October Entertainment Briefs

Country star takes on the Amphitheater
By Kayla Ward | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Darius Rucker, the lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish and now a solo country singer, rocked a full house Oct. 29.

He sang to a sold-out audience at the St. Augustine Amphitheater last Friday. He performed songs from his album “Learn To Live.” His two hit singles were played along with: “Alright,” “History in the Making” and “Forever Road” and a few songs from his Hootie and the Blowfish albums.

Rucker’s performance was fun and entertaining for country music fans. He was constantly moving around the stage and had the audience singing back at him during most of his songs. Easton Corbin, a fellow country music star, opened for Rucker and performed songs such as “A Little More Country Than That” and “Roll With It.”

Rucker will continue on his tour visiting venues in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama and wraps things up in Nashville in February 2011.

Professor kicks butt with martial arts studio
By Colleen Drew | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Professor, business owner, mother and is a three degree black belt. Paula Holanchock has been a resident in St. Augustine for 24 years and has been practicing martial arts for 22 years.

Holanchock is a Flagler College alumna and currently teaches business courses at Flagler. On top of her busy schedule, Holanchock owns North Florida Martial Arts studio on Anastasia Blvd.

“I first became interested in the martial arts during college for self-defense purposes,” said Holanchock.

She and her husband own the studio and have over 300 students. Adults, youth and small children can enroll in various programs for self defense, serious training, fitness or family fun.

According to Holanchock, North Florida Martial Arts offers three types of martial arts styles: TaeKwonDo, Muay Thai and Kobudo.

• TaeKwonDo is the Korean art of unarmed fighting and has developed into a deadly self defense system.
• Muay Thai is referred to as the “Art of Eight Limbs” because it uses punches, kicks, knee and elbow strikes.
• Kobudo is the ancient art of weaponry developed from farm tools.

North Florida Martial Arts offers classes to college students for $75 per month.

Ten New Additions to Saint Augustine’s Alligator Farm
By Grace Walsh | gargoyle@flagler.edu

October 10 was a big day for Saint Augustine’s Alligator Farm. The saltwater crocodile duo- Maximo and Sydney brought in ten babies to the farm coincidentally on 10/10/10.

With Maximo reaching 1,200 lbs and his mate Sydney only 200 lbs, these babies are going to be quite the attraction the next couple of months.

Jen Walkowich, a reptile keeper at the Alligator Farm, has been in charge of the babies since the day they hatched.

“There were a total of 35 eggs. We grabbed 12 that looked the most fertile and luckily came out with 10,” she said. “We only took 12 because most of them don’t make it. There’s usually a white banding around the egg so that’s how we judge if we think they’re fertile or not”

So far the babies are fully functioning. “They swim and chirp-they’re very energetic” Walkowich said.

Soon Walkowich will begin feeding them crickets and small fish.

“We’re not sure if they’re going to stay here or be moved to another park, we’ll have to wait and see what the farm decides,” Walkowich said. “But they’re doing great here for now and that’s what’s important.”