VOLUME VI, ISSUE III
www.thefineprintuf.org
SPRING 2014 FREE
GOODWILL HUNTING
Caretakers of the land, keepers of their kill. p.28
OH, THE PLACES THEY’LL GROW: SOWING THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL GARDENS P.18
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in
this issue Hop on the Magic School Bus (pictured right) This summer, four friends will take a refurbished school bus 10,000 miles across the country to spread the eco-friendly gospel.
p. 30
Published with support from Generation Progress/Center for American Progress (online at GenerationProgress.org).
Print Editors
Samantha Schuyler Lily Wan
Asst.Print Editor
Damian Gonzalez
Photo Director
Erica Sterling
Art Director
Emma Roulette
Layout Director
Isabel Branstrom
Creative Writing Editor
Nadia Sheikh
Copy Editor
Heather Reinblatt
Web Editors
Samantha Schuyler Lily Wan
Marketing Director
Vanessa Kinsey
Page Designers
Isabel Branstrom Chelsea Hetelson Claudia Marina Maitane Romagosa Sarah Senfeld Kelley Taksier
MISSION STATEMENT
Read Up, Chow Down (pictured above)
The Lunch Box shares their secret strawberry szechuan peppercorn soda recipe.
p. 08 Cover art by Emma Roulette
COLUMNS Frankly Speaking, p. 06 When we fear missing out we neglect to look in Nanowarriors, p. 14 Could a local startup develop a vaccine to prevent Type I diabetes?
SPOTLIGHTS Get Your Fix p. 16 Free, do-it-yourself bike repair stations will make sure you’re never flat Baby, Let’s Talk About Sexxx, p. 22 Pride Student Union’s first annual Sexxx Week
FEATURES FREE WEED, p. 32 Public support brings herbal relief to the November ballot Shut Down, Not Shut Up, p. 34 An end to over 300,000 farmers’ fight against Monsanto
Our mission is to serve the Gainesville community by providing an independent outlet for political, social and arts coverage through local, in-depth reporting.
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from THE FINE PRINT’S
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ISSUE II VOLUME VI,
thefineprintuf.org
EDITORIAL DESK by Samantha Schuyler
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3 WINTER 201 FREE
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Multimedia, more stories, blogs and a community calendar. PLUS! Comment on stories, see photos from the printed issue (and more!) IN COLOR, flip through a digital version of the printed edition and much, much more, all updated throughout the month.
ZIRIUM Hello readers! My name’s Sam, and I’m all kinds of happy to introduce myself. I’ve been humming under the hood and doing editorial stuff for the past few issues, but now I get a chance to say hi and shake all of your ILLE OOV + + BAMB hands. Because I am in your hand. You RET? P.28 BEST KEPT SEC GAINESVILLE’S) D (AN A’S ERIC are holding a magazine. I am part of the REMOVAL AM facebook.com/thefineprintuf IS MOUNTAINTOP magazine. I know! It’s crazy! (Please don’t twitter.com/thefineprintuf go I’m just nervous.) @thefineprintuf At The Fine Print, we’re (sometimes obsessively) interested in who our readers are. Who picks us up? Is it a student on his way to class? Someone who lives in Duck Pond, passing time in The Bull bathroom? Someone who Wanna catch some cooties? was born and raised here? It’s hard to say--Gainesville, If yes, turn to the last page. after all, is full of musicians, artists, techies, students, activists, farmers, rock climbers, roller rebels and I could go on. Of course, it’s our basic responsibility as a news publication to know our readership. But I think The Erick Edwing Fine Print, much like myself after four episodes of “Battlestar Galactica,” wants more. We seek to have a deep relationship with our readers. We want to chat with you, laugh with you and get excited with you. When we highlight what’s weird or funny or distinct about the city, it’s because it intrigues us and we want to share. Just like in a friendship, none of that would work if we didn’t try to know you intimately. I remember sitting at my first meeting with The Fine Print, death-gripping my notebook, wholly intimidated. The editors tossed around story ideas in front of the white board, and it was clear they had an affectionate and robust knowledge of the area. They toggled through lists of local shops, personalities and landmarks with the authority of longtime residents. I hastily scribbled down “Gainesville has springs?!” in my notebook for later research. But look: At our first meeting of the semester a few weeks ago I stood in front of the whiteboard, doing what had baffled me just a year before. And I’d like to attribute that to more than just time. With The Fine Print, I’ve Erick Edwing is a spirited public relations sophomore at had a vigorous and lively crash course in the city. Because the University of Florida. When not breaking hearts or whenever we’re met with a question of topic, wording eating sushi, he is writing for The Fine Print. Erick hopes or presentation, our first thought goes to our motley to be a successful PR practitioner living a stylish life in readership. New York City while surrounded by even more stylish And that includes you. So thanks for picking up this friends. His interests include people watching, jogging issue, reader! I hope you enjoy. We were thinking ‘bout ya and thinking of witty things to say in conversations that the whole time. already happened. and The journey, drive s lyrics that took Zirium and his rap from . Nigeria to Gainesville P.22
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FEATURED STAFFER
COLUMN / PAPER CUTS Ouch! That hurt s doesn’t it? Paper Cuts are our shor t, erratic and slig htly painful updates on current local an d national events . See our website for more Paper Cuts at thefineprintuf.o rg
Paper Cuts Co ok ie Mo nst ers Contrary to popular belief, there are actually five seasons each year. The fifth falls right between spring and summer. The weather is crisp and unwaveringly perfect. A symphony of small, squeaky voices fill the air, tempting you with a mere three words: Girl Scout Cookies. ‘Tis the season. It takes a strong (or seriously depraved) soul to resist the temptation. Telling yourself the cookies are overpriced, clinging to vestiges of New Years’ diet resolutions, avoiding eye contact and barrel rolling away from the iconic green vests — whatever the tactic, humans have long found ways to muzzle the craving. This year, conservatives are tackling the temptation on a whole new level: ladies and gentlemen, CookieCott 2014. The boycott sprouted from one of the Girl Scouts’ tweets in December. The tweet linked to a Huffington Post video on “incredible ladies” who should be Women of the Year for 2013. Among the winners were Beyoncé (duh) and Wendy Davis, a Texas senator hopeful most recently notable for her filibuster against an anti-abortion bill. John Pisciotta, an anti-choice activist in Texas, interpreted the tweet as the Girl Scouts’ endorsement of Davis and immediately swore himself to Samoa celibacy, inspiring many other anti-choice groups to join in on the dry spell. The boycott even has a cute website, www.cookiecott.com. 04 | T H E
F I N E P R I N T | thefineprintuf.org
Image courtesy of the Government Pr ess Office by Miln via Flickr Common er Mos s.
he
The website has a downloadable flier to spread the word, arguing for the boycott of all things Girl Scout. Every girl scout, after all, is automatically a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. One of the groups joining in the boycott, the Catholic News Agency, calls WAGGGS and the Girl Scouts’ relationship “troublesome,” as they describe WAGGGS as “an international agitator for abortion, contraceptives, sexual diversity and ‘comprehensive’ sexuality education.” Damn cookies and their sexual empowerment. By Lily Wan
D ro ne
à la iP h o n e
Always wanted to know what Obama’s automated killing machines are up to? There’s an app for that. Targets for U.S. drone strikes abroad are determined not by human intelligence, but rather an intricate analysis of metadata and electronic surveillance — including cell phone tracking technologies. First Look Media’s digital magazine, The Intercept, published an investigative story in which they interviewed a former drone operator for the United States Joint Special Operations Command under anonymity. The former drone operator has also worked with the National Security Agency and said the NSA intercepts communications from cell phone towers and Internet service providers.
And now a new iPhone app, Metadata+, catalogues, maps and provides up-to-date reports on U.S. drone killings across the Middle East and Somalia. The app’s icon is a yellow 18th-century-England-astrologicallyinspired octopus swallowing the world with its tentacles. When you first pull up the app, the interface is familiar. It looks like a one-sided iMessage conversation, grey bubbles popping up from the left margin of the screen. Actually get to reading them, though, and you’ll come to learn that on Jan. 15, “While walking home, a Yemeni farmer was killed by a shrapnel from a U.S. drone strike.” Go back in the message history, and you’ll read about the 15 people who “were on their way to a wedding when a U.S. drone ‘missed its target,’ killing 12” on Dec. 12 in Yemen. In an interview The Atlantic had with Josh Begley, the designer and creator of Metadata+, Begley explained his purpose for the app: “For me, borrowing the visual vernacular of Apple’s expertly built interface opens up the potential for a different kind of seeing,” he wrote. “If the folks on the other side of our missiles are presented to us in the same places we see pictures of our loved ones or communicate with our friend , might that nudge me to learn a little more about the contours of covert war?” By Lily Wan
COLUMN / MONTHLY MANIFESTO
JUNGLE
FRIENDS Primate Sanctuar y
BY THE JUNGLE FRIENDS EXECUTIVE BOARD Did you know that there are monkeys right here in Gainesville? Located on 12 acres just north of town, Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary provides permanent, high-quality sanctuary care for abused or unwanted New World primates, who have been cast off from the pet trade, released from research or confiscated by authorities. Jungle Friends is dedicated to providing a loving home to monkeys in need of lifetime care. All this monkey business began with a capuchin monkey named Samantha. Samantha was originally purchased as a pet by a friend of founder Kari Bagnall. As Samantha grew older, she turned into the wild monkey she was born to be. When Samantha’s owner was no longer able to control her, she was given to Kari. Kari realized that Samantha needed to be with other monkeys. But when she tried purchasing a second, she witnessed the breeder stealing a baby monkey away from her mother. Kari knew she had to do something. Stealing babies was wrong: wrong for the baby, wrong for the mother and certainly wrong for misguided humans who wanted a “pet” monkey. This brought Kari to start Jungle Friends as a small endeavor in Las Vegas with 13 monkeys. Then, in 1999, Kari headed to Gainesville for a more monkey-friendly climate. As the need for primate sanctuaries continued to grow, so did the Jungle Friends waiting list. Now there are more than 100 monkeys who call Jungle Friends home. The
monkeys have a large, naturalistic habitat with monkey friends and plenty of grass, trees, swings, buckets and barrels for their wild monkey antics. Watch the video Almost Wild to see the Jungle Friends monkeys enjoying life at Jungle Friends. Words cannot describe the wonderful sight of a monkey, newly out of laboratory research, touching grass for the first time, basking in the sun or meeting a monkey friend. Due to the rising need for primate sanctuaries, Jungle Friends will be doubling in size over the next two years as four laboratories close its doors and release nearly 200 monkeys. The University of Georgia is one of these universities and intends to be a role model for other universities by contributing and helping us to raise funds for the monkeys’ ongoing care. Learn more about the UGA Gang, and help us get more monkeys out of research. As a non-profit 501-(c)-3 organization, Jungle Friends is funded solely by private donations and is able to provide quality care because of our generous supporters. Please help the monkeys by donating or sponsoring a monkey today! You can also get involved by becoming a volunteer. We accept volunteers any day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. We ask you to make a four-hour commitment as many projects can take some time to complete. Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary runs on volunteer power, and we love our community members for being so involved. Come join the monkey fun and become a volunteer today! And be sure to like us on Facebook to see videos and pictures of the monkeys and stay up to date on life at the sanctuary.
Spring 2014 | T H E
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COLUMN / FRANKLY SPEAKING
THE
SPACES IN
BETWEEN TEXT BY TYLER FRANCISCHINE ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX LOCASTRO
BEEP. FLASH. Ring ring. Bzzzzzz.
My phone vibrates across the desk and falls to the floor. It’s exhausted; so am I. Ever since I got this smart phone a few weeks ago, it’s been relentlessly notifying me of things big and small. Here’s a beautiful picture of a sunset from back east. Here’s a breath-taking shot of someone I used to work with and a pizza. I find myself glued to the screen, frantically trying to keep up with all the information, invitations, pictures and videos sent to my phone. When I drove home from work, I looked up at the road maybe half the time. (Sorry, mom.) But then there would be evenings at home where my phone remained conspicuously silent. I would check it every ten minutes, and my anxiety would mount with each glance at an empty home screen. “Where are all my friends?” I thought. “Are they all out doing something really fun? Was I not invited to said fun?? Does everyone hate me???” Thank God for Facebook, because I was able to 06 | T H E
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thefineprintuf.org
COLUMN / FRANKLY SPEAKING
diagnose my symptoms with a link posted as a friend’s status. I was exhibiting signs of bonafide FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out syndrome. The Oxford Dictionary defines this condition as “anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website.” Next, I found out that the guy who named FOMO runs seminars for marketing professionals on how to successfully cater to the needs of FOMO-driven consumers. I resent the fact that one day FOMO might grace the pages of the DSM V, alongside serious, life-consuming mental disorders. Listen: Last spring, I came down with walking pneumonia, and I came down hard. I felt like I was living life from inside of a bubble. Nothing could penetrate it to make me feel alive. I was chemically depressed. I could have been prescribed Prozac. At the same time, I currently check Instagram once every couple of hours. For this, I could also be prescribed Prozac. My friend Travis, who has experienced depression and anxiety disorders, says when FOMO becomes a diagnosable problem treated with medication, it trivializes mental illness. “One of the hardest things about mental illness is that so few people respect that you are actually sick,” he told me. “No one would tell a guy with MS to ‘snap out of it,’ but I've heard that so many times. FOMO, I fear, makes it harder for people who suffer serious conditions to get the help they need without being socially ostracized.” Social media and the way it allows us to constantly talk and text creates a need for continuous external validation. When our phones are ringing off the hook, we feel wanted and important in our communities. In those spaces in between rings, we feel lonely and anxious. For some people, FOMO goes deeper than a fear of missing out on fun activities. It evolves into a fear of missing out on happiness. We didn’t have a good day unless someone posted a picture of us online with the caption, “Had so much fun today! #Blessed” But there is something more important than
consistently being happy: knowing how you feel at all times. Just because your phone screen remains dark for five minutes doesn’t mean you are utterly alone in the universe. When we have twenty minutes in a reception area, or even two minutes at a red light, we shouldn’t be tapping away at a screen. We should be tapping into our thoughts and feelings. We shy away from reflection, because it could lead to pain and the realization that change may be necessary for our lives. But the alternative, distracting ourselves with notifications and worthless Snapchats, won’t heal the problems we’re facing. Instead, asking ourselves questions like, “How do I feel right now, and how can I fix what’s bothering me,” will do some good. Pause for the cause during high times, too. On superb beach days, instead of taking a million pictures, we should remember what Kurt Vonnegut wrote in “Jailbird:” I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.” We shouldn’t glean all our gratification and validation from external sources like Instagram and Facebook. These feelings should originate within ourselves. We don’t have to be consistently present in other people’s lives and tapped into the Twitterverse to participate in life. A tree always makes a sound when it falls in a forest no matter who’s listening. We can have valuable experiences even if they aren’t shared on the Internet or repeated through text message. And sometimes the thoughts and experiences we don’t want to share with others can be just as valuable as those we do share. At the end of every day, we must remind ourselves that we may not feel happy all the time. And that’s OK. As long as we’re feeling something, we’re still participating. That’s all we can ask of each other.
I resent the fact that one day FOMO [Fear of Missing Out syndrome] might grace the pages of the DSM V, alongside serious, life-consuming mental disorders.
Spring 2014 | T H E
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COLUMN / READ UP, CHOW DOWN
READ UP,
CHOW DOWN BY KIMBERLY GLASS
ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS CONWAY
Once it was a gas station. Later, a post office and a ticket depot. Now we know the little space in the heart of downtown to be the Lunchbox, an outdoor café serving up some of Gainesville’s most unique grub. Owner Tate Clair has a specially crafted approach to food that he has developed through years of working in fine dining, everywhere from Sydney to San Diego. With the Lunchbox, Clair makes flavors and elements of fine dining accessible to the general public of Gainesville. He says the restaurant operates under the rule: “If you wouldn’t serve it to your mom, don’t use it.”
08 | T H E F I N E P R I N T | thefineprintuf.org
PHOTO BY ERICA STERLING
The Lunchbox’s food is made fresh with ingredients that often come straight from the local farmers neighboring the café every Wednesday afternoon at the Union Street Farmers Market. The menu always has new and interesting homemade sodas to try, constantly pairing unique flavors together. As we come up on the cusp of strawberry season, the Lunchbox is trying out its Strawberry Szechuan Peppercorn soda. Pick one up for a sweet and flavorful way to celebrate spring, or try out the recipe for yourself!
COLUMN / READ UP, CHOW DOWN
Strawberry Szechuan Peppercorn Soda Recipe INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
+ 1 quart of strawberries + 1 quart of sugar + ½ gallon of water + 1 tablespoon of Szechuan peppercorns (sold in any Asian market) + seltzer water
1. Cut off the tops of the strawberries. 2. Put the strawberries, sugar, flat water and Szechuan peppercorns in a pot and bring to a boil. 3. Let the mixture cool. 4. Puree or blend the mixture, then strain it. (Ta da! This is your syrup base.) Fill up your cup with ice and mix together the seltzer water and syrup Side note: Mixing the syrup with champagne instead of seltzer water is a great substitute.
T'S IN SEASO A N? WH +strawberries +tomatoes +yuca/cassava +radishes +cauliflower +lettuce +shitake mushrooms +peppers +beets +carrots +broccoli +kale
Spring 2014| T H E F I N E P R I N T | 09
COLUMN / OFFICE SPACE
office
SPACE
PROFESSOR: Patricia Hilliard-Nunn OFFICE: 105 Walker Hall DEPARTMENT: African-American Studies
BY TONI-LEE MAITLAND PHOTOS BY CIERA BATTLESON Room 105 in Walker Hall is a quiet space with high ceilings and a window that lets in the afternoon sun, illuminating all the objects that reside on the shelves, walls and desk. After moving from office to office for quite some time, Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn finally has a permanent space of her own. Hilliard-Nunn, who grew up in Monrovia, Liberia, started as a full-time professor of African-American studies at the University of Florida in 2006. Her current research focuses on the experiences of African-Americans in Alachua and Seminole communities throughout Florida. Days are packed full, leaving little time for retreat in her office. Still, she takes pride in creating a surrounding that inspires her. Artifacts abound, her space reflects her salient passion. “I want to communicate a sense of joy, the fact that African-American people have been through a struggle, a sense of history and the beauty and diversity of African and African-American culture,” she said, looking at the colorful posters, paintings and the large quilt that she made herself.
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F I N E P R I N T | thefineprintuf.org
“I am also an artist in painting, multimedia, sewing and gourd art,” Nunn said. It all helps to focus and ground her. Upon earning her undergraduate degree in mass media arts and a MFA in film production at Howard University, she worked in freelance media production. Outside of academia, she has worked as a Coca-Cola trade examiner, community organizer and a children’s book author under Makare Publishing Company, which she owns. Several aspects of who she is can be found in the poster of a painting she made. The poster was created to commemorate Juneteenth, a holiday that celebrates the emancipation of AfricanAmericans from slavery. “I’m cheating here,” Nunn said, “but it encompasses the interdisciplinarity of my life.” The painting includes many vibrant colors and symbols that she considers essential aspects of herself, including a map of Africa, a storyteller and a dancer. It represents the “intergenerational transition of history and culture, and that’s me, a part of the human family,” she said.
COLUMN / OFFICE SPACE
High up on the wall to the left of her desk hangs a framed picture of her great-great-grandmother, Mary Hilliard, who was enslaved in Georgia from the 1840s to 1865. After enslavement, Hilliard and her husband bought 100 acres of land in Texas that their family farmed together. “She took her son’s place working in the fields so that he could go to school and get an education,” Nunn said. “It’s nice to have her looking over me.” This picture, which serves as a reminder of the impact education has had on many families like her own, is one of her most prized possessions.
Nunn eventually picked up a small statue of the Sankofa bird. The term sankofa, which translates to “go back and fetch it,” is an adinkra symbol in the form of a bird turning its neck back to capture something left behind. “When I taught my first class in women studies as an adjunct, my first slide had a picture of the Sankofa bird,” she said. Nunn continues to include this symbol in her classes, reminding her students that they have to look back into history before they can move forward.
Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn sits at her desk in her Walker Hall office. Nunn, a professor of African American studies, keeps a framed picture over her desk of her great-great-grandmother, who was a slave in Georgia. Spring 2014 | T H E
FINE PRINT|
11
FOR THE RECORD Reviews of local bands, the next big thing, and all your friends.
The members of Habits. Photo by Ciera Battleson.
>> HABITS HABITS
XXXXXX Release Date// March Recorded at// Black Bear Studios Sounds like// WU LYFE, daydreams Inspiration// Manchester Orchestra, Brand New, Pixies Key track// “Piano Song” Where to get it// habitshabitshabits.bandcamp.com
12 | T H E
Josh Thompson// bass Jeff Butler// drums
Obadiah Grener// guitar, vocals Page Slone// keyboards
A little over a year ago, Obadiah Grener was writing songs for a solo acoustic project when he suddenly felt the desire to shift directions. “I just decided, ‘Man, I don’t want to do this,’” Grener said. “‘I want a full band.’ It felt more appropriate.” One of the first people he got together with was Page Slone, who Grener had known and played with in different groups for seven years. Together, they conceived of a sound that would move beyond being guitar heavy and instead feature prominent keyboard and synthesizer. “I noticed that there were a lot of guitar-oriented projects in Gainesville, whether it was hardcore, post-hardcore, whatever,” Grener said. “I thought it would be nice to have a keyboardist instead of a lead guitarist, or a keyboardist along with a lead guitarist.” And with the conscious decision to incorporate heavy keyboards, Habits was born. Their second release, the self-titled “Habits” EP, is a three-song set recorded live at Black Bear Studios. Habits have spent most of the last year writing follow-up material after the release of their first EP, “Setting Suns, Parting Seas.” The new project is markedly different than the first, according to Slone.
F I N E P R I N T | thefineprintuf.org
If you’d like to see your band reviewed in For The Record or if you want to be considered to play at our next benefit show, email editors@thefineprintuf.org and let us know.
“The quality of the songwriting improved,” Slone said. “We definitely found ourselves and our instruments and what works.” Grener said he also aimed for the lyrics on this release to be more accessible. “Some of it in ‘Setting Suns’ is ambiguous. I’m trying to get out of that and be a little more specific, a little more relatable,” Grener said. “Piano Song” is the most fully realized expression of Habits’ matured songwriting on the new release. The opening keys of the track give it a spacious and tender feeling, which are then sliced by Grener’s desperate, wailing vocals. The details are what make this tune. Drummer Jeff Butler’s double bass drum work adds complexity to the rhythms and provides a rumbling foundation. The middle section, two minutes into the track, features Josh Thompson’s roaming bassline, soft piano accents from Slone and shuffling snare drum rolls. All this combines to tease out a contemplative mood. “When I listen to our music, I feel so much emotion from everyone playing their instrument,” Slone said. “You feel a bit of angst, sadness, a little bit of optimism and a little bit of, ‘Hey, I want to drink.’”
BY ANDREW BALDIZON
COLUMN / FOR THE RECORD
>> CARPADIUM FAKE JOKES
XXXX Release Date// January Recorded at// Ryan Bell’s Living Room Sounds like// A Demented Arcade Inspiration// Tera Melos, Joan of Arc, Melvins, Battles Key tracks// “Premium Bananas,” “Fletcher’s Dance” Where to get it// carpadium. bandcamp.com and at shows Upcoming shows// None booked at the moment.
Jonathan Ward// bass Andrew Mankin// drums
“Books,” the opening track off Carpadium’s sophomore effort, “Fake Jokes,” begins with feedback and the familiar sound of a buzzsaw guitar. But the last thing this band wants is for the listener to feel comfortable. The making of its second album reflects a group very much at ease with each other’s musical instincts. The entire record was laid down in two 5-hour bursts over two days in guitarist Ryan Bell’s living room. “We had to get it done by the time my parents got home from work,” Bell said. Recording the material at all was a spur-of-themoment decision without any major pre-planning, according to Bell. In fact, during production the band made two choices that added up to major sonic alterations: They abandoned all vocals, which, according to bassist Jonathan Ward “sounded like an afterthought” on the first album; and they recorded the entire thing live. In contrast, their debut album, “Belief in Question,” was recorded over the span of two years. “We were ultra-perfectionist about it – lots of overdubbing and making sure everything was perfect,” Bell said. “At this point, we kind of realized that was stupid.”
>> HUNGRY HEARTS CLUB GET YOUR
CADENCE ON!
XXXXX Release Date// January Recorded at// Yancey’s House Sounds like// Dreamy rythmic soundscapes Key tracks// There are no named tracks Where to get it// hungryheartsclub.bandcamp.com Upcoming Shows// None booked at the moment.
Ryan Bell// guitar
Their approach on “Jokes” is much more lean by design, giving the record a freewheeling feel. But the group fleshes out its lean approach with increasingly rigid song structures. It allows drummer Andrew Mankin the breathing room necessary to play with time signatures and keep his bandmates on their toes. “It’s something we learned from the Melvins. For example, on the last song [‘High School Love Story’] we play one chord for two and a half minutes,” Ward said. “Premium Bananas” is one of the highlights of the record. It begins with a keyboard/guitar riff that evokes a level of an 8-bit video game, and, true to form, the song ends up taking you on a condensed trip. Mankin’s drumming is exceptional, providing rhythm that bounces with the guitars and a constant wave of cymbal crashes that adds texture to the music. The tune has a carnival vibe that draws to a droning crawl, reminding me of the coda from KISS’ “Black Diamond.” Unpredictability is central to Carpadium’s music, even for the musicians composing it. “In the end, it never really sounds like what we were going for, and that’s good,” Bell said. “But we know what we mean.”
BY ANDREW BALDIZON
Fletcher Yancey// EVERYTHING XXX
The instructions are simple but firm. In order to hear Hungry Hearts Club’s album “Get Your Cadence On!” properly, you must listen in headphones while riding your bike, or running or skating. Basically, pick a direction and get moving. Hungry Hearts Club is Fletcher Yancey, who also plays with local groups Pseudo Kids and Heartburglars. He says this album is meant to provide listeners with a soundtrack to color the sights they’ll find on their journeys. It’s divided into two parts, titled “Exploration” and “Rumination” respectively. The album features several samples, which Yancey converted from his Doctor Beats sampler into a fourtrack cassette recorder to create a warm analog sound. The first track opens with a sample from Buddy Holly’s “Everyday.” Other samples include vocal clips from Henry Miller; a representative for Raleigh Bikes from 1940; and Dr. Timothy Leary, from his album “Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out.” The other sounds on “Get Your Cadence On” come from keyboards and sparse guitar. One track features frantic, jangly guitar riffs reminiscent of Pseudo Kids’ repertoire, while a couple others can only be described
as jams. All of the tracks combine to form a dreamy sound collage that allows the mind to wander to both things currently in view and to those things which have remained hidden for some time. Yancey purposely left these tracks airy and without a narrative, so that listeners can fill in the spaces with their own ideas. “The songs are a little sentimental,” he said. “People will be able to reflect, and that’s when the good stuff happens.” He contributes no vocals to these tracks except for one line, which is distorted and reversed to become unintelligible. Still its message remains: “We can do this together.” He says he wanted these tracks to provide an underlying sense of encouragement. Don’t turn homeward just yet, they say. Keep exploring. “I want people to feel courageous. They’ll reach a certain point where they realize they’re so far from home, and this album is the soundtrack to guide them along,” he said. “‘Get Your Cadence On’ is my goofy equivalent to ‘find your center.’ It means find your rhythm. Find your balance. Get your breathing right. Get your cadence on.”
BY TYLER FRANCISCHINE
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COLUMN / SIMPLY SCIENCE Since it was first extracted from a dog’s pancreas in 1922, insulin has transformed Type I diabetes from a fatal condition to a livable chronic condition. Despite the last century’s astounding progress in both the methods for refining insulin and technologies for delivering it, Type I diabetes remains only a ‘treatable illness.’ While genetic factors underlying the disease have been identified, there are currently no methods to prevent it. A local company called OneVax is looking to change that. Based at the Florida Innovation Hub at the University of Florida, OneVax is working to develop a vaccine that will curtail the autoimmune response in Type I diabetes – effectively preventing the disease process. In 2012, an interdisciplinary group of scientists from the university’s Diabetes Center of Excellence founded OneVax after receiving a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the federal government. The company draws on the various backgrounds of the involved primary investigators – Mark Atkinson, PhD, Todd Brusko, PhD, and Clive Wasserfall, MS – in Type I diabetes research and biomaterials technology from the laboratory of Benjamin Keselowsky, PhD. Type I diabetes is caused by an autoimmune response – when the body’s own immune system acts against it – towards the beta cells in the pancreas. These beta cells are located in spherical clusters scattered throughout the pancreas. Once they’re attacked and destroyed, the pancreas can no longer secrete insulin, a hormone essential to processing blood sugar, or glucose. Type II diabetes, on the
other hand, is caused when the body loses sensitivity to insulin. A key distinction is that Type I diabetes requires life-long insulin injections, whereas Type II can often be controlled with oral agents, diet and lifestyle changes. Traditional vaccines protect against harmful foreign bacteria and viruses by priming the body’s immune system to recognize and eliminate threats early in the infection process. However, OneVax is working
the key elements.” The investigators have developed a platform of technologies to deliver these ‘key elements’ via nanoparticles made of PLGA, a polymer also used in dissolvable surgical stitches. In a broad sense, the immune system consists of two branches: the effector branch, which recognizes and eliminates foreign pathogens (e.g., bacteria and viruses), and the regulatory branch, which keeps the effector
OneVax is working to develop a vaccine that will curtail the autoimmune response in Type I diabetes – effectively preventing the disease process. on a ‘negative vaccine’ model for Type I diabetes – one that acts to curb the body’s autoimmune response against the beta cells in the pancreas. “The exciting part was joining the field of immunology with biomaterials and utilizing biopolymers to modulate immune responses in ways that hadn’t really been done before,” Brusko said. “[In] a typical vaccine, there’s a soluble formulation that’s rapid release,” he said. “And the advantage to our technology is that you get a localized time release of these factors over a period of days to weeks so that you get continuous exposure to
in check and prevents damage to the body’s tissues and organs. Autoimmunity occurs when the effector branch outcompetes the protective abilities of the regulatory branch, causing inflammation. OneVax’s researchers seek to restore the balance between these two branches by employing antigens, drugs and cell signaling proteins, or cytokines, which specifically correct the immune response directed to the pancreas. Studies conducted in the laboratories of the investigators in the Non-Obese Diabetic mouse model of Type I diabetes have been employed to test
the efficacy of the negative vaccine particles. NOD mice are genetically susceptible and spontaneously develop diabetes; many of these genes are also involved in the development of Type I diabetes in humans. The mouse immune system has a great deal in common with that of a human; similarities include many of the cell populations that play a role in human Type I diabetes. This animal model provides a unique opportunity for OneVax to test vaccine formulations targeted to control inflammation and enhance the activity of the regulatory response. In essence, the model provides an opportunity to create an ideal therapeutic approach before moving into clinical trials in humans. Their vaccine formulas have already demonstrated efficacy in preventing diabetes in the NOD mice. “The whole goal of OneVax is now to see if we can not only optimize some of these therapies but then get them further along in the drug pipeline,” Brusko said. In the laboratory at the Innovation Hub, senior scientist Jamal Lewis, Ph.D, and senior laboratory technician Greg Marshall, Ph.D, are currently working on manufacturing the particles and testing their effects on the body, mechanisms of release, and toxicology. OneVax is currently three months into their one-year SBIR grant, after which they will apply for the next phase of additional funding. “While it may be several years before this type of technology reaches the clinic,” Brusko said, “we are excited about the therapeutic potential of our approach, and we are eager to move this technology forward.”
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SPOTLIGHT
GET YOUR FIX Self-serve bike repair stations open up pathways to mobility BY CIERA BATTLESON ILLUSTRATION BY LILY WAN
Just as a car needs an oil change, a bike needs a greased chain; a car needs air in its tires and so do bike wheels; and loose steering columns or wobbly handlebars need to be fixed all the same. With the increasing population of cyclists taking over these swamplands, more and more of them are finding a need for affordable and accessible bike repair shops necessary. Cue Erick Green and his students to come save the day with new free bike repair stations, which are to open this year. Green is an instructor at Gainesville Job Corps, a local no-cost educational and technical training center supported by the U.S. Department of Labor. “It’s more about access than anything else,” he said. “The two new stations will be put on either side of town and will be free to use, so anyone can fix their bike and have the access to mobility.” The repair shops will be located at Gainesville’s St. Francis House on South Main Street and Southwest Advocacy Group located at 807 SW 64th Terrace. “The idea is to give all bikers a chance to ride and to use alternative transportation, no matter what economic class you come from, and I think that’s fantastic,” said 27-year-old Arthur Rosales, University of Florida graduate student and former bike delivery employee at Jimmy Johns. These bike stations won’t necessarily be big, and be sure you come prepared to do your own work. At no cost, anyone can come in, prop their bike up and get to work using the tools that come attached to the station. From flats, to replacements and adjustments, the tools provided should be enough to fix any problem. The stations will only be 4.5 by 5 ft. tall and painted black. “They should come with laminated manuals or a ‘How To’ guide as well so people can understand exactly what they need to do to fix the problem they’re having,” said Rosales. The stations encourage everyone to have mobility access, they also provide the community with valuable tools and knowledge when it comes to bike repair. Often taken for granted, the mere access to these tools is a privilege. “With the tools in your hands, it becomes your responsibility to fix the problem,” said Rosales. According to Dekova Batey, the Gainesville Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Coordinator, the construction of the new bike stations should be underway by late February. The Job Corps group will be assembling parts in their warehouse as on-site preparations take place.
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Green and his students at Job Corps have been helping the biking community since 2012, when they built a few bike lockers, including a bike locker big enough to stow larger-than-normal bikes (cargo bikes, for example). Because of the success of his bike lockers, Green was approached again by the GBPP to create the stations. Cyclists aren’t the only ones benefiting from these new stations, though. Green’s students are learning and developing with the project as well. With the majority of his students coming from all different parts of the country, working with the community has proven to be eye opening for them. “I want them to come here and get in touch with the Gainesville community by helping out, but then I also want them to take something with them back to their own homes and communities,” said Green. “It’s important to be involved with those around you.” Green and his students are also helping out the Alachua County Emerging Leaders project by taking on the responsibility of installing three bicycle pumps in downtown Gainesville. The pumps will be located close to the three new bike racks put in by the Community Redevelopment Agency, which include spaces next to The Top Restaurant, the Alachua County Administration Building and the Hippodrome/Boca Fiesta area. “As much as we cater to those driving cars and mopeds, we need to take care of the community using their bikes to get places,” says Green, “and I’m really happy to help out.”
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Oh, the Places They’ll GROW
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY TAYLOR NEILLY
Students of Howard Bishop Middle School harvest forests of kale at the school’s on-site garden.
SPOTLIGHT
Sowing the future of public school gardens. They gather in the garden on Monday afternoons. Shortly after the final bell rings, students of Howard Bishop Middle School file out in staggered lines to begin the afternoon’s work. There is always weeding and watering to be done. Sprouted plants must be thinned. New ground must be shoveled, turned and mended with organic fertilizer to make plant beds. Seeds must be sown into the soil. All the while, the plants grow, but slowly. Over the past 13 years since its inception, the school garden has been maintained, nurtured and even expanded every year. Numerous groups of students, teachers and volunteers have played a vital role in its development. What began as a few small beds tucked in the back of the school next to the PE court, and a few portable classrooms, is now a beautiful, sprawling garden-scape, with room for growth still. The portables have since been removed. In their place is a tangled layer of overgrowth that invigorates the uncultivated soil and acts as a wind barrier for the crops. The kids plop their book bags down on the bordering concrete and make their way over to Paul Campbell, the garden coordinator, and the three University of Florida student volunteers. Campbell patiently delivers the day’s gardening tasks to the antsy group. The students stare back at him with precariously squinted eyes, their hands propped on their foreheads for shade. Many of these students aren’t accustomed to garden work; after all, it’s not a typical after-school activity. Unlike their usual games, offering immediate gratification, payoff in the garden takes time. Every year the initial hesitation is the same. Students are concerned about dirty pants and scuffed-up shoes. Many can’t fathom why they would consent to an hour of digging in the dirt, especially at their age. And then there’s the compost. “Is that what I think it is?” the kids ask rhetorically, suspended in disbelief. As the semester progresses, however, they begin to see the composted manure as a vital component in the nutrient-rich soil. Eventually, the students’ skepticism subsides, and they inevitably come to appreciate the garden and the sustenance it provides. Campbell makes harvesting and cooking the garden’s yield a top priority. Growing food isn’t that much fun if you don’t get to eat it. He’s concocted salads with the students, cooked up broccoli and served it with homemade cheese sauce, melted and married on a portable outdoor stove top. He’s sliced up strawberries and papaya. More and more students show up, eagerly reaching for tools before they even receive instructions. They have come to enjoy their time in the garden. And gradually, they are making the connection. This is where food comes from. We have to work to eat. Still, strenuous labor is required to maintain the gar-
den and turn out abundant harvests year after year. The group of 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school students that Campbell and his volunteers work with have been productive, but they only get to garden once a week for a single hour. There is simply more work that has to be done. “If we have warm, dry weather, the garden needs water two or three times per week,” Campbell said, “If a cold snap hits unexpectedly, I’ll be over there by myself covering plants”. Though, it is not the extra trips to the garden that bother Campbell. “I don’t mind doing that amount of garden work on my own, but I don’t view it as my garden.” Instead, he would like to see the garden become part of the school curriculum. Rather than his hobby, he would like to see the students, teachers and administrators embrace it as something of their own. As it stands now, Campbell feels unsure if the garden would continue if he were to leave. “There are hundreds of kids who would really enjoy having some responsibility in the garden, and dozens of staff, yet few are willing, able and trained to take care of the garden,” he said. This past November, however, school gardening efforts like Campbell’s gained significant support when the School Board of Alachua County was awarded a $45,000 planning grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s newly administered Farm to School program. One of 72 counties nationwide, and only one of two counties in Florida to be awarded the grant, the school board will use the funds to further establish relationships with area farm-
“Unlike their usual games, offering immediate gratification, payoff in the garden takes time.” ers and make school gardens more prevalent in order to bring fresh, local produce into cafeterias. Spearheading these efforts is Maria Eunice, director of Food and Nutrition Services for the school board. Over the previous four years, Eunice worked to develop the “Your Choice” program, which brought healthier snacks in the form of fresh fruit and vegetable creations to five elementary schools with the highest percentage of subsidized student lunches. As director, Eunice helped bring about significant progress with the overall quality of cafeteria food as well. “I feel great about it, we’ve come a long way,” she said. She contends, however, that there is still room for improvement, and effectively utilizing the planning grant is the next crucial step. In January, Kelli Brew was hired as the Farm to School Spring 2014 | T H E F I N E P R I N T | 19
SPOTLIGHT
The middle school’s garden, which has been expanded over the course of 13 years, contains broccoli, cabbage, mustard greens, strawberries, carrots and beans. Here, volunteers stand near rows of collared greens. Coordinator of the county. She is in charge of achieving many of the goals laid out by the grant. Brew’s first objective is to develop a community-based Farm to School team. “I am busy putting the team together now,” she said. “We are so fortunate in Gainesville to have a very vital group of people and organizations who have been working for years in agriculture, education, health and the local food movement in general.” Once a team is established, they will begin by focusing on 20 area elementary schools. They aim to obtain more local produce, as well as establish larger, permanent school garden programs to help supply the cafeterias. The team will also work to create and sustain school wellness plans based on the consumption of whole, farm fresh foods, exercise and community outreach. “School gardens are an important part of the picture,” Brew said. “Research has shown that children are more likely to try a vegetable and to choose it in the lunchroom if they have grown it in their garden.” A permanent and widespread presence of school gardens is essential in sustaining the efforts of the Farm to 20 | T H E F I N E P R I N T | thefineprintuf.org
School movement. For children to truly understand the economic, environmental and personal health benefits of fresh, local produce, they’ll have to get their hands a little dirty. They’ll have to spend time nurturing the plants firsthand. They’ll have to witness a seed sprout, flower and miraculously transform into a vegetable on their plate. If the initial planning grant is successful, the SBAC will then receive a $100,000 implementation grant to execute more elaborate plans. The real issue -- at least when it comes to school gardening -- is a much more complex problem than money alone can solve. “The challenge of the school gardens is finding garden ‘champions’ from the community to help keep the gardens maintained and even lead the children in educational activities in the garden,” Brew said. So while the federal government can provide funding, it’s the community--the leaders, volunteers and champions like Campbell--that make the greatest investment. But even champions need help. “Without the help of other volunteers,” Campbell said, “I would have given up a long time ago.”
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SPOTLIGHT
BABY, LET’S TALK ABOUT SEXXX
BY KYLE HAYES ILLUSTRATION BY SIDNEY HOWARD A number of organizations on campus have dealt with sexuality before. From awareness of sexually transmitted diseases to education about consent, many of the facets of sexuality have been brought to students’ attention. The university even offers a number of courses that focus solely on sexuality. But this year, the University of Florida’s Pride Student Union, or PSU, tackled the issue of sex in a way that hasn’t been done before. In its recent event, which spanned the week of Feb. 17, Sexxx Week, the organization wooed people out of their comfort zones and created a space for a dialogue otherwise left to private spaces. These five days of Sexxx Week were devoted to sex toys, to adult films and to the wide range of sexuality that is often alluded to, yet has never been closely examined in the organization’s previous events. Hiram Martinez-Cabrera, the internal vice president of PSU, has done programming and marketing 22 | T H E
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for some of the organization’s past events that have promoted open discussion of sexuality. These include Opulence 2013, which was PSU’s annual drag ball, and Trans* Days, a week of celebrating the trans* community that involved a three-hour workshop and a speech by Isis King, the first trans* woman to compete on “America’s Next Top Model.” “At the end of the day, we try to keep the message obvious that queer people are more than just what we are perceived as,” Martinez-Cabrera said. “We are a mobilizing group with different talents. We’re in different parts of the world and in different occupations.” Trans* is an umbrella term used to represent the spectrum that makes up the T in LGBTQ+. Without the asterisk, the word disregards individuals who do not identify within the gender binary, such as genderfluid or agender individuals.
SPOTLIGHT Sexxx Week has continued under those principles. There was a focus on spreading open-mindedness about people’s differing sexual preferences. “What we want to do with this topic is to not ‘yuck my yum,’� MartinezCabrera said. “Someone’s own personal pleasure shouldn’t be shamed by someone else because they enjoy a different part of sex that someone might not be comfortable with.� Part of this plan included the participation of Conner Habib, a queer adult film star who has lectured on and written about pornography and homosexuality for numerous publications, including vice.com and salon.com. PSU felt that Habib’s impressive credentials and diverse background made him the perfect choice for creating dialogue about what is considered by some to be a taboo subject. “He has a master’s degree in English and has spoken at numerous colleges,� Martinez-Cabrera said. “He is not what people perceive as a pornstar.�
Habib’s inclusion raised concerns with some people who feel it supports generalizations about the queer community. They felt that by bringing in an adult film actor who is homosexual, the event would cause an association
organization on campus that is finally breaking that boundary.� Along with Habib’s talk, PSU also provided a safe-sex workshop that included contributions from local businesses. One such contribution was from Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood, which provided information related to the promotion of safe sex. STRIVE, which stands for Sexual Trauma/Interpersonal Violence Education, spoke to the audience about sexual violence and consent. XMart provided information on sex toys and means of protection when using them. This wide scope of varying discussions all falls under the goal of Martinez-Cabrera and PSU to create a more open and honest campus in regard to sex. “Most of us are sexually active,� Martinez-Cabrera said. “That’s the reality of it, and for us to play hush hush for a topic that affects a lot of individuals is to be ignorant.�
“ What we want to do
with this topic is to not ‘yuck my yum.’ � between homosexuality and an industry known for promiscuity. This negative reaction was only shared by select individuals. MartinezCabrera said, overall, the feedback was positive. People responded to the event and recognized the efforts by PSU to open a discussion about the current taboo nature of issues like pornography. “We wanted Conner Habib to basically break the fourth wall between the audience and the porn industry,� Martinez-Cabrera said. “There is an
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SPOTLIGHT
A West Side Story Tony Mata spilled the beans on the New York Latin American theater scene, and out of it came a documentary. BY CLAUDIA MARINA PHOTOS BY ERICA STERLING Tony Mata sat down in the University of Florida’s Constans Theatre to watch a film. As professor and head of the Musical Theatre program at UF, Mata has been here before, taking the director’s seat every year for the musical he produces with his students. But this time it’s different. Instead of watching his students give a live performance, he sits in the darkened theater to watch a film. As it begins, it’s his face he sees on the screen. The audience falls silent when it sees the opening shots of “The Theatre of Rice and Beans,” a documentary about New York Latin American theater that Mata and his friend and colleague, Ralf Remshardt, made over the course of seven years. Mata and Remshardt, a UF theater history professor, snuck in time to film, travel, interview and edit in order to make the movie. They did it mostly during summers and breaks between semesters. “We have more than full-time jobs,” Mata said. But now it’s here. In front of an audience of about 175 people, Mata unveiled what he considers to be his greatest work. “The Theatre of Rice and Beans” is dedicated to his mentors, whom he groups together as “Miriam, Max and René” with sitcom familiarity, and his students, who, he said, continue to teach him every day. In the movie, the people Mata considers to be his “surrogate parents of the theater” gather around a table for a 24 | T H E
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meal. As they are asked questions about how they helped create the New York Latin American theater scene, Mata serves them his grandmother’s recipe of rice and beans, made with her “molcajete” (mortar and pestle), specially flown in from Gainesville. The group is formidable, including Miriam Colón, founding artistic director of The Puerto Rican Travelling
wanted the “ Wevoice to go even further. ”
Theatre, familiar to most as Al Pacino’s mother in “Scarface;” René Buch, founding artistic director of Repertorio Español; and Max Ferra, founder and former artistic director of the International Arts Relations theatre, also known as INTAR. “The documentary expands past theater,” said Remshardt, the documentary’s co-producer. It’s also about culture. As a Mexican-American actor from Laredo, Texas, culture has been closely tied to Mata’s career. From the first time he saw “West Side Story” as a boy, to meeting Colón in New York when he auditioned to play a Chicano Adam in “El Jardin,” he was always encouraged to remember where he came from. It was in New York, in the abandoned buildings — including a church and a condemned building — where Mir-
iam, Max and René started their theaters, that he immersed himself in his culture. After a 13-year acting career, Mata switched his sights to directing and soon realized he had a knack for teaching. The discovery turned into love, and he went on to head the Musical Theatre program at UF while maintaining an active profile as a director in New York, Ohio and internationally in Rome and Edinburgh, Scotland. Making “The Theatre of Rice and Beans” was the next step in his career, and now in his 20th year as head of UF’s Musical Theatre program, he said the documentary really came from a passion for teaching. Back in 2006, Remshardt, a theater historian, admitted to Mata that he wasn’t aware of the New York Latin American movement, Remshardt said. Remshardt told him there was essentially one book on the subject, and it wasn’t even in the major theater history compendium of books. “They’re not represented in any meaningful way,” Remshardt said. “By and large, they’re absent.” With this in mind, the two professors joined together to educate students and theater lovers beyond their classrooms. They decided to make a film about this forgotten movement which would give the pioneers a chance to create an oral history. “I wanted Max, Miriam and René to be able to tell their stories for future generations of American history theater artists and actors to know this part of American theater history that was forgotten, for whatever reason,” Mata said. “I chose not to let them forget by doing this.” And they chose the perfect time to make a documentary. At the time of filming, a new wave of Latin American theater was emerging nearly 25 years after Miriam, Max and René started their legacy. In 2008, Lin-Manuel Miranda won Best Musical at the Tony Awards for “In the Heights.” A year later Nilo Cruz, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
SPOTLIGHT
Tony Mata lectures his students in his Musical Theatre Acting Styles class at the University of Florida. of “Anna in the Tropics,” won a PEN/ Laura Pels Award. “In some ways, in fact, history started to outpace us a little bit,” Remshardt
realized that in order to tell the complete history of the movement, they were far from finished. “We wanted the voice to go even fur-
just kind of capturing “ We were this at a moment of
breakthrough for Latino theater in New York.
said. “We were just kind of capturing this at a moment of breakthrough for Latino theater in New York.” Remshardt said they thought shooting would take no time. After all, they were only supposed to film a conversation over dinner. But after the initial 2006 taping of the dinner scene, Mata
”
ther,” he said. With the prominent members busy with their own successes, it took seven years to gather all of the supplementary footage and interviews. “This kind of pressure was always over us – ‘Oh, you’re still working on that?’” Mata said. “Every time they would say that I would get this angst,
like ‘You’re right, we need to finish it.’” Slowly but surely, phone calls came in with news that Chita Rivera, Maria Irene Fornés, Nilo Cruz and other great Latino influencers were available to be a part of the film. “You know how sometimes in your life things just fall into place, and the right people come in when you need them to?” Mata said. “I think that’s what happened.” In May, Mata plans to show the film to Miriam, Max, René and everyone involved in the making at Tribeca Cinemas. In some ways, he said, this film mirrors the work of his mentors. It’s his abandoned building that he turned into something compelling and new. “I’ve lived in a bubble for seven years with this film,” Mata said. “We really have something, I think, really special to share with the world.”
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Composting: finally a reality for UF BY KYLE HAYES ILLUSTRATION BY SARA NETTLE In 2006, President Machen was the first college president to sign the President’s Climate Commitment and set a goal to become zero-waste by 2015 and carbon-neutral by 2025. That 2015 deadline is fast approaching, and after seven years, the University of Florida is now making last-minute efforts to accomplish that goal. Since the timeline was set, the university has taken steps in the right direction, including hosting the first carbon-neutral college football game and striving to achieve a carbon-neutral athletics program. However, there have been few permanent changes to how the school handles waste. With the threat of falling short of the deadline, this is beginning to change. “We’re the University of Florida; we’re a competitive school, so having the goal holds a lot of weight,” said Taylor Cremo, a recent UF graduate and now the UF project coordinator for Gainesville’s waste company, WCA. “This goal is giving us the sense of urgency that should exist.” Since Cremo came to Gainesville in 2009, she has seen a steady rise in the culture of sustainability here. This started with the creation of the Office of Sustainability a few years before her arrival. The creation of organizations like Gators Going Green, an agency of the UF Student Government, only helps to further UF’s rise in sustainability. Cremo got her start as assistant director for the agency and eventually became director. She was a key player in decisions like putting timers in the shower and promoting One Less Car, the university-wide campaign to reduce single-occupancy travel. Part of her job was simply to make the environment more of a priority for students.
“Now I think sustainability has integrated itself in such a way into the general environment of the school that most students should at least know the word sustainability,” Cremo said. “It’s kind of permeated through the school and its culture.” Last year, UF partnered with WCA in an effort to achieve the university’s 2015 zero-waste goal. Right now, the partnership is tackling campus-wide composting to reduce the school’s waste stream, which currently
that compostable materials are used when possible, and has had volunteers sort through and separate out the trash that ends up in the bins. For its first season, this translated to over 50,000 pounds of compostable waste that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill. This step has been key to achieving zero waste at UF, but the stadium is only one of the many producers of organic waste on campus. WCA is working
“It’s cool that we’re [composting] at a university. People learn from it and take it with them wherever they go.” sends approximately 11,000 tons of waste to the landfill each year. While some trash is unusable and has to go to a landfill, around 15 percent of that waste is organic and compostable. Composting is a form of waste management that recycles organic waste into a nutrientrich soil or soil fortifier. WCA is working to make this process an integral part of how UF will reduce its waste flow. “Our main goal is to not put into the landfill,” Cremo said. Starting with last year’s football season, all compostable waste produced at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is now sorted by volunteers and taken to Watson C&D, the facility that composts the waste. In addition, WCA has introduced labeled bins for compostable waste, ensuring
on introducing composting to major facilities at the university, like UF Health Shands Hospital and the dining halls. “It’s always been an idea in the back of everybody’s head,”
Cremo said. “They’ve been talking about composting in dining halls for about seven years now.” This semester is the first time for the talk to become actualized. The dining halls are run by ARAMARK Corp., a company that has taken basic steps to elevating their environmental standards, like eliminating trays, but has failed to incorporate composting until now. WCA is working with ARAMARK to make composting a viable option in the dining halls at the Reitz Union and the Fresh Food Company by training the staff and providing an outlet for their organic waste. These efforts made by WCA have been the most measurable and concrete steps toward achieving UF’s zero waste goal. The fast approaching deadline instills a sense of urgency, and it’s the kind of urgency essential if real change is to happen. Implementation of the composting program has also furthered the culture of sustainability that Cremo sought at UF. She sees the importance in the university being the place in which students go through a paradigm shift in how they see their impact on the environment. “It’s cool that we’re doing this at a university,” Cremo said. “People learn from it and take it with them wherever they go.”
THINKING ABOUT THE MILITARY? MAKE AN INFORMED CHOICE. ADVICE FROM VETERANS ON MILITARY SERVICE AND RECRUITING PRACTICES
A Resource Guide F or Young People Considering Enlistment http://www.afn.org/~vetpeace/ Gainesville
Chapter 14 Spring 2014 | T H E F I N E P R I N T | 3
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Good Will
HUNTING BY SAMANTHA SCHUYLER AND VICTORIA RONDEROS ILLUSTRATION BY LILY MOLINE
The pair come to the property at 5:30 a.m. to beat the sun. This early in the morning, the world is hushed and dark. They must move quietly among the familiar hardwoods of the Barr Hammock Preserve as they scout the underbrush for signs of life. It takes time, but eventually a shot rings out. The sound spooks the birds, and they burst from the trees, scattering into the sky. Joel Smith and Jim Kauffman are here to hunt. It’s what they’re owed, after all. The two men are volunteer caretakers for the Alachua County conservation lands. In exchange for maintaining the property, the Alachua County Commission grants them and one guest each hunting privileges on the land. The exchange has saved the county at least $10,000 in its first year. The county owns thousands of acres of preservation property that require consistent maintenance, said Ramesch Buch, program manager for Alachua County Forever. Controlled burns, pruning and mowing are necessary to keep the preservation lands from becoming overgrown with weeds and potentially starting a fire. But the cost is as formidable as the task. So last January, the county commission passed the Alachua County Hunting Business Plan. The county solicited volunteers who would take on the responsibility to keep up with the properties in exchange for the opportunity to hunt on them. Smith and Kauffman both agreed to the deal. The pair had known each other for years, Smith said, having gone to school together at the University of Florida in the ‘60s. Now they mow and hunt together. Every week Smith and Kauffman ride down to the Barr Hammock Preserve, trailing through the 2,500 acres of land. They trim the grass around the old dirt paths, which had once been stagecoach roads; pick up litter; patrol
for trespassers; and inspect the property for any significant developments, like the eagle nests they’ve discovered in the trees. Smith, a retired University of Florida forestry professor, said he and Kauffman were well suited for the task as long-time Gainesville residents who have worked with the property for over 25 years. Kauffman had been the preserve’s land manager before he moved to Fernandina Beach, two hours away. “We knew that property,” he said, “every piece of it, every pond.” The pair also mow their way through the property’s roads twice a year, once in June and for a second time in September. The process takes three days, with the two getting up at the crack of dawn and working through the day. Smith said Kauffman brings down a large mower from his home and the pair push through the 13 miles of roads together. Smith darts in front to clear away brush and logs while Kauffman trails behind on the mower to plow through the bushes and grass. Caretakers also help maintain population control, Buch said. Alachua County is home to wild hogs, which are not native to Florida. Buch said the hogs tend to destroy parts of the property as they dig up roots. Caretakers, by hunting the hogs, help prevent this. With few signs of life on the long and narrow slice of land, the preserve seems ancient and untouched. It’s most noticeable in the live oaks scattered throughout, with trunks so wide it would take at least two people to wrap around one and the old, burned down house from the turn of the century. The preserve has never been developed, Smith said. It gives a peek into what Florida looked like when Native Americans lived there. As for his payment, Smith said he hunts deer, turkey and hogs. To him, though, the weekly checkups and days of labor are for more than simply the privilege of hunting. He said he wants to protect the land for the public to see and enjoy for years to come. “It’s a wonderful piece of property,” he said. “It’s not an easy task, but it’s worth doing.” Spring 2014 | T H E F I N E P R I N T | 3
HOP on the MAGIC SCHOOL BUS
A cozy space for sleeping sits behind the cockpit of the bus, which was named Wayne by the previous owner.
BY ERICK EDWING PHOTOS BY ERICA STERLING Picture this: a group of friends who love adventure, four months on the road, 10,000 miles traveled and a school bus named Wayne. No, this isn’t a plot for a movie at the Sundance Film Festival. It’s a journey that four Gainesville locals will make this summer. Vlad Pascu, Nicholas Logel, Tara Kleemann and Jeff Depree are members of the Outdoor Adventure Recreation Club at the University of Florida and the masterminds of the trip. Whether it’s cave exploring in Haiti, crossing the Sahara desert or hiking Moroccan mountains, they’re down to travel. So what gives with the bus? “It’s been a running gag to buy a bus and go across the country,” said Jeff Depree, 30, one of the co-owners. “Starting May, we want to travel to communities and show the locals that being active and going on trips can be inexpensive and easily done by anyone.” Depree said he and the rest of the group plan to take the people they meet on outdoor trips, much like the Outdoor Adventure Recre-
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ation Club. On the trips, they will show locals how to live minimally and preserve the natural ecosystem. “You can find a trail down the street and hike with friends,” Depree said. “I want to break this idea of material things and having to set your castle in one spot.” Depree came upon a newly renovated school bus on Craigslist for $2,500 and pooled money with Pascu, Logel and Kleemann to buy it. The interior of the bus is decked out with linoleum flooring, a futon, two bunk beds, a massive beanbag chair and a lot of cabinet space for trip supplies, Depree said. There are hopes for a functioning kitchen, bathroom and even a dance floor on top of the roof. The exterior looks like your typical school bus, but it is also getting a much-needed lift. Depree said the group plans to paint scenes on the school bus’ exterior to reflect the members’ active lifestyle.
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“I
t was the idea of an artist,” Depree said. “But we would like the paintings to include our caving pictures, waterfall pictures and even a scene where we were hiking with wild ponies.” Aside from the cosmetic improvements and the tires from 1971 that need replacement, the school bus is mechanically sound and ready for the road But there’s always that chance that it might stall or break down, Depree said. It could’ve been a difficult task to name a bus with so much character, but as the group discovered, it already has one. Tara Kleemann, 23, one of the co-owners, said she stumbled upon a note in the bus from the previous owner. The note contained instructions for a girl who was asked to drive the bus to Florida. “In the note, the owner called the bus Wayne and told the girl to ‘take Wayne to Florida,’” Kleemann said. “We think the girl drove the bus from Oregon or Washington, because we found plates from both states.” Coincidentally, Depree said the group wants to travel in that northwest direction for 10,000 miles-specifically Wyoming, Montana, the Rockies and Canada. They’ll stop along the way to hike and mountaineer, and they’ll park in towns for sleep and travel breaks. Depree said gas will cost about $5,000. And as for food, Kleemann said the bus offers plenty of room for fresh fruits and veggies from grocery stores in the communities they stop in. “The bus is a lot more spacious than what we’re used to,” she said. “Usually we’re jam-packed in our cars, and the food would get crushed.” Kleemann said the group isn’t worried about creating friendships with people in the towns. “If you have a bus, people will come right up to you,” she said. The message of being active and living a sustainable life is not just for the folks they encounter but for anyone with basic computer access. To tell its story to the rest of the world, the group is creating a blog to document its experience on the road. “We’ll include things such as where we are, what hikes we went on or even interactions with people we come across,” Kleemann said. Kleemann said she wants the blog to combat the negative connotations that come with being green-that is, it’s not just for hippies. “We’re going to be moving into a school bus, and
Cabinets line the rear of the bus stocked with food for the 10,000-mile trip that the four friends will take this summer.
as a working professional, I’m still going to do normal things,” she said. “It’s just that my house is now a bus.” The thought of downsizing to a bus doesn’t bother Depree or Kleemann in the least. In fact, Kleeman said it will be educational. “You learn everything about your friends and especially how people act in extreme situations,” Kleemann said. “You get to see a side of someone you might not usually see.” Depree said he’s grown to love the communal style of living and living with several people. In fact, he wants to live in a commune in the future. Another idea for the trip is letting additional people hop on for the ride. So what should a person bring on a journey like this? Kleemann was quick to answer. “The right attitude.”
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FREE
WEED
Public support brings herbal relief to the November ballot BY SARA NETTLE ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA ROULETTE Marijuana supporters and enthusiasts are rejoicing at the beginning of the new year as the prospects of legalization grow nearer and nearer. On Jan. 27, the Florida Supreme Court approved the language of a new medical marijuana bill that would allow doctors to prescribe the popular drug to patients with “debilitating medical conditions.” Floridians will be able to vote on this issue this coming election in November. With over 70 percent of registered voters in Florida supporting medical marijuana, according to StPetePolls.org, it seems that medical marijuana may soon be a reality in Gainesville--a city
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with its own strain, Gainesville Green. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, Gainesville was reknown for being marijuana-friendly. Students would openly toke in Plaza of the Americas; Hempfest in Bo Diddley Community Plaza featured a doobie toss. Kristen Burns, president of the University of Florida chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, believes there is a high likelihood of the medical marijuana bill being passed. “I think it’s very possible,” Burns said. “There’s enough push and motivation [as] people become more and more aware.” Recently, marijuana has had a sharp increase in support, which could be attributed to the recent passings of recre-
FEATURE ational marijuana bills out west. Burns is not alone in believing that prohibition may soon come to an end in Florida. Both High Times and Vice, two counter-culture publications, are already declaring Florida the first state in the South to legalize marijuana. “People are seeing the reality of what legalization would bring,” Burns said. “It’s what the people want, and the people get what they want--that’s America. Through NORML, Burns has connected with many UF students who use marijuana for medical purposes. “Everyone can benefit,” she said, citing some of marijuana’s medicinal benefits. “If you have a tummy ache, [weed] will make it go away. Or it can help with depression, which many people deal with.” One member of NORML, who uses medical marijuana, agreed to an anonymous interview. Alex uses medical marijuana to alleviate pain in one of his legs, due to low blood pressure caused by Klippel-TrènaunayWeber syndrome. “Marijuana helps alleviate the problem,” Alex said. “It helps me internalize and control the pain, even when I’m not under the influence.” Marijuana is known to greatly relieve symptoms caused from multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, chemotherapy and more. For Alex, the high from marijuana gives him the effect of “internalization,” as he put it. “Your inner consciousness knows how it works better by internalizing reality,” he said. “You can understand your problems, such as pain, better.” Just as marijuana appears to have some healing effects, some people argue that it could possibly heal the country’s slowed economic growth. In Colorado, one of the first states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, the first week of marijuana sales churned $5 billion in sales. Likewise, Burns believes that medical marijuana could stimulate the local economy in Gainesville. “Smoke shops will see an increase in business,” she said. (Not to mention, the whole munchies thing would probably be driving some extra business to local restaurants, as well). Despite medical marijuana having overwhelming support in Florida, both the sale and consumption of the substance is illegal at the federal level. Dr. Kevin Sabet, director of the UF Drug Policy Institute and dubbed “legalization enemy No. 1” by Rolling Stone Magazine, advocates to keep marijuana illegal for all uses. “We don’t want another big tobacco industry,” Sabet said. He said that marijuana legalization would create a new industry that profits off of a consumer base that is addicted to their product. Sabet helped create the UF Drug Policy Institute about a year ago, which is a new segment of the Department of Psychiatry that focuses on providing evidence-
based advice on drug policy to lawmakers and the general public. Sabet also used to be the senior drug policy adviser under the Obama administration from 2009 to 2011 and wrote a book about marijuana titled “Reefer Sanity: Seven Great Myths About Marijuana.” “It’s a very poorly written bill,” Sabel said. “That was not written by medical association but a trial lawyer.” Sabet cites studies conducted in areas where marijuana is legalized that conclude there is an overall increase in marijuana use. “We don’t want dispensaries popping around the community,” he said. “Do you want a pot shop in your backyard or on the way to your kid’s school?” Legalization may give rise to problems in the community, such as the use of pot among minors or out-ofstate tourists, and the sale or distribution of pot to nonpatients. The Gainesville Police Department declined to answer when asked about how these problems would be addressed if the medical marijuana bill passed. Although Sabet believes using marijuana should be illegal, he doesn’t think users should be subject to crimi-
“People are seeing the reality of what legalization would bring,” Burns continued, “It’s what the people want, and the people get what they want--that’s America”. nal penalty, especially first-time users. “We have treatment options, interventions, and obviously not everyone needs treatment,” he said. “We can have much better policies than [what we are currently doing] and legalization.” In spite of such problems, advocates firmly believe that legalizing marijuana will bring more good than bad. “People have a skewed opinion of marijuana simply because it’s illegal,” Burns said. “Once it’s been in place for a year, people will change their minds.” Alex echoed Burns’ sentiment, and said he believes marijuana is stigmatized because many people see its use as hedonistic. “Ending marijuana prohibition would provide opportunities for people to understand marijuana rather than casting doubts on any use at all,” he said. “Its use can be medicinal, even spiritual.”
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SHUT DOWN not SHUT UP
Another chapter closed on farmers’ fight against Monsanto BY LILY WAN ILLUSTRATION BY SARA NETTLE It’s been three years. Three years between district and appellate court, between New York and Washington, among 83 plaintiffs and one agribusiness giant. Finally, the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association’s case against Monsanto, a multinational chemical and agricultural biotechnology company, pushed its way to the Supreme Court. However, buried among 472 similarly fated other cases in the U.S. Supreme Court order list released on Jan. 13, OSGATA et al. v. Monsanto was marked “Denied.” Although a single word, it carries a lot of weight. It means over 300,000 34 | T H E
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individuals across 4,500 farms have lost the right to protect their crops. It means Monsanto has won, again. “It means this case is over,” said Marty Mesh, executive director of Florida Organic Growers. “It, in no way, is a white flag.” Florida Organic Growers, headquartered in Gainesville, was one of the plaintiffs involved in the case since day one. The nonprofit organization focuses on sustainable outreach and education and also runs a Department of Agriculture organic certification program. In March 2011, OSGATA et al. filed a lawsuit against Monsanto in federal District Court. The lawsuit was not suing to collect damages, it was preemptive. The farmers of OSGATA were
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fighting to protect themselves. The suit challenged the validity of 23 of Monsanto’s seed patents, arguing that patents, by law, are granted because of their social utility. And the Monsanto patents, they argued, offered no social utility. Moreover, the case sought legal protection against any lawsuits Monsanto might file if any farmers were found to have crops contaminated by genetically modified (GM or GMO) seed. Genetically modified seed contamination is possible through a range of pathways. Wind blowing across a farm laden with Monsanto’s seed could carry some, unwelcomed, to a neighboring organic farm. In many cases, buffer areas between farms are only a fence thick. Even when farms have dedicated buffer zones, land purchased on the non-GMO farmer’s expense, contamination can still creep through with seed drift and scatter, harvesting and post-harvesting equipment, cross-pollination, transportation and storage. “We asked that [Monsanto] not be able to sue farmers for patent infringement,” Mesh said. “In reality, those farmers should probably really be suing the patent holder for contamination and the health and environmental effects that have resulted.” In January 2012, OSGATA et al. v. Monsanto was heard in the federal District Court in Manhattan, N.Y. Judge Naomi Buchwald admitted, “Despite [Monsanto’s seed patent] restrictions, some unlicensed -- and unintended -- use of transgenic seeds is inevitable.” The farmers feared Monsanto would sue for such unintended contamination. The hearing in 2012 ended with Buchwald granting Monsanto’s motion for dismissal, on the basis that Monsanto has “never filed a patent infringement against a certified organic farm or handling operation over the presence of patented traits in its operations.” Essentially, the dismissal held that the farmers have no right to defend themselves against something that has yet to happen. Monsanto declared that it is not their policy “to exercise [their] patent rights where trace amounts of our seed or traits are present in [a] farmer’s field as a result of inadvertent means.” But it was hard to tell exactly what “trace” meant. Dismissed but not silenced, the farmers of OSGATA remained united and took their case to Washington, D.C., to appeal the dismissal in appellate court. “‘Trace’ is Monsanto’s word, not ours. There is no rule that says that because we are contaminated by only trace amounts, they couldn’t sue us,” said OSGATA’s attorney, Daniel Ravich, during the oral argument for appeal. “If we have one seed, one seed, they
could sue us.” They emerged with a victory in Washington. It was small, but it was a victory nonetheless. As a result, Monsanto had to explicitly define “trace.” And now, Monsanto is legally bound to not sue for “trace amounts” up to 1 percent contamination. But the 300,000 plus farmers did not want merely a definition. They wanted a promise. Though Monsanto verbally stated they wouldn’t sue for contamination, OSGATA wanted it in writing. Monsanto denied.
But the 300,000 plus farmers did not want merely a definition. They wanted a promise. At the end of the day, the farmers of OSGATA wanted simply to be heard. “Regulatory efforts are inadequate,” Mesh said. “Legislative efforts fail as well because of undue influence by [Monsanto] and industry, and now the case can’t even have a day in court before a jury of citizens.” Maybe not now, but perhaps someday down the line. With Monsanto performing an average of 500 investigations on non-GMO farms per year, one may have unintentional contamination exceeding the “trace” 1 percent. And perhaps this one will haul Monsanto, the farmers and the fight back to the Supreme Court to be--at the very least--heard.
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PROSE + POETRY
There is A Special Place by Jeans Pineda In hell for those who annotate in college library books be it poetry, prose, or journals where words rearrange them selves into an indecipherable rebus. Gaunt authors slurs turn iambs into dactyls and dactyls turn into trochees and dramatic caesuras
stretch into the next stanza in the next book on the next shelf of a different library, and once that sloppy sibilance gives way they will set aim on your plump marginalia ripe to be maimed, and beelzebub will compel you to underline the simplest diction and propositions whose dictionary image is your blank puzzled face.
ILLUSTRATION BY MAITANE ROMAGOSA
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PROSE + POETRY ILLUSTRATION BY MAITANE ROMAGOSA
Entropy by Landen Raszick Bulbs burn out softly over kitchen tables, filaments glowing down to darkened coils and I am spent. No juice, no drive, no money: I’m just a body, and a lanky one, my limbs all spidering across the couches and hidden floor-tiles, discarded like old socks. Dad asks us for a loan, his smile a slant, and takes us to a movie. We’re not sure if he’s still smoking, but he smells like mints. We go for bagels, sitting and discussing our lacking futures. Paused, we think of questions, then all at once erupt with useless words. Out on the patio I remember things into the pool. There’s a ceramic elf jar among the washed out, flowing vines of orchids. I see my newest face and walk inside to wash it. All the same shit: same old matter, same energy, and nothing is the same.
It Comes to Me at a Bus Stop by Landen Raszick A little, white bug on my backpack rests, feelers poised, as still as a statue. A moth I think. It must not be hungry or sense any danger. It doesn’t seem to mind waiting for just a short while.
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make your own
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PRECEDENT
You will join an alternative student mag and write a story. And become an editor and fall madly in love and get married. (ACTUAL
You and Siri go Facebook offical.
Sriracha halts all production for eternity.
Good thing: You will be asked out to an intimate evening with drinks by a special someone. Bad thing: They want to meet at Balls.
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FI V
TWO
Forever alone.
ONE
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Your next taco will be two tacos.
You shall address everyone as “bro” for the next four hours.
SIX
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Impress your mom. It all starts with rvoyance. Impress all your friends. Let us help you pave your path to clai and do not know what a fortune you spent your childhood under a rock this fortune teller right here. In case young padawan. ry—we’ve got your back. Read on, teller is or how to craft one, don’t wor
(write your own.)
FO UR
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THREE
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TO MAKE:
1. Cut out that giant square down there. 2. With the text side facing up, fold all corners inward to the middle. 3. Flip the square over and fold these corners into the middle. 4. Fold the paper in half, bringing the bottom edge to the top.
5. Then half again, right side to left side. This is just to make a crease, so unfold this once you’ve creased it good ‘n hard. 6. Pop out the tabs on the outside.
TO PLAY: 1. Stick your index fingers and thumbs in each of the four tabs. 2. Ask your friend to pick a word. 3. Spell out that word, flipping the inside once per letter. Stop on the last letter. 4. Ask your friend to pick a number.
5. Flip the inside that many times. Stop once you’re done counting. 6. Ask your friend to pick one last number. 7. Open that number’s flap and read your friend’s fate aloud.
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