The Florida Tech Crimson
The life and times of Student Y: Shedding light on the challenge Photo by pexels.com
Ashley Montion Social Media Coordinator
A Look Behind Student Y
“It was hard for me to consider myself as someone who needed help, let alone admit I needed help.” Student Y, a freshman in civil engineering who respectfully wishes to remain anonymous, said the panic attacks had been beyond personal control. She was caught between a demanding academic workload and life as a studentathlete, and it became very hard to find a time balance between the two. “Eventually it would turn into either a crying fit or a fit where my body would shut itself down
for up to an hour.” The engineering workload at Florida Tech also lends itself to making things harder, said Student Y. Being exposed to new programs and ideas not typically exposed during high school or any time before that was “overwhelming.” Given the subject matter, it was harder to articulate and process what was going on. “I was scared someone was going to look at me differently or was going to think I was going to be a burden to them from now on because, the truth is, I could be anxious or very depressed.” A few weeks after realizing there could be a problem, Student Y enrolled with Counseling and Psychological Services at Florida Tech.
The Facts
The reality is that one in four people on college campuses is a Student Y — a person with a diagnosable mental illness or psychological issue. The prevalence of mental health issues on college campuses continues to rise across the nation, including at Florida Tech. The Holzer Student Health Center confirmed that they have new patients starting on antidepressants each week. Statistically, any student may suffer from a mental health issue or some form of mental distress in their collegiate experience, according to an article by Marian University. The American Psychological Association said the most common of these disorders are depression, anxiety, suicidal
ideation, alcohol abuse, eating disorders and self-injury. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 80 percent of college students say they felt overwhelmed, and 45 percent felt as if they were hopeless. Seventy-three percent of students experienced some sort of psychological crisis on campus. Thirty-one percent of college students say they felt so depressed in the last year, it was difficult to function, while 50 percent of students say their overwhelming anxiety is the biggest reason for not performing well academically. The topic of suicide plays into mind as well, as it’s the third leading cause of death on college campuses. Seven percent of college students have “seriously considered suicide” in the past year.
The Stigma
Suffering from psychological issues comes as a doublechallenge for any Student Y. First, one undergoes immense physical, emotional and social disabilities. Second, they are faced with the negative judgments that stem from mistaken beliefs about mental illnesses, that lead to stereotyping and prejudice. This is known as stigma. According to a study by the Government of Western Australia Health Commission, one out of four people coping with mental illness says that they’ve experienced an instance of stigma and feelings of shame, hopelessness, personal weakness and reluctance
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Students learn valuable lessons from internships
Photo courtesy of Julia Worrell
Julia Worrell at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Rebekah Duntz Editor-in-Chief “Coming back was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” Julia Worrell, a chemical engineering student, just came back to school after interning at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for a year.
“Because being out there and basically getting to live reallife space camp, you know, eating lunch with astronaut; it’s crazy the opportunities I was presented with,” Worrell said, a hint of nostalgia under her breath. “I just did not want to leave.” At first, it was a summer internship. Then it was extended.
But she said she realized, with a little help from her mentors at NASA, that she needed to come back to Florida Tech to get her degree. Worrell’s internship experience was life-changing for her, and she said it helped her choose what she wanted to do. “I feel like a lot of students
don’t know about the opportunities,” she said. “I feel like that experience just really was super defining and validating. Working for NASA has always been something I’ve wanted to do,” Worrell said. “I think a lot of the students here could benefit here from the program that I was in,” Worrell said. Worrell is full of stories from her internship at NASA. “I actually got to sit in on mission control when one of our CO2 scrubbers went down. and that’s basically what’s keeping the air pure so the astronauts don’t suffocate,” she said. The flight controller setup has four computer monitors with displays, and those displays have tiny boxes with data, each with separate systems that need to be monitored. “When you’re sitting on mission control, it’s like being on a spider web. So everyone is super in tune with what everyone else is doing,” Worrell said. “It’s like a little headset with 30-something voices talking to you at the same time, all about different things.” She also commented on how the politics of mission control with other countries is really interesting, making our emissions by carbon dioxide scrubbing in space. If the U.S.’s system goes down, we may be in a pinch and need to negotiate. “I flew microgravity flights, but that’s a whole other story. That was something I got to design, build and operate,” Worrell said. Kristen Safford, a sophomore in chemical engineering, described her internship as a defining moment as well. She used her internship as a way to gauge whether chemical engineering was right for her. “It didn’t help me pick my major, but it helped solidify it,” Safford said. “Because I was a little
iffy even freshman year. But after working under the engineer of the company, I was like ‘yeah, that’s what I want to do.’” Safford interned with a small chemical manufacturer company up north called RSA Corporation for two summers. “The first summer I worked there, they had me working in the quality control lab, and this past summer they had me working under one of the engineers,” Safford said. She said the company is so small and family-like that she may try search for another internship to get a feel for what it’s like to be in a corporate setting. Dona Gaynor, the director of Career Management Services, said students have many resources on campus to get internships and advice on jobs or career opportunities. “You can work part-time, full-time, over the summer, during the academic year; whatever works out for the student and for the employer,” Gaynor said. Her office connects employers and students together through a number of ways. Gaynor’s office sends out targeted emails to students through the Panther Career Link, which each student has an account with if they log in and activate through Access. Then students can get links to job opportunities when it’s closer to their graduation date, or apply to them directly through the job portal. Gaynor said they also help international students find internship and job opportunities as well, even though it’s more difficult often because of federal regulations and sponsoring fees, particularly where Florida Tech is located because of defense contractors, and the location of many governmentrelated and defense-related jobs. v
2 -october 21, 2015
OPINIONS
the Florida tech crimson
Opinion: The Added Costs of Graduation Will Henderson Staff Writer Graduation is a right of passage in the United States of America. It signifies the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, as we have probably all heard from one of our high school commencement speakers. After all the hard work students have put into their academic careers, they will do just about anything to open that new chapter, and usually it includes paying out a lot of money. The initial sign of graduation costs can come well before the semester of the student’s graduation. The petition to gradu-
ate form must be filled out at the beginning of the semester prior to graduation, or else a $30 fine would be incurred. If the petition to graduate form is not filled out until the same semester as anticipated graduation, the fine will increase to $60. This fee is small compared to some of the other costs that come from not only the ceremony, but also the cost of travel, tickets, accommodations, and, if you so desire, graduate school. Since graduation is so important to the student, it’s very common that family members travel from across the country to witness the special day. Often times, the family will spend a
large amount of money to pay for hotel rooms, dinners and additional graduation tickets for the family. Students at the commencement for Fall 2015, which takes place on Dec.12, will be allocated six tickets for undergraduates, and five tickets for graduate students. Students planning to attend the Spring commencement, which takes place on May 6, will see that number cut to four tickets each. This decrease in the number of tickets will almost certainly lead to students competing for the few tickets that won’t be given to students’ family members. Some students, however, are not complete with their academic
career upon reception of their bachelor’s degree. For students that elect to continue their education, the bill is incredibly high before tuition is even considered. For admission to graduate schools, students usually have to take a test. This test is either the General Graduate Readiness Examination (GRE), the GRE subject test for their area of concentration, the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), or the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). All of these are expensive; $160 for the GRE, $150 for the GRE subject, $300 for the MCAT, and $170 for the LSAT. Upon completion of the test, they will send your test scores to between
three and five schools for free. After that, a fee is incurred to send test scores. This fee is $27 for the GRE, $30 for the GRE, and $36 for the MCAT. The final costs would be the cost of requesting official transcripts to send to schools at $10 each, and the application fee for each university, which ranges from $30 to $100. Students will therefore be paying upwards of $1000 to apply to around five graduate schools. Whatever the situation for each student, it’s not a bad idea to be prepared to stretch that ramen diet a bit further at the end of the semester. It will all be worth it when you get that diploma. v
3 -october 21, 2015
CAMPUS LIFE
the Florida tech crimson
Light and Shadow Exhibition on display at Ruth Funk Center Until Dec. 12 Lindsay Isaac Staff Writer “Did you notice that?” Toni Alper, a docent for the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts at Florida Tech, asked curiously as she pointed to a collection of suspended pieces titled “Dandelion Wishes.” “It’s one thing to see this from the floor, but the work looks so different from above,” Alper smiled as she addressed the group that made its way up the stairs behind her. The people who followed behind Alper peered over the railing. Hye Shin, the artist who crafted the wall hangings, embroidery and sculpture installations on display in the Ruth Funk Center for the current exhibition, Light and Shadows, “saw dandelions as a symbol of the balance that is necessary in life,” Alper explained. “Dandelions,” the docent remarked, “are both strong and fragile.” “Dandelion Wishes” is one of Shin’s many acknowledgements of the beauty that exists in the delicate polarity of nature and life. Shin’s work throughout Light and Shadow offers viewers a stirring experience in such contrast. A statement released by the Ruth Funk Center to describe the current exhibition addresses the significance of contrast in Shin’s work: “The pieces created for this
Photos by Lindsay Isaac exhibition are characterized by the dichotomy of the natural world (light vs. shadow, sadness vs. joy, life vs. death and recovery). The artist believes these qualities are inherent to nature and critical to understanding and appreciating its beauty.” Alper was keenly aware of the artist’s intention. The docent stopped at the top of the stairs to introduce the story behind Shin’s experiences of sadness and joy that led the artist to create the contemporary fiber art found in Light and Shadows. “Hye Shin was born and raised in South Korea, but she found herself in Indiana when her husband relocated there for work. The two wanted to start a family but could not conceive for a long time,” the docent explained. “Shin’s work is reflective of her emotions and experiences. The artist knew both beauty and hardship,” Alper shared. The titles of Shin’s art revealed the dichotomy of the fiber artist’s experience to the exhibition’s visitors, as Alper led the group passed works titled “Embrace I” and “The Memory of the Trees II” to works titled “Sorrow I-XII” and “Sunken Dreams.” “Can you tell what material Shin used?” Alper asked as the group wove its way past a textile that was hanging on display. A few people gathered closely to
Light and Shadow: Contemporary Fiber Art by Hye Shin
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness:
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1: to seek help. The concern of stigma is the number one reason why students feel discouraged to seek help. It is common that students are fearful for being labeled or judged by admitting they have a problem. “It’s hard, because a lot of people don’t understand it,” said Student Y. “You get so caught up in your emotion in the moment that it’s really hard to focus on anything else.” Sixty-four percent of college dropouts left due to a mental health-related reason according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Diana Davis, a third-year in the psychology doctorate program,
uses the example of insulting people on a level of mental health, such as calling them “crazy” or saying “you need help.” “You truly never understand how much that person is suffering,” Davis said. “And so it’s important to recognize what’s ‘normal college stress’ and when that’s reaching a more significant level and when someone needs some help.” Psychology doctorate student Mary Caitlin Fertitta thinks it’s all about starting the conversation. Fertitta is the secretary for Active Minds, a club with a mission to lower the stigma surrounding mental illness through education.
the piece. “Horse hair,” Alper responded. “Shin used horse hair in her art. She saw the manes of horses flowing wild and free and she was inspired by that.” “Isn’t that lovely?” two women mused as they admired the masterfully crafted work, but the tone of the viewers soon changed as Alper led the group to an installation of blood bags, red yarn and wire sculptures in the shape of Chinese Lantern plants. “This is installation art,” Alper began. “Do you know what installation art is?” the docent asked the viewers who had become silent. Alper spoke: “Installation art raises the question, ‘What is art?’” The docent’s eye settled spiritedly on the group. “You experience the art. You become part of the exhibit.” Alper explained. “Notice the use of circles in Hye Shin’s work. Notice how the beginnings become ends which become beginnings again,” Alper whispered. The viewers and docent stood, looking through the art to thoughts and associations that no one else could see. For some viewers Light and Shadows raised questions; for others, the exhibition offered answers. Light and Shadows will be on display until December 12th. v
“It affects everybody on such a personal level, it’s hard to talk about and people think it can be embarrassing,” Fertitta said. “So we want to reduce the embarrassment, reduce the stigma and say it’s okay, it’s okay to struggle, and there are people here to help you.”
Resources
“There are resources here to help you and help reduce the length of it and potentially help make it better,” Davis said. CAPS and the Holzer Health Center are available, and students are welcome to walk into the centers during business hours.
Student Y said CAPS has allowed a place to put everything out on the table. “It definitely hasn’t fixed the problem, and I don’t know if it will get fixed in its entirety. But it’s definitely helped me find ways to cope with everything that’s been going on as far as how to handle it when I feel like I’m going to have an anxiety attack.” For more information or support for issues possibly faced during college or young adult life, please visit: ActiveMinds.org CampusBlues.com ULifeline.org v
Over 80% of college students say they felt overwhelmed, and 45% felt as if they were hopeless. 73% of students experienced some sort of psychological crisis on campus. 31% of college students say they felt so depressed in the last year, it was difficult to function. 50% of students say their overwhelming anxiety is the biggest reason for not performing well academically.
campus life
5 - october 21, 2015
The Florida tech crimson
Sci Tech Comm Surveys:
are they worth your two minutes?
Mary Kozaitis Staff Writer We have all received them. They come every semester. It does not matter if you are subscribed to them or not. Each one a different topic, and some repeating the same. Those scientific and technical communication surveys fill our inboxes whether you intend to respond to them or not. So, are these surveys worth the couple of extra minutes to take out of your day to answer them? Heidi Edwards, head of the communication department at Florida Tech said she thinks so. “They make an impact indirectly on campus, at the very least,” Edwards said. “Similar projects will often be taken up, which gets the idea out there.” One of the main issues with putting ideas from sci-tech comm surveys to use is financial restrictions. Not many changes have come about directly because of the surveys, but there have been a few. “Futuristics club, whose purpose is to bring all different kinds of majors together, came about from sci-tech comm surveys,” said professor Amy Laakman, who has been teaching the class sci-tech communication for three years now. She said the project is a part of the curriculum, so
she definitely plans on continuing it for future students. Indiella Kemm, a sophomore pre-med major, enjoys this project, and she said she hopes hers will improve the campus environment. “I’m hoping it will make a change on campus. I was thinking about taking my results to SGA,” Kemm said. “It makes students aware of what we want to fix.” Not all projects are solely survey-based. Some include a service project, like the one sophomore Kelby Callahan and her group members did for breast cancer awareness. Her sci-tech comm group sold cupcakes, played games, had a candlelight vigil and a meet-and-greet with a survivor to help raise awareness against breast cancer. “From this project, I want to be able to give back to those affected by breast cancer and prevent more people from being harmed by it,” Callahan said. The bottom line might be that if a student is having a stressful day filled with loads of schoolwork to do, surveys probably will not be on the top of a priority list. They could be, however, a great way for students to spread ideas and get people thinking about what they want to see on campus. You never know — your idea may just be the one to make a change. v
7 -october 21, 2015
SCI/TECH
the Florida tech crimson
Slick and Shiny
Things you may have missed about the latest iPhone Ebube Ubochi
Sci-Tech Editor At first glance, iPhone 6S looks just like its predecessor. Made of metal and glass, its intricately rounded edges compliment its feel and light build come in packaging so pristine that discarding the box hardly even occurs to most users. Other than a tiny “S” badge on its back, there is barely anything to differentiate the 6S from the hugely popular iPhone 6. There are however, major differences under the hood that any potential buyer would be remiss to neglect. The three most prominent differences are present in the camera optics — it captures its subjects at 12 megapixels now and shoots 4K video — the processing power specifications and the display properties. A lot of this is shown off by the impressive work done by the brand new A9 processor and Apple’s all-new 3D Touch feature, but I’ve highlighted a few areas that I feel are important to take into consideration before dishing out the cheddar on this device. Design: Although the 6S is extremely familiar on the outside, it is slightly heavier due to the 7000 series aluminum used in its build. This is mostly to thwart the bendgate crisis that plagued many iPhone 6S owners last year. iPhones are famous for being pretty and shiny, but infamous for the slipperiness that comes with that — you really can’t expect that much grip and traction from metal and glass after all — so the general hope is that the weight of the new metal and the 0.2mm increase in thickness will help with this. In addition, Touch ID has been updated and is now twice as fast, enabling users to unlock their phones seemingly by simply pressing the home button once and waking the screen — yeah, it really is that fast. Specs: Apple’s alternately released “S” phones are historically known for their relative lack of flashiness that is well made up for by their tendency to be models for game changing features — the S is said to have stood for Speed in iPhone 3GS, Siri in iPhone 4S, and Security in iPhone 5S, brought about by the introduction of Touch ID’s fingerprint reader. The 6S, however shines in all three, and this is all thanks to its 2GHz A9 processor which feels very snappy in everyday use due to its 2GB of RAM. Multitasking rocks on this thing and the device itself scores benchmarks so high, it’s comparable to some laptops (it’s really, really fast).
Battery: This one is slightly odd, seeing as the battery is slightly smaller at 1715mAh in the 6S and 2750mAh in the 6S Plus. These are lower on paper, but ideally the same, especially with the support provided by iOS 9’s new low-power mode, which can extend battery life several hours with normal use. This feature is actually quite impressive in the way it slows down animations and background processes to save power, as well as in the way it manages display output — if your phone is face-down on a surface when you receive a notification in low power mode, you’ll hear it but the screen won’t light up, because why should it? It’s not like you’re gonna see it. Display: In terms of resolution, everything is the same: a 1334 x 750 IPS panel on the 6S, and a 1080p LCD panel on the 6S Plus. The real story here is 3D touch, which enables users to extend and expand the functionality of capacitive buttons and icons by applying varying levels of force to their taps and presses. It uses an intuitive taptic engine to generate a mobile version of the Force Touch functionality that was debuted on the most recently released MacBook in March. By applying such force, users can “peek” at their content at a glance while retaining full sense of their context, and view information provided by apps other than the one currently running. With a little bit of extra force, users can “pop” fully into apps they are peeking at and access their full feature set. It is very important to note however, that although 3D Touch is pretty and full of new possibilities for iOS users, it is still brand new and mostly usable only in Apple’s built in apps and apps made by very prominent developers. Most third-party developers will need a considerable amount of time to take full advantage of it; iPhone 7 might even be out before all of them are safely on the train. So if you’re an iPhone 6 owner and 3D Touch is your only reason for getting the new device, I’d advise a review of priorities; however, if you own anything before and including iPhone 5S or you’re just a lost and curious Android user, please be my guest. Camera: It’s safe to say that the world has reached a point where iPhones and iOS are reasonably capable of enough things to actually make Android users do a double take and consider owning them. That being said, the latest thing to come up to par and push this trend forward is the
new iSight camera. It has the same colour corrective true tone flash that’s been around since iPhone 5S, and the same camera optics for the most part, but there’s a new sensor with new specs. There is quite a lot to say about what makes the iSight camera unique, but I’ll try and explain without droning. In practice, the utility of a smartphone’s camera is measured on a scale of functionality and a scale of control/ usability — if you take a very advanced smartphone camera with a lot of buttons and toggles and hand it to someone on the street, chances are they won’t be able to use it all that well or to its full potential;
similarly, a camera that is very easy to use most likely doesn’t take very impressive photograph. The iSight camera is in the habit of finding the right balance between these two criteria with each release. In the 6S and 6S Plus, the difference is not so much in the detail of the shots as in the colour accuracy and image processing brought about by the 12MP sensor, as opposed to the 8MP one that’s been around since 2011’s iPhone 4S. There isn’t a lot of sharpening; colours are warm; photos look natural and possess an impressive amount of detail; and HDR is not aggressive at all — high dynamic range modes on smartphones increase the range of luminosity captured by their cameras. In addition, noise levels are manageable and video detail is great without being overly sharp. The iSight camera shoots videos with excellent exposure and dynamic range, accurate colours and warm tones.
The flashiest thing Apple is selling with the new iSight camera is its ability to capture what they are calling “live photos.” Users can take them by holding still while the iSight camera records subjects’ activity 1.5 seconds before and after it captures the actual photo. I admit that they’re cool and rouse ideas for a great deal of potential, but I can’t help but see them as glorified gifs and short videos after careful consideration; they’re almost gimmicky. They take up the space of two photos, cannot be shared in their full form outside of the Apple ecosystem and are enabled by default. The
good thing though, is that they make the coolest interactive wallpapers on the planet and serve as Apple Watch faces. That counts for something, I suppose. One of the best things about any new flagship device is the fact that it is the first to ship with its maker’s newest operating system, and this is the case with iPhone 6S. Apple is often applauded for their commitment to designing software and hardware hand in hand, and this lack of fragmentation translates to one of the iPhone’s greatest strengths as a product. iOS 9 was designed for the 6S — and vice versa — and it truly shows. The size of iPhone to go for is a whole other story, as it really does depends on what works best for each individual, and can be sometimes difficult to discern. My advice is to try both devices out for prolonged periods of time, and make sure to feel them properly in the hand.
In my experience, most users know which one they truly want once they’ve felt them both and this includes people who dismissed the plus size as being too big before even touching it, only to change their minds at some point. Just remember that the 6S Plus has a 60% larger battery and a camera that features optical image stabilization. Unlocked, iPhone 6S is priced at $649 for the 16GB model which really shouldn’t even exist — the thing takes 12MP photos and shoots 4K video for crying out loud — $749 for the 64GB model, and $849 for the 128GB
Photo by Ebube Ubochi model. Bear in mind that the 6S Plus costs at least $100 more in each category, locked or unlocked. Honestly, the phone will still be ridiculously expensive no matter what we do, so I suppose we’ll just have to deal with it. And that new iPhone Upgrade Program that Apple announced after debuting the new phones? It could be good if you like to get every new iPhone that shows its face. If you don’t, then I suggest you stay far away from it. Carrier rates and promotions differ slightly, but the experience has been proven very similar in most cases. At least the phone will be easier to get, now that it has been out for three weeks. Just make sure you take a look at the new rose gold version of the iPhone in person before writing it off; it might seem like a pale pink but chances are, you’ll fall madly in love with it. v
the Florida tech crimson
SPORTS october 21, 2015
Softball team takes community service to the next level with Team IMPACT Andrew Shipotofsky
Sports Editor Florida Tech Softball added in a new bubbly five-year-old to the team. Paula Rieber of Palm Bay was drafted to the team earlier this month through a national program Team IMPACT. Rieber suffers from a Congenital Heart Defect known as Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition required her to have openheart surgery just over two weeks after her birth. The condition precludes Rieber from being able to play full contact sports, but still is very active in ballet. “As coaches, we are always looking to recruit standout players that are going to make a difference in the classroom, on the field and in the community so we spend several hours evaluating,” said head coach Val Silvestrini. “Sometimes, though, you run into kids like this young lady and after a few minutes you realize that they were meant to be a part of our softball program.” Despite living every day facing adversity, Rieber is full of energy and enthusiasm. This enthusiasm has translated to the field, where she rallies her new teammates at practice. “I am also considering her to be part of the coaching staff since yesterday we had a couple of kids on the field and she was having them do everything that she said. I wish I could do the same with our players,” Silvestrini said. When asked by one of the players why Florida Tech Softball was the right team for her, Rieber’s answer was short
and sweet. “Because it is always fun,” Rieber said. When all of the important questions had been answered, such as Rieber’s favorite movie and what snacks she plans to bring on team trips, Rieber flipped the questions to her new teammates. Among the things on her mind, what everyone’s favorite animal is and what art projects the team likes to do. Florida Tech’s relationship with Rieber was made possible by Team IMPACT, a national organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team. Children involved are drafted onto local college athletic teams becoming an official member of the team from Draft Day through to graduation. Team IMPACT, according to their website, focuses on the best experience for children while also significantly impacting families, student athletes, colleges and communities. Over the next few years, their goal is to increase the number of deserving children drafted onto athletic teams on every college campus in the United States. Rieber’s father, Donald, is hoping that this new relationship will help his daughter continue to grow. “I just want to have her be around the players,” Mr. Rieber said. “I think it will be good for her to feel a part of something and be involved.” “It means the world to us to have Paula and her family as a part of our family,” Silvestrini said. “One of the core values for our team is family and unity and this is a perfect example of that.” v
Photos by Andrew Shipotofsky
Women’s soccer raises online profile with blog Audrey Gangloff Staff Writer The Florida Tech women’s soccer team is going high tech. The tradition began last season when the team traveled to Hawaii and late Coach Fidgi Haig wanted to find a way to update fans back home on the team’s’ activities. “He wanted us to write a blog,” said volunteer assistant and goalkeeping coach Emma Ahlstrand. “I told him we’re not going to write a blog, people aren’t going to read it because people don’t read anymore.” Ahlstrand has a background in photography and filmmaking from working as the head of events and head photographer at the biggest sports camp in northern Europe for three years. She was in charge of all the pictures that were taken at that camp as well as film editing. She suggested to Haig that they do a video blog instead and he agreed. The team had so much fun with the camera that they requested that the blog become a regular thing for this season. Ahlstrand asked Sky Morrison, a junior communication major on the team, to be the front
person of the project. “She is happy and bubbly and just, Sky,” said Ahlstrand. “It was an easy choice.” Morrison takes most of the footage since she has a long-term injury that prevents her from playing. She is using the experience to apply what she is using in the classroom to the real world. For Morrison, the biggest challenge is getting new and fresh footage using only two pieces of equipment — Cam and Marvin Jr. Cam is Ahlstrand’s Nikon D5300 that Morrison uses and Marvin Jr. is the tripod — junior because she broke the original Marvin. “I did some TV production in high school, so I figured how bad could I be? But the actual filming process…struggle bus!” Morrison said. Morrison said that despite the kinks, the outcome of all the hard work is worth it. “It’s a good memory to have. It’s on the internet and it’s going to stay there on the internet. Five or ten years down the line, you can still go back and look at it and it’s sort of like a yearbook that people will go back and look at,” said Ahlstrand. “This is a more modern version of it. It’s kind of like a diary in a way for them.” Morrison said it’s a great
Photo by floridatechsports.com opportunity for the team to show the world who they really are. Incoming freshmen and recruits get a sneak peek at who their new teammates are off the field. “It’s hard being a studentathlete and it is a lot to balance and I think we want to show why we work the way we work, the purpose behind it,” said Morrison. With the blog becoming
more regular this semester, Ahlstrand said their biggest hurdle is coming up with new material to talk about and getting people to watch. But at the beginning of the summer, the women’s soccer page on Facebook had only 200 likes and now it boasts over 1,100. Morrison hopes that the blog is something that continues after she graduates, but both women
admit that it is something they are taking one year at a time. “We just gotta get someone who’s willing to just get in front of the camera and blab,” said Morrison. Ahlstrand has about three more blog posts planned. Fans can find the link to the blog’s youtube page at http://www.floridatechsports.com/wsoccer/ v