Nominee for the
2018 Harlon Hill Trophy
RIMSON The Florida Tech
J.T. Hassell Sports On page 8!
The Official Student-Run Newspaper•since
Issue 8
1967
INDEX
Student Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Campus Life . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8 FALL
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2018
Locals host international students for holidays Emily wALKER \\ S TA FF W R I T E R Ibrahim Aljubayri has spent the past five years celebrating Thanksgiving with American families, and this year he joined a group of international students at a dinner hosted by a couple of friends. Community members Linda Condon, Daniel Headman, and Scott Calvert are a group of friends that have been hosting events for international students for years. This year, Condon prepared Thanksgiving dinner and held the event at Calvert’s home. This tradition of hosting students started before the three even met. According to Condon, when she was a kid growing up in New Jersey, her family would host international students from Princeton Theological Seminary. “They’d come to our house, we’d kind of adopt them, and they’d come for vacations and holidays, or if they had questions about culture stuff, we were resources for them,” Condon said.
Condon’s interest in hosting Florida Tech students began with Florida Tech’s ISSS Friendship Program—a program that matched students with a community member who would, in Condon’s words, take the student “under their wing.” Condon’s involvement with the Friendship Program eventually grew into something much bigger. Today, with Headman and Calvert’s help, she hosts dinners, organizes camping trips and even has students over to her house for Christmas. Aljubayri, a Saudi computer engineering student in his first year of his PhD, is accustomed to these types of events. The first time he went to an event like this was during his first year in the U.S., when he was a freshman in college.
Thanksgiving on page 6
Reduce, Reuse, Contaminate? olivia mckelvey \\ C o nt ri b u t i n g W R I T E R Recycling is evolving at Florida Tech. Changes were mandated this semester after summer fines reached up to $6,000 for placing contaminated materials such as food waste, non-biodegradable plastics and much more into recycling bins across campus, according to Florida Tech’s stand-in sustainability officer Holly Chichester.
Florida Tech is no longer a single stream recycling campus. Meaning that all paper fibers, plastics, metals and other containers are mixed in a collection truck, instead of being sorted by the depositor into separate commodities. Ever since China, one of the biggest importers of U.S. recyclable materials, tightened its recycling policies, Waste Management companies has had to raise its contamination fees.
See you next semester! Panthers, thank you for sticking with the Crimson throughout this semester and for all of the input and feedback. As we evolve, we do our best to give students the opportunity to reach out to us in order to let us know what events or concerns are happening on and around campus. This year, we have had driven reporters, unrelenting watchdogs and, of course, critically thinking readers. We welcome you to send us an email or stop by the office to let us know what you think about our reports and to give us a head's up on
what's going on in your world. Covering the Florida Tech community is not only a privilege but a pleasure and we hope that you'll continue to help us grow and evolve. As we adjust to the technological age, we'd like to say thank you to our avid readers that continue to pick up a Crimson newspaper. We hope to have our website functioning soon so that our community is able to expand and our connections will be greater. Have a great winter break!
Eleanor Mathers Editor in Chief
Students are welcomed to a "home away from home" in order to experience American traditions in a fun, laid-back environment.
Emily Walker // Crimson
New Chinese regulations have essentially stopped accepting raw materials from foreign recycling businesses. Thus, forcing many large scale organizations, companies, and colleges to take a hit and pay the consequence of human error. There is currently a 3% rate for “error and unavoidable contamination”, however this allows very little room for mistakes to be made when it comes to recycling. The fact that Florida Tech paid $6,000 for only one month in contamination fees is concerning to some
students. The fact that it was during the month of July, where a large percentage of the student body is not even on campus, worsens their concern. On campus initiatives are underway as the Student Organization for Sustainable Action (SOSA) is doing its best to educate students and faculty about the new recycling changes and policies.
Recycling on page 6
Intramural Director added to Athletics Department Ashley Letendre \\ S o c i a l M e d i a C o o r d i n at o r Athletic teams may not be for everyone in college, but intramurals are considered the next big thing for active students. Florida Tech’s intramurals program provides a multitude of sports and opportunities for non-student athletes as an extracurricular for students. The program is now a growing on campus, especially with the expansion of their staff. Most recently, the Athletics department added a director of intramurals to primarily focus on intramurals events.
Matt Carey
Ashley Letendre // Crimson
Matt Carey has been working with the athletics department for two years and believed that this new position was a great addition to the program. “When this opportunity of intramural director opened up, I knew that
Intramurals on page 7
@FTCrimson @FTCrimson crimson@fit.edu
Our Mission: Live, discover and report the truth.
2 STUDENT LIFE ISSUE 8
NOVEMBER 27
The Overworked Panther Gets Some Time Off: Now What? Ryan Daniels \\
CAPS Outreach Columnist
You’ve done it! Whether it’s your first college semester or your last, reaching winter break is a big accomplishment for everyone. You’ve survived another tough semester, and now it’s time for a break. But some of us may have become so lost in our studies, so blinded by the late nights and over-stimulation of energy drinks, that a break may seem like another challenging endeavor put upon us. What do I do now? Is it okay to go outside? Can I hurl these textbooks into the ocean? Well, there are many fun and unique ways to spend your break (probably keep those textbooks, they’re expensive!). Here are just a few ways we can manage our break in an enjoyable and relaxing way:
Stay busy!
Our first inclination when we hear “break” may be to immediately run home, turn on Netflix, and let ourselves sink into our beds. While this may be needed for some of us, it tends to get old quick. Spending too much time alone in your room can harm our mental health, making us feel lonely, lazy and disinterested. Most of us have been lamenting our inability to engage in certain hobbies or interests due to a lack of time. Well, now’s the time! Get out there, get active, and enjoy yourself!
Copy Editor
The Student Government held their weekly senate meeting on Nov. 14. The general and senate meetings for Nov. 21 were canceled due to the Thanksgiving break. The Nov. 14 senate meeting discussed ideas on improving accountability within SGA through a think tank. The idea of having think tanks was mentioned at the previous senate meeting on Nov. 7. In an email statement, Tina DePietro, press secretary of SGA, said that the think tank was executed well. “Our senators brought up excellent points on the topic of accountability,” DePietro said.
Whether you are going home for the winter break or staying in the area, there are many different ways to explore your surroundings in a way you may not have been able to while deep in your studies. If you are staying in the area, now is the time to visit the zoo, catch some rays at the beach, or take a trip to Orlando to visit some of Florida’s famous theme parks.
Connect!
If you are venturing home for the winter break, re-acquaint yourself with old friends, visit your favorite restaurant, and treasure that special time with your family. Just be prepared for the endless questions they may have for you…and any possible changes that you may not be expecting (eg. “I don’t remember my room having a treadmill…”) Connecting with others, having fun, and exploring the world around you is just as important as your time at school, so don’t be afraid to get out there!
See you next semester!
SGA Update Jesse Villaverde \\
Explore!
“I look forward to having more think tanks in the future.” DePietro also said that it would be better for the topics to be announced prior to the meeting in order for the senators to prepare their thoughts. The senators discussed different characteristics that described how a senator would be accountable for their own actions. Three keywords discussed were “pride,” “punctuality” and “presence.” Pride would consist of motivation, punctuality would consist of deadlines, communication and reliability, and presence would consist of attendance and participation. Senators split into groups of three and discussed solutions to solve these issues in
being “a good senator.” After the think tank wrapped up, Petrowski announced an Executive Session for attendance and closed the meeting to just the senate. Three senators had the dismissal of their positions reviewed, as they did not meet the attendance requirements. SGA has declined to release their names at this time. “We’re abiding by our Code of Laws and following our guidelines on attendance,” Petrowski said after the meeting. “If expectations aren’t met, it’s grounds for dismissal, which is what resulted in a discussion and vote.” Each senator was asked to leave as their dismissal was discussed and allowed back after the decision was made. “At the end of the day,
they remain, but with the understanding of their duty,” Petrowski said. Regarding the last SGA update in Issue 7 of the Crimson, it was reported that the public town hall idea “would not require organizations to attend like the general meeting.” This was incorrect and revisited in an interview with Petrowski. Petrowski said that the idea is that the general meetings will get shorted to monthly rather than bi-weekly, meaning attendance is still mandatory. The “town hall” aspect is meant to encourage students to attend in order to ask questions to SGA and featured individuals. Additionally, the committee merging was incorrectly classified.
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 Here are the corrections for the last issue: Issue 7 - November 13
Relax and Take Care of Yourself! Remember what we said about not immediately jumping into your bed and binging Netflix? Well…we like to do that too. As long as you are maintaining a healthy diet and sleep schedule, staying active, and prioritizing your time effectively, go ahead and take some of that time to lay back and relax. It’s been a tough semester…so check out that queue and chill out for while! On behalf of CAPS, we wish you a relaxing and enjoyable winter break! Stay tuned for our Spring semester line up of Wellness Events and Groups!
The proposed idea was that Quality of Life and Academics committee would merge under Advancement Committee and Public Relations and Signature Programs would merge under Programming Committee. These errors were reviewed after official meeting minutes were released. In order to prevent further errors, it has been requested that unofficial meeting minutes be released after SGA meetings. Petrowski has said he is going to discuss it with the senate with the idea that it will not only help the Crimson in fact-checking and reporting, but so that students unable to attend the meetings can review the minutes at an earlier time.
ISSUE 8
NOVEMBER 27
3
Are You A Film Lover? Are you a
Director?
• We have club members who can help develop your story idea and future films. • We can also help in any cinematographic necessities you may need.
Are you a
Screenwriter?
• We have current members who can teach you the proper, industry-standard script. • Also, we can teach some tricksof-the-trade when writing a concise short story or film.
Are you an
Actor/Editor?
• With our resources and network of filmmakers around Melbourne, we can assist in any casting calls. • As always, we have a crew of editors at FITV with experience. • If you are an actor and wish to be in a production, we will find a project for you.
This year's
Categories Meme Drama Comedy Documentary And now accepting:
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Aciton Horror
check out our work on youtube youtube.com/FITVCHANNEL submit your film here: https://orgsync.com/3249/forms/345994 @fitvideoproductions
@FITV981
fitvstation@gmail.com
Where you can find us? Grissom Hall basement If you need help producing your film, don't hesitate to send us questions and concerns.
4
ISSUE 8
NOVEMBER 27
REVIEW A Casual Review Xiao Liang
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus Warhammer 40K fans were blessed with a bundle of joy as the new Mechanicus game was released on Nov. 15. Developed by Bulwark Studios and Published by Kasedo Games, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is a tactical turn-based combat game based on Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 setting. As suggested by the title, the game's focus is on the faction of Adeptus Mechanicus, a technological organization that originated from Mars that holds a monopoly on technological knowledge in the Imperium of Man. The organization also has its own religion which practices the worship of the Omnissiah or what’s commonly known as the Machine God. In the game, the player takes control of a variety of the Adeptus Mechanicus fighting force, which is lead by Techpriests, adepts of the faction that are both sophisticated scholars and powerful fighters due to their highly modified bodies. The gameplay of the game is fairly simple, the player is able to choose from a list of missions that aims to achieve certain goals. However, the game has a countdown meter for a certain catastrophic event to occurs, which means that the player has to choose wisely and act hastily.
The combat of Mechanicus is well designed and is very smooth. While being similar to the X-COM series, the game does not have much focus on chances and randomness but instead, it provides the player an opportunity to think and plan for the best tactical outcome. Although being described as a turn-based combat game, the game also has traces of RPG elements for players to experience. The player will often encounter different scenarios during the exploring portion of the game and have to make decisions that could have a major impact on the mission. There is also a customization system that allows the players to upgrade or customize their Tech-priests to be better suited for a specific role. Other elements of the game are also very enjoyable, the overall graphics of the game is nothing too fancy but is pleasant to look at, and the story and the script of the game is amazing. Not only it has provided the player with some detailed lore of the Adeptus Mechanicus, but it also made each character within the game very memorable. The game’s sound design is also impressive, all the sound effects are crisp and clean, and the game is able
Ralph
marquise lewis \\ Staf f writer
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus to create a very immersive atmosphere with only nine soundtracks. Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is arguably the best Warhammer 40K game
Photo // Bulwark Studios
of 2018, but unfortunately, it is only available on PC. While the lore of the 40K universe is complicated and takes time to understand, I would still recommend this
game to any gamers who are looking for a fun tactical game and fans of the Warhammer franchise should definitely give it a go.
The Internet Movie Review
breaks
The sequel to the original Disney movie “Wreck It Ra lph” did not disappoint. The movie contin ued with the humor and advent ure-based theme it thrived off of on th e first film. A slight problem I had with the film is how fast it switched into the issue where the protagonists Ralp h (John C. Reilly) an d Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) had to venture off to the Internet to save the problem. The story had a bigg er theme as it
. lue of friendship taught the va the ut ho ug ro th ed This theme play d ha e main characters film as both of th n. issues of their ow g y, and not wantin rit cu se in t, Trus th bo were issues they the same dream themselves and toge struggled with th er. y film, I underAs it was a Disne t on spent more effor stand why they plot ts than the actual the inner conflic elf. conflict setup its the could have used ey th , er ev How en ev ake the movie opportunity to m it up differently. better by setting
New voice actors like Gal Gadot’s “Shank” and Taraji P. Henson’s “Yes” were good additions to the sequel. Their characters made a huge impact in the film and in Ralph and Vanellope’s decisions. Gadot’s character brought that thrill and adrenaline rush to scenes, due to all the flashiness of her character. Henson’s character also brought excitement to the film, as her character is very giddy and super active. All in all, I will rate this movie a 7.5/10.
It is a great movie to watch with your family and friends. Additionally, the story tackles themes like modern day lifestyle and current social media culture. It’s definitely important to watch the first movie in order to understand the bond the main characters have in this sequel.
CAMPUS LIFE 5 Aviation student defends program ISSUE 8
Disney takes 2018 by storm annika sundquist \\ staff writer
2018 brought in many major titles and sequels to some favorite franchises. Students were polled on what movies they loved from 2018 and which movies they could have done without. Students could also say they had never seen or heard of a movie on the poll. Avengers: Infinity War produced the best memes, according to 22 students out of 75. Avengers was also considered the third best movie of 2018 with 27 votes, after Black Panther in first place with 39 votes and Incredibles 2 with 38 votes. . On the flip side, Solo: A Star Wars Story, received the most votes for worst movie of the year, with 10 votes out of 75. Students had varying opinions on which the worst movie was, including Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Sherlock Gnomes, and Truth or Dare. There were even movies that came out this year that many students had never heard of, like Alpha and Death Wish. Alice Shepard, a junior in forensic psychology with a pre law minor, said, “I really only saw about 5 movies this year. The Anna Kendrick movie [A Simple Favor] was definitely my favorite. That’s what I would recommend for people to watch.” Many students also hadn’t seen some of the movies that were in the poll. The Nun, A Wrinkle in Time, Truth or Dare, Venom, and The Predator were the top five movies that students hadn’t seen in 2018. But no movies were as forgotten as the movies students said were not mentioned in the poll: Wreck It Ralph 2, The Meg, and The Grinch, many sequels such as The First Purge, The Cloverfield Paradox, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Insidious: The Last Key and 50 Shades Freed. However, there is still more movies to come in 2018, like Aquaman, Mary Poppins Returns, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse. 2018 will bring more good movies, more bad movies, and many more memes for the holiday season.
NOVEMBER 27
ChrisTIAN martinez \\ staff writer
An aviation student decided to clear the air after dialogue that was expressed from the October town hall where aviation students were called a security risk by a disgruntled student. Justin Sinanan, a student majoring in aviation management with flight technology, thought it would be a good idea to inform the student body that aviation is not a security risk. This is in the wake of an attempt by a Florida Tech student in September to steal a plane at Orlando Melbourne International Airport, which still has some students on edge. “I feel that students outside of aviation majors are having negative views of students that are majoring in aviation,” said Sinanan.
“I don’t agree with what he did at all. It should have not happened. That student does not reflect anything on Florida Tech.” Sinanan went on to talk about how he believes Florida Tech is actually one of the best schools to learn about aviation. “Our school has dedicated itself to becoming leaders in teaching aviation,” Sinanan said. “We have a whole college to it and we do everything from research to training.” Sinanan said that although the incident "left a bad impression" on Florida Tech's aviation program, the field is a "vital study." Sinanan believes pilots are in demand because of their ability to quickly and safely transport people and items. "A bad incident only
makes people less wanting when it comes to learning how to fly," Sinanan said. Other students who know about the incident are of the same opinion, that this was just one incident that does not mean all of aviation is a security risk. “There’s always a bad egg in any kind of activity,” said Christian Haworth, a software engineering major. Haworth also believes that learning aviation is important to the health of the country. “Otherwise we’d be driving everywhere and not much would get done as fast,” said Haworth. Even visitors to the school, some who only recently learned of the incident, agree with students like Sinanan and Haworth. “I can see how people
think [the aviation program] could be a security risk,” Robert Conn, a community member visiting friends at school, said. “But I don’t think it’d be necessary to axe the program or anything.” Aviation students like Sinanan are confident that the program will continue to do it’s best at developing responsible pilots, calming the worry of another incident.
Bohemian Rhapsody Review emily walker \\ staff writer
When I first saw the trailers for Bohemian Rhapsody, I was excited to see a movie about Queen and their music. The movie did not disappoint. While I felt that the pacing of the story was a bit too fast and then abruptly too slow in the first half hour of the movie, overall the plot flowed well throughout the film. There were several subplots, and they all worked together to round out the characters. The characters were a big part of what made this movie fantastic, both because they were well written and well casted. The story focused mostly on Freddie Mercury, played by Rami Malek. Malek played him extremely well; he was strange and fascinating. While the story focused less on the other characters, they were still well-rounded and added a lot to the movie. The other members of Queen—Brian May (Gwilym Lee), Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy), and John Dean (Joe Mazzello)—were dynamic both as a band and individually, adding humor and conflict. Other characters, such as Mercury’s girlfriend Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton) and Queen’s manager John Reid (Aiden Gillen), continued to flesh out the story, build
Bohemian Rhapsody conflict, and drive the story forward. Bohemian Rhapsody dealt with themes such as Mercury’s struggle with drugs, alcohol, and his sexuality. These themes felt genuine and heartbreaking as they affected not only Mercury, but also those around him. They made the story more interesting and helped make the characters more relatable than they would have been if
Photo // 20th Century Fox the movie had simply focused on their music. Queen’s music was used fantastically throughout the movie. There was a variety of scenes showing Queen writing and recording songs, experimenting with various sounds in the studio, and performing in front of audiences. Additionally, some songs were mixed into the film’s score; for example, there were
several times when a few notes of the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” would be mixed into the instrumental score of the film. This helped meld the score with Queen’s music so that the soundtrack didn’t feel separate or out of place. The only complaint I had about the music was that the volume could have been louder at certain parts of the movie. During concert scenes, I wanted the music to be blasting since a big part of the movie is about enjoying the music. However, this did not take away from my enjoyment of the story, and I look forward to when it comes out on DVD and I can turn it up as loud as I want at home. I went into Bohemian Rhapsody knowing some of Queen’s most popular songs but not all of their music. There was a variety of songs in the film, with mostly popular songs and a few lesser known ones. I enjoyed the story and the music, and it made me want to check out their other songs. The characters are vibrant and realistic, and interesting themes are woven throughout the story. Bohemian Rhapsody is a film that can be enjoyed by anyone, whether they’re a hard-core Queen fan or just someone interested in a good story.
6
ISSUE 8
NOVEMBER 27
CAMPUS LIFE
Katarina “Kat” Moller dominated the race track and life. Kat passed away November 15, 2018. Born June 15 1994, Sarasota, the florida native graduated from River-
In memory of
view High School and the University of South Florida with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She had also taken Florida Tech courses toward a master’s degree in global stra-
tegic communication. Kat was a team member at Larsen Motorsports for 5 years. Her jet car, “American Dream”, was her pride and joy. She has been involved in
racing for almost all her life, being influenced by her family, she began racing in the junior dragster competition at the age of 11. Her personality made her loved both on and off track.
We at the Crimson give our most humblest condolences to Moller’s family, Larsen Motorsports and everyone who had the pleasure of meeting her.
Kat Moller June 15th 1994
-
November 15th 2018 Photo // Larsen Motorsports
recycling For example, only plastic bottles, cans, loose-leaf paper, and flat cardboard are being salvaged on campus. SOSA also denotes that it is important that students not only pay attention to what they are recycling, but where they are recycling it. Outdoor bins with blue lids on campus only recycle cans and plastic bottles. Whereas blue bins inside buildings recycle plastic, cans and paper. In addition, other locations such as green dumpsters by dorms in Columbia Village and Harris only take cardboard, and the only housing
thanksgiving He was invited to another American family’s house for a holiday meal. “They contacted me and I went to their house, and it was a very nice family,” Aljubayri said. From there, a deep friendship developed—a friendship Aljubaryi compared to a family relationship. “The lady got my picture, and she hung it on the wall.” Aljubayri isn’t the only one who found a family away from home. Condon said she sees many of the students who have attended her events over the years as a part of her family. “A lot of these kids call me ‘Mom,’” Condon said. “Except the new kids are starting to call me ‘Grandma’, which I don’t mind because in most cultures it’s a sign of respect.” Even after students grad-
Photo // Larsen Motorsports
location at Florida Tech that is single stream recycling system is Mary Star. “The problem is not that the university is not doing enough, rather the fact that students are not educated enough on how to recycle on campus and why it is important,” said Taylor Greene, SOSA vice president. SOSA has been taking action to provide opportunities to enlighten students about the values of recycling through informative flyers, magnets describing what materials can be recycled and even events. Two weeks ago, the club celebrated Fall Earth Day by partnering with organizations and companies like H&M and
Tesla to spread awareness about why the reuse of materials is beneficial and valuable in today’s society and what environmental programs these companies have to offer to consumers. Despite the fact that SOSA has been cracking down on the cultivation of recycling education, some students are still clueless about policies while others who are aware of the changes remain frustrated with how how the university is handling the issue. “I’m frustrated about the current recycling situation on campus because it seems very hypocritical to say we are a sustainable school when instead of educating students their first reaction was to take
the easy way out and remove recycling from locations across campus,” said Brianna Forte, marine biology major. Furthermore Chichester also stated that the school’s previous sustainability officer saved the university upwards of $100,000. However, the position is currently vacant as Chichester is acting as the standin officer, although her first and foremost title is Campus Horticulturist, where she is in charge of the landscape and gardening operations across campus. While Chichester is stepping up to best represent sustainable actions at Florida Tech, other campus operations such as dining services
are also doing their fair share to promote a greener environment and advocate for participation in sustainable actions. The dining hall has been consistently placing recycling posters and flyers on the walls for students. Panther Grocery now has the option for customers to use metal silverware and turn it back in versus plastic forks and spoons, and also the Rathskeller and SUB have started using biodegradable containers. As the effort to become more green at Florida Tech is a work in progress, one thing remains certain: Students must put in the effort to see the change they want.
uate, Condon stays in touch with many of them. The day before Thanksgiving, a couple who used to attend her events drove up from Miami to have an early Thanksgiving with her. Six months ago, Condon traveled to Seattle to meet the newborn of an Indian couple that met at one of her events. At the end of July, Condon flew to Egypt to see one alumnus get married. “Over the years, I stay in touch with a lot of the kids,” Condon said. “They become a part of my family.” Tarique Alam, a senior studying computer engineering, is one of the students Condon considers a son. He has known her, Headman, and Calvert ever since he came to the U.S. from Bangladesh for college four years ago. “I had friends on campus, but I was looking for something different because my friends were a bit crazy,” Alam said. “I was looking for some-
thing sort of grown up, and I needed that direction—somebody like an older brother.” That’s how Alam became close with Headman and Calvert. He said when the three of them met, they were exactly what he was looking for. “Once I saw Daniel and Scott, they were both like older brothers to me,” Alam said. “And they still are.” While giving students a family away from home is important to Condon, that isn’t the only reason she hosts events. “Some of this is to kind of provide them some kind of a family-type framework, but I also look at it as international diplomacy one-on-one,” Condon said. “These kids are going to end up becoming the leaders in their countries as they get older. And this gives them an opportunity to see that they’re pretty much the same as we are. We may have some different customs, but
we aren’t that different.” For Alam, events like these are necessary for international students so they can better understand American culture. “You definitely need some sort of an event where international students get that exposure, or else they will never really know what’s happening,” Alam said. “Thanks to Linda and Daniel and Scott, they told me day one what the reason was behind the celebration, and therefore I was more into celebrating it because I understood the reason why they were celebrating.” Alam explained that before coming to these events, he didn’t really understand what American holidays like Thanksgiving were about. Now he’s able to tell his friends what they mean and why we celebrate them. Aljubayri was in a similar situation to Alam when he first came to the U.S. When he visited that first
American family’s home when he was an undergraduate, he began to understand the reason behind our traditions. “We didn’t get a chance to learn about their culture until I started attending these kinds of events,” Aljubayri said. “They would explain to me why they are celebrating this holiday and we’ll exchange some information about our culture.” As students enjoyed the Thanksgiving dinner she had prepared, Condon watched and reflected on what it meant to have these students over. “I really have such respect for these kids, because you figure you come thousands of miles to a culture that’s not your own, to a language that’s not your own—and thrive,” Condon said. “And to me, not only are you taking regular classes, but you’re taking really high-tech stuff. And it takes a special person to be able to do that when they don’t know anybody.”
ISSUE 8
NOVEMBER 27
SPORTS Off-season prepares men's rowing for a confident start Theresa Gadilhe \\ Contributing writer
Another Friday, another afternoon in the intramural gym of the Clemente Center, which means a hard workout for the Florida Tech men's rowing team. If it is a 6K meter performance review or 5 by 2K meter interval training on the rowing machine, nobody will take an easy stroke. After a sweaty and windy fall in the gym and on the water, the Panthers are on their way to be ready for their season in the spring. For a rower, the training during the fall, their “off-season”, has the biggest impact on their performance in the spring. The typical practice day starts with a morning practice on the Indian River Lagoon at 6.30 a.m., followed by a second workout in the afternoon. Although it’s considered their off season, the team still competes. The Florida Tech crew competed in two head races this semester, which are time-trial competitions over a 2.5 to 3-mile course. All boats are started in their respective event, separately at certain time intervals. These races are different to the ones during the spring season where crews race each other side by side on a 2000-
intramurals it’d be a great fit for myself and also for the university,” Carey said. As a graduate from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, Carey majored in sports management with a minor in communications. His major is what initially brought him to the Florida Tech athletics department while he was still an undergraduate student. “For my sports management curriculum, I had to do an internship and I chose Florida Tech in the athletic department,” Carey said. Now that he is officially the director of intramurals, he has big plans for this position and events in the future. “My goal is to grow intramurals into a flourishing program in a competitive-fun atmosphere for all students,”
meter course. This year, the first race was in Boston on Sunday, Oct. 21, the 54th Head of the Charles Regatta. Four rowers and one coxswain, the person who steers and is in command for the boat, travelled to this race. For the Panthers, one boat started in the men's Championship Four with an overall 6th place finish. Florida Tech trailed crews from the Dutch national team, the US Rowing team, Brown, Camp Randall, and Dartmouth. Florida Tech ranked 3rd among all the participating collegiate teams of this event. According to Mohamed Sidhom, the weather in Boston was their first obstacle. “We knew we will have a head wind during the race which makes our job much harder and demands more effort,” Sidhom said. “We decided to stay confident no matter what happened by trusting in each other. Everyone was happy with that result after the race as we knew we made history.” The second and last race of the fall was the Head of the South Regatta in Augusta, Georgia. At this race, in opposite to their previous race, the whole team was able to participate and represented in a variety of events. “Overall we had a strong
showing at Head of the South,” said Jaiden Oropallo, one of the team's coxswains. “The goal was to make sure we got a lot of the younger guys quality racing experience and we achieved that, with our boats being competitive across the board.” The race day, Nov. 10, peaked when the varsity 8 won the Championship eight event out of 13 crews. “The varsity 8 performed well,” Oropallo said. “Showcasing the technical improvements we’ve made this semester by winning the race at a much lower stroke rating than other crews in the field.” Florida Tech Men's rowing team is planning to compete at various regattas in the spring with the focus on qualifying for the Intercollegiate Rowing Association. The race of the IRA, seen as the nationals for men’s collegiate rowing, is held in the end of May in Sacramento, California. Looking ahead to an exciting racing season in the spring, the athletes keep working hard over the break. “Being a student athlete is a privilege, however it also demands a lot of sacrifices,” Sidhom said. The goal is to not lose anything they have been working for during the fall and pick it up right away in January.
Carey said. “In the upcoming spring semester, I plan on offering a variety of sports such as three-versus-three basketball, kickball, dodgeball and flag football ... along with some other sports.” In addition to these sports, Carey will also be helping clubs around Florida Tech with any games they will be hosting. “I’ll also be working closely with Greek Week this upcoming spring semester, and I look forward to working with all the sororities and fraternities,” Carey said. Carey’s main goal for the intramurals program and his position is to help students enjoy their college career by promoting fun activities for any and all fellow Panthers. He wants students to know they have a voice and he is open to hearing ideas. “If any student has any sport suggestions, feel free to come to my office in the Clem-
ente center or email me at mcarey@fit.edu,” Carey said. “Any way to make your semester more enjoyable and stress free.” Now that his position has been announced, students are excited to hear more about the intramurals program. One freshmen majoring in aviation management with flight, Yazz Abbas, heard about director of intramurals and thought it was a great position for the department. “It’s good to have someone in charge of intramurals because it gives opportunities for non-athletes and FIT students to participate in an active lifestyle within a competitive atmosphere,” Abbas said. Abbas is part of the soccer team and as a student athlete, he can't compete in intramurals. However, he said if he wasn’t an athlete, he’d be taking part in intramural
As the starters are being announced, Tereza Sedlakova comes out on the court with a smile.
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Matthew Lanoue // Crimson
Multiple close calls for women's basketball Marquise Lewis \\ Staff writer
Women’s basketball defeated Webber University 77-57 on Nov. 19 in the final game of the Florida Tech Classic, an annual event hosted by the Panthers. The team hosted the Classic against New York Institute of Technology, Flagler College and Webber University. Florida Tech came up short against both NYIT and Flagler, with 56-67 and 53-56, respectively. However, Panthers ended the Classic strong with a dominating performance against Webber. “We got contributions from all 11 players who played last night. When you get a win like that, you see that everyone plays their role,” said John Reynolds, Florida Tech women’s basketball head coach. “Whether they start or come off the bench, we got solid play from all 11.” Leading the team was senior Forward Gracie Doane, who accounted for 20 points,
soccer. Patrick Thornton, a non-student athlete, has been participating in intramural volleyball ever since his freshman year. Thornton is now a senior majoring in forensic psych and still actively participates in the program. “I enjoy intramural volleyball because it’s a way for anyone who misses being able to go out and compete in a sport a chance to enjoy being active and take a couple hours out of a busy week to enjoy some competition,” Thornton said. Thornton knows that varsity sports take up a lot of time for student athletes, so intramurals are perfect because the games don’t require much time commitment. Now that there is a new director of intramurals on the block, Thornton is looking forward to next semester’s
making seven of 16 shot attempts, shooting 7-16. Six of the field goals were from behind the 3-pt line. “My teammates were able to find me and I was able to knock the shots down,” said Doane. Behind Doane in points was freshman guard November Morton with 14 points and senior forward Tereza Sedlakova with 11 points. The Panthers played in Anchorage, Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout for the D2 Coast to Coast Classic on Nov. 23. They lost against University of Alaska Anchorage 56-66 and Simon Fraser in overtime with 80-82. Panthers will finish off the D2 Coast to Coast Classic at home against Eckerd College on Dec. 1 and University of Tampa on Dec. 8. “I feel like this tournament will make us a better team in the long run. It’s a long season and facing top talent like this early is a good thing for us,” said Kailyn Ebb, senior forward for Florida Tech.
intramurals program. “Having a new director is great because there is a lot of opportunity to grow the intramural program because there are a lot of people that would enjoy the benefits of playing in intramurals Matt is fully committed to getting students involved and understands what the program has to offer.” With a new semester comes new responsibility for Carey as he makes plans for upcoming intramurals. Students, like Thornton, are eager to see what Carey will bring to the Athletics department in the spring. For any information regarding intramurals, contact Carey or go to IMLeagues.com to see what sports are currently being offered and to register.
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ISSUE 8
NOVEMBER 27
SPORTS
Hassell breaks records as Panthers’ season ends in playoffs David Thompson\\ Managing Editor
Florida Tech’s football season ended in their second trip in school history to the NCAA playoffs. The Panthers lost to the LenoirRhyne Bears 43-21 in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Playoffs at Moretz Stadium in Hickory, NC. This concluded their 2018 season, finishing the year with an overall record of 8-4. “I'm proud of our team and what we accomplished this year,” head coach Steve Englehart said in an interview with Florida Tech’s Athletic department. “We had a good season and fought hard. We had a lot of games that came down to the end and we were able to ink out wins, especially toward the end of the season, to get us into this posi-
tion.” Senior linebacker, J.T. Hassell, led the Panthers with 19 tackles. This is Hassell’s sixth game with double-digit tackles this year, wrapping up his historical season for the Panthers. Leading the Gulf South Conference (GSC) with 124 total tackles, which is 24 more than the next player, he now holds the school record for most tackles in a season. His three forced fumbles this fall are also
tied for most in the GSC. Hassell also set the school’s single-game records for tackles in a game with 20 and sacks in a game with four. These top statistics led him to winning three GSC Defensive Player of the Week Awards, being put on the GSC All-Conference first team and winning the GSC Defensive Player of the Year Award. Hassell’s teammates Adonis Davis and Romell Guerrier were also were named to the All-GSC first team. Senior running back Antwuan Haynes was named to the Matthew Lanoue // Crimson
All-GSC second team. Hassell is the second player in school history to be named the GSC Defensive Player of the Year, joining linebacker J.J. Sanders who received the award in 2015. Adding to his 2018 accolades, Hassell is a nominee for the 2018 Harlon Hill Trophy as the Division II College Football Player of the Year, one of 37 players nominated for the award. The group of nominees includes 13 quarterbacks, nine running backs, eight wide receivers, three defensive ends, three linebackers, and one defensive back. There are 21 seniors, 10 juniors, four sophomores, and two freshmen. The winner of the 2018 award will be announced on Friday, Dec. 14.
Men's basketball emerges victorious Thomas Handel\\ Staff Writer
Florida Tech’s men's basketball team went head-to-head against Puerto Rico-Bayamon on Friday Nov. 23 at the Clemente Center. The Panthers defeated Puerto Rico 84-59. Puerto Rico-Bayamon got out to an early lead, as they played quickly and shot the ball well. However, the Panthers rallied back, as RJ Coil began the momentum with two quick blocks and a made shot to put them up 6-5. In just a few minutes Florida Tech gained control of the game, playing at a steady pace that led to easy points. Puerto Rico-Bayamon tried to bounce back by shooting many long range three-point attempts, but each one bounced off the rim to no avail. Derek Murphy led the team with 28 points, as well as grabbing 17 rebounds. The Panthers also played great defense, guarding each of the opposing players closely. Puerto Rico-Bayamon attempted
to pass the ball around to break down Florida Tech’s defense, but lost control of the ball numerous times. In the middle of the first half, Corey Kaplan stole the ball from Puerto Rico-Bayamon and finished with a one handed dunk. As the final minutes of the first half winded down, Puerto Rico-Bayamon grew more desperate, running faster and shooting the ball quicker in order to get up as many shots as possible. This carelessness provided opportunities for Florida Tech, as they fouled the Panthers multiple times, enabling the home team to shoot many free throws for easy points. The half winded down as Valur Valsson flung a long, full court pass to Murphy for an easy layup, ending the half at 52-28 Panther advantage. At the start of the second half Puerto Rico Bayamon’s strategy was clear. Immediately they pressured the Florida Tech players more on defense, not giving them an inch of space. Even when the Panthers got easy steals, the away team’s players would sprint back and block shots to prevent
further scoring. As Puerto Rico-Bayamon became more aware and focused on defense, they began accustomed to the Panthers’ ball movement, and started getting steals of their own. The Panthers were lethargic after getting such a large lead in the first half, and Puerto Rico-Bayamon took advantage. With eight minutes to go, the score was cut to a 66-49, advantage for Florida Tech. Valsson was key in stopping the momentum of Puerto Rico-Bayamon with his good shooting and passing. He was given a technical foul by the referee after exchanging some words with him, forcing him to sit on the bench. Antonis Pefanis shot the ball well to keep the lead, making 8 shots as well as 4 three point attempts for a total of 25 points for the game. Florida Tech was able to hang on to the lead and secure the game. As the final buzzer sounded, the final score was 84-59. “I don’t know too much about basketball, but this game was total-
Derek Murphy reaches the peak of his shot before releasing his free throw attempt after being fouled. Matthew Lanoue // Crimson ly great,” Spencer Fleming, a visiting student said. “The music was loud, the players were into it, and it was way more rough than I expected.”