April 08, 2022

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The Student Voice of Florida Southern College

Friday, April 8, 2022

VOL. 138, NO. 12

Frank Lloyd Wright Day returns to FSC SGA announces ‘Mocs Ride Home’ Sophia Gonzalez Editor-in-Chief

Expo from 12 to 3 p.m. at the Roger’s Courtyard.

“We’re bringing some local mental health resources that complement well with the services offered on campus through the Counseling Center,” said Shorey.

A plethora of organizations are coming together to highlight the day’s core message of demonstrating the strength of

FSC’s community and a strong network of people on campus for students to rely on.

Shorey said that it was easy to organize the day’s events with the cooperation of the many contributions from the on and off-campus organizations.

Each event is designed to include a wide range of interests for the diverse student body on campus.

“Our SGA [is] so excited to see our campus community come together around such an important topic like mental health,” said Shorey.

Everyone involved in FLW Day is dedicated to making it an “unforgettable” experience and for it to become something distinct to Florida Southern, celebrating the uniqueness of the campus from the people that make up the student body.

The Kickoff will be at 11 a.m. on George’s Green, where Dr. Kerr and Shorey will speak on the meaning of FLW Day and the activities that will occur later on.

At the same time, tickets will be given out to students who attend for the food trucks stationed along Ingraham Ave. There will also be dessert trucks by the Bandshell.

“We hope to see everybody on campus on April 8 and cannot wait to carry on the tradition of Frank Lloyd Wright Day this year!” Shorey said.

In an email sent out to students on March 30, SGA’s Vice President of Finance Carter Webb announced the introduction of “Mocs Ride Home,” in a new partnership with ride-share company Lyft.

“The idea for ‘Mocs Ride Home’ came from the creative minds behind our exec board!” Webb said. “We realized that this could benefit students who may feel unsafe and need a ride home.”

The program, in association with Student Life, will give Florida Southern students discounts whenever they need a ride back to campus from select locations, such as the Lakeland Ice Arena, Rec Room, Linksters Tap Room, Lakeland Regional Health and more.

“Our exec board worked very hard with the representatives from Lyft to establish a partnership that could create a permanent impact for our student body,” Webb said.

According to the email, students will receive a 50 percent discount for the month of April; discounts will vary each month.

This initiative was introduced to campus in order to provide a safe option for students to return back to campus when they are unable to drive themselves or get back to the school safely.

“The main goal behind ‘Mocs Ride Home’ is to provide a service to students who feel unsafe and need a ride back to campus. One student who doesn’t feel safe or is in a bad situation is enough for our organization to step in and help,” Webb said.

Webb’s email also stated that the “‘Safe Ride’ initiative through Checkered cab [...] will continue to also be an option for students.” This program is an additional option so that students have safer options available to them when in need of a way back to Florida Southern.

An email will be sent out later to students explaining how to set up the account so that they can benefit from Lyft’s discounts.

Students will have access to safe transport back to FSC 24/7, for more detailed information, check out the email sent by studentlife@flsouthern.com.

New Supreme Court Justice

FSC Dance - Em/Bodied

Dangerous Internet Trends

Biden nominee Ketanji Brown successfully reached the bench after deadlock in congress.

A look into the FSC Dance Department and their performance of the show “Em/Bodied.”

Are online trends becoming more and more dangerous for social media users?

NEWS - PAGE 2

ENTERTAINMENT - PAGE 4

OPINIONS - PAGE 5

Photo courtesy of the FSC Student Government Association On March 21, the SGA sent an email including a detailed map of events for this year’s Frank Lloyd Wright day.

On April 8, Florida Southern College will be hosting its second annual Frank Lloyd Wright Day, celebrating FSC’s community and the importance of mental health among the student body.

FLW Day is a daylong celebration starting at 7 a.m. with Sunrise Yoga at Mr. George’s Green hosted by the Wellness Center and ending with a Studio Box Pun Show at 11 p.m.

It was originally created when last year’s Student Government Associations’ executive board recognized a need to focus on mental health. The SGA approached FSC President Dr. Anne Kerr, with the idea, and the day was approved.

The current SGA President, Allen Shorey, has been working with the board on FLW Day to cement it as an annual tradition for students to look forward to and partake in.

“Working with Mr. Aranda and the Counseling Center, it has become very clear to me that the best way for us to focus on mental health as a community is to show the strength of our community when we all come together to create something special!” said Shorey.

Many mental health organizations will be present on campus, such as Peace

SOCIAL MEDIA

River Center Mental Health Services, Domestic Violence Unit, Cassidy Psychiatry, National Alliance of Mental Illness, Tri-County Human Services and Atala Counseling Services.

These organizations will be specifically sponsoring the Community Mental Health

“

[We]... are so excited to see our campus community come together around such an important topic like mental health.

-Allen Shorey SGA President

“

Diego De Jesus Staff Writer

Billy the Kid in Color

Diary of Anne Frank

FSC Softball Update

The true story of a desert wanderer, William Cox, who looks just like Billy the Kid.

A look into FSC Theater’s production of “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

A look into FSC softball as they rally into the rest of the season.

FEATURES - PAGE 3

PICTURED, ENTERTAINMENT - PAGE 4

SPORTS - PAGE 6

@fscsouthern

www.fscsouthern.com

fscsouthern@gmail.com

The Southern APRIL 8, 2022

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NEWS BRIEFS “Who’s Right? A Perspectivist View” On April 22, the FSC Department of Religion and Philosophy will be hosting its annual lecture in the Hollis Room. This year will feature Dr. Dan Silber, a former FSC associate Provost and professor of philosophy, in his lecture entitled “Who’s Right?

A Perspectivist View.” The event will take place from 7 to 8 p.m.

Theatre After Dark “F*** My Type” The FSC Vagabonds will be hosting “Theatre After Dark - F*** My Type” on April 10, from 10 to 11 p.m. The event invites performers to bring and perform a piece that others may have told them “isn’t their type.” The event will take place at the Performing Arts Center B202 and students must RSVP to attend. More information and the link to RSVP can be found on Engage.

Southern Cinema: Jungle Cruise A drive-in screening of the Disney film “Jungle Cruise” will take place on April 8 from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Branscomb Auditorium parking lot. The event is ‘bring your own blanket’ and will feature South American food to enjoy alongside the film.

Fannin Center Worship in Motion The Fannin Campus Ministries center will be hosting “Worship in Motion” from 7 to 9 p.m. on April 9. The event places a focus on exploring the use of dance as a form of worship. The event will take place in the Fannin Center and is also scheduled to take place on April 16 and April 23.

FLOSOCO Used Clothing Drive On April 13, FLOSOCO will be hosting a used clothing drive at the Buckstop Tables. The event will take place between 10:50 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. and be used to reduce clothing waste and support Lakeland’s community. Volunteers are requested for tabling at the event.

Town Hall discusses expansion at FSC Jameson Champion Southern Editor On April 5, Florida Southern’s Student Government Association held its semesterly Town Hall meeting in-person on Mr. George’s Green.

This is the first time that an SGA Town Hall has occurred in-person since the Spring 2020 semester. This allowed the Student Government and college executives a chance to directly address the issues on the minds of many students at FSC. An important announcement made by FSC President Dr. Anne Kerr were the new expansions to Florida Southern that will improve the school’s current programs.

These expansions include new rooms for the Roberts Academy at FSC including a robotics lab, gym, media room and a climbing wall for the students.

FSC’s $6 million donation to the Polk Museum of Art was also among the expansions mentioned. Dr. Kerr announced that the expansion will include six new galleries, including a dedicated photography collection.

“Those of you who want to be museum directors,” Dr. Kerr said, “you are going to have an experience second to none.”

There were two new disciplines within the engineering track in the Computer Science Department which were also announced.

Junior Journeys were also announced to be returning next year, with priority placed on students who are closer to graduating. A travel stipend is also available to students who missed their chance to go on Junior Journeys, dispensed through the Travel Office.

The FSC executive panel stressed at

this meeting that, while Florida Southern had admitted its largest Freshman class this year, its primary focus was to expand graduate programs while maintaining a steady undergraduate class.

The panel also emphasized that students who had questions about problems like maintenance should not wait until Town Hall, but that the doors to campus executives like Dean of Students Mike Crawford or the Director of Campus Safety Eric Rauch are open for students to discuss problems.

The Director of Food Services, Tim Raible, took the opportunity to discuss students questions on the school’s food options. While students will still not be able to pour their own drinks due to hygiene concerns, free refills will be provided to students at FSC venues. The school will also be seeking a new food truck with healthier options to be located next to The Happy Place, which recently moved to the Branscomb Auditorium.

Many students’ questions regarding dining on campus were rooted in the school’s understaffing. Tim Raible stated that Pretzelmaker had the most difficult time due to its items being difficult to make, while the Healthy Blend Deli was relying on pre-made items, both due to a lack of employees. To combat this, Raible and the SGA have paired to start a hiring campaign on Instagram to bring FSC students into the foodservice staff.

The meeting ended with Mike Crawford officially announcing the plans for this year’s annual Fair-Well Festival. The event will be structured much like last year’s, with attractions spread across campus.

New additions to this year’s festival were also announced.

“We will have some roving performers,” Crawford said. “We have some new rides, we have a much larger ferris wheel… we’ll have bumper cars, we’ll have all sorts of fun stuff.

Photo by Salvatore Ambrosino

Town Hall was in-person for the first time this year and took place on Mr. George’s Green.

First Black woman SCJ confirmed by US Senate Nathalie Moreno Southern Editor Back in February, President Biden officially named Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his Supreme Court nominee.

Among the candidates were two other judges, Judge J. Michelle Childs and Leondra Kruger. All three judges had one major trait in common—they are all Black women. This means that the Supreme Court will have a Black woman on its judge panel for the first time ever.

When Justice Stephen Meyer announced his retirement from the Supreme Court, the search for a replacement commenced right away. As Judge Jackson was chosen as the nominee, it caused a rift between the White House and the courthouses.

Jackson was born in Washington D.C., but grew up in Miami. A Harvard University and Harvard Law School graduate, she has since returned to Washington D.C., and lives there now with her husband and two daughters.

According to the official White House webpage, Jackson’s list of experience includes having served as a judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals and D.C.’s District Court and as Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Committee.

Despite her list of previous qualifications, approval of Jackson’s nomination is not unanimous—especially among the GOP party. Among those who do not support her are Sens. Roy Blunt and Lindsey Graham.

The GOP’s main reasons to vote against Judge Jackson include her judicial philosophy, taking issue with the fact that she refuses to claim “originalism” and

“textualism,” and refuses to denounce ‘court packing’—a term used to describe changes to the size of the Supreme Court, specifically expansions.

Judge Jackson herself said at the confirmation hearings that she believes “it is appropriate to look at the original intent, the original public meaning of the words.”

Republicans also say that Jackson’s record regarding child pornography cases are largely concerning, claiming she has a tendency to be more lenient on sentencing child sex offenders.

To combat this, Democrats asserted that many conservative judges have sentenced

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

S.C. Nominee Ketanji Brown child sex offenders in the same way and that these cases are not specific to Jackson.

Republican senators also argued that Democrats have refused to accept any conservative nominees, catering the Supreme Court panel to what they see fit.

The Democratic Party, on the other

hand, attributes their support to Jackson’s “credentials, experience, and evenhanded approach to the administration of justice.”

Republican senators have begun showing their support for Jackson as well, such as Sens. Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski.

As voting for her confirmation into the empty seat commenced, most Republican senators were clear that they do not and will not support Judge Jackson being sworn in.

However, some conservative senators have begun to switch over, relaying that they will indeed support Jackson’s confirmation.

The first round of voting happened on Monday, with the Republicans of the Senate Judiciary Committee banding together to create a deadlock vote of 11-11 along party lines.

Due to the deadlock, Jackson’s confirmation moved forward to the Senate floor, where it resulted in her favor, with a final vote of 53 yeas and 47 nays.

Jackson’s confirmation proved to be an emotional time for everyone present.

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey provided Jackson some words of encouragement.

“I’m going to tell you right now, the greatest country in the world, the United States of America, will be better because of you,” Booker said.

Regardless of the backlash and tough journey to get to this point, it is still a moment that will be immortal in history, and people have begun to see as much.

“This committee’s action [on Monday was] nothing less than making history,” Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Dick Durman said. “I’m honored to be a part of it.”

3 The Southern APRIL 8, 2022

FEATURES Old western rebel, ‘Billy the Kid’, returns in color A Wynee’s Bistro worker’s story of adventure throughout the Mojave Desert.

Diego De Jesus Staff Writer Alone with the bus driver, William Cox arrived at his stop in Roswell, New Mexico, as a cool breeze welcomed him to the Mojave.

“The numbers kept getting fewer and fewer,” said Cox about the bus ride.

“Because it was so remote where I was going.”

Roswell reminded Cox of Lakeland, where he came just out of high school.

It was once a boomtown built along one street on a high, flat plateau. The movie “Young Guns” inspired Cox to ride on a Greyhound bus from Florida to Roswell.

Originally, he was supposed to return home in a couple of weeks.

But Cox felt connected to the desert, it gave him chills. Something was calling him to go out West amidst the many famous names that float across the plains like sand.

Cox––with everything he had fitting in his book bag––went to the Roswell Museum and learned some of the local history.

As Cox was looking at pictures of the town’s heroes and villains, Kenneth Hobbs, a ranger, approached him.

“He took me to a window, and pointed,” said Cox. “‘You see that mountain?

That’s where it all started, we gotta get you up there.’”

In the blurring distance was El Capitan Mountain, behind heat waves, rising from the flat plateau. That was where they were going, and where everything would be changed for Cox.

Photo Courtesy of William Cox

William Cox dressed as historic outlaw Billy the Kid. Hobbs drove Cox over to Lincoln County, where many rivalries and legends are still bound by the blood that started them, survived by their descendants.

They drove past the foothill of the mountain.

There, he met Chief Ranger Jack Grimley and couldn’t believe the person he saw in Cox. Cox was confused from Grimley’s astonished reaction, it was strange.

Cox looked like Billy the Kid according to the locals. He would remain in Lincoln County, and was known as either “Billy,” or, “the Kid.”

During that time, he worked oddjobs as a local celebrity, roaming New Mexico. From tending the land of local ranchers to installing picket fences.

Locals––and at one point news channels such as BBC and NBC––would approach him to take pictures for cash.

Cox at one point was approached by folks from California to shoot movies with him, but he turned them down. He stayed in New Mexico for two years.

In New Mexico, Cox was totally free.

“There was no rules or regulations, just freedom,” Cox said. “I think that’s what it was all about, being free.”

Lincoln County was untouched for 130 years, with memories of old legends being near recent memory. Legends that have made their mark, being the celebrated heroes or the hated villains.

Around the county were small pueblos who were the descendants of Spanish settlers who originally inhabited the area, many of whom still carried their names.

Cox was beginning to be accused of the same crimes that Billy the Kid committed during his time such as stealing cattle.

Some accused him of sneaking into the Wortley Hotel where Billy the Kid once stayed.

It escalated to the point where Cox had to flee north to Fort Sumner, where lawmen killed Billy the Kid. He stayed with Jay West, whose family has been in New Mexico for generations until Dec 31. 1991, a date he remembered.

Before he left the land that recognized his face, Cox planted a white cross in the sand When he returned home, Cox told everyone he knew of his story.

“You’re the same Billy, just in color,” said Cox. It’s been 30 years since Cox escaped Billy the Kid’s reputation. Since then, he’s visited New Mexico. In 2020, he was mentioned in the “Mulberry Press” for “escaping” to New Mexico as Billy the Kid. Many others have recognized Cox’s story, and featured it in a couple of novels.

Story continues at fscsouthern.com

Polk Museum of Art director calls expansion “long time dream” Salvatore Ambrosino Southern Editor At one point in his life, curating a museum wasn’t on Dr. Alexander Rich’s horizon.

He’s a native manhattanite—an English major out of Dartmouth College, who came to Florida Southern College in 2014 to join the faculty of what is now the department of art history and museum studies. He became chair of that department.

But before that, in college, he was the arts editor for his student newspaper and the cartoonist for a political magazine. From a young age, he was an artist. His love for museums followed, and was fostered by his grandfather who would bring him to the museums of New York City.

“He really wanted to place into me some sort of love, and somewhere along the way, when I was still an artist, I became an art historian,” Rich said.

In high school, he would write papers on history as seen through art—as art historians do. For example, an event like The Spanish Civil War he analyzed through Picasso’s “The Weeping Woman.”

By the time he was 16, he was a student apprentice at the Metropolitan Museum of art in New York.

“I always loved art history. I sensed in college I’d be an English major or an art history major—I chose english. I still think of myself very much as an English major to this day despite the fact I’m an art history professor,” Rich said.

Photo Courtesy of Florida Southern College

Renovations to the Polk Musuem of Art includes the refurbishing of its interior.

He studied abroad in Florence, Italy, where the decision for him was cemented.

He’d pursue a PhD in Art History.

“A lot of people probably knew I’d end up in the art world in some way,” Rich said. “So, I returned to New York City after Dartmouth.”

There, he worked at museums all over the city. From the Brooklyn Museum to the Whitney Museum in the Meatpacking District in Lower Manhattan.

“We realized that having the museum presented really good opportunities for our students across campus,” Rich said.

“Specifically those students who are studying art history or to have careers in the museum field, so we ended up breaking off the department.”

The department of art history and museum studies sprung from the department of art and art history. As stated, Rich headed this department. But when the college partnered with Polk Museum of Art in 2017, he found himself at the helm of a museum. that is meant for the community, as much as it is for aspiring art historians at the college.

Three years ago he became its executive curator.

The department is housed at the Polk Museum of Art. The building is over 50 years old, large and brick—a fit of long begone brick expressionism in a neighborhood of old—wooden and meaningfully historic bungalows. Its exterior is soon to evolve, as was revealed at the museum in February.

“It’s been a long time dream to make the museum bigger and better and to allow it to meet its aspirations,” Rich said.

Story continues at fscsouthern.com

The Southern APRIL 08, 2022

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ENTERTAINMENT Review: FSC Theater and Dance’s ‘Em/Bodied’ walk.” The dance is supposed to be about superheroes and the title comes from the quote ‘she needed a hero so that’s what she became.’”

The last piece, “Roads Remember,” was performed by a larger group.

“Essentially the whole piece is a journey; where roads can take you wherever you wanna go but in the end they always round

Jessica Stalter Staff Writer The Florida Southern Dance Department held their annual spring performance from March 25-27. This year the title of the performance was “Em/Bodied,” focusing on the conceptualization, embodiment, and expression of various topics and emotions.

“I believe shows like these are important to showcase and make accessible both classical ballet and other forms of dance such as modern, jazz, etc.” dancer Katherine Adkinson said. “I really loved this semester’s concert because we did have such a wide variety of pieces.”

The show included excerpts from the ballet Raymonda and three independent pieces: “Chaos”, “…So that’s what she became”, and “Roads Remember.”

“

-Kinsey Vaughen Soloist Lead

The first act, consisting of Raymonda, included a sampling of different pieces of the ballet, featuring groups, duets, trios and solos. Many dancers were included in the corps de ballet, which is the larger group of dancers who perform together.

“This was actually my first real faculty concert in person here at FSC and my first ballet ever,” Adkinson said. “It was amazing

Photo by Shannon Smyth

The cast for the show’s ballet pose together for a group photo. to get to dance with all of my amazing friends and work together on bringing this amazing show to the stage… My favorite part of the show was probably when we finally got to do the ballet in costume and makeup and everything and it all looked so magical.”

The solos, duets, and trios, performed largely on point, were performed by a smaller group of dancers. Kinsey Vaughen was cast as the soloist lead.

“I had the best experience in this show,” Vaughen said. “Everyone was so supportive and positive. We all had a great time… I was not very confident in ballet before this show, but the choreographer and my fellow classmates helped me so much. I grew a lot and I did something I never thought I could do!”

The second half of the show included pieces choreographed by guests and faculty.

The first piece, Chaos, was performed by a small group of dancers.

“Chaos which was set on us by Ashley Hearn and was originally performed by RAKR Dance,” dancer Abigail Torres said.

“It is roughly a five minute excerpt from a bigger production they did. It is composed of snippets of dialogue from a news piece as well as the song I Zimbra by the Talking Heads. It’s about feeling overwhelmed by everything around us, mainly technology, and needing to unplug from it. The spoken word section mentions needing to disconnect repeatedly and at the end how we need to ‘retrieve our souls.’”

The next piece, “…So that’s what she became,” featured three dancers and a superhero aesthetic in the lighting, costumes, and choreography itself. “…So that’s what she became is an original piece choreographed by our director Erin LaSala-Phillips with the input of her dancers Taylor Denia, Eliza Leaver, and Chrissy Lewis.” Torres said. “It’s a very stylistic piece with lots of comedic elements. For example, there is a “Karen

“

“

These kinds of shows are so important because they present to people in this community what the dance program at Florida Southern is doing.

“

I believe shows like these are important to showcase and make accessible both classical ballet and other forms of dance such as modern, jazz, etc.

-Katherine Adkinson Dancer

back to bring you home,” understudy for the piece Kaela Wilks said. “And along the way you grow physically or emotionally so when you come back home you’re the same but your perspective has changed.”

Shows like these give the dance department a chance to showcase what they do to the rest of the school, as well as give those in the department a chance to perform on stage.

“These kinds of shows are so important because they present to people in this community what the dance program at Florida Southern is doing,” Vaughan said.

“We are a growing program and we work so hard, and being able to show people that is very important to us.”

FSC Theater and Dance department produces ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ The FSC Department of Theater and Dance has produced and is performing its most recent show, “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

“The Holocaust is very difficult to take in and fully grasp the destruction, the horror, and I think Anne puts a face on it that allows you access into the Holocaust.” Director Paul Bawek said. “How could man do this?

How could people do this to other people?

It’s just beyond comprehension.”

Looking at the show’s poster on his office door depicting Anne Frank amongst the remnants of a town engulfed in a raging inferno, Bawek discussed the play’s true meaning and its necessity to be told at this time.

“All tribes must awaken to the universal truth that all human beings are created equal,” Bawek said. “And regardless of their race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or health condition, are born with the inalienable rights of life and

the pursuit of happiness.”

The Diary of Anne Frank is but one of many dramatized adaptations of Anne Frank’s book “The Diary of a Young Girl” chronicling her time in hiding from antisemitic Germany between 1942 and 1944. Tragically, Anne Frank and her family were discovered, shipped to concentration camps, and died except her father Otto Frank who honored his daughter’s wish of becoming a writer by publishing her diary to the world..

“It’s her hope that keeps me smiling…”

Bawek said. “I can’t imagine what she would have been had she lived. How many lives she would have touched. She always wanted to live on [in her writing]; she certainly has.”

The timing of the story seems appropriate to other members of the team as well. Stage

“

All tribes must awaken to the universal truth that all human beings are created equal.

“

- Paul Bawek Director Photo by Jenna Fisher

Anne Frank, played by Tori Whaples, is a well known figure for what she wrote in her diary, detailing her experiences during the Holocaust.

Manager Hannah Nguyen of Vietnamese and English/Italian descent discussed the vitality of the story amongst today’s minority groups.

“Telling this story with this group of people who are cowering in fear because they were so racially attacked but they still found hope and were able to not break free for themselves but help others break free I

“

I can’t imagine what she would have been had she lived.

“

Chandler Fletcher Staff Writer

- Paul Bawek Director

think that it’s important to see how dark and horrible it really is and how dark and horrible it is today too.” Nguyen acknowledged.

Department Chair James Beck lent his thoughts to what he believed was The Diary of Anne Frank’s charge to audiences.

“I think I see a lot of division happening in the world today, especially in our country which surprises me to no end that the lack of true human concern seems to be prevalent in a lot of the rhetoric that we see politically today,” Beck said. “ I’m hoping that Anne Frank is a reminder that we can go down the wrong path following popular, zealous, nationalistic fervor, rather than a more international, human concern.”

The show is being performed on select days between April 7 through the 17 in Loca Lee Buckner Theater. Showtimes will vary depending on the day and will either be at 2:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.

5 The Southern APRIL 8, 2022

OPINIONS Internet trends continuously taking more dangerous turns ‘It starts off sweet, and then will take a turn for the worst.’

Angela Coria Staff Writer As social media grows more popular everyday, it is becoming impossible to ignore. TikTok is one of the many social media platforms that has grown tremendously since its launch in 2016.

As of 2022, TikTok has over one billion users and does not look to be slowing down. TikTok is an app where you can post videos up to three minutes long and share them with friends.

These videos can also end up on the “For You” page, where anyone around the world can see them and they have a chance to go “viral.”

Although the app is great for passing time and getting a daily dose of entertainment, its popularity is beginning to set trends that may be deemed as harmful.

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We expect our community to create responsibly— online and [in real life.]

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-official TikTok Twitter account

Going back to 2018, there was the infamous Tide Pod challenge. This was a challenge where young children and teenagers would eat a laundry detergent pod to gain their 10 seconds of fame.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

TikTok has been taking the internet by storm, with the user count increasing daily.

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, they received 39 calls regarding the ingestion of a tide pod in the first two weeks of 2018.

So many calls specifically related to that internet trend is insane, especially considering it’s the same number of calls they received for the entirety of 2016.

Unfortunately, this trend landed many in the hospital due to chemical poisoning.

CEO of Procter and Gamble Co., David Taylor, urged teens and parents to understand the life threatening consequences of the consumption of detergent.

“The possible life-altering consequences of this act, seeking internet fame, can derail young people’s hopes and dreams and ultimately their health,” said Taylor.

It seems like an event such as this would bring awareness to these harmful trends, but it has not.

Older trends include the cinnamon challenge, Benadryl challenge, salt and ice challenge, outlet challenge and so many more. The names of these challenges speak for themselves.

One trend that is currently flooding

Tensions rise in trans sports debate Emily Starling Staff Writer Lia Thomas became the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship.

College students have been competing against Thomas throughout their college careers, but following her win came lots of backlash from the parents of these student athletes.

Parents across five Ivy League schools wrote to The Post about their children’s experiences competing against a transgender swimmer.

“We are furious and most everyone in our community is furious as well…” , the parents wrote in an open letter, “Parents, coaches, swimmers, and rational, logical people know this is grossly unfair.”

They continued by alleging that Thomas stole the title from a deserving female swimmer, suggesting that Thomas was not considered, by them, to be a woman.

Thomas swam and competed in the men’s division up until her senior year at University of Pennsylvania.

However, during her first season competing against women, she set pool, and Ivy League records on her way to become one of the most powerful female collegiate swimmers.

But the biggest question dividing America is whether or not Thomas physically has an advantage because she is transgender.

According to many of Thomas’s

teammates they think that she does in fact have an upperhand because of her transition.

“Biologically, Lia holds an unfair advantage over competition in the women’s category, as evidenced by her rankings that have bounced from #462 as a male to #1 as a female…,” they wrote.

I spoke with a former competitive swimmer and current Florida Southern Sophomore, Demi Sejka, to get her take on this seemingly national debate.

“As a swimmer I can understand why competitors born female are upset,” said Sejka, “I know I would have been if I was racing against Lia. I understand that her testosterone levels are no higher than any other woman’s, but it still feels like she has an advantage over born females because when it comes to swimming, we are so conditioned that men are always faster than women.”

It’s true, Thomas’ testosterone levels are no higher than that of a cisgendered woman. Thomas began doing Hormone Replacement Therapy, or taking doses of estrogen, in May 2019 to begin her medical transition.

Estrogen is going to allow someone who is transitioning to start developing breasts, having emotional changes, shifting body weight and “drops in muscle mass and strength,” according to The Independent.

Story continues at fscsouthern.com.

TikTok is using the song “Lost” by Frank Ocean to detail gruesome actions that he or she would do to their partner on a date but write it off as a “joke.”

It starts off sweet, and then will take a turn for the worst. It is quite disturbing to see so many young adults and teenagers joking about domestic violence on TikTok where so many young kids can stumble upon it.

TikTok user @divergentredhead has taken it upon herself to take these gruesome videos and reply to them with real cases of domestic violence to show that these videos are only disguised as harmless jokes.

The majority of her captions say “DV is not a joke,” and she has gone on to create awareness of this harmful trend by making over 30 videos about it so far.

It is chilling to know so many people have been victims of some of the exact scenarios these users are “joking” about.

TikTok has yet to take these videos down and somehow they are still being overlooked.

Another trend that took off in 2021 was named “The Devious Lick” challenge. The term “lick” means to steal. To participate

in this trend, teenagers would wreck public areas and steal items.

School bathrooms were among the most popular places kids would target, stealing paper towel dispensers, soap, stall doors and anything else they could get their hands on.

Not only would they steal, but to take it to the next level, they would vandalize the bathroom to the point where it would have to be closed down for maintenance.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s office, there were three students from the Tampa area who were arrested for vandalism at school after posting it online.

TikTok spoke out about the issue on the social media platform Twitter.

“We expect our community to create responsibly - online and IRL. We’re removing content and redirecting hashtags & search results to our Community Guidelines to discourage such behavior.

Please be kind to your schools & teachers,” the post said.

What would make someone do this?

Well, it comes down to kids wanting to be viral and gain a following. If they participate in something popular, the more likely they will earn their short-lived fame.

If these trends keep happening, why haven’t we learned how to stop them?

Despite efforts from companies and police, we still have not seen any decrease in these awful trends.

This comes down to how short social media has been around in the grand scheme of things.

Parents did not have these social media platforms at young ages like kids do now.

Overall, there’s a lack of awareness and monitoring of content from not only parents, but companies too.

SOUTHERN

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The Southern is published as an e-edition bi-weekly during fall and spring semesters of the academic year at Florida Southern College by students through the Communication Department. The Southern is unable to print a physical paper due to COVID-19, but is still available on fscsouthern.com. Opinions expressed on the opinions pages are not necessarily those of the department, the administration, the Board of Trustees or The Southern editorial board. Written and signed responses to views expressed on these pages, or relevant to other Florida Southern College issues, are encouraged and will be considered for publication.

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The Southern APRIL 08, 2022 6

SPORTS FSC softball team rallies against the competition Dylan Olive Staff Writer Over halfway through the season, the Florida Southern College softball team is currently ranked 10th in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) with a 3-12 record.

With a 52 game schedule and three games having been canceled thus far, the team has accumulated 14 wins and 18 losses this season. There are 17 games left, 11 are home games at Chris Bellotto Field and six are away games.

The team is slated to finish ninth in the SCC based on how the preseason went. In the official 2021 season, the Mocs went 7-17 with an SCC-only schedule.

Out of the Mocs' three conference wins, they were against Eckerd College, Florida Tech and Rollins College. The rest of the season consists of teams in the conference: Palm Beach Atlantic University, Lynn University, Saint Leo University, University of Tampa, EmbryRiddle University and Nova Southeastern University.

In their most recent series last weekend against Rollins College, the Mocs lost Friday’s game with a score of 0-8. On

Sunday, the Mocs won their first game with a score of 4-3 and lost the second game with a score of 4-5.

The current highest batting leaders and their batting averages: Myah Moy (.371), Jaden Dewith (.363), Destiny Colgate (.344), Skyler Ralstin (.328) and Maddi Conner (.313).

The best-earned run average (ERA) statistics among the bullpen includes Cat Buckner with an ERA of 3, Kayla Hickey with an ERA of 3.70 and Lane Edgington with an ERA of 4.17.

There are 10 players who have a fielding average of 1.0, and seven players with a fielding average over .900, which means these players have made very minimal errors in the field if any.

"The mindset of the team has changed a lot. I think they're very motivated to prove people wrong right now," stated Florida Southern's head coach Mo Triner said in an article prior to the season beginning.

This is Triner’s second season as the team’s head coach. She was a studentathlete at USF, a two-time All-American, a three-time all-Region selection and holds many top-10 records.

Before coming to FSC she was an

Photo by Kat Hostetler

Destiny Colgate up to bat for the FSC softball team. assistant on Ken Eriksen's staff at USF, who is the current U.S. Olympic Softball team head coach, so Triner has had experience with one of the best people you can learn from in the sport.

The Mocs’ next series is against conference competitor Palm Beach Atlantic University at Chris Bellotto Field, with the first game on Friday the 8th at 7 p.m., and on Saturday the 9th at 1 p.m. and then 3 p.m.

2022 Spring Sports Updates Men’s tennis

Women's Track and Field

04.10 vs. Lynn University 04.16 vs. University of West Florida 04.22 SSC State Conference*

04.09 at Flames Invitational in

Women's tennis 04.13 vs. University of Tampa* 04.16 vs. University of West Florida 04.22 SSC State Conference*

Cleveland Tennesee 04.15 at Tom Jones Memorial in Gainsville, Florida 04.16 at Tom Jones Memorial in Gainsville, Florida

Men's Lacrosse Baseball 04.09 vs. Palm Beach Atlantic* (DH) 04.12 vs. Rollins College* 04.14 vs. Lynn University 04.15 vs. Lynn University (DH) 04.20 vs. Rollins College 04.22 vs. University of Tampa*

Men's Track and Field 04.09 at Flames Invitational in Cleveland, Tennesee 04.15 at Tom Jones Memorial in Gainsville, Florida 04.16 at Tom Jones Memorial in Gainsville, Florida

04.09 vs. University of Tampa* 04.13 vs. Rollins College 04.16 vs. Florida Tech*

Women's Lacrosse 04.09 Rollins College* 04.13 vs. Saint Leo University 04.15 vs. Embry Riddle* 04.20 vd. Florida Tech

Softball 04.09 vs. Palm Beach Atlantic (DH) 04.14 vs. Lynn University* 04.15 vs. Lynn University* (DH) 04.20 vs. Saint Leo University 04.22 vs. University of Tampa