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UNF Spinnaker

UNF's #1 Student-Run News Source

UNF Spinnaker

UNF's #1 Student-Run News Source

UNF Spinnaker

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UNF professors team with local environmental companies

Spinnaker September 2, 2009

Pollution has become a dirty problem that can no longer hide itself, and Jacksonville is no exception. Affecting the St. Johns River and Jacksonville beaches, nutrient overloading from lawn over-fertilization...

Paper or plastic? Go with canvas bags

Spinnaker September 2, 2009

It may seem that Ricky Fitts might be alone in his opinion of a fluttering plastic bag on a California asphalt-scape as — the most beautiful thing — (‘American Beauty,’ anyone?). In fact, quite...

Osprey Idol show attracts crowd of 400 attendees during Week of Welcome events

Spinnaker September 2, 2009

The African American Student Union hosted the annual Osprey Idol talent show as part of the Week of Welcome festivities Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom with over 400 students in attendance. The...

Greek Council treasurer steals $2,600, charged with employee felony theft

Spinnaker September 2, 2009

James Jones, treasurer for UNF’s Greek Council, was arrested and charged with a third-degree felony, employee theft, for charging an unauthorized $2,600 onto a fraternity’s credit card, according to...

Avoiding long lines in the bookstore, helping the environment becomes easier

Spinnaker September 2, 2009

Students may finally have a reasonable excuse to bring their laptop to class (other than perusing Facebook) — electronic textbook options transfer learning from hardcopy to digital. Amazon.com and half.com...

Logistics and transportation majors will continue to help Arc Jacksonville in the future

Spinnaker September 2, 2009

Seven UNF students from the Transportation and Logistics Flagship Program spent three weeks out of August working with Arc Jacksonville, a non-profit company that provides contracted work for individuals...

Photo Gallery: Women's Ride #9

Spinnaker September 1, 2009
A non-traditional social gathering lead more than 30 cyclists through the streets of downtown Jacksonville Sunday afternoon.

Senate seat update: Delaney stays

Spinnaker August 28, 2009

Gov. Charlie Crist announced Aug. 28 Chief of Staff George LeMieux will be replacing Sen. Mel Martinez’s seat. UNF President John Delaney was one of the candidates Gov. Crist had personally interviewed...

BREAKING NEWS: UNF baseball coach Dusty Rhodes retires

Spinnaker August 21, 2009

As a new era in UNF sports begins this fall another one ended on Aug. 21. UNF Athletic Director Lee Moon announced a press conference for August 24 to disclose the retirement of UNF head baseball coach...

Recruiting pieces of a winning team

Spinnaker August 20, 2009

As the UNF men’s basketball team will fight for a winning season this year, coaches, including Head Coach Matthew Driscoll fought for the “winning players” during the recruiting season. “The ability...

Money is key to moving toward more D-1 wins

Spinnaker August 20, 2009

After spending almost an hour in Lee Moon’s office talking about the future of UNF Athletics, I have figured what UNF needs to succeed – more money. That’s it. That’s the bottom line. But how...

Troubling health care policies need fixing

Spinnaker August 20, 2009

The health insurance and pharmaceutical cartel, in cahoots with their conservative cronies in congress and the media, are using scare tactics, half-truths and bald-faced untruths in their full-court press...

College: where high school hierarchy comes to die

Spinnaker August 20, 2009

After months or maybe even years of waning patience to let loose on your own, you are finally at UNF. Welcome. Although it might be tempting to hole up in your room, poring over Facebook profiles of friends...

Recent H1N1 deaths in Florida cause stir among health officials as flu season arrives

Spinnaker August 20, 2009

There have been three deaths con­firmed in Jacksonville this month with cases of the H1N1 virus, casually known as the swine flu. Not much information was released about the three women fallen victim...

Float through the Fountains in five-story oasis, leave only for class

Spinnaker August 20, 2009

The newest and most expensive building on campus, the Osprey Fountains, will be opening this fall, adding 1,000 beds to university housing. The Fountains can be accessed by vehicle via Kernan Boulevard...

Upfront savings from rented texts could keep students’ pockets full

Spinnaker August 20, 2009

Tired of paying $150 for a textbook and getting $15 – if anything – when you sell it back?  eFollet, the company that runs the UNF Bookstore, is now offering a rental option to help students save...

The Most Bang for Your Buck, But UNF Isn’t all About the Green

Spinnaker August 20, 2009

While UNF managed to make a presence on The Princeton Review’s Best Value College and Best in the Southeast lists, it failed to meet the criteria for the green lists and the Green Honor Roll UNF was...

Breaking news:Crist interviews Delaney for vacant Senate seat

Spinnaker August 19, 2009

Gov. Charlie Crist interviewed UNF President John Delaney at Cecil Field Aug. 19 to replace Sen. Mel Martinez, who has announced he will be resigning. Delaney said if offered the position he would have...

Photo Gallery: Osprey Fountains

Spinnaker August 13, 2009
Osprey Fountains are opening fall 2009. The $86 million residence hall includes many amenities, including a lazy river, fitness center and themed lounges.

Your info: on expo

Spinnaker August 12, 2009

As the popularity of Facebook transcends MySpace, issues of personal information security have arisen, transforming fun ap­plications into risky ventures. “There’s a different type of prob­lem...

COEHS has a new home in LEED Silver certified building

Spinnaker August 12, 2009

UNF held an open house in the new College of Education and Human Services June 24. The facility contains about 100,000 square feet in its three floors. It houses the college’s administrative facilities...

UNF makes fuel cells

Spinnaker August 12, 2009

Imagine never having to charge your cell phone or laptop again. Some students at UNF may be making this a future possibility. Mechanical engineering students are developing improved fuel cells for the...

Forced indie credibility shines in ‘Summer’

Spinnaker August 9, 2009

Ever since the cultural explosion and widespread acceptance of The First Indie Flick As Far As Normal America Is Concerned, “Garden State,” there has been a slew of slightly off-beat, nicely scored...

Beauty mingles with campus construction

Spinnaker August 6, 2009

The new Brooks College of Health building will look a little different this fall, after the installation of a statue, garden and waterfall. The statue, which will be of a mother and child, was selected...

Coastal biology department fuses art with science

Spinnaker August 6, 2009

UNF’s Coastal Biology Flagship Program was at the Jacksonville Art Walk downtown July 1 for the exhibition opening of “The River as We See It – Artifacts and Photographs.” The exhibition included...

July 2 – 18

Spinnaker August 6, 2009

July 2 – Stolen Property (Lot 18) – A student parked in Lot 18 noticed a UNF parking ticket on her car. When she left the vehicle, she had a parking decal hanging from her rear-view mirror, but upon...

UPD places first in national competition

Spinnaker August 6, 2009

After a lot of hard work, UNF’s University Police Department placed first out of 16 total departments in the National Law Enforcement Challenge’s “College/University” category, said Assistant Chief...

Out-of-state residency students will pay more tuition after amended bill

Spinnaker July 30, 2009

Out-of-state students planning to gain Florida residency for the fall may have to change their plans after the Florida State Legislature’s announcement of the amended State Bill 1696. The law used to...

Editorial: Palin resignation raises eyebrows

Spinnaker July 24, 2009

It’s not me, it’s you, explained Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Ala., throughout the 2,610 words of her resignation speech, while “passing the ball” to Sean Parnell. The dominant reason for her resignation...

Commentary: Nerds are back in style, mark new era of acceptance through technology

Spinnaker July 24, 2009

Wake up people, do you remember that goofy guy with the glasses that was smarter than everyone in class, and you used to tease him because of it? How about the person that you would pay to do your math...

UNF annexes art museum

Spinnaker July 24, 2009

UNF’s Board of Trustees voted April 16 to allow the obtainment of the Museum of Contemporary Art and lend the institution about $500,000. This was following an 11-month review process that looked...

Bright Futures flips its switch; students face new escalating costs next semester

Spinnaker July 24, 2009

In the wake of dwindling Florida Lottery funds, Bright Futures scholars will not be guaranteed the tuition coverage of the past starting this fall. State legislators, influenced by the perishing state...

Photo Gallery: The Offspring Performance in St. Augustine

Spinnaker July 20, 2009

[HTML1] Frank Turner and Sum 41 opened for The Offspring on Friday July 17 at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre.

Photo Gallery: Rugby- Axemen v. Sharks

Spinnaker July 20, 2009

[HTML1] Jacksonville Axemen took a comanding lead against the BC Sharks on July 18 with a final score of 64 to 8.

UNF Athletics swoops into the Nike swoosh

Spinnaker July 8, 2009

For the first time in the history of UNF, the athletics department has made an agreement with Nike Inc. to have them as UNF Athletics’ provider for sports gear. UNF is making a transition to a Nike...

Jacksonville locale attracts potential student-athletes

Spinnaker July 8, 2009

A location featuring 22 miles of beaches only a few miles away from campus, national and international sporting events, more than 1,000 acres of nature trails, 72 golf courses and the home to the Jacksonville...

WOSP-Radio not quite ready to fly

Spinnaker July 8, 2009

Osprey Radio, a member of the Center for Student Media trichotomy, has many obstacles to overcome before it begins streaming again. At the moment, this station-in-the-works’ biggest issue deals with...

June 19 – 24

Spinnaker July 2, 2009

June 19 – Damaged Property (Lot 18) – UPD was dispatched to Lot 18 after a complaint that there was damage to some of the new information signs that were not yet installed around campus. There was...

June bomb scare made public

Spinnaker July 2, 2009

Graffiti was found in Building 50 that said the building was going to blow up July 14, UPD Chief John Dean said. JSO Bomb Squad and the FBI are assisting UNF in the investigation but it is uncertain why...

‘Hell’ drags in fans of traditional dark comedy horror films

Spinnaker July 1, 2009

If you are looking for the ultimate date movie, then Drag Me to Hell is one guaranteed to get your arm squeezed, your shoulders hugged and your body squirmed. The girls will scream, and everyone will...

UNF student runs local contemporary art gallery in Five Points

Spinnaker July 1, 2009

Running an art gallery, going to college and trying to expand a personal art portfolio are not very easy things to do all at one time, but UNF senior fine arts student Shea Slemmer, manages to do so. Slemmer...

“Grab What You Can” from local hip-hop artist

Spinnaker July 1, 2009

Local hip-hop artist, Tough Junkie, just released a new album, “Grab What You Can,” and to be perfectly honest, it is one of the best churned from Jacksonville. A titillating 45 minutes of pure,...

Austin rock band sees success after climbing a ‘Mountain’

Spinnaker June 28, 2009

Erika Wennerstrom does not think she is much of a guitar player. She did not think she was much of a singer, either, until she was about 20 years old and dug up the guts to try it out in front of people....

May 20 – June 18

Spinnaker June 26, 2009

May 20 – Petty Theft (Building 43) – An employee called UPD to tell them her cell phone and raincoat were missing. She said she was not sure where the items were stolen, but according to her service...

Adam Jonson moving to NSU

Spinnaker June 26, 2009

Former Assistant Director of Media Relations at UNF, Adam Jonson, is now the assistant marketing director for tickets operations at his alma mater, Northwestern State University in Louisiana. One of six that...

UNF professor inducted into the Sam Walton Fellow Hall of Fame

Spinnaker June 26, 2009

Fred Pragasam, a UNmanagement professor, was inducted into the Sam Walton Fellow Hall of Fame for over 10 years of work he has done with UNF’s Students in Free Enterprise. Born in Madras, India, Pragasam...

UNF Revises Student Religious Absence Rules

Spinnaker June 25, 2009

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...

Tuition Rate Set in Stone for 2009-10

Spinnaker June 25, 2009

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...

UNF’s Athletic Admissions Furthers Division I Program

Spinnaker June 25, 2009

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...

Changes for the A-Sun Conference

Spinnaker June 21, 2009

      The Atlantic Sun Conference concluded their annual spring meetings June 11 by announcing the host sites for the upcoming 2009-2010 baseball, indoor track and field, and tennis conference championships.       ...

Future of Gaming = Natal

Spinnaker June 7, 2009

Earlier this week Project Natal by Microsoft was revealed at the Electronics Expo in California. For those of you that have no idea what that is. Its basically where all three console designers: Sony,...

The tennis world at its worst

Spinnaker June 3, 2009

     If you aren’t aware of the events that went on during the 2009 French Open, then you’re in for a wild ride of drug use and betting that will make you think you were watching baseball.       Rafael...

Top 5 pays homage to New Zealand

Spinnaker June 3, 2009

May, nationally designated as masturbation month here in the U.S., is recognized in The Land of the Long White Cloud as New Zealand Music Month. All month long all those Kiwi kids so far south of the...

EPA injects funds into Florida’s green initiatives

Spinnaker June 3, 2009

Aimed to augment Florida’s water quality and to boast the economy by creating sustainable jobs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has allocated $1,336,300 to the Florida Department of Environmental...

New rail system in Jacksonville sparks contentious viewpoints

Spinnaker June 3, 2009

JTA consultant Gannett Fleming Inc. of Pennsylvania is pushing forward with its $400,000 feasibility study of a commuter rail in Jacksonville despite the recent failure of the Sun Rail.  So far the study...

UNF revises religious related absence policy

Spinnaker June 3, 2009

UNF released a notice of amended regulation regarding student absences on days of religious observation May 11.    Members of the UNF Office of General Counsel revised the document so it would be in...

Spinnaker’s 2009 NFL preseason power rankings

Spinnaker June 3, 2009

With summer in the air, football might be the furthest thing from sports fans’ minds. But as training camps start, so do preseason predictions. When trying to predict how teams stand at the beginning...

UNF Athletic Department shakeup; 6 positions vacant

Spinnaker May 29, 2009

UNF Athletic Director Lee Moon said he has taken another step towards improving UNF’s athletic program by replacing several members of his support staff. In the month of the May the UNF athletics...

College of Computing, Engineering and Construction receives interim dean

Spinnaker May 26, 2009

Mark Workman, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, announced May 7 that Dr. Peter Braza will be replacing Dean Neal Coulter as interim dean at the College of Computing, Engineering and Construction...

Top 5 Beginning of Summer Albums

Spinnaker May 26, 2009

Jason Yurgartis has left the building, people. He graduated from our university and for unknown reasons left me in charge of maintaining his brainchild weekly Top 5 lists. [Editors Note - She is more than...

Ospreys take down USC Upstate Spartans

Spinnaker May 26, 2009

The key component to the UNF baseball team’s 6-2 victory against the University of South Carolina Upstate Spartans May 10 was left-handed junior pitcher Michael Kelly’s six innings of pitching with...

Women’s basketball teams signs two juniors for the upcoming season

Spinnaker May 26, 2009

UNF women’s basketball team announced the signing of two new players from Alabama to join the Ospreys for the upcoming Division I season. Both basketball players have played previous college ball...

May 9 – 12

Spinnaker May 26, 2009

May 9 – Information (Lot 18) UPD was dispatched to Lot 18 in response to a sick person. After UPD called Fire and Rescue, the ill person was transported to St. Vincent’s Medical Center. May 11 –...

Professor receives scholarship to teach overseas

Spinnaker May 20, 2009

  UNF Professor of Finance Dr. Parvez Ahmed recently awarded the Fulbright Award and will be spending four months teaching at the University of Bangladesh in Dhaka this fall. The Fulbright program...

May 4 – 7

Spinnaker May 18, 2009

May 4- Petty Theft (Building 26) UPD was alerted to the men’s locker room after a UNF employee noticed his car key and his employee identification card were missing. After the victim and the officer...

Staff Blog: A day in an ancient city eating the cockroaches of the sea

Spinnaker May 12, 2009

As hot as the Sahara, my sizzling flesh matched the brilliant red hues of over 20,000 pounds of crawfish –freshwater cockroaches, if you will – anticipating their consumption throughout the two-day...

UNF announces action plan for swine flu

Spinnaker May 11, 2009

The UNF administration, in conjunction with the Duval County Health Department, released its action plan for combating swine flu in an April 30 campus update. UNF announced that they are actively monitoring...

Baseball sees rain delay after USF game

Spinnaker May 11, 2009

The Osprey's game against the University of South Florida Bulls was called due to excessive rain May 6 after four and a half innings, a 37-minute lightning delay and a two-RBI single by freshman infielder...

April 24 – May 4

Spinnaker May 8, 2009

April 24- Petty Theft (Building Y) While moving out of his Osprey Landing dorm, a resident noticed his watch was missing valued at $95. His roommate was also missing $20. A key audit to the room conducted...

Studying abroad may improve chances of securing a job

Spinnaker May 7, 2009

A background in foreign cultures through the study abroad programs may help students who often realize that being hired is a greater challenge now than it has ever been since the Great Depression. Besides...

Staff Blog: Journalists can learn from Russell Crowe

Spinnaker May 5, 2009
Russell Crowe’s depiction of his hard-hitting reporter character, Cal McAffre, in State of Play is as real description of the career of a journalist as they come.

Staff Blog: Another round of government intervention; UAW owns Chrysler

Spinnaker May 5, 2009

Way back in November, still under the Bush administration, I wrote a column documenting how a moral hazard was being created and the slew of negative unintended consequences that stem from government actions,...

Treaty Oak brings together the sun-bathed for “Movies in the Park”

Spinnaker May 5, 2009

Well folks, school is out and your skin is already fried from immediately over-heating it at the beach. All you can think about is finding a shady refuge so your skin can solace. Luckily, San Marco’s...

Photo Gallery: 25th Wavemaster surfing competition

Spinnaker May 4, 2009

The 25th annual Wavemaster surfing competition took place at Jacksonville Beach May 2-3. The competition included both long and short board divisions as well as separate brackets for women, juniors, seniors...

Economist: Wait recession out, worst is over

Spinnaker May 4, 2009

Local economist Mark Vitner said April 29 that the worst of the recession is over and predicts it to only get better, as apart of the Coggin College of Business’ Alumni Speaker Series at the University...

Job market conducive to new grads

Spinnaker May 1, 2009

The recently published annual list of the top entry-level employers for the 2009 graduation class should give hope to new grads. The list, compiled by CollegeGrad.com, represents about 158,000 entry-level...

April 20 – 22

Spinnaker April 29, 2009

April 20- Petty Theft- (Building 53) - A UNF employee contacted UPD after realizing her cell phone was missing from her office. She had to leave her office door open because her key wasn’t working. The...

Staff Commentary: Breaking down the NFC Draft

Spinnaker April 28, 2009

While some teams failed utterly (ahem Cowboys) and some took glory in their standings and draft picks (Vikings/Giants). Here is my hopefully unbiased analysis and grades on the NFL Draft over the weekend....

Benevolent seniors receive recognition

Spinnaker April 27, 2009

UNF recognized two students for their volunteerism and granted another with a posthumous degree April 24 at the spring graduation commencement. Ian McInnis, political science major, was presented the...

Staff Blog: How Mexico has failed us with the Swine Flu

Spinnaker April 26, 2009

As of today, Mexico city has literally shut down everything dealing with public life. Schools, restaurants, museums, and other public venues because of a swine flu outbreak that has killed at least 80...

Road rage attack lands UNF student in coma

Spinnaker April 22, 2009

A UNF student and his friend were physically assaulted by two unknown suspects during a road rage incident April 17 in Jacksonville Beach. The passenger was a 22-year-old sports management major and is...

Tea parties flood nation on tax day

Spinnaker April 22, 2009

While some American citizens may have been frantically crunching numbers in fear of the infamous April 15 tax deadline, others linked together in a series of local and national protests known as “tea...

Top educators give best, get rewarded

Spinnaker April 22, 2009

With the end of the semester upon us, most faculty members are busy preparing final exams, posting grades and cleaning out their offices for the summer break, but recently a few teachers caught a break...

Classroom efforts reap local benefits

Spinnaker April 22, 2009

A UNF public relations class, taught by professor Bobbi Doggett, is taking classroom assignments into the real world. The course’s main purpose is to act as a PR agency, raising awareness and funds...

April 4 – April 17

Spinnaker April 22, 2009

April 4- Underage Possession of Alcohol (Building Q) - UPD was contacted after a resident assistant heard loud noises and what sounded like a bouncing ping pong ball coming from a dorm room. The officer...

Men's basketball signs first recruit for 09-10

Spinnaker April 21, 2009
First-year UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll, announced the signing of the first UNF recruit since the program has reached full Division I status. David Jeune, a 6-7 power forward from Okeechobee High School, will be looked to for help in scoring and rebounds.

Ex-UNF employee murdered, mourned

Spinnaker April 20, 2009

Passionate. Positive. Cheerful. Compassionate. Sincere.       These are the words used to describe ex-UNF employee Francie Billotti-Wood, 33, who is now mourned by her co-workers, friends and remaining...

Staff Blog: Possible NFL Expansion Cities

Spinnaker April 19, 2009
The Spinnaker compiled a list of cities that could possibly house an NFL expansion team and some ideas for the new teams' mascots.

Yankees to sign Kenny Powers

Spinnaker April 17, 2009

To shore up the New York Yankees atrocious bullpen after starting the season in its a new ball park, one game above .500. After spending over $420 million in the offseason to address its inconsistencies,...

Guitar Hero: Metallica rocks on!

Spinnaker April 17, 2009

No other music game on the market today will influence different genre's of rock and roll, and Metallica, being the superforce that they, challenge you to rock like there is no tomorrow. Former developer...

Photo Gallery: Skate Demo

Spinnaker April 16, 2009

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Weekend accident claims student’s life, injures another

Spinnaker April 15, 2009

One student died and another was seriously injured in a boating accident April 12 in St. Johns County. The 22-foot Crownline boat that carried 14 people collided into a 25-foot tugboat knotted to...

April 6 – April 12

Spinnaker April 15, 2009

April 6 – Burglary (Lot 34) – A parking pass was stolen from a vehicle parked near the baseball stadium. The owner of the vehicle did not realize his pass was missing until he received a parking...

Blocking off Jacksonville

Spinnaker April 15, 2009

After a recent stabbing at Jacksonville University and reports of violent crimes at UNF, both universities are looking for ways to address the emerging problem of outside threats encroaching campuses. In...

Local talk show hosts critique Obama’s first 100 days in office

Spinnaker April 15, 2009

Bailouts, taxes, national defense and private enterprise were just a few of the topics discussed by two nationally syndicated talk show personalities who UNF and WOKV hosted for an event titled “The...

Campus fraternity teaches minorities about real world

Spinnaker April 15, 2009

The Omega Psi Phi fraternity recently organized its second workshop April 10 to educate minority youths on issues they will have to face in the real world. This semester’s workshop attracted more than...

News in Brief – April 15

Spinnaker April 15, 2009

Athletes support chapters of Boys and Girls club during National Student Athlete Day In celebration of National Student Athlete Day April 4, UNF athletes treated children from Family Support Services...

Police Beat Hall of Fame

Spinnaker April 15, 2009

Every week, the Spinnaker compiles the most recent arrests, investigation updates and often humorous findings from UPD police reports. Here’s a look back at some of the most outrageous police beat...

Wayfinding project helps direct all through campus

Spinnaker April 15, 2009

Some recent small adjustments to the campus environment might not be noticeable to those already acclimated with UNF’s campus, but they can make all the difference to people who might not know their...

Student investment group outpaces market trends

Spinnaker April 15, 2009

Osprey Financial Group, an independent student-run investment entity, reported its annual earnings for the 2008-2009 fiscal year April 14 in UNF Hall. When OFG began actively managing the fund Oct....

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