman was pulled over for speeding and refused to sign her ticket. She reported the event, saying that she did nothing to warrant the measure. But the policeman’s dashboard camera told the whole story. The woman was unruly, and dared the officer to tase her numerous times. He gave her warnings and asked her to comply as she tried to push past him and get into her truck and drive away. She has made no comments since the dash-cam was released, but has hired a lawyer. Around the World Iran re-elects Ahmadinejad, reformists openly protest Iran held its tenth presidential election. The election resulted in the re-election of incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad June 12. The campaign saw fierce debate among all four candidates with supporters flooding Tehran’s streets over the last two weeks. Ahmadinejad, who denies that the Holocaust occurred, even accused his rivals of perpetrating a smear campaign against him similar to the one used by Adolf Hitler’s propaganda machine. With an 85 percent voter turnout, Ahmadinejad received 62.63 percent while his biggest competitor, reformist Mir-Hossien Mousavi received 33.75 percent. Mousavi’s supporters and dissenting Iranian government employees claim the election was stolen. E-mail Angela Passafaro at staff4@unfspinnaker.com. Compiled by Max Jaeger. News Page 4 News in Brief Workshop to help, inform those interested in logistics The “Careers in Logistics Workshop” is coming to the University Center June 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. courtesy of the Division of Continuing Education. WorkSource funded the free workshop, which is meant to help the people who might want a career in logistics. During the workshop, activities will include distribution, engineering, international logistics, inventory-materials management, IT, supply chain, third-party logistics, transportation and warehousing, according to a press release. Pre-register now by calling 620-4200 or visiting www.ce.unf.edu. Craigslist’s competitor assists with low-cost textbooks A new Web site, Mainstreetfair. com, resembles other free advertising Web sites like craigslist. com, except there are a few differences. The site was started by a single mother concerned for the lack of funding in the educational field. The whole purpose of the site she created is to raise those funds for the schools that need it, while helping out students as well. The site offers many free and low-cost items, including college textbooks and more. The company’s headquarters are in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. For more information, call (877) 797-1398 or e-mail info@ mainstreetfair.com. Physical Facilities gets recognition after improvements UNF’s Physical Facilities department, which handles everything from construction to transportation around campus, has garnered some recogonition. The department received an international Award of Excellence in Facilities Management. “Three years ago when I became director, I established a vision to be the best Physical Facilities in the state and Southeastern region of APPA,” Matthew Taylor, director of Physical Facilities said in a press release. “Our staff was challenged to improve performance and customer service. They met the challenge, and it’s because of the entire Physical Facilities staff that we won this award.” Caps, gowns available for pre-order at Bookstore Students getting ready for summer graduation can now pre-order their caps, gowns and announcements in the UNF Bookstore. To pre-order, go online to http://www.herffjones.com/college/unf. Students may walk in to pick up these items anytime before graduation, but correct sizes are not guaranteed to be available. Students can only pre-order until June 19. Graduation celebration is scheduled for June 17 and 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Students can order special packages of graduation supplies during this time. Womens’ Center offering weekly lounge entertainment The UNF Womens’ Center is hosting the Friday Lounge, a grand-opening event for its new location in Building 9, room 2507. The event is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 12. This event is the beginning of a weekly series of Friday Lounges, all meant to stir lively conservation. For more information, call 6202528 or e-mail DeeAnne Crookham at d.crookham@unf.edu. Light refreshments will be available. AASU accepting applications for student membership The African American Student Union is currently accepting new members. If interested, just stop by its new office in Building 58E, room 3401 and ask the receptionist for an application to fill out. Contact Jessica Davis at aasu@unf.edu or call 6202750 for more information. Compiled by Rebecca McKinnon. TUITION � from page 1 Gov. Charlie Crist signed SB 762 June 1, which allows universities to raise tuition an additional 7 percent on top of the state’s 8 percent baseline increase. These visitors have short-term, year-to-year contracts with the university and cover many class sections. “If we don’t have the visitors’ budget, we can’t accommodate enrollment,” Delaney said. Freshmen enrollment is estimated to rise by a few dozen students for fall 2009, according to board members. “More visiting professors mean more class sections, more class sections mean more students can get the classes they need to graduate on time,” Delaney said. Each visiting professor on average maintains eight class sections per year. If enough is left over after supplementing the visitors’ budget, the remains could be moved to paid faculty salaries, Delaney said. E-mail Kim Nelson at asst.news@unfspinnaker.com. RELIGION By referring students to One Stop, the new regulation makes the appeals process easier and � from page 1 more personal. missing class on religious days Students may now speak to of observance; that is the whole an actual person to initiate an appeal instead of trying to track point of the regulation.” Section II.B. bullet six was down the document. amended to prevent confusion and Some sentences were altered streamline the appeals process. to mirror the language in the The original regulation referred Board of Governors amendment, students to an academic appeals and other minor changes were document but did not state how made to make the document to obtain one, so the revised regu- more inclusive, Snow said. lation states the appeals process Sentences referring to students as “him” have been amendcan be initiated through One Stop ed to “him or her,” and UNF no Student Services. “Web sites like myWings can longer “advocates the concept of change,” Snow said. “It’s better religious freedom” but instead to reference procedures through “advocates religious freedom.” One Stop.” Wednesday, June 17, 2009 “ “Accommodations are made on a pretty subjective basis.” Marc Snow UNF Associate General Counsel E-mail Max Jaeger at staff3@unfspinnaker.com. News Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Page 5 St. Johns River Community College transitions to offer four-year degrees Institution to gain additional faculty in attempt to increase higher education By Max Jaeger Staff writer St. Johns River Community College might be joining the trend of community colleges offering four-year degrees and could become a state college in the future. The school is in the process of designing curriculum for two majors: organizational management and early childhood education, said Joe Pickens, the college’s president. After the new curriculum is designed, it will pass before the State Board of Educators for authorization. After authorization, the state Legislature must allocate proper funding for the school’s expansion. “There are several more points in the process where our trustees could say ‘We’re not ready yet’ or ‘The budget is such that we need to postpone our offering [these degrees],’” Pickens said. Overcoming hurdles Despite the bureaucratic hurdles, Pickens is confident the process will go smoothly and said SJRCC might be able to offer the new degrees as early as fall 2010. The two flagship degrees will not require specific or additional facilities, but only a small increase in faculty, making them affordable additions to the school’s curriculum. SJRCC will evaluate the success of the two degrees with the hopes of offering more in the future, perhaps some sort of fine arts degree, Pickens said. “We’re also going to be closely watching the nursing market, because more and more hospitals want bachelor’s degree nurses,” Pickens said. Name change There are no definite plans for a name change yet, because in order to have the word “state” in a college’s name, it must offer four-year degrees, Pickens said. “We’re just keeping our old name until we offer bachelor’s degrees, and then we have the full array of options of what to change our name to,” Pickens said. New degree offerings are not necessarily focused on increasing the number of full-time students who attend SJRCC. They are more so aimed at increasing access to higher education for those who live in St. Johns, Clay, and Putnam counties, Pickens said. “The geographical isolation of people in Putnam County, especially those who are working ... it makes more sense to offer bachelor’s degrees in that location,” Pickens said. The new degree programs will be aimed at non-traditional students – such as those working full- Joe Pickens St. John’s River Community College President time or with families. They will most likely be scheduled in the evenings to make them more accessible for full-time workers. He also expects to offer what he called “hybrid classes,” which are conducted in classrooms and online simultaneously. “We’re trying to increase access,” said Pickens. “We’re trying to make four-year degrees more available to the geographically place-bound student.” E-mail Max Jaeger at staff3@unfspinnaker.com. Schultz Hall (temporary) Bldg. 9 UNF Hall, Bldg. 53 • One Stop Student Services • Cashier’s Office • Administration and Finance • Welcome Center • Info Tech Center (ITS) “ “We’re trying to increase access. We’re trying to make four-year degrees more available to the geographically place-bound student.” • Temporary until rennovat- College of Education, Bldg. 57 Student Union, Bldg. 58 • Classrooms, Labs, Advising • Childhood, Secondary Ed. • Outreach, Instructional • Office of the Dean • Gameroom, Bookstore, SG • Spinnaker, Outtakes, Boathouse, Credit Union • Food Court (opens Fall) ion of Bldg. 2 complete • ACE, Counseling & Women’s Centers, Career Services Graphic: Chad Smith, Photo: Harris Zeliff, Erick Tanner Page 6 Spinnaker’s Picks � Best � Worst � Fix It’s summer, which means fewer classes (hopefully) and more sunshine-related activities. Go to the beach! Summer also means ice cream and other junk food goodies. Jacksonville was ranked the eighth fattest city in the U.S. by Men’s Fitness Magazine. Students should take advantage of the many healthy options around campus — everything from sushi to free fitness classes. EDITORIAL Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Awarded second place for Best of Show at the 2008 National College Media Convention by the Associated Collegiate Press v v v Spinnaker Staff Editor in Chief James Cannon Layout Editor Dan Rosemund Art Director Mike Tomassoni Business Manager Klajdi Stratoberdha News Editor Rebecca McKinnon Features Editor Beca Grimm Photo Enhancement: Josh Simpson Sports Editor John Weidner Graphic Designer Chad Smith Copy Editor Ryan Thompson Web Editor Ian Albahue Photo Editor Harris Zeliff Asst. Web Editor Peter Nguyen Asst. News Editor Kim Nelson Asst. Features Editor April Schulhauser Asst. Sports Editor Heather Furey Production Assistant Sarah Houston Advertising Manager Michael Kent Asst. Ad Manager Kristen Montalto Staff Writers Josh Gore Angela Passafaro Max Jaeger Distributor Jason Strickland Adviser John Timpe Printer Florida Sun Printing v v v Student Union, Bldg. 58E room 2209 1 UNF Drive Jacksonville, FL 32224 Phone: 904.620.2727 Fax: 904.620.3924 www.unfspinnaker.com Notable & Quotable “What distinguishes the successful entrepreneur and promoter from other people is precisely the fact that he does not limit himself to be guided by what was and is, but arranges his affairs on the ground of his opinion about the future.” – Ludwig von Mises Philosopher and economist (1881-1973) CONTRIBUTORS WANTED The Spinnaker is looking for motivated contributors to write news, features and sports stories. A strong grasp of the English language is a must, as is basic knowledge of Associated Press style. If you are interested please e-mail us at editor@unfspinnaker.com. New staff confirms commitment M ahatma Gandhi, standing proudly in statue-form at UNF, once said, “I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers.” UNF’s student-journalists at the Spinnaker respectfully disagree with this statement. But we did like it when he said, “As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world ... as in being able to remake ourselves.” The close of spring 2009 saw seven members of the Spinnaker staff leave their rankings and move on to seek jobs in a turbulent climate. Most of the 2008-2009 senior staff has left the Spinnaker, and several have already obtained gainful employment in the industry. However, after several promotions and new hires, the Spinnaker is poised to continue producing an award winning paper, even without the staff that won its awards. The new staff has been taught well, has some great ideas to improve the paper and increase readership. Consider this newspaper staff “remade.” our Two sense Josh Gore Staff Writer Along with the change in payroll, the Spinnaker is transitioning away from some other traditions we have grown accustomed to. The old Spinnaker office — likened to a cramped closet — is now empty. Readers may now visit us in the Student Union — Building 58E, room 2209. Just look for the multiple 20082009 awards, which will soon be hung up on the walls leading to our office. Last year the Spinnaker was able to garner a second place Associated Collegiate Press Best of Show Award, a first place Best Front Page Design and Best General News Writing award from the Florida College Press Association. And this year, we are already on the shortlist for the ACP’s highest honor, the onlne Pacemaker award. The award is given to papers that are “setting the pace” for the rest of the industry. Online presence Spinnaker web editors are working on multiple advancements to our newly redesigned Web site, www.unfspinnaker.com, as well as new applications for our Facebook page and additional breaking news updates to our Twitter account — http://twitter.com/UNFspinnaker. Many articles, including our Police Beat, will be linked to a Google maps page in order to further connect our readers to the scene of the crime. Furthermore, the entire layout and look of our publication — even our logo — are under the knife, in the process of receiving a major facelift that has yet to be unveiled this issue. In this way, we are keeping up with the most recent models in the newspaper industry, while also maintaining the level of edginess necessary to the look and feel of a college weekly. The Spinnaker has been around for UNF students since 1977 and will continue on through all progressions of time. The hours and hours of work the staff puts in to make these changes possible are only a byproduct of our love for this paper and a desire to serve our readers in the best way possible. This has been and will always be our final goal. A group of Spinnaker staff members gives its views on key issues. James Cannon Editor in Chief April Schulhauser Assistant Features Editor Rebecca McKinnon News Editor What are you most looking forward to this school year? Graduating and reading my soon-to-be fans’ hate mail. Graduation! And, running this paper into the ground. Thirty plus years of history ends... now! Being able to still rationalize my reckless overabundance of partying with the ever-soperfect “I’m still in college” excuse. Graduation is awesome; getting a big-girl job is not. Being busy! Fall 2009 for me will inlcude 16 credit hours, involvement in clubs such as the Association of Fundraising Professionals, a part-time job and enjoying my new position as news editor! Discourse Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Page 7 national view Economy takes ironic turn due to government lies A lot of time has passed since I waxed verbose in this space, so I have made the executive decision to briefly visit the state of the economy and some recent political developments. To wit, the government’s stress test on the nation’s banking institutions has given Libertarians one more casein-point. The unemployment rate the test was based on has already been left in the dust. The actual rate for Quarter One was a half-point higher than the predicted rate, while the actual rate for Q2 was a full point higher. More to the point, both quarters’ actual rates were significantly higher than even the government’s more adverse category, which was supposed to peg a worst-case scenario. Quite an ironic turn of events since the American public was promised “two million jobs would be saved or created.” Looking past the obvious – it is impossible to empirically peg the President’s actions to job creation – why are people buying into the notion that the worst is over? A lot of noise on the Hill was made Staffer Opinion James Cannon Editor in Chief over the newly unemployed statistics being lower in May. However, the real truth is another half-million people are now unemployed. More than two million new unemployed people have been reported since the President’s famous speech. All the while, we continue to meddle and intervene in the market, because if we do not, people will lose their jobs. A lot of people make the argument, “if we hadn’t done anything, it would be much worse.” Forget for a second this is a straw man argument, why don’t these people ask how much worse off are people because of government intervention? Another interesting development as of late is politicians’ supposed Obama connects with youth T he other night I was routinely lounging on my couch, watching late-night television laced with a hefty dose of political satire, when something so pivotal, so shocking and so inspiring occured.If you missed Stephen Colbert’s prerecorded June 8 show then you may have no idea what I am talking about, and shame on you. In the spirit of condensing things, I will give you the wrap-up and get to the good part. The show actually took place in Iraq in an auditorium in front of a plethora of soldiers. Most of the show involved him in a camouflage suit and tie spitting witty monologue without mocking his conservative political pundits, but of course there was the moment that triggered my jaw to drop. Basically, Colbert declared victory in the War on Iraq because no one is talking about it anymore, which instigated me cracking up, but was not the piece de resistance. Then, like a climax in a piece of prose, guest Gen. Ray Odierno informed Colbert, “If you really want to be in the military, you’re going to have to get your haircut like these guys out here.” Valuing his very idiosyncratic full head of hair to the utmost, he initially remained unconvinced, until – this is the part that blew my mind – our very own President Barack Obama appeared via satellite to say, “I hereby order you to shave that man’s head.” Well, the President did order him to do something, so naturally he complied. As Gen. Odierno delicately Staffer Opinion Kim Nelson Assistant News Editor removed Colbert’s chestnut locks, a strange emotion washed over me. The fact that Obama ordered Colbert to shave his head was not the point; what I am getting at is our President is attempting to connect with America by being funny. It is bloody brilliant, really. He knows the youth of America watch Colbert like your mom watches Food Network, and the simple fact that he is cool makes all of the difference. Having voted Republican in this past election, I have been hesitant to embrace the new administration wholeheartedly, but the mere fact that Obama is attempting to make us feel closer to him and more at ease through one of our youthful media niches is ridiculously comforting. He just gets it. An American President made me laugh with him, not at him, and for that, I can sleep at night. As for what’s next in President Obama’s attempt to find innovative ways for America to get more intimate with him via media outlets, I am convinced we need a reality TV show inside the White House called “Oversight.” E-mail Kim Nelson at asst.news@unfspinnaker.com. concern over the national debt and fiscal responsibility. “Over the long term, achieving fiscal sustainability ... requires that spending and budget deficits be well controlled,” Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said. He warned that, “we will not be able to continue borrowing indefinitely.” It would be great if he actually practiced what he preached. Between Bernanke, ex-President George Bush, ex-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and President Barack Obama, the national debt has increased by almost 50 percent with the Congressional Budget Office predicting trillion dollar deficits annually for the next 10 years. That does not even take into account the more than $9 trillion in federal guarantees to favored corporate behemoths that the market deems inefficient. And more, none of the monumental debt figures represent the debt obligation for previous welfare programs – Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security – and do not even begin to account for the astronomical costs associated with the pending legislation on universal healthcare. The point being, the government is going to lie to you. Every emergency spending plan that is “necessary to stave off utter collapse” has been misrepresented at best and a bold face lie at worst. Micromanaging 300 million people and a multi-trillion dollar economy is not as easy as Paul Krugman would have Americans believe. It is high time for Washington to engage in a reasoned and dispassionate discussion of its role as chief meddler and creator of inefficiency. E-mail James Cannon at editor@unfspinnaker.com. Twitter encourages dumbing down of society in 140-character spurts A s I write this I am wearing nothing but high heels and a gimp’s mask. There are actually three shoes involved, but you will never guess how the third one fits into the equation. What? You didn’t want to know that? Well, I don’t want to read the pseudo-intellectual – and I am being generous here – musings you fervently thumb onto your BlackBerry as you sit wedged between a 400-pound man and a bum on the bus. Twitter perpetuates the myth that we are all beautiful little snowflakes whose lives and the minutia therein are too special not to share. I realize it is a bit ironic to spit my opinions and then say that opinions do not matter, but if you actually kept reading after the first line then I really do not care what you think. Every tweet is a tiny self-gratification session. We want others to fawn over the every dumb little thought we have and can type before it passes out of our skulls. Everyone does things to stroke their ego. At this point in the article, mine is chaffing and there is nothing wrong with that. If you are going to stroke that ego, at least channel your energies into something more substantial than a poorly constructed two-sentence reaction to the latest episode of The Hills, or whatever it is the kids are watching these days. Staffer Opinion Max Jaeger Staff Writer Go paint a picture, or write a poem for Christ’s sake. On top of that, I cannot watch any news without being bombarded with stories about so-and-so’s recent inflammatory tweet or how a congressman was tweeting during congressional hearings. That is some kind of news story. Whoa, Shaq said what in his Twitter? Oh man, thank you national news networks, I am now a more enlightened individual. Those techno-hipsters over at CNN are the worst; Rick Sanchez, I am looking at you. Welcome to the useless information age. If u want 2 record ur thoughts, remember paper and pens are as portable as cell phones and we don’t have 2 b subjected to whatever u write. So that is less than 140 characters if I cut out the punctuation. I am totally going to tweet that when I find my phone. E-mail Max Jaeger at staff3@unfspinnaker.com. Letters to the Editor policy and how to contact the Spinnaker: The Spinnaker welcomes all columns and letters to the editor. All student submissions must include the author’s first and last names, major and academic classification. Faculty and guest submissions must include department title or company name. All letters must be accompanied with a contact number for verification purposes. No anonymous submissions will be published. Submissions will be verified for authenticity before publication and they may be edited for content, grammar, word length and libel. All printed submissions will ap- pear online at unfspinnaker.com. The Spinnaker will not honor requests to remove online content, including letters to the editor and columns. Letters should not exceed 400 words in length, and columns should be approximately 500 words. The ideas expressed in columns and letters published in the Spinnaker do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Spinnaker staff or the university. The deadline for columns is Friday at noon. The deadline for letters is Monday at noon. Submit columns and letters to the editor at discourse@unfspinnaker.com. Expressions Page 8 Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Jacksonville weighs in as the eighth fattest city in America by Angela Passafaro staff writer “ Kristen Lazowick Political Science Student FILE PHOTO Jacksonville was named the eighth fattest city in America in a survey conducted by Men’s Fitness magazine. The magazine then assigned grades to the cities in various areas of health-related subjects such as fitness centers and sports stores, nutrition, sports participation, TV viewing, junk food, parks and open space and motivation. A list of the 50 most populated areas in the U.S. was compiled in the 11th annual survey. While Jacksonville received the designation of eighth fattest city in the U.S., its evaluation was not filled with completely dismal grades. Some students at UNF feel this hefty ranking is undeserved. “I don’t feel like Jacksonville is anymore overweight than other cities in Florida,” said Carly DeWitt, a business finance student from Tampa. “I don’t go home and think that people are so much healthier there.” DeWitt also believes UNF is doing its part to ensure the healthiness of its students, faculty and staff. “I think that our school provides many healthy eating choices such as sushi, salads and smoothies,” DeWitt said. “UNF also has many options for outdoor activities such as hiking trails and canoeing trips.” The city received an A- in the parks and open space category, with Men’s Fitness magazine reporting that Jacksonville’s acreage per capita is 494 percent higher than average and the highest in the survey. Jacksonville scored a B in ”I feel like you see more people that are morbidly obese than you saw in the past,” the junk food category, with the survey finding that ice cream stores are 42 percent less popular in Jacksonville than the national average. The city also scored well in the area of commute, receiving a B-, and geography, receiving an A-. However, the good marks end here. Jacksonville earned a D in the areas of fitness centers, sports stores, nutrition, overweight, sedentary and air quality. The survey found that adults in Jacksonville are 3.6 percent more sedentary than the average adult in the other cities surveyed. Jacksonville received F’s in the categories of sports participation, TV viewing, motivation and state obesity initiatives. Jacksonville residents participate in sports 18 percent less than average and watch 13 percent more television, according to Men’s Fitness. The survey showed that despite plenty of open space, Jacksonville scored low in motivation to participate in outdoor activities. However, other students see obesity levels on the rise. “As time goes on, I feel like there are more and more people that are overweight,” said Kristin Lazowick, a political science student from the Miami area and a member of the UNF women’s soccer team. “I feel like you see more people that are morbidly obese than you saw in the past,” Lazowick said. But how did other cities in Florida weigh in? Miami was ranked as the fattest city in the U.S., while Tampa was ranked as the 23rd fittest city in the U.S. by Men’s Fitness magazine. These were the only other cities from Florida to be named to either list of the 25 fittest or fattest cities in the country. Miami has almost three times as many fast food restaurants as the average city, according to the survey,. Conversely, Salt Lake City in Utah ranks as the fittest city. The magazine attributes SLC’s high ranking to its abundance of parks and sports-enthusiastic residents. Perhaps if the River City stepped up their athletic game, Jacksonvillians would be more motivated to get moving and let then pounds drip off. “Until I thought about it, I never realized how many more fast food places Miami has than Jacksonville,” Lazowick said. “There are more fast food places around Miami than there should be.” Whether it is in the shopping centers of Jacksonville or on the beaches of Miami, Florida has made its presence known in Men’s Fitness’s 25 fattest cities in America survey. E-mail Angela Passafaro at staff4@unfspinnaker.com. Expressions Page 9 BY: MAX JAEGER STAFF WRITER W ith the completion of UNF’s Amphitheater just weeks away, students – and really anyone in the souther n Jacksonville area – can look forward to more music, more theater and maybe even a little more local competition. Director of the Student Union, Justin Camputaro, is confident the new Amphitheater will rival not only the beach’s amphitheater, but also St. Augustine’s. The total capacity will be 6,000, according to Camputaro. That number is, however, a fluid one, because there will be no per manent seating. The stage measures 60 feet by 25 feet, most of which is covered by a canopy. The area will not be per manently fenced of f. “We anticipate the majority of events to be free. But if we do any ticketed events, we will work to fence it of f temporarily,” Camputaro said. The facilities have the means to run smaller events without renting any outside equipment, he said. Billy Parker, production specialist responsible for the Robinson Theater, plans to take over operation of the Amphitheater, he said. Free events would be in the spirit of a university, where the dissemination of art, culture and new experiences should be prized above all else. But does the new Amphitheater really have what it takes to compete against local big-dogs? Dan Larson, a marketing and promotions manager at the St. Augustine Amphitheater, remains skeptical. He said the facilities would be g reat for student use (music majors, you can start drooling now), and free and notfor-profit events like many world music and jazz festivals (music majors, may I of fer you a bib?), but is unsure whether the facilities can handle national rock, pop or hip-hop events. “[Sixty] feet is a g reat width, but 25 feet is a little short [for length],” Larson said. “Amphitheaters are usually 50 feet by 40 feet or 60 feet by 50 feet.” One option is temporary staging. According to their website, St. Augustine’s stage has a depth of just over 38 feet. Anyone running an event at UNF could use risers to extend the stage if needed, but that would cost money. Larson also said the lack of any per manent fencing could hurt UNF’s chances at wrangling larger acts. Fences, risers and additional audio equipment all cost money, and their procurement will dent any promoter’s profits. Re garding the kinds of acts St. Augustine’s monster of an edifice books, artist fees alone range from $50,000 to $150,000, ergo, it would be wise for UNF to avoid extra expenses like fences. With all these expenses, one wonders how Osprey Productions will entice any of those “Lil” rappers to leave their brood-nest in Atlanta and come to campus. The simple answer: Osprey Productions does not have to. Though Osprey Productions is responsible for most of the “major” acts that visit UNF – Ben Folds being the most recent example – they are not the only avenue artists can rock at UNF. The Amphitheater is part of the Student Union, which is in some ways in business for itself. “The Student Union is auxiliarydriven,” Camputaro said. “We are heavily, but not entirely, funded by UNF.” Any profit the Amphitheater makes goes to the Student Union, which pays UNF a 7 percent overhead and pockets the rest. The Amphitheater essentially acts as an independent venue and pays UNF a percentage of its profits as a sort of initial dues type of deal. UNF does not have to pay artists to come to campus. Entertainers can use the facilities as they would any concert venue. Promoters can come to the Student Union and rent the Amphitheater for any major ticketed event if they want, though they would be responsible for security and additional sound equipment if needed. Of course you will not see $5 student tickets, but that is a luxury only Osprey Productions can provide. Although, who is to say a large number of Ospreys would not be willing to, Wednesday, June 17, 2009 shell out the extra loot to see Wayne Coyne of the F laming Lips run around in his giant hamster ball at UNF. Lots of other public F lorida colle ges subscribe to a similar set of rules. Despite a few minor detractions, the new Amphitheater has one major advantage: location. “Promoters I know who book at St. Augustine’s amphitheater are very interested in having events in the heart of Jacksonville,” Camputaro said. UNF has a better location than the beaches or St. Augustine, because it is so close to downtown and the center of Jacksonville. Promoters want a venue that is accessible and can draw the largest crowd, especially in an area with no other competitors, and our campus has the kind of location that makes that possible. Extra expenses like risers and fencing may not be such a big deal to promoters when they are looking at a location that can feasibly draw attendants from just about anywhere in Duval County. This proves that UNF’s Amphitheater and St. Augustine’s amphitheater are fundamentally dif ferent. St. Augustine’s goal is profit, and while UNF’s Amphitheater can tur n a profit, it is really in service of the community. “This Amphitheater allows the campus to host events for the students that they would nor mally have to leave campus for,” Computaro said. “It will also help us to reach out into the Jacksonville community, hosting events to bring them onto our campus and showcase UNF.” Although the amphitheater’s viability is untested, UNF can be sure that it is an addition that will enrich student and community life. This next year will be provingg rounds for the Amphitheater, and its future looks quite good. See you at the Fall Concert Series! E-mail Max Jaeger at staff3@unfspinnaker.com Photo illustration: Chad Smith, Photo: Erick Tanner Expressions Page 10 Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Indie-princess lickss Florida with her ‘Acid Tongue’ by Max Jaeger Staff Writer Courtesy of Team Love records Jenny Lewis and her troupe of troubadours, will roll into Jacksonville June 30 to perform at Jacksonville Beach’s Freebird Live. The show is part of the second tour promoting Jenny’s sophomore solo effort, “Acid Tongue,” though some may consider it an act of penance for not coming to Jacksonville on the first tour. Lewis, child actress turned indie-princess, got her musical break heading up indie act Rilo Kiley. Her solo career, however, is quickly cementing her place in America’s musical canon (sitting somewhere near Joni Mitchell and Emmylou Harris, no doubt). Lewis has worked closely with Bright Eyes and Cursive. She also appears extensively on The Postal Service’s only album “Give Up.” Lewis’ previous solo release, “Rabbit Fur Coat,” is a countrified-folk gem with slide guitars, twangy vocals and the Watson twins providing the kind of harmonies that make The ex-Beverly Hills trooper herself and entourage. Jenny lewis will perform June 30 at Freebird Live. you want to buy a bloodhound, down a bottle of whiskey and sing until your throat gives out. Stylistically, “Acid Tongue” is closer to roots-rock and Americana than straight-up country. The orchestration is sparse, compared to “Rabbit Fur Coat,” and this newfound space really lets the music breathe. The album is a mix of acoustic and piano driven ballads – the title track is just Jenny and an acoustic guitar with bursts of barroom choirs during the chorus – and foot-stomping saloon singles like “Carpetbaggers” and “See Fernando.” Even the ballads have a nice stylistic range that keeps things from getting stale. Some are moody with eerie, reverb-drenched electric guitars while others are so sweet you will have to keep them away from your diabetic grandmother. As if Lewis does not have enough star power, she recruited M. Ward, Zooey Deschanel and Elvis Costello, among others, to belt her tunes with her. Lewis’s sister and semi-estranged father also make appearances on the record. Unfortunately, there’s a slim chance that any of the artists will accompany her at the Freebird, but fans should keep their fingers crossed. If they do not show up, we can expect a more-than-able performance from her boyfriend and the album’s co-writer, Johnathan Rice. The blissful evening of tunes will be opened by Fat Possom duo, Heartless Bastards. Attendees can look forward to a night of powerful female vocalists who are a little bit country and a little bit rock ’n’ roll. E-mail Max Jaeger at staff3@unfspinnaker.com Riverside Arts Market offers free, dry venue for local art Monday BY April Schulhauser • Student Union Gameroom Open, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Building 58, room 1200. Assistant Features editor Tuesday • Joey Cape (Lagwagon), 9 p.m., Jack Rabbits. Wednesday • Summer B Welcome Cookout, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., the Green. • 48 Hour Film Project, 7 p.m., Florida Theatre. Some local bakers makin’ that dough at the RAM on a Saturday morning. creations and even more difficult putting a price tag on them. “It may say ‘$15’ on [the price tag] but if I know that they only have $10 to spend, then that’s what it turns out to be,” Free said. “It makes me happy to see somebody be able to get something they really want.” Anything from freshly baked bread and dishware, to caricature drawings and earrings, can be found at RAM. There are also a variety of people there such as men on unicycles juggling knives, face-painted toddlers and average Joes totting their four-legged friend is on leashes. On this particular day, overflowing with torrential downpours and rainy day specials, about 8,000 to 12,000 visitors weaved between the tents filled with funnel cakes and hand-crafted home furnishings; it seems everyone has a chance to get something they want from RAM. Stephen Heywood, a UNF assistant ceramic professor, considers RAM a good opportunity for students to display their art and learn how to market their work. “I could see [RAM] as being a viable resource for students to gain some life experience with selling their work and marketing it,” Heywood said. The Riverside Avondale Preservation has limited liability ownership of RAM, allowing the free market to operate under its non-profit umbrella. One issue Allegretti describes as a “positive problem” involves over 500 artists applying to participate in the market, yet there is only booth availability for 178. Plans have been drawn to expand the market to Riverside Park and the funds have been budgeted, but not yet allocated. “It’s not unlike the other things that you might do that would cost you a ton of money,” Allegretti said. RAM is a place where students can hide from the summer rain and enjoy a marketplace atmosphere. They utilize the under-a-bridge setting to catch up on reading or even have a picnic. There is also free Wi-Fi available, perfect for students who want to catch up on their e-mails. E-mail April Schulhauser at asst.features@unfspinnaker.com Thursday calendar • Smoking Cessation Classes and Support Group, 12 to 1 p.m., Building 3, room 1201. April Schulhauser | Spinnaker Waking up to the pitterpatter of raindrops is the perfect way for a pointless summer day filled with outdoor plans to disappear. But what hides the sunshine now could end up revealing a few extra bucks in your wallet. Jacksonville’s rain or shine market, affectionately titled the Riverside Arts Market, draws thousands of locals every Saturday to enjoy free concerts and venues of local artists and farmers – rainy day specials included. Underneath the towering arches of the Fuller Warren Bridge, about 178 vendors comprise “the biggest weekly arts market in the south,” said Tony Allegretti, the director of RAM. The unique location on Riverside Avenue invites a cooling river breeze from the St. John’s on sunny days and protection from downpours otherwise. Family friendly, dog friendly and also environmentally friendly, RAM is considered a green market for more reasons than its abundance of pesticide-free and hydroponic produce for sale. It prides itself on requiring reusable bags and biodegradable containers for its vendors and visitors. A good portion, although not all, of the produce is purely organic. “We are more organic than when we started,” Allegretti said, who has hopes of more local, organic produce becoming available in the future. Behind all the extravagant paintings and intricately designed art pieces are those who act as the very fuel to keep RAM a hot commodity. Nestled quietly into booth 514 on rainy May 23 was artist Mary Free, who attracted passersby with her trendy hand-blown jewelry and dishware. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Free has traveled from Middleburg to display her creations every RAM weekend since its April 4 inception. “I just couldn’t stay away from the art,” Free said, as she sat custom fitting necklaces for her customers and offering jewelry maintenance advice. At times, artists can find it difficult to part with their personal • Library Exhibit: Thomas Wolfe Exhibit at the Thomas G. Carpenter Library, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Healthy Osprey Focus Group, 4 to 5 p.m., Building 3, room 1201. Friday • Summer A classes end. Deadline to withdraw from 10-week term. • Downtown Reception with UNF President Delaney, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville. • Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, 8 p.m., Building 15, room 1303. • Jacksonville Craft and Beer Import Festival, 7 p.m. - 10 p.m., Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Saturday • Crash Course in Screenwriting, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., University Center. • Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, 8 p.m., Building 15, room 1303. • Riverside Arts Market, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Riverside Ave. Sunday • Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, 2 p.m., Building 15, room 1303. • Jacksonville Suns vs. Mobile Baybears, 3:05 p.m., Baseball grounds at Jacksonville. Expressions Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Page 11 With fluctuating gas prices on the rise Graphic: peter Nguyen again, it might be time to consider local public transportation options. JTA provides four inexpensive trolleys to commute around the beaches and downtown. Compiled by Beca Grimm and Kim Nelson Riverside Bay Street Beaches Beaver Street • Runs from downtown at Water Street and Laura Street and from Riverside at Margaret Street and Riverside Avenue • Runs from St. Andrews Station, onto Bay Street to Broad Street and Jefferson Street, then Water Street and the Jacksonville Landing • Runs from the Atlantic Village Shopping Center, near the intersection Aquatic Drive and Atlantic Boulevard, to the South Beach Regional Shopping Center – J.T. Butler Boulevard at South Beach Parkway • Runs from Rosa Park Transit Station to Winn-Dixie at N. Liberty and E. Beaver • Operates: Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. • A trolley will make a stop approximately every 10 minutes • Operates: A trolley will make a stop approximately every 15 minutes during peak time and 30 minutes during off peak – 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., weekdays only • 50 cents to ride • Free • Hip places you pass: Bars, restaurants and shopping venues in historic Five Points, Memorial Park, MOCA, Main Library, Florida Theatre, London Bridge and Burrito Gallery • Hip places you pass: Bars, restaurants and entertainment off Bay Street at the Landing • Operates: Friday 7 p.m. – 2 a.m. Saturday Noon - 2 a.m. Sunday Noon - 6 p.m. • 50 cents to ride • Operates: Monday-Friday: 6 a.m. – 7 p.m., running every 50 minutes • Free • Hip places you pass: Beaver Street Farmers’ Market, Cathedral Towers and Convention Center • Hip places you will pass: Seawalk Pavilion Amphitheater, Jacksonville Beach Pier, Freebird Live and dozens of beach bars • Closed: Independence Day and Labor Day Horoscopes by The Spinnaker Sisterhood of the Celestial Skylines You would be better off playing in the water this month than on land. If you are shopping and spot any water gear at half price, you better go ahead and purchase it. This is a March 21 - April 20 month of adventure and excitement – a time to climb a tree, for example. Your lucky stone in the coming days is a diamond. If you wear it on the left side of your body, it should bring you some bona fide luck, which you will need when you fail your summer A exams. Zing! A possible love interest — whether it be anything from a simple crush to a longterm relationship – is looking your way this month. You have really shown your stuff and they are digging it. But be warned … if you July 23 - Aug. 22 let them see your now overinflating ego, their interests might begin to wane. Your confidence should be used to your advantage now, but do not let it dominate the other aspects of your personality. Your warmth and compassion will earn you a kiss, or more, this month. Center yourself. Focus on your needs and wants for a change, and take time to pursue your goals. This month is all about you and your relationships with others. When you take time to better yourself, you Nov. 23 - Dec. 21 can then begin to better the relationships around you. Although an authority figure, such as a professor or boss, may be overbearing at this time, be patient in school or in the workplace. Instant gratification is not coming quick enough for you this month. But not to worry, because what you crave most now will come to you when you least expect it. Be patient. April 21 - May 20 Until then, pour your emotions and effort into your friends, family and immediate surroundings. As the world is round, karma will come back around fourfold, whether you choose positive or negative actions – this month especially. Stop falling asleep or daydreaming in class this week, or you will miss very important content that could compromise your grade, or even worse — your graduation date. Instead of organizing your room Aug. 23 - Sept. 22 this month, you should organize your schoolwork and other more important things. Know your deadlines, and do not let your wandering thoughts take over your life, which is already busy enough as it is. This month is the time for embarking on that long awaited health and fitness journey. June brings cosmic support for assimilating new fitness techniques into your daily routine. It is time to start a new Dec. 22 - Jan. 20 work-out plan. Watch out for opportunities to invest in your ideas. Take practical steps to transform ideas into actions. Focus not only on your mind but also on your heart. The end of the month is ideal for mending broken relationships. Ooh, it is birthday month for you, twinsies! Getting down is a given. You are always being told that there are two sides within your being, this is the month to decipher what the gods May 21 - June 21 mean by that ridiculous notion. Try messing with people, playing off your dual-natured persona and experiment with different sides of yourself. “Variety is the spice of life” is your sign’s motto. Frequent some yuppie bars one night to get the 411 on this season’s Cole Haan tassel loafers, Maybe take a break from updating your Twitter status quite as often, as the urge strikes in the next few weeks, young Libra. Leave a little mystery in your mojo and indulge in your solitude. Try an evening flying solo. Go sip a cup of green Sept. 23 - Oct. 23 tea in a quiet corner over a private notebook filled with your personal thoughts — not some cyberspace void. Besides, not as many folks give a hoot about that spanking plate of lentils you had for lunch as you think. For the next few weeks you should feel a shift in how you show affection towards others. Usually, you are detached and not sure how to tug those heartstrings, but now you will become infused with the confiJan. 21 - Feb. 19 dence to expand upon using touch and verbiage to express your true feelings. Do not get all fleshy and weak-saucy on us now, but do not be embarrassed to call your mom and tell her you miss her or explain to your roommate that putting the toilet seat down really does stir your soul. Cancers have a creative energy that extends into their physical lifestyle. You should take advantage of the many group fitness programs in the UNF Arena this week. This physical June 22 - July 22 activity will stir your creative thoughts. Don’t get too creative, though! If your art is culinary, the heavens are predicting an exponentially increasing fat total in the hip and thigh areas. Scorpios are supposed to make fine doctors, apparently. Did you know that, Scorpio? And what more respected doctor is there in America than a love doctor? None. Take this next week as an excuse to actively exercise your exquiOct. 24 - Nov. 22 site amore advice skills and inundate everyone in hearing distance with tips. After all, you are the expert. Or at least you can try and trick everyone into thinking you are. People may respond unfavorably — looking away, walking away or humming loudly over you. Do not go outside. Do not leave your bedroom. Do not go to class, out to eat or turn on your television for at least a week. You are in serious danger this month. Consider yourself in a Final Destination Feb. 19 - March 20 film right now and watch out. There is someone – or something – out to get you, your money or your organs. The heavens suggest going online to order a deadbolt for your front door if you do not already have one. Make sure to only accept the package through your mail slot. Better safe than sorry. Page 12 Comics Classifieds are now accessible online at unfspinnaker.com Wednesday, June 17, 2009 FOR RENT Beautiful townhouse on the lake in the Village of Summer Lakes. 3/ 2.5 baths, new appliances, washer, dryer, screened lanai, 1 car garage. Available immediately with 1 month security deposit. 412 216-1858. Silver Springs is in a prime location just minutes from UNF and St. Johns Town Center. Amenities galore. Come see for yourself. MISSING YOU Meg, I can’t wait to see you again next semester! I love you! -C LOOKING FOR LUXURY? Country Club Lakes is located in Jacksonville, Florida on Hodges Blvd only 10 minutes away from Florida’s beautiful coast. Enjoy fine dining, sophisticated shopping, and great nightlife just minutes away from Country Club Lakes. We are also located close to UNF. Our apartments include alarm systems, washer/dryer hook-ups, and spacious closets. In select units we offer screened in patios, solariums and lake or wood views. 20090616cpbss-a.tif Be Heard If you would like to submit a classified ad, please stop by The Spinnaker office, Building 58 room 2209, to pick up your FREE order form. For display ads, contact Kristen Montalto or Michael Kent: advertising@unfspinnaker.com. The Spinnaker accepts all kinds of advertising. We retain the right to reject any classified or display ad deemed not in the best interest of the newspaper. The material the Spinnaker closely watches out for includes but is not limited to obscenity, pornography, and discrimination or false claims. The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. There are three very simple constraints to follow. In a nine-by-nine-square Sudoku game, every row of nine numbers must include all digits, one through nine, in any order. Every column of nine numbers must include all digits, one through nine, in any order. Every three-by-three subsection of the nine-by-nine square must include all digits, one through nine. Solutions Page 13 Inside the Huddle Wednesday, June 17, 2009 News Editor Features Editor Graphic Designer Staff Writer Rebecca McKinnon Beca Grimm Chad Smith Max Jaeger Question 1: As of early June, the Jacksonville Suns have recorded an off-and-on season this summer often in rain conditions. Has the rain had an impact on the Suns performance? The rain has definitely affected the Suns’ performance, most notably that of outfielder Gizmo Mogwai. The rain, combined with Mogwai’s existing condition has increased the team’s roster exponentially. Yes, because it’s already hard to get ready for a game and then find out that it’s canceled. Imagine how the pitchers feel about having to warm up causing more wear and tear in the long run. Duh. It’s had an impact on their fans’ moods more than anything. I tried to plan a date at a Suns game, but it was rained out. How sucky. Question 2: Thirty Jacksonville Jaguars recently bowled with kids to support the Clara White Mission to stop hunger. What kind of impact do the Jaguars really have on Jacksonville? These kinds of events may raise some money, but that amounts to a few drops of water in the desert. The Jaguars’ actions are laudable, but they simply raise awareness, rather than change things. I think it’s great that they are getting involved in the community, but I still feel that there is a stigma with professional athletes because of the the fame associated with it. Thank Richard Collier. I think the Jaguars’ impact on Jacksonville begins and ends with the absolutely horrid gold and turquoise color scheme of the city. They have a lot of influence, especially in the younger generation. I’m always hearing about different volunteer opportunities they get involved in. Question 3: UNF Athletics Director Lee Moon has been making several changes to UNF Athletics since his arrival earlier in the year. How will these changes impact UNF’s 2009-2010 athletics season? Until UNF adopts and legitimizes my full-contact chess team, we don’t have an Athletics department as far as I’m concerned. If you have a question for the members of the Huddle or want to give answers, e-mail the Spinnaker at sports@ unfspinnaker.com. Hopefully it’s a wake-up to UNF sports in general since we are in Division I now. The expectations are a lot higher. It’s a different ballgame now thats it all counts. Positively. People dubbed names as lovely as “Lee Moon” could only possibly breed goodness. Hopefully, it’ll make UNF win more often! Hopefully, these wins don’t result in lower grade point averages of the athletes. Question 4: After being grouped together at The Players Championship and the Memorial tournament in Ohio, Tiger Woods and Ernie Els saw a lot of each other. Do golf pairings have any impact on the actual competition? Pairing Els and Woods made a powerful statement about apartheid twenty years too late. Proving that golf is the hippest sport around. I think the players become more susceptible to the pairings because there is no real advantage, just pure skill with which Tiger Woods wins. He is the Jordan of golf. It’s essentially an elevated sort of “buddy system.” The guffawing probably leads to life-long friendships. Whatever. If I was competing for a living, I wouldn’t want to make any friendships that might cost me first place. Compiled by James Cannon. Sports Column Lower academic standards for UNF athletes could hurt the reputation of the university An introduction: Josh Gore is a new staff writer with the Spinnaker this year and has a keen interest in sports. He is a senior majoring in journalism. This column will review sports issues at the university, state and national levels. It may dispute or defend coaching decisions as well decisions made by the UNF athletic director. Attention will be given equally to issues in all sports regardless of their popularity. Emphasis will be put on recruiting, game substitutions, injuries and violated regulations. It will be his job to read through a coach’s jargon and tell the readers what is really going on. Attending press conferences and one-on-one interviews with coaches and players will be some of his tasks. He will also be able to express his opinion clearly to the student body, and keep the students aware of what the Athletics department isn’t saying. Josh Gore’s experience in sports including being a three-sport letterman in high school increases his qualifications to write this column. Staffer opinion Josh Gore Staff Writer UNF takes another big step in the transition to Division I athletics by easing admission standards for athletes. But if lowering academic standards is the only way UNF can field decent teams, how far will UNF go to win? The new Athletic Director Lee Moon has been the orchestrator of these lower standards, though it was UNF President John Delaney who went back on his longstanding previous policy that kept athletes more academically accountable. Delaney recently told me that his previous policy was too tough on the coaches. He also said that every AD in the past has asked for these standards to be eased. The old policy allowed 12 athletes who were academically unqualified to be admitted into the university. The new policy increases 12 to unlimited. It is obvious Moon has come in to increase fundraising and turn the failing basketball program around by instantly firing Matt Kilcullen, and hiring Matthew Driscoll, who was a great catch, but whether he will be the next Billy Donovan is yet to be determined. Moon’s new tactics through possibly recruiting less intelligent athletes is inconsistent with the university’s motto, “No one like you. No place like this.” It is just another step toward trying to look more like the bigger Division I universities. Because Moon understands that winning increases booster support and fundraising, this lower standard may prove to be a fiscal success. Winning also increases attendance that raises money through concessions and team apparel. The message UNF is sending to high school athletes who are trying to balance athletics with academics is not a good one. Moon is now telling the students that their time is best spent in the gym rather than the library. High school athletes should not be pressured into maintaining minimal academic achievement in order to become better athletes. This is just one step closer to what could become a great embarrassment for the university as they begin in Florida State University’s footsteps, which led to academic cheating. Once the university begins bringing in athletes that are not intelligent enough to pass their classes, will UNF help them in their classes? Will the UNF athletic department take their classes for them? Moon’s actions reflect that he will do whatever it takes to win. He uses the number and color systems to evaluate prospective athletes, but where is the accountability? If Moon feels an athlete will help the athletic program, there is not much stopping him from injecting his subjectivity into this system. I urge Moon to reconsider this lower standard, to oversee the incoming recruits for all the athletic programs and to ensure that these athletes have the academic ability to perform at UNF. UNF has a great opportunity in this transition to be known around the country as a university that does not turn its back on academics in order to have athletic success. As the university slowly creeps into national conversation, it would always be referred to as a great academic institution and respected by many around the country. Well not any more – unfortunately. E-mail Josh Gore at staff1@unfspinnaker.com. Sports Page 14 Inspirational Athletes Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Gators share stories of faith on special night By Heather Furey assistant sports editor Danny Wuerffel, UF Graduate an example both on and off the field.” Andrew Hinojosa, one of hundreds of volunteers at the Night of Champions, said he thought it was great to see somebody of Tebow’s magnitude who also represents Christianity. “I like what Tim has to offer beyond football, where he is trying to remain humble and unselfish,” said Herbstreit. The University of Florida FCA has one of the largest programs in the nation. FCA makes a point to regularly come to Jacksonville and sponsor events such as the Night Of Champions. They hope to help people invest in God and to find themselves through Christ and the message they gave that night, Wuerffel said. “To me it’s more important to follow God than to win the National Championship,” Wuerffel said. But in addition to the message, the program also had a mixture of entertainment. Comedian Kenn Kington was in attendance, celebrating his faith with the Tebows and Wuerffel, along with a musical performance by Richie McDonald, Christian and former lead singer for the country group Lonestar. The FCA’s mission is to serve as a ministry tool of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes by inspiring, informing and involving coaches, athletes and fans to make an impact for Jesus Christ throughout the community. In order to have a ministry and put on events such as this, the FCA takes one-time and monthly donations to receive funding. But the experience with the FCA doesn’t end with the Night of Champions. The FCA has local staff members and ministries nationwide, including a branch in Northeast Florida. This branch serves middle school, natalie broach | spinnaker “ “To me it’s more important to follow God than to win the National Championship.” natalie broach | spinnaker In conjuction with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Jacksonville, Gators Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel took some time, during the Night of Champions, to inspire the faith of an arena filled with about 6,200 Christians. At the Veterans Memorial Arena May 8, the area director of the FCA, Robby Tebow’s goal for the night was to make sure a crowd of Christians, including Gator fans, were a part of an unforgettable night. “The most important issue we as a community face is the involvement of parents in the home,” Tebow said. “I believe this event is a step forward in correcting this problem.” In a sea of orange and blue, including shirts that had a superimposed logo of a “T” for Tebow, Gator fans enjoyed a television-style interview with Wuerffel, his parents and Tim Tebow, conducted by ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit. It was based on the players using their fame as a vehicle to reach Christians and their faith through FCA. With the Heisman trophies on the corners of the stage, the interview also included a small portion of Wuerffel’s parents giving the audience a taste of their son’s life as a child. The participation of well-known coaches and famous athletes at the college and professional level is a vital part of the FCA. They even have a Sports New Testament bible that features testimonies from the professionals, including a special presentation from retired NFL Coach Tony Dungy. But Tim Tebow has a very important presence in Northeast Florida. “Timmy knows the responsibility he has both as a Christian and as a role model,” Robby Tebow said. “He understands that people will follow what he does, and he takes that very seriously. He does a great job of leading and setting Gators Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel visited the Veterans Memorial Arena May 8 to share inspiring stories during the Night of Champions for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. high school and college campuses in all seven of the First Coast counties: Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns County. For more information on the FCA and their Northeast Florida chapter, visit www.nefloridafca.org. E-mail Heather Furey at asst.sports@unfspinnaker.com. GRADES ÄÄ from page 1 relay an interest in becoming a Blue Devil. They look at the student’s economic background, public services and any high achviements in high school performances. “It’s not a numbers game; we make our admissions process easy,” Dixon said. What Moon believes is different about this year, is that in the past, no one really had a plan for running a Division I program. That is why Moon says he was brought to UNF, because he has plenty of experience in getting Division I programs off the ground. Before Moon arrived at UNF, there were 12 admissions exceptions annually across the board for athletes who fell below the level of normal criteria for fall admission, Moon said. He does not even know if all the exceptions were used, but knows not all the sports used them. There was also no money set aside for athletes to be admitted into a summer school program although it was still a possibility. However, Moon believes that by reevaluating the previous systems and making small adjustments, UNF will be able to draw in more high profile recruits. UNF’s athletics department has a new process by which they evaluate each prospective athlete through different criteria and see how they would fit into the UNF program. Moon reviews every candidate that the coaches submit. And instead of the Athletics department bound by 12 exceptions, Moon can now bring in an unlimited number of athletic exceptions. There is a form they apply to each student that classifies them on different criteria including SAT, GPA and character. After the form is filled out, each student is classified by what level of risk. Moon said they have used color systems and number systems to classify the athletes’ risk. The color system is: green, for all clear; yellow, for caution; and red, for high risk. The number system goes from one to five, with five being a low risk and one being a high risk. The whole process is designed to weigh how much of a benefit to the university the athlete would be against how much risk the university would be taking on them. After classification, Moon had :C phic h Smit Gra meet the established criteria, called the summer Academic Potential Program. Those students who do not meet the university admission requirements for fall may be admitted to summer B classes. If they achieve a C or better in those classes, they can continue on at UNF in the fall. The benefit makes tion on his recommendawhether or not an Updated daily with breaking news, staff blogs, videos and photo galleries unfspinnaker.com � athlete should be offered a scholarship to John Yancey, UNF’s admissions director. If Yancey says no to a candidate, they can still be accepted for the fall term by approval through an appeals committee. According to the UNF catalog, an average student needs a recalculated grade point average of 3.0 in order to be accepted into UNF. But there is another option for students who do not Thanks to the shifting of funds the money is now there for UNF Athletics to provide prospective athletes with the opportunity to enter summer classes. Allowing student athletes to be admitted during the summer session is a good plan, Moon said, especially because of the high levels of support the athletic department is providing for their teams. “We aren’t taking anybody who wouldn’t normally be able to get into the school,” Moon said. But we are bringing in athletes who meet the summer school requirements.” The coaches also play a pivotal part in the athletes’ academics, Moon said. They have to understand and be committed to making sure the students get the support they need to achieve good grades and attend all their classes and necessary tutoring sessions. “We make sure we take care of our kids and give them the right support,” Moon said. “If we have somebody that is not as good a student as others then we know what we have to do to help them. We are not going to just throw them to the wolves.” E-mail Heather Furey at asst.sports@unfspinnaker.com. Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Page 15 Baseball Moon reorganizes UNF Athletics staff Sports Quotes “If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?” - Vince Lombardi “All pitchers are born pitchers.” - Joe DiMaggio “The pitcher has got only a ball. I’ve got a bat. So the percentage of weapons is in my favor and I let the fellow with the ball do the fretting.” - Hank Aaron • Associate Athletic Director for Ticket Sales - this will the first time UNF has ever had a position for ticket sales. • Dan Wuerth - comes to UNF to take over the position of Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations. • Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations - will be in charge of all UNF athletic facilities and scheduling operations. • Associate Athletic Director for Development - Will be in charge of all financial development for the AD. “I’m aware if I’m playing at my best I’m tough to beat. And I enjoy that.” - Tiger Woods Graphic: Art team • Eric Scott - has taken a job as an intern on the media relations staff of the Jacksonville Jaguars. • Shawn Lafata - is currently looking for another career after spending time in UNF and JU’s media relations departments. • Elliot Darkatsh - is leaving the position of Director of Marketing and Relations for UNF. • Adam Johnson- accepted a position at Northwestern State University as their director of ticket sales. By John Weidner Sports editor UNF Athletic Director Lee Moon has taken another step toward improving UNF’s athletic program by replacing several members of his support staff. In May, the entire staff of the UNF Athletics development and media relations departments was released or moved on to new jobs. The departing employees include former Assistant Athletics Director for Media Relations Shawn Lafata, Media Relations Assistants Adam Johnson and Eric Scott, Development officers Trevor Stanton and Rick Grainger, and Director of Marketing Elliot Darkatsh. The moves have left what Lafata said is a gaping hole in the athletic department. “Without any of these people, it’s hard to make progress,” Lafata said. “There’s nobody to raise any money for athletics, and UNF is pretty much in a black hole from a [public relations] perspective.” A majority of the burden of important off- season duties falls on Moon. There are several key issues the athletic department is currently facing including in a highly disputed radio contract and the constant public relations battle, Lafata said. However, Moon said he feels fortunate that the openings came at the best time possible and that he has strong support from several people. “He’s been around the block more than a few times,” Lafata said. “He’s secured several big donations and rebuilt programs in the past. Who knows what he’s capable of ?” The change in staff is just the latest big move for UNF Athletics since Moon’s arrival in February. Moon has replaced the entire staff of the men’s basketball team, whose success is essential to the expansion of UNF athletics, he said. Moon has already begun with the process of replacing these positions and has already found one “great acquisition,” he said. Moon announced the hiring of Jeff Wuerth as the new Assistant Athletics Director for Media Relations May 28. Wuerth comes to UNF from the University of South Florida, where he oversaw all the communication “I want to test my maximum and see how much I can do. And I want to change the world of swimming.” -Michael Phelps needs for the Men’s Basketball and Men’s Golf programs, in addition to duties with the school’s athletics Web site and football team. Wuerth has more than 15 years of experience in media relations including work at both Division I and professional levels, coordinating opening rounds of the 2008 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, directing public relations for Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer, and helping media relation for the 2008 and 2009 Outback Bowls and the 2009 WNBA Draft. “Jeff brings a lot of experience to the table that UNF can really benefit from in the future,” Moon said. The athletic department is in the early process of advertising and selecting search committees in hiring the rest of the new staff members, Moon said. It is also in the process of reallocating finances in order to open up new positions and is currently working on reevaluating different job duties and descriptions. E-mail John Weidner at sports@unfspinnaker.com. Baseball in Northeast Florida gets hot with the Jacksonville Suns By Amanda Foley contributing Writer Jacksonville may only have one professional sports team, but for sports fans on the First Coast looking for an off-season fix, there is an answer: the Jacksonville Suns. Besides the games themselves, there is a variety of entertainment the Suns offer for the community as a way to better enjoy the day at the park. The grounds are familyfriendly with two bouncy houses, a giant slide, an obstacle course and an inflatable speed pitch game. The Suns also host several family oriented promotions each month including postgame concerts, Friday Night Family Fireworks, Saturday giveaways, Fifty Cent Family Feast Tuesdays and when kids run the bases on the field at the Grounds after each game on Sundays. For others, there are several other promotions to enjoy, including weekly specials such as Wednesday’s Businesspersons Specials and Thursday Night Throwdowns. In 2003, the Suns received a new baseball stadium as part of the Better Jacksonville Plan. In the same year, they broke the record for the highest attendance in the Southern League and surpassed that number the following season. In 2005, the Suns were recognized as Southern League “It doesn’t get any easier. You go out and try to hang in and put as much pressure on him as possible.” - Roger Federer Champions and as Baseball America’s Minor League Team of the Year. Although the Suns are only a minor league team, they are known for providing North Florida a chance to see major league talent play. In 2007, there were 61 former Suns players on major league rosters including New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez, San Francisco Giant Randy Johnson and Los Angeles Dodger Ching-Lung Hu. The Suns have also had several stars and Hall of Famers on past rosters such as Bret Boone, Hank Aaron, Tug McGraw, Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver. The Suns are currently in their first season of affiliation with the Florida Marlins as their AA affiliate. The team has been affiliated with major league teams in their 47-year history and recently finished a nine-year affiliation with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2009. The team’s current roster includes several former players from the North Carolina Mudcats, previously affiliated with the Florida Marlins, who won the North Division last season. Suns tickets can be purchased online at jaxsuns.com, over the phone during normal business hours by calling (904) 358-2846 or at the ticket office. E-mail Amanda Foley at sports@unfspinnaker.com. “No one did what I did last season and for this I deserve the Golden Boot and why not the best World Player.” - Cristiano Ronaldo “In sports ... you play from the time you’re eight years old, and then you’re done forever.” - Joe Montana “Hitting the ball was easy. Running around the bases was the tough part.” - Mickey Mantle “The only way of finding a solution is to fight back, to move, to run, and to control that pressure.” - Rafeal Nadal “Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.” - Magic Johnson Page 15 Spinnaker Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Advertisement ADDDDDDDDDDDDD