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UNF's #1 Student-Run News Source

UNF Spinnaker

UNF's #1 Student-Run News Source

UNF Spinnaker

Alex Toth, Features Editor

All content by Alex Toth
Photo of music app on phone

Nostalgic tunes to erase those first semester blues

Alex Toth July 18, 2019

If there’s one thing that’s unavoidable in your first semester of college, it’s stress. The pressure of living away from home for the first time, having to make new friends, wondering whether or...

2020 democratic presidential candidate Michael Bennet.

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Michael Bennet

Alex Toth June 26, 2019

Age: 54 Experience: U.S. Senator from Colorado (2009-present), Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (2013-2015). Fun Fact: Bennet was diagnosed with prostate cancer on April 3, 2019....

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Bill de Blasio

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Bill de Blasio

Alex Toth June 26, 2019

Age: 58 Experience: Mayor of New York City (2014-present) Fun Fact: Bill de Blasio’s birth name is Warren Wilheim Jr. He legally changed his name to Warren de Blasio-Wilheim because of his father’s...

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Andrew Yang

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Andrew Yang

Alex Toth June 26, 2019

Age: 44 Experience: N/A Fun Fact: Andrew Yang is the founder of Venture for America, a nonprofit organization that promotes entrepreneurship by training recent graduates and young professionals to...

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Elizabeth Warren

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Elizabeth Warren

Alex Toth June 26, 2019

Age: 69 Experience: U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (2013-present) Fun Fact: Before entering politics, Warren was a law professor for more than 30 years. She taught at the University of Michigan,...

2020 democratic candidate Marianne Williamson.

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Marianne Williamson

Alex Toth June 26, 2019

Age: 66 Experience: N/A Fun Fact: Williamson founded Project Angel Food, a nonprofit organization that provides free meals for men and women who are too sick to cook for themselves. Marianne Williamson,...

Photo of presidential candidate Eric Swalwell

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Eric Swalwell

Alex Toth June 26, 2019

Age: 38 Experience: U.S. Representative from CA-15 (2013-present), Member on Durbin, California City Council (2010-2013) Fun Fact: Swalwell became the first person in his family to attend college...

Photo of Bernie Sanders

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Bernie Sanders

Alex Toth June 25, 2019

Age: 77 Experience: U.S. Senator from Vermont (2007-present), U.S. Representative from VT-AL (1991-2007), Mayor of Burlington, Vermont (1981-1989)  Fun Fact: In 1963, Sanders was arrested in Chicago...

Picture of Tim Ryan

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Tim Ryan

Alex Toth June 25, 2019

Age: 45 Experience: U.S. Representative from OH-13 and OH-17 (2003-present) Fun Fact: Ryan played quarterback for his varsity high school football team.  Tim Ryan, a nine-term congressman and...

Photo of former U.S. congressman Beto O' Rourke

2020 democratic candidate: Beto O’ Rourke

Alex Toth June 25, 2019

Age: 46 Experience: U.S. Representative from TX-16 (2013-2019) Fun Fact: In his 20s, Beto O’Rourke was part of a punk rock band in El Paso called Foss.  One of the most hyped up candidates...

Picture of Seth Moulton

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Seth Moulton

Alex Toth June 24, 2019

Age: 40 Experience: U.S. Representative from MA-06 (2015-present) Fun Fact: Moulton served four tours in Iraq as part of the United States Marine Corps. Moulton, the congressional representative...

Photo of Mayor Wayne Messam

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Wayne Messam

Alex Toth June 24, 2019

Age: 44 Experience: Mayor of Miramar, Florida (2015-present) Fun Fact: Messam was a national champion in college football at Florida State, and briefly played in the NFL. Another candidate looking...

Photo of presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Amy Klobuchar

Alex Toth June 24, 2019

Age: 58 Experience: U.S. Senator from Minnesota (2007-present) Fun Fact: Another one of the moderates in the race, Klobuchar’s campaign is centered around realism and pragmatism in regards to...

Photo of Jay Inslee

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Jay Inslee

Alex Toth June 21, 2019

Age: 68 Experience: Governor of Washington (2013-present), U.S. Representative from WA-01 (1999-2012), U.S. Representative from WA-04 (1993-1995) Fun Fact: In 2009, Inslee participated in a basketball...

Photo of John Hickenlooper

2020 democratic presidential candidate: John Hickenlooper

Alex Toth June 21, 2019

Age: 67 Experience: Governor of Colorado (2011-2019), Mayor of Denver, Colorado (2003-2011) Fun Fact: After Hickenlooper lost his job as a geologist in the 80s, he used a library book on business...

Picture of Kamala Harris

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Kamala Harris

Alex Toth June 20, 2019

Age: 54 Experience: U.S. Senator from California (2017-present), Attorney General of California (2011-2017) Fun Fact: Harris’ parents are Jamaican and Indian immigrants, which would make her not...

Presidential candidate Mike Gravel

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Mike Gravel

Alex Toth June 19, 2019

Age: 88 Experience: U.S. Senator from Alaska (1969-1981) Fun Fact: Gravel served as the CEO of KUSH, a company which makes marijuana-infused products for recreational and medicinal use. Gravel...

Picture of Kirsten Gillibrand

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Kirsten Gillibrand

Alex Toth June 19, 2019

Age: 52 Experience: U.S. Senator from New York (2009-present), U.S. Representative from NY-20 (2007-2009) Fun Fact: Gillibrand was named among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the...

Picture of Tulsi Gabbard

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Tulsi Gabbard

Alex Toth June 18, 2019

Age: 38 Experience: U.S. Representative from HI-02 (2013-present) Fun Fact: Tulsi Gabbard is the first ever Hindu member of Congress. Tulsi Gabbard rose to fame in 2016, when she stepped down...

Picture of John Delaney (Presidential candidate)

2020 democratic presidential candidate: John Delaney

Alex Toth June 18, 2019

Age: 56 Experience: U.S. Representative from MD-06 (2013-2019) Fun Fact: Delaney was once the youngest CEO on the New York Stock Exchange when his first company went public. No, UNF students,...

Picture of Julian Castro

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Julian Castro

Alex Toth June 17, 2019

Julian Castro Age: 44 Experience: U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (2014-2017), Mayor of San Antonio, Texas (2009-2014) Fun Fact: Castro has a twin brother, Joaquin, who serves...

Picture of Pete Buttigieg

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Pete Buttigieg

Alex Toth June 17, 2019

Age: 37 Experience: Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012-Present) Fun Fact: Buttigieg can speak seven languages, including Norwegian and Arabic. The millennial mayor of South Bend, Indiana announced...

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Joe Biden

Alex Toth June 15, 2019

Age: 76 Experience: Vice President of the United States (2009-2017), U.S. Senator from Delaware (1973-2009) Fun Fact: In 2012, then-Vice President Biden became the highest ranking official in the...

Cory Booker

2020 democratic presidential candidate: Cory Booker

Alex Toth June 14, 2019

Age: 49 Experience: U.S. Senator from New Jersey (2013-present), Mayor of Newark, New Jersey (2006-2013) Fun Fact: Booker has made appearances as a television actor, appearing on a 2015 episode of...

Album cover for "Map of the Soul: Persona." Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment.

BTS shatter records and explore psychology with “Map of the Soul: Persona”

Alex Toth, Features Editor April 17, 2019

“Map of the Soul: Persona” is the biggest album of 2019. The music video for its lead single “Boy With Luv” broke the record for most YouTube views in 24 hours, with nearly 75 million, as well...

Florida public universities commit to freedom of expression

Florida public universities commit to freedom of expression

Alex Toth, Features Editor April 16, 2019

Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida’s higher education leaders have committed to freedom of expression on university and college campuses in Florida. In a news conference Monday, DeSantis presented a statement...

UNF’s Ogier Gardens holds inaugural “Taste of Ogier Gardens” fundraiser

Alex Toth, Features Editor April 3, 2019

The Ogier Gardens will offer the local Jacksonville community the opportunity to learn about the value of growing and preparing their own food as part of their "Taste of Ogier Gardens" fundraiser on Thursday....

UNF Poll results on Jacksonville 2019 Elections.

[Photo] UNF poll reveals Curry leading the race for Mayor of Jacksonville

Alex Del Dago, Government reporter February 20, 2019

UNF Poll results on Jacksonville 2019 Elections.

Reserved parking in the arena garage.

Extra parking spots reserved in Fine Arts and Arena garages

Alex Toth, Features Editor February 4, 2019

The Fine Arts Center and Arena garages will both have extra spots reserved for events in the coming days. Students will not be able to use these spots during the times that they are reserved. In the...

Man on the Street

[Photo] Man on the Street: Super Bowl LIII

Jay Mafela February 3, 2019

Man on the Street

Bring Me The Horizon’s “Amo” is a successful experiment

Bring Me The Horizon’s “Amo” is a successful experiment

Alex Toth, Features Editor January 30, 2019

This album was always gonna be a divisive one. If “That’s the Spirit” was Bring Me the Horizon’s attempt at testing the waters of pop music, “Amo” is them diving headfirst into it, without...

Courtesy of Polyvinyl Record Co.

The Most Anticipated Albums of 2019

Alex Toth, Features Editor January 9, 2019

The Fully Announced Bring Me the Horizon - Amo: It’s been more than three years since that last album by deathcore-turned-metalcore-turned-pop rock group Bring Me the Horizon, whose 2015 effort “That’s...

Adult content allowed back on campus

Adult content allowed back on campus

Alex Toth, Features Editor January 8, 2019

At the start of December, UNF blocked access to websites featuring adult content on the school Wi-Fi. This ban included not only sites with pornographic content, but also comedy and entertainment websites...

BTS' "Love Yourself: Answer" album cover. Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment.

Spinnaker’s top 10 albums of the year

Alex Toth, Features Editor December 16, 2018

Just like any other year, 2018 brought us some great (and not so great) music. But some albums flew far above the rest, many of them showing how growth, change, and struggle can help make us better as...

Photo by Camille Shaw.

Osprey Cafe receives Green Restaurant certification

Alex Toth, Features Editor December 6, 2018

UNF’s Osprey Café was recently named a 3 Star Certified Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association. The Green Restaurant Association is a national nonprofit organization helping restaurants...

Spinnaker Magazine cover for November-December 2013 issue.

New firewall blocks adult content on UNF wi-fi

Alex Toth, Features Editor December 6, 2018

This past week, students discovered that adult content that was previously available on UNF’s school wi-fi is now blocked by the UNF web filters. Now, we know the reason. A statement from the University...

Gov. Rick Scott (left) Sen. Bill Nelson (right) Photo courtesy Creative Commons

Florida Senate race heads to manual recount

Alex Toth, Features Editor November 16, 2018

The first recount of over 8 million ballots in the U.S. Senate race between Rick Scott and Bill Nelson has concluded, but there's still no official winner. Florida's secretary of state has now ordered...

Graphic by Sam Chaney

Gillum withdraws concession as Florida prepares for recounts

Alex Toth, Features Editor November 10, 2018

Andrew Gillum has officially withdrawn his concession to Ron DeSantis in the Florida gubernatorial race, following news that an official recount was announced by the Florida secretary of state. A recount...

Andrew Gillum

Gillum says recount could be possible in Florida gubernatorial race

Alex Toth, Features Editor November 8, 2018

With tens of thousands of ballots from Broward County still apparently not counted, the Andrew Gillum campaign is now closely watching the votes being tallied in preparation for a possible recount. Last...

Graphic by Sam Chaney

Florida votes “yes” on Amendment 4 to restore felon voting rights

Alex Toth November 6, 2018

Florida Amendment 4 has passed, achieving the 60 percent “yes” vote that was required. Amendment 4’s passing restores the voting rights of over 1.5 million Floridian citizens who committed a...

UNF alum Clay Yarborough wins re-election in Florida House District 12

UNF alum Clay Yarborough wins re-election in Florida House District 12

Alex Toth November 6, 2018

Republican candidate Clay Yarborough was re-elected in District 12 of the Florida House of Representatives. Yarborough graduated from UNF with a bachelor’s degree in business administration....

Cord Byrd

UNF alum Cord Byrd re-elected in Florida House District 11

Alex Toth, Features Editor November 6, 2018

Republican candidate Cord Byrd was re-elected in District 11 of the Florida House of Representatives. Byrd, who received his bachelor’s degree from UNF, was first elected to the seat in 2016....

<i?Graphic courtesy of baditaflorin on Creative Commons

Florida Amendment 4: What it means for voting rights

Alex Toth, Features Editor October 23, 2018

Over 1.5 million Floridian citizens are unable to vote in the upcoming midterms, or any subsequent elections, due to previous felony convictions. This number is more than any other state in the nation....

Hands Like Houses fail to form a new identity on “Anon."

Hands Like Houses fail to form a new identity on “Anon.”

Alex Toth, Features Editor October 16, 2018

One thing I can say about “Anon.” is that it probably has the most fitting album title of the year so far. Ever since they cast aside their image as the “band that does post-hardcore instrumentals...

Hurricane Michael aftermath may cause record highs in northeast Florida

Hurricane Michael aftermath may cause record highs in northeast Florida

Alex Toth, Features Editor October 11, 2018

As Tropical Storm Michael continues to move through the Carolinas and back into the Atlantic Ocean, it may have significant after-effects on the Jacksonville area. According to the forecast by the...

The album artwork for "Trench." Courtesy of Fueled by Ramen.

Twenty One Pilots break old habits on “Trench”

Alex Toth, Features Editor October 9, 2018

I did not expect this album from Twenty One Pilots in 2018. To be honest, I’d be surprised if anyone did. After “Blurryface” catapulted them into the mainstream three years ago, it seemed certain...

Ron DeSantis answers questions for the press with his supporters by his side.

Ron DeSantis wins Republican primary for Florida governor

Alex Toth, Features Editor August 28, 2018

Ron DeSantis claimed victory in the Republican gubernatorial primary on Tuesday. DeSantis won by 621,132 votes in total. DeSantis is a U.S. Representative for the sixth district of Florida. A Jacksonville...

Voting machine malfunctions reported at several Duval County precincts

Voting machine malfunctions reported at several Duval County precincts

Alex Toth, Features Editor August 28, 2018

As Election Day wears on, several reports of ballot problems have emerged from polling locations across Duval County. Florida Politics reported ballot issues at Precinct 606 and Precinct 510 in Jacksonville....

BTS' "Love Yourself: Answer" album cover. Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment.

BTS’ “Love Yourself: Answer” is an uplifting discovery of self-love

Alex Toth, Features Editor August 28, 2018

For even the most acclaimed artists, the "concept album" is a challenging beast. Crafting a satisfying, complete story while making sure each individual song can stand on its own two feet is one of music’s...

Ariana Grande on "Sweetener" cover.

Ariana Grande trades in bombast for cohesion on “Sweetener”

Alex Toth, Features Editor August 21, 2018

“Possibility of loss or injury.” This is the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of the word “risk.” Next to it,  you should probably find a picture of Ariana Grande’s upside-down head...

Panic! At the Disco tread water on “Pray for the Wicked”

Panic! At the Disco tread water on “Pray for the Wicked”

Alex Toth June 29, 2018

One thing Panic! at the Disco has never done, from the emo cabaret of “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” to the dark electropop romp of “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die,” is make two albums that...

Mayday Parade return to their signature sound on “Sunnyland”

Mayday Parade return to their signature sound on “Sunnyland”

Alex Toth June 21, 2018

Pop-punk always makes for an interesting review, because it seems to be the genre where artists have the hardest time standing out. Most pop-punk albums are simple, catchy collections of three-minute...

Dance Gavin Dance finds stability in chaos on “Artificial Selection”

Dance Gavin Dance finds stability in chaos on “Artificial Selection”

Alex Toth June 11, 2018

2016 held a couple big milestones for Dance Gavin Dance. First off, it marked the band’s fourth year with vocalist Tilian Pearson, making him the only man on Earth to last more than three consecutive...

The band CHVRCHES

Chvrches’ “Love is Dead” is a bitter disappointment

Alex Toth May 30, 2018

In 2007, Linkin Park released their third album, “Minutes to Midnight,” to a torrent of controversy and fervor from fans. After two relatively similar rap-rock records garnered them tens of millions...

“Primal Heart” shows Kimbra in all her forms

“Primal Heart” shows Kimbra in all her forms

Alex Toth April 24, 2018

Whenever an artist goes an unusually long time without releasing an album, it means one of three things. Either they’re losing their touch and struggling to come up with new ideas, they’ve gone...

Thirty Seconds to Mars fall victim to their ego on “America”

Thirty Seconds to Mars fall victim to their ego on “America”

Alex Toth April 10, 2018

Jared Leto & Co. have always been trend-hoppers. From the emo-tinged alternative of 2005’s “A Beautiful Lie” to their artsy electro-rock venture “Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams” in 2013,...

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