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Julius Luchs

“Having to take the positives out of a negative situation:” spring sport student-athletes granted another year of eligibility

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In the midst of the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, Florida Tech has canceled spring sports and the remainder of winter sports for the rest of the semester.  On March 13, the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced that spring student-athletes would be able to receive an extra year of eligibility.

Despite spring student-athletes being granted another year of eligibility, on Mar. 30, the NCAA announced that they will not allow an extra year of eligibility for winter sports athletes. 

With the spring sports seasons being cut short in March, and two more months of the regular season to play, there were no playoffs or national champions for any spring student-athlete at Florida Tech. For some seniors, their last season was cut short. 

Harry Craik, a senior majoring in civil engineering, plays at his senior night game. Photo// Matthew Lanoue

“With athletes having an extra year of eligibility, rosters have a possibility of being larger next season,” said Vincenzo Catanza, a fifth-year senior on the baseball team majoring in electrical engineering. “It sets a weird situation because you recruited a freshman class and transfers coming in to replace the seniors,” Catanza said. “Now the seniors have a chance to come back.”

Catanza shared his frustration about the cancellation of the season saying, “I had a feeling it was going to be canceled seeing other schools and conferences postponing or canceling their season,” he said. 

Catanza also brought up how much of an honor it was to be a part of the Florida Tech family and be able to play the sport he loved with his closest friends. 

“I had to take the positives out of what could have been a very negative situation, Catanza said. “All those tears were not because baseball was leaving.”

The outfielder also added that his sadness from the spring sports cancellation stemmed from him no longer being able to play and have his friends and family watch from the stands. 

“I couldn’t put on the jersey that I thought I represented well, and wanted to represent well,” Catanza said. 

With Catanza being a fifth-year senior, he has the option to come back next year or to begin a new chapter in his life. He shares his thoughts on where he is with his decision stating, “I definitely consider coming back, but I am very fortunate for the fact I also have a job offer.” 

At this point in time, Catanza said he is still not sure if he will use his year of eligibility. “I have a tough decision ahead,” he added.

According to ESPN, concerns regarding the Coronavirus have also led to the cancellation of sports beyond the collegiate level. Such cancellations include March Madness and suspensions of the professional sports leagues, including the NBA, MLB, and even the Olympics that were set to take place this summer.

“I think it is necessary since health and safety comes first,” said Harry Craik, a senior basketball player majoring in civil engineering. 

“By removing sports, it disrupts the community behind it,” Craik said. 

He added that sports provide a huge amount of jobs for people, and now it impacts so many people since no sporting events are being held.

The end of the winter sports season, including playoffs for basketball, was also canceled due to the Coronavirus. 

Florida Tech’s men’s basketball team did not make the playoffs, so their season was not cut short. 

“I think this is really unfortunate since spring athletes worked so hard all year to get to the tournament and their chance to prove themselves was taken,” Craik said.

MLB investigated for sign stealing

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Multiple teams are being investigated by Major League Baseball for stealing signs from catchers.

The Houston Astros were exposed by a former player, who anonymously told Atlantic news reporter, Ken Rosenthal, that the team stole signs illegally to help their playoff success in 2017. The Astros would later go on to win the World Series that same year. 

The bench coach for Houston, or assistant manager, Alex Cora, is rumored by MLB investigators to be the creator of the sign-stealing strategy Houston used. 

The Washington Post reports that the Astros allegedly set up a camera behind centerfield for the team’s replay room, which helped the manager AJ Hinch to challenge a close play by the umpire. The camera behind centerfield would be connected to a video monitor that revealed the sign that the catcher was giving to the pitcher. 

Tyler Brown, a business major who plays baseball for Florida Tech, said the news shocked him.

“I could not believe it,” Brown said. “As more evidence was being revealed, I didn’t want to believe it happened, but it did.”

According to multiple news outlets, players would bang on a trash can in the dugout as a form of communication to tell the hitter what pitch was coming. Hinch and the Astros general manager, Jeff Luhnow, are suspended for a full season. also parted ways with the team, leaving them unemployed. The team was fined $5 million and lost their first and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021. 

“I definitely do not agree with the punishments, I think it is nowhere near harsh enough,” said Dominic Fraticelli, a Florida Tech freshman in software engineering and an avid baseball fan. Fraticelli has followed the scandal since the news broke.

“If you ban Pete Rose, the greatest hitter in all of baseball, for life because he gambled on games and there’s no evidence of him fixing games, then why wouldn’t you ban people who deliberately cheat the game to give themselves an advantage?” Fraticelli said. 

Cora was named manager of the Red Sox in 2018. He also led the team to a World Series championship in his first year as manager. The Red Sox are also currently being investigated for illegally stealing signs as well. According to ESPN, Boston had a replay room as well, and players would sneak into the replay room to get the signs from the catcher to help their hitters. There was no one ever monitoring the replay room, so players could freely come in and steal signs. Cora is no longer the manager of the Red Sox, and a replacement for the Red Sox team manager has not yet been chosen.

Carlos Beltran, a former player for the team, was also involved in the scandal. After being named manager of the Mets this winter, he resigned from his position after the cheating scandal escalated.

Houston is being investigated after recently learning they had buzzing devices hidden in their jerseys. Investigations have discovered that the number of buzzes felt alerted what pitch was coming. 

“I was stunned to hear this,” Fraticelli said. “Not only because I was a Yankees fan and we had lost to them two out of the last three years in the postseason, but more because it corrupts the integrity of the game.”

“It is still uncertain how the MLB will handle the situation so the cheating scandals do not occur again in the future,” said Jeff Korte, assistant baseball coach for Florida Tech. 

“They should randomly pull players from each team and discuss how they could improve the integrity of the game to combat future malpractice,” Korte added. 

The league is continuously investigating the scandal, as spring training workouts approach in early February. 

“Baseball has had this problem since the 1919 Chicago White Sox to the steroid era,” Korte said. “After thinking about it more, I realized how hard it was to play the game because people are always looking to find ways to make it easier.”

Washington Nationals fans flood capital streets

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Fans color the streets red as they gather for the parade.
Crimson // Jesse Villaverde

The Washington Nationals won the World Series for the first time in their franchise’s history on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

In the following days, a parade and rally were held in Washington, D.C., to honor and celebrate their World Series win.

The city was packed with fans waiting for the celebration of the team’s World Series title to occur. Streets were closed to escort the parade and lead them to the Capitol.

A young Nationals fan gets a front-row seat to the celebration.
Crimson // Jesse Villaverde

Fans flooded the sidewalks, cheering for their team. Young children were climbing up trees to get a better view of the parade.

David Milan grew up in Washington and has been a fan since 2005, the same year the Nationals were established.

“I grew up watching the Nationals,” Milan said. “They have not had a lot of luck in their time being in the league. Seeing them win it all was one of the best moments in my life.”

Milan’s girlfriend, Carly O’Neill, has recently become a Nationals fan since they started dating.

“He was on the floor and just so happy after they won,” O’Neill said. “It was a moment he will not forget and it was amazing to see him happy.”

This was the team’s first ever World Series appearance, playing inside Minute Maid Park, where they beat the Houston Astros in a best of seven game series.

The Washington natives were the underdogs in the playoffs, being the last seed in the National League bracket.

According to CBS Sports, the Nationals began their season with a record of 19 wins and 31 losses.

“It was a tough time for me as a fan,” Milan said. “However, I still stood by the Nationals and hoped they could find a way to play better.”

The Nationals, who used to train in Viera, Florida during the spring, would go on to have a record of 74 wins and 39 losses for the rest of the year.

This earned them a spot in the one game elimination wild card game round.

The Nationals now share their current complex with the Houston Astros—the team they beat in the World Series.

“It was shocking, but I believed they would finish strong,” Milan said. “They were fun to watch. Without them, I would not be here. I am excited to be in this environment and celebrate their championship.”

Jumbotrons displayed the Nationals team throughout the capital streets.
Crimson // Kevin Boodoosingh

O’Neill also discussed her first experience watching the Nationals.

“It was really exciting,” O’Neill said. “They reminded me of the team from the movie ‘Moneyball,’ when no one expected the team to win.”

The crowds cheered the loudest when the first-ever draft pick in 2005, Ryan Zimmerman, held up the World Series trophy from the bus.

Zimmerman, a longtime third baseman and first baseman, has been with the Nationals for 15 years.

“Seeing Ryan hold up the trophy was my favorite part because he has played for so long for the Nationals, and now he has his moment,” Joanne Lowry said. Lowry, a fan of the team, is from Harrisburg, Virginia, where the Nationals minor league team is located.

She has seen Zimmerman play since he was first drafted in 2005.

“To see him play for as long as he has, I am happy for him to finally win,” Lowry said. “He has been my favorite player since the Nationals became a team.”

Lowry spoke about what this parade meant to Washington.

“It is exciting, and memorable,” Lowry said. “I am happy to see people come together and be happy to celebrate a moment like this. The city binds together, it means so much to D.C.”

College of Business hosts Rett syndrome fundraiser

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Every year since 2010, Florida Tech has seen a fundraiser hosted for Rett Syndrome.

This is because Henry Perez, the dean of the College of Business, has a 23-year-old daughter named Lily with the syndrome.

According to rettsyndrome.org, Rett syndrome is a rare non-inherited genetic disorder that occurs mostly in girls, although it can rarely occur in boys.

Rett syndrome tends to have an affect on brain development. Perez’s fundraiser, known as the Florida Strollathon, benefits rettsyndrome.org.

The organization invests in research, educates about the syndrome and calls for volunteers to help with fundraisers.

The Strollathon will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Space Coast Field of Dreams.

Many people across the state, including families who are affected by Rett syndrome, will gather together at the Strollathon.

A Rett syndrome awareness week at the College of Business and a pancake breakfast fundraiser at Lucky’s was held beforehand to spread awareness. Funds were collected during the events.

Graduate student Kristi Stephens is participating in the fundraiser for the first time, and will be assisting Perez. Stephens got the opportunity to meet Lily, which inspired her to participate.

“I am particularly inspired to support families and children who face daily challenges because I am fortunate to have two healthy children of my own,” Stephens said. “I believe an entire community benefits when people are willing to help each other with kindness, generosity and compassion.”

Stephens has played a major role with the fundraiser, as she has “planned details of the event such as catering, entertainment and booking hotel accommodations.”

With Stephens’ interest in volunteering, she said she enjoys helping others and getting to know new people, such as the families that attend the fundraiser.

“The most rewarding part of my contribution so far has been interacting with families who have daughters with Rett syndrome,” Stephens said. “It has been a pleasure to support them in a small way, whether by setting up their fundraising pages, helping them post photos and letters, booking hotel rooms or answering general questions about the event.”

Stephens said she looks forward to meeting the families in person and will be proud to have contributed to their enjoyment of a fun day while supporting a cause that can make a difference in their lives.

The fundraiser’s goal is to raise over $100 thousand this year.

If this goal is reached, the fundraiser would raise one million dollars over the course of the Strollathon’s ten-year period.

SOSA hosts first Fall Earth Day

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ASCE and SOSA created a sculpture out of campus waste.
FITV // Quang Dinh

This homecoming, Florida Tech saw dogs on Crawford Green, celebration of the environment, and awareness brought to some of the problems impacting the planet.

The reason: the Student Organization for Sustainability Action held its first Fall Earth Day celebration.

The event was a collaboration between SOSA, the American Society of Civil Engineers, Squamish and RLSC.

Fall Earth Day was held on Wednesday, October 23, on the Crawford Green.

Ken Lindeman, the advisor for SOSA and an ocean engineering and marine sciences professor, has worked with SOSA every year to help them create an engaging week-long celebration of Earth Day in April.

“We have wanted to also do a Fall Earth Day, and there have been some efforts to do that in the past,” Lindeman said. “This year, SOSA, ASCE and other student organizations followed through with a substantive event.”

Allyson McCarron, the vice president of SOSA, discussed the initial idea of collaborating with another organization, ASCE.

“We have a diverse group of people in SOSA in terms of majors and could have done it as a group, but more organizations are getting interested in sustainability and we thought that ASCE would do a great job to help bring our vision to life,” McCarron said.

McCarron said the original idea of Fall Earth Day was born last fall.

“We wanted to increase the importance of Earth Day on campus with the idea that we shouldn’t just have one day in the spring that we celebrate it,” McCarron said.

Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22, and both SOSA and ASCE recognize the importance of that day and the message that it presents to people.

For Fall Earth Day, a number of organizations were invited.

McCarron said these organizations included Keep Brevard Beautiful, Facilities, Alumni Affairs, and the CLEO Institute.

The Brevard Zoo has a program known as “Restore Our Shores,” which is a project that focuses on conservation, especially on the shorelines.

The project aims to protect locations such as the Indian River Lagoon and other bodies of water with shorelines.

Oysters and mangroves are examples of some organisms that the Brevard Zoo team helps protect.

The sculpture that was designed from collected trash and waste as a result of campus clean-ups attracted a lot of attention.

McCarron said, “I am very proud of what all of us accomplished and hope that it opened some of the eyes of students on campus.”

Pay to play for Bahamas relief

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Florida Tech volleyball representatives posing with their prizes from the volleyball game. A participant in the event caught a shark. Picture // Ashley Letendre

With Hurricane Dorian devastating the Bahamas and leaving the country in need of funding for repairs, Florida Tech’s Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society hosted a Bahamas relief fundraiser.

According to Ashley Letendre, the president of Phi Eta Sigma, the honor society has previously hosted activities and events to help benefit the community and the school.

“We have done community service events before,” Letendre said. “We help bring emotional support dogs to campus during finals week. We hope to find ways to help students every day.”

This time around, Phi Eta Sigma sought to get the student body involved and raise money for the Bahamas.

“We wanted to do a fundraiser that we knew a lot of students would come to,” Letendre said. “Volleyball was our choice for an activity because most people can play that sport.”

Ashley Faubion, the advisor for the event, said teams paid ten dollars to play while individuals paid five.

The tournament was held at Southgate, with pizza being donated by the Civil Engagement office.

The volleyball tournament had first place, second place and third place winners, with prizes being awarded to podium winners.

Representatives of the Florida Tech Volleyball Club took first place, while Gabe Quinn and Spencer Somes from Residence Life placed second.

Third place went to representatives of SGA. Eric Hu, representative of the volleyball club, took home a pair of wireless bluetooth speakers as his winning prize.

“It felt nice to play for a good cause,” Hu said. Letendre said the fundraiser was able to raise 120 dollars.

Phi Eta Sigma plans to donate the money to the Salvation Army, which has a direct link to the Bahamas relief effort.

Letendre said the event was a lot of fun, and it was great to see people come out and support a good cause.

California sets precedent for NCAA

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Playing under the NCAA is a privilege to earn that lasts once in a lifetime.

A dedicated athlete puts in hard work for their dream to pay off in their future.

Any athlete that wants to be great, fantasizes themselves being the next great player of their generation.

They dream of winning, making money signing big endorsements to companies such as Nike and Adidas.

In California, those dreams can now occur sooner to an athlete.

A new bill, known as the Fair Pay to Play Act, has been passed unanimously., in which college athletes in California are now able to get paid through endorsements and sponsorships, without any punishment.

The main limit to the bill is that an athlete that attends a school sponsored by Nike cannot sign an endorsement deal with any other brand, such as Under Armour.

The new bill was covered all over sports networks, creating some heated debates from constantly getting.

One of the most notable responses came from former University of Florida quarterback, Tim Tebow, where Tebow stated “It changes what’s special about college football,” Tebow said. “We turn it into the NFL, where who has the most money.”

The bill has been approved and is expected to be signed by the governor very shortly.

It will become official in 2023.

Florida Tech’s athletic director, Bill Jurgens, associates with the NCAA frequently due to his job as the A.D. Mr. Jurgens was well aware of the new law that was passed, and he said he is not surprised by the law.

He believes the NCAA “does a great job governing athletics and prepares athletes for professional sports. No one works harder than the NCAA with physical safety and mental safety.”

With the new bill being passed, Jurgens’ remark of preparing athletes for professional sports comes into play, as athletes are now making big decisions for themselves with endorsement contracts.

There is one concern the school’s athletic director has; “The safety of the college athletes are very important, and they must be smart with their decisions and life skills.”

College athletes in California must now make life-changing decisions.

Less than two percent of college athletes in all of college sports combined become professional athletes.

California college athletes are given a responsibility and an opportunity of a lifetime at a very young age, and must make their choices carefully.

Jurgens added a fact that the bill has been discussed with Florida, bringing all the terms passed in California, as a possible new bill coming to Florida as well.

If the new law moves to have an impact on Florida college athletics, this may expand on a big change coming to the NCAA.

Perspectives from college athletes are debatable, depending on what the athletes claim as their top priorities and what they focus on. Senior baseball player Blaise Maris is an athlete not in favor of the new bill.

“Not every college athlete has professional qualities. Getting paid makes it a job. College is stressful enough with classes, practices, and workouts. If you are not performing, then that ‘job’ weighs on your mind more, adding more stress.”

Athletes who are not qualified for business deals will have trouble managing their priorities with school and their sport.

If they are unable to keep their grades up to the appropriate GPA, the athlete will not be qualified to play, resulting in the athlete to lose out on their endorsement deal.

Maris also adds onto the thought of an increase of athletes going to play in California because of the Fair Pay to Play Act.

“I think that there are a lot of athletes that believe they should be getting paid right out of high school, so those people will probably go to California to start their journey. You will start to see better talent levels across the board in California.” Florida Tech football player Daniel Welch added his opinion towards the Fair Pay to Play Act.

He was able to view it as a benefit and as a possible concern.

“I think it could create an opportunity for athletes to be rewarded for being successful. However, I do agree with what Tim Tebow said earlier in the week, that it takes away what college football is about. It takes away some of the team aspect and makes it more individual.”

If athletes become selfish, and have problems as a team, the school’s team will not perform as well, which will lead to problems for the selfish athletes.

If the athletes struggle, they will not be awarded with endorsements, and possibly lose their deals and scholarships.

The college athletes must remain humble and focus on the main goal of winning and competing.

The Fair Pay to Play Act is the start of a new chapter in NCAA sports.

College athletes in California are now gaining the chance to get paid through endorsement deals.

If the bill is spread to other states, it will spread across the country, completely changing college sports, starting a new era that will continue to be debatable.

Grissom hall basement soon to be men’s lacrosse locker room

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Florida Tech students have seen many upgrades to buildings around campus this summer, and the players on the lacrosse team are no exception.

The Panther lax players team locker room will soon be relocated to Grissom Hall, next to the FITV studio.

The old locker room in the Varsity Training Center, once shared with the football team, was a tight fit, housing both athletic programs.

James Aulicino, the senior project manager of Florida Tech facilities construction and renovation, played a role in the new location for the lacrosse locker room.

“It was a necessity for the lacrosse team to have their own home field locker room,” Aulicino said.

There are connections between FITV and the lacrosse team, which lead to an open-armed welcome.

More specifically, FITV worked with the lacrosse team prior to the move-in.

The film club collaborated on the documentary “On the Prowl” that some lacrosse players put together.

“We were planning on making the space of the old ELS classroom into an extension of our current studio, or possibly even a rehearsal stage area since the Grissom basement is the location of all media related activities on campus,” said Brett Twery a senior in biomedical engineering and the president of FITV. “I, personally, am very welcoming to the idea of lacrosse moving in.”

Even with a group of athletes next door, Twery said he believes any future issues will be resolved.

“It’s no secret that walls in the basement are pretty thin and that the rooms are relatively close, so there is a possibility that these factors could come into play,” Twery said. “But we’re confident the men’s lacrosse team will work closely with us in solving any concerns that may arise.”

According to Aulicino, Grissom Hall was an obvious choice for the new locker room.

“It was big enough to support the number of players; it has a shower and two restrooms that are getting renovated to suit their needs,” Aulicino said. “And it has the media equipment set up for reviewing practices and games, which is in the office right across the hall.”

Although FITV has not confirmed any use of their equipment by the lacrosse team, Twery said he will be in contact with them very soon.

Aulicino said he believes the locker room will impact the team in a positive way.

“The locker room will give the team their own identity and self pride of having a home of their own–a home where they can come together as a team and really feel good about themselves,” Aulicino said.

“A home where they can celebrate their wins, decorate with all their accomplishments for future Panthers to come and visit.” Aulicino also said he wanted not only himself but also his teammates to be happy, and for the team to have a tighter bond. “I feel blessed that I have a small part in building this for them,” Aulicino said. “This locker room will be a perfect fit.”

Panthers prepare for football kick-off

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Florida Tech football team leaves the inflatable Panther to start the game. Photo by Daniel Welch.

Classes have begun, students have started to get into the groove of their academic rigor and fall sports are in full swing, meaning Saturday game days have finally arrived with the kickoff of college football.

The Panthers posted a solid eight-win season last year, with just four losses, and were awarded an NCAA playoff spot.

While they were defeated in their lone playoff game last year, this season Florida Tech look to uphold their spot within the top 25 for the Division II football rankings.

According to players, the team trained three hours a day; combining weightlifting, conditioning and studying the playbook to develop their style of play and to get stronger.

Based on performances from last year, the Panthers have an optimistic perspective for this upcoming season and are looking to improve.

“Our program has never won a playoff game, so our first step is to win a playoff game and see what we can do,” said Daniel Welch, defensive leader and captain.

Despite losing key players, such as J.T. Hassell, who was at the time recruited by the Cleveland Browns, Welch remains positive and confident that the defense can get the job done.

“We lost some key guys, but we have a lot of returners and with the help of a new strength coach, we are ready to take the next step,” Welch said. “With every new season comes a new freshman class, hungry and ready to work at the next level of their athletic careers.”

Football players take a breather. Photo by Daniel Welch.

Welch added that the freshman class looks “strong and promising” as the newbies study the playbook for future game day success.

On the offensive side, quarterback and captain Trenton Chmelik hopes to make the best out of his senior season and leave a legacy behind.

“As a captain of the team, I try to emphasize to the younger guys to play with passion and to make every opportunity count, and to complete every obstacle with tenacity and discipline,” Chmelik said.

The first home game for the Panthers is Saturday, Sept. 28, against West Georgia; this is one of five home games scheduled this season.