The Florida Tech Crimson Fall 2019 Issue 1

Check out our comic on Page 7!

Issue 1

RIMSON The Florida Tech

The Official Student-Run Newspaper•since

1967

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019

INDEX

Campus Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-5 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 FALL

Florida Tech upgrades Crawford for the upcoming year jesse villaverde \\ DESIGN Editor

New upgrades are being made in the Crawford building for the 20192020 school year.

The elevators in the building and classrooms on the fourth floor are being modernized by Facilities and IT Instructional Technology.

An email was sent out through fitforum on June 19 by Cheryl LeBlanc, director of Facilities Operations, notifying the Florida Tech community about the elevators in Crawford being replaced.

The Crawford building elevator modernization project began on June 24 of this year with Dewey Yeatts, director of facilities management, as the project manager.

According to Yeatts, the elevators were 30 years old and worn out, with their inspection certificate expired on Aug. 01, 2018.

Once Facilities noticed that the certification expired, the approval process for modernizing the elevators was immediate, Yeatts said.

“The state elevator inspector is in the process of inspecting all campuswide elevators,” Yeatts said. “The new certificates for all elevators will be received probably by the end of August.”

Even though they were expired, Yeatts said he did not want to start renovating the elevators while students were in school.

The modernization process will run from June to October, with each elevator taking eight weeks to complete.

The new modernized elevators in Crawford were part of a new maintenance contract with Thyssenkrupp, a German multinational conglomerate

A sign blocks the left elevator being renovated in Crawford. that focuses on industrial engineering and steel production.

The modernization project for the Crawford elevators cost around $330,000, according to Yeatts.

Other recent elevators that were modernized include the ones in the Link Building in the 2012-2013 school year, University Plaza in the 20172018 school year and Evans Library in the 2018-2019 school year.

The Crawford elevators were not the only things to get modernized in the building, however.

Over the summer, Information Technology renovated the classrooms on the fourth floor in Crawford to include new chairs and new boards.

John Meyer, IT director of instructional technology, said that this is part of a new classroom learning initiative created by President McCay earlier in the year.

Crimson //Jesse Villaverde

According to Meyer, the Crawford fourth floor classrooms were the last multi-use rooms to be updated in over 10 years.

“Most other classrooms in Crawford have been renovated within the last five years,” Meyer said. “We are glad that we have the support from the highest level of campus leadership to make these upgrades that have been needed for many years.”

The classroom renovations included a new coat of paint on the walls, new carpeting, LED lighting, ceiling speakers, a full multimedia lectern, two 80-inch televisions, USB wall charging outlets and phone casting projection technology.

The multimedia lectern is a reading podium found in most classrooms, with a new console added to control settings for the projector and computer.

The voice of the students EMILY WALKER \\ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Welcome to Florida Tech, whether it’s your first or your final year here!

We hope you enjoy your stay here, and during your time you’ll pick up a few copies of our paper, The Crimson.

The Crimson is Florida Tech’s student-run newspaper, offering our community the scoop on campus events, local, national and international news, opinion pieces, reviews and more.

We hold the First Amendment in high regard, which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an estab-

@FTCrimson @FTCrimson crimson@fit.edu

lishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

While Florida Tech is a private institution, it has no rules in place censoring the media, meaning we can freely exercise our First Amendment rights.

We take this responsibility very seriously at The Crimson and seek to report the truth accurately and fully.

Being the voice of the students is our number one priority.

This means we want to hear from you.

If you have a story and want it published or need help telling it, let us know.

Not only do we want to report, but we want to share your perspective and help inspire change through our paper.

More than anything, we want you to join us this semester to help get as many voices as possible out to Florida Tech.

Don’t think you’re a good writer?

That’s okay--we have a team of editors who can work with you to make your work shine.

We also need photographers and students interested in design, creating comics, planning events and managing advertising.

This year, we are working hard to have a great variety of stories.

We want The Crimson to contain everything from updates on building renovations to reviews on new music

Welcome Freshmen!

Professors and students can touch the projector screens to make annotations on the new lectern and save them as portable formats.

They are similar to the one found in the classroom in the Digital Scholarship Lab on the second floor of the library.

Annie Caza, a professor in the School of Arts and Communications, said she noticed these new changes when she walked into the classroom for the first time.

“My initial reaction was a big, ‘Wow!’” Caza said. “I love the new vibrant colors of red and lime green.

From a teaching point of view, the new orientation of seating allows the students to see what is on the board easier.”

There are also new modular movable tables in the classroom, which will improve facilitating group work, Caza said.

Meyers said that Instructional Technology is planning on upgrading the Olin Engineering labs rooms 117, 130 and 132; Shepherd classrooms 107 and 108; Harris Institute room 122 and the Quad classrooms.

“Classroom renovation is a continuous process and we try to prioritize those with the oldest equipment,” Meyers said.

While IT continues with classroom upgrades over the school year, the east elevator modernization will be completed around mid-August and the west elevator will be completed in mid-October.

LeBlanc stated in the email that one elevator would remain usable throughout the whole modernization project.

to your opinion on the quality of education in your degree program.

Another platform we are going to be focusing heavily on this year is our social media and online presence.

We will be posting daily updates on Facebook and Instagram, with stories, questions, meeting times and a peek into what goes on behind the scenes while we edit.

Additionally, we will use fitforum to send out reminders regarding meeting times and campus events, a s well as questionnaires.

Finally, we have a website! You can visit it for all our articles at crimson.fit.edu.

We hope to see you this semester. We meet at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evenings in Grissom Hall’s basement.

To contact us, please email us at crimson@fit.edu.

Our Mission: Live, discover and report the truth.

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The Panther's First Semester

ERIKA POBEE-MENSAH \\ CAPS Outreach Columnist

Whether this is the first semester of your freshman year of college or your final “first” semester of graduate school, the start of a new academic year can come with so many new and different things.

Some might be exciting, like meeting new roommates; while others might be challenging, like repairing a suffering GPA. Regardless of what experiences come your way, it is important to find a balance between school, work and your social and personal life.

A great way to start the new academic year is to establish a daily routine.

While classes naturally create a routine, there are many other areas of your life that could benefit from some structure.

Setting aside certain days or times for things, like hanging out with friends or catching up with family, can be just as important as scheduling time for studying.

Having an exercise routine can also be helpful and more than just managing weight.

Regular exercise can help manage stress, anxiety and

depression.

Eating regular, well-balanced meals at around the same time each day can further help with overall physical and mental health.

Additionally, taking time to relax can help balance out the stress of studying, working or dealing with social/ extra-curricular demands.

Give yourself the gift of setting limits on where and how you spend your time.

It might seem like extra work now, but it will pay off when October hits and you find yourself not wondering where all your time went.

If you find yourself having difficulties that cannot be resolved with setting routines and engaging in self-care, reach out to someone for support.

You can also visit Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), where a variety of mental health and wellness services are available to assist students so they can successfully reach their own personal, academic and career goals.

We also offer weekly counseling groups, including Mood Matters on Mondays, a group on managing depression and anxiety; Let’s Talk on Tues-

Counseling and Psychological Services is located beside the Health Center, at the corner of Country Club Road and University Boulevard.

days, which explores ways to improve relationship skills; Proud To Be Me on Wednesdays, which provides support for LGBTQ+ concerns; Understanding Self & Others on Thursdays, which explores personal identity and interpersonal success; and Emotional Flexibility on Fridays, which provides a variety of stress management techniques.

More information regarding CAPS’ services and support can be found by visiting: www.fit.edu/counseling-and-psychological-services. We are here to help you achieve your goals and be the happiest and healthiest Panther you can be.

CAPS is open on Monday to Thursday from 8:30am to 12pm and 1pm to 5pm, and Fridays from 8:30am to 4pm. Telephone # is (321) 674-8050.

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CAMPUS LIFE

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Florida Tech rebranding in pursuit of greatness SONJA MICHAELS \\ COPY Editor

Authentic.

Resonant.

Cohesive.

These are the intended qualities in Florida Tech’s new brand platform, “The Relentless Pursuit of Greatness,” according to Florida Tech’s Marketing and Communications department.

Wes Sumner, vice president of marketing and communications at Florida Tech, said that having a cohesive brand platform with a more unified style, imagery and tone will allow students to receive the most value from their degree. The new brand debuted May 1.

Sumner said the unified platform will aid in bringing positive attention to Florida Tech, increasing the value of students’ degrees by having a “louder megaphone to tell [students’] stories.”

Marketing and Communications worked with BVK, an independent marketing and advertising agency based in Milwaukee, to conduct a brand study and develop the new identity.

The agency’s work includes Michigan State

Florida Tech printed their new logo on new bags for Crimson // Sonja Michaels reusable straws.

University, the Beaches of Fort book in a number of years,” Myers-Sanibel and Bryant & McIlwraith said. “We thought this rollout and the opportunity Stratton College.

According to a case study to share more about who we are done by the agency, Bryant & was a nice opportunity to redo Stratton College experienced and relaunch a viewbook.”

According to McIlwraith, a 31 percent net increase in the viewbooks are planned to applications after their brand be a “substantial brochure” platform rollout. received by students who have According to Andy McIlin some way inquired about wraith, director of marketing Florida Tech. and brand strategy at Florida Along with redesigned Tech, outreach to potential promotional materials, McIlstudents is a significant aspect wraith said admissions will be of the rebranding. one of the first departments Promotional materials sent out to potential students to receive training in the new will be completely redesigned. branding.

“The university is not just a “We haven’t done a view-

what, it’s a who,” McIlwraith said. “We’re a hands-on university; we do big, exciting projects like senior design and business practicum.”

Daniel Supraner, director of athletic communications at Florida Tech, said that one of the main goals of Athletics’ marketing is to show more of the teams’ training in order to demonstrate the type of work that student athletes put into preparing for a season.

“We’re working on different ways we can start rolling out in the facilities,” he said. He also said that much of Athletics’ new branding is showcased digitally, including on social media. “[Students] always show their relentless spirit,” he said, “whether it’s on the playing field or in the classroom.”

McIlwraith said the idea of being relentless was a common ethos communicated by students in the course of the brand study.

“We have an approach to academics that’s different than a lot of other universities we compete with,” McIlwraith said. He added that taking major-specific courses in the first year is part of that unique approach.

McIlwraith said that branding goes beyond new fonts and logos.

“We are taking a very measured approach,” McIlwraith said.

He explained that a gradual approach to rebranding is cost-conscious, enabling the university to use existing budgets effectively.

“We attract what we feel is such a special brand of student,” Sumner said.

Sumner said that Florida Tech is proud to be a strong STEM institution that “embraces” majors outside of STEM. He said the brand platform “is certainly holistic to the entire university, STEM majors and non-STEM majors.”

“We’re going to tell the stories of CoPLA through the Relentless Pursuit of Greatness,” he said.

Sumner said that coordination is key for extending the platform throughout Florida Tech’s campuses, including Florida Tech Online.

“It requires a strong brand platform from which everyone can launch,” he said.

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CAMPUS LIFE

Ruth Funk Center's foray into American History Xingman Jiang & CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ \\ staff writerS

With the upcoming exhibit at Florida Tech’s textile museum, the Ruth Funk Center, anyone will be able to come in and learn about the history of the American art form of basketry.

The exhibit is titled “Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America.”

It will open to the public from Sept. 21-Dec. 14, as detailed from the museum’s website at www.textiles.fit. edu. “[The exhibit] chronicles the history of American basketry from its origins in

Native American, European and African traditions up to contemporary baskets,” said Donna Sewell, manager of visitor services at the Ruth Funk Center.

The exhibit will divide all basket-related items into four sections based on the themes of “cultural origins,” “living traditions,” “basket as vessels” and “beyond the basket.”

The museum’s goals for the exhibit are listed on their website as, “To model how to look at, talk about and analyze baskets aesthetically, critically and historically; and to contextualize American basketry within art and craft history specifically and American culture generally.”

Before the exhibit opens, the Ruth Funk Center will hold a Funky Fall Art Fest across from Evans Library from 3-7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30.

The museum will be empty, as it’s in-between exhibits, so the event will be both indoors and outdoors.

Inside the museum for the event’s participants will be painting, pottery wheels, a game room, performances and more.

Outside activities include lawn games, chalk art and a live band with free food via food trucks.

The museum is hoping to make this an annual event

From Baseball Coach to Director of Security EMILY WALKER \\ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

After spending more than half his lifetime in law enforcement and security, twelve years as a collegiate baseball coach and some time as a professor in charge of the Criminal Justice department of his local college, Frank Iannone decided it was time for a change.

When his kids moved out of the house, he and his wife decided they wanted to move to Florida.

Iannone began looking for security jobs in Florida and found Florida Tech.

“Higher education is its own community in itself,” Iannone said. “Having the background in higher education in different aspects and law enforcement and putting it all together--to me, it’s the perfect fit for me.”

Iannone became director of security at Florida Tech in spring 2019 when Kevin Graham, the previous director of security, retired.

Over the summer, he has worked with Security to implement new safety measures.

“For the last three and a half months, things have probably been a whirlwind for the entire Security department,” Iannone said. “We’re doing a lot of training to bring the officers more up-to-speed to give them more opportunities to know the latest techniques in handling unruly people, as well as deescalation techniques.”

In addition to new training for officers, Iannone has created training programs for Florida Tech’s community.

These programs focus on situational awareness and what to do in the event of an active shooter.

“We try not to focus it on one specific thing because it can happen everywhere,” Iannone said. “Our mindset is to teach these skills in everyday life.”

Iannone said he has given 14 of these training presentations to various Florida Tech departments.

He plans to offer them to students, staff and faculty throughout the semester.

In addition to situations involving active shooters, Iannone said he wants to teach Florida Tech how to deal with a number of safety issues.

“My hope, moving forward in the years to come, will be that we will always be the host of some type of security awareness program, whether it’s identity theft or something like that, where we bring in an expert in the field to give some commentary,” Iannone said.

As for what Security will implement within the department in the coming semesters, Iannone said he plans to amp up their visibility.

“We’re not just going to stand in the background and say, ‘Hey, we’re here if you need us,’ but we’re really going to make our presence known,” Iannone said.

Iannone said their goals are to deter, detect and delay.

Security’s deterrent effect, Iannone said, is their visibility.

By being present and professional, he said it will hopefully deter someone from doing something wrong.

Security can also detect when something has gone wrong through their cameras.

Facilities began installing new cameras around campus in spring 2019. As more cameras are added, Iannone said they can decrease the number of officers at certain locations while still monitoring them.

As Iannone looks forward to this new year at Florida Tech, he said his goal is to keep students’ anxiety over safety low.

“I don’t want anyone to have to worry,” Iannone said.

“They have enough to worry about here. I really view this school as it’s not easy to get into and it’s not easy to stay

here, so people have to want to be here. I don’t want people to be uncomfortable or worried about their security. If we can relieve them of that concern and let them focus on their studies, and if they’re doing club sports or are a varsity athlete and don’t have to worry about that other stuff, then I think we’ve done our job.”

Frank Iannone is settling into his new office.

Crimson // Emily Walker

going forward to celebrate the anniversary of the Ruth Funk Center opening up on campus.

“As a staff, we’ve been wanting to do a student-led event,” Sewell said. “So the idea developed through these collaborations with SMART and SGA.” SMART is the museum’s student advisory committee that students can join to plan events with the museum, help the museum bring in new visitors and give insight into the planning of museum exhibits.

Sewell said that the first weekly meeting for the exhibit was held in May. “As a staff, we’ve been planning this for a year,” Sewell said.

Other coming events will include a gallery tour by Exhibit Co-Curator Jo Stealey on Oct. 8 and basket weaving demos from Oct. 8-12 as part of the museum’s spinning and weaving week.

After this semester’s coming exhibit closes, the next exhibit titled “Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence” will run from Feb. 1-April 25.

“We want to let the students know that we are the center of creativity, fun and art,” Seawell said. “We want the students to have fun and relax.”

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CAMPUS LIFE

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OPINION

Venezuelan immigrants' impact on Trinidad KEVIN BOODOOSINGH \\ MANAGING EDITOR

Over the past two years the situation has worsened in Venezuela to the point that Venezuelans have been fleeing the country in the masses to get away from Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship.

Under Maduro’s leadership, the country has faced hyperinflation, food shortages and political chaos.

According to statistics posted by the U.N., 3.6 million Venezualens left the country between 2015 and December of 2018.

As one of the surrounding countries, Trinidad has acted as a safe haven for over 60,000 Venezualens.

Keep in mind that Trinidad’s population is 1.3 million, excluding the Venezuelans.

With most Venezualens not having documentation or passports, they must seek creative ways to sneak onto the island.

“Private boats is the go-to method for many,” said Erich Koch, a Venezualen migrant who is now a citizen of Trinidad.

Koch has been in Trinidad since 2005, but he has been around the world and traveled back and forth to Venezuela for many years before finally settling in Trinidad.

Koch made his way to Trinidad after the Trinidadian government showed interest

in a building technique that was being used in Venezuela.

Through Koch’s expertise in this field, he became a manager at Macon Trader Co. Because of his position in the construction company and him being a Venezuelan native, he finds himself helping a lot of the Venezuelans find jobs and places to live.

“My labor team consists of eight to 12 guys who are registered in Trinidad,” Koch said.

In the early part of 2019, Trinidad’s government decided to register illegal Venezuelans and grant them a one year legal status to the island. This status allows them to work, have banking privileges and even have driving permits.

In this process, only the Venezuelans with clean background records were allowed to register.

For the individuals who have records, they were either sent back to Venezuela or kept in immigration facilities.

While Koch said the registration of the Venezuelans was a good step for the government, he also said that there are a lot more issues involving the Venezuelans in Trinidad.

“About 75 percent of the Venezuelans that have come into Trinidad are people who were already involved in crime and have come into Trinidad looking for avenues to practice what they know [crime],” Koch said.

The crime in Trinidad has

gotten to a point that people are afraid to leave their houses.

The gang violence has gotten unbearable and the drug and human trafficking have only increased since the illegal migration of criminal elements from Venezuela, according to the OSAC Trinidad and Tobago 2019 Crime and Safety Report.

“Everyone already knows how bad the crime is in Trinidad and the criminals from Venezuela have found their way into it,” Koch said.

Koch said he believes that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, or TTPS, are not capable or equipped to handle these gangs.

Human trafficking is also one of the major acts taking place in Trinidad, especially involving teenage Venezuelan girls.

“It is the easiest way for them to make money,” Koch said. “They don’t speak English so it is easy for them to work in bars or casinos and make money doing [sex work].”

The Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith, said in multiple interviews that he is taking the increase in crime very seriously.

In an interview on CNC3’s Morning Brew, Griffith said he already has a 78-point plan and is ready to reform the TTPS all in an attempt in the fight against crime.

Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Keith Rowley shaking hands with Nicolás Maduro Twitter // PRESA PRESIDENTCIAL Koch said he believes that this is good, but because of Trinidad’s government’s lack of involvement or concern to the increasing crime, he said he is concerned the condition of Trinidad will worsen.

“I have seen Venezuela go through the process, and Trinidad will soon end up like that,” Koch said.“The same thing that is happening in Trinidad was happening in Venezuela.”

Citizens of Trinidad are continuing to express their frustration to the government and police but minimal efforts are being taken.

Business owners are now having to take matters into their own hands by having more security at businesses and even creating police-community task forces.

One task force is the Tuna-

puna Police Station Community Council.

They act in the city of Tunapuna and have been a voice between both the people and the police.

In just one week, 16 people were killed in the area of Tunapuna.

While crime has always been a problem in Trinidad, Koch said he believes that it has escalated due to the influx of criminal elements from Venezuela.

Not only has crime increased, but the form of crime has broadened, from drugs to human trafficking.

While citizens like Koch are skeptical, he hopes that the police service and the government try their best to show some sort of combat against this surge in crime.

ISSUE 1

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REVIEW FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW REVIEW

Like 90s buddy-cop movies?

You'll love this one DAVID THOMPSON \\ staff writer

Buckle up for chaotic action, endless one-liners and a plot that reminds us how reliant the Fast and Furious franchise is on big stars and motor fuel. Hobbs and Shaw delivers all of this and more.

My biggest praise of Hobbs and Shaw is that it was exactly what I expected it to be. The writers were relentless with back-and-forth bickering between Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Shaw (Jason Statham).

Most of the jokes surprisingly landed for me and I found myself laughing for most of the movie, even when the film wasn’t trying to make a joke.

As you would expect, there are a lot of outrageous fights and car chases in this movie and I thoroughly enjoyed most of them.

In particular, there was a great balance of wide-angle speed shots and close-up slow-mo moments. It’s like riding a roller coaster: slow rises, exhilarating falls.

The Fast and Furious franchise has become less about actually racing cars and more about high stakes action featuring different vehicles.

Hobbs and Shaw introduces the franchise to its first super-powered character in Brixton (Idris Alba).

Alba does the best he can with Brixton, who was written as a stereotypical bad guy who shares similar characteristics to our heroes but with a dark backstory.

Despite the poor writing, I thought Alba gave some life to the character and much-needed charisma.

As I said earlier, this movie is very reliant on its star power, but the trio of Johnson, Stratham and Alba may be the most talent we’ve seen in any of the Fast and Furious films.

Side note, this movie features two of the greatest cameos in cinematic history; if you’re expecting Vin Diesel and Tyrese Gibson, just imagine those two but actually good actors.

Hobbs sister, Hattie (Vanessa Kirby), is also given a major role in the film and does a great job of balancing out the two brutes with a sleek and suave speaking and fighting style.

This movie is pedal to the metal from the jump and very rarely pulls its foot off the gas.

This movie takes the humor and action scenes from the original eight Fast and Furious films and cranks it up to a thousand. This often leaves the story and characters' emotions neglected, but

Official movie poster Photo // Universal Pictures who came to the theaters to see any of that?

We want explosions and testosterone, and that’s exactly what we get with Hobbs and Shaw.

Overall, Hobbs and Shaw is a firework show: loud, bright and sure to bring you joy at the moment, but ultimately forgettable.

Send us your favorite memes @FTCRIMSON on Instagram

Submitted by // @DavidJThompson

SONJA MICHAELS \\ "WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMON"

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SPORTS

Women's ex-golf team continues collegiate career olivia mckelvey \\ COPY EDITOR

In the spring semester of 2019, the Florida Tech Athletic Department dismissed three of its sports programs: the men’s and women’s tennis team, and the women’s golf team.

“In a five-minute meeting, the athletic director told us we were being cut because we weren’t competitive enough,” said Noelle Beijer, one of the eight women on the women’s golf team.

Instead of wearing Panther apparel this season, Beijer will be sporting Tiger attire at the University of Missouri.

She is one of three from the women’s golf team to transfer to another university to continue her collegiate golf career.

A key player for the Panthers, The Dutch native has an impressive golf career, scoring an average of 76.33 during her time at Florida Tech, as well as being a medal-

ist honors at the 2018 World Golf Invitational.

Continuing her education path and majoring in global management and finance, Beijer is excited for her future at Mizzou but is saddened that she will no longer be playing on the field with her best friends and old teammates.

“The fact that I don’t even know when I will see them all again makes me sad,” Beijer said.

According to Florida Tech’s athletic director, Bill Jurgens, there were multiple factors that led to the team being cut, including a lack of competitive edge, facilities, the size of the team and the number of athletes that would be affected by the cut.

“We knew the team had not performed well in the fall, but by no means were we poor performers,” said Lauren Watson, a senior and member of the women’s golf team.

Although the women did not start off strong at the beginning of their season, they

proved to leave their mark by the end of the season.

“The day we were cut, February 7, we were ranked 21 in the nation,” Watson said. “By March 26, we were fourth.”

The Scotland native described the news of being cut as giving her a sense of “betrayal” and leaving her feeling “undervalued.”

“Why us?” Watson said.

“Why now?”

Refusing to go down silently, Watson challenged what she saw as discrimination with the backing of Title IX by talking to coaches and NCAA compliance directors.

After doing so, the NCAA ruled that she, as well as another woman, on the golf team could play and compete with the men.

“I know playing on the men’s team will be far more challenging due to the length of courses they play and the lack of strength and power I have in comparison,” Watson said.

“It’s going to be a big adjustment because as I much as I love the guys, I’ll really miss the girls.”

Even though the news of the cut came in the middle of their season, the women persevered in the wake of what Watson described as disappointment, confusion and anger.

By mid May, the women’s determination and competitiveness led them to bring home a gold trophy with the label NCAA Division II Champions.

“Winning nationals was simply the best thing we could do,” Beijer said.

One key player that helped the Panthers take home a massive win was Megan Dennis.

Dennis had five top 10 finishes in the 2018-19 season for the Panthers, and was also a 2018 Women's Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar.

Additionally, she made the Sunshine State Conference

Commissioner's Honor Roll.

After the initial shock, Dennis said she immediately began to wonder what her future would look like.

“My first thoughts were complete sadness, but also panic because I knew I was going to have to transfer,” Dennis said.

Hence, The U.K. native made the decision to transfer to Pepperdine University in California to continue her degree in sports psychology for her remaining two years of undergraduate schooling.

Like the others, Dennis said replacing her previous Florida Tech teammates is impossible and she will never forget her time with them.

“I’m mostly going to miss the great atmosphere at Florida Tech,” Dennis said.

“We worked hard, we were competitive, and we all shared the same passion.”