The 21st century has a Woodstock that isn’t named “Woodstock” — its name is “Wanee.”

The spirit of Suwannee park was thick and moist in the air — a stale smell of home clung to Wanee Music Festival’s grounds as I took a deep breath and watched everyone pass me by on their own time and in their own mind.

By Lindy Almony | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Americans speak often about investing in the future with K-12 education. President Barack Obama said during a speech in February that, “Education is an investment that we need to win the future.”

How much, though, do we really invest in education in this country? And how much does the success of our education programs depend on the teachers?

By Alex Bonus | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Instead of meaningful change, our country’s leaders have turned an economic debate into an ideological war over abortion.

Instead of reporting the real dangers of Republican budget cuts, our nation’s media have enflamed emotions on a burnt and withered argument.

Instead of diving into the heart of these issues, we were deceived by a flawless red herring.

By Caroline Young | gargoyle@flagler.edu

New Florida Gov. Rick Scott has always said that he knows what is best for Florida education. His new law, the Student Success Act makes standardized tests the main evaluation tool for teachers’ abilities. And, he says it weeds out the fruitless ones.

Contrary to Scott’s belief, this law is everything but the best choice for our state’s suffering education system.

By Cal Colgan | jcolgan@flagler.edu

Class is about to begin. Today’s lesson starts with a simple question: How effective are state tests at determining student performances?

Ah, good. You realize this is a loaded question. After all, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test is one of the most controversial standardized tests in the Sunshine State’s public schools. Since its passage in 1996, the FCAT has garnered praise from lawmakers and harsh criticism from teachers and their advocates.

By Alex Bonus | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Lawmakers are forcing failed reforms on failing schools, hoping two wrongs makes a passing grade.

The Student Success Act, signed by Gov. Rick Scott on March 24, ties teacher salaries to student achievement. Starting July 1, professional evaluators will rank teachers on a four-part scale to determine their eligibility for bonuses, pay raises and promotions.

By Mari Pothier | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich seems to be playing that typical political game of do as I say not as I do.

Despite the fact that he has been married three times, Gingrich is pursuing a possible run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination as a social conservative. But wait a minute. Aren’t social conservatives supposed to represent fundamental Christian values, one being the sanctity of marriage?

But good old Gingrich still thinks he is the man for the job.

By Kelly Gibbs | gargoyle@flagler.edu

When I moved to St. Augustine from Gainesville two years ago, I never dreamed I’d one day sit on a sidewalk shooting the breeze with two older black men taking pictures of a former slave cabin and sharing neighborhood gossip.

I was excited to find my own cheap apartment down the street from campus in Lincolnville in August 2009. I was told I was moving into a “mixed neighborhood” by my landlady, but didn’t understand the phrase.

By Caroline Young | gargoyle@flagler.edu

We heard one gun shot. Sounds of sirens ricocheted from buildings in downtown DeLand, a small Florida town.

“Dead-Land,” we called it.

By Mari Pothier | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Florida’s done it again, shooting itself in the foot when it comes to public education.

The state already struggles in this department, but Gov. Rick Scott signed into law the Student Success Act that will make standardized tests like the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test the basis for teacher evaluations and pay. Also with the act, new teachers coming into the system will not be able to receive tenure.

By James Webb | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Turns out Gov. Rick Scott is sticking to campaign promises of decreasing the deficit. After passing the Florida House 80-39 and gaining more momentum through the Florida Senate passing, 26-12, Scott signed the teacher merit pay bill into law last week.

What will this mean for taxpayers, teachers and students?

By Caroline Young | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Day one of whale spotting with the Marineland Right Whale Project- it was a chilly, nebulous February morning. I took a windy bike ride to the St. Augustine pier and thought for certain the whale-spotters would cancel because of the weather.

But I was five minutes early and the last to arrive. When I walked up to the group of older people with raingear and binoculars, there was no sign of plans changing.

By Alex Bonus | gargoyle@flagler.edu

I feel wrong taking a cookie from a homeless man, but Tim “Dusty” Brown makes it seem ordinary.

He’s lost everything. His family. His job. His health. Misfortune haunts him. Despite trying to get back on his feet, injuries from a car accident stall his progress.

By Cal Colgan| jcolgan@flagler.edu

I am about to graduate college, and I can’t even sleep soundly in my own bed. My bedroom makes a homeless camp look like a palace: dirty clothes seem to creep out of every corner and nook. Papers, posters, Power Bar wrappers and old Arizona Tea cans cover the floor, and I create “walking space” just by shifting the pile of refuse from one end of the room to the other.

My room is a testament to my life: a disorganized, erratic mess. I’ve been this way ever since I can remember.

By Michael Newberger | mnewberger@flagler.edu

Nick Waters* is your typical college student. He hits the beach with friends, goes to parties, lives in a nice house he rents out with two friends, and begrudgingly goes to class. But Waters also struggles with something not a lot of others face: addiction to Oxycodone.

Setting it Straight is a radio talk show on Flagler College Radio WFCF, 88.5 FM Radio With a Reason. Every week, Communication major Kelly Gibbs brings in a St. Augustine local to discuss issues going …