Earlier this month, I was in the gym whose website I redesigned and had just finished my workout. As I was cooling off in the rag-tag office/lounge, a mother in probably her mid thirties was about to get her swell on while her two children, both younger than 10, played with a skateboard.
Before starting her regimen, the woman and one of her trainers discussed how to effectively measure body fat percentage. The boy of the two children said to the trainer, "You don't look fat."
Immediately, the mother snapped at her son, "Don't say that word. You will give your sister a negative body perception."
Watching this unfold in front of me irked me. Has "fat" become such a taboo word in our society that it should be treated as a four-letter word to children?
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Brand New Website
To better organize my professional portfolio and journalistic body of work, I took the skills I learned from my website class to create my own website.
In it, you will find my resume and professional portfolio that includes clips, blogs and projects I have done during and after college.
Visit my website at: www.lancerobertfuller.com.
In it, you will find my resume and professional portfolio that includes clips, blogs and projects I have done during and after college.
Visit my website at: www.lancerobertfuller.com.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Life since graduation
Since I graduated on April 30, I have tried my hand at freelance web design and here is a website I redesigned for a Tampa, Fla.-based athlete training company called Elite Strength and Conditioning owned by Chandler Marchman.
I am currently developing my own website that will have a more complete and comprehensive collection of all of my work in web design and in journalism so check back soon.
In the meantime you can follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook and connect with me on LinkedIn.
Also, here is my health and fitness blog that I wrote for The Independent Florida Alligator this spring.
I am currently developing my own website that will have a more complete and comprehensive collection of all of my work in web design and in journalism so check back soon.
In the meantime you can follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook and connect with me on LinkedIn.
Also, here is my health and fitness blog that I wrote for The Independent Florida Alligator this spring.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Grad-gee-ayshon Day!
Friday will mark a momentous occasion in my life -- after five years, I will be graduating college.
I realize that it has been quite a long time since I last posted on this blog, so I'll briefly update.
For the fall semester I found my passion in journalism when I took an elective called Magazine Management. In the class, five classmates and I helped create a magazine prototype where we picked a theme, designed the pages with photos and art, wrote feature stories and briefs, came up with a masthead, a break of the book, a lineup, and also a budget. My group and I did our project on a vintage/retro style magazine called REWIND and earned a 93 percent. The magazine has been submitted to the AEJMC Magazine Competition.
This spring, I spent quite a lot of time writing for The Independent Florida Alligator about health and fitness as I wrote a weekly blog and wrote numerous health and fitness stories along with their multimedia supplements for the Thursday Avenue section.
For my last journalism class, I served as a copy editor and senior editor for UF's student magazine Orange & Blue and wrote a feature about a Gainesville lawyer who turned to running after losing his wife to brain cancer.
I've had a very hectic spring semester and will take all of the projects and skills I've acquired this past year into finding a job. Wish me luck because I'll need it in this economy.
I realize that it has been quite a long time since I last posted on this blog, so I'll briefly update.
For the fall semester I found my passion in journalism when I took an elective called Magazine Management. In the class, five classmates and I helped create a magazine prototype where we picked a theme, designed the pages with photos and art, wrote feature stories and briefs, came up with a masthead, a break of the book, a lineup, and also a budget. My group and I did our project on a vintage/retro style magazine called REWIND and earned a 93 percent. The magazine has been submitted to the AEJMC Magazine Competition.
This spring, I spent quite a lot of time writing for The Independent Florida Alligator about health and fitness as I wrote a weekly blog and wrote numerous health and fitness stories along with their multimedia supplements for the Thursday Avenue section.
For my last journalism class, I served as a copy editor and senior editor for UF's student magazine Orange & Blue and wrote a feature about a Gainesville lawyer who turned to running after losing his wife to brain cancer.
I've had a very hectic spring semester and will take all of the projects and skills I've acquired this past year into finding a job. Wish me luck because I'll need it in this economy.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Chinese Proverb
I recently introduced one of my favorite Chinese proverbs to a friend of mine and she loved it.
I am not sure how to say it in Chinese, but if roughly translates in English as: "It is better to have walked 10,000 miles than to have read 10,000 books."
I first heard this proverb when I took an anthropology class called "People and Cultures of China" in spring 2008. The professor for the class hailed from the Yunnan province in Southern China and is a cultural anthropologist with a PhD from Stanford.
I had lunch with him one day after class and upon looking at my backpack he was truly amazed at how many countries I have been privileged and fortunate to have traveled, all neatly sown like medals of achievement. In my lifetime I have traveled: The Bahamas, Canada, The UK, France three times, Ireland twice, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Switzerland and, my favorite, China for an entire summer.
We both agreed that while earning a college education can go far, traveling to other countries and experiencing other cultures can go a lot further in terms of your education.
While someone may be able to study subjects like journalism, political science, history, economics, etc, to be able to travel to different countries that are discussed in those subjects can broaden your perception and education on those subjects and the world around you.
Next up, I will post a story that has everything to do with this proverb as I wrote a feature of a friend of mine who spent his Fall 2008 semester abroad through the world-renowned study abroad program Semester at Sea. Check it out!
I am not sure how to say it in Chinese, but if roughly translates in English as: "It is better to have walked 10,000 miles than to have read 10,000 books."
I first heard this proverb when I took an anthropology class called "People and Cultures of China" in spring 2008. The professor for the class hailed from the Yunnan province in Southern China and is a cultural anthropologist with a PhD from Stanford.
I had lunch with him one day after class and upon looking at my backpack he was truly amazed at how many countries I have been privileged and fortunate to have traveled, all neatly sown like medals of achievement. In my lifetime I have traveled: The Bahamas, Canada, The UK, France three times, Ireland twice, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Switzerland and, my favorite, China for an entire summer.
We both agreed that while earning a college education can go far, traveling to other countries and experiencing other cultures can go a lot further in terms of your education.
While someone may be able to study subjects like journalism, political science, history, economics, etc, to be able to travel to different countries that are discussed in those subjects can broaden your perception and education on those subjects and the world around you.
Next up, I will post a story that has everything to do with this proverb as I wrote a feature of a friend of mine who spent his Fall 2008 semester abroad through the world-renowned study abroad program Semester at Sea. Check it out!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Helpful tips for summer lawn care
*Similar to my germ story from 2008, this story about summer lawn care was not posted online but originally ran in main edition of The Gainesville Sun on July 1, 2009.
By Lance Fuller
Correspondent
With the summer heat and rain in full swing, taking care of your lawn gets more complicated.
When the grass is wet, for instance, mowing your lawn can lead to many problems from clogging the lawnmower to pulling out the roots and leaving holes in your lawn.
Experts from lawn-care businesses and professors from UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences offer several tips to help keep your lawn green, beautiful and well-kept during the summer.
1.) Be proactive.
Scout your yard for small problems like chinch bugs and gray leaf spots before they become bigger problems that require professional help, says Tammy West-Cooper, spokeswoman for West Farms Landscaping Services.
"The earlier you can identify a small problem, the less money you will spend in trying to take care of it," she says.
2.) Know your grass.
Different styles of grass have different needs for lawn care, West-Cooper says. The most common style of grass in Florida, St. Augustinegrass, has two types that must be cut at either 2 to 2.5 inches and 3.5 to 4 inches. While St. Augustinegrass needs constant fertilization, supplemental irrigation and has issues with pests, other grasses like Centipedegrass are lower-maintainence, can be cut at 1.5 inches and require less work. Knowing what type of grass you have and what its specific needs are will extend its lifetime, West-Cooper says.
3.) Mow your lawn at least once a week.
Mowing about once every week will keep the grass at a regular height, the roots will grow and you won't have to constantly adjust blade height, Laurie Trenholm, associate professor of environmental horticulture, says. Grass should not be cut more than one-third of the blade height per mowing. For example, if St. Augustinegrass is 6 inches high, it should be cut down to 4 inches high. Cutting off one third of the grass's height will minimize damage caused by mowing, Trenholm says.
4.) Adjust your lawnmower.
If you cannot cut your grass every week, it is important to adjust the blades to a higher setting the next time it is mowed so that the mower does not cut the grass too short or "scalp" it, Trenholm says. Scalping leaves the stem tissue exposed and the lawn may dry out through drought or invite weeds to germinate, creating more problems.
5.) Use the right tools.
Taking care of your lawn mower is just as important as maintaining your lawn, says Geoffrey Denny, a commercial landscape management extension specialist for IFAS. Lawnmowers that are not well-kept pull the grass out instead of cutting it, so keeping the blades sharp along with checking the spark plugs, air filter and oil is important for lawn care.
6.) Check the irrigation system.
Nothing is more wasteful than having sprinklers go off while it is raining, Denny says. Most sprinkler systems have built-in rain sensors that shut off during a storm, and it is also important to check when the sprinklers are allowed to go off during designated irrigation times. "One thing many do not consider is irrigation from the rain itself -- you don't have to use your sprinklers for irrigation all the time, especially during the summer months," Denny says.
7.) Clean up after mowing.
After mowing, make sure to blow loose clippings back onto the lawn. The debris brings nitrogen back into the soil and can be used as fertilizer.
8.) Use the right fertilizer.
Just like how each style of grass needs to be mowed at a certain height, different types of grass use different types and amounts of fertilizer as well. Other than knowing how often and how much fertilizer a type of grass needs, fertilizing at a time when the grass can best absorb the nutrients is key, Denny says.
After it rains, wait about 45 minutes for the grass to dry. If the soil is too wet, the nutrients will either seep below the roots, like in a retention pond, or will wash away off of the grass from water runoff.
9.) If there is a problem, correctly identify it.
People who do not have much experience with lawn care will most likely do too much to correct a simple problem, Trenholm says.
The most simple problems such as brown spots are caused by poor cultural practices with over fertilization, over irrigation and mowing the grass too short. These problems can be easily corrected, and do not require more chemicals such as pesticides, she says.
10.) In worst-case scenarios, call a professional.
When lawn problems become too big to correct, it is best to call a professional lawn care service before any more damage is done, Trenholm says.
"People shouldn't be only thinking about how it looks, they also need to be aware of and recognize the environmental implications of lawn care as well. Maintaining your lawn is not always a do-it-yourself type of job, and you should call the professionals if there is a severe problem," Trenholm says.
For additional assistance and information about summer lawn care, contact the IFAS extension at www.yourfloridalawn.ifas.ufl.edu.
By Lance Fuller
Correspondent
With the summer heat and rain in full swing, taking care of your lawn gets more complicated.
When the grass is wet, for instance, mowing your lawn can lead to many problems from clogging the lawnmower to pulling out the roots and leaving holes in your lawn.
Experts from lawn-care businesses and professors from UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences offer several tips to help keep your lawn green, beautiful and well-kept during the summer.
1.) Be proactive.
Scout your yard for small problems like chinch bugs and gray leaf spots before they become bigger problems that require professional help, says Tammy West-Cooper, spokeswoman for West Farms Landscaping Services.
"The earlier you can identify a small problem, the less money you will spend in trying to take care of it," she says.
2.) Know your grass.
Different styles of grass have different needs for lawn care, West-Cooper says. The most common style of grass in Florida, St. Augustinegrass, has two types that must be cut at either 2 to 2.5 inches and 3.5 to 4 inches. While St. Augustinegrass needs constant fertilization, supplemental irrigation and has issues with pests, other grasses like Centipedegrass are lower-maintainence, can be cut at 1.5 inches and require less work. Knowing what type of grass you have and what its specific needs are will extend its lifetime, West-Cooper says.
3.) Mow your lawn at least once a week.
Mowing about once every week will keep the grass at a regular height, the roots will grow and you won't have to constantly adjust blade height, Laurie Trenholm, associate professor of environmental horticulture, says. Grass should not be cut more than one-third of the blade height per mowing. For example, if St. Augustinegrass is 6 inches high, it should be cut down to 4 inches high. Cutting off one third of the grass's height will minimize damage caused by mowing, Trenholm says.
4.) Adjust your lawnmower.
If you cannot cut your grass every week, it is important to adjust the blades to a higher setting the next time it is mowed so that the mower does not cut the grass too short or "scalp" it, Trenholm says. Scalping leaves the stem tissue exposed and the lawn may dry out through drought or invite weeds to germinate, creating more problems.
5.) Use the right tools.
Taking care of your lawn mower is just as important as maintaining your lawn, says Geoffrey Denny, a commercial landscape management extension specialist for IFAS. Lawnmowers that are not well-kept pull the grass out instead of cutting it, so keeping the blades sharp along with checking the spark plugs, air filter and oil is important for lawn care.
6.) Check the irrigation system.
Nothing is more wasteful than having sprinklers go off while it is raining, Denny says. Most sprinkler systems have built-in rain sensors that shut off during a storm, and it is also important to check when the sprinklers are allowed to go off during designated irrigation times. "One thing many do not consider is irrigation from the rain itself -- you don't have to use your sprinklers for irrigation all the time, especially during the summer months," Denny says.
7.) Clean up after mowing.
After mowing, make sure to blow loose clippings back onto the lawn. The debris brings nitrogen back into the soil and can be used as fertilizer.
8.) Use the right fertilizer.
Just like how each style of grass needs to be mowed at a certain height, different types of grass use different types and amounts of fertilizer as well. Other than knowing how often and how much fertilizer a type of grass needs, fertilizing at a time when the grass can best absorb the nutrients is key, Denny says.
After it rains, wait about 45 minutes for the grass to dry. If the soil is too wet, the nutrients will either seep below the roots, like in a retention pond, or will wash away off of the grass from water runoff.
9.) If there is a problem, correctly identify it.
People who do not have much experience with lawn care will most likely do too much to correct a simple problem, Trenholm says.
The most simple problems such as brown spots are caused by poor cultural practices with over fertilization, over irrigation and mowing the grass too short. These problems can be easily corrected, and do not require more chemicals such as pesticides, she says.
10.) In worst-case scenarios, call a professional.
When lawn problems become too big to correct, it is best to call a professional lawn care service before any more damage is done, Trenholm says.
"People shouldn't be only thinking about how it looks, they also need to be aware of and recognize the environmental implications of lawn care as well. Maintaining your lawn is not always a do-it-yourself type of job, and you should call the professionals if there is a severe problem," Trenholm says.
For additional assistance and information about summer lawn care, contact the IFAS extension at www.yourfloridalawn.ifas.ufl.edu.
I'm baack!
After almost a year-long hiatus, I have decided to transform my e-portfolio project from SDS 3340 into a full-time blog.
Seeings how more newspapers and media companies are shifting toward online and digital media, it wouldn't hurt to keep this thing up and running. I typically post about stories that I have had published for The Gainesville Sun or really anything else in the national news worth commenting on. Enjoy!
Seeings how more newspapers and media companies are shifting toward online and digital media, it wouldn't hurt to keep this thing up and running. I typically post about stories that I have had published for The Gainesville Sun or really anything else in the national news worth commenting on. Enjoy!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Hyperlinks
Here are the hyperlinks for all of my stories that were published online by The Gainesville Sun.
2007
1. College Life can be a real pain in the back
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20071206/NEWS/712060330
2008
2. Students, faculty reeling over cuts in Korean, Vietnamese languages
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080523/NEWS/805230311
3. UF student witnesses
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080529/NEWS/805290344
4. Students going abroad look to economize
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080610/NEWS/806100303
5. Can video games form healthy habits?
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080623/NEWS/806230316
6. Beware students: Germs are everywhere
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080826/NEWS/808260291
7. Virus protection helps computers live longer
(Hyperlink unavailable, see article below)
Virus protection helps computers live longer
By Lance Fuller
Campus Correspondent
*Note: This story about virus protection was not posted on The Gainesville Sun's Web site. The story originally ran on Sept. 2, 2008 in the campus edition of The Sun.
Marcus Keyes believes your college computer can last beyond graduation and even into graduate school.
Experts will tell you that common computer problems -- viruses, spyware, registry errors -- will slow your computer's performance or cause it to crash.
But proactive maintenance such as running anti virus software, as well as using a spyware sweeper and a registry cleaner can keep your computer young, fast and clean, experts say.
Keyes, trade coordinator at the University of Florida Bookstore, said all of these services can be downloaded for free and will extend a computer's life.
Anti-virus software such as Norton, AVG or McAfee is easy to operate and can scan your computer on a regular basis, Keyes said.
Viruses are programs written by people and programmed for any type of harm, he said. There are trillions of different viruses and new ones every day.
People activate viruses through everday actions such as surfing the Web or opening an e-mail, Keyes said.
More a threat to the user's privacy than to the computer, spyware is software installed on a computer, most often without the user's consent, and monitors the user's behavior, said Wang Weixun, University of Florida computer science graduate student.
Spyware can run itself without the user's knowledge and detects user names and passwords to send the information to the person running the spyware, Wang explained.
Spyware comes from pop-up advertisements on the Internet and from downloading music from unsecure Web sites, Wang said.
Keyes said to combat spyware, a program like Spybot -- Search & Destroy will remove spyware from a computer.
While not as well-known as viruses or spyware, registry errors occur over time when a user adds, removes or upgrades software.
Using a registy cleaner notifies the user of any erroneous programs and files that need to be removed, Wang said.
When programs are added and deleted, unusable files remain on the hard drive, and this cluster of information can slow the computer's performance, he said.
Yet despite the abundance of resources available to prevent problems, most computer users wait until serious damage has been done before doing anything about it, Wang said.
Many students do not encounter computer problems when they first use a computer, so they feel lucky and do not bother to incorporate protection like anti-virus programs, Wang said.
While running the right type of software can protect from viruses and spyware, the user must also remember not to expose a computer to extreme temperatures and avoid eating or drinking around it, Keyes said.
Campus Correspondent
*Note: This story about virus protection was not posted on The Gainesville Sun's Web site. The story originally ran on Sept. 2, 2008 in the campus edition of The Sun.
Marcus Keyes believes your college computer can last beyond graduation and even into graduate school.
Experts will tell you that common computer problems -- viruses, spyware, registry errors -- will slow your computer's performance or cause it to crash.
But proactive maintenance such as running anti virus software, as well as using a spyware sweeper and a registry cleaner can keep your computer young, fast and clean, experts say.
Keyes, trade coordinator at the University of Florida Bookstore, said all of these services can be downloaded for free and will extend a computer's life.
Anti-virus software such as Norton, AVG or McAfee is easy to operate and can scan your computer on a regular basis, Keyes said.
Viruses are programs written by people and programmed for any type of harm, he said. There are trillions of different viruses and new ones every day.
People activate viruses through everday actions such as surfing the Web or opening an e-mail, Keyes said.
More a threat to the user's privacy than to the computer, spyware is software installed on a computer, most often without the user's consent, and monitors the user's behavior, said Wang Weixun, University of Florida computer science graduate student.
Spyware can run itself without the user's knowledge and detects user names and passwords to send the information to the person running the spyware, Wang explained.
Spyware comes from pop-up advertisements on the Internet and from downloading music from unsecure Web sites, Wang said.
Keyes said to combat spyware, a program like Spybot -- Search & Destroy will remove spyware from a computer.
While not as well-known as viruses or spyware, registry errors occur over time when a user adds, removes or upgrades software.
Using a registy cleaner notifies the user of any erroneous programs and files that need to be removed, Wang said.
When programs are added and deleted, unusable files remain on the hard drive, and this cluster of information can slow the computer's performance, he said.
Yet despite the abundance of resources available to prevent problems, most computer users wait until serious damage has been done before doing anything about it, Wang said.
Many students do not encounter computer problems when they first use a computer, so they feel lucky and do not bother to incorporate protection like anti-virus programs, Wang said.
While running the right type of software can protect from viruses and spyware, the user must also remember not to expose a computer to extreme temperatures and avoid eating or drinking around it, Keyes said.
Beware students: Germs are everywhere
By LANCE FULLER
Campus correspondent
Campus correspondent
Published: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 8:33 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 8:33 p.m.
Lurking around every corner, they live on keyboards, door knobs and eating utensils.
Most students don’t even know they harbor colonies of them.
As thousands of returning students and freshmen streamed onto the University of Florida campus this week, they brought with them germs from all over the world.
These germs are responsible for upper respiratory infections – the flu, cold, sore throat, sinus infections – which are the most common illnesses that college students contract, said Jane Cullen, director of nursing at the University of Florida’s Student Health Care Center.
Germs are spread by everyday actions such as not washing your hands and not covering your mouth with a tissue when sneezing or coughing, Cullen said.
UF’s GatorWell, a service that educates students about healthy living, created a coalition called Healthy Gators 2010 that has several campaigns intended to hammer home the importance of getting flu shots, hand-washing and other healthy behaviors, said Jill Varnes, UF professor of health education and behavior.
According to Varnes, the most effective way to reduce the transmission of germs is to wash your hands often.
It is also important to clean frequently used surfaces, such as tables and desks, and to minimize touching your eyes, nose and mouth, especially after coming in contact with someone who is sick, she said.
People can also prevent getting sick by using a hand sanitizer and cleaning off door knobs, the keypads on microwaves and refrigerator door handles, she said.
For students who have succumbed to germs and are sick, staying home and getting proper rest, drinking enough fluids and eating light meals will help the body recover, especially from viral infections, Varnes said.
If someone is sick with a bacterial infection, using antibiotics and seeing a health care provider are the best options, she said.
However, health care providers sometimes mistakenly prescribe antibiotics for viral infections, she said, which she adds ultimately leads to resistant strains of viruses and makes the medicine less effective.
Germs are not the only reason why college students get sick, said Jane Emmerée, health promotion specialist for UF’s GatorWell.
High levels of stress, poor dieting and a lack of sleep and exercise also weaken the immune system, Emmerée said.
When students take midterm exams, stress levels rise drastically, leaving students more susceptible to illness, she said.
College students can prevent becoming sick or exhausted by maintaining a balance in their lives, Emmerée said.
On a large scale, students need to juggle a social life, school and a proper sleep schedule, she said.
On a smaller scale, keeping your hands clean and coughing or sneezing into a tissue will significantly help prevent illness, she said.
Can video games form healthy habits?
By LANCE FULLER
Special to The Sun
Special to The Sun
Published: Monday, June 23, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 10:50 p.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 10:50 p.m.
More senior citizens will soon join the video game craze.
The University of Florida's College of Public Health and Health Professions has been awarded a two-year $100,000 grant to explore whether playing video games can motivate healthy behavior among the elderly.
UF joins 11 other universities that received grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focusing on improving mental health using video games.
"In the past decade, video games have often been looked at to measure improvement in cognitive skills," explained UF occupational therapist Patricia Belchior.
Belchior, Associate Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology Michael Marsiske, and Occupational Therapy Chairman William Mann will start this summer conducting the two-year study, which will consist of 72 people playing "Crazy Taxi" for about three months. These adults will then be monitored for improvements in driving.
UF researchers will monitor how playing "Crazy Taxi" on the PlayStation 2 affects visual attention in the elderly.
Prior to receiving the grant, UF performed a pilot study using the World War II first-person shooter video game "Medal of Honor" to detect and measure visual attention. That study was also performed at the University of Rochester.
"Visual attention refers to the amount of information that you retain at a glance. It is a skill that can be improved across a lifespan, particularly in driving and mobility," Marsiske said.
UF decided to use "Crazy Taxi," an action-adventure game based on driving, instead of "Medal of Honor" because of its simple controls and because of issues with violence.
The broad association between video games and violent behavior was an important concern for Marsiske and Belchior, so they decided to move away from a first-person shooter game to a driving game in their study.
Marsiske and Belchior want to focus on the physical and mental benefits of video games for the latest generation and how it can help older generations.
While there are no studies about whether age matters when playing video games, there are studies that show some games work for all ages.
"The old myth that you can't teach an old dog new tricks is false," Marsiske said. "Other research has shown that substantial training games effectively teach new software to older people - the only difference is that older people need more time to learn."
Innovations in video game controls and interface, such as the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS, are being marketed more toward older adults, Marsiske said. According to one study, 25 percent of video game users are over 50 and that age group is the fastest-growing market for video games, Marsiske said.
"If interactive media holds the lion share of media output, it behooves us to use the Internet and video games to improve mental health," Marsiske said.
Students going abroad look to economize
By LANCE FULLER
Special to The Sun
Special to The Sun
Published: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, June 9, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, June 9, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
With a weak dollar and the high price of oil, many University of Florida students are finding their plans to study abroad more expensive than originally intended.
So with the high cost of living in countries with the euro or pound, students planning to go abroad are considering exchange rates and other economical programs when they decide where to go, said UF Study Abroad Adviser Kirsten Eller.
In the last couple of years, the UFIC created programs in China, India, New Zealand and Fiji to provide students with less expensive alternatives. According to its Web site, UF has a three-month-long program in Beijing, China for $6,795, which is roughly the same price as the program in Rome for six weeks for $6,752.
"It is exciting to watch the Asia-Pacific region grow. We wouldn't have those students overseas if it weren't for these programs," Eller said.
When faced with the choices of either absorbing the economic hit of poor exchange rates or not traveling at all, UF students are electing to go abroad, Eller said.
"(They) will more than likely alter their plans and spend less than not going abroad," Eller said. "Studying abroad changes your world and your perspective of it. You will not be the same person when you come back to the U.S.," Eller said. "If you don't do it in college, chances are you won't do it later on."
Despite the dollar's unfavorable exchange rate in many countries, UF has more students studying abroad this year compared to last year.
There is a 4 percent increase in UF students abroad this year, according to the UF Study Abroad Services Coordinator Susanne Hill.
As of Thursday, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Web site stated every $1.55 equates to one euro, while every $1.95 equates to one British pound.
This summer, UF has 1,250 students abroad with 853 of those students on UF-sponsored programs. There are 52 programs spanning 28 countries that offer courses ranging from religion and women's studies in India to business in Ireland.
Some of the most popular countries include Italy, Spain, France and the United Kingdom.
Even with a weak exchange rate to the euro and the pound, UF students are not deterred from traveling to Western Europe and abroad in general, said Eller.
"There are a couple of reasons why UF students continue to study in expensive countries like Britain and France," Eller said. "The opportunity to go abroad and the fact that costs are expected to continue to increase mean students are better off studying abroad now than later," Eller said.
UF student witnesses China's earthquake
By LANCE FULLER
Campus correspondent
Click to enlarge
Campus correspondent
Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 11:32 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 11:32 p.m.
Since the earthquake on May 12 that left tens of thousands dead or missing and millions homeless, China has not been the same.
Click to enlarge
UF senior Anthony Paglino was an eyewitness to the quake and aftershocks that have ravaged parts of China.
Special to The Sun
For University of Florida student Anthony Paglino, life has not exactly been the same either.
Paglino, an economics senior, was getting ready for his first day of class at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu at the time of the earthquake.
Paglino was carrying his video camera when the earthquake hit and began recording as the building started to shake. As he was running down the stairs, he quipped, "All right, so maybe we don't have class."
"At about 2:28 p.m. it sounded like a train running down the hallway and we didn't know if it was normal," Paglino said. "At the time, it was nothing too serious. There was no immediate response or chain of command, so we were just waiting for someone to tell us what was going on."
The university was spared major damage, the extent coming from collapsed tiles and cracked plaster, he said.
The hardest aspect of dealing with the earthquake was not the initial hit, but the mind-games and psychological aspect that the aftershocks posed, Paglino said.
"The earthquake was not scary at the time," he said. "But the aftershocks and not knowing if the building you're in is going to fall on your head was very scary."
On May 13, relief efforts and response to the disaster were unreal with donations from other countries and student involvement with helping the victims, Paglino said.
"The army shipped orphans from the villages to our campus right next to our dorms," he said.
The UF students also helped with the relief effort as they bought parcels of milk and delivered them to the Red Cross.
On May 18 the earthquake agency expected another quake and the entire city of Chengdu moved outside in tents for fear of more buildings collapsing, Paglino said. "Imagine everyone in New York City in Central Park living in tents."
Paglino compares the differences in China's response to the earthquake and America's response to Hurricane Katrina. "The responses to these disasters are side-by-side. There are obviously more vivid differences as China did a very good P.R. job with no one making excuses," he said. "Somewhere down the line someone will be blamed for poor construction of these buildings, but China did the best it could."
The timing of the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for China with the Olympics in August and recent issues concerning Tibet and China's poor environmental policies.
However, the earthquake provided an opportunity for China to come together and work as a cohesive unit, Paglino said. "The response to this earthquake definitely showed a softer side of China that showed more of a human aspect and not the Communist Party."
Hopefully this disaster is a chance for China to make the best out of a bad situation, he said.
Paglino and seven other UF students were studying abroad in Chengdu through a UF-sponsored program and arrived the weekend prior to the earthquake. The students were studying first year Mandarin Chinese language along with Chinese economics and Sichuan culture classes.
The UF students only spent about 10 days in Chengdu before the UF International Center decided to relocate the program to Tsinghua University in Beijing, where UF has an existing program with about 30 other UF students.
"We had class for two days after the earthquake and then (the government) put out a warning saying that another earthquake was expected in the next three days," Paglino said. "Then we found out we were going to be shipped out to Beijing."
Aftershocks and fear that dams might burst prompted the UF International Center to relocate the UF in Chengdu program to a safer location.
Cynthia Chennault, professor of Chinese poetry at UF and the program's director, said in an e-mail that the students were never endangered, but there was concern that remaining in an increasingly congested city, with hospitals filled with the injured, was not conducive to the academic program.
"We will try to revive the program next year to offer a more economical alternative for summer study abroad in China," she wrote in an e-mail interview.
Since relocating to Beijing, the UF in Chengdu students are slowly acclimating to their new surroundings. They are continuing classes at Tsinghua University taking first year Mandarin Chinese language and a Beijing culture class.
Paglino earned the Freeman-Asia Scholarship, which will require him to speak and give presentations about studying abroad in Asia when he returns to the U.S. in August. Paglino plans to help educate Americans about that part of the world, because many Americans are not familiar with Chinese history, he said.
"With this opportunity to travel China and because of the earthquake, I plan to help break many of the stereotypes about China," he said.
"Nothing could have prepared me for the experience I have had. China is an enigma, and I am learning things every day," Paglino said. "Every day I step out of the door, something happens."
Students, faculty reeling over cuts in Korean, Vietnamese languages
By LANCE FULLER
Campus correspondent
Campus correspondent
Published: Friday, May 23, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 8:46 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 8:46 p.m.
By fall 2009, University of Florida students will no longer be able to learn the Korean and Vietnamese languages on campus because of the recently announced $47 million budget cut to the university.
Over the last two weeks, UF students, faculty members and staff have signed petitions to President Bernie Machen vehemently opposing the elimination of Korean and Vietnamese language courses. Supporters of the petitions believe that UF's Asian Studies program will lose credibility once these programs are gone.
"No Asian Studies program that lacks instruction in Korean can now be highly regarded," wrote Cynthia Chennault, associate professor of Chinese poetry, in a petition. "As for Vietnamese, the large Vietnamese-American population of Florida adds special reason for the state's flagship university to retain the program."
Joe Glover, interim dean of College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, cut these programs because they do not serve a large portion of UF students and have little connection to students' majors, said Ann Wehmeyer, chair of the department of African and Asian languages and literatures.
In the petition, Chennault wrote that both Korean and Vietnamese courses fill to capacity and provide students with immense educational and professional benefit.
In cutting these language programs, the department will save about $100,000.
Korean lecturer Kyung-Eun Yoon is one of six faculty members from the African and Asian languages and literatures department who will be fired following the 2008-2009 school year because of the budget cuts.
"There is this mindset about minority language programs that administrators do not see any importance in them at all," Yoon said. "In language courses, we are not just lecturing or just delivering knowledge. We try to implement as many cultural aspects as well."
"Joe Glover's decision of cutting these language programs is a calculation, not a consideration of language and cultural instruction," she said.
The Asian-American community at UF is also adversely affected by these budget cuts, Loc Nguyen, president of the Asian American Student Union wrote in an e-mail interview.
The Korean and Vietnamese language courses provide a means for second generation Asian-Americans to understand more about their cultural identity through speech and writing, Nguyen wrote.
Won-ho Park, assistant professor of political science, believes that these budget cuts will do more damage to the university than administrators realize. The impact of cutting language programs ranges from the students in the classroom to UF's relationship with international universities, Park said.
Student interest in language courses creates an academic synergy that transcends into studying other subjects related to that language such as anthropology and politics, he said.
The budget cuts will severely damage UF's reputation concerning hiring future faculty and among academic associations of Asian and Korean studies, Park stressed.
Park added that UF's largest overseas alumni concentration is in Korea and UF has many exchange programs with Korean universities.
"Language precedes everything," he said. "You can't teach humanities, anthropology and politics of a foreign country without the native language. It is like teaching engineers without math."
College life can be a real pain in the back
By LANCE ROBERT FULLERCampus correspondent
Published: Thursday, December 6, 2007 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, December 6, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, December 6, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.
Whether walking across campus in flip-flops, carrying a backpack full of books or sitting down hunched over at the library studying for too long, all these activities can lead to damaging one of the most important parts of the body - your back.
Click to enlarge
Bryan Steinman, far back, and fellow classmates study at UF's Library West for biology. For stressful classes like biology, I often study at Library West for hours on end without noticing that I slouch, Steinman said.
LANCE FULLER/Campus correspondent
"Pretty much the older you get, back pain is the most common, biggest complaint. I have never met a back-pain-free individual," said Dr. Karen M. von Deneen, who works for UF as a massage therapist running her own practice.
"Technically, we are meant to walk on all four. Walking standing up puts a lot of stress on the joints and in the lower back," von Deneen said.
Man or woman, people in general develop back pain, although through different methods, she said, and college students are also at risk.
Men develop back pain often because of their own carelessness, von Deneen said.
Men often lift heavy objects without using proper technique by not bending their knees and lift the object with their back instead of their knees and hips.
Also because of the biomechanics of different sports like soccer and football, men "throw out" their backs, she said.
Women, on the other hand, are more anatomically at a disadvantage because of a wider pelvis and breasts. Some women have breast implants that put stress on the middle back, and others wear the wrong bra size, she said.
Women also do too much and are on their feet a lot, stressing the trapezius, the muscle between the shoulder and neck, and middle back, von Deneen said.
In the weight room, many people develop poor lifting habits that result in back pain, such as arching their back on the bench press and poor form on the dead lift, squat and leg press, certified personal trainer Marc Rosa said.
"It's all about your hips," Rosa said. "Tight hips are what create back pain. The glutes are the prime movers of hip extension and when the hips are tight, the glutes deactivate, and the lower back over-compensates, creating back pain."
Back pain happens when the nerves of the spinal cord are pinched, von Deneen said.
A common injury with discs is when they rupture or herniate and must be put back in order by physical therapy, a chiropractor or even surgery, von Deneen said.
Surgery is recommended only in certain cases because it can result in permanent back pain, von Deneen said.
"The causes of back pain are multi-factorial," said Dr. Guy W. Nicolette, chief of staff at UF's Student Health Care Center. "Relieving back pain does not have an exact equation."
To counter the activities of everyday life that cause back pain, anyone can perform exercises to strengthen the lower and upper back, Rosa said.
In the gym, doing seated rows, or using the erg machine that simulates rowing, help with posture, he said.
Lunges, back extensions, yoga and pilates all help strengthen the core and lower back, von Deneen said.
The way people sleep also heavily affects back pain, von Deneen said.
For people who sleep on their side, they should sleep with a pillow between the legs so that there is no strain on the hips and pelvis, she said.
People who sleep on their back should place a pillow under the knees and a foam roll under the neck. People who sleep on their stomachs should place a pillow under the stomach and another pillow under the face to stabilize the neck, she said.
Other methods of treating back pain include stretching, massage and approaches involving Eastern and Western medicine, von Deneen said.
However, with all these exercises and preventative measures, people have to take time to take care of their bodies through good nutrition, exercise, good posture and more self-awareness, she said.
People predispose themselves to back pain because they bring stress on a daily basis through the small nuances of everyday life, von Deneen said.
"There are many modalities to prevent and cure back pain, but people don't take time to ask the body why it is hurting."
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