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BitCoin

BitCoin

Lauren Purdy

As books begin to be replaced by Kindles and post offices begin to close, it comes as no surprise when even things as traditional as currency begin to make the digital shift. While the dollar is still alive and well in both paper and plastic form, there is a new and federally recognized currency for the online marketplace called BitCoin. BitCoin is exchanged for goods and services just like regular money, except there is no government backing, very loose regulations, and very unstable stock values. 

From the user perspective, BitCoin is just like online cash. The BitCoins are kept in a virtual wallet (MultiBit for Windows, Mac or Linux and Bitcoin Wallet for Android) and you can use them to purchase pretty much anything. With the number of BitCoin accepting businesses ever expanding, you could be buying groceries with BitCoin in the near future.

Keep in mind that BitCoin is not a flawless system. With no government to act as middleman, BitCoin is used person to person. The network itself was created in the depths of cyberspace largely by a man named Sakoshi Nakamoto, who left the project in 2010 leaving BitCoin running on its own with the help of a few tech developers. The BitCoin network is sustained by its users, the continuous buying and selling of BitCoin is what makes it more or less valuable. This economic uncertainty is what makes BitCoin a somewhat fragile ecosystem. The lacks of regulations make it possible to exploit users and trade illicitly using BitCoin, and the accessibility of the code makes it possible for copycat currencies to arise around it. 

BitCoin value is bound to settle down as demand stabilizes, but for most consumers it remains an interesting though impractical means of maneuvering through the digital marketplace.

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Planetarium

Lauren Purdy

seminole magazine

  If you find yourself on some Friday or Saturday night craving science, history and a hodgepodge of sci-fi and pop culture references, there may be an answer to the very specific dilemma you are experiencing. An answer in the form of a man, some chairs and a really cool projector.

The man goes by the name Derek Demeter, he’s a Seminole State and UCF alumni who grew up on the space coast with the sounds of rocket boosters ringing in his ears. Demeter is manger of the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust Planetarium, which is located on the Seminole State Sanford lake Mary Campus tucked between the two Adult Education buildings. As manager, Demeter runs the Planetarium with all of its chairs and cool projectors, writes and hosts the shows, and facilitates field trips for students ranging from kindergarten to college level  The goal of the planetarium is “to make science accessible to anyone who wants to learn,” as Demeter put it. Science for everyone may seem like an impossible task, taking astronomical concepts and presenting them in a way that kids, college students, or even just regular folks without a PhD can understand is no small feat. However, on most Friday and Saturday nights, Demeter manages to accomplish just that.

If a guided look of the current night sky is something that strikes your interest, see a showing of Central Florida Nights, which runs on the first, third and fifth Friday of each month (excluding December). For something that focuses more on the historic or anthropological side of Astronomy, catch part of the Cultural Astronomy Series, these shows play on the second and fourth Friday of every month. On Saturdays, there are live Special Feature shows presented by Demeter that investigate different science or astronomy related ideas. All shows at the Planetarium begin at either 7 or 8:30 p.m. and last about an hour; admission is free for Seminole State students with their ID, four dollars for students and seniors (55+), and six dollars for adults. If you want to make your own life form a little more intelligent or have an hour to spare, catch a show and see the universe.

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My name is George Rivera and I work for The Seminole State Magazine: a work in progress that will bring culture to the students here at Seminole State College.  Without a doubt that is a difficult thing with only three people, but we will succeed. Each day is a new learning experience passed on by Ms. Sheppard whose guidance has helped my writing immensely in a short time. My co-worker and fellow student Lauren Purdy is much more creative than I am and has a certain flair to her work. Each day we both try to improve our writing abilities and seek a better understanding of how to reach out to you, the reader and our audience. I myself was born on the island of Puerto Rico with English being my second language. Soon after moving from the island I fell in love with the language as I read newspapers and books alike. My love for the language itself intensified as I picked up a pen to write my own stories. History, the human mind, and art are the things that I love along with writing itself, but over all I want to know the truth. I want to see those little known facts that no one else knows about and be the one to tell the world, be the one to expose a dirty secret, or bring light to a unsung hero. I am an amateur journalist and will always be learning.

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GermanTown, Sanford

There are only so many places you can get 3 liters of German beer in a giant boot shaped pitcher for $31. There are even fewer places you can get the huge boot of beer, top notch Bavarian pretzels, and an entire menu of German classics that, if the strangeness of their names is any indication, must be pretty authentic. Hollerbach’s Willow Tree café has been offering all that and more right in the heart of Sanford’s Historic Downtown District since August of 2001. Having been ranked top ten in the nation for Best German Restaurant for the last three years as well as the #1 Rated Restaurant in the ‘Higher Priced’ section for the entire Greater Orlando Area on Urbanspoon.com, Hollerbach’s has certainly made a name for itself in the foodie community.

While Hollerbach’s prices aren't quite dollar menu low, they aren't sky high either. Lunches come at about $15 dollars a person and that’s without a beer; one downside to authentic German Beer is the Authentic German prices. It’s $4.25 for a 0.3 liter (about ten ounces) glass of beer and $5.98 for the 0.5 liter (about 17 ounces.) Dinner prices are only a little pricier, roughly $20 a person.

Willow Tree sits between a book store and an art gallery in Downtown Sanford. The outside tables on the patio, the green canopy that states ‘Hollerbachs’s Willow tree café,’ and the cobblestone sidewalks of First Street make a bistro-like picture that seems more like something you might see in a small town in Germany than in Seminole County. Inside, the floor is covered in black and white checkered tile; there is a mural of a knight in full armor guarding a home, and tons of beer paraphernalia and flags.

One of the main draw of Hollerbach’s is the authenticity of the place. There is the story of Das Boot, a tale of an 1800’s German general who promised his men he would drink beer out of his boot if they successfully took over a town, but he didn't really want to drink out of gross, dirty, 19th century boot so he had a glass one made to drink from. The fable of Das Boot inspired the restaurants own drinking-out-of-boots tradition. The Hollerbach family has their roots in Kyllburg, Germany; a fact that is proudly documented by the folksy German decorations hanging the walls of the place, a testament to Hollerbach’s bona fide German heritage. Hollerbach’s Willow Tree café is the real deal for German food in Sanford.

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We are a new student magazine looking for students to interview. Would you be interested?

[seminolemagazine]

Nice shot! We are a new student magazine looking for students to interview. Would you be interested?

Took this earlier today. This scenery calms me and helps me study, I love the third level of the L building <3 #collegelife #calm #study #seminolestate

[seminolemagazine]

Cool! We are a new student magazine looking for students to interview. Would you be interested?

Book exchange success!! #julie&julia #bookexchange #seminolestate

[seminolemagazine]

My name is Lauren and I am a part of an unlikely trio. This trio is made up of three wonderful journalists committed to bringing cultural news and events in the form of our blog/publication Seminole Magazine to SSC students, the greater Orlando area, and probably my relatives since I'm going to send them a copy of everything written.

The idea to make a magazine with three people did not come out of nowhere. Seminole Magazine is the result of a College Magazine class with two students and the selfish desire to see our names in bylines. Our entire production staff consists of George,our gaming and Puerto Rico specialist, Jennifer Sheppard, our adviser/dirt-bike aficionado and myself. 

Get ready Seminole County, it's about to get local.

A little more about me (Lauren)

Lauren Purdy is my full name, well actually I have a middle name but that's not important. I was born in California, so I sometimes say the word 'freeway' instead of 'highway' and think platform flip-flops are fashionable. Otherwise, I'm a born again Floridian who needs sweaters in August, likes funny people and prefers dogs to cats. I attend SSC part-time and work part-time, to maintain the perfect noncommittal balance. I think my position at the magazine would be a sort of co-producer/chairman of the board/historian/reporter/snack-bringer. 

Questions? Comments? Radical ideas? E-mail seminolemagazine@gmail.com

Thanks, 

The three of us