Vol 19, Issue 5

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Happy Holidays!

Political Panic? How will the results of this past election affect Florida and its environment?

Florida Festivities

Basketball’s back!

Learn about safe local holiday events that will put you and your family in the holiday spirit!

The spotlight falls on two star basketball athletes for Players of the Month!


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Contact us

Meet

The Crew

Nathan Wilson executive@eaglenews.org

EAGLE NEWS

ENTV Director

10501 FGCU Blvd. South Fort Myers, FL 33965 Phone: 239.590.7945

Eagle News Editor

Samantha Romero

Assistant Director

Samantha Roesler

News & Feature Editor

SARAH MANKOWITZ

Nina Mendes

Opinion Editor Eagle Media Advisor

EAGLE RADIO Station Manager

Lauren Shanley

Programming Director

jake Henning

Justin Paprocki Michael Patella

Photo Editor

Nathan Wilson

Graphics Editor

Marketing/Sales Manager

Executive Editor

Julia Bonavita Erika Sauer

Graphics Assistants

Index @fgcueaglenews

Karina Cashman

Sports Editor

David Vasquez

News 4-13

Sam Grizelj Yaritza Rivero Clayton Petro

Opinion 3, 14-17

Sports 18-22

@eaglenews

Eagle News

Our Mission Eagle News, the official student media group at Florida Gulf Coast University since 1997, represents the diverse voices on campus with fairness. We select content for our publication and our website that is relevant to the student body, faculty, and staff. Members are committed to reporting the news with accuracy and truth. Our purpose is to encourage conversations about issues that concern the on-campus community Eagle News views every culture with equal respect and believes every person must be treated with dignity.

Cover photo by Julia Bonavita Cover design by Erika Sauer


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n Monday afternoon, November 23rd, I called my grandmother to wish her a happy birthday. She just turned 74 and I was planning on visiting her in Georgia the day after Thanksgiving. Neither she nor my grandfather has met my new husband since they could not make it to the wedding this past June. I could hear the disappointment in her voice when she said the COVID numbers were rising again and asked us to not visit them the upcoming weekend. I have never seen or heard my grandmother cry until this phone call. It has been over a year since I have seen my grandparents. Most of my family live in the Atlanta area and I really wanted to see them. My husband and I were supposed to visit in August, but our flight got

canceled because of the pandemic. After a long discussion with my husband and parents, we decided to fly up. My birthday was on Saturday after Thanksgiving and all I wanted was to see my family again. On Thursday afternoon, we flew from Tampa and made it safely to the Atlanta airport. We wore our masks from the moment we entered the airport up to the moment we walked out of baggage claim to meet my mom and sister. For our Thanksgiving meal on Friday, my mom had to order a meal from Publix since she was not planning on cooking. I called my grandmother to check on her and she said she had all this

By Katie Loudermilk

Graphics by Erika Sauer

food cooked she was planning to serve us. My heart was broken for her, but I had to keep a positive sound in my voice during the phone call. The next day, my husband and I drove up to my dad and his family’s house. We had to wash our hands immediately when walked in the door since they have young kids and the youngest is only 11 months. My stepmom took me to the store to grab a few things and the mask mandate was just as extreme as it was back home in Florida. I found out that evening that my dad’s parents were going to visit us, but my Nana is not healthy enough to travel or be exposed to COVID. I had not seen them in over two years. If there is one thing his whole experience has made me realize, it’s how precious family time is.∎

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Happy Holidays 4

From our Eagle Media family to yours! FGCU’s 30 credit-hour Master’s Degree in Engineering (MSE) offers three exciting concentrations in Sustainable Water Engineering, Renewable Energy Engineering, and Construction. Program faculty are experienced teachers who guide and mentor your post-baccalaureate education. The program schedule serves full-time working students with classes held two days a week online or face-to-face between 4:30 pm -7:15 pm. Degree completion is possible in 2 years, and tuition support is available in the form of waivers, assistantships, and scholarships! The application deadline for Fall 2021 is July 1, 2021, and for Spring 2022 is November 15, 2021. To learn more about the program, visit www.fgcu.edu/eng/mse. For assistance, please contact Dr. Danvers Johnston (djohnston@fgcu.edu) or Melinda Morra (mmorra@fgcu.edu).


SWFL Hotspot of the Month:

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Paws Crossed Thrift Shop By Nina Mendes, News & Features Editor

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row of thrift shops and consignment stores line a particular strip mall off of South Tamiami Trail in Fort Myers. Although they all may look the same from the street, one is making a significant impact that stands out from the rest. Paws Crossed Thrift Shop is run by a foster-based dog rescue (Paws Crossed Inc.) that’s been helping animals find their fur-ever homes since 2015. “Everything we do, every sacrifice we make, is to benefit dogs in need,” said Paws Crossed Inc. President Joe Abbotoy. “Being the president of a not-for-profit dog rescue envelops me with a sense of worth and purpose.” The proceeds earned from the thrift shop support the organization’s mission of rescuing and rehabilitating abandoned, abused and neglected dogs in Southwest Florida. Paws Crossed Inc. is solely volunteer-based, and some members donate additional time by working shifts at the shop. The nonprofit often recruits FGCU students to volunteer for service-learning hours. I’Riel Williams is the Adoption/Volunteer Coordinator for Paws Crossed Inc. “No matter what a volunteer does, I can guarantee they’ll have a rewarding experience,” said Williams. “When you volunteer with us, you’re working on personal growth, whether that be critical thinking, interpersonal skills, resourcefulness and so much more.” Williams also said that Paws Crossed Thrift Shop provides a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for all volunteers. “The actions of this amazing team can change

Photo retrieved from Pexels

Photo by Julia Bonavita

the life of so many dogs, as well as the people that love them,” Abbotoy said. “It fills our hearts with happiness and satisfaction while refueling our desire to help.” FGCU senior Brendan Beardsley plans to volunteer at the thrift shop over winter break. “I’ve been on the lookout for a servicelearning opportunity that is local and flexible with my work schedule,” said Beardsley. “I would love to volunteer my time with an organization that gives so much back to its community. I want to be a part of that.” With the shop only being a few months old, Abbotoy is looking forward to the new opportunity it will provide to Paws Crossed Inc. The organization is hoping to host adoption events in its storefront within the near future. “The store allows us to have a setting to interact with the public in a one-on-one situation,” said Abbotoy. “It allows us to educate and advocate not only for the dogs but for the rescue community as a whole."∎


Will 2020’s Election Results SAVE Southwest Florida’s Environment? By Jules Bustamante, Contributing Writer

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arsh winds knocked down trees and storm surges flooded areas as category one Hurricane Eta hit landfall in the Florida Keys. Storms like Eta are normal around Florida’s hurricane season peak in September, but Eta struck on Nov. 7. And just four days before on Nov. 3, a political storm struck the United States. In one of the most controversial elections in history, Joe Biden was declared the winner of the presidency. More quietly, Republican Byron Donalds was elected to the Florida District-19 congressional seat. Donalds acknowledges that sea levels are rising, but he has said that there isn’t enough evidence to support that humans have an impact on climate change. With climate change bringing harsh storms to

Florida, what does this mean for southwest Florida’s environment? Southwest Florida faces rising waters. According to the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, the Gulf of Mexico saw record high temperatures this year. Government controls will be key to managing environmental issues. The Everglades is an important part of Florida’s ecosystem, tourism, and water filtration. It’s still recovering from draining that began in the late 1800s up until the 1980s to make way for agriculture and urban development. Now with rising temperatures, it will face a new wave of destruction. According to the National Park Service, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Act was established by Congress in 2000 has a total cost of $10.5 billion over its 35-year plan to rework infrastructure and the


The election changes the outcome of Florida’s water temperatures. (Illustration by Jules Bustamante.)

Everglades’ water flow. Along with temperatures increasing and water levels rising in the Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes have been getting stronger and occurring later in the year. If hurricane season continues to follow this pattern, it could have devastating effects on the economy. “It’s [later peak of hurricane season] starting to affect us during [tourist] season,” Cindy Banyai, a political science professor at FGCU, said. “Now we’re talking about dollars lost and what happens as sea level rise, and all those folks who have coastal properties are not going to be able to sell that land in 25 to 30 years.” Banyai has a Ph.D. and focuses on international relations and public policy. She ran as the Democratic nominee against Donalds. Her environmental platform was based upon supporting the Green New

Deal and upholding the Sustainable Development Goals. Stronger storms will affect locals by making evacuation more difficult, and according to Banyai, public infrastructure may not be able to withstand it. “We have disinvestment in public infrastructure all around,” Banyai said. “Roads and bridges are continuously dangerous if we did have to evacuate everybody. We have many places across southwest Florida and Florida in general that don’t have hardened shelters.” While improving it may be helpful, in the long run, it could only be a temporary solution. According to Stefan Carpenter, an FGCU environmental studies professor who focuses on environmental policy, sea level rises could be too overwhelming. “If you’re adapting to it [sea level rise], you’re going to see moving inland, and you’re going to have to raise infrastructure and possibly build sea walls,” Carpenter said. “That’s a Band-Aid, but a lot of it’s going to depend on how high oceans are going to rise. We’re talking anywhere from a foot to as high as eight feet before the end of the century.” Donalds succeeds Francis Rooney, a fellow Republican. Rooney’s platform included protecting the environment, fixing water quality, and reversing climate change. Rooney cosigned the 2018 Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, a bill that imposes a fee on carbon emissions. He was the only Republican who supported it. In 2019, he became a member of the Environment Subcommittee on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. “Francis Rooney was really one of the few Republicans in Congress who expressly recognized that climate change is not only occurring but that it’s anthropogenic in nature,” Carpenter said. Donalds’ environmental platform includes improving water quality and the Everglades. He wants to hold the government accountable for ensuring that it continues to fund the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project. “For southwest Florida, water quality is our number one issue,” Donalds said in a promotional video. “It’s what we need for our economy here.” Donalds said in the Congressional debates that adopting radical environmental policies will increase electricity costs and harm low-income individuals.

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“He said he opposes the Green New Deal and is emphasizing the need for cheap electricity,” Carpenter said. “He says we can’t run an economy off of renewable energy alone.” For climate change, Donalds acknowledged the United States’ limiting of carbon emissions and is open to the idea of a federal response to sea level rise. However, in the Congressional debates, he claimed that the science behind climate change is not settled. “If you look at the recent articles, probably 99, or more percent of all scientific, peer-reviewed, gold-standard articles are saying that climate change is settled,” Carpenter said. “And it’s caused by people.” Donalds did not respond to requests for an interview. On a national level, Biden’s first promise as president is to re-enter the Paris Climate Agreement and have the United States become carbon neutral by 2050. He wants to incorporate the framework of the Green New Deal into his environment plan. This means for the country, there will be a standard to follow regarding climate action. However, time may have run out for reversing climate change. “Some major scientists are saying it’s probably too late to reverse what’s been done, but that we can still work towards mitigation of the negative effects of things like carbon sequestration,” Banyai said. “However, going carbon neutral is an amazing goal.” Locally, Donalds’ platform could improve the Everglades if he continues Rooney’s work, but it’s a large issue that can’t be fixed within a typical twoyear congressional term. “I wish there was an easy fix on the Everglades,” Carpenter said. “You’re talking systematically undoing what we spent decades systematically doing. I think there is a renewed emphasis on the state level to take care of this. It may be that that provides an opportunity for him [Donalds] to do something at the national level that wasn’t there for his predecessor.” According to Solemi Hernandez, the Southwest Regional Coordinator for the Climate Citizens Lobby and FGCU student, all the previous work for the Everglades may be in vain if officials continue to ignore the root of the issues. “We are spending a lot of money restoring the ecosystem of the Everglades,” Hernandez said. “However, we’re still not addressing climate change, which is compromising all the money that they’re

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putting into the Everglades restoration.” The Climate Citizens Lobby is a nonpartisan organization that works to connect citizens with congresspeople to combat climate change. The organization worked with Rooney throughout his time in Congress to improve the environment in southwest Florida. Their main goal is to promote the Carbon Dividend Act that Rooney cosigned. According to Hernandez, an increase in temperatures causes wetlands roots to get weaker and disrupts water quality and the natural filtration of wetlands. The Climate Citizens Lobby plans to work with Donalds on the basis of water quality and improving the Everglades. “We always look into finding common ground,” said Hernandez. “We believe in the good of the people. Just like our relationships with Francis Rooney, it took us time.” Much of the fight for the environment and climate change reversal belongs to the citizens as well as government officials. Despite it being a serious issue, according to Carpenter, it’s not as high on the general public’s concerns such as jobs or taxes. “Policymakers, in theory, respond to the demands of citizens,” Carpenter said. “Climate change, I think it’s moving up, but it is starkly environmental concerns.” Both Banyai and Carpenter said that individual actions have the power to improve the environment. “We can also make a change,” Banyai said. “Moving to plant-rich diets, reducing the amount of personal transportation and looking at how we can reduce our consumption overall. If we coordinate with the private sector, the public sector, the nonprofit and the civil society sector, then we can actually reach these types of audacious goals, just like we reached the moon.” “It’s [individual action] a bit like voting,” Carpenter said. “One vote makes no difference ever, but when you aggregate them, it matters.” Environmental change depends on maintaining consistent policies over time, and the election cycles can threaten that consistency. According to Carpenter, it’s easy to fall into despair, but work can be done with effort and dedication. “It’s sort of like the Dr. Seuss book, ‘The Lorax,’” Carpenter said. “’Unless a bunch of you care a whole awful lot, it’s not going to get better. It’s not.’”∎


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Inequality Sits at the HEART of the Southwest Florida Education System By Erica Fish, Staff Writer

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he dismissal bell signals the end of school as students swarm out into the halls, buzzing with relief after finishing the day’s lessons. But choosing to remain behind, a third-grade student sits at his chair, with eyes glued to the same lines of his open book, as he attempts to read his second language. Coming from a home where English is a second language, with both parents working to provide for their child and the lack of support from school, he struggles with not focusing all of his dedication towards academics. The effects of underprivileged schools in Southwest Florida leave students performing inadequately compared to other institutions while being provided outstanding academic opportunities and support. With inefficient resources, a student’s academic success is limited, and their overall development does not improve when the years progress. “It’s a system that isn’t always fair,” Courtney Satkoski, FGCU Instructor for the Department of Integrated Studies, said. When socioeconomic standing, funding issues and language barriers affect underprivileged schools in Collier and Lee County, it is the responsibility of the community to make a difference. Academic inabilities are known to carry on into an individual’s workforce responsibilities where they cannot recognize the importance of work service when establishing career guidance, gaining work experience, having job

Photos retrieved from Pixabay preparedness and acquiring academic skills. Studies show that low self-esteem does not stop once a student leaves the classroom. Having a lack of social awareness affects kids’ adaption to handling stressful situations when working under pressure. However, when a community decides to support one school over another, based on its racial and economically advantaged backgrounds, the remainder of the school system is left with inequitable reliance for its underprivileged students. “It definitely creates a huge divide between schools who are twenty minutes apart in the same county,” Satkoski said. As for Collier and Lee Counties, it is up to the community to stand as a resource for a student’s academic achievements. Due to this, a school-finance system is what determines how community engagement influences the readiness and standing of a school. “In all communities, the support of local businesses, non-profits and philanthropists are critical to student success,” said Dr. Kamela Patton, Superintendent of Collier County Public Schools. When academic results correlate to low test scores, concerning families living in poverty, the connection between an underprivileged household and their neighboring school attributes to how achievement gaps are formed. Achievement gaps are evident when referring to the


10 disparity of academic performance between minorities and socioeconomic status. When evaluating success factors like standardized test scores and graduation rates, the gaps exist in both counties. “High-quality teachers and strong, intentional and rigorous curriculum supported by families and the community is needed for a successful educational system,” Patton said. Both counties hold staggering rates of how a student’s academic success is influenced by outside factors that do not involve the district or state level. Through the support of community business partnerships and grants, school’s education systems are shaped by how a community serves students’ needs. “The district tries to provide equally but I would say that the vast majority of the extras that you see at schools are driven by a community’s networking,” Satkoski said. “I think a lot of that still comes from the populations who give the most time, money and connections to a school that already has excellent standing.” There are schools in Southwest Florida that receive thousands in grants every year, but then again, there are schools with higher rates of economically disadvantaged, while also outnumbering the white population and are given nothing. Collier County’s once B-rated Colonial Elementary holds 81% of their student population as economically disadvantaged with 7.7% population of white students. This school has never received outside grants or been provided any support from outside volunteer efforts that are not affiliated with FGCU. But Superintendent Patton shares that Collier has one of the most generous communities that helps meet the needs of their students by contributing to a student’s success. Students in a higher-income area have easier access to up-to-date textbooks, academic advising and before and after school programs. When needy students do not have access to such resources, their critical thinking skills range much lower.

“Schools who have little teacher turnover also tend to have very expansive volunteer pools or PTO associations, so I think that sometimes that, that disproportionate inequity just grows and grows,” Satkoski said. Regardless of what strategies the district implements in their school systems, such issues will continue to negatively impact the learning environment. Given that student test scores are normally higher in suburban and wealthier areas of the district, test scores are not the fair way to evaluate a student and their school’s impact. When there are factors within the classrooms that cause there to be a stall in successfully motivating their students to strive for more, outside influences do not positively impact the underprivileged. When there is any stall in progressive learning, academic success results remain stagnant. Internal changes cannot take effect until outside issues are addressed within the community that forms their schools into what they are. When it comes to lower socioeconomic areas of Southwest Florida, students do not have the necessary support where they are provided with enough quality classroom resources and teachers. Even though both districts work to ensure programs that are implemented equally, it still is difficult when configuring how improvement is made when evaluating from the outside. Apart from the achievement gaps, racial gaps hold heavier significance when outside funding is of concern. Delegating educational funding to local communities increases inequality when learning opportunities are not of concern. Having an unequal system in both Collier and Lee County does not provide any evidence of soon improved equality. “I think sometimes we forget that students should be continuously supported to accomplish the dreams they set for themselves,” Satkoski said. “We should not limit their passions and not make them feel that because they’re not at a school that has all the extras, they certainly cannot achieve their goals.”∎

"Students should be continuously supported to accomplish the dreams they set for themselves."


Going Home for the Holidays

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By Zion Ruffin, Staff Writer

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Photo by Chad Madden, Unsplash

020 is finally coming to an end and we can begin to look forward to the New Year and hope it will be kinder than this year past. As this weird semester comes to a close, students and staff will be looking forward to the holiday break to rest up and get ready for what should be another interesting semester here at FGCU. However, just like everything else this year, Covid-19 has created a lot of questions and uncertainty as it pertains to the holiday season, and how some people plan to enjoy it. While some people may to do their usually family trips this winter season and others will try to keep it laid back and lowkey, Covid-19 has forced all of us to reconsider how we enjoy our holiday break. “Normally me and my family take a trip to the Rocky Mountains for the holidays, but Covid has ruined that.” said Katie Ruby, a senior at FGCU. For many like Katie, Covid-19 has canceled family trips this winter due to differing travel restrictions, and worries of another outbreak. It’s been difficult for some to find places to go and travel as every state handling of the virus is different making it hard for families to come up with a concrete idea. “My family usually rents an Air bnb, but because restrictions are so tight and a small amount of homes on the market, it’s made it impossible to plan anything.” said Katie. While traveling to a different state or country may be out the equation for some, it doesn’t mean students aren’t still finding ways to enjoy the holidays. Students are still finding ways of seeing their loved ones, albeit

not in the way it once was. “I plan on self-isolating for 10 days before going home to see family, and I only plan on seeing close and immediate family,” said Katie. “While it may not be a lot of is, we still plan on doing things like, baking together, playing games, and anything that involves us just staying inside and being together.” For this year’s Freshman class, the beginning of their time in college has been nothing short of weird. Virtual classes, mask mandates, social distancing among other things, but now that classes are finally coming to end home for the holidays and restore some sort of normalcy to their lives. “I can’t wait to drive home and be able to just enjoy myself with friends and family and not worry about schoolwork.” said Isa McGready a freshman from Jacksonville. For many freshmen like Isa, Covid-19 has added a dent to their winter break plans and forced them to take extra precautions. “I usually try to hang out with as many people as possible during breaks, but this time I’ll make sure to limit the amount of people I see.” said Isa. While for some it’s a very weird change to how we normally operate, it’s also a necessary change, and one we must all deal. While change can be hard sometimes, there is always a bright spot to be found. “I may not be able to do as much as I would have wanted to, but it will still be great to be able to spend this time with my family.” said Isa.∎

“...COVID -19 has added a dent to their winter break plans...”

Photo by Julia Bonavita


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Holiday PJ Party December 16th

Millennial Brewing Co. 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. 1811 Royal Palm Ave, Fort Myers Join Millennial Brewing for this year’s Pathways Connect SWFL holiday party! There will be yummy food and beverages. Also, see their fire performer Align of Danger!

Holiday By Katie Loudermilk

The upcoming holidays are going to look you find yourself stuck at home, do not fret! hosting events in the Fort Myers area while sure to check ahead before attending these

The Holidays are a Drag

December 20th

Jungle Bird Tiki 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. 1520 Lafayette Street, Cape Coral

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party December 17th

Big Storming Brewing Co. 6:30 p.m. 4721 SE 10th Place, Cape Coral Big Storming Brewing is hosting its annual Ugly Christmas Sweater party! If you would like to participate in the white elephant gift exchange, please bring a gift under $20.

Join PRIDE Cape Coral on Sunday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. for a holiday-themed evening of laughs, appetizers, craft cocktails, live music and some of the best entertainers in SWFL! All proceeds to directly benefit PRIDE Cape Coral Inc. (501c3).

Holiday Movie Trivia December 17th

Millennial Brewing Co. 7 p.m. 1811 Royal Palm Ave, Fort Myers Join Blitz Trivia at Millennial Brewing in Downtown Fort Myers to kick off the holiday season! Holiday movie trivia will feature questions in three separate themed games from Nightmare Before Christmas, Home Alone and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.


y Events Staff Writer

different this year due to COVID-19. If Plenty of local businesses & venues are following the CDC guidelines. Make events in case any changes are made.

RAIN Holiday Photos for Pets and People! December 19th

Eight-Foot Brewing 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. 4417 SE 16th Pl, Unit 11, Cape Coral Due to COVID-19, RAIN will not host its annual photos with Santa at Petco. This year they will have a holiday photoshoot with Rain (their mascot) for pets & people at Eight-Foot Brewing in Cape Coral.

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Holiday Cookie Bake, Decorate & Take (plus snacking) December 19th

Kitchen Social 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. 14261 S Tamiami Tr, Suite 20, Fort Myers

Join Kitchen Social for this special holiday event! Bake and decorate Christmas cookies to take home for the holidays. An expert instructor will guide you through the proper use & care of your knives along with the preparation, cooking and presentation of delicious meals. .

Barks and Brews December 20th

Eight-Foot Brewing 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. 4417 SE 16th Pl, Unit 11, Cape Coral

Bring your furry friend to the Barks and Brews event for a holiday celebration! This event supports RAIN - Rescue Animals in Need.

Graphics by Erika Sauer


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outhwest Florida beaches are going to be much quieter in March as FGCU announced that there will be no spring break in the 2021 semester. An email sent by FGCU President Mike Martin read that the semester will end a week early, but students still have concerns. “It overlooks a lot of students that use that time to rest or go home,” said FGCU senior Amanda Lewan. Students like Lewan who are planning to graduate next semester worry that they will not have enough time to plan for the next chapter of their lives. “I have grad school applications, and if I don’t go to grad school then job applications,” Lewan said. “That little bit of time would have been nice to use for this stuff and not take away from the fact that I’m wrapping up my time at FGCU.” Faculty members also have concerns that this change will take away time from getting important work done.

“I think faculty relies on the time to get grading done and to get things set for finals,” said FGCU professor Dr. Jordan Von Cannon. “So it is going to require all of us to sort of change how we would normally go about a spring semester.” Although this change may appear to be nothing but a negative choice made by FGCU, its important to realize the situation that universities across the country are being faced with. “It’s a difficult decision to have to make at this moment, especially when we’re seeing this unprecedented rise in cases throughout the country,” Von Cannon said. “It’s one of those things where the University is making decisions about the future without fully knowing what that future is going to look like.” Von Cannon wants to remind students that this sacrifice is meant to be beneficial to everyone’s safety. “Giving (spring break) up is a sacrifice, but its a more mild sacrifice to have to make in comparison to what other people have been called upon to make.”∎

Photo by Julia Bonavita


Safe?? Safe

Is FGCU

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ccording to a National Council for Home and Safety report, Florida Gulf Coast University is listed as the 7th safest school in the United States, but do students and staff agree? “Crime is at an all-time low on campus this semester,” said Chief-of-Police Stephen Moore. “But this is because we haven’t had many students on campus.”

Photo by Julia Bonavita

According to Moore, there have been less than 10 calls to the department this semester which he concluded would be around a 70% decrease. “Although we keep an eye on the statistics of campus safety, we do not put much

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stock into their numbers,” said Moore. “This is because many of these companies are home alarm companies who put out a regular magazine and include the area around the campus as a part of the campus during their data gathering.” 90% if not all of the calls to UPD come from student housing, stated Moore, but protecting students is so much more than just crime now. “I don’t go on campus


16 anymore really since fall semester began because I signed up for all online classes, so I didn’t have to put myself or others at risk and to combat the spread,” said FGCU senior, Massey Puttman. “When I do go on campus, I feel like the necessary precautions are being executed and overall there aren’t many people staying on campus and hanging out.” In terms of both pandemic safety and the usual day-to-night precautions being taken at FGCU, both students and staff seem to find the safety precautions taken to be adequate. A year ago, prospective students and their parents may have researched campus safety statistics now they have to consider pandemic safety concerns as well. In our current climate, safety is not something easy to describe. “In my time at FGCU, I've always felt fairly safe on campus, morning or night,” said FGCU junior, Skylar Ramirez. “This includes the many evenings I spent each semester walking from the parking garage to the library on the wee hours of the night during exam week. When I

compare our parking garages to a different university I attended before transferring, our parking garages provide much light even in the stairwells.” Some other FGCU safety measures include a 24hour Dispatch Center, Bike Unit, Detective and Crime Prevention, and a community outreach officer. Additionally, FGCU has safety protocols and

each morning to complete the questions on my phone through the app.” According to Susan Evans, FGCU’s Vice President and Chief of Staff, we currently have 1,470 total employees (faculty and staff), and 15,300 enrolled students this semester. Of the 15,300 students, 71% of them are taking one or more courses on campus this semester, and thus they should be completing the health screening app. Both faculty & staff and students are required to complete the checkmark and the faculty & staff are taking this requirement seriously as should all students. Lastly, there are Emergency Management Department monitors in place forecasts and provides plans on how to proceed in case of natural disaster. While neither Susan Evans or Police Chief Stephen Moore take much stock in the National Council for Home and Safety report, despite its positive rating of FGCU, the university consensus among students and staff seems to be that Florida Gulf Coast University is on the right track in regard to safety.∎

"When I do go on campus, I feel like the necessary precautions are being executed." agencies like Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Health Services, Prevent and Wellness, and Protect the Nest which is a newer initiative created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that helps to track symptoms and spread among students. “We need more students to complete the daily screening app as our COVID19 case management system is built around the information we receive from the app,” said Vice President of Staffing, Susan Evans. “It’s really quite simple and convenient to use-it takes me less than one minute


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Kierstan Bell

Bell has been everything the Eagles wanted and more after transferring from Ohio State this past season. In her first game of the season, Bell posted a 24 point and 20 rebound night. She became the first player in program history to record a 20-point, 20-rebound performance. In that game, she set new career-highs at the NCAA level in points, rebounds, field goals made and field goal attempts. She has been nothing short of impressive as Bell continued her impactful play with another double-double game, putting up 14 points and 11 rebounds. Bell also added five assists and three blocks to her statline. Many expect Bell to continue her amazing play and help surge this exciting women’s team to another NCAA Tournament berth.

Photo by Julia Bonavita


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By Jake Henning Sports Editor

Caleb Catto

Catto came into this season with the expectation that he would be a focal leader on this team for the whole season, and he’s done exactly that. He’s taken command of the offense and has shown many leadership qualities on the floor, while also on the bench. He was named to the 2020-21 ASUN Conference Preseason All-Conference Team and has continued his impressive play from last season. Catto is currently second in scoring average on the team and leads the team in minutes played. Catto was the leading scorer in FGCU’s most recent game against FNU, dropping 23 points and adding 8 rebounds to his stat line.∎

Photo by Julia Bonavita


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FGCU Baseball Club of the Month:

By Jake Henning, Sports Editor

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s one of the more competitive clubs on campus, FGCU Baseball has done their absolute best to play during the tough stretch of COVID-19. Baseball usually has around eight series’ throughout the spring, where they typically have two 7 inning games Saturday and a 9 inning game on Sunday. But because of COVID-19, they have been restricted in their travel to other campuses around the state. Their division is made up of pretty much all the big schools in Florida, which include FSU, UF, UCF, USF, and UM. Their biggest goal of the year is to actually have a season and if all goes to plan, they also want to sweep the series against FSU. They currently have 25 players on our travel roster, while getting

Photo by Julia Bonavita

new members has been tough with COVID-19 straining their outreach on the FGCU campus. “We were used to tabling to get people familiar with our club,” Alex Scarafile said. “So our numbers of players turning out was significantly less than previous years.” “Our club has grown because the former players who have graduated have helped us out with the different aspects that have allowed the team to run more smoothly,” Scarafile said. Club Baseball has held tryouts and even a few practices in the hopes that they’ll be able to compete this season. They recently released their roster for the 2021 season.∎


A Letter from

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the Editor By Nathan Wilson Executive Editor lright, all of you simps, it's that season- the most trying, demanding, and, yes, the brutal season of the year; it is cuffing season. You have shed the washboard abs for the warmth that pasta and belly fat that you worked so hard to get from those many nights of watching Netflix can provide. It is no easy task being a simp during these dark and chilly times, but it is a job in demand especially with the craziness of 2020. Guys, you may lose a shirt or two, but sacrifices must be made. You may ask what makes a good candidate for this 2020 cuffing season, and the answer is simple- a simp. Everyone is looking for that special someone to simp over them, whether that be through painting your crush a chicken smoking a cigarette (yes, someone did that, and they have been happily married for six years) or communicating through bitmojis. The 2020 cuffing season can be brutal. If you are like me, you may not have been picked up during the draft (September – October) but do not worry; you still have a chance to compete in the playoffs this

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Christmas and make it to the big championship during Valentine's day. I guess that leaves the big question- how does someone get drafted for the playoff games? If you are dedicated enough, you can meet your significant other in the oddest of places, and I hear the new meet cute dating spot is in line for your covid test outside Walgreens, but my favorite date spot is the DMV. If she can put up with the soul-crushing wait of the DMV, then she can put up with anything. All jokes aside, the holidays can be incredibly difficult for everyone, especially during this pandemic, and going through it single can feel almost isolating. We have to remember that we are not alone and to enjoy our college experience with our friends around us. Romantic relationships will come and go, but true friendships and memories will last a lifetime. So, during this break and holiday season, make sure you spend it with those who you love and make the memories of a lifetime. From one simp to another, happy holidays, and may the odds be forever in your favor during this cuffing season.∎

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