Bluegrass bands jam

Published: September 11, 2006

The Pensacola Junior College Student Business Club is sponsoring “Fall Bluegrass Day.”

The concert is slated for noon to 8 p.m. Sept. 30, at the Milton campus under awnings in front of the Student Activity Center.

Rain or shine, come with your lawn chairs to hear the sounds of Sawgrass Revival, Southern Sounds, Whistlestop, New River, Dog River Boys and Grassfire.

Tickets for the Gulf Coast Bluegrass Association presentation cost $3. Concertgoers under age 16 get in free. Concessions available all day.

For more information, call Charles Samuel at 850-994-4070 or Tom Easley at 251-987-1624.

TV’s top 10: The new must-see shows this fall

Marisa Guthrie:  New York Daily News

Published: Septmember 11, 2006

Not since “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost” premiered two years ago and further widened the quality gap between smart entertainment on the little screen and the dreck flung at movie screens, have so many hot shows blown in like autumn leaves.

It is indisputably the year of the drama. “The Nine,” a mystery with style and heart, and “Friday Night Lights,” a football melodrama that comes at you like a 300-pound linebacker, are among the best new shows to premiere in any season.

The influence of “24″ and “Lost” is fully realized this year in serialized dramas (”The Nine,” “Kidnapped,” “Heroes”) that unfold over the course of the season.

It’s as if network executives have finally awakened to the fact that viewers’ attention spans far surpass that of a gnat (or their own), and just maybe there is room on television for something different.

Which brings us to “Ugly Betty.” Based on a telenovela set in the bloodthirsty world of a high-fashion glossy, “Betty” is unlike anything else on television. America Ferrera is absolutely perfect as the proverbial ugly duckling who ends up turning heads and stealing hearts.

So after viewing the pilot episodes of all the new shows, except “Brothers and Sisters” _ which wasn’t available because of substantial reshoots _ here is a rundown (in descending order) of the top 10 for 2006.

1. UGLY BETTY

Thursdays, 8 p.m., ABC

America Ferrera, who was so irresistible in “Real Women Have Curves,” again inhabits a character who slowly schools the superficial snobs around her that real women have heart. Ferrera is Betty Suarez, a socially awkward Latina who gets a job as the assistant to a womanizing fashion magazine editor (Eric Mabius). The boss sets about humiliating her so she’ll quit (and he can hire an X-ray sycophant who looks good at meetings and under his desk). You’ll admire Betty’s pluck, relate to her insecurities and cheer for her triumphs. “Ugly Betty” is a thing of beauty. Vanessa L. Williams co-stars.

2. THE NINE

Wednesdays, 10 p.m., ABC

“The Nine” borrows a page from “Lost,” beginning with a catastrophic event and working backwards, each week peeling away another layer of the onion skin to reveal the tragedy in full. In this case, nine people are held hostage for two days inside a bank by gun-wielding psychos. They include Tim Daly as an off-duty cop, Chi McBride as the bank’s manager, Scott Wolf as an ER doctor and Kim Raver as a hardened corporate hotshot. One of them is killed and the rest are irrevocably changed. The first episode ends with a twist so ominous, you’ll be on tenterhooks waiting for the second episode.

3. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Tuesdays, 8 p.m., NBC

As the coach of a Texas high school football powerhouse, the always affable Kyle Chandler has found the perfect part for his aw-shucks, salt-of-the-earth persona. In this town, football is not just a game, it’s everything. Gaius Charles plays the team’s star running back, whose mouth moves as fast as his feet, while Taylor Kitsch is his equally mouthy rival. Zach Gilford is the team’s third-string quarterback and Jesse Plemons plays his nonathlete best friend. Their scenes together crackle with such genuine camaraderie, and they seem like such sweet boys, you’ll want to take them home to meet Momma. Above, Connie Britton and Aimee Teegarden.

4. HELP ME HELP YOU

Tuesdays, 9:30 p.m., ABC

Ted Danson is at his befuddled best in this comedy about a therapist and the collection of misfits he meets with each week for group therapy. The supporting cast, including Jere Burns as a misanthrope prone to angry outbursts and Darlene Hunt as the patient who keeps making unwanted advances toward Danson’s Dr. Hoffman, are wonderfully quirky. But Suzy Nakamura is the standout as Inger, a 25-year-old self-made millionaire who is excruciatingly, painfully awkward in social situations. You’ll cringe with her, not at her.

5. HEROES

Mondays, 9 p.m., NBC

Who hasn’t wished they could read minds, stop time or leap off of tall buildings without breaking so much as a fingernail? “Heroes” mines the fantasies of childhoods spent watching “Superman” in our Underoos. Milo Ventimiglia is a mild-mannered dreamer who thinks he can fly. Hayden Panettiere is an indestructible cheerleader. And Masi Oka is hilarious as a nerdy anime fan who discovers _ to his abject delight _ that he can pierce the space/time continuum.

6. STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP

Mondays, 10 p.m., NBC

Aaron Sorkin has created another irresistible slice-of-life behind the Great Oz curtain. Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry play writing partners with plenty of baggage. Whitford may have a recurring addiction to cocaine. Perry is perilously close to keeping up with him. And this is the team Amanda Peet’s comely TV executive chooses to save the network’s foundering late-night comedy show, one that looks a lot like “Saturday Night Live.” D.L. Hughley is underused in the pilot as the show within a show’s host. But Judd Hirsch, as the show’s fired executive producer, turns in such a fabulous Howard Beale moment you wish Sorkin would find a way to keep him.

7. KNIGHTS OF PROSPERITY

Tuesdays, 9 p.m., ABC

This is the show formerly known as “Let’s Rob Mick Jagger.” The Knights, as this artless band of burglars have christened themselves, are looking for an easy payday. But since prosperity doesn’t grow on trees, they hatch a dubious plan to steal from someone so stinkin’ rich he won’t miss a few bucks. Jagger is hilariously hedonistic in a few cameo scenes. And Donal Logue is priceless as the Knights’ mastermind.

8. KIDNAPPED

Wednesdays, 10 p.m., NBC

Dana Delany and Timothy Hutton play anguished parents whose 15-year-old (Will Denton) has been abducted on his way to school. That they have a big insurance policy on their son and make sure he is never without his armed bodyguard (the excellent Mykelti Williamson) will raise some red flags. What are they hiding? Delroy Lindo and Linus Roache are the FBI agents who are going to find out. Jeremy Sisto is the former agent hired to quietly find the boy.

9. 30 ROCK

Wednesdays, 9:30 p.m., NBC

Tina Fey, the star and head writer on “Saturday Night Live,” plays the embattled head writer on a show a lot like “SNL.” There to make her life a living hell are Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan. Baldwin is masterful as a clueless network executive who keeps failing up. And Morgan is a coddled actor with a shaky grasp on reality. In the pilot, Morgan has a meltdown and runs down a Los Angeles freeway in his underwear. He said he based the character not on Martin Lawrence (who was busted in a similar situation) but on his “Uncle Rick.”

10. SMITH

Tuesdays, 10 p.m., CBS

Ray Liotta plays the leader of a team of thieves who is living a double life as a white-collar suburbanite. There are shades of Henry Hill (Liotta’s “GoodFellas” character) in his performance. The anxiety of a man who finds himself in circumstances he can no longer control _ and that may very well get him killed _ jumps off the screen. Simon Baker and Jonny Lee Miller are standouts as members of his team. As Liotta’s wife, Virginia Madsen is the portrait of love and support, until we learn that she has clattering skeletons of her own.

(c) 2006, New York Daily News.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

PJC Classic - Friday

Lindsey Chavers

Published: August 23, 2006

The Pirate Volleyball team proved they are a force to be reckoned with at the PJC Classic, the tournament held at the Milton campus for area community college teams, on Friday.

They started off strong against Southern Union Community College from Wadley, Alabama.   During the second game, which they lost, the Pirates were using a majority of freshmen.

“They are getting some time to play and making the best of those situations.  They’re getting better and better as time goes on,” said Head Coach Pete Pena.  The Pirates won 2-1 with scores of 30-14, 28-30, and 15-12.

The second match was up against the Cougars of Lawson State Community College of Birmingham.  The Pirates defeated the Cougars 30-22 and 30-17.

“We did alright today.  We put ourselves in a bit of a pressure situation in the first half, but I’m very proud of our responses,” said Pena.

Experienced PJC volleyball team takes the court

Published: August 23, 2006

A plastic sign hangs from the suspendhed track railing in the Milton L.I.F.E. Center.  “Commitment to one another,” it says in bold blue letters.

Beneath the sign, the PJC volleyball team practices with  all the intensity of a conference game.  After a botched play, Coach Pete Pena gently reminds one player to honor that commitment - “That’s alright, we’ll play around you,” he says with mild sarcasm.

She smiles sheepishly.  Point taken.

In volleyball, a well-coordinated team effort is more effective than that of individual accomplishments.  Experience and commitment are essential to molding a winning team.

This year’s PJC volleyball team has both experience and allegiance to the program.  Seven of 10 of last year’s freshman return for a second year, with state tournament action listed on their resumes.

“It’s really great to finally have seven that understand what you need and what you are asking for right from the beginning, but also understand the level of play that it takes, the intensity level,” Pena said.

Last year’s young team, with just three sophomores, advanced to the state championship series with a win in the final game of the season against Gulf Coast Community College.  Although they were eliminated in the first two games in the state tournament, they finished the season a respectable 13-9.

Returning players include Alysia Girod and Margo Yates, who both were selected to the all-tournament team.  Both know that with experience come more expectations.

“We have a lot of experience and the team has really clicked. It gets rid of a lot of nervousness,” Yates said.  “Our practices are really intense.  We try to make practice seem like a game.”

Players seem to flourish through the training techniques of the four-time Panhandle Conference coach of the year.

“Coach Pena pushes us,” Girod said.  “He lets us know how to improve.”

Although the roster is packed with experienced players, Pena is careful not to single out a single leader.

“The strength of our team is our team,” he said.  “We have seven sophomores who supply us every single day with outstanding leadership.  How well they play together, how unselfish they are.they are absolutely a joy to be around and a great example.”

Nor are an individual player’s statistics an indicator of a successful season to Pena.

“I think a better season individually doesn’t necessarily mean a better season for PJC volleyball,” he said. “We don’t talk in terms of numbers.  We talk about what we can do to be a better team every day and everything else takes care of itself.”

A return to the state championship certainly is on the minds of the team, but Pena is careful in his predictions.

“I predict that we’re going to play very, very hard every night.  I predict that we’re going to play together every night, and I predict that when it’s all said and done, we’ll all be very proud of one another.”

Train like a Pirate

Published: August 23, 2006

If you are looking for a place to work out but don’t have time to take a class, try the weight room in Bldg. 1 Room 125 on the Pensacola campus. The facility is free and open to students, faculty and staff with a PJC ID during posted hours.

The weight room is an alternative to the facilities in the L.I.F.E. Centers which require users to attend classes and labs before using the machines, according to Doug Rogers, intramurals coordinator.

“We have a cardio room with treadmills, stair climbers and stationary bikes,” Rogers said.

Another room houses Nautilus equipment, free weights, pulling machines and squat racks.  No experience is needed; Rogers has staff on-hand to answer questions.

“We have experienced, trained staff and they can help adjust the machines to different body types,” Rogers said.

Plans include installing cable televisions in the cardio room so exercisers can listen while they work out via headphones with FM transmitters.

There’s only one catch.  When the PJC athletic teams and weight training classes use the facility, it’s closed to others.  But other than a few hours mid-day, Rogers hopes to keep the weight room open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.  To check for open hours, look for the notice posted on the door, or call 484-1317.

Maritime Park proposal gets debate on WSRE

Melissa Brown

Published: August 23, 2006

It’s probably one of the most important decisions local voters will make this political season, next to electing a new governor.  The Maritime Park proposal has generated more conversation than any other issue and WSRE wants voters to hear from both proponents and opponents on a special one-hour telecast of  “Connecting the Community.”

The show is scheduled to air at 7 p.m. Aug. 31 on PBS.  The live televised symposium will feature a panel of local journalists moderated by WSRE’s Robin Woods, providing viewers with an unbiased discussion of the proposed multi-use waterfront park.

“It’s an important community decision with implications stretching far into the future of Pensacola.  We want to provide citizens with the facts in an organized and non-partisan format, one last time before the vote,” said Tony Ferguson, program producer, in a press release provided by WSRE.

PJC students welcome a chance to hear both sides of the issue.

“I’ve heard about all the stuff they wanted to include, but I haven’t really heard that much about the opposed side,” said PJC student Nichelle Zeidman.  “I do think it’s important if people are voting on what’s happening to the land that they should be informed of the possible outcomes so they can better determine what they think is going to be right for the community.”

Although several public meetings have been held on this controversial subject, many Pensacola residents still are unable to determine fact from fiction.  Here are several key facts:

- The proposed site is approximately 30 acres of bayfront property in downtown Pensacola between Devilliers and Spring streets (across from City Hall).

- The City Council approved the purchase of the land from Trillium Co. in 2000 (previously owned by Chevron) with intent to build an auditorium, open park, and commercial space.

- In 2003, city residents voted to prevent the Council from continuing any further action to develop the land with the proposed plan.

- The current maritime park concept includes a multi-use stadium; UWF classrooms, offices, and conference room; a maritime museum; performance area/amphitheater; and open green space. (A lighthouse, public marina, and other amenities are planned to be built later with private funds.)

- The public portion of funding would come from an existing tax fund designated to revitalize the downtown area.

- No new taxes would be required to build the park.

- The Pensacola Pelicans will lease the stadium at $175,000 per year for 10 years.

eCorsair.com is new face of journalism at PJC

Melissa Brown

Published: August 23, 2006

Where do you get the majority of your news?  Do you rely primarily on the printed newspaper, or is the Internet your main newsgathering hub?

In this age of media evolution, more and more people are turning to the web for news and information, and PJC’s Corsair is right in step with the changing trends.

“A sign that our culture is different from past cultures is to see change in the way that we inform people of current events,” said Corsair Multimedia Director Zeke Hazewinkel.  “There’s been a big surge towards electrical means of broadcast, but I think it would be beyond comprehension to ever see print being outmatched by other sources.”

PJC has published a student newspaper since 1950; in 2004 the Corsair began offering an Internet version of the free press, found at www.ecorsair.com.

But that’s not all.

New to the website are multimedia articles that blend several different types of media - print, audio, photography, video, illustration - and “tell a story in a way that involves more than one of the senses,” Hazewinkel said.

“You can’t always tell a story [only] in print,” said Corsair Adviser Christina Drain. “It just doesn’t come across the same way.”

“We’re lucky at PJC,” Drain continued, “because we have a broadcasting department, we have a multimedia department, so we have students that are already being trained on other parts of the campus.”

And that training is essential to the development of new broadcasting techniques.

“A lot of stuff I’ll learn in my classes just across campus I apply here at the Corsair the very next day,” Hazewinkel commented.  “It makes worlds of difference because I’m learning and applying in a matter of 24 hours, and it’s really interesting to see what I’ve learned come to life.”

With the popularity of i-Pods and mp3 players abounding, the Corsair staff is joining the ranks of other journalism professionals and producing entertaining and informative podcasts, facetiously dubbed iCorsair.

Podcasts are “another up and coming trend and a lot of colleges are starting to do it,” Drain said.  “We’ve got everything we need to be able to create Podcasts.”

“We really have state-of-the-art editing equipment,” Hazewinkel said. “We have the capabilities of producing top notch, top quality productions.”

“And that’s where I think we as a community college really shine because we’re able to just go out and do this,” Drain said.  “Here at the Corsair it’s not a lab; [the staff is] actually working in the field so they’re able to take this information and run with it.”

And run with it they will.

If you would like to be a part of these exciting journalistic changes, drop by the Corsair office (Bldg 4, Rm 469) and apply for a paid staff position.  The full-time editor-in-chief position is still available and other staff is needed as well.  Come join the fun and be a part of an award-winning crew at your student publication.

College adopts student job description

Published: August 23, 2006

The PJC learning centered college coordinating team recently adopted a set of strategies to help students become better learners.  The Corsair plans to cover the concept in a future issue, but we want to hear from students and faculty.  Leave us your thoughts at www.eCorsair.com in the comment section at the end of this article.

Becoming a successful student is very much like mastering a new job.  In order to excel, it is necessary to know what is expected of you.

In a learning centered college, a PJC student is expected to:

1.  Read and understand the college catalog

2.  Read and use the college class schedule (paper or on-line) as he or she registers each           semester

3.  Check with his or her major department for current information on requirements &           curriculum

4.  Talk to an advisor about the required courses needed for your major

5.  Schedule classes so that the most effective learning can occur

6.  Allow adequate study time per week for each course

7.  Show satisfactory academic progress

8.  Assume responsibility for his or her education

9.  Make use of the college library (LRC)

10.  Develop a plan for increasing his or her listening skills and improving study habits

11.  Take notes during classes

12.  Work collaboratively with other students

13.  Evaluate his or her own progress

14.  Attend all class sessions and be on time

15.  Complete all work when absent from class

16.  Read, understand, and follow the instructions in the course and district syllabi

17.  Complete reading and writing assignments in all classes

18.  Turn in assignments on time

19.  Complete work without cheating or committing plagiarism

20.  Actively participate in class

21.  Make appointments with professors during assigned office hours

22.  Exhibit respectful behavior at all times

New Gordon Rule counts assignments, not words

Published: August 23, 2006

Students who are enrolled in the Associate in Arts program will see a number of changes this semester. One of these changes concerns the Gordon Rule requirement for writing-emphasis courses.

In past semesters, students have been required to write a specific number of words in writing-emphasis (Gordon Rule) classes. As of fall 2006, courses designated as writing-emphasis will require a significant writing component, designated by assignments rather than by word count.

“The Gordon Rule writing requirement has changed to require students to have at least 12 credits of courses designated as writing-emphasis courses,” Martha Caughey, PJC admission/registration coordinator, said. “At Pensacola Junior College, we will continue to consider all courses currently designated as writing emphasis as eligible for the 12 credit requirement. Students in A.A. programs will complete ENC1101, ENC1102, and a general education literature course of their choice. Those three classes will comprise nine of the required credits, and a student will then be required to enroll in at least one additional writing emphasis course.”

Students will choose the additional course from their general education requirements (humanities, history, behavioral science, social science, etc.).

PJC’s redefinition of writing-emphasis course requirements reflects changes mandated at the state level by the Florida Board of Education and the Florida Board of Governors on Nov. 7, 2005. Instead of a word count requirement, the state Board of Education has ruled that “the student is required to demonstrate college-level English skills through multiple assignments.”

“It’s good news that we no longer have to count words to meet a state requirement,” said Thom Botsford, head of the English and Communications Department. “The quantity of words says absolutely nothing about the quality of writing.”

At the same time, Botsford “is a little concerned about the vagueness of the new guidelines. The state still mandates 12 credit hours of coursework in which students are required to ‘demonstrate college-level writing skills through multiple assignments.’ It is up to each college to interpret “college-level’ and “‘multiple.’

“The English and Communications Department hopes that students will write abundantly in these courses under professional guidance-whether the teachers hold master’s degrees in English or not.”

PJC is strongly supportive of the “writing across the curriculum” concept. Students will find that many of the general education courses include writing.

According to Caughey, “The change is simply the legislature’s way of relieving the quantitative measurement of the writing, not the qualitative measurement. Just because the state is lessening the number of writing courses required does not mean that the College is lessening the writing in our courses.”

‘Bright’ students receive full tuition at community colleges

Published: August 23, 2006

Medallion scholars attending community colleges now get 100 percent of their tuition and fees paid thanks to the Florida legislature. The House bill was signed by Gov. Jeb Bush in May and takes effect for this fall semester.

The scholarship is one of several awards that make up the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, created in 1997 to recognize academic achievements of high school students. Previously, the scholarship paid 75 percent tuition.

“This is a big deal for students to be able to get more money for college,” said Michelle Horton, recruitment specialist at PJC.

About 900 Florida Medallions scholars attended PJC in 2004-2005, receiving almost $900,000, according to the Florida Department of Education.

“We’re trying to get the word out so the students of this area can reap the benefits of the Bright Futures scholarship,” Horton said.

Next Page »