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Table Oct. 18, 2016 | Vol.#18 |#5
UP STAFF
Of Contents We Didn’t Start the Bonfire
Nine FAU athletes who have made their mark on the summer and winter games.
Details behind a change in date of one of the school’s annual traditions are not being shared with student media.
Schedule of Events Use this guide to make a game plan of which events to check out during Homecoming. By Tucker Berardi | PAGE 10
By Joe Pye | PAGE 18
Owls Midseason Report Card Find out what grades we gave each of Florida Atlantic football’s respective units. By Brendan Feeney | PAGE 14
Getting Creepy with Kesha Kesha’s new rock band, Kesha and the Creepies, may not be appreciated by FAU’s pop and hip-hop fans. By Tucker Berardi | PAGE 12
Jogging for a Cause Students and the community can take part in the Homecoming 5K to raise funds for FAU’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. By Celina DeCastro | PAGE 22
Stand-up Switch Up After seven consecutive Homecoming comedy shows, Program Board has moved the annual event to the spring. By Ryan Lynch | PAGE 6
Brandon Harrington, Max Jackson, Mohammed F. Emran, Hans Belot Jr., Patrick Martin, Jonathan Scott, Celina DeCastro
ADVISERS Neil Santaniello, Ilene Prusher, Michael Koretzky COVER PHOTO BY Patrick Delaney COVER ILLUSTRATION BY Andrew Fraieli
Tucker Berardi
Olympic Owls
By Ryan Lynch | PAGE 8
EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Lynch MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Fraieli CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ivan Benavides ASSISTANT CREATIVE DIRECTOR Celeste Andrews WEB EDITOR Richard Finkel PHOTO EDITOR Patrick Delaney COPY DESK CHIEF Carissa Noelle Giard ASSISTANT COPY DESK CHIEF Kerri-Marie Covington COPY EDITORS Natalie Tribbey, Ben Paley SENIOR EDITOR Emily Bloch NEWS EDITOR Joe Pye SPORTS EDITOR Brendan Feeney FEATURES EDITOR Tucker Berardi OPINIONS EDITOR Miller Lepree CREATIVE JUICES EDITOR Sabrina Loftus CONTRIBUTORS
Special Issue Editor
Photo by Ryan Lynch.
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our school is throwing a party for you so take advantage of it while you can. Homecoming, a time for students to come together and show off their school spirit, is chock full of events only found at Florida Atlantic. This special issue will show you what FAU has in store to help ease the stress of midterms. This year’s theme is OWLympics, proving yet again that FAU will never pass up the opportunity to make an owl pun. But the (not so) clever wording aside, the Olympics theme is appropriate. Olympians from all over the world join together to demonstrate their passions, just like students from hundreds of different backgrounds come together during Homecoming to celebrate their shared school pride. We can use that common ground to raise money for autism by running in the annual 5K, or donating canned goods to those in need through ExtravaCanza. Or we can party at OwlFest until we forget about the midterm we have tomorrow. However you choose to spend this year’s Homecoming, be sure that you take pride in your place at FAU and get the most out of it. Chances are you will enjoy a weeklong celebration that has been planned, paid for and put on just for you.
from
the Editor
Tucker Berardi | Features Editor
Photo by Patrick Delaney.
Letter
10.18.2016 University Press 5
Stand-up Switch Up
Ryan Lynch | Editor In Chief
A Program Board decision to host a comedy show in the spring has left Homecoming week without a comedian for the first time in seven years.
Photo by Patrick Delaney.
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or the first time since 2009, a comedian will not be performing during Homecoming thanks to a recent Program Board decision. Instead, the annual comedy show will be hosted in the spring. In the past, the board — the event planning branch of Student Government — has hosted two comedy shows during each semester, but a $110,977 decrease in the budget over the past four years has changed the organization’s approach. “When Program Board met over the summer and planned out the major events calendar, the decision was made to have two large scale events a year, one concert in the fall and one comedy show in the spring,” Richard Mahler, assistant director of student activities and involvement, said in an email. “This decision was made due to budget realities and the increased emphasis on producing events for FAU students that are quality over quantity.” Since the fall comedy show was pushed to spring to space out the “large scale events,” a new event hosted by the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs will take place. Michael Sam, the first ever openly gay NFL draft pick, will speak on Oct. 27 in the Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium. Along with the annual drag show, this is the only other event that will take place there during the week. The director for the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs Artie Jamison said that Sam was brought in to speak because October is LGBT History Month. “Since LGBT is a part of our office, we thought he would be a great addition to the homecoming lineup,” Jamison said in an email. “His message is one of positivity and overcoming adversity, something that many of our first generation and underrepresented students are all too familiar with.” Sam, who came out publicly as gay on Feb. 9, 2014 after the completion of his college football career at the University of Missouri, was drafted into the NFL when he was selected by the St. Louis Rams in 2014 in the seventh and final round of the NFL Draft. However, he was cut during training camp and has yet to play a regular season game in the NFL, last playing a single game with the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes in 2015. According to Jamison, Sam will be paid $12,000 to speak at the Boca Raton campus and will appear at a reception with students and faculty before his speech. The reception will also act as a meet and greet with interviews and pictures. Roman Alexander, a sophomore social work major and the president of FAU’s LGBT student organization Lambda United, said that Sam’s
message is an important one for students to hear during LGBT History Month. “He did something unprecedented, without knowing if he’d be accepted or not,” Alexander said. “He risked his dreams and all that he had worked for for the chance to be himself, and I think that’s something a lot of LGBT people have to deal with, so seeing it pay off in such a big way is definitely encouraging.” Alexander says that the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs did not tell his organization about the speaker, but was happy with the decision to pick Sam. “We hope this continues in future years, and we hope that it doesn’t stop at Homecoming,” he said. “We want to try to get LGBT speakers as often as we can in order to highlight the diversity within the community. Right now, Lambda is working on trying to get an LGBT comedian to come to campus, as well as transgender rights activist Buck Angel.” Some students want to attend the speech because they remember the significance of Sam announcing his sexual orientation to the public. “It was such a big thing ... and there were so many attacks against him when he did come out,” freshman biological science major Aleia Dennis said. “I find that interesting and I kind of want to know what he was going through then.” Other students, like sophomore business major Anthony Keating, are split on the decision to move the comedy show. “For one, we have something inspirational to look forward to, someone who paved the way for others in his line,” he said. “On the other hand, we love comedy because it lets us laugh and relax from long days of essays, tests and work.” Last fall, comedian Hannibal Buress performed in front of a packed auditorium to kick off the beginning of Homecoming week. In the spring of 2015, Program Board also hosted two comedy shows, one with Lenny Travis as the headliner on Jan. 22 and one on March 25 with Jerrod Carmichael serving as the main act. Judah Friedlander and Orny Adams, who both had performed at FAU previously, served as the comedy act during the Weeks of Welcome promotion at the start of the 2015 fall semester. Program Board has not announced yet who the headlining comedian will be in the spring, if there will be a second show or when the potential show will happen.
Past Laughs Here’s a look at a few of the comedians that have graced the stage during Homecoming week the past few years.
2015: Hannibal Buress Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.
2014: The Wayans Brothers
Photo courtesy of FAU Program Board.
2013: Judah Friedlander
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.
2012: Ralphie May Screenshot courtesy of Youtube.
2011: Brandon T. Jackson, Josh Blue and Tony Robbins
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.
2010: Godfrey, Mitch Fatel and Aries Spears Photo courtesy of FAU Program Board.
10.18.2016 University Press 7
Olympic
Ryan Lynch | Editor in Chief
F
or most students and faculty, the closest they will ever get to the Olympics will be seeing the summer or winter games on TV every two years. What they may not know is that several current Florida Atlantic students and alumni have competed in the games throughout the school’s history. From a two-time gold medalist on the USA Women’s National Basketball Team to a triathlete who ran for two separate countries and received his U.S. citizenship while attending FAU, these nine Owls stand out.
Photo courtsey of Wikipedia.
Photo courtsey of Wikia.
Yolanda Griffith: After playing for two years with the Owls from 1992-1993, Yolanda Griffith played in Germany before joining the American Basketball League in 1997. She would later go on to play for the U.S. Women’s National Team twice in 2000 and 2004, winning a gold medal both times. Griffith was also the second overall pick of the 1999 Women’s National Basketball Association draft after the ABL folded in 1998. In 11 WNBA seasons, she was an eight-time WNBA All-Star, was named MVP in 1999 and was voted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014 in her first year of eligibility.
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Owls
Whether for the U.S. or abroad, here are some of FAU’s athletes who have competed on one of the world’s biggest stages. Brittany Bowe: Brittany Bowe came to FAU in 2006 and played for four years as part of the women’s basketball team, recording the eighth-most assists in program history. After graduating in 2010, she moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and started speedskating — a sport she had ties to because of her roots with competitive inline speedskating before her career with the Owls. After making the adjustment from the hardcourt to the ice, Bowe qualified for a spot on the American speedskating team in the 2014 Winter Olympics. During the games in Vancouver, Canada, she competed in four events but did not medal. Since the Olympics, Bowe has won four gold medals in the World Speedskating Championships in the past two years and will have a chance to qualify for the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Photo courtsey of Brittany Photo courtsey of Bowe’s Twitter. Wikimedia.
Photo courtsey of Pixabay.
Nadia Kruger:
Photo courtsey of FAU Athletics.
Before coming to FAU to swim from 1989-1991, Nadia Kruger swam as the youngest member of Switzerland’s Olympic swimming team at 16 years and 32 days old. During the 1984 games, Kruger did not medal in either event that she swam in, with her highest finish being fifth in the first heat of the 800-meter freestyle. While with the Owls, Kruger was named an AllAmerican — an award given to the best college athletes in the U.S. for their respective sports — five separate times during her two-year career, including four races in her final year.
Manny Huerta:
Photo courtsey of Samuel Lewis.
Noemi Lung:
Photo courtsey of FAU Athletics.
While competing in swimming during the 1988 Olympics for Romania, Noemi Lung became the first Owl ever to medal during the games, winning a silver in the 400-meter individual medley and a bronze in the 200-meter individual medley. She also swam in the 1992 games in Barcelona, Spain, but did not medal. Lung, a seven-time All-American with the Owls, coached Florida International University's swim team from 2002-2010.
Manny Huerta is the most recent FAU Olympian to compete, doing so in the 2016 games. After running in the triathlon for the U.S. team in London in 2012, he ran for Puerto Rico in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, finishing 51st and 43rd respectively in his two times. Huerta has also competed professionally in the International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series since 2003. According to a 2012 New York Times profile on Huerta, he received his naturalized U.S. citizenship when he was 20 years old after emigrating to America from Cuba in 1997.
Photo courtsey of Manny Huerta’s blog.
Photo courtsey of FAU Athletics.
Photo courtsey of FAU Photo courtsey of aifn. Athletics. free.fr.
Laurence Bensimon:
Named an inaugural member of FAU’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2006, Laurence Bensimon set program records in the 500-, 1000- and 1650-meter freestyle in 1987 that have remained unbroken for almost 30 years. After transferring to the University of Alabama in 1988, she swam for her native country of France in the 1984 games in Los Angeles. Bensimon participated in three individual races and one relay, but earned no medals.
Marina Mulyayeva:
Photo courtsey of Max Photo courtsey of Pixabay. Jackson.
Lara Preacco:
Swimming for her native country of Switzerland in the 1996 Olympics, Lara Preacco was part of a 4x100-meter relay that was eliminated in the first round of competition in the games. Even with the early loss, Preacco was only halfway through her career as an Owl at the time, and went on to serve as team captain after her return from the games in the 1996-1997 season. Preacco served as an assistant coach from 19982001 with the FAU swim team while earning her master's degree at the university. She later took over her current position as head coach of the team in 2014 after another two-year stint as an assistant starting in 2012.
After swimming at FAU during her freshman year and setting a record in the 100-yard butterfly, which she still holds, Marina Mulyayeva transferred to the University of Maryland in 2002 and immediately earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference Honors in her first year with the Terrapins. Having competed in three separate Olympic games in 2000, 2004 and 2008 for the National Swimming Team of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mulyayeva currently holds the record for most Olympic games participated in among all female Owls.
Photo courtsey of Pixabay.
Photo courtsey of Pixabay.
Photo courtsey of Bela Szabados LinkedIn.
Bela Szabados:
Photo courtsey of Pixabay.
A Hungarian Olympian in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 games, Bela Szabados has competed in the most Olympic games among male Owl athletes. The closest he came to medaling was in the 1992 games in Barcelona, Spain, where his 4x100-meter relay finished sixth overall out of 23 teams. Szabados set four records in the 50, 100, 200 and 500-meter freestyle races as a freshman in 1996, of which two times — the 200 and 500-meter — still stand as records for the team. After one year with FAU, he transferred to the University of Southern California. 10.18.2016 University Press 9
Schedule Tucker Berardi | Features Editor
of
Make the most of your time during the Owlympics with this Homecoming event guide.
Events
MONDAY Oct. 24 | 6 p.m. Homecoming Kickoff Bonfire FAU Stadium
Coach Charlie Partridge speaks at the bonfire rally with the football team. Photo by Mohammed F. Emran.
An FAU tradition and South Florida’s largest bonfire, this kickoff will get students pumped for Homecoming week with a performance by Texan country singer Chase Bryant.
SATURDAY Oct. 22 | 8 p.m. Drag Show Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium
Support your local drag queens and kings by coming out to a night of musical performances and audience interaction. Be prepared to have a wild night.
Ariel Rimm performs at last year’s Drag Show. Photo by Mohammed F. Emran.
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Members of Greek life compete in the fall 2015 5K. Photo by Max Jackson.
SUNDAY Oct. 23 | 5 p.m. Homecoming 5K Run for Autism Boca Raton campus Outdoor Stage
The annual 5K raises money for FAU’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. Free food and children’s activities will be offered, as well as the opportunity to win medals.
WEDNESDAY Oct. 19 | 8 p.m. Presidential Debate FAU Stadium
Come together with students of all political backgrounds and take part in a viewing party of the last presidential debate of 2016.
SATURDAY Oct. 22 | 9 a.m. Stop Hunger Now
Boca Raton campus Recreation and Fitness Center
Let Homecoming be a week to give back to your community — join other students for an on-campus service project that aims to package over 50,000 meals by 4 p.m on Oct. 22.
TUESDAY Oct. 24 | 4 p.m. CarnivOWL
Jupiter campus Housing Lawn
Gather for some casual sports to get in the Homecoming spirit. Last year’s event featured a rock climbing wall, a 120-foot slide and a zero-gravity ride.
THURSDAY Oct. 27 | 5:30 p.m. More Than Football With Michael Sam
WEDNESDAY Oct. 26 | 8 p.m. Owl Fest Boca Raton campus Outdoor Stage
Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium
Get advice on how to pursue one’s dream from football player Michael Sam, the first openly LGBT player to be drafted into the NFL. FAU students dance in the center of the crowd just before the grand finale. Photo by Max Jackson.
TUESDAY Oct. 25 |10:30 a.m. ExtravaCanza Boca Raton Social Science Building Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
FRIDAY Oct. 28 | 5:30 p.m. Fall Family Fest
Boca Raton campus Stadium Lawn
Celebrate the end of Homecoming on the Boca Raton campus stadium lawn with free food and rides. Families are allowed to attend.
Show off your artistic side with ExtravaCanza — a sculpturemaking competition between student organizations where cans are the medium. After the event, the cans will be donated to Boca Helping Hands.
Make the most of Homecoming and watch LunchMoney Lewis and Kesha perform at the Student Union outdoor stage.
THURSDAY Oct. 27 Red Hot Madness | 7 p.m. FAU Arena
This pep rally, hosted by Owl Athletics, will introduce the men and women’s basketball teams and feature a slam dunk showcase by both teams. A performance from the FAU Cheer and Dance teams will take place as well. There will be free food offered and prize giveaways for students.
NPHC Stroll Off | 8:30 p.m. FAU Arena
For more information visit: http://www.fau.edu/homecoming/ A team created Owlsley out of cans. Photo by Patrick Martin
Watch fraternities and sororities step it up with the Homecoming Stroll Off step competition. Competitors use claps, steps, words and more to come up with a synchronized percussive routine to get the crowd energized.
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Getting Creepy with Tucker Berardi | Features Editor
Kesha
Program Board fails to inform students that the artist’s new band, Kesha and the Creepies, strays away from the pop genre students are expecting.
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or this year’s Homecoming, Florida Atlantic’s Program Board has secured Kesha to headline OwlFest, breaking the streak of hip-hop performers who have been featured in past events. While the decision to move from hip-hop headliners to a top-40 pop act was the result of several factors, one fact seems to have been overlooked: Kesha is no longer a pop artist. OwlFest advertisements have failed to mention that Kesha will be bringing bandmates from her new rock ensemble, Kesha and the Creepies, to perform alongside her at the Student Union outdoor stage on Oct. 26. So why the change from Program Board’s usual headliner genre? The student-run organization collected data during summer orientation and the Summer Splash event season — a time from June 26 to Aug. 12 dedicated to encouraging student involvement — to determine what genres of music FAU freshmen prefer. The results showed that students favored top 40 hits, followed by hip-hop and country music, according to Student Involvement Assistant Director Richard Mahler. “After careful consideration of the options available, use of the data collected and the reality of a limited budget compared to larger Florida institutions, Program Board decided that Kesha would provide remarkable name recognition and a top-tier performance for Florida Atlantic students,” Mahler wrote in an email to the University Press. “She will be one of the largest names Program Board has ever brought to the campus and the first female headliner in over two decades.” FAU is not the only school to have Kesha perform for Homecoming. Her performance at Kent State University left students a little puzzled over her new rock sound. “A lot of students were surprised she’s not doing pop anymore,” said Rachel Duthie, a features reporter for the Kent State University news site Kentwired. Duthie covered the Homecoming concert for her school which Kesha headlined on Sept. 29. Much to her and her fellow students’ confusion, Kesha used the concert as an opportunity to promote her new rock band. “She’s a lot different now,” Duthie said. “She looks different, she acts different … Some people really enjoyed it, but there were a lot of people who really wanted the pop performance.” According to Rolling Stone, Kesha and the Creepies is an opportunity in which the “EDM- and
hip-hop-leaning pop star will transition into more ‘dirty rock and roll and country music’ with her sound.” The new rock group was revealed for her Fuck the World Tour, the first full-fledged tour for the singer since her legal battle with producer Dr. Luke and Sony. The band is hitting other schools along the way as well, including Colby College and the University of Minnesota. Kent State paid $175,000 for Kesha and the opening act PartyNextDoor, charging students $35 for floor seats and $30 for upper level. The University of Minnesota sold tickets for $25 to students and $45 for general admission. According to Mahler, Program Board has yet to finalize Kesha and her band’s payment, but student tickets for OwlFest are free and available in the box office. When first unveiled, the announcement that Kesha was performing at FAU received mixed responses on social media — and this was without the announcement that the singer would be performing alongside her new rock band. “School got Kesha to perform damn Kesha lmao FAU lame as shit,” Mavrik_sochill1 tweeted. Ella_ticheri tweeted, “still mad FAU thought Kesha was ok for homecoming.” Radparis, who was a bit more excited about the announcement, tweeted, “FAU HAS KESHA FOR HOMECOMING EIGHTH GRADE ME IS CRYING ITS LIT.” As a former pop artist and with her current transition to rock, Kesha will be one of the first non-hip-hop artists to headline at FAU. In the past, artists like Big Sean, B.O.B. and T-Pain have taken the stage during Homecoming. However, students upset with Program Board’s choice and who would prefer a hip-hop performer can look forward to OwlFest’s opening act, LunchMoney Lewis. Mahler wrote, “[LunchMoney Lewis] is a budding Hip Hop star who not only has his own musical successes, but has been featured on numerous hit singles such as BO$$ by Fifth Harmony, Trini Dem Girls by Nicki Minaj, and most recently Greenlight by Pitbull.” Despite students’ mixed opinions, the FAU Box Office has still seen a lot of traffic in the weeks following the Kesha announcement. “We are ecstatic to have an artist of her caliber on stage and if ticket pick up continues the way it has in the past two weeks, we will be sold out for the first time in years,” Mahler wrote.
We got Kesha, but ...
Kesha is coming to perform at FAU, but don’t brag just yet. Here are some of the big names that performed at nearby state schools this year. 2 Chainz came to the University of South Florida in Tampa on Oct. 6. Tickets were free for students. Guest passes were $10. On Oct. 16, 2 Chainz, joined by Maki and Lil Dicky, performed at Florida International University in Miami. Tickets Photo courtesy of Sunglass Warehouse. were available for $40 online and $50 at the door for students and visitors. The University of Central Florida in Orlando had Ludacris perform on Oct. 13. Tickets were free for students while general admission tickets were $25. Photo courtsey of Wikipedia.
Rapper Waka Flocka Flame performed at the University of Florida in Gainesville on Oct. 14. He was joined by DJ Whoo Kid, pop group Timeflies and country duo Maddie and Tae. Student tickets cost $15 and public entry tickets were priced at Photo courtsey of $25. Wikipedia.
Photo courtsey of Wikipedia.
Florida State University in Tallahassee had Chance the Rapper perform as part of the “Magnificent Coloring World Tour” on Oct. 12. The hip-hop artist was joined by special guest Francis and the Lights.
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Owls Midseason Brendan Feeney | Sports Editor Hans Belot Jr. | Contributor
Report Card The football team has offered few reasons for optimism this season.
W
ith a team fresh off consecutive three-win seasons during Charlie Partridge’s first two years as head coach, many believed 2016 would be the year for Florida Atlantic football to improve and aim for its first bowl game since 2008. The Owls began the season with an eightpoint victory over Football Championship Division Southern Illinois before losing five straight games. Those losses include a 33-31 loss to Florida International, which at the time was 0-4 without scoring more than 14 points in a single game, and a 28-23 loss to Charlotte which was 1-14 all-time against Football Bowl Subdivision teams. The FBS is the highest division of college football, which FAU is a part of. The following grades are determined by each unit’s performance in the Owls first six games.
Quarterback:
Redshirt sophomore Jason Driskel won the starting quarterback job over redshirt freshman Daniel Parr in training camp. The battle between the two appeared to be a strong motivation after Driskel accounted for 336 total yards and three touchdowns in the Owls opening-day win over Southern Illinois. “Competition brings out the best in everyone so obviously when you’re competing with someone directly for a role on a team, it’s going to bring out the best in both people,” Driskel said. “I think that’s the goal.” In the five losses since then, he was limited to 174 passing yards per game with five interceptions and two touchdowns. Driskel’s touchdown-to-interception ratio — having thrown four touchdowns and five picks — is second worst in Conference USA. Although this is the Oviedo, Florida native’s first season as the full-time starter, he has not lived up to the standard so far. This comes in a Travis Trickett-led offense, whose Samford team accounted for the third most passing yards in the Football Championship Subdivision a year ago.
D+
Grade: D+ 14 10.18.2016 University Press
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Driskel was named the starting quarterback for this season on Aug. 23. Photo by Brandon Harrington.
Running back:
On his first carry of the season, junior Greg Howell took the ball 48 yards for a touchdown. Later in the same quarter, he busted open for 37 yards and a touchdown. Howell took three other carries throughout the season for 38, 21 and 68 yards. However, the yardage total from those five carries (212) happens to be the same exact total from his 73 other combined in the team’s first five games. In the sixth game against Charlotte, Howell took 20 carries for 100 yards. Freshman Devin Singletary and redshirt freshman Kerrith Whyte each scored their first career touchdowns, but both have been held under four yards per rush in their initial seasons. The Owls as a whole ran for a total of 840 yards in their first six games and hold the second fewest yards per game total in the conference. They did manage to put together a 236-yard performance against FIU, but they also failed to reach 100 yards twice. For better or for worse, this is the most explosive unit the Owls have to offer.
Grade: C
Junior Buddy Howell has recorded eight rushing touchdowns this season. Photo by Max Jackson.
C
Junior Kalib Woods leads the team in receptions and receiving yards. Photo by Max Jackson.
Wide receiver:
The departure of Jenson Stoshak — last year’s leading receiver who had twice as many yards as did any of his teammates — left a vacancy for the Owls No. 1 receiving option. Henry Bussey, Nate Terry, Kalib Woods and Kamrin Solomon were all legitimate candidates to step up. “We have a lot of playmakers on the outside, we have a lot of fast guys a lot of great athletes,” Parr said prior to the season. “I feel confident in any one of our receiving core to go out and make a play when we need them.” Woods has been the only one to take a noticeable step. His 82.7 receiving yards per game and 36 catches on the season rank sixth and third respectively in Conference USA. Driskel noticed the improvements his wide receiver made from last season. “He’s one of our best receivers, he’s a captain on our team, he’s a guy who comes into work every day and it shows on Saturday,” Driskel said. Outside of Woods, only two other Owls have reached the century mark — redshirt Tavaris Harrison and junior Nate Terry — but both average under 25 yards per game. Bussey is the only other who has at least two catches per game. Woods’ efforts have been just enough to keep the receiving unit in passing territory.
Grade: C-
C10.18.2016 University Press 15
Offensive line:
Prior to the season, the offensive line appeared to be a strength for the Owls. Then junior Reggie Bain, an all-conference preseason member, was involved in a season-ending traffic accident on Aug. 26, just eight days before the team’s first game. Redshirt senior Kelly Parfitt, redshirt sophomore Matthew Weiner and redshirt junior Antonyo Woods have also experienced their own challenges to staying healthy. The injuries forced Rimington Award watch-list member redshirt senior Dillon DeBoer to move away from the center position and to left tackle for the first two games. In the midst of all the injuries, the Owls allowed 2.83 sacks per game — the fourth most in the conference. They paved the way for the previously mentioned five long running plays, but otherwise struggled to be a consistent force. “I’m proud of the way that they have handled that adversity, but we came here to win,” Partridge said.
Sophomore linebacker Azeez AlShaair is the youngest Owl to be a captain since the 2012 season. Photo by Brandon Harrington.
C
Grade: C
Run defense:
The Owls allow 245.5 rushing yards per game — the 10th most in the country. In their five losses, their opponents ran for 279, 336, 226, 270 and 219 yards. They also allowed 18 touchdowns on the ground in those five games, including 12 in a two-week span against Miami and Kansas State. Prior to this year’s Shula Bowl matchup, Florida International averaged 120 yards per game and failed to score more than 14 points in all four of its games, all of which were losses. The Panthers pounded FAU for 270 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the Owls 33-31 loss. Following the game, Partridge and his defense both took responsibility for their inability to stop the run. “I walked in there and I told them, ‘Listen fellas, I love you to death. I have to find a way to coach you better and motivate you better,’ but I couldn’t finish the sentence before the kids said, ‘No, it’s on us, we need to play better,’” Partridge said. While the defense has struggled to stop the run, last year’s freshman All-American Azeez Al-Shaair has continued his individual success. However the defense is responsible for giving up the 18th most points and the 11th most yards in the country and, as a captain in the middle of defense, Al-Shaair is just as responsible as any of his teammates.
Grade: F
Pass defense:
The defensive line awaits the snap from Middle Tennessee. Photo by Jonathan Scott.
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F
A season ago, FAU recorded the most sacks in Conference USA and defensive end Trey Hendrickson totalled the second most in the country as a junior. This year has been another story, however, as the Owls have been held to 10 sacks in the first five games and Hendrickson has 3.5 of them. The lack of a pass rush puts more pressure on the secondary, as they have to cover their receivers for a longer period of time. That has prevented the unit from performing to the best of their ability.
Still, the defense is in the middle of the pack in Conference USA in terms of passing yards allowed. They also are tied for the conference lead with six interceptions, led by redshirt sophomore Andrew Soroh. Sophomore safety Jalen Young, a preseason allconference member, has served as the last line of protection at the back of the defense. He is second in the conference with 61 tackles and his 42 solo tackles are the second most in the country.
Grade: C
C
Special Teams:
The most consistent unit for the Owls has been their special teams. Redshirt senior Dalton Schomp downed 13 of his 41 punts inside the 20-yard line and exceeded 50 yards six times. Redshirt junior Greg Joseph made all six of his field-goal attempts, including a conference-long 50 yarder. Kerrith Whyte, the team’s kickoff returner, averages 26.2 yards per return, the third best in the conference.
Grade: B
B
The Owls run out of the tunnel at FAU Stadium prior to last year’s Miami game. Photo by Max Jackson.
The Team Overall:
The negatives surrounding this team can not be downplayed. The defense ranks toward the bottom in the entire county and the offense isn’t much better. The team appeared to be on the right path when it led at halftime against Ball State and was on the verge of a 2-2 record ahead of the matchup against 0-4 FIU. However, instead of the potential, and realistic 3-2 start, the Owls sit at the bottom of the Conference USA standings — the worst conference in the entire FBS according to Rating Percentage Index, a measure of a team or conference’s wins, losses and strength of schedule. “We aren’t losers,” Hendrickson said after the FIU game. “Our record isn’t showing that.”
Grade: D-
Redshirt safety Andrew Soroh leads the Owls with two interceptions. Photo by Brandon Harrington.
D-
Sophomore safety Jalen Young ranks second in the nation with 42 solo tackles. Photo by Mohammed F. Emran.
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We didn’t start the bonfire Joe Pye | News Editor
The annual tradition has changed dates for the first time since 2007 and Program Board isn’t telling the whole story.
Photo by Mohammed F. Emran.
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he ninth annual bonfire event has been moved from its usual time of year at the beginning of the football season to Homecoming week for the first time in nine years. Program Board, a student-run organization that plans Florida Atlantic events, was responsible for the change in date. In the past, FAU has hosted the bonfire during other parts of the year. With the exception of 2011 when it was pushed to October because of weather conditions, the event has taken place in late August or early September since 2007. When contacted by the University Press as to why the event was pushed back, Program Board cited reasons related to the beginning of the semester’s Weeks of Welcome being too packed with other events and the potential for better weather later in the fall. “The Annual bonfire has become one of FAU’s most iconic events,” said former Program Board Director Jacob Sherbondy in an email from 2015. “Every year we have seen growth in both quality and numbers. Last year the crowd size was estimated around 5,000.” This shuffling of traditions is not something new to the university, as past events have struggled to find a permanent home on the calendar. Program Board told the UP in April of 2016 that it would be moving the spring concert Freaker’s Ball to October so it could introduce an electronic dance music festival called OwlFest in the spring instead. “Freaker’s ball as we’ve known it, is not happening in April, It is being moved to October in its placement,” Sherbondy said in an email. “In 1976 ... 40 years ago it used to originally be a Halloween party with live music.” Sherbondy also wrote how from 2002-07 it was moved to April, but this year Freaker’s Ball would be pushed to October like it was before. Well, it’s October and it looks like we are not getting the traditional Freaker’s Ball that’s had past hip-hop acts like Kendrick Lamar, Method Man, Red Man or Big Sean. Instead, we’re getting another OwlFest with Kesha’s new rock band, Kesha and the Creepies, which surprised students at Kent State last month who expected to hear the musician’s top-40 hits. Last year, Homecoming stuck with its tradition of having its own musical guests, like the YouTubefamous duo Timeflies, while this year, the bonfire concert will switch things up. The event will feature country singer Chase Bryant, whose 2015 debut single “Take It On Back,” hit the top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.
Homecoming events, including the bonfire, are paid for out of activity and service fees, which are collected as part of students’ tuition and go toward benefiting the student body. Since 2012, Program Board has paid at least $12,000 to bring various punk, ska, heavy metal and rock bands to play, “catering to the traditional rock n roll theme of the bonfire,” according to Sherbondy. In 2014, there was a significant increase in spending to bring All Time Low to FAU for $45,000. Program Board then spent $50,000 for Hollywood Undead to perform in 2015. The total budget for Homecoming during 201517 has been $205,436. The budget has previously been as high as $240,044 from 2013-15, and as low as $160,000 in 2010-11. The UP reached out to Assistant Director of
will put more emphasis on athletics, giving coach Charlie Partridge more time to address the students in attendance of the bonfire. But this year Program Board did not promote the bonfire outside of its social media, nor did it disclose through FAU’s media outlets like in previous years that the event date had been moved. Notifications of the change were sent through social media on Aug. 30 in place of an official announcement, which left students who don’t follow Program Board on social media out of the loop. The bonfire will take place as part of Homecoming on Oct. 24 at the FAU Stadium Lawn.
“Freaker’s ball as we’ve known it, is not happening in April, It is being moved to October in its placement.”
- Jacob Sherbondy, former Program Board director
Student Involvement Richard Mahler for comment on how much Program Board spent to bring Kesha and LunchMoney Lewis to campus, but was told it had not finalized their contract fee. According to an anonymous source, this year there is an estimated budget of $95,000 for Kesha alone to perform, not including LunchMoney Lewis and Chase Bryant. The UP reached out with records requests over a month ago for costs to bring Kesha, but has yet to hear back as of publication time. The fall 2015 bonfire brought a change by having the fire and the musical event on the lawn behind the Student Union take place at different times on the same night. According to Sherbondy, this
Country singer Chase Bryant. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.
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Jogging Celina DeCastro | Contributing Writer
for a Cause Students can raise money for FAU’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities by running in the annual Homecoming 5K.
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ace up those sneakers and preemptively work off all that Halloween candy by running for a good cause at the annual Homecoming 5K. Hosted by Florida Atlantic’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, the Homecoming 5K Run for Autism starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Track and Field Complex on Oct. 23. Co-hosted by Campus Recreation, the 5K is the largest in Boca Raton, according to the Homecoming webpage. The event offers walkers and runners medals, free food, a run through FAU Stadium, activities for kids and more. Mercedes Pagano, one of the coordinators from the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, said, “It helps bring more awareness to the students and community about who we are and what we do.” The center uses money from the fundraiser for support services provided to the community, including scholarships and developmental autism screenings. The screenings take place inside a mobile clinic donated by the Unicorn Children’s Foundation, an international nonprofit that works to benefit the lives of those with developmental disorders. The money raised is also put toward training teachers and families on how to better the environment of children with autism. According to Pagano, the center provides expert consulting, training and support at no charge for people with autism or related disabilities, their family members, employers, teachers and government agencies. It services Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties. Medals will be awarded to the top three runners overall, the top three runners over the age of 40 and the top three male and female runners in each fiveyear age group. The age groups are 10 and under, 11-14, 15-19, 20-24 and so on, up to 70 and above.
Students that want to participate in the race must register and pay $15 by Oct. 18 at noon to receive a free T-shirt. Pagano said there will be bounce houses, games, arts and crafts and a DJ at the event. There are also two other noncompetitive races that are being held before the 5:30 p.m. event. At 5 p.m. the Family Fun Run/Walk will be taking place at the Track and Field Complex. This event is free for students and costs $10 for those who are 16 and under and $15 for those 17 and older. This 1-mile race does not award those who come in first. Instead, all members involved will receive participation ribbons. At 5:15 p.m. the free Kids Run will also be taking place at the FAU Track and Field Complex, with all runners 8 and under awarded participant medals. Last year there were at least 1,500 participants and the center is expecting about the same amount of people this year. The race is sponsored by The Eppy Group, Paradise Bank, Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, Monarch Behavioral, Raw Juce, Five Guys Burgers and Fries and more. To register, participants can sign up at http:// www.fau.edu/campusrec/5k.php or register in person at The Runner’s Edge at 3195 N. Federal Hwy in Boca Raton.
5K Pricing Find out what you’ll be paying if you decide to run in this year’s 5K.
Students
$15
A free T-shirt will be included if students register by Oct. 18.
Nonstudents
$15
(under 21)
$25 $30 $35
Alumni Association
Nonstudents (over 21) Nonstudents (on race day)
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