Fall Issue 8 Nov. 25
Fellow classmates, friends, professors and family celebrate life of Nick Spiva Rebekah Duntz Editor-in-Chief The month of November brings with it a somber mood for students, faculty and staff at Florida Tech. There have been four deaths this Fall, including Nick Spiva, a 25-year-old physics student, was killed in a vehicle accident on Monday, Nov. 10. Spiva was riding his motorcycle southbound on Dairy road, and as the light turned yellow, another car tried to take a left onto Eber road, the front side of the car colliding with the motorcycle, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Spiva was wearing a helmet. A memorial event was held on the roof of the Olin Physical Sciences Building, where students wrote messages on the whiteboard about Spiva, talked about their memories with him, and ate Hawaiian pizza. Students were
calling the event a “Nick’s Earth graduation party.” The event ended with a weather balloon release. In remembering Spiva, his friends and family are choosing to celebrate his life, and to cherish the fact that he was a part of their lives. Spiva was a light that seemed to touch the life of each person he knew. “Nick was a character, to say the least. He was always super enthusiastic. He was the kind of guy that will run up to you, give you a hug, take a selfie with you for no damn reason, and then walk out of there,” said 21-year-old brother, Nate Spiva. “He always spoke his mind, and lived life on his own terms, and I would never have had it any other way,” said his mother, Martha Spiva, at his memorial. “He craved learning his entire life.” He was a dedicated student, and he was going to graduate next semester. He was always in and out of the physics department offices, and he held friendships with many people in the department. As a
senior, almost everyone knew him. He had just finished taking his GRE test. Spiva also held down two jobs while studying full-time. He worked as a research assistant in the Geospace Physics Lab, GPL, where he was one of the key undergraduate researchers. “He was responsible for taking images of sprites and jets, which is the backfiring of lightning. And the lightning group here is really important because this part of Florida is the most lightning-active region in the United States,” said professor Daniel Batcheldor, interim head of the physics and space sciences department. “He was a little bit older, as well, he was 24,” said Batcheldor. “So he had a more developed sense of self than a lot of freshman have. He was very sure of himself, he knew what he wanted to do, he was driven, he knew how to ask for help. He had that balance down very well. So it was refreshing to have a student that knew exactly what he wanted.”
Nate talked about how he looked up to his brother, and he viewed him as a genius. “He was just that kind of person that once he got something started, he would never stop until he perfected that field,” said Nate. “He was somebody that inspired me, and I was always looking forward to seeing what he was going to do next.” His second job was at Sears, where he was an auto mechanic. “I called him my favorite mechanic, because he would work on my car. Whenever anything went wrong with my car, he’d be the first one to fix it,” said Elizabeth Starling, friend and a member of the Secular Student Alliance. “He worked on everybody’s cars in this department.” He was the president of the Secular Student Alliance, and he held passionate secular beliefs. His mother jokingly said at his memorial that he would often get into long debates, usually inappropriately and usually on Facebook, about atheism and religion.
“You know, he was always excited to have meetings and do something special. Like this year, he put together this graveyard of the Gods for Halloween,” said Starling. “All down Crawford lawn there were these gravestones of all the different Gods from all of the different mythologies and history with the influence they’ve had on culture today.” He’d spent hours putting it together and sticking them in the ground, just to “do something ridiculous,” Starling said. “Passionate, I guess, is the biggest word that comes to mind with him.” Spiva’s wife, Suzy, had an estate sale and will now be moving in with Nick’s family. “My mom is actually still in Florida with Susan, moving all the stuff to Idaho. She’s going to live with us. She’s family to us. She really is like the sister in the family,” said Nate. There is a youcaring.com fundraiser online, held by the Spiva family, to help raise funds for his wife Suzy and the memorial. v
In memorium It is with much sadness that we announce the loss of staff member Phil Martinez. Martinez was the Registration Process Coordinator in our Continuing Education Department. He had worked for the university since 2013, and was an engaging young man who always wanted to make things better. He will be remembered for his warm personality and his smile. Our condolences go out to his family, friends and colleagues. Martinez passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, Nov. 16. Martinez bonded with his friends and colleagues through his love of music. He played video games and board games with his friends and colleagues, and always sparked happiness in those around him. May he rest in peace.
Two new ways to get a seat in that filled class. Go to page 4.
OPINIONS
2 - November 25, 2014
Review:
the Florida tech crimson
Company Fumiko Shinkawa Staff Writer
The College Players’ performance, November 13, drew many students out of their pre-final daze for their hour and a half interpretation of Company. I went to this performance a skeptic, but was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. Company is a comedy, featuring the endearing story of a bachelor half-seeking his soul mate amidst the ordeal of his 35th birthday. Admittedly, Company was confusing, as a fresh experience. The story is told in short vignettes punctuated by alternate outcomes of the celebrations of Bobby’s birthday and told, it seems, in no obvious order, if not chronologically. But the performance itself was miles ahead of the first College Players’ production that I saw, turning me off of the group, in Fall 2012. As a group, the cast sang beautifully. Songs that featured
the full cast were well-rounded, well-tuned and full. This included the song that echoed through the musical as its theme. But it was during songs when the cast broke down into its individual parts that the production as a whole started to crumble. There were very specific voices that felt weak, not for lack of talent but for a certain deficit of confidence, amidst the others. My biggest complaint about the production was that, even where I sat in the front, some voices were difficult to hear and sometimes borderline incoherent and some-
times lacking confidence in their entrances. One song in particular fell victim to this issue — “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” featured Bobby’s three girlfriends and was borderline painful. It was the choreography, though simple, that really caught me by surprise. It seemed it could use a little more polish, but the simple steps added a lot of playfulness to the musical as a whole. Beside some of its shortcomings, Company also had its incredibly endearing moments. “Getting Married Today” forced
Photos courtesy of Becca Demczuk audible reactions from the crowd and, besides that, the performance of the song itself was adorable. “Poor Baby” was similarly memorable, the spectacle of the scene surprising and well-performed while the song itself was well positioned and, perhaps, one of my favorite scenes of the musical. In all, Company was well worth seeing and a momentous step upward from what I had expected. I’d like to see what progress the College Players make in the next semesters. v
CAPS PSA: Test Anxiety Kendra Bartel CAPS Outreach Columnist While the Christmas carols are back, singing about how it’s “the most wonderful time of the year,” most college students are disagreeing. It is likely you disagree with this statement because, until finals are over, nothing can truly be wonderful. As November comes to an end, you may find yourself feeling more and more anxious about finals. Finals are a very stressful time and there is nothing wrong with feeling a bit anxious about them. The good news is, there are a lot of things you can do to ease this anxiety that is creeping up on you. Not all strategies to help with test anxiety need to happen while you’re taking the test; you can prepare weeks before.
Before Test Day Manage your time This means starting early. By starting early, you are actually saving time later when stress may be high. Gather and organize the materials you will need in order to study for the final so you won’t have to spend time searching for them later in a panic. Take some time each day to prepare for a different final. Reviewing your notes each day helps keep the information fresh. Reviewing your notes early also helps you realize if you are struggling significantly with a certain topic. This way, you’ll have time to meet with your professor for extra clarification before it’s too late. Get rid of any distractions around you. Don’t try to study in the middle of the dining hall where all your friends will come up to you.
Instead, try to go to the library or a quiet place where you can focus for a few hours. You will not only get more work done, but the information you are trying to learn will be remembered better.
Be prepared Make flashcards for vocabulary terms or even practice questions.
Approach the exam with confidence Remind yourself that you really are prepared and that you can remember the information. It’s important not to beat yourself down but instead build yourself up.
Allow yourself plenty of time On the day of the test make sure you don’t wake up at the last minute. You want to try to minimize the amount of stress you are feeling as much as possible. Avoid cramming right before a test, because it isn’t going to help you remember the information.
Get a good night’s sleep
It’s important that the night before the exam you get a full night’s sleep. Remember that sleeping refreshes your whole body including your brain and missing sleep will only cause you to wake up in a fog with a tired brain.
Do not go to an exam with an empty stomach
Not only will your growling stomach distract you, being hungry also decreases how much energy you have and how much work your brain can do. You want to go into the test energized, refreshed and prepared.
During The Test
Expect to feel a bit anxious Don’t panic, instead remind yourself it is because you care, not because you don’t know the information.
Read the directions carefully
Take your time and read everything. Remind yourself to slow down and read everything carefully.
If you leave the question blank, move on to the next question If you do not know the question or cannot remember, simply move on to the next one, the answer may come back to you later.
Relax If you find yourself beginning to panic, take a deep breath. Remind yourself that you and only you are in control. You can do it! If you are the first person done re-read your answers and double check whatever you can. This will help you find any mistakes you may have made. It’s important to understand that each and every person has their own pace when test-taking, and that this pace has nothing to do with being smarter or dumber. Good luck! If you feel that your test anxiety is limiting your ability to perform, it has negatively affected your grades, or you are struggling to complete exams due to anxiety, notify your professor to see if they may be able to help you. The Academic Support Center and/or CAPS may also be good resources. CAPS is here on campus to offer assistance for many challenges college students face. To make an appointment with a mental health counselor, call CAPS 321-674-8050 or walk into the center. We are located beside the Health Center, at the corner of Country Club Rd. and
University Blvd. Feel free to also visit CAPS’ website at www.fit. edu/caps. There, you will find anonymous screenings, brochures and helpful links on a variety of college issues. We realize it can be uncomfortable to reach out for help, but we hope you do contact
us when you need us. CAPS is just one of many resources at Florida Tech that supports maintaining a happy and healthy you! We hope you have a safe and enjoyable winter break!
3 -November 25, 2014
CAMPUS LIFE
The Florida tech crimson
Remodeled, Renewed, Ready
Business classes in Babcock Oaks to begin spring semester Alex Salter Staff Writer
Recently, it was announced that some classes are moving to the new College of Business location, Babcock Oaks. The Oaks building is about a mile down Babcock Street from University Boulevard, and many issues could arise from having classes there instead of on the main campus. Some students responded to the rumor with their opinions. “The parking there sucks. It is a far walk; it’s all the way by CVS. It’s a mission to go there and back because I have humanities classes and limited parking,” said student Asif Jassani. “Almost all business classes will be there, I think. And there is a trolley service going there already, but it is only every half hour or
something similar,” student Carlo Mencarelli said. “As far as I’ve been told, and I’ve asked several professors, there is no plan to further expand it next semester,” Mencarelli said. “When these concerns are brought up, there is no answer or even much sympathy since the professors and administrators in the college will always be getting there early and will have parking spots. Or they’ll put in employee only spots, which would be terrible.” “It’s just another disappointment in a huge string that Florida Tech has delivered lately,” said Mencarelli. “I wouldn’t mind that I’d have to have classes out there, but it would definitely be strenuous to my schedule,” said student Andre Bradley. “I think that it would affect the arrival time of students, as well as their departure time to go anywhere else.”
Bradley went on to describe how distinct the difference between the Oaks and the Commons is, saying that the Commons’ proximity to the main campus made it a more reasonable location for classes. “The foot traffic coming in and out would cause even more problems like an unagreeable influx of students at a location that they barely have to spend time at,” Bradley said. “Almost like it’s extra motivation not to show up to your next class in Olin or something.” “It’ll be fine, because the school is going to expand the trolley service to that location and it’s not a far walk. The only issue may be a limited amount of parking spots there,” said student Mark Dushane. Alexander Vamosi, an associate professor at the College of Business, says, “There will be
classes here [Oaks building] in the Spring.” According to Vamosi, there are four new classrooms within the Oaks building that will be ready to use in January. However, not all business classes will be held at the Oaks. Freshman, sophomore, and some junior level business courses will still be on the main campus. Only senior level and some junior level courses will be held in the Oaks building. As of now, most freshmen and sophomores will not be affected by the changes. So how far is the College of Business from main campus? According to google maps, the distance from University Boulevard to Devonshire Drive is a 19-minute walk and a three-minute drive. Campus trolleys will continue going to the Oaks building. “We expect a new schedule to expand trolley service between main campus and Babcock Oaks from
the Supervisor of Transportation before classes start in January.” Vamosi said According to Lee Martucci, supervisor of transportation, “There will be transportation there for the Spring term class. When the plans are finalized, the dean of the School of Business will make it known to those who will take classes there.” Facilities will also help distribute pertinent information to those affected. Will having classes at Babcock Oaks prove more beneficial or detrimental? Vamosi said, “Enrollment in undergraduate business programs has increased from 170 in Fall 2010 to about 420 in Fall 2014. The new classrooms will help the college support this strong growth in enrollment.” v
Students strive to make real-world difference UNICEF Campus Initiative now represented at FIT as official organization Ebube Ubochi Staff Writer Despite being new to the campus, the Florida Tech UNICEF Campus Initiative wasted no time in making its voice heard and organizing fundraisers for noble causes.\ UNICEF is a global organization dedicated to providing emergency relief and promoting children’s rights. Affiliated with the United States Fund for UNICEF and headquartered in New York City, the organization gets monthly updates on all the challenges and projects that UNICEF is working on and performs necessary activities to support them in response. The US Fund for UNICEF sponsors all 120 college campuses, including Florida Tech, with project tool-kits, motivation and other necessities. The club’s affairs are managed by Zimbabwe natives Tafadzwa, Ashley Amani and Chengeto Tariro Kazuva, co-founders and co-presidents of the organization. “UNICEF at Florida Tech provides leadership and handson service opportunities to raise awareness of the overwhelming challenges children face globally,” Amani said. “Our main concerns are famine, poverty, disease – Ebola is keeping us busy right now – and lack of education and parental care.” Amani believes that participation in UNICEF at Florida Tech will instill a life-long desire to serve children and help protect children’s rights in members. “We believe in a world where zero children die due to causes that we can prevent,” Amani said. Having been awarded the accolade “Outstanding Junior” in spring 2014, Amani is a very busy student and is quite involved on campus. Despite being a full-time
pre-med student and a resident assistant, she does not feel overwhelmed. “It’s not difficult to balance all these things since I have team members who always cooperate in making the club a success,” Amani said. “Chenge and I both decided to make the club a part of our lifestyle so it’s much more fun knowing that our efforts are towards a good cause.” Amani and Kazuva were first inspired to start the organization in spring 2014. “I couldn’t wait until after I completed my studies to start making these changes, so I chose to begin now with this club,” Amani said. “Coming from a developing country, it is one of my ambitions to do charitable and philanthropic work, not just in my community, but in the global village at large. Fortunately I had the same goal as my best friend, so we began making plans to found the club.” Co-President Kazuva has also shown deep passion for the growth of the club and what it stands for. She first knew she wanted to do something of this nature when she worked as a primary school teacher in a remote area after completing high school. “I saw children who were underprivileged and did not have some things that we normally take for granted: shoes, stationery, clothes, food among other basic needs,” Kazuva said. “This experience was very emotional for me and I decided that I wanted to participate in charity work, especially toward providing for children’s needs.” Both founders have admitted that the fate of the club after their graduation has been a major concern from the start; however, they are optimistic. “As a graduating senior, my main concern is to ensure that the club continues to operate forever at Florida Tech,”
UNICEF club members at the October fundraiser Kazuva said. “We have made it our aim to establish a strong foundation for the club and have a team of dedicated and passionate volunteers who will keep the spirit of philanthropy and the club alive.” Amani and Kazuva hope to achieve this by taking every chance they get to publicize the club and doing so on every platform available. They believe the members of the organization will carry their will forward. “They are very passionate about the club and I believe they will even take the club to greater heights,” Amani said. “We have great confidence in them.” Amani said that recruiting members was not as hard and she had expected, since most of the people who joined knew that the club’s objectives are for a good cause. “We have 38 members already and we still want more people to join the club,” Amani said. “More hands-on future projects will produce great results which will benefit every child; however, it is our wish and aim to make
sure that every campus member is aware of the club.” Club member Andrew McBean, who manages the organization’s events, said “I joined FUCI because I believe in equal opportunities for every child around the world.” Mona Fernande feels the same way. “I joined FUCI because I want to help reduce the number of hungry children in the world and the number of children that do not receive proper education.” Nomathemba Mafico feels especially driven to make a difference and is very excited about being a member. “Having watched my mother work for UNICEF for the past 12 years, I know that making a difference is never easy but worth the try,” Mafico said. “I joined FUCI in order to help and make a difference in children’s lives, no matter how small my contribution is.” Amani is pleased with the general response to the club’s presence so far. “Most of the students find our club interesting and worth a pursuit. They gave financial sup-
We need a sports writer.
port as well to our October ‘Trickor-Treat for UNICEF’ project,” she said. “Even the ResLife family contributed in helping us raise the money for Ebola Research.” She is also excited about the feedback she and Kazuva have received from school officials and administrators. “Even President Catanese was impressed by the ‘Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF’ project that we had towards the end of October,” she said. “The administration contributed to our fundraiser to a large extent.” The Florida Tech UNICEF Campus Initiative’s spring 2015 project will be another fundraising challenge for the Tap Water Project with the goal of providing clean water to needy children. Amani said, “We will also have an ‘End Trafficking’ campaign that will educate and advocate for children being kidnapped everyday.” The club meets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays in room 202 of the Evans Student Center. v
Interested? Stop by on a WEdnesday at 6:30 p.m. in the basement of Grissom hall.
campus life
4 -November 25, 2014
The Florida tech crimson
Two new ways to get a seat in a closed class Registrar opens up waitlist for Spring 2015 Registration can be a stressful time for students, with classes quickly filling and closed-class forms in short supply. The Spring 2015 registration period brings with it two new tools for getting that coveted seat in a filled class. This spring, the registrar’s office will pilot waitlisting, a registration option that allows students to attempt to register for filled sections on a select few classes. Students who register for a closed section of a piloted class will be given the option to place themselves on a first-come, firstserved waitlist. As seats open in the section, students are e-mailed in the listed order and given a 24hour window in which to log in and enroll for the class. After the designated time has elapsed, the next student receives the email, and so on. Coursealfred.com is a website created by Florida Tech software engineering student Pablo Canseco, that catalogs Florida Tech’s current course offerings and shows you course times, locations, descriptions, requirements, seat availability and it will email you if a slot opens up in a class you want. These two separate and unique tools are not to be confused. Waitlisting is the official registrar’s sponsored method of attempting
to register for a filled section that applies to a limited number of courses. Coursealfred.com will notify you of an availability in any course, it is then your job figure out how to get that seat. Wondering why these two Florida Tech created web tools don’t work together? According to Florida Tech Chief Information Officer Eric Kledzik, that’s something that’s in the works. “I talked to Pablo, you know, to see if he was agreeable with us using the code or incorporating the code that he developed for Coursealfred,” Kledzik said. Canseco did agree, and will now be working with the university to merge the projects, according to Canseco and Kledzik. According to Canseco, who donated the source code to the university, the next step is meeting with the registrar’s office. Keep in mind, both of these tools are still in their infancy. Waitlisting was only launched this past Nov. 3 and Coursealfred.com’s ability to notify you of an open seat was only instituted within the past two weeks of this printing. There are still issues that need to be worked out with waitlisting, according to senior associate Registrar Cheryl Norris, such as how waitlisting could impact
block scheduling. “We don’t want to just throw something out there, launch it, and it not go well because we didn’t foresee this problem or that problem,” Norris said. And Kledzik still wants to make sure that Coursealfred. com’s source code is thoroughly examined. But the future is bright for Florida Tech students trying to squeeze into classes with no more room. Both Robert Taylor, human-
ities and communication department head, and Daniel Batcheldor, interim physics department head, are affected by the pilot program. They believe waitlisting will be great for the campus. And Norris envisions a system of waitlisting that goes further than just the first-come, first-serve basis, but where they can also set up priority waitlisting. “Making it where departments can really customize who gets in…” Norris said.
In other words, its possible that a Communication student at Florida Tech might in the near future get priority status on a waitlist for a Sci/Tech Communication class, because they are in that degree program. Students might want all of this to be an app, and according to Kledzik, the university is looking into that too. v
Student Spotlight: Alejandra Dominguez Alexandra Coultrup Staff Writer There are well over 100 student-run groups and clubs on Florida Tech’s campus, not counting Greek Life. These organizations allow students to express themselves and get more involved with people who share their interests, whether academic or otherwise. For Alejandra Dominguez, the College Players club is the perfect place to balance the rigors of Academic life with her love of expression and interaction with others. “If you’re looking for great friends, it’s definitely the club to join,” she said. “You form a group of people who really care about you.” However, Dominguez is a senior majoring in mechanical engineering who has much more on her schedule than just rehearsals and shows. She also leads the Robotic Arm subteam of her senior design project: Mars Rover development. Florida Tech is participating in the University Rover Challenge, an annual event which, according to
URCMarsSociety.org, is the premier robotics competition for college students. This year, Florida Tech’s team will be competing alongside colleges such as Cornell, Univeristy of Washington and Yale. The University Rover Challenge is held in the desert of Utah each summer, when teams show off their rover’s ability to perform tasks that simulate assisting astronauts, servicing equipment, and traversing terrain. “We’re definitely past the zip ties and duct tape phase of construction,” she said of the team’s project. “I think we have a shot at being in the top ten percent.” Dominguez has been a member of College Players since her freshman year, when her PPL invited her to a meeting. During her time with the club, she has participated in two musicals and three plays. Something many people do not realize about theater is that it’s “not just for people who like to act,” Dominguez said. “There are a lot of different opportunities that people don’t know about. If you’re a tech
person, there are opportunities in sound and lighting.” For students who favor hands-on construction, set-building jobs welcome those who are skilled with power tools. Balancing academic obligations with club obligations is a difficult task, especially when there is a show coming up. “It’s rough, I don’t sleep, honestly. There’s a lot of coffee involved.” The hardest part for Dominguez is learning when to prioritize schoolwork versus theater as different obligations arise. The strategy, she says, is to be efficient, getting school work done ahead of time.The week immediately before a show is the trickiest. It’s called “Hell Week,” and involves many rehearsals in a short period of time. “It’s really tough, but really fun. 98 percent is the fun, and the other two percent is over fast.” Students interested in joining the college players are welcome to attend their meetings at 8 p.m. on Thursdays in Gleason Hall, and to email collegeplayers@fit.edu. v
6 -November 25, 2014
ENTERTAINMENT
The Florida tech crimson
Game Review: Viscera Cleanup Detail Fumiko Shinkawa Staff Writer
The messy aftermath of a vicious battle or a failed experiment. Possibly toxic ooze and the mangled, unidentifiable bits of strange, alien creatures — but for you, it’s just another day at work. I had trouble taking a janitor simulator seriously, but Viscera Cleanup Detail is somehow both rewarding and mesmerizing. In essence, you are cleaning up the battlefields of other games’ situations. You can find data pads, notes, blood-scrawled last words and, against your gamer instinct, you must burn them or scrub them away. More than that, even, it’s the perfect game to unwind around finals. Viscera Cleanup Detail is broken into maps of varying sizes, estimating between 45 minutes to
two hours to complete (that is, complete cleaning.) Maps range from sewers to space stations and even to hospitals. And luckily, especially for me, the game lets you save and pick up right where you left off. It’s low stress, not terribly urgent, and a game that you can pick up and leave at whim – the perfect game for ten minute study breaks. My major complaint with this game, of course, comes from its still being in development. The physics have a tendency to be troublesome, especially when punching your mop bucket right
in its mouthy face will spill blood or some other goo all over your clean floor. Or the odd occasion that you pick up your big bin of arms and they begin to writhe inside as if life has suddenly retaken them
and, by some magic, they fly out of the bin – again—splattering the floors you’d just cleaned. The game is fun, but not addictive enough to put your final grades at risk. It has some issues, but the ones I’ve encountered so
far have been minor and the game receives regular updates. This is definitely an experience worth your time and especially before they finish it and raise the price. v
7 -November 25, 2014
SCI/TECH
The Florida tech crimson
Gadget Corner Joseph Stoltz Staff Writer
USB Heated Breathable FIngerless Gloves
Photos property of raremonoshop.com
Photos property of refinedguy.com
It’s almost winter, like that really means anything in Florida, but here are a couple of gadgets you can use when you get cold those three weeks out of the year. If you thought electronic developers couldn’t make anything more lame than a USB powered refrigerator the only fits one can, you would be wrong, because now those resourceful inventors have decided to attach USB powered heating pads to some gloves and call it a day. Designed by the Japanese company Thanko, the USB Heated Breathable Fingerless Gloves are exactly what they sound like. Each glove has its own personal USB plug and a two-stage temperature control switch with low and high options for your own personal taste. The gloves themselves look like traditional hobo fingerless gloves, but interestingly feature a buttoned flap on each glove to pull down and turn the gloves into mitts. Now that I’m done describing the gloves, I have to point out that with these, you can actually give the excuse that your hands are tied to your computer. However, you may also have some trouble grabbing the phone since now your hands are stuck in the proximity of your computer, and I can also imagine these gloves getting in the way if a fire broke out since then you’d have to unplug them before you could run. If you’d like your own pair of USB gloves, you can acquire them from the website store Rare Mono for $24.80. You should know that these are imports from Japan, so the cost may actually be higher after possible custom taxes are added.
Der Ziesel
\If you’d like to upgrade your Hoveround scooter or your Rascal scooter, or whatever those new fangled devices are called nowadays, to an awesome off-road device that can take you through snowy mountains and along sandy beaches, then the Der Ziesel is the perfect gadget-tank-thing for you to use on your next adventure; an adventure that will have people ridiculing you for looking stupid while also providing many new options to test the crushing abilities of your new toy. This off-road machine monstrosity looks like the mutated child of a Hoveround and a tank accompanied with a roll guard. According to the website Refined Guy, the Ziesel is pretty much a racing seat bolted down to two off-road tracks that are quite similar to those on actual tanks. However, the website also points out that the battery only lasts up to five hours, and will significantly decrease when you push the machine to its maximum speed of 22 miles per hour. Ultimately, if deciding to upgrade your scooter to a tank, I wouldn’t care about battery life too much since I could spend half the time in travel just by having the ability to roll over and crush almost anything in my way. For those of you who’d like your own tank-scooter of death, the Ziesel will set you back about $30,000 at the manufacturer’s website, and is currently made to order only. If the price doesn’t scare you, the Ziesel also has some available customizations, such as coloring, but most importantly, the option to add non-USB powered heated seating.
Photo Property of strapya-world.com
the Florida tech crimson
SCI/TECH November 25, 2014
President Obama announces support of net neutrality Christopher Pangalos Staff Writer Should internet service be regulated in the same way as phone service? President Obama has recently announced his support of net neutrality which would require internet service providers to give equal access to all legal online content preventing favoritism though some have argued such a plan would require new taxes. According The American Civil Liberties Union, in January the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated two FCC rules which has previously prevented internet service providers from charging web sites extra for faster data transfer speeds or from blocking access to lawful services. Without these rules in theory ISPs could either charge extra to access specific content or altogether block content that they do not want users to access. Generally users expect “Net Neutrality” in which they pay for internet service and receive equal access to available web content in much the same way phone service providers cannot discriminate against
specific callers. As it stands now internet service is treated more like cable in which companies can make deals to favor networks who pay more and altogether block or charge access to others. For example, according to The Washington Post, in 2008 Comcast had deliberately slowed traffic to the Bittorrent file sharing site which was previously ruled illegal and sparked earlier sanctions. On November 10 President Barack Obama announced his support of Net Neutrality urging the FCC to reclassify internet service under
Title 2 of the Telecommunications Act treating it like telephone service. In a full statement on Whitehouse.gov Obama
states “We cannot allow Internet Service Providers to restrict the best access or the pick the winners and losers in the online
marketplace”. Obama’s plan would prevent blocking of access to legal content, throttling (slowing down data transfer speeds), and paid prioritization. This would also be applied not only to the connection between the consumer and ISP but also between the ISP and internet. Some opponents of the plan have argued that the new regulations would require new taxes. According to Fox News, FCC Commissioner Mike O’Reilly explained telecommunication companies are required to pay into the FCC’s Universal Service Fund and these fees would be passed off to
internet users in the same way they are with phone service. Since the FCC is an independent entity Obama’s statement only gives his stance and its still up to the FCC whether or not to adopt it. An official ruling is not expected until next year. According to TechCrunch the main difficulty of the FCC is finding a plan that will hold up in court. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said, “The big dogs are going to sue regardless of what comes out..we need to make sure that we have sustainable rules”. Verizon’s victory in the Court of Appeals was what overturned earlier Net Neutrality rules. The FCC has also been considering alternative plans to attempt to preserve net neutrality without reclassification. v
WANTED: Snarky comic stip cartoonist.