November 2022

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers,

It’s been a busy month for the team here at Eagle News. I never thought we would have so much to cover in the month of November, but here we are. So sit back, relax and dive into everything FGCU.

In this issue, we feature Vincent Lamanna, a student that customizes shoes, operating out of his dorm room on campus for his business, Vinnys Customs.

This year is Eagle News’ 25th Anniversary! Get to know our past Editor-in-Chiefs and see how we have changed in the last generation.

Looking for the latest sports coverage? Nick Asselin talks to two cross country runners and visits PGM’s new swing lab.

Need a break from the news coverage? Our opinion section has got you covered. Read a story that does a deep dive into Student Government or an article that answers the question of whether or not FGCU prepared students ahead of Hurricane Ian.

See you next issue!

Kind Regards,

Eagle News

Tori Foltz

Editor-in-Chief

ON THE COVER: Photo by Jessica Piland

Photo by Jessica Piland

Graphic by Gabriella Lopez

EAGLE MEDIA

FGCU Puts a Pause on “Eagles in Need” Hurricane Relief Fund

Jusolyn Flower, Contributing Writer

Just one week after Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida, FGCU launched the “Eagles in Need” relief fund. Now, over a month has passed, and the “Eagles in Need” application process has been paused, but several FGCU community members still need support and financial assistance.

The relief fund is acting as an emergency response that would provide one-time awards to assist students, faculty and staff. On Oct. 12, FGCU announced the “Eagles in Need” relief fund would be paused, allowing extra time for the team to process applications and distribute funds to applicants on an as-needed basis.

“Eagles in Need was created very quickly as part of our emergency response to Hurricane Ian, and it continues to be managed by a small number of employees from across the university,” Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management Dr. Mitch Cordova said. “We are working through our applications as fast as we can to make sure we are best supporting those in need.”

According to Cordova, 292 faculty and staff received a $1,000 reward, totaling $292,000, and 2,430 students received a $500 reward, totaling $1.21 million as of Oct. 24. Cordova thanked the FGCU Foundation, the FGCU Financing Corporation and the Southwest Florida community for donating money to support the fund. Lexi Barber is one of the FGCU students affected by Hurricane Ian. Her family in Port Charlotte and North

Port suffered from power outages for 12 days after the storm and immense long-term damage, including flooding and roof leaks due to the loss of shingles.

“My family lost everything on our property [except for] our home, and even that sustained great damage,” said Barber. “My father’s house was flooded over a foot deep, and it ruined everything in their home. New flooring, new cabinets, new furniture– thousands and thousands of dollars just to get stuff back to normal or as close to normal as we can get it.”

After FGCU introduced the “Eagles in Need” relief fund, she received an award but still felt like it was not enough to mend the brokenness she and her family had endured.

“The fund helped buy groceries for my family of eight, but at the same time, it felt like they were telling me my life and all of my ruined stuff was only worth $500. I am grateful for even getting any money, don’t get me wrong, but all of that was simply spent on groceries that we could eat without power or water,” said Barber.

Cordova said that conversations are ongoing to determine when they anticipate reopening the application forms. However, it cannot reopen without additional fundraising efforts.

“I still think everyone who was affected is still suffering greatly ... even now, a month later, we are still cleaning up and hearing horror stories about this hurricane,” said Barber.

Ecofetti Combats Campus-wide Littering as Graduation Nears

Abigail Muth, Staff Writer

In 2020, under the Goldman Administration, Student Government made the decision to purchase Ecofetti for students to use as a sustainable option when taking graduation photos.

Before this initiative, during graduation season, campus would be filled with plastic confetti as students took celebratory photos.

“Student Government pursued Ecofetti to solve the frequent issue of students using plastic confetti for graduation photos, which would end up scattered across campus,” Student Body President Grace Brannigan said.

Graduation is an opportunity for students to celebrate their hard work and dedication during their time at FGCU, but many times sustainability and smarter options for the campus are not taken into consideration.

“The confetti is made in the USA and is made from blown cornstarch and non-toxic dyes. It dissolves in water,” Environmental Sustainability Coordinator II, Kathleen Crawford said.

This is a great way to celebrate graduation while also caring for our campus. The confetti not only makes it easier for campus staff to dispose of, but as a cleaner alternative, helps students feel better about celebrating.

“We felt that Ecofetti would provide students with the opportunity to still use confetti for their photos without littering at FGCU,” Brannigan said. “The Ecofetti dissolves, making it so students can toss it to their heart’s content without worrying about leaving plastic around campus or damaging our local ecosystem.”

Last month, the Environmental Coalition of FGCU held an event where they filled over 300 packets of Ecofetti which are now ready to hand out to students for graduation photos this semester.

On Nov. 30, at 6 p.m., ECOFGCU will be holding a meeting in Merwin 124 where they will have the packets available for students to pick up. The packets are also readily available during work hours in the Environmental Health and Safety Office for students to drop-in and pick up.

“We are also planning to table on campus the week of Nov. 30 to educate and provide Ecofetti to our graduating students,” ECOFGCU president, Kayla Hughes said.

ECOFGCU encourages students to join their campus clean ups to help pick up the litter already on campus.

FGCU made a bulk purchase of Ecofetti in 2020 and it now sits in storage until needed. The confetti is free to students. When it is not being passed out on campus during graduation season, it can be requested by emailing sgsustainability@fgcu.edu. They also have it at the campus bookstore during graduation season if supplies are available.

The sustainability office at FGCU wants to make sure that changes made for the improvement of campus are accepted and used by students.

With over 400 acres of protected land set aside for environmental preservation, FGCU is dedicated to making sure students help keep its nature safe. By implementing changes for something as seemingly small as graduation photos, they are ensuring that students take part in this change as well.

If you do not feel that Ecofetti is for you, or want a more unique confetti-throwing experience, dried leaves and flower petals can make a great sustainable alternative, while also being able to find the colors you are looking for. Blowing bubbles for photos is another sustainable and unique option. •

Photo by Jessica Piland

Graphic by Gabriella Lopez

Vinnys Customs handpainted shoes step into the NFL

Vinnys Customs handpainted shoes step into the NFL

Hayley Lemery, Assignment & Features Editor

Small business owner Vincent “Vinny” Lamanna has been operating Vinnys Customs out of his dorm room at FGCU. With his ever-growing business, his custom shoes were noticed by a professional athlete for the first time, a player on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He primarily creates custom shoes but has begun branching out and creating custom hats and accessories. His work has been sought out by college athletes, singers, rappers and the community, but this was a first for Lamanna.

“I really think this is the stepping stone to get my foot in the door,” Lamanna said. “Because when I was talking to him, he's like, ‘yeah we all love custom cleats,’ so I'm sure they'll definitely get some customs so I'm really excited.”

Depending on the design, his customized shoes vary in price from 75 dollars to over 500 dollars.

Lamanna has had his shoes featured on SportsCenter and Hype School, two large sports entertainment pages, through his customers. He sought out rising athletes to see who would be interested in his business. High school senior Audi Crooks in Algona, Iowa has ordered two custom sneakers from Vinnys Customs.

“I asked him for colorful shoes full of symbols that represent my life. I have my childhood nickname, school and club ball logos, bible verses and music lyrics that I really resonate with,” Crooks said. “I really loved my first pair because they were super unique and one of a kind, so I wanted another original pair for my senior year.”

Crooks is continuing her basketball career to college and is committed to Iowa State Women’s Basketball.

“My shoes give people a widened perspective as to who I am as a person as well as a player,” Crooks said. “Aside from the attention that they get, they help me express different aspects of my journey in life and in basketball.”

Lamanna is a senior majoring in marketing with a minor in business sales and has been using the resources at FGCU to his advantage.

He entered the Runway Program in spring 2021. This initiative gives students and alumni resources to start up their businesses. He asked for equipment such as shoes, displays and other items to help him when he goes to fashion shows and advertises his business. He calculated all the items from his list, and it totaled $10,777.

“As soon as I added it up, I just had this overall, beyond joy.

It was like God was hugging me. Like, God was basically just telling me, ‘You just won the lottery,’” Lamanna said.

He said the number 777 immediately made him think of the famous, lucky Las Vegas slot machine winning numbers. Then, one of his friends told him about the 777 angel numbers that mean God’s perfection. He now has custom jerseys made to advertise Vinnys Customs that have 777 on them.

“Before I even did the final pitch, I knew that I was gonna get it done. As soon as I was done, I had that same feeling again when I was done with the interview. So, before I even had the email, I 100 percent knew that I was getting the money, like God basically told me,” Lamanna said. “Without him I would be nowhere.”

Because of the Runway Program, he has been able to buy display equipment for fashion shows. That’s when he met Amanda Curbelo.

Curbelo owns a custom painted shoe company called DolEnna James in Southwest Florida that specializes in luxury heels. She met Lamanna last year after her assistant discovered him at an FGCU event. He created three pairs of shoes for a fashion show for professional women in March 2022.

She also owns an event company and helped coordinate Naples Fashion Week. Lamanna was featured in the accessory show.

“He is designing a pair of shoes right now for me to be seen for a special finale walk. That will take place in February of 2023. And I'm coordinating Fort Myers Fashion Week, which will take place in March or April of 2023 and we're also going to be featuring a show with his designs for shoes specifically and accessories for that.”

Curbelo has seen Lamanna grow as an artist and says his creativity and drive is organic to him.

“One of the things that I really admire about him and enjoy is that he's not only creative, and he's really good at what he does, but he's very smart and I think that he is just setting himself up to be incredibly successful,” Curbelo said.

She has seen him go out of his comfort zone by handpainting high heels instead of athletic shoes.

“As he continues to branch out in his designs and what he's willing to put his design on, I think that he opens himself up to just a huge demographic of people that could really appreciate his art,” Curbelo said.•

Depending on the design, his customized shoes vary in price from 75 dollars to over 500 dollars.

Depending on the design, his customized shoes vary in price from 75 dollars to over 500 dollars.

Photos by Jessica Piland

Cross Country Runners Turn Friendship into Success for FGCU

Nick Asselin, Sports Editor

Cross country runners Osman Humeida and Bus Baker never expected to achieve the level of success they have. Humeida grew up mainly playing basketball and football while Baker figured he would give running a shot to see how he would do. For both, it was ultimately friendships that made them fall in love with the sport.

“Honestly what got me into running was being able to hang out with my school friends,” Humeida said. “I was never really interested in running but my friends would always say they never got to hang out with me outside of school. Just to hang out with them more, I started running with them.”

Humeida is celebrated by his coaches as being a team leader. Baker says Humeida should be credited for part of his success since transferring to FGCU from Louisville.

“As corny as it is, Osman is part of the reason I committed here,” Baker said. “I had a pretty rough season last year at Louisville and I definitely just needed someone to train with and push me to be a little bit better. I knew Osman was going to give me that.”

Humeida has been the star of the cross country team this season. As a graduate student, he became the first person in FGCU history to win the Florida State Invitational event. He also won the UCF Invitational and set a new program record in the 8K race during the North Alabama Showcase. At this year’s ASUN Championship, Humeida earned all-conference third-team honors.

“When I started running, I had no idea how good I was,” Humeida said. “The first time I ran my friends were amazed at how fast I ran. I didn’t even know I could run this fast.”

Baker, a junior, has been able to take what he has learned from Humeida to have success this season as well. Baker achieved the third fastest time in the 8K in FGCU history. He

also finished second amongst the Eagles in several events this season, right behind Humeida. Baker is looking forward to the opportunity of breaking Humeida’s records next season.

“As soon as we crossed the line to become the first and third fastest in school history, we just gave each other a big hug,” Baker said. “It was just a really cool experience, and he told me about a half an hour after the race ‘you’re breaking this record next year.’ It’s motivating to have the person you’re looking up to be able to tell you that you should be able to beat them in the near future.”

Humeida’s goal as a runner for FGCU is being able to set an example and form a brotherhood with his teammates.

“Once you’re locked in and you’re able to do it for each other, your motivation goes up,” Humeida said. “You’re going to train, you’re going to do well, you’re going to go through sacrifices for your teammates. I feel like the closer you get with your teammates, the better you’ll perform in general.”

With it being Humeida’s final season of cross country at FGCU, he says he is thankful for what the program and school has given him.

“The opportunities the program has given me in terms of friends and people I can now call my brothers is something I’m really thankful for,” Humeida said. “Especially the educational opportunity I got. I’m extremely thankful for being able to be on a scholarship because that means a lot for my family.”

Going into their final race together at the ASUN Championship in Alabama, Humeida and Baker each echoed the same the statement: “Last one, fast one. That’s the motto.” Humeida and Baker placed first and second out of the Eagles in the event. •

Photo courtesy of Maricel Esquilin. Osman Humeida (left) and Bus Baker (right).

Graphic by Gabriella Lopez

How Late Is too Late?

Did FGCU give students enough time to evacuate?

Connor Hay, Staff Writer

On Sep. 19, the National Hurricane Center started to track a tropical wave east of the Windward Islands for development. By Sep. 22 it became a tropical depression and as the storm got closer to the state, colleges and universities began to cancel classes and shut down campuses. FGCU gave notice to students that classes would be canceled on Sep. 26 and told students that lived in housing that they would need to choose between sheltering off campus or staying in Alico Arena, the campus’ designated shelter.

The announcement came rather quickly considering that campus operations had been continuing business as usual the day before, despite the earlier announcements from other public universities in Florida. Some students stand firm that the school did not give students ample time to make decisions for evacuation and because of that, a lot of students were left scrambling.

“I think that they did not give us enough time to decide whether we wanted to stay or go,” junior Javier Ponce said. “They took too long to tell us that class would be canceled. I didn’t think it would be hard considering there were only two options.”

On top of the frustration from students, there was also a large amount of confusion and disdain.

“I think that nobody thought it was going to be as bad as it was and nobody really knew that it was going to grow as much as it did,” freshman Sophie Wiedmar said. “The main reason I decided to evacuate home was because of

my family being out of the state which was one of the main problems with the notice being so late.”

There were a lot of mixed feelings about how the school officials handled things. Although there were a lot of students who felt frustrated with such short notice, others came to understand the school’s split-decision making.

“I understand where the school came from with the way it was making decisions and I think there was no way to truly prepare for the hurricane given how fast it developed,” freshman James Rottler said. “I do think they could have given a little more notice to students that lived on campus. I think that 24 hours was not enough time to decide on whether to leave or not.”

When students are faced with making the difficult decision of staying or leaving, it often makes the situation worse when they must travel large distances and worry about things like cost and layover flights. Some students are able to drive four hours and be at home, while others have to fly across the country.

“The main reason I decided to not stay on campus was because they were going to put us in Alico Arena with no beds, showers, or anything,” freshman Joey Lo Bianco said. “I don’t think the school gave us enough time to evaluate our options, so I decided to stay with a friend and their family in Tampa.”

Students did not think they had ample time to evacuate Fort Myers. 24 hours would never be enough time, especially for students that live out of state.•

Graphic by Gabriella Lopez

Tori Foltz, Editor-in-Chief

Governor DeSantis’ Visit Creates Shockwaves Across Campus

DeSantis has got to go,” echoed throughout main campus as protesters made their way to Alico Arena on Nov. 6 ahead of Govenor Ron DeSantis’ Don’t Tread on Florida Tour stop at FGCU.

FGCU’s Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter organized a peaceful protest to show their objection to DeSantis visiting campus. With 30 protesters, some being from other YDSA chapters at Florida International University and Broward College, they marched holding signs and shouted chants. Students from FGCU’s Student Farmworker Alliance, People Power for Florida and FGCU adjunct professor and U.S. House candidate Dr. Cindy Banyai were in attendance.

“I want to stick out in support of everyone who has even been affected by all of [DeSantis’] policies,” YDSA member Jules Bustamante said. “I’m here because I’m standing up for LGBTQIA+ rights, immigrant rights, the rights for black indigenous people of color and anyone who’s marginalized and has been affected by his policies. They’ve affected all of the people in my life, and it’s time to take a

stand and change that.”

Cars were lined up towards the entrance of North Lake Village, and a line began to form alongside the dorms as people waited for entry. Flags flying from pickup trucks, people wearing American flags and UPD officers were all the eye could see.

“I support his policies, views and the way he responds to political issues,” sophomore Nolan Marcoux, an event attendee, said. “He puts the state of Florida before anything else, and he doesn’t personally benefit from any new laws or policies that he implements.”

Once the protesters arrived on the scene, they were met with DeSantis’ supporters. Shouting commenced as the protesters moved to the middle of the basketball court nearest to Alico. They stayed until the event began at 6:30 p.m.

“I’m very passionate about the rights of any minority that DeSantis has affected,” YDSA’s lead Safety Marshal Charlie Pervaza said. “I feel like people don’t really see with their eyes that we’re being affected, so I think coming out today makes it

more prominent that there are people being affected.”

After passing through metal detectors without a confirmation of a ticket, tour attendees were met with the smell of popcorn and “Let’s go Brandon” chants.

The event began with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Lee County Republican Party Chair and Florida State Senator-elect Johnathan Martin was the first to speak. He mentioned that the event took place with only a two-day notice.

FGCU’s College Conservatives chapter made a post on their Instagram page on Nov. 1 announcing the event that would be taking place at Alico Arena.

“We had no play in the actual planning, and that's why we did not say that we were hosting DeSantis. The College Conservatives themselves were not hosting the event,” FGCU College Conservatives President Matthew Boggan said.

State Senate President Kathleen Passidomo was the second to come on stage followed by Attorney General Ashley Moody, Lieutenant Governor Jeannette Nuñez and Representative Byron Donalds.

Country singer and songwriter Parker McCollum was listed on the program as a performer and sang songs for the crowd.

DeSantis was the last to come on stage, along with a brief speech from his wife, the First Lady of Florida, Casey DeSantis.

The Govenor talked about the importance of voting in the midterms that were just two days away and the things that he has done for Florida and Lee County, specifically after Hurricane Ian.

“We are standing up for the principles that make this country great,” DeSantis said before he concluded the event. •

“I want to stick out in support of everyone who has even been affected by all of his policies..."- Jules Bustamante

“He puts the state of Florida before anything else and he doesn’t personally benefit from any new laws or policies that he implements...”-Nolan Marcoux

Photos by Jessica Piland

Photo courtesy of University Archives

Photo by Jessica Piland Sophomore Ashley Alincy using the library's computer lab in 2022.

Uncovered Treasure: FGCU Archives Releases 25th Anniversary Exhibit

Emma Diehl, Staff Writer

PhotobyJessicaPiland Marieb Hall in 2022.

Photocourtesyof UniversityArchives Marieb Hall during construction.

Within the walls of the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library on FGCU’s main campus, the University Archives currently displays artifacts from throughout FGCU’s 25 year history.

Celebrating the university’s silver anniversary, the staff and University Archives Coordinator Vic Jones, have displayed artifacts for the FGCU community to see.

“It was a great first exhibit because I was able to deep dive into the history of the university,” Jones said. “What better way for the university archivist to learn about FGCU’s history than with an exhibit?”

The exhibit has jerseys from different sports teams over the years, Azul statue and construction equipment from the development of different academic buildings. A display case holds Alico Arena’s grand opening dedication ribbon and tickets to a men’s basketball game from 2002.

Another display case has a pink hardhat with the name Rebecca on it and a jar of dirt from FGCU’s groundbreaking

ceremony in 1995.

“On November 28, 1995, FGCU faculty and community members gathered to celebrate the official campus groundbreaking of Florida’s 10th public university, forever changing the landscape of Southwest Florida’s history,” a notecard in the display case read.

The archives have done exhibits relating to FGCU’s history in the past, with one five years ago for FGCU’s 20-year anniversary focusing on the physical aspects of campus.

Melissa Minds VandeBurgt, the director of Academic and Community Engagement and the head of University Archives and Special Collections, came up with the idea to do a 25th anniversary edition.

“It was important that this time we focused on a more human aspect,” Jones said. “Since it is the 25th anniversary of classes, it made sense to focus on students.”

Most pieces from the exhibit were kept within the vault of the archives.

A few pieces were donated by different departments for a limited amount of time, making the feat of which pieces to include into the display the most difficult part of the exhibit creation process.

Within the exhibit, there’s a wall of clippings and covers of Eagle News newspapers dating back to the very beginning of the publication’s history.

“I really enjoyed getting to learn about FGCU’s history from the student perspective as we went through the Eagle News [newspapers], and I love seeing articles that visitors gravitate towards,” Jones said. “The Eagle News wall gave us the opportunity to explore a broader array of experiences in a small amount of space.”

Whether it be athletics, academics, development or sustainability, every FGCU student can find something that interests them within the walls of the FGCU archives exhibit.

The exhibit is located on the third floor of the library in room 322 and will remain open until Dec. 2.•

PhotobyDelaneyMcLean Dirt from the ground breaking of FGCU.

FGCU Struggles to Represent LGBTQ+ History Month

Eddie Stewart, Staff Writer

October was a tough month for FGCU. Rebuilding and returning to normal in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian has been at the forefront of everyone’s mind, from students and faculty to every staff member that makes the university tick. I believe that FGCU as a whole has done a truly admirable job in this effort, but as I reflect on why October is an important month for me and many others, I can’t help but feel a twinge for one aspect of October that seemed to be washed away by the storm: FGCU’s celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month.

This is my third year at FGCU, and with my time on campus, I’ve enjoyed the annual Pride Week celebration, hosted by the Pride Committee, a selection of multiple university departments and student organizations dedicated to making LGBTQ+ students feel welcomed and supported. From these events and the coverage of them by official FGCU channels, I felt that employees and student leaders at my university were representing people like me, and it made me feel like my university cared.

Senior Jules Bustamante, GSA President and co-chair of the Pride Committee, had a similar experience in their freshman year. “Seeing the annual Block Party and Pride Parade as a freshman as an eighteen-year-old just recently discovering myself, it was a really amazing thing to see just knowing there’s this big community of people ready to accept me and celebrate,” Bustamante said.

But this year, it felt a little different. Due to the rescheduling of the main event of Pride Week, FGCU’s celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month amounted to two identical social media posts - one on LinkedIn and one on Instagram - with a plain block of a rainbow and the single sentence caption “FGCU is celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month!” This is almost insulting, an assurance that FGCU is

celebrating, without actually following through with that support.

“I feel like FGCU could be doing way more to acknowledge this,” junior Mia Douglas said. “Some sports and student activities get multiple posts and shout-outs, whereas this is a whole month that gets one single post.”

Compared to other state universities, FGCU is frankly falling behind. The USF information page for LGBTQ+ History Month includes information on the history of the celebration, educational material on the LGBTQ+ community, and a roster of events that are 19 experiences long. UF and UCF’s web pages on LGBTQ+ History Month tell a similar story.

With growing anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and legislation on the rise in Florida, students need support now more than ever. Instead of hollow gestures of support, FGCU needs to provide educational resources on the community and elevate the voices of its LGBTQ+ student base, as well as advertise events by departments like the Multicultural and Leadership Development Center better.

“What I do want to see is more efforts to highlight those who aren't the majority,” junior Cara Barragan-Rafael said. “I did not know there was an LGBT History month at all, it's something they should tell more students. Whether that be through emails, posters, what have you, I simply think more effort should be made to advertising things like that.”

This isn’t to say that FGCU isn’t making an effort, just that it has more to do. I hope to see promotion and coverage of the annual Pride Week, which was delayed to Nov. 28 – Dec. 2nd, and to see the students and faculty of my university celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month there, even if we are a little late to the party. •

Photo by Jessica Piland

A Quest for a Greener cAMPUS

Dear Editor,

With FGCU’s environmental identity being questioned, perhaps it’s time that it diversifies that identity. I’ve felt a growing sentiment on campus that FGCU’s failing to uphold its identity of being green with the recent land development at the corner of Ben Hill Griffin and FGCU Lake Parkway.

This is not a call for FGCU to give up on its green identity, but to grow out of being viewed as a one-trick school. There are plenty of other programs that it could incorporate into its greater identity. The business school has a strong presence on campus, and Florida has a robust small business economy. As well, there are the nursing and other health science departments that are well regarded on campus. Florida has one of the oldest populations in the US and is a popular retirement destination, so integrating the health and nursing aspects into FGCU’s identity would not only be good for attracting students, it would be good for Florida as a whole.

With FGCU turning 25, a big step we could take would be to diversify FGCU’s image and put more emphasis on its other programs. As a compromise, we could broaden its environmental identity to better incorporate other parts of the university. I say it’s time for us to expand our identity, not away from environmentalism, but to be more than environmentalism.

Thank you, Peyton Lunsford

Dear Editor,

Many like to think alligators only exist to terrorize us. Despite their menacing appearance, alligators are docile and will only attack if provoked. However, that doesn’t mean it’s okay to pet, feed, or approach them. Alligators are naturally scared of humans and this natural instinct is slowly disappearing as students continue to feed them. The alligators start to associate students with food and if an alligator approaches a student, that’s when a dangerous situation occurs with potentially a devastating outcome.

With the 15 bodies of water and varying wildlife present on campus, it provides the opportunity for student research to be conducted. There’s a senior research project being conducted by an environmental studies student that consists of capturing, tagging, tracking, and releasing the gator to see where they go around FGCU’s campus and why.

Alligators are a keystone species. Without alligators, the ecosystem would be drastically different or cease to exist. They keep many species populations at a level of balance, and as they move, they keep bodies of water open from invading vegetation like cattails. Without this, many bodies of shallow water would cease to exist, killing all animals living within the water. Nesting mounds created by alligators even provide nesting and eating sites for heron and egrets. If we leave these alligators alone, they will leave us alone giving us zero reasons to remove them. Thank you, Hunter Martin

Dear Editor, I work at the Starbucks on campus. Every day, upwards of 200 students pass through, each taking plastic cups with them. These cups usually go into the nearest trash can, possibly the recycling. Some may never make it to the trash and be taken by the wind. Almost every plastic cup has a plastic straw to go with it. Starbucks has tried to lessen the use of plastic by offering reusable cups, offering rewards in the app, and a 10 cent discount if you use a personal cup. When trash goes into the recycling bin, specifically that with food waste in it, it contaminates the otherwise viable recycling, which can cause the individual bag or the entire load the truck carries to be thrown in the trash instead. It can even cause danger to the employees at the recycling plants or break the machinery used to sort through the recycling. So, what if we got rid of single-use plastic on campus? Not only could FGCU take steps towards being the sustainable school it claims to be, but the amount of material that’s viable for recycling would increase. With only paper and cardboard being recycled, there would be no confusion over where to dispose of plastic cups. While it may be tricky at first, it can’t do any harm. I say we give it a shot.

Thank you, Grace Roloff

Graphic by Gabriella Lopez

Eagle News Reflects on Its 25 Years of Operation

Twenty five years ago, FGCU was a newborn institution, and its first class was roaming the university’s buildings. One of the first milestones working towards putting FGCU on the map was the faculty-led founding of a school paper, Eagle News.

Initially named The Eagle, it would begin reporting alongside FGCU’s first classes in the fall of 1997.

“Faculty wanted everyone to feel like FGCU was a ‘real’ university,” Dr. David Cox, the editor-in-chief from 1997 to 1998, said. “They thought it was the thing to do, to have some place where writers can share campus information that students might not otherwise know about, and keep them informed about this kind of new experimental college they attended, as it was at that time.”

In the early days, content was printed every Friday with help from a Cape Coral based publication. Now, there’s a monthly magazine that comes out as well as weekly website content.

Most of the content was FGCU-centric news, and was supplemented by columns centered around other topics. Dr. Cox added that a large percentage of stories related to Student Government and university developments.

Journalism wasn’t a program at the university yet, and operations began in a trailer.

“If you look at the coverage, there was a lot of material that was focused on campus issues and what was happening in Student Government,” former Faculty Advisor Glenn Whitehouse said. “I think it was a project that reflected the interests of the campus and the interests of the people who were writing the paper.”

The Eagle would rebrand to Eagle News in 2003. The publication briefly ran as The Eaglet in the 2000’s and even had a rival paper, The Swamp Times, emerge in

Emma Rodriguez, Staff Writer

1998 due to rumored disagreements between editors of The Eagle.

The desire to legitimize FGCU by keeping students informed about campus-specific topics remained with Eagle News into the mid-2000s. While the foundation of the university was there, a period of rapid growth would pave the way for the what was to come.

“During my tenure, FGCU went from about 6,000 to 10,000 students pretty quickly,” C.J. Pisiezcko, the editor-in-chief from 2005 to 2006, said. “We wrote about a school that went from being a satellite campus not even eight years prior to becoming its own university. Sororities and fraternities formalizing themselves, new buildings. Student life in general was a great thing to capture.”

Pisiezcko expressed that Eagle pride was a huge motivating factor for his writers. They wanted to be a part of the growing institution’s history, and during a period of great change, they saw the potential for what FGCU could become.

At the start of the decade in 2010, there was a redesign to the weekly print edition. The new formatting resembled a newspaper as opposed to a tabloid magazine. Design elements, like font, color and spacing were all updated to fit the modern standard. Eagle News was also making itself known on the national stage. Staff and editors attended various university media conventions in the early 2010’s, including events hosted by the College Media Association and the Associated College Press.

“It was the best thing. People were there for all the college papers across the country,” Allison Gagliardi, the editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2012, said. “We won second place in Design Spread of the Year and received two honorable mentions at the ACP Awards in 2011. It was the first award EN had ever won. We lost Design

Spread of the Year to The Harvard Crimson, so we basically won, right?”

Gagliardi, known in Eagle News’ lineage for her organization skills and lengthier two-year tenure, also ushered in digital content for the publication. These would come in the form of updates posted to the Eagle News website and Facebook page. Although the current web address, eaglenews.org, hosted its first content in 2013.

Many issues covered by Eagle News teams of the past are still covered today. Topics relating to Student Government, parking, institutional diversity and the campus preachers remain evergreen.

Occasionally, special editions of the paper would be published, including a National Coming Out Day issue, one commemorating FGCU Men’s Basketball winning an ESPY, new student guides and university election overviews.

April Fools’ Day editions took on different titles, and contained satirical content related to the university, usually confined to the first page. For 2017’s April Fools’ Day, Eagle News took on the moniker of “Seagull News,” named for the year’s sports editor. During another year, it was named “The Golf Course Times” as opposed to “The Gulf Coast Times”.

There were times when difficult decisions had to be made by staffers, especially when covering controversial topics on campus.

FGCU’s Student Media Advisory Board, which

Photo by Adriana Hall

archives display, Wings Up: 25 years of Student Life at FGCU.

consists of local media professionals, offers guidance to Eagle News during difficult situations.

In 2015, a group of students within Eagle News founded Eagle News TV to provide news, entertainment and sports coverage. After hiring a fulltime staff advisor, Eagle Radio was established. Several years later, Eagle News, ENTV and Eagle Radio were recognized as a joint outlet, Eagle Media. Emily Ford, the editor-in-chief from 2016 to 2017, shares the publication’s coverage of a mold outbreak at The Reef as a time when both parties worked together to carry out the ethos of journalism.

“I remember going to our advisory board, and they complimented us first, because we were the first people to break that story in the area,” Ford said. “But they were also saying, ‘Now, you have this big story,’ and they let us know of ways to get information to continue coverage because these students are going to keep dealing with this for months.”

Eagle News editors and writers kept their heads up through the pandemic. While all operations were carried out virtually, content was still flowing. Certain writers had times during the week that they were “on call” to cover breaking news, much of which related to the university’s handling of COVID-19. Through the changing of presidents, hurricanes, strides towards NCAA championships and vital moments in campus history, Eagle News has remained, and will forever.•

Editions of Eagle News fill a wall in the current

Photo courtesy of Allison Gagliardi

A New Virtual Reality PGM Swing Lab Arrives to Campus

Nick Asselin, Sports Editor

For some FGCU students playing golf is just a hobby, but for others it is the reason why they chose to come to FGCU. The PGA Golf Management program at FGCU helps prepare students for a variety of careers as golf professionals, and it recently unveiled a new swing performance lab.

Located in Sugden Hall, the two hitting bays are equipped with a TrackMan Launch Monitor to provide students with accurate feedback to improve their performance. Freshman John Seifarth says he has been able to see improvement from using the swing lab.

“Having all the data from the TrackMan, the screens letting you see where you’re hitting it and all the numbers, it’s just amazing,” Seifarth said.

In addition to the two full-swing hitting bays, the swing lab features a Wellputt machine to help students putt better by displaying a trajectory line on the green. For junior Cameron DiCarlo, he has seen great improvement in his putting.

“We have one of the best putting greens money can buy,” DiCarlo said. “When I come into the swing lab once or twice a week not only do I full swing, but I also spend some time in the Wellputt putting green we have.”

Junior Kayla Gutierrez believes the recent improvements made to the swing lab have helped her study where she can improve.

“I definitely have seen a lot more improvements from the new swing lab because the old swing lab didn’t have two screens,” Gutierrez said. “You couldn’t really see where your ball went so now that we have the two screens we can see everything and get all the stats labeled right in front of us.”

Junior Zoe Stockman says she is in the swing lab on a daily basis working on her performance and providing lessons for

others. Stockman’s strength is hitting the ball far and credits the TrackMan’s ability to calculate her swing speed as a reason for her improvement.

Being the only PGA-accredited program in Florida and one of only 18 in the country, Stockman says she found out about the PGM program on Instagram and ended up applying.

“I really didn’t know what I was going to do,” Stockman said. “I was kind of on a business major track and I saw it on Instagram actually. I thought it was super interesting and specific. I thought it was way better than doing just a regular business degree with how specific it was.”

DiCarlo’s favorite thing about the swing lab is that it is always available to him to escape whatever he has going on in life.

“My favorite feature is the fact that you can take a step away from academics,” DiCarlo said. “Let’s say you go to class and whether it’s a stressful class or a good class you can come here with your peers or friends and help each other to improve.”

Gutierrez is also the PGM’s social media advisor. She says she has been able to utilize the swing lab by using it to film social media content.

“We use the swing lab for a lot of social media stuff kind of like promoting it and getting students to use it,” Gutierrez said. “We have a lot of students that come in here to practice, work on their game and take lessons.”

Despite the many technological improvements to the swing lab to help students work on their golf game, Gutierrez’s favorite feature of the swing lab is the new FGCU branding.

“My favorite features would actually be the added in logos,” Gutierrez said. “I think it’s a nice touch to the lab. We didn’t have that before and now having that it looks super clean. It looks official and it’s probably my favorite part about it. As soon as you walk in you know it’s the FGCU PGM swing lab.”•

Visit eaglenews.org to watch an episode of ENTV Does as Directors take on the Swing Lab

Photo by Jessica Piland

SG President and Vice President Uphold Their Promises

Student Body PreSident Brannigan iS your BeSt Student Voice on camPuS, and Here’S WHy

Have FGCU Student Government officials upheld the promises they made when running for office?

While running for office, current Student Body President Grace Brannigan and Vice President, Tyler Varnadore, had three pillars to their campaign: accessibility, connection and togetherness. Brannigan and Varnadore work hard to be available to all students and to be good representatives for their peers.

This has been an unusual semester for everyone, and for our Student Government, there have been unprecedented circumstances needing attention. Not only is our school currently working to find a new university president, but Hurricane Ian put everything on campus to a halt for two weeks.

During these times, Brannigan has been very present. During the days leading up to Hurricane Ian, she decided to stay on campus to help the students who were not lucky enough to leave in time, even though she could have easily gone to her home in Orlando and presented her support from afar.

Brannigan played an influential part in helping students stay reassured that campus would go back to normal. As our student body president, she took her role to help the campus come back from this disaster very seriously.

In addition to being the only student representative on FGCU’s Board of Trustees, she is also serving on the Presidential Search

Muth, Staff Writer

Advisory Committee. There have been many changes during the search for our new school president. Not only did Hurricane Ian impact the timeline of campaigning and voting for this position, but it has now been delayed further.

During Student Government Senate meetings, Brannigan has made it her priority to make sure that all senators and chairs feel like they have a say in what she is asking the presidential nominees. At the last two meetings, she has made it a point to ask their opinions and to let everyone know her email is always open for suggestions.

On top of her already busy schedule of attending BOT meetings and most Student Government meetings, she has also hosted open hours in Einstein’s Bagels on campus for students to meet her and ask any questions they may have. This is a true testament to how open she is and willing to work with students, ensuring they feel good about their decision in electing her as their president.

Overall, President Brannigan and Vice President Varnadore have made it their job to create a community of togetherness on campus and have so far upheld their pillars of communication as with their original campaign. I believe that both of them have made themselves accessible to the FGCU community in multiple ways and will continue to work hard as your representatives to bring a sense of connection to the campus.•

Abigail

By Alexandra Porter

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.

Contact Us

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

Executive Editor Riley Hazel executive@eaglenews.org