ISSUE 1
ISSUE 1 AUGUST 16
AUGUST 16
FALL 2016
THE FRESHMAN DORM EXPERIENCE
Bonding rituals include taking funny selfies with your new roommate neighbors will start out Many of you new students have lived with the at strangers to you. Not same people under the same everyone clicks with their roommate right away. roof until starting college. Netflix-binging, playing You have had your share of video games until three battles over who ate the last a.m. and Columbia Village cookie and whose turn it Frisbee games help a lot was to use the car. with that. Packing up your life Former RA Jason and moving to a new place Thompson’s first night to live without your family with his roommates in their around you may seem dorm was one he has never scary. But hey, your new forgotten. roommates and neighbors “That first Tuesday are worried about the same night we decided to chill things you are. with some of the other Making the best of freshman and we watched your freshman year includes movies the whole night getting the most out of until seven in the morning,” living in your dorm. Yes, Thompson said. “We went the walls may be blank to our rooms, slept for an and you will have to share hour, and then went to a bathroom, but there Orientation.” is so much more to the The all-nighter Jason experience than that! experienced is one of the Your roommates and
many bonding activities you can do with your roommates. It is important to learn to get along with your roommate as you will be living, eating and sleeping next to them until May. And the first fight with you have with your roommate over the noise level at 1 a.m. - that is part of the experience, too. Sophomore Xzavier Flowers said, “If something is bothering you, address it respectfully and kindly so that it can be taken care of and not bottled up and stacked on top of other issues until you eventually explode.” Dorm experiences are not limited to hanging out with your roommates. Participating in Residence
Life events provides you the opportunity to meet your neighbors and a much needed study break. Your Resident Advisor is part of Residence Life, an organization that trains RAs and plans fun events for all the dorms on campus. They hold events like movie nights and holiday card decorating. Your RAs love to feed you. Be prepared for pancake dinners and ice cream sundaes. All students on campus are invited to these events, so going to them gives you the chance to meet students from different parts of campus. Graduate student Randy Echols fondly remembers his residency in Columbia Village. Echols enjoyed how
the buildings were close together so he could hang out with his classmates. “Most of my freshman year that I remember from being in the dorms was just being able to hang out with everybody in the dorms,” Echols said. Hiding out in your room because you do not think you have anything in common with your roommates is not the best idea. The memories and friends you make in the next 10 months will stay with you for the rest of your life. v
// ALLIE WOOD DESIGN EDITOR
WHAT CAN I DO IN MELBOURNE?
Photo by Rachel Pence
Friends Alexus Smith, Kaitlin Buccholz and Amanda Khan hang out on the beach.
After the first couple weeks have passed and all the new freshman are settled in, it’s time to explore Melbourne. The big question is, what is interesting and within walking distance of campus? This is your one stop shop for all things Melbourne. The best place to start is actually on campus, there are loads of places around campus that not everyone knows about. The Botanical Gardens
are always a nice place to sit and enjoy nature. The Gardens offer plenty of space and quiet to concentrate on classwork or just relax. The abundance of varied flora and fauna in the Botanical Gardens are a treasure trove for photographers and birdwatchers. The best part is that the Botanical Gardens are free and open all day long. Another on-campus spot
Melbourne is a mere 2 miles biggest issue if you’re not in from campus and home to a car. The Henegar Center for Indiatlantic Beach is is the Ruth Funk Center. It performing arts. They often the closest, and the first is a textile art museum, the have musicals, plays and beach you come to once only one in the southeastern musical concerts. you get to the coast. There United States. The rest of Downtown is a Starbucks, Cold Stone The Ruth Funk Center Melbourne is full of locally Creamery and pizza joint has it’s own gallery and hosts owned and interesting shops right at the entrance - but many different artist’s work and business, from jewelry it will cost you quarters to throughout the year. stores, to pawn shops, to park. Admission to the exhibit pubs. Many Florida Tech is free, and the Ruth Funk For those who enjoy students park at the free Center has its own gift shop longer bike rides, the lots off of Ocean Avenue selling local artist’s jewelry. Melbourne Square Mall is and Avenue B in Melbourne Venturing slightly 3.4 miles from campus. The Beach. You can also relax at further from your dorms, Mall is home to most of the the Panther Aquatics Center you can visit Panther Plaza usual shops and department wit friends. on Babcock Street. Here stores but also boasts a There are plenty of you can find Old School puppy store, cat adoption shops to visit, events to Pizza, The Love Hut and center and a Le Macaron go to and restaurants to Alternative Connection French pastries shop. eat at in Melbourne. The tattoo parlor, among other Then, there is the exciting part is discovering establishments. beach. At 4.6 miles away new places, the problem is Just beyond the edge of from campus, crossing over Florida Tech's campus is // NATHANIEL ASHTON the causeway will be your Andretti Thrill Park. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andretti offers go kart racing, laser tag, mini golf, mini bowling, rock climbing In this issue and arcade games. Freshman Survival Guide Andretti is not free. The base price is $30.00 for two Virsum Engineering hours. For those with access to Rower Competes at World Championship a bike or a car, Downtown
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ISSUE 1
AUGUST 16
2
CAMPUS LIFE
LIVING ON CAMPUS OR OFF CAMPUS THE PROS AND CONS
Tips for Surviving Your Freshman Dorm:
ON-CAMPUS HOUSING PROS • • • • • • •
CONS
No bills to pay Unlimited electric and water Facilities handles maintenance issues Good security Apartment style housing available Short commute to class Dining options more accessible
• • • •
Expensive Dorm rules RA room checks Limited furniture options
Off-CAMPUS HOUSING • • • • • •
PROS
Cheaper options Your own space to decorate No room checks No dorm rules Can escape from campus Can stay during summer
CONS
• Do not be afraid to knock on your neighbors’ doors to see if they want to hang out • Go to ResLife events, even if you do not like making cards or pancakes (but who does not like pancakes?) • Do not leave dirty dishes in your room or the kitchen for extended periods of time it’s gross • Play games in public areas, like volleyball or baseball to attract friends and meet new people • Your RAs see and know everything, especially what is in your backpack at 11 P.M. • Decorate your common space with your roommate to make it feel homey // ALLIE WOOD DESIGN EDITOR
• Commute and parking • Remember to pay bills on time • On-campus dining less accessible from home • May be less security, worse neighborhood
LIVING GREEK OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING Junior Tylor Slack lives in the Pike fraternity house off-campus. He said that some of the benefits of living in a frat house is that the cost is much lower and the location feels much more like a home. He said the best part is having a sense of disconnection from school. “I like being able to go to school and be in working school mode, and then come home and not feel so pres-
sured,” said Slack. “Since I’m off-campus it gives me a place to relax and sit by the river.” Slack said that other benefits of living off-campus with a fraternity is that you can live with your best friends and do whatever you want. He said that their housing corporation cares for the house and the tenants and is constantly working on improving the property. Slack said living off-cam-
pus, especially with a lot of people in one house, can get rowdy sometimes. With no RA’s, roommates often want to throw parties on the weekends when others may want to study. Slack said if you want to study on weekends you sometimes have to make the drive to school to find a quiet place at the library or the Olin study rooms. v //AUDREY GANGLOFF MANAGING EDITOR
Photo by Florida Tech Residence Life Facebook
ISSUE 1
AUGUST 16
CAMPUS LIFE
GETTING AROUND CAMPUS The main Florida Tech campus stretches from Harris Village in the south, to Roberts Hall in the north. Residents of Harris Village and Roberts Hall often face a formidable walk to class, which in the morning, may feel insurmountable. After learning that “It was too far to walk,” was not a valid excuse for missing class, some students learned to utilize alternative means of transportation for their commute. Ranging from bicycles to roller skates and electric longboards, Florida Tech students rule the sidewalks. Throughout the day, one can see students whizzing past on all sorts of different rides. With this wide variety of transportation, how does a student know which
method is the best? The two most common methods are bicycles and longboards. There are benefits and shortfalls to both. Longboards are light, nimble and much easier to store and carry. Garrett Jacobellis, a sophomore longboarder, said, “Boarding is faster than biking and you don't have to lock it up. Also, if it rains while you're in class, your board doesn't get wet like a bike.” Longboards can be much cheaper than bicycles as well, which is music to the ears of severely indebted undergrads. On a longboard, however, it can be difficult to carry more than a backpack, or a messenger bag. A longboard doesn’t have a front basket or side bags for storage. This makes buying
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Photo by Nathaniel Ashton
groceries or carrying multiple large books a hassle. On a bike, you can carry more books and essential dorm supplies. A bike is also better at handling rough terrain, allowing riders to ride through grass or the Botanical Gardens easily. Junior Kyle Jones said he rides a bike to class because it’s simply faster than walking.
Storing a bike can also be difficult. There is limited bike rack space around campus, and storing a bike in your dorm room takes up vital living space. From Harris Village to the Roberts Hall classrooms, the longest oncampus class commute, is 0.80 mile, or 1.3 kilometers. That’s a walkable distance, but a bike or longboard would make it much quicker.
Photo illustration by Lindsay Isaac.
A longboard offers speed and agility, while a bike offers versatility and carrying capacity. It all comes down to what you need, and what you enjoy more. v
// NATHANIEL ASHTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ISSUE 1
AUGUST 16
CAMPUS LIFE
FRESHMAN SURVIVAL GUIDE
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FROM THE EXPERTS
Here is a collection of short interviews from Florida Tech students. Read about favorite places to eat and study on-campus, dorm room essentials, locations to visit in Melbourne, items you should not walk around campus without, helpful on-campus resources, fun activities to do around campus and more.
Molecular biology junior Benjamin Orris Essential Dorm Supplies: Office chair with wheels Sweatshirt (for the cold air conditioning) Storage Boxes Drying rack Hangers Favorite place to eat on campus: I am a big fan of the SUB for lunch. I normally cook breakfast and dinner so I get my groceries from Panther Grocery. Favorite Places to Visit in Melbourne: I really enjoy running to
Kiwanis Park at Geiger Point in the mornings and seeing the sunrise on the Indian River Lagoon. Best Places to Study on Campus: I either study in my room or in the DSL in the Library. Is there an item you always carry with you? I am always sure to have an agenda book with me to write things down in and keep track of what needs done. I would never meet my deadlines without one.
Helpful On-Campus Resources: Evans Library The Health Center Mailroom/Shipping & Receiving Best piece of advice to start the semester I think that the most important aspect of starting a successful semester is setting goals for yourself and making a detailed plan for how to achieve those goals. One word to describe Florida Tech Eclectic
Mechanical engineering junior Arnold Tsokar Essential Dorm supplies: Office Chair, thick sheets for the cold AC and a laptop.
Favorite Places to Visit in Melbourne: The beach! :D
Favorite place to eat on campus: Breakfast P.D.H, Lunch at the Sub or P.D.H and for dinner definitely the RAT. And as we all know the best milkshakes on earth are at the RAT so I can’t say no to that.
Best Places to Study on Campus: 4th floor Evans Library Is there an item you always carry with you? Water bottle! Helpful On-Campus Resources: Shipping and receiving, Evans Library and Clemente Center!
Best piece of advice to start the semester: Social, physical and academic life- Learn to balance those. It is essential to do each equally. If you can’t balance these then you are likely not going to enjoy yourself at Florida Tech! One word to describe Florida Tech: One word to describe Florida Tech: Mind-opening!
Accounting senior Suz Beims Essential dorm room supplies: Toilet Paper Favorite place to eat on campus: Black Kat Kafe Favorite places to visit in Melbourne: Eau Gallie Yacht Club Best places to study on campus: All Faiths Center
Is there an item you always carry with you? Mace Helpful on-campus resources: Health Center Best piece of advice to start the semester: Do your homework before you go out One word to describe Florida Tech: Diverse
// LINDSEY ISAAC STAFF WRITER
ISSUE 1
5
AUGUST 16
FINAL WEEKS! May 28 – August 27, 2016 Exhibition features 40 innovative quilt installations inspired by the periodic table Free Admission Located on the campus of Florida Institute of Technology next to Evans Library 321-674-8313 | textiles.fit.edu
Background: Cynthia St. Charles, Zinc (detail). Image courtesy of SAQA.
cobalt
27
Co
cobalt nickel
27 28
cobaltnickel copper cobalt nickel copper zinc
27 28 29
27 28 29 30
nickel copperzinc
28 29 30
copperzinc
29 30
Co Ni CoNi CuCoNiCu Zn NiCu Zn Cu Zn
zinc
30
Zn SC-477-816
ISSUE 1
AUGUST 16
NEWS
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STUDENTS SUMMER: NOT SO LAZY AFTERALL
Although classes were out for most, Florida Tech students did not spend their summers being unproductive. Handfuls of students used their time getting hands-on work experience in their field, traveling to exotic places and doing things they have always wanted. Kelly Gray, a senior at Florida Tech seeking a degree in aerospace engineering, continued her internship with Lockheed Martin at Cape Canaveral. Gray works in the Space Systems Company section and was able to participate in business travel to Washington D.C. “I have been doing so many cool things during my internship, but I think that the coolest was getting to go on a business trip to Washington D.C. to give a presentation to our customer,” said Gray. Gray said the presentation was on the status of their project. She said it was a cool experience to be able to meet and interact with a client. Gray has been enjoying her internship with Lockheed since she began in
May, 2015. Her days typically consist of updating and creating CAD models using CREO, a software program commonly used by mechanical engineers. She also meets with vendors to discuss parts that need to be manufactured and troubleshoots problems that come up during projects. Not all students spent the summer interning. Pulkit Aggarwal, a junior majoring in computer science, spent the summer studying with Florida Tech’s Oxford Study Abroad program. Aggarwal’s travel group consisted of 40 students from Florida Tech, with a mix of majors and standings. The program lasts six week. Students traveled to London, Colt Walt, Dorset and Ireland, while taking classes at the University of Oxford. Aggarwal studied Calc 3 and Probability and Statistics, which are just 2 from a list of 8 classes offered at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. “Oxford was one of the most mesmerizing cities
Photo by Mary Kozaitis
Kelly Gray at Lockheed Martin
I have ever visited,” said Aggarwal. “Every small bit of Oxford held historic significance and was it was an amazing experience being a part of it.” Aggarwal had a few friends already in the program before starting the trip, but the six weeks living and traveling together encourages the growth of friendship within the whole group. Many students from the
trip still keep in contact. Traveling is not just for students studying abroad. Ankon Rahman, a junior in aviation management, traveled throughout Europe the entire summer with his family. “My family is placed in Rome,” said Rahman. “We get to go on a lot of trips to different countries.” Originally from Bangladesh, Rahman has been to more countries than
most adults. His favorite out of all the places he has visited is Amsterdam. “My most interesting stories come from when I was in Amsterdam,” he said. “There are a ton of interesting people you find there. People you could not find anywhere else.” v // MARY KOZAITIS STAFF WRITER
ISSUE 1
AUGUST 16
TECH TALK
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STARTUP REPORT: VIRSμM ENGINEERING worked hard to patent their technology and they are steps away from fabricating what could one day be the equivalent of native biological tissue. Bailey and co-founders Scott Baskerville and Ian
Ryan Bailey, Ian McClure and Scott Baskerville discuss calculations. Welcome to a campus where somewhere between academics and extracurriculars, students turn mere research projects into viable companies. If you implant a 3D-printed organ into a human body today, the body will reject it. However, through his company VIRSμM, Florida Tech grad student Ryan Bailey is experimenting with new models of vascularization to ensure 3D-printed organs are not rejected. Bailey, who is not only grappling with a second year of graduate studies, is also navigating the startup
investment sphere. Several academic mentors on-campus are encouraging his team to Scott Baskerville looks at microscopic images on his laptop. dedicate all hours to the lab said. “I never thought in in an effort to disrupt the my undergraduate career biomanufacturing industry. McClure, now Florida that I would go into a CEO Tech alumni, won the VIRSμM also has mentors position. It is a lot to put on President’s Cup at the at Groundswell, a new yourself, but if it works out, 2015 Northrop Grumman high tech incubator serving it is all worth it.” entrepreneurs in Central Engineering and Science Florida. Student Design Showcase Award-winning Bailey said that while after demonstrating their differentiators the endeavor is motivating, capability to produce the level of commitment the capillary structures What sets VIRSμM’s that is required can be needed within 3-D-printed technology apart is its overwhelming at times. tissue with the use of ability to include small “Definitely get ready to electrospinning technology. structures, like capillaries, cut time from other things While winning awards within manufactured tissues. that you usually do put a at the university level, Ryan Bailey’s team of three has lot of time into,” Bailey and his team are still in
research mode. Groundswell mentor, Bud Deffebach, said there are several barriers keeping them from actually bringing the technology to the market. “The technology was originally developed in the biomedical space which is prohibitively expensive to pursue and takes probably at least a decade to get through all the regulatory hurdles,” Deffebach explained. As a result, VIRSμM has been focusing more on composite materials and the manufacturing space. Deffebach said the team is working diligently to determine the best market for the technology, which is dependent on understanding the application of the materials they have developed. “It is bout understanding where the value proposition is within the myriad of material uses,” Deffebach commented. Managing academic and entrepreneurial life hasn’t been easy. For anyone looking to pursue entrepreneurship at the collegiate level, Bailey offers the top four lessons he’s learned from both the academic and entrepreneurial mentors on his team. v // LINDSEY ISAAC SPORTS EDITOR
BUILDING A COMPANY IN COLLEGE WITH RYAN BAILEY Time management is the bane of a startup. I goofed off all four of my years in my undergrad. Getting to the point of having good time management was not easy at all. Time management is huge and I guess that is why I play the role that I do at my company. It made me the person I am today. It is not easy. You've got to get to some point in school where you are disciplined and know how to manage your time properly.
Begin with the end in mind, then blaze a path. Do you want to be successful as an entrepreneur or do you want to go into industry? It comes down to what you want to do with your life. Surround yourself with mentors at every stage. We are currently looking for an advisor with a background in carbon fiber manufacturing to look at what we are developing to get some validation.
Protect your idea, but also get to where you’re going. Our startup culture was very, very cautious. Something I would do a lot differently is be less cautious and more trusting of other people throughout the process. We thought that people were going to try to take advantage of us, but the school worked very well with us to patent everything. The whole process was a huge wake-up call for myself and everybody else on the
Ryan Bailey looks over calculations on his laptop during a team meeting.
team. We need to be more trusting and more open, but at the same time we have to watch out for ourselves. v // LINDSEY ISAAC SPORTS EDITOR
ISSUE 1
AUGUST 16
SPORTS
Panther Athletes Return Ready for Action Each summer, Florida Tech athletes break from their daily academic stresses and focus on training for the next season. Summer is an important time for the Panthers. Out from under the watchful eye of their coaches, it is up to each athlete to decide how hard they are going to work. Most fall sports have very little time together as a team before the first game. They are restricted not only by the few weeks before game one, but also in how much time each week they can practice. Volleyball coach Amy O’Brien said if her team does not come back from summer in shape, it can hinder their performance throughout the whole season. “Last year our kids came back in great shape,” O’Brien said, “which allowed us to focus on the technical part of the game instead of the physical side.” Volleyball only has one week of preseason training. The football team has four weeks to practice before their first game against Newberry on September 3. This compressed practice time results in both football and volleyball training on a rigorous preseason schedule. O’Brien said her athletes
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Photo By: Florida Tech Athletics
Panther Football Begins Preseason Training
are at a greater risk of injury during long practice days if they are not in excellent shape to handle the vigorous training they go through. The football team is under the same responsibility to come back from the summer ready to grind. The team has 17 starters returning this season and is predicted in preseason polls to pick up right where they
left off - fielding one of the best teams in Panther history. For the first time in their four years, football has been ranked as one of the top three teams in the Gulf South Conference preseason coaches poll. Florida Tech also had the most players honored on the GSC preseason all-conference team. Five offensive and three
defensive players were listed. Preseason speculation also called out senior tight end Kenny Johnston as a preseason All-American. Last season, Johnston started the year with three touchdowns against Newberry. He collected seven more throughout the season in the 11 games he played. Johnston earned a conference-best spot with
his 10 touchdowns but tied with two other players from rivals University of North Alabama and University of West Georgia. Johnston did, however, snag this pretty stat in fewer games than his competition. v
// AUDREY GANGLOFF MANAGING EDITOR
Florida Tech Rower Competes at World Championship "In order to win, you have to do something that the boat next to you isn't willing to do." Florida Tech women’s rower Federica Pala will be competing with high spirits for a world championship at the end of the month. Pala will be representing Italy & Florida Tech against 20 other nations at the World Stage Championship in the Netherlands. She will compete in the lightweight women's single sculls event. "One of the great moments in life is realizing that a month ago my body couldn't do what it just did,” said Pala after the
Photo By: Nitish Sinha Federica Pala
qualifying round for the world championship. “It is the greatest feeling ever. The support from family and friends have been a great inspiration.” Pala said that when she began rowing in 2005, she
"In order to win, you have to do something that the boat next to you isn't willing to do." could not have imagined what an integral part rowing would play in her career. Now, she says, her vision is crystal clear. The Oristano, Italy native will also compete for the World University Championship in the beginning of September in Poznan, Poland. “I am very excited
Photo By: Nitish Sinha Federica Pala Racing in a Single Scull
for Federica to have this opportunity to represent both her country and FIT on the world stage,” said FIT head women’s rowing coach Adam Thorstad. “It is a great reward for her after all the hard work she has put in. It takes a lot of dedication, sweat, and hours to give yourself this type of opportunity.”
The first coach that recognized Pala’s passion for rowing was Antonio Marras. She has been taking guidance and inspiration from him for the last 10 years of her rowing career. Before every race Pala’s final thought is to have a clear mind and to focus on what she does best. “Federica is a rising
sophomore for us,” said assistant coach Tim Desrosiers. “She showed great initiative in taking care of her body and working hard towards making our team fast, as well as chasing her international rowing dreams.” v // NITISH SINHA CONTRIBUTING WRITER