From Scholars to Soldiers

The depleted economy is all that most Americans can think about these days, and here in Tampa we are seeing very harmful effects with the unemployment rate. Tampa’s 13.2% is among the highest in the state of Florida. The scarcity of jobs around the metro area is forcing students to make hot and heavy decisions upon their graduation. As an incentive, certain branches of our military can offer to pay for student loans in full. Considering the difficulty of finding a fulfilling occupation around Tampa, is it more practical for graduates to have the government pay for school and serve their country in the process? Many students whether in an ROTC program or not, seem to be considering the armed forces as an option. Some of the students feel it will give the initiatives being implemented by the white house time to turn the economy around creating new jobs all around the country. Others students want to wipe out student loan bills mainly to take pressure off themselves financially so they can afford houses, cars, and other vital things for a normal day to day life. Tom Sawicki, a UT senior and member of the universities ROTC program thinks that currently, the military is a sensible option for graduates to partake in. “The military can offer a feeling of accomplishment, confidence, and maybe even turn on young people to making the military a lifelong career,” said Sawicki. 

            Other people find that enlisting is only a way to run away from the high unemployment rate in Tampa and the entire country. John Robbins a UT senior thinks that to enroll in a branch of the military, you must have somewhat of a passion for serving. “You can’t just go in to avoid looking for a real job after graduation. You have to want to serve the country and have enthusiasm about it,” said Robbins. “I have all the respect in the world for our countries military men and women because that is what they truly want to be doing,” added Robbins.  The opinions of students around campus definitely seem to be diverged as these two are. Yet the high unemployment rate is a still a very realistic and scary thing for this years graduates. So what is the best plan of attack for students rapidly approaching commencement? Researching and weighing your options is always a good approach. Students can use resources like the Internet; employ UT, and internship opportunities to fast track their way into a paid position. If the military were still an option, than meet with a recruiter to find out more about military positions that would be suitable for someone with a college degree. The most important decision for students to make is one that ensures stability and safety in our society. 

Corey Smith's new take on American Music

It’s no wonder why Corey Smith can pack out clubs and small venues all across the country. Landing mostly in college towns, Smith’s Live Album doesn’t let the “feel good” listener down one bit. His set scattered with songs about parties, spring break, and not acting your age is like a magnet for anyone who enjoys some down and dirty music Americana. Smiths colorful guitar chops and original vocals being the focal point of the show, are for the music enthusiast who’s not sure if they enjoy a little country twang yet? Smith seems to be one of the few artists that are successful at blending original acoustic rock style, but also embraces his southern roots that come through in each song. One song that is a must at any Smith show is crowd favorite tune inappropriately named F*** the Poe Poe. It tells a story about Smiths run in with some corrupt police in Georgia. The songs fast paced riffs and poetic lyrics force you to bob your head or tap your foot. It also might make any off duty police officers in the audience feel a little down. For a shower capper, smith tore through his song “Drinkin Again”. I sat in amazement as Smith spat out a few verses that seemed to almost be “raps”. This definitely contributes to the overall originality of Corey’s hybrid breed of country/rock/hiphop style. One thing is for certain about Corey Smith. His live act is a force to be reckoned with and his live album proves that.

Water Treatment in Florida

Being an environmentally sound community is one issue that Americans may be beginning to take more seriously. Specifically, Rep. Joeseph Gibbons (Dem) has proposed a bill within the House of Representatives for wastewater treatment facilities. The law would require the treatment plants to meet specific reuse requirements when providing water to businesses that have ocean outfalls. Essentially, this bill makes water treatment plants and their customers more conscious about conserving the water that is treated and recycling it.

The sewage bill is like many other proposed laws across America. It is a call to arms for American citizens to be more environmentally conscious. This is one issue that we need to keep in the front of our minds. Environmental problems will continue to intensify. This is why businesses and homes need to become more efficient. President Obama stressed to voters on his campaign trail the importance of being environmentally conscious.

“We cannot afford more of the same timid politics when the future of our planet is at stake. Pollution is not a someday problem, it is now.”

Even though the sewage bill wont directly affect most of the citizens across the sunshine state, it is another small step that we can all support in the fight to preserve our environment. Along with supporting this particular bill there are many other organizations and foundations for people who feel passionate about sustaining a clean ecosystem. MyFloridaclimate.com and Florida Department of Environmental Protection are forums for environmental activism.

Environmental consciousness is an important part of sustaining a comfortable way of life for generations to come. Supporting Rep. Gibbon’s bill for wastewater reuse is a necessary step in creating a cleaner Florida for everyone. To show support or comment on the Sewage Disposal Facilities bill please visit MyFloridaHouse.gov.

Bulletin Boards:Endangered Species?

In the emerged era of Facebook, Twitter, and text messaging, one relic from the past that still endures is the college campus bulletin board. Before we had the ability to send and receive all of our precious information that keeps us tapped into the social pipeline, bulletin boards were the best way to stay connected on campus.

Even though the bulletins are still utilized among the UT campus, they usually play second fiddle to the electronic social tools like Facebook and cell phones. “I see all the same things advertised around the campus buildings as I do on Facebook. The only difference is that I get the Facebook invites a lot sooner than the events posted on bulletin boards,” said John Robbins a senior at UT.

Depending where you are walking about the campus, there are a variety of things being posted on the boards. Study abroad and academic help flyers coat the bulletins in Plant Hall. Upcoming events such as The 2010 Battle of the Bands or Campus Movie Fest posters plaster every inch of free board space in buildings like Vaughn and Stadium hoping to catch the eye of interested student onlookers.

Some UT students feel that using flyers and marketing the “old fashioned” way will never become obsolete.

“Using the advertisements for student programs and events around campus wont ever be completely overrun by the electronic forms because the boards are still a great way for people who aren’t avid Facebook users to see them as well,” said Derek Sell a UT junior.

Other students around the UT community feel that the electronic wave of advertising is the cutting edge and allows people to discover events and opportunities as fast as possible. A UT senior Jenna Jacobson supports the increase use of technology for bulletin use. “It’s so much easier to find things to do on the weekend and fun events like Casino night and movies in Reeves theatre,” said Jacobson.

One benefit of the many bulletin boards around UT is that students and student organizations can advertise on them. Even though the Office of Student and Leadership must approve the postings, the freedom to advertise is open to all of the Spartan community. Students like Brian Penny don’t read every bulletin board they come by but if something is interesting, they will definitely give it a read.

“I usually have places to be when I’m walking around campus but if I see a posting that interests me I will take a moment to glance over the bulletin board,” said Penny.

The diversity in how UT students stay updated is apparent. The battle between the technological age of social networking sites and the old corkboard will stay heated for now. It remains a matter of preference on how students and faculty like to determine when and where things around campus are occurring.

Positive Politics

The University of Tampa is a thriving community. Most of the students and faculty who live and work here already know this. What some aren’t aware of, are the people who are behind the scenes, making our campus life flourish. They are the ones who ensure that our experience at this Florida college is memorable and fulfilling. These people are the Student Government.

            S.G’s. main goal is to be sure that the “student voice is heard” as it states on the student government website. With a new semester beginning the student government is excited about some new initiatives that are sure to be nice additions to our university campus. Chris McCarthy, vice president of the S.G. led the way on some of these initiatives and is excited to see how the students will react to improvements being made at UT.

            A phenomenon that is making is way into America’s supermarkets and large chain stores is the movie rental machines. The S.G. has just completed an agreement with Blockbuster to have a Blockbuster Express machine be put in the Vaughn Center. The machine will allow students to rent a variety of movies from the machine without having to travel off campus. “The agreement has been made with Blockbuster for the machine to be put in Vaughn. We are just waiting for the company to deliver it to us” said McCarthy.

            If the movie rental machine wasn’t enough for students to be thrilled about, S.G has also recently completed working with administration to bring in a car rental service right on the UT campus. This service will be beneficial for students who want to travel to see family or many nearby attractions that Florida has to offer. It also will allow other organizations to travel as a group to competitions or events. The Hertz Car Rental service is available now for all students legal to drive.

             Other initiatives that the UT student government has in progress include a fall break that would allow a “long weekend” to break up a strenuous semester. They are also working on longer library hours and a $5 t-shirt in the campus bookstore that is known to have high prices.

Where Conan and Leno stand on the UT campus

Rivalries are what add more edge to even the most historic competitions. An infamous competition that has been recognized through out American popular culture is the opposition between the many late night talk show hosts. With big names like Leno, Letterman, and many others, it’s hard not to catch a glimpse of these late night comic hosts if you are sitting in front a television after about eleven P.M. 

            This past week, a new rift was created between Jay Leno, a long time host and replacement of Johnny Carson, and Conan O’Brien who has proved his worth in the late night television community. O’Brien was moved into Leno’s late-night-time slot starting this past summer and Leno moved to his new time of ten P.M. Leno’s new show started suffering poor ratings right away, in fact the show has been bombing in the ratings category so much that it will be canceled as of Feb. 12^th.  NBC now has plans to move Leno back into his late-night time that was given to O’Brien back in June. O’Brien has been expressing his frustrations with NBC ever since the issue surfaced. He has even been poking fun at the network in his opening monologues on his show. “When I was a little boy, I remember watching ‘The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson’ and thinking, ‘Someday, I’m going to host that show for seven months,” said O’Brien to his audience sarcastically. O’Brien feels that NBC didn’t give him enough time to establish himself as host within his time slot.  Now that NBC has derailed his efforts to stay The “Tonight Show” host, O’Brien is in line to make 30 million this year from the network.

            University of Tampa students like Derek Sell and John Robbins have there own opinions about network and host battle. “I personally have never enjoyed Jay Leno’s show so its hard for me to agree with Conan’s chance of being successful get taken away,” said Sell a junior art student at Tampa. Many of the students feel that O’Brien was given the raw end of the deal. “I really don’t watch late night T.V. but I know the issue and I think that it’s good that Conan is being compensated, but NBC seems to be looking over the principle of the matter,” explained Robbins a senior criminal justice major at UT.  The college crowd at UT seems to have sympathized with O’Brien more so than having support for long time icon Jay Leno.

Associated Press

MSNBC.COM

Charlotte Whedon

Entering her second semester of her sophomore year at Tampa University, Charlotte Whedon has proven that her life is like many other students in America. The government/ world affairs major is from Bolton, Connecticut and is enrolled in a journalism 1 course currently after she expressed her interest in writing. “I am thinking of declaring a minor in writing.” said Whedon. Aside from her academic life, Whedon is involved in what many of her peers are also taking part in. A relaxing winter break is what many students look forward to after a long fall semester. Whedon spent her New Years in Philadelphia PA. “Being in Philadelphia for New Years was an interesting aspect of my winter break” said Whedon. When she’s back at school, Whedon likes to enjoy the Tampa nightlife. Music is one thing that she has held on to from a young age. Whedon started playing the clarinet ten years ago and it has evolved her into enjoying many different types of music. “I attended the Blink 182 concert last semester.” said Whedon. After an exciting and busy school year, Whedon enjoys kicking back at a beach house in Madison, Connecticut with her family.