THE FLORIDA TECH
Inside
CRIMSON ISSUE 12
opinion: Presidents’ salaries on the rise
the story behind StoopidNotes Raspberry Pi
DEC. 1
swimming breaks records at Invitational
IT lays off two longtime employees Rebekah Duntz Editor-in-Chief Two longtime employees, both of which had been working at Florida Tech for over a decade, were laid off from the Office of Information Technology. The two positions that were cut were held by Michael Batson, who was a manager at Technology Support Center, and Ian Koss, who was a web application developer. Koss was a web app developer and systems integrator. He said his job required him to put together web applications for use by specific departments or the university at large, but he also worked
at getting various campus IT systems to talk to each other. “I was at Florida Tech for almost 14 years and got to work with many intelligent and talented people on many interesting projects; this has severed a lot of professional relationships, and left a lot of unfinished business out there,” Koss said in an emailed statement. “It’s also been awkward because I don’t have any answers for friends and family who want to understand why I was laid off.” Talks of budget shortfalls have been surfacing. The Vice President of IT, Eric Kledzik, denied requests for comment and directed them to Wes Sumner, the university spokesman.
“Our services that we provide within the university, we have no reason to believe that there should be any interruption in any service,” said Sumner. “We don’t anticipate any loss of service or loss of coverage in the near future for any reason associated with IT.” He also commented, “As a matter of practice, the university does not discuss personnel matters.” “Our goal is to do our best as an institution to provide quality service. That may take the form of education in a classroom with professors. That may take the form of quality food in the cafeteria in a service experience in Panther Dining,” Sumner said. “That may take the form of services offered by IT, and so that will
remain our commitment, whatever our staffing situation may be. Resources are always prioritized or the student experience.” Koss said web developers are a bit of a commodity and there will be no shortage of candidates who show the necessary skills on their resume. “But none of them can list my experience with Florida Tech’s staff and systems on there. It will take any new hire some years to come up to speed and be as efficient as the remaining three web developers,” he said. “While this was not the smoothest of transitions, and there was likely some disappointment over canceled or postponed projects, I don’t think anything is going to catch on fire.” v
Student Design Center officially opens to students Nathaniel Ashton Staff Writer A silken sheet floats to the ground, revealing bold stylized letters spelling out “Panther Works:” this is the new Harris Student Design Center. It was constructed to help students safely work on their projects, and had its ribbon cutting ceremony on November 20th. The hour-long ceremony featured speakers including the architect Greg Tsark, President Anthony Catanese, Dean of College of Engineering Martin Glicksman, and the Associate Dean Of Engineering Pierre Larochelle. With special guests Alton D. Romig Jr., the executive officer of The National Academy of Engineering, and William M. Brown, the CEO of Harris Corporation, who made it all possible with its $1 million donation to Florida Tech. Romig spoke of how the new Harris Design Center reminds him of Skunk Works, the Lockheed Martin Advanced Development Program facilities: “Where engineers can roll up their sleeves and get things done.” After his presentation, Romig presented President Catanese with a National Academy of Engineers challenge coin. Then together with Brown, they cut the red ribbon showing that the center is open, and ready to get work done. The brand new 11,535 square foot facility took 6 months to construct. With a budget of 1.89 million dollars the center is fully furnished. This includes work stations, welding stations, a paint
Photo by Nathaniel Ashton booth, and much more. “What we found was a lot of the students were working on their design projects off campus, unsupervised,” said Chase Brown, the project manager with Facilities. “So this new center gives them a space to come and work on their projects safely.” The new Design Center delivers, opening with a massive 16 foot by 20 foot hydraulically operated door to an impressive open work area of 8,400 square feet: more than enough space for
multiple groups to work on large projects at the same time. Overhead, a two-ton chain hoist crane runs the length of the building, from the entrance straight into the paint booth for easy transportation of heavy projects through the facility. With many different projects being constructed, some too large to take home, a plentiful storage area is provided with lockers and pallet rack enclosures. For smaller, more intricate assemblies, air conditioned rooms outfitted with fume extractors are available
for such tasks as soldering, and other fine work. The center even provides space for planning. A room referred to as the “Ideation Room” has walls that are floor-to-ceiling white boards. One unique part of this project is that Florida Tech acted not only as the owner but the architect and general contractor as well. “I think that aligns well with the ‘Human Touch’ approach here at FIT,” said Brown. “For the last fifteen years,
the College Of Engineering has been planning this and finally it’s here,” said Larochelle. “It’s very rewarding and we’re very excited for our students to make full use of this facility. With the help and support of the College of Engineering staff, Florida Tech students will make good use of the new facility. v
6MONTHS The center took
11,535 sq ft.
Photos by Nathaniel Ashton
8,400 sq ft. work area
to complete
OPINIONS
2 - December 1, 2015
the Florida tech crimson
Opinion: University Presidents’ salaries on the rise Will Henderson Staff Writer It’s the year 2015 and college students are met with incredible difficulties. Many face the same troubles that have plagued students since there were first schools and teachers, but some of these problems are new. The average student loan debt for the class of 2015 is just over $35,000, up $2,000 from 2014, and over 70 percent of students received some form of student loans, according to the Wall Street Journal. A number of factors contribute to the increase in student loan debt, including the economy, unemployment and government funding. Tuition, however, for private colleges increased at the rate of about 3.7 percent for the past year according to College Board, while unemployment has been decreasing, and the economy is on the upturn. In fact, Florida Tech has raised tuition about 20 percent since 2009, going from $31,020 to
$37,240. The education at Florida Tech, however, is an outstanding one, but the hardships produced by the price are difficult to fathom. One thing that has increased nationwide along with tuition is the salary of university presidents. As more and more students are forced to take out student loans to afford college, more and more university presidents are seeing their pockets filled. This produces an oftenskeptical reaction from students who find their president is making so much money, while asking them to give more and more. After all, many universities are nonprofit organizations. In 2013, the IRS composed a compliance report of colleges and universities to examine how they pay their taxes. Some of the things that were examined included presidential salaries. To determine a university president’s salary, an institution can use one of three methods: establish an independent body to determine the salary, rely on appropriate comparability data, or contemporaneously document
the compensation-setting process. The report found that oftentimes institutions used comparability data that does not compare their institution with one of similar size, endowment, revenue or assets, they did not meticulously document the salary determination, or the institution did not specify what type of compensation would be received. The purpose of this IRS report was to make sure that these nonprofit institutions are not succumbing to traditional problems associated with for-profit agencies. Anthony Catanese is the President and CEO of Florida Institute of Technology, and has been so since 2002. Catanese in 2013, was ranked 7th in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s list of highest paid college presidents, raking in $1,884,008. Closer examination of the tax documents for tax year 2012 indicated a base salary of $515,000, and $1,324,982 in a column titled “Other compensation.” When asked for comment on the salary, the president’s office disclosed a few things:
CAPS PSA WINTER HOLIDAY SURVIVAL GUIDE
Kendra Bartel CAPS Outreach Columnist As the end of the semester is approaching fast, you may find yourself planning your winter holiday break from school. You may realize you have not been home since August! Going home can be a big change from life at college, so check out some survival tips below. Pack Accordingly: Florida is a warm state most of the year, but if where you are headed for break is much cooler, be sure to pack and prepare for the weather back home! This might mean taking out those jackets or making sure you let your family know you need to stop and get one. It’s also important you pack enough for an extended period, as the winter break is more than a week, and there may be issues with traveling to/from home that cause a delay!
Be Patient:
Being away at college is different than living at home, and your new sense of freedom and independence is awesome. However, you parents and loved ones may not be as used to this as you are. Be patient with your family and do your best to spend time with them while you are home. When you come back, you can swing right back into your own schedule.
Prepare for Questions:
While you know everything that happened in your semester, your family and friends may not! Be ready to answer questions about your major, what classes you took and are taking for the spring semester, your grades, and how much longer you have left in school.
Clean your Dorm/Apartment:
Make sure you clean your dorm or apartment accordingly before you go. Make sure the fridge is cleaned out, your trash is taken out and there are not dirty
dishes lying around. This will help keep critters away while you are home, and also allow you to come back to a clean place to begin the spring semester.
Set Reminders:
While on the long winter break, it is really easy to forget about classes and school in general. However, the time also flies by very quickly and before you know it, Jan. 11 will arrive. To help make this easier, set reminders for yourself about purchasing textbooks, checking your class schedule for next semester, and maintain healthy sleep habits. When January rolls around those reminders will help you remember your tasks and you will feel wellrested to start the spring semester!
Enjoy Yourself:
Have fun! You’ve worked hard and earned this break. Definitely take time to take care of yourself and do fun things you may not have been able to do while the semester was in full swing.
Be Safe:
During the winter break there are many parties, and friends back home may want to celebrate. Definitely remember the safe partying tips you’ve learned here at Florida Tech as they may come in handy at home. Also, if you are traveling alone, be aware of your surroundings and always keep your phone, wallet, and personal belongings close to you. If you or someone you know is struggling with the upcoming winter break, do not be afraid to ask for help by contacting the student counseling center (CAPS)! To request services, call 321-674-8050 or walk into the center, which is located next to the student health center, on the corner of Country Club Road and University Boulevard. CAPS is just one of many resources at Florida Tech that supports maintaining a happy and healthy you! v
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The 36-member board of trustees determines the President’s compensation, so it would not be appropriate for him to comment. The Board of Trustees determines compensation based on the President’s performance, fundraising, and the salaries of Presidents of other universities. The President receives compensation for health insurance, fringe benefits and vehicle allowance. In tax year 2012, the President received deferred compensation as he came of appropriate age.
Tax year 2012 is not the only year the President received a large compensation however. Just last year, tax year 2014, President Catanese received $913,117 in total compensation, well above the average for private university presidents. This put him at 100th in the Chronicle of Higher
Education’s poll for 2014, but is this ranking indicative of a larger, nationwide problem? Average pay for private university presidents is increasing at an annual rate of about 2.5 percent. Logic follows that better-paid presidents will be more successful at fundraising, and will produce more gifts for a university. In fact, it could be the opposite. Researchers at Boston College Law School found that when donors know that a university president is among the highest paid in the country, they tend to be less likely to donate. As universities are turned more and more into money-making institutions, and bachelor’s degrees become more common, could it be up to the United States government to change the laws governing universities? It will be an interesting development as change is already in the air at Florida Tech. This June, Catanese is retiring, and Executive Vice President Dwayne McCay is filling his role as President as a new era is set to begin. v
Letter from the Editor Dear Florida Tech Community, It’s been said all good things have to come to an end. With that said, it is time for me to say goodbye to the place I have called home for the last four and half years. Florida Tech has provided me with so many opportunities and I am so thankful for it. Freshman year, I had a bit of a struggle to get adjusted and find my way. If this sounds like you, I reassure you it gets easier. I know that I wouldn’t have made it through the late-night study sessions and everyday life without my Florida Tech family. Some of that family have moved on and graduated already, but those bonds that will last a lifetime. For those that I am graduating with — thank God we made it. For those that are still here, if you need anything I am always a text away. I just want to thank every single one of you. For those that I have been blessed to run four years of Track and Field with, I will love you all forever. For all the blood, sweat and tears we all had each other’s backs. As much as we hated the early morning workouts and felt like we were going die after some of Coach Dodson’s workouts, we put Florida Tech on the map. I am so blessed that I was given the opportunity to lead such an incredible group of individuals. While at Florida Tech, I have also been so blessed to write for this incredible newspaper. I’m so honored to be able to provide the latest in sports to you each and every week. I have experienced incredible wins like the win over West Georgia and the beginnings of new programs. I have also seen many heartbreaking defeats. I wouldn’t have been given this opportunity without readers like you. I would like to thank a few individuals by name: Rebekah Duntz, Alex Coultrup, Ted Peterson, Au-
Goodbye
drey Gangloff and Lindsay Isaac, to name a few, that have pushed me and molded me into the writer I am today. I promise that without all of you I wouldn’t be the journalist I am today. I know that I am leaving you all in good hands. While at Florida Tech, I was blessed to have my best friend, Alex Brack, who passed last year. As much as I miss you, I know that I am making you proud everyday. For those that don’t know, Brack was supposed to graduate with us this December. I know he will there in spirit and cheering every single graduate as they cross the stage. I just want to give everyone another thanks that have been there for me since losing him. To all of the professors in the meteorology and communication departments, I want to thank y’all for the hours of advice and wisdom you have all passed on to me. If it weren’t for all of you, I wouldn’t have made it to where I am today. I’d like to also thank my three mentors, Steven Lazarus, Heidi Edwards and WESH-2 Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi. All three of you have not only taken a special interest in me, but you have helped me better myself and pushed me to the next level. I wouldn’t be the man, journalist or meteorologist I am today without your help and guidance. Lastly, I’d like to thank my parents, sisters and the rest of my family. You are all amazing and so supportive of my dreams. I am just glad I am making you proud. Thank you, Florida Tech, for the memories. I will hold onto them for the rest of my life and I wish all of you nothing but the best. Just remember — anything worth doing starts with the first step. Until next time, Andrew Shipotofsky Sports Editor
CAMPUS LIFE
3 -december 1, 2015
the Florida tech crimson
THE STORY BEHIND STOOPIDNOTES Students develop exclusive note-sharing platform Lindsay Isaac Staff Writer
do. I love football, but I really have free time. I don’t think Stoopidnotes would have even happened, I wouldn’t be working on it with him right now, if I was still playing football,” explained Daniels. Jackman, who is an athlete for the Track and Field, designed Stoopidnotes to make it easier for athletes, and all students, to track down notes from missed classes. “A big part of my pitch is that athletes in season — I’m on the track team so we go to a meet and it is probably worse for the football players and basketball — but yeah, I miss 10 hours of class time,” Jackman explains. “A lot of things are said in person, it’s not just what [professors] put on Canvas, but a lot of things that they say are really crucial,” Jackman said. Jackman said they created the platform to open resources up to everyone. “[Professors] will say ‘this will be on the test,’ so if you’re writing that down and I missed it, that could cost me a C to an A. It opens up free game, because certain people may have the test, certain people may have this practice problem, but if it is there for everyone, it is up for grabs,” Jackman said. “So we just wanted to keep professors on their toes and keep the school on their toes and actually help students that may need it. Because at the end of the day, it’s for the GPA.” Jackman presented Stoopidnotes.com to a panel of Florida Tech Sharks at a Shark Tank-style event hosted by the The Student Business Incubator on Nov. 17, and he won prize money for his presentation. Thomas Haynie, an SBI assistant, shared his perspective on Stoopidnotes and the company’s founder. “When we start the semester in the Student Business Incubator, there are many people with great ideas, but sometimes they lack the drive,” Haynie said. “With Kevin, it was obvious from the start that he was willing to put in the hard
Stoopidnotes is an emerging note-sharing platform, exclusive to Florida Tech students, that allows notes, study guides, tests, practice problems and other course content to be uploaded and shared across campus. The website, created for students by students, launched at the end of October and already has over 200 users. Students who register for Stoopidnotes are able to search for notes by professor’s name, course name or the name of the student who uploaded the notes. The website rewards Top Note Takers, also referred to as TNTs, through a point system. Users have the ability to like files posted on Stoopidnotes. When a student’s file is upvoted or when a student uploads notes, that student receives points. “The idea for Stoopidnotes began as an assignment for Business Plan Research class,” said founder of Stoopidnotes Kevin Jackman, a senior majoring in business administration and marketing. Jomo Daniels, a senior at Florida Tech majoring in business and information technology management, is the web developer for Stoopidnotes. Daniels explained how the partnership began. “We have the same class. My business pitch was pretty much about creating websites,” Daniels said. “Kevin needed a ride because he wanted to present his idea in front of some people, so I gave him a ride over. I told him, ‘If you need some help with your website, hit me up.’ After that, we just came together.” Jackman and Daniels, the two-man team who paired up to bring Stoopidnotes to life, both have backgrounds as studentathletes. “I was on a football scholarship. I am done with football now, and it just gave me a lot of time to focus on things I actually like to
Photo illustration by Lindsay Isaac Jomo Daniels (left) and Kevin Jackman (right) standing in the Hartley Room work needed to build his idea.” Haynie said Stoopidnotes is the epitome of what we teach at the SBI: look around you, find a problem and then build the solution. “I look forward to working with Kevin during the spring to build Stoopidnotes into the best company in its field.” Stoopidnotes has been met with mixed reviews. “People seem to love [Stoopdnotes], but we have some people that aren’t really with us. So we are just trying to do our best and to do whatever we can to make students happy and to actually show them that we are here to help, and not like a destructive force on campus,” Jackman comments. “Give it a chance,” Daniels added.
“People are instantly seeing it and they are thinking, ‘cheating, cheating, cheating, cheating’ and it is not. It is not for cheating. It is to make your life easier. When you miss a class, you can get some notes.” A common question asked by students looking to register for Stoopidnotes is, “Will I get in trouble for uploading?” The answer given by Jackman and Daniels is this, “We talked with the dean of students and he along with other professors at Florida Tech believe this website is a great idea. We made our terms and agreements to protect students and to cover the honest students that use this website as an educational resource,” Jackman said. “So no, you won’t get in trouble because this is just a resource.” To register, visit stoopidnotes.com. v
FEATURE Raspberry Pi is more than just food for thought Shantel Hanna Staff Writer The Raspberry Pi is an inexpensive, credit-card sized computer created to teach people of all ages how to program and how computers work. The Raspberry Pi device looks like a motherboard of a standard computer. All of the mounted chips and ports are exposed. The three components of connection are the input, output and storage devices (i.e. USB port). After all connections are in contact, one is ready to start computing. Professor Tim Muth, who teaches Foundations of Creativity Innovation and Entrepreneurship, challenged his students to use the Raspberry Pi computer in this week’s Raspberry Pi Competition. The challenge was to produce something resourceful, innovative, and easy-to-use in people’s everyday life. The students used Model B in their simulation costing $35/22 pounds per device, com-
pared to the less ‘costly’ Model A priced at $25/15 pounds. The event consisted of 120 students of 37 teams presenting their concepts and ideas before six judges. All participating students were business majors. Christian Sonnenberg, the assistant dean of Academics for Online Programs, Academic Chair for MSIT, MBA IT Management and Business Administration CIS professor, was one of the key faculty members in the coordination of success to competition. “We wanted an easy-to-use device that the business students could use with little knowledge of all the specific details that goes into programming,” Sonnenberg said. “Doing so in a way that still allows them to see the bigger picture of what programming looks like.” Allison Depietro, a business student contestant, said, “Everyone came up with some great ideas using technology.” Professor Muth was im-
pressed with many of the creative, innovative ideas presented and considered the event a success. “Many faculty members encouraged students with their projects,” he said. The winner team of the competition created an application titled, Fit Food. The application is for people seeking to purchase healthy, appropriate foods based any allergies and health conditions (i.e. diabetic) when dining out. The app works by a person selecting a restaurant of his or her choice and being seated a table. The customer would use the app through bio sensing technology to scan his or her body’s conditions, levels and allergies. Based on the reading of the customer body results, the app will list all the menu items best suitable for a healthy choice. The idea for Raspberry Pi began in 2006 within the inquisitive minds of four researchers at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, Eben Upton,
Rob Mullins, Jack Lang and Alan Mycroft, noticed two disquieting trends in observation of the computer laboratory. The first thing surfacing this concern were the few and far number of students showing minimal interest in the computer science program. Secondly, of the few enrolled, only a limited number had programming knowledge compared to prospective students of the 1990s. At most, the applicants may have done some web development, but programming experience was becoming a distant sound of interest. Cambridge academics recognized that part of the contribution to the decade long programming gap were several societal issues. Education and the economy were the main key factors to this gap needing massive efforts to correct. The Raspberry Pi Foundation began its efforts to close some of the gap in targeting children and adolescents. Cambridge studies showed that children adolescents
had easily programmable home computers, whereas the newer applicants did not have the same accessibility. From 2006 to 2008, several versions of the Raspberry Pi have been manufactured, amongst the two sold in US and UK markets, Model A and B. The four, of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, see themselves as catalysts who want to see affordable, programmable computers everywhere. In 2008, the group has turned a global need for change in the world of programming in mix with their collective abilities, skills and creativity to innovate a device that has brought about real change. The Foundation stated: “We want to break the paradigm where without spending hundreds of pounds on a PC, families can’t use the internet. We want owning a truly personal computer to be normal for children, and we’re looking forward to what the future has in store.” v
CAMPUS LIFE
4 - December 1, 2015
the Florida tech crimson
Cafe coming to College of Business lounge this spring Shantel Hanna Staff Writer The student lounge at Nathan M. Bisk College of Business is in renovation to add a micromarket convenience store for its students’ needs. Rumors have been circumventing amongst business students about a café coming soon to the student lounge, hence the doors being shut the past several days for renovation. Tom Stewart, director of campus dining services, is overseeing the renovation underway. The addition to be is more than just a café: it’s a state-of-the-art kiosk system of snacks, frozen foods and beverages for busy students to fuel
up in between classes. This state-of-the-art kiosk is a micro-market system is called Avenue C. The innovative concept of Avenue C is exclusive to Canteen, the country’s largest and only national vending services company. Avenue C will be a stepup from the typical trip to vending machines in the breakroom at work or school. Joshua Denton, a business student, occasionally stops in the student lounge to hang out with friends. After hearing about the new solution to the student lounge under construction, he said, “It’s a great idea and solution for busy students on the go.” “There are a lot of products
and services that exist [in consideration of making the addition]. What we wanted to do was take these ideas and take it to the next level,” Stewart said. Students will have hundreds of selections to choose from, from traditional “must-haves” to new brands and products. Students with special preferences will also have options of gluten-free, nonGMO and organic products. MyFitnessPal, a smartphone application to monitor and track wellness goals, works well with ‘Choice Plus’ items that will be clearly marked to help customers find better-for-you options. Natalie Miller, another business student, utilizes the student
lounge every day to hang out with friends and take a break in between classes. “I feel like the new addition will bring in more revenue for the school,” Miller said. “I think it’s a good idea: professors and students will be able to grab a coffee or whatever they need without leaving the building.” For payments, Avenue C aims to be a secure technological micro-market system. The Avenue C system is all-technology, without a cashier person working any of its transactions. The Avenue uses a Visa certified system featuring 911 Software’s Creditline software for secure credit and debit card processing and is Payment Application
Data Security standard compliant per the Payment Card Industry Data Security standards. All transactions will initially be available by cash, debit or credit. Student Panther ID cards and FLEX cash are not programmed within the micro-market system for acceptance. Stewart and the Canteen are currently working together to generate the software that will accept FLEX cash and Panther Cash for students’ convenience. Florida Tech is the first university in the central eastern region that will have this step-up for business students to utilize in their new lounge space to come. Renovations are scheduled to be completed by Spring 2016. v
FINDING SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS
Librarian Linda Khan shares insights and research guide Lindsay Isaac Staff Writer Want to find scholarships and grants to help pay for college? Florida Tech Librarian Linda Khan shares her insights on how to find scholarships and grants using reliable resources. On Nov. 12, Khan presented to a crammed room of 50 students eager to find out ways to make college more affordable. Khan, who was surprised by the number of students in attendance, remarked, “The only reason why I did the presentation is because in the library we get a lot of questions about scholarship information, so I just thought it was something I should do because there was an interest.” Khan recaps the presentation for those who were unable to attend: “I covered tips on apply for scholarships and grants,” Khan recalled. Helpful tips included: Never pay for scholarship information or applying for a scholarship. Approach the challenge of finding scholarships as if you are looking for a job. You can never apply for too many scholarships. Complete all the optional questions in the scholarship search profile for more scholarship matches. Start early! Meet deadlines. And check often for college scholarships. Set up profiles on multiple sites to catch as many opportunities as possible. Check eligibility requirements to make sure you qualify before filling out application form. Check with your Financial Aid Office and your department/ school to see what’s available there. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. “The best way to search for scholarships is to use scholarship search engines, because the information is free, data is updated often, and they keep your informa-
Image of Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships Research Guide tion private,” Khan shared. According to Khan, “The top ones are: CollegeBoard.com; CollegeNet.com; FastWeb! Scholarships.com; Chegg (formerly Zinch); and Peterson’s College Scholarship Search. Khan created a research guide, Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships, which brings together information about scholarship search engines, federal grants, on-campus resources, library resources, and how to avoid scholarship scams. The research guide, which can be found on the Library website: http://libguides.lib.fit.edu/ scholarships, provides links to hundreds of scholarships for undergraduate, graduate and (though limited) international students under the tab, Scholarship, Grants, and Fellowships.
“There are basically hundred of scholarships,” Khan commented as she pointed to an article titled 11 Sexy Scholarships. “There are scholarships for everything you can think of,” Khan concluded. The research guide includes a list of prestigious scholarships. There is also a tab for Scholarship Scams. “The take away,” Khan summarized regarding scams. “Don’t pay for help to find money for college and don’t pay for the FAFSA.” Khan also talked about financial aid, especially for students who are American citizens. “The earlier students do their financial aid, the more aid they can get. The earlier they apply the better, because in Florida the deadline is March 15th. In
Florida aid is awarded on a first come first serve basis,” Khan explained. Information and links to Florida Tech scholarships, grants, and fellowships, and other scholarship websites can be found on the Florida Tech Financial Aid website under the category, Financial Aid Options. “The only thing students need to remember is that they need to talk to Financial Aid, because if they get scholarships it could affect their financial aid,” Khan reminded.“Even if it does, think about it, you can say you got a $5000 scholarship which is nice when you are applying for a job.” “Most scholarships are based on merit and need, and so it is a competition. You have to think of it seriously. Applying for scholarships is something you have to set
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aside time to do,” Khan explained. Next year, Khan hopes to work with financial aid to do this presentation again. “Because I had so much interest, I will do a bigger event,” Khan shared. “There is so much out there, you know. You just have to spend some time and effort. It is like a job. Think of it like a job,” Khan repeated. “What it does too, even if students don’t get a scholarship, they get to put their life together. For the scholarship they need to have all this information and put everything together in one place,” Khan pointed out. “Even if you don’t get a scholarship, it helps you organize.” Visit http://libguides.lib. fit.edu/scholarships to see Linda Khan’s research guide. v
6 -December 1, 2015
SCI/TECH
the Florida tech crimson
Crowdfunding provides investment risks, opportunities Chris Pangalos Staff Writer In recent years, crowdfunding websites have grown in popularity as starting points for modern day inventors and entrepreneurs. Crowdfunding works by allowing small businesses to appeal directly to large numbers of average citizens for investment, rather than relying on a few rich investors. Kickstarter, one of the most popular crowdfunding websites, has projects ranging from software and electronics to humanitarian projects. A recent Kickstarter project is the Volta Flyer, a solar-powered glider intended to teach kids about electronics and engineering. It works by powering a small propeller via a super capacitor that is in turn charged by a lightweight flexible solar panel on top. The glider is able to fly between 10 and 15 seconds before the capacitor is drained. The company has already had past success with a solar powered car but is currently at about $13,000 of their $39,000 goal. If it’s successful, backers who pledged $40 or more could expect a Volta Flyer by March of next year. Boogie Dice, a set of programmable gaming dice, has had
success on Kickstarter — meeting not only their goal of $50,000, but raising a total of $185,000 — allowing them to also meet stretch goals. This means they’ll use the additional funds to add more variety or additional features. The dice work by using a motor and a tilt sensor to roll and can be programmed for sound detection, motion detection, to run on a timer or to roll randomly. In the two stretch goals they met, they added glow in the dark dice and allowed
requests for different dice shapes. Backers who pledged at least $22 should get dice and a charger of their own by March of next year. There are a variety of crowdfunding types some in which investments are simply donated to the company, some in which the company agrees to payback investments or provide a product, and some in which the investor gets a share in the company. While crowdfunding can be a good way for businesses to get started and regular people to invest in the
products they actually want, it’s still a fairly new concept with its own share of hurdles. For instance, when new businesses fail to deliver on their promises. The Buccaneer 3D printer started on Kickstarter back in 2013 offering an easy-to-use 3D printer with good resolution at an affordable price. According to Cnet, in exchange for a $447 pledge and $50 shipping charge, backers would receive their own printer along with five printing cartridges. At the time, the project was
very successful raising $1.4 million, while their original target was only $1 million. According to Tech in Asia, on Oct. 13 of this year, the company posted a note to their backers on Kickstarter explaining that only 40 percent of the orders have been delivered and the company has frozen operations after running out of funds. They are currently seeking other funding sources, and their project comments section remains filled with complaints of investors losing their money. v
7 - December 1, 2015
SPORTS
the Florida tech crimson
Lacrosse participates in ‘For the Love of Lax’ Su Orhon Staff Writer Besides their accomplishments as a sports team, Florida Tech’s men and women Lacrosse teams are expanding their perspective by stepping out and helping others who are not as lucky as themselves. Currently, both teams recruited a Team IMPACT child, and they volunteer for Love of Lax events. Team IMPACT is a program that matches less fortunate children with college sports teams to give them the chance to go beyond their boundaries and gain more experience in life that cannot be learned in classrooms. Both team have their own IMPACT kid, named Will and Sasha: that they are a part of the team and probably their biggest fans. Will is an eleven-year-old child with a great sense of humor, unlimited energy and a big heart. He has Primary Immunodeficiency Disease, Mitochondrial Disease, and Chiari Malformation. These conditions make it hard for him to enjoy most of the outdoor sports he’s interested in, and sometimes even cause him to do weekly infusions of blood due to his weak immune system. His body also gets heated up pretty easily, which prevents him from being active for too long. Even with all of these obstacles, he still finds a way to do everything eleven-year-old children do and enjoy. He likes to play video games, read, watch TV and to swim. He spends a lot of time with his family, and he loves to be a part of the fundraisers and blood drives his family hosts. “I like to be a part of this because I like to help people, and it feels good to make a difference,” he said. Men’s Lacrosse coach Ryan McAleavey said that the team is not
Photos courtesy of Florida Tech Athletics only teaching Will how to play lacrosse, but Will is also teaching the team to accept challenges by becoming a true inspiration for all of them. He tells that when the team first met Will a year ago in October just a week before their game at Tampa, Will immediately bonded with the team. On the match day, he was among the crowd supporting them. “It was a tough game and we were losing, losing pretty hard,” McAleavey said. “It was halftime and I was giving my speech to the team to motivate them. Sud-
denly someone split the crowd and comes up into the center.’’ Among all of the huge team members, there he was looking up on them — and he only said one thing, making the team realize they have to empty their thoughts, go to the field and play like a team. Even though they lost by only one goal, McAleavey said that he shook the team up and encouraged them to play better. This is only one of the scenarios where Will inspired the team to be better. A few weeks ago, he made a shovel for the team. He wrote WillPower on it, which was first used by one of his mother’s friends who ran a marathon for him. All of the members signed the shovel, but this is not even the most touching part: he also wrote “Dig deep” at the head of the shovel and said to the team that, “When the obstacles get too hard, you have to dig deeper,” encouraging all of them to never stop working hard in order to win the match. “When women’s Lacrosse Team Coach Corinne Desrosiers came with the idea of having IMPACT kids, I literally jumped in to the opportunity,” said McAleavey, explaining that he has a master’s degree in special education and working with these children was something he
always wanted to do. He more than happily states that the team is aware of how lucky they are to be able to play the sport they love without having any obstacles stopping them, and that they’re learning about how the world cannot be fair to everyone all the time. On the other hand, Team IMPACT is not the only way teams help community. As well as keeping a constant relationship with people in The Scott Center for Autism Treatment at the university, taking the kids outside and spending time with them, the team also volunteers at the “For the Love of Lax” camps. One day, Coach McAleavey received a phone call from a local high school girl, Taylor Canavan, asking him if the team would participate in her senior project. The project, For the Love of Lax,” basically aims to merge children with and without disabilities with lacrosse players to teach them the basic Lacrosse skills, friendship and diversity. These camps take place twice during a week during November and all the equipment needed is provided for every child. Besides being a great opportunity to teach lacrosse to more people, it’s also a lifelong lesson, showing how not everyone has the same life standards. v
the Florida tech crimson
SPORTS DEcember 1, 2015
A CULTURE OF SUCCESS
Twelve school records broken at Panther Invitational Shelby Pearce. Photo courtesy of Florida Tech Athletics Audrey Gangloff Staff Writer Battling rain, tough competition and a grueling four-day schedule, the Panther swim teams set multiple record-breaking times as the program hosted their first invitational Nov. 19 through 22. The men’s 4x100 medley relay school record was the first to fall victim to the relentless Panthers. According to junior Nir Barnea, the men have come close to breaking the “cursed” record several times, but something always went wrong and the team would fall short. This round, everything went right. The Panthers on deck were on the edge of the pool, one eye on the clock, toes practically in the water, cheering on their team in the final leg. Barnea and his teammates Eric Berg, Brian Dumont and Thomas Steenberg finally shattered the curse, beating the previous record by almost eight full seconds.
Dar Raz, a junior, was excited for the team but knows the men have more surprises in store. “This year, this season they have a really strong team,” Raz said. “So it was awesome, but there’s more to come.” Raz had an exciting weekend herself. The defending Sunshine State Conference 100 backstroke champion was finally able to get back in the water after being out with an injury for the first half of the season. After competing the first day of the invitational in the women’s 4x100 medley relay, Raz’s smile couldn’t have been any brighter. She said the race was good because she found some things to improve on but that it was a great first outing swimming for her team. “Sometimes I stress myself out too much,” Raz said. “So I just told myself ‘this one I’m going to enjoy, because it’s the first race of the season and there’s nothing to lose.’” The final days of the tournament saw eight new records, including the first broken women’s record
of the season — and it was even broken twice. Teammates and roommates, Shelby Pearce and Trista Phelps both competed in the 200 butterfly. Phelps swam first, breaking Pearce’s previous record. Less than five minutes later, the record was broken again — Pearce wasn’t quite ready to relinquish her title. Competitive streak aside, Pearce said it’s always fun training with sophomore Phelps. “I saw her swim 2:11 and I said ‘oh gosh now I have to go 2:10,’” Pearce joked. “She’s dropped 7 or 8 seconds over all this season which is huge, so I’m really happy for her too.” The freshmen men came out ready to compete as well. Eric Berg broke the 100 backstroke record and Adi Davidov cut seven full seconds off his previous best in the 200 butterfly, setting another record. “I’m really proud of my friends that broke all the records. Every single one,” said Davidov. “I think we can maintain this and
keep breaking the records. We all want a big team in the NCAA tournament this season.” Adi and the other swimmers displayed exactly the kind of attitudes that Head Coach Justin Andrade has been working hard to instill in his team. Andrade said getting everyone to come together has been one of the biggest challenges, and biggest successes, of the season. “We’ve seen them make huge strides and get closer every single day,” said Andrade. “I think as that continues to develop, the success in the pool is going to follow but it starts first in the locker room.” In the program’s five short years of existence, the team has seen two head coaches and more than four different assistants. Shelby said that every year has been very different, but it has helped having experienced upperclassmen in the program that have been with the team all four years. “It’s good to see the freshmen coming in and really starting to bond with the upperclassmen because I know when I came in,
we didn’t have upperclassmen,” said Pearce. The strides being made in the pool this semester are coming hand-in-hand with some improvements to the Panther Aquatic Center. New speakers, equipment, tents on deck and an upgraded timing system have all helped to turn the Florida Tech swim facilities into an invitational worthy venue. By hosting big events at home, Andrade said he’s able to put his athletes in a fun environment that will allow his team to see what they’ve been working so hard for— to swim fast in front of their own fans. As the broken records show, the Panther swim teams shone when given the chance. Andrade hopes that the broken records on top of 24 NCAA B-cut qualifying times will keep his teams hungry over the winter break and ready for more when the Panthers return for a home meet against Georgia Southern on Dec. 16. v
Panther youth key to Tourney Win Andrew Shipotofsky
Sports Editor
Florida Tech entered the Thanksgiving Tournament Championship game short-handed, but the Panthers weren’t going to make any excuses in the win over North Greenville. The Panthers were without leading scorer Corbin Jackson and top three-point threat Randy Echols in the game, but after a last-minute defensive change and a complete team effort, the Panthers were victorious, 72-55. “I have been doing this 35 years and sometimes you just have a gut instinct,” men’s basketball coach Billy Mims said. “We are not a zone team, I don’t like to play zone but I was watching them play yesterday and we have one zone that I thought would work against them. “Literally, two minutes before we started the game I made the decision,” Mims said. “I told them as we are waiting to introduce starters. Nothing but zone.” That change ultimately paid off with Florida Tech jumping to a quick lead and forcing 22 turnovers. The Panthers also limited
to Crusaders to 41.8 percent shooting from the field. Sophomore guard Patrick Anderson was named the tournament MVP, scoring 15 points with six assists, six steals and three rebounds. For the tournament, Anderson scored 35 points with 10 assists and eight steals. “I think the key was coming out and being aggressive on the offensive and defensive end. Turnovers turn into points and I feel that is where we got started,” Anderson said. “This is definitely a big win. Those guys [Jackson and Echols] are leaders and we are just glad we could come out and win for them.” Sophomore forward, Sam Daniel, also had a monster game putting up 23 points, seven rebounds and four steals in the game. “I said to Sam before the game, there is no Corbin Jackson beside you today so it has to be Sam Daniel time,” Mims said. “He goes out there and has a monster game.” The two sophomores were not the only Panther youth coming out big. Robert Booth stepped into the starting lineup for Jackson and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds to go with six points. Jermohn Queen came off the bench to add 12
Photo courtesy of Florida Tech Athletics. Photo by Matt Starkey. points and Jordan Majors finished with nine points. Anderson and Daniel, as well as Georgia Southwestern’s Adam Thoseby, North Greenville’s Justin Dotson and Korval McElroy, and Omar de
Jesus of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras were all selected to the all tournament team. The Panthers will return to conference play traveling to Eckerd on Dec. 2. v