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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

NCAA student-athletes can now profit off their fame nationwide

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After the NCAA board of governors passed a law to allow college athletes to profit off their fame in several states such as California, Florida and Colorado, they voted unan- imously on a similar agree- ment nationwide on Oct. 29.

The board has asked the three divisions of the NCAA to create the necessary rules immediately in order to have them in place no later than January of 2021.

Bill Jurgens, Florida Tech’s athletic director, stat- ed that he does not have an opinion at this time, due to this information just being released, and the fact that the NCAA is still looking into this matter.

According to TIME, the NCAA needs to determine how athletes can profit off of their name, likeness and

image, while also maintaining rules regarding amateurism.

Jake Hahn, a junior on the lacrosse team, said he thinks that for these rules to be effec- tive, the NCAA would have to redefine the term of amateur- ism in college sports.

“I think the main thing that categorizes an athlete as a professional is that they get paid to play their sport,” Hahn said.

Hahn then explained that an athlete can’t be both a professional and an amateur at the same time.

He elaborated that the hard thing about allowing student athletes to make money off their name is the fact that once that student starts making money, it’s hard to say if they can still be considered an amateur.

Johnny Poret, a sopho- more on the football team, said he believes that players

should be paid based on the amount of money they bring into the school.

“Big time players bring in big time money for schools because people want to come watch them play,” Poret said. “The more money a player brings in, the more money that player should receive.”

How universities will assist students in profiting off of their name and likeness has not been decided.

Both Hahn and Poret brought up the suggestion of personal jersey sales, or team equipment inside the univer- sity’s bookstore or on their website.

As far as recruiting is concerned, Hahn said he believes that this new rule will potentially have no impact on the smaller Division II and Division III schools, but could have an effect on Division I schools.

Hahn went on to explain that the high quality athletes, such as those who are considered four or five star recruits, won’t have an interest in coming to Florida Tech, as they have the opportunity to

pursue Division I schools. With just a little over a year until this rule will be put in play, much more informa- tion regarding rules and regu- lations from the NCAA itself

are still to come.

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

The death of the Newseum in the era of fake news

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The Newseum stands tall for the last months of the year as its closure looms Photo // Newseum

It’s been two weeks since our editorial staff attended a college media conference in Washington D.C.

We left the nation’s capital with an arsenal of tips for better reporting, but also deeply disappointed to see one of journalism’s biggest odes to the industry to be uprooted by the end of the year.

Since opening day in 2008, the Newseum has dedicated itself to increasing public understanding of the importance of a free press and the First Amendment.

“In all of the 30-plus years I spent in broadcast journalism, I would’ve never expected something like the Newseum to ever exist, anywhere,” said Paul Littman, a retired PBS broadcaster who has spent his early years of retirement volunteering at the engaging and interactive museum of news. “I was born and raised in D.C. and to see something as great as this close down will leave me heartbroken.”

As young and aspiring journalists, to walk through five floors of history and see how journalism captured every part of that left us awestruck.

One of the most visually impactful exhibits was the Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery.

To see a vulture preying on a starving child in Sudan is devastating.

But to then read that the photographer later took his own life because of the trauma and grief he felt for neglecting that child portrayed the harsh reality of reporting in third world countries.

  • A piece of the Berlin Wall showcases the contrast of freedom of speech between West Germany and East Germany. Crimson // Kevin Boodoosing
  • A piece of the Berlin Wall showcases the contrast of freedom of speech between West Germany and East Germany. Crimson // Kevin Boodoosing

Standing in front of chunks of the Berlin Wall that once separated communism from freedom was eye-opening to the freedom that we currently take for granted.

A glimpse at the civil rights movement exhibit showed that while many people turned a blind eye to the horrible things that were happening, journalists reported on the deaths of African American people, the brutal ways they were treated and the efforts they were making to gain more rights.

Walking one floor up, we entered the Stonewall exhibit, where the first Pride flag hung on the wall.

The Newseum illustrated how rights for LGBTQ people have changed and progressed throughout the years.

As in the civil rights exhibit, this was an area of history where many people were ignoring the mistreatment of the LGBTQ community or viewed them as bad people and deserving of punishment.

Meanwhile, journalists worked to uncover the truth and report it.

In another showcase—and perhaps the most emotional— newspapers from around the world covered a singular wall, each reporting on the events of 9/11.

A piece of the antenna from the North World Trade Tower stands in front of a wall of newspapers from around the world that covered 9/11.
Crimson // Jesse Villaverde

This exhibit highlighted Bill Biggart, a photographer and the only journalist to lose his life covering 9/11.

His gear was preserved in the Newseum, his photos having been recovered after the events of 9/11.

While we were in awe of the archives and galleries around us, other museum-goers were also drawn in by the history of news and value of free speech.

“This museum shows how the First Amendment is a gift to the world,” said Tim Neary, a professor from Worcester University in Massachusetts who was in town for a Georgetown Alumni celebration.“It’s a damn shame this place is closing. It seems like there has to be a solution.”

In a time when the Trump Administration has launched an attack on news media and criticized journalists for reporting “fake news,” the Newseum tells an important story.

It shows the way reporters have given their lives in pursuit of their craft.

It shows how history has been influenced by the news: When reporters do their jobs and report the truth, people take action and promote change.

In a survey of the Florida Tech community, we asked how reliable people believe the news is.

The survey is not reflective of the entirety of students, staff, faculty and alumni; rather a small portion—55 respondents—helps illustrate trends within a small section of our community.

The biggest takeaway from the survey is that 40 percent of respondents believe that the news is somewhat reliable and a little more than 38 percent believe it is mostly reliable, but we live in a time when the idea of fake news is broadcast and spread on social media constantly.

A display at the museum describes the significance of the First Amendment in a school setting. Crimson // Jesse Villaverde

Pew Research Center released a report this past June in which 68 percent of Americans, which is nearly seven in 10, said that the creation and spread of fake news is causing significant harm to the nation and needs to be stopped.

There are many people with their own agenda, but a good journalist reports facts in an unbiased way.

It is a hard job without stable hours. Many countries do not have the freedom of speech that we enjoy, and journalists risk their lives and are sometimes captured, tortured or killed as they pursue a story.

According to the journalist memorial at the Newseum, 2,344 reporters, editors, photographers and broadcasters have died doing what they loved.

These people dedicated their lives to giving marginalized groups a voice, even when others were not willing to listen.

What left us shocked in D.C. was to learn about the closing of this display of journalistic excellence.

This map compares the freedom of the press in various countries.
Crimson // Emily Walker

According to the Newseum’s website despite more than 11 years of service and nearly 10 million visitors, continued operations are no longer financially feasible.

It’s a shame as student reporters to have to wrap your mind around the fact that journalists are being torn down by the current administration in office with their jobs and the entire industry on the line.

More worrisome is the fact that no benefactor has stepped in to save this museum.

What will happen to those pieces of the Berlin Wall?

The preserved Articles of Confederation on display?

The piece of the antenna that remained from the top of the North World Trade Tower?

These are the questions reporters of our generation have now.

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.”

Floridians celebrate coming out at Orlando Pride

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People march to celebrate LGBTQ community in Orlando.
Crimson // Isabel Cordero

Maria Clara Melo waved a rainbow flag proudly over her head.

The crowd was decked out in everything from shiny spandex shorts and tiny tops to overalls and rainbow striped crop tops.

She was surrounded by people of all colors, genders, shapes and sizes, and she was proud.

On Saturday, Oct. 12, Orlando Pride colored all of Downtown Orlando rainbow, just 50 years after the Stonewall Riots and one day after National Coming Out Day.

Orlando’s Come Out with Pride event aimed to remember the events and lives lost during the riots and celebrate how far the nation has come, according to the event description on Facebook.

Melo, 21, an Orlando resident, said she feels like Pride has always had a positive atmosphere.

This was her third time at Pride, and the first time she brought along her sister, Ana Bentim.

Melo said it’s important to be around people in the same community who get where you’re coming from.

“I think it’s really nice to be around people in the queer community that feel comfortable expressing themselves and their sexuality,” Melo said. “It’s really cool and validating”.

Bentim, 29, said her first Pride was a cool experience as she watched everyone come together in one place.

As an Orlando resident, Bentim said she has seen the parades from her home before, but that being at the event was an entirely different experience.

“It’s good to walk around and see everyone show a different part of them and who they are,” Bentim said.

Melo said Orlando Pride is bigger and more developed that other Pride events she’s been to before, and that there are a lot more physical structures and stands around.

“It seems like it gets bigger every year,” she said.

The event had everything from food, clothing and flag vendors, to information stations about staying healthy and safe.

While Pride is an event that’s able to take place now, the signs present at the event addressed the memory of the events at Stonewall in 1969.

Jacob Chesslo is the president of Rainbow Alliance, Florida Tech’s LGBTQ student organization.

He said, “Historically, Pride was important due to acting as a protest against anti-LGBTQ prejudice, and acted as a way to support each other in the fight for equality.”

Chesslo went on to add, “It’s a way to celebrate the steps we’ve made in equal rights, and a way to show the community love and support.”

Chesslo has been involved in Rainbow Alliance ever since starting at Florida Tech, and has been to Space Coast Pride parades, St. Pete Pride and now Orlando Pride.

Chesslo, a junior in physics, said that he believes that the country is supportive of the LGBTQ community.

“Many more allies are coming out to events and celebrating the gains we’ve made in the fight for equality,” Chesslo said.

Still, those who oppose LGBTQ rights are present in 2019.

At Orlando Pride, three protestors stood outside of the fence that separated the event from the rest of Downtown Orlando at about three p.m.

Women show affection in spite of the protesters. Picture // Isabel Cordero

They held signs saying, “Jesus saves from God’s wrath” and “Turn from Pride to Jesus.” This is not the only opposition.

According to the New York Times, the Supreme Court met last week to decide whether the current civil rights legislation allowed employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and transgender status.

Title VII outlawed discrimination of race, religion, national origin and sex, and the specifics of “sex” have not been explicitly written to include sexuality and gender identity, according to the New York Times.

Chesslo said the judicial proceedings are necessary, and that without a judicial ruling, the actions against the community will continue.

“It’s a necessary process to, hopefully, solidify the human rights that the LGBTQ community has,” Chesslo said.

Melo said that the importance of Pride is to provide an event where LGBTQ people can feel proud to be who they are.

“I love seeing all the people dress up and be happy and gay,” Melo said. “It’s nice that they can feel safe and comfortable because there aren’t that many spaces where they can be.”

The Human Rights Campaign stressed that this is the importance of National Coming Out Day, according to their website.

The day is a time to celebrate coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or another orientation.

The Human Rights Campaign website states, “Every person who speaks up changes more hearts and minds, and creates new advocates for equality.”

Teresa Rago, a junior in mechanical engineering, was one of many who celebrated National Coming Out Day.

To celebrate, she created an Instagram post. “Posting it online gave my friends from back home a chance to support me if they wanted,” Rago said. “It really shows how much I’ve grown and how confident I’ve become and how comfortable I am being myself in front of everyone.”

Rago said in high school, she was much less comfortable with her sexuality. However, she was still able to participate in National Coming Out Day during her senior year of high school.

“I brought rainbow-themed treats to my teammates for Coming Out Day,” Rago said. “Even though I wasn’t really out back then, I wanted to help form an environment where other potentially closeted teammates could feel safe, which is something I wish I had back in high school.”

When coming out is a concern for many young people, Orlando Pride took the opportunity to make a space where all members of the community could feel safe, especially when LGBTQ members haven’t been so safe in the past.

Pulse Nightclub, a gay nightclub, had representatives walk in the parade.

They held a banner with the faces of those who died in the shooting on June 12, 2016, with the hashtag #wewillnotlethatewin across the front of the banner.

Equality Florida, a civil rights organization for the LGBTQ community, walked as well.

The group was led by a man with a megaphone who walked in front of their banner.

Through the megaphone, he called towards the crowd following him, saying, “What do we want?” The crowd behind him replied, “Equality!” “When do we want it?” he continued. “Now!”

SOSA takes part in Orlando climate strike

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Protesters hold signs about climate change outside Orlando city hall.
Photo by Florida Tech SOSA.

This past week millions of people participated in the global climate strike.

A small fraction of those striking were Florida Tech students, demanding a change to protect and preserve the planet.

Nearly two weeks ago, Florida Tech’s Student Organization for Sustainability Action sent four of its chapter members to Orlando to attend a Friday’s For Future climate strike outside city hall.

“The energy was amazing, and seeing 200 people plus unite for a cause that they are equally, if not more, passionate about than I am was an unforgettable experience,” said Taylor Greene, SOSA president.

The Friday’s For Future is a movement started by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, which so far has activated weekly student strikes in 150 countries.

Participating Orlando organizations and activist groups included IDEAS for Us, the Sunrise Movement Orlando, Fridays For Future USA and Fleet Farming.

These groups encouraged participants to wear green and raise their recyclable homemade signage high in the sky, reflecting the climate action they would like to see in Florida.

Guest speakers included Florida democratic state representative Anna Eskamani as well as others raising awareness for climate change.

“One of the things that resonated the most with me was when I heard Anna Eskamani preach that she didn’t run for office to talk about what was impossible, rather to fight for what is possible,” Greene said. “That was something that really spoke to me and demonstrated that there are people out there trying to do good.”

Tagging along with Greene were fellow SOSA members Jack Weaver and Jeffrey King, both of whom are juniors majoring in ocean engineering and minoring in sustainability.

Both students described attending the strike as “being a part of history and fighting for something our generation believes in.”

“I think some people believe that climate change doesn’t affect us,” Weaver said. “But people are dying as a result all around the world.”

According to Weaver, climate change goes beyond affecting the animals, it has repercussions on a human level that the majority of society should care about.

While Florida Tech’s SOSA chapter and other environmentally conscious activists rallied in Orlando, the scene in New York City was amplified.

World leaders, corporate executives and activists gathered at the United Nations Climate Action Summit.

A collaborative effort was made to turn promises into reality in hopes of global warming and rising CO2 emissions.

Topics such as the benefits and use of renewable energies were debated as well as setting a goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words, and yet, I’m one of the lucky ones,” Thunberg stated as she addressed presidents, prime ministers, and other diplomats. “People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing.”

While there has been tremendous outrage and protests globally with frustration for the destruction of ecosystems, there has also been distress and efforts on a more local note.

For example, the same day as the strike in Orlando, there was also a rally and march held that night at the Eau Gallie Causeway hosted by young Brevard teens.

When she wasn’t marching along side community members with decorated signs covered from head to toe in green attire, Florida Tech senior and marine biology major Erin Casellas was trying to get signatures for the Florida Climate Pledge.

Casellas works as a campus ambassador for CLEO Institute, a Miami based non-profit that strives to educate and promote climate action.

By obtaining signatures Casellas was gaining support from those who want to protect Florida’s biodiversity.

“I think that a lot of people see how beautiful a place like Melbourne is, and we have these amazing ecosystems, but people don’t understand how fragile they are,” said Casellas when asked why some may not believe in climate change.

After a week full of awareness for the environment, the invaluable resources it provides us and the necessary action society needs to take for future generations, SOSA wanted to close their week of insightful environmental mandates and motives to “stand for what we stand on” with a tree planting ceremony on the Crawford Green.

Students planting the Gumbo Limbo tree in front of Crawford. Photo by Francesco Isaza.

A Florida Gumbo Limbo Tree, also known as the iconic south Florida tree, which is expected to grow up to 60-feet tall, was planted in a ceremonial atmosphere.

“Today, Friday, September 27, 2019, we set the roots for a better future,” Greene said as she introduced her final words of wisdom.

Perhaps the most simple and powerful statement came from a sustainability professor and faculty advisor for SOSA, Ken Lindeman left students with this lasting remark: “You got to come back and look at this tree in 10 years, this thing is going to be epic.”

Florida Tech drops in national ratings

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While last year, Florida Tech came in at 177 for national university rankings, according to ratings released a few weeks ago from U.S. News, Florida Tech has dropped to 202.

Although some may be concerned about the 25 spot decrease, it didn’t seem to bother Wes Sumner, Florida Tech’s vice president for Marketing and Communications.

Sumner explained that many considerations are taken into account, such as the academic performance of freshmen, alumni donations, class size and a number of other factors.

However, Sumner also explained that the biggest reason Florida Tech dropped in the rankings was due to something called the Carnegie Classification system.

This system acts as a framework for classifying universities throughout the nation.

“The Carnegie Classification changed and allowed a large number of additional universities in at our Carnegie Classification,” Sumner said. “This means that the new universities got added ahead of Florida Tech, meaning that our relative ranking fell.”

Despite this year’s rankings, Sumner stated that the university as a whole remained constant, or even improved in all of the ranking factors, and still remains a tier one best school for over a decade.

Students such as Riley Dolan, a sophomore in mechanical engineering, believe that smaller classes, high quality professors and job opportunities in the local area have helped contribute to that title.

“When I first started looking at colleges, I was trying to find a university where I can not only be successful in school, but find success quickly once I graduate,” Dolan said. “Florida Tech is known for their engineering programs, and companies like Harris and Northorp Gruman are always looking for interns as well as new engineers.”

Dolan went on to say that most other universities in the state don’t offer the same amount of quality or opportunities that a smaller tech university can offer to their students.

Jordan Neely, a junior in civil engineering, also said that the class size and the technology that is accessible through the university is what causes Florida Tech to be viewed as a tier one school.

“I don’t think that many other universities have the ability to offer the high availability of technology that Florida Tech can offer to their students,” Neely said.

Neely went on to explain that while other universities may have the same technology capabilities of Florida Tech, they often have a larger student body, which could make accessing those capabilities more difficult.

Sumner stated that one of the university’s core values is a lifetime commitment to student success, and despite what the rankings may say students such as Dolan and Neely feel like that value is being maintained.

Venezuelan immigrants’ impact on Trinidad

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Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Keith Rowley shaking hands with Nicolás Maduro. Picture by PRESA PRESIDENTICIAL on Twitter

Over the past two years the situation has worsened in Venezuela to the point that Venezuelans have been fleeing the country in the masses to get away from Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship. 

Under Maduro’s leadership, the country has faced hyperinflation, food shortages and political chaos. 

According to statistics posted by the U.N., 3.6 million Venezualens left the country between 2015 and December of 2018.

As one of the surrounding countries, Trinidad has acted as a safe haven for over 60,000 Venezualens. 

Keep in mind that Trinidad’s population is 1.3 million, excluding the Venezuelans. 

With most Venezualens not having documentation or passports, they must seek creative ways to sneak onto the island. 

“Private boats is the go-to method for many,” said Erich Koch, a Venezualen migrant who is now a citizen of Trinidad. 

Koch has been in Trinidad since 2005, but he has been around the world and traveled back and forth to Venezuela for many years before finally settling in Trinidad. 

Koch made his way to Trinidad after the Trinidadian government showed interest in a building technique that was being used in Venezuela. Through Koch’s expertise in this field, he became a manager at Macon Trader Co. 

Because of his position in the construction company and him being a Venezuelan native, he finds himself helping a lot of the Venezuelans find jobs and places to live. 

“My labor team consists of eight to 12 guys who are registered in Trinidad,” Koch said. 

In the early part of 2019, Trinidad’s government decided to register illegal Venezuelans and grant them a one year legal status to the island. This status allows them to work, have banking privileges and even have driving permits. 

In this process, only the Venezuelans with clean background records were allowed to register. For the individuals who have records, they were either sent back to Venezuela or kept in immigration facilities. 

While Koch said the registration of the Venezuelans was a good step for the government, he also said that there are a lot more issues involving the Venezuelans in Trinidad. 

“About 75 percent of the Venezuelans that have come into Trinidad are people who were already involved in crime and have come into Trinidad looking for avenues to practice what they know [crime],” Koch said. 

The crime in Trinidad has gotten to a point that people are afraid to leave their houses. 

The gang violence has gotten unbearable and the drug and human trafficking have only increased since the illegal migration of criminal elements from Venezuela, according to the OSAC Trinidad and Tobago 2019 Crime and Safety Report.

“Everyone already knows how bad the crime is in Trinidad and the criminals from Venezuela have found their way into it,” Koch said.

Koch said he believes that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, or TTPS, are not capable or equipped to handle these gangs. 

Human trafficking is also one of the major acts taking place in Trinidad, especially involving teenage Venezuelan girls. 

“It is the easiest way for them to make money,” Koch said. “They don’t speak English so it is easy for them to work in bars or casinos and make money doing [sex work].” 

The Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith, said in multiple interviews that he is taking the increase in crime very seriously. 

In an interview on CNC3’s Morning Brew, Griffith said he already has a 78-point plan and is ready to reform the TTPS all in an attempt in the fight against crime.

Koch said he believes that this is good, but because of Trinidad’s government’s lack of involvement or concern to the increasing crime, he said he is concerned the condition of Trinidad will worsen. 

“I have seen Venezuela go through the process, and Trinidad will soon end up like that,” Koch said.“The same thing that is happening in Trinidad was happening in Venezuela.”

Citizens of Trinidad are continuing to express their frustration to the government and police but minimal efforts are being taken.

Business owners are now having to take matters into their own hands by having more security at businesses and even creating police-community task forces. 

One task force is the Tunapuna Police Station Community Council. 

They act in the city of Tunapuna and have been a voice between both the people and the police.

Since the year began, 16 people were killed in the area of Tunapuna of which 4 were killed in one week.  

While crime has always been a problem in Trinidad, Koch said he believes that it has escalated due to the influx of criminal elements from Venezuela. 

Not only has crime increased, but the form of crime has broadened, from drugs to human trafficking. 

While citizens like Koch are skeptical, he hopes that the police service and the government try their best to show some sort of combat against this surge in crime.

Women’s golf team drops Title IX complaint

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Florida Tech’s women’s golf team will not be filing a Title IX report after speaking with athletic administration.

With the discontinuation of the women’s golf team but not the men’s team, the women’s team considered filing a Title IX complaint, as Title IX has certain standards that require universities to provide men and women with equal athletic opportunities.

However, they found out the number of men’s and women’s teams met Title IX’s standards and decided to drop the case, according to Alexis

Dizinno, a freshman in environmental science and a member of the women’s golf team. Dizinno said the team wasn’t given a reason as to why they were being discontinued and not the men’s team, even after their discussion with athletic administration.

“When we found out that the women’s team was being cut and not the men’s team, we questioned how that was allowed, and we asked around,” Dizinno said. “I think in the end, one of the athletic administration people had told us that that was the case and that it was legal, so we haven’t done anything to file a complaint so far. I don’t think it is possible.”

Chris Saltmarsh, the women’s golf team coach, was emailed and called for comment but did not respond to the request.

According to Daniel Supraner, the director of athletic communications, the discontinuation of tennis and women’s golf has left athletics with nine men’s teams and nine women’s teams.

“With Title IX, they want what you’re giving to men’s and women’s teams to reflect the number of the student body,” Supraner said. “Title IX requires that we match that proportionality.”

Bill Jurgens, Florida Tech’s athletic director, said the decision to cancel women’s golf was based on the current and future success of the program.

When making the decision to cut the women’s golf team, Jurgens said they considered who was currently on the team and who would be on it in the future.

“A number of [the current] athletes will be graduating,” Jurgens said. “It will be very difficult to replace them with the ones we have right now.”

Facilities, the present size of the teams and the number of athletes that would be affected were some of the main components considered when deciding what sports to cut, according to Jurgens.

Jurgens said Athletics decided to cut programs because Florida Tech has a larger athletic program than similar sized universities.

“It was an operational decision to try to downsize our athletic programs to be more compatible with the size of the university that we have,” Jurgens said. “That was pretty much something that the university set in place that they felt was important for us to continue to be competitive in our sports program.”

Before the discontinuation of tennis and women’s golf, Florida Tech had 23 varsity teams including the dance team.

In the Sunshine State Conference, seven out of the ten universities have fewer teams.

According to Dizinno, the discontinuation of the women’s golf team came as a surprise to them.

Dizinno said the women’s golf team was called into a meeting with the athletic department a couple of hours before the announcement of their discontinuation was sent out to all of campus.

Prior to the meeting, there had been no warning of discontinuing the team.

“It was super upsetting, especially for me as a freshman,” Dizinno said. “We just recently found out that they’ve been thinking about cutting the team for two years. There are two freshmen and two sophomores on the team who had not been warned about this and had no idea that this was happening, and we just felt neglected and overlooked.”

Dizinno said the athletes on the golf team with scholarships will get to keep their scholarships.

“They stopped giving scholarships two years ago, so this freshman class is the first one without scholarships even though they cancelled them a couple years back,” Dizinno said.

While some team members such as Dizinno are planning to transfer universities due to the team’s discontinuation, the women’s golf team has been told they can play with the men’s golf team.