Get Your Head IN THE GAME The men’s basketball team believes focus in practice and in games will be the key to turning around their season. Page 12 VOL.18 | #10 | 1.24.2017 UPRESSONLINE.COM FACEBOOK.COM/UNIVERSITYPRESS @UPRESSONLINE FIRST ISSUE IS FREE; EACH ADDITIONAL COPY IS 50 CENTS AND AVAILABLE IN THE UP NEWSROOM.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS January 24, 2017 | VOL.18 | #10
STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Lynch MANAGING EDITOR Brendan Feeney CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ivan Benavides ASSISTANT CREATIVE DIRECTOR Celeste Andrews WEB EDITOR Richard Finkel COPY DESK CHIEF Kerri-Marie Covington NEWS EDITOR Joe Pye SPORTS EDITOR Hans Belot Jr. FEATURES EDITOR Tucker Berardi CONTRIBUTORS Bella Riccitelli, Nate Nkumbu, Idalis Streat, Benjamin Paley, Mohammed F. Emran ADVISERS Neil Santaniello, Ilene Prusher, Michael Koretzky
On The Cover
Nick Rutherford runs sprints from one side of the court to the other after the team went through 3-on-3 drills. Photo by Ryan Lynch
OPINIONS
NEWS
Breaking (Fake) News
Canvas vs. Blackboard
Fake news stories are ruining lives, and reading critically is the best way to stop them.
FAU is implementing a new software. See how students feel about the change.
BY TUCKER BERARDI | PAGE 4
BY NATE NKUMBU | PAGE 8
SPORTS
NEWS BRIEFS
Getting Over The Hump
Highlighting the UP’s top news stories of the past few weeks.
After a 5-12 start to the season, head coach Michael Curry believes focus will be the key to climbing up the standings.
BY JOE PYE | PAGE 6
BY HANS BELOT JR. | PAGE 12
FEATURES Eyeing Up Events Find out what events are being held at FAU in the near future. BY TUCKER BERARDI | PAGE 22
Venues to Venture Looking for a new hangout spot on or around campus? These students share their top spots. BY TUCKER BERARDI | PAGE 20
Greek Life Cheat Sheet Check out how on-campus Greek organizations stack up against each other in terms of philanthropy, new member rates and GPA. BY BENJAMIN PALEY | PAGE 18
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OPINIONS
g n i k a e Br FAKE s w e N
don’t have it hard. I am a white male, and I cannot deny that I reap the benefits of that privilege whenever I can. But as a journalist I can see the danger in distributing false information about marginalized groups, as it serves only to further fear and hatred toward those populations. And as a gay journalist, the spread of hateful and inaccurate messages about minorities, the LGBT community and especially immigrants makes me doubt the progress of tolerance I thought we had made as a society. Much of the rhetoric from this past election saw a very negative spin placed on immigrants — especially those of Hispanic and Middle Eastern descent. President Donald Trump campaigned on a platform that inspired proponents of fear and nationalism. Messages of anti-immigration, antiwomen and more gave fuel to intolerance. His campaign helped to resuscitate a side of American society that had seemed to be on the decline until recently — a population filled with fear and dislike of those with origins and practices dissimilar to their own, to the point of hate speech and hate crime. My parents are conservative white Southerners. Were they happy when I came out? No. Did they learn to deal with it? Absolutely. Many other people are nowhere near as lucky, and receive constant hate for their sexuality, nationality or skin color. And increasing hate crime rates just mean that intolerance is getting worse.
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news e s l a f that e r a w o be a anding of t d e e rst rs n or es Edit Reade ur t our unde r u t a e i|F h Berard r e k c u stories ltures. T u c r othe
In the 10 days following Trump’s win, there were 867 “bias-related incidents” reported to the Southern Poverty Law Center — a nonprofit civil rights organization. On Nov. 9 alone, 202 hate crimes took place. Of those reports, 280 of them had anti-immigrant sentiment. While there are certainly large amounts of bigotry and blatant racism to account for, I would argue that much of this anti-immigrant sentiment is born simply from a lack of exposure to different cultures and overexposure to false information. It can be so easy to “other” — establishing a group of people as alien to society — when you have no personal experience within that group. I believe that exposure to different cultures and ways of thinking can solve some of the base issues of immigrant discrimination in our society. I visited the International Rescue Committee in November 2016 and heard stories of Congolese and Syrian immigrants. The stories were of suffering far greater than we can comprehend as first-world citizens. Their stories demand sympathy, and their struggle to find a better, safer life is in no way an offense to that of American citizens. Martine Dherte, an IRC caseworker who interacts with these immigrants daily, stressed the importance of the media in terms of immigrant coverage. It is so easy for politicians like President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to capitalize
on horror stories of terrorists coming into our country in a Trojan Horse of refugees when there is no literature to dissuade people otherwise. I see the issue from two sides. As a journalist, I understand that I have a huge responsibility to accurately share the stories of these immigrants so that America can see them for who they truly are, without the burden of hate speech or propaganda. As a gay man, I see that sometimes all it takes is putting a face to a stigmatized group to change one’s view. But this is an issue bigger than one journalist, or a slew of journalists fighting for the tolerance toward immigrants. Citizens have a responsibility to think critically and develop their own opinions through research, as opposed to relying on the skewed literature shared with them via social media. According to Buzzfeed, fake news articles outperformed real news on Election Day. In the three months leading up to the election, the top 20 fake stories generated 8,711,000 shares on Facebook, with the top 20 legitimate stories only generating 7,367,000 shares. A number of deceitful headlines were responsible for the startling number of shares, such as “Pope Francis Shocks World, Endorses Donald Trump for
President,” and “WikiLeaks CONFIRMS Hillary Sold Weapons to ISIS.” Those are just some examples. The tools to construct crippling lies, anti-immigrant propaganda and any discriminatory material are right at our fingertips, and they are certainly being used by people other than ethical journalists. Just as I see the moves currently being made in preparation for Trump’s presidency and grow nervous for the future of LGBT policies and protections in America, incoming and prospective immigrants must be regarding the United States with much more caution and reserve, and that nervous attitude, and sometimes fear, is made worse by the negativity that is shared and published through social media. Here at FAU, the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs aims to combat intolerance by offering students a safe space in its office and its Kaleidoscope Room — a place for tolerance and open-ended discussion about whatever topics or issues students may want to address. And while the desire to protect these marginalized groups, whether they are part of the LGBT community, refugees, minorities or others is a great mentality to have, there is still need for a solution to the negativity born from the abundance of misinformation available to us. The problem uncovered by this election is not one of racism, bigotry and small-mindedness, but rather one of unwavering trust in the media. We now live in a world where any content may be decorated and presented as real news, and the fault lies in those who fail to think critically and unearth the content’s misguiding. The only hope for a tolerant society — a culture that welcomes newcomers and all their differences and struggles — is exposure. Interacting with people of different cultures, studying abroad and just being open- minded may help to cure the malignant fear that so many Americans hold, a fear born out of misunderstanding.
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TRUMP BUMP Hispanic GOP voters confident about economy
News Briefs
Joe Pye | News Editor
Donald Trump’s campaign comments about Hispanics haven’t hurt him among Hispanic Republicans. In fact, they’re enthusiastic about their financial futures. That’s one of the compelling results from Florida Atlantic’s recent Business and Economic Polling Initiative of the nation’s Hispanic voters. Not surprisingly, Hispanic Democrats aren’t as secure about the economy. “I think everybody, especially Democrats, were very confident that Hillary Clinton was going to win,” said FAU economics professor Monica Escaleras, who is also the director of the polling initiative. “If you look at the Hispanic Consumer Index from October, you will see that Democrats feel good about the economy and very good about their future,” she added. BEPI extensively polled Hispanics during the election, focusing almost solely on economic issues. “Our concentration or our emphasis is on how Hispanics are going to be driving the economy,” Escaleras said. “Hispanics are becoming the largest and fastest growing minority/ethnic group in the U.S.They're going to be driving the demand for goods and services.” Trump’s policies will have a specific impact on the Hispanic population in the United States. “It starts with immigration. A lot of Hispanics are immigrants,” Escaleras said. “During the campaign Donald Trump talked a lot about how he is going to build a wall and repeal Obama care, policies that directly affect Hispanics.”
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College Democrat president Catherine Theriault (center) marches with two fellow student protesters. Photo by Joe Pye
Sluts take over FAU Bella Riccitelli | Contributing Writer
Students participated in a peaceful protest Friday, Jan. 20, by holding Florida Atlantic’s first SlutWalk on its Boca Raton campus. Open to women and men, the walk was nonpartisan and entirely student organized. Participants were encouraged to wear whatever they wanted to protest “slut shaming” and encourage body positivity. The event also looked to inform the public about the importance of consent. There were about 30 participants total, and both men and women took part in the march. Protesters held signs and chanted, “Yes means yes and no means no,” as well as, “I’m not your baby, it doesn’t mean maybe.”
The event was organized outside of the College for Design and Social Inquiry building on the Free Speech Lawn. Several participants remained at a table to help hand out condoms, Planned Parenthood informational cards and stickers. A poster board was placed in front of the table that allowed students to write motivational and positive messages, such as, “Women have a right to their bodies” and “You have worth.” Freshman theater performance major Sophie Siegel organized the march, which ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. She said, “I am a fem inist and I am [the College Democrats] Women’s Caucus Chair. The idea of ending rape culture and promoting positivity means a lot to me.”
Former FAU employee facing grand theft charges
Joe Pye | News Editor
Gov. Rick Scott (center) discussed eliminating sales tax on textbooks when he visited the Boca campus bookstore in Febraury 2015. He was joined by student body President Michael Cepeda (left). Photo by Idalis Streat
Four years and get out Joe Pye | News Editor
Gov. Rick Scott says 56 percent of undergrads aren’t earning their diplomas in four years, and he wants to change that. On Tuesday, Jan. 10, Scott unveiled “Finish in Four, Save More” – a plan that will, among other things, freeze college tuition and fees, expand Bright Futures and cut taxes on textbooks. “Florida students should have every opportunity to earn a degree in four years without graduating
with mountains of debt,” Scott said in a release. “Our institutions need to provide more value to our students by becoming more affordable and helping students graduate in four years so they can save money and get a great job.” A student taking five or more classes will save $60 a year on average, Scott says. Throughout the state, he says students will save a total of $48 million. Currently, Bright Futures covers fall and spring semesters. The budget proposes to expand the scholarship to cover summer classes as well.
Pot dealer caught on campus Joe Pye | News Editor Cole Gamble earned $1,000 on a “busy day,” selling marijuana on campus and in Boca Raton, Florida Atlantic police said. Until Jan. 5, that is. Police pulled over the 18-yearold Palm Beach State student at NW 8th Avenue and FAU Boulevard for a traffic stop. After smelling marijuana, police searched Gamble’s 2013 Hyundai and found a glass bong, a digital scale and a large baggie with “cannabis residue.” When questioned, Gamble said that “a friend had recently been in the vehicle with marijuana on
him,” according to FAU police. Gamble also said he had a firearm in the vehicle and “a heat-sealed baggie” that previously contained a half pound of marijuana that he had sold to FAU students in just three hours. He told police he carried a gun because drug dealing is “dangerous.” Gamble is facing charges of possession of marijuana under 20 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a fraudulent driver’s license and carrying a concealed firearm during the commission of a felony. His court date is set for Feb. 6, 2017.
Did Florida Atlantic’s Controller’s Office lose control of the school’s money? The office handles all financial matters ranging from payroll and purchasing to tuition and billing services. From May 2014 to August 2016, Travis Barber worked there as a fiscal assistant, and he attended class with an employee scholarship. But FAU police say he stole money from his job to pay for his tuition – a total of nearly $5,200 in two months. Barber’s duties as fiscal assistant were to oversee online check payments that were rejected by Bank of America, bill students back and report them to his supervisor. Marcia Blake, FAU tuition and billing services manager in the Controller’s Office, noticed Barber had written the two checks and both had bounced, according to FAU police. “Barber stated that he hoped that he would be able to pay the money back to the University at a later date,” according to FAU police. “Barber acknowledged that what he did was wrong, but attributed the incident to him being broke and embarrassed.” The Controller’s Office held Barber’s last paycheck in the amount of $1,603.17 to cover some of the losses, leaving the university responsible for $3,591.81. Barber paid back all money owed to the university on Oct. 26, 2016. He was arrested and transported to Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office by the FAU Police Department and booked on Nov. 8, 2016 and released the next day. Barber is set to meet at the 15th Judicial Circuit Court of Palm Beach on Jan. 31, 2017 after pleading not guilty to charges of grand theft of the third degree.
1.24.2017 University Press 7
NEWS
Canvas vs. Blackboard
FAU’s new learning software has led to mixed reviews from students. Nate Nkumbu | Contributing Writer Illustrations by Ivan Benavides
Florida Atlantic is currently in the process The decision came after 65 percent of college students in a poll said they have had to use multiple online learning platforms in the past three years. Canvas’ implementation will continue until the summer of 2017, when Florida Atlantic’s contract with Blackboard ends. In the meantime, the new software is receiving mixed reviews.
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“It’s more user friendly. It’s easier to keep track of assignments since Canvas has a calendar feature.” - Sabrina Otero first year master’s of business arts major Canvas representative
Photo by Brendan Feeney
“Canvas is new to professors so they have to go through a lot of tutorials and it must be annoying to them, especially since they’re already used to Blackboard. They have to add more time to learn the program.” - Andrea Jimeno junior biochemistry major
Photo by Nate Nkumbu
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“Emails sent through Blackboard had glitches, but with Canvas, any email sent by your professor goes straight to your FAU email, and you can respond through your FAU email instead of having to login to Canvas to respond.”
Photo by Brendan Feeney
- Holly Rand senior accounting major Canvas representative
“I don’t think [the school prepared students for Canvas]. It was more like at the end of the semester, ‘We’re switching to Canvas.’” - Manny Rodriguez senior mechanical engineering major
10 1.24.2017 University Press
Photo by Nate Nkumbu
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Justin Massey (2) and Adonis Filer (0) walk back to the three-point line to start a 2-on-2 drill.
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SPORTS
Getting Over
The Hump The men’s basketball team believes focus in practice and in games will be the key to turning around its 5-12 season. Hans Belot Jr. | Sports Editor
Photos by Ryan Lynch
“Hustle!”
head coach Michael Curry yelled from the sideline, watching his team run a three-man fast break at practice. “Push it! Don’t look at the clock! You have to work harder than this.” Curry, standing at 6 feet 5 inches, wearing a gray Adidas jumpsuit, shouted for the person managing the clock to stop it. No, practice was not over. Instead, Curry called them over to the side and calmly explained what was going wrong — he was not happy about what he was seeing from his players. “They didn’t have a good focus today,” Curry said after practice with a disappointed look on his face. Despite coming off a 73-64 win over rival Florida International the previous weekend, Florida Atlantic men’s basketball was not doing so well. The Owls had lost three straight games prior to the win, and four of their last five. They were at 5-9 overall, and 1-2 in the conference standings.
Curry was upset with the effort that was given in that Jan. 10 practice. He wanted them to bring the intensity level up, to focus more and to be more patient when running the plays during practice. He wanted 100 percent effort. Before the season began, practicing hard came with a reward: a white, hard construction hat with the words “Level Up” and “@FAU_Hoops” written on it. It is given to the best player in practice each day. Curry got the idea of the hard hat by observing and admiring construction workers. When they come to work, they put their hard hat on, grab their tools and go about their day by completing the tasks set forth for them. For the Owls, the process is a little different. In order for them to get the hard hat, they have to grab their tools — basketballs, shoes and gear — and get to work. At the end of practice, the player deemed to have been the best that day is the winner. 1.24.2017 University Press 13
The best player tends to be the one who scored the most points, dished out the most assists or pulled the most rebounds. Sometimes, a player might do all three. And sometimes, it still would not be enough to win the right to wear the hat. Senior Adonis Filer — who won the hat once — described the best player as one who hustled the hardest, or finished the drills ahead of everyone or who left their blood, sweat and tears on the court in that particular practice. Someone who showed toughness, battled all practice long and did all the little things that don’t show up in the stat book. When junior William Pfister won the hat back on Oct. 15, Filer described Pfister as the guy who “left it all out there.” “The hard hat [was given to] whomever came to work that day,” said Curry. “It wasn’t necessarily the guy that scores the most, it was the person that did what they had to do offensively, defensively, loose balls. It was not [always] the guy that had the best statistical practice.” When the players win the hat, their only reward is wearing it for the day. They don’t receive any money — which would be against NCAA rules — and they don’t get a day off. However, they do get a photo taken of them in the hat, which gets posted on the team’s official Twitter page. According to Filer, the post brings them more recognition and followers. They also walk away knowing they did everything asked of them and then some. Filer said nobody ever went out of their way to try and win the hard hat. However, they did have a mini, friendly competition between them to see who would win the hat that day. “I think we did up our intensity to win the hard hat and be the one who’s part of the tweet on that day and get that type of exposure,” Filer said. In the Jan. 10 practice, there was no hard hat to give. Curry said it was only for training camp and that he still wanted his players to practice like there was a hard hat to give out. Now that the season is underway, their reward this time will be winning games. Curry is now in his third season as the Owls head coach. He has won a total of 22 games out of his first 75 since taking charge at the beginning of the 2014-15 season. Prior to coaching at FAU, Curry spent one year coaching the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, where he went 39-43 before getting fired after losing in the first round in the playoffs. The Glenn Hills, Georgia native spent 12 years as a player in the NBA, playing for teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors and the Pistons. 14 1.24.2017 University Press
Frank Booker (far right) tosses a pass to a teammate beside him as Nick Rutherford (front center) attempts to steal the ball.
“The hard hat [was given to] whomever came to work that day. It wasn’t necessarily the guy that scores the most, it was the person that did what they had to do offensively, defensively, loose balls. It was not [always] the guy that had the best statistical practice.” - Michael Curry head coach Head coach Michael Curry
Junior William Pfister (left), sophomore Jeantal Cylla (middle) and junior Ronald Delph catch their breath while their teammates go through a second round of sprints.
1.24.2017 University Press 15
“Focus and defense [is what it’s going to take to turn this season around]. If we play good defense, that means we’re focused. And when we play good defense, we win games.” - Adonis Filer senior
Before the season began, Curry had his goals for the season set: getting over the hump. FAU failed to make the conference tournament in Curry’s first year in charge, but made it last year as a 13th seed. The Owls defeated UTSA in the first round before falling to Old Dominion in the second. The head coach wanted to take it a game at a time and understood what it was going to take to climb up the Conference USA rankings and make it even further in the tournament. “One of the things we’ve talked about is moving up in the conference,” Curry told FAU Athletics before the season began. “I think it was five or six teams each year that were .500 in the conference or a game above .500. We want to get to that level and move up from there. If this group can continue to get better, we’ll feel better as a coaching staff, because we won’t have as much turnover next year.” The Owls still have a chance to turn a sub .500 season around, and they want that to start by practicing harder, faster and better. A key word for the team has been focus: focus on the basketball court, focus during drills and focus in games. After practice was over, Filer said, “We came out of a hard practice yesterday but we have to reset our minds and fast forward to today. [These are 16 1.24.2017 University Press
conference games]: we’re going to be playing hard games one after another. We have to set our mindsets to be mentally tough and we have to be focused.” “Focus and defense [is what it’s going to take to turn this season around],” continued Filer. “If we play good defense, that means we’re focused. And when we play good defense, we win games.” After practice ended that Jan. 10, Curry huddled his players at midcourt. He was none too pleased with the effort they produced that day and wanted better out of them — better at practice the next day and better at their next game. “Focus,” Curry told his team. “We need to be more focused.” All stats are accurate as of Friday, Jan. 20.
Jeantal Cylla races ahead of teammates Adonis Filer (middle) and Ronald Delph (back) during sprints.
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Features
Grεεk Life
CHEΑT Sheet
Benjamin Paley | Contributing Writer
Read up on the best and worst scoring Greek organizations in GPA, philanthropy and new member rates.
18 1.24.2017 University Press
f you are a new student at Florida Atlantic, the chaos that comes with the first week of classes can make it difficult to decide on anything — especially which fraternity or sorority to join. The Greek club one chooses can impact one’s life from who their friends are, to what path their future takes. Matthew Wilson, risk manager of Sigma Chi and a junior majoring in political science, said that rushing offers a great opportunity for prospective pledges to get a feel for which frats they share similar views with. “Just find the [fraternity] you want to go to,” Wilson said. Jonathan Freeman, a senior biology major in Phi Delta Epsilon, shared a similar sentiment regarding rush, explaining how his fraternity is more tailored toward students who wish to join the medical field. He said that the fraternity provides test preparation, advising and community service opportunities to members. It also has to maintain an 80 percent rate of
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members going to medical school. “So if you decide you are no longer interested in going to medical school, it is in your benefit to find another organization that fits your goals since we are focused on getting members into medical school,” Freeman said. While fraternities and sororities have their differences, family, and the use of the big brother or sister system is a key aspect in most. Alpha Psi Lambda is one such fraternity. “Since we are a co-ed fraternity, we are all family,” said Alejandro Bittana, a sophomore business major. “It’s not just brothers, but brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers.” In addition to their family atmosphere, Alpha Psi Lambda also has a library time study requirement for its members and monitors this aspect of the organization heavily. According to Bittana, the number of hours you would be required to study is based on your GPA. The following is a ranking of how fraternities and sororities compare against each other in terms of member rates, academics and philanthropy.
Ranking the Greeks
3.04
3.04 3.15 2.57 to each 2.57 How fraternities and sororities stacked up when compared other in the spring of 2016 3.15
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1.24.2017 University Press 19
Features
Tucker Berardi | Features Editor Photos by Tucker Berardi
Students share their favorite places to hang out on and near campus.
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freshman’s first semester on campus can be intimidating. For most, it means navigating a new area filled with completely new people. As the first semester drags on, however, most people quickly figure out the best places to study, eat and hang out at and around Florida Atlantic’s Boca Raton campus. If you’re new to campus, whether as an incoming spring semester freshman or transfer student, you may not know your way around FAU. Here are some spots that students recommend newcomers check out.
“Me and my friends usually get frozen yogurt from 16 Handles for fun.” - Laura Kachidurian Freshman Undecided major 20 1.24.2017 University Press
Venues to Venture “The best time to go [to the library] is around 10 at night.” - Ruby Ramos Sophomore English major
Ramos says that the Starbucks on campus is a hot spot for socializing and working on group assignments, and she often goes for long periods of time. However, the coffee chain may not offer peace and quiet for those that need to study. For that, Ramos likes to go to the S.E. Wimberly Library and study in a private room. “The best time to go is around 10 at night,” Ramos said. “There are way less people and it is much easier to find a spot away from everyone. Usually there are more rooms available, too.” On days when Ramos doesn’t want to study indoors, she says that Narnia — the area of trees between Indian River Towers and the Breezeway entrance — has plenty of tables in the shade to study at. Freshman undecided major Laura Kachidurian said that she lucked out and landed great roommates who work with each other’s schedules and are respectful of those that need to study. When she wants to get out of her dorm room, however, Kachidurian likes to study underneath the large trees near the social science building. The freshman said that she spends a lot of time studying, as she wants to work to keep her GPA high, but likes to take breaks and visit the nearby University Commons Plaza on Glades Road across from campus for some shopping and frozen yogurt. “Me and my friends usually get frozen yogurt from 16 Handles for fun,” Kachidurian said.
“Pompano Beach has the best shells.” - Jenna Cox Freshman Studio art major
Cox is devoted to the beach, often visiting beaches in Deerfield, Pompano and Boca.
“There is a lot to do in Mizner.” - Sophia Gedroc Freshman Political science major
Gedroc enjoys getting off campus and looks to the immediate area for her entertainment. “There is a lot to do in Mizner,” Gedroc said. “There are shops everywhere, a lot of nice restaurants and even concerts. I just saw Sean Mendez there.” The Mizner Park Amphitheater has also hosted musical tributes to artists such as Billy Joel, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley and more. Gedroc added that she and her friends often go to the Town Center Mall, as it is less than 10 minutes from campus on Glades Road.
“The Seed has really good coffee, a really homey environment.” - Hannah Rodriguez Senior Business management major
Senior business management major Hannah Rodriguez (left) and junior Troy Nishizaki (right) sit outside of their favorite coffee joint, The Seed.
Senior business management major Hannah Rodriguez and junior Troy Nishizaki can often be found sitting together at their favorite coffee shop, The Seed, which is only a few miles from campus and near Mizner Park. “The Seed has really good coffee, a really homey environment and is always busy with people studying,” Rodriguez said. Nishizaki said that he runs into people he knows all the time. “[The Seed] has such a cool culture to it,” Nishizaki said. “There are a lot of people from FAU, but [it] also has its own personality.” Rodriguez and Nishizaki agree, however, that it can get pretty busy. “It’s less busy later on, but if you come at prime time it can get really crowded,” Nishizaki said. “But that’s when it’s more likely to see people you know.” 1.24.2017 University Press 21
Eyeing up Events Check out what’s going on around campus in the next few weeks. Tucker Berardi | Features Editor Bored and looking for something to do on campus? Here are some events coming up in the next few weeks at Florida Atlantic’s Boca location.
THU 1/26
Repertory Dance Theater Ensemble The University Theatre will showcase the Repertory Dance Theater Ensemble from 7-9 p.m. Student tickets are available for $12 with the presentation of an Owl Card at the Student Union Box Office. “Florida Atlantic University’s resident professional dance company performs outstanding dance work celebrating a variety of different forms. Using professional dancers and choreographers, RDTE promises a night of astonishing dance,” reads a description from the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters’ events page.
“Motherland”
Theater Lab will also show “Motherland,” a play by Allison Gregory, from Jan. 26 through Feb. 12. “A self-made woman does her crafty best to protect her wayward children, keep her food truck business thriving, and impart some kind of moral code in a city battling collapse. But in the war on poverty, it turns out the enemy is hard to identify, and objectives are even murkier. In ‘Motherland,’ grit, guile and guns are everyday parenting tools, and hope comes at a cost. A funny, raw, timely new play inspired by Mother Courage and her children,” reads a description from FAU’s event page.
SAT 1/28
“Flip the Script”
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A group of chairs surround a makeshift stage in Parliament Hall while FAU’s Theater Lab was being constructed. Photo by Mohammed F. Emran Health and Wellness Services presents “Flip the Script,” a class that teaches sexual assault resistance training to women, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Palmetto Palm Room in the Student Union. Classes are free for students and run through Jan. 29.
MON 1/30
“A New President Confronts the World” The University Theatre will host a one-time lecture from Jeffrey S. Morton, an FAU political science professor and Foreign Policy Association Fellow. The lecture is titled, “A New President Confronts the World,” and will be be held from 7:30-9 p.m.
THU 2/2
“The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Origins of Judaism and Christianity" FAU faculty will host a lecture at the University Theatre titled, “The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Origins of Judaism and Christianity.” It will be held from 4-5 p.m.
“Emergency”
Later on, the theatre will also premiere a play by Daniel Beaty, titled “Emergency.” It will take place
from 8-9:30 p.m. Tickets are available from the box office in the Student Union. “A slave ship emerges in front of the Statue of Liberty sending New York into a whirlwind of emotion and exploration in this explosive solo tour de force featuring slam poetry, multi-character transformation and song. Daniel Beaty portrays a cast of 40 characters including a homeless man, a scientist, a republican business executive, a street vendor and an 11-year old boy from the projects who all respond to the unexpected phenomenon,” reads a play description from FAU’s event calendar.
SAT 2/4
FAU Jazz Band Festival The University Theatre will present the FAU Jazz Band Festival on Saturday, Feb. 4, when middle and high school jazz bands from across the region will attend to both perform and improve. The event is free and will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Each band gets a 30 minute performance in the FAU Theatre, followed by a 30 minute clinic with our guest clinician, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra trumpet master Marcus Printup,” reads a description from the music department’s website.
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UNIVERSITY PRESS Writers’ Training Session
We are looking for new writers to recruit and add to our newspaper staff. Professional journalists will train you!
FREE BAGELS, COFFEE and MUFFINS
Sunday, January 29 | 11:30am CU 222 | Culture & Society Building (CU 97) just above the Living Room Theaters