Volume 13 Issue 17

The student newspaper at Florida Gulf Coast University since 1997

AGLE NEWS Wednesday, December 3, 2014

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Volume 13, Issue 17 @fgcueaglenews

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The road not built

Construction plans for new road on campus by 2016

By Jimena Tavel @fgcueaglenews Since its establishment in 1997, Florida Gulf Coast University has experienced a tremendous amount of growth and development, including the construction of new buildings and dormitories. Now FGCU has a new project on its Campus Improvement Plan: the construction of a road going from main campus to South Village.

The construction of this road has been anticipated for at least three years. It will be half of a mile long, and it will be open to the public.

The road will go from Ben Hill Griffin Parkway to where the bridge outside of South Village meets the intersection.

Tom Mayo, director of facilities planning, is overseeing the construction of the road. Mayo explains the project is being coordinated with Miromar because it will exit FGCU’s property and enter Miromar’s property for about twothirds of its length.

According to Mayo, the actual construction of the road will take six to eight months. The university is planning to start the construction

by the end of 2015. University administration members hope to have the road finished by fall 2016 at the latest. The total cost of the project is $1 million.

“The road is being permitted by the South Florida Water Management District and the United States Army Corps of Engineers,” Mayo said.

The university has a number of reasons to build this road.

“First and foremost, it will serve as a secondary road if an emergency were to occur,” Mayo said. “SoVi has the highest concentration of students living on our campus and only one exit.”

FGCU is hoping the construction of the road will prevent future traffic congestion. The road will also serve as a pathway to provide utility service, service data and power connectivity.

“The road will also provide accommodations for pedestrians and bike lanes,” Mayo said.

EN Illustration /Emily Ford

Did you learn anything in class?

Improved student assessment of instruction forms will be used next semester to better help professors get feedback from students

By Nina Barbero News editor @EN_Barbero The survey tool students have been using to critique professors since Florida Gulf Coast University was established in 1997 is finally getting an upgrade. The Student Assessment of Instruction will soon be replaced with a new document that will include open-ended questions and eliminate questions that don’t give professors helpful information.

Professor Linda Serro and a team of eight professors began working to replace the SAI in fall 2013, after professors on the Faculty Affairs Team of Faculty Senate began to discuss whether it was actually helping them learn about and improve their teaching.

“We wanted something that would give us better information about the learning environment,” Serro said.

“We are a teaching institution. In order for us to improve we need this feedback.”

After researching similar assessment tools used by universities across the country, getting feedback

FGCU hockey goalie Mike Reed launches his own bourbon company

Keeping off the cookies:

Assistant E&L editor Klaudia Balogh gives advice for staying healthy during the holidays

B6

OPINION

SG and FGCU Foundation ask student and local artists to design Azul sculptures

Bourbon boy:

Toll worked at four other institutions and saw eight different SAIs. “It’s not unusual that universities change these instruments over time.”

This year, as a university with more than 14,000 students, FGCU is using essentially the same SAI tool that it used when it was a new university in 1997 with 2,500 students.

Students such as junior marketing major Christina Garcia, are ready for the new assessment.

“The one now is definitely not very helpful,” Garcia said.

“The professor’s teaching the class, so I assume they are prepared. But did I use my textbook? Maybe not. But you don’t really find that out with the assessment we have now.”

Serro would like to encourage all students to fill out the SAI on Gulfline at the end of this semester, and look for the SPOI next semester.

“I know it’s the end of the semester, and all you want to do is get out of class, but it is so important to fill this out.

Your feedback will benefit students who take the course after you. The purpose of SAI and then SPoI is to help improve teaching at FGCU,” Serro said.

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E& L

Call for artists:

B3

SPORTS

NEWS

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from faculty at town hall meetings and piloting the new assessment in several classes in spring 2014, Serro said that the new “Student Perception of Instruction” will be ready for use in spring 2015.

While the current SAI involves a scale system where students can agree or disagree with statements such as “the instructor is prepared” and “I will recommend this instructor,” along with one section for comments, SPoI will contain a combination open-ended and scale questions and a comment box to provide additional information.

Instead of having students rank how prepared the instructor was for class, the instrument will ask questions such as “Which assignments (paper, project, homework, things you turned in, etc.) supported your learning most and which were most troublesome?” and “To what extent did the textbook help your learning?”

Serro said she is excited for this new survey.

“We’re going to get much richer information,” Serro said.

Administration members such as Provost Ron Toll believe that this change is overdue.

“This new instrument will be a significant improvement over the current one,” Toll said. Before coming to FGCU,

Samaritans stay safe:

EN writer Megan Turetsky calls for a Good Samaritan policy on campus

EDITOR: NINA BARBERO NEWS@EAGLENEWS.ORG

A2 NEWS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3 The official student produced newspaper at Florida Gulf Coast University since 1997.

SERVICE LEARNING

SAVE THE DATE

AGLE NEWS Editor-in-Chief Justin Kane

editorinchief@eaglenews.org Advertising and Operations Manager Chris Merasse

businessmanager@eaglenews.org Managing Editor Manuel Navarro

managing@eaglenews.org News Editor Nina Barbero

news@eaglenews.org Assistant News Editor Jessica Souza

assistantnewseditor@eaglenews.org Production Manager Emily Ford

productionmanager@eaglenews.org Entertainment and Lifestyle Editor Aubrie Gerber

entertainment@eaglenews.org Assistant Entertainment and Lifestyle Klaudia Balogh

assistantentertainment@eaglenews.org

Photo and Media Editor Kelli Krebs photography@eaglenews.org Sports Editor Jill Himmelfarb

sports@eaglenews.org Opinion Editor Kelli Krebs

opinion@eaglenews.org Assistant Opinion Editor Cait Schall

assistantopinion@eaglenews.org Copy Editor Paul Lobron-McDade

Distribution Coordinator Manuel Navarro

Adviser Keith Gibson CONTACT:

239-590-7996 239-590-7945 239-590-7712

Advertising Editorial Main Office

Eagle News McTarnaghan Hall 217 10030 FGCU Blvd. S Fort Myers, Fla. 33967 MISSION STATEMENT: Eagle News, the student media group at Florida Gulf Coast University, represents the diverse voices on campus with fairness.

We select content for our publication and our website that is relevant to the student body, faculty and staff. Members are committed to reporting with accuracy and truth. Our purpose is to encourage conversations about issues that concern the on-campus community.

Eagle News views every culture with equal respect and believes every person must be treated with dignity.

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.

The print edition is free to students and can be found on campus and in the community at Gulf Coast Town Center, Germain Arena and Miromar Outlets.

Like us on Facebook to see many service learning updates and opportunities

Events WGCU (on campus) presents family literacy workshops at 14 area Title I schools. The station provides single-page handouts to parents who attend the workshops. Currently, all handouts are printed in English and WGCU seeks to provide Spanish versions. This project requires a student who is fluent in Spanish and can translate in writing from English to Spanish. For more details please contact Paula Sklodowski at 239-5902510 or email psklodow@wgcu.org.

Goodwill is in need of assistance during their Festival of Trees event November 30th – December 7th.

Activities and events throughout the week include: decorating the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, working as “tree guardians,” and assisting with Children’s Workshops. For more information, please contact Allie Ross at emay21@gmail.com.

Lee County Parks & Rec is hosting a special event called “Santa Fest” on Saturday, December 5th from 6pm to 9pm. Volunteers are needed to assist with set up, clean up, and interacting with children and event attendees. If you are interested in helping at this event, please contact Scott Getman at sgetman@leegov.com or (239) 432-2154.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County is having its annual Everyone Rides, Runs & Relaxes event on Dec. 7 at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers. We are in need of additional volunteers for the event to be a total success. If you may be interested in participating in this event, please visit http://freeonlinesurveys.com/v1/rendersurvey. asp?sid=kgli15dzev0uutn1059299 to sign up.

Matanzas Pass Preserve has MANY cleanup and education events happening in December! There are Saturday workdays scheduled in the Preserve from 8-10am on 12/13 and 12/27. Please contact Andrew Payne for more information – apayne@ leegov.com.

The Salvation Army is currently looking for groups to assist with food donation sorting for their upcoming Christmas distribution. They can take groups of different sizes and can also work around your availability. All you need to do is contact Kris Volpone (Kristen_volpone@uss. salvationarmy.org) and tell her your group’s size and desired day/time.

Colloquium Florida DEP is looking for volunteers to help build a new oyster reef for the Peace River in Punta Gorda.

Kate Aug, Florida DEP Community Outreach Coordinator, is looking for individuals & groups. You must be able to lift 30 lbs. to make oyster bags. Most bagging events are scheduled Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8:30 am to 10:30 am or so. Some Saturday dates are available. Please contact Kate by phone or email. Katherine.

Aug@dep.state.fl.us or call: (941)-5755861 Charlotte Harbor Preserve is partnering with The Nature Conservancy to launch an oyster reef restoration project adjacent to the City of Punta Gorda’s Trabue Harborwalk. Volunteers are needed to: prepare mat material, make oyster mats and fill bags with shells, and deploy the materials in the water. If you are interested in participating, please contact Katherine Aug at (941) 575-5861 ext. 117 or via email Katherine.Aug@dep.state. fl.us.

FGCU Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples is accepting additional student volunteers to assist with our beach survey and beach counts which take place 7 days a week. Contact Michael Odom at michael.odom@dep. state.fl.us or call 239-597-6196.

Barefoot Beach is looking for volunteers to come out and help with removal of invasive species. Interested students should contact Jan at jjbchrch@comcast.net.

ECHO (Educational Concerns for

Hunger Organization) Help out with agricultural development. Fill out a volunteer application at www.echonet.org. For questions, contact Ruth at rmay@echonet.org.

Koreshan State Park Historic Site is ALWAYS looking for students to help around the park! If you are interested in partnering with Koreshan, please email Mike Heare at michale.heare@ dep.state.fl.us.

Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium Numerous opportunities! Contact info@calusanature.org or call 239275-3435.

Naples Botanical Garden Horticulture gardening starts at 8:00 am Monday thru Friday and includes weeding, potting, moving plants, digging, raking, sweeping, clearing debris, etc. Wear closed toe shoes.

No shorts or tank tops. Bring water.

Wear sunscreen. Bring work gloves if you have them. Looking especially for groups of students on Fridays.

No last minute requests. Give 4-5 day lead time. If you commit, then can’t make it, give notice. Be on time.

Email Sally Richardson at srichardson@naplesgarden.org.

Committee & Long Term Opportunities Boys & Girls Club Naples is looking for students to become part of the Immersion Mentoring Program. This program is designed to ignite youth interest in science and technology through group mentoring with an emphasis on marine life and environmental sciences. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Paul Schultz at pschultz@bgccc.com.

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WEDNESDAY,

DECEMBER 3 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A3

SG, administration call on student artists

By Nina Barbero News editor @EN_Barbero

Photo courtesy of Cory Mentzer Above, a 1-foot prototype of what the unfinished fiberglass Azul statues will look like.

Student artists will be given the chance to leave their mark on a campus sculpture this January with Azul’s Flight Tour, a design competition in which local and student artists can submit proposals to paint or decorate a 6-foot tall, 150 pound fiberglass eagle statue.

Student Government and the Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation are hosting the competition, which will announce six winners in January.

Cory Mentzer, SG vice president, came up with the idea for Azul’s Flight Tour in August after reading about a similar event at Iowa State University.

“I was researching ideas to bring more school spirit to campus and I came across the University of Iowa’s ‘Herky on Parade’ campaign,” Mentzer said.

Herkey the hawk is the mascot of Iowa University.

“They had artists from throughout the entire community and state decorate these fiberglass Herky statues, and then they auctioned them off as a fundraiser.”

Mentzer’s goal is to have artists submit designs to decorate statues of Azul, and then place the finished statues in locations throughout campus. In two years, for FGCU’s 20th anniversary, he hopes the school will auction these statues off to local businesses to raise money for scholarships.

“My large-scale goal is to get them up and down

businesses on Corkscrew and Gulf Coast Town Center. An Azul statue could be at Miller’s Ale House, or Moe’s,” Mentzer said.

Guidelines and packets to submit a design are available online at: http://studentservices.fgcu.edu/ Files/AzulsFlightTour2014.pdf.

Artists must mail or hand-deliver designs to the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs by Jan. 20 at noon, and the six winners will be announced on Jan. 28. Each winner will be awarded $1,000 and will have until Feb. 25 to design and return their statue.

The locations where the statues will be placed will be determined once the designs are received.

Scan this QR code to view the submission guidelines for Azul’s Flight Tour

Club hockey team finally funded

By Jessica Souza Assistant news editor @Jessica_E_Souza Student Government debated the FGCU Hockey Club’s funding once again, but this time, the hockey team won’t be walking away without any funding.

The hockey club was granted $50,000 that it had previously asked for but was denied due to finance code violations. SG changed its mind after the hockey team refunded the tryout fees to all members. The club was also found not technically in violation of the finance code because it did not receive any activity and service fees,

which means it did not have to return the money from the tryout fees. The bill passed 28-2 on Tuesday.

Not every senator was in support of the bill. “I want to fund them but I just want to point something out. I don’t want to use analogies here, but let’s just say that the top CEO of a company commits embezzlement and they get caught for it and go to jail,” Sen. Jeremy Forbes said. “A judge isn’t going to say, ‘Oh, you paid the money back, so you’re fine.’ I think there needs to be a message sent saying that if you want to get money from us, you should have done things right the first time.”

Other senators, however, felt as if further punishment was unnecessary.

“We’ve already punished them a little bit, they get the message,” Pro Tempore Jessica Scanlon said. “They need the funding, they have a (national tournament) to go to, it looks great on our university, and they aren’t in violation of the finance code. There’s no reason to not fund them at this point so let’s let them go get us a championship.”

The majority of the senators agreed.

“I think they’re meeting us halfway,” Sen. Kelly Barrett said, “and we should meet the other half.”

Now that the hockey club has the funding it needs, the Eagles will be able to travel to Virginia in January to compete in a national tournament.

Alumni awards recognize top grads

By Katie Kupser @ktkups Staff Writer The Alumni Association is now accepting applications for the annual Alumni Awards. The deadline to recognize Florida Gulf Coast University Alumni is Friday, Jan. 2. For the 11th year, the Alumni Association will be recognizing Eagles who have left the FGCU nest and are successful in their careers as well as the community.

The winners will be recognized at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, in the Lutgert Hall courtyard during the Alumni Award celebration, which everyone, including faculty, is invited to attend. For these awards, alumni are nominated into two different categories: Alumni of Distinction and Soaring Eagle.

The Alumni of Distinction, which is the highest and most prestigious award, is based upon personal and professional achievements. This award is only received by

one graduate. State Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-Lehigh Acres, who is the first alumnus elected to the Florida Legislature and is currently serving his second term, won the award at the 2014 ceremony. He graduated in 2004 from the College of Arts and Sciences.

The second award, the Soaring Eagle Award, recognizes Eagles who have recently graduated. There is one winner from each of the five undergraduate colleges within the last decade who have professionally excelled. Recent recipients include Todd Cofer, ’07 political science graduate; Ashley Coone, ’05 management graduate; Kelsey DeLoach, ’11 secondary social science education graduate; and Sarah Adams Levin, ’11 nursing graduate.

Nominees are picked by an awards committee that is comprised of Alumni Association Board Members.

“Each year during the selection process, we are reminded of the remarkable impact and influence that Eagle alumni have in a diverse range of fields and in a growing number of communities near and far,” said Angela

Kunkle, assistant director of Alumni Relations. “With their professional accomplishments, dedicated community service and demonstrated pride in FGCU, our 20,000-plus graduates truly give the Alumni Association something to celebrate.”

The requirements to nominate someone for an award are listed below.

Angelique Brown-Wiggin, who is soon to graduate with a major in communication, said, “I think recognizing our Alumni is not only a great thing because it shows that our school still cares about our graduates, but it is also a great way to bring them back to our campus. For some this is the first time they will be back since they’ve graduated. I have seen so much change in the past four years alone and would be so excited to step foot onto our beautiful campus to see what it has become.”

For a summary and full criteria for potential nominees, as well to nominate a graduated Eagle, visit the Alumni Association page on the FGCU website.

Submission Guidelines

Nominee’s email, address, full name and up-to-date contact information.

Nominee’s college and year of graduation from FGCU. Nominee’s place of employment and position/title.

Brief statement about the Nominee’s qualifications.

Nominee’s resume.

Two letters of recommendation.

Photo courtesy of the Alumni Association State Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-Lehigh Acres, was the winner of the Alumni of Distinction award last year. The Alumni Association will present trophies similar to these to the 2015 winners on Feb. 20.

A4 NEWS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3

EDITOR: NINA BARBERO NEWS@EAGLENEWS.ORG

Puppy Palooza helps relieve stress

By Jessica Souza Assistant news editor @Jessica_E_Souza

EN Photo/Jessica Souza There were seven puppies at Puppy Palooza, including Lenny. Students were able to play with puppies in five-minute shifts.

Many students have a ‘ruff’ time during finals week, but Puppy Palooza hopes to change that.

Puppy Palooza is hosted by the Gulf Coast Humane Society, Campus Recreation and Prevention and Wellness to provide stress relief to students before finals week. Events such as Puppy Palooza happen at universities across the country, but it came to Florida Gulf Coast University for the first time last spring.

The puppies are provided by the Gulf Coast Humane Society where they are all available for adoption. Students cannot adopt a dog at the event, but they can get more information after they cuddle and play with a furry friend.

Priya Thomas, director of Prevention and Wellness at FGCU, explained how the stress relief from playing with puppies is triggered by emotional connections, similar to the connections people make with other humans.

“We know that having a real significant human connection with someone helps reduce someone’s stress, and it’s the same with animals,” Thomas said.

“Taking the time to connect with another being and receiving that kind of love and affection is a very positive thing whether that’s from a human or an animal. With animals, they’re cute and furry, so that’s a bonus on top of everything.”

Students such as Matthew Benck felt the effects of playing with the dogs.

“It was nice to see actual animals when you’ve been trapped up in dorms this long,” Benck said.

“I came from a farm. I have five acres with a lot of animals running around, so seeing little dogs running around gives me a sense of home and really helps me out.”

Puppy Palooza was on Dec. 1 and 2 and will likely return next semester. Students interested in adopting a puppy or other animal were encouraged at the event to visit the Gulf Coast Humane Society.

Students engineer solutions to real-world problems

By Nina Barbero News editor @EN_Barbero This semester, four classes of engineering and business students have been working to solve the world’s problems.

Instead of having a final exam, they will be asked to present solutions to these problems.

Members of two business plan development courses and two engineering entrepreneurship courses worked together to brainstorm real-world problems, develop products to solve those problems and create a business plan for those products.

According to Courtney Lynch, a senior business management major and member of a business plan development course, the process was not easy.

“At the beginning of the semester, each person presents a problem to the class,” Lynch said. “Then, the professors work together to narrow those down, and each person ranks which problem they want to work on.”

From that point the professors − Sandra Kauanui, Neil Selvin, Lisa Zidek and Joe Cuiffi − divided students into teams based on majors, strengths and which problem they wanted to research and solve, and the students began to work.

Lynch described the project as “a lot of very involved work.”

“Each group drafted a couple of different solutions to their problem and presented them in class, and then

worked on which solutions seemed the most accurate and achievable,” Lynch said. “You have to develop a solution that targets your problem but also suits your team.”

Lynch found that the business students and engineering students balanced each other out well.

“Sometimes an idea would seem great, but it’s so expensive that people won’t buy it. Sometimes we come up with a great idea that we could not actually engineer.”

Lynch’s group is called the Wheelchair Innovators.

“There are people who spend the majority to all of their day in a wheelchair,” Lynch said. “So they’re spending 12 to 15 hours in a wheelchair, and there are certain pressure points that they sit on in the standard chair that causes pain.”

The Wheelchair Innovators, made up of engineering students Fernando Decordova, Roshonda Knight, Christian Padron, Rachael Terseck and Alexander Fernandez and business students Javier Montoya, Maritza Payan, Felipe Papadopoulos and Lynch, have spent the semester developing what they see as a solution to this discomfort.

The Rolling Recliner is a wheelchair accessory that can connect to the back of a wheelchair put the chair in a special position to help relieve the pressure that causes pain to people who sit in a wheelchair all day.

The Wheelchair Innovators is just one of at least ten groups that will present their problem and prototype at the Eagle Biz Awards, which will be held at Mercato’s Venture X Office in Naples Dec. 6. The groups will present to a panel of five judges made up of engineering and business leaders in

Police Beat November 19, 2014 3:23 p.m.

A student who received several parking tickets became irate with Parking Services and called an employee various offensive, derogatory names. He also told the employee that he would punch him in the face the next time he saw him. The student admitted to losing his temper, apologized and was given a CAPS brochure. Judicial affairs may follow up.

November 20, 2014 1:09 p.m.

There was a possible attempt to enter the information booth while Mr. Green was at lunch. Nothing was stolen but some things appeared out of place and plastic brackets on the door were broken. Mr. Green was advised to contact his supervisor or work management to secure the door.

November 21, 2014 2:26 a.m.

A student in West Lake reported four men fighting. A victim in a beanie hat was shoved down the stairs. UPD was not able to find the suspects and asked other residents if they heard anything.

November 21, 2014 1:48 p.m.

Officers spoke with a faculty member and a student who were frequently getting into heated arguments, which stemmed from an allegedly environmentally friendly group using nonenvironmentally friendly vehicles and the instructor not knowing the statistics. Both the student and faculty member were advised to not have any contact with each other.

November 22, 2014 1:09 a.m.

A resident assistant in Everglades Hall found marijuana hidden in the ceiling tiles of the fifth floor study room. UPD found the suspects on camera and made contact with the suspects. They found 23.7 grams on marijuana and 37 ziplock bags. They tested positive for THC.

November 22, 2014 9:33 a.m.

Officer Harbury found a wooded area in West Lake being used as an illegal dump, with vegetation and common trash to include judge used for weed killers and fast food bags. There was a check stub with the name of a possible suspect and company name. The company was contacted, but they were closed for the weekend and did not answer.

the community. The team that is the winner of the judges’ vote will be awarded a cash prize to be used to further develop its product prototype.

The event will be hosted by the Florida Gulf Coast University Institute of Entrepreneurship, Lutgert College of Business and the U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering.

Katarina Danks, a student intern for the Institute, is hoping for a large student turnout to the event.

“We’d love to have students come and support their peers and see what people in their classes are doing,” Danks said.

Judging will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m., and the presentations will be open to the public between 1:30 and 4 p.m. Members of the public will be able to vote for their favorite product, and the winners of the judges’ and public award will present their product at the end of the competition.

The main sponsors for the event are local entrepreneurs Frank and Ellen Daveler and DeAngelis Diamond Construction. The panel of judges includes Tim Cartwright and Bud Stoddard of the Tamiami Angel Fund, John DeAngelis and David Diamond of DeAngelis Diamond Construction, and John Gamba, a local entrepreneur.

The Institute for Entrepreneurship is a program directed by LCOB and the U.A Whitaker College of Engineering to help students build their own products and companies. It works with local businesses and investors to give students entrepreneurial advice and assistance.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A5

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Humans of FGCU: inspiration Eagle News writer and photographer Oscar Santiago Torres photographed students around campus and asked what inspires them. This is what they said:

“He is the face of my sport,” Joshua Koci said about Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr., the American boxer. Koci has been boxing for five years and said Mayweather is his inspiration.

For Chelsea Feilen, nature inspires her. “It’s always beautiful and alive—accepting,” Feilen said. She’s president of the Enlighten Us Club and a member of the Food Forest.

Gerica Thomas’ mother and brother inspire her.

Thomas’ mother has gone back to school three years ago. Gerica’s mother is now a medical assistant, and Thomas says her mother’s hard work and dedication inspires her the most.

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OH THE

PLACES

THEY’LL GO

By Dylan Schmittler @DylanSFGCU After a long and exhausting fall semester, students and faculty at Florida Gulf Coast University will have a chance to rest up and get ready for 2015. Most people look forward to winter break and a chance to get away from the college life for a while.

This time off allows everyone to recover from an exhausting semester of book reports, exams, papers and other assignments.

Professors also need this time off to prepare for the upcoming semester that begins Jan. 5. This is also the time for FGCU graduates to receive their degrees and walk with their fellow classmates in front of their friends and families.

“I’m going home to Sarasota and spend time with my family,” said Paige Oswald, FGCU journalism major.

“I’m going home to Jacksonville to go clay shooting and surfing,” said Tripp Dawson, FGCU marine biology student.

Professors will have final grades submitted by Dec. 16.

FGCU Athletics will be busy during the winter break with both the men’s and women’s basketball teams in action in December and January.

The FGCU Men’s Basketball team will make trips to New Rochelle, New York, to play Iona University; Cincinnati, Ohio, to take on Xavier and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to play the Pitt Panthers in December.

The FGCU Women’s Basketball team will take part in Hawk Classic at Saint Joseph’s University on Dec. 28 and 29 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They will then head up to Boston, Massachusetts, to face Harvard University on Jan. 2 before retuning back home.

These games will prepare the Eagles for the Atlantic Sun regular season in early January.

“I’ll be going up to Philadelphia and Boston,” said Jamie Church, FGCU assistant director of athletics communication.

EN illustration/ Emily Ford

EDITOR: AUBRIE GERBER ENTERTAINMENT@EAGLENEWS.ORG

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3 EAGLE NEWS E & L A7

Expires December 31, 2014 Walk In Only - Low wait times EN photo/ Paul McDade

J. Cole headlines the 2014 Eaglepalooza at Germain Arena.

FGCU gets pumped at Eaglepalooza 2014

By Allie Taylor and Klaudia Balogh @AllieTaylorEN @KlaudiaBaloghPR

This year’s Eaglepalooza set the bar up high for the Florida Gulf Coast University Programming Board and was an exciting show at Germain Arena. Lines began to form as early as 5:30 p.m. Nov. 20 as students with floor tickets lined up to save their spots by the stage.

Doors opened at 7 p.m., and floods of people filled the arena, passing by the table for a free t-shirt while DJ Rifik played his set pumping up the crowd for the following acts.

Harrison Mellul, freshman at FGCU, couldn’t wait to see J. Cole perform, so he and his friends got their tickets as soon as they went on sale.

“It’s my first time [at Eaglepalooza], and I’m so pumped,” he said. “We stayed the night over and even camped out for the tickets.”

Freshman Kellianne Miekle came to Eaglepalooza with her friend from FSU. “We’re most excited to see J. Cole,” Miekle said. “We’ve been planning to come to this for a while.”

Huey Mack and DJ Yemi were the first to perform. Joseph Dalton Michael, known by his stage name Huey Mack, is a hip-hop artist from Morgantown, West Virginia. Mack started writing his music at the age of 14 as a “joke.” By the age of 18, he had released his first mixtape “Wish Me Luck” followed with a top-charting mixtape “A Boy Named Hue.” Mack’s set

had a great response from the crowd. He covered Outkast’s song “Roses” for one of his final songs.

They’ve done about 90 shows in the last year alone and had four Florida shows.

“It’s a little smaller fan base here, but it’s building,” Mack said. “I definitely want to come back, I had fun out there.”

Rapper YG came onstage after Huey Mack and performed his set including two of his more popular songs, “Who Do You Love?” and “Don’t Tell ‘Em.” The crowd was going crazy as he added audience participation to keep the energy up.

YG is from Compton, California. He created Pu$haz Ink record label with DJ Mustard (from California, as well).

“Toot It and Boot It” featuring LA singer Ty Dolla Sign became YG’s breakout hit, launching his career.

“I had a good time, I know they had a good time, and that is all that matters, nothing else matters,” YG said.

The final performance was saved for J. Cole. He had the arena loud and kept everyone jumping with full of energy. He performed his well-known hits such as “She Knows” and “Crooked Smile” off of his most recent album, “Born Sinner.”

He even threw it back to “Work Out,” an older song from his “Cole World: The Sideline Story” album, which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.

J. Cole took it home with a great finale as he thanked FGCU for an amazing night.

Student discount tickets will be available Dec. 5 for $35 at Germain Arena Box Office, with a limited amount of student discount tickets.

All other tickets are $65.

Public tickets will be available Dec. 12. There’s a $2 facility charge added to each ticket.

Photo courtesy of FGCUPB.com

IT’S GONNA BE GREAT! 9924 Gulf Coast Main, Suite 115, Ft. Myers, FL 33913 AT THIS LOCATION ONLY

Salon Phone: 239-415-7703 Hours: Mon - Fri 9am - 8pm - 6pm

- 4 pm

Located between Famous Dave’s and JC Penney www.greatclips.com www.facebook.com/GreatClipsGulfCoastTownCenter

Are You Having Trouble Controlling the Way You Eat? Call for Help Fort Myers/Cape Coral

Naples Area

239-338-5948 239-352-0527 or visit

www.foodaddicts.org

EDITOR: AUBRIE GERBER ENTERTAINMENT@EAGLENEWS.ORG

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3 EAGLE NEWS E & L A 8

Screenshot of FGCU graduate, Ashley Lampkin, demonstrating a workout for her clients.

Photo courtesy of Olympus Health Sciences, LLC

Keep off holiday pounds with Olympus Trainer app A personal trainer and gym buddy can be right in your pocket

By Klaudia Balogh Assistant E&L editor @KlaudiaBaloghPR We are in the middle of this year’s big holiday season.

With Thanksgiving right behind us and Christmas just around the corner, we can’t help to think about all those indulgences we get to enjoy.

However, those delicious meals come hand in hand with the unwanted extra pounds. It’s always a challenge to avoid gaining weight throughout the holidays. Gyms and personal trainers have limited schedules, not to mention your gym buddy might not be available either.

Not all of us get a chance, to find a workout partner who has the same schedule to work out, push and challenge us.

Before you come straight to the conclusion of thinking that you can’t afford a personal trainer, wait, because this might surprise you.

With the Olympus Trainer app, you not only have a gym buddy but a personal trainer right in your pocket, available for you 24/7 on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

According to Eugene Giannotta, president of Olympus Health Sciences, his company launched the Olympus Trainer app in the first quarter of 2014 with two main goals in mind.

“I did some digging and found there were two primary reasons why most people want a personal trainer,” Giannotta said. “First of all, for motivation and inspiration to work out, and second, for the instruction, for example to teach me how to exercise properly.”

After doing some research, Giannotta saw that personal trainers charge an average of $40 a session, so he wanted to offer an alternative that gives you the personal trainer experience for a fraction of the price.

At the same time, he discovered that smart phones became the fastest spreading technology in history. He had an epiphany.

“Why not harness the power of a smart phone to deliver affordable personal training services?” he asked.

With that in mind, his company offers Olympus for $6.99

a month, providing a full-body workout four days a week.

“We isolate specific major muscles in each session,” Giannotta said. “This is the best way to target those muscles without over-training them.”

The workout schedule looks like this:

Day 1: Chest, triceps, core Day 2: Back and biceps Day 3: Legs and glutes Day 4: Shoulders and core Giannotta said Olympus is engineered so that beginners, intermediates, and advanced clients all get the maximum benefits from the same workouts.

Giannotta also said the workouts are designed to enable anyone to work out anywhere and anytime without the need for special equipment. Thus, all Olympus workouts can be done at home, at the gym or even on the road. Plus, each workout uses only common items such as dumbbells, a mat, towels and chairs. If you don’t have dumbbells, then use water bottles for resistance. If you are in a gym, use benches instead of chairs.

For each workout, you get to follow and work out with Florida Gulf Coast University 2007 graduate Ashley Lampkin for a period of 30 minutes for each session.

Lampkin has been the exclusive trainer for Olympus since the very beginning.

“It is very exciting,” she said. “I love what I do, and this technology allows me to help so many more people than I could possible reach without it.”

Lampkin has about 10 years of experience in personal training. She graduated from FGCU in 2007 with a degree in human performance. She also holds a Strength and

Conditioning Specialist Certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Additionally, she maintains her accreditation with continual education.

During the workouts Lampkin tells her clients what to do, shows them how and does the exercises with them.

In addition, she has a brand new set of exercises for each session to make sure her clients won’t get bored.

She always searches for new ideas and incorporates them into the workouts. Lampkin subscribes to a number of periodicals, and she is constantly cataloging exercises.

She also said she subscribes to some rather dry human performance literature as well.

She said variety is very important for two main reasons.

One of them is psychology. Clients thrive on variety and enjoy trying new exercises. This prevents boredom and keeps them motivated. The other one is science. It is important to prevent your body from adapting and becoming comfortable with any fitness activity. Otherwise, it will hinder your results, and your performance will plateau.

Kathryn Brewer, FGCU senior majoring in biology, prefers working out with a partner because it comes with great company, and she always needs a second set of eyes to make sure her technique is spot on and she doesn’t injure herself or carry out a lift improperly.

“I think this app would be cool to try out if my training partner isn’t available, and I always enjoy learning more about new exercises,” she said.

Lampkin said the company recieves a lot of feedback from their clients through iTunes, and they use them to improve Olympus.

The app has a two-week free trial available for anyone to download. See how it works and what results may come in the period of two weeks.

Lampkin is ready to keep those extra holiday pounds off you this year.

“Set a goal of using Olympus four days a week for the first two weeks,” she said. “I want you to see how you feel at the end of those two weeks.”

The bow ties are back and they’re here to stay

By Paul McDade @EagleNewsENT

Bow ties have often been considered an accessory for nerdy math professors. They may also be a telltale sign of a well-versed museum curator or an obnoxious clown. But lately they have made a wake in the fashion community.

At Florida Gulf Coast University, bow ties can be found strangling the necks of the business causal and semi-formal alike. They’re most prominently displayed by frat brothers over pledge week as well as the everastute professor.

The Men’s Wearhouse in Miromar Outlets shopping center has reported a drastic spike recently in bow tie sales.

“They’ve been pretty popular among the younger crowds lately,” said Matthew Weaver, consultant at the clothes retailer. “We’ve never had this kind of response to ties like this. They really add to the professional look that’s just different from the standard necktie.”

The bow tie was originally introduced by 17th century Croatian mercenaries who used their scarves to fasten their shirt collars. After 300 years, the bow tie eventually made its way into the American wardrobe in the 1900s. However they quickly became absorbed into the realm of academia apparel and as a result fell out of popular style.

“I’d say the recent movement is a result of a push from a casual to a more classy professional style,” said Sean Hetherington, a philosophy major at FGCU.

“It’s a bow tie epidemic,” FGCU alumnus Hayley Bennett said. “I see them everywhere, and when I’m on campus I see them all the time; I like them. They’re really different and they make guys like unique.”

Not everyone has been as inviting of this trend.

“I avoid them at all cost,” art major Kenneth Boylan said. “Long hair clashes with the bow tie. I don’t want to look like Gene Shalit.”

It’s hard to say for sure what brought the bow tie back. It may have been when Justin Timberlake donned the tie for his latest album cover, or maybe it was Matt Smith’s role as the eleventh doctor in “Doctor Who” with his catch phrase “Bow ties are cool.” Either way, they’re here to stay for the foreseeable future.

ATHLETICS

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OPINION

www.eaglenews.org

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

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SERVICE LEARNING

AGLE NEWS Eagles finish second at Gulf Coast Showcase Story on B4 EN Photo/Kelli Krebs

Brett Comer attempts to dribble around San Francisco opponent.

Nov. 24- MBB

Nov. 26- MBB

Nov. 25- MBB

Nov. 27- WBB

Nov. 28- WBB

Nov. 29- WBB

Nov. 30- MBB

FGCU

58

FGCU

62

FGCU

45

FGCU

56

FGCU

86

FGCU

83

FGCU

71

Marist

43

San Francisco

47

Green Bay

59

Wichita State

39

Clemson

61

Ohio State

90

South Dakota State

58

FGCU stat leaders Points: Julian DeBose 15 Assists: Brett Comer 5 Rebounds: Marc-Eddy Norelia 10

FGCU stat leaders Points: Bernard Thompson 20 Assists: Brett Comer 8 Rebounds: Marc-Eddy Norelia 6 Eric Moeller

FGCU stat leaders Points: Bernard Thompson 14 Assists: Brett Comer 5 Rebounds: Marc-Eddy Norelia 7

FGCU stat leaders Points: Stephanie Haas 16 Assists: DyTiesha Dunson 5 Rebounds: Stephanie Haas 5

FGCU stat leaders Points: Whitney Knight 28 Assists: DyTiesha Dunson 5 Rebounds: Whitney Knight 7

Opponent

Location

Time

12/6/2014

Southern Miss

Fort Myers, Fla.

7 p.m.

12/11/2014

Providence

Fort Myers, Fla.

7 p.m.

12/17/2014

Bethune Cookman

Daytona Beach, Fla.

7 p.m.

12/19/2014

Northern Colorado

Fort Myers, Fla.

4:30 p.m.

12/28/2014

Cal State Northridge

Philadelphia, Pa.

4 p.m.

12/29/2014

Quinnipiac/Saint Joseph’s

Philadelphia, Pa.

2 p.m. / 4 p.m.

1/2/2015

Harvard

Cambridge, Mass.

7 p.m.

Hawk Classic at Saint Joseph’s University

Men’s Basketball

FGCU stat leaders Points: Brett Comer 14 Assists: Brett Comer 4 Rebounds: Marc-Eddy Norelia 10

The month ahead in FGCU Athletics

Women’s Basketball Date

FGCU stat leaders Points: Whitney Knight 17 Assists: DyTiesha Dunson 8 Rebounds: Jenna Cobb 15

Swimming and Diving Date

Opponent

Location

Time

Date

Opponent

Location

Time

12/16/2014

North Florida

Fort Myers, Fla.

10 a.m.

12/3/2014

Florida Tech

Fort Myers, Fla.

7 p.m.

12/19/2014

Georgia Tech/FIU

Fort Myers, Fla.

11 a.m.

12/7/2014

UMass

Springfield, Mass.

2 p.m.

1/3/2015

Fort Myers, Fla.

11 a.m.

12/14/2014

FIU

Fort Myers, Fla.

2 p.m.

Liberty/ Campbell/Central Connecticut State

12/19/2014

Furman

Fort Myers, Fla.

7:30 p.m.

12/23/2014

Iona

New Rochelle, N.Y.

2 p.m.

12/28/2014

Xavier

Cincinnati, Ohio

4 p.m.

12/30/2014

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pa.

7 p.m.

1/2/2015

Ave Maria

Fort Myers, Fla.

7 p.m.

1/5/2015

UC Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, Calif.

10 p.m.

EDITOR: JILL HIMMELFARB SPORTS@EAGLENEWS.ORG

B2 SPORTS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3

Kane’s Korner

FGC-USA: The time is now to change conferences

By Justin Kane Editor-in-chief @ByJustinKane For FGCU Athletics, the time is now.

It’s time to change conferences.

This is nothing against the Atlantic Sun, but there is an opportunity coming up that FGCU would be foolish if they don’t act on it.

On Sunday, Sports Illustrated

reported that the University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB for short, will diminish its football program as soon as the end of this week.

You’re probably thinking, “What does UAB football have to do with FGCU?” Well I’ll tell you.

See where I’m going?

No? OK, I’ll break it down. With the official announcement made Tuesday of UAB dropping its football program, that will leave Conference USA with 13 schools and an uneven number of schools for a conference is never a good sign. So that would make FGCU a logical choice as a selection.

Granted FGCU would have to start a football program, but with the successes of recent sports, right now seems like a very logical time to seriously consider it.

Let’s take a look at the C-USA. They have two schools in Florida (FIU and FAU), two schools that are regulars on FGCU’s schedule anyway. They also have

teams all over the Southeastern United States (Old Dominion, Charlotte, Marshall, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State University and Southern Mississippi). They also are in the Midwest and Texas (LA Tech, North Texas, Rice, University of Texas San Antonio and University of Texas El Paso).

Traveling wouldn’t be an issue. During basketball season, they can schedule two games a weekend (Thursday and Saturday) and they could do what they do now and take a bus from one school to the other.

From FGCU’s standpoint, there should be no reason not to consider this conference.

They have a TV deal with ESPN and CBS that would immediately be shared with FGCU to help build/fund scholarships and build or improve facilities.

From the C-USA’s standpoint, it’s a logical addition. FGCU is in their region, and who doesn’t want to come down to Fort Myers for some conference championships or just to watch their team play.

I will admit I do have a love for the

C-USA. Before college when I lived in Orlando, I went to UCF games on the regular, and back then they were a part of the C-USA and I was there to watch the conference grow as well as some of the schools in the conference. They have gained so much more respect in the last five years and it would only grow more if they added a growing program such as FGCU that has the potential to become a premier midmajor in every level.

FGCU already has had two teams go to the NCAA tournament and expects at least three more. And this is a regular thing now.

FGCU no longer expects to be mediocre. It expects to be in the NCAA tournament and no disrespect to the Atlantic Sun they need harder competition, especially in women’s basketball and women’s soccer.

So now is the time. It’s time to leave the Atlantic Sun and join the C-USA and make even more history.

Eagle News’ Top 25 Pick ’em Date

12/5 12/6 12/6 12/6 12/6 12/6 12/6 12/6 Last Week Season

Time

Away

Home

Line*

Manuel Navarro

Justin Kane

9 p.m. (FOX) #7 Arizona #2 Oregon Oregon (-14.5) Oregon Noon (ABC) Iowa State #3 TCU TCU (-33.5) TCU 3:30 p.m.

Oklahoma State #20 Oklahoma Oklahoma (-20) Oklahoma State (FOX Sports 1) 4 p.m. (CBS) #1 Alabama #16 Missouri Alabama(-14.5) Alabama 7:45 p.m. (ESPN) #9 Kansas State #6 Baylor No Line Kansas State 8 p.m. (ABC) #4 Florida State #11 Georgia Tech Florida State (-4.5) Georgia Tech 8:17 p.m. (FOX) #13 Wisconsin #5 Ohio State Wisconsin (-4) Ohio State 10 p.m. (CBS) Fresno State #22 Boise State Boise State (-20.5) Boise State 10-10 85-89

Arizona TCU Oklahoma Missouri Baylor Georgia Tech Wisconsin Boise State 9-11 79-95

*- Line is as of 8 p.m. on Tuesday

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF COMMITTEE TOP 25

ALABAMA 11-1

1

BAYLOR 10-1

GEORGIA TECH 10-2 MISSOURI 10-2

LOUISVILLE 9-3

OREGON 11-1

2 3

ARIZONA 10-2

7 8

OLE MISS 9-3

ARIZONA ST. 9-3

BOISE ST. 10-2

CLEMSON 9-3

UTAH 8-4

4 5

9 10

TCU 10-1

FLORIDA ST. 12-0

OHIO ST. 11-1

6

11

16

12 13

17 18

MICHIGAN ST. 10-2 WISCONSIN 10-2

KANSAS ST. 9-2

GEORGIA 9-3

14 15

MISSISSIPPI ST. 10-2 UCLA 9-3

AUBURN 8-4

19 20

OKLAHOMA 8-3

21 22 23 LSU 8-4

24 25 USC 8-4

Photo courtesy of Huffington Post

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3 EAGLE NEWS SPORTS B3

WWW.EAGLENEWS.ORG

Hockey

From overcoming adversity to being an entrepreneur

By Jill Himmelfarb Sports editor @JillHimmelfarb Mike Reed is venturing beyond pre-law studies and the crease at Germain Arena, where he’s one of Florida Gulf Coast University’s starting goalies. Recently, Reed has launched his own company, American Barrels Bourbon Whiskey.

“I’ve been working on it since I was a freshman at Indiana,” Reed said. “It’s a young bourbon. Bourbons are traditionally marketed based on age. Over the last five years or so, there’s been a big upswing in bourbon for consumption in America and exports.”

With the increase in demand, younger bourbons are making their way onto the market. Reed has made it his mission to grow his business and be one of the most successful new bourbons on the market as “a beautiful blend of American tradition and American pioneering, welcome to the new age of bourbon.”

“I do everything,” Reed said. “I’m the CDO for the company. I promote it, coordinate the events, arrange the advertising and handle social media. I don’t do the website.

I don’t do the books. I have a distributor, and I’m working to get a big time distributor to pick it up.”

Right now, American Barrels can be found at some local spots such as Cigar Bar. Reed has had a long road getting to where he needs to be with his company and with hockey.

Born in Memphis, Reed began playing hockey in Carmel, Ind. He didn’t start out as a goalie. He definitely worked his way up to being the goalie that helped FGCU get the runner up spot in the 2014 ACHA National Championships.

“I played forward,” Reed said. “When I was younger, I played both ice and roller hockey. We had a roller tournament, and our goalie got sick before the championship game. Someone had to put on his pads, or we

Courtesy of American Barrels Bourbon Whiskey

had to forfeit. I said I’d put on the pads, and we got lit up. But it was fun so I started playing goalie on ice and was naturally good at it. People kept picking me on teams as a goalie so I was kind of guided into it.”

This year Reed has two shutouts in FGCU’s undefeated (15-0) season. Reed knows that falling into the goalie position is where he belongs in hockey. But he said it wasn’t always an easy road. At 5-foot-9, Reed isn’t what most people think of as a typical hockey goalie.

“I was patronized growing up,” Reed said. “I always had people telling me I was too small. I would have to prove them wrong. My assets have always been that I’m acrobatic and quick. Teams hated playing against that.”

Reed played hockey throughout his younger years with junior teams, including the Panthers, where he played with teammate Dan Echeverri and former teammate Lee Khan.

He also played with the Junior Everblades. Growing up playing hockey wasn’t easy, either.

“I played for the Everblades EN Photo/Mike Danielewski from Mites until Peewees,” Reed said. “Most of those years were Mike Reed waits in the crease for a puck to head his way. good, but I had one year that without school if I want to,” Reed said. was rough. Hockey has a lot of As a great a player as he is, Reed doesn’t think that politics. There are often parents on the board, and the kids get special treatment with the teams. My parents were the hockey is his calling in life, either. He knows the difference complete opposite. Unfortunately, it was taken out on me. between kids who play hockey and kids who are hockey So punish the parents by punishing the player. So that was players.

“I’m not the latter,” Reed said. “I would love to play pro my bad year. But I know that I grew up playing hockey with integrity. If I could go back and do it all again, would I do it hockey. Going to Europe, ECHL or AHL, any of those options would be ideal. But it’s delaying life. Eventually, I’ll need a differently? Never.”

Reed went to a couple of different prep schools and career. I love hockey, but hockey doesn’t love me. I’m smart eventually to Indiana University. He said that he takes enough to fold my cards and walk away before I lose my hockey seriously, and it’s fun for him when the team treats it money.”

Right now, Reed is enjoying playing at the college level as seriously as he does. This wasn’t the case at IU. “I went there to play ACHA DI hockey and attend the while he begins to venture into the tough world of trying to business school,” Reed said. “When I got there, it wasn’t launch his own business in a struggling economy.

“I love the guys,” Reed said. “Everything I do, I do with what I expected. It was a fun two years, but it’s two years them. We’re all ‘for the boys.’ We play all weekend, practice that I wish I could have done differently.”

Reed decided to come to FGCU to play hockey before he together all the time, go to the beach together and I couldn’t had even met with coaches. His family is in Fort Myers, and be happier for my friends who are hugely successful in the he considers Germain his home after playing there when he sport. Eche [Dan Echeverri] reached the 200-point mark the was growing up. Reed isn’t a big fan of school. He doesn’t other weekend. That’s a huge milestone.”

Reed knows that his life is here now. He’s managing to want to go to law school. He said he’s an entrepreneur.

American Barrels Bourbon is the first step he’s taking in handle his class schedule, play the sport he loves, enjoy his friends and become a successful business owner. making all of his ideas come to life.

“I’m creative and can manage to make my own destiny

FGCU faces Central Michigan and USF before heading to mid-season break

By Mike Danielewski @MDanielewski The Florida Gulf Coast University DII hockey team gears up to compete against the Central Michigan Chippewas at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 at Germain Arena. The second of the two game series will be held at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. Tickets are $5 at the door, but free with your Eagle ID. The Chippewas travel to Florida bearing a 7-4-1 record. Left-winger Nathan Allgaier and Mason Kelbel lead Central Michigan with a combined 37 points. FGCU goaltending has been steadfast against the offensive efforts of its opponents. Mike Reed posting an impressive .947 save percentage followed by Tyler Tracy with .914.

The Eagles remain undefeated. On Nov. 21 and 22 the Eagles, with scores of 8-0 and 7-1, crushed the UMASS Lowell Riverhawks.

Key players Friday — Bryan Valancy (3G), Dan Echeverri (2G, 1A), Kristian Avellanet (1G, 1A), Dillon Duprey (1G), Nick Schilson (1G), Mike Chemello (3A), Nick Houser (3A), Colton Bailey (1A), Jake Leonard (1A), Chris Grosvenor (1A), Jordan Klotz (1A), Logan Garst (1A), Rob Marlinski (1A).

Saturday

— Duprey (2G), Eduardo Leon (1G), Echeverri (1G, 1A), Houser (1G, 1A), Avellanet (1G, 2A), Mike Boyd (1A), Chemello (1G), Leonard (1A), Garst (1A), Marlinski (1A), Schilson (1A), Klotz (1A)

DIII

The Eagles gears up to take on the University of South Florida at 9:15 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 at the Ellenton Ice & Sports Complex in Ellenton, Florida. The Bulls travel to Germain Arena for game two of the series at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6.

The USF Bulls (11-7-0) look to give the travel-worn Eagles (16-1-0) their second loss of the season. Andrew Silvers, Bull’s leading scorer, hopes to penetrate the solid FGCU defensegoaltending pairings. Alex Miller, USF goaltender, will surely struggle to fight off the relentless FGCU offense.

The Eagles traveled to Rockledge, Florida for a three-game, weekend tournament. On Friday, Nov. 21, the Eagles defeated Oakland University with a score of 5-4. Saturday, Nov. 22 was continued with another Eagle victory, over the University of Mississippi 6-3. The weekend wrapped up with a Sunday morning victory over the University of Alabama by a score of 3-2.

Key players Friday vs. Oakland — Brett Sutton (3G), Trevor Mullaly (1G, 1A), Zach Capco (1G), Ryan McAleese (3A), Kurt Williams (2A), Andrew Tweeton (1A), Steven Perez (1A), James Williams (1A) Saturday vs. Ole Miss — Sutton (1G, 1A), McAleese (1G, 1A), Eric Mabie (1G), Nick Mucerino (1G), Perez (1G), Williams (1A), Mike Piatek (1G), Mike Gutowitz (1A), Mullaly (1A), Matt Gross (1A), Mike DiVico (1A), Gabe Lamontagne (1A) Sunday vs. Alabama — Sutton (1G), Mucerino (1G), Perez (1G), Lamontagne (1A),

McAleese (1A), Mullaly (1A)

Fitness Vinyasa through the fairway: How to use yoga to improve your golf game

By Kelsey Jo Holsten @TheKelseyJo Most people think of yoga as a peaceful, relaxing and calming method to build strength, flexibility and perfect posture, but have you ever thought that yoga might be the secret weapon to your golf game? The PGA reports that yoga is the “hot” thing in the fitness world right now and is found in almost any type of sports training program. The one sport in which players mostly use this incredible phenomenon is golf.

The golf swing coils in the back swing and uncoils in the down swing to produce impact at the golf ball to get to the finish of the golf swing. What you might not be aware of is that there are yoga positions that golfers could use to improve this “coil” action and become more flexible and strengthen the lower body before your round.

Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines stretching exercises with breathing that can relieve the mind of stress, anxiety and even lower your blood pressure. These are three

things that you do not want to take out with you on the golf course or you will be starting out on the wrong foot. Within the past couple months, I have used yoga and breathing before golf and have found the game more enjoyable and relaxing. Yoga teaches that controlling your breathing can help you control your body and quiet your mind. This is essential before taking that first swing.

Next time before you hit the links, try this simple pose. Start out by lying flat on your back with your left leg straight and your right leg bent up (right foot planted on the ground) with your knee pointing towards the sky. Inhale ... then exhale lifting your right glutes off the ground along with right side of your back (lifting toward the sky) then inhale while lowering your body to the floor. You should repeat this movement 10 times then switch over to the other side. This yoga position increases the golfers’ hip rotations and improves the way the golfer controls their swing.

More yoga positions for golfers can be found at yogaforgolfers.com.

EDITOR: JILL HIMMELFARB SPORTS@EAGLENEWS.ORG

B4 SPORTS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3

Basketball

FGCU women now 5-2 after tournament Eagles take the cake at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Eagles lose in finale of Gulf Coast Showcase

By Matt Mramer @ENSportsMatt The Florida Gulf Coast University men’s basketball team continued its winning ways over Thanksgiving break with a secondplace finish at the Gulf Coast Showcase and a big non-conference win at South Dakota State University.

“We’re excited,” coach Joe Dooley said.

“I think it’s a great field. We’ve got great coaches, some historic programs… We’re excited about being here.”

In game one of the showcase, the Eagles beat Marist to become the first Atlantic Sun school to start a season 4-0 since UCF accomplished the feat in 2004-05. Julian DeBose had a coming out party in his first game as an Eagle, registering 15 points and five rebounds in FGCU’s 58-43 victory.

“I have so much respect for coach Dooley and this basketball program,” Marist coach Mike Maker said. “I thought it was a bigtime challenge for us to come in here.”

Marc-Eddy Norelia, Brett Comer and Bernard Thompson each added 11 points as FGCU rode a strong second half to a solid victory, even without senior guard Jamail Jones.

Jones, a guy who many see as the glue that holds the Eagles together, was handed a three-game suspension for a violation of team rules.

In game two of the tournament, FGCU faced off against a San Francisco team that also went to the NIT last season. The Dons presented a very different challenge than Marist, but the Eagles met the challenge and rolled to a convincing 15-point victory.

Thompson had a breakout performance, leading the way for FGCU with 20 points and adding five rebounds. Norelia and Nate Hicks were the only other players to notch double figures for the Eagles, as the scoring was spread evenly throughout the roster.

Hicks also had three blocks and his agility and energy was encouraging for someone coming off an offseason ACL surgery.

The 62-47 victory was the Eagles’ most complete team performance of the year, but the momentum came to screeching halt against Green Bay in the championship game.

In the showcase final, FGCU struggled from the tip, ending up in a 15-0 hole before Brian Greene Jr. finally hit a free throw to put the Eagles on the board. FGCU fought back well in the first half, cutting the deficit to just six points at halftime, but that effort wasn’t enough to catch the Phoenix.

The Eagles struggled all game against the zone and were never able to establish any rhythm on the offensive end. Despite 16 turnovers by Green Bay, FGCU was never able to capitalize and had too many empty possessions to overcome.

FGCU got beat up inside and struggled to get into the lane and convert easy baskets into points. It could have been the fatigue of playing its third game in three days, but the Eagles just didn’t come with the same intensity that they showed in their first five contests.

The Eagles battled for most of the game, but in the end Green Bay prevailed, hanging on for a 59-45 victory and the tournament title.

After the Gulf Coast Showcase concluded, the Eagles had a few days to rest up and get some practice in before heading to Sioux Falls to play SDSU on Sunday.

The recovery time seemed to pay great dividends, as FGCU was much more efficient on both ends of the floor. After combining for just two points in the first half, Comer and Thompson combined for 24 points in the final 20 minutes as FGCU outscored the Jackrabbits 40-27 in the second half.

FGCU has lived up to the high expectations it had coming into the season, posting its best November record in program history at 6-1. The chemistry and continuity will continue to grow on offense and defense as more time passes, and the team gets used to the system and playing together.

“The big thing is that we haven’t had the continuity at practice,” Dooley said. “We’ve had guys out every day and we haven’t had everybody in there yet, so I think once we get everybody together, we’ll see how good we can be.”

The Eagles face off against Florida Tech at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Alico Arena.

By Matt Shipley Assistant sports editor @matthshipley The Florida Gulf Coast University women’s basketball team is coming off an impressive performance in the U.S. Virgin Islands. A round-robin-style tournament, the Paradise Jam Island division consisted of FGCU, Wichita State, Ohio State and Clemson University.

The Eagles began their tournament against Wichita State, where strong defense held the Shockers to under 40 points with a 56-39 victory. FGCU allowed just 13 points in the first half and extended its lead to as high as 29 points in the second half. Defense led the way for the Eagles as they held Wichita State to just 33 percent shooting from the field and 16 percent from beyond the arc.

Stephanie Haas led the team in this one with 16 points as well as grabbing five rebounds.

“We really limited their looks at the basket and they didn’t get any really good scoring opportunities,” said Coach Karl Smesko. “They had to settle for tough shots and we did a good job competing on the boards.”

On day two of the tournament, the Eagles lit it up from the perimeter en route to defeating Clemson University 86-61.

Whitney Knight led all scorers with a careerhigh 28 points on 58 percent shooting and sank five of FGCU’s 14 total three-pointers.

Knight also grabbed seven rebounds with four steals and two blocks.

The third day and final game of the Paradise Jam was by far the most challenging for the Eagles. Facing off against Ohio State University, FGCU fell in double overtime 90-83. Knight led the team again this time dropping 17 points on 43 percent shooting.

FGCU had the lead 41-36 heading into halftime with help from its perimeter game, knocking down 11 three pointers in the first half. The Buckeyes pressured the perimeter in the second half, bringing the game to a tie at 70-70 following regulation. Free throws were a huge factor in the two overtime periods as OSU landed 12 of 18 from the foul line compared to the Eagles’ 3 of 10.

Despite the loss, the Eagles were able to grab the tournament title off of point differential criteria. They held a 10-point advantage over the Buckeyes following the final day of the tournament. The Green and Blue fell to 5-2 on the year while Ohio State improved to 4-3.

“I think we had a good trip here,” Smesko said. “We leave with a sour taste in our mouth because we feel like we let one slip away, but we’ll have to learn from it. We will be in these situations again and we’ll have to execute better down the stretch. The good thing is we definitely wanted to get out name up there [on the wall of champions] and we’re glad we did that.”

Among past champions of the Island Division includes Connecticut, Duke, Alabama, Wisconsin, Georgetown and Notre Dame.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3 EAGLE NEWS SPORTS B5

Swimming Toussaint splashes into success at FGCU

By Dylan Schmittler @Dylansfgcu In only two years at Florida Gulf Coast University, sophomore Kira Toussaint has made an incredible impact on swimming.

During that time, she has become one of FGCU’s most decorated swimmers.

She is very happy that she can work and be on a team at FGCU. Growing up in Amstelveen, Netherlands, she never was really able to swim on a team. Now, she has that opportunity to swim for the Eagles.

“It kind of was cool to swim on a team,” Toussaint said.

She was persuaded to come to Florida for the nice, warm weather.

She had also never previously heard about any school in America.

“I decided like a month before the start TOUSSAINT of my freshman year to go to America,” Toussaint said.

Toussaint isn’t the only terrific athlete in her family. Her parents were both terrific swimmers in their own right. Her mother, Jolanda de Rover, won a gold medal in the 200 meter backstroke at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Even though she is the daughter of an Olympic champion, her parents wanted her to try other sports. They never pushed Toussaint to follow their paths in swimming.

As a freshman, Toussaint had an incredible start to her FGCU career. She was the first swimmer from FGCU to be named to the College Swimming Coaches Association of America All-America Team. Toussaint was also named Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association Swimmer of the Year. Toussaint finished th at the

Cabrera to compete at the FINA World Swimming Championships

NCAA Championships in 100 back and 12th in the 200 race in 2014.

Toussaint also became the first swimmer in CCSA history to appear in an NCAA final in 2014. She was also named the Most Outstanding Freshman Performer and Most Outstanding Female Swimmer of the 2014 CCSA Championship Meet after her victories in the 200 freestyle, 100 back and the 200 backstroke. Toussaint also was named CCSA Swimmer of the Week during the week of Nov. 27 of her freshman season at FGCU. According to FGCU Athletics, Toussaint also has set eight FGCU program swimming records, including a personal best 51.68 in the 100 back at the 2014 CCSA in Athens, Georgia.

Toussaint is also very appreciative of FGCU coach Neal Studd and the coaching staff. They helped her become the terrific swimmer that she is today for FGCU. “Neal’s a really nice person to everybody,” Toussaint said.

Being an athlete in college is not so easy.

They have to put in the time to become the best they can be in their sport. Toussaint said that the swimmers at FGCU usually have 10 practices during a normal week.

Each one of those practices last for roughly two hours. This means, the swimmers at FGCU may swim up to 28 miles during a week at practice.

Most athletes have a role model they look up to. One famous athlete that Toussaint looks up to is another swimmer from the Netherlands named Ranomi Kromowidjojo.

Toussaint talked about Kromowidjojo winning two gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Toussaint hopes to lead the Eagles to more success in swimming this season. The Eagles recently were ranked as high as No. 24 in the SwimSwam.com NCAA Women’s Power Rankings. This marks the third different FGCU program this semester to achieve a national ranking in its sport.

FGCU Athletics The 12th edition of the FINA World Swimming Championships is set to take place this week at the Hamad Aquatic Centre in Doha, Qatar, where FGCU swimmer Lani Cabrera will be competing on behalf of her native nation, Barbados.

Cabrera holds five national records and will be competing in the World Championship for a second time. The event is scheduled to take place Dec. 3-7.

“I am excited for Lani,” coach Neal Studd said. “Although not the best time of year for an NCAA athlete we thought it was an important step on the way to the Rio Olympic Games. I am sure she will do well and is always proud to represent her home country. After setting a new national record in Mexico in November, she has her sights on some more. We wish her the best of success and safe travels back to Florida to be ready for the next home meets.”

Cabrera is coming off a stellar weekend at the Georgia Tech Invite, where she placed ninth in the 1650 Free with a time of 16:51.83 and 16th overall in the 200 yard free with a time of 1:50.28. She will be competing in the 200 free, 400 free, and 800 free at the World Championships Short Course.

Two years ago, as a freshman, she placed 12th out of 21 competitors in the 800-yard freestyle with a time of 8:57.56.

She broke her own record of 9:00.09, which she set earlier that year in at the Southern Sectionals in Orlando. Her five national records for Barbados are in the 200-yard free (2:06.43), 400-yard free (4:23.31), 1500-yard free (17:16.87) and 400-yard IM (5:14.52).

As a sophomore, Cabrera garnered CCSA All-Conference honors winning the 1,650 freestyle in a career-best 16:36.63 and placed third at the conference meet in the 500 freestyle in a career-best 4:49.88. She recorded a career-best 24.88 in the 50 free against FIU and clocked two career-highs at the Georgia Tech Invite with a 51.52 in the 100 free and a 4:49.72 in the 500 free. She

swam another personal best against Miami, finishing the 1000 free in 10:14.59.

The FGCU swimming and diving team (2-1, 1-0 CCSA) closed the Georgia Tech Invitational in fourth-place with 573.5 points. The final day of the event for FGCU was highlighted by a program and CABRERA CCSA record time in the 400 yard freestyle relay.

No. 11 Florida won the women’s meet by a wide margin with 1359 points. Arkansas finished second with 861.5 points followed

by Florida State (686) and FGCU (573.5).

Vanderbilt (449), Georgia Tech (371), FAU (353.5), Miami (348), Bowling Green (286) and Colorado State (251.5) round out the top 10 with Indian River (213), South Carolina (151), Campbell (120), Auburn (93), Clemson (63), Utah (37) and Tulane (10) placing 11-17.

CONFERENCE HONOR QUEENS The Eagles have earned six CCSA weekly honors, with the most recent being Emma Svensson’s third recognition of the season. FGCU swept the first wave of CCSA weekly honors on Oct. 7 with Svensson named Swimmer of the Week and Collins Diver of the Week following their success at the season-opening All Florida Invite.

Svensson continued on to earn another Swimmer of the Week title on Oct. 21 after three first-place touches in FGCU’s 175-120 defeat of Incarnate Word.

Up next the Eagles will return home for a dual meet opposite North Florida on Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. Followed by a dual meet with Georgia Tech and FAU on Dec. 18.

Dunne’s Doghouse Kaepernick, Charles, Floyd drop the ball

By Ryan Dunne @ryandunne81

as he and the 49ers head to Oakland to face a Raiders team that only has one win this season.

which is why it is surprising to have him in The Doghouse. Charles will do what he can on Sunday to turn things around as he and the Chiefs hit the road to take on an Arizona Cardinals defense that ranks amongst the best in the game.

This one is questionable for me, but at the end of the day, it is clearly obvious how much the Kansas City Chiefs rely on running back Jamaal Charles to make big plays after the loss on Sunday to the Denver Broncos.

On Sunday night, Charles had only 35 yards on 10 carries and was neutralized by the Broncos defense. Charles did find the end zone in the passing game, but his inability to make big plays happen anywhere else proved to hurt the Chiefs in the 29-16 loss.

Charles has always been a great running back to find the smallest seams and turn them into big gains. Even the great running backs always find a way to make plays out of nothing. Charles is without a doubt one of the best running backs in the game,

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Oakland Raiders Defense Michael Floyd

San Francisco 49ers Kansas City Chiefs running quarterback Colin Kaepernick back Jamaal Charles Well, I was debating between Colin Kaepernick and Geno Smith, but decided to give Geno a pass on this one since he has been on the bench for the past few weeks. As for Kaepernick though, his performance against the Seattle Seahawks on Thanksgiving is one that would leave him not having an appetite on a day where eating is a holiday. On Thursday, Kaepernick completed 16 of 29 passes for 121 yards and threw two interceptions in the game, both to cornerback Richard Sherman. Well, it is safe to say that the Seahawks’ defense is officially back, and Kaepernick found out the hard way. With the last four games of the season coming up, Kaepernick has to play better if the 49ers want to end up in the playoffs. Kaepernick gets to redeem himself

With wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald out, the door was left open for wide receiver Michael Floyd to be the main target against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. He was that, but just ineffective. Floyd was targeted 10 times and brought in five receptions for 53 yards on the day. It could be that quarterback Drew Stanton was off his game, or the running game being nonexistent.

Either way, Floyd having the day he had against the Falcons isn’t going to get the job done, especially if the Cardinals are hoping to make the playoffs. What looked like a sure thing has now turned into a huge question.

Can they hold on to their lead? Floyd stepping up will be a huge reason if they are able to do so. Floyd and the Cardinals host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday as they look to find a way to get back to winning games.

Yes, I know it is the Oakland Raiders, but giving up 52 points in one game is never a good thing, no matter what your record is.

On Sunday against the St. Louis Rams, the Raiders defense was torched for over 340 yards total in the 52-0 rout. The defense, who looked good against the Kansas City Chiefs two weeks ago, gave up 38 points in the first half alone in the loss. It isn’t all on the defense due to the offense having five turnovers, but there is no excuse for giving up that amount of points. The defense will have their work cut out for them as they host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

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Photo courtesy of 700WLW.com The Good Samaritan Act allows underaged drinkers to seek emergency medical treatment for being drunk without getting arrested. FGCU does not share this policy.

Make the right call

FGCU lacks the Good Samaritan policy

By Megan Turetsky @MeganTuretsky You and some friends decide to drink together in your dorm room on a Saturday night. You’re not 21, but you’re not driving so you’re not too concerned. Things get out of hand and one of your friends gets sick. Really sick. You’re scared of what’s going to happen to your friend if you do nothing.

You’ve heard about what’s happened to other people, so you know it could happen to them.

We hear these stories every day, and most people would do the right thing and call 911. What happens with the people that are afraid of calling 911? The people that are afraid that they’ll get arrested and spend a night in jail and will possibly never recover from having that on their record? They probably won’t call. I fear for the person who is friends with someone like this, but truthfully I bet most of us have these friends.

The state of Florida has a Good Samaritan Act

(sometimes known as Medical Amnesty Policy), meaning that if you were to call 911 in this instance, you and your sick friend wouldn’t be arrested for being drunk because you rendered emergency voluntary aid.

Florida Gulf Coast University, however, doesn’t share this policy.

At FGCU, if you call the police because you are in the aforementioned scenario, you might not be arrested, but you will be sent through conduct.

Currently, more than 240 universities have enacted Good Samaritan policies nationwide, including two in the state of Florida — Florida Atlantic University and Florida State University.

The problem that many administrators at universities have with this policy is that they believe that it looks like a “get out of jail free” card for irresponsibility or binge drinking. They also fear that it will make people believe that the university condones this behavior.

The reality of the issue at hand is that Good Samaritan

policies do not depict this. Instead, they show that a student’s life is more important than disciplining a student for doing the right thing in that situation.

I’m not saying that underage drinking is the right thing, but it happens. This is college, so believing that students aren’t going to drink is not realistic.

Believing that students want to do right by a friend that is in a bad situation is a completely other statement.

Good Samaritan policies work to eliminate these problems. With these in place, students are significantly more likely to do the right thing. A 2006 study at Cornell University showed that emergency calls increased while the alcohol abuse rates remained the same when a Good Samaritan Law was implemented.

Good Samaritan policies save lives and make our campus a safer place. It’s time for FGCU to care more about student’s lives and less about our image in the public eye.

Eagles, watch out for your friends.

Ferguson riots beg for change

By Madi Hampton Assistant Media Editor @Hamantha5 The American justice system was meticulously designed almost 238 years ago in order to protect the people of the 13 Colonies. There has always been tension and distrust between Americans and law enforcement; the Red Coats forever traumatized our pre-teen country.

Rather than seeking therapy after revolting against the mother country, we ran away to build our own great nation with our own democratic system where everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Every so often there is a new case reminding the public that these cops who serve us do so by poking their batons in our lives.

Our criminal justice system stands for true justice. As we all have heard, the court system found Darren Wilson, the officer who shot and killed Michael Brown earlier this year, innocent. The jury did not find Wilson to be guilty of murder: just an officer acting in self-defense. Wilson fired 12 rounds in the direction of Brown during pursuit, but it was only in “self-defense.”

Riots and looting ensued right after, and they are clearly problems. But they’re just a symptom of the continual distrust and tension between law enforcement and the people they serve.

Protesters and rioters are not people going crazy. They are the metaphorical ooze from the wound inflicted upon them. It is not only people in Ferguson who feel that they have suffereddue to the decision of the jury and “apparent racism.” There are people in New York, Philadelphia, Oakland, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and more, protesting to show the magnitude of this case. The riots and looting are there to show the need for change.

Riots are not a new trend. People have used riots for centuries to ensue change. As ancient of a practice as it might be, there is always change after. There are a lot of holes in our social constructs that allow for it, but we are not fighting the mother country here. We are fighting each other. We are fighting our neighbors and our coworkers.

These riots are worth listening to.

Riots are awful. People get hurt and even die. The riots in Ferguson have cost people their businesses. Let’s not allow this to continue. Americans should not have to cuddle with a gun at night because they are afraid of their neighbors.

Instead of allowing this to go on, we need to change things.

Our founding fathers were bright men, but no one can design a nation that lasts this long without drastic change.

This country is ever changing. Civil liberties are what this country has always been seeking, so let’s stop resisting them. With every great change that has made this country, it always begins with resistance. This rioting is resistance.

People dismissing these incidents is resistance.

Instead of just dismissing these people as criminals, try to see where the problem began.

People are not burning each other’s businesses down because someone got shot, they are burning them down because a cop shot him. More than that, because they do not trust the system.

People are dismantling the system. Maybe it’s time our country goes to therapy and realizes that the monster under the bed is not wearing a badge, and that a mutual understanding is to be reached. The badge is here to protect us and serve us. There is no Paul Revere. The British aren’t coming. I would also like to remind officers of the law that you’re here to keep us safe. Please keep your batons to yourselves.

This country may be at the young age of 238, but that doesn’t mean we need to rebel and prove our mother country right. Let’s come together to provoke change through comradery instead of violence.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3 EAGLE NEWS OPINION B7

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Photo courtesy of etceteraflowersandgifts.com According to French scholar and anthropologist Marcel Mauss, gift giving is a human-created cultural “obligation.”

The gift that keeps giving Is obligated generosity really that generous?

By Jack Lowenstein @LowSpenj The holiday season is filled with many happy things, most of all the exchanging of gifts. Gift giving is an old tradition that can be traced to archaic societies and it is there that the social norm of gift giving spawned.

There are many reasons why we give gifts to others, and with the holidays quickly approaching, I felt it was a perfect time of year to explore why.

The holiday season can reach its most stressful point with the ever-present question of what to buy another person for the holidays hanging over our heads.

So while our holiday stress may seem to be voluntary, it’s possible that gift giving around the holidays is actually an obligation in our society, not out of the goodness of our hearts.

If we didn’t give gifts during the holidays, would people see the holidays the same way?

No

61%

French scholar and anthropologist Marcel Mauss, whose best-known work is titled “The Gift,” explores the reason why archaic societies began gift exchange, and leads into ideas that touch on the reason why people exchange gifts on a personal level.

Mauss believed that human society required reciprocity for survival. Mauss’ argument was targeted through his study of archaic societies; he argues that gift exchange was first practiced by whole groups rather than on an individual basis. Clans would make exchanges for economic reasons, and reasons that would affect whole groups and not just the individual.

Mauss is basically studying that gift giving and exchange is without any natural occurrence. It’s only a fragment of social structure.

So if we were going to agree with the views of Mauss,we would believe that holiday gift exchange is purely a humancreated obligation. But that takes away the positivity from gift giving.

39% Yes

Moses Maimonides, the author of the Mishneh Torah – a book of Jewish law – speaks of alms giving in degrees.

Maimonides says that at the highest degree, alms giving should be done in a manner that is for pure good and looks to only better the individual to whom you are giving in an effort to hold that individual in the highest regard and expecting nothing in return.

I think a great example is when you might present your significant other with an engagement ring. I would hope that the symbol that an engagement ring creates for you and your significant other would outweigh the monetary value of the gift.

Think about why you are exchanging or giving gifts this holiday season, and think about why you are receiving gifts this holiday season. I think gift exchange is a positive practice for all as long as it can be practiced with good intentions.

@SamCamargo_ “I work in Coconut Point. As much as I want to be with my family on Thanksgiving, more $$ in my pockets so I’m alright with it.”

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A season of firsts

By Cait Schall Assistant Opinon Editor @CaitlinSchall This year on Thanksgiving, I set the table for two instead of three. This was my first rivalry weekend without my favorite person yelling at the television alongside me.

It will be the first Christmas morning I won’t be able to wake up early and make breakfast with my favorite chef.

This is the first year the thought of skipping Christmas entirely and pretending it never happened didn’t sound too terrible. This is my first holiday season missing my dad.

This past year has been a year of firsts. The first time I didn’t have my father with me during family weekend at school. The first Halloween I didn’t receive a text from my dad suggesting I wear a turtleneck or dress up as a nun.

The first Father’s Day I stayed in and watched movies and ordered a pizza instead of going to a baseball game or having a cookout.

My dad passed away 10 months ago, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him.

I have come to realize that losing a loved one is something you deal with for the rest of your life. It isn’t something you can wake up one day and just be over. Some days will be harder than others, but remaining positive is the most important thing you can do in order to feel some sense of normalcy again.

Losing my father was a great loss, but it also was a great gain. In losing my father, I gained a guardian angel and a greater sense of appreciation for those I have not yet lost.

I have learned to truly cherish every moment I spend with the ones I love and to never let a single person leave my company without having let them know that I care about them.

Life is a fragile thing and sometimes it takes a great loss

for you to realize how quickly things can change.

I miss my dad every single day. I don’t think it is a feeling that will ever leave me. He continues to be a huge part of my life even though he is no longer a tangible force I can see.

Lately my days have been filled with more happiness.

When I think of my father, there is now a smile where tears once fell down my face. I smile because I am thankful to have such great memories of the times we shared together.

So though this year may have been a year of firsts for me, it turns out it wasn’t a year of firsts without my father.

It wasn’t my first year without my dad because he never truly left my side. He is the reason why this is the first year I feel like I am surrounded by all of the right people. He is the reason why it was my first year working as not only a writer but also as an editor.

This will be my first holiday season with my dad watching over me, and that is the greatest first yet.

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