the
reporter t OCTOBER 2018
DINING IN DELAND: the ice cream edition FOOD FIGHT: an investigation of stetson’s new dining hall THE EXODUS OF THA CARTER V: a review of lil wayne’s recent album
table of c 5 9 11 13
1 | The Reporter
the Exodus of Tha Carter V by sam hadelman
stetson’s out of the park season by lana kaczmarek
dining in deland: the ice cream edition by kaitlyn kocsis
horoscopes by catie brumit
ontents 15 17 19 21
layout & cover design by: hali pollard
humans of stetson by aja williams
food fight
by colette cacciola & jenny fang
what’s what?
by kaitlyn kocsis & hannah zeller
ampersand
by jacob mauser
October 2018 | 2
the
from
LETTERS EDITORS layout by:hali pollard
from the editor-in-chief
Hello there,
Hatter Network’s The Reporter staff is proud to present our second issue of Fall 2018. First off, I’m an unapologetic lover of magazines; I enthusiastically flip through the pages, immersed in the stories and photos. However, I cannot be biased and am proud of all our branches of student media. In this issue, I invite you to check out the latest news of WHAT Radio’s new space and the exciting progress and collaboration ongoing within the new radioroom. Touchstone presents an Ampersand artist highlight, focusing on a student artist and her passion for creativity. Within these pages, you’ll read about the groundbreaking last season of Stetson baseball, an analysis of Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter V, and our very own Humans of Stetson series. Our writers did some investigating for this issue
as well, including an examination of the new Commons and a review of the best ice cream in DeLand. Of course, don’t forget to check out what the stars have in store for you in our Horoscopes section. It’s our job as student media to always strive to keep our readers engaged. After all, we’re students producing content for students. It’s now your turn to pick up and issue and read! -Shaylen Vitale
from the executive editor
Hi,
I never imagined that I would be in the position I am right now. When I was asked at the beginning of the summer if I had any interest in being Executive Editor, I was in a hotel room sitting on the floor. The carpet was yellow, watery sunlight was streaming through the open windows, and I was in Wales. A lot of things were going on in my life that I simply couldn’t believe; this was one of them. I’m generally a pessimist, but being allowed the place I now have within Hatter Network has
3 | The Reporter
made me think more seriously about my future and become more confident in who I am and what I say. The three years I’ve spent watching and being involved in the reconstruction and consolidation of Stetson Student Media and the sheer amount of work that has gone into building this magnificent beast leaves me certain that not only is Hatter Network here to stay, it is here to prosper, to grow, to bloom. So, dear reader, it is with great honor that I, and all of us, bring to you this semester’s second issue of The Reporter. -Colette Cacciola
our staff
section editors
photo editor
lead designer
layout by: colette cacciola
copy editor
writers and designers
October 2018 | 4
music
W
hen Tha Carter V was originally set to release, I was in the worst phase of my Lil Wayne fanhood. His over the top use of autotune and love for lyrics revolving around oral sex were boring, tired, and dry. I had been witnessing the dissection of my idol for years. Wayne had struggled to maintain his creative prowess and traded that in for mainstream success. As he climbed up the charts, the distaste in my heart only grew stronger. It reminded me of the latter half of Robert De Niro’s acting career--someone who was so triumphant in their prime taking every opportunity to remind the people of his stature without delivering the performance needed to keep it. It was the perfect storm of events for Wayne. Between battling Birdman for royalties, constantly arising health issues, and conceptual failures, like Rebirth and I Am Not A Human Being I & II, Wayne’s career had hit an apparent stand still. It was like he was stuck in a phase of attempting to force a change in the landscape of music and reliving the moments which conceptualized the legend we have come to admire and idolize.
the exodus of
THA CA
` The tale of Tha Carter V is one of deep-fanhood legend. There is a set of albums which those who go on Reddit on a semi-frequent basis have treated like the Holy Grail. The flood of stories detailing the long-lasting court case between Birdman and Lil Wayne over the royalties and release of Tha Carter V made its actualization, and even its existence, mythical. Some people assumed that the entire project was scrapped, that it was released in the form of his collaborations over the last four years, or that it was locked in Martin Shkreli’s hard drive while he sat idly in a prison briefly. For years, there were whispers and brief statements of its existence, but those rumors were silenced by the lack of information on the subject. At the time, Wayne had stated that this would be his retirement album. He had grown tired of the hip-hop landscape and perhaps realized he had climbed every mountain possible for an artist. Suspended in uncertainty, Wayne released a flood of lackluster albums and mixtapes. It was like watching a great boxer take one too many tune up fights. Though entertaining, these moments were littered with the material that deterred original fans like myself from committing to his comeback. It was not until he released the sixth chapter in his Dedication series that the nostalgic feelings came into play. We live in a time where instrumentals have become more complex than ever before, yet traditional lyricism is no longer the focal point. Much like the punk era of rock,
the feeling is more of a necessity than the message. I am not a detractor of this trend, but I did in fact miss the days where a flow would keep me so interested that I would tune the rest of the world out. Dedication 6 provided me with this solace. It was Wayne, rapping at his sharpest since Obama’s first presidential term, over beats to which had been completely untouched by talents that were comparable to his. Whether it was him rebranding the “Bank Account” beat to completely snatching the ownership of the “Roll In Peace” instrumental, one thing was clear: Wayne was back. The joy this moment gave me is indescribable. It was like the first time I watched a Rocky film. I had been watching Wayne get the shit beaten out of him for years by mistreatment and lackluster output and he finally returned with a righteous haymaker. Witnessing Wayne sound hungry for the first time in seven years was truly fulfilling. That was the moment that I realized two things: Wayne was back to being the best at rapping in the world and that I needed The Carter V. Fast forward six months and I started to hear whispers of Tha Carter V’s release. I try to be coy to rumors since I have been done wrong so many times by the music industry that I do not fully commit to a release until I see a pre-order or the artist says it himself. When I finally saw that video of Wayne in a skatepark announcing the release of Tha Carter V, it finally started to hit me. This album, which has haunted the rap industry for four years, was being released. This was the last album I truly
written by: sam hadelman layout by: hali pollard
ARTER V
wanted that had outlived my adolescence. Everyone else had fulfilled my hunger at some point during the last four years and it was finally Wayne’s opportunity. I cannot really describe the feeling of downloading the album on my phone and finally having it all to myself, but it is one that I will never forget. This was an album that not only meant so much to me but had outlived so many stages in my life that I was astounded that the current version of myself was the one that would finally consume this musical meal. Though the album is the length of your everyday blockbuster film, sitting at roughly an hour and forty five minutes, it is an event to listen to it. Between Wayne’s Ivy League-level lyrics and his maximization of content, this was a lot to consume at once. The length is the worst and best part of the record. Through not being concise and letting the river flow so violently, Wayne has given us enough content to satisfy our four year hunger. The downside is that there is so much diverse content from different times in his career that the consistency is sometimes watered down. As Wayne himself has detailed, tracks like “Mona Lisa” were recorded in 2014, while “Dark Side of the Moon” was recorded this year. The timetable of the record’s conception leads to a diverse bag of sounds; some of which sound extremely dated and others which are a stark reminder of the genius of Dwayne Carter. I personally have never ascribed to new-trends, I enjoy musical stylings of what is relevant now, but I make it a point to trace the lineage of how we got here. That is why the ancient aspects of Tha Carter V really didn’t matter. At the core of my fanhood of Wayne is strictly lyricism. The beat is merely a necessity for Wayne to hone his craft. I could really care less if it sounds dated or fresh off the shelf; I am here for the timeless craft of Lil Wayne.
The exodus of Tha Carter V is the best thing that could have happened to Lil Wayne. He is the benchmark for success in hip-hop; when artists have dreams of a fruitful and lengthy career, the tail which they are chasing is that of Lil Wayne. This record, hopefully, has put Wayne on the path of commercial and critical success in the latter half of his career. We have never really seen someone of his magnitude completely retire without the accompaniment of death. This process knocked Wayne into a position that is foreign to him musically: adversity. His career has been as effortless as his creative process, so the Birdman’s infringement of his success put him in a position where he has to climb the ladder to grab the crown again. I can only hope this is the beginning of his conquest.
8/10
There were moments on this record that reminded both of why Wayne
7 | The Reporter
is one of the most idolized artists of my music listening career and simultaneously extremely frustrating. With songs like “Uproar” and “Dope New Gospel,” it was like watching Tiger Woods With songs like “Uproar” and “Dope New Gospel”, it was like watching Tiger Woods win the Ryder Cup. At the same time, tracks like “Famous” and “What About Me”, felt more like witnessing Michael Jordan in a Wizards jersey. Wayne is not acting like a caricature of nostalgia of his preprison career and that is why this record is so infectious. Wayne’s classic ego is all over the record, while his self-awareness of his positioning in hip-hop today is extremely apparent. The record doesn’t scream of desperation, rather a staunch reminder: Wayne is one of the greatest rappers of all-time. Much like when Jay-Z released 4:44, my favorite record of that year, it was a necessary reminder that the gatekeepers of the genre are still extremely relevant and aging like fine wine. This is not a perfect record, nor is it the best Carter, but that does not take away from my enjoyment of it.
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE HATTER NETWORK TEAM? contact us at hatternetwork@gmail.com or apply through our application form on HatterSync. October 2018 | 8
ON THE
UP WING Written by Lana Kaczmarek & Design by Isabel Solorzano
Stetson University’s baseball team made history at Melching Field in June of 2018 by ending their season with 48 wins, 13 losses, including an 18-game winning streak leading them towards winning the ASUN Championship and earning their spot in the NCAA Championship, hosted for the first time in DeLand, Florida by Stetson. Although the team had a recordbreaking season, their success was built from hard work and a “winning culture,” according to Coach Steve Trimper. The team focused on working together as a unit to bring them victory.
the help from Coach Steve Trimper. He reminded his players about the importance of dealing with adversity and failures by having their minds in the right place. The Hatters remained focused throughout the season during practices, video analysis, dieting, and proper sleep, so when the game started, they were fully prepared. A culture was instilled into the players to deal with crisis management. If a situation arose, the guys were mentally prepared to handle it while staying focused on the game and managing the added stress.
The third baseman, Jonathan Meola, said, “Through Coach Trimper “The guys worked extremely and the team, we built a culture that hard every single day coming here and we like to call ‘blue collar,’ meaning we trying to get better. They saw the fruits would work hard day in and day out of their labor by living by the principle just as a blue collared worker would. As that if everyone can come into practice we started getting national recognition, every week and try to become five percent we continued to work hard and push better individually, the whole team gets ourselves toward becoming even better. greater and they did just that,” said We were definitely a confident team and Trimper. we had the results to back it up and that definitely contributed to our success.” Stetson baseball team’s success would not have been possible without Following their triumphant
9 | The Reporter
Stetson Baseball knocked the 2017-2018 season out of the park. season, several players were drafted for the majors including Logan Gilbert, Brooks Wilson, Jack Perkins, Ben Onyshko, Austin Hale, and Joey Gonzalez. Despite their success, Coach Trimper believed that those players’ main focus was not just to be drafted, but to win as a team. The leadership and teamwork amongst talented players is something professional teams recognize. Through the byproduct of their success, they were eligible for being drafted and have a victorious season. “It’s not always easy to win, but I think what Stetson proved last year is that we didn’t need to have all the big named guys... of course we had a Logan Gilbert or a Brooks Wilson, but there were a lot of unsung heroes on that team. The more that you have a team atmosphere and everybody’s involved by knowing and working hard to improve their roles, you really have something special,” said Coach Trimper. Throughout the season, players Jonathan Meola and Jacob Koos appeared on Sportscenter’s Top 10 for
their significant plays during crucial games. Meola was featured as number one on ESPN’s Top 10 for his diving catch against Oklahoma State during the Regionals.
“
The Oklahoma State catch is still very surreal. Since I was a little kid, I’ve always dreamed about being on Sportscenter top 10 plays and to have that dream come true, along with helping my team in the process, was a great feeling.
meet YOUR 2018
players
”
- Jonathan Meola
The outfielder, Koos, additionally had a remarkable play by making a crucial catch during the NCAA Division One Regionals, earning his spot in ESPN’s Top 10 with a diving flyout. Koos said, “It was awesome. You grow up dreaming to be on a Sportscenter Top 10 and for it to happen was surreal. The only thing going through my head was Mike Spooner’s voice telling me to make a play.”
Jonathan Meola
These crucial plays throughout the season made Coach Trimper’s list of favorite memories, but what really impacted Trimper was the team’s hard work and dedication throughout the entire season. “The biggest memory for me, however, was when we won the ASUN Championship. I was ready for our guys to come flying out of the dugout and do the big pig pile and go crazy, but at the ASUN Championship, we just shook hands and next step. When I sat back watched that, I said, this team has got something special because they set lofty goals, but they actually are focused on them as a unit.” According to the Stetson Today, Stetson baseball’s successful season earned them a proclamation day from the DeLand City Commission. The university was presented with bases from Melching Field and addressed with the proclamation to celebrate Stetson Baseball’s Exceptional Season Day on June 10, 2018. Although the baseball team had a successful past season, Coach Trimper told the players that this season will be different. Trimper wants to remind the players that they still need to remain focused and use that embedded work ethic to have another successful season. “It’s a new day, change, and chapter,” said Trimper. “We are going to celebrate our wins and our successes. Now, it’s time to build off those successes and find that combination of to have another successful year. It’s great to reflect back, but now it’s time to start the whole process back again.”
Jacob koos
Junior Jonathan Meola, from Toms Rivier, N.J., plays as an infielder on the field. He majors in Sociology, but served as the regular thirid baseman all season in 2018. He even earned a spot on SportCenter’s Top 10 for a catch against Jacksonville.
Junior Jacob Koos, from Wellington, Fl, plays as an outfiielder on the Stetson field. He majors in Physics, but Koos excels on the field, hitting .306 during the regular season.
d n a L De
SCReams
for ice cream!
In this fierce and flavorful competition, a selection of the Hatter Network staff explored the best of DeLand ice cream and frozen yogurt. Rated by overall experience from one cone of shame to five cones of fame, our system factored in price, location, aesthetics, flavor and topping options, level of melting messiness, and the wow factor. So who reigned victorious? Read on to find out the sweet and surprising truth.
#1 Sweet Spot
With flavors like sweet potato pie and ginger crumble cheesecake, Sweet Spot definitely shines in its creativity. All of their ice cream is homemade at their North Woodland location, earning them some extra wow factor. Their most popular flavor is the classic cookies and cream. During our taste test, the scoop size was average, but the balance of creamy ice cream to bits of flavor was masterful. Perhaps most notable was the lack of melting; our treats met the one napkin rule with ease. Our one scoop of homemade ice cream in a waffle cone was $3.79 plus tax. Also on their menu are shakes, banana splits, soft serve floats, and a number of sundaes. It was the reasonable pricing, range of classic and craft flavors, and perfect consistency that ranked Sweet Spot our winner with five out of five cones.
our ranking 11 | The Reporter
Written & Judged by Cat Keve and Kaitlyn Kocsis & Design by Isabel Solorzano
#2 Rodeo Whip
Two words: drive thru. Rodeo Whip has the aesthetic vibes of a converted Burger King, but there is nothing like getting a sprinkle coated swirl cone at 10pm and savoring every last bite in the backseat of your friend’s Honda. Their flavor list is intimidating. From chocolate doom to garbage pail, orange pineapple to pumpkin, they have just about everything. Their lasso mix-ins, similar to a Dairy Queen blizzard, are perfect for an elevated soft serve treat. Perhaps their two biggest shortcomings are location and price. Driving to South Woodland for a $6 ice cream sundae in a styrofoam cup is hard to justify. For this, Rodeo Whip earns four out of five cones.
our ranking
Sweet Lic’s
38℉ Ice and Crepe
One of the most Instagrammed foods of the year, rolled ice cream is a social media lovers dream. With flavors like coconut paradise, cookie monster, and taro lover, 38℉ Ice and Crepe is something different. You get a choice of base flavor, mix ins, toppings, and syrups for $5.95. They also serve the rolled ice cream inside of crispy cones made from crepes. It’s an overwhelming conglomeration of chocolate syrups, fruit slices, whipped cream, and candies stuffed in a crepe the size of a delivery pizza. Read: it’s a lot. While the strip mall vibes and plastic patio furniture leave little to admire, the ice cream itself is delectable in appearance and taste. Their menu also features boba tea drinks served in light bulbs. Yes, you read that right. For their unique options, intense portions, and Home Depot garden departmentesque seating area, 38℉ Ice and Crepe receives three out of five cones.
our ranking
With its signature, albeit slightly creepy, smiley face logo shining at the edge of downtown, Sweet Lic’s is as close to campus as it gets. Walking in feels similar to entering Barbie’s dream house. Once you get past the sea of pink and yellow, you are greeted, most likely, by a man with a seriously epic mustache. The Sweet Lic’s staff is always kind and enthusiastic about their newest flavors. Pralines and cream, mango sorbet dreamsicle, and tiger’s blood Gelati all made their debut this past year. Their toppings bar has the standard goodies, but their hot fudge is particularly inspiring. Priced by the ounce, the cost for a cup of soft serve is tough to estimate until it’s too late. They also have a small assortment of cookies, chocolate covered bananas, and smoothies. For a simple stop on your way back to campus, Sweet Lic’s suffices. Three out of five cones.
Berryville
our ranking
A Stetson student classic, Berryville is home to “No Weigh Wednesdays,” when a cup of soft serve and toppings is $5 regardless of how much you pile on. This weekly special tends to draw a crowd, but the self-serve nature of Berryville keeps things moving. The range of flavors isn’t huge, but they do feature sorbets, smoothies, and a rotating menu of soft serve options. The toppings bar is huge, but not the most well-kept. And with a name like Berryville, the fruit toppings are surprisingly limited. While the pops of lime green and pink make Berryville an aesthetically pleasing stop, it lacks wow factor. For this, we decided on three out of five cones.
our ranking
October 2018 | 12
horoscopes Story by: Catie Brumit Design by Ruby Rosenthal Graphic adopted by the Noun Project
This month is going to be a successful one for you! This is a time to hone in on any collaborative projects that you have in the works, as well as to reach out to those you look up to for guidance. This could even be a good time to find a new romance, so keep your eyes, mind and heart open.
This next month is going to be very beneficial for you! You will find yourself happy and ready to go out and get things done. You may find a desire to do more fun things during this time, and you should definitely pursue them. This month, communication will thrive for you, so get all of the group projects done!
This month may bring about some healing and settlement to issues you have been having in your life. If your life has felt like everything has been changing and people keep leaving, that will all be reconciled soon. Be patient and focus some energy on yourself and your loved ones in order to flourish.
If you feel like you have a lot of energy inside you that needs to come out, look for a new way to express your creativity! You’re most likely very busy right now and finding the right outlet will bring many new opportunities your way.
The month of October may be prove to be challenging, but don’t worry, it will bring personal growth and self-betterment. You may find that you have a lot of extra things on your to-do list, but this will help you improve your productivity moving forward. 12 13 || The The Reporter Reporter
This month take the time to focus on your words and their intentions. You may have some issues with miscommunication and disconnection if you get ahead of yourself. October will also be a great time for you financially, so consider investing or even playing the lottery!
Happy birthday Libras! This month should give you a new-found energy and desire as you strive for your goals. This will be a lucky time for you, so it may be a good time to start new projects. Take all of your creative impulses and act on them! You will be happy to have the new activity.
This month, it will be beneficial for you to focus on your physical health. You may feel burned out and frustrated, but exercise will be a great way to overcome these issues. Spend time with the people who matter most to you and use them as a resource if you are feeling lost. Things will lighten up for you at the end of the month.
October will be a great time for you to take on new tasks! You will thrive with communication this month, and if there is an opportunity to be a leader at any point, you should definitely take it. Carve out some time to reflect at the end of the month and prepare for a lot of personal growth – it’s coming your way.
October will be a lucky month for you! If you have any possible plans for action this month, pursue them with full force. You will be rewarded for working hard and giving your best at the end of the month. You may even find a new romance in your life after Oct. 27.
If you are having issues with school, now is the time to address them. This is a good time to change your major or pursue a new minor if those are things you are considering. You may also feel the urge to travel and change up the scenery in your life; perhaps this is the time to apply for a study abroad program.
This month will be a time for self-reflection. Think about what you want and what your goals for the future are. The more time you spend with yourself during this period the more centered and free you will feel. Keep those who matter most close during your journey through the next month. 13 October 2018 | 14
15 | The Reporter
October 2018 | 16
FOOD FIGHT Have the changes to the dining hall come with any improvements?
Written by Colette Cacciola, Design by Ruby Rosenthal, Photo by Kaitlyn Kocsis
S
17||The TheReporter Reporter 14
ince the new Commons opened at the beginning of this semester, a lot of student opinions and rumors have been flying. Naturally, they caught my attention, so I decided to look into it further by contacting the dining staff directly to address not only the stories I had heard, but their own stories and their experiences so far in this stateof-the-art space. This piece pairs information from the staff interviews with student responses and feedback regarding the Commons and what it has to offer. The last time I had a meal plan was three years ago, before construction had even begun on the new space, and before the old space had even been closed. This is far from what is now the the experience of the average student, who most likely underwent the many transitional phases over the past couple of years to finally see the Fall 2018 grand opening of something larger and more advanced than any of us had ever seen or worked with before. Marie Destinvil, the Director of Residential Dining, was the first to greet me as I entered the dining office in the CUB, and our conversation began with how immense a change the staff has undergone in the transition process. “We’re still finding the groove,� she told me, smiling. Further, we discussed the everexpanding menu and how students can effect change. Both Marie and one of the chefs, David, who joined our conversation soon after it began, talked about the work that goes into serving 2,000 meals a day, as well as the fact that everyone was coming into this blind.
The Commons opened only a week before the Fall semester began, and so had little time to do a test run before enduring everything a true meal period entails. Because of this, dining lost several staff who had been unprepared for “the full workload, and how large a venture” running a large cafeteria truly is, according to David. Curious, I asked a little more about this, and was surprised to find that dining has hired over ten people in the last two weeks and at this point is almost fully staffed. Additional people have been assigned to each station to better handle the students coming by, which should become increasingly obvious as we go into the next few weeks. Because Dining Services has now been working with the new space for two months, Marie was glad to say that the newly hired employees are being given a “better expectation of what is involved” in the position they apply for. Students will be able to see the results of this learning curve in the form of more efficient serving, a greater amount of and more detailed signage at each meal station, and perhaps, in the next few months, specials that rotate throughout the day and an expansion of the menu. What cropped up recently was the rumor that several students had contracted salmonella from their food-however, having only heard this from one or two people I was interested in the validity of the rumor. Dining Services has actually been taking large strides to reconcile rumor with reality; there was a reported case of salmonella, but Marie emphasized that it was from a student who seldom ate at the Commons, and she and Taylor Mills, Coordinator of Marketing and Finance, both described the rigorous inspections that have subsequently been undertaken. There is no evidence of salmonella in any of the food, and health checks will continue being made to ensure things stay that way. All of this said, what can students do if they have further questions or concerns? Already strides have been made toward improvement, especially since the staff have settled in and have figured out how to field feedback based on their understanding of the new space. We discussed using social media for the staff’s advantage to alert students when equipment is down so there are no surprises when students can’t grab a soda or a coffee, or when something otherwise notable occurs. Above all, the most important thing to do is ask; everyone I spoke to seemed to agree. The individuals working know what is in the food and are happy to tell you, and the comment and opinion stations in the Commons give even more opportunity to let Dining Services know what you think. Additionally, questions and feedback can be sent to 1-386-456-3103, or can be submitted through the survey here: https://www. bvfpulse.com/prod/pulse.site/t/38WP.
by the numbers
34
Students think the Commons is more sustainable than in years past.
26
42
Students think the staff is better now than last year.
Students think there are better drink options than in years past.
48
Students think the multicultural section of the Commons is the best section.
Data collected by Jenny Fang
There were 84 students in the sample survey, 58 were returning students and 26 were first-year students
?
WHAT
what’s
Ascending the CUB staircase, it’s hard to miss the shining emblem of WHAT Radio just below the illuminated “On The Air” plaque. The coverage of WHAT Radio’s new studio is vast. From articles in Stetson Today to being a featured stop on recent admissions tours, the studio is a hit. But beyond the signage and the soundboards is a team of passionate, diverse creators that make up WHAT Radio. But what is WHAT exactly? We recently sat down with Station Manager Noah Reed to find out: Written by Kaitlyn Kocsis & Design by Isabel Solorzano
History in themaking
19 | The Reporter
Thomas Wasman familiarizes himself with the new studio space in preparation to record a show.
licensing &
the new dic
in k o Lo
g a he a d “The space is great. We have everything now--it’s just a matter of cleaning things up and we can get started. We just got our license; it’s legitimizing us as a source for putting out content. My team, my hosts, and I have just been chomping at the bit to get going. The only reason we’re going through all this trouble right now is to set things up for the future. So now that we have the license, we have the space, we have the gear, we have it all, we never have to jump through this amount of hoops again. So this semester, next semester, next year, five years from now, WHAT radio can just start on day one. And that was the goal all along. I feel a little bit sad that under my reign that couldn’t happen; we couldn’t just go at the start. But I am proud that under my reign and under my team’s reign we were able to set that up for future station managers and future show hosts.”
my o t ho “In past years, we always seemed to only be livestreaming or only podcasting. And for various reasons, we had to switch off. Now though, with the streaming license and the second computer specifically for podcasting, we can do both. One of my goals for this year is to finally have that service that we’ve always said we had, but never really had, under our belt. Some shows will be exclusive to broadcasting and some to podcasting. That’s our new dichotomy. But the fact that WHAT Radio can do both now is something we’ve been trying for for a long time.”
t
reaching ou
what what
i
sn ’
“There’s been a lot of discussion about what WHAT isn’t. With this transition time and this new team, there’ve been a lot of questions about can we do this and that. Does it make sense to set up the speakers for the Involvement Fair? Historically, that’s something the A/V people did. We came to a happy medium with doing that for Uncouth which is a specifically Hatter Network thing. We feel comfortable giving Uncouth the means to do that. It’s the same thing-- the student voice--just live. One of the things we settled on is we are not the A/V club. We are first and foremost a means for students to get out there and say what they need to say. We’re not necessarily sound dudes at an event.”
sp & t
eakinig u p “The grander scheme is outreach and visibility. The office has done wonders for that alone, but besides simply seeing the office and the sign whenever you walk upstairs, making sure that we’re constantly being heard, that we’re always available. We pride ourselves on being accessible to the student body anywhere they are, whatever they’re doing. They can always tune in and get a student perspective on things. WHAT is the place you can find one of the most accessible ways to a student’s opinion. Stetson as an institution has Stetson Today and their email newsletters, and those are all great, but none of them--besides a handful that directly interview students-are from the perspective of someone in the field, on the ground. We have that. We can say what we want with minimal mediation. To me, at its core, that’s what WHAT is.”
October 2018 | 20
ampers& our spotlight artist
Who or what inspires you? Where do you draw the inspiration for your work? A lot of my work is of my friends and pictures that I take personally, and so I’ll use them as references--like specific moments or candids. I really like candids of people doing whatever and I’ll take pictures and try and transfer that into paintings of them--just everything around you.
Like sort of general scenes of everyday life? Yeah, and then altering aspects. A lot of my works are about happiness and positive feelings and life. I’m on a really big plant kick right now, there’s plants everywhere.
21 | The Reporter
nd &
written by: jacob mauser layout by: hali pollard
How do you get started on a piece?
First I’ll look through photos and stuff that I have and try and pull ones that have really interesting lighting or really interesting composition or something like that, and then I will do sketches of the painting that I want to do in my sketchbook. Then when I actually start painting it I’ll do really loose blocking colors and everything in acrylic paint, and then I’ll do oil over top—kind of like building the shapes and the layers as you go. It takes several layers because first you’ve got to get down the shapes, and then you have to refine it and then fix all the mistakes you’ve made… It takes awhile.
Can you think of a particular piece that best represents you?
I think it’d be this one (see “Michael Trio”), this painting, because this was the first one that I got down this specific style that I was going for. It wasn’t just a technical painting, it was like—it’s got thicker paint and it’s got less really strict details and it’s just got this kind of expressive feeling, which is definitely what I’m going for. I think it’s still one of my best paintings, because it’s just so energetic and full of color. I love color so much.
Can you describe yourself and your work in one or two sentences?
I try to paint moments in time that have emotion and life and happiness and excitement in them, because those are all things that I strive for in my own life, and I don’t know why I would create things that don’t coincide with what I want. I keep painting suns and bright colors because it makes me feel better.
October 2018 | 22
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