News

St. Augustine resident copes with poverty, fighting disabilities and living life

By Ben McLeod | bmcleod@flagler.edu

On a rainy Thursday morning, I slammed on my brakes, almost causing the car behind me to smash into me. I was driving on West King Street, one of the poorest areas in St. Augustine, and I was looking for junk. It was for St. Augustine resident Jerome Richardson so that he could earn a few dollars to buy some food for the week.

The rain drops were flopping up the mud in front of Jerome’s shack, which is made up of four walls of plywood and sheet metal for a roof. He was nowhere to be seen and the lot was quiet. I began to worry, as surprising as it sounds, that this 47-year-old man was in danger somewhere. Why wasn’t he here? Jerome told me he would always be here.

By Holly Elliott | gargoyle@flagler.edu
Illustration by Matthew Boyle

I regret the day I caved into family pressures on Facebook. It was just my stepmother and me, face to face, or should I say, profile picture to profile picture. A bizarre sense of curiosity from her friend request reached me from hundreds of miles away and made me disregard the potential problems that family and Facebook would most certainly cause me. I recklessly hit accept. In one single click, I opened a virtual nightmare on my social life.

Photo by Matthew Boyle

By Michael Mandaro | gargoyle@flagler.edu

CHECK THE VIDEO OUT here.

Junior Communication major Bailey Latham won the $450 dollar plane ticket after completing the President’s Survey.

Latham was selected randomly from a pool of 973 Flagler College students who had completed either the National Survey of Student Engagement or the Student Satisfaction Inventory.

By Haley M. Walker | hwalker@flagler.edu
Photo illustration by Hahau Yisrael

Student Mallory McCagg recently began cleaning locals’ houses in her spare time. She does it not only to earn money, but for the benefit of the world.

McCagg owns Squeaky Green Cleaning, a business specializing in the national trend of “green cleaning.” According to the Green Cleaning Network, the process can be defined as a way to clean by using natural alternatives to chemically based products and other sustainable supplies and equipment.

St. Augustine hopes to attract vistors to celebrate 450 years

By Erica Eding | eeding@flagler.edu
Photo by Erica Eding

PHOTO CAPTION: The statue of Pedro Menendez, the founder of St. Augustine, stands outside the Lightner Museum downtown.

A party is rarely serious business. St. Augustine’s 450th anniversary, on the other hand, could bring millions of dollars in revenue to a city that is suffering from the decline in tourism.
The city is hoping to attract national and even international visitors to the event. But during an economic downturn, tourists will need an incentive to travel and spend money. For this reason, city officials have begun planning for a state of the art experience.

By Ben McLeod | bmcleod@flagler.edu

St. Augustine residents agree President Obama’s stimulus package will do very little to help the real estate market, especially foreclosures.

Eric Larson, St. Augustine resident and Flagler College graduate, was given 10 days notice to move out of his apartment and find a new place to live.

By Julie Hirshan | jhirshan@flagler.edu

The military currently accepts immigrants with student or work visas to join the service, but will now start actively recruiting those with medical, language or other specialized skills, offering them the opportunity to become naturalized citizens in as little as six months.

By Haley M. Walker | hwalker@flagler.edu

If Molly Jane Hammond hadn’t received a Pell Grant, she would probably be fighting in Iraq.

“The military is the only other real economic opportunity for poor kids,” Hammond said. “Higher education is just not guaranteed for poor people.”

By Matthew Boyle | mboyle@flagler.edu

The Enterprising Women’s Leadership Institute of Florida honored Flagler College student Jamie Alvarez, 22, as a female leader in the community on Saturday, March 21.

Alvarez received the recognition as a result of numerous service and leadership activities she has taken part in during her career as a student at Flagler College. She has served as an intern at United States Senator Mel Martinez’s local offices, has worked as the managing partner for the Dow Advantage Public Relations Group and has been actively involved in the “Girl Effect.”

“The Girl Effect is a non-profit funded by the Nike Foundation that provides scholarships and loans for women in third-world countries in order for them to establish their own businesses and make their own profit,” Alvarez said.

By Josh Wolonowski | gargoyle@flagler.edu

WFCF ‘Airborne’ host Matt Jeffs interviews Senator George McGovern. Board Operator Steve Palazzo

On Wed. March 4, WFCF Flagler College Radio had Senator George McGovern in its studio for an on-air interview with Matt Jeffs, the host of 88.5’s community affairs program, Airborne.

McGovern opened up the show saying, “I’ve heard great things about Flagler College,” as he went on to tell his listeners that he will be talking with the students and faculty on April 6.

“I’m glad they didn’t put it on April fool’s day,” he replied with a chuckle.