the southern
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The Student Voice of Florida Southern College
Monday, April 25, 2022
VOL. 138, NO. 13
FSC students showcase artistic works Carter Webb An opportunity to present their unique visions. wins SGA
presidency
Jessica Stalter Staff Writer
Salvatore Ambrosino Southern Editor
Photo by Jessica Stalter Designers and guests mingle among a showcase for the student-invented brand “Chapters.” Davis won third place. The brands presented were all very different, ranging from sports teams, to dog collars, to food and drink companies, to a mental health awareness project and
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It means a lot to me to be able to have a showcase in person for my friends and family to come see,
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-Molly Carl FSC Senior
even an amusement park. “I also like to see their personalities shine through in their design choices,” Williams
Photo by Jessica Stalter Students, designers and guests view one of the many designs present at the event.
SOCIAL MEDIA
said. “I found it interesting that although everyone was given the same guidelines, many of them exceeded expectations and no two concepts were similar.” In addition to the benefits for senior students, the showcase gives graphic design students of lower years a chance to see what they will be doing in their senior year and be inspired by the work they witness. “This event helps me understand what is expected of me and helps me think of ideas for my own senior project,” Williams said. “It’s helpful to be able to see how each company was critiqued, and how the public responds to it. I love seeing out of the box ideas being presented and I still have plenty of time to investigate some ideas of my own.” Participating designers also enjoyed having the opportunity for their families and friends to observe the work they strove towards for the last four years. “It means a lot to me to be able to have a showcase in person for my friends and family to come see,” Carl said. “Especially after the past few years of my college experience, and a good chunk of it honestly, being tainted by not having in person events like that. Also with my family being out of state they don’t really get to see my day-to-day life on campus or anything that I’m really working on… So it’s fun for them to be able to come and see all of my work!” A similar showcase for the studio art, film and game design students will take place on April 22.
Carter Webb, current SGA Vice President of Finance, has been elected as the 96th President of SGA - by two votes. “It was an emotional roller coaster until the last minute,” Webb said. “A close election shows how engaged our college has been the last few days, I am honored to have this opportunity.” His opponent, current Administrative Vice President Natalie McGinniss, nearly completed the first all-female sweep of the executive board in recent history. “I wish we could both serve on [executive board],” Webb said of McGinniss. “I look forward to collaborating with her to create ideas that best serve FSC.” Webb will be heading the executive board with a newly elected team of Vice Presidents consisting of both returners and new comers.
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... I’m honored to have a small part in helping my peers feel that their voices are truly being heard.
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The graphic design showcase gives seniors majoring in graphic design an opportunity to show off their skills, and display a brand they have developed from scratch. For the senior critique and showcase, seniors need to build up a brand with both concept and design. “We had to create all of the branding and materials for whatever product or idea we wanted,” senior Molly Carl said. “That includes packaging, letterhead and business card, website, marketing materials like posters or banners and a brand book.” On April 7, the graphic design seniors presented their work for critiques, where they explained their design process and showed off their work in front of the students and faculty of the art department. “My favorite part of the showcase is actually the day before which is the critique day with the entire art department,” Carl said. “It’s really fun to be able to look at everyone’s spaces, but to hear everyone talk about their work and elaborate on their decisions and then to hear feedback from the art department, is the most rewarding and entertaining part for me.” “My favorite part of the showcase was participating in the critiques and hearing opinions that I may not have considered when viewing the works,” sophomore Rachel Williams said. On April 8, the showcase of the senior graphic design work opened with a reception. The reception gave students, guests and faculty a chance to eat food, meet the senior designers and get a first look at their work. Additionally, the first, second, and third place awards were given out. Molly Carl won first place, Boris Yelle won second place and Kris
-Gretchen Faraci 2023-2024 SGA Administrative Vice President Gretchen Faraci will serve as Administrative Vice President, Ruby Silver as Executive Vice President, Hannah Garcia as Vice President of Communications and Kat Ableman as Vice President of Finance throughout the 2022-2023 fall and spring term. “I am beyond grateful right now, not only for the opportunity to serve on the SGA executive board again, but in a position that I have grown so passionate about,” said Faraci, who served on the executive board last year as Vice President of Communication. “This is just the beginning of such a bright year for the FSC community and I’m honored to have a small part in helping my peers feel that their voices are truly being heard.”
FSC Supports Ukraine
Studio Box: An Inside Look
Cruz Questions New SCJ
Members of FSC’s SGA raised over $2000 worth of donations to be sent to
A look into life and culture of FSC’s improv comedy troup.
Lexi Potter weighs in on Justice Brown’s treatment during Senate confirmation.
NEWS - PAGE 2
ENTERTAINMENT - PAGE 4
OPINIONS - PAGE 5
ROTC Training at FSC
Frank Lloyd Wright Day
Home Run Hero: Nick Wells
A look at Shannon Allen’s experience with the German ROTC training.
How well did SGA host this year’s Frank Lloyd Wright Day?
A look into FSC softball as they rally into the rest of the season.
PICTURED, FEATURES - PAGE 3
ENTERTAINMENT - PAGE 4
SPORTS - PAGE 6
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The Southern APRIL 25, 2022
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NEWS FSC among top colleges in U.S. News ranking Jenna Wilkinson & Diego De Jesus Staff Writer; News Editor
Denim Day On April 27, the Office of Accountability, Education and Compliance and Alpha Chi Omega will be hosting Denim Day as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. All students are encouraged to wear Denim and from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be tabling at the Buck Stop.
Pace Hosts Ten Story Challenge The PACE Center for Girls, partnered with Over the Edge will be rappeling down the ten stories of the Lakeland Electric Building on Lake Mirror on April 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is raising funds supporting self-help opportunities for young women and their futures in education.
The U.S. News and World Report nationally ranked Florida Southern College in many different categories for exceptional effort among other universities and colleges. FSC was ranked eighth, a jump from ninth last year, among Southern universities due to its full range of undergraduate programs along with some masters and doctoral programs. Ranked at 10th, FSC was noted for being one of the most innovative schools in the country for making promising changes to its campus. These innovations also included improvements to its curriculum. With these curricular refinements, FSC is thereby bettering the faculty, students and campus life. Offering students the most value for their tuition, FSC ranked 14th among best value schools. U.S. News based each school’s ranking on the higher quality of the program while maintaining a low cost, and FSC ranked high due to its above-average academic scores per dollar spent on tuition. In the category of social mobility, when a college successfully provides opportunities for economically disadvantaged students
who graduate, FSC ranked among the top 60 colleges nationally. In addition, FSC performed well when awarding students grants adjusted by their family’s income. Not only was FSC notably ranked for
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The incredible faculty, committed excellence and the highly motivated students looking to achieve the highest outcomes
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BRIEFS
-Dr. Micheal Weber Dean of Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise its value and campus life, but it was also determined to have exceptional education and business programs. The education program was ranked eighth in “Best Undergraduate Teaching.” These programs’ administrators and faculty have shown a great commitment to teaching undergraduate students in a
“high-quality manner,” stated U.S. News. The Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise was also ranked 35th. It was considered a Tier One program in CEO Magazine’s 2022 Global MBA rankings in North America for Global Online MBA programs. It was a jump from last year’s 40th ranking in the same magazine. “It’s a great acknowledgment of the high-quality programs that we deliver. In addition, it creates recognition, awareness, and validation for our programs,” stated Dr. Weber. These rankings are from the efforts of all departments on campus receiving expansions to their field of study. For instance, the Carole and Marcus Weinstein Computer Sciences Center was funded by a $250,000 grant from the Truist Foundation to expand the Computer Science Department. “We stay on top of the latest global business trends and upgrade our curriculum accordingly. As a result, we prepare our students not just for the rigors of today’s business world, but we teach them the skills to succeed in tomorrow’s business environment,” said the President of FSC, Dr. Anne B. Kerr, in a news release.
Florida Southern gives support to Ukraine Faith Miller Southern Editor
At the Hollis Wellness Center Pool, the Black Student Union will be throwing Black Wave on April 22 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Students are invited to enjoy free food and entertainment with glow in the dark jewlery while enjoying themselves at the pool.
Theatre After Dark - Senior Goodbye On April 24 from 10 to 11 p.m. Vagabonds will be hosting the open mic event Theatre After Dark as a farewell to this year’s graduating seniors. It will take place in the Robert A. Davis Performing Arts Center in room B202 where all are encouraged to record videos at the tripod.
Due to the war in Ukraine, Florida Southern College’s Student Government Association is hosting a drive to collect medical supplies for the citizens of Ukraine. “The purpose of this drive is to show that Florida Southern College stands with Ukraine during this heartbreaking tragedy,” Administrative Vice President of SGA Natalie McGinnis said. “We hope that the donations collected by our students help the people in Ukraine as they show great courage and perseverance during these hard times. The drive began when Masha Rezhylo, an international student from Ukraine, reached out to SGA wanting to do something to support her country. “She contacted Dean Crawford and I, and we quickly approached SGA with the idea,” SGA President Allen Shorey said.
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I just wanted to help people back home, and I knew that the community around here had resources
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BSU Hosts Black Wave
-Masha Rezhylo FSC International Student
Studio Box: Yard Sale Studio Box will be peforming a yard sale themed standup show in the Thrift Building on April 22 from 10 to 11 p.m. The improvised standup event will feature dressing up as objects, and improvising jokes based on the show’s theme.
“I was happy that we were going to be able to do something tangible,” Dean of Students Mike Crawford said. “Because I know a lot of people wanted to send money, and those kinds of things. But I know that students have limited funds, so I knew that wouldn’t be as successful.” Rezhylo provided the contacts needed to ship supplies. The drive ran until April 7, and the supplies were shipped the week of April 11. The supplies were being sent to Ukraine Express in Delaware. From there, it will be shipped to Ukraine and the surrounding countries. “Any support that someone gives is greatly appreciated, whether that’s donating
Photo by Salvatore Ambrosino
Boxes for the drive were shipped from varying locations on campus to Ukraine Express in Delaware. supplies or money, or even sharing the graphic and spreading the word that we are collecting donations,” said McGinniss. According to SGA, the drive collected medical supplies, including: “medical tourniquets, hemostatics, over-thecounter painkillers, adhesive bandages, and antiseptics.” The drive also collected monetary donations. “We have raised an incredible amount of both supplies and monetary donations, and we are hopeful that members of our community will continue to donate,” Shorey said. The boxes for the drive were located outside of MocMart, the Carsile Rogers building, Tutus CyberCafe, and the Fannin Center. The Moc Mart also sold medical supplies within the store for students to purchase and donate. “My hope is two-fold,” said Shorey. “I am eager to see such a great cause supported, but also to see our campus community
come together around something we can all agree on.” “We know that acts of compassion and generosity can make a huge difference during these difficult times,” said McGinnis. The drive-in total raised a rough estimate of 2,336 donations and an estimate of $3,000 in monetary donations through their link. “I think that it was very successful,” Crawford said. “Any kind of crisis situation, our students have risen to the occasion.” There has been much support on campus for the Ukrainian people in this conflict. “To be honest, I didn’t expect the school would collect so many things. My jaw literally dropped when I saw the amount of boxes,” Rezhylo said. The supply drive is still open for donations with boxes scattered around campus as the war continues. Students can still drop off donations for the Ukrainian people.
The Southern APRIL 25, 2022
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FEATURES ‘Mind over matter’: Moccasin Battalion hosts GAFPB Salvatore Ambrosino Features Editor Shannon Allen remembers watching her fellow cadets tread the water a year ago. “I had watched the event last year,” Allen said. Now, after a year of intense training, it’s her time to compete. She wakes around 3:45 a.m. and slips into her camouflage combat uniform. It weighs up to 15 pounds when wet. “I was able to see each event a year prior to competing,” Allen said. “Last year one of my best friends was preparing to compete and I would tag along for swim lessons knowing I was going to be doing the GAFPB the following year.” Over 100 students from universities across Florida arrived in Lakeland on March 16 to compete for the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. It’s one of the few approved foreign awards valid within the United States military and is one of the most sought after. A badge that, if earned, serves as a “connection” between a United States service member and allied Germans. Allen double checked her attire and then left for the pool, vaguely anxious, but excited, she says. “This was the part where my stomach started to drop,” Allen described her descent onto the pool deck, where she arrived with the other cadets. It was around 3:45 a.m.—still dark. She dives into the pool, her ACU absorbing the shock of the water. “I decided to dive in so I got that initial shock and just started moving,” Allen said. “You have to be able to calm yourself.” That is the main thing Allen thinks about while swimming, she said. Cadets must dive into the pool and swim 100 meters. Then, at the end of their fourth lap, undress while afloat and throw their heavy army jacket and pants onto the deck from the deep end—a challenge that cadets describe as being not only physically taxing, but mentally daunting. Cadres stand over the pool, encouraging the swimmers and timing their laps. They have four minutes to complete the 100 meters. A commanding officer from the German army also stands over the pool, overseeing the event’s following
Photos by Salvatore Ambrosino Three cadets attempt their 100 meter swims. A girl touches the edge of the pool without having removed her jacket, disqualifying her. One [middle] attempts to throw his water-logged combat jacket out of the pool. two days of competition. “It’s one of the few international badges that the U.S. military allows them to wear,” Barth said. “You need a German. That’s why I’m here.” Barth is stationed at MacDill Airforce Base in Tampa. His presence at the event is necessary for both the validity of the games and the award ceremony at the end, where he personally pins the badges—gold, silver or bronze–onto each cadet that’s earned one. A golden badge indicates the highest level of the GAFPB. “What inspires me, really, is how passionate they are,” Barth said. “We had cadets who tried three times to do the swim test and on the final attempt, they passed. They tried and tried and tried.” Some of the cadets strided the water, swimming cleanly from beginning to end on their first try. Those who did not make it to the finish line in time were encouraged
CDT Durham takes aim at the targets 25 meters away.
to finish their laps. Some doggy paddled, thrashing in the water to the end, long after the four minute mark had passed. One cadet began throwing up after exiting the pool. Another began to drown. Rowan Marshall, the lifeguard, blew her whistle and dove from her post cradling a lifesaver for the cadet. Dante Mendez, a tough lacrosse athlete and sophomore cadet didn’t earn his badge because he couldn’t complete his swim within four minutes. “Water-logged clothing weighed me down,” Mendez said. Next year, he says he’ll take swimming more seriously. “Very tiring,” said Jock Botos, a cadet from Florida Institute of Technology who passed the swim. “The first two laps are good and then you get to the third and fourth lap and it’s all weighing down on you. It’s so much heavier with the uniform on.” Many panic at the end, when they must strip out of their uniform while swimming and throw their jacket and pants fully onto the pool deck in order to pass the finish line. If the heavy clothing doesn’t entirely make it past the edge of the pool, the cadre throws it back to the cadet. “At the end, you don’t get a break,” Botos said. “You have to take everything off, so you hyperventilate.” That they’re not going to let you drown, he says, is what kept him calm. “Like I said before. . .as soon as you start to freak out it’s almost over for you,” Allen said. “Everyone could be giving you advice while you’re in the pool, but you’re in there alone and you’re the only one that can make decisions. Very big mental game, for sure.” Allen swam her laps in time. As she exited the pool, she felt relieved. She wouldn’t have to compete in this event again, as long as the next two days of her training went well. The pool deck emptied out as the last of the over 100 cadets tried their swimming
skills. After, they’re given fresh ACUs. Some chattered about the next event in groups. Others slept on the ground, their heads on their backpacks. It wasn’t until sunrise a few hours later that the buses transited the Moccasin Battalion to the shooting range at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office’s training headquarters. On the bus, the cadres played music. “Wasn’t much talking cause we were all just getting up from our naps,” Allen said. Despite having grown up shooting with her father and her brothers, Allen was extremely nervous. Cadets only had five rounds. To win gold, a cadet has to hit three targets at 25 meters distance and the additional two rounds must be placed in any of the three targets. Any worse causes Allen’s chances of winning a gold badge to sink. “I grew up shooting, but the amount of pressure that was on the range made it even that much nerve-racking,” Allen said. “The range determined what metal you would be going for. So even if you got gold on every event following the range, if you only got silver or bronze on the range, you could only get silver or bronze [overall].” The firing range in the sunny Florida wilderness could’ve passed as the setting for a morning hike, if not for the consistent rifle fire from police training nearby. Cadets formed a line entering the range. Two of them sorted a stream of bullets into stacks of pistol magazines five rounds each. They were instructed on the proper shooting stance—balanced, shoulders forward, a focused grip. 12 at a time, cadets lined the range and took aim at wooden targets. Rounds popped from their pistols asynchronously. “Our group was one of the last to go,” Allen said. “When I shot my five rounds, I wasn’t confident whatsoever, unfortunately.”
Story continues at fscsouthern.com
The Southern APRIL 25, 2022
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ENTERTAINMENT WHAT’S NEW ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Marvel recently released the trailer for “Thor: Love and Thunder” that will be released July 8. The trailer portrayed Thor (Chris Hemsworth) as he works to improve himself and those around him. He teams up with the “Guardians of the Galaxy” and explains that he is giving up fighting and focusing more towards peace. The end of the trailer eludes to the future with Natalie Portman’s playing Thor’s female counterpart.
‘Multiverse of Madness’ Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is set to hit theaters May 6. This time Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) faces what is said to be his greatest enemy, himself. After casting a spell he was told he shouldn’t, the multiverse divulges into chaos. He enlists the help of Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Wong (Benedict Wong) to face this new foe.
‘Lightyear’ Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” features Chris Evans voice acting for the character Buzz Lightyear, from the “Toy Story” franchise. The film is set to release in theaters June 17. The film shows the backstory behind the character Lightyear, along with introducing the antagonist Zurg (James Brolin) and his connection to Lightyear. Based on the trailer, Lightyear and a group of people have been stranded on a planet for about a year and his story starts with his attempt to leave and help everyone get home.
Meet cast members inside the ‘Box’ Emma Poole Southern Editor On Friday nights at 10:30 p.m., after the stress of classes and a busy week are over, Florida Southern College students pack the seats of the theater in the Carole and Marcus Weinstein Computer Science building. The show has moved from Branscomb Auditorium to an outdoor location during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now to the Weinstein theater. Everywhere the show has been, the students have been there, too, lending their support and interaction to the cast. Studio Box improv comedy shows are a perfect way to wind down, but the audience may not realize that they also play a crucial role in the show. The cast of Studio Box says that an audience brings a show to life. Studio Box cast members - otherwise known as “Boxers” - all became a part of the show in different ways, and their unique comedic styles have made the show more vibrant and relatable for students from many different backgrounds. If you’ve been to a show this year, you’ve likely seen Studio Box Vice President Cole Kucharski giving a performance his all onstage. Kucharski remembers one of his first shows, which solidified his place in the show - and taught him a valuable lesson about performing. “My character’s entire thing was just falling on the floor like a ton of bricks, but everybody started laughing,” Kucharski recalls. “And I was in, like, physical pain at the end of it, because I had to do it five times - just flopping on the stage.” While dedication is important to any performance, Kucharski made a vow to himself after that show: “When there’s a repetitive scene, I’m not going to hurt myself.” Kucharski first discovered Studio Box after seeing a show at Scholar’s Weekend, before he even decided to make Florida Southern his home for the next four years. The energy at the show shattered Kucharski’s expectations of a college improv group. “Everybody has that stigma of ‘oh, it’s an improv group at college, that’s not a cool thing to do,’” he said. Despite this stigma, the crowd was undoubtedly enjoying the show. “People were getting into it, and it was a rowdy, fun thing to do.” Kucharski wasn’t the only one who first saw a Studio Box show while attending Scholar’s Weekend. Studio Box Historian Rory Tracy also remembers attending a show and immediately feeling at home. “As I was looking at various schools, Florida Southern never really came to mind,” Tracy admits, “mostly because I
Photo courtesy of Amanda Townes
Boxers Amanda Townes and Cole Kucharski participating in a skit. didn’t know the school existed, if I’m being completely honest.” “One thing that happened at every Scholar’s Weekend was a Studio Box show,” Tracy recollected. “I still remember my Scholar’s Weekend show, and it was packed.” The Scholar’s Weekend show that Tracy attended had been located in the Jenkins Field House, and he remembers the bleachers being full. Everyone was watching. “It was an invigorating sort of environment,” Tracy said. “I remember because it was something that was really important to me - ‘wow, this is really cool. This is something the school appreciates and really cares about.’” Needless to say, Studio Box holds a special place in Tracy’s heart. “It’s really what drew me to this campus,” Tracy said. Now, Tracy serves the Studio Box troupe as the historian. His job is to promote the Box by making informational videos. He also believes that an important role of the historian is to be aware of the history of the program and constantly work to improve the shows. “I’ve sort of taken the job differently than I think it’s supposed to be,” Tracy said. “I also think that being Historian would be really cool if we would go into the history of the Box.” Tracy explains that Studio Box is seven years old, but during two of them, some of the history was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasizes the importance of bridging the gap between the two eras of the Box and learning from the past to make the shows even better as they try to regain their audience. Aside from holding officer positions,
‘Nope’ This new horror film is directed by Jordan Peele who previously directed both “Get Out” and “Us.” The film centers around Jill (Keke Palmer) and James Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) two horse trainers in a small isolated and rural town. When weird abnormal events start to happen, they attempt to understand what is going on. The film will be released July 22. Photo courtesy of Amanda Townes
The performers of Studio Box gather together for a group photo.
there are plenty of ways to get involved in Studio Box. Amanda Townes, a theater major, is a part of the Box simply because it’s an enjoyable experience to her. “I saw my first Studio Box show the first weekend of school,” Townes said, “and I thought, that would be so cool if I auditioned.” Townes did, indeed, audition, but the first time she did, she didn’t get in. She didn’t let this small setback stop her. Townes auditioned again and became a part of the show. “I think it was all in the right timing,” Townes said. “I worked, I kept learning, and I attended every Studio Box show.” Townes’ hard work and determination have made her a huge asset to the show. Although she doesn’t hold an officer position, she has made her mark through proctoring and performing. She remembers one of her favorite moments from her time as a boxer being on a show this semester. “The first show back this semester was probably one of my favorite shows,” Townes recalled. “There were just a lot of good one-liners and a lot of good energy.” Townes, like Kucharski and Tracy, also says that the audience gives the cast the energy that they feed off of during shows. “We’re kind of going all improv and everything,” Townes explained, “so sometimes getting a great suggestion from them can give us a really great scene.” It’s hard to say exactly what happens at a Studio Box show - it is improv, after all. What guides the show is the audience - the energy, enthusiasm and participation of the students in attendance is what determines how good a show will be. “The proctors - who are like the emcees of the show - they’ll be guiding you through the games,” Tracy explained. “They’re basically the mediators between the audience and the Box.” “It’s a fun thing to do as an audience member,” Kucharski said. “It’s something to do on campus that’s different than any other experience you can get. Besides shows that are performed, it’s the only real entertainment-type show that we hold on campus.” Since the shows are held every other week, Kucharski believes Studio Box is special because it’s a form of entertainment that students can rely on. “Be a little silly,” Kucharski encouraged. “We have a show theme that you can dress up for - we always dress up for show themes.” Show themes are advertised usually a week before the show. “[Studio Box] is really the kind of thing that’s for everyone,” Townes said. “It doesn’t really matter what your major is if you like to laugh and you think you’re funny, Studio Box is the place for you.”
5 The Southern APRIL 25, 2022
OPINIONS Supreme Court Justice nominee ridiculed by Senator Cruz Lexi Potter Staff Writer The burden that an excellent Black woman often has to face is being constantly forced to restate her qualifications and excellence in order to appease underqualified white men. There are a number of things that are fundamentally wrong about how new Supreme Court swear in Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was treated at her confirmation hearing, but for the sake of this article, I will focus on pointing out the flaws in Senator Ted Cruz’s line of questioning and behavior. On Mar. 22 during Jackson’s confirmation hearing, an obvious strategy emerged from Senator Ted Cruz’s line of questioning. Cruz attempted to draw Judge Jackson and all spectators in with positive affirmations and claims that they had a positive relationship, going back all the way to their law school days. I say there is a clear strategy here because after trying to appear “chummy” with her, he segue’s into showing glowing admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Senator Cruz then quoted King’s dream of a world where children would be judged
“not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” — before pointedly questioning Judge Jackson about her views on critical race theory and her sentencing history. The utilization of this quote by Republican politicians has in recent time grown into a new dog-whistle. This is a strategy because MLK’s statement is an easily agreeable statement, however, Republican politicians such as Cruz, and even the Gov. Ron Desantis, utilize that quote in order to turn around its meaning. The quote comes from King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” and he was writing it at a time in which the civil rights movement was the only hope for Black Americans to actually be seen by the content of their character, rather than the color of their skin. Politicians use quotes like this one as a defense for any teaching, ironically, about the civil rights movement. They do not want children to learn about why Dr. King wrote such a statement, and yet they bastardize his quote to protect the feelings of their white constituents. Republican legislators have been framing the issues as attacks on white people, rather, “reverse racism.” The goal here from such
Photos courtesy of Creative Commons
Senator Ted Cruz and Supreme Court Justice Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson
SGA successfully hosts FLW day Dylan Olive Southern Editor Florida Southern College held its second annual Frank Lloyd Wright Mental Health Day on April 8, which included food, games and mental health programming throughout the day. The Student Government Association wanted to continue last year’s FLW Day tradition of having no class so students can enjoy the day off and have a mental break. However, SGA was informed by the school that this year’s FLW Day could not be a day off of classes. Instead, SGA planned a fun day of events: sunrise yoga, intramural water balloon toss, stuff-a-plush Sophie, yard games at Roux Library and FLW Kickoff. There were supposed to be hot air balloons on Mr. George’s Green, but due to wind, it was rescheduled for another date. There were over a dozen food trucks, ranging from Mexican, Thai and dessert foods. There were giveaways from the FSC Marketing Team and multiple vendors spread across campus: HTeaO, Rita’s Ice’s and Rooted Lakeland. In the evening, there was a softball game, a performance of “The Diary of Anne Frank” and a drive-in movie in the Branscomb Auditorium parking lot. “Everyone seemed to have a great time, there was plenty to do, the timing for everything went smoothly from a student’s perspective, and the food offered was great,” freshman Kamryn Potteiger said. Overall, the day was a huge success for SGA and the FSC community. So many people enjoyed all the activities throughout the day,
and it was nice seeing everyone happy, smiling and stress-free. There were students who wished that SGA could have canceled classes like last school year because students have been so burnt out lately, but all the planned events were more fun than a day off anyway. Despite not having an official day off, some professors still decided to cancel their sessions anyway. Many students disregarded their classes that weren’t canceled and attended the events on campus instead. “I liked how much they had going on, and I appreciated that they spread it out all over campus,” sophomore Kelsey Lugannani said. “What I didn’t like was the fact that because we didn’t have the whole day off, it felt like there wasn’t enough time to do everything.” There was a large turnout for the events and free offerings, so materials did run out which left people disappointed. The Sophie stuff-aplush station and the free coffee and refreshers Rooted Lakeland was offering both ran out very quickly. However, there was a limited supply of things for the event, and it shows how many people were actually out celebrating FLW Day. For future Frank Lloyd Wright Days, SGA should definitely continue hosting a day of events, whether the school will allow a day off of classes or not. It gives students the chance to get on campus and have fun with one another, and it’s a great stress-reliever if students participate. “I think the events on campus [were] better than a day off because everyone had the option to stay in or participate on campus,” Potteiger said.
legislators and political pundits is to frame any assessment of racism and racist systems as judging white people based on the color of their skin rather than the “content of their character” This usage of this quote from MLK then becomes a “gotcha” or “catch all” to silence people of color. By calling any critique of how racism pollutes the white subconscious and our country “racist,” these Republican legislators are essentially flipping the quote against people of color, pointing and calling them the “true racists” (which is false), they are effectively attempting to silence any discussion about racism, in order to protect the feelings of white people. I would like to, however, continue to focus on the excellence of Judge Jackson, and the absurd line of questioning that she gracefully endured from Senator Cruz. To further assess what is fundamentally wrong with Cruz’s strategy in this line of questioning, we see several attempts to “gotcha” Judge Jackson in regards to the topic of “critical race theory.” To begin with, Cruz’s strategy further unfolds as he brings up Judge Jackson’s speech from a few years earlier that had been about the accomplishments of Black Women in America, and Cruz points out that in that speech she had mentioned the black woman who founded the 1619 Project. The 1619 Project aims to “reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.” Cruz pulls this stunt to, again, attempt to “gotcha” Judge Jackson into falling into an “ideology” that he claims to be “false.” Following this attempt, Cruz moves into the subject of ‘critical race theory’ which he and Judge Jacskon both agreed is an area of legal study for law students. However, Cruz argues that that area of theory is entirely Marxist and views “every
conflict as a racial conflict.” Judge Jackson gracefully handles these attempts to corner her, however Cruz still persists with this topic by bringing up another speech she gave in which she lightly mentions critical race theory when listing off several areas of law. Cruz then conflates this statement of hers by arguing that what she does is critical race theory, however, Judge Jackson notes that he has misconstrued what she had really been saying. Cruz then cuts her off as she is trying to answer his questions. Next up Cruz asks her a question about critical race theory that is unrelated to her experienre as a job and therefore irrelevant to this hearing: “Is critical race theory taught in schools?” She attempts to note that it is not related to her job, and as she said before, her understanding would be that since critical race theory is an area of legal study, that it is not taught in K-12 education. Cruz’s strategy here is to find some sort of “proof” for Republicans to validate their misguided outrage at critical race theory being taught in schools, which is simply not happening. Then Cruz brings up the confirmation hearings of Amy Coney Barrett and compares the position she had with a school with christian anti-abortion and homophobic beliefs. This was not the only attempt that a senator made to compare prior hearings for supreme court nominee’s to Judge Jacksons hearing, later on in the hearing Senator Lindsey Graham had gone off task in attempting to compare her hearing to Brett Kavanaughs, even going as far to ask her about her religious beliefs and how often she attends church. Senator Graham then stormed out of the room in frustration.
Story continues at fscsouthern.com
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SPORTS Talking dingers with Mocs' Nick Wells Emma Lauren Poole Sports Editor Every time he steps up to bat, it’s clear - Nick Wells is right at home on the baseball field. With a powerful swing and an uncanny ability to read even the toughest of pitchers, the senior outfielder has been an integral part of Florida Southern’s baseball team since transferring from Polk State College in 2020. Last year, according to the Florida Southern Athletics website, Wells started in 15 of the 17 games he appeared in and drove in 15 runs at 62 at-bats. Wells’ talent has been developed over the course of a lifetime, seeing as he started playing at such a young age. “I started playing tee ball when I was 5 years old at West Seminole in Altamonte Springs, Florida,” Wells says. “I played rec ball there until about middle school, and then I started playing travel ball, then onto high school baseball where I played at Lake Brantley.” Wells graduated from Lake Brantley in 2018, thus beginning his college baseball career. “After Lake Brantley, I went on to play at Polk State College for two years, then transferred over to Florida Southern,” Wells explained. During his last two years with the Mocs, Wells has solidified himself as a talented athlete and someone who is capable of turning a game around for his team. On Mar. 19, the Mocs were down two through the fourth inning. Fans held their breath in the stands. They were waiting for the defining moment - for someone or something to turn the game around. A single from outfielder Duncan Hunter brought Jeff Liquori home, closing the score gap. The game was far from over.
At his first at-bat, Wells belted a home run out into the pine trees behind the fence, and the game was tied. “After the first one, I was shocked that it went over,” Wells said. “I hit it so high in the air and the wind pushed it out, but I was excited because that had tied the game up.” But Wells wasn’t done - his second at-bat produced the same results. This time, the wind left no doubt. “The second one - I knew it was gone right when I hit it,” Wells recalled. “I was more excited than the first, because that got the boys fired up and that one took the lead.” At that point, the score was 4-3, and the Mocs would go on to win the game. Wels shared that he has specific strategy for reading pitchers and making a connection with the ball. “I really focused on timing up the pitcher, making sure I was on time and ready to hit and to put a good swing on it,” Wells said. In spite of his own successes, Wells speaks humbly about the team’s season this year.
“This season hasn’t gone how the team thought it was going to,” Wells admitted. “We started off slow, and sometimes, we see the team we could be every time we step on the field.” Regardless of the team’s record, Wells, along with the rest of the Mocs, have played to the best of their ability and brought a sense of pride to the college during their first full season back from the COVID-19 pandemic. As far as his future career is concerned, Wells is determined to take every opportunity he is given, no matter what it might be. “If I get the chance to advance to the next level, I will take it,” Wells said. But just in case professional baseball isn’t the route he ends up taking, he does have a plan B. “If not, I would like to get into real estate.” The Mocs will return home to Henley Field on Sunday, May 8 at 6 p.m. to begin their last series of the season against Nova Southeastern University.
Up Next Softball vs. Embry-Riddle University 4/27 @5 p.m./7 p.m. (DH) 4/28 @ 5 p.m.
Baseball @ Embry-Ridle University 4/29 @6 p.m. 4/30 @1 p.m./4 p.m. (DH)
Mens Lacrosse @ Rollins University 4/28 @8 p.m.
Womens Lacrosse vs. Rollins University 4/28 @4 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Florida Southern College Athletics Mocs Outfielder Nick Wells.
Keep Up with the Mocs Softball
L 0-1 vs. University of Tampa
Baseball
W 5-0 vs. University of Tampa
Mens Lacrosse
W 20-8 vs. Palm Beach Atlantic
Womens Lacrosse
W 22-3 vs. Palm Beach Atlantic
Mens Tennis
L 1-4 vs. St. Leo University
Womens Tennis
L 0-4 vs. Barry Univesity
Men's/Women's Track & Field both took 3rd overall.
Intramural Roundup Rank Team 1 Curious George 2 Norwich IM White 3 Lambda Chi A+ 4 Sugar and Spike 5 Kappa Delta A
Wins 8 8 8 7 7
Spring sports update John Christovich Staff Writer This update was adapted from FSCTV's sports show, Snakebite. For the full show, hosted by John Christovich and James Simpson, visit FSC_TV on YouTube. The Women’s lacrosse team won all three of their games this week in clutch fashion to not only secure a spot in the end-ofseason conference tournament, but also earn hosting rights for the first round. This Thursday, the Mocs will host the Rollins College Tars in the first round of the Sunshine State Conference tournament after their strong performance this week. The men, had a good week as well, winning their only game on Saturday. It's been an eventful season for the baseball team. They have won every conference series this year besides one and are coming off of a big time win over the #2-ranked University of Tampa Spartans. The Mocs took Game 1 on Friday night, 5-0, shutting out the Spartans and scoring all of their runs in the sixth. The teams split the doubleheader on Saturday, with Tampa earning a walk-off win before the Mocs downed their rivals with a 7-2 win in the evening game. EmbryRiddle this weekend on the road, Nova Southeastern the weekend after, here at home. The softball team fell to 18-and-23 this week after dropping their series to the Tampa Spartans. Florida Southern fought hard against one of the best teams in the conference. They get Embry Riddle up next, a three game series for their final homestand of the year. The women’s golf team saw their season end at the Championships after placing seventh in the tournament, currently ranked 21st in the country. The men’s team, however, will play on as they qualified for the NCAA Regionals after placing second in the SSC and ranked 14th in the country. So, they’re scheduled to travel to Valdosta, Georgia from May 5 through 7 as they get set to capture some more hardware on the national level. In tennis news, both the men’s and women’s team lost in the first round of the Sunshine State Conference Tournament this past weekend despite a valiant effort. The teams are going to finish up their seasons nationally ranked, with the men currently at 26th in Division 2, and the women at 30th. Although they don’t end their season on a high note, they still a strong program moving forward. That brings us to our week in Mocs History segment, and today we’re looking at April 28, 2021- One year ago today. Hailey Daleo scored a program-record single-game-high nine goals in a win over Lynn University, as they took down the Fighting Knights 21-5. The Mocs get Rollins this Thursday, the next installment in this invigorating rivalry. Rollins has won the last three, by a combined six goals.