Wednesday, March 12, 2003
Volume 26, Number 25
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 Explore Jacksonville during Spring Break
Leo Esclamado
Contributing Writer


     If you've spent many nights pondering where all the fun is in Jacksonville, ponder no more. In a city of 841 square miles, there's bound to be something for everyone. Lots of students often draw a blank about what to do, but the city is overflowing with interesting spots. Whether you're looking for a place to relax, music to dance to or a game to watch, Jacksonville has it. Here's a list of some activities to get you started on your weekend of fun:
     1. Go downtown.
     One of the most

  The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens on Riverside Avenue
Photo by Beth Slater
prominent attractions and lively features in the area is the Jacksonville Landing. The Landing is an entertainment mecca filled with restaurants, live music and authentic shops. It's also the party grounds for many of the city's big events such as the Fourth of July.
     Just across the St. Johns from the Landing is the South Bank Riverwalk. The Riverwalk rests adjacent to the river and boasts a scenic view of the city, complete with Victorian style gazebos and historic street lamps and benches. Here you'll also find Friendship Fountain running on the weekends throughout most of the day.
     2. Rock out to local music.
     Jacksonville is a breeding ground of live acts. One of the most popular grounds is Jack Rabbits, located in the historic San Marco district.
     "Everybody plays at Jack Rabbits," says Daniel Bearl, who enjoys the local format.
     Other spots for music include the Marquee Theater in Five Points, Boomtown & Eden in Springfield, Rock 'n' Roll Pizza on Forsyth Street and Freebird Cafe on First Street in Jacksonville Beach.
     3. Get your freak on.
     The freaks come out at night. Clubs featuring hip-hop, house and techno music are vibrant throughout the city. Local club-hopper Josh Campbell enjoys the growing crowds at 8 Seconds on Beach Boulevard.
     "It's pretty tight, very energetic. It's a country club, but they have a room for hip-hop and R&B," he says.
     Campbell also points out the equal ratio of males and females.
      Other clubs in town
  The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra performs at the Time-Union Center
Photo courtesy of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
include Plush on University Boulevard Dv8 and The Voodoo Lounge on Forsyth Street, and The Fat Kat Music Lounge on Edgewood Avenue.
     4. Get cultured.
     Tired of contemporary music? The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra has a variety of classical performances in its "Masterworks Series." You can hear them at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts in the Jacoby Hall. The Times-Union Center also serves as the venue for off-Broadway productions.
     For a more visual experience, the Cummer Museum of Arts and Gardens on Riverside Avenue and the Brooklyn Contemporary Arts Center on Park Street display a number works, ranging from local to world-renown.
     5. Enjoy a free beer tour.
     The folks at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery can show you the process of brewing their beer. People of age get free samples. The brewery is located on Busch Drive on the northside
     6. Watch a baseball game.
     The Jacksonville Suns will play their first game in the new baseball stadium April 11. Semi-professional baseball has existed in some form in Jacksonville since 1904.
     "There's something fun about
  Yee-Haw! :08 is a popular bar located on Beach Blvd.
Photo by Robert Davis
eating peanuts and watching drunk people," says senior Danielle Dreger.
     Suns ticket prices range from $5.50 to $15.50.
     7. Hug a tree.
     Not a regular tree, though. Treaty Oak has been sprouting for almost 300 years. There's a legend that Native Americans signed many treaties under this tree. Treaty Oak stands about 66 feet tall with braches intertwining for more than 80 feet. The tree is in Jessie Ball duPont Park on Prudential Drive.
     8. Stroll through the park.
     While you're outdoors, you can check out Huguenot Memorial Park on Hecksher Drive or Hanna Park on Mayport Road for your biking or hiking trips.
     9. Fun 'n' games.
     Adventure Landing on Beach Boulevard east of the Intracoastal Waterway has water rides for those hot summer days, as well as arcade games inside.
     Dave & Busters on the Southside is another popular spot.
     "There's lots of fun and a variety of things all over in one place," says junior LaShaun Butler.
     D&B offers food, game simulators and drinks.
     10. Pet some animals.
     OK, you won't be able to pet most of them, but the Jacksonville Zoological Gardens offer a large variety of animals to see.
     "Being outdoors beats staying at home," says Myra Gundran, a sophomore. She said she enjoyed seeing the monkeys.

Contact Leo Esclamado at uspinnak@unf.edu

Fiction Plane to land in Jax
Beth Slater
Contributing Writer


     A new band is about to take your ears for an exciting ride. London's Fiction Plane released its debut album on MCA records March 11. The album debuted at No. 102 on College Music Journal's Top 200 College Music chart.
     Fiction Plane's style is a mix of rock and jazzy rhythms. The biggest influence for the band is Nirvana. Joe Sumner, Fiction Plane's lead singer, never even cared for music until he heard Kurt Cobain and company at the age of 14.
     Sumner, along

 
Photo courtesy of MAC records
with Dan Brown on bass and Seton Daunt on guitar, puts a fresh twist on the music scene with the album, "Everything Will Never Be OK."
     Lyrics and rhythms are different in each song and no particular theme is followed on the album.
     "Everything Will Never Be OK" is a nice break from the myriad of pop, plastic sounds. Sumner and Brown wrote the songs themselves and the album was produced by David Kahne, who aided Sublime and Sugar Ray.
     The compact disc opens with "Listen to My Babe," a song about love and death with an unpredictable tempo. The CD's fifth track, "Soldier Machismo," is a timely protest against militarism and modern war.
     "Sickness," the 10th track, is wide-eyed, lovestruck wonder meeting with less sublime reality. The title track's upbeat sound contradicts the melancholy writing of Sumner.
     Fiction Plane has played throughout the United Kingdom since forming in 1999.
     They are currently touring the United States and will hit Jacksonville March 20. Fiction Plane opens for The Clarks and Julius Airwave at Jack Rabbits, 1528 Hendricks Ave.
     Call 398-7496 for ticket information. For more information on Fiction Plane, visit www.fictionplane.com.

Contact Beth Slater at spinnakerfeatures@yahoo.com

Keys talent show host at Plush
Alton Terry
Contributing Writer


     Frum Tha Ground Up Inc. is a non-profit organization that focuses on motivating and inspiring today's youth.
     FTGU

 
Photo courtesy of aliciakeys.net
was established two years ago by Jacksonville University alumnus DJ Walton. He began the organization to help inspire troubled youth and guide the misguided just as he was guided while growing up. As anything worth having in life, Walton says, had to fight to get FTGU off the ground.
     "I did whatever I felt I had to do," he says.
     Evidently, that mentality still exists within him for he is doing whatever he feels he needs to, to reach youth in a positive way.
     He feels his job is to "instill self-motivation within young people, because we need that drive within us to be accomplished."
     DJ Walton will come one step closer to that goal March 14 when he launches his first outreach, a youth talent showcase alongside celebrity host Alicia Keys at Plush Nightclub.
     For more information about FTGU or the talent showcase, visit the organization's Web site at www.ftgu.org.

Contact Alton Terry at uspinnak@unf.edu

Tears not worth crying over
Brendan Luce
Contributing Writer


     Antoine Fuqua's Tears of the Sun is a far-fetched and surreal glimpse into the engagement tactics of the U.S. Navy SEALs unit.
     Commanded by Lt. A.K. Waters (Bruce Willis), this special operations team is portrayed as a self-governing body to which orders are a secondary concern. Throughout the picture, the SEALs pursue new endeavors and ignore orders given to them by their superior officer, Captain Bill Rhodes (Tom Skerritt).
     All in all, they are

 
Photo courtesy of sonypictures.com
a far cry from the true operatives that call themselves SEALs.
     As is often the case in Hollywood war productions, the actual battle footage is a blatant fabrication. We are witnessing a unit of eight U.S. soldiers eluding an entire rebel army of gargantuan proportions, all while receiving only minimum casualties.
     Meanwhile, the entire Nigerian Military Coup is annihilated, along with half of the countryside. These depictions are complete fantasy and denounce the movie experience.
     Since this movie is set in the jungles of northwestern Africa, the framing is essentially dark in tone and color. There are many instances where it is hard to make out key characters, but the setting does serve to enhance the cinematic experience.
     This method of cinematography induced a higher level of anxiety and suspense throughout the presentation.
     This type of movie is not far from Willis' normal characterization. His role coincides nicely with his other leading roles as John McClain in the Die Hard trilogy and as Harry Stamper in the 1998 sci-fi thriller Armageddon.
     What did these characters all have in common? Absolute selflessness and an uncanny luck when it comes to injury or bodily harm.
     Another common trait is that none of these roles were performances deserving of accolade.
     This movie is to be recommended only to those in search of pure entertainment. If it's an award-winning storyline that you seek, avoid this movie at all costs.

Contact Brenden Luce at uspinnak@unf.edu.

 INSIDE:

Explore Jacksonville during Spring Break

Fiction Plane to land in Jax

Keys talent show host at Plush

Tears not worth crying over