volume 10 issue 29
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Volume 10 Issue 29TRANSCRIPT
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The student newspaper at Florida Gulf Coast University
As if budget cuts and tuition increases weren’t enough in these tough economic times, the government is also seeking to make changes to the need-based Federal Pell Grant, effective July 1.
“A student must allocate their fi nancial aid for the summer,” said Santiago Vidaurri, a fi nancial aid offi cer in the Offi ce of Financial Aid and Scholarships. “Students must choose if they want to use the Pell grant for fall/spring or for the summer. It is not available for all three semesters.”
Vidaurri also said these changes were brought on by the federal government.
Although this affects many students, some are just trying to roll with the punches.
“Cuts have to come from somewhere,” said Madison Harter, a graduate student seeking her master’s degree in public administration. “It just sucks that they look to education for those cuts.”
But there is some good news for students.
The maximum amount a student can receive from the Pell Grant is now $5,550, the highest it’s ever been, according to the CNN Money website.
However, a cap has been placed on the duration of the aid.
Once a student has received the Pell Grant for 12 semesters, or the equivalent, they will no longer be eligible for additional Pell Grants, according to studentaid.ed.gov.
If they have exceeded the 12-semester maximum, they will lose eligibility for additional Pell Grants beginning in the 2012-13 school year.
Also, a student will become ineligible for the Pell Grant if they earn a bachelor’s degree prior to reaching the 12-full time semester limit. This limit will be tracked by the U.S. Department of Education, according to the university’s fi nancial aid website
Many studentsrely on the Pell grant to pay for college, but some students do not see the cap as a bad thing.
Sarah Hansen a sophomore
majoring in political science, said it will help make students more responsible.
“If you’re not messing around, then you should be able to graduate on time within the 12-semester maximum,” Hansen said.
Equivalency to the maximum is calculated by adding together the percentage of your Pell eligibility that you received each year to determine whether the total amount exceeds 600 percent, according to studentaid.ed.gov.
This includes all previous semesters at other colleges/universities, according to the university’s fi nancial aid website.
To put it more simply: if your maximum Pell Grant award amount for the 2010-2011 school year was $5,550, but you only received $2,775 because you were only enrolled for one semester, you would have used 50percent of your maximum award for that year. If in the following school year, you were enrolled only three-quarter time, you would have used 75 percent of your maximum award for that year. Together, you would have received 125percent
out of the total 600 percent lifetime limit.
And because of the cap, receiving a Federal Pell grant greater than 100 percent of the annual award is no longer an option with the 2011-2012 award year.
Which means a student who was full-time for both the fall 2011 and spring 2012 semesters will have no remaining Pell Grant eligibility for summer 2012.
Both Hansen and Harter agree that the Pell grant should cover the required summer credits needed to graduate.
“What happens if you’re relying on the Pell grant to pay for the summer courses you need to graduate?” Harter asked. “Sometimes required courses are only offered during the summer.”
Pell Grants are considered a foundation of federal fi nancial aid, according to studentaid.ed.gov.
It remains to be seen if any other changes are in the works for the foundation of federal fi nancial aid.
FGCU Board of Trustees discusses several important issues, including a possible 15 percent tuition hike and a plan to create 49 acres of intramural ! elds on land censored for environmental conservation.
Check back at www.eaglenews.org for more information.
Important decisions regarding tuition
From intoxicated students and contact highs, to an hour-long delay and fl ying glow sticks, Wiz Khalifa smoked Nest Fest. The Billboard Top 100 didn’t disappoint the nearly sold-out crowd.
The delay irritated Shenika Bourne, a senior majoring in social work, but her mood changed once Khalifa emerged.
“It was defi nitely an experience to be had,” Bourne said. “Having fl oor tickets gave me a chance to interact with other concertgoers who have a love for hip-hop.”
Nest Fest also featured Sam Adams, the Boston hip-hop artist plucked from obscurity.
Emily Tignor, a junior majoring in nursing, got to meet the performer and take her picture with him.
“He was really nice and we met his DJ too,” Tignor said. “Everyone was having fun and singing along to the songs.”
The event also featured Chaysen and the FGCU band, Spacesuit Junkies.
Nest Fest reviews hazy
POLICE BEAT
SERVICE LEARNING
BRIEFS
A2 NEWS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 EDITOR: VERONICA VELA NEWS!EAGLENEWS.ORG
FGCU – Beta Gamma Sigma Induction Ceremony Two volunteers needed to help the Lutgert College of Business with the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) Induction Ceremony on Friday, April 20 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. If interested, please call Jennifer Hernandez 239-590-7308 for more information. Dress casually for set-up and clean-up. Bring a change of clothes (Business) to change into for the event.
Conservation Collier Work Day – Come to Pepper Ranch Preserve this Saturday, April 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help create mountain bike trails for public use with the Mudcutters (a mountain biking group). The address is 6315 Pepper Road Immokalee, FL 33142. Volunteers would need to wear gloves, closed toed shoes and preferably long pants and shirts. We would provide water, Gatorade and snacks. Contact Christal Segura if you are interested in attending or if you have questions: (239) 252-2495 (office) or (239) 289-3310 (cell).
FGCU Commencement volunteers needed to play an important service and public relations role at both commencement ceremonies (10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.) on April 29 at Alico Arena. Duties may include assisting ushers, managing the door, answering guest questions, and lining up candidates. Hours also can be earned for the volunteer orientation held the week prior. Contact Lauren Cargo at [email protected].
Harry Chapin Food Bank: Letter Carriers Annual Food Drive is recruiting individuals or teams to presort and prepare the food left at mailboxes by the generous residents of Southwest Florida on May 12 for transit to Food Bank warehouses. Volunteers can sign up to work at a specific post office location for an 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. shift or a 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. shift. Contact Bedzaida at [email protected] to get the volunteer form and guidelines. For this event, it is very important that you are able to stand, lift, bend, and be outdoors for the entire shift. Call Bedzaida at 239-334-7007 X141 with questions.
Estero Bay Preserve State Park Enjoy the outdoors? Ever feel like we have a huge impact on the environment? Are you
ready to make a difference and need service hours!? Well then come volunteer at the Estero Bay Preserve State Park!! Close to FGCU, off of Corkscrew Road and 41. For more information, contact Scott Stimpson at [email protected].
Lakes Regional Park Help with a program for children’s tours of the gardens from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on a weekday or Saturday at 9 a.m. Concepts that may be included are: importance of plants to the earth, plants and insect interdependence, kinds of propagation, composting and nutrients, ability of plants to filter water. Contact Susan Moore at [email protected] or 239-481-7845.
FGCU Food Forest is a student run botanical garden which highlights tropical/subtropical edible species that grow well in South Florida and is right here on campus. They need students to help on most Fridays between 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Contact them before you go at [email protected].
ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) Help out with agricultural development. Fill out a volunteer application at www.echonet.org. For questions, contact Ruth at [email protected].
Koreshan State Park Historic Site Students welcome every Wednesday at 8 a.m. Simply show up on time at 3800 Corkscrew Road, the gate opens automatically at 8 a.m. Long pants, closed toed shoes are required, they suggest water and gloves.
Heartland Gardens: Did you know that FGCU alums started this nonprofit? They have a 1,700 square foot raised labyrinth and they’re landscaping the entire acre with edible plants. Help with your financial expertise, business background, economic background, bookkeeping and data entry skills, public relations or communications background, or assist with newsletters, e-blasts, or grant writing. Contact Andrea at [email protected] or call 239-689-4249.
Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium Numerous opportunities! Contact [email protected] or call 275-3435.
Naples Botanical Garden Horticulture gardening starts at 8 a.m. Monday thru Friday and includes weeding, potting,
moving plants, digging, raking, sweeping, clearing debris, etc. Wear closed toe shoes. No shorts or tank tops. Bring water. Wear sunscreen. Bring work gloves if you have them. Looking especially for groups of students on Fridays. No last minute requests. Give a 4 to 5 day lead time. If you commit, then can’t make it, give notice. Be on time. Email Sally Richardson at [email protected].
Rookery Bay Help give out literature, talk to visitors about the Learning Center, or assist with children’s craft. Contact Susan Maunz at [email protected] or call 239-417-6310 x412.
Sustainable Living and Interconnected Education (SLIE) So much of what needs to be done will be decently challenging labor, digging, building raised garden beds, constructing water capturing vessels and their gutters. Contact Hunter Preston at [email protected] or 239-245-3250.
Lee County Sheriff ’s Youth Activities League: Help now through summer. Thursday at 3 p.m. at the board meeting, or flyer creation on Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m., or telecommute phone via Skype. Contact Katie at 239-898-6090 or [email protected].
Bonita Springs Assistance Office Help this primary social service agency and serve the community in assisting needs of clients, enhancing public speaking presentations, or writing informational materials. Contact Maribel Slabaugh at [email protected] or 239-992-3034.
Education for Collier Would love strong, committed volunteers! Workshops in the Take Stock Program needs students to help in the ACT testing areas of Math, English, Reading, Writing and Science to help every week. Sessions held at Grace Place in Naples. Choose Monday or Tuesday evening from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Contact Linda Morton at [email protected].
Uncommon Friends Foundation Are you a history buff? Become a tour guide in a Georgian Revival style home located on the bank of the Caloosahatchee River in Downtown Fort Myers. Contact Christine Forbes at [email protected] or 239-337-0706.
Grace Community Center has a multitude of opportunities! Help with an afterschool program for at-risk high school students, tutor to GED seekers, thrift store assistance, or serve food to neighbors in need. Contact Cheryl Wilcox at [email protected] or 239-656-1320.
FGCU Athletics Numerous opportunities with game day operations. Serve as ushers for basketball, baseball, softball, and timers for swimming and diving. Contact Will Pitt at [email protected] or 239-590-7055.
Center for Academic Achievement: Want to use your skills and knowledge from a specific FGCU course to help another FGCU student? Then becoming a tutor with the Center for Academic Achievement just might be for you! Service Learning and paid positions available. We are currently looking to fill tutoring positions for summer and fall 2012 in the areas of math (Calculus 1), Biology I and II, Chemistry I and II, Physics, Economics, Statistics (STA 2023). For further information about this volunteer opportunity contact The Center for Academic Achievement at (239)590-7906 or stop by Library 103.
Abuse Counseling & Treatment (ACT) Second Act Thrift store needs help. The benefit of volunteering is a 50 percent discount. Also, need someone to help this nonprofit agency with a marketing plan for 2 to 3 months available. Contact Honara Jacobus at [email protected] or 239-939-2553.
YMCA Help coach basketball, soccer, flag football or assist with events. Contact Lisa at [email protected].
Take Stock in Children Become A Mentor! Few bonds in life are more influential than those between a young person and an adult. Take Stock in Children needs mentors for Caloosa Middle School, Dunbar High School, East Lee County High School, Fort Myers High School, Ida Baker High School, Lehigh Senior High School. Call 239-337-0433.
Information is provided by the Service Learning department. All opportunities are pre-approved. You can find more opportunities on Facebook at “FGCU Service Learning.”
Saturday April 7 at 10:05 a.m.: UPD was notified of vandalism to a student’s vehicle in Everglades Hall. A female caller told officers that her car’s windshield was smashed in and that it looked like someone hit it with a baseball bat. Another vehicle was also found with similar damage.
Sunday April 8 at 8:05 a.m.: A 17-year-old male was found intoxicated and sleeping in someone’s car outside of North Lake Village building Cypress after his parent’s called UPD to
perform a welfare check on him. He told officers he did not know whose car he was sleeping in or where his friends were. The subject was then picked up by his parents.
Monday April 9 at 3:25 p.m.: A call was made to UPD regarding the theft of a Jansport backpack out of locker in the music and fine arts complex. The backpack was later found in an empty locker, however $100 was missing from inside.
Wednesday April 11 at 1:24 p.m.:
A drug search conducted in North Lake Village building Mangrove recovered several drug paraphernalia items including: a black box containing a brown pipe with a mustache, a wood grinder, a yellow ceramic pipe, a multi colored glass pipe, a pink glass pipe, and a digital scale. Also, trace amounts of marijuana were found during the search and was destroyed.
Saturday April 14 at 2:28 a.m.: Officers found a group of individuals smoking marijuana in a car outside of North
Lake Village building Egret. The subjects were not FGCU students but had been on campus after attending Nest Fest. They were then escorted off campus and issued a trespassing warning.
The Police Beat is compiled by Eagle News staff from public logs available at the University Police Department. Police Beat is not associated with the UPD. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
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MISSION STATEMENT:Eagle News, the student media group at Florida Gulf Coast University, represents the diverse voices on campus with fairness.
We select content for our publication and our website that is relevant to the student body, faculty and staff. Members are committed to reporting with accuracy and truth. Our purpose is to encourage conversations about issues that concern the on-campus community.
Eagle News views every culture with equal respect and believes every person must be treated with dignity.
ABOUT US:Eagle News, founded in 1997, is the student newspaper at Florida Gulf Coast University. The newspaper is the only student produced publication on campus and is entirely student run.
Eagle News is published weekly during the fall and spring semesters and monthly in the summer, with the exception of holiday breaks and examination periods.
The print edition is free to students and can be found on campus and in the community at Gulf Coast Town Center, Germain Arena and Miromar Outlets.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A3WWW.EAGLENEWS.ORG
Chicken is cheaper today than it was in the Great Depression, according to Temple Grandin.
Grandin, a noted author, video producer and animal welfare expert, is popularly known for bringing a positive face to autism, a developmental disorder that is now affecting, to some degree, one in 88 children.
On Friday Grandin spoke to room of students and faculty about her work in the livestock industry. The speech was part of Autism Awareness Month and Promising Pathways, a community sponsored conference for parents and educators addressing the autism spectrum.
Grandin is a designer of livestock handling facilities and developer of a scoring system for assessing the handling of cattle and pigs at meat plants. Nearly half of the cattle in the country are handled through a system she designed.
The major problems in the plants are easily solved for Grandin.
“One of the advantages of being autistic is I’m a bottom-up thinker,” Grandin said. We need more bottom up thinking.”
Cattle need to travel through the plant. Grandin uses her
designs to eliminate factors that keep the animals from moving down the line. Factors like light, sound, and line of sight scare the animals and interrupt the travel process.
“You control what they see and it makes a big difference,” Grandin said. She uses cardboard and twisty ties to fix the problems. She is all about inexpensive, quick fixes. “We have to think about a real way to solve things,” she said.
Grandin embraces her autism. She comes to a conclusion differently than the majority of the population, she said. “One thing about autism is I like to go outside the box.”
President Barrack Obama released his World Autism Awareness Day Presidential Proclamation at the beginning of the month. He called the rise in autism diagnosis a “growing public health issue.”
The Center for Disease Control reports one in 150 children had some form of autism in 2007. Today, one in 88 children and expected to show some form of the developmental disorder.
April is Autism Awareness month.
“Nothing in the practical world is perfect,” Grandin said. “We’ve got to go back to doing real stuff.”
Community Engagement Day was held on Friday in Alico Arena. Students who worked throughout the semester with community partners used the opportunity to showcase their work on. This year, the theme of the showcase event was “FGCU Students - out to change the world!”
A4 NEWS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 EDITOR: VERONICA VELA NEWS!EAGLENEWS.ORG
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Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
Attractive women: Can jealousy really cost you a job?
Two Israeli researchers recently found that human resource departments, which tend to be staffed by women, tend to dismiss good-looking women purely out of jealousy, according to The Economist.
Researchers Bradley Ruffle at Ben-Gurion University and Ze’ev Shtudiner at Ariel University Centre sent fictional applications to over 2,500 real-life job postings.
For each position, they sent two very similar resumes, one without a photo and one including a picture of a gorgeous applicant.
Resumes with photos of physically attractive women were far less likely to land an interview than those without a photo attached, the researchers found.
Kathy Norris, a professor in the department of communication and
philosophy, said attaching a photo with a resume could a negative “meta-message” to potential employers.
“It could show that the interviewee attaching the photo has low self-esteem,” Norris said. “And that’s kind of sad.”
In fact, researchers calculated that a beautiful woman would need to send out 11 resumes on average to land an interview. An equally qualified applicant who’s not categorized as pretty would only have to send out seven, according to an article by Madhavi Acharya-Tom Yew from the Toronto Star.
Norris also said the issue may go even deeper than low self-esteem.
“Attaching a photo with a resume tells a lot about how the person perceives themselves,” Norris said. “It sort of implies that the interviewee hopes the interviewer thinks they’re cute and offers them the job based on their looks rather than their
qualifications.”But it’s not just women who
face this stigma.The researchers did the same
study for men and found the opposite result. They found that attractive men were more likely to get the job over “ugly” men.
In the Israeli study, 93 percent of those tasked with selecting candidates for interviews were female.
“The researchers’ unavoidable — and unpalatable — conclusion is that old-fashioned jealousy led the women to discriminate against pretty candidates,” The Economist reports.
It is not uncommon for applicants to attach a photo with a resume in Europe and Asia, but some North Americans may consider it strange and tasteless.
Kristi Belotto, a sophomore majoring in criminal justice, agrees.
“I wouldn’t include a photo,” Belotto said. “It’s like judging a
book by its cover.”Dean Davis, a professor in the
department of communication and philosophy, said it’s an oddity to attach a photo with a resume.
Both Norris and Davis agree that an interviewee’s qualifications should be figured out during the interview, without any preconceived notions that a photo may bring.
Davis says it’s also illegal to even require a photo unless it’s for an acting job.
“It could make the interviewer more suspicious of the interviewee’s intent,” Davis said. “It could also make them seem arrogant.”
But it’s not all about looks.Davis, who’s on the search
committee for new professors, looks at resumes and says it would not be a good idea to include a photo with a resume. In fact, he has yet to see a photo attached to a resume.
“We’re looking for knowledge of
discipline and personality,” Davis says.
Marika Fotos, a junior majoring in forensic science, agrees and says she would not include her photo with a resume.
“I wouldn’t want them to judge me based on my looks and not my personality,” Fotos said.
Not only can beauty cost a woman her job, but not being beautiful enough can hinder her chance at getting a raise, according to an article by Bonnie Kavoussi of the Huffington Post:
“If you want a raise, you may want to try losing weight or wearing more makeup, as infuriating as that may sound. For women, obesity is associated with an 18 percent wage reduction and a 25 percent loss in family income, and it reduces your chances of getting married by 16 percent. Makeup enhances the perception that a woman is trustworthy and competent.”
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A5WWW.EAGLENEWS.ORG
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The movie “The Hunger Games” has proven to be a huge success with critics and FGCU students. But has the movie influenced students to pick up a new hobby?
Katniss Everdeen, “The Hunger Games” heroine, is an expert at archery, a sport featured throughout the
movie. From hunting food for her family to protecting
herself against the other tributes, Katniss has
given archery a new, positive light. Has seeing this sparked
an interest in students to pick up a bow and arrow?
The Lee County Archers say no. Ben Brown, of the Lee
County Archers, says that the Archers have about 200 active
members, but that it might be “too early to tell” if the movie has turned
anyone onto archery.However Bryant Stewart, treasurer
of the FGCU Archery Club, disagrees. “I have seen, in the past semester, an
increase in new people coming out to practice who have never shot before,” said Stewart. “Whether this has something to do with ‘The Hunger Games,’ I do not know, but we have seen an increase in interest in the club.”
Joining the FGCU Archery Club is simple. Practices are every Monday at 7:15 p.m. at the Lee County Archers Range. New members can find the necessary paperwork on the FGCU Sports Club webpage. It is recommended that new members join the FGCU Archer Club Facebook page for weekly meeting and practice reminders.
The Archery Club currently has about 10 members that consistently show up to practice. The club takes all skill levels, from beginners to experts. Students can learn all the basics about the sport by going to the practices.
The Lee County Archers have open shooting every Thursday evening. Students do not need to have a membership with the Archers to use the range.
More information about the FGCU Archery Club can be found by emailing Bryant Stewart at [email protected]. The Lee County Archers can be contacted at (239) 369-6212.
Campus Recreation Advisory Board is a fi rst-year board that serves as a liaison between the Campus Recreation Department and program participants.
Students, faculty and staff make up the board, which serves as a voice of the campus community regarding programming and planning for recreation services. The board meets monthly and is about to open up two to three new seats. Students interested in applying can pick up an application at the Vice President for Student Affairs Offi ce in the Cohen Center. Applications can also be found on CRAB’s website.
Amy Swingle, Director of Campus Recreation, says CRAB gives a voice to students. “This gives students input into decisions and improvements we make at Campus Recreation,” Swingle said. “It’s a great leadership opportunity for someone who may not be as active in student government or Greek life.”
CRAB’s next meeting is Friday, April 20 at 9:00 a.m. in Cohen Center 120.
With the excitement that surrounded the visit of avid pot-smoker Wiz Khalifa at Nest Fest on Friday, it may be hard to believe the campus Wellness Center signs posted around campus that refute the popularity of drugs. These signs, placed near the Prevention and Wellness building, state that 79 percent of FGCU students haven’t smoked marijuana in the past 30 days.
With these contradictions
present, students are left wondering how many of their peers are actually partaking in recreational drug use and how accurate the Wellness Center’s statistics are.
Students around campus have been discussing their plans for Friday, April 20, a noted “holiday” for many who smoke marijuana. This is also marks the start of Wiz Khalifa’s tour.
The statistics used for the signs are from a CORE survey that was administered to a random sample of 649 students
in fall of 2010. The Wellness Center and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) conducted the surveys and posted the signs around campus to encourage FGCU students to make healthy decisions.
The issue of smoking weed can be sensitive for many people. Considering marijuana is illegal, it is also questionable if students are answering the CORE survey truthfully and accurately.
Cheryl Kainrad, a junior majoring in art, said the CORE survey numbers are misleading.
“If I had to guess, I would say the percentage of students who smoke at FGCU is probably in the high 40s,” she said.
In the 2010 Crime Log, requested from the University Police Department (UPD), 235 arrests were made from Jan. 4 to Dec. 30. Of the arrests made, 38 were for theft, followed by 27 arrests for possession of marijuana. The fourth most popular arrest was for possession of drug paraphernalia. According to the logs, the number of students caught with marijuana
or drug paraphernalia even surpass students caught underage drinking, 37 to 16 respectively.
Jonathan Holth, a sophomore who has not yet declared a major, said smoking weed may be more prevalent because students currently prefer it to alcohol.
“Newer generations of students prefer smoking pot over boozing, and this may just be a change of sorts in society,” Holth said.
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For many of our fellow Eagles, the grand fi nale has arrived. It is time to say goodbye to the college years, and start a new life chapter – where you will hopefully apply all the knowledge gained in those 120 credit hours.
We all know that time fl ies by fast when we are having a good time. But we all know college can not always be a good time. College can sometimes be stressful and frustrating, but it is an amazing and unforgettable experience. Graduating se-niors are going to miss FGCU and our beautiful campus, events and great professors. But remember that every end is a new beginning. So how does it feel to be graduating? What do seniors think about their experience at FGCU? What are their best or worst memories? How did the major decision work for them? What are their plans after being offi cially alumni?
EN interviewed students who will be walking and holding their college diploma in a few weeks to fi nd out these answers.
Class of
2o12: It’s Graduation Time
“Graduating is scary, but I am ready for it. It’s surreal that college is already over; I feel like I just got here. These four years do go by fast, very fast, so make them count as much as possible! I changed my major from business to communication, which I love.
Right after graduation, I am going on a trip to Iceland with my dad. After the trip, I am do-ing an internship with University Directories out of Boca Raton, and next year, I am intern-ing and hopefully applying to law schools.”
Ally RockoffCommunication major
“It feels surreal to graduate in the next two weeks! The past four years at FGCU have fl own by and shaped me into the woman I am today. There has never been a “worst” memo-ry at FGCU in my eyes. There have only been stressful moments from long lectures to fi nals week. All in all, I would never trade the past four years for anything.
After graduation, I plan to spend time with my family in St. Pete for a couple of months and then travel to the University of South Carolina for my master’s degree in higher education student affairs for the next two years!”
Megan DennyPsychology major
“My favorite time at FGCU was when I be-gan taking the courses in the College of Edu-cation. College became something I looked for-ward to because I was studying something that I am passionate about: education. My worst experience at FGCU was when I received my fi rst “D” ever in my sophomore year. It was defi nitely an eye-opener.
Once graduation is over, I plan to enjoy the married life and fi nd a job in my fi eld. Hope-fully, I will be in my own classroom teaching the future of America.”
Kevin Anthony MorganChildhood & youth studies major
“My only bad experience at FGCU was reg-istration on Gulfl ine at midnight when the sys-tem would freeze and it took forever to fi nally register for classes.
My best memory happened this past week-end when FGCU lacrosse beat Palm Beach At-lantic and got into the MCLA division II play-offs in Atlanta. After graduation, I would like to stay in the local community, start my career, and pursue an MBA.
I really did learn a lot, and I am defi nitely going to miss the friends I made, the professors and the college experience. Going to FGCU was the best decision of my life, and I don’t regret it at all! Go Eagles!”
Evan MoshinskyBusiness management major
“It feels extremely relieving and satisfy-ing to be fi nally graduating. It also feels nerve wrecking because now it is time to apply ev-erything I have learned into real life situations. My best experience at FGCU was this week-end! The paintball team went up to Lakeland and we won the National Championships. It was defi nitely an unforgettable moment. Im-mediately once graduation is over, my plan is to sit back and relax for at least a day or two because I was too busy to do it this past se-mester. When I am done with my little stint of relaxation, I plan on continuing to work at CROW (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wild-life in Sanibel) and look towards applying to graduate school where I can get a job in the ac-counting fi eld.”
Kevin SaageAccounting major
Every end is a new
beginning
Every end is a new
beginning
B2 A/L EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 EDITOR: KAYLA STIRZEL ENTERTAINMENT!EAGLENEWS.ORG
Upcoming summer box office movie breakouts
It’s summer movie season again, so you know what that means: hundred-million-dollar grosses for everyone. Well, not everyone, and even with that kind of box office, a lot of films will lose money (look at “John Carter”).
Still, a whole lot of movies are going to make a whole lot of money, so let’s take a look at them, shall we? Yes, let’s.
May starts things off with “The Avengers,” starring Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. It tells the timeless story of Samuel L. Jackson gathering the world’s mightiest heroes, so they can punch aliens in the face. There’s a lot of audience goodwill from the previous (mostly “Iron Man”) Marvel films and the 3D showings will help out. Internationally, it’s mostly golden.
The Captain America character might hold the movie back in certain markets, but Japan has no such qualms, and they prefer lighter, more fun super-antics (as opposed to Batman). Japan is an important market, due to it being a high-population, First World country, which means they’ve got money to spend.
Expect “Avengers” to cross $650 million, worldwide.
The week after, Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows” premieres, but it’s doubtful it’s
strong enough to beat “Avengers,” even with Johnny Depp. Expect a repeat of the scenario from 2008, where “Iron Man” crushed the fun, but ultimately too wacky “Speed Racer.”
Then May starts to cannibalize itself. On May 18, “Battleship,” “The Dictator,” and “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” all come out, and overlap their demographics. “Battleship” hopes to be this year’s “Transformers,” and will probably end up taking the top spot. Sacha Baron Cohen rolls out a new character in “Dictator,” but it looks like more of a Borat retread.
“Expecting” features an A-list cast and might be the most relatively successful, considering its lower budget. In June, the first big release is Ridley Scott’s mysterious return to science fiction, “Prometheus.”
By all accounts, it looks like it will be a great film: a wonderful director, stellar actors, and a thrilling story. However, if it gets slapped with an “R” rating from the MPAA, it could spell doom for lofty gross results. The film should be a solid performer, but $300 million worldwide might be a bit of a stretch, given its creepy, disturbing imagery.
Aside from that, June is traditionally known for family movies, and it doesn’t disappoint. “Ice Age 4” is hell bent on driving the franchise into the ground, Shrek-style, but
like its predecessor, it should do OK here in the States while dominating internationally.
By far, the winner of June is going to be Pixar’s “Brave.” Looking a little more serious and lacking any cute primary characters, it won’t do “Wall-E” or “Finding Nemo” numbers, but between $500 to $550 million sounds about right.
“The Amazing Spider-Man” kicks off July with its own interesting case. The reboot has some ill will from the last (bad) movie, it features barely any star power on top of an Indy director, and it looks darker and grittier.
Dark superheroes are fine, but Spider-Man is well-known for his sense of humor and soap opera of a life. That said, the character himself is immensely popular; the opening weekend will be huge (especially since it’s the Fourth of July), but after that it’s a wildcard. The month closes with the granddaddy of superhero movies, “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Leading up to its release, there will be endless speculation about “Rises’” box office take. One thing’s for certain: the film stands poised to break several records. Analysts have theorized “The Dark Knight’s” cash-collecting spree in 2008 was boosted Heath Ledger’s untimely death, but they may have been overestimating. Ledger’s actual last film (“The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnasus”) didn’t do so
great (maybe because it sounded like a sequel to “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium”).
It’s more likely that his death piqued interest, but the film stood on its own merits. “Rises” lacks a major villain (The Joker) played by an Oscar-winner, but secondary villain/ally/whatever Catwoman should appeal to casual fans unfamiliar with Bane.
The film is also missing a 3D component, but is compensating with IMAX, a format in which half the film is shot. Weak competition in the weeks following “Rises’” release will further bolster the movie’s take.
On the other hand, international audiences don’t take as well to darker blockbusters, especially in Asia, where escapist fare is preferred. Still, by playing the “Grand Finale” card (like “Harry Potter” and “The Lord of the Rings”); expect “The Dark Knight Rises” to be the next billion-dollar movie.
There’s always a lot of leeway in predictions. Maybe “Brave” will flop, or perhaps “Battleship” will be a thrilling masterpiece of cinema. Regardless of how each movie does, it’s just nice to get out and see some cool stuff on the big screen.
Capcom’s “Devil May Cry” series is an anthology of games that has enthralled and enraged its most loyal fans. The goal of an HD collection is to allow the older generation of players to rekindle their love for a series, while leaving each game’s core mechanics set in stone. “The Devil May Cry HD Collection” most certainly accomplishes this for better and for worse.
To begin, the HD collection, which was released April 3 for Xbox 360 and PS3, comes packaged with polished versions of all three “Devil May Cry” games and surprise bonus content.
The surprise bonus content section contains artwork and all of the
soundtracks from the “Devil May Cry” trilogy. Shockingly, the original artwork from the original “Devil May Cry” is the most intriguing. It contains many of the ideas that Capcom had to drop during the development process, which could have taken the series in an entirely different direction.
Each game on the disk has been upgraded with audio enhancements that make listening to them a pleasure and the voice acting sounds clean.
Sound effects such as a sword being swung resonates well and listening to enemies scream to their deaths as they crumble is satisfying. Hearing the sound of glass, wood or concrete slap underneath Dante’s boots and a remastered score provides the player with an overall
improved experience.As promised, the gameplay mechanics
are all intact. “Devil May Cry” and “Devil May Cry 3” both handle spectacularly and are still extremely fun to play; boss battles are intense and death is around every corner.
“Devil May Cry 2” on the other hand, is still a highly flawed game with horrible pacing and aggravating boss battles. The title is jam-packed with a vast amount of innovative ideas but its execution is way off.
A minor problem that plagues all three games is the camera that continuously fights back. It is only a minor gripe and is not a huge nuisance.
Graphically, “Devil May Cry” is the title that appeared to receive the most focus
and attention from Capcom. Lighting is inserted where it wasn’t previously and miniscule details such as glass and blood have been added to specific scenes. The backgrounds in “Devil May Cry 2” still look visually unpleasant, and the only objects that are polished are the main characters. “Devil May Cry 3” is already an aesthetically impressive game. Levels now look smooth instead of fuzzy, plus Capcom cleaned up small defects on the main characters and in-game cut-scenes.
Overall, Capcom and Pipeworks Software did an exceptional job and handled this port with great care. For those who have not jumped on the “Devil May Cry” bandwagon yet, this collection is a good place to start.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 EAGLE NEWS A/L B3WWW.EAGLENEWS.ORG
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Your TunesWhat are you listening to?
Ashley EastmannSophomorePsychology
1. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen2. “Fine By Me” by Andy Grammer3. “Stars” by Switchfoot4. “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction5. “Feeling This” by Blink 182
YOUTUBE:Featured video
of the week
Search “My hamsters in their high speed wheel”
Top 5 Movies of the Week
1. “The Hunger Games”$21.1 million
2. “The Three Stooges” $17 million
3. “The Cabin in the Woods” $14.7 million
4. “Titanic 3D” $12 million
5. “American Reunion ” $10.5 million
These figures are courtesy of boxofficemojo.com.
Brad Basinger, a senior majoring in English, has taken hundreds of beer bottle caps along with pieces of plywood, a “Brad Nailer” device and “Brad nails” to create large eye-popping mosaics. When seeing the visually captivating mosaics Basinger started making approximately two years ago, one would almost think that the nailing device and the nails used were actually named after our FGCU senior.
His idea hatched when he saw an American flag made out of baseballs at a Red Robin restaurant and thought of how cool a flag would look if made of beer bottle caps. After beginning to collect caps and separate them into colors, the mosaic work became a small feat as well as a beautiful edition to Basinger’s artwork portfolio called Sitting Ovation Art.
Sitting Ovation Art is on Facebook showcasing numerous paintings along with finished and unfinished beer bottle cap mosaics of Basinger’s work. Some pieces remain in the making until he gets more caps with the needed colors, which is makes the hobby also a fun feat to collect caps.
The collecting of caps, organizing them, and working with the colors available is what makes his it a challenge but still fun for him as well. Basinger goes out to show his portfolio work to bars and restaurants, sometimes
charging for his mosaic pieces and other times putting them up in restaurants and bars for recognition and/or a supply of the place’s bottle caps.
Grumpy’s Ale House on U.S. 41 in Naples provides Basinger with bottle caps and has his New York Giants, New York Yankees, and to scale 50-star American Flag mosaics displayed in their bar. The South Street Bar in Naples also has the beer cap mosaic of the Philadelphia Phillies symbol displayed in their establishment.
Although not his intent at first, Basinger also acknowledges that his beer cap mosaic artwork does something positive for the environment. Taking in literally
hundreds upon hundreds of caps keeps these tiny metal pieces, some even with plastic in them, out of the garbage and made into grand artwork.
His idea and the making of bottle cap mosaic work is beneficial both visually and environmentally. The beer bottle cap mosaic of our American flag kept 1,500 bottle caps out of the trash. With FGCU’s environmental consciousness and awareness, we could even be collecting our beer bottle caps for Basinger to become art.
Basinger has numerous ideas and further ambitions for his artwork that simply require more bottle caps and lots of patience to
get them. “My ideas and work aren’t
only for sports symbols or teams; I would like to work on larger mosaics with 9x15 or larger pieces of plywood too,” Basinger said.
He can be contacted at [email protected] and can be seen on Facebook as well by searching “Sitting Ovation Art,” although his artwork displayed could probably draw a standing ovation.
Have you ever heard that saying, “stressed is desserts spelled backwards?”
With all of the accumulating stress from final exams and projects, it never hurts to have a ready-made study snack to calm the nerves and appease the palate.
Of course with all of the cram sessions, group meetings, and test reviews it is impossible to find any spare time to bake.
Thankfully, there are quite a few recipes that don’t entail the tedious prep work or the never-ending list of ingredients.
One recipe in particular does not even require using the oven, which means there is no wait time involved.
This simple ice cream cake recipe only calls for five ingredients so there is no fretting over expenses either.
Swing by a grocery store and pick up a package of Oreo cookies, a stick of butter, a half-
gallon of ice cream (flavor of choice), a jar of hot fudge or caramel, and an eight ounce c o n t a i n e r of whipped cream.
It is likely that some of these ingredients will already be in your kitchen. To get started dump the entire package of Oreo cookies into a mixing bowl.
Melt the stick of butter on high for 45 to 60 seconds in the microwave and then pour it in on top of the Oreos.
Take a large wooden or plastic spoon and crush the cookies into little pieces, about the size of crumbs. (It should not be so smashed that the cookies turn
into a powdered texture.) Then this mixture should be
transferred into a glass or metal pan.
A 9-by-13 inch pan is the best size to use to make this frozen treat. Evenly distribute the cookie crumbles until the entire bottom of the pan is covered.
Place in the freezer for 5
minutes to harden. The next step is adding the ice cream. It should be defrosted enough so that it is easy to spread over the crumbles. Place back in the freezer for another 5 minutes. Then the hot fudge or caramel is poured over the ice cream. Again, place in the freezer for 5 minutes to harden.
The final step is to top off the cake with whipped cream. Using a spatula, dumped the whole container onto the cake and spread from the middle to the outer edges until the hot fudge or caramel is no longer visible.
For an added touch the cake can be garnished with your favorite toppings such as sprinkles, chopped nuts, or peanut butter cups.
Then voila you have just successfully made a simple, yet delectable dessert that should last you the entire week of exams.
Unless, you pull a couple of all nighters, in which case you may need to make more than one cake.
OpinionB4 www.eaglenews.org
EN
It’s a bright Friday morning and the men from Kappa Alpha Order are cruising up Interstate 75
for their annual Old South retreat. Their destination: Athens, Ga.
“Everyone in the fraternity went and we all took dates,” said Justin Kline, a junior majoring in journalism.
New experiences are central to the college experience and when Kline and his friends arrived in Athens, they were stunned by the history and architecture.
“There were all these historic buildings,” Kline said. “I was in awe of the tradition and respect. Everyone was patient and so chill.”
College road trips, whether you’re in a fraternity or with buddies driving to that next big concert, are becoming endangered. With the escalating price of gas, students are reconsidering the pros of spending time with friends all across America.
Ryan Garrison, a junior majoring in legal studies, claims he is apprehensive regarding the future. With ambitions of entering a Top 10 law school, Garrison worries he will be unable to afford tuition in addition to the cost of living. His plan is to quit his job at the Law Office of Geralyn F. Noonam his senior year and pursue a job as a waiter until law school. “I’m going to save up as much money as possible while it’s in season,” Garrison said.
Fossil fuels, which consist of coal, oil and natural gas, are defined as concentrated organic compounds found in the earth’s crust. Fossil fuels are an infusion of plant and animal remains that have decomposed over the course of millions of years.
On their government website, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts that between 2006 to 2030 the global consumption of oil will rise at least 25 percent. Additionally, fossil fuels will maintain their title as America’s primary source of energy from now until 2030.
These forecasts are especially
troubling because they imply the price of oil will rise. Oil, as any other commodity, works by the concept of supply and demand. If there is enough demand, the product will increase in price, which as my pockets are well aware, oil has been steadily doing so.
However, despite high prices, the U.S. has implemented measures to reduce their dependence on foreign oil. For example, in 2010, for the first time in 13 years, America imported less than half of the oil consumed. In 2011, the trend repeated. Which asks the question: Why are prices steadily climbing?
“There is increased demand from China, Brazil and India due to their increasing populations,” said Dr. Brad Hobbs, an economic professor at FGCU and a BB&T distinguished professor of free enterprise.
“Wealth is generated by productive activities. Those countries are producing more. There are nearly a billion people in China and many millions are coming out of poverty. As those countries have higher level of income, its citizens aspire to acquire convenient luxuries. For example, Chinese parents want cars for their kids and for themselves. This will contribute to the demand and raise prices,” Hobbs said.
However, the most troubling part to swallow regarding this information is that I will be in my mid-40s before oil prices in America may decline. I feel robbed of the American dream, which is to explore the vast frontiers. I’d like to go on an extended road trip with friends, like the movie “Grind” or “Eurotrip,” without worrying about a depleted bank account.
As to the future of Kappa Alpha trips, Kline assured me the trips will continue despite the rising price of gasoline.
“Road trips make everything better. You have so much more time to get closer and bond with friends.” Kline said. “Worst case, we’ll travel someplace else—maybe stay around Florida,” he said.
Michael is a freshman majoring in finance. He enjoys travel, basketball, hanging out with his friends and listening to music.
Well, my fellow Eagles: Finals are upon us. What comes with them is the stress of cramming a semester’s worth of material into your brain within
a 24-hour period. You might not have had to do this had you gone to class, taken notes and did homework when you were given the opportunity. I know these words feel harsh, but I promise I have your best intentions at heart. Let’s just say this will hurt me worse than it hurts you.
How do you avoid the late night, illegal-Adderall-fueled study sessions? Learn the first time around. Did you know that participating in conversations during class time, in online discussion boards and through homework and writing assignments will actually solidify the course information into your brain?
I don’t know if this has been verified by research, but I believe it’s true. Ask the people in your classes that seem to always be getting As how they do it and they will say because they do what is expected of them by the professors. That’s why it’s vital that you get complete and correct information, which is why your professors have been studying in their field a lot longer than you.
I promise that no matter how right you know you are and how stupid you think your professor and the authors of the books are, in the end it will be known the other way around by your classmates who do the assignments. If professors were really as stupid as some of us may think, don’t you think it stands true that the university would have offered us their jobs? Do the work to see the results.
If you are asking yourself right now how can you know everything that might be on your test if you have so many of these readings, textbooks, and previous assignments, relax and breath. If you showed up to class (hopefully on time) and took a few notes, I bet you know exactly what will be on the test if your professor didn’t come right out and say, “this will be on your test.”
Read over your notes. Look for things written in caps, or bolded and underlined, or have stars and asterisks beside. They are important. No need to go back and read 300 pages of handouts. And professors,
a quick sidebar: If you didn’t teach your students about it, you shouldn’t expect them to answer questions about it, so don’t make your test a mystery.
What else can you do to get a decent, dare I say good, grade on your final exam? How about don’t party the night before? It’s tempting to hang out with friends and call it “de-stressing” while throwing a few back and dancing until 1 a.m., but it’s not a wise idea.
You may be saying, “I’m young; I can do this.” Again, not a good idea. Your body and brain need rest in order for you to think clearly. Trying to take an exam that may be a significant portion of your grade with a thumping hangover or feet that are hurting is never a good idea.
If you want to de-stress before your exam, do it wisely. Get in bed at a decent time and get up earlier than 10 minutes before your class so your brain has time to get going. Everything is slow first thing in the morning, even you young whipper snappers.
Lastly, stay calm. Waking up in a panic on the day of the exam will send you into a whirlwind that may hurt you in the long run. People who panic are more likely to make mistakes, second guess themselves and do poorly on everything, tests included. If you have gone to classes, did your assignments and looked over your notes, you should do fine. If you steered clear of the prescription drugs that help ADHD sufferers focus, avoided late-night, before-the-test rendezvous and slept well, you should be OK.
Placing undue stress on yourself to perform at higher levels when you don’t put forth the effort all semester long can cause significant issues with your health and your happiness, and whether you believe it or not, everyone around you, too. When you try so hard at the last minute to accomplish what has now become impossible, you in fact become impossible to be around.
The negativity produced from stressing so hard this close to finals can spread like wildfire. If you follow no advice I have given thus far, remember this gem of wisdom: Only you can prevent wildfires.
Mandie is a junior majoring in secondary social science education. She is married with two children and serves on the Board of Directors of C.A.R.E.S. Suicide Prevention.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 EAGLE NEWS OPINION B5EDITOR: ANDREW FRIEDGEN OPINION!EAGLENEWS.ORG
Looking back on this past semester, one of the most memorable m o m e n t s has been my service learning project with the Fort Myers soup kitchen CCMI (Community Cooperative Ministries Incorporated). This journey began during my first week of classes which can often set the feeling of what the entire semester will feel like.
In my weekly Colloquium class, part of our requirements (along with keeping a journal, writing four papers and attending field trips) included performing 10 hours of service learning with a non-profit organization.
When my professor said that we could select a soup kitchen as our non-profit, my fears about the class ended because of a belief I kept in
the back of my mind from Day 1: If I could find a great non-profit to work with a minimum of 10 hours, the entire class would work itself out.
I was introduced to this organization by their volunteer liaison who is a dear friend of mine and someone I consider a role model: Lisa Cronin. A few days before Christmas I went to visit her at CCMI to give her a present and a card and while I was there I met a mother of four who had been robbed and was still frightened by the incident. She only wanted Christmas for her children.
Lisa and I put together two bags of toys to give to this woman’s children and I knew from that moment that I helped make a difference in someone’s life and I knew I could do more with this organization if given the opportunity to do so and thankfully it came to me sooner than I thought.
Three hours every Friday from 9 a.m. to noon I volunteered at CCMI headquarters in Fort Myers where my duties ranged from folding and distributing clothes to preparing
hygiene bags which contained soap, shampoo, toothpaste and a toothbrush for those who come early in the morning. I am also happy to report the food is absolutely delicious after enjoying a meal with the folks on my first day of volunteering.
When you are able to make a difference in a person’s life in a small way as I have done these past four months, you find that a lot of these people they can rise up confidently and go on to write a job resume, take a shower, go to a job interview and eventually become employed again. From that you find a piece of charity in your heart that many people don’t have, but I know every single person on earth desperately needs one.
I saw some people barely hanging on to life like there was a clock ticking in their heart that would collapse at any second. I can say after watching a man die before my eyes — to see someone that close to death right in front of you — is terrifying.
I wonder how many of these people were given the short end of the stick from Day 1 in life and
why the word poverty is not used as much in discussion of our moral landscape as it was used in the 1930s with FDR’s New Deal or in the 1960s with LBJ’s War On Poverty.
I believe that if there is life after this one, we will be judged on that other side by how we treated the poor and afflicted on this earth. At times I think we ignore this issue due to our own mind having 50 million thoughts running at one time and perhaps our own greed we don’t want to admit to.
I also have met so many people with a distorted view on people living in poverty — they are lazy, unmotivated and that society should just turn their backs on them which makes me sad because you wonder how anyone can think this way.
The work that CCMI has been doing since 1984 has been a blessing for this community and we need more organizations like this taking a stand against poverty, homelessness, hunger and helping people re-enter the job market.
We can end all of those dangerous forces as a nation and as
a world in my generation but it will ultimately be up to all of us to decide what kind of society we want to have: Are we going to let people drown or are we going to build the bridge so we don’t leave people behind?
Alex is a junior majoring in communication. He enjoys going to concerts, going to Starbucks, listening to his Sirius Satellite Radio, going to the movies, swimming and playing games like UNO and Monopoly. His favorite musicians are R.E.M., Bon Jovi, Elton John and Kenny G. His favorite magazines are Mother Jones, Newsweek and Rolling Stone, which he loves to pick up at the campus bookstore.
This is a response to stories by Mandie R a i n w a t e r, B r a n d o n M a r t i n and Amber G o l d s m i t h
on Arizona’s harassment bill, the national discussion alleging an anti-religious tone and contraception as a non-health
care issue.In an era where young
people are constantly accused of being out of touch as well as not being fully informed about Constitutional matters may I applaud you all and Eagle News for caring about our First Amendment freedoms. You seem to have a real handle on the relevant law and issues.
This fall I am teaching a new live course at FGCU (here comes the commercial). It is PLA 4933 – Special Topics: Constitutional Law – First Amendment Freedoms, crn 82040, in Marieb
Hall-Room 100, M--11:00 AM to 1:45 PM. The goals of this course are for the student to:
- Understand the development of First Amendment rights in American history,
- Appreciate protections and limitations regarding speech and the press,
- Argue for and against rights of petition and assembly,
- Know how to legally exercise freedom of religion,
- Realize that First Amendment law changes and is challenged by new realities and technologies,
- Apply constitutional, case and statutory law to First Amendment-related situations and
- Establish a foundation for classroom debate.
We will be handling such related topics as:
- Arizona’s harassment law and its effects on online free speech
- The Obama Administration health care mandate vs. religious freedom
- Using the word “God” in a public school song
- Miami Marlins Manager
Ozzie Guillen’s comments on Fidel Castro in the press
- The press’ speech rights in reporting vs. sports player’s rights
- Atheists threatening lawsuits over memorial crosses at Camp Pendleton
If anyone has any questions please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
And above all keep thinking about these and other issues so crucial to our freedom!
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Rick Santorum says American law should never violate Biblical commands and often it doesn’t.
For example, both prohibit murder and theft.
Yet, the conflicts are enormous. American law nourishes capitalism while
the Bible would destroy it by commanding us to sell all we own and give the proceeds to the poor.
The Constitution protects freedom of religion, while the Bible requires death for non-believers. Pre-marital sex is not a crime in the United States, but the Bible says women who are not virgins at the time of marriage must be executed. It is not against the law to work on
the sabbath in the United States, but the Bible proclaims death to sabbath-workers.
And the list goes on and on. What Santorum advocates is
theocracy, a form of government which claims to represent God’s will as found in scripture. It was tried in the American colonies until the Constitution outlawed it, and it is in effect today in such countries as Afghanistan
and Iran. A common result of theocracy is merciless suppression of even the most basic human rights, religious hatred and violence spanning centuries and death and more death.
Do Americans really want the United States to go down that road under a President Santorum?
Probably not, but lest we
grow complacent, he is winning primaries—while the media virtually ignore his theocratic blueprint for the United States.
Note to readers: This letter was sent before Santorum dropped out of the GOP primary.
After a disappointing 14-5 loss to Lipscomb back on April 6, the FGCU softball team has been able to find some consistency offensively, earning a two game sweep of Belmont on April 14, and a two-game sweep of Mercer this past Saturday. FGCU (29-21, 9-3 A-Sun) then swept Jacksonville on Tuesday night to gain a share of the A-Sun lead with Kennesaw State.
The Eagles currently have five players hitting above .300 -- led by sophomore Jessica Barnes at .319. Barnes has been pleased with the team’s streak.
“At the beginning of the season we had games where we would just kill teams. Then we would have other games where we were struggling,” Barnes said. “If this was the beginning of the season, playing Mercer, a team that hits well like they do, we probably would have split, or lost both. Now we’re just doing what we have to do every game, every pitch, every inning.”
Another player who has been playing well for the Eagles lately is sophomore Chelsea Zgrabik who has a team-leading home run total of seven and 37 RBI.
“In the beginning of the season I was having a rough time,” Zgrabik said. “This is my first season actually playing college ball so it took me a little while to get back into it, but I’m kind of getting comfortable in my stance, I’m getting comfortable with the pitches now, and really seeing the ball, focusing on line drives, base hits, and home runs occasionally.”
Barnes, where at this point last year
wasn’t even at the top of the stat sheet, hitting only .218.
“With my walks last year, I had maybe like six walks the whole last year,” Barnes
said. “Now I’m at like 26 walks on the season now, and coach has always told us, if your walk to strike out ratio is one-to-one you’re doing pretty well. Last year it was nowhere
near one-to-one, now I’ve done a lot better with pitches.”
Barnes also added, “I guess the biggest difference would be I try not to let each at bat effect my emotions. I try to be calmer instead of always trying to get a hit. Even if I haven’t done well in the other at bats, I just take one bat at a time.”
Remaining calm and also working together has been a big strength for the Eagles. Zgrabik said “We’re feeling each other better, we know how people work. We know who needs to be picked up when. It’s basically if someone strike out we’ve got to pick them right back up, and if we can’t do it at bat, we do it on defense. Our defense is phenomenal right now.”
The Eagles have three doubleheaders remaining at ETSU, USC Upstate, and UNF. Barnes feels confident that FGCU will be able to get a good spot for the A-Sun Tournament.
“We’re playing awesome, I love it. I can’t ask for more,” Barnes said. “We’ve been consistent the past five games, even though we split with Lipscomb. We’re still hitting the ball pretty well. Our defense after our loss has picked it up a lot.”
Zgrabik added, “We all want to make it to the A-Sun Tournament this year, especially since we can go post-season after that. We’re really pushing for that, but for us to make it we have to do what we did today (against Mercer) we want to score every inning and just keep going. Just don’t stop, let them get ahead, and we can’t be complacent when they do.”
SportsB6 www.eaglenews.org
The Florida Gulf Coast University men’s and women’s basketball teams are re-building after stellar 2011-2012 seasons in which the men’s team reached the Atlantic Sun Tournament final and the women’s team reached the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The FGCU men’s basketball team finished 15-17 in 2011-2012 under first-year head
coach Andy Enfield and finished 2nd in the Atlantic Sun Tournament behind Belmont.
FGCU will only be losing seniors Kevin Cantinol and Ed Rolax to graduation, and will be without freshman Dante Holmes, who is transferring this offseason.
DaJuan Graf (Charlotte, N.C.), the only signee of the fall
signing period for the men’s squad, played in the Jordan Brand Classic Regional Game last Saturday at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C.. Graf scored eleven points and had four rebounds for the West team in an 84-82 loss.
Graf averaged 17.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.6 steals per game as a senior.
Graf reached double figures in 25 of 26 games, including eight 20-point outings, and
lead his high school Phillip O. Berry Academy to an 18-8 record.
Graf will join guard Brett Comer at the point guard position and compete for the starting spot in the fall.
On the women’s side, after a 29-3 season, a Atlantic Sun Conference title and a trip to the NCAA tournament, head coach Karl Smesko faces a tough task of replacing his five seniors: Kelsey Jacobson (Barnesville, Minn..), Sarah Whitfield (Eugene, Ore.), Courtney Chihil (Tipp City, Ohio), Nicoya Jackson (Houston,
Texas), and Eglah Griffin (Fort Myers).
In the November signing period, Smesko got five players to sign National Letter of Intent’s to FGCU.
DyTiesha Dunson (Albany, Ga.), Jamie Gluesing (Greendale, Wisc.), Bethany Murrell (New Palestine, Ind.), Katie
Meador (Salem, Ill.) and Taylor Gradinjan (Cudahy,
Wisc.) all signed during the November signing period.
“We had a really good signing period in November, we added five freshmen that we believe can have a big impact on the program in the future, and we lost some really good seniors so it’s going to be really important that the new players show up ready and motivated to get started,” Smesko said.
Last week, the Lady Eagles added another recruit in Amanda Moore (Seymour, Ind.).
In her senior year, Moore set single-season scoring record for her high school with 515 points and had a career scoring average of 23.4 points a game and was great from the free throws line making 132 free throws in a season.
Moore, who was named one of the Top 100 senior girls basketball players by Hoosier Basketball Magazine and was the 140th-ranked guard by HoopGurlz.com, was chosen to the 2012 Indiana All-Star team and selected as the 2012 All-Area Player of the Year.
“She is a very versatile guard, she’s got good size, she can play any of the guard positions, and she’s a really good shooter and scorer,” Smesko said.
“She’s hopefully someone that right away has a positive impact for us.”
The Lady Eagles made an NCAA record 342 three pointers last year and the three-point shooting will not end
with this class.“We are looking for versatile players and
skill players, but the three point shot is a big part of our offense,” Smesko said.
“We like having players that have the ability to knock down the three.”
Moore chose FGCU over Loyola Marymount, Bowling Green, Indiana and Northern Illinois.
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ENSPORTSWeekly recap
The !eld has been set for the 2012 Atlantic Sun Conference Tennis Championships, which will take place April 20-22 in Johnson City, Tenn. The FGCU women’s tennis team earned the No. 3 seed and will face the No. 6 seed Jacksonville on Friday, April 20 at 4 p.m.
The Men’s Lacrosse Club beat PBA this past weekend and clinched the #1 seed in the MCLA SELC playo"s. FGCU shares the South Division championship title with PBA and Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), and faces o" against USF this Sunday at 2 p.m. in the !rst-ever club game to be held at the FGCU Soccer Stadium.
Women’s tennis
Paintball
Men’s lacrosse
This past weekend, the FGCU Paintball Club won the NCPA National Championship in Lakeland. They have competed in the National Collegiate Paintball Association, Class AA since starting the club in 2007. This is the team’s !rst National title and next year they will be moving up to the highly competitive Class A.
FGCU swimming and diving coach Neal Studd announced the dates for his 2012 Swim Camps. Studd will hold three sessions: session 1: June 9 - June 14 Intensive Swim Camp, session 2: June 18 - June 22 for all campers, session 3: July 9 - July 13 for all campers at the FGCU Aquatic Center.
Swimming &diving
Baseball
Recording a .444 batting average (8-18) with eight RBI during a 3-2 week for FGCU that included victories over No. 28 FAU and at No. 6 Miami, sophomore Sean Dwyer (Tavares, Fla./Tavares HS) was named the Atlantic Sun Baseball Player of the Week, announced by the league o#ce on Monday.
To call this season a comeback success for the FGCU men’s tennis team would be an understatement.
After a thrilling clinching match against Belmont on April 14, where FGCU fell in doubles but roared back with four singles wins, the Eagles are heading to its first Atlantic Sun Tournament.
FGCU is seeded sixth in the A-Sun Tournament, which runs from Friday though Sunday in Johnson City, Tenn.
Matt Rock, a FGCU senior facing the possibility of his final match and playing for his first shot at post-season play, clinched the tournament birth with 6-4, 6-2 at No. 4 singles.
“I screamed as loud as I could and everybody rushed at me,” Rock said. “I was so happy. Making the conference tournament in the final match just gave me the chills.”
First-year coach C.J. Weber had a feeling that FGCU would be good from the start, though he inherited a roster with only two new players from last season’s 3-18 (1-9 A-Sun) squad.
“From the very beginning I was impressed with the team,” Weber said. “I liked their work ethic and I liked their response to my coaching philosophy that I tried to implement.”
Weber, a former assistant at Miami and the University of Illinois, immediately instituted a more rigorous practice schedule than in the past and put more of an emphasis on fitness.
“When I really felt we could make a splash in the conference was after our first conference matchup when we beat Kennesaw (St.) and Mercer,” Weber said. The guys have all been working very hard and they’ve all been very focused in
practice.”Before last weekend, FGCU
knew it had to win at least one of two matches to qualify for its first A-Sun Tournament.
After losing to Lipscomb on April 13 to start the weekend, the Eagle felt no pressure in a must win at Belmont.
“We thought that we had to beat Lipscomb in order to get in,” Weber said. “When we lost to them and found out that we needed to beat Belmont it gave us a second wind.”
The Eagles’ poor performance in road matches was a motivator. FGCU hadn’t won a road match before Saturday.
“We have not been very good on the road this year, and in the singles against Belmont the guys decided that they had enough and did what they needed to do,” Weber said. “It’s impossible to describe that feeling (winning) but it was definitely the most fulfilling moment of my career. For it to come down to senior Matt Rock clinching our first postseason bid is really special.”
Rock waited for his first three years, before FGCU was eligible for post-season play.
“I’ve wanted to get to the conference tournament since last year,” Rock said. “We were ineligible and my number one goal was getting to the tournament.”
Rock feels FGCU can shake up the conference tournament.
The Eagles will face No. 3 seed Stetson in the first round.
Stetson beat FGCU 5-2 on April 7, but the Eagles think they can pull off an upset.
“The atmosphere of the team is very, very positive,” Rock said. “We’re all going in there thinking that we’re beating Stetson in the first round.”
Sports editor Josh Siegel contributed to this story.
Just two days before her final indoor game, FGCU senior Holly Youngquist’s career got new life.
On Nov. 16, 2011 FGCU added sand volleyball as a varsity sport. With there being no sand team at FGCU, volleyball coach Dave Nichols recruited his indoor players to play sand.
Youngquist has her name etched in the FGCU record books as one of the greatest volleyball player in FGCU history, but for Nichols, coaching her an extra few months is something special.
“It’s just great,” Nichols said. “Holly is so focused and so committed. She just gives her full effort all the time, it’s just great having her around.”
Her sister, Brooke, also played indoor at FGCU and is now a professional sand player. With being
so used to the sport, it has helped Holly so far this season.
“Her game is more suited for the outdoor game,” Nichols said. “You need quickness and ball control and she has those but she’s been around the game a long time so she sees things developing quicker than the indoor girls.”
It showed this weekend at the Fiesta at Siesta tournament.
“She and (sophomore Kaitlin Holm) really put it together this last weekend,” Nichols said. “They went 4-0 in the pool play this weekend against very good teams and they really improved their game. I think she’s peaking going into the conference championship.”
The Atlantic Sun Championship for sand volleyball is held Friday through Sunday at Jacksonville University. Five A-Sun teams will be competing and the A-Sun is the only conference in the country that has a conference tournament.
“We’ve won four in a row and we’re getting better every practice,” Nichols said. “The other day we were laughing because we went into the first match with three practices and lost 3-0 by Stetson. Since then we’ve beaten them twice and we were saying ‘wow we feel so much more comfortable now, we’re getting a clue’. I think we’re going to come into the conference and play our best volleyball.
I haven’t seen all the other teams but looking at the scores, it’s going to be a dogfight until the end.”
With the A-Sun being the only conference with a conference tournament, Nichols sees this as an easy way for FGCU to get some national attention.
“I’m looking forward to the tournament,” Nichols said. “We want bragging rights. The tournament is going to get out there to all the sand volleyball publications and schools that are running it. So we think it’s
a great opportunity and I think we’re going in confident and ready to play.”
With the conference tournament, Nichols feels like that will help recruiting in the future.
“We’re getting a lot of phone calls and a lot of email’s about our sand program,” Nichols said. “It has been a selling point. We have the only conference tournament, we have a conference schedule. It’s definitely a big recruiting edge.”
When the season is over, Nichols says that his girls will continue to play sand over the summer to help condition for the indoor game.
“It’ll improve their jump, improve their quickness and it improves your all around skill,” Nichols said. “There’s no negatives from it except from the frustration that you get from being very good on the indoor game and all of a sudden kids you know that you’re better than are toying with you.