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2020 Election: Voting as a college student

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Election Day is right around the corner. 

This November, the U.S. presidential election will take place, along with numerous state and local elections. 

According to The Campus Vote Project, college students make up about 21 percent of eligible voters in this election. 

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mail-in ballots have become an increasingly popular option for voters, according to the United States Postal Service.

Thomas Marshall, general counsel and executive vice president of the Postal Service explained in a July letter that mail-in ballots returned within Florida’s deadlines may not arrive in time to be counted, with election officials in numerous states receiving similar letters. The letter advises voters to return mail-in ballots by Oct. 27, one week before Election Day. 

Florida residents can register to vote at www.registertovoteflorida.gov. Out-of-state students have the option of utilizing absentee ballots. Sophomore Daniel Gierlach, an aerospace engineering major, said he will be voting in Michigan using an absentee ballot. 

Brevard residents also have the option of in-person voting or early voting at a local polling precinct. www.votebrevard.gov provides a tool to locate your precinct. Palm Bay resident Jesus Aviles, a junior studying IT management, said he will be voting at his local precinct. 

Texas native Thomas McHenry, a junior studying aeronautical science with flight, also anticipates voting at his local Brevard County precinct.

“With my Florida driver’s license, I can avoid the hassle that comes with Texas absentee voting,” McHenry said. 

According to vote.org, Texas residents must provide an excuse to request an absentee ballot. Only those who are 65 and older, disabled, confined in jail, or out of state on election day are eligible to apply.

One resource for obtaining an absentee ballot is vote.org. This website enables voters to  request an absentee ballot, register to vote, or check their registration status. College students can request an absentee ballot in all 50 states.

Voting resources mentioned in this article:

Florida voting registration: registertovoteflorida.gov

Precinct locator: www.votebrevard.gov

Obtaining absentee ballot: vote.org

Students struggling with online lab instruction

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By Arianna Schuck

When Florida Tech announced that the university would be switching to online class instruction for the remainder of the spring semester on Mar. 12, many questions were raised, especially regarding the curriculum structure for lab instructions.

“We have made some adjustments to the ground rules for field and lab work in order to maintain social distancing,” said Richard Aronson, department head of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences. This includes having fewer people in a lab at a time. 

Florida Tech instructors have said that online lab instruction is not ideal, but students are still receiving a good education under the current circumstances. Photo// Florida Tech Research page

On Florida Tech’s Coronavirus updates page, under the frequently asked questions section, Florida Tech administration responded to a question regarding how labs would be taught saying; “there are several solutions to be implemented to support laboratory classes. At this point, we are finalizing the plans to convert all laboratory courses online.” The FAQ page also stated that additional details on specific laboratory requirements will be provided by the professors. 

According to Aronson, the research labs will continue to take place, but there have been some changes to adapt to the current circumstances. 

“We are carrying out our lab exercises through video demonstrations, through the use of data from previous years’ labs and through the purchase of software,” Aronson said. 

While some faculty such as Julia Grimwade, program chair for biological sciences and chemistry, have said the switch to online lab instruction is necessary for students and faculty members safety in light of COVID-19, some students’ perspectives have varied. 

Alexander Datillo, a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering, feels that lab instruction needs to be done in person.

“Understanding the results of a lab should be made easier by switching to online,” Datillo said. “But the lack of hands-on experience will make it difficult to learn from mistakes that could be made during the experiment had it actually been performed in a lab setting.”

Other students such as Katherine Johnson, a junior majoring in general biology, said that her workload has become more taxing since switching to online instruction. Out of all of Jackson’s classes and two labs, the only instruction through Zoom is one of her labs. 

“The lack of uniform structure is taking a toll on my education,” Jackson said.“The point of labs is so they are hands on ways of learning and practicing lab protocol, simply posting data is inadequate.”

Grimwade stated that the situation for online lab instruction is not ideal, however she believes students are still receiving a very good education. 

Aronson also added that given the current circumstances, lab instruction is “quite good” at the moment. 

“What matters is that we are maintaining educational outcomes,” Aronson

Florida Tech Sports Recap for Nov. 24, 2019

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Football: Overall record: 5-6

The Panthers finish their season strong with a blowout win on their home turf.
Photo // Florida Tech Athletics

Nov. 16 42-3 Win vs Shorter

Volleyball: Overall record: 4-27

The volleyball team ended their season on a 12-game losing streak and placed last in their conference. Photo // Florida Tech Athletics

Nov. 15 0-3 Loss at Saint Leo University
Nov. 16 0-3 Loss at University of Tampa
Nov. 22 0-3 Loss vs Lynn University
Nov. 23 0-3 Loss vs Nova Southeastern University

Men’s Soccer: Overall record: 12-3-1

After losing the second round of the conference playoffs, the Panthers still solidified a spot in the NCAA playoffs and secured a victory in the first round. Photo // Florida Tech Athletics

Nov. 14 1-3 Loss vs Palm Beach Atlantic
Nov. 23 2-1 Win vs University of West Florida

Men’s Basketball: Overall record: 2-3

The Panthers are off to a below-average start early on in their lengthy season. 

Nov. 8 75-92 Loss vs Benedict College
Nov. 9 84-88 Loss at Auburn-Montgomery
Nov. 14 111-71 Win vs Johnson
Nov. 16 81-63 Win vs Puerto Rico-Bayamon 
Nov. 23 70-75 Loss at Saint Leo University

Women’s Basketball: Overall record: 3-3

A .500 start six games into the Panthers season.

Nov. 8 67-75 Loss vs University of West Georgia
Nov. 9 75-73 Win vs Spring Hill College
Nov. 15 80-56 Win vs University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon
Nov. 16 53-75 Loss vs Clayton State University
Nov. 19 71-57 Win at Flagler College
Nov. 23 67-82 Loss at Saint Leo University

Nearly $200,000 raised for Day of Giving at Florida Tech

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  • The black chart represents the donation amount per department.

  • The red chart represents the top 16 departments with the amount of donors who contributed per department.

This year’s Day of Giving exceeded Florida Tech’s goal of 1,500 donors with funds reaching just under $200,000 in 24 hours.

The funds that were raised will be used for everything from updating technology on campus, providing for scholarship and research grants and funding the new Health Sciences Building.

Mary Ida Spradlin, the assistant director of annual giving, is the main organizer for the Day of Giving.

The day was dedicated to raising money for the campus, and Spradlin said it is their biggest online fundraising event.

Spradlin graduated from Florida Tech two years ago, and said the purpose of the event is to bring in alumni donors.

According to Spradlin, her job is to connect with all current students and alumni, and she planned this year’s theme of superhero Pete the Panther.

Sydney Tai, a sophomore in biomathematics, works as a student ambassador for the development office and acts as a student caller.

Tai said that her job is to contact alumni to inform them about current events on campus.

This includes information about how alumni can donate. Furthermore, any alumni that donates more than $1,000 is eligible for invitations to special events, including Tastes of the Season, an annual banquet featuring a dinner made by award- winning chefs during the holiday season.

According to Spradlin, this year they had 1,984 donors in 24 hours.

Bess Handel, a junior in psychology, was assigned to work on Day of Giving for her public relations class.

Her task was to create awareness for the student body and the superhero theme, advertising on the School of Arts and Communication Facebook page.

Handel’s team received help from the Office of Development in running a

booth outside of Panther Dining Hall for students, where students could write down their superpower and participate in a social media campaign.

“The Day of Giving is essentially an opportunity to give back to Florida Tech and all it’s done for you,” Handel said. “Whether you are faculty, staff, a student or simply a local resident, all donations are welcome and appreciated. Even if it’s just some spare change at the bottom of their wallet, it can help both the university and you as a student.”

Handel said that knowing exactly where donations go can make alumni and students more inclined to donate.

“It gives people an opportunity to support their interests and hobbies instead of just handing over money and not knowing what it’s going toward,” Handel said.

Tai agreed, saying, “It all goes back to the students, whether it be through grants or scholarships or specific areas.”

Spradlin says donors can specify where their donations go, giving to specific colleges, Athletics or the Panther Fund.

Spradlin also added that the Panther Fund is the university’s president’s fund to use for Florida Tech’s greatest needs.

A student holds a sign saying “I participate because I love my campus community.”
Photo // Florida Tech Alumni

Handel had some ideas to improve Day of Giving as well since she said she feels that not much has been advertised beyond emails, suggesting that students expand participation with more groups being encouraged to run booths.

“Students are more likely to donate if students are promoting the event, as opposed to Florida Tech staff,” Handel said. “Students will do a lot for extra credit, as we all know.”

Spradlin said she has already started planning how to improve next year’s Day of Giving. “This year was the biggest year we’ve had yet, and I think next year will be even bigger,” said Spradlin.

Florida Tech fails to acknowledge reports of rape required under federal law

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By: Emily Walker, Olivia McKelvey, Kevin Boodoosingh

Florida Tech failed to acknowledge multiple reports of rape within the 2019 Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports under the Clery Act.




  • The Campus Crime Statistics lists zero sex offenses have occurred in the in the past three years. If there have been cases of sexual assaults that were not included in the crime statistics, then that is a violation of the Clery Act. 

Two students have come forward with accounts of rape and how they reported their cases through Title IX and Security.

Their cases did not appear on the Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports, which is in violation of the Clery Act.

What is the Clery Act:

In 1986, Jeanne Clery, a student at Lehigh University, was raped and murdered in her residence hall.

Four years later, the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 was established in order to create accountability for reporting violent crimes and providing transparency on campus crime statistics.

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act—the Clery Act— is a federal law requiring United States colleges and universities to disclose information about crime on and around campuses.

Due to the fact that Florida Tech receives federal funding, it is required to publish an annual security report for both students and employees every Oct. 1.

What is included within the Clery report:

Florida Tech’s Office of Safety and Security prepares an annual report in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies such as Melbourne Police Department, Palm Bay Police Department and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.

Other university departments also work in collaboration with compiling crime reports and statistics such as the Title IX office.

The report is required to include data from the past three years on the following crimes:

  • Criminal homicides such as murder and non-negligent manslaughter and negligent manslaughter
  • Sex offenses such as rape, fondling, incest and statutory rape
  • Arrests and judicial referrals for liquor law violations, drug abuse violations and weapons law violations
  • The “other” category, which includes robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson
  • The Violence Against Women’s Act—VAWA—is an amendment within Clery that expands the rights to campus survivors of sexual assault and includes the following crimes:
    • domestic violence
    • dating violence
    • stalking
  • Hate crimes, which include offense definitions relating to hate/bias-related crime, larceny, simple assault, intimidation and destruction/damage/vandalism of property

Clery cites that the following individuals on campus are Campus Security Authorities—also known as mandated reporters— a term created by the Clery Act that encompasses groups of individuals and organizations at Florida Tech:

  • Dean of Students
  • Director of Security
  • Security Department
  • Title IX Coordinator
  • Senior Vice President for Academic Administration
  • Chief of Staff
  • Athletics Director
  • Athletic Coaches
  • Office of Student Life
  • Director of Student Housing
  • Other Campus Security Authorities that have a “significant responsibility for student and campus activities.”

Clery geography:

Another factor Clery examines when categorizing data is geographical location of a specific crime.

Clery includes both on-campus and non-campus locations within the report.

An on-campus location is defined as any building or property owned or controlled by an institution, such as an academic building or dorm.

Non-campus geographic location can refer to any Florida Tech owned entity that is frequented by students.

The non-campus definition also includes campus leased or rented spaces for an event that was sponsored by the university or any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by the institution.

How Florida Tech violated the Clery Act:

In the 2019 Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports, all sex offenses, including rape, were cited as zero for the past three years.

According to definition in Florida Tech’s 2019 Annual Safety and Fire Report, rape is defined as “the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”

An anonymous student has gone on record and said that her rape, which occurred in 2018 on campus, was not included in the Clery report.

“I went into the Title IX office because I wanted this put down on record,” she said. “I wanted them to know that women are being assaulted and raped on this campus.” 

The student went to the health center and Counseling and Psychological Services, neither of which are mandated reporters.

She later went to Linda Jancheson, the Title IX coordinator, who reports to, as listed in Florida Tech’s organizational chart, VP/General Counsel.

“I spent 20 minutes waiting in the Title IX office, five minutes in Jancheson’s office and I left with three extra papers that I didn’t know what the hell meant,” the student said.

The student later talked to another Campus Security Authority and discussed her options with Security.

She ultimately decided not to take action against her rapist and no charges were filed in this case. 

Despite the student not taking action, according to Frank Iannone, director of security, whether or not a victim decides to pursue charges, a report is made regardless of the outcome.

When asked how many cases of rape have been reported to Jancheson for the past three years, she said, “I do not know the exact numbers.”

When asked how many Title IX reports Jancheson handed over to Security to include within this year’s Clery report, she said, “I do not know.”

The Title IX coordinator was asked these same questions two times, in two separate interviews, and responded with “I do not know,” in each instance.

Jancheson went on to say that she was not in the Title IX coordinator position when reports were made last year in 2018, though her start date was February of 2018.

Another anonymous source was raped in 2017 on campus and reported her rape to Security in 2018.

The student went through an investigation and disciplinary hearing, which took over one year and resulted in disciplinary action for her rapist. 

This student’s rape was also not included within this year’s Clery data. 

“Sitting down with two security officers not once, but twice to relive the details of my rape in depth and on record was anything but a warm environment as a victim,” she said. 

After her initial report, the student heard nothing for five months regarding the investigation and the scheduling of the disciplinary hearing.

“It was the worst experience of my life,” she said. “The process of reporting it was nearly as bad as my actual rape.”

It is not immediately known whether or not campus security filed these two reports of rape with local law enforcement.

Both sources will remain anonymous. The Crimson does not disclose the names of sexual assault survivors.

Repercussions for violating Clery:

According to a press release from the National Association of Clery Compliance officers and professionals, as of February 2019, the new amount that the U.S. Department of Education can impose for noncompliance with the Clery Act is $57,317 per violation. 

In 2016, Penn State was fined 2.4 million dollars for having been “out of compliance” for 11 serious cases dating from 1998 to 2011.

In 2018, the University of Montana was fined $966,614 for “inaccurate and misleading crime statistics” from liquior law violations to cases of rape between 2012 and 2015. 

Two anonymous students at Florida Tech have come forward to discuss their rapes in 2017 and 2018 and how they reported it to Security.

Those cases have not been cited within this year’s Clery report. 

Iannone said that from the statistics that are provided within this year’s Clery report, he feels the numbers accurately represent the campus.

If you have made a report to Security or Title IX and feel it has not been handled correctly, visit endrapeoncampus.org/the-clery-act to file a complaint.

As a student-run newspaper, your voices are extremely important to us.

If you feel you have experienced something similar as described in this piece and would like to speak with us, please contact us at crimson@fit.edu.

National Sexual Assault Hotline -1-800-656-4673
Women’s Center Counseling 321-242-1526

Student service fees increase for SGA

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The Student Government Association has made a resolution to increase student service fees by $75, resulting in a now $200 student service fee.

The fee increase was discussed and approved by the Board of Trustees.

This now allows SGA to have roughly a $500,000 initiative fund to only be used for large-scale initiatives to improve the quality of life on campus.

“This is a major step in the right direction for our student experience,” said Jace Petrowski, president of SGA.

He said that SGA is excited to start projects on campus in the spring when they receive their first round of funding.

Some of the things they will work on include adding lights on the intramural fields, supplementing funding toward esports, adding solar chargers on campus and replacing the equipment in the Clemente Center.

“We can now do all the things we couldn’t have done previously because of how low our student fees were,” Petrowski said.

With this initiative fund increase, the money cannot be used without senate approval.

Petrowski explained that Bino Campanini, the senior vice president of Student Life and Alumni Affairs, would essentially have to present any project Campanini wants to use the money for to the senate.

Petrowski also said that Florida Tech’s student service fee is low compared to other schools such as Nova Southeastern University, whose student service fees are currently $500 a semester.

Another service SGA is working on is a bike station with an outside company. SGA announced during their scheduled meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6 that the bike rental program is no longer available due to a number of bikes being stolen.

They stated that they are looking into more feasible ways to provide benefits to students.

Extending library hours is another topic of concern that the SGA senate committee is looking into after hearing many complaints from students.

A Giving Tree fundraising event will be hosted by SGA on Friday, Dec. 6 from 3-5 p.m.

Furthermore, a website will be available for donations for the event, which aims to raise funds for the Orlando Toys-For-Tots charity program.

In addition, this year’s Day of Giving will involve all Student Life organizations.

Any club or organization may partake in different challenges that are related to the theme “superpower” in order to raise funds and earn points.

The winners will receive a $200 VISA gift card.

During the senate meeting, Marc Kanneh, a senior from Trinidad and Tobago, was nominated as the new justice of SGA.

Before the nomination, Kanneh gave a speech about his past experience as a justice and ensured that he will support the offices.

“I would say it is challenging to run a government, specifically the judicial branch,” Kanneh said. “There is really no playbook on how to do this, but I hope my past experience as a justice back in 2017 and 2018 will help me support and represent the offices of SGA.”

Florida Tech recognizes outstanding alumni at homecoming gala 2019

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Bino Campanini presents the Jerome P. Keuper Distinguished Alumni Award to Chip Perry.
FITV // Aayush Kapar

With over 60,000 alumni scattered throughout the globe, the Florida Tech Alumni Association has made it a priority to honor and recognize the legacy past students have left behind.

On Oct. 26, more than 500 people—including professors, faculty, alumni, and organizations that play a vital role in providing aid to Florida Tech—gathered at the 2019 Alumni Awards Gala to recognize outstanding alumni in various majors.

Award recipients included those with vast experience in their career fields as well as a continuous commitment to their alma mater.

Bino Campanini, vice president for Alumni Affairs, served as master of ceremonies and introduced the especially distinguished alumni of the evening.

“This event is a fantastic opportunity to catch up with colleagues, and a brilliant way to instill the spirit of the school and reinvigorate interest in each program,” said Robert Salonen, a 2019 Florida Tech graduate and the current director of Government Affairs and Strategic Partnerships at the university.

Others in the crowd agreed with Salonen that this was a special night that allowed individuals to return proudly to their alma mater and reminisce on past memories, but also learn about the future of the school and the growth it has seen in recent years.

After cocktails, photoops and dinner, Campanini continued as MC with lighthearted jokes as he welcomed each award recipient to the stage.

The first of five recipients was Jason Terreri, a 2001 Florida Tech undergraduate, awarded on behalf of the College of Aeronautics.

“The best advice I can give is to find someone who has the same desire and passion for your industry, and take them under your wing,” said the previous senior executive director of Syracuse Hancock International Airport. “Become a mentor, and give them an opportunity to be successful.”

While all award recipients mentioned how honored they were to be given recognition for their work and thanked the university for what it provided to them, each took on their own unique twist for their speeches.

One of the quirkier speeches came from the College of Engineering and Science awardee, Don Woodrow.

Woodrow is a distinguished 1986 Florida Tech undergraduate who is the president of Woodrow Construction LLC and also an advisory board member of civil engineering and construction advisory board at Florida Tech.

After cracking jokes about Bill Jurgens’ gray hair and poking fun at Campanini for his British accent, Woodrow concluded by asking the audience to stand up, enjoy the night and give their best impersonation of Elaine dancing from Seinfeld.

Others that received awards at the alumni gala were Monique Picou on behalf of the Nathan M. Bisk College of Business, Sherri Acanfora Ruohomaki on behalf of the College of Psychology and Liberal Arts and Gretchen L. Kelly on behalf of the College of Engineering and Science.

Picou, the senior vice president of flow and fashion for Walmart, compared Florida Tech to an ivy league university, and put emphasis on the fact that “it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.”

Acanfora Ruohomaki, a former Florida Tech cheerleader and now the owner of K9 Kampus—a luxury dog daycare and boarding facility—concluded her speech with words of reflection: “Look at the growth and development that Dr. T. Dwayne McCay, and previously Dr. Catanese, have cultivated,” Acanfora Ruohomaki said. “It makes me want to come back here as a young collegiate and enjoy all the amenities that they have now that we didn’t have before.”

President T. Dwayne McCay stated that the alumni are “our strength” and “prove that the university did a good job.”

“Florida Tech teaches our students to work with people in teams, and in collaboration,” T. Dwayne McCay said. “Curriculum such as the senior design prepares our students to enter the workforce after graduation in a few weeks, whereas at other schools, it’s six months.”

The ceremony came to a close with the presentation of the Jerome P. Keuper Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest award bestowed upon by the Alumni Association.

Honored with such an award that remarks a reflection of a legacy of excellence was Chip Perry.

A former design engineer for Texas Instrument and founder of a top tier internet streaming service later bought out by Yahoo!

Perry was portrayed as a highly successful and memorable student from Florida Tech.

He took the guests down memory lane and recapped his journey from Florida Tech to where he is now.

Perry gave a special thanks to Ed Jonas, the designer of the Keuper statue in front of the President’s Office as well as the designer of all of the gala awards for the past five years.

“It was a true honor for Florida Tech to involve me in the design process,” Jonas said. “Although I am not a Florida Tech alumni, Brevard will always have a special place in my heart because it’s the hometown of the love of my life and it was one of the places where the last thing my father saw me accomplish was the sculpting of the Keuper statue.”

The night wrapped up with dancing and a continuation of celebrating Panther pride.

Homecoming committee aims to bring community together

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Alex Volkova, a senior in astronomy and astrophysics, and Sam Gallion, a junior in forensic psychology, are running homecoming for the first time this year.

They have made some changes to homecoming in order to make it inclusive and exciting for all who wish to participate.

Both Volkova and Gallion have made changes to homecoming in order to make it inclusive and exciting for all who wish to participate.

“The theme this year, we feel, is something that everyone can relate to,” Gallion said.

Gallion said last year the two of them had worked actively with Marianne Amundsen, last year’s homecoming coordinator.

They feel this gave them the experience they need for this year. Volkova and Gallion said they have a clear image of what they want this year’s events to look like.

Gallion said that she wants students to learn more about each other and work together in a way they wouldn’t have before.

One of the major changes is the Royalty competition, both in changing its name from King and Queen to Royalty, and also in preventing Greek organizations from working with one another.

Homecoming has always been a platform for organizations to come together, and Greek Life has been especially active and involved, according to Volkova.

She said that they wanted to use the successful homecoming platform to inspire organizations other than Greek Life to participate as well, encouraging organizations who have not worked together in the past to come together now.

“All organizations on campus make it a great place, so what better way to show it than to unite different types of organizations in doing things together,” Volkova said.

Likewise, the name for the competition was changed to make things more inclusive.

“There’s never really been a rule that says you need to be male and female to do this,” Volkova said.

Gallion agreed, saying that changing the name would make it more appealing to those who identify with something outside of the gender binary and could encourage organization pairs with a same-sex pairing.

Beyond the Royalty competition, Gallion and Volkova have also added a new event called Big Night Out 2.0, which will take place before a soccer game and reminds Gallion of a high school football game.

“You’d get food, you’d hang with your friends,” Gallion said. “It’s really about school spirit and making sure that people go to events that our athletes work so hard to put on for them.”

Alumni Affairs and the Florida Tech Alumni Association are also putting on events for alumni, students and the local community to encourage this theme further, said Cindy Berger, the director of Alumni Marketing and Communications.

“There’s a little bit of something for everyone,” Berger said, who’s planning her second homecoming. “It’s a chance for student activities and alumni activities to all come together.”

While the talent show for students is Thursday night, Alumni Affairs is having a 5K event during the day.

Meg O’Malley’s is serving as the meetup location as well as the location of the post-race party.

There’s also the signature concert event on Friday as part of Homecoming Fest in Downtown Melbourne.

“A free concert with great music is good for students, good for family and friends and good for the community, so we’re really proud to be a part of that,” Berger said.

On Saturday, the football game will kick off with tailgating, and alumni can attend the black-tie Alumni Gala Awards at night during the carnival for students.

According to Berger, one distinguished alumni will be awarded the Jerome P. Keuper Award in honor of Florida Tech’s founder and first president.

Berger said that they are trying to make sure the students have great experiences and that they feel engaged so when they become alumni, they are proud to have a good relationship with Florida Tech and Alumni Affairs.

“Homecoming is a great opportunity for student focused fun and a reason for graduates to come back and look upon their alma mater fondly,” Berger said.

According to Gallion, the reason homecoming is so important is because it brings people together.

The most important thing, she said, is enjoying the events together and being able to put that unity to good work.

Gallion said that the organization they are donating the raised funds to is HeadKnowles for the Bahamas hurricane relief. Both Gallion and Volkova agreed on the purpose of homecoming: bringing people together and helping people in whatever way possible.

Volkova said, “We’re all family and we want everyone to feel happy.”

Florida Tech ROTC’s atypical summer

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While college students’ summer plans often consist of vacations or summer classes, Florida Tech Army ROTC students had another atypical break.

They completed rigorous training camps and
internships, traveled with cultural programs and attended specialized schools like Airborne School or Air Assault School.

Isiah Mossiah, a senior studying molecular biology, completed advanced camp at Fort Knox in Kentucky.

The camp was a 31-day training course Mossiah described as “a culmination of our previous three years of ROTC training.”

Cadetcommand.army.mil states that the mission of advanced camp is to assess a cadet’s potential to serve as a commissioned officer. It lists highlights of the training event, including first aid, a field leader’s reaction course and tactics training.

Mossiah said that cadets are put into platoons of 40-45 people, and are constantly evaluated by cadres—the officers responsible for the training of cadets.

He discussed field training exercises, explaining that the first is cadreled, while the others were completed independently for purposes of evaluation.

They also completed road marches of up to 12 miles.

“You have a 35 pound ruck on your back, and you have to make a certain time requirement,” Mossiah said.

He added that many exercises are pass or fail, and that cadets must pass to continue in the course.

Cadets are ranked at the end of the training.

This ranking influences their placement in the Army later on.

Mossiah said the training gave him valuable experience in communication with a diverse group.

He said it gave him the opportunity to compare and contrast his leadership skills with others, then use that to communicate more effectively across a group.

Sergeant First Class Arsenio Rodriguez, a military instructor with Florida Tech Army ROTC, said cadets completed summer training in Africa and South America through the Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program.

According to cadetcom-mand.army.mil, CU&LP
completely immerses cadets into another culture, improving their cultural awareness.

“They get to work with cadets that are in the same role as they are, but just in a different country, and they get to experience a day in the life of how they function and what their training consists of,” Rodriguez said.

He said some cadets attended Airborne School, a three week course which includes military parachutist training.

Others attended Air Assault School, a 10 day course which Sergeant First Class Jeremy Brandon, a military instructor with Florida Tech Army ROTC, described as “physical and mental.”

“You learn all about the capabilities and limitations of all the different rotary wing aircraft,” Brandon said.

goarmy.com states that the course is designed to prepare soldiers for missions that call for the use of transportation and assault helicopters.

Brandon said he thinks the biggest benefit of summer training is the real-world experience, where cadets are able to apply the theory they have learned, and “work through problems in a way that you can’t really simulate in a classroom or laboratory environment.”

He said these concrete experiences prepare students for the responsibility and depth of knowledge required of a lieutenant before they are commissioned into the Army.

Going forward into the fall semester, Rodriguez said cadets will gain more out-of-classroom experience in field training exer-
cises.

“They get to spend two nights out in the woods,” he said. “It lets us evaluate them as leaders and how they perform under stress.”

The field training exercises are planned for the first week of November.

Crawford Elevators Redux – Students disgruntled by Crawford elevators

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Another semester at Florida Tech and still no fully operational elevators.

While the student body was informed by Dewey Yeatts, director of facilities management, last summer that both Crawford elevators would be fixed by mid-October, as of this issue, only one elevator is up and running; the other still in repair.

While elevator failure has been a concern for some students, new concerns have arisen.

58.93% of the responses say Yes for those that are concerned about their personal space Photo // SurveyMonkey

Personal and physical safety is now a concern for some.

The Crimson sent out a survey last Saturday in hopes of gathering information about how comfortable people feel in the Crawford elevators.

Due to only one elevator working, more than 85 percent of those who took the survey think that the elevators are overfilled and most feel uncomfortable in a cramped space.

Additionally, the survey featured an option for students to express their thoughts through comments and free-written responses about their elevator experience.

“I am packed in like sardines and fear for my life,” said one response.

Furthermore, almost 58 percent of respondents said they feel at risk of the elevator failing due to its overcrowded capacity.

Despite the newly replaced elevator, some students feel it is being put under too much strain.

Stephanie Perrier, a senior in psychology with a concentration in animal behavior, said she worries about the safety of the elevator with how crowded it is.

69.64% of responses say that they use the elevators more than once a week. Photo // SurveyMonkey

“There’s definitely a fear it’s going to break since so often it seems to break,” Perrier said.

Others shared their disgruntled unsatisfactory experiences with the frequent dilemma of, “Do I wait an eternity for this elevator or do I take a gamble with my laziness and climb the stairs?” Samantha Bischoff, a senior in civil engineering expressed her dissatisfaction about the elevator situation that she’s been dealing with for the past four years.

“Five out my six classes are in Crawford this semester, and it’s very frustrating to have only one functioning elevator,” Bischoff said. “There are times when instead of waiting for the elevator, I simply give up and take the stairs.”

Multiple students like Bischoff can testify to being late to classes simply due to time spent waiting for the elevator.

“There are instances where I’m even late to class because of the elevator, especially Spanish which is on the sixth floor,” Bischoff said.

Another issue raised in the survey was whether or not students worry for their personal safety in a crowded elevator.

Approximately 58 percent said they are concerned about their personal space or a “potential negative encounter.”

“[I’m] very uncomfortable, overwhelmed and stressed,” one respondent said. The crowded elevator not only possess what some students see as a personal safety issue, but also adds to many occupants’ stress. “Sometimes if it’s too full, it’s super uncomfortable if you get easily claustrophobic,” Perrier said.

58.93% of responses say that they feel at risk of the elevator failing because of it being over the capacity. Photo // SurveyMonkey

It’s not only students that have opinions on the Crawford elevator situation.

Dzmitry Yuran, an assistant professorin the School of Arts and Communication, said that he tends to time his arrival to campus during class periods.

“That way I don’t have to deal with stuffed elevators too much,” Yuran said.

Another elevator user frustrated with the service of the elevators in Crawford is Birgitt O’Connor, a senior in ocean engineering.

“Right now my only classes in Crawford are at 8 and 9 a.m., so there is usually not a lot of traffic then,” O’Connor said. “However, last year when I had afternoon classes in Crawford, you could find me standing there for five minutes or more just trying to cram into the elevator to get to my class on time.”

In the newly upgraded elevator, a temporary certificate was put in place before the actual license was renewed.

However, that has since expired in late August.

The second elevator is scheduled to be functional by mid-October, according to Dewey Yeatts.