Volume 10 Issue 22

Everyone has forgotten your name. You pace endless streets in tattered shoes with soaked clothes against the skin of your back. The only place to sleep is a bus shelter, where you become invisible in a frenzied world of strangers.

Worse, no one can sense your hunger pains as they grow stronger every day.

“People don’t want to see the homeless problem,” Justin Boushay said at a Food Not Bombs gathering. “Out of sight, out of mind.”

Boushay is a local volunteer of the Food Not Bombs movement. Volunteers work for nonviolent social change and attempt to address serious problems at no cost to the government.

Every Sunday, the group feeds the homeless in Centennial Park, downtown Fort Myers.

“It’s scary to think that people would want to hide the homeless situation from you,” Boushay said.

The Lee County Homeless Coalition took a census of both sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals with families the night of Jan. 25. The census documented 1,054 homeless persons. Among the people surveyed were 83 families with 145 children.

“We saw the community and how people couldn’t even afford living space,” Boushay said. “They could barely provide themselves with the right nourishment.” He views hunger as a big issue in Lee County and something that everyone deserves to

be aware of. Food Not Bombs is a small group

of volunteers who use community and personal resources.

Members cook food in their own households and take donations from restaurants, such as Panera Bread.

“It can be extremely difficult at times because we need a certain amount of people to make a grand portion of food,” Boushay said.

He hopes to expand the movement beyond Centennial Park.

“We have to get the message out there and encourage people to come back and eat with us,” he said.

Boushay stated that Fort Myers isn’t acknowledging the amount of food waste throughout its schools and restaurants. Every week facilities waste food that could help the situation in Southwest Florida.

“People brush the idea of malnutrition under the carpet,” Boushay said. “They think as long as there are homeless shelters the situation will go away. Yet, people continue to starve,” he said.

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The student newspaper at Florida Gulf Coast University

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Find out on www.eaglenews.orgin the multimedia section

Every year students elect students into positions of power in Student Government.

This year two parties are running for those positions: Action! and Revolution. The top three positions in SG are Student Body president, vice president and treasurer. Each party has candidates running for those three positions as well as 33 senator positions.

The candidates for Student Body president, vice president and treasurer must be voted in as a whole, meaning you vote for the three candidates in Action! or the three candidates in Revolution. However, senators are voted in on an individual basis; you can vote for both Action! and Revolution senators.

On the ballot, senators will be divided by which college they represent.

Each college has a certain amount of open senator positions.

Student senators are elected to represent their college (College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, etc.) during the academic year. Sixty-five students are running for student senator positions. This year there are no students running for the three open graduate senator seats, so 33 senators will be elected to represent their specific colleges.

Senators allocate funds and budgets to RSOs and departments for events, travel and supplies. The funds come from activities and services fees (part of the fees paid in tuition). This year, senate has more than $3 million to allocate. Each party presents a platform to voters, a detailed list of what the candidates plan to work toward during the academic year.

Check out page A4 and A5 for more information.

Advisers at two FGCU colleges will no longer be accepting walk-ins for the Summer and Fall 2012 priority registration period, which starts March 19.

Both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Lutgert College of Business will be seeing students on an appointment-only basis.

Laura Brazzeal, an adviser at the College of Arts and Sciences, explains the reasoning behind her college’s decision.

“CAS Advising has an appointment-only policy year

round. Every semester, we would make an exception to this policy and see students on a walk-in basis during the priority registration period,” Brazzeal said. “The reason we would see students on a walk-in basis was to provide help to students with immediate registration issues.”

However, Brazzeal explained, they realized over the years that students had much broader questions than anticipated. This led to long lines (Brazzeal said some students have had to wait as long as two hours to seen an adviser) and unanswered questions.

“By maintaining our

appointment-only policy throughout the priority registration period, long wait times will be eliminated and students will have a more in-depth meeting than a walk-in allows,” Brazzeal said.

Rather than signing in and waiting for the next available adviser, Brazzeal says, students will be able to meet with the adviser of their choice at a time that suits them. The appointments will also allow students to talk about a variety of issues outside of registration, such as graduation plans and program requirements.

Parking and transportation gets more support than keeping students healthy, at least according to the amount of fees students pay per credit hour. But this may be changing soon.

A resolution to raise the Health and Wellness fee by $1.60 was brought up at Tuesday’s Student Government Senate meeting.

Health and Wellness is the fourth-highest fee an undergraduate Florida resident pays, after Athletics ($16.54), Activities and Services fees ($11.24) and Parking and Transportation ($8.50).

Senator Lis Chimaras, a principal author for the bill, said the inadequate funding for health services is interfering with the needs students have.

“The services maintaining student health have historically lagged behind other departments in regards to funding,” Chimaras said.

Thursday Feb. 16 at 2:57 a.m.: A Miromar Lakes security officer advised UPD that they noticed a fire coming from the waterfront on campus. However, when officers checked the scene there was no fire, only a smoke-like mist coming from air conditioning units behind Alico Arena.

Thursday Feb. 16 at the 6:36 p.m.: UPD received several calls regarding a fire near SoVi dining hall in the grass surrounding a light pole near a brick wall. Lee Fire Control extinguished the fire and the physical plant on

campus was notified. The cause of the fire was determined to be a result of someone running over an electrical box with their vehicle.

Friday Feb. 17 at 2:51 a.m.: Two individuals were reported as being extremely violent, throwing objects, and breaking mirrors. According to the incident report, the individuals were highly intoxicated. UPD said that the suspects fled the scene before they arrived.

Saturday Feb. 18 at 12:58 a.m.: A student in West Lake

Village reported to UPD that her roommate was being loud and she could not sleep. When an RA went to check on the situation, the RA found marijuana, two large bongs, a grinder, three small glass pipes, a vaporizer, and alcohol in the fridge and on the counter. The issue was turned over to housing for further action.

The Police Beat is compiled by Eagle News staff from public logs available at the University Police Department. Police Beat is not as-sociated with the UPD. All suspects

are innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.

POLICE BEAT

SERVICE LEARNING

BRIEFS

A2 NEWS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22 EDITOR: VERONICA VELA NEWS!EAGLENEWS.ORG

Children Cancer Foundation: Enjoy an event on campus at Alico Arena! Help with setup, registration, and cleanup at the Zumbathon event on Feb. 25. The event is from noon-3 p.m. Meet 32 Zumba instructors! Get a free T-shirt! In Florida, there are 750 new cases of childhood cancer diagnosed each year. Although the survival rate is 80 percent, cancer is still the leading cause of death in disease among children. Volunteers are appreciated! Contact Klaudia Balogh at [email protected].

Radiating Hope: Want to help out the 5k Run/Walk for Cancer race on Feb. 25 with advertising and publicizing or identifying race sponsors? Radiating Hope is an organization founded by radiation oncologists and mountain climbers wanting to help cancer patients around the world. The race starts at 6:45 a.m. To volunteer, contact Dr. Jared Robbins at [email protected].

The Edge: Help organize Riding to Break the Cycle held at Lakes Park on Feb. 26. This event helps to break the cycle of abuse, addictions, bullying, and homelessness. Email [email protected] or 239-745-1638.

Lee County Library: Book-loving volunteers are essential to the Southwest Florida Reading Festival’s success! Conduct surveys on March 17 from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. by canvassing the grounds and asking festival attendees to complete the short survey at Centennial Park in downtown Fort Myers. Or volunteers can help with Book For Every Child Tent from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Here, the students will assist young attendees in picking out one free book. Fill out the volunteer application and information disclosure by Feb. 25 at http://readfest.org/Volunteer.aspx.

The Ladybug Project: Help run concession stands at the following Minnesota Twins spring training games: March 5 at 5:30 p.m., March 8 at 11:30 a.m., March 18 at 11:30 a.m., and March 28 at 11:30 a.m. Email Kim Reuter at [email protected].

CCMI: Help the Baby University Program on Tuesday evenings. Need 6 commitments from March 6 through April 10 from 4:45–7:45 p.m. Greet expectant mothers and families, help with registration, child care and light kitchen duties. Fill out the Fort Myers Volunteer Application at http://www.ccmileecounty.com. For

questions, contact Lisa Cronin at 239-332-0441.

FGCU Recyclemania: Track the amount of trash and recyclables using measuring sticks provided by Physical Plant. Last year FGCU finished 76th out of 288 colleges and universities in the Grand Champion category and 59 out of 363 teams in the Per Capita category. Keishla Negron-Acevedo, director of Sustainability for Student Government, would like to do better. Interested students can comment on Facebook at Recyclemania: FGCU.

Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife: Need volunteers for the 10th annual Burrowing Owl Festival on Feb. 25 from 11–4 p.m. Contact Susan Porreca at [email protected] or 239-980-2593.

FGCU Food Forest: The Food Forest is a student -run botanical garden that highlights tropical/subtropical edible species that grow well in South Florida and is right here on campus! They need students to help on Friday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Any messages can be sent to http://fgcufoodforest.weebly.com/send-us-a-message.html.

East County Water Control District: Participate in the inaugural nature event Wings Over Water Festival at Harns Marsh in Lehigh Acres on March 9 from 9–11:30 a.m. and March 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Discover the beauty of Southwest Florida’s water, land, and wildlife. Call 239-368-0044 x17.

Randell Research Center: Help out at the Calusa Heritage Day, Pine Island, on March 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact 239-283-2062 or 239-283-2157.

ECHO: (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization): Help out at Farm Day on March 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with parking, admissions, snack areas, nursery, farm market, and as a greeter. Fill out a volunteer application at www.echonet.org. For questions, contact Ruth at [email protected].

Koreshan State Park: 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 and closed-toed shoes are required, and water and gloves are suggested.

Pinewoods Elementary School: This school is unique in its passion for sustainability and environmental education. Help facilitate, plan, and organize the club meetings as well as

plan educational presentations and activities for the students. Contact Laura Layton at [email protected].

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 through 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 4-5 day lead time. If you commit and 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.

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 6–7:30 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. Need students to serve as ushers for basketball, baseball, softball, and timers for swimming and diving. Contact Will Pitt at [email protected] or 239-590-7055.

The Quality Life Center: Want to help kids with their homework? Contact Angela Pena at 239-334-2797.

FGCU Center for Academic Achievement: Need tutors in Math, Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Economics, Statistics, and Intro. to Psychology. Applicants must have earned a B+ or higher in the course they desire to tutor and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Paid students are not eligible to earn service-learning hours. Contact Frank Graceffo at 239-590-7992 or by email at [email protected].

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 2–3 months. Contact Honara Jacobus at [email protected] or 239-939-2553.

YMCA: Help coach basketball, soccer, or 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.”

CONTACT:

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, FEB. 22 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A3WWW.EAGLENEWS.ORG

HIT US WITH YOUR BEST SHOT

Eagle News highlights the photography of our readers. Send your best pictures — of events, vacations, scenery, wildlife — whatever you’d

like. If your photo is picked, you’ll receive two free tickets to Regal Cinemas in Gulf Coast Town Center.

E-mail submissions (with your name, grade, major, phone number and a description of the

photo) to [email protected].

FGCU students, along with hundreds of students around the country, had the privilege to hear two major, award-winning journalists during the new Face-2-Face program.

This program was put together by Lyn Millner, head of the FGCU journalism department; and Rick Kenney, an FGCU professor. Its purpose is to have college classrooms around the country converse with journalists around the world.

Kenney’s Journalism & Society class had the privilege to be a part of the first webinar with four other schools: the Urban School of San Francisco, Stony Brook University and Florida Virtual School. On Jan. 31, the four classes tuned in to a live feed set up by Millner and Andrew Freidgen, the opinion editor for Eagle News.

At this time, the first two journalists speaking for the Face-2-Face program came up on the projector screen. Kris Hundley, a reporter for the Tampa Bay Times for 15 years; and Kathleen Flynn, a photographer for the same paper for the past decade, talked about their experiences leading up to their award winning story “Testing Grounds.”

Before the two of them covered the story in 2008, Hundley attended a conference about health care reform and other health-related issues. In one of the

meetings she attended at this conference, she picked up on a possible story: pharmaceutical companies paying people barely anything to participate in drug trials.

With this story idea, Hundley and Flynn got permission and some monetary help from the Tampa Bay Times and went to India for three weeks to investigate further. They were also able to research the story with a grant from the International Center for Journalists.

The students were in awe after hearing these two journalists’ extraordinary experiences in the various public hospitals in the slums of India. They had many questions to ask. During the session, students were given the opportunity to ask them through Twitter. They simply had to tweet their question to @journotalk.

Hundley had one specific response that summed up her attitude toward getting the news story. She said that journalists should never give up on their story no matter who is in his or her way.

“I want to stress persistence,” Hundley said. “That quality is definitely the most important to have as a journalist.”

Even though Kenney considered the program a success, he received some constructive feedback that he hopes will make the next webinar more successful.

“The first suggestion was to change the location to one of Lyn Millner’s classrooms where there are fewer students,” Kenney said. “We also are doing this since

the students in Lyn’s classroom are primarily students studying journalism while students in my classroom are just basically trying to fill a general education requirement.”

This Face-2-Face program will be continuing all semester. Millner and

Kenney have a speaker planned for each month.

The next webinar will be held at the end of February. The planned speaker is Alex Pena, an FGCU alumnus who is now a freelance writer living in Kenya.

A4 NEWS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22 EDITOR: VERONICA VELA NEWS!EAGLENEWS.ORG

Action!

PRESIDENTPeter Cuderman1st year graduate studentMasters in Business AdmininstrationGraduating in 2013Graduated Cum Laude from Florida Gulf Coast University (2011)Nominated Student of the Year – 2011 – Small Business Development CenterHas worked in a government-funded program under the Small Business AssociationHelped raise over $10,000 for Muscular Dystrophy last year (2011)Emerging Leaders Academy – Excelsior Leadership Award (highest honors)President’s Leadership Institute – Academy for organizational presidents put on by presidentsDean’s List Every Semester (Undergraduate)Kappa Alpha Order – Secretary/President (2010-2011)Supervisor of Election – FGCU Student Government (2010-2011) Phi Eta Sigma – Honor Society

TREASURER Richard MichelSeniorManagement and MarketingGraduating in 2013Student Ambassador of the year 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 (Broward College-Fort Lauderdale, Broward County)Student Organization senator of the year 2008-2009 and 2009-2010. (SGA)Coca Cola Service Scholarship winner (Spring and Fall 2009; Spring 2010) Successfully raised 1 ton of food through the collection of canned foods using Broward College 3 largest campuses to respond to the earthquake that occurred in Haiti in January 2010.PBL-FBLA (Phi Beta Lambda-Future Business Leaders of America) state conference speech competition winner. (Tampa ,FL)Dean’s List Spring 2010Bonita Springs Rotary Service Project scholarship winner (Fall 2010) Elected as a Senator and Appropriations Committee Chairmen (2010-2011)

VICE PRESIDENTLuis VargasSophomoreBusiness ManagementGraduating in 2014Attended the FGCU Leadership Academy, Fall 2010Trying New Things Club (TNT) (Treasurer) 2010-2011Civic Engagement Alternative Winter Break in New Orleans, Fall 2010Vice President of Communications - 2011 / elected as the “Brother Freshman of the Year” 2011 – Sigma Phi Epsilon FraternityAttended the RSO Executive Institute, Spring 2011Elected as a Student Government Senator for the 2011-2012 year under the FOCUS PartyPromotions Director of the FGCU Programming Board 2011-2012 yearSecretary of the Interfraternity Council, 2012Advertising Manager – Eagle News, 2011 – PresentAttended leadership conferences such as Carlson Leadership Academy, National Association of Campus Activities & National College Media Convention

1. What do you consider the university’s biggest weakness? How does your platform address it?The University’s biggest weakness is the connection between the students and where their money is going. Students do not have an opportunity to have their voice recognized. We plan to change this through reorganizing the structure of Student Government and making sure someone is always available to meet our student’s needs.

2. We feel that students do not understand the technicalities or the importance of student Senate and SG. Do you have plans to close the

communication gap between students and their elected representatives?Absolutely. The most significant part of Student Government is the students. Bridging the gap between students and their representatives is crucial. We plan to have more informative media available to the students to explain how their money is being spent.

3. What’s the significance of the name of your party?Action is a reoccurring theme in every organization. It is what takes place when leaders come together to create success, rather than just words and dreamlike promises.

4. This year the Student Government Executive department budget was raised $32,949. Departments such as The Center of Academic Achievement, International Services, Family Resource Center and Sports Clubs saw a decrease in funds. How is this fiscally responsible?It is the responsibility of the Student Government to find ways to continue the growth and funding of each of these organizations. Fiscal responsibility needs to be enhanced by finding innovative ways to make sure that capital does not fall below budget.

5. What makes your party capable of representing the

11,937 FGCU students?We are the students. We have leaders in a variety of organizations throughout campus. This diversity, in return, allows us to relate to the students and serve them well. It is our goal to never become anything less than a liaison for each and every student.

Question and answer with Eagle News

EN

ONLINE INFO

VICE PRESIDENTJeremy ForbesSophomoreBusiness ManagementGraduating in 2014Senator, College of Arts and Sciences, Student Government (2010-2011)Member, Senate Outreach Committee (2010-2011)Intramural Frisbee, Campus Recreation (2010-2011) o 2011 Upper League ChampionsIntramural Soccer, Campus Recreation (2010-2011) o 2011 Upper League Semi-FinalistsSta!, FGCU Athletics Department (2010-2011)Lead Coordinator, Department of Student Life, Student Government (2011-2012)Senator, College of Arts and Sciences, Student Government (2011-2012)Supervisor of Programs, Senate Outreach Committee (2011-2012)Judicial Board & Member Development, Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity (2011-2012)


Revolution

PRESIDENTKolve ByrdJuniorPolitical ScienceGraduating in 2013Governmental Relations Coordinator, Student Government (2009-2010)Vice Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee (2010-2011)Senator, College of Professional Studies, Student Government (2010-2011)Authored Library Hours Extension, Campus Garden, Organization funding bills (2010-2011)Chairman, Student Union Advisory Board (2010-2011)President, Interfraternity Council (2011-2012)Director of Governmental Relations, Student Government (2011-2012)Student Representative, University Strategic Planning and Institutional A!airs Committee (2011-2012)Student Representative, Learning Management System (LMS) Task Force & ANGEL Replacement Committee (2011-2012)

TREASURERRosa MendozaSeniorEconomics and Political ScienceGraduating in 2013Senator, College of Business, Student Government (2008-2009)Delegate, Resident Housing Association (2008-2009)Senator and Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, College of Business, Student Government (2009-2010)President, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, Mock Trial Team & International Club (2009-2010)Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee, Student Government (2010-2011)Student Representative, University Student Fee Committee (2010-2011)President, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, Mock Trial Team & International Club (2010-2011)Senate President, Student Government (2011-2012)Student Representative, University Student Fee Committee (2011-2012)Student Representative, University Safety and Facilit

Committee (2011-2012)

1. What do you consider the university’s biggest weakness? How does your platform address it?FGCU is a great university, this could be highlighted more. We want to revolutionize the way people think about FGCU by spotlighting achievements in academics, athletics, and research. Showcase our excellence by encouraging reputable speakers and by enabling students to pursue their innovative research and study projects.

2. We feel that students do not understand the technicalities or the importance of student Senate and SG. Do you have plans to close the communication gap between students and their elected

representatives?Often students are unaware if SG is working for them. We want students to be as informed as possible about the decisions being made by their representatives; that’s why we have a clear plan to revolutionize transparency and communication. Regular updates on the progress of SG as well as a better formatted website will to allow students to hold us accountable.

3. What’s the significance of the name of your party?Our platform is original and realistic. Rather than stretching ourselves too thin we will refocus to be more responsive and results driven. Once elected, we will be restructuring SG to an organization that values advocacy and the students’ voice. It’s time for a fresh start.

4. This year the Student Government Executive department budget was raised $32,949. Departments like The Center of Academic Achievement, International Services, Family Resource Center and Sports Clubs saw a decrease in funds. How is this fiscally responsible?It isn’t responsible, student needs take priority. We will be instituting a budget review of this year’s allocations to ensure that organizations that did not receive adequate funding get the support to function and prosper. We will ensure that wasteful and unnecessary spending is cut from SG.

5. What makes your party

capable of representing the 11,937 FGCU students?We are the most experienced and diverse party to represent the students. We know what has worked and hasn’t. Our top three candidates have over 9 years of experience representing students, coupled with our new candidates, we are here to make a change.

Question and answer with Eagle News

EN

ONLINE INFO

Senator, College of Arts and Sciences, Student Government (2010-2011)Member, Senate Outreach Committee (2010-2011)Intramural Frisbee, Campus Recreation (2010-2011) o 2011 Upper League ChampionsIntramural Soccer, Campus Recreation (2010-2011) o 2011 Upper League Semi-FinalistsSta!, FGCU Athletics Department (2010-2011)Lead Coordinator, Department of Student Life, Student Government (2011-2012)Senator, College of Arts and Sciences, Student Government (2011-2012)Supervisor of Programs, Senate Outreach Commit-tee (2011-2012)Judicial Board & Member Development, Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity (2011-2012)

A6 NEWS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22 EDITOR: VERONICA VELA NEWS!EAGLENEWS.ORG

FGCU’s half acre Food Forest is located behind the Sugden Welcome Center off of the main entrance road. It plants the seeds for both native Southwestern Florida plants and fruits as well as the seeds in students’ minds to later grow into further knowledge.

“With everyone wanting to be organic or natural with food these days, what better way than to grow your own?” said Niki Whelan, a junior majoring in finance.

The Food Foresters Club meets Tuesdays at 4 p.m. and Thursdays at 5 p.m. Work covers all angles from the botanical garden’s planting and maintenance to further ideas and students’ service learning hours.

The Food Forest gardening club began in May 2011 and has logged almost 5,000 service learning hours for FGCU students in less than a year. Students not only have a place on campus to perform their service learning hours, but students also learn about Southwest Florida’s most edible and useful native plant species, including fruit.

For students wanting to gain service learning hours, the Food Forest can accommodate a wide range of interests from garden lovers to commercial health or engineering students.

“Students with health passions can gain from plant knowledge and usage (for the) making of organic pesticides, to engineering students being able to design or aid with how the garden and its systems are put together and set up,” said Kelly Walsh, a junior majoring in environmental studies and one of the leaders for the organization.

Making consistent advances, the Food Forest garden club and volunteers are working toward a greenhouse made of seed oil sealed woods, compost piling methods, and will soon be going to select he fruit trees that will be planted during a March 16 FGCU ceremony marking the garden’s amazing progress.

The growth and advancements of the FGCU Food Forest are patiently taken step by step with care, passion, and an understanding and respect for nature. Walsh and others have a distant vision of being able to provide free foods on FGCU campus. They also wish to create a deeper appreciation of our environment altogether.

So whether students are into engineering or simply like tomatoes, the Food Forest can satisfy school requirements while giving one a peace of mind like no other. Any needed information about the club and the garden is on their website fgcufoodforest.weebly.com, along with numerous pictures available at www.flickr.

com/photos/fgcufoodforest. The next club trip is to select what fruit trees will be in the garden, shortly followed by an event on March 16 with university president Wilson Bradshaw speaking at the garden.

The seeds of Southwest Florida plants and fruits will soon all be in place, along with the seeds in our minds as students to appreciate our natural world, and grow.

With the garden’s land owned

by students, harvested foods are not sold on campus, but may be used by many students.

The leaders of the Food Foresters work as volunteers without stipends. Just a love for the garden.

Text CBake to 97063 to receive more special offers and promos

(239) 466-8642

Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.

In other cities such as Orlando it is illegal to share food in parks and public places. The 2006 laws restrict sharing food with groups of more than 25 people.

The ordinance requires those who do this charitable sharing to obtain a permit through city hall. A group is strictly limited to two permits per park for a year. The law is in response to complaints of citizens who were disturbed by the presence of homeless people in the parks and public places.

“Orlando took a big stab at Food Not Bombs because more than two-dozen people came out every time there was a food sharing,” Boushay said. “People who have the power and money didn’t want to see that.” Boushay is concerned that the laws may potentially come to Southwest Florida.

“That’s something that scares us as we hope to grow bigger,” he said. Since the ordinance passed in Orlando, police have arrested 25 volunteers for feeding the homeless without a permit.

Another concern for volunteers is the restriction of the First Amendment. Food sharing is considered to be a form of speech, but the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the ordinance still provides ample areas for groups to share food elsewhere in the city. Some might argue that the freedom comes with strict limitation.

Madison Dickman, the founder of Food Not Bombs in Southwest Florida, expressed her frustration with the powerful limitation.

“My friends in Orlando got arrested for participating in Food Not Bombs,” Dickman said. “For serving food to the homeless.”

There are videos online of people serving food to children as the police begin to handcuff their hands behind their back.

“You see these children being served food and it being taken away,” she said. “They want to keep a blind eye to the homeless and to poverty.”

Dickman brought the movement to Fort Myers to start a social change and a movement. Her biggest goal is to change the way people think and begin influencing their actions onto the community. Dickman wants to influence how people view life as opposed to what the government tells them.

“Food is not a privilege, it’s a right,” Dickman said. “Some people put themselves in homeless situations but others have grown up without having any choices,” she said.

The Lee County Homeless Coalition documented that of 1,054 homeless persons, 59 percent reported having a disabling conditions. Some of these conditions could prevent people from obtaining jobs.

“It’s a shame that someone would have to live like that,” Dickman said. She strongly encourages the community to outreach to those in need. These acts can fully change the face of the homeless, even independently.

“Food Not Bombs is not a charity, we’re just a bunch of people in the community that get together,” she said. “We don’t receive any government funding. We

just take this out of our funds and community.”

Food Not Bombs always values leftover food that can be put to use. They continue to explore creating a society based on human rights and human needs.

Volunteers seek out an underground world and make it visible to people with power to change the situation.

The movement forces the hidden homeless faces into the public eye; they give names to the homeless in Centennial Park as they fill empty plates and execute hunger pains.

Ilana Mekler, a freshman majoring in communications, still prefers the ability to walk in, but understands the need for the appointment system.

“To walk in would be easier, but having students just walking in would be so overwhelming for advising because so many students would be coming in and out.”

Brazzeal still believes the new appointment format will benefit students in the end.

“In addition to being more convenient, we also believe that students will get more complete information in a non-rushed format. “

She encourages students to schedule their appointments early. Students belonging to the College of Arts and Sciences can call (239) 590-7196 or stop by the CAS Advising Office (AB7, Room 109) to schedule their appointments.

Students belonging to the Lutgert College of Business can call (239) 590-7302 to schedule their appointments.

According to the resolution, an average of nine students a day are turned down which is resulting in waiting lists for health and counseling services. That totals to an average of 230 students during the academic year.

The resolution, which is being voted on next week, will raise the per credit hour per student fee to $9.94 from $8.34.

Student Body President, Lauren Schuetz, clarified for the senators that the fee students pay is not the only source of money that health services receives.

“I just want to clarify on this also, health also receives money from CITF funding, which is Capital Improvement Trust Funding, and ENG Funding, which is Education and General Funding, which athletics and activities and services don’t get,” Schuetz said. “So health does get additional money to that $8.34, it’s just not in student fees, they get it from other places, which I think is a really important factor to consider.”

Many college students live on their own and pay their own bills and thus consider themselves independent. That looks good on paper, but to the Office of Financial Aid, that is not enough to gain independent status for financial aid.

“We feel, believe and think we’re independent,” said Jorge Lopez, the director of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. “It’s so easy to think like that because the media and society empowers us to think that way.”

The requirements for independent students are determined by Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, not FGCU.

When students apply for financial aid and fill out the FAFSA, their answers to certain questions will determine whether they are considered dependent on their parents or considered an independent in their own right.

If students are eligible for independent status, they’ll report only their own income and assets (and those of their spouse, if they’re married).

A student not living with their parents does not necessarily classify them as independent, according to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships’ website, http://www.fgcu.edu/as/financialaid/

faq.html.There are seven

requirements for independent status. For the 2009-10 academic year, a student will be considered independent if they meet at least one of the following requirements:

A student must be 24 years old; married; enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program (beyond a bachelor’s degree) during the 2009-10 school year; have children who receive more than half their support from the student claiming independent status; have dependents (other than children or a spouse) who live with the student and receive more than half their support from the student through June 30 2009; be an orphan or ward of the court (or were a ward of the court until 18 years old); or be a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces (“veteran” includes students who attended a U.S. service academy and who were released under a condition other than dishonorable).

However, in unusual cases, an administrator can determine that a student who doesn’t meet the above criteria should still be treated as an independent student.

Students can request that the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships review their dependency status. If the financial aid administrator thinks circumstances warrant a change in dependency status, he or she can change the student’s dependency status themselves.

The decision is based on the aid administrator’s judgment and is final nor can it be appealed to the U.S. Department of Education, according to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship’s website.

Nick Sofoa, a junior majoring in philosophy and a dependent by these standards, thinks the requirements aren’t realistic.

“I don’t think the requirements are fair and I don’t know anyone at FGCU that would meet those requirements,” Sofoa said.

Lopez, however, said a change in financial aid status must be due to extreme circumstances.

He used a hypothetical example:

“Let’s say the student’s mother is dead and the student’s father is in jail,” Lopez said. “And the student hasn’t seen or had any contact with the father for a number of years. Then we may issue a dependency override after receiving additional documents and letters of support from let’s say, a high school guidance counselor.”

Lopez also cited abuse as an extreme circumstance.

“It must be both parents that the student is estranged from,” Lopez said. “And we must always use professional judgment.”


B2 A/L EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, xxxx EDITOR: KAYLA STIRZEL ENTERTAINMENT!EAGLENEWS.ORG

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According to Coedmagazine.com, Florida holds five out of the 10 trashiest spring break destinations with our local Fort Myers Beach being No. 8 on the list.

10. San Diego, California This south-side city hits the list due to the massive amounts of alcohol people drink and the stupid things they do. Since it has been recently declared illegal to drink on the San Diego beaches because of intoxicated people getting into fights with the SWAT team members, people go into the water to drink, while probably peeing on themselves in the same spot they are partying.

9. Lake Havasu, ArizonaThis city is home to girls running around with massive fake implants. However, this lake is one of the trashiest spring break destinations because these girls are only wearing tassels to cover themselves.

8. Fort Myers Beach, FloridaWhen it came to our own town, Coed Magazine states, “The name of the game when it comes to spring break partying in Fort Myers is Lan Kai. It’s an older, rundown

area of the beach that is perfect for hosting the daily “booty contests” that happen during high season. Let’s not forget about Lookers Strip Club located just before the bridge heading out to the beach. “I mean it (the article) is true, but too good of a time to miss out on,” said Kyle Ostroff, a senior majoring in sports management.The Lani Kai can be a crazy spot for the more intense party goers, but it has been known to be a place to simply relax at times, too. “Fort Myers Beach has been all right the times I have been there,” said Camille Lewis, a senior majoring in marketing. “There is always something going on, which I like.”

7. Panama City, FloridaThis city followed our little college town because of the celebrities caught partying with the locals last year. These celebrities included the Ying Yang Twins and the cast of Jersey Shore. If you have seen the show, there is obviously no need to explain how the Jersey Shore cast hurt Panama City’s reputation.

6. Miami, FloridaThere was not too much to say about Miami, except for the attire spotted anywhere on the beach. Coed Magazine stated, “It’s probably one of two places where you can wear a shiny button-down shirt, rent a Lambo, and wear

white pants all why trying to keep a straight face.”

5. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina This beach is known for the non-stop partying. Not just with friends bar hopping, but hitting up the beach during the day, bars at night, to then be followed by any of the numerous strip clubs in town.

4. Daytona Beach, FloridaNASCAR and Bike Week take place at this No. 4 spot. Bad girls come to play, making Daytona Beach the “undisputed party capital for underage drinkers,” according to the Orlando Sentinel.

3. South Padre Island, TexasThis island exists solely to party on the beach where alcohol and kegs are actually allowed. Celebrities such as Tiesto have been known to show face at this party spot.

2. Key West, Florida The reason this southernmost place makes its trashy debut is due to the Garden of Eden bar. The Garden of Eden is a clothing optional bar where anyone, no matter how old, can strip it all off just because they can. This is the place to party on the beach because open container laws are not enforced during spring break

stated Key West’s Chief of Police.

1. Las Vegas, NevadaGambling, strip clubs, outrageous parties and the legalized prostitution make it all the rage for anyone to get lost out of their minds. MTV took over the Palms Casino Resort last year, which is now home to the Palms Playboy Club.

During the week of spring break, students look to let loose from their classes and other responsibilities. Going on a cruise is also a popular choice, and anyone looking for a party can take a trip on over to Florida’s No. 2 spot on the list, Key West.“If I wasn’t going to the beach, I would go on a cruise because I haven’t been in so long,” Ostroff said. “It’s a good time to rage with friends and meet new people.” Whether you are visiting one of these top spots for a trashy, fun time, remember what happens on spring break stays on spring break — unless someone uploads what you did on Facebook.

On June 6, 2011, Sony Entertainment announced the PlayStation Vita at E3. As PlayStation President Kazuo Hirai held the mysterious prototype in his hands, gamers worldwide were awestruck.

The idea of holding a portable PS3 in one’s hands was mind-blowing. After a seemingly interminable eight months, the Vita has finally been released into the hands of North American gamers. The question is: Is the Vita worth $250 of your hard-earned cash, not to mention your attention?

The PlayStation Vita is a gorgeous piece of artwork with its glossy frame and slim body. This glossy little handheld is marred only by the fact that after being handled a few times it ends up covered in smudgy fingerprints.

Another feature to admire about this beauty, aside from its gorgeous 5-inch OLED touch screen, is the Vita’s newly added dual analogue stick. This enhancement simulates the sensation of holding a dual, shock 3 controller, thus making the game play of the console titles that much smoother. The battery has a life span of five hours and a recharge period of about an hour and a half.

The Vita is comfortable to hold during game play and the buttons on the handheld feel firm and responsive when pressed, with

the exception of the left and right triggers, which feel clunky at times.

The Vita offers several other dazzling innovations. The new back touch pad, which feels super slick, is a pleasure to use. The front touch screen is the equivalent of an iPhone, with lightning-fast page swapping between applications and sleek animations. It truly runs like a dream. The apps themselves can be accessed through a tap of the display and closed with a peeling -like motion as if the app were a sticky note. Some of the apps and features included with the handheld are: near, photos, maps, remote play, music, cross chat, the newly added gyroscope and the PS Store.

Near is an app that allows the player to discover others in proximity and take a look into what games those people are playing. Photos, another app, is exactly as it sounds. The player can take snapshots and videos of the world around with the front and back cameras on the Vita.

Although this is a wonderful feature, the resolution is clearly inferior to that of the iPhone 4 and will most likely not be the camera of choice for most. Maps is basically Google Maps and acts as a GPS by presenting the user a path on which to drive to reach a desired destination.

Remote play is perhaps the coolest of the apps, allowing the user to control the PS3 via the Vita. For example, a gamer can play a PS3

game on the Vita while his mother is watching the cooking channel. Cross chat is the ability to talk with friends while playing single player or multiplayer, which was exclusive to the Xbox 360 up until now.

When placed in the right hands, the gyroscope feature adds significantly to the gaming experience by forcing the player to move the Vita around the environment to achieve success within the game.

For example, in Sony’s new game Uncharted: Golden Abyss, the player must

,use the gyroscope feature to move the in-game camera up and down to take pictures of specific objects inside the game. Lastly, the PS store contains PSP/VITA games and the newest movies on the market for download.

Overall, with its dual analogue sticks, slick, new back touch pad and dozens of other unique features, the Vita truly is a pleasure to own. Despite drawbacks such as a low-resolution camerasand clunky bumpers, there’s no acceptable reason not to go out and buy it.

B2 A/L EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22 EDITOR: KAYLA STIRZEL ENTERTAINMENT!EAGLENEWS.ORG

First Fruits Produce Farm, just more than three miles south of campus on Estero Parkway, lets you pick your own fruits and vegetables seven days a week for a price-per-pound unmatched by any area grocery store.

First Fruits owners Dustin and Stacie Blank farm their five acres on Estero Parkway year round with some help from their 6-year-old twins.

Their hard work and family farm covers many students’ needs with super affordable pricing, for students being able to literally pick their own produce or select it from the farm’s stands, as well as the peace of mind that their products are raised with Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) certified products.

As students, we can know we’re safe with their farm’s natural ways and we can personally pick or choose the foods we love most while saving loads of money.

The farm’s crops do range seasonally; right now, we’re amidst bountiful patches of strawberries and rows of sweet corn along with numerous other tasty crops.

“Strawberries run strong through late March, and then we get into many of the fruits and melons before the hot and rainy summer months,” Blank said.

Students can pick huge, fresh watermelons and cantaloupes themselves without the big grocery store price tag.

Keen to nature and our environment, Blank encourages such things as FGCU’s campus garden, and nationwide groups that travel to universities to teach students about farming and a having a general respect for our environment.

With close and easy accessibility, produce self-selected, naturally grown, nicely priced, and raised by a family treating Mother Nature with respect, what’s to lose?

The farm on Estero itself has been around for about two years and the Blank family also owns and works on 20 more acres of land around Lee County, bringing vast experience and knowledge to their work and production of various foods.

Blank or any employee on the farm works from 9 a.m. until around 5 p.m., seven days a week.

This past fall’s produce roster varied from peppers to okra with more than 13 different varieties.

So whether you’re tired of the hefty price tags for fruits and vegetables at many grocery stores, or you and some friends want a bunch of fresh cantaloupe for your trip to the campus waterfront or the beach, make the quick commute to First Fruits Farm, which is literally just around the corner.

First Fruits Farm is south of campus after a right turn off Ben Hill Griffin onto Estero Parkway, at 19690 Cypress View Drive.

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Whether you are a freshman or senior, we all have to go through job interviews at some point of our lives.

There are many factors to be taken into account during those crucial minutes of questions and answers, especially if you really want that job position you are interviewing for.

Amy Scott, training and development coordinator, and Liz Loredo, marketing and events coordinator, share with Eagle News the top 10 do-not-do’s that students should know when attending a job interview.

1. Don’t be late. You might as well just go back home if you show up late. Always

arriving 15 minutes prior to a job interview shows that you are punctual.

2. Don’t let your phone ring, buzz, beep, or shake. Keep your phone all the way off; come on, what is important here?

3. Don’t go without researching about the company or organization. You don’t want to answer, “What do you know about our company?” with, “Can I get back to you?”

4. Don’t ask about benefits, pay or start dates. No one has offered you a job just yet.

5. Don’t dress casually. Save the club outfit for Friday night. Don’t show too much skin, unless you are applying for a job at Lani Kai.

6. Don’t open the interview with, “Wait, which company is this again? Sorry, I

applied for so many that I forgot what this one is for.” Come on, no comments.

7. Don’t chew gum, eat a snack or drink a beverage. We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so eat it before, not during an interview.

8. Don’t correct your resume in front of the employer. “My printer ran out of ink” will not work as an excuse for those who forget to bring resume copies.

9. Don’t think the interview is all about you. It is about how you fit with the company, not about how long you can hold your breath under the water.

10. Don’t fail to practice and prepare. There is no such thing as, “I don’t need to practice.” We all do.

FGCU’s Career Development Services

assists students in preparing for and reaching their professional goals, building a resume and cover letters, findinga job on and off campus, and much more.

The department also offers educational sheets with information on job interviews, resumes, job search and everything students need to know when pursuing a career.

To learn what you should do in a job interview in order to be successful, look for jobs or ask any questions about careers, contact Career Services and make an appointment with one of the faculty.

Their office is located on the first floor outside the Cohen Center, right next to the Eagle ID office.

1. “Safe House”$28.4 million

2. “The Vow” $27 million

3. “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” $26.4 million

4. “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Ve-negeance” $26 million

5. “This Means War” $20.4 million

These figures are courtesy of boxofficemojo.com.

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Sarah BombardFreshmanPsychology

Supporting our Students Who Served

When we hear the term “veteran,” a majority of us instantly have a mental image of our grandparents or parents who served our country. Not many of us associate veterans with students among ourselves.

FGCU’s Students Who Served is making it known that there are veterans among us at school and the organization is growing at an amazing rate.

Established by Jonathan Riner in 2010, the idea was cultivated in 2009 as Veterans Day rolled around.

“We have this population of students who are veterans,” Riner said as he recollects how the idea formed.

Initially there were other organizations, but Riner found that they were mostly support service-oriented with one to two students showing up to the meetings.

So Riner sought to create his own group. He began an organization that was valuable to him as well as others.

Being a student of FGCU also helped in the creation of Students Who Served.

An ideal location can be a pinnacle part of the communication and marketing aspect of an organization, and Southwest Florida is ideal.

The location and university outlet has made Students Who Served broader, with more support within the campus community.

“There’s community at a university,” Riner explained about the ideals of an organization such as SWS in an educational area.

Students Who Served is focused on the transition from school, to work to an academic setting; they also work closely

with other organizations to broaden their horizons and outreach.

But a luncheon was where the organization really took off and the idea of Students Who Served took on a life of its own.

“We had an internal lunch where we invited veterans from WWII and the Korean War. We got to sit down with them and share our cultures. The veterans on campus, we have a culture that we come from. We’re sharing that this is who we are and what we’ve done,” Riner said.

“We’re putting the military into context. It can be hard to reach out and transition. This is a healthier way other than just making it about us.”

Students Who Served is also involving other groups and working with them to reach a larger audience.

“We have added a Black and African-American Appreciation Day where we will be doing an event to celebrate the culture

and the veterans who served in WWII,” Riner said.

Phi Beta and the Black Student Alliance, among others, helped with the event, inviting guests, and all the little details that go into these procedures.

“It’s part of our culture and history,” Riner said.

“There will be a dinner and three living history exhibits,” he added about the event.

The event will be held today, Feb. 22, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Sugden Ballroom 114.

“The intention is to serve the best example possible. We’re also in the process to try to develop a center like the Multicultural Student Services, so that we could have a home base,” Riner said about making the organization more visible.

Students Who Served has 10 active members, but they are continuing to communicate with the student body on a larger scale.

“Our members are fluctuating

due to graduation and things like that, but we have about 200 students on our mailing list,” Riner said.

Students Who Served is making an impression and making the transition process easier for those who may be struggling.

Students with differing degrees and experiences are working together and communicating, helping each other through their process.

“In almost every case, our student veterans are not only transitioning from military to civilian, but at the same time are transitioning to college student. We seek to ease this transition by providing support, guidance, and camaraderie to all incoming veterans, their families, and their friends,” Riner said.

For more information about SWS, you can check them out on Facebook at FGCU’s Students Who Served: A Community for All.

OpinionB4 www.eaglenews.org

Long before groups of conservatives came together to protest against higher taxes, stripping of individual liberties and calling for a reduction of the deficit, the Tea Party referred to a group of American r e v o l u t i o n a r i e s

dumping tea into Boston Harbor to protest against a “tea tax” levied against the colonies. Today, the mention of the “Tea Party” elicits a much different response.

The question posed to us this week is whether or not the Tea Party will have much of a say in the upcoming 2012 presidential election. My answer is yes, but not necessarily in the way people might think.

It would seem the Tea Party, though a trendy topic in 2009, has started to lose a lot of media focus lately. Perhaps this is due to the perception that although the Tea Party began as a grassroots movement, it is starting to have an air of bureaucracy.

For example, the “Tea Party Patriots” are generally regarded as the”official” Tea Party movement in the United States. They are a 501(c)(4) not-for-profit group based out of Atlanta, and claim to have more than 1,000 active chapters — a noble accomplishment.

However, the organization is run off of an undisclosed budget that I would imagine hovers in the tens of millions of dollars. It has a national chairman and a national convention. It is a very organized group, which has donors, benefactors and fundraisers. It is basically turned into just another run-of-the-mill PAC (political action committee).

Not to mention that the Tea Party Patriots is one of four 501(c)(4) organizations attributed to the Tea Party movement: Americans for Prosperity, FreedomWorks and the Tea Party Express being the other three — in addition to a for-profit business, The Tea Party Nation — and two informal

organizations, the National Tea Party Federation and the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition.

In short, the biggest selling point of the Tea Party a couple years ago was the fact that it was a purist, grassroots movement. There were no chairpersons, nor PACs, nor chapters, nor $549 tickets to the annual National Tea Party Convention.

The Tea Party did not have a caucus on the floor of the House of Representatives nor the Senate. The Tea Party was a voice for the masses of fed-up conservatives looking for an answer to President Obama’s 2008 victory.

In my opinion, the Tea Party’s influence has shifted because the perception of many Americans (and the media) is that the Tea Party has gone from a “movement” to an “organization.” However, this has allowed the Tea Party to have a “seat at the table,” and be taken seriously by party leadership.

In fact, I believe this is why the media has limited its coverage of the 99 percent “Occupy” protests and many people are beginning to disregard their message; they have become too structured.

It is somewhat ironic. Organizations form with the hopes that they will be taken seriously and recruit members. They gain political traction and garner attention from around the country. They become organized and become a powerful voice in the political system. Then they become part of the mainstream; they lose their appeal and become just another political organization.

Therefore, I believe the Tea Party will have a voice in the 2012 election — through expensive advertisements, endorsements and protests in favor of the Republican nominee. That is, in addition to whatever grassroots allure they still hold to some supporters.

Jeffrey is a junior majoring in political science. He is a brother of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and believes that “all are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusions is called a philosopher.”

America, we have fewer than 270 days until the 2012 presidential election and if you are like me, you have many issues running through your mind, ranging from jobs to taxes to poverty to education to health care.

While the headlines and issues of this election change every day, one thing I know for sure is that the Tea Party is NOT going to be the driving force in this election after reading an article in The Daily Beast last week that confirms my claim:

“The Tea Party movement is dead. It’s gone. I think largely the Tea Party is irrelevant in the primaries. They aren’t passionate about any of the candidates, and if they are passionate, they’re for Ron Paul,” said Chris Littleton, co-founder of the Ohio Liberty Council, a statewide coalition of Tea Party groups in Ohio.

Conservative columnist Andrew Brietbart had a similar response in The Fiscal Times:

“In terms of coming up with a national political figure, the Tea Party movement wasn’t built to do that and hasn’t evolved to do that. I don’t think people knew that it had to have that ability going into this election cycle — they just thought it would happen naturally,” Breitbart said.

The Tea Party saw America changing and it scared them worse than a child going to the dentist for the first time, on top of the fact that the people in the Tea Party were never that bright to begin with and didn’t seem to care about misspelling simple words such as “taxes” at rallies.

Where were these clowns when Bush was destroying the country? I know many of these people had never taken an interest in our political process before they took to the streets with their guns because Bush told them to go shopping and visit Disney World as their patriotic duty.

As if the misspelling of simple words they hate weren’t bad enough, there were other signs saying the president was not an American citizen, and, sadly, these folks who complained about socialism failed to realize public services are already socialized, such as the police, fire service, the United States Postal Service, public education and community libraries. I think

it’s clear to say not all socialism is evil. These poor, pathetic people sadly fail to

realize that most Americans want to keep Medicare and Medicaid just the way it is, and also fail to realize most people want the rich to start paying their fair share in taxes.

They even wanted to shut down Planned Parenthood without wanting to know if it was a benefit to women’s health, and they wanted the government to shut down altogether during the debt ceiling crisis.

I must point out that Ronald Reagan is a hero to these folks, even though he not only raised the debt ceiling 18 times but also raised taxes 11 times.

The Republicans have been shooting themselves in the foot for decades and the low approval rating of 10 percent of Congress should not be a surprise.

The low numbers I blame on John Boehner and the Tea Party Republicans for their arrogance, ignorance, worship of greed and disrespect to the poor and middle class of this country, who are not all bums, but most of whom are working hard to provide a better life for their families.

Now if only we could build these angry and paranoid folks a time machine for them to take a nice trip down memory lane for the America they desire. After that mission is taken care of, the rest of us here in 2012 can accept the fact that America is a progressive country that needs to catch up with the rest of the world or we better start learning Chinese.

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.

More than 20 years ago, I read a study of junior high school students in Rhode Island that included one finding I’ve never been able to get

out of my head. Students were asked if a man who spent money on a woman during a date was entitled to force her into sexual activity. An astounding 25 percent of the

young boys said yes, and even more astounding, 17 percent of the junior high school girls agreed.

You may think that sounds like a long time ago, and it was. But, sadly, dating violence remains a very real problem in our country, especially on college campuses.

Today, while in college, nearly one in five women will be a victim of sexual assault and one in 10 teens will be hurt on purpose by someone

they are dating. These aren’t just statistics, these are people you know: your roommates, your friends, your sisters, your classmates. This is a problem we all have to face.

My dad used to say that there’s no worse sin than the abuse of power. Whether it was raising a hand to someone weaker, or using any advantage to push people around, he taught me that if you saw abuse, you had an obligation to attempt to stop it. It’s a lesson to remember every day, but especially this February, during Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

Awareness is the first step to pushing back against a problem this big. When I held Senate hearings on violence against women more than two decades ago, domestic abuse in American society was rarely spoken about in public. I’ll never forget the stories of abuse I heard in over a thousand hours of hearings. The brutality of family members, acquaintances, and strangers against the women in their lives was

absolutely devastating.It was those hearings that led to

the Violence Against Women Act, and since then annual incidents of domestic violence have dropped by more than 50 percent. But for women in college and younger today, the risk is still much too high.

That’s why I joined with Education Secretary Arne Duncan last April to announce historic new guidelines for colleges and universities about their responsibilities under Title IX to prevent sexual assault. Under the federal civil rights law, schools have an obligation not only to respond appropriately when an assault occurs, but also to create a climate on campus that makes such violence unacceptable.

I also started an initiative called 1is2many to help reduce dating violence and sexual assault among teens and young adults.

We harnessed the power of technology to get our message out, launching a national contest to develop “Apps Against Abuse.” The

two winning apps – which will be available later this spring – will let you get in touch with your friends quickly and safely so you can call for help if you need it and stop violence in its tracks.

We’ve also made sure the National Dating Abuse Helpline can be reached by text, online, or phone 24/7.

Last month, the FBI changed the way the federal government defines rape. The narrow, outdated definition – unchanged since 1929 – said the assault had to be forcible and against a woman’s will to be classified as rape. It’s just not true, and it’s a point that I make on college campuses all across the country.

Rape is rape and no means no. No means no whether drunk or sober. No means no whether in the dorm room or on the street. There is never an excuse. Young women and men alike need to understand this.

Under the new definition, rape occurs when there is no consent, and it also includes sexual assault against boys and young men in national law

enforcement reporting. These are important changes,

but ending dating violence and sexual assault isn’t just a matter of laws and legislation. It’s about education. It’s about attitudes. It’s about your participation.

I need your help to address this issue in your dorms and on your campuses. Studies show that men’s ideas about what other men think is one of the strongest determinants of how they act. So guys, you need to speak out.

The ultimate measure of a civilized society is how its laws and culture treat the abuse of women. Attitudes can change. Violence can end. But it can’t happen without universal understanding that dating violence and sexual assault will never be tolerated anywhere, at any time, for any reason. Period. That’s all of our responsibility.

Note to readers: Eagle News received this letter from the White House Office of Communications.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22 EAGLE NEWS OPINION B5EDITOR: ANDREW FRIEDGEN OPINION!EAGLENEWS.ORG

Have you ever wanted to create a storm of epic proportions?

Just follow the lead of the Obama administration and say that you want to institute a bill that will benefit someone and you will have the world beating you up in a matter of moments.

On Jan. 20, Health and Human Services committee chairwoman Kathleen Sebelius released a final proposal for a new health care mandate that would make providing women birth control, some abortifacients and sterilization procedures, if so prescribed by a health care provider, mandatory for all employers.

The religious community went ballistic, as if it was the first they had heard of them, even though these rules were first introduced on July 19, 2010.

The Obama administration initially said that all institutions that offered health insurance would have to cover these new women’s preventative health measures at no cost to the insured. After the objections were heard loud and clear, the administration then said “OK, religious institutions with moral objections don’t have to cover these, but insurance companies will.”

On Feb. 16, religious leaders, mostly men, descended on Capitol Hill to testify against this horrible compromise in a hearing entitled “Lines Crossed: Separation of Church and State. Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?”

That sounds like a fair and

i m p a r t i a l hearing, don’t ya think? The first f ive-person panel hearing included a Catholic, a Lutheran, a Jew, and two Baptists.

This is where I want to add some horrible line about a bar and some pearly gates, but this is a real issue concerning freedoms.

These five men called the HHS rule concerning the offering of preventative services to women an outrage and a trampling of religious freedoms.

The main dissenter, Roman Catholic Bishop William E. Lori, equated the entire debate to forcing Jewish delis to serve pork. The bishop said at the end of his fable that the government would see that it should be committed to “religious liberty and diversity” but yet the Catholic Church hides pedophiles and says that being gay is wrong.

While other leaders testifying held the atheistic line of separation of church and state, the bishop, officially titled as the Most Reverend, turned in a Truth in Testifying statement that shows the Conference of Catholic Bishops, which he leads, has received more than $84,700,000 in grants from the government to do its work. Some $29 million going to building funds and another $10 million covering administration costs. Separation.

What the entire 10-person (one woman was added just before the hearings began and only spoke at the end of the second panel) witness

roster wants to oppose is the line of the HHS requiring insurance companies to provide “preventative care and screening provided for in comprehensive guidelines supported by HRSA ... commonly known as HRSA’s Women’s Preventative Services.”

Legislators, when drafting the Affordable Healthcare Act, asked that women’s issues be looked at more specifically, because women were an under-covered group. In doing so, the HHS panel, headed by Sebelius, found that women should be given preventive access to well-woman visits, including preconception and prenatal care.

They should be screened for gestational diabetes, the HPV and HIV/AIDS viruses, counseling for those infected with either, breastfeeding support and supplies, counseling for domestic and interpersonal violence, and contraceptives. Most of the leaders who testified focused on the inclusion of the Plan B and Ella components as well as the covering of sterilization, such as tubal ligation (having your tubes tied) something doctors won’t do anyway until you have a few kids or a serious medical condition.

I can understand that the institutions don’t want to pay for these charges. They may find aspects of the mandate objectionable. They also claim that they only hire people who abide by their creeds, missions, and religious edicts. In a survey released by the Public Religion Research Institute stated that 55 percent of Americans said employers should offer insurance plans that cover birth control at no cost. Sebelius

and the HHS committee found that providing women with birth control helps reduce health-care costs in the long term.

The poll also stated that 58 percent of Catholics said they should have health plans that cover contraception. Sixty-one percent of unaffiliated religious people said the same thing.

The most troubling numbers in this poll reflect upon the panel held by the oversight committee: Only 47 percent of men favor covering contraceptives. And written into the bill is that insurance companies won’t charge the providers or the benefactors.

I don’t care what your faith is, just as I hope you don’t care what mine is, but denying women the access to contraceptive and other preventative services is a blatant act of discrimination. Men have been telling women for far too long what they can and cannot do with their bodies and for their health.

A woman has the right, just as a man does, to life, liberty and the pursuit to happiness, with or without children. No one ever said that women who work for Catholic institutions, whether Catholic themselves or not, would have to take advantage of the options offered to them by way of reproductive independence.

They also shouldn’t be denied the ability to, either. The only female on the panel, Dr. Laura Champion, medical director of Calvin College Health Services, which serves 7,000 students, said that her job was to uphold the mission of her department, which states “we seek to be responsive to the changing needs of the college community.”

Well, college students should be allowed to be written prescriptions for contraceptives if that’s their choice, no matter where they attend or if they are employed by an institution such as Calvin College. Those college women, once fully in the workforce, should have access to equitable health care that fits the individualized needs of a woman, not a man.

The church leaders all stand in solidarity to keep women under their thumbs, barefoot and pregnant and subservient in roles of leadership. This is not a debate on abortion, a debate that still rages because the man lost, it is a debate on what men think insurance companies should offer women in order for them to stay healthy.

It is not a debate on whether women should be employed by religious institutions, it’s a debate on what happens after they clock out and go home or to the doctor.

I urge all of you, women and men alike, to think about the travesty to individual liberties that will be incurred if these men, religious and political alike, have their ways and women’s health issues are removed from the new rules.

Because if they can get out of it, then the loopholes will be opened up for the insurance companies to get out of them as well, and then we’ll be right back where they wanted us in the first place.

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.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The argument that the so-called rich in this country do not pay their “‘fair share” in taxes is completely bogus.

The United States already has the most progressive income tax in the world. According to information from the IRS, the hated 1 percent of

income earners paid 38 percent of all federal income taxes in 2008 while a whopping 49 percent of households paid no federal income tax at all. In fact, the bottom half of the country pays a measly 3 percent of federal income taxes.

Does this sound fair to you?Of course, the spotlight has

recently been placed on Debbie Bosanek, Warren Buffett’s secretary,

with the claim being that she pays more that her boss does in income taxes. In fact, the 17.4 percent that Buffett claims he pays in taxes in not actually an income tax at all, but a capital gains tax.

But, for the sake of argument, let’s say he was only taxed on his income at 17.4 percent. His secretary would have to make between $200,000 and $500,000 annually to

fall into the next highest tax bracket of 19 percent. Not bad for a secretary, but hardly an example of someone who “got the short straw in life.”

However, one quickly realizes that this argument is not worth having due to the fact that neither of them has released their tax returns. So I guess we’ll all just have to take Mr. Buffett’s word for it, right?

Let’s cut to the heart of the

matter: The government not getting enough tax dollars from the wealthy is not the issue. Washington’s unbelievable and shameful addiction to spending has been an unmitigated and bi-partisan disaster.

The only way to get the debt under control is to stop spending money we don’t have.

Period.

CONTRACEPTIVE CONUNDRUM

B6 NEWS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22 EDITOR: VERONICA VELA NEWS!EAGLENEWS.ORG

Death, taxes and Colloquium — for Florida Gulf Coast University undergraduates, the list of life’s certainties is a little longer than it is for most other students. But Colloquium is not your average class.

The almost 850 students enrolled in the course this semester will incorporate field trips into their learning.

According to university Colloquium coordinator Sarah Davis, many students believe the course is a type of environmental “indoctrination.” Instead, Davis calls it “a discussion-based class” designed for students to explore their own ecological perspective through the

readings and hands-on experiences to “develop their own ideas and perspectives using critical thinking skills.”

“Students should actually feel lucky that they are getting this opportunity because very few universities make this a point to invest in their students so that they are prepared to understand about their environment and the habitat that they live in,” Davis said.

Colloquium students visit four types of locations: agricultural, urban, freshwater and marine habitats. Field trip sites are often suggested by faculty members.

Once the forms are filled out, the potential destination is evaluated based on curriculum learning objectives and available facilities for student use. The process is complete once the location

has been approved by the university Colloquium Advisory Council, which has a student representative.

Paul Smith, a senior philosophy major, enjoyed his field trip to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

“I like Corkscrew. I actually volunteered out there,” Smith said. “I went early in the morning one day and I was the first one out there and there was a big black bear. It scared me, like paralyzed. Don’t move, that was my idea. If it doesn’t see me, I don’t show up as mattering.”

Recent graduate Janet Schalk, who majored in history and philosophy, also found the course beneficial.

“I really enjoyed it. I know I’m probably the minority in opinion, but I liked going to different places around here. Stuff I never

would have done before,” Schalk said.FGCU’s colloquium model has been

presented at national conferences, Davis explained.

“We’re cutting edge. There’s so many universities around the nation that are looking to us as an example. They want to have this kind of course.”

Colloquium is required for all FGCU undergraduate students and is an upper-level course.

The interdisciplinary class is designed to enhance students’ understanding of the environment while considering social, ethical, economic, political, historical and scientific impacts.

Two of Florida’s major research universities could soon have wide power to decide how much to charge students.

Amid a backdrop of deep budget cuts for all universities, Florida lawmakers are pushing ahead with a plan that would allow both the University of Florida and Florida State University to raise tuition rates above the current limits.

A House panel took up the measure Tuesday, while a Senate panel late last week attached the provision to an unrelated bill.

University presidents say the bill would help them get the money to raise their national profile.

“You are giving us a chance to out compete universities in other states,” FSU

President Eric Barron told legislators.The push for the bill comes when

Gov. Rick Scott already has come out in opposition to increased tuition hikes.

Florida legislators have the power to order tuition hikes, but universities also have the power to raise tuition up to 15 percent a year without legislative approval.

The House budget currently includes an 8 percent tuition hike for all 11 public universities. The Senate budget does not order a tuition hike but gives universities permission to increase tuition a full 15 percent higher. But the Senate budget also cuts state funding to universities by $400 million.

The bills emerging late in the session would allow any university that meets a list of criteria to ask the Board of

Governors to raise tuition even higher, or to set different tuition rates for different types of programs.

Both Barron and UF President Bernie Machen in January asked lawmakers to let them charge higher tuition for degrees in fields such as science, engineering and math because those courses cost more to deliver and those graduates have higher earning potential.

Under the proposed bills universities that attract students with high SAT scores, spend at least $200 million on research, retain at least 90 percent of their incoming freshmen and have a number of nationally-recognized faculty members would be eligible for the wide-ranging tuition power.

A legislative analysis shows that both UF and FSU meet at least 11 of the

criteria while University of South Florida meets seven and the University of Central Florida meets only three.

Rep. Bill Proctor, R-St. Augustine and chairman of the House Education Committee, stressed that the legislation is aimed at helping UF become of the nation’s top 10 public universities and helping FSU gain admittance to the prestigious Association of American Universities.

Proctor said that the House will also come out with another bill that will assist the state’s other public universities if they meet certain thresholds.

“I think it’s an effort to move the entire system,” Proctor said.

UFGCSustainable

youSustainableFGC( )

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22 EAGLE NEWS NEWS B7WWW.EAGLENEWS.ORG

It’s one thing to communicate a particular ideal or belief, but it’s something entirely different to actually stand for that belief. The FGCU Social Work students and faculty did just that earlier this month.

“As social workers, we embrace the role of student advocates. We are taught that we can give voice to the vulnerable and oppressed populations we serve as professionals,” said Matt Buszko, a senior majoring in social work.

On Feb. 6-7, social work students and faculty went to Tallahassee to represent FGCU, something they’ve been doing since

2000. More than 850 social work students attended this year’s Lobby Day event from the state of Florida. The FGCU Social Work students even won a participation award for the third time (2005, 2009, 2012) for having more than 90 students in attendance.

While on their trip, the social work group was able to receive guidance from the National Association of Social Work. NASW advised them on several different bills being considered during the 2012 Florida Legislative Session.

While in Tallahassee students lobbied for bills such as Military Veterans and Criminal Offenses (HB117/SB138 - HB977/SB922), Psychotropic Medication to Children (HB1405/HB1808), Homelessness

(HB531/SB1130), Autism (HB951/SB162), Health Care Coverage Mandates (PCBHSQS 03 - HB1405/SB1808),

Seclusion and Restraint (which prohibits the seclusion and physical restraint of students with disabilities in public schools) (HB1467/SB144), Alzheimer’s Disease (HB1035/SB316) and Florida Safe Harbor Act (HB99/SB202).

The students and faculty involved broke into different divisions, based on their hometown districts, and were able to meet the Florida representation.

Katia Robinson-Lucero, a senior majoring in social work, says this was her most memorable experience of the trip.

“I was with the BSW group and presented the topics to the senator and

representatives,” Robinson-Lucero said.Buszko, however, wanted it to be

known that the social work group was there to support these different bills, not specifically lobby for them.

“A distinction must be made here, that, despite the name of the event, that we are not actually lobbyists, as that designation is reserved for paid, professional lobbyists”.

He wants people to know the group was simply letting their support be known.

“This event teaches us every citizen has the right to advocate for his or her position,” Buszko said. “Every single one of us has the right to visit with our elected officials and state our needs.”

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SPRINGBREAK

The FGCU baseball team dropped their opening series of the season, two games to one, following a 3-1 loss to non-conference opponent Bethune-Cookman at home Feb. 19.

A huge seven-run sixth inning allowed Bethune-Cookman, which represents the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, to overcome what was a 4-1 deficit after six frames, as they held on to seize the opener 8-6 on Feb. 17.

FGCU made a solid comeback of their own the next night. Trailing 3-2 after 6 and a half innings, the Eagles scored two runs in the seventh and three in the eighth en route to a 7-3 victory that evened the series.

The rally theme began once again during the windy Sunday afternoon rubber match after a one out double down the right field line in the bottom of the ninth by FGCU sophomore second baseman Brandon Bednar.

His at-bat was followed by a ground out and a walk, and freshman third baseman Zach Tillery drove in the team’s first run with a bloop single to right.

Freshman right fielder Michael Suchy not only had a chance to keep the line moving, but all of a sudden he also had an opportunity to tie the game with runners on the corners and two outs. He failed to do either, however, as he grounded out to second to end the game.

But despite losing two out of their first three in the 2012 campaign, FGCU coach Dave Tollett was not too discouraged or surprised by his team’s overall performance, given that 24 of the 35 roster spots are occupied by underclassmen.

“It’s a lot of what I expected with us being

very young,” Tollett said. “We made a lot of young mistakes that

a veteran club wouldn’t make, but I know we’re going to get better just by the play. We’ve got to continue to play and grow each game, and I think by the end we’ll be a pretty good ball club.”

One of the young players in which the team has a lot of faith, sophomore outfielder/first baseman Sean Dwyer, echoed that same sentiment.

“Since we are young, I feel like during the series we have ahead of us we’ll be able to grow as a team and mature,” Dwyer said.

The starting pitchers, right-handed senior Jason Forjet, lefty senior Patrick Nathanson, and another left-hander, sophomore Brandon Bixler, went a total of just 10 and two-thirds innings, giving up only one earned run combined.

Bixler was the only one who qualified for a decision and took the loss due to a lack of run support after surrendering two runs.

The bullpen proved to be inconsistent as well, giving up seven total runs in the first game, as opposed to only four over the final two.

Righty freshman Brady Anderson was excellent in his two outings, as he pitched three shutout innings on Feb. 18 and Feb. 19. His performance Feb. 18 earned him a save.

“The pitching was up and down all weekend,” Tollett said.

“There were some bright spots and there were some bad spots, but we’ve got to get better in that area, too.”

In fact, Tollett emphasized the need for improvement in all areas.

But one player who stood out over the weekend from an offensive standpoint was freshman infielder Alex Diaz.

Diaz was the key to the five-run rally late in the Feb. 18 win, hitting a home run in the seventh and driving in two more runs in the

eighth.“Diaz is a tremendous freshman,” Tollett

said. “He’s a great player to watch. It’s fun watching him swing, and yesterday with the home run and the double, he lifted us. It was great to see. Alex is a good kid and a great player.”

“I just wanted to start the inning up,” Diaz said.

“We needed some runs real quick. So I just went out there, see the ball, hit the ball, you know? And I got a good 2-0 pitch to hit and just made good contact, and things happened the way they were supposed to happen.”

The Eagles will have a huge test today, as the University of Miami, which is ranked No. 12 in the nation, will come to Fort Myers for one game at Hammond Stadium.

“They’re always good,” Tollett said. “We’ll go play ‘em. That’s all we can do. We can’t be scared. We’ve just got to go and play a good game.”

“It’s always fun to play the big schools,” Dwyer said. “It’s fun to be the underdog.”

Tickets can be purchased in person at the Alico Arena ticket office or by phone at 239-590-7145. The FGCU ticket office is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.FGCUAthletics.com/tickets.

Adult tickets are $10 for box seats and $7 for general admission seating. Youth along with faculty and staff tickets are $7 for box seats and $4 for general admission. Groups of 10 or more receive a discount rate of $7 for box seats and $4 for general admission. Students can attend the Hammond Stadium contest for free with valid Eagle ID. Tickets for the Hammond Stadium game are not included in the FGCU baseball season ticket package.

Miami has taken all seven meetings between the two programs.

SportsB8 www.eaglenews.org

On to the next one.The Florida Gulf Coast University

swimming and diving team completed the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association conference championship four-peat last Saturday. This was the perfect send-off for the team’s five seniors as they went a perfect four-for-four in conference titles, and won 21 consecutive conference meets, all signs of pure domination of the CCSA Conference.

“It was an emotional night (Saturday),” said coach Neal Studd. “The seniors all made a speech in front of the team and there were a lot of coaches crying and seniors crying. You could really see what it meant to them because it is pretty rare to go four years without a conference defeat and four straight championships.

“They did great, had great leadership,

and began a tradition that I hope our underclassmen carry forward.”

The Eagles obliterated the competition with 840 team points, winning by more than 300 points over Liberty University in second and Georgia Southern in third place. FGCU won three of the five relay events and took home 10 individual gold medals. Complementing the 10 gold medals were nine silvers and eight bronzes.

“It was definitely our best team performance in a conference championship,” Studd said. “It was our biggest margin of victory and it was against even better competition within the conference this year.”

The FGCU women’s swimming and diving team also had the most outstanding diver of the CCSA meet in junior Maegan Butler (Orangeburg, N.Y.), who won the one- and three-meter diving competitions. Butler scored 302 points in the three-meter dive, which is a qualifying score for NCAA Diving

Zone B Championships. FGCU’s second-year diving coach Andrew Goe won the CCSA women’s Diving Coach of the Year award for the second straight year.

On the swimming side, freshman Emma Svensson (Uppsala, Sweden) took home CCSA Most Outstanding Female Freshman Performer of the Meet. Svensson had three NCAA B Cut Times, placing second in the 50 free, the 100 back and 100 free. Another individual earning a spot in NCAA B Cut was Beaubrun, who earned a bronze in the 100 breaststroke.

“She has had a tremendous freshman year and did great to get freshman of year, but was a little unlucky not to get swimmer of the year,” Studd said.

Svensson was also a part of four relay teams that reached the NCAA B Cut. The 400 medley relay team of Svensson, sophomore Christina Tanninen (Burlington, Ontario), junior Danielle Beaubrun

(Vieux Fort, St. Lucia), Danielle Butler (Orangeburg, N.Y.) won gold Thursday night. The 200 medley relay team of Svensson, Beaubrun, Tanninen, and junior Eva Lehtonen (Rochester Hills, Mich.) also took home gold.

Individuals taking home gold this past weekend included: Lehtonen in the 500 free, senior Victoria Cadge (Long Melford, Suffolk, UK) in the 200 individual medley, senior Leah Daniel (Winnipeg, Manitoba) in 200 free and 1650 free, and Danielle Butler in the 200 fly.

NCAA Diving Zones begin March 8 through March 11 in Auburn, Ala., while NCAA Championships begin March 15 through March 17, also in Auburn.

The Eagles’ training for NCAAs is similar to the regular season, but a little less strenuous. “We don’t really beat them up in the weight room to keep them a little extra fresh,” Studd said.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22 EAGLE NEWS SPORTS B9EDITOR: JOSH SIEGEL SPORTS!EAGLENEWS.ORG

Men’s basketball Women’s basketball

Junior Sherwood Brown is on an absolute tear right now.

After ending 2011 on a sour note when he was suspended for a “team rules violation,” Brown, who was held out of the final two games of 2011 and first two of 2012, has returned to lead the FGCU men’s basketball team to their first-ever berth in the Atlantic Sun Tournament.

Brown, a junior guard who leads FGCU in scoring and rebounding, returned from his suspension to help the Eagles earn five wins in six games.

Upon Brown’s return, FGCU quickly climbed up the A-Sun standings.

FGCU was picked to finish eighth in the A-Sun in preseason polls. Brown’s run helped him earn the Atlantic Sun Player of the Week for the final week of January.

He posted averages of 16.7 points and 9.7 rebounds in three games that month, including two double-doubles.

“He’s a big part of our team; a leader on and off the court,” said Andy Enfield, FGCU coach.

“He’s a big reason why we win and why we lose. If he plays well, we usually have a great chance of winning the game. I’m very proud of him the way he’s improved as a player and how hard he plays.”

In their first year of A-Sun tournament eligibility, the Eagles have made a remarkably quick turnaround following a 7-20 season in 2010.

FGCU’s record currently stands at 13-14, including 8-8 in the A-Sun, placing them in a deadlock with ETSU for fifth in the conference.

FGCU closes out its regular season with games on the road against USC Upstate (18-11, 11-5 A-Sun) on Feb. 23 and ETSU (14-13, 8-8) on Feb. 25.

The game against ETSU could be crucial as both are only a half-game behind North Florida for the No. 4 seed in the A-Sun tournament.

FGCU will need Brown, whose 12.4 points and 6 rebounds per games rank top 10 in the A-Sun, to continue his strong play.

“Sherwood has been great,” Enfield said.Enfield wouldn’t say if Brown’s team-imposed

suspension had anything to do with his recent success.

FGCU’s first-year coach does, however, believe in second chances.

“He (Brown) has done what he needs to do from a team perspective,” Enfield said.

“I’m a big believer in team rules. However, I don’t give up on players. As a staff we try to teach them, help them on and off the court. We want those guys to be great student athletes. Sherwood has certainly done that lately.”

Brown believes the suspension gave him a chance to reflect.

“It’s all about the team,” Brown said. “I couldn’t get any personal accolades without the

team. The coaches put us in the right position to win. I realized I had to make some changes individually for the team, and from here on out it’s all basketball.”

The FGCU softball team hosted the LaQuinta Inn and Suites Tournament this past weekend, against the University Tennessee-Martin, Saint Louis, University of Delaware, Boston College and Binghamton University.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, the tournament wasn’t what they hoped it would be, as they came away with only two wins, beating UT Martin 6-0 on Friday, and earning a 10-2 win against Binghamton on Sunday.

Consistency continued to be FGCU’s primary issue, according to coach Dave Deiros

“We did well at times and showed flashes that we can be a really good ball club, but we haven’t done enough consistently all the way through to have a winning record,” Deiros said. “Our record is who we are. We can go ahead and play with anybody at times, but we need to do more consistently to get more wins.”

Deiros says the struggles are across the board.“We need to pitch it better consistently, we need

to catch it better consistently, and we need to hit it, because if we have a lapse in any one of the three phases, we’re not doing well enough in the other two to make up for it,” Deiros said. “If we make a bad pitch and give up a home run, we aren’t hitting it as consistently as we want to, to be able to shrug it off and say, ‘it’s no problem.’”

Still, there were players that stood out to Deiros.“You have to look at Shelby Morgan (pitcher),”

Deiros said. “She got two wins in her two starts and she did a really good job in both of her starts keeping hitters off balance and really shutting them down.

Kelsey Carpenter had a phenomenal weekend. She hit the ball really well all weekend long. Jessica Barnes did a nice job swinging the bat. Emily Lanier, she had a good first two weeks. Tori Williams also did a phenomenal job this weekend.”

Freshman Carpenter earned her first A-Sun Player of the Week Award on Feb. 20. She had two triples and a home run in a 3-for-4 effort in the 10-2 win over Binghamton. She also leads the team in home runs with two, triples with two, runs with seven, RBIs with seven, and is tied for first in batting average with .400.

Carpenter felt she learned a lot from the tournament.

“I think my first game I had a hard time,” Carpenter said. “Before my last games I was jumping at the ball more, but once I learned to trust myself and had more confidence at the plate then I hit a lot better. So, I think that’s where I found my most success.”

Morgan, a freshman pitcher, has a 3-1 record for the Eagles, currently the best on the team.

“I was nervous coming in,” Morgan said. “I thought I did well. I need to work on staying confident the last few innings and keep pushing hard.”

The Eagles hope to carry the momentum from the Feb. 19 win to this weekend’s tournament at the University of Central Florida.

“I think that last game against Binghamton was a complete game and the game against Tennessee-Martin was a complete game,” Deiros said. “Our defense and our offense clicked in all phases. If we can put more of those games together, I think the wins and losses will turn around a little bit.”

FGCU will face off against Eastern Michigan, Seton Hall and UCF. They will play each team twice.

Sportswww.eaglenews.org

ENSPORTSWeekly recap

Due to her strong o!ensive performance this past weekend, FGCU softball freshman Kelsey Carpenter (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) was named the Atlantic Sun Player of the Week for the "rst time in her career, as announced by the league o#ce on Monday for the week of Feb. 13-19. Carpenter led the Eagles to a 2-3 record with a .529 batting average on the week.

Softball

Women’s soccer

The FGCU women’s basketball team received 24 votes to rank No. 29 in this week’s USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches’ Poll that was released on Tuesday, Feb. 21. This marks the 16th time in program history and the seventh consecutive week that the Eagles have earned votes in the national poll.

The FGCU women’s tennis team earned a victory at No. 1 singles from freshman Sarah Means (Wesley Chapel, Fla./Wiregrass Ranch HS) but were defeated by in-state foe UCF, 6-1, on Saturday afternoon at the FGCU Tennis Complex. The Eagles fall to 1-2 on the season and UCF improves to 3-5 with the victory.

Women’s basketball

Women’stennis

Three goals and a strong defensive e!ort led the way as the FGCU women’s soccer team earned a 3-0 shutout victory against FIU at the FGCU Soccer Complex on Feb. 19. The Eagles’ defense was stellar in the win as they were able to shut down the defending Sun Belt Conference champions.

Feb. 18 was a very bittersweet day for FGCU women’s basketball.

On a positive note, FGCU (24-2, 16-0 A-Sun) clinched its second consecutive Atlantic Sun regular season title, but on the down side, it was the last game five seniors played at Alico Arena.

“Tonight was heartbreaking,” senior guard Kelsey Jacobson said. “I’m very happy to get the A-Sun championship and to beat Stetson, but at the same time it’s the last time that we get to play in the support of a crowd like that. My heart is broken.”

Jacobson added a team-high 14 points in a 79-56 rout of rival Stetson (21-7, 12-4 A-Sun). Jacobson’s teammate and best friend, senior Courtney Chihil, added nine points and seven rebounds.

“It was exciting to clinch the championship in front of all our fans,” Chihil said. “It was huge for us and to the fans. It’s really sad, though, because these people have become like our family, and to say goodbye to them on this court is really tough.”

Chihil and Jacobson have played together all four years and their senior class has an astounding 102-18 record. That includes three conference championships and four years of postseason play.

“We’re best friends on and off the court,” Jacobson said.

“We’re able to have fun. It can be a close game and her (Chihil) and I will be joking about something. I don’t know how many people can say they do that, but it’s been an unbelievable experience and I couldn’t ask for a better person for four years.”

What a four years it has been. In four seasons, the FGCU senior class’ worst season was in 2009-10 when they finished 24-7 and lost in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament.

They are on pace for their best season ever. The Eagles are the first seed in the upcoming A-Sun tournament, on pace for their best regular season record in their four years and looking for their first berth in the NCAA tournament.

FGCU coach Karl Smesko has coached the seniors throughout their careers and says that the reason they’ve had so much success is because of leadership.

“They’re great leaders because they do what they’re supposed to,” Smesko said.

“They have the right attitude about practice, they stay motivated and they make sure the team is doing what they’re supposed to do. To have a great team you need great leadership, and it should come from your seniors. Fortunately for us we have that.”

Along with being leaders of their teammates, Chihil and Jacobson are also leaders in the FGCU all-time record books.

They both are in the top 15 in five categories. Chihil ranks sixth in points (935), sixth in field goals made (303), tied for seventh in three-point field goals made (113), third in rebounds (585), fourth in assists (308) and first in steals (193).

Jacobson is second in points (1,228), fourth in field goals made (375), first in three-point field goals made (320), thirteenth in rebounds (245) and seventh in assists (228).

Not only have they both had illustrious careers but they are also key parts in FGCU’s current 16-game win streak.

Chihil is averaging 9.2 points in almost 29 minutes per game this

season. She is also second on the team in steals (48), rebounding (107) and first in assists (77).

Jacobson is averaging 10.5 points in almost 29 minutes a game. She is first on the team in three-pointers made (71) and first in three-pointers made per game (2.7).

With two games left in the regular season and then the A-Sun tournament, FGCU can’t look too far ahead.

“It’s going to be difficult to beat a team three times,” Jacobson said. “We’ve played everybody twice and in the tournament it’ll be the third time we play anybody. It’s going to be tough ... they know us, we know them and just hopefully we know them better.”

If FGCU were to win the A-Sun Ttournament they would receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, which would be the first appearance in FGCU history.

“I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Chihil said. “We work so hard, and to do that would be a great way to go out.”

Volume 10 Issue 22

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Transcript of Volume 10 Issue 22