By Bo Culkeen | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Working at a restaurant is easy. If anyone tells you otherwise, they probably didn’t last very long in the business.

The job is simple: greet the customer, take the order, run the food, drop the bill and bus the table.

By Lauren Belcher | CBelcher@flagler.edu

People still ask me to this day, “How did you not know?”

Well, denial is a peculiar feeling. I would know; I experienced it from age 11 to 17 years old. For six long years, I ignored what was happening to my body and tried to continue my life as normal as possible.

By Jessica Fashant | gargoyle@flagler.edu
Photo by Johanna Falzone

The little brunette girl behind the counter at the school bookstore couldn’t stop smiling when she muttered the words “$203.52.”

I was speechless once I remembered that this wasn’t the total cost for all of my textbooks required this semester, but just for one.

Dear editor,

I would like to add my praise to all the great things already said about Flagler College’s impressive new vegetarian station (“New Leaf: Eco-Friendly Dining Hall,” 19 February). It’s a smart decision when you consider that a survey by Aramark, a leading food-service provider, concluded that nearly a quarter of college students are actively seeking out vegan options when they sit down to eat, for reasons ranging from their own health to environmental concerns—and of course, because of animal suffering.

By Christina Arzapalo | gargoyle@flagler.edu
Illustration by Ellen Gambrell

Hi, my name is Christina. I’m a recovering addict.

A caffeine addict, that is.

By Lauren Belcher | CBelcher@flagler.edu
Illustration by Charis Harper

Around mid-January, I got an e-mail about the dining hall introducing a new vegetarian station.

I was excited that the college would make such a big transition, so I decided to check it out. Now, I am an employee of ARAMARK, but I work at Bugg’s Bistro, not the dining hall. I have no prior knowledge of what they do over there, other than my time as a freshman when I lived on campus.

By Lauren Belcher | CBelcher@flagler.edu

In the ‘40s, African Americans could not fight in the United States Armed forces. In the ‘60s, women could not fight in the US Armed Forces.

Both of these military policies were removed due to social changes in society. Now, it’s time for another change: the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the US Armed Forces.

By Michael Isam | gargoyle@flagler.edu

I was once like you. I could run, jump, dodge, walk backward when necessary, and in general get from place to place in a hurry if required. I lettered in football, basketball, track, volleyball, and softball. I played hardball from the second grade through American Legion. As you will learn, and you will learn it, our bodies change. And those changes are not always for the best. In some sports, athletes are over the hill at 34 and even earlier in other sports.

By Katy Bass | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Watch out college students: that dreaded word “GPA” will haunt you even after high school.

Now, I don’t know what the rest of college students were told within their first two years at a college, but for me, I remember very distinctly that my cumulative college GPA would matter to potential employers as much as what my degree was and where I attended.

Flagler College attendance policy up for debate
By Lauren Belcher | CBelcher@flagler.edu

Flagler College’s 871-word attendance policy basically boils down to: “Don’t miss class, ever. If you do, we will fail you.”

By Matthew Boyle | mboyle@flagler.edu

It’s 6:16 on a Monday night and Chuck Riffenburg is talking on his cell phone on the front steps of the Proctor Library again.

Unlike other students, though, Riffenburg is talking business. Even though he finally got the Flagler College administration to approve his Hunger Initiative project, he still has to do all the legwork.

By Lauren Belcher | cbelcher@flagler.edu

Once you make the decision to become vegetarian or vegan, you typically have to eliminate fast food from your diet. But, you don’t have to.

The fast-food chains are finally catching up to the times and providing more options. So whether you are a full-blown vegan, a softhearted vegetarian, a person who wants to reduce their meat intake or anything in between, you now have options. If the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle is not an option, you can at least reduce the amount of meat you consume.

Lauren Belcher | CBelcher@flagler.edu

At Flagler College we get 500 pages per semester worth of printing in the library. Why not make the most out of your pages?

North American academics are among the highest paper wasters in the world, according to e-green tips from Tri-County Community College Library. “If academics in China used as much paper as we do in North America, the world’s rainforest supply would be depleted within a year.”

By Lauren Belcher | CBelcher@flagler.edu

During the holidays, it’s no secret that people tend to spend more money.

Even us poor college kids find ourselves buying gifts for loved ones. This holiday, while you’re spending the money, think about where it’s going – or better, who it could be helping.

By Lauren Belcher | cbelcher@flagler.edu
Photo by Josh Weaver

PHOTO CAPTION: Jeff Baptist, local farmer, and Joanna Dembek (right) assist potential customers at the Old City Farmers market. Baptist grows organic produce with the help of his community supported agriculture program.

Jeff Baptist is a real farmer, and his farm, Spring Song Organic Farm, grows certified organic fruits and vegetables. He has a Community Supported Agriculture program.

By Cal Colgan | JColgan@flagler.edu
Illustration by Hahau Yisrael

Last month, Barack Obama became the third U.S. president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee lauded Obama for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

But unlike the countless followers of the lunatic Glenn Beck who think our 44th president is turning our country into Stalinist Russia, there is a more rational argument to be made against Obama’s recent award.