Apartment hunting in Pensacola a challenge

Erika Wilhite

Published: April 12, 2006

Going to college and moving out of your parents’ house sound like they ought to be synchronized events. But with the current economy and the shortage of cheap, student-friendly housing in Pensacola, many students are choosing to spend their college years at home with mom and dad.

But if you absolutely have to get away from your parents (or your parents absolutely have to get you away from them), then you do have a number of fairly wallet-friendly options.

Rent is, obviously, the most important financial consideration, although getting an apartment doesn’t just mean paying rent; keep in mind that living on your own is grossly expensive - unless you have a high paying job, your parents are footing the bill, or you’re just plain lucky.

Common sense dictates that when poor students pool their resources they are less likely to live on Top Ramen and use coffee filters in lieu of toilet paper, so a roommate (at least one, maybe more) is pretty much a requisite especially since the hurricanes have driven up rent costs in the area.

Even with someone to share the cost of living, you’ll want to be careful and research your options thoroughly before you settle on an apartment.

Here are some questions you should always ask yourself when comparing apartments:

Which complex has the most expensive rent? The least expensive rent?

How much does it cost to rent each apartment for one year? (Include the cost of the security deposit and utilities.)

Compare the cost of renting the most expensive and the least expensive apartments to find the difference in rental costs on a monthly and yearly basis.

What factors, in addition to cost, might you consider? Dishwashers, wireless, paid utilities, washer and dryer connections.

Finally, how ideal is the location? Is it close to where you go to school, or work? An apartment out near the Navy base might be cheap and clean, but how long will it take you to drive to school in the morning?

The cheapest living situation within easy walking distance of PJC is definitely Lamplighter; it isn’t the ritziest complex, to say the least, but if very cheap rent ($450) and great locale are your chief concerns then it’s the way to go.

Apartments marketed toward UWF students, but available for those who attend PJC tend to be safer and better maintained, but still affordable. The Fountains and Creekside are clean, well-maintained and reasonably priced. Rent at the Fountains is $485 for a one-bedroom, $800 for three, but you’ll pay more if you want more than one or two bathrooms. Creekside is slightly pricier at $525 (one bedroom), $595 (two bedrooms), and $710 (three bedrooms).

Some other recommendations are Forest Glen on N. Davis Highway, Hillview Terrace on Hillview Road, and Broadview Oaks on College Parkway.

The above are just tips on how to find a suitable apartment complex; the real problem in Pensacola these days is going to be actually getting into that apartment once you’ve found it.

“My dad works for Progressive Management Apartments,” said Ted Wolfe, a PJC student. “He says that right now [if you are looking for an apartment] your best bet would be to sign up for a waiting list and hope that one of the military people get called away or someone doesn’t pay their rent on time.”

Cranes for Kids

Gina Nespoli

Published: April 12, 2006

In honor of April being “Child Abuse Prevention Month” the state-wide Guardian ad Litem program is raising awareness with origami cranes.  Each crane is made with a special wish inside, such as wishing a child a stable home; something most children in these programs do not have.

Rosemary Ash, the founder of the “Cranes for Kids” project is an advocate for Guardian ad Litem and is behind the use of cranes to raise awareness of child abuse.  An ancient Chinese proverb says “If you make a thousand cranes, your wish will come true,” and with this proverb in mind, Ash and other advocates for Guardian ad Litem made over 2,000 cranes.

The cranes are on display at all three PJC campuses, along with a stand-up card (as shown above) about the project and how to get involved in Guardian ad Litem.

Online classes are a viable option for busy students

Michael Rutschky

Published: April 12, 2006

PJC has offered distance learning courses via the Internet since 2004 as an alternative for people who cannot consistently attend classes on campus.  Students can register for courses on  PJC’s website.

Currently eCoast offers about 60 different courses that allow students to earn an A.A. in either business or general studies.  Students that wish to attain a career in a certain field can now take classes and work toward a degree from any location in the world that is connected to the world wide web.

“Once you eliminate the required visits to campus, then you’re opening your market to virtually the whole world,” Bill Waters, director of distributed learning at PJC, said. “We’re not trying to necessarily emulate the classroom experience, but we are trying to use technology in a way that promotes the whole idea of a learning center college.”

Students can be assured that in most cases a degree from a distance learning course will not hinder their chances of employment.  When the student earns any credits from an online course, it will appear on their transcript as a legitimate course credit, and will not be differentiated in any way from credits that were earned on campus.

The courses themselves are taught by actual PJC faculty.  Either a particular member of the faculty will come forward and propose a course, or the department head will become aware of the need for a specific course to be presented online, and will offer it to members of his department.

In either case, the instructor of the course will develop the material and then present it to a curriculum counsel.  The instructor then will work with a team of instructional technologists to adapt the course material into a smooth, effective online class.  It is then submitted for a peer faculty review, and is subsequently approved as a distance learning course.

“I’m [teaching] 100 percent distance [learning courses] and I absolutely love it because with my entire heart I believe that’s the wave of the future,” Carol Horigan, an art humanities teacher who’s teaching all of her classes online this semester, said.

According to Horigan, the benefits of an online classroom extend beyond simple convenience.  It also provides students with a greater sense of comfort with fellow “classmates,” as well as produces a sound one-on-one rapport between instructor and student through use of e-mail and instant messaging.

“There are a lot of different personalities out there and so some people need one way to learn and some need another way to learn,” Horigan said, “As an online instructor you want to provide a lot of different formats… and there are enough alternatives online that you can [do that].”

As the world continues to grow as a global community, online schooling is sure to be utilized more and more commonly.  The next step for PJC’s online distance learning will be to add more programs to the list of degrees offered.  The school is also offering “hybrid” courses, which are a mix of campus attendance and online work, which has seen rapid growth in recent years.

Inductees accepted from five junior colleges nationwide

Sahara Locke

Published: April 12, 2006

PJC welcomed the newest members of Kappa Delta Pi  on April 4. The chapter society recognized and renowned for its commitment to honoring and acknowledging the future teachers of the country opened its doors for only the second time in PJC history to allow the college to host the initiations.

The landmark event, which could best be described by some as unforgettably memorable, is so called because PJC is one of only five two-year colleges nationwide that was allowed to have a part in the society. The end result was a very proud campus eager to support the society’s initiates.

The initiates, Nikki Callahan, Kim Barker, Jennifer Fabbo, Katie Ferry, Terri Herrington, Holly James, Cayce Killough, Julie Phillips, April Smith, and Shauna Tisdale, were the future educators that were proudly recognized and inducted into the KDP Educational Society.

According to Betsy Werre, an event coordinator, one of the influential characteristics of the KDP Society is to basically encourage future educators to stay with their chosen profession.

“Fifty percent of all teachers leave their professions within the first five years,” Werre explained.

By acknowledging and recognizing those who seek after such an influential position as literal educators of the future, the Society and others, such as Marylin Lintene, the 2005 teacher of the year who was the guest speaker at the event, ensure that those who were given the honor of becoming a part of the education society do so with the knowledge of preparation and expectation of what their chosen professions have in store.

Pictures were taken, pledges were made, claps rang out, and tears were shed when, one-by-one, the inductees were brought to the forefront of attention, given their awards of acceptance, and invited into the realm of the society with open arms and smiling faces. The initiation ended promptly at 7 p.m. as hugs of congratulations were prominent throughout the room.

The hour long event may have seemed short according to normal standards, but for the mostly teary-eyed parents, friends, and family of those who were being honored, the event will always have an ageless aura of pride and acceptance. And for those who were being honored themselves, it will remain as a memory of their engraved foundation upon which the building of their life-changing profession was built.

Spyglass allows for easy navigation of PJC’s Web site

Sahara Locke

Published: April 12, 2006

If you have visited the PJC Web site since returning from Spring Break, you have noticed that a transformation has taken place: a new look, a new feel, a new style, and a new mode of navigation throughout the site.  The new Web site and its accompanying Spyglass have been made the official representatives of PJC online.

The change, brought about and inspired by Liz Gomez of Microcomputer Resources, is an attempt to make the navigational chores of the Web site less intimidating and “super student friendly,” Alice Crann Good, PJC’s information specialist, said. But aside from the fact that the site has changed visually, there is an added feature of convenience that is boasted proudly by Gomez and Cran Good and all others responsible for the new face of PJC.

A spyglass is usually thought of in terms of sailing ships and piracy, which in PJC’s case makes its use quite sensible. The Spyglass is the name given to the icon that appears on many of the web pages throughout the site.

Its purpose is to give students easy access to their records. Before Spyglass, the back button on the computer screen was the student’s best friend when having to check his or her records or register for classes.

Now instead of repeated and often slow and tiresome clicks of the back button one simple click of the Spyglass immediately brings up the registration screen. A very handy device, since according to one student, “it saves a lot of time.”

The spyglass was chosen simply because it coincides with PJC’s pirate theme, plus it was a way to finally name the only nameless representative of PJC online. “Spyglass is to PJC’s Web site what Argos is to UWF’s Web site,” Martha Caughey,  director of admission and registration, said.

But more than just an icon for easy navigation, the Spyglass “was selected to represent a focus on the future of PJC students” Crann Good said.

In other words, just as a spyglass is capable of spotting things afar before even reaching them, the PJC Spyglass is a figurative representation of students seeing their goals and dreams afar and executing a journey to get to them.

Current PJC student runs for mayor

Moria Dailey

Published: April 12, 2006

Myspace.com, the networking Web site that has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue and subject of multiple newspaper articles, now has a new use.

Byron Tripp is using the Web site to “get the word out” about his mayoral campaign.

Tripp, 24, is majoring in general studies at PJC and will graduate in May; he is also running for mayor of Pensacola.

Tripp said he decided to run for mayor because he has “always wanted to attain political office; now’s my chance - I’m young, I have lots of opportunities and I have a vision for Pensacola.”

“You talk to a lot of people of any age group and they say that you don’t see a lot of young people in politics; now is the time to drop the talk and act,” Tripp said.

He wants to see young people involved in his campaign and in politics in general.

Brandon Mayo, who has known Tripp for about eight years, said he feels that Tripp has a “good heart” and if elected mayor would make necessary, good changes.

Tripp said he feels the current political system in Pensacola is stagnant; he has several ideas that he feels could change the stagnation.

The proposed Maritime Park, for instance, is an issue Tripp feels strongly about.

“I consider that a huge waste of money and public funds; they’re going to reclaim 32 acres of bayfront property; now I’m not against progress in Pensacola, but I am against such a blatant waste of funds because hurricanes are going to come in the next however-many-years it takes to build the park.”

Tripp went on to explain that a structure like that would take years to construct and could easily be destroyed in a hurricane.

“I’d rather see the money used to revamp our public transportation system,” Tripp continued, “and to lobby to Gulf Power to move our power lines under ground, and to revamp the infrastructure of Pensacola proper and make it the premier city in hurricane preparedness.”

The Maritime Park Tripp referred to is a planned $70 million recreation area that would be located on Bayfront Parkway.  The park is slated to contain a maritime history museum as well as several sports facilities.

Tripp officially announced his campaign from End of the Line Caf‚ and McGuire’s Irish Pub and Brewery; though he has not filed for candidacy with the Escambia County elections office, he has until June 1 to file, which he plans to do after graduating.

“Right now I’m just going out and meeting people and telling them what I’m about,” Tripp said.  He is running a completely grassroots campaign, along with the help of some friends.

Mayo, though he supports Tripp in his campaign, he isn’t taking an active part.

“I’m sitting on the sidelines and chuckling,” he said.

Beakers or wetsuits?

Yonit Shames

Published: April 12, 2006

Ask a student what he or she has done at PJC, and you’ll probably receive the usual, less-than-enthusiastic responses: “I’ve studied for college algebra tests,” “I’ve written three English papers,” or “I’ve memorized the names of all of Europe’s kings.”

But if you’re lucky, you just might come across one of the 17 students enrolled in the Special Topics in Biology lab class. Ask one of them, and you’ll get answers like, “I got bitten by a dolphin!” “I snorkeled with sting rays!” or “Man, my tan lines from that wetsuit were awful!”

Believe it or not, PJC offered a course this semester whose lab requirements included testing blubber gloves, measuring heat loss in potatoes, dunking fellow students’ heads underwater. and a three day field trip to Orlando, Florida to swim with dolphins and explore Sea World.

The course, formally called Special Topics in Biology: Marine Mammals, is one class in the Special Topics series offered by the Biology department at PJC. The lab’s companion class is worth one credit and is an overview of the biology of major marine mammals, including bottlenose dolphins, manatees and baleen whales.

But the lab, which is also worth one credit, has a format that is something a little different from the everyday classroom. Ok, very different.

For one thing, each student had to shell out a good amount of money in lab fees- $400, to be exact. However, this included transportation, accommodations in the Hilton Garden Inn, weeklong passes to Sea World, admission to Discovery Cove (an affiliate of Sea World), the dolphin swim- and a resident expert on marine mammals, instructor Jeff Wooters.

On March 3, the class departed by PJC bus at 5 a.m., headed to Orlando for an experience that student Andy Powell later called, “Senior trip on steroids.”

After the nine-hour bus ride, the group recuperated for an hour and spent the first evening at Sea World, exploring the various exhibits and even getting some unusual interaction with some of the animals.

Student Robert Isaacs, for example, was bitten by a dolphin at the Dolphin Cove exhibit.

“It sort of came over and clamped on [my hand],” he said. “The teeth were dull, but it had a very strong grip. It turned from, oh cool, it’s biting me, to oh no, it’s biting me!”

Isaacs said that the trainer explained that like puppies, juvenile dolphins like to chew on objects.

Luckily, the dolphin didn’t break the skin, his hand was fine- and the experience certainly did not dampen his enthusiasm for the trip.

“It was awesome!” he said of the experience.

Wooters said that he was concerned about the cost when the department set up the class, but that the advantages of a hands-on experience made the trip worthwhile.

“I’ve always been a big believer that labs are a better learning experience than classes. Everybody learns differently. The nice thing about labs and especially about field trips is that they appeal to all of [the students'] senses, so everyone can learn,” said Wooters.

After the fact, students tended to agree.

“I’m a more hands-on learner,” said Powell, but explained that the most important part of the trip was “sparking your interest and keeping your interest. After all those classes, you finally get to do something with it.”

The second day was the climax of the trip: Discovery Cove. The park, which only admits a limited number of visitors per day, features attractions such as a coral reef, a tropical river and aviary, and of course, the dolphin swim.

Students and instructor alike donned wetsuits, snorkeled in the company of stingrays and even barracudas and sharks (behind glass, of course!), and then got to interact in small groups with dolphins.

“They had us touch the dolphin, feed the dolphin, kiss the dolphin and ride the dolphin,” said Scott Murphy. “It was awesome.”

Without exception, the class was enthusiastic about the experience.

“The coolest thing was that the first time we rubbed [the dolphin's] back, it came back really slowly and made eye contact, and it was like looking at a person,” said Melissa Murray.

Most students were also impressed with the good treatment that the dolphins receive from their trainers. Some, however, criticized the fact that the interaction was so controlled.

“It was fun, but I wish that it was more personalized,” said Jessica Marcoux, adding that she thoroughly enjoyed the experience and that she was very impressed with the trainers.

Wooters said that the idea for hands-on field trip labs started several years ago, when he took a group of students to Crystal River, Florida, where they snorkeled with manatees.

He said that he has acquaintances who had visited Discovery Cove and that students seemed interested in the idea when proposed it as the next in the Special Topics series. Thus, Special Topics in Biology: Marine Mammals was born.

Wooters says that everything met his expectations on the trip and that it turned out well.

“My favorite part is just seeing people experience things for the first time,” he said.

On the trip, he said he heard “a lot of people saying things like, ‘I never realized how big a manatee really is.’ That’s the difference between book knowledge and experience.”

Unfortunately, those looking to learn more about marine mammals from hands-on experience may have to wait. Each class in the Special Topics series is offered only once, said Wooters. The next class in the series may be offered in the fall, but nothing’s concrete yet.

Any word on the theme of the next one? No, Wooters says. But keep your fingers crossed. If you’re lucky, maybe it’ll involve a comprehensive study of the flora and fauna of Australia.

Blind, but not to ambition

Pamela Griswold

Published: April 12, 2006

Lucretia Brown, 31, is a journalism student unlike any other.

Like many students, Brown is close to finishing her degree. Like many journalists, she voices her opinions and seeks opportunities to inform the public of the world that surrounds them.

Unlike the rest of the student population, Brown is blind.

When asked about her condition she openly states, “Yes I’m blind. I have a disability, but I do accept help because it makes things go a lot faster.”

Brown gets the New York Times in Braille and is an avid reader of many other publications. Her inspiration to get into the journalism program began when she was selling newspaper subscriptions at Publishers Circulation Fulfillment.  Brown felt that she should contribute to the world of journalism because she could relay the events of a story better than the authors of selected articles could.

Brown’s speech is straightforward. Her tone is reflective and her expressions as well as her hands become increasingly animated as she speaks of her determination to succeed as a journalist. She starts by taking a step into her past, her beginning.

Two months into pregnancy, Brown’s mother was thrown from a vehicle while racing sailors at Ft. Gordon in Augusta, Ga. Later in pregnancy, her mother caught the German measles, often referred to as Rubella, Brown explained.

“I was born with cataracts, which surgeons removed when I was 7 months old,” she said. “When I was 5 years old, contacts were placed in my eyes.”

The contacts failed to stay in position. Two years later, at age 7, glaucoma set in, a condition caused due to damage of the optic nerve. Finally at age 11, the loss of sight began to worsen and transformed into complete sight loss.

As Brown finished telling of the difficulties she faced before she was born and throughout childhood, one can see how resiliently she approaches life.

“Lucretia is among the most conscientious students I have taught in 30 years of experience,” said English and Communications Department Head Thom Botsford.  “She works hard and doesn’t hesitate to ask questions. Most important, she doesn’t give up, despite difficulties created by her disability.”

Julia Ruengert, an instructor in the English and Communications department has had Brown in three of her classes.

“There are blind professional journalists. However, choosing to be a journalist in general entails major time commitments,” Ruengert said.  “She takes the extra time to set up interviews in environments that are less distracting, and Lucretia has been willing to accept topics that the Corsair staff needed covered. She is a memorable presence in class.”

Other than attaining a career in journalism, Brown hopes to provide others with an awareness of what it is to be blind. She describes how many people will talk around her, rather than to her.

“I would like people to get a feel that I’m no different from [them],” Brown said.

Getting the motivation to keep going each day “is frustrating,” Brown said, but “I know that if God wants me to do what I’m set out to do, I’m going to do it and that’s with anything. The greatest challenge is getting here and being able to afford it day to day.”

Years ago, Brown says she remembers being told that journalism would be a good field to pursue because of the valuable life experience it would provide.  Life experience is what Brown is gaining in her quest for knowledge, but she confesses, “My ambitions have always been to write a novel.”

As she finishes the last semesters of college, Brown continues to be optimistic about the future and accomplish the goals she has set out to attain. She currently is looking into the possibility of radio broadcasting.

State funded program determined to improve literacy

Kristen Bailey

Published: April 12, 2006

The Adult Base Education  program is opening doors for students in pursuit of a higher education.

The program allows students to attend free classes, with flexible course schedules, in order to obtain their GED or a state issued diploma. Additionally, the ABE program provides classes for students who are learning English as a second language.

District Department Head Carolyn Formsma explained how the program is catered to each student’s individual needs.

“Our program is learning centered. We base their academic plan on their TABE scores.”

The TABE, or Test of Adult Base Education is administered upon enrollment in the program in order to reveal a student’s academic strengths and weaknesses.

“We can get a pretty accurate grade equivalency from the TABE,” Formsma said.

Professor Sharmayne White explains how the classroom experience is molded to the student’s needs.

“We do small groups, or peer groups according to each level. We put a table of students at their own level. It is similar to Adult High, only it has all subjects.”

The program caters to financial needs as well as academic.

According to Formsma, the Florida Legislature is determined to improve literacy skills; therefore the ABE program is funded by the state, allowing students to attend without tuition costs.

Classes are offered on flexible schedules, as a large portion of the ABE students are already out in the work field.

“We structure our classes (to be) three to four hours a day with different subjects at different times,” White said.

“We may do reading for the first few minutes and then take a break. And then do math.”

The potential of pursuing higher education attracts young and old alike.

Students under 18 may apply for the program if they provide a letter of permission or age waiver from their school district.

According to White, the classes help out older students as well.

“We do class enhancement also. People who have been out of school for 20 years can brush up some. I teach people who need to remediate because they’ve been out of school so long.”

No matter the situation, the ABE program certainly provides crucial opportunities for students of all ages.

“It’s an open door,” Formsma said.

Opening a door that people thought they’d closed a long time ago. And it is a safety net for younger students who for one reason or another didn’t make it in the public schools.

Professor White agrees.

“I do encourage it because the reward is great. It motivates the students and increases self esteem. And motivates them to entire other career objectives.”

Because of all of the program’s benefits, Formsma hopes that students will advertise by word of mouth. Due to all of the program’s benefits, Formsma hopes that students will advertise by word of mouth.

“Most of the students know someone who needs this. They can get the word out that we’re here, we’re free, and we work.”

Taking back the night remembers abuse victims

Erika Wilhite

Published: April 12, 2006

On April 6 the University of West Florida hosted Take Back the Night, the largest event of Sexual Abuse Awareness Week. A barbecue dinner took place on Cannon Green; live local bands played throughout the evening, punctuated by guest speakers, including PJC president Tom Delaino and UWF provost Sandra Flake. The speeches were part of the Take Back the Night Colloquium, which also featured poetry readings and survivor’s stories. A candle light vigil - including a moment of silence - rounded out the evening.

“This event was primarily a partnership between UWF and Lakeview Center, and PJC got involved a couple of years ago,” said Emily Mahood, PJC’s volunteer coordinator and rape risk reduction educator. “This is my first year being involved with the project. We all work collaboratively on a committee.”

Take Back the Night is a national event, and Mahood said that UWF’s chapter was founded a few years ago after an on-campus rape.

“[Events like these] bring awareness,” said Mahood. “Residence halls all get involved; Greek organizations get involved, so it definitely brings a lot more awareness to the campus as a whole. For the PJC campus, classes are brought out here, people get extra credit for coming out, student organizations, student government gets involved - it gets the word out that this thing is still pervasive in the community.”

An important part of the day’s events began at 8 a.m. with the hanging of the T-shirts created for the Clothesline Project on the library green. Added to the existing collection from previous years, which has been on display all week, an estimated total of 700 shirts were placed on display.

The Clothesline Project  is a nation-wide program that started in Cape Cod, Maryland in 1990 as a means of addressing sexual violence and a vehicle for the expression of the full range of emotions experienced by victims, survivors and their loved ones.

The project was initially suggested by Rachel Carey-Harper, inspired by the AIDS quilt. She chose T-shirts hanging on a clothesline because laundry has historically been considered “women’s work” and the medium lent itself well to public display.

Those interested in designing a shirt are free to write whatever they choose, but shirts are color-coded to represent the particular type of suffering undergone by the victim. ÿWhite represents women who died because of violence; yellow and beige are for assaulted or battered women; red, pink and orange are for survivors of rape and other sexual assault; blue and green are for survivors of incest and on-going sexual abuse; purple and lavender for women attacked because of their sexual orientation; and black for those attacked for political reasons.

If you are interested in creating a shirt or just learning more about the project, check out http://www.clotheslineproject.org.

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