Summer Times 2007

BY KATIE MARTIN

In the past generations, kids and teenagers enjoyed their summer days soaking in the sun at the park or playground in the fresh air. Nowadays, in a generation where technology reigns supreme, teenagers are constantly “plugged-in” to such technological devices as televisions, cell phones and iPods.

“I can’t live without my cell phone. If it’s not with me I feel awkward and like a part of me is missing,” said Cypress Bay senior Adam Brock.

Many teenagers today are fixed on music and an MP3 player, such as an iPod, is an easy way for people to tune in whenever they feel the need. These technological gadgets allow listeners to get in the groove whenever they feel the need, like while running, traveling and sometimes even while studying.

“I love my iPod and I use it constantly. I can keep all my music, photos and videos on it and view them whenever I feel like it. I use it when I’m bored or just when I want to hear my favorite songs,” said Cypress Bay senior Alex Angert.

In the past, road trips would be kept entertaining through games like “I Spy” or by reading classic novels, but in the past couple of years cars have become equipped with the latest and most advanced technological additions. These gadgets include iPod adapters, stereos and even televisions which enable travelers to watch their favorite movies or television shows and sometimes even play their beloved video games while traveling across the country.

“Whenever I travel I make sure I have my iPod with me as well as my portable DVD player. Road trips are extremely boring if I don’t have something electronic to entertain myself,” said Coral Springs Charter senior Casey Goldstein.

Travel-size devices have become increasingly popular and people can be found attached portable gaming devices like Playstation Portables (PSP) and the Nintendo DS. On these systems users can play their favorite video games wherever they might be.

“I love my PSP. It’s portable and it keeps me busy when I’m waiting for something or just looking for some kind of entertainment. It’s a good addition to have to my collection of video game systems because I can take it with me wherever I go,” Angert said.

Technology is constantly increasing and becoming something that enters most peoples’ lives daily.

“The idea that someone can just pick up a small gadget and be entertained for hours is amazing. It’s funny how generations have changed and forms of entertainment have become more technological,” Brock said.

BY LEAH ARNOLD

GAINESVILLE, FL – On Wednesday, Kristen Harmel addressed students at the UF Summer Journalism Institute (SJI) in what has been dubbed “the best lecture of the entire week.”

Kristen Harmel has a job that thousands of girls dream about. She’s interviewed stars like Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, and Katie Holmes. She writes for People magazine covering events such as the Super Bowl and the MTV Movie Awards. She’s also written three popular novels, worked on the “Daily Buzz” TV show, and lived everywhere from Paris to New York.

She graduated summa cum laude from UF in 2001, with a major in journalism and a minor in Spanish, which she claims is “very helpful and useful if you want to work in Florida.”

“Oohs” and “aahs” echoed from the audience as Harmel began her speech: “I just arrived from London, where I was sent to interview the Harry Potter movie actors. Daniel Radcliffe is a sweet, funny guy…”

Buckets of personality bubbled from her tiny five-foot frame as she spoke to the students. A former UF journalism alum herself, she seemed comfortable addressing the next generation of Florida writers. Her speech was entitled “Beyond the Red Carpet: Entertainment Journalism,” and she spoke about her personal experiences breaking into the industry.

“I love being a journalist because it gives you insight into human nature and allows you to ask tough questions,” Harmel explained.

She credits UF’s journalism school with helping her arrive where she is today.

“I would not have accomplished anything I’ve done in my life if I hadn’t come to UF. Honestly it was the best decision I ever made. UF played a huge part in what I’m doing now. They helped me get the internships that got me a foot in the door.”

Harmel began by explaining her high school writing experience. At age 16, she sent query letters to a small magazine and became a published writer, going on to work for the St. Petersburg Times while in high school.

“Start small. Any writing experience will help down the line. Try to write for local publications, and tell them you’re eager to learn and willing to work hard,” she urged.

She also stressed the importance of internships. An internship with People magazine between her junior and senior years of college lead to her full-time job as a reporter.

Harmel told of her favorite story assignment. She recounted the story of a Holocaust survivor who started out working in a hotel kitchen, and eventually moved up to hotel management. He is now a millionaire who started an organization to help children.

“You get to meet famous people and celebrities, but you also get to meet good people who’ve done good things,” she explained.

When asked if she gets intimidated before celebrity interviews, she admitted that she’s “been nervous before, especially when interviewing cute boys.”

She then gave some interview advice: “Completely over-prepare. I always have a list of questions to refer to. Also, take a recorder and hand-written notes. My recorder broke during an interview once, and I had not taken any notes.”

At the end of her lecture, students gathered around Harmel to ask questions and take pictures. 16-year-old Jordan Moore described the event as “so inspiring” to her as a future journalist. Emily Nance, age 17, was impressed by how much Harmel had accomplished at such a young age.

“Her life is just such an inspiration and is so parallel to my future hopes as a journalist that I really appreciated her coming to speak to us,” gushed 17-year-old Katie Sullivan.

Shreya Murthy, 16, is an SJI student who has attended two of Harmel’s workshops in previous years.

“You can connect and really relate to her,” she claimed. “She’s really helpful, and out of all the speakers, she had the most practical advice. She told us exactly how she broke into the industry. I want to be her in 10 years!”

She was full of encouragement and advice for those who desired to follow in her footsteps: “Never sell yourself short. Definitely believe you can do it. Everything I’ve done is something you can absolutely do. You just need to have confidence and then go do it. Take the initiative – you have nothing to lose.”

BY JOEY POLITO

In one word the weather in Gainesville can best be described as “sticky”. When you walk outside your feet stick to your sandals, your shirt sticks to your back, and you try to stick to the shade. Not to mention being stuck behind 47 hungry soccer girls in the lunch line, or stuck in the elevator on the fourth floor—but that’s another story. With highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s Gainesvillians along with the rest of Florida are in for a toasty couple of weeks.

Here at the University of Florida’s Summer Journalism Institute walking is the only means of transportation for students. The current temperature may say 86, but, with the handy-dandy “Heat Index” measurement, weather reports can now helpfully inform us that it actually “feels like 92”.

While students complain about the heat saying that it is “unbearable” and the amount of sweat they produce is “disgusting” they might be surprised to hear that there are sweatier people in the United States. In fact, Old Spice named Orlando the 23^rd sweatiest city in their Sixth Annual Ranking of Summertime Perspiration. It was concluded that the citizens of
Phoenix, Arizona, the first ranked city, produced an average of 26.3 ounces of sweat per hour while in the summer average temperature of 94 degrees. Their sweat from just one day could fill an entire Olympic sized swimming pool.

Help is on the way though. The rest of the week’s forecast has a common theme: scattered T-storms. Earlier in the week the best we could get was a slight breeze and perhaps a small afternoon drizzle. But with The Weather Channel predicting storms each day until late next week, perhaps our prays have been answered.

Speaking of storms, how about this amazing 27 day streak without a hurricane report? Headlines from the National Weather Service read: “Still tranquil in the tropical
Atlantic.” The names for this year’s giant swirling balls of wind and death have been excellently selected. With names such as “Felix”, “Ingrid”, and “Sebastian”, feel as if your grandparents are actually the ones tearing off the roof of your house and knocking trees onto your car. Or take it overseas with “Humberto”, “Pablo”, and “Olga”.

In conclusion Floridians just be glad that so far the most we have to deal with is a little moisture on our brows and backs instead deadly Atlantic storms. But if you’re still feeling too heated just think—at least I don’t live in Phoenix.

“Current Temperature: 102 Feels like: hell”

BY MICHAEL EISENBERG

What happened this year to the 2005-2006 Miami Heat champions? Did they lose power, strength, and unity that they once had? Although, it may seem like the Heat have a great team, think again. Half of the Heat team was filled with veteran players such as Gary Payton in his 16th year of NBA Basketball, and Shaquille O’Neal in his 14th season. These veteran players could not compete with the young bunch of Chicago Bulls in the playoffs.

“The Bulls totally outplayed the struggling Heat, “said Miami Heat Fan Lane Hacker.

These mighty Bulls brought some fierce play to the table. The Miami Heat were unable to compete with their young talent. Something needs to be done in order to turn the Miami Heat back into champions. But what?

With big names on the market this year such as Chauncey Billups, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, and Jermaine O’Neal., the Heat must make a big move.

“I think that they need someone who is going to step up and provide some scoring and defense,” said Hacker.

Whether it is a forward, guard, or center, the Heat need some young superstars. The veteran players are not providing enough support for the team. Antoine Walker although only 31 years old, plays more like he is 50. Gary Payton has already earned his championship ring with the Miami Heat, so he plays a laid back type of game. Last but not least, Jason Williams. Every other week this player is facing some type of injury such as leg, back, or knee pain. Considering the fact that the Heat have two of the oldest guards in the NBA, they need to come up with a strategy to catch a young guard.

Rebuilding is the only way that the Heat can win a championship again. If the Heat do not change the look of their team, don’t look for them as fierce competitors in the 2008 playoffs. Pat Riley, head coach of the Miami Heat, must take control and come up with a solution. Forget about looking for the big names that were once good 10 years ago. Look for the young players that could easily run 48 minutes down the basketball floor. Riley has the ultimate decision whether he wants the Mami Heat to be champions again,” said Hacker.

“Get all you can while you’re in college,” John Wright told 87 eager students who were bursting with curiosity about the up’s and down’s, the truths and rumors about applying to college, focusing on the standards and procedures University of Florida uses.

Wright has 21 years of teaching at the University of Florida alone, but has taught at Purdue University as well as the University of Alabama. He is the Interim Dean of the College of Journalism and Communications, as well as a professor in the Department of Telecommunications. Wright is filled to the brim with information on what to do and what not to when you are applying to the school of your choice.

When the question about what looked better to the people in admissions — taking hard classes and getting average grades or taking a regular classes and receiving all A’s — Wright laughed and said, “It’s better to take hard classes and get good grades.”

He did agree that if you receive a C in an Advanced Placement class the people in admissions will take the difficulty of the class into consideration. Wright also made it clear that even if you don’t have as many AP classes, as long as you keep your grades up, you’ll still have a chance of being accepted.

Everyone is always curious about which GPA the college looks at — the weighted GPA or the un-weighted GPA. While everyone hopes that it is the weighted GPA, Wright said that at UF they look at un-weighted GPA.

Wright also explained that your “GPA does not tell you everything.”

Having a variety of extracurricular activities, community service and internships is also very helpful. While answering the questions on your application “try and let the people who are reading them get to know you through the application.”

Wright strongly stressed the importance of the essay. His tip on how to be “edgy” was to write a really good essay that will stand out from the rest and help you be remembered.

When it comes the dreaded standardized tests, the SAT and the ACT, Wright suggested that you take them as many times as you can so you have a chance of bringing your score up.

He also informed many students of the appeals process and explained that if you are denied but are very passionate about the school, formally appeal the decision and ask for reconsideration for admittance.

If your school does have class ranking, Wright agreed that being farther up on that list will help you, but if you aren’t you should have things that “counteract” that, such as the “essay you write and the experiences you have.”

Students often worry about the number of letters of recommendation they should send out, wanting the number to be neither too small nor too big. Wright agreed that three or four is good, but ten is not good.

“Ten could work against you,” he said.

If you are taking your first two years of college at a community college and want to transfer Wright recommended “keeping up your GPA up, be on track with courses you’re supposed to be taking and check with the office of student services.”

Many of the students were wondering how to get into the College of Journalism and Communications — after being accepted to UF of course. His advice was “get into UF, go to the preview, put your name on a list, let’s say ‘journalism telecommunications,’ and you’re in as long as you keep a GPA of 3.0 or better.

Most of the students in the room believe their career will be in journalism of some sort, so when asked what he thought about being a specialized journalist or knowing a broad range of topics, he replied “Learn all you can across as many platforms as you can.”

Some were concerned if the people in admissions were less likely to admit students from out of state or not. Wright clarified that they weren’t less likely to admit out of state students and they wanted students from out state, although out of state tuition is substantially more expensive. The University does not have a matching system, but those who are interested in the College of Journalism and Communications should apply for a scholarship because they are “blessed with lots of scholarships.”

Wright clarified a lot of misconceptions about applying to college, giving the students an inside look at the experience from a professional’s point of view.

BY FRANCESCA ASCIONE

Although driving offers teenagers a new form of independence and bold new experiences, it is nothing new that teen drivers are the most reckless and least experienced on the roads. Although teen drivers make up a mere 7% of licensed drivers, they account for 14% of all vehicle fatalities and 20% of all reported accidents, according to the The Association of Public-Safety Communications Website. These statistics are not stagnant; unfortunately, they are constantly increasing at an alarming rate with nearly half of all teen deaths being vehicle related.

Utah research, directed by Dr. Natalie Z. Cvijanovich, poses the question: “What factors contribute to the increased accident rate among teens?” Their findings may shock you. One major contributing factor is that teenage drivers may not yet have fully developed decision-making abilities and judgment. Adding to the lack of development, teenagers also underestimate dangerous situations and overestimate their own skills as a driver. Their decisions on the road can be highly influenced by peer pressure and/or other stresses. The Utah researchers hope that their findings may inspire others to take action in providing young drivers with this information in order to create safer driving conditions for everyone.

There are mixed feelings about the current safety status of our roads. Some say that we are safe but others disagree. Due to stricter regulations and new laws that are in effect to protect teen drivers and others, many say that we are safer now than ever before. The Nevada Legislature’s Website says that holders of learner’s permits in the state must submit a written log of the dates and times they have driven before applying for a driver’s license. Hawaii requires that all teens must complete a mandatory driver’s education course in order to apply for a license, according to the Department of Motorized Vehicles’s Website. Since October of 2000, Florida law requires that those under the age of eighteen years who are applying for their driver’s licenses must hold a learner’s permit for twelve months or until their eighteenth birthday, not acquire any traffic violations, and be certified by a parent or guardian to have at least fifty hours of driving experience, at least ten of which must be of nighttime driving. Teens who were issued a license prior to October of 2000 were exempt from the previously stated requirements. These regulations are a major step in the right direction from what formerly was in effect.

Others believe that even though laws and regulations are protecting teen drivers, they are not making a significant change. According to the National Safety Council, traffic crashes are the leading cause of teen fatalities and account for 44% of teen deaths in the U.S. This certainly raises concern for those who believe that the laws and regulations previously put into effect are working. The NSC also states that teenagers driving at night with passengers are four to five more times as likely to crash than teenagers driving alone during the day. These concerns are prompting states to pass stricter legislation for teenage drivers, but where is the line drawn?

We seem to be moving in the right direction. Yet, with the teen vehicle fatality rate so high, are the laws and regulations effictively working? Those whose lives have been personally impacted by an accident will be more open and willing to voice their concerns about teenage driving. On the other hand, those who are content and satisfied with the laws and regulations, (most importantly the results of the laws and regulations) will most likely speak in favor of the current situation. Any way you look at it, you cannot ignore the statistics and how this issue has impacted the world we live in.

BY BRANDY FLOOD

The moment we all left for UF, we were probably all thinking about the same thing –“Where’s the nearest computer? I want to check my myspace/facebook.” Myspace and Facebook are great essentials for a summer program anyway; you can keep in touch and comment to your heart’s desire. It’s also a great conversation starter: “Hey, do you have a Myspace/Facebook?” Before our era, there has never been a community website so popular like these two and there’s no telling when it all be laughed upon and forgotten.

A lot of us have mixed feelings about both networking sites: Myspace is a lot more customizable and personal, and Facebook is a lot safer. But overall, which one is best? It’s truly as difficult as choosing Orbit over Stride. Teens are now indecisive about which one truly outdoes the other because, like technology, everything keeps getting better and better. New features are added all of the time and, of course, everyone has different opinions about them. It really is an opinionated decision, not to mention a teenage controversy.

There are several pros and cons for both Myspace and Facebook. Myspace includes music pages, advanced editing, and a extensive network and the cons would be multiple advertisements and errors. Occasionally Tom, the Myspace founder who is literally friends with everybody, will post an informative bulletin describing what errors are currently taking place. Does “This profile is currently undergoing routine maitenance” ring any bells? A Facebook pro that everyone loves is uploading pictures quicker and a scary con is everyone can see what you’re doing on your wall. Multiple surveys online said that Facebook is alot more practical than Myspace. There really isn’t any right or wrong choice. The two most popular social-networking websites on the Internet, Myspace and Facebook, are equally addicting.

Safety for both these websites is gradually improving. There are privacy settings on Myspace and Facebook that keep the unwanted out of your profile. Facebook, however, requires your full name and your school email to ensure that you are really who you say you are. On Myspace, you can create your first and last name and/or make yourself unsearchable if you wish.

Every survey website on the Internet claims that Facebook is superior to Myspace, mainly because there isn’t a 5 minute process of waiting for pages to load and random html clogging up your computer screen. The fact that Facebook is a lot more personal with your school account is wonderful because it’s a lot easier to find people from your school and it’s guaranteed to be a lot safer.

“Idk” which website is better, it’s more of an opinion. You decide, would you rather wait 5 minutes for Myspace pages to load, or have a basic Facebook look with no wait, but nothing special? To me they’re both even with both of their positive and negative qualities, so I can’t decide which is best.

BY KRISTINA KOSTKAS

High school students attending the University of Florida’s Summer Journalism Institute have little insight of the horrors and murders that took place in Gainesville around the time of their birth, a simple seventeen years ago.

“I am shocked that events like this can occur while attending a school or sitting at home in your apartment. I suppose all I can do is hope it never happens,” Reed Yaras stated.

On August 26, 1990, police received a phone call from the vexed parents of Christina Powell, a 17-year-old student attending UF and living in an apartment. They were requesting to have the door broken in, as nobody was answering the door or phones.

Once the dead bolted doors were opened, the bodies of both Christina and her friend, Sonja Larson, also 17, were found on the bed and in the stairwell.

The second scene of homicide was exhibited on August 27, 1990. Police received a second emergency call and rushed to the scene of Christa Hoyt’s, a student at Santa Fe community college, apartment.

The last scene of murder was discovered on August 28, 1990 at the Gatorwood Apartments by Christopher Smith, the maintenance man whom was sent by worried friends of both Tracy Inez Paules and Manuel Taboada.

Eventually, police targeted a prime suspect whom was said to have fled Gatorwood Apartments the final night of murder. His name was Edward Humphrey and he was not the serial killer. While police were under surveillance of Humphrey, Danny Rolling fled Gainesville by larceny of two automobiles and headed toward Ocala where he attempted to rob a Winn-Dixie and was arrested and was eventually identified as the serial killer.

Ironically, Rolling’s killings took place a year after Ted Bundy, Florida’s most notorious serial killer, was executed.

“Even when I attended, people were cowering in their apartment and dorm rooms,” Will Kenneth, a University of Florida Alumni reported. “ When I first got here, I didn’t know or understand how anything like this could have happened. I joked around and talked about creating a Danny Rollins Band after the Rollins Band. I figured it would be funny, but many of my friends were still sensitive to it and brought it to my attention that I could get killed for that.”

Students five to 10 years later remained still worried and were cautious as the memories of Danny Rolling’s killings remained lurking in the backs of their minds.

“Because of Rolling, the University of Florida began running the Later Gator night bus routes and blue emergency lights with an emergency phone along the sidewalks in case of an urgent situation. This really helped everyone to feel safer,” Kenneth also commented. With these cautious plans, students and teachers felt more comfortable and the pain, memories and fear began to weather and erode away.

However, now 17 years later, many students are not even aware of the murders that took place in Gainesville.

“I knew who Ted Bundy was, but I wasn’t aware about a serial killer in Gainesville and how awful the situation had been until we all started talking about it one night,” Chay Baxley, a high school student attending UF’s SJI program, commented.

Some students had no idea what the little blue emergency lights and phones were even for.

“I never even noticed those blue lights after being on this campus for about five days,” High school student, Kara Michelotti said.

Students presently attending University of Florida’s Summer Journalism Institute seem to have diminutive familiarity and information on past serial rampages. Not many individuals believe that happenings like this are possible. It is almost as if their brains are aware of past events but block them from consciousness, causing them to feel invincible.

“I could never see this happening to me,” Michael Butterfield notes.

Expect the impossible. Events like the “Gainesville Ripper” and the Virginia Tech murders can happen at random and despite how safe an individual may feel, the possibility still lingers. Students should be aware of all of their surroundings and precautions they can take. Seventeen years ago, Danny Rolling walked the same ground students walk today around Gainesville. Safety is nothing to take for granted.

BY CAROLINA BARRIOS

Leaving home and heading off to camp for some students has become a summer routine. For others, attending the Summer Journalism Institute at the University of Florida was a brand new experience. We all had ultimately one thing in common and that was to learn and understand the broad field of journalism and communications.

On Saturday, June 23, 2007, eighty seven high school students from all over the nation flew and drove to Gainesville, Florida to spend a few days at the prestigious University of Florida to experience life as a true journalist and to learn from skilled professionals. Though the main focus was indeed to grasp all of the beneficial information given by speakers and special guests, the students did also intend on meeting new friends and actually living the college lifestyle for a few days.

As students eagerly arrived at the university they checked in at the Beaty Towers where they would be welcomed by the friendly assistants and of course, the famous Meredith Cochie whom we all were previously introduced to through SJI emails.

“I love Meredith, she’s so funny” said SJI writing student, Sarah Blanc, 17.

Meredith has the most outgoing, energetic, crazy, awesomely eccentric personality here. She’s in charge of helping put just about everything together for us students; and what a great job she has done! The Beaty Towers would be the sleeping quarters for the following time spent at the camp. Rooms were spilt into groups of fours on the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth floors. At the towers, students soon realized they were not the only ones staying at Beaty. The remaining floors were being occupied by students taking part in other camps and as well as students in the infamous, seemingly intense, seven week long science camp. Once checked in, students impatiently headed for the awfully slow elevators to see what the dorms looked like. For me, I know that I had always heard terrible dorm stories about how simply filthy, bug infested and disgusting they were; I was not too excited. SJI writing student Kristen Sibeitt, 16, also had the same mindset prior to entering the dorms.

“They weren’t what I thought they would be, I like it a lot better.” She said.

Finally, I made it up to dorm room 1106, and I must say that what I was looking at did not match the picture I had created in my mind – thankfully! The rooms were exceptionally pleasing. Dark blue carpets and bright empty white walls stood out first to me; walking in, you would find a fridge, oven and cabinet equipped kitchen/living room area with a round table and four semi-comfortable chairs. To the left would be the plain and rather dull bathroom which reminded me of the bathrooms at the elementary school I attended.

“The bathrooms reminded me of (the movie) The Ring”, said SJI writing student, Catie Mouw, 17.

I agreed! But really, what do you need? Simply a sink, shower and toilet, it’s got it! Ahead were two doors leading to each of the bedrooms. As I opened that door I was actually pretty impressed. It obviously did not look like my bedroom at home, but what I had pictured in my mind was once again deceived. To the left were the two low beds with a tiny wood night table in between. To the right of the beds was a small desk in front of a window reaching from the roof to the floor of the dorm. The view was appealingly nice, the streets, hospital and other places on campus. Next to that were the closets. The closets were made up of drawers, shelves and places for hanging clothes. Like the rest of the students I unpacked my belongings and made my bed.

“We’re at one of the oldest campuses, its college life, its dorms. Wouldn’t have it any other way,” said SJI writing student Reed Yaras, 17.

None of my roommates were in the room and as I was talking to my parents about how anxious I was to meet them. That’s when I heard a knock at the door and it was some other friendly girls who were part of the camp as well, knocking from door to door trying to get to know everyone on the eleventh floor. I was so excited to finally meet people! They were the sweetest girls; we immediately all got along.

At four sharp we were to all meet at the lobby of the Beaty Towers to get ready for a walking tour of where we would spend the following days. We took what we students thought was a long and exhausting walk to the College of Journalism and Communications auditorium where introductions took place. That walk would be our daily routine for the next five days. As students rambled into the auditorium we were told we would be called by numbers on the name tags that were assigned to us. Anytime we would meet as a whole, we were to shout out our numbers and then would be accounted for. That’s when it began. The simplest thing would become one of the hardest tasks for us students. If it wasn’t that someone would always be late then it was that they would forget their number; counting numbers has never been so difficult! SJI writing student Sarah Blanc, 17, not surprisingly, chose one of the first times counting off as one of her highlights at camp.

It was 5:30 and dinner would be next. The food was something everyone was looking forward to and like everything else, no one knew what to expect. As we bunched into the Gator Dining Hall everyone headed in a different direction which was a good sign of a large variety. From Italian foods to sandwiches to cereals to Hispanic foods and more, the café was full of diverse meals to satisfy most, if not all taste buds. The afternoon ended with a final meeting they called “Ice Breakers.” There all eighty seven students introduced and said a little about themselves. Once we all shared sixty seconds about us, it was time to head back to the dorms. I met my three roommates and quickly got along with them. We shared a little bit more about each other and then phoned our parents to say our goodnights. Everyone at camp was happy with their roommates.

“I came with my best friend, but the girls in the other room are awesome, they’re great” said Sarah Blanc.

One of my roommates, Leah Arnold, 16, and I had brought our laptops in hopes of connecting to the Internet and being able to impatiently check our Myspace’s and Facebook’s for new comments and new wall posts each day. This would be a problem; we soon realized the Internet was not in that of our access. Once we got over our little issue we decided it was time to hit the sack. I realized that this was not my soft, high, excessively padded bed I was used to sleeping on. Surprisingly, I woke up on Sunday morning without any back pains.

Sunday, we had the morning free so everyone took great advantage of that and either explored campus or hit the Gator Bookstore/Clothing shop! At 12:30 we all met at the auditorium for a presentation by UF professor John Freeman. Freeman started off with showing very well known pictures like the soldiers at Iwo Jima. As a photographer, he explained to us why the picture was such a great shot. The pole was running diagonally across it, “diagonals are good!” he said. SJI writing student, Meaghan McGowan, 17, viewed the presentation as “creative and really well done. I realized how important photography is in this field and the pictures he showed were so touching, almost like a cultural lesson.”

After Freeman came Meredith Cochie’s lesson on “Tips for Being a Rad J-school Student in College.” Speaking from experience, she left us with thoughts to always keep in mind while working in the field like “talk to your teachers”, “dress appropriately and be prompt”, “take ownership”, “learn to listen”, “its not what you know, its who you know- kind of” and more. She shared with us key skills that will always be useful whether we continue with journalism or change our mind. Her lesson was more of a college survival speech; everyone enjoyed it because we can all relate to it. College is right around the corner for most of us and of course it was also enjoyable because Meredith is quite entertaining- in the best way! That night was “Movie and Pizza” night so all the students met at the auditorium and impatiently waited for the movie to begin. Once numbers were counted off, we watched “Accepted”; extremely appropriate for the moment being! After that was back to the dorms!

Day three, Monday June 25, students rushed into class at 8:30 in the morning and were finally assigned what they would be working on to be due at deadline on Wednesday 3:30 sharp. Topics like cosmetics for men, speaker personal interviews, hockey’s declining population, Gator Dining Hall food and Paris Hilton were among those chosen. When class was finished, students from all three classes gathered at the auditorium to listen to Ted Spiker’s presentation titled “The Art of a Good Interview: It’s All in the Details.” Spiker, associate professor of journalism and communications and contributing editor for Men’s Health, gave the greatest and most helpful tips on how to go about interviewing someone.

“The basics: prepare- research, write a list of basic questions, have your tools ready, think conversation, not interview” were some of the key bullet points he helped us understand better.

He often stressed to “get in the game, to depict the person in a different atmosphere.”

A favorite speaker of many students like Sarah Blanc, Spiker gave students a top ten for interviewing tactics. Among the top ten were tips like “know the hot questions: why questions and superlative questions (those that end in –st)”, “listen and follow up”, “keep your mouth shut! Silence is a powerful tool”, always go on a second date” and the infamous “think Mike Tyson: jab, jab, jab, cross!” meaning of course hard and awkward questions.

After Spiker’s interesting and passionate lesson, came David Stanton’s presentation. His topic was interesting simply because it is the changing point, the transition all journalists everywhere are seeing and having to go through. Stanton’s presentation was based on the Internet and how powerful it’s becoming in today’s society. Truthfully I had not noticed it until he really pointed it out and explained the change.

“Parents go to the newspaper for information, you go to online sources,” he said.

That statement really hit me! It is so true, we are the future, and eventually there will no longer be a need for any newspapers. Why would anyone read a newspaper when reading it online is so much faster; not only can you read it online but you can watch or listen to interview clips. He really opened up the eyes of many students with this lesson because many of us do not realize the changes happening right in front of us daily in this field.

After Stanton’s presentation on the Internet, the rest of the afternoon was ours to make the most of! Students once again explored campus or hit the shops! Many discovered the Starbucks at the Library across Century Tower, which was a hit! The following day began like the one prior, with breakfast and class.

Our first speaker for Tuesday would be Mike Foley. Foley has been given the honor of being theUniversity of Florida’s teacher of the year for 2006-2007. He is also the master lecturer and former St. Petersburg Times executive editor. His presentation was based on journalism ethics.The first main point he brought out to us was that no, “the media can’t say, print or broadcast anything they want.” He defined good journalism with five main key words; being “fair, accurate, complete, interesting and profitable.” He also added to that, here at the University of Florida, you will get fifty points taken of your paper for getting the fact wrong, whether it is a small as the wrong time or a misspelled name. He listed what he believes are the nine attributes of a good friend. Some were “fair, a friend is fair”, “helpful and useful”, “rejoices in success” and “is compassionate”. Foley showed us a different side of journalism that many people who are not journalists do not get to see. Journalists don’t have one of the easiest jobs out there. It is not a simple task to get insight on the latest news of Paris Hilton being arrested. Journalists are the ones they all hate, yet everyone wants the latest information. So Foley gave his lesson on the right and ethical ways to approach these difficult situations that need to be reported.

The following presentation was by two high school teachers speaking on “You and Your Adviser: Making it Work”. Kerri McLean and Terry Sollazzo gave us the best tips on how to be flexible with our advisers. The presentation began with a little game they called “Whose Staff is it Any Way?” Entertaining to say the least! Several students went up on stage and acted out scenes that as high school staff members we are faced with. McLean and Sollazzo helped us face these situations properly and professionally. The rest of the afternoon, students were allowed to once again explore or shop!

Wednesday morning, everyone rushed to breakfast and class, typing up and getting information for their articles! Deadline would be at 3:30 this afternoon! When class finished we all headed for the auditorium. Kristin Harmel was our guest speaker. She was my personal favorite speaker of all! Her lesson was titled “Beyond the Red Carpet: Entertainment Journalism.” Harmel, an alumna of theUniversity of Florida, is the author of several novels, an online course instructor of mediabistro.com and a reporter for the well-known People magazine. For most girls this was definitely a favorite! Meeting people like Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew McConaughey and Patrick Dempsey must be fun.She gave out some of the best tips like to “prove yourself first through writing.” Often, being young it is more difficult to prove yourself and that you really can handle writing for a publication. Her advice was to write on a topic that interests you and submit it to any local publication; don’t allow them to automatically judge you because of your age without even seeing your writing. She also said it was important to get a lot of contacts and to start small. She also gave out a handout with more information on how to get your foot into the door the right way! Following Harmel was Media Law Professor Sandra Chance. Chance spoke on the first amendment and the rights journalists do and do not have. She gave political examples to us from the past like Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969). She also gave some guidelines for acting reasonably in the field like “using trustworthy sources”, “talking to all sides of the story” and “be open minded.” Chance allowed us to see the political side and aspect of journalism that all journalists have to be aware and alert of, like laws, copyrights and more.

Our last speaker of the day was John Wright, the interim dean for the College of Journalism and Communications. Considering the power he holds at the university, students were excited about what he had to tell us! Many students questions were based on applying and getting accpeted to this university. What he empahsized most was the essay for applying. “Write things about you, thats what will make the difference”, he told us. Wright also repeatedly reminded us to maintain the high grade point averages and the high SAT or ACT scores, as well as being a diverse all-around student.

All in all, the experience all the students received here at SJI will be a memorable one. All the teachers, special guests, the dean and new friends we met have been a highlight of our summer.

“It’s an all around good experience”, said Reed Yaras. With the way SAT’s and scores are going; at least we are able to say ‘we went to a UF class. It’s hard to be sitting here during the summer working on articles but we’re soaking up the experience here at UF; taking time out of our summer. The only problem was that it’s too short!”

BY CATIE MOUW

The traditional gender roles have been shifting for the past few years, from shows like “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” which shows men how fun being stylish is, to Nivea coming out with a “men’s only” facial product line, men are being treated more like women everyday.

That line may be blurring for women, as well. Women are now the bread winners of some families and pride themselves on independence. For example, in the Destiny’s Child song “Independent Woman Part 1,” the lines: “The shoes on my feet/ I’ve bought it/ The clothes I’m wearing/ I’ve bought it/ The rock I’m rockin’/ I’ve bought it/ ‘Cause I depend on me,” seems to be the anthem for an emerging female lifestyle. So how does one define the roles of men and women now that so much has changed?

The term “metrosexual,” as defined by Urbandictionary.com, is “A normally straight male who possess qualities of a gay male without being attracted to men. A metro often appreciates the finer things in life and enjoys making himself look good; be it through styling hair or wearing fashionable clothes.” Metrosexual men have come and gone throughout history from, James Bond to Sting. And the metrosexual man is apparent in today’s world as well.

Chances are, everyone has at least one metrosexual friend in his/her life. He is that kid whom everyone always teases about his designer jeans, his insistence on wearing pink, or his perfect “messy” hair. He is a crossover in typical gender roles. He is perhaps the most telling example of the new breed of men. But the metrosexual male may be just the tip of the iceberg for the gender role switch.

In an interview with beauty-on-line.com, Charlotte Levesque, the spokesperson for a Tout Beau Tout Propre, said that “The purpose of our male make-up line ‘Tout Beau Tout Propre’ was to trivialize the morning make-up gesture for men.” The company wanted to give the impression that make-up can be effortless, manly, and no big deal. This line includes nail care, blush, lipstick, and most other basic make-up staples.

But do men and women really want this drastic change in male appearances?

Melissa Mullin, 16, a student at the Summer Journalism Institute at theUniversity of Florida, thinks that male make-up is “emasculating and a huge turn-off.” However she doesn’t really mind “men wearing eyeliner, because of bands like Greenday and actors like Johnny Depp.” If she ever saw a guy wearing make-up besides that though she would think they were really weird and not talk to them.

When the idea of male make-up was brought up to teenage boys, ranging from 15 to 17, at the Summer Journalism Institute, they had a harsh reaction. They felt that a make-up line was “awful and weird.” One boy even said that “if [he] had a friend that did it he would ask him ‘why’. And if he said because he liked it [he] would stop being friends with him.” But opinions on more appearance-conscious men may have to start to change soon.

In 2004 men alone spent almost $4 billion on grooming products alone, according to ezinearticles.com. Also, according to beauty-on-line.com, the European and U.S. male grooming market will increase nearly $4.04 billion between 2003 and 2008. Beauty to men is also becoming more than just about their face. They are beginning to suffer from the“Brad Pitt Syndrome” as described in an article by Byron Rempel on AskMen.com. Men are starting to get hit just as hard as women when it comes to pictures of the “beautiful people” everywhere, along with the stress of trying to achieve rippling abs. Rempel even complains of the stress of buying underwear now because of the self-esteem blow men get just from looking at the guy on the package. “Saying the same kind of pressures exist[s] for the majority of men is becoming more and more true. Certainly there are cases where boys in school are teased for being rotund, and there are even rare events of anorexia,” says Rempel.

Another new factor in the male world is the increase in women in normally male-dominated job markets, which greatly alters the work environment.

For example, the automobile industry had the greatest shift in the most recent years. Between 1983 and 2002 the number of women working in this field increased 369 percent, according to usgovinfo.about.com.

Likewise, stay-at-home dads are fast becoming the new caregivers in nearly 159,000 homes, an increased number from previous years, according to a 2007 Washington Post survey. Reactions have been mixed. Some believe the social and gender stereotypes it has broken down is a good thing. It is also a new market for many producers across the country because it has yet to be fully tapped of it resources.

But others aren’t so sure. University of Maryland professor Eric Hazel believes that “If moms work, they have possible guilt for not being home with their kids,” according to an interview in the Washington Post. “If they’re home, there’s a lot of tug that they’re sacrificing their career. For dads, people think it’s just great that you stay home. Then when we go back (to work), it’s what people expect in the first place.”

Carolina Barrios, 17, a student at the Summer Journalism Institute, doesn’t like the trend of stay-at-home dads.

“I believe that dads should be the providers of the family. They won’t be able to provide for the family when they are at home with their kids all the time.”

However, Kevin Schaeffer, 17, also a member of the Summer Journalism Institute, agrees in the sense that he would never want to be a stay-at-home dad. But that he “wouldn’t mind anyone else doing it.” He believes that “if a man wants to, he should be able to.”

Joey Polito, 17, and a student at the Summer Journalism Institute, agrees, saying he’s all for women in places of higher authority. His mom is a president of a sector within Taylor Co. in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, while is step dad is in the same company, and at the same job, but just at a smaller sector of the company. He believes that in the future, even with this back-and-forth of the roles of the two sexes that “things will eventually even out.” He also thinks that men “will start to care more about their looks because of all the pictures [of perfect male bodies] out there.”

Ted Geltner, 39, an instructor at the University of Florida, says that grooming products geared more towards men will catch on, but there “will eventually be a backlash,” and things will go back to normal. Reed Yaras, 17, and a student at the Summer Journalism Institute says that the future looks the same as it is now for men. To him “guys will always be guys.”