OUTREACH:
OPINION:
ENTERTAINMENT:
Students host day on the waterfront for disabled high school students
Twitter handle @babesforTrump takes big step back for feminism
Chris Lane to be opener for Chase Rice at Nest Fest
Fun in the sun
Loose morals and uneducated votes
Read more: B8
Double trouble: Country singer
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The official student media group at Florida Gulf Coast University since 1997
AGLE NEWS Volume 14, Issue 31
www.eaglenews.org
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Special report: Lake Okeechobee releases felt in SWFL See pages A3 through A5
UPD to get new alert system By Taylor Crehan Assistant News Editor @TaylorCrehan There were 23 shootings on American college campuses in 2015, according to an article published on Time magazine. At FGCU, UPD and Business Technology Services are trying to avoid these and other emergency situations. The two campus bodies have teamed up to create a new alert system that will be available for staff members working in their classrooms Monday, April 25. “This is the result of the various workplace incidents viewed through the news around the country,” UPD Chief
Steven Moore said. The Threat Alert System is a program that will be put into effect when a staff member feels the need to contact UPD quietly, especially in situations where openly calling UPD would be harmful to those in the classroom. Instead of overtly notifying the police, instructors are able to press two keys on their computers, automatically sending an alert to UPD. Moore asked that the two specific keys weren’t revealed on this article. “It’s a more discreet way to notify the police when they don’t have the ability to use a phone,” Moore told Eagle News. Since the system only allows users to alert
FGCU starts presidential search By Jimena Tavel News Editor @taveljimena
EN Photo/Kelli Krebs Staff and faculty members will be able to discreetly contact UPD by clicking two keys. UPD will enable the system April 25.
UPD and not explain the situation they are calling about, UPD will be treating calls made through Threat Alert System like any type of alert system. Moore discussed the Threat Alert System during the faculty senate meeting on Friday, April 1. “That’s a program that BTS has been working on for several months,” Moore said during the meeting. “This is something we can make more universal for everybody who has a computer or keyboard at their desk.” The system is being implemented now because UPD has gotten several requests for panic buttons to be placed throughout
campus from different offices at FGCU. Moore said the university staff has been making requests to their vice presidents during budget requests. “It’s just another layer of options to provide faculty and staff,” Moore said. “We’ve been getting a growing number of panic alarms from different offices. It’s a way that (staff) can notify UPD in an extreme situation.” The system was first brought to the Safety and Facilities Committee by Moore last year. However, Moore has been dabbling with the idea for several years. “I found the system five or six years ago,” Moore said. “BTS got involved because it is a
software based system.” The system will work a bit differently on Apple computers. During the faculty senate meeting, Moore revealed that he had been in contact with other universities in regards to how to implement the program on non-Windows systems. “It’s really built for Windows computers, but BTS is working for it to work on Mac computers,” Moore said. The Threat Alert System will be the newest program in the notification plan at FGCU, which involves FGCU Alert, Guardian Eagle and Outdoor Siren.
The FGCU Presidential Search Advisory Committee began the search process with its first meeting Tuesday, April 5. During the meeting, FGCU Board of Trustees Dudley Goodlette charged the committee with the ultimate responsibility of selecting a minimum of three qualified candidates. The 15-member PSAC will submit these candidates to the BOT so that they can select one of them. “It’s a big responsibility; it’s a lot of work,” Goodlette said. Two subcommittees were created — the Executive Search Firm Sub-Committee and the Position Announcement Sub-Committee. The Executive Search Firm Sub-Committee met for the first time Tuesday, as well, and it approved a request to get quotes from executive search firms. Ken Smith, the committee chair, said the committee’s website will go live Friday, April 8. The PSAC approved a tentative timeline for the process. According to that timeline, the BOT will select the new president March 14, 2017 at a special meeting. Then, the Florida Board of Governors will evaluate the candidate for confirmation. President Wilson Bradshaw will officially retire June 30, 2017 and the new president will start July 1, 2017.
Student Government Senate elects new leadership By Jimena Tavel News Editor @taveljimena For many people, the year starts in January. For Student Government, the year starts in April. The newly elected 201617 SG Senate held its first meeting Tuesday, April 5. During the meeting, the senators were sworn in, and the Senate elected its leadership. Jason Finan, a junior majoring in health administration and minoring in global studies, is a former SG senator for the College of Health Professions and Social
INSIDE:
Work. Finan is also a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He was the only candidate nominated for the Senate president position. The president leads and runs the meetings and has no vote. “I want to accomplish great things with senate for the university,” Finan said during the meeting. “This will probably be the highest number of senators you see the whole year, and one of my goals is to have as many senators as possible always.” Finan said he wants to get SG involved with the community, but his main
Entertainment and Lifestyle.....A6 Sports............................................B1 Opinion..........................................B6 Outreach.......................................B8
priority is to establish a good relationship with Senate Executive. “He has experience with being programming with SigEp,” said former SG Vice President Jessica Scanlon about Finan. “He knows how to lead a business meeting professionally.” Finan was elected unanimously. Two senators were nominated for the pro tempore position — Sen. Laura Gardner and Sen. Bradley Berry. The pro tempore assists the senate president. Several senators asked both nominees about their
knowledge of the Roberts Book of Rules, how they’d maintain decorum at the Senate chamber at all times and how they’d balance their involvement on campus. Berry, a junior vocal performance major, was elected. Sen. Jalisa White, a junior majoring in finance, was the only nominee for the secretary position. White said she wants to bring back “senator of the month” and create a calendar with all of the SG events. She was elected unanimously.
EN Photo/Jimena Tavel All senators were sworn into their positions at the April 5 meeting. These senators were elected in the SG 2016 elections and will serve until March 2017.
FIRST ISSUE FREE Eagle News McTarnaghan Hall 201 10030 FGCU Blvd. S Fort Myers, Fla. 33967
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The official student produced newspaper at Florida Gulf Coast University since 1997.
AGLE NEWS Editor-in-Chief Kelli Krebs
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SERVICE LEARNING Eagle News receives these volunteer opportunities from the FGCU Office of Serving Learning every week >> Announcements
North Collier Regional Park, 1500 Livingston Road, Naples. For more information, contact Dan Rosenfeld at dbrosenfeld08@gmail.com.
➢The deadline to submit service-learning hours for student who will be graduating soon is Friday, April 15.
>> Service-learning events and opportunities ➢Be a clown, face painter or bounce house supervisor at the Food Truck Wars to support Blessings in a Backpack of SWFL. The event will take place on Saturday, April 16, at Six Bends Harley-Davidson, 9501 Thunder Road, Fort Myers. Volunteer shifts are available from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and/or from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, contact Taylor Toreno at taylor.toreno@gmail.com or 954-821-9282. ➢Help is needed for set up and tear down of the the GladKids Golf Classic on Saturday, April 9 at Shell Point Golf Club. All proceeds will benefit the Gladiolus Learning and Development Center. Groups of students or individuals are welcome. For more information, contact Tina Parsons at executivedirector@gladkids.net or call 239-481-2100. ➢The sixth annual SWFL Epilepsy Walkathon needs volunteers’ time and talents from 8 a.m. to noon for set-up, check-in, and breakdown of the fundraiser. The event will take place Sunday, April 17 at
Entertainment and Lifestyle Editor
➢On-Campus: Eagles Care Book Fair. With volunteers by their side, underprivileged children will enjoy a day of games and fun, and go home with books to read. The fair will take place Friday, April 22 on the library lawn. Volunteer slots are available from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., 11 a.m. to noon and noon to 1 p.m. For more information z contact Emmalyn Green at elgreen7067@eagle. fgcu.edu or Michelle Smykowski at msmykowski0381@eagle.fgcu.edu. ➢On-Campus: Earth Day. Many opportunities are available April 11 and April 12. Help is needed with a documentary Monday night, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. On Tuesday, help is needed with various events, including the Farmers Market, RecycleMania, the Wingstock concert and food preparation. Variety of shifts throughout the day and evening. Contact Uzair Iqbal at sgsustainability@fgcu.edu for more information. ➢Now is the chance to become a pickleball expert. Volunteer at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championship from April 26 to May 1 at East Naples Community Park. Volunteer can help with registration, write for the daily U.S. Open paper, prepare press releases, assist with social media, photography, and refereeing. Contact Sally Hudgins at Hudgins1@comcast.net for more information.
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The world in brief
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Assistant Media Editor
Mississippi passes bill that allows religious service denial to LGBT community Mississippi’s Gov. Phil Bryant signed a controversial religious freedom law Tuesday, April 5, despite opposition from gay-rights groups. The law allows public and private businesses to deny service to same-sex couples based on the argument that it violates the businesses’ religious beliefs. The gay-rights groups claim the bill allows discrimination.
Rachel Stroecker
Air France allows female employees to avoid Tehran route France’s national air company Air France sent a memo to all of their female crew employees March 18 asking them to wear a headscarf, as well as a sleeved jacket and trousers, whenever they arrive at Tehran, Iran. The National Union of Flight Attendants met with the company’s management April 4 and asked that the company allowed the employees to refuse to work the route to Tehran. The company yielded to the union’s request. For the employees who don’t plan on refusing the route, the new regulation will begin April 17.
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ABOUT US: Eagle News, founded in 1997, is the student newspaper at Florida Gulf Coast University. The newspaper is the only student produced publication on campus and is entirely student run.
Iceland Prime Minister resigns over Panama Papers
South Africa discusses presidential impeachment
Australian bishop dies before testifying about paedophile acts
The prime minister of Iceland resigned Tuesday, April 5 after a series of confidential documents were leaked from a Panama law firm, Mossack Fonseca. The Panama papers are more than 11 million documents that date back four decades and claim the firm helped multiple world’s leaders launder money, and avoid taxes and sanctions.
The governing African National Congress stopped an opposition effort to impeach current South Africa president Jacob G. Zuma on Tuesday April 5. South Africa’s highest court ruled five days ago that Zuma had violated the Constitution through his handling of a corrupt case. The Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday March 31 that he had acted against the constitution.
A retired Australian bishop accused of covering up sexual abuse of children in Ballarat died Monday, April 4. Ronald Mulkearns, 85, was last asked to testify before the inquest after new evidence was found from Cardinal George Pell in March. Pell explained that Mulkearns did not notify him about the paedophile acts made by priest Gerald Ridsdale.
Eagle News is published weekly during the fall and spring semesters and monthly in the summer, with the exception of holiday breaks and examination periods.
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ONE COPY PER READER: One copy of the print edition is free anyone, but limited one per reader. Newspaper theft is a crime. It is also a terribly effective form of censorship. While most college newspapers are distributed without charge, they are certainly not “free.” Publishing a student newspaper is an expensive undertaking. Like other types of theft, newspaper thieves deprive rightful owners of their valuable property. If you are interested in obtaining more than one issue, please contact the editor-in-chief in writing.
Eagle News writes this beat every week from the official UPD weekly summary Drug case UPD stopped a car at 11:27 a.m. March 28 on FGCU Boulevard South. The officer searched the car and found the driver had 63.8 grams of marijuana. The individual was charged with possession of more than 20 grams and possession of controlled substance within 1000 feet of a university campus. Broken plates A complainant called UPD
at 9:53 p.m. March 28 and said there was a group of girls throwing dishes up to the air, and letting them fall and break. The complainant asked a UPD officer to check it out in Garage 1. The officer checked the area, found a group of sorority girls and they said they would be finishing up soon. Key left in the ignition A UPD officer spotted a suspicious car parked on the South Village lawn in front of
Palmetto Hall at 11:48 a.m. March 29. The officer investigated and found the car belonged to a professor who was conducting research in the area. Baggie substance
of
green
leafy
A complainant called UPD at 12:29 p.m. March 29 and said a baggie with a green leafy substance was left on the book drop at the library. A UPD officer picked up the baggie and placed into property for destruction.
Lost computers A staff member from Griffin Hall called UPD at 12:42 p.m. March 31 to report three missing computers during inventory. The staff member was the manager of academic and event technology and said the computers were outdated and not working, so they had zero value. A loss report was filled out for each computer.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A3
Lake Okeechobee special report
Swimming upstream Florida’s never-ending water battle
A brief history of Lake Okeechobee’s management By Jack Lowenstein Staff Writer @LowSpenj According to the Historic 2015-2016 Dry Season Rainfall report from South Florida Water Management District, at the beginning of this year, South Florida saw the highest total of average rainfall, at 16.22 inches, occur since recordkeeping began in 1932. The single wettest week within the district occurred between Jan. 22 to 28, and Jan. 27 saw the wettest dry season day in 25 years. These rainfall events caused the water level of Lake Okeechobee to rise to 16.4 feet in February. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has had to release water from Lake Okeechobee to keep water levels from continuing to rise to unsafe levels for the Herbert Hoover Dike and keep residents, who live near the dike, safe. The history of Florida’s water management explains why the Corps has had to make water releases since the beginning of the year. Phil Flood, the intergovernmental representative of Lower West Coast South Florida Water Management District in Fort Myers, has a great knowledge of the way water was treated during the settlement of the state to the way it is managed in the present. “In the old days, the Everglades covered most of the southern tip of the state, and you had this natural system of gravity that would carry water from the north to the south; and it would flow off the tip of the state,” Flood said. “Today, that’s not the case.”
Water no longer flows in one direction through the state any more. “All of South Florida is managed through a series of pumps and canals to support not only the environment but urban and agricultural development,” Flood said. “Water moves east, west and south. There is a detailed regulation schedule.” The settlement of the state began with the idea that water impedes development, one of the main goals that people had for South Florida. “The development all started back when Florida became a state in 1848, when the federal government gave to the state of Florida all of the submerged lands, the swamps and the overflowed lands,” Flood said. “But, they gave it with the caveat that you had to drain it, and the mindset back in the day was wetlands are of low value. You can’t live on them; you can’t farm them.” The land developers of the past did not understand the effects that draining and dredging would have on the natural environment in the state. The longterm effects were not understood the way they are understood by people such as Flood today. Wetlands were subjected to the experimentation of early development in the state. “We didn’t recognize how important (wetlands) are for the ecology and for our water supply, so the state started off ditching and draining whatever they could to make these lands usable,” Flood said. “In 1905, the state actually created what is known as the Everglades Drainage District.”
The drainage district could build canals, establish other drainage districts and impose annual taxes on landowners within the district. “Sounds a little foreign right now, a little unusual, but that was the mentality,” Flood said. “We wanted to drain the Everglades, so we could utilize it.” This time period brought about waterways that are well known to residents in the state today. “They constructed these four large drainage canals south of the lake (Okeechobee),” Flood said. “They created the St. Lucie Canal, which connected the St. Lucie River on the east coast to Lake Okeechobee.” Southwest Florida came under the microscope of the drainage district, with the involvement of the Caloosahatchee. “In the 1880s, the Caloosahatchee was connected to Lake Okeechobee,” Flood said. “It used to never be connected, but a gentleman named Hamilton Disston came down from Philadelphia and connected the Caloosahatchee to Lake Okeechobee. And, that was for commerce purposes.” The Caloosahatchee receives large amounts of water from the lake throughout the year for many different reasons. This year, it is a body of water that is receiving lake water due to the rain events earlier this year. Originally, another reason manifested itself and now is a regulatory factor in water management of the state — flood control. “So, the Everglades Drainage District was in place for many years, and it worked because people started coming to Florida
when it developed,” Flood said. When the 1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane hit South Florida, it struck the state as a Category 4. “And, it wasn’t like there was a couple inches; there was several feet of water covering much of the state weeks and, in some cases, months at a time,” Flood said. Flood said the state asked the federal government for help. The help the government gave the state eventually formed the South Florida Water Management District — one of five regional water districts in the state — many years later. But, before the state managed these districts, the federal government implemented its Central and Southern Florida Project. “The federal government came in,” Flood said. “It was a little bit different than their typical flood control projects because it also incorporated water supply. It incorporated navigation. It incorporated some salt water protection to prevent salt water intrusion and also a little bit of natural resource protection.” Bring the story of water back to its present state, and you have the Army Corps of Engineers trying to balance the water in the state and where it’s going to be at what time. In Lake Okeechobee’s case, it is holding an unexpected amount of water at this point in the year. “The concern is: the dike breaks, and there are a number of communities around the lake; and you’ve got the Everglades agricultural areas,” Flood said. “Florida Power and Light’s got some large
transmission lines through there; you’ve got some roads, things like that.” David Cobb, a Cape Coral resident with expertise in land development and acquisition, said when the state created the Department of Environmental Protection in 1990, the nature of development changed across the board. “We started having to engineer the properties to contain the rainwater runoff that’s onsite within a 100-year flood event,” Cobb said. “Newer communities, you’ll see, all have lakes and ponds. They create a haven for wildlife. They also, more importantly, filter the water that comes off the impervious surfaces like the roads and out of the grass that might be treated, allow that to settle before it goes into our water bodies. When you look at developing land … about 20 percent of it is going to be devoted toward storm water design.” The need for flood control in the state has resulted in a large network of canals and other management facilities. “Today, we now have over 2,000 miles of canals,” Flood said. “We have over 1,200 various water control structures — so we can hold water, release water when needed — and 71 massive pump stations.” The development of the state saw the need to create these modern technologies. “There is nothing simple about this anymore,” Flood said. “The old days of where it rained and it just sheet flowed across here, that’s all gone.”
A4 NEWS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6
EDITOR: JIMENA TAVEL NEWS@EAGLENEWS.ORG
Releases hurt vegetation, estuaries By Kelli Krebs Editor-In-Chief @TheReal_KKrebs While the releases of nearly 3,000 cubic feet per second from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee River has been harming Southwest Florida’s economy, tourism and environment, the biggest effect is felt by marine life. “When you put fresh water in an estuary — particularly when it’s large quantities at weird times of the year — even if the water was perfectly clean, it’s still a pollutant,” said Win Everham, an FGCU environmental studies professor. Okeechobee, a 451,000-acre lake in central Florida, is held to a defined border by the Herbert Hoover Dike, which gives a defined shape from its naturally expanding boundaries. The dike, which was constructed in the 1930s, is no longer stable enough to hold high levels of water. In January, recordhigh rains rose the expected water levels in Lake O, which forced the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers to begin releasing water from the lake into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers to ease pressure on the dike. The USACE manages the lake at around 12.5 to 15.5 feet of water with a 100 percent rate of failure at 21 feet. The recent water levels have fluctuated to nearly 16 feet. Because of the mass amounts of fresh water being released into estuaries, marine life is suffering. “My friend, Mike Owen, has this analogy that he calls the goldilocks rule for ecology,” Everham said. “Almost every living thing — along almost any measured characteristic in their environment — there’s a place they like to be, and there’s a place that has too little and a place that has too much.” For the Southwest Florida estuaries, the goldilocks rule is the water’s salinity, which is not high enough. According to Everham, most of the freshwater in Florida is influenced by secondary compounds, such as tannins, which make the water darker and can
block out sunlight and hinder photosynthesis for vegetation, such as seagrass that grows below the surface. “Two things happen when plants synthesize: the plants pull carbon dioxide out of the environment, and they make plant tissue,” Everham said. “That plant tissue is for organisms to eat and to hide in. So, if they’re not photosynthesizing, they’re losing habitat, and they’re losing food.” A waste product in the photosynthesis process is oxygen, which other marine life depends on to survive. “If you get rid of all the plants that are making oxygen, oxygen levels go down,” Everham said. “If they get too low, you see things dying because they can’t breathe.” But, the issue isn’t just in the water; it’s in the timing. “Plants and animals can adjust to the weird things that happen on a regular basis,” Everham said. “If you get a big flood of freshwater every June, the plants and animals will adjust to that, but if you get it in January,
they’re saying, ‘Wow, what’s going on? It’s the dry season?’ — assuming that plants and animals could talk to each other.” The average January rainfall in Fort Myers is 1.93 inches. This year, the City of Palms faced 12.9 inches, according to a U.S. Climate Data report. Fishermen are also noticing the effects on the clarity of the water and the abundance of fish. “Our fisheries and marine ecosystem has, in long-term, declined because of the situation,” said boat charter captain Daniel Andrews, who is also one of the main voices in the nonprofit Captains for Clean Water organization. “It can supercharge an already present red tide, which is basically a neurotoxin for the marine life.” Red tide, which is the common name for algae blooms, is caused by microscopic algae that produce toxins that kill fish and make shellfish dangerous to eat. As the name would suggest, this occurrence gives the water a reddish color. “This used to be the best fishing around,” Andrews said. “It’s
nothing like it was 15 to 18 years ago. We hear stories from our older fishing guys, and they say how great it was 20 years before that. It’s obvious there that our fisheries are in a decline.” Andrews has seen a noticeable difference in the oyster reefs, which are supposed to have noticeably cleaner water present. “When I was a kid, all these oyster bars were very healthy, and there were big, expansive grass beds all through the area,” Andrews said. Eastern Oysters are filter feeders, able to clean large bodies of water relatively quickly, while their reef structures serve as refuge for hundreds of other species including juvenile fish. Because of the damage, it’s suggested that we could see the lasting of effects of this spring’s releases in future fish populations years from now. “If you lose a lot of young fish, in a game species, then we might find a depressed population of these game species 10 to 15 years from now,” Everham
said. “So, when they ask, ‘Why aren’t there more snook? Why aren’t there more redfish?’ the answer might be because of that horrible release we had in 2016.” There is also potential for rises in exotic species, which can diminish native species. “There are some species that do better in nutrient-rich water — which interestingly enough, are fast-growing, exotic species,” Everham said. “So, if you put too many nutrients into a system, you could see an abundance of exotics, which depresses the native plants and animals.” Despite all the odds against the marine life in this complex problem, Everham has faith in the resilience of nature. “Life will always find a way,” Everham said. “I so often worry that when we focus on the bad stuff that’s happening instead of motivating people to invoke change, we push them into despair, and we give up. It’s complicated, and bad stuff is happening. But, we need to search for ‘what can we do?’ and we can’t give up.”
EN Photo/Rachel Iacovone
Nothing to lose but $3 billion Freshwater releases threaten Florida’s tourism industry By Nina Barbero Managing Editor @EN_Barbero Fort Myers Beach is by no means a ghost town, but local business owners have been impacted by the Lake Okeechobee releases all the same. Josh Stewart, the owner of Adventure in Paradise Boat Cruises and Tours said that when the releases were at their maximum in February, he saw a drop in business. “Definitely, we got calls pretty much every day about people asking how the water was,” Stewart said. “We had some cancellations, but I would say we had more people just not booking.” Adventures in Paradise is a family-run business that has been on Fort Myers Beach for 30 years. Stewart said in February that the freshwater releases at their peak were pushing foam up onto the beaches, killing grass beds and pushing bait fish further out into the ocean. Now, with the volume of releases reduced, Stewart said those phone calls have stopped. However, he is concerned that people who canceled bookings this year might not return next year. “Bad news usually travels faster than good news,” Stewart said. Master Captain Neil Eisner, the owner of Fishing the Flats Charters, said the conditions have “somewhat” effected his business. “There’s not as many fish in the area,” Eisner said. “It’s also affected the small bait fish.” Jessica DeGraw, FGCU alumna and the owner of Island Time Dolphin and Shelling Cruises, said the
releases didn’t affect the number of customers she had, even at their peak in February. “Honestly, it’s been the same for me,” DeGraw said. “I would have some customers ask why the water was brown because they noticed the difference from previous years, but people still booked tours.” Fort Myers Mayor Randall Henderson Jr. said it is hard to measure the financial impact of the releases. “It’s extremely difficult to quantify it in terms of dollars,” Henderson said. Henderson said he and several of the Lee County mayors visited Sen. Marco Rubio’s, R-FL, staff and Rep. Curt Clawson in Washington, D.C. in February. Henderson said he texted Tamara Piggott, the executive director of Lee County’s Tourist Development Council, during the meeting. “Are we losing hotel visitors?” Henderson sent. “YES. Cancellations are taking place as we speak,” Piggott replied. “The negative outfall from the releases is clear and evident,” Henderson said. Henderson said the releases had to occur to remove the possibility of the Herbert Hoover Dike breaking, which would have put lives at risk. Now that the threat has been removed, he said a longterm solution needs to be put in place. Henderson, who is also the president of the Florida League of Mayors, said a permanent solution would have to be multifaceted. He said that, ideally, water would be cleaned north of Lake Okeechobee before it enters the lake; construction of
the Kissimmee River Basin would continue to help slow down the amount of water entering Lake Okeechobee; more water storage would be created around Lake Okeechobee to hold and filter water before it flows into the Caloosahatchee; and the Hoover Dike would be fortified, so it is less of a collapse threat. Clewiston Mayor Phillip Roland said in February that the problem of the releases started with the Kissimmee River Basin draining into Lake Okeechobee. “The lake is 700 square miles, and what drains into the lake from the north is 5,600 square miles,” Roland said. “It’s got nowhere to go but out the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee because it’s too dirty to go into the Everglades. One of the proposed solutions to the release problem is to send excess water from Lake Okeechobee into the land south of the lake. Sanibel mayor Kevin Ruane has asked legislators in Washington, D.C. to allow the Central Everglades Planning Project, which would move 210,000 acrefeet of water — more than 68 billion gallons — to the land south of Lake Okeechobee. However, that land is owned by U.S. Sugar. Judy Sanchez, the senior director of corporate communication and public affairs for U.S. Sugar, said the solution is more complicated than just sending the water south. “They had that opportunity in October,” Sanchez said, referring to the South Florida Water Management District’s opportunity to buy the sugar land in 2015. “It was the wrong land.”
Sanchez said SFWMD determined that the land would not be an effective place to store water. “If you’re going to store water there, you’ll need to relocate railroads at $1 million a mile, relocate FPL’s power lines at more than $1 million per line,” Sanchez said. “It’s a lot more complicated than just ‘buy the land,’” Sanchez said. Sanchez said that because every foot in Lake Okeechobee is equal to 450,000 acre-feet, the CEPP land that would hold 210,000 acre-feet would not have much of an impact on the release problem. However, she said moving the water south would impact the small towns and businesses around the lake. “There’s not a lot of new businesses moving out here,” Sanchez said. “If you take out the existing businesses, you kill these small towns. These towns are what everyone used to believe idyllic American life was like.” Sanchez said Florida has already purchased land from U.S. Sugar for water storage, and she thinks the existing water storage could be made deeper to hold more water. Sanchez said buying more land would mean shutting down sugar cane mills and putting farmers out of a job, although she did not have an estimated number of how many farmers it would impact. “If (SFWMD) were to decide they wanted to buy it, we signed a contract with them, and we’d have to sell it to them,” Sanchez said. “It doesn’t solve the problem. It just relocates it.” Mayor Kevin Ruane said that while buying land south of the lake for storage
is “no silver bullet,” it would help “substantially.” “I don’t want to indicate that there’s a silver bullet,” Ruane said. “There’s 12 different counties that are directly or indirectly impacted by this.” Ruane said, in the shortrun, his goal is to get less water coming out of the lake, and he said he speaks with Lt. Col. Joyce Reynolds of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers once a week about the releases. Ruane said, in the longrun, the government needs to focus on accelerating the funding to fortify the Hoover dike, working on water quality initiatives to keep lower nutrient levels in the lake and finding water storage north, east, west and south of the lake. In Ruane’s request for federal funding, he wrote that the government needs to act in a timely manner to prevent further damage to the local economy. Ruane wrote that Lee County’s 5 million visitors per year create $3 billion in tourism revenue and employs one out of every five Lee County residents. “A 2013 poll by the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau indicated that 94 percent of all visitors to Lee County identified our beaches as our most attractive asset,” Ruane wrote. “Local water quality can have a tremendous influence on consumer confidence and can greatly impact tourism and our local economy.” Ruane also cited the real estate value of Lee County, which makes $300 million in annual tax revenue, as something that could be impacted by freshwater releases. “In March 2015, the Florida Association of
Realtors published a study on the the impact of water quality on Florida’s home values. Their study indicated that poor water quality has a significant and direct impact on property values and Lee County’s aggregate property values can decrease by as much as $541 million as a result of poor water quality and clarity.” There are several pieces of legislation involved with changing the water releases. Ruane would like to use the Central Everglades Planning Project and the Water Resources Reform and Development Act to move water south of Lake Okeechobee into a reservoir. Ruane has proposed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers build the water reservoir in the Everglades Agricultural Area south of Lake Okeechobee. Funding for these projects would come from Amendment 1 funding and a Legacy Florida bill that would have to pass in the U.S. House and Senate. “It’s a long-term solution,” Ruane said. “We were up in Tallahassee advocating for the Legacy Bill.” Ruane said that although the Lake Okeechobee releases have historically been a problem for Sanibel, he is hopeful that a permanent solution could be implemented. “Having seen this movie before, I’d like to see a longterm solution,” Ruane said. “I’m much more optimistic than I was. I want to do it based on facts, not solutions.”
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Students to rally for clean water By Jimena Tavel News Editor @taveljimena A group of FGCU students wants to educate the rest of the university about the water issues in Florida — specifically the issues related to the discharges of Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers. Brittany Jacobs, a senior majoring in communication, is the leader of the movement. Jacobs is taking a rhetoric of social movement class this semester and decided to hold a clean water rally with some of her classmates as an assignment. The rally will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 18 at the Veterans Pavilion on campus. “(The word) ‘rally’ does hold a negative connotation, but it’s totally intended as an educational rally,” Jacobs said. The students are partnering with the Southwest Clean Water
Movement, run by John Heim, and the FGCU Fishing Club. Wyler Gins, a senior majoring in finance and minoring in marketing, moved to Florida ten years ago from New York and has been fishing since he was a kid. He is now a local fisherman in the Caloosahatchee River and serves as the president of the FGCU Fishing Club. Gins is helping Jacobs and her classmates with their assignment. “I live to fish,” Gins said. “The fishery has declined so much since the last ten years that I’ve been here. It’s hard for me because I go out and fish a lot and get firsthand all of the impacts of what’s going on.” Lake discharges have brought too much polluted fresh water into the Caloosahatchee River. This pollution then kills fish, crustaceans and other wildlife. Oysters, for instance, normally clean the water but have died from the low salinity. Also, the freshwater doesn’t allow seagrass
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to get its needs from saltwater, and the dirt in the water doesn’t allow the sun to go through. So, the grass dies. Although the rally is focused on Lake Okeechobee discharges, Gins said he believes that is just one part of the major water problems. He said the local development is also ruining the watershed. “Both the east and west coast of Florida are dying from too much freshwater while Florida Bay is dying from not enough,” Gins said. Gins said everyone has known how to fix the problems since the 1940s, but they have failed to address it. Gins said the solution is to buy land to store, treat and convey water consistently throughout the year. “The Florida elected officials are doing nothing about it,” Gins said. “They have done a lot of little Band-Aids here and there to kind of stop the people from getting mad and kind of divert
Nothing is more certain than change By Melissa Neubek Staff Writer @melissayosephin
EN Photo/ Rachel Iacovone Tourists and locals fish off a pier at a beach in Sanibel.
Gov. Scott should think about residents, not tourists By Luke Janke Staff Writer @jankeleg If you’re a native Floridian, you know that a major part of living in the Sunshine State is basking in the sun’s rays and enjoying the numerous lakes, canals and beaches. At least once a week, I find myself catching the sunrise at Bowditch Point, one of the many beautiful and serene alcoves you can find on Estero Island, away from the touristy nightmare you find at the Fort Myers Beach Pier. Although I typically don’t swim in the waters during the cold season, it’s a slice of paradise that is quickly seeing the effects of the Lake Okeechobee releases. The telltale signs are all there: green water, excess of dead marine life washed up on the shore and the weird smell. It’s hard to ignore the harsh ecological effects that these releases have on the lake, and it’s hitting close to home. Now, I understand where Florida Gov. Rick Scott may be coming from when he’s concerned about tourism and business to the state. He’s up in his ivory tower in the Panhandle where it’s not so saturated. His allocation of tax money from the It’s Your Money Tax Cut Budget of $130 million last year, however, was a major step in the right direction.
“This $130 million investment from the It’s Your Money Tax Cut Budget will fund critical projects that will improve water quality for families and businesses that rely on these natural treasures,” Scott said in the initial announcement. “These dollars will go towards improving water quality, mitigating impacts of Lake Okeechobee’s discharges on our estuaries and diverting more fresh water south to help restore the Everglades.” Even if he financially supports the South Florida aquaculture system, his incessant need to invite more and more people to the state may not be helping; more tourism equals more chances of litter in the water, more car emissions and, overall, just more unwanted people crowding our pleasant beaches. The damaging effects of the lake releases hurt more than just the economy or the tourism industry; they hit home for millions of Floridians, like myself, who enjoy living here mostly because of the beaches and waterways. Scott needs to see that his efforts, although beneficial, are being done for his own interests and not because the Florida natives are mourning the decay of our home.
the attention. You can do as many short-term solutions as you want, but we need a long-term solution.” Multiple guest speakers from the community will speak about their perspectives and opinions at the rally. Jacobs said the main objective of the event is to raise awareness. Howeve r, t h e y are also planning to get support for a petition. The petition, which was created by the nonprofit Captains for Clean Water organization, is asking the state government to use the funds from Amendment 1 to buy the sugar land. Jacobs said the group has been tabling for a while now and
As Heraclitus said in Plato’s “Cratylus,” “everything changes and nothing remains still … you cannot step twice into the same stream.” The current Lake Okeechobee water releases have stirred up some serious controversy, and the fact of the matter is that there is no easy solution or answer to the problem. When you dive into the facts of the situation, it actually becomes a bit murky what the problem actually is. Is the problem the dike? The water quality? The amount of water being released? The human population? The animal population? Here are a few certainties: there are two sides to every story, so first and foremost, educate yourself before you decide to take a stance. Nothing is worse than an uneducated, one-sided argument. A situation that involves so many different parties — the environment, humans, wildlife, the government, farmers, fishermen and many more — is almost never going to be black or white; you’ve got to be ready to flail about in the gray area if you want to truly understand. Let’s talk about why the releases started. There was a record high amount of rain in January, and it brought the water levels of Lake Okeechobee much higher than they should be. The Herbert Hoover Dike, which exists solely to stop water from coming out of the lake and flooding the surrounding areas, is not in very good shape. There was fear that the dike would break and the surrounding areas would flood, so they started to release the water. If you’ve seen pictures, you know that once the water reaches the east and west coasts, it looks like a big, dirty patch of
water. People don’t like dirty water. Neither does wildlife. My first thought was, “Wow, that’s really gross. How could we do that to our environment? We’re going to kill everything!” But, when I started thinking about it, I also thought, “Well, is it truly dirty, or is it just darker water than the water it’s mixing with?” I mean, when you go swimming at the beach, water visibility is always better than in a lake. Unfortunately, there is no set answer on that yet, but it is a possibility. That in no way means that the water is still not damaging the estuaries and coastal waters, it simply means that it may not necessarily be dirty. Win Everham, a professor of marine and ecological sciences at FGCU, attended a regional planning council meeting a couple weeks ago, where he learned a lot and got to hear the different sides being argued. “Water coming out of many of the freshwater systems in South Florida has a lot of tannins in it from Cypress or Oak trees, so it’s dark,” Everham said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dirty. Maybe, it’s dirty. But, it’s confusing for people. This might be clean water, or less dirty than you thought, but then, what’s the problem? Well, it is true that large amounts of freshwater in estuaries is considered pollution.” One of Lake Okeechobee’s main purposes is flood control. That’s precisely why it’s set up to drain water. The thing is these releases typically happen during the rainy season, in June and July, not in January. This unexpected release is raising a lot of questions: can the estuaries the water is being released into handle it? Will the extra billions of gallons of water ruin the natural balance in estuaries? Probably.
has more than 200 signatures. The next tabling session will take place April 11. “You can talk about activism all day, but until you act upon it, it means nothing,” Jacobs said.
Special to Eagle News The releases have changed the salinity of local water, and harmed sea life.
Would a repeat of the 1928 hurricane that claimed the lives of over 2,500 people due to Lake Okeechobee flooding be even worse now? Yes. Folks, there is no easy answer. Something had to be done, and with human lives at risk, a decision to release the water to prevent the dike from breaking was made. I don’t envy anybody on the decision-making committee. Besides the environmental impact, there’s another prominent argument focused on the economy. “The guys who are talking about the negative impacts are right,” Everham said. “If the estuary is damaged, that damage echoes through the quality of our life and our economy. Dead fish washing up on the beach does not attract tourists from Germany, nor fishermen.” So, would fixing the dike or releasing the water south instead of east and west to the coasts be better? That way, it would affect the tourism less, right? Maybe. Are you catching the drift here? There is no sure, right answer. We have never been in this exact situation before. So, criticizing the releases with certainty that you have a better answer or supporting the decision with no regard for the other side is not helpful at all. Do your research. Strive to understand. Keep an open mind. This is where the quote at the beginning of this article comes into play — change. “The only thing that’s been true forever is that things change,” Everham said. We can lean on history to try to make an educated decision, we can run tests and scour data to glean some vague idea of what should be done, but we can’t be certain. We are only human. We can only do so much. I am a firm believer
that as our population continues to grow, and especially as the Internet keeps us more connected than ever before, decisionmaking is only going to become harder. More people mean more opinions and more room for disagreements and emotions and all of that. We have to figure it out, but it’s not going to be easy. These water releases are a great example of how complicated making one decision can be. I think that it’s in our best interest to realize how truly insignificant we are in the grand scheme of this situation. Don’t take that the wrong way now; you are a significant person, but frankly, unless you possess a degree that serves to help make decisions about what should be done, there’s not much you can do. If you can’t be part of the solution, please don’t be part of the problem. Stand up for what you believe in, if you’ve got some real, hard, scientific facts, but please don’t go around spewing information that you “read somewhere,” without checking your facts, and preaching how terrible or great the whole thing is, because the truth is, you don’t know. On the flipside, healthy debate is totally encouraged. I am fully aware that I have no idea what should be done, but I am fascinated by the whole thing and have had several in-depth discussions about the happenings and whatifs. It’s especially nice to do so with somebody who knows more than you do. It helps me to remember that the Earth has healed itself many times before and will continue to. Some species may die, and that’s unfortunate, but again, it’s been happening forever. New species will come; things will change. All we can really do is go with the flow.
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Inspired by the Florida shore FGCU alumnus’ indie band to release music video By Emily Ford Production Manager @152Emily Picture this: it’s a hot sunny day, and you’re lying down on the beach with the sand between your toes while listening to the calm waves crashing on the shore. FGCU alumnus Jesse Glendinning used this as inspiration and expressed it through his music with his bandmates in The Helmsmen. “I spent four years at FGCU, and a lot of my music is influenced from living over there,” Glendinning said. “The music is the same kind of beach style that is on that coast of Florida.” Hailing from Jupiter, The Helmsmen — comprised of Glendinning as lead vocals and ukulele, Derek Campbell as guitar and backup vocals, Jacob Constantakos as guitar, Micko Paparo as bass and Samuel King as drums — all had the same vision to create music with an island-indie vibe. “I started playing the ukulele when I went to
FGCU, and I kind of just gravitated toward that instrument,” Glendinning said. “The band really wanted to write music that represented the beach style and vibes, and the ukulele went really well with that. But, it also has a lot to do with the influences we listen too, such as The Beach Boys and The Beatles. That retro sound with all organic instruments.” On April 8, the band is going to hold a music video release party for its new single “Rollercoaster” at a Jupiter venue called Maxi’s Lineup, where members will play a normal set and then project the new music video onto the wall. The music video was filmed in January at the South Florida Fair. With the help of another FGCU alumnus, Tyler Shore, The Helmsmen were able to complete their first music video off of their new album. “I had a friend that I went to FGCU with, and he ended up starting a video production company,” Glendinning said. “I called
Special to Eagle News Members of The Helmsmen (left) Micko Paparo, Derek Campbell, Jesse Glendinning, Samual King and Jacob Constantakos. The band will release its first music video for its new single “Rollercoaster” April 8.
him up, and he was down to drive over. So, he came out to the fair and helped us film a music video.” The Helmsmen are also scheduled to release their
first full-length album, “Midterm,” this summer on June 18. This release follows the group’s 2015 EP, “Homework.” “I am just excited to
share music with people again,” Glendinning said. “It has been awhile, like a whole year, since we’ve put out any original music, which has kind of been a
bummer. But, now that we are getting closer to releasing the album, I am just so happy with the way it is.”
Growing up early Two college students’ lives as young mothers By Jaynie Tice Contributing Writer @Jaynies_Journal We were sitting on the couch cooing at the baby, smiles spread over both of our faces, when, all of a sudden, she felt something warm on her leg. Bryson had pooped. And, it came right out of his diaper and onto her pants. “Babe,” Kiera Mariconda said,
“can you please take him?” Logan Harper, Bryson’s father, came over from where he was sitting and doing his homework to change the baby’s diaper. I jumped over the stuffed elephant on the floor and ran to get a paper towel from the kitchen for her. “This is what it’s like to be a mom,” Mariconda said as she stood up, laughing and wiping the baby poop off her pants. Mariconda showed me that a mother’s love for her child tends to trump her own personal needs. “I don’t even get the chance to shower or brush my teeth until he takes his first nap,” Ashley Simmons said. Simmons, who is a friend of
Kiera Mariconda and her son Bryson. Mariconda was a student at FSW College when she had Bryson in February.
Mariconda’s, is also a young mother. Cameron Matthew Heiston was born on Jan. 3, 2016, and he has changed Simmon’s life in many ways. Simmons was a student at FGCU when she found out she would be having a baby with her boyfriend Dominic Heiston. She plans to return to school next semester. “I hope to God that Cameron doesn’t have to grow up as fast as me and his dad,” Ashley said. I asked her what her plans with school are, and how Cameron may have affected those plans. “Ever since I’ve had Cam, I want to be a teacher,” Simmons said. “I hated kids and babies until I had my own, and now, I love them.” Simmons said although she’s now a mother, she doesn’t feel old. “I just feel like I took on an old person responsibility,” Simmons said, using her free hand to put air quotes around “old person.” Mariconda and Harper met like most young couples do — out with friends at a bar. It was practically love at first sight for Harper, though Mariconda said she didn’t believe in such a thing until she looked at Bryson for the first time. Bryson James Harper was born on Feb. 26, 2016. He was very close to being born on leap day — something Mariconda was very concerned about. Mariconda is 21 years old. She was attending Florida Southwestern College when she got pregnant and is planning to start school again this summer. Harper, 27, is a student at Hodges University and works as a server. The two are both working on undergraduate degrees. Mariconda plans to take online courses, so she can be at home with Bryson. “At least for his first year, I don’t want to miss anything,” Mariconda said.
Cameron Heiston takes a nap. Ashley Simmons didn’t plan to have a baby at such a young age, but now she loves her son more than anything.
Photos special to Eagle News Ashley Simmons gives a kiss to her son Cameron Heiston. Simmons was an FGCU student when she got pregnant, so she had to postpone her studies. She’s planning to return to FGCU in the Fall of 2016.
EDITOR: KLAUDIA BALOGH ENTERTAINMENT@EAGLENEWS.ORG
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 EAGLE NEWS E & L A7
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A playlist by the Eagle News staff Study & Chill
How to hack your college life
Lie down, lounge and listen: 1. “I’m A Mess” - Ed Sheeran 2. “Let It Go” - James Bay 3. “Return To Form” - Ciaran Lavery 4. “XO” - John Mayer 5. “Someone New” - Hozier 6. “Free Fallin’” - John Mayer 7. “The Great Salt Lake” - Band of Horses 8. “Good As New” - Vacationer 9. “Yellow” - Coldplay 10. “Reminder” - Mumford & Sons
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Chris Lane will be the opener for Chase Rice at Nest Fest April 14 By Allie Taylor Assistant E&L Editor @AllieTaylorEN With Nest Fest right around the corner, the FGCU Programming Board announced that Chris Lane will be the opener for country headliner Chase Rice. Lane is a country singer-songwriter from Kernersville, North Carolina. He is best known for his hit single, “Fix,” that features his “impressively
natural singing style.” Lane was influenced by the sounds of pop and rhythm and blues singers like Justin Timberlake, Usher and the Backstreet Boys. “I sang this style my whole life, but we just didn’t have the material to showcase it,” Lane said on his website on his search for songs to emphasize his falsetto sound. “Now, the falsetto has become my sound, and I hope it separates me from what
other artists are doing.” Lane has performed at over 500 shows and sang on stage with Florida Georgia Line, Jerrod Neimann, Brett Eldredge and Thomas Rhett. Tickets for Nest Fest on April 14 are available for purchase at Germain Arena for $22 for students and $32 for nonstudents. Day-of-show tickets will be $42 for both students and nonstudents.
Special to Eagle News In college, when things don’t fall right into place, and all you want to do is scream and hide; read this instead. We’re here to keep you from freaking out.
By Alexis Gregor Contributing Writer @allieethatgirl Life happens. Sometimes things don’t work out the way you want, or maybe you’re not ready for what’s about to come along. With this column, we are bringing up a few issues every week college students tend to face and offering you simple life hacks for when Murphy’s Law is looking right at you from the other corner of the ring.
Problems You love Apple products, but the tangled charger cords and headphones are the actual worst.
It’s Florida, so you live in flip-flops. You’re in college, so you’re perpetually broke. Then, the worst happens — your sandals break.
It’s a great morning, because you have leftover pizza for breakfast. However, you’re not a fan of cold pizza, and the crust just never tastes the same after you microwave it.
Your chips are always stale when you go to eat them. You don’t own any chip clips, and why on earth would you bother to go buy some?
Special to Eagle News Chris Lane will perform the opening act for Chase Rice at Nest Fest at Germain Arena April 14.
Solutions Try placing a spring from a pen where the cord connects to each charger end. You can also use washi tape to help prevent the rubber from separating from the wires.
If the thong part of the sandal separated from the sole, you are in luck. Try using a twist tie on the bottom of the shoe where the top part attaches to your sole. The shoe probably broke because the hole got too big. The twist tie will keep the sole and thong together.
Try putting a glass of water in the microwave at the same time as the pizza. The water will add moisture to the air and keep the pizza crust from getting chewy as it reheats.
You know those cheap plastic hangers you get when you buy something from WalMart? Break off the clips that are attached to the hanger, and use those to close bags, whether it be chips or cereal. Alternatively, you can use binder clips to close bags in the same way.
EDITOR: KLAUDIA BALOGH ENTERTAINMENT@EAGLENEWS.ORG
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 EAGLE NEWS E & L A8
Meal prep game strong Healthy meals delivered to your doorstep
By Klaudia Balogh E&L Editor @ByKlaudiaBalogh There’s always an excuse for choosing unhealthy meals over healthy ones. What’s yours? Is it because you don’t have time to cook or because it’s too much work or simply because it’s much easier to hit the drivethru or stroll through the prepackaged frozen food aisle in the grocery store? With family, work, school and social life, grocery shopping and cooking for a day or days ahead doesn’t always fit in a 24-hour day. It’s easy to blame everything around you as the reason why your meals are rather on the unhealthy side. Not to mention, there aren’t many, if any at all, healthy options on campus for students to choose from. However, there is a growing alternative: homedelivered, pre-packaged meals that help you eat healthy meals all day long for days and weeks out. Dayana Espaillat, the co-owner of The Lean Box in North Fort Myers, said she’s noticed that people in Southwest Florida are starting to care more about their health and want to live a healthier lifestyle. “I believe that people are becoming more health conscious, simply because they are becoming more educated,” Espaillat said. “There is an epidemic with obesity leading to diabetes, heart disease, and proper nutrition is key in avoiding many health issues.” Both in Lee and Collier
County, people are starting to pay attention to a healthy option that won’t require them to reach deep in their pockets, yet they’ll have a nutritious, freshly prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner without having to deal with a messy kitchen. Healthy food delivery companies take the weight off of their clients’ shoulders and do the shopping, cooking and food prepping for them — whether clients are everyday people who want to make healthy choices or athletes or diabetics who need to stick to a strict diet. Each meal is freshly made and measured out — protein, fat and carbohydrates are calculated carefully — then delivered to clients’ front doors or to designated pick-up locations. Florida SouthWestern College, for example, is one of The Lean Box locations, which provides students some healthier options to choose from. Christopher DeLuca, the owner of Dish Delivery, started his business in Naples three years ago. He said it was by accident when his friend asked him to prepare his meals for him due to the lack of time he had. “It quickly caught on,” DeLuca said. “I think people are interested in both eating healthier, and there’s the time and convenience factor. If I can save people both time and money and provide a healthy, delicious product, I believe it is a win-win.” The Lean Box in North
EN Photo / Klaudia Balogh Food preparation and pre-packaged meals at The Lean Box. It takes about 10 to 12 hours to prepare meals for all their customers. There are pick-up locations in Lee and Collier County.
Fort Myers began the trend six years ago. Then, three years later, Dish Delivery and Fresh Fit Naples joined the list of healthy food delivery businesses. Each has seen significant growth in business, especially in the past couple years. “We have grown over 300 percent since our inception three years ago,” said Chad O’Connor, the owner of Fresh Fit Naples. “Managing our rapid growth has been one of the biggest challenges that we have dealt with.” We all know how much it takes to cook for even one day; grocery shopping, preparing, measuring out ingredients and actually cooking can take up to two to three hours all together. Now, imagine these companies are cooking for close to a hundred people and not for one day but for four to five days at a time. Leo Espaillat, the co-owner and chef at The Lean Box, said they cook about three times a week when they get fresh
produce, and each cooking day is about 10 to 12 hours of non-stop cooking, stirring and flipping the meat. Leo Espaillat has been in the health industry for the majority of his life, starting with bodybuilding then maintaining a healthy lifestyle. He said The Lean Box switches up meals on a regular basis, every three to four weeks, in order for customers not to get bored of the meals. There is a large variety of items on the menu from chicken, beef, fish and pork to wraps and vegan options. And, they offer personalized meals as well. Customers can order meals for days and weeks ahead, which is convenient but requires them to plan ahead; for some folks, that might not be too easy. Many people don’t know what they’ll be doing days and weeks in advance, so they would have to make smart calculations to make sure the meals they order don’t end up going to waste
sitting in the fridge. Because all meals are freshly prepared and not frozen, their shelf life is about four to five days, depending on whether it’s chicken, beef, vegetables, rice or anything else. Dayana Espaillat said that planning is one of the biggest challenges she’s seen with clients they deliver to. She said the average client would stay on about 60 to 90 days. Then, they fall out. However, she also has clients on for two to three years because they get used to the convenience of healthy food delivery. Over the course of the past six years, since The Lean Box opened, she has seen a growing trend with people relying on their delivery. As for how far each company delivers to: The Lean Box delivers as far north as Punta Gorda and as far south as Naples; Dish Delivery targets Lee and Collier County; and Fresh Fit Naples only delivers in Naples. Also, each has
several pick up locations throughout the two county areas. The reason why it is so hard for us to make healthy choices ranges across the board, and owners of all three companies point out an important factor. O’Connor said it’s the marketing by large conglomerate food companies that’s probably the biggest culprit. “They spend hundreds of millions of dollars trying to convince people that they need their products and, in many cases, succeed,” O’Connor said. Dayana Espaillat said it’s a combination of things, such as “hectic schedules, very little to no time to prep and cook meals, financial and fad diets.” DeLuca said it’s 50 percent willpower and 50 percent time management. “People are busy with jobs, families, etcetera,” DeLuca said.
John Cena’s ‘American Grit’ premieres April 14 By Madison Spector Staff Writer @ByMadiChanning John Cena’s new reality show “American Grit” is set to air at 9 p.m. Thursday, April 14 on FOX following the return of “Bones.” “American Grit” is a military-inspired, challenge-course-based series.
Cena himself is the host and one of the executive producers. The show follows 16 of the toughest men and women from across the country who were handpicked to compete in teams of four. Each team will be put through “punishing, military-based exercises” says Cena in the show’s trailer video on YouTube
and FOX.com. The contestants will be competing for a prize of $1 million. Leading and mentoring these groups will be four representatives of different branches of the military: Navy Seal Commander Rorke Denver, Army Sergeant Noah Galloway, Marine Gunnery Sergeant Tawanda “Tee” Hanible
and Army Ranger Nick “The Reaper” Irving. “The U.S. Military is the epitome of resolve and dedication, which is why I am so excited to be a part of ‘American Grit,’” said Cena on FOX.com. “This show will not only be a challenging and fierce competition, but it will give viewers a glimpse into the perseverance and training
of the men and women of the armed forces.” Fox has set the show up to be a 10-episode series. “‘American Grit’ is a bold, aspirational competition series that aligns with the spirit of the Fox unscripted brand,” said David Madden, the president of Fox Broadcasting Company, according to Fox’s website.
“The team at Leftfield and the incredible John Cena have created a series built on the pillars of determination, dedication and strength that we know will resonate with our audience. John is not only a phenomenal athlete but a motivational force, who inspires fans around the world, and we are thrilled he is leading the charge.”
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ATHLETICS FGCU closes season with historic WNIT runner-up title
EN Photo/ Kelli Krebs
Whitney Knight (center) dances with the rest of the FGCU women’s basketball team following the teams WNIT Final Four victory over Michigan at Alico Arena.
By Kelli Krebs Editor-in-Chief @thereal_kkrebs FGCU women’s basketball ended its season with a loss Saturday night in the WNIT Championship game in South Dakota. The Eagles fell to the South Dakota ‘Yotes 7165 in the DakotaDome’s
final basketball game in Vermillion, South Dakota. The loss comes after a historic run in the WNIT where the Eagles advanced to the championship final of a post-season tournament for the first time in Division I history. FGCU finished the 2016 WNIT with a record of 5-1 and moves to 8-6
in six appearances in the tournament. “We have nothing to hang our heads about,” said FGCU senior Whitney Knight. “We beat so many great teams — we beat Michigan at home for our last game which was huge for us — we fought so hard and of 64 teams in the WNIT, we were one of the
Freshman softball standout turns Dunk City into Raq City By Kelli Krebs, Editor-in-Chief and Joshua Saunders, Staff writer @FGCUEagleNews The 2012 Tyga hit “Rack City” blares through the speakers as the next batter steps into the batter’s box. The pitcher winds up and releases the ball, sending it over the plate. The batter connects, sending it back, way back. It’s a homerun. Racquel Fournet, a freshman out of Windermere, Florida, is a first baseman and outfielder for the FGCU softball team, and she’s leaving her mark in the clay. Fournet, who is one of three freshmen on a
21-player roster, is the only freshman to earn a homerun and leads the team with six of her own. She holds a .375 batting average, with 42 total hits and 35 RBIs. FGCU head coach David Derios said he has been impressed with Fournet’s performance this season. “Every freshman we bring in, we bring in with the same idea that they are going to go in and compete for a starting job,” Derios said. “What Racquel has been able to do is really adjust well what she has from pitchers and being able to be put in pressure situations and perform at a high level. I think she is mature beyond her years. That’s why she is really
calm in those situations. There’s not a lot of hesitation.” Fournet credits her early success to the atmosphere of the team. “Coming in, I felt really welcome by the teammates and the coaches,” Fournet said. “I think with the good environment, it helped me to perform very well. We feel very comfortable with each other, and that’s why I think we’ve been doing so well early on.” This season, Fournet has big goals. She wants to help FGCU earn a regular season title and make a long-awaited, first-ever appearance in the NCAA. FGCU opened Atlantic Sun Conference play last week, where the team nearly swept reigning conference
>> Raq City continued on B4
last two.” FGCU entered the WNIT after being snubbed for the expected atlarge bid in the NCAA tournament after being upset by Jacksonville, earning the league’s automatic bid, in the Atlantic Sun Tournament. In the WNIT, FGCU was the only team in the
tournament to boast consistent double-digit wins through three rounds. “I think that shows how reliant our team is,” Knight said. “We faced a lot of adversity this year, I was injured, we lost a couple games and we lost the A-Sun tournament. (Not getting the at-large bid) was definitely motivation in
Baseball falls to No. 3 Miami By Miguel Rodriguez Assistant Sports Editor @Miguel_Rod0914 After getting swept in a three-game series against Evansville over the weekend, the FGCU baseball team welcomed No. 3 Miami at Hammond Stadium on Tuesday night. The nationally ranked Hurricanes defeated the Eagles 4-0 behind dominant pitching by Jesse Lepore. After a scoreless, five inning pitching duel between Mario Leon and Lepore, the Hurricanes found a breakthrough in the sixth inning, scoring three runs thanks to three RBI singles. “We didn’t hit the ball well,” FGCU head coach Dave Tollett said. “We had three hits, but we had five
line drive outs. It feels like we are kind of snaked in right now.” Mario Leon, 2-2, had an impressive showing against the Hurricanes’ batters, pitching 5.1 innings, striking out five batters and allowing four hits, two runs and walking two batters. Jesse Lepore, 4-0, dominated the Eagles’ batters with ease, pitching seven shutout innings, allowing only two hits and striking out seven batters. “The kid’s good,” said Tollett. “I think we helped him, and he gave us some advantage counts — 2-0, 3-1 — that we didn’t take advantage of, and he got some cheap outs on 2-0 and 3-1 counts.” The Eagles finished the game with just three hits, with two of the three
>> Baseball continued on B3
the WNIT.” FGCU’s season comes to a close along the collegiate basketball careers of eight seniors with a program-best 33-6 record.
Rivera redshirts after injury, to return next season ByJennifer Fonseca Contributing writer @Jennifer_Fons FGCU first baseman Nick Rivera is out for the season due to a broken wrist. It started with wrist pain and discomfort for a couple of weeks, but he played through it. “During the game against Rutgers, I took a swing and felt my hand crack,” Rivera said. “It’s very unfortunate, but got it in on time and got surgery
>> Injured Rivera continued on B3
Men’s golf earns second best at ECU Intercollegiate By News Staff FGCU men’s golf had its best play of the season this weekend at the East Carolina Intercollegiate at Brook Valley Country Club. The Eagles tied for second. East Carolina University, which hosted the weekend’s invite, claimed the title from the 13-team field with an 880 total while FGCU’s three-round 903 total was equaled by Campbell, as the Eagles and Camels finished 12 shots in front of fourth-place Old Dominion (915). “The score doesn’t really show how well the guys played,” FGCU head coach Eric Booker said. “It was brutally cold and windy, and the greens were really fast. It was really a survival test. We gave back a lot of shots down the stretch and probably should have had at least sole possession of second
place, but we finished ahead of some good teams ranked in front of us. We’ve got some time now to finetune some items and take a strong team into the conference tournament.” Senior Austin Schultz posted the best finish of his career with the secondplace showing, besting a tie for fifth he had as a freshman while with Florida Southern College. The final-round 72 was tied for the best in the 77-player field, as Schultz made three birdies and three bogeys to conclude an ultra-impressive tournament in which he didn’t make anything worse than a bogey over the 54 holes. Fellow senior Jake Sherwin posted his fourth-straight top-15 finish, as he concluded the intercollegiate in sole possession of 10th place. Sherwin was just one over in his final round but
closed with three bogeys and a double bogey in the final four holes. Sherwin concluded his final regular season with top-15 finishes in seven of FGCU’s eight tournaments. His worst showing of the year was a tie for 23rd. Up next for the
Remec Carlson watches his shot.
Eagles is the A-Sun Championship. Action commences at The Legends at Chateau Elon in Braselton, Georgia on Sunday, April 17. The teams are scheduled to play 18 holes each day, concluding on Tuesday, April 19.
Photo Special to Eagle News
EN Illustration/ Emily Ford
B2 SPORTS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6
EDITOR: MADISON HAMPTON | SPORTS@EAGLENEWS.ORG
This week in athletics
Women’s tennis at UNF By Chelsea Fernandez Contributing writer @Chelsea1447 The FGCU women’s tennis team heads to Jacksonville to compete in the fifth match of the Atlantic Sun Tournament against UNF. The match is set to be played at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 7. Last season when these teams faced each other, FGCU lost its five-game
streak with a loss of 3-4 to UNF. This will be the second to last game before the three-day series match, Atlantic Sun Tournament Tennis Championship, in Spartanburg, South Carolina FGCU’s women’s tennis team will then face Stetson in its last game of conference play, set at the FGCU Tennis Complex at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 9.
Women’s tennis vs. Stetson By Chelsea Fernandez Contributing writer @Chelsea1447 The FGCU women’s tennis team hosts Stetson at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at the FGCU Tennis Complex. This will be the last game of the six-game series for the conference season before continuing on to the A-Sun Women’s Tennis Championship hosted in Spartanburg, South
Carolina. Last season when these two teams played against each other in the A-Sun Tournament FGCU experienced a loss of 2-4. The FGCU women’s tennis team will then attend the A-Sun Women’s Tennis Championship where the teams have yet to be announced. The three-game series will be held from April 22 to 24.
Men’s tennis at UNF By Chelsea Fernandez Contributing writer @Chelsea1447 The FGCU’s men’s tennis team heads to Jacksonville to face UNF in its fifth game of the series. The match is set to be played at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 7. Last season when these teams went up against each other, FGCU wiped the floor with UNF, with a win
Baseball vs. Stetson
of 7-0, ending the A-Sun Men’s Tournament with an overall 6-0. This will be the second to last game of conference play before the A-Sun Men’s Tournament, a three match series set to be played in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The FGCU men’s tennis team will then play against Stetson in its last game of the A-Sun Tournament series.
Beach volleyball at Fiesta at Siesta By Chelsea Fernandez Contributing writer @Chelsea1447 The FGCU women’s beach volleyball team heads to Sarasota for a two-day match for Fiesta at Siesta. The matches will be from April 9 to 10. The matches’ times are yet to be announced. FGCU last attended Fiesta at Siesta in 2014. The event is now on its seventh
year and will host over 30 teams. FGCU women’s beach volleyball will then host FAU at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 12 at Estero Community Park.
By Chelsea Fernandez Contributing writer @Chelsea1447 The FGCU baseball team begins conference play with a three-game series against Stetson at Swanson Stadium. The games are set to be played from April 8 to 10. The teams will play at 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
The FGCU baseball team asks all those who come to dress out in pink for the Friday game. Last season when these teams went up against each other in a three-game series, FGCU lost 1-2. FGCU will then host FAU in a game that was rescheduled from March 29. The game is set to be played at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12 at Swanson Stadium.
Softball vs. Stetson By Chelsea Fernandez Contributing writer @Chelsea1447 The FGCU softball team continues conference play with a three-series game set against Stetson at the FGCU Softball Complex. The games will be held from April 9 to 10. The last game will be broadcasted on A-Sun TV. The games are set for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday
and 2 p.m. Sunday. Last season, FGCU played Stetson in a threegame series, falling 3-0. The FGCU softball team will then host Kennesaw State in a threegame series from April 16 to 17 in the FGCU Softball Complex.
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www.eaglenews.org on it.” For Rivera, being out during his senior year is hard. “It’s tough,” Rivera said, “but I can’t dwell on it because the guys look up to you being a senior. And, I have to be there for them. I have to be a leader to these guys.” Although his time on the field is over this season, he is still trying to find ways to contribute to the team. To Rivera, this means trying to be a player-coach, advising the other players as much as he can. “I was able to get a redshirt for this year, so I’ll be back next year,” Rivera said. “I’m taking this time to learn and take it as a positive.” Rivera might be out for the season, but to him, this time means pushing the other guys to the best of their abilities. “I don’t think the injury will affect me after this season,” Rivera said. “I feel like the trainers that we have are very knowledgeable in the injury.”
>> Rivera redshirts continued from B1
Austin Schultz Sr. 5 feet 11 inches Hometown: Lakeland, Florida This weekend, Schultz gave the best performance by an Eagle in the East Carolina Intercollegiate. Schultz finished as the runnerup, with an even par 72. Schultz’s finish is his career best, beating a tie for fifth that he earned as a freshman with Florida Southern College. The final-round 72 was tied for the best in the 77-player field, as Schultz made three birdies and three bogeys to conclude the tournament in which he didn’t get anything worse than a bogey over the 54 holes. Nikc Rivaera rounds the bases in a game at Swanson Stadium.
Photo by Linwood Ferguson EN Illustration/ Emily Ford
>> Baseball continued from B1 coming from Matt Reardon, and left five runners stranded on base. The story of the first five innings in the contest was dominant pitching for both teams. The pitchers traded 1-2-3 innings, with Leon retiring six consecutive batters at one point in the game. Throughout the first five innings, both pitchers struck out a combined 10 batters, and the teams left a combined six runners stranded on base. In the top of the six, the scoreboard finally read another number rather than zero. After Leon walked the
first batter of the inning, Leon hit the second batter he faced, ending his night in the sixth inning. “When I hit Heyward, I let my arm drag, and I didn’t stay behind,” Leon said. “I wouldn’t say I was tired. I could have kept going, but it was definitely the right call to put Sterling (Koerner) in. He’s probably our best out of the bullpen.” Tollett handed the ball over to Koerner with runners on first and second, as Koerner went to work to get the Eagles out of the inning. Both runners on base took off to steal the bases in front of them before
Koerner delivered a pitch. But, his pitch was met by the metal barrel of Johnny Ruiz’s bat, as he hit a line drive into right field, scoring Zach Collins to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with runners on the corners. The very next at bat, Brandon Lopez, doubled the Hurricanes’ lead, bringing in Jacob Heyward in to score from third with an RBI single and advancing Ruiz to second. Following Lopez’s RBI single, Willie Abreu stepped up to the plate for Miami with two runners on base. Abreu grounded out into a fielder’s choice, as the
Eagles were unable to turn two, getting only Lopez out on second. Abreu’s grounder moved Heyward 90 feet closer to home, as the Hurricanes now had runners on first and third. With runners on the corners, Edgar Michelangeli increased Miami’s lead to three, bringing Heyward around to score with an RBI single up the middle. After a rough top of the sixth, Koerner struck out Randy Batista to end a dismal inning. The Eagles looked for a response after a leadoff single by Matt Reardon in the bottom of the sixth,
but their struggles against Lepore continued, going three up three down in the seventh inning. In the top of the eighth, Miami added to its lead, scoring a fourth time, thanks to Ruiz’s second RBI of the game. With Heyward on third, he made a break for home, as Ruiz laid a slow bunt down the first base line, scoring Heyward. Ruiz reached first safely due to an overthrown ball to first by FGCU catcher Matt Roberts, and the Hurricanes led 4-0 going into the bottom of the eighth. FGCU’s struggles at
the plate continued in the final two innings, failing to generate any type of hits or runs, as they fell to the Hurricanes 4-0. Now on a five-game losing streak, the Eagles open up Atlantic Sun Conference play on Friday, April 8 with game one of a three-game series against Stetson at Swanson Stadium. “We still have to find ourselves,” Tollett said. “There are some holes in our lineup that we need to patch up or at least be able to have quality and productive at bats.”
B4 SPORTS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6
EDITOR: MADISON HAMPTON SPORTS@eaglenews.org
Give ‘Em Kel
FGCU seniors have changed the program forever
Special to Eagle News
Wakeboard Club member, Connor Szyndlar, stays close to the wake as a teammate snaps an action shot.
By Kelli Krebs Editor-in-Chief @TheReal_KKrebs Well, it’s over. Last Thursday was the last time the seniors of the FGCU women’s basketball team walked across the floor of Alico Arena for tipoff. Last weekend was the last time they played in green and blue. It’s bittersweet. Last weekend, FGCU earned a WNIT runner-up title following a first-ever appearance in the WNIT Championship game. The South Dakota Coyotes ended FGCU’s season with a 71-65 loss.
But, hey, we still had FGCU basketball in April. Even in the excitement of knowing FGCU was going to the championship, it was hard to see them walk off the floor for the last time. What this senior class has accomplished for the program is incredible, and I’ve been lucky enough to cover the same team through my four years at FGCU. Last week, Alico Arena said goodbye to seniors DyTiesha Dunson, Kaneisha Atwater, Katie Meador, Jaime Gluesing, Whitney Knight, Stephanie Haas, Kady Schrann and Bethany Murrell.
Five conference regular season titles, four NCAA Tournament appearances, five NCAA games, one NCAA win, a WNIT runner-up title and several weeks in the top 25 — the accolades go on and on. Combined, these eight seniors, led by FGCU head coach Karl Smesko, have contributed 5,184 points. Of those points, 662 were three-pointers. They have only lost to a conference foe in the regular season once. FGCU went 145-26 through five seasons. Knight, a two-time A-Sun Player of the Year, spent five years with FGCU and appeared in
every Division I NCAA appearance the program has made. In 2011, when FGCU made its first-ever DI NCAA appearance, Knight was tabbed as the conference’s Newcomer of the Year. In the program’s round of 64 game in the Raleigh region against St. Bonaventure, Knight contributed eight points and four rebounds in the 72-65 loss. Knight, Atwater and Haas all reached the 1,000 career point mark, while Dunson, Gluesing and Meador also earned several other honors. The Eagles’ senior
class led FGCU to three more NCAA appearances, including last season’s first-ever NCAA win against Oklahoma State in Tallahassee. And, this year, the same class took FGCU on its longest run in the DI postseason, reaching the WNIT Championship game and earning 33 wins this season. Insane. In the WNIT, FGCU was the only team to earn a double-digit win through four rounds. Before the Elite Eight game, Michigan was the only other team in the tournament that could boast the same. FGCU beat Michigan by
nine points in front of the program’s first-ever soldout crowd to advance to the championship. I’ve had the pleasure of watching seniors take this program to another level over the past four years — from the stands, on press row and on the baseline. So, I hope during FGCU’s last game, either at Alico Arena or in South Dakota, you took a second to soak it all in because the program will never be the same. These seniors are going to be a hard act to follow, but I’m sure Smesko has something up his sleeve for next year.
does get down, she picks herself back up and gets at it the next at bat.” On an academic
level, Fournet balances her homeruns with her biology books, hoping to continue her education and
enroll in a nearby medical institution. The Eagles are 19-19 this season and have six
series left until A-Sun Championship play beings in May.
>> Raq City continued from B1 champion USC Upstate, opening conference with a 3-3 record. Her coaches and teammates think highly of Fournet, as she’s adjusted to the life of a student athlete. Senior outfielder Alexis McAvoy has gotten close to Fournet this year. “Raq is a fun, hardworking teammate,” McAvoy said. “She is quiet at times, but I think it’s because she is a freshman and hasn’t broken out of her shell yet. She works hard for herself as well as for her team, and she puts her teammates before anything else.” McAvoy’s faith in Fournet extends off the field. McAvoy says that Fournet’s leadership has been something the team can follow and trust. “What makes her so effective at the plate is her ability to adjust to the pitchers we face,” McAvoy said. “If she is struggling, she listens to what coach says, what her teammates say and what she sees herself to overcome the difficult games. She is the kind of player that doesn’t want to let her team down, and this is what makes her so effective up to bat. She is only a freshman, so she has a bright future here at FGCU.” Fournet is not new to dominating the field.
During her four years at Widermere Preparatory, she was selected to First Team All-Districts honors in 2014 and 2015, the 2015 Female of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year in Class 3A and a First Team All-State player in 2015. On top of that, she maintained a .600 batting average, which attributed to her selection as Offensive Player of the Year. Senior shortstop Louie Ross has been a stand out on the team since her freshman year, earning a cumulative .301 batting average. “Raq is definitely a team player,” Ross said. “She is always there to pick you up when you are down and is worried about everyone and not just herself. She is a big part of this team and is an all-around good person. Raq not only puts in hard work every day at practice but stays humble as a person and a player.” Fournet’s success did not come easy, and those around her appreciate her hard work. “I believe (her hard work) has paid off greatly for her by keeping a level head and knowing what her job is on this team and accomplishing any goals she may have,” Ross said. “Not to mention, she is a stellar hitter with consistency. Even when she
Raquel Fournet at bat in a home game.
Photo by Rick De Paiva
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Special to Eagle News The peace marches that followed the Brussels terrorist attacks were broken up by riots and police brutality.
Interrupted peace marches in Brussels paint an unclear future for the country By Loni Kersey Contributing Writer @fgcueaglenews Police had to intervene when rioters hijacked the peace march in Brussels on March 28, following the recent suicide bombings in the Belgian capital. These rioters, who wore all black and took to calling themselves “The Nation,” were beginning to throw up Nazi salutes in a heated argument with the promigrant group. The rioters made themselves known, with all-black clothes and hoods covering their faces. Some wore masks
while unraveling a banner bearing the Nazi symbol. The pro-migrant group was having a peace march around the shrine honoring the victims of the Brussels suicide bombings at the airport and subway. The rioters trampled over the shrine, committing violent acts to the marchers and slurring Nazi slogans. It truly is a crying shame if people can’t even mourn their lost ones in a peaceful manner without their shrines being trampled by violent, unrelated, aggressive protestors with no reason or rhyme to have anything against them.
Violence immediately broke out between the three groups — the Belgian police, the pro-migrant peace protesters and the violent rioters. Matters became so dire that a water cannon from the police department became necessary in the situation in order to subdue the aggressors. Water cannons were just the beginning. Soon, the police had to use tear gas to try to get the riot under control. Ten people were arrested at the scene, and two officers were injured. After the event, a few suspected plotters were arrested this past Sunday
near the Netherlands, but no specifics on them have been made publicly known. How dangerous does the situation need to become for the police to justify using water cannons and tear gas on people, whether they are guilty of the disturbance or not? How far should the authorities be allowed to go in order to keep the peace? Considering the fact that these rioters ruined the shrine made for lost loved ones, something needs to be done in order to keep the peace after this heinous crime. “Those in mourning deserve a safe place to do
it,” said Meghan Jones, a freshman psychology major. “But, it seems like, in order to do that, they need to have officers basically surrounding them to keep rioters at bay. But, that calls for a lot of man power and won’t necessarily stop anything from happening.” Others have made the suggestion of building a new shrine, basically starting from scratch and doing it over again in hopes that the same thing won’t happen. So, how will the peaceful mourners ever get the ceremony they deserve? “The more simple solution is to get to the root of the problem,” Jones said.
“Put the hooligans into custody. If they are behind bars, there is not so much they can do.” How many false arrests will it take to bring the guilty ones into custody? How long until the authorities are sure they have the right people and all of them? How many lives are going to be incarcerated by this mistake? These are the questions that need to be considered when looking through the eyes of the law.
A closer Luke
New social media account exemplifies loose morals and uneducated voters New ‘Babes for Trump’ Twitter account is a giant step back for feminism By Luke Janke Staff Writer @jankeleg This election is perhaps one of the most troubling to watch as a feminist. On one hand, you have GOP frontrunner Donald Trump who has a jaded past for insulting and degrading women, and on the other side, you have an actual woman running for president who has no accolades for being an actual feminist. In fact, the only candidate who is seriously fighting for women’s rights is a 74-yearold Jewish man from Brooklyn. So, after stumbling across a Twitter page called Babes For Trump, I was kind of appalled. At first glance, you’re greeted with an icon of an attractive girl in a wet Trump t-shirt, trying to look sexy with her Big Gulp cup. All the while,
a solemn Trump is looking toward her via the banner image. And, it’s no surprise that they chose an image of him that looks like both a disappointed father and a sexually frustrated husband looking for a good time. The page features posts with scantily clad girls either wearing Trump hats or Trump shirts and captioned with #BabesForTrump and links to Fox News segments. I support girls being able to wear whatever they want, but when it’s less clothes and more Trump, it sends a deep message of supporting misogyny and a man who has been known to belittle women. The bio of the page reads, “Making America Great One Babe at a Time,” and without context, that is a campaign I can agree with. Let’s make America great for the babes and for all women. These young,
The debate that Vice brings up is whether Trump is sexy or not. Have you seen this man? Trump is a soggy, puffed Cheeto with the voice of an angry goose. Even if he were sexy, that doesn’t mean he’d be a great president. Kennedy was considered sexy too, but that didn’t make him a good president (see: Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis). Let’s be clear: Babes for Trump is by no means empowering to women, and it’s going against the grain. In order to make Special to Eagle News America great again, A pro-Trump account called ‘Babes for Trump,’ is an embarassing representation of women in the US. we need to support a candidate who hasn’t college-age women are the Twitter page was much of the media puts wanted to “steal money out either misinformed on interviewed by Vice, and this assumption out there Trump’s clear misconduct his attempt to blame the that women don’t like of (Rosie O’Donnell’s) fattoward women or are just media for painting a picture Trump, and that if they do, ass pockets,” or blamed a ignoring it to be funny — of women not supporting there is something wrong hard-hitting Fox journalist you know, the “I don’t get Trump is lackluster at best. with them. That is just not for “bleeding out of her Babes For into politics. Trump as “Women want their true. What we are seeing wherever.” president? How hilarious!” voices heard,” the is that America’s girl next Trump is a sham and an type. anonymous co-founder door might be your biggest embarrassment for women across the U.S. A co-founder of said. “We believe that Trump fan.”
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 EAGLE NEWS OPINION B7
Disconnect to reconnect with your bed Apple’s new Night Shift feature seems promising when considering our sleep By Iman Zekri Staff Writer @iman_zekri How many nights have you stayed up to the wee hours of the morning surfing Facebook or Twitter? It might be high time you rethink that. It’s been a widely discussed issue for some time now — light, specifically blue light, affects our circadian rhythms, our natural sleep patterns. Electronic devices are the biggest culprit in this light emission, but it seems Apple is coming to the rescue. Of course. In the most recent iOS update, 9.3, the company has released a brand new mode to help bring its users some muchneeded sleep. It’s called Night Shift. The company claims that the mode will automatically detect when the sun is setting based on your location and shift the colors in the device to the warmer side of the spectrum. Once it’s morning, the spectrum will shift back to its normal settings without you having to lift a finger. It won’t eliminate blue light, but it’s supposed to help
decrease exposure to those energetic rays. Harvard Medical has done a study on light and its effect on the circadian rhythm. Very simply, the circadian rhythm is the body’s ‘biological clock.’ Back in the day, sunrise and sunset were what naturally aligned our circadian rhythms. Then, artificial light came into the picture. For the most part, exposure to blue light during the day is actually good for you. The color boosts mood, reaction time and alertness. It’s when your body is trying to rest and recuperate from the wear of the day that it can become dangerous. The same study found there might be a connection to cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease. The biggest effects of blue light are on melatonin secretion. Melatonin is one of the hormones most linked to our circadian rhythms. It’s naturally secreted in darkness by the pineal gland in our brains. This hormone is also commonly seen in nutrition tablets to aid sleep. Blue light happens to be the biggest suppressor of melatonin in the light
spectrum. So why are things like Apple’s Night Shift important? It’s simply because we can’t take ourselves away from our devices. Social media plays on this, video games play on this. Our lives are very dependent on electronic assistance, and it’s becoming a problem on a scale we can’t even begin to imagine. Sleep, ensuring that your body is well-fed and hydrated, is one of the most important things you must do. Finals are on their way; stress is creeping up, and it’s going to be hard to make sure to get a full night’s rest. Bodies and minds cannot function properly without sleep, and it’s time to be proactive about that health. Don’t be afraid to cut off from the world before bed. At least an hour before, take the time to put your devices, assignments, study guides and everything else away. Focus on you before you focus on anything else. Synthetic reliance isn’t the answer here, and Night Shift isn’t going to do you any true favors.
Special to Eagle News In the most recent iOS update, 9.3, the company has released a brand new mode to help bring its users a better night of sleep.
Special to Eagle News With his most recent wins, Sanders is gaining the momentum he needs to find his name on the ballot next November.
Still Berning: Sanders’ new momentum may earn him a spot on the ballot By Iman Zekri Staff Writer @iman_zekri At the beginning of Bernie Sanders’ campaign, it truly looked like he didn’t stand a chance against frontrunner Hilary Clinton. His recent successes in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington have many people reconsidering their initial predictions of Sanders failing and ultimately ending his bid for the Democratic nomination. During a rally in Madison, Wisconsin, Sanders declared that his successes have opened a viable door to the nomination. “We knew from day one that, politically, we were going to have a hard time in the Deep South,” Sanders said. “But, we knew things were going to improve when we headed west.” Although Clinton has a higher number of pledged delegates, if Sanders is able to hold on to the momentum of his massive wins in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington, he has a reasonable chance of becoming the nominee. Sanders has exceeded the expectations of many Americans because he has continually criticized Clinton for her weaknesses as a candidate, and he has done an excellent job
of securing the votes of numerous young people. He is counting on the turnout of young people in order to win. “I know that our Republican friends and elected officials tremble at the idea of large numbers of Americans participating in the political process,” Sanders said. “I’ve got bad news for them. That is exactly what is going to happen in this country.” The Sanders campaign has also effectively used social media and other advertising channels to endorse Sanders. This is a clever move, particularly after a small bird landed on Sanders’ lectern during the middle of his speech in Portland, Oregon. Soon after the bird made an appearance at his campaign rally, the bird was named Birdie Sanders and a video of the bird landing on his lectern went viral. Sanders had acknowledged the presence of the bird during his speech, and, when it landed directly in front of him, he made a powerful declaration about the hidden meaning of the bird’s visit. “I think there may be some symbolism here,” Sanders said. “I know it doesn’t look like it, but that bird is really a dove asking us for world peace,” Sanders said. “No more wars.” The campaign
maintained the momentum of the excitement during the rally by tweeting pictures of the bird. The Sanders campaign has depended on social media for a great deal of its campaigning, and Bernie Sanders has undoubtedly beat Hilary Clinton when it comes to the utilization of social media. Although Clinton has a bigger lead in pledged delegates, Sanders still has a legitimate chance of securing the Democratic nomination. He has promised the American people that he will support the middle class and the poor. He has also stressed his support of having free college for everyone after high school. Today, a college degree has become the new equivalent of a high school diploma because if you want a job, you need a degree. Providing free college will ensure the success of our children and their children; they need to have the proper education required for available jobs. Ultimately, Sanders has done an excellent job articulating his viewpoints with passion, and his campaign’s use of social media is helping him grow in popularity. Sanders hasn’t given up yet, and if his campaign continues to gain momentum, he may become the nominee.
Good Samaritan law: is a cracked car window enough to save dogs? By Loni Kersey Contributing Writer @fgcueaglenews Being a 20-year-old pet owner, I know what it means to say that your dog is your baby. There are things that you do for your child, like buy them the best dog food and toys around, giving them lots of loving and treats or tying feathers to their tails and watching them go crazy trying to catch it. And, of course, there are things you don’t do to your child — above all, leaving them in a hot car while you run errands. The Good Samaritan law that was just enacted in Florida can give passersby the temporary authority to smash a car window in order to save a dog locked inside. A lot of people would say that this should be considered a crime and is
just as dangerous as leaving a child in the car. “It’s inhumane to leave any animal in a locked, hot car,” said Emily McQuaid, a junior nursing major. “Whoever does so deserves the same punishment.” If you haven’t already, watch the YouTube video “How Long Can This NFL Player Tough It Out in a Hot Car?” and see just how bad it can really get if you actually experience it yourself. The video was created by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and featured NFL player Tyrann Mathieu sitting in a parked car with the windows cracked in 90 degree weather for 15 minutes. In that kind of weather, even with the windows cracked for air circulation, the temperatures can quickly reach 120 degrees.
After just two minutes, Mathieu started sweating profusely. As a lot of people already know, dogs cannot sweat, so they do not even have a way to cool themselves the way we do. At 105 degrees, heatstroke begins to set in, and the dog’s vital organs begin to fail. “I completely support it,” said Emmy Calise, a junior business management major. “I had to call the cops once on someone who left their dog in the car for over half an hour in the summer, and it was obvious that it was struggling to breathe.” On average, a person going into a restaurant or grocery store tends to be there for, at the very least, ten minutes. Ten minutes is a long time to be locked in a car just waiting. Although, some people
don’t see it that way. “I don’t think a dog would die inside a car if they were there longer than 30 minutes if they had the A/C running and a supply of water, unless they have other problems,” said Farrah Pruskauer, a sophomore philosophy
major. Be that as it may, Florida and Tennessee have been the only two states to put this law into action. Other states have yet to see the importance of a law that protects the health of dogs. But, when thinking about this, just remember
Tyrann Mathieu, a professional NFL player that has gone through multiple tests of physical strength, could only last eight minutes in a hot car. So, how long can your dog take?
Special to Eagle News Florida and Tennessee are the first two states to pass the ‘Good Samaritan Law,’ that gives people the temporary authority to break into hot cars in order to save dogs locked inside.
OUTREACH Disabled students buddy up at FGCU Water Games By Nina Barbero Managing Editor @EN_Barbero
The FGCU Water Games will pair up disabled high schoolers with FGCU students to sail, kayak and play beach games such as corn hole.
College isn’t just about fun and games, but on Friday, April 8, five students from an FGCU class will try to make it that way for disabled high schoolers visiting campus. Students Lindsey Morimanno, Thomas Figlow, Chance Galloway, Jordan Santee and Logan Stone will host the FGCU Water Games as part of a Humanities and Social Issues project. The group will be bringing 40 disabled students from both South Fort Myers High School and Riverdale High School to the North Lake Village Waterfront for a day of kayaking, sailing and beach games. Morimanno said the group was inspired to create the Water Games after hearing about an organization called Freedom Waters. “Basically, they take people with disabilities out on a boat and teach them to sail,” Morimanno said. Morimanno said the group reached out to different high schools in the area to see if students there had an interest in participating in the games. The people who will participate have disabilities ranging from developmental to physical, but Morimanno said she is confident the event will activities that Photo by James Greco provide everyone can participate in, including kayaking, sailing, corn hole and volleyball.
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Morimanno said she thinks this event is important to help FGCU students build relationships with disabled people. “People don’t view them as capable,” Morimanno said. “They kind of are timid toward them, and I think (the disabled) are just so amazing. The event is scheduled to take place on the waterfront from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers will be setting up the area at 8 a.m. and cleaning up the area after the event. Morimanno said the group did work with the FGCU Waterfront to coordinate the event, but it was unable to reserve equipment. So, any FGCU students who wish to use kayaks or boats will take precedent over event participants. The group is hoping to have one volunteer at the event per disabled student. Morimanno said they still need 15 more volunteers. Interested students can contact Morimanno via email at lamorimanno7900@eagle. fgcu.edu. Volunteers in the Honors Program can receive event credit for participation. Morimanno said the volunteers may get more out of the event than they expect. “You’re just going to leave the event smiling,” Morimanno said. “It’s going to be amazing. It’s going to be a blast.”
Service-Learning office measures student community engagement By Nina Barbero Managing Editor @EN_Barbero FGCU will compare itself to universities across the nation this month as a participant in the National Assessment of Service and Community Engagement. The survey, produced by New York’s Siena College, was developed by two Siena professors. It measures the depth of community service through questions about student motivation and
frequency of community service. According to Siena’s website, the survey has been completed by more than 40,000 students from more than 70 universities. Jessica Rhea, the FGCU director of service learning, said that on Tuesday, more than 500 FGCU students had filled out the survey. She is hoping for 2,500 more student responses. “It’s a lofty goal,” Rhea said, “but I’d rather set a high goal and miss it than a
low goal.” Rhea said the university will have to pay to use the survey, but she was not sure what the cost was. “What this will do is create a baseline, to see if there is growth in our civic engagement,” Rhea said. Rhea said FGCU will send out the survey every other year until 2025, so the service-learning office can track how community service grows over time. In 2025, FGCU will reapply for a Community
Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. FGCU received this classification in 2008, and again in 2015, showing that community service at the university had developed. A link to the survey was sent to all undergraduate students on March 15, but students can also access the link through the FGCU Service-Learning home page. Rhea, along with service-learning staff,
service ambassadors and student volunteers from South Village, will be tabling from now until April 22 with laptops, so students can fill out the survey at the table. Each table will also have a prize wheel, which students can spin after they finish the survey. Students can win prizes such as candy and $50 gift cards to the FGCU Bookstore from the prize wheel. Rhea said she is looking forward to comparing
April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month By Nina Barbero Managing Editor @EN_Barbero On Thursday, March 31, President Barack Obama released a proclamation declaring that the month of April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. “This month, we reaffirm our commitment to shift the attitudes that allow sexual assault to go unanswered and unpunished,” the proclamation reads, “and we redouble our efforts to prevent this human rights violation from happening in the first place.” In the proclamation, Obama outlined several milestones in his administration’s approach to raising sexual assault awareness. For example,
in 2014, the White House launched the “It’s On Us” campaign, which involved more than 200 colleges and has led to more than 350,000 people pledging to support victims of sexual assault and intervene in situations where assault can occur. This year, the Bureau of Justice Assistance released information about its National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, which will allow law enforcement agencies to apply for grants to help finish processing sexual assault kits and identify rapists. FGCU Dean of Students Michele Yovanovich said the university has a variety of resources and programs that are able to inform students about sexual assault, including the Dean of Students’ office, the Division of Student
Dean Michele Yovanovich
Affairs, UPD, Counseling and Psychological Services and Housing and Residence Life. “Sexual assault is a serious problem all over the world, not simply on college campuses or on high school campuses in the U.S.,” Yovanovich said in an email to Eagle News. “I believe
it’s important that all people are aware of how this societal issue could impact each of us — no matter our gender or sexual orientation.” “Anyone can be a leader in the fight to prevent and end sexual assault,” the proclamation reads. “As employers, educators, parents, and friends, all Americans have an obligation to uphold the basic principle that every individual should be free from violence and fear … I urge all Americans to support survivors of sexual assault and work together to prevent these crimes in their communities.” This month, look for information about FGCU’s sexual assault awareness and prevention resources in the Outreach section.
FGCU’s results to those of other universities. “Personally, I think FGCU embraces service from courses to student organizations, so I think we will show that we have deeply engaged students,” Rhea said. “But, there’s always room for growth.” FGCU students are required to complete at least 80 service-learning hours before graduation and, as of 2015, had documented 1.5 million service-learning hours.
Agency of the Week Not one, but two agencies are featured this week: Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. They have combined forces to conduct a python research project on Shell Island Road, which is near Marco Island. Part of the study involves monitoring the animal capture arrays each morning. A great deal of assistance is needed with this daily monitoring project. Volunteers will need to be on site no later than 9:30 a.m. Help is needed Monday through Friday and possibly on weekends. Shifts can be splitted among volunteers. While in the area, students may earn additional hours at the Rookery Bay Learning Center. Contact Donna Young at volunteer@ rookerybay.org for more info.