by Amanda Patrizzi

Public libraries, book stores, Starbucks… there are only so many places to get studying done in St. Petersburg. Whether it’s due to hours not open long enough, too much noise in the area, or even just too many distractions; it is too hard to focus and get work done.

Being an SPC student means having to commute back and forth to school. There are no dorm rooms where people get together with other students just to sit down and study, and at-home living environments can make it hard to focus on studies. There are different factors that can affect your study habits without you even knowing, such as lighting, color, decorations, and much more.

This is simply a Do It Yourself Guide to making your bedroom more study friendly.

Lighting: The lighting of your bedroom can very much affect your attentiveness when you study. Dim or low light makes it hard to see words, which means that you are not always picking up everything that you think you are. Also, dim lighting is psychologically depressing.

Lindsay Dorio a communications student at SPC says that she rarely studies in her room because she studies at night and her room’s lighting is “too dim and relaxing… it puts me to sleep.”

Also, bright and fluorescent lights trigger you to be distracted. Dr. Ellen Mannel Grangaard, who did a study of the effects of color and light on selected elementary students, found that “fluorescent lights contributed to off task behavior, such as daydreaming, playing with objects instead of listening, and talking to others during a lesson.”

Thus, when designing your room you want to find the happy medium. Something with natural lighting that isn’t too dim and depressing, but also not too bright and distracting. If it’s daytime, try an open window with the sun beaming in… that’s about as natural as it comes. At night, try a clip-on desk lamp that has a flexible neck so that you can adjust how much light you get. If you can find one with different lighting levels that would work even better.

Color: Color is an important factor in the physical learning environment and is a major element in interior design that impacts student achievement. Different colors work better in different environments. For example, kindergarten classes use bright colors such as yellow and orange to excite the children.

Therefore colors that are good for your bedroom could be  turquoise, magenta, light gold, light green, beige, and  burgundy. These colors are not extremely bright to distract you, but also not dull and boring to put you to sleep.

When Jennifer, an early college student, was asked if  she thinks color affects her studying she said “yes, my room  use to be purple and after we painted it teal it became much more relaxing.”

Colors to stay clear of are yellow and red. Yellow is bright and excites the brain making you hyper,  while red triggers hunger. Dunn and Dunn research says  that most fast food signs such as McDonalds, KFC, and Pizza Hut logos are red to make you hungry and get you to come eat.

Now that you have the room color and lighting to get you in the correct frame of mind, you need to have a place to actually do your work.

Workspace: Jennifer and Lindsay both did not have a functional desk in their rooms. They were discussing how when they try to do homework in bed they always fall asleep.

“You sleep in your bed, so when you try to study you’ll get tired because that’s where you sleep,” says Jennifer.

The desk size you need depends on what you are studying and what you need the desk for. If you are a drawing student you will need a wider desk. If you have a computer or laptop you will need something sturdy with an outlet nearby.

Ikea often has a sale on a basic desk. An example is a 27 x 19 x 28 inch desk with no drawers or storage for a little under $20. Also, thrift stores often have recycled furniture that just needs a little tender love and care to get it back to tip top shape. But, just in case you’re still not sure. Here is a fun idea:

DIY Desk: You will need milk crates and an interior flat door. (You can replace the door with new ideas such as plywood although plywood is more expensive) Keep in mind this is a large desk.

Stack up milk crates to the desired height you want for your desk (approx. two or three crates high). You will want four pillars which will act as the legs for the desk. Position the openings of the milk crates facing outward so that they can be used for storage later. I suggest black milk crates only because they are common and go with anything.

Zip tie your milk crates together on the three sides that don’t face the eye. Do not worry if the zipties are viewable because you could always paint them black to blend in.

If you are ok with the texture and color of the door you could leave it as is. If not, you can sand, prime, paint, and design to your liking. Once dry, place the door on top of your milk crates.

The easiest way that I can think of, although this is of course not the only way to secure the desk top is with a drill and zip ties.

Start with just one corner and leg. Drill two holes about an inch or two apart somewhere in the middle of that crate. In between your two holes I suggest making an indent or groove for the zip tie to lie into so that the zip tie is not sticking out on top of the desk.

Repeat the hole-and-groove process for each corner. Then feed the zip through the crate grate and the holes on the desk, keeping the clip part of the ziptie on the bottom of the desk top.

This desk will have plenty of room for a computer, tower, and keyboard. Also it is easy to move and has built-in storage.

Now that you have a desk with some storage it is time to get organized. One of the most difficult things about study rooms is storage and organization.

Organization: The crates you used for your desk legs are great for school books and binders. Binders are difficult to keep standing upright so the crates work exceptionally well for those.

Jennifer mentioned, “I have a desk but it’s always cluttered so I usually do homework on my bed.” Little did she know that there are so many at home fixes to storage problems. Here are a few:

An easy pen-and pencil-storage solution is a small shoe box with either empty toilet paper rolls or paper towels rolls cut in half. This is more for the art student who have many pens, pencils, paintbrushes and etc.

Also, for small items like paperclips, staples, USB drives, rubber bands, and etc. try empty Altoid or mint containers. They can be labeled or colored and painted to tell the difference.

Just like you don’t take notes for every class in one notebook, you don’t want your paperwork for every class in one bin.

Try cutting cereal boxes open to use as a magazine folder or file. There are two great styles to use… one for hanging and one for sitting on the desk top.

<For hanging you want the front shorter than

the back but not so much shorter that papers

fall over.

For on the desk you want to be able to see them from the side so that you are taking up less room on the desk

Inspiration: If you are going to school to be a nurse then hang up pictures of happy nurses and patients. Have quotes hung up on your wall about studying and succeeding. Hang pictures of people who inspire you, such as Einstein or a particular doctor. If you are religious, find quotes, Surahs, Passages or whatever you believe in about perseverance or strength that inspire you to keep going.

Last but not least… hang a sign on your door that says:

Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U) is a fighting game featuring characters from DC comics that is developed by NetherRealm, the company known for the Mortal Kombat series and the crossover spin-off title, Mortal Kombat vs. DC. Like the former crossed fighting title, DC required a teen rating, but allowed NetherRealm freedom with letting them give their own spin to the characters’ design and moveset. To put their fans at ease, the company replaced the aspect of violence with-over the-top action such as interactive objects on the stages and devastating Super Moves.

Instead of having one match consisting of two rounds, Injustice is made up of one round with each fighter having two bars of health. During the fights, the stages will become damaged from the power of the characters’ attacks, causing buildings to collapse, streets and floors to crack, and statues, or Aquaman’s throne in Atlantis, to crumble to bits. Also, the fighters can show their extensive damage taken in battle; their outfits and armor are dinged and faded, skin is scraped, and some blood is seen in or around wounds. Following the rating requirement, little muscle is exposed and bones are not seen at all. On certain parts of the level, a fighter can send their opponent flying through a stage transition by a heavy attack. In Gotham City, a fighter can be knocked off of a rooftop, going into a cinematic that shows the character being crushed into a nearby building via a wrecking ball, falling onto the subway tracks before getting hit by a subway car that was forced off its ruined tracks because of the wrecking ball, and crashes through a neon sign that says “Welcome to Gotham City.”

Currently, there are 25 playable characters on the roster, including famous heroes and villains such as Batman, Green Lantern, and Doomsday. Other unexpected, but welcomed, characters are Killer Frost and Ares, the God of War from the Wonder Woman comic series. NetherRealm plans to release at least four characters through downloadable content, and the first one released was the bounty hunter Lobo. Batgirl was announced via the game’s Facebook page, and was seen in a gameplay trailer about two weeks ago. Along with characters, alternate costumes will be released in packs of three; a theme with three costumes for three characters. One such pack was called the “Teen Titans” Pack which included costumes for Deathstroke, Raven, and Cyborg from the animated Cartoon Network hit of the same name.

Come to the Seminole Campus for Combo Con! It will be a great day to relax, socialize, and best of all, play some video games!

Going once! Going twice! Sold! Sold! Sold! These are the words that every classic car owner wants to hear when their car crosses the auction block. Two weekends a year, Hollywood Wheels Auctions & Shows puts on a classic car auction in beautiful West Palm Beach, Florida. Their shows go off without a hitch, and they have some of the most beautiful and rare cars you will ever find. When you walk through the showroom doors at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, all you can see is cars. The one thing that makes this auction company unique is that it is family owned and operated.

A lot of time and effort goes into putting on a car auction. Hollywood Wheels Auctions & Shows’ home base is located here in Largo, FL. The car consignments start coming in 6 months prior to the actual auction date. The office staff starts processing paperwork, entering the cars into their computer system, putting them on the website, and making the folders for the auction. The employees collaborate with each other and their designer to come up with magazine covers, ads, signs, and posters. Business really starts to pick up once the ads go to print and people all around the country start to see them.

About a week before the auction takes place, the staff of Hollywood Wheels packs up their office here in Largo, and move to The Palm Beach County Convention Center for 10 days. When the staff gets to the convention center, setup for the auction begins. What starts off as a big empty room turns into an office with 10 desks, computers, a fax machine, and just about any other office supply you can think of. Out back the large empty showroom gets transformed once the stage and auction block get set up, and also when the cars start to come into the building and are put into their correct spot and staged. The last thing to go up is the American Flag. Once the flag is up they are just days away from show time.

When Thursday rolls around, the final touches are complete and the kickoff party begins at 3pm sharp. The party is open and free to the public. The showroom is opened up and people can come and look around at all of the unique, rare, and beautiful cars. No two cars in the building are the same, and each one holds its own story.  The kickoff party wraps up around 6pm, and the staff leaves early to get a good dinner and a good night’s sleep. Friday and Saturday are the big days for everyone involved. Doors open at 10 AM, and the National Anthem is sung at 11 AM sharp, kicking off the day and the auction weekend. The days are long for the staff, but the excitement of the crowd, and the overall energy of the auction keeps them going through their day. Each car gets 3 minutes on the block. In this period of time, the award-winning auctioneers do their very best to sell each and every car that crosses the block. The best part of this auction is that it is all ran by a family. Everyone had their own job, and by working together they put on amazing event.

The Auction runs twice a year, one weekend in March and one weekend in December. Tickets are $20 per day, and kids 5 and under are free.  Doors typically open at 10 AM, the auction starts around 11 AM, and it ends between 6-7 PM.  For any additional information visit their website www.hollywoodcarauctions.com or call 1-800-237-8954.

“The Great Speedup”

The American employment system has changed. The only jobs available to individuals these days do nothing to better the future of America, or the American worker. These types of jobs feed into a never-ending system that stifles any chance of people escaping. Whether it is a blue or white-collar job, employer’s demands are up and pay is down. Poor wages and poor hours have pushed workers in this country to the brink of insanity.

There is word for this and it has been subtracted from the American workforce’s vocabulary: Speedup. Mother Jones was so fascinated by the ever growing trend they created their own series entitled, ‘The Great Speedup.”

This is the basic definition:

Speedup: an employer’s demand for accelerated output without increased pay

A paycheck was once something to be proud of, representing the American dream of self-accomplishment. There is nothing like earning money, enough to pay for more than the bills, but those kinds of paychecks do not seem to exist anymore. Employees cannot even take time to enjoy success because a supervisor is busy whispering in their ear about how much they suck. And forget about being treated like a human being; workers are now considered machines that have a nasty habit of asking for rights. But workers who recognize this have either been silenced by fear or guilted about feeling “entitled.” No job is safe from domineering employers.

New Demands on White Collar Employees

During the recession everyone cut back, and companies looked to employees to help pick up the slack. Whether through loyalty to the company or fear of losing their job, these employees stuck it out and helped corporations prosper. Thanks to the American workforce, the U.S. economic output has nearly returned to pre-recession levels. The numbers show the amount of dedication workers put into their job.

Mother Jones reported the results of a study by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development on the average amount of time worked by employees worldwide. They found Americans worked an average of 1787 hours in 2011. We work 374 hours more than Germans and 122 hours more than the British. There are only 11 other countries that dedicated more time to their profession, including Korea, Chile, and Russia.

The hardest-working of these 11 countries is Mexico. Employees averaged over 2200 hours a year. Even with the demand on workers, though, Mexicans still receive one to two weeks of paid vacation time, maternity leave, and spend 24 hours a week away from work.

So what was the American return for all our increased productivity? (You work, you know) nothing. Workers are slaves to their profession in and outside the office and have seen no reward for it. Wages have limped along, without even attempting to keep up with work demand. (John Silvia, chief economist at Wells Fargo, predicts there will only be a 1.9 to 2.1 percent increase in the next year for wages.) Outside the office, Americans spend the majority of their “off time” submersed in emails and business calls, and many receive no paid vacations or maternity leave. (Some of the only other countries that do not require time off for new moms include Liberia, Samoa, and Swaziland.)

This seems to make no sense, right? Well, the main reason for this new work system is because corporations learned a valuable lesson from the recession: you can fire half of your staff and still make a profit. In fact, over 20 percent of companies say they will not up their employment to pre-recession numbers. Instead, they have created what the Wall Street Journal is calling “superjobs.” Layoffs no longer just mean higher unemployment; those who stay employed are also expected to pick up the slack.

While this may have been considered “belt tightening” at the height of the recession, it is now looked at as the perfect way to save a dime. Since 2007, corporate profits have increased 22 percent, while productivity of workers has quadrupled since 2008.

And you think all that hard work will at least lead to better pay? Hah! You’re funny. In a recent survey by Spherion Staffing, 53 percent of surveyed workers had taken on more than their job description, while only 7 percent saw a raise or bonus. The workload has become so overwhelming that 53 percent of those surveyed said it negatively affected their health. Employees are commonly pushed to the breaking point, with only feedback from employers being, “you’re not going fast enough.”

The survey concluded that only 5 percent of respondents enjoy their work and would not consider looking for another job. Ladies and gentlemen, you are far from alone in your deep-seated hatred of your job.

The Temporary Blue Collar Workforce

While white collar America has seen a sharp rise in demand and a slope in pay, the ones who have really been blindsided (for years now) are those in minimum wage jobs. While minimum wage has only increased in real value by 21 percent since 1990, the cost of living has gone up 67 percent.  For a worker to have “real economic security,” their income must surpass $30,000. The average minimum wage employee makes $15,080. Hmmm, unbalance much?

The real losers of this system are those employed in the food industry. The Food Chain Workers Alliance conducted the first survey of its kind looking into the wages and working conditions across the entire food industry. 20 percent of the country’s workforce is the driving factor behind the $1.8 trillion commerce, yet only 13.5 percent make a livable wage. 37.6 percent of all food employees (including fast food, meat processing, servers, etc.) made a poverty wage. Over 27 percent of workers were on Medicaid (compared to 19 percent of all industries) and 13 percent were on food stamps (compared to 8 percent.) Everything from hours, to benefits, to work safety fell flat.

Unfortunately the food industry is not an isolated case. All minimum wage industries have begun to fight back. There have been a growing number of workers protesting Walmart, fast food and retail walkouts, objection from Weight Watchers staff (who saw 15.6 percent decline in wages last year), and on, and on, and on.

The worst part, though, is the disappearance of full-time employment for people stuck in these sectors. Mother jones’s Gabriel Thompson did an investigative report into the ever-growing temp industry. He followed a 600-office temp agency called Labor Ready. This company finds “employment” for over 400,000 individuals, greater than the workforce of Target or Home Depot.

These kinds of places are not designed to find full employment; it is simply an assembly line of “warm bodies.” As Thompson put it, “[These industries] Specializ[e] in ‘tough-to-fill, high-turnover positions;’ the company dispatches people to dig ditches, demolish buildings, remove debris, stock giant fulfillment warehouses—jobs that take their toll on a body.“

And this is currently the fastest growing sector providing “jobs”. In 1989, the number of temporary manufacturing jobs was 1 in 43. In 2006 it had jumped to 1 in 11. These are the jobs the “parasites” of Social Welfare are finding. Thompson went on to report, depending on the state, anywhere from 15 to 40 percent of Labor Ready’s workforce were former welfare recipients.

The reason for so many temps? Cheap labor that requires no benefits or job security. This is not just a place for the poor to find work; it is also a cash cow. Labor Ready’s parent company, Trueblue, saw a 55 percent increase in profits last year, upping their sales to $1.3 billion dollars through using Labor Ready’s workforce.

The American workforce is being exploited at this point. The only real reason for demanding more and more from employees who are paid less and less is for a higher payouts to executives and stockholders, not because the these corporations are in trouble.

Next week: Redefining Laziness: Parasites on Environment

A trail of chicken feathers led Mary Lancaster to a Belize bed and breakfast where she had the best chicken she ever tasted. Mary was in Belize six years ago as part of an SPC study abroad program. Ecology was the subject she signed up for, but it was a small part of the knowledge she came home owning. The meal “… was a kind of empanada with sweet potatoes,” she said. “The backbone was still attached to the chicken and some of my classmates wouldn’t eat it. I told them to give it to me. I ate it all.”

SPC’s Study Abroad program allows you to earn the same three or six credits for courses you planned to take anyway, but is set in a dynamic classroom. Immerse yourself in Spanish culture, dance, and film while you stay in Spain with a local family who speak no English. Study international business in Costa Rica where you will visit Intel, Tech Data, and other corporations. Learn their business challenges and how cultural differences affect business etiquette and rules for establishing relationships. Walk along the streets of Florence where the early Renaissance period lives. Study High Renaissance and Baroque period in Rome as part of the Humanities class and where Tim Wolter, faculty leader says, “…they have toilets older than our country.” Explore jungle biodiversity and 2000-year-old Mayan ruins in Belize for a class in Tropical Ecology. Travel to London and tour the Globe Theater where Shakespeare worked. Take in a couple of theater performances as you learn the Theater Arts. Social Psychology doesn’t get any more real than in Derry, Ireland, where you learn through a personal account about civil rights and riots, the clash between religions and politics, and the effect it has on the people who live through it.

Ramona Kirsch, Director of the Center for International Programs at SPC, pulled Thomas Friedman’s book The World is Flat off her shelf to emphasize its point. Friedman argues economic interdependence between nations necessitates more communication with each other. Ms. Kirsch opines, no matter what discipline your professional life takes, all students benefit from a global perspective, and the ability to understand the larger world and our society’s place in it.

On a personal growth level, Ms. Kirsch said, “this is not a vacation.” The program gives students first-hand knowledge and a different world view perspective. She says travel reduces prejudices and helps students’ intellectual development. Joshua McKeown, Director of International Education and Programs and an instructor in the Global and International Studies Department at the State University of New York at Oswego, goes further in his book The First Time Effect. Beyond cultural and linguistic benefits, he shows how study abroad programs promote intellectual growth for those travelling for the first time. McKeown says the organized travel experience in a “supportive environment with appropriately challenging activities and programs” is more effective than passive learning on your own. SPC’s Study Abroad program is the perfect venue.

The courses are staggered, with most offered during the summer. The earliest travel date is May 2nd for England and the Theater Arts, but pre-travel class time for that course begins April 3rd. Most programs have class time scheduled before and/or after the travel dates. Anna Faiola, a SPC international programs representative said students can take online courses while they study abroad to avoid interference with the semester, however some students admitted internet access while out of the country could be sporadic. If you need credits and are taking Spanish, check into the optional work experience program. You can earn three additional credits in the program. The Ireland trip offers two courses—Social Psychology and International Relations. Do the course work for both to earn more credits on the same trip.

The biggest impediment for most students is the program cost. The Study Abroad website includes individual user friendly spreadsheets for every country. Students can change entries to suit their situation. Have a passport? Deduct $135 from the bottom line. Find a cheaper flight? Substitute your figures for the numbers provided on the spreadsheet. One non-negotiable charge is the $200 application fee. Also mandatory is student dependent travel/health insurance. Costs are influenced by the length of the program (London is 7 days, Ireland is 16 days) and travel distance (Central America or Europe). They run from $2508 to $4531 with the average total cost according to Director Kirsch of $3300. This includes course fees and books, transportation, lodging and most food. Spanish language students have the option to extend classes by three weeks for $1200. Anyone can choose to extend their trip for personal travel time. The people in the Study Abroad program office are ready to help you with planning and travel arrangements.

Students are encouraged to apply to as many scholarships as are appropriate. In addition to other applicable SPC Foundation scholarships, study abroad specific options include four at $925 and five at $800. Also available is $2500 toward a bachelor’s degree and $1000 for need-based Honors students.

It’s important to travel with a desire to explore and try new experiences. Mary tasted the best chicken ever because she wasn’t going to let an unusual presentation stop her. The rain forest wasn’t at all what she expected. Unlike in the movies, she was surprised to learn you don’t need a machete to clear a path. Her Ecology research project about parasites became more than theory when she met someone who had removed one of those parasites from under his skin. A little apprehensive before she went, she relaxed and was comfortable when she met the other students, who were also from different backgrounds. She no longer felt like “a fish out of water.” She had other adventurers for company.

For course details, cost spreadsheets, itineraries, available scholarships and student blogs, check out the website www.spcollege.edu/studyabroad.

If you are like me in thinking, “I’m not worried about how I am going to repay my loans, I will just do that new loan thingy that Obama’s been talking about”, think again. Yes, it is true that 1.6 million Americans with previous debt will qualify. A total of 6 million students will benefit from this program. The problem lies in thinking it’s just going to happen automatically. With all the hype that’s swirling around this topic, it’s easy to get confused or even turned off. The government has tried to make understanding loan repayment options simple with the Student Aid sites. What they haven’t done is fully explained the backdoor regulations to the program once you’re in. For some of us who thought the Pay as You Earn program was open to anyone with a job, the following information might come as a shock.  As it is with all loan repayment options, you have to fit certain qualifying criteria, and if you haven’t been paying attention or just assumed that you will qualify, like me, then you will want to read further.

In 2009, President Obama began a mission to ensure that America would once again be the global leader with the most college graduates. Starting with the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2010, his vision was realized two years ahead of time, giving more struggling borrowers the option to qualify. In order to accomplish this, the 2010 Act weaned out the banks, saving the government around 60 billion dollars, which is now being given back to students in the form of higher Pell Grant awards.

The problem that I am finding with loan repayment programs is that the fine print is hard to decipher; a problem that many students face when they are filling out financial aid documents. The language that is used requires a law degree to understand and that can spell trouble later on when its time to start making payments. As it stands currently, the balance of defaulted student loans sits at $19 billion and counting. A tall sign that change is needed. Obama’s intention with this new Pay as You Earn initiative is to hopefully help students get a better head start without causing another financial crisis. Yet, the lack of forthcoming information about non-qualifying barriers could prove to be one of its downfalls.  Students might assume that payments will be automatically deducted from each pay check as I did. This mentality could lead individuals to take out more loans than they should, deepening our country’s debt. If you are interested in figuring out how you will stack up when it comes time to repay, check out the Student Aid calculator. Here you will also find a link that will help you locate your loans if you are unsure where to start.

Having said that, going to school is the best way a person can help themselves and their family. Statically speaking, those who attain at least an Associate degree are worth on average about 2.2 million dollars over a life span, verse 1.1 million for individuals with only a high school degree. This number increases as a person furthers their education. But, that also means for some of us that student loans will be the only answer. As President Obama has been quoted saying, “We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money, can still get the best education possible.” I personally believe that the other obligation he has is to cast a light on the hidden agenda behind the programs, as well as a responsibility to set upfront expectations on repayment options. As it stands currently, filling out Student Aid documents can feel like a blind leap of faith, faith we put into our country to catch us before we fall. American student loan borrowers deserve the right to know what life will be like after school. Not, as it currently stands, finding out right before they sign on the dotted line.  

In The Quiet Fields, poet and artist William Boden invites his readers into a world where nature reigns supreme and creates a visceral experience of all its powerful, compelling elements. Instances of wind and water, fire and ice, find their way into nearly every poem presented in the collection.

Boden’s greatest strength is presenting experiences in nature as active, reflective exercises of human emotion. In the opening poem “The River” for example, memory and contemplation are activities representative of living a full life:

“The river flows slowly close to shore.
Young men come here alone at night
To brood over women they’ll never see again.
On these flat, dry rocks, old men can stand
And gaze without having to smile, whirlpools of water
Flowing behind canes, and young boys reach for wet stones.”

Lest the imagery whisk the reader away to quiet places on among rivers, fields, and streams, Boden illustrates his firm grasp of classic literary techniques with alliteration, assonance, and sibilant construction that make poems like “January 27th,” “The Path,” and “Class Reunion” a delight to read.

When Boden strays from his rich command of scenic imagery to delve into less abstract narrative poems with a clear and formidable speaker, a certain detachment asserts itself. In “The Cliffs of Insanity,” the theme is strong and the lines are telling and descriptive, yet the narrative voice is more compelling when he crafts more subtle, provocative verses rich with longing in better-crafted pieces, such as “Dream Map,” “Billiards,” and “After Mexico.”

A strong collection of poetry, the most impressive piece by far is “Mosaic,” whose greatest strength is its triumphant culmination of abstraction, narrative, and imagery to incite feeling and reflection in a way that exemplifies Boden’s inspirations and intentions.

“The craftsman waits: sunsets on bad days
bring color to life the way clouds brush
maroon and gold on a stormy sky.
He picks ruby and ochroid tiles, works fast.
Today’s failures: with chapped hands
he swings his pick-axe where needed.
The icebox of the world distracts us
while we wait for his next strike.”

The Quiet Fields is a strong collection of poetry in which Boden creates a wide open space for memory and contemplation to roam free.

The event started off with a guest speaker Regina McCombs of the Poynter Institute. She shared a presentation called “Video Future.” She spoke about how working with social media is on the rise and everyone should take advantage of it.

Christopher Hicks, winner of Best Video Game Creation

After McCombs was finished, the first SEmmy of the night was given out for the category of Best Video Game Creation. Christopher Hendrick took the award home with his game, Star Wars: The X-Wing Wars, which seemed slightly similar to the space fighter game Galaga. He later won the Best Website Design SEmmy.

The first high school winner was Anna Tonnu of Dixie M. Hollins High School, who won the Best Internet Design category. Her site was a virtual Rubik’s Cube. The site features a Rubik’s Cube simulation and tips on how to solve it as quickly as possible.

One major star at the awards was Charlie Parker. He won the Best Camera SEmmy for his video “The Warehouse” and Best Direction in “Picture This.” At the end of the ceremony, Parker’s “The Warehouse” was awarded the title “Best in Show” and won a $500 prize.

Congrats again to all of this year’s winners! We hope to see entries from you next year.

by Dina Athanassie

SPC student Katherine Lafayette and her newly adopted dog at the Race to Adopt: Dog Adopt-a-thon

St. Petersburg College student Katherine Lafayette and her family had discussed adding a dog to their family but were waiting to find the right one. When Lafayette walked into SPC’s Race to Adopt: Dog Adopt-a-Thon at the Tarpon Springs campus on April 4, she had hoped to find that special dog there.

SPC’s Race to Adopt: Dog Adopt-a-Thon was organized as part of the One Book One College series, a program wherein faculty and staff chose a book to incorporate into that year’s lessons and organize events supporting the book’s theme throughout the year.

This year’s selection is The New York Times best-seller, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, a heart-warming story about a race car driver written from the point of view of his loyal dog, Enzo.

Paula Knipp, a librarian at the Tarpon campus, felt the event was the perfect way to celebrate the book. She said, “Since our book this year featured a dog and his relationship with his family, I thought that hosting a dog adopt-a-thon would give animals and humans the opportunity to share the same bond. Our local shelters have so many animals that need homes and creating our event to showcase that really helps bring awareness.”

Originally slated to take place outdoors at the Amphitheater, the event had to be moved inside due to rain. That didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits, least of all the animals who were excited to socialize with the people who came to visit them.

The event was made possible by the Tarpon campus Student Government Association (SGA), who generously provided funds for the event which included pizza and beverages. Along with the SGA, the Latinos United Club also provided assistance by promoting the event and providing volunteers for the day.

The importance of volunteering can never be underestimated, particularly when it comes to animal shelters and rescue groups where volunteers literally save lives. Knipp hoped that the event might inspire students to volunteer adding, “College students make wonderful volunteers and this way they could meet some of the local shelters and rescue organizations in our area.”
Those organizations included Pasco County Animal Services and local rescue group, Placing Misplaced Pets.

The event wasn’t only for the dogs; Placing Misplaced Pets brought along some kittens in need of homes. They turned out to be quite the attraction, playing non-stop in their cage and completely unfazed by all the dogs at the event.

One lucky kitten found his “forever home” at the event.

SPC student Shelby Hensley had been looking for a Bengal kitten for quite some time. She saw the kitten on Placing Misplaced Pets’ website, and looked forwarded to meeting him at this event. Hensley said, “He met the exact criteria I was looking for: he’s a boy, he’s a Bengal, and when I saw him on their website, I knew this was the cat I had to see.” She filled out an adoption application found on the group’s website prior to the event so the paperwork portion of the adoption process would already be completed.

As for Lafayette, she found the dog she was looking for in a floppy-eared shepherd mix named Dazzle. When Lafayette sat on the floor to pet Dazzle, the dog began affectionately licking the student, laid down in the student’s lap, and stayed there. After a phone call to her mother, Lafayette started the process of adopting Dazzle.

The well-attended event was a success, particularly for the 3 dogs and 1 kitten who found their new families there.

Going to see a friend’s band’s reunion show at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, I didn’t have high expectations for the opening bands, but every local music hound knows your worst day at Jannus is still pretty darn good. Imagine my surprise when the bluesy, rock-laden sounds of Trigger City Trio filled the Jannus courtyard at a reggae/punk fusion show. Even more of a surprise, their opening song had lead singer, Andy Grey, channeling the late Bradley Nowell of Sublime to a background of southern rock mixed with reggae. By the time the second song had started, this band had managed to get my attention away from the bar and to the front stage, which was quickly filling up with fans drawn like moths to a flame. I was not alone in wondering who these guys were; as we all floated to the stage in awe, murmurs of “who is that”” and “where did these guys come from” could be heard throughout the crowd.  If you haven’t seen Trigger City Trio yet, you are definitely missing out on one of the most creative and energetic shows that you can see in St. Petersburg.

The song we were now listening to was soulful, pure Southern Rock, and easily could have been JJ Grey’s next new single.   I had never seen with my own eyes the equivalent of someone “slappin’ the bass”, but that was exactly what bass guitarist Tim Nichols was doing. The follow-up to that incredibly movement-inducing song can only be described by the sole sentence I wrote down that night: “If Chris Cornell and JJ Grey got into an argument, this song is what it would sound like if they made up.”  With the heavy solo guitar riffs of straight rock and roll, blended with bluesy breaks of southern rock, this was a song written to showcase the obviously talented Andy Grey’s guitar work.

Combined with the ever energetic Tim Nichols’ bass and the sharp, on-point percussion by drummer Ryan Smiley, the only thing more impressive than this group’s charisma and talent was that out of their seven-song set, not one song sounded like another. I’m not even sure that any of these songs were in the same genre. A heavy blend of rock and roll, southern rock, jazz, and reggae with soul rhythms kept this girl and the rest of the crowd on our toes.  What I do know is that if, like me, you have somehow managed to miss these local boys perform around town, you are missing a definite highlight in the ever-expanding music scene that we are blessed to have here in Pinellas County.  These guys have made a permanent home on my radar and they should be saved on yours as well. See you at the next show!