The Florida Tech Crimson Issue 4 Spring 2019

International festival Visual Highlights Pages 6 & 7 Issue 4

RIMSON The Florida Tech

The Official Student-Run Newspaper•since

1967

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

INDEX

Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-5 Campus Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8 News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 ,10 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 SPRING

Asylum: Escaping Maduro olivia mckelvey \\ staff writer

In the fall semester of 2014, 18 Florida Tech undergraduate students claimed Venezuelan citizenship. As of 2018, only one remains.

Numerous organizations, such as the Council on Foreign Affairs, have declared the South American country’s economic and political landscape as rapidly deteriorating.

As a result Florida Tech has taken a heavy hit in regards to Venezuelan enrollments.

Current president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, has been in power for six years, and his reign has been criticized by many.

Amnesty International, a London based human rights organization, has labeled Maduro’s actions as

destructive towards the economy, and marked his military legitimacy as abusive wrongdoings against the opposition lead by Juan Guaido.

In early January Guaido officially became head of the opposition-held parliament, the National Assembly.

Since then, the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Chile, Peru, Colombia and several European countries have all recognized Guaido as interim president of Venezuela.

With no food, no money and no definite sign of improvement under Maduro’s regime, Venezuela has currently been deemed as the worst humanitarian crisis in the western hemisphere according to the U.N. In 2017, The New York Times interviewed 21 Venezuelan doctors who encountered nearly 2,800 cases

of child malnutrition due to the food shortage and hunger crisis in the nation.

By the end of the year, The International Monetary Fund IMF has projected Venezuela’s inflation rate to reach 10 million percent, forecasting one of the worst hyperinflationary crises in modern history.

Jose Coiman, a junior in chemical engineering, is a native from Caracas, Venezuela. He describes Maduro as a force that has lead his home country into complete ruin.

Coiman came to Florida Tech in the fall of 2016 while his father left Venezuela nearly four months later.

His mother and sister soon followed in the summer of 2018, fleeing the nation in hopes of a better life in Manaus, Brazil.

Nicolos Maduro (above) has served as Venezuala's 46th president since 2013. Juan Guaido is now recognized as the interim president of Venezuala by multiple countries .

Photo // Flickr

Venezuela on page 6

New bike rack location receives criticism Marc Kanneh \\ staff writer

A bike rack was recently installed in the lower level of the Colombia Village parking garage, taking up two parking spaces.

“We’re going to have to tear those out of the ground, I mean, it’s just dumb,” SGA president, Jace Petrowski said.

Mitchell Spalding, the chairman in charge of the Signature Programs Committee, said there was no consultation or discussion with students

before the racks were placed.

Vinai Balroop, a freshman that lives in Roberts Hall, said, “It’s stupid, there’s already I high demand for parking in the garage and a lot of the freshmen that live around there have cars so I don’t know why they would take way two spaces.”

The only communication came in the form of a PSA from SGA Vice President Baylee Keener after the installation.

In the email PSA, Keener stated, “We have received many questions

about the new bike racks in the lower level of the Columbia Village parking garage. Those bike racks are where the new bikes will be kept in order to keep them looking new and safe from any rust so that we can continue our bike program without having to keep buying new bikes.”

Petrowski, said that he is trying to see where the miscommunication was and that the racks weren’t supposed to be in a parking spot.

Spalding was responsible for the bike rental program.

“I didn’t advertise enough to students about the placement of the bike racks and I apologize,” Spalding said. “Hopefully in the future, should they be moved or should there be a petition for them to be moved, I’ll be willing to hear ideas from students about where to move them.”

Spalding said that it was cheaper and easier on the SGA’s budget to put the new bikes under the garage, rather

bike rack on page 6

Students researching high energy particle physics Seamus Burns \\ staff writer

Sarah Arends, GEM Hardware, working on a component in the Experimental Physics Hall.

Photo // Hohlmann Research Group

@FTCrimson @FTCrimson crimson@fit.edu

Florida Tech physics department keeps up with the latest technology as the Muon Tomography Station is utilized for detecting particles no bigger than an electron.

The group research is conducted by Marcus Holmann, a physics professor who also works with CERN over online meetings.

CERN is the European Council for Nuclear Research - in French it translates to “Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire” - in which the acronym was devised.

CERN is the one the world’s most renown centers of scientific research and specialize with nuclear reactions, studying the behavior of individual particles and atoms.

The organization began in 2008, the same time the studies for Holmann and Florida Tech had been approved.

Check our Free Speech Week schedule on page 2!

The similar studies here at Florida Tech examine the nuclear behavior of muons coming from high energy activity from elements such as uranium.

A muon is an unstable subatomic particle of the same class as an electron, but with a mass around 200 times greater.

Muons make up much of the cosmic radiation reaching the earth's surface.

The building blocks of life and quantum theory are intertwined by understanding the fundamental behavior of the elements of life at their smallest component, we can better understand and predict the world around us and help us figure out relationships between particles and essentially interpret the universe.

muon on page 7

Our Mission: Live, discover and report the truth.

2 CAPS ISSUE 4

FEBRUARY 19

The Panther Springs Into the Break!

Ryan Daniels \\

CAPS Outreach Columnist So, here we are, Spring Break.

We’ve been in college a while and we’ve heard “Panther Pride” enough to truly understand our greatness.

We’ve been around the college block and have heard the warnings about partying before, we get it...right?

Well, Spring Break is a different beast.

Although we Panthers are fierce, we must apply our cunning intelligence in order to understand our limits and what to expect while venturing into Spring Break.

Regardless of whether we’re sticking around Melbourne, going home, or venturing to one of those “wild Spring Break spots” (emphasis on the wild), we need to be aware of how to party smart and, most importantly, stay safe!

Here are some tips on how to tame your Spring Break party instincts: Know Your Boundaries and Plan Ahead!

Before you go out, identify your limits.

When you are not under the influence and making clear-headed decisions is the best time to consider what you believe your personal boundaries should be.

Tell a loyal friend about these decisions, hold yourself accountable and realize that these are the aspects that you decided would make your Spring Break ideal.

Consider questions like: Do I want to drink tonight? If so, how much? Do I want to have sex tonight? If so, do I have protection?

Tell someone you trust and try to remember that when someone brings these things up, they are acting in

your best interest, according to your own boundaries.

Your friends want you to have fun, but they also care about you!

Deciding beforehand and making others aware of these boundaries will make it easier to make the choices that you will be happy with after the party is over.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings!

Always keep an eye on your drink.

If you go the bathroom, take your drink with you!

Date rape drugs can be put into any beverage, including non-alcoholic drinks.

Do not drink from open beverage sources like punch bowls, pitchers or tubs.

It is also important to remember that while drugs being slipped into drinks is something you should be aware of and guard against, alcohol itself is the most common date rape drug.

Avoid binge drinking, which typically occurs after 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men in about a 2-hour period.

Remember you can feel the effects of alcohol in as little as 10 minutes so, go slow, and monitor how you feel before getting another drink.

Binge drinking can lead to irreversible consequences that may negatively impact the future you are working so hard for.

Watch the Weather!

Even when you think you know your limits, drinking in the sun can shift those quick.

Make sure you are eating enough and staying hydrated, regardless of how much you plan on drinking, but keep in mind that your body may process alcohol differently when in the sun.

Hot weather and alcohol don’t mix.

You feel the effects of

drinking faster when the temperatures climb and the water’s warm…

Despite the media and TV’s portrayal of what an ideal spring break is, this “ideal” is different for everyone, and binge drinking is not safe for anyone.

So try to remember this article when you step out into whatever adventure this Spring Break holds for you.

For more tips on learning safer and more effective ways to make sure your Spring Break is one to remember, please join us at our “How to

Corrections At The Florida Tech Crimson, it is our policy to promptly correct errors within our publications. If you find any factual errors, please contact Editor-in-Chief, Eleanor Mathers, at lmathers2014@my.fit.edu

Party Like a Panther” event taking place on Wednesday, February 27th from 7:008:30pm in Evans Hall, Room 202.

Enjoy your break, have fun, but most importantly, stay safe!

ISSUE 4

FEBRUARY 19

NEWS

3

New Gleason policy "aims for fairness" across campus emily walker \\ copy editor

A year ago, Florida Tech implemented a policy that requires all groups on campus to pay for use of the Gleason Performing Arts Center auditorium.

According to Jeffrey Richardson, the assistant manager of Gleason, the payment is used to compensate workers.

“It isn’t a charge for the building,” Richardson said.

“It’s a charge for our student workers, or our workers in general, to be present to take care of the equipment and to take care of the building for whatever that may need.”

During regular Gleason operating hours, Richardson said the use of the auditorium is free.

After hours, those using the auditorium are required to pay $20 per worker per hour.

William O’Steen, the manager of Gleason, said the cost is dependent on how many workers are needed for an event. Some events will cost groups far less than others. For example, an event where one person is giving a speech takes fewer workers than a concert.

“Depending on the event is how many support staff we’ll have in the building at the time, which will fluctuate the cost,” O’Steen said.

Both O’Steen and Richardson began working at Gleason a little more than six months ago.

The policy was implemented about six months prior to their arrival, Richardson said.

However, he said at a student-leader luncheon soon

after he began working at Gleason, President McKay brought up the policy.

“The president himself stood up and said, ‘This is how it is, period,’” Richardson said.

As time has passed since the policy was put into place, Richardson said he has noticed a misconception surrounding it during his time at Gleason.

“There’s a lot of kind of gray area where people talk behind people’s backs and say, ‘Oh, we have to rent the Gleason now,’” Richardson said.

“And that’s kind of a weird misnomer that isn’t true. It’s not renting the building, it’s just paying for the students’ time after hours.”

While off-campus groups or companies requesting the use of the Gleason auditorium are required to rent it, Richardson said all groups on campus simply pay for the workers’ time.

One group that uses Gleason on a regular basis is College Players, Florida Tech’s student-run performing arts group.

According to Richardson, they use Gleason multiple nights a week and are Gleason’s number-one patron.

Harris Halabi, a junior in civil engineering, was the treasurer for College Players last year.

He is still a member of the organization, as well as an audio-visual technician at Gleason.

According to Halabi, College Players heard about the policy through the Conference Services Bureau.

“We heard about it pretty quickly because we had

William "Billy" O'Steen and Jeffery Richardson are the managers of the Gleason Performing Arts Center.

Crimson // Emily Walker spaced lined up, and then we got some emails about it,” Halabi said.

According to Halabi, the Conference Services Bureau told College Players they had to pay for Gleason technicians when they held events, and the technicians could not be members of College Players.

These rules, according to Halabi, are not specific to College Players.

All organizations must pay for technicians to be present during events, and the technicians working cannot be a part of the organization using the auditorium.

However, Richardson said College Players has adapted to the policy change well.

Additionally, the Gleason team has worked with them to make the change as smooth as possible.

“They were very understanding of the policy once it was explained to them what the policy was,” Richardson said. “One of the things that is so nice about College Players is they’re very self-managed,

so we don’t need to support their events very much other than having a student representative here in case there are any issues.”

According to O’Steen, people have been concerned about how the policy affects College Players, but he said it aims to be fairer to every group on campus than past policies.

“It wasn’t anything against College Players,” O’Steen said.

“From what we were told, we were charging every group on campus to use our space as far as support tech goes, and it just became an issue of other groups not understanding why not all groups were paying.”

As College Players has worked with the changes, Halabi said it has been a learning curve.

“It’s been tricky, but we’ve made it work,” Halabi said. “I think personally there might be more work to be done, but that’s no longer up to me.”

Shelley Mitchell, the president of College Players, declined an interview.

Director of Security set to retire david thompson \\

After 43 years of being in law enforcement, Graham said his next venture is “to be determined.”

He did say that he is open to suggestions and has been teaching part-time for 30

managing editor

After 15 years as the Director of Security for Florida Tech, Kevin Graham is retiring at the beginning of March.

Graham said his reason for retiring is because he thinks it is time for “new blood.”

“If you want to grow, it's time to have someone else come in with new ideas, new experiences, to make sure that it continues to make this a safer university,” Graham said.

Graham said when he first got hired at Florida Tech, security had antiquated equipment and non-trained officers.

He said that he takes pride in how far the security staff has come since he took over.

“The officers do a tremendous job,” Graham said.

“Everybody knows security, we're involved in most things that happen here now. The security officers have been accepted as professionals.”

Florida Tech’s Dean of Students, Rodney Bowers, said he has worked with secu-

rity regularly since he began working at Florida Tech in 1990. “[Graham is] a great person, very passionate, concerned about the students, concerned about the safety of the campus and a very good person to work with,” Bowers said.

Bowers said when someone has reached that milestone in their life when it is time to retire, it is “well deserved.”

“I'm very proud of him,” Bowers said. “I'm proud of what he has done and what he's accomplished.”

Florida Tech Alumnus and current Clemente Center employee, Thomas Rochester, said he’s noticed that security has become more personable and friendly since he started at Florida Tech in 2010.

Rochester interacts and works with security regularly as a Clemente Center employee.

“The officers are all laid

back in demeanor while still maintaining professionalism when a situation arises,” Rochester said.

Rochester also called Graham “one of the funniest guys on campus.”

“He is dry witted and prefers cracking a few jokes to ease the tension that comes from his imposing demeanor,” Rochester said.

Graham also attributes a lot of security’s improvements around campus to the beginning of carrying firearms on campus.

“Since the day we were armed, the issues we've had with people have diminished greatly,” Graham said.

In order to carry firearms on campus, Florida Tech’s security needed to become both D and G certified, according to Graham.

D certification is working as a security employee unarmed and G is certification to be armed as a security member.

She stated in an email, “We have been working with this situation for a year now and have moved past any difficulties that came with it.”

College Players isn’t the only group Gleason works with.

O’Steen said he and the other staff members at Gleason work with every group to keep costs to a minimum.

“We cut costs as much as we can,” O’Steen said. “We have an event tonight—it’s a lacrosse documentary viewing. We’re doing all our setup while we’re all still in the building on the clock so they don’t have to pay for setup later. It cuts their costs down.”

While a lot of work is done during the time a group is using the auditorium, prep is done before a group arrives, and cleanup is done after they leave.

O’Steen said the staff at Gleason does what they can to get that work done during regular operating hours to help keep costs low for groups using the auditorium.

He said their main concern is working in a way that is beneficial to clubs with limited resources and helping make events great.

Halabi said despite the challenges College Players have faced, Richardson and O’Steen have worked with them to make the process less difficult.

“They have been super supportive in not just supporting College Players, but also all organizations and all events,” Halabi said. “They really want to make Gleason a central hub on campus, which is pretty great.” years now.

“Being here at the university is a big responsibility,” Graham said. “I am truly proud to say I worked at Florida Tech.”

Kevin Graham has served as the Director of Security at Florida Tech for the past 15 years.

Crimson // David Thompson

4

ISSUE 4

FEBRUARY 19

REVIEW

A Casual Review Xiao Liang

Anthem Update: A Rather Disappointing Release

BioWare’s Anthem is nearly released, players who pre ordered the Legion of Dawn Edition of the game were able to access the game on Feb. 15, before the official release date on Feb. 22.

I had some ideas of what the game is going to be like since I have participated in both of the game’s demo, the experience was not bad, but the game certainly had a lot of problems that need to be fixed.

Visually, the game looks stunning and runs smoothly on a mid-tier PC, but there wasn’t anything memorable or worth noting.

Certain special effects in the game get very flashy at times and can be disorienting if the players are not used to staring at fireworks up close.

The game also has some quality soundtracks and dialogues, the soundtracks have a unique flavor to it and the in-game dialogues were quite immersive.

However, the game did not deliver the sounds very well, some music fades in and out from time to time, and there were a lot of awkward pauses between conversations, especially during the missions.

What makes it even worse is that the sounds sometimes just cease to work, making the game completely silent, this problem seems to rarely occur but is still a huge problem for the game.

The story of Anthem is probably not the best part of the game, the player gets thrown into a world where

many things appear to be unknown and unexplained.

There is really no reason for the players to find out more either, it is uninteresting overall and lacks good plot hooks compared to other games within the genre.

And finally, the gameplay.

The gameplay of Anthem can be described as having purely bread for dinner every day, it was nice and filling at the beginning, but becomes more and more bland and tedious as time passes on.

After the tutorial, the player gets to pick and customize one of the four models of Javelins, powerful exosuits that can give its users superhuman abilities.

It really made the players feel like Iron Man when they see their customized suit standing in front of them for the first time, and the combat feels great, it was fast paced, action packed, filled with flashy effects and explosions.

The game really falls apart after the first two hours or so, the map of Anthem felt big, empty and confusing.

The combat becomes mindless button mashing and

Official game cover Photo // EA Games, BioWare.

mouse clicking, and the loot drop of the game lacks variety at early levels.

For a game that has random loot dropping as one of its key features, Anthem’s loot is boring, the players get almost the same kind of weapons and equipment no matter what level they are.

The only difference is the quality and a slight stat change of the weapon depends

on the player’s level, grinding for loot really lacks excitement in Anthem.

Anthem also had a great emphasis on character customizations, it really wanted the players to feel unique, but the Javelin customization options were very limited.

The number of options available for the players to customize their Javelin suits is almost the same as the demo.

The mission design and matchmaking system of Anthem are probably the most disappointing factors of the game.

While many games have optional challenges that require the players to spend a great amount of time to complete, which usually come with interesting rewards at the end, Anthem has one such challenge that requires the player to complete in order to progress in the main storyline.

The challenge is not hard by any means, but it is very tedious and almost trying to force the player to spend more time in the games large and empty open world for no legitimate reasons, it shouldn’t

be something that every player has to go through.

The online matchmaking system of Anthem is probably one of the worst among all the massive multiplayer online games that are out in the market.

If a player decided to embark on a mission while being open for public matchmaking, it is likely that the player will spend quite some time staring at the loading screen and then gets dropped off in the middle of the mission.

The game will then warn the player that he or she is too far away from the objective area, and will be automatically teleported to that area which will end up with another slightly shorter loading screen.

This is also another reason why the narrative aspect of Anthem was rather weak and boring.

Overall, it is unfortunate to say that I don’t think Anthem is worth the money at its current status, even though the combat of the game was unique and fun, the other aspects of gameplay just made the game really not worth the time and energy.

However, the game does have a lot of potentials and the developers seem to be willing to listen to the feedback of its community, so anyone who’s still interested in trying out Anthem should keep an eye out for feature news and updates.

Taking life one brick at a time...more or less

stephen pickrom \\

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

staff writer

Saving reality isn’t easy… especially if you’re an inch-tall plastic toy.

A sequel to 2014’s The LEGO Movie by Warner Bros. and Warner Animation Group, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, made its appearance in theaters Friday, Feb 8, exactly five years and one day after the release of the first film.

Directed by Mike Mitchell, the movie has received a score of 85% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Five years after the events of The LEGO Movie in a post-apocalyptic society, Emmet must save his girlfriend Lucy and the rest of his friends, who were abducted by LEGO Duplo alien invaders, who, until then, had destroyed the city of Bricksburg multiple

times.

In the process, he must also try to stop a vision he has of Our-Mama-geddon destroying the universe.

Most of the original movie’s cast reprises their roles in the sequel, with Morgan Freeman as a notable exception.

A few new faces join the cast with Stephanie Beatriz as General Mayhem, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Tiffany Haddish as Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi.

As usual, Chris Pratt’s comedic charm shines through in his depiction of Emmet.

The fourth-wall breaks sprinkled throughout the film were entertaining and genuinely funny.

The film is an excellent metaphor for the fading of

innocence and imagination when a child grows into adolescence… and the movie itself says so, just without the “excellent” part.

The film’s plot definitely took a few turns that I wasn’t expecting, and the great comedy kept me engaged throughout the runtime.

The movie also serves to teach an important lesson: everything’s not awesome; but if we try to understand each other and work together, we can make things better for everyone.

Keeping the film’s universe rooted in the imagination of a child, and flashing to interactions between Finn and his sister, drove the message home.

And, as goes for the first film, the animation quality

is stunning. The amount of detail used to render every brick is astounding.

The only real complaint that I had about the film was its blatant overuse of comedy, as with all of the other LEGO films by Warner Bros.

The screenwriters shoved a joke into every possible nook and cranny they could without taking away from the more tense moments.

Most of the jokes landed, but at times there were just too many of them for some scenes to be taken seriously.

Regardless of how many jokes were used, the movie was a great representation of what it means to grow up without losing one’s sense of imagination and fun.

Photo // Warner Bros.Pictures

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

ISSUE 4

FEBRUARY 19

REVIEW Retro Movie Reviews

Arpad Marsh \\ staff writer

Prohibition in the U.S. saw the rise of bootleggers across the nation in the 1920’s, smuggling outlawed liquor into cities and leading to the prevalence of organized crime.

The most famous bootlegger of that time was Al Capone, whose reign and downfall was portrayed in “The Untouchables.”

“The Untouchables” is a crime and gangster film that was released on June 2, 1987, and directed by Brian De Palma.

The film is set in Chicago in 1930, during the height of organized crime in the city.

During this time, kingpin Al Capone (Robert De Niro) maintains a ruthless grip over the city through his bootlegging business, as well as bribing the majority of officers in the police department to look the other way.

Frustrated by the corruption within the police, Bureau of Prohibition agent Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) recruits some officers who haven’t been tainted to combat the

Crime handled in an unusual manner

crime in the city.

Agent Ness works with fellow officers, including veteran officer James Malone (Sean Connery), rookie cop George Stone (Andy Garcia), and eager accountant Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith) to free the city of Capone’s influence and activities, earning the nickname The Untouchables.

“The Untouchables” has a screenplay that keeps shifting from scenes of violence and brutality to moments of humor, often switching from a serious tone to a more relaxed feel.

The soundtrack for the film similarly shifts in tone.

Composed by Ennio Morricone, the soundtrack for “The Untouchables” is a mixture of suspense, hopefulness and melodrama, aiding in the mood of each situation.

Costner portrays Ness as a stern but focused individual.

His motivation for getting rid of Capone originates from wanting to create a safer city for his wife and daughter to

Original promotional movie poster

Photo // Paramount.

Pictures

live in, a motive that audience can sympathize with.

Even though his character is fictional, Connery’s performance of Officer Malone is superb.

He is a man with an untainted sense of morality and an abundance of wisdom that he passes on to Ness, who looks up to Malone as a mentor.

Connery’s portrayal of the policeman even led him to

winning an Academy Award for best supporting actor, although his Irish accent could use some improvement.

De Niro takes on an equally impressive portrayal of Al Capone.

The actor reportedly read books on the Chicago gangster and watched films on him in the hopes of mimicking his mannerisms.

He even gained nearly 30 pounds to appear more like Capone.

The result of De Niro’s research is a Capone who is charismatic, brags about his illegal accomplishments, and shifts from a benevolent man to a ruthless one when someone gets in his way.

The historical accuracy of the film, however, leaves something to be desired.

While “The Untouchables” does well in filming at the correct historical locations, such as the courthouse in which Capone’s trial took place, the area where the film lacks in accuracy is the events themselves.

New Netflix series rated binge-worthy

5

One of the most notable scenes in the movie is a raid on a convoy crossing the Canadian border, which then turns into a Western styled shoot out.

While exciting to watch, historically, The Untouchables themselves did not participate in any gun fights, mostly working within the city.

Accurate or not, “The Untouchables” received astounding reviews upon its release.

The film would be nominated for four Academy Awards, including one for Morricone’s score for the movie.

“The Untouchables” is a great for people who want to watch a movie with considerable acting, a decent soundtrack, and a screenplay that fluctuates from gangster violence to dramatic sequences.

And to get the most enjoyment out of “The Untouchables,” it’s best to view the film from a regular movie-goer perspective as opposed to a historical one.

christian martinez \\ staff writer

The best way to describe this show is if Marvel’s “X-Men” was written by a guy from a popular 2000’s emo band, which the source material actually was.

Netflix’s newest superhero show to binge-watch is an excellent adaptation of Gerard Way’s, ex-lead vocalist of “My Chemical Romance,” comic book series.

The Netflix Original’s first season runs 10 one-hour long episodes and its characters, world, music choices and plot will draw you in for most of the runtime.

The series revolves around six adopted siblings who were raised by eccentric billionaire, Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore), to save the world from whatever peril as the world-famous team known as the Umbrella Academy.

It is his death that reunites them after years of separation because of an incident that killed one of the siblings.

The Umbrella Academy is then greeted at the funeral by a returned member with tidings of the apocalypse and the mission to unravel the mystery behind it in order to prevent it.

Each of the members is special, as the first few minutes of the pilot give the very odd details of their births and adoption by Sir Hargreeves.

Since Sir Hargreeves didn’t care to give his adopted children names, he simply calls them by numbers.

It was their adopted mother, a robot named Grace (Jordan Claire Robbins), who named each of them.

Luther Hargreeves known as Number One (Tom Hopper), is the strong leader of the team who the viewer comes to find living on the Moon, to watch over Earth, as the series opens.

With his super-strength and honed leadership skills, he is only focused on finding out how his adoptive father died and keeping everyone together.

Diego Hargreeves, known as Number Two (David Castañeda), is the grizzled brother whose knife-throwing abilities and sharp mind makes him a dangerous vigilante.

Constantly challenging Luther over everything, like how to lead the team or who’s a better hero, Diego wants to make sure criminals are punished and that his family is safe.

Allison Hargreeves, known as Number Three (Emmy Raver-Lampman), is the most dangerous member of the Umbrella Academy as she has the power to control people and things by saying “I heard a rumor.”

Allison’s overuse of her power led to her being afraid of it, as she tried to leave the superhero business behind her and become a famous movie-star.

She strives to reconnect with her family and be a good sister.

Klaus Hargreeves, known as Number Four (Robert Sheehan), is the most mentally-scarred member of the family due to his ability to commune with the dead.

Because he keeps being haunted by dead spirits, Klaus became addicted to drugs to numb the voices.

His aloof personality and constant high makes it hard for anyone to take him seriously as he helps his siblings on the mission.

Number Five (Aidan Gallagher), is the one who told his siblings about the coming apocalypse after his abilities to jump through space and time dropped him in a destroyed future without anyone left alive.

Spending a long time in a post-apocalypse Earth, and other exploits, led to him returning as a cold alcoholic 50 to 60-year-old man in a 13-year-old body.

It took five tries to solve the mystery of the apocalypse on his own, before realizing he needs his family’s help.

Ben Hargreeves, known as

Number Six (Justin H. Min), is the brother whose death is the reason the Umbrella Academy disbanded years ago.

In life, he possessed monsters from another dimension under his skin.

Ben’s spirit serves as a voice of reason to Klaus as he tries to help Klaus kick his drug habits.

Vanya Hargreeves, known as Number Seven (Ellen Page), is the only child without powers and feels like an outcast among her alienated siblings.

Vanya wants to be special like her brothers and sister, but being ordinary meant she was left out of being a true part of the Umbrella Academy.

These siblings are all truly worth investing your interest into, as their varied personalities leads to some explosive clashes amongst each other as secrets are revealed and the apocalypse draws near.

An interesting side plot involving time traveling assassins named Cha-Cha (Mary J. Blige) and Hazel (Cameron Britton), are involved as they are hired to kill Five so the apocalypse can still happen.

Flashbacks are heavily used to give insight as to how the Umbrella Academy’s members got to where they are and how the world see them when the show starts.

Photo // www.netflix.com

“From left to right: Diego, Vanya, Luther, Five, Allison and Klaus.”

The tone of the show varies from scene to scene, giving each of the main characters at least one funny, one sad, one awe-inspiring and one sweet scene over the ten episodes.

Ben’s death and Sir Hargreeves true origins are two questions left unanswered among many others, so hopefully season two can lead to their solutions.

I give this season an 8/10.

All-in-all, the first season ended strong and sets-up an interesting second season where anything is possible in the Hargreeves family’s crazy world.

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ISSUE 4

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CAMPUS LIFE

Another Successful... venezuela continued

Crimson // Annika Sundquist

Crimson // Annika Sundquist

In 2015, during his third year of high school, Coiman started to notice just how bad the situation had gotten.

“I didn’t go to school for almost three months,” Coilman said. “I couldn’t even get to school because of the protests, it was so dangerous to leave home. The national guard and protesters were constantly occupying the streets.”

Coiman believes that with support from the U.S. and other European countries, Guaido and the opposition offer a sign of hope for the people of Venezuela.

However, he does not think the country will reach stability for the next 10-15 years.

Freshman Antonella Merola is studying chemical engineering as well, but her journey from Venezuela to Florida Tech is a bit different than Coiman’s.

Merola was born and raised in Caracas until her family relocated to Panama just under two years ago.

When she found herself in the process of applying to colleges in the U.S. Merola worried it would be very challenging to obtain a Venezuelan student Visa.

Merola took advantage of her dual Italian nationality and is attending Florida Tech under an Italian student visa.

Marivi Walker, the assistant director for International Admissions at Florida Tech, said that she has had plenty of experience working with students like

Coiman and Merola.

“Four to five years ago it was very different with the Venezuelan students,” Walker said.

Four to five years ago, the Venezuelan government had an agency that administered legal currency exchange in the country called Comisión de Administración de Divisas (CADIVI).

CADIVI essentially determined what money got to leave the country and at what exchange rate you could buy U.S. dollars.

Therefore, they were also in charge of granting or denying applications for students to send tuition payments abroad to the U.S. “I started to notice two years ago [during fall 2016 applications] little by little, that CADIVI had started to disappear,” Walker said. “The agency simply ran out of money.”

Towards the end of CADIVI’s downfall, the situation reached a turning point for Venezuelan undergraduate seniors in the spring of 2017 as they were trying to finish their degree programs.

“During the collapse of CADIVI, we had Venezuelan students who were graduating but could not get funds from Venezuelan banks to pay for their remaining spring semester,” Walker said. “The university literally had to grant them emergency funds stating that those individuals could graduate, but must eventually pay their tuition back.”

With students no longer

able to pay their tuition using money from Venezuelan banks, it put a significant taint on being able to attend a college in the U.S. at all.

All Venezuelan students now have to rely on money they have already managed to send over to the U.S. Moving forward, Walker has faith that the opposition led by Guaido could turn things around for the country which in return could boost Venezuelan enrollment at Florida Tech to what they once used to be.

“I truly think that we are at a make-or-break point,” Walker said. “When you hear Guaido speak, it will bring tears to your eyes because you will think, ‘Where did this man come from?’ He shows more of a genuine concern for finding peace within the country rather than trying to seize its leadership, and that is what signifies hope for the people of Venezuela.”

Merola, as well, vocalized her opinion in regards to Guaido’s intentions as leader of the opposition.

“When people hear about what is happening in my country I don’t want them to think the opposition is an invading power-hungry force,” she said. “Their sole purpose is to put the countries best interests before corruption and self-interest.”

A universal theme amongst Merola, Walker and Coiman is that the people of Venezuela are not going down without a fight and they will receive the justice and humanitarian rights they deserve one day.

Crimson // Annika Sundquist

The new bike racks have taken up two parking spaces at the Columbia Village parking garage.

bike rack continued

Crimson // Annika Sundquist

than buy an awning for the old uncovered racks.

Rayne Parker, a transfer student also living in Colombia Village, said, “I feel like they were unnecessary. They could have definitely found better placement.”

Aside from the controversial placement of the bike rack, the program seems to be doing well otherwise.

“They are available for students to rent for free.

We’ve actually rented out about half already in the first two days of its creation,” Spal-

Crimson // Marc Kanneh

ding said. “In our agreement with Infinity Bike Shop, the bike shop will come out and maintain the bikes and give us discounts on replacement parts.”

The bikes are available to rent for free through a form on Panther Prowl.

ISSUE 4

FEBRUARY 19

CAMPUS LIFE muon continued

Equipment used by the research team to help aid in the detection of muon particles.

Crimson // Seamus Burns The building blocks are defined in what’s called: The Standard Model of Particle Physics.

The Muon tomography station can detect particles of the same size as the Standard Model defines, and can read the spin and energy of the particle to decipher where it came from.

A scatter plot with many colors is depicted and read to determine whether the muon came from the sun, or from a different source of super high energy such as a particle accelerator, or nuclear compounds.

“I’ve been a fan of CERN and their YouTube videos since I began liking physics, and I’m really excited to be working on projects that closely relate to their work.” said Tommy Walker, junior physics major.

Muons happen naturally when a cosmic ray hits the atmosphere at a high energy and muons then get showered and dispersed.

The left plate inside the MTS picks up muons at a higher rate and varies while the right stays constant.

This means that muons decay in the middle of the MTS and did not originate from a large source like the sun.

“There are different types of energy from different reactions, and the direction of the energy can be used to

find the mass.” Holmann said.

“These machines are used and can catch people smuggling nuclear material.”

Detecting a muon also implies figuring out the angle from which it may have been deflected on, if there was lead to shield, it can be read by the scattering patterns in the 3D imaging detector.

The lab for MTS has been mainly under Holmann’s provision since around 2008 and received funding from the Department of Homeland Security for around four years, however not anymore.

Physics major Merrick Lavinsky, junior, was a part of the research group that was building the MTS during his freshman year at Florida Tech.

Lavinsky was one of five in a group, under professor Francisco Yumiceva, dedicated to building a machine they knew was an important facet to past and future research development bigger than the scope of only Florida Tech.

“We finished most of the project during my freshman year, but with the ongoing process of what had been put in before me and what we’re going to get after the project, we all knew it was on a big scale of importance with how accurate everything needed to be.”

At such a small scale of detection, the accuracy is very important to the success of the

readings.

Tommy Walker, junior, is a physics major who currently works with the MTS in Holmann’s research.

“I had to check and make sure Dr. Holmann was okay about us talking about this,” Walker said.

The components of this material, such as many of the aerospace companies, have confidential research and information for their services that could be considered proprietary for companies; in some cases where research is on a global scale, they may not be allowed to talk about it so openly.

The research is highly prominent in further developing quantum theory as well as understanding fundamental nuclear functionality and exactly how dangerous it can be.

With connections to CERN, the prestige given to the pool of intelligence where this research is coming and going cannot be overstated.

Walker said, “The reason I joined is to use subatomic particles that an average person hasn’t heard of, to find hidden objects.”

Almost investigative, the research group aims at identifying exactly where and how a muon came from, thus by reading its position and scattering map with the tomography detectors.

Senior physics major, Akshath Wikramanayake said, “It would be nice if everyone shared the same enthusiasm for particle physics. I actually think Dr. Holmann was the reason for Consensus coming to visit our campus.”

Particle Physics rapper Consensus had visited Florida Tech and hosted a concert at the pantherium in November of last semester.

He was mostly swayed by the incredibly up to date science and research on campus, largely due to Holmann, said Wikramanayake.

The rapper focuses on spreading the message of science and raps about quantum theory and particle physics.

The research group hopes to continue bringing awareness and interest into the program.

...International Festival!

7

Crimson // Annika Sundquist

Crimson // Olivia McKelvey

Crimson // Olivia McKelvey

Crimson // Jesse Villaverde

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ISSUE 4

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CAMPUS LIFE

College Culinary Jordan Densler \\ Staff Writer

Key Lime pie is a super tangy yet sweet dessert that is a great addition to any cookout or dinner with the family.

It’s super simple to make, and inexpensive as well.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Take your graham crackers and crush them well either in a plastic bag or with a food processor.

Put the butter in a bowl and melt either in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove.

Once the butter is completely melted, add the butter and the sugar to the bowl of crushed graham crackers and mix well with your hands until all of the mixture is a moist crumble texture.

If the mixture is too dry, melt and add some extra melted butter.

If the mixture is too wet, add some extra crushed graham crackers.

Take the graham cracker mixture and press it firmly into a pie pan.

Make sure it is even in thickness and as firm as possible.

Once the mixture is firmly pressed into the pie crust shape, cook it in the oven for about 5 minutes to crispen the crust.

Remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool before adding the filling.

To make the filling, first you need to juice the key limes into a measuring cup until you have ⅔ of a cup of key lime juice.

Take one of the lime skins and zest it into the juice. Set the mixture aside for later.

Begin cracking the eggs.

To seperate the egg yolks from the egg whites, slowly sift the egg back and forth releasing the egg whites into a bowl and leaving the egg yolk inside of the egg shell.

Put the yolk in a separate bowl from the egg whites.

You can discard the egg whites or save them for use in another dish.

Keep the egg yolks in a bowl and add the sweetened condensed milk.

Stir them together until fluffy.

Slowly add the key lime mixture to the egg and sweetened condensed milk mixture.

Stir until all of the ingredients are incorporated with each other.

Be careful not to over stir.

By now the pie crust should be cooled, carefully pour the filling mixture into the crust and then bake it in the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove the pie from the oven and set to cool.

Once the pie is room temperature, add whipped cream if desired and chill in the fridge.

Serve cold and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS • 1/3 pound graham crackers • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter • 1/3 cup of sugar • 3 eggs • 3 -5 limes • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk • Whipped cream (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Crush the graham crackers.

3. Heat butter in a microwave or pan until melted.

4. Mix melted butter and sugar in with graham cracker crumbs.

5. Mixture should be a crumbly, malleable texture. If too dry or too wet, add butter or extra graham crackers accordingly.

6. Press graham cracker mixture into a pie pan as evenly and firmly as possible.

7. Once the mixture is

satire

Botanical gardens a growing den of crime, emergency service down marc kanneh \\ Staff Writer

Many Florida Tech students value their safety and nothing can ruin a Panther’s day more than being robbed, mugged or attacked.

While students don’t frequently engage in the occasional on campus scuffle with an outlaw, those yellow emergency call boxes across campus give us a sense of safety even though nobody knows how to use them.

But this semester, Florida Tech students are being asked to postpone getting attacked in the botanical gardens until the emergency call box is back in operation.

The emergency call box in the botanical gardens never returned from winter break and is now covered in a sun-bleached sign that says, “OUT OF ORDER”.

Chief of security said, “Having it operational was a marketing issue, admin said

it was about preserving school image and that’s all they told me.”

The chief of marketing for Florida Tech said, “We did this to solidify our branding.

Just look around, some of the elevators don’t work, the Wifi doesn’t work and most of the recipes at PDH don’t work, so why should that change with security? This was a move to ensure consistency all over campus. We have to emphasize the ‘Human Touch’.”

Cieanna Nichols, a junior, said, “I just feel like the botans are a dark and scary place at night and anything can pop out at any time and without the emergency box, you’re just scared and alone with no help.”

A look at security records showed that there has been a 30 percent increase in racoon activity since the box went out of order.

Lisa Jackman, a senior, said, “I got held up by a gang of racoons last week while I

was coming back from The Rat with my dinner. I tried to use the call box and it didn’t work, so the racoons took my box of burnt, undersized wings and left.”

For a few students, the box not working is just another day at Florida Tech.

Brandon Mathews, a sophomore, said, “I’d be surprised if something in this place actually worked. I’ve gotten used to the mediocrity.”

Out of order sign on the emergency call box.

Crimson // Marc Kanneh

key lime pie pressed into a pie crust, place the crust in the oven for 5 minutes then remove it and set to cool.

8. Use the juicer to juice the key limes into a measuring cup until you have 2/3 cup of key lime juice.

9. Take one of the key lime skins and zest it into the key lime juice.

10. Set this mixture aside for later.

11. Crack one of the eggs carefully, be sure not to damage the yolk.

12. Slowly sift the egg back and forth releasing the egg whites into a bowl and leaving the egg yolk inside of the egg shell.

13. Put the yolk in a separate bowl from the egg whites.

14. Repeat for the rest of the eggs.

15. Discard the egg whites.

16. Take the bowl with the egg yolks and add the sweetened condensed milk.

17. Mix until fluffy.

18. Pour in the key lime juice

and zest mixture and stir well.

19. Once everything is incorporated, carefully pour the mixture into the pie crust.

20. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the filling is set.

21. Remove from the oven and set to cool.

22. When the pie is room temperature add whipped cream if you wish.

23. Refrigerate until cold.

24. Serve and enjoy!

ISSUE 4

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10 NEWS ISSUE 4

FEBRUARY 19

New Honors College Comes to Florida Tech Emily walker \\ Copy Editor

Florida Tech will launch an Honors College in the fall semester of 2019, according to Lisa Perdigao.

Perdigao, the humanities program chair, was recently named assistant provost for the Honors College.

The Honors College will offer a curriculum for students in a variety of majors and class standings, according to Perdigao.

“The program that we designed would be open to all students across the university,” Perdigao said. “That was really important to make sure that we had full representation and inclusion in it. In terms of the admissions process, we’re still working on the details for it.”

Perdigao became involved in the planning of the Honors College through her involvement with the Panther Distinguished scholars.

According to Perdigao, the Panther Distinguished scholars are Florida Tech students who came in as high-performing high school students with

Bright Futures scholarships.

“The provost [Monica Baloga] had asked me if I was interested in working on this initiative, and in the fall I had worked with the Panther Distinguished scholars,” Perdigao said.

She said working with that group gave her the idea that developed into the Honors College.

Perdigao said the current plan is to transition these freshmen Panther Distinguished scholars into the program and expand from there.

Alejandro Busto, a freshman in physics and a Panther Distinguished scholar, is going to be enrolling in the Honors College in the fall semester.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” Busto said. “Already coming to Florida Tech, the class sizes are so small, which is awesome because you can have more questions and more one-on-one time with professors. To even have that when you’re in a class with people who are at your level

who are honors students and then to have a professor who can spend more time and go into interesting topics is really cool.”

Busto, who was in advanced-placement classes throughout high school, said he thinks being in the Honors College will help him both during his time at Florida Tech and when he’s looking to get a job.

“I think it will look pretty good on a resume for sure, and even just going into post-undergrad it will look really good as well,” Busto said. “Not only that, but I think the quality of education I’ll get out of these classes is going to be higher than I’ll get out of a normal class as well.”

Isaac Miller, a freshman studying computer science, is another Panther Distinguished scholar.

He is also in Perdigao’s humanities course and will be enrolling in the Honors College in the fall semester.

Miller said he is excited to not only take classes within

his major, but also to explore courses outside his major.

“If there’s any particularly interesting classes that could either make me stand out or maybe compliment what I’m working toward with my major, some of those things that I come across could be a resume-builder,” Miller said.

“Besides that, there’s also what I could leave with—what I could get from certain classes besides just a grade and credit for.”

Miller hopes to gain experiences from his classes that will help in both his specific field as well as in his personal and professional life.

According to Perdigao, the Honors College will offer activities pertaining to students’ studies outside of the classroom.

“You have programmatic activities,” Perdigao said.

“They’re encouraging civic engagement, leadership, and even personal and professional development. It’s incorporating all of those elements together as part of the experi-

Crimson // Emily Walker ence.”

Perdigao and the other administrators involved are still working on details such as what GPA a student must have to be eligible as well as how many honors hours they must have completed to be eligible for the Honors College.

While some aspects of the Honors College are yet to be established, Perdigao said students can expect the Honors College to add to their academic experience and help them build a community.

Center, is free for Florida Tech students and the Melbourne community to experience.

Keidra Daniels Navaroli, assistant director and curator at the Ruth Funk Center, said that for the exhibit’s opening they had speakers from the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center come in and talk about some of the planes and ships featured on the textiles.

“That was great,” Navaroli said. “It allowed us to let people see the textiles from a military historian’s point of view.”

The Ruth Funk Center will hold many events throughout the semester around the exhibit like a trip on March 21 to the Morikami Museum, a kid’s origami workshop

on April 6 and a taiko drum performance on April 26.

Members of the Florida Tech community can also attend two upcoming lectures, one on March 19 that’ll be about the imagery of the items and another on April 16 on the Japanese American experience during World War II. The next exhibit is called “Forced to Flee.”

It’ll focus on items that highlight the global refugee crisis and will run from May 25 through Aug. 24.

The current exhibit will until May 4.

A finals week event will be held on May 1 for students to have fun, enjoy free food and participate in a raffle.

Dr. Perdigo, is now the Assistant Provost for the Honors College at Florida Tech.

The propaganda kimonos of Japan during WWII Christian Martinez & Jamour Jiang \\ Staff Writers

This semester, the Ruth Funk Center is hosting an exhibit that highlights clothing from early 1900’s Japan including: kimonos, yukatas and haoris.

Kimonos are an old unisex form of clothing from Japan that are similar to robes that are also an art form to depict whatever the creator wants.

Yukatas are a more slim form of kimonos that are made for just women, they usually depict beauty with flowers and bright colors like red or pink.

Haoris are like a jacket or overcoat and are a sign of honor for distinguished men, especially those with wartime accomplishments.

The exhibit is named “Designed to Mobilize: Propaganda Kimono 1920 – 1945” and it features textiles from Japan’s World War II era.

With yukatas that show Japan’s globalization rise as a global power, kimonos that express pride in Japan’s culture and haoris that mark wartime accomplishments, the exhibit is a showcase that curators have pride in and a new visitor enjoys.

“I thought the exhibit was nice and informative,” Nicholas Silenzi, a junior in aerospace engineering, said.

“I thought the specific sections on sports were my favorite because of how it showed

The center haoris are designed to celebrate Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War. Crimson // Christian Martinez that Japanese hierarchy were pushing pride in their country to the common folk and trying to bring Japan onto the world stage.”

Each section of the exhibit has a category to it, like nationalism to military might.

There is info on the wall next to items giving context as to what an item means and the environment of its creation.

Visitors can also sit down at a station and make origami cranes that will be collected and displayed throughout the building.

“We’ve put a lot of work into it and it’s our most ambitious exhibit,” Donna Sewell, the manager of visitor

services at the Ruth Funk Center, said. “I feel really proud of it.”

Sewell explained that all of the items on display are from donations, courtesy of one benefactor.

Items that have been donated are kept in storage at the Ruth Funk Center so that the exhibitions can be built around what is available.

Sewell described that the making of an exhibition takes a lot of effort to plan, set up, acquire items, research and organize in order for the public to experience something amazing.

This showcase, along with all others at the Ruth Funk

Kimonos used to show the new sports that rose in Japan: Baseball, Rugby and horseCrimson // Christian Martinez back racing.

SPORTS 11 ISSUE 4

FEBRUARY 19

Florida Tech expected to add esports program next fall tyler Jones \\ Staff Writer

Florida Tech is exploring the possibility of adding an esports program on campus as soon as next semester.

Esports, also known as online competitive gaming, has gained national attention in recent years due to the competitive level of play between players around the world.

According to Forbes it is expected to near a billion dollars in annual revenue by 2020.

According to Jonathan Bruder, a sophomore in computer engineering, games such as Fortnite, Madden and Overwatch are popular within

the esports industry.

“Those three games are really what the gamers themselves and the viewers are interested in right now,” said Bruder. “Some of these gaming tournaments have first-place prizes of thousands of dollars, and that’s not even getting into what they make off of their livestreams.”

With esports on the rise, many students around campus, such as Bruder, have shown a great amount of interest in joining a club or even a school funded program.

Although there is are numerous esports clubs on campus already that revolve

around specific games, the university plans to have a funded program as early as next fall, according to Rodney Bowers, the associate vice president of Student Affairs.

“There’s been a lot of discussion about making it a club sport on campus,” Bowers said. “However, at this time we are not sure on whether or not we would offer scholarships to those in the program.”

Although as of last week, the school announced they would be dropping three varsity programs, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s golf.

Bowers said that potential scholarships would be academic and not athletic, therefore it wouldn’t cut into the athletic funding from the school.

Bowers said that the university has been planning to use the second floor of Evans Hall as a gaming room for the esports program as well as any students interested in gaming themselves.

“Facilities-wise, we should be up and ready for any students who wants to participate in gaming, whether it be for competitive or recreational activity,” Bowers said.

Noah Crofton, a freshman

in physics, is one student that is excited to have a place to play games and connect with other people.

“Ever since I moved to Florida Tech, I haven’t really found anything on campus to get involved in until now,” Crofton said. “Now I have a place that I can go to and talk with other people and be in an environment where I can relax and just have fun.”

For more information, visit the gaming room on the second floor of Evan’s Hall or contact the Student Affairs Department located on the second floor of the SUB room 210.

Students voice opinions on recent cuts in varsity sports brad willaims \\ contributing Writer

For the second consecutive year Florida Tech has discontinued varsity sports programs.

The programs in question this year are men’s and women’s tennis as well as the women’s golf program.

Each program will be concluded at the end of the spring season.

This decision will affect 25 student-athletes in total, 10 men and 15 women.

These student’s athletic scholarships are being honored through the completion of their degree.

Now they have been left with a choice to remain at Florida Tech for the remainder of their education or decide to transfer to other schools and continue to compete at the collegiate level.

Florida Tech’s financial situation has been well documented, but this decision came as a shock for all of those involved.

There were no signs that this kind of action was needed to keep the athletic department afloat financially.

“It was pretty out of the blue,” said Max O’hagan, a junior on the men’s golf team.

“This was unexpected, and I feel sorry for those who are left with making a difficult decision on whether or not to stay and stick it out or transfer,” O’hagan said.

“It’s especially difficult for the international students.

They’re in a unique situation and they’re not sure what to do about it,” said O’hagan, who’s point has yet to be acknowledged by Florida officials as of yet and given the number of international students involved in Florida athletics it could become a potential issue.

O’hagan lives with three international students on the

men’s golf team and has seen the turmoil firsthand.

“I live with three of the guys on the team and it hasn’t been a great environment around the house lately/ Stress levels have been raised and it’s hard to see them go through this,” O’hagan said.

Everyday students who don’t keep up with athletics around the Florida Tech campus have heard about the news and are feeling the impact as well.

Nasra Al Barwani, a 21-year-old majoring in chemical engineering, is concerned for the studentathletes who have been affected and their short lived athletic collegiate experience.

“They cancelled the program and people on the team are still here to study but their tennis and golf experiences are over at Florida Tech which is super sad and unfortunate,” Al Barwani said.

The cancellation of the varsity sports programs has reached alumni as well.

Skylar Sheffield heard about the tennis and golf programs through an email sent by Florida Tech.

“It sounds like FIT is going to be losing a lot of current Panthers as well as perspective ones,” Sheffield said.

Sheffield isn’t the only alumni to have heard the announcement from the Florida Tech athletics department.

Former tennis player and ocean engineering major Austin Causey took a firm stance against the university’s decision.

“To think about all the future generations that now will not have the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be a

student-athlete at Florida Tech.” Causey said. “I will forever be grateful for the friends that were made and lessons that were learned on this team, and I firmly believe there is no justification to these actions.”

Whether there is no justification in the athletic departments action will be determined by how the school plans to move forward after this week’s news.

The players however are using this to their advantage

and putting all of this energy into their season which they have dubbed The Farewell Tour.

This is a developing story The Crimson is continuing to investigate.

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FEBRUARY 19