The Florida Tech Crimson
SEP. 1, 2015 ISSUE 3
NCAA approves Fidgi Patches Andrew Shipotofsky Sports Editor In April, the Florida Tech community and the much of Brevard County’s soccer community were shocked by the death of soccer coach Fidgi Haig. Going into the 2015 season, the women’s soccer team has one goal in mind: play and win for Haig. This season, the athletes will wear patches on their left sleeves in honor of their late coach. “We have something to play for this season,” junior midfielder Eva Blanton said. “We all have a common goal, which will give us that boost.” Blanton not only played for Haig at Florida Tech, but also grew up with him as her club coach, and the two established a special bond over the years.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WOMEN’S SOCCER
See SOCCER, back page
Florida Tech forms Buzz Aldrin Space Institute Rebekah Duntz Editor-in-Chief Florida Tech hosted a press conference on Aug. 25 to officially inform the public about Astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s partnership with the university in forming the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute. Aldrin sat at a table in the Board of Trustees room with President Anthony Catanese and Executive Vice President Dwayne McCay. The three men discussed details of their agreement and signed official paperwork to create the Institute. The Buzz Aldrin Space Institute will be a think tank at Florida Tech, opening this fall in a pre-existing facility, that will promote research toward Aldrin’s goal of the settlement of Mars. “I plan to be much more involved in operations and guidance, mostly government,” said Aldrin, who was the second man to walk the moon on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. According to plans discussed at the meeting, Aldrin’s goal is to send humans to mars on the 70th anniversary of his lunar walk, July 20, 1969. “I may have the title of professor, but I am an engineer, a fighter pilot,” Aldrin said, describing his role at the university. He said that his primary role was as a director of human spaceflight, that he “isn’t a good teacher,” and that he wants to use his resources at Florida Tech to “implement and further develop studies in conjunction with other departments.” While not necessarily teaching regularly scheduled classes at Florida Tech, Aldrin will be involved with the College of Aeronautics. “I think hosting Buzz and his Space
Institute at Florida Tech and especially at College of Aeronautics will energize the students and the faculty in terms of scientific research and thinking and achieving grand goals again in this country as well as around the globe,” Dean of College of Aeronautics Korhan Oyman said in an emailed statement. Aldrin emphasized how important exploration and occupancy on Mars is at the press conference. “I can remember as a young boy the president of the United States coming on television and saying boys and girls, you have to study math and science, because we have to compete in space,” Catanese said. “And it really affected my generation so much.” Catanese said he wants to get the next generation as excited as his generation was about space. Aldrin also said that a strong population of graduates both in the sciences and the arts is an important part of humankind’s journey to the red planet. People will also be able to visit the Buzz Aldrin Special Collection and Archives in Evans Library, which will document his life. Aldrin took time to explain details related to his other project, “Cycling Pathways to Occupy Mars.” a topic he will present at the 66th International Astronautical Congress in October. Aldrin plans to spend his time in Satellite Beach, Florida as a research professor in the College of Aeronautics, while also traveling around the world to talk about Mars exploration at other conferences and events, he said. v
photo by Ebube Ubochi Buzz Aldrin discusses his book with press and faculty members.
Track & Field Coach Nick Dodson leaves Florida Tech Lindsay Isaac Staff Member
Nick Dodson
Photo property of Florida Tech Athletics
“He’s going?” asked Warren Pittorie, president of the Campus Activities Board, when he heard the news that Nick Dodson would
no longer be a coach at Florida Tech. “He’s gone,” answered Brandon Stern, a short-distance runner for FIT’s track and field team. The departure of Dodson from the Florida Tech came as a surprise to most. Dodson was the coach of the Panthers shortdistance runners and long jumpers. He was also the university’s intramurals coordinator. Dodson became the Panthers’ first assistant Track and Field coach in 2012, not long after graduating from Shorter University with a bachelor’s degree as the 2011 NAIA National Champion in the 400-meter hurdles. While the departure of Dodson has been felt by the entire Florida Tech Track and Field team, the athletes appear hopeful for the season to come. He has gone on to take the position of Director of Cross
Country and Track and Field at Brewton-Parker College in Georgia. “We’ve already started interviewing candidates,” Director of Athletics Bill Jurgens said. “As is the case with every sport, the team really related to the coach. We really liked Nick. We don’t want to want to move so fast that we’re not getting the best coach we can.” Jurgens expressed happiness for Dodson, saying Dodson deserved the position and would be able to be closer to his family now. “I have lots of fond memories of Dodson,” said Brandon Stern, a sophomore and shortdistance runner on the team. “He was an excellent coach and role model. He pushed us in numerous ways and got us into our first conference.” “His departure was his decision, which I fully support and I’m very happy for him. I’m unclear
of his replacement currently, but I know Mr. Pete Mazzone will make a great choice, just as he did with Dodson.” “I feel prepared for the season ahead and ready. We are still as strong as before and ready for a new season,” Stern concluded. Nicardo Cameron, also a sprinter for Track and Field, voiced a similar confidence. “As usual, I’m optimistic about our team’s prospects for the upcoming season. We have made significant improvements under the tutelage of Coach Dodson and we expect to do the same under the guidance of the new coach,” Cameron said. “Dodson was a phenomenal coach who made sure that we excel both on the track and in the classroom. I trust that the Florida Tech Athletic Department will find a replacement that is equally adept to help us hone our talents on the track,” Cameron remarked.
One look at Dodson’s profile in the Florida Tech Athletics staff directory explains what qualified Dodson for the position. The profile reads, “Dodson was an 11-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American, a three-time national runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles, a conference champion several times in three events and a two-time NAIA Champions of Character Award winner.” Dodson had many successes as an assistant coach for the Florida Tech Track and Field program. In 2014, because of Dodson’s proven ability to develop athletes, the assistant coach was selected to USA Track & Field Emerging Elite Coaches Camp. A replacement for Dodson has yet to be named. v Additional reporting by Rebekah Duntz.
OPINIONS CAPS PSA: Stress-Free Week
the Florida tech crimson
2 - September 1, 2015
Kendra Bartel CAPS Outreach Columnist
S
tress Free Week is Aug. 29 through Sep. 6. So check out the calendar of stress-free events posted in the Crimson and around campus and relax! You can check out the International Student Group on Sep. 1 from 11 a.m. — 12 p.m. at Black Kat’s Kafe sponsored by CAPS. Enjoy some free spaghetti on Sep. 2 from 6 — 7p.m. at the All Faith’s Center, sponsored by the Campus Ministry. Attend the Emotional Wellness Group on Sep. 3 from 7— 8 p.m. in Crawford Building, room 526, sponsored by CAPS. Show your panther spirit by going to the football game on Sep. 5 at 7 p.m. at Florida Tech Stadium, Palm Bay High School.
Throughout the week, there are several group fitness classes held at the Clemente Center, as well as academic success seminars sponsored by the Academic Support Center. These are just a few of the events of what’s happening this week to help students relieve stress and have fun! Stress affects each and every one of us, and in college, it is likely this is a frequent feeling. So, what are a few things you can do to help reduce stress on weeks that are not so “stress free?”
Exercise:
It has been shown to be one of the best stress relievers. When your heart rate speeds up, it helps your body to release endorphins, which in return, makes you feel happy. It also gives you a break
from whatever you are doing, which is sometimes the best way to relax.
somewhere new. The fresh air and new atmosphere is likely to help you feel better too.
Do something you enjoy! Whether it’s a date with Netflix or your significant other, a trip to the beach or reading, if you enjoy it, you will feel less stressed. This does not mean putting off the things you need to do, but instead also finding a time to do something fun. Doing what you love helps keep your life in balance when you do a lot of things you may not always enjoy in school.
Whether it’s your best friend, significant other or even your parent, talking to someone about what is going on in your life is important for relieving stress. Oftentimes when we talk to someone, they help show us that they themselves or other people are going through similar experiences. It is also important to remember that not every chat needs to be serious! Sometimes just laughing and talking with those you love is a great way to relieve stress.
Fun Activities:
Recess:
Go outside or venture around town! Staying inside a building all day where your entire list of due dates linger over your head is only going to make you stress. Take time to get away from the norm and do something in the sun or go
Talk to someone:
Get away from the screen:
Staring at a computer screen where there is so much to look at, watch, and think about can actually get pretty overwhelming. Try
stepping away from your computer and phone for a bit and see how you feel. Sometimes getting away from the constant messages, videos, pictures, games, and noise social media and technology give you can help your brain relax. If you or someone you know is struggling with stress do not be afraid to ask for help by contacting the student counseling center (CAPS)! To make an appointment, 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. Also, check out CAPS’ website at www. fit.edu/caps, where you will find anonymous screenings, brochures, and helpful links on a variety of college issues. CAPS is just one of many resources at Florida Tech that supports maintaining a happy and healthy you! v
Want to see your name in print? Stop by one of our meetings at 6:30 pm on Mondays.
There's free pizza.
And smiling faces.
Korhan Oyman reacts to Buzz Aldrin Institute Everybody at the College of Aeronautics, dean, faculty, staff, and students were very excited and proud after Dr. Aldrin’s contract signing ceremony yesterday. We all are very honored to welcome a legendary aviator, astronaut and scientist to our college. People have always called Dr. Aldrin a real American hero. When I watched his lunar landing in 1969, I was a 5-year-old kindergarten student sitting in front of
a 19-inch black and white television with my family and a roomful of my father’s fighter squadron wingmen in Ankara, Turkey, 5000 miles away from the American continent. When Buzz and Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, there was a loud applause and chanting in our room, celebrating this big step for mankind. The people in the room weren’t American citizens, they had never met him before, but they were all aware that those two men on the moon
took those brave steps for all of us in the world. That day in 1969, Buzz became a global hero for all mankind. Yesterday, 46 years later, I had the honor of shaking that brave man’s hand and meeting him in person. I think there is no bigger gain for a college than to host a space institute named after a legend and proudly announce that the legend is one of Aeronautics faculty now. Listening to his passionate words about travel-
ing and colonizing planet Mars 46 year after he flew the first lunar mission just brought me back to the day I dreamed as a 5-year old kid about traveling to space. I think hosting Buzz and his Space Institute at Florida Tech and especially at College of Aeronautics will energize the students and the faculty in terms of scientific research and thinking and achieving grand goals again in this country as well as around the globe.
While stating in our university’s mission that at Florida Tech we educate and train future global scientists and citizens, what better faculty member can we introduce to them than Buzz, a global hero and a scientist with a resume of amazing achievements. We welcome again Dr. Aldrin and his Institute to our college and we look forward to being a part of his new dream team to Mars. v
3 -September 1, 2015
FEATURE:
CAMPUS LIFE
The Florida tech crimson
FRESHMAN INTEGRATION
How are students settling in? Lindsay Isaac Staff Member
It’s hard to believe that the second week of classes have drawn to a close. In 14 days, a lot has transpired. Aside from the buzz of an impending tropical storm, the Florida Tech community is as busy as ever. Amidst the usual excitement of the campus, many new faces are circulating: the Freshmen. In order to catch up with the fresh blood of campus, The Crimson asked these new faces the following questions: Is college what you expected it to be? What surprised you about Florida Tech? What has been your most memorable moment so far? What is your favorite place on campus? What do you wish you had been told before coming here? Ahmed Mohammed Sobha Chowdhury, one of the freshmen at Florida Tech, was the first to answer. “Something I should have been told is that classes are going to get really hard and I need to keep up with the work. I came from a British syllabus where my whole grade was a final exam. Adjusting to that was hard.” Chowdhury’s most exciting moment so far has been his trip to Universal, but his advice to other students is to know your limits and not overwhelm themselves. Chowdhury is from the United Arab Emirates, so heat usually isn’t a big deal to him. “I’m used to heat, but the humidity plus the heat, that surprised me.” “The international festival was good,” Dinkua Rathnasiri, another freshman, said about Florida Tech. “University Experience was good. The classroom environment is more relaxed. It’s a new experience and it’s exciting being here,” Alan Daou, freshman, had another thought.“I wish I had
known that being a top student in high school was not going to mean that you will be a top student in college. I also wish I’d known that even though there is not a lot of time spent in lectures you have a lot of work to do at home.” When asked about his favorite place on campus, Daou answered with a question, “I guess my bed is not part of it right?” Daou went on to mention a different place on campus, “I’d say the study room in Evans hall. I spend a lot of time over there.” Daou closed with the following remark, “Start doing the homework early. Don’t wait until the last minute.” To get the perspective of students who made it past being a freshman, The Crimson spoke to a few upperclassmen. The upperclassmen were asked what they would tell their freshmen selves. Caio Silveira, a sophomore studying aerospace engineering, would tell his freshman self the following, “I would say meet people. But not normal people. People with power. People who can actually get things done,” Silveria said. “Basically, make connections. I wish I had that same vision, and I wish I had thought the same way when I was younger. And something else, don’t do your lab report the day before.” Larissa Kiyoku, a junior from Brasilia, Brazil, responded in a different way. “My freshman self...Um, don’t hang out with Brazilians. I could have improved my english so much more if I hadn’t spent so much time with them,” Kiyoku answered with a smile. Jessica Keleher, a junior studying marine biology, said “Get out of your room.” “Not that I have any regrets about freshman year,” she said, “it’s just that there were many events that I didn’t know about, wasn’t aware of, or didn’t go to. I just slept through it. I don’t want them to have the regret of having slept through those experiences.”v
Photos by Ebube Ubochi
Photos by Ebube Ubochi
Take the shot. Become a student journalist.
Writing positions available in: - Breaking News - Campus Life - Sports - Entertainment/ Arts & Culture - Science and Technology Looking for page designers and photographers. Positions at the Crimson are paid. Photo courtesy of Griffith College
5 - September 1, 2015
campus life
The Florida tech crimson
HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM SURVIVAL GUIDE Crimson Staff
Florida Tech’s campus has been prone to flooding in the past. Plan in advance for how this may affect your transportation needs. Tropical Storms typically last an average of one day in a region, bringing violent weather with them. Make plans to secure your belongings. If you live on the ground floor of your residence hall, we recommend getting loose objects or valuables off the floor in case flooding occurs. Communicate with the people in your social circles. Even in less severe storms, it’s important to have a strategy for making sure your friends and family are safe and know that you are, too. To prepare for potential power outages due to thunderstorms, stock up on essential items
that you don’t need electricity or running water to use. Our recommendations include canned goods and other nonperishable food, enough water for three days and a flashlight with spare batteries. According to the National Hurricane Prepardness Center at NOAA.gov, The primary hazards from hurricanes are storm surge flooding, inland flooding from heavy rains, destructive winds, tornadoes, and high surf and rip currents. Hurricane season is from June 1 to Nov. 30. A helpful document is Florida Tech’s Hurricane preparedness brochure which can be found online at www.fit.edu.
6 -September 1, 2015
SCI/TECH
The Florida tech crimson
Florida Tech hires new chemistry department head Will Henderson Staff Member Michael S. Freund, Ph.D., is a relatively new face in the Florida Institute of Technology Chemistry Department. Freund is a native of Gainesville, Fla. and received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Florida Atlantic University and his PhD in analytical chemistry with an emphasis in electrochemistry from the University of Florida. Although he enjoys Melbourne so far, Freund will be facing a new challenge as the head of the chemistry department, having taken over for interim head Mary Sohn in May 2015 on a permanent basis. No stranger to important positions, Freund was the director of the Manitoba Institute of Materials at the University of Manitoba, as well as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, and relishes his opportunity at Florida Tech. Freund’s philosophy is “Quality over quantity focused on research at the graduate and undergraduate level.” Freund compared Florida Tech to the other schools he has been at, Lehigh and Caltech, praising their ability to attract the best students as well as the researchintensive focus. Freund has already made an impact on research in the chemistry
department, updating the interface at the research portal to make it more user-friendly and to organize research more effectively. The new portal can be viewed at cos.fit.edu/ chemistry. Freund himself has a strong research background, pioneering the use of conjugated polymers that can act as conductors and semiconductors; an important part of electronics. As the population of the earth grows, and technology becomes more advanced, Freund sees the demand for energy increase. This is the area in which he believes chemistry can have the largest impact. Freund sees the world using chemistry to more efficiently harness solar energy. “No matter what your politics are, we will need more sources and safer forms of energy,” Freund said. “Chemistry plays a central role in harvesting energy, focusing on solar because the sun is the most important source of energy.” This new technology has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and slowly reverse the effects of greenhouse gases and climate change. Along with strong support from many other faculty members and students, the chemistry department headed by Freund, is poised for another great year. v
Photos by Ebube Ubochi
7 -September 1, 2015
The Florida tech crimson
sci/tech
EXPANDING FUNCTIONALITY: Instagram and Snapchat take great leaps forward Ebube Ubochi Sci/Tech Editor
well for the tech company however, as the majority of Instagram’s more than Square is no longer the 200 million users quickly became comfortable with scope, as Instagram now their newfound ability to natively allows its users to share their world in a more post photos in full portrait encompassing format. and landscape mode with Plus, the app’s developers retained access to all its threw in auto image stabifilters for photo and video. lization in the iOS version This easter egg of sorts came as a worldwide update upon launch. Instagram has made to Android and iOS verhuge strides in its developsions of the popular photosharing application on Aug. ment as an easily accessible photo sharing app and a 27, and looks to be leading household name in the the initial phase of annual software and hardware realm of social media, but updates and enhancements this raises the question of how involved Facebook is that developers and manuin this momentum. facturers roll out each fall. It was on April 9, 2012 Many were fairly skeptithat Stanford graduates cal the last time the InstaKevin Systrom and Mike gram app had a paradigm Krieger sold their 13-pershift. Who could blame son tech startup to Facethem? Their serene world of beautifully edited photos book. Facebook purchased was about to be bombarded the photo filter and sharing with 15-second autoplaying app 18 months after its initial launch for $1 billion: and looping videos. $300 million in cash, the This seems to have rest in Facebook stock. worked out considerably
Instagram’s videocapable update came just a bit over a year later, on June 20, 2013, and this was accomplished with Facebook’s unquestionable involvement. This leads one to wonder how much involvement and creative jurisdiction Systrom truly retains as Instagram’s CEO — could he accomplish all this without Facebook? Systrom has been asked on many occasions whether he ever feels like he sold Instagram too soon and for too little. At its current state, with over 200 million users, Instagram is now as big as Twitter which raised almost $2 million in its IPO and has a market cap valuation of over $21 million. The summary of his answer is maybe, if he could have seen the future and was interested in more money, but that he is still satisfied with his decision. Instagram’s relationship with Facebook is far from symbiotic, so everything looks
rosy for now at least. Snapchat also made a big move this past week as — also on Aug. 27 — the company added Mashable, IGN and Tastemade to its Discover platform. This development is proof of the understandable confidence Snapchat’s has in its user interface, which has already undergone various changes over the course of 2015, the most significant of which is the initial introduction of Discover on Jan. 27. Although faced with confusion and concerns of clutter and redundancy from users at first, Snapchat’s expansion of its application’s scope has been met with favourable results and is a sign of the company’s growth as a must-have social media outlet for users. So far, all of this has been accomplished solely by Snapchat with its intuitiveness and constantly growing capability, and
the company’s 25-year-old CEO Evan Spiegel intends to keep it that way for the foreseeable future. Spiegel turned down a $3 billion offer to buy his hugely popular photo and video sharing – and now news providing, thanks to Discover — app in Nov. 2013. The offer came from none other than Facebook, and they were even prepared to pay in cash. Many believe Spiegel made the best decision at the time, and he is still happy with his course of action, as he is clearly doing very well with his brainchild at the moment. A small speed hump in what seems to be Facebook’s master plan to take over the tech world. As of the first quarter of 2014, Facebook also officially owns Oculus and WhatsApp; but that’s another story. v
A look at I2P, the invisible internet project
Christopher Pangalos Staff Member The invisible internet project, known as I2P, is a darknet similar in some ways to Tor and Freenet designed to provide secure anonymous transfer of information. I2P’s software is open source and licensed under public domain, BSD, GPL, MIT, and artistic license. It’s still in the beta testing phase despite being around since 2003. According to the I2P website, communication is end-to-end encrypted using four layers
of encryption when sending messages. According to their website, I2P has fewer developers, less funding, and much smaller user base than Tor. Because of their smaller size, they also have don’t receive as much publicity and blocking, or focus from attackers. The big difference between I2P and Tor is that Tor is designed primarily to browse hidden web sites scattered across the internet, while I2P creates its own network that lets everyone communicate from within and run applications across. One of the more useful features of I2P is its sup-
port of peer-to-peer file transfer through a BitTorrent client called I2PSnark. Included in the I2P installer, there are other file sharing applications available that run through the I2P network, such as I2Phex using Gnutella protocol and iMule using Kad network protocol. Due to its encryption and routing, torrenting over I2P is much slower and more CPU-intensive than on the clear web. Users can adjust their bandwidth setting to increase or decrease their speed if their CPU can’t handle it. Speeds also increase the longer you stay connected to the network and the more peers involved. Even at maximum speed settings and with multiple peers, expect a significant speed tradeoff for anonymity; it may very well take days to download a few Gigabytes.
The Tin Hat lists I2P’s average speed as about 30Kb/s. I2P has its Postman Tracker which contains a list of torrents, many of which are mirrors of Pirate Bay torrents, though since it doesn’t have as many users the selection is smaller overall. Aside from file sharing, I2P has several other useful applications. I2P’s mailing application can be used to send emails to the clear net anonymously from the I2P network. There is also I2P Bote which allows you to send encrypted messages within the I2P network and create multiple accounts quickly. I2P also offers anonymous chat rooms, forums and few websites of its own, despite not having the variety of Tor. To get, I2P you need to have Java installed then,
download the I2P client from geti2p.net. You must then install it and run the I2P router console. You will likely want to add a web browser specifically for use with I2P, since you will be setting up a proxy. Firefox is generally a popular choice due to Google’s information collection policies. You must next adjust the proxy settings in your browser using “HTTP Proxy: 127.0.0.1,” “Port 4444” and under No Proxy add “localhost, 127.0.0.1.” If everything worked, you should now be able to connect to the I2P network through your browser. Detailed guides can be found at thetinhat.com and ivpn. net. v
SPORTS the Florida tech crimson
September 1, 2015
Continued: Soccer “It feels good to know he is with me every game,” Blanton said. “Every time I look down, I know what I’m playing for.” “We’ll remember Fidgi in many ways,” read a photo caption on the team’s Facebook page, “but each time we wear our uniform we know he’ll always be by our side.” The patches came together after a joint effort of the men and
women soccer programs, the athletics department, and Adidas coming together to want to honor the legacy of Haig. “We all came together and decided on a patch to represent his legacy,” Smith said.“The biggest obstacle was NCAA rules on size. We were able to appeal and get it approved for this season.” Smith, after coaching alongside Haig for five years and know-
ing him for close to 20, took the reigns as head coach back in May. He said the biggest thing he learned from Haig is patience. Smith said Haig had a unique patience about him. “That patience allowed him to do things one would not normally be able to do.” “Fidgi kind of discussed a lot of things to get the most out of the team.” said Smith of how
his and Haig’s philosophies are a little different. “I am a little more straight-forward and more structured.” Going into the season, the women are picked to place fourth in Sunshine State Conference poll. After winning their opening two-preseason games over Eastern Florida State College and Flagler, don’t count them out to win it all. “The expectations are about
the same every year,” Smith said. “One: stay healthy; two: catch some breaks; and the girls always work hard, but I think we have a little added incentive this year from our veterans.” The team opens their first official game of the season against St. Mary’s in San Antonio, Texas on Sep. 3. They hope to host this year’s conference tournament. v
Athletics hires new strength and conditioning coach Audrey Gangloff Staff Member There’s a new face and fresh attitude this year in the Varsity Training Center on campus. Chris Duguay has been hired as the new strength and conditioning coach for several teams — baseball and both the men’s and women’s rowing, track and swimming teams. However, Duguay will still be involved with all the sports. “Ethan and I are going to be tag-teaming all teams to help make the weight room as efficient as possible,” Duguay said. “If we’re efficient,” he said, “the athletes will get more out of it.” His plan is to emphasize building strength and work capacity through high intensity exercises. Duguay is a Melbourne native who graduated from Melbourne High School before going out of state for college. He worked at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. for one year before returning to his hometown to start a new chapter of his life. “It’s to bring back what I’ve learned outside of home and take the lessons I’ve learned and just help guide the student-athletes to their goals,” Duguay said. “Being able to do that is actually the biggest turning point, coming home.” Duguay found his passion
FOOTBALL Florida Tech Athletics
for strength and conditioning in college when he realized that physical education wasn’t challenging enough and decided he wanted to take it a step further. He said this is his way of staying connected with sports and helping others win championships and reach goals. “I enjoy finding different ways to manipulate the body; to actually see changes, see things happening,” Duguay said. Duguay didn’t have much time to settle in before the VTC started to flood every day with student athletes as the new semester started. He said that hitting the ground running has been stressful. “Realizing how much we want to do kind of makes it a little overwhelming,” Duguay said. Some of the projects that Duguay has in mind are immediate goals such as getting new rehabilitation equipment for the VTC. His long-term goals include outdoor storage for the VTC and new technology to help improve the student athletes’ power and efficiency in the weight room and on the field. “We’re going to bring in TENDO Units, which is a power output technology,” Duguay said. This technology will give them immediate feedback on how fast the bar moves and the amount of force being used to move the bar, he said.
Duguay said he also wants to implement a movement software called Dartfish, which will analyze movement and see where studentathletes can become more efficient. “It will break down not only the lifting patterns, but I can also use it for the sports individually so athletes can see how they can be more efficient, better moving and what are some of the issues that they’re having,” Duguay said. Duguay may have plans for improving the strength and conditioning program, but what is most important to him are life lessons that student-athletes will learn in the weight room. “My goal really is to get them to understand the weight room as an extension not only of the competition field but also of life,” he said. “Not only will you learn lessons on the field of competition, but in the weight room you understand adversity, the discipline behind maintaining technique, doing things correctly, when to have fun and when to be serious.” As a new face at Florida Tech, Duguay says that he’s looking to emphasize respect and balance in the weight room as well as bring a new sense of energy and purpose to everything that he does. v
Photo by Audrey Gangloff. Chris Duguay in the Clemente Center showing proper training techniques,
GAME DAY Q&A
How do I get a free t-shirt?
Is tailgating allowed on campus?
Attend Panther Football’s season opener on Saturday, Sep. 5 at 7 p.m. at Florida Tech Panther Stadium! The first 1,000 fans will receive a FREE white-out game T-shirt, courtesy of Florida Tech University Online. Be sure to still wear WHITE as we look to WHITE OUT the opposing team, Newberry College Wolves!
Yes, tailgating is encouraged on campus in the designated areas only starting three hours before kickoff. These areas include the grass in front of the Varsity Training Center, the parking lots in front of the Harris Center for Science and Engineering, in the two rows of parking closest to the F.W. Olin Engineering Complex and in the parking garage behind PDH. Tailgating is not allowed in the parking lots at Palm Bay Magnet High School.
How much does it cost to attend a Florida Tech football home game?
What can I bring to tailgate?
Tickets are FREE for FIT students with school ID! Student tickets are available at the Clemente Center Ticket Office Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. — 2 p.m. during each week of a home game. If any student tickets remain for upcoming home games, they can be picked up on Fridays. All student tickets are for seating in the designated student sections, Sections 6 and 7 in the east stands. Tickets are $16 for reserved seating and general admission is $6 for FIT employees with your school ID. Faculty and staff can purchase up to two tickets at the discounted rate of $6 for general admission seating. Tickets can be purchased online at FloridaTechSports.com, at the ticket office and by dialing 321-674-6228.
Where do the Panthers play?
At Florida Tech Panther Stadium located 1.5 miles south of FIT off Babcock Street. Transportation to/from the stadium for FIT students, faculty and staff is provided for FREE on FIT trolleys. Parking is also available at Palm Bay Magnet High School starting two hours before kickoff for $5 per car.
Where are the pick-up points for the trolleys to the home games?
In front of the Clemente Center, at the intersection of Engineering Street and Psychology Place just north of the Machine Shop and in front of the parking garage behind the Panther Dining Hall.
Food, drinks, a grill, games and a whole lot of Panther Pride! You must be at least 21 years old to drink alcohol. Beverage kegs are not permitted. If charcoal is used for grilling, briquettes should be deposited in the designated containers. Open fire grilling is not allowed in the parking garage behind PDH. Please don’t forget to clean up your area before you leave.
How can I rent a tent for my group for a home game? Easy, 10’x10’ tents can be reserved by calling the FIT Athletic Offices at 321-674-8032.
Is there a pregame tradition involving the team? Two hours, 45 minutes prior to every home game, the Panthers walk the “Panther Prowl.” The Pep Band’s drumline leads the team from the Denius Student Center, by the Clemente Center and finally to the Varsity Training Center. Students, faculty, staff and fans are encouraged to help send the team off by lining the path of the walk in front of the Clemente Center and in the parking lot closest to the new Harris Student Design Center.
Is food available at the game? You better believe it! The Broken Barrel Tavern off Babcock Street and Palm Bay Road will sell food, soft drinks and water at the concession stand. Outside food and drinks cannot be brought inside the stadium.