The Florida Tech Crimson Fall 2019 Issue 4

Check out our comics on Pages 7-8!

Issue 4

RIMSON The Florida Tech

The Official Student-Run Newspaper•since

1967

INDEX

News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 Entertainment. . .. . . . . . . . . . .6-7 Campus Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019

FALL

Florida Tech drops in national ratings

TYLER JONES \\ STAFF WRITER

While last year, Florida Tech came in at 177 for national university rankings, according to ratings released a few weeks ago from U.S. News, Florida Tech has dropped to 202.

Although some may be concerned about the 25 spot decrease, it didn’t seem to bother Wes Sumner, Florida Tech’s vice president for Marketing and Communications.

Sumner explained that many considerations are taken into account, such as the academic performance of freshmen, alumni donations, class size and a number of other factors.

However, Sumner also explained that the biggest reason Florida Tech dropped in the rankings was due to something called the Carnegie Classification system.

This system acts as a framework for classifying universities throughout the nation.

“The Carnegie Classification changed and allowed a large number of additional universities in at our Carnegie Classification,” Sumner said. “This means that the new universities got added ahead of Florida Tech, meaning that our relative ranking fell.”

Despite this year’s rankings, Sumner stated that the university as a whole remained constant, or even improved in all of the ranking

factors, and still remains a tier one best school for over a decade.

Students such as Riley Dolan, a sophomore in mechanical engineering, believe that smaller classes, high quality professors and job opportunities in the local area have helped contribute to that title.

“When I first started looking at colleges, I was trying to find a university where I can not only be successful in school, but find success quickly once I graduate,” Dolan said. “Florida Tech is known for their engineering programs, and companies like Harris and Northorp Gruman are always looking for interns as well as new engineers.”

Dolan went on to say that most

other universities in the state don’t offer the same amount of quality or opportunities that a smaller tech university can offer to their students.

Jordan Neely, a junior in civil engineering, also said that the class size and the technology that is accessible through the university is what causes Florida Tech to be viewed as a tier one school.

“I don’t think that many other universities have the ability to offer the high availability of technology that Florida Tech can offer to their students,” Neely said.

Neely went on to explain that while other universities may have

RANKINGS on page 5

SOSA takes part in Orlando climate strike

Olivia mckelvey \\ Copy editor

This past week millions of people participated in the global climate strike.

A small fraction of those striking were Florida Tech students, demanding a change to protect and preserve the planet.

Nearly two weeks ago, Florida Tech’s Student Organization for Sustainability Action sent four of its chapter members to Orlando to attend a Friday’s For Future climate strike outside city hall.

“The energy was amazing, and seeing 200 people plus unite for a cause that they are equally, if not more, passionate about than I am was an unforgettable experience,” said Taylor Greene, SOSA president.

The Friday’s For Future is a movement started by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, which so far has activated weekly student strikes in 150 countries.

Participating Orlando organizations and activist groups included IDEAS for Us, the Sunrise Movement Orlando, Fridays For Future USA and Fleet Farming.

These groups encouraged participants to wear green and raise their recyclable homemade signage high in the sky, reflecting the climate action they would like to see in Florida.

Guest speakers included Florida democratic state representative Anna Eskamani as well as others

@FTCrimson @FTCrimson crimson@fit.edu

Protesters hold signs about climate change outside Orlando city hall.

raising awareness for climate change.

“One of the things that resonated the most with me was when I heard Anna Eskamani preach that she didn't run for office to talk about what was impossible, rather to fight for what is possible,” Greene said. “That was something that really spoke to me and demonstrated that there are people out there trying to do good.”

Tagging along with Greene were fellow SOSA members Jack Weaver and Jeffrey King, both of whom are juniors majoring in

ocean engineering and minoring in sustainability.

Both students described attending the strike as “being a part of history and fighting for something our generation believes in.”

“I think some people believe that climate change doesn’t affect us,” Weaver said. “But people are dying as a result all around the world.”

According to Weaver, climate change goes beyond affecting the animals, it has repercussions on a human level that the majority of society should care about.

In memory of Jeff McGuire on Page 11

Photo // Florida Tech SOSA

While Florida Tech’s SOSA chapter and other environmentally conscious activists rallied in Orlando, the scene in New York City was amplified. World leaders, corporate executives and activists gathered at the United Nations Climate Action Summit.

A collaborative effort was made to turn promises into reality in hopes of global warming and rising CO2 emissions.

Topics such as the benefits and use of renewable energies were

CLIMATE on page 4

Our Mission: Live, discover and report the truth.

2 CAPS ISSUE 4

OCTOBER 1

ERIKA POBEE-MENSAH \\ CAPS Outreach Columnist

Have you ever felt hollow or numb?

Have you ever felt like you were drowning while others around you kept afloat?

These are a few descriptions of how it can feel to have depression.

Depression is often described as an emotional state (“I’m depressed” or “that’s depressing”).

However, clinical depression is a true mental health problem, which can be treated.

It’s normal to feel down

Lift Your Spirits

or blue occasionally, but it’s important to note if you or a friend are experiencing more than regular sadness.

Remember, you don’t have to be “going through something” to have depression.

While people often feel sad after a break-up or a stressful life event, sometimes people experience depression without having any life stressors or triggers.

Some signs of depression might include feeling sad most days of the week, withdrawing from others, sleeping too little or too much and sometimes feel-

ing irritable or agitated.

Curious whether you or a friend might have depression?

Oct. 10 is National Depression Screening Day, and you may want to consider taking a screening to help make an informed decision about getting help.

CAPS offers free online screenings for depression and other mental health problems, which can be accessed by visiting our website.

Sometimes depression can cause you to have thoughts of wanting to die or feeling you/others might

be better off if you were dead. If you, or a friend, are experiencing this, do not wait to get help.

For emergencies, always call 911. You can also contact campus security at 321-674-8111 .

The following services are also available for 24/7 free and confidential support: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK/8255 — suicidepreventionlifeline.org The Brevard 211 Helpline: dial 211-or- (321) 632-6688 — www.211bre-

vard.org The Crisis Text Line: text “Home” to: 741741 — www.crisistextline.org Consultation services are also available at CAPS if you have concerns for yourself or a friend.

While depression can feel like an uphill battle, having the right knowledge, resources, and tools can help to lift your spirits and get back to fully living your life.

For more information regarding CAPS’ services and support, drop by our center, call us, or visit our website.

CAPS is open on Monday to Thursday from 8:30am to 12pm and 1pm to 5pm, and Fridays from 8:30am to 4pm.

Photo // Jesse Villaverde

ISSUE 4

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4 NEWS ISSUE 4

OCTOBER 1

CLIMATE continued debated as well as setting a goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words, and yet, I’m one of the lucky ones,” Thunberg stated as she addressed presidents, prime ministers, and other diplomats.

“People are suffering.

People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing.”

While there has been tremendous outrage and protests globally with frustration for the destruction of ecosystems, there has also been distress and efforts on a more local note.

For example, the same day as the strike in Orlando, there was also a rally and march held that night at the Eau Gallie Causeway

hosted by young Brevard teens.

When she wasn’t marching along side community members with decorated signs covered from head to toe in green attire, Florida Tech senior and marine biology major Erin Casellas was trying to get signatures for the Florida Climate Pledge.

Casellas works as a campus ambassador for CLEO Institute, a Miami based non-profit that strives to educate and promote climate action.

By obtaining signatures Casellas was gaining support from those who want to protect Florida’s biodiversity.

“I think that a lot of people see how beautiful a place like Melbourne is, and we have these amazing ecosystems, but people

don’t understand how fragile they are,” said Casellas when asked why some may not believe in climate change.

After a week full of awareness for the environment, the invaluable resources it provides us and the necessary action society needs to take for future generations, SOSA wanted to close their week of insightful environmental mandates and motives to “stand for what we stand on” with a tree planting ceremony on the Crawford Green.

A Florida Gumbo Limbo Tree, also known as the iconic south Florida tree, which is expected to grow up to 60-feet tall, was planted in a ceremonial atmosphere.

“Today, Friday, September 27, 2019, we set the

Students planting the Gumbo Limbo tree in front of Crawford.

Crimson // Francesco Isaza

roots for a better future,” Greene said as she introduced her final words of wisdom.

Perhaps the most simple and powerful statement came from a sustainability professor and

faculty advisor for SOSA, Ken Lindeman left students with this lasting remark: “You got to come back and look at this tree in 10 years, this thing is going to be epic.”

NASA launches research programs for students

Josef Gundzik \\ STAFF WRITER

NASA announced new resources and funding available to students as the program will be increasing its prevalence of small satellites, and has opened new lines of research for both graduate and undergraduate students.

Last Wednesday, a crowd of students gathered in the Hartley room to enjoy pizza and drinks before embarking on an insightful space exploration lecture led by top leading experts in the field.

Jose Nunez, the former chief of flight technologies branch at Kennedy Space Center, and the current Florida Tech liaison to KSC, presented to hundreds of young space enthusiasts.

Nunez began by describing NASA’s new objective: return to the moon by 2024.

After a thorough overview of the mission phases of the Artemis program, Nunez segued to the core of his speech—research opportunities.

According to Nunez, NASA selects research through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, NSPIRES. With this system, NASA posts requests for research proposals to which anyone can make submissions.

NSPIRES also includes Research Opportunities in Earth and Space Science, ROSES, which is a

broad research request for anything not specifically requested elsewhere.

Furthermore, NASA is looking to use some of the ROSES funding for the CubeSat Launch Initiative.

Through this initiative, students and research organizations can work with NASA to develop cubesats or small satellites, which will conduct astrophysical science research.

The Cubesat Launch Initiative is a much larger program for the development and launch of cubesats on current NASA rockets.

It includes the NASA 2020 small satellite technology partnership. This program specifically requires the development teams to work directly with NASA and have access to a block of funds set aside for this project.

During his presentation, Nunez outlined the NASA internships.

“Internships have two different flavors,” Nunez said. “One is called a NIFs, a NASA internship fellowship. That is just a one-shot deal. The other is called a pathway. That is the path to become a civil servant.”

Nunez highlighted the value in looking for students that are involved in extracurriculars that boost their skill base in reliance to a career field in aerospace Some students, such as Ajeé Watson, attended

mostly for the internship information.

“My major is aerospace engineering, and I wanted to hear about good opportunities,” Watson said.

Other students, such as Wesley Howell, attended

more for project information.

“We have been in contact with Nunez for senior design,” Howell said.

“We wanted to see how we could continue. There are a lot of opportunities for

students.”

Howell echoed Nunez.

“My whole goal is to make you aware of the opportunities. What you do with them is up to you guys.”

ISSUE 4

OCTOBER 1

NEWS

5

Rainbow Alliance marches in Space Coast Pride

Emily Walker \\ Editor-In-chief

Thousands of Brevard residents gathered in Downtown Eau Gallie with rainbow flags, colorful makeup and balloons to attend Space Coast Pride’s annual parade on Sept. 28.

For the first time, Florida Tech’s LGBTQ group, Rainbow Alliance, marched in the parade.

For many members of Rainbow Alliance, this was not their first Pride. Jacob Chesslo, the club’s president and a senior in physics, said he attended his first Pride during his freshman year at Florida Tech.

“I was honestly overwhelmed at everything and wasn’t sure how to act or what to do,” Chesslo said.

“At the end, I felt somewhat isolated. However, this year, it was very much the opposite. I’m much more open to the experience and enjoyed myself much more during this year’s Pride.”

Chesslo also said being in the parade gave him a mix of “anxiety and pride.”

“It is always an amazing feeling to be a part of something greater, and this was the perfect time to do so,” Chesslo said. “The other members of Rainbow Alliance made the anxiety lesser, and the overall experience was worth it.”

Rankings continued the same technology capabilities of Florida Tech, they often have a larger student body, which could make accessing those capabilities more difficult.

Sumner stated that one of the university's core values is a lifetime commitment to student success, and despite what the rankings may say students such as Dolan and Neely feel like that value is being maintained.

Sarah Edwards, a sophomore in aerospace engineering and Rainbow Alliance’s vice president, was another member to march in the parade.

“No Pride can ever truly compare to the first one,” Edwards said. “This one, however, was the first time I got to march in the parade. It was fantastic getting to watch the excited faces as they cheered you on, and getting to look out onto the endless line of rainbows.”

Edwards, who grew up in the suburbs of Nashville, said her first time attending a Pride event was at a previous Space Coast Pride event.

She said it was an experience she will never forget and something that helped her to see the acceptance around her.

“After spending most of my life in an area where homosexuality was the unspoken evil, I cannot even begin to describe to you the feeling of seeing so many supportive people in one place,” Edwards said.

“It was so overwhelming I was almost brought to tears. It was very hard for me to grasp the idea that for the first time in my life, every soul around me was okay with this thing I was ashamed of and felt like I

Students planting the Mumbo Jumbo tree in front of Crawford.

had to hide.”

Patrick Futch, Rainbow Alliance’s secretary and a junior in marine biology, also attended his first parade last year at Space Coast Pride.

“It was very overwhelming,” Futch said.

He went on to say he cried at one point during the parade because he had never been surrounded by so many accepting people.

Attending Space Coast Pride in 2018 helped Futch gain the confidence to come out.

“Pride is really, really important, especially for the people who haven’t come out,” Futch said. “I know from personal expe-

rience that having that support is really helpful, for if you want to come out or if you need support if maybe your family and friends aren’t so accepting.”

Helping people find support and acceptance is why Cortney Thompson, the president of Space Coast Pride, helps organize the Pride events every year.

Thompson, who attended his first Pride in New York in 2005, said the organization works in various ways to help the local LGBTQ community.

“Our biggest goal is to always represent our community by helping it grow, defending our community against attacks

Crimson // Emily Walker

and spreading the message of love and acceptance,” Thompson said.

He went on to say their most recent goal has been to establish a community center, create scholarships and grow financially.

While Thompson is moving to Kentucky with his husband, making this his last Space Coast Pride, he said he is happy with the impact they have made.

“We’re so proud of this community and all that Pride represents,” Thompson said. “We encourage everyone to get involved.

It really helps and makes a difference.”

6

ISSUE 4

OCTOBER 1

ENTERTAINMENT

A Casual Review Xiao Liang

I LOVE YOU, COLONEL SANDERS! It’s Finger Licking Good ...?

While Popeyes and Chick-fil-A were busy battling each other over chicken sandwiches, KFC was silently developing a secret weapon that could win the war.

I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator is a visual novel developed by Psypop and published by KFC. Like most legendary titles, the game asks its players deep, philosophical questions such as: “What is love? What are the 11 spices? Are ads getting smarter? Why would anyone play this?”

In the story, the player assumes the role of a student who recently got accepted into a prestigious culinary school.

During your time at the school, you’ll meet many colorful and interesting

characters, such as corgi professor, a classmate who is a pressure cooker, a rival with a shallow personality and most importantly, Colonel Sanders.

Like most visual novels, the player will encounter dialogue options during the story and have to choose how they react to certain situations.

These dialogue options can have an impact on the ending of the game (yes, there are multiple endings).

While the game itself is only about an hour long, I would highly recommend anyone who wanted to try the game to take multiple breaks in between to prevent themselves from being charmed by Colonel Sanders’ charisma.

Ever since I finished the game in one go, I’ve been having dreams about the silky texture of mashed

potato and smooth gravy, the irresistible smell of 11 spices fried chicken and Colonel Sanders’ magnificent, silver white goatee.

Putting the jokes aside, this game is the embodiment of ads getting smarter.

It has many keywords about KFC embedded into its jokes and the game is very self aware of its purpose—to promote and sell fried chicken.

Yet, the game is actually very entertaining because

Official game poster

of how ridiculous and odd it is. The writing of the game can be humorous from time to time, filled with hidden references.

I don’t think this game can be recommended, but it is something that anyone

Photo // Focus Home Interactive

can try when they really don’t have anything to do.

It is a funny meme game, and it is only about an hour long and free on Steam.

As always, here is a list of upcoming games that I recommend looking into:

Nerd News: The prodigal spider returns DAVID "Spider-Man is my life" THOMPSON \\ FAN FANATIC

On Aug. 20 it was announced that SpiderMan would be leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe and would return to being fully produced by Sony Pictures, this is when the nightmare started.

After a month of despair, on Sept. 28, I woke up from what felt like a bad dream. Variety has reported that Spider-Man will remain in the MCU for at least his next solo film, being released on July 16, 2021, and a future marvel film.

For a brief history lesson, Spider-Man is owned by Sony (another history lesson for another day). In 2015, Disney and Sony came to an agreement for Spider-Man to join the MCU in a co-producer partnership between the two companies.

Spider-Man would be featured in three teamup MCU movies and two solo films that would be creatively lead by Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige (In Feige We Trust).

Sony would monetarily produce the Spider-

Man movies, and Disney would receive a modest five percent of first-dollar gross, as well as all merchandising revenue.

After three spectacular years of Spider-Man swinging around with the likes of Iron Man and Captain America, the initial deal between the two juggernaut companies was over and despite universal optimism, the deal seemed to be over, leaving thousands of MCU and Spider-Man fans alike distraught and heartbroken.

During negotiations for a new deal between Disney and Sony, it was reported initially by the Hollywood Reporter that Disney wanted more compensation for their work done in the solo Spider-Man films.

The initial reports stated that Disney wanted to split the cost and revenue 50/50 with Sony and that’s where talks stalled out.

Now I have a few thoughts on this dispute and what it felt like as a fan.

It felt like complete garbage.

It always hurts when you get drastically reminded that money is everything and creativity and pleasing the paying fans is just an

afterthought.

Spoiler warning ahead for Spider-Man: Far From Home and Avengers Endgame.

During this “nightmare” period I kept questioning everything thinking “Why would they set Spider-Man up to be the next Iron Man if they knew there was even a possibility that he could leave after the deal expired?”

It just made no sense that Feige and Marvel Studios would make him such an intricate part of the future of the MCU if there was even the slightest possibility of them losing him in the blink of an eye.

Obviously now that a deal has been made I can out those questions to rest. I like to think that the incredible backlash from fans and even MCU actors like Jeremy Renner had a part in them finally striking a second deal.

This second deal is fundamentally different in structure and length.

The new deal is just for two movies, as I previously mentioned, and this time Disney will receive 25 percent of the revenue, contribute roughly a quarter of the finances and keep

their merchandising rights.

So who cracked? From this report, it seems like Disney did to some extent.

Going to 50 percent to 25 percent is a difference of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Disney had every right to ask for significantly more compensation and financial stock in the character. Spider-Man: Far From Home was the highest-grossing film in Sony Pictures history, raking in $1.1 billion worldwide.

This success, one could argue, is in large part because of Spider-Man’s integration into the MCU and making him more relevant than ever. Disney knew that and wanted more. Sony knew that and wanted Feige and the MCU. Nerdtastic rant time.

I can’t express how happy I was to hear that Tom Holland and SpiderMan wouldn’t be leaving the MCU. I no longer have to curse the name of Sony and Disney, pretend like I’m interested in a Venom sequel or a Morbius film, want to cry thinking about how good the MCU could have been if he stayed or act as if the MCU would be

fine going forward.

All that is put to rest, and just as Tony Stark, I can rest now.

But not actually because this is only a two-movie deal and Feige when talking on the new deal said, “[Spider-Man] also happens to be the only hero with the superpower to cross cinematic universes, so as Sony continues to develop their own Spidey-verse you never know what surprises the future might hold.”

Could this new deal take a page of the Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy) comics where her home universe is Earth-65 but she goes to Earth-616 to fight along with the likes of Peter Parker and Miles Morales frequently?

In this case, the MCU could be Spider-Man’s version of Earth-65 and a Sony “Spidey-verse” featuring Venom would be like Earth-616.

Are you seriously still reading this sweating piece of nerd juice?

Anyway, this is a time to celebrate, Spidey is back where he belongs (for now) and all is right with the world.

ISSUE 4

OCTOBER 1

ENTERTAINMENT

7

Florida Tech hosts first esports tournament

XIAO LIANG \\ STAFF WRITER

Gamers huddled around screens in the darkness of Clemente on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the first ever Florida Tech esport tournament, Super Smash Bros.

“A lot of students have asked about having esports on campus, and our job is to give the students what they want,” said Aaliyah Thomas, the Office of Student Life’s coordinator.

According to Thomas, over 200 students came to the tournament. Among them were 80 players who signed up to compete against each other in Super Smash Bros Ultimate on Nintendo Switches.

“We decided to do a Smash tournament because it is a very widely known game and a very easy game to get into competitively,” said Erik Olsen, the tournament organizer. “It is also one of the few competitive games that actually encourages people to get together and have fun.”

Although there were only four gaming setups for all the players to use, the tournament went relatively smoothly with few interruptions.

“The flow of the tournament went really well despite the limitations,” Olsen said. “I think that the entire experience would be better and more efficient if

we have more people who had experience with being in or running a tournament.”

After nearly three hours of heated but entertaining one-on-one battles, Bryan Portieles, a senior, was able to emerge among the crowd and claim the title of winner, as well as a brand new Nintendo Switch as the prize.

“I had a great time,” Portieles said. “Being able to sit down with anybody and just play with them was a lot of fun, and everybody had a very positive energy going. People were friendly and respectful to each other even if they lost.”

After the tourna-

Students standing about in Clemente for the tournament.

ment ended, a number of students stayed and provided feedback to the tournament staff.

Many stated that they would come back for more, according to Olsen.

“I think introducing the Florida Tech students

Crimson // Xiao Liang

to this big community is a step in the right direction,” Olsen said.

Ad Astra review: The space movie that could not

DAVID THOMPSON \\ STAFF WRITER

Coming in with the hopes of another futuristic space epic similar to 2014’s “Interstellar,” “Ad Astra” did little to advance the genre. This movie focuses too strongly on all the glitz and glam while missing the soul of any well-regarded movie.

This is a slow, treacherous and beautiful film that was at times a spectacle you rarely see in the theater but mostly had me wanting more from the plot.

I’d argue this is an all-time carry by Brad Pitt, similar to LeBron James in

the 2018 NBA Finals. Like James, Pitt was putting on one of his best performances but ultimately lost in the end.

“Ad Astra” sees Roy McBride (Pitt) being sent on a top-secret mission to look for his famous astronaut father, H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones).

I honestly can’t remember a scene that Pitt isn’t in, keeping consistent with the movies handsome over heart strategy.

I did however really enjoy Pitt in this film. He did a great job of playing a cool, calm and collected

space-veteran who has a deep-rooted conflict that he chooses to bury.

Outside of Pitt, no one else’s performances really stuck out to me, but I don’t think it is the actors’ faults.

Jones and Liv Tyler’s character, Eve, were inexplicably underused when it seemed like their relationships with Roy were going to be the heart of the movie.

The director, James Gray, and his team were lazy when it came to the plot of the movie and put too much effort into the special effects and fantastical moments.

It felt as though they

thought just haphazardly throwing in some classic relationship problem tropes would be good enough to keep our interest.

However, spoiler warning, it wasn’t.

If you’re expecting a movie similar to “Interstellar” or 2015’s “The Martian,” you’re going to have to keep looking.

While the visual effects and artistry are top notch and may be worth the price of admission for some people, this movie lacks the creative story lines and emotion that made the two previously mentioned films successful space adventures.

Official movie poster

Photo // Disney

8 CAMPUS LIFE ISSUE 4

OCTOBER 1

Drone club kicks off the new semester

STEPHEN PICKROM \\ STAFF WRITER

Florida Tech’s resident drone club soared into the public eye as it hosted its first meeting of the fall semester on Friday, Sept.

27.

The Florida Tech Drone Club was founded to “bring awareness, provide experience and to be able to get the tools that we need to have to use drones to their full efficacy,” according to Nathaniel Bouchie, junior aerospace major and vice president of the drone club.

The club meets roughly once or twice a month and performs most of its other activities outside of its official meeting time.

These activities include

drone building, racing and photography, but can span beyond those three categories for others interested in the club.

Furthermore, there are several opportunities for students who are interested in flying drones that are offered by the club as a whole and by its members.

The club has simulators that new flyers can practice on before piloting a physical drone.

They also have drones owned by the club’s members and by the university that can be used for events undertaken by the club, which include drones that use first-person view.

The club has taken steps

to get involved in Florida Tech’s other clubs as well as in the community.

Robert Tonning, a junior in mechanical engineering and the current president of the drone club, said he enjoys flying because there are so many things that can be done with drones.

“I love the photography aspect with the Mavericks,” Tonning said. “You can race them, you can take pictures, you can map—there’s so many applications, so it’s a really good side hobby to have.”

The drone club had the opportunity to map out the animal sanctuary in Cocoa Beach last year and has considered going back, as

it’s a good outreach opportunity for the club and its members.

The club also films some of the university’s athletics using drones, which included a soccer game last year.

The club wants to work with FITV as well to film an overview campus tour using their drones.

For those interested in drone racing, the studentled organization is looking to work with Eau Gallie High School to gain access to their hangar and to form a local drone racing league.

The club also encourages freestyle flying, using both line-of-sight piloting and FPV. Eddie Torres, an experienced drone pilot from

Homestead, Florida, described FPV freestyle flying as something incredible.

“It’s amazing,” Torres said. “The first-person view experience is something that everyone should try because you get the sensation of flying. You have the freedom of flight, being able to put yourself in places that you can’t [without a drone].”

The drone club is currently looking for new members. Those interested in joining can find their meetings in Skurla, room 106 on Thursdays or on Florida Tech Engage.

From Coffee Hour to International Night

Xingman Jiang & CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ \\ Staff writers

Aromas of dark roast coffee and cultural chatter of the middle east filled the first floor of the Evans library on Sept. 20: International nights have officially arrived.

With a turnout of about 40 to 50 students, the United Arab Emirates Student Association began their presentation with a video on the culture and heritage of their home country..

This was followed by a PowerPoint presentation that covered a variety of topics in the UAE about geography, politics, the economy and more.

Khaled Alsamri, the new president of the UAE Student Association, gave the presentation and ended it with a quick round of trivia during which he gave out three pairs of movie ticket vouchers to students who answered correctly.

As the presentation came to an end, the event’s participants were dismissed for food and drinks from Panera Bread. The food

items served included traditional dishes from the UAE, balaleet and gaimat, juices and coffee.

Balaleet is described by Alsamri to be sweet and similar to spaghetti, while gaimat is fried bread balls that are sweet and covered with honey.

International Night will be the new name of last year’s International Coffee Hour. With cultural presentations, foods, coffee, brochures and more, Alsamri likened the change to an “evolution of the Coffee Hour.”

The UAE Student Association was restarted this semester after disbanding in 2014 due to a lack of participating members, Alsamri said. The group now has 13 members.

Alsamri, a senior in mechanical engineering, restarted the UAE Association as he realized that “no one was delivering this culture to the campus.”

“Anyone is welcome to join the club so we can share the culture,” Alsamri said.

Alsamri stated that the

Khaled Alsamri presents his culture in the library.

Crimson // Christian Martinez

UAE Student association was approved by the school this past Tuesday.

As he is also a part of the International Student Service Organization, Alsamri organized the event with both organizations to share the culture of the UAE with the campus.

He had prior experience helping to organize the latest International Festival and being a part of about nine Coffee Hours.

Participants in the

event, like Dominic Zaio, a freshman in mechanical engineering, said he enjoyed the event.

“It gives me the chance to try foods I might have never had,” Zaio said.

Zaio also said that he’d rather have the event focus more on the culture and less on statistics in the presentation.

Another freshman in chemical engineering, Md Tahmid Islam, expressed similar thoughts, saying

SONJA MICHAELS \\ "The parking permit"

he’d like for the event to “be longer and have some cultural activities be added.”

While it is unknown what culture will be presented, Corq currently has the next International Night, which has yet to be updated from International Coffee Hour in the app, listed to take place on Friday, Oct. 18 from 5:00-8:00 at Evans Library.

ISSUE 4

OCTOBER 1

CAMPUS LIFE

9

Students disgruntled by Crawford elevators

The Crimson\\ All editors

Another semester at Florida Tech and still no fully operational elevators.

While the student body was informed by Dewey Yeatts, director of facilities management, last summer that both Crawford elevators would be fixed by mid-October, as of this issue, only one elevator is up and running; the other still in repair.

While elevator failure has been a concern for some students, new concerns have arisen.

Personal and physical safety is now a concern for some.

The Crimson sent out a survey last Saturday in hopes of gathering information about how comfortable people feel in the Crawford elevators.

Due to only one elevator working, more than 85 percent of those who took the survey think that the elevators are overfilled and most feel uncomfortable in a cramped space.

Additionally, the survey featured an option for students to express their thoughts through comments and free-written responses about their elevator experience.

“I am packed in like sardines and fear for my life,” said one response.

Furthermore, almost 58 percent of respondents said they feel at risk of the elevator failing due to its overcrowded capacity.

Despite the newly replaced elevator, some students feel it is being put under too much strain.

Stephanie Perrier, a senior in psychology with a concentration in animal behavior, said she worries about the safety of the elevator with how crowded it is.“There’s definitely a fear it’s going to break since so often it seems to break,” Perrier said.

Others shared their disgruntled unsatisfactory experiences with the frequent dilemma of, “Do I wait an eternity for this elevator or do I take a gamble with my laziness and climb the stairs?”

Samantha Bischoff, a senior in civil engineering expressed her dissatisfaction about the elevator situation that she’s been dealing with for the past four years.

“Five out my six classes are in Crawford this semester, and it’s very frustrating to have only one functioning elevator,” Bischoff said.

“There are times when instead of waiting for the elevator, I simply give up and take the stairs.”

Multiple students like Bischoff can testify to being

69.64% of responses say that they use the elevators more than once a week.

58.93% of the responses say Yes for those that are concerned about their personal space.

late to classes simply due to time spent waiting for the elevator.

“There are instances where I’m even late to class because of the elevator, especially Spanish which is on the sixth floor,” Bischoff said.

Another issue raised in the survey was whether or not students worry for their personal safety in a crowded elevator. Approximately 58 percent said they are concerned about their personal space or a “potential negative encounter.” “[I’m] very uncomfortable, overwhelmed and stressed,” one respondent said.

The crowded elevator not only possess what some students see as a personal

safety issue, but also adds to many occupants’ stress.

“Sometimes if it’s too full, it’s super uncomfortable if you get easily claustrophobic,” Perrier said.

It’s not only students that have opinions on the Crawford elevator situation.

Dzmitry Yuran, an assistant professorin the School of Arts and Communication, said that he tends to time his arrival to campus during class periods.

“That way I don’t have to deal with stuffed elevators too much,” Yuran said.

Another elevator user frustrated with the service of the elevators in Crawford is Birgitt O’Connor, a senior in ocean engineering.

Photo // SurveyMonkey

“Right now my only classes in Crawford are at 8 and 9 a.m., so there is usually not a lot of traffic then,” O’Connor said.

“However, last year when I had afternoon classes in Crawford, you could find me standing there for five minutes or more just trying to cram into the elevator to get to my class on time.”

In the newly upgraded elevator, a temporary certificate was put in place before the actual license was renewed.

However, that has since expired in late August.

The second elevator is scheduled to be functional by mid-October, according to Dewey Yeatts.

Photo // SurveyMonkey

58.93% of responses say that they feel at risk of the elevator failing because of it being over the capacity.

Photo // SurveyMonkey

ISSUE 4

OCTOBER 1

10 CAMPUS LIFE

Florida Tech ROTC's atypical summer

SONJA MICHAELS \\ STAFF WRITER

While college students’ summer plans often consist of vacations or summer classes, Florida Tech Army ROTC students had another atypical break.

They completed rigorous training camps and internships, traveled with cultural programs and attended specialized schools like Airborne School or Air Assault School.

Isiah Mossiah, a senior studying molecular biology, completed advanced camp at Fort Knox in Kentucky.

The camp was a 31-day training course Mossiah described as “a culmination of our previous three years of ROTC training.”

Cadetcommand.army. mil states that the mission of advanced camp is to assess a cadet’s potential to serve as a commissioned officer. It lists highlights of

the training event, including first aid, a field leader’s reaction course and tactics training.

Mossiah said that cadets are put into platoons of 40-45 people, and are constantly evaluated by cadres—the officers responsible for the training of cadets.

He discussed field training exercises, explaining that the first is cadreled, while the others were completed independently for purposes of evaluation.

They also completed road marches of up to 12 miles.

“You have a 35 pound ruck on your back, and you have to make a certain time requirement,” Mossiah said.

He added that many exercises are pass or fail, and that cadets must pass to continue in the course.

Cadets are ranked at the end of the training. This ranking influences their

placement in the Army later on.

Mossiah said the training gave him valuable experience in communication with a diverse group.

He said it gave him the opportunity to compare and contrast his leadership skills with others, then use that to communicate more effectively across a group.

Sergeant First Class Arsenio Rodriguez, a military instructor with Florida Tech Army ROTC, said cadets completed summer training in Africa and South America through the Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program.

According to cadetcommand.army.mil, CU&LP completely immerses cadets into another culture, improving their cultural awareness.

“They get to work with cadets that are in the same role as they are, but just in a different country, and they get to experience a day

in the life of how they function and what their training consists of,” Rodriguez said.

He said some cadets attended Airborne School, a three week course which includes military parachutist training.

Others attended Air Assault School, a 10 day course which Sergeant First Class Jeremy Brandon, a military instructor with Florida Tech Army ROTC, described as “physical and mental.”

“You learn all about the capabilities and limitations of all the different rotary wing aircraft,” Brandon said. goarmy.com states that the course is designed to prepare soldiers for missions that call for the use of transportation and assault helicopters.

Brandon said he thinks the biggest benefit of summer training is the real-world experience,

where cadets are able to apply the theory they have learned, and "work through problems in a way that you can’t really simulate in a classroom or laboratory environment.”

He said these concrete experiences prepare students for the responsibility and depth of knowledge required of a lieutenant before they are commissioned into the Army.

Going forward into the fall semester, Rodriguez said cadets will gain more out-of-classroom experience in field training exercises.

“They get to spend two nights out in the woods,” he said. “It lets us evaluate them as leaders and how they perform under stress.”

The field training exercises are planned for the first week of November.

ISSUE 4

OCTOBER 1

CAMPUS LIFE 11

Smiles, laughs and music: remembering Jeff McGuire

Olivia mckelvey \\ Copy editor

Jeff McGuire — aka “Cowboy” — was a beloved grounds worker that unfortunately left the Florida Tech family Wednesday, Sept. 18, after a sudden cardiac event while at work.

The 55-year-old father of nine was described as “a friend to everyone.”

Fellow grounds worker and best friend, Jeff Adkins, was with McGuire in his last minutes.

“It was very sudden and tragic,” Adkins said.

“I think all the students would want to know that Jeff was a friend that would support you and protect you no matter what.”

Sunday, Sept. 29, a celebration of life was held at the Pantherium where friends, family members and others in the Florida Tech community shared memories and jovial words to reminisce his passing.

In between prayers,

gospel music and other songs that reflected the best of McGuire such as Old Town Road, Car Wash and To Love Somebody by the Bee Gees, people strode up to the microphone to share the impact McGuire had in their lives and the legacy he left behind.

“Jeff knew this campus was all about the students and that’s why he came to work with a smile on his face everyday,” said ground worker Cheryl Cornwall.

To conclude the celebration that more than 50 attended, McGuire’s wife, Lori McGuire, thanked everyone for showing their immense support and coming out to remember the man that she had been married to for the past 28 years.

“I know Jeff is looking down on all of us right now and if he were still here, he would want to say that he is with you forever and ever,” Lori McGuire concluded.

A friend of Jeff visits the memorial table in the Pantherium.

Crimson // Olivia McKelvey

Pierce Brooks and his 2009 BMW 335i Coupe KEVIN BOODOOSIGNAGE \\ MANAGING EDITOR

The BMW 3 series line of sedans have been considered one of the best drivers’ cars for some time now, especially the infamous M3 lineup, according to motortrend.com.

For Pierce Brooks, a senior in marketing, this was not his sole reason for choosing a 2009 BMW 335i Coupe as his daily driver.

“I got my car because I always had this attraction to BMW since my dad had a 1997 318is but sold it,” Brooks said. “That led me to want a BMW of my own.”

Knowing that he wanted a BMW, the quest began for which model Brooks should

get.

“This led me to do more research and that’s when I saw what an amazing platform the 335i N54 [engine name] was since it came with a 3.0L twin turbo motor from the factory,” Brooks said. “I initially had a 328i but I wanted to do performance work as well, and knew I couldn't do that and reach the goals I wanted with that car.”

There’s a reason Brooks did thorough research. He knew that he wanted to own this car; this was done through multiple upgrades and modifications to the stock 335i.

To the engine, Brooks has done everything he

Squidward dabs away while driving the BMW 335i Coupe.

Photo // Pierce Brooks

could with just bolted on parts.

“I am running stock twin turbos at the moment with full bolt ons. I have a 7 inch front mount intercooler from VRSF, catless 3 inch downpipes from VRSF, an aftermarket HKS style exhaust, charge pipe and blow off valve from Active Autowerke, two cone intake filters I made myself and a Cobb tune running their stage 2+ aggressive flash tune which is their highest running 21psi of boost,” Brooks said.

And it doesn’t end there. Brooks has also done a plethora of modifications to the exterior of the car.

He changed out his stock suspension for Megan Racing coilovers for better handling accompanied with 18x9.5 Varrstoen te37 style wheels, LED Halo headlights, a carbon fiber lip spoiler and a carbon fiber rear diffuser.

“And of course you can’t forget to add stickers,” Brooks said.

Although Brooks has not been able to dyno his car he believes it makes around 390-400 horsepower to the wheels.

“I’ve raced and beaten a stock 2015 M4 from a stand still and those come with

The BMW 335i Coupe glistens vibrantly on the parking lot.

426 horsepower,” Brooks said. “I’ve also beaten a stock 2016 Cadillac ATS-V from a 40mph roll and those come with 464 horsepower.”

These upgrades are one of Brook’s favorite things’ about the car. He said that there is so much room to make power on the N54 engine.

He also said that the design of the body is simple yet aggressive. “The design of the car just seems so timeless and never gets old to me,” Brooks said.

Ever since he was in elementary school cars have been a part of Brooks’ life. Once car video games started to come out, he was hooked on customizing different cars; one game being Midnight Club Los

Photo // Pierce Brooks

Angeles.

“Cars are such a piece of art and the design behind them is always so interesting to me, how it is much more than a machine,” Brooks said.

Brooks dream car doesn’t end at his BMW. His dream is to own a Koenigsegg One:1, which became one of the “most beautiful cars” he has ever seen alongside the Mclaren P1.

“Both cars have such amazing engineering and designs behind them, creating a performance monster while maintaining aggressive beautiful curves,” Brooks said.

ISSUE 4

OCTOBER 1

12 SPORTS

RIMSON The Florida Tech

The Official Student-Run Newspaper•since

1967

Men’s soccer undefeated despite injury

DAVID THOMPSON \\ Staff writer

The men’s soccer team is now 6-0 on the season and 2-0 against conference opponents.

Most recently, the Panthers took on defending NCAA Division II national champions, Barry University.

After taking a 1-0 lead, scored

by Guillermo Segovia, Florida Tech struggled to further the lead and allowed Barry to tie up the game 1-1.

Senior midfielder Luca Campanini had a penalty kick opportunity to give the Panthers a one-goal advantage but it was blocked by Barry’s goalkeeper.

Campanini said after the game, “I need to make up for this and we need to win.”

With less than two minutes reaming in the match, Guillermo was fouled inside the box and was able to put his penalty kick in the back of the net.

“When the final whistle blew it was a sigh of relief,” Campanini said. “We should have really beat this team more easily than we did but they made it hard for us.”

This gave the Panthers their sixth win of the season, but along with their great success, there has also come heartbreak.

Graduate Student Solomon Wheatley was lost for the season as he suffered a torn ACL during their match against Limestone.

Wheatley had an assist on the game before the injury but he said he thinks he was getting tired because it was the last 10 minutes of the game.

“I tried to turn as players ran by me and my left foot was stuck in the grass as I turned,” Wheatley said. “I then heard a loud pop noise as if I had broken something and fell the floor.”

He said that normally when he gets injured he knows he can recover fast but this injury was different.

“I had to be carried off the field by my trainer so I knew it was more serious than other injuries but had no clue on what was to come.”

Wheatley said if he’s being honest he’s in a difficult place right now.

“It’s been very hard for me to accept my injury and it’s going to get harder after I have my surgery,” he said. “I stayed back in the UK during last spring and trained myself to get in good shape for this fall, so for me to start off as well as I did, it’s been extremely upsetting.”

Senior midfielder Craig McCall said the loss of Wheatley has been massive and that the team was “gutted” when the news broke he’d be out for the season.

“The boys are going to have to fill a big void on and off the field with his absence, but we believe Sol will still have a big role in the team's dynamic off the field with his character and leadership,” McCall said.

Graduate Student midfield-

er Morgan Gauthier said that the early season injuries have affected their play.

“It might be one reason why we are not playing our best football in the first few games as we aren’t able to rotate players as we would like to and get tired,” Gauthier said.

Regardless of maybe not playing to their full potential, the Panthers are undefeated and Wheatley said they show a lot of promise.

“My advice for the team is to just give everything into every opportunity whether that be in practice or games,” Wheatley said.

“If we work harder than all of the teams there’s no doubt the soccer will take care of the rest. We have a lot of talent in our squad we just need to believe it.”

The Panthers next head on the road on Saturday, Oct. 5 to take on Nova Southeastern and try to remain undefeated.

California sets precedent for NCAA JULIUS LUCHS \\ Staff writer

Playing under the NCAA is a privilege to earn that lasts once in a lifetime.

A dedicated athlete puts in hard work for their dream to pay off in their future.

Any athlete that wants to be great, fantasizes themselves being the next great player of their generation.

They dream of winning, making money signing big endorsements to companies such as Nike and Adidas.

In California, those dreams can now occur sooner to an athlete.

A new bill, known as the Fair Pay to Play Act, has been passed unanimously., in which college athletes in California are now able to get paid through endorsements and sponsorships, without any punishment.

The main limit to the bill is that an athlete that attends a school sponsored by Nike cannot sign an endorsement deal with any other brand, such as Under Armour.

The new bill was covered all over sports networks, creating some heated debates from constantly getting.

One of the most notable responses came from former University of Florida quarterback, Tim Tebow, where Tebow stated “It changes what's special about college football,” Tebow said. “We turn it into the NFL, where who has the most money.”

The bill has been approved

and is expected to be signed by the governor very shortly.

It will become official in 2023.

Florida Tech’s athletic director, Bill Jurgens, associates with the NCAA frequently due to his job as the A.D. Mr. Jurgens was well aware of the new law that was passed, and he said he is not surprised by the law.

He believes the NCAA “does a great job governing athletics and prepares athletes for professional sports.

No one works harder than the NCAA with physical safety and mental safety.”

With the new bill being passed, Jurgens’ remark of preparing athletes for professional sports comes into play, as athletes are now making big decisions for themselves with endorsement contracts.

There is one concern the school’s athletic director has; “The safety of the college athletes are very important, and they must be smart with their decisions and life skills.” College athletes in California must now make life-changing decisions.

Less than two percent of college athletes in all of college sports combined become professional athletes.

California college athletes are given a responsibility and an opportunity of a lifetime at a very young age, and must make their choices carefully. Jurgens added a fact that the bill has been discussed with Florida, bringing all the terms passed in California, as a possible

new bill coming to Florida as well.

If the new law moves to have an impact on Florida college athletics, this may expand on a big change coming to the NCAA. Perspectives from college athletes are debatable, depending on what the athletes claim as their top priorities and what they focus on.

Senior baseball player Blaise Maris is an athlete not in favor of the new bill.

“Not every college athlete has professional qualities. Getting paid makes it a job.

College is stressful enough with classes, practices, and workouts.

If you are not performing, then that ‘job’ weighs on your mind more, adding more stress.”

Athletes who are not qualified for business deals will have trouble managing their priorities with school and their sport.

If they are unable to keep their grades up to the appropriate GPA, the athlete will not be qualified to play, resulting in the athlete to lose out on their endorsement deal.

Maris also adds onto the thought of an increase of athletes going to play in California because of the Fair Pay to Play Act. “I think that there are a lot of athletes that believe they should be getting paid right out of high school, so those people will probably go to California to start their journey. You will start to see better talent levels across the board in California.”

Florida Tech football player Daniel Welch added his opinion towards the Fair Pay to Play Act. He was able to view it as a benefit and as a possible concern.

“I think it could create an opportunity for athletes to be rewarded for being successful.

However, I do agree with what Tim Tebow said earlier in the week, that it takes away what college football is about.

It takes away some of the team aspect and makes it more individual.”

If athletes become selfish, and have problems as a team, the school’s team will not perform as well, which will lead to problems for the selfish athletes.

If the athletes struggle, they will not be awarded with endorsements, and possibly lose their deals and scholarships.

The college athletes must remain humble and focus on the main goal of winning and competing.

The Fair Pay to Play Act is the start of a new chapter in NCAA sports.

College athletes in California are now gaining the chance to get paid through endorsement deals.

If the bill is spread to other states, it will spread across the country, completely changing college sports, starting a new era that will continue to be debatable.