One student shares his struggles of dating in a wheelchair. P. 12
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TABLE OF CONTENTS News Briefs
The recent UP stories you may have missed. P. 4
In the Words of Women
FAU’s “The Vagina Monologues” made a statement of women’s empowerment and touched on sensitive issues. P. 6 April 11, 2017 | VOL.18 | #15 WANT TO JOIN THE UP? Email
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PUBLISHER: FAU Student Government The opinions expressed by the UP are not necessarily those of the student body, Student Government or FAU. ADDRESS: 777 Glades Road Student Union, Room 214 Boca Raton, FL 33431 561.297.2960 Pictured on cover: Sophomores Fabian Pittana and Tatiana Torres gaze into each other’s eyes while Mayersohn looks on alone. Photo by Alexander Rodriguez
UP 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 Benjamin Paley, Kamilah Douglas, Alexander Rodriguez, Daesha Reid, Hope Dean, Thomas Chiles, Adriana Laplanche, Max Jackson, Michelle Friswell ADVISERS Neil Santaniello, Ilene Prusher, Michael Koretzky COVER PHOTO BY Alexander Rodriguez
Joan Joyce vs. Howard Schellenberger
Joan Joyce and Howard Schnellenberger have left their mark in FAU Athletics’ history, but which one gets the nod as the best ever? P. 8
FAU’s Draft Darkhorse A punter’s unique path to the NFL. P. 16
Friday Vibes
Here are some student ideas on how to spend Fridays at FAU’s empty Boca campus. P. 20
Eyeing Up Events
From free donuts to kickboxing classes, here are some events to look out for on FAU’s campuses. P. 21
Arts and Lifestyle
Find out who’s been looking for you on campus, what movies to watch and were to find cool campus art. P. 22 04.11.2017 University Press 3
News Briefs FAU President’s
April Fools’ Joke By Ryan Lynch
Unfortunately for animal enthusiasts at FAU, an early April Fools’ prank played by the school may have led some to believe that the school would become an animal-friendly campus for next semester. Through a video put on social media, a fake website and post on President John Kelly’s blog on March 31, the school “announced” that students and faculty could bring up to two animals onto any of FAU’s campuses as long as they were registered with the university. “All animals MUST have proof of obedience training; be house, potty, or litter box trained; and share well with others,” the school’s fake website said. “Animal owners must carry an FAU Owl Card for each of their pets at all times while the animal is present on campus.” The school cited in its joke several changes that would be made to campus, from pet grooming services at the New Era Barbershop, animal meal plans at the Atlantic Dining Hall and an on-campus veterinarian. “In order to accommodate this exciting change, our Boca Raton Breezeway renovations will include several cat trees, as well as hamster tubing running along the main walkway,” Kelly wrote in his blog post. “The second floor is being considered as a possible site for the new aviary.” Website users who followed prompts to register their animal at the bottom of the page received a 4 04.11.2017 University Press
A two-car accident at the intersection of 20th Street and University Drive closed all but one lane of the southbound road. Photo by Ryan Lynch
Two-Car Accident On East University Drive By Ryan Lynch A two-vehicle accident in the southbound lane on East University Drive caused traffic delays for those traveling home from the university Monday. A white SUV traveling west on 20th Street struck a Blue Jeep on the driver’s side door traveling south on East University Drive around 6:30 p.m., causing both vehicles to move east on 20th Street. The pair of vehicles closed the westbound lane
of 20th and shut down all but one lane of East University Drive. Boca Raton Fire Rescue was called to the scene, but no injuries were reported. The drivers of the two vehicles, who declined to identify themselves, refused to comment on the incident. FAU Police also declined to comment on the incident.
Chantix May Save Lives … Again By Ryan Lynch An anti-smoking drug which was once listed by the Food and Drug Administration as dangerous is now being called a safe way to quit smoking, according to the FAU Charles E. Schmidt School of Medicine. Varenicline, which is commonly known as Chantix, was approved in 2006 as a safe way for smokers to quit their habit. But in 2009, a black box warning — the strictest warning issued by the FDA — said the drug could be dangerous to users due to the potential for depression and suicidal thoughts while using it. According to the FAU researchers, the black box classification was given on evidence from eight small clinical trials. To establish the effects, the researchers said it would require more tests and larger test groups. A recent test with 8,000 long-term smokers of 12 weeks found that both those with and without a mental health condition did not see their symptoms worsen or begin during their use of the drug. The study included an equal amount of people with and without mental health issues. The authors of the study wrote that after the drug received its black box classification, use of Chantix dropped 76 percent. The researchers speculated that if this hadn’t taken place, the drug could have prevented a yearly average of 17,000 premature deaths due to cardiovascular disease caused by smoking.
SG Hosts Sexual Assault Awareness Banquet By Thomas Chiles The Grand Palm Room in the FAU Student Union was filled with students and faculty attending the “It’s On Us” sexual assault awareness banquet on Monday, April 3. The goal of the banquet was to educate student leaders on how to combat sexual assault on campus so they can spread the message to other members in their respective organizations, according to event host and Student Body Vice President Juliana Walters. Junior criminal justice major Delaney Henderson, founder of sexual assault and dating violence awareness campaign safeBAE, shared her story of being raped in her bedroom at the age of 16 by two older schoolmates. Henderson discussed the importance of educating children at a younger age about the meaning of consent. She is now an ambassador to PAVE: Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment, the same organization that helped her after she became a victim of sexual assault. Student Body President Michael Cairo took the stage to teach students to take action when a perceived sexual threat could be near you. “If you see something, say something,” Cairo said. “The bottom line is you need to take action when you see something suspicious or wrong.”
Student Government President Michael Cairo speaks at the “It’s on Us” banquet on April 3. Photo by Thomas Chiles
Women’s Basketball Hires New Head Coach By Hans Belot FAU women’s basketball introduced its newest head coach Jim Jabir at a press conference on Thursday, and the former University of Dayton head coach has made his intentions clear about his goals for the program. “The goal is to go to the NCAA Tournament, win championships and graduate,” Jabir said. “We’re going to work very hard for that. We talked to the players about their work ethic and how we want to play. We’re going to play intelligently and unselfishly.” Prior to the 2016-17 season, Jabir was the head
coach of Dayton for 13 years and guided them to six consecutive NCAA Tournament from 2010 to 2015, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2015. Jabir has been coaching for 29 years in the NCAA ranks and has previously been an head coach at Buffalo State University, Siena College, Marquette University and Providence College. Jabir said he knows there is a lot of work to do, trying to rebuild a program that won just four games this past season and was 0-18 in conference play. The Brooklyn, New York native said his first priorities as head coach are hiring a staff and
recruiting. “Hiring a staff is one of the most important things I have to do [as well as] getting out and start recruiting,” Jabir said. “I don’t care how great of a coach you are, if you don’t have players, it really doesn’t matter. We have to get after it. We’re a little behind [recruiting] but we have to start finding kids that can come in and fill in some needs we have immediately.” 04.11.2017 University Press 5
In the Words of Women
Photo courtsey of Nadia Danowska Kamilah Douglas | Contributing Writer
FAU students participated in “The Vagina Monologues,” a play about female empowerment that seeks to break down boundaries. 6 04.11.2017 University Press
“My vagina is angry.” That is the daring first sentence of my monologue “My Angry Vagina.” When I first auditioned for “The Vagina Monologues,” I didn’t exactly know what it was about, but it seemed compelling enough and I was eager for more acting experience. While I was skimming through some of the monologues during callbacks, my initial thought was, “Whoa, what did I get myself into?” The dialogues in some of the monologues are shocking. They’re intense, detailed and sometimes provocative. I didn’t think that I could pull it off, but nevertheless, I was excited that I was cast. “The Vagina Monologues” is a play addressing matters such as sex, female genital mutilation,
birth, orgasms, menstruation, various names for the vagina, rape and masturbation. Each monologue deals with an aspect of the feminine experience. So why is my character’s vagina angry? The monologue is a rant about injustices against the vagina such as tampons, douches and tools used by OBGYNs. She calls the people who construct these type of products “vagina motherfuckers.” At first, it was a daunting undertaking to be this character that curses so freely and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. But as I memorized my lines, I made a connection to this monologue because of the important content presented within. Plus, she also has a sense of humor. “Don’t believe them when they tell you it smells like rose petals when it’s supposed to smell like pussy. That’s what they’re doing, trying to clean it up, make it smell like bathroom spray or a garden.
All those douche sprays, floral, berry, rain. I don’t want my pussy to smell like rain,” is one of my favorite parts from “My Angry Vagina.” Senior theatre major Nadia Danowska said, “It’s a very powerful monologue because it really makes you think why these things were created in the first place without considering the most important thing: women who are using these products.” Making her directorial debut, sophomore theatre major Maggie Mifsud put on the show with the sponsorship of the FAU Peer Education Team. The play took place during Women’s History Month from March 24-25 in Studio 2 of the Arts and Letters building. “‘The Vagina Monologues’ is something that’s been around for over 20 years and it’s given women that have come before our generation a voice that they probably didn’t have when they were young women,” Mifsud said. The play was originally a one-woman show written and performed by Eve Ensler. It opened on Oct. 3, 1996 at the HERE Arts Center in New York
City. “It’s something that raises awareness and encourages people to speak out and use their voice regardless of their gender identity, regardless of really anything,” Mifsud added. Danowska said that after the show, she “felt motivated.” “I discovered that there was so much depth towards all the stories and each individual woman in this piece. It made me think about vaginas in a totally different way,” she said. “Hair,” “The Little Coochi Snorcher That Could,” “Reclaiming Cunt” and “My Vagina Was My Village” are just a few of the monologues included in the play. Mifsud said, “It made me realize just how powerful women are, and just how much we need each other and we’re all sisters. Something like this should be seen by the public, by everyone.”
As a contributing writer with the University Press, I had the opportunity to interview one of my castmates, Zoila Clark. The sophomore theatre major performed “My Vagina Was My Village,” a monologue compiled from the testimonies of Bosnian woman subjected to rape camps.
K: What are you doing to prepare for the show? Z: I watch a lot of Youtube videos to see the reality of these women and I found out that they are still at war in their countries. In the 90s, the soldiers raped many women and it’s become stigmatized and women now are treated like whores because of that event in the past. K: What about you is most like your character? Z: Well, my character has been damaged, she has been raped. And I think that I was damaged when I was little. I was raped by my stepfather. I don’t remember it well because I have nightmares and I remember like cartoonish images and witches, and it is in a fantasized way because I was 4 years old. Sometimes women are not protected by their own families or by the government or institutions
Use this as your guide to find out.
Pick the month you were born:
January - Hairy February - Needy Little March - My Picky April - Unsatisfied May - Bald Baby June - The Overflooding July - Dry Drought August - Happy Virgin September - The Crazy, Sexy, Cool October - Loudly Moaning November - The Elderly … That Could December - Greatest
Pick the day you were born:
My Vagina Was My Village
K: Is this your first play ever? Z: No, I did “The Vagina Monologues” before but as a different character. I did “The Flood” at FIU. This is my first play at FAU.
What’s the title of your Vagina Monologue?
that should take care of you know, females and young women. K: What about you is the least like your character? Z: Well, this character is from the countryside and I’m from the city. I used to travel to the countryside and I saw how people live … but that was not exactly my reality. My character for example, talks about goats and folk music and that’s something that I had to watch videos [about to] learn their traditions, how they dance. They use handkerchiefs and they are very connected to nature. K: What are your favorite quotes from your monologue? Z: “My vagina, a life wet water village, my vagina, my hometown!” And “My vagina singing and dancing all girl songs, vagina songs, vagina home songs.”
01 - Snatch 02 - Kitty 03 - Cooter 04 - Pooki 05 - Throbber 06 - Fanny 07 - Muff 08 - Cunt 09 - Vagina 10 - Clitoris Bliss 11 - Private Part 12 - Flaps 13 - Papaya 14 - Penis Fly Trap 15 - Pussycat 16 - Coochi 17 - Man-Eater 18 - No-No Bits 19 - Velvet Vulva 20 - Lady Lover 21 - Labia 22 - Twat 23 - Va-jay-jay 24 - Poonani 25 - Box 26 - Flower 27 - Na-Na 28 - Coño 29 - Hoo-Ha 30 - Yoni 31 - Camel Toe *This quiz does not represent “The Vagina Monologues.” 04.11.2017 University Press 7
Who is the greatest coach in FAU history, the woman who has the most wins or the man who started the football program?
Joan Joyce vs. Howard Schellenberger Photo by Michelle Friswell
8 04.11.2017 University Press
Photo by Alexander Rodriguez
Hans Belot Jr. | Sports Editor
T
hey both created their programs from scratch. They both put FAU athletics on the map in their respective sports. But between softball head coach Joan Joyce, and former head football coach Howard Schnellenberger, who is the greatest head coach in FAU history?
The Case for Joyce
Before she came to FAU 23 years ago, Joyce made her mark as one of the premier female athletes in the modern world. The current Owls head softball coach played professional softball for 21 years, racking up the most consecutive all-star team selections and eight Most Valuable Player awards in a now defunct professional softball league, as well as pitching 50 perfect games. After her successful softball career, Joyce began playing golf. She is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the lowest number of putts, 17, for both men and women in a single round, set at the 1982 Lady Michelob. Meanwhile, in the city of Boca Raton, FAU was working to create a softball program, and then Athletic Director Tom Cargill wanted to not only put the sport on notice early, but the entire university’s athletic programs altogether. Cargill targeted Joyce for the job. “There’s not a bigger name in women’s softball anywhere than Joan Joyce,” Cargill told the Sun Sentinel at the time. “It’s already had an impact in scheduling and recruiting.” When Joyce first arrived at FAU, her softball team did not have a real field to play on. All she had to work with was an uncut field, a fence around it and the dugouts for the players. There were no lights, no bleachers, no bullpens and no groundskeeper to get the field ready to play. Sometimes, Joyce herself had to hop on the tractor to trim the field. “[It’s] unbelievable how things have changed,” Joyce said. The program began its inaugural season in 1994 and finished 33-18 after losing to Campbell in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship game. Joyce was named ASC Coach of the Year, her first of seven conference coach of the year awards. Two years later, FAU captured the Atlantic Sun Conference title and brought home just the second trophy in FAU athletics history. Then in 1999, the softball team became the first team to participate in an NCAA tournament in any sport in the school’s history. On March 19, 2017, after 25 years at the helm,
Joyce reached her 900th win after a 4-1 victory over Western Kentucky University. Her 905 wins rank 47th all-time among NCAA coaches of any sport. However, after all those wins, 11 conference championships and coach of the year awards later, Joyce does not have a specific moment she’d pick as her proudest, but the conference championships have a special place in her heart, and her trophy cabinet. “There’s been so many of those,” she said. “Those conference championships are special because you only have the kids for four years, it’s not like you’re playing with the same players forever. So it’s having all those different kids, and having them react to winning a conference championship that makes it special.” Joyce is currently part of 11 Hall of Fame inductions, including the Florida Sports Hall of Fame and the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame. She is also just one of a handful of Americans who have b e e n
prior to Schnellenberger’s arrival in 1979 and had not played in a bowl game game since 1967. When Schnellenberger took the job, his plan was to win a national championship within the first five years. He accomplished that in his fifth year, defeating the University of Nebraska 31-30 in 1984. Schnellenberger then took over another struggling program in 1985, Louisville, which did not have a winning record since 1978. Schnellenberger was unable to win a national championship with the Cardinals, but did win two bowl games during his nine years at the helm. When he received a phone call about starting a football program in Boca Raton in 1998, he had not coached since his last job with Oklahoma in 1995. Instead, he was in school, studying to become a stockbroker. He passed his exam on the third try, and he was ready to give up football for a while. However, the man on the phone told Schnellenberger there was something different about this job, something special. The man on the phone, former FAU President Anthony Catanese, said this one was to make history. “At Miami and Louisville, the program was already there. They were not good, but everything was already built,” Schnellenberger said. “I had to go to classes, go all around Boca Raton just to teach people what football was all about and what I was trying to accomplish here.” Schnellenberger was tasked with doing everything: coming up with a strategic plan, raising funds, recruiting players, finding a stadium and selecting a new coach. He was able to raise more than $13 million through different fundraising activities and pledges. When it came time to choose a head coach, Schnellenberger had a tough time luring coaches from other Florida universities, such as Miami, Florida State University and the University of Florida. Not only was he unable to offer Coach Joan Joyce talks with sophomore Lauren Whitt (19) during them more money than those timeout. Photo by Alexander Rodriguez schools could, but there was also inducted a sense of uncertainty about how well could FAU i n t o the really do. International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame. Catanese then offered a different plan. “Why don’t you be our head coach?” Schnellenberger recalled Catanese asking. The Case for Schnellenberger Schnellenberger refused the first five times Before arriving at FAU, Schnellenberger revitalized Catanese asked, but finally caved in when the the University of Miami and the University of former FAU president made one last pitch. Louisville football programs. “Coach, you know you can judge the quality of an Miami had a losing record in nine of the 11 years institution [of] higher learning by who they hire,” 04.11.2017 University Press 9
“I had a belief,” Schnellenberger said. “If what you are speaking about is so positive, people will listen. So what I had to do was install the belief in that what I was trying with Florida Atlantic was going to be special.” The former head coach recalled several things that went wrong during that first practice in 2000, which featured 160 walk-ons and 22 scholarship players. First, none of the players were wearing a jockstrap, an undergarment for supporting the male genitalia in sports. Second, they had no field for their first practice, so the players had to cut the grass on a nearby field and had to use the girls locker room because FAU did not have a facility or stadium for the players. Regardless, Schnellenberger’s goals for FAU remained clear: become a Division I school, win bowl games and establish FAU as one of the premier football schools in Florida. “We took the same principle from the University of Miami,” Schnellenberger said. “We decided we were going to emulate exactly what they were doing.” Seven years into the creation of the football program, two of those goals were accomplished. FAU became a Division I school within four years and won its first bowl game three years later, a 4427 win over the University of Memphis in the New Orleans Bowl. After 10 years as head coach and 13 years after creating a program from dust, Schnellenberger retired at the expiration of his contract following the 2011 season. In 2014, FAU Stadium’s field was named after him. So, who’s the greatest coach in FAU history, according to Joyce? “He’s an icon,” Joyce said. “It’s unbelievable, he changes a room when he walks in it. That’s what kind of an icon he is. He’s unbelievable.” Does coach Schnellenberger agree? “Bullshit,” Schnellenberger said. “She does not have to give me or anybody the edge as [FAU head coach]. I will not accept being named No.1 Joan Joyce. She is the greatest ever.” All statistics accurate as of April 7.
10 04.11.2017 University Press
During halftime of the Owls game versus Southern Illinois , FAU President John Kelly recognized Howard Schnellenberger. The football field that the Owls play on is named after Schnellenberger, the program’s first coach. Photo by Max Jackson
Let their resumes do the talking Joyce
Schellenberger
• Current longest tenured head coach in FAU history (23 seasons) • Most wins in FAU history (905) • First and only head coach in softball history • Most consecutive winning seasons (15, 1994-2008) • Most wins in a season in softball history (62 in 2002) • Most coach of the year awards in FAU history (seven) • Most conference championships in FAU history (12) • Most NCAA tournament appearances in FAU history (nine)
• Credited with starting FAU’s football program • First head coach in football history • Third longest tenured head coach in FAU history (10 seasons) • Most winningest coach in FAU football history (58 wins) • Most bowl wins (two, 2007 and 2008) • Most football conference titles (one, 2007) • Most wins in one season in football history (11, 2003)
Coach Joan Joyce yells to her players from the dugout. Photo by Alexander Rodriguez
Howard Schnellenberger, FAU’s first head football coach, applauds as President Kelly recognizes his contribution to the university during the State of the University address on Sept. 11, 2014. Photo by Max Jackson
04.11.2017 University Press 11
She loves me, She loves me not, She doesn’t see me, Because I can’t walk
Despite spending most of his time in a wheelchair, Garrett Mayersohn hasn’t allowed cerebral palsy to control his life. He just wishes it didn’t control girls’ perception of him. Brendan Feeney | Managing Editor Photos by Alexander Rodriguez
12 04.11.2017 University Press
A Virgin of Romance
Every morning, Garrett Mayersohn waits about 30 minutes before he can get out of bed, then gets help taking a shower, going to the bathroom and shaving. Mayersohn’s aide, Cordiff Warren, helps place him in a chair — the second of two electric wheelchairs that Mayersohn has been using since cerebral palsy took away his ability to walk on his own when he was a year old. The FAU junior then rolls out of IVA South and toward his van, which Warren drives. Though he may need help getting his day started, the junior interdisciplinary studies major is one year away from graduating, he’s interned for iHeartMedia and was one of 10 finalists for a Times Warner internship based in Los Angeles. Mayersohn hasn’t allowed his condition to impede his dream of becoming a television producer. He doesn’t care that he needs help in the morning. He doesn’t even care that he may have to ask a stranger to open his water bottle for him. What he does care about, is that no girl has ever given him a chance. The 22-year-old is still waiting for his first date and first kiss, but what irks him the most is that while he's never received a "yes," he's never been told "no" either. Ryne Sherman, an FAU professor who focuses on personality and social psychology, believes that the evasive answers Mayersohn receives aren’t conscious responses. “Part of physical attractiveness, and this is deeprooted in our evolutionary history, is this notion of disease avoidance,” Sherman said. “So if you see somebody who looks sick, you don't want to kiss them, you want to keep your distance from somebody who looks sick or ill. And so part of what could be happening is if someone sees someone in a wheelchair, that sort of same mechanism is being played out.” Therefore, Sherman said he can see most people thinking, “Well, this is a nice person but I'm not attracted to him, because, I don't know why.” A 2012 study performed by the Hammill Institute on Disabilities — see sidebar on page 15 — found that while 77.5 percent of the participants were very willing to be friends with a person in a wheelchair, only 22.7 percent would be very willing to date and 15 percent would be very willing to marry. On the opposite side, 19.5 percent of people were unwilling to date someone in a wheelchair and 31.8
percent were unwilling to marry. The most popular answer given for why people would not date someone in a wheelchair, which 22.7 percent of participants gave, is because they believe taking care of their partner might be too much work. Not knowing what to say to or how to treat a wheelchair user followed as the next highest answer. Mayersohn said that for every person who treats him his age, there is someone else who “babies” him. But why do they feel the need to? Sherman pointed to the combination of self-image protection and people’s natural way of assuming everything is “comorbid,” meaning that when they see Mayersohn with a physical disability, they presume a mental disability is attached. “It’s about protecting your own self-image,” Sherman said. “I want to think of myself as a nice person and the way to do that, and I've been socialized to help and be nice to people, you don't pick on people who you perceive to be weaker than you. Whether that perception is accurate or not is irrelevant.” For example, if a random man at a bar approaches a woman, she may have no problem telling him off. But if someone like Mayersohn did so, she may fear being exceptionally cruel or mean. “All I care about is that people are honest and
upfront,” Mayersohn said. “[People in wheelchairs] have been rejected so much throughout our lives that we’re used to rejection, so it’s actually refreshing to have someone tell us the truth and to not be afraid of offending us.” Numerous girls he’s asked out have told him that they were lesbians. One girl said she couldn’t date him because her phone didn’t have enough storage for an additional phone number, one said she reached her friend limit and another said she couldn’t because she had to get permission from her father first. She was in college. But more times than not, Mayersohn knows to expect that the person he is asking out is already in a relationship — even if she isn’t. When he finally caught one red-handed, he wasn’t going to miss his chance. The girlfriend of Mayersohn’s roommate introduced him to a friend of hers who was single at the time. It went well enough that they all agreed to a double date. The day of, Mayersohn was told his date was sick in bed, and when he tried to reschedule, she told him she had a boyfriend. Mayersohn later saw her at a party kissing a guy he knew wasn’t her boyfriend. He approached her
“Part of physical attractiveness, and this is deep-rooted in our evolutionary history, is this notion of disease avoidance. So if you see somebody who looks sick, you don’t want to kiss them, you want to keep your distance from somebody who looks sick or ill.” - Ryne Sherman FAU professor
04.11.2017 University Press 13
and asked how her boyfriend was, much to the surprise of the man next to her. After she whispered in his ear in front of Mayersohn, Mayersohn told her that she lied to him. “It’s complicated,” is all he heard back. Mayersohn knows it’s not that complicated, despite calling being stood up a “common occurrence.” But he also knows the real reason why, he just doesn’t understand it. A 2010 University of Redlands study found that people not only perceive the disabled differently, but they also perceive those who date disabled people differently. Partners of disabled people were perceived as more trustworthy and more nurturing, but didn’t garner the same social respect in free-response answers. While partners of non-disabled people were often described as outgoing, well-liked by others, intelligent and fun, partners of disabled people lacked the positive responses and were often described as having an ability to overlook the respective disability. “The results of this study suggest additional obstacles to interactions between persons with and without disabilities,” the researchers concluded. “We find it a matter of concern that the participants in this study viewed the partners of persons with disabilities as having either a lack of positive qualities or seemingly unattainable levels of nurturance, making it both difficult and unattractive to imagine oneself in such a position.” The study also found that 7.3 percent of people believed a disabled person’s partner was likely to be disabled as well, a theory which Mayersohn has heard countless times in his life. Mayersohn brought up the idea on March 30 when he met for breakfast with Carol Morgan — the self-proclaimed longest running successful matchmaker who has made a living setting up strangers since 1988. Though she doesn’t deal with disabled people too often, she told a story that stuck with Mayersohn. A former client of hers had multiple sclerosis, a disease that can cause problems with vision, muscle control, balance and other fundamental functions. Morgan, never having searched for a disabled client before, found an interested able-bodied man whose deceased wife had the same condition. While Morgan may have found the man by chance, the Hammill Institute study shows that looking for someone with experience in dealing with a disability or disease may be the way to go. According to the study, people who have had previous experiences or relationships with disabled people were more likely to be willing to date or marry a disabled person than those who 14 04.11.2017 University Press
have not by an average of 10.3 percentage points per answer. Other than the revelation of looking for someone who is familiar to his situation, Mayersohn received an unexpected surprise from his visit with Morgan. In return for social media advice from Mayersohn to promote and broaden her searches, Morgan will conduct a search for him. Mayersohn, who does hope for a family and kids, already has his ideal first date set up and “has
dreams about it every other night.” “I’m a hopeless romantic,” Mayersohn said. “I would go for a leisurely stroll on the beach and then if we had time, go to a bar to watch a hockey game and then after we have dinner, go back and talk some more.” “A bonus would be a kiss good night, but it doesn't have to be that way.”
“I’m a hopeless romantic. I would go for a leisurely stroll on the beach and then if we had time, go to a bar to watch a hockey game and then after we have dinner, go back and talk some more.” - Garret Mayersohn
The Ice Bucket Challenge That Left Him Frozen Outside of his romantic struggles, being in an electric chair tends to complicate matters for Mayersohn, especially when wet.
The ice bucket challenge to fight ALS became the thing to do in America in 2013 and into 2014, and Mayersohn wasn’t going to miss out on the fad with a good cause, especially when a cute girl asked him to do it with her. Mayersohn said his friends asked if his chair would be able to take the water, but he nudged them on after he became “hypnotized” the second he saw the girl in a bikini, which was not the last time he was left motionless. His friends doused him with ice-cold water, but by the time he got back to his dorm room, his chair stopped working. He couldn’t move for the rest of the night and had to use a manual chair until his replacement chair came in.
Hammill Institute on Disabilities Study The study asked 708 participants for their opinions on developing relationships with people in wheelchairs. Here are their answers:
What are the reasons why you may not consider establishing an intimate relationship with a wheelchair user? 22.7%: I would NOT date this person
because I think having to take care of a partner in a wheelchair might be too much work.
22.2%: I would NOT date this person
How willing participants are to be friends with someone in a wheelchair: Very willing: 77.5% Somewhat willing: 14.8% A little willing: 4% Unwilling: 3.7%
because I would feel awkward and not know what to say to them or how to treat them.
21%: I would NOT date this person because I don’t think a partner in a wheelchair would be able to have sex/intercourse or satisfy me sexually.
20.2%: I would NOT date this person
How willing participants are to date someone in a wheelchair: Very willing: 22.7%
because I would be afraid/worried a partner in awheelchair would be sick or ill too often.
Somewhat willing: 37.1% A little willing: 20.6%
18.1%: I would NOT date this person
Unwilling: 19.5%
because I’m just not attracted to persons in wheelchairs regardless of appearance or personal characteristics.
14.8%: I would NOT date this person
because I think a partner in a wheelchair would not be much fun because they’d be sad or bitter/angry much of the time from being in a wheelchair.
Water is always something that Mayersohn must watch out for, especially when navigating through campus, which constantly has sprinklers and the threat of Florida showers.
14.3%: I would NOT date this person
“Rain is a pain in the ass,” he said.
9.1%: Other reason (e.g., dissimilar
because I would be afraid of what others (friends/family) would think or say.
12.3%: I would NOT date this person
because I don’t think they would be a good parent to kids.
How willing participants are to marry someone in a wheelchair: Very willing: 15% Somewhat willing: 31.8% A little willing: 21.5% Unwilling: 31.8%
interests, interested in different race, not my type, etc.).
04.11.2017 University Press 15
FAU’s Draft Darkhorse
Dalton Schomp is taking a different path to the NFL than most draft hopefuls. Brendan Feeney | Managing Editor
Dalton Schomp led the NCAA in yards per punt during the 2015 season. Photo by Ryan Lynch
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D
alton Schomp is no different than most college football players in wanting to play in the NFL, but as a punter, he is taking a path unbeknownst to most. Three punters heard their names called during last year’s draft, after only one was selected in each of the previous two years. For reference, the next fewest drafted position, tight end, has had 40 selections over that span. Schomp is used to the lack of attention the punting position garners. He led the nation in yards per punt as a junior, broke several program records as a junior and senior, but still managed to stay undetected for the most part. “Usually with a kicker [or] punter, you shouldn't be getting much attention unless you're doing something bad,” Schomp said. “I like sort of flying under the radar. It’s kind of what I feel like it’s always been.” Quietly aiming for the next level isn’t too distant of a memory for the Seminole High School graduate. During his senior season, he said the most he received in terms of college recruitment were questionnaires. Then while playing for the state soccer championship, Schomp’s high school coach, Sam Roper, took his players’ highlight tapes to a coaching fair. Schomp attended the fair with his father the following day when players were allowed. “That’s when I thought I was probably going to go somewhere to play college,” he said. “I had no idea where, but I figured that’s what I was probably going to go and do.” Division II and Division III coaches called Schomp over the following few weeks, and the then-recruit believed he’d end up in Pennsylvania. The two fit each other well as the school needed a kicker and a punter, and Schomp had nearby family. As decision time loomed closer, Schomp received a “random” call from a school he had never heard of — Florida Atlantic University. At the time, quarterback Stephen Curtis manned the team’s punting responsibilities, as then head coach Carl Pelini didn’t have a single punter on his roster. "That was pretty appealing that they didn't have [a punter] on the roster and they gave me the tour and the brand new stadium and everything,” Schomp said. “That’s then how I decided, ‘I want to go here.’” Schomp won the starting job in camp as a freshman, but due to trouble with the NCAA receiving his high school tests, he was ruled ineligible for the first game. He then lost the job after a strong performance from Sean Kelly. Two years later, Schomp won the job as a redshirt sophomore and began stamping his name into the FAU record books with the third highest singleseason punting average. He never expected what
happened the following season. “Most of the time I don’t really necessarily believe it [even now], like it’s a really cool statistic to have,” Schomp said. “It’s weird to think I actually did it.” He said he didn’t realize leading the country in punting was a possibility until the team’s secondto-last game of the season, a meeting against the University of Florida. “I was kind of surprised and shocked [to find out], and playing in Florida I felt like I had to have a big game,” he said. Schomp went on to have one of the biggest games in his collegiate career. Not only did he average 47.8 yards on eight punts, he recorded two tackles and rushed for a first down on a fake punt. “I stayed at No. 1 going into the last week and I saw there were like two or three guys that were within like 0.2 or 0.3 yards per punt, so I kind of put some pressure on myself,” Schomp said. “I felt like I needed to have at least a 48-yard average.” He averaged 53 yards in the final game and one of his two kicking coaches, Harry Kayan, who updated Schomp on his ranks throughout the season, told him that he officially led the country. Schomp and Kayan have worked together since Schomp’s freshman year of high school when his older brother, a long snapper, introduced them. When in South Florida and around FAU, Schomp works with Tony Bugeja, who also trains Chicago Bears punter and Lake Worth native Pat O’Donnell. Bugeja said that it’s Schomp’s hang time and consistency that sets him apart.
“Most of the time I don’t really necessarily believe it [even now], like it’s a really cool statistic to have. It’s weird to think I actually did it.”
“He hits a great ball with really good hang time and he does it consistently,” Bugeja said. “In fact, he’s actually one of the guys who has actually been able to really make a difference throughout his collegiate career with separating himself away from the pack … With Dalton, the numbers don't lie.” The two train for a couple hours, three to four times a week. They’ll start off with 5-to-10 yard tosses to work on catching the ball and getting it to the mold — where the punter sets the ball before dropping it. Next, they work on spinning the laces up, progress into doing that while taking their steps, then work on dropping the ball flat, in an 11-12 o’clock angle. “A lot of people don't necessarily understand how technical punting and kicking are, because if one thing’s off, everything is completely off,” Schomp said. Schomp then starts his punting at a slower pace and gradually works his way up to regular and directional punts. “We do a lot of drill work,” Bugeja said. “We try to do a lot of manipulation drills to try to add more pressure, timing drills to really bring the time, and intensity of the time down pat and really make a difference in what we do and try to make that translate to the game field.” Schomp took a break from his training with Bugeja in February to travel out to Phoenix for the Kohl’s Pro Combine, an opportunity for kicking and punting hopefuls from college and NFL free agency.
- Dalton Schomp on leading the nation in yards per punt
Photo by Alexander Rodriguez
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He finished in the top 10 of a competition based on distance and hang time and advanced to the next round, which was streamed and sent to NFL coaches and scouts. Schomp was one of six punters to be able to punt the ball 45 yards with a 4.5 second hang time, tying for second. “That’s a big deal, that’s a very big deal,” Bugeja said. “That’s amongst the best of the best and he was actually able to make top 10 with guys who had NFL experience and are looking to find another job, and he actually managed to make the top 10 straight out of college.” Schomp participated in FAU’s pro day on March 30 and has two more lined up with the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But if you ask his girlfriend, FAU senior film, video and new media major Cooper Flower, the NFL hopeful has been relatively calm about his future. “Typically when Dalton is not practicing with Tony, he’s just very mellow and casual about the whole process of going into the NFL,” she said. “I think I’m more excited than he is that he’s going to the local pro days … he basically is just very very humble about the whole experience.” Bugeja said he’s looking at the sixth and seventh rounds for Schomp to be taken, but noted that the draft isn’t the only door to the league. The NFL hopeful plans to head home during the first day of the draft, but other than that, doesn’t have much planned. “Just hanging out with family, and enjoying time with family because with being here over the past five years, I haven’t had a whole lot of getting-togo-home opportunities and to be there and just be with family,” he said. “So every chance I can go home and hangout with them, I’ll take. “It’s just different for a punter, you just go through different things. But I know fairly well the way things should go or will go and what to expect and what not to, so I feel pretty good where I’m at.”
“He hits a great ball with really good hang time and he does it consistently. In fact, he’s actually one of the guys who has actually been able to really make a difference throughout his collegiate career with separating himself away from the pack … With Dalton [Schomp], the numbers don’t lie.” - Tony Bugeja One of Schomp’s kicking coaches
2017 NFL Draft
Starts: Thursday, April 27 Ends: Saturday, April 29 Where: Philadelphia How to watch: ESPN, NFL Network 18 04.11.2017 University Press
Dalton Schomp performs in front of scouts from 27 different NFL teams during FAU’s pro day. Photo by Alexander Rodriguez
Don’t . . . p a fl t Soar! jus With the University Press!
y r e v e s g n i t e Me . m . p 2 t a y Frida Student 4 1 2 m o o R | Union bldg Photo courtesy of Ron R. Bielefeld
Friday Vibes
As the campus pace slows, tensions melt away during FAU’s breezy Friday afternoons.
Hope Dean & Daesha Reid | Contributing Writers Photo by Alexander Rodriguez
T
he busier the week, the better the chill. FAU students feel that despite busy work days, relaxing on Friday is a great way to kick off the weekend. Many students report an overall feeling of calm around the Boca Raton campus on Fridays as students journey to the comforts of dorm rooms, apartments and houses. Some are thankful for the noticeable difference in the number of students as it gives them more freedom to roam as they please. Senior geology major Travis Oaks said he likes rock climbing at the Climbing Center on lazy Friday afternoons before the FAU Climbing Club meets from 7-9 p.m. “It gets busy,” he said, adding that 30 or more people could show up on any given Friday, to the point where the staff runs short on harnesses. Fortunately, the Climbing Club is not the only sporting club that meets on Fridays. Ultimate Frisbee meets on Henderson Field from 8-10 p.m., and both men and women’s volleyball is available, although the men’s session is from 5-7 p.m. and the women’s is from 7-9 p.m. However, others prefer to spend their time enjoying activities that have less to do with sports and more to do with Xbox or Wii consoles. In the gaming corner of the Student Union, graphics are always in motion. Fighting games like the “Super Smash Bros.” and “Tekken” series are 20 04.11.2017 University Press
crowd favorites. Fun classics such as the “Dance Dance Revolution” and the “Mario Kart” series are also popular. According to senior Jonathan Casique, even on Fridays there are “more people than the couch can handle,” causing some to shuffle from the comfortable couch to open space to continue gaming. The Student Union isn’t only for the hardcore gamers, however. Others flock to the area on Fridays for other events, such as ping-pong tournaments and pool. Sophomore business major Antonion Johnson said that he has the day to himself after an early calculus class on Friday and tends to end up at the Student Union more often than not. “On campus, I normally … play dominos, hang out with friends,” he said. Freshman Gabriela Rodriguez prefers to visit the food court later in the Friday afternoon to enjoy the atmosphere. “I like that there’s less hustle and bustle,” she said, especially in comparison to Tuesdays and Thursdays, where the tables tend to be filled to the brim. Rodriguez said this calmer version of the food court is also a good place for her to hang out and talk to some friends over some food, which many others can be seen taking advantage of as well.
Unfortunately, not everything on Friday turns out to be rainbows and sunshine. As Oaks pointed out, even the staff are hurrying to get away from campus as soon as possible. “[They are] dead on out of here,” he said, referring to the tutors in the Center for Teaching and Learning above the food court. Students seeking math tutors are especially out of luck, as the Math Lab has early closing hours on Fridays. In the FAU Bookstore, the quiet continues. Bookstore employee and student Zulema Toledo, said that the store is very slow on Fridays. “Sometimes I feel a little unproductive, even after finishing all my stuff,” Toledo said. “It’s definitely more of a relaxed vibe. Time feels slower, but it’s definitely calm and nice.” Another hotspot on campus that finds itself worn out on Fridays is the S.E. Wimberly Library. Sophomore anthropology major Ashling Boyle said that she enjoys the extra library space she can take advantage of after her four grueling Friday classes. “I think the library’s better empty. In general, it gets loud,” Boyle said. “[On Fridays] there’s more space, more seats.” From ping-pong to studying in the library, Fridays on the Boca Raton campus offer a little bit of everything for everyone. So, the next time a Friday rolls around, be sure to take advantage of all that the stillness has to offer.
Eyeing up Events From free doughnuts to kickboxing classes, here are some events to look out for on FAU’s campuses. Tucker Berardi | Features Editor
Boca Campus WEDNESDAY
April 12 Wake Up Wednesdays | 8:30-9 a.m. Student Union
Every Wednesday in the Student Union, FAU’s iCommute program offers commuter students — and all students — free coffee and doughnuts to help get your day started. The iCommute program is the on-campus organization for commuter students.
Friday
April 14 Spirit of America | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. S.E. Wimberly Library
The S.E. Wimberly Library will showcase rare publications that were read by the founding fathers of America. This event is called the “Marvin & Sybil Weiner Spirit of America: Colonial America Exhibition.”
Thursday
April 20 Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition | 6:30 p.m. The Ritter Art Gallery
The Ritter Art Gallery is opening an art exhibit featuring work from approximately 20 students who are pursuing degrees in the visual arts and art history department. The show opens April 20 and will run through May 5.
Grab free coffee and doughnuts in the Boca campus Student Union every Wednesday to start your day. Photo from Flickr
friday
April 21 Wind Ensemble - Adventures in Imagination | 7 p.m. University Theatre
This performance by FAU’s Wind Ensemble, which is led by conductor Kyle Prescott, will feature songs from master composers as well as more modern compositions. Tickets start at $10 and are available at the FAU Box Office. Doors open to the University Theatre at 7 p.m.
Friday
April 14 Kickboxing | Noon-12:30 p.m. Liberal Arts Breezeway
Pick up some self-defense skills and work up a sweat with kickboxing classes held in the Liberal Arts Breezeway.
Wednesday
April 19 Belly Dancing | 11-1 p.m. Student Union
WEDNESDAY
Have a special someone you’re trying to impress? Get a leg up on the competition and learn some belly dancing moves in the Student Union.
Student Union
April 20 Zumba | 5-6 p.m.
Davie Campus
April 12 Grocery Bingo | 3-5 p.m. Struggling to fill your cabinets? Don’t think grocery shopping is exciting enough? Come to the Student Union to play a few rounds of bingo and win some groceries.
Thursday
Liberal Arts Breezeway Zumba fanatics, come to the Liberal Arts Breezeway for a free Zumba workout.
04.11.2017 University Press 21
Arts and Lifestyle Celeste Andrews | Assistant Creative Director
Campus
Ask Luna (Quaerere Luna)
Find of
the
Week
“Love Your Local Stranger” outside the Night Owls office. Photo by Celeste Andrews
Love in the Breezeway Nunc Luna est extra regionem. Et revertar ad vos cito. (Luna is out of the country right now. She’ll be back shortly.)
If you are looking for advice or want to ask Luna a question, please email asklunaup@gmail.com.
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The University Press spoke with two students that missed their chance to get the name of someone who caught their eye around Florida Atlantic’s Boca Raton campus. Think you could be one of those lucky people? Email us at lovenbreeezewayup@gmail.com and we’ll put you in touch with your secret admirer.
GIRL WEARING A CAMEO HAT You: Brunette girl with a camo hat and braided hair in a blue shirt and white shorts. You were playing the MC’s game of musical chairs with guys as the chairs. Thought you were hot. Me: Blonde guy wearing a blue shirt, racing with his frat brothers. When I saw you: March 31 Where I saw you: Relay for Life on the FAU track Time I saw you: 3:21 a.m. Message: Want to get food sometime?
GUY BY HIMSELF WITH ONLY A BACKPACK You: You had on glasses and looked super nervous. You were wearing a white shirt, holding onto a backpack. Overheard you saying that you were alone. You know you didn’t have to be? Me: Asian girl with her friends. I have short black hair and was wearing a baseball T-shirt and black shorts with Nike sneakers. I wanted to speak but got too nervous. When I saw you: March 31 Where I saw you: FAU Carnival Time I saw you: 8:34 p.m. Message: Want to be alone togehter?
Can’t stop thinking about that cute someone? Email us a description of who you saw, what you looked like, where you saw them, what day/time it was and a message you want them to read.
Favorite Flicks The University Press staff members have seen the movies, bought the popcorn and now they’re sharing their reviews with readers. Kong: Skull Island
A British actor and a black actor walked onto a Hollywood set and created a Monkey movie masterpiece. “Kong: Skull Island” is the newest remake of the old movie about a 50-story tall ape who destroys New York city. The only thing that could sedate his rage was a beautiful woman. Yet, that doesn’t happen in this movie. In this reimagining, Kong lives on Skull Island, which kills any inhabitants who get too close, much like the Bermuda Triangle. It begins with a young Asian soldier and a young Caucasian soldier fighting each other in World War II after their planes landed on a mysterious island. They tussle on a cliff until a monster larger than life shows up. Flash forward to the 1970s during the Vietnam War with John Goodman’s character, geologist Bill Randa, and Corey Hawkins’ character, surveyor Houston Brooks, convincing the U.S. government to take them to an unknown island that they found on a radar scanning. This changes to Samuel Jackson’s character Preston Packard and his unit of soldiers ready to go back home after the war has been declared over. Instead of this, they become military escorts to Randa and his survey team. To round out the group is an ex-British Special Air Service captain, Tom Hiddleston’s character James Conrad and a photojournalist, Brie Larson’s character Mason Weaver. Everyone except for Randa was surprised to see a large ape who attacks them after they drop bombs from multiple vantage points on the island. In a panic to stay alive from the viscous monkey, the group becomes split into two. Randa and Packard soon go head to head with Packard interrogating Randa and the latter admitting he knew about the beast this whole time. Now no one could say he was crazy for believing in things people haven’t seen. In the rare luck of things, the second group consisting of Conrad, Weaver and a few others run across a group of indigenous people who worship Kong as their god because he is the last of his kind who can stop the “skullcrawlers,” a large vicious species of lizards that only eat flesh. There they meet John C. Reilly’s character Hank Marlow, a U.S. pilot that’s been missing since the 1940s. He helps them get off the island with his river boat that he converted from his plane.
But not before they help Kong kill the momma skullcrawler and they realize that he isn’t as beastly as they believed. Kong: Skull Island was surprisingly better than I thought it would be. I assumed it would be like every other action, monkey movie that’s lame and only made for teenage boys and probably corny fathers. Tom Hiddleston was every fangirls’ dream in his tight shirt, Samuel Jackson was strong like his usual character and John C. Reilly was comical as always. The only complaint I had was Brie Larson’s character, who was insignificant to the plot line as a photographer. There were multiple times where you wished her camera broke and she’d be left behind. Other than that, the storyline was great and the CGI was phenomenal. This is a movie for King Kong fans, teenage boys and intellectuals alike. If the characters were fleshed out more, it would have been an A+.
Grade: A
Celeste Andrews | Assistant Creative Director
Power Rangers (2017)
Entering the theater for this movie, I was pretty skeptical. Admittedly, I’ve been a “Power Rangers” fan for a long time and from what I’d seen with the marketing of this film, it didn’t impress me. The marketing made this movie seem like another poorly made, Power Rangers adaption with your signature stereotypical characters, in their stereotypically gender-based ranger roles. The red would be the lead, the blue would be the nerd, the green would be the comedic relief, the yellow would be the brood and the pink would be the perfect girl — clearly the Red Ranger’s partner, in and outside of the arena. But surprisingly enough, the film was a lot better than marketing ever made it to be. “Power Rangers” deals with five troublesome teens who accidentally discover five power coins, which cling to each teen and begin to affect their physical abilities, leading them to discover Zordon and their soon-to-be destinies as Power Rangers. Now, as I said before, the marketing already gave the film a poor look. I wasn’t impressed, I haven’t met anyone that was impressed, and well, you get my point. But as I entered the film, the
actual characters — and when I say characters, I mean two or three out of the main five, you guess which three I’m talking about — actually got my attention. Beyond the high-quality acting, the characters themselves actually host a lot of unique traits that aren’t just used as a temporary plot device to bring about drama before disappearing for the rest of the film. The characters are thorough and each of their marginalizing features shapes them into who they are and who they continue to be for the rest of the film. That’s honestly one of the best traits of the entire movie, the dedication to its characters and their individual growth. But then you ask, why are only certain characters well fleshed out while others aren’t — because the movie is so goddamn rushed that there’s hardly time for other characters to develop. The writers for this movie must have had too much content on their hands with too little screen time, because this movie features the most awkward, harsh cuts I’ve seen and they don’t feel like a general editing style, they feel like literal cuts the editor had to make last second, in order to fit everything into the twohour frame. This movie goes so fast, that the montage scene literally matches the same pace as the rest of the movie. You’d only know it’s a montage because you get the catchy-rock music in the background. The likable, realistic characters might be this movie’s saving grace, but this movie’s rushed pace is enough to bring it down a notch — it’s no wonder the film barely reached its initial production cost in box-office revenue. But maybe that’s me being too harsh. Is “Power Rangers” good? Legitimately, yeah. The effects are cool, most of the characters are likable and realistic while hosting real teenage problems and the fighting is pretty awesome. It’s an entertaining film for returning fans as well as casual ones, and I’m sure the movie and its marketing did a great job of creating a new wave of fans. Is the film perfect? Not at all, and anyone who sees it can tell you that. Is it worth the movie ticket? If you love “Power Rangers” as much as I do, I’d say give it a shot — you might like it more than you think. I know I did.
Grade: B-
Adriana Laplanche | Contributing Writer
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