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UNF's #1 Student-Run News Source

UNF Spinnaker
UNF's #1 Student-Run News Source

UNF Spinnaker
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All content by Spinnaker

UNF student author commemorates Katrina through children’s eyes

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
Many Floridians have gone through this scenario: After hours of a hurricane’s wrath, the sun finally starts to peek through the clouds, the rain stops and all that’s left of a once-terrible storm are puddles and scattered debris on your driveway. But picture this. Suddenly, two explosions shatter the peace followed by a huge tidal wave of water that heads down the street straight toward homes.

British humor gets lost in Americanized movie

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
Young – a rude, cocky loathsome Brit celebrity journalist who comes across the pond to work for a magazine. His only interest is to make it past the red ropes and mix with the Hollywood A-list. The plot is loosely based on Tobey Young’s memoir, and as someone who read the book before the movie was even put into production, I can honestly say the movie doesn’t do the book justice.

Oddball Antics

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
No, you’ve got the wrong guy, I can explain! Facing a domestic charge, a man in Portsmouth, N.H., didn’t want the police to know his true identity because there was a warrant out for his arrest, so he showed them his friend’s driver’s license. Unfortunately for him, there was also a warrant out for the friend’s arrest.

Volunteers homeless in name of politics, research

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
Ben Kastan has an unstable home. In fact, his home moves from one parking lot to another each night. Kastan, a recent college graduate from Washington University in St. Louis, is a volunteer for Project Vote Smart, a non-profit, non-partisan research organization. The group decided in October 2007 to take its library of information to the roads with a 45-foot tour bus.

"Top Five" movie montage songs

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
Movie directors are sometimes charged with a daunting task: How to cram something that would take weeks, months or years to complete into the storyline of a two-hour movie. Building a house, training for a fight and courting a significant other all take a long time. That’s where the montage comes in. Carefully strewn together and set to music, it compresses these long term events into one five-minute clip that usually occurs right before the climax of a movie.

Ospreys show support with pink jerseys

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
The UNF softball players donned light pink jerseys for the Santa Fe Community College doubleheader Sept. 27 to raise cancer awareness. The project began after senior catcher Ashley Battaglia’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer this June. The doctors caught the cancer at its earliest stage, and Battaglia’s mother had a double mastectomy surgery in September, Battaglia said. Her mother starts chemotherapy in October. “My mom is the most influential person in my life and definitely the strongest woman I know,” Battaglia said. “As an obstacle in my mom’s life, she is handling this situation better than I thought. Cancer is definitely the scariest word you can ever hear when it has to do with a family member or a friend.”

Inside the Huddle

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
Jason Yurgartis Features Editor John Weidner Assistant Sports Editor Josh Salman Managing Editor James Cannon II Staff Writer
Question 1: The Chicago Cubs were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, once again failing to meet fans’ expectations. Is this team truly cursed?
No. The fans are content with the mantra “wait until next year,” unlike cities like New York or Boston where teams are expected to produce. The seats will always be full at Wrigley, so there is no sense of urgency for the team. The only thing they are cursed with is a losing mentality. I don’t think too many people in Chicago actually think they could win the World Series. They’re too scared of the curse. No, they just can’t hit in the postseason – like a full batting lineup of A-Rods. Do the Chicago Cubs’ fans still expect greatness?

Swoop Madness to begin basketball season

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
The third annual Swoop Madness will kick-off the UNF men’s and women’s basketball seasons Oct. 17. The event will start with the UNF volleyball team facing off against Campbell University at 7 p.m. After the game, fans will have a chance to meet UNF’s basketball teams and win plenty of prizes. Swoop Madness will also offer fans a chance to see players in scrimmages, 3-point contests and dunk contests.

Conference opener ends victoriously

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
The UNF men’s soccer team began its Atlantic Sun Conference campaign with a 2-1 double-overtime win Oct. 3 against East Tennessee State University. Sophomore forward Akil DeFreitas won the game for UNF (5-5-0, 2-0-0 A-Sun) when he scored his second goal of the game with four minutes left in the second half of overtime.

New highs reached in win

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
The UNF volleyball team defeated Atlantic Sun Conference rival Campbell University with help from sophomore middle blocker Kaley Read’s fifth double-double of the season. Read finished with a match-high 23 kills and a career-high 24 digs to lead the Ospreys to victory. The Ospreys won 3-1 (25-21, 27-25, 21-25, 26-24) to the Camels Oct. 4.

Ozzie training for Swoop Madness stunt

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
Insanity. By definition, it’s doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result. The Mini Trampoline Dunk training has been pure insanity. I’m going to be the first to admit it’s a lot harder than it looks. The trampoline bed is only 18 inches wide, which is hard to hit when you’re running full speed toward it. Plus, have you seen the size of my feet? I’m sure you’ve all heard that timing is everything. Actually, landing is everything. Keep reading.

Sports in Brief – Oct. 8

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
DeFreitas earns first Atlantic Sun Conference player of the week for UNF men’s soccer A UNF men’s soccer player earned the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week for the first time in the university’s history. Sophomore forward Akil DeFreitas scored three goals in the two conference match-ups against East Tennessee State University and University of South Carolina Upstate during the weekend.

Photo Gallery: Palin's Road to Victory rally

Spinnaker • October 8, 2008
Sarah Palin's Road to Victory rally speech in Jacksonville, Fl on Oct. 7.

Is punk dead?

Spinnaker • October 7, 2008

As I'm writing this blog, I'm listening to an old punk mixtape featuring bands like The Adolescents, The Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Reagan Youth and The Germs and quietly wondering to myself if the prophecy...

Jaguars and Steelers hope to overcome injuries

Spinnaker • October 4, 2008
This is probably one of the hardest situations I have to face as an NFL fan. My two favorite teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars, are facing off against each other in week 5. However, this game could be decided by off the field factors. Although both teams have suffered several injuries the Pittsburgh Steelers enter Jacksonville with a roster missing five starters that has to resort to using their fourth string running back.

Platforms not published in the Spinnaker

Spinnaker • October 2, 2008
Six candidate platforms did not appear in the Oct. 1 issue of the Spinnaker.

Henry in trouble again

Spinnaker • October 2, 2008
Former Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills running back Travis Henry, a former Pro-Bowler, 2-time 1000 yard rusher, All-SEC performer at Tennessee and Mr. Florida Football at Frostproof High school was arrested by the DEA in Colorado for allegedly trafficking multiple kilograms of cocaine. If convicted as charged, he now faces 10 years to life in prison and a $4 million fine. Henry has also fathered 9 children with 9 different women, was suspended in August for one year by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy and was caught writing bad checks for expensive jewelry in Tennessee.

‘Last King’ campaigns on the Green

Spinnaker • October 1, 2008
Soldiers returning home without job opportunities, a failing economic situation and people fatally sick without health care or hope – these were a few reasons Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker decided to travel across the country and campaign for the upcoming election. Whitaker, who won a 2007 Academy Award for best actor in “The Last King of Scotland,” spoke to a crowd of UNF students, faculty and staff Sept. 26 on the Green, supporting Sen. Barack Obama and urging students to vote and grab their friends to join them at the polls.

‘09-10 housing rates increase

Spinnaker • October 1, 2008
The Board of Trustees submitted an action to the state in September unanimously passing an increase in all 2009-2010 housing rates by an average of 6.02 percent. The cost of living on campus has increased every year since 1990, but the last time it increased this drastically was in 1999 when it was raised 8.26 percent, according to the Board of Trustees agenda. The decision stemmed from budget cuts, rising utility rates, reduced enrollment and the construction costs of Osprey Fountains and was decided through an annual public approval process, said Lynn Hendricks, director of Residence Life.

Sep. 18 – Sep. 27

Spinnaker • October 1, 2008
Sept. 18 – Grand theft (Building 14) – A student had his book bag stolen from the cafeteria. It contained five textbooks. A possible suspect is in question. Sept. 18 – Grand theft (Building 15) – A computer hard drive was stolen out of a classroom after a club meeting took place there. Fingerprints from the room came back negative, and there are no suspects. Sept. 19 – Burglary (Building 34) – A staff member reported cash and computer software missing from her office.

New nationwide initiative encourages student voting

Spinnaker • October 1, 2008
A group of 10 college interns from around the nation founded a viral voter registration campaign, Stop and Vote, with the intention of getting their generation to the ballot boxes this November. The Concept Farm, a New York communications company, spearheaded this movement with hopes that its interns would become proactive and reach countless numbers of disaffected youth, according to a company statement.

Officials seek to sweeten bailout

Spinnaker • October 1, 2008
With the White House and congressional leaders struggling to resurrect a rescue of the nation’s struggling financial markets, they are searching for ways to sweeten the deal for reluctant lawmakers. The idea of boosting the cap on federal bank deposit insurance has gained some momentum, with both candidates for president – Democratic Barack Obama and Republican John McCain – propose lifting it to $250,000. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. insures individual bank deposits up to $100,000.

Campbell: Tension caused loss

Spinnaker • October 1, 2008
The UNF volleyball team let a 2-0 match lead against Lipscomb University slide away for its first loss at home this season. The Ospreys lost 3-2 (25-20, 25-22, 14-25, 15-25, 8-15) to the Bisons Sept. 26. UNF (6-5, 4-2 A-Sun) hit .237 through the first two sets and kept Lipscomb (7-6, 5-0 A-Sun) to a .136 clip. Lipscomb improved to hit .338 in the final three sets.

Sports in Brief – Oct. 1

Spinnaker • October 1, 2008
Swift earns A-Sun honors For the second time in her career, junior Katelin Swift was honored as the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week.

UNF fans energize players, crowds

Spinnaker • October 1, 2008
As each Kennesaw State University volleyball player prepared to serve the ball, freshmen Curt Bender, Cory Sams and Nathan Cross rose from their seats and began screaming, hoping to distract the players and give the Ospreys an advantage. Although the Sept. 12 volleyball game drew in a small crowd, the trio’s intensity and passion were felt throughout the UNF Arena. Bender, Sams, Cross and their friends took every chance they got to chant “Let’s Go Ospreys” and holler while stomping, causing the floor beneath the seats to vibrate and the other spectators to cheer as well.

High heels cause physical, mental repercussions

Spinnaker • September 30, 2008
Many students were in attendance at the fall 2008 Career Expo Sept. 22, myself included. I searched for interviews rather than a career, so I didn’t necessarily need to dress up, but I still felt silly in jeans and converses when business suits surrounded me on all sides. As I watched the hopefuls walk by, there was one component of style I noticed again and again—heels.

The Office- it's back! Why you need to watch it if you don't already

Spinnaker • September 28, 2008
With the powerhouse comedy network television show "The Office" premiering in its 5th season last night, I thought it only fitting and pop-culture enthusiast of me to watch six consecutive episodes on my couch alone the night prior. Alone, because if anyone were to ever see me they would sucker punch my social ladder for as long as they could. But not if they were part of the more than six million people who do the same thing any given Thursday during a season of the show. This was my attempt at understanding the popularity of such a ridiculous 30 minutes in a TV box. The show's satire is so beautifully scripted by writer Greg Daniels, who adapted the show for the American audience. Each episode is so raw and blunt in making the art of degradation so okay and somewhat appealing. Why can't we all be like this in the workforce?

Jaguars seek second win of season

Spinnaker • September 27, 2008
The Jacksonville Jaguars failed to win their first two games of the season, but hopefully their week three win against the Indianapolis Colts is a more accurate picture of what lays ahead in the season.

Police remove theft decoys from campus

Spinnaker • September 24, 2008
UPD cancelled the decoy system implemented to decrease the amount of parking permit thefts on campus after the attempt led to no arrests. UPD set multiple decoy cars in various parking lots across campus, leaving the windows down or doors unlocked in an attempt to catch someone stealing the permit. After weeks of the personnel intensive watch-out, UPD suspended the operation, UPD Chief Mark Foxworth said. “It just didn’t prove to be successful at this point,” Foxworth said. “The thefts were all over the board, and we couldn’t pin-point it to a certain area.’

Obama: McCain responsible for economic woes

Spinnaker • September 24, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama’s Campaign for Change stopped in Jacksonville Sept. 20 meeting approximately 12,000 screaming First Coast residents at Metro Park. Another 8,000 stood outside, listening the rally from the speakers, since the fire marshals capped the event and didn’t allow them into the park. Obama’s campaign stop was less than a week after Sen. John McCain’s rally at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena, and a pair of banner-trailed airplanes circled the sky during most of the rally with slogans “Florida is McCain & Palin Country” and “Raising taxes is not patriotic.”

Sep. 14 – Sep. 21

Spinnaker • September 24, 2008
Sept. 14 – Criminal mischief (Lot 12) – UPD was dispatched to Lot 12 after profanity was written on the side of a student’s car door in permanent marker. UPD has no suspects. Sept. 14 – Burglary (Lot 10) – A parking decal was stolen by forced entry. UPD has no suspects. Prints came back negative that were taken from the vehicle. Sept. 15 – Burglary (Lot 10) – A parking decal was stolen by forced entry. The evidence was contaminated, so UPD has no suspects.

Students rank health care as No.1 employee benefit

Spinnaker • September 24, 2008
UNF seniors expect many things from their employers, but their top priority as far as employee benefits are concerned is a solid medical insurance policy, students said. Several seniors at UNF reflected the results of a 2008 survey by the National Association of College and Employers in which 19,000 students all over the United States rated medical insurance as a top priority in terms of employee benefits. The survey also asked about employer attributes and other employee benefits that students look for when seeking a job.

Campus debate to clarify McCain, Obama opinions

Spinnaker • September 24, 2008
The UNF Pre-Law Society organized a debate on the Green Sept. 17 to inform students of Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama’s opinions on seven issues in the 2008 election. Two speakers debated: Robbie Foster, president of the UNF College Republicans, representing John McCain and Brian Mills, a Jacksonville attorney and co-chairman of Generation Obama Jacksonville, representing Barack Obama. Gathering the two representatives was a challenging process, said Brandon Eady, a member of the Pre-Law Society and mediator of the debate.

Speaker to discuss Dead Zone

Spinnaker • September 24, 2008
Dr. Nancy Rabalais, the executive director and professor of Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. Her research interests include biological oceanography, the distribution and dynamics of hypoxia water groups and the relationship between animals and sediment.

SOS protects students from campus violence

Spinnaker • September 24, 2008
Loud popping sounds and screams shatter the silence of a warm fall day, confusion turns to panic and lives will forever be changed – there is an armed assailant loose on campus. This might sound like a bad dream or a snippet from a newscast, but is increasingly becoming reality, as mass casualty shootings have recently become prevalent in the collegiate landscape. Since last year’s shootings on Virginia Tech’s campus in Blacksburg, Va., university administrators across the country have scrambled to piece together preventative and proactive programs designed to circumvent such tragedies.

Team wins in overtime

Spinnaker • September 24, 2008
The UNF men’s soccer team won its second consecutive game Sept. 20 against Flagler College 2-1 at Hodges Stadium. This marks the Ospreys’ third win of the season. The game opened with play from both sides. In the 22nd minute, Flagler’s Conor Killeen dribbled past three players and kicked the ball into the goal. The Ospreys spent the next 50 minutes trying to even the score.

Men finish second, women seventh

Spinnaker • September 24, 2008
Both men’s and women’s cross country teams traveled to the University of Florida for the UF Gator Invitational Sept. 20, taking second and seventh place, respectively. Freshman Jonathan Esteban placed first for the men’s team with an 8-K time of 26 minutes, 1 second. Sophomore Will Pearce finished second for the team and 31st overall with a time of 26:44.

Tough times calls for tougher standards

Spinnaker • September 24, 2008
In response to the all-across-the-board budget cuts that seem indiscriminate to the aspects of our lives that it effects, UNF has been forced to make admission changes in the midst of an upcoming fee assessment.

Limited admissions should encourage students to perform

Spinnaker • September 23, 2008
The results of a report released by Strong American School titled Diploma to Nowhere should be sobering. In brief, very brief, students are not being prepared for college by their high school curriculum and teaching. It has long been known that fundamental reading and writing skills are what prepare students for success in college and beyond. You've read the job ads. 'Excellent communication skills' is almost a standard for any pre-professional career path. And have we done anything to improve the college readiness in America?

Celebrities must keep politics out of award shows

Spinnaker • September 23, 2008
From Vanessa Redgrave and Michael Moore to Sally Field and Russell Brand---all of these celebrities sparked controversy surrounding the politically-driven remarks each said at award shows. During the 1978 Oscars, Redgrave used the podium to show support for the Palestine Liberation Organization and referred to her critics as "Zionist hoodlums." Moore reprimanded the Iraq War and called Bush a "ficticious president" in his 2003 Oscars acceptance speech. At last year's Emmys, Field preached that "if mothers ruled the (world), there would be no (expletive) wars in the first place." Earlier this month, MTV Video Music Awards host Brand called Bush in his opening monologue a "retarded cowboy."

Photo Gallery: Obama's Campaign for Change in the First Coast

Spinnaker • September 21, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama’s Campaign for Change stopped in the First Coast Sept. 20 to more than 10,000 screaming supporters under a cool Floridian sun. Although, not all in attendance were allowed into Metro Park, the Fire Marshalls capped the event, which left thousands listening by speaker, and even a few trying to jump the police barricade.

Drinking AND driving privileges should be redefined.

Spinnaker • September 18, 2008
Sixteen, eighteen, twenty-one. All of us know exactly what those years meant in terms of exercising privileges. Drivers licenses, tobacco and adult entertainment, and finally alcohol. But does this progression of advancing freedom really serve as best practices?

Rome is burning

Spinnaker • September 18, 2008
Wall Street’s investment bank giants are failing due to poor business practices; they became over-leveraged with Mortgage-Backed Securities and under-capitalized due to capricious lending practices. The Republicans’ blame the Wall Street criminals, Democrats blame the free-market and deregulation while the Federal Reserve is screaming that these banks are too large to fail. This is the current state of America’s largest financial institutions.

Attack ads are out of line

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
Former Bush adviser Karl Rove has accused Sen. John McCain of going "one step too far" in some of his recent ads attacking Sen. Barack Obama, according to CNN.com. In case you didn't grasp the gravity of it, that was Karl Rove, the man who masterminded two of the sleaziest, dirtiest Presidential campaigns ever, the 2000 and 2004 elections. Though it was never proven, many think Rove was behind the "Swiftboat Veterans for Truth" ads that slung mud at and, in many ways, derailed Sen. John Kerry's bid for president.

Campaigning close to home

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
Sen. John McCain’s Straight Talk Express passed through the First Coast Sept. 15 for a campaign rally at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena. The event was originally scheduled to take place at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds but was rescheduled during the weekend to accommodate the overwhelming demand for tickets. The original venue could only support 2,000 people. Venue staffers estimated there were approximately 4,000 in attendance at the arena, only a quarter of its capacity.

Chartwells: We absolutely wouldn’t bring them back

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
A new hot dog stand opened on campus eight months after the departure of Miracle Kate’s, which university officials said was due to a conflict of contract issues. Owned and operated by the Mayes family, the new stand also operates the concession stand at the UNF Arena. Miracle Kate’s stopped serving in January after Chartwells presented the mom and pop stand with a new contract, stating Miracle Kate’s had to serve one less day a week and could be asked to leave at any time, owner Mary Yeoman said.

New advising program geared to keep students on track, graduate

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
A new advising program is in the works that will free UNF from its U Never Finish moniker, UNF officials said. The Roadmap Initiative will outline term-by-term the recommended courses students should take in the particular major they have chosen, said Dr. David Jaffee, Assistant Vice President of Undergraduate Studies at Academic Affairs. The program was modeled after the universal tracking system at the University of Florida as a way to provide students with guidance to move more expeditiously through their program, Jaffee said.

Sep. 5 – Sep. 12

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
Sept. 5 – Sick person (Building V) – UPD was dispatched to Osprey Cove in reference to a possible drug overdose. The complainant said he had taken 10 20 milligram Adderall in the last four days and felt like he was having a heart attack. He did not have a prescription for the medication, and none were found in his room after it was searched. He was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital.

Officials debate two proposed amendments

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
They went back and forth, arguing their points of view and answering questions for the audience. The only thing the two could agree on was that UNF was the perfect setting for the debate, they said. Adam Guillette, state director of the Florida chapter of Americans for Prosperity, and Ken Hurley, Greater Jacksonville American Civil Liberties Union president, debated formally proposed Florida constitutional Seventh and Ninth Amendments Sept. 15 in the Fine Arts Center.

Dr. triumphs over troubled past

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
Dr. Jarik Conrad, president of Conrad Consulting Group, LLC. Conrad grew up in a housing project in East St. Louis, Ill., an area that has been described as the most distressed small city in America. Conrad recently led the Blueprint for Prosperity, an initiative to improve Jacksonville’s quality of life.

SG honors TLS as club of the year for networking experiences

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
The Transportation and Logistics Society was recently awarded Club of the Year by the Student Government Club Alliance. This is its second recognition since the club was established in 2002. The Transportation and Logistics Flagship Program, ranked 13th in the nation by Supply Chain Management Review 2005, made great strides connecting the club with the local transportation and logistics network, an often overlooked industry with a viable job outlook, said Lynn Brown, Associate Director of TLS.

Election 2008 Update – Sep 17

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
The Sept. 13-15 Gallup Poll Daily tracking update shows Sen. John McCain (47 percent) and Sen. Barack Obama (46 percent) locked in a close contest when registered voters are asked for whom they would vote if the election were this week.

Facebook users to accept new digs

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
Imagine coming home from work to find your house in a different color, the rooms switched around and the furniture rearranged. That’s the virtual equivalent Facebook users have faced, or will face, as the online hangout forces its 90 million members to adapt to a redesigned site, unveiled in late July. Beginning this week, users’ profiles will be irrevocably migrated to the new site. And the changes are being met with a mix of protest and resignation.

Library offers laptops for rental

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
The Library expanded its computer availability in May with the addition of 40 new laptops for students and staff to rent for free for a three-hour period. The laptops must stay within the library and are equipped with the same operating system as the desktop computers, making them equally efficient in terms of their compatibility and processing speed, said Michael Cusack, director of Library Systems and Technology.

College presidents got it right

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
The Amethyst Initiative, a group formed in July comprised of former and current university and college presidents, has called for a national discussion about the legal U.S. drinking age. Nearly 130 presidents and chancellors have signed the Amethyst pledge advocating a factual and dispassionate debate about the effectiveness of the 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which imposes a 10 percent reduction in federal transportation assistance to states with drinking ages lower than 21.

Americans must take Sept. 11 lessons to heart

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
Sept. 11 is a day etched in everyone’s minds. Ask anyone where they were when the first plane crashed in 2001, and you are sure to hear many stories and memories. The day will not be forgotten by those who lived through it, but the lessons learned can often be tossed among the pile of all the others. Grief, loss, pain and suffering are emotions that usually override anything else people might be experiencing, and there is a time for these emotions.

Gassing mentally ill inmates must stop

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
Guards at the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Northwest Florida shut off the water to inmate Danny Brown’s cell at 3 p.m. June 11, 2002. At the same time, guards outside taped the window so nothing could escape – including Brown. Then the guards released chemical gasses into the cell. Brown, a bi-polar inmate, suffered an asthma attack, breathing difficulties and mental and emotional pain from the gassing, according to the lawsuit he filed the following year with 21 other prisoners at the correctional institution.

Celebrities deserve basic human rights

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
Among the principles laid by the founding fathers of our country is the right to remain innocent until proven guilty when under accusation. And while athletes and other celebrities in the public eye are often kept to higher standards than the average citizen, it does not mean they lose their basic rights.

Support U.S. troops by honoring those who die

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
"Support our Troops” is a phrase that no longer needs mention in this country, as the ideal has become one of the golden tenants of new-American patriotism – a nationalistic effort enacted, presumably, the day the U.S. invaded Afghanistan. This statement is undeniably agreed upon – to the extent the creed has been printed on every type of magnet, flag and T-shirt imaginable, and donned by Americans and naturalized citizens of all types.

Eco-adventure fun

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
Saturday morning – intense boredom, and you haven’t a clue how to fix it. You don’t have the gas money to drive anywhere off campus. You spent Friday night at the game room. The library is too quiet. It’s a no-go for the Arena. Your bathing suit and gym clothes are in the wash. Think a little harder; fun is right across the street. Indeed, those woods you drive by everyday hold more than just trees.

Greene: College grads must stand out, speak less at job interviews

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
Jacob Greene, 28, sits at his desk with his pen out, easing back in his chair, listening to talk of company growth, change and branding at the head of a long table; this is typical of Greene’s day-to-day management of his consulting company, Greene Group, which he formed in 2006. Greene, who wrote “Whoa, My Boss is Naked!: A Career Book for People Who Would Never Be Caught Dead Reading a Career Book,” has offered peer-leveladvice to professionals striving to find a dream job.

NCAA profits off explotation of athletes

Spinnaker • September 17, 2008
NCAA athletics is a multi-million dollar industry, and the majority of the “student athletes” who participate in these sports are not students at all, just athletes. Many major college football and basketball programs are using the four-year learning period as a minor league of sorts, and that’s exactly how the players, coaches and trainers look at it. The athletes play four years, win some games, turn some heads and then get called up via the draft, signing a multi-million dollar contract for their potential.

Photo Gallery: Sen. McCain's Rally

Spinnaker • September 15, 2008
Sen. John McCain’s Straight Talk Express passed through the First Coast Sept. 15 for a campaign rally at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena.

NCAA officials need to be held accountable

Spinnaker • September 11, 2008
Officials serve a valuable purpose for athletic games at all levels. The difficultly and importance of their job often goes unnoticed, however, more and more officials are making wrong calls that are costing teams games. It seems to be happening more in college football than in any other sport, and the officials need to start facing the repercussions of their incompetence. Or, at the very least, recognize a problem exists.

News in Brief – Sep 10

Spinnaker • September 10, 2008
Club Fest invades the Green, UNF focuses speech on climate changes, Coggin puts students through boot camp

Parking a foe without financial aid

Spinnaker • September 10, 2008
Parking at UNF can be an adventure. With cramped lots that often require an additional commute on a shuttle, diminished parking in garages due to construction and expensive fines for those who don’t follow the rules, additional stress is created for students outside the classroom.

Drug Bust Brings Changes to UPD

Spinnaker • September 3, 2008
UPD has been working harder to enforce a zero drug tolerance policy after a large-scale drug bust that resulted in the arrest of six UNF students and one employee in April 2008. The way UPD handles individual cases varies by the severity of the offense, but one of the changes brought about by the investigation lies within the tolerance of drug possession on campus and code enforcement.

Don't let apathy stunt growth

Spinnaker • August 27, 2008
Students, staff and administration, welcome back. For some, this is the first semester on campus, for others the last – hopefully – but for all, this year has already proven to be a year of growth at the university. The changes being made on campus are pretty obvious as the administration has been working hard, and pretty fast, to do their part in adding to campus.
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