RIMSON The Florida Tech
@FTCrimson @FTCrimson crimson@fit.edu
The Official Student-Run Newspaper•since
Issue 2
Our Mission: Live, discover and report the truth.
1967
Spring
TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018
Sustainability committee looks to student body for help in sustainability bill Eleanor Mathers \\ Managing editor Sustainability efforts are getting student attention this week with votes for a green fund bill taking place Jan. 17 through 19. The Residence Life Sustainability Committee has developed a Green Fund Ad Hoc with Speaker of the Senate and fellow RA, Connor Hill. According to the PDF released on Jan. 17 via email and social media, the fund said “WHEREAS a university green fund is a fee that supports sustainability initiatives for student wellbeing, environmental awareness, student design projects, and a lowering of campus utility costs via efficiency upgrades and renewable energy”.
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Mrs. Dale "Daily" at her usual work station in PDH. Photo by Justin Hassel
Sherry Vann-Vazquez, transfer registration officer, helping a Photo by Jeff Libby // Crimson student fill out a form.
Florida Tech's Registrar satisfies most and confuses a few Mary Kozaitis \\ Editor - in - Chief College students are all different kinds of people that come from all kinds of places, but every college student at some point in their lives has to work with the registrar. Between registering for classes, transfering credits and preparing for graduation,
Florida Tech students typically contact the registrar numerous times throughout their college years. For some it is a smooth experience and for others, it left them confused. Nicholas Cushing, who graduated with a mechanical engineering degree in the fall of 2017, had problems signing off on a class. His department head said “no” to signing the
Making a daily impact Justin Hassel \\ Contributing writer
class form, but the registrar said it was okay. “ There is some miscommunication between the departments,” Nicholas Cushing, mechanical engineering major who graduated in Dec. 2017, said. “I had to travel from to the Commons and to
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“Her everyday attitude puts a smile on the students and faculty here at Florida Tech. It makes people want to be around and come and eat at the Panther Dining Hall,” said Willie Gibson, who has been working with Mrs. Daily for five years.
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Shuttle drops students off at Walmart Panther Shuttle launches new pit-stop at Neighborhood Walmart
Ashley letendre \\ staff writer In mid-Januar y a new option of transportation was introduced as a new grocery plan for all students at Florida Tech. The school offers meal plans that cater to on campus locations, however, students were lacking the option of off-campus groceries. During last semester, an on-campus alternative to get groceries was from an outside food vendor that would deliver to the students, but, the Student Government Association’s senators decided to switch up the options for the student body. The Quality of Life Chairman, Baylee Keener, sophomore, said, “I came up with the idea at the beginning of the semester because I realized that ‘Groceries for You’, an online grocery ordering system, was down because we
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had switched vendors. I realized that students without cars on campus, specifically international students or maybe freshmen, needed a way to get more groceries than what was just available at Panther Grocery.” A fellow senator part of Keener’s department, David Alvarez, junior, explained, “When we found out we couldn’t do anything about the new distributor, I moved onto a different idea.” They decided that rather bringing the food to the students, they would bring the students to the food. “So, from that idea we were thinking maybe a trolley could stop. We both said, ‘alright let’s do the shuttle’, since there were enough breaks in between and we could work it out from then,” said Keener. “This project started halfway through last semester and
then the [shuttle] started on Thursday, the first week of classes,” Alvarez said. “And they encourage communication between the driver. If the day’s kind of lax and there’s no one around then you could probably ask them to pick up a little earlier or to drop you off somewhere else.” The Panther Shuttle now departs from the Panther Dining Hall (PDH) garage to the Neighborhood Walmart on South Babcock Street. The shuttle will be making stops every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m., to drop students off at Walmart. Next it will pick students up at 6:20 p.m., also making alternative stops at Mary Star, Southgate and Dorm Circle. Although on Sundays, the shuttle departs from the PDH garage at 11:45 a.m., picks up at 12:30 p.m. and stops at Mary Star (and Southgate if needed) and returns
be useful toward the student body and international students. “If there’s one big problem on this campus, its advertising [for] the entire community. You could do whatever you want, [but] it just doesn’t work. I recommended to put a banner in front of the sub. I feel like physical advertising, like big, simple and eye catching is the way to go,” said Pittorie, in response to the issue of advertisement on campus for students. In the meantime, SGA will be sending emails about this new addition to the shuttle schedule, as well as posting on social media. For any students who have inquiries about the shuttle or want their voice to be heard, SGA’s next general meeting will be on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 8 p.m in room P133.
Page 12 Panthers gain momentum with upset over No. 23 Tampa Spartans
Page 8 Alumni Association Awards Outstanding Locals in Celebration of MLK Jr. Day
STUDENT LIFE PAGES 2-6
back to the PDH garage. One international student, Camila Alvarado, sophomore, was not aware of the new Walmart shuttle stop until it was mentioned to her by a friend. “I think it’s a great idea because most international students don’t have a car. I know they’re going to prefer taking a bus there rather than just walking there. They don’t have to carry their bags all the way back to their dorms. It would help a lot for saving money,” Alvarado said. However, a major concern of hers was the advertisement regarding the shuttle. “I think it’d be easier to reach out to international students to talk to them face to face, instead of sending emails and wasting paper with fliers.” Warren Pittorie, a former SGA president, addressed this concern by explaining what types of advertisements could
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OPINION PAGE 11
SPORTS PAGE 12
2 STUDENTLIFE ISSUE 2
JANUARY 23
Making a daily impact Continued from front
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Dale and her husband with student, Nicardo Cameron, at a holiday gathering. Photo by Abeer Janakat // Crimson
since I’ve been here at FIT. She’s helped me stay positive through all my rough semesters and classes. I could not have done it without her.” Evan Rojas, a freshman, describes Mrs. Daily as an heartful, caring and passionate person. “I’ve only been here for two semesters and Mrs. Daily has already made an impact on me and helped FIT feel like home for me, since I’m from a different state,” Rojas said. Mrs. Daily, turning 60 soon, hopes to keep doing what she loves to do and one day soon retire. After she retires she would like to still attend events and come back and
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Dale Walsh, best known around campus as Mrs. Daily, has been working at the Panther Dining Hall for seven and a half years now. She has impacted not only the students and the staff she works with, but also people in the community. Mrs. Daily grew up in Maryland and moved to Melbourne when she was 33 years old. Mrs. Daily’s love for the school has grown over the years. Her son, Michael Walsh, graduated from Florida Tech in 2013, with his bachelors in aviation science. As Mrs. Daily watched her son grow through the college of Florida Tech, it is what brought her more pride for Florida Tech. Mrs. Daily now attends events like sports games, showing her love for the school and students. “Mrs. Daily has been like a second mother to me since I’ve been here at Florida Tech. She’s come to almost every one of my home games and is always checking on me every time she sees me. We’re so lucky to have someone like her here at Florida Tech,” said Chad Simmons, former football player at Florida Tech. Simmons and other football players are excited to see Mrs. Daily as they are doing their “Panther Walk” on game day, when football players walk across campus before a game and touch the panther statue’s nose for goodluck. Players stop to see Mrs. Daily, as she greets them with hugs and encouraging talks before their game. “I love my students. They make my day every day and I don’t know what I would do without them,” Daily said. Thierry Lafortune, a junior at Florida Tech, said, “Mrs. Daily has been my motivation
Florida Tech's Registrar satisfies most and confuses a few
check on all her students and staff. “It’s going to be so hard for me to walk away from this job one day because the people make such a difference in my life and make me smile every day,” said Daily. “One memory I will never forget while working at Florida Tech is my 58th birthday, when I was working and the whole football team came in and sung happy birthday to me and brought me a cake. It was breathtaking. I love them,” Daily said. Daily hopes even when she is done working for the Panther Dining Hall she can still to make her daily impact on people.
Mrs. Daily has been like a second mother to me since I’ve been here at Florida Tech. She’s come to almost every one of my home games and is always checking on me...
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Crawford four times in one day because they refused to believe what each other was saying. It was a mess.” Caroline Johnston, the acting registrar, explains that the registrars job is to enforce policy and procedures agreed upon by the departments. The registrar verifies and enforces procedures, but it is ultimately the decisions are from the academic department. Some students had issues with getting forms turned in and accepted in a timely manner. “I took the classes I needed to take and filled out a course substitution form and it took about two full months for them to enter it into the system,” Kaylea DiGiacomo said, a senior studying biomedical engineering, who also had issues with her credits from her previous school transfering over. “And that was with me emailing them and going in person for it.” Johnston explained the registrar should have papers processed within two weeks, but do their best to get them in as soon as possible. Sa ma nt ha Jack son, a junior astrobiology major, had similar issues. “I’ve had to do a few class substitution forms and some of them haven’t even gone through, even after doing them a few times.” She suggests that instead of doing the forms by paper, perhaps the registrar should try an online system where forms can get sent electronically. Johnston also hopes for a more self-automated system. “More automation is something we would like to do. We are
looking at what is most beneficial and from the student’s point of view and if it would actually be more helpful.” She also explained that sometimes students have issues with credits transferring to Florida Tech because when credits are transferred, the school is taking ownership of the credits. “We [Florida Tech] have a stricter policy for transfer credits to ensure we keep to our standards as a university,” she said. “The departments and the registrar work closely together.” “The woman I spoke with fixed my issues super quick and I’m pleased with it,” Shelli Goldstein, a junior studying biomedical engineering, said, after it incorrectly stated online that she was on academic probation for semesters she was not. On PAWS accounts, students can view the status of certain requests, such as a change of major or change of grade. Those requests go through approval cues, which is a multiple-step process and get approved through the department before they get to the registrar. Johnston said that students taking University Experience take a survey about their experience with the registrar and that for the most part, students have given good reviews. On occasion, she said, the registrar's hands are tied, but do the best they can to help students.
STUDENTLIFE 3 ISSUE 2
Students prefer nakedness in some cases shown by campus wide survey Annika Sundquist \\ staff writer A recent poll sent out to students shows that a portion of them prefer to carry their smartphones caseless instead of protected, but not all students on campus have cell phones, let alone a smartphone. Lots of students confirmed in the poll that they do keep a screen protector and a case on their phone at all times. This seems to be a trend, with all the functional and aesthetically pleasing cases on the market now. Even professors have joined the smartphone world to stay caught up on media today. Heidi Edwards, Ph.D., said, “I have an iPhone 7. I have had this phone about 6 months. I switched to my smartphone in 2008, so I wasn’t the first to switch, but I also wasn’t last. I chose to keep a case on it because it is functional, but also because it is cute. I am terrified of dropping it and having it break.” Severa l ot her sources agreed that they made the switch to smartphones a while ago, even if they do consider them to be more fragile and worry about their lasting abilities according to the poll. Students also showed they prefer keeping cases on their phone at all times, not just when doing things that would impair their judgement, however, there is a select portion of the students polled that only put a case on their phone when they chose to go out, or don’t use a phone case at all. Ian Burgard, freshman, said, “I think a case takes away from the look of the phone so I do not use one.” When asked if he had ever broken a phone he said, “Yeah, I have broken four. They’ve all been iPhones.” The younger perspective of freshman and other youth that spend time on campus is important, because they have the power to affect the future of smartphone technology. More and more younger students are preferring to carry their phones caseless. K ian Nezamoddini, an 11 year old, who sits in on his father’s classes while he teaches at Florida Tech, said, “I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 5, but I only use it for gaming. I don’t either a screen protector or a case because I don’t feel like going out to buy them.
JANUARY 23
Even though I have dropped my phone a couple of times without a case, I was worried it was going to break and it didn’t, so I don’t see why I need one.” Ma ny st udent s have adopted Nezamoddini’s way of thinking and are starting to save money and time without going to buy screen protectors and cases for themselves. However, there are rare cases where students do end up breaking their phones, even with cases on them. Melanie Matos, junior, said, “I’d say the craziest time I ever cracked my phone was when I went to a friend’s house for a sleepover. The two of us were on our separate devices and then I sat on the f loor beside her. Her laptop was on the bed beside me and my phone was on the floor with the screen facing up and I jumped on the bed next to her. This caused the laptop to fall off the bed and lightly tap my phone. This completely shattered the entire screen to the point where I couldn’t even see anything. And that’s my wildest and only time I ever cracked my phone screen.” Matos also mentioned the fact her friend’s bed was only about a foot off the ground. It is factors like this that cause students to believe that phone cases are a cosmetic issue, because it is the situation that the phone is put in that causes it to break. Overall the numbers show that students and faculty alike prefer to keep their phone in cases because it helps alleviate the worry that their phone could break when they drop it. But this doesn’t stop students from taking their phone everywhere. Nezamoddini said, “Convenience. My phone is so much more convenient because it is easier to carry than a computer, serves the same job and is a lot lighter.” Convenience is a large factor of why students, faculty and staff carry their phones everywhere and why they will continue to do so in this new digital age where everything is available over their smartphone s, even homework . However, more students are starting to believe, for various reasons, that phone cases and screen protectors are overrated and that their cell phones should be free to roam naked. Survey screenshots by Annika Sundquist
4 STUDENTLIFE ISSUE 2
JANUARY 23
The results of not having enough bike parking in Harris Village.
Photo by Jace Petrowski
Harris Village bike petition picked up by SGA Lindsay isaac \\ Social media coordinator Jace Petrowski is an aerospace engineering student, a Melbourne local and a rower for the Men's Rowing team at Florida Tech — but he is also the guy behind the Harris Village bike petition. In Harr is Village, it’s common to see overf lowing bike racks, as well as bikes tipped over on the sidewalk, locked to other bikes or locked to light poles. But one week into the Fall 2017 semester, Petrowski had enough. “I had witnessed students walking over toppled bikes that were not locked to the bike rack due to the absence of space,” Petrowski said. “And I had multiple conversations that revolved around the bike rack situation.” So, Petrowski drew up a petition that reached the 100 signatures goal within three days. The objective of bike petition was clearly stated — “To grant Harris Village residents the sufficient storage of bicycles through the addition of more bicycle racks distributed evenly among the Harris Village grounds.” But the question quickly became what to do next with the signed petition. That’s when Peter Zappala, the resident director of Harris Village and a graduate student in engineering management systems, entered the scene. As Harris Village’s Resident Director, Zappala was familiar with the problem.
“Bikes are just left anywhere because there isn’t enough space,” he said. “The area between the two lounges looks like a mess — and people also accidentally lock their bikes to someone else's, which causes more problems and headaches.” Because of this, Zappala’s signature was one of the hundred on Petrowski’s petition. “I signed for Jace because I thought it was important to show him that he had the support of the person who supervises the area,” Zappala said. “I feel that this campus is for the students and they pay for it, so they should have a say.” But once the petition was signed, Zappala sat down with Petrowski. “I wanted to make sure that we tried to follow a chain of command and that Jace wasn't going to just march into the president's office with the petition and start screaming and yelling — not that Jace is that type of person,” Zappala said. Together, Zappala and Petrowski drafted a document called the “Harris Village Grounds Assessment and Improvement Proposal” — which covers everything from bike parking to parking decals and visitor parking. The proposal includes results from a survey sent to Harris Village’s 363 residents indicating that 65 percent of the 71 residents who responded don’t believe there is enough bike parking in Harris Village, as well as Petrowski’s signed petition and suggested solutions.
These solutions involve moving under-utilized bike racks to more accessible locations, placing free standing racks on the grassy areas behind existing racks or adding more permanent racks in designated areas. Pe t r o w s k i o r i g i n a l l y planned to submit the proposal to Vice President of Facilities Operations, Chad Shoultz and Manager of Grounds Operations, Holly Chichester. But Zappala had a different idea — use the proposal as an opportunity to improve SGA-Facilities Operations ties and communications. “I told Jace that it would be better to present it to SGA. I think they should be the ones who talk to the administration because they are the voice of the students,” he said. Initially, Petrowski and Zappala were frustrated by the lack of response from SGA after the proposal was presented.
“We can tell administration what we think and what the student body is saying, but ultimately it is up to administration to make these changes..." But now moves are being made. Xzavier Flowers, a senator for SGA, is working on the Harris bike stand initiative. Flowers was looking for
A scan of the petition included in the “Harris Village Grounds Assessment and Photo by Jace Petrowski Improvement Proposal.” a project to be part of on the Quality of Life Committee, a branch within SGA, when Petrowski raised concerns about bike parking in Harris Village. “Jace came to SGA with something he felt was important and wanted to see change and we are working with him on getting that project done,” he said. Flowers is a resident of Harris Village and although he doesn’t have a bike on campus, he said he recognizes the problem and thinks the proposal is something that can benefit the students. “I believe the issue is one that many have noticed, but never really thought to do
something about it,” he said. According to Flowers, SGA is working on setting up a meeting with Director of Security, Kevin Graham, to talk about the situation in more detail. “After getting approval, we will be in a good position to get the necessary bike stands in more ideal locations,” Flowers said. With that being said, Flowers acknowledged that, as of right now, all SGA can really do is make suggestions to administration about what they think should happen. “We can tell administration what we think and what the student body is saying, but ultimately it is up to adminis-
STUDENTLIFE 5 ISSUE 2
JANUARY 23
Some bikes get locked to other bikes, Photo by Jace Petrowski instead of the racks.
Continued from Previous page tration to make these changes and additions to campus,” he said. Regardless, Flowers said he completely agrees with Petrowski’s choice to bring his concerns to SGA. “Senators are a group of people elected to represent the student body, so it only makes sense that students would bring projects, issues, ideas and concerns to SGA,” he said. According to Flowers, the bike stand initiative is an excellent opportunity for SGA to help students with something they are passionate about. And for students looking to make changes on campus, Flowers said the best way to shape the Florida Tech community is to be more involved with SGA. “This can be in a variety of ways,” he said, “such as running to become a senator, coming to general or senate
meetings to get information straight from the source and coming to weekly senator office hours to ask questions and get clarification on things going on.” A s far as parking in Harris Village — some students are not aware of the ongoing efforts to address a problem they agree exists. Jesse Llenos, a sophomore from Trinidad who lives in Harris Village, said he didn’t know about the petition or proposal, but he is definitely aware of the problem. “I do ride a bike,” he said, “and there are not enough places to park bikes in Harris Village.” While no changes have been made yet, the problem has been articulated — students want more bike parking in Harris Village.
CAPS: Note to Self Gabriela A. González and Lisa Stewart \\ Outreach Coordinators, CAPS Self-image is the idea or mental image that you have of yourself. It can be either positive or negative and may fluctuate depending on your internal and external environment. Positive self-image can promote increased levels of confidence and satisfaction, while high levels of negative self-image can make you doubt your true capabilities. Be aware. Having occasional negative self-image is normal and often times promotes growth and change. On the other hand, having too positive of a self-image may result in underachievement and arrogance. Moreover, your self-image can be very different from how others perceive you. For instance, outwardly you may seem as an intelligent and successful person while experiencing internal feelings of self-doubt and harsh self-criticism. Thus, it is important to
find the right balance between feeling positive about oneself and setting realistic goals and expectations. If you find yourself constantly scrutinizing yourself, being overly critical about simple mistakes you make, or feeling as if you ‘always’ let others down, you may be experiencing negative self-image. Not to worry, there are many things you can do to turn this right side up. Improving your self-image is a skill that may take some time and practice. By using unbiased, objective thinking, you can begin to see yourself in an honest and accepting way. Here are some strategies you can use: Avoid exaggerations Correct your internal voice. Stop yourself from thinking in extremes (i.e. “I always fail my math exams” or “No one ever wants to hang out with me”). Think of evidence to contradict
this “all-or-nothing” type of thinking (i.e. “I passed the first math exam” or “I hung out with my roommate just last week”). Ac c e pt f laws and imperfections We all have flaws and make mistakes, and there is no such thing as perfection. Therefore, instead of aiming for something unrealistic, it is better to accept yourself for where you are on your journey to self-improvement. Forgive yourself after you make mistakes, and focus on what you've gained from the process and how you can use it in the future. Re place c r it ic i s m
with encouragement and gentle self-talk Negative thoughts are often biased and unhelpful. For every negative thing you say or think about yourself, ask yourself, “Is this helpful?” If not, challenge those thoughts by creating alternative, more balanced thoughts. Identify your strengths to remind yourself what you are capable of. Don’t bully yourself, practice self-kindness Think about how you would treat a friend that was experiencing a difficult time. Now treat yourself that same way! Often times, we forget to
treat ourselves with love and kindness just how we would any other person. Take a break If all else fails, step back and take a break. Distract your mind with pleasurable activities. You could take a nap, go for a walk, or listen to your favorite song. Want to learn more about how to develop a stronger, healthier self-image? Join your friends at #PanthersSlay on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. in Evans Hall, Room 202. You can also join our Conquering Confidence group every Monday at 1 p.m. at CAPS.
6 STUDENTLIFE ISSUE 2
JANUARY 23
Sustainability committee looks to student body for help in sustainability bill Continued from front E ic h hol z , a long w it h Vice President Alexis Miller, reached out to Hill in order to develop the Ad Hoc Comm it tee, c ou nseli ng De a n Bowers on the best course of action. According to Hill, Bowers advised the group to go through SGA to collect support from the student body and gauge their responses. “In order to show the administration a green initiative was affordable, we need the student body to not only show interest but prove they were willing to pay for it,” said Eichholz. Eichholz and Miller went to Appalachian State University Sudoku Generator in Boone, North Carolina for The 2017 Appalachian Energy Summit for school sustainability where colleges met to share ideas on how to start projects and funds for their communities. “That’s where it started
the idea for this and listening to some of the speakers really inspired and influenced us,” said Miller. She explained that Leith Sharp, the Director of Executive Education for Sustainability with Harvard University’s Center for Health and the Global Environment, influenced her for this movement. “If there was a catalyst to this project, it was her speech and influence.” “ [A t H a r v a r d] . T h e y started where we started, getting some negative feedback and then going to the students, who said they wanted to push for it and that got it done,” said Eichholz. The bill proposes that the money allocated within the Student Services Free is divided between student projects (50 percent), facilities (25 percent), and faculty/staff projects (25 percent). Eichholz said that they are stressing a point that wasn’t explicit in the bill: these
projects are not department specific, but open for all FIT students. “Details will be expanded if the proposition gets accepted by the students and the administration on how requests will be granted or denied,” said Eichholz. Although junior, Steven Manteiga, said it sounds good on paper, he isn’t happy that it would be a part of the required fee. “If it’s non-negotiable, we should definitely have a say on the bill as opposed to just the yes or no,” said Manteiga. “We should be able to comment on things we don’t like, so it can be better developed as opposed to just thrown out if it doesn’t get the majority for not being worded correctly.” Manteiga said he was confused on parts such as the cost or the reasoning for SGA having control over the board and the bill didn’t explain enough. “To me, it’s ambigu-
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also contradictory on its points, saying although the student fee wouldn't raise, it wouldn't take away from other funds the fee pays for, such as student clubs and organizations.
Chart displaying the Sustainability Bill vote results according to a press release by SGA.
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ous, and if they could explain or expand some things, I would be more comfortable with it going through. They should have this put together before we decide we want to pay for it, not develop rules after we’ve helped them approve it.” The FAQ SGA sent out was
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Zack Eichholz (left) and Connor Hill (right) with the “Res Life Sustainability Committee Business Card”. Photo by Eleanor Mathers
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CAMPUSLIFE 7 ISSUE 2
JANUARY 23
Prayer Room: Arbor Day Celebration Second floor of Crawford
Prayer rugs facing Qibla; the direction of Mecca that Muslims pray toward. Photo by Markeema Crawford
Markeema Crawford \\ s ta f f w r i t e r On the second f loor of the Crawford building, room 214, Hirad Ahmad a student from Pakistan, kneels on a multi-colored rug barefooted, praying. At the outside of the door is a silver-plated plaque with black lettering labeled “Prayer Room.” “We pray here about three times a day,” said Ahmad. “I am Muslim, so in order to pray five times a day, I need to use the prayer room in-between classes and the rest I pray in my own room. While A hmad appreciates the accommodations that the Florida Tech faculty have made for him and other fellow Muslim students, he insists that the prayer room is for everyone to come pray, not just Muslims. “I am so appreciative that the faculty built the prayer room for us, but it is not just for Muslims. Anyone can come pray here. It is for everyone.” Junior, Abby White, had no clue the prayer room even existed and while she believes that the idea of having a prayer
room on campus is great, she said that she probably would not be using the room. “I mean I knew there is a church on campus, but I had no idea there was a prayer room, and I just think it is a cool spot for students to be comfortable and pray if that is their thing, but no, I probably wouldn’t use it.” Shayla Boyd, a Christian student, was aware of the prayer room and says that when she first heard about it she decided to go check it out and was surprised at what she saw. “When I first heard about the room, I wanted to go see it for myself. Initially in my mind I thought the room was just for Muslims because that was what my friends were saying, but I was surprised to see that that there were Holy Bibles there. I was really shocked!” For more infor mation about the prayer room, students can visit the second floor of Crawford room 214 at any time during school operating hours. The prayer room is available to all students, regardless of their religion.
Photos by Markeema Crawford
The Muslim religion teaches praying five times a day, after freshening up by washing hands, feet and face.
Students at the event were encouraged to help plant the trees with the grounds team.
Photo by Abeer Janakat
Abeer Janakat \\ Design editor Residence Quad is now home to six new trees. In honor of Arbor Day on Jan. 19, the Florida Tech Grounds Team in association with the Sustainability Committee and WFIT, organized a tree-planting event. All six trees are native to the state of Florida. “We planted three palms that are Sabal palmettos, which is the state palm of Florida and then we planted three Magnolia grandifloras, which are southern magnolias,” said Holly Chichester, horticulturist and manager of grounds on campus. “Both the varieties are native trees to the state of Florida.” The choice to make the Residence Quad the new home for the trees is due to the involvement of the grounds crew with the Ethos Community Garden. Zachary Eichholz, interdisciplinary sciences graduate student and president of the Florida Tech Residence Life Sustainability Committee, spoke at the event along Chichester. “The Quad is old and a little rugged, but we still love her and adding these trees makes her that much more beautiful,” Eichholz said. Eichholz sees this as an opportunity to get students involved and educated on the benefits of reforestation. “The quad lawn used to have a lot of vegetation and trees on it a few decades ago and we are trying to bring that back now with the three palmettos and three magnolias that will grow and provide shade.”
This year marks Florida Tech’s fifth year as a part of Tree Campus USA, an Arbor Day Foundation program, which encourages campuses across the United States to build and sustain community forests. In the past, this event was responsible for new trees being planted by WFIT at the pond by the Military Science building. “The first tree we planted was in the Pantherium area,” Chichester said. “That was an Elm tree.” Since applying and becoming an official Tree Campus USA member in 2013, Florida Tech has celebrated each Arbor Day by planting trees in different areas of campus. The number of trees planted is equivalent to the number of years our campus has been a part of the program. To be considered a part of Tree Campus USA, the campus must maintain a certain number of trees per capita. “That’s what we try to maintain, if we lose a tree to disease or something like, that we try to plant at least one for
one,” Chichester said. Chichester sees this as a way to plant trees and keep the students involved in their campus landscaping. “Just a chance for them to know that we’re here and who’s responsible and it’s also a way for us to beautify the campus,” Chichester said. Getting the sustainability committee involved in this event is an effort to get more of the campus community involved in Tree Campus USA events. “We’d like to get more students involved and I actually would like them to be student-run someday, with me as just a consultant or an advisor,” Chichester said. The event had approximately 25 attendees, including Residence Life representatives and Pete the Panther. One of the student resident assistants at the event, Mallory Rhamy, supported the planting of the new trees. “I think the trees are making Res. Quad look a lot better and it also brings awareness of Arbor Day and the importance of being sustainable,” Rhamy said.
One of the three Magnolia grandifloras was planted by the grounds crew during the event, Jan. 19. Photo by Abeer Janakat
8 CAMPUSLIFE ISSUE 2
JANUARY 23
Alumni Association Awards Outstanding Locals in Celebration of MLK Jr. Day
Bino Campanini, Carl Finerson, Kendall Moore and President McCay (from left to right). Kiayna o'neal \\ Staff writer The Florida Tech Alumni Association hosted an event celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and presented the Julius Montgomery Pioneer Award and the Dr. Harvey L. Riley Bridge Builder Award. Held annually, the event presents the awards to honor commitments to the community and continued contributions to present and future generations made by recipients. Vice President of t he A lumni A ssociation, Bino Campanini, began the event with introductions of some individuals in attendance by Alumni Association, including Kathy Meehan, the mayor of Melbourne, Dr. Desmond Blackburn, the superintendent of Brevard County Schools, the Florida Tech Black Student Union, Julius Montgomery himself and many others. Following the introduction was a welcome from university president T. Dwayne McCay, who began with a narrative about the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. “If Dr. King had lived, this entire world would be a so much better place,” McCay stated. University historian and humanities and communication professor, Dr. Gordon Patterson compared MLK to Hebrew prophets, claiming that his “searing words reached out across the coun-
Photo by Amanda Stratford
try and transformed what was a vision and hope into men and women.” Gordon affirmed a need for all to “change our ways” and “be steadfast in our resolution” in order to bring MLK’s dream to reality. Audience members were brought to tears by the rendition of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legendary “I Have a Dream Speech”, performed by retired first Sgt. Leonard D. Ross who took listeners on a “historical journey” to 1963 drawing the eyes and ears of everyone in attendance.
"In 1958, Julius Montgomery was the first African-American to sign up for summer classes at Brevard Engineering College.. " Bishop Merton L. Clark, S e n ior Pa s t or of Tr u t h Revealed Ministries, challenged all in the room to work to contribute something to the community that will “outlive and outlast us.” The Dr. Harvey L. Riley Bridge Builder Award honors a community member who is said to be actively working for the improvement of the community and the construction of bridges between generations. This year’s recipient was Rockledge native, Attorney Kendall Moore.
Julius Montgomery at the award ceremony. Photo by Amanda Stratford
“It is an honor to be included in a group who have done such big things,” said Moore, whose mother was a recipient of the Julius Montgomery Award in 2013. When asked of the advice he had for current students, the Brevard county native said, “it is never too early.” The time to begin something great, he explained, “is really now, as opposed to later.” Retired Master Sgt. Carl Finerson, Rollins College alumnus was the recipient of the Julius Montgomery Pioneer Award, which is presented to one individual to honor their contributions to the community. The award also recognizes the spirit of pioneering possessed by Julius Montgomery. In 1958, Julius Montgom-
Michael A. Cadore Sr. — 2017 Julius Montgomery Award winner .
Photo by Amanda Stratford
ery was the first African-American to sign up for summer classes at Brevard Engineering College, the former name of what is now Florida Tech. In its early years, prior to
securing its own property, the college utilized classrooms at Eau Gallie Junior High School, which was a part of the Brevard County School (BCS) district. On Sept. 22, 1958 BCS
CAMPUSLIFE 9 ISSUE 2
JANUARY 23
Continued from Previous page officials were made aware that Montgomery was black and threatened to close the college if he or any other black students were allowed to attend classes. Montgomery then vol-
untarily withdrew his application from the college. In 1961, just three years later, Brevard Engineering College secured its own property on Country Club Road and with the spot
promised by university President Keuper, Montgomery was enrolled in classes. Montgomery was in the audience for the ceremony and holds that he did not
commit the selfless sacrifice in 1958 assuming he’d have an award in his namesake, but he explains that he “is so glad [he] has been a help to so many people” and was “shocked” that
Award winners Carl Finerson and Kendall Moore with the Black Student Union President, Furaha Merritt.
it happened at all. The Greater Allen Chapel Choir followed the award presentations with performances songs, including “How Great is Our God.”
Photo by Amanda Stratford
10 CAMPUSLIFE ISSUE 2
JANUARY 23
Student performing “You Raise Me Up.”
Photo by Kevin Boodoosingh
Open mic at The Rat Kevin BooDoosingh \\ Contributing Writer “I thought the night went really really well, we had a pretty good turn out and good crowd response,” said Ken Holder, Head of Sound Bangers Entertainment. Sound Bangers Entertainment had their first ever open mic night, Jan. 12. Sound Bangers Entertainment, a student-run music production studio, had their first open mic night at The Rat. Hosted by the head and treasurer of the club, Ken Holder a nd Nat ha niel Jennings, respectively. “Nathaniel, did a really good job co-hosting it with me, he’s one of the founders’ of the club so he wants to see it grow as much as I want to see it grow,” said Holder. Over the course of the event there were many performers. Some sang, rapped and recited poetry. A student performed “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban. “I was nervous but it was really fun,” he said. “I thought it went well, when people really got comfortable and loosened up,” senior, Nishal Sankat, said. “I wish we had more performers, but to be honest we had a good amount of performers at the end when people got a little more comfortable,” said Holder. “With it going that well, I hope Sound Bangers Entertainment can get its name out their as a club.”
321-674-8313 | textiles.fit.edu
OPINION 11 ISSUE 2
Satirical Section:
JANUARY 23
real fake news Fake News Inspired by Real Events
SGA drafts second bill to correct grammar of the Green Fund Bill Douge schoeller \\ COPY editor Arthur Ashe. Upon further investigation, it is also possible it may be an acronym that stands for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, due to context. Unfortunately, the organization was not mentioned in the bill, so really it could be anything. “It was implied in the bill that it was an acronym for that organization, so there was no need to state the entire name of the organization,” clarified another SGA senator. By leaving out the full name of AASHE, the length of the bill was drastically shortened by nine words, to make room for the remainder of the bill, a commanding three-page, 115line document. The authors of the bill dabbled with footnotes, with one after the mention of a $25 to be taken from the student services fee. The footnote begins with the word “Comment,” to justify that the footnote is in fact a comment, not to be confused with all the footnotes that take the reader to an unrelated short story with slam poetry. With this modification bill, the basic errors in grammar, sentence structure and phrases of redundancy will be corrected before the document is potentially brought before the Board of Trustees. Or will they?
Male student suspiciously insistent on not using protection for his smartphone Douge schoeller \\ COPY editor As the conversation continues on deciding to use a case for a smartphone, area student Richard Manning has been incredibly insistent on his position to not use protection for his phone. “It looks great without anything on it. Why ruin its sleek look?” said Manning. Manning went on to explain that there was no need to put a case on anything to modify its “natural form”. Re se a rch ha s show n, expectedly, that having protection on a smartphone can make it last longer. “That may be true,” said Manning, “but it doesn’t compare to how good it feels without it. I like the way my phone can slide in, like in my pocket.”
Other commented at Manning’s unwavering opinion about not using protection, for his smartphone, that is. “What if he meets someone that says he should put a case on his phone? Would he reconsider?” said his friend, Caitlin Furst. “It’s important to stay safe out there.” It seems Manning is confident in his decision to move on without putting a case on his phone. “I just have a good feeling it won’t be the same experience if I just start putting a case on it.” At press time, Manning locked his phone, then exhaled a breath of satisfaction as his phone dropped to the bottom of his pocket without any resistance.
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Green Fund FAQ by Florida Tech SGA
The Student Government Association (SGA) had looked over the Green Paw Fund bill and sent it out to the student district last week on Jan. 17. The bill proposes to collect some of the money from fulltime students in their student services fee and put it toward sustainable causes. SGA had “looked over” the bill, but upon some further intensive investigation of the fundamentals of grammar, it seems they rather “overlooked” it. On Monday, January 22, SGA drafted up a second bill, the Modified Green Paw Fund, which does not change the content of the previous bill, but to account for the grammar mistakes that managed to skate by the four authors of the bill and the entirety of SGA that have read the bill. The Green Paw Fund starts out boldly in the preamble with the word “whereas,” a conjunction word, featured in all caps, followed by anything except a predicate to the sentence. “That was an honest mistake,” said an SGA senator. “When you’re in SGA you get used to things being incomplete. Sentences, presidential terms, etc.” The very next sentence in the preamble ends with the word AASHE, which appears to be a blend between a AA battery and the pronoun “she,” or a poor spelling of the last name of famed tennis star
Where are all the student discounts? Isabel cordero \\ Contributing writer There’s one thing we all have in common here at Florida Tech: we’re all pretty much broke. And as much as we all want Chipotle every day, our bank accounts can’t really afford it. Of the three places I know that offer student discounts around town, two are movie theatres. If you show your student ID, the AMC theatre offers a 10% discount and the Premiere Oaks theatre offers discounts of up to $1.25 on tickets for students. The other location that offers a student discount is a cute café in Downtown Melbourne, known as the Sun Shoppe Café. They’ll give you
a free coffee or tea with a purchase of food to Florida Tech students when you show your ID. Upon calling and emaili n g C h i p o t l e , h o w e v e r, their national headquarters informed me that discounts were not a thing Chipotle did. Other places like clothing stores and restaurants offer membership cards and coupons, but still no student discounts. Before graduating high school, I assumed the term “broke college student” was some hyperbole made up by sleep-deprived young adults who had lost all sense of how to function as normal humans. After paying tuition, I completely get it now. But if this is the case for all us college
students at Florida Tech, then where are all the student discounts? How come only three of the 20 places I asked offered these discounts? I don’t have the answers yet, but it seems puzzling to me. Perhaps we don’t have many student discounts in the area because Florida Tech is a lot smaller and also private, in comparison to universities in stereotypical college towns. But who knows? Maybe if we start asking for student discounts some places will start adding them. In the meantime, my Chipotle intake may have to cut back a tad. But if I can make grabbing coffee before heading to a movie date my new go-to, I’ll be just as content.
12 SPORTS ISSUE 2
JANUARY 23
Panthers gain momentum with upset over No. 23 Tampa Spartans Marquise Lewis \\ Contributing writer
The Florida Tech Women’s Basketball Team upset the No. 23 University of Tampa Spartans by a score of 51-44 at the Clemente Center on Saturday, Jan. 13. Along with the Panthers, the Spartans are also in the Sunshine State Conference. The Spartans had a 12-3 record before the game and 5-3 in the conference. “Just know not to underestimate them. Have to give talent its props without letting it intimidate you,” DeLise Williams, senior guard for Florida Tech, said, when asked if the Spartans’ 12-3 record discouraged them before the game. Williams scored the most points for the Panthers with 15 points and
had four assists. Following her in points with 13 was sophomore center, Tanease Richardson, and sophomore forward, Amanda Allen, with 11. The Panthers led at halftime with a score of 22-21. After a talk with Coach Reynolds in the locker room, they came out dominating in the second half. “[Coach Reynolds] said that we needed to get a stop on defense and not allow them to score more than 10 points in the third,” Kailyn Ebb, a senior forward for Florida Tech, said. Although they did not stop the Spartans from scoring 10 in the third, they did manage to hold them to 10 points in the fourth quarter. Ebb was stepping up in the defensive end with a team high
Tanease Richardson, 13, attempting a three-pointer. Photo by Florida Tech Athletics
of two steals and gathering one block. Ebb’s block was the only block the team had and her two steals were of the eight total steals for the Panthers. The Spartans finished off with a total of six total blocks and three steals. Free throws were a problem for the Spartans, going only 12 of 17 at the line.
The Panthers are now 8-7 heading into their next game against Embry-Riddle. Embry-Riddle University has a record of 12-4 and are 6-3 in the SSC. Florida Tech looks to come off with three consecutive wins to continue their aim for the playoffs. The Panthers next home game will be on Wednesday,
Jan. 24 at 5:30 p.m. in the Clemente Center against their conference rivals, Rollins College. Rollins previously beat the Panthers earlier this season. They are already looking forward to the tip-off. “Rollins is always a show. Always down to the wire. We’re ready,” said Gracie Doane, a junior center for the Panthers.
It isn’t a hobby, it’s a lifestyle Fever turn up the heat
An inside look on Florida Tech Athletes Dance team and what they did to prepare for their upcoming season over winter break. David Thompson \\ staff writer
Lexi betterman \\ staff writer Being an athlete is a fulltime commitment. With winter break ending, a lot of Florida Tech athletes were preparing their minds and bodies for the upcoming semester. Going home to Minnesota and playing women’s lacrosse, an outside sport, sophomore Aleah Fjelstad found it challenging to find a place to practice. “I couldn’t run outside any day like I wanted to. And it was hard trying to find a place to run sprints, as I would outside on a field or some place,” Fjelstad said. Between the lifting and the cardio at least 4 days a week, Fjelstad was focused on her weaknesses and getting better for the upcoming season. Sophomore men’s basketball player, Harry Craik, is already in season. Basketball is a winter sport that plays tournaments and games during winter break. “It is really good having games without having class as well because it allows you to completely focus. We had six games over break, one of which was an exhibition game against D-I Florida Gulf Coast University,” Craik said. Craik is originally from Tullynessle, Scotland. Only having a six-day break from
basketball for the holidays, he was not able to travel home. “Campus feels very empty over winter break especially over the six-day period where all of my teammates left to go home,” said Craik. “It can be quite boring not having class or practice to stay busy, although it was nice to just be able to relax without having any responsibilities.” Overcoming three herniated discs, junior men’s lacrosse player, Justin Wittfelt, is eager for this upcoming spring season. “I’m excited to see the boys out on the field this year and take down anyone who tries to stop us,” said Wittfelt. Wittfelt spent as much time as he could practicing lacrosse and his stick handling skills. Just like women’s lacrosse, men’s lacrosse starts their main season in the spring. Wittfelt said work over winter break is very important. He said everyone needs to put in the work when no one is watching. It helps people build strength both mentally and physically. He said the best results happen when players start to rely and push themselves. Games are free to Florida Tech students and facility, but students need to bring their Florida Tech ID.
competes in first national competition
Florida Tech’s Fever Dance team competed in the UDA College Nationals competition for the first time in program history. In the team’s third year of existence, they were the only team from Florida to qualify in Division 2 Open Pom Competition. “Competing at UDA College Nationals was an amazing experience,” junior dancer Juliana Burgos, said. “It was a great way to showcase the hard work the team has done
the past few months.” The competition was held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex on Jan. 13. Burgos is now captain of the dance team and she has been a part of the team since their very first meeting her freshman year. “As a three-year-old program competing for the first time, we exceeded expectations. We are very proud of our performance and cannot wait to continue working hard,” Burgos said.
Florida Tech Dance at the 2018 UDA College Nationals competition. Photo By Florida Tech Cheer & Dance // Facebook
Fel low junior, da ncer Karen Della Giustina, said they learned they’d be competing before a practice back in the Fall before the football season began. “For me, it was a dream come true because I think it was an incredible experience for the team and I,” Della Giustina said. The Panthers scored a 93.59 out of 100 for their routine. This left them just five spots away from moving on to finals. Despite not moving on, Della Giustina said it was a great experience. “ There were so many teams from different places around the USA and some teams around the world,” Della Giustina said. “Not many teams compete in nationals so we felt very proud of our team and thanks to our coach we had this opportunity.” In light of all the team’s success, Burgos said she would like to see improvement in the technical styles of dance for the team. “We do not have any classically trained dancers on our team,” Burgos said. “So we are looking to add leaps and turns in the future.” The Fever Dance team will be showcasing their talents next on Wednesday, Jan. 24 during Men’s and Women's basketball games in the Clemente Center beginning at 5:30 p.m.