Winner of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Mark of Excellence award
October 23, 2014
Fall, issue 5
A Country Divided: Students React to a Revolution Alex Salter Ashley Montion Staff Writers For centuries, citizens in countries all over the world have fought for the right to elect government officials. Wars have erupted and lives have been lost over one powerful word: democracy. Chinese students at Florida Tech — 8000 miles away from their homeland — have conflicting opinions about the issue. As of September 28, Hong Kong, China is experiencing a student-led government protest from within, called “The Umbrella Revolution,” in the demand to elect future government officials. Haoruo Fu, a freshman in aerospace engineering, said “Those already in office elect the future representatives. But many people in Hong Kong don’t agree with this — they want to involve everyone and elect their own leaders and representatives. So they started a group called Occupy Central with Love and Peace and they planned to begin their protest on September 28. They encouraged a lot of students by saying ‘we don’t want to follow the ways of the Beijing government; we want to vote for our own leaders.’” For the citizens of Hong Kong, a fight for democracy that’s attracting protesters by the thousands is a sign of hope for some, and a nuisance to others.
Pro-democracy demonstrators are standing and sleeping in the central with no plans to leave until their demands are met. Students at Florida Tech are affected by the issue, especially those who have friends and family back home who are experiencing the true repercussions of the mass movement. Florida Tech junior Mandy Lam, 21, says this protest doesn’t come as a surprise. “I was back home during summer and they were already talking about it. It was just a matter of time,” said Lam. Lam is an international student, born and raised in Hong Kong. “For the first five years of my childhood, Hong Kong was a British colony. In 1997, we returned to the Chinese government, but kept a different system from mainland China. The difference between Hong Kong and mainland China is that we have more freedom, especially in press. For example, people in mainland China can’t really go on social media sites like Facebook,” said Lam. This censorship explains why Haoruo Fu, a native of Kunming in the southern part of China, wasn’t able to get much information about the revolution from his friends back home. “I asked a couple of my friends in China what was going on, but it’s really weird, they cannot see the things about Hong Kong. I believe I knew more about the protests than my friends did. The technology policies in the U.S are different, and everyone has ac-
cess to the news, especially on the Internet,” said Haoruo. Despite there being a lack of information in China about the situation at hand, Haoruo feels that the access to media here doesn’t always tell the story accurately. “News in different countries represents thoughts in different ways. The news we read here may depict something different than what’s actually going on in Hong Kong. I think the best way we can educate ourselves about this protest is to realize that the issue goes beyond what we read in media.” The umbrella stands as the mass movement’s symbol, and students use them to protect themselves from tear gas attacks authorized by chief executive of Hong Kong, Leung Chun-Ying. His plan to push protesters back with the help of Chinese riot police led to an increased number of supporters of the revolution, who label the chief as “vampire” and “dog,” according to the New York Times. Haoruo and Lam have differing opinions about the protests. Lam supported the revolution, as long as it is nonviolent. She has posted pictures on Instagram wearing yellow, the color representing democracy. “We are the next generation, so it’s not wrong to express our feeling about society. I support fighting for democracy, and I think it’s a good thing that people at home are speaking up.” However, as the protests continue, Lam’s opinion has changed. “I really don’t know how I feel right now … I support democracy, but it doesn’t have to
make such a mess. Back home is such a mess, everyone is arguing against each other.” Lam’s family has directly been affected by the movement. “My parents work near the protester demonstrators, so it was hard for them to get to work, which began affecting their jobs,” said Lam. “These college students are young, wild and they love their country. But many students protesting don’t have correct judgment about what they’re doing, rather than following people who are protesting. Government may have some problems, but people cannot use illegal ways to advocate their thought. In order to live in democracy, you have to obey the law. You cannot just sleep on the ground by the thousands, creating a traffic jam and impossible working conditions. Lam and Haoruo also differ in their opinion about the police. Hsoruo says the government may have been “wrong in tear-gassing the protesters,” while Lam says she feels that “if the police don’t continue to do their job, the situations will get worse for the protesters.” Could the opposing views of both Lam and Haoruo be because they were born into two separate governing systems? Lam and Haoruo both agree, however, that the protestors are disrupting living conditions. “You have the right to say what you want in other ways. Maybe you can write an email or log onto a government website, but if you feel that sitting on the road and turning a whole city into crap
is the right way, you’re wrong. It’s incorrect and illegal,” said Haoruo. “I support protestors when they’re peaceful … but they’re disrupting people’s lives by occupying the central. I just hope everyone at home stays safe.” said Lam. It is important for FIT students to be aware of what’s happening overseas, whether they’re Chinese or not. Democracy is one reason a lot of people emigrate to the United States. To see that people have to fight for their right to elect who leads them may arouse some emotion in students. “I’m not sure how much longer the protests will last, but I know the number of people participating is decreasing,” said Haoruo. Although the outcome is currently unknown, one thing is known: the protest may be peaceful, but the goal is paramount. So students at Florida Tech should ask themselves: if such an issue happened here in the United States, would you become a leader and fight for democracy and your freedom to choose who represents your nation, or would you be a bystander and witness the events unfold before you? v
President’s Picnic a success for students, community Noemi Redak Staff Writer The first day of Fall Break, October 11, started with what has already become a tradition at Florida Tech – the President’s Picnic. The weather was just right for the event so that families, staff and students could enjoy a nice day with free food, drinks and games with prizes. Hundreds came and went back in time to the Medieval Era on the Florida Tech campus. The menu included items for all tastes, ranging from smoked turkey legs, roasted chicken legs, and bacon and chive salads to potatoes, pretzels and roast pork. Hot dogs, popcorn, ice-cream and shaved ice were also served, along with a large variety of cold drinks. There were many games to choose from, including an archery game to defeat the dragons by aiming arrows at them, a wheel of
Student Spotlight: Lafe See page 4
fortune that will decide the lucky winner of a specially-designed Florida Tech cup, a Fill-the Goblet game with the big prize consisting of a fire-breathing toy dragon, dragon egg hunts, catapults and much more. Student organizations took the opportunity of presenting their latest works. The College of Aeronautics was present with wood custom made airplanes, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers presented their F1 car and latest improvements and the Astronomical Society taught the children about the planets. The Fencing Club put up a small demonstration to the thrill of the students present. The Medieval-themed event was a huge success in spite of the fact that many students left for home during Fall break. Music was always present and there was always something to do. v
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OPINIONS....................... 2 campus life................. 3 sci/tech...................... 7