RIMSON The Florida Tech
@FTCrimson @FTCrimson crimson@fit.edu
The Official Student-Run Newspaper•since
Issue 8
Our Mission: Live, discover and report the truth.
1967
Spring
TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018
LOVE Meet our new SGA President 990's AGAINST A journey that brought the latest president to office Taking a look into HATE David Thompson \\ staff writer
Abeer Janakat \\ Design editor Have you ever discriminated against someone? Think again, there are subtle ways of discrimination you might not be aware of. A corporate social responsibility (CSR) class has been working all semester on a anti-discrimination campaign: Love Against Hate. The Love Against Hate campaign is not only a class project, but it is a part of an intercollegiate competition by ADL, an anti-defamation league, said the CSR professor, Andrew Cudmore, Ph.D. The main goal of this campaign is to raise awareness about discrimination, where
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Jace Petrowski was never interested in rowing until one day Florida Tech’s athletic director, Bill Jurgens, told Petrowski he should “probably get in a boat, you’d probably make a good rower.” Petrowski’s father, Jim Petrowksi, is a Florida Tech alumnus and a former rower. Jurgens was Jim Petrowski’s rowing coach when they won the Dad Vail regatta in 1988. Jace Petrowski said that his father always wanted him to row, but it wasn’t until he spoke with Jurgens that he began to seriously consider it. “I was like ‘woah Bill Jurgens just told me to get in a boat that makes me feel pretty important,’” Petrowski said. During the summer entering his senior year of high school, Petrowski attended
a summer camp with Space Coast Crew and was the third fastest rower on a team of 90. He went on to row for Space Coast his senior year. “It was one of the best ex per ienc e s of my l i fe,” Petrowski said. “I just fell in love with rowing.” Petrowski said that he began row ing because he intended on pursuing it in college. After some consideration from Stetson, Embry Riddle and few other universities, Petrowski decided to follow his father’s footsteps and row for Florida Tech in his hometown. A $60,000 scholarship for his science fair project from Florida Tech also weighed pretty heavily on his decision, Petrowski said. “I made natural herbicide out of water and wheat,” Petrowski said. “All I did was grow wheat, make and slurry out of it and drain it.”
Tackling the mental health stigma Mary Kozaitis \\ Editor - in - Chief People talk all the time. We talk about our classes, work, movies, books, music- not as much about how our mental state is doing. However, according to the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services, Robyn Tapley, between 300-500 students are seen at CAPS on a monthly basis. The amount of students they see in a month depends on what part of the semester it is. There is an increase during stressful times, such as during midterms week or finals week. Statistics show that college students are commonly stressed, which can negatively impact their mental health. The emotional health of college freshmen has declined to the lowest it has been in 25 years. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among
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Don't Sweat it
college students and the suicide rate among young adults ages 15-24 has tripled since the 1950s (collegedegreesearch. com). Julie Costopoulos, an associate professor at Florida Tech and the director of the Forensic Emphasis Area of the Clinical PsyD Program, explained that a depressive episode is anhedonia, or a lack of enjoyment, for an extended period of time. Lasting less than a month is incredibly common and often times occurs at least once in many people’s lifetimes. Longer than lasting a month may need longer treatment. “For some rea son we often act like a problem with our brain functioning imperfectly is our fault, whereas a problem with your pancreas is fine,” Costopoulos said. “No one walks around saying ‘haha you have a thyroid condition’, but we somehow think that it makes us weak if we have a problem with our brain and the
truth of the matter is many of these problems that can result in a major depressive episode are simply due to part of brain that doesn’t work as well as it use to.” Costopoulos said that if a person were to develop issues in their brain from a mental health perspective, it would most likely be in their early twenties. She said that anxiety and mood disorders are the two most common mental health disorders in the U.S. “Research has shown that the number one reason why people don’t pursue treatment is due to stigma,” Costopoulos said. “There is a fear that they will be seen as weak, shameful or weird, but as I just told you, these symptoms are incredibly common. So we have these beliefs that these things are uncommon, but the reality is the opposite.”
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Ready, set, graduate: Stepping into reality
INDEX
Hannah’s cherry apple pork chops
STUDENT LIFE PAGES 2-6
Florida Tech's finances Mary Kozaitis \\ Editor - in - Chief
Photo by Teddy Mageto
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Most people who work get a salary. Most people who get a salary don’t talk much about it to others. According to the Florida Tech’s 990s, in 2016 the president emeritus made $532,395 as president for two months at the end of the semester and as the retired president for the remainder of the year, which is a higher salary than any faculty member has made, other than the president, in all current public 990 documents. Five professors, six deans and seven vice presidents made a higher salary than the university's provost, which was $183,350 in 2016. That is $40,074 more than the average
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FITV FILM FESTIVAL Great beginning to a new tradition
Some of the festival's winners.
Kevin boodoosingh \\ Contributing writer Friday, April 20 FITV hosted their first ever film festival. With over 20 entries spread across four different categories: comedy, drama, documentary and memes. Brett Twery, event coordinator, said, "I’d say the film festival came out as a success. Everyone seemed to have a great time watching the films that were submitted. To be honest I did not expect the festival to be as successful with
Page 8 Satire: Area dad writes up graduation parking strategy
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OPINION PAGES 9
Photo by Nathaniel Ashton
the entries and attendance. I believe we had a total of 24 entries. Preparation-wise we literally drew out a procedure of how the vent was going to play. This planning stage went on for about two to three weeks. I hope the festival next year will be just as good as the festival this year." Jesse Villaverde, Tech Coordinator, said "We originally planned the festival before spring break, but due
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Why medical amnesty is beneficial to students
2 STUDENTLIFE ISSUE 8
APRIL 24
Don’t Sweat It
Archit srivastava \\ Contributing Writer
Rocking nerdy glasses and drinking the fifth cup of coffee for the day, all while sitting in a pool of flashcards at a “study” camp inside Evans Library into the eerie hours of the night – a snapshot of what to expect in the following week. It is finally time for the academic climax – finals week. To relieve you of worldly tension prior to finals, here is our comprehensive list of things to look out for or do to end the school year with flying colors: • • • • •
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Have a list of your exam schedule and double check the testing room ahead of time. It is very common for the finals to not be in the usual lecture room. Utilize the library wisely: first floor to procrastinate & caffeinate, second floor for impromptu group study sessions, third floor to polish papers & prints, fourth floor to escape reality and take power nap. If you have more than three finals in a day, the course with the lowest course code can be scheduled for a make-up day. Warning: This will NOT happen on it's own. In an event that you qualify for special testing arrangement, it is a good time to contact your professor and the Academic Support Center to prevent any last minute panics. DO NOT SKIP CLASSES. Even though you may feel tempted to skip a lecture and catch up on that lost sleep, it is extremely important to attend the review sessions. Florida Tech professors sometimess drop tips during these reviews that can make the difference between you getting an A or a B. Practice in advance and try not to rely on sheer luck to ace your exams. It is the perfect time to start cracking those practice problems and reviewing the course material. Take advantage of the cheap laundry on campus during finals week and save yourself the burden of carrying stinky clothes back home. Remember to empty your mailboxes. With a long summer break ahead, your beloved Gran-gran’s letter may get dusty or returned in your absence. For the out-of-state and international students, it is not too late to look for a storage unit to leave your precious belongings over summer. Splitting the cost of a unit between friends can make it affordable for those with tight budgets. If you are living on campus, call in facilities and get anything broken fixed before checkout if you do not wish to see a charge stamped onto your next semester’s bill. Bind, label and organize your notes. Keep them on you as they might be needed to refresh your memory for a future higher level class. Extremely important for the international students: have your I-20s signed from the ISSS at Harris Commons to ensure a hassle free travel on your way back into the country. If you are planning to move off campus, remember to fill out the housing deposit form (available at the Student housing office at Harris commons) to claim your deposit back. Fill out the spring extension forms by this Friday if you plan on staying on campus for a couple of extra days after the end of the semester. Remember to drop off your dorm keys before leaving campus. Room key drop boxes can be found besides RA offices in every dorm building. Spend every last cent of Flex cash from your meal plans as they do not roll over to the fall semester. Pro Tip: Buy non-perishable groceries or cleaning supplies for next year with those extra flex or treat your pals with a Krazy-Kat sundae from the Black-Kat Café. If you find Panther Grocery with empty shelves, you can always resort to the Rathskeller. Do not skip on meals, specially breakfast, in order to have enough energy to push through the day.
The LasT hooray: Final Issue of the Sememester Mary Kozaitis \\ Editor - in - Chief A ccording to Career-
Cast’s annual research study, a newspaper reporter and a news broadcaster were the two worst careers to have in 2017. The average annua l salary of a journalist is $37,820, according to the study, with an expected job rate growth of negative eight percent. Journalists often work long hours with short deadlines and often focus on difficult topics. Journalists are often times seen in a negative light. My writers and I can agree that some people get very defensive when asked if they can be interviewed for an article. Sometimes they turn us down right away, without knowledge of the details of the article. Readers get upset if their news isn’t covered. If it gets covered, readers often get upset they are not always able to edit the article beforehand. It is impossible to please everyone. If you make a mistake, it gets printed for everyone to see. There is an incredible sense of pressure and responsibilty that comes with media. Being editor-in-chief has been the most difficult responsibility I have ever had. I have also learned more in this position than I have in years of school. But in the midst of negative outlooks on journalism and fake news circulat-
ing the country, we must remember what journalism provides us with. Walter Lippmann, an American journalist, once said, “a free press is not only a right, and not only a privilege, but an organic necessity to a great society.” Without journalism, there is no democracy. People use t heir First Amendment rights in the U.S. without realizing millions other people in the world live without the liberties we have. Remeber, itt was not the police that caught President Nixon during the Watergate Scandal in 1972. It was not the government that release the Pentagon Papers and caused thousands of troops in the 30-year U.S. involvement of the Vietnam War to come home. The Crimson gives students a chance to voice their opinons to students, faculty and staff in a newsworthy setting. We are a completely student-ran organization, without our adviser even looking at the paper before it gets printed. Students are encouraged to utilize their First Amnedment rights and send in opinions, news, comics, etc. to our email. Don't neglect the chance to let your stories be heard. Look forward to reading the Crimson this coming fall with our new Editor-InChief, Eleanor Mathers.
STUDENTLIFE 3 ISSUE 8
APRIL 24
Meet our new SGA President A journey that brought the latest president to office Continued from front The aerospace engineering major said when it was time to pick a major he thought “what sounds most complicated” and he decided aerospace fit that bill. When he started his freshman year, Petrowski said the rowing team was a family from the first day. He said it was amazing being introduced to a group of teammates that all wanted the same thing - to get fast and row. “I’d easily die for any of them,” Petrowski said. “I’m an only child, so I tend to make sibling relationships pretty easily. Rowing is such a sport for more than yourself. You’re breaking your mental barriers for the person in front of you because you know if you pull 150% and they pull 150% and every other person in that boat pulls to the best of their ability and more then everyone will suffer the least amount because we are all doing it for each other.” Petrowski attended West Shore Jr./Sr. High School from
grades seven to twelve where he said the teachers were overqualified for their jobs. The transition from high school to college was a pleasant surprise, Petrowski said. “I also found that these professors are even more overqualified for what they are doing,” Petrowski said. “I mean these professors are doing research in things that I can’t even pronounce. It’s amazing to me what they do. And it’s the same scenario, I come here with small class sizes. I get a personal relationship with my professors. They know my name.” The star t of Petrowski’s interest in running for SGA president began when he started a petition to get bike racks at Harris Village. Petrowski said the petition got about 100 signatures in three days. He then made the proposal and took it to SGA. “I wasn’t happy with the process they did,” Petrowski said. “I felt like it was really taken away from me. And that they handled it without involving me even though I was the
one that did most of the dirty work. I was a little bit burned from that.” B e for e t he pr op o s a l , Petrowski said he got to meet every single person who signed the petition and have a nice conversation with them. “I fell in love with the personal side of it,” Petrowski said. “They saw someone who wanted change and they just needed to be asked. Like they wanted the same change they just weren’t willing to speak up. So it just took someone who was willing to ask them.” Just continuing to having students sign petitions to make change didn’t seem to be enough, Petrowski said. “I could find things around school and do a bunch of petitions, but what does that really do for the students?” Petrowski said. “What about students that want to be like me and who want to do petitions? How can I teach them and empower them and give them the right tools to have an impact on campus? And immediately I thought of SGA.” After hearing that Zachary
Eichholz was interested in running for SGA, Petrowski asked him about being his Vice President. “He lo oke d me de ad straight in the eyes and said ‘Yeah’ and I was like ‘Wait, what? Seriously?’ and he said ‘Yeah if you run I’d join you. I’d be your Vice President,’” Petrowski said. “I told him we can’t be half way into this. We need to commit to this. We need to commit to the students.” Coming in as outsiders, Petrowski said that he and his running mate really gave them an edge over individuals. “For me, this is something I have never done before,” Petrowski said. “I wanted to show them that I truly cared because I do care, I really do. The cool thing is that the more amount of people that have come up to me with issues or problems, the more I get to care about.” Petrowski said he thinks what people wanted to see was someone who genuinely cared and was just going through the motions.
Photo by: Corine Robert
“I am trying to emphasize who I am by allowing the students that I talk to, to improve who I am,” Petrowski said. “I tell myself I’m not going to change myself for this position. I’m just going to allow this position and the people around me, to enhance who I am now.”
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APRIL 24
Congrats
Advice and memories fr
Lindsay isaac \\ Social media coordinator Spring 2018 is drawing to a close—and when it does, Mad i son Bau si nger, Ben Orris, Kayla Hergott, Cameron Hume, Mariana Castaneiras and Kadie Lombardo will be in the crowd of graduating seniors at commencement. They’re from all over the world and country and have different majors, but each one of them was recognized as a Distinguished Student Scholar or Outstanding Senior for the 2017-2018 Academic Year. So, this article includes their parting advice and favorite Florida Tech memories. Name: Madison Bausinger Major: Mechanical Engineering Favorite memory from Flor ida Tech: Oh gosh. Honestly, I have too many to count! I can't possibly narrow it down to one single favorite memory, but in general I think my favorite memories have been just spending time and laughing with the good friends that I've made during my time
Photo courtesy of Kadie Lombardo
Photo courtesy of Madison Bausinger
here. Track practices, going to the beach, watching movies, exploring the area, enjoying good food or just having great conversation... I love and cherish all of them—the memories and the friends! Advice for underclassmen: College is a time for growth, so be open to new experiences that you think will help you develop as a person.
There are a lot of challenges to overcome but also a lot of fantastic moments. You never know where one opportunity may lead—so work hard, always do your best in all that you do and pursue what you are truly passionate about. Have fun and enjoy these four years of your life. They go by quickly.
Name: Kadie Lombardo Major: Forensic Psychology Favorite memory from Florida Tech: I have many memories from Florida Tech. My favorite school-related memory is really a lot of days and moments combined. My favorite part about school has been learning about mental illness in abnormal psychology and being involved in research. Meeting Dr. Costopoulos definitely had a major impact on my life and future career goals. (Note to all forensic psychology students: she will lure you to the clinical world.) Aside from this, my favorite memory is getting my little in my sorority, Alpha Phi. My little, Buse, has
become a huge part of my life. I am thankful for her, all the members of my sorority, Dr. Costopoulos and the others in my life at Florida Tech. It will truly be hard to leave. Advice for underclassmen: Get involved in as many things as you can—big or small. (Coming to Florida Tech, I had no friends and was completely alone. It was through organizations and involvement in the psychology department that I found myself and my home here at Florida Tech.) A major lesson that I learned in college is that life comes and goes very quickly, so enjoy your time here. Sometimes it feels overwhelming, but everything does pass and beyond every dark time there’s happiness and light. These years will fly by faster than you can imagine. Take every moment and opportunity that you can to do something for the people around you. Appreciate what you have, and do your best to reach your goals and live in the moment. Believe you can and you will.
Ready, set, graduate: Stepping into reality Justin Hassel \\ Contributing writer With graduation approaching some students are getting ready to enter a world full of bills, paying back loans and trying to find a job. So exciting, right? Some students say graduation is a bittersweet feeling, while in college students deal with pulling all-nighters, stressing over exams and the occasional skipped meal because we’re so in touch with our busy lifestyle. Trying to find time for our social life is one of the hard-
est things to accomplish while being a full-time student. Then before we know it graduation happens and everything changes. As students walk across the stage thy feel the urge of pride and accomplishment but for some students this does not last forever. “It felt awesome the first few weeks after I graduated, then it hit me I really have to find a job and work for the rest of my life.” Kenny Johnston, graduated with his bachelor’s degree in business administration at Florida Tech, said. As some students graduate
within the 4-year span Johnston graduated after 5 years of college. “It was weird my last year at Florida Tech, after all my friends graduated I felt like I was the only one left and I was missing out on everything,” Johnston said. Being in college is stressful at times but is analyzed as the best times of a student’s life. You’re centered around all your other colleagues, while getting the opportunity to network with people from everywhere. Graduate student, Devonte Jones, is working on his MBA
here at Florida Tech said, “It’s an amazing feeling knowing I accomplished a major goal in my life. I intend to work at Lockheed Martin, one of the leading defense system companies in the industry.” Jones started his college career at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts. He graduated early within the 3-year span as he took summer classes every summer to graduate early. “I’ve never been so excited in my life for this moment, I love college and my friends but I’m ready to move on with my
life and start making money,” Joe Jackson, psychology major at Florida Tech, said. Jackson is undecided on what he wants to do after he graduates. “One of my favorite college memories at Florida Tech is meeting all of my friends at first I was indecisive about coming to Florida Tech, but my friendships have made this experience a hell of a ride,” Jackson said.
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Seniors
APRIL 24
Spring
2018
rom graduating seniors Name: Cameron Hume Major: Mechanical Engineering & Aerospace Engineering Favorite memory: One of my favorite memories from my time at Florida tech is definitely winning the President’s Cup for Best in Show when I was on a team that designed and built a Biomedical 3D printer called “Caracal.” I made such great friends with my team members, and winning the prize for best in show was the icing on the cake for an amazing senior design cycle. Adv ice for underclassmen: In my experience the best engineers that come through Florida Tech are not made in the classroom—they make themselves outside of class and use the classroom as an incredibly powerful tool to help along the way. Your GPA is just a number (albeit a n i ncr e d ibly i mp or t a nt number). It doesn't make you an engineer. So, get involved with projects and research if you want to make the best of the incredible opportunity you have at Florida Tech.
Photo courtesy of Cameron Hume
Name: Kayla Hergott Major: Biomedical Engineering & Engineering Management Favorite memory from Florida Tech: My favorite memory is probably Senior Day from tennis this year. I played on the Varsity Tennis team all four years, so to be recognized on that day and surrounded by the girls who have been with me on the very best days and the very worst was an extremely rewarding moment. Despite how challenging being
Photo courtesy of Kayla Hergott
a student-athlete was, it was a privilege to be able to compete with all of those incredible girls every day and represent Florida Tech throughout the conference over the past four years. Advice for underclassmen: Never use the excuse, "I did not have time." There are 168 hours every week, and we’re only in class for 12-22. There’s always time to do everything that you wish to accomplish—it’s simply up to you how you wish to prioritize the things you want to do.
Name: Mariana Castaneiras Major: Business Administration Favorite memory from Florida Tech: I have so many good memories from Florida Tech, but one of my favorites was when the tennis team had a beach bonfire. We were all singing and dancing and having a good time, while roasting marshmallows. I realized how fortunate I was to be surrounded by great friends from all around the world, whom I have learned a lot from. Advice for underclassmen: Make every day count. Have fun. Be passionate about your goals, and enjoy this great opportunity you have been given! Photo courtesy of Mariana Castaneiras
Photo courtesy of Ben Orris
Name: Ben Orris Major: Molecular Biology Favorite memory from Florida Tech: I've made many good memories here, but I would have to say my favorite is winning the President's Cup my junior year at the Northrop-Grumman Showcase. It took me completely by surprise to be recognized in such a way for my research, and I'll never forget it. Advice for underclassmen: Make the most of every hour you spend here and never waste an opportunity to shine.
Ice Hockey Team Donates to Pediatric Cancer Eleanor Mathers \\ Managing editor
Photo courtesy of Joey Robinson's Facebook.
of $1,000. Robison said he contacted the NHL corporation in New York, who responded with excitement and an agreement to provide signed merchandise for them to raffle off. For the next two years, the ice hockey team contacted local organizations and hospitals, deciding to donate to pediatric cancer programs.
“I want it to become a Florida Tech thing,” Robison said. “We met with the doctors, nurses and patients and did a Learn to Play Hockey game.” Robison said it was an experience he felt the teams at Florida Tech should be excited to participate in. “Since a lot of us on the team are graduating, next year
athletic program to give the ice hockey team more recognition, he wants the team to focus on the community and working with the other Florida Tech athletic teams during fundraisers. “It’s important for us to be able to work as a team, not only with each other but with the other Florida Tech teams,” Robison said. “It was a great experience and I’m glad I’ll be living local to provide any help they need.” Photo courtesy of Joey Robinson's Facebook.
Coaches and team captains often enforce that winning isn’t the point of the game. Joey Robison took it another step further and enforced that charity was the point of hockey for the Florida Tech Ice Hockey Team. “When I first became president, growing up in Tampa, hockey has gone hand in hand with charity,” Robison, a senior in aerospace engineering and the president of the team for two years, said. “I knew when I became president I wanted to do what I could to improve our team on the ice while also working with the community." Nemour Children’s Hospital got a visit on April 16 from the team promoting #ShutOutCancer, donating a check
they’re going to be focusing on getting new recruits,” Robison said. “So they won’t have a lot of time to focus on charity. But I’ve put together contacts to hand off to the E-board during our transition meetings so I know they’ll get to it when they can.” Robison said he feels like other hockey teams in Florida focus on their games and performance in order to make ice hockey more of a presence in Florida. However, while he wants Florida Tech and the
Justin Tomlin, Florida Tech hockey player, teaching a little girl how to play Hockey.
6 CampusLIFE ISSUE 8
APRIL 24
LOVE AGAINST HATE Students promote antidiscrimination on campus
Taking a look into Florida Tech's finances
Continued from front
Photo by David Cabrera
Over a 100 students attended the Love Against Hate tabling event on Thursday April, 19, and participated in the survey.
Continued from front each school is expected to have a specific focus. A f ter a brainstorming period, the Florida Tech students chose subtle discrimination said David Cabrera, an MBA student. “We chose to focus on the more subtle forms of discrimination,” said Cudmore, “because you may be actually discriminating and you don’t realize it, so there’s different topics on this. The one I can remember the best are microaggressions”. Merriam-Webster defines microaggression as “a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group.” Professor Cudmore gave an example of microaggressions, “ It could be in such a way that is demeaning like referring to you as 'babe' or 'honey'. In these small ways we could be discriminating,” Cudmore said. Student participation in the competition is a part of the CSR class curriculum, specifically the critical thinking analysis. The class was given an operating budget of a $1,000 and $500 Facebook advertising budget. The main task was conducting secondary research about discrimination though a social media campaign. Florida Tech students expanded the task and hosted an on campus tabling event. During the event students were asked to fill in a two part survey, a pre-survey followed by educational information on discrimination, then stu-
dents were asked to fill in the post-survey. The event also had an interactive aspect, with activities, pizza, coupons and music. For this campaign three teams were formed, including two directors and three team leads. The class will present their findings on Wednesday, April 25 to professor Cudmore. “We’re hav ing at least one person from each group. There's promotional team, measurement team and a data analysis team,” Wheatley, a graduate student on the promotional team in the class, said. After the final presentation, five students along with professor Cudmore will then compete for the top three positions. “If we win there’s a $10,000 prize, second place is $7,000 and third place is $5,000 to the school as an educational grant,” said Cudmore. “Apart from raising awareness the campaign, if successful, will be adapted by ADL and implemented on a bigger scale,” Wheatley said. “That’s why we need to record everything that’s done.” This is not the first time professor Cudmore introduces such assignments into the classroom. “I’ve done many different events. We’ve done the Florida National Guard, we’ve done Chevy, we’ve done Cadillac.” Cudmore said. If there is not a client request Cudmore usua lly reaches out to local nonprofits. “It gives them [the students] a chance to have real world application and in some cases the clients even show interest in hierin the students,” Cudmore said.
pay for a provost, according to salary.com. A department head was making $280,722 in 2014, a higher salary than four deans and six vice presidents.The national average salary for a university department chair is $84,207, according to payscale.com. The Chief Financial Officer, Cathy Wood, said she did not have time to respond to questions about the salaries in the 990 forms because of the trustees' meetings and directed all questions to Wes Sumner. After gathering Florida Tech’s form 990s from 20132016 and comparing them to UCF and Rollins College, a few numbers stuck out among others. Some Florida Tech employees received raises of over six percent within a year. The average cost of living raise is averaged to two to three percent per year, according to payscale.com For example, a professor had a $13,625 raise (seven percent of his salary) in 20142015 and a $6,483 raise (three percent of his salary) in 20152016. When asked about specific
employees salary increases that surpassed national averages, Wes Sumner, marketing and communication vice president, said in an email that as a matter of practice and in accordance with human resources best practices, the university does not comment on the salary of any specific employee. “The university’s current financial status is that we are operating within budgeted parameters,” Sumner said in an email. “There is no ‘hiring freeze’ in effect.” Compensation policies for employees can be found on Florida Tech’s website. The policies were last updated in April of 2014. “All university employees, whether faculty, staff or administrator, typically participate in some kind of annual rev iew process w ith their supervisor,” Sumner wrote in an email. “The merit raise process is tied to this evaluation process. As outlined in policy, the range of factors that an employee may be evaluated on differs based on the category of employment (faculty, staff, or administrator).” The Office of Financial Affairs also has a Frequently Asked Questions webpage,
www.fit.edu/financial-affairs/ frequently-asked-questions, that asks where some of Florida Tech’s recent fincial information can be found. There are no answers listed to the questions on the Frequently Asked Questions webpage, however. Many people are unaware of their rights to certain public documents. Form 990s are a public document that anyone can access by a Google search. Form 990 is a U.S. Internal Revenue Service form that provides the public with financial information about a non-profit organization. There are multiple variants and some exceptions to form 990s, but the majority of tax-exempt organizations must file them under law on the 15th of the fifth month after the fiscal year. In a section of form 900Schedule J Part II- is a required list of officers, directors, trustees, key employees and highest compensated employees. The section lists the total compensation of the employees with the highest salaries, including base compensation, bonus and incentive compensation, non-taxable benefits, retirement and other deferred compensation and other reportable compensation.
Tackling the Mental Health Stigma Continued from front But Tapley and Gabriela Gonzalez, the outreach coordinator at CAPS, hope for the change in how society views mental health issues. They put on CAP’s outreach events, which are group therapy sessions usually about 20-25 students in size, that occur on a weekly basis with a variety of topics. “I think social media is helping fight the mental health stigma,” said Gonzalez. “When
college students see celebrities and role models in pop culture revealing mental health struggles too, it makes them feel like they’re not alone.” They also agreed that anxiety, depression and mood disorders w ith indiv idual appointments are their most common needs of students who come to CAPS. Tapley said that for the last 10-15 years, she has seen an increase in students seeking help for mental health disorders. Therefore, CAPS is con-
tinuing to express the need to expand with regards to staffing, space and resources. “We want to help them learn how to deal with life’s challenges, heal emotional pain and develop the necessary skills to lead healthy and balanced lives,” said Tapley. “Students are the reason why we’re here.” For more infor mation about CAPS, contact 321-6748050 or visit www.fit.edu/ counseling-and-psychological-services.
FITV FILM FESTIVAL Great beginning to a new tradition Continued from front to everyone's busy schedule, we kept pushing it. I'm surprised we got this many submissions in the span of two weeks. And also surprised on how quickly we got this event together in a span of one month." Abdul Elnajdi, a member of FITV and award winner of most diverse film, said "The
experience was fantastic and the results were amazing for as first time for FITV. I participated in this festival with two short films and I received amazing help from my friends at FITV and without them I could have not produced these films." A le s sa nd r o B ona iuto, member of FITV and award winner for best meme and
best comedy, said, "Being stage manager I couldn’t concentrate too much on the audience, but from what I could tell they really enjoyed it. For the second edition of the festival, we will try to fix all the little problems we had on stage, and have an even more entertaining show for the audience."
CampusLIFE 7 ISSUE 8
APRIL 24
Hannah’s cherry apple pork chops Dorm room home cooking CHERRY APPLE PORK CHOPS Photo by Real Foods Real Kitchens
Total Time: 30 mins, Makes: two servings
Jordan Densler \\ Contributing Writer It’s a perfect dish to share with friends before we all head our separate ways until next semester. It’s also a great one to share with your family when you get home and show them that you learned more in college than just how to read textbooks. This sweet and savor y recipe comes from Real Food Real Kitchens guest Hannah, a self taught home cook. All of her recipes come from experimentation in the kitchen and her successes have lead her to a career in food. You will find her recipes in Taste of Home cookbooks and she’s even part of the Buzzfeed team. You can teach yourself to cook just like her with her simple recipe for Cherry Apple Pork Chops. You can watch her episode on season two of Real Food Real Kitchens on Amazon Prime.
INGREDIENTS
Directions
• Two boneless pork loin chops (half
• Sprinkle pork chops with thyme, salt,
inch thick and five ounces each) • One-fourth teaspoon dried thyme
and pepper. • In a large skillet, cook pork in oil for
• One-eighth teaspoon salt
three to four minutes on each side or
• One-eighth teaspoon pepper
until a thermometer reads 145°. Remove
• One tablespoon olive oil
and let meat stand for five minutes.
• Two-thirds cup apple juice
• Meanwhile, in the same skillet, combine
• One small red apple, sliced
the apple, onion, apple juice and cher-
• Two tablespoons dried cherries (can
ries. Bring to a boil.
substitute cranberries) • Two tablespoons chopped onion • One teaspoon cornstarch • One tablespoon cold water
• Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into skillet. • Cook and stir for one to two minutes or until thickened. • Spoon over pork chops.
8 OPINION ISSUE 8
APRIL 24
Satirical Section:
real fake news Fake News Inspired by Real Events
Area dad writes up graduation parking strategy Doug schoeller \\ COPY editor With graduation approaching, it was reported that area dad Joseph Raphson was already planning on how he was going to maneuver the family vehicle to the ideal parking spot on the day of the ceremony. “So we can’t just assume the parking lot in front of Clemente is going to have any
spots, so this diverts the course over to the Harris computing building. In order to find a spot over there, I would have to enter the campus through the back way from Florida Ave,” said Raphson. “This ceremony has me filled with anticipation. Yeah my daughter is graduating but think about how great it would be to leave and get to the car without a hassle,” Raphson told reporters.
“There’s so much to take in on this special day. I mean we have the area by the Senior Design Center to consider, but we don’t want to resort to Roberts Hall. Our potential for easy parking highly depends on how fast my in-laws can get ready. Who knows, they could make or break the whole plan,” said Raphson. Raphson had a map set up in the middle of the dining room table, where he was writ-
ing up possible routes. “Let me just make a decision on the best route that can get us both easy parking and in a feasible distance, then I’ll sign the graduation card,” he told his wife. At press time, Raphson made the decision to enter campus from the north on Country Club Road. He makes this decision along with several hundred other sets of families all trying to do the same thing.
CAPS — Suicide:
Recognizing risk and getting help Gabriela A. González and Lisa Stewart \\ O u t r e a c h C o o r d i n at o r s , C A P S Suicide rates among the college population are alarming. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2015), suicide is the second leading cause of death among those aged 18-24. Psychologist David Drum (2009) found that over 50% of college students have experienced suicidal thoughts, and that half of students experiencing suicidal ideation never seek psychological treatment. College students who experience suicidal thoughts are much more likely to tell a friend they are feeling suicidal before telling anyone else (SAMHSA, 2007). While there is no single cause of suicide, being able to identify warning signs and knowing when to get support can help prevent suicide. Four out of five students who seriously consider or attempt to take their own life show clear warning signs (Best Colleges, 2018). Below are the 10 most common warning signs for suicidal behavior and resources for help.
Warning Signs: 1. Loss of interest in things and activities they previously cared about 2. Withdrawing from friends and family 3. Increased alcohol/substance abuse 4. Engaging in behavior that is risky and/or dangerous 5. Expressing feelings of hopelessness, such as saying there is “no point” in living 6. Significant changes in personality and/or mood swings 7. Increased fixation on violence, death, and/or suicide 8. Giving away belongings or items of significance 9. Communicating a desire or a plan to die by suicide 10. Obtaining a weapon or accessing other means of lethal self-harm
If you, or someone you know, is experiencing any of the above warning signs, there is hope, and there is help. Here are some available resources:
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Phone Number: (321) 674-8050 Website: www.fit.edu/counseling-and-psychological-services Holzer Health Center Phone Number: (321) 674-8078 Website: www.fit.edu/health Campus Security Phone Number: (321) 674-8111 Website: www.fit.edu/security National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (available 24/7) Phone Number: 1-800-273-8255 Website: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
9-1-1 For ALL life-threatening emergencies
A farewell from the satirist, I would like to thank The Florida Tech Crimson for giving me the ability to add a satirical section to the paper. It’s been a pleasure writing it. I’d like to thank the Crimson staff for making these couple of years with the paper enjoyable. Satire is sometimes meant to be easy, humorous reading, but it also serves with its seriously-written counterparts to reveal truth. Remember if you can find humor in any situation, you won’t ever be broken. Thanks again.
Why medical amnesty is beneficial to students NATAlia COLON \\ Contributing writer It should come as a surprise to no one that college kids are notorious for experimenting and pushing their limit with alcohol and other illicit substances. But what happens when you or a friend is in dire need of medical attention after dabbling in said substances? When you or your friend has alcohol poisoning and are underage? Often times, students have to decide between calling for help and facing the consequences, or leaving another person’s life up to chance by letting them “sober up.” When students are too scared of legal reprisal to call for aid, people’s lives hang in the balance. Fear tactics are not effective nor safe. The safety of students should be the primary concern, first and foremost. Medical amnesty policies prevent disciplinary and even legal action from being taken against students in these cases. Medical amnesty policies can prevent the needless deaths of students. For these reasons, medical amnesty should be a policy here at Florida TechIT. It would ensure that help is given to students when they need it.