UP13_21 by University Press

University Press February 21, 2012 Vol. 13 Issue 21

Florida Atlantic University’s finest news source

LEAD THE WAY The Student Government elections are on Feb. 28 and 29 and all three presidential candidates think they have what it takes to be your leaders. PG. 12

What if the SG President couldn’t deny bills? PG. 4 upressonline.com

Find out why the student population doesn’t vote. PG. 8

How to take FAU’s sports hall of fame to the next level. PG. 20

First issue is free; each additional copy is 50 cents and available in the UP newsroom.

Feb. 21, 2012

upressonline.com

Opinion Letter from the editor February 21, 2012 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mariam Aldhahi MANAGING EDITOR Ryan Cortes ART DIRECTOR Phaedra Blaize WEB EDITOR Andrew Alvino BUSINESS MANAGER Michae Henry COPY DESK CHIEF Michael Chandeck NEWS EDITOR Regina Kaza CRIME EDITOR Monica Ruiz FEATURES EDITOR Carolina Fernandez PHOTO EDITOR Charles Pratt SPORTS EDITOR Rolando Rosa SENIOR EDITORS Rachel Chapnick Gideon Grudo SENIOR REPORTERS Karla Bowsher Sergio Candido SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Christine Capozziello STAFF REPORTERS Dylan Bouscher Jordan Robrish STAFF DESIGNER Elena Medina STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Melissa Landolfa COPY EDITOR Jessica Cohn-Kleinberg CONTRIBUTORS Jessica Calaway, Wadreama King, Woody Othello, Amanda Rubio ADVISERS Michael Koretzky Dan Sweeney COVER Illustrations by Woody Othello, Photos by Charles Pratt

WANT TO JOIN THE UP? email upress@fau.edu Staff meetings every Friday, 2 p.m. in the Student Union, Room 214 WANT TO PLACE AN AD? Contact Marc Litt 732.991.6353 marc@universityimpress.com PUBLISHER FAU Student Government The opinions expressed by the UP are not necessarily those of the student body, Student Government or FAU.

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Sex & The University By Mariam Aldhahi upress@fau.edu wo administrators talked for two hours Monday morning about the mostly nude photo of a student — and talk is all they did. Terry Mena, associate dean of students, and Michael Gaede, director of student media, knew the picture would be a problem only after the subject of the photo claimed that OwlTV Station Manager AJ Jordat violated her privacy. The 20-year-old female student, who wanted to stay anonymous, wants the photo to disappear and her story to be heard. Jordat posted the photo as an official FAU OwlTV tweet on Feb. 16. It shows a woman’s body, shoulders down, wearing nothing but a bra and panties. The accompanying tweet: “These ‘Spanish girls love me like I’m on Twitter’ — she didn’t get the memo that sexting is dangerous; at least no face.” So what did these two men do when they got an email from the girl on Feb. 18, claiming that Jordat “violated her privacy and abused his position”? Well, they discussed policy and censorship. In short, political nonsense. They didn’t talk about the girl, but about the institution. In the email, the woman tells her side of the story and details how she came to send the photo: “On Wednesday (2/15) evening, he told me he wanted to make me a ‘Hooter Hottie of the

News Students running for president and vice president of Student Government will be holding debates at 11 a.m. on Feb. 20 in the Grand Palm room in the Student Union. The presidential and vice presidential candidates will introduce themselves to students, tell them why they’re running for their positions and inform students how they can vote. Candidates will debate on issues like improving FAU traditions and student involvement.

Student leader promotes OwlTV show with nearly nude photo of a student

Week.’ He said I’d have to come in and audition. I didn’t want to, and asked if I could just send him a photo. He said I could, and promised he’d be the only one to see it.” Jordat defended his actions and used it as a selling point for “Sex & the University,” an upcoming OwlTV show. “That’s the danger of sexting,” he explained. A tweet posted by OwlTV soon after the photo was posted read, “We seemed to have shocked our followers with that last Tweet... But that was the point. “Sex & The University” COMING SOON!!” So, in hopes of talking to someone who is as disturbed by the incident as I am, I turned to Gaede. No luck. As sometimes happens when talking to administrators, I was fed a lot of talk about new policies and “implementing guidelines to assure this doesn’t happen again,” as Gaede put it. I was met with similar feedback when speaking to Mena. Talks of guidelines and becoming a more “traditional” student media office took our conversation in directions that helped to avoid the point. This was no longer a discussion about a young woman who felt humiliated, this became an issue of university policy. I had been looking for some sort of regret and that’s the one thing I didn’t find. Their university appointed positions aside, Jordat and the administrators still showed no remorse. The real problem is not one that can be solved

with a series bureaucratic ramblings and the induction of even more rules and guidelines. The real problem is that this situation was handled solely by men. The station manager of OwlTV? A man. The director of student media? A man. The associate dean of students? A man. As a result, the woman who felt betrayed was left in the dust while codes of conduct took the spotlight. “This says something about the male dominance of leadership,” explained Gaede. Jordat didn’t consider how the young woman would be affected. The men involved in the situation let their positions get the best of them. As the editor-in-chief of the UP, I commend the Office of Student Media for allowing a news outlet to practice free speech. As a woman, though, this is a problem that should have been addressed without getting distracted by university policy. The photo should have never been posted online and you don’t need to be a “student media leader” to understand that. The photo became the problem. The woman in the photo? She’s no longer a factor. How she felt when she realized her body was being used as a gimmick didn’t matter anymore — it never really did. Now, we’re left with a woman who feels completely violated and the only thing that matters to the men involved is how new policies and provisions will help “move student media forward.” All of this when, really, someone should have just sat him down and said, AJ, stop being a scumbag.

Features

Sports

The theatre department is presenting a comedy by David Lindsay-Abaire, called “Wonders of the World,” from Friday, Feb. 17 through Sunday, Feb. 26 at the Studio One Theatre in the Performing Arts Building on the Boca campus. The play tells the story of an unhappy girl named Cass who leaves her home and husband to find a better life. Tickets are $20 for the public, $12 for FAU students, and $16 for faculty and staff. Tickets can be bought at www.fauevents. com or by calling 800-564-9539.

FAU baseball made history over the weekend, becoming the first non-conference opponent to sweep Alabama at home. The Owls won the three game series by a combined total of 23-8. Senior outfielder Alex Hudak drilled two home runs in the final game. FAU plays a four game series at home against Manhattan beginning on Feb. 24.

Feb. 21. 2012

News

Powerplays By Dylan Bouscher upress@fau.edu

he Student Government president’s job could get easier. He may not have to look at House bills anymore. The Boca House of Representatives wants to change the SG Constitution so the president has no say over the bills they write. Right now, the constitution grants the president the power to pass or veto legislation from the campus Houses and university-wide Senate. In the past, President Ayden Maher vetoed bills about parking, pot and sexual orientation. Now Boca House Speaker Boris Bastidas is showing the House how to change the constitution so the president can’t veto their bills anymore. “If certain executives are not going to do their jobs and if we’re looking for something to do, maybe this is something to do,” Bastidas said to the other representatives at a BHOR meeting. “There is some big time discussion, a lot of people think the president should not have veto power over the campus Houses.” Bastidas never said who else was discussing this. Jupiter House speaker, Amrita Gopaldas, said, “Even though the student body president is mainly on the Boca campus, his role is to represent and serve all campuses. So I think he should be able to veto legislation from the MacArthur House.” “I feel that it is a misallocation of their time and energy. Part of keeping the university-wide feeling [in SG] is having the relationship between the president and the Houses,” Maher said about the Boca House’s new idea. Last August, Maher vetoed four poll questions the Boca House passed that would have asked students for their views on issues such as discrimination against sexual orientation, FAU’s marijuana policy, parking and traffic and course registration crashes. Maher vetoed the poll questions because he felt each bill asked a question the university-wide Senate should address. The poll questions, and a bill to pay for Lambda United and the Resident Student Association to go to Halloween Horror Nights were the only bills Maher vetoed

Feb. 21, 2012

in the last year. The poll questions were written and sponsored by Bastidas. When the same poll questions were written into Senate bills, however, Maher still vetoed two questions related to sexual orientation and course registration servers. “Maybe there is some spite between certain people, because of the vetoes,” Bastidas said, referring to Maher killing the poll questions. To make these changes the Constitution Revision Commission has to meet. The CRC is a group of students and faculty that review changes to the constitution. Bastidas showed other representatives they could take away Maher’s veto power without a CRC meeting. As it stands, all bills passed by a campus House or the university-wide Senate have to be “I feel tha t it is a signed by the president, the campus misalloc time an ation of governor and the vice president of d energ their y .” Student Affairs. SG Vice President Robert Huffman, who is also a presidential candidate, said, “If my veto power were taken away, I wouldn’t be too upset. There are not a lot of instances where the president has to veto bills.” he hink t Current Broward Gov. t r e l p er ove f peo Helen Pferdehirt is running w o o t p o l o against Huffman in the as: “A ve vet d a i h t s t a o B n upcoming election. Pferdehirt hould s t n o said, “As far as I understand, e to vet s.” presid e e l s b u it’s an issue within the Boca a o H uld be mpus o House, and the Broward House a h c s e e h t ouse.” ink h H and Jupiter House don’t share h t r I u “ h : rt as those feelings.” MacA opald e G h t om Pferdehirt added the House is tion fr a l s i more than capable of taking g le away the president’s veto power. “The House has the right to raise any Pfe rdehirt: “ issue they want, The Hou se has th and if they can they e right to w a n t , and if t get it done, more raise any h ey can g issue power to them.” them. et it don e, more Whether the power to president’s veto Huffma n : “If my v power is taken eto pow b er were e too up away or not, all taken aw s e t . There ar bills still have ay, I wou e not a lot presiden ldn’t to be signed or of instan t has to ces whe veto bills vetoed by the re the .” non-elected vice president of Student Affairs, Dr. Charles Brown.

Boca House of Representatives wants the president to have no power over them

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Feb. 21. 2012

Opinion

Count

the vote

In the past three years students haven’t been voting in the SG elections and they’re probably not going to start. :

By Regina Kaza upress@fau.edu

POLLS OPEN ON

tudents pay the elections board chair $8,100 to try and get them to vote in the Student Government elections, and over the past three years none of them have been doing their job. Out of almost 30,000 students, only 2,000 voted for SG president and vice president in the past three years. New Elections Board Chair Kevin Varela thinks candidate interviews on Owl Radio and Owl TV, along with banners hanging in the Breezeway will do the trick and raise the voter turn out. That’s not likely to happen. His salary comes out of A&S fees that are included in students’ tuition. Even though everything in SG from the president and VP’s salaries to Homecoming is funded by students’ tuition, they just don’t seem to care about voting. FAU students don’t even have to get out of bed to vote for their SG leaders. All they need to do to vote on Feb. 28 and 29 is log onto www.myfau.fau. edu, click the “vote” tab, and make their choice. “The online voting saves a lot of paper, saves a lot of time, and it’s easy,” Varela said. “I used to be in that category of people who were too lazy to vote, but all it takes is two seconds.” Varela had six weeks to prepare for the spring election when he got the job in January. Since then he asked Owl TV and Owl Radio to get on board by interviewing the candidates and they agreed. Varela planned to have a meet and greet for students before the debate on Feb. 20 in the Grand Palm Room in the Boca campus Student Union. Varela will also make a banner counting down the election to hang up in the Breezeway. Owl TV will upload interviews of the candidates on their YouTube and Facebook pages. The issue with this is that, according to Station Manager AJ Jordat, Owl TV’s YouTube and Facebook videos only get about 200 views, while election interviews get 400-500 views. But there are

Feb. 21, 2012

TUESDAY FEB. 28

AT 12:00 a.m. AND New Elections Board Chair Kevin Varela is using Student Media to promote the SG elections on Feb. 28 and 29. Photo by Charles Pratt

29,000 students at FAU that can vote. Owl Radio interviewed the candidates in their studio on Friday, Feb. 10 and broadcasted the talks live in the Breezeway. Most of those listeners are walking to and from class and not stopping to tune in to who their next SG president and VP might be. Since Owl Radio does not have a local frequency station, the Breezeway is their main source of listeners, which is not enough to convince students. “All I want to see is for the candidates to show their faces and who they are. I want to see them leave a good impression and actually go out to the students and ask what they can do to help us FAU students,” Dwayne Robinson, sophomore education major, said. If students still feel this way, maybe it’s time for the elections board chair to think of some new ways to target voters by doing more than just hanging up a banner in the Breezeway or posting videos on Facebook. Besides, students are paying him for this anyway. Alejandra Parada contributed to the reporting of this story.

CLOSE WEDNESDA Y

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AND CLICK THE “VOTE” TAB upressonline.com

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Feb. 21. 2012

News

ELRIGEA MCINTOSH JONATHAN HOWELL

& A

lthough they say they’re the underdogs in this election, McIntosh and Howell might be the key to getting students jobs after graduation. As SG president and VP, McIntosh and Howell hope to bring their outside work experience to the students, and help make sure they leave college with more than just a really expensive piece of paper. After serving in the Navy for six years, McIntosh worked for several corporations, such as Wachovia, where he became a manager in less than six months. Howell also returned to get a degree in management after working at AFCO Constructors Inc., a construction company less than a mile from the Boca campus. McIntosh returned to FAU this year to pursue his interest in finance and make some changes to the school by running for president along the way. McIntosh’s enthusiasm for the school is what made Howell run as his VP. “I like Elrigea, he has some great ideas and incredible passion,” Howell said. “That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to run as his vice president.” McIntosh and Howell’s main goal is to get companies who hire FAU students for unpaid internships to reinvest in the school. “We’re a world of give and take,” McIntosh said. “If we can work with the private sectors, where they can donate X amount of donations, give internships, it will balance out in the books.” He and Howell also think companies donating to the school will keep FAU from raising its tuition. But if that doesn’t work, they have a back up plan. “Tuition, that’s decided on a state level and we have some connections with some state senators and we hope to use those,” Howell said. He refused to mention the names of the senators. McIntosh will need to meet with businesses and look into how they can team up with FAU. “How will that work? I wouldn’t know until I sit down with those businesses. There has to be a meeting of the minds and shaking of the hands,” he said. Besides getting students jobs, these guys also want to make students’ time at FAU more enjoyable. This means tackling issues, like fixing the leaky breezeway and getting more shuttles on campus to ease up parking. Enforcing a skateboard ban in the Breezeway is also one of their main goals. “There are too many clubs and people trying to relax for people to be skateboarding down that,” McIntosh said. “It’s really dangerous and you can really hurt some one.” He plans to enforce this by giving students tickets, fines or having them ushered off the Breezeway for skateboarding or biking. McIntosh and Howell will also be tabling in the Breezeway, getting to know students, and telling them how to vote a few weeks before the election. “One student, one vote, one handshake. That’s what our campaign is built on,” Mcintosh said. “I’m aware we’re the underdog. We’re running against the current VP and the young lady is a very active [sorority sister],” he said referring to presidential candidates Robert Huffman and April Turner. Underdogs or not, McIntosh and Howell hope their experience in the workplace will help secure students’ futures with jobs and make FAU a better place while they’re here. “I really want this,” Howell said. “We want to win bad. I believe we can really make a difference.”

Jonathan Howell

Age: 29 Major: Management Entrepreneurship and Finance • Worked at AFCO Constructors Inc. 12

Feb. 21, 2012

Elrigea McIntosh

Age: 37 Major: International Business and Finance. • Served in the U.S. Navy for six years. • Worked at several corporations including Wachovia.

s governors on the Broward and and Ryan Ebanks knows there a typical four-year student, which edge no other candidate has. “We have more experience, perio as treasurer for two years and is curren for vice president. Pferdehirt has worked Program Board in the past. She is curre running for SG president. This experien the students that aren’t the majority,” a candidates have. Pferdehirt and Ebanks plan to impr students on different campuses and cre students can publish their research The research journal will help und GPAs publish their work and help them “While they do maintain good grade Ebanks said. “It doesn’t make them as m He hopes that working with profess will give students more professional get jobs. “These professors can netwo several different avenues and I can say th students,” Ebanks said. Pferdehirt’s main goal as president and let students know who represents th visiting FAU’s seven campuses and intro so that students can come to them with t “Right now, if you go to any of th they’re not as aware of what goes on in they’re involved,” Pferdehirt said. “Stud least have some sort of recognition of them, even though we might not be able Pferdehirt and Ebanks also plan on laws so that there is no controversy wh don’t agree. Their experience as govern will help them fix these problems. “Laws everything needs improving, it’s not spe need to be clarified a lot more,” Ebanks As president, Pferdehirt said she w on campus, but doesn’t think that FAU s university. “We pride ourselves on bein the same time we do want some of those Since FAU spans over seven campuses, for the school to become a traditional ca or Florida State. “I don’t think we will ever become o but we can definitely take our uniquene

LEA THE WA

upresso

d Boca campuses, Helen Pferdehirt are others at FAU who aren’t the is what they think gives them the

od,” Ebanks said, who has served ntly the Boca governor and running d with both the Boca and Broward ently the Broward Governor and is nce is what helps her “understand a skill she thinks none of the other

rove FAU by getting to know the eating a research journal in which

dergraduate students with average m get into graduate schools. es, it’s not good enough,” marketable.” sors to publish this research experience and help them ork the students outwards to hat because I’m one of those

is to make SG more visible, hem. She plans to do this by oducing herself and Ebanks their issues. he other branch campuses, n Student Government unless dents can see faces and at who it is that advocates for e to get there all the time.” n clarifying SG statutes and hen different campus statutes nors in the legislative branch s are always being changed, ecifically anything. But things s said. will fight for Greek housing should become a traditional ng an untraditional university but at e traditional things,” Pferdehirt said. Pferdehirt doesn’t think it’s possible ampus such as University of Florida

AD WAY

one of those traditional universities ess and make that our tradition.”

online.com

Helen Pferdehirt

Age: 21 Major: English • Worked in the Broward Program Board. • Volunteered in Boca Program Board. • Broward Governor

Ryan Ebanks

Age: 26 Major: Spanish • Served as SG Treasurer for two years. • Boca governor

HELEN PFERDEHIRT RYAN EBANKS

Six candidates are running for Student Government president and vice president with big plans on how to win over their fellow voters. By Regina Kaza

The student body president gets free tuition, an exclusive parking spot, and a free cellphone. As students, though, we’re picking up the bill. So it only makes sense that the Student Government president and vice president are people worth paying for and will give the students what they need. Whether you’re fed up with parking, or sick of high tuition, these are the people that want to help. And with the elections only a week away, you might want to choose wisely. Here are the candidates that think they have what it takes to lead the way. For a breakdown of the campus governors, visit upressonline.com.

ROBERT HUFFMAN APRIL TURNER

hether it’s passing on spirit traditions at football games, or trying to get students to stay at FAU for more than two years, Huffman and Turner are all about getting students involved. They hope that traditions like Owl Prowl and Rat’s Mouth tailgating will help boost GPA and get students excited about going to FAU. “That’s something we’re going to keep forever,” Turner said about Rat’s Mouth. “That’s something that no one will ever forget.” Huffman is a founding member of Delta Tau Delta’s FAU chapter and current SG vice president. Turner was Homecoming Queen and a member of the Boca House of Representatives. During their time at FAU, they have built relationships with administration, which will help them bring up student concerns. Huffman and Turner think that keeping a humble mindset will help them address issues that are most important to students. “Keeping that mindset that you are still a student and you’re no greater than anyone else allows you to be approachable and actually really hear what the students want and relate to them,” Huffman said. As VP, Turner wants to voice students’ frustrations about things like parking, higher tuition and the need for healthier food choices on campus. “I really want to put the ‘student’ back in ‘student government,’” Turner said. “And give them back that control that they feel like they’ve missed.” Part of that control is telling students where their money is going within SG. Huffman hopes to make sure students know where their A&S fees are going. “More students should be aware of what they can do as a student here and that they can actually control where their money goes to,” Huffman said. The duo want results fast and they plan to get those by being the middleman between student and administration. “We want things to get done now, not in six years,” Turner said. Huffman and Turner think their positive attitudes and ability to work together will help them in these positions. “I think if you have two people who wake up every morning thinking about how great this university is and how great it can be every day then you’re going to get the most positive outcome that you can,” Turner said.

April Turner

Age: 21 Major: Exceptional Student Education • House Representative • Homecoming queen 2010 • President of Alpha Delta Pi and College Panhellenic Vice President of Programming

Robert Huffman

Age: 22 Major: Business Administration and Marketing Management • Served as director of the Council of Student Organizations (COSO) • Founding member of Delta Tau Delta FAU chapter • Current SG Vice President

All illustrations by Woody Othello. All photos by Charles Pratt Feb. 21. 2012

Features

Remembering a legend FAU professor who discovered Whitney Houston mourns her death

By Carolina Fernandez upress@fau.edu

ack in 1978, “Nippy” was came into the studio and I taught the the only name by which FAU background singers the part, and she professor Michael Zager knew cut it immediately. I couldn’t believe it. her. He didn’t know then, couldn’t know She sounded like an adult.” then, that the shy, church-singing, Around this time, the Michael Zager 14-year old girl would become multiBand was in the process of recording its platinum icon Whitney Houston. second album. Zager was looking for a As the world reflects on the life of the singer for his upbeat disco track, “Life’s late legend, Zager sits in his office — a Party,” and he picked young Whitney Room 111 of the Arts and Humanities for the job. The track was released on Building — remembering the moment the album, but never became one of he first met her and the opportunity he Houston’s hit singles. gave her to record her first professional Zager believed in the young church solo track, “Life’s a Party.” singer’s talent. Cissy insisted that she Zager is now the director of finish her high school education. FAU’s commercial music degree “At that time I wanted to sign her to program and the university’s record my production company to get her a label, Hoot/Wisdom Recordings; deal because I thought she could make something he founded in 2002. He hit records,” he said. “I didn’t realize has written, arranged and produced she would become an icon.” music for television Ac c o rd i n g commercials and to Zager, major motion Whitney was pictures, and worked quiet, obeying with an array of whatever her famous artists, from mother said. Luther Vandross to “She was a 50 Cent. clone of her -Michael Zager But the highlight mother,” he of his career, arguably, was the moment said. “In singing and every other way.” he took a chance on a young, quiet Houston didn’t sign a contract with teenager who, according to him, didn’t a producer or record label while in speak unless spoken to. high school, but she did work with It all happened in a 1978 New Zager throughout those years, singing York City recording studio. Zager had backup vocals on any tracks for which worked closely with Cissy Houston, he needed her, including her mother’s. Whitney’s mother and a two-time Zager kept in touch with Houston Grammy award winner, as the throughout her developing career, and producer of several of her albums in the even attended a couple of birthday 1970s. On the night before they were parties she had thrown for Cissy. scheduled to record background vocals He was aware of her struggle with for one of Cissy’s songs, one of the substance abuse because of the stories singers couldn’t do it. Cissy knew her he heard in the media, but not because daughter, Nippy, would be the perfect he ever saw her that way. choice. “If anybody had ever told me that she Skeptical, Zager gave it a shot. would get caught up in all that, I would “The next day, we waited for her have told them that they’re crazy,” he to get out of school. She came in her said. “I would never have believed it. It school uniform,” Zager said. “She was a total surprise to me.”

“I didn’t realize she would become an icon.”

Feb. 21, 2012

Professor Michael Zager first met Whitney Houston, then a 14-year-old girl, in a recording studio where her talents impressed — immediately. Photo by Charles Pratt

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Feb. 21. 2012

Opinion

New era,

new slogan, new attitude

An attempt to create school spirit and brand itself are crucial steps in developing a passionate fan base By Rolando Rosa upress@fau.edu

he Owl fingers are getting a makeover. It’s time to “Salute the Hoot.” The idea of Owl fingers dates back to 2002, but FAU decided with a new era of football and student life at the University beckoning, it was time to rebrand it. “It’s something that has been done already, we just said let’s make it official,” Dexter LaMont, associate athletic director for external relations said. “When you put your hands up and you put those Owls up, you’re now saluting the hoot.” When I initially strolled upon the FAU sports website and discovered we had a new slogan for 2012, the first thing that crossed my mind was that the idea made perfect sense. With all the new changes the school is undergoing, it is only natural for FAU to brand itself with a slogan. For a school with little sports tradition, it is a logical way to build unity among its members, faculty and alumni. LaMont says the idea was inspired from the popularity of “The U” of UM. He believes “Salute the Hoot” can eventually be just as effective a marketing tool for FAU. “After hearing it and listening to it, and seeing how it can be viral and expand, it’s just something that I thought was worth taking to the executive committee of the presidency,” LaMont said. “I think this is something that has some legs to it.” So, how exactly do you “Salute the Hoot”? Much like in the same manner as the Owl fingers, you start out by making owl eyes with your index and thumb,

sticking out the remaining three fingers in the air. The difference now is that in addition to that, your arms are now crossed in an X shape. This was a recommendation from President Mary Jane Saunders after noticing it was popular among students. The X shape makes the sign look more menacing than in the past, but will it be popular enough to stick with the student body? The answer appears to be a resounding yes. Just ask Andy Hackett, president of the Owl Rangers, a group that paints its bodies in school colors at sporting events. FAU selected its new slogan, “Salute the Hoot,” after Omni Advertising conducted focus group testing and received positive feedback. Here freshman Kylie “I really like ‘Salute the Hoot’ Higginbotham, undecided, and freshman Kelly Blakely, undecided, demonstrate because it rolls off your tongue,” “Salute the Hoot.” Photo by Charles Pratt Hackett said. “It’ll make it a lot successful. The football team went 1-11 last year in its easier to be spirited if we have inaugural season in the new stadium. Slogans and gimmicks a slogan that everybody knows and everybody respects.” are nice, but positive results are a key ingredient to bringing Hackett already throws up the Owl eyes at every given fans back too. Athletics knows this. opportunity. “Winning does make a big difference,” LaMont said. “It “I do it in pretty much every picture that I’m in,” Hackett will get people more in tune to look at and act on what said. “Whether it’s a family photo or a sports related event you’re marketing. I can market all day and provide schedule where I’m crazy and painted up.” cards, brochures of that nature, they’re not going to act on it If the leader of the most popular student fan club is such if they’re (the team) not doing well.” an advocate, there is no doubt “Salute the Hoot” should Whether “Salute the Hoot” will have an immediate resonate with everyone else. The idea behind the slogan and impact on creating a sense of school unity is unknown, symbol is to bring the community together; helping fellow but it deserves the opportunity to be given a fair chance to Owls to connect with one another both acclimate itself into the culture of the university. locally, and even out of state. “Traditions don’t happen overnight,” LaMont said. “So “If I was in New York and I’m an we’ve got to see it through the good or struggles we may FAU grad, and I happen to see another have. No one knew this (owl fingers) for the longest and FAU grad, I can salute them with that,” now you see the whole side of the student section putting LaMont said of an instance when the it up at the basketball games when our guys are at the line. sign can be used. We need to sustain those traditions. Continue to believe in Solid marketing is definitely an aspect them and let them grow.” needed to properly promote a program, And if they do, one day FAU will have one of the strongest but winning plays a major role in fan base’s in the state. determining if this campaign will be

“When you put your hands up and you put those Owls up, you’re now saluting the hoot.”

Dexter LaMont, associate athletic director for external relations

Feb. 21, 2012

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Feb. 21. 2012

Opinion

Hall of (no) fame

FAU’s secret club inducts two members this weekend

By Rolando Rosa

upress@fau.edu

evin Cooney (baseball) and Shontavia Williams (women’s basketball) are set to be inducted into FAU’s hall of fame on Feb. 24. Wait, FAU has a hall of fame? Since 2006, apparently. If this shocks you too, don’t feel bad. It’s pretty easy to miss. FAU’s hall of fame is literally … in a hallway. Buried in The Burrow are pictures of various former players and coaches who contributed to FAU athletics. There is also a page on FAU sports’ website with information on the members of its hall of fame. Cooney coached the baseball team from 1988-2008. Along the way he amassed a record of 750-480-5, as his teams were perennial contenders, advancing to seven

NCAA regionals. The pinnacle of his coaching career came in 2002, when FAU defeated Alabama to win the regional championship. Cooney is one of FAU’s best coaches in the brief history of Owls athletics, but he will go virtually unnoticed. Likewise for Williams. She was a member of the women’s basketball team from 20022006. Williams’ 1,466 points are the most in school history for the women’s team. Her 394 free throws are a school record. Williams led the Owls to an Atlantic Sun (FAU’s conference before the Sun Belt) Tournament title and a birth in the NCAA Tournament in 2006. Yes, there will be an induction ceremony for the two at FAU stadium, but that is not enough. UF, FSU and UM all have hall of fames, but those schools market theirs better. UM has a celebrity bowling tournament for the public to mingle with hall of fame alumni. FAU athletics does not have the history of a program like UM, but it should still think big. The hall of fame should be a separate

Making the “hall”

So, what exactly is the process for selecting FAU’s hall of fame inductees? According to fausports.com, “The Florida Atlantic Athletics Hall of Fame was founded to honor, pay tribute and perpetuate the memory of those individuals who either through participation, support or interest, have made outstanding contributions in intercollegiate athletics and who have helped bring recognition, honor, distinction and excellence to the University.”

Kevin Cooney

When Kevin Cooney retired from FAU after 20 years of coaching in 2008, he traded in the beaches of Florida for the mountains of Tennessee. It is a decision he does not regret. “Every night I watch the sun go down on the Tennessee River,” Cooney said. “It’s a beautiful spot.” Cooney now owns an antique store in an old, downtown district of Sweetwater, Tenn. He is also a Sunday school teacher at his church, St. Thomas, something he expects his old players to be shocked to discover. “Some of my players would probably find that kind of funny that I teach Sunday school,” Cooney said. “I had to learn to change my vocabulary talking to 9 year olds as opposed to 19 year olds.” While Cooney admitted his passion for baseball is still there, he is quite happy with the opportunity to spend more time with his wife and two children and enjoy a different lifestyle. “I never had time to be part of a community other than my team when I was coaching,” Cooney said. “So, God allowed me to make this move and I wanted to do something positive in that regard.”

Feb. 21, 2012

room, with bronze busts, similar to the NFL hall of fame. Hire and train students to enthusiastically give fans a tour of the hall. If the school wants tradition as badly as it claims — go about it in the right way. Howard Schnellenberger, the father of FAU football and the man responsible for the arrival of the new football stadium, should be the centerpiece of the new hall of fame. The exact statue that sits near the gates of the stadium should be in the room. Have a large television that plays highlights of the inductees. Bring all the members — not just the ones from the current year’s class — back for activities throughout the weekend. Hold a barbeque meet and greet for fans with the hall of fame alumni on the front lawn of the stadium. Dexter LaMont, associate athletic director for external affairs, said it best —

FAU’s hall of fame, founded in 2006, has 25 individual members and also honors the 2003 football team. Photo by Charles Pratt

traditions don’t start overnight. But, they have to start somewhere. When it was first formed in 1998, the football team was practicing barefoot in a gym and playing in a stadium a half hour away from campus. Now, they have a state of the art facility in Boca, which is the most impressive stadium in the Sun Belt Conference. The future of athletics at FAU is on the rise, but like the old saying goes: You don’t know who you are until you know where you came from.

Some requirements: • A coach must be retired for at least five years. • An administrator must have served for three years. • A player has to wait three years after graduation or completion of their eligibility. • Under the special consideration category, eligibility is possible for any person who has made a significant contribution to the program. To be elected, a candidate must receive a three-fourths vote from the Hall of Fame Selection Committee, who were unavailable for comment.

Shontavia Williams

Shontavia Williams fought for loose balls on the women’s basketball team at FAU from 2002-2006. Now? She’s fighting crime. Williams is a police officer in Boca Raton. She studied health administration at FAU, but had a change of heart after realizing her passion was in the police field. After FAU, Williams played overseas in Germany. She only lasted four games before she realized the lifestyle was not for her. While at FAU, every game she played had at least 15 family members in the crowd. In Germany, she was all alone and the transition was not easy. “Worst experience of my life,” Williams said. “I cried every day. I was homesick.” Her grandfather became ill and passed away, prompting her to move back home, where she immediately joined the police force. Her fondest memory at FAU came in her senior season, when she led the Owls to the Atlantic Sun title. “We played three games in three nights. We won all three and cut the nets. It was excitement at first. Hard work paid off. I was there for four years and we finally did it in my senior year.” She finished her career as the all-time leading scorer in school history with 1,466. “It was pretty cool,” Williams said. “It’s something I never even thought about when I came to FAU. upressonline.com

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Feb. 21. 2012

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Feb. 21. 2012

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