UP15_9 by University Press

UNIVERSITY PRESS FAU’S FINEST NEWS SOURCE OCTOBER 15, 2013 | VOL. 15 # 9

Free Pizza, Free Palestine

Student protesters organize on campus while on probation By Sarah Suwak

P. 16

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The Staff

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TUESDAY

October 15, 2013 Features

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF - Dylan Bouscher

News

Sports

MANAGING EDITOR - Austen Erblat CREATIVE DIRECTOR - Michelle Friswell ASSISTANT CREATIVE DIRECTOR - Breanndolyn Lies BUSINESS MANAGER - Lulu Ramadan NEWS EDITORS - Sarah Suwak, Kathryn Wohlpart FEATURES EDITOR - Emily Bloch SPORTS EDITOR - Zack Kelberman PHOTO EDITOR - Ryan Murphy MULTIMEDIA EDITOR - Miranda Schumes WEB EDITOR - Christopher Massana

COPY EDITORS - Anna Patterson, Lynnette Perez, Cindy Ruano, Oscar Ruiz, Ryan Rusian, Cristina Solorzano STAFF WRITERS - Mohamed Abdihakim, Cealia Brannan STAFF DESIGNER - Cody Weber CONTRIBUTORS - Aimee Baret, Veshal Dial, Max Jackson, Melissa Pagan, Jamie Vaughn, Wesley Wright

--10

A delve into life as an FAU quidditch player.

By Sarah Suwak

By Aimee Baret

Page 6

Page 22

Page 30

In this week’s science column, the UP’s resident biology nerd tells you how scientists know dinosaurs had feathers and why it’s important. By Chris Hamann

Students support a new state law banning texting while driving.

Some Owls fans react positively to the new changes at The Burrow — the court, not the restaurant.

By Chris Massana

By Wesley Wright

By Jamie Vaughn

Dan Sweeney

When is freedom of speech permitted on campus? When administrators think it isn’t intimidating.

FAU’s student-run record label is relasing its largest album yet.

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER - Christopher Massana ADVISERS

Photo by Ryan Murphy

SENIOR EDITORS - Ryan Cortes, Rolando Rosa

Photo by Max Jackson

ASSISTANT COPY DESK CHIEF - Cari Giard

Photo by Max Jackson

COPY DESK CHIEF - Chris Hamann

Michael Koretzky COVER - Max Jackson

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OCT. 15, 2013 UPRESSONLINE.COM

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Students were visibly upset at the last second 24-23 loss to Marshall on Saturday, Oct. 12. Photo by Michelle Friswell

Sports

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Our full recap of the FAU football game against Marshall. Scan here to read more

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Still wondering which Halloween parties and haunted houses are worth visiting this month? Find out where your Owl Card can earn you discounts and what costume to wear for themed events.

UP movie guru Maddy Mesa tells you if director Ron Howard’s new movie “Rush” lives up to the Oscar season buzz it’s generating.

Scan here to read more

Find out why the game “Kerbal Space Program” earned an A rating from our reviewer.

FEATURES

SCIENCE

DINOSAURS A O nd

ther

Flightless Birds

There’s a mountain of evidence that shows birds have evolved from dinosaurs. How can a few feathers make a difference? By Chris Hamann Copy Desk Chief

magine a velociraptor — you know, the dinosaur from “Jurassic Park” that can open doors: 6-feet-tall, bipedal, huge curving claw on each foot, lizard-like head and covered in scales. There’s just one problem with that image: when the 6-foot-tall eviscerating death machine sneaks up on you while its buddy distracts you, it’s going to be covered in more feathers than a burlesque dancer with a tickling fetish. You may or may not have heard about it, but over the past few decades scientists have been finding increasing amounts of evidence that certain species of dinosaurs had feathers. This is crazy-cool stuff: it helps to validate the Theory of Evolution by providing proof that birds are actually the evolutionary descendants of dinosaurs. That, in turn, is important because valid science is still being attacked in state courts, with the latest being a Sept. 26 Kansas lawsuit filed against the Next Generation Science Standards 1. Some fossils (mostly from the Liaoning province in China) that were buried in volcanic ash show incredibly fine detail, to the point that feather imprints are found in the surrounding stone. Scientists originally thought this was just a coincidence — if you’ve ever seen Hawaii’s lava fields, you’ll know rock can look surprisingly organic — but when they compared the dino fossils to bird fossils from a later geological period in the area, the two fossils had the same type of feather imprints. Likewise, evidence for scales and hair is found on other fossils of

— new standards for Kansas that reflect the mainstream scientific viewpoint that evolution is well-established — alleging the NGSS “will have the effect of causing Kansas public schools to establish and endorse a non-theistic religious worldview ... in violation of the Establishment, Free Exercise, and Speech Clauses of the First Amendment, and the Equal Protection Clauses of the 14th Amendment.” Joshua Rosenau, the programs and policy director for the National Center for Science Education calls the lawsuit silly. “They’re trying to say anything that’s not promoting their religion is promoting some other religion,” Rosenau said. But what dinosaurs had feathers, and how can we tell? You can find out a lot more about an animal from fossils than just what the bones look like. Here’s what we know:

supposed reptile and mammal ancestors. Feathers are also made out of very specific stuff (the protein beta-keratin), like how bones have calcium that makes them hard where as your skin is all soft and stretchy: the scientists found evidence that the dinosaur fossils contained beta-keratin, suggesting that they had feathers. 2. Since 2011, 11 amber samples dating between 75 and 80 million years of age were found to contain feathers. Scientists are currently trying to figure out how to study them in-depth without destroying the samples.

3. Large quill knobs — the point where a feather is anchored into bone on bird skeletons — have been found on the arm bones of Velociraptor mongoliensis, according to the scientific journal Science Magazine. This not only points to feathers, but welldeveloped secondary feathers, which are more than just downy feathers that cover the body. Secondary feathers can be used for display, water protection or for flight. 4. There is a specific structure in bird spines called the pygostyle; it’s a section of bone fused on bird tails used to support large

feathers. Since 2000, scientists have found dinosaur fossils with pygostyles. There’s a family of dinosaurs called ovoraptorasaurs: they’re kind of like a wuss version of a velociraptor. They were smaller, didn’t have a pointy death-claw and some had beaks instead of scary, toothy mouths. They also had the aforementioned pygostyles and were suspected to have tail feathers. In 2010, the scientific journal Nature published an article that confirmed new fossils of an ovoraptorasaur with a pygostyle actually showed physical evidence of tail feathers.

The evidence is there but some still disagree. Write to us us at universitypress@gmail.com and explain why you agree or disagree for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue.

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OCT. 15, 2013

Human Rights In The Middle East POLITICAL RIGHTS Country

Freedom Free & Opposition Minority House Rating* Fair Elections Parties Legal Participation Scale 1-7

CIVIL RIGHTS Religious Freedom Free Speech Fair and Freedom House Rating* and Assembly Open Trials Protected Scale 1-7 Minimal NO NO 5

Egypt

Minimal

Country Egypt

Iran

Minimal

Iran

Iraq

Limited

Jordan

Limited

Lebanon

Limited

Lebanon

Limited

Libya

Palestinian Authority

Minimal

Palestinian Authority

Limited

Saudi Arabia

Sudan

Syria

Israel

YES

USA

YES

United Kingdom

YES

Israel

YES

Jordan

* Freedom House, founded in 1940, is a non-partisan, broad-based non-profit organization that monitors and evaluates democracy and freedom around the world. It ranks nations on a scale of 1 to 7 1 is an open democratic society with fair and free political life 6 is an autocratic regime with minimal political rights 7 is an autocrat regime with severe oppression See the 1999-2000 Freedom House Annual Report at www.freedomhouse.org/ratings.

Facts about Arabs living in Israel • • • • • •

1.2 million Arab-Israelis live within Israel. Arab-Israelis make up 18-20% of the total population. Arabic is an official language and on equal footing with Hebrew. Arabs hold 12 of 120 seats in the Israeli parliament. There are 5 official Arab parties. All Arab municipalities receive government funding for education and infrastructure.

For more information, see www.knesset.gov.il, www.cbs.co.il, www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/mideast/israel.htm, www.state.gov/g/drl/hr/c1470.htm

KNOW THE FACTS BEFORE YOU FORM AN OPINION ABOUT THE MIDDLE EAST For more facts about the Middle East: www.StandWithUsCampus.com

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FEATURES

MUSIC

Story by Jamie Vaughn Contributor

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OCT. 15, 2013

Photo courtesy of Hoot/Wisdom Recordings

FAU’s little-known student run record label, Hoot/Wisdom Recordings, is releasing “CompOWLation Vol. 3,” their largest project yet

he heart of FAU’s underground music scene lies behind the door to room 110 in the Arts and Humanities building. It’s a hubbub of activity for FAU students and faculty dedicated to gaining hands-on experience in the music industry. Hoot/Wisdom Recordings, located behind that door, is the largest state university record label in Fla., with over 100 members. Its main mission is to provide all FAU students with the opportunity to record their music, according to both Associate Professor of Music Alejandro Sanchez, the faculty adviser, and Matt Smith, president of Hoot/Wisdom and commercial music major. They are only two of the many minds behind this growing student-run organization. “I came to FAU because of the record label,” Smith said. “I would have gone somewhere else… but I thought it was the coolest thing ever.” With plans to release four albums this semester, his love for Hoot/Wisdom Recordings is clear from the amount of time dedicated to getting new albums released and recruiting new members. The label’s latest project — “CompOWLation Vol. 3” — took over a year to complete and is the largest release in Hoot/Wisdom’s 11-year history. It features 20 artists, all of whom are current or former FAU students, of various musical genres. The compilation is a twodisc set: the Red Album features rock, pop and reggae artists, while the Blue Album contains hip-hop, rap, R&B and electronic dance music. Alex Kinsey, former FAU student and

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

current competitor on “The X Factor”, is one of the artists on a previous Hoot/ Wisdom release Kinsey joined Hoot/ Wisdom after Smith overheard him singing in a Glades Park Towers laundry room on campus. Smith convinced Kinsey to get involved with the label, and according to Smith, that time with Hoot/Wisdom Recordings helped prepare Kinsey for “The X Factor” stage. “When I met him, he never really had concrete confidence that he could [perform] for a living,” Smith said. “He gained a lot of confidence… after that, it was full speed ahead.” Hoot/Wisdom makes FAU evident in everything it does, including the choice to name and design the double album based on the school mascot and colors. Label adviser Sanchez feels that students need to have more pride in the university. “Students here believe that nothing good can come from FAU and we want to prove them wrong,” he said. The album was funded by loans from the FAU Commercial Music Program and Sanchez is adamant that the proceeds from it will go right back to the students involved in both the program and Hoot/ Wisdom. “I want the students to see that if they put the effort into it, they can reap some of the benefits in return,” he said. The money raised from “CompOWLation Vol. 2” contributed to 10 scholarships amounting to $2,500. This year, the record label is hoping to raise at least twice as much, according to Smith. Though Hoot/Wisdom isn’t the most prominent organization on campus, that isn’t stopping the label from working towards increasing its popularity.

“I didn’t even know we had a record label on campus until I went to the event they held at The Burrow,” multimedia studies major Alexander Adams said. “But, after hearing some of the acts, I’m excited to listen to their new album.” Hoot/Wisdom hosted a free promotional concert on Sept. 26 in the newly named Burrow Bar and Grill that showcased the talent of five of the artists featured on “CompOWLation Vol. 3”: Anthony Vincent, Chris Aiello, Grace Kimmel and Erica Morgan as well as former member Alex Kinsey, who sang with his girlfriend Sierra Deaton. “A lot of students are not aware of Hoot/ Wisdom, but with the amazing quality of the album and the right promotion, it will be well-known around campus,” Erica Morgan, communications major and Hoot/Wisdom artist, said. “Everyone did an amazing job on the songs. It is the best one yet.” “CompOWLation Vol. 3” is made up entirely of people affiliated with the university, some of whom had no idea about the record label until they were discovered by the staff of Hoot/Wisdom. Because of this, Smith describes the album as the “soundtrack of FAU.” Hoot/ Wisdom is one of only three university record labels in Fla., alongside University of Miami’s Cane Records and Florida State University’s Renegade State Records. In 2012, Cane Records released its second compilation CD, “Breaking the Surface Vol. 2: Miami Artists on the Rise,” and was nominated for an Independent Music Award — one of the largest music award programs in the world, who have awarded artists like Asking Alexandria and Fun. — for Best Compilation Album of 2012, while Renegade State Records’

OCT. 15, 2013

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FEATURES MUSIC

band “After the Smoke,” was the Southeast finalist for the Billboard Music Awards’ “Battle of the Bands” competition of that same year. Though Hoot/Wisdom hasn’t gotten such national recognition, they still manage to dominate social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, based on all three school’s follower/like counts. Last year, the Sun-Sentinel wrote an article about “CompOWLation Vol. 2” stating that Hoot/Wisdom had sold over 1,000 copies of the album in one week in an effort to earn a spot on Billboard

WANT MORE?

Visit office in AH 110 or attend general meetings on Fridays 3p.m.-5p.m. in PA 101

Hoot/Wisdom Recordings Website

Alejardro Sanchez-Samper, the Associate Professor of music and Assistant Director of Commerical Music and Josh Frasca, a sixth year commercial music major, work on a student project in the studio. Photo by Max Jackson

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OCT. 15, 2013

Music’s “Heatseekers” chart, only to find out later that compilation albums are not eligible for that category. The UP reached out to representatives from the other two Fla. university record labels via email and phone to compare figures of their recent projects but received no response as of press time. But, according to Smith, his ultimate goal as president of the Hoot/Wisdom Recordings is to eventually “be the best thing to come out of FAU since NFL player Alfred Morris.”

Hoot/Wisdom Recordings YouTube Page

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

FAU MBA - SPORT MANAGEMENT FALL INFORMATION SESSIONS

Learn about exciting opportunities available in the FAU MBA SPORT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM Program benefits include a wide variety of industry related internships including but not limited to:

Hockey, Football, Baseball, Basketball, Motorsports, Inter-collegiate athletics, Tennis, and Stadium/ Arena/Convention Center Management. Current students as well as the MBA Sport Director, Dr. Jim Riordan, will be available to talk about their experiences in the program

Dates: October 25th and November 15th TIME: 7:00 - 9:00 PM Where: FAU College of Business, Boca raton Campus, Room BU. 307

FEATURES MUSIC

Important details about Hoot/Wisdom Recordings’ upcoming projects: “CompOWLation Vol. 3” official release date: Oct. 25 Pre-order digital copies at www.compowlation.com Use discount code “FAU” for 50 percent off the $10 price Bring your Owl Card and digital download receipt to the Commercial Music office (AH 111) to get a free physical copy You can also buy Hoot/Wisdom artist Phantomime’s EP “The Heist” on iTunes for $2.99

Album art for Volume 3 of Hoot/Wisdom Recordings’ CompOWLation. Courtesy of Hoot/Wisdom Recordings 14

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OCT. 15, 2013

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NEWS

STUDENT PROTESTS

We Can’t Stop, We Won’t Stop

Pro-Palestinian student group continued controversial protests last week, despite FAU putting its leaders on probation Story by Sarah Suwak Photos by Max Jackson Contributor News Editor

“

o the authorities know you’re here?” a concerned professor said. “They’re right behind you,” Nadine Aly, junior political science major and president of Students for Justice in Palestine said while pointing to three FAU police officers who stand 20 feet from the professor. SJP is a human rights organization on college campuses that aims to raise awareness about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Over the last two weeks, the FAU chapter of SJP organized three demonstrations, including a mock Israeli West Bank barrier and a mock graveyard for Palestinian children who’ve died in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, all to highlight how the conflict affects students on campus and taxpayers around the country. Minutes passed by on Oct. 1 as students gingerly began approaching six pieces of plywood arranged in a straight line covered with statements and tapedon posters. “Zionism is a demographic threat!” and “Palestine Will Be Free!” are

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OCT. 15, 2013

painted in black, red and green on the 10foot gray plywood. “This isn’t a religious issue. It’s a human rights issue,” Aly said about the current Israeli settlements in the West Bank. On the second day of the protests, SJP created a mock soldier checkpoint, having students approach SJP members dressed in soldier uniforms. If willing, the student, along with other SJP volunteers, were then patted down and a piece of tape was placed on their mouth. Arab, Hispanic, Jewish or other heritage affiliations were written on the tape and the actors kneeled down in front of the wall with their hands behind their backs. Pizza was given to students passing by. “It’s a conflict nobody knows about,” freshman computer engineering major Jordan D. said. Jordan was a volunteer Israeli soldier for a year and a half and chose not to share his last name. He spoke of his experiences at one of the various checkpoints throughout the West Bank, as well as the threat of terrorist organizations. “We found a 15-year-old with a butcher

Hand-crafted tombstones symbolize the 352 children killed in Operation Cast Lead, according to SJP.

knife. He had intent to do something, but we couldn’t keep him because he was 15,” Jordan said. “They live in fear over there.” Owls for Israel Co-President Rayna Exelbierd — a junior international business major — feels that referring to SJP’s demonstration as an apartheid wall is both disrespectful and false. “The wall is put up between Israel and Judea and Samaria for the purposes of security,” Exelbierd wrote in an email interview with the UP. “Unfortunately, in the early 2000s suicide bombings were a very popular thing so the Israeli government had to respond to protect all the citizens of Israel, which includes the Jews, Christians, and Muslims.” Another student feels that SJP’s presence at FAU is beneficial for igniting conversations. “I just hope the people that make up their minds don’t make up their minds on this wall,” senior political science major Nadav Alkoby said. “I hope it raises awareness for the issue but doesn’t really dictate what direction someone will think.” As students speak with one another on the free speech lawn, in front of the Social Sciences building, one identifies a possible solution for peace in Israel. “They must see each other as humans, not as Arabs, not as Israelis,” Deniz Dolun, a junior political science major, said. This task can be a difficult one, as junior biology major Giovanni Fillichio points out. “Religion clouds viewpoints,”

Fillichio said. “I’ve had people say, ‘Oh, I saw you at the wall last year, I look at you different now.’” An unknown student walks by shortly after and decides to spit on the concrete ground ten feet from the wall, yelling “some people have a different view on history” as he continues to walk swiftly away from the free speech lawn. “Probably a Zionist,” Aly said. A day after the protests, the UP received both a letter from the Zionist Organization of America and a response by SJP. “Members of this group seem to think they have the unrestricted right to do and say whatever they please under the First Amendment,” Susan B. Tuchman, director of Center for Law and Justice at the Zionist Organization of America, wrote. Aly sent a letter to the editor in response, explaining SJP’s stance on the apartheid wall and overall Israeli military actions. “[T]o raise awareness about the discrimination, segregation and dehumanization of the Palestinian people who are forcefully subjected to Israeli military control within their own territories,” Aly wrote. In April 2012, SJP placed 200 mock eviction notices in FAU dorms, eliciting harmful responses including death threats to SJP’s former president Noor Fawzy, who has graduated since then. The FAU chapter is one of many SJP chapters that placed mock eviction notices on dorm doors, another being Yale University’s chapter.

Hala Shehadeh, an english secondary education senior, kneels in silent protest at the free speech lawn. CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

OCT. 15, 2013 UPRESSONLINE.COM

NEWS

STUDENT PROTESTS

Nezar Hamze, the south Florida chapter’s executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations was quoted in local station WPBF coverage of this event, stating that “[o]ur concern is their first amendment rights are being violated because, first of all, the students got permission.” SJP claimed they got housing permission, as well as a housing official to escort them into the dorms to put up the eviction notices. In August 2012, according to the Assistant Director of Housing and Residential Life Adam Schwarz, the university adopted a

different protocol for handling flyers. “The intent of the new policy was to have more checks and balances to ensure all university guidelines are being followed with club and department postings,” Schwarz said. SJP took a more visual approach in February 2013 when the group stuffed 22 plastic bags with Styrofoam and crumpled paper, splattered them with red paint and placed them in the free speech lawn. What students often refer to as the dead babies demonstration was meant to represent the children killed in the Gaza Strip during

Israeli-led missions in 2008, 2009 and 2012. Neither the mock eviction notices nor the body bags resulted in any disciplinary action from FAU against SJP. However, in April 2013, members of SJP were put on probation after the group decided to protest a speech given by Israeli Colonel Bentzi Grubel at FAU. Vice President of Student Affairs Charles Brown released a statement following the group’s activities. “[W]hile groups on campus have a First Amendment right to free expression, that right does not allow groups to harass, CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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OCT. 15, 2013

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NEWS

STUDENT PROTESTS

threaten or intimidate others. Any evidence of that type of behavior is, and will continue to be, addressed through FAU’s Student Code of Conduct and the university’s discrimination and antiharassment policies.” SJP’s current de facto President Aly and Vice President Renata Glebocki were unable to hold leadership positions within a student organization and had to take a diversity class. Administrators like Interim President Dennis Crudele have spoken out about SJP’s previous activities. “The group’s criticisms of Israel often fail to appreciate that Israel is a robust democracy — unique in its part of the world — that nourishes an astonishingly broad array of public opinion and expression, even to the extent that this group’s own protest activities would be permitted to take place in Israel,” Crudele

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OCT. 15, 2013

said on Sept. 30, the day before SJP’s recent mock apartheid wall and soldier checkpoint. Professor Eric Hanne, who specializes in Medieval Islamic History, is SJP’s adviser. He questions if SJP is on an even playing field with other groups, given SJP members’ student conduct hearings in April and Crudele’s recent statement. “Students should be able to express themselves regardless of their views on issues as long as they do so respectfully and not in a negative fashion,” Hanne said. “But yet, they don’t appear to be permitted here at FAU because they were basically kangaroo courted into giving up their positions or face a harsher sanction.” Glebocki, who is a junior political science major, viewed Crudele’s statement as unsupportive to SJP members in her letter to the UP on Oct. 8. “[The blog post] talking up how

much FAU cares about Jewish students and Israel while saying nothing about support for Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students and their allies gives the distinct impression of favoring one group over another.” SJP’s graveyard event on Oct. 7, Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 received little to no backlash. Around 80 mock tombstones made out of paper and cardboard were placed in the grass of the free speech lawn to symbolize the 352 children killed in Operation Cast Lead, a three-week conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestinian militants in 2008 and 2009. A female student approached one of SJP’s hand-painted tombstones, picked it up out of the grass and threw it on the ground. Then an FAU police officer followed her. As of publication time, FAU Police could not be reached for comment on what consequences the student faced.

The SJP graveyard event took place from Oct.7 - 9.

NEWS

TEXTING BAN

After Oct. 1, use of a cell phone like this one is prohibited while driving a car.

It can wait Florida enacts a new distracted driving ban — but you can’t get pulled over for doing it Story by Christopher Massana Web Editor

exting — or just using a cellphone in general — is a staple of modern life: a staple that, thanks to a Fla. law that took effect Oct. 1, is now illegal to do while driving. According to the Pew Research Center, 79 percent of people within the traditional college age group of 18 to 24-years-old own a smartphone. Despite this, smartphone-owning students like junior ocean engineering major David Straton support the new law. 22

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OCT. 15, 2013

Photo Illustration by Max Jackson Contributor

“It makes the road conditions significantly safer. I think it’s a great thing, to be honest,” Straton said. “I don’t think that anyone should be goofing off on their phones while they’re supposed to be paying attention to what’s going on on the road.” The new “Florida Ban on Texting While Driving Law,” as it is officially known, makes texting — or similar activities like emailing — while driving a noncriminal offense, punishable by a non-moving violation charge.

“I have an injury that I have to carry for the rest of my life because some guy was texting on his phone,” Straton said. “He went straight into me at a red light. I was stopped at a red light and he just plowed into me because he was busy texting. I was watching him text in my rearview mirror… [I’ll] have back pain and neck pain for the rest of my existence, because someone just didn’t care.” The law makes texting while driving a secondary offense, meaning that the act is not itself

enough to warrant being pulled over; however anyone caught texting while driving in addition to another driving infraction may be charged with both. For instance, according to the law, “unlawful speed” (speeding) and “unlawful use of a wireless communications device” that result in a crash are equivalent charges, both amounting to four points towards a license penalty. Straton believes that the secondary offense status of texting while driving is not severe enough. CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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“From what I’ve seen up north… the Canadians,” Straton said, “they don’t allow texting on the road at all, they don’t allow talking on your phone on the road. Most provinces don’t allow it. I’ve noticed that people have a much higher rate of attentive awareness when it comes to what they’re doing on the road.” Other students, such as freshman engineering major Julian Graves, aren’t as critical of the penalty. “I feel that [the law is] pretty good,” Graves said, “people will drive safer now, I don’t have a problem with texting and driving, but it usually causes some accidents, so I guess it’s pretty good that they have it… [The

UPRESSONLINE.COM

OCT. 15, 2013

secondary offense condition] makes sense. If they’re not really driving recklessly while they’re doing it, there’s no cause to pull them over.” Student support of the law is centered around a desire for safety, but it also seems to be a matter of convenience. According to an online poll from the Independent Florida Alligator, the University of Florida’s student newspaper, more than half of UF students who responded don’t text while driving. “We are not kids anymore,” junior civil engineering major Tianfa Wu, who claims he’s never texted while driving, said. “Most people aren’t going against it when we are not supposed to

be on the phone and texting while we’re driving. It’s really dangerous.” Even if they might have been guilty of texting while driving in the past, students still support the ban, even going so far as to criticize the light penalty. “I sometimes do text and drive,” senior health administration major Marie Dezine said. “Even if you take your eyes off the road for one second, anything can happen. It’s me putting my life in jeopardy. Not only me [but] I’m putting other people’s lives in jeopardy. I think it is a good law, but I honestly think that they gave us a slap on the wrist.” Dezine does have doubts about the law’s effectiveness, however,

citing personal experience. “People are gonna do it regardless… I have a friend, not going to say her name; sometimes while we’re driving, she texts. If somebody calls her, she’s like ‘I’m driving’, but if it’s a text, she’ll take her eyes off the road,” Dezine said. “I don’t know how to approach that, I have my seatbelt on at all times, but my life is in your hands!” This sentiment was echoed by freshman business major Grant Wise. “They implemented it for the right reasons, but I don’t think it’s going to stop anyone from doing it,” Wise said. “Everyone is welladdicted to their cellular devices.”

SPORTS

QUIDDITCH

A dufflebag of plastic pipe “brooms” lay on the ground near Heritage Park Towers during quidditch practice.

Wizarding world of

quidditch

Quidditch is not the most popular sport at FAU, but it could be among the toughest to play Story by Aimee Baret Contributor Explore FAU’s Boca campus during evenings and you’re likely to stumble upon a series of events that you never thought could exist on a random patch of grass. Masses of people hooting and hollering, hitting each other with blunt objects. Balls flying every which way. Guys smashing girls into the ground with reckless abandon. Broomsticks. This is quidditch, and it’s all real. “It is an awesome melting pot of athleticism and nerdiness,” FAU freshman Natalia Cereceda, who plays as a beater–– or defender — said. Cereceda is one of 20 people in the FAU quidditch club, playing a sport that was born from the mind of J.K. Rowling, author of the famed “Harry Potter” series. 26

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OCT. 15, 2013

Photos by Ryan Murphy Photo Editor Quidditch, a semi-contact sport, is played with brooms or plastic pipes in hand, which beaters generally use to keep their territory guarded from opponents –– wizards and witches –– who are trying to score goals. “It is a lot harder than football and rugby because there is a constant threat of getting hurt,” Owls beater Paige Dekiel, a senior, said. Dekiel is one of a handful of girls who take part in FAU’s quidditch club. As she notes, other sports teams play with protective gear. Rugby does not, but it’s not a co-ed sport, either. In quidditch, a 200-pound guy can tackle a puny 90-pound girl and it’s totally acceptable. But the dangers of the sport go well beyond gender. CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

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SPORTS QUIDDITCH

At FAU, the Quidditch team practices in open fields behind the Heritage Park Towers and Glades Park Towers dorms on campus. The fields offer no lighting and are left unprotected. When it rains, the team continues on in dangerous conditions and often times the players risk broken bones or other injuries. David “Stix” Sager knows that all too well. Sager, a beater for FAU, previously played for the Ithaca Community Hex team during the fifth Quidditch World Cup. In the championship match, he was tackled and thrown to the ground and had his shoulder dislocated. He continued to play for 20 minutes before subbing out and — instead of going to the hospital — his shoulder was popped into place on the sidelines. FAU’s Quidditch team braves the risk of danger with fierce determination and unrelenting devotion. “When you get war wounds it shows how hard you went on the pitch,” chaser Hannah Feldman, whose responsibility is to score goals for the team, said. FAU’s quidditch club welcomes any new members with open arms, accepting those with even the most minimal athletic backgrounds, but to play the sport one must know all of the rules and intricacies. The aforementioned brooms or plastic pipes, which the FAU players often bring from home or purchase themselves, are used with three balls –– a quaffle (a volleyball or soccerball) which is used for scoring and two FAU chaser Liam Scharovsky, a freshman multimedia studies major, practices near Heritage Park Towers.

bludgers (dodge balls) that eliminate opponents from the game. The game is highlighted by the snitch, a person in bright yellow pants who runs around the pitch trying not to be caught. Other than the snitch, there are seven players on the field for the team –– the keeper, who guards three hoop-like goals from the front and the back; three chasers, who score goals through three hoops with the quaffle; two beaters, who act as defense and one seeker, whose only objective is to catch the snitch. Throwing a quaffle through one of the three hoops counts for 10 points. Catching the snitch ends the game and adds 50 points to whichever team caught it. Game times vary and are often determined by the seekers’ ability. Despite the physical dangers of quidditch, competitors have the utmost respect for each other on and off the field. The close bond between players means they maintain a close friendship, even after getting bludgeoned by a beater or suffering defeat — it means tackling someone to the ground, but then sharing drinks that night. “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere,” Sager quipped. Sophomore beater Bobby Hardy described his team as his second family –– one that he gets to whoop with sticks on a regular basis. Although not all members are great athletes, they are encouraged even if they are all just crazy folks running around in the night.

KEY QUIDDITCH TERMS Pitch: The field the team plays on. Quaffle: A volleyball or soccer ball used for scoring goals during games. Bludgers: Dodge balls that eliminate opponents from the game. Snitch: A player around field and, ends the game.

who runs if caught,

Beater: Two players who protect the rest of the team by hitting the opponent with plastic pipes. Chaser: Three players score goals for the team.

who

Seeker: One player who tries to catch the Snitch and end the game. 28 28

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OCT. OCT. 15, 15, 2013 2013

Source: Quidditch Through the Ages

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SPORTS

BASKETBALL

Fixing up The Burrow

FAU’s basketball arena was branded with Conference USA logos when it was renovated.

When FAU updated its basketball court, the changes were well received by fans Story by Wesley Wright Contributor

Photos by Veshaal Dial Contributor

“The Burrow last year was a marvelous arena AU basketball season is right around the corner and soon you will be that was precisely designed for [Owl players watching the men’s and women’s and supporters],” management information systems major Vickson Carvil said. “I enjoyed teams compete on a new court. every home game. Now that there are new Sort of. This past offseason, renovations to FAU’s renovations, I can’t wait to see how [The basketball arena took place, months before Burrow] was made better.” the team begins its first season of Conference Carvil, a sophomore, attended all but one USA play in November. The facilities where home basketball game last season and believes the Owls train remain unchanged, but the the changes will enhance the ambience of the hardwood they play on has undergone a minor Owls’ home arena. facelift. Ditto for sophomore criminal justice major Gone is the old Sun Belt Conference logo Franklin Bryant, who wouldn’t have minded underneath the free throw line. The red areas his tuition costs going toward the renovations. near the three-point arc have been replaced “That’s where I would hope [the money] with a deep blue that lines the perimeter of would go,” Bryant said. the court. FAU men’s basketball Head Coach Mike What remains at center court is the Jarvis believed the university was just keeping recognizable spread-winged Owls logo, up with the times, new conference and all. Jarvis did, however, explain that further reminding everyone that this is indeed The alterations like these could be a recruiting tool. Burrow. The changes aren’t significant The new Conference USA logo near the –– nothing near what rival FIU free throw line at FAU’s basketball arena. recently did with their court, overhauling it to depict a beach with water and palm trees –– but they resonated with the student fans.

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OCT. 15, 2013

“[The extent to which facilities can attract recruits] depends on to what extent the renovations are done,” Jarvis said. Tweaks to FAU athletic facilities have been a common occurrence in 2013. Two months after the new court was revealed, FAU Athletic Director Pat Chun tweeted a picture of the football locker room while it was still in the process of being upgraded. The “refreshed” locker room was ready for the start of the team’s training camp in early August. With its new “Making Waves” slogan, FAU is doing its best to ramp up fan support, creating the new Hootigans fan group and introducing The Cove at FAU Stadium –– a pool and lounging section. Some Owls fans hope ideas like those help bring people together, whether it’s for basketball at The Burrow or football on the stadium’s field. “The games where everyone was involved and rooting on our team [during athletic events] have been some of my best college moments thus far,” Franklin Bryant said.

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