The Reporter: Issue I Fall 2023

THE

18

EPORTER Fall 2023 Issue I

Undergraduate Research?

SURE! Featuring Past and Present Recipients of the Summer Study Grant

20

Unpacked

Cheyenne Haines Talks Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

12

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with LSU Latinx Dance, Dishes and Diversity on Display

S R E T T E L Hey Party People!

Congratulations on being a member of this tight-knit community at such an exciting time; the 140th anniversary is a chance to reflect on what we love about Stetson and how many people before us have had the opportunity to love it as well. You’ll find within these pages birthday traditions from cultures around the globe, a sugary sweet edition of Unpacked with some stellar baking tips and a dive in the SURE grant, so there’s plenty to feel festive about.

Call us cheesy, but we wanted to show our appreciation by having a classic birthday party for Stetson University. So why not join in on the party? Put up your streamers, toss some confetti and get the good buttercream from Publix. It might not quite be your birthday right now, but I’m willing to bet that you have one this year!

To Many More Years, Carlye Mahler

Dear Reader, I’m absolutely thrilled to share the newest, most-sprinkle-covered edition of our magazine to date with you! It’s been a labor of love from our dedicated team, and I’ve got a hunch you’ll be smitten with it. Inside, you’ll find a real treasure trove of remarkable articles, interviews and stories that vividly showcase the myriad of ways we celebrate life. Whether it’s discovering how different cultures throw their parties or joining in on the festivities for our university’s birthday, there’s a lot of fun to be had. So, why not come along and make this birthday bash truly unforgettable with us?

I hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as I enjoyed designing it. Please cozy up, maybe with a slice of cake and enjoy!

Warm Wishes, Hayden Collins

2

the reporter

Dear Reader, We are back again with the second Issue of the Fall semester! Within the first few weeks of classes, the Stetson community has gone through quite a bit with Hurricane Idalia having made its way across Florida. Now that things are finally settling down, we here at the Reporter wanted to ensure one crucial something was not amiss through all the chaos: Stetson’s 140th anniversary. This issue displays celebration through multiple topics, including Disney, Hispanic Heritage Month, and various birthday cultures.

By celebrating these groups, we honor the impacts they made on the people around us and ourselves. Regardless of how you identify or relate to any of the groups we talk about in this issue, we want you to embrace and become a part of the culture in which they have existed through the ages and present. Most of all, we hope these stories allow you to get into the celebratory spirit and appreciate the campus we walk on daily. Being the oldest private school in Florida, Stetson deserves every bit of love we can offer as it comes in clutch once again in 2023.

Happy Reading, Alis Cadena

Hey, Hatters!

This part of the semester always seems to bring challenges. Sickness spreads as the temperature changes, stressors build up as midterm grades come back, and finals become the next ominous deadline. The Reporter staff decided now was the perfect time to take a break from the semester's stress and bring you something to smile about.

As might be able to tell from the cover photo, we decided to center this issue of The Reporter around the 140th anniversary of our university. Everything about this issue was created with joy, fun, and celebration as our inspiration, and I hope you feel that energy as you read through.

I also hope this issue inspires you to find something to celebrate today. Whether it’s a big and important accomplishment like passing a midterm you were worried about, or something small like getting out of bed this morning, take a moment to celebrate your success. You deserve it!

So here’s to 140 years of Stetson University, midterms being over, the steady approach of sweater weather, and finally… here’s to you, reader, and a wonderful rest of the Fall 2023 semester.

Go, Hatters!

Cas Bradley, Editor In Chief

the reporter

3

S R O T EDI

4

Cas Bradley Editor-in-Chief

Alis Cadena Executive Editor

Hayden Collins Creative Director

Ciara Kelley Arts & Culture Editor

Carlye Mahler Managing Editor

Hayle Morgan Fact Checker

Sisi Small Webmaster

Reagan Shivers News Editor

the reporter

The

r e t r o p e R birthda r u o y r o f o d u o y Wh a t d o Eat so much mango sticky rice

y?

Staff

sleep in Cas Bradley, Editor-in-Chief Hayden Collins, Creative Director Alis Cadena, Executive Editor of The Reporter Carlye Mahler, Managing Editor of The Reporter Reagan Shivers, News Editor of The Reporter Ciara Kelley, Arts & Culture Editor Venus Turnbull, Creative Staff Catch the sunrise at the beach with Brooke O’Brien, Social Media Director friends Sisi Small, Webmaster Brandy Bennet, Staff Writer Carla Rosario, Staff Writer Lili Sheridan, Staff Writer Sara Ward, Staff Writer Call my family Lanajae Gaffney, Staff Writer Celebrate with friends Iris Hunt, Staff Writer and family!! And most Alondra Y Rivas-Jimenez, Staff Writer definitely have donuts Abigail Denton, Staff Writer De’Vanese John-Baptiste, Staff Writer Hayle Morgan, Copy Editor

JOINING US

When it comes to joining Hatter Network, we are never not excited about someone wanting to join our ranks. If you want to write, The Reporter is the place. If you like to appreciate art, music and writing, Touchstone Literary Arts Journal is where it’s at. If you want to create your own podcast, or learn how to use the tech in our radio station, WHAT Radio is there. Hatter Network is an extacurricular media program run by students, for students, to provide them with the information we think they need to know, or an outlet for their creative endeavors. If you’re interesed in getting involved, please email our Editor-in-Chief, Cas Bradley, at cabradley@stetson.edu or apply on Engage.

ABOUT US

The Reporter, as part of Hatter Network, is the oldest collegiate magazine in the state of Florida.

We publish four times per year, twice per semester. Florida Sun Printing prins 300 copies per isue on 8.5 x 11 inch, 80# Gloss Test, Most body text is set at 11 poind Adobe Garamond Pro or Times New Roman with 13 point leading set with a combination of regular, italic and bold. All pages are designed using Adobe Creative Suite Photoshop and Illustrator. For additional information please visit hatternetwork.com. Questions or concerns can be mailed to 421 N Woodland Blvd. Deland, FL 32723 or emailed to hatternetwork@gmail.com.

the reporter

5

CONT

20

Unpacked with Cheyenne Haines Cheyenne Haines Talks Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice Models, Carlye Mahler (’24)

6

the reporter

TENTS 08 12 16 17 18 20 23 26 29 31 35

Disney’s 100th: A Century of Magic A Legacy of Magic and Influence in the State of Florida Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with the Latinx Student Union

Latinx Dance, Dishes and Diveristy on Display Star Sign Study Spots A constellation of Cozy Corners on Campus Birthday Freebies Follow the Arrows to Discover your Tasty Treat

Undergraduate Research? SURE! Featuring Past and Present Recipients of the Summer Study Grant Unpacked with Cheyenne Haines Cheyenne Haines Talks Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice Birthday Parties Around The World A Glimpse into Birthday Traditions Across Cultures Ampersand Meet Beth Maycumber, Stetson’s New Archivist Dear Reader Segment Words of Wisdom from Reporter Staff Photoshoot Breakdown Wishing Stetson a Sweet 140th Birthday Playlist Confetti Falling

the reporter

7

Disney’s 100th

“Where Dreams Come True.”

This is one of the many slogans that has been marketed to audiences by the Walt Disney Company. It’s meant to express whimsy and festivity. It promises us flights of fantasy made real. It invokes sparkles, magic and fairy tales; something that is encapsulated by the iconic Disney castle logo that appears before every one of their movies.

Here in sunny Florida, we have our very own real Disney Castle that stands tall in Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park.

It-along with the castle in Tokyo Disneyland- is named Cinderella’s Castle after Disney’s era-defining 1950 animated feature film, “Cinderella”.

Written by Hayle S. Morgan Photographed and Designed by Cas Bradley

8

the reporter

In October of this year the simultaneously beloved and reviled company responsible for all this will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding.

Disney has already gotten down to celebrating the occasion. Since January of this year, Disney has marked the company’s 100th anniversary by producing dedicated merchandise for the occasion, putting up purple and white embellishments to decorate the parks, and debuting new attractions like the World of Color and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. More significantly, Disney plans to release a special short film entitled “Once Upon A Studio” which is essentially a crossover between all the Disney animated movies released these past 100 years.

When Disney entered the scene in the 1920s, the multinational mass media empire was just a mere American cartoon principality founded by brothers Walt E. Disney and Roy Disney. On October 16, 1923, the Walt Disney Company came to life as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio before eventually growing into a global media conglomerate by the 1980s.

But not everything for the Disney Company in its long history has been all magic carpet rides and magic pumpkins In the early years of the company, Walt Disney was bamboozled out of ownership rights of intellectual property he created by Margaret Winkler and Charles Mintz in a distribution deal.

This included the character of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit-Disney’s only character at the time. Even more unfortunate was Mintz convincing most of Disney’s animators to switch to his employ.

After losing Oswald to Universal Pictures and breaking away from the distribution deal, Walt Disney went on to invent a brand new character to represent the Disney studio. That character was none other than the iconic and magnificent Mortimer Mouse. Yeah, sounds bad, doesn’t it?

Luckily enough, Walt’s wife, Lillian, thought the same and convinced him to change it to Mickey instead. Thus, the Mickey Mouse we’ve all come to know and love was brought upon us with Walt giving his voice to the little mouse.

In 1928, Mickey Mouse made his big debut in the short film, “Steamboat Willie.” The short film features the iconic scene of a classic Mickey Mouse whistling away as he mans the helm on a sailing ship. “Steamboat Willie” was significant for being one of the first cartoons that utilized synchronized sound at the time. In 1937, Disney continued its trend of firsts by releasing “Snow White & The Seven Dwarves,” the first full-length animated feature film in the English-speaking world. In the post-WW2 years, Disney found themselves sinking as movies like “Bambi” and “Pinocchio” didn’t turn a profit. In the 1950s, Disney was able to avert going bankrupt thanks to the box-office success of “Cinderella.” the reporter

9

From the beginning, Disney’s central brand identity of magic and storybook tales was already being implemented, with the company making films based on fairytales. Audiences have grown up on movies like “Sleeping Beauty,” “Robin Hood,” and “Mulan” which drew heavily from fairy tales and folklore from around the world.

Disney has been able to use fairy tales to make their movies because their original stories exist within the public domain, where works are no longer subject to copyright and are considered the intellectual property of anyone.

The Disney Princess brand, one of

the most prominent Disney brands, is majorly built on the public domain. This makes it ironic that Disney lobbied Congress to pass copyright laws that have allowed it to keep its characters’ rights for as long as possible and effectively ruin the public domain– way to kick down the creative beanstalk, Disney.

Disney has branched out from doing simply animated fairy tale movies. Films like “Toy Story,” “Inside Out,” and “Elemental” show the company’s dedication to the concept of anthropomorphism, which describes the attribution of human traits to non-human entities.

Since the beginning of the 2010s, Disney has devoted time and money to franchises like Marvel and “Star Wars.” Disney’s endeavors with the former have been very successful as the MCU is one of the highest-grossing movie franchises in movie history. Through its streaming platform, Disney+, Disney has blessed “Star Wars” fans with beloved projects like “The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka”.

Florida residents can’t talk about Disney without mentioning anything

10

the reporter

about Disney World. Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida is the pinnacle of Disney parks.

Besides being the flagship location for Disney’s entire corporate enterprise, Walt Disney World Resort is one of the most visited vacation resorts in the entire world and the largest single-site employer in the United States. Within its Mickey Mouse-plastered blue walls, Walt Disney World contains not only one theme park, but four theme parks, several water parks and hotels as well. Each theme park has its own thing going on; Magic Kingdom is all fairytale, Animal Kingdom is zoological, Hollywood Studios is all about show business, and Epcot is a permanent world fair. Going to a Disney park is core memory Disney is a powerful steerer of pop culture in America and around the world. As such, it should be no surprise that Disney and their products often find themselves becoming the site of culture wars. This can mostly be seen in the online discourses about “Star Wars”, MCU movies and the live-action remakes where many angry internet users accuse Disney of going ‘woke’. This trend has seen actresses and actors of color in these movies be targeted and sometimes run off the internet. For example, Vietnamese-American actress Kelly Marie Tran fell victim to a racist-misogynist hate train following her playing Rose Tico in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” To this day, Tran still hasn’t posted anything on her Instagram.

is a business, and they care about making their bottom line so they can continue swimming in gold like Scrooge McDuck. Despite this, many worthwhile things have come from the company, and we cannot deny the effect it has had on us all. Most of us were raised on Disney.

We watched the films, sang the songs like “Let it Go” and “Hakuna Matata” at the top of our lungs, dressed as its characters for Halloween and went on adventures in their theme parks while sporting mouse ears. In fact, many of us still do and we shouldn’t deny our enjoyment in these activities. So, take the bad with the good and embrace your inner child.

Besides, the likelihood of Disney going away is very low, and the chance that the mouse will outlast us all is higher

Even besides the culture wars, there has been a great amount of criticism layered against Disney and its business practices. The company has fallen under fire for things like underpaying its theme park workers, its monopoly-like practices and for trying to trademark Dia de Los Muertos. The growing antipathy toward the Disney brand hit a new octave with the hostile cultural reaction to the phenomenon of “Disney Adults”. A “Disney Adult’’ describes an adult who is a devout Disney fan. These people regularly visit the Disney Theme Parks, buy as much Disney merchandise as they can possibly afford and make Disney their entire personality. Disney Adults have become the punching bags of the internet, with the popular perception of them being privileged and immature individuals with a near-fanatical devotion to a soulless corporation that only cares about making a buck.

After 100 years, the Walt Disney Company continues to rule the world with a gloved fist. Despite its fairy tale image, Disney is not all fairy godmothers and animal sidekicks. At the end of the day, Disney

the reporter

11

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Monthwith the

Latinx Student Union

A

s touches of Latin celebratory culture sprinkle through platforms and cities alike, the presence of Hispanic Heritage Month comes to the forefront. At Stetson, the Latinx Student Union welcomes the month with the organization of several events that not only celebrate Hispanic culture, but also welcome all ethnicities and identities. Swaying music and bright colors took over Stetson as these events continued to spread throughout the month. Though LSU fosters a welcoming environment for Steston’s Hispanic and Latinx community year-round, this special time of the year readily recognizes the contribution and history of Latin culture for the Stetson community to understand and enjoy.

“We're creative, we're colorful, we're a lot of things. And I want the community, students, staff and faculty members to be able to come in and hear what we have to say, hear what's going on in the community and be a part of it,” - Mary Gonzalez ’24, president of Latinx Student Union 12

the reporter

Written by Alis Cadena Design by Hayden Collins Photography by Rodrigo Pereira

Flashes of Latin History and Stetson Statistics Traditionally, Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration split between two months. As always, the event lasts from September 15, 2023 to October 15, 2023. During these weeks, Latin communities are honored through jubilance and festivities that exhibit the contribution, diversity and history that the culture has achieved in past and present times. The Census Bureau reports that the start date of Hispanic Heritage Month is significant because it marks the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and 18, respectively. Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate people from diverse backgrounds and become educated about the Latino community.

With intercultural competence being specifically highlighted in the Stetson values and mission statement, Hatters are sure to cultivate a festive atmosphere during Hispanic Heritage Month. During this special month, the Latinx Student Union collaborated with multiple groups on campus to properly represent the Hispanic and Latino campus community.

Gonzalez explains, “The whole goal for LSU is to make sure that everyone feels connected. I want to appreciate and highlight the different cultures [Afro and LGBTQ latinos] that were derived from them later on.”

Here at Stetson, the need for cultural representation is higher than ever as demographics show that 500 undergraduates of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity enrolled in Fall 2022. Compared to the 592 Hispanic students that enrolled in Fall 2020, this could possibly signal Stetson failing to project a welcoming atmosphere to the Hispanic and Latino community. These statistics create even higher incentives for organizations like LSU to continue advocating for Latin and overall cultural representation on campus.

Not only are these organizations safe spaces for students of Latin culture to congregate, but it also offers students of any ethnicity and identity to understand the importance of intercultural community.

Emphasizing the L in LSU Needless to say, there is a special reason as to why the Latinx Student Union is called LSU. Though they could have named it Hispanic Student Union or Latin Student Union, the term ‘Latinx’ goes beyond the categories of race. ‘Latinx’ is used as a gender-neutral or nonbinary alternative to Latino or Latina. In doing this, LSU talks the talk as they further emphasize their greater awareness of Latino culture and general representation at Stetson.

“I want us to feel connected,” said Gonzalez. “There's a lot of people who come in with questions about LSU - can they all be accepting of XYZ? And the answer is always going to be yes, we can.”

the reporter

13

Culture, family and community are essential to the livelihood of the Latinx Student Union. It is an organization on campus where students of any identity can feel free to be themselves and celebrate the beauty that Latin culture has to offer as a whole. LSU walks the walk through their collaborations this Hispanic Heritage Month, collaborating with Kaleidoscope, Black Student Union (BSU) and the Environmental club. Allying with multiple organizations that each feature a different type of diversity shines a brighter light on these events for all students to appreciate.

Erin Bentley ’24, president of Kaleidoscope, echoes this sentiment. “I felt it was really important to me and my E-board that we help shine a little bit of light on groups that do exist - like their voices deserve to be heard.

And, like, we value them as a part of our community.”

14

the reporter

And, Let the Festivities Commence ‘Dancing under the Stars’ was the first event that marked the beginning of celebration here at Stetson University. On September 20, located at George’s Place and hosted by LSU, K-Scope and BSU, students and faculty alike danced the night away as Latin music thrummed through the festive atmosphere, teaching whoever came in about the basic dances of popular genres of music in Latin America. The three-hour event featured LSU members teaching fellow students the dances bachata, merengue, salsa and samba.

Stetson graduate student Melissa N’Diaye ’27 emphasizes, “Dancing was awesome! It was a great way to showcase all the different cultures' popular dance styles.”

Moving forward, the Latinx Student Union also collaborated with the Environmental club to host ‘Exploring Environmental Justice’: a painting event that displayed the importance of redlining in the community and how it affects us today. The event offered a cultural credit to students who attended, playing as a further incentive for students to come and paint their vision of an ideal world.

Finally, LSU finished their week-long celebration with the Hispanic Heritage Festival, which was renamed to The Latin Patio Festival at Stetson. Changing the festival name was a means to further reiterate the openness of diversity that LSU, BSU, K-Scope and Environmental club offers.

“We talked within the organization and we were like, you know, should we keep it to Hispanic Heritage Festival or Latin Patio Festival? Because patio? We're in the back of Libby Lawn, and that’s where the bands usually play. It's literally kind of like a patio so why not? And then ‘Latin’ because I know we want to embrace Latin culture,” Gonzalez explains.

The Latin Patio Festival took place on September 28, on the spacious greenery of Libby Lawn. A big salsa band came and played not only salsa, but a bit of Colombian and merengue as well. BSU and K-Scope once again partnered with LSU for this event, as well as the Multicultural Student Council. The Latinx Student Union and other student-led organizations encouraged all students to come to these events as they are, and to delve into the family and community that organizations at Stetson are presenting now and in the future.

It’s important that students walk away from these events having fun, but hopefully they take away a few lessons as well. Regardless of the background or identity of a student, these events are intended to ignite warmth, compassion, but most of all, acceptance. Hispanic Heritage Month especially highlights this importance as student-led organizations aim to garner students and have everyone celebrate a culture that accepts everyone with open arms.

“I want to see everyone celebrate. I want to see everyone bring out their cultures because it's something beautiful. I don't want people to feel silenced somewhere - I want people to embrace their culture,” Gonzalez reiterates.

“I think it just exposes everyone to a different culture and make them more knowledgeable about different Latin cultures,” said N’Diaye.

the reporter

15

STAR SIGN STUDY SPOTS Have your study spots gotten a bit dull? Find your zodiac sign to be matched with a new study spot idea. If the match isn’t speaking to you, feel free to peruse the other signs; there’s no rules!

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Aries are known to be confident leaders. Channel some of that confidence and string up a hammock in palm court!

Catch some rays while you catch up on your reading.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Taurus are described as stubborn, but there’s no need to go it alone.

When your homework finally has you stumped, walk up to the second floor of the DuPont-Ball Library and get some help from the Academic Success Center.

Gemini (May 21-June 21)

Playful Gemini may find their minds best stimulated with access to easy games for quick study breaks. Consider taking advantage of the seating and big Jenga games overlooking the Commons outside Lee’s Garage.

Cancer (June 22-July 22)

Cancer signs are known to be nurturing and emotionally intuitive. These are great traits to bring to a study group! Consider forming a group chat with your peers and meet up on the first floor of the library to support each other in studying.

16

the reporter

Leo (July 23-August 22)

The hyper-focused Leo can study absolutely anywhere they put their minds to. Put this to the test: lay a blanket out on Libby Lawn and try to split your time between studying and speaking to all the friendly faces you’ll spot.

Virgo

Written by Carlye Mahler Designed by Cas Bradley

Sagittarius

(November 22-December 21)

Freedom lovers like Sagittarius might not like to feel tied down to campus, so why not explore? Check out local favorites like Trilogy Coffee or Boston Coffeehouse for a change of scenery.

Aquarius

(January 20th-February 18)

It’s easiest for Aquarius to thrive in artsy and comfortable environments.

Clear-headed and logical Virgo needs This makes the Flagler Lounge an ideal a room that inspires them to get into study spot. Sink into a spot on the welthe zone. Park yourself in an empty coming brown couch and classroom and channel crack open your books. the educational energy to push you through your to-do list.

Pisces

(August 23- September 22)

(February 19-March 20)

Libra

(September 23-October 23)

Always stuck between worlds, extroverted Libra would do well in a buzzing environment like the coffee shop. Grab a booth seat if you’re lucky and study amidst your community.

Known for creativity and generosity, Pisces makes a great host. Consider inviting friends to your place and offering study snacks. Being surrounded by friends in a comfortable space could be what it takes to get you into a study mindset.

Scorpio

Capricorn

Shh! Secretive Scorpio likes peace, quiet and privacy when studying.

If this sounds like you, head down to the bottom floor of the library. There’s plenty of individual seating and reminders that it’s a quiet space.

Capricorns have a bit of a reputation for being overachievers. If you find yourself in need of a spot to have a late night study session, then Brown Hall is a great pick. Access to vending machines can make all the difference during midterm season.

(October 24-November 21)

(December 22-January 19)

Birthday Freebies Quiz

Written by Ciara Kelley Design by Venus Turnbull

Are you a sweet or savory person?

Savory

Sweet

What’s the best Deland hang out spot for a snack or sip?

What’s your go-to birthday anthem?

Boston’s

Trilogy

Whit’s

“Birthday” Katy Perry

The original happy birthday “Unhappy Birthday” - The Smiths

“In da club” 50 cent Do you cry on your birthday?

What are you doing on your ideal birthday day off?

Relaxing with friends

Pat & Tony’s

Getting some much needed sleep

Free Starbucks Drink

In the mood for a hot or iced pick-me-up? Treat yourself to any Starbucks drink on your birthday by downloading the app a week in advance and making at least one purchase.

No

Getting dunked in Holler Fountain

Free Crumbl Cookie

You deserve a sweet treat on your birthday. All you need to do is download the Crumbl Mobile App, find the loyalty section, earn free crumbs and join the birthday club.

Yes Catching up on some work

Free Stack of Pancakes

Birthday breakfast is on IHOP this year. Just make sure to sign up for the IHOP Club to get any pancake stack of your choosing on your special day.

Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast

Your birthday is sure to be out of the park with this Denny’s freebie. All you have to do is join Denny’s reward program prior to your big day to get all you can eat.

the reporter

17

Written by Carlye Mahler Designed by Hayden Collins

Undergraduate Research? SURE!

Meet the Recipients

Applying for the SURE Grant

Meet Mary Brandt ’23 and Katie Wedderstrand ’23.

Katie graduated in Spring 2023, and Mary is working towards her upcoming winter graduation. What do these two have in common? They’re both recipients of the Stetson SURE Grant who chatted with me about their experience applying for and using their grants.

When asked about why she applied for the SURE Grant, Mary was quick to point out that,

What is the SURE Grant?

For anyone unsure of what the SURE Grant is, the acronym itself is a good clue. Standing for Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience, the SURE Grant is a fund that undergraduate students are eligible to apply for once they have at least sophomore class standing. However, most students choose to apply near the end of junior year in order to apply the research experiences to their senior research. Dr. Reiter, chair of the Undergraduate Research Committee, dove into specifics, “We have had an average of 12 to 15 students per year receiving the SURE grant.” The grant provides $2000 for research over the summer, with additional funding available to present research findings.

18

the reporter

“The opportunity to research as an undergraduate is something that not many universities offer.”

This sentiment was echoed by Katie who spoke to future applicants, encouraging them to “just have fun, because it’s a very unique opportunity.”

Being aware of the SURE grant early on during your Stetson journey can be helpful since it allows you to pay particular attention to how you can connect with professors and expand on your learning outside of class. Since Mary had her eye on the ball since her first year at Stetson, she described herself as “ready and willing and prepared with finally my actual topic of research” once the time came to apply.

One element that Katie, Mary and Dr. Reiter all highlighted as essential to a good application is communicating with your potential SURE Grant advisor. Katie recommended that applicants “have a professor look over the application if possible” and Dr. Reiter went even further when she pondered on what

^ Photo of Mary Brandt (’23)

S

would be best for applicants, “I would recommend that they work with their advisor starting as soon as they get back in January.”

Using the SURE Grant Mary and Katie were both beaming with pride when I asked each of them to describe their summer research projects.

Mary told me more about her exciting summer research experience escapades, traveling across the United States to collect data for her senior research paper: “I used my money to go to eight different aviation museums this summer. And I spent days there researching, interviewing, taking 1000s of photos of the exhibits and the galleries and asking questions to directors, meeting really interesting people getting to talk with veterans and getting a whole array of perspectives on what those museums mean.”

Katie also detailed the places that they were able to travel to in order to gather primary sources in Summer 2022: “I went to Drexel, Haverford, Yale and the American Museum of Natural History to research the history of paleontology.”

Dr. Reiter smiled warmly as she recalled some of the more unique SURE Grant projects from past years, “We have had somebody do explorations on whether left handed baseball pitchers make more in the major leagues,” She explained.

“One of my favorites was a young combination religious studies and biology major, who used his SURE grant to live homeless for a month in Washington DC, to look at the health care facilities available to the homeless.”

upon my actual going to the museums. There’s only so much that you can get out of museum guidebooks” she said.

Towards the Future Both Mary and Katie have exciting opportunities on the horizon thanks to the hard work they completed with their grant money.

When asked about future plans, Katie already has a path in mind. Katie laid out their future plans “I’m looking to get a masters at the University of Maryland, in a few years.” Senior research continues to help with each of these steps and is an ongoing project for Katie with continuing opportunities to show off the project that began as senior research “I have another coming up in November. It’s the History of Science Society. So even after graduating, I’m still presenting this research and working on it.”

Mary, who has her eye on graduate school, has a bright future as well, “I’m applying to Fulbright right now, Fulbright Taiwan specifically.”

Dr. Reiter summed it up best when she reflected on the enduring value of the SURE Grant at Stetson:

“It’s been an excellent way of recognizing creativity and innovation across the campus in all three undergraduate schools.”

SURE! When asked how the SURE Grant would help Mary in her senior research project she couldn’t be clear enough on its value. “I would not be able to accomplish my senior research without the SURE Grant, because so much of it was reliant

the reporter

19

UNPACKED

Written and Photographed by Abby Denton Designed by Hayden Collins

F

With Cheyenne Haines

Amidst the vibrant campus life at Stetson University, you will find Cheyenne Haines, the visionary president of the Baking Club. With her senior status and four years of dedication to the club, Cheyenne uses her passion for baking to combat the stresses of university life- because, as she aptly puts it,

“Stressed spelled backward is desserts.”

Her leadership fosters a sense of connection among Stetson students as they come together to savor the simple joys of desserts and baking memories.

Cheyenne’s love for baking is rooted far beyond her time at Stetson, and has been an important facet of her life since she was young. Her mother instilled this passion within her as a child. The holiday season, in particular, holds a special place in her heart, with cherished memories of making “thumbprint cookies”’ and the ways the delicious smells would linger in the home while her mother was baking. Through her leadership in the Baking Club, Cheyenne not only bakes delicious desserts, but also hopes to share the warmth that comes from baking and spending time with loved ones. As Stetson University blows out its 140th birthday candles on the grand birthday cake, we are reminded of Cheyenne and her invaluable contributions to making our campus life a little sweeter one treat at a time.

Apron “I have to maintain a professional appearance around campus, so an apron is crucial. This avoids the risk of having any flour on my slacks.”

Measuring Spoons “I also love to have measuring spoons on hand.

As a scientist and a skilled baker, I appreciate the importance of accurate proportions and measuring out ingredients precisely. Measuring can definitely make or break a recipe.”

Calculator & Scrap Paper “Sometimes I also carry my calculator and scrap paper in case I need to adjust a recipe depending on how many people my dessert is feeding. I always want to make sure there is enough food for everybody.”

Flour & Oats “Flour or oats are usually the main components of most recipes. I love to offer gluten free versions of a lot of recipes, because I have met a few people with gluten intolerance.

I always want to make sure everyone is involved, included, andw can taste the love.”

the reporter

21

Sugar & Honey “My fifth item would be sugar or honey- since they are substitutes for one another. And I mean, that’s the sweetener. That’s what gives us that great flavor. It can be a binding agent too in some of our recipes, and even a great topper. We often finish our desserts with a drizzle of honey on top or a sprinkle of powdered sugar.”

F

Spices “Spices are also essential- especially since we’re in the holiday season. A little cinnamon, nutmeg, or clove can be all the difference and bring out those core holiday memories.”

Seeds

T F O

“Seeds are actually my secret ingredient. I love to sprinkle a little bit of flax seed, chia seed, or sunflower seed whenever possible, because it gives you that little added boost of omegas, the good fats, and protein. Sweets get a bad rep for being full of sugar, so I try to balance it out a little bit and add some nutritional value.”

Banana Bread

“My favorite thing to bake is banana bread. That was my first recipe I got down from scratch. And, it’s very useful when fruit ripens… I am a big advocate for never throwing away food and using as much as possible.”

Stickers

“Stickers are my final essential item. We have just begun giving out stickers with our club logo and little phrases, and somehow we sometimes run out of those faster than the baked goods. I know everybody loves our stickers!”

22

the reporter

Birthday Parties Around the Written by Carla Rosario Designed by Venus Turnbull

World

the reporter

23

Most of us think of birthdays as the Happy Birthday Song, cake and candles, but in reality, every culture has different ways of celebrating, including different music, food and rituals.

The origin of birthday celebrations is unclear, but the Greeks and the Egyptians are the two ancient civilizations that we know of that started celebrating these occasions.

The Greeks celebrated birthdays because of their belief of a spirit and demon present at birth; they thought that by celebrating the day you were born, you would recognize the presence of said spirit. Whereas, the Egyptians did not really celebrate the day that a person was born. Instead, the Egyptian religion viewed a pharaoh’s coronation as a celebration of being reborn as a God, so this “birthday” of a newly crowned pharaoh became commonplace.

The Music The “Happy Birthday” song wasn’t a Birthday song originally, instead it was a children’s song called “Good Morning All” written in 1893 by sisters Mildred and Patty Smith Hill. The song had the same music as the Happy Birthday song, but with different lyrics:

“Good Morning To You, Good Morning To You, Good Morning, Dear Children, Good Morning To All!” It was not until 1924 that the song was published in a songbook edited by Robert H. Coleman without the authorization of the Smith Hill sisters. By 1933, “Happy Birthday to You” had become a recognized tune for birthday parties, forgetting about the original “Good Morning to You All.” Despite the popularity of “Happy Birthday to You” and its translation into multiple languages, some countries have their own way of singing Happy Birthday. In the Domin-

24

the reporter

ican Republic, the traditional Happy Birthday song is called “El Regalo Mejor,”—the best gift—composed

by Ramon Rafael Casado Soler. This song is one minute long, relatively easy to learn and sung on all Dominican birthdays.

“Las Mañanitas” —the little mornings— was composed by Alfonso Esparza Oteo, and originated as the Mexican version of Happy Birthday. However, “Las Mañanitas” has spread around many Hispanic countries. A Colombian tradition is to wake up the birthday person singing this Mexican song.

Venezuelan Stetson student Gabriel Quintero ‘26 mentioned that they have their own Birthday song, “Ay que Noche tan Preciosa,” —what a beautiful night— was composed by Emilio Arvelo. Gabriel said, “We celebrate with this song at every birthday party, and we sing the whole three to four minutes of it.”

Cultural Differences in Birthday Parties Every culture has different staples when it comes to Birthday celebrations, for example Dominican birthday cake is known for being extremely buttery, which makes it airy and able to dissolve in your hand when eating. It is traditionally filled with pineapple jam and covered in meringue instead of buttercream.

Another tradition that can also be found in other Latin American countries, like Venezuela and Argentina, is distributing a little bag with candy and toys for the kids. At an adult birthday party, these bags are usually filled with candy and a small bottle of the typical alcoholic beverage consumed in that region. For example, in Argentina, the usual alcoholic drink is “Fernet”, a type of Italian liquor.

In Latvia, the birthday cake is a little different from what is found on this side of the world. Latvians traditionally celebrate with “Klingeris,” a pretzel-shaped sweet bread with ingredients like saffron and cardamom.

In Chinese culture, birthdays are important celebrations packed with lots of celebratory traditions.

“One traditional Chinese Birthday practice is to eat longevity noodles, which are long noodles that symbolize a long life, these are typically served in a bowl with broth and various toppings. The longer the noodle, the longer the life, so it’s customary to slurp them up without cutting or biting them,” explains Stetson student Yufei Pei ‘25 from China.

Another Chinese tradition is to give red envelopes filled with money as a birthday gift; the amount usually depends on the relationship between the birthday person and gift giver, but it is usually an even number. Yufei Pei continues, “The red envelope itself is considered good luck and wards off evil spirits. Giving a red envelope is a way of showing love, respect, and well-wishes to the recipient on their special day.”

Ultimately, everyone has different ways of celebrating birthdays, whether in the songs sung or the gifts given.

Yet, all traditions uphold one sentiment: birthdays are meant to be a happy day surrounded by loved ones celebrating another trip around the sun.

the reporter

25

Ampers&nd

with Stetson Archivist Beth Maycumber Written by Reagan Shivers Design by Venus Turnbull 26

the reporter

I sat down with Stetson University Archivist Beth Maycumber to welcome her to her first year at Stetson and delve into the archives’ role in celebrating Stetson’s 140th anniversary.

Q: What was your path to becoming an archivist?

I was a History major for my undergraduate and also for my first graduate degree. But originally, I thought that I was going to teach history. And then I took an internship kind of on a whim with the National Park Service. And as a museum technician, I learned about collections care and objects care. And I really love that. And that turned into a job for a little bit. But then I, just because of life circumstances, or what have you, I ended up working in a public library for 10 years. And I went back to school to USF and got a second master’s in library and information science. But I focus on archives. And so now I’m here. But I took as many courses as I could, on archives, and then in all my other general classes, I based all of my coursework scenarios on archives.

Q: What does a typical day in the office look like?

There is no such thing as a typical day in the archives.

There is a lot of work to be done. There’s a lot of different projects, but at the same time, I have student workers who I have to prep and kind of supervise the work that they’re doing. There’s research requests that come in all the time from people on campus, and from people off campus. And a lot of those things people will just walk in. So it’s hard to say that there’s a typical day, but some of the things that I would do. . . on any given day randomly, I might be giving a tour of the archives and showing off specific items that we have in our collection. I will be going through our backlog and trying to process things and accession things to add them to our collection, digitize things to have in the digital archives, rehousing things . . . preservation is very important in an archive. So trying to make our paper and digital objects last as long as they can. There’s many, many different things that I do in a day. It’s fun.

Q: How has your experience with this new position been shaped by Stetson’s 140th anniversary?

It’s really fantastic for me, because I’m learning so much. I’m on The 140, a planning committee. And we’re focusing on one decade per week, all semester. And so for me, what I’m doing is I’m creating Facebook posts each week. And so it’s a big deep dive into what are the important things that happened in that decade. What are the buildings that were erected in that decade, who really important people are, so it’s a really great, deep dive for me sort of about the collection.

Q: So would you say that the anniversary is helping you get to know the school?

Absolutely. Every research request, or anything that I do helps me learn about the school. But this is a very specific timeline of, you know, every single important event.

I’m trying to figure out what those events were and what we have in the archives that reflect that. So it’s a really fantastic experience for me.

the reporter

27

Q: How would you suggest students use the archives outside of class work?

I think that a really good thing for students to do is come to the archives, and tour, just to get a sense of what we have in the collection and also just look online at the digital collections because you can see a lot that we have in the digital collections just to get a sense because it might inspire you to do your own research. Or if later when you’re doing a research project . . . if you know what we have that might spur interesting questions . . . there’s all kinds of information in the archives that’s just waiting for someone to find it.

Q: What’s your favorite, or most surprising item you’ve found in the archives?

I love everything. And I would say that there’s always one special thing at least every week that I find, but I can’t say that I have a favorite thing. But for instance, the Stetson hat collection, that’s actually part of the memorabilia collection right now, and I do want to actually take that out and make it its own collection so that it’s more accessible, so that people would know that we have it. But there’s these little tiny hats . . . when you bought a Stetson hat, it’s fitted to your head. And so if you wanted to buy a hat for somebody else, you would go into a store, and you would purchase this little tiny hat. And then the person who was given the hat could go into any Stetson retailer. And it’s not that you would get that hat. But that hat was a price range. And so you could pick a hat from that price range. We have all these wonderful Stetson hats, but we also have all these little tiny Stetson hats. It’s like a hard but a very cute gift card.

28

the reporter

De a r

Written by Abby Denton, Carlye Mahler & Alis Cadena Designed by Venus Turnbull

Reader

Question by Abby Luck ’27: What are the best ways to utilize all that Stetson has to offer?

Dear Reader,

Being a college student can feel like a one-track mission where the only goal is securing the job of your dreams, and there’s plenty of resources from Stetson to help you get there (See Abby’s fabulous response). My additional advice is to not limit yourself to checking off the boxes leading up to employment, throw yourself into at least a few truly random opportunities or events. For one semester I received the J.J. Master Center Professionalism Certificate with the School of Business. In the end I decided a job in marketing wasn’t for me, but I’m grateful to learn that during college rather than after, and I met some amazing people in the program!

Some good places to keep an eye out for these types of events are Instagram (Go ahead and follow Stetson clubs and organizations, even the ones you aren’t in). Keep an eye on the Cultural Credits calendar. Most importantly, skim the daily “Stetson News” email. I can’t even count all the fantastic trips, scholarships, or volunteer opportunities that go almost unnoticed in those emails!

Carlye Mahler ’24

the reporter

29

Question by Emily Nicholas ’26: How can Stetson help further my career?

Dear Reader, Stetson offers a variety of resources to help set you on a path to a successful career! Most notably, our Career and Professional Development office, which is located on the second floor of the Rinker Welcome Center. Here you will find a comprehensive range of services to aid you in your career journey. For example, the Career Peers provide personalized resume review sessions to help you tailor your resume, cover letters, and LinkedIn profile for job applications. The Career Office also offers interview practice sessions to enhance your confidence and communication skills when facing potential employers, as well as one-on-one meetings with experienced supervisors who will provide valuable insights to your career or internship search. And, if you happen to visit the CPD office, you may even find me sitting at the front desk, asking if I can help you find anything.

My second recommendation would be to take advantage of the unique privileges that come from attending a small university like Stetson. Get to know your professors, go to office hours, and never shy away from asking for help.

Establishing these relationships early on can be extremely beneficial, especially if they teach courses in your desired career field. It is never too early to begin building connections and securing potential references.

With the support of our faculty and the resources available to Stetson students, every Hatter is set up to achieve their individual career goals. Embrace your opportunities and make the most of your time at Stetson!

Abby Denton ’26

30

the reporter

Question by Bella Parker ’27: What are the benefits of being a graduate/donor of/to Stetson University?

Dear Reader, After donning your cap and gown, walking across the green-decorated stage, and tossing your hat into the air, your final moments at Stetson will come to an end.

Whether you're moving on to graduate school, starting a new job, or even taking a gap year, the endless amounts of assignments and emails from financial aid have officially left your schedule. Though, that doesn’t mean it stops for the rest of the students working their way through undergrad. Many students are working in addition to their full-time studies at Stetson, and that’s where donor scholarships come in.

If a Stetson alumni chooses to donate to their alma mater, this will ensure that more students have the same access to their education just as they did when they were a student themselves. However, this act of philanthropy isn’t just a one-way street. Stetson alums will also receive tax deductions, like any donor who decides to contribute monetarily to a university. So, alums will ultimately have a way to stay connected to their alma mater, and at the same time, help out their fresh-out-of-college selves in the real world.

Alis Cadena ’26

Photographed by Cas Bradley Written by Cas Bradley & Carlye Mahler

the reporter

31

A

lis Cadena, Hayden Collins, Carlye Mahler and I have been working together to come up with cover ideas for all the issues of the Reporter so far this year. We’ve come up with the idea to have an agreed-upon cover photo, and to use the back cover as a “blooper reel”, a fun and/or chaotic version of the cover photo.

Although I took the cover and back cover photos for this issue, I did not come up with the issue’s celebratory theme, nor did I come up with the idea to put a subject on the cover with a cake and to smash that cake in the subject’s face on the back cover.

We showed up a little bit early, so I had Carlye pose with Roellke’s front door. She had already been holding this cake for nearly 30 minutes.

Looking at the cover, Roellke makes sense as our subject. He’s the face of the university, so he should be the one celebrating Stetson’s 140th anniversary! Looking at the back cover, we hope our readers chuckle at the thought of our university’s president agreeing to get cake smashed in his face and to have it published, distributed campus-wide, and immortalized in the Reporter archives.

The photoshoot itself definitely had its difficulties. The first challenge was the cake. Since we arrived separately, Carlye walked me through her pre-shoot experience. “Ali [Burgess, Executive Editor of Touchstone] helped me transfer it to a plate… I carried it on a plate from the Hatter Network office all the way across campus to president Roellke’s house, in the rain.” Luckily for us, the cake managed to remain picture-perfect for the whole shoot.

I was so impressed by the bubble that I almost forgot to throw confetti and take a picture!

32

the reporter

The second challenge was the post-shoot mess. The green dye in the icing on our cake was, as we found out, highly transferrable. Carlye’s hand, featured on the back cover pushing a chunk of cake into Roellke’s face, was stained green afterward. She told me later she hoped his face was okay. I don’t recall seeing any green

blemishes on his face, though, when Carlye and I said goodbye and headed out. Also, don’t fret: the confetti we used was biodegradable! Roellke’s patio and backyard suffered no harm during this photoshoot. It was a little bit more colorful after we left, though.

We also tried to get a bubblegum photo of Carlye– just an extra fun and celebratory shot. We got Big League Chew because that was one of the top results when you search “best bubble gum blow big bubble” on Google, but it still took Carlye about 20 tries until she managed to blow a big bubble. Unfortunately, I was so in awe of the bubble that I forgot to throw confetti at her, and I didn’t take a picture, either.

Needless to say, Carlye had to do it again for me to get the shot.

The one aspect of the shoot that gave us no trouble at all was Christopher Roellke, the President himself.

He was a fantastic subject to work with, from getting the shoot scheduled to being posed. We’re grateful to have a university president who is as excited to have cake shoved into his face for the enjoyment of the student body as President Roellke was.

We threw the confetti a little too far in front of President Roellke’s face… and I caught him midblink, too. Whoops!

The whole photo shoot is just me and Cas throwing confetti, at each other and at Roellke..”

Carlye wasted no time grabbing a handful of icing and cake. Great enthusiasm!

the reporter

33

The Aftermath: 34

the reporter

Confetti Falling The writers and editors of the Reporter have a tradition of including a playlist along with each magazine issue. The songs on the playlist reflect both the theme of the issue and the mood of the team while creating this issue. This page includes a selection of the songs on the playlist; head over to Spotify to listen to the full playlist.

Dancing in the Moonlight - Toploader Raising Hell (feat. Big Freedia) - Kesha and Big Freedia B.E.A.T. - Selena Gomez Confetti Falling - Big Time Rush As It Was - Harry Styles Columbia, Mi Encanto - Carlo Vivez Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae 24K - Bruno Mars Dancing Queen - ABBA We Can’t Stop - Miley Cyrus Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars Enjoy Your Life - MARINA

the reporter

35

@hatternetwork