DISCOURSE
- Expensive permits keep the wheels turning on extra parking Editorial
- Bush speaks rhetoric for peace, little action Editorial
- Going green to help save Jacksonville Laura Britton
- What's love, lust and Shirley Temples got to do with it? Major Stephenson
- Letter to the Editor
Expensive permits keep the wheels turning on extra parking
Editorial
If a presidential candidate ran and won on the platform "No more taxes," Americans might cheer and celebrate the news.
But after just one year of that president in office, public schools would shut down, parks would close and new construction projects would disassemble.
Though it doesn't seem fruitful to give up money each paycheck, in the broader scope it produces a large, thriving crop -
a country.
The same is true for campus parking here at UNF.
The Parking Advisory Council recently announced a $5 increase in parking permit fees for the 2008-2009 academic school year and plans to continue the increase at a consistent rate until 2012, according to Vince Smyth, director of Auxillary Services.
This might not be the most exciting news to students and staff who already pay for gas at an increasing rate per gallon, but it is news that is intended to produce a bigger picture: a much needed parking
garage.
Along with the increase fee announcement, the Parking Advisory Council stated it plans to construct a parking garage on the north end of campus by 2012.
Currently students have access to park in a parking garage and spots in Lot 18 at the north end of campus, but even those spots are hard to find and are often
fought over.
It is common to hear people complaining about these problems, but not as common to hear someone offer a solution.
While inconvenient on the checkbook now, the fee increase opens four additional floors and 1,000 spots for student parking in the future.
The proposed solution is steep, however, estimated to cost Parking Services $12.5 million to complete.
A surface spot parking lot, much like that of lots 14 and 18, is cheaper but was not considered because of the lack of land on campus available for development, Smyth said.
The estimated $12.5 million, along with the $2 million it will cost for parking in the new Osprey Fountains resident hall, adds to the current $10-million deficit that Parking Services is working on paying off.
Smyth said the debt is paid mainly through the funds raised with permit fees.
And while one can argue "That's not my fault. I won't be here in 2012. Why do I have to pay for it?," there has been 35 years of students before now paying fees to create what we've come to know and love about UNF in 2008.
In fact, if we tried to use that argument for everything, our country would not be very advanced.
Citizens would simply say "No thank you. I don't want to invest time, money and energy into that project. I won't be here to see the outcome."
The necessities we enjoy today - our freedom included - would not even exist without the sacrifices of those before us.
Studying in the library, cheering on the Ospreys in Hodges Stadium - a project 10 years in the making - and headache-free parking are all current or future enjoyments around campus that are well worth $5 here and there.
Bush speaks rhetoric for peace, little action
Editorial
Last week while departing for a tour of the Middle East, President Bush announced his intentions to secure peace between Israel and Palestine before the end of his presidency.
Yesterday, my youngest brother told me he was making it to the NFL by 2012.While these statements appear to have nothing in common, they are equally delusional.
Peace between Palestine and Israel could do wonders for the region and the world as a whole, but the idea that a few days of talking can resolve decades of armed conflicts and occupation is a
pipe dream.
Palestinian and Israeli newspapers have commended President Bush for his strength of vision, but they have also been quick to note the difference between rhetoric and reality. And that is exactly where the President and my little brother mirror one another.
As is the case with every American politician, the President is well versed in finding the issues that resonate with the American and world populations, saying enough to address the issue and then never following through.
With all of the other promises that he has made to the American public (a decrease in the Federal Government's size, increasing positive foreign relations and strengthening the economy) how can President Bush make this announcement with a straight face?
Trying to put two groups of people together whom hate each other is an incredibly hard task. Politicians like Yasser Arafat fought and failed to create some peace agreement between the two parties.
Bush's goal of peace before November 2008 seems so audacious when compared to the decades of struggle endured by others to create a peace agreement.
The term "lame duck" has been applied to the President at home and abroad, and if his ability to affect change in his own country is in question, where will he find support in a foreign country?
Such a victory for humanity could easily wash clean the tarnished image Bush shares in his own country and abroad. However, acheiving his goal will ultimatley prove much more difficult than any of his other diplomatic endeavours. As a matter of fact, it is going to take thousands of hours of mediating between the Israeli's and Palestinians, and decades of enforcing the measures agreed upon by all parties.
Just like becoming a professional athlete, this political test will take all of Bush's dedication. And like a young boy dreaming of gridiron glory, President Bush might have been experencing a brief dellusional moment when he created
his goal.
Going green to help save Jacksonville
Britton Knows Best
I am here to tell you that it is possible to impact the world we live in. In an effort to save the earth from the evils of global warming due to those of us who either don't care or don't have the time to invest in caring, the rest of us must pick up the slack.
We must make a collaborative effort to go green!
Now I know changing the world isn't easy, but there are strides we can take toward the future.
Do it for yourself, your children, your family - do it because you want future generations to have the long, healthy lifestyles we all want to achieve.
As a young college student, like the rest of you, I understand that going out to eat is easier and can often be more convenient.
But why not save a few bucks and eat at home?
I know there's some random frozen food in your freezer you've been meaning to thaw out and eat.
Get to it! If not, throw together some pasta -- about 98 cents a box -- and a side salad and you are on the path toward a positive change.
I know you can spend 98 cents to help save the earth. I have faith in you.
The average person uses a whopping six napkins per day.
Maybe try using cloth napkins with your meals at home as opposed to paper, and save a tree or two.
Dining out, unless you eat at a local restaurant, usually means you're going to a chain that uses foods that have been pre-packaged in plants filled with preservatives.
Preservatives in food can be extremely unhealthy, especially if you eat out on a regular basis.
You know that neighbor of yours you see walking to his car every Tuesday and Thursday at the same time you're walking to your car?
He's also the one who happens to be in the same literature class you're in.
Ever thought about carpooling with him?
Not only will you score a study buddy for your Shakespeare final, but you will help our earth by cutting down on the toxins that gasoline spreads into the air.
Plus, you will both save on gas money if you split the cost!
Here's a big one, guys and girls: recycling. The average person goes through 4.5 pounds of trash per day.
There are more than six billion people in the world -- you do the math.
I know what you're thinking; Jacksonville makes it nearly impossible to recycle from home, especially if you live in an apartment. There's hope!
If you know of anyone that lives in a house, it's likely they have a recycling service.
This is not to say they utilize it, but do some convincing and show them the way to green!
When you're on campus, remember that UNF recycles and your water bottles and soda cans should not end up in the trashcan.
And if you're really on a recycling kick, which I hope you are, do some research - there are recycling centers in Jacksonville that would gladly take the recyclables off your hands.
Last, but certainly not least on this list of helpful green tips: organic foods.
Organic means you are putting nutritious, healthy foods into your body without any of the pesticides and chemicals found in regular foods.
It costs a little more, but believe me, the health benefits are worth it and the food tastes just as good!
Take a look at ordering organic foods online at: http://www.localharvest.org/.
Also, try bringing a tote bag with you -- or buy one at stores like Publix for just 99 cents - to carry your groceries in.
Imagine how many plastic bags you will be saving!
Here's a thought for the future: That car mom and dad are buying you for your "Congrats you graduated" present, or the one you've been saving up to buy -- make it a hybrid.
For more information and tips on how to go green, check out these Web sites:
www.greendimes.com
www.treehugger.com
www.stopglobalwarming.org
www.community.gaiam.com
Contact Laura Britton at discourse@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
What's love, lust and Shirley Temples got to do with it?
Student Opinion
Tina Turner asks numerous times, "What's love got to do with it?" Sorry to let you down Tina, but from my experience it has completely nothing to do with it.
Everyone in my generation only seems to be attracted to the physical aspect of a person instead of their mental or emotional aspects.
To make alright of the situation we throw in the word "love" to disguise the true nature of the situation.
It's not love. It's lust. Can I only be with someone based on my looks alone?
If this is true, then it scares me. I'll be honest. My appearance wouldn't be considered very lovely.
Come on UNF students! Please tell me we are better than this.
Please give me the pleasure to know we are more than our bodies, but humans with something greater to offer.
I blame MTV for this epidemic.
Too many shows are aired that display people meeting each other, having sex within a couple of hours, and miraculously becoming the happiest couple in love.
It's TV. I repeat. It's TV.
Reality is much different.
As college students, I hope you can decipher the difference.
We can not imitate or trust what is shown to us through these screens.
Love does not happen in 28 minutes and 53 seconds. It takes time to develop.
Love deals with the emotions and personality of a person.
It is a relationship built with the minds, not the bodies.
I recall having lunch with a friend at Mudville during my senior year of high school.
Halfway through my chicken tenders and Shirley Temple, my friend gave me the update of his latest relationship: "Things aren't that great. It's really not working. I want to leave her, but I love her too much." I would have shown compassion for him if this was a relationship he had been in for a year.
Maybe six months even, but not for a two week relationship.
My Shirley Temple and I had a deeper relationship.
Having someone that is easy on the eyes is nice, but not enough to keep yourself entrapped in a meaningless relationship.
He's the type of guy who falls for good looks and cares nothing else about the girl.
It's something in his history that I have seen repeat on occasion.
The latest news I have heard from him is that he's in a new relationship and for sure this time in "love."
I'm still working on my Shirley Temple.
I can't describe what it is to be in love. I have no personal experiences to elaborate from.
I can only use the examples my parents have provided along with my idea.
And that's all it is. An idea! An idea that love is an emotional relationship that two people can only experience in time spent with each other -- a relationship that goes past a person's looks and into the person.
I do understand the animalistic nature of humans.
We want what we see and what we see are others in relationships.
Relationships can be fun.
They offer the chance to share your world with someone else and vice versa.
If steady enough and prolonged, the relationship can and will turn into the real mental love -- not the early physical attraction that we confuse to be actual love.
It takes time. Try not to rush things from what you see in front of you.
Let's become more than superficial.
Let's grow with our minds because after all, our bodies do not stay the same.
Tina, I do have hope after all for us college students.
In the beginning love has nothing to do with it, but in the end it is everything.
Contact Major Stephenson at discourse@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Letter to the editor
Book-buying skills incomplete
Dear Spinnaker:
I was disappointed to find that last week's article entitled "How to raise your book buying I.Q." was not more comprehensive.
I would hope you would inform our fellow college students of as many options as you could find, in order to help them save money.
As someone who will finally graduate this seventh year of my college career, I have tried to hone my book buying skills, and feel good about what I have learned.
I haven't written to the Spinnaker before, but I couldn't let this under-representation of textbook options go undisputed.
So here are some highlights from my experience:
As an English major, I had to purchase 31 books for this semester.
Many were novels and plays, but through the bookstore I would pay approximately $525. I paid about $300, an average of $10 per book.
Firstly, I buy all of my books online and, including shipping, I save plenty every semester.
But I shop early, soon after I register, and I use a website that searches other sites, like those you mentioned in
the article.
It is www.bigwords.com and it has saved me more than $500 in only three years.
Secondly, to make sure I get the right books, I either get the ISBN numbers from professors via e-mail, or else I look up the book titles online to find the publisher.
Most publishers' sites list ISBN numbers, along with book edition numbers. When shopping online, I always use the ISBNs so that I know I am ordering the right book, and then will e-mail the seller if the description isn't clear about which edition is for sale.
I know it is hard to shop early when you are eating ramen, and don't have someone financing your college experience.
I have worked the whole time I've been in school, so I feel your pain.
This is a good time to learn budgetin.
When you get your financial aid disbursement or tax return, rather than blowing it on the newest techno-gadget or spring break vacation, put a few hundred dollars in savings and don't touch it.
I know, the thought of not spending is hard for me too, but I get it back later in money saved!
After a year, planning ahead can pay for itself, if you put away the money you save by buying books early.
Lastly, in the majors where everyone takes the same classes (i.e. education), ask your friends to let you borrow or buy
their books.
Even if you buy from friends, you pay less, they can get more money than from selling books back, and the money stays with the college students!
That sounds like the best plan to me!
Geri Bass
English major / education minor
7th year Junior/Senior something
(graduating in August)