EXPRESSIONS
- A very twisted Thanksgiving Robert Orndoff
- How to survive a goose attack Laura Wright
- Jacksonville homeless lent a helping hand Alissa LaGesse
- 'Freegans' take free-loading to all new heights, depths Laurel Wright
- Student employees dig on-campus jobs except for pay Alissa LaGesse
- Nickel Creek's music tells full-circle tale Scott Cave
- 'The Darjeeling Limited' transcends formulaic holiday comedy structure Robert Orndoff
- Three little words mean most Jessican Medina
A very twisted Thanksgiving
Hey, dorm dwellers: Do you know what you're doing for Thanksgiving? Chances are, the plan is to head home, eat a lot of holiday dishes that are so good you only get to enjoy them once a year, and pretend to get along with everyone in your family. I personally call the whole ritual the "pre-Christmas squabble-gobble."
If such a negative portrayal of Thanksgiving has suddenly soured your notions of going home for the upcoming holiday, or if you were planning to stay around anyway, here are some ideas for how to have your very own happy squabble-gobble right here on campus.
Find people to hang out with
So, your roommates are leaving. That's a welcome relief. But your friends are leaving, too - bummer. Well, here's a chance to make some new friends. Post bulletins, send e-mails, dispatch carrier pigeons - do what it takes to find some other folks who are staying on campus. It will never be easier to meet new people and be accepted than when there are only three souls left inhabiting your building, and all anyone has heard from the RA's room are his favorite six songs on "Guitar Hero II."
Mess with international students' heads
Look, the people most likely to be sharing this campus with you during the break are the international students. With family in another nation and no cultural connection to Thanksgiving, they're content just to be rid of the other on-campus residents for a few days. So what does that mean? It means you get to make up your own Thanksgiving rituals and pass them off as longstanding traditions! Banana-pickle casserole with mustard reduction gravy? Old family recipe. Bobbing for pine cones? Nobody's too old for a good game - you see, in America, on Thanksgiving, adults bob for pine cones, too. Making a wreath out of every five-pointed oak leaf and squirrel dropping on the ground? Dates back to the Pilgrims, my friend.
Pretend you survived the apocalypse
On public roads, Thanksgiving represents the eerie calm before the storm that is Black Friday. No cars. No bikes. No people. Why not take the chance, alone or with your
bonus buddies, to pretend you are the last human beings on Earth by going somewhere nobody else will be - outside? Make sure to dress in raggedy, tattered garments and smother yourself in dirt and grease to get the full effect of surviving a nuclear holocaust. This disheveled look may even win you access to a genuine Thanksgiving dinner if an unwary host happens to mistake you and your friends for homeless people in need of a hot meal.
Play house
OK, so now you have at least a small group of friends with you. You're feeling the love and passing the grub, but something is missing. Everyone is too nice to one another. What's Thanksgiving without bickering? Here is the solution: Take a piece of paper and write down as many family roles as you have people (maybe a few extra in case someone gets tired of theirs). Roles like "weird uncle" and "spoiled rich cousin" are good. Names that define a major character flaw are even better, such as "passive-aggressive mom" or "constant approval-seeking little sister." Once you have your roles, throw them in a hat and draw them at random. Once everyone has a role, unleash the beasts. For some extra fun, put another set of papers in a hat that have family secrets written on them that people can reveal at important moments during the dinner.
Contact Robert Orndoff at features_staff@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
How to survive a goose attack
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The geese on campus can be pesky little creatures. They poop everywhere and claim the sidewalk as their own, causing students to dodge landmines and snapping beaks during their journeys to class. These geese, no matter how cute they look, do attack - especially if a student comes across an extra grumpy one or wanders too close to their nesting grounds. While goose attacks are rarely deadly, it's important for every student at the University of North Florida to know how to survive.
Step 1: Show the goose who's boss.
When it squawks, you squawk louder. When it bites, you bite harder. When it flaps its wings, you flap yours wider. Doing this will show the goose that you're not afraid and will give fair warning that you do know how to handle yourself if this challenge turns into a full-blown brawl.
Step 2: Stand your ground.
While it may be tempting to turn and run from the goose, you must remember to stay strong. If you do turn and run, you leave the back of your kneecaps exposed, which any goose will happily take advantage of, chasing you down and pecking at your tender skin until you can no longer stand. That's when goose attacks turn deadly. To avoid this fate, get down on all fours and look the goose directly in the eyes, letting it know it chose to pick on the wrong person. Any smart goose will waddle away.
Step 3: Don't gloat.
Geese do not like to admit losing a fight. The best way to end this confrontation is to stay on all fours as the goose retreats. It is also polite to release three loud goose-sounding "honks" as a way to let the goose know that there are no hard feelings. If you do encounter a goose that fails to retreat after Step 2, it means that this goose is tough. The best thing to do is to call for back up from bystanders and hope that it doesn't have as many friends as you.
*The Spinnaker is not responsible for
missing eyes, noses or ears on either students or geese. It is also not responsible for any warfare that might erupt between the two species.
Contact Laura Wright at features@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Jacksonville homeless lent a helping hand
Homelessness in Jacksonville has become an increasingly
severe problem in recent years.
But the homeless in Jacksonville do not go completely uncared for. There are many programs, centers, and missions throughout the city that work to help impoverished citizens.
Of these centers, the Clara White Mission located down town is one of the most popular. In existence for more than 100 years, the mission even has culinary classes to help get people employed and back on their feet.
Anthony Gadson, who has been coming to Clara White Mission for about four months, said, "Clara White has been especially beneficial for me because other places don't have lunch."
"I do think that all of the places downtown, with the exception of the Sulzbacher Center, need a reality check-the are so restricted, and the shut people out soeasily," Gadson said. "Without these places, where are we supposed to go? "
The Northeast Center for Community Initiatives provides research and support for many programs that affect the Northeast Florida community. They organize the data for the Annual Homeless Census and Survey, which surveys the homeless population in Duval and
Clay counties. Dr. Jeff Will, a sociology professor at UNF and the Director of the Northeast Center for Community Initiatives, said while support for the homeless is growing, it's spotty in some places.
"There are a large number of locations around Jacksonville that benefit the homeless,"
Will said. "Unfortunately, though, there is not enough support for people that are on the verge of homelessness, and it becomes very easy for them to become homeless." Dr. Will describes what is called as the "missing class," a class that is considerably above the poverty line, but with no consistency. They are often ignored, yet just one medical mishap or pay cut away from being homeless.
Centers for help
Goodwill of North Florida thrives on donations from the public. The organization accepts gently used clothing, household items, and financial contributions.
The I.M. Sulzbacher Center, located on East Adams Street downtown, has a variety of programs that benefit the homeless. The center's services are designed to assist members of the community along the path to self-reliance.
- City Rescue Mission is a nonprofit faith-based mission that gives food, clothing and shelter to more than 250 people a day. The mission is always in need of student volunteers.
Contact Alissa LaGesse at features@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
'Freegans' take free-loading to all new heights, depths
If students play their cards right, the University of North Florida has nearly everything needed to survive located directly on campus. The best part: Most everything can be had for free. It's not hard to find a roll of toilet paper or computers, yet there are some essentials, like food, that take a more trained eye to find.
Those who have made it their life mission to search out free stuff are called "freegans," and like any good freegan Angelo Mora, a junior communications major, knows where to look.
Mora said that he has been checking the online activity calendar to see which groups are holding events with free food since he was a freshman.
"They have Food for Thought every Tuesday and international dinners once a month," Mora said.
Another way that Mora said he gets free food is through the credit card companies that offer free food for those who sign up.
"I sign up with a fake name and fake address to beat the system and scam them instead of them scamming me," he said.
Mora also said he looks inside Building 14 whenever he walks by to see what events are scheduled and keeps an eye out for signs on the Green advertising free food.
It seems to be a general consensus among freegans that Food for Thought is the best place to get food.
Justin Abelenee, a junior accounting major, said that Food for Thought is his favorite place to get food because it always offers something different.
"Sometimes they will have Publix and other times home-cooked meals," he said.
Abelenee said attending events on the Green and visiting Student Government candidate booths around election time are also good sources.
Junior communication major Joe Gaskin has taken freeganism to a higher level. Although he
often finds free food on campus - the Vegan Club is his favorite group to get food from - he will go "dumpster diving" off campus to find treats like extra ripe produce and bakery goods.
Gaskin said Food Lion and Winn Dixie are the best places to visit for dumpster diving, because unlike other stores like Publix, they don't compact their trash. Gaskin has even used his food-finding skills to create a show called "Garbage Gourmet" that plays occasionally on Osprey TV.
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Student employees dig on-campus jobs except for pay
The University of North Florida employs many students in various jobs around campus. From cleaning up after basketball games to enrolling people in swim lessons, students do it all.
"I work on campus because of the convenience, the connections, and because I meet a lot of people," said Dion Wisniewski, a senior sports management major. "Plus, it looks good on
my resume."
Wisniewski has worked at the Dottie Dorion Fitness Center for
a year.
His responsibilities include keeping an eye on patrons and their safety, keeping illegal patrons out of the gym, personal training and ensuring that the machines are used correctly.
Wisniewski said having work on-campus is a very convenient way to earn money.
"There are pretty flexible hours," he said. "I get as many hours as I want, and it's a really laid-back place."
Wisniewski also works at Sportsplex Gym in Jacksonville Beach and said he thinks he's underpaid at UNF compared to other jobs with the same duties.
"I guess that's to be expected with an on-campus job," he said.
Carlos Mejia, an English Language Program student from Ecuador, has worked at the Aquatic Center for a year and a half. His job includes water safety instruction, desk work and enrolling people for swim lessons.
"Having international status and the type of visa that I carry, I am only allowed to work on campus," Meja said. "I don't have the option of working someplace else that pays more. I like working here, though. It's the best place to work on campus. The hours are flexible, and one of the managers is also a student, so he understands how it feels to have a busy schedule."
Jason Schnapel, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, has worked at the UNF Arena for a year and a half.
He manages equipment, sets up and takes down basketball and volleyball nets and performs cleaning duties around
the Arena.
"I like working here because it is easy to just come over after class," he said. "I could use a little pay increase, but the convenience is enough."
Victoria Crabtree, a freshman nursing major, has worked at the UNF Computer Lab for three months. She helps students with computer programs like Microsoft PowerPoint and straightens keyboards and chairs.
"They take out less taxes for on-campus jobs than they do for regular jobs," she said. "Plus, I like the convenience of being right on campus. I don't have to spend any gas."
Robert Neiberger, a junior chemistry major, has been a lifeguard at the Aquatic Center for five months.
He cleans the pools, keeps an eye on patrons who use the facilities, and performs basic first aid.
"After completing a lifeguarding course, they offered me a job on the spot," he said. "I don't work anywhere else, and it's really convenient to work here. The only thing is that lifeguards at other pools like the YMCA get paid almost double what we get."
Contact Alissa LaGesse at features@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Nickel Creek's music tells full-circle tale
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Nickel Creek performed Nov. 13 at the Florida Theatre during their "Farewell (For Now) Tour." |
There is no more poignant way to open a farewell tour concert than with a song called "The First and Last Waltz."
The indie-folk quartet Nickel Creek played Nov. 13 at the Florida Theatre as part of their "Farewell (For Now) Tour."
Their mixture of bluegrass instrumentation, jazz improvisation and modern rock provided for an engaging and entertaining night.
Nickel Creek consists of siblings Sean and Sarah Watkins on guitar and violin, respectively, mandolin player Chris Thile, and Mark Schatz playing upright bass.
Opening with a hint of finality, the band played "The First and Last Waltz," a reflective instrumental.
Throughout the night, they played material from all three of their albums, as well as material from band members' solo projects and several covers.
A rendition of the traditional British folk song "House Carpenter," the tale of a woman who abandons her husband and baby for a life at sea with her lover only to be swept away in a shipwreck, was an early
highlight.
Lit by a single spotlight, vocalist and mandolin player Thile sang in a clear voice with sparse instrumentation.
After the emotional climax of the song, he played an
intricate improvisation that was both mesmerizing
and haunting.
Violinist Watkins showed her talents in a cover of the Jackson 5 classic, "I Want You Back."
Already an interesting cover due to the nature of the group, Watkins' soaring vocals and passion were a pleasant
surprise.
The concert was an excellent showcase for the virtuosity of the band members and for the dynamics that have defined the band across its career.
Though the instruments were all acoustic, innovative playing and soaring vocal harmonies created dense walls of sound.
The contrast between the sparse notes of individual instruments and the power of multiple voices was used to stunning contrast, especially in the song "Can't Complain."
As the audience listened to the soft notes of bass and violin fade off into what seemed to be the end of the song, the whole band burst into a sudden rush of music, producing a visible jolt from the audience.
The band also showed its sense of humor in clever break-up songs such as "If You're Gonna Leave Me" and a tongue-in-cheek cover of Britney Spears' "Toxic."Opening the show for Nickel Creek was singer-songwriter Tom Brosseau.
Brosseau's songs are typically sparse, Bob Dylan-esque guitar songs relaying delicate memories and observations of growing up, sung in his high, smoky tenor.
A North Dakota native, his songs bring to mind windswept landscapes and abandoned farms native to his birthplace.
As a performer, Brosseau seemed nervous between songs, struggling to make small observations as he tuned his guitar or put on a harmonica stand.
His performance was strong, however, and often held the attention of the audience to the point of near silence.
In a particularly arresting
moment, he sang "Here Comes the Water," a firsthand account of the evacuation and flooding of Grand Forks, N.D., during
Brosseau's childhood.
To an audience for which memories of Katrina were still relatively fresh, Brosseau's account of deciding which household objects to save as the
floodwaters rose to destroy his home was especially
captivating.
Brosseau finished his set with two duets accompanied by Watkins and a touching a capella song recounting the death of a loved one.
The show ended on a bittersweet note in an encore performance of the band's earliest single, "The Lighthouse's Tale," a first-person narrative about the death of two lovers from the perspective of a lighthouse.
As the last words of the song were sung, the band played a slow and mournful variation of the song, eventually circling back for one last repetition of the melody.
As the audience rose to its feet, the band stood shoulder to shoulder and bowed as the house lights faded to black - a fitting ending for a night of farewells.
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'The Darjeeling Limited' transcends formulaic holiday comedy structure
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Director Wes Anderson keeps acting staples Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman and adds Adrien Brody for great effect in "The Darjeeling Limited." |
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Good: An original movie set in a foreign country with familiar themes. |
The holidays can be a drab time for moviegoers.
During the winter months, almost all of the big movies are dramas or suspense films, and if there are comedies, it's almost a rule that they have to be
holiday-themed.
But luckily, for the cinemaphiles who are tired of asking themselves which A-list comedian is going to play Santa Claus (or Santa's brother) this year, there is a solution to the holiday woes that will have audiences laughing, crying, and generally just feeling better after the movie is over - and it has been in theaters for weeks now.
It's called "The Darjeeling Limited," but before you go thinking it has no relevance during the holidays, know this: It's
about family.
Not family sitting in front of a golden turkey in knitted sweaters solving each other's lifelong problems over the course of a weekend. Instead, this film is about a family trying to figure out how to get along so they don't have to split up and wind up ruined.
The movie follows three brothers on a train ride through India.
They haven't seen one another for a year, and in that time, several tragedies have befallen them.
Through clever narration and dialogue, the entire story is not revealed until close to the end, keeping the audience curious and engaged the whole
way through.
The premise of three dysfunctional American brothers halfheartedly joined together on a train in India trying to schedule spiritual moments between stops is a naturally humorous one, and the film capitalizes on it.
Lines like "I love you too, but I'm gonna mace you in the face!" are indicative of the kind of
humor the film provides
Additionally, there is some situational humor, like when the train gets lost. But the jokes, whether they are subtle or obvious, never steal attention from the story of the three brothers.
Though there are just as many tense moments in the film, it's not a drama, either. It is just trying to tell its story, and so concerns like always making the audience laugh or constantly tugging on heartstrings are mercifully abandoned.
The film was directed by Wes Anderson of "Rushmore" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" fame. Though in this movie, he ditches the ensemble structure of his earlier films and focuses on three characters, allowing for a deeper, softer tone.
Anderson brings along his normal troupe of actors for this film, including Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Angelica Huston and Jason Schwartzman, but adds to the cast Adrien Brody and
Natalie Portman. Also unlike his earlier movies, this one strives to take place in the real world.
Unlike the unusually intelligent but depressing world of "The Royal Tenenbaums" and the quirky, cartoonish underwater world of "The Life Aquatic," this film is happy where it is, though rural India will still be anything but familiar for the average American moviegoer.
Featured before the movie begins is a short film called "Hotel Chevalier," staring Schwartzman and Portman as their characters in the larger film, but in a story almost completely unrelated to the main film.
The short features excellent dialogue that explains nothing about what is going on but volumes about the characters.
Contact Robert Orndoff at features@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Three little words mean most
Just Ask Jess
Dear Jess,
I have been dating my guy for five months. He's everything I want in a man: handsome, funny, sweet and patient. The only thing keeping him from being perfect is that he doesn't really talk about what he's thinking or feeling.
About three weeks ago, I told him I love him. At the time, I told him not to say anything back, because I wouldn't know if he was just saying it because I said it or because he meant it.
I thought he would tell me the next time we saw each other. He hasn't.
Recently, I asked him why he doesn't tell me what he's thinking or feeling, and he said that's just the way he is.
I asked him if the words "I love you" were too much, and he said they were fine.
I know he loves me because of how he acts. Sometimes, he combs my hair or surprises me with a CD, and we're always going off doing something I want to do. I'm having a hard time coping with him not saying I love you yet, because expressing emotions are important to me.
My question is do you think he will ever tell me he loves me - and will it be soon, or am I just blinded by love?
Crazy in Love
Dear Crazy in Love,
This is a tough one. You say you know he loves you, yet you still have a lingering question about it.
What you need to do is take a step back and look at the bigger picture. If he is not the kind of person who will willingly share his emotions - and that is a must in a relationship for you - will you be happy with him?
Maybe he really does need time and is not ready to share his emotions with you. But are you willing to wait?
You see, I can't truly answer your first question, because you're asking me if I think he will ever say he loves you, and the truth is I don't know. As far as your last question - as to whether you're blinded by love - you know the answer to that question.Yes, you are, but don't look at it negatively.
That's one of the many great things about love: the opportunity it gives you to see only the good in someone. All day every day, we focus so much on the bad things in each other that we forget the good. Don't be afraid to get everything you want in a relationship, and never compromise your needs.
Jess
If you have a question for Jess, please send an e-mail to features_staff@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE