The Current Volume 25 Issue 9

Vol. XXVIIII March 4, 2011 St. Petersburg, Florida Issue 9

Questions with EastmanPresident responds to student concerns

News & Features — Page 3

Results of our sex surveyYou did it where?!

Entertainment — Page 18

High speed railGovernor says “nay”

Viewpoints — Page 12

THE FOOD ISSUE

photo by Cait Duffy

Bon Appetit

The truth about dairy

Late-night dining?

Boardwalk review

The life of a waitress— page 10

— page 4

— page 11

— page 11

— page 16

news & features

Executive Board

Editor-in-ChiefPetra Stevenson

News EditorLaurel Ormiston

[email protected]

Asst. News EditorAshley Daniels

Entertainment EditorJeralyn Darling

[email protected]

Asst. Entertainment EditorShelby Howell

Asst. Quickie EditorCait Duffy

Asst. Quickie EditorCarver Lee

Viewpoints EditorJaclyn New

[email protected]

Asst. viewpoints EditorLiz Tomaselli

Sports EditorWill Creager

[email protected]

Asst. Sports EditorLincoln Andres-Beck

Web EditorMax Martinez

Web MasterShawn Craine

Faculty AdviserTracy Crow

Director of AdvertisingAbby Gestl

[email protected]

Director of FinancesBeth Robison

Staff Writers

Johnny JonesSarah Malhotra

Sean LawlorMalena Carollo

Seth Ravid

Photographers & Illustrators

Michael SpechtTonya GabrielEthan CooperCassie Ochoa

Contributing Writers

Stephen BarberBrilliana D’Angelo

Erik Brydges

• March 4, 2011 •• Vol. XXVIIII Iss. 9 •

2 Friday, March 4, 2011

BY ASHLEY DANIELS

Asst. News Editor

Coach Herman Boone, the inspiration behind the movie “Remember the Titans,” recently spoke to Eckerd students about di-versity. The Afro American Society, Campus

-fairs sponsored the affair as part of the Col-lege Program Series, and it happened to be one of the better-attended events. Sopho-more Arielle Burger said, “I feel that “Re-member the Titans” is a popular and well-

many of us in one way or another. I believe that everyone wanted to meet the man who started it all.”

In 1971, America was going through troubled times with the Vietnam War, the Pentagon Papers, the murders of the Black Panthers and the Supreme Court ruling on the Swann v. Charlotte

Board of Ed-ucation case, which legiti-mized busing as a method to achieve de-segregation. Boone united the T.C. Wil-liams Titans.

It was a time, he said, “when many people in America felt they had a reason to wake up angry every single day.”Tensions ran high in Alexandria, Va.,when three high schools were merged into one senior high school, putting black students in the same school as whites.

Not only was race an issue but the stu-dents were also competitive rivals. The community knew that the Titans were go-ing to be the test. Boone, who came from

championships, said, “I was scared to death. I’ve always believed there is no difference in coaching a kid of a different race, [but] I had never coached a white kid.” The Titans, along with Boone, had to set the tone for the rest of the community.

The evening at Eckerd began by showing one of the most memorable clips from the movie, the 3 a.m. run through the swamps

point in the movie that players and coaches -

come a team. However, Boone was quick

Disneynesque. “I might be crazy,” said Boone, “but I ain’t stupid to run through the swamps at 3 o’clock in the morning.” But Boone did take the Titans to Gettysburg, on a bus. The lesson from Gettysburg and the Civil War, he said, was one nation, the rea-son he took the Titans to the historical site.

they could put their differences a side and come out as one team.

“I always told them that a team is a group of people with one vision, with one objective and by God, one heartbeat, and if I hear two heartbeats in this room I’m gonna kill one of them suckers,” Boone said.

movie. As Senior Daria Hall said, “When I put the program together, I didn’t realize that that many people on campus loved the movie and story as I did.” But for Boone, there were two very special audience mem-bers, Kirk Barker and Tom Lewis, who were a part of the 1971 team. These men were

have ever put on a Titan uniform,” said Boone. “Two men who embraced diversity when diversity was not a word.” Barker and Lewis helped break the mold in Virginia. “These men stood by me,” Boone said, and was the real inspiration of the blockbuster movie. People in the audience could feel the love Boone had for these men. Freshman Kelsey Spaulding said, “It clearly displayed the relationship Coach Boone had with his players.”

In 2000, the Titans set up a foundation called ’71 Original Titans with a goal to sup-port kids from de-pressed neighbor-hoods by offering them scholarships toward secondary education.

For Boone, the 1971 Titans team will always be spe-cial.

“I was chosen to coach some in-credible young kids whose deci-sion to embrace diversity and ac-

cept the soul of an individual who did not look like he or did not talk like he rather than reject that person based on the color of his skin,” he said. “I’m a part of developing what we now call diversity, and I am very proud to have had a role in that. But more than anything else, because of their deter-mination to win, they found that in order to win they had to accept their brother.”

The Titans won that year. They won every game they played. In ten of the regular sea-son games their opposing team didn’t score. Barker said, “There was a pride factor in try-ing to get shut-outs.” But the eighth game of the season, which was depicted in the movie as the championship game, was the closest one the Titans would see. Fighting together as a united team to come out on top proved to be the turning point of the season and re-sulted in them going to the state champion-ship.

Each player had to face discrimination, bias and anger, yet they came together as a team to show the community what diver-sity truly was. The decision these men made to get along shocked the world because it proved that men and women of different races could work together, successfully. Di-versity is not about race, rather age, sexual orientation, economic standing, gender but never about the color of a person’s skin. As Burger said, “We are all different and in or-der to work together we have to appreciate these difference in each other.”

Boone said, “I believe that diversity is all about who you are as an individual, then it creates respect, where respect becomes trust, and trust is the emotional glue that combines all communities together.

So Boone asked the “young people as edu-cated students of Eckerd College…When you encounter injustice, don’t forget to speak up and speak out about it.”

Online Now:o Omega attacked from the sea; SPPD investigating

www.theonlinecurrent.com

“Remember the Titans” Coach Boone speaks to students about diversity

photo by Ashley Dan-iels

Coach Boone speaks in Fox Hall.

o Review of “The Mechanic”

COMPILED BY PETRA STEVENSON

Editor-in-Chief

in the Go Pavilion? I know this seems like a silly question, but I am legitimately concerned about this decision because I have many friends and colleagues who have fallen be-

frequently used by sweaty basketball players, becomes very wet, very quickly and is therefore quite hazardous...I have been wondering why it was necessary to put in plastic

—Lukas Kucinski

“I wasn’t aware of that,” Eastman says of the slipperiness of the new courts. He adds that when he was alerted of the ques-tion, he passed on the students’ concerns to Fred Sabota, as-sistant dean of students for Campus Activities, who is work-ing on a solution to the problem, such as a kind of mopping system that would be available to students. “The fact is, the only surface that would not be slippery would be concrete,” says Dean of Students Jim Annarelli. “Or asphalt, which en-vironmentally is just a nightmare.” He adds that while the courts can be slippery, “it’s something we’re concerned about and are going to be addressing.” Regarding the selection of

explains, “We wanted a surface that had a bit of give to it…it guards against stress fractures, for instance, if one is really

thought, without a lot of consultation.” Eastman says that the contractors (Cannon Design), have

“designed more athletic venues than anyone else” — includ-ing the main venue for Olympic trails in Colorado.

“There are rumors about having to re-do the GO Pavil-

— Brianna Dickinson

“No,” says Eastman, “we just did it. We’re not going to re-do it.”

“What is being done to encourage more professors of dif-

— Daria Hall

“It [diversity] is something…we talk about all the time,” says Eastman. “Every opening for faculty — the academic dean

appoints a search committee of faculty in that discipline, or closely related to that discipline,” he explains. “Each of those groups is charged to do everything they can to maximize the opportunity to have candidates who exude diversity. That has succeeded in adding a number of black faculty and Latino or Hispanic faculty in the last several years — though certainly not in the numbers we would like, at this point.”

He adds that, “Progress comes very slow for the same rea-son it comes very slow for students. In this environment,

-ships or salaries. Our salaries are reason-able, but not as good as some people we can’t com-pete with. Scholarships are basically the same deal. We know that to be the kind of institution we want to be, our faculty body has to be a little browner than it is…the board needs to be browner, the staff, the student body.”

He notes, however, that more than a quarter of PEL stu-dents are of African descent, and that about 15 percent of this year’s freshman class are members of minority groups.

Annarelli adds that in past decades St. Petersburg may not have been an attractive place for faculty members of minor-ity groups to move to and raise their families. However, both he and Eastman think that as the environment of the area continues to change, it will be become easier to attract more diverse students and faculty members.

“Can you tell us where this awful parking situation is

to park, but every week campus safety sends out an email moving commuters further and further away from the quad where most classes are held, in order to make more room for faculty and staff. Walking to our classes may be

campus. Are sidewalks a structural change that Eckerd is considering? And, will this parking situation get worse

—Sabrina Ruggiero

A new parking lot for students across from the tennis courts should open for student use after Parents’ Weekend, Eastman

says. It will accommodate about 135 vehicles.“We have a number of plans for expanding other parking

areas,” he adds. This may include expanding the Upham lot in the next few months (see “Popular parking lot soon to be removed” from Dec. 3, 2010 at theonlinecurrent.com), and continuing to develop North Lot.

A new sidewalk is also planned to run from North Lot to the CEC area, across the road at the entrance to the College.

“Will campus still look this bad during May Com-

— Emma Malz

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” Eastman says, smiling. “It depends on whether you think it looks ‘bad’ or not - I wouldn’t agree that it looks bad, but…that building [the new science center] will be under construction for the next year, year-and-a-half.” Professionally designed murals with chemical designs and sym-bols will be put up around the main construction

fence, he adds.Annarelli notes that in past years, commencement was

held during the construction of other buildings, like Iota and the Armacost library.

“I would like to get the correct answer on the new build-ing. I heard it might be one story and if so why, because

—Graham Ellison

“The general agreement between the architect, the shepard [the faculty member who represents the Natural Sciences fac-ulty], and the faculty users group…[was] the opportunity for chemistry and biology to have a more integrated, interdisci-plinary program is a lot more likely and much enhanced by

The new science center’s size and location was also a fac-tor in choosing a one-story design. Eventually, as roads and

would see when you come on campus is a great big, two-story building that doesn’t look as human-scale as the lower-lying buildings we have,” Eastman says of the original, two-story building plans.

effect, there’s going to be a whole lot more enrollment pres-sure, a whole lot more interest in the sciences, and a whole lot more interest in academic programs, generally…It’s going to help us attract better faculty, more research, support.”

Friday, March 4, 2011 3

news & features

Q&A President Eastman answers student questions about construction, GO Pavilion, diversity and parking

BY MAX MARTINEZ

Web Editor

Wheaton College (IL), like Eckerd, knows what it’s like to be in The Princeton

Review’s annual college rankings lists, which names the top 20 schools in various campus and academic life categories.

a different list than Eckerd, the one honoring “Best Campus Food.” Their munchies are so good in fact that the

years. In 2010, they slumped to 13th in the rankings. Back in ’09, they even hit No. 1.

A small (2,400 undergraduate enrollment) evangelical Protestant liberal arts school, Wheaton employs one of the top food service companies at the collegiate and professional levels, Bon Appetit.

Yes, that Bon Appetit, the same one that elicits negative reviews around Eckerd.

“The food here sucks,” as Freshman Lauren Lemarchand so bluntly puts it. “It makes my stomach hurt every time.”

transfered to Eckerd from Wheaton, agrees, calling his old school’s food, “the only thing I miss about Wheaton.”

survey of 100 Eckerd students, 58 percent of respondents

of food served on campus.

The comments from the survey paint a more vivid picture of student opinion. “The cafe is a place of tears and broken dreams,” writes in one overdramatic sophomore male. Others complained of a lack of vegetarian options: “Cooking wedges of tofu and grilling squash everyday isn’t very creative or satisfying,” says a senior in Omega.

Some students noted that Bon Appetit’s food makes them physically sick. “I go back to my dorm and feel like [crap] after eating,” commented a junior male living in Kappa. Another Kappa resident, a senior female, added, “I respect all the workers who are serving us food but that does not change the fact that the food tastes bad and gives me and most people I know stomach problems.” When asked whether digestives were being added to the campus cuisine, Bon Appetit General

enhancements at all. I eat there every day, and I’ve never had an issue.”

Such sentiments aren’t likely to be heard at Wheaton, considering the rankings are based on student responses, not

tangible data. On College Prowler, a for-students-by-students college review website, Wheaton received an “A” rating. Eckerd came up with a C+.

Data from The Current’s online survey back up the College Prowler grade.

Asked to rate the quality of food served at on-campus dining locations, 44 percent of students responded the food is “fair/ok,” while an additional 26 percent said “poor.” The main cafeteria garnered the lowest score,

they tell me that everything is wonderful, including staff and faculy,” he said. Out of the 100 responses our survey received, only two students had positive things to say about Bon Appetit. One, a freshman male, raved, “I love the meals in the Bon Appetit Cafe and I also like how all the chefs prepare the food.” Another, a senior female who rated the

food as “good,” said, “sometimes it needs a little spice, but that’s how it has to be when you cater for 1000 people. They go through great lengths to keep the students happy.” Aside from day-to-day interactions with the community, Bon Appetit solicits student opinions once a year through a survey. Llovera was open to surveying students more frequenly, but noted the surveys currently cost between $5,000 and $8,000 a piece.

It’s not like Wheaton got lucky with their food quality. Bon Appetit manages the dining services of many schools in the Princeton Review list, such as St. Olaf and Washington University in St. Louis. One of our survey respondents, a sophomore female, said, “I have eaten at other campuses with Bon Appetit and it was so much better than what is served at Eckerd College. I don’t understand why the same quality food cannot be served here.”

Bon Appetit is also employed by prestigious Fortune 500 companies like eBay, Adidas and Target. The San Francisco Giants, who just won the World Series mind you, even have a Bon Appetit-managed restaurant at their ballpark.

So why aren’t Eckerd students equally impressed? Aside from

the reasons mentioned above, dining hall operating hours and meal plan structure and pricing topped students’ list of complaints.

“It is overpriced for the food we get,” comments a junior respondent. “They [Bon Appetit] have a monopoly on food

service here and with no other option, students have to get it.”

But other options do exist, although none as convenient as campus dining. From our survey, 87 percent reported eating off campus at least once a

week, 15 percent doing so daily. In many instances, eating off-campus is cheaper than a

meal swipe. On a Tier A meal plan, which comes standard unless a student switches, a meal block costs $8.72. For the

lower, 210-block version of Tier A, a meal is $10.14; Tier B,

$11.17 a meal; and Tier C, $13.42.

This math assumes a Flex Dollar is worth a standard U.S.

news & features


Bon Appetit satisfies else

“The cafe is a place of tears and broken dreams.”

— a sophomore survey respondent“The food here sucks, it makes my stomach hurt every time.”

— Freshman Lauren Lemarchand

Each ring of the “doughnut graph” above represents a different dining hall on campus. The outer ring corresponds to overall food quality. Moving inward the rings represent the ratings for Cafe Bon Appetit, the Pub and the CEC, respectively.

The food quality at various campus locations as rated by 100 stu-dents in an online survey

dollar, which according to Bon Appetit’s website, it is. When asked to explain why some items in the pub (such as a grilled

half the dollar value of a meal block, Llovera didn’t answer the question directly and offered “convenience” as what was responsible for the difference. “It’s your choice...to swipe for a grilled cheese and a fountain soda. But you can go and eat all you can eat at [the main cafeteria]. You can have a whole pizza if you want to.”

Llovera also noted the issue of theft at dining halls as an added expense Bon Appetit endures. “I spend over $6,000 a year on silverware that they steal. Then you got another issue: the plates. I spend $16,000 dollars on plates…about every two years. I just placed another order for another $8,000 in plates.”

As for the hours of operation for dining halls on campus, Llovera recalled, “We used to close the pub at 1 am, but they [students] wanted breakfast…so we swapped the breakfast for the late night.”

A quick check of other Bon Appetit-managed colleges reveals Eckerd’s meal plan rates to be fairly standard pricing.

meal block (always on the highest level meal plan) is $8.97.

journalist, says students at Goucher enjoy their food. Alice’s Restaurant, a coffee-house style eatery with notoriously

delicious smoothies and paninis, is open until 3 a.m. seven days a week. The smoothie-panini combo is also a meal swipe.

Appetit serves meals to 3,000 undergraduates, a relatively small enrollment. “The food is actually really good here,” says Lindsey Andres-Beck, a St. Olaf freshman and sister of Eckerd Junior Lincoln Andres-Beck. She wishes there were

more vegetarian options, and there’s nowhere open to eat on campus past 7:30, but St. Olaf was ranked 8th in the Princeton Review “Best Campus Food” category and “they rotate it a lot, so that’s nice.”

Other schools would

block to be cheap. At both American University and Hamilton College, the

cheapest meal block costs more than $10, roughly at our reduced Tier A level.

But Wheaton pays less, a lot less. There are six different meal plans, the most expensive consisting of 18 meals per

semester. That plan, which at Eckerd would total 288 meal blocks per semester, costs $1,650.

dollars, costs $2,305 per semester, a difference of almost $700.

But, contrary to popular belief, the meal plan pricing is set by the school, not Bon Appetit. Instead, Bon Appetit sets the structure of the meals plans; that is, how

bucks come with each plan.

There are, of course, things at Eckerd that Wheaton doesn’t have: fresh squeezed orange juice with breakfast is a Triton special. And, on Saturdays, the only place open at Wheaton is “Sam’s,” whose menu includes “coffee and espresso drinks, fruit and yogurt smoothies, ice cream, fresh baked pastries and sweets, hot sandwiches, and prepackaged cold

items such as wraps, salads and parfaits,” according to Bon Appetit. Not too full of a weekend menu.

But how long could $2,305 last in the real world? For the 19 percent of survey respondents who are off the meal plan, this is a question faced every day. Broken down to $8.72 per meal (up to $13.42 for anybody on Tier C), one has a lot of options.

For students who enjoy takeout, an $8.72 budget would buy bagels and coffee at Dunkin Donuts for breakfast; for lunch, a foot-long sandwich at Subway with soda and chips; and, with the unspent money from breakfast and lunch, Ah-mei Thai, Westshore Pizza and Beef O’Brady’s are all affordable options for dinner.

A strictly takeout diet gets repetitive, and it’s certainly no better nutritionally than eating at Bon Appetit. For those looking to actually save money, eating out can drain funds just as quickly as a meal plan.

A mock grocery run completed for research purposes reveals just how much money one can save by going off the meal plan. From personal experience, this journalist can attest to the savings: groceries tend to cost between $100-$150 per trip, and the food lasts nearly two weeks or more, depending on eating habits.

The mock grocery list, too lengthy to print completely,

fruits, veggies, peanut butter and jelly, this list has it all. As a vegetarian, I wasn’t sure what to look for in the meat section, but I ended up including a pound each of pork, steak, lamb and veal, and 4 1/2 pounds of chicken breast.

As my carnivorous friends later pointed out, no student buys veal and this much meat would last quite a while. But when it was all said and done, the grocery trip would have cost me $198.70; a week on a Tier A meal plan costs roughly $144.

With cheaper and arguably more satisfying options off campus, it’s surprising that so many students still eagerly wait in line for the cafeteria to open. But since a doctor’s note is required to get off the meal plan, many students have no

choice.

news & features


“Most of the kids that I talk to, they tell me that everything is wonderful, including staff and faculty.”

— Bon Appetit General Manager Jamie Llovera

where, disappoints at EC

courtesy of Ed Rosenthal Trash the Scubi Jew crew recovered from the mangroves.

news & features


BY SETH RAVID

Staff Writer

Student volunteers from Eckerd Hillel’s Scubi Jew group cleaned up campus waterfront areas Feb. 13, exposing a startling accumulation of rubbish in the mangrove areas that ranged from the typical to the disgusting to the bizarre.

mostly-Jewish group of 10 students trained together with Mac’s Sports of Clearwater, making Campus Rabbi Ed Roshenthal’s vision of a service-oriented scuba squad that could make a difference in the marine environment a reality.

As Roshenthal explained, “Unlike other scuba clubs which are purely social, Scubi Jew is based on the Jewish Tenet of ‘Tikkun Olam,’ the religious imperative to repair the world. It’s based on the concept that the natural world is perfect, but once humans entered the mix, we messed it up. ‘Tikkun Olam’ represents the ‘partnership’ between humans and God to restore the world to its pristine state. So, while Scubi Jew is a lot of fun and we’re going to have a great time diving, we

Waterfront, and organize other programs which advocate for and educate about the marine environment.”

Scubi Jews met to decide on a cause worthy of their efforts and their newly acquired skills, discussing everything from

projects. After much deliberation and probing, the gang decided to take on the disgusting trash heaps that littered the mangroves along the campus’ once-pristine waterfront walkways and beaches. These clusters suggested that even more damaging waste might lurk beneath the calm waters on the banks of Frenchman’s Creek.

With the goal of restoring these beautiful environments to their natural cleanliness, the Scubi Jews devised a plan for an amphibious cleanup, using student volunteers from within and without the group both on land and in the water. However, with the water temperature dipping to below 50 degrees Fahrenheit and a mountain of logistical challenges to deal with, bringing this bold adventure to fruition would have to wait.

After a restful winter break and a few brainstorming

across campus to encourage participation from the entire student body. They worked with Mac’s Sports to arrange a package deal for the rental of hundreds of dollars of scuba

Kerdyk, both Eckerd students, offered their expertise to the project, with Harris devising an ingenious bucket system to recover trash from the bottom and Kerdyk standing by during the dive to ensure everyone’s safety.

With these preparations in place, 10 divers dipped below the murky waters at the Waterfront’s recreation dock, while

teams of volunteers combed the beaches and mangroves in four previously scouted areas of high-density trash. With the silt swirling and blocking out the sun’s feeble rays, the bottom was pitch black. Relying only on feel, divers sifted through

with only mollusks. Things were looking bleak for the divers, but suddenly,

Freshman Connor Ohlsen struck gold, skillfully tying a rope around a fully submerged shopping cart that was the prize catch like that down there,” said Ohlsen, whose thrilling discovery gave the divers something to show for their efforts.

Luckily, their counterparts on land faired better, bagging bins full of trash. Common items included cans and bottles, plastic bags, fast food paraphernalia, and cigarettes. Oddities

“It’s amazing how much trash we found in the bushes,” said Freshman Lucy Sinsheimer. “…The waterfront cleanup really opened my eyes to how much we need to do to keep our school clean.”

With a successful debut under their weight belts, the Scubi Jews say they look forward to developing their skills for future efforts to protect the marine environments they love. Clad in spandex and rubber, this team of everyday superheroes will be watching out for the animals and environments they love. Rabbi Ed is currently looking for interested student divers for

Hillel’s Scubi Jew cleans up Waterfront

courtesy of Ed Rosenthal The Scubi Jew crew prepares for their first dive.

courtesy of Ed Rosenthal The Scubi Jew crew.

news & featuresnews & features

photo by Cassie OchoaJunior Ray Borg caught in the middle of a snowy battlefield during “Snow Day.”

ECOS Echoes

Senate and students discuss greener ECBY LAUREL ORMISTON

News Editor

The third senate meeting of the semester was devoted to ad-dressing campus food services and sustainability. East Coast Bon Appetit Fellow Carolina Fojo made a guest appearance at the Palmetto Café coffee house to raise awareness about how students can work with Bon Appetit and local farms to encour-age eating local.

Several non-senate students attended the meeting, includ-ing members of the Garden Club (including Garden Club Pres-ident Leonora Stefanile) and Bon Appetit General Manager Jamie Llovera. Fojo’s speech on Bon Appetit practices quickly turned into an open discourse with students and Llovera on

garden club has been working toward sustainability on cam-pus since their formation last year and members present at the meeting offered a range of ideas for further collaboration between the club, Bon Appetit staff and environmental studies classes.

Llovera spoke of the commitment to buy local food and on educating the staff about composting practices. Students then addressed a possible change in pub vendors, suggesting re-

-ble Juice. The latter two companies are local Florida growers, which would help Eckerd reduce its carbon footprint. Buying local food is better for the environment because the carbon

monoxide released into the air by transportation emissions is smaller than if the food traveled cross country.

Said Llovera of the proposals during the meeting, “We’re here for the students, we’re here for y’all.” He continued, “If you’re wiling to help us and you’re into it…help us search for it,” encouraging students to help Bon Appetit forge connec-tions with local growers. Llovera gave permission for students who know of local farmers (such as those with stalls at Satur-

for y’all to get involved,” said Llovera.ECOS Vice President Erica Magnusson raised the question

of whether a text message system could be instigated to re-ceive an accurate menu for daily meals in the cafeteria. The current online menu forecasts daily meals; actual food may change after the menu is posted Sunday and the week’s meals created. Purchasing local food, said Llovera, affects the menu with rapid changes. If a text message informing you of wheth-er a visit to the caf will be worthwhile today sounds good to you, send an email to your senator and there’s the possibility the idea can become reality.

As the impromptu sustainability congress drew to a close, Fojo, Llovera and many of the students departed the meeting.

-sion of their plans for February.

The proposed Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College and Eckerd College Organization of Students collab-orative project of buying durable pingping tables was made

council, senate, Dean Annarelli and ASPEC. The next step in getting the pingpong tables on campus is to secure approval from Director of Development of Construction Bill McKenna, who will ensure that the project adheres with Eckerd stan-dards.

Environmental Service Learning Intern and Eckerd alumna Kathleen Corradi brought the meeting to a close by bringing up community dorm building activities. In light of the prior events of the night, it was thematically appropriate that the emphasis fell on gardening. Corradi had met with Dean An-narelli to discuss the idea of putting in gardens below the windows in traditional dorms, affectionately termed “mous-taches.” (The theme of nicknames also extends to the upper windows, which- as most of us know- are called “eyebrows.”).

The idea is to pull out the existing shrubs and replace them with gardens, such as a few of the ‘staches in Kappa that have

-loway, director of Landscaping and Grounds. According to Corradi, Holloway was open to working with students on the

fruit. The fruit could attract trouble from campus pests. Cor-radi said she hoped such a project could “build the dorm com-munity,” through adding distinguishing features to the dorms, aside from paint color. The dorms shrub beds right now are “uniform, but they don’t give any personality to the dorm,” said Corradi.

Snow? In Florida? ECOS and Palmetto Productions bring

“Snow Day” to Eckerd

photo by Cassie OchoaA young reveler flies down the icy slope.

photo by Ashli FioriniJunior James Branch slides down the ramp.

photo by Ashli FioriniA student enjoys bikini-clad tubing.

“Snow Day” came to Eckerd Feb. 23, luring shorts-and-sandals-clad stu-dents back from the beach to enjoy 14 tons of snow behind the cafeteria. Activities included a sledding ramp, ice skating rink and, of course, snow-

“The snow day was a wonderful way to end a hectic Wednesday after-noon,” said Sophomore Devon Williams. “It created a playful atmosphere that is completely unlike anything we get to experience in Florida.”

“I was able to enjoy the snow in 75 degree weather, with palm trees around,” agreed Sophomore Jenna Caderas.

Some students expressed concern over the cost of the event.“I think it was a huge waste of money,” said a student who wished to re-main anonymous in an online survey. “Students don’t need this kind of absurdity; spend it on worthwhile clubs or lower our tuition.”

“It would be better if it was with penguins,” said Sophomore Henry Ball.



news & features

courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

5000 34th St. South 727-866-7200

Eckerd College Student DiscountValid for Carryout and Delivery ($2 delivery charge applies).

Medium 1 topping $5.55Large 1 topping: $7.77Medium 1 topping, bread sticks & two 20oz sodas $11.50

St. Pete home of American iconBY JOSH ANNARELLI

Contributing Writer

Drive down the Pinellas Bayway toward Ft. Desoto these days and you’ll see more than palm trees and homes. You’ll likely come across a handful or more of photographers and avid bird watchers. The reason? A pair of bald eagles and their sole surviving hatchling is nesting in a tall tree about a hundred or so yards from the Bayway, south of

Bald eagles are endangered and protected. This pair showed up to the Cabbage Key area of Tierra Verde in

not-disturb signs because eagles are

brink of extinction. This pair actually had two hatchlings,

according to several birdwatchers, but when eagles have more than one hatchling, only one will survive.

So birdwatchers line up each day, sometimes for hours a day, eager for a glimpse of the hatchling. Some have cameras set up on tripods. Others bring binoculars. Ginny Oppenheimer a member of Eckerd’s The American Society for the P r e v e n t i o n of Cruelty to Animals and local b i r d w a t c h e r says, “I don’t seem to come out here enough.This was the first time I have seen the bald

eagles’ nest. My friend and I decided to go to the pond today and we were taken by the pair of bald eagles and the occasional appearance of their hatchling.”

Mary Gillam, a freshman here said, “I never knew there were bald eagles so close to Eckerd, I would love to go see the hatchling and the parents.”

The bald eagles and their hatchling have been a sight to see in the St. Petersburg area. At all points of the day, people of all ages and interests, stop along the Bayway for a chance eagle sighting.

“I am absolutely fascinated by the sight of the bald eagles here,” said Fred Leymann, a “snowbird” from Cincinnati. “It’s so beautiful to see. I visit my sister here yearly, she told me about the bald eagles and their hatchlings and I decided to bring my high-powered binoculars to take a look. Being from Cincinnati, I don’t get to see anything like this often. It’s a sight to see.”

In the southern region of the United States, Florida is the state with the largest amount of bald eagles. “ But not all the locals on Tierra Verde know about their pair of eagles. Chris Perreault, a local said, “I’ve lived in Tierra Verde for

about ten years

and I haven’t

heard of bald

eagles being

here. It’s mind

blowing that

an endangered

species like the

bald eagle lives

in the same

area as I do. It

amazes me.”

courtesy of Wikimedia CommonsBaby bald eagles.

Earth Update

“Amusing

Musings”

“Scarlett Johansson has no idea what happened to her last night, that’s all I’m going to say.”

—A sociology professor on dreams vs. reality.

“He was unaware his date seeds were weapons of mass destruction.”

—A literature professor on hidden meanings in “Arabian Nights.”

“Socialization is what stops me from taking off my clothes right here.”

—A sociology professor on the importance of socialization.

“Here is X, here is a potato, here is a marijuana plant.”

—An environmental professor on plants being more than what they seem.

EDITORIAL


“Love is a companion, a buddy, a bro.”

—A literature professor on making sonnets more timely.

viewpoints

ECOS wants student feedbackBY ERIK BRYDGES

ECOS Director of Public Relations

Eckerd College Organization of Stu-dents (ECOS) used last Friday’s Club Fair in Hough Quad as the perfect place to get valuable student feedback.

ECOS was handing out t-shirts, cups and water bottles in exchange for stu-dents’ ideas, ranging from what events they liked, or didn’t like, to what students would like to see more of.

Some popular ideas included kayak-ing trips, more live music, a dog park and bowling alley on campus, and more

themed events like Chinese New Year and Mardi Gras.

Feedback like that gained that Friday is extremely valuable because it gives us a good picture of what students like, what they don’t like and what they want to see on campus in the future.

Our mission at the Public Relations of-

an approachable organization that wants to hear your ideas and suggestions. We really value these ideas and suggestions which is why we want more of them!

There are several ways in which you can get in contact with ECOS. We have

Facebook and Twitter accounts (www.facebook.com/eckerdecos and www.twitter.com/eckerdecos) so you can post on our wall or send us a message. The ECOS PR email address is [email protected], so we are just an email away. Alternatively, you can just stop by the

be awesome if ECOS hosted this event...” then we want to hear from you.

check out our Facebook page to see all the suggestions given by students at the Club Fair.

BY STEPHEN BARBER

ECOS Vice President of Financial Affairs

-tion of skills for the future regardless if your interests lie in bio-logical research, literature, psychology, international affairs,

out, try new things, learn, listen, study and get involved. With student government elections around the corner, this

is your time to step up and make a difference on campus. The Declaration of Candidacy meeting on Sunday, March 13 in the

-tion period for the 2011-2012 ECOS executive council. Voting begins on March 21 and the polls are open until noon March 25. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to run! Here is a brief description of each position:

President - The President presides over the executive council, upholds the constitution, stands as the principal representative of the student government and sits on a number of committees with staff and faculty dealing with issues ranging from college progress and planning, to student life.

Executive Vice President – The responsibilities of the Execu-tive Vice President include leading the Student Senate, serv-ing as a voting member on the executive council and working closely with the clubs and organizations on campus in planning a variety of traditional events.

Vice President of Academic Affairs - The Vice President of Academic Affairs maintains a positive relationship with faculty and engages in conversations pertaining to academic life. The VPAA chairs the Academic Affairs Committee, serves as a vot-ing member on the executive council, and works to sponsor academic events on campus, including Been There Done That and Pitchers with Professors.

Vice President of Financial Affairs – The major responsibili-

ties of the Vice President of Financial Affairs are to oversee the club and organization budgets, serve as a voting member on the executive council, chair the Financial Affairs Committee,

-cal year.

During the 2008 National Elections 58.6 percent of the vot-ing population contributed their vote, according to statistics from George Mason University. Surprisingly, in 2010, a mere 30 percent of the Eckerd student body voted in our own student government elections, where only one of the four positions had more than three candidates and another went uncontested. With thanks to our new Co-Directors of Public Relations, we

-back on policies, events and campus projects. We would like to see this organizational growth and expansion continue through

your campus community. -

as Friedman commented on a national poll where 47 percent of likely voters believe that America’s “best days are in the past” as an optimistic minority of 37 percent said they are still to come. This is a radical shift in perspective toward the federal govern-ment from before the national election when 48 percent were optimistic for the future and only 35 percent believed our best days as a country had passed.

Fortunately, as a student government we haven’t had to jug-gle tense foreign relations, turbulent unemployment forecasts,

-sion like our federal counterparts, and looking forward, we are

-volved.

Did your professor say the funniest thing in class the other day? Do you have an opinion about something you read in The Current? We’d love to hear from you.

Send your responses to [email protected].

EDITORIAL

Get involved in elections

viewpoints


THE GOOD

• Customers who are civil

who doesn’t treat the waitstaff (or bartender, busser, foodrunner, host,

-taurant before, you would probably be surprised by the metamorphosis some people undergo when going out

-ing spouses and parents. At work,

restaurant, they’re cantankerous,

glare, bark orders and make unrea-sonable demands. They always think their server is lying when she/he says that the kitchen is out of something (“What kind of restaurant doesn’t have any spinach? *dramatic sigh*). They also assume that their server is an incompetent idiot who forgot their order because that well-done steak they requested is taking more

a server asks what she/he can do to make their experience better, they can only snarl. Not even a language-based response — just a snarl.

Civil customers, on the other hand, 1) know that restaurants are staffed with real people (not mindless drones who will spend their entire lives waiting on others because they are too incompetent to do anything else, as the dragons seem to think). And 2) behave in a way that would be socially acceptable at a location other than a restaurant. Sometimes they say things like “please,” “thank you” and “have a nice day.” They know how to tip adequately. They are not necessarily friendly, or even cheerful — just civil. That’s it.

Senioritis: The plight and promise of waiting tablesBY PETRA STEVENSON

Editor-in-Chief

one.

There’s nothing quite like serving greasy mountains of fries all day (or night), scrubbing other people’s plates and get-

to make you not want to do your homework. The world of food service seems to exist in a universe incompatible with good study habits — which is interesting, given the number of students who support themselves by waiting tables dur-ing their college years.

something productive and get paid for it. At college, it’s the other way around: you pay a lot of money and get to work

Let’s not dwell on it.

-

hostessing, serving and catering all kinds of events. The cus-

here,” one coworker liked to note), but it was a good place. We served a lot of breakfast. We had a fantastic ocean view.

someone’s seeing-eye dog. Good times.

horrible. You know a job isn’t going to work out when you

and every day after that. The managers would sit us down and say things like, “You need to make sure your tables are

at the end of the day shift, and the next day shift at the end -

ny t-shirts to cut up and redesign to make ourselves look unique, or something, or maybe just to make us look slutty.

of cool things with their shirts — they cut designs into the backs, fringed out hemlines, and tailored them into little

cutting and cutting at the fabric until too little was left to

was a problem.-

-ated habits) that make servers happy, and some that, to put it bluntly, make us want to bludgeon them with a spoon. Real therapy is too expensive, so enjoy.

THE BAD

• Young couples with babies/small childrenYoung couples are generally an excellent demographic to wait on: they’re friendly

and not too far removed from their own restaurant jobs to be unsympathetic to the server experience. They sit talking quietly and sipping mimosas. They are calm. They are in love. They generally spend a decent amount of money and tip very well.

but something about having a baby changes the whole dynamic. The couple-plus-baby is cranky and stressed. They need high chairs and sippy-cups, crackers and coloring books. The result: cups overturn. Napkins get shredded. Cheerios are smashed into the carpet.

-

staff and getting hit by opening doors.The girlfriend/wife screams and glares at all the female servers because she thinks

they’re hitting on her boyfriend/ husband, or that her boyfriend/husband is hitting on them. The boyfriend/husband glumly sips his Bud Light, watching the baby gnaw on Sweet-n-Low packets and slap the ketchup. The couple has turned into cantankerous dragons. They tip 12 percent and leave a mess that takes two people 10 minutes to clean up.

• The Bring-Me-One-Thing-At-A-Time Guy/ I-Need-Some-of-What-You-Just-Brought-My-Companion Gal

for mayonnaise, and then, when you get that, ask for honey mustard. Likewise, when a server pours your companion some more water/iced tea/coffee and asks if you would like some, too, decide whether you would like some or not at that moment, and respond

• The Verbal Tipper

restaurant workers, pays regular state minimum wage — but that’s the only exception,. This means that servers rely on tips to make up the difference, which certainly contrib-utes to the neuroticism and drama that characterizes the staff of eating establishments.

customer, and that restaurants should pay everyone at least regular minimum wage, with customers using small tips to reward especially good service — like in Europe.

The verbal tipper usually realizes that servers need decent tips to pay their bills. However, either they’re poor, or they don’t agree with the system, and so instead of tip-ping well they simply thank and compliment the server profusely — and leave maybe a

and tipping out the bar/bussers/foodrunner — all of which are calculated based on total sales, not tips— those couple dollars are long gone.

THE UGLY

•The 80-Year-Old Butt-PincherThis happens way more often than you would think.

Really.

• The It’s-Okay-If-I-Sexually-Harass-You-Because-You’re-A-Waitress Guy

This type is probably just a younger version of the 80-year-old butt-pincher. However, he is usually much drunker and more suggestive than his older counterparts. Consider the following scene: On the restaurant patio, 4

drinking fairly heavily. One tipsy customer “accidentally” pushes his check (and credit card) off the end of the table.

-

actually a word, than upset by the inappropriate remark.

mine when she describes restaurant work as “soul-suck-

The point is that it’s not okay to pet a server’s arm or tell her that you’re hung like a mule. Would you do that to

with this kind of crap, we need to start auto-grating it. So, down at the bottom of the menu where it may say, “20 percent gratuity added for parties of six or more,” it will now read, “20 percent gratuity added for parties of six or more and those customers designated as ‘creepy’ by the waitstaff.”

•The Whack-JobThe Whack-Job customer comes in many forms.

Some are literally crazy. They will repeatedly come up to their server after ordering and explain that they want their chicken wings cooked (as opposed to raw?). They will down a couple beers and then admit they probably shouldn’t be drinking on their meds. Others are just bi-zarre. Like the guy who comes into a family-style res-taurant mid-afternoon, unbuttons his shirt and rubs his hairy stomach while ordering. Like the woman who or-

take a couple of valiums just to make it through lunch with these guys.”

EDITORIAL

viewpoints


BY KATIE HONAN

Contributing Writer

“Go on, suck your mother’s tit.”This is the opening sentence to the chapter on dairy in

“Skinny Bitch,” a book about veganism. An odd demand at

First, humans are the only animals on the planet that drink the milk of another animal. Second, we are the only animals that continue to drink milk past infancy, the only time of our lives when we are meant to consume milk for the period of rapid growth.

This struck me as exceptionally odd.Lactose is the predominant sugar found in dairy products.

We are all born with the enzymes needed to break down milk so that we can breast feed as infants. As we get older, however, our level of enzymes lowers, and we are no longer able to digest dairy products. This inability is known as

American’s suffer from, according to www.mamashealth.com . Amanda Vannucchi, an Eckerd sophomore, also suffers from lactose intolerance. She comments on how she feels

animal’s milk.” The USDA recommends three servings of dairy daily. Dairy

is recommended for its’ calcium and protein – two essential nutrients. But, the actual proof that the calcium from dairy

is, however, proof that the exact opposite is true. A prime example is The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study. The study consisted of following 77,761 women for twelve years. The results of the study showed that those who consumed more

a few tribes in Africa that do not consume cow products at all. They also have no history of osteoporosis, a serious bone disease.

There are other sources for calcium that don’t require the consumption of cow’s milk: leafy green vegetables, anything soy-based, beans, whole grains and fruits and vegetables.

According to Douglas Dupler and Helen Davidson from The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, diets that emphasize meat and dairy are high in cholesterol and

have…many health problems, including heart disease, strokes and diabetes…together cause 68% of all deaths in the U.S.” According to rawfooddietsecrets.com, the consumption of cow dairy is also linked to cancer, allergies, sinus infections, congestion, ear infection, juvenile diabetes, sudden infant

FDA doesn’t add these risks on the warning label of dairy products.

really in milk – not what the Olson twins tell us in their “Got Milk?” ad. According to Dave Rietz of rense.com, “All cow’s milk (regular and ‘organic’) has 59 active hormones, scores of allergens, fat and cholesterol…herbicides, pesticides, dioxins, 52 antibiotics, blood, pus, feces, bacteria and viruses.” One

key cause of the rapid growth and spread of breast, prostate and colon cancers.

sense. Cows are not milked by hand anymore. Their udders are hooked up to machines and metal clamps. Over time, the clamps irritate their udders, (think about having your nipples

squeezed and clamped by metal) which causes cuts (blood) that becomes infected (pus). Not only is this inhumane, it’s disgusting.

Milk is often called “liquid protein,” but the facts are that 80 percent of the protein in milk is casein. Casein is the number one protein in cow’s milk, but, humans’ bodies are not meant to digest this much protein or this type of protein past infancy. According to Dr. Gina Shaw, “Cow’s milk is notoriously the most mucus-forming food we can consume.” She adds that there is 300 percent more casein in cow’s milk than humans, and that casein is largely used to make powerfully strong glue. This mucus builds up in the digestive tract and respiratory system.

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

Students want late-night diningBY LIZZY BROPHY

Contributing Writer

Eckerd students tend to get a little hungry in the wee hours of the night. Once midnight creeps around, the munchies set in. However, the pub closes at 11 p.m. and we don’t have a lot of places to turn to satisfy our grumbling stomachs. Some order delivery pizza and some turn to their stockpiles of chips and Ramen.

But those delivery pizzas can be unsatisfying and those chips and noodles don’t offer a lot of sustenance. For this reason, many set out in their cars for Taco Bell, McDonalds or Burger King. For those of us who don’t have cars, are

drive, however, where do we turn when the other options just aren’t cutting it?

What about if Eckerd offered late-night

to Eckerd students, 93 percent of the 104 respondents said they would rather go to an on-campus dining facility late at night than

drive off campus. Drunken students often use food-runs

Providing options on-campus would remove this defense.

According to Florida law, any person driving with a .08 blood alcohol content (BAC) will

months in prison. For someone under 21, a .02 BAC can result in a six-month suspension of the license. One drunken trip to Taco Bell could add up to some hefty consequences.

take the danger of driving while intoxicated regardless of circumstances. “My friends and

Sophomore Liz Hackett. “ But none of us will drive if we’ve been drinking, so we don’t have a lot to choose from.”

Other students just don’t want the inconvenience of having to drive all the way off campus to get a satisfying snack.

“Driving off-campus at night is inconvenient

a drive-thru and drive back to campus. The

next day.” Ordering delivery foods can offer its own set

poisoning from eating it once.”Students have a lot of suggestions for late-

night dining at Eckerd. Some just want the

food. A lot of people want healthier options,

any case, the desire for late-night dining on campus is obvious.

There are many possibilities. We could extend pub hours, maybe with a limited menu. We could also establish a new facility in the coffee house or student lounge, serving a variety of foods with a wider range of hours. Finally, we could choose to sponsor a student-run food service, similar to Kappa Kitchen.

promotional photo.

promotional photo.

The dangers of dairy


viewpoints

Scott says no to high speed railBY SEAN LAWLOR

Staff Writer

Say goodbye to the 21st century, Florida. On Feb. 16,

provided by the federal government for a new high speed electric rail line from Orlando to Tampa, one of the largest electric rail plans in the nation. Scott is the third Republican governor to do so, following Governor John Kasich of Ohio and Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin.

The cancellation of the Florida line delivers a serious blow to President Obama’s call for a new infrastructure system that

and bring America to the station of the 21st Century. Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood said, “We are extremely disappointed by Governor Rick Scott’s decision to walk away

high speed rail in Florida. This project could have supported thousands of good-paying jobs for Floridians and helped grow Florida businesses, all while alleviating congestion on Florida’s highways.”

Scott has a reputation for being a shrewd CEO in the health care business. He has been a staunch critic of President Obama’s policies, stating, for example, that the rail plan would be too costly for taxpayers. More government spending, says Scott, would only further plunge the state of Florida into economic disaster. “My background is in business, not politics. But you don’t have to be an economics expert to understand that if you spend more money than you take in, your business will fail,” Scott said.

County, located right between Orlando and Tampa, things

and stores coming and going – all this leaving empty buildings

America.

largest citrus producers in the world. When the housing

for condominiums and gated communities that were terribly

hurricane damage. Needless to say, there are not a lot of jobs in Winter

Haven or its sister city of Lakeland, for that matter, whose mall has been reduced to a Food Court camping ground for drug junkies, Goths, and emo/scene teenage trash with no

bookstore in Winter Haven. What are we, Afghanistan?One of the biggest problems with central Florida is the

lack of a well-established public transportation system. From here in St Petersburg to the suburban hubs of Winter Haven and Lakeland, to the inner-city mess in Orlando, the only alternative to car travel is disconnected bus systems that are mediocre at best. Tampa is statistically the worst city in the U.S. for pedestrians because highways dominate its infrastructure. Orlando is constantly plagued by theme park

the Wizarding World of Harry Potter much more swift and

of your home without a job or purpose, playing Halo until

your eyes turn numb and listening to Green Day’s “American

Spangled Banner.” A majority of Florida’s population is over 50, and many

of these retirees simply can’t drive like they used to. There is no doubt in my mind that electric rail would be a great

majority of central Floridians, especially when gasoline prices begin to rise. Florida currently has a 12 percent unemployment rate, which is above the national average of 9 percent.

he would let the private sector run like it is supposed to. Scott

signal does that send to foreign businesses that want to invest in Florida?

We already know that the U.S. is behind the rest of the world with regard to train travel. Japan and Western Europe have enjoyed high-speed rail for decades, and China has been developing an impressive model as well. Last year, China’s new Maglev rail in Shanghai topped the world speed record

are we Afghanistan? Years ago, Floridians voted for an electric rail line from

Orlando to Tampa only to have it vetoed by then Governor Jeb Bush, and now it seems that we are doomed to make the

Airport and passed an advertisement for Siemens electric rail, which reads, “Bringing Florida into the future.”

According to Scott, Florida is not ready for the future. As

Governor Scott: When will Florida be ready for the future?

EDITORIAL

Raw food diet is simple and easyEDITORIAL

BY JOHNNY JONES

Staff Writer

Despite being 11 pounds 3 ounces at birth, e been skinny my whole life. No matter

college junior, want to diet?Simple: to be healthy.

adhering to a mostly raw food diet (RFD). And it feels fantastic. My energy level is higher, my skin is noticeably clearer, and my mood has improved.

Yes, we’re all happy for you. But what exactly is the raw food diet?

According to WebMD, the raw food diet is a lifestyle choice rather than a weight loss plan. The website goes on to explain the diet’s basic theory: “plant foods in their most natural state – uncooked and unprocessed – are also the most wholesome for the body.” The theory’s chief belief is that cooking foods

Yeah, but what do you really eat?The diet of a “raw foodist” consists of at

also high in whole grains, beans, nuts and

alcohol and tobacco.Sticking to unprocessed foods is essential.

I’m a little unclear about the term “unprocessed.”

While uncooked foods are crucial, highly processed foods are off limits. Stay away from foods with paragraph length ingredient lists. Supposed “health” foods like soy chicken and

being. Foods stuffed with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and other synthetic sweeteners do more harm than good. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, a study at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that pancreatic cancers use HFCS to fuel their growth.

So what’s the deal: does a ‘raw foodist’ ever actually cook anything?

Detox Diet,” she debunks several of the diet’s

raw vegan foods.” Rose states that the RFD allows and even encourages eating some cooked foods. The book guides you through

ease your body into the diet. Each level recommends different amounts of cooked foods and suggests daily diets tailored to physical health, lifestyle and family medical history.

Mostly uncooked is doable, but I’m a meat lover. Can I still be in your little club?

Most people who claim to be raw foodists are also vegans. But Rose’s book says that the diet can tolerate some natural, cleanly

levels of vitamin B12, which is naturally occurring in animal products. Vitamin B12 is critical to nerve and red blood cell

anemia and neurological impairment. But

this nutritional gap.I’ve heard that cooking foods helps the

body’s digestion process. Thoughts?You’re not alone. The American Dietetic

Association claims that the body produces the enzymes necessary for digestion. They say that cooking foods kills food-borne bacteria, and that cooking makes foods more bioavailable (a fancy way of saying easier to digest).

Yeah, but isn’t this sort of hypocritical?No, cooking is still supposed to be in

moderation. According to rawfoodlife.com, “heating food above 118 degrees Fahrenheit causes the chemical changes that create acidic toxins, including the carcinogens, mutagens and free-radicals associated with diseases like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.” The RFD

of your body.

Okay, I’m sold. Where should I buy my food ?

allows me to buy organic vegetables in bulk. Otherwise, the Saturday Morning Market has lots of delicious organic foods for dirt-cheap. Rollin’ Oats on 4th Street North also has a great selection of healthy foods for slightly higher prices.

lowering chances of chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and cancers, eating

The food is better quality so you need to eat

salt or sugar. And best of all, it’s all easy to prepare.

So stop poisoning your body with food. Give the raw food diet a chance and watch what happens.

Quick tips

* Eat raw, uncooked nuts rather than roasted or salted ones * Stop poisoning your body with white bread products! Buy sprouted grain bread instead* Avocados are an excellent source of protein and vitamins

source of iron that can barely be tasted

BY SEAN LAWLOR

Staff Writer

a federal program being led by First Lady Michelle Obama. About a year ago, the First Lady started a health initiative entitled Let’s Move to combat obesity in the United States, beginning with the nation’s most affected age group, children.

Two months ago, she continued the initiative with concrete

Child Nutrition Bill, which provides for such items as added USDA authority over school lunch regulations, easier access to clean drinking water in schools, support for breastfeeding

schools to establish their own gardens. One focus of this program has been on salad bars. Let’s

Move includes a grant program partnered with the Food Family Farming Foundation and the United Fresh Produce Association. The partnership provides public schools with funds to add salad bars to their cafeterias. So far, grants have been given to 515 schools for the purpose of salad bars, yet this is far from the ultimate goal of 6,000. According to the

in schools will inspire kids to eat in moderation later on in life:“Children learn to make decisions that carry over outside of school, providing a platform for a lifetime of healthy snack and meal choices.” A 2009 study conducted by the National

schools will need to add two servings of fruits and vegetables to meet the basic health requirements of a child.

Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative has received a range of support from Major League Baseball players to the executives of retail giants such as Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart executives have even announced that the company will reduce the amounts of sugar, sodium and trans fats in a range of products throughout its supply chain. More than 450 mayors

support of Let’s Move Cities and Towns. Thus, Mrs. Obama’s

months of its implementation, and will continue to do so in the next year.

Yet Mrs. Obama’s anti-obesity initiative has not been without its critics. Conservative voices from Glenn Beck to

Sarah Palin have called the

an overreach of government power that seeks to dictate our c o n s u m p t i o n h a b i t s . P r e s i d e n t i a l hopeful Sarah Palin had this to say about the First Lady’s Let’s Move c a m p a i g n :

g o v e r n m e n t thinking that they need to take over and make decisions for us according to some politician or politician’s w i f e ’ s p r i o r i t i e s … . .just leave us alone. Get off our back.”

Essentially,

Palin’s response is Yeah! let us continue to allow our children to evolve into fatty amorphous blobs because that’s their choice and no political interest should try to change that. Far be it from me to tell someone how to raise a kid, but a simple campaign towardhealthy eating habits for American children is not an equivalent to Comrade Stalin raising a tomato to a

red.

Mike Huckabee joined a campaign with Bill Clinton in support of the same cause as Michelle Obama’s. At the turn of the century, President Teddy Roosevelt could have ignored the warning signs concerning the reality of the meat packing industry illustrated in Upton Sinclair’s novel “The Jungle.” But instead he decided to establish the Drug and Food Administration to regulate food production in a way that ensured the safety and health of all Americans.

the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy took on a White House renovation project and her predecessor Ladybird Johnson continued the vigor of the position of First Lady

argument could even be adhered to First Lady Nancy Reagan’s National Campaign Against Drunk Driving which led to a lower drinking age and increased drug enforcement.

There is obviously a problem with childhood obesity, and

new-borns being handfed McDonald’s chicken nuggets by apathetic mothers too busy to cook. According to the Surgeon General, “since 1980, obesity rates have doubled in adults and more than tripled in children, and the problem is even worse among black, Hispanic, and Native American children.” This is not healthy.

When we view health as Americans, we often see the solution to our problems in the form of a pill or pharmaceutical.

problems, we should consider preemptive approaches such as regular exercises and diets that revolve around moderation. As a nation we must learn to take pride in our bodies instead of letting the rest of the world mock us as fat, slothful and arrogant. This doesn’t mean we have to expand government powers to root out obese Americans and send them off to

Simmons routines. But it does mean that the government should make Americans aware of the problem and the solutions, and that is exactly what the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign strives to do.


viewpointsEDITORIAL

Let’smove:A year in review

courtesy of www.letsmove.govMichelle Obama teaches children the importance of staying active.


viewpoints

PerspECtivesQ: How much money do you spend

outside the meal plan?

BY LIZ TOMASELLI & JACLYN NEW

Viewpoints Editors

“I think I spend $90 a month outside of the meal plan, and I’m on the second tier A plan.”

—Ryan Partch, sophomore, right

“I’m on the tier A plan right now, so I only spend around $50 a month on food. It’s very minimal.”

—Ashley Hans-Varrientos, junior

“I only spend around $15 a week on food.”

—Becca Schwandt, freshman, center

“I’m on the first tier A meal plan. I probably spend around $70 a month on food.”

—Duke Trott, sophomore, left

“I probably spend about $150 a month on food. I’m on the tier C plan, and I’m already almost out of meal swipes.”

—Corbin Hayes, sophomore, center

“I spend around $20 a month. I’m on tier A so I don’t eat off campus too often.”

—Amanda Brown, freshman, left“I don’t spend any money. My boyfriend pays for everything.”

—Sarah Eblin, freshman, right

BY CAIT DUFFY

Asst. Quickie Editor

Gelato: tantalizingly sweet and creamy, the perfect remedy for a hot afternoon and a treat capable of creating many diverse dessert dishes. For some, the terms gelato and ice cream are synonymous. But if speaking with a dessert connoisseur, confuse the two and your conversation is done. Indeed the two seem incredibly similar, yet there are very fundamental differences that set them apart.

Gelato is an Italian dessert originating in the 16th century. It is believed that a man by the name of Florentine Bernardo Buontalenti as a gift for the heralded Caterina di Medici. It spread across the country over the following decades, with a

Sicily.While gelato in northern Italy is typically made with

a cream or egg base, Sicilian gelato uses neither, and is typically water-based. It has been called a “sorbetto,” and is

stirring, a pasteurized mix consisting of…dairy ingredients” and with “not less than 10 percent milk fat…”

is the amount of air mixed into it while it is frozen. Gelato

content has been found to be as high as 50 percent.

Italian dessert has a milk fat content typically between 3 and 7

more intense.” Gelato is also kept at a temperature about 10 to 15 degrees

the treat to melt faster in your mouth and allow you to taste

crafted so delicately and kept at warmer temperatures, the

explains why “gelaterias” in Italy typically make their own gelato either at the shop or at a location very near-by.

Ice Cream & Yogurt, with a varied selection of freshly-made

selection.Friday, March 4, 2011 15

arts & entertainment

BY CAIT DUFFY

Asst. Quickie Editor

underway, thousands of teenage girls around the country waited patiently to hear their current pop obsession announced the Best

displayed the expectant faces of the nominees, Justin Bieber, Drake,

& Sons and Esperanza Spalding as the room waited anxiously.

“Bieber fever” has swept the nation over the past year; Drake has risen from the role of Jimmy

sidekick before making a name for himself. Yet Esperanza Spalding was announced the winner of one

surprising many.While young fans were

also received positive feedback. Eckerd College Junior Kara Miller stated it had “restored [her] faith in

responded with, “What the f**k is a Bieber?”

the young woman as she walked in disbelief to accept her award, and a

those watching.

was: who the heck is Esperanza

for the Grammys showed that 53 percent of responders had no idea who the young miss Spalding was before the awards show.

Spalding was granted a scholarship

prestigious performing arts school. She had intended to play the cello, but discovered and fell in love with the upright bass during her one year there.

gig playing the upright bass at a local blues club using a single F bass line,

the only one she knew at the time. But at 16 she grew tired of high school, dropped out and received her GED. She proceeded to stay

multiple jazz groups, including “…two jazz septets, a trio and a fusion

as she listed in an interview with

University music program on scholarship. She was the youngest in her section.

Esperanza was later accepted on to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., where she was granted a full scholarship after her successful audition with the highly selective school.

at Berklee, she was hired by jazz

tour that was a tribute to the great

next 3 years. Since then, she has successfully mastered the upright bass, bass guitar, violin, oboe, clarinet and singing.

Spalding has had her musical talents released on 10 different albums between

multitude of different musical ensembles and recording

the ear of president Barack

him to ask her to perform at

Ceremony and Concert at the

Keys and Janelle Monae at

more recognition.

promising future ahead of her,

should surely not be her last.

“Esperanza Rising” to the top

Scream for ice cream, get low for gelato

courtesy of WikicommonsEsperanza Spalding sings and plays the upright bass.

promotional photoMultiple flavors of gelato.


Horoscopes

Mar 21 – Apr 19

simple make someone so happy?

Apr 20 – May 20Go enjoy a tasty treat. Make it

glass of lemonade or gelato.

May 21 – Jun 20Make dinner for two. Include soup, salad, a side dish, an entrée and des-sert.

Jun 21 – Jul 22

the fresh veggies. Eating healthily will make you feel better about yourself.

Jul 23 – Aug 22Make some Italian food. Comfort food can always make any day better, even pre-made lasagna.

Aug 23 – Sept 22

party. Class it up and celebrate being a mature adult.

Sept 23 – Oct 22Make mashed potatoes with a tennis

out your aggression and eat something delicious too.

Oct 23 – Nov 21

will keep you healthy during the cold season.

Nov 22 – Dec 21

deprivation may help you focus on other things.

Dec 22 – Jan 19Grill something on the barbecue. Enjoy

friends.

Jan 20 – Feb 18

your childhood and relieve a tiny bit of stress.

Feb 19 – Mar 20

Buy something nice to make or go out with your best friend.

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

ARIES

PISCES

AQUARIUS

CAPRICORN

SAGITTARIUS

SCORPIO

LIBRA

BY JERALYN DARLING

Horoscope Muse


BY BRILLIANA D’ANGELO

Contributing Writer

Ingredients: 1 box brownie mix (I used Ghirardelli Double

Chocolate brownie mix)Eggs & oil (as called for by the brownie mix)1 heaping half cup (6 oz) cookies & cream ice

cream1/4 cup hot fudge topping (chilled or room

temp)Double Stuff Oreos1. Preheat oven according to box directions & spray

an 8!8 baking dish generously with cooking spray.2. Combine brownie mix, eggs and oil as directed

on the back of the box; do not add the water.3. Add ice cream and hot fudge to the brownie

batter and stir to combine.4. Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking

dish, layer with Oreos, then top with remaining batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes.

For a while now, everyone has been telling me about a very interesting website called StumbleUpon. Today I signed up and immediately found this recipe. Well, more like the recipe found me. If you are unfamiliar with the website, it is a great tool that directs you to things on the Internet you might enjoy

if you are not already a religious follower. Anyway, after I found it I immediately went

to the store to get the ingredients. I would say that the ice cream, though interesting, makes the texture of the brownie very soft to the point where they sometimes fall apart when you eat them. Try this recipe with or without ice cream. The overall verdict was positive by my friends and fellow assistant. Indulge your sweet tooth and enjoy.

Dorm cookin’

Cookies n’ Cream Brownies

BY ASHLEY DANIELS

Asst. News Editor

Usually when you go left out of Eckerd heading down

th

beach, or to get ice cream at one of the six places on Gulf Boulevard, or maybe to one of the beach bars. But why go so far? I have a solution: a restaurant called Boardwalk. No, not the place at the Jersey Shore, but a restaurant on Sun Boulevard, just past Isla Del Sol on the right.

Boardwalk is a hidden treasure because of its great

customers walk through the front patio, they see an outside bar connected to a bigger inside

main part has a sports bar type

watching “the game,” whichever that may be for you. But if you

the back area is for you. Booths are set under dims lights with no

other.

students get a discount. Every night after 10 p.m., you can choose any of the 17 different sandwiches they offer for only

$5, with proof of your Eckerd

with your choice of red beans and rice, tater tots, fries or slaw. My personal favorite is the blackened Mahi Mahi served on a Kaiser roll with fries. It has just the perfect kick to make your taste buds dance. Delicious.

dinners, every Wednesday, the Boardwalk has spaghetti night where you can get “just

heading down toward the beach for something to eat, think about the Boardwalk because

regulars.

• Mon. ! lb. Meatloaf with mashed potato and gravy

from 3 to 6 p.m. $1.75 drafts &

*Note all lunch specials go

Students get discount at Boardwalk

photo by Ashley DanielsSeared tuna and seaweed salad at Boardwalk.

Review



March 4-March 17Events

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

To advertise your event with The Current, contact Current Entertainment at [email protected]

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday ThursdayWednesday

8 p.m. Surreal Fest Kick OffHough Quad

12 p.m.Picnic with ECOS and PalmettoKappa Field

7 p.m.Indie Film SeriesMiller Aud.

5:30 p.m.Installation Service for ChaplinChapel — CPS

4 p.m.Shopping Shuttle to International Plaza

9:30 p.m.AAS Karaoke NightTriton’s Pub

8 p.m.Open Mic SeriesTriton’s Pub

St. Patrick’s Day!

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

11 a.m.Wellness FairGO Pavillion

9 p.m.The Human KnotHough Quad

11 a.m.Saturday Morning Market Shuttle

1 p.m.Day at the DalíDalí Museum

3 p.m.OrganistChapel

7 p.m.Indie Film SeriesMiller Aud.

1 p.m.Roslyn KindRuth Eckerd Hall

7:30 p.m.Better Grades in Less Time — CPSFox Hall

7:30 p.m.Leaps and BoundsChapel — CPS

7:30 p.m.Sacred Forests of IndiaStudio 620

9 p.m.Comedian Kyle DunniganFox Hall

7 p.m. First Friday

7 p.m.Why Activism MattersTriton Room — CPS

Surreal Week - celebrate the surreal in your life

Surreal Week

New York fashion week highlightsBY LIZ TOMASELLI

Asst. Viewpoints Editor

New York Fashion Week wrapped up Feb. 17, leaving behind a frenzy of celebrities, photographers and copycat department stores. Not only does New York Fashion Week set the trends and standards for the season, it kicks off fashion week in London, Paris and Milan.

In line with some of the trends already set for spring, the runway was dominated by color and eclectic fabrics.

There’s no surprise that Ralph Lauren stood out amidst the other designers. Always the epitome of classic American style, Lauren’s

the season. There was no shortage of classic black separates and glamorous gowns. Among them was an effortlessly chic emerald green

simple silhouette and a plunging neckline— a perfect Oscar choice for someone. Another

inspired, black, beaded gown. This dress displayed the craftsmanship Ralph Lauren is so praised for.

Not to be outdone, Oscar de la Renta paraded a variety of fabrics, arguably setting the trend to mix and match textures. With tweed, weaved fabrics, beading, tulle and even feathers and fur, there was something for nearly every woman in the new collection.

length, tight black dress that opened up like a bell on the bottom. Its pattern alternated stripes of black silk with sheer, and eventually turned into tulle at the bottom, which seemed to sum up the theme of his show.

The Marc by Marc Jacobs show was no doubt one of the most colorful, perhaps only to be outdone by Betsey Johnson. He managed to tactfully use orange, the new “it” color, by combining it with tweeds, silks, plaids and wide leg shapes, remaining congruent with the

as were avant guard prints including purple

shows such as Victoria Beckham, Calvin Klein, L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, Diane von Furstenberg and Christian Siriano of “Project Runway.”

As New York Fashion Week comes to a close, the teams of magazine editors, journalists, celebrities and photographers will all pack up for Europe—where the next round of runway shows will begin.

promotional photoRalph Lauren’s 2011 spring fashion.

BY ALLY JINN

Sex Columnist


SEX on the beach


BY SARAH MALHOTRA

Staff Writer

Liam Neeson, January Jones and Diane Kruger star in the new thriller about a man who loses his identity. Or does he?

Professor Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) goes to Berlin with his wife (January Jones) to give a presentation on biotechnology. He leaves his briefcase at the airport and goes back to get it. On the way back, his taxi drives off a bridge and he nearly dies after hitting his head. He wakes up four days later in a hospital and immediately heads back to

turns out she is with another man, one claiming to be him —one she claims to be her husband. And she doesn’t know who he is. Suddenly Martin is on a quest to

prove his identity. With the unlikely help of his

cab driver (Diane Kruger) and an ex-Stasi member, Martin begins to piece his life back together. The only hitch – a group of thugs trying to kill him and anyone with whom he comes in contact.

The exciting plot is full of mystery and suspense. Car crashes, car chases, murder attempts, suicide success and complete chaos characterize this

with deception.. Martin and his cabbie, Gina, constantly have to stay alert or risk death.

The best part of the movie, in my opinion, is the surprise ending. In a shocking twist, everything suddenly makes

make sense as the movie draws to a close. But until then,

viewers are kept guessing.January Jones and Diane

Kruger both give excellent performances. Jones portrays the perfect poker face – it is impossible to tell if she’s lying. One minute she is the loving, adoring wife. The next, she denies knowing who the real Martin is. Then, she’s trying to help him. Kruger pulls off the accent, the look and ultimately, the role of the Bosnian cab driver in Berlin. She acts emotionally by playing off a tragic past and somehow has the ability to repeatedly slip away from the men hunting Martin.

seeing if you like suspenseful, action-packed thrillers. The superb cast and the element of mystery make it worthwhile.

“Unknown” keeps audience guessing

Data compiled from an online survey of 256 anonymous students.Be on the lookout for more Sex on the Beach surveys!

Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]

Sex Locationson Campus

- DORM ROOM (192) - FRIEND’S DORM (123) - SHOWER (95) - SOUTH BEACH (77) - HAMMOCK (66) - CAR (64) - BATHROOM (52) - LOUNGE (38) - OTHER (37) - KAPPA FIELD (36) - WATERFRONT (25) - BALCONY (22) - ATHLETIC FIELD (21) - CLASSROOM (17) - PALM HAMMOCKS (17) - WEST LODGE (14) - LIBRARY (13) - ROCK CLIMBING WALL (13) - CHAPEL (13) - AUDITORIUM (12) - OFFICE (11) - POOL (11) - GAUNTLET (11) - COFFEEHOUSE (11) - FOOD AREA (6) - ADMIN. BUILDING (6) - CLOSET (5)

Top 5 “Other” Locations:

- DOCK - PIANO/PRACTICE ROOM - BININGER - COMPUTER LAB - GO PAVILION

Honorable Mention: - EC-SAR BOAT - WECX - SECURITY GOLF CART

Funny Quotes: - “I love the rock climbing wall because I was high up and felt like I was on top of the world.” - “I feel really weird going to all these places on campus now knowing that people have possibly had sex there.”

are up to.”

Where have you engaged in sexual

activity on campus?Our sex survey has

the answers.

the uickie

Friday, March 4, 2011 courtesy of Google maps

Price $-$$$$ ($ = <$5.00 per meal $$$$ = $20.00+ per meal)

Food Quality (1-5)

QThere’s always enough

time for a quickie

Across

1- Chaplin persona6- A pitcher may take one 10- Box 14- Western15- Conductor Klemperer 16- Mata ___17- Battery terminal 18- Opinion19- Capital of Norway 20- Chronometer22- Cultivate23- Some are pale24- Printing in two colors 26- Commercials29- Calculus calculation 31- PBS benefactor32- Immerse33- Tide type34- Imperative

40- Big bang cause42- Slaughter of baseball43- Make amends46- Part of Q.E.D.49- Center Ming50- IV units51- Broadcasts52- Early hrs.53- Like cheese

a precursor to malaria59- Bubbling60- Authorized65- Sportscaster Albert66- Squealed67- Maxim68- Kitchen addition69- Asian sea70- Breakfast fruit71- Goneril’s father72- Sneaky guy?73- One of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters”

Down

1- Exactly2- Hindu princess3- Energy source4- Euripides tragedy5- Devise beforehand6- Chair for two persons7- Auricular8- Spirited horse9- Farm female

quantity11- Stroll12- Senator Specter13- ___ Janeiro21- Able was ___...22- Joburg settler

minister26- Purim month

28- Raced30- Sleep disorder35- “Orinoco Flow”

singer36- Linguist Chomsky37- General ___ chicken39- A receptacle

three sides44- Earth Day subj.45- East Lansing sch.47- Jason’s craft48- Large sea wave53- Humped ruminant54- Become less intense, die off55- A bit, colloquially56- Frighten58- Bird that gets you down61- Med school subj.62- Colombian city63- Stravinsky ballet64- Actress Olin66- Dupe

Answers online atwww.theonlinecurrent.com

A. Healthy Hut (9-11 min)595 Corey Ave., St. Pete Beach727-363-4488Sun (9am-8pm)M-Sat (8am-9pm)Price: $$-$$$Food: 4www.hhutmarket.com

B. Bula Kafe (8-12 min)2500 5th Ave N, St. Petersburg727-498-8913Su (5pm-12am) M-W (12pm-12am) Th-F (12pm-2am) Sat (5pm-2am)Price: $$$Drinks: 3.5- 4www.bulakafe.com

C. Wild Cajun Blue Crab & Shrimp (10-13 min)2005 Central Ave St Petersburg727-642-6365hours:?Price: $-$$Food: 4.5

D. Ceviche Tapas Bar & Restaurant (13-15 min)10 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg727-209-2299Su-M (11am-10pm), Tu-Tr (11am-12am), F-Sat (11am-1am)Price: $-$$$Food: 4

crossword courtesy of www.boatloadpuzzles.com

quickie


lil’ romeo to star on dancing with the stars Beiber cuts hair, world still spinning former M.a.d.d. chapter chief arrested for dui swinging granny thwarts robbery

Goodbye Mount Eckerd: an obituaryBY SEAN LAWLOR

Staff writer

Let it be known by all that 2011 was the year that Mount Eckerd blew its top. Earlier this year, contractors began transferring foundation materials from the infamous dirt mound to its new home on what used to be Sheen parking lot. It is only fair that we mark the date of its death in our hearts and minds.

Many students remember trekking over Mount Eckerd to get to and from the Palm Hammocks. On these adventures Mount Eckerd served not only as a landmark but as a temporary break from our everyday routines. You could take a walk up the mound, look at

the beautiful view around you and hope you

Mount Eckerd to let their minds wander, some went to stargaze and others went to witness the amazingly rare phenomena of Florida elevation.

As the bulldozers take the dirt mound to its new home piece by piece, they also take with them the memories of students past and present. But let’s not just think of this as the death of a landmark but as the birth of a new one, The Center for Molecular and Life Sciences. We should honor Mount Eckerd for serving its purpose to the end, as a great lookout location, a gathering place for friends and a temporary home for old construction materials. Mount Eckerd, we salute you and say goodbye.

The former site of Mt. Eckerd (photo courtesy of Carver Lee)

And the Oscar goes to:

Best Picture: The King’s Speech

Actor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

Actor in a Supporting Role: Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Actress in a Leading Role: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Actress in a Supporting Role: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 3

Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland

Cinematography: Inception

Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland

Directing: The King’s Speech (Tom Hooper)

Documentary Feature: Inside Job

Documentary Short Subject: Strangers No More

Film Editing: The Social Network

Foreign Language Film: In A Better World (Denmark)

Makeup: The Wolfman

Music (Original Score): The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

Music (Original Song): Toy Story 3 (“We Belong Together” - Randy Newman)

Short Film (Animated): The Lost Thing

Short Film (Live Action): God of Love

Sound Editing: Inception

Sound Mixing: Inception

Visual Effects: Inception

Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Social Network

Writing (Original Screenplay): The King’s Speech

sports


SportsCurrentSOFTBALL

Saturday, March 5@ Ave Maria1 p.m.

Saturday, March 12@ Barry4 p.m.

Sunday, March 13@ Barry (DH)1 p.m.

Wednesday, March 16@ Webber International (DH)3 p.m.

Friday, March 18v. Florida Southern7 p.m.

Saturday, March 19v. Florida Southern (DH)1 p.m.

MEN’S TENNIS

Friday, March 4v. Lake Superior State2 p.m.

Saturday, March 5v. Florida Tech12 p.m.

Sunday, March 6v. Lynn10 a.m.

Wednesday, March 9v. Georgetown2 p.m.

Saturday, March 12v. Northwood11 a.m.

Sunday, March 13v. Bentley11 a.m.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Friday, March 4v. Lake Superior State2 p.m.

Saturday, March 5v. Florida Tech12 p.m.

Sunday, March 6v. Lynn10 a.m.

Tuesday, March 8v. Florida Southern3 p.m.

Sunday, March 13v. Bentley11 a.m.

Tuesday, March 15v. Indianapolis2 p.m.

BASEBALL

Friday, March 4@ Palm Beach Atlantic6 p.m.

Saturday, March 5@ Palm Beach Atlantic (DH)1 p.m.

Monday, March 7v. The Netherlands National Team7 p.m.

Thursday, March 10v. Urbana7 p.m.

Friday, March 18v. Barry7 p.m.

Saturday, March 19v. Barry (DH)1 p.m.

Men’s rugby team rucks on with another win BY JERALYN DARLING

Entertainment Editor

Amid the blaring car stereos, frisbee throwing and day-drinking, Eckerd College Men’s Rugby (3-0) racked up another win. The guys beat Ave Maria by a score of 57-13 Feb. 19.

Anthony Franchi, Peter Killeen, Jeremy George, Colin Lodestro, Julian Buck and Mac Jennings each scored tries on the sunny Kappa Field. Killeen was named man of the match.

“This Saturday was a great example of how much hard work the team has been putting in during practice” says club president and Eckerd Senior Julian Buck. “We didn’t give up

and we kept pushing for the win as a team. It’s remarkable to me how well we are doing despite being less funded than

Buck, Junior Leslie Claridge and Eckerd graduate Bill Griswold coach the men’s club sport.

The team has a few more home games in April against UCF, USF and a rematch against Ave Maria.

The game was a bit sloppy with both sides dropping the ball, but Eckerd had the match set. “The large crowd encouraged us to not give up anything,” said forward Perry Evans. “As a

in Florida in front of our awesome fans.”Bikini-clad Arielle Burger came out to cheer. “This was one

of the few home games that I knew I would make it to. I’m

really glad I went because it showed me what a great team

they are, how hard they work and what awesome fans Eckerd

students can be. I will certainly be attending their next three

to see if they can improve their 3-0 record to 6-0.”

continuation of the learning process from last season,” said

Evans on how the team played. “The difference this year

being that we are winning more and showing signs of being

a real team.”

The crowd cheered, danced and Slip n’ Slide-ed the guys to

a solid victory in true Eckerd spirit — bright blue lawn chairs,

photo by Jeralyn DarlingThe Eckerd College Men’s Rugby team scoring a try during a blowout victory over Ave Maria on Feb. 19.

sports


promotional material from PETA

St. Pete

International

Baseball League

photos by Ashley Daniels

A 10-year-old girl holds a baseball

she had signed by some of the

Heroes players during warm-ups.

Pitcher Kang Jungho throws a side armed pitch during the bottom of the 4th inning.

Heroes’ Yoo Sunjung throws to

first as Canada’s Justin Atkin-

son dashes to 3rd.

Heroes’ player slides into 3rd base to

help clinch the victory over Canada.

BY ASHLEY DANIELS

Asst. News Editor

It was the perfect day for a baseball game as the Seoul Nexen Heroes

from South Korea took on the Canada Junior National Team Feb. 26 at Al Lang Stadium. The game was part of the St. Petersburg International Baseball league, a new series set up by Mayor Bill Foster.

The Heroes proved to be too strong for a young Canadian team as they fell to the Heroes 8 – 0.

Heroes in the bottom of the 5th inning when Kim Sungtae hit a double, sending Yoo Dae Kook home. At the start of the

next inning, the Canadian team, which is made up of the top 18-and-under players

But it was too little too late. The Heroes sealed the game in the 7th inning when Kook hit a double to bring another player home. Sungtae followed with a single down the 3rd base line, breaking his bat that brought Kook home. The Heroes went up 6 – 0 by the end of the inning.

The team met again Feb. 28. This time the Canadian team came out victorious, beating the Heroes 2 – 0. Canada will take on the Toronto Blue Jays March 5 at 7 p.m. at Al Lang Stadium. The game will bring back a historic rivalry between the two teams.

sports


BY LIZ TOMASELLI

Viewpoints Editor

Play fantasy football. Watch SportsCenter. Buy a beer and cheer loudly at a stadium. Wear a favorite team jersey (possibly bedazzled). These are just a few activities that some women would call their favorite pastimes. Yes, we live in a new era: the era of the female sports fan.

It’s no secret that women dominate marketing campaigns, which makes them a valuable demographic. According to Ivy Cohen Corporate Communications, 46 percent of the Major League Baseball (MLB) fan base is female. With more and more women expressing an interest in sports, it would be wise for companies to listen.

And if these companies aren’t listening, then they’re

become the main focus in targeting the female fan base because let’s face it, we like to shop. Women purchase 74 percent of all NBA and NFL apparel. To cash in on this, Victoria’s Secret PINK teamed up with MLB last march to launch sports gear for 11 of the 30 MLB teams and will be boasting gear for all 32 NFL teams in August.

But it’s not just merchandising. After three decades of sports coverage and commentary, ESPN launched espnW last fall in response to the growing number of female fans. EspnW currently exists online, but there are hopes it will evolve. The blog has categories of news, opinion, training and motivation with a special spotlight for female athletes.

Some fans feel the creation of a female sports outlet is insulting. In an angry blog post for ChicagoNow entitled “Why I hate the idea of espnW,” Julie Dicaro says, “The idea that women need a “girlier” version of sports programming insulting [sic].” She goes on to describe the idea for a new network as degrading for the female audience. “Women already HAVE an ESPN. It’s called ESPN.”

Some women even take offense to the way companies are aiming to target them with specialized gear, using pink to obnoxiously substitute historic team colors.

“To serious female sports followers, the bedazzled pink baseball cap is a totem of all the ways we’ve been misunderstood and pandered to,” said Katie Baker in her NYmag online sports blog.

Actress Alyssa Milano was also frustrated by “going into stadium shops and arena shops and looking for something

The sports gear line for women includes jewelry, dresses and more for the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA and NCAA. Milano’s clothes are not meant to take over from the jersey, but rather to customize sports clothing for female fans (she uses team colors—no pink allowed).

Eckerd Junior Nicole Foley said that while she appreciates

team colors.” But clearly there is a market for these types of “feminized” sports products, otherwise they wouldn’t be in every stadium.

“I’m not offended by pink sports gear at all,” said Eckerd sophomore Devon Williams. “I view it as a business venture, and as a girl who loves the color pink and sports, it sounds perfect.”

Whatever they’re wearing, female sports fans are no longer just interested in merchandise. Allie Zimmerman is a sophomore at Boston University, where she opted for a student sports pass to attend as many games as she could. “I like the sense of unity that you share while cheering for one team, especially for college sports,” she says. “It’s nice to have a common bond where everyone can come together and root for the home team, and celebrate and commiserate together over the game results.”

For Kelsey Jacobsen, it’s tradition. A sophomore at University of Buffalo, her father works in the sports industry, so it was something she grew up around. “My parents enjoy it so it becomes a family event,” says Jacobsen. She says she follows sports on TV when she can’t attend the events in person because, “it’s fun to become invested in a team and follow them through the season.”

So move over boys, the cheering section’s about to get a little prettier; the power of female sports fans will only continue to grow. With new networks on the rise and more sports merchandisers targeting women, it seems they are now a more important dynamic than ever in the sports world.

Who says a girl can’t cheer on her favorite team and have a fabulous manicure, anyway?

courtesy of the Triathlon ClubNorris Comer (bottom center) celebrating with other members of the Triathalon Club.

Blitz and glamour: stadiums have never looked so good

BY SHELBY HOWELL

Asst. Entertainment Editor

The crowd is clustered together, eagerly awaiting the

surges through bloodstreams, demanding release. A loud

onto a mapped-out path. This is how a triathlon begins.But before this moment arrives, each contestant

has already spent weeks, even months, working to achieve the level of endurance necessary to complete a triathlon. A triathlon consists of varying distances of swimming, bicycling and running in quick succession. The training requires loads of hard work and perseverance.

for any person. Luckily, triathlon competitors have their own support network at Eckerd: the Triathlon Club, or the Triton Triathletes.

“Not only do you get to be in regular contact with experienced and aspiring triathletes, but we pay for things,” says club head Sophomore Norris Comer. “These days it’s not uncommon for a typical entrance fee to be triple digits. Then if the race is further away you need a room for the night before and transport. We also constantly have our ears low to the ground and are pretty good resources for information regarding good

races coming up, getting a bike, etc.” The Triathlon Club is fairly new, but members have the

passion and drive to make it go the distance. “As far as the club goes, they are doing exceptionally well,” says Junior Sarah

have some great accomplishments under their belts.” Not only does the club provide support and information, but

other athletic endeavors as well. For example, club member

Allie Sartori teaches spin classes that club members are encouraged to attend. They also look into other races besides

interest in the 8-mile Spartan Race in Miami, which is less of a triathlon and more of a mud pit with obstacles that are

to knock you down! There’s a whole list of other races, some really close and some quite far away, but we’ll invest wherever

the willpower leads us.” Because of the members’ busy schedules, the

club hasn’t always met on a regular basis. They try to meet weekly for activities. “Usually our meetings start out very focused and after we get what information we needed, we kind of devolve into hanging out for a while and talking triathlons, races and random badassery,” says Comer.

In the end, training and competing in a triathlon

a way to motivate yourself to push past your limits. Sophomore Eric Hogenboom, a club member, says, “Completing a triathlon gives a feeling of success and accomplishment that you just can’t get from other races; and the way you feel at the end of a tough race is such a unique feeling that every athlete must experience to understand.”

The Triathlon Club is open to students and faculty. For more information, e-mail Norris Comer at [email protected] or Eric Hogenboom at [email protected].

A look at the Triton Triathalon Club

sports

Eckerd Men’s RugbyRugby team beats Ave Maria to improve their record to 3-0

Page 21

Eckerd Triathalon ClubAn inside look at one of Eckerd’s new club sports

Page 23

International BaseballSouth Korea and Canada splits series

Page 22

photo by Jeralyn DarlingThe Eckerd Men’s Rugby Team playing in a match against Ave Maria Feb. 19. Eckerd won 57-13 to improve their record to 3-0.

Documents

The Current Volume 25 Issue 9