ISSUE 12 MAY 5
SPRING 2016
Photo by Nathaniel Ashton
Students discuss need for academic advising improvements
Many seniors have awoken from the same nightmare in the weeks before graduation. They’ve submitted their petition, and word comes back that they still need one more class that no one told them about. They won’t be walking this semester. Tension and stress run high when it is time to register for classes, and poor advising can mess up a student’s schedule or even affect their expected graduation date. It is this time of the year in the school of business that rumors fly about less than desirable advising. “It was hard for him to schedule to meet with me because he was hardly in his office,” said Birchel Ralph, a senior graduating this summer with a degree
in business administration with sports management. “His overall knowledge of the classes that I have to take wasn’t very good. I feel like it could have been better.” Ralph said he has also had issues with his adviser not knowing what classes he had to take and in what order. He had even been placed in the wrong classes at some points. “Basically, I had to be on top of him to make sure I was taking what I needed to take,” Ralph said. Margo McClintic, a business administration with sports management major, said she is good friends with the trolley driver, Oscar, and that he always talks about how people complain on the trolley about how advisers
are not doing their job. McClintic is a workstudy student that works in the front office at the business building and has close relationships with all of the professors. She said that while there are some issues sometimes with adviser availability and flowchart knowledge, the bigger issue is when students show up demanding to see their adviser without having made an appointment. McClintic said that when students show up without appointments, they will always try to see if the adviser is available for walk-ins but that there is no guarantee. “There’s a few who are regulars at lunchtime who are begging to see people — but it’s lunch! No one
is going to take time out of their lunch to come see you,” McClintic said. Thomas Haynie is a business administration major who also works closely with professors in various fields as a workstudy student at the center for entrepreneurship. He has heard complaints from students who have trouble knowing what classes they need to take. “I think it's more an issue with the students themselves,” Haynie said. “They expect the advisers to do everything instead of understanding what their path is.” McClintic often runs into this issue with students. She said she does her best to provide students with their flowcharts and explain how the prerequi-
The Board of Trustees and Administration met to talk about the future of Florida Tech on April 21 and 22, staying in a room from morning until nine at night, pondering the budget, the plan for the next five years and the mission. During those two days, they approved a smaller university budget than many had hoped for, made decisions for reductions in personnel and decided to cut the athletics budget and other departmental budgets. “Make it in the top 100 in the United States,” is what Executive Vice President T. Dwayne McCay is planning to do with Florida Tech’s status as an engineering university during his presidency. Students, faculty and staff are starting to feel the transition on campus as he takes his step into his role as president, though the official day has not come yet.
“I think one of the things I used early on is Tony has, Dr. Catanese, has built this nice house. We’ve been expanding and building on this house. But we haven’t completely furnished it. A few of the rooms are not as furnished as they need to be,” McCay said. “So my focus is not on growth, but on deepening the university.” With about 5,300 students at the university and only about a 5,500 capacity in the university’s classrooms, there will be no more building outwards — only focusing on what we already have.
sites work for their major but the days before registration are the busiest and it gets hectic. “There are course catalogs to look at with prerequisites in the office,” McClintic said. “It needs to be the student’s responsibility to keep track of their schedule, as well. Advisers each have around 40 students and they can't keep track of every single one.” McClintic suggested that the online major descriptions should be written more efficiently, clearly listing what the prerequisites for certain classes are. That way, students will have a clear online source
//AUDREY GANGLOFF SPORTS EDITOR
New university budget means cuts in athletics, staff
T. Dwayne McCay at a Town Hall Meeting hosted by ResLife. He was speaking about budget issues in athletics at the time. Photo by Ebube Ubochi.
The same goes for Athletics. McCay said his philosophy is to focus on a handful of things and be really good at those. “Choose a certain number of sports that we’re going to invest money in to be even better,” McCay said. “And there are others we’re going to have to run on a shoestring.” With 22 varsity sports at Florida Tech, McCay said we’re “overstretched.” //REBEKAH DUNTZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
In this issue Sustainable initiative SPRING GRADLIST SPORTS : Gabe to Miami Dolphins
4 6 8
ISSUE 12
MAY 5
2
OPINIONS
Letter from the Editor:
Goodbye! Let's hold people accountable
I'm graduating and this is the last issue, so I’d like to say bye. I’ve never written a letter from the editor before, or an opinion piece, mainly because it’s scary to tell you what I’m thinking rather than just give you the facts. I’d rather just give you the facts. But, the facts are that I joined the Crimson as a shy freshman that never spoke up. I’m leaving this organization a more confident graduating senior that has absolutely no trouble speaking my mind when I need to. I also stand up for what I believe is right, get myself into a little trouble and write some pretty good journalism, along with the
help of other student journalists to back me. Each one of them touched my life in some way. The School of Arts and Communication, along with Dr. Heidi Edwards, is always a constant support of the Crimson, as well. Dr. Ted Petersen, our adviser, has been nothing but a joy to be around ever since I joined, and he’s been a constant mentor to all of us. I’ve spent hours throughout my career at Florida Tech in his office, ranting, stumbling, stuttering and navigating my way through my roles as writer, campus life editor and then EIC. He’s a valuable asset to Florida Tech’s communication program, and to
CAPS PSA
You made it to the tail end of the semester! Finals, papers, assignments and group projects are all coming to an end. Hopefully, you are planning to take some time to relax and enjoy your break from school. Whether you are visiting family or going on a trip with friends, you plan to have a great time. Read the tips below to ensure that your vacation time stays fun and safe.
Florida Tech in general, and I’ll miss him as I continue on after college. I also couldn't have done this without my friends and editors, Alex Coultrup, Ebube Ubochi and Nathaniel Ashton. They've truly been helpful to me this year. Nathaniel will be taking over the position as Editor-in-Chief next year, and I know he's got the passion and the heart to do this job the justice. It’s been a privilege to see the Crimson grow and evolve over the four years I’ve been here, and I’ve loved being a part of it. So I’ll end with this. To every reader of the Crimson: keep picking up
this paper and keep reading it. Student journalism is one of the most important things at a university. I’ll argue that. Because we watch the administration, we’re the student body’s voice. Student Government representatives say they’re the student body’s voice, but they still have to work directly with administration officials. They’re still bound by the relationships they keep and the duties they fulfill. The sole purpose and the duty we fulfill it to be the voice of the student body, and to find the truth in what we’re covering. So read the paper. And if we’re
printing crap, tell us. Get mad at us and tell us we’re printing crap. Hold your student newspaper accountable. Because our job is to hold SGA, the administration, and everyone else accountable. I’ve tried to do that the best I could while being a student and a human being. I hope the next few people do as well. I hope the Administration and Security officials can see what we’re doing as well, and see that at the end of the day, the truth is the truth, no matter what side you’re telling it from. v //REBEKAH DUNTZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Summer Safety
activity, make sure to check for thunderstorms and chances of rain. Excessive rain can cause terrain to become slippery and flooded. Thunder and lightning are also not safe conditions for swimming or any water activity. So plan accordingly and always have a backup plan. It’s also important you wear sunscreen. Sunburns are a real bummer and you definitely do not want to get stuck with one. SunOUTDOOR burns can also lead to more ACTIVITIES: extreme problems like There are some helpsun poisoning and health ful tips you can follow for problems later in life, like staying safe outdoors. If melanoma. It is important you are going to the ocean, you take preventative meamake sure you avoid days sures now. with strong currents. Strong Also, make sure you currents can pull you out are wearing the proper and make it hard for you to attire for where you are swim, which can be really going. You do not want to dangerous. For any outdoor wear sandals hiking, or a
jacket at the beach. Finally, make sure you protect against mosquitoes and stay hydrated. It is important to have water on hand wherever you go. Staying hydrated will help prevent headaches, low energy and a pesky dry mouth.
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES:
With school being done, it is likely you’re going to be a lot more socially involved. It is important you get out and spend time with the ones you love and care for. It’s a great way to take a break from all the stressors. When returning home to family, remember to be patient as they haven’t seen you and may have a lot of questions. Just remember they are not with you everyday and want an update
because they care. Also, when spending more time with friends or family always remember your limits and make sure you have a designated driver. It can be really easy to lose track of time on long summer days too, so make sure you keep track of how much you are drinking, especially if you are planning to be out all day. One drink can quickly become many more if you don’t pay attention. Also, when traveling make sure you stay in contact with your friends and family to let them know you are safe or if you need help.
SELF CARE:
Summertime can get really busy and it is important you do not forget to take care of yourself. This
means letting yourself rest and relax. Listen to your body. Time off should not be stressful, so it is important you do not let it become stressful. Eating, sleeping, and even staying in to read a book or watch a movie are just as important as getting out and being active. Also, try to stay on track with exercising and other healthy lifestyle choices you made during the school year. It can be really easy to slip into staying up late and sleeping all day, but keeping yourself healthy is going to be key to you summer fun. The student counseling center (CAPS) wishes you a relaxing, happy and healthy summer!v // KENDRA BARTEL CAPS OUTREACH COLUMNIST
ISSUE 12
MAY 5
Continued from page 1: “We just can’t afford 22. Not fully funded,” McCay said. “Not if you look at the coaching salaries, the travel, the facilities.” He went on about the facilities, especially. “That’s why we rent Palm Bay stadium, and we rent MCC, and we lease this and we lease that,” he continued. “We don’t have sufficient facilities to support all these things. Facilities cost money.” He posed the question, “if you had to pick the most important sport at Florida Tech, what would it be?” Wes Sumner, the university spokesman, interjected with a smiling drawl: “Come on, you’re the editor of the Crimson, you can pick that.”
3
NEWS Budget cuts
So, what is the importance of sports at a university? McCay let Bill Jurgens, athletic director, grapple with that decision. “I’d say, Bill, you need to take this much funding out of your budget. I won’t tell you how to do it,” McCay said. “But based on the size of your budget and the mission criticality of what you’re doing, here’s how much you need to reduce your budget for next year, and he as the athletics director made that decision.” McCay used this strategy across the board. So in any other departments with budget cuts, the vice president would have to decide and therefore the hard decisions didn’t fall
just with him. “We had to look at how to restructure the university a little bit to reduce some of our costs, and some of those costs were personnel,” McCay said. “And it’s staff, Dr. McCay is making that clear, it’s not faculty,” emphasized Wes Sumner, university spokesman. The employees that are supposed to be protected from being laid off due to these budget cuts are “mission-critical” employees, meaning those doing research and teaching. But there are exceptions to this, such as adjuncts, who are hired on a year-toyear basis, or simply those whose job could be combined with another.
“In some cases, if there was a job that we could combine, or, take three jobs and combine them into two, so even if it were mission critical. So it’s not a very large number of people,” McCay said. “It’s a number of staff. But we try to avoid the mission critical areas, which is teaching and research.” The administration now has to make sure it watches the adjunct budget for summer, because last year it overspent the adjunct budget by $100,000, according to McCay. Graduate student Justin Blackman thinks McCay is doing his best to make sure the organization survives, and it’s normal for any business.
“There’s always this cycle where businesses will go through these blooming times, and then they’ll go through rough times, and unfortunately this is our time,” said Blackman. McCay talked about his job and all the upcoming responsibilities on his plate. “Sometimes I wonder, why does anyone want this? But I want to be so unbelievably proud of our graduates,” McCay said. “It’s not an easy job, and it’s not even fun. I wouldn’t call it fun. But it’s very fulfilling.” v
//REBEKAH DUNTZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CATCH A TYPO? WE'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU ON THE TEAM. Join the Crimson on Monday nights at 6:30pm to snag a story and a slice of pizza.
Continued from page 1: to help them understand their schedules. “The system is a little engineering-like, it’s very technical and it doesn’t lay it out nicely for you to see,” Haynie said. “I’m sure there’s a couple students on campus who have the perfect ideas to improve it. It’s just getting the school to realize it’s worth doing.” As a University Innovation fellow, Haynie works to change how Florida Tech teaches so that the curriculum is more innovative and students get real world experience. He suggested that the issue of not understanding program flowcharts be addressed in the first year experience class that is required for freshmen. “If those advisers can teach the students how to read the flowcharts and un-
Academic Advising
derstand what classes they should be taking — or even if they could sit down with the students and plan out what their entire time here would look like — that could be great,” Haynie said. In Ralph’s experience, the confusion is not always the students’. Many other students feel that their advisers don’t understand the flowcharts either, but are unwilling to talk about it on-the-record. “I think it’s an issue that students have but they are scared to bring it to light because a lot of these advisers are professors that control your grade in the classes that you take,” Ralph said. McClintic thinks there is just a handful of advisers who do need more training
in how the program plans work for different majors. But then there are advisers who have been here for a while and still just can’t seem to get some things done. Enrique Perez is the associate dean in the College of Business, and he said that the ambiguity is more inherent to the process than to the advisers, although some advisers probably handle it much better than others. This year alone, the College of Business gained seven new faculty members. Perez did hold several training sessions for them and said that they each attended at least one of them. New advisers are expected to have to learn the ropes a little bit. McClintic said that with new advisers,
other business professors and administrative employees try to help out with the process. But what about advisers that have been around the bend? Perez said that the College of Business is currently in the process of switching their advising tools over to the same program used by the Registrar and available to students on PAWS. “I think it will help students better understand where they are in the process and it will help faculty have a clearer picture of what’s really missing or not,” Perez said. Most students are not aware that they have access to their degree program process through PAWS. “It would be great if
they taught it in university experience,” Perez said. “But it may be better if colleges set up something for once students are first semester sophomores, which is something I may try to do.” If anyone ever does have a problem with their adviser and wants to switch, for whatever reason, McClintic said come to the business office and talk to either herself or one of the other ladies that work at the front desk. “For the most part I think advisers are willing to sit down with students,” McClintic said. “I think it’s a student’s responsibility and an adviser's responsibility to at least know the basics so they can help each other.” v //AUDREY GANGLOFF SPORTS EDITOR
ISSUE 12
MAY 5
CAMPUS LIFE
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Initiative seeks to make moving out sustainable
Donation location in Robert’s Hall. Photo by Sky Morrison. During the move out process at Florida Tech, clothes, new electronics and working appliances are seen not in suitcases and boxes but overflowing in dumpsters. Unwilling to see perfectly good items go to waste, the Florida Tech Residence Life Sustainability Committee, in partnership with the University, has created the Leave Green initiative to collect usable, unwanted items to benefit
the community. “We had a dumpster right next to Campbell Hall and I remember it was full of stuff,” said Pulkit Aggarwal about his move out experience last year. “There was a computer and lots of electronics. Some people even threw out their comforters and everything.” To combat the waste in previous years, each residence hall will feature a centralized donation location in high traffic
areas such as lounges and common areas said Alexis Miller who helped start the project. Here students can drop off items such as linens, home décor, electronics, books and clothing into labeled boxes. The items are then collected after finals week and picked up by a chosen charity. This year, all contributions made by Florida Tech students this year will be donated to the CITA Rescue Mission’s thrift store to fund the organization’s work with the homeless. CITA exists to help the local homeless of Brevard get back on their feet through a residential program. Homeless men are provided a place to stay while searching for work, saving money or recovering from personal issues such as substance abuse and addiction. Leave Green is not the University’s first “green move out” initiative. Last year, Miller conducted a collection program for a class project in in which over 1800 pounds of items
were donated. This year, Miller is expecting at least twice as much. Daniel Sutton, Florida Tech’s sustainability officer hopes the initiative will be successful due to the accessibility of the donation stations. “If you have to walk off the beaten path, you are less likely to make the best decision so we’re trying to make it as easy as possible,” Sutton said. To help gauge student interest, a campus-wide sustainability survey was disseminated to students. Out of 190 student responses, 95 percent said they would be interested in a green move out. Sutton hopes “to extrapolate that number across campus,” and see everyone get involved. To encourage students to donate items, roll out dumpsters, which have become a move out staple, will not be present in front of campus residence halls. Melissa Bramble, a key organizer for the project,
hopes that Leave Green will become, “a permanent part of the FIT sustainability culture,” and will help students live a more planet-minded lifestyle throughout their college experience and beyond. Other ways students can get involved in the campus sustainability movement include making the effort to recycle plastics, cans and other items. In addition, a new initiative, called Shut the Sash, will be take place in all campus laboratories during the fall semester. The program will aim to decrease energy usage on campus. “Sustainability is mindfulness in your day to day,” Miller said. “It’s honestly not a huge change in your life. It’s thinking ahead rather than doing what’s easy.” v // SKY MORRISON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ISSUE 12
MAY 5
CAMPUS LIFE
IN REVIEW: Florida Tech places emphasis on health, wellness this year Students’ health was a focus area this past year with the addition of several staff members and programs. Dietician Linda Sullivan joined the Holzer Health Center’s staff in late April to provide nutritional counseling to students regarding weight control, enhancing strength in athletic performance and other issues students may have. Sullivan has been working as a clinical dietitian in hospitals for 30 years. She also started at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach 10 years ago. “I really think where medicine needs to go in the future is toward maintaining health and wellness and nutrition is a super important aspect of that,” Sullivan said. “And what better place to do it than at a college education with young, motivated, bright, excited, goal-oriented and awesome students?” To avoid gaining the “Freshman 15,” Sullivan advises students maintain a healthy diet, which includes fruits and vegeta-
bles, whole grain breads, and low fat dairy and high fiber products. “Watching fat grams is a real helpful strategy,” Sullivan said. “You know, fat has nine calories per gram. Carbohydrates and protein, the other two macronutrients, only have four calories per gram.” Portion control is also a way of upholding a healthy weight. In 2011, the United States Department of Agriculture replaced the food pyramid with MyPlate; MyPlate visualizes the appropriate amount of food per food group. Although Sullivan has just started, she is excited to expand her reach across campus. The Health Center is not the only one looking toward the future. Head Athletic Trainer Jay Johnson is interested in adding a nutritionist to his staff in the next two years. According to Johnson, the athletic teams are pushed to their limits on the field and in the classroom and their efforts leave them “emptied out.”
Students talk about exam stress
Red Bulls, Starbucks, bad foods and late nights studying are many college students’ lives when preparing for final exams. Some college students struggle with managing stress in preparation for final exams for various reasons. Time management, peer pressure, sports and work are a few examples of the things college students have to juggle in a toss-up with making it to classes, doing homework and studying for exams. So how do college students choose to manage stress when preparing for test-taking? Natalie Miller, business major and graduating senior is a student-athlete who recognizes stress is inevitable in college. “Acknowledging that it’s going to be stressful, being organized and dressing comfortably helps,” said Miller. She noted her coaches and professors for always being there to help in the most respectful way. “They put a lot of stress on you that they know you can handle,” Miller said. Graduate student and biotechnology major Jacob Johnvedakumar remembers his previous years of undergrad, staying up late nights studying before finals exams. Today, he acknowledges his old studying habits weren’t the best and only caused him to stress more.
“Exam preparation is stressful,” Johnvedakumar said. “I do panic a little, but if I have a prior systematic study I would take the exam without fear.” Johnvedakumar reaches out to his friends who have prior knowledge in the subjects he is taking for help. He attributes his friends for being a solid support group to help alleviate stress when preparing for exams. Lauren Mazur, CAPS therapist and outreach coordinator, said, “Even if students don’t know where to start, they can always come in and get pointed in the right direction.” CAPS is Florida Tech’s on campus counseling and psychological services. Stress counseling is free, but students have to be currently enrolled in classes to receive services. Group therapy meetings are offered weekly for students and are confidential. Mazur recommends developing a plan to manage the stress using practical things like a planner, to do lists or preferred medium for students to help keep track of things. “Make sure you are using coping skills,” Mazur pointed out. “Doing things like eating healthy, getting proper sleep, taking a breather and using social support.” v // SHANTEL HANNA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
5
Meals at the SUB are on “My Nutrition Calculator.” Photo by Allie Wood. “To provide a nutrition- that provides the nutritional ways to stay healthy on ist, dietician, someone who value of meals from Crane their own. Mechanical encan maybe help the student Creek Pizza and four eater- gineering major Phil Maloney does his own grocery athlete replenish a little bit ies on campus. shopping in order to eat I think would be good,” “Dining Services has the appropriate amount of Johnson said. “We see a lot always had the nutritional of overuse injuries, we’ve information for most of our carbs, proteins and fats for his body. had some eating disorders, recipe prepared foods, but “You can do zero excertain situations like that we never had a good way where a dietician, nutrito disseminate it,” Director ercise like walking around and stuff and not really tionist would help out at as of Dining Services Tom trying to do anything extra, well and have more experStewart said. and it’ll still work out for tise than we have.” “My Nutrition Calcuyou,” Maloney said. “But, I While Johnson and Sul- lator” will continue to see livan are looking the future, updates as Dining Services do believe exercise is absoDining Services started plans to add allergen infor- lutely important, not necessarily with a diet.” v making progress months mation this summer and a ago with “My Nutrition potential app next year. The //ALLIE WOOD Calculator.” tool is available on Dining CONTRIBUTING WRITER Dining Services develServices’ Website. oped a health tool in the fall Students find many
ISSUE 12
MAY 5
SPRING2016GRADS
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Congratulations, Aaron Blakey Aaron Charles Murphy Abd-Alqader Moufaq Abd-Alqader Abdulaziz Ali M. Al Qahtani Abdulaziz Hamed S. Alghamdi Abdulaziz Hussain A. Hashbal Abdulla Mutawa Meshaab Shemal Abdullah Bashar M. Kurdi Abdullah Khaleel Bouran Abdulrahman F.A.M. Almutairi Abdulrahman Mohammed A. Alowaini Adam Truszkowski Adrian Rajan Mchargh Agueda Toni Hudkins-Teague Ahmad Isam Rashid Hijazi Ahmed Al Shaibani Ahmed Ebrahim Ahmed Khalaf Al Ahron Jackson Aisha Kay Marie Cato Akash Sudharsan Akima C. Soumas Al-Khatib Alblooki Aldhaheri Alea Sharee Hamm Alex David Lasurdo Alex James Cummins Alex John Carlson Alexa Katherine Eldridge Alexander Gustav Marcus Eierle Alexandra D. Coultrup Alexandra Hoijtink Alexis Nicole Tebo Ali Abdulla E.A. Alnofal Ali Mohammad A. Al Matouq Ali Rashed Hareb Abdulla Al Dhaheri AlKatheeri Alkhateri Almansoori Alvin Michael Estacio Alyson L. Vezina Alyssa D. Marcoux Amanda C. Giliberti Amanda E. Munson Amanda Henson Amanda L. Zammit Anastasios Alexandros Vidas Andre-Louis Nigel Pounder Andre-Marie Bond Andrea S. Theus Andrew David Czap
Andrew Scott Conley Anil Ronald Rajana Annaleisa White Annes Mohammed Saber Anthony Antunes Alves April A. Vivino Ariana Luisa Tate Arturo Malagon Ferreiro Ashley Anne Flondro Ashley E. Schuster Ashley R. Vezina Ashley S. Montion Asim Ayinde Conrad Atakan Ciftci Augustus Antanas Azelis Austin James Campbell Baylee Michelle Asher— Beatriz Eugenia Saldana Farias Benita A. Allen Benjamin Hans Hoerlein Biomedical Engineering Bonnette A. Cole Jr. Bradley Gregory Leggett Bradley James Bunk Brandi Michelle Busick Brandon Douglas Burghardt Brandon Sean Ledene Brayden Eugene Thompson BreAnn Davis Brendan Xin-Zhi Ooi Brett Aaron Campbell Brett Shane Krog Brian Leonard Bacarella Brian Paul Dumont Brianna Bowling Bridget Mary Coffey Bridget Michele McDonnell Brittan Victoria Steffel Brittany Baldrica Brittany L. Dahme Brittany Marie Clark Bryan M. Smith Bryan Patrick Buckley Burgess Bejan Kalyaniwalla Caitlin Alma Wood Cameron Izzi Caralee Hickey Carlos Alberto Rodriguez Carlos M. Gross Jones Carlos Manuel Brito Carmen Savannah Montalvo Caroline Afonso Leit Carter E. Neuberg Casey John Clark Cassidy C. Ziech Cassie Maureen Vergason Catherine Paige Alexander Cesar Reveron Chadi Hassoune Charles Donald Petersen Charles Jacob Sedor
Charles James Berry Charles William Demory III Chase M. Krause Chloe Marie Hooper Christina M. Bennett Christina Michelle Burghardt Christopher Anthony Romano Christopher J. Guelzow Christopher John Kennedy Christopher Joseph Stapleton II Christopher Michael Pissourios Chung Hyun Oh Clara M. Loose Claude Mickel Walton Brooks Clinton John Bennett Clyde Douglas Brown Constance D. Leger Corey Allen Romines Corianne Drew Conway Corin Michael Lobo Cory Van Mason Courtney Joshua Jarrett Craig A. Miller— Craig William Boger Crystal Lynne Westgate Curtis George Marsh Cynthia Elease Bopp Dalal Sulaiman A. Altheiab Dale Drinks— Dani Elle Speegle Daniel A. Cardenas Daniel Fernandez Daniel Kelcey Hereau David Emmanuel Matos Rodriguez David Francisco Magro Garcia David Towe Dayal Oneal Austin Deanna Gambino Derrick W. Harney Devin Joseph Anthony Martinez Dhanish Tushar Mehta Diamond Monet Cooper Domenick Albanese Donald R. Finklea Jr.— Dustin Michael Townsend Dylan Blues Anthony Eduardo Jose Zuniga Romero Edward Allen Parrish Jr. Elaine Marie Brown Elena Botella Bobadilla Elizabeth Anne Michelman Elizabeth Bernadette Heeke Elizabeth Danielle Trotman Emily Anne Dawson
Emmanuel Samuel Akpan Eric C. Powell Eric David Lutzow Eric M. Mason Eric Ransford Schiferl Eric Raymond Schanafelt Eric Ryan Bettinger Erin Annette Miller Erin Nicole Pittman Esjoy Michel Moreno Gallo Everett Cordie Cooper Fatemah N.A.H. Abbas Fawaz Ghaleb H. Alkhaldi Felicia Pernilla Leftinger Flavia Zisi Tegou Frank Anthony Perrelli III Fumiko Anne-Masae Shinkawa Futaisi Garrett Francis Bridenbaugh Gary Bingham Richardson Gary Lockyer George Oliver Meaden Gerardo J. Dudamel Grady Wnek Gregory Patrick Herman Gurkirat Kainth Hailey Lynn Ambrose Hani Mohammed A. Baatiyyah Haoyan Kuang Harley Cassandra Dungee Harmony Diane Gedde Harrison Trevor Cord Heather Franqui Helen E. Kester Helena Lynn Fitzgerald HyongJin Ban— Ian M. McClure Ibraheem Khorsan H. Alyami Isaac B. Spence Ivanna Shalinne Mahabir Jacob Chol Kim Jacob Lewis Netzley Jacqueline D. Pitt Jaime Rodriguez Jr. Jake Adams Watson James Clark Frisbie James H. Gliem James Joseph Dirkes II James Michael Throne James Robert Copeland James Ryan Byrnes Jamie Rebecca Greene Janea A. Crowder Jared Bryson Stys Jasmine Anne Quintos Turla Jason Lee Terry Jazelle Russack-Cradeur Jean Rose Jeancarlo Porfirio Pestana
Camarillo Jeanette V. Davis Jeffrey Alan Brooks Jeffrey Douglas Miller Jeffrey Scott Hagans Jenessa Brooke Price Jennifer Farabee Jennifer G. Geehan Jennifer Marie Opipari Jennifer Michelle Dickenson Jennifer Solano Jerome Algernon Rogers Jerry Ja Wang Jess Alic Farmer Jessica Alexis Cushman Jessica M. Rodriguez Jessica Michelle Bunting Jessica Sofie Louise Vidmark Jian Ma Joan S. Hyland Jocday David Macias Jocsan Elias Macias John Andrew Martin John Daniel Bocinsky John Martin Poothokaran John Spencer Hilker Jonas Tomas Fuglas Jonathan Andrew Dudley Jonathan M. Wallace Jonathan S. Belles Jonathan Sanders Jr. Jordan Patricia Ursch Jordan S. Halleib Jose Daniel Sanchez Joseph Andrew Horn Joseph Anthony Collins Joseph Anthony Torano Joseph Michotek Joseph Omer Langelier Joseph William Fisher Joshua Andrew Ferriero Joshua Jose Aguilar Joshua Lee Waters Joshua Robert Strobel Josiah A. Straub Joy Ann Walton Julia Alison Kantor Julian Blanchard Julie Anne Reichel Juliette I. Bido Julio Andres Francisco Julio Cesar Violo Vidal Justin Pavao Kaitlyn Alexis Martin Kaleb David Alexander Kaleb E. Leach Kanetria D. Wiggins Karl Gabriel Karley Rose Herschelman Kate O’Regan Katherine Michelle Stewart Katherine R. Fleming
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MAY 5
SPRING2016GRADS
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Class of 2016! Kathryn Paige Disher Kayleigh Ann Douglass Kees A. Canger Keith Ishan Somawardana Keith Lindell Lovett Kelly Helene Reardon Kelly Russell Kelsey Coral DeJesus-Banos Kelsie Dawn Ebeling-Whited Kenneth Santiago Peden Kevin Jefferson Kevin Steven Jackman Khaled Ham Mohamed Khalid Rashid Ahmed Almana Khalid Saleh Ahmed Omar AlJaberi Khalphani Kareem St. Michael Green Kimberly Renee Romano Krista Marie Foster Kristen Marie Lobb Kristen Melanie Jones Kristen N. Machella Kristin E. Treat Kristin Marie Stephenson Kristopher Kenneth Bloom Kyle Alexander Macke Kyle Christopher Tseka Kyle James Moore Lakita Harvey Lance Alec Buchness Laura A. Holty Lauren Amsbary Lauren Hulvey Lauren Nicole Bolhuis Leonol Hasbun Leslie A. McCormick Leyane Kershelle Mohammed Liana Marie Soileau Lincoln W. Dawson Linda Marie Maiorana Linnea Dougherty Lisa Reneé Huff Logan Taylor O’Farrell Louis M. Penrod Lynn J. Coursey MacDonald Joseph Taylor Jr. Madeline Victoria Gabo Poon Maggie Galindo Maha Abdulaziz Alkhayyal Mahleelah Frett Maitrey Shroff Majed Adel M.A. Al-Mansoori Majed S.M.S.M. AlKhalaf Majed Sultan Ali Bin Shumayyel Mansoori
Mara B. Bancroft Margaret A. Cook Margaret Jane Lowing Marie L. Anderson Marilla Denise Andrews Marilyn Jean Dick Mark Edward Taylor Mark R. Montero Martin Bonilla Mary Ann Polanco Mary Elizabeth Oblisk Mary Katherine Vestgard Maryam Ahmad Khanlou Mason Smith Matthew John Nelson Maxwell F. Nastri Meera Dawood Mohammed Al Meet Jayeshkumar Pastakia Megan Baker—cum laude Melissa Elias Makundi Melissa L. Boyd Melissa Patricia Pumphrey Merelyn A. Martinez Michael Antonio O’Toole Michael Barber Michael C. Barnett Michael David Miller Michael David Rohde Michael David Rosenberg Michael Dean Brandt Michael Jose Ruiz Michael Joseph Stratton Michael R. Green Michael Robert Silvis Michael S. Loudon Michael Scott Baldridge Michael Thomas Wells Michael Weng Kwan Michele Alessia Diaz Moss Michelle Jenness Bromschwig Michelle Marie Medukas Milton Claude Stafford III Milton Jabneel Alvira Miranda Roseland Carroll Mitchell James Thorn Mohamed Najeeb Marei Khamis Mohamed Yousry Mohamed Mohammad Rashid Al Loughani Mohammed S. Alkanhal Mohammed Abdulrazaq M. Alharbi Mohammed Saleh J.S. Al-Sulaiti Mohannad Khalid S. Alhenaki Molly Ann Wightman Mona Lisa T. Casey Mona Mohammed H. Alyami
Monica Rose Stillson Morgan L. Steinert Morgan L. Thomas Jr. Nancy Jean Frydryck Natalie Cecilia Miller Natalie Jean Plaia Nathan Kane Baldwin Nathaniel C. Voris Nathaniel Robert Zbasnik Nathaniel Thomas Price Nathen Edward Winter Nayef F.A.M. Almutairi Nicholas Alexander Germann Nicholas Andrew Stahl Nichole Bessette Nick A. Namba Nicola Cicolini Nicolas Bueno Burbano De Lara Nicolas Michael Flower Nicole Lee Shinsky Nicole Marie Ballman Noah John Vogel Noelle Grace Novakowski Norma Bonolo Mpabanga Okyanus Ozyarin Omar Qureshi Onyema Benigna Ajuogu Orla Ann Cole Otto Josef Bark Irwin— Owen Geraldo Betharte Oz Refael Wasserman Pablo Camilo Cuervo Cano Paige Erin Carlton Paola Tatiana Munoz Patricia Marie Lewis Patrick E. Clark Patrick Marcel Klein Paul J. Kepinski Paul Joseph Cepeda Paul Petrut Tufis Pedro Juan Chavarriaga Peter Joseph Robbins Peter Larson Liljegren Philip Pen Shan Lo Phillip A. Robinson Phillip John Clancy Phillip Raymond Reynolds Pranav Anand Pranav Kumar Mohanty Precilla Muniz Rafael Almeida Rafael F. York Ralph Bahous Ramanakumar Ganapathy Sankar Ranga Madushanka Panditha Raquel N. Cohen Raschelli A. Linz Rashida Shaheen Mann Rayna E. Sanders Rebecca G. McFadden
Rebecca M. Bohanon Rebekah Patience Duntz Reginald Kumm Reid Joseph Collins Reynolds Rapley Richard Ross Hudson Rino Polazzo Robert Joaquin Borrero Robert John Finley III Robert Lawrence Curtin Roderick D. Green Sr. Roderick E. Mimbs Rojeh Yaghoobi Ronald Anthony Clark Ross R. Aylward Ryan Charles Carter Ryan Joseph Culp Ryan Ray Babbitt Ryan William Fatt Saeed Easa Esmaeel H.A. Tahri Altahri Saleh A.N.A.H. Alshammari Sally Ying Ying Tan Yu Salvatore M. Van Casteren Samantha Leigh Eagan Samantha Lynn Martinez Samar Mushrif Alamri Samuel Clark Trible Sarah Catherine Bok Sarah Elizabeth Miller Sarah Jean Mangan Sarah Nicole McKee Sari Abdulaziz S. Faden Savannah Marie Phillips Savannah Rae Bohlin Scott Theurer Sean Caleb Green Sean Thomas Kohn Sean W. Ashley Sebastian Villacreces Leon Shan Liu Shannon Chelsea Hartman Shao-Cheng Lee Sharon M. Baker Sharon R. Towell Shayne Henderson Inniss Sheena N. Sullivan Sheila Lynne Krouth Shelby Lynn Stansell Sherlett D. Cherrington Sherry Lee Marquez Shukun Yang Sierra Lange Shively Siraj Mohammed S. Sindi Sohum Kamlesh Patel Solimar Rodriguez Spencer R. Lower Stephan Martinez Carrato Stephen David Butallae Stephen Nicholas Fournier Steven John Nocero Stuart Alexander Jamieson Tabitha Selene Boeringer
Tania Kilcullen Tanqiuhao Chen Tariq Abdullah Y. Buhligah Tatjana Sade Jemmott Taylor Lauren Jones Taylor Rose Troy Taylor Sue Atkinson Terry Wilson Tesfaye Tsegaw Jote Thaddeus Steven Berger Thomas Edward Gambardella Thomas G. Hollahan Thomas Richard Filipow Thomas W. Gibson III Tia Lillian Harris Tiesha Al tesha Flagler Timothy M. Baxter Timothy M. Von Friesen Timothy Michael Drost Tomegia Patterson Tornetta Smith Travis Wayne Lorenzen Trison Jay Peplinski Troy Thomas Bakley Tu N. Tran Tyler Carden Culp Tyler Derek Richardson Tyler E. Hackett Tyler Joseph Petroske Tyler Lynn Heckman Tynette R. Jackson Umut Oztekin Vaaseen P. Richards Victor Gabriel Silva Victor Sallee Victoria A. Crank Waad Mohammed Rashid Al Asmi Wanda Geller Wayne Gregory Saunders II Will R. Henderson William Michael Regan William Nichols William Rufus White William Saro Papazian Jr. Xavier Jesus Merino Aguilera Xiong Fan Xori Titania Deans Yousif Mohamed Abdul Rahman M. Yuzhe Yuan Zachary David Rubenfeld Zachary James Wynne Zachary Joseph Costello Zackary Peter Jacob Lermen Zakery Earl Inmon Zami Ur Newaz Lam Zoe Charon Maria Ashton Zuhoor Mohammad Yamani
ISSUE 12
MAY 5
SPORTS
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Tight end signs with Dolphins as free agent Florida Tech tight end Gabe Hughes will not have to travel far to begin his professional career. On Saturday, Hughes signed as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins, becoming the first player in Florida Tech’s history to sign an NFL contract. Hughes, a standout at Highland Christian High School in Lighthouse Point, Florida, grew up approximately 30 minutes from the Dolphins’ stadium, formerly known as Sun Life Stadium. Hughes played for three seasons in Crimson and Gray after transferring from Western Michigan. Over the course of his career he racked up 1,244 yards
and 10 touchdowns on 74 receptions and snagged all-region honors each of the past two seasons. He was named Honorable Mention All-American by D2Football.com following his senior season. The tight end has proven to possess exceptional breakaway speed, taking the two longest receptions in school-history to the end zone. Hughes housed an 80-yard score against Valdosta State in the Panthers’ regular season finale in 2014 and replicated the feat this past season against West Alabama. v // PRESS RELEASE FLORIDA TECH SPORTS
Gabe Hughes making record 80-yard touchdown Photo By Nathaniel Ashton
Weight category a potential pressure inducer for female athletes
Many fight for gender equality, but have certain ideological pressures on females, such as the number on the scale, blurred the lines of equality? Florida Tech’s athletic rosters, along with those at many other schools, include the weight category for men’s teams but not women’s. Ryan Jones, assistant athletic director for athletic communications said that generally women’s rosters don’t include a weight category. “It’s a tradition at the college level not to include the weights of women, and that's just what we have carried over throughout the years,” Jones said. Female athletes are sometimes seen as role models when it comes to accepting and loving your body, yet they are still subjected to society’s pressures when it comes to their weights. “I think it’s just the stig-
ma behind exposing women’s weight,” said Ciera Misner, a student-athlete of Florida Tech soccer. To be a college-level athlete on a men’s or women’s team, it requires a certain level of physical fitness, but the female athletes still either oppose the idea or are content with the current category difference. “The number means a lot to us even if it shouldn't,” said Natasa Vukovic, a student-athlete on the tennis team. Some female athletes expressed their neutrality to the subject, yet still mentioned how their other team members would not be comfortable with the weight category being listed. “It really depends on who you talk to, because I think it’s a touchy subject for some people,” said Kaitlin Buchholz, student-athlete on the softball team. “It could cause more motivation for some peo-
ple and for some people, it could cause hindrance that is not needed.” Sierra Gipson and Celina Pou, student-athletes on the soccer team, said they personally do not mind their weights being on the roster, then chuckled as they mentioned that they are still glad it’s not listed. Even though not listed as a category women’s teams still keep track of the athletes weights for health monitoring purposes. “What we look at is major fluctuations during the season and keeping track of that and making sure that nobody has unhealthy weight gain or loss throughout the season,” said Adam Thorstad, women’s rowing head coach. When looking for prospective student-athletes, coach Adam Smith, head coach of women’s soccer, said that they utilize a number of other criteria before looking at weight. “We don’t really asso-
ciate weight with being fit and what we’re trying to do is to make sure that they are, what we call our match fitness,” Smith said. With that in mind we still see a difference in categories between men’s and women’s rosters. “I think basically there is more pressure on women in our society with regards to their weight so I think that they have the right to that privacy,” said Eli Ginsburg, student-athlete on the baseball team. Rachel Tobin, a member of women’s the track and field team, also feels that females face greater pressure when it comes to weight. Tobin said that it’s a physiological and self-confidence issue. Vukovic said “I’m sure it shows that we’re all equal if we put it on, but then the negatives would be that a lot of people would be even more concerned that someone would make a comment about it and their self-confidence would go
even lower.” Women are subjected to a great deal of pressure by society about their weight that in this case most athletes and members of the athletic department are more concerned with the psychological effects on the athletes rather than the equality issue. “As a support staff member in our athletic department we tend to take into consideration significantly how our student athletes feel,” Jones said, “Is it fair? It’s probably up for discussion but it’s just kind of something that has just always been done that way.” Is it fair or important? Everyone seems to have their own opinion on that, but should we allow society’s ideologies rule us and let numbers on a scale determine how we feel about ourselves? // ABEER JANAKAT CONTRIBUTING WRITER