The official student newspaper of florida Tech
spring, issue 3
february 19, 2013
Club teams an expensive but valued part of Florida Tech Allison McLellan Staff Writer Florida Tech has no shortage of varsity sports teams. Lacrosse, swimming, volleyball and many other sports are all represented by varsity teams on campus. Student athletes have other options thanks to several clubs on campus such as the Florida Tech Ice Hockey team, the Water Polo Club, the Surf Club and the Baseball Club. “We give the guys who come play for us a more relaxed atmosphere,” said Kevin Ranson, a senior mechanical engineering major and the president of the Florida Tech Baseball Club. “We understand that school and projects come first, but we still want a commitment from our guys.” Club teams are not funded through FIT’s athletics department. Like other campus organizations,
image courtesy of jim dunn Surf team member Aaron Privett rides the waves. Surf team garners significant funding from Florida Tech despite not being an official athletics team.
they are responsible for seeking their own funding either privately or through the Student Activities Funding Committee. “We get very well-funded from the school,” said Sam Breit, a cell and molecular biology master’s student and president of the Surf Club. “It allows us to do the things that we love doing to represent the school. We are very appreciative of what the school is able to do for us.” Josh Goldfarb, SGA treasurer and chairman of the SAFC, said that approximately $60,000 was given out to sports organizations between this semester and last semester. This accounts for about 40 percent of total SAFC funds given out. “Since SAFC funds are supposed to go to the majority of the students, we want to see if us fund-
See club teams, pg 2
MS Walk close to heart “Signing Day” brings football nearer to game day for Florida Tech staff member Laura Fitzsimmons Campus Life Editor Many students know financial coordinator Joanne Green as the go-to person for student organization funding questions. She handles hundreds of monetary requests and reimbursements every semester and watches over Student Activities Funding Committee meetings. But Green more than just a familiar face to club treasurers – she also plays another important role off-campus. Green is Brevard ambassador for Walk MS, which is part of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It’s an organization that has been close to Green’s heart since she was first diagnosed with “probably” multiple sclerosis, or MS, 21 years ago.
“Back in those days, no doctor wanted to tell you outright that you had an incurable disease. So I had ‘probable,’” Green said. Green’s diagnosis inspired her search for more information and support, which led her to become involved with the Mid Florida Chapter MS Society and MS support groups. This semester, Green is involved in the annual Brevard MS Walk, which will be held on March 16 at the Church of Viera. The event will feature a variety of route options and is open to both walkers, runners, bikers and scooters. “Last year our goal was $50,000 and we raised $75,000, so we’re
See ms walk, pg 2
image courtesy of florida tech athletics (Top) Florida Tech football plays at the homecoming game. (Bottom) Head coach Steve Englehart speaks on Signing Day.
David Barkolz Sports Editor
image courtesy of walk ms Joanne Green with her 2012 Brevard MS Walk team.
gadget corner Gadget guy Joseph Stoltz shows you the latest in sentient silverware.
See gadget, pg 6
In what once seemed to be a speck in the distant future at the time of its announcement, the idea of the Florida Institute of Technology’s football program beginning NCAA play this spring feels as real as ever. An audience of Board of Trustees members, school officials and members of the media packed into the Varsity Training Center on Feb. 6, otherwise known as National Signing Day, to witness the revealing of Florida Tech’s 2013 football recruiting class. “It was important for us this year to really go after the junior college and four-year transfers because we needed to have age on this team,” said Steve Englehart, Florida Tech head football coach. “We needed to have guys that were experienced, that played college football before and have been around seniors in a program and learned from them.”
The aggressive recruiting of Oviedo, 6 feet 2 inches, 305 transfer players paid off for Engle- pounds, comes to Florida Tech after hart and his staff. Of the 24 athletes starting two years for Los Angeles that chose to commit it Florida Tech Pierce College, one at guard and on signing day, 14 transferred from one at tackle. another university. “That’s one of things we like so “We knew coming into this year that we needed to go after offensive and defensive linemen, especially within those transfers,” Englehart said, “because in the trenches it’s hard for a true freshman to have to go play in a great football conference.” Englehart and his staff followed through on their plan, signing a total of nine linemen, five of which are transferring from another school. Two of these new linemen, Steven Oviedo and Ramsey Sellers, both third-year transfers and already two of the biggest players on the team, will be looked upon to provide an immediate impact on photo courtesy of amanda stratford/ the offensive front. florida tech athletics
See football, back page
fit sustainability Read about how Florida Tech students are keeping Brevard green.
See go green, pg 3
campus life................. 2 sci/tech....................... 6 entertainment............ 7 OPINIONS....................... 9 sports........................ 10
2 -february 19, 2013
CAMPUS LIFE
Club teams vary in varsity aspirations
MS Walk raises funds and clears misconceptions STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
photo property of florida tech baseball club Florida Tech Baseball Club says they want to remain a club rather than merge with varsity.
STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ing them is going to bring anything to other students,” Goldfarb said. “The athletics department can’t fund all of these people. There are some clubs that even if they had the option, they wouldn’t want to- like the baseball club.” Ranson agrees. “Us merging with the varsity team, or becoming and official NCAA team- we don’t want to do that,” he said. Breit and the surf team feel differently. “I would love to see the school
actually consider us an athletic team,” Breit said. “The school gives us a ton of support financially and otherwise, and it would just be really cool to see the school embrace the team a little more as an official athletic team.” “One thing that I would love to see the school do is get a coach for the team,” Breit said. “I think that would help solidify the team on campus, having somebody that is outside of the student body looking over us.” Ranson would like to see more cooperation between the school and club teams. “A field to play on would be nice. I understand that the
varsity field is for varsity athletics only, but I feel like during the fall when they aren’t practicing or playing, I feel like the club teams should have access to the field.” “There is so much more of a time commitment for a varsity sport than there is for a club sport,” Ranson said. “We try and still make us as competitive as a varsity sport, but we do it with less time commitment.” Students interested in joining the Surf Club can contact the organization via OrgSync. Students interested in learning more about the Baseball club should visit activities.fit.edu/ftbc.
the Florida tech crimson
kind of pushing it up from there,” Green said. According to Brevard MS Walk chairperson Kevin Kelley, the MS Walk has been recognized as one of the most improved walks in all of Central Florida. Kelley was diagnosed with MS about 13 years ago and has been involved with the National MS Society for about 12 years. “I made it my life challenge to help find a cure for MS,” Kelley said. Green says that many people have misconceptions regarding MS, and has often heard the phrase, “You don’t look like you have MS.” “MS is your own body attacking your white blood cells,” Green said. “It’s like a short in the nervous system.” Green suffered from optic neuritis, which is inflammation of the optic nerve and results in total or partial loss of vision. “It affects each person differently,” she said. Registration for the walk will begin at 8 a.m. and the walk will
kick-off at 9 a.m. A $20 minimum donation is requested from each participant, as all of the proceeds will benefit the National MS Society. “Some of the funds will stay here in Brevard County to help people locally and some of them go to help to find a cure for MS,” Green said. Participants can register to walk as an individual, or they can join or create a team. Green’s team includes family members and close friends, and their goal is to raise $1,000. Kelley’s team—called Kevin Kelley’s Walkers—has a goal of $4,000, and anyone is welcome to join the team. “I’d like to see there be a day when MS is just history,” Kelley said. “This disease is not stopping and we need to stop it,” Kelley added. “You can come and do that by helping with the MS Walk.”
Just the facts What: Brevard MS Walk When: March 16, 8 a.m. Where: Church of Viera cost: $20 minimum donation
Students of all majors take flight with library exhibit Heleni Orjales Contributing Writer Students at Florida Tech curious about flying don’t have to go too far to get the feeling of being airborne. During the 2013 spring semester, Evans Library will have on display a flight simulator where students can take a ride through the virtual skies. At least once a year the library showcases one of the various colleges the university has. This time, the College of Aeronautics was selected and aims to show some of the advantages that the aviation field has to offer. “It’s something people can do to fly around,” Philina Richardson, a library technician, said. The display is part of the Research Showcase College Series. Students, faculty and even members of the community can go into the library and see the different types of research and studies being done by students in the field of aviation. “Is it going to work? How are we going to get it through the door?” Suzanne Odom, document delivery librarian, said when explaining the initial concerns of setting up the demonstration. But according to her, after several meetings a plan was developed to successfully set up the demonstration. Kathy Turner, director of research instruction, said she believes a cumulative effort was the key in setting up a successful display. “When you bring together people from the library, campus and research, boy does it manifest into something great!” The idea for the display came together in October last year, and the display was up and running
by Jan. 25. It features a simulation of a twin engine airplane that is normally stored at the Melbourne International Airport, a display of thesis and dissertations done by staff, undergraduate and graduate students, and a timeline that highlights the history and research of the College of Aeronautics. The average flight time for those taking the simulation is around five minutes, but it can be as long as the person wants it to be. “The longest flight I’ve seen has been 30 minutes, but those who stay that long usually do it to practice more than for fun,” Tony Richardson said, an aviation management student and person in charge of helping spectators fly the plane. The display also counts with the full resources of the library and the Melbourne International Airport. All the parts needed to put the display together where funded through the university and the airport, which has an alliance with the university as part of the aviations program. “It’s mainly engineers and aviations students who use the display, but we do get other people,” Tony Richardson said. Humanities and communications students have also enjoyed the ride as no prior flight knowledge or experience is necessary. The exhibit will be on display until August and everyone is welcome to try and learn at the same time. “The display shows a strong connection of how research gets done, the resources to support it and what comes out of it,” Odom said. The College of Aeronautics is the second-to-last college in the showcase series before the library moves in to more topic-related types of displays. “I hope everyone gets a taste of aviation, trained or not,” Tony Richardson said.
The florida tech crimson is looking for new staff writers and photographers. email us at crimson@fit.edu for more info!
3 - february 19, 2013
Campus life
Florida Tech students go green help make the Melbourne Music Marathon a sustainable event
The Florida tech crimson
Library Corner: Scifinder Is there even a hint of chemistry in your research? Then you need SciFinder! Come to the library on February 19th or 20th to get to know this amazing database that allows you to search Chemical Abstracts, MEDLINE, CAS Registry, and CASReact databases by research topic, author name, chemical structure, chemical name, or chemical reaction. This session will be taught by librarian Dr. Holly Miller, and it will be an easy 30 minutes well-spent!
photo property of the melbourne music marathon Runners at the 2012 Melbourne Music Marathon pass by a pianist on their route.
John Fred Press Release Early on Feb. 7, hundreds of marathon runners gathered at the base of the Melbourne causeway to begin the 5th annual Melbourne Music Marathon hosted by Smooth Running Races. As the runners traversed the course—which took them across two causeways, over the Indian River lagoon and down the barrier islands—behind the scenes, students from Florida Tech were working diligently to make the Melbourne Music Marathon a sustainable event. The students set up recycling bins across the course so runners and spectators could dispose of their re-useable water bottles in the appropriate bins. They also stood out by the bins in order to ensure that the right items fell into the correct bins and informed the public on sustainability. Luke Woodmaska and Stephen Kies, co-chairs and members of the Green Events group within lorida Tech’s Applied Sustainability class, helped organize the event. Students from the Green Events group arrived at the event around
5 a.m. on race day to set up the where they were speaking to runrecycling bins, compost bins and ners and their families about Health event booths where information and Fitness. would be handed out. FIT Sustainability took the opThey stood watch over the bins portunity to educate the public on to make sure they could inform the the sustainable efforts that were public on where their waste was seen during the race using fliers going and how to properly dispose and through informational talks of it. The pair said that some people with people at the event. did not care which bin they were throwing their waste into. However, a surprising number of people did take the time to learn and properly dispose of their waste in the correct bin. This has been a growing trend as more information on sustainable efforts gets out into the world. After the marathon, participants and vendors retreated to the Crown Plaza Hotel on A1A where the Health and Fitness Expo was being held. Vendors such as Publix, Ron Jon Surf Shop and Bright House all had booths in the hotel’s event room photo property of the melbourne music marathon
we want you! The Florida Tech Crimson is looking for staff writers, p h o t o g r a p h i c s, g r a p h i c designers, cartoonists and more for our growing news staff ! T he Crimson is a g reat opportunity to build a portfolio of your work while also making a difference on campus. Interested in becoming par t 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.
4 -february 19, 2013
CAMPUS LIFE
the Florida tech crimson
World-renowned Scott Center is still unfamiliar to many Florida Tech students
Hershlay Raymond Campus Life Editor
The Scott Center for Autism Treatment is hard to miss. It’s a large building with grand floor to ceiling windows lining the front, reminiscent of the Harris Center for Science and Engineering. Amongst students, though, not much is known about the Scott Center. Tucked behind College of Business, the residents of the Harris dormitories pass it everyday on their way to and from classes, but they see it as just another building. The Scott Center, however, is known worldwide for providing high quality treatment, training and research to enhance the quality of life for children with autism. It began with Ed Scott, Cheryl Scott and their son Reece, who was diagnosed with autism as a child. When Reece was diagnosed, there wasn’t much information about the treatment of autism. With the help of his parents, teachers and therapists, Reece was able to overcome his challenges. Ed and Cheryl funded the Scott Center because of their experiences with Reece. Parents and children from around the world come to the Scott Center to receive the most advanced methods of autism treatment. “There are two parts. Everything that happens downstairs is for kids already diagnosed with autism or a developmental disability. Upstairs is community psychological services, so you could get a diagnosis done here,” said Colleen Middlebrooks, the director of community relations for the Scott Center. Children come to the Scott Center everyday for applied behavior analysis, which is behavior therapy to work on skills from pre-academic skills to simply sitting in a chair. The Scott Center hires board certified behavior analysts to work with clients everyday. “The thing that behavior analysts do is take a lot of data. Is this working? Is this not working? How well is it working? Does it work every time? Does it work sometimes?” Middlebrooks said.
“It’s really, really effective if done correctly, and done consistently, and done intensely.” Ali Wiegand is one of the center’s behavior analysts. “My typical day includes supervision of students that are going through the graduate program, as well as the clients we see here. I supervise ‘X’ amount of cases -- right now, it’s only three,” Wiegand said. “Previously it was up to five to seven cases, and I would review the curriculum, do assessments, identify the skill deficits or the skills they did have, and create programs to teach those skills to the children,” said Wiegand. The Scott Center is a learning institution for both graduate and undergraduate students studying psychology. Graduate students provide the center’s behavior analytic services, while undergraduates often volunteer at the center to just learn more the specific psychology field of applied behavior analysis. “We had to take a freshman seminar that had an introduction to all these fields of psych and one of them was behavior analysis, “ said Erin Miller, a freshman in forensic psychology, began volunteering to gain experience. The center also often works with people in the community. “We do a lot of teacher training and police training because everyone is affected,” Middlebrooks said. “Everyone nowadays can think of someone who is a little different and isn’t diagnosed or you know someone who is dealing with maybe a more severe diagnosis of autism.” The Scott Center strives to train graduate students, do research and provide services. “Service, research and training; that’s the threefold mission of the Scott Center,” said Middlebrooks. The Scott Center recently appointed Michael E. Kelley as its new executive director. Before coming to Florida Tech, Kelley was an associate professor at the Munroe-Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he served as director of the Severe Behavior Disorders Program in the Center
sudokus for february 19, 2013
photo by drew lacy The Scott Center for Autism Treatment is located near the College of Business. for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Wiegand said the transition to a new direction has “been great.” “I like the changes and the direction he’s taking the center in as
far as expanding our programs. It’s a slow process, but we’re getting there so it’s been a good transition,” Wiegand said. Middlebrooks also had positive
things to say about the director. “He’s a strong leader who will take the Scott Center to the next level -- from infancy to to next phase.”
SCI/TECH
6 -february 19, 2013
Gadget Corner Joseph Stoltz Staff Writer
Tactus “lumpy” tablet
Not long ago, the world’s first tablet with the power of transfiguration, or at least the ability to “lumpify” itself, anyway, was revealed at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev. The public’s fascination for this device was not over any performance specs, but over its ability to morph and form bumps whenever the virtual keyboard appears on the screen, allowing for a more realistic and tactile feel of a keyboard. The tablet does not have a name, other than the public appointed nickname “Lumpy Tablet,” but the screen itself is named the “Tactus Morphing Tactile.” Developed by the company Tactus, the morphing tactile screen is meant as an alternative to glass on the current tablets and touch screen phones in production. The tablet’s screen was built using multi-layered surfaces and topped with a clear polymer. The layers beneath the polymer have microscopic holes that allow for a fluid to flow through “micro channels” behind the screen, and when pressure is applied from the system, the fluid will flow through the holes to fill a predefined area. Even though this sounds like it may be very device specific, supposedly the technology is flexible enough to work on a wide variety of touch screen devices, which is why Tactus only wants to produce the screen and market it to most major electronics companies, such as Samsung. Though the morphing screen seems to be an interesting function to add to a device, the website Tech.Blorge did point out one major concern, saying “there is no discussion of how durable it is. Even with the one year to eighteen month lifespan of most electronic devices, portable devices like phones and tablets have to be sturdy.”
hapilabs HAPIFORK
Another gadget revealed at this year’s CES, located on the other side of the spectrum from a lumpy tablet, was the first proclaimed “smart fork” of our times, a true revelation in the eating utensil industry. Developed in HAPILABS by Jacques Lépine, this amazing wonder, known as the HAPIfork, is an electronic touch-sensitive fork capable of monitoring your eating habits, which includes everything you do except recording the food you eat. The fork will record the total length of time you take to eat, the number of bites taken, the length of your chewing and the size of each portion in the bite, all of which fit the description of a very avid stalker’s routine. The fork is so smart that it will even attack you- I mean vibrate, when you’re eating too fast, which can be measured in by the system in forks per second. You may wonder what happens after the user is finished using the fork. Well, according to HAPILABS’ website, “This information is then uploaded via USB to your Online Dashboard to track your progress. The HAPIfork also comes with the HAPILABS app plus a coaching program to help improve your eating behavior.” From there on, the data will be used to create a plan for healthier eating habits. If you want your very own stalking smart-fork, then HAPIfork is the perfect fork for you. Available later this year, according to Engadget, HAPIfork is set for $99 and has a HAPIspoon counterpart; however there is no mention of a HAPIknife or HAPIspork for a complete HAPI place setting.
we want you! The florida tech crimson is looking for new staff writers and photographers. email us at crimson@fit.edu for more info!
the Florida tech crimson
Digital New York Times subscriptions a lesser-known student resource
photo by crimson staff While paper copies of the New York Times are visibly available, few students know about the online subscriptions that are also available.
Kelsey McMullan Sci/Tech Editor The Student Government Association of Florida Tech already sponsors paper subscriptions of the New York Times that can be found sprinkled at newsstands throughout campus. Few students know that with the same subscription come a limited number of electronic editions. The SGA subscription for the campus includes 100 paper copies and 100 electronic copies per day. Without a subscription, viewers can see 10 articles a month. With online access through the school’s subscription, users can access as many articles as they like. Each electronic or “Academic Pass” lasts 24 hours. Students can register with their school emails to receive access to all sections of the paper by going to nytimes.com/passes. The school’s current subscription includes access on computers and smartphone
devices, but not iPads. There is a discounted rate for students wishing to purchase their own subscription. When communication professor Janis Page first started teaching at Florida Tech she was told that the school had the New York Times available for everyone, but she never anticipated using it in the classroom. “I had never thought of using it as a teaching tool,” Page said. Page teaches professional communication classes and has begun using the papers to help students get comfortable with small group public speaking. Pre-med major Nabila Tabassum has had a class that uses the Times as part of class assignments. “I prefer oral discussion to quizzes,” Tabassum said. She said that using the paper for class discussion creates better debates and interactions that are more effective than quizzes. “It would be nice, instead of getting quizzed to debate topics,” she said. “I’m not in-
terested in war, but technology maybe. Everyone likes a different section.” The SGA has noticed that students enjoy having the hard copies available. SGA secretary Rachelle Saint-Fort says that the SGA saves old paper copies of the Times and the Florida Tech Crimson. “We have them for inventory, but we also keep them for history.” said Saint-Fort. She said she also prefers having the hard copies. “I save a lot of them. I can cut out articles that I like.” Page allows her students to pick articles from the paper and present informative or persuasive speeches. She has experienced firsthand how using the news can transform a dry presentation into something that the students are engaged in and actually enjoy. “When they pick something that is emotional, they really engage the audience,” Page said.
7 -february 19, 2013
ENTERTAINMENT
the Florida tech crimson
The 2013 guide to pretending you’ve seen Oscar-nominated films Hershlay Raymond Campus Life Editor Everything about the Oscars is awful. The pageantry is disgusting, it’s always unbearably long and in the end, it’s merely rich white people handing gold statues to other rich white people. But, for no reason at all, I love it and I watch it every year. With that in mind, here is how you can pretend you’ve seen all the films nominated for Best Picture, impress your friends when you correctly choose winners and become a complete knowit-all, like me. I’ll never claim to be good at many things, but I am good at following the Oscar race and pretending to watch more movies than I actually do. Disclaimer: I don’t claim to be 100 percent correct. I’m not an oracle, or I wouldn’t be here writing for the Crimson. This year, the films nominated for Best Picture are: “Amour,” “Argo,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” “Django Unchained,” “Les Misérables,” “Life of Pi,” “Lincoln,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” If your friends ask you why there are nine films nominated for Best Picture, tell them that in 2009, they increased the number of film nominated from five to ten. Then, they adjusted the rule again so the number of films nominated per year could be anywhere between five and ten provided that the film earned five percent of first place votes during the nomination process. That’s why there are nine this year. If your friend asks you anything else about the nomination process, tell them that it is more confusing than the electoral college and you’ll spare them. In alphabetical order, the first film is the French film “Amour.”
You can tell your friends that you found “Amour” hauntingly poetic and that you admire the film for telling a brave, heartbreaking story about the final years of marriage. You can also throw in that, at 85 years old, the lead actress Emmanuelle Riva is now the oldest best actress nominee ever. She won’t win though. Also, your friends will think you’re really cultured for watching a film from France. Next is “Argo.” Just tell your friends it’s going to win Best Picture. Simple as that. So far Argo has won the Critics’ Choice Award, the Golden Globe, the BAFTA, the Directors’ Guild Award, the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards and the Producers’ Guild Award. All for Best Picture. The only thing that would make it doubtful would be the Best Picture and Best Director usually go hand-in-hand, but Ben Affleck was not nominated for Best Director. A film can win Best Picture without winning Best Director though; the director of Driving Miss Daisy wasn’t nominated
in 1989 when it won Best Picture, so there is a shot. But, still tell your friends it will win. I’ll take the blame if it doesn’t. “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” an independent film about a six-year-old girl who creates a fantasy world for herself while living in a post-Katrina-esque bayou, is the third film nominated for Best Picture. Tell your friends about nine-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis, who is now the youngest person to ever be nominated for an Oscar. Won’t win though. Also, compare it to the film adaptation of “Where the Wild Things Are.” Both films have young protagonists, magical worlds and neither film made you cry...at all. It was some sort of dust in your eye. I doubt you’ll have to tell your friends much about “Django Unchained” because this may have been the one film they actually saw. Instead of telling them all about the film itself, talk about the Oscar’s favorite snub, Leonardo Dicaprio. There is a scene where Dicaprio unintentionally slammed his hand on a glass and started bleeding profusely, but he kept going with the scene and that was the take director Quentin Tarantino used in the
film. Even with all that, Dicaprio still isn’t nominated this year. Poor Leo. “Les Misérables” is also one of the more mainstream films nominated for Best Picture. Just tell your friends you thought Anne Hathaway’s performance was brave, blah blah and that she’s going to win Best Supporting Actress even though she’s on screen for about 11 minutes then dies. The novel is over 200 years old and the musical is over 30 years old. This is not a spoiler. Next, tell your friends about “Life of Pi” and how you though the book was unfilmable when you first read it, but director Ang Lee did it. Lee, who also made a film about gay cowboys on some mountain captivating, managed to make a kid on a boat with a tiger a stunning visual treat. Won’t win anything, but incredible, nevertheless. “Lincoln.” Steven Spielberg. Daniel Day-Lewis will win Best Actor. That’s it. There is nothing more you need to know. With “Silver Linings Playbook,” tell your friends that’s it a comedy. It really is, honest. The TV spots may make it seem like it’s a serious Oscar bait film about mental illness with overarching themes (and the film may seem that way at times), but really, it is just a movie about two broken people trying to find their way through dancing and the Philadelphia Eagles. Katniss will win Best Actress. And finally, “Zero Dark Thirty.” Tell your friends that all the torture wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be and“The Hurt Locker” was better. The Oscars are on Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. on ABC and Seth MacFarlane will host.
8 -february 19, 2013
ENTERTAINMENT
the Florida tech crimson
Movie Review: “Warm Bodies”
image property of summit entertainment “R” is compared to the classic zombie appearance -- and isn’t far off.
Heather Macy Entertainment Editor The plot is a familiar one: boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy saves girl from zombies bent on eating her brains, boy starts slowly turning from undead back to a living person thanks to girl, boy decides to start a revolution to fix the world. Everyone’s seen about a million of those ridiculous rom-coms that come out every sappy, Valentine’s-filled February. Movie theaters pad their seats with plenty of couples looking for snuggles and shambling hordes. Alright, all jokes aside, “Warm Bodies” is a great blend of romance, comedy and low-key horror, a combination I never thought I would ever write about mixing together. Under the direction of Jonathan Levine, what started out as a fun little short story by Isaac Marion has become a cute retelling of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” filled with positive, modern messages. Nicholas Hoult plays “R,” the undead main character and audiences’ best friend. Most of the story’s plot is told from his perspective, which is told as a running inner-monologue or (and I hope I go down in history as the first person to coin this phrase) “zombie-logue.” He spends his day stumbling along an airport with other zombies, occasionally having “almost conversations” with his equally undead friend “M” (played by Rob Corddry), and going into the city to find something to eat, which happens to be the last remaining colony of humans, who also use the city to scavenge supplies.
The crimson says: 4 out of 5 paws
Along with the humans and the undead (or, “corpses,” as they are often derogatorily called) are the Bonies— zombies that are so far gone, they have literally shed the last of their human traces. Bonies will eat anything with a heartbeat, something that could cause a bit of trouble if, say, a zombie like R suddenly started to display signs of life after meeting and, consequentially saving, someone like Julie (played by Teresa Palmer). The plot continues on from that point in a rather predictable fashion. Elements from “Romeo and Juliet” are less “alluded” to and more “checked off like a shopping list.” That isn’t necessarily a bad thing; since the storyline is predictable, the audience is free to sit back, relax and chuckle over funny little “isn’t that so true” moments that everyone can relate to. Sadly, horror fans will be disappointed to find that “Warm Bodies” is more akin to “Shawn of the Dead” or “Fido” rather than anything from the Romero series. It gushes adorable awkwardness, not blood and guts. Too often, films show their funniest moments in trailers and commercials in order to lure their audience in. Once there, people are almost always disappointed to find that the film is either nowhere as funny as they thought it was going to be or that the funny moments that they were promised weren’t even in the movie. As much as I was prepared for such a thing, I was very pleased to find that “Warm Bodies” was everything it promised to be and even more, earning itself four out of five paws.
OPINIONS
9 -february 19, 2013
Editorial: $9 minimum wage? No, thank you! Christopher Penta Opinions Editor Behind all of the standard political rhetoric to come out of President Obamas State of the Union address last week, one topic emerged that caught my attention. A surprising amount of time was devoted to the topic of the federal minimum wage, currently set at $7.25. President Obama maintained that at this wage, an employee working full time would be living below the poverty line, an ambiguous figure that varies depending on the number of dependents living in a household. The figure for a single person household (for 2012, the most recent figure available) is $11,170, and this increases at a fairly regular rate as additional family members are added. Under the standard method of determining the yearly income of an employee at an hourly rate (40 hours per week, with two weeks paid vacation per 52 week cycle), a person making $7.25 per hour would earn $14,500 a year, plus applicable benefits. Rather than pick apart the president’s speech further, I will instead address the detriment this policy would have on the already terrible youth unemployment rate. Currently, the youth unemployment for teens stands at 12.7 percent, with 20-24 year olds standing at 25.7 percent. I make this point, as the people most likely to hold minimum wage jobs are youth workers, generally working part time after school and to support themselves while in college. Having worked many minimum wage jobs myself, in part time construction, as a cashier, and in college roll IT positions, I can say that working minimum wage is not an attractive prospect. Long hours are needed to make a decent paycheck. However, I have been laid off
from jobs on more than one occasion. Each time I was given the explanation “We can’t afford to keep on so many front end workers/lab technicians/what have you.” To blame in this situation is the minimum wage, which forces businesses to hire fewer unskilled employees and force already trained employees to pick up the slack. Gone are the days of businesses hiring teenagers in the summers, as in this economy most small businesses cannot afford to pay $7, $8 or $9 an hour to train a 16-year-old to ring registers. Instead (and I know this from personal experience), older workers are given more hours to make up the difference. The biggest problem with this legislation, in my mind, is its total ignorance of basic economics. A business pays a wage based on what the employer believes is the jobs economic value. Forcing businesses to change the value of a job, by nearly 25 percent, no less, may make these jobs disappear completely, for unskilled job seekers, anyhow. A good wage is useless if no companies can afford to pay it, or even be bothered to staff those positions. Limiting the job outlook for people who most need a paycheck, any paycheck, is detrimental to young single parents, high school graduates and college students. Instead of a choice between a cashier position at $8/hour or a barista position at $7.50/hour, a person such as myself now has no choices. Looking at the economic climate, in which many people making minimum wage are hurting, and enacting legislation that guarantees that a portion of those people will be laid off, is bad economic policy aimed at enacting feel-good legislation. Indeed, some may benefit from this policy, but only at the expense of the untold numbers that have been laid off to free up capital to pay them.
the Florida tech crimson
Letter to the editor
photo courtesy of florida tech rotc The cadets stand hold a check for the $2.2 million they have earned as a group in Army Scholarships this year.
An update from Alpha Company Panther Battalion Stephen Quinn Army ROTC First and foremost we’d like to invite students, faculty, friends and family to extend a very special congratulation to the following cadets: Anderson, Smith, Kaseman, Halverson, Harmeling, Mckinnon, Dawson, Sandoval, and Klofta. These nine freshmen are the newest additions to the ranks of the Florida Tech ROTC Panther Battalion. Together they have obtained an astonishing $2.2 million in Army Scholarships. Through hard work and dedication to the program these fine men and women spent their first semester competing for an Army ROTC scholarship that will
pay for all of their college, guarantee them a job after graduating with a degree of their choice and the most rewarding achievement, a commission in the United States Army as an officer. These scholarships are not easy to come by and they aren’t awarded to those who can’t hack it. Each one of the cadets named has proven that they have what it takes by demonstrating that they can compete as a scholar, athlete, and leader. Scholar, Athlete, Leader or “SAL” is the root of every cadet in the Florida Tech ROTC program and the criteria needed to achieve the scholarship, but it doesn’t start there. These cadets have chosen to serve a higher cause; they chose to join the ranks of millions of men and women who have served this nation since its beginning. These ROTC cadets have chosen to swear an oath to defend the
constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, and chose to take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. This program and the military service to follow is not a job, it is a calling, a commitment to defend this nation’s many freedoms, freedoms that are so often taken for granted, a commitment to ensure that the American people can live safe and remain free, which inspires a sense of being and the utmost Patriotism. If you think you have what it takes come out and join our battalion and who knows, you may be the next to receive an Army ROTC Scholarship. Contact Mr. Beach at (321)6748094, or email dbeach@fit.edu,or just come by the Military Science Building on campus next to the College of Business.
have an opinion you’d like to share? email us at crimson@fit.edu, and you may see it on this page next issue!
CAPS PSA: Spring break safety! Latasha Nadasdi CAPS Believe it or not, spring break is almost here! Some of you may spend your break lying on the beach with a drink in your hand. This can be a nice and relaxing way to spend your break, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Make sure you drink in moderation and on a full stomach, and be very cautious of dehydration! Lying out in the sun, salt water, and alcohol consumption can cause dehydration on their own, but when combined, you are at an increased risk. Make sure to drink lots of water, as well as non-caffeinated, alcohol-free drinks throughout the day. Also, know the signs of dehydration: dizziness, weakness, muscle spasms, passing out, confusion, and dark urine. Make sure to get out of the sun and drink a lot cold water right away if you experience any of these symptoms. If you opt to spend your time by the pool, be careful of mixing alcohol and hanging out in the hot tub. Alcohol can dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. The effects of alcohol are felt sooner and stronger in a hot tub, and can lead to unconsciousness and drowning. If you want to relax in the hot tub, avoid consuming alcohol beforehand, and drink water while you soak. No matter where you spend spring break, if you are going to be in the sun, make sure to wear sunscreen of at least 15 SPF. Even
if you do not typically burn, without protection, the sun’s harmful rays can still leave you vulnerable to skin cancer. Be sure to lather on that sunscreen and reapply often, use chapstick, and wear a hat to maximize protection. If you go out at night, make sure to limit your alcohol consumption to a reasonable level. Drinking makes you more susceptible to accidents and crimes, and it is especially important to remain aware in an unfamiliar place. Make sure to have a sober friend keep a lookout for your safety, and be extremely attentive to your drinks. If you leave your drink unattended, get a new one! Do not let others buy you drinks without being present. Watch for signs of predatory drugs like Ambien or Rohypnol (“roofies”), and know the symptoms (wooziness, confusion, slurring speech, and difficulty standing). If you suspect you or a friend have been drugged, leave the bar immediately and go to a safe place like your hotel or dorm. Inform the concierge, campus security or the local police or hospital of what happened and have them help you find safe medical attention. If you are traveling, plan ahead. Know the driving route you are taking or how you’re getting to and from the airport. Book a hotel in a central location to reduce the chance of getting lost or ending up in a dangerous area. Spring break can be a fun time to meet new people, but remember the “friends” you meet on vacation are still strangers. Never go off alone with someone you do not
know well, even if it is just down the street. If you’re going to start a sexual relationship with someone you meet over spring break, remember that you do not know their sexual and medical history! Take the proper precautions to be safe (i.e. asking about history of getting tested for STDs and practicing safe sex through the use of condoms and other means of birth control). If you are traveling abroad, do your research! Sign up online for the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at http://travel.state. gov/step. This program enables the State Department to contact you in case of a family emergency or to notify you if there is a crisis near your travel destination Take the time to look up the emergency numbers in your destination of travel… 911 is not always the emergency number. Double check with your health insurance company to ensure you are covered while abroad. If they do not cover you, you should buy travelers insurance. Make sure to tell your family and friends back home where you are going, the name of your hotel, how to get in touch with you and when you expect to be back. Take the time to educate yourself on the country’s laws. For example, although it is never a good idea to use drugs, in many countries penalties for possession are very severe and could land you immediately in jail. Some countries have laws that restrict what clothing you can wear in public, or deem certain
public behavior as illegal. Do not assume that everything will be the same as in the United States just because you stay on an Americanized resort. Make sure to call your credit card company ahead of time to tell them you are going abroad, or they may freeze your account. Try to keep a limited amount of cash on you at all times, and avoid letting others see your cash in public. When you visit an ATM, make sure you go in a group. In many countries, tourists are often the target of robberies at ATMs, so have your friends keep a lookout. Want to learn more about Spring Break safety or how to enjoy your break in Florida? Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) is hosting the following student event: “Sorry for Party Rocking: Spring Break Safety” on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in Evans Hall Room 202.
Join us for a fun and interactive dialogue on ways to make the most of your Spring Break, while also staying smart and healthy. Topics like safe partying, preparing for unfamiliar places and people and ways to have fun right here in Florida will be discussed. CAPS is here on campus to offer additional support for many personal difficulties faced by college students. Counseling services are free and confidential to all enrolled students of Florida Tech. Students can call (321) 6748050 or come into the center to make an appointment. The CAPS website (www.fit.edu/caps/) also offers screenings for depression, stress, anxiety, eating disorders, and alcohol use, as well as additional information regarding resources, services, and groups. You are not alone, and CAPS is just one of the many resources at Florida Tech that is here to help!
the Florida tech crimson
SPORTS February 19, 2013
Football to play first game March 23
Upcoming Florida Tech Home Games Saturday, Feb. 23 Softball vs. Webber International 1 p.m. at Home Lacrosse vs. Lindenwood 2 p.m. at Home Tuesday, Feb. 26 Baseball vs. Saint Leo 6 p.m. at Home Wednesday, Feb. 27 Women’s Basketball vs. Nova Southeastern 5:30 p.m. at the Clemente Center
photo property of florida tech athletics/amanda stratford The full Florida Tech football coaching staff poses for a photo after the signing day event.
STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 much about him,” said Mike Nahl, the team’s offensive line coach, “he’s a very versatile player.” Sellers, 5 feet 10 inches, 315 pounds, may be considered undersized for a lineman by some scouts but makes up for his lack of height with pure power and leadership qualities. “He’s the strongest kid in the weight room,” offensive coordinator Jayson Martin said. “He out-benches and squats everybody on our team and has already gotten ahold of all our young guys in the weight room and shown them how
to do things the right way.” But a strong offensive line will go to waste without a good runner to compliment it, and compliment the coaching staff did with perhaps the most notable of these incoming transfers, third-year running back Jarvis Giles. Ranked the number three all-purpose back by Rivals.com coming out of high school, Giles played as a freshman in the SEC for the South Carolina Gamecocks, finishing the season with 277 yards rushing for an average of 5.3 yards-per-carry. The running back does bring a bit of uncertainty with him to Florida Tech, however. Crimson
and grey will be the third set of team colors Giles has worn in his college career, having left South Carolina after his freshmen season before taking part in a brief stint at the University of Louisville. The Florida Tech coaching staff is not concerned. “There’s no doubt about it, he’s a tremendous athlete,” Martin said. “He has the potential to be the best running back in Division II.” The 2013 Florida Tech Panthers will compete for the first time later this spring on March 23, expectantly with Giles leading the way behind the team’s revamped offensive line.
Men’s Basketball vs. Nova Southeastern 7:30 p.m. at the Clemente Center
Men’s lacrosse tops Rollins, begins season 2-0
Panthers conclude SSC Swimming Championship Press Release Florida Tech Athletics Florida Tech continued to set new program marks in the last day of the Sunshine State Conference Swimming Championship on Saturday at the Long Center. The Panthers set program records in eight events on the final day. Freshman Brian Dumont notched his second NCAA B Cut of the meet. Dumont swam the 200 yard breaststroke preliminaries in a time of 2:05.36 to place fourth and qualify for the finals in the evening. He would go on to finish sixth in the finals, clocking in at a time of 2:06.65. Another freshman, Zac Paryzek, opened the final day with a strong finish in the 1,650 yard freestyle. He finished in sixth place in a time of 16:16.33, missing the B Cut mark by just five seconds. Teammates John Nunnelley and Will Mitchell each competed in the mile-long race finishing 10th and 13th, respectively. The school records continued to fall as freshman Sam Trible set a mark in the 200 yard backstroke. His time of 1:54.67 was good enough for third in the consolation final. Freshmen Kaikea Nakachi and Oz Wasserman combined to finish seventh and eighth in the consolation final of the same race. A pair of FIT swimmers competed in the consolation final of the men’s 200 yard breaststroke, as freshman Ben Hoerlein and sophomore Ross Donatelli touched the wall just over a second apart to finish second and third. Freshman Ross Hudson added a fourth place finish in the 200 yard butterfly, clocking in at a time of 1:59.16. The day concluded with one final school record on the men’s
photo property of florida tech athletics/amanda stratford Sophomore Mike Marshner (above) notched his first goal of 2013 in victory
Press Release Florida Tech Athletics
photo property of florida tech athletics/amanda stratford Brian Dumont recorded his second NCAA B Cut of the season Saturday at the SSC Swimming Championship side as Steven Moodie, Tyler Hemingway, Trevor Eastin and Paryzek swam the 400 yard freestyle relay six seconds faster than the previous mark, completing the race in fifth. The women’s day began with a seventh place finish in the consolation final of the 200 yard backstroke as freshman Brandi Caudill completed the race in 2:30.93. Freshman Liana Soileau followed with a school-record time of 53.90 in the 100 yard freestyle, where she finished third in the consolation final. The Panthers added another record the following race when freshman Schelli Linz recorded a time of 2:30.63 in the 200 yard breaststroke to finish sixth in the consolation final. Shelby Pearce continued the momentum in the 200 yard butterfly, recording a 2:12.67 to best another school
mark. Teammate Camille Bobiak competed in the same race, finishing eighth in the consolation final. The final women’s record was set in their final race of the evening, the 400 yard freestyle relay. Pearce, Madison Hart, Kristen Jones, and Soileau combined for a pace of 3:46.31 to top the old school record by five seconds. Florida Tech’s second-ever SSC Swimming Championship closed with much success as the Panthers broke 26 school records over the course of four days. The men’s team also recorded four NCAA B Cuts and Paryzek and Dumont grabbed two each. The Panthers will now await the announcement of the NCAA Division II Championship field in those four events as the 2012-13 season nears its completion. The championship begins March 6 in Birmingham, Ala.
Florida Tech won two games, none in conference play, during its inaugural season in 2012. On Saturday, the Panthers defeated Rollins, 9-5, to begin their 2013 campaign with two consecutive wins in Deep South Conference action. “We won two games all of last year and now we are 2-0 to begin the season,” head coach Ryan McAleavey said. “It is great, especially when you get wins in conference play.” Florida Tech (2-0, 2-0 DSC) went a man down just three minutes into the contest to give Rollins (0-2, 0-1 DSC) an opportunity to strike first. But the Panthers killed off the minute-long penalty and responded five minutes later with a goal. Sophomore Christian Isola netted his third goal of the season to give FIT a 1-0 lead with 7:06 remaining in the first quarter. Freshman Brian Bacarella set up Isola for the game’s first goal. The Tars tied the game at 1-1 three minutes later, but Bacarella responded with his four goal of the season, unassisted, to give the Panthers the lead right back. In the second quarter, FIT scored four unanswered goals to take a 6-1 halftime lead. The Panthers held Rollins to just three second-quarter shots. Senior Matt Durand opened the four-goal period on a pass from Bacarella, and then freshman Alex Carlson tallied back-to-back goals from Isola and Andrew Conley.
Bacarella capped the run with his second goal of the first half on a feed from Carlson. The Panthers pushed their lead to 8-2 to begin the third quarter on goals by Conley and Mike Marshner. But then the Tars put together an offensive attack. Rollins cut the deficit to 8-3 before the end of the third quarter and then received a man-up opportunity as the quarter ended. It took just 12 seconds for the Tars to strike on the power play to being the four quarter, cutting FIT’s lead to 8-4. Two minutes later Rollins trailed 8-5. The score remained 8-5 over the next 10 minutes of the final quarter. And then the Panthers extended their lead to five goals. With 2:14 left in regulation, Carlson set up Bacarella for FIT’s ninth goal of the game. The freshman duo ended the game with a combined five goals and four assists. Bacarella recorded three goals and two assists for the second-straight game. “Brian [Bacarella] is a special player,” McAleavey said. “He put up three goals and two assists in consecutive games against tough opponents.” Rollins was unable to get a final attack with its goalie receiving a delay of game penalty with 32 second remaining to all but seal the Panthers’ second-straight victory in conference play. Junior Eric Biller (2-0) recorded seven saves turn earn his second victory for the Crimson and Gray.