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:lkj ]fiZ\ n\Xgfe i\j\XiZ_ kf Zcfj\ 9p 8dY\i A% C\feXi[ :feki`Ylk`e^ ni`k\i Not having money stinks. The FGCU Less-Lethal Weapons and Equipment Research Institute encountered this first-hand when it was decided that they would be losing their grant and forced to close down by April of next year. The FGCU VIDEO WERI, which M`j`k is located \X^c\e\nj% fi^ a p p r ox i m a t e l y kf nXkZ_ five miles from X m`[\f XYflk was K_\ C\jj$C\k_Xc campus, started back in N\Xgfej Xe[ 2004. Their job is <hl`gd\ek to test everything I\j\XiZ_ from construction @ejk`klk\ equipment like orange traffic cones, teasers and police batons to shotguns, semiautomatic rifles and grenade launchers. Recent funding cuts from the U.S. Department of Justice means that the program will have to close. Grants from the department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance kept the FGCU program going with an annual budget of about $100,000. “In the past, we’ve had grants that we’ve run back-to-back-toback, but there’s just simply no more money,” said Charlie Mesloh, a professor in the justice studies department and director of the WERI. The goal of this department is to test weapons and discover ways to make them less deadly. “We test less lethal weapons for a variety of different weapons company and law enforcement agencies… Currently we are in the middle of Taser research, and once that’s done we are going to start a research project on shotguns that will take anywhere from one to six months to complete. The research will include the SRM1216, Saiga 12, and Celtic KSG shotguns,” Mesloh said. “The experience that I have had while being here is an experience that I may never get to have again. I have learned so much in this area and have had the opportunity to get publications and hands-on experience with many different weapons,” said Lindsey Medley, a graduate student majoring in public administration. Medley says that the closing of the program leads to an important question: Who will continue the research to create less lethal weapons that are used every day in the field? “There is limited research on many of the weapons and ammunition that we test and we have to rely on the manufacturer’s guidelines. This is a wonderful experience that other students will miss out on, not only from the class that was offered, but from the opportunity to be an intern or employee here, as well as earn service learning hours if needed,” Medley said. Once the program is closed, the university will have complete control over what is going to be done with all the equipment used by the program. “It a property control issue,” Mesloh said.
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N`k_ 8bfe i`^_k efn# eX eX Jkl[\ek ni`k\j Xe[ i\Zfi[j jfe^ n`k_ I 9 jkXi 8[Xd B`ijk\`e _Xj Y\\e ni`k`e^ dlj`Z Xe[ iXgg`e^ j`eZ\ _\ nXj X Z_`c[% Fe FZk% (+# ÈAldgÉ nXj i\c\Xj\[% K_\ jfe^ ]\Xkli\j 8bfe# X dXafi I 9 i\Zfi[`e^ Xik`jk Xe[ jfe^ni`k\i% 9p 9i`kkXep :X^c\ :feki`Ylk`e^ ni`k\i Visualize the ideal setting for an underground rap show: 60 freshmen jam-packed into a South Village dorm, a fluorescent overhead light cutting through the thick air, and the thin plastered walls resonating with echoes of the audience. This image isn’t too far from reality. Adam Kirstein’s 10-by-10 dorm room appears ordinary with its Bob Marley poster and worn hockey sticks, but with a closer glance a person may discover his customized rap studio. Adam’s image isn’t typical for a rapper. He appears at his interview wearing Sperry’s, khaki shorts and a button up flannel shirt. The first year student’s passion for music is reflected through the black-framed glasses underneath his Steelers ball cap. He is about to reveal huge news that will impact his music career. Kirstein, at 18, has just landed a song
with Akon, the founder of two record labels, “KonvictMuzik and Kon Live Distribution,” and a six-time nominee for the Grammy Awards. “This is the biggest thing that’s happened to me so far,” he said. The song “Jump” with Akon was released on Oct. 14. It hooks listeners with smooth lyrics and an upbeat chorus. Adam wrote all the verses himself. His visions of success are finally within reach. Kirstein has pursued his passion for music for as long as he can remember. “I started out with a cheap Rock Band microphone,” he says. “Eventually I started rapping for my friends at the lunch table at Sickles high school in Tampa.” Roommate and friend of five years, Steven Demarco, recalls the first time he heard Kirstein rap. “He would rap at the lunch table to pass the time and eventually it caught onto our friends.” The “lunch table raps” built up Kirstein’s reputation in school and peers began sending
him beats to create lyrics to.“I started putting songs out once a month…and eventually once a day,” he said. Kirstein uses truth behind his words in a language that listeners can understand. Reality is the foundation of his lyrics and he uses that intensity to embody every day life. His words aren’t just simply laid over backbeats—rather the samples swirl into melodies that pulse, move and capture the listener. Kirstein wants to pursue music for the rest of his life. “I’d rather be homeless and having something I love than being paid for something I hate.”
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Jlg\i J\e`fi gfglcXk`fe ^ifn`e^ 9p B\ccp ;Xm`j JkX]] ni`k\i The standard expected time to earn an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree is two and four years respectively. However, for an increasing number of students, it is taking twice that amount of time. According to a recent report by Julie Salomone of Fox 4 News, approximately 25 percent of fulltime students take four years to complete their associate’s degree and about 70 percent of fulltime students take eight years to complete their bachelor’s in
Florida. Myra Mendible, professor of English, feels that the current financial state of the country is one of the many reasons behind this. “The recession has hit young people hard, as they now must compete for fewer jobs. As a result, it is difficult for many students to make ends meet--and increasingly unlikely that their parents will be able to help them financially. Students may have to resort to full-time jobs and part-time studies; they may even be forced to take a semester or two off when they can’t cover the
rising costs of higher education,” Mendible said. Lauren Bentley, a senior majoring in history, attributes her delay in graduating to financial difficulties. “Other than having a couple of scholarships and student loans to pay for school, I am completely independent and responsible for all my bills and for any money I want to spend on entertainment. I can’t and don’t rely on my family for any form of financial support. This is the first semester I have been part-time. It gives me more time to focus on the classes, which means I am getting better grades,
and I can work more in order to support myself better than I could before,” Bentley said. Financial hardship is not the only issue when it comes to students taking longer to obtain degrees. Peter Bergerson, professor of public affairs, explains that first generation college students have to get used to the college lifestyle, which can cause students delays in grasping what is required of them. During this time, many students will decide to change their majors.
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