Laid Back Cool Standup Hannibal Buress

Hannibal Buress has a big year ahead of him. His one hour standup special is scheduled to premiere on Comedy Central this spring. He is also developing his own sitcom for Fox, which will feature Jonah Hill as executive producer. Buress’ writing credits already include Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. He wants to tour non-stop and is widely considered one of the brightest young comics around.

“I just talk about what is going on in my life, dating, traveling, drinking, playing video games, hanging out, all of it. I just talk about what I do and hope people enjoy it,” he says.

Buress has performed in Miami and Fort Lauderdale before, most recently alongside The Daily Show correspondent Wyatt Cenac. He’ll be headlining at the Miami Improv Thursday January 5 through Sunday the 8.

“I’m excited to come through, do the shows, hang out in Miami, go check out a Heat game, just have a lot of fun,” he says.

He plans to watch Lebron James and Dwayne Wade take on the Indiana Pacers, but as a lifelong Chicago Bulls fan, he is expecting the Heat to fail come playoff time.

“I say the Bulls will probably end up beating the Heat in six in the Eastern Conference finals this year. We got Rip Hamilton,” Buress says.

“I know this won’t ingratiate me with Miami fans, but I’m just saying the Bulls got better this year.”

The sitcom on Fox Buress is set to star in is still in the very early stages. There is no script for a pilot yet, only character descriptions and outlines, but the success of the Jonah Hill/Fox partnership with the funny animated series Allen Gregory is a promising sign for the project.

Chris Rock compares Buress to standup comedians Dave Chappelle and Steven Wright with a dash of Hip-Hop Mos Def flavor added. See him on his first headlining stint at the Miami Improv (3390 Mary St, Miami). Buress will be delivering material from his upcoming Comedy Central special, so it’s your chance to learn it before the rest of your buddies. He’ll be on Thursday through Sunday (Jan. 5-8). Tickets cost $15. Call 305-441-820 or visit Miamiimprov.com.

The Misfits Are Back

If we can take one thing away from the London riots of this past year, it might be that young people in England are proper wankers. Now imagine the damage those little twats could have caused if they all had superpowers. It might look a bit like Misfits.

Season three premieres in America today on the free online streaming service Hulu.com.

The hit British show follows five young delinquents placed on community service who gain superpowers in a freak storm. It sounds like a rip-off of the super cheesy and super canceled Heroes, but it’s not. It’s much better, mate.

The slang alone is entertaining, with loads of foreign words like “chav,” “ASBO,” and “Pick n’ Mix” and phrases like “you taking the piss?” These kids are wicked vulgar and it makes for hilarious dialogue. Rudy’s (actor Joseph Gilgun) mouth is especially wild, sex obsessed and quick with insults.

Misfits is funny, but it is also dark and heavy on science fiction premises. Time travel and alternative timelines are recurring themes, along with an ever expanding collection of superpowers.

In season three the gang fights Hitler and the Nazis. We are also introduced to a super powered sexually transmitted disease that leads to a character’s manhood falling off. One episode even features zombie cheerleaders.

The premises are ridiculous but the writing and acting is serious. The scenes are also all beautifully shot.

Along with steady ratings for the British network E4, Misfits is also critically acclaimed. It was
awarded best drama series by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2010. Lauren Socha was awarded best supporting actress for her portrayal of Kelly, the tough girl with the Derby accent.

The show has done well enough to merit a possible remake in the states. Josh Schwartz, the writer and producer behind The O.C. and Gossip Girl, is now writing the pilot for the U.S. version along with show creator Howard Overman.

Before they destroy it by filtering it for an American network, you might want to catch the U.K. original on Hulu. Seasons one and two are available now and episode one of season three premieres today.

Watch it, bruv.

The Herman Cain Train Makes Key Stops in South Florida

He had Cuban coffee in the morning, chicken wings for lunch and a house party $100,000 fundraiser for dinner.

Presidential hopeful, Herman Cain held rallies yesterday in Little Havana, Coral Springs and West Palm Beach. The Republican was met by hundreds of supporters at each stop. In all, Cain had nine events scheduled on his one-day tour of South Florida. “Pretty demanding,” Cain said.

“The first thing I am going to do after I win the election is take a nap because I know I’ll be tired,” he said.

He has been embattled in recent weeks. On Tuesday, comedian Jon Stewart spent several minutes dissecting footage of Cain fielding a question on the state of Libya. The video has been widely criticized as a gaffe. Cain is also less than three weeks removed from the initial news reports linking him with allegations of sexual misconduct.

The former Godfather’s Pizza chairman seemed unfazed by the scrutiny. He did not address the controversies to the crowds, instead relying on talking points that remained consistent across three counties.

On national security, “Invest, invest, invest, because [the armed forces] are the best in the world. Invest in the best,” he said.

His second priority for after taking office is the economy. “The economy needs a bold solution,” he said, citing widespread unemployment. Cain’s bold solution to unemployment involves throwing out the current tax code and replacing it with his own “9-9-9 plan.”

On energy independence, his third priority, Cain assured his audiences that the U.S. has plenty of oil, coal and natural gas. According to him, a detailed energy plan will be released by his campaign in a few weeks.



In Miami he courted the Cuban vote with calls for a free Cuba, and in Broward and Palm Beach Cain took time to reiterate his support of the state of Israel. His audiences responded as expected.

He also took several shots at President Obama.

“Our biggest crisis is a severe deficiency of leadership in the White House,” Cain said.

His audiences in South Florida trended older and whiter but Cain also drew supporters across several demographics and ethnicities. “We are the adult version of Occupy Palm Beach,” Sid Dinerstein said before introducing Cain in West Palm Beach. Dinerstein is the chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party.

Dinerstein also announced Cain’s next speech in West Palm Beach, taking place at the Kravis Center on January 28, just three days before the Florida Republican primary. Cain will be keynote speaker and will be joined by U.S. Representatives Allen West and Tom Rooney, along with Florida chief financial officer Jeff Atwater.

The Herman Cain train shows no signs of slowing. Newspaper headlines report falling support in national polls for him in the wake of the sexual harassment accusations brought against him, but Cain remains determined to fight for the Republican nomination and the presidency.

He has dealt with slim chances before. In 2006 he was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and was given a 30 percent chance of survival. “I’m still here,” Cain said.

An Immigration Forum at Palm Beach State College

Aida Rodriguez and her friends in Palm Beach State College’s chapter of SWER, or Students Working for Equal Rights, wanted to educate themselves on the topic of sensible immigration reform. They wanted a discourse on the subject but not a debate.

In the spirit of that idea, the students hosted a public forum on immigration today at the Duncan Theatre on Palm Beach State’s Lake Worth campus. The event, titled “Sensible Immigration Reform: a Civil Conversation,” featured panel discussions and a question and answer period.

“As an immigration attorney reporting from the field, I can tell you that the human suffering is at an all-time high,” Aileen Josephs said.

“The enforcement-only approach [to immigration] has caused families to be separated, children to be living in fear and vulnerability, and civil rights and liberties to be disregarded.”

Josephs is also Co Chair of Florida Voices for Immigration Reform and the Honorary Consul of Guatemala in Palm Beach County since 2007. There were five panelists participating in the discussion, including the president of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Vice Mayor of the town of Jupiter.

The students were able to recruit the expert panel, according to Aida Rodriguez of SWER, thanks to the advice and contacts of club advisor, Jeannette Manzanero.

Camilo Yepes is the president of SWER on the Lake Worth campus and a founding member since the club began less than two years ago.

“We have undocumented students in our community and around the nation who have had their lives put at a standstill due to immigration laws, many of them know only the United States as their home,” Yepes said.

“We support bills like the DREAM act, which would help out a lot of undocumented [college] students who have been here their whole lives.”

Occupy Palm Beach Haunts GreenMarket, Sells Raffle Tickets at Moonfest

The GreenMarket patrons turned their heads to find the source of the shouting. They had been occupied shopping for orchids, locally grown crops and Chinese blooming teas.

It was partly cloudy on Saturday in downtown West Palm Beach, with families dawdling fountain adjacent, children and dogs on short leashes and fresh squeezed lemonade. A singer performed the Beatles’ You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away on his acoustic guitar.

A block away a group of about 40 people started marching. They represented Occupy Palm Beach, the local group acting in solidarity with the global Occupy Wall Street protests. They had come together for a general assembly and by consensus decided to make their presence felt at the GreenMarket.

They held signs like “End War, Save the Planet,” “Human Survival and Unity,” and “Prosecute Foreclosure Fraud.” One of the marchers held a fake chicken’s head on top of the pole holding his sign.

They marched around the perimeter, flanking the GreenMarket consumers from across the street.

The protesters started chanting, “We… Are… The 99 percent… We… Are… The 99 percent.”

A tall man in obnoxious teal began pointing his finger at individuals as he passed.

“…. And you!” He pointed and shouted at a couple enjoying a meal at a sidewalk café, “… And you!”

The consumers looked toward the column of protesters. Some shook their heads. Most were unmoved.

Completing a circle, the hopeful revolutionaries started back towards their occupation site, which they had held for nearly a week. The larger group didn’t notice, but a few of the protesters had stayed behind. They were engaging the skeptics.

“You guys are so spread out and you don’t have a singular message,” the skeptic said. He was powerfully built and wearing a Revolutionary War Veterans Association t-shirt.

The young man in the revolutionary beard and the anarchist in the tank top and driving cap responded.

“I will tell you that I am against capitalism and corporations,” the anarchist said. She was unashamed. Her nose ring and armpit hair were further proof. She was hardcore.

They argued back and forth about the definition and merits of anarchy, and the role of the United States in committing injustices around the world.


“Americanism is infiltrating all cultures in the world. As soon as American tabloids got into tribes in Africa, bulimia and anorexia became prevalent,” revolutionary beard said.

“I don’t believe in the American dream. I’m saying the American dream is a nightmare,” the anarchist said. Everyone walked away.

The occupation site consists of ten tents and a wire fence surrounding a green space. The property, located on Banyan Street and Flagler Drive, is owned by the city of West Palm Beach, but was leased to Occupy Palm Beach for one dollar.

This happened after a tense night one week prior, when nine individuals defied police warnings and spent the night occupying the waterfront commons at the end of Clematis Street.

Ryan, the owner of the revolutionary beard, was there that night. He didn’t know whether or not he would be arrested. Before joining Occupy Palm Beach, he had never participated in any other kind of protest. He arrived alone when the group began holding general assemblies in Bryant Park in Lake Worth in early October.

Now people look to him as a leader. It was Ryan that negotiated the compromise with the city of West Palm Beach for the occupation site a block next door at Banyan Street and Flagler Drive. Since then he has camped out every night with his friends in the movement.

Roberto is a Palm Beach State College student and he has also camped out every night since the occupation began. When his enthusiasm is drained, he looks forward to discussions with his camp neighbors at night. “That’s when people start really laying their hearts on the table, and bold ideas come out. We stay up all night talking about how to make a better world,” he said.

His mother is Colombian, and her country’s history of violence makes her fear for her son. “She just knows that people get hurt, especially people who can articulate a message, like me,” Roberto said.

Not everyone is able to camp out. But on Saturday, supportive visitors arrived frequently with bags of ice, tarps, and first aid supplies. One man arrived with a homemade portrait of futurist philosopher Jacque Fresco for the camp. According to the man, Fresco advocates using technology for automation, so that humanity can abolish the practice of working for a living.

“We shouldn’t have to work, we should be able to raise our children, play with our dogs, and paint,” the man said. On the back of the portrait he donated, it read, “Don’t hate, automate.”

Among the other visitors, a white man that no longer considers himself American, though he was born here. He would choose to be Palestinian if he could, he said. For him, learning the history of the Iran-Contra affair was the moment when he lost faith in his government. He wears the atomic whirl logo, the recognized symbol of atheism, tattooed on his neck.

Cars drove down Flagler, saw the tents and the signs, and mostly they honked their horns in solidarity with the protest. Sometimes people lowered their windows to shout “Get a Job!” as they passed. This has happened enough for the protesters to talk comebacks amongst themselves. “Most of the occupiers do have jobs,” was one of the agreed-upon favorites.

There have also been a few incidents where the police had to be called, but they were caused by drunken outsiders. A shadowy figure named Hamilton* is head of security at the site. Hamilton has also been known to work under code names, like H-man or H-Force. He fears that intelligence agencies may be watching him. (*name has been changed)

Hamilton hunkered down as the evening turned to night and he drafted a few volunteers for security shifts, including Mark the Navy veteran and his black Labrador. Soon it would be time for Moonfest.


While Hamilton and Mark held the occupation the rest of Occupy Palm Beach headed a block over to Clematis for the annual downtown Halloween party. Superheroes, monsters and vixens of all kinds were joined by vendors, live bands and lots of booze. There were grown men in diapers and bonnets, and some naked save for the thin red line of a thong. City officials were expecting 70,000 revelers.

There was a depressing drizzle, and the air was chilly. People were slowly trickling down the block at 7 pm as the protestors took up their table in front of a bar called Respectable Street. John, a leader in Occupy Palm Beach’s media committee, was dressed in a suit, tie and pig snout, because according to him, he was representing the one percent of the population of the country that owns 40 percent of the country’s wealth.

The group sold raffle tickets for a free tattoo donated by a local shop in an attempt to raise funds for the occupation. They had a table and a tent set up while their neighbors sold jerk chicken and glow swords, respectively. A few hundred yards away was a stage set up for live acts.

In soliciting people for their cause the group worked especially hard to recruit the man in the banana suit. They gave him a sticker, making him an official member of the 99 percent. The banana had peeled the sticker off his chest by the time he reached the end of the block.

John and the boys did not fare much better recruiting the collection of sexy nurses that passed by. Not finding early success, Roberto was still optimistic. He was there to party. “You gotta capitalize on this opportunity in order to mack,” he said.

City officials were responding to the large numbers expected with double the police force from the year before. Pairs of officers were posted in front of nearly every other store front, stretching down the length of Clematis.

The protesters of Occupy Palm Beach were attempting to start a chant.

“We… Are… The 99 Percent… We… Are… The 99 Percent…”

Techno beats blared from the stage, as the mass of costumed partygoers kept moving in waves up and down Clematis. Most ignored the protesters or didn’t notice them.

A ruddy-faced city of West Palm Beach cop, beefy and neat, and taking in the crowd sat with his partner at the pizza place nearest the protesters.

“We… Are… The 99 Percent…” The protesters shouted, but were quickly drowned out.

“Nobody gives a fuck,” said the cop.

FAU Team Water Testing Submarine for Upcoming Races

Ocean testing is scheduled for this week, giving the members of FAU’s human powered submarine club an opportunity to test their designs and practice steering and peddling. The goal is to challenge for the world record in speed.

The FAU team is planning to enter two vessels into competition at the International Submarine Races, which will take place June 27 through July 1 at the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Caderock Division, in Bethesda, Maryland.

A core of about 15 makes up the group working on FAU’s submarines. They are all undergraduates, mostly engineering majors, and they have spent a year and a half and hundreds of hours preparing for the races.

“I don’t know how the rest of the team feels about it, but I’m going over there to kick some ass.” Brian Turk says.

A junior, Turk, 25, joined sophomores Adrian DeSilva, 19, and Chris Nunes, 20, last Friday for water testing in the pool behind the old engineering building on the Boca Raton campus, all three donning scuba gear and air tanks (The submarines are “wet,” or liquid-filled.)

The biannual engineering challenge, open to high school, college and independent teams, involves designing, constructing, and racing human powered submarines along a 100-meter course inside a large U.S. Navy test tank in Caderock.

In 2009, FAU’s one-man, propeller-driven vessel, Talon-1, won second place for overall performance in a field of 18 teams. It also won the “absolute speed” award for the fastest speed in any category, reaching 6.2 knots, or about 7.1 miles per hour.

By comparison, Olympic champion Michael Phelps’ record in the 100-meter freestyle is 47.51 seconds or about 4.7 miles per hour.

Talon-1 will run again this year but with a modified nose cone and reductions in drag.

The big question right now is whether or not the team’s second entry, the two-person propeller-driven, Big Mac, will be ready in time to race. As recently as last week the team had scrapped the project.

Big Mac is not much more than an empty hull now but team veteran and senior Jason McCullough, 21, is optimistic about the team’s chances of finishing it. If they can come through, it will be the most sophisticated human powered submarine ever produced by FAU.

“It’s got an electro-mechanical system that is ridiculous,” McCullough says. Once finished, a wireless system will allow the team to make adjustments using their laptops.

The hull is made of basalt, a volcanic rock. Senior George Valdes, 26, another team veteran, spent hundreds of hours designing it from scratch. He estimates that his design produces 25 percent less drag than the current world record holder.

Design and craftsmanship are not the only variables involved in producing good runs. According to McCullough, individual performance is crucial. “The steering (on Talon-1) is really sensitive, it’s like a sports car when you come up to speed,” he says.


DeSilva will be one of the pilots at the competition. He is currently organizing others on the team for cardio training. DeSilva is respectful of the other teams he will compete against. He doesn’t believe FAU fits the model of favorite, but he doesn’t believe they are underdogs either.

If there are favorites in the competition, they might be the French Canadians from Ecole de Technologie Superieure (ETS), University of Quebec. ETS won the “innovation” award in 2009 for their non-propeller vessel Omer 7, and hold world records in several categories. They have major sponsors like Dupont Canada, and according to McCullough, receive tens of thousands of dollars in support.

The FAU team counts on smaller local sponsorships. Student government provides some funds, but according to faculty advisor, Dr. Edgar An, the costs “far exceed what we get.”

“Even if you had $100,000 to spend, what would you change about our 1-man sub?” De Silva asks his teammates. “There’s only so much you can do to it.”

Still, the ETS team has its own office and room in a 12,000 ft. student club workshop along with easy access to machines, while the FAU team makes due with much less. To build Big Mac’s hull the team traveled to the SeaTech campus in Dania for cutting (which took four days) and finished the work inside a tiny trailer.

That doesn’t matter to DeSilva, who is happy with his team. “We have more fun doing it this way,” he says.


Note
The concept for the races, which began in 1988, is credited in part to FAU’s Department of Ocean Engineering. The competition was held in Florida and run by the school until 1993.

Florida Manatees Seek Shelter From Cold in Power Plant Canals

Winter is the deadliest season for Florida’s manatees. They respond to the cold in dramatic fashion, maybe more so than the average South Floridian. Today the endangered mammals are congregating by the thousands in warm water springs and power plants around the state seeking warm water.

Manatees exposed to cold water, below 68 degrees, for extended periods of time become susceptible to “Florida frostbite,” or white ulcerations around the face and snout. They will lose weight and eventually die.

“They just can’t handle the cold water,” said Tom Reinert, who supervises the manatee rescue and recovery program with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Manatees have been feeling the cold spell this month. South Florida air temperatures hit lows in the 30’s last week and will do so again this week.

Last winter manatees died in record numbers. By April 9 more manatees had died in 2010 – 480 – than in all of 2009, which held the previous record for mortality with 429 deaths. Most of these deaths were due to cold stress, Reinert said.

In January, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach all saw 12 consecutive days of air temperature lows below 50 degrees.

Aerial population surveys conducted immediately following this cold spell at springs and power plants resulted in a count of more than 5,000 animals, the largest number ever counted.

On the east coast three fourths of manatees surveyed were found at power plants with warm water outflows. “Manatees have become dependent on man-made sources of warm water,” Reinert said.

Power plants use water from canals for cooling purposes and discharge warm water. This mimics the protection manatees found before man at natural warm water springs.

Last week at the manatee viewing center at Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Station, visitors encountered over 50 animals in close proximity at the power plant’s canal. The temperature in the canal was a tolerable 70 degrees while the gulf water in Tampa Bay reached 54 degrees.

The former manatee viewing center at Florida Power and Light’s Riviera power plant was closed for security reasons but the company offers a webcam for the public. Today, over 30 animals can be counted within the frame.

What happens when power plants close down? Manatees have a strong sense of site fidelity, according to Reinert, which means that they will return to the same warm water site year after year. They will return years after the power plants have closed down.

Manatees died in big numbers in the 1990s after the closing of pulp mills in Jacksonville, said Craig Pittman, St. Petersburg Times environmental journalist and author of Manatee Insanity.

Scientists have been noticing the link between manatees and power plants since the 1950s when biologist Joe Moore studied manatees at industrial sites along the Miami River, Pittman said. They were swimming in the river despite it being “indescribably polluted” by raw sewage discharge. “We have altered their behavior,” Pittman said.

Habitat loss has also contributed to manatees becoming dependent on power plants. The depletion of Florida’s aquifers for human consumption, according to Reinert, has caused flow pressure to decrease in warm water springs, meaning fewer animals can use them.

“Kings Bay Spring’s [discharge] used to be so strong that people used to not be able to stand on top of it,” Pittman said. “It is much less powerful nowadays.”

“We’ve decreased manatee habitat but increased it by putting up power plants that put out warm water,” said Reinert.

Most of the cold stress deaths in early 2010 occurred along the Space and Treasure Coast in Brevard and Indian River counties respectively. Here, there is a large gap between power plants, the distance between Cape Canaveral and Palm Beach County. Many manatees died getting caught in between, said Reinert, causing one of his colleagues to dub the corridor the “wall of death.”

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rescues injured and distressed manatees but mostly what they do is recover manatee carcasses. They do this to determine cause of death, which ranges from watercraft injury to cold stress to red tide.

The carcasses are sent to the agency’s necropsy lab in St. Petersburg. Last winter, the lab was handling 10 carcasses a day six days a week during the cold spell, according to Reinert. Manatee carcasses were stacked in the lab’s walk-in freezer and its necropsy table. They were on the floor. Some were even waiting outside the lab.

After a necropsy, carcasses are chopped up and placed in 55 gallon drums for rendering into oils for bio-diesel. Last winter the renderer under contract with the agency could not keep up with all the carcasses, Reinert said. The renderer was picking them up twice a week and couldn’t keep up, so carcasses were dumped in landfills.

Jewish and Muslim Students Come Together for Passage to Understanding

FAU’s Muslim and Jewish student leaders teamed up on Monday, September 13 to help spread understanding and respect for each other’s religions and holy texts. They joined religious leaders and individuals from the community to read and discuss passages from both The Old Testament and The Qur’an.

The discussion was held inside the Jewish Life Center at FAU’s Boca Raton campus. It was sponsored by the FAU Muslim Student Organization and the Jewish Student Union in conjunction with Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach.

The event was envisioned by the organizers as FAU’s response to recent inflammatory statements made by Pastor Terry Jones of Dove World Church in Gainesville. The pastor had threatened to burn Qur’ans on September 11th.

“Those who burn books ultimately can burn bodies,” Rabbi David Steinhardt of B’nai Torah Congregation said, quoting Jewish poet Heinrich Heine.

“The threat to burn the Qur’an is an insult to humanity. It’s an insult to every single person who believes in the dignity of the human being and the capacity of the human mind. I stand with my Islamic brothers and sisters in my repudiation of that and how despicable it is,” Rabbi Steinhardt said.

Rabbi Steinhardt and Sheikh Musab Abdul-Hakeem of Nur Ul Islam Academy took turns sharing their perspectives and answering questions.

Reading from the story of Abraham and Isaac from the book of Genesis, Rabbi Steinhardt offered a modern interpretation that placed the story in its historical context. “The Jewish tradition is an interpreted tradition… it has developed and evolved new meanings over time,” he said.

“We Christians, Jews, Muslims, we have the ability to change the past. We have to take our religious traditions and allow them to speak to a different world where we aren’t going to see each other as enemies but see each other as brothers, not going to make each other the same but respect each other’s differences. For me this is a beautiful notion,” he said.

Sheikh Abdul-Hakeem spoke of the similarities between religions.

"As Muslims, we cannot consider ourselves believers unless we believe in previous books, meaning the books of the prophets Moses, David and Jesus,” he said.

“God sent different prophets to different times, to different nations, with the same message but different laws. And the basic message was, ‘You should have no other God but me.”

He condemned extremists that interpret religious verses in order to deceive others.

“The notion that Islam is spread by the sword is the wrong notion because you have the choice to believe or disbelieve. It is not the will of God that all of us be along the same line. He gave us the freedom of choice,” Sheikh Abdul-Hakeem said.

FAU students were eager to ask questions and provide their own perspectives.

Josh Steinfeld, 25, was prepared with several questions for the Sheikh. Steinfeld wanted to understand the interpretive tradition of Islam and specifically, why the Qur’an’s version of Abraham’s story differs from the Torah’s.

Jed Khazem, 16, discussed passion in Islam and how that passion can be misconstrued and used as passion of terror and hate. “We should focus on the core element of passion and how it should be used in a setting of love and understanding,” he said.

The community also took part in the discussion. Joe Ankus drove from Weston to take part in the event after watching a report on the news. “I thought it was a great idea,” he said.

During the Q&A session, two men, one Jew and one Muslim, challenged Rabbi Steinhardt and Sheik Abdul-Hakeem to acknowledge the violence in their religions. Both men also agreed that religion should move away from the literal interpretation of holy texts as the words of God.

Lauren Heyman and Mona Hassan, presidents of the Jewish Student Union and the Muslim Student Organization respectively, organized the event. They stayed after to answer questions from both reporters and other students.

Scott Brockman, executive director of Hillel, approached the two women with the idea for the event as they shared neighboring booths at a club fair two weeks ago.

“More conversations like this need to take place, and need to be present in the media, and people need to see people talking to each other as opposed to yelling across the street from each other,” Brockman said.

He encouraged the people gathered to continue having interfaith dialogues.

“The students here, the power that you have is unrealized, the power that you have sitting here and what you can do together and what you can do for the community, there is unlimited potential, and you don’t realize how much you can change the world. Hopefully this is the first step.”

PRESIDENT BROGAN SAYS GOODBYE AT ICE CREAM SOCIAL

Today, departing President Frank Brogan and new interim President Dr. John Pritchett spoke at the Davie campus student union on the second stop of their “transitional period” tour. The two were joined by faculty, staff and students for ice cream, a program of speeches and the dedication of a young tree.

Chair of the Board of Trustees Nancy Blosser thanked Brogan for his accomplishments and especially for his “positive attitude toward daunting tasks.” She also praised Dr. Pritchett and assured that FAU will be “in the best of hands” once he takes over.

Brogan recalled his experience with Broward, citing cultural diversity as its biggest asset. He also thanked FAU for the support of his presidency of six years and for the home it has provided for his family. “Thank you for providing 28,000 role models for my son Colby John,” he said.

The event concluded with Davie student Governor Melinda Baugh presenting a plaque in front of a young tree to honor Brogan.

Joyanne Stephens, Vice President of Broward campuses, claimed that the President’s biggest support comes from his students. This claim could not have been supported by student attendance at the event.

At one table sat education major Chad Spence, 26, who was accompanied by two classmates. Their class was brought to the event by their professor and represented the majority of the students. Neither Spence nor any of his classmates knew anything about President Brogan but they all agreed that ice cream was a good bribe.

English major Taryn Cunningham, 24, believes the only thing that will change for the University is the name of the guy in charge.

Although the students were not familiar with the President they were quickly won over by his charm. “Never say never; that is the moral of the story,” he told a group as he visited at every table. His personality caused social science education major Thomas Levy, 20, to exclaim that Brogan was “the life of the party.”

Tomorrow, Brogan and friends will visit the Treasure Coast campuses for more ice cream and speeches. The tour wraps up on Thursday with “Brogan’s final run” and Wednesday September 9 with the State of the University Address. Both events will be held at the Boca Campus.

BOCA CAMPUS HAS HOT SPOT FOR EVERYONE

Enrollment at Florida Atlantic University comes with opportunities to branch out in other areas besides academic ones. When you have time away from studying, know that your campus has worthwhile places to explore. Here are just a few suggestions.

1. Hit the gym.
The Recreation and Fitness center offers students cardio equipment, free weights, group fitness rooms, a large multipurpose gymnasium for basketball and volleyball and health club style locker rooms. “Freshmen, you have to be in shape to get girls,” says business major Carlos Parra, 21. Parra works at the Rec and Fitness Center alongside Christopher Coleman, a 23-year-old commercial music major. “Everything is brand new, all the flat screens, and the music is nice… and the best part is its all free with tuition,” Coleman says. Students also have access to personal training, group fitness classes and intramural and club sports. “You’ll definitely want to come in the spring. The new pool is going to open and there will be a lot of pretty girls around here,” Parra says.

For more information visit http://www.fau.edu/campusrec

2. Get involved in campus life or relax at the Student Union.
The second floor of the Student Union is home to student government and the student media organizations. Speaker of the House Alan Pollock wants new students to visit student government’s office. “We want diversity. We want people who can help us represent FAU’s 28,ooo students. Because we fill spots on a rolling basis, everybody that walks through our door has a good chance at a position in the house of representatives,” he says. “Florida student governments are unique. By law we are allowed control of money being paid for activities and services… We have a big budget and can do a lot,” he says. Individuals and student organizations can propose new legislation or request financial help for their events or initiatives. Students can help plan campus events with the Programming Board like poetry slams or homecoming festivities. They can also help Multicultural Programming with this fall’s “Freakers Ball,” featuring performing artists Mario, David Banner and Ace Hood.

Students can relax on the first floor. The latest video game systems are available for use in the game room, while the central lounge area includes TVs and billiard tables. Secretary of the House James Shackleford recommends the campus sports bar, Coyote Jacks. “It is the best eating on campus,” he says. “It is a place where things happen. Last year they had viewing parties for the presidential election and human auctions to benefit charity. It is also a place for students of legal age to drink,” he says.


3. Check out the art.
The University Galleries consist of two spaces: the Schmidt Center Gallery and the Ritter Art Gallery. Each gallery presents four to six exhibitions from September through May. Exhibitions include work by visiting artists and FAU students. This summer, the art of graduate students Jessica Weber and Mark Macdonald was on display at the Schmidt Center Gallery. Weber used acrylic, ink, wood, and foam to create alien creatures spreading in relief on the walls. Macdonald, a sculptor, experimented with space and time through gas-fired-stoneware sculpted into abstract angels and honeycomb structures.

Motivated art students can volunteer at one of the galleries, or on specific projects. Recent graduate AdrienneRose Gionta started as a part-time assistant while earning her bachelor’s degree and is now putting together exhibitions as a curator, most recently for “Designing Intelligence?: Continuing the Intelligent Design Project”. She helped select 10 visiting artists that visually explored the concept and history of intelligent design. She also organized a schedule of lectures and panel discussions to generate conversation about the exhibition. “New students have the opportunity to interact with the art community while receiving new ideas and inspiration,“ says Gionta.

Fall exhibitions include: The South Florida Cultural Consortium and the Biennial Faculty Exhibition

For more information visit http://www.fau.edu/galleries/index.php

4. Look at the stars.
FAU has an observatory located on the fourth floor of the Science and Engineering building. Light pollution and weather permitting, astronomer Eric Vandernoot is available for students and staff interested in observations. A revolving dome houses the observatory telescope and opens up to reveal the sky. Mr. Vandernoot can show off his trick of calculating the properties of a star 54 trillion light years away using the study of light frequencies. He can also show visitors the fusion crusts on a meteorite in the observatory meteorite collection. Future plans for the observatory include a new telescope and an automatic system for students to find specific celestial bodies.

For more information visit http://physics.fau.edu/Events/observatory.html

WIDE RECEIVER CATCHING DEEP BALLS FOR PUNISHERS

Sally Maple, a creative writing and history major at FAU, did not have a good season last year playing on the Palm Beach Punishers of the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL). “It was ugly,” says Maple. Lacking adequate pass protection, the Punisher offense struggled to make plays through the air. Maple caught just three passes in her first year as wide receiver. “I didn’t do much,” she says.

Things are much different this year. Maple and the Punishers have just completed their breakthrough season. Maple scored her first touchdown on a 76-yard pass play against the Louisiana Fuel. She celebrated her score by running the length of the field with her arms in the air by her sides. That was just the beginning.

Last month, Maple had her first two-touchdown game against the Orlando Mayhem. She had over 200 yards rushing and receiving. On the ground, the Punishers use Maple to run tricky reverse-plays. Her speed makes her a weapon.

The IWFL is thriving as well. The full-contact, full-pad league currently has 48 teams throughout the U.S. and Canada under a two tier system. Tier I teams include the Miami Fury and the Atlanta Xplosion. The Punishers are just one of 27 Tier II teams.

In five games against Tier II competition the Punishers have gone 2-3. Last year, the Punishers went 0-8 overall. The offense has improved by 100 points this year. The team barely missed the playoffs. Maple, playing as both wide receiver and kicker, has scored six touchdowns. She also kicks field goals, extra-points, kick-offs and punts.

“She catches balls normal people wouldn’t make. Not only that, she makes the catches and she is running up field and avoiding tackles.” says head coach Scott Jurasz. Maple owes much of her success to her quarterback, Melissa Savage. “She is one of the best deep ball QBs in the league,” says Maple.

Jen Coles, center and FAU alum, remembers one of the highlights of the season. Maple scored the first touchdown in team history against Tier I powerhouse the Atlanta Xplosion. (Atlanta’s players are paid and the team has a larger fan base.) Savage threw to a covered Maple in the endzone. A defender was positioned in front of her to intercept. “The ball passed right through the fingers of the defense. Sally jumped high, grabbed the ball, and managed to stay inbounds,” says Coles. “After that she kicked in the extra point.”

Maple has been scoring points all of her life. She first became involved in football as a team manager for her boys high school team and fell in love with the game. Soon she donned pads of her own. “It was the best team experience. Nothing comes close. It was so involving and everyone associated with the team cared so much,” says Maple. She has also played soccer, basketball, softball, tennis and lacrosse.

On the field, she models herself after other deep ball players like Terrell Owens and Randy Moss. She is in the gym four to five times a week. Off the field, she loves to write. She writes screenplays, poetry, and short stories. She is currently planning on submitting a script to Fox as part of a contest to develop a 30-minute show. Maple also sings and plays the guitar.

She hopes one day to develop a project that can help promote women’s football. “Football is the greatest game. (Women’s football) just needs investors to buy into the idea,” she says. Coach Jurasz explains why the idea works, “If you are a fan of football, this is for you. There is nothing watered down. We have complex offenses and defenses. Our teams are competitive.”

“We knock the crap out of people. It’s entertaining,” says linebacker Danielle Moody. She means it. “In our first year a fullback came across the line. I lowered my shoulder and made the hit. She had to leave the game in a stretcher,” she says.

The Punishers want to do more than just crash pads. They are looking to continue building their football program, which means heavy recruiting. Right now they have about 30 women on their roster. The goal for next year is 40 to 50. Tryouts are scheduled for August.

“If you are 18 and over come out and give it a try. I know there are hidden athletes out there that can find what they are looking for with us,” says coach Jurasz.

It has taken her three seasons, but Maple is now showing flashes of superstar on the field. FAU Literature professor Dr. Taylor Hagood returned to class after a Punisher’s game and pronounced himself a fan. “Ms. Maple told me she was a football player, but she failed to mention that she is like Michael Jordan out there.”

CONOR OBERST AND THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND GROW TOGETHER ON NEW ALBUM, OUTER SOUTH

Some Conor Oberst fans may have been turned off by the musical detours he has taken throughout his career. Maybe they don’t know what to think of the new Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band Album, Outer South. I don’t suffer either of those problems.

Quietly, Oberst has released my favorite album at least eight times in a row. I remember horizontal rain and a hurricane pounding on the suspension of my car in 2004 when I first got into his band Bright Eyes.

I couldn’t believe how raw the songs sounded. Oberst sung in this nasally and unapologetic voice. It was fragile at times, and other times powerful. Some people can’t stand the sound of it. I don’t know what makes me like it. I can rock to Led Zeppelin and I appreciate vocals that peel paint off walls, but I also need more than just lightning and thunder.

I didn’t believe in much of anything in those days. Childhood in America makes you feel entitled. Discovering the truth, that you aren’t a unique and special snowflake, and that life is hard, can very well swallow you up whole. I was lonely because I hadn’t yet figured out how the world worked and what my place could be in it.

In that crucial point in my life Oberst’s music was as influential a friend as anyone had ever been to me. His early albums reflected that insecurity and that wide-eyed wonder that I felt in my body. I felt less lonely knowing that someone was willing to work everything out with me.

I was amazed at how vivid the stories in the songs felt. I can imagine myself in every song.

In Lover I Don’t Have to Love (from 2002’s Lifted) I’m swaggering because I just played a gig. I pick a girl from the crowd. We touch each other drunk. Later I realize what I’m doing. I question love. Oberst sings as the song builds to climax, “You write such pretty words, but life is no story book. Love is an excuse to get hurt… and to hurt. Do you like to hurt?” She replies, “I do I do” and I say “then hurt me.”

I have been there. I have shouted fatalistic trying to masquerade as deep. I have searched for love on the wrong girl’s skin. I’ve been desperate to feel. I have signed myself away to hurt.

In his career, Oberst has gone stripped down acoustic to beat-driven electronic, to rock and roll and to country. He has gone almost everywhere lyrically and musically. Oberst may not appreciate a label like “voice of a generation,” but he makes it hard not to think along those lines.

I challenge you to name anyone under thirty capable of recording a more powerful song than Four Winds (from 2007’s Cassadaga). Oberst sings, “The Bible is blind, the Torah is deaf and the Qur'an is mute. If you burn them all together you get close to the truth. Still, they are pouring over Sanskrit over Ivy League moons, while shadows lengthen in the sun." The man that wrote those words can speak for me any day.

I love the new album. It is the first one credited to Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. I love how Oberst surrounds himself with friends and allows them to help him make music. I believe it is the secret to his longevity.

Old fans have absolutely nothing to complain about on Outer South. When I listen to To All the Lights In The Windows I get the same ex-lover-defiance-feeling I did when I used to shout the lines of Make War (also from Lifted) to my mythical heartbreaker. White Shoes is as haunting and delicate as Amy in the White Coat (released as a single in 2002). Certain themes are eternal and will always reflect in Oberst’s words.

The big treat is discovering that his band is a capable backup. Air Mattress written and sung by Taylor Hollingsworth is undeniably cool, almost feeling like a long lost punk-rock classic. Difference is Time written and sung by Jason Boesel fits nicely as a slow jam before the vibrant energy of Nikorette. Boesel’s vocals remind me of another Oberst friend, Neva Dinova’s singer Jake Bellows.

Oberst fans may feel uneasy about multiple writers on his records. I like how it worked out. The Mystic Valley Band has no weak links. I am grateful those guys are pushing one of my favorite artists toward new and greater musical horizons.

I’ve grown in the past few years as well.

Bob Dylan just debuted at the number one spot on the Billboard charts breaking a record as the oldest to ever do so. He’ll never stop singing and growing and reaching. I don’t think Conor Oberst will stop either. I know I won’t and I encourage you to take the same stance.

Outer South is available now on Merge Records.

FAU LAUNCHES CARPOOL PARKING EXPERIMENT

Launching this semester, FAU’s carpool program is designed to encourage staff and students to share the driving load.

The program will be coordinated through South Florida Commuter Services (SFCS) and consists of carpool parking and matching.

FAU Traffic and Parking has installed 57 spaces throughout the Boca Raton campus. To use these spaces, existing carpools will be required to register at www.GET2FAU.com. SFCS will mail drivers special decals, issuing one per carpool.

According to Jim Johnson, operations manager at FAU Traffic and Parking, carpool spaces are currently located in the following locations: Lot 1, Lot 4, Lot 6, Lot 8, Lot 9, Lot 16, Lot 19 and Parking Garage 2.

The program was implemented to meet requests from FAU’s students, faculty and staff. “We are constantly looking at ways to improve traffic flow on campus. Everyone who participates in the carpool program helps to reduce the number of vehicles driven on to campus each day, making it easier to navigate the campus roadways and to find a place to park.”

“Traffic and Parking works with FAU’s Mission Green, the Campus Sustainability Committee, to reduce the University’s greenhouse gas emissions. The carpool program is one of several steps being taken to help reach this goal,” says Johnson.

Individuals interested in becoming part of a carpool will be able to register in the matching service provided by SFCS. Once they have provided their information, they will receive a list of possible driving partners.

Everyone registered will also qualify for the Emergency Ride Home program. It will allow carpoolers to use a taxi-service free of charge up to six times per year in emergency situations.

Barbara Stern, Coordinator in the Office of Student Financial Aid, has been part of a carpool for two years already. “We signed up because I think the special parking places are the best. I work in the Student Services building and it is often hard to find a parking space, especially if you must leave at lunch. Carpooling is great because I save on gas and also mileage on the car.”

SFCS has been working with FAU to develop its carpool program for six months. Previously, it had partnered with the City of Boca Raton, Palm Tran and Tri-Rail to enhance the Palm Tran service for FAU and PBCC. Since service has been modified, ridership on route 94 has increased by 80%.

“We believe that FAU will again serve as a model in the region for identifying ways to reduce their impact on the community and thinking outside the box to implement solutions,” says Sabrina Glenn, an administrator with SFCS.

“We currently have 17 individuals registered for the (FAU) program and have received over 50 requests from individuals interested in finding someone to carpool with,” says Glenn.

She hopes participation will increase in the fall semester. “We planned to launch it during the summer so that it would give us an opportunity to work out any kinks, being that this is a new program and the first real University carpooling program in South Florida.”

FAU ASTRONOMER CALLS FOR NEW LUNAR FRONTIER

According to FAU astronomer Eric Vandernoot, America’s future in space depends on its willingness to colonize the moon. And it’s not a far-off idea. The moon has energy resources not found on Earth and the technologies needed to harness these resources are mostly known.

The head of the University observatory and physics lab presented all of his ideas regarding living on the moon in a lecture at the South Florida Science Museum on April 23. The lecture sought to answer the question: Can we live in space?

“The short answer is we already do. But can we move into space aside from highly skilled astronauts?” Vandernoot says.

He thinks America should strive to revive its frontier spirit, the same one that drove families in wagons toward the old west. This time, however, brave pioneers should settle the moon.

Vandernoot was quick when his audience asked him about Mars. He warned of spending too much money on a manned mission there. “Absolutely not, we would blow through our budget and never go anywhere again,” Vandernoot responds. “The only way for the public to appreciate any endeavor is for America to get something back for its investment.”

Vandernoot says resources on the moon can help alleviate Earth’s energy crisis. He also points out that no living ecosystem will be hurt by human presence. Should we decide to explore deeper into space, the moon’s surface is easier for rockets to lift off from.

The astronomer introduced the audience to the latest designs in NASA rockets. These rockets are capable of launching massive cargos into space.

For living and working on the moon he illustrated plans for inflatable habitats made of Kevlar that would be powered by solar panels. These lunar habitats have already been field tested in Antarctica.

Future technologies such as a lunar digger will make colonization even easier. Vandernoot showed off an existing plan for this digger that is designed to melt soil and process the lava for later use as a building material.

He also displayed illustrations for technology intended to power the most ambitious elevator in history. “Right now it costs about $10,000 to put one pound into low earth orbit,” he says. “Solution: Make a lift!” This lift using carbon nano-tube technology may someday provide a cheap way of hauling cargo into orbit.

Vandernoot examined the historical precedents of colonies. From Jamestown to Australia, all successful colonies were supported by new technology, government legislation, and charisma. He further explained that ultimate survival often depended on the development of a cash crop to offset the costs of settlement. The moon has one built in.

“Helium 3 fusion energy is the key to future space exploration,” Vandernoot says.

According to his lecture, the isotope that is rare on earth is abundant in the moon’s soil. It could produce energy by providing the fuel for nuclear power plants.

“The estimated one million tons of Helium 3 on the moon has about 10 times more energy than all the recoverable oil, coal, and natural gas on earth.”

To close his lecture, Vandernoot stressed the importance of public and legislative support for space exploration.

His grandparents helped build the lunar module for the Apollo missions at the company Grumman Aerospace. He remembers being surrounded by scale models growing up in his house. This explains Vandernoot’s interest in space.

He worries about competition from China. “We had 10,000 people working to put astronauts on the moon. China has 250,000 people currently working on their space program.”

“The frontier is dangerous, it has always been dangerous, and will always be dangerous. We have the intellect, capability, and technology to face it. Do we have the gumption?”

The South Florida Science Museum hosted a reception, and a viewing of the full-dome planetarium movie Astronaut prior to the lecture. After the lecture, Dr. Laura Sessions of the museum thanked the audience for supporting the Science Tunnel exhibit that coincided with the lecture series. The traveling exhibit was a “smashing success” according to Sessions, receiving over 20,000 visitors. The museum also provided guided tours to over 6,000 school children. The SFSM is located at 4801 Dreher Trail North, West Palm Beach. For more information, visit http://www.sfsm.org or call 561-832-1988.

The FAU observatory is located in the Physical Science building on the Boca Raton campus. It welcomes students and faculty to participate in observations. Public viewing hours are located on the observatory website, http://physics.fau.edu and Eric Vandernoot can be reached at 561-297-STAR.

Instructor Spotlight: Mary Sullivan, Anthropology

PBCC is blessed with instructors who not only talk the talk but have walked the walk. With years of experience working in their respective fields, these professors stand the best chance of bringing their subject to life for students.

Adjunct professor Mary Sullivan does just that. She currently teaches Anthropology to PBCC students on all three campuses. Her course studies what it means to be human in all times and in all places. Sharing personal stories of excavating in Ecuador, researching on the islands of Fiji, or finding the richness of Native American culture in Mississippi, Professor Sullivan inspires a sense of wonder in her students. She grabs hold of their attention and never lets go.

Growing up in small town Indiana, Sullivan describes it as “a block of suburbia amidst corn fields.” She was probably the coolest girl in school with her “jazzy” Liza Frank folders and fun habit of sending out Christmas cards in hieroglyphics. She remembers agriculture class and having to commit to memory every species of hog and cattle. She loved writing and would go on to Indiana University to major in English.

There, a professor encouraged her to participate in a cave exploration trip he ran in the Central American country of Belize. “I was hooked,” Sullivan said. She would pursue a double-major in Archaeology and English. As a result, she took some memorable classes. “I remember in Zoology they made us skin a spider-monkey, clean and label its parts.”

Upon graduating, she worked as a professional archaeologist for four years. Wanting to advance in her career, she then took a full-ride to the University of Mississippi’s Master’s program. Sullivan would write her thesis on the use of Geophysics to find hidden Inca sites while setting the program record for page numbers.

She never wavered on her love of writing. Professor Sullivan has managed to incorporate her two passions into her latest project, a romance novel called “Love on the Rocks.” She gives a brief synopsis of the plot, “Good girl marketing student tries field work in Belize, where she meets a playboy archaeologist. Adventure and romance ensue.”

“(Writing it) was really hard, harder than synthesizing facts for any research paper,” Professor Sullivan explains. Despite any difficulties, she finished writing and submitted her work for judging. Her novel was well received, earning her 2008 Golden Heart finalist honors. The Golden Heart is the most prestigious award for unpublished manuscripts in the romance genre.

Recently, her success in several contests has led to a publisher expressing interest. Instructed to add to the story, Sullivan has resubmitted her manuscript and is currently waiting for a decision. PBCC may soon have a famous novelist on staff.

So how does she like teaching here? “I like it. I like all my students. They bring excitement, diversity, and cultural experience to Anthropology.” Genuine in her assessment, Professor Sullivan has a knack for remembering student names. By the midterm exam she knows everyone.

Josh Hall, an education major in Professor Sullivan’s Tuesday night class, enjoys the arsenal of videos that are presented. He gets particularly excited recounting what he has learned about Bonobo sexual behavior. Classmate Trish Olson adds, “Professor Sullivan is a really cool teacher… and I should know. I’ve been at PBCC for 10 years!”

When asked what she sees in her future Professor Sullivan responds, “hopefully I’ll be an established fiction writer and in a big mansion.” She is kidding but may not be far off. Young, traveled, well-educated and with an excellent record of achieving her goals, Professor Sullivan has definitely not finished leaving her mark on the world. As PBCC students we are lucky to have her.