Ari Robbins
Features Editor
'Twas the night before Christmas, the menorah was lit; the day after Christmas and Kwanzaa has hit.
Traditionally, the time between the end of November and the end of December brings us holiday cheer, shopping and a pile of preparation for the holiday season.
For some, the holiday season brings hope, the welcoming of a new year and strong religious value. However, every religion has a different reason for celebrating, and people celebrate in a different way for reasons of their own. Tradition usually greatly influences the way we do things around this time of year and why.
In America, we hear of three major holidays celebrated by the masses: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.
The differences in these holidays are significant and they're based on ancient biblical history as well as major moralistic principles.
Christmas, celebrated Dec. 25, is probably the most recognized winter holiday worldwide. The word "Christmas" is derived from the Latin words Cristes Maesse, which means "Christ's Mass." Christmas is celebrated to honor the birth of Jesus Christ. It is one of the most important "holy days" in the Christian religion.
Although Christmas is an important religious holiday, not everyone who celebrates it does so for religious purposes. Christmas, like many other holidays, has become recognized by families as a time for family gathering and tradition, as well as time for prayer and worship. Families everywhere celebrate Christmas to reunite, decorate Christmas trees, have parties and celebrate togetherness.
An important part of Christmas for most families is a Christmas Eve dinner. Families congregate -- often times extended family is included -- and consume a hefty feast, which usually involves a large turkey or ham.
Another part of Christmas, which shares similarities with both Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, is gift giving. Traditionally, after Christmas Eve dinner, children will go to bed early, only to wake up early the next morning and open gifts which magically appear under the Christmas tree, compliments of Jolly ole' St. Nick.
Hanukkah, celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar (November-December on the Gregorian calendar), is also known as the festival of lights. Unlike Christmas, Hanukkah has little religious meaning; you probably wouldn't find more Jewish people in temple on Hanukkah than on any other day of the year.
The celebration of Hanukkah, which in Hebrew means dedication, stems from the rededication of the holy temple in Jerusalem after the victory over King Antiochus of Syria.
Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah for eight days and eight nights because after the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, there was no pure (blessed) oil to light the menorah, save one small container. Though the oil was only enough to last one day, a great miracle happened and the menorah stayed lit for eight days. Hence the eight-day celebration and the term "festival of lights." For this reason, each night of Hanukkah, a candle is lit on the menorah (Hebrew "candelabra").
Along with the eight days of Hanukkah and the eight candles comes eight nights of presents. Hanukkah, like the other winter holidays, incorporates gift-giving. However, unlike Christmas, the gifts are spread out among the eight day celebration.
Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday celebrated from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, is very different from Christmas and Hanukkah. The celebration of Kwanzaa began in 1966. It is a holiday based on morals, ethics, and is not based on a religion but spirituality, oneness and goodness of life.
There are seven social and spiritual principles involved with Kwanzaa: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self determination), Ujima (Collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).
Kwanzaa, like Hanukkah, also incorporates a set of candles that are lit each day. Each day of Kwanzaa is represented by a candle, and each of the candles represents one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Therefore each day, a new principle is discussed amongst the family.
Also, like Hanukkah and Christmas, Kwanzaa includes gift-giving. Kwanzaa, however, is both like Hanukkah and Christmas when it comes to the manner in which gifts are received. A family celebrating Kwanzaa can either give gifts each night, much like Hanukkah, or on the night of Karamu (the big feast), which includes food, drink, music, dance, conversation, laughter and ceremony.
Whether it be the eight nights of Hanukkah, the seven nights of Kwanzaa, or the one night of Christmas, the holiday season is one of uplifting spirits and joy. It is a time for people of all religions or no religion to rejoice and celebrate family, life, and togetherness. However you choose to celebrate the holiday season this year, celebrate it well. Happy New Year!
Features Editor Ari Robbins can be reached via e-mail at spinnakerfeatures@yahoo.com.
Be wary of overmedicating
Ann Luce
Editor-in-Chief
Winter break is only two weeks away. But before then, you have classes to finish, finals to take, Christmas presents to buy and plans to make for New Year's Eve.
You wake up one Monday morning. Your alarm clock is on, but you must have slept through it. You can't find anything clean to wear.
You clear your throat. You sniffle. Clear your throat again. Oh no, you can't be getting sick. You have two papers due, a group presentation and two finals for which to study. What are you going to do?
Take a trip a Wal-Mart for some over-the-counter drugs.
It is estimated that as many as 70 percent of American adults take an over-the-counter medication in any given month.
The problem with this statistic, according to the Centers for Disease Control, is that most people don't follow the drug guidelines accurately.
"I read a recent survey that said most people spend more time in the pharmacy section of a grocery store than they do anywhere else," said Dr. Fred Beck, director of Student Health Services at the University of North Florida. "There are so many products and milligram amounts, they can easily cause confusion."
Beck said the problem with
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Photo Illustration by Robert Davis
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over-the-counter drugs is that people are trying to cure themselves before they seek medical advice. By doing that, some people don't take over-the-counter medication as they are directed, he said.
"Some people don't pay attention to the fine print, and that can cause a significant difference," Beck said.
Although some people may not read the fine print, Doreen Perez, director of medical compliance for Student Health Services, said students at UNF are educated about the drugs they take.
"Our students are very well educated as it related to what [sickness] they have and need," Perez said. "[They] understand they are in a partnership with their medical providers to stay healthy, then the students ask questions and talk with their doctor."
Perez said students should try to remember a few things when taking over-the-counter drugs. First, they should read labels and make sure their self-medicating does not set them up for future complications.
"If you are on a blood-thinning medicine already for some reason or another, you better not take aspirin because it could cause you to have a stroke or hemorrhage," Perez said.
Perez said students also should watch out for drugs that make them sleep or stay awake for extended hours. She said around finals time, students tend to use more drugs to help them stay awake.
"My philosophy is everything in moderation," she said. "If you have to take No-Doz to help you stay awake one evening, then that's fine. But if you continuously use them, it can get people in trouble. The behavior can become addicting."
Other medications also can be problematic. Drugs that help you sleep also should be used in moderation.
According to Beck, Tylenol, Excedrin and ibuprofen are drugs that can cause complications if taken for extended periods of time as well.
"A small amount of Tylenol on an irregular basis is not going to cause too many problems," Beck said. "A small amount of Tylenol on a regular basis, however, can cause liver problems and cause some significant gastro-intestinal problems, sometimes to the point of bleeding.
"If students are going to treat themselves, they need to follow the package's instructions, but also they need to get evaluated if symptoms don't improve," Beck said. "See a doctor. You can't be too cautious."
"Take over-the-counter medication for the right reasons," Perez said. "Don't overuse them or abuse them."
Editor-in-Chief Ann Luce can be reached via e-mail at spinnakereditor@yahoo.com.
Save like Mr. Scrooge, give like Saint Nick
Joy-Beth Valentine
Contributing Writer
With the holidays approaching, college students are now faced with a task more daunting than semester exams: buying gifts for loved ones. The skill involved in selecting the perfect present aside, students often grimace at the sight of their Ramen-designated savings with fear and disappointment.
So, how can a college student afford the perfect gifts for the holidays this year? An abundance of tips and ideas for saving money can be found at online Web sites.
Nearly every site involved with money-saving tips for college students advises getting a part-time job, not just for the holidays, but also as a steady source of income on the side.
The Greedy Fools Web site (www.greedyfools.com) suggests making a holiday budget. Students should list those for whom they intend to buy, decide how much they want to spend on each person and stick to it. In addition, Allthingsfrugal.com recommends shoppers begin the gift-buying process early, before they are forced to park in the Goofy section of mall parking lots.
Students should avoid the urge to use plastic. While credit may seem the easiest solution to holiday money woes now, it will return to haunt a student after New Years. The folks at College.lifetips.com recommend any purchase made on a credit card should be paid back in full within the next three months.
CampusBlues.com suggested homemade gifts, both of material items and valuable time. The gift of free babysitting for friends, a backrub, or even just some quality time together can be a meaningful and appreciated gift. College Lifetips recommended creating a family photo album, Web site or calendar including pictures and information on birthdays and anniversaries. Ron and Debbie's Penny Pinchin' Page (http://home.att.net/~rsenecal/main.html) suggested baked goods in decorative tins, bags or boxes as creative and delicious gift alternatives.
Holiday saving begins months in advance. By saving money at the beginning of and throughout the year, the holidays can mean a less financially difficult and more enjoyable time.
"We keep all our change in a big jar," said Barb Toney, a communications major at the University of North Florida, "and cash it in when it's full."
Many students have been known to roll change for gas, so why not presents?
Students also can save money by packing their lunch for work or school. Campus Blues suggests that students on a meal plan avoid the urge to spend money on dinner elsewhere. Though the cuisine may taste better, it's like spending money on two dinners and eating only one.
Stock up on basic necessities in bulk, advises YoungMoney.com. Bulk packaged items are often cheaper in the long run. By buying family size shampoo, soap, paper products, and laundry and dish detergent, students can avoid frequent trips to the grocery store as well as the urge to splurge when doing so.
One of the most valuable tips Young Money had to offer was to live at home as long as possible. Most student money problems begin after leaving home and accruing large debt. By accepting free rents and food in exchange, perhaps, for household chores, students can save more than money; they can save the hassle of early debt.
With these simple money saving tips, any student can turn a humbug budget into a happy holiday.
Contributing writer Joy-Beth Valentine can be reached via e-mail at uspinnak@hotmail.com.
Nirvana brings back one track
Matt Lehman
Contributing Writer
This past month or so, a lot of you have probably been in utter disbelief that Nirvana lead Kurt Cobain was indeed deceased.
No, Cobain didn't miraculously perform any Easter-esc miracle to bless our starving souls with another Nirvana track, he just hid one in the vaults for someone to discover.
Nirvana's conveniently titled album "Nirvana" has hit the shelves and is sadly going to be one of the biggest releases of the year, mostly due to the eagerly obsessed who have been awaiting its arrival.
The album features a track recorded right before Cobain's tragic suicide in 1994. It's a dark and dismal track called "You Know You're Right."
The post-"In Utero"
texture the song displays feels foreign to the touch of what lines the mainstream these days. This is the cutting-edge magnetism that Nirvana attached itself to back in the early '90s when the band was given much credit for kicking hair bands to the barber shop in search of the new sound Nirvana possessed: grunge.
The album is great for anyone who still listens to the Seattle-based group. If you haven't blown the dust off of one of their albums recently, "Nirvana" is programmed to remind you who they were.
Now, the sad thing about the album is that there has been so much attention focused on an album that features one new song. The rest of the album contains tracks we have heard a million times on previous albums.
You would have thought the first release in eight years from one of the most intriguing bands in the past few decades might actually contain a collaboration of unreleased material.
The crass sounds of "In Bloom" tattoo the album in remembrance of Nirvana's groundbreaking release "Nevermind." The rest of the album revisits the band's birth to its tragic end with songs like "About A Girl," "Come As You Are," "Been A Son," "Heart-Shaped Box" and the delicate "All Apologies."
The album is essentially a 
greatest hits album, but there are so many other songs that could have been included. It's retrospective of the band's success, but there was so much more to the band's artistic regime that could have put a twist on the expected radio savvy release.
If we stay patient, maybe we'll see more antiqued Nirvana pieces escape to the masses to offer a life vest to a drowning alternative rock scene. Someone needs to step up, alive or dead!
"Nirvana" reminds us of a sound that captivated the attention of music fans worldwide. If you're not too familiar with Nirvana's work, this is a good jumping off point. And if you are a devoted Nirvana enthusiast, you probably have all the albums anyway.
Contributing writer Matt Lehman can be reached via e-mail at uspinnak@unf.edu.
Faculty art teaches about expression, possibilities
Ann Luce
Editor-in-Chief
Students display their work for professors to view and critique all the time.
This time, it's the professors' turn.
Visual arts faculty at the University of North Florida have their work on display in the University Gallery until Dec. 12.
Welcoming patrons into the gallery is "Sentinel" by Kenneth McMillan, associate professor of art. The piece, carved from volcanic rock, ironically stands guard, guiding patrons into an eclectic world of mixed media and subject matter.
One piece stands out. It is on the far wall of the gallery, standing alone.
A compilation of many media, 9:11;II will touch any patron's soul.
Charles Charles, associate professor of art, created 9:11;II, a representation of America's struggles through the Sept. 11 attacks that includes three ash urns sitting on the floor with dark glass holding the piece against the wall. The American flag draped behind the piece is poignant and moving.
Each urn is placed on its own colored glass, one on red, one on white and one on blue. In front of the white, pure in its form, is sand, possibly the remains of the Twin Towers.
One can only imagine.
The digital work of Chris Stagl, assistant professor of art, are also pieces not to miss.
Stagl uses his digital representations to enhance the poetry in his art. One such example is his "And If."
"And if somehow now was then
"and if something where and when
"and if time had a chance it would be 'soon'
"and if forever named 'May or June'
"and if the path gets covered along the way
"and if logic leads us or love astray."
Most of the art on display is available for purchase. Costs start around $250, but there are pieces priced as high as $4,000.
The professors in the visual arts department at UNF are talented. This year's display proves that. The pieces draw patrons in through the color, texture and media used.
If you have a spare moment between classes or even 10 minutes on your lunch break, go take a look at the art on display in the gallery.
Lose yourself in a painting or analyze the meaning behind the sculptures.
Trust me, this is a show you don't want to miss.
Editor-in-Chief Ann Luce can be reached via e-mail at spinnakereditor@yahoo.com.
Solaris exposes wrong elements
David Johnson
Sports Editor
In "Solaris," Steven Soderbergh put together another interesting directorial package that will have film buffs debating for days.
Unfortunately, most moviegoers will remember George Clooney in the buff when they come staggering out of theaters.
Soderbergh's science fiction is a one-idea story with too little substance and too much of Clooney's backside. Viewers will get two good looks at the star's other cheeks (but who's counting?).
If you hadn't heard, the former physician from ER showed off his gluteus maximus with distracting results.
So distracting, the Motion Picture Association of America almost gave the film an R rating. The MPAA relented, dropping it back to PG-13, but I have to wonder why Soderbergh was so intent on including Clooney's posterior.
Especially, when the director does so many other things so well.
The director made this throwback science fiction with some Kubrickian style. You might even feel the presence of HAL from "2001: A Space Odyssey" when you stare up at that reddish entity they call Solaris.
Soderbergh is also up to his old tricks, using colors to convey emotion and tone. Look at the contrast in scenes on earth versus those on the space station.
In "Traffic," Soderbergh used colors to the Academy's approval, but his stab in the science fiction department does not have the story to keep viewers interested.
His use of space and lack thereof in certain scenes is often more interesting than the color. Look for it early when you see Clooney on the phone.
But it's the empty space in Soderbergh's story that will lose many who give this film a chance.
It's a story about a widowed doctor who travels to a space station to clean up the crew's mess, only to find more than he bargained for.
Soderbergh uses silence throughout just as Stanley Kubrick did in "2001," but there aren't enough interesting moments to make this odyssey truly interesting.
vAlmost as important, the film has to rely on the chemistry of two lovers more than most science fictions.
Clooney's passion is essential to the plot, but his chemistry with Natascha McElhone just doesn't cut it. McElhone seems a little too photogenic for this role.
This remake of the 1972 original from Russia has so little substance that the scenes with Clooney's bottom become more distracting than they should.
Jeremy Davies' performance as the strange crew member Snow is scene-stealing at times, but he is a bit too overused to make his weirdness golden.
Most of Soderbergh's direction leads to characters and plot points being underused and underplayed.
These subtleties are a lost art on some Hollywood types, but Soderbergh overuses the underplay. It's like the director is sticking his nose in the air and saying "I'm underplaying it" whenever it seems he might answer a question.
Mainstream audiences will be turned off. Science fiction lovers will be mildly occupied. And lovers of Clooney's buttocks will be begging for a sequel.
Sports Editor David Johnson can be reached via e-mail at spinnakersports@yahoo.com.
Wednesday, December 4,
2002