EXPRESSIONS
- Students use time off to take a road less traveled Ross Brooks
- Shark attack victim still scarred Lauren Darm
- 'Zodiac' captures the killer Matt Coleman
- How can you stay safe over Spring Break while traveling? Timothy Robinson
- Oddball Antics Mike Pinree
Students use time off to take a road less traveled
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"Spring Break." The phrase alone brings smiles to the faces of students everywhere. Technically, it's a weeklong hiatus from classes coinciding with the beginning of spring. But for most students, Spring Break means much,
much more.
It's a time for cruises, the beach, or a lake - anyplace on or near the water. A reprieve from the cold and rainy winter, Spring Break offers up seven carefree days to enjoy the warm weather and forget about the classes you probably wouldn't have attended anyway. And for those lucky enough to be 21 years old, Spring Break is often spent in an immersion of that lovely, sudsy, feel good juice scientifically deemed ethanol.
As ritualistic as it is enticing, some students waver from the traditional Spring Break paths and choose to spend their time on activities not as readily shown on MTV Spring
Break specials.
Kelly Capua, a sophomore nursing major, is looking forward to spending Spring Break helping others. Capua said she plans on spending her Spring Break in Las Vegas on a mission trip offered through Baptist Collegiate Ministries.
Melody Davis, a friend of Capua's and a leader for BCM, said the purpose of the mission is to work with a campus ministry group at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to help drum up support for Grace Baptist Church in Las Vegas.
Aside from supporting fellow Baptist churches, Davis said they will help serve meals and host a "sports day" event at the church.
Capua said she wanted to put her time off to good use.
"I wanted to do something other than sit at home,"
Capua said. "There's always
an opportunity to do
mission trips, and this one
just really stuck out
for me."
Robby Angell, a senior
criminal justice major, has also decided to spend his Spring Break on a mission trip with BCM. However, Angell said he is headed for the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in Mexico City.
Angell said BCM's hope was to engage some of the campus ministries at UNAM where the student population is more than 160,000, and help them gain more recognition on campus.
Much like Capua, Angell said Spring Break missions grant him the chance to get out of the house and do something.
"Every year I feel like I have a week off of school and the opportunity, and I just love doing it, plain and simple," Angell said.
While mission trips are one way for students to avoid the stereotypical college Spring Break, they don't represent the only means of escape.
Some Ospreys plan on gathering their camping gear and hitting the Appalachian Trail in search of adventure, hoping to test their physical and mental limits over the break.
Lynsie Dutton, a self-described nature freak and junior anthropology major, said she plans to take part in the Eco-Adventure Program's backpacking and camping trip to Mt. Pisgah along the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.
"When you're outdoors you get rid of all the civilized luxuries, and it's just so much fun to be free and do whatever you want," Dutton said. "Once you get home, you realize you can do anything. Not because you have done it all, but because you've learned to figure
it out yourself."
Dutton won't be the only woman from UNF hitting the Appalachian Trail. Five other female students have decided to tackle the trail on their own terms, beginning at the trail's southernmost point near Springer Mountain, Ga.
The five friends said they wanted to spend Spring Break doing something to test
their limits.
"Thirty-five miles total is our goal, we're looking at
doing eight miles a day,"
said Rachel Freeman, a senior
English major.
Like Dutton, these women are looking forward to
their time off from the
modern world.
"It's just so fascinating, trying to survive without all of our electronics," said Colleen Herms, a junior Spanish major.
Aside from the primitive qualities of the trail, the friends said hiking as a group would be a truly meaningful experience for them.
"You're never going to be in school again with your friends so close to do a trip like this," said Jessica Rockwood, a senior biology major.
"Besides," Herms said, "it's better than drinking your Spring Break away."
Contact Ross Brooks at features@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Shark attack victim still scarred
Located near Jacksonville Beach, the University of North Florida provides an ideal environment for students to enjoy an afternoon on the beach, but there might be something lurking beneath the ocean waters students need to consider before diving in this spring.
Twenty-two-year-old Aaron Edelson, a junior building construction management major, knows exactly what dangers people can encounter beneath the waves. He was attacked by a shark while boogie boarding in Daytona Beach in 2002.
Edelson was bit on his left calf during his final run into the waves around 5 p.m. Sept. 13. He was sitting about 100 yards off shore in seven feet deep water.
At first Edelson thought one of his friends was playing a trick on him, but after feeling the pressure and prick of the teeth, he said he knew the incident wasn't a prank.
The shark thrashed Edelson around causing him to black out and sustain serious injuries. The attacker then swam away, leaving him alone in the water.
It wasn't until Edelson awoke and saw the water turning red that he understood what had happened to him, but his adrenaline increased almost
immediately.
Edelson said he felt like an Olympic swimmer paddling as hard and fast as he could while screaming for help.
Edelson pulled himself most of the way inland until the beach patrol and other beach goers came to his assistance.
"My attack was extremely rare because a shark will bump before it bites," Edelson said. "I had no warning."
Edelson was referring to one of the possible types of unprovoked shark attacks called the "bump and bite."
According to the International Shark Attack File, this is when sharks bump into their prey before turning around to attack. This kind of shark attack is the cause of most injuries and fatalities, but sneak attacks like the one Edelson experienced are generally
more serious.
Volusia County, the site of Edelson's attack, has the most confirmed, unprovoked shark attacks in Florida, according to the International Shark
Attack File.
Duval County is not far behind, taking the seventh spot out of 26 counties along Florida's coastline. From 1882 to 2005, there have been 19 shark attacks in Duval, two of which were fatal.
In 2006 alone, there were more than 95 shark attack cases reported world wide .
The injuries Edelson sustained from his shark attack were severe.
Paramedics tried to stop the bleeding at the beach, and they performed tests to ensure the nerves in his left leg and foot were still functioning.
They rushed him to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach and doctors in the emergency room found no broken bones, but Edelson still needed reconstructive surgery.
Edelson said it was so extensive that surgeons lost count
of the number of stitches in
his leg.
After a week in the hospital, Edelson's treatment followed with a week of bed rest, two and a half months in a wheelchair and a week with a walker. He then used crutches and a boot for two months.
Even after extensive physical therapy in Daytona and Jacksonville, Edelson still needs mobility support.
He currently uses a cane
to help him walk, and Edelson said the damage from the
shark attack is a permanent reminder of that day in 2002.
"I tried to walk without the cane, but I just swallowed my pride and accepted it," Edelson said.
In addition to the physical injury, he has post-traumatic stress disorder, which at times causes Edelson to experience flashbacks from the incident.
He's now back in school at UNF, but he still commonly has flashbacks and hasn't been able to return into the water since his attack.
According to the International Shark Attack File, there is only a one in 11.5 million chance of being attacked by a shark.
Despite this, Edelson suggests all swimmers take precautions before entering the ocean.
Contact Lauren Darm at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
'Zodiac' captures the killer
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Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) cross paths while investigating a string of murders perpetrated by the "Zodiac" killer. |
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Good: "Zodiac," based on a cold case with no real conclusion, presents a solid character study. |
Audiences like happy endings. In Hollywood, the hero trumps the villain, the good guy gets the girl and the mystery is always solved. Unfortunately, when the wearying lens of reality interferes, happy endings aren't always so commonplace.
"Zodiac" tells the tale of one real mystery that never received the standard cinematic conclusion. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a killer taunted California authorities with a flair for the dramatic and a taste for publicity.
Dubbing himself "The Zodiac," he mailed letters to various newspapers outlining his crimes in meticulous detail. Included in these bizarre communiquŽs were cryptic ciphers supposedly containing the killer's identity.
Instead of presenting itself as a by-the-numbers serial killer profile, "Zodiac" focuses more on the toll the investigation took on those involved.
Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), the man who penned the books the film is based on, is an idealistic cartoonist working at the San Francisco Chronicle when the first of the Zodiac letters arrives. A former Boy Scout and puzzle aficionado, Graysmith tries his hand at cracking the code, an innocent diversion until he becomes ensnared in the search for the Zodiac's identity. Gyllenhaal delivers a strong performance as the na•ve do-gooder, a role he's been perfecting for years since he starred in "Donnie Darko."
The other two major players in the narrative, Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) and Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo), add more emotional depth to the story as the investigation gradually envelopes
their lives.
Avery, a flamboyant crime journalist at the Chronicle, is the man assigned to cover the Zodiac's reign of terror. With his flower-child outfits and penchant for drugs and alcohol, it would be easy to craft Avery into a caricature. Instead, Downey manages to effectively personify the embattled reporter as he spirals out of control thanks to his Zodiac obsession. While Downey has fought his own much-publicized battles with addiction, his stellar performance should be attributed to his talent, not his experience
with illicit substances.
As Avery tries to co-opt the Zodiac story for his own journalistic advancement, he butts heads with the case's lead investigator, inspector Toschi. Ruffalo plays Toschi with a restrained grace, letting his character's earnest nature belie the internal stress
the case is causing him.
The conclusion should be one of the strongest aspects of any story. Unfortunately, movies about 30-year old cold cases don't exactly lend themselves to tidy endings.
You can't put a pretty bow on every tale, and "Zodiac" is a prime example. No universally accepted suspect, no justice, and the film ends. So it goes.
Contact Sarah Houston at features@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
How can you stay safe over Spring Break while traveling?
This week, Timothy Robinson, the faculty administrator of the Center for International Education gave students a few common-sense tips to help keep them
safe while traveling abroad
over Spring Break.
- Learn as much as possible about your destination country. Know their history, culture, politics and customs. Equally as important, respect the country's customs and manners.
- Don't leave valuables unattended. Keep them in hotel safes or
at home.
- Learn some of the language of your destination country. This is not only helpful in getting around but also shows you have an interest in the country.
- Don't go out alone. Always be sure someone knows where you are and when you will return. Practice the buddy system at
all times.
- Know the location of the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate and make sure the U.S. Embassy is contacted if you find yourself in trouble.
- Don't dress inappropriately. Observe how local people dress in similar situations.
More information is
available by contacting the UNF International Center located in Bldg. 10, Room 2470.
Contact Timothy Robinson at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Oddball Antics
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT! STAB!
Police were called to a home in Lulea, Sweden, in response to a call that a woman stabbed her boyfriend. The man told police his girlfriend knifed him after they had sexual relations, and she found his efforts to be "disappointing."
DUDE, I COULD HAVE SWORN THEY WERE HERE
Two young men, who had apparently been smoking lots of marijuana, called police to report they were holding two burglars who had broken into their apartment in Reno, Nev. But, when the cops arrived, there were no burglars. The men explained that one of them woke up to find the bathroom door locked, leading them to believe the burglars were in there. They slipped notes under the bathroom door to communicate with them. Police found the notes in the empty bathroom and arrested the young men for possession of 23 grams of marijuana and 10 bongs.
TAP, TAP, EXCUSE ME ... UH, MA'AM ... COULD YOU STOP FOR A MINUTE?
A woman became so overwhelmed with passion that she suddenly stopped her car in the fast lane of a major highway in Jerusalem to engage in sexual intercourse with her boyfriend. Other motorists, who had to swerve around the vehicle, called the police. The couple were still doing it when the cops arrived.
THINK YOU HAVE A JUVENILE DELINQUENT PROBLEM?
Gangs of long-tailed macaque monkeys have been breaking into homes adjacent to nature preserves in Singapore, stealing food and "soiling the premises." They have also been knocking over trash barrels and brawling on the streets.
A PERFECT COUPLE: FARTSIE AND THE DRUNK
A heavily intoxicated British pop singer "blew her top," and threw a punch at her groom at their wedding reception after he asked her to stop drinking because she is seven months pregnant with their third child. They wound up sleeping in separate rooms on their wedding night, but her publicist explained it was because the groom had been suffering from excessive flatulence.
DID I SAY `TWIN BROTHER'? I MEANT IMAGINARY FRIEND
A man accused of violent attacks against a police officer and two grand-jury witnesses along with carjacking and solicitation to murder testified that all of the crimes he is accused of were done by his twin brother. Alas, the prosecution proved beyond a doubt that he has no twin brother.
LET'S SEE, FIVE CENTS A POUND TIMES ... WHAT IS IT, 200 TONS?
Two men in Macedonia stole two 30-foot bridges. They were caught when they tried to sell them to a scrap yard. The proprietor became suspicious when the thieves showed up there with 20 trucks loaded with 200 tons of steel.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE