No. 22 - UNF Spinnaker
Transcription
No. 22 - UNF Spinnaker
Volume 29, Issue 22 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA February 15 2006 Wednesday THIS WEEK NEWS Trustees elect new leadership for chair, vice chair A weekend with D.L. Cashing in on research UNF is one of 11 universities in the state of Florida to get a portion of $90 million intended for research at the institutions. See RESEARCH, page 5 EXPRESSIONS BY TAMI LIVINGSTON ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Partaking in plagiarism? IAN WITLEN Some students will do whatever it takes to make the grade. See how plagiarism is affecting college and how some departments at UNF are dealing with it. See EXPRESSIONS, page 11 SPORTS Ozzie leaves the nest After five years of service as the man under UNF’s Ozzie the Osprey mascot uniform, Elmer Pearsol is retiring due to medical complications. See OZZIE, page 18 WEEKEND WEATHER Friday Feb. 17 50/74 P-Cloudy Saturday Feb. 18 53/70 P-Cloudy Sunday Feb. 19 50/63 M-Cloudy 7-day forecast, page 5 SOURCE: NOAA Discourse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . 3 News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Squawk Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Police Beat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Expressions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Comics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Horoscopes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Crossword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Osprey Sports Trivia. . . . . . . 20 ONLINE eSpinnaker.com 9A, UNF Drive detour planned to continue through summer BY RYAN DOBBIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER The construction project on the St. Johns Bluff Road entrance into the University of North Florida is undergoing major changes, resulting in heavier traffic, and will continue until the summer. According to the Florida Department of Transportation, approximately 2.3 miles of new interstate highway will be constructed from St. Johns Bluff Road about one-half mile north of J. Turner Butler Boulevard to Central Parkway near Beach Boulevard. The $31.1 million project is being undertaken by Superior Construction Company of Jacksonville. It includes realigning St. Johns Bluff Road from the Morocco Shrine Temple to the UNF entrance. A new signalized interchange is also underway with on and off ramps to UNF Parkway from State Road 9A at UNF Drive. An overpass will also cross UNF Drive. “Students from UNF will have direct access to the 9A Interstate, which, being the beltway around the city, will allow [us] to connect UNF to the whole city,” said Tom Woods, Construction Engineering Inspection project engineer. But before UNF is connected, construction will create delays as all traffic will shift to the relocated St. Johns Bluff Road through the new intersection with the UNF Drive extension north of campus. This closure began Feb. 6 and will last for approximately 60 days, according to the FDOT. According to FDOT’s Web page, the traffic impact will be minimal. IAN WITLEN INDEX Comedian D.L. Hughley headlined the Homecoming Comedy Show at the University of North Florida Feb. 11 in the Arena. Prior to Hughley’s performance, comedian’s James Smith and Leighann Lord performed for the crowd of nearly 1,600 people. Read about the show in Expressions, page 13. The intersection of State Road 9A and UNF Drive is currently the site of a detour, which is expected to last until the summer months. The new interchange will be constructed west of the existing entrance to the campus on St. Johns Bluff Road. UNF traffic will continue to use St. Johns Bluff Road for the majority of the project. The recent change in traffic patterns has directed drivers to follow the new St. Johns Bluff Road, which has been shifted nearly 400 feet west to accommodate the positioning of State Road 9A. In addition to this project, the Superior Construction Company was also awarded the $80.5 million State Road 9A and J.T. Butler Boulevard interchange contract, which began in July 2005. The new interchange will consist of circular ramps, some of which will be up to 60 feet in height, according to FDOT’s Web page. As part of this project, JTB will be widened to four travel lanes in the westbound direction and three travel lanes in the eastbound direction. The project will take approximately four years to complete. One feature of the project is a 2,072-foot-long trestle bridge, which is being built over wetlands, and the Sawmill Slough environmental area adjacent to the UNF campus. The trestle bridge on State Road 9A will be about 20 feet above the ground and will help prevent lasting damage to the slough’s wetlands, according to the FDOT Web page. “It’s a mess right now, but hopefully this will make traffic a lot better in the future,” said Kevin Range, a senior financial accounting major. “I just wish it would have been done four years ago.” E-mail Ryan Dobbin at [email protected]. The University of North Florida Board of Trustees has elected a new chair and vice chair. The board elected Bruce Taylor as its chair and Wanyonyi Kendrick as its vice chair during its Jan. 26 meeting. “I think it’s going to be a great leadership team,” said Dr. Tom Serwatka, vice president and chief of staff of the trustees. “[Taylor] really b e l i e ve s in higher education and he’s a Taylor strong advocate for higher education.” Taylor replaced Carol Thompson, executive vice president of Baptist Health and president of the Baptist Health Foundation, who served as chair for the board from September 2001 until January 2006. Thompson will continue to be on the board until January 2011, according to Serwatka. “Carol, who stepped down, was a wonderful chair,” he said. “She was a great advantage, because she was an alumna of UNF.” Taylor has been on the board for two years and has been involved with various boards and activities at UNF since the early 1990s. He said he believes in higher education and hopes to move the board forward. “Higher education is very important, and it’s important to promote it,” Taylor said. “Universities like UNF are important in our community and important to the future of Jacksonville and Northeast Florida.” Taylor is the semiretired CEO and chairman of the board of the company he founded, Taylor Engineering Company Inc. He has served on numerous state, national and international professional boards, according to the UNF Board’s Web site. Taylor will serve as chair of the board until January 2008 and can be re-elected for See BOT, page 9 PAGE 2 QUOTE WEEK of the “If history repeats itself and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.” WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 Awarded first place for Best of Show at the 2005 National College Media Convention by the Associated Collegiate Press. ❖ ❖ -- George Bernard Shaw ❖ Spinnaker Staff Editor in Chief Dave Strupp Art Director Frank Donato Business Manager Adina Daar Managing Editor Donald Postway Advertising Manager Jennifer Napier Adviser Belinda Hulin News Editor Rachel Witkowski Features Editor Jenna Strom Sports Editor Valerie Martin Copy Editor Jeanie Correa Photo Editor Ian Witlen Web Editor Alex Koby Graphic Designer Robert K. Pietrzyk Asst. News Editor Tami Livingston Asst. Features Editor Zan Gonano Asst. Sports Editor Distributor Dave Strupp ❖ Florida Sun ❖ ❖ Robinson Student Center, room 2627 4567 St. Johns Bluff Rd. S. Jacksonville, FL 32224 Phone: 904.620.2727 Fax: 904.620.3924 www.eSpinnaker.com S PINNAKER ’ S BEST Homecoming 2006 started off on a good foot Feb. 11 as the Homecoming Comedy Show took place in the Arena. Nearly 1,600 people packed the Arena to see D.L. Hughley, Leighann Lord and James Smith. Events are planned each day for the rest of the week. S PINNAKER ’ S WORST A video showing British soldiers brutally beating Iraqi youths surfaced recently, as the region has become increasingly hostile. Apparently, the Iraqis beaten in the video were protesting and demanding jobs. S PINNAKER ’ S FIX If the members of the Coalition of the Willing intended to spread Democracy to Iraq and free the people, snags like this are only making the region more hostile and the Iraqis more violent toward the soldiers there. T ❖ ❖ Editorials ❖ ❖ ❖ Americans should rally behind Olympic team The torch has been passed, the flame has been lit and the 2006 Winter Olympics have begun. Such a statement alone is enough to drive many people to change the channel, but regardless of how you feel about the individual events, there is something about the winter games that all Americans should be able to rally around. To be fair, the winter edition of the international competition is less grandiose than its summer counterpart. The most popular games are during the summer games, and less than half of the member nations compete since all of the events involve ice and snow. But these differences should not keep people from celebrating the international snowball fight. There is something about the peaceful gathering that helps to exemplify the things that make America great. It’s our nation’s chance to remind the world that the United States is a force to be reckoned with. Even when stripped of our technological and financial advantages, if you take the best athletes in the U.S. and pit them against the rest of the world, we’ll still come out on top. Even the stories of the athletes are inspiring tales of the American dream. Each of these Olympians pursued their personal goals, and through their hard work and determination, I COURTESY: IOC Printer ❖ they have the opportunity to take their place among the greatest in the world. Each contender is an example of meritocracy — living proof that if you are willing to work hard, America is still the land of opportunity, whether your dream is to build a financial empire or to ski really fast. Also, in a time where Americans are divided on so many issues, it’s nice to enjoy an event that is relatively free of partisan politics and international showdowns. There are no Democrats and no Republicans, just Americans — Americans who are competing for the pride of our nation, and the possibility for millions in endorsement deals. All you have to do is cheer. This is not to say that everyone should stay glued to his or her television; a person can only watch so much figure skating. But what they should do is take notice for a moment and reflect. No matter how antiquated the idea of the Olympics may seem, the people who compete are giving their all to prove to the world something Americans should already realize; America is the greatest country on Earth. No matter how you feel about everything else, the Winter Olympics is a chance for Americans to join together, wave our flags, sing our anthem and shout, “Go U.S.A.” Radical response to Muhammed cartoon irrational t has never been clearer that some things are truly a matter of culture. In America, controversial artwork is considered normal, and the same can be said of much of the western world. The controversy over cartoons originally published in a Danish newspaper, however, have shown that freedom of speech is not so universally accepted in the Muslim world. But all arguments about cultural relativism aside, the reactions to the caricatures of Muhammed have been extreme. To be fair, Muslims have every right to be angry at the publication of the cartoons. While the paper that originally published the caricatures and those that published it afterward had the right to do so, it was, at the very least, insensitive. In an unusual turn of events, Iran makes a good point, if only by accident. An Iranian newspaper solicited submissions for a Holocaust cartoon. Just like the Europeans, the paper has a right to publish what it likes, but to do so would be insensitive. Unfortunately, much of the reaction to the cartoon in the Muslim world has not been as peaceful as trying printing anti-Semitic cartoons in a newspaper. Across the region, there have been protests and demonstrations, which have often turned into riots. Security forces have killed protesters and rioters, and many western establishments, such as the Danish embassies and missions, have been destroyed. In Pakistan, rioters torched several U.S. firms, which is odd per se, because America has nothing to do with the cartoons. The response is irrational. What one newspaper publishes (this news- paper included) doesn’t reflect the ideas of the country or its people. Burning down a Kentucky Fried Chicken does nothing to the newspapers that publish the offensive cartoons. Second, if you want people to not think of your religion as a bunch of terrorists, rioting in the streets isn’t helping your cause. A large part of this issue centers on how the Muslims are acclimating to life in the western world. A central theme to most modern democracies is freedom of the press. No matter how seriously Muslims take their faith, they are not going to be able to dictate what people can and cannot say in their own countries. People in America get angry about things in the media all the time, but we have learned to channel our anger into letters to the editor, bumper stickers and country music. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 PAGE 3 DISCOURSE T Catholic school suspensions not justified STUDENT OPINION Margie Hinson, Junior, Journalism Sheehan’s ousting at SOTU due to vague instructions O bsolete protocol and slack instructions to Capitol Police officers caused the T-shirt fiasco that ousted Cindy Sheehan and Beverly Young from the president’s Jan. 31, 2006 State of the Union address. Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist whose son was killed while on military duty in Iraq, reluctantly accepted Democratic Rep. Lynn Woolsey’s ticket to the SOTU, because she feared President Bush’s remarks would upset her. Nevertheless, she knew the press expected her to attend, and she wanted to promote her cause by wearing a T-shirt that read, “2245 Dead. How many more?” Sheehan was warned that such displays were not allowed, and before she was settled with both arms out of her coat, Officer Mike Weight called her a protester, handcuffed her, escorted her out of the House of Representatives gallery and charged her with unlawful conduct. Soon thereafter, Beverly Young, wife of Republican Rep. Bill Young, was deemed a protester and expelled because the slogan on her T-shirt boasted, “Support the Troops Defending Our Freedom.” Ultimately, police Chief Terrance Gainer took responsibility for the incident and apologized. He said the directives he gave to Weight were outdated and the women were within their rights to wear the T-shirts. Sheehan claims Weight intended to deliberately violate her constitutional rights of wearing, saying, writing or telephoning negative statements about the government. Young concurs and adds that America’s troops were insulted by her eviction. But Weight wasn’t attempting to deny Sheehan’s rights. No one purposely insulted anyone. As far as the officers knew, Sheehan’s and Young’s T-shirt messages signified they were protesters – and protesters weren’t tolerated at the SOTU. Gainer’s instructions were careless, but perhaps that wasn’t the only blunder made at the SOTU. Admirably, Sheehan and Young wanted to express their zeal for their respective causes, but perhaps the SOTU wasn’t the proper venue. Perhaps Sheehan should have heeded her initial vacillation and declined Woolsey’s invitation. Perhaps the women should have dressed more traditionally for the dignified occasion and left their T-shirts at home. The point of the SOTU was Bush’s message — not the spectators’ messages. Now, hurt feelings and trampled egos have escalated and potential lawsuits linger — all because of deficient instructions. It was a mistake, albeit a serious one, but Sheehan and Young should forgive — and forget about it. Freedom of speech still reigns. E-mail Margie Hinson at [email protected]. Do you have an opinion on current events? Submit your column to the Spinnaker. Please keep all columns near 500 words. Columns will be edited for grammar, spelling and libel. Submit columns to [email protected]. he recent revelation that five local Catholic school students were suspended over comments posted on a myspace.com Web site has raised the question about where First Amendment rights begin and end for both public and private school students. Assumption Catholic suspended the students after a teacher discovered disparaging comments posted about him on a student’s myspace.com page. The school began an investigation, using the information and photos posted on the page and the pages the student listed as “friends.” In the end, five students were suspended, but the school refused to reveal any details on the suspensions, beyond that the posting was not in compliance with the school’s value system. The suspension may seem harsh, but it was legal and an appropriate action by the school. Courts allow private schools to issue limitations on free speech, both on campus and off. Since students choose to join the school, they are expected to comply with all standards and values the school establishes, including restrictions on what can and cannot be said or written. T STUDENT OPINION Jamye Durrance, Junior, Communications The suspended students violated the school’s value system, which they were aware of when they enrolled into the school. Therefore, the school took action, just as it would with any other rule violation. Students joke about their teachers all the time. But, the Assumption students chose to do it in a more public and easily accessible forum. With just one click of the mouse, the information was no longer private, nor was it anonymous. It was subject to judgment and consequences by anyone, especially anyone in authority who might stumble upon the comments. It is unrealistic to think that these students would not violate the school’s value system. After all, we are all human and, not to mention, rebellious when it comes to rules. But the value system is there to help teach students the difference between right and wrong, while recognizing why the situations are right or wrong. Myspace.com has recently faced displeasure from online safety groups, parents and law enforcement officials who are concerned that online predators may target the underage, teen users. Both public and private schools have installed blocks on school computers, which prevent students from accessing Web sites like myspace.com while at school. All of these precautions are for the welfare of the students. But schools and safety groups can’t be expected to do it all. Parents have to be vigilant in knowing what their children are doing online to prevent incidents like the one at Assumption and to prevent any incidents that could potentially be worse than just a suspension. E-mail Jamye Durrance at [email protected]. Bush critics miss big picture over wiretaps he American Civil Liberties Union has brought charges against the father of a 15-year-old girl, citing that his reading her E-mail conversations with a convicted child molester, who was posing as a 17-year-old, violated the girl’s First Amendment rights. The father was just doing what he inherently knew was right — protecting his child. The story is fictitious, but it bears a striking resemblance to what congressional critics are doing to President Bush for trying to protect U.S. citizens. Bush authorized the interception of international communications among U.S. citizens who were thought to be communicating with al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations. While the act itself is not illegal, critics argue that protocol wasn’t followed. The National Security Agency eavesdrops on billions of communications worldwide, but it must get a warrant issued with permission from a special court called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court to participate in domestic wiretapping. Bush critics argue that he never acquired warrants for the wiretaps, thus making them illegal and violating the First ❖ ❖ ❖ STUDENT OPINION Jeanie Correa, Senior, Journalism Amendment rights of those who were listened in on. Bush defended the order by saying that his ultimate intent is to protect Americans from terrorists. He said that two of the Sept. 11 hijackers who flew the plane into the Pentagon communicated to other overseas al Qaeda members while the two were stateside. A wiretap on either of these two guys may have saved lives and changed history. Bush doesn’t want to eavesdrop on a phone conversation between average Joe and his granny, unless it is known that, in the 70s, Granny was involved in a grass Letter to the Editor ❖ ❖ roots Islamic extremist organization, and in the past month Granny was seen rendezvousing with al Qaeda’s No. 3 man. Now Granny is subject to being tapped, and if average Joe spends a lot of time with her, so is he. The events of Sept. 11, 2001 unquestionably left a deep, tender scar on the hearts of Americans and, while no one can ever turn back time and rewrite that day’s history, many find satisfaction in having witnessed the troubled heart of a commander in chief and his swift attempts to counteract the event and establish antiterrorist measures, which would protect us from future attacks. Like the hypothetical father whose only aim was to protect the life of his child, even if it meant temporarily invading her privacy, the president, armed with a vivid recollection of 9/11, takes seriously the protection of his citizens. Bush critics, if only able to see the forest through the trees, should take solace in a protection that most nations don’t offer their citizens. Americans should rest and let Bush do his job – protect. E-mail Jeanie Correa at [email protected]. L ❖ etters to the editor are encouraged and accepted, but all letters must include the author’s name as well as the academic classification and major for students, working title and department for faculty members, or company name or home address for people outside of UNF. No anonymous letters will be published. Letters will be verified for authenticity before publication. Letters may be edited for content, grammar, word length and libel. Letters should not exceed 300 words in length. The ideas expressed in letters published in the Spinnaker do not reflect the opinions of Spinnaker staff or the university. Super Bowl column states the obvious about game Dear Mr. Editor, Where have you been for the last 40 Super Bowls? These games have always been notoriously sloppy, and this year is no exception. It is true that these games are highly marketed, but that is because the NFL concentrates on the business-side more than the game itself. Half-time shows, wardrobe malfunctions, and humorous commercials bring in more viewers that may or may not even care about the play-by-play analysis. Which in the end results is big monetary gains for the NFL. Everyone who dips into the big day market has to pay for the rights to do so. In essence, what they do as a company is brilliant. They sell what everyone in America wants: entertainment. It doesn’t have to be blood and guts raw or the best game ever played because it’s still the Super Bowl. Submit letters to [email protected]. David Lauro Sophomore, Computer Information Systems ❖ ❖ ❖ Around the Nation Sing some, Rhymes The following editorial appeared in the New York Daily News on Feb. 9, 2006: Even as a grieving family Wednesday prepared to bury Israel Ramirez, the murdered bodyguard for hip-hopper Busta Rhymes, aka Trevor Smith, Rhymes was refusing to cooperate with cops. He’s got something to hide or he’s trying to boost record sales by playing the no-snitching tough guy. Take your pick which is worse. Simple human decency ought to move this latest bloodstained rapper to step forward, waive immunity and tell all under oath to a grand jury. And on his way there, he ought to open a great big trust fund for Ramirez’s fatherless kids — without asking them or their mother to sign away their right to sue him for recklessly creating ❖ ❖ ❖ the dangerous circumstances in which Ramirez was shot. Rhymes had the bright idea of inviting a cavalcade of hip-hop stars — with their “security” posses — to a late-night recording session in Brooklyn, to make a videotape of his hit “Touch It.” Given the ways of hip-hop, Rhymes had to know he was creating an armed camp. Blame also rests with the ringmasters of rap’s violent circus: record labels that cash in on the cachet of criminality. The day after the killing, Rhymes’ label, Interscope, posted music files on its Web site with the pitch: “You heard the buzz on the streets about the star-studded guest appearances, here it is, the remix!” Gross. (C) 2006, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. DISTRIBUTED BY KNIGHT RIDDER/TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES. PAGE 4 SPINNAKER Advertisement WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 In Brief NEWS SG appoints new position; Foran, Callahan not to run for 2nd term The agenda was full at the Student Government Senate meeting Feb. 13 with the approval of a new paid position, three travel requests and three special requests. Senators approved a new position under student body president, Tom Foran. Jake Dickinson was selected to fill the new position as director of Athletic Relations to promote school spirit and attendance records at sporting events. More than $6,400 was appropriated from the travel requests budget among three requests approved. The largest request of $4,084 was passed for the American College of Healthcare Executives to attend a conference in Chicago, Ill. in late March. A total $1,200 in appropriations from the special requests budget was approved among three requests, with the largest of $600 funding five to seven poll workers during the spring election April 4-5. Foran and student body vice president Jared Callahan, also announced at the meeting that they would not be running for reelection this spring. Study circles offer diversity initiative As an initiative for diversity, the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, the Intercultural Center for PEACE and the University of North Florida College Democrats are offering study circles. The hosts are inviting students to a screening and discussion of CRASH, a movie about racism in Los Angeles, Calif. Feb. 24 in Building 14, room 1700. Free popcorn and drinks will be provided. Contact Yara Cull, assistant director of Equal Opportunity Programs, at (904) 620-2507 for more information. The University of North Florida Women’s Center is approaching deadlines for award nominations and a scholarship for female leaders. The Susan B. Anthony Award nominations are due Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. at the Woman’s Center, Building 14, room 2623. Nominations can also be submitted online at [email protected]. Candidates must be a member of the UNF community who has provided positive role modeling to women at UNF, exhibited leadership on campus and improved the position of women at UNF through advocacy and education, according to the application. The winner will be presented the Susan B. Anthony Award at the Women’s History Month Celebratory Luncheon March 2. The event begins at 1:15 p.m. in Building 14, rooms 1601-1602. The Women’s Center is also accepting applications for the Women’s History Month Leadership Scholarship. Applications are due by Feb. 16 at the Women’s Center. Candidates must also be currently enrolled in at least 12 undergraduate credit hours or 6 graduate credit hours at UNF with a 3.0 grade point average. The scholarship will be presented to the winner at the luncheon. Compiled by Rachel Witkowski University receives portion of $90 million research grant for SUS schools BY ACE STRYKER CONTRIBUTING WRITER Eleven Florida universities, including the University of North Florida, received more than $90 million in federal grants from Congress to support special research projects for 2006, according to a Jan. 25 press release from the Florida Board of Governors. The money will be applied to a list of state-wide projects, which includes UNF faculty members’ work with defense sensors and environmental research. The exact dollar amount that UNF will receive from this year’s grants is currently under negotiations between school representatives and government officials. The amount awarded in 2005 was about $2.75 million. The university has received about $6.5 million since schools began working together six years ago, according to Dawn Boatman, director of the division of sponsored research and training at UNF. The cooperation of the schools has helped every institute receive special research grants for the last six years. The money has been tremendously helpful in getting some of the faculty-initiated research projects off the ground, Boatman said. Dr. Cheryl Fountain, professor and executive director of the F l o r i d a Institute of Education, joined the U.S. Department of Boatman Education in the project with her experimental, early literacy program. Boatman said the program has already experienced “phenomenal success” and is now in its final year of evaluation in several preschools across the nation. Many other programs have experienced similar results and received national recognition for their research, Boatman said. University President John Delaney also expressed satisfaction with the products of the grant money in past years and this year’s potential. “The consensus is if it’s more than last year, that’s a good thing.” He said the trend for Congress is to primarily take interest in funding research in the scientific fields. Big winners in securing last year’s research funds at UNF included a partner project with the U.S. Army and the Office of Naval Research aimed at designing new sensors to detect explosives, chemical agents and poisonous gasses, according to information provided by Boatman. The sensors are intended to be usable in “clinical, environmental, industrial and military concerns,” according to the project description. The university also won support for its groundbreaking research in early hurricane detection and analysis in the amount of $250,000, according to the BOG. In addition to the new grants, a $31 million congressionally sponsored fund, which was approved in the 2005 budget, will also be distributed among 11 schools in the state university system. A total 62 projects statewide will benefit from the grants, ranging from medical research to agricultural endeavors, according to the board. Several newer programs like public health initiatives and port security studies will receive a boost as well. The effort to secure the funding was hard-won, said Chancellor Mark Rosenberg of Gainesville. “Congress faced continuing costs for wars, hurricane relief and deficit reduction, and so the state university system faced huge obstacles in maintaining our edge in congressionally supported research,” he said. Rosenberg said the state universities’ ability to coordinate their efforts is a critical factor in winning the grants. “Our ability to come together and work together is a distinct advantage.” E-mail Ace Stryker at [email protected]. Entrepreneur Society nationally recognized Club gets hands-on experience meeting with entrepreneurs in action BY ELIZABETH PUTNAL CONTRIBUTING WRITER The Entrepreneur Society, a new club at the University of North Florida, will soon be nationally recognized by the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization. The Entrepreneur Society was founded during the fall, 2005 semester by current president Kelly Hunter, a senior transportation and logistics management major. “It’s great to interact with other universities and be able to share and develop your own ideas,” Hunter said. The Entrepreneur Society’s purpose is to create opportunities, educate and encourage students to pursue their entrepreneurial goals, Hunter said. At the Feb. 13 Student Government Senate meeting, the Entrepreneur Society was approved for $300.00 for t-shirts but not for $285.00 toward membership fees in order to be nationally recognized. John Sapp, SG accountant, said no organization can request money for membership fees because it is considered by the SG comptroller, a personal expense that the clubs should cover. But Hunter said she will find other ways to fund it. While most members are students of the College of Business, students from the College of Arts and Sciences also attend to see the society’s guest speakers and facility tours. Junior communications major Breanna Banfield joined the Entrepreneur Society fall, 2005. She plans to be a freelance writer. “Being part of the club has made that a possibility for me,” Banfield said. Hunter said a highlight of last semester was a visit to Funari’s Italian Creamery, DAWN SESSIONS Women’s Center offers scholarships PAGE 5 NEWS Members of the University of North Florida Entrepreneur Society visit Funari’s Italian Creamery to get a look at how owner/entrepreneur Mark Funari operates his establishment. where the society met with owner Mark Funari. Michael Garnes from Next Level Executive Search, a consulting firm specializing in the sports industry, was a guest speaker the fall 2005 semester. Garnes discussed the success and downfalls of starting a business, Hunter said. Some officers of the Entrepreneur Society attended the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization conference in Orlando. Hunter said guest speaker Richard Tait, creator of Cranium, a trivia game, spoke to hundreds of students from across the nation about his humorous, although successful, business tactics. “The way he structures his business is such an innovative atmosphere. It encour- ages you to mimic his unique business tactics,” Hunter said. At Entrepreneur Society meetings, guest speakers often have round-table discussions with members. The members have the opportunity to ask successful entrepreneurs questions and discuss business ideas. During the spring 2006 term, the Entrepreneur Society plans to host guest speakers from Peterbrooke Chocolatier, Sunrise Surf Shop and Venus Swimwear. The next Entrepreneur Society meeting is at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 28 on the second floor of the Coggin College of Business Building. Hunter said she encourages students of all majors to attend the meeting. E-mail Elizabeth Putnal at [email protected]. Wednesday Feb. 15 Thursday Feb. 16 Friday Feb. 17 Saturday Feb. 18 Sunday Feb. 19 Monday Feb. 20 Tuesday Feb. 21 Mostly Sunny Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy 7-DAY FORECAST For updated weather, visit eSpinnaker.com. SOURCE: NOAA 32/68 Rain: 0% 46/71 Rain: 10% 50/74 Rain: 10% 53/70 Rain: 10% 50/63 Rain: 30% 50/69 Rain: 20% 52/73 Rain: 20% PAGE 6 NEWS Exquisite Couture modeling troupe new addition to campus BY KATRINA MANN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Exquisite Couture, a new group on campus, will offer students a chance to model and get to know one another. “Pivot one, pivot one,” is what the instructor says as models step and turn. Soon they line up by twos to strut down an imaginary runway. Arms straight, legs striding, faces set with determination, they walk. At the end of the runway, they stop, pose, spin, then strut back down the runway. The next pair emerges as the former exits the stage. In a room filled with young and eager girls and guys, they practice the routines again and again. On most nights of the week, the group meets to practice until the routine is down pat. Exquisite Couture is one of many new additions to the UNF social scene. It is a modeling troupe comprised of girls and guys who are interested in modeling, make-up, costume design or just having fun. Students from all over campus and beyond were encouraged to join and tryout. The group began its run in fall 2005 under previous president and founder, Erica Harding. “I know that we are a wellorganized and well-motivated group of girls and guys that go out in the community and perform community service, functions and fundraisers. We do fashions shows; we do photo shoots; we do a lot of stuff that is not about only outer beauty. A “We do a lot of stuff that is not about only outer beauty. A lot of it comes straight from the inner beauty.” “ Tabitha Salomon, President, Exquisite Couture lot if it comes straight from inner beauty,” said Tabitha Salomon, the current president of Exquisite Couture. According to Salomon, in September 2005, Exquisite Couture had about 40 girls come out to the interest meeting, and a total of about 13 girls actually made the troupe. “Being vice president last semester and this semester has been a learning experience as a leader, and we’ve come from like nine girls to 18,” said freshman Vanessia Gooden, the vice-president of Exquisite Couture. “We’re expecting a lot of great things this semester.” Since its founding, the group has been seen around campus in such events as the Kappa Ball and the Nov. 18, 2005 AASU “All that Jazz” event. During inter- missions, the models performed their show in theme-based costumes and pain staking walks. “I think the group is going to be fun,” said model Trista Kennedy, a corporate finance major. “I have noticed that they do train pretty hard, but it’s all for our good.” With regard to the upcoming show, Kennedy is “excited and very nervous about it. I don’t know what to expect, but it’s going to be interesting.” Shenne Johnson, a senior psychology major, is one of the models from the 2005 starting group. She was one of the first models to perform on stage at Exquisite Couture fashion shows. Now she serves as both model and practice coordinator. “It’s very exciting, definitely, to see the girls grow from not knowing anything to being experts at it,” Johnson said. “The ups [of modeling] would be seeing the girls progressing, and the downs of coordinating the practice is that we don’t have enough practice time.” Information on the models, design team, the group’s history and future shows can be found on its Web site, www.exqusitezone.com. The largest show is in April. “The site features some of our make-up, make-up tips and make-up work and fashion work,” Salomon said. “Now we just recruited a total of eight girls, so that adds to a total of 20 dedicated, beautiful divas, and we just plan to soar to the highest heights.” Email Katrina Mann at [email protected]. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 Amnesty International, SG sponsor celebration on Green BY NICOLE VEAL CONTRIBUTING WRITER Peace, love and happiness will surround the University of North Florida campus on the fourth annual Peace Awareness Day Feb. 24. The event is free to the public and begins at 5 p.m. in the Robinson Student Center. Amnesty International Club and Student Government are sponsoring the celebration of peace. The event features food and entertainment from community poets John Hammond and Dr. Nile Stanley, associate professor of primary and elementary education, and international peace performers Jasmine Peterson and Bryce Erdman. The event will also feature a staged dramatization of peace stories and a “Visions of Peace” mural. Peace Awareness Day celebrates the efforts being made by UNF community members to make or build peace, according to Dr. Candice Carter, professor of education, peace researcher and Amnesty International sponsor. According to Carter, the event began in 2002 when students approached her, asking for the creation of a peace event. Carter said she agreed on the condition that the event would raise awareness on how people in Jacksonville could assist with developing peace. The event is an extension of Carter’s work in peace development, research and education. Carter said she is currently working on publications in The Journal of Peace Education, Chicken Soup for the Soul and a read-for-free e-journal, Stories for a Better World. Brandi Gaines, junior public relations major, said that the event is important in showing that UNF students take an interest in what goes on throughout the world. “With all of the trouble going on right now overseas, it’s nice to see that people want to come together and try to get along despite all of our differences,” Gaines said. At the heart of Amnesty International’s work is human rights protection, according to Carter. The club is involved in issues such as human trafficking in the United States, the protection of people who are arrested for speaking out about threats to peace and environmental protection. Amnesty International’s Web site, http://www.u nf.edu/groups/amnesty/, posts the schedule of the group meetings and offers direct action possibilities for UNF members who cannot come to the group’s meetings. The Web site’s contact link also provides students with more information about how to join in the group’s peacemaking projects. E-mail Nicole Veal at [email protected]. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 PAGE 7 NEWS Student asks RA to get clothes, RA finds pot Feb. 5 — Damaged Property — A UPD officer was dispatched to Science and Engineering Building in reference to graffiti. Upon arrival the officer met with the complainant who stated someone had marked the letters “SND” in black spray paint on the column by the southwest entrance of the building. The complainant said he noticed the same markings on several of the signs in the parking garages. He stated this is the first time he noticed the markings directly on the building. No other witnesses were available. The graffiti was photographed and the complainant was to have removed it. The case was recommended for suspension. Feb. 6 — Criminal Mischief — A UPD officer noticed graffiti on the University of North Florida sign at Central Parkway and the North Entrance Road. The words “SND Revenge,” were spray painted on the lower portion of the sign in blue paint. A check of the area for spray cans turned up negative. Feb. 8 — Sick Person — A UPD officer was dispatched to the Fine Arts Building in reference to a person having a seizure. Upon arrival, the officer observed the victim referred to student conduct. lying on stage. The victim was a student with the College of Charleston and was performing a play, when he had a seizure and fell on the stage. During the fall, the victim hit his head, causing a small cut. Rescue 50 arrived on scene and transported him to Baptist Beaches Hospital. The victim stated that he had seizures over the past few years. Feb. 9 — Found Marijuana — A UPD officer was dispatched to Osprey Hall in reference to found marijuana. An area coordinator and resident assistant had received a request from a resident asking them to bring her clothes to the hospital. When the two went into the room to get the clothes, found a baggie of marijuana inside an overnight bag. The substance in the baggie tested positive for marijuana. The case was Grads to get more jobs in 2006, site claims BY DAWN WIND CONTRIBUTING WRITER College graduates of 2006 have a higher chance of getting a career compared to last year’s graduates, according to CollegeGrad.com — an entry-level job site for college graduates, which recently announced the top 500 entry-level employers for 2006. The list, which contains company names such as Motorola, Johnson & Johnson and Microsoft Corporation, promises graduates of 2006 more than 145,000 available jobs and a 9.1 percent increase in hiring compared to 2005. CollegeGrad.com also reports that many employers on the list have focused on college recruiting efforts as a top priority. Among the 500 entry-level employers, more than 60 percent plan to hire more graduates in 2006 than last year. “It’s good to see a list of all of the top employers,” said Salvatore Bonventre, senior biology major at the University of North Florida. “It’s also good to see Walgreen’s Pharmacy at the top of the list. They’re my first choice after I graduate.” CollegeGrad.com was established in 1995 as the No. 1 entrylevel job search. The site has surveyed for the top entry-level employers for eight years. In addition to founding CollegeGrad.com, President Brian Krueger wrote “College Grad Job Hunter,” a best-selling book for entry-level job searches. “For the third consecutive year, we are seeing employers increasing their entry-level hiring,” Krueger said. “This means higher demand for college students and a more robust entry-level job market.” Enterprise Rent-A-Car made the top of the CollegeGrad.com survey for the fourth consecutive year with a projected 7,000 entry-level hires in 2006. “In the midst of an improving job market, Enterprise continues to hire the best and the brightest college graduates for our management training program,” said Marie Artim, assistant vice president of recruiting at Enterprise. Recruiters are noticing that students are better-rounded than they have been in previous years, according to CollegeGrad.com. As a result, employers are becoming more competitive in hiring college graduates and making their company stand out from competitors’. Career Center personnel at UNF said they have seen similar trends of increasing competition in the job market as well. At the past two Career Expos on campus, the center had a waiting list of employers whom they weren’t able to accommodate because of a lack of space, Associate Director Lenroy Jones said. “There has been a noticeable increase in companies interested in recruiting job seekers graduating from UNF,” Jones said. Students are encouraged to begin a job search six months to a year before their desired start date and get linked with Career Services as soon as possible, Jones said. “It’s never too early to start your job search,” Krueger said. “And with more entry-level career information provided to college students and recent grads than is available at any other site, CollegeGrad.com is a great place to start your search.” E-mail Dawn Wind at [email protected]. Feb. 12 — False Fire Alarm — A UPD officer responded to a fire station pull box alarm at Osprey Cove at 9:14 a.m. and a similar alarm at Osprey Landing at 9:32 a.m. Upon arrival at Osprey Landing, several students standing outside pointed to a man walking away from the area and said, “He is the one who pulled the pull station.” The officer made contact with the subject, and the officer was granted permission to enter the man’s room in Building U of Osprey Cove. The man was cooperative and admitted pulling the fire alarms, and the officer transported him to the Garris Police Building. The man stated he had taken some vicadin and drank a 12-pack of beer the night before and had not been to sleep, and he said that he was not thinking clearly and did a dumb thing. He also stated he had been caught with beer outside his room a few weeks ago and was waiting to go to student conduct for that violation. The man was recommended to drug and alcohol counseling and was referred to student conduct. Feb. 13 — Open House Party — A UPD officer was dispatched to Osprey Cove in reference to persons using alcohol. An unknown person reported the incident to UPD, and upon arrival, the officer made contact with the subjects. When the door was opened by one of the occupants, the officer observed empty beer bottles sitting on the coffee table and six occupants in the room. When asked about the bottles, the occupants stated that they were not using any alcohol and they were there only to visit a man who was not present at the time. The man the subjects came to see eventually arrived on scene and stated the empty beer bottles belong to him and that he had been drinking the beer earlier. There were a total of 30 empty bot- tles of Yuengling and Bud Light beer bottles. The students were referred to student conduct. Feb. 13 — Accidental Injury — A UPD officer was dispatched to the Communications and Visual Arts building in reference to an injured person. Upon arrival, the officer observed the victim lying on the floor with a small cut on his head. The victim stated he was rehearsing for a lip sync contest and he had his friend throw him in the air. The victim then stated that he usually lands on his feet, but this time he landed on his head. Fire and Rescue 50 arrived on scene and assessed the situation and stated the victim needed stitches for the cut. The victim was then transported to St. Luke’s Hospital. The two were rehearsing for their fraternity. The case was referred to student conduct. Compiled by Dave Strupp PAGE 8 NEWS Advertisement WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 PAGE 9 NEWS Former ambassador addresses state of journalism, Islam worldwide BY CHELSEY WACHA CONTRIBUTING WRITER Former Pakistan Ambassador Husain Haqqani spoke at the University of North Florida Feb. 7 about Islam and journalism. “In America, it’s all about tomorrow. Let’s fix the world and get on with life,” Haqqani said during his visit to a magazine feature writing class with Dr. Berrin Beasley, assistant professor of communication. The average young American spends little time getting to know the world around them, he said. Haqqani gave three pieces of advice for the journalism students: his first, he said, is to never lose a contact, no matter how unimportant that person may seem. “A lot of journalists make the mistake that people who are important today are only important today,” he said. “We only like the rich, famous and powerful. This accounts for half of the bad journalism.” Haqqani said he estimates his own Rolodex contains around 60,000 names. His second piece of advice, “never lose the wood for the trees.” In other words, always keep an eye on the big picture and, most importantly, always find the human dimension. Haqqani said journalists should find out, “what the big story means for the small guy and how the small guy features in the big story.” His final point was to “always keep updating your own self.” Haqqani said too many people decide what to believe before they have had time to really experience life. He told the students not to be too quick to label themselves or others. “I’m worried about American journalism because American journalism has become too much a part of the spin machine,” Haqqani said. “You need to be able to cut through a lot of stuff and get to the pit. Finding out the story and telling the story, that’s it, period. All my life I’ve been a storyteller.” Haqqani is currently the director and associate professor of international relations at Boston University. He was born in Karachi, Pakistan, where he grew up in a traditional Muslim lifestyle, according to his bio at the BU Web site. He received a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from the University of Karachi. His career started immediately out of college at a London-based magazine called Arabia — The Islamic World Review, where his assignment was to cover the East-Asian region after the Iranian war. Haqqani summed up his work in one sentence — “Find Muslims and [find out] what are they thinking.” He said his work brought him deep into the heart of the Muslim insurgencies in China and the Philippines, where he often found himself in isolated and sometimes dangerous positions. “Be cautious, hedge your bets, but don’t “I’m worried about American journalism, because American journalism has become too much a part of the spin machine.” “ Husain Haqqani, Former Pakistani Ambassador be a coward,” he said. Haqqani’s journalism philosophy landed him in the middle of the jungle in the Southern Philippines, where he was taken to the secret hideout of a group of powerful Muslim rebels. It also put him in prison for two and a half months in his native country for writing things the government did not approve of, he said. He continued his journalism career as a correspondent for the Far Eastern Economic Review, covering the war in Afghanistan. During this time, he spent a lot of time reporting about Islamist Jihad groups. After this he turned to politics, where he served as an advisor to three Pakistani prime ministers. He also became Pakistan’s ambassador to Sri Lanka from 1992 to 1993. Though he has long since left the field, Haqqani said he still uses the journalism skills he developed, which include knowing how to deal diplomatically with tough personalities. “Once a journalist, always a journalist,” he said. Since coming to the United States, his accumulation of accolades has not diminished. Haqqani is also a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and co-chairman of the Hudson Institute’s Project on Islam and Democracy. He has written several books about Islam and the issues in the Middle East. “I would like to make some contribution, because I think this is the issue of our times - how the West and East relate to each other.” Haqqani said if he can contribute to Americans’ understanding and break the premature impression many have of Muslim culture, “I will die a happy man. Hopefully not too soon.” E-mail Chelsey Wacha at [email protected]. BOT: former member returns to board after brief absence from page 1 another two years. Kendrick is a UNF alumna and has served on the board since 2003. She is vice president of Technology Services for JEA, a certified management accountant and certified public accountant, according to the UNF Board’s Web site. She will serve as vice chair until January of 2008 and can also be re-elected. “I’m really excited about the leadership that Bruce and Wanyonyi will bring to the Board of Trustees,” Delaney said in a press release. “Their expertise will be beneficial in overseeing the university’s strategic and fiscal planning.” Other changes to the board’s roster included the return of Joan Newton, a former member of the board and chairman emeritus of Regency Centers Corp., a real estate investment trust. Newton was originally appointed to the board in 2002 and served until 2003, when she was appointed to the Florida Board of Governors, according to Serwatka. N e w t o n replaced T. O ’ N e a l Douglas, former chairman and CEO of A m e r i c a n Heritage Life Insurance Company, who r e t i r e d . Newton Newton will serve until January 2011. The board is responsible for hiring, evaluating and, if need be, firing the president of the university, Serwatka said. It also approves the university budget each year and any new policies or new degree programs, he said. According to Serwatka, the board is composed of 13 members. Five members are appointed by the Board of Governors, which oversees all Florida state universities. He said six of the members are appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush, one is always the student body president, a n d the remaining member is always the president of the Faculty Association. The board elects a new chair and vice chair every two years, and its members serve five-year terms and cannot serve more than two consecutive terms, Serwatka said. The elections and decisions are made every January. But Serwatka said the Faculty Association elects a new president every two years, and Student Government elects a new student body president every year, so the decisions are made at different times. During the meeting, the board reappointed members Wilfredo Gonzalez, district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration for North Florida, and Ann Hicks, trustee SQUAWK BOX “Somebody tried to buy me for camels, too.” — statement made by Adina Daar ROBERT K. PIETRZYK Squawk Box Quotes of the Week in no way reflect the opinions of the Spinnaker editors or staff. Submit your Photo of the Week to the Spinnaker Squawk Box by e-mailing it to [email protected] or dropping it by the Spinnaker office in the Robinson Student Center, room 2627. for the Jacksonville Public Library, to serve until January 2011. The members who will serve until January 2010 are Steve Halverson, president and CEO of the Haskell Company; Edythe Abdullah, president of the Downtown Campus of Florida Community College at Jacksonville; and Luther Coggin, chairman of Coggin Automotive Group. Board member Judith Solano, current president of the Faculty Association, and chair and associate professor of computer and information sciences, will serve as the board’s faculty member until September, when a new Faculty Association president is selected. Student body president and member of the board, Tom Foran, will finish his term in April. And board member Kevin Twomey, president of the St. Joe Company, who has served since 2003, will complete his term in January 2008. To be on the board, an individual does not have to be a graduate of UNF or a local resident, according to Serwatka. But the candidate must possess strong leadership skills, a desire to be involved and show a prior commitment to civic responsibility, he said. Individuals can self-nominate themselves to be reviewed by the Board of Governors or the Governor’s Office. There are two committees within the board, according to Serwatka. The first is the educational policy committee, which deals with new programs and the student code of conduct. The second, the finance and audit committee, supervises budgets, audits and tuition rates. E-mail Tami Livingston at [email protected]. PAGE 10 SPINNAKER Advertisement WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 PAGE 11 ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT K. PIETRZYK, IANT WITLEN, FRANK DONATO Plagiarism plagues campuses BY JENNA STROM FEATURES EDITOR The writing department at the University of North Florida has established strict guidelines with regard to cheating, saying that the most serious type of cheating is not in copying text word for word, but in plagiarizing another’s ideas. “When papers aren’t real, it gives me a false judgment on students’ ability to write an effective argument,” said Leslie Kaplan, assistant director for the writing department. “My goal is to see how you’re thinking and see the fullest expression of your thought.” Teachers in other departments use a Web site called turnitin.com, which includes a plagiarism prevention link that instantly identifies papers containing unoriginal material. And students can review and respond to their classmates’ work online through the site. Turnitin.com helps teachers decipher sections in papers that were copied word for word. Internet plagiarism, or “cut and paste” plagiarism, involves weaving different sentences from various Web sites together into a paper without appropriate citation. Associate Dean Jay Coleman & Professor of Management Richard deRaismes Kip said the College of Business uses turnitin.com to catch plagiarizers. He said the faculty is required to develop a syllabus that mentions the ramifications of cheating. Both business and honors programs follow the guidelines in the Student Handbook in dealing with students who are caught cheating or plagiarizing. “A lot of our classroom work is a little bit less susceptible to pla- “When papers aren’t real, it gives me a false judgment on students’ ability to write an effective argument.” “ Leslie Kaplan, Assistant Director, Writing department giarisms,” said Chuck Paulson, director of the honors program. “It’s difficult to cheat in the honors program, because we have different tests every year.” He said it is more difficult for students to plagiarize papers, because classes are so small, teachers learn students’ writing styles. Kathy Hassall, director of the writing program, tells faculty not to use turnitin.com. to check for plagiarisms for several reasons. Papers ordered from Web sites by students are constructed by “real” plagiarists who have reconstructed papers that can pass through sites like turnitin.com, according to a document written by Hassall. People can also plagiarize the old-fashioned way: from books. And turnitin.com won’t catch copied text because the full text from the book won’t be online, according to Hassall. Hassall discourages the use of the site, because she said every idea of a paper could be stolen. But if the writer changes words, the paper can pass through turnitin.com, because the site only looks for text in unattributed use of specific language. “What we want is to see the thought process that is going on in your brain,” Kaplan said. “If thoughts came from somewhere else, it makes me think students are ready to move on and they fall behind.” Kaplan said all things are basically covered under the academic integrity code. She said students who turn in papers twice in two separate classes, even if one was for a high school class and another for a college class, are guilty of plagiarism. “Students often plagiarize ideas when they read about something and use those ideas,” she said. “They’re taking somebody’s ideas and using them.” Levels of plagiarism and cheating are high in universities across the nation, and honor and modification codes are effective in reducing academic misconduct, according to a study conducted in 2005 by Don McCabe, the founding president of the Center of Academic Integrity. McCabe found that when he polled 50,000 undergraduates on more than 60 campuses, 70 percent of students admitted to some cheating. He also found that 40 percent of the students admitted to committing Internet plagiarism, and 77 percent of students believed such cheating was not a serious issue. In studies conducted on eight different campuses, more than 12,000 students reported that seri- ous test cheating on campuses with honor codes is typically one third to one half lower than the level on campuses that do not have honor codes. The level of serious cheating on written assignments is one quarter to one third lower. The academic integrity code at UNF states that academic misconduct consists of any attempt to misrepresent one’s performance on any exercise submitted for evaluation. Violations of academic integrity include cheating, fabrication and falsification (inventing counterfeit information for use in an academic exerc i s e ) , multip l e submissions (submitting the same academic work more than once for credit), plagiarism ( intentionally or knowingly presenting the work of another as one’s own), abuse of academic materials (destruction of academic resources), and complicity in academic dishonesty ( intentionally or knowingly helping another commit an act of academic dishonesty). In an assessment project survey, McCabe found that 44 percent of faculty members who were aware of student cheating in their course in the last three years have never reported a student for cheating to the appropriate campus authority. Although honor codes may help prevent cheating, they are systems that have been around as long as people have been cheating, and rates have continued to skyrocket, according to McCabe. The number or students who self-reported themselves to have cheated in medium to large state universities increased from 11 percent in 1963 to 49 percent in 1993. Possible consequences for violations of the academic code at UNF are forced a c a demic counseling, an oral or written re p r i m a n d , an “F” in the piece of work or course grade, a reduction of a grade on the piece or work or course grade or a referral charge to the dean or director of the academic unit. If students feel they were treated unfairly, they can appeal decisions through the university’s appeal system. E-mail Jenna Strom at [email protected]. PAGE 12 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 EXPRESSIONS Break-ups not easy on college students BY JENNA STROM FEATURES EDITOR Now that Valentine’s Day is over, stores are putting heartshaped items on sale and emphasis from the media is being diverted away from affectionate, loving ideas associated with celebrating the holiday. Valentine’s Day is a holiday that primarily focuses on couples, leaving some single people feeling left out. So the Spinnaker is focusing its attention on breaking up, because even if you’ve never had a boyfriend, have just ended a relationship, or are currently involved with someone, most people agree that break-ups, while difficult, can be fun to read about. Following are some of the best break-up stories collected from students at the University of North Florida. Here’s what we found: “I went on one last date with this girl I was with for a couple of years, knowing I was going to break up with her,” said Barret Englert, an alumni who volunteers for the Construction Management Association on campus. “Midway through the meal, my date started choking and I had to give her the Heimlich maneuver. An hour later I broke up with her.” Stacie Richardson, a senior majoring in transportation, logistics and business management, recalled this story: “When I was in second grade, there was a guy who asked me out every day who I really didn’t like. I finally said yes because I felt bad for him, but I broke up with him the same day. One day, I was riding by his house on my bike, and I saw him in a tree. He screamed from the top, ‘I’m going to die for you,’ and jumped out. I just kept riding by.” Shane Yoder, a junior in building construction, remembered more than one breakup story. “I ended our relationship, and she told me to follow her back to her house. She threw all my stuff out, came up to me, said I’m making the stupidest decision of my life and said ‘see you later.’ Another time, I went away for the weekend and woke up from a dream that my girlfriend was with another guy and she had cheated on me. I asked her what she was doing that Saturday night at 2 a.m., and she busted out crying and admitted she had cheated on me.” Sophomore Ashley Greene, who is majoring in international studies said, “my boyfriend was cheating on me with my best friend for three months when I was in high school. My best friend, who turned into my ex-best friend, ended up telling me.” If you have recently dumped another or have been dumped, it is helpful to take care of yourself during the difficult period, said Linda Lovejoy, who has a master’s in counseling. Avoid spending time with or talking to your expartner, and be sure to find activities to fill your time. Lovejoy she said that feeling sad after a breakup is a normal and natural process of grieving. She also recommends allowing a long enough grieving period before becoming involved in another relationship, so the new partner doesn’t receive any undeserved negative emotions. E-mail Jenna Strom at [email protected]. BY MIKE PINGREE (KRT) DANGER!? I SCOFF AT DANGER! FZZZZZT! A man in Bellmead, Texas, decided to steal valuable copper wire while it was still attached to high-voltage transformers at an electrical substation, despite posted warnings that such a thing might be dangerous. His next of kin have been notified. HURRY! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, HURRY! AIEEEE! A construction worker in Wisconsin discovered that a dog sitting on the railroad tracks for more than two hours was frozen to the tracks by his testicles. With less than ten minutes before a train was scheduled to go through, the animal control officer freed the dog by yanking him up by the tail, much to his dismay. OH, HI YOUR HONOR, I WAS JUST, UH, USING THE MENS ROOM After being found guilty of drunken driving and ordered not to drink alcohol during his six months of probation, a man in Jackson, Mo., promptly went to a nearby restaurant and bar and had a few. Alas, the judge who sentenced him came into that very same place for lunch and spotted him. Probation revoked. IS IT GETTING WARM IN HERE, OR IS IT JUST ME? A man from Finland was barred from neighboring Norway because he was arrested 98 times for vagrancy, drunkenness and being a public nuisance. But he snuck back into the country yet again and was soon arrested on a public bus in downtown Bergen, heavily intoxicated and wearing only his undershorts. Police who are familiar with him say he tends to remove more and more of his clothes as his blood-alcohol level gets higher. AND THEY'LL NEVER CATCH ON, DUDE Though he has been told repeatedly that the prison telephones are monitored, a murder suspect in a Florida lockup phoned a friend from jail and told him he was faking insanity so he would be found not competent to stand trial. "I ain't no rookie when it comes to this, brother," he said. The guards, of course, heard everything. NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN TOO.... NOW STEP OUT OF THE CAR A few days after police in South Elmsall, England, arrested him for driving without a license — his tenth motor vehicle conviction — a man was back driving through town once again. He was arrested for the eleventh time when he waved at the officers who recognized him. FUNNY, YOU DON'T SOUND LIKE DAVE A man who stole a car from a pizza deliveryman in Des Moines, Iowa, called his buddy to brag about it. Unfortunately, he accidentally dialed an undercover policeman. His arrest was swift. I'M JUST WAITING FOR THE NEXT SHOW A man, high on crack cocaine, was arrested after being discovered hiding in the suspended ceiling of a strip club in Cocoa Beach, Fla. SO, HAVE WE BEEN DRINKING, SANTA? A man dressed as Santa Claus pulled a no parking sign from the ground in Sapulpa, Okla., and used it to repeatedly smash a street sign on Christmas morning. Arresting officers confirmed that alcohol was involved. E-mail: [email protected] Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 PAGE 13 EXPRESSIONS ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT PIETRZYK IAN WITLEN Actor and comedian D.L. Hughley entertained students and guests at the UNF Arena as part of this year’s homecoming events. Hughley was accompanied by comedians James Smith and Leighann Lord. ‘King of Comedy’ makes fun of audience BY ERICA TAYLOR CONTRIBUTING WRITER Comedian D.L. Hughley kicked off homecoming festivities Feb. 11 for the University of North Florida at the Arena. Hughley started his comedic act with a crack on the school’s mascot, the Osprey. His jokes also included topics ranging from relationships to politics. Hughley concluded the show with a “make fun of the audience” segment, which proved to be popular with students in the audience. He asked for the lights to be turned up so he could see faces in the crowd, and singled people out. He made a joke of people in the crowd who appeared to have a large foreheads and people who avoided eye contact with the comedian. Hughley is widely known for his starring role in the sitcom The Hughleys, which ran from 19982002. He has toured with Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac and acted in a Spike Lee documentary titled The Original Kings of Comedy. Hughley provided the voice of the Gadgetmobile in Inspector Gadget and acted in Scary Movie 3. His late-night talk show, Weekends at the D.L. premiered on Comedy Central in 2005. Comedians James Smith and Leighann Lord opened for Hugley. Smith, who is from Australia, centered his routine on the differences between Americans and Australians. While Lord focused her act on female experiences. Lord was the New York City Black Comedy Award winner for the Most Thought Provoking Female Comic category. She also appeared in the George Lucas film Radioland Murders, and has hosted The Charlie Rose Show...Chat Zone. Homecoming activities will extend through Feb. 18. E-mail Erica Taylor at [email protected]. Graduates promote music on MySpace BY MEREDITH PICRAY CONTRIBUTING WRITER Two graduates from the University of North Florida are making their mark in Jacksonville’s music scene as part of a local band. Dan Stewart, class of 2000, and Ryan Ito, class of 2002, are two of the four members of The Picture Show, a band that considers itself to be like the rock bands of the early ‘90s. “If we had to compare ourselves to a known band, which I hesitate to do, I would have to say the sound is like the early, classic U2,” said Stewart, the band’s guitarist. Stewart and bassist Ito, along with singer Aaron Jesperson and drummer Brad Daninger, have been playing small shows around the area as a way to create an experience for concert goers. “I wouldn’t say to come to a show to have the time of your life,” Stewart said. “Instead, we are a work in progress, coming to a show should be an experience.” The Picture Band has been promoting itself through its Web site, www.pictureshowband.com, and through a MySpace page. These methods have created a loyal following at their shows. “I don’t book the guys for a show every night,” said Genesis Ruley, the band’s manager. “We would rather have fans anticipate shows instead of getting tired of seeing them all the time.” Stewart said that their ultimate goal is to be able to have a connection with their audience, something that is possible at smaller shows. The band has played at Freebird in Jacksonville Beach on several occasions, according to their Web site. Stewart said that Freebird is one of his favorite local venus, along with Club Fusion in St. Augustine. He said that most of their shows have been outside of Jacksonville, playing festival shows in Cincinnati and Delaware. “Club Fusion in St. Augustine is great, because the owner and the patrons appreciate you the most,” Stewart said. Many of the bands that The Picture Show has performed with are no longer around, but that hasn’t stopped them from performing. When asked what band they would most like to tour with, Stewart replied U2 or The Killers. He also joked about how much fun touring with Motley Crue could be. The band played at Freebird Feb. 3 as part of a show with four acts performing. Their set, which included around a dozen songs, was energetic enough to make the small venue seem large. Their CD Blur has just three songs, but is a wonderful blend of hard rock with smooth musicality. The band is playing two more shows this month. Feb. 15 at Jack Rabbits in San Marco and Feb. 24 at the French Quarter in the San Jose area. University prohibits banning of books in library BY CRAIG JENKINS CONTRIBUTING WRITER Although the First Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits hindrance of freedom of the press and speech, some middle schools and churches still ban books. The University of North Florida has never banned books, according to Barbara Tuck, a librarian who works in the reference department. Tuck helps create awareness during the American Library Association’s banned books week every September. The ALA encourages freedom of speech and requires the elimination of book censorship in all forms. The Beacon for Freedom of Expression also calls upon the need to uphold the first amendment. Institutions at the college level prohibit and discourage the banning of any and all books. Institutions that have banned certain books in the past continue to ban books for various reasons. Countries like the USSR, Nazi Germany, Italy, Ireland, and the United States ban books that question political authority and deal out anti-establishment ideas. Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto was banned by Nazi Germany in the 1940s, and several novels by Ernest Hemingway were banned in the United States, Ireland and Italy. The United States has also banned novels written by Mark Twain, James Joyce, William Shakespeare, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Oscar Wilde. Churches have banned books FEATURES EDITOR The Office of Institutional Advancement is accepting applications from students who are interested in traveling to Washington, D.C. to intern at the Heart of America Foundation for eight to 10 weeks. The Heart of America Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan humanitarian organization with a mission to celebrate, honor, and empower young people and adults who enrich the human race with the quality of their lives, according to the Office of Institutional Advancement. Criteria stated on the application requires the nominee to demonstrate a commitment to voluntary service, initiative and innovation in problem-solving, persistence in overcoming obstacles and advocacy for change. E-mail Craig Jenkins at [email protected]. E-mail Meredith Picray at [email protected]. Internship sends students to Washington D.C. BY JENNA STROM that have anti-Christian themes. Banning goes as far back as the council of Nicea in 325 A.D., where it is rumored that books that were once considered part of the Bible were removed. Since then, books that have been banned for religious reasons include the Hebrew Talmud, which was banned from 1239 to 1329. The bestselling Harry Potter series has been a frequent target of religious groups who want to keep Harry’s magical adventures off of library shelves. Although most books that are banned are less radical than the prohibition of ideals and new thought, others are banned due to harsh language, lurid sexual references, drug references, and acts of violence they contain. To Kill a Mockingbird, now a staple of junior high schools across America, was banned in earlier years for being racially insulting. More recently, there is J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye which was the 13th most challenged book in the 1990s according to the ALA. With its allusions to premarital sex, prostitution, and alcohol abuse, The Catcher in the Rye was both the most banned and most taught book in 1975. Books that may seem innocent to most people are still banned in some middle schools. Where’s Waldo? was banned in various middle schools due to a supposed topless mermaid on a beach page. For more information about book banning, visit the UNF library, or www.ala.org. Nominees must be enrolled as a full or part-time junior at the University of North Florida, and must be in good academic standing. They must demonstrate some degree of financial need and agree to take a business ethics course prior to graduating from UNF. The recipient of the Caring Internship will receive a housing allowance, a weekly stipend of approximately $150 and travel expenses to and from Washington, D.C. Noela Houle, an alumni who graduated last year with a bachelor’s in biology, interned at the Heart of America last year and worked with the Books from the Heart program. She stayed in Washington D.C. for nine weeks at George Washington University and collected and distributed new books to elementary schools in the D.C. metro area. “The poverty present in our nation’s capital is incredible,” Houle said. “This program gives books to children who couldn’t otherwise afford them.” Institutional Advancement is also offering the Albert D. Ernest Jr. Caring Award to a UNF student who demonstrates the spirit of caring, humanitarianism and volunteerism. The recipient will receive a bronze sculpture created by Frank Eliscu, designer of the Heisman Trophy and $500 to donate in their name to a charity of choice. Four additional finalists will receive $100 to donate to a charity of choice. Applications for both programs are due March 3. For more information, interested applicants can visit Institutional Advancement in the J.J. Daniel Hall, room 2700. E-mail Jenna Strom at [email protected] BY ZAN GONANO ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Well guys, it’s officially concert season here in Jacksonville. It seems like the fall semester can be somewhat slow for good shows, but the shows during spring semester seem to more than make up for the deficiency in solid tunes in the fall. This week is no different than last and is loaded to the gills with foot-tapping, headbobbing solid music. Live music will play at Freebird Live almost every night this week. There are too many to mention, but there are a few standouts. Tonight, U-Melt plays. Tickets are $10. Thursday night, it’s a DB invasion. Burnin Smyrnans with Reform and Chasing Yesterday will take over Freebird Live. Tickets are $5-$10. Sunday, Dark Star Orchestra graces the stage. Tickets are $16 before the show and $20 the day of the show. Monday, reggae legend Yellowman plays with an equally impressive Morgan Heritage. This is my pick of the week. If you like solid roots reggae, you will not be disappointed. Advance tickets are $15, and are $20 the day of the show. Tonight at Jack Rabbits, The Picture Show, Eleven 54 and Plunge will perform. Of Montreal, The Late B.P. Helium and James Husband play Sunday. Sunday night, Kid Rock plays Veterans Memorial Arena at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the show are $34. Keith Urban hits Veterans Memorial Arena Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $36.50-$43.50. E-mail Zan Gonano at [email protected]. PAGE 14 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 EXPRESSIONS ‘Destination’ hits theaters again BY ROGER MOORE THE ORLANDO SENTINEL We 5 d ., Fe b. 1 Lip rts coming • Home 8 p.m., Fine A , h c Syn Center or Day, nal Don • Natio the Green 9 a.m., Thu., Feb. 16 • Cathie Ryan Band, 7:30 p.m., Lazzara Performance Hall Fr i., Fe b. 17 • Homecom Party, 5 p.ming Tailgate ., UNF Aren Plaza a • Marty Stu Freebird Liveart, 8 p.m., Fe S at., b. 18 ade, g Par n i m eco p • Hom, UNF loo n ony noo ymphm., S m 0 p. all usale • Jer estra, 7:3rmance H Orch ara Perfo Lazz WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA • Movies on the House, Walk on Water, 7 p.m., Regal Cinemas Beach Blvd. Might this be the final Final Destination? Don’t bet on it. What we have in Final Destination 3 is the perfect movie formula. Kid gets intuition about an accident that will happen, freak out and saves several peers from certain death. Then, death kills off those survivors. And we have the perfect business model. Legions of unknown young actors are shredded with every installment, with no repeat cast members forcing up the casting costs. That adds up to the perfect moviekilling and money-making machine. X-Files vet James Wong returns to his 2000 creation for this sequel, which at least has some of the wit and weight of that first film, and a clever plot touch. This time, it’s not kids about to board a plane that blows up. It’s kids about to clamber aboard a rickety roller coaster that will do what we all fear a coaster will do — impale, decapitate, and crush bodies into goo. It’s senior night at someplace that can’t possibly be Disney World, and Wendy, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead of Sky High, is shooting digital pictures for the yearbook. But just as her boyfriend and another couple are nagging her into riding The Devil’s Flight coaster, she “sees” the accident about to happen. She gets hysterical, creates a scene. Her best friend’s beau, Kevin (Ryan Merriman) gets off with her, as do a couple of other reluctant classmates. The ride shoots off, and the rest die horribly. And that’s just the beginning. “Death’s grand design,” as they referred to it back in the original, will not be denied. The survivors are doomed. And since they can go on the Internet and realize that this has happened in two earlier movies, well, it’s all about waiting to die. The weight of these movies comes from their grasp of the flippant sense of immortality of teenagers, and how they react to death. Some, such as Lewis the jock (Texas Battle), are in denial. The atheist (Kris Lemche) dismisses the whole idea. Kevin and Wendy seem to straddle the fence between fighting their fate or accepting it. Final Destination 3 involves characters who are killed in freak accidents. The movie grossed more than $19 million and peaked at No. 2 at the box office. Wong puts a lot of effort into showing chain reactions — the maintenance issues, careless employees, bad drivers and the rules being broken by callous teens that lead to sudden, gruesome death. His co-written script can crack “If you ever have to come to my funeral” and intellectualize what the kids are going through. “If there’s any place that makes you feel there’s no life after death, it’s a cemetery.” He can put a couple of cliched Barbies into tanning beds (naked) and murder them, but he can’t make us care enough to laugh or wince. He can have a kid who openly questions Christianity kill pigeons with a nail gun, but he can’t make him interesting or menacing. He has no heart. All Wong is up to is setting another trap, staging another crash-smash, slicing or squishing. Maybe that’s why he’s been sentenced to “Final Destinations.” The punishment fits the movie-making crime. • Jacksonville Christian Life Sunday Worship, 8:30 a.m., RSC, room 1700 • Benefit Concert, 7 p.m., Wackadoo’s Mo n ., Fe b . 20 1 2 Tue ., Fe b. 30 p.m., Hike, 6: t h ig N • ils UNF tra lass Upper C • Rory &oncert, 9 p.m., Trash C oo’s Wackad The Fresh Prince of Bel Air: The Complete Third S e a s o n — Yo u r old age has finally caught up with you. Watch and be amazed at the clothes and styles you thought were cool in the early ‘90s. Golden Girls: The Complete Fourth Season—Bea Arthur and trio of other mature women prove that even after menopause, if you get four women together they will talk about how men stink. Good: A few scenes that make you jump, if that’s what you like. Bad: Hopefully this will be the final version of this movie. Fugly: Two girls burn to death in a tanning bed. Worth seeing the credits? Come on, this isn’t the third Star Wars! The Hidden LandBela Fleck and the Flecktones (DualDisc CD)— If you saw the band perform at the Fine Arts Center and were torn between buying a CD or a DVD, you now have one less brain-wrecking decision to make. T h e Godfather (XB360)— Work your way from being a two-bit hood to being the next don in this GrandTheft-Auto-style game featuring the mafia. It’s an offer you can’t refuse. Fight Night: Round Three (PS2/XB360/PSP) — Just because you can beat this game doesn’t mean you can fight. Pressing the punch button won’t help you when you’re about to get your butt kicked in the club. Meanwhile, in another part of town... ...Twisted Sisters PHOTO: TAZMIN HOLDEN • The Kre Dr. Simon utzer Project: Recital, 7 Shiao Faculty Arts Cente:30 p.m., Fine r • Chick C Touchton orea & Florida T e, 8 p.m., heatre Saw II ( DV D / P S P ) — Rumor has it the next Saw movie will feature victims who must escape from deadly traps or be forced to watch Saw II again. Sheets to the Wind: E-mail Roger Moore through http://www.orlandosentinel.com. By Donald Postway Sun., Feb. 19 Final Destination 3 BY ZAN GONANO ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Twisted Sisters provides a laid back, smoke-free atmosphere to grab lunch, dinner or drinks. With a wine tasting every week, live music nightly and excellent drink specials, Twisted Sisters provides an alternative to other bars and eateries at the beach. Twisted Sisters has a wide variety of food for both lunch and dinner. Lunch items include salads, burgers, wraps and sandwiches ranging from $4-$9. At dinner, “Tasters” are also available with everything from edamame to shrimp and grits, and range from $4$9. Any meat dish can be substituted with Tofu. Each Wednesday night, Twisted Sisters offers a wine tasting for $10, along with live acoustic music. Every Thursday night is reggae night with $3 XLerators and $1 Bud Light and Yuengling drafts. The bar and restaurant is an airy place with plenty of standing room at the bar, more than enough tables and a ping pong table in the back. One or both of the owners can be found walking around at night mingling with the bar crowd and bringing around various appetizers. Twisted Sisters is open from 11 a.m. until everyone is gone, Monday through Saturday, and is closed Sundays. The restaurant is located at 1266 Beach Blvd. Sisters can be reached at 904-241-6453. E-mail Zan Gonano at [email protected]. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 Public reputation and physical appearance are now important to business success. Early this w e e k , March 21 - April 20 expect key officials to assign complex duties or ask for special favors. Refuse to focus on yesterday’s limits or disagreements and respond quickly to new instructions: your group leadership will be appreciated. Friday through Sunday highlight bold discussions with close family members. Social obligations, home expectations and group planning are accented: stay focused. M o n d a y through Thursday, business paperwork, legal documents or corporate permissions may be poorly defined or misleading. Group April 21 - May 20 errors or miscalculations from approximately 16 weeks ago will this week demand clarity. Remain determined: before next week authority figures are privately evaluating workplace efforts. Later this week, a trusted friend may need to explain their recent social behavior. Fear of isolation and hidden jealousies are accented: remain diplomatic. Home relationships will this week enjoy a meaningful phase of social harmony. Loved ones will opt for group events, May 21 - June 21 honest discussions and shared duties. Use this time to regain perspective and establish new family agreements: you won’t be disappointed. After Thursday, workplace duties will steadily increase. Many Geminis will this week be asked to correct the mistakes of a colleague or act as group leader. Don’t hesitate: key officials will soon offer permanent rewards. New friends or co-workers will no longer hide their feelings or avoid subtle questions. After Tuesday, expect private June 22 - July 22 attractions to be publicly acknowledged or easily expressed. Minor jealousies or competing egos may be an underlying theme. If so, clearly state your needs, boundaries and romantic aspirations. Thursday through Saturday, financial expectations in the home may need to change. Timed payments and large purchases are highlighted: stay alert. PAGE 15 accented: stay sharp. Lasha Seniuk’s Over the next few days, quick glimpses of the future are accurate. Through the actions of others, many Leos will now witness their own business or financial potential. Study the career July 23 - Aug. 22 mistakes, fast opportunities or last minute reversals of friends and colleagues for valuable clues. After Friday, romantic relationships will also be affected. Pay attention to subtle comments or private observations. Bold proposals may soon be expected: pace yourself and wait for obvious signals. Financial proposals are promising but delayed this week. Over the next seven days, a close friend or relative may outline a risky business venture or new career Aug. 23 - Sept. 22 goal. Unique payment arrangements may be an ongoing concern. Go slow and carefully complete all outstanding paperwork. After Thursday, friends and lovers may be briefly introspective or moody. Don’t push for immediate answers: loved ones may now need extra time to evaluate recent social or family changes. Established workplace policies, although worthwhile, may soon be cancelled. Before mid-week, watch Sept. 23 - Oct. 23 for a fast flurry of paperwork and public discussion. Many Librans will now encounter rapid changes of personnel, job titles or corporate agendas. Wait for confirmation before proposing fresh concepts. Later this week, a new friend may request a rare romantic introduction. Private love affairs, long distance relationships or revised marital status may be N e w friends may this week offer misinfor mation or vague responses concerning relationship Oct. 24 - Nov. 22 commitments or social obligations. Probe for private facts, dates or details. Family information or past romantic history may be a key issue: study responses for valuable clues. Thursday through Saturday is an excellent time to ask authority figures for special permissions or new agreements. Before midweek, colleagues are easily distracted with new leadership duties or creative work proposals. Nov. 23 - Dec. 21 Although both are positive, authority figures may privately disapprove. Avoid public discussion, if possible, and opt for quiet activities or small tasks. Wednesday through Saturday, a complex friendship may briefly expand or intensify. If so, expect mild romantic triangles and controversial invitations. Trust your first impressions: new commitments may prove draining. Business partnerships will this week work to your advantage. After Tuesday, expect newly proposed career ventures Dec. 22 - Jan. 20 to bring added financial freedom. Common agreement will soon trigger shared rewards: discuss all possibilities with potential work mates or long-term friends. Wednesday through Saturday, romantic and social invitations will increase. Pay special attention to unique proposals from co-workers or work officials. Over the next eight days, forgotten records, legal details and missed p ay m e n t s , although annoyJan. 21 - Feb. 19 ing, are vital to success. Many Aquarians will soon be asked to clarify written documents or financial contracts. Don’t neglect necessary duties or small tasks: in the coming weeks ignored paperwork will quickly become unmanageable. Thursday through Sunday, a friend or relative may announce an unexpected family expansion or complex travel plan. A close relative or friend may this week propose a rare business improvement or creative lifestyle change. Sudden career reversals or risky Feb. 20 - March 20 job opportunities may be a strong influence. Take time for serious discussion: a detailed review of the facts will provide the appropriate route to success. After Wednesday, workplace restrictions will be addressed: expect key officials to announce revised policies or cancelled programs. Remain patient: change will eventually work in your favor. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. PAGE 16 CUSTOMER SERVICE/SALES Lexrule Corporation-a financial services company. Must be energetic, reliable & self-starter. 20+ flexible hours, $10+ bonuses. Contact: [email protected] WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 HELP WANTED KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BURRO AND A BURROW? If so, you may have a future in the fast-paced world of print journalism. The Spinnaker is looking for writers and editors to join its award-winning team. Come by the office in the Robinson Student Center, room 2627, for an application. BARTENDERS WANTED! $300/day potential. No experience necessary. Training provided. Age 18+ OK. Call 800-965-6520 ext 222 PART-TIME PRINTING AND SIGNS BUSINESS This is a small printing and sign business. Part-time person 3-4 hours daily who is computer literate (windows) and knowledge or willing to learn the following programs: Corel Draw, Photoshop, Apprentice Sign Making Software. Call 726-9011 MARSH LANDING COUNTRY CLUB Part-Time Activities Counselor: Assit with year round kids programs and events. Exp. working with children a plus. CPR/First Aid certified. Night and weekend hours. Part-Time Fitness Attendant: Seeks candidate with CPR/First Aid certification. Fitness experience required. Flexible hours. Both positions apply in person Tuesday-Sunday Ponte Vedra Beach 285-1909 Drug Testing/E.O.E. NANNY PART TIME 3:30-8 pm, Mon-Fri Must have flexible hours. Energetic, non-smoker. Own car and 4 references. Call Tracy 993-3548 FOR RENT LOST & FOUND MISCELLANEOUS FOR RENT CONDO 9A + Baymeadows Brand new 1400 sq. ft. 3/2 $1295/month Rltr owned 923-4485 CAN’T FIND YOUR GLASSES? FOUND SOMEONE’S KEYS? Let the Spinnaker know and, space permitting, we’ll print it on The Board FREE OF CHARGE. Call (904) 620-1599 or e-mail [email protected] for details. ADOPTION Happily married couples who have been trying to adopt both white and bi-racial babies have much love, happiness & devotion to share. By letting them help make this difficult time easier for you, you will be making their dreams come true. If you are considering adoption, please call out attorney for more information regarding her private (no agency) and compassionate adoption services. Emotional, medical and living expenses provided if necessary. Couples seeking to adopt black babies are asked to immediately contact Carolyn Wagner for free consultation. Contact Carolyn Wagner, Attorney (904) 632-1840 (jax) FB# 0642355. NEW 2 BEDROOM 2.5 BATH TOWNHOME in St. Augustine off 95/ CR 210 west Gated, on lake, pool, one car garage, close to outlet mall. $1000 month $1000 deposit Contact 904-476-0687 BRAND NEW CONDO AVAILABLE 1105 sq/ft. Gated community, swimming pool, fitness center, two bedroom, washing machine & dryer, 2 floors. 386-569-6290 UPD LOST AND FOUND Any item found on campus should be taken to the Police Building (Building 41). Items will be kept for 30 days before being auctioned off, with proceeds benefitting student scholarships. Contact Lost and Found Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at (904) 620-2367 CLUBS FOR SALE USED FURNITURE OF ALL KINDS Assortment of living room furniture, a dining room set, lawn mower, small media stand, washer, gril, end table, etc. Good to excellent condition on all. Must go-moving out of state. Please call Mike @ 860-2825 PSYCHOLOGY CLUB MEETING Where: Psychology Lounge Bld. 39, 4th floor When: The second Wednesday of every month. Funded by SG B.Y.O.T.B. New & Used textbooks for less. 3611 S St. Johns Bluff Rd. Suite 104 904-997-3285 Located between Wendy’s and Larry’s Subs We buy back all year long! PACKAGE DEAL TO EUROPE for college students Includes airfare, hotel, tour and much more! Contact Mike: [email protected] for more info. S PINNAKER The official newspaper of the University of North Florida 4567 St. Johns Bluff Road S. Jacksonville, FL 32224-2668 [Your Name Here] Writer • Photographer • Editor (904) 620-2727 (904) 620-3924 Fax [email protected] [email protected] PAGE 17 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 F LYING Feb. 17 Baseball at University of Central Florida, 4 p.m. Track (indoor) at Florida Intercollegiate Men’s basketball vs. Stetson University, 7 p.m. Feb. 18 Women’s basketball vs. Florida Atlantic University, 2 p.m. THROUGH TIME ... WITH THE BASEBALL TEAM Track (indoor) at Florida Intercollegiate Baseball at University of Central Florida, 1 p.m. Women’s tennis at Stetson University, 12 p.m. Men’s tennis at Stetson University, 4 p.m. Golf at Gator Invitational Feb. 19 Baseball at University of Central Florida, 12 p.m. Men’s tennis at Valdosta State University, 1 p.m. 1997 2001 1995 2005 1999 ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT PIETRZYK AND UNF ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT Men’s basketball vs. Mercer University, 2 p.m. Golf at Gator Invitational Feb. 20 Women’s basketball at Jacksonville University, 7 p.m. Feb. 21 Men’s tennis vs. Jacksonville University, 2 p.m. Women’s tennis vs. Jacksonville University, 4 p.m. Baseball at University of South Florida, 7 p.m. UNF Fun Facts for Men’s Basketball Feb. 9 Men’s basketball 65, Lipscomb University 75 Women’s basketball 75, Kennesaw State University 73 Feb. 10 Baseball 11, Louisiana State University 1 Feb. 11 Men’s basketball 54, Belmont University 90 Men’s tennis 5, Florida A & M University 2 Women’s basketball 52, East Tennessee State University 82 Baseball 4, Louisiana State University 0 Swimming places 6th Feb. 12 Baseball 4, Louisiana State University 3 Feb. 14 Men’s basketball 57, Florida International 71 • UNF has posted a winning record at home in nine of its 13 seasons of the program’s eight all-conference performers were coached by Kilcullen. competition and have done so five times under coach Matt Kilcullen. • Assistant coach Howard White served three years in the U.S. Navy. • Five of the 15 players are from out of state. • Senior David Ashwell’s most prized possession is his guitar. • This is coach Kilcullen’s seventh season at the University of North • Senior Riley Didion would like to travel to Italy if he could go any- Florida. where. • Kilcullen is the winningest and longest-serving coach in UNF history. • Student Assistant Donny Lotz holds the career records in field goals • After the team’s first win in the 2005-06 season, Kilcullen will have made and attempted. 200 wins in his career as head coach. • Matt Kilcullen was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year in 1994 • Kilcullen has posted the five highest win totals in UNF history. and in 1995. • 23 of the program’s 30 academic all-conference performers and five of • Kilcullen has two children: a daughter, Brianna; and a son, Michael. 2006 Men’s Basketball Roster Matt Kilcullen - Head Coach Rudy Buzzard - Freshman Howard White - Assistant Coach Carl McNally - Sophomore Dom Annunziata - Volunteer Assistant Ian Gibson - Freshman Josh Bowling - Graduate Assistant Joe Collins - Strength & Conditioning Donny Lotz - Student Assistant Mark Power - Athletic Training Kelly Price - Academic Mentor Erik Atkinson - Freshman Riley Didion - Senior Derrick Scott - Senior Chris Timberlake - Sophomore Jonson Yousefzadeh - Sophomore Cortez Riley - Freshman James Grimball - Junior Rashad Williams - Junior Alain Laroche - Senior Ryan Daugherty - Freshman Aaron Caruthers - Freshman David Ashwell - Senior PAGE 18 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 SPORTS In Brief Swimming concludes season at Pacific Collegiate Conference SPORTS Homecoming Week BY EMILY BRUCE • Feb. 17 - Coca Cola Shootout for $10,000 at the men’s basketball game against Stetson University at 7 p.m. CONTRIBUTING WRITER The University of North Florida’s swim and dive team ended its season with a sixth place finish at the Pacific Conference Swimming Championship in Los Angeles, Calif. Feb. 8-11. The Ospreys earned 754.5 points, putting them ahead of eight other teams. California-San Diego won the meet with 1,275 points. Sophomore Amber Price took second place in the 3-meter diving competition on the first day of the meet. In the same event, sophomore Debbie Thornburry and junior Kaila Johnston earned fifth and ninth place finishes, respectively. The Ospreys continued to turn in strong finishes as the competition progressed, including a fifth place finish in the 100- • Feb. 18 - Intramural dodgeball tournament at the women’s basketball game against Florida Atlantic University at 2 p.m. River City Rumble • Feb. 21 - Men’s and women’s tennis against Jacksonville University at 2 p.m. Senior Recognition • Feb. 23 - Men’s basketball vs. Florida Atlantic University, 7 p.m. • Feb. 25 - Women’s basketball vs. Lipscomb University, 2 p.m. Season Opener • Feb. 25 - Baseball’s first home game vs. W. Michigan at 2 p.m. TS R O SP VIA TRI breaststroke from junior Monique Salles-Cunha, who finished ahead of 58 others. The Ospreys earned 234.5 points during the last day of competition, led by five top 10 finishes. Salles-Cunha finished third in the 200-breaststroke with a time of 2:24.80. Sophomore Krysten Nemecek finished eighth in the same event. Freshman Dana Constantino took seventh place in the 200backstroke, while junior Stephanie Anderson took eighth. The Ospreys ended the meet by taking sixth place in the 400freestyle relay. Junior Chelsea Lewis, junior Lindsey McKelvey, senior Scotti Williams and sophomore Marie Yeager finished with a time of 3:37.62. E-mail Emily Bruce at [email protected]. Throughout the spring semester, the Spinnaker will be hosting ‘Sports Trivia’ with the help of UNF sports promotions. The first person to submit all the correct answers wins a prize pack. Good Luck! 1)What is the current standing between schools for the River City Rumble? 2) Who pitched for the first five innings in the baseball game against Georgia Southern University? 3)Where did Jared Incinelli go to high school? 4)What was the score at the women’s basketball game at halftime against Campbell University? Tucker Pryor Feb. 8 Answers: 1) 5 2) Harmon Stadium 3) College of Charleston 4) 16 points SUBMIT ANSWERS TO: [email protected] S PINNAKER The official newspaper of the University of North Florida 4567 St. Johns Bluff Road S. Jacksonville, FL 32224-2668 [Your Name Here] Writer • Photographer • Editor (904) 620-2727 (904) 620-3924 Fax [email protected] [email protected] SPORTS INFORMATION Last week’s winner Rookie helps in rugby win Dender throws punches in two consecutive games BY VALERIE MARTIN SPORTS EDITOR After a 21-7 win against Florida State University, the University of North Florida’s rugby club found itself with a 2-1 record for the spring season. Flyhalf Ryan Dender passed the ball to wing Josh Jackson, who scored at the eight-minute mark, making the score 5-0. Florida State University intercepted the ball, causing UNF to fall behind by two points. Captain Sean Danahey made the call to kick for points after Florida State received a penalty deep into its territory. John Halter made the kick, putting UNF back as the leading scorer (87). After Halter made another good kick for UNF, Dender was yellow-carded for punching, which forced North Florida to play a man down as he waited for his 10-minute penalty to end. Making his first appearance for UNF, rookie loose head prop Al Mackoul battled for his first career try, allowing Halter to score once again. North Florida’s rugby club will return Feb. 18 to play against Florida Atlantic University at the University of Central Florida. E-mail Valerie Martin at [email protected]. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 PAGE 19 SPORTS OFF THE FIELD WITH... Gwen Williams second baseman on the softball team BY ALLI REISS CONTRIBUTING WRITER VALERIE MARTIN Freshman point guard Jennifer Bowen suffered from a sprained ankle as a result of the game against East Tennessee. Dill finishes with first-ever double double You know you have gone Division I when spirited fans drive from Jacksonville to Tennessee for the weekend to watch the University of North Florida women’s basketball team take the court. In the first of two away games, UNF (9-13, 7-7 A-Sun) took on the Kennesaw State University Owls (3-17, 2-11 A-Sun) Feb. 9, ending the game in the final seconds in overtime. With just 1.7 seconds left on the clock, junior forward Andrea Dill grabbed the rebound off of a missed shot by freshman guard Anna Haberlein and put it back into action for a lay-up, to secure the 75-73 win for the Ospreys. Dill finished with her best performance of the season, contributing 20 points and 10 rebounds to record the first double-double of her career. North Florida saw itself down by as many as 11 points in the second half, but rallied back to a 7171 tie to go into overtime. The freshman duo, which consists of guard Jennifer Bowen and forward Jennifer Guldager, led the charge scoring the last seven points of regulation for the Ospreys. The Owls had a shot to put the game away with one last possession before overtime, but a block by junior guard Tamara Hubbard and a steal by Dill prevented the Owls from getting the ball to the basket. Overtime turned out to be a defensive struggle, but UNF was able to pull away with the victory. The Ospreys then traveled to Tennessee, followed by some dedicated UNF fans, to square off against East State Tennessee University (14-7, 10-4 A-Sun) Feb. 11. The Bucs proved to be too much for the Ospreys, however, hitting 10-of-13 shots from behind the 3-point arc in the first half, taking the win 82-52. North Florida trailed by 16 at the half but managed to cut that lead to nine before East Tennessee went on a 22-5 run to win the game. The Ospreys were led by Dill who finished with 11 points while junior guard C.C. Woolfolk chipped in with eight points. North Florida received 28 points off the bench and all 12 Ospreys who saw action finished with at least two points. The Ospreys will get a week off before hosting Florida Atlantic at 2 p.m., Feb. 18 at the University Arena during Homecoming Week. E-mail Alli Reiss at [email protected]. VITALS Major: Community Health Height: 5’8’’ Birthday: March 8, 1986 High School: Paxon S.A.S. Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla. If you could travel back to any time period in history, which one would it be and why? I would travel back to Jesus’ life, because He is the man and I would love to meet him! If you could fast forward to your life in the future, what would you hope to see? I hope to eventually be a physical therapist, get married, and have a few babies. When I’m too old to do anything else, I want to travel the world with my hubby! How do you feel about the postal service raising the cost of sending mail by two cents, upping the price to 39 cents? It’s only two more cents. There are way bigger things in life to be concerned with. GWEN WILLIAMS BY ALLI REISS CONTRIBUTING WRITER You better not get caught in a pickle, or University of North Florida’s softball second baseman Gwen Williams might just chase you down and tag you out. That is unless the Burger King “King” from the commercials runs across the field in which Williams could not contain her outof-control giggles, then you might be able to slide by. With her down-to-earth and zany personality, there laugher abounds wherever she is. When asked about her favorite memory from last season, Williams said, “Oh man! There are so many, but I have to say one does stick out it my mind. “Last year, I think our very first game I was playing second, and one of my teammates was at first. There was a runner on first and the batter bunted the ball. “The bunt was in the air so the first baseman dove for it. It was a nice attempt. “Anyway, so instead of catching the ball in her glove, the ball hit her head. It ricocheted off of her forehead and rolled right back to our catcher. “Our catcher scooped up the head-butted ball and threw to second. We still managed to get the out. “So that was followed by another discombobulated play, which made my already outof-control laughing even worse. The giggles continued for the entire game!” The Spinnaker recently sat down with Williams to find out why in the world she would “definitely” want a foot-long eyebrow! Gwen Williams spends some time with the Spinnaker as she admits she’d rather have a foot-long eyebrow than an ear lobe the size of a basketball. How come you press harder on a remote control when you know the battery is dead? It’s like a stubborn person. Keep pressing their buttons harder and harder until you get the outcome you want. If you could go on a Valentine’s date with any celebrity, who would it be and where would you go and what would he buy you for Valentine’s Day? I don’t care who, just as long as we go get some good food. Yeah, I’m a fat girl! And he buys me a new car for Valentine’s Day!! The pink truck might not truck much longer. Would you rather have a foot-long eyebrow you could never pluck or an ear lobe the size of a basketball? Haha! Definitely a foot-long eyebrow! At least it could be functional! What makes you laugh? Umm, anything and everything. Then once it starts, it will not stop! I think I seriously have a problem; I can’t control it, especially in quiet settings. What would you do if the Burger King “King” ran onto the softball field during one of your games? Probably nothing, because I would be laughing uncontrollably! Haha, how random! Why does Donald Duck wear a towel when he comes out of the shower, when he doesn’t usually wear any pants? You know, because he doesn’t want people to see his rubber ducky! If you could change anything at UNF, what would it be and why? It would be nice if there was more school spirit and student involvement with UNF sporting events. E-mail Alli Reiss at [email protected]. Look for Gwen Williams playing in the next softball game against Savannah State University in a doubleheader. Games start at 2 p.m. PAGE 20 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 SPORTS Higgs leads softball team to first Division I victory Junior outfielder Christina Evans started season with .556 hitting record BY VALERIE MARTIN SPORTS EDITOR VALERIE MARTIN Opening its first Division I season with a 5-1 record, the University of North Florida softball team had wins over Armstrong Atlantic State University and Alabama A & M University and a loss to the Troy University Trojans. Leading the North Florida offense, juniors Amy Higgs and Kelli Rutenbar together drove in nine runs in the doubleheader against Armstrong Atlantic. Higgs had five hits, and Rutenbar ended hitting four out of six pitches. In the second inning of play, a Higgs single brought home sophomore Caitlin Miller. Sophomore Ashley Parenteau also hit a single in the same inning, bringing in sophomore Gwen Williams, putting UNF in the lead 2-0. Rutenbar later hit a single in the bottom of the fourth inning, which scored Higgs. Junior Randalyn Rogers then brought home Rutenbar after she reached on an error. After loading the bases in the bottom of the first in the second game and a Rogers walk, Miller hit a single, bringing home Rutenbar and junior Christina Evans. North Florida managed to take a 5-0 lead in the second inning and struck twice more in the third after a Higgs RBI double. Finishing the offensive streak, the Ospreys scored three more runs in the bottom of the fourth, ending the first game 9-2 and the second 10-2. The Ospreys traveled to Troy, Ala. Feb. 11 to take on Troy University. They won their first game against the Trojans 4-3, before beating Alabama A & M in a doubleheader 8-1 and 11-3. During the second game against Alabama A & M, five players had multiple hits to tack on to their statistical standings. Leading the Ospreys, Evans tallied a 4for-4 standing with two RBIs and a run for herself. Parenteau finished the games with two home runs and three RBI’s. Also hitting two hits for UNF was senior Alisha Phillips, Higgs and Rogers. Earning the win for the Ospreys, senior Kelli Pitts tied down Alabama A & M only allowing three runs and striking out five players in four innings of pitching. In the second game against Troy, the 33 tie was broken by Trojan Brooke Howell who hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning. The hit from Howell was the only hit allowed by sophomore Tori Ahern after relieving junior Katie Brosky in the top of the fifth. Junior Kelli Rutenbar slides back into third base after battling a pickle. Rutenbar led the Ospreys along with junior Amy Higgs throughout the five games of play. Rutenbar led the Osprey offense hitting 3-for-4, and Higgs trailed behind her hitting 2-for-3. Higgs was the first softball player to earn the honor of the Atlantic Sun Player of the Week in 2006. Along with hitting a .667 last week, she led the Ospreys with seven RBIs leading the team to a 5-1 record. She hit 12-for-18 at the plate with three Ospreys disappointed with final outcome of road trip to Louisiana BY KILEY BOLAND CONTRIBUTING WRITER E-mail Kiley Boland at [email protected]. E-mail Valerie Martin at [email protected]. Tennis takes second D-I win BY HOLLI WELCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER Neither the frigid cold weather nor a rival Florida team had an effect on the University of North Florida tennis team, who defeated Florida A & M University Feb. 12, 5-2. The match, which was rescheduled because of the weather, proved to be a close game for both teams from the very beginning. Two doubles matches in and the No. 1 and No. 3 were split. However, the Ospreys took charge and grabbed the No. 2 match, 9-8 (7-4). North Florida’s Jose Terrera and Matias Sigal held off Florida A & M’s Jarrel Williams and Simbarashe Happy. UNF continued on from there, grabbing a win for Eduardo Pereira (No.1), Sigal (No. 2), German Escallon (No. 4) and Leonardo Gomes (No. 6). Elad Gabay lost to Artiom Podgaini, after a close match, 6-3, 3-6, 12-10. This was the second consecutive win for the Ospreys, who defeated Georgia Southern University last week. ZACK BURNETT The University of North Florida baseball team had two losses and one victory against the Louisiana State University Tigers, bringing the Osprey record to 2-3. The Tigers beat the Ospreys 11-1 in the first of their three game tournament Feb. 10-12. The game was paused in the fourth inning due to the weather in the area. After resuming the game Feb. 11, senior Jacob Dixon pitched for 3.1 innings for the Ospreys, giving up seven runs on 11 hits, striking two Tigers out, and handed out one base. Senior outfielder Brennan Grogan achieved two hits, while junior outfielder Jon Dandridge brought in the teams’ only RBI. Game two of the series proved to shift the Tigers way Feb. 11. The Ospreys lost to Louisiana to make their record 0-2 for the weekend. North Florida was led by Grogan, who had a 2-for-3 performance for the day. Hits were also racked up by senior infielder Travis Martin and senior infielder Grant Rogers. Tampa native Brad Johnson pitched six innings for the Ospreys. The third game resulted in a win for the Ospreys, beating the Tigers 4-3. Junior first baseman Jimmy Glanville led the UNF Osprey offense, hitting 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Wellington native Matt Oxendine and Jacksonville native Damon Olinto each earned a pair of hits for UNF. Senior Jared Incinelli and senior Ryan Amason each pitched five innings for the Ospreys, striking out four and five Louisiana batters, respectively. Senior Jonathan Hodach made a bunt in the fourth inning, moving Glanville to third base. Junior outfielder Brett Maloley hit a single to bring Glanville home. Junior Brandon Diaz ended the game in the top of the tenth inning to achieve UNF’s first lead of the game, and the win for the Ospreys. The UNF Ospreys will take on their in-state rivals, the University of Central Florida Golden Knights, for a three-game series Feb. 17 at 4 p.m. in Orlando. doubles, hitting safely for a .833 slugging percentage and a .67 on-base percentage. Higgs also had a 3-for-3 stolen-base record, and struck out once in six games. The team will return to the UNF softball field to play Savannah State University in a doubleheader, starting at 2 p.m. Eduardo Pereira contributed a win giving him the No. 1 spot for UNF. Just like in Georgia, “we played loose and looked like we were having fun,” Head Coach Igal Buberman said in a press release. “We still have a long way to go, but we are definitely improving.” The next match for UNF will be held Feb. 18 as the Ospreys head south to DeLand, Fla. to face Stetson University. E-mail Holli Welch at [email protected]. Pearsol retires after five years of service as school mascot BY MATT COLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER E-mail Matt Coleman at [email protected]. UNF ATHLETICS It has been impossible to miss him over the past five years. He is an indelible fixture at the University of North Florida’s sporting events, making each a memorable and enjoyable experience. He is a legend in the mythos of this college’s athletic legacy, but it is impossible to recognize him when he is off duty.He is Elmer Pearsol, the man behind the mask of Ozzie the Osprey. Yet, his time as this school’s mascot has come to a close. Pearsol played the part of Ozzie for the last time Jan. 19, when the Ospreys hosted and beat the Campbell Camels. After more than five years, he had to retire because of health concerns. When not entertaining the crowds at UNF sporting events, Pearsol works for the school as an athletic groundskeeper. He is also retiring from this job Feb. 24 because of lingering medical considerations. Despite having to give up his place as UNF’s mascot, Pearsol said his time as Ozzie will always be close to his heart. “If I had to rate my experience on a scale of one to 10, I’d give it a 15.” He has many memories, but his favorite moment was when the UNF baseball team went to the Division II World Series in Montgomery, Ala. After checking with Division II officials, Ozzie was allowed to make an appearance, to the delight of the crowd. Harriet joined Ozzie later into the Series. Pearsol is held in high regard for his service to the university and his experience and expertise as a college mascot. One of his “10 Commandments” of the trade is to never upstage the game at hand. He said he would work in 10-to 15-minute intervals and disappear for a short period, effectively leaving the crowd wanting more, while getting a water break. “Elmer is a real asset to the university,” said Dr. Richard Gropper, UNF’s director of Athletics. “He is a hard-working and dedicated man.” Gropper not only gives Pearsol high praise for his work as mascot, but also as a groundskeeper. “The athletic fields look terrific,” Gropper said. “It is tough work, but he does an amazing job.” When not entertaining the masses at UNF sporting events or working as an athletic groundskeeper, Pearsol spends time at SeaWorld on the weekends, performing as a mascot in a Shamu costume. He also taught lessons to college students who worked as mascots at the theme park, schooling them in the art of being an effective entertainer. While the search is on for a replacement to take up the mantle of Ozzie, Pearsol said that his time as UNF’s mascot was a pleasure. “I made many friends and always enjoyed the time I spent in the costume.” Elmer Pearsol has played the part of Ozzie the Osprey for five years and has retired due to medical health considerations.
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