Finals Advice Page 6
Pensacola State College
“The News The Students Choose.”
Students on fast track to success Students to represent PSC with race car at annual Emerald Coast Electrathon By Brad Andrews
April 2016
New online application improves scholarship process for students By Rebecca Peters
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Nate Summit is one of the Mechanical Design students who has helped design the race car, which will compete in the Emerald Coast Electrathon April 16. PHOTO BY BARA’AH JARAISEH
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ensacola State College’s engineering technology students have joined hundreds of other individuals around the country in building and racing electric cars. Electric cars have really captured the public’s imagination these past few years, with automobile manufacturers such as BMW, Nissan and Tesla Motors bringing the once exotic, fully-electric vehicles into the mainstream. PSC is showing that large companies are not alone in this endeavour. PSC’s electric race car team started in 2013, utilizing various students in the Mechanical Design and Fabrication program and the Electronics Engineering Technology programs. The students have been able to combine their knowledge of mathematics, physics, electronics and fabrication together in order to design, build and race a vehicle in a competitive environment. The team competes every April at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola against numerous other schools, ranging from local high schools to big name universities such as Georgia Tech. PSC’s team competes in The Emerald Coast Electrathon, which consists of two, one-hour endurance races on Five Flag Speedway’s half mile, paved, oval
racetrack. The race winners are determined by which car drives the largest number of complete laps in the allotted 60 minutes. The event is sanctioned by Electrathon America and consists of multiple race divisions, including High School, Solar and Open, which is PSC’s division. Cars can take almost any form, provided that they meet certain safety, weight and power requirements, and have either three or four wheels. PSC’s current car uses a three-wheeled configuration and is powered by two leak-proof, lead, acid batteries, which are commonly used in heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Power is transmitted from the motor to the wheels via a motorcycle style chain drive. The car has a top speed of over 50 miles per hour, but its race speed is typically around 25-30 miles per hour. This is mainly because higher speeds reduce the range of the car. Drivers use a smartphone-based system for communicating with team members, and for collecting performance data such as the time and distance driven. While the Electrathon is strictly a no-contact race, precautions for accidents are taken very seriously. In the unlikely event of a crash, a number of safety devices Continued on Page 3
ne of the most daunting things about college is the price tag. To some, the idea of a scholarship is almost a foreign one. While the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) offers a great deal of monetary help to students, some students do not qualify for any of the FAFSA aid due to their family’s income. Good news: there are other ways to find scholarships. The scholarship universe is vast and wide and sometimes difficult to get through. Despite this, Pensacola State College’s scholarship director Karen Kilpatrick, along with many others at PSC, have made it easy to find scholarships that you can qualify and apply for. Kilpatrick says that the new application process is simpler, and an improvement from the former method. “This improves our past application process because some students were not aware of all the scholarships the college had to offer and how to apply for all of them. In the past, students would have to go to multiple offices to apply for scholarships. Now everything is centrally located in one place,” said Kilpatrick. On the homepage for Pensacola State College’s website, there is currently a banner advertising the new scholarship process that flashes by. It is easy to miss if you aren’t paying attention, but it holds a literal wealth of information. When you click on the banner that says, “New Quick and easy scholarship application process…” typed in grey lettering, it takes you to the financial aid page for PSC. You can also access the new scholarships through
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Column / Feature
Healthy, happy students: Tips on staying healthy Eating seasonally and locally is better for you, better for world By Rebecca Peters
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e have been conditioned to think that if we buy higherend produce and groceries that we are spending more money and losing flavor. But research shows that because of our increased adaptation to sugar and salt, our taste buds have in fact been dulled to the multitude of flavors found in natural foods. Not only that, but the medical prices that we pay from eating a diet rich in sugar, fats and salt is much higher than the prices we pay to eat better than that. I want to bust the myth once and for all that eating better is more expensive. One challenge that I offer to you this spring season is to try out a farmer’s market in Pensacola. It’s a smashing way to support local small business while doing your part to take care of your body and the environment. But, if a farmer’s market is too far out of your way, just start with eating what is in season from your grocery store. Eating seasonal foods is actually a great way to save money. Because the fruits and vegetables are at their peak at different times of the year, their prices drop drastically as farmers harvest and get ready for the next season’s growing. It makes perfect sense, but it is something that we often forget when going to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for the perfect dinner. Consider substituting the ingredients in your recipe for something that is in season that will get the job done. This will save you money and give you a
new cooking adventure to endeavor upon. Another upside to eating seasonally and locally is the immense health benefits. Because the food has been picked at its natural peak of season, it has not had to sit on a shipping bed in order to make its way to you. Because of the extra exposure to the sun and soil, it retains a substantial amount more of the nutrients that naturally occur and a higher level of antioxidants, which will prepare your body for the coming colder seasons. Not only that, but the food will have less time to spoil before it gets to you. You also get to know where your food is coming from, and you get a variety of foods to choose from. Eating seasonally and locally also drastically
reduces your carbon footprint. The movement of how far food travels from producer to consumer is called, “Food Miles.” New research shows that moving food around the world is the cause of almost half of all man-made emissions, and 83% of those emissions are produced in production. By eating food that is grown close by, you reduce your negative impact on the environment. While eating locally may not be in the cards all the time for everyone, it is a good step forward to stop at a farmer’s market this spring at least once. You may find that you really enjoy shopping there. But the most important thing is that as a society we are making wise food choices for ourselves and for those around us. Eat fresh, eat local, eat wise.
Finding healthy food options does not have to be difficult! Simply find a local farmer’s market and see what they have to offer.
PHOTO BY REBECCA PETERS
Zika virus: What you need to know
Escambia County Health Department provides information on dangers By Iain Mowbray
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ika is a strange little word causing a big stir across many countries since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika virus a public health emergency of international concern in February 2016. But what exactly do doctors know about this virus? Microcephaly is the birth defect that was recently linked to the Zika virus which has garnered it so much publicity. Microcephaly is the term used to describe the condition in which the brain did not grow to its expected size. The side-effects of the Zika virus are easily confused with the common cold. Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and possibly conjunctivitis (red eyes). Symptoms are usually mild lasting only a few days to a week. Only one in five people will actually get
sick from contracting the virus. Patrick Kings from Escambia County Health Department explained that the connection between Zika and birth defects is not quite as clear as one would think. “The connection between the Zika Virus and the Microcephaly is still being studied and proven by the CDC, but we still advise expectant mothers against travelling places where there has been a Zika outbreak,” said Kings. Both the CDC and the Escambia County Health Departments advise that expectant mothers take precautions to limit exposure to mosquitos by covering up and using bug spray, and getting rid of any standing water on the property. Some locals are not concerned by potential risks.
“We are definitely still going to Costa Rica for our honeymoon” said recent Pensacola State graduate Kendall Fajardo. “I’ve seen the stuff about the Zika virus, but I don’t think it is as big a deal as the people make it seem. If I were pregnant, maybe I would care more.” The Zika virus was discovered in 1947 and is named after the forest in Uganda where it was first identified as being carried by mosquitos. Since then, the disease has popped up in tropical climates across Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Only 14 cases were reported until 2007, although it is likely that many more people were infected because the symptoms are so similar to other diseases.
News
April 2016
Electric car Continued from page 1 protect the driver. The car’s frame is built out of tubular steel and is designed to protect the driver’s body from the shoulders down. Attached to the seat is a steel roll bar that extends above the driver’s head, protecting him if the car becomes inverted. Additionally, drivers wear protective clothing, including gloves, boots and a full face motorcycle helmet. “I joined the team to learn more about the emerging electric car industry and to find new ways to drive more efficiently,” said Mechanical Technology student Nate Summit. Others have joined out of a sheer love of competition and technology in all of its forms. Students from the Mechanical and Design and Fabrication program handle car fabrication, maintenance and often driving. Their counterparts in the Electronics Engineering Technology program perform electric load analysis. Students from both programs test the car. For the 2016 race the team has a number of modifications planned, including using larger batteries and designing and building appropriate mounting hardware to safely secure the new batteries. After modifications are fabricated and installed, they are tested in a PSC parking lot and data are analyzed to identify performance gains. Based on test results, the new parts could go through additional
rounds of the design-build-test cycle that is the heart of engineering development. In addition to developing several new components for the car, team members are developing some new racing strategies that they hope will help them secure first place on race day. With efficiency being the goal of the race, even small energy savings can add up in a 60 minute race. To capitalize on this, drivers are trained to drive smoothly and consistently to take advantage of proven racing techniques such as drafting off of opponents to take advantage of their slipstream. Months of hard work and sacrifice have accumulated as race day steadily approaches. “Once we get to the event and see the other competitors, their cars and the race track, everybody gets buzzed and the atmosphere is truly electric,” said Mechanical Design and Fabrication program coordinator Mike Cannon. Win or lose, Cannon expects students to come away from the race season with a sense of achievement from participating in a competitive event with other students. He also thinks they will benefit from applying skills learned at PSC towards solving technical engineering problems and developing race strategies. Canon hopes that the race team will serve as an advertisement for the various programs involved, and will encourage
Upcoming Events April 4-5: Auditions for The Commons of Pensacola Ashmore Auditorium, Pensacola Campus 7pm April 6: PSC Baseball vs Chipola College Pirate Field, Pensacola Campus 5pm April 7: Bach’s Lunch: PSC Guitar Orchestra Gazebo, Pensacola Campus 12pm April 7: PSC Wind and Jazz Ensembles Ashmore Auditorium, Pensacola Campus 7:30pm April 8: PSC Baseball vs TCC Pirate Field, Pensacola Campus 5pm April 11-29: Art Student Honors Exhibition Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts, Pensacola Campus
April 13: Windsync Wind Quintet Ashmore Auditorium, Pensacola Campus 7:30pm April 14: PSC Concert Chorale and Jazz Choir Ashmore Auditorium, Pensacola Campus 7:30pm April 15: PSC Baseball vs Gulf Coast State College Pirate Field, Pensacola Campus 2pm April 18-19: An Evening of One Acts with Student Directors Ashmore Auditorium, Pensacola Campus 7:30pm April 20: Book Talk Series: Jamey Jones Chadbourne Library 2pm April 20: PSC Student Recital Ashmore Auditorium,Pensacola Campus 2:35pm
April 20: The Kilgore Review Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts, Room 1590, Pensacola Campus 6-8pm April 21: Bach’s Lunch: PSC Wind Ensemble PSC Concert Chorale and Jazz Choir 7:30pm
people who are interested in machining, design and electronics to look into PSC’s Engineering Technology department. The Emerald Coast Electrathon will take place on April 16, and the event is open to the public. Readers are encouraged to brings friends and family to this free event and support PSC’s race team. The Corsair will feature a recap of the race, as well as photos and driver interviews, in an upcoming print edition and on the eCorsair website.
Scholarships Continued from page 1
the financial aid button on the Current Students drop-down menu on the website. On the left-hand side, there is a button that says, “Applying for PSC Scholarships?” Once you click on that, the process is laid out for you. The scholarship website gives you a list of criteria to choose from. Based on the information that you input, it tells you what scholarships you qualify for. “The purpose of going to an online scholarship application is so our students can complete one application and be considered for all the scholarships the college has to offer. Our hopes are that the new process makes it easier for our students to
apply for scholarships.” Kilpatrick has some good advice for students who are first-time appliers and where they should start. “First, students should file their FAFSA. There are a lot of scholarships and grants that require students to have a FAFSA on file. More information can be found on both the financial aid section of PSC’s website and through PSC’s Financial Aid TV.” Both of the resources listed above can be found at http://www.pensacolastate.edu/ financial-aid/how-to-apply-for-financialaid/ and http://www.pensacolastate.edu/fatv. “Second, go to the financial aid section of PSC and click on, “Important! Scholarship Application Deadlines” to review the new dates for submitting applications by. Then, click on the icon that says, “Applying for a PSC Scholarship? click here.....to Get There.” This will allow you to begin the application process.” If you are a first-time scholarship applicant, you are encouraged to call PSC’s financial aid center at (850) 484-1680. The staff in the financial aid department is just a phone call or visit away, and they are readily available to help students. Don’t let the idea of money get between you and your education. There are plenty of scholarships to go around and you don’t have to swim in the seas of financial aid alone.
Words to Inspire “I am a big believer that eventually everything comes back to you. You get back what you give out.”
- Nancy Reagan (1921- 2016)
April 22: Art Student Honors Exhibition: Reception and Award Presentation Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts 6-8pm April 23: PirateFest Track, Pensacola Campus 10am April 27: Final exams begin April 30: Spring Job Fair WSRE/Amos Studio, Pensacola Campus 9am
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Opinion
Poll: Students feel unprepared for campus emergencies Students need to know how to stay safe on their
college campuses--it is important knowledge to have in this day and age. With stories about colleges across the nation dealing with shootings, natural disasters and sexual assaults filling up newspapers and news feeds, it is crucial that students have an idea of what to do if some sort of dangerous situation occurs while they’re at class or on campus. However, when The Corsair polled 50 students on the Pensacola PSC campus, 40% of the students said they would not know what to do if an emergency situation were to occur while they were at school. These results came as a shock, and after discussing them, Corsair staff members realized that they would not feel totally prepared either if an emergency were to occur on campus. This is a serious problem, and it needs to change. PSC has provided faculty and staff with safety training over the past couple of semesters, but students need to receive some sort of training as well. While it might not be as realistic to hold actual safety training sessions for the many individuals that make up PSC’s large student
body, maybe some safety training videos could be made and sent out via PirateMail, or posters could be created and displayed around campus that explain what to do in certain emergency situations. Various PSC clubs and organizations could help out as well by spreading safety awareness or holding safety training sessions of their own. Some professors do go over various safety procedures with their students on the first day of class each semester, but more often than not professors are busy that day detailing what lies ahead with coursework and answering students’ questions about future assignments. While all PSC professors most likely know what they would do in an emergency situation due to their training, that might make only one prepared person in a room of thirty people. Those are not very encouraging odds. Students would feel much more secure walking around campus if they knew that they, and the rest of PSC’s student body, were knowledgeable about and prepared if an emergency situation occurred on campus. If something like a shooting or a natural disaster occurs,
students won’t have time to think, they will just have time to act. The student body needs to be prepared for any type of situation, no matter how severe, and safety precautions must be put into place before it’s too late.
Would you know what to do if an emergency occurred on campus?
Staying safe while staying social online
Keeping personal information protected in this digital age By Brad Andrews
Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and a whole
host of other social media platforms are a major part of most students’ lives. They offer the opportunity to share daily thoughts and activities with friends and family, connect with new people and stay in touch with people from their past. But social media has a darker side as well. Opportunists ranging from small-time troublemakers to large organizations can take this shared information and use it for nefarious purposes. Social is the key word in social networking, and social in this context involves sharing personal information such as photographs, likes, dislikes, interests, location and commentary with others, and in turn having others share similar information. It is this flow of social information that causes users to continuously follow social media sites, and they often serve as a primary news outlet. This data also represents a very valuable resource for a wide range of players, including the social media site itself, advertisers, political organizations, researchers, governments and even criminals. Social media data is used for a variety of purposes. One of the most common uses is generating targeted advertisements. Technology and advertising companies use user-generated content, including written content such as emails and posts, online purchases and location, to identify products and services that appeal to the specific user. Some less obvious collectors of data include the creators of smartphone and wearable apps that track users’ travels. Most users accept this type of surveillance and profiling as a cost of using a “free” service like Facebook or Gmail. In fact, many users are extremely accepting of
this activity as it tailors their experience to one that can be very pleasant and user friendly. In addition to retaining the information for their own purposes, most technology companies sell collected information to third parties who use it for a variety of purposes, including political and social research, setting insurance rates and even more marketing. Additionally, social media companies often turn over user information to government agencies both willingly and by force. With all of this movement of data, it is impossible for an individual to know who has access to their private information. An even more disturbing distribution of this data occurs when these organizations are hacked and the data is stolen by criminals. Information that can be used to identify an individual is known as Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Stolen PII can be used for a variety of nefarious actions including applying for loans, credit cards, government identification and even buying houses. Theft of PII has become so common that hundreds of thousands of sets of PII are available to be purchased online for as little as $1 per set. Additionally, the social media data available online is being exploited by a variety of criminals. Online predators are using social media data to identify, stalk and locate their victims in real time. One of the most tragic instances of this activity was where British convicted murderer Peter Chapman used Facebook to target, stalk and lure a teenage girl to her death. While criminal use of social media data is a significant threat, it is not the only reason that people should moderate their online activities. According to a recent
study done by CareerBuilder, 43 percent of companies are using social media information as a screening tool for job applicants. Of the surveyed, 51 percent said that they had found social media content that caused them to not hire certain candidates. Job applicants are not the only individuals who need to be mindful of employer snooping. Over 10 percent of employers have a policy of monitoring their employee’s social media accounts. A quick internet search will reveal an enormous number of people who were fired due to a comment or post they made on social media. With this formidable array of actors collecting personal information online, how can anyone stay safe? The most obvious way would of course be to quit social media completely. However, even that will not be sufficient, as computer memory is extremely cheap, and any content you have already created will likely live on for an extremely long time. Also, most people can not fathom quitting social media cold turkey, as it has become an important aspect of their lives. The other extreme approach would be to accept that privacy is dead and to not care about what is placed online. In between the extremes lies a moderate approach. People can enjoy the benefits of social media and be reasonably safe if they are mindful of what is posted online. When posting content to social media, people should act as if they are sharing the content with the entire world, as this is effectively what they are doing. Online privacy may be dead, but with thoughtful use, social media can be a useful and safe environment to meet new people, catch up on the news and communicate with friends and family.
April 2016
Opinion
The “F” word: Why we should care more, talk more about feminism and equality on global level Feminism: ‘It’s something we need to help with By Monica Wilson
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omen have been banding together and fighting On the other hand, some people view it positively for equality since 1848 at the first women’s convention by associating it with things such as empowerment, a fight for equality and in Seneca, New York, the desire to help less where they were fighting fortunate countries that for voting rights. In 1903, don’t have the same the National Women’s “ I am a feminist because I feel rights and liberties as the Trade Union League (WTUL) was established women should be given the same United States. As the years passed, to advocate for improved the feminism movement wages and working opportunities as men, and we changed from displaying conditions for women. “flower power” and burning deserve equal pay ” In 1966, The National bras, to the present day Organization for Women - Rennie Lindo where feminists do things (NOW) was founded like showcase support to by a group of feminists breast cancer including Betty Friedan. The largest women’s rights group in the U.S., NOW survivors and victims by not being ashamed seeks to end sexual discrimination, especially in the about their surgical scars. The feminism workplace, by means of legislative lobbying, litigation movement of today has blossomed into a creative way for females to show and public demonstrations. Even now, effective Jan. 2, 2016, women are allowed support for one another. to serve in any job in the armed services, provided Some students, are more they meet gender neutral performance standards. This concerned with the international move, initiated in 2013 and finalized under Defense and social statuses concerning Secretary Ash Carter, will open approximately 220,000 equal rights. One of their biggest concerns involving jobs to females. While life for females in America has improved feminism is that they want quite a bit over the years, equality internationally is an women of all cultures and important issue that really needs to be addressed. Yes, races to become equal women’s rights have come a long way within the United worldwide. States, but internationally we still have another long “After women [in America] demanded for journey to fight for. It is not just about us American citizens, but about equality, it was just a our other sisters in other countries who are being case of showing that they had the capability persecuted and discriminated against. To student Briana Cockrell, social work major, the to utilize it,” said student definition of feminism is, “standing up for women’s rights Robert Mandel, who is general and believing that social, educational and economic studies major. “In the last twenty success should be equal.” Even though Cockrell does years as Americans that is one of the large not consider herself to personally be a feminist, her problems that we faced, and now other parts beliefs are still strong concerning the equality of men of the world are dealing with that same issue. It is something that we need to help with.” and women, regardless of their job descriptions. “Equality is much needed,” said English major Riley Terria Palmer, a culinary arts major, brought up Larson. “I am equal to my male. Unfortunately, there some of the ridiculous rules and laws that women in are many other women from different parts of the world other countries are expected to follow. “There are some who are not, and because of where they are located, that women who are being banned from schools and their might never be the case. That’s where we need to focus.” religious beliefs; some are even being forbidden to The word “feminism” can conjure up various images attend worship services due to their menstrual cycles.” in a person’s mind. Some people view it negatively by Tramaine Williams, a PSC admission supervisor, associating it with hating men, hating bras, wanting knows that there are differences between some men to be in charge, not wearing make-up and always and women that prevent women from being able to do certain jobs, but that is not always the case. “Certain appearing angry.
women cannot do some of the work that men can, due to physical differences, but if certain other women can do the job, why would they not have an equality of pay?” There is much more to the wonderful world of feminism than people realize. The feminist community is an inclusive group of individuals who are full of wisdom for those who do not have a voice to speak up for themselves. It takes a lot of courage to say and to do what is right for all people, regardless of their genders, even in the face of discrimination.
PSC graduate Rennie Lindo is a self-proclaimed feminist. “I am a feminist because I feel women should be given the same opportunities as men, and we deserve equal pay.” PHOTO BY MONICA WILSON 5
Feature
Thinking about cheating on your final exams? Don’t How PSC professors deal with classroom cheating
By Tracey Squaire
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heating is something that many, if not most, people have done or will do in their lives. Whether it be on a partner, on taxes, or on a résumé, cheating is something folks just can’t seem to help doing. Typically, cheating is a big deal, especially in a school setting. If students are caught cheating, they face dire consequences, such as an “F” on the assignment or withdrawal from the course with an early “F” assigned. Repeated offences can even lead to expulsion. Potential employers look on this sort of thing as a sign that a person can’t be trusted. With this in mind, it’s a wonder that students bother risking their education. This begs the question, though: why exactly do people cheat in school? Each semester, there are bound to be students who see cheating as their only choice to pass a test or do well on an essay. Some may get away with it, but most are likely to be caught, especially in the case of plagiarism. For PSC English professor Sara Smith, cheating is an unfortunately common occurrence; she catches at least five or six students plagiarizing each semester. Students who are caught cheating in her classes get an immediate zero, with no chance to make up for lost points. For second offenses, students get a grade of F3, which indicates academic dishonesty. Some teachers are even more strict than Smith. PSC Math professor Mary Petruska stated that if she could, she would have all cheaters withdrawn from her class. Neither Petruska nor Smith said that they would give a cheating student a second chance. Smith does not give cheaters a second chance because she feels that it would be unfair to the students who don’t cheat. “Students have to learn that [cheating] is not acceptable behavior, and their teachers will not tolerate it.” For Petruska, cheating typically comes in the form of students having others do their work for them. Even though she warns her students about the consequences of not doing their own work, many ignore her advice. “I caution all my classes; don’t walk straight to the tutor before trying the assignment yourself. The tutor won’t be standing beside you when you take your inclass midterm and final exams.” For Smith, students who cheat in her class cheat on quizzes and essays, though cheating on essays is more likely since she is an English teacher. Cheating on essays is usually done by students plagiarizing, which means that they try to pass off someone else’s words or ideas as their own. “Students will copy portions, usually from online content, into their papers without quoting or citing them. A quick Google search usually uncovers most of this. Checking for plagiarism takes up a lot of my time, though. I really resent that,” said Smith.
Some students try to peek at another’s test or use their phone during an exam. Petruska said that she once had a student who, “pulled a prepared formula sheet out of his pants and used it during the final exam.” The Pensacola State College student handbook provides a definition of cheating: “Cheating is giving or receiving aid, whether written, oral or otherwise, in order that a student may receive undeserved credit.” If you turn in work that you did not do yourself, you are cheating. Before risking an education and future career, students should think about what they are doing first. A lot of people cheat because they think it’s okay because “everyone cheats.” Even some professors may have cheated in the past. “I seem to remember a couple of instances in which I used an idea from a source without properly attributing it to the author,” said Smith. “I wasn’t really intending to cheat, but it was still dishonest—something I would definitely penalize my students for doing. One professor called me out on it and said I needed to cite everything properly. ” Smith gave a reason for her plagiarizing, stating that she felt her ideas weren’t good enough. Though she got over that feeling, it’s still a reason that many students can probably relate to. “I make sure to stress to students that it is always better to present their own ideas and words-however rough-rather than to try to pass off someone else’s material as their own. I want students to have the confidence to be creative and take risks with their writing, while still being responsible writers.” “I have no patience for people who try to fake their way through school because I have seen students start at the bottom, struggle in my class, but then ultimately become some of my best students because they had a work ethic and a positive attitude. There are lots of ways to get help with your PSC courses, whether it’s visiting your professor’s office hours or going to the writing or math labs. There really is no excuse for cheating.” Before deciding to cheat, students should first explore all of their options: speak to the teacher to better understand the subject, ask a classmate for help, or go to one of the tutoring labs. If a student still feels like the need to cheat after doing all of those things, my advice to them is this: don’t. It is better for a student to try their best and not do as well as they would like than it is for them to cheat, get caught and receive an automatic zero for an assignment. Once a student is caught cheating, their relationship with their teacher takes a huge blow that might be impossible to fix before the semester is over, and it will definitely continue to affect them for the rest of their educational career.
“ I have no patience for people who try to fake their way through school ” - Sara Smith
r u o y b a Gr
p en d e r o col
Did you know: Studies have found that coloring can have a de-stressing effect on adults. Get rid of some of your stress by coloring our PSC logo.
Make flashcards! Quizlet is a good site that will allow you to test your knowledge, and it even has an app so that you can study on-the-go.
Avoid cramming; study consistently every day possible to help the information stick in your brain.
Avoid negative self-talk. If you tell yourself that you will do your best and get a good score, you will. If you tell yourself that you are going to fail miserably, you will.
TIPS BY KELLI GREEN
y d u t S Talk about the subject you are studying to another person. If you can explain and teach it to someone else, you will be able to remember it better.
Feature
April 2016
ncils and ta
ke a
bre ak !
Take a photo of your color creation and share it on our social media! Tag #PSCCorsair #StressLessWithTheCorsair
Tips Write out the important information that will be on your test more than once. Writing things out by hand helps to reinforce them into your memory.
Use highlighters or pens of various colors while writing out notes or flashcards to make the important information stand out.
Actively participate in class. If you're confused, ask your professor questions. Form a study group with your classmates. Visit your professor during office hours. It can be easier to understand class material if you get help from your professor and classmates.
Take advantage of your senses. Eat the same flavor of candy or chew the same flavor of gum each time that you study, then use that same flavor while taking a test. The flavor association might help you to better remember the test material.
Stress Less Week is for students, by students Active minds help students de-stress before finals By Minnie-Lee Bush
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tress. Everyone is familiar with the word, and no one is more familiar with it than college students. This is especially true around every college student’s absolute favorite time of the semester: final exam week. The stress of finals can be an absolute killer if students don’t know how to handle it in a healthy and productive way. Thankfully, PSC’s Active Minds chapter and Student Activities will be holding their annual Stress Less Week event from April 18-22 to help students and faculty relieve stress with a series of fun and interactive activities. Active Minds is a nationally recognized organization whose purpose is to inform students about mental illness and to encourage young minds to not be afraid to seek help. Here at PSC, Active Minds has taken part in such events as Suicide Prevention Week, Operation Beautiful, Safe Spring Break and National Day Without Stigma. Past Stress Less Weeks have been filled with numerous fun and engaging activities for both students and faculty to enjoy. There have been Knocker Ball tournaments, hip-hop dance lessons, coloring stations, movie screenings, hammock stations, even free massages. Most activities take place on the Pensacola PSC campus, but, for this semester’s event, every campus will be offering Breakfast-on-the-Go for those crazy days where breakfast is the last thing on students’ minds. On some days there will even be free Chick-fil-A for students dealing with those afternoon and evening hunger battles. When Student Naomi Black was asked if she had a favorite event in particular from last semester’s Stress Less Week, she knew her answer right way. “The one with the free lunch because it was a hard thing to get lunch in between classes.” Naomi also mentioned that at this semester’s event she is most looking forward to the Hammock Station, where hammocks for students to use will be hung up
throughout campus so that students can relax in them. This semester, each PSC campus will feature multiple activity tables with activities like making your own stress ball, kinetic sand and CARE notes. The event will be filled with new events, including a cooking demo, video games, meditation classes and yoga classes. There will also be a poetry walk hosted by PSC Professor and Northwest Florida’s Poet Laureate Jamey Jones. Stress is something that every human has to face every day. PSC social sciences professor Sanjay Paul explained that, “Youth stress is good stress,” which is the kind of stress that can actually bring joy, while, “Distress is bad stress,” which tends to consist of the not-so-happy things we go through in life. By understanding the two different kinds of stresses we can learn how to handle them. The main focus of Stress Less Week is to help students and faculty relax before finals and take a break from the academic world, even if it only five minutes of meditating. Our minds need relief every once in awhile or they will burn out when we need them the most. “To de-stress,” said student Carl Whaley, “sometimes the best thing you can do is set down the studying and have a little fun.” Active Minds wants students to take what they learn from Stress Less Week to not only survive finals but also to help reduce stress beyond the property lines of PSC. Finals are imperative and unavoidable. The stress that comes with finals is also unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean students have to suffer. Stress Less Week is for the students by the students. Take advantage of the help that is given by turning a week of fun events into a lifelong lesson on mental health. Active Minds is always looking for new members. To join their team, send an email to klehtola@ pensacolastate.edu or pcampos@pensacolastate.edu.
The Pensacola campus chapter of Active Minds meets every Wednesday from 3-4pm in building 14, room 1462. PHOTO BY KIMBERLY BOGERS
COMIC BY KATHERINE CHEN
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Feature
Role reversal: students’ opportunity Pick the degree to grade teachers that’s right for you
By Paris Harman
Don’t rush into choosing major: ‘You have to find something that you fit into’ By Tracey Squaire
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Teacher evaluations can be completed in just a few minutes by visiting the SmartEvals website. Graphics provided by SmartEvals
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rofessors spend all semester grading you, so why not take advantage of the situation and turn the tables for a change? When the end of a semester at Pensacola State College draws near, students begin to receive important notifications in their PirateMail, as well as in their Canvas eLearning accounts. The messages are notifying students that they need to take their student teacher evaluations before the end of the term. Student teacher evaluations are a group of questions in a survey-like form that asks various questions about each of their professor’s job performances. The evaluation contains questions about how helpful a professor’s lectures were, how accommodating a professor was in accordance to a student’s individual learning needs, etc. There are sometimes comment boxes to write in as well, so that students can explain specifically what they think about their professors. While some students might not want to spend time providing very detailed answers to the evaluations because they don’t think the teachers care about student suggestions, that is most always not the case. Pensacola State College psychology professor Mike Romeo finds the results of the student evaluations to be very helpful. “I want to know if my style of teaching is relevant.” Romeo doesn’t want students to write a good or bad evaluation depending on how much or how little they like a professor, but instead wants students to provide feedback and constructive criticism. “We [professors] are not self-aware, and we appreciate any feedback that could help us with our style of teaching.” PSC student Enery Nelson always makes sure to complete his student teacher evaluations. “They keep showing up in PirateMail, and I like giving my honest feedback to help professors improve. I don’t mind doing
them, especially since they’re anonymous.” Students’ teacher evaluations are completely anonymous, so any student who chooses not to provide an honest evaluation because they are worried the teacher might find out does not need to stress out. The professors never know which student wrote what comment, or even the names of the students who participated in the evaluations. Although many students find that the student teacher evaluations give them a good opportunity to evaluate their professors, some students choose to not take the time to participate. “[The evaluations] are time consuming and tedious,” said PSC student Mary Chrisco. If you are taking more than one course with the same professor, or if you would only like to evaluate one professor, that is completely feasible. Depending on how many courses you are taking you could have a pile of evaluations to complete or just one, but either way you have the option to complete as many or as few evaluations as you would like. Keep in mind though, once you hit the submit button, you may not fill out another evaluation for that same course.
Scan this QR code to visit SmartEvals.com and do your teacher evaluations.
hildren have their entire lives ahead of them. They have an apparent eternity to decide what they want to be when they grow up, and in their minds, they can be literally anything. Sadly, we adults aren’t allowed to believe that we can be absolutely whatever we want to be, but we do still have a chance to decide what we want to be when we “grow up.” College is where adults go to turn themselves into what they want to be. This is where adults make many of the important decisions that will help form the rest of their lives. It sounds a bit scary when you think about it, especially since many people enter college unsure of exactly what kind of degree they want to pursue. “You can’t go into something and try to fit yourself into it. You have to find something that you fit into.You have to figure out which qualities make you who you are. You can get lost trying to force yourself to fit into something else. You can’t just look at the money aspect of things when you choose a career path,” said student Shuntay Love. One thing that many people do know is that they want to make a lot of money, so they look for a degree that is in demand. Many others feel pressured into pursuing a degree that they may not necessarily be cut out for. This can lead to a lot of negative feelings. Feeling especially stressed, or dreading having to go to classes pertaining to their own respective field of study are possible signs of a person who may have chosen the wrong path towards a degree. If a person is unhappy while building the foundation of a future career, chances are that he or she will also be unhappy building on that foundation for the rest of their lives. A degree and career shouldn’t be chosen solely on whether a lot of money can be made from it. If someone is going to be working a job for the rest of his or her life, then the job should relate to whatever that person loves to do. It’s okay to spend time in college, or even before college, trying to figure out who you want to be, and what direction you would like your path to follow. If you are not sure what you want to do, that is okay; you’re far from alone. You do not have to rush through college. Getting a general education while you discover yourself and consider your future is a good idea. It also gives you a chance to explore a variety of different subjects and school clubs to see what fits you best. The road to self discovery is yours--drive it.
Feature
April 2016
Eco-friendly tips for Earth Help us to help the Earth Day, April 22, and everyday by recycling the Corsair
Easy adjustments to make to keep our planet safe, clean By Cassandra Fanfan
We live on an amazing planet filled
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1. Conserve water: don’t leave the water running when you are brushing your teeth, washing your face, washing dishes, washing your hands, etc. You could also try and take shorter showers to save water. 2. If your destination is within walking distance, rather than driving there you should walk, jog or bike. Not only will you be helping the planet by reducing exhaust fumes, but you will also be helping yourself by exercising. 3. Instead of wasting disposable items like plastic silverware or paper plates, take advantage of items that are reusable that you can simply wash after use. 4. Sometimes you have to get somewhere that is too far for walking or bike riding. When that’s the case, see if any of your friends would like to carpool in order to save gas and reduce the amount of gas
guzzlers on the road. 5. Bring reusable bags to the grocery store instead of wasting a bunch of plastic or paper bags. Not only are reusable bags a better option for the environment, they also look a lot cuter than boring paper and plastic bags. 6. If you are a big coffee or tea drinker, instead of using disposable coffee stirrers to mix your hot beverages, use a spoon. 7. Don’t keep electronics plugged in when you aren’t using them. Not only will this help the planet, it will also help to reduce your electricity bill. 8. Instead of buying cases of water in disposable plastic bottles, purchase a reusable water bottle and fill it up when you’re thirsty. 9. Check and see if you can change your bill settings to paperless so that you can pay all of your bills via email rather than receiving them on paper. Not only will this help the Earth by saving paper, but you will get your bills instantly via email rather than waiting for them to arrive in your mailbox. 10. Recycle! Even if you do not have a recycle bin where you live, there are plenty of locations in the area where you can drop off things to recycle.
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with incredible beauty. Unfortunately, we aren’t always very good to our Mother Earth, and if we aren’t careful we could harm the planet beyond repair. April 22 is Earth Day, why don’t we celebrate by trying to make a difference? Here are some tips to get you started:
Are you looking for a quick and easy way to reduce your carbon footprint and help the planet? We have a way you can help, and you can do it right from campus: recycle old print issues of the Corsair! The Corsair always recycles extra copies of their old print issues, so if you see any of them around campus, feel free to recycle them as well. According to DoSomething.org, Americans make more than 200 million tons of garbage each year. Let’s all try and help to reduce that number.
ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE DURST
Scan this QR code to visit myescambia.com for information on drop-off recycling programs and locations.
ILLUSTRATION BY IZZY GARDNER
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Sports
April 2016
Mental, physical improvement possible with Jiu Jitsu lessons
Jamir’s Jabs
PSC student gains sportsmanship, confidence, family
By Brad Andrews
By Jamir Sellers
Success ahead for Pirates Overview of baseball season
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Gracie Jiu Jitsu offers lessons Monday-Saturday at their Downtown location and Monday-Friday at their 9th Avenue location.
Excitement, health, sportsmanship, self defense, confidence and fun. These are the things that Mikey Solano, a Pensacola State College graphic design student, was searching for when he set foot in downtown Pensacola’s Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Studio. One benefit he did not expect to receive from participating in the sport was family. Soleno has not had a relationship with his family for many years. Because of this he felt lost for a long time and did not think he had anyone to rely on. He got into trouble and suffered severe anxiety over his situation. That all changed shortly after he met Tony Baker, the owner and instructor of Gracie Downtown Jiu Jitsu, and started attending classes. The discipline and comradeship of the school focused his restlessness and introduced him to people who proved to be some greatly needed positive influences on his life. Soleno’s martial art of choice is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It is a dynamic, ground-based discipline that focuses on applying proper technique and leverage, as well as taking the opponent to the ground and then using chokes and joint locks to force an opponent to submit. In addition to being an effective self defense martial art, it is also an extremely popular combat sport on its own, and a key component of Mixed Martial Art fighting competitions. Techniques are learned through lecture, demonstration, hands-on drills and practice fighting, also known as rolling. Competition, both in tournaments and in a practice setting, is fundamental to learning this art. In less than a year of training, Soleno has earned six medals in regional Jiu Jitsu tournaments. The thing he loves most about the tournaments and rolling is the honesty of the events. The nature of the art is that skill can greatly aid in overcoming the physical advantages of an opponent, so the competitors are forced to use mainly skill to defeat their opponent. This results in winners knowing, without a doubt, that they won based on their talents and skills rather than their physical strength.
In addition to earning new friends and a family, Soleno has seen numerous other benefits since he started training in Jiu Jitsu. The physical demands of the art has helped him get into the best shape of his life. Being able to take out frustrations on the mat has also helped him to reduce his stress levels. The self confidence Soleno has earned has caused his anxiety issues to disappear, and his sense of self worth has never been higher. “Training in Jiu Jitsu and meeting these wonderful people has been a life changing experience,” said Soleno. Soleno is currently training several times a week with others that share his passion for Jiu Jitsu, and they are helping him prepare for larger and more difficult tournaments. His dreams are currently to compete at the highest level in an International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation tournament. People who share the dream of improving themselves mentally and physically through martial arts in a supportive environment should contact Tony Baker at (850) 503-0340. They could also view his studio’s webpage at http://www.graciepensacola.com.
he Pirates baseball team has been on fire ever since last season. They started off with impressive victories on the road, and at home they solidified their dominance in the Panhandle Conference. With the chemistry the team has this year, good things are sure to come for the rest of the season. Since most of the players have been with each other for the past two years, they know each other well and have deep connections, which result in great teamwork. Fans should be happy the way the baseball season is headed towards with the skill level of these players. So far the Pirates have had more wins than losses, and head coach Keith Little hopes that their winning streak will continue. “We’ve got them playing real well; hopefully they will keep it up.” Hunter Kiel, a right-hand pitcher for the team, recently committed to Louisiana State University. “It’s really great for Hunter,” said Little. “LA State has one of the top programs in the country.” With the team doing so well, it would be great if more PSC students could attend games to show some support and school spirit. “We would love to see more students come out to games,” said Little. “Since we usually have games around 5-7pm, we know it’s hard for students to attend because of work and class. We need to have our games in the evenings so that our players can focus on school during the day.” The Pirates have the potential to take over the Panhandle and gain the respect of the conference. With the coaches being experienced and the team showcasing teamwork and sophomore leadership, in the long run the Pirates have a chance to win their conference title, and perhaps attract some attention in the postseason.
Jiu jitsu students Yvette Gonzales (top left), Janilson Bie (middle left), Connor Adams (middle right), Mikey Solano (top right), Tony Baker (bottom left) and Jackson Taghon (bottom right) at a grappling event. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY GRACIE JIU JITSU
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April 2016
Humans of Pensacola State College Staff Editor-in-Chief Kimberly Bogers Creative Director Bara’ah Jaraiseh
Chase Gunter General Studies Major
Stephanie Von Alven Physical Theraphy Assistant Major
Josh Cooper Education Major
What is one of your goals for the future? I want to become an officer in the Navy. What attracted you to that? I’ve just always wanted to do something for my country. Is there somebody in your life who has inspired you to try and join the Navy? My cousin. He’s had a rough life, and he went into the military and it changed his life. What is one of your hobbies? Baseball. How long have you been playing baseball? Since I was five. That was sort of t-ball since I wasn’t old enough yet for baseball, but I was out there because my brother played, so I went out and played with him. Why do you like baseball more than other sports? Well I kind of like football more, but I’m just good at baseball. I just grew up with it and I’ve always liked it. It makes me feel like I’m on top of the world. If you could give the six-year-old you one piece of advice, what would you say? Don’t grow up. It’s rough. But it will pay off one day though. Is there an accomplishment that you’ve made recently? Yeah, I made a 3.0 GPA. I never even thought I’d have that in high school, and now I’m in college with it, so I’m a happy guy.
What is your major? I’m a Physical Therapy Assistant major. I just graduated in December with my phlebotomy certificate. What inspired you to go towards physical therapy? I tore my ACL in high school and I was like, “These people who are helping me are cool.” So that inspired me, plus I’m athletic so I play a lot of sports. Have you always lived in the Pensacola area? No, I’m from Springfield, Illinois. Do you miss Illinois? Family? Yes. Chicago? Yes. The state? No. Why do you like Florida more than Illinois? There’s no snow. Why did you decide to move? My aunt and uncle live in Niceville and I’ve vacationed there since I was five-yearsold, so I was like, “Why not?” Plus I didn’t like the schools up North, they were too expensive. If you could go back in time and change one thing about your life, what would it be? For my grandma not to pass away. She had lung cancer, she passed away when I was six. What’s something you remember about your grandma? She was very inspirational. She was actually part of why I wanted to become a physical therapist because every time I had an injury or something with sports, she would come and massage it out and somehow it would magically be better.
What inspired you to pursue education? I actually am involved in a church environment and after being out of school for quite awhile I decided that I want to learn how to communicate and interpret information in a better way. I wasn’t sure about the age group that I wanted to teach yet, but I got involved here and after going through service learning and dealing with first graders and that whole situation, I’ve started to develop a drive and desire to teach a younger age group. I just went into teaching for the heck of it to be honest with you. What has been your favorite class here at PSC? I like Betsy Werre’s Introduction to Teaching class. She’s a fun teacher, she knows how to get people involved. She’s a very interesting lady. Are you from Florida? I’m originally from Washington state. I moved here when I was twelve, when this was still PJC. My stepmom went here for the Dental Hygienist program. Then I moved back to Florida from Utah two years ago and decided to attend PSC. Is there someone in your life who inspires you? Yeah, I have a friend who is a teacher and a missionary. His name is Mike. He just got back from Africa. His life is completely devoted to looking to physical needs of other people and seeking that out and ministering to it.
PHOTOS BY BARA’AH JARAISEH
COMIC BY KATHERINE CHEN
Charlotte Starkey Nursing Major What attracted you to nursing? I’ve always wanted to do it, I like caring for people and it’s nice when you see somebody making that kind of progress. Somebody is super sick and then you see them leave the hospital, that’s awesome. Is there a field of nursing that you want to pursue in particular? Not really, I know more of what I don’t want to do than what I want to do. I do want to try hospice. Are you from Florida? No, I’m not. Was it the accent that gave it away? I’m from England. Why did you decide to move here? I had the opportunity to try something new, and I figured you only get one life, so why not? Do you really miss England? Not as much as you would think. I used to really miss it, but now I’m so used to being here. I’ve been here for four years. Everything is bigger and brighter and noisier here. England is so quiet and peaceful. When you’re eighty-years-old, in the far future, what is something that you think you will be really proud of? Probably that I cared. Not necessarily about people, but...I’d like to think that I’d made a difference. People should go out and make a difference as much as they can.
INTERVIEWS BY BARA’AH JARAISEH & KIMBERLY BOGERS
Staff Brad Andrews Gary Bogers Minnie-Lee Bush Jenni Carpenter Katherine Chen Nicole Durst Cassandra Fanfan Izzy Gardner Kelli Green Paris Harman Sara Herrington Timothy Kast Simran Kaur Riley Larson Izzy McGowen Victoria Palasciano Rebecca Peters Jesse Reitz MaryClaire Robinson Jamir Sellers Julie Shattuck Tracey Squaire Kyle Stamm Jennifer Tonnaer Monica Wilson Adviser Paula Ingram Contributor Iain Mowbray Pensacola State College does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, gender, age, religion, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or genetic information in its educational programs, activities or employment. For inquires regarding nondiscrimination policies, contact the Associate Vice President of Institutional Diversity at (850) 484-1759, Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd., Pensacola, FL.