The Reef housing complex to expand come fall 2017
Read more on A5
The official student media group at Florida Gulf Coast University since 1997
AGLE NEWS Volume 15, Issue 31
www.eaglenews.org
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
FGCU senior makes it on ‘American Ninja Warrior’
In the know Entertainment
By Taylor Crehan News Editor @taylorcrehan
Rapper Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, “DAMN.,” pleases both fans and critics. Read on A6
Sports
The women’s tennis team claims the ASUN regular season title. Read on B1
Opinion Mandating class attendance is a terrible way to go. Read on B6
Outreach
Local Lions Club screens children for vision and hearing problems. Read on B8
Senior criminal justice major Jordan Brown stood in line for 15 days, camping out with 21 others, for a chance to make it on NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior.” After waiting for 360 hours in front of the Daytona International Speedway, he found out that he would be competing on the show on Monday, April 3. “It was an amazing experience of being able to get to know people,” Brown, who is commonly known as “The Flash” on campus, said. “American Ninja Warrior” is a sports entertainment competition show that features contestants running through a series of obstacle courses. ANW applicants must be at least 21 years old, must fill out a 20-page application as well as make a video about themselves. There was 70,000 people applied for the show during its eighth season. After reviewing applications, producers of the show pick 100 applicants from each region of the country to compete on the show. Brown wasn’t included in the initial 100. He then decided to become a “walkon,” and wait for a chance to run through the preliminary
Photo courtesy of Jordan Brown FGCU senior Jordan Brown poses in front of an “American Ninja Warrior” sign in Daytona Beach, where he waited in line for 15 days to run through a preliminary course.
course live in front of cameras and announcers. “We all worked out together, we hung out throughout the whole day,” Brown said. Brown went on the show as a “walk-on” last year as well, but only made it to the second obstacle course. During the 15 days Brown camped out, he and his newfound friends would practice for the course every day and take group photos
detailing their journey. “It was totally worth it with those guys,” Brown said. “If I don’t get the call to compete next year, I will do it again.” While Brown is often seen training at the Veteran’s Pavilion on campus, he also trains at a gym called Extreme Air Gymnastics, where he runs through practice courses. “It’s been really fun,” Brown said. “It’s helped me
prepare for the show.” Brown is also preparing for two competitions — one on Saturday, May 20 and the other on Saturday, May 27 in North Carolina — both for the regional competition for the Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association. According to Brown, ANW just finished filming participants running
>> Continued on A3
Students to protest the hate speech on campus By Taylor Crehan News Editor @taylorcrehan Students enrolled in Margaret Hambrick’s Rhetoric of Social Movements class will be hosting a protest on campus on Thursday, April 20 at 1:30 p.m. at the Veteran’s Pavilion. The protest, called “Soar Above the Hate,” will focus on bringing awareness to recent hate speech instances that have occurred on campus and “bring an end to this ignorance.” “This hate speech does not represent our university and will not be tolerated by our student body,” said junior communication major Nikoletta Pappas, who is helping run the public relations aspect of the protest. Protesters will walk through campus during the protest, but will discuss the recent issues at the Veteran’s Pavilion. Pappas said that the protest will consist of participants from other protests that have occurred during this school year. Planning for the protest consists of work on several different areas, like planning the issues that will be addressed as well as the demands that protestors will address during the event. Flyers and posters
>> Continued on A2
FGCU’s tobacco ban hasn’t stopped student smokers UPD has issued 25 warnings to on-campus smokers since January 2017 By Antoniette Meyer Contributing Writer @antoniettemeyer
EN Photo / Rachel Iacovone An FGCU student smokes on campus during the 2015-16 school year. Despite the recent tobacco ban on campus, UPD has issued 25 warnings to FGCU students, guests and non-students since January 2017.
The tobacco ban at FGCU has not stopped students from smoking on campus. FGCU became a tobacco-free campus starting in summer 2016. Since then, UPD has issued verbal and written warnings to students smoking on campus behind academic buildings, housing buildings and in parking garages. Since January 2017, UPD has issued 25 warnings to FGCU students and guests who are nonstudents for tobacco use on campus. Professors and other university staff have called in multiple incidents of students smoking on campus to UPD.
“Dozens of students are smoking behind Reed Hall every day and making a huge mess. I bring fourth and fifth graders to FGCU for the Panther Posse Program,” said Ricky Pires, the Director of Wings of Hope. “We have to deal with the smokers every day as the young students eat lunch behind Reed. I have to get them to stop smoking while the kids are there.” Pires offered the idea that UPD increase the consequences of smoking on campus. So far, UPD has only issued warnings, but Pires feels that UPD should begin to ticket students who smoke on campus. During the transition to a tobacco-free campus, FGCU renovated the designated smoking areas into shaded seating areas. The designated smoking
area was located between Reed Hall and Whitaker Hall, connected to the main sidewalk. This renovation also took away all of the smoking urns on campus. Now, smokers are often seen behind Reed Hall at the picnic tables by the pond, such as the recent incident that occurred on March 18. The student was informed about the violation of the university rule, issued a warning and had to go through FGCU’s conduct process. “The ban didn’t stop
>> Continued on A3
INSIDE:
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Entertainment and Lifestyle.....A6 Sports............................................B1 Opinion..........................................B6 Outreach.......................................B8
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>> Comcast Cares Day of Service. Saturday April 22. FGCU has received a grant to engage students in activities around the community at seven service sites. The event kickoff begins at Alico Arena at 8 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. Transport, tee shirts and meals provided. Contact Jessica Rhea at jrhea@fgcu.edu or 239-590-7016 if you or your organization would like to be a part of this inaugural event. >> You’re needed: 5k run to help head and neck cancer patients of Lee Health. 30 to 40 volunteers are needed on April 29 at Hammond Stadium. Direct runners, serve food, work raffle, set up and break down. Arrive at 6 a.m.. Done by 11 a.m. Please contact Stacey Brill at 239-343-1645 or stacey.brill@leehealth.org. >> Golisano Children’s Hospital is hosting Safe Kids Day on Saturday, April 22, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Help is needed with set up/take down, water distribution, monitoring the bounce house and the safety stations. Contact Sally Kreuscher at 239-343-6199 or sally. kreuscher@leehealth.org
guest relations, ticket-taking and program distribution. Register at (http://www.fgcu.edu/Registrar/volunteer-registration.asp) or email to Lauren Cargo in the at lcargo@fgcu.edu no later than Friday, April 14. >> The Girls on the Run 5k is coming this way. Be there on April 29 at Sugden Regional Park, Naples to help kids get set, run concessions, set up at 6:45 a.m. and break down at about 11 a.m. Please contact Krista Maddox at foyk@collierschools.com or call 239-3778816. >> Get out your dancing shoes: the PACE Center for Girls Prom at the Fort Myers YMCA needs help with set up, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday May 12. Help is also needed during the prom, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Please contact Carol Wonderly at 239-425-2366 for more info.
>> On campus: Commencement Day, Saturday, May 6. Ceremonies at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Help with ushering, check in,
The world in brief ‘Facebook killer’ found dead after car chase Steve Stephens, a man suspected of shooting a random man while on the street, took his own life after a chase. Stephens killed Robert Godwin on Sunday, April 16. Since then, the police have been actively looking for Stephens. After being tipped off on his location, police prsued Stevens for two miles before a police car rammed into the rear of Stephens’s car. The car spun out, at which point Stephens pulled out a pistol and shot himself in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Man survived boat disaster by clinging to a bag of flour Graciam Kondowe was among 54 passengers whose boat overturned during stormy weather on Sunday, April 16. Kondowe held on to a bag of maize flour. Both fell out of the boat, and Kondowe swam them to safety. Five people drowned, while 11 are still missing. Eight of the 54 survivors are being treated in hospital after sustaining injuries.
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Former Mexican governor captured in Guatemala A former Mexican governor was on the run for more than six months, but was found and arrested in Guatemala on Sunday, April 16. Javier Duarte de Ochoa is accused of mishandling millions of dollars from programs for the poor. In October, a Mexican judge issued an arrest warrant against him. Guatemalan authorities are holding him while the Mexican government formally requests his extradition to Mexico.
Stricter rules to be put into place on work visas in Australia The 457-visa program in Australia is used primarily to hire foreign workers in the restaurant, IT and medical industries — a majority come from India, UK and China. Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said the country will start to prioritize the recruitment of Australian citizens.
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>> Protest continued from A1
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EN Photo / Rachel Iacovone “Soar Above the Hate,” a protest organized by students enrolled in the communication course Rhetoric of Social Movements, will take place at the Veteran’s Pavilion on Thursday, April 20 at 1:30 p.m.
were passed out and posted around campus to promote the protest. Members of Hambrick’s class also created two videos promoting the protest. Students, faculty and members of other organizations are involved with the planning as well. Pappas said that she hopes to successfully bring the recent issues to the school during the protest. “Out of protesting, we hope to bring our demands to the school, share love speech instead of hate speech, have speakers and performers and allow the
student body to be aware of what is happening on our campus and how we can personally impact it and change it,” Pappas said. Pappas said that hate speech on campus doesn’t just affect one group of people, but the entire student body. “Everyone should feel safe here and feel as though they can thrive in an environment that does not attack them or others through hate speech,” Pappas said. Participants are encouraged to use the hashtag #SoarAboveHate on social media during the protest.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A3 >> ANW continued from A1
through the preliminary course in his region and will now film in Canada. After that, they’re going to film the final competition. Qualifying and final courses are filmed backto-back usually over the course of two days. The top 15 qualifiers from each city finals course will then compete in Las Vegas for the final competition called Mount Midoriyama. The final competition consists of four stages, each containing obstacles. If the participants make it to the final stage, they must climb up a 75-foot rope climb in under 30 seconds. If a participant makes it to the top of the rope climb, Photo courtesy of Jordan Brown they reach “Total Victory,” FGCU senior and Criminal Justice major Jordan Brown (first row, second from the left) poses with the 21 other “walk-ons” that waited for 15 days for a chance to compete on “America Ninja Warrior.” and receive $1,000,000.
>> Tobacco ban continued from A1 people from smoking. They moved from one area to a more hidden area,” said George Brown, an FGCU landscaping and groundkeeper. “Smokers tend to be messy people. Where they moved is now very dirty. There is little to no enforcement of this rule by university police.” After the smoking sections were redone and the smokers relocated, students began to notice the additional littering. “Because people still smoke on campus, there is nowhere for them to throw away their cigarette butts,” said FGCU student Richard Skidmore. “In an ideal world, they would not be smoking at all, but they are, and they’re littering because they have nowhere to throw away the
cigarette butts.” UPD encourages students and staff to approach people who are smoking on campus and politely ask them to put out the cigarette. If the situation escalates, UPD should be notified. Along with the ban, FGCU Student Health Services began to offer cessation sessions for students and faculty. Prevention and Wellness also began offering free services for smokers as well. “The idea of the tobacco ban is good, but if there is no enforcement then there will be no change,” Skidmore said. “I support the tobacco ban because I want a cleaner school. I hope that other students will stop smoking on campus so the ban can have more positive effects.”
Brown knows if he has made it to the next round of the competition, but he can’t reveal that until the show airs on Monday, June 12. Brown is looking forward to seeing the friends he made while waiting in Daytona compete. “I’m looking forward to seeing the walk-ons that I competed with do great,” Brown said. As for Brown, he both does and does not want to see himself compete on the show come June 12. “I’m not really hoping to see myself,” Brown said. “I mean, I do hope I can see myself, then again it’s very unlikely because there’s just so many people that are on the show. The producers don’t show everybody.”
EN Photo / Rachel Iacovone FGCU students during the 2015-16 school year sat in the old smoking section to smoke between classes. Despite the recent tobacco ban on campus, UPD has issued 25 warnings to FGCU students, guests and non-students since January 2017.
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Police Beat
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A5
Eagle News writes this beat every week from the official UPD weekly summary Found property On Tuesday, April 11 at 1:44 a.m., officers located a duffle bag at North Lake Village. The bag was full of dirty gym clothes and was left by the owner’s car. Fight me On Tuesday, April 11 at 10:46 p.m., a complainant reported to UPD that she had been receiving threatening texts from a
person she did not know who wanted to “fight” her. UPD officers advised the complainant to block the number and end further communications. Missing keys On Wednesday, April 12 at 3:04 a.m., a dining hall employee requested an officer to bring bolt cutters so that she could cut the lock off the freezer and get the key that had been
locked inside it. Drug-addicted potatoes On Thursday, April 13 at 3:42 p.m., an RA called UPD to report that she had been finding potatoes outside Building B of North Lake Village. UPD believed individuals were using potatoes to smoke marijuana, however these potatoes did not contain any marijuana.
Party of one On Thursday, April 13 at 5:08 p.m., a complainant asked UPD to investigate possible sexual activity in the men’s bathroom. Officers canvassed the scene and found only a single male who was changing his clothes. Fake jobs On Saturday, April 16 at 5:21 a.m., an officer
found advertisements for a student work position. UPD investigated the posters and found them to be connected to a fraudulent business. Suspicious person On Saturday, April 16 at 1:51 a.m., UPD officers found a male standing outside Reed Hall. The man reported that he was looking for Wi-Fi.
Trespassing at Lake
North
On Saturday, April 16 at 3:53 a.m., four individuals were found behind Building K in a closed-off area. An officer informed them that they were trespassing and escorted them out of the area.
The Reef housing complex to expand come fall 2017 By Alexandra Figares Assistant News Editor @fgcueaglenews The Reef, Estero’s newest local housing complex, boasts 14 12-unit apartments and will expand this summer by adding new units. Move-in day for the new units is set for August 24 and will include four bedroom, two bedroom and five bedroom units. The Reef is offering early leasing opportunities through social media efforts like Facebook advertisements. “I am looking forward to seeing how it ties into the rest of the complex,” said Resort and Hospitality Management major Carley Ruff. “It will be fun to see what they make out of the
space and how it can benefit the rest of the residents.” Ruff said that she hopes that more parking spaces come with the new buildings. Nursing major Grace Garramone is a resident of The Reef because she wanted her own space and a kitchen. Garramone will continue to stay at The Reef because of its closeness to campus and amenities, despite the discovery of mold in many of the buildings. More than a dozen residents found mold on their belongings including shoes, desks and bags in February 2017. Parents and students alike were angry because they didn’t understand how this could be a problem when part of the draw of
the complex was that it was a new construction. Their frustration grew when The Reef failed to respond to complaints. According to an email sent by Mark Evans, who handles public relations for The Reef, engineers were sent to identify the source of the mold. Garramone said she is aware of the mold situation. She has checked her apartment and hasn’t found anything. She has no plans in moving. “As long as I don’t have it, I am fine with the situation. I’d want it taken care of, but it doesn’t affect me personally like it does some other people. It also didn’t make me want to move out.”
EN Photo / Brad Young The Reef, a local housing complex, located off of Estero Parkway and Three Oaks Parkway, is in the process of constructing new residential buildings that will have four, two and five bedroom apartments.
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A day on Sanibel Island
Photo’s courtesy of Joey’s Custard Facebook and Among the Flowers Instagram (Left) Because ice cream and the beach go so perfectly together, Joey’s Custard is a great place to go on your trip to Sanibel. (Right) If you’re looking for a healthier beach snack, you can try to Gaia Bowl at Among the Flowers, a cafe that offers healing health food and drinks that are sustainably sourced and organic.
By Laurel De Luca Staff writer @fgcueaglenews For FGCU students looking to get a unique experience from the typical Fort Myers Beach scene, Sanibel Island has cool places to eat, shop and visit.
Once you’ve mastered the patience of getting over the bridge, there’s so much more to see of Sanibel than just the beach. As you drive down Periwinkle Way, the main road of the island, you can find nostalgia crammed in a never-ending store called
Islander Trading Post Antiques. It holds items from past decades: cameras, creepy old family photographs, license plates from all states and advertisement props. Among the Flowers, a small cafe, serves everything organic from
smoothies, Mylk-Shakes — milk shakes with nut-based milk as substitute — and little meals like avocado toast and almond butter and jam. When the heat becomes too much, you can duck into Joey’s Custard, known, of course, for its custards, and
ice creams too. It’s inviting for a group of friends with a couch secluded to the right. Similar to the island antique store, Gene’s Bookstore manages to pack an exorbitant amount of books throughout its three buildings.
Each building carries different genres, which makes for a relatively stress-free shopping experience. These places are worth checking out — even if you encounter some stand-still traffic while leaving the island.
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘DAMN.’ is beyond good
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Kendrick Lamar has gained incredible popularity among die-hard fans and other hip-hop listeners, maintaining a reputation of high quality sound, lyricism and stage presence. He’s mostly known for his deep lyrics, in which he discusses his personal struggles as well as what’s going on in today’s political climate.
By Nick Michel Staff Writer @fgcueaglenews Kendrick Lamar’s third major-label album, “DAMN.,” proves that he’s light-years above the competition, and it might not even be his best work. “DAMN.” is beyond good. It’s not even just nextlevel work. It’s three levels past next level. It may be pre-emptive to label the work a classic, but the album’s impact in Lamar’s catalog is similar to “Graduation” by Kanye and “Tha Carter III” by Lil Wayne. In stark contrast to his sophomore album, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” “DAMN.” is more palatable for casual
fans who are eager for an easy listen. The minimalist approach of the album artwork is a false indicator of a minimalist sound on the album. Instead, the tracks ebb and flow from complicated to simple. At this point in his career there really wasn’t much left for Lamar to prove. Yet, this album is ambitious in its ability to appeal to a wide audience. Tracks like “LOYALTY.” featuring Rihanna, “DNA.,” “ELEMENT.” and “LOVE.” will be sure to attract new fans without alienating his current fan base. In addition, Lamar expanded on some of the musical styles that he introduced on TPAB.
The album has many sounds, and it fully indulges in each of those sounds. Tracks like “FEAR.,” and “FEEL.” are examples of Lamar’s traditional, lyricoriented approach to hiphop. From start to finish, the soundscape of those songs remains consistent. However, on tracks like “XXX.” and “DNA.,” the music wildly transforms mid-song, leaving you on your toes trying to anticipate how the song will continue to evolve. It’s this type of experimentation that makes art amazing. This album isn’t a reintroduction to Lamar. Instead it’s a re-invention of Lamar.
It’s a process we have seen multiple times before. The sonic unpredictable sound is coupled with the consistency in quality control which combines to form an awesome experience. “DAMN.” might not be better than the previous two albums, but that’s mostly because it’s just so different. It is not entirely a conceptual album like it’s predecessors, but there are conceptual songs. In fact, the album ends with Lamar telling the story about how the founder of his label almost shot and killed Lamar’s father he Lamar was five-years-old. This album is not Lamar’s bid at being the greatest rapper of this
generation. It’s the most recent addition to his resume as he
makes his case for being the greatest rapper of all time.
Photo of Kendrick Lamar album cover Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, ‘DAMN.’ has been popular among fans and critics, earning a 97 on Metacritic.
EDITOR: JULIA BROWNING ENTERTAINMENT@EAGLENEWS.ORG
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 EAGLE NEWS E & L A7
Deanna’s D.I.Y.’s
Nebula in a jar is a great stress reliever
Curated this week by Assistant E&L Editor Jesse Martin
2017 Hits 1. “Loyalty” - Kendrick Lamar feat. Rihanna 2. “Mask Off” - Future 3. “Shape of You” - Ed Sheeran 4. “Portland” - Drake 5. “Believer” - Imagine Dragons 6. “Legendary” - Joey Bada$$ feat. J.Cole 7. “Stay” - Zedd feat. Alessia Cara 8. “It Ain’t Me” - Kygo feat. Selena Gomez 9. “Now Or Never” - Halsey 10. “Faded” - P.O.S
EN Illustration / Audrey Mobley
By Deanna Simmons Staff Writer @WonderCatDee With the end of the semester rapidly approaching, it’s crunch time, and with finals coming up, stress is imminent. Thankfully, there are some easy ways to relieve stress that aren’t going to cost you a fortune. D.I.Y nebula in a Jar, or a “calm down jar,” is an easy and popular craft that you might have seen on Tumblr or Pinterest. You’ll need a jar, some glitter, water, cotton balls and paint. For a nebula in a jar, you might want to go with silver, blue and light purple glitter. However, you can choose whichever kind you’d like if you don’t like those colors. To get started, fill the jar up to about a fourth of the way with water. Put a few drops of paint into the water of one color and mix it until it’s fully dissolved. From there, you add some glitter from each color you want. Next, lightly shred a few cotton balls and put them in the jar. Then, use the back
of something like a skewer or a spoon and press the cotton balls into the bottom of the jar. From there, repeat the steps with different colors until the jar full. The second thing you can make to calm your anxiety is a playdough stress ball. Stress balls at the store usually cost a few dollars and it might be easier to make your own if you have some of the supplies laying around. All you need are balloons, some playdough and a wooden rolling pin. Make a ball with the dough and using the rolling pin, roll your ball into a flat shape. Roll the pancake dough into a tube shape and insert the tube into the balloon, pressing down to fill the balloon from the bottom up. Tie the neck of the balloon and you’ve got yourself a stress ball. If you don’t have playdough, you can make your own. You will need some iodized sea salt, water, food coloring, flour and two bowls. Pour the flour and salt in one of the bowls. It doesn’t
really matter how much, just use what you think you need. Mix it together and make sure it’s all blended as much as possible. In a separate bowl, put the water and the food coloring color of your choice. Mix the food coloring into the water. Keep in mind that the color of the water will be darker than the final product. You can wrap it up and store it overnight in the fridge if you like, but it shouldn’t dry out. Turn to crafting to relieve your stress this finals week.
Photo courtesy of Flickr via Amy The nebula jar is an effective stressreliever. Giving the illusion that the infinity of space is in the palm of your hands.
Float tanks gain popularity as alternative medicine By Jesse Martin E&L Assistant Editor @JesseMartin247 Sensory deprivation tanks, more commonly known as “float tanks,” offer alternative approaches to improve mental and physical health. Float tanks are light less, soundproof tanks filled with Epsom salt water. The water is set at skin temperature and the individual can float effortlessly. There are two float tank therapy locations near FGCU, The Float & Flourish Center in Bonita Springs and Cloud9 Float and Spa. The Float & Flourish Center serves as almost a modernized day spa, with services including float therapy, oxygen bar and infrared sauna therapy.
Cloud9 Float and Spa is located in Naples and offers the same experience. According to the Journal of Psychology and Health, sensory deprivation is the purposeful removal of stimuli to one or more of the human senses. This can lead to a relaxed state, even falling into a state of meditation. This medical technique is called Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy. Developed in the 1950s by neuropsychiatrist John C. Lily, Float Tanks would see its first surge in popularity in the 1980’s with the release of the film “Altered States.” According to a 1981 New York Times article, about $4 million in sales were made in 1981. However, with the
fear and rise of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, the popularity dimmed. A study done by the European Journal of Integrative Medicine saw patients show improvements in physiological changes, alleviation of medical conditions, relaxation, personal growth and enhancement and an altered state of consciousness. According to the Journal of Psychology and Health, a study showed to improve cortisol levels and lowered blood pressure. “Floatation therapy soothes muscle pain, cleanses pores and detoxifies the skin,” said Guillermo Fernandez, owner of the Float & Flourish Center in Bonita Springs. “It helps everyone.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons The soundproof tank offers and escape for the mind, erasing the worries of everyday life.
From high level athletes, to the everyday person with no athletic experience. Float tanks are one of the most effective stressmanagement techniques available.” Current and former
high-level athletes have been known to use float tanks to aid in athletic performance. Carl Lewis used float tanks to help him train for his long jump in the 1988 Olympics.
Golden State Warriors basketball player, Steph Curry said in an interview with CNN that he uses float tanks every two weeks.
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EDITOR: JULIA BROWNING ENTERTAINMENT@EAGLENEWS.ORG
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 EAGLE NEWS E & L A8
Mysterious trailer released for ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons The eighth film in the epic Star Wars franchise, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” looks to seperate itself with stunning visuals and high-paced action sequeneces.
By Jesse Martin Assistant E&L Editor @fgcueaglenews “Breathe. Just breathe.” These are the first words spoken in the new “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” official teaser trailer released Friday, April 14. The trailer shows all the actors from “Star Wars: The
Force Awakens” reprising their original roles. Rey, Kylo Ren, Finn and Poe all appear in the teaser. Only shadows of Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) are shown. His face is never revealed. The film seems to be keeping the most anticipated character return a surprise.
In the trailer, Rey (played by Daisy Ridley) talks about the light and dark side of “the force,” potentially telling viewers that Rey is the true chosen one to the Jedi prophecy that Darth Vader was mistakenly thought to be. The chosen one is said to bring balance to the force. From the trailer, the film
looks like it will be visually stunning. The cinematography should be a definite strong point to the upcoming film. The location where Rey and Luke Skywalker train offers an island and open ocean setting, not usually seen in the Star Wars franchise. The trailer shows plenty of space action, including intense, humongous dog fights in open space. The trailer also gives a big hint into the film’s title. Luke Skywalker can be heard saying, “I only know one truth: it’s time for the Jedi to end.” This, along with many other lines said by Skywalker, induce a huge amount of mystery into this trailer, only making fans of the franchise want to see it even more. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is set to release Dec. 15, 2017.
Photo courtesy of IGN
Luke Skywalker’s (played by Mark Hamill) face is never shown, but his words of saying, “I only know one truth: it’s time for the Jedi to end.” This has fans waiting anxiously to see if Luke’s words are ture.
‘The Fate of the Furious’ delivers entertaining, mindless action
Photo courtesy of Empire “Fate of the Furious” is the eighth film in the franchise, and the next two films are scheduled to be released in 2019 and 2021.
By Julia Browning E&L Editor @juliabrowningxo This past weekend, the eighth movie in the actionpacked Fast and Furious series “The Fate of the Furious” opened in theaters to eager crowds. The movie provided what was to be expected
from the franchise: fireballs, explosions, twisted heaps of metal careening through the air, bloody fight scenes and of course — racing. The movie opened up with a race scene in Cuba, a place where few Hollywood movies have been previously shot, and really took advantage of the surroundings.
The main characters played by Vin Diesel, Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson, made an impressive action trio, where the characters built off one another, managing to come off at least somewhat complex among action scenes that could sometimes border on aimless. Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris played their continuing characters in the series well and maintained comic relief throughout the action-filled two hours and 16 minutes of the film. Charlize Theron played the villain Cipher, a cyber terrorist sporting blonde dreadlocks and tight black outfits, easily pulling off the “sexy villainess” role, often featured in action movie conglomerates. What most people are wondering (or hoping, painfully) is whether or not this movie will be the last of the Fast and Furious franchise, or if we’ll still be hit with one of these movies every year until we’re watching them in nursing homes. There will be at least two more Fast and Furious movies and much like their many totaled vehicles, the movie is like to get replaced by a newer shinier version
EN Illustration / Audrey Mobley
in the not too distant future. And yes, this movie will undoubtedly blend in with the other 200 sequels, but overall, it was thrilling,
entertaining and worth watching if you’re in the mood for some mindless action. The next one, “Fast and
Furious 9,” is slated to come out April 19, 2019 and “Fast and Furious 10” will come out April 2, 2021.
Photo courtesy of CinemaBlend For fans of the action movies that don’t make you think much, “Fate of the Furious” will fill that need with entertaning action scenes that never slow down.
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SPORTS
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Women’s tennis claims first ASUN regular-season title
Battling against Quetzali Vazquez for over three hours, Laura Falceto Font clinched the ASUN regular-season title for the FGCU women’s tennis team with her victory over Vazquez.
By Miguel Rodriguez Sports Editor @Miguel_Rod0914
The FGCU women’s tennis team defeated UNF 4-3 in its regularseason finale at the FGCU Tennis Complex to claim the program’s first-ever ASUN regular-season championship. In a match that lasted over three hours on Saturday, April 15, Laura Falceto Font came back
after dropping the first set and outlasted UNF’s Quetzali Vazquez to claim the regular-season crown for the Eagles. “The girls did amazing today,” FGCU head coach Courtney Vernon said in a recent FGCU athletics press release. “They showed a lot of fight; they showed a lot of heart, and they were able to get the job done in the big moments. It was just really exciting. UNF fought
until the last point, and we prepared for that kind of fight so the girls were ready to take the match today because that’s what they had to do.” With a chance to claim the program’s first regularseason title, the Eagles jumped out to an early lead thanks to a come-frombehind doubles victory by Breana Stampfli and Maja Ornberg. Before dropping the final doubles match of the
day, the Eagles claimed the doubles victory with the top tandem of Julia Ascua and Julianna Curtis claiming their 10th win of the season with a 6-4 victory over Luise Intert and Vazquez. Sparking one of the Eagles’ three-singles wins, Stampfli defeated Gomez 6-4 in the first set and 6-1 in the second. Following Stampfli’s victory, Ascua gave FGCU a 3-0 lead, defeating Irina
Karangozishvili 7-6 in the first set and 6-0 in the second. After the Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 lead in singles play, the Ospreys strung together back-toback matches to bring themselves within one. After Intert and Gartner defeated Kelly and Bridget Forster respectively, Ornberg came one point short of the win before Font outlasted Vazquez to bring home the
Photo by Linwood Ferguson
title. The Eagles will now host the ASUN Tennis Championships from April 21 to April 23 at the FGCU Tennis Complex. As the top seed, the Eagles will face the winner of No. 4 Stetson No. 5 Lipscomb in the semifinal on Saturday, April 22.
Women’s golf collects ASUN postseason awards
Photo courtesy of ASUN Sports Madeline Marck-Sherk (above) joined Kate Williamson as one of two Eagles named to the ASUN Women’s Golf Second team.
By Emily Kois Assistant Sports Editor @emilykois As the season comes to a close, postseason honors start coming in for the FGCU women’s golf team. Senior Megan Blonien was named to the ASUN Women’s Golf First Team, while sophomore Madeline Marck-Sherk and freshman Kate Williamson were placed on the Second Team. Williamson also earned a position on the ASUN AllFreshman Team. Blonien led the team this season with a stroke average of 74.82. She led at several tournaments,
recording scores of 75 or better in 14 rounds. Blonien was the only senior this year and finished in the top-20 in seven of eight tournaments this year with her best finish at the Johnie Imes Invitational where she shot a score of 215. “Megan has been consistent for us all year,” said FGCU head coach Sarah Trew in a recent FGCU Athletics press release. “No matter what event we are playing in, we can always count on her to give us a solid score. That can be a lot to ask day in and day out, but she’s handled it so well.”
Marck-Sherk continued to impress this season even after winning All-Freshman Team last year. The sophomore ended the season with a 75.87 stroke average. MarckSherk also finished at the top for the Eagles several times, coming in the top 20 in two of eight tournaments. At the MSU Citrus Classic, the sophomore earned first place with a total score of 212. “Madeline has the ability to shoot under par
>> Continued on B2 EN Illustration / Audrey Mobley
B2 SPORTS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19
EDITOR: MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ | SPORTS@EAGLENEWS.ORG
Women’s golf finishes second at the ASUN Championship
On the eve of being named to the ASUN Women’s Golf First Team, Megan Blonien came up short of the tournament crown falling to Lipscomb’s Samantha Griffith in a one hole playoff.
By Miguel Rodriguez Sports Editor @Miguel_Rod0914 After finishing in second a year ago at the ASUN Championships, the FGCU women’s golf team tied its program best second place finish at the 2017 ASUN Championship in Braselton, Georgia on Monday, April 17. Finishing with scores of 305 and 297 on Sunday before its final round score of 303, the Eagles finished
seven points over UNF’s Championship winning score of 898. “We are clearly disappointed with the results today and expected to have a better round,” said FGCU head coach Sarah Trew in a recent FGCU Athletics press release. “We gave away too many shots on 8 and the par fives.” Leading the way for the Eagles throughout the tournament, Megan Blonien was tied for first place with
Lipscomb’s Samantha Griffith for first place but Blonien fell to Griffith in a one-hole playoff coming up short of the tournament title. Despite falling short of the tournament crown, Blonien’s 219 finish earned her a spot on the AllTournament team. “Megan (Blonien) played so well today, what a fun round to watch her play,” Trew said to FGCU Athletics. “On the last hole
she needed to make a birdie to tie and she hit it two feet and knocked in the putt. She didn’t get the result she wanted in the playoff, but what a year for her. She’s made a huge impact on our program and we cannot thank her enough.” Joining Blonien in the top-10 out of the 35 golfers competing, Kelsey Holbert finished with a combined score of 227 to finish tied for 10th place. Rounding out the
>> Awards continued from B1 every round she tees it up,” Trew said to FGCU Athletics. “She proved that in a big way when she won the MSU Citrus Classic a couple of weeks ago. I think she’s transitioned nicely from making the AllFreshman Team last season to Second Team this year.” Williamson earned Second Team All-
Laura Falceto Font Sophomore 5 feet 3 inches Hometown: Zaragoza, Spain
Photo courtesy of ASUN Sports
rest of the performances for the Eagles, Madeline Marck-Sherk, Madison Easterbrook and Kate Williamson finished with scores of 232, 234 and 238 respectively. Thanks to its secondconsecutive second place finish in the ASUN Championship, FGCU ties a program record with six top-five finishes in a single season. “Overall though, I’m very proud of what we have
done this year. We’ve had a lot of positives,” Trew said to FGCU Athletics. “This is the second-straight year we’ve been in contention in the final round, and that’s all you can ask for. This is a very talented group of young ladies, and I’m privileged to be able to work with them.”
Conference honors after the newcomer finished the regular season with a stroke average of 76.20. As a freshman, she competed in eight of nine matches and recorded nine rounds of 75 or better. However, her best match came at the Spring Break Shootout, where she earned second place with a total score of 219. “Kate has definitely
made a big impact for us this year as a freshman, and to be named to AllFreshman and Second Team All-Conference is quite an accomplishment,” Trew said to FGCU Athletics. “I’m excited to see how her career progresses. There are no limits to her potential.”
Photo courtesy of ASUN Sports Earning a spot on the ASUN Women’s Golf Second team, Kate Williamson led the Eagles with a 74.82 stroke average.
In a singles match that lasted over three hours, sophomore Laura Falceto Font came up big in the decisive third set in the No. 4 singles at the ASUN Championship. The sophomore prevailed against UNF’s Quetzali Vazquez, helping the Eagles earn their first ASUN Championship in program history. Falceto Font currently leads the team with an overall record of 17-7 and an impressive ASUN record of 6-0. The sophomore is currently on a six match win streak and won her team-best 11th dual match of the season with a hardfought win against Kennesaw State’s Kennedy Craig in No. 4 singles.
EN Illustrations / Audrey Mobley
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 EAGLE NEWS SPORTS B3
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FGCU baseball claims first conference series win
Heading into the third inning scoreless in the series finale against USC Upstate, Nick Rivera hit his eighth home run of the season and the 34th home run of his career, to propel FGCU to an 11-5 victory over the Spartans.
By Matt Rothman Staff Writer @MattRothman3 In its second-to-last home series of the year, the FGCU baseball team claimed its first ASUN series win on Saturday, defeating USC Upstate on April 14 and 15 at Swanson Stadium. “It’s big anytime you get a series win; it’s huge,” FGCU first baseman Nick Rivera said. “Definitely for the locker room for our guys to get confidence going into FIU on Tuesday and then getting back into the conference vs. North Florida. We feel we’ve
been playing real bad as an offense, letting our pitchers down.” With the weekend series starting a day earlier due to the holiday weekend, the usual Friday starter, Kutter Crawford, went a day earlier and battled in his six innings. He gave up two runs on four hits in route to a no decision. FGCU led 5-2 heading into the seventh inning. But, Sterling Koerner gave up four runs in his two innings, and the Eagles fell behind 6-5. Despite not getting the start at catcher, Spencer Levine saw one pitch after he replaced Marc Coffers
at catcher in the seventh for a game-winning, tworun home run for the Eagles as Kenton Herring registered the final three outs to secure the Eagles’ 7-6 victory. “I was just happy (coach Dave Tollett) gave me the opportunity to get into the game today,” Levine said. “I was talking to all my teammates that saw the pitcher before I did. They said he threw a lot of curve balls, and I was up there sitting on curve balls, and he threw it to me first pitch.” On Friday, the Eagles fell behind early 1-0 behind Josh Dye, as the Eagles weren’t
able to complete an inningending double play. Up 2-0 entering the seventh inning, Russ Schwertfeger added one in the ninth on an opposite field home run, his first of two home runs in the series, to give the Spartans a 3-0 lead. Despite getting the tying run to the plate, the Eagles couldn’t complete the rally and dropped their fifth game in conference play. In the series finale on Saturday, Garrett Anderson continued his strong string of starts, going five and two thirds innings, allowing two runs both coming off the bat of Schwertfeger.
The game was scoreless heading into the third inning, but with two men on, Rivera hit his eighth home run of the season and the 34th home run of his career to give FGCU a 1-0 lead. Leading 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth, FGCU scored three runs but quickly gave those runs right back in the next half inning. After the Spartans added one more run in the eighth to trail 7-4, USC Upstate committed three errors, as the Eagles tacked on four more runs and went on to win 11-5. Herring, who replaced Koerner as the closer,
EN Photo / Brad Young
finished off the game out of the bullpen and notched his fourth save of the year. “It’s big whenever you can get a series win,” Herring said. “Everybody plays us tough. Anytime you can get a series win, it’s big for morale. We’ve been scuffling a little bit, and we’re playing for a spot in the tournament right now. We got to keep it rolling next week and keep winning series again.” The Eagles will now welcome FIU to Swanson Stadium on Tuesday, April 18 before heading to Miami to take on FIU again on Wednesday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 EAGLE NEWS SPORTS B5
This week in athletics
By Saul Garcia Staff Writer @saul_434 The FGCU baseball team will head to Jacksonville to take on UNF in a three-game series beginning Friday, April 21 at 6 p.m. This will be an ASUN conference series with the Eagles coming into the matchup with a 4-5 record
in conference play. In last season’s threegame series against the Ospreys, the Eagles suffered defeat in the series, losing the series 2-1. This ended with a totalruns count of 17 for FGCU and 19 for UNF. Next, the Eagles will look forward to a matchup against FAU Tuesday, April 25.
Beach volleyball at ASUN Championship
By Emily Kois Assistant Sports Editor @emiykois The FGCU beach volleyball team will head to Deland to take part in the ASUN Beach Volleyball Championship beginning Saturday, April 22. Play will conclude on Sunday, April 23. The Eagles currently
Women’s tennis at ASUN Championship
Men’s tennis at ASUN Championship
Baseball vs. UNF series
By Matt Rothman Staff Writer @MattRothman3 The No. 4 FGCU men’s tennis team gets set to face off against No. 5 USC Upstate in the first round of the ASUN Championship at 5 p.m. Friday, April 21 at the FGCU Tennis Complex. One of the Eagles three conference
wins came against the Spartans, as FGCU defeated USC Upstate 4-3 in Spartanburg, South Carolina on March 29. Felipe Ramirez and Javier Fernandez both come in with a team-best 5-1 record in conference play for the Eagles. The winner of this match will face unbeaten UNF on Saturday, April 22.
By Matt Rothman Staff Writer @MattRothman3 After claiming its first ASUN regular season title, the FGCU women’s tennis team gets set to host the ASUN Championship starting on Friday, April 21 at the FGCU Tennis Complex. Coming into the tournament as the No. 11
Softball at Kennesaw State series
hold a 13-6 overall record and a 6-4 record for conference play. The Eagles have had the most success with the No. 3 pairing of Katherine Puisis and Karissa Rhoades as they’ve gone 13-4 this season. Last season, the Eagles went 2-2 at the ASUN championship in three days of play.
By Matt Rothman Staff Writer @MattRothman 3 The FGCU softball team will head to Kennesaw State for the start of a three-game series on Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m. with the Owls. The Eagles come into this game with a conference record of 3-6
having lost five of their last seven ASUN matches. The Owls come in with over 30 wins this year and is 7-5 in conference play. These two teams met five times last year with the Eagles winning four times. Next, the Eagles will take on USF in a doubleheader Thursday, April 27 at 5 p.m.
seed, the Eagles will face the winner of No. 4 Stetson and No. 5 Lipscomb on Saturday, April 22. FGCU defeated both the Hatters and the Bisons earlier on in the season with 6-1 victories over them. Laura Falceto Font and Breana Stampfli are unbeaten in conference play at 6-0, and they will look to lead the Eagles in the ASUN Championship.
Baseball at FAU
By Saul Garcia Staff Writer @saul_434 The FGCU baseball team have a midweek game against the FAU Owls on Tuesday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. away in Boca Raton. This game will come after an ASUN series win of 2-1 over USC Upstate and a 5-4 win over Miami,
giving the Eagle a series win over the Hurricanes having won earlier in the season. The matchup will also be the first to happen since the Eagles lost to a then-No. 17 Owls with a score of 5-2. Next, the Eagles will head to New Jersey to take on NJIT in a three-game series beginning Friday, April 28.
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Attendence for an automatic ‘A’ Mandating class attendance is a terrible way to go
By Sam Palmisano Staff Writer @SamPalmisano Despite what United Airlines would like you to believe, the golden rule of customer service still states that the customer is always right. Every industry — restaurant, hotel, retail, etc. — follows that golden rule except one; educational institutions always seem to make paying customers at fault. The latest fault being placed on students is the low performance metrics as evaluated by the state. Rumors of a new effort to improve four-year graduation rates and academic performance have started to circulate. FGCU may be thinking about making classroom attendance mandatory at an institutional level. The university has somehow deemed that the reason students aren’t performing well is because they don’t go to class. To be fair, this is a valid assessment to make if you are absolutely clueless about students, education or academic performance. It’s the type of surface level assumption we’ve grown to expect from people that haven’t sat in class-
es in over 30 years. Any student that actually cares about their education and truly believes that going to class will allow them to succeed isn’t going to miss class unless it’s an emergency. That means that the students missing class either don’t care about their education or don’t believe in their classes. Since I doubt anyone is willingly spending $203.94 per credit hour — $838.73 for our out-of-state peers — on something they don’t care about, it’s safe to say that students don’t feel that attending class is beneficial to their education. Also, if students don’t care about a class, making attendance mandatory isn’t going to have anything but a negative impact. Again, to be fair, the reason they feel comfortable relating grades to attendance is because of attendance/ participation grades. Without professors giving academic incentives for students to come to class, everyone is on the same playing field. In a class where attendance is 10 percent of the total grade, students who show up are automatically a letter grade above those who don’t.
What the university has done is put the students at fault, rather than acknowl-
don’t show up. Some professors recite the book or online slide
Photo courtesy of Flickr via UC Davis College of Engineering
A student raises his hand at the beginning of class to mark his attendance for the day.
edge some potential roots of the problem. Some classes have flatout difficult material, and when a class has a less than 50 percent pass rate, maybe it’s not because the students
shows that students can read at home. Some classes consist of only exams, so attendance doesn’t matter if students can’t pass a test at the end. For example, my Busi-
ness Law course this semester combines all three of those characteristics. The total course grade comes from three exams, a professor that reads a PowerPoint every class and business law is complicated enough. Most of the class doesn’t go unless it’s an exam day because there just isn’t any reason to. Showing up won’t affect their final grade. If FGCU really wants students to come to class, here are some suggestions: make sure professors are actually teaching information and not just regurgitating a text book, add a classwork component to the course or offer extra credit to those students with perfect attendance. When students come to class, they’re coming for something they can’t get on their own. Whether the professor is giving extra help or providing examples, that sought-out information will attract attendance. Some professors offer an attendance section of the final grade, but those who don’t could at least reward attendance with a little extra credit. If a student has an 88 percent with perfect attendance, a professor could bump that grade to reward their efforts.
Most classes these days are just lectures. Without any extra information or incentives, students would need a classwork component in order to show up. Even small group activities or in-class assignments may help students get engaged. I took a class last summer that consisted of just lectures and quizzes; I got a 97 percent without ever staying past the quizzes. That’s because when I pay to take a course, I’m not paying so that I have a classroom to show up to, a desk to sit in or a professor to lecture me. I pay so that I can learn information that gives me credits toward a degree. None of my future employers are going to ask me how often I went to class so long as I have my degree with a high GPA. In mandating attendance, the university would be ignoring its own faults in order to blame the students. As paying customers, students have a right to not attend class. We are paying for a service, and it’s our choice whether or not to use it. Does attending class help students? Sometimes. Should attendance be mandatory? Never.
Schools should teach more current events
In the Florida public school sytem, students are required to take four credits of math and English classes to graduate but are only required to take three social studies and science courses.
By Sydney Van Dreason Assistant Opinion Editor @sydney_0815 People like to complain about high school, especially public high school, for nearly everything; the sports teams weren’t good enough, the kids were mean there, there were no clubs to fit every interest, classes were too hard, the teachers stunk and many, many more. But the biggest flaw in public high school wasn’t the sports teams or the intensity of the classes. I’ve only ever been exposed to Florida public education systems, and I was never given the opportunity to take a class related to current events in politics, economics or world issues. Sure, those topics might have come up in passing
during some of my history classes, but that’s not what the classes’ focuses were on. Public schools, in Florida at least, place heavy emphasis on math and English classes, with science and social studies classes usually taking the back seat. In most public high schools, with the exception of magnet schools, students need four credits in math and English classes in order to graduate, but they’re only required to take three credits in social studies and science courses. And even if high schools do offer electives that focus on current events and the like, most high school students are more likely to pick an easier class because they want a break from AP courses, or they want more time for sports and social lives.
Unless they have a genuine interest in the subject and want to learn more, or if they think the class will possibly help them with their potential major in college, high school students aren’t going to take a difficult class if it’s not required of them. But classes that focus specifically on current events should exist, and at least a credit should be required of students in all public schools. Here’s the deal: if students aren’t learning about it in school from a class, or if they don’t actively research it because they’re interested in current events, they’re not going to know what’s going on in their country or in the world. Last semester, I took a course called Peace and Conflict in the Public
Sphere, which focused on the crisis of BosniaHerzegovina and on the rising conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. For the first few weeks, I couldn’t really grasp what was being talked about in the lectures, and the textbook was difficult to read because it wasn’t meant for undergraduate students. Similarly, this semester, I am taking the second half of a year-long course called American Military Memoirs. Last semester, we focused on the Vietnam War, which I had previously learned about in my high school history courses. But when we got to Iraq and Afghanistan this semester, I felt like I was in the same boat as I was in last fall. Since I had limited exposure to these topics
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
before taking these college courses, I automatically felt unqualified to be participating in class because I felt like I didn’t know enough about the subjects to be analyzing and discussing them. On the flip side, taking these classes also encouraged me to do research on current events on my own and take the initiative to keep myself up to date. Part of the lack of knowledge was my fault. I could have done a better job of keeping up with current events, and each student does have a responsibility to keep up with what’s going on in the world. But it would have made it a lot easier for me if I had been required to take a current events-based class in high school. Incorporating new classes or more specific
education standards in public schools may be difficult, especially due to Common Core and the “teaching to the test” phenomenon. While there currently are standards related to current events, like conflicts in the Middle East, they are either glazed over or ignored because they’re not as likely to be on state assessments like the EOC. Reform starts with recognizing the need for change, and if we all see that there is a general lack of understanding of current events, both locally and internationally, then public schools can adapt their systems to accommodate students and actually teach them about history in the making, not just standard history.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 EAGLE NEWS OPINION B7
Graduating seniors’ advice to students A message of resilience just in time for finals week
By Cassandra Ellis Contributing Write @fgcueaglenews If there is one thing I have learned since I’ve come to FGCU, it is that here, like in the “real world,” we have the opportunity to become who we want to be. Whoever we become will eventually shape our experiences and our lives. Now, in my junior year, I have realized that the experiences I chose to put on my resume have ended up shaping me, not only as a prospective employee or student at FGCU, but as who I want to be. Getting to this point has not been easy. I have one year left of my undergraduate degree, and many things can change in a year. However, because I am not yet at the end of my collegiate career, I spoke with a couple seniors who are much closer to leaving FGCU than I am. These are the stories of how they got to where they are now and how their experiences have changed their lives and the lives of others. Evelyn Philistin, a senior majoring in Criminal Justice, is rarely seen without a playful sparkle in her eyes and her signature smile. This may not come as a surprise to many readers who know Philistin
(Left) Photo courtesy of Resident Housing Association, (Right) Photo courtesy of Photo Magic Events
Evelyn Philistin is majoring in Criminal Justice and Ryan Ghandour (right) is graduating in Computer Information Systems.
as a former Orientation Leader, Resident Assistant and Director of Civic Engagement for Student Government, to name a few of her past positions. However, many may not know that Philistin was not always as outgoing as she is now. In fact, she told me that in one class in high school, she refused to present in front of her classmates, instead accepting a D in the class because she could not speak to a group without shaking. That changed when she came to college. As a first generation student, Philistin was the first in her family to graduate from high school, and this Fall, she will be the first to graduate from college. The proud daughter of a mother from Haiti, Philistin’s motivation is to succeed for her five younger siblings, to show them that if she can do it, so can they.
“Deep down I knew that I had the potential to do things,” Philistin said. “After high school, it was just a matter of trying and wanting to do things.” When she arrived at FGCU, she felt as though she had come too far to quit now. With each step of the way, she continued to fight that voice in the back of her mind that told her “No, you can’t do this,” and “Who are you kidding?” Finding her niches in the Office of Multicultural and Leadership Development, New Student Programs and Resident Housing Association helped her to build connections with people who would build her up, mentor and support her. Pushing forward to accomplish her goals, she had the opportunity to create opportunities for others, all while laughing and smiling — her personal symbols of resilience.
Let’s have a chat You can write for Eagle News. Yes, you reading this. You can be a writer for Eagle News. I know you’re busy, but read me out. Let’s knock down some myths that some of you might have first. You don’t need to be a journalism major to write for us. Sure, it helps to have some journalistic skills to write for most sections, but for opinion? Not really. All you really need is to share something you’re passionate about. You might ask: “But, Bruno, I don’t know what to write about!”
Well, that’s what I’m here for. You can write about anything, but fiction. For instance, I already wrote about nationalism and social construct, about forgiveness and about what it means to be a citizen. Share your point of view on FGCU affairs, like what’s happening on campus that you love/hate? Is there anything you learned in class that is worth sharing? Maybe you already wrote about it for an assingment. All you’d need to do is to adapt it, and I can surely help you with that.
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Politics is the most popular theme, understandably, but you’re free to change this trend. With that said, in these last three weeks of class, I will be available to meet with you. Let’s go over an idea or an idea that you don’t know how to materialize into an article. You have a voice, let us spread it. Bruno Halpern Opinion Editor opinion@eaglenews.org
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When asked what advice she would offer to students like her, Philistin says that keeping a reminder of her “why” is “so important.” “Remember why you’re doing it.” Post-graduation, Evelyn will work to continue her dream of creating opportunities for others with children in Miami. Ryan Ghandour, a senior majoring in Computer Information Systems, is also graduating this December. I met Ghandour in March on a trip to Tallahassee with Student Government, where our group lobbied state politicians for funding for FGCU. When he is not mingling with politicians, Ghandour — who aspires to serve as a pilot in the United States Air Force in the near future — advocates for students back home. Specifically, for the past couple of years Ghandour
has served as a member of the Undergraduate Student Advisory Board for the Lutgert College of Business. The Advisory Board was instrumental in the recent revision of the university’s mission statement. When asked what made him eligible for such a position, Ghandour replied that the selection committee and Dean Robert Beatty, under whose supervision the board works, wanted “wellrounded students.” In his application, he included examples of his leadership and open-mindedness or sense of adventure. Already a certified karate instructor, at the time of his application, Ghandour listed that he hoped someday to study abroad. Since then, he has fulfilled that dream, having studied in Japan for two and a half months.
“Step out of your comfort zone. Don’t just go to a place where the culture is familiar and the language is the same as yours,” Ghandour said. “Take a chance… There was always the possibility I wouldn’t like Tokyo, but it turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life.” He wasn’t lying. Ghandour will return to Japan this summer. With vastly different experiences on campus, both Philistin and Ghandour have achieved incredible things and will undoubtedly leave impressive legacies on campus. Despite their differences, their advice is almost identical. Make connections that will not only help you professionally, but also support you when the going gets tough. Take the time to reflect on things. Remember why you want to achieve whatever you’re reaching for. Philistin left me with some final words on resilience. “You don’t always have to be the smartest, richest, whatever…You don’t even have to look the best. You do have to try the best. Try your hardest for what you want,” Philistin said. You are the only one who can make it happen — a nice reminder for finals week.
President Trump’s international offensives hurt Americans By Edward Thinger Contributing Writer @fgcueaglenews The recent attacks by the United States might just work in favor of the Trump administration as the recent attacks on Syria might benefit the White House. These attacks have angered Russia and provoked North Korea, but the view of the attacks in the United States are a little more positive as the attacks have once again alienated Russia. Calls in the U.S. for Donald Trump to be more hostile toward Russia have finally been heard, as using 59 Tomahawk missiles to attack Bashar al-Assad’s airbase in Syria made the Russians irate. President Trump claimed this attack was done in retribution for the chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun, in which Assad’s forces used sarin in an attack on civilians, many of whom were children. Trump’s outrage at this attack, and his following retribution, angered both the Russians and Assad. This has benefited the Trump administration because it released a lot of tension in Congress about the Trump campaign’s ties to Russian benefactors. These Russian ties have
sparked outrage and hatred toward Russia not seen since the Cold War. This outrage is the result of accusations that Trump’s people collaborated with the Russian government to win the election in November against rival Sec. Hillary Clinton by releasing hacked emails from her campaign manager John Podesta. The goal of the attack has become murkier as time passes, as it originally was perceived to have been done in order to retaliate against Assad, but it is now being considered a warning to North Korea, Iran and Russia as well. Trump has repeatedly bashed North Korea’s nuclear program and Kim Jong-Un, while also claiming that Iran was using the U.S. and the nuclear agreement made under the Obama administration to make their own nuclear weapons and go against the wishes of the West. It is also under speculation that Trump’s provocation of Russia is not as meaningful as some have made it out to be. By angering Russia, Trump has taken the focus off of domestic accusations against Russia. It is important to remember that these accusations still exist, and that there is a good
chance that Russian agents did interfere with the November presidential election. This interference in the American process of democracy is essentially dropping a hydrogen bomb on the most basic American ideals. The world needs to prepare for another Cold War if Russia is trying to interfere with democracy at its most basic principles, and the U.S. must take action against those responsible for meddling in the election, whether these threats are foreign or domestic. While Trump now has to balance a difficult situation with Russia, the world is on the brink of a Cold War. The importance of retaliation to speak up for children harmed in Syria may have eased the minds of Congressional “War Hawks” and their constituents, but it has thrown stability to the wind and opens up the door for war on many fronts, which begs the question: Was speaking up for innocent Syrian children worth the risk of a new World War?
OUTREACH A couple’s vision of clear sight
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Local Lions Club screens area children’s hearing and vision
EN Photo / Zack Rothman
A volunteer screens a young participant’s hearing during the local Lions Club’s visit to an area preschool.
By Zack Rothman and Rachel Iacovone Outreach Editor and Managing Editor @zack_rothman and @racheliacovone Four days a week, sometimes five, Joe Jackson and his wife, Liz — along with the help of FGCU students — wheel a big red wagon filled with vision screeners and hearing tests into preschools all across Lee County. This big red wagon has helped well over a thousand visually and audibly impaired children overcome the obstacles inhibiting their ability to learn. Sponsored by the Lions
Clubs of Bonita Beach and Cape Coral, the Jacksons have been able diagnose over 1,500 kids — 1,100 from January to March, — with disorders that may have otherwise lingered and impeded their academic progress. The Lions Club International has more than 46,000 clubs consisting of more than 1.4 million members worldwide, making it the largest service club organization in the world. “If the kid can’t see or can’t hear, they can’t learn,” Joe Jackson said. “The earlier you can address it, the better.” According to the National Center for
Children’s Vision and Eye Health, nearly 3 percent of children are visually impaired or blind, with amblyopia or “lazy eye” found in 2 percent of children. Refractive errors are the most common vision problems for children, including myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism. On the other hand, the Center for Disease Control estimates that two to three children of every 1,000 born in the United States have “a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears” while five out of six children have otitis media (an ear infection) by the time they
are 3 years old. The Jacksons saw many visually and audibly impaired children in their time as school psychologists for 39 years in the Miami-Dade School District. Joe and Liz Jackson are now retired in Bonita Beach. Accompanied by FGCU students each week, the group usually sets up shop in a relatively larger classroom somewhere in the preschool. Once it arrives, the group unloads the wagon into four stations — a hearing test for kids older than 4 years old using the audiometer, a hearing test for those younger than 4 years old using the
Otoacoustic Emissions machine (OAE), also known as a Ero-Scan, an eye test using a spot vision screener and a laptop for Joe Jackson to input the data into a spread sheet. Debra-Semone Bernard, a student at FGCU, has been helping the Jacksons since the start of the semester as part of her Civic Engagement class. “About a month ago, we were screening a kid — I think he was 2 — and he wouldn’t cooperate,” Bernard said. “They tried so many times, but eventually, they just gave up. Then, he ran over to me and jumped in my lap and made me do it. Everyone was so shocked. It was an
eye-opening moment.” To get involved with the Lions Club on campus, contact THE Big C or its adviser, FGCU professor Courtney Satkoski, who works in partnership with the organization. Another opportunity to aid the visually impaired on campus is volunteering with the Lions Club’s partner, Radio Reading Service, which reads local papers to the blind from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. weekdays at WGCU in the Myra Janco Daniels Public Media Center, formerly known as the broadcast building.
EN Illustration / Audrey Mobely
Agency of the Week The Office of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement is hosting Community Engagement Day on Thursday, April 20 in Alico Arena. This is the largest annual showcase of student service-learning projects. Come see presentations of the best of the best of 2016-17. Event begins at 10 a.m. and awards are at 1 p.m. Help make the event run smoothly and earn service-learning hours by assisting with set up, registration, running scoresheets and tabulations. Please contact Karyn Everham at 239-590-7019 or email keverham@fgcu.edu for more information.