Vol CXXII, Issue 7

the

eporter Vol. CXXII

Issue 7

Stetson University | DeLand, Fla.

Politically Unreactive?

A new generation of Stetson voters appear tentative about political involvement Sarah Dean News Editor The 2014 midterm elections have come and gone, and many would-be-first-time voters stayed on campus and out of the polling booths.

Many students seem to doubt the weight of their own votes, and the discussion of political issues, even among friends, is avoided.

Of the diverse group of students interviewed about their political views and voting status, the majority showed minimal interest in discussing politics with their peers, and many, while interested in national issues, seemed reluctant to be involved with local or state-level issues.

Stetson sophomore Galen McTaggart volunteered for the Obama election campaigns for the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections and was once heavily involved in her local Democratic party office. However, since arriving at Stetson, her perspective on politics has shifted.

McTaggart, who now identifies as an independent, said she had no plans to vote in any elections this year.

“I’m not very interested in any current state-level issues,” McTaggart said. “I don’t think politics affect us [Stetson students] much.

College is kind of a bubble.”

Other students are interested in politics, but college life simply overtakes their concern with issues of the outside world.

Emily Goodwin is a music major with a heavy class load, and she said her filled-to-the-brim schedule definitely overshadows her political involvement.

Goodwin, who is also not yet registered to vote, plans to vote in the presidential election. She did express interest in state and local issues; she was knowledgeable about current events and what was on the Floridian ballot, particularly the amendments, despite not voting in the this years’ elections.

Presidential elections may paint a different picture of student voters. Several students reported not having much interest in state and local elections, but found na-

Photo credit: Sarah Dean tional issues to be of greater importance.

According to The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, the registration and voting rates for Stetson in the 2012 presidential election were not low.

This study collected data about voting behavior for the majority of the student population: 85.9 percent. It revealed that of all three campuses (DeLand, Celebration, and Stetson Law in Gulfport), 54.6 percent of students turned out to vote.

Stetson’s voting rate was actually higher than both the national range and the Floridian range of voters aged 18 to 24.

Despite the large amount of voters in the national elections, the 2014 state elections appeared to have less than an enthusiastic student response.

“I believe national issues just matter a bit more,” said McTaggart. “They affect more people who won’t necessarily get to vote themselves, such as immigrants, minors, and others.”

Many students, especially those who are out-of-state and would have to vote by absentee ballot, seem to care little about the Florida elections.

It is unclear why students seem to have less concern about local issues. Many are unfamiliar with the candidates, or are displeased with local and state politics in general.

Much of this seems to stem from the repetitive advertisements used, especially for the Florida gubernatorial race. All of the interviewees spoken to about this subject showed distaste for the way the gubernatorial race was being run.

PolitiFact.com confirms that many ads recycle the same exact attack content multiple times.

“With a week to go until Election Day, you probably feel like you’ve heard every attack in the Florida gubernatorial campaign before. That’s because you have,” wrote Josh Gillin of PolitiFact in an article published Oct. 27. “With millions being poured into TV commercials, Gov. Rick Scott and

his challenger Charlie Crist…keep recycling the same talking points over and over. Many of them have been used so many times, PolitiFact Florida has already checked them more than once.”

While most were disinterested, some Stetson students did show more enthusiasm when it comes to politics.

Junior Drew Smith Denston, a registered member of the Republican party, is more open about his political beliefs than many of the other students interviewed.

“I am planning on voting in all local and state elections this year,” Denston said.

He is also more open to political discussion than many, and despite growing up in a Republican household, he says his beliefs are purely his own.

“I vote the way I want to vote.

My parents themselves do not sway my political beliefs,” Denston said.

Out-of-state student Emily Stamey made it a point to vote absentee for her home state of Maine.

“I don’t believe my vote counts very much, but it’s still important to me, if that makes sense,” Stamey commented. Stamey expressed a lot of interest in Maine state-level issues, but does not want to take part in any in Florida.

If there is one thing Stetson students seem to agree on, it is the fact that bringing up politics in conversation is still a floor of lava people do not want to touch, despite being in a heavily-academic environment where political and social discussion is encouraged.

According to Assistant Director of Community Engagement Kevin Winchell, there is a national trend toward young people being more civically engaged, despite being less politically engaged. While many students connect to socio-political causes, they are less likely to label them under the umbrella of politics and would rather put them in the category of non-partisan social justice, despite many social justice causes being at the heart of political platforms.

As Goodwin put it, this may be because the term “politics” in itself tends to almost be a dirty word.

“It causes too many problems than it’s worth most of the time,” said Goodwin on the subject. “It’s nice to engage in thought-provoking political conversations, but not at the sake of friendships; it’s not worth it.”

“I can only talk about politics if I already know my friends agree,” Stamey commented. “I don’t think I could even befriend someone with different political ideals; the conversations would be too awkward.”

“My friends and I do not discuss politics normally,” added McTaggart. “I don’t like confrontation or disagreement.”

While student voter response may seem bleak for the midterms, it seems that the national elections in 2016 will be set to draw a larger response. Only time will tell what the atmosphere of presidential election season will bring to Stetson or if passion for national issues will encourage students to use their political voice.

2 NEWS

R R

Campus Club Stands with Columbia Rape Victim

Better Campus, Better Earth Environmental Club helps plant trees on campus

Students Against Sexual Assault raises awareness by participating in “Help Carry the Weight” campaign Caroline Willianms Staff Writer Last month, Columbia University student Emma Sulkowicz vowed to carry her mattress everywhere she went until the university expelled her alleged rapist. Her action inspired students on Columbia’s campus to help her, and eventually, students from other colleges and universities began carrying mattresses to show support for Sulkowicz.

These demonstrations have turned into a national movement called “Help Carry the Weight.”

On Oct. 29, students all across the country carried mattresses and pillows to help raise sexual assault awareness and to support its victims.

Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA), a national club on Stetson’s campus, also partici-

pated in Help Carry the Weight.

Members of the organization met in front of the CUB with two twin mattresses and carried them to the quad, where they had a table set up with information about sexual assault.

SASA member Christina Canalizo found out about Hep Carry the Weight from a friend at another university and was inspired to bring it to Stetson’s campus.

“The mission of the event is to raise awareness about victims who have been sexually assaulted, especially those who are afraid or ashamed to speak out, or try to speak out, and were silenced by authorities, family, or friends,” said Canalizo. “The point of this is to carry the weight that Emma and other victims carry with them every day; we are sharing in that burden.”

SASA tabled in the quad from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 29.

A board with facts and statistics about sexual assault was on display, as well as flyers explaining the “Help Carry the Weight” campaign and information about SASA at Stetson.

The mattresses were propped against adjacent palm trees, and other students were encouraged to write inspiring and hopeful messages for victims of sexual assault.

These messages were then taped to the mattresses so passers-by could read their positive words.

Canalizo hopes to raise awareness for sexual assault and sees it as an important issue, especially on college campuses. “These are our fellow students who have been sexually assaulted,” she said.

“How could you not care about what happens to them and what they’re going through?”

For those interested in the organization, SASA meets every other Friday at 4 p.m. in CUB 255.

Left photo: Members of SASA tabling in the quad.

Bottom left photo: SASA “carries the weight” as they walk to the quad.

Bottom right photo: One of the mattresses displaying messages of support for sexual assault victims.

Photo credit: Caroline Williams

Editor-in-Chief Katie Dezes Managing Editor Samuel Votaw News Editor Sarah Dean Sports Editor Sean McKnight Opinion Editor Michael Van Oppen

A & E Editor Garen Freed Layout Design Editor Valerie Garcia Layout Designers Sarah Dean Colleen Palmateer Web Editor Michael Galvez

Business Manager Hallie Smith Circulation Manager Jacob Helwig Faculty Advisor Andy Dehnart Staff Advisor John Sheehy

Staff Writers Amber Cox Caroline Williams Staff Photographers Nicole Frechette Shadee Rios Staff Contributors Kaley Fulton Konner Krieger Mimi Shimkovska

Above photo: A group photo taken upon completion of the project. Pictured from left: Ashni Deschenes, Briane Boldrin, Laurie Scott, Logan Dodson, Justin Baumann, and Martha Hunsucker.

Below photos: Before and after shots of the tree-planting space.

Photos courtesy of Logan Dodson

Sarah Dean News Editor The north side of campus got a little bit greener on Oct. 30 after volunteers from the Stetson Environmental Club, Facilities Management, and others from around the community planted trees in an unused retention pond.

The old pond, located in front of the fraternity houses at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Amelia Avenues, gained 12 new trees, with a variety of species included.

Facilities Management ordered the trees the week before planting, and they were delivered Thursday morning, ready to be planted by the crew of nearly 20 volunteers from Stetson alone.

Environmental Club President Logan Dodson stressed the importance of adding trees to the Stetson landscape.

“Not only do they [trees] store carbon dioxide, helping in the battle against climate change and improving local air quality, but they also provide shade and help to anchor soil to reduce erosion,” Dodson said. “This site Mission Statement We are committed to you.

We will deliver content that’s fair-minded and respectful of the diverse opinions and viewpoints of our readers. We are responsible for covering the Stetson community and providing our readers with consistent, accurate and factual information in new and

was a perfect place to plant trees because it was not extensively used and wasn’t attractive in its current state.”

Dodson noted how exciting it was to work with Al Allen and Dave Rigsby when planning and coordinating the project, and expressed his thanks for their participation and their skills in hydrology, environmental design, and project management.

The club hopes this planting will be just the first step in turning the area into a more heavily-forested environment on campus, similar to the Forest of Arden.

“In the future, we hope to plant more trees in the pond to create a forest-like environment,” Dodson said.

“The planting of these trees also helps support how Stetson University is a ‘tree campus’ and DeLand is a ‘tree city,’” Dodson added.

Hopes are high for a similar project that will add more trees to the area and will take place as soon as next semester.

“A tree bank on campus? It’s not impossible!” Dodson said. “I would really love to participate in that project.” creative ways. We will maintain the standards expected of a professional and credible news organization, which includes a serious commitment to honest, transparency, and growth. We are conscious of our influence, holding ourselves accountable to our readers and to our own standards of journalistic integrity.

NEWS

Stetson Says Goodbye to Beloved Dean Mimi Shimkovska Staff Contributor

November 7, 2014 3 Events This Week: Thursday, November 6 Airwaves 7 PM - 11 PM, Edmunds Center

Additional reporting by Katie Dezes Editor-in-Chief Rosalie Carpenter, Dean of Students at Stetson, is leaving the university this week after working here for eleven years.

Carpenter will be taking a position at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama as the new Vice President for Student Affairs.

Carpenter described the transition as bittersweet. “I have had eleven wonderful and rewarding years at Stetson,” Carpenter said. “Of course, I’m excited for a new challenge and adventure, but I will never be able to duplicate the sense of community here.”

Carpenter is dearly beloved at Stetson by students and faculty alike. Her dedication for the institution and the students within is expressed by the the kind words others said about her during her last week on campus.

Debra Tate, Rosalie Carpenter’s assistant, said Carpenter is very outgoing with students and staff, and is always able to put a smile on people’s faces.

“Very little gets by her… she is always willing to meet with faculty and students,” Tate said.

Student Jamie Walsh de-

Uncouth Hour 9 PM - 10:30 PM, NiteLites Friday, November 7 The Importance of Being Autodidactic 11 AM - 12 PM, Stetson Room The Ukrainian Crisis and the Reshaping of Russia’s Ideological Landscape 4 PM - 6 PM, Elizabeth Hall, Room 319 Juried Student Art Exhibition Opening Reception 6 PM - 8 PM, Hand Art Center Pep Rally & Entertainment 8 PM - 11 PM, Edmunds Center

Photo courtesy of Rosalie Carpenter scribed Carpenter as extremely nice and very personable. “She is basically perfect,” Walsh said. “She makes sure people are smiling everyday.”

Carpenter said the people are what have made working at Stetson such a rewarding experience. “I appreciate the kindness and respect I’ve been shown over the years,” she said.

As Dean of Students, Carpenter worked with Greek life, first year programs as well as transition programs, leadership developments and the Student Government Association.

Carpenter was awarded the Robert D. Bradshaw Small Colleges Student Advocate Award

in 2013 from the National Association of Students Affairs Administration in honor of her dedication to student issues.

Carpenter started her academic career here at Stetson and graduated with a bachelor of science degree. She earned her masters in higher education administration from the University of South Carolina. From Weatherhead School of Management, Carpenter earned her masters in positive organizational development and change.

“I’m an alum so my pride and love for Stetson is really deep,” Carpenter said. “I will definitely be back for Homecoming and events like that.”

Public Safety Report Highlight Reel Case #20140802: On Oct. 21, a student reported his wallet missing. The student believed he dropped his wallet somewhere along Woodland Boulevard as he was walking back to campus after a trip to Wal-Mart.

Case #20140803: On Oct. 22, a student reported his long board missing after he left it alone outside Conrad Hall. When the student returned after a few minutes, the longboard was nowhere to be found. The case is being considered a petty theft.

Case #20140806: On Oct. 22, a minor hit-and-run accident took place in the LBC parking lot. There was only minor damage and no injuries. The student involved has been identified and has provided insurance information.

Case #20140807: On Oct. 22, a student was off-campus when she reported being struck by an object as a motorcycle passed her. Public Safety reports that it is possible the student may have been slapped on the backside.

Case #20140810: On Oct. 24, a report of criminal mischief was filed at House E after a student kicked a door off of its hinges. The student responsible has been identified.

Case #20140811: On Oct. 24, House E was subject to criminal mischief once again. A student was observed driving on the grass and doing donuts. Investigation of this incident is still pending.

Case #20140815: On Oct. 24, A non-student was reportedly trespassing on campus near the Cummings Gym. A local resident, who Public Safety reports could “possibly be described as developmentally challenged,” was spotted hanging around the Cummings Gym for a few days, and a few students reported concern. The non-student was identified and given a trespass warning.

Case #20140816: On Oct. 24, there was a minor hit-and-run accident in the Chaudoin Hall parking lot. There were no injuries, and there have been no leads on the offending driver in the case.

Case #20140817: On Oct. 24, there was a reported verbal altercation between students at Hatter Hall. The students, who were boyfriend and girlfriend, had the situation resolved shortly.

Case #20140827: On Oct. 28, a Smith Hall student reported a concern with his/her roommate, after becoming concerned about the roommate’s drinking patterns.

Saturday, November 8 Homecoming Tailgate & Carnival 12 PM - 3 PM, Hatter Village Football vs. Marist 3 PM - 6 PM, Spec Martin Stadium Volleyball vs. Kennesaw State 5 PM - 7 PM, Edmunds Center Alumnus Recital: Brent Pafford, piano 7:30 PM - 9 PM, Lee Chapel Sunday, November 9 Volleyball vs. USC Upstate 5 PM - 7 PM, Edmunds Center Monday, November 10 Raw Fusion Discussion and Demonstration 5 PM - 8 PM, Allen Hall Holocaust Day of Remembrance 7 PM - 8:30 PM, Stetson Room HIV/AIDS in America Film Series: “Rent” 7 PM - 9:30 PM, duPont-Ball Library, Room 25L Tuesday, November 11 On Stage Alaska 3 PM - 4 PM, Sanborn Center–751 S Alabama Ave, DeLand First Pitch Contest 5 PM - 9 PM, Rinker Auditorium, LBC Stetson Military Awareness Week: “Restrepo” Movie Night 6 PM - 8:30 PM, Allen Hall Auditorium LGBTQ in the Work Force 7 PM - 9 PM, LBC Wednesday, November 12 PRIDE Dancers 7 PM - 8:30 PM, Stetson Room Voices Through the Shadows 7 PM - 8:30 PM, Allen Hall Thursday, November 13 Voces Hispanas 7 PM - 9 PM, Rinker Auditorium, LBC Beyond the Surface: An Evening with Lauren Hill 7:30 PM - 9 PM, duPont-Ball Library, 25L Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure 8 PM - 10 PM, Second Stage Theatre, Museum of Art

4 OPINION

R R

Why We Need to You Can Live, Redefine or Expand but You Can’t Live Here General Education

How seemingly inadequate on-campus housing causes anger and contradicts Stetson’s strategic goals

Newly renamed Deland Inn, where many Stetson students have been housed.

Photo credit: Shadee Rios Kaley Fulton Staff Conrtributor Over the first half of this semester, I have heard more about Stetson’s values and their supposed meanings than in any other time as a student here, as a result of policies like the Tobacco Free Plan, monuments like “The Rock,” and annual events such as Values Day. In an effort to reflect upon the university’s values and to gain insight regarding plans for the future of Stetson, I recently read the 2015-2019 strategic plan, which outlines the objectives and vision of the university for the next five years.

One of the principle initiatives of the plan is to “recruit the best students for Stetson University”– a logical and worthy goal indeed. To achieve said goal, a committee of administration, faculty, and a few students was established to create a strategic enrollment plan.

This enrollment plan aims to increase overall student recruitment and recruitment among certain populations, including students of color and international students, to achieve the university’s overall goal of “recruiting the best students for Stetson” and creating a “diverse and inclusive community.” These goals and initiatives are fantastic and I am grateful that the university is taking action to increase diversity on campus.

However, these aims all imply an increase in the overall student population at Stetson. Aside from the fact that more students will likely create the need for larger class sizes, which could lessen opportunities for personalized learning and student–professor interactions, there is no current initiative to construct new residential structures on campus.

In a personal interview, Christopher Kandus-Fisher, Stetson’s VP of Student Affairs, explained that while housing expansion plans have yet to be of-

ficially announced, Stetson will ensure that housing correlates with the increasing population.

On-campus housing has already caused controversy among students when the Department of Housing and Residential Life announced late last semester that the majority of the class of 2015 would need to find off-campus housing for the current academic year.

Kandus-Fisher articulated that the aim of this policy was to allow seniors the option to live off-campus, which has been a typical trend in recent years. He stressed that any student who wishes to live on campus is permitted to do so. In fact, there are sixty open housing assignments on campus. However, the lack of advanced notice and the feeling of being “kicked off” campus caused some anger and resentment.

Beyond negative sentiments, however, the lack of on-campus housing seemingly contradicts the values of the Housing and Residential Life department and the initiatives within the strategic plan.

The Housing and Residential Life website cites evidence from a National Education Statistics publication that, “students living on campus have higher academic achievement, stay in school until graduation at higher rates and are generally more satisfied with their college experience.” In fact, the NES publication stated that living on campus had the greatest indirect (non-educational) impact on student success and satisfaction.

The ability to live on campus allows one to feel more connected to the university through easier club participation and greater opportunities to study and network with other students outside of class. Increased scholastic achievement and student satisfaction translate to higher graduation rates (one of Stetson’s goals) and quite possibility, the prospect of satisfied alumni becoming satisfied donors to Stetson.

The administration may argue that by senior year, one has likely established connections on campus already. While this may be true, the combination of not living on campus with the closure of the CUB, formerly open to all students, to students with meal plans only (mainly underclassmen), and the closure of social spaces like the Coffee Shop on Saturdays limits the chances for upperclassmen to engage on campus in a non-academic context, thus creating a restricted or exclusionary community rather than the “ diverse and inclusive community” Stetson strives to be.

Kandus-Fisher stressed the need for community spaces and understands the “legitimate concerns of students” about this issue.

Unfortunately, due to the terms of the dining contract, the CUB cannot be used any longer as a social and interactive space for dialogue among students, faculty, and community members as it once did.

However, comfortable furniture and increased technology for drafting group presentations will be added to the Garden Room soon in an effort to serve the same roles that the CUB did previously. While the Garden Room is not centrally located, and thus, less convenient of a space to access, it is a worthwhile alternative space.

As for the Coffee Shop, the space is not lucrative and cannot continue to remain open on Saturdays. However, last semester, the space was open for social and study purposes without concern for how much food was sold. Unfortunately, damage occurred to some of the equipment, eliminating the possibility of it remaining an exclusively social space on Saturdays.

If the primary objective of the strategic enrollment plan is to “address issues that impede Stetson University’s attempt to enroll, maintain, and graduate students,” it would be logical to allow students the option to live on campus, or at least maintain the three year on-campus requirement.

Instead, by failing to precisely communicate plans to accommodate a greater population, the university has contributed to the student belief that there is a lack of transparency on campus.

Moreover, the negative sentiments about housing from members of the senior class has already lead to dissatisfaction and potentially hinders Stetson’s goal to increase retention and graduation rates through (albeit unintentionally) creating feelings of isolation and resentment rather than community.

Konner Krieger Staff Conrtributor

Students spend roughly one third of their college careers and thousands of dollars in tuition taking multiple classes outside their major concentration.

These classes are known as Gen Eds, and Stetson, as well as other colleges, require students to pass them in order to graduate.

The purpose of Stetson’s general education program is, in a nutshell, to help the student learn basic critical and analytical thinking skills and develop a broad foundation and understanding of knowledge. These proficiencies are important, but is a general education program the best method to acquire them if students have to spend this much time and money?

And are general education programs even accomplishing these goals?

The main critique of Gen Eds is that they are too broad and too shallow. Their impact is negligible because students don’t retain much knowledge from a single class over the course of four years.

If that is the case, why should a student spend 30 percent of their college career learning information they will most likely forget by the time they graduate? For example, most students are only required to take two semesters of a modern language–hardly enough time to develop anything beyond an elementary proficiency in the language, which is practically useless in the real world.

If Stetson wants students to graduate with a working knowledge of a language that will be useful to the student after college, they should increase the requirement to at least two, even three, years. Anything less than that is simply not enough time for the student to absorb enough information.

Another problem with Gen Eds is that students generally don’t think the classes are useful and have little incentive to put forth effort to learn the material.

If this is the student’s mindset, they will bring an apathetic attitude to class and will be more concerned with taking easy classes to get a good grade than challenging themselves to learn something new.

Opponents might argue that this is a problem with the student’s attitude rather than the curriculum, and in some cases that can be true.

A management major who

complains that he shouldn’t have to take accounting classes is lazy; an understanding of the principles of accounting is necessary in the business world. In that instance, it would be better to force the student to take the accounting class for his benefit.

The issue arises when the curriculum forces students to take classes so far outside their major concentration that a viable connection can’t be made between them. If that same management major complained about having to satisfy a creative arts general education requirement with a music class then he isn’t being lazy; he’s being reasonable.

This problem is exacerbated because the loose distribution structure of Stetson’s Gen Ed curriculum is irrational. Students end up taking a series of random courses in different content areas with no connection to their major.

Students can also avoid the more challenging classes and take easy classes instead. For example, some Stetson students can avoid math-based courses by taking a class in logic to satisfy the math requirement.

If students aren’t challenging themselves, they aren’t learning, and they have to be able to build on knowledge from prior courses. Learning the material in the courses isn’t enough. The Gen Ed curriculum must also be comprehensive, connective, and useful.

So is general education worth it? A well-rounded education is important, but the current structure of general education curriculums is too costly, wasteful, and irrational to justify the time and money spent completing it and should be abolished and replaced with a more effective program.

At the very least, there should be more of a connection between a student’s major concentration and their general education requirements. The problem is that administrators try to design a general education curriculum to be “one-size fits all.”

Each curriculum needs to be tailored to the student. Administrators don’t realize that each student has different needs and aspirations, and that one class could be vital to one student and useless to the next. In college, students shouldn’t be forced to waste their time memorizing random pieces of information on every subject offered on campus. They should be able to pursue the subjects they love– the subjects they want to study and use for the rest of their lives.

Itching to share your opinion?

Email us at reporter@stetson.edu

November 7, 2014

OPINION

American Colleges Aren’t Carrying Their Weight Sexual assault and rape on college campuses is an epidemic that needs to end, and it can start with us Sarah Dean News Editor It’s become apparent, at least to me, over the past couple of months that many American colleges and universities are not treating rape and sexual assault like the serious crimes that they are.

As the Washington Post reported in September, one in five women will be sexually assaulted during college, often during their first year or by someone they know.

Many schools treat rape accusations as minor offenses that result in mild academic punishment or suspension, rather than expulsion or legal action of any kind.

I am very ashamed of our college system. This continuous cycle of victim-blaming and seemingly brushing rape off as a minor offense rather than what it actually is (a serious felony), is repulsive.

In case you weren’t familiar with this semester’s most famous example: Columbia University student Emma Sulkowicz vowed to carry her dorm room mattress around at all times until the student who raped her was expelled. As she turned her actions into a visual arts display called “Carry That Weight,” Sulkowicz’s story has gone viral, with similar movements or tributes to her actions popping up at schools around the country, even here at Stetson (see Caroline Williams’ story on page two for more information about that).

Sulkowicz was even featured, mattress in-tow, on the cover of New York Magazine, which heralded her actions as the beginning of “a very different kind of sexual revolution on campus.”

Even President Obama and others at the White House are stepping up, with the recently-launched “It’s On Us” cam-

paign to draw attention to the problem of rape and sexual assaults at colleges nationwide.

This is one positive step forward, because instead of just giving women tips on how to avoid being assaulted, such as changing their clothing or behaviors, it actually tries to tackle the real problem by encouraging male students to stop inappropriate and abusive behaviors in themselves and others. At last, a campaign to try and stop the behavior exists, rather than pointing fingers at possible victims.

While those taking part in President Obama’s “It’s On Us” campaign agree and pledge to stop both the presence of sexual assault and the rape culture that is rampant on college campuses, simply signing an online pledge and forgetting about it by the next morning is not going to do anything.

Despite this issue receiving heavy media attention in the last few months, many schools continue to do little-to-nothing to change their stances on these incidents or to stop their victim-blaming behavior.

Just last week in an “Understanding Sexual Assault” presentation at Ramapo College in New Jersey, female students were instructed to “watch their body language” and “practice their facial expressions in the mirror” to avoid being raped or assaulted.

It should be the easiest, simplest thing in the world to realize what rape is and to not do it.

Consent is consent; being too drunk to talk or make proper decisions is NOT consent.

Turning away, pushing away, and crying all show a lack of consent. No means no, people.

This is something you’ve been hearing since high school, but for some reason, it is something this country cannot seem to get.

Here at Stetson, we have a chance to make a difference. We can end rape culture and change our behavior toward each other

www.Facebook.com/ StetsonReporter

twitter

@SU_Reporter

for good. Just use your brains.

There are several things you can do to help change your school and reset the minds of our entire generation, and to set the stage for the many generations of students who will follow us.

Do not catcall people in the street. It’s not a compliment; it’s rude. There is a difference between being paid a compliment and having a crude comment shouted at you from the other side of the sidewalk, or being honked or whistled at from a car.

Do not touch anyone without their permission. It is not fun nor complimentary in any way to be involuntarily groped or slapped on the backside.

Don’t make nasty comments about women (or anyone for that matter) based on their physical appearance. Really think about what you’re saying or doing and who it’s hurting; think about what kind of environment you’re creating on campus.

Most of all, just think about and observe your actions and the actions of others. If you witness assault or are assaulted, report it immediately.

If you notice someone being inappropriate to another student, say something to them. Discourage your friends from doing any of the things I just mentioned, and you can help tear apart rape culture on this campus.

We can be the school that rises above this epidemic and comes out on top. We can be the school where women can safely walk the streets around campus and go to parties without fearing for their safety.

It is going to take a lot of persistence to overcome years of preconceived social behaviors and mindsets, but despite the way this is still being treated today, I believe we at Stetson can really make a difference and stop this problem in its tracks.

And if we have the courage to step up, than other colleges can too.

5

Ask the Wiseass Dear WiseAss, Where is the best tasting grass on campus found? Do you prefer the Stetson Green, the Forest of Arden, or another area?

- Looking for Good Grass Dear Looking Good, It’s always good to hear from an avid Ass reader, one who obviously understands the plight of the marginalized livestock on campus such as myself. As a minority of one, I appreciate and share your concern about our meager pasture offerings on the Stetson campus. It is all, in a word, deplorable.

The Stetson Green, as we all know, has remained the primary source of Administration-supplied pasturage since the useless historical landmarks that once littered the place were finally demolished. Now, the Powers-that-Be conscientiously maintain the Green; their little slave workers water it at all hours in every direction with riot-grade water cannons. They meticulously mow and trim—even during everyone’s biggest testing periods. They even tear it all up to completely replace it multiple times per year. Really, they’ve spared no expense to keep their domestic farm animals happy, and I truly appreciate the effort.

Alas, I’m sorry to say, the grass of Stetson Green tastes like Hatter-feces. The lawn is short and rubbery, often bare or sun-burnt, constantly infiltrated by bitter dollarweed, and of an unnaturally dark green hue that I suspect they spray paint in the night.

There used to be one tasty spot where the old, natural grass broke through and an Ass could munch in peace and pleasure, but somebody dumped some stupid rocks there.

No, Looking Good, I’m afraid that these days, if you want to find good grass at Stetson, you’ll have to talk to Paco in Nemec Hall. Tell him the Ass said you’re cool.

Dreaming of greener pastures,

-WiseAss Dear WiseAss, Have you ever had a pet goldfish jump out of your fish tank, but your cat eats part of it before you find it and then it’s left on the rug and when you go to clean it off the rug there are some fish guts left over so you grab some carpet cleaner and a rag and try to scrub it, but instead of coming out, the guts are just smeared so you go to your friend to ask advice on how to get the stain out because the rug is your most prized possession...like it was passed down in your family for generations...so you go to ask you friend, and he/she tells you to take it to a professional cleaner and you do, but when you come back to get the rug the cleaner dude gives you back another one and you are like ‘dude, that’s not my rug’ and he is like ‘yes it is man’ and you are like ‘no it isn’t’ and he is like ‘yes it is’ so eventually you get really angry and start yelling at him and he finally is like ‘Jeez, ok man...I didn’t know the rug was so important to you’ and admits that he sold your rug, but before you get pissed you realize that you are just dreaming all of it after watching The Big Lebowski?

Did that ever happen to you?

- Run-On Ruby Dear Run-On Ruby, Um, nope.

Slightly bewildered but still yours,

-WiseAss If you have a burning question you would like answered in a wise, but ass-y manner, feel free to email us at reporter@ stetson.edu and read the response in next week’s issue.

6A&E

R R

Artist Spotlight: Natalie Kitts

Each issue, the “Artist Spotlight” will acknowledge a student arist and their creative contributions to the Stetson community and beyond

Photo courtesy of Natalie Kitts Garen Knight Freed A&E Editor Reflecting on her recent gig with the Lakeside Chamber Players at the Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora, Senior Natalie Kitts seems completely content with her life in the music world.

It seems that the Tampa-native was practically born with a violin in her hand. She attests that she can’t even remember a period in her life where she wasn’t playing.“I was given a small, cardboard-like violin when I was a toddler,” she said.

In middle and high school, Kitts proved her impeccable skills as a violinist not only in her school orchestra, but also in the Tampa Bay Youth Orchestra, Pinellas Youth Symphony, Hillsborough All-County Orchestra, and Florida All-State Orchestra.

Kitts admits that she did slack off a bit during her junior year of high school. However, Kitts was determined to get a music scholarship to a renowned university and practiced for several hours a day to strengthen her virtuosity.

Eventually, her discipline paid off when she received a music scholarship from Stetson University.

Her first two years at Stetson, Kitts studied under Profes-

sor Routa Kroumovitch, a Stetson faculty member that is often referred to as “one of the best violinists of her generation.”

However, after two year of intense musical discipline, Kitts grew exhausted of structured music. Kitts said, “I was doing weekly lessons; I was doing five rehearsals a week; I had concerts where I would have to travel to some of them; it was just so structured, and that’s not really how I enjoy things.”

Despite this, Kitts admits that she couldn’t imagine her life without violin.

Kitts comes from quite the musically inclined family, who has continuously supported her musical endeavors. Her parents, Stewart and Sandra Buscemi-Kitts, are both classically-trained professional violinists. Additionally, Kitts’ older sister, Stetson School of Music alum Liz Kitts, is also a professional violinist.

It was her family that Kitts looked to as she struggled to maintain enjoyment while playing violin at Stetson. Although Kitts ultimately withdrew from the school of music, she said that by getting rid of the structured environment of music, she was able to rediscover her love for violin.

Since getting back into violin last year, Kitts has tailored

Climbing Poetree Inspires and Motivates Sam Votaw Managing Editor Spoken word/activist duo Climbing Poetree performed last Monday in the Stetson Room for an event organized by the Cross Cultural Center.

Alixa Garcia and Naima Penniman who make up the group, performed at Stetson as the last stop on a short, two-week collegiate tour around the Southeast.

With Penniman hailing from Brooklyn, New York and Garcia from Columbia, the two have been working and performing together around the world for 11 years. They both specialize in a brand of poetry defined as ‘slam,’ which mixes spoken word recitation with hiphop delivery. Their artform also involves social conscious messages to inspire and educate audiences through their rhetoric and multimedia visuals.

Discussing social justice topics such as racial profiling, the prison industrial complex, representation in media, and real world implications of rape culture–amongst other issues– Garcia and Penniman showcased six powerful pieces highlighting ways humans can be a force of change.

Musically accompanying the duo on two pieces was senior guitarist Kevin Berstler, who also introduced them at the beginning of the event, emphasizing the sincerity in their craft.

The slam duo also showed excerpts from their two-hour, award winning multimedia project “Hur-

ricane Season: the Hidden Messages in Water,” which focuses on the cultural, economical, and environmental effects after Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters.

Several dozen students and faculty members sat attentively focused on every word and syllable pouring Gatling-gun style out of the two poets mouths and the visuals accompanying them, applauding furiously after each piece was finished.

The group’s outreach for the night wasn’t just in the realm of poetry.

Decorating the corners of the room were 50 pounds of colorful fabric sewn squares, each depicting drawn on “Stories, Testimonies, Intentions, Truths, Confessions, Healing, Expressions, & Dreams” from previous audience members.

The project, a staple of the group’s work since 2005, is seen as a way to let individuals tell their truths.

“The word is really powerful to speak to the heart by telling stories,” Penniman said. “We recognize that we can paint a lot of pictures in people’s minds through lyricism and other dimensions… but its through this colorful tapestry that we can hear other people’s stories that might be tough to swallow or hard to hear, but are necessary to listen to.”

The group aims to make their Hurricane Season media a curriculum that can be used in colleges around the world.

More information about the duo can be found on www.climbingpoetree.com

her musical environment to be exactly what she wants it to be.

Instead of working as a full-time music student, Kitts picks and chooses the musical ventures that she wants to participate in.

For the last two years, Kitts has performed with the Port Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, in which she is the youngest member of the orchestra.

Aside from taking part in various chamber orchestra gigs, Kitts was recently offered her biggest music gig to date – performing side by side with Irish singing group Celtic Thunder.

After graduating in May 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Kitts plans on continuing to regularly perform at random gigs, expressing her passion for violin in a loosely structured environment.

Know a great Stetson artist?

Nominate them for artist spotight by emailing reporter@ steston.edu

Top photo: Climbing Poetree members perform a spoken word piece. Pictured from left: Stetson senior Kevin Berstler, Alixa Garcia, and Naima Penniman.

Bottom photo: Pieces of the art project S.T.I.T.C.H.E.D, described in the article above, were hung around the Stetson Room during the Climbing Poetree performance.

Photo credit: Sam Votaw

November 7, 2014 7

A&E

Album Review

Can’t Buy Me Love (but You Can Buy Me Concert Tickets)

Hook-obsessed and candy-coated

Paul McCartney takes Jacksonville by storm

Taylor Swift’s 1989 is Nothing New Amber Cox Staff Writer Taylor Swift’s 1989, a zealously sterile pop album, viciously scrubbed clean of any grimy country remnants, solidifies itself as an unflinching declaration of shiny, pop conformity and an ultimate embodiment of the low artistic standards set by the current music industry.

Significantly more electronic than anything Taylor Swift has done before, 1989 is fueled by synthesizers, pulsing bass lines, and heavily processed vocals.

This vibrant, gossamer sheen that accompanies Swift’s shift to pop is nothing but expected with hit-maker Max Martin involved.

However, even with the aid of Max Martin and various other musical top dogs, 1989 is a dull, yet overly grand, gesture.

Despite the glowing reviews floating around, it’s more than clear that 1989 is not worthy of the praise.

Granted, the tracks are catchy; but Taylor Swift is not covering any new ground. Nearly all of the songs sound like they have been done before and, to be perfectly frank, they have and they’ve been done better.

The worst lyrics of the album are found prowling in the album’s opening track “Welcome To New York,” which is Swift’s homage to her new home in NYC. The repeating chorus, “Welcome to New York — It’s been waiting for you!” is unforgivably dull.

The song unrealistically describes New York as some magical bright place with no traces of rats or human urine.

Vocally, Swift has always been limited. In this album, Swift’s nasal vocals are amplified to a ridiculous point that harms the ears in a nature similar to what eyes face after staring directly into the sun at noon.

Swift’s vocals have also allowed me to understand what a

Sarah Dean News Editor

mid-life crisis must feel like: the world suddenly appears empty and hopeless, and the overwhelming urge to purchase a motorcycle or get a tattoo just to feel again was consciously fought.

The hook of “New Romantics,” – “Heartbreak is the national anthem/ we sing it proudly” – hits as simultaneously stale and emo, not to mention cliché.

“Blank Space” is Swift’s cheerier take on Lorde’s minimal electro-pop, but without the execution or quality. Swift plays up her media image as a stage five man-eating clinger: “Got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane/ But I’ve got a blank space and I’ll write your name.”

“Blank Spaces” does, however, masterfully build as Swift and her co-producers add layers and layers of sounds with an acoustic guitar and a powerfully repeating “oh!”

Pure bubblegum confection combined with the gleaming polish in “All You Had to Do Was Stay” and “How You Get the Girl” proves the distinction Swift has attempted to make between herself and other artists isn’t re-

ally there.

The pulsating disco anthem in “Style,” however, packs a real dirty ’70s groove. It is quickly overtaken by the poorly fashioned, repetitive lyrics.

There is a certain lushness and vaporous quality to “Wildest Dreams, “that when coupled with Swift’s Lana Del Rey imitation gives the song a breathy, dark, and moody glamour. “He’s so tall, and handsome as hell,” she sings in a huskily, melodramatic voice.

“Clean,” features Swift partnering with composer Imogen Heap, and she likens a relationship to “a wine-stained dress I can’t wear anymore.”

“I Know Places,” features intense drum and bass action and some catchy lyrics, but that doesn’t save it from being boring.

Like any other well-manufactured pop album, almost any one of these songs could easily be hits. But in the attempt to produce a sugary, candy-coated pop sound, Swift has likewise managed to sand down any and all of the bumps and ridges that once made her worth listening to.

Former Beatle and rock superstar Paul McCartney may be 72, but he can still put on a fantastic concert like it’s ‘72.

After seeing McCartney at Amway Center last year, I was even more excited to see him at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena this past week. I knew that a whole new breed of concert awaited me in the performance Paul would give, and I was not let down.

Three hours of music, dozens of instrument changes, and a crazy pyrotechnics display later, I walked out of Veterans Memorial Arena on a stronger post-concert buzz than I’ve ever had.

It’s clear McCartney knows how to please his fans. He played a fantastic balance of Beatles hits, while mixing in some lesser-listened-to favorites. He also included the best of Wings (his post-Beatle band, for those who aren’t familiar) and songs from his solo albums, including some refreshing pieces from his newest album, aptly titled New. Paul is a seasoned professional musician, but he still brings the liveliness, energy, and passion for music that he had 50 years ago to the stage. But besides his ever-youthful energy, he now has an air of nostalgia about a few of his songs and is more open to talking to his audience than in years past.

The concert was a trip through decades of musical and personal history for McCartney, swinging

from the upbeat ‘60s and ‘70s pop hits to the more emotionally-driven songs, such as “My Valentine,” a song for Paul’s newest wife Nancy, and the real tearjerker “Here Today,” a song written for John Lennon after his tragic passing in 1980.

And of course, nothing incites emotion in a crowd like “Let It Be.” McCartney had the crowd leaning on his every chord as he effortlessly bounced between at least five different instruments and at least five different decades of his musical repertoire.

He played 38 different pieces in a three-hour spectacle complete with two encores; I cannot even begin to describe the greatness in every song. However, one thing is very clear, and that’s the fact that there are very few, if any artists, who can match a performance by Paul McCartney.

He ended the concert with the perfect song: “The End,” one of the most memorable Beatles songs from what was ironically very close to the end of their time together.

The song felt both as energizing and as melancholy as if I was hearing him perform the song the day it was written, yet mixed with the years of experience that came afterward.

I know it may be the last time that I have the pleasure of seeing Paul McCartney perform live, so of course, I will always be grateful for it. However I couldn’t help but feel optimistic as Paul shouted “See you next time!” as he waved and walked off the stage. I have high hopes that there will be a next time, and I’ll definitely be there for it.

Small Business Spotlight: Pat and Toni’s Sweet Things Caroline Williams Staff Writer

Photo credit: Sarah Dean

Downtown DeLand is known for its quaint, small-town feel and unique small businesses.

Pat and Toni’s Sweet Things is one such business. Owned by married couple Patrick McMahon and Toni Bruzzese, Sweet Things is an old-fashioned candy and chocolate store, reminiscent of the 1950’s and earlier.

On Oct. 25, Sweet Things had their grand re-opening after switching locations. The store used to be located at 132 N Woodland Boulevard, next to De La Vega, and is now on the corner of Woodland and West Indiana at

124 N Woodland Boulevard. The new space is bigger and offers more options to customers.

According to McMahon, the old space was getting too small for their growing business. When Casey’s went out of business, Sweet Things decided to take the opportunity to expand.

“Besides looking for more room to do more things, the move was also designed to be able to service customers that were looking more for chocolate as opposed to candy,” said McMahon. “We can also do bigger events with bigger items. Now that we’re more of a chocolate store, we’re hoping to pick up more of those bigger sales with bigger customers.”

The new space is indeed larger, and Sweet Things was able to add more to their inventory, including a variety of roasted nuts, more retro candy, another case of chocolate, and even ice cream.

“The concept of retro candy fits in with this building—it’s over 100 years old,” McMahon said.

“It’s [the store] really good for the town too,” McMahon added. “This town is growing so much that it’s almost at the point where it’s like your Gatlinburgs, your Asheville North Carolina towns, St. Augustines—they all have that candy store in them.

This town was definitely ready for something like this.”

8 SPORTS

R R

Stetson Beats Campbell on the Road, 28-24 Football team on verge of making a deep run into the Pioneer League Playoffs

Quarterback Ryan Tentler out-runs Campbell Defenders for a gain of yards.

Photo credit: Nicole Frechette Sean McKnight Sports Editor This past Saturday, the Hatters were riding high on the way to Buies Creek, North Carolina after taking down Davidson the week before. After a hard fought 60 minutes of nonstop action, the Hatters were able to take down the Campbell Camels on the road, and in the process, have shifted the momentum for the season.

With this win, Stetson has improved to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in the Pioneer League.

From the very start of this match, the Hatters trailed behind Campbell, a situation they have found themselves in time and time again. Stetson did not take the lead until there was only 4:03 left on the clock, when Ryan Tentler had a beauty of a pass connect with Rob Coggin for a 37-yard touchdown on a fourth down play.

With a few minutes left on the clock and the score at 2824, in favor of Stetson, Campbell methodically drove down the field. Ryan Powers sealed the victory for Stetson after a should-be touchdown pass was intercepted by him on the goal line. The Hatters were able to hold on offensively and defensively against a tough opponent and thrived in the adverse environment.

With this victory, the balance of this season is in the hands of our very capable team that has proven that they have

the talent, football intelligence, and desire to win these big time conference contests.

For the first time in the modern era of Stetson football, the team is on a two game win streak. At the beginning of this season, after getting trounced by both Florida Tech and Mercer at home, it seemed like Stetson football was on a decline.

Then came the stunning victory at Birmingham-Southern, and some life was brought back into the team.

A trio of tough losses to Butler, San Diego, and Jacksonville put a damper in the spirits of the Stetson faithful.

However, the team did not share these same sentiments.

The squad and the coaches all realized that these were all games that could have easily been won, and instead of wallowing in self pity, the team picked themselves up by the bootstraps and worked hard to find a win.

That win came in the form of their come-from-behind victory at Campbell this past weekend. With a defense that held Campbell to three points in the entire second half and an offense that scored a touchdown in every quarter, it was apparent that this team–our team–was tired of coming so close to victory just to watch it fall from their grasp.

It was not a pretty victory.

It was a nail biting affair that made you want to look away as much as you were transfixed with the events happening on

the field. At the end of the day, the entire team came together and worked harder than they ever have to find this victory.

And find it they did. In their second year, the team has doubled their amount of victories, is on track to double their number of points per game, and with a defense that is as bendable yet unbreakable as rubber, they have, to me at least, proven that they are a scrappy team who can find wins when it matters most.

This homecoming weekend, Stetson will take on a fine Marist team that is 3-3 in the conference and 3-6 overall. They will in many ways present the same challenges the likes of Butler, San Diego, Jacksonville, and Campbell.

Much like our Hatters, Marist is on quite the roll themselves and will make for a great Pioneer League Matchup for this homecoming weekend. Stetson proved last weekend that they have the ability to take down Marist on Nov. 8.

This is a make or break game for Stetson. With a win, they will propel themselves into the top teams of the conference, will sit at a pretty 5-5 record, and will be on the precipice of making a run into the playoffs. This is a lot of pressure to be put on our young team, but adversity has been the motto of this season for the Hatters. They are a team who, when pushed to their limits, will not only survive, but thrive in an adverse environment.

Volleyball Falls to Lipscomb, 3-0 Still in the running for making a deep run in the A-Sun Sean McKnight Sports Editor A poor offensive night hurt the Stetson volleyball team as the Hatters dropped a 3-0 (2516, 25-13, 25-21) decision at Lipscomb in an A-Sun Conference match Friday night.

Stetson, now 14-9 overall and 5-4 in the A-Sun, managed just 20 kills and hit -.018 for the match. Lipscomb (15-7, 8-1) recorded 41 kills and hit .255. A loss of this magnitude is quite out of the norm for a team, who just last spring, were in the title race of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Madison Akins led the Hatters with nine kills while Kayla Weller recorded a double-double of 14 assists and 13 digs.

Alexa Drost added 11 digs and served the only two aces of the night for the Hatters. Shelby Connors recorded three blocks while Lipscomb’s Lauren Ford led the Lady Bisons with 14 kills.

This was an especially tough loss for the Hatters who now, after losing to Northern Kentucky, are 14-10 overall and sitting at an even 5-5 in the con-

ference. The team is on a three game loss streak after dropping a close one to FGCU at home back on Oct. 25. The good news is that the team is off for over a week as they prepare to take on Kennesaw State and USC Upstate at home on Nov. 8 and 9.

Although the women have been caught in somewhat of a slump recently, this is not the first time this team has had to face adversity, especially this season. Back in early September the team found itself in a four game losing streak. Then, from Sept. 20 to Oct. 22, the team went 8-2.

Long story short, they know how to turn it around and find wins when they are most important. It has been a long hard fought season for this veteran squad, and with just 4 games left –all of them A-Sun conference games–Stetson has the ability to turn this latent period around and find some more wins at home.

The A-Sun conference games are from Nov. 20 to Nov. 22, and I think it’s safe to say that at this time our squad will be in Fort Myers ready to take down the top dogs of the conference.

Jessica Armstrong and Shelby Connor contribute to the block for the Hatters.

Photo credit: Nicole Frechette

SPORTS

November 7, 2014

Women Place Sixth, Men Place Seventh at A-Sun Championships Best results for both squads since 2000

Sean McKnight Sports Editor The Stetson women’s cross country team placed sixth and the men placed seventh in the A-Sun Conference Championships Saturday morning at River City Nature Park in DeBary.

“We were super excited with how we finished,” Stetson head coach Joe Matuszczak said. “[The women] are moving in the right direction. We were a couple seconds out of fifth place. The men ran pretty much right on par with what we thought.”

Junior Adrienne DeVita led the Hatter women and placed 23rd overall in the 5K race with a time of 18:47. She finished just three seconds ahead of teammate Clarissa Consol, who finished in 25th place with a time of 18:50.

“I definitely surprised myself,” DeVita said. “I think a lot of factors came into play. The weather was good, a lot of people were cheering, and the adrenaline.”

Also running for Stetson, Amanda Spring placed 40th with a time of 19:33, Rachel Dumas placed 43rd with a time of 19:45, Jessica Cosgrove placed 48th with a time of 20:06, Rachel Frankenberger placed 51st with a time of 20:14, Trixi Menge placed 54th with a time of 20:45, and Daniella Godenzi placed 60th with a time of 21:15. DeVita, Cosgrove, and Frankenberger all ran personal bests.

Joe Beery led the Hatter men and placed 33rd overall in the 8K race with a time of 27:05.

“I felt really solid,” Beery said. “I finally relaxed for the first time this season–just took a race pace by pace and mile by mile.

The weather was so nice. I am glad these northern schools came down and brought frost with them.”

Also for Stetson, Drew Denson placed 45th with a time of 27:57, Andrew Townes placed 51st with a time of 28:42, Ryan Hodgins placed 54th with a time of 29:46, Kyle Meerdo placed 55th with a time of 30:24, Austyn Finnk placed 56th with a personal-best time of 32:19, and Ryan Newfrock placed 59th with a time of 33:28.

Although this may not have been the A-Sun title capturing season some on the team had hoped for, it was a solid indicator of what is to come.

In short, the women finished sixth or better for the first time since 1992, while the men finished seventh or better for the first time since 2000. This team, like many here at Stetson, has a good mix of freshman to juniors who ran well all season and will bring a lot of experience to the team next season. If the team can take what they learned this season with them to next season and build upon their momentum, they will most definitely be set up for more success in years to come. All the runners should hold their heads high going into the off season.

Homecoming Weekend Sports Saturday, Nov. 8 Softball vs. Alumnae Game 10:00 AM DeLand, Fla.

Volleyball vs.

Kennesaw State 5:00 PM DeLand, Fla. Sunday, Nov. 9

Men’s Basketball vs. Columbus State (Ex.) 1:00 PM DeLand Fla. (Edmunds Center)

Women’s Basketball vs. Warner (Exhibition) 10:00 AM DeLand, Fla.

Football vs. Marist 3:00 PM DeLand, Fla. (Spec Martin Stadium)

Volleyball vs. USC Upstate 1:30 PM DeLand, Fla.

9

Stetson Tennis Recap Men’s Tennis Face Tough Opponents at the USTA Clay Curt Invitational

Loic Blanco the only Hatter to taste victory Sean McKnight Sports Editor

This past weekend, the men’s and women’s tennis squads traveled down to Lake Buena Vista, Florida where they took on teams from all over the nation in the USTA Clay Court Invitational.

Stetson’s mens squad took on players from South Alabama, Columbia, Virginia Tech, Penn State, and Princeton. This esoteric group of opponents showed to be challenging for Stetson’s young team as they fought hard.

French native Loic Blanco was the only Hatter with a victory on Friday as Stetson wrapped up its second day of competition. Blanco’s success included defeating South Alabama’s

Juan Troglia 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (108), which allowed him to take more action on Saturday when he faced Virginia Tech’s Aaron Gomez in a consolation match.

Gomez was able to defeat Stetson’s Nathan Debut that Friday. Blanco fell to the Hokie in two sets: 6-1, 6-1. Stetson’s Simon Julin also suffered a difficult loss in consolation play, dropping a three set heartbreaking loss to Princeton’s Diego Vives, losing 13-11 in the thirdset tiebreaker.

It was a tough few days of competition for Stetson. They faced some of the most challenging opponents in the nation– some of whom hailed from one of the Power 5 conferences.

Although the team experienced a tough loss, this experience will only end up being a

positive one for them. Being able to face players on this caliber of play will push Stetson’s men to new levels of performance on and off the courts.

It is also quite reassuring to see freshman such as Blanco as well as juniors like Julian and seniors such as Debut playing hard in every match of every set.

This style of play, a dogma of never giving up until the bitter end, will serve the men well–as it has for quite a few seasons.

Although Stetson couldn’t find victory this past weekend, the future looks bright for them.

Stetson has a veritable melting pot of talent stretched across many different years, styles of play, and experience that will serve them well when A-Sun play comes around.

Women’s Tennis Finds Success at USTA Clay Court Invitational

Eveline Lepinay makes deep run in bracket and is 8-2 this fall Sean McKnight Sports Editor While the men’s team was hard pressed to find much success, the women’s tennis squad played exceptionally well. Eveline Lepinay ran through the Clay Court bracket, while many other Hatters experienced success in the tournament as well.

Lepinay, who has enjoyed an outstanding fall season going 8-2, was ultimately defeated by C Draw top seed Silvia Fuentes of The University of Miami, 6-0, 6-3. This past Saturday marked the third straight tournament in which Lepinay was able to reach at least the semifinals of her draw.

Before falling in the semis to Fuentes, Lepinay was able to take down Kelly Williford of

Virginia Tech 3-4 and Annika Hepp of UCF in the quarterfinals 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Lepinay has been on fire this fall and is slowly emerging as one of Stetson’s top dogs for the spring of 2015.

Others on the team who found success in their bracket included Maja Salibasic, who defeated FSU’s Lana Rush in the first round before falling to Fuentes in the quarterfinals. Carolina Meregalli also found a victory in the first round against Miami’s Judith Bohenkamp before falling in the quarters to Katherine Butler of Virginia Tech. Isabella Fernandez also found success in her first round against Carola Pederzani of Clemson. Freshman Alizee Michaud was able to defeat Carla Tur Mari of Oklahoma State 7-6 (7), 5-7, 1-0 (8) in consolation.

All in all, it was an enormously successful weekend for

a strong, talented, and intelligent women’s squad. In total, five women from the team found victories and four of them did so outside of consolation. It was an impressive outing for the women who came into the season riding high off a solid 2014 spring season.

This squad consists of a wealth of experience going into the spring of 2015 and if this fall––and more specifically this tournament––has taught us anything, it is that you cannot count out the women of Stetson University. They alway find a way to win matches no matter how seemingly improbable.

When A-Sun play rolls around in the spring, the women’s work ethic on and off the court will shine through and will propel them to be one of the top teams in the conference.

Last Weekend’s Scores (Oct. 31- Nov. 2) Oct. 31 Volleyball @ Lipscomb Nashville, Tenn.

0 - 3 (L) Nov. 1 Men's Soccer @ Northern Kentucky

Highland Heights, Ky. 0 - 1 (L) Volleyball @ Northern Kentucky Highland Heights, Ky. 0 - 3 (L)

Football @ Campbell Buies Creek, NC 28 - 24 (W) Nov. 2 Softball vs. Flagler DeLand, Fla. 14 - 6 (W)

10

R R

The People of Stetson Shadee Rios

Staff Photographer

Dear People of Stetson: Stetson may be a small school, but it’s still possible not to know much about the people you walk through campus with everyday. I decided to start this ongoing series to try and capture the essence and diversity of the Stetson community through photography. Hope you enjoy!

Christian Decker

Austin Miller

Aaliyah Stephens Year: Freshman Major: Discovery Hometown: Merritt Island, FL This is your costume for tonight? “Yeah I’m a cat.

I have more back in my room–pretty basic actually.

I just have a bow tie, a tail, and ears. And I’m going to wear all black and paint a little nose and whiskers.”

What’s one of your favorite Halloween memories?

“Probably all of the Disney Halloween movies they put out at this time: Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, Twitches. I love those.”

What are some other costumes you’ve worn before? “I was Mulan like 5 years in a row. I was Tinkerbell, a pumpkin fairy...I’ve been a cat before. I was a clown once when I was a little girl. My mom put red circles on my face like a clown.”

What do you like most about Halloween? “The free candy. I don’t like scary things at all. I get scared really easily so I like the baby Halloween stuff– little pumpkin patches and pumpkin carving and all that.”

Alyssa Bajek & Katie Bryant Years: Junior Majors: Communications Hometowns: Naples, FL; Inverness, FL So what are your costumes? Alyssa: “I’m Kim Possible” Katie: “Baseball player, I guess? Frat Star?”

Whats your favorite things about Halloween?

Alyssa: “I love dressing up honestly. I usually make my own costumes. Autumn has always been my favorite season too. I’m from up north originally so seeing the season change is a really cool feeling.”

Katie: “Getting candy and dressing up. That’s always my favorite. Going trick or treating as a little kid.”

What are some great Halloween memories? Alyssa: “When I was 7 years old, I dressed as Cruella DeVille.

My mom helped me make it. She had this cocktail dress that was floor length on me. I had a feather boa and I dyed a wig half white.

And I had full white face make up. I went trick or treating, and there was this guy that every year has a really elaborate set up outside his house. He would

claim there was no candy there to everyone. And he did that to my friend. Then he pulled me over and plopped candy in my bag.

And that’s the year I realized he only gave candy to costumes he liked.”

Katie: “When I was little, I used to go trick or treating with this kid–my mom’s friend’s son. We would go to all these neighborhoods and stuff. One year I dressed up as a witch and he was Spongebob. So it was always fun going trick or treating because we would get a ton of candy because we were dressed really elaborately I guess?

And also there was this one year when I dressed up as the Powerpuff Girls with my best friend and our other friend.

Alyssa: “I actually have another one. So my dad works in publishing, and one year we had a lot of leftover comic book samples. We would hand them out to trick or treaters with the candy. So someone thought we were handing out like propaganda comics because they didn’t see what they were at first.”

Year: Sophomore Major: Integrative Health Science Hometown: Pensacola, FL This is your costume for tonight? “Yeah, definitely.”

Whats your favorite thing about Halloween? “Dressing up actually. It’s pretty fun.”

What’s a funny Halloween memory you have?

“One time I dressed up as a vampire, and I had make up on and it stuck to my face so it wouldn’t come off. It was like tar. It was bad. It was stuck on my face all night, and it wouldn’t come off in the shower and when I tried to scrape it off it wouldn’t work. It was stuck on my face for an extra day.”

Whats your favorite Halloween candy? “3 Musketeers, definitely.”

Year: Sophomore Major: Computer Sciences Hometown: Umatilla, FL Is this your costume for tonight? “Yeah, I’m trying to be Dracula.”

Whats your favorite thing about Halloween? “Scaring people. Scaring family members and stuff.”

What are your plans for tonight? “I’m going back to my girlfriend’s house and they’re having a big party.”

Whats your favorite Halloween candy? “Kit Kats, full size.”

Maria Rodriguez Year: Freshman Major: International business Hometown: Deltona, FL What do you like most about Halloween? “Being able to kind of become something completely different.”

Is this your costume for tonight? “I actually work till 7:30. Then I’ll go give candy to trick or treaters.”

Do you like getting scared on Halloween? “Oh yeah, definitely.”

November 7, 2014

Summer Innsbruck Program

July 3 — Aug. 7 , 2015 Open to All Majors

Tentative Class Schedule Period 1: - ACCT 211– Intro to Financial Accounting - FINA 311– Business Finance - BADM 205– Professional Communication - EDUC 374J-JS– Educational Systems Around the World

The School of Business Summer Innsbruck Program provides you with the opportunity to study in Europe and offers: ting

- STAT 301Q– Business Statistics - MKTG 315– The Marketplace & Consumers - BADM 360J— Social Justice and the Bottom Line

 Afternoons off and extended weekends for traveling in groups or independently

ee M on in 5mweeks  ma 8ticredits . . p r o 0 :3facilities at the Inf  Use 5 k , c of h ru 3t b 1 s m) .

Period 2: n u v i o r In University of Innsbruck with N ito , . d s r u - FINA 303– Money and Financial (A taught by Stetson faculty hu classes T 2 2 1 Institutions LBC and distinguished visitors

Period 3: - ACCT 212– Intro to Management Accounting - INTL 350– Special Topics in International Business - MGMT 305– Human Relations, Leadership & Teamwork - HUM 300A–Central European Cultures: A Feast for the Mind and Senses - MGMT 495– Strategic Management

 Private housing with different room choices 

Two meals per class day

● Limited enrollment Apply Now — Limited Enrollment For information contact: Nancy Kernan, Room 414 LBC 386-822-7394 nkernan@stetson.edu World.stetson.edu www.stetson.edu/innsbruck

11

12

R R