September 23rd, 2003

Articles

Thief grabs textbooks from profs

Michelle Attia
mmartin80@myway.com

A student was expelled for stealing textbooks, Downtown campus security officers report.
The student, who was registered at FCCJ at the time, is pending misdemeanor charges for several hundred dollars worth of textbook theft.
The student's name cannot be released at this time, or until he has been formally charged with the theft.
Security officers say five professors have formally accused the student of theft, but have chosen not to press charges. Other professors have asked not to be involved.
"We don't know how many books he stole, but it was a considerable amount," Jerome Williams, Downtown Campus security officer said.
Three of the identified, stolen text books belonged to Professor Karl Hunter, who teaches electronics.
Robert Blade, professor of journalism and English, and advisor to the Campus Voice, said that the student had come by his office a few times to talk about writing, college courses, and basic computer training techniques.
Blade also reported that a week before classes started the student came in asking how to print a document on the computer. The student carried on with polite inquiries as to Blade's duties. Blade later discovered a textbook missing and purchased a used copy from the bookstore for approximately $40.
According to Blade, on the afternoon of Sept. 4, the student came back to Blade's office. Asking similar questions, the student stood at Blade's back near his bookcase, as Blade looked up a subject for the student on the computer.
Blade discovered one of his books in the student's hand. The student claimed to have been borrowing the text.
Blade asked the student to leave his office.
After the student left Blade noticed another textbook missing.
According to security at Downtown Campus, the books had not been sold. The individual attempted to sell the books but was turned down because of his history with the bookstore.
The student was caught when he was going through the Advanced Technology Center building by Sergeant Lane, of downtown campus security, and another sergeant. Lane detained the student until city authorities were called and a trespass warning was placed on the student.
Lane offered advice concerning suspicious activity, "It's no more than just generally paying attention to them. If it's someone they don't recognize or are too overly interested in a specific book, they have to handle what they have in the office very cautiously."

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Dan Steele
A 50-year-old novel, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, offers a bleak but accurate look at today's society, an FCCJ English teacher says.
"The vision he had was so accurate, it's chilling," said Downtown Campus English Professor Stephanie Powers.
Powers was the keynote speaker at the first of three lunch-discussion sessions at the Downtown Campus library. The sessions are part of the "Jax Reads" program that is focusing this fall on Fahrenheit 451.
"The book is absolutely relevant today, in a world where children kill children, and cars drive faster and faster," Powers said. "Everybody wears earpieces [referring to the popular use of headphones], and the current trend of reality TV where people are put in houses and forced to be 'families'."
Powers's lecture focuses mainly on the impact that censorship has upon society in the novel and how it relates to literature in the real world.
"It is as much a social commentary as science fiction," she said.
Powers teaches both literature and composition at Downtown Campus. She recalls reading the book in high school, but found it to be much more significant reading it as an adult.
"I'm amazed at how much [Bradbury] could speculate what life would be like in the future," Powers said.
The novel, published in 1953, concerns a future where all literature has been banned and firemen no longer extinguish fires but instead create them using books.
The title refers to the temperature at which paper burns.
The discussion began with opening remarks and a brief introduction to Fahrenheit 451 by FCCJ librarian Sheri Brown and Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences Margo Martin, who both described their personal affinity for the novel.
Future meetings will run from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., although people come and go as their time allows.
Each meeting deals with a different aspect of the novel.
Psychology professor John Haworth will speak on Wednesday, Sept. 24, and discuss the psychological significance, while history professor Stephen Piscitelli will speak September 30 discussing the historical importance of the novel.
Haworth was available for comment: "How is it that a society can become complacent and not think critically about what a government is doing to them?"
Haworth also commented on the nature of the society in the novel, observing that [the fictional society] stresses conformity to the point where "it turns people off to creativity and intellectual curiosity."
For further information visit the Jacksonville Public Library website at jpl.coj.net/LibraryNews.html.

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Nicole Smith-Johns
nicolesj@myway.com
An opportunity to study abroad is now available to Florida Community College students.
The Gilman Scholarship program provides the necessary means for college students to expand their knowledge and experience in their field of study through travel.
According to the guideline on the scholarship's website, the scholarship is specifically designed for currently enrolled college students who are receiving a Pell Grant.
Students must be receiving the grant at the time of application in order to qualify; no other form of financial assistance will be accepted in place of the Pell grant.
The program provides up to $5000 for U.S. citizens in an undergraduate program of study and allows them to study abroad for up to one year.
Criteria for choosing applicants of the program are based upon academic performance, field of study and length of study.
The Gilman program is a national program and therefore highly competitive. Over the last four years the number of students studying abroad has increased dramatically. Students in community colleges, however, are especially encouraged to apply. This year there was a total of 1437 applicants. Out of those applicants, only 351 awards were made for the fall term.
The Gilman Scholarship program encourages participation from all types of students including diverse ethnic groups, those with disabilities, and many other non-traditional students.
To be eligible for the scholarship students must be applying to a study abroad program. The scholarship is designed to help defer the rather expensive cost of tuition, room and board and the cost of books.
More information on the Gilman Scholarship as well as a scholarship application and guidelines can be found at www.iie.org/gilman.

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Laura Morrison
Popular ballroom dance classes are being offered through the FCCJ personal enrichment series.
"Ballroom dance is physically a wonderful exercise and more fun than traditional exercise," said FCCJ ballroom dance instructor, Helen Jones. "It gets your heart beating and it is a good social thing. Knowing how to dance is a wonderful way to meet people."
"I have been dancing all my life," said Jones. She began ballroom dancing at the Fred Astaire Studio and has won numerous first place awards in competitions throughout the country.
Since 1994 Jones has been teaching American style ballroom dance at community education programs, country clubs, and ballroom dance clubs in Jacksonville.
Students of all ages are welcome to join the two FCCJ classes. During the summer session she said her students ranged in age from twenties to forties. No prior dance experience is necessary, just a comfortable pair of smooth bottom casual shoes.
Beginning Ballroom Dancing covers the basic steps, turns, and variations of smooth and Latin dance styles. Students will learn the Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, and Rumba. The classes will be held on Mondays beginning September 22 through October 27, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the FCCJ Deerwood Center.
Swing and Latin Dancing will meet on Wednesdays beginning September 24 through October 29 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the FCCJ Deerwood Center. In this introductory-level course, students learn Rumba, Cha Cha, Merengue, and Swing.
Tuition is $89.00 per course and bringing a partner is free.
Jones encourages students to practice new dance steps in the many venues offered throughout the community.
Club Savoy, in Arlington, offers dancing on Thursday nights. Jones also teaches and is a DJ there.
Boleros Dance Center, on Atlantic Boulevard, also offers dancing at 8 p.m. on the first and third Saturday nights of each month.
"Everything you ever need to know about dancing is in learning the foundation," said Jones. "With a good solid foundation you can continue to add steps as you learn new dances."
For more information, contact FCCJ Continuing Education at 633-8292.

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Feng Shui classes start Oct. 6

Cynthia Pereira
cpereira@myway.com
Through the Continuing Education Program at FCCJ, the class Feng Shui: Your Way to Harmonious Living will be offered starting Oct. 6 at Deerwood Center.
Feng Shui (pronounced fung schway), meaning literally, "wind water," is part of an ancient Chinese philosophy of nature.
Barbara Noell, a Feng Shui enthusiast who will be teaching the class said, "The biggest impediment is clutter…it's the physical manifestation of indecision."
Noell began recommending Feng Shui after seeing results from using the techniques in her own home. She said, "You should let your environment support you, not the other way around; whether it's a house, apartment, office, or even one room."
Watching ones workspace in its organization and function, "is a good feedback mechanism for when life gets out of control," Noell said.
"Feng Shui is the realization that everything has energy with it," said Noell.
With Feng Shui, colors, shapes, and positioning all have emotions and representations, so it's important as to what goes where. She asks her students, "Do you want to be energized or calm in a room?"
"Feng Shui opens your eyes to what's around you," said Noell.
Noell has been teaching this class for a couple of years and usually has very good participation.
Her students come to class the first night with many objectives; and she tries to touch on all of them. "I modify the class for their interests," said Noell.
Generally the last class is used to address specific needs, she said.
"A lot of things start to happen when you move things around," said Noell.
The five-week course is offered Mondays from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at a cost of $69.
More information may be obtained by calling 997-2525.

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Fay Farley
Three non-credit courses centering around home building and landscaping begin this month at South Campus.
Building Your Dream House was scheduled to start on Sept. 18 and continues through Dec. 18. This comprehensive course on home construction provides expert advice to first-time homebuilders.
Although aimed at homebuilders, this course could also be beneficial to those remodeling, renovating or restoring a home, said Elyse Brady, assistant in continuing education and special projects.
Class meets on Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuition is $295 and includes textbook. Spouses of enrolled students may attend free.
Landscape Design for the Homeowner teaches how to design a customized landscape plan. Class meets on Wednesdays, Sept. 24 through Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuition is $95. Spouses of enrolled students may attend free.
Grass Is Always Greener: Year-round Yard Maintenance teaches how to select low-maintenance plants for the North Florida climate. A planting calendar with tips on pest and weed control will be shared. Class meets on Mondays, Sept. 29 through Oct. 13, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuition is $35.
The courses are usually offered in the fall and spring terms, Brady said. Course instructors are professionals from the community.
"You get a lot of information in these classes in a short amount of time," Brady said. "Students walk away from classes with real tangible skills."
Register online at www.fccj.edu, by telephone or in person at any FCCJ Enrollment Services Office.
For more information or class status, contact FCCJ Continuing Education at 633-8292.

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Kiss the pig

Tamika Lee
Five local celebrities, a Learn to Read board member and a professor at FCCJ all agreed to kiss a pig to help benefit Jacksonville citizens in the literacy cause.
An estimate of 47 percent of the population of Jacksonville is functionally illiterate, said the Downtown Campus liberal arts Dean Margo Martin.
Martin is the FCCJ professor that has volunteered to kiss the pig.
"... I know the importance of being a good reader -believe it or not, reading impacts all aspects of our lives, from driving, to grocery shopping, to going to the bank, to studying to get a good job..." said Martin.
Learn to Read is a nonprofit organization that helps adults to achieve literacy. The kiss the pig campaign started in the early nineties and this year will be the ninth annual event.
This event will take place at the Jacksonville Jaguars home game in November. The candidate that raises the most money will kiss Mr. Yoda, a pig from Callahan.
"Learn to Read is the only campaign where it's legal to buy votes" said Terry Algire, an executive director of Learn to Read. Each dollar donated to this community wide fundraiser will count as one vote towards each candidate's goal of kissing the pig.
To help Martin reach her goal a few fundraising events have been planned. There will be an upcoming dinner & silent auction at Deerwood on Friday, Oct. 24 from 6-8:30pm, and raffle tickets will be sold during the college wide FCCJ gift basket drawing. Go to any campus Business office to participate.
Gift baskets will contain items such as gift certificate, and name brand shirts. Ticket prices are a dollar for one and $5 for six.
For more information email Dr. Margo Martin at
MMartin@fccj.edu or call Learn to Read at 399-8894.

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Brad Hall
variablerush@myway.com
Laura Fuentes y Calicanto will be coming to FCCJ September 29th through October 1st.
The Calicanto project was founded by Laura Fuentes and gets its
name from a landmark in Santiago, Chile.
They play a mix of Latin American music with roots in Chile, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Peru, which shows the diversity of the many cultures of Central and South America.
Calicanto stands as a bridge between Latin American musicians and the world celebrating the rich diversity of each member's cultural background.
September 29 at noon at Kent Campus
September 30 at 9:30 AM and North Campus, then noon at
South Campus
October 1 at Downtown Campus at noon.
Be sure not to miss coming to listen to this one of a kind band.

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Ileana Rodriguez
University of North Florida has constructed two new parking lots for students. "The North Lot and Lot 14 were built to help minimize the traffic at UNF, and reduce the demand in the inner core parking lots," said UNF Parking Services Coordinator, Marc Anderson.
The North Lot is located near the athletic complex and is a short walk to the College of Health Care and Business buildings. Lot 14 is a ten-minute walk to most of the buildings on the west side of UNF.
The first phase of the North Lot will be able to hold approximately 900 cars when construction is completed in November, and Lot 14 will be able to hold 314 cars when complete, Anderson said.
"FCCJ students who also attend UNF will benefit from these parking lots due to their location," said the Vice President of Student Affairs at UNF, Doreen Daly. "Students would be able to come to the North Lot from the Central Parkway, which is a direct shot from FCCJ," Daly said.
Students may purchase parking decals in the cashier's office located in building one for an annual of $15 each.
"A general annual parking permit is $118. Students who park in either the North Lot or Lot14 will be able to save a lot of money," said Anderson.

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Stephanie Gramling
FCCJ is helping women grow from within and promoting them to enhance every aspect of their lives, the council coordinator of the Rosanne Hartwell Women's Center of FCCJ said.
According to LaDonna Morris, the council coordinator, free workshops are being offered to FCCJ women and are open to the public. These personal health workshops are offered every semester.
The workshops are for women of at least 18 years of age, but are not geared to a certain age of women. The topics of the workshops are assertiveness, self-esteem, living a healthy life after 50, image, codependency, healthy relationships, and stress management.
"We have already met for many of the workshops, but I think it is important for women to come to these workshops to help them become aware of issues that need to be dealt with in their lives," Morris said.
The session on healthy relationships is being held on Sept. 23 at the FCCJ Deerwood Center on Old Baymeadows Road in room F-2068. The last session of the semester will be on Sept. 30 at the same location. The phone number for both events is 904-633-8311. Reservations may be required.
"The workshops are a good way for women to get good support from other women in the community," said Morris.

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Brad Hall
variablerush@myway.com
Web Logs, or blogs as they are more commonly known have permeated society worldwide. Blogs can be about anything, but are generally like an online diary that anyone can read, so you might not want to put too much detailed personal information in it, unless you want a bunch of bloggers on your doorstep pledging their eternal love for someone named Wazootyman. This site offers free easy to use blog pages.
www.imsquared.com
This website is about a man that runs a video game store in Canada. He posts the absurdities that his customers seem to perform every week on his website. This site is very humorous and well written.
www.actsofgord.com
This next site features the art of Fred Gallagher. Fred Gallagher is the artist and writer for MegaTokyo, which was showcased in last month's Freaky Links. This site shows off his drawing technique.
www.fredart.com
That is all for this edition of Freaky Links, until next time.

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Nicole Smith-Johns
nicolesj@myway.com
This fall FCCJ will be offering a wine class - From Vine to Wine.
The class, being taught at the Deerwood Campus on Wed. from Oct.1 through Nov. 5, will give students an insight on the concepts of wine making, as well as choosing the perfect wine.
Harry Rosenbloom, the instructor, said, "Some students come and are pretty knowledgeable about wine but just want to increase that knowledge a bit."
In the Vine to Wine class students will travel all over Europe via the expertise of Rosenbloom and learn about the different wines of Europe, as well as the U.S.
Rosenbloom, who works at the San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine, shares his extensive knowledge of wine through class discussions and a wine tasting.
Students must be at least 21 years old to attend the class due to the wine tasting during the last class.
The class is designed for those who wish to expand their knowledge of wine and will teach students how to select wine complementary to a menu, as well as some tips and techniques for reading labels and identifying certain characteristics of wine.
The class is part of several Personal Enrichment classes offered at FCCJ this fall and will cost aspiring wine connoisseurs $75 plus a $15 materials fee.
Interested students can register online at www.fccj.edu or call 633-8292.

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You're in my power

Chris Arter
The power of suggestion, along with hypnotism, was on full display Sept. 16 as hypnotist Ken Whitener spoke to a group of students and faculty at the FCCJ Wilson Center.

Whitener visited the college to illustrate basic hypnosis concepts and ideas. His show included live hypnotisms and demonstrations.
While some participants were merely hypnotized and sat in a chair, others were tricked into believing their feet were stuck to the floor.
"It's a matter of controlling your own thinking ...we become what we think about," said Whitener, a hypnotist with 28 years of experience.
According to Whitener, hypnosis is a way to open the mind to new suggestions. It can be a way to reprogram the thoughts and ideas we have about ourselves; while open to this change our mind is in a natural state of relaxation.
"Hypnosis is natural and happens everyday, while driving, reading, or the biggest of all, watching TV," Whitener said.
Whitener said hypnosis could help with problems such as, low self-esteem, weight problems or any other behavior that we subconsciously tell ourselves to do.
From stress to setting goals, he offers ways in which hypnotism can help with problems by changing the way we think. However, Whitener said it is not a cure-all.
"The key to success is the same as the key to failure, what you focus on and what you think about will come true," Whitener said.
Whitener began his studies of the mind at age 11, practicing his techniques on a classmate in the school library. "I ended up hypnotizing the same kid every day for three weeks that year," he said.
Although his home is in Clearwater, he spends most of his life in and out of hotel rooms. "On the road" is home for Whitener, at least for now, as his shows remain in demand.
More information about Whitener and hypnotism can be found at www.kenwhitner.com.

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Stephanie Meadows
The sun beat down heavily on the round, white table that sat just outside of the South Campus cafeteria. Five people sat, talking, playing cards and most of all, smoking.
This is one of the many smoking sections on campus, which students who smoke visit between classes.
In the spring semester of 2003, a new rule took effect that banned smoking everywhere on campus except in certain designated areas.
"We're outside. Why does it matter where we smoke?" said Phillip Columbine, a sophomore student who remembers the days when there was no rule.
Other students have their own opinions about the rule.
"They are just singling out the smokers," says Frank McGrath.
James Neal, a smoker, disagreed, "Non-smokers have a right to walk through the corridors [and] avoid the smoke from another's cigarette," he said.
Some students argue that there is not enough time to seek out a smoking section between classes.
"If I only have a few minutes between classes, I'm not going to have enough time to go to a smoking area and make it to class on time," Mike Mayberry said.
It's your own fault, said James Neal.
"There are plenty of designated areas," he said, "and if I don't have enough time to find one between classes, I'm the one that scheduled my classes. I messed up."

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Florida Community College will auction off a wide range of items, including vans and pickup trucks, at its annual surplus property auction at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11.
The auction will be held at 35 W. State St.
Bidders may preview the items on sale from noon to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, and from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11.
Among the items to be sold are a 1991 Isuzu pickup, a 1992 Ford Ranger, a 1991 Ford van, a 1990 Ford van, a 1987 Ford Van, a 1985 Ford F600 box truck, a 100-kw Kohler generator, shelving units, card catalog units, glass display units, file cabinets, pool tables, audio visual items, three clinic beds, scuba equipment, a 60-foot ladder, wood park benches, shop equipment, planer, saws, drill, sander, lawn equipment, steam pressers, welders, utility carts, desks and chairs.
Further information can be obtained from Ron Attaway at 632-3227 or by e-mailing rattaway@fccj.edu.

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Guitar teacher rocks at FCCJ

Melissa Fegeley
Many musicians would give almost anything for the chance to work with some of the world's most exceptional artists.

South Campus music Professor James Hogan has done just that.
Hogan, a Daytona Beach native who now resides in Jacksonville, began playing guitar when he was 11. During the last 18 years he has devoted an extraordinary amount of time and effort to polishing and refining his craft.
He said he always had an affinity for the sounds a guitar makes.
"I have always loved guitar, all music really," he said, adding that Van Halen's album, "1984" was also a driving force behind his commitment to the instrument.
He says he has too many influences placed in his musical palate for him to count, though he did mention Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis and Steely Dan.
And of course, no guitarist would be complete without showing the proper reverence for the incomparable Jimi Hendrix.
Since his start in professional music when he was 14, Hogan has worked with the likes of the great jazz artist Dave Brubeck, 80's rockers Saigon Kick and R&B legend Gladys Knight.
Hogan said that because of his young age at which he started performing it was imperative his parents chaperone his gigs.
"They were very supportive," Hogan said.
Hogan, now 29, and in his third year teaching at FCCJ, said that in addition to teaching guitar for beginners, applied guitar for music majors and spending summers instructing at National Guitar Workshops in places such as Tennessee, Texas and Florida; and he jams with a few bands in the Greater Jacksonville area.
One band in particular is Sax of Soul, an R&B ensemble that exhibits a sense of style unlike any other.
Performing at 8 p.m. on Mondays at Square One, a nightclub in the San Marco area, Sax of Soul combines R&B rhythm with unyielding rock guitar.
Seeing them create and conduct their own take on such celebrated works such as Marvin Gaye's "What's Going on", and Grover Washington Junior's "Just the Two of Us" truly makes for a must see presentation.
"It is make-out music, no question," said Jesse Callahan, a patron of Square One. "It makes me wish I had brought my husband along."
The show is free for those who arrive early and carries a minimal cover charge for late arrivals.

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Stephanie Gramling
With a humorous approach, the band Evergreen Terrace opened up and divulged their success of their Jacksonville based band.

The members of the band include Andrew Carey on vocals, Jason Southwell on bass, Craig Chaney on guitar/vocals, Joshua James on guitar, and Christopher Brown on drums. The band considers themselves under the "melodic hardcore genre."
The band has been signed with Eulogy Recordings and their first full- length album is doing extremely well nationwide and overseas. It is in stores all over the nation, like FYE and Hot Topic. They are working on their next record, which features nine cover songs and one original.
"We are also recording a video in a month or so, which is neat, and we are still compiling footage for our DVD that will be in stores at the beginning of next year," Chaney said.
When asked of their musical influences they all had completely different ones, but have enough in common to make the band work. Their influences went from indie rock, to 80's, to punk, to metal, to old school hardcore, and even some country.
"Taking over the world with an army of genetically altered ferrets that we have been breeding in our practice space," Chaney said of their hopes for the future.
They will be on tour in October, and you can check out their website for dates at http://listen.to/evergreenterrace and click on parties. Their next shows in Florida are on Oct. 9 at rock-n-roll pizza, Nov. 14 in Orlando at The Social, Nov. 15 in Jacksonville at Jack Rabbits, and Dec. 5 in Panama City, check the website for location.
"As far as where we see ourselves in the future, well, hopefully still playing the rock show and touring," said Chaney.

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Tim Montler
timmyp@myway.com
Antonio Banderas reprises his roll as the gun-toting musician in Robert Rodriguez¹s third installment of the "El Mariachi" trilogy, Once upon a Time in Mexico.
Any lover of the classic action-adventure genre will appreciate the use of real stuntmen doing real stunts as opposed to the gang of digitally enhanced Matrix knock-offs currently taking up residence in theaters.
It is especially nice to see some actual explosions in an action film.
Both Banderas and Salma Hayek, his love interest, play their usual ultra-sexy selves over the backdrop of a modern-day Mexican civil war.
Where the film falls short is its extensive use of characters. Instead of following Banderas through trials and tribulations, we find ourselves being pulled from character to character, never able to latch on to one long enough to care if he lives or dies.
More screen time seems to be devoted to Johnny Depp's evil CIA agent character rather than Banderas's "El."
Rodriguez also seems to have fallen into the "extreme close-up" trap that has caught so many other modern directors. A technique meant to draw the viewer into the action only makes them sit back and wonder what just happened.
While the film is not as slick as its predecessor "Desperado", it does work well as a stand-alone film for anyone that has never seen either of the first two.
This modern-day spaghetti western will entertain those in search of classic action, but leave those in search of character development wanting more.

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Tim Montler
timmyp@myway.com
The Campus Voice has a tendency to make bad news its stock in trade.
Maybe not always cataclysmic news, but bad nonetheless. Tuition hikes, overpriced textbooks, and the worsening of parking accommodations are all par for the course.
Sadly, "Bad" is inherent in matters of news; nobody wants to bother reading any good news about all the elves down in Happyland and, quite frankly, none of us are much inclined to write it.
Bad things make for good stories, good stories make for awards, awards make for excellent resumes, and excellent resumes make for big money.
In our quest for the all-mighty dollar we can loose sight of the fact that things around here are pretty damned good.
When I was in the navy, I had the opportunity to go to Haiti for a couple of days.
For those not in the know, here's a little background information courtesy of my trusty 2002 World Almanac and Book of Facts:
1. Haiti's per capita Gross Domestic Product is around $1300 per year.
2. Haiti has four TVs and 41 radios for every thousand people. For comparison, I have two TVs and no less than eight radios (I probably have more but you know how those Walkmans seem to hide themselves in the deepest recesses of the closet).
3. A 60 year-old Haitian is a rare bird indeed since the average life expectancy there is less than 50.
4. Less than half of all Haitians can read.
5. For every Haitian that owns a car there are more than 200 others that wish they did.
6. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
Still miles out from the dock in the capital, Port-au-Prince, the ship cruised past parts of animals, plastic bags, condoms, and some things that simply defied description. Men were fishing in it.
Near the shore, we saw a child swimming in it.
And just beyond him, a man squatting down and defecating in it.
About 50 of the crew, myself included, signed up to take a trip out to a local school and fix it up.
We boarded two yellow school busses and, with a pair of Humvees mounted with .50 cal machine-guns as escort, made the 45-minute trek out to the school.
Phrases like "garbage pile" or "trash heap" get thrown around a little too often for my taste; it lessens the impact of the words when the reader or listener is desensitized to them.
Bearing that in mind, when I say that the place looked like a landfill, I'm not trying to play it up-at some points there was garbage as far as the eye could see.
And everywhere I looked I saw people roaming through this mound of refuse (did I mention that Haiti's population density is over eight times that of the United States?). Parents constructed hooches made of sticks and garbage bags while children rummaged through trash. In search of what, I shudder to think.
The busses passed dozens of small buildings never more than six feet high, wide, or deep. On the side of each was painted the word "bank."
Now, maybe that word's used differently in Creole than in English, but if it's not, then the term "bank hold-up" takes on a whole new meaning.
At the school, we were given instructions not to give anything to the kids that came to watch us work. Not even an empty water bottle could be given out.
We were told they would fight over them.
These children were willing to fight over garbage.
That evening, we drove back through streets governed by the law of "yield to tonnage."
Next to the ship, salesmen hawked their wears: hand-carved wooden trinkets.
They worked mostly in trade; taking anything we saw fit to pull out of our lockers and cart down to the peer.
The most useful commodity we had was soap, or as it came to be known: "Haitian Gold".
A year later, I was in an open-air market and saw a hand-carved wooden tea set identical to one I'd looked at that night. It was $80 plus tax. I watched a guy pick it up for a couple of old T-shirts.
Before we sailed out of there the next day, I had completed my Christmas shopping for the year at a cost of a pair of old boots with half of a sole, three packs of Newports, half a bottle of shampoo, and three or four crumpled dollar bills.
But all that's not what really bothers me.
What bothers me is that last fact, in the list of facts at the top of this column; Haiti is only the worst country in the Western Hemisphere.
So all that bad news doesn't seem so bad anymore. Oh, I'm not saying I'm going to stop complaining when I have to buy a book for $100 that falls apart in my hands, or walk a quarter mile from my car to my class, or wind up with a teacher that I know secretly wishes me dead.
But I ain't gonna lose no sleep over it, baby.
You can be sure of that.

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You've a voice, so use it

Cynthia Pereira
cpereira@myway.com
I've been told that the Campus Voice is supposed to embody my voice, your voice: our voices. So here's the problem, nobody speaks.
When waiting for a professor to open the doors to a classroom-or even while sitting in the classroom waiting for class to start-Nobody talks.
The way I see it there are two scenarios, first is that it's so quiet that if you sneeze everyone either ignores you or glares at you for the horrible crime of: breaking the silence.
The second scenario is that everyone wants to talk, but is ultimately afraid to voice their want. If you listen very carefully you'll swear that you hear the giggling of someone's fear of being found out; like a child's game of hide and go seek.
Sure there's an occasional couple of people who have taken the time to see if they might have some common ground with another student; or what the hey, just chose to simply be cordial.
But overall, no one seems interested.
It's amazing to me that the student who never cracks a book is automatically enthralled in an Algebra book when faced with the situation of speaking to a stranger.
Not just any stranger, mind you, but a fellow student. Aren't we all striving for the same goal?
This, if nothing else, should establish common ground.
I realize that a lot of the people I'm referring to are just shy and, perhaps, I just don't understand as I was born a "Chatty-Cathy."
However, there seems to be a vast majority that seem to be simply "too cool" to chat; or even to say "hi."
I'm not asking for your life stories folks. Just don't look at me like I smoked a bunch of crack in the bathroom when I say, "Hi, how are you?"
I also realize that the age issue might throw some people off, don't let it. Those under 30 can certainly learn something from those over 30, no matter how square they may seem.
And to those over 30: don't assume you know it all just because you may have more life experience. There's plenty to be learned from everyone. College is all about learning. Make the most of this experience and understand that you also learn from other people outside the classroom.
Feel free to bid me hello, but if I'm reading in the hall… just move along.

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A tribute to a lesser-known legend

Jay Stamper
vhighspotv@yahoo.com
During the past couple of weeks, the music world has lost two great musicians that have made a place in the heart and soul of the entertainment business and fans.
Johnny Cash and Warren Zevon were the most notable musicians in recent memory to stop the presses and make television-programming screech to a halt. Both had mainstream success and were celebrated by their peers; but the memorials by networks and other forms of media reminded me of a practice that has always left a bad taste in my mouth. The posthumous/twilight celebration of an artist and the work they left behind.
I'll start with Cash, a man that influenced the attitude of modern music. Rap artists praise him as the Godfather of Gansta and punk rock artists see him as the first real punk. It wasn't until recently that the mainstream press gave him any well-deserved accolades.
It took a cover version of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt," and a lot of effort from the hype machine, to show a younger audience a small bit of his true genius.
Cash had always been successful, but MTV once again showed its influence on a generation of bubble gum pop kids. It almost seems the recognition of a great career is lacking in genuine admiration, and that people say Cash is great because it is the thing to say.
Warren Zevon suffered a similar fate. For those that don't know, Zevon was a seventies singer/songwriter that, like Cash, was just as well known for his years of drugs and alcohol abuse as he was for his cynical craftsmanship when it came to songwriting.
Last year, the writer of classics like "Werewolves of London" and "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead" was diagnosed with malignant lung cancer, and was given a short time to live.
In that time, he made his final album, The Wind, with help from artists like Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Bob Thornton. A VH1 episode of (Inside) Out, chronicling the coming together of Zevon's farewell album, and magazines like Rolling Stone helped add publicity to make up for the respect he deserved during the other 25 plus years of his career.
The album was met with rave reviews, even though I thought the album was decent at best. If you want to hear a great album by Zevon, buy (or burn) Excitable Boy, an album that is worthy of all the hoopla.
With Zevon and Cash finally getting the praise they should have received since day one, it is time to touch on an artist that made as big of an impact, if not bigger, on the underground music scene and who was given little more than an obituary when he died last month. That artisan was Wesley Willis.
My description of this man will not give him justice, but the impact he made must be shared. Willis was a 6 feet 7 inches tall, 350 pound, 40 year old, schizophrenic black man from Chicago. With the help of a keyboard, he embodied the true heart and attitude of punk rock, which fueled bands like The Dead Kennedys, Bad Religion and all of the true pioneers of the genre. Not the watered down Avril and Good Charlotte mess of today.
To the average listener, songs about beating up superheroes, commercial catch phrases, city transit busses, and insults directed to drug users on the lines of doing sexual favors to animals with different condiments, would be nothing but "music from a big retarded guy."
The songs weren't what Willis was all about. Willis' allure was his determination to be the biggest rock star in the world, so he could prove everyone that corrupted his childhood wrong.
He was a man that was written off by the mass public, but still became an icon and legend with over 40 albums and hundreds of thousands of fans.
Jacksonville was a common stop for Willis, most notably the bar Jack Rabbit's. I have played there dozens of times, and have seen bands from all over the world in that dive, and no one I have seen has packed it out like Willis. Jax's hipster fans are usually too cool to join in for a band sing-a-long, but not one voice could stay quite during any of his numerous performances.
It was only a few months ago when Willis was here, for what would turn out to be his last Jax performance, and he was skinnier than usual. I thought he was finally winning his battle with the bulge. Actually, he was losing a war to leukemia that took his life last month. He was dead for a week before I even found out he died, and it touched me more than some of my family members' deaths.
Being the big rock star that he was, anyone who was a fan of his was rooting for him to fulfill his dreams and keep making music and packing out clubs.
Here is to Wesley Willis, the Johnny Cash of the below underground, the Warren Zevon of a nation that still lives and supports the principles of true punk rock.

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In the September 9th issue of the Campus Voice, I read Jay Stamper's "Keep your beer to yourself". I would like to voice my opinion on this topic.
Many people do drink and do drugs now because everyone is doing it. But how many people actually know the consequences of these things? I believe that drugs and alcohol are the # 1 killer of people these days, not guns or diseases. In fact, a relative of mine has been on drugs since he was 15. We do not know if he is alive or where he even is right now. This is a prime example of what drugs can do to a person. I also used to "smoke and drink" but now when I sit back and reflect on the stuff I did, it was incogitant of me.
Mr. Stamper made a valid point about alcohol and drugs. Not many people will stand up and state their feelings about this topic. I appreciate the fact that Mr. Stamper stated his feelings because people need to be aware of the danger and fatalities that can occur.
I believe the drinking age should be raised to 25 because at that age, many people are more responsible about things. Statistics prove most accidents or deaths are caused by college students under the influence of alcohol. And doing drugs should be outlawed no matter what unless they are to be used for medicinal purposes. I believe shirts that state information promoting alcohol and drugs are not only inappropriate in certain environments but also prove ignorance.

Ryan White,
Downtown Campus

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Con: Cheap stereotypes miss the larger point

In the Sept 9, 2003 issue of the Campus Voice There was an article "Keep your beer to yourself" that I would like to say something about.
This article is stereotyping other people. The article came to be because of a slogan on a student's' shirt about beer. Then the writer went on talking about using drugs and drinking alcohol. Just because a student or any person is wearing a shirt or any type of clothing that has anything to do with drugs or alcohol does not mean that they have done any drugs or have drunk any alcohol. What was on his shirt was meant to be a joke, not a symbol of what that person does or does not stand for.

Christopher Williams,
Downtown Campus

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Downtown parking is bad

I am concerned that our Downtown Campus doesn't have enough parking lots for the students. I see some that park on the sides of the parking lots.
A school needs a bigger parking lot, so the students wouldn't have to walk a long distance from where they parked to get onto the campus. It would probably be much easier on the students.

Regina Mendoza,
xsweetiexheartx@hotmail.com

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