THE FINE PRINT, Winter 2012

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VOLUME V, ISSUE II

www.thefineprintuf.org

WINTER 2012 FREE

Testing the Waters

What do seismic airguns mean for marine life? p. 30

NOT JUST A DREAM: THE FUTURE OF THE DREAM ACT AND ITS ECONOMIC BENEFITS, P. 26

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this issue New and Improved (pictured right) Manufacturing moves from the factory to the garage.

Published with support from Campus Progress/Center for American Progress (online at CampusProgress.org).

Print Editors

Chelsea Hetelson Ashira Morris Lily Wan

Art Director

Susan Bijan

Layout Director

Isabel Branstrom

Creative Writing Editor

Danny Ennis

Copy Editor

Hyesu Kim

Web Editor

Travis Epes

Distribution

Ellen McHugh

Page Designers

Isabel Branstrom Chelsea Hetelson Yatrik Solanki Trisha Tucker

p. 20

MISSION STATEMENT

Breweries

(pictured above)

Grab a local pint from your kitchen or Gainesville brewery.

p. 14 Cover art by Susan Bijan.

COLUMNS Frankly Speaking, p. 07 The Gainesville scene, social cues and living in a transient town. This new column is here to confront it all.

SPOTLIGHTS Krishnaponics: From the Ground Up, p. 10 Citizen’s Co-op and the Krishna House team up for a soilless rooftop garden. Holidays, p. 18 It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and the most wasteful. Check out these tips for a greener holiday.

FEATURES Hope for the Hungy?, p. 23 Local food drives are gearing up to keep bellies full through winter. IUD p. 24 A reborn birth control.

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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.

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If this is your first time picking up a Fine Print, welcome! You’re really going to like us. We’re young, hip and cool — just like you. We go to UF or Santa Fe, or we just recently graduated. We are diverse. We major(ed) in English, Journalism, Environmental Sciences, 6 Horticulture and Art History, to name 1&234.5 -./&/0 a few. Our seven-person editorial board is mostly female and demographically representative of the local population. If this is not your first time, it’s good to see you, too, stud. You’re familiar with us and our style, and you keep coming back for more. We’re into it. But perhaps we should open up this love affair a bit and invite some of your friends. After we’re through giving you what you want, leave us with a friend, a classmate or a professor. There are no sloppy seconds here. We ask this of you because here at The Fine Print HQ, we’ve been getting some feedback from our newer readers telling us they wished they had known about us sooner and how come they didn’t know about us and have we considered advertising around campus and do we have a page on that new social Internet site, the Facebook. All we can say to that is: we’ve been around! Just look for us! Maybe not everyone in your class will be reading a Fine Print every day of the week, but we’re around. We’re in the modular boxes on campus and at new locations around town (see below). Also, we do have a Facebook page! Though that may not turn out to be the most effective in keeping up with us (TURN TO PAGE 16 FOR MORE INFO), it’s at facebook.com/thefineprintuf. We also have a website you can check out at fineprintuf.org. We’re trying to increase readership and awareness through TFP posters we’re hanging around campus, but honestly we don’t have the manpower the Student4Hire spammers do and can’t print and hang posters as often as we’d like. But you can help, too. Spread us around! Give us a share and a like — IRL! Tell your friends about us, and your professors and classmates and co-workers too. Tell your hairdresser and your neighborhood grocer. Shout it from the rooftops! THE FINE PRINT IS HERE AND IT’S AWESOME. Well, you get the idea. Anything would help.

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Turn to page 35 to make your very own

FOLDABLE PENGUIN! Just in time for winter

FEATURED STAFFER Marissa Goldberg

Marissa is a Finance major at the University of Florida. She loves everything related to travel, food, fashion, music, and knowledge. Born in Switzerland, Marissa has a love of exotic languages, cultures, and people ingrained in her. She spends most of her day dedicated to school while cooking, reading, and spending time with a special few in order to maintain her sanity. Marissa hopes to one day become a travel writer for National Geographic. Winter 2012 | T H E

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COLUMN/PAPER CUTS

Paper Cuts CHOCOLATE: DOPING FOR NERDS

It’s just as I thought. I really am as superior as I think — not because I have a hipster playlist in my earbuds (see MUSIC on opposite page) or because I buy my unprocessed peanut butter at the Co-Op, but because I eat CHOCOLATE. A new study out of Columbia University has provided very convincing correlational evidence that nations that consume more chocolate per capita produce more Nobel Prize winners. Sound crazy? Here’s some irrefutable proof. Switzerland, the most innovative country in the EU and the wealthiest country in the world (in per capita terms and wealth defined as financial and nonfinancial assets), is at the top of the list with both the highest chocolate consumption per head and the highest number of Nobel laureates per capita. Have I convinced you yet? Okay, well, here’s further proof. Nobel Prize winner for Economics, Christopher Pissarides from the London School of Economics, says his chocolate habit gave him what he needed to pull out the win in 2010. “To win a Nobel Prize you have to produce something that others haven’t thought about — chocolate that makes you feel good might contribute a little bit,” Pissarides said to the BBC. “Of course it’s not the main factor but... anything that contributes to a better life and a better outlook in your life then contributes to the quality of your work.” Okay, you’re right. Not the best testimony. But how about this: Eric Cornell, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011 told 04 | T H E F I N E P R I N T | thefineprintuf.org

Ouch! That hurts doesn’t it? Paper Cuts are our short, erratic and sometimes painful updates on current local and national events. For more and past Paper Cuts, go to our website at www.thefineprintuf.org Image courtesy of the Government Pr ess Office by Milner Moshe via Flick r Commons. Reuters: “I attribute essentially all my success to the very large amount of chocolate that I consume. Personally I feel that milk chocolate makes you stupid… dark chocolate is the way to go. It’s one thing if you want a medicine or chemistry Nobel Prize but if you want a physics Nobel Prize it pretty much has got to be dark chocolate.” Dark chocolate is obviously the superior chocolate. However, Cornell came to regret his condemnation of milk chocolate when he was later asked to elaborate on the firm stance. “I deeply regret the rash remarks I made to the media. We scientists should strive to maintain objective neutrality and refrain from declaring our affiliation either with milk chocolate or with dark chocolate,” he said. “Now I ask that the media kindly respect my family’s privacy in this difficult time.” Clearly, chocolate is a factor in all academic, professional and intellectual achievements. Indisputably. Hands down. For the win. Footnote: The author of this study, Franz Messerli, would like to remind the scientific community and readers that correlation does not equal causation. “When you see a correlation, you do think there is causation in one way or another. And in general it’s absolutely true. But here we have a classic example where we cannot find a good reason why these two correlate so closely.” By Chelsea Hetelson

TANTRUMS ARE FOR BABIES

When I was 9 and my brother was 5, we played two-player Mario and Donkey Kong on our Super Nintendo. Since I was four years his senior, I would usually win, and when I did, it was almost like the world was ending. Controllers would go flying, tears would flow and I would end up being scolded just because my motor skills were on pace for normal development. But tantrums are normal for 5-year-olds. They’re basically still babies and can’t handle losing yet. But for millionaire CEOs of national million-dollar companies, throwing a tantrum seems a little, well, fucking ridiculous. John Schnatter CEO of Papa John’s says Obamacare is going to force him to charge 11 to 14 cents more per pie and cut back on workers’ hours to make up for the higher costs, yet still manages to give away 2 million free pizzas. CEO Robert Murray of Murray Energy (coal mines), after he forced his employees to forfeit a day’s work and pay to attend a Mitt Romney rally and pressured them to donate to his campaign, has responded to Obama’s win by “reading a prayer and firing 156 employees.” Franchisor of Hurricane Grill & Wings and owner of several Denny’s and Dairy Queens, John Metz, cut employee hours to below 30 hours a week and added a note on the menu indicating that a 5% surcharge will be added to their bill due to Obamacare, and as Metz put it, “They can either pay it and tip 15 or 20 percent, or if they really feel (CONT’D ON TOP OF NEXT PAGE)

COLUMN/COPY CATS (PAPER CUTS CONT’D)

COPY CATS

Stay in the know with articles, podcasts, gadgets, trends and more with Copy Cats. What we’re reading, using and listening to now.

Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland, Australia via Flickr Commons.

Using: PERSONALIZED NEWS READER

Prismatic Description: Hailed as the newspaper of the future, Prismatic brings you news from all over the web in a visual forever-scroll Tumblr way, personalized to your personal interests by syncing with either your Twitter or Facebook account and sprinkled with enough spontaneity and variety to keep you hooked. Bonus: The iPhone app is pretty spectacular in design and in functionality; you can share articles via e-mail, Facebook or Twitter by pressing anywhere on the screen or can star and save for later. And it’s free! If reading IRL, go to: getprismatic.com If reading virtually: getprismatic.com or go to the iPhone App Store and search “prismatic.”

Reading: TECH

When the Nerds Go Marching In Description: A tell-all behind-the-scenes story of the Obama for America world-class tech team and how they coded and programmed the way to Barack Obama’s reelection. Quote: “And if I’m going to do this and look like an idiot, I have to step up. Like, if we’re all at zero, I have to be at 10 because I have this stupid mustache.” If reading IRL, Google: When the Nerds Go Marching In Alexis Madrigal If reading virtually: http://bit.ly/T6aZ8I

so inclined, they can reduce the amount of tip they give to the server, who is the primary beneficiary of Obamacare.” CEO of New York-area Applebee’s Zane Tankel announced Obamacare costs have made it impossible for him to hire any new employees for the foreseeable future. And last but not least, CEO of Aetna insurance company, Mark Bertolini, has issued an ultimatum to Obama and Congress regarding the debt ceiling: “The American people are going to suffer because we’ll lay them off — because we know how to respond to these kinds of situations.” And there you have it. The biggest (and most disgusting) cry babies of the presidential election of 2012. Oh, to be young. Or rich. Whatever. Note: As of Nov. 20th, Mr. Schnatter, CEO of Papa John’s, spoke out via Huffington Post to let everyone know we’ve got the wrong impression of him. By Chelsea Hetelson

Listening to: PODCAST

Female Trouble Description: Awesome and sometimes giggly hosts, Lara and Meredith put together amazing sets of pumped up, mellowed out and always rad music — by females. Quote from #2 Spooky Tunes: “You just heard the least spooky song of all time by Coven.” If reading IRL, Google: Grow Radio Gainesville Florida Female Trouble If reading virtually: http://bit.ly/SFtL2V

PODCAST

Social Science Bites Description: Renowned social scientists twist your mind and raise a brow. It’s not just jargonized common sense; it’s pretty darn cool. The most recent one is an interview with Steven Pinker, who, through his research, has determined the world is actually getting less violent. Um, what? Quote from Steven Pinker “Since rates of violence haven’t gone down to zero, there’s always enough to fill the news, and so our subjective impressions are out of whack with the statistical reality.” If reading IRL, go to: socialsciencebites.com If reading virtually: http://bit.ly/Sh3gRI Winter2012 | T H E

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COLUMN/MONTHLY MANIFESTO

Radiant Ha nd s

Local group empowers women with spiritual, emotional and financial support with the goal of helping them achieve independence in mind. BY RADIANT HANDS EXECUTIVE BOARD In 2005, three single mothers were faced with very difficult choices: buy food for their children, or spend the money on rent so that they could stay in their homes, buy medicine for their chronically ill son and daughter or pay the past-due utility bill, pay hundreds of dollars to fix the family car—one that also was used for the family business— or spend the money on requisite monthly expenses. For all of these women, paying one bill meant falling short in another critical area. These stories are not unique. Countless families face these difficult choices every day, and frequently they have no place to turn for the help they need to avoid financial catastrophe. Nevertheless, in 2005, a small group of women decided that they could help the three single mothers by gathering financial support for neighbors and friends. From those efforts, a charity was born. Radiant Hands Inc. is a 501(c) (3) charity established to provide financial support to families in crisis, with specific focus on single-parent households in the North Central Florida area. Since 2005, we have distributed more than $116,000 to more than 335 families to help them stay in their homes, keep the utilities on, pay for medicine and buy household supplies. We have also worked with a number of other local organizations to provide food, toiletry items and warm clothing to the homeless population. In 2011, we established Radiant Works, a scholarship program to help motivated individuals earn their GED degree or further their education in other ways. Twenty-

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five of these scholarships have been awarded, helping move families toward greater financial independence and stability. Radiant Hands’ story is not only about money, but also personal support tailored to the specific necessities of families in need. We strive to identify alternative ways to support families by minimizing cash flow and maximizing impact. For example, with the help of a local shoe store, we provided a single mother with work-appropriate shoes so that

A small group of women decided that they could help three single mothers by gathering financial support for neighbors and friends. From those efforts, a charity was born. she could start a nursing career. With the assistance of a local automotive shop, we helped a family with car repairs so that the family business could continue to operate. A local physician helped us provide a special baby monitor for a deaf mother. While some families need help with a single bill or issue, for others, Radiant Hands is a regular source of motivation and care, sometimes extending over two to three years. One example is a mother who contacted us three years ago for help. She was pregnant, out of work and had been abandoned by her husband. With periodic support from Radiant Hands and her own fierce determination, she was able to acquire employment and quickly move past

her financial difficulties to the point where she now is able to make regular financial contributions to Radiant Hands—in turn, helping others overcome their challenges. Those individuals or businesses interested in participating with our efforts may contact admin@radianthands.org to be added to our e-mail and volunteer list. You may also visit our website www.RadiantHands.org to learn more, read testimonials from families whom we have supported or make a financial contribution. In addition to being granted the GuideStar Seal, which is conferred upon charities with outstanding financial management and reporting, since 2009, the United Way and the University of Florida have welcomed Radiant Hands Inc. into the Community Campaign. This program allows UF employees to donate to a charity of their choice through payroll deduction. With the support of local businesses and families, we look forward to continuing to help our neighbors in need.

Radiant Hands collected and distrubted warm clothes in downtown Gainesville, Nov 17.

I’m

COLUMN/FRANKLY SPEAKING

ig-n o r i n g ig-n o r i n g ig-n o r i n g

ig-knowing

you.

New column, Frankly Speaking, explores the Gainesville scene, our odd social cues and living in a transient town.

BY TYLER FRANCISCHINE Imagine: you’re sitting at a little table at Maude’s Coffee, pounding furiously on your laptop keyboard — surely whipping up one of the most brilliant analyses of Moby Dick known to man — when you notice that girl from that party walking towards you. You watch her, waiting for her eyes to meet yours, so you can exchange witty banter about the upcoming season of “Girls,” or at least give her the obligatory head nod, but that moment never comes. She looks in your direction and then looks back at her friend, or the ground or whatever surface she deems more interesting than your face. You feel flushed, and you think, “Did she not see me? No, she saw me. She definitely saw me.” You look back at her, by now your face contorted with a frenzy of emotion and confusion. Hide your gaze, my friend — you’ve just been ig-knowed. Ig-knowing is a term my good friends, Amy and Emily, and I created to describe those instances of being consciously ignored by people who acknowledge you in other situations. They know they’re ignoring you — they’re igknowing you. I first witnessed this phenomenon when I moved to Gainesville more than five years ago to attend UF. On the first day of my Introduction to Buddhism class, I befriended Stephanie. We sat together every class, making snide remarks and slurping smoothies that only my meal plan flex bucks could afford.

Then, on a day when we didn’t have class, I saw her walking through Turlington Plaza while I was sitting near that poop sculpture. I stood up and smiled, thinking she’d stop to talk, but alas I was ig-knowed. She looked me right in my face, didn’t smile and kept walking. It happened every so often that year; sometimes she’d see me and we’d chat excitedly, but other times I was a stranger to her. Maybe it’s the transient nature of our town — some people only live here for a few months out of the year when school is in session — that perpetuates ig-knowing. Maybe it’s because our twenty-something egos won’t let us risk rejection. Whatever the reason, Gainesville is definitely Igknowsville, USA. I’ve been ig-knowed in the most bizarre situations. At coffee shops, old classmates will sit down a table over, facing me, and not look up from their laptops. At shows, acquaintances will stand next to me and not turn to me after I say hello. Walking downtown, I’ll approach a group of people I know and maybe half of them will acknowledge me with a nod or a smile. My friend, Emily, has been igknowed at supremely close distances. While at a party, standing in a circle of friends, someone who had smiled and introduced herself mere minutes ago was now avoiding Emily’s gaze and speaking to everyone but her. Emily says being igknowed can have an emotional toll. “It’s an extremely effective tool to make someone feel like a worthless human being,” she said. “When you’re igknowed you feel personally responsible

— ‘What did I do to make them hate me?’” Perhaps it’s a mix of shyness and an inability to communicate IRL (in real life – get the ‘net) that creates these non-interactions. Maybe we’re just too lazy to whip up some witty monologue to impress people we barely know to begin with. It’s also probably true that ig-knowing is a two-way street. Maybe we’re all just waiting for the other person to make the first move. But what do you do if you’ve been involved in an ig-knowing relationship for days now — months, even? (If it’s been years, you

She looked me right in my face, didn’t smile and kept walking. should probably just give up now.) Every time you are ig-knowed, you have a choice. You can bow your head in shame and go home to post a thousand Tumblr posts about how we’re all so alone in this world. Or, you can take a deep breath and say hello. Close your laptop lid at the coffee shop and loudly say the ig-knower’s name until he looks at you. Stop him on the sidewalk with your body and smile. I hate to get all Smokey-the-Bear up in here, but honestly, only you can prevent ig-knowing.

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read up, chow down FEATURED RECIPE

Fun fact: a pumpkin is a fruit. Funner fact: you can make a cheesecake out of one. Check out this recipe shared with us by Maggie Hope and Ann Murray, co-owners of worker-owned cooperative restaurant Civilization and its catering branch, Terranova. Seminole pumpkin is a native Florida fruit that readily grows in our weather conditions and soil. Quit reading and get cooking!

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F I N E P R I N T | thefineprintuf.org

seminole pumpkin cheesecake from Civilization

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Civilization info

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TEXT BY ALEKS BACEWICZ PHOTOS BY LILY WAN

1511 NW 2nd St. Gainesville, FL 32601 www.welcometocivilization.com

COLUMN/READ UP, CHOW DOWN

THE STEPS

THE LIST

For Pecan Graham Cracker Crust:

1. Process all ingredients until very fine crumbs are formed. Press into two pie pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool before filling with cheesecake mixture.

For Pumpkin Cheesecake:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 2 Process together the first six ingredients. In an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese, raw sugar and vanilla. Add pumpkin mixture and blend until smooth and fully incorporated, but do not overmix. 3 Divide the mixture between two graham cracker crusts and bake for an hour or until set. *Baker’s tip: Placing a pan of water in the oven may help prevent cracking of cheesecake.

For Pumpkin Cheesecake:

(Makes 2 cheesecakes) 1 1/2 cups baked pureed Seminole Pumpkin** 3 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or all-spice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup brown sugar 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup raw sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla *Cut pumpkin into 3-by-3 inch pieces and bake until tender (30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees), then cool a bit and peel off the skin. Place in colander to drain off extra moisture and then puree in food processor.

Pecan Graham Cracker Crust:

THE VEGAN WAY (modification by us) For the cheesecake mixture,

instead of the eggs and cream cheese use: 2 cups of soaked (overnight) cashews 2/3 cup coconut oil, melted 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar Throw everything in the food processor and add the remaining ingredients according to Civilization’s recipe.

For the crust,

just use vegan margarine instead of the butter.

4 cups organic graham cracker crumbs (can be ground in food processor) 2 cups ground pecans 1 cup cold butter 2 tablespoons raw sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

eat me!

i’m in season & i’m fresh Yellow squash* Green beans Eggplant Turnips* Seminole pumpkins* Okra Shiitake mushrooms Dinosaur Kale Fennel

Sunflower shoots Pea shoots* Sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) Red zinger Citrus: Red Navel/Navel/ Valencia oranges * Marsh grapefruit*

*produced locally in Gainesville

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KRISHNAPONICS: FROM THE GROUND UP

STORY BY KYLE HAYES PHOTOS BY MELANIE BRKICH As a self-described business anthropologist, Al Ascough deals with people for a living. He delves into their world, learning their culture and their place in the community around them. He sees how they live, what makes them happy, and most importantly, he sees their needs that aren’t being met. He then looks for ways to use his expertise to meet these needs. Ascough’s latest project is Krishnaponics, a plan to create a hydroponic fruit and vegetable garden primarily for Gainesville’s Krishna House. The garden, which will use nutritional solutions in water in place of soil to grow its plants, will reside on the roofs of Citizen’s Co-op, the Civic Media Center, and an art gallery. It will provide food for both the Co-op and the Krishna lunch served daily at UF’s Plaza of the Americas. The idea first sprouted after Ascough spent time with the local Krishna chapter and saw a need for fresh food from a local source. The Krishna lunch currently gets its ingredients out-of-state, but showed interest in finding a way to switch to utilizing a local source. “The Krishna Consciousness view farming as a very 10 | T H E

F I N E P R I N T | thefineprintuf.org

noble occupation, the same way that some Christians view carpentry,” said Ascough. “As a community, they have this collective desire to grow their own food.” Ascough saw the incorporation of local, hydroponically grown food as the solution to this problem. This form of gardening is less common due to its high startup costs, an intimidating but surmountable learning curve and its need for constant maintenance; but, it can pay off both financially and environmentally in the long run. “There’s definitely a learning curve,” said Crystal Taylor, who works at Gardener’s Edge, a local store that sells hydroponic equipment and runs its own gardens. As Taylor pointed out, hydroponic gardening can be advantageous when managed correctly. “[With hydroponic gardening] you get a higher density of growth in a space, you don’t have to worry about soil being contaminated, you can easily overcome sandy conditions in a greenhouse, you can save water instead of using large irrigation systems and you have a greater control over your garden,” said Taylor. However, before Ascough could fully dive into the Krishna House project, he had to prove hydroponics successful on a small scale. The Krishna House

SPOTLIGHT supported Ascough through a month’s worth of research and development, which was spent setting up trial hydroponic systems. “We grew hundreds and hundreds of wintertime vegetables in the middle of summer,” said Ascough, “[and] it wasn’t even in a greenhouse.” That’s pretty impressive, and the Krishnas agreed. They decided to invest in the project for commercial scale development. With this funding in place, the project came to life as a joint venture between the Krishna House; the Citizen’s Co-op, who will sell some of the crops grown; and Vibrant Community Development, who owns and manages the space the garden will occupy. Ascough sees these partnerships as not just business ventures, but ways for these business to help out causes in which they believe. “For Krishna House, this is an act of spiritual joy,” said Ascough. “They’re not out to make money, [but] to support a cool project.” The garden will definitely produce the leafy greens used in the Krishna lunches, but as for the other vegetables, Ascough’s still deciding. He’s currently looking into growing bulky foods, like kale and mizuna for salads, and some high-value crops, like tomatoes and strawberries, to be sold at the Co-op. Both Ascough and Taylor believe that any and every plant can be grown hydroponically if approached with the proper care and attention to its individual needs. “If it can tolerate constant moisture, it can be grown hydroponically,” said Taylor. Ascough plans to put this to the test. He wants to explore what his garden can generate given growth space, weight and cost of the plants and demand from Co-op customers to produce the best and most diverse yield possible. The project is still in its early stages. Ascough is still purchasing all the necessary construction equipment and trying to find the right waterproofing methods for the roof. Once he sorts out these issues, the garden will be set up and seeded as soon as possible. In the meantime, Ascough continues to study the people he is growing for, both around the Krishna House and the Citizen’s Co-op. Better familiarizing himself with the local community, Ascough is able to arrange the partnership so it’s maximally beneficial to everyone involved. Pressing issues like Florida’s freshwater crisis and the stagnant economy are creating a desire to support locally and responsibly grown food. This support is the very foundation of the Krishnaponics project and the Co-op, as well. “[They] want to support local food systems,” said Ascough, “and you can’t get more local than [a garden] thrown right on top of you.”

Previous page: A small hydroponic garden set up outside Gardener’s Edge grows some leafy greens. Al Ascough is planning to use this efficient soilless setup for the Krishnaponics rooftop garden. Top: John Woodman, 23, checks the pH balance of the water for hydroponic lettuce plants at Gardner’s Edge. Woodman has been working there for one year and hopes to major in botany at Santa Fe Community College. Bottom: Nutrient-rich water runs off the hydroponic lettuce plant system at Gardner’s Edge. The water runs continuously to keep the plants alive.

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For Gainesville musicians, nearly no band is an island. The local music scene is an interconnected web of musicians and projects, in which musicians play different instruments depending on the band and often perform multiple times at the same live shows. Chris Hillman plays in six bands around town. He plays drums for Morningbell and the Shitty Beatles, bass for Pseudo Kids, guitar for Heart Burglars, and he sings and plays guitar for Dark Horse and his own riff-rock project Deputy. He said being in multiple bands happened naturally. After joining Morningbell and the Shitty Beatles in 2007 and 2008, respectively, he teamed up with friends on other projects. Now he’s in six bands, which means six separate practices and six separate performances. “I’ve never kept a planner until this year,” he said. “It can keep you busier than you want to be.” He said he enjoys playing in multiple bands with his friends because he has built partnerships of trust. “It’s a business relationship, it’s a friendship and it’s creative,” he said. “It’s multi-faceted.” Fletcher Yancey plays bass in the neosoul outfit Heart Burglars with Hillman and sings and plays guitar for his indie rock band Pseudo Kids. He said though these bands contain many of the same members, they retain their unique sound and character. “Everyone is such versatile musicians,” he said. “You can cater to all different styles of music.” 12 | T H E

He also points to the positive feedback loop among his friend-bandmates as another benefit of this interconnected scene. “Everyone’s relaxed about it and encouraging,” he says. “There’s no ego.” Scott Kauffmann has been playing music (and best friends) with Yancey for more than a decade. Currently, he sings and plays guitar for his project Pseudo Kids, plays drums in Heart Burglars and plays bass in Dark Horse and Deputy. He says sometimes being so enmeshed in the music scene makes for a busy schedule. “You might have two cool shows to go to on the same weekend, or even the same night.” He says one drawback to playing in multiple bands is the repetitiveness of performing at Gainesville’s few venues. “Sometimes you’re just not in the mood to play, especially when you just played the same venue,” he said. Though this interconnectedness fosters the community, it has a drawback. “It gets a little too insular,” Travis Atria, another of Gainesville’s multi-band musicians, said. “All the bands having the same members decreases the variety of influences available.” Atria sings and plays guitar for Morningbell and The Shitty Beatles and recently joined Heart Burglars. He’s seen three generations of Gainesville bands come and go, and he feels this recent crop is the most collaborative. Gainesville’s music scene is thriving, Yancey said, and he’s not limiting himself to just his current projects. “You have all this music and all these friends and the potential to make more bands,” he said.

F I N E P R I N T | thefineprintuf.org

ELECTRONIC BAND

BANG BANG BOOM

Travis Martin Chris Chaires Lem Andrews Darren Andrews

HEART BURGLARS Annie Niemand Cassandra Polcaro Ryan Backman

Chris Hillman Scott Kauffmann Fletcher Yancey

COMPANY MAN

{

BY TYLER FRANCISCHINE, ASHIRA MORRIS AND SAM SCHUYLER

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE BAND

{ [{

FROM THEIR FRIENDS >>>

Key:

{

with a little help

Hamilton Rott Jason Hedses Jackie Leeper Bobby McGregory

HEAVY PETTY

{

THEY GET BY

>>> This is our attempt, with the help of some of the musicians listed below, to map connections between bands in Gainesville. It is by no means a definitive list. We focused on bands still playing live shows in Gainesville.

Jimmy Kinzer Logan Fischer Daniel App Kris Criado

SPOLIGHT

{

THE SLIMS

{

REGULAR SIZE TIM

{

ADULT BOYS THUNDERBAND

{

SHITTY BEATLES

Travis Atria Collin Whitlock

Devon Stuart

Jake McMullen

{

DARK HORSE HUNDRED WATERS

{

Sam Moss

{

MORNINGBELL

Paul Giese Zach Tetreault Trayer Tryon Nicole Miglis

Eric Atria Stacie Thrushman

{

DEPUTY

[

MSRNA

Kane Pour Jeff Astin

[

ORCHARD AND VIR

TRICORN&QUEUE

LEVEK

[

Dante Lima Michael Claytor

Shara Lenon Dillard Wisehart Neal Mackowaiak Alex Crook

[

Eric Cheek Mike Mags

PSEUDO KIDS

{

{

GRIS GRIS BOYS

Emma Brady Su Mendez Jen Vito

DIGITAL NATIVES

David Levesque

[

{

ONES TO BLAME

Winter 2012 | T H E

FINE PRINT|

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SPOTLIGHT

YOU BREW, TOO?

TEXT BY ASHIRA MORRIS PHOTOS BY MELANIE BRKICH When Barron Humphries opened Hoggetown Ale Works ten years ago, he could predict the question people would ask when they walked into his home brew supply shop: is it legal? “Everybody thought you made beer in a bathtub,” he said. At the time, it was difficult to get a Florida-brewed beer at any bar in town. The beer-scape has certainly shifted. Within the past two years, Humphries’ sales have doubled as everyone and their dad joins the hip homebrewing crowd. The rise of home-brewed and craft beer has also shifted drinker expectations. “Once you appreciate good beer, you can’t go back to drinking Budweiser,” he said. And what, exactly, qualifies as “good beer”? The beauty of home or craft brewing is that the 14 | T H E

brewer answers that question his or herself. For Humphries, that means a malt-focusedEnglish Brown Ale, like the Girls Gone Mild brew he has on tap in the store fridge. For Neal Mackowiak, the head brewer forAlligator Brewing Co., the emphasis is in playing with innovative flavor combinations. Most beer is made from four basic ingredients: hops, grains, yeast and water. Hops, the female flowers of the Humulus lupulus plant, provide bitterness, aroma and flavor to the beer. A brewer can buy them in pellet form or as whole leaves. A large chalkboard in Humphries’s shop displays a list of nearly 100 hops, some with epic names like Glacier, Magnum and Warrior. In addition to the domestic hops, the international selection comes from as far as Germany and New Zealand.

F I N E P R I N T | thefineprintuf.org

“I order every hop you can get everywhere,” he said. He prides himself on carrying hops difficult to find anywhere else, both online and in stores. Mackowiak uses hops from Humphries’ shop as the base for his beers. He is perpetually brainstorming to create new Alligator Brewing beers, which are brewed and sold exclusively at downtown bar Tall Paul’s. After drinking Volta’s hibiscus tea for months, he had a moment of inspiration. He needed to brew a hibiscus sour ale. He procured a large bag of the flowers from the coffeeshop and added them to the barrel of fermenting beer. Now, it’s possible to drink the finished, fuschia product on tap. “I’m always coming up with new things,” he said. “I want to experiment.” Mackowiak has tried over 150 recipes in his nearly two years as

( A b o v e ) Mackowiak lines up samples of his current beers on tap.

SPOTLIGHT Tall Paul’s official brewer. He has added a range of of flavors to his beers, from cooked pancakes with maple syrup to lavender to bacon and smoke habanero chili peppers. He is constantly reading, researching and observing to uncover new taste combinations. He compares the brewing process to an ecosystem in which the beer is the end product. Like a terrarium, the natural elements come together in a closed environment. At the most basic level, bringing everything together entails unwrapping the basic Mr. Beer kit, opening the bags of pre measured ingredients and following the instructions. Sunter started brewing when he received a kit for his 21st birthday. Now, he has progressed to the second tier of beer-making: extract brewing. At this level, the brewer chooses his or her own hops. He follows Hoggetown Ale Works’ recipes and boils the brew on his apartment stove top. However, once a brewer advances to all-grain brewing — and about half of Humphries’ customers have — the process becomes more complex. At Tall Paul’s, Mackowiak’s set up has enough tubes, pumps and levers to make a science lab envious. Three vats line one wall; the other is occupied by a row of fermenting beers. The first vat is full of boiling water, which is piped into the second vat. The grain in the middle vat steeps in the hot water. This process is called “mashing.” Then, the resulting sweet liquid, called wort, is piped to the final vat and heated. When the liquid is at a boil, the hops and sugar are added. For more aroma and flavor, the hops are only boiled for about 15 minutes. Boiling the hops longer (about an hour) results in a more bitter beer. The yeast is added once the mixture has cooled.

The beer-to-be ferments in the large containers lining the opposite wall. The fermentation generally takes about two weeks. During this time, extra flavors like fruits and spices can be added to the mix. Once the beer is fermented, it is transferred to bottles, which need to be capped, or to a keg. Humphries is optimistic about the growth of home and craft brewing in Gainesville. Instead of asking if home brewing is legal, customers now come in asking about specific hops. “It’s as big as it’s ever been,” he said. “And it’s still growing.”

SNOW STORM STOUT Style: Oatmeal Stout In a Nutshell: Robust yet silky smooth, with balanced notes of chocolate, toffee and moderate roastiness and plenty of alcohol, this is the perfect beer for a chilly night. ABV: 6.6 % All-Grain/BITB* 10 lbs 2-row Pale Malt 4 oz Black Malt Extract ** 3.3lbs Golden Light LME 3.3 lbs Traditional Dark LME 1 tbsp Amylase enzyme (added to steeping grains/flakes) Both Recipes 10 g Magnum Leaf hops at 60’ Boil 12 g First/Brewers Gold Pellet, Challenger Leaf or Sterling Leaf hops at 30’ Boil

Above: Neal Mackowiak, head brewer of Alligator Brewing Co., runs the foam off of one of his beers on tap at Tall Paul’s. Left: While boiling the hops for a new beer, Mackowiak checks the hot water temperature.

1 lb C-60 12 oz Roasted Barley 12 oz Chocolate Malt 8 oz Flaked Barley 8 oz Flaked Oats (May Toast) Other Ingredients Coopers Dry Yeast 1 Large Muslin Bag w/ Extract kits: NonReusable for Steeping Grain 5 oz Dextrose: Use for priming bottling All-Grain/BITB: Mash with 4.5 Gallons water at 152F. Clarify wort, then run 3.5 Gallons water at 170F through it. Extract: Steep grains 30 minutes at 150F, remove and begin boil. Add both cans of extract at the start of the boil. All Recipes: After boil is over, chill to ~70F and pitch yeast. Primary ferment for 14-21 days, then transfer to bottling bucket, prime with 1oz/gallon of dextrose and bottle (or keg).

Winter 2012 | T H E

FINE PRINT|

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H9QAF? >GJ HGHMD9JALQ Small businesses, independent artists, and more are hurt by Facebook’s monetization efforts. BY LILY WAN / ILLUSTRATIONS BY SUSIE BIJAN

Party pic, party pic, a few statuses all either bragging or complaining, the what-I-got-at-Starbucks picture, 3KRWRV the occasional meme...your Facebook news feed’s been seeming pretty regular these days, but where have all the photos of drool-inducing vegan cupcakes and links 7KH )LQH 3ULQW to intriguing news articles from your favorite local publication gone? Did you just realize they’ve been missing? Don’t worry — Karma Cream’s still crafting their petite masterpieces and we’re still writing as much as funds and time allow. Nothing’s changed in the real world, but virtually, things are a little different. Earlier this year, in May, we and other small businesses and organizations, which includes charities, restaurants, bands, artists, authors, activist networks, photographers, radio stations, YouTube channels, newspapers, blogs, etc., were hit by a wave of what looked like a massive spell of sudden unpopularity. At first we were sad and a little confused (almost as if we just got dumped, multiple times). Then, we took a closer look at the numbers and news, talked to fellow local businesses and figured out that it’s not us, it’s Facebook. Under Facebook’s new news feed algorithm, business, musician, artist, etc. pages only reach about 15 percent of their fanpool. So, what about the other 85 percent? Well, we would actually have to pay Facebook real money (opposed to Farmville fake Facebook money) to “promote� each post in order for our entire fanpool to see it. It’s not quite advertising, but it is definitely unfair. The fair way is quite straightforward and the math is simple, really. 100 percent of our fans chose to “like� our page, so 100 percent should be able to see our updates in their news feeds. We shouldn’t have to pay for a “promoted post� to share something with people who already requested to have it shared with them. The new addition to Facebook’s revenue roll is fueled by its drooping stocks. Over the last year, in an attempt to bump their value back up, Facebook has turned to mobile app install ads (ads displayed on the mobile Facebook app that promote other apps), promoted posts, and Sponsored Stories. The more aggressive monetization looks like it’s working, too; Sponsored Stories are reeling in $1 million per day for Zuckerberg and friends, and stocks are perking back up. As for the rationale behind promoted posts, Facebook defends their new advertising product, saying they are merely protecting Facebook users’ news feeds from getting too cluttered with pages’ posts. Mind you, these are the posts from the pages the users chose to “like.� If they are getting annoyed with a certain page’s frequency or content of posts, they have the option to “unlike� just as easily or hide all stories from the page. Paying even just $5 to promote a post, which is the minimum for The Fine Print given our current fanpool and reach, hurts. As a completely volunteerrun not-for-profit, we’re barely getting by as it is. Yet, we do rely on Facebook

| T H E F I N E P R I N T | OC@ADI@KMDIOPA JMB

16 | T H E

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F I N E P R I N T | thefineprintuf.org

to keep in touch with our readers, locally and in faraway places, and paying a fee to ensure fans and followers see the content they’re asking to see is something we simply can’t afford to do. Large corporations have the money to burn on widereach promoted posts that show up not only on fans’ news feeds but outside the fanbase as well — which can cost upwards of a few thousand dollars each, depending on their reach. But even if a page makes that howeverlarge investment, Facebook still regulates who sees the post. That’s the work of the omniscient EdgeRank algorithm. It probably knows you better than you’d be comfortable admitting. The algorithm is responsible for tailoring your news feed just to your liking based on what it noticed you care about, the time relevancy of posts, and their volume of comments and likes. It’s an ingenious filtering system; it’s why Facebook got so successful to begin with. It lets users see and share what they love. Only now, there’s the money aspect factored in, so instead of pages earning their fans’ attention simply by posting interesting content, they have to buy it. With EdgeRank now limiting page engagement with its fans, we’re left with two solutions. The first falls on the pages and their wallets — pay up to show up. The second calls for users to go just a couple clicks beyond the initial “Like.� Go to an organization page, click the settings gear icon in the upper right-hand section of the main page banner and click “Add to Interests...� Now you’ve told Facebook you like us and are interested in us. It’s a little redundant, we know. We’re in no position to pay up to show up, so that means this one’s on you. Your thumbs-up means a lot to a small business, an emerging artist or a cause. But more importantly, we want you to be able to stay connected with the organizations you love so (ahem, us). If promoted posts and therefore this essentially broken EdgeRank algorithm minimized reach junk is here to stay, small businesses might be better off migrating to Google+ or other social networking sites. But that won’t be advantageous until Google+ becomes more popular. So, that said...coup de Facebook!

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Bread of the Mighty's first customers of the day arrive right when the doors open at 8:00 am to beat the usually crowded aisles. Friday mornings are the food bank's busiest time of the week as local organizations, such as churches, stock up for weekend meal distributions.

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BY RAIN ARANEDA PHOTO BY LILY WAN The city of Gainesville is fortunate enough to have a host of organizations and groups that provide warm meals and a helping hand to those in need, such as Bread of the Mighty Food Bank, Food 4 Kids Backpack Program, Gainesville Harvest, and Showers of Blessings Harvest Center Food Pantry. Bread of the Mighty Food Bank, a Gainesville staple since 1987, was able to distribute 4.8 million pounds of food between 2011 and 2012 to the poor. With the economic downturn, that has included an increasing number of families and students. Campaigns like Strike Out Hunger Food Drive and Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway, have proposed goals of raising 100,000 pounds of food for needy families in November, recognized as National Hunger Month. Non-perishable food items are donated to Alachua County non-profit food banks and pantries, while the Thanksgiving Baskets will be distributed to families through the Alachua County Social Services. While groups like these collect food and donations from the community throughout the year, their shelves could always be more full. These food banks, like the people they help, are always in need. In fact, just prior to Thanksgiving, several food banks and shelters, such as St. Francis House homeless shelter, that provide special holiday meals reported exceptionally low donation levels. Generally,

donations increase near the holiday season. It isn’t only the homeless, the poor and working poor who are at the food banks and need the support. Students and families are increasingly seeking aid as well. Over 51,000 people in Alachua County are currently living in poverty and about 20% of those people are children or seniors. Many families are frequenting food banks, if only to help supplement their needs when times are really tight. The number of public school students receiving reduced lunch has also increased over the last year, which may be another indicator of the increased needs of Gainesville’s families. Food banks, like Gainesville Harvest-founded in 1991--seek to stamp out food insecurities such as these. Food insecurity is common among poorer communities throughout the year, not just around the holidays. These individuals and families aren’t always certain that they will have a full meal, if any, in a given day. That’s why autonomous groups like Gainesville’s Food Not Bombs chapter “save” leftover food that would otherwise be discarded from places like Wednesday’s Downtown Farmers’ Market, the Citizen’s Co-op, and the Krishna House, and serve it weekly to those in need. Community driven projects, like the burgeoning Porters’ Community Farm and Garden here in downtown Gainesville, aim to address those needs in a more sustainable way. The small, urban plot is projected to grow up to one ton of food per year, according to

Florida Organic Growers, a local non-profit group spearheading the farm’s collaboration with St. Francis House homeless shelter. The Porters’ urban farm project, located only a few blocks away from St. Francis House, plans to start providing the shelter’s food bank with fresh vegetables within the next year. The goal of projects like these, sprouting up around the nation, is to provide the local community with a means to ensure their own food and economic security by growing some of their food themselves. And additionally to ensure a steady supply of healthy, nutritious food to fill food bank shelves and empty bellies year round. If you would like to help make sure the Gainesville community has a great holiday season and a great year, try contacting one of the following organizations!

Bread of the Mighty Food Bank

325 NW 10th Avenue / (352) 336 - 0839

Catholic Charities Gainesville Food Pantry

1701 NE 9th Street / (352) 372 - 0294

Food Not Bombs

To contact, email: fnb352@lists.riseup.net

Gainesville Harvest

4550 S.W. 41st Boulevard, Suite 1/ (352) 378-3663

Army, Gainesville Salvation 639 E. University Avenue / (352) 376-1743

5DIO@M | T H E F I N E P R I N T |

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‘Tis The Season !of Waste" Your Guide to a Greener Holiday TEXT BY LILY WAN ILLUSTRATIONS BY SUSIE BIJAN It’s that time of the year again--the time for cheer, charity, friends, warm fuzzies and consumption. Lots and lots of consumption for the typical American, yes. But, you, Reader of The Fine Print, don’t have to live like that.

ENERGY

GIFTS

◆ Lighting

◆ Order or ship gifts early via ground shipping instead of waiting until the last minute and overnighting your package(s). Ground shipping is 6 times more efficient in fuel usage than overnight shipping.

▶ Best choice: LED or Energy Star lights. Compared to conventional lights, they use 90 percent less energy and last 10 times longer. ▶ Once you’ve got your lights set up, make sure they’re on a timer, or just be conscious about turning them off when you’re not home. ◆ Heating (yep, still applicable to us Floridians) ▶ Set your thermostat to a lower temperature at night and when you’re away from home. Even setting it just 10o lower at night can save 10-20 percent on your monthly heating bill. ▶ Make sure your home is running at its most energy efficient. Energy audits are free in Alachua County. Call your local utility provider to set up an appointment.

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◆ Re-gift shamelessly ◆ Make a card instead of buying it! The 2.65 billion cards sold during the holiday season would fill a football field 10 stories high and requires harvesting nearly 300,000 trees. ◆ ...Or save your money and resources and just swing with “it’s the thought that counts” and a shrug.

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TREES Did you know: there are 30 million trees cut down for holiday season every year.

WASTE ◆ From Thanksgiving to New Years Day, household waste increases an average of 25%. ◆ Half the paper used in America each year is used to wrap and decorate consumer products. ◆ Steer clear of that shellac-y, glittery wrapping paper and use one of these alternatives instead: ▶ paper grocery bags ▶ old newspapers (Stellar idea: go ahead and use this issue (once you’re done reading it, duh) ▶ fabric (the Japanese are way ahead of us; they call this method “furoshiki”) ▶ tissue paper ▶ old maps

◆ No One Likes a Fake ▶ 90% imported from China (think: overseas shipping carbon footprint, too) ▶ Made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a nonbiodegradable, petroleum-derived plastic ▶ Depending on where your fake tree was made, it could contain lead as a PVC stabilizer. At about nine years old, it can start shedding lead dust. ▶ However, studies show that if you use an artificial tree for more than ten years (even though the average family only keeps theirs for 5-6 years), it’s more environmentally friendly than buying a fresh-cut tree each year ◆ Keep it Real ▶ there are approx. 400 million christmas trees growing in America right now; these trees continue to perform their natural ecosystem services until harvested. This includes: recycling the air, purifying groundwater and providing homes for birds mammals and insects ▶ buying real trees helps farm businesses and keeps land covered in trees. ▶ Buy local! The nearest Christmas tree farm is:

Unicorn Hill Farm 3605 NW 69th Street Gainesville, FL 32606

◆ Treecycle — turn that conifer into mulch for spring gardening! ▶ The Alachua County Curbside Recycling Program will pick up your tree curbside as regular yard waste. There’s no need to try to stuff the tree in a bag (that’s quite ridiculous) as you would with normal yard waste; just set it curbside and make sure it doesn’t have any leftover decorations on it.

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BY ASHIRA MORRIS PHOTOS BY MELANIE BRKICH Mat Chandler and Sam Lopez have joked all year about printing their own candy. It’s not such a long shot. Chandler is the lab manager of the University of Florida’s Arts and Architecture Fabrication Lab, which houses two three-dimensional printers. Lopez, an arts and technology graduate student, works as the lab’s graduate assistant. It’s no longer an impossibility to print a building model, cabinet handle or midnight snack. The rise of 3-D printing has created tangible objects that people could only dream of years ago. The high-end machines can print 107 of the 4,000 known engineering materials, according to Bruce Bradshaw, director of US marketing for 3-D printer manufacturer Objet. A 3-D printer works by building an object in a series of extremely thin,

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horizontal layers. Instead of carving away from a piece of material, they lay down exactly what is needed. The A2 Fabrication Lab, commonly called the Fab Lab, bought the printers in the fall of 2009 with a grant for collaborative work between the arts and architecture schools. “The student work jumped 10 times,” Chandler said. “It’s so far past anything you could model by hand.” UF art professor Anna Calluori Holcombe, who specializes in ceramics, wrote the grant with Jack Stenner, an associate professor of arts and technology, and Mark McGlothlin, an associate professor of architecture. “Our students need to be up on the latest advances,” Holcombe said, “and this is it.” The 3-D printers and scanners are an integral part of her multimedia ceramics

!"#$%&" class. Students create a ceramic piece of art by hand, scan it and then recreate it on the 3-D printer. Initially, when Holcombe was working on the grants, she didn’t expect to use the printers herself. Now, 3-D printing is one of her personal hobbies. “Nature has got a genetic code,” she said, holding one of her pieces, a smooth white pinecone. “This [3-D printer] uses a computer code. I’m re-coding nature in an artificial way.” Previously, the lab was exclusively open to UF art and architecture students and faculty. As of this semester, it is

available to students, faculty, staff and anyone in the greater Gainesville community. Currently, about 100 people use the lab; Chandler hopes that number will increase as students in other fields realize the printers’ potential. “We want to make it so students can come in and create,” he said. Engineers could test their systems. Entrepreneurs could prototype their products. Since the printers were purchased, they have produced everything from character figurines designed by art students to models of thoracic spines used to study regional anesthesia at Shands.

The lab has two printers: an Objet Eden 260V and a ZCorp ZPrinter 450. The Objet printer uses a brand-specific resin plastic and prints directly layerby-layer from an adapted inkjet nozzle. Its maximum build volume is about the size of a compact microwave and is more durable and detailed than the ZPrinter. The ZPrinter is divided into two chambers. The actual printing takes place on the left-hand side, which is an empty 8-by-10-by-8 inch box with the bottom as a bed of white powder. A standard HP ink cartridge filled with glue builds the layers. When the glue has finished spraying, the object is formed by the white power sticking to the viscous glue. Previous Page: Three-dimensional printers are able to create precisely detailed products. Chandler holds an anatomiAny remaining powder cally correct model of a human heart, which was printed on the Arts and Architecture Fabrication Fab Lab’s Objet can be reused for the next printer. batch. Below: Mat Chandler, manager of the Arts and Architecture Fabrication Lab, holds two finished projects: a model of The display screen on the human heart and a wrench. The items were both printer on the Objet Eden 260V printer. the machine counts layers as it builds. It takes 2,000 layers to build a tiny cube. Over the past five years, 3-D printing has shifted from an expensive prototyping technology to an affordable reality. Objet sells its printers to everyone from twoperson businesses to large corporations like Nike and LEGO. Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man 2 suit was prototyped on the same Objet printer that resides in the Fab Lab. According to Terry Wohlers, president of Wohlers Associates, Inc., “just about everything but trashcans” is currently prototyped on a 3-D printer. Now, the printers are creating more than just prototypes: 20 percent of their output is a final, usable product.

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!"#$%&" “It cuts across so many areas,” Wohlers said. “It’s hard to printers. The at-home printer models are easier than ever to name an industry that hasn’t been or won’t be affected by buy and use. Companies such as MakerBot sell self-replicating this.” printers for under $2,000. Users can purchase one machine and use it to print out all of the parts needed to build a second Objet, one of the larger 3-D printer manufacturers, has printer, like Ian Taylor and Christian von Kleist, president and seen a 35 percent increase in sales for the past four years and vice president, respectively, of Gainesville Hackerspace did. anticipates the same results this year, according to Bradshaw Hackerspace is a spot for people with creative projects Their standard desktop model cost $100,000 three years to work and collaborate. They purchased one of the firstago. Today, thanks to more efficient manufacturing and inkjet generation MakerBots in 2008. Unlike the Fab Lab, Taylor developments, a comparable model sells for $20,000. and von Kleist don’t set a price for printing. They operate on However, 3-D printing still has its drawbacks. a trust system, expecting their members to pay an appropriate It costs $110 per semester for Fab Lab membership, amount. which is required to use their printers. Students who need Their MakerBot to use the printers for works, in the sense class assignments must that it prints out a pay the fee as well. On product, but the finished top of the membership item is usually skewed fee, each print has a or adorned with pricetag. A print of unintended plastic a palm-sized human wisps. It’s mostly used heart figure is $200. for novelty items. Although the They are in the process cost of the machine of building a second itself has decreased printer. considerably, the Von Kleist estimates material can still be that the Hackerspace expensive. As is the case members have “about with regular printers, a hundred” ideas it’s the cost of ink, or bouncing around material, that adds up. in their heads. He For 2.4 kilograms of imagines a future where Objet resin, Chandler at-home printers bring pays $1,200. cottage industry back to There is also a the manufacturing main programming barrier: Chandler watches a print job in progress. The printer uses a UV stage. the object must be lamp to harden the resin as each layer prints. Take salad tongs, for created in a 3-D example. modeling program. “You could have left-handed ones,” Von Kleist said. “Or Within UF’s art and architecture programs, students take one with toucans on each handle.” 3-D modeling courses. However, the necessary programs may be foreign to students in most other majors. This type of industry is already emerging. On the website Thingiverse, users upload pictures of their MakerBot projects. For someone who isn’t familiar with 3-D modeling or None of the items are for sale, but it serves as a forum for printing, the technology can seem untouchable. Chandler 3D-printer enthusiasts to swap ideas and suggestions. wants to make the process as accessible as possible for anyone interested in learning by teaching a general elective course in According to Taylor, who went to the MiniMaker Fair, a 3-D modeling.Regardless of the current obstacles, the 3-D MakerBot conference in Atlanta, the sheer number of people printing industry has the potential to change industries from buying 3D printers for their personal garage is driving the medicine to art even more than it already has. industry forward. “It’s taking the factory and putting it in your garage,” “It’s a game of exponents,” von Kleist said. “How quickly Lopez said. will they replicate?” Businesses and schools aren’t the only purchasers of 3D

THE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE INDUSTRIES

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I NE E P PR RI N I NT T| |23 '()*+,-./0.!" Winter 2012 | |T THHE E F FI N

FEATURE

the IUD (Intrauterine Device)

the UTERUS

the IUD STRINGS

the CERVIX

the VAGINA ILLUSTRATION BY SUSIE BIJAN BY SAMANTHA SCHUYLER The nurse slides open a drawer and pulls out a model of the cervix and uterus. Inside the uterus is a two-pronged, plastic object about the length of a pinkie finger. A nearly-invisible string extends out of its end and through the cervix. She tugs the string, and the object dislodges itself smoothly into the palm of her hand. “This is an intrauterine device,” she says. An intrauterine device, commonly called an IUD, is placed into the uterus to prevent unwanted pregnancies. The gynecologist inserts the device once, where it remains in place for five to seven or 10 to 12 years, depending on the type of IUD. Any human error that comes with remembering to take a pill or insert a diaphragm is eliminated. Only 0.2 to 0.8 percent of women with IUDs have unplanned pregnancies per year. The Pill, in comparison, comes in at around nine percent per year. An IUD can reduce the length and heaviness of the woman’s period and can be removed at any time. It doesn’t have the side effects associated with The Pill, such as weight gain, mood swings and nausea. Despite advantages over other forms of birth control, the IUD is still a mysterious entity to many women.

There are two types of IUDs: copper- and hormonebased. The copper model, called Paraguard works by periodically releasing small doses of copper into the uterus. It spurs a brief inflammatory reaction, calling up troops of white blood cells. The blood cell fluid kills sperm instantly. An IUD also can work as a morning after pill because the inflammation prevents a fertilized egg from settling in the uterus. The hormone-based IUD, Mirena, prevents pregnancy just like oral contraception. It thickens mucus in the cervix to prevent sperm from getting through to the uterus and slows the growth of the uterine lining. Emily Moline, a University of Florida senior, was on The Pill for four years. She didn’t have any problems with it but wanted to switch to an IUD because she saw it as a better form of birth control. By choosing the copper form, she could avoid putting unnecessary hormones in her body. “I wanted to see what my body was like in its natural state,” she said. Moline wasn’t nervous until the day before the procedure. But for some women, fear of the insertion process prevents them from considering IUDs altogether. Accord-

It’s not surgery, but it’s a sterile procedure.

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FEATURE ing to Karen Brown Williams, a specialist at the UF Women’s Health Clinic, the process is like getting a tooth filled. “It’s not surgery, but it is a sterile procedure,” she said. Before anything is inserted, the woman must pass a STD screening and a pregnancy test. For the procedure, the woman returns to the clinic during her period, because this is when the cervix is slightly more relaxed and open. The woman settles in to the usual gynecologist-visit position (legs in the stirrups), the vagina is held open with a speculum, an instrument that widens the opening of the vagina, making the cervix is more easily visible and giving the nurse access the uterus. Then the nurse inserts the tenaculum, which is used to pinch the cervix and hold it steady. The nurse loads the IUD into a tube about the size of a finger. It slides partially into the cervix with the IUD inside — the Tshaped arms are flattened — and pushes into the cervix. It settles into place and spreads its arms. The string hangs out slightly; the nurse will trim it so that it is not bothersome. For Moline, the insertion process was three minutes of discomfort. She felt cramps immediately after, which is expected, but within fifteen minutes they subsided. “It was nothing Ibuprofen couldn’t fix,” she said. Although she was uncomfortable, she reminded herself about the long-term benefit: a decade of birth control without hormones. Its horror-story history The Dalkon Shield was an IUD developed in the 60s and put into widespread use in the

70s. It caused thousands of women to develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and become infertile. FDA regulation for medical devices at the time was inadequate, and the Dalkon Shield was poorly tested before it was made available. In 1976, after the Dalkon Shield incident, a Medical Amendment to the Food and Drug Act required companies to demonstrate the safety of IUDs before they can be put on the market. Today’s IUDs have a completely different design. The

eligibility for funding. Moline’s ParaGuard was completely free under Obamacare. Additionally, IUDs are a single-payment form of contraception; birth control, shots and vaginal rings are monthly costs that add up over time. Misconceptions about eligibility Previously, women had to be in a committed relationship — usually marriage — and have had at least one child in order to be eligible for an IUD. Now,

I trust a device proven to work more than I trust my own inconsistencies Dalkon Shield’s double strings encouraged bacteria growth in the uterus. Now, the body of IUDs are more compact than the Dalkon Shield. They also use a single string. IUDs do not increase the chances of infertility, as many misconceptions suggest. Puncturing the uterus is the only risk in the insertion process. In the 17 years that Brown Williams has worked at the UF Women’s Health Clinic, this has only happened once. A woman is only at a slightly higher risk for PID during the month following the insertion process, due to recent interaction with medical equipment. After the first month, the risk for PID returns to normal. The cost Many women are wary of the cost, which can be high without insurance. The device itself costs $500 to $1,000, and insertion costs range from $200 to $300. Through paperwork provided by Patient Assistance Programs, a woman can determine her

a woman of any age or relationship is eligible. Having children before is not a requirement either. However, the women must not be pregnant or have an STD, a pelvic infection, uterine, liver or breast cancer. IUDs liberate women further than standard forms of birth control, freeing them from having to remember to take a pill or insert a diaphragm or vaginal ring every day. “I trust it more than I trust myself. I trust a device proven to work more than I trust my own inconsistencies,” Moline said. Today’s IUDs are a safe and extremely effective form of contraception. “I encourage every sexually active woman to look into it,” Moline said. Since IUDs are simple, extremely effective and have fewer side effects, they seem like the ideal form of birth control. Still, many women resist due to a few fears: insertion, cost, an infamous history and eligibility.

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FEATURE

A New American Dream BY SAMANTHA SCHUYLER When you unfurl the acronym, the DREAM Act becomes less of a clever moniker and more of a mouthful. It stands for the Development Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, and it has been bouncing around Congress for a little over a decade. After its first introduction by Senators Orin Hitch (R-UT) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) in 2001 it has maintained steady Democratic backing, but has been acquiring and shedding Republican support for the past 12 years. With another four years, President Barack Obama promised to set undocumented youth on the course for citizenship, but only after fulfilling specific requirements and going through a rigorous, heavily monitored application process lasting at least six years. The transformation from a DREAMer to an American citizen is a long process, but Victor Yengle is looking forward to it. Victor, now an economics student at UF, was 11 years old when his family made the move: Peru to Sarasota, Fl. He grew up there, eventually graduating from Sarasota High School in 2006. He is now 23 years old and working on his economics degree. Getting here wasn’t easy, though. His parents had to work odd hours at multiple jobs, and, at first, the language barrier created a sense of isolation. Despite all this, Victor felt he experienced growing up in the United States the same as any other naturalized citizen. Every morning of middle and high school he atonally recited the Pledge of Allegiance, having memorized it long ago like his fellow classmates. He celebrates the Fourth of July in earnest. He understands nostalgic references to “the 90’s.”

“I am attached to this country in every single way,” he said. After graduating from Sarasota High, Victor attended Santa Fe Community College for three years before applying to UF. When he did, he was told his student visa was invalid and that he would have to be considered an international student and pay three times in-state tuition, despite being educated in Florida. He returned to Sarasota, but did not fall into a stasis: in 2011 he helped found UnidosNow, a Sarasotabased organization devoted to mobilizing Southwest Florida’s Hispanic communities and raising awareness of the challenges faced by these communities. He then successfully enrolled in UF, and has devoted his time here to the community. He is president of Coalition of Hispanics Integrating Spanish Speakers through Advocacy and Service (CHISPAS), a member of the Gainesville Interfaith Alliance for Immigrant Justice, and a member of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Among many acts of advocacy, he has gone on a six-day water fast in front of Publix headquarters in Lakeland to promote an increase in wages and better working conditions. “DREAMers are the new frontiers of advocacy,” said Angela Kelley, Vice President of Immigration Policy at The Center for American Progress. Although Victor is deeply invested in his community and culturally identifies himself as an American, on paper he is considered an outsider. Back in birth country, any Peruvian would consider him an outsider -- to them, he’s an American. DREAMers like Victor describe this feeling of homelessness as being “neither here nor there.” Others have called these

This is not an amnesty or a free ride. The DREAM Act creates a pathway, not a guarantee, toward citizenship so students will have to work hard to receive status.

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Tt oHA mEe r iPAT H WAY can Citizenship

FEATURE

Are you eligible?

1. Are you between the ages of 15 and 30? 2. Were you under the age of 16 when your parents immigrated? 3. Have you lived here for five years before the bill was enacted? If you answered yes to all of the above

Apply here! undocumented youth “The 1.5 Generation.” Should the act finally pass, Victor’s, and 2.1 million other eligible DREAMers’, American citizenship would be well in reach. In reach, but not necessarily an easy one. Eric Castillo, director of the Institute of Hispanic Latino Cultures at UF, stresses the rigor of the program. “This is not an amnesty or a free ride,” he said. “The DREAM Act creates a pathway, not a guarantee, toward citizenship so students will have to work hard to receive status.” Hard work, but many deem it worthwhile for not only the DREAMers, but also the economy. The Center for American Progress recently conducted a study of the economic benefits of the DREAM Act and found it would boost the economy directly and indirectly. Directly, the DREAM Act would boost the economy by a total of $148 million, supporting an aggregate 19 percent increase in earnings by 2030. Indirectly, the increase in educated workers would translate into more people with higher earnings—with a $5.6 billion increase in income tax revenue— which would generate a greater consumption of goods and services. In the end,

the act would generate $181 billion and contribute to the creation of 16,000 jobs each year. Florida would be one of the most greatly affected states should the DREAM Act finally be passed. Florida clocks in at fourth for percentage of immigrants in the population. Approximately 1 million of the immigrant population are unauthorized, making up 5.7 percent of the state’s population. Florida also has the highest percent of immigrants -both legal and illegal -- to have completed high school; yet for the many DREAMers within this percentage, the next step in education is legally impossible. Florida has also had a rocky history at the cross-section between citizenship and education: 2013 will be the first year that American-born students whose parents immigrated illegally will be eligible for in-state college tuition. “The immigration system is in desperate need of an update,” said Kelley. For Victor and the rest of the 1.5 Generation--those who struggle to renew driver’s licenses, apply for college, and contribute to the society that they have always known--this is a fact that is always apparent.

woot

If you answered no to any of the above

You are awarded Conditional Permanent Residency status!

sorry

pick a new pathway to citizenship.

BUT or, you can

you must

attend higher education

serve in the US military for two years

but you cannot

These conditions will grant you

do anything else.

SIX YEARS

of Conditional Permanent Residency!

At five and a half years

you are able to apply for Legal Permanent Residency status!

Legal Permanent Residency status is for FIVE MORE YEARS!

YAY!

You’ve made it!

Eleven years* after first applying through the DREAM act, you are finally eliglbe to apply for United States citizenship! *not including any waiting time caused by the US Government in getting to, processing and approving your application(s).

Winter 2012 | T H E

Officially proud to be an American!

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FEATURE

FULL HOUSE

Though Amendment 6 did not pass in Florida, abortion remains a contentious subject as local protesters line the sidewalks of abortion clinic Bread and Roses, escorts take up their volunteer posts and patients of the clinic try to work their way through it all.

TEXT BY MARISSA GOLDBERG PHOTOS BY LILY WAN Shirley and Joe have been standing on the sidewalk for three hours, but they don’t mind. They stand with a handful of other protesters, Bibles and rosary beads in tow, in front of Bread and Roses Women’s Health Center, a clinic that performs abortions every Wednesday and Friday. These pro-life advocates, who have gathered in the weeks leading up to the 2012 presidential election, have joined together to pray and protest. The couple, who has been married for 49 years, were adamant about seeking alternative options before deciding to have an abortion. The two cited several resources available to women seeking an abortion, including adoption facilities, confidential helplines and other pro-life organizations. “If it’s something you can’t handle,” Shirley said, “another couple can.” Shirley was especially concerned with the idea of performing an abortion on a woman who has been pregnant for several months. However, the National Abortion Federation (NAF), a professional association of abortion practitioners, states that 88 percent of abortions are obtained in the first trimester. Nevertheless, in 28 | T H E

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Florida, a woman can legally have an abortion through her second trimester. Monica and Ryan also stood in protest in front of the Bread and Roses clinic with Shirley and Joe. They claimed to engage in the protest both for religious and personal reasons. All four declined to give their last names. “Everything we’re doing here is out of love for the unborn,” Ryan said. “It’s meant to be a peaceful protest.” Though the protesters claim their demonstrations are intended to be peaceful, their mere presence can be a perceived threat to Bread and Roses patients. “[Protesters] make it really uncomfortable for the patient who has made her decision for personal reasons,” said Amara Kaimrajh, the Escorting Chair for VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood. As Escorting Chair, Kaimrajh’s main responsibility is to escort patients into Bread and Roses and make them feel at ease. She said she has made an effort to remain neutral on the subject of abortion but enjoys her volunteer position. “It’s a great way to spend your time; it’s for a good cause,” she said. This relatively small protest in Gainesville, FL is a visual reminder of the controversy surrounding abortion nationwide. The issue made its

way onto several states’ ballots of the November 2012 election, including Florida. The Florida Abortion Amendment, or Amendment 6 on this past election ballot, would have prohibited the use of public funds for abortions except as required by federal law and to save the mother’s life. This amendment would have essentially allowed politicians to dictate what rights women have by controlling what medical insurance does and does not cover. Randy Armstrong, president of the group Citizens for Protecting Taxpayers and Parental Rights, which came out in support of the amendment, claims a private act should not be a public expense. But many against Amendment 6 believe women have the right to make their own decisions about their bodies without being held hostage by third parties, like insurance companies. While Amendment 6 was voted down 55 percent to 44 percent this past November, there are many who disagree with the legality and availability of abortions, even in the case of incest or rape. “Does one crime justify another?” Monica said, alluding to the notion that performing an abortion on a woman who has been raped is, essentially, committing two crimes. “I

FEATURE

(Left and Below) Props and literature in hand, pro-life believers stand outside the Bread and Roses Women’s Health Clinic for their two-hour shift of prayer and protest. want to put an end to the abortion industry.” According to the NAF, the “abortion industry” performs an average of 1.3 million abortions each year. They also report that the women who do choose to have abortions come from all backgrounds, religious, ethnic, socioeconomic, etc.; are between the ages of 20 and 24 and are unmarried. 27 percent of abortion patients identify as Catholics. While the majority of private medical insurance plans and HMO organizations currently cover abortion services, 57 percent of women who had abortions in 2000 were of low-income and unlikely to have a good medical insurance plan, let alone one with a low deductible. The NAF reports that, while the cost of an abortion increases with how far along the pregnancy is and various other factors (kinds of anesthetic, the facility, etc.), a first-trimester abortion generally costs between $350-$500. While of course nationally, abortion remains legal, protesters like Shirley will continue to turn out nationwide and gather in front of abortion clinics, where they still exist and remain accessible, to pray for these “crimes” and attempt to sway passersby with signs and rosary beads. Locally, Gainesville stays abortion-friendly — boasting not one, but two abortion clinics to provide healthcare services to women in need. “There is murder going on in there,” said Shirley, standing in front of the Bread and Roses Women’s Health Center.

Amara Kaimrajh waits outside Bread & Roses to escort a patient past the protesters and into the clinic. “We’ve had human shielding,” she said. “It can get tense.”

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TESTING

THE WATERS

The Department of the Interior plans for seismic air gun testing off the east coast to search for oil deposits, but at what cost to marine life? BY LILY WAN ILLUSTRATIONS BY SUSIE BIJAN That obnoxious conversation behind you clocks in at 60 decibels. The old Harley that just roared down 13th Street? 90 decibels. At 130 decibels sound is physically painful to the human ear. A single blast from a seismic airgun, used for oil exploration, racks up 190 decibels. Underwater, each blast is amplified to 250 decibels — 100,000 times more intense than a jet engine. The Department of the Interior (DOI) is currently pending approval of industrial seismic airgun surveying to search for offshore oil and gas reserves spanning from Florida to Delaware. A fleet of airguns, dragged along by boat, shoot intense blasts of compressed air underwater and miles through the

HOW IT WORKS

sea floor every seven to sixteen seconds, twenty-four hours per day for days to months on end. These blasts pound through the water and miles deeper into the ocean floor to send back signals with information used to create three-dimensional images of geologic faults. From these images, oil and gas companies can identify potential drilling locations.

Flooding the Ocean

Sure, we might not hear or notice the airgun blasts from the shore and certainly not from Gainesville, but that’s not the case underwater. Seismic airgun testing can be debilitating and even deadly to marine life. The frequency and amplification of the blasts can cause temporary and permanent hearing damage, habitat

AUDIO MONITORS SEISMIC AIRGUN

Seismic airgun testing is used to locate oil and gas deposits deep below the ocean floor. A vessel tows a seismic airgun, which shoots extremely loud blasts of compressed air through the ocean and miles under the sea floor, every ten seconds, 24 hours a day, for days to weeks on end.

LOUD BLASTS OF COMPRESSED AIR

OIL&GAS DEPOSITS *Not drawn to scale

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FEATURE abandonment, disruption of vital behaviors and beach strandings. For marine animals, sound is their sight. It’s how they feed, mate, migrate, escape danger — survive. The low-frequency booms from the airgun are along the same frequency as the signals sent and perceived by larger whales, making them the most susceptible to direct impact from the testing. But the blasts don’t only emit low-frequency sounds; the range of sound transmissions include higher frequency components, too, which affect a range of other marine animals. In its own draft Environmental Impact Statement report, the DOI recognizes that seismic airgun testing would cause 13.5 million disruptions to vital behaviors of marine mammals, which include feeding, breeding and calving. It also estimates injury to 138,500 dolphins and whales over the next eight years. This count includes eight endangered species including the North Atlantic right

whale. With only 361 individuals remaining in the entire ocean, the North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. Nine of those whales are on the slate as expected “take” from seismic airgun surveying. “Take” doesn’t directly translate to a death but definitely includes it. As defined by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, it is the harassment, hunting, capturing or killing of any marine mammal. For the 352 right whales not counted as take, each would undergo disruption of vital behaviors five times, according to the DOI statement. The Atlantic Ocean off the east coast is a critically important habitat for the North Atlantic right whale. In wainter, they roam the warmer waters off the Florida and Georgia coasts and give birth to their calves. When spring comes around, the pods migrate north, hugging the coast all the way to the plankton-rich waters of Massachusetts and New York.

These critically endangered whales depend on this migration route for survival. It’s the only one they’ve known for centuries. Intensive whaling that began as early as 1150 AD drove the right whale to the brink of extinction. Once whaling of right whales was banned in 1935, populations of sister species rebounded at a healthy rate, but unfortunately, the North American right whale didn’t see such success. While whaling is no longer a threat to the North American right whale, other human-imposed effects are still diminishing their population. Shipping vessel traffic and commercial fishing are the biggest hazards they face, and on top of other anthropogenic stressors such as military training and pollution, seismic airgun testing will likely only further jeopardize their species.

...continued on page 34

ESTIMATED INJURIES TO MARINE LIFE BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN up to 11,748 individuals per year

SHORT-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN up to 6,147 individuals per year

ATLANTIC SPOTTED DOLPHIN up to 5,848 individuals per year

SHORT-FINNED PILOT WHALE

up to 4,631 individuals per year

NORTH AMERICAN RIGHT WHALE 0-2 individuals per year

STRIPED DOLPHIN

up to 3,993 individuals per year

HUMPBACK WHALE

12 individuals per year

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PROSE+POETRY

MY FATHER’S WAKE by Melia Jacquot

I kissed a server at my father’s wake. My mother was upset, not because it was a girl, but because she couldn’t find true love from bearded men she met at bars. My parents got divorced before my first birthday. My mother felt I was too dependent on her and decided to move to New York. My father and I stayed in Wisconsin, but moved in with family members from time-to-time. We once moved in with my mother’s parents. I was going to kindergarten and they were the only relatives in a good school zone. I didn’t make any friends on the school bus because no one ever liked talking to the new kid, and so I sat behind the nice, big-breasted black woman bus driver who played AM radio. We moved out a couple months later and my father drove me to school. Throughout elementary school, my mother sent cards to me. She wrote about her job prospectives and how she was proud of my grades she never saw. I mailed back crayon drawings. When I turned thirteen, she wrote me letters instead. She began to unravel the reasons for never coming back and sent me quarters wrapped in dollar bills. I never told my father about the money and put it in my “college fund” which quickly became the “California fund.” When high school came around, I didn’t date. Relatives tried to set me up with their neighbor’s nephew or a boy from church. One day I told my father they weren’t for me. We didn’t talk much after that. After graduating and receiving enough money from

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family members, I moved to California. Once I settled down in a two-bedroom with three other roommates, I decided to e-mail my mother because I didn’t know when I was moving next and letters might get lost. I ended up in San Francisco where I met a woman named Suzanne, and we had a beautiful love I didn’t understand until it was over. I sent a postcard to my father and wrote about how I found a place I didn’t want to leave. I hoped he understood. Several years went by and we only talked once a year when I called on his birthday. He updated me on which relatives married, gave birth, died. He mentioned that he thought he’d die next and I chuckled at my father’s comment. A few months later, I received an e-mail from my mother saying that my father had had a heart attack and was in the hospital. She was still his emergency contact. I flew into Madison where he had been resting. I took a couple weeks off from work but told my father I would move back and find an apartment with him. We scrolled through Craigslist and found a place near downtown—four hundred dollars for the two of us. Back in San Francisco I packed it all away and didn’t call work back. My father stayed home when I went to work at the coffee shop around the corner. I took him to appointments when his cough happened. Nothing good came from the doctors, and he died in the bathtub. He didn’t have any specific

PROSE+POETRY

arrangements. I modeled it after details he mentioned of his brothers’—they were all dead. People I didn’t know but had known me attended the wake and my mother came back. She looked younger than my father, but I shouldn’t compare. The flowers seemed frozen like him and I dragged a garbage bag full of pulled petals and broken stems to the dumpster. I found the girl outside, drinking a swiped bottle with other servers from my father’s wake. They saw me and scattered away with the bottle while the girl stood there, uncaring of who I was. She was nothing great. I sat down by the dumpster and cried at the thought of my father meeting this girl. She kneeled down to me and patted my

shoulder. I grabbed her and kissed her and told her we should get married. She stood up and said no one could marry me. Her manager came out and told her to put out more finger foods and then turned to me and said he was sorry for my loss. I drove back to our apartment, leaving people I didn’t know with my father. I sat in the bathtub and realized I couldn’t remember the last time I bathed or when I last drank water. I never saw my father again and I didn’t answer phone calls. My mother never called or e-mailed and I took it as whatever she wanted. I packed up and headed back to San Francisco.

illustration by Susie Bijan

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JUMPS

...Testing the Waters cont’d Playing it safe

Earlier this year, an estimated total of 2,800 dolphins washed up dead along the coast of Peru. The Peruvian government attributed the deaths to natural causes, but the 30 necropsies performed by conservationist and veterinarian, Dr. Carl Yaipén Llanos, pointed to a fishier and more probable cause. The middle ears of each dolphin had suffered fracture damage. Dr. Yaipén Llanos and his team also discovered an excessive buildup of bubbles in the dolphins’ vital organs. After further testing disproved his suspicion of a viral infection, he suggested that intense sound impact may have caused these mysterious bubbles. The Peruvian government denies any seismic airgun testing in the area coinciding with the dolphin deaths, but local fishermen insist otherwise. Peru’s largest newspaper also reported the Peruvian Navy granted permission for seismic airgun surveying to foreign oil companies. Even though the cause of the massive die-off cannot be explicitly traced to the surveying, the necropsies — along with other evidence scientists have collected — certainly put it in the spotlight as a possibility. The Atlantic coast is safe from offshore drilling for now, or at least until 2017. Rebecca Marques, the South Florida organizer for Oceana, shares the international ocean conservation group’s view on seismic airgun surveying and is advocating to “keep dangerous oil and gas exploration off our coasts and instead focus on developing renewable energy.”

And what about the humans?

The seismic blasts are not only dangerous to larger marine mammals — they impact fish health and populations, too. Any deleterious effect on fish health directly translates to concern for coastal economies. According to the environmental impact statement, the seven states residing in the proposed testing area are home to 108 fishing communities that may be affected by “acoustic sound sources, vessel traffic and vessel exclusion zones, seafloor disturbance and accidental fuel spills.” Many fishing communities located where seismic airgun testing has taken place have witnessed dislocated and depleted fish stocks as a result of “acoustic sound sources.” The Atlantic coast harbors an $11 billion-plus fishing industry, which supports more than 200,000

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jobs. Effects from testing would undoubtedly impact coastal economies from Delaware to Florida. “As native Floridians we live constantly surrounded by our oceans. It is part of who we are, what we do, and why we stay here,” Marques said. “For many it is also how we survive.”

How to speak whale, or at least for them

One alternative, mandatory to all environmental impact statements, is the “No Action Alternative,” which is exactly what it sounds like. It takes a

The seismic blasts are not only dangerous to larger marine mammals — they impact fish health and populations, too. precautionary approach and would prohibit all geological and geophysical activities related to oil and gas exploration in this particular zone of the Atlantic Ocean but still permit, on a case-by-case basis, research and development for offshore renewable energy. The DOI will make its final decision in the beginning of 2013, which is coming up fast. If the proposal clears, oil and gas companies could start up testing as early as next year. Until then, the only voice the whales have is ours. The main petition against seismic airgun testing is a photo petition on Facebook. However, you can also take more direct action by writing to Secretary Ken Salazar of the DOI. Calling or even sending a quick note to your state senators and representatives can help greatly. For Florida residents, contact Senator Bill Nelson, Marco Rubio, and your district representative here.

make your very own

FESTIVE & FOLDABLE

PENGUIN 1. Cut along the soid black lines. 2. Fold on the dotted lines. 3. Cut slits on the pengiun’s sides (where the wings would go) and on the face (where the beak would go). 4. Glue folded white tabs to the inside. 5. Glue wing and beak sides together and insert tabs into the beak and wing slits. 6. Glue flippers to the bottom of your pengiun. 7. Enjoy your new friend!

Winter 2012 | T H E

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You just might be our type.

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