The Reporter Issue 4

In this issue we explore ideas of vision, clarity, and perception. At the dawn of a new decade, what does vision really mean?

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ISSUE IV

Sitting Down with Wendy Libby

We sat down with Dr. Libby to discuss her vision for the university during her tenure as president.

The Marie Kondo Method Works Wonders on Your Dorm (And Your Life) How to increase space and decrease clutter in your tiny dorm room.

VOL. CXXVIII

Letter editor chief from the in

Oh the jokes I could make about 2020 vision. I’ll spare you. What I will say is we haven’t released an issue since the last decade! We’re really slacking. (I never promised I wouldn’t make a decade joke.)

Welcome to the first issue of the spring semester, the busiest semester ever, or so it seems. Our Doodle Poll accounts see us more than our friends and our situationships are lacking. Meetings are now held for dropin times, like between 7 and 8, whenever you can come in, or at 5:22ish. But we love it. We love the manic energy that creating a magazine cultivates. We love the coffee and (sometimes) the deadlines.

2020 will be the decade where a lot of us are forced to Adult if we haven’t been hit with that already. I for one, have begun doing laundry regularly, and honestly, it feels pretty good. This semester and this year have already helped me grow, and I am excited for what’s in store, but I am nervous that prohibition might come around again right when I’m legally able to drink.

As for a vision for the decade, I’m hoping mine improves. I lost my glasses a few months ago and I’ve been using that as an excuse for any decisions I’ve made that are less than superior. I want to be busy but not so busy that I don’t have time to be a person (and by being a person, I mean rewatching “Gilmore girls” for the 46th time).

Hopefully that will happen soon.

Ruby Rosenthal 2

issue 4

Letter executive editor from the

Listen, dear readers. I know that technically I’m blind enough that it’s illegal for me to operate heavy machinery without tiny pieces of silicone in my eyes, but I resent the attack on us folks that sport anything less than perfect 20/20 vision. Ultimately, having less-than-stellar optical performance helps you see clearer.

“But how can this be?” you may be asking. While yes, it seems like an antithetical idea, and yes, I may be more than mildly annoyed that my sight is fully dependent on the “which one’s clearer: 1 or 2?” system, overall I think a little blurry vision here and there is useful.

Not always being able to see everything clearly makes you really think about what you’re seeing. It forces you to see things in a new way, imagine new possibilities, and trust that even when you can’t see things for yourself, they’re still there waiting for you (I’m looking at you end table that massacred my pinky toe.)

I hope that this issue does for you what my not-so up to par vision does for me. I hope it makes you question your own perceptions of the future and how you fit in it. I hope it makes you excited for the future, and all the fantastic new things it has in store.

Most of all, I hope it reminds you to put on your glasses on the way out the door, to take the idyllic, blurry dream and make it a clear-sighted reality.

Hannah Zeller

staff photos

behind the scenes This shoot was the brain-child of our Creative and Photography Directors, and it ended up being such a fun way to tie our staff photos into the theme of this issue while still allowing our editors to let their personalities shine through.

Plus, it was a chance for our executive team to have a little bonding time. Since coming back from my “study-abroad” hiatus in Washington, I’ve found that these moments are so important for our staff - they allow us to get to know one another, and in turn that makes us better collaborators. So often, the rush to assemble The Reporter means running around attending meetings and interviews and shoots, so finding moments where we can just have fun (and simultaneously get things done!) help us to slow down and soak up all the amazing moments this creative process has to offer.

- Hannah Zeller, Executive Editor

cover shoot

As we gathered the staff to discuss themes for this issue, we all clearly had the idea of perception, vision, and clarity to start fresh in this new decade. We played with a lot of ideas about how we wanted to showcase “vision,” and we thought the image of the ladder and binoculars to represent looking into the future was perfect. This was the first shoot we’ve had in the photo studio, and it didn’t exactly go as planned. We struggled finding our new model, Nathan West ‘22, after our original one got bronchitis. We faced the embarrassment of carrying a ladder across campus on a Friday morning and recieving multiple weird looks. The shoot was filled with awkward poses, weird lighting, and too much jazz music but somehow, we still ended up with really great photo that connects to the theme of our issue. We had so much fun working with our model, and making him sit like he was taking his old high school senior photos was the best part.

- Isabel Solorzano, Creative Director & Natalie Bergeron, Photo Editor

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the line up 4

issue 4

Ruby Rosenthal

Hannah Zeller

Natalie Bergeron

Isabel Solorzano

editor-in-chief

photo editor

Julia Gray

social media director

Calista Headrick opinion editor

executive editor

creative director

Ashton Craig

news & local editor

Rene Campbell

arts & culture editor

Ihsaan Fanusie sports editor

Arnaldo Chow web director

the reporter

march 2020

hatternetwork.com

What do you hope exists by 2030?

staff

Ruby Rosenthal, Editor-in-Chief Hannah Zeller, Executive Editor Anjana Srinivasan, Copy Editor something that helps you Natalie Bergeron, Photo Editor control the songs that get Isabel Solorzano, Creative Director stuck in your head Julia Gray, Social Media Director Ashton Craig, News & Local Editor Ihsaan Fanusie, Sports Editor Calista Headrick, Opinion Editor René Campbell, Arts & Culture Editor an easy fix for headphones Arnaldo Chow, Web Director that have stopped working in Kevin Vega, Photographer one ear, ugh Gabriela Molina, Photographer Jillian Semmel, Photographer Caitlin Bhagwandeen, Photographer & Designer Madison Gray, Designer Bella Steiert, Designer Robert Che-Bonilla, Designer Lauren Barney, Designer & News Writer Naomi Johnson, News Writer Nicole Rosen, News Writer Vivianne Skavlem, News Writer Kendall Couture, Arts & Culture flying cars — they’ve been Jay Stearman, Opinion Writer saying that they’d be a thing Maxx Smith, Opinion Writer for how long?

D’Andre Lewis, Sports Writer Allie Wilson, Sports Writer Josh Miller, Sports Writer

contributors Jenny Fang, Writer Julia Gray, Arts & Culture Writer

JOINING US

When it comes to joining The

Reporter, we’re not picky.

Whether you’re interested in writing an article, designing a page, taking photos or creating some graphics for us, we want to hear what you have to say. A Hatter Network contributor is someone whose occasionally takes part in Hatter Network as a reporter, photographer, show host, or designer, but does not attend regular meetings and nor do they necessarily have an in-person relationship with their editor. A Hatter Network staffer, on the other hand, attends all meetings and abides by deadlines set by their editor, and regularly contributes to the online and in-print content that Hatter Network produces. The Reporter is an extracurricular, volunteer operation made for students, by students, and we aim to cover the full spectrum of student life here at Stetson. If you’re interested in getting involved or have any questions, comments or concerns, email our editor-in-chief, Ruby Rosenthal, at rrosenthal@stetson.edu or apply on Engage.

CORRECTIONS

As an official media outlet for students on campus, we push ourselves to be constantly improving our standards and correcting our mistakes. We care about accuracy and providing you with the most accurate information we can give.

If there are mistakes, let us know by emailing us at thereporterstetson@gmail.com. In issue 3 of The Reporter, we misspelled Larry Correll-Hughes.

queso dip that stays hot no matter how long you wait

the ability to communicate with each other

national laws to keep LGBTQ+ people from being fired from their jobs because of their gender expression, identity or sexuality

ABOUT US

The Reporter is the oldest collegiate

publication in the state of Florida.

The magazine is produced six times per year, three a semester. Florida Sun Printing prints 650 copies per issue on 8.5 x 11inch, 80#Gloss Text. Most body text is 11 point Adobe Garamond Pro with 13 point leading set with a combination of regular, italic, and bold.

All pages were designed using Adobe Creative Suite CC software InDesign with photographs and artwork handled in Photoshop and Illustrator. For additional information, please visit hatternetwork.com. Questions and comments can be mailed to 421 N Woodland Blvd., Unit 8416 DeLand, Florida 32723 or emailed to thereporterstetson@gmail.com. We plan to forge a media group that meets our own high standards of excellence and integrity through expression in print and online. Ultimately, student media at Stetson University will be a representation of just that: the students. And because we are serving our peers, we will be honest in the stories we tell. Because if we don’t tell them, who will?

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FEATURES

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issue 4

09

Minimalism: A Profile on Anne Brooks

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23

Our Vision of Ourselves: At the Hands of Social Media

36

The Marie Kondo Method Works Wonders on Your Dorm (And Your Life)

Ambitious Goals, Smart Backups

Sitting Down With Wendy Libby

The Artistic Process: From Idea to Fruition The Marie Kondo Method Works Wonders on Your Dorm (And Your Life) Sam Hadelman: A 2020 Visionary

opinion Feeling Bored? Try a Vision Board

Our Vision of Ourselves: At the Hands of Social Media

sports

news & local arts & culture

17 18 20

Minimalism: A Profile on Anne Brooks

CONTENTS

09 12 14

23 26 30 33 34 36

Hatters Baseball: Revived and Alive

Wheels of Democracy Why Isn’t Renewable Old Yet?

Finding the Next Generation Ambitious Goals, Smart Backups

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News & Local Written by Ashton Craig Graphics by Caitlin Bhagwandeen

News & Local is dedicated to providing an authentic perspective of daily life and the extraordinary at Stetson University and in the local DeLand area. We believe that the voices of students, faculty, and staff should be heard. Our goal is to bring to light what others will not. If you have seen our shirts and mugs, you know we adhere to the motto,“in skepticism we trust.� And that is reflected in these pages.

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issue 4

A Profile on Anne Brooks

Minimalism.

Written by Nicole Rosen Photos by Caitlin Bhagwandeen Design by Isabel Solorzano

Minimalism. What usually comes to mind is trying to live in a way that is smaller; in a way that makes less of an impact. Some may think of tiny homes, or living in small places with just the necessities. When thinking of someone who encapsulates minimalism, I was told to talk to Anne Brooks.

Anne Brooks lying comfortably on her bed with her teddy bear. The lights that can be seen behind her were the only decoration on that wall, and one of the only wall decorations in the room overall.

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ho is Anne Brooks? She is a food science major and has a minor in sustainable food systems. She enjoys going to dance classes on Fridays and is a public health tutor.

She lives on campus in a suite style dorm and has basically been a minimalist her whole life. But before she came to Stetson, she never really had a word for her aesthetic.

When I asked her how she got into minimalism, she told me this: “It’s kind of funny that you should ask me that because I wouldn’t really say I ever got “into” minimalism. In fact, I had never had anyone call me a minimalistincluding myself until I got to Stetson. Because I’ve never liked clutter, having too many unnecessary things around makes it harder for me to focus and stresses me out.

And so, I think, that I’ve always been that way, and I think once it became more of a trendy thing and people put a name to it- then when I came here I remember one of the first people I ever had come into my old dorm room was like ‘wow I love your minimalist aesthetic you’re such a minimalist,’ I was like ‘oh am I? Okay,’” she laughed. “So I thought it was funny when you contacted me to do this because ‘Alright I guess I’m a minimalist.’ I like keeping things functional and efficient.”

In recent years, the idea of minimalism has become a trend. Tiny homes are cool and fresh, and people are trying to make less of an impact on the world by being more environmentally friendly. By living off of only what you need, you’re doing just that.

Anne has a good definition of minimalism.

“I would say minimalism is really just living within your means. A lot of people have this misconception that it means you live in this beige box and only have one folding chair and live in sadness, but it seems more to me about having things that focus more on the things you need, and of course having a few things in there that make you happy.”

She showed me a knife that was capable of cutting a lot of different things and had this beautiful pounded metal look to it. She said it was something she’d always wanted, due to the fact that she loves to cook. This desire for one object in particular also hands itself to Brook’s idea of minimalism. It was multifaceted and it was something she’d wanted for a long time.

Since she’s so interested in eating and cooking green, I asked if she thought it worked well alongside minimalism. She responded, “I can see how there would be overlap in people interested in both things, because a lot of people who tend

to be more minimalistic are very intentional about the things that they purchase, the things that they keep around them, and so being intentional about your actions-which includes eating and that’s one of the things that you do several times a day- that can make a really big impact that people really don’t think about. So being intentional in both aspects of your life, I can understand why there would be a lot of overlap between those two.”

I was curious to know if living in a dorm helped or hindered her minimalistic aesthetic.

“I think that it definitely helps and going back to what you said about like, what I would say to someone who wants to start being more minimalist, particularly if you live in a dorm, something that can helpful to think about is ‘Do I really want to have to move this in and out on move-in day? Do I really want extra stuff that I have to carry up and down the stairs?’” Brooks said.

“Having space constraints helps because you can see all of your belongings and this one thing I really love about living in a dorm actually is that this is the first time I’ve had my own space where I can keep it as clean as I want it to be. Your space is as clean or as messy as you want it to be, so if you want it to be clean then it stays that way.”

I asked her if she would have any advice for someone that’s interested in being more minimalist or minimizing their space. In response to that, she said: “So I think that one thing that I always –cause it can be hard to get rid of certain items, I know, especially clothing, there’s always that thing where you have a shirt, for example, that you haven’t worn in two years but you also can’t really get rid of it because you just feel like you can’t- and one thing I’ve always said to myself ever since I was little and would be cleaning my room is ‘in a couple of months, will I even care that I got rid of this?’

Because chances are if you-I think there are a lot of things that people buy that they don’t really need, and that doesn’t really have that much sentimental value to them, that if they donated it somewhere to someone that would actually value it within a few months you’re not even going to remember that you got rid of it to begin with.”

Minimalism is more than just a trend, or an aesthetic. To Anne, it’s how she lives her life. Her room is kept simplistic and clutter free. She doesn’t have more than she needs, decorations like cute stuffed animals on her windowsill and stationary on her desk is just enough to have some personal touches; she doesn’t live in excess. Minimalism in essence is just as she described it. It’s living within your means, and not going overboard with anything. R

“

A lot of people have this misconception that it means you live in this beige box and only have one folding chair and live in sadness, but it seems more to me about having things that focus more on the things you need and of course having a few things in there that make you happy.”

- Anne Brooks ‘22

Brooks’ teddy bear was given to her as a gift by one of her friends because of the Stetson colors. Other than the pillows and blankets, it was the only thing on her bed.

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Naomi Johnson ‘22 poses with her vision board.

Johnson and others use vision boards to help focus on what they want in life. Johnson suggests to identify one’s goals and finding words and images to visualize that.

feeling bored?

try a

VISION BOARD

Written by Naomi Johnson Photos by Gabriela Molina Design by Ruby Rosenthal & Bella Steiert

Sometimes, as we work towards a goal, the ideas we have for our futures become tired. Naomi Johnson ‘22 shows us how we can revitalize your intentions for the future through vision boards.

Vision boards are fun and easy to make.

The practice of visualization can help you focus on what you want in life and can be gorgeous ways to conceptualize your ambitions. This step-by-step tutorial will help you begin to brainstorm ideas about your future, and help you focus your vision to reflect specific goals.

1. Start with a base.

A framed piece of paper, a corkboard, or even a letter board will do.

2. Identify your goals and what you want.

Find images or write things to place on the board. I tend to pick 3 or 4-word visuals to anchor the board. (I hand-wrote the ones here, but you can use a word document to print them off!)

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3. Pick a few things or people that inspire you.

Select someone you look up to, like Audrey Hepburn, or a place you want to visit, such as New York City.

5. Take all the images you want, print and cut them out.

These can be in color or printed on colored paper, but I opted for a black and white minimalist look. For a bit of pop, I took two colored markers and added details to the cut-out. I also added some handdrawn doodles, for a more personal touch.

4. Add some visuals to fill free space on the board 6. Arrange all the photos and text on the I used flowers and a wave, but you can use board in a way that is appealing to you. anything that speaks to you.

Each time you look, something new should catch your eye and help you begin to visualize what you want in your future. R

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featured

SHOWS Photos by Natalie Bergeron

DANNY BARATA untap upkeep draw Untap Unkeep Draw is a show that covers magic the gathering.

He goes over playing strategy, deck building, new card releases and even plays live on air with guests to demonstrate strategies and card function.

what’s on

Tune into Untap Unkeep Draw every Thursday at 7 p.m.!

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MICHAYLA THOMAS & KALA DILTZ auntie adjacent Join your favorite old souls, Michayla Thomas and Kala Diltz as they share their “Auntie-esque” behavior week by week. Within that time, they hope to provide their listeners (their nieces and nephews) with laughter and joy with every upload.

WHAT

Tune into Auntie Adjacent every Friday at 3 p.m.!

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BELLA STEIERT the alternative mix tape Every week on the alternative mix tape, host Bella Steiert plays her favorite alternative and indie music while also providing the stories behind the songs she plays.

Radio

Tune into The Alternative Mix Tape Wednesday at 5 p.m.!

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Wendy Libby Sitting Down With

Written by Lauren Barney Photo by Kevin Vega Design by Lauren Barney & Isabel Solorzano

Under her presidency, the school brought back the football program after a 57-year hiatus, opened and renovated several facilities such as the Rinker Welcome Center, the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center, and the expanded Carlton Union Building (CUB), and increased the university’s endowment to nearly $246 million. Dr. Libby’s next challenge? Retirement.

We sat down with President Libby to discuss her vision for the university during her time at Stetson, and what she hopes for the future of our school and her community. * This interview has been cut for clarity and content. To view the full interview, visit www.hatternetwork.com

Check out Dr. Libby in issue 1 of this year!

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https://issuu.com/sureporter/ docs/master_issue_1_new

When you started, what was your initial vision for Stetson?

“I always thought that my job here was to leave Stetson better then I found it, which I know is a pretty broad vision.

So that means to make sure that our academic program continued to be as rigorous and capable as it’s always been, ‘cause that is why people really come here, and I always felt that people were missing how strong our academic program is because we looked physically so untidy, and when you go somewhere you judge the quality of it –whether that’s a good thing or not – by your first impressions. And my first impression was that this was a campus that had some hidden beauty that just needed to be crisper.

“What I think we’ve learned is that although some people thought that was kind of a hair-brained scheme, the families that come see that as the proxy of the quality of the academics. So part of my vision, to get back to your question, was to make sure that we did everything to [make the campus] as beautiful as we could and to help the people that work here everyday have more pride in their institution.”

Were there any defining moments during your administration that changed your vision?

“In the fall of 2015, we brought in the largest undergraduate class in Stetson’s history, and I remembered back on how we do a visit day, and 50 or 60 people would show up and I thought: we’re just not hitting it right.

“People are not getting why this is a place they should fall in love with, and so that day in convocation when I saw that class – which I think was larger than we needed [laughs]. You know, we’re never sure who’s gonna show up.

Even if people give deposits you’re still never sure, and I just thought: we’ve turned a corner here. It was an important day.

“Then having them graduate, the largest graduating class ever this past May, was another one of those ‘hm, this is a good thing’ kind of moments.”

What is your vision for Stetson past your presidency?

“You know, it’s really not my job to have a vision for Stetson in the future, other than hope that I’ve left the strongest university I can to Dr. Roellke. I mean, you step into a river and he’s going to step into a different piece of the river. And he’s going to have other ways he wants to take the institution and things he’s going to want to stress that maybe weren’t as important to me. You hire a president to have that vision, so I just want success for this place. We deserve to be successful, we deserve to be excellent, and I’m just here to give him whatever help he wants.”

Over the years, what initiatives have you tried to put in place? What worked and what’s fallen through?

“I would say that we’ve worked very hard on supporting inclusion and equity for our students, staff, and faculty. We probably have made it halfway along and we, as well as this community and this country, probably still have a long way to go to have every person feel valued and to have an opportunity to speak their thoughts and have them be respected. Maybe not agreed with, but be respected. So we still have work to do on that one...

“I would also say that in some ways we’ve become more student centered. We’ve always been student centered through our academic program, but we have built out the framework through our Hollis Family Student Success Center through club sports, enhanced opportunities for student engagement. Our campus Career and Professional Development group is much stronger, and I love the fact that we’ve added some athletics teams that have had quite a bit of success.

“The value of sports – there are some people who are detractors in that regard – but for me it’s another way for our students to learn leadership skills, teamwork, bond to one another, and bring us some positive PR in the places we travel.

“Our football team for example, plays in San Diego, Des Moines, outside of Charlotte, and we play schools that are quality comprehensive universities like we are, and our name wasn’t in the mix before but having us integrate has been really helpful. Just like having beach volleyball make it to the nationals last year, and having our baseball team go to the super regionals for the first time, or even what’s going on in men's basketball right now where we’ve come from the cellar and now we’re third in the conference.

“For people, although it sounds frivolous, it’s no more frivolous than what our student government does, or what mock senate does. They all make this a university. So I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to grow in that regard.” R

We probably have made it halfway along and we, as well as this community and this country, probably still have a long way to go to have every person feel valued and to have an opportunity to speak their thoughts and have them be respected.”

- Wendy Libby the reporter

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Written by RenĂŠ Campbell Graphics by Caitlin Bhagwandeen

Arts &

Culture

The Arts and Culture section is the place for readers to enjoy content related to popular culture and entertainment, as well as larger aspects related to culture as a whole. We cover issues related to our campus, as well as topics on a wider, more inclusive scale. Whether you’re looking for creative inspiration, or interested in culture and our world, this is the section for you.

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The Artisticfrom idea

Process:

to fruition

Artistic vision tends to change over time from its original idea to its final product; creators are flexible when it comes to the process of their craft.

Written by René Campbell Photos by Gabriela Molina Design by Bella Steiert & Isabel Solorzano

I

t can be easy for consumers of art of any kind to be misled by the final product. Behind every painting, song, and movie, there is an immense amount of behind-thescenes work that goes into its creation. Oftentimes, the final product is a compilation of fragmented ideas which evolve over time; the process of creating is never easy, but it is the difficulty of an artistic journey that allows for the final result to be even more admirable.

Stetson is home to boundless amounts of flourishing creativity. Gracie Caggiano ‘21 and Gracie Lookadoo ‘21 write, record, and produce their own music under the moniker August Moon. Caggiano, who provides the lead vocals for the duo, and is heavy-handed in the lyric-writing and composing process, captured the flexible nature of the creative process.

“I don’t always expect that ideas will change, but after playing through songs multiple times and going through the recording process...We will put together some ideas and find that less or more is necessary-for both practical and artistic reasons,” Caggiano said.

Lookadoo also had strong feelings about their creative process. She stated, “[The songs] change so much from birth to fruition...it’s more like a lifecycle than a timeline.”

“

There is something that both creators and consumers of art share: the love for completed work.

- René Campbell ‘21

The evolution of a work of art over time can come with uncertainty as to when a work is completed. Satisfaction can be hard to come by when an idea is not directly translated to a final product of its same likeness.

When asked about the idea of being satisfied with her work, Caggiano answered, “[Satisfaction] comes in when the close friends or audience members we share a song with are very receptive to it.”

During the creative process, there is always the question of what drives an artist to work on their craft. There is often the individual, personal motivation for creating. But, as

Top: Gracie Caggiano ‘21 playing a guitar part for one of August Moon’s tracks. Bottom: Gracie Lookadoo ‘21 listening to a recorded track for editing purposes.

Caggiano states, there are often artists who create not only for themselves, but for followers of their work to enjoy as well.

Lookadoo also connects her own personal love for her creation with her audience’s love for it, “I’m satisfied when I see people react to our art the same way we did when it was a bright and shiny new idea. Performing [our songs] live is a great way to gauge this reaction.”

It can be overwhelming at times for artists to share their work with others. As both Caggiano and Lookadoo have expressed, for them, the creative process means that much more when their efforts are appreciated by their audience.

Ultimately, when artists go through the creative process, their first idea never directly stays the same until their finished product. The process of creating is all about embracing change in order to work towards something that is both internally fulfilling as well as able to be enjoyed by others.

There is something that both creators and consumers of art share: the love for completed work. The process to arrive at that point, as experienced through the words of Caggiano and Lookadoo, displays that the artistic process is in no way an easy feat. It requires time and the ability to adapt and change.

Artistic vision is as much about the journey to create as it is the final result. R

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the marie kondo method

works

wonders ) e f i l r you

on your room Written by Julia Gray Photos & Graphics by Caitlin Bhagwandeen Design by Julia Gray

(&

I

t’s no secret that college dorms are tiny. Because colleges and universities have to house high volumes of students (and let’s be real, Stetson is no stranger to housing dilemmas), there tends to be a real lack of storage space in dorm rooms for many students.

In recent years, many methods of organization have come to light to help college students increase space and create storage in their rooms to combat this issue.

The KonMarie method, a recent example of one of these processes, was created by a Japanese woman named Marie Kondo, who is a tidying expert and has taken the internet by storm. I followed the example set in her Netflix show, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” to see if it would help clean my clutter and make more space for all of my belongings.

Kondo created a name for herself by sharing her secret methods of organizing her spaces. The KonMarie Methodthe title being a mix both of her first name and her last name- consists of six steps: 1) Commit yourself to tidying up.

2) Imagine your ideal lifestyle.

3) Finish discarding first. Before getting rid of items, sincerely thank each item for serving its purpose.

4) Tidy by category, not location.

5) Follow the right order.

6) Ask yourself if it sparks joy.

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Marie Kondo’s method of organization is great for increasing space and decreasing clutter in tiny dorm rooms. Unexpectedly, it’s also a good way to lessen your stress and make room for the more meaningful things in life.

To follow these directions properly, you must follow the categorical order of 1) Clothes, 2) Books, 3) Papers, 4) Komono (miscellaneous items), and 5) Sentimental items.

Every single article in each category has to be removed from its place and put into one huge pile. One by one you must pick up the object, ask yourself if it sparks joy in you, and if not, thank it and then donate it or otherwise give it away.

As I sat and sorted through my clothing one by one, asking myself if it brought me joy, and then thanking it for its service to me, all I could think about was walking into my JSEM and explaining to my professor that I threw Livingston’s Anatomy of the Sacred, 5th Edition away because it wasn’t bringing me joy. Unfortunately, I think there’s an invisible clause that says textbooks are useful and therefore must be kept.

As I continued, I was surprised by how many clothes I realized weren’t explicitly making me happy. It felt good to let go of items I haven’t been using, and there was so much more space for everything I wanted to keep.

Part of the method includes folding clothes vertically in drawers to optimally see what you own and store the most content. I went from not having enough drawers to having too many. When I’d finished, my dorm looked simpler and felt more manageable.

My roommate, Jennifer Flores ‘22, agreed that our room definitely looks better than before. “I noticed a difference immediately due to the lack of your old photos on the wall that would typically be there. The drawers

seemed neater too. It gave the room a more open vibe,” she said. “The process seems a bit much, but still worth it. I would maybe not entirely do it, but the way she folds the clothes and has the organized drawers I would potentially try.”

Other students would consider using Kondo’s method as well. Samantha Nivison ‘21 understands the organizational and personal applications. “It’s a way to realize what in your life means something to you and what doesn’t. I guess it could be some reflection of some real life too. Maybe you should go through things that you want to actually keep in your life, and things you don’t even want to, with maybe friends or just other important things in your life,” she said.

Along those lines, Taylor Wilson ‘21 would do this same thing: “Whether it be toxic people, a situation that you’re in, an organization that you’re a part of, it makes a big difference in your life to make that conscious decision of saying, ‘I no longer want to be a part of this.’ So I would definitely be open to it,” she said. “It all just depends on the point in your life. If you feel like you’re ready to let some things go or if you are ready to work on different atmospheres of your life, then it sounds great.”

When clothes are folded vertically, I can tell which jeans are which.

But when clothes are piled up, you can’t figure out what you own and what you don’t, and often forget stuff you have.

Marietipskondo’s for folding 1.

2.

Fold your clothes flat instead of rolling them Store your clothes vertically in a drawer, not horizontally, so that you can see them all plainly

& storing:

3.

If you are storing your clothes in a box, turn the box sideways so that you can see and access all of your clothes easily

This way of organizing - taking inventory of all of the meaningful objects in your life and thankfully discarding the things that don’t bring you joy - indeed proves beneficial in a multifaceted way. Extra space in drawers and more room for you and your roommate to spread out is truly amazing, but the aspect of cleansing yourself of objects, situations, and experiences that bring stress or negative feeling that comes with the KonMarie method proves to be an unseen answer to less stress. I still have to keep “The Anatomy of the Sacred,” though. Bummer. R

“

It’s a way to realize what in your life means something to you and what doesn’t.”

-Samantha Nivison (‘21)

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Pictured is Sam Hadelman, who is now a full-time graduate student at Fordham University in New York City. While here he is in front of the lens, Hadelman is usually behind the camera at venues all around New York, photographing shows and artists.

20 issue 4

Sam Hadelman: a 2020y Stetson alumnus Sam Hadelman has gone from the green to greenrooms, as he has taken on post-graduate life in New York City.

r a n Visio

Between being a graduate student at Fordham University, planning his new radio show, and living in one of the busiest cities in the world, Sam Hadelman‘19 has created quite the life for himself since graduating from Stetson last year. While most students would take time to watch Netflix, or procrastinate homework in other various ways, Hadelman spends his time working in the career he says he, “accidentally” started.

On any given night of the week, you will find Hadelman in venues like Baby’s All Right or Sony Hall, photographing artists. He says this accidental career started last winter, when he went to see a performance by the rap group Griselda Records.

Hadelman explained, “I really wanted to photograph the event, but you can’t really bring like, real cameras into venues. So I brought a disposable camera, like the ones you brought on vacation back in 2007, and I hid it up my sleeve.” After photographing rapper Benny the Butcher, he sent the developments to the rapper’s manager, who then asked Hadelman to photograph some of their merchandise.

On the second day of his accidental photography career, Hadelman shot some photos of the merchandise which ended up getting around 8,000 likes on the rapper’s Instagram account.

Since this event, Hadelman has photographed Westside Gunn, Lil Yachty, legendary fashion designer Dapper Dan, football star Marshawn Lynch, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler, and many more – all with a disposable camera.

Via Hadelman’s disposable camera, he captured (left) Flipp Dinero, (middle) Mavi, (right) Lil Yachty.

When discussing his 2020 plans and whether or not he has found his calling, Hadelman said, “I have no idea. I’m just putting a bunch of s– out there that I think is important. Being extremely organic and having things that I think are interesting at the forefront of my work is what is most important.”

He also detailed that one of the first times he saw this being a career option was when he started his radio show, “The Sam Hadelman Show,” on Hatter Network’s own WHAT Radio. “I was just having fun. I always thought I would have a normal job, and I would just like music. I was always scared to make it my career.”

Written by Kendall Couture Photos courtesy Sam Hadelman Design by Madison Gray & Isabel Solorzano

Hadelman explained that he was scared to commit to any specific career path, whether it was writing, radio, or photography, because he was afraid of becoming a critic and losing that sense of fanhood.

However, he says photography and being able to interact with these artists on a professional level has only made his fanhood stronger. In an passionate ramble he said, “with rap, with music, it’s different. At some points I’m like, ‘oh my God, this artist has an even greater aura than I thought before.’ It all just adds to the experience.”

“

Those moments instilled a confidence in me that no one can drop. It showed me that if no one believes in me, as long as I believe in me, I’ll make it the farthest.” - Sam Hadelman

When discussing his transition from life at Stetson to starting a career in New York, Hadelman reflected on things he learned at Stetson that have helped shape him. “Stetson is a really blank canvas, in the best and the worst way. There isn’t much precedent set on media, so I was able to do a lot of stuff that I might not have been able to do at other places, play whatever I want, uncensored music. But when there are no rules, people in charge can make rules when they want to put a cap on what you’re doing. The perfect analogy is putting the radio studio right next to a study room. Sure I can play whatever I want, but if I play it above the volume of an iPhone speaker, I’m disrupting other students and I get noise complaints.”

Hadelman explained that there were many moments where he felt Stetson encouraged his creativity, but also other times where he felt his creativity being suppressed, and for him, those were his defining moments. He said, “Those moments instilled a confidence in me that no one can drop. It showed me that if no one believes in me, as long as I believe in me, I’ll make it the farthest.”

He continued, “When you’re there, you are at the smallest school in the smallest town, and sometimes all you have are your passions. So I capitalized on that and realized there were people there who liked what I liked, and wanted to hear what I had to say.

That solidified a lot for me.”

As far as the future goes, Hadelman says he has a list of priorities. He stated, “really my priorities are as listed: not almost getting my ass beat for these photos, meeting more people who I really enjoy their art, and meeting Lil Uzi Vert, in that order.” R

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Opinion

Written by Calista Headrick Graphics by Caitlin Bhagwandeen

22 issue 4

The Opinion section is here to provide student opinion on everything from today’s current trends to popular and debated topics in today’s society. Hopefully, after immersing yourself in our stories, you’ll leave feeling a little more acquainted with the issues that we encounter in society. Feel free to agree or disagree, because thought-provoking is what we’re all about. So if you’re looking to gain some personal perspective and insight from students themselves, look no further.

Our Vision of Ourselves: At The Hands of Social Media

Social media is a huge part of our everyday lives. But have you ever thought about the way it can make you view yourself?

Written by Calista Headrick Photos by Jillian Semmel Design by Isabel Solorzano

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“

The moment we scroll through our Instagram and Twitter feeds or Snapchat stories, we’re bombarded with photos of lives we wish we could live, people we wish we could be, bodies we wish we could have.”

We may feel like social media is a necessary part of our lives. In reality, it is something we should be able to live without. Often so immersed in social media, we forget what’s happening around us and what truly matters. Platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook take over our lives.

24 issue 4

- Calista Headrick ‘22

T

ake one look at your Instagram feed and you may come back feeling worse about yourself than you did two minutes ago. In a world now consumed by social media, we live in a “comparison culture.” Except we’re comparing ourselves to something unattainable, not because we’re not good enough, but because the filtered photos we compare ourselves to never met the set standards to begin with. And it’s only getting worse.

In this social media driven society, it’s almost impossible not to compare yourself to someone else. Social media usage is at an all time high and our tendencies to compare ourselves to others on these platforms will only increase; the use of social media isn’t going away anytime soon. The moment we scroll through our Instagram and Twitter feeds or Snapchat stories, we’re bombarded with photos of lives we wish we could live, people we wish we could be, bodies we wish we could have. We judge our worth by likes and followers that make us feel validated— when we shouldn’t need them in the first place—and it has serious consequences.

We idolize unattainable standards, and in doing so, internalize a comparison mindset, rarely feeling better about ourselves. No one enjoys feeling like they aren’t good enough, but that’s exactly the result that we’re creating.

And it’s not just the act of seeing others’ photos. When we decide only to post the photos or updates that we think make us appear better than we actually feel, we’re also then perpetuating lower self-esteem and body image concerns.

It becomes impossible to not compare ourselves and try to reach those standards that we feel we have to meet.

You could call it a toxic mirror. In the process of comparing ourselves to others, we lose confidence in ourselves. The strains of social media can run deep. It can take a toll on our body confidence, and even our mental health. It results in an obsession for thinness, flawless light skin, and a body that no one has. A huge portion of what we see on social media encompasses so few of us. For those of us who don’t fit into these categories, how are we supposed to feel about our bodies when we don’t align with what we see all of the time? In feeling like we don’t meet these expectations or fit the ideal of beauty according to social media, it leads to an endless and toxic cycle.

There is plenty of research to back this up. The National Eating Disorder Collaboration points out that “Research shows that there is a link between spending more time on social media platforms or engaging with more appearance-related content (e.g., images) on social media and greater body image concerns and disordered eating among young men and women.” This makes perfect sense because the more we expose ourselves to this “appearancerelated content,” it becomes almost impossible not to then compare this to ourselves and how we wish we could be. In the UK, according to the Mental Health Foundation as of 2019, “Just over one in five [UK] adults (22%) and 40% of teenagers said images on social media caused them to worry about their body image.”

We’re seeing a pattern here. Body dissatisfaction

comes as a result of social media, and we feel the need to hold our bodies to standards set by these platforms. But it’s not just viewing these photos and images. According to a study conducted by the University of Kentucky and reported by phys.org, as of 2018, “Teens who reported posting more pictures on social media had a heightened awareness of their appearance, which was related to feeling more negative about their body.” As previously mentioned, our tendency to post solely the pictures that we think we look best in can have damaging effects as well. By posting these photos, we look for approval and validation that we don’t feel ourselves. Just because we’re posting them doesn’t mean we’re happy with what we see. In reality, we’re only creating a false sense of how we want to feel, when really, we’re only more unsatisfied with our body image.

This social media society is only continuing to grow as time goes on, and it’s hard to break a cycle that is so ingrained within society. I’m not sure that anyone is an exception to this comparison culture, myself included. It’s hard to change a mindset, but we can try to stop measuring ourselves against others and accept ourselves the way we are. So even though it may seem difficult, there are things we can do as individuals to reduce how much we’re comparing ourselves to others on social media.

Ground yourself. We can think about the things we love and appreciate about our lives. Truly take some time to consider why we think we aren’t good enough or why we’re comparing ourselves in the first place, because when we do, we’ll find that we shouldn’t have to. When you recognize all of the things in your life that you’re grateful for, it takes the focus away from the things you may not like about yourself. Not only that, but we have no idea what others are going through offline. These people you see all over social media may appear to have all of these things, when really they’re probably sharing many of the same insecurities. So a positive mindset can make the world of a difference.

I read a great piece of advice somewhere. “Stop scrolling and start living.” Maybe the best way to stop this comparison culture is by getting rid of it altogether, and if not altogether, then little by little. Limit the time you spend scrolling through Instagram or Snapchat. Limit the posts you see, or unfollow

look at the

FACTS

Body image concerns are an increasing problem among both men and women in the U.S. Some may think these issues are reserved only for teenage girls and women, but as of 2020, breakbingeating. com points out otherwise.

Body checking and body image avoidance have become more and more prevalent, begging us to consider what makes it so.

the accounts that you follow of the bodies and lives that seem to spark those comparisons for you. When we stop comparing ourselves, I think we’ll find much more value and happiness in our lives. We’re constantly presented with unrealistic beauty standards in the form of social media posts, judging ourselves to be worse than what we see. But they’re unrealistic standards for a reason, because in reality, we don’t need to compare ourselves against others. I know—easier said than done. But how we view ourselves and our bodies is entirely up to us. It’s not for anyone else to determine if we’re good enough or not, because at the end of the day we’re more than the reflections of the toxic mirrors that we see through our screens. R

There’s a tendency to judge our worth by the amount of likes, followers, and comments that we receive based on the photos we post. But this shouldn’t define how we view ourselves.

23%

reported frequent body checking

11%

reported body image avoidance

9%

reported frequent body checking

5%

reported body image avoidance

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WHEELS OF DEMOCRACY 26 issue 4

Amongst the near deafening noise of calamities in the news—Australia on fire, a deadly new viral outbreak of coronavirus coming out of China, near war with Iran, an ongoing Impeachment trial—it’s hard to remember that in a few weeks, Democratic registered voters of the state of Florida will be asked to pick a new nominee to run against Donald Trump for president of the United States. With the Florida Democratic Primary right around the corner, and over five viable candidates still in the race, it’s important that we as students are educated on who is advocating for what. This guide will hopefully help those of you who are registered Democrats make your selection process easier on March 17.

Written by Maxx Smith Graphics by Robert Che-Bonilla Design by Ruby Rosenthal

joe biden

The former senator and vice president of the United States entered his name into the ring a bit later than most names on this list, but due to his high political recognition and well known celebrity status, his campaign sat comfortably in 1st place amongst national polls for some time, before his subpar caucasus performance tanked his polling numbers.

A majority of his appeal is found in his promise to return American politics to the time before Trump, modeling many of his policy positions as natural evolutions off of those pursued by Barack Obama.

1.

how do his policies affect me?

Student Debt Forgiveness: It’s complicated No, the former Vice President does not believe that student debts should be forgiven unless you make more than $25,000 a year, but then it gets interesting.

Biden is asking you to pay 5% of your income directly to loans over 20 years. Upon the 20th year, the government will pick up the rest of the tab. He is advocating for two years of free community college.

Universal Healthcare: No

Biden’s focus is improving upon his former co-worker and friend’s Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as “Obamacare.” Biden believes in the system and would like to see it improved and expanded.

Environment: Moderate, for the other candidates’ standards

Biden’s campaign rolled out a comprehensive environment plan in July, one that has been the subject of numerous progressive attacks. His plan is Green New Deal, but it appears to be taking a more moderate, incremental, kinder–to–industry approach. Biden wants to expand America’s nuclear power programs and wants to tax carbon emissions.

A focus on renewable investments and innovations is outlined in his plan. He is also pledging to reach no carbon emissions by 2050, reentering the Paris Climate Accord, and assisting vulnerable communities from polluters. His plan looks to cost $1.7 trillion.

bernie sanders Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is neither a stranger to presidential nomination campaigns, nor is he a stranger to second place. This time around, however, Bernie has been rapidly gaining (currently leading) in the polls, with many speculating a comfortable delegate lead heading into Super Tuesday come March 3. The senator has been lambasted by the right and moderates as too progressive, and issues regarding electability in a race against Donald Trump have been raised. Yet with the most cash on hand in the election—upwards to $61 million— and big momentum out of Iowa and New Hampshire, there seems to be no stopping voters from feeling the Bern.

2.

how do his policies affect me?

Student Debt Forgiveness: Yes

Bernie believes that through an increase on wealth tax against the rich, all student debt in the United States can be paid off. He is also a supporter of free higher education, believing that all public universities, colleges, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and trade schools should be free to the American public. He also plans on investing $1.3 billion into private universities and historically black not-for-profit schools to improve student choice for higher education.

Healthcare: Universal, no options

The OG of universal single payer healthcare as a politically viable conversation piece, Bernie has and continues to lead the charge on advocating for universal health care. He has not specified how he will

pay for it, yet adamantly believes that it is possible. His attacks on Big Pharma and promise that Americans will pay no more than $200 a month on medication is an admirable goal.

Environment: Extremely progressive

Bernie is a supporter of the Green New Deal, an incredibly progressive environmental plan that would ban all nuclear power, fracking, and new oil drilling, impose strict government regulations on emissions, and ensure the transition from fossil fuel usage to renewable energy by 71% nationwide at the end of the decade.

Bernie is planning on meeting this goal by investing $17 trillion into a public works program dedicated to increasing renewable energy infrastructure.

amy klobuchar How did she last this long? I may get bombasted for this, but honestly who knows the difference between Amy and Pete on pure policy positions?

Both moderate options, Amy has found massive success in both New Hampshire and Iowa due to her charasmatic energy and strong attacks against Donald Trump. I don’t suspect this success to last however, heading into more diverse electorates, these moderate messages may run into difficulties.

Especially when those who are seeking moderate change are, well, white moderate middle class voters who have nothing to lose in a 2020 election.

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pete buttigieg The young(er),openly gay, veteran, moderate millenial of Joe Biden. Mayor Pete has made a shockwave in the political world. A mayor from South Bend, Indiana – the 4th largest city in Indiana and home of Notre Dame University – being a viable pick for the president of The United States? With a suprise victory in Iowa, the Democratic National Convention seems to think so.

Pete has every single tick on a presidential resume checklist, it’s almost as if he’s been planning this since he got accepted to Harvard. His connections to wealthy elites have been subject to scrutiny over the campaign, as well as his track record with police brutality against African-Americans in his hometown.

3.

how do his policies affect me?

Student Debt Forgiveness: Yes but no

Pete is a centrist. He believes that some individuals should pay for college, but he thinks some should not. His plan calls for families who make under $100,000 to have free college tuition.

Families who make $100,000 to $150,000 will receive substantial tuition supplements. Pete would also like to generously increase Pell Grant funding by a cool $120 billion. Honestly, his plan is incredibly meticulous and detailed. Potential public servants?

Pete is promising to wipe all student debt if you enter public service, for 10 years that is.

Healthcare: Universal option and private option Pete, being the centrist he is, offers a compromise with taglines like “Healthcare is a human right, let’s offer universal medical care for those who want it.” Under Pete's plan, you would be able to keep your private health insurance or join the universal option. Pete also focuses on mental health, addiction,

access to health care in rural markets, combating Big Pharma (ironic considering some of his donors are heavily invested in big Pharma), an emphasis on women's health, and unlike any other candidate, made it a point to speak on health equity.

Environment: Pete’s Green New Deal

Pete takes a hard left when it comes to climate change.

His plan is to authorize the Green New Deal and have America net zero emissions by the year 2040. He wants to invest more than $200 billion on Research and Development into clean technology in the next 10 years, as well as create a carbon tax on industries and use the profits to create rebates for Americans who live in emission dense areas. He wants us to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and become the world leader in sustainable energy and economy. He also wants to create a Pittsburgh summit, to invite small business leaders across the world to commit to these changes as well.

After an embarrassing Iowa Caucus, it’s easy to write off the Democratic National Convention (DNC).

Luckily, Florida doesn’t participate in the Caucus style of voting. I hope this guide made the process a bit easier for those of you who haven’t been meticulously watching the election cycle as it has unfolded, and hopefully you will be able to walk away with a candidate in mind.

A full and updated breakdown of these candidate’s performances as well as information on other Democratic candidates can be found on hatternetwork.com 28 issue 4

Pat & Toni’s Sweet Things In historic Downtown Deland, we do things the old fashioned way.

Hand dipping and crafting each of our chocolate treats, carrying candies from your childhood, and dedicating ourselves to knowledge of our craft to give you the best service possible. ​ While we are constantly growing and improving, we always keep the values of the good ol' days in Pat and Toni's.

stop by for some

&

ICE CREAM AÇaÍ Bowls chocolate

don’t forget You get a FREE chocolate covered strawberry everytime you come in with your Stetson ID.

Graphics courtesy of Kate Garfield, www.misskatecuttables.com

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why isn’t

Renewable old yet?

We’ve been “right on the cusp” of a renewable-dominated energy regime for years, so what is taking so long?

30 issue 4

Written by Jay Stearman Graphics by Caitlin Bhagwandeen Design by Isabel Solorzano

T

hirteen years ago, President Doug Lee added Stetson University to the charter signatory list of The American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), vowing to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. An admirable, albeit lofty, goal must have appeared achievable then. After all, what do you imagine we couldn’t do by 2063? However, as years trickle by, carbon neutrality is appearing less and less feasible. Trying to incentivize putting a lid on emissions appears to have been much easier said than done, and certainly more complex than we originally thought.

It is wise to remember that the concept of carbon neutrality on a large-scale is a concept still in its infancy. In fact, the original Earth Day attendees 50 years ago hadn’t even considered carbon dioxide a pollutant worth considering.

The picture is much different now. We have become aware of CO2’s huge contribution to the greenhouse gas profile, which is turning up the thermostat on our planet. In our lifetime, discussions on the validity of global warming and climate change have quickly transformed from a discussion with merit to an absolute given, refuted by only the ignorant - a small coalition of boomers - and the facades of politicians with a few too many friends in the fossil fuel industry.

That’s not to say that those who do not embrace renewable energies are cold-hearted, fact-fighting cronies, but rather that there are other substantial barriers to softening our carbon footprint which inevitably involve decision makers pointing their fingers to the ones on the rung above them.

As any environmentalist will tell you, pitching sustainable practices to a room of people, reusable cup in-hand, who lay awake thinking about the plowing of wetlands and pine tree hammocks to make way for more cookie-cutter family homes is easy.

The same pitch in the corporate boardroom doesn’t fare as well. Why? Cash.

The predicament of any well-intentioned environmentalist is translating an ethic of conservation and sustainable business practices into a series of cost-saving tricks; life hacks that save money and reduce emissions.

However, I don’t think we should be too hard on the nonenvironmentalists. One shouldn’t need to operate at a loss or empty out the pocketbook for the sake of adopting renewable energy. It shouldn’t mean sacrificing necessary amenities like faculty salaries and student life improvers like living in a reasonably comfortable, safe, and inclusive environment.

But the financial makeup of renewable energy use depends on who you call your governor. States from the Pacific to the Midwest to the Atlantic have found cost-effective ways to increase the proportion of energy production via renewables. Idaho, for instance, while thinly populated, supplies over a quarter of its energy by wind and hydroelectric power, and ranks 5th in most affordable average electricity costs according to US News.

One might think that the road to a solar-power bolstered grid for the Sunshine State should be simple. Instead, solar power makes up a paltry 0.06% of energy consumption in Florida

according to Florida Power and Light.

Compare that to cloudy, grey Germany who, according to CNBC, supplied 29% of their gross energy consumption from renewables and 6.5% of that was solar in fiscal year 2018. We know that Germany doesn’t have a geographic advantage, but what about technological? Does Germany have some advantage in efficient solar panel or photovoltaic infrastructure production?

Nein. It’s simply cheaper to adopt because the decision makers at the highest level genuinely want to rely on the price-stable, noncartel-controlled business of renewable energies as opposed to fossil fuels.

Take our northern neighbor Canada who, while equivalent to 11% of our population and only 12% of our GDP, generates much more of its energy needs from renewables than the United States, 73% of its total and climbing. The US lags behind at just under 15% of energy consumed deriving from renewable sources, as per WorldAtlas.com.

The rhetoric of many in Washington over recent years has proclaimed that low-cost energy is vital for national security and the quality of life for those in the United States. Likewise, Congress allocates literally billions of dollars into fossil fuel industries ($29.4 billion in the 2015-2016 election cycle) for costly practices like extraction, processing, and exploration. Efforts to substantially reduce these concessions are a political non-starter; bills are shot dead before it even gets off the ground.

Let me remind you that Florida introduced a rebate program for adopting solar energy in 2006, but cut it after it became too popular. Clearly, the desire for alternative energy sources is there, and simple economics tells us that a larger supply of renewable infrastructure will drive down its cost even lower.

In fact, the cost has steadily been dropping for the past several decades. Large scale integration of renewable energy is possible; it has worked in Germany and Canada. Just imagine how much easier it would be for a college in Vancouver or Munich to purchase renewably-sourced energy, where it’s much more readily available due to green initiatives and investment from the federal government. Unfortunately, the cost of reducing carbon emissions is much more challenging for Floridians.

But we aren’t confined to fossil fuel dependency with solar and wind perpetually out of reach, only adopted by marginal and desolate landscapes. Powerful groups have simply chosen time and time again to pour tax dollars into making burning coal, oil, and gas cheaper. If we want our university to have a chance in achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, we need to demonstrate that the many environmental initiatives that Stetson has and continues to adopt are important to us. Equally important, we need to ensure that those we cast our ballots for aren’t pocketing thousands in lobbying money to maintain the grip that fossil fuel companies currently have on our utilities, so that we can give the Sunshine State a good name. R

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Written by Ihsaan Fanusie Graphics by Caitlin Bhagwandeen

Sports The Sports section is focused on connecting students and faculty with the athletic program at Stetson. The university has a wide variety of sports programs (18 to be exact), and each one of them is important to student life.

Beyond official sports, we also cover all things athletic, from exercise tips in the gym to intramural league news.

Here at The Reporter, we hope to inform students of Stetson sports, provide the community with coverage of local sports events and news, and discuss general athletic news in general. Go Hatters!

32 issue 4

Hatters Baseball: live A d n a d e v i v e R The Stetson baseball team looks to rebuild after an injury-plagued 2019 season.

I

n 2018, the Stetson Hatters Baseball team shocked the college baseball world by ending their Cinderella run in Omaha against the University of North Carolina in the Super Regional round of the College Baseball World Series.

Trying to carry the momentum into the 2019 season, the Hatters couldn’t recreate the same magic as before. In 2019, the Hatters had a subpar overall record of 27-32 and finished the season 6th in the ASUN Conference.

A major factor in the team’s struggles last season, at least in the eyes of redshirt Brandon Hylton ‘24, was the amount of injuries. Hylton, who is returning from an injury himself, expressed how hard it can be being benched, saying, “It was hard watching the team I practiced and played with every day, going out there supporting the green and black while I couldn’t do anything but sit there and watch.”

Whether Hylton knew it or not, this feeling of helplessness was shared by his teammates as well.

Written by D’Andre Lewis Photos courtesy of Stetson University Athletics Design by Isabel Solorzano

“Sitting on the bench because of injury was tough…” infielder Johnathan Meola ‘19 stated, “especially at first, because you go from playing everyday, and the next thing you know you physically can’t play anymore.”

With Hylton, Meola, and others coming back from injury, one thing for certain is that injured players plan to take advantage of the new season and make the best of it.

“Last year was my first ever main injury I’ve ever suffered from. If there is one thing to take away from last season is that nothing is guaranteed. I need to go out there and play every play like it’s my last,” Hylton said.

With 2020 looking to be a promising season for the Hatters, the mindset of players like Hylton and Meola are focused on the sport they love and one destination: the College Baseball World Series. “Goals for this season are to obviously end the season in Omaha,” said Meola.

For Hylton, “There is going to be a day when I stop playing this game for good and I don’t expect it to be any time soon. This game has given me more than I could ask for, it’s only right I give my respect back to the game by playing it with everything I’ve got.”

The Hatters opened the 2020 campaign February 14 with a home win over the Manhattan University Jaspers in Melching Field at Conrad Park. R

Top: Brandon Hylton ‘24 swinging at one of his view at bats from the 2018 season. Bottom: Home of the Hatters Baseball Team, Melching Field at Concord Park.

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Next

What does recruiting look like through the lens of the recruiters?

Generation

finding the

Written by Allie Wilson Photos courtesy of Stetson University Athletics & Kevin Vega Design by Isabel Solorzano

With all of our exciting spring sports, all things “new” are on the student body’s mind. Although some sports are taking a break until next fall, every team has one thing in common around this time: recruitment.

With the new year and everybody's favorite paperwork approaching, incoming freshmen are finalizing their decisions every day. Every sport is different and has their own ways of recruiting and building their team. From yearly try-outs to solely recruited members, our sports here at Stetson have a wide variety of strategies when it comes to bringing on new athletes.

Row, Row, Row Your Recruit Gently to the Team The head coach of our rowing team, Katie Thurstin, explained that “rowing’s unique when it comes to recruiting because [they] take walk-on athletes as well as recruited athletes.” This opens the sport to students who have never heard of it and gives the opportunity to join something exciting.

Walk-on athletes in the fall can create an unfortunate situation when it comes to the spring semester though, as the fall walk-ons sometimes drop off after their first semester. Being a student-athlete is harder than it looks from the outside, and once players start to realize the commitment it really is, they can form doubts about whether or not they want to be there.

As Thurstin puts it, “it’s more hard work the further you get into it because you’re not just learning what the heck you’re doing. So it’s like ‘okay, do I really want to work this hard or not?’”

This may be why, on the recruiting side of things, “the character of the student is one of the key things [to look for].” Thurstin commented that, “how they’re going to fit with the team, their desire to train [and] what they want to bring to a team,” are all important factors when considering new recruits.

Building a team takes a lot of inside effort, especially on the athlete’s parts. Their drive and their determination are the base of their team’s success.

These recruited athletes are expected to be as willing to work and be as motivated as their teammates.

When asked how incoming freshmen will affect the team, rowing team member Grant Miller ‘22, said, “We all work towards having a positive effect on the team, so I think that everybody that we bring in, whether it’s walk-ons or freshmen, will have the same effect.”

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With a team like rowing, a perennial underdog in their sport since their inception, building a strong team is important. Not just to win, but to prove that they’re just as strong and dedicated as much older teams around the nation.

This is also why both the men’s and women’s teams have big goals for the future of the program. For instance, Thurstin said, “this year the men want to be top fifteen in the country, which is an amazing feat. And the women’s goal is to try to win [their] conference championship so they can be the first school to go to the NCAA.”

“

Men’s rowing team is hard at work training for this spring season.

With a team like rowing, a perennial underdog in their sport since their inception, building a strong team is important. Not just to win, but to prove that they’re just as strong and dedicated as much older teams around the nation.

- Allie Wilson

The women’s lacrosse team is looking fierce as they prepare for this semester’s competition.

A Deeper Look Into Lacrosse Another team that similarly defies the odds is lacrosse. Lacrosse, being more popular in northern states, is relatively new to Florida. Recruiting stretches far and wide for this sport. Head coach Christy Leach, while explaining their recruiting process, said, “we get [athletes] geographically from everywhere, so we have people from as far west as Colorado. We have some [from] Texas, up to Vermont… We try to grab a reach just to put our Stetson name out there.”

When it comes to recruiting for the lacrosse team, they focus on how well players would fit with not only the team, but also Stetson’s atmosphere. Being a smaller school, it’s important for incoming freshmen to understand the culture of the university they’ll be attending.

As they prepare for this season, Leach says that they’re mostly done with recruiting for this upcoming year. Recently, they held a weekend event where the student-athletes hosted some of the incoming freshmen who have signed their national letters of intent. This gives the players a chance to meet their teammates and bond before the new year.

Liza Diamond ‘20, a senior on the lacrosse team, said, “I think they’ll be really positive, they seem like they’re all really good people.”

Facing Recruitment Challenges One recent obstacle that all recruiting sports have had to deal with is the NCAA’s restrictions on early recruiting. Only a year or two ago, the organization adopted a rule that stated coaches couldn’t contact potential recruits until September 1st of their junior year, which is later than many sports were used to. Gradually, the recruiting process had been getting out of hand, so the NCAA had to put its foot down. This decision was made after many institutions were found to be scouting and pressuring students to agree to scholarships as early as middle school.

Many Stetson sports have begun their search for student-athletes quite young, though nothing as drastic as seventh graders. On the topic of her own recruitment experience, Diamond mentioned that being recruited as a junior, which she had been, was very late when it came to lacrosse. But when asked how this ruling had affected the team and their recruiting process, Leach mentions that they took the change in stride, saying “it’s just another day for us.” As far as Stetson’s lacrosse is concerned, finding the best players to fit the university’s athletic vision is a top priority and they’re ready to rise to the challenge. R

Don’t forget to come support our Hatters this spring season!

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goals,

ambitious

smart backups

Stetson has dedicated and hardworking student-athletes - but what comes after graduation?

A

Written by Ihsaan Fanusie Photos by Jillian Semmel Design by Isabel Solorzano

s children, most of us dream of achieving great things.

Some of us dream of becoming astronauts or firefighters; others have hopes of becoming superheroes and saving the world.

As we get older, some of us abandon our dreams in pursuit of more practical, ‘safe’ occupations. Some of us, however, keep their sights on these lofty goals and strive towards their ambitions.

Athletes at Stetson recognize the importance of having ambitious goals, but also have the vision to have backup plans for if those dreams cannot be attained.

Ana Costa ‘21, a player on the beach volleyball team, plans to participate in the Olympics, either in the 2024 or 2028 cycle.

“My plan is to go pro and go to the Olympics,” she said. “I’ve been playing since I was nine.”

Costa, who’s mother was a professional volleyball player and father was a track and field athlete, is from Brazil. If she participates in the Summer Olympics, she will represent her home country.

The process of training for the Olympics involves a very specialized regimen. Athletes will choose a coach, a training partner, and then enter the national tournament in Brazil.

“Usually people will train in cycles,” Costa explained. Cycles reset every four years. During these

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cycles, Olympic hopefuls will train with professionals in order to get physically and mentally prepared for Olympic qualifiers.

They can then get national exposure playing in tournaments in Brazil.

“I mean, this is my backup plan, that’s why I’m in college,” Costa said of her pursuit of a degree in international studies.

“That’s the only reason [I’m here], to have a degree so that my parents don’t go too crazy,” she added with a chuckle.

With her degree, Costa hopes to do something in diplomacy as a career backup plan.

Guilherme Pinhiero ‘22, a midfielder on the men’s soccer team, plans to continue playing soccer at the professional level after he graduates. “I hope I can get to the pro level, but if not, I’m going for a degree so I have both options. But if I can, I want to go pro.”

Being an athlete also presents challenges for students. “The biggest challenge,” Pinhiero said, “is managing my time because of the messy schedule with practice, lift, classes, and traveling.”

Though time management can be difficult as a student athlete, there are several rewarding aspects of the job, too.

Both Costa and Pinhiero highlighted the importance of being on a team in helping create useful life skills.

For Costa, “[Being on a team] helps me deal with people… and deal with challenges.”

Pinhiero shares a similar sentiment.

“I think being on a team itself helps you a lot already. You learn a lot of things like discipline, how to play with others, work with other people, and understand all of their differences.”

For student athletes at Stetson, having a vision consists of both planning and developing a scheme for the future. “To me, vision is having an idea of how I want things to be and [knowing] what I need to do to pursue them,” said Pinhiero. “For me, [vision] is the future,” Costa said.

As we move into the spring season and several new teams take the field for the first time in 2020, vision will be a prime focus for Stetson student athletes. R

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38 issue 4

UNPACKED with Nadia Babij

One portion of the student body that has a clear vision for their future are the members of ROTC. These future service men and women balance a full college schedule on top of military training.

Let’s take a look into the life of Nadia Babij ‘22, a political science major, with minors in philosophy and english.

Written by Vivianne Skavlem Photos by Jillian Semmel Design by Madison Gray & Isabel Solorzano

1. “This is my miscellaneous folder. It does have some

ROTC stuff in it. These are counseling forms. So I’m a squad leader, which means that I have seven cadets under me who I’m responsible for. And this is a paper they filled out for me at the beginning of the semester pretty much telling me their plan on how they’re going to succeed the rest of the semester. And then the rest of this folder is just filled with random essays that were graded and handed back to me.”

2. “This is my international relations notebook. I’m a poli-sci major and yeah. It’s pretty basic, just a collection of notes in it.”

3. “Water. I have to stay hydrated for physical training.

I always have water on me too.”

4. “And this is a miscellaneous notebook. Some of my ROTC stuff is in here, sometimes it’s just random drawings. This is like, political philosophy. There is ROTC stuff in here. I know I’ve seen it before. This is ROTC. Ignore everything else.”

5.“My international relations textbook.”

6. “Four texts on Socrates for my political philosophy class. That’s thrilling.”

7. “My planner is very important to me, or else I feel like I would lose my head. I don’t always keep up with it, but for the most part I do. When I start to get busy, I look to my planner.”

8. “I have a sketchbook. I like to draw. So it’s just in there.”

9. “My chapstick. I don’t go anywhere without chapstick. It’s very important to me.”

10. “These are my keys. It has my whole life in them, pretty much. So my ID is in the wallet that’s attached.

My debit card. My Goodwill rewards card; very important.”

11. “This clog on my keys is from my best friend; she went to the Netherlands and got it engraved with my name.”

12. “My backpack is pretty light. I travel light.”

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@hatternetwork