EXPRESSIONS
- Refresh your knowledge on beer Matt Coleman and Ross Brooks
- Online classes bring new technology to students Cristina Stebbins
- '300' slaughters competition Matt Coleman
- As Dr. Osprey Michele Boyett
- Oddball Antics Mike Pinree
Refresh your knowledge on beer
Lager or ale, domestic or import, bottle or tap - these are a few dilemmas that plague even the most experienced beer drinker. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, the Spinnaker is giving you a refresher course about the beverage of choice every March 17. Prepare yourself for a keg full of trivia, opinions and tips about history's most ubiquitous beverage.
A Beer Timeline:
4300 B.C. - One of the earliest references to beer comes from a Babylonian clay tablet. The translation revealed beer was used as a wage for workers.
1600 B.C. - It was customary in Egypt if a man offered a woman a sip of beer, they would become married.
1491 - While exploring new lands, Christopher Columbus encountered natives brewing beer out of corn and birch sap.
1587 - Virginia colonist Walter Raleigh was the first man to brew beer in America.
1620 - The pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock due to a lack of supplies to make beer.
1933 - The 21st Amendment was enacted, ending Prohibition and making beer legal.
Price Ranges:
Teresa Postell, a bartender at Fionn MacCools gives her opinion on how to get the most beer for your buck.
Bottom of the Barrel Brews: Pabst Blue Ribbon - "It's cheap and doesn't taste like cheap, crap beer. Plus, it's as cheap as Natty Light and tastes better."
Mid-range Malts: Brooklyn Brewery's Pennant Ale - "It is so smooth and light. The flavor is awesome. It tastes like nothing else I've ever had."
Top-Shelf Suds: Hoegaarden - "There is a hint of citrus that doesn't drown out the beer taste, and it's very well balanced. It's unlike any other hefeweizen (wheat beer)."
Most popular beers by continent (Antarctica not included):
North America - Bud Light
Australia - Fosters
South America - Brahma
Africa - Castle Lager
Asia - Tsingtao
Europe - Stella Artois
Types and Styles:
Since the late 1970s, the American Homebrewers Association has provided a yearly list describing the various styles of beer. The types of beer are organized into three main families - Ales, Lagers and Hybrid/Mixed beers. They are further categorized by the country of origin, composition, color and taste.
Ales: More full bodied than lagers, ales often contain herbs or spices giving the beverage unique flavor properties. The specific ale is determined by the type of yeast used in production.
Lagers: Lagers are stored in cool temperatures before being sold to remove particles and promote a crisp, clean taste. Good quality lagers are typically stored for several months, allowing them to mellow and fully achieve their light flavor.
Hybrid/Mixed: Any beers that don't fit into the two aforementioned categories. These beers deviate from the norm of traditional brewing using different techniques or ingredients.
Beer Trivia:
¥ Having an occasional drink might be good for your heart. Studies have stated moderate drinkers of beer, wine or spirits have a reduced risk of coronary heart disease when compared to people who abstain from or abuse alcohol.
¥ Beer has twice the antioxidants of white wine.
¥ There is no fat or cholesterol in beer, and most have little sugar. The majority of the calories in beer come from the alcohol content.
Compostion:
There are four main ingredients every beer requires:
Barley - Barley is the most prevalent ingredient in beer. Brewers select specific barley grains to malt. The grains are germinated then dried to preserve starch, which would normally be used to feed a live barley plant.
Hops - Hops are used to add a distinct flavor to brews. They can be added to the brewing process early to create a bitter taste or to leave a citrus or spicy aftertaste. Brewers often blend hops to create special tastes.
Water - Four to six pints of water are needed to create one pint of beer. The quality of the water used directly impacts the beer, as local water supplies containing unwanted additives might taint the final product.
Yeast - The strain of yeast used in a beer production has a large effect on the flavor. Brewing yeast is often unique to different beers, allowing for a number of eclectic flavors.
Bottles Vs. Cans:
America's past is filled with great debates. Pro choice vs. pro life, evolutional theory vs. intelligent design, and the grandfather of them all, cans vs. bottles. In a recent poll of 100 students at UNF, 64 preferred bottled beer and 36 claimed canned beer as their favorite mechanism for consumption. Those in the corner of bottled beer assert that canned beer tastes of aluminum, and glass bottles come as close to draft beer as one can get without heading to the pub. Canned beer fans said they preferred aluminum because of its longer shelf life and the ability to "shotgun" their brews.
Contact Ross Brooks at features@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Online classes bring new technology to students
Degrees are now just a click-away as the University of North Florida is offering a new form of learning - distance education.
The demand for more online courses is stemming from an exit survey administered to UNF graduates that asked what changes students would like to see on campus.
The top two responses from last year's graduates were more online courses and flexible schedules.
Online courses are gaining popularity at Florida Community College at Jacksonville. Students coming from this institution look for online choices when arriving at UNF. Even professors have begun to jump
on the distance learning
bandwagon.
Dr. Catherine Cavanaugh, an associate professor of instructional technology, said faculty are becoming more apt to put their courses online. With the growing popularity, she envisions
distance learning showing
up more often in the university's
strategic plans.
Chris Nilsen, a senior criminal justice major, finds online courses more accessible for his everyday schedule.
"It is easier for time management because you can work on it during your free time," Nilsen said. "Six a.m. or 11 p.m. or even after a night at the bar you can complete your work as long as you get it on before the deadline."
Students such as Nilsen may prefer a seat at a computer to one in front of a professor, but five years ago, online courses were non-existent. This semester there are more than 40 online classes for students to choose from.
These classes are offered in the departments of Art and Design, English, Exceptional Student and Deaf Education,
Honors, Mechanical Engineering, Foreign Language, Music, Nursing, Philosophy/Religious Studies, School of Computing and Public Health.
The Coggin College of Business is also joining the growing trend of online classes. It recently began offering "blended learning" - classes that mix
distance learning and in-class instruction.
The CCOB is attempting to bridge the gap between students of old and new technology.
"The younger [students] have to learn to communicate with the older ones about technology and the older ones have to start picking up the technology," said Dr. Jeffrey Steagall, the associate dean of the CCOB. "I think there's a lot of value in these activities."
The CCOB simulates real-work situations by having class teams work together on both
projects and cases for
online instruction.
"I think if you look at the profile of Generation Next, all you have ever known is technology," Steagall said. "You grew up with technology so there is a very different perspective on things."
Even with its growing popularity, some UNF faculty acknowledge the drawbacks associated with online instruction.
"Students need to have more independence and motivation because it's more difficult to do all of the work independently on the computer without a class you have to go," Cavanaugh said. "It's easier to let a deadline slip without seeing a person face to face."
Contact Cristina Stebbins at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
'300' slaughters competition
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King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) bids his family goodbye as he prepares to make a desperate stand against the oncoming Persian army in Zack Snyder's "300." |
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Good: "300" is a visually arresting action film with a ton of style and even more blood.
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Movies don't always have to be plot heavy and dialogue driven. Take "300," a gloriously simple romp through the annals of Greek legend.
The movie is based on the 1998 graphic novel by famed writer and artist Frank Miller. Dealing with a fictionalized take on the historical account of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., "300" is a popcorn action flick with a lot of heart.
The Persian army, led by the self-proclaimed "god king" Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) has come to the Grecian state of Sparta to subjugate its people and add the territory to its growing menagerie of conquered lands. Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) mobilizes 300 of his best men to confront the enemy army, which numbers in the hundreds of thousands. Despite the overwhelming odds, Leonidas and his brave 300 never show the slightest hint of fear, even though they sprung for flowing red capes and banana hammocks over traditional armor.
Butler portrays Leonidas with the requisite amount of intensity and testosterone the role demands. After seeing the massive Spartan king on the big screen, it becomes apparent that most of Butler's preparation for the role consisted of lifting weights. His superhuman physique complements the dialogue, as his macho one-liners would seem slightly ridiculous coming from a flabby man in
leather panties.
The film's director, Zack Snyder, is a fairly new face in Hollywood. With only one film to his credit (the surprisingly decent remake of "Dawn of the Dead") and a background in music videos, Snyder seemed like a questionable choice to spearhead the project.
Despite his relative inexperience, his enthusiasm for the source material is palpable. Snyder treats Miller's graphic novel with the utmost reverence, seamlessly translating painted frames into visually stunning movie scenes.
His judicious decision to film the movie with the aid of green screen technology helps effectively replicate the otherworldly atmosphere of Miller's book. The sky resembles a coffee-stained watercolor painting, blood flows in cartoonish spurts and some of the ethereal foes the Spartans face look like they sprung from the mind of Salvador Dali while on an
especially bad trip.
This is where "300" really captivates. With the exception of a previous adaptation of Miller's work, "Sin City," no film has been able to capture this artistic vision of ultraviolence and surrealism. Many films dealing with war are often edited at a frenetic pace, shielding the battlefield carnage from the audience. Instead, Snyder shoots every scene with a shocking amount of detail. Expect to see many limbs severed and heads liberated from
their bodies.
When the film ends, your adrenaline will be pumping and your heart rate will be raised. For your sake, don't let that cloud your judgment. Picking a fight with a number of people after the credits roll wouldn't be a good idea.
Contact Sarah Houston at features@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Ask Dr. Osprey
Michele Boyette, the tutor coordinator from the Academic Center for Excellence gives test taking tips to improve scores.
Successful test taking is all about information recall. Information, to be recalled accurately, has to go from short term memory into long term memory. This is a process requiring, above all, preparation.
Long before the test, from the beginning of the term, attend class regularly so you can hear important information your professor is not likely to repeat.
Join discussions that can help you understand material covered in the course and on the test.
Taking notes keeps you focused on the material and helps reiterate in your consciousness what is being discussed in class. You will be able to recall these points much more effectively when it comes time for the test.
Obviously, you should also read all the required material in textbooks and do all the assignments because this will reinforce the information you need to recall.
Directly after each class, look over your notes, making corrections or additions as necessary. Recite your notes back to yourself on a regular basis, as this is a form of self-testing.
Get enough sleep the night before the exam. You want your mind to be as sharp and clear as possible. Eat lightly before the test so you will have fuel for your thoughts.
Arrive at the test taking site with plenty of time to spare. You do not want to rush in at the last minute - this will only increase your stress.
Take care of any needs before the test - use the bathroom or drink some water, so you don't have to get up during the exam.
Bring any materials - pens or pencils (at least two, in case of malfunctions), scratch paper or other resources the instructor allows you to use.
Skim over the entire test first so you will know what sections may require more time than others. Budgeting your time is essential, so that you will not feel rushed.
Plan a strategy: either answer all the simple, easy questions first, or choose to tackle the harder ones first.
No matter what type of test you are taking, read all questions carefully because often the tricky part is in the wording. Try not to second guess your choice. Changing your answer over and over wastes time and confuses you. If you don't know the answer, skip it and come back to it later.
In the end, all the tricks and tips in the world about how to take different types of exams will not be useful if you have not done the most important work first - preparation.
If you know the material, you can be successful on any test.
Contact Michele Boyette at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Oddball Antics
MOOOOO, I AM, LIKE, SO WASTED, DUDE
Farmers in Switzerland have been growing marijuana in their fields to feed to their cows because it makes the animals happy and stimulates them to produce more milk. The Agriculture Ministry has asked the farmers to curtail the practice.
I WAS UNHAPPY, THAT'S WHY!
A woman in Puerto Piasco, Paraguay, told a local radio station her husband was devoured by a boa constrictor out in the jungle, and the story created a sensation when it hit the newspapers. But an investigator discovered the husband had, in fact, left his wife and was in perfect health working on a ranch. The woman said she felt abandoned, and admitted she had made up the story to get attention.
SIR, THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD
When police went into a middle school in Bethlehem, Pa., to arrest the principal for selling methamphetamine, they found him naked at his desk watching pornography.
I'VE GOT TO KNOW, OFFICER, WHAT GAVE ME AWAY?
A man broke into a home in his neighborhood in Wilkes-Barre Township, Pa., stole some food, wine, a case of beer and four shotguns then walked through the snow to his nearby home. Police followed the footprints and arrested him.
NOW THERE'S A FATHER YOU CAN BE PROUD OF
After a Virginia man got drunk, he had his son drive the car. The son was only 14. He was also drunk. Police involvement resulted when the lad crashed the car into a tree.
I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S NOT A TEAM PLAYER!!!
A soccer player in Nis, Serbia, became enraged when he learned he had been cut from his team. He went to his family farm, got a tractor and tore up the soccer field so no one else could play.
WE SHOULD HAVE REALIZED IT WOULD GET COLD
Officials installed speed cameras in the arctic region of Enontekio in Finnish Lapland to catch traffic violators. Unfortunately, the cameras don't work in the cold. They discovered this when temperatures fell to well below zero as they do every year.
WHAT? I DON'T HEAR ANYTHING, OFFICER
After arriving in Melbourne, Australia from Singapore, a woman was arrested by customs agents for trying to smuggle rare fish from Asia in a specially made apron containing water under her dress. The customs men became suspicious when they heard "flipping" noises coming from her midsection.
IN OTHER WORDS, HE'S NOT TOO BRIGHT
A graffiti artist painted his artwork on a city bus in broad daylight when it stopped at a traffic light in Los Angeles. The young vandal was unaware the bus was filled with dignitaries on a tour of the city including the mayor and the superintendent of schools. Naturally, where the bigwigs go, so do newspaper and television photographers. They got some very nice shots of him. After he was arrested, officials revealed the boy was "having achievement issues in school."
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE