Possible Sources for Overfishing in Florida paper

1.http://www.sfdj.com/pbcda/eco-website.html

2. Authors:
Finkl, Charles W.1 cfinkl@coastalplanning.net
Charlier, Roger H.2
Source:
Journal of Coastal Research; Fall2003, Vol. 19 Issue 4, p934-943, 10p, 1 chart, 1 diagram, 1 map
Document Type:
Article
Subject Terms:
*COASTS
*COASTAL zone management
Geographic Terms:
FLORIDA
UNITED States

3. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V6X-4FNW4T1-2&_user=2139851&_coverDate=04%2F15%2F2005&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000054275&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=2139851&md5=7956c58369483020729b70eb586ffa56

Review Paper

Collins, Christopher
11/19/09
ENC1101- Review Paper
Sangam: The Indian Student Association at UCF
Being born a native Floridian, I have never stepped foot pass my state’s borderlines since the day I began breathing. Living in the Florida Keys as a child surrounded my life with the ocean & I have looked to it for inspiration ever since. Being out on the ocean fueled my desire to explore; constantly putting my hand over my eyebrows, starring into the abyssal horizon hoping for the tiniest trace of landmass. Having such an urge to travel and see the world started young with me and led to my eventual minoring in anthropology. I suppose I’d compare my situation to that of a rabbit locked in a cage. A rabbit who spends half of their life trapped in a box will never realize the true potential of their anatomical design; engineered for agility and grace with a forceful set of hind legs. However, once that cage door has opened, after an hour or so of getting the blood rushing and feel of stiff muscles back, you won’t ever be able to catch the rabbit again on foot. College has been my equivalence of the cage door finally opening. As I learn here at UCF and expand my intellectual capability, like a rabbit that walks about getting the feel of his body, my next step will be to never look back. I have been exploring my opportunities & options for the future and with a mindset to get as far away from home as possible both physically and mentally, my first steps in this un-caged world called a university was to seek international programs, study subjects that involved a worldly career (Environmental Studies), and experience the numerous culturally identifiable clubs here on campus.
The Sangam club at the University of Central Florida is one of the school’s most unique associations. Offering anybody the chance to join, the goal of the Indian Student Association here is to spread knowledge of their rich culture and rising world power. After a good amount of research trying to find a definition for the word Sangam, the only results that came up was a famous musical film in 1964 titled “Sangam” and became an instant classic in film history as well as an iconic movie in India (American equivalence to Grease). To best evaluate the Sangam Indian Student Association for readers everywhere, I attended a few meetings and witnessed Sangams grand event of the year, the Diwali Festival. Known more commonly as the Festival of Lights, it celebrates the triumph of good over evil; and what a fantastic & well lit show it was. For anyone out there looking for a blast of culture to change up the usual norms of the US, the India Student Association would be a perfect suit. The festival began by the former president of India Dr. Abdul Kalam (yes, their president is a doctor/engineer) explaining India’s current stand in world affairs and explained the history behind the festival. The lighting of the show set a perfect atmosphere with dim colorful lights (India’s flag colors) lining the walls of the Pegasus Ballroom and big spotlights caricaturizing the different artists and dancers perform on stage. The ISA stayed true to India’s lavish art heritage and decorative tendencies by making the front stage into the royal presidential chamber of a beautiful palace and stars igniting the background of the whole set. When it comes to aesthetics, Sangam gets three thumbs up in my book (if possible)! The festival was preceded by a cuisine of native Indian dishes such as pork, rice, and some unfamiliar to me which gave a warm and friendly feeling as the night closed to an end. The Indian Student Association has numerous similarities with other international clubs at UCF. Organizations like the African American Society and the Hellenic Society both also have mission statements that involve spreading knowledge of their culture and implementing interpretations and demonstrations to bring their culture to life on the campus they live on. What Sangam lacks that these clubs have is a more populous crowd which means better funding leading to better opportunities for the members. On the other hand, Sangam’s uniqueness gives its members a close bond with one another and creates a family-like atmosphere that can stretch out farther than the meeting room. However, regardless of what international club the spotlight’s on, they all have exquisite pride and uniqueness, & together they share unity in diversity. Sangam gets a 3/5 when it comes to campus effectiveness. If you’re looking to join a club to learn new things and experience the human experience beyond the borders of your country (mentally and physically) then Sangam would be the ideal association to be part of because they host Indian celebrations, movies, and even cricket matches. However, if you’re looking for a club that’s more involved with the campus as a whole or for one pertaining to your major or career path (unless of course your major is Sociology or Anthropology), then I would suggest putting your time in a subject that matters more or will benefit you greatly in the future because the ISA only has volunteer opportunities; no chance of internship, political involvement on campus, or scholarship availability unless you’re a citizen of India.
Sangam finds importance in ensuring the social well being of students from India and of Indian origin and to maintain the rich traditions and cultural heritage of India. Sangam promotes cultural awareness among UCF student body and facilitates a strong networking of our members through social, cultural and educational events. The Indian students here at the University of Central Florida value over all else their rich cultural pride, their artistic heritage, and do their best to promote India as one of the world's leading developing nations rather than the American discourse that India is a poor and third world-like country. They are deeply rooted in the ideology of Gandhi and participate in countless volunteer and community services, such as the famous Indian holiday the Gandhi Day of Service. In fact they do a hefty chunk of volunteering right here on campus to enhance the UCF experience for all (such as repainting buildings, planting exotic plants indigenous to India, or cleaning litter). As current social issues are concerned, India is one of the most peaceful nations on the face of the earth; only behind Denmark, Switzerland, and New Zealand. They support a national universal health care system and put countless effort towards research on cures for diseases and are a prevalent space bound country; constantly striving to improve the progress of the human experience.
The cultural programs offered by Sangam are very popular amongst UCF students. I believe that friends, or fellow UCF members, are always interested or up for something out of the ordinary; something different to experience at 4 in the afternoon on a Tuesday between their busy class schedules. With mostly on campus demonstrations, Indian students here offer the chance for anyone to break the monotony of their Monday through Friday routines by seeing how things are done on the other side of the world. Many health problems in American society stem from senseless factors such as stress, posture, diet, lack of flexibility, and even loneliness. When it comes to engaging and interesting activities, I’d give Sangam a full 5/5 for sure. Whether dancing, volunteering, or participating in Indian gown socials, they frequently demonstrate how including some Indian rituals and practices into your life such as meditation or family nights can be beneficial to you and your close ones. I would recommend meditation for anyone I meet; especially to those on campus who can so easily access such a wonderful activity with a cost of nearly nothing. With so many stressed out college students, I’d venture to say that meditating (with or without the Indian Student Association) could be an excellent way to channel emotions and be at ease rather than taking Ritalin or other drugs to get by through the studious semester days. Joining Sangam would be a fantastic idea for anyone feeling too stressed or needing a breather from the hustle and bustle of university life. In the relevance category, Sangam scores outstandingly because of their deep works in humanities and always incorporating what’s going on in India to tailor the clubs agenda for the semester. In order to keep up with the changing times of the present, Sangam members must work on tailoring their messages to all Indian and non-Indian students according to current events. For example, because of the prevalence of such a large engineering body on campus, and NASA’s strong ties with the University of Central Florida, Sangam held a seminar a month ago called “World Space Vision 2050”. The lecture, which I attended, was hosted by former president of India Dr, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and in it he talked about how once we have accomplished renewable energy independence across the globe, the next step for humanity is to focus on large scale societal missions & low cost access to space. It was quite amazing to see how many Indian students showed up for the lecture and how so many seemed so honored to be in his presence; as if we were standing in front of Barack Obama. Overall, as Sangam attracts more and more Indian and non-Indian students at UCF, the impact of their volunteering and cultural displays will help to better the atmosphere on campus and create a sense of togetherness and equality for all to benefit from here at UCF.

1. I am reviewing Sangam, the Indian Student Association here at UCF.
- The source of my information will be from personal experiences as well as their main website and few websites on other Indian programs.
- I will establish credibility by using knowledgeable language, avoiding bias remarks, and citing websites and articles I have obtained information from.
- I will compare the Indian Student Association to other ethnic oriented organizations here at UCF.
2. I will be crediting the effectiveness of Sangam as a university organization
- My thesis will set the standard for who finds what clubs and organizations attractive to them and their college experience.
3. My criteria for the specific audience are effectiveness on campus, relevance to current times, aesthetics, and level of interest to different people.
- I will support my criteria with testament to the organization in action, differences between other clubs, expectations of UCF students, and symbolism.
4. I anticipate questions to arise and am ready and willing to clarify answers to people’s concerns.

Criteria Review- Sangam

The Sangam club at the University of Central Florida is one of the school’s most unique associations. Offering anybody the chance to join, the goal of the Indian Student Association here is to spread knowledge of their rich culture and rising world power. To best evaluate the Sangam Indian Student Association for readers everywhere, I attended a few meetings and witnessed Sangams grand event of the year, the Diwali Festival. Known more commonly as the Festival of Lights, it celebrates the triumph of good over evil; and what a fantastic & well lit show it was. For anyone out there looking for a blast of culture to change up the usual norms of the US, the India Student Association would be a perfect suit. The festival began by the former president of India Dr. Abdul Kalam (yes, their president is a doctor/engineer) explaining India’s current stand in world affairs and explained the history behind the festival. The lighting of the show set a perfect atmosphere with dim colorful lights (India’s flag colors) lining the walls of the Pegasus Ballroom and big spotlights caricaturizing the different artists and dancers perform on stage. The ISA stayed true to India’s lavish art heritage and decorative tendencies by making the front stage into the royal presidential chamber of a beautiful palace and stars igniting the background of the whole set. The festival was preceded by a cuisine of native Indian dishes such as pork, rice, and some unfamiliar to me which gave a warm and friendly feeling as the night closed to an end. If you’re looking to join a club to learn new things and experience the human experience beyond the borders of your country (mentally and physically) then Sangam would be the ideal association to be part of because they host Indian celebrations, movies, and even cricket matches. However, if you’re looking for a club that’s more involved with the campus as a whole or for one pertaining to your major or career path (unless of course your major is Sociology or Anthropology), then I would suggest putting your time in a subject that matters more or will benefit you greatly in the future because the ISA only has volunteer opportunities; no chance of internship, political involvement on campus, or scholarship availability unless you’re a citizen of India.

Audience Analysis

The audience of my review on Sangam, the Indian Student Association, is not only all of the students at UCF with heritage from India, but as well as any other students at UCF looking for a way to catch some culture from another part of the world. Sangam finds importance in ensuring the social well being of students from India and of Indian origin and to maintain the rich traditions and cultural heritage of India. Sangam promotes cultural awareness among UCF student body and facilitates a strong networking of our members through social, cultural and educational events. The Indian students here at the University of Central Florida value over all else their rich cultural pride, their artistic heritage, and do their best to promote India as one of the world's leading developing nations rather than the American discourse that India is a poor and third world-like country. They are deeply rooted in the ideology of Gandhi and participate in countless volunteer and community services, such as the famous Indian holiday the Gandhi Day of Service. In fact they do a hefty chunk of volunteering right here on campus to enhance the UCF experience for all (such as repainting buildings, planting exotic plants indigenous to India, or cleaning litter). As current social issues are concerned, India is one of the most peaceful nations on the face of the earth. This being said they support a national universal health care system and put countless effort towards research on cures for diseases and are a prevalent space bound country; constantly striving to improve the progress of the human experience. The cultural programs offered by Sangam are very popular amongst UCF students. I believe that friends, or fellow UCF members, are always interested or up for something out of the ordinary; something different to experience at 4 in the afternoon on a Tuesday between their busy class schedules. With mostly on campus demonstrations, Indian students here offer the chance for anyone to break the monotony of their Monday through Friday routines by seeing how things are done on the other side of the world; and how including some Indian rituals and practices into your life can be beneficial to you and your close ones. In order to keep up with the changing times of the present, Sangam members must work on tailoring their messages to all Indian and non-Indian students according to current events. For example, because of the prevalence of such a large engineering body on campus, and NASA’s strong tires with the University of Central Florida, Sangam held a seminar two weeks ago called “World Space Vision 2050”. The lecture, which I attended, was hosted by former president of India Dr, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and in it he talked about how once we have accomplished renewable energy independence across the globe, the next step for humanity is to focus on large scale societal missions & low cost access to space. It was quite amazing to see how many Indian students showed up for the lecture and how so many seemed so honored to be in his presence; as if we were standing in front of Barack Obama. Overall, as Sangam attracts more and more Indian and non-Indian students at UCF, the impact of their volunteering and cultural displays will help to better the atmosphere on campus and create a sense of togetherness and equality for all to benefit from here at UCF.

I am choosing to do my review on Sangam the Indian Student Association at UCF

Commentary-Final

It’s 10:00 in the morning and the select students who were forced out of bed begin to make their way to class. As they pass the Student Union, one would expect to see morning dew on the trees, squirrels and birds enjoying the suns bright rays, the smell of sweet breakfast being cooked at Wackadoo's and Chick Fil A. All of a sudden, ear-shattering speakers blasting brutal heavy metal music abruptly halt the morning sereneness. Say goodbye to the squirrels because there’s a new animal by Student Union, an electric beast raging and roaring from the speakers of what you read to be the Heavy Metal Appreciation Club at UCF. Founded in 2006, The Heavy Metal clubs mission statement, stated on their MySpace page, is "To increase awareness, legitimacy and acceptance of heavy metal musical styles and culture, to promote a sense of community among listeners, and to expose each other to new styles of music through the creation of an open forum." The world has its views on metal and the club here tries to break that stereotype by showing there's a fun and friendly side of metal. While I respect the club's existence, there are a few issues at bay. But overall, the main problem with the Heavy Metal Club at UCF is that it's too loud, too early, and harms the business of clubs and organizations as well as student’s grades nearby.
On www.observationsofanerd.blogspot.com, recent surveying has concluded that there are a higher percentage of night owls in college students over any other demographic of people in the United States. With a fact as such, the last thing any student would want to hear on their way to class after a night with lack of sleep is fast paced metal. While many students are up late studying and sleeping their day away unless woken by class, there are just as many early worms that bring the campus to life at dawn’s break. Most people that choose to get up early have an agenda and are always busy tackling their most important obstacles in the wee hours of the morning. The result is that many difficult classes and important faculty/staff meetings wind up taking place very early and are scheduled as such to avoid distractions and the business of the campus later in the day. The student union is located at the center of the University of Central Florida’s campus where it stands in the company of the UCF Library, the College of Sciences building, Engineering 2, Health & Public Affairs, and Classroom 1. Being in such a crucial area, the sounds of what’s going on at the student union echo their way around their immediate area, all the buildings listed above. With this said, the Heavy Metal Music club at the University of Central Florida should not play loud music near an area where so many students and faculty are trying to get important work and studying done. I believe it’s worth saying that such a distraction could have an unprecedented effect on students’ grades in the long run if the Heavy Metal club continued its early music sessions. According to Jacques Wright, a student who wakes up early to attend his anatomy and chemistry classes says, “After long weekends, I wake up three to four hours early to get in a solid study review for an exam or quiz I have that morning. Some days however, the Heavy Metal club is playing their music so loudly I cannot hear myself think.”
The other problem affects morning birds, night owls, and metal heads themselves; that is communication. The student union serves as a center of distribution of news, current events, and information on different things occurring on campus to students. A numerous amount of non-UCF organizations are out there as well. During election times, many candidates make trips to the UCF campus or send representatives who pay a substantial fee for being able to post a tent. Many political campaigns come out such as Power Shift 09, a campaign as stated on http://www.powershift09.org “fueled by young people across the country to demand bold action on climate and energy in 2009. They are urging President Obama and Congress to pass a strong and comprehensive climate and energy plan by December that creates millions of new jobs, ends our dependence on dirty energy, brings America lasting security and reduces harmful global warming pollution.” With such a short time frame to increase awareness of the movement and to be able to make a superb difference in the eyes of Congress, it is very important that organizations such as these be heard; especially among college students who have enormous potential for making change in office over other groups of people. All of the other clubs and organizations that are outside of the Union trying to convey messages and gain support or votes cannot be heard over the loud music of metal playing as well. Most fraternities have a frat house off campus (many of which are farther away than you’d think) and don’t have the advantage of being widely known because they are off campus, unlike many sorority houses. I guarantee that two to three times more individuals know of Delta Delta Delta than individuals who know Iota Phi Theta. The point is that these smaller clubs need a way to advertise their existence and do so by hanging outside the student union where they can converse with fellow Greek community members and simultaneously gain new pledges. In both cases, time is of the essence and less time heard is less people joined and less money made. Groups like Power Shift 2009 and TOMS shoes who depend on those few hours a day Monday through Friday are extremely undermined due to the annoyance of really loud music. Nobody wants to go to campus to hear speakers blasting at concert level decibels. It is quite a sight to see a crowd with a pleased look on their face next to a bigger crowd of people with looks of discontent on their faces. Most of the clubs and fraternities don’t have all the time in the day to be out there and don’t gain as much student activity. The importance of this issue is that productivity is slowed near the student union and the music creates a big distraction to students studying for their early morning tests and organizations with limited time to make business.
If things were different, say the Metal club set up their tent at 3 or 4pm, I don't think there would be as much of a predicament. I mean let’s face it; as students and faculty getting up early most of the week, we're simply cranky when we get up and things (especially loud things) can be nearly intolerable. A later time in the day or a relocation of the Metal club's tent to a less busy area would make everyone happier. The music wouldn’t bug as many people as it would in the morning compared to the afternoon. This is usually when students and some faculty get a second boost of energy for the day and aren’t as grumpy, plus its super hot outside and fewer people choose to hang out outside. If the Heavy Metal club relocated to areas with less foot traffic, say between Ferrell Commons and the Health Center, not nearly as many would complain of their high volume music. In my opinion when it comes down to it, the simplest solution to end the dispute between the Heavy Metal club and other clubs & organizations is to just turn the volume down! Students such as Laurent Saint-Louis say these words of wisdom, “If the Metal club just brought a boom box to the student union instead of an Orange or Gibson professional grade speaker/amplifier, the volume would be nowhere near distracting as it currently is.”

Commentary Essay Draft

It’s 10:00 in the morning and the select students who were forced out of bed begin to make their way to class. As they pass the Student Union, one would expect to see morning dew on the trees, squirrels and birds enjoying the suns bright rays, the smell of sweet breakfast being cooked at Wackadoo's and Chick Fil A. All of a sudden, the morning sereneness is abruptly halted by ear-shattering speakers blasting brutal heavy metal music. Say goodbye to the squirrels because there’s a new animal by Student Union, an electric beast raging and roaring from the speakers of what you read to be the Heavy Metal Appreciation Club at UCF. Founded in 2006, The Heavy Metal clubs mission statement, stated on their MySpace page, is "To increase awareness, legitimacy and acceptance of heavy metal musical styles and culture, to promote a sense of community among listeners, and to expose each other to new styles of music through the creation of an open forum." The world has its views on metal and the club here tries to break that stereotype by showing there's a fun and friendly side of metal. While I respect the club's existence, there are a few issues at bay. But overall, the main problem with the Heavy Metal Club at UCF is that it's too loud and too early.
On observationsofanerd.blogspot.com, recent surveying has concluded that there are a higher percentage of night owls in college students over any other demographic of people in the United States. With a fact as such, the last thing any student would want to hear on their way to class after a night with lack of sleep is fast paced metal. While many students are up late studying and sleeping their day away unless woken by class, there are just as many early worms that bring the campus to life at dawn’s break. Most people that choose to get up early have an agenda and are always busy tackling their most important obstacles in the wee hours of the morning. The result is that many difficult classes and important faculty/staff meetings wind up taking place very early and are scheduled as such to avoid distractions and the business of the campus later in the day. The student union is located at the center of the University of Central Florida’s campus where it stands in the company of the UCF Library, the College of Sciences building, Engineering 2, Health & Public Affairs, and Classroom 1. Being in such a crucial area, the sounds of what’s going on at the student union echo their way around their immediate area, all the buildings listed above. With this said the Heavy Metal Music club at the University of Central Florida should not play loud volume music near an area where so many students and faculty are trying to get important work done. I believe it’s worth saying that such a distraction could have an unprecedented effect on students’ grades in the long run if the Heavy Metal club continued its early music sessions. According to Jacques Wright, a student who wakes up early to attend his anatomy and chemistry classes says, “After long weekends, I wake up three to four hours early to get in a solid study review for an exam or quiz I have that morning. Some days however, the Heavy Metal club is playing their music so loudly I cannot hear myself think.”
The other problem affects morning birds, night owls, and metal heads themselves; that is communication. The student union serves as a center of distribution of news, current events, and information on different things occurring on campus to students. There’s more going on than just what’s happening at our school at the student union as well. During election times, many candidates make trips to the UCF campus or send representatives who pay a substantial fee for being able to post a tent. Many political campaigns come out such as Power Shift 09, a campaign as stated on http://www.powershift09.org “fueled by young people across the country to demand bold action on climate and energy in 2009. They are urging President Obama and Congress to pass a strong and comprehensive climate and energy plan by December that creates millions of new jobs, ends our dependence on dirty energy, brings America lasting security and reduces harmful global warming pollution.” With such a short time frame to increase awareness of the movement and to be able to make a superb difference in the eyes of Congress, it is very important that organizations such as these be heard; especially among college students who hold high potentials for making change in office over other groups of people. All of the other clubs and organizations that are outside of the Union trying to convey messages and gain support or votes cannot be heard over the loud music of metal playing as well. Most fraternities have a frat house off campus (many of which are farther away than you’d think) and don’t have the advantage of being widely known due to an on campus location such as many sororities posses. I guarantee that two to three times more individuals know of Delta Delta Delta than individuals who know Iota Phi Theta. The point is that these smaller clubs need a way to advertise their existence and do so by hanging outside the student union where they can converse with fellow Greek community members and simultaneously gain new pledges. In both cases, time is of the essence and less time heard is less people joined which is less of a difference that could be much greater. Groups like Power Shift 2009 and TOMS shoes who depend on those few hours a day Monday through Friday are extremely undermined due to the annoyance of really loud music. Nobody wants to go to campus to hear speakers blasting at concert level decibels. It is quite a sight to see a crowd with a pleased look on their face next to a bigger crowd of people with looks of discontent on their faces. Most of the clubs and fraternities don’t have all the time in the day to be out there and aren’t gaining as much student activity. The importance of this issue is that productivity is slowed near the student union and the music creates a big distraction to students studying for their early morning tests and organizations with limited time to make business.
If things were different, say the Metal club set up their tent at 3 or 4pm, I don't think there'd be as much of a predicament. I mean let’s face it; as students and faculty getting up early most of the week, we're simply cranky when we get up and things (especially loud things) can be nearly intolerable. A later time in the day or a relocation of the Metal club's tent to a less busy area would make everyone happier. The music wouldn’t bug as many people as it would in the morning compared to the afternoon. This is usually when students and some faculty get a second boost of energy for the day and aren’t as grumpy, plus its super hot outside and fewer people choose to hang out outside. If the Heavy Metal club relocated to areas with less foot traffic, say between Ferrell Commons and the Health Center, not nearly as many would complain of their high volume music. When it comes down to it, in my opinion, the simplest solution to end the dispute between the Heavy Metal club and other clubs & organizations is to just turn the volume down! Students such as Laurent Saint-Louis say these words of wisdom, “If the Metal club just brought a boom box to the student union instead of an Orange or Gibson professional grade speaker/amplifier, the volume would be nowhere near distracting as it currently is.”









Works Cited:
1. Murray, Zachary “Zebu”. “Heavy Metal Knights @UCF.” MySpace. August 2003. Web. 15 October 2009.
2. Lynn, Christie. “Night Owls- the energizer bunnies of society.” BlogSpot. 24 April 2009. Web. 19 October 2009.
3. Wright, Jacques. Personal Interview. 17 October 2009
4. Power Shift 2009. “History of the Energy Action Coalition.” MySpace. Apr. 2008 Web. 18 October 2009.
5. Saint-Louis, Laurent. Personal Interview. 18 October 2009.

Commentary paragraph

It's 10:00 in the morning and the select students who were forced out of bed begin to make their way to class. As they pass the Student Union, one would expect to see morning dew on the trees, squirrels and birds enjoying the suns bright rays, the smell of sweet breakfast being cooked at Wackadoo's and Chick Fil A. All of a sudden, the morning sereneness is abruptly haulted by ear-shattering speakers blasting brutal heavy metal music. Say goodbye to the squirrels because theres a new animal by Student Union, an electric beast raging and roaring from the speakers of what you read to be the Heavy Metal Appreciation Club at UCF. Founded in 2006, The Heavy Metal clubs mission statement is "To increase awareness, legitimacy and acceptance of heavy metal musical styles and culture, to promote a sense of community among listeners, and to expose each other to new styles of music through the creation of an open forum." The world has its views on metal and the club here tries to break that stereotype by showing there's a fun and friendly side of metal. While I repsect the club's existence, there are a few issues at bay. The main problem with the Heavy Metal Club at UCF is that it's too loud and too early. Recent surveying has concluded that there are a higher percentage of night-owls in college students over any other demograph of people in the United States. With a fact as such, the last thing any student would want to hear on their way to class after a night with lack of sleep is fast paced metal. The other problem affects morning birds, night-owls, and metal heads themselves; that is communication. All of the other clubs and organizations that are outside of the Union trying to convey messages and gain support or votes cannot be heard over the loud music. It is quite a sight to see a crowd with a pleased look on their face next to a bigger crowd of people with looks of discontent on their faces. The importance of this issue is that productivity is slowed near the student union and the music creates a big distraction to students studying for their early morning tests or organizations with limited time to make business. If things were different, say the Metal club set up their tent at 3 or 4pm, I don't think there'd be as much of a predicament. I mean lets face it; as students and faculty getting up early most of the week, we're simply cranky when we get up and things (especially loud things) can be nearly intolerable. A later time in the day or a relocation of the Metal club's tent to a less busy area would make everyone happier.

Letter to non UCF friend

Dear Friend from Wisconsin,
Hey there how’s it been?! I hope things have been going as great for you as they have with me here in Orlando. I know it’s been a while but I figured I’d give you a little news in what I’ve been up to. Class is fantastic and the walks in the mornings are so peaceful as the sun rises. The Student Union is the epicenter of activity on UCF and is always bustling with students. It’s an energetic atmosphere as clubs and organizations left and right try to gain students’ attention to join or get involved. As morning peaks, on my way to Chemistry, the Metal Appreciation Club at UCF have a tent set up with speakers blasting fast paced metal music. I noticed that many people seemed a little agitated that the music was so loud. I asked myself “how many of these people in their booths absolutely hate metal music?” I figured by the looks on many faces that over half seemed to be annoyed at the fact that they couldn’t hear their voice or anyone else’s. I’m not sure if your too much of a fan metal or not, but I certainly have respect for the newer styles of metal emerging; this doesn’t mean I’m a huge metal fan but in small doses it’s ok. Do you believe they should continue their quite successful scheme; considering it’s tent is always full of people? Even though it has the right to be a club wouldn’t you agree that there is a way to fix this rock between a hard place through campus policy? A simple solution would definitely be to just relocate their tent to an area with less or minimal foot traffic. They could also reschedule their time to be out by Student Union, because such a busy area deserves to gain some grounds on and be part of this university’s collective culture. Besides the problem of being too loud and too early, I began to wonder if any situations would arise due to the negative feedback of the majority of students outside. I also reminisced of the time when you and I were fishing in Key Largo in a nearby bay when two jet skiers used the same bay to practice their stunts in for 90 minutes. We were so upset that there loud engines and fast speeds were so close and scaring all the fish away that we wanted to tell them to get lost and that this was a bay for fishing not water sports. In the end though, they had the right to be there on their jet skies. There was nothing that said they couldn’t be there so we dealt with the nuisance by listening to music in the cabin and eating lunch. In the same way that we found a way to resolve our conflict by making the best of the situation at hand, other organizations could use the time the loud music is on to get paper work done, or use alternative means of getting attention such as captioned videos, or larger signs that are clear and readable. This basically showed me, and I hope you realize it to, that there is never a need to jump to hostile or radical action. By showing respect and using effective strategy, one can implement more successful activities if they take advantage of the situation (such as the one with the Metal club) at hand. I hope you take care and write your response back to me on the Metal Appreciation Club.

Sincerely,
Christopher

3 Commentary Topics

1. Walking to the Math & Physics building 2 weeks ago, I came across a decorated table promoting a club called TOMS shoes which had a friendly and down to earth atmosphere. The TOMS shoes club is a company that sells shoes to consumers and organizes shoe drops in developing countries; following the model to give a free pair of shoes away for ever pair bought. Seeing the members so happy designing shoes for students to buy and a full donation box made me realize that a passion for humanitarianism was a strong character in the club, but likewise for me and my minor in Anthropology. Seeing such a cause I could relate to I walked over to ask a few questions and introduce myself. As I talked to one of the members, the flashback of a memory from last years Vans Warped Tour ran through my thoughts and remember wanting to get involved because along with the like-minded peers participating, I wanted to put my hands to work to make a difference for others. At this point the tent had gained a small crowd foreshadowing to me a big following of the club at UCF to come. Starting in the spring 2010 semester, I will be attending more events such as a 1-mile barefoot walk to create awareness and participate in monthly gatherings to get more involved. All thanks to the help of a table placed outside of the hustling Student Union.

2. Every other Tuesday and Thursday morning, as I'm walking to class for chemistry, my wake up walk routine is bluntly disrupted by the ear-drum shattering music of UCF's Metal Appreciation Club in fron of the Student Union. While I am a proud fan of new and progressive metal in today's music scene (not too much older works), I probably speak for a large student body by stating that such loud volume in a dense public area is quite a nuisance. I believe and respect the fact that fans want to express their culture, but I don't think it should be in a place where dozens of other clubs and organizations are trying to convey their messages to other students as well. The problem is that everyone has trouble listening to others; and at such an early time of the day, even some metal fans themselves would prefer some peace and quiet during their morning commute to class. The solution; simply relocate the Metal Appreciation Club to another area on campus, or at a later time in the day. An area per say between the Health Center & Libra where there's minimal foot traffic. Although like myself, others see the Metal Appreciation club at UCF as an insignificant one, I believe that it's a fabulous way to expand the musical horizons of any willing individual and an open-mindedness towards music leads to open-mindedness towards others perspectives & the world around you.

3. If you have ever walked near the Psychology building or by the UCF Arena, you most likely noticed Memory Lane; a large rectangular field used for events such as tailgating or a place for students to relax & play sports. Last week, I couldn't help but notice a moderate sized gathering of tents in the same area and was very intrigued by the festivities taking place such as painting, music playing, and what seemed to be a very activist oriented attitude. I learned that tent city was established by UCF's own Campus Peace Action committee and were welcoming others to join in and pitch their own tent. Their purpose was to create awareness of their motives by alternating festivity themes every night from community, to equality, environment, art, and wellness. They wanted the opportunity to reach out to others with similar thoughts and give progressives a week long voice; just a place for people to relax. A good amount of people walked by with wary looks as well as if thinking it was a massive hippie convention & all the stereotypes that came along with it. The event reminded me of being at the 2007 Langerado Music Festival in Big Cypress National Park in west Florida. The three days of music and art introduced me to quite a handful of people with whom I was able to spend time with and talk about music, ideologies, and politics. While I didn't post a tent myself, I visited my friend veronica who had set one up. Overall, my time there was quite a unique experience; I felt as if I were far away from any university or sign of civilization beyond the point of a small village.

Memoir Final

Christopher Collins
9/24/09
ENC1101- Moody
Memoir

The warning signs were all over. Even those not in the direct cone of impact were told on the news to board up & evacuate. While many adhered to the preparations, many residents in New Orleans didn't have sufficient means to leaving due to an attitude of ignorance to nature, not owning a car or having a place to go, or immobility of traffic and thus had to weather the storm out. Claimed to be the deadliest natural disaster in American history, in 2005 category 3 hurricane Katrina was on a one way path to the Mardi Gras capital of the world; New Orleans, Louisiana. For the first time in its history, the city's famous downtown Bourbon Street stood as lifeless as a ghost town. No music, no lights, no smell of beer and Cajun grilled food, no life, nothing except a wall of darkness approaching the southern tip of such a lively place by the Gulf. As if it were the clam before the storm, an all too quiet stillness approached as the last few minutes of sunshine ended its reign of the sky above. Just as the strike of an awe inspiring thunderous roar from a cloud black as night made its way through the ears of thousands, the streetlights flickered off & on and traffic lights began to swing as if a child being pushed on a swing set were about to go to high for his own good. With most people waiting out Katrina in shelters, the first blanket of rain pounded against the walls like a million knocks on the door from nature as if it were expressing its fury for all to listen. Anxious residents tuned in religiously to hand held radios & TV's for updates from the National Weather Center. Considering the below sea level of the city, the fact that its only protection of flooding from seawater was a series of levees long overdue for maintenance and even replacement for that matter, and a strategic location off the warm waters of the Gulf (which fed the power of this monstrous hurricane) all set up an equation for a disastrous day of reckoning.
Throughout the whole event I watched and listened for updates from its origins as a tropical depression off the coast of the Caribbean to it gaining massive amounts of energy from the Atlantic & temperate Gulf waters to the repercussions of its wake. I have always had a love-hate relationship with hurricane season. For some reason, I enjoyed epic grocery store trips, fortifying our home, visiting the beach and skim boarding the massive storm surge, and biking down ruined streets with mile long gas lines. I can remember all the bad associations with hurricanes as well such as flooding, death, destruction of property, and political agitation; but didn’t worry too much because I lived in a townhouse & had a downhill roof on the west side of our property and most hurricanes came from the east side of Florida. Plus we lived next to a water plant and didn’t lose power often. I remember seeing Katrina’s expected path and seeing that it would go to the Gulf of Mexico then dart back to the Atlantic. Knowing it may hit Florida from the west, my family and I began to prepare for the worst. Luckily, it winded up taking another route and only hitting south Florida as a category 1. The summer sea of the Gulf fueled the storm, which directly impacted New Orleans, Louisiana. A swampy lying metropolitan area like itself rendered defenseless as the hurricane destroyed over 50 of the constructed flood prevention levees and hurdled a wall of water straight for downtown New Orleans. One of the top 5 worst natural disasters in this country’s history, the violent storm brought an unprecedented 1,836 deaths, did over $100 billion dollars in damages and left a whole city on its knees stranded from the rest of the world lying in ruin. The waters from the Gulf engulfed 80% of the city in excess of 14ft high and did more damage than the storm itself! While the jaw-dropping statistics stand for themselves, the hurricanes significance in my eyes lies in the way it exemplified our true vulnerability to Mother Nature and offered a glimpse into a future plagued with intensive climate fluctuation due to global or anthropogenic warming. The record breaking 15 strong 2005 hurricane season stood as testament that as humans release what is now up to 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide into our planet’s atmosphere per year, we are reaching an ever-increasing imbalance of our environment that will lead to severe storms and climate change making Katrina seem like a thunderstorm. As overpopulation increases due to a high birth and low death rate and more people move to areas closer to the shore, the situation grows dyer. We as human beings must learn from this wake-up call and combine our knowledge and efforts together to ensure a safer home for generations and centuries to come.
My eyes and ears glued to the television and radio, I felt that I had dodged a bullet and was now watching it strike Louisiana. After the storm, I followed the updates on situations with FEMA and Mayor Ray Nagin in a shocking manner. I remembered how scared I had felt in 92 during Hurricane Andrew in Homestead, Fl. Only 3 years old, such violent nature left a lasting impression on me; I became infatuated with the power of nature. I thought about how many people had to leave their animals behind like my family had to leave our dog Duncan at home in Andrew. I was so worried for him; he was on my mind more than my own safety. The day after Andrew we came home to a pile of rubbish lying in a neighborhood of rubbish piles and to my surprise, Duncan arose from the midst of a trashed house out of the bathtub. He had hidden in the bathtub to avoid the storms fury and I had thought I had the smartest dog in the world! I prayed that animals in New Orleans were as fortunate.
The aftermath of the storm intrigued me probably more than the storm itself. Between the scope of damage of hurricane Katrina, looting, failure of governmental policy, seeing ordinary Joe’s banning together for rescue missions, hundreds stranded on rooftops, the clear lack of initiative in the Bush administration, and seeing thousands stranded on abandoned highways all confirmed my ideologies of human nature and encouraged me to further continue a major in Environmental Anthropology.As my dad and I were pulling boards off our house once Katrina had passed, I recall telling him “These people have been through hell for almost 3 days now and FEMA has still yet to arrive? I know Andrew was stronger but the damage in Louisiana is biblical & frightening to know America’s in no hurry to aid a city with bodies floating in the streets and thousands starving on abandoned/flooded highways.”
In Conclusion, hurricane Katrina meant way more to me than just a disaster. I have never left the state of Florida; and being that it gets more hurricane weather than any other of the 50 states storms have always fascinated me. In fact, just as I started high school, my first day in 9th grade was accompanied with a power outage and a whole day of blackened skies. That was the 2004 Hurricane Season that produced nine named hurricanes, 5 of which made landfall (Charley, Ivan, Frances, etc.) off the coast of Florida. This increasing intensity and frequency of hurricanes has driven my pursuit to understand people; and why & how we interact with our surrounding environment and to one another. It opened my eyes to the blunt realistic problems facing society today and led me to embrace a path of education to someday help me make a difference.

Memoir

The warning signs were all over. Even those not in the direct cone of impact were told on the news to board up & evacuate. While many adhered to the preparations, many residents in New Orleans didn't have sufficient means to leaving due to an attitude of ignorance to nature, not owning a car or having a place to go, and immobility of traffic and thus had to weather the storm out. Claimed to be the deadliest natural disaster in American history, hurricane Katrina, at the time a category 5, was on a one way path to the Mardi Gras capital of the world; New Orleans, Louisiana. For the first time in its history, the city's famous downtown Bourbon Street stood as lifeless as a ghost town. No music, no lights, no smell of beer and Cajun grilled food, no life, nothing except a wall of darkness approaching the southern tip of such a lively place by the Gulf. As if it were the clam before the storm, an all to quiet stillness approached as the last few minutes of sunshine ended its reign of the sky above. Just as the strike of an awe inspiring thunderous roar from a cloud black as night made its way through the ears of thousands, the streetlights flickered off & on and traffic lights began to swing as if a child being pushed on a swing set were about to go to high for his own good. With most people waiting out Katrina in shelters, the first blanket of rain pounded against the walls like a million knocks on the door from nature as if it were expressing its fury for all to listen. Anxious residents tuned in religiously to hand held radios & TV's for updates from the National Weather Center. Considering the below sea level of the city, the fact that its only protection of flooding from seawater was a series of levees long overdue for maintenance and even replacement for that matter, and a strategic location off the warm waters of the Gulf (which fed the power of this monstrous hurricane) all set up an equation for a disastrous day of reckoning.
In 2005 Hurricane Katrina, a category 3 hurricane that began as a category 5, struck most of the land surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. From its origins as a tropical depression off the coast of the Caribbean, it gained massive amounts of energy from the Atlantic & temperate Gulf waters. The summer sea fueled the storm, which directly impacted New Orleans, Louisiana. A swampy lying metropolitan area like itself rendered defenseless as the hurricane destroyed over 50 of the constructed flood prevention levees and hurdled a wall of water straight for downtown New Orleans. One of the top 5 worst natural disaster’s in this country’s history, the violent storm brought an unprecedented 1,836 deaths, did over $100 billion dollars in damages and left a whole city on its knees stranded from the rest of the world lying in ruin. The waters from the Gulf engulfed 80% of the city in excess of 14ft high and did more damage than the storm itself! While the jaw-dropping statistics stand for themselves, the hurricanes significance in my eyes lies in the way it exemplified our true vulnerability to mother nature and offered a glimpse into a future plagued with intensive climate fluctuation due to global, or anthropogenic warming. Global warming is said to be a natural phenomena in the scientific community presently and humans are just amplifying its effects. The record breaking 15 strong 2005 hurricane season stood as testament that as humans release what is now up to 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide into our planets atmosphere per year, we are reaching an ever-increasing imbalance of our environment that will lead to severe storms and climate change making Katrina seem like a cloudy day. As overpopulation increases due to a high birth rate and low death rate and more people move to areas closer to the shore, events like hurricane Katrina seem to foreshadow a gloomy future exponentially worse than today’s current conditions considering the variables at hand. We as human beings must learn from this wake-up call and combine our knowledge and efforts together to ensure a safer home for generations and centuries to come.
While I may not have been in Hurricane Katrina, the event meant a lot to me because as a Florida resident, I have experienced frightening scenarios like the one in New Orleans. I also plan on majoring in Environmental Biology and situations like Katrina entail massive amounts of information on our planet and how our actions impact this delicate ecosystem that’s taken billions of years to get to where it is today.
I can remember fearing Florida would be the one to get directly hit but luckily we only received the outer feeder bands of the cyclonic storm. My eyes and ears glued to the television and radio, I felt that I had dodged a bullet and was now watching it strike Louisiana. After the storm, I followed the updates on situations with FEMA and mayor Ray Nagin in a shocking manner. It made me remember how scared I had felt during Hurricane Andrew in Homestead, Fl. Such a feeling of helplessness of lying in a gymnasium evacuation post was amplified due to my childhood state of mind. I thought about how many people had to leave their animals behind like my family had to leave our dog Duncan at home. I was so worried for him that he was on my mind more than my own safety. The day after Andrew we came home to a pile of rubbish lying in a neighborhood of rubbish piles and to my surprise, Duncan arose from the midst of a trashed house out of the bathtub. He had hidden in the bathtub to avoid the storms fury and I had thought I had the smartest dog in the world! I prayed that animals in New Orleans were as witty as he was.
The aftermath of the storm intrigued me probably more than the storm itself. Between looting, failure of governmental policy, seeing ordinary Joe’s banning together for rescue missions, hundreds stranded on rooftops, the clear lack of initiative in the Bush administration, and seeing thousands stranded on abandoned highways all confirmed my ideologies of human nature and encouraged me to further continue a minor in Anthropology. As my dad and I were pulling boards off our house once Katrina had passed, I recall telling him “These people have been through hell for almost 3 days now and FEMA has still yet to arrive? I know Andrew was stronger but the scope of damage in Louisiana is biblical & frightening to know America’s taking its sweet ass time to aid a city with bodies floating in the streets and thousands starving on abandoned/flooded highways.”
In Conclusion, hurricane Katrina meant way more to me than just a disaster. I have never left the state of Florida; and being that it gets more hurricane weather than any other of the 50 states, storms and nature have always fascinated me. In fact, just as I started high school, my first day in 9th grade was accompanied with a power outage and a whole day of blackened skies. That was the 2004 Hurricane Season that produced nine named hurricanes, 5 of which made landfall (Charley, Ivan, Frances, etc.) off the coast of Florida. This increasing intensity and frequency of hurricanes has driven my pursuit to understand people; and why & how we interact with our surrounding environment and to one another. It opened my eyes to the blunt realistic problems facing society today and caused me to embrace a path of education to someday help me make a difference.

Memoir Introduction

The warning signs were all over. The news,,, Even those not in the direct cone of impact were told on the news to board up & evacuate. While many adhered to the preparations, many residents in New Orleans didn't have sufficient means to leaving due to an attitude of ignorance to nature, not owning a car or having a place to go, and immobility of traffic and thus had to weather the storm out. Claimed to be the deadliest natural disaster in American history, hurricane Katrina , at the time a category 5, was on a one way path to the Mardi Gras. capital of the world; New Orleans, Louisiana hitting it as a category 3. For the first time in its history, the city's famous downtown Bourbon Street stood as lifeless as a ghost town. No music, no lights, no smell of beer and Cajun grilled food, no life, nothing except a wall of darkness approaching the southern tip of such a lively place by the Gulf. As if it were the clam before the storm, an all to quiet stillness approached as the last few minutes of sunshine ended its reign of the sky above. Just as the strike of an awe inspiring thunderous roar from a cloud black as night made its way through the ears of thousands, the streetlights flickered off & on and traffic lights began to swing as if a child being pushed on a swing set were about to go to high for his own good. With most people waiting out Katrina in shelters, school gymnasiums, and stadiums, the first blanket of rain pounded against the walls like a million knocks on the door from nature as if it were expressing its fury for all to listen. Anxious residents tuned in religiously to hand held radios & TV's for updates from the National Weather Center. Considering the below sea level of the city, the fact that its only protection of flooding from seawater was a series of levees long overdue for maintenance and even replacement, for that matter, and a strategic location off the warm waters of the Gulf which fed the power of this monstrous hurricane all set up an equation for a disastrous day of reckoning. Hurricane Katrina stood as testament to our country's vulnerability to mother nature and arising climate changes devastating potential.

Memoir Assignment 1

Christopher Collins

9/1/09

ENC 1101 (Central Idea for Essay)

Hurricane Katrina

In 2005 Hurricane Katrina, a category 3 hurricane that began as a category 5, struck most of the land surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. From its origins as a tropical depression off the coast of the Caribbean, it gained massive amounts of energy from the northwest in the temperate seas of the Gulf. The warm waters fueled the storm, which directly impacted New Orleans, Louisiana. A swampy lying metropolitan area like itself rendered defenseless as the hurricane destroyed over 50 of the constructed flood prevention levy’s and hurdled a wall of water straight for downtown New Orleans. One of the top 5 worst natural disaster’s in this country’s history, the violent storm brought an unprecedented 1,836 deaths, did over $100 billion dollars in damages and left a whole city on its knees stranded from the rest of the world lying in ruin. The waters from the Gulf engulfed 80% of the city in excess of 14ft high and did more damage than the storm itself! While the jaw-dropping statistics stand for themselves, the hurricanes significance in my eyes lies in the way it exemplified our true vulnerability to mother nature and offered a glimpse into a future plagued with intensive climate fluctuation due to global, or anthropogenic warming. Global warming is said to be a natural phenomena in the scientific community presently and the public discourse of global warming has actually stemmed from humans acceleration of the process by massive wasting of carbon dioxide. The record breaking 15 strong 2005 hurricane season stood as testament that as humans release what is now up to 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide into our planets atmosphere per year, we are reaching an ever-increasing imbalance of our environment that will lead to severe storms and climate change making Katrina seem like a normal thunderstorm. As overpopulation increases due to a high birth rate and low death rate and more people move to areas closer to the shore, events like hurricane Katrina seem to foreshadow a gloomy future exponentially worse than today’s current conditions considering the variables at hand. We as human beings must learn from this wake-up call and combine our knowledge together to ensure a safer home for generations and centuries to come. In the coming years, changes and shifts towards the ways we use our planets resources will spark global awareness and better prepare us for natural disasters as well as human-related catastrophes.

NASA’s ‘Pathfinder’ lands on Mars- 1997

NASA’s ‘Pathfinder’ landing on Mars was a monumental step in mankind’s walk up the ladder of intelligence. The purpose for sending the micro-rover to Mars was obviously to collect samples, take pictures, and measure atmospheric and geologic factors of the red planet. The not so obvious mission was to prove NASA’s commitment to make space exploration as cheap as any other space program on Earth. Including mission operations and the launch vehicle, the whole mission came out to be about $280 million dollars. Since the day I could speak, I have dreamed just as much if not more than any other human being of space exploration and fascinated by the idea of an age where space colonization existed. Progress in space exploration, in a sense, gives the people of the world unity; space is in my opinion what can bring this world together. I feel space exploration is essential to the human species and it his something we’ve been attempting for thousands of years; and we’re not going to stop now.

The World Wide Web becomes readily available to public in 1992

The establishment of the Internet marked a new era of communication that forever changed the way we live and coincide with each other. I can remember being not even 10 when my family got WEBTV, and how amazing I found it to e-mail my penpal given to me in elementary school who lived in Canada. It gave me a lot of insight on how people live up North. This was simply representing what the internet has done worldwide; give people knowledge on everything and anything they wished. I believe we have built a society whose infrastructure is so weaved into a quilt of web pages that in its absence havoc would be wreaked upon, economies would crash, and life as we know it would take a turn downhill.