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Olivia McKelvey

A final farewell: What I have learned as editor-in-chief

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The following is an opinion/editorial piece. 

Being an editor-in-chief is not a job for people pleasing. You do not obtain the position so you can hold hands and become friends with everyone on campus. You are an editor-in-chief because you are there to shed light on the truth, hold people accountable, be an outlet dedicated to informing the Florida Tech community and so much more.

This past semester has been an unprecedented time. I have reported on everything ranging from sexual assault on campus to the COVID-19 pandemic and more. As you read this, I submitted my last final ever at Florida Tech just two days ago. In the absence of classes, I have had time to reflect on the madness and whirlwind constance of news that surrounded me this past semester. This is what I learned:

I have learned what it’s like to be told you’re wrong, over and over again. Voices are powerful, so I have taken in stride criticism and people’s opinions, but over the past four months I had to learn to back myself and trust the facts. When you speak the truth you need to stand by it. People have a right to opinions, but people also don’t always want to accept that truth carries power.

Asking the questions that no else will — this is something I have valued since first getting involved with The Crimson, and have really put into practice this past semester. There’s a balance between being compassionate and knowing when it’s time to ask what no one else has. I expect very few people to understand what it is like to conduct interview after interview with rape survivors. First of all, I applaud those women and their bravery for coming forward, but I also acknowledge that sometimes I myself crumbled. I felt as though I had to count myself lucky to not have to go through something like they did, but also enraged that women have sometimes been told to worry about “what they were wearing when they went out,” or “if they were drinking too much that night.” Consent is powerful, so don’t undermine it. It’s reassuring to know that there has been so much change and support made for those that have been sexually assaulted, but there’s still a lot more work to do. The point here is that I feel for those women. I had to walk a fine line to be supportive of them, but also make sure I got the facts right.

There are times when you want to pick and choose a side, but as a reporter it’s your job to remain in the middle — objective, unbiased, willing to put beliefs and emotions aside to portray a factual and fair story. This is hard, harder than some may think at times, but it also is what I believe can define a good reporter. I strive to live up to those qualities to this day and continue to do so, and I stand by the fact that I have so far.  

 Since becoming editor-in-chief,  I’ve sat in rooms for important meetings filled with typically all men, many of them seeming to be above the age of 50, and nearly all white. At first, it is intimidating, then the shock hits. To live in an educational environment for the past years where I have been taught that companies and organizations need culture and diversity and it is a changing age, but then to witness the complete opposite of that in reality; it’s disheartening. I’ve learned that some things result to old regimes, even when I thought they didn’t. We are a STEM university and it is still so male dominated, why is that? I hope this changes.  

I also have learned that I cannot do everything on my own. Shocker right? My skills solely cannot capture all the breaking news or follow up on every single lead while also being a full-time student. My backbone has been my extremely amazing and supportive staff. We are small but mighty as I like to say, and I wouldn’t be able to accomplish what I have so far without them. 

I leave Florida Tech incredibly proud of the education I have received. Yet, also a bit disappointed and ashamed by some of the things I heard, some of the things I have been told and some of the things I have witnessed. I’ve come to acknowledge that there are views and opinions on this campus that I thought only a prehistoric world held, yet they still seem to persist in my generation —the supposed generation of acceptance and inclusiveness.

When I viciously slap the buttons on my keyboard as I type, I’m not doing it because stories with my name on them are going to get me a good job or because of a popularity contest; I write and report because I care. I care about the industry and the civic duty that journalists have, I care about free speech and the right for people to know what is going on in the environment around them. I poured my heart and soul into The Crimson, and I leave proud of the work I did and honored to be a part of such an amazing newsroom. With my send off I have one wish— that the paper continues to report on the school, not for it. May its legacy live on. 

Dive into the Shark Lab

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By Arianna Schuck

Toby Daly-Engel, an assistant professor in Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences at Florida Tech, dedicates her time outside the classroom to saving one particular animal: sharks. 

Head of the shark conservation lab on campus, Daly-Engel stated that a scientific study has three major parts: the question, the tools used and the application. 

“The question always has something to do with evolution, ecology or reproduction [of sharks] or other animals that invest heavily in reproduction which are keystone predators in their environment,” Daly-Engel said. 

In the lab, there is an array of tools used to answer these questions. Students are tagging and tracking sharks in the field for data, and DNA is being sequenced and then amplified in a polymerase chain reaction machine for even further study. 

The combination of these tools has led to the findings of cryptic species by the lab. This means that visually, one shark could look exactly like another one but is genetically completely different. 

“Although the sharks have been here for a while, we’re only now finding out how many different species and how much diversity there is in these unique groups of sharks hiding in plain sight,” Daly-Engel said.  She went on to add that unless an animal is recognized as its own species there is no way to protect it.

According to the International Union of the Conservation of Nature, about 45 percent of sharks and rays are classified as “data deficient,” meaning that there is insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made.

“We are worried that some species are going extinct before they are even described,” Daley-Engel said. 

With plenty of more research needed to be conducted within the field, the shark conservation lab aims to conduct research for a better understanding of the species and the importance of conserving them. If you work in a lab on campus that you are interested in the Crimson featuring, contact crimson@fit.edu. 

Florida Tech receives over $3 million in CARES Act emergency funds, half of which must be distributed to qualifying students

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On March 27, Congress approved a  $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic  Security bill. This bill is known as the CARES Act and aims to provide fast and direct economic assistance for American workers, families and small businesses, as well as to preserve jobs for the American industries.

 According to the stimulus bill, about $12.5 billion will go directly to universities and colleges to help them recover from the financial hit of the pandemic. The bill also requires that half of each institution’s total grant amount go directly to students in the form of emergency financial aid grants.

Florida Tech received roughly $3.6 million from the CARES Act,  meaning that at least about $1.8 million must be allocated for students in need of emergency funds. 

The U.S. Department of Education states only undergraduate and graduate students who are Title IV eligible can be awarded CARES Act emergency funds. This means that students that have filed a 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid— FAFSA — are eligible to receive funding. Students who have not filed a FAFSA, but who are eligible to file one, may also receive emergency financial aid grants if they file by June 30, according to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. Eligibility terms for FAFSA applications can be found here.

Other universities throughout Florida received various amounts of funds from the CARES Act. For example, Saint Leo University received about $4.5 million, Florida Southern College was granted roughly $2.2 million, Lynn University received about $1.9 million and Nova Southeastern University was awarded roughly $7.1 million.  

The Department of Education stated that funds distribution per university was based on 75 percent of the institution’s fulltime in-person Pell grant recipients, and 25 percent of those who are not Pell Grant recipients. The calculation excludes international and online enrolled students. The DoE also states that FAFSA forms are used as the application method to determine which undergraduates, who display exceptional financial need, will be awarded a Pell grant. 

On behalf of Wes Sumner, Florida Tech’s vice president of marketing and communications, Adam Lowenstein said in an email that Florida Tech plans to distribute the $1.8 million portion of CARES Act funds to students who are eligible as soon as possible. 

“According to our preliminary analysis, Florida Tech currently has 1,940 undergraduates eligible for these relief funds,” Lowenstein, director of media communications, said. “We have emailed an additional 337 undergraduates to encourage them to file for FAFSA as we believe they would also be eligible for CARES Act assistance.”

At this point in time, Lowenstein said that a finalized eligible population of students who can receive CARES Act emergency financial aid is still being determined. Lowenstein added that payment amounts on a student-by-student basis will be known once they finalize the entire eligible population of students. 

When students are able to receive emergency financial grants from the Cares Act, Lowenstein said they can use them to cover any such expense related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus such as food, housing, course materials, technology or health care and child-care expenses.

Juan Merced is a freshman majoring in astrobiology, and is one of the 1,940 Florida Tech undergraduates that are eligible for CARES Act relief funds. Merced said that a good portion of his tuition is paid for from the aid he gets as a Pell grant recipient. 

According to Merced, the coronavirus has impacted his grades especially. He said that it has been harder for him to learn properly with an online only classroom structure, and as a result he said he is failing some courses. 

“Because of how relatively poor I did this semester, I’m at risk for losing some of my scholarships such as my Bright Futures one,” Merced said. 

Merced said that losing those scholarships is going to be a “game changer” in terms of how he pays for college. 

“I would most likely use any funds I receive for textbooks, food and probably a part of tuition payment for the fall,” Merced said.

The native Floridian added that both his parents are not working right now because of the pandemic. While Merced’s father is still receiving pay, his mother is not and has been unsuccessful in trying to claim unemployment.  

“It definitely has been harder lately, ” Merced said. “I didn’t even know I was eligible to receive funds, but if I did get any it would help me pay for my education.”

Lowenstein said that because this funding comes with strict guidelines from the Department of Education, the university wants to deliberate on their distribution while also working as quickly as they can to distribute funds to students who qualify. 

“We are determining the best process to do this based on the requirements and plan to initiate disbursements soon,” Lowenstein said. 

According to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, institutions may provide emergency financial aid grants to students by using checks, electronic transfer payments, debit cards and payment apps. However, grant payments may not be made to students through the use of a credit card that can be used only on campus or in a retail outlet affiliated with the institution such as Panther Cash or Flex credits.  

Lowenstien added that Florida Tech is evaluating  the best uses for the remaining CARES Act funds, and will be happy to share additional details as they are finalized. 
For more information please see the following helpful links:

COVID-19 graduation cancellation leads to first ever virtual commencement

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In light of face-to-face graduation ceremonies being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Florida Tech is offering the first ever virtual commencement for 2020 graduates that will be released on Youtube and Facebook on Friday, May 8 at 5 p.m. 

According to Caroline Johnston from the registrar’s office, there are approximately 1,236 expected spring 2020 graduates —45 of which were expected to be graduating with their associate’s degree, 653 with a bachelor’s degree, 498 with a master’s degree and 40 with a doctorate degree.  

“We [graduates] have all worked hard for this, and looked forward to a college graduation for a while, so to see it be cancelled is definitely sad.” said Mollie Kaplan, a soon-to-be Florida Tech 2020 graduate in business entrepreneurship.  

Kaplan added that she understands the severity of the circumstances and does not blame anyone for the decision, but said because of the face-to-face ceremony cancellation her family will be watching the virtual commencement online together. 

Florida Tech announced the virtual commencent on April 13 stating that they still wanted “graduates and their loved ones” to watch and share the experience together. The university said that every graduate’s name will appear on the screen and be read aloud, just as it would be during a traditional commencement ceremony. The following day, the video will be available on-demand and as a downloadable file to be viewed at any time. 

Florida Tech is also encouraging 2020 graduates to submit a photo for the virtual commencement. Some photo requirements as cited on Florida Tech’s Coronavirus website page are that the photo must be high quality, unaltered, original and more.

According to Florida Tech’s Director of University Marketing and Brand Strategy, Andy McIlwraith, as of April 23, 200 undergraduate and graduate students have submitted photos for the virtual commencement, Kaplan being one of them.

“I originally just wanted graduation photos for myself,” Kaplan said. “But when I saw the email about the photo submission for the virtual commencement I thought it was a nice opportunity.” 

McIlwraith said he hopes a large surge of photo submissions will come in as he doesn’t want anyone to miss out. The deadline for photo submissions has been extended to Friday, May 1. 

The university said they hope for 100 percent participation from students for the photo submission. 

Students may wish to opt out of the virtual commencent, however that does not mean that they cannot participate in a future in-person ceremony, every graduate will still have that option according to McIlwraith. 

Prior to graduate names being read by Alexandra Brewer and Alan Rosiene, faculty members from the School of Arts and Communication,  President T Dwayne. McCay and Senior Vice President of Alumni Affairs, Bino Campanini, will speak briefly. 

“I usually share with the graduates that I have sat where they are sitting [as a Florida Tech graduate] so I know what they are going through, but that is not true this year,” Campanini said. “I never had to finish my classes online, live under a stay at home order, and experience commencement online. This class is the most unique in the history of Florida Tech and it is a privilege to address them albeit virtually.”

Campanini also said that another missed event will be Grad Bash. On behalf of the Florida Tech alumni association, 2020 graduates will be receiving a special graduation package over the summer.  

The virtual commencement will be publicly available for anyone to view online.

“We do not want graduating students or their family and friends to run into any roadblocks when it comes to watching,” McIlwraith said. 

Campanini said that he is confident that the class of 2020 is ready to handle the challenges that the world is currently facing. 

“I wish them the best of luck and as always go Panthers,” Campanini said. 

COVID-19 emergency relief funds to be available for students

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Emergency relief funds in the form of a zero interest loan will soon be available for Florida Tech students facing financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to Florida Tech’s Senior Vice President of Development, Gary Grant, the Panther Fund  —  typically used to support scholarships — is now also being used as emergency funds for some students in crisis because of the Coronavirus. 

“If a student’s mother or father lost their job and can’t make tuition, we don’t want that to happen,” Grant said. “We don’t want freshmen to have to derail their educational experiences either.”

Rodney Bowers, Florida Tech’s dean of student, said that students awarded with aid must sign an agreement to accept the zero-interest loan terms and repayment schedule.

U.S. News defines a zero interest loan as one where only the principal balance must be repaid by a specified deadline.

Florida Tech already has an emergency relief fund from revenue generated from the sale of Florida Tech’s license plates. However, Grant said that he would like to expand upon that emergency fund. 

Grant said that as of April 21, Florida Tech’s office of development has raised $60,000 for COVID-19 relief funds; $10,000 of which has been donated by alumni and a large portion has also been donated by Florida Tech parents. 

Grant cited some of the uses for funds as moving fees or aid to cover the cost of computers for online classes.

Students wishing to apply for COVID-19 emergency funds must submit a request in writing to Bowers, explaining why they need financial aid from the university and what adequate evidence they have to verify their reasoning.  

“Awards are completely discretionary,” Bowers said in an email. “The university cannot fund every request and must make difficult decisions based on each particular case and the availability of funds.”

According to Bowers, funds will be made available for students once enough money has been raised. 

One local organization that donated to the Panther Relief Fund was Indiafest Brevard — a multicultural awareness event that was expected to occur in March, but was canceled because of the Coronavirus. 

Yasmin Majeed, co-chair of Indiafest Brevard, said that their $40,000 donation to Florida Tech’s Panther Relief Fund was a philanthropic effort to help a local institution. 

“We chose Florida Tech because it’s right in our own backyard,” Majeed said. “We don’t want students to have to curtail their education because of financial hardships.”

Majeed added that Indiafest Brevard is happy to give back to the community, and knows there is a need for students in the area. 

Grant noted that Florida Tech’s Office of Development hopes to keep fundraising until the end of the fiscal year, June 30. He also added that the university will be hosting a day of giving for COVID-19 emergency funds on May 5. 

Updates were made to this story on April 22 at 2:40 p.m. to clarify that the relief funds are in the form of a zero interest loan.

Title IX office remains operational during COVID-19 pandemic

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While many offices and departments on campus have shut down or modified their hours of operation because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Title IX office has been deemed “essential” and remains open.

“I know we are all stressed out at the moment,” said Fanak Baarmand, Florida Tech’s Title IX coordinator and risk and compliance manager. “I want to make sure that students know they can call, email or come to my office whenever they need my assistance.”

Baarmand said that her focus lately has been to provide accommodation for complainants and respondents during these “concerning times regarding COVID-19.” She also emphasized that her schedule is flexible, and she is here to help students in any way that she can. 

According to Baarmand, Florida Tech’s Title IX office hearing process remains the same with some added precautions being taken to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Baarmand mentioned a hearing that occurred at the end of March, noting that certain precautions were taken to follow the Center for Disease Control guidelines such as only having five people in a room, holding the hearing in a larger conference room and remaining six feet apart from one another. Baarmand added that typically there are no more than seven to eight individuals involved in the hearing process. 

“The health and safety of students, employees and our hearing officer is our priority,” Baarmand said. “I will do my best not to delay cases, and I want to make sure that students know that the Title IX office remains open for business and is fully operational.” 

Nashaita Patrawalla, a graduate student in biomedical engineering and treasurer and outreach coordinator for It’s On Us — a student organization that aims to raise awareness for sexual assault on college campuses— said that she believes Florida Tech’s Title IX office is doing everything it can to help students during these difficult times. 

“Certain operations on campus are still providing resources in light of changes and still functioning,” Patrawalla said.

Kristina Larsen, an attorney based in California and advocate for those harassed in the workplace, said she believes that COVID-19 will lead to a slow down of the Title IX process.

“The pandemic has slowed down everything in life though,” Larsen said. “In theory, this [COVID-19] should not affect student complaints or investigations, but I think it is inevitable.”

Larsen added that despite the potential slow-down, there are bigger systemic issues that Title IX offices face nationwide such as under-staffing. 

While Florida Tech’s Title IX office remains operational, Patrawalla added that It’s On Us is also working hard to educate students about sexual assault on campus.

With April being sexual assault awareness month, Patrawalla said that It’s on Us had originally organized a week full of events and activities. However, due to changes on campus because of the coronavirus, the organization has since had to cancel and modify the activities that they had planned. 

The “wear teal campaign” is aimed to raise awareness by encouraging others to wear teal and take a stand against sexual assault. Patrawalla said that the Florida Tech It’s On Us chapter plans on hosting their wear teal campaign on April 30, and encourages students to share their participation by posting pictures of them wearing teal on Instagram and tagging Florida Tech’s It’s on Us account, @itsonusatfloridatech.  

Another effort being made by It’s On Us is during sexual assault awareness month is the promotion a pledge. The pledge asks students to be dedicated to helping create a culture of consent, bystander intervention and survivor support.

Click here to view the pledge.

Florida Tech Aviation programs delayed due to COVID-19

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By Brianna Forte

In response to the stay-at-home order issued by Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis, the Florida Tech Aviation program has banned students from flight training indefinitely as of April 8.

According to the Associate Dean of Flight Operations, Isaac Silver, Florida Institute of Technology Aviation originally suspended operations after spring break on March 13 to assess the COVID-19 outbreak, and determine what the best policies and practices to continue flight training would be.

“We also needed to source the required cleaning materials and PPE [personal protective equipment],” Silver said. “Following the guidance from the industry groups, the FAA, the CDC, and the Florida Governor’s Office, operations at FITA remain suspended,” he added.  

Silver listed safety as a critical driving force within aviation in order to mitigate potential risks.

Above is Carlos Obregon, a senior majoring in aeronautical science with flight, posing with one of the FIT Aviation planes. Photo// Carlos Obregon

According to Buse Dayioglu, a graduate student in applied aviation safety, the last email that flight students received on April 8 stated that there was no clear date of when flight lessons would resume.  

Dayioglu said this unforeseen delay in flight training has disrupted the progress of many students. Some flight students were close to completing check rides, which are similar to final exams and allow pilots to complete certifications.

In addition to impacting the progress of students, once flight training resumes additional time and training will be required to review skills according to Dayioglu.

“Stopping flight training in the middle of training does have some results such as having to do a few remedial flights to make sure we remember everything,” Dayioglu said. “This costs money and time for us students.” 

Carlos Obregon, a senior in aeronautical science with flight, is one flight student impacted by this delay. 

“In order to graduate you have to finish your commercial license,” Obregon explained. According to Obregon, he had eleven lessons left before his check ride. Because Obregon was not able to finish his commercial license, he will not be able to graduate this May. 

Silver said that seniors who have not yet finished their flight courses are most affected by this.

“We know the students who are at critical points in their training and getting them finished up is part of the first phase once we’re able to resume,” Silver said.

Obregon said that he was frustrated that he won’t be able to graduate in May, however he does not want to put his safety at risk either. “I’d rather the world go back to normal as fast as possible than I delay that by not social distancing,” Obregon said. 

Besides the unfinished seniors and students close to check flights, Silver is not particularly stressed about FITA students.

“For the majority of our students, the delay should not adversely impact their ability to graduate on time,” Silver said. “The flight training program typically only occupies four to six semesters of their degree, so there will be time for them to catch back up prior to their expected graduation dates.” 

Silver said he would like to remind FITA students that short delays in flight training are “just a blip on the radar of a lifelong aviation career.”