November 12, 2013november 12, 2013 Fall, issue 7 crimson.fit.edu
The official student newspaper of florida Tech
Threatening email causes lockdown
Cheater, cheater
Hershlay Raymond Editor-in-Chief Last Monday evening, Florida Tech students received a security alert informing them of a possible threat to the university community. The campus was on lockdown from approximately 9 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. According to Melbourne Police Department, a threatening email was sent to the office of the president. The email was traced back to a male student in McCool Hall in Columbia Village. Six Melbourne Police Department cars were sent, and the student left with the police. Police determined the suspect was not involved with the threatening email and he was released. No arrest was made. Suzee Louché, executive assistant to the president of the university, was first to see the threatening email, according to Michael Baston, manager of the Technology Support Center. Louché then contacted security. “Security contacted us for assistance in identifying who sent the email,” Baston said. “The investigation of that was a joint effort between security, my department and Melbourne Police Department.” “We tracked the information on the email to see where it originated from. We turned it over to the Office of Security, then turned over to Melbourne Police Department for the investigation,” Bastion said. The following day, Wesley D. Sumner, vice president of Marketing & Communications, sent out an email to faculty, students and staff. “Florida Institute of Technology’s Security Office issued an emergency alert notification last evening as a precautionary measure after an email threat was received. Working with local law enforcement, the threat was quickly and safely addressed. The threat received was ultimately deemed false—an apparent hoax. The emergency alert was lifted a short time later, and campus business resumed,” the email stated. “Today we are continuing operations with a heightened sense of security as a precautionary measure, and law enforcement is investigating this apparent hoax. At Florida Tech, the safety of our university community remains our top priority.” As of the publishing of this issue, the active investigation is currently being handled by Detective John Noble.
Reported academic dishonesty at Florida Tech quadruples in one year Kelsey McMullan Sci/Tech Editor Allison McLellan Staff Writer Hallanna Ortiz, a senior ocean engineering major, noticed a problem with cheating in her differential equations class. “It was mostly just people talking next to each other,” Ortiz said. “People were talking to each other in their native languages, cell phones going off like crazy, iPads out, whatever other gadgets you can think of.” Alex Nickerson, a junior in meteorology and mathematical sciences, overheard a classmate bragging about cheating on their probability and statistics exam by slipping answers written on
note cards in between pages of exams material. Carla Deras, a graduate student in mechanical engineering and the Student Government president, said she has also witnessed cheating in her classes. “I would go to class and people would be like, ‘I ruined the curve, it’s the same from the homework, I had the solutions on my phone’,” she said. Students are not the only ones who notice the problem. Cecilia Knoll, a mathematics professor, had higher than normal amounts of cheating cases last year. Knoll caught seven or eight students cheating. “It’s an age old problem,” said Frederic Ham, dean of the College of Engineering. “It really is cheating the student more than anything else. That is unfortunate because then they really aren’t learning anything.”
Florida Tech’s cases of academic dishonesty have quadrupled in the last year alone, according to data provided to the Crimson by the Office of Student Life.
What the Data Shows Data provided by the Office of Student Life shows that in 20112012 there were 52 official cases of academic dishonesty. In 20122013, that number jumped to 207. For most of the cases, the student’s punishment was failing the assignment they cheated on or failing the course that they cheated in. Punishments range from a verbal warning to being expelled from the university. The Office of Student Life keeps track of the overall numbers
but there is no data on what classes cheating or plagiarism happens most, what colleges have the highest percentage of students caught cheating, or what demographics the most cases come from. Due to changing to a paperless records system, the Office of Student Life was only able to provide two years of recorded data. Records are expunged periodically, usually five years after the date of the incident, unless a student was expelled. “We don’t expunge records of expulsion,” Bowers said. “Those are permanent. None of [the academic dishonesty records] will appear on the academic record, but an expulsion will.” Bowers said that even when multiple students cheat at the same time in the same class, each student is investigated individually.
See CHEATING, pg 4
Cheating on a national Scale
38% Undergraduates admit to “paraphrasing/copying few sentences from Internet source without footnoting it.”
14% Students admit to “fabricating/falsifying a bibliography” On a national scale, Donald McCabe, of Rutgers University, conducted a survey of over 63,700 US undergraduate and 9,250 graduate students over three years (2002-2005).
2014 Florida tech basketball preview See basketball, pg 9
PANTHER POWER RANKINGS See rankings, back page
OPINIONS....................... 2 campus life................. 4 sci/tech....................... 7 entertainment............ 8 sports.......................... 9
OPINIONS
2 -November 12, 2013
the Florida tech crimson
Letter from the editor: Cheaters and lockdowns They worked for three Hershlay Raymond months, spoke with over a dozen Editor-in-Chief
The front page of this issue was supposed to be entirely about cheating. The cheating feature is epic in scope and was a labor of love between sci/tech editor Kelsey McMullan and senior writer Allison McLellan.
people and even researched cheating on a national scale to gather information for “Cheater, cheater.” The article was originally approximately 2,600 words, and we had all of our editors working on it. After hours of killing our darlings, the final product is a solid, engaging 2,100 words which is broken up into seven easily digestible sections. It is a stunning piece of
work and it is probably the most extensively reported story the Crimson has ever done. I had planned for weeks that “Cheater, cheater” would engulf the front page. Then came the lockdown. When I received initial text, I immediately knew the cheating story was no longer going to be the sole story on the front page. I was in Panther Bay during the lockdown, trapped in a cramped living room with all 40 of my sorority sisters and I was
incredibly frustrated that I could not leave. I had my ear to a police scanner, I kept refreshing Florida Today for information and I made sports editor David Barkholz drive around campus to see where the police were located after the lockdown was over. As soon as I woke up the next morning, I called the police station. I continued to call the police station every day that week to figure out what happened. In this issue, we present
the straight news story about the lockdown with all the information we’ve collected so far. As of the printing of this issue, there is still a detective on the case and the full police report is still unavailable. Cheating story and the lockdown story share the front page now. The cheating feature is flashy to get attention for the issue it tackles. The lockdown news story is significantly less flashy and just has the facts. Both are important and I hope you enjoy this front page.
Take advantage of Oxford study abroad Charles Sedor Contributing Writer J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Stephen Hawking, Margaret Thatcher are historic names, and just a few of the many famous figures who have studied at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Why not join them in Oxford’s tradition of academic excellence on Florida Tech’s Oxford Study Abroad this summer?! I attended our 2013 Oxford Study Abroad Program, and, apart from building my resume and tackling 6 credits in 6 weeks, I had the experience of a lifetime! What I will be able to write here will only scratch the surface of what the trip held for me. Just imagine what may be in store for you. I’ll spare you the details of my flight to the UK and the time spent in transit via the multitude of trains, planes, and automobiles to get to my destinations last summer. While they were interesting experiences in themselves as far as learning self-reliance and travel responsibility, the flights themselves do not quite compare to the English pastures, old stone architecture, and rich history of Oxford and beyond. Lugging my baggage through the streets of Oxford, I felt like such a tourist, but it did not take long for me to realize that I was only one of about sixty empathetic travellers in my immediate
vicinity. Finding my place of study for the next six weeks was only slightly delayed by the fact that I was in awe of the shear beauty of the historic little city. Despite the sensory overload, I made my way down Turl Street and to the main gate of Jesus College. I was relieved to find that the small sign beyond the entry said “Florida Tech Sign In”. I lifted my luggage through the 16th century wooden door and greeted the Porter, which is the Oxford equivalent to a security guard. He issued me my room key, told me where to go, and then it happened. I heard my first true British “Cheers”. I didn’t quite know what to say back so I said, “Yep,” and awkwardly scurried out of the Porter’s Lodge and into the first quad. In a few days I would be saying “cheers” in place of “thanks”, but the American college student awkwardness was still wearing off. So I made my way along the edge of a beautifully manicured lawn to staircase number three. On a side note, don’t walk on the grass; you’ll be kindly reminded to stay on the sidewalk. The lawn is so beautiful because no one is allowed on it. In Oxford, everything is earned; only the graduating class may walk on the first quad grass… and only their graduation day. My room was roughly the size of a normal college dorm with the main difference being
that is was about 500 years old; just like the college itself. As a whole, the 38 colleges of the University of Oxford make up the oldest English-speaking university in the world. I didn’t mind the age though; It was too beautiful for age to be an issue. Soon I met my peers; some of us became best friends, and we hang out to this day. The weeks progressed and classes ensued. I was in Civ 2 with Dr. Addyman, and in World
Religions with Father Doug and Dr. Meade. The class sizes were small; 5 to 1 and about 10 to 1, respectively. Through many late nights of studying and essay writing, I managed to make it through and to add two more A’s to my transcript. Yet, the study abroad is about so much more than just taking classes. During my trip I also traveled throughout Ireland and to Paris; those were full of memories. But, so I don’t take up this entire
edition of the Crimson, I have truncated the luscious details of my journey. Be on the lookout for more articles detailing my travels with Florida Tech’s Oxford Study Abroad Program, and feel free to email me with any questions you have about my Oxford Program experience at “csedor2012@my.fit. edu”. For more information on the program (costs, dates, classes, etc) and applying, go to our website: “www.fit.edu/oxford”.
CAPS PSA: Relationship nutrition Stephanie L Field CAPS “R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Find out what it means to me!” Thanks to Aretha Franklin we not only know how to spell “respect,” but we also know why it is so important! Respect is empowering, gives a person a sense of self, lays a foundation for self-esteem, and reinforces moral values. Respect also allows people to communicate clearly and comfortably in a nonjudgmental way. It seems pretty clear that respect is an asset in multiple aspects of our lives, but how do you know if your relationships are defined by respect? On Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in 202 Evans Hall, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) invites you to our “Relationship Nutrition” event. At this free, fun presentation we will discuss and problem solve issues encountered in many different types of relationships, from your professors to your best friends. We will also review effective communication styles, social skills, and methods for making sure your relationships are healthy, respectful, and well maintained. L e t ’s t a k e a quick quiz to assess the level of respect in your relationships. Answer “True” or “False” to each of
the following statements: 1) Even if I am talking about something kind of serious, my friend/boyfriend/girlfriend is usually doing something else, like playing video games or checking Facebook. 2) I get annoyed when a classmate asks a question after the professor has finished lecturing- let’s just get out of class already! 3) My friend/boyfriend/ girlfriend pokes fun at me pretty often and, at times, even calls me names... but I know he/she doesn’t really mean it because it’s all in good fun! 4) As much as I hate to admit it, I love spreading juicy gossip about people I know. 5) When my friend/ boyfriend/girlfriend does something that bothers me and I ask him/her to stop, he/she tends to get upset and makes me feel like I shouldn’t have said anything at all. 6) I am almost always late for meetings, appointments, and get-togethers. Folks know by now to expect me to be at least a few minutes late, so I really don’t need to call and let them know I’m on the way. If you answered “True” to any of the odd-numbered
questions (1, 3, or 5) you may be disrespected in your relationships. A “True” response to any of the even-numbered questions (2, 4, or 6) may suggest that you are disrespectful to others. Quite often, when people enter a pattern of disrespect in their relationships they tend to rationalize, or justify, the disrespect. For example, you may hear something like, “She doesn’t really mean it!” or “I was just goofing around!” People also tend to result in bullying-like behaviors, such as name calling, to unfairly pin the problem onto someone else. This is especially common if the person who is being disrespected tries to stand up for him/herself. For example, after someone asserts him/herself, a response from a disrespectful partner might be, “Stop being such a baby!” or “Why do you whine all the time?” If you find yourself in a relationship that could use some respect, try some positive psychology! Keep an open mind and remember that everyone is a human being worthy of respect and dignity. Also remember that words can hurt; after all, the pen is mightier than the sword! Be grateful for the little things in life, and remember to
express your gratitude to those who make you happy. If you are disrespected, assert yourself and express your feelings using effective communication tools, such as “I messages” (i.e. “I feel ___ when you ___). Ultimately, you can only control yourself and how you perceive situations. Similarly, you cannot control other people, so if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all (and that includes not rolling your eyes just because someone does something that grinds your gears)! Finally, remember that other people can only respect you if you respect them- and yourself- first! We hope these are some helpful hints; however, they may not be enough for the support you need. If you feel that you are stuck in an unhealthy relationship, want some tips and skills for dealing with tough situations, or are just having some social relationship trouble, CAPS can help! CAPS is right here on campus to offer assistance for the many challenges faced by college students. To make an appointment with a counselor, you are welcome to call (321) 674-8050 or walk in to the center. CAPS is located beside the Health Center, at the corner of
Country Club Rd. and University Blvd. CAPS also offers two groups that assist with interpersonal relationship needs. “Get in the Game” is for students who have social or communication challenges to learn and discuss how to cope with managing stress, build communication skills, and engage in perspective taking. “Real Relationships” is for students who may be looking to improve their interpersonal relationships. Contact the center or visit the CAPS website for further details. The CAPS website (www. fit.edu/caps) offers additional information regarding resources, services, and groups, as well as brief screenings for depression, anxiety, stress, eating disorders, and alcohol use. We realize it can be intimidating to ask for help, but we hope you reach out when you need us. CAPS is just one of many resources at Florida Tech that supports maintaining a happy and healthy you! Remember to come join CAPS to learn how to have some positively powerful partnerships! We are excited to see you for our “Relationship Nutrition” event on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in 202 Evans Hall!
have an opinion you’d like to share? email us at crimson@fit.edu, and you may see it next issue!
we want you! T h e F l o r i d a Te ch C r i m s o n is looking for staff writers, photographics, graphic designers, cartoonists and more for our growing news staff ! The Crimson is a great opportunity to build a portfolio of your work while also making a difference on campus. Interested in becoming part of our news team? Email us at crimson@fit.edu. You can also attend one of our weekly meetings every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Crimson office at the back of Grissom Hall on the basement floor. Join us! There is free food!
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4 -november 12, 2013
CAMPUS LIFE
the Florida tech crimson
Reported cheating at Florida Tech quadruples in the last year STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
University Policy Florida Tech’s policy on cheating puts most of the prosecuting power in the hands of the professors. If a student is caught cheating, the first step for handling the potential violation is for the instructor and the head of their department to meet and decide if they should press charges. If there is enough evidence to press charges, the student and their academic adviser are then notified and given a chance to meet with the instructor and department head. If the instructor and the department head agree that cheating has occurred, they can apply a sanction. “The sanction could either be a failure for that particular assignment or all the way up to a particular course,” Bowers said. If the student refuses the meeting or the instructor and department head agree the student is guilty, the dean of students then determines if this is a first offense. If it is the first offense, the student can accept the charges or choose to go through a formal disciplinary committee. If the student has a previous charge on their file, Bowers is responsible for determining the course of disciplinary action. Academic advisers also have the option to place a note of the incident in departmental files in addition to any official disciplinary records that are held by the dean of students. Bowers said that the adviser is usually copied on the email between a professor and the
dean of students. Harsher penalties, like suspensions and expulsions, are usually reserved for students who violate the academic honesty policy multiple times, Bowers said. These penalties are not handed out unless
there is a formal meeting with the disciplinary committee or the dean of students. “I think pressure for success is big [reason students cheat]. I think most students here do not choose cheating as their first option,” Newcombe said. “When
The Florida Tech Student Handbook defines academic cheating as: Intentionally giving or receiving help on written assignments, examinations or any work without prior permission of the instructor. Looking at another’s test paper or other material (i.e., texts, notes or papers) with intent to gain or give unfair academic advantage, without permission of the instructor. Walking or signaling to a person while taking a quiz or examination with intent to gain or give unfair academic advantage, without permission of the instructor. Collaborating with another person with the intent to give or gain unfair academic advantage, without prior permission of the instructor, in preparing written work. Substituting for another person or permitting another person to substitute for oneself during an examination. Turning in a paper or other work that has been previously written for another class or for another purpose, without prior permission from the instructor.
they are taking 18 or 19 credit hours and become overwhelmed it might seem like a good option, but unfortunately it is not.”
So how are students at Florida Tech cheating?
Are all cases reported?
Kurt Winkelmann, a chemistry professor, said advances in technology have made it easier for students to cheat. “The temptation is always The current policy -- prothere. Whereas when I was a stufessor first, department head dent, I didn’t ever think of taking second, Office of Student Life a picture of an exam while I was third -- could allow students to taking the exam because a polaroid get away with cheating, multiple camera is pretty big and it cost times, as long as the Office of you 30 bucks to develop the film,” Student Life is left out of the Winkelmann said. reporting chain. Knoll has seen students usIn an emailed statement ing cell phones to send and receive Bowpictures of ers ad“It really is cheating exam material, dressed answers to the student more than send t h i s other students, i s s u e , anything else. That is and look up an“ M y unfortunate because then swers. office Accordis noti- they really aren’t learning ing to Knoll, fied on anything.” a university a first employee was violacaught within tion when formal charges have the last few years hacking into been filed with the dean of ANGEL and changing his grade. students office.” Discrepancies But technology isn’t the only may come up when a profesway students are cheating. sor doesn’t want to file for“When I was in a business mal charges, or a department class, everybody would have the head neglects to forward on the test [before the exam]. Everyone agreed upon charges. was getting 100s and I was getIf professors only report ting 60s,” Deras said. “Someone an incident to their department approached me and said ‘Yeah, head, and the department head everybody has the test, and he chooses to not send on the rereuses the same test every year.’ It port, then no record is created was unfair.” or added for that student. Humanities professor MatKnoll said she has adoptthew Ruane said, “We know about ed a personal policy to send an test banks. Anyone who has been email report to Bowers, as well here for 15 years would know that as her department head. your tests are out there.”
See CHEATING, pg 5
5 - november 12, 2013
campus life
The Florida tech crimson
Students can help prevent cheating by reporting it STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Students may even be resorting to more extreme measures to get their hands on tests or other materials. Security Chief Kevin Graham said that someone attempted to kick in the door in Olin Engineering on Oct. 19, but failed to open it. A successful burglary on Oct. 25 took place in an interior office on the second floor of Crawford. Knoll stated that the perpetrator broke into the first office by coming through the drop down ceiling tiles. Graham confirmed that ceiling tiles had been dislodged and the interior office door was kicked open. On Nov. 1, a burglary of a professor’s office occurred in Crawford where another internal office was broken into. The door was kicked in and two laptops were stolen. Security personnel are still investigating the break ins and could not comment on the motives.
How do the professors put up a fight?
Knoll has adopted an honor 71 students and marks each exam code that she stresses to her stu- with a number, then creates a grid dents at the beginning of the se- documenting where each exam is. mester and has each student sign This helps her identify students a copy. “It has helped,” she said. with similarly answered exams and “I’ve gone from the seven or eight see if they were sitting near each cases last semester to just one so other during the exam. far this semester.” “I asked two of my assistants Ruane has enacted new to also be there while proctoring policies in his classes to deal with the exam,” Kuravi said. the prevalence of cell phones in Many professors, including classrooms. He currently does not Kuravi, Knoll and Ruane, create allow students to have their hands multiple exams to deter students underneath their desks during from cheating. exams to prevent cellphone use. Winkelmann gives a presenHe also actively watches tation to new graduate students in students during tests. “I spend the chemistry department every more time in the back of a class- year. room rather than in the front of a “Honesty plays a very imclassroom because I can see what portant role in how science is students are doing that way. I walk performed,” Winkelmann said. around classrooms more often than “We also expect them to behave I used to,” Ruane said. to a higher standard.” Sarada Kuravi, a professor Richard Aronson, the head in the Mechanical and Aerospace of the Biological Sciences deEngineering department, “I want to become an experienced some of her students cheating on engineer. I want to become a an exam this semester. Kuravi’s students emailed business person, and I want her and reported 10-12 to do it in the right way.” people were using cell phones to copy answers and asked Kuravi to give them partment, said he wants to make another exam. sure that students who are new She has a large class with to Florida Tech are very aware
IMAGE PROVIDED BY Efram Goldberg This is a screenshot of the first chemistry lab report in General Chemistry 1. New software such as turnitin.com allows professors to easily determine if a student has plagiarized an assignment.
of the university’s policies about cheating. “It’s there, we deal with it, and my main push to deal with the issues of plagiarism and cheating is that now when I go to orient freshmen and go to orient new graduate students,” Aronson said. “I give them a talk about what constitutes plagiarism and what constitutes cheating.” The Academic Support Center is also helping professors combat cheating. When students come into the center to take exams, they are asked to leave their belongings with the front desk. The testing rooms are monitored by video cameras. Professors that are suspicious of the exams can ask for the film to be reviewed to look for suspicious behavior. “No students are allowed to handle exams,” said Rodd Newcombe, director of the ASC. Cultural differences can complicate the issue. Ortiz, who is originally from Puerto Rico and came to Florida Tech as a freshman, had not heard of plagiarism before she became a Florida Tech student. “I did not even know the word plagiarism even existed,” Ortiz said. “I was accused of plagiarizing a paper.” Ortiz’s problem stemmed from an assignment that involved summarizing a paper. Ortiz was used to going online to copy and paste material into her assignments. This caused her to fail the assignment. Ortiz isn’t alone. Deras came to Florida Tech from El Salvador and also struggled with learning the appropriate way to cite sources. “I feel we need a better education for international students mostly,” she said. “Where I come from, if you cite the person, it’s not plagiarism.” Faris Altamimi, a mechanical engineering student from the United Arab Emirates, said teachers in his country were more lenient. “It’s more strict here,” he said. “They will not forgive you.” He doesn’t blame his instructors for being strict.
What Are Possible Solutions? One thing that a student can do to help prevent cheating is report it, like Kuravi’s students. Students can report cheating to their professor, the department head and the dean of students. “Anyone can bring charges or evidence forward,” Bowers said. Newcombe said it is important for students to educate themselves about the university policies. “The student handbook is a really good resource,” he said. “It helps students understand what their rights are, what the rules are, and then the library website has a plagiarism handbook that students should be aware of.” The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that University of Texas at Austin has been collecting data on their students cheating since the 1980s. Frank Bi reported that, “Hundreds of incidents each year are broken down by gender, ethnicity, age, college, grade point average as well as type of violation.” The data is published on the internet and helps faculty identify problem areas that need addressing. Gary M. Pavela, a researcher of academic ethics who consults with institutions on academic integrity, told The Chronicle of Higher Education, “Every campus I know of has some kind of program that promotes and protects academic integrity, but how do they evaluate its effectiveness without statistics?” Student Government is looking into creating a “Don’t Cheat” campaign similar to the “No Smoking” campaigns. “It’s something we really have an issue with,” Deras said. Deras wants to earn her own grades and have a respectable degree. “I want to become an engineer,” she said. “I want to become a business person, and I want to do it in the right way.”
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campus life
6 - november 12, 2013
Florida Tech accepts $13.1 million gift from Intersil Press Release Florida Institute of Technology has accepted a donation of a facility and land from Intersil Corporation in Palm Bay valued at $13.1 million. The gift includes 100,494 square feet of office space, manufacturing and cleanroom facilities in a two-story complex, plus five acres of property located on Palm Bay Road. The university will use the property to create the Florida Tech Research and Development Center. “We’re delighted to receive this important gift from Intersil, and are grateful for their support,” said Florida Tech President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony J. Catanese. “We’re now looking closely at how we may best use this donation to advance the educational and research mission of Florida Tech. Our ‘high tech with a human touch’ focus is a perfect fit for a technology facility of this nature.” “Florida Tech is an internationally respected leader in technology education, and we are pleased that this gift is a good match for their educational needs,” said Richard Crowley, Chief Financial Officer of Intersil. “We look forward to seeing Florida Tech utilize the space in ways that will better our community.” Catanese said the university is examining a number of uses for the property. The office space may be utilized for continuing education classes for nearby professionals. Plans
call for repurposing the largest areas as lab space, supporting: engineering and science student project design, automotive development and wind tunnel research. Formerly a wafer fabrication facility, the building was constructed by Harris Semiconductor in 1977 and had served as part of Intersil’s wafer fabrication facilities until 2009, when operations were consolidated. Known as “Fab 54,” the facility has been used to make integrated circuits for major government, defense and aerospace programs. It was also used to make analog and mixed-signal products for consumer electronics and telecommunications equipment. The donated complex and land, complete with almost 300 parking spaces, is located down the street from Florida Tech’s Panther Bay apartment complex that opened earlier this year. Florida Tech, currently celebrating its 55th anniversary, is an international leader in education annually serving more than 15,000 students through its Melbourne campus, extended studies sites across the country and online programs. Named the thirdfastest-growing private nonprofit research institution in the United States by the Chronicle of Higher Education, Florida Tech is also annually ranked a Tier One Best National University by U.S. News & World Report.
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The Florida tech crimson
SCI/TECH
7 -november 12, 2013
Gadget Corner Joseph Stoltz Staff Writer
Lawmate Clear Glasses with Hidden Camera If you are one of the many people that continually speaks of having multiple crazy events going on in your life, but none of your friends or family will ever believe you, then here are a couple of gadgets to inconspicuously get the proof that your life is as psychotic as you say, or in the opposite, you could be sticking a giant shoe into your mouth instead. Many of you may have noticed that it can be a real pain to carry a camcorder, or even holding your cell-phone, constantly at arm to record the maelstrom of events going on around you, well to make your life easier to record these little catastrophes that surround your special persona, you should try the Lawmate Clear Glasses with Hidden Camera. The Lawmate glasses are a pair of glasses with built in hidden cameras that provide you with “high resolution video and audio recording” so you can capture every moment of the surreal life that your friends and family never believed you about without appearing as obvious as possible; however, the “high resolution” is “highly” questionable since on the specifications list, the resolution is listed as 480 lines, or standard definition. If you’re interested in acquiring one of these useful gadgets to catch some of those events you’re always going on about, then these glasses will sadly set you back the already marked down price of $295.00 at the website Spytec, however, its developers also added a catch to using their product, for the glasses are only able to be used with, and powered by, Lawmate DVRs; this will add an additional $248.00 to $748.00 to the price. In the end, the price is meaningless when you can prove to your family and friends that you were truly abducted by extraterrestrials, thus allowing for you to see their priceless expressions; plus you get free shipping when you buy it.
Google Glass
photo property of flickr/Business of Media Some of you may find the glasses as being too simple, and that simple cam glasses are not good enough for you and your amazing life that no one believes you have for a good reason, or maybe you just want to try and fit in with the aliens on your next abduction, either way you will be wanting the Google Glass, or a glorified monocle. The Google Glass is a device that takes you into the next realm of wannabe space cop, and allows for you to not only record video like the Lawmate glasses with a simple head device with a glass display over your eye, but it also allows for you to take pictures and share what you are seeing live with friends and family all with voice activated commands, thus allowing for you to show everyone the inside of that spaceship you’ve always been talking about; really the neighbor’s refrigerator. While Google Glass is not currently available on the open market, Google has launched The Glass Explorer Program for those that wish to try and have a chance at testing the device. However, if your patience defeats you, you can buy this device from multiple extremely shady characters on websites such as eBay and bid on, or buy, from $1000 to $7,498, and possibly higher with the continuing changes in price on such websites.
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Top Anti-Virus Software Christopher Pangalos Staff Writer One of the biggest risks of surfing online or installing programs is viruses. Some may be no more than a nuisance, but others may corrupt your entire system. Some users may be able to remove viruses manually, but most choose to protect their systems with antivirus software. Unfortunately no software is perfect and it can be difficult choosing which to use, one of the best sources for statistics is AVTest.org which compares most major programs. Listed below are some of the most popular Antivirus programs. AVG-(Free/54.99yr) AVG has both a Free version and paid version, though the only real benefit of the paid version is the ability to schedule scans, faster updates, and additional browsing protection. Fortunately this leaves the Free Edition fully functional without the limitations of a trail version. AVG features the ability to scan files on request, regular scans, boot-time scans, browser protection, and email protection. AVG falls short on update speed when compared with Avast! and also has some annoyances such as occasional pop ups and high ram use. According to AVTest AVG Free ranks 4.5 out of 6 for overall protection with the paid version ranking 5. Overall the paid version of AVG isn’t worth it, but the free edition is one of the best choices if you don’t wish to purchase virus software. Norton- (49.99yr Antivirus/ 79.99yr Internet Security) Despite its price Norton Antivirus does not provide web protec-
tion making it in some ways worse than the Free version of AVG. With the additional cost Norton Internet Security does provide Web protection, as well as firewall and antispam making it a much better choice. In addition Norton beats almost everybody on update frequency providing better protection from new viruses. According to AVTest Norton Internet Security ranks very high with 5.5 in protection and a perfect score in performance making it one of the highest rated. Overall Norton Antivirus seems pointless since it doesn’t provide full protection, but Internet Security may be worth the high price. McAfee-(Internet Security 39.99yr) McAfee has the widest variety of feature overall ranging from firewall, to email security, macro protection, boot time scans and more. It falls short on update regularity like AVG. According to AVTest it ranks slightly bit below Norton in protection at 5 and falls rather low in performance. Users of older computer may find that in runs slow a uses a lot of ram. Overall McAfee is cheaper and flashier, but seems less practical overall. Avast!-(Free/Internet Security 39.99yr) Avast! is another brand with a decent free version potentially better than AVG. The main difference is that the free version of Avast! lacks email protection and firewall. On the plus side Avast! rivals Norton in update regularity and also ranks 5.5 in protection according to AVTest, making it better than most paid subscriptions. Unfortunately Avast! falls as low as McAfee in performance requiring high system resources. Overall, if you have the system to handle it Avast! is the best protection available free of cost.
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ENTERTAINMENT
8 -november 12, 2013
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Album review: Eminem’s “Marshall Mathers LP 2” Joshua Aguilar Contributing Writer The question of whether Eminem still has something to prove or left some dust bunnies in his closet tests nostalgically
positive on the Marshall Mathers LP 2, sharing the name of the 2000 Grammy Award winning LP. The Rick Rubin and Dr. Dre backed album delves into personal topics that many have come to expect from Eminem: his divorce from Kim (“So Much Better”), inability to find love again (“Love
Game”), balancing being a father and his career (“***hole”, “The Monster”), growing up without a father(“Rhyme or Reason”), legitimacy in the rap game (“Rap God”, “Survival”) and his public perception (“Brainless”). The biggest splash production-wise seems to come most-
ly from the lead single, “Berzerk”. Sampling “The Stroke” (Billy Squier), the track brings back the rock beats that would have been on any Run DMC or Beastie Boys album, making the most fun and most obvious coming from Rick Rubin who produced the two groups. Lyrically, the most obvious choice would also be the previously released chorus-less, “Rap God”, which uses a really simple blaring synthesizer and a drum one could find on a standard keyboard. But the flow is absolutely ridiculous and is a reckoning to the world as to who the true legend that more popular rappers still try to emulate. The LP also features the return of Rihanna, featured on “Love the Way You Lie” from the Recovery LP. Their second duo effort, “The Monster”, tries to play on idea of fame being both great financially and detrimental to mental health. But the production around the song seems too campy for a more Eminem track on what seems to be more Slim Shady effort, sampling an acoustic guitar to a club beat like a Flo Rida anthem. Kendrick Lamar, being the only other rapper featured on this LP, features on the fun “Love Game”, which samples “Game of Love” (Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders).The track feels like two guys having a drink and sharing light hearted breakup stories about women “hoarser than Tori Spelling’s face”. The duo definitely makes a good pair and it begs the questions as to whether Eminem may feature on the next
Lamar release. For better or worse, the album has Eminem shows up more than Slim Shady. Building upon the last Marshall Mathers LP, the character Stan is resurrected in “Bad Guy” and Eminem channels Stan lyrically to show self-guilt for building a career off of controversial and personal lyrics. The song “Headlights” featuring Nate Ruess from Fun builds upon that self-reflection by openly apologizing to his mother for “Cleanin’ Out My closet”, which shed light on his mother’s drug addiction and inability to parent effectively. Coming off of the Recovery LP, being what many saw as Eminem’s resurrection, the hope was that perhaps the sillier side to Eminem might resurface. Honesty is ultimately his best policy as his maturity is evident. Most of the time, the rappers of this generation take a fall for spitting about how many women they bone, the fact that they can afford to have elevators in their houses, and how messed up they can afford to be every second it seems. Where the Marshall Mathers 2 LP falls flat is that lack of fun. But, that’s just not who Eminem is anymore. Key Tracks: “Bad Guy”, “So Much Better”, “Love Game”,
photo property of Interscope
PUZZLES FOR NOV 12, 2013
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SPORTS
9 -november 12, 2013
the Florida tech crimson
2014 Florida Tech Men’s Basketball Preview David Barkholz Sports Editor
Last season 16-11 (9-7) After starting the season 7-11, the Panthers ripped off nine straight wins to close out the 2013 regular season and entered the Sunshine State Conference Championship tournament as the hottest team in the league. Rollins College brought that momentum to an abrupt end in first round however, defeating Florida Tech 57-42. Senior guard Julius Reid, a Division II Bulletin All-America Honorable Mention, averaged 15.1 points with a team-high 6.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 4.0 steals in 36.9 minutes played per game.
Coach’s Quote
This season With Reid gone, junior Chris Carter will make the move from shooting guard to point guard. Carter, who averaged a team-high 17.9 points per game last season, will look to fill the leadership role left by the graduated star. Junior Jermaine Jackson and Sophomore David Usic will join Carter as three returning starters from last season. Added to mix this year are two transferring forwards with promising potential: redshirt sophomore Corbin Jackson and junior Akeem Johnson. Despite their early exit in last year’s conference tournament, the Panthers enter the 2014 picked to finish second in the always competitive SSC.
Player’s Perspective
Phot BY Efram Goldberg Junior guard Chris Carter drives the lane and draws the foul against Paine College.
2013-14 Sunshine state conference preseason men’s basketball poll
“It’s nice to receive preseason recognition from my fellow coaches in the conference,” said ninth-year head coach Billy Mims. “I’ve always said that we are the ACC of Division II basketball. As a young team, we were undefeated down the stretch, winning nine straight games in February. We were able to finish fourth in the conference after a rough start. I think the polls are a reflection on the team that we bring back this year.”
“We had a lot of new players and big expectations last year,” Chris Carter said. “Finally around that halfway point we started coming together. Our whole goal this year is to build chemistry early. Everybody is buying into the fact that we’re trying to win a ring this year. I just want to be the best point guard I can be. I was a shooting guard last year, but now with Julius gone I was moved to point guard. I have no problem with that, I’ve played point guard my whole life.”
Chris Carter Guard
Jermaine JAckson Guard
Akeem Johnson forward
Moving back to his natural position at point guard, Carter will be looked upon to direct an offense full of scoring threats – including himself.
The shooting guard’s non-flashy style of play allows him to be the type of player who can put up 25 pints without anyone even noticing, making him very dangerous.
The transfer from Frank Phillips College has a good combination of size and athleticism, which should allow him to fit nicely into Mim’s offense.
Rank
Team
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. T8. T8.
Florida Southern Florida Tech Saint Leo Rollins Eckerd Lynn Nova Southeastern Barry Tampa
Points 63(7) 53(2) 46 44 31 28 21 19 19
Corbin Jackson forward
David Usic center
Arguably the best athlete on the team, Jackson can run around, jump over and send his opponent’s would-be shots into the third row of the bleachers.
The big man from Croatia gives the Panthers a much-needed presence in the paint, but can step outside and sink a shot from time to time if he needs to.
2014 Florida Tech Women’s Basketball Preview David Barkholz Sports Editor
Last season 16-11 (8-8) Last February the Panthers were 16-5 and the early favorites to run the table in the conference tournament. Head coach John Reynolds says what happened next the best: “We fell off a cliff.” Florida Tech lost its last six regular season games and ousted out of the SSC championship in the first round after receiving a 79-53 beating from Rollins College. Jasmire Brown led the Panthers in points scored per game with 15.6, but only played in six games before suffering a season-ending injury.
Coach’s Quote
This season Senior point guard Rita Acevedo, junior shooting guard Kayk Wilson and senior center Ida Gustafsson lead a very experienced team back to the court in 2014. The return of a healthy Brown should add another wrinkle the team didn’t have the majority of 2013. The question is not whether or not the Panthers have the talent to make it back to the top of the SSC – that’s a given. The real question is if the team will be able to take that talent and direct it towards success. Being ranked third in the SSC preseason poll – a poll that is decided among all the head coaches in the conference – proves that the Panthers’ opponents think they can.
Player’s Perspective
Phot0 BY Efram Goldberg Senior guard Rita Acevedo at the line. The point guard enters her final season at Florida Tech.
2013-14 Sunshine state conference preseason women’s basketball poll
“We’re going to see lineups change from night to night defensive matchups or offensive matchups with our opponents,” 27-year head coach John Reynolds said of his starting five. “I think that’s our best strength right now – the ability to change our lineups. If we can stay healthy and continue to play eight, nine, ten kids a game, we’ll be in better shape down the stretch then we were last year.”
“This year we’re trying to do the right things and take care of the little things,” Acevedo said. “I’m trying being a better leadeR by leading through example, and that actually pushes me harder to be a vocal part the team. I’ve been trying to work a lot on my free throw shooting. The past three years it’s been up and down. I’ve also been working on my outside shots. I really don’t look to take them, but coach wants me to take more shots.”
Rita Acevedo Guard
Kayk Wilson Guard
Rosie Hynes forward
MElissa Echols forward
Ida Gustafsson center
Team captain and one of only two seniors, Acevedo is a general on the floor, increasing the performance of everyone around her.
A threat to score from anywhere on the court, the Panthers will once again rely on Wilson to be their primary source of points.
Versatility. It’s what makes Hynes such a permanent fixture in the Panthers lineup. A player who can do little bit of everything .
One half of a towering frontcourt for Florida Tech, Echols adds size and length in addition to suburb athleticism for the position.
Size, dominance in the paint and the ability to shoot from behind the arc makes the senior from Sweden a must watch player.
Rank
Team
1. 2. T3. T3. 5. T6. T6. 8. 9.
Nova Southeastern Rollins Florida Tech Tampa Saint Leo Eckerd Lynn Barry Florida Southern
Points
62 (7) 52 (1) 44 44 39 (1) 28 28 16 11
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SPORTS november 12, 2013
2013 Panther Power Rankings: 11/12 David Barkholz Sports Editor
4. Men’s Swimming
1. Inka Homeyer The women’s cross country team’s season may be over, but Homeyer’s isn’t. After leading the Panthers in all six races this season, the freshman from Germany qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships by being the third individual not from a top-three team to finish the SSC Championship race.
Two blowout victories and two blowout defeats make it hard to tell what kind of team this will be this year. But a 2-2 record in a conference like the SSC is never a bad thing, and suggests that the men’s swimming team could be a possible contender in February.
photo by florida tech athletics
5. Women’s Basketball
With so many returning players, it will be interesting to see how the Panthers respond to their late-season collapse from last spring. They haven’t given a clear indication thus far, with one 19-point loss and one six-point victory over nonconference teams.
2. Men’s Basketball Big things are expected of this team in 2014 and, while it is still very early, the men’s basketball team has lived up to the hype so far by winning two nail biters on their home court. Whether or not they can compete in the SSC remains to be seen.
photo by florida tech athletics
Photo BY Efram Goldberg
6. Women’s Swimming Photo BY Efram Goldberg
3. Volleyball
It seemed as though Florida Tech’s women’s swimming program had turned a corner this season after winning their first two meets against Saint Leo University and Lynn University. Since then the women’s swim team has lost three straight to conference opponents.
photo by florida tech athletics
7. Football
Since starting the season with an impressive record of 12-2, Coach Amy O’Brien and her team are 3-9. Now in the bottom half of the SSC standings, the volleyball team has four games left to crack the top eight in the South Region and qualify for the regional tournament.
A 28-14 loss to West Georgia and a 55-28 loss to North Alabama gives Florida Tech’s newest sports program a final Gulf South Conference record of 1-5. They’ll play the final game of their inaugural season Nov. 11 at home against the Webber International Warriors.
Photo BY Efram Goldberg Photo BY Efram Goldberg