PJC’s Unsung Heros: The Bus Driver

Madelain Tigano-The Corsair

Photos by Richard Rodriguez

Whether it’s broken down, driving through a tornado storm, or just expe­riencing another day on the road, PJC’s 1985 MCI bus has taken college faculty and students all over the country. But it’s not just the bus that carries the people, it’s the man steering it.

John Noski, 53, is the only full-time bus driver for PJC and has been since 1990. Approaching his 20th year at the college, Noski doesn’t have a traffic ticket to his name.

His perfect record doesn’t come from a test, but from the experience of tour­ing with his former gospel and country-western bands since age 16.

In the early 1970s he got a chauffeur’s license, which was later switched to a required state commercial license used for operating any type of vehicle with a weight rating over 26,000 pounds.

In those days, Noski played the bass and drums for a living. It wasn’t until he met his wife, Stephanie, in 1987, that he sought an occupation elsewhere.

“I enjoyed the music that I played and all the shows that I’ve done, but work­ing for the college has been the best gig for me,” Noski said.

There have been good times on the job, but Noski is always aware of the se­rious responsibilities involved in keep­ing his passengers safe. He remembers the time in either 2001 or 2002 that he had to drive PJC’s softball team to Ala­bama Southern for a game right through a fierce storm.

“We ran across a tornado that had hail, and the hail was like the size of base­balls,” he said. “Luckily nobody got hurt. The bus got damaged; it broke a few windows, but we got through it.”

Noski remembers the girls hugging and thanking him after their safe arrival, and said it was probably the scariest trip he’s endured.

Noski’s efforts are appreciated by many on campus.

“I’ve known John, or ‘Dr. Noski’ as we all call him, for 20 years. He is the best I have ever seen, had, or heard of,” said Athletic Director Bill Hamilton. “I’m his boss, technically, but I call him a friend and I am honored to do so.”

Noski’s nickname, “Doc,” came about when Hamilton called him the “doctor of driving.”

Noski, in turn, has nicknamed the PJC bus the “Blue Goose.”

“I named it the Blue Goose because it’s bright, pretty blue and I feel like a pilot,” Noski said. “Over the years the bands would nickname their buses, and some students today call [this bus] the Pirate Bus or Pirate Ship.”

As the only driver of the Blue Goose, Noski makes sure the vehicle gets its weekly checkups at Goodtime Tours in Pensacola.

“They all ask me at Goodtime Tours, ‘How do you keep this bus looking so good?’ And, I tell them it’s because I take care of it,” he said.

The 25-year-old bus is built by Motor Coach Industries to last 30 years. It’s on its second engine with an accumulated 640,000 miles. Noski hopes that PJC invests in a new one soon “when the economy picks back up.”

Through it all, Noski feels he has the best of both worlds with his job. He gets to travel and he gets to watch sports. Past students still keep in touch with him.

“John took care of me and the Lady Pirate basketball team everywhere we traveled with a big smile on his face,” said Vicki Carson, a retired coach and now health and fitness teacher.

“I enjoy getting up in the morning and coming to work,” Noski said. “I would be lost if I didn’t have this job.”

View John Noski’s 2010 PJC Baseball and Softball route in a larger map

Hoedown for Hurricane Awareness

Gemalie Perez-The Corsair

In 2004, Hurricane Ivan devastated the Gulf Coast with winds that reached over 120mph. Over the five years since the disaster, BRACE’s (Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies) mission has been to inform the Gulf Coast community on various methods to prepare for a storm.

This upcoming Friday, February 26, BRACE will host their first annual Hurricane Hoedown from 6 to 9 pm. The event will include a live performance by CrossTown Band, line dancing led by the award-wining professional dancer Shannon Erdwins of Shannon Productions, dinner, and raffles.

“The Sanders Beach Community Center provides the perfect location for our first BRACE Hurricane Hoedown,” said the executive director of BRACE, Greg Strader. “After being destroyed by Hurricane Ivan, the new Sanders Beach Community Center was built to higher building standards and is an excellent example of the mitigation and preparation efforts that can make such a difference to our community. We are excited to host this fun and unique opportunity for the community to learn more about BRACE and our various programs throughout northwest Florida.”

Tickets can be reserved at bereadyalliance.org for $30. Each ticket will include dinner, two drinks, live music, and dancing.

Be sure to reserve your ticket to participate in this fun and exciting event!

Pirates sweep weekend series against Pearl River

Robert Klawitter-The Corsair

The PJC Pirates baseball team heated up this past weekend, despite Pensacola seeing snow for the first time in years.   The Pirates swept a four game series, which included doubleheaders on Feb. 6 and 7, from Pearl River Community College.

PJC won the first game 6-3, behind “very competitive,” pitching from sophomore Paul Davis, Head Coach Bill Hamilton said.  Davis pitched seven strong innings, totaling 11 strikeouts, while giving up a single run in the second, fifth, and sixth innings.

“I was happy with my performance, but wish I could have finished stronger,” Davis said.

Davis’ teammates made it easier on him, scoring three early runs in the first inning.  Sophomore Tyson Workman scored on a wild pitch after reaching base on a walk then stealing second.  Freshman Shawn McDorman and sophomore Steven Groves both reached base with singles, and were driven in by freshman Josh Doyle’s two-out double.

In the third inning McDorman and sophomore Saxon Butler hit back-to-back solo homeruns to power the Pirates to a 5-1 lead. 

Pearl River answered back with a run in both the fifth and sixth, but was shut down by Davis in the seventh, the final inning in the scheduled seven-inning doubleheaders over the weekend.

The Pirates took the second game 14-4, but despite winning in the sixth by the 10 run rule, the game provided some early challenges for the Pirates.  Starting pitcher, freshman JJ McClaughlin was pulled in the first inning after giving up five consecutive hits which included a two-run homer before recording a single out. 

Sophomore pitcher Wes Winters took over in the first inning, inheriting the bases loaded with Pearl River Wildcats.  Winters got a strikeout from the first hitter he faced, and limited the damage by only allowing one more run to score on a sacrifice fly.

PJC chipped away by scoring two runs off shaky pitching, reaching base on walks four times in the bottom of the first.

Pearl River added a solo homerun off Winters in the second, but it wasn’t enough as freshman Blake Brown blasted a two-run and a three-run homer to power PJC past Pearl River. 

“I just ran into two of them out there,” Brown said.  “The wind helped me out too.”

Winters, “a one to two inning thrower,” Assistant Head Coach Keith Little said, would finish the game pitching four consecutive scoreless innings, totaling five strikeouts on just over 60 pitches. 

“We didn’t expect him to go the distance,” Little Said.  “His performance was big for the bullpen.”

PJC won the second doubleheader 5-2 and 4-0, finishing the weekend series sweep behind freshman Josh Tankski’s complete game shutout in the final game of the series on Sunday.

PJC offers free tax service to local citizens

 

Adriana Dueck-The Corsair

From now until April 14, PJC is reaching out to residents who make less than $49,000 per year for the chance to get their taxes completed for free.

PJC has teamed up to take part in offering its Pensacola site, Building 96, for the free tax program. The Department of Children and Families along with the Southeast Vocational Rehab Center are some of the other locations providing free tax service. 

“This is all volunteers,” Nancy Taylor said, a local citizen who has been in charge of the PJC site for the last four years. “All of us who do it are volunteers; no one is getting paid. I want to let the students know that there are options out there.”

Tax returns can cost anywhere from $45-$100 at firms such as H&R Block. However, this donation and government-funded tax service, provided by local volunteers, has been in operation for the last 10 years.

“The reason that the service can be provided for free at local colleges and government institutions is the fact that the institution provides the site to do it and the government funds everything,” Taylor said.

On top of providing the service for absolutely free to anyone who is under the income cap, each volunteer is specially trained to help file every kind of tax report from

income taxes to specialty tax credits such as Child Tax Credits and Education Credits.

Hope to Harvest: Are bad days merely mental?

by Ansley Zecckine - The Corsair

It all started on a Monday night. After a long day of school, I came home, and before going to bed, decided to exert myself on the living room treadmill. When the workout was over, a cute little migraine came along and decided to exert itself on me. I woke up the next morning with my head still hurting, and needless to say, not looking forward to going to school. So, I didn’t. I skipped class and later decided I’d be more productive with the day if I just went on in to work.

So, I did (sigh). As it turns out, that was the most unproductive day of work any of my co-buddies and I have had in a long time. I messed up, he messed up, that other guy watched us mess up, and even equipment decided to mess up. Oh yeah, and I almost died while trying to move a ridiculously tall piece of scenery for our current theatre production—I nearly forgot to mention that. By the end of the day, I was wishing I could erase it off my mental TiVo and just start a new episode, maybe a whole new season.

So, I did (well, kind of anyway). There were a few days in a row when I heard the same playlist repeated on the radio station while driving to school. It reminded me of a movie with Bill Murray in it where he keeps waking up to the same tune on the radio on Groundhog Day over and over again, reliving the same day. I thought, “What if I faced today as a second chance at living yesterday right, by carrying myself about with the right attitude and refusing to believe it was a day doomed from its bitter roots?” What I’m wondering is if the typical “bad day” follows the 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical rule.

Jesus said, “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man (Mark 7:15, 21).”

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

We often refuse to look at the good things about each day and immediately focus, or meditate, on the bad things instead. However, if the typical “bad day” is 90 percent mental and only 10 percent physically bad, that means that 90 percent of the day was actually good. Now that’s something to think about.

Glenn Beck: standing up for the truth

by Dana Whitten - The Corsair

If you were to go to Google and search for Glenn Beck, you would see thousands of pages related to the radio or the news. As you scroll down and see all the things this man has accomplished, you will be dumbfounded by his immense success. But, what is really impressive is his nationwide popularity. His rare and amusing personality has attracted audiences all over America who say he makes watching the news a privilege instead of a responsibility.

In my case, it’s none of these things that catch my attention, but more so how honest Beck is, even in the face of the tiger. Because of his honesty and unwillingness to back down, the government and its so-called “followers” have labeled Beck as a conspiracy theorist. I beg to differ. The term “conspiracy theorist” gives the connotation of a paranoid lunatic who comes up with unfounded conspiracy stories. I’m sure many of you have watched the show and agree with me that not only is Beck perfectly sane, but he also has proof and obvious facts to back up his statements and accusations.

I have been watching Beck ever since he started with Fox News in January 2009, and I have never heard him make a statement without telling you why, how, when, and where. For instance, in October 2009, political strategist Anita Dunn claimed that Fox News is a “wing of the republican party” and that Fox News is full of lies. Beck responded by hooking up a one-line phone to the White House and basically begging them to call and correct any inaccurate information. Go figure, they never called and still haven’t to this day.

Later that week, Beck showed a video clip in which Anita Dunn said her two favorite “political philosophers,” and the two people she turns to most, are Mao Se Tung and Mother Theresa. Afterwards he read a quote from Mao that says, “People who try to commit suicide, don’t attempt to save them! China is such a populous nation, it is not as if we cannot do without a few people.” The woman who is trying to deface Beck worships a man who thinks people are numbers. Isn’t that one of the biggest problems in today’s world? Sure, I agree there are way too many people in China but that gives absolutely no right to make statements as such and then act as if you are morally correct.

With a mentality like that as a chairman, America is going to have a big problem soon. The second there are too many people, they’ll be putting us into camps and starting a new Hitler era. Now that is a conspiracy theory.

My knowledge of the government and other political institutions has been multiplied by a thousand thanks to Beck’s talk shows, as well as the millions of people who watch him religiously; even on the weekends. I have an enormous amount of respect for anyone who can stand up and say the truth when it needs to be said. No doubt Beck is the man for the job; I reasoned with myself that I had to defend him for his persistence, dedication, and passion for making sure the people of America stay informed. Many news shows criticize Beck for his spunky attitude and heartfelt tears but that is simply because he earned the respect of literally almost all of their audiences and continues to awe people with his courage and decency. Here’s to you Glenn Beck, I’m with you one hundred percent.

Artel gallery hosts new exhibit March 5

by Dana Whitten - The Corsair

On Feb. 5, the Artel art gallery, at 505 South Adams St., hosted a most unique show accepting all types of work from various artists. They called it “The Neo Realistic Abstract Expressionistic Romantic Modern Surrealistic Impressionistic Show.” The exhibit runs until March 5 and the gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The colors were vibrant and the people were alive as the art omitted a beautiful, warm aura throughout the halls. Maria Butler Goldberg, former executive of the Pensacola Museum of Art, juried and judged the diversified art. It ranged from abstract art to having to wear 3-D glasses in order to get the full effect. Acrylic paints lit up the already shining room and artists laughed and shared their intricate techniques with one another.

Along the walls hung the masterpieces of those creative individuals such as Paula Perdue’s “Message in Red”, an oil of a nude against a blood red backdrop. Another painting that showed an outburst of true creativity was Will Crane’s “Heart Shaped Box: a skull in the shape of a heart in the middle of a geometric background brings to life many mind boggling thoughts like the significance of the skull and heart comparison, as well as how far art has traveled since its beginning.

Not even gravity could have held down the true talent oozing through the artists in this show. Although this was the first event I attended at Artel, I am very excited to see what they have in store for us next.

Lights, camera, Ricky: ‘From Paris with Love’

by Richard Barlow - The Corsair

“A truly wonderful thing about cinema is that it is an art form that serves as a medium by which any and all other art forms can be displayed. However, it is the mastery, and more importantly the blend of these art forms that determines the quality of the film.” -Richard Barlow

The preceding was sort of a brief overview of my general movie-going philosophy. I want my readers (all four of them) to understand that my opinion of a movie is spawned from the balance it strikes—balance meaning the sense of cohesiveness between acting, writing, cinematography, musical score etc. Unfortunately, “From Paris with Love” faired rather harshly against my little “ balance theory.”

By far, the heavy strength of this film was John Travolta. For those who haven’t seen the film, his character is basically a very skilled and highly sought after government operative. Though his methods are questionable, unorthodox, and possibly even illegal, he always seems to have a firm grasp on how to handle himself as well as the mission at hand. While this isn’t exactly a new concept, there was an additional tone of humorous arrogance that I found very entertaining. I believe that was a stroke of good judgment.

Sadly, the performances of the rest of the main cast seriously left something to be desired. I would write this off as bad acting, but strangely the writing was such that I had to give the actors the benefit of the doubt. It was the sort of situation where one would have trouble explaining the movie after having just left the theater. Not that it’s hard to understand, but that it just doesn’t keep one’s attention very well. As a result, “From Paris with Love” seemed to rely too heavily on Travolta, who was great (see paragraph three).

Overall, this film was very heavy on action and “Travolta-ness,” but a little too light on some other important cinematic elements. I give it three and a half out of five stars.

2k Games releases the ‘BioShock’ series

by Wade Manns - The Corsair

Genre: First-person shooter/adventure
Rating: M (for violence, blood, gore and strong language)

In the field of video games, few settings serve as effective dystopias like the Rapture of the BioShock series. This underwater city was founded by the wealthy industrialist Andrew Ryan, a staunch objectivist who believed that mankind should be free to pursue its wants and aspirations without the cold hand of morality or ‘the state’ or any kind of higher authority blocking its path. As a result of this, his citizens began research into genetic engineering, which is a risky proposition in any society. (And, to warn you, some plot points here may also bend standard morality.)

They made a breakthrough in the discovery of what they called ADAM. Secreted in a processable form by a previously undiscovered species of sea slug, this substance had the power to rewrite its users’ DNA, giving them new abilities or simply changing their looks.

This substance, when paired with specific DNA rewrites known as Plasmids, gave the users actual powers they could use in their world, whether the ability to set things on fire with a snap of the fingers, or to pick up objects from across the room. With the advent of these chemicals and the ambition to better themselves, the citizens of Rapture slowly decayed into a frayed mental and physical state, becoming known as Splicers.

A doctor working under Ryan, Tenenbaum, discovered a way to implant the ADAM-producing slug in the stomach lining of certain citizens of Rapture (and later on, even those who were not citizens), and condition them to go around and extract the ADAM from the inevitable corpses resulting from excessive splicing so it could be reused. These extractors became known as Little Sisters, for they were, after all, only little girls.

A bloody riot on New Years Eve of 1959 forever altered the landscape of Rapture and turned it into about as desolate a wasteland as an enclosed, urbanized space can be. Ryan managed to survive this ordeal, and repurposed the maintenance workers of Rapture, encased in diving suits, to be the mindless protectors of the Little Sisters. These protectors were known as Big Daddies.

That’s where the protagonist of the first game, Jack, comes in. He hijacked a plane and crashed it into the Atlantic near the lighthouse entrance to Rapture, where he worked for a revolutionary who called himself Atlas. Atlas wanted to kill Ryan, apparently for turning Rapture into the leaking, derelict waste it was, and he needed Jack’s help. Jack fought through multiple levels of the city, killing ravenous, mind-blasted Splicers, as well as taking much of the ADAM he needed from the Little Sisters. He did this by either directly harvesting the sea slug or removing its influence on the Sister without harming her. He did, of course, have to deal with their Big Daddy protectors beforehand; these are arguably the toughest fights in both games (though in the second, the Big Sisters, who are even tougher, make appearances).

Ryan was found and summarily killed, and Atlas turned out to be one of Ryan’s competitors, Frank Fontaine, who now believes he possesses the ultimate power in Rapture; he had become a monster due to his excessive splicing, with brass-like skin and incredible powers. He too is slain after an epic final battle, and Jack, depending on how he dealt with the Little Sisters, either returns to the surface to live out his life in peace, or stays in Rapture to cruelly use the resources under his control and build his own empire.

The second game places you in the role of the first Big Daddy to be pair-bonded to a Little Sister. Subject Delta, as you are known, has free will and a much more agile style than the production-scale Big Daddies which are encountered in both games; unfortunately, you’re just as vulnerable as Jack was in the first game, at least at first.

You’ll go through a more linear form of locations you touched on in the first game, but exploration still exists. You’ll also have to watch over your own Little Sisters as they extract ADAM (and are attacked by Splicers who are attracted by the prospect of getting more of the vile-but-necessary substance). And like Jack, Delta has his own personal agenda in Rapture; he must find the Little Sister (now grown) to whom he was first bonded ten years prior: Eleanor, daughter of the new “leader” of Rapture, Sofia Lamb, who’s developed a religious following after the deaths of Ryan and Fontaine.

The graphics in these games are top-notch, showing Rapture the way it’s meant to be shown, a leaky, cracked, falling-apart underwater city, due to implode at any time due to the pressures of the ocean. Though prosperous in its time, it’s clear this place is no longer habitable in a normal fashion. This is aided by the sound design, which casts ominous creaks and groans throughout the sound stage and makes one feel very claustrophobic.

Add to that some of the best voice-acting you’ll hear in games, both by the main characters and the roaming Splicers, and you’ve got a pair of tremendous, epic, immersive experiences. If you can stomach some of the more controversial plot points in the game, and enjoy this type of game, you’re sure to love this. Five stars out of five, for both.

SSA hosts benefit for suicide prevention

by Rose Jansen - The Corsair

The mission of the Students for Suicide Awareness is to spread awareness about suicide and depression among college students. In addition to spreading awareness, the SSA helps prevent suicide by making the facts and warning signs known, and by offering alternatives.

The SSA will be holding their second Annual Seeds of Hope Music and Art Benefit Show on Saturday, April 3, from noon to 5 p.m. The event will take place on the canon greens at UWF. Tickets will be available at the door and admission is free with any donation. All proceeds will go towards the Mental Health Association of West Florida. 

The benefit show will consist of live music from local musicians, suicide-survivor artwork, a silent auction, door prize drawings and refreshments.

“It is a chance for musicians, students, artists and community members to come together and send out a message of hope,” said Sabra Jernigan, member of SSA and a co-organizer of the event.

Bands that will be playing begin with The Gills as the headliner, Mr. Fahrenheit, Dannica Lowery and Kevin Koontz.

Last year was the first year for the event and there were over 200 attendees and more than $2000 were raised. The group hopes for an even bigger turnout this year.

There will be two additional fundraisers before the concert. On March 25, from 8 to 10 p.m. there will be a Bachelor Night: a date night where musicians and ATO (Alpha Tau Omega, a UWF Fraternity) members will be auctioned. Winners with the highest bid will receive a free dinner and date with the bachelor they choose.

The second fundraiser will be Sushi Night in honor of Chef John Ma. This event will take place Thursday, April 1, 6 to 10 p.m. at the Horizen Sushi Restaurant at 3103 East Strong Street in Pensacola.

The SSA is always looking for new members. The group meets on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. in the Commons at UWF. If anyone is interested in joining or would like more information, contact Sabra Jernigan at SAJ14@student.uwf.edu.

SSA is now accepting donations of money, door prizes and services. Anyone interested in making a donation should contact Sabra Jernigan at SabraJernigan@yahoo.com or (850) 490-4746.

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