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Spring Break cancelled

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Spring break has been removed from the Florida Tech spring 2021 academic calendar in response to COVID-19.

An explanation for the change and revised academic calendar were sent out to the Florida Tech community in a Sept. 25 email on behalf of Marco Carvalho, executive vice president and provost at Florida Tech.

The email states that the removal of spring break “will promote community health by reducing spring travel while also maximizing instructional time.” 

The shift has also affected the date of graduation for spring 2021, which will now take place on May 1. While fall commencement exercises have been moved online, it has not been announced if the spring ceremony will take place virtually or in-person. 

Adjusted dates in the academic calendar:

Last day of classes – April 21

Study days – April 22-23

Final Exams – April 26-30

Commencement – May 1

Social distancing, isolation and stress: what it’s like and how to manage

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Irritability. Sadness. Loss of appetite. These are a few signs and symptoms individuals may experience due to social distancing and isolation, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 

“Feeling lonely or isolated can be a crippling sensation,” Erika Pobee-Mensah, the outreach coordinator for Florida Tech’s Counseling and Psychological Services, said in an email.

According to the SAMHSA, signs of stress include: increased irritability, trouble sleeping, or having difficulty communicating; physical signs like headaches, loss of appetite, or being easily startled; and emotional signs like feelings of guilt, anger, and overwhelming sadness.

This stress can lead to changes in sleep or eating patterns, worsening of chronic health problems, and increased use of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Pobee-Mensah said that students may alleviate feelings of anxiety by scheduling time to worry, and pursuing alternative behaviors like classwork, exercising, or playing music outside of that scheduled time. 

Gianna Petrazzulo, a junior studying biomedical science, said that it has been difficult to adjust from going out regularly to staying inside most of the time.

Petrazzulo has found some positivity in social distancing; she’s used her extra time to do things she enjoys, like creating art and playing video games. 

“I feel like I have a lot of time on my hands to focus on myself,”  Petrazzulo said, “it’s rekindled my creative side.”

To alleviate outbreak-related stress, the CDC also recommends establishing a routine of well-balanced meals and regular sleep and exercise. 

Pobee-Mensah stated that many individuals are experiencing feelings of grief during this time of isolation, whether it be due to the loss or illness of a loved one, or the loss of work, income or social interaction. 

“Whatever grief or loss you can identify, it is important to give yourself time to grieve and express these emotions,” Pobee-Mensah said. “Allow yourself to cry, to scream into a pillow, to call up someone and vent, or to write about how this pain feels.”

In addition to reaching out to friends and family, Pobee-Mensah said students may benefit from virtual socialization methods such as group chats, or multiplayer gaming. Gaming engagement has seen an uptick; concurrent users of gaming distribution service Steam exceeded 24 million multiple times between April 12 to 18, according to the Steam Database. 

The CDC advises taking breaks from news consumption relating to the pandemic, including the use of social media. The National Alliance on Mental Illness further advises managing how one consumes information; the organization states that “false information spreads very easily on social media and can have serious consequences for individual and public health.”

The SAMHSA advises making time for conversation unrelated to the outbreak, in addition to sharing emotions related to the outbreak and exchanging reliable health information. 

“Take a moment to put your doubts aside and reach out to friends or family,” Pobee-Mensah said, “Strike up a conversation with an old friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.”

The CDC states that those at higher risk for serious illness, including older adults and people with underlying health conditions, may experience higher stress levels. These individuals may become concerned that regular medical care could be disrupted.

As many individuals experience feelings of anxiety, stress, and grief, Pobee-Mensah advises staying connected: “If you are in need, ask for help from family, friends, or your local community.” 

This article was edited to correct the spelling of a source’s name. The previous version displayed “Petravvulo” where the article now reads “Petrazzulo.”

Simplifying questions about COVID-19

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There is a wealth of information to navigate in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. New research continues to develop; clinical trials of candidate vaccines have begun, and a joint study including the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed more about the transmission of the virus. 

In a time of uncertainty, answers to common questions can provide insights on dealing with the virus. These are some of those COVID-19 questions, answered. 

How does social distancing work? 

The CDC maintains that the most effective way to prevent illness with COVID-19 is to prevent being exposed to the virus. Social distancing, also being called physical distancing, centers around keeping a distance of six feet from others and avoiding group gatherings. 

Social distancing aids in “flattening” the epidemic curve, a visual tool used to illustrate a disease outbreak. By slowing and reducing the peak of an outbreak, healthcare services have more time to treat those infected and increase capacity, according to a report published in the medical journal The Lancet. In the long term, the report says, this provides more time for the development of vaccines and new treatments. 

Can the virus survive on surfaces and/or in the air?

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine states that the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, on copper for up to four hours, cardboard for 24 hours, and plastic and stainless steel for up to two to three days. 

The study comes from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Princeton University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. The same researchers indicate that in real-world conditions, the aerosol duration would likely be under 30 minutes. 

While the World Health Organization states that it is possible to inhale the virus through close contact with a carrier, the organization maintains that the virus is not airborne, as the infectious droplets are too heavy to remain suspended in the air.

When will there be a vaccine? 

The WHO maintains that a vaccine will not be available for mass production before mid-2021. 

About 35 companies and academic institutions are working on a vaccine, ABC reports.

Why will it take that long to develop a vaccine?

Clinical development of a vaccine takes place in three phases, according to the CDC. In the first phase, the vaccine is given to a small number of people. The first injections of a candidate vaccine were administered to volunteers at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute in Seattle on Mar. 16. 

A 2017 report in the Journal of Archives in Military Medicine says that traditional vaccine development can take up to 16 years. Newer approaches, such as mRNA vaccines, are putting COVID-19 vaccine development on the fast track, according to a Mar. 16 publication from the National Institutes of Health. 

These messenger RNA vaccines don’t contain a form of the actual virus. Rather, they instruct the body to make the same proteins found on the outside of a virus. This primes the immune system to recognize those proteins and respond if the actual virus enters the body, according to the NIH.

A vaccine that passes through phase one will then have to be given to a larger number of people with similar characteristics to the intended recipients of the vaccine in phase two. It isn’t until phase three that the vaccine, while still being tested for effectiveness and safety, is given to thousands of individuals. 

What other protection and treatments are available?

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is one institute working on developing antibody-based countermeasures. These injections are not the same as vaccines; the protection lasts for several months, rather than several years like vaccines. It involves sampling antibodies from a COVID-19 patient, and using those as a blueprint to mass produce antibodies that can boost the immunity of people who need immediate protection like doctors, healthcare staff and family members of infected patients. 


How do I find accurate information on the virus?

Sources for up-to-date information on the virus include:

The CDC at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov.

The WHO at who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019.

Florida Department of Health: https://floridahealthcovid19.gov 

The Florida Dept. of Health is also reachable through its COVID-19 Call Center: (866) 779-612 and by email at COVID-19@flhealth.gov

Florida Tech: Updates are posted at https://www.fit.edu/coronavirus.

Holzer Health Center: Appointments are now required, and can be made at (321) 674-8078. 

For Employers and Workers: The U.S. Department of Labor maintains a COVID-19 resource page at https://www.dol.gov/coronavirus. 

Florida Tech suspends face-to-face instruction as COVID-19 cases top 125,000 worldwide

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On Thursday, Mar. 12, Florida Tech suspended face-to-face classes for the remainder of the spring semester due to the Coronavirus outbreak, with worldwide cases of COVID-19 numbering over 125,000. 

Classes will resume online beginning Mar. 23. As of Mar. 13, there were 1,629 cases in the U.S, according to the CDC.

COVID-19 and Florida Tech

Classes have been canceled entirely for the week of Mar. 16, with online instruction beginning Mar. 23.

The university’s FAQ on the Coronavirus states that the decision to shift to online instruction for the remainder of the semester, rather than a shorter period of time, “was made so students could better plan and preserve continuity through the conclusion of the semester.”

The shift includes laboratory courses and senior design projects. The student design showcase has also been canceled.

Institutions ranging from the University of Chicago to Harvard University have closed their dorms, requiring students to leave campus. Florida Tech residence halls and dining services remain open. 

Students who remained on or are returning to campus are to fill out a check-in form to remain in campus housing. Along with standard identifying information such as name and student ID number, the form requires students to list any symptoms of illness they are experiencing, the location and date of any recent travel, and if they are self-quarantined.

As stated in an email sent from the Florida Tech Student Life Office on Mar. 13, all student life events and programs have been canceled for the rest of the semester. Prospective student tours will still occur.

Spring commencement has been closed to guests, as announced in a Mar. 10 email from Florida Tech President, T. Dwayne McCay. A graduates only ceremony will instead take place in the Gleason Performing Arts Center. 

The announcement came just under two months from the commencement date, which the email states was done in part so families of graduates could adjust their travel plans. 

The FAQ also states that tutoring will be moved online, with math and chemistry tutoring continuing on campus in a limited capacity. 

At a student leader luncheon on Mar. 5, McCay said that Florida Tech students were still traveling to areas under travel advisories. 

 “We have students going to Japan and to Italy that we’re aware of,” McCay said.  “If you are going to go to one of the areas around, Italy, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, any of those areas, you should let us know.” Japan is currently under a level two travel advisory from the CDC, with high-risk travelers such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions recommended to avoid nonessential travel. 

Italy remains at a level three, one of 32 European countries under CDC’s highest level of the travel advisory. 

Precautions

Standard precautions for illness prevention are advised by the CDC. 

Proper handwashing includes washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, including forearms, backs of hands, and under nails. If soap and water are not available, a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol is advised.

Coughs and sneezes should be covered, and hands washed immediately after. 

What to do if you are sick

The CDC states that those who are mildly ill with the Coronavirus are able to recover at home in isolation, with no travel outside of the home except for medical care. 

Anyone with a confirmed or possible case of the virus should call ahead to their healthcare provider before going to allow the provider to take precautionary measures. 

The CDC also advises that someone ill with the virus should wear a face mask if they must share a space, such as a bedroom or healthcare provider’s office with other people.

Routine cleaning of high-touch surfaces is recommended, including doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, phones, and tabletops. 

Newly detected type of Coronavirus causes respiratory illness outbreak

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The outbreak of respiratory illness caused by 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, has continued to spread after first being detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.

As of Jan. 26, the Center for Disease Control has confirmed cases in the following locations: China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Australia, France, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, and the U.S. 

The first U.S case was announced on Jan. 21, in Washington State. The patient had returned from Wuhan on Jan. 15, according to the CDC. 

Other reports from the CDC’s profile of 2019-nCoV, show that many early patients were connected to a seafood and animal market, suggesting animal-to-human transmission. Symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. 

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause mild to severe respiratory illness, according to Stanford University’s Health Alerts. Two newer coronaviruses, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, frequently cause severe illness. 

SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, was first detected in China in November 2002, according to the World Health Organization. There has not been a known case of SARS-CoV infection since 2004. 

MERS-CoV, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, was first detected in Saudi Arabia in 2012, according to WHO. Cases have been declining since 2016. 

As of Jan. 26, the CDC has issued a Warning – level 3 travel notice for Hubei Province, China, including Wuhan.The CDC issues three levels of travel notices for any location. level one advises travelers to practice usual precautions, level two recommends enhanced precautions, and level three advises avoidance of all nonessential travel to that location. 

As of Jan. 26, no travel notices had been issued for the U.S.

Rodney Bowers, Florida Tech’s dean of students, sent out an email advising any students who felt ill after traveling to China, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan or South Korea to notify their medical provider of their travel and symptoms immediately.  

The CDC states that the situation regarding the virus is “rapidly evolving” and that information on the outbreak will be updated as it becomes available. 

New Health Sciences Research Center to host growing biomedical engineering and premedical programs

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In spring 2020, construction will begin in the Olin Quad on Florida Tech’s new Health Sciences Research Center, an $18 million facility to host growing biomedical engineering and premedical programs. 

Design plans for the new Health Sciences Research Center that will be located in the Olin Engineering Quad.


Along with classrooms and labs for the biomedical engineering and pre-med programs, the 61,000-square-foot building will house a design center, two lecture halls, study lounges, graduate student work space, and a café, according to facilities operations. 

The center will also host augmented and virtual reality tools, providing access to simulations like virtual dissection tables, according to the Florida Tech Newsroom. 

Brett Twery, a senior from Orlando majoring in biomedical engineering, describes hearing the news of the new research building as “bittersweet.”

“I’m glad to see that there is progress within my program towards bettering opportunities for biomedical engineers, however it’s unfortunate that I will graduate by the time that the project is completed.” Twery said.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2022, according to FLORIDA TODAY. 

The Newsroom reported that the undergraduate biomedical engineering program will double in size to 300 students with the new facility, and the undergraduate pre-med program will increase enrollment by 100 students for a total of 250. 

The anticipated increase in enrollment of between 250 and 350 students will not surpass previous high enrollment levels, according to facilities operations. 

The field of biomedical engineering is expected to grow similarly to other occupations, by four percent from 2018 to 2028, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a median yearly pay in 2018 of $88,550. 

According to U.S. News and World Report, the top-paid 25 percent of biomedical engineers made $114,930 in 2018, with the lowest-paid 25 percent making $67,830. 

Specializations in the field include genetic engineering, biomedical electronics, and medical imaging.  Genetic engineering uses biotechnology to directly alter the genetic makeup of an organism, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute. Medical imaging includes commonplace diagnostic tools such as MRI and ultrasound. 

Facilities operations said in an emailed response that Florida Tech “seized the opportunity to refinance debt at historically low rates” which they say provided funds for center. 

According to the Florida Tech Newsroom, the facility will be funded by the sale of educational facilities revenue bonds. 

A revenue bond is a municipal bond backed by revenue that is generated by a certain project, facility, or other entity. The revenue from the project is used to repay investors, according to personal finance and business website The Balance. 

This method of funding differs from other types of bonds, as the repayment comes solely from revenue, not from tax. 

While some students like Twery may graduate before the building is completed, future students enrolled in biomedical and pre-med programs will have access to a multi-million dollar building centered around the technology and research of the two growing fields. 

Cadets test their leadership skills in field training exercises

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At 3 a.m. on Nov. 3, Florida Tech Army ROTC cadets began preparing for the land navigation portion of their field training exercises. By 3:45 a.m, they set out onto the dark course. 

The goal of the FTX, as field training exercises are referred to within ROTC, was to get cadets into a field environment where they could apply what they have learned, according to senior John Panik, the S3 of Panther Battalion. 

The S3 is a leadership role that requires a significant commitment to the planning of Panther Battalion operations like FTX. 

The FTX were cadet-led, with minimal intervention from the cadre, or the complement of instructors responsible for training cadets. 

Panik said that this self-led method prepares cadets in the third year and beyond with direct experience to prepare them for their leadership roles as commissioned officers. First and second year cadets learn from them. 

Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Crook, a military instructor with Army ROTC, elaborated on the requirements of the land navigation exercise. 

“They had to find points in the night, turn in their points and check them,” Crook said.  “And as the light came up, they had to find more points in the daylight.”

Panik said that land navigation is also an exercise in self-discipline, requiring cadets to maintain precision when plotting and staying on their paths. 

Crook explained that in exercises like these, cadets are to treat instances of failure or incomplete success as learning opportunities. An after action report acts as a forum for cadets and cadre to go over successes and failures as a group, then formulate plans to improve. 

“They saw where their errors were, so they had that immediate feedback of ‘This is what I did wrong, and this is what I can do better next time,’” said Sergeant First Class Jeremy Brandon, a military instructor with Army ROTC.

“It gave them a boost of confidence,” Brandon said. “They know what they need to do, and they also know how to go back and correct the errors that they made.”

Panik said that one of the duties of a leader is to address issues or challenges efficiently and correctly. 

High temperatures presented one of these challenges on the morning of Nov. 2.

“We found it challenging to mitigate the heat,” Crook said, adding that cadets had a substantial amount of equipment to carry. “They had approximately 35 to 50 pounds on their back.”

They addressed the heat by taking a one-hour rest. Panik said that he came up with a plan to use the time wisely, bouncing it off of other leaders and putting it into place. 

He emphasized the importance of being “able to keep a level head, not get frustrated, remain calm and being able to immediately start focusing on resolving the issue.” 

“It’s one of those skills that’s hard to develop unless you’re in that situation,” Panik said. 

Crook said multiple schools will meet for the spring semester’s field training exercises, which will focus on a platoon formation. The fall exercises focused on squad formation. 

This training progression is targeted to cadets in the third year of the program. 

“By the time we get to the end of the spring, we’ve put together all the pieces they’ll need to be successful at [cadet summer training] at Fort Knox,” Brandon said.

Crook explained that having multiple schools meet tests cadets’ ability to lead in a variety of situations.

“It gets easy to lead the same people,” Crook said. “It’s a challenge when you have to lead new people.” 

“The [senior year] is almost like an internship in leadership,” Brandon said. “We’re giving them a job to do where they are putting into practice all the things we’ve been teaching them up to that point, and they have the responsibility of guiding and leading.” 

This is intended to prepare cadets to be a commissioned lieutenant who is a “trained and ready” leader. 

“A cadet in this program knows that our country is at war,” Crook said. “They know, upon graduation, they are going to serve in the Army. They know more than likely, they will serve in a combat area.” 

He emphasized that the applications of their skills are real, and that their decision making will matter. 

“They know that the skills that they’re learning, in a field training exercise today, for our seniors, could be six months from now when they’re on the battlefield,” Crook said. 

“Poe’s Spooktacular Tales” brings Halloween spirit to Evans Library

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Cheryl Davis reads an excerpt from “The Cask of Amontillado.” Crimson // Sonja Michaels

Evans Library embraced the Gothic style of Edgar Allen Poe on Nov. 1 for the most recent Reel Reads event, “Poe’s Spooktacular Tales: From Page to Scream.”

Reel Reads is a literature and film series hosted by Florida Tech’s School of Arts and Communication.

Poe established himself as a notable writer and editor in the mid-19th century, according to the Academy of American Poets.

“It’s a great tie-in to do it around Halloween,” said Debbie Lelekis, an English professor at Florida Tech. “Edgar Allen Poe was a natural selection for that.”

He was also prolific in the Gothic horror genre. Lelekis, along with fellow English professors Melissa Crofton and Angela Tenga, presented an analysis of Poe’s works and their modern adaptations.

During the analysis, Crofton explained that Poe’s works often resonates with her students.

The professors then opened the floor for audience members to speak about their personal interest in Poe’s work or how they discovered him.

“He exposes us for what humans fear,” Lelekis said regarding the value of Poe’s works. “We can make connections to our own lives.”

Poe’s presence in modern pop culture was a focus of the panel.

Clips were shown of Netflix’s “Altered Carbon,” a series that features an artificially intelligent character modeled after Poe.

A trailer for “The Raven,” a 2012 film where Poe is portrayed by John Cusack, was also shown.

In the film, Poe must work to prevent a serial killer from recreating the deaths from his literary works.

“The Cask of Amontillado” is one of those works, a story of one man taking fatal revenge on a friend he believes has wronged him.

Cheryl Davis, Evans Library’s distance learning librarian, took to the podium twice to read excerpts from “The Cask of Amontillado.”

Victoria Smith, Evans’ resource sharing specialist, gave a reading of “The Raven.”

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,” she began the poetry reading in a resonant tone.

In pop culture, many of the details of Poe’s personal life are disputed, leaving many aspects of his biography unclear.

“I think most of his stories intrigue people partly because of [that] mystery surrounding Poe himself,” Lelekis said.

She said that his works help people to examine human nature.

“It helps us understand ourselves better, which is something everyone needs to do no matter what your major is or what your career path is,” Lelekis said.

In music: Pretty Hate Machine is 30. It says a lot about our 20s.

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Nine Inch Nails performing in 2017 at the Joint in Las Vegas. Photo // Las Vegas Weekly

Adolescence is well-documented in music as the time in our lives that we are stuck in Whatever-town, USA, feeling invincible.

The one thing that’s harder to write music about is what comes next: our early 20s.

Nine Inch Nails’ “Pretty Hate Machine” details this phase of life with vulnerable lyrical content laid over a foundation of alternative rock and—perhaps more unexpectedly—80s dance music.

Official album art. Photo // TVT Records

The album just turned 30 this October, and it’s as powerful as ever.

By the time we hit our 20s, we are much more free to choose where we are and what we do, yet we can still get lost in the search for our identities.

We may not know what it is we want to do, and we may struggle to understand why the people or forces in our lives do what they do.

While “Pretty Hate Machine” doesn’t answer these questions, it certainly details that confusion, and the personal growth that comes with it, with refreshing poignancy.

For the sake of cathartic listening, that might be more important than answers. “Really, ‘Pretty Hate Machine’ was born from tinkering around in the studio at night,” frontman Trent Reznor told Kory Grow of Rolling Stone in 2019.

Reznor was the sole official member of the band until the addition of English musician and composer Atticus Ross in 2016.

The pair are longtime collaborators, with much of their work consisting of film scoring.

They won the Oscar for “Best Original Score” in 2010 for “The Social Network.”

“I was up above it/now I’m down in it.”

The “it” in “Pretty Hate Machine’s” debut single, “Down In It,” is never specified, but there are plenty of high places in life that one can come crashing down from.

The so-very-80s dance beat contrasts with the themes of loss of identity and change, which come to a head in the concluding lyric: “And what I used to think was me, is just a fading memory/I looked him right in the eye and said goodbye.”

A debut album is a special thing. It exists without any expectations based on previous albums or a band’s public persona; there’s a unique honesty to a first album.

Reznor touched on this honesty in the same Rolling Stone interview: “Once I got over the hump of, ‘I could never say that out loud to other people,’ there was an authenticity and truthfulness that I think resonated.”

It must have resonated, as nine full-length albums later, the band is 13-time Grammy nominated, and is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee for the third time.

The album itself was remastered and repackaged in 2010.

Reznor performing / 1994 Photo: Frank White.

Those following albums from Nine Inch Nails show no hesitation on personal or controversial subjects.

This initial pursuit of authenticity on “Pretty Hate Machine” opened the door for more aggressive albums like its 1994 successor, “The Downward Spiral,” and its themes of identity and one’s relationship with the world are prominent in 2004’s “With Teeth.”

And just as the album must have come, in part, out of the sounds of bands like Depeche Mode, its influence can be heard today—in some surprising places.

In 2019, the Netflix series “Black Mirror” featured a pop remix of opening track “Head Like a Hole” performed by Miley Cyrus.

Rapper Ghostemane’s 2018 album “N/O/I/S/E” echoes “Pretty Hate Machine” in synth selections and lyrical content. “Pretty Hate Machine” endures as the first glimpse into the influential industrial project Nine Inch Nails would become.

This album came out before Nine Inch Nails found their fame, and before Reznor and Ross became awardwinning film composers.

It is the work of a 20-something guy working as a janitor at a recording studio, figuring out who he was as a songwriter.

As 20-somethings figuring out who we are in our own lives, “Pretty Hate Machine” is a powerful work of music.