A DECADE IN REVIEW FAU has been around for over five decades. Here's a look at how FAU’s football team, diversity, housing and more has changed just over the last one. Hint: there’s been more diversity, more dorms, and apartments, And more wins.
SPECIAL DECADE ISSUE
VOL.21 | #5 | 2/11/20 UPRESSONLINE.COM
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UP STAFF SPECIAL ISSUE EDITOR KRISTEN GRAU SPECIAL ISSUE DESIGNER ISRAEL FONTOURA
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
EDITOR IN CHIEF KRISTEN GRAU
KIMBERLY SWAN COLBY GUY
MANAGING EDITOR ISRAEL FONTOURA
CONTRIBUTORS JESSE GANN ESTON PARKER III MICHELLE RODRIGUEZGONZALEZ
WITH A NEW DECADE STARTING, TAKE A LOOK AT HOW FAU HAS CHANGED FROM 2010 UNTIL NOW.
ADVISERS NEIL SANTANIELLO ILENE PRUSHER MICHAEL KORETZKY
BY KRISTEN GRAU
SPORTS EDITOR ZACHARY WEINBERGER PHOTO EDITOR ALEX LISCIO STAFF WRITERS REGINA HOLLOWAY MARCY WILDER JOSEPH ACOSTA
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FAU’s campus started as an airbase in the ‘40s, opened as a college in the ‘60s and has since developed into what you see now. And this year marks another decade that FAU’s been through. From 2010 until now, FAU has improved its diversity, built three new residence halls and improved its football team. One of FAU’s staples, the Breezeway, has gone through several phases of construction. The Food Court located on the Breezeway has added several new places to eat with more on the way.
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You’ve likely been here for just four years or less, so you haven’t been able to see all the changes — and there have been many. That’s why we wanted to give you a visual look at all of those with this issue.
PUBLISHER FAU Student Government The opinions expressed by the UP are not necessarily those of the student body, Student Government or FAU.
Housing: Three of FAU’s newest residence halls were built this decade — with two more expected to finish in 2021.
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While there have been plenty of other changes, these are the ones that stood out to us most. Here’s a rundown of everything we covered:
Football: FAU finished the 2011 season with one win under former head coach Howard Schnellenberger, and closed the 2019 season with 11 wins under former head coach Lane Kiffin. Diversity: FAU’s number of Black, Hispanic, and students who classify as two or more races has generally increased over the decade, with a small drop in Black students in 2018-2019. The Breezeway: Starbucks has moved and new options like Pollo Tropical and the PopUp have recently opened. Plus, there are more options on the way.
COVER ILLUSTRATION BY ISRAEL FONTOURA
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OPINION The Owls’ worst and best football teams this decade came in the beginning and end, respectively. BY ZACHARY WEINBERGER
(L-R) Howard Schnellenberger, Willie Taggart, Lane Kiffin. Photos by Michelle Friswell and Alex Liscio. Illustration by Israel Fontoura.
FROM 1 TO 11 4
PRESS // OCTOBER UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY PRESS // FEBRUARY 11, 20201, 2019
As FAU football enters in their 20th season under new head coach Willie Taggart, the past 19 seasons gave fans some highs and some lows. While the Owls are still a fairly new program, they’ve been through four different conferences including FCS and FBS Independent, the Sun Belt conference and now Conference USA. In total, the Owls have gone 103-126. FAU has been through four different head coaches, excluding Taggart, throughout the 19 seasons, so which season was the best? What was the worst?
BEST SEASON: 2019
Is this the case of the recency effect? Possibly, but in Lane Kiffin’s last season with the Owls before he took the train to Ole Miss, he set unprecedented records. Kiffin was coming off of a disappointing 2018 season where the team went 5-7 and missed out on a bowl game, so the expectations going into this season were low. What resulted was the third time ever FAU won 11 games, they blew out UAB in the conference championship and manhandled SMU in the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl. It wasn’t just hardware that makes this team the best in program history, it was the coaching staff and their ability to make the most out of the roster. Starting with the offense, quarterback Chris Robison had a rough season in 2017 when he threw for 12 touchdowns and interceptions. In his first year starting, he was plagued with inaccuracy, bad decision-making and being unproductive on the road. With a year under his belt, Robison blossomed under Kiffin and Charlie Weiss Jr., the offensive coordinator. He threw for 3,701 yards to go along with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions including a four-touchdown performance in the conference championship against UAB. Even better are the weapons he had around him. Tight end Harrison Bryant had a career season catching for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns and is touted as one of the top prospects at his position in the NFL Draft. The other receiving threats who had productive years included the speedy Deangelo Antoine, lengthy John Mitchell and the second tight end John Raine as the trio combined for 16 touchdowns.
While the air attack was strong, it made way for the ground game to be successful. After BJ Emmons was sidelined with a broken ankle for a couple of months, running backs Malcolm Davidson and Larry McCammon III took over the reins as they both combined for over 1,100 yards and totaled 16 touchdowns. But it wasn’t just the offense. Before defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer took a job at USF, he and the Owls led the nation in turnover margin (+20) and interceptions (21). Nine of those picks went to cornerback Meiko Dotson which broke the program record for most in a season, acting as a true ball hawk. The defensive front seven of the Owls were dominant all season, especially at the linebacker position. The dynamic duo of Akileis Leroy and Rashad Smith disrupted opposing offenses every week as they both combined for 197 total tackles, 11 sacks and five interceptions. Leroy led the team in sacks with 7.5, just behind them included the likes of defensive linemen Leighton McCarthy (5.5), Ray Ellis (4.5) and Tim Bonner (4). Kiffin ended his FAU tenure with a bang, crafting the most balanced team in program history. They were faced with adversity in blowout losses to Ohio State and UCF to start, but they found their footing during the rest of the season and were dominant on both sides of the ball. 2019 was easily the best year of football for the Owls.
WORST SEASON: 2011
There’s a lot of things you can criticize this team about, but it all comes down to two words: One win. 2011 was the only season in program history where the Owls only won one game. While that may be enough to decide the worst FAU team, it goes way deeper than the record of 1-11. In his 11th season, former head coach and creator of the football program Howard Schnellenberger announced his retirement before the season, so leaving on a good note would’ve been ideal. What resulted was a poorly productive team with very few bright spots. Every loss but one had FAU trailing by double digits points, including their first two losses to ranked teams Florida and Michigan State. The Owls were outscored 85-3 in those games, their only points were a field goal against the Gators.
Not surprisingly, they finished last in the Sun Belt conference and were 0-8 versus teams within the conference. Their only win in the season came in a 38-35 rout against UAB, that victory being the first in FAU Stadium. The numbers on this team are ugly, with quarterback Graham Wilbert only throwing seven touchdowns as opposed to 15 interceptions. He also rushed for -144 yards, averaging -4.6 yards per carry. I’m not kidding. The offense didn’t click at all as not one receiver eclipsed over 300 yards or caught 30 catches. No defender got more than five sacks or three interceptions. The three-way tie for most interceptions went to defensive backs Marcus Bartels, Treon Howard and recent Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs Keith Reaser with two picks. To reference the aforementioned bright spots, the running attack was the only part of the offense that was successful. Before the fans were graced with the stupendous talent of running back Devin Single-
tary, then came FAU great Alfred Morris. He proved wonders for the Owls, rushing for 1,186 yards and nine touchdowns.
Here’s a fun fact of the 2011 season: the first game ever played at FAU Stadium ended in a 20-0 loss to Western Kentucky. The head coach of the Hilltoppers? Current FAU head coach Willie Taggart. While it’s a nice tidbit, if that’s a silver lining for this team, then you know the season was forgettable.
HERE’S HOW EACH FOOTBALL TEAM DID THIS DECADE.
2010: 4–8 2011: 1–11 2012: 3–9 2013: 6–6 2014: 3–9 2015: 3–9 2016: 3–9 2017: 11–3 2018: 5–7 2019: 11–3 5
DECADE OF DIVERSITY Statistics from the past decade show an increase in enrollment and diversity.
BY REGINA HOLLOWAY
Editor's note: These diversity statistics are taken from the Fall semester of the selected years. FAU has increased its ethnic diversity over the past decade — and in 2018, was ranked one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the U.S., according to the U.S. News & World Report. In 2010, there were 28,394 students attending FAU compared to the 29,829 students in the last term. That’s a 1,435 student body difference over the course of the decade. However, documentation of FAU's population shows a gradual increase in different races and ethnicities attending FAU. In 2017, FAU was also designated as a Hispanic-serving Institution, which means at least 25 percent of the undergraduate student body was Hispanic. The number of Black students and students who classify as two or more races has also steadily increased throughout the years (with a small drop in Black students for the 2018-2019 school year).
2010 Student enrollment
Student enrollment
was
was
30,447 2015
STUDENT ENROLLMENT 6
2018
30,381
The ethnicity enrollment:
4.6% Asian 17.2% Black 20.3% Hispanic 0.07% Native American 52.7% White 1.1% Unknown
4.3% Asian 18.7% Black 23.9% Hispanic 0.1% Native American 0.1% Pacific Islander 3% Two or More Races 46.3% White 1.1% Unknown
2018
2015 Student enrollment
Student enrollment
was
was
30,447
2014 The ethnicity enrollment: 29,829
30,381
28,394
2014
28,394
The ethnicity enrollment:
Here’s a deeper look into FAU’s changing demographics:
2010
2014
29,829
The ethnicity enrollment:
4.3% Asian 18.9% Black 25.8 % Hispanic 0.2% Native American 0.1% Pacific Islander 3.6% Two or More Races 42.1% White 0.8% Unknown
4.2% Asian 18.8% Black 24.2% Hispanic 0.1% American Indian 0.1% Pacific Islander 3.4% Two or More Races, 44.7% White 0.9% Unknown
Source: FAU's Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Analysis
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EVOLUTION OF THE BREEZEWAY
One of FAU’s staples is the Breezeway. Here’s what the $4.4 million makeover in 2018 resulted in — and some of what’s to come. BY COLBY GUY PHOTOS BY JESSE GANN Over the past decade, FAU has changed a lot — and the Breezeway, one of the most frequented places on campus, has undergone many changes of its own. At the beginning of the decade, the Breezeway looked beige and barren, with no signs of school colors anywhere. In 2016, FAU made a plan to change that. The Breezeway underwent a $4.4 million makeover, the UP previously reported, which saw the Breezeway add the blue non-slip tile, outdoor seating, bathroom upgrades, and the ‘I Heart FAU’ sign. This construction was completed on Feb. 14, 2018. This caused a two year period in which students had to navigate their way to class around green gates blocking off construction zones, but it has resulted in what we have today. In addition to that, FAU also added countless dining options to the Breezeway, such as Chick-fil-a, Pizza Hut, and Pollo Tropical, which opened last month. During Homecoming Week 2018, according to Media Relations Assistant Director Brittany Sylvestri, over 50 FAU students painted a mural on the side of the Breezeway, which represents FAU’s diversity. Throughout the decade, the Breezeway has continued to be the hub of student activity, where students walk from their dorm rooms to class, grab a bite to eat in the Food Court, and interact with the many clubs that table throughout the Breezeway.
FAU finished renovating Starbucks in September 2019. The new Stabucks is located where the bank used to be. It's not clear what will replace the old Starbucks location.
Chick-fil-A opened on the Breezeway in January 2015. An Einstein Bros Bagels used to be in its place. Since Chick-fil-A's opening, breakfast options and milkshakes have been added to the menu.
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One of the Breezeway's most recent additions is the PopUp, a food truck that opened in 2019. It serves tacos, burgers, sandwiches and more. You can also buy alcohol here after 5 p.m.
The Breezeway now comes with a completely different flooring. It was also once missing any school colors, which now line the entire Breezeway. 8
PRESS // OCTOBER UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY PRESS // FEBRUARY 11, 2020 1, 2019
FROM THE GROUND UP FAU built three new residence halls this decade — and demolished Algonquin Hall to make room for another one.
BY MARCY WILDER PHOTOS BY ALEX LISCIO At the beginning of the decade, FAU’s goals concerning housing were to improve current housing and remove substandard housing, increase the utilization of on-campus housing, start working on future housing and utilities, and work with outside housing to make sure it is affordable, according to the Campus Master Plan, which lays out long-term goals for the university. And as of now, some of those goals seem to have been met. FAU has demolished its oldest dorm, Algonquin Hall, to build more housing in Boca and Jupiter. FAU also utilized housing to the point there were not enough rooms for residents on campus and students — and around 100 students are going to be living in Boca and Jupiter hotels next semester, according to Joshua Glanzer, FAU’s vice president of media relations. But the prices have also risen slightly — in 2014, the Board of Trustees voted to bump up housing costs up $300, the UP previously reported. Here are some other highlights: Approximately 2,500 students lived on campus in 2010, according to Brittany Sylvestri, FAU’s media relations assistant director. And according to FAU’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analysis, in 2016, that number rose to 4,342. FAU’s newest residence halls, Innovation Village Apartments North & South, opened in 2011, and Parliament Hall opened in 2013. The oldest on-campus housing on FAU, Algonquin Hall, was built in 1965 and was demolished in the summer of 2019. “We will open our new residence hall with approximately 600 more beds in Fall 2021. Beyond the fall of 2021, we are working with the university on the overall strategic plan to review the possibility to add additional options for on-campus housing,” Sylvestri said. “We will adjust our programmatic offerings and services to reflect the changing needs of our student body.”
2011
• FAU made a plan for housing that would later be known as Parliament Hall • The Board of Trustees made a proposal to raise housing prices. Sylvestri said, “Housing costs are typically raised to adjust to increases in the cost of the delivery of services, increased amenities or increases in the cost of utilities (natural gas, electricity, water/ sewer).”
2012
• The Board of Trustees voted to raise housing prices by 3 percent. • The UP reported that Boca introduced the off-campus apartment complex known as University Park in Fall 2012 and expected it would be open in 2013. The UP asked University Park how many students live there now, but has not received a response as of publication time.
2014 • The Board of Trustees voted to raise housing prices for 2015, despite opposition from Student Government. • The UP reported on the construction of another off-campus apartment complex called University Square. 9
2015
• Larry Faerman became the director of housing. • The UP reported Student Government wanted to start building Greek Housing on Lot Five. • The housing rate raise Board of Trustees voted on went into effect, and the UP reported on how that drove FAU students to look for off-campus housing. There has not been a price change since Fall 2015.
2018
• Housing spent $5.7 million on new air conditioning for Glades Park Towers, Heritage Park Towers, and Indian River
2019
• Lambda United, an LGBTQ organization at FAU, petitioned to make all Boca campus dorms offer gender-neutral room assignments. • Demolition began on Algonquin Hall. • FAU announced two new residence halls would be built — one on the Boca campus, one on the Jupiter campus. The projects will cost $78.5 million, the UP reported.
Algonquin Hall, FAU's oldest residence hall, opened in 1965 and was demolished Summer 2019 to be replaced with a 616-bed residential facility
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