Whitney Knight waived by LA Sparks
Read on B1
The official student media group at Florida Gulf Coast University since 1997
AGLE NEWS www.eaglenews.org
Volume 15, Issue 5
In the know Entertainment
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Presidential Search committee discusses survey results
“The Forgotten Coast” is a wild trek to the Florida-Alabama state line that follows three individuals in documentary. Read on A6
Sports
FGCU women’s soccer falls to Alabama 1-0. Read on B1
Opinion San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick falls under heat for refusing to stand during the National Anthem. Read on B6
Outreach
Brooke’s Legacy saves pets from euthanization and finds their forever homes. Read on B8
EN Photo / Taylor Crehan Presidential Search Advisory Committee members Edward Morton (left), Sharon Isern and Madelyn Isaacs listen to Lucy Leske, a representative of executive search firm Witt/Kieffer, discuss the results of the President Search Survey. The survey, available on the committee’s website through Survey Monkey, was designed to collect feedback from FGCU faculty, staff, students and members of the surrounding community.
By Taylor Crehan News Editor @taylorcrehan Members of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee met Tuesday, Sept. 6 in the Cohen Center to discuss the results of the President Search Survey, a survey created to collect feedback from FGCU students, faculty, staff and members of the surrounding community in regards to President Wilson Bradshaw’s replacement. “It’s really wonderful
to be able to work with all of you,” said Lucy Leske, a representative of Witt/ Kieffer, the executive search firm that was chosen by the committee. The survey, published through Survey Monkey, consisted of five questions, which gave participants the opportunity to share their thoughts on the qualifications of the next president of the university. A total of 432 people participated in the survey, which was available on the committee’s website from July 26 through Sept. 1.
The growing Zika threat and what it means for FGCU By Travis Brown Contributing Writer @teebrowns In the wake of a growing Zika presence here in south Florida, there has been a question in the back of some minds: “What does this mean for FGCU?” The virus, which is known for the birth defects it causes, is becoming the spotlight of national attention as domestic cases grow. Between Lee and Collier counties, as many as 14 cases have been reported. Here at FGCU, we also see a potential for outbreak, as we are home to international students and travelers as well as Olympians who participated in the recent
INSIDE:
Rio Summer Olympics where a high number of Zika cases have been reported. So, what can we do prevent an outbreak? Although Zika could prove to be a problem, as long as individuals take the proper steps, people can avoid travesty. The problem is that there is no cure or treatment yet once it is contracted because of the scientific uncertainty regarding the virus. The only outbreak protection is found in preventative actions. “My advice to everyone as far as Zika is: avoid mosquito bites, avoid unplanned pregnancies and avoid unprotected sex,” said Kevin Collins, the head of Student Health Services.
Entertainment and Lifestyle.....A6 Sports............................................B1 Opinion..........................................B6 Outreach.......................................B8
“Those are really the three big pieces of advice to students. The virus is contracted through either unprotected sex, where it can be found in semen for up to six months, or by mosquito bite.” Students can take action by picking up trash around campus to prevent mass breeding. “The mosquito that carries the virus from carrier to carrier, which is native to Southwest Florida, breeds in small containments of water such as bottle caps or empty cups,” Collins said. Zika has been around for over 50 years but was never closely studied until
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“We used three different methods,” Leske said. “We looked at actual numbers of people who responded to different questions. We also did some key themes analysis where we had some staff members hunting through all these responses, and then, we did word cloud analysis that does an actual count of the words that are in the responses and how many times they appear.” Key themes found in responses included economic development, entrepreneurism,
e n v i r o n m e n t a l sustainability, financial performance, fundraising, internal operations, government relations, shared governance and student success. Faculty members participated in the survey more than any other group, consisting of 36.77 percent of respondents. The second highest number of results came from administrative staff, with 22.42 percent. Of the 432 participants, 19.28 percent were students. Five members of the Board of Trustees participated in the
survey as well. While applicants can emerge from the business world, the last question in the survey, which stated, “What are the qualifications and credentials of the president we need to meet these challenges and aspirations?” gathered a near consensus that Bradshaw’s replacement should have a background in higher education. After discussing the survey results, the committee reviewed the
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Student fundraises for memorial scholarship By Mindy Paniagua Contributing Writer @mindypaniagua A GoFundMe page has been created in honor of former Eagle Rebeca Olivera by brother Paul Olivera to establish an endowed memorial scholarship at FGCU. Rebeca, an FGCU graduate with an environmental engineering degree, was an international student whose legacy is full of positivity for everyone, with a focus on service and dedication. Sept. 5 marked the first year since Rebeca’s death. The idea for the scholarship Photo courtesy of GoFundMe.com came from a friend in the
Paul Olivera, a senior finance major, created a GoFundMe account to raise money for a memorial scholarship in honor of his late sister, Rebeca.
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information. Location on campus to be announced.
>> PACE Center for Girls is in need of immediate help, beginning in September! Tutor algebra, geometry or algebra II, any or all days of the week. Algebra classes are held at 11:20 AM and 2 PM. Algebra II at 12:30 PM. Geometry at 10:30 AM. Contact Carol Wonderly at 239-425-2366 or Carol.Wonderly@ pacecenter.org for more info. 3800 Evans Ave, Fort Myers.
>> AFCAAM Catholic Charities is seeking mentors to give a minimum of two hours each week for 12 consecutive months to a teen in need of a positive role model. You will take a one-hour Safe Environment class, participate in a few workshops, complete a background check (reimbursed), then be paired with a teen. Please contact Veronica Barber at 239-461-0233 or veronicadbarber@aol. com. AFCAAM is located at 3681 Michigan Ave, Fort Myers.
>> Patient Empowerment Network is looking for digital sherpas - that’s you! You’ll be paired with a cancer patient in need of your tech savvy and online expertise. After attending a one-hour training session, you’ll teach a patient how to access cancer care resources on the net. Training: 1 - 2 PM, September 15. Then, from 2:30 – 4:30 PM you’ll be paired with your patient. For more info, contact kara@powerfulpatients.org.
>> The Island Hopper Songwriter Festival is looking for a trolley attendant, registration and venue assists, and more. The Festival runs September 23 – October 2, kicking off on Captiva Island and wrapping up on Fort Myers Beach. Please contact Sean Corey at scorey@leegov.com or Jason Glasscock at kglasscock@leegov.com, or phone 239-590-4855.
>> Gulf Coast Wesley Foundation is hosting a flood relief project for victims of the Louisiana flood. You will be assembling buckets of goods ON CAMPUS on Monday, September 12, at 7:30 PM. Please contact Rev. Christy Holden at revholden@gmail.com or more
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Gretchen Carlson sexual harassment case closed Fox News has settled the sexual harassment case brought by former host Gretchen Carlson. The station has apologized and has reportedly paid Carlson $20 million to drop her case. Her allegations led the channel’s chief executive, Roger Ailes, to leave in July. Carlson stated that Ailes had “ruined her career” after she rejected his sexual advances.
First face-transplant patient dies The first person to have a face transplant, Isabelle Dinoire, died on Thursday, Sept. 6 in a hospital in Amiens, France. Dinoire received the transplant in 2005 after her pet dog disfigured her nose and mouth. News of her death was delayed to respect her family’s privacy. Dinoire was suffering from two types of cancers, both caused from anti-rejection treatments.
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ABOUT US: Eagle News, founded in 1997, is the student newspaper at Florida Gulf Coast University. The newspaper is the only student produced publication on campus and is entirely student run. Eagle News is published weekly during the fall and spring semesters and monthly in the summer, with the exception of holiday breaks and examination periods. Eagle News can be found on campus and in the community and online daily at eaglenews.org.
ONE COPY PER READER: One copy of the print edition is free anyone, but limited one per reader. Newspaper theft is a crime. It is also a terribly effective form of censorship. While most college newspapers are distributed without charge, they are certainly not “free.”
Syrian government drops chlorine on Aleppo
Second biracial woman wins Miss Japan
Government forces in Syria have been accused of dropping barrel bombs of chlorine from helicopters on a suburb of Aleppo on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Around 80 are injured, and volunteer emergency workers have stated that those affected have suffered breathing difficulties. A United Nations led investigation carried out in August found that the Syrian government had used chlorine in two separate instances, despite the fact that the government has denied using chemical weapons.
A half-Indian, half-Japanese woman, Priyanka Yoshikawa, was crowned Miss Japan on Tuesday, Sept. 6. This is the second year in a row that a biracial person has won the pageant. Last year’s winner, Ariana Miyamoto, was the first woman of mixed-race to win. Only about two percent of babies born in Japan are biracial.
Professor recieves Point of Light Award By Taylor Crehan News Editor @taylorcrehan Professor Sandra Pavelka was on her way to a Dixie Chicks concert in West Palm Beach on Saturday, Aug. 20 when she found out that she had won a Daily Point of Light Award, an honor created by former
President George H. W. Bush that recognizes the accomplishments of individuals who have made a significant impact on their community. “I didn’t know I was nominated,” Pavelka, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, said. “I was really surprised and
kind of floating because it was just— I knew the history of the Points of Light and what an honor it is.” Points of Light, a nonprofit organization founded in 1990, is dedicated to engaging people with resources in solving social problems through service. According to their
website, four million people have volunteered through POL, with around 250,000 service projects being carried out by the organization every year. Pavelka was officially awarded on Tuesday, Aug. 30. She received Point of Light Number 5816, as she was the 5,816th person to receive the recognition.
Deborah Comella, the executive director of the Lee County Coalition for a Drug Free Southwest Florida, in which Pavelka serves on the Board of
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Clarification:
Publishing a student newspaper is an expensive undertaking. Like other types of theft, newspaper thieves deprive rightful owners of their valuable property.
An article on page A5 in the Aug. 17 Eagle News issue, an article was unclear about the details about a UPD officer arrest. Officer Mike Harbury was suspended without pay pending the outcome of the FGCU investigation. Harbury’s court appearance related to his arrest by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office will not determine his future with UPD.
If you are interested in obtaining more than one issue, please contact the editor-in-chief in writing.
Correction: An article on page A3 in the Aug. 17 Eagle News issue, an article states Susan Evans was a member of the Board of Trustees. She is not a member, she is the corporate secretary.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A3
Faculty Senate fails to elect new secretary By Sam Palmisano Assistant Opinion Editor @sampalmisano
EN Photo / Cole McGowan Provost Ronald Toll speaks in front of the FGCU Faculty Senate during the Friday Sept. 2 meeting. During the meeting, Thomas Felke was nominated for the Faculty Senate secretary position, but declined. No one else expressed interest in the position, so as of right now, Faculty Senate does not have an acting secretary.
>>Continued from A1 now. Four out five people who contract the virus will never experience any symptoms. Those that do only see mild effects, which include fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye. At this point in time, there is still very little known about the virus outside of the short term effects. Although, individuals do not need to be symptomatic in order to spread it. “We aren’t exactly sure what this means all the way through the
process, if there are long lasting effects,” said Gerald Campbell, the emergency manager for UPD. “It looks like a fairly benign disease to everyone except pregnant women and their children, but we don’t know that for a fact because it hasn’t been studied that closely yet.” At this point in the discovery process, all that is known is that it is essential that the community works together to prevent the spread of Zika. Taking simple steps to help each other is the key to outbreak prevention. Simply using bug spray,
On Friday, Sept. 2, the FGCU Faculty Senate held their second meeting of the year. The top priority for the Senate during this meeting was the election of a secretary for the 20162017 school year. According to the Faculty Senate bylaws, elections for new officers are to take place each spring. Since no secretary was elected in the spring of 2016, one must now be chosen. The sole nomination came in favor of Dr. Thomas Felke. Felke immediately declined the nomination for the position. Dr. Felke is an assistant professor and the Bachelor of Social Work program director. Felke has served on the Faculty Senate since 2014. During the 2015-2016
school year, he served as the Senate Secretary. Following Felke’s declination, Senate President Dr. Shawn Felton addressed the topic of filling the secretary position. He discussed the importance of filling the position, further explaining that the position requires a potential nominee to have served “a sentence as a senator or senator alternative”. Still talking about the position of secretary, Dr. Felton stated, “The primary role as the secretary is to be here throughout these meetings. I think the more valuable purpose is to have another voice on the leadership team.” According to FGCU Faculty Governance Document Article 3, section 3.03 (d), “The Secretary ensures the publication of Senate agendas and minutes in a timely manner
avoiding mosquito contact, cleaning up our garbage and practicing safe sex are the best defenses. And, while there may not be very much known about the virus, you may still be wondering, “Should students still be afraid?” “We should never be fearful,” Campbell said. “Fear doesn’t fix anything. What we should work to be is informed, cautious and prepared.” For more information about Zika and to receive updates regarding the virus and its spread, visit www. fgcu.edu/studenthealth.
and acts as official Senate archivist.” While Senate agendas are typically one page in length, the minutes from the meetings can often reach upwards of 10 pages, with one meeting in October 2015 having 12 pages. The secretary is responsible for these items and more for the Senate meetings, which take place every two weeks. The meeting also contained a discussion about the possibility of a bylaw change in order to allow the secretary position to be obtained by an FGCU faculty member outside of the Faculty Senate. As of right now, it is unclear who will serve as the 2016-2017 Secretary. The next Faculty Senate meeting is scheduled for Sept. 16 at 9:30 a.m. in the Cohen Center.
EN Illustration / Audrey Mobley
New mentoring program to benefit veteran students By Yvette Lee Contributing Writer @fgcueaglenews A new mentoring program for Veterans is available through the Students Who Served (SWS) organization. The program was created as a way for Veteran students to have an easier transition into civilian life. There are 10 mentors involved in the program,
but SWS is always looking for anyone that would like to become a mentor. The mentors help their mentees by providing ongoing support with their personal, professional and campus lives. “There are about 300 Veterans on campus, and most of us aren’t aware of each other,” SWS President Nikki Gowing said. “We want to bring students
together and help them with their transition.” Gowing, who served 8 years in the Navy, says when people hear that she is a Veteran, they tend to “become distant.” “Some people think that we have resistance to authority; We’re people, not machines.” In the future, Gowing would like to have a building on campus which
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would serve as a “one stop shop” for Veterans. This Veterans Center would include lockers, a study room and counseling services. SWS raises money by holding events and fundraisers throughout the semester. They also give back to the community through Toys For Tots and blood drives. The biggest challenge
that they have faced is getting support for their events. On Nov, 9, SWS will hold a Kisses For Veterans fundraiser, where they will sell Hershey Kisses and give out info about the organization. Although SWS works with Veterans, it is open to any student that would like to join. “Members can do as much or as little as
they like.” There are no dues and no mandatory meetings associated with SWS. If you would like to join and/or support SWS, join them on Eagle Link or email President Nikki Gowing at nrgowing8388@ eagle.fgcu.edu.
A4 NEWS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
EDITOR: TAYLOR CREHAN NEWS@EAGLENEWS.ORG
Police Beat Eagle News writes this beat every week from the official UPD weekly summary New paint job On Sunday, Sept. 4 at 9:07 a.m., UPD was advised of tire marks in Garage B in South Village. After reviewing camera footage, they saw a white vehicle that was spinning and doing donuts. After the white vehicle stopped spinning, three males exited the vehicle and proceeded to spray paint the vehicle red.
brother. He left campus without incident.
On Saturday, Sept. 3 at 2:53 a.m., a female requested an officer so she could report a suspicious person. The suspicious person in question was a male who tried to pick her up. The subject approached her in Everglades Hall and asked for her cell phone number. He also wanted to know if she would be part of his “cutie pie club.”
On Monday, Aug. 30, a person was seen walking out of the mechanical room at Lutgert Hall at 2:59 a.m. While on foot, the officer saw the subject go into room 1500. The officer confronted the subject as he exited, and he had no ID on his person but was able to be identified through his name and date of birth. The subject stated that he was left at Gulf Coast Town Center and was making his way back to his apartment at Coastal Village Apartments but took a detour. He wandered onto campus and saw the door was open and decided to check it out. The officer checked the room and all appeared well. The subject
On Sunday, Aug. 28 at 6:43 p.m., a unit was dispatched to Garage B in South Village due to a violation of a university ordinance. Cameras were facing the downward position in the parking garage, although it did not appear to be broken. At 10:39 p.m., one subject of four arrived at UPD. The video was reviewed, and officers saw subjects jumping up and slapping down cameras. The footage revealed the subjects get into a lime green Jeep and drive away. One unit spotted the vehicle going southbound and stopped the driver as he was parking the jeep. He
“This is a very lengthy document, and there’s a fair amount of redundancy,” said Madelyn Isaacs, a committee member and counseling professor at the College of Health Professions and Social Work. “Is that considered an advantage?” Committee chair Ken Smith answered, stating that the profile was originally much longer than the finished product, which is 32 pages long. “The thing is it was
much longer originally, and we cut it down quite a bit,” Smith said. “It’s actually not very long compared to a lot of them.” Isaacs motioned to present the profile to the Board of Trustees during its next meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 13. Committee member and Board of Governors member Edward Morton seconded the motion, which passed. One person spoke during public comment
during the meeting, Morgan Paine, an associate professor of art in the Bower School of Music and the Arts. Paine brought up the concern of committee members tracking IP addresses of survey participants. “There was active concern that people’s privacies was comprisable,” Paine said. Both Smith and Susan Evans, the official spokesperson of the university, answered his
question. “I’ve never seen the survey responses,” Evans said. “They went directly to Witt/Kieffer and actually to, I believe, Survey Monkey. There’s absolutely no plan, desire or interest in tracking IP addresses.” “I have not seen the raw data nor do I have any interest in seeing the raw data,” Smith said. While Smith stated that the committee is over halfway through the process, the majority of
interested in serving on the board, and of course I was.” The coalition, which was founded in 1989 by president of Lee Memorial Health Systems, Jim Nathan, and Lee County Sheriff, Mike Scott, works to provide prevention resources to families in Lee County. When Pavelka began working with the organization, the coalition was in the process of changing their board. “They were going through a transition,” she said. “They kind of had to rebuild their board and rebuild their coalition so there was a lot of work that needed to be done, also in terms of their message in regard to prevention intervention programs for youth, underage drinking
and substance abuse, so I was very honored when they asked me to serve on that board because that was impacting the community in a very beneficial way.” Along with working with the coalition, Pavelka serves as the founding director of the Institute for Youth and Justice Studies at FGCU. “I actually started the institute,” Pavelka said. “It actually stemmed from my work with youth in juvenile justice.” The institute works with local, state and national groups on “issues that benefit youth and juveniles in the justice system.” “We deal with issues all the way from preventing intervention, juvenile
delinquency, juvenile court, and then all the way through re-integration if a child has been placed in the juvenile justice system,” Pavelka said. She also serves as the chair of the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, a circuit advisory board under the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice that focuses on juvenile delinquency prevention. Pavelka will be invited to the Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service in Seattle, Washington from June 19 to 21 2017. For Pavelka, winning this award merely serves as motivation to continue bettering her community. “It inspires me even more to do more good work,” she said. “There’s
Cutie pie club
Suspicious person in Seidler Hall On Saturday, Sept. 3 at 11:56 a.m., UPD dispatched an officer to a suspicious person in Seidler Hall. An instructor became concerned for the mental stability of a male in his late 30s or early 40s who was wearing a light blue shirt and an outdoor-type hat on and asking the
>>Presidential Search continued from A1 Leadership Profile, a document made available for applicants that describes the position as well as the university as a whole. While committee member and student body president Thieldens Elneus thought that the profile was a great representation of what students are looking for in the next university president, other members found flaws in the document.
>>Point of Light continued from A2 Directors, called her to let her know that she was nominated. “I’m truly humbled by this award because it’s such a distinct honor in my eyes,” Pavelka said. “The work I do, I don’t do it for any award, I do it because it’s the right thing to do.” She began working with the Lee County Coalition for a Drug Free Southwest Florida about 10 years ago, when she was approached by Comella. “Deb had called me because someone had mentioned to her to call me because of my work with juveniles,” Pavelka said. “They told her to contact me because that was part of my interest, and so we met and she asked me if I was
was released. The door showed no signs of forced entry.
The complainant did give her phone number to the subject. He texted her afterward, and the complainant contacted UPD approximately 20 minutes after the subject had approached her. The subject is being described as in his late 20s, white with blonde short hair. He was wearing green shorts, a yellow shirt and flip-flops. The subject informed the complainant that he has a brother who works in the food service in Howard Hall. The officer canvassed the area and did not find the subject. At 9:50 p.m., contact was made with the subject outside of the library. The subject was advised to stop approaching females on the campus and tell them inappropriate things and to only come to campus to pick up and drop off his
instructor questions. The complainant felt the man may have been unaware of his surroundings and did not belong in the building. The subject was located on the first floor of the building. A field interview was completed. The subject was not a student but was looking for a professor to look over some papers. The subject then left.
Just curious
No good reason
was shown photos from the camera footage and admitted to being at the location. He stated that he told subject to stop and put several cameras back in place. The driver was advised to contact the student who was hitting cameras, and approximately 20 minutes later, he arrived at the police station. He was polite, cooperative and apologetic. He said that he slapped five to six cameras for no other reason than being “stupid.” No cameras appear to be damaged, and the student who hit the cameras was advised that information would be forwarded to Student Affairs for review.
its work isn’t over yet. On Wednesday, Oct. 19, Witt/Kieffer will be updating the committee on the responses from advertisements via telephone call. The last day for consideration for applicants will be at midnight on Tuesday, Nov. 8, and on-site interviews with applicants will begin on Thursday, Nov. 17.
Photo courtesy of Sandra Pavelka Sandra Pavelka, a political science professor at FGCU, was awarded the Point of Light Award, an honor started by former president George H. W. Bush to award individuals who have made an impact on their community.
so much more work that needs to be done for the betterment of our
youth and our generations.”
future
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A5
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Professor receives world-wide recognition for research By Taylor Crehan News Editor @taylorcrehan Todd McElroy, an associate professor of psychology at FGCU, has seen his name in publications across the globe, from The Washington Post, Vice, Aussie Network News and India Today. McElroy, who has been researching the link between thinking and productivity for about five years, had his findings published in the Journal of Health Psychology in August and has since seen global recognition. “It’s a very odd feeling, to be honest with you,” he said. “I still haven’t quite captured it.” The study, which stemmed from research McElroy was conducting on sleep, found that people who use their brains more often are less physically active as those who don’t. McElroy’s research consisted of 60 students from Appalachian State University in North Carolina split into two groups of 30, one group of “thinkers” and one group of “non-thinkers.” Over the course of a week, the groups wore a device on their wrists that tracked their physical activity levels. The results, which have been described as “highly significant” and
“robust” in the journal, found that those who weren’t as active thought more. “It was great,” McElroy said about working with the journal. “They were very helpful, they are a really good journal to work with. It required not much effort on my part, they’re good publishers, they have good editors.” McElroy, who worked with ASU economics professor David Dickinson and ASU psychology professors Nathan Stroh and Chris Dickinson, compared beginning his research to going to the dentist. “It’s always an interesting experience,” he said. “At first, it’s very much like going to the dentist. It’s something you kind of dread, it’s a lot of work, but then once you get to the final stages it becomes actually fun.” The study included “a lot of data,” and at one point McElroy had collected 20,000 points of data from a single participant. Several students worked with McElroy, but not all of them were included in one of the two study groups. “We had one student completely dedicated to just bringing them into the lab and making sure they did what they were supposed to do over the course of the week and
Photo courtesy of Todd McElroy Todd McElroy, an associate professor of psychology at FGCU, poses during a lecture. McElroy has been studying the connection between thinking and physical activity for about five years. His findings, which were published in the Journal of Health Psychology in August, have given him worldwide attention. Articles about his work have been published in The Washington Post, Vice, Aussie Network News and India Today.
just basically working with participants,” McElroy said. “They’ve done really well, it really gave them an advantage when applying to graduate school or research-type jobs.” What fascinated McElroy the most about his research was the fact that the significant
difference that was found during the week between thinkers and non-thinkers seemed to disappear during the weekend. “We get these differences between high thinkers and low thinkers, but you see that difference getting very small on Saturday, and in
fact by Sunday there’s no significant different,” he said. “That’ what I found very striking.” McElroy believes that despite the fact that the research was a long time coming, the results made his work worth it. “I think it’s wonderful,” he said. “We believe in
what we’ve done and it’s solid research and it’s absolutely real. It’s not often that our research gets such widespread publicity.”
Part-time job and internship fair to be held By Jaclynn Crelin Contributing Writer @jax819 Looking for a part-time job or an internship? On Thursday, Sept. 8 in the Cohen Center ballroom from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Career Development Services is hosting a parttime job and internship fair. The fair will offer opportunities for all majors and is open to all FGCU students- past and present. The fair will give students an introduction to a professional work environment and the chance to get involved within companies on both the corporate and local levels. There will be over 70 different employers
>>GoFundMe continued from A1 Office of International Services. Paul agreed with the idea, knowing that Rebeca would love it. The scholarship started through a link with the FGCU Foundation. The donation process was confusing, so Paul decided to create the GoFundMe page to facilitate it. Rebeca is remembered as an actively involved student for many organizations, programs and offices such as Phi
attending this fair. The employers will include big-name companies such as Kate Spade New York, AT&T, and CarMax, as well as small, local companies and hospitals like News Bank Inc., Lee Memorial Health System, and Arthrex. “Hertz is recently relocated to Naples and are looking to recruit after this change.” explains Reid Lennertz, director of Career Development Services. The full list of companies is linked below. If after pulling up the list of companies you find a specific company you may be interested in, select their name and receive a detailed description of what each company is looking for as
Mu Fraternity, Emerging Eagles, Eagle Orientation, International Services and the Multicultural and Leadership Development Office. Rebeca always mentioned returning home to her native country, Mexico, even if there were not many opportunities to do so. Paul believes that her love of people was what caused her to pursue this goal. Service was one of her greatest passions. Rebeca’s focus was to provide purified water to individuals. Rebeca
well as a contact for that company. If you do not see a company that is specifically geared toward your degree, make sure to take a look at career developments services website for majorspecific job fairs. “At the upcoming job fair we do not have any schools coming to recruit,” says Reid, “but we do have schools from all over Lee County coming to the fall teacher recruitment October 7th for our education majors.” Plan on attending this event? Reid recommends, “bring a couple copies of a resume, and wear business casual in order to make a good first impression. For example, guys can wear button downs, slacks, and nice shoes.” Some
believed that people and government officials in Mexico do not pay enough attention to the need for clean water, which she wanted to change. Rebeca’s passion for service began with her exposure to many service activities that allowed her to view the true extent of the poverty and hunger much of the world faces. The recent years spent with Rebeca at FGCU consolidated the siblings’ relationship, making their bond much stronger. Rebeca was Paul’s key
common traits employers are looking for in an applicant are punctuality, problem-solving skills, good manners, and the ability to adapt. More specified qualities can differ from company to company. There will be a multitude of opportunities for FGCU students and plenty of businesses to speak with. Make sure to visit the link below for a full list of companies attending. For any further information, stop by Career Development Services, located in Cohen Center 106. http://studentservices. fgcu.edu/Careers/17618.asp. Photo courtesy of Career Development Services A student talks to a representative from Northwest Mutual during the 2015 Part-time job and Internship Fair in the Cohen Center Ballroom. This year’s fair will be held on Thursday Sept. 8.
motivator and the reason he became involved in the Emerging Eagles program as a mentor. When Paul was not selected the first time around as an orientation leader, Rebeca encouraged him to reapply and not give up. Paul says Rebeca was the person that inspired everyone to tap into their true potential. “She was the best friend you could tell whatever,” Paul said. He describes his sister as a “total hugger.” She liked to think of herself as a
sunflower. Paul agreed. “I feel she radiates, like, light,” Paul said. “Energetic” and “passionate” are the most repeated words of many admirable adjectives Rebeca’s Phi Mu sisters, Laura Gardner and Nicole Horton, used to describe her. Gardner expressed that her biggest regret is that Rebeca may not have known the extent of the impact she had on people. Horton recalled Rebeca as a high-spirited person with a gift for encouragement that celebrated friends’
successes no matter how significant the achievement. Paul Olivera’s goal for the scholarship is to raise $12,900 by Nov. 15, Rebeca’s birthday. Paul has spread the word to local fraternities and sorority chapters and is willing to create a school event to meet the established goal. For more information on the GoFundMe page or to donate, visit w w w. g o f u n d m e . c o m / rebecascholarship.
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
www.eaglenews.org
FGCU shines light on film ‘The Forgotten Coast’
By Jaclynn Crelin & Angela Lugo Contributing Writers @jax819 @angmariatweets “The Forgotten Coast: Return to Wild Florida” was a beautiful exploration of Florida and some of
Their trek, filmed and produced by Grizzly Creek Films, begins in the Everglades, following the coast to the FloridaAlabama state line and using transportation like bikes or kayaks that would cause no harm to the environment.
Screenshot from The Forgotten Coast trailer / Grizzly Creek Films The Forgotten Coast was produced by Grizzly Creek Films, who has also created immersive documentaries for National Geographic and History.
its breathtaking sights. This astounding film follows three individuals on a 1,000-mile journey in the course of 70 days. The film has won official selection awards in 2016 for both the Environmental Film Festival and the International Wildlife Film Festival.
Each of the three individuals brings something important to the journey. Mallory Lykes Dimmitt, the president of Florida Wildlife Corridor, planned the trip and kept it on track. Carlton Ward Jr., a conservationist photographer, used his abilities to capture every
moment of their trip as they came across beautiful scenery and rare animal encounters. Joe Guthrie, wildlife biologist and bear enthusiast, navigated animal territory and lightened the mood by adding comedic value. Throughout the film there was a recurring phrase, “fear of the unknown.” As their journey began, they came into bear territory, which Guthrie was able to observe. He provided more information to the audience as to why bears act the way they do. As they kept moving, the amazing sights and places they visited kept the audience engaged and showed the sides of Florida most people don’t even know exist. They arrived at a house on the water that Dimmitt had been going to her whole life. The owners of the house showed pictures of the land and the water surrounding it. These pictures showed how much people have affected the greenery and the sea level.
excitement to protect the environment. The Florida Wildlife Corridor looks to share “The Forgotten Coast” with as many people as possible. The DVD is featured on WUSF Public Media’s website www.wusf.usf.edu as well as The Florida Wildlife Screenshot from The Forgotten Coast trailer / Grizzly Creek Films Corridor’s shop on www. floridawildlifecorridor.org/ Dimmitt, Ward Jr. and Guthrie navigated the Florida-Alabama state line with only transportation that would not disrupt the surrounding environment. shop. To find out more This was heartbreaking for issue that needs to be information about plans conquered. the explorers. for the next expedition, These three individuals you can sign up for The Once they traveled further, they were able took 70 days to get up Florida Wildlife Corridor’s to conduct a controlled close and personal with newsletter on their fire. There’s a common the unknown. Overall, this website. misconception that forest stunning film sparks an fires are bad for the environment. As explained in the film, forest fires cause new plants to form. Because of the fire, the land can be cleansed and new life can flourish there. As the film neared its end, the incredible views faded, but attachment to these strangers stays with the watcher. After Screenshot from The Forgotten Coast trailer / Grizzly Creek Films watching this, it’s almost The journey, over the course of 70 days racked up a total of over 1,000 miles. like the “fear of the The ‘fear of the unknown’ was a recurring theme throughout the travelers’ unknown” is just another journey.
Sidney and Berne is the center of attention Art exhibit features several pieces of art and unusual couture
By Georgette French Outreach Editor @GeorgetteFrenc Art starts with a bang! On Sept. 2, the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center was named the center of attention for the 20162017 year of art, music and fashion.
the central location for art exhibitions before, but this year will host a list of events that will be open to the public. According to marketing manager Katarina Danks, the theme “Center of Attention” aims to draw on the historical importance of the Sidney & Berne
at the center breathe economic and cultural life into our community with its impact going well beyond entertainment.” “We must never lose sight of the tremendous impact the performing and visual arts can have on the quality of life for everyone, especially our future generations.” Artist Cesar Aguilera opened the season with his art exhibition titled, “Where I’ve Been And Where I Am.” The exhibit, which was open for the duration of Art Walk, featured original art by Aguilera, a bar, music by DJ Ceron and a look at the Paionia Couture fashion line. Six models walked the gallery to how off the outfits that were codesigned by both Aguilera and Danielle Branchaud,
in a line which is described on Etsy as “sentient
Davis Center as well as the events that will be hosted there this season. “The Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center was once just a dream and now it’s a reality,” said Director Jim Griffith. “The visual and performing arts we present
work as well as the models
EN Photo / Georgette French A model poses in her dress designed by Cesar Aguilera. The dress featured recyclable materials for its design, animal bone earrings, and twigs for her “wings.”
wearable art that gives discarded materials a continuation as a resource.”
EN Photo / Georgette French The center piece of Cesar Aguilera’s art exhibit. The piece is constructed of vinyl records, painted and placed together to form a face.
The art center will be the home of several art exhibits and productions ranging from concerts to fashion shows which will start this Sept. and run through the summer of 2017. The art center has been
Paionia Couture takes an alternative look
EN Photo / Georgette French Cesar Aguilera (center) poses with guests at the Sidney & Berne Davis art center during his opening exhibit. The models beside him feature dresses from the Paionia Couture line.
at the future of fashion using recyclable items as the base of the fashion line to create eco-friendly clothing. Model Kat Ebaugh explained that her dress was made of garbage bags, a table cloth and a refurbished shirt – just some of the materials that were included in the six outfits on display at the exhibition. Bullet casings, tires, plastic, aluminum cans and more recyclables made up the bulk of the other pieces on display. Aguilera attended the event, giving guests the opportunity to take pictures with him and his
in the gallery, but was unable to comment on his work. According to Danks, Aguilera’s artwork is used as a platform to awaken the viewer to the challenges of the world and to envision alternatives for our culture to prevent its demise. If you missed the exhibit on opening night, it will still be available for viewing from Sept. 2 – 20 from 9 a.m. to 5 .p.m., and admission is free. Guests can also pick up a “Center of Attention” yearly schedule at the Sidney and Berne Davis Center.
EDITOR: ALLIE TAYLOR ENTERTAINMENT@EAGLENEWS.ORG
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 EAGLE NEWS E & L A7
‘Pretty Little Liars’ to end in 2017 By Brynna Stilwell Contributing Writer @fgcueaglenews “Pretty Little Liars” has been one of the most popular shows on television for nearly seven Curated this week by Jesse Martin: years. Fans have watched with frustration, awe and countless other emotions as they have followed the lives of four girls, tormented by a black-mailing villain called A, who knows all their secrets. However, on Oct. 30, 2014, Lucy Hale, one 1. Str8 Ballin- Schoolboy Q of the four lead actresses on the show, announced that the 2. Run it- Logic seventh season will be the show’s last. Her statement was later 3. Views-Drake confirmed by show writer I. Marlene King on Facebook Live 4. Ride- 21 Pilots on Aug. 29, 2016. “The next 10 episodes of the 5. Lay My Claim- Rebulation show really are going to be the last 10 episodes of the series,” 6. Suit & Tie- Justin Timberlake King said. In 2006, a book called “Pretty 7. Fancy- Iggy Azalea Little Liars,” written by Sara Shepard, was released. The 8. This is What You Came For- Calvin Harris story was about four girls who had been best friends until their 9. Don’t Let Me Down- Chainsmokers leader, Alison DiLaurentis, disappeared. Three years after 10. Matches- Bas her disappearance, the four girls, who had grown apart, began receiving texts from an anonymous person who signed EN Illustration / Audrey Mobley every text with ‘A.’ Each text
Songs for Strollin’ to Class
held personal information that only their friend, Alison, would have known about. Because of this, they began to believe she was alive. The entire plot for the 16-novel series revolves around the four girls’ search for A’s true identity, dodging threats and surviving the typical, milestone struggles of high school along the way. Within the first four years of Shepard’s writing career, she released eight novels, all pertaining to the Pretty Little Liars series. As the popularity of the books grew, ABC Family (now known as FreeForm) began looking into the idea of a television show. On June 8, 2010, the eighth novel in the series, “Wanted,” was released, along with the pilot episode for the show. While the show followed the first novel fairly well, the screenwriter knew that the drama wouldn’t be as intense if the show followed the books. It would be too predictable. As the show progressed, she strayed from the original plotline more and more, resulting in a completely different A than in the books. Currently on its seventh and final season, the midseason finale left fans with more
questions than answers. With only 10 episodes left, fans are hoping the show will take its time wrapping up and tying together all the loose ends. “I can’t think of one question we don’t answer,” King said. “These last 10 episodes are pretty crazy, so we’re going out with a bang,” Hale said. The second half of the season will not air until April 2017, giving fans enough time to mentally prepare themselves for the end of the show, which will have run for a total of seven years. Including the book series, the full story will have run for 11 years. Though the dates for the final 10 episodes have not been released, the finale will air sometime in late June or early July. The finale will be two hours long as opposed to its normal running time of 45 minutes. “Every (episode) sort of tops the other, and we’d still say it’s the biggest, most romantic (season),” King said. Whether you’ve been watching the show since the very beginning or have just started watching, the second half of the final season promises to be one of the most intense, surprising seasons in the history of the entire show.
Poke Trainers ‘gotta meet em all’ FGCU alumni Jeffrey Shafer creates social platform for nation-wide players
Left: Photos courtesy of Jeffrey Shafer / Right: Screenshots from the Poke Trainer app The Poke Trainer app is designed with each Pokemon Go player in mind. The user interface is easily navigable and asks a series of questions that give the player a jump start to making friends with similar interests.
By Allie Taylor E&L Editor @journonajourney When the globally anticipated Pokemon Go app first launched, FGCU alumnus Jeffrey Shafer was anything but privy to the idea of running after alternate reality monsters, let alone knowing that the game even existed days after its release. It was during a visit to downtown Fort Myers that he noticed the impact the game had on the community around him. “I was wondering what these people were doing walking around and staring at their phones,” Shafer said. “My friend walked out on the street and almost got hit by a car, so we were kind of making fun of it.” Shafer, a 28-year-old FGCU graduate with a degree in communication with a concentration in public relations, asked the first question that would propel his efforts in creating a social app for Pokemon Go players. He noticed trends in media headlines; lone
players were going out to catch Pokemon and being robbed or “discovering weird things.” His friends explained to him that since the app did not offer a way to connect with other players, they were left to their own devices. Enter Poke Trainer, a free iOS social app for Pokemon Go players to meet one another in real life. “I was hoping to create a platform for (players) to go out and to do this together because you were having to travel … that was kind of the cool part about it,” Shafer said. “It was getting the millennials to go out to parks and places that they don’t really go too often, and I thought that was interesting and intriguing.” The building block for Poke Trainer began with the idea to create a location for people to meet. That was until Shafer found that there were many areas of “high interest,” such as parks, stores and restaurants. “I kind of morphed
the idea into, ‘Why not have a social app similar to a Tinder … where this was more about having anyone from a casual gamer to someone who is totally obsessed … to be able to find someone who is comparable within their level or experience or even to just try to make a new friend,” Shafer said. With about $300 and 1,000 likes on the, at the time, unnamed app’s Facebook page in just three days, Shafer invested in his Poke Trainer idea and sat down with Peter Ocsody, the co-founder of Rocket Lounge in downtown Fort Myers, to talk about the app’s potential for success. “I explained to him my idea, and he thought it was an idea that he would be interested in entertaining,” Shafer said. “But, I wasn’t to the point (he wanted), to which he said, ‘Come back to me with a prototype if this is something that you want to do.’ That’s when I started researching someone to do contract work for me.” Deciding that he
would rather work with a contractor inside the United States, Shafer brought Dustin Allen, the CEO of the business app Bare Labor, onto the team. Together, the two worked a combined nearly 30 hours a week on design concepts and 90 hours a week on coding the app. Apart from his time spent on the app, Shafer also worked as the marketing director for Pediatric Dentistry of Ft. Myers. Poke Trainer has only been out for about a week, and Shafer is currently focused on gaining increased users in Fort Myers and bigger cities such as Boston, New York and Chicago. “I plan to roll out additional releases (once users are generated) where the people that connect with one another can actually choose locations to go out and meet up at, like a Starbucks or a Panera. Once they’ve gone and met up at these places so often, they’ll receive a reward somehow,” Shafer said, noting that he would need
business cooperation in order to make the rewards a reality. Shafer explained that the features in a user’s profile on Poke Trainer can link them with other players of the same interests, cultivating a similarity-based friendship. Users are able to avoid being paired with incompatible players, to which Shafer familiarized to meeting someone with an overbearing love for the NFL. “I know when I get paired up with somebody who is obsessed with football, I’m like, ‘Ah, give me a break, who cares,’” Shafer said. “If you are paired similar to someone that’s within the same experience level or interests then you may have a better time bonding either with them or playing the game together.” When players first open the app, they will be given the option to link their account with their Facebook or Google profile or use their personal email account to log in. Players
are then asked three questions: “What team are you?”, “How hardcore do you play?” and “How would you like to hunt?” The Poke Dashboard features tabs that show players their friends list, a city-based chat room and chat history, pending friend requests, health stats and settings. Shafer hopes for the Poke Trainer style of social apps to be integrated into other apps similar to Pokemon Go. “That’s where I was hoping that this idea would stem something much larger and eventually take the platform that I have developed with Poke Trainer and evolve it into the other A.R. games as they come out over time,” Shafer said. Glancing at the next two months, Shafer hopes to be funded by a venture capitalist. As users grow, Shafer plans to bring new updates with the next version of the app, along with an Android version in the making.
EDITOR: ALLIE TAYLOR ENTERTAINMENT@EAGLENEWS.ORG
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 EAGLE NEWS E & L A8
Stretch your inner goddess with Goddess Yoga at Koreshan Park By Julia Browning Staff Writer @juliawritesxo A deep “om” vibrates off the walls of the historic building as you’re guided through the breathing
Wellness Programs and certified yoga instructor, guides you through the practice, she encourages you to bring the spiritual teachings of the goddesses into your everyday life. We quickly learned that
EN Photo / Julia Browning Browning captures the trek to the popular yoga spot in Koreshan Park.
exercise. With eyes gently closed, palms resting upward and deep breaths entering and departing from your chest like an ocean tide, you can’t help but begin to relax. Goddess Yoga, held at Koreshan State Historic Site from 8:30 to 9:15 every Thursday, is an intermediate yoga practice that incorporates the mythology and teachings of four Hindu goddesses. The class is taught by business-woman-turnedyogi Geva Salerno. Ordinarily, the class is held on one of Koreshan’s many sprawling fields. However, with the sky being dark and heavy overhead, we dragged our yoga mats into the Art Hall, a building that has been there for hundreds of years. As Geva Salerno, the co-founder of Creative
“om” was more than just a funny sound people made, it was an important part of connecting with one another before we began our practice. “The purpose of ‘om’ is that it is a sound that unites all things,” Salerno said, before instructing us to “om” along with her. “When we do oms we get into the same vibration.” Before we began twisting into our goddess yoga poses, Salerno told us a bit about why she created goddess yoga and how it affects the mind and body differently than traditional yoga practices. “A lot of times when people are interested in goddesses or gods in yoga or in Hinduism, it’s a very devotional and emotional practice,” Salerno said. “That is fine in and of itself, but for me, I come from a different part of yoga
She wears a garland of heads around her neck and a skirt made of human arms. But, rather than demonstrating destruction, this is meant to demonstrate the attachment people have to the body. “We think we are the body,” Salerno said. “We are under the illusion we are separate. She’s about separating people from their attachments.” Before we leaned into our sun salutations and began working up a sweat, she told the story of Parvati, the mother goddess. “Parvati is the goddess of love and devotion,” she said. “She is the ideal wife and mother, but she can take on personalities of all the other goddesses, even Kali.” As we steadied into the tree pose and fought to keep our balance, she spoke of the goddess of creativity. Sarasvati is shown with a musical instrument, sitting next to a swan. “People pray to her because she helps bring Photo courtesy of Geva Salerno creative energies and the Salerno practices Jnana yoga, a more philosophical than religion-based practice. deep desires you have in other is to teach stories position, we began to learn front of you and out into the world,” Salerno said. about really important about the next goddess. “She helped people birth Kali is a fiery goddess. concepts.” “What I love about the their wonderful visions The first goddess presented to us was mythology is that women into concrete things.” Finally, Salerno led Lakshmi, the goddess of are pictured in more than wealth and prosperity. The one way,” Salerno said. “We us through a guided picture framed at the head don’t have to be sweet and meditation in which we laid of the class illustrated her lovely all the time; we can on the floor, closed our eyes and fell into a deep trance, gracefully posed on a pink show our fiery side.” In the photo, Kali looks colored with images of lotus. According to the myth, she rose out of the like a wild murderess. goddesses bringing energy called Jnana yoga.” Jnana yoga is yoga that incorporates wisdom or knowledge and is meant to be more of a philosophical practice rather than a religious or physical one. With this in mind, Salerno began to explain the philosophical adaptation that gave life to her goddess yoga. “People developed mythology around gods and goddesses for two reasons,” Salerno said. “One was to have this powerful being outside of ourselves that would allow us to feel like there’s something in charge that we can count on, something more powerful. It brings a sense of psychological relief. The
lotus in order to deliver wealth and riches to those morally worthy of them. “What I think is even more powerful than having something outside of ourselves, is if we can learn from it and bring it inside ourselves,” Salerno said. “So, that’s what we do here in goddess yoga; we incorporate different movements that can help us embody the concepts.” As we stretched our bodies into the sphinx pose and opened up our chest muscles, we visualized Lakshmi and willed our souls to be virtuous so that prosperity would enter our lives. Once we got off the floor and stretched our legs out of their pretzel-like
to the world. Geva Salerno and her creative path of teaching goddess yoga has made a lasting impression on those who’ve experienced it. It was Norma Zambrano’s first time doing yoga when she tried
EN Photo / Julia Browning Pictured: Goddess Kali embodies the connection that people have to their earthly body and attachments.
the goddess yoga class. “Some of the goddess stuff was kind of out there,” Zambrano said with a laugh. But, overall, she said the class was a great experience. “The instructor was really friendly,” she said. “And, it did feel relaxing. I think it impacted my life positively.” Overall, the class was both enlightening and informative. It taught mythology that is typically unheard of and added an extra element to the typical yoga class. If you’re looking for a way to stretch both your body and your mind, goddess yoga may be what you’re seeking.
Vince Staples’ ‘Prima Donna’shows listener artist’s inner struggles
By Jesse Martin Staff Writer @JesseMartin247
Vince Staples, a Def Jam recording artist and 2015 XXL freshman cover man, released a seventrack EP on Aug. 26, titled “Prima Donna.” This is Staples’ first project since his debut studio album “Summertime ‘06” that dropped in 2015 to widespread critical acclaim. The 23-year-old rapper from Long Beach, California is very different from the everyday, mainstream rapper. He is known for his dark lyrics and even darker subject matter.
Staples keeps to his reputation with “Prima Donna.” This concept project constantly revolves around the subject of selfdoubt. He also touches on other issues, such as racism, gang violence, poverty and government corruption. When artists release a short album, they always put themselves at risk of a smaller margin of error. “Prima Donna,” as a whole, is about a 20 to 25-minute listen, so Staples needed to be very direct with the message that he wanted to convey to the listener, which he successfully accomplished in his EP. The concept of the
album is shown in the intro track, “Let it Shine,” where it is Staples singing the children’s gospel song, “This Little Light of Mine.” Staples creatively flips this inspirational song into a dark experience with his extremely gritty tone. After Vince sings the song to himself, a gunshot goes off and it is presumed that he has just killed himself. This conceptual tale of self-doubt is then progressively told in reverse. At the end of almost every song, there is a short snippet of the artist talking to himself, and the listener is taken step by step backward to Staples’ initial moments of suicidal
thoughts. The songs have very non-traditional hiphop beats, and Staples’ flow may come off as incoherent. This EP should not be played as background music. Staples’ intent is to have the listener sit down and focus on what he is saying. This album is complex; it definitely needs to be listened to more than a single time. The listener will pick up more and more of what the project is actually about as they get used to the production and they can focus more on the brilliant lyrics that Staples is rapping. The second track,
“War Ready,” continues the tone set by the intro. Staples is known for being a “gangster rapper,” where a lot of his subject matter is derived from. This track sets the tone lyrically, as Staples has some excellent wordplay, such as “woke up feeling like the walls caved in. Fought to the death, never gave in. Write that on the grave that I get laid in. Heaven, Hell, free or jail, same s--t — county jail bus, slave ship, same s--t.” Staples’ delivers lyrics like this consistently throughout the project and keeps his dark subject matter consistent with each passing song.
The listener will get a better listening experience, and a greater appreciation for what Staples is talking about, from this EP if they read the lyrics as they listen to the songs. One arguable weakness of this project is that the beats have a very electronic, noisy feel to them. This can be interpreted as offputting to some, possibly taking away from Staples’ lyricism. “Prima Donna” may not yet be played on the radio, but Staples’ fans should be very pleased with this project as he sticks to the roots that built his following.
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ATHLETICS FGCU women’s soccer team falls to SEC heavyweight Alabama 1-0
EN Photo / Brad Young
Despite having all-time leading scorer Tabby Tindell leading the front line, the Eagles have struggled to score goals with only three goals on the season.
By Miguel Rodriguez Sports Editor @Miguel_Rod0914 Coming off of their first home victory of the season with a 1-0 victory over FIU, the FGCU women’s soccer team fell to Alabama 1-0 Sunday afternoon. “They’re a good side, they got the goal they needed, we just need to battle through it,” FGCU Head coach Jim Blankenship said in an FGCU athletics press
release. “It’s a tough one because we aren’t getting the break we need. We have some calls going against us and we’re letting it rattle us. We’re playing at a really good level we just need to finish these matches out. We have a chance and we have to put them away.” The ongoing theme for the Eagles this season has been their ability to finish in the final third despite many opportunities on goal.
In the tenth minute, Tindell had a shot saved by Kat Stratton, quickly followed by a save at the other end by Melissa Weck. That would be the ongoing trend early on in the first half, as both teams would takes shots that were quickly followed by counter attacks at the other end. In the 40th minute, the Crimson Tide found themselves with a chance to get ahead just before the half, after Ashley Parks
brought down an Alabama defender in the box. Lacey Clarida stepped up to the spot to try to put Alabama ahead, but Weck was up to the challenge, saving the penalty, quick to leave the game scoreless. Despite a combined 17 shots in the first half, the teams went into the half scoreless thanks to a combined seven saves, six of which were made by FGCU goalkeeper, Weck. In the second half, both goalkeepers made multiple
stops to keep their teams in the game. In the 62nd minute, the Crimson tide would finally break the deadlock after Auburn Mercer put the ball in the back of the net after Weck was unable to hold onto the ball after making the initial save. After falling behind, the Eagles turned it up a notch on offense, firing shots left and right to try and tie the game up. In the 89th minute, the Eagles thought they
pulled the game level when Ali Rodgers found Tabby Tindell with a cross towards goal which was headed into the back of the net by Tindell. But the sideline official’s flag went up, signaling Tindell was offside, breaking the hearts of the Eagles. FGCU were shutout 1-0 for the second time this season despite having 15 shots on goal a
Whitney Knight waived by LA Sparks
Knight became the first player in program history to get drafted into the WNBA last April.
By Emily Kois Assistant Sports Editor @emilykois Just when you thought Whitney Knight’s professional basketball career was taking off, it quickly landed. On Monday night the LA Sparks organization announced they had waived Whitney Knight, to make room on the roster
for veteran, Sandrine Gruda. Sitting atop the WNBA standings, the Sparks were unable to afford the former Associated Press honorable mention AllAmerican contract, opting to turn to veteran talent with hopes of making a run at the WNBA Championship. Knight was selected 15th overall in the second
Photo by Linwood Ferguson
round of the 2016 WNBA by the Sparks back in April. Knight was a former Associated Press honorable mention AllAmerican during her time at FGCU. During her time with the Sparks, Knight averaged 0.9 points, 0.4 rebounds and 3.9 minutes in just seven games.
EN Illustration / Audrey Mobley
B2 SPORTS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
EDITOR: MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ | SPORTS@EAGLENEWS.ORG
Men’s soccer goes 1-1 in trip to California
EN Photo / Brad Young
The FGCU men’s soccer team earned their first victory of the season with a 2-1 win over UC Irvine thanks to a late goal by Dennis Zapata.
By Coby Weinsier Contributing Writer @thiskid_coby5 With a two-game trip out west, the FGCU men’s soccer team earned its first win of the season with a 2-1 victory over UC Irvine after opening the trip with a 2-1 loss to Loyola Marymount. Eagles started goalkeeper Jared Brown for the second time this season as Loyola Marymount started Collin Partee. Eight minutes in, the Eagles struck four chances at the net, three coming from forward Dylan Sacramento. After trading shots for three straight minutes,
LMU’s Sarkis Shaginian fired a strike past Brown, giving LMU a 1-0 lead. From the 17th to the 21st minute, the Eagles were awarded four corner kicks and were unable to get the equalizer. With a 10-4 lead in shots, FGCU struggled to find the back of the net in its strive for victory. With a couple great Brown saves and Sacramento shots, the Eagles kept the game within one as the first half concluded. As the second half began, FGCU was awarded two more corners within three minutes. In the 50th minute, Brown was called for a foul in the box, giving LMU a
penalty shot. However, Brown makes up for the foul, saving the penalty and keeping the game at 1-0. In the 76th minute, FGCU’s Arion SobresAssue showed some topnotch skills and placed the ball past the LMU keeper into the top right corner, tying the game at 1-1. Just one minute after the FGCU equalizer, LMU’s Alvaro Madrigal chipped the ball past Brown, putting LMU back up 2-1. As the Eagles had a few good chances from Justin Gavin and Albert Ruiz in the last couple minutes of the game, they were unsuccessful and were defeated 2-1. As the game against
UC Irvine kicked off Sunday, the Eagles shined early. Just two minutes in, forward Albert Ruiz put FGCU on the board, as he scored off a pass from fellow forward Sacramento. As Ruiz gave FGCU a 1-0 advantage, the Eagles earned their first lead of their young season. Around 25 minutes in, both squads traded shots and goalkeepers Sawyer Jackman of FGCU and Elliot Farmer of UC Irvine saved everything. Thirty-nine minutes in, FGCU’s Sacramento struck a shot from deep, and keeper Elliot Farmer got a fingertip on the ball, awarding the Eagles a corner kick.
For the last three minutes of the first half, UC Irvine took shot after shot at Jackman, who maintained his save percentage and his shutout. The teams exchanged shots once again until UC Irvine’s Jose Ortiz struck a free kick at Jackman who continued his form, saving another shot. Sixty-eight minutes in, Sacramento of FGCU put a rebound in the back of the net, which, a few seconds later, was called offside and waived off. As 72 minutes passed, FGCU goal scorer Ruiz was shown a red card after fouling a UC Irvine player. Just five minutes after Ruiz’s booking, Luis Leon answered Albert Ruiz’s
early goal with one of his own, assisted by Mario Ortiz, tying at one goal apiece. A minute following Leon’s goal, FGCU’s Dennis Zapata struck a shot past the UC Irvine keeper, giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead. With a final score of 2-1, the Eagles earn their first win of the year. On Thursday, Sept. 8, FGCU returns home and faces San Francisco. UC Irvine travels to Santa Clara on Sept. 10, looking for its second win of the season.
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FGCU announces Dave Volleyball goes unbeaten Rollins as new swimming at FGCU Hilton Garden and diving head coach Inn Invitational
The Eagles welcome Rollins after losign former head coach
By Bret Munson Contributing Writer @fgcueaglenews The FGCU athletics department has announced Dave Rollins, former associate head men’s swim coach at Ohio State, as the new head coach of the swimming and diving team. Rollins will take the reins from former head coach Neal Studd, who left FGCU this past summer to take the same headcoaching role at FSU. Rollins has ten years of coaching experience as well as the status of being a ninetime NCAA All-American standout on the University of Arizona swimming and diving team from 20022006.
The Eagles have won seven of the past eight CCSA Championships, sending swimmers to the NCAA championship. “I’m extremely honored and blessed to be welcomed into the FGCU family,” Rollins said in a recent FGCU Athletics press release. “I’m looking forward to getting to campus, building on the incredible success the program has already achieved and working toward leading us to the next level.” At Ohio State, Rollins spent four years leading the team to a 40-5 dualmeet record. He served as the recruiting coordinator, director of operations and worked with the
Photo courtesy of ohiostatebuckeyes.com The FGCU cross country team will begin their season Sept. 2 at the FAU invitational
mid-distance and stroke swimmers. Rollins coached many successful student-athletes who received a total of 74 Academic All-Big Ten selections, 37 All-American honors, 14 individual and relay school records and six Big Ten Championships. “It is with great pleasure we welcome Dave, sand the rest of the Rollins family to FGCU,” FGCU athletic Director Ken Kavanagh said in a recent FGCU Athletics press release. “A quality individual, Dave is a proven winner and brings a tremendous wealth of experience and coaching success to FGCU.”
By Ashley DeBoer Staff Writer @fgcueaglenews The FGCU volleyball team won nine straight sets, defeating Delaware, New Orleans and VCU to finish the FGCU Hilton Garden Classic 3-0 over the weekend. FGCU showed up both offensively and defensively in its match against Delaware, totaling 49 kills and 49 digs while Delaware totaled 16 kills and 36 digs. FGCU took the first three sets, coming out of the first match victorious. “It was a great start for our first home opener,” head coach Matt Botsford said. “They executed at a
very high level for a pretty good crowd.” FGCU took the lead in first two sets against New Orleans, but trailed in the third set, coming back against the Privateers to end victorious. FGCU totaled 44 kills, with Amanda Carroll attaining 13 of those kills, and totaled 45 digs, with Courtney Stephens notching 16 of the 45 digs. The Privateers totaled 24 kills and 34 digs. Setter Maggie Rick totaled 34 assists by allowing the Eagles to stay versatile between hits and tips. The third match saw more intensity than the first two matches, as the teams battled neck and neck while exchanging the
EN Photo / Brad Young
lead throughout the first and second sets against VCU. FGCU’s defense was a key part to its game plan, earning 47 digs compared to VCU’s 36 digs. “We got to see everyone on the roster who is healthy play, and it’s nice knowing our options,” Botsford said. FGCU once again took three straight sets to defeat VCU in its last game of the classic. “Our floor defense was incredible,” Rick said. “Courtney (Stephens), our libero, is doing so good. She is picking everything up and making my job a whole lot easier.”
Albert Ruiz Position: Forward Junior 6 feet 2 inches Hometown: Barcelona, Spain The Barcelona, Spain native has had no trouble leading the Eagles’ front line, scoring two goals while dishing out two assists. Ruiz sparked an emphatic comeback against Michigan in the team’s home opener, scoring from the spot to bring the Eagles within one. Ruiz came up big again for FGCU, providing an assist to Dylan Sacramento, who tied the game at two a piece. During the Eagles’ trip to California, Ruiz scored a goal in the first minute of the match, leading to a 2-1 win for the Eagles, their first of the season.
B4 SPORTS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
EDITOR: MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ SPORTS@EAGLENEWS.ORG
Women’s tennis welcomes four recruits for 2016 campaign
Photos by Linwood Ferguson
The FGCU women’s tennis team kicks-off the 2016 campaign Sep. 30 at the Bedford Cup at USF.
By Jessy Sammarco Staff Writer @Jessy_Sammarco The FGCU women’s tennis team is back and ready for the 2016-17 season. Part of its preparation was adding four new girls to the roaster. Sofia Blanno (a sophomore from Johns Creek, Georgia), Bridget
Forster (a freshman from Boca Raton, Florida), Sara Kelly (a freshman from Naples, Florida) and Maja Ornberg (a freshman from Kil, Sweden) will join the FGCU tennis family this season. Blanno spent her freshman season at Auburn, which was ranked No. 12 in the country. She played
seven singles matches and three doubles matches, getting a 6-4 and 6-3 win against Rida Khalid of Alabama A&M. Blanno was ranked No. 83 in the southeast and No. 254 nationally. Forster, a student from Florida Virtual School, has nine career singles wins and 19 career doubles wins
on the International Tennis Federation Circuit. In the circuit, she played in four ITF doubles finals and one singles semifinal. She was ranked No. 32 on the Tennis Recruiting Network during spring 2015. Kelly, who is also a former Florida Virtual School student, has 15 career singles
and doubles wins on the ITF circuit, which qualified her into five ITF singles tournaments, and she advanced to the ITF doubles semifinals in Colombia. She was a junior ITF Doubles Champion and a USTA Regional singles semifinalist on the road to being named the 2011 USTA
Missouri Valley/Heart of America Player of the Year. Ornberg is coming to FGCU from Sweden and the Riksidrottsgymnasiet Tennis Program. She has five career singles wins and eight doubles wins. She made a career-high ranking of 1151 in 2015 for singles and 1049 for doubles.
All four girls have a lot to bring to the table for the FGCU tennis program. The season begins with the Bedford Cup hosted by USF Sept. 30 through Oct. 2.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 EAGLE NEWS SPORTS B5
Volleyball take on three in FGCU Homewood Suites Classic By Emily Kois Assistant Sports Editor @emilykois FGCU volleyball is slated to host yet another tournament. The Eagles stay at Alico Arena to host the FGCU Homewood Suites Classic. The teams coming to Fort Myers to take part in the two-day tournament on Friday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 10 are South Alabama, Marist and Indiana. FGCU will start tournament play at 6 p.m. Friday against South Alabama. Then, on Saturday, the team will play Marist at 10 a.m. and finish the weekend with a 7 p.m. match against Indiana. After a tough 1-2 start at the Ohio Tournament the first weekend of
play, the Eagles came back with a vengeance at the Hilton Garden Inn Classic. With two strong 3-0 wins over Delaware and New Orleans, FGCU’s confidence grew as it continued future play. With a team hitting percentages of .225, the Eagles hope to limit their opponent’s overall attack percentage of .237. Even though FGCU comes into this tournament with overall team stats that are lower than its opponents (assists 11.9 per set, digs 13.7 per set, blocks 1.8 per set, and service errors 1.6 per set), the Eagles hope that they can regain control of the conference, boosting their team play. With standout rookie Ciara DeBell averaging
2.80 kills per set, posting high kills on the net, and standout veteran Amanda Carroll averaging 3.80 kills per set, FGCU has some firepower along the net. South Alabama comes into the tournament 4-1 after a tough loss to Samford. As a team, South Alabama has a strong attack percentage of .226, while keeping its opponents to .208. So far, the Jaguars have continued to top their opponents in nearly every category of team statistics. Some standout players for South Alabama are outside hitter Mechell Daniel, posting the team’s highest hitting percentage of .276 and 2.42 kills per set, and Sarah Richardson, who averages 1.07 blocks per set.
EN Photo / Brad Young The FGCU Volleyball team will face South Alabama, Marist and Indiana at the FGCU Homewood Suites Classic.
Defensively, South Alabama is held down greatly by veteran defensive specialist Abby Baker. Baker post 3.63 digs
per set and has a reception percentage of .957. Marist comes into the tournament 0-4 with tough losses against San Diego
State University, Denver, Michigan State and James Madison.
This week in athletics
Men’s cross country at UNF Invitational By Chelsea Fernandez Staff Writer @chelsea1447 After gaining a victory at the FAU Invitational, FGCU Men’s cross country team will head to Jacksonville to compete in the UNF Invitational hosted by UNF on Saturday, Sept. 10. FGCU men’s cross country begins the season with a promising finish at the FAU invitational last Friday evening. Finishing
first with a 21-point win over Miami, who came in second place with 42 points, eight of our FGCU men finished in the top 10 of the race. Last season FGCU Men’s had all 6 runners placed in the top 36, competing in a 57-man field at the UNF invitational. Next, FGCU Men’s Cross Country will journey to Gainesville to compete in the Mountain Dew Invitational, hosted by UF.
Women’s cross country at UNF Invitational By Chelsea Fernandez Staff Writer @chelsea1447 After competing in the FAU Invitational, FGCU women’s cross country team will compete at UNF Invitational hosted by UNF on Saturday, Sept. 10. FGCU women’s cross country began the season in second place at the FAU Invitational. Finishing with 39 points, after FAU at 38
Men’s soccer vs. San Francisco By Chelsea Fernandez Staff Writer @chelsea1447 After returning from California, FGCU men’s soccer team will host San Francisco on Thursday, Sept. 8 at the FGCU Soccer Complex. The last time these teams played against one another was in the 2014 season, when FGCU lost with a close score of 0-1.
FGCU played an away game during that season, and hopes to take the home-field advantage this time. The FGCU men’s soccer team will then hit the road once again to Orlando, Florida, where UCF will host the next match. The match is set to be played on September 14 at 7 p.m.
points, with a shy one-point difference. Last season FGCU Women’s had a consistent performance of eight Eagles finishing among the top 22 runners at the UNF invitational. The Eagles will then head to Gainesville, for the Mountain Dew Invitational hosted by UF on Sept. 24.
Women’s golf at USA Women’s invitational By Chelsea Fernandez Staff Writer @chelsea1447 After competing in the Redbird invitational for the first time this past weekend, FGCU women’s golf team will be heading to Mobile, Alabama to compete in their first USA intercollegiate, three-day match from Sept. 10-12. The match is set to be played over a three-day
course, hosted by South Alabama. The team will be playing on The Crossings Course. FGCU Women’s golf team will then head to Colombia, Mo. from Oct. 3-4, to compete in the Johnie Imes Invitational for their third consecutive year.
Women’s soccer at Miami By Chelsea Fernandez Staff Writer @chelsea1447 FGCU women’s soccer team travels to Coral Gables for a match set against UM. The game is set to played on Thursday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. Last season when these two teams crossed paths, FGCU hosted UM at the FGCU Soccer Complex. FGCU lost with a short score of 1-0.
With a win over FIU, FGCU hopes to keep the momentum and gain a win over UM compared to last season’s short loss. FGCU women’s soccer team will then return and host UCF for the next match. The game is set for Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. at FGCU’s Soccer Complex.
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To sit or not to sit that is the question...
When a nation stands against him, I sit with Kaepernick By Luke Janke Staff Writer @Jankeleg More than ever before in modern U.S. history, one question looms over and shapes our arguments, relationships and individual values: “What does it mean to be an American?” Bipartisan ideals of patriotism appear everywhere in our spheres of influence, and social media plays a key role in sifting out those we agree with and those we simply do not want to be associated with. That being said, the hot take brings out the experts in all of us. We see a highly controversial issue trending, and we lash out with our most instinctual thoughts, blowing caution to the wind without filtering out our primal stereotypes. This brings us to the case of Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback who sat down during the national anthem at a home game on Aug. 26. According to Kaepernick, it was in protest against racial discrimination in the U.S. He explained his intentions to NFL Media in an interview after the game. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said. “To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on
my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” I m m e d i a t e l y, Kaepernick’s stand trended across social media where the inflammatory comments condemned him of being unpatriotic and disrespectful to the flag. Images surfaced of 49er fans burning Kaepernick’s jersey. Even the New Orleans Saints’ starting quarterback, Drew Brees, chimed in with a white perspective on what a peaceful protest should look like during an interview with ESPN. “He can speak out about a very important issue, but there’s plenty of other ways that you can do that in a peaceful manner that doesn’t involve being disrespectful to the American flag,” Brees said. Brees, along with Giants running back Rashad Jennings, had especially pointed comments damning Kaepernick and framing him as a disrespectful American. “I’m an optimist. I figure if it was the intention of our founding fathers to keep America a nation of slaves, then it wouldn’t have chosen a song where all four verses end with ‘the land of the FREE and the home of the brave’ instead of ‘land of the free, home of the SLAVE,’” Jennings said. By all means, Kaepernick’s critics have every right to shun his protest. That’s the point.
On Friday, Aug. 26, before a preseason game, Colin Kaepernick sits during the National Anthem.
The U.S. prides itself on being the Mecca of free speech. In fact, it’s the first bullet point in the U.S. Constitution — that we all have the freedom of speech — and if we aren’t happy with the country, we are protected by this document — as outdated as it is. Just as Brees and Jennings have the right to be unhappy with a silent protest, Kaepernick can also be unhappy with the U.S. The national anthem is a symbol, just as cheeseburgers and diabetes are a symbol. It merely represents the nation but on its own means nothing. I side with Kaepernick because the U.S. has a very
jaded past and present with systemic racism, but the big issue is that black Americans will be shut down however they protest. Riots in the streets? White people cry out “Thugs!” and “Animals!” Peaceful sitting? White people cry out “Disgraceful!” and “Ungrateful!” Black Americans just can’t win. There have been hundreds of public displays of police brutality against black people, and it can’t be ignored any longer. Kaepernick is doing this for his fallen Americans, not just his fallen fellow black people. For Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and Philando
Castile, the chance to protest was cut short due to reckless brutality. Kaepernick is their voice after death. Our military service members have come out to support Kaepernick as well, saying they also protest the part of our country that sends its service members to be killed for senseless wars that the U.S. really shouldn’t be involved in. Kaepernick has come out in a statement suggesting he fully supports our military, and the protest wasn’t about that. He even plans to donate $1 million to charities that help communities. Military member
Photo Courtesy of NFL.com
David Meryhew sent a critical response to Fox News’ favorite white supremacist, Tomi Lahren, over Facebook, saying her comments that Kaepernick’s actions were “un-American” are similar to totalitarian North Korean ideals. “I didn’t join the military for a song or a piece of cloth,” Meryhew said. “The foulness you just spewed is an insult to all true patriots and to the sacrifice that so many have made.” You can view this incident in any way you want. It’s how the U.S. is structured. However, Kaepernick says he will continue protesting until he sees “meaningful change”
EN Illustration / Audrey Mobley
Kaep, stand up
Leave the activism to the starters By Bret Munson Contributing Writer @bret_munson The National Anthem is one of the most powerful and identifiable songs around the globe. Even Colin Kaepernick thought this, as evidenced by his attention-grabbing initiative to sit while the National Anthem was played at a San Francisco 49ers game. However, he is not a viable candidate to bring this kind of attention to
the problem of police brutality. Most people prefer credibility when it comes to national issues. Past conflicts, like the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, continued for quite some time before even President Barrack Obama stepped in and said “enough.” This is not an argument of whether Kaepernick has the right to sit down during the National Anthem. He is well within his rights. This is a matter of whether or not he is the right person to have
done so. He is far from it. Kaepernick is a backup quarterback on a team that has been steadily declining in popularity over the past few years. Not to mention, his work ethic and performance have been declining faster than the popularity of the team that is overpaying him. In 2012, Kaepernick threw only three interceptions in 13 games as quarterback. Last season, he threw five interceptions in nine games, and he’s been getting lazier ever since.
When he first came into the league, he was known for his ability to avoid being sacked even though the 49ers had a bad offensive line. In 2015, he was sacked 12 more times than his second year in the NFL, and he played four less games. The point is that there has been more controversy over why this second-string quarterback is sitting for the National Anthem than the actual reason he chose to sit. Kaepernick himself was aware of the misdirection
his protest brought when he stated in a USA Today news article, “The media painted this as I am anti-American, anti-men-and-women of the military.” The cause he wants to draw attention to is a major issue in this country and because his specific protest was done in an unprofessional way, it drew a lot of attention away from the matter at hand. Kaepernick did not help this issue when he decided to mock the police by wearing
socks to practice with pigs wearing police hats on them. In order to bring attention to a cause in an appropriate manner, you need to be professional, not mock the other side of the issue. It’s great that we live in a country where we are free to express our views and feelings on a subject, but in a fragile time like the one we currently find our country in, we need to be careful how we take a stand for our beliefs. Colin Kaepernick, stand up.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 EAGLE NEWS OPINION B7
You’re not alone
And your Mom doesn’t work here either By Melissa Neubek Opinion Editor @melissayosephin Ever since I first stepped onto FGCU’s campus three years ago, I’ve known it’s where I want to be. The campus is beautiful, everyone is super nice and there’s a Food Forest. (Yes, I am more excited about the Food Forest than Chickfil-A, which I have learned puts me in the minority.) The more time I’ve spent on campus, the more I’ve come to love it. I’m happy to say that the pride I feel in being an Eagle continues to grow, and while that calls for positive vibes most of the time, there’s always the other side of the coin. From trash, to smoking, to the spreading of germs, on only my second day of classes, I had the pleasure of experiencing it all. Do we all realize that we’re not alone? First up: trash. I was walking through the Cohen
Center. I needed a plastic knife, so while I wasn’t getting food, I walked through all the tables to the island with the knives, and on my walk back, couldn’t help but notice the amount of tables that were absolutely covered in trash. Half-spilled Chickfil-A sauce containers, used napkins, half-eaten pizzas, straw wrappers – literally, trash. This upset me. Not because I was looking for a place to sit, but because it showed nothing but laziness and disrespect. I don’t know if the people who do that are the same ones who pee on the toilet seat and go about their merry way, but I’d be willing to bet you they are. And if either or both of those things are true about you, I’ve got news for you: no one likes you. You don’t even like you. Let’s say you leave your trash there because you believe there’s someone who gets paid to clean that stuff
up. Please stop that right now. Someone to sweep extraneous crumbs and such? Disinfect the tables every once in a while? Yes. Clean up your nasty halfeaten sandwich? No. Let’s say you leave your trash there because you had a cleaning lady or really nice Mom at home. You no longer have either of those two people here. Let’s say you leave your trash there because you’re in college now and you get to exercise your independence by doing whatever you want. Of all the things you could choose to do, leaving trash around is an embarrassing choice. Stop. Next up: smoking. For those of you who don’t yet know, at the end of last semester, on May 9, 2016, the Eagles Care for Clean Air act was passed, making FGCU a smoke-free and tobacco-free campus. When I learned of this at the beginning of 2016, I couldn’t wait. Three days
a week I would walk from Whitaker to the Library right by the “smoking section” outside of Reed Hall, and three days a week I would hold my breath. What an unpleasant surprise it was to walk by that same space just last week, in August, which is three months after May, to find no less than seven people smoking. I could smell the smoke before I had even turned the corner into the covered walkway next to Reed. I thought I was experiencing some form of olfactory memory – that my nose was just so accustomed to smelling smoke there, it was dipping into the recesses of my memory and reminding me of a thing I’d rather not be reminded of. But no, it was just real people smoking. With “Eagles Care for Clean Air” signs flanking them on all sides. Is this real life? Smoking is a choice one makes, and that’s fine. In
fact, when I was younger, it was a choice I made for almost two years. One day, I decided to stop. These were my choices. Regardless of the fact that I smoked, I didn’t blatantly disrespect rules by smoking where I knew I wasn’t supposed to. If you disagree with a policy and choose to go against it when it affects other people, that’s a real shame. What does that say about you as a person? Don’t say you don’t care – you do. You care enough to go against the policy to show people you’re above it or don’t agree, so you do care for people to know what you think. Just remember that what you’re really showing is that you’re inconsiderate. No one likes that. You don’t even like that. Lastly, germs. I’m going to keep this one short and sweet because, really? I even have to discuss it at all? After my trash and smoking experiences, I went to the
library, where I scoped out the available seating in my desired area, chose a spot, sat down, organized myself, started to type and then – cough. Directly across from me, not more than four feet away, a male student sat, doing his math homework, as given away by the calculator and frustrated glances between it and his computer screen. He coughed. With his mouth wide open. Every two minutes. Need I say more? No one likes that. You don’t even like that, coughing guy. Friends, throw your trash away. Stop smoking on our smoke-free campus and don’t cough without covering your mouth. On this Earth, on our campus, you’re not alone. Please don’t act like you are.
How do you confuse a millennial? Twitter knows...
By Travis Brown Contributing @teebrowns
Writer
While enjoying those precious minutes of quiet on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, I decided to do the old, slow scroll down my Twitter feed. It read the usual: school complaints, social dissension, something-something Harambe, “#HowToConfuseAMillennial.” Woah, freeze. OK, you got me. What I saw had me a little broken up. “Tell them they have to pay for their own expenses,” tweeted one user, while another wrote, “ask them to work overtime.” Scrolling aimlessly through battered complaints of laziness, disrespect and uncharted poverty, I felt perplexed. I sifted for hours through everything from
economic breakdowns from men who provided empirical data they figured sounded right, to bigoted rants about our generation’s ability to sympathize with all the people of our world. I was awfully confused. I simply couldn’t wrap my mind around the idea that these people were criticizing the generation they raised. You cannot blame a dog taught to bark at intruders for barking at unfamiliar guests. You taught it to do so. We, as millennials, are expected to follow the same path as the generations before us. We are expected to go to school, get a job, buy a house, hell — throw having a few kids in there. And sure, that seems easy enough. But, if I break it down, maybe you can see what I see. You can confuse
a millennial by instilling the only way to succeed is to get a degree. According to USA Today, tuition today is 1,120 percent higher than when the average millennial’s parents went to school. Nope, that’s not an error. One thousand one hundred and twenty percent. Education has become out of reach for far too many. OK, but, let’s put that aside. Say, we do make it to college. Now, for most of us, we still need to make ends meet. We still need to survive. On average, working with today’s minimum wage, the wage most college students are paid, a fulltime worker will make a meager $15,080, which gets a lot worse when you consider the cost of living for any single adult is around $28,474 on average. Maybe, you’re right and our millennial math skills
Photo Courtesy of Twitter FGCU Assistant Professor of Journalism, Jeffrey Riley, tweets on the topic of #howtoconfuseamillennial
aren’t as sharp as the older generations’, but that just doesn’t seem to add up. You confuse us by expecting us to find a high-paying job while the job market continues to deteriorate. You confuse millennials by criticizing all these participation trophies that you yourselves handed us all our lives. You confuse millennials by preaching hate for our actions while we try to
demonstrate our love for one another, while we try to end the injustice we see unfit. You absolutely, indefinitely confuse millennials by telling us that the world is within our reach, while you dismantle our economic infrastructure, pushing livability further and further way, yet you ask us why we aren’t trying harder. We are lost, swimming
upstream against a raging current. Now, while the world pokes fun at our struggling peers, I have to ask: how do you confuse the generations before us? We, against the odds, succeed and simply prove you wrong. We could sit here and pass blame for the rights and wrongs and our disposition. But, there are other ways to be examples for the new generation, and only we can show them.
Testing is not teaching
School and learning are no longer synonymous By Sam Palmisano Assistant Opinion Editor @SamPalmisano Talk to any college student about their major and you’ll likely get an excited response filled with lengthy rhetoric about goals and dreams. They’ll tell you what they want to do, who they want to be, so on and so forth. Watch those same students walk into class every morning. They’re not happy or excited. They’re just here to check off another requirement. With hurricane season upon us, students are constantly checking weather alerts. Not
because they’re concerned about a storm, quite the contrary. They hope classes will be cancelled. Watch their excitement if classes happen to be cancelled for the day. Why is it that students with such big dreams, who love their majors so much, get so excited when they don’t have class? As college students, I’m sure we have all pulled allnighters studying for tests on material we haven’t learned. Within one week of my Summer B term, I had already done it myself. What makes us do this? Why don’t we take the time to actually learn the material instead of partaking in last-minute
cramming? If tests and exams are such essential parts of our grades, why do we procrastinate on preparing for them? Perhaps, the answer is contained in the question itself. Tests and exams are such a huge chunk of our total grade. Let’s take at look a real example of a grading break down from my BSC 1010C course this fall. The final grade is broken down as such: 75% exams, 10% labs, 10% quizzes and 5% attendance. Right from the start, we can see that 85% of the total grade is made up of exams and quizzes. When it comes to this type of grading scale, the main reason students learn material is
to pass the tests, rather than out of genuine interest for the subject. That’s what’s backwards about the American education system. At an institutional level, from kindergarten to college, our education system teaches us that passing the test is more important than learning the material. Now, in order to pass the test, students usually have to learn the material, right? Wrong. Students aren’t necessarily learning, they are memorizing. It’s not long-term memorization, either. Longterm memorization could be considered learning,
but today’s students only short-term memorize the necessary information. It’s the same reason that today’s adults will tell you, “I haven’t taken algebra since high school,” when asked to do a simple math problem. That’s because, in high school, they were short-term memorizing their algebra material just to pass their tests. College students do the same thing. In a rushed attempt to get an ‘A’ on the next exam, we memorize as much of the course content as possible. Within days — even hours — after the exam, we’ve most likely forgotten at least half the material. Sure, passing the tests
guarantees us good grades. However, good grades don’t ensure that we gain the actual knowledge that the course is supposed to teach us. So, what if we flipped that around? What if students focused on learning instead of passing tests? We would have an education system full of students who are able to both long-term memorize and pass the exams. Students would be so caught up with learning that the test grades would come naturally.
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Ready, set, go! Trike-a-Thon coming to SWFL
By Georgette French Outreach Editor @Georgettefrenc A Mom’s Helping Hand of SWFL will be hosting the 2016 Trike-A-Thon on Sept. 10 at the Marinatown Yacht Harbour in North Fort Myers. The organization was created to help single mothers and their families in times of need by offering aid through support meetings, education training and pooled resources. In the past, AMHH has been able to gather household necessities, provide school supplies at local drives and offer classes in budgeting and job skills for mothers. AMHH has raised money to do so through fundraisers and social events like this year’s Trike-
A-Thon, which will be open for kids ages 2 to 10 years old. Families who wish to participate must pay a $5 fee and have their children registered to compete before the event on Sept. 10. The cost of participation includes food, drinks and entertainment — as well as children’s access to all available activities. The winners of the race will be determined by which participants raise the most money for the fundraiser. Prizes range from a t-shirt to a plush police dog and a matching game. Children will have a chance to meet with Lee County police officers who will teach them more about bike and helmet safety. Adults will also be able to contribute to the
EN Photo / Stefan Imbert Bikes parked outside the FGCU library. Children and adults at the Trike-A-Thon event are free to ride any type of bike that suits them. fundraiser during the Adult Trike Relay Race, which is open for registration as of Sept. 4. Registration costs $35 per person and $60 for teams of two or more
individuals. The ticket also includes a t-shirt and a chance to win a two-night stay on Fort Myers Beach. Family-friendly
costumes are encouraged, and anyone 18 and older is eligible to attend. AMHH is always looking for volunteers as well as event
sponsors and vendors for its events. For more information, go to www. amomshelpinghandofswfl. com
Brooke’s Legacy saves pets from euthanization and finds their forever homes By Romina Combe Contributing Writer @RominaValeria05 Every animal deserves a second chance, and Brooke’s Legacy gives them just that. Brooke’s Legacy was found after the tragic death of Brooke Ashley Miller. It happened on the day of her 18th birthday when Miller was driving to her birthday party along with her puppy, Mia.
Sadly, she was involved in a car accident and never made it to her destination. The puppy lived, but Miller was rushed to the hospital where she died a few days later. Miller was loved by everyone in her community and was known to be greatly fond of animals. Therefore, in order to keep her memory alive and to extend her passion for helping animals, Miller’s mom created the Brooke’s Legacy Animal
Rescue. To this day, Brooke’s Legacy continues to rescue thousands of animals and helps them find their forever homes. In 2015, they were able to find homes for 255 cats and dogs, and all of their adoptable pets are ones that were soon to be euthanized at kill shelters. Brooke’s Legacy is a nonprofit and does not have a shelter location. Instead, it is a volunteer and foster-
home based organization, with some of their cats being located in cat condos at Petco in Naples. Its next adoption event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10 at Petco in Naples. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. If interested in becoming a volunteer or foster home for these pets, check out its website at www. brookeslegacyanimalrescue. org. Photo courtesy of Brooke’s Legacy Jackie Daniels is a n adult female mixed dog. She is up for adoption for a contribution of $250.
Letter from administration
How the University Ombuds Office can help All FGCU students who need help in resolving problems and conflicts are eligible to use the services of the University Ombuds Office, which acts as an informal, impartial source of information and assistance to students concerning University related rules, regulations, and procedures. Such problems may be related to grades, differences of opinion with instructors, academic matters, and housing or financial
aid concerns that need resolution. The Ombuds can help you understand the options available to resolve a situation, by listening carefully to concerns and complaints; helping analyze the situation; looking into a concern, including talking with involved parties, and reviewing pertinent documents and policies, procedures, and problem-solving channels; or mediating discussions between individuals in
a dispute or problem situation. Students who need assistance may contact Dr. Helen Mamarchev, University Ombuds, at 239-590-1022, or stop by Edwards Hall 211. A d d i t i o n a l information is available at the University Ombuds website, www.fgcu.edu/ ombuds. - Dr. Helen Mamarchev, University Ombuds
Do your part to prevent the spread of Zika As the new school year begins, it’s an opportunity for all students to help curb the spread of the Zika virus by practicing good habits, including using mosquito repellent, spilling standing water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding, and taking measures to reduce the chances of sexual transmission. In fact, as you walk around your campus, you may notice references to the Zika Aware: Spill it, Spray
it campaign, meant to remind students how to stay safe. Florida’s 12 public universities are a leader in the conversation about Zika, conducting important research, creating task forces to track the virus, and serving as a resource to the community. But as university students, you also have a unique opportunity to make a difference. Just as Gov.
Rick Scott challenged Florida’s educational institutions to be proactive in preventing new Zika cases, I am urging you -- our students -- to get creative and help us spread the word. By working together, we have a real opportunity to make a difference. - Marshall Criser III, State University System Chancellor
Agency of the Week At PACE Center for Girls, its girl-centered culture celebrates the power and potential of girls. With 19 non-residential centers throughout Florida, PACE provides a safe environment where middle and high school aged girls can thrive. Its balanced emphasis on academics and social services is combined with its program model to produce an experience that is nationally recognized as one of the most effective programs for helping at-risk girls realize brighter and more productive futures. PACE is in need of immediate help — tutor algebra, geometry or algebra II, any or all days of the week. Algebra classes are held at 11:20 a.m. and 2 p.m., Algebra II at 12:30 p.m., Geometry at 10:30 a.m. For more information, contact Carol Wonderly at 239-425-2366 or Carol.Wonderly@pacecenter.org.