January 18, 2019

OUTHERN S The Student Voice of Florida Southern College

Non Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit 38 Lakeland, FL

FRIDAY, January 18, 2019 VOL. 133, NO. 8

New year brings new changes to Lakeland Jillian Kurtz Copy Editor Local Starbucks to move The Starbucks currently located on the corner of South Florida Avenue and Beacon Road will be relocated to the Southgate Shopping Center next to Five Guys. Construction on the new building is estimated to be completed by the end of April. The coffee chain has been in its current location for 15 years and when it was first transitioned from an old BP gas station. Although the spot is known by many Lakelanders, the lot has limited parking spaces and is considerably smaller compared to other modern Starbucks ocations. “I have worked there (Beacon Road Starbucks) for about two years,” Danielle Douglin said. “I’m a local student, so I also work over the summer. I think that with a bigger location, it will be busier, but I don’t think it will affect my job all that much.” City of Lakeland app The City of Lakeland announced a new mobile application in an effort to get residents more connected with city services, events, news releases and government officials. The app is free to download and is available in the iTunes and Google Play stores by searching “Lakelandgov.” The app gives residents the ability to report any issues throughout the community and also gives a contact list for different departments throughout the city. The updated app replaces the old one, Link2Lakeland. “The app was developed in-house by a team from the Department of Information Technology and the City’s Communications Department,” Director of Communications for the City of Lakeland Kevin Cook said. “Our goal is to have an informed and engaged citizenry and we will continue to develop technologies to help us reach that goal.”

Photos by Reems Landreth

The future site of Starbucks at the Southgate Shopping Center on South Florida Avenue. Lakeland Ice Arena

New music venue: Union Hall

Crumb & Get It closed

Polk County’s first year-round ice skating rink is set to open this upcoming summer at the Lakeland Ice Arena, located at 3395 W Memorial Blvd. According to their website, the rink will be open to the public, but will have a focus on bringing hockey to Lakeland. Registration is already open on their website for those with an interest in hockey to be notified of updates. Nanette Granville is the Co-Owner/ Director of Hospitality & Special Events at Lakeland Ice Arena according to her Facebook page and commented on a post that there will be travel teams based our of the arena. More information can be found at lakelandicearena.com and @lakelandice on Instagram.

Singer Dan Signor aspires to bring top talent to the Dixieland Historic District in Lakeland with the construction and opening of Union Hall. Union Hall will be about 3,000 square feet and will feature professional sound equipment, lighting and a stage. A 22-footlong bar will be one of the main features along with outdoor patio seating and large garage doors. The venue will be open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to midnight, with live music featured Wednesday through Saturday. It will also available to rent based on their 2019 event calendar, which is yet to be released. The hall expected to open sometime in March, according to the Lakeland Ledger. Updates and more information can be found at @union.hall on Instagram.

The small, locally owned bakery, Crumb and Get It announced on their Facebook page in December that it would be closing its doors for business on Dec. 31, 2018. The post received a lot of traction, with many customers announcing their sadness regarding the closing. Crumb and Get It opened its doors to Lakeland back in 2015 and the name was well-known throughout the Lakeland community. On Jan. 9, a new post was made on the Facebook page, announcing that the bakery is looking for “a motivated new buyer.” The sale would include the business name, recipes, equipment, some start-up supplies, and consulting to get the business back up and running, according to the post.

Trump. “The ideal challenger would be a committed, articulate conservative...who would show voters that conservatism and Trumpism are not one in the same,” Hayes said in the article. As of right now, no evident challenger has stepped forward and officially announced intentions to run. For the Democratic party, many candidates have confirmed that they are running and are already campaigning. “I am determined that we build an America where not just the children of rich people get a chance to build something,” Democratic candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren said of her reasons for running for

president in her speech in Sioux City, “but where all of our children get a chance to build a real future.” Warren has already begun campaigning. She started with Iowa and is moving next to New Hampshire. She is one of, if not the earliest campaigners looking to the 2020 election, which has already put her in the public eye as a strong Democratic candidate. Along with Warren, other notable Democrats are looking to the future. Former Vice President Joe Biden has stated that while he has not officially decided to run, he is still considering the decision with his family. see ELECTION, page 2

Young vote could be key to ‘20 presidential election Hannah Kiester News Editor

Almost as soon as 2019 began, hopeful candidates started campaigning for the 2020 presidential election. Since President Trump’s election in 2016, there have been many predictions as to who will go up against him for the United States presidency in 2020. According to an isidewith.com poll asking who the public’s favorite candidates are, 21 percent of responses indicated President Trump is the current favorite candidate. Closely following him at 17 percent is Michelle Obama, who has already stated

SOCIAL MEDIA

she will not be running for the presidency. Though American citizens have been thus far unsure about who exactly plans on running, those questions will soon be answered. In the first few weeks of the new year, those predicted candidates will announce their official plans as to whether or not they will run for office. President Trump has already announced his official decision to run for reelection, but other conservatives believe that a new, strong Republican candidate is needed to challenge Trump. In the Washington Post, Stephen Hayes wrote that a new Republican candidate needs to step forward to represent the part of the party that does not support President

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The Southern JANUARY 18, 2019

NEWS

BRIEFS

2

Distinguished Speaker Series returns Peter Edgar Editor-in-Chief

FSC Director of Safety and Security retiring Current Director of Safety and Security Bill Carew will be retiring at the end of May. Replacing him will be Chief Larry Giddens, who is leaving the Lakeland Police Department after 34 years of service.

MLK Day of Impact On Jan. 21, several FSC student organizations will partner to host the MLK Day of Impact on campus. Attending students will get free food and Passport credit. Ms. Evett Simmons will be this year’s speaker. She will be discussing diversity and race in America. Following the discussion, students can participate in various service projects.

DeSantis sworn in as new Florida governor On Jan. 8, Ron DeSantis was sworn in as Florida’s 46th governor. In his inaugural speech, he discussed plans for lower taxes and prioritizing schools and the environment. DeSantis is replacing former governor Rick Scott, who was recently sworn into the U.S. Senate.

Photo of egg claims title of most-liked Instagram photo of all time On Jan. 4, a photo of an egg set out to break the record of mostliked Instagram photo of all time, beating out Kylie Jenner as the previous record holder. As of Tuesday night, the egg had 43.6 million likes. The identity of the person who posted the image remains unknown. A similar Twitter account was launched to try to beat the world record for most retweeted tweet online.

Over winter break, the Child of the Sun Distinguished Speaker Series (CotS) website was updated to reflect the lineup for spring 2019. The theme of this year’s series is “Technology and Innovation: Redefining the Possible,” and it consists of three speakers: Adam Steltzner, a member of the team that landed the Curiosity Rover on the surface of Mars; Nicholas Carr, the researcher and writer of three books about how the internet affects the human mind; and Nina Tandon, a biotechnologist developing technology to grow replacement hearts and bones. Speakers are selected for the CotS by a committee made up of faculty members from various fields. Dr. Brad Hollingshead, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Florida Southern, cited Dr. Sara Fletcher Harding, Professor of Religion, as one of the members who “pointed us in the direction of technology and innovation.” Dr. Eric Kjellmark, Dr. Ronald Pepino and Dr. Lisa Carter are also members of the committee that selects speakers for the CotS series. They are professors in the biology, physics, and criminology departments respectively. The speaker selection process varies case-to-case. “Sometimes speakers are landed through personal connections, such as the Nobel Prize winning physicist William Phillips, who Dr. Pepino was able to persuade to join the series,” Hollingshead said. “At other times, speakers are booked through agencies that represent them. Whatever means we use, though, the theme and the questions that we hope to pursue through it drive speaker selection.” The distinguished speakers, Carr, Steltzner and Tandon, have been selected to answer questions about the ways that groundbreaking technology can or already has affected human development and existence. Adam Steltzner, who is speaking Feb. 12, was one of 7,000 people working on the Curiosity Rover. Steltzner led the entry, descent and landing team, which developed the Sky Crane method of landing the rover. Steltzner was interviewed in for an article in The New Yorker in 2013. When the article was released, the rover had

Election cont. “The issues that we face as a country today are the issues that have been in my wheelhouse, that I’ve worked on my whole life,” Biden said in December. Other Democrats have stated so far that, like Biden, they are considering running, but have made no official statements yet. These Democrats include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Given the inter-party divisions happening in both the Republican and Democratic parties, the 2020 presidential election is predicted to bring big platform changes for each side of the aisle. With such significant shifts in policy positions and party in play, all voting citizens of the United States, including FSC’s student body, will have a hand in affecting that change. Especially after the 2016 presidential election, it has been a popular viewpoint of many Americans that their votes do not count. Only 4 in every 10 Americans

already landed in Gale Crater and spent almost two-thirds of a year exploring. Since then, he has spoken at Smithsonian events and published a book, The Right Kind of Crazy. Nicholas Carr’s work about internet usage has appeared in The Atlantic, five books (one of which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist) and WIRED magazine. He will speak on March 19 on his experiences with the internet’s impact on human life. Beyond writing, Carr has appeared on NPR to discuss his work and written for Politico regarding the internet and the United States presidential election in 2016. His work remains relevant as it surveys and connects decades of internet research. Nina Tandon will close the semester on April 9 with a discussion titled Body 3.0. The compay she co-founded, EpiBone, is a tissue engineering start-up researching the use of electricity in growing human bone and heart tissue. Tandon’s work is long-term: patients may have to wait more than a decade before full hearts and bones can be quickly grown for transplant. In the meantime, she has spoken at WIRED events, been interviewed for WIRED magazine, and given TED and TEDGlobal talks in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Hollingshead stressed the uniqueness of the distinguished speaker series as it compares to individual departmental lecture series on campus. “While speakers often give lectures, we nevertheless use a variety of formats to engage our audiences,” he said in an interview. Part of the individuality of the CotS series comes by its interdisciplinary approach. Hollingshead set it as a complement to the Warren W. Willis Lecture in Religion, which happens in the fall, alongside the Lawton M. Chiles Center for Florida

History’s yearlong Florida Lecture series. In the past, the CotS series has featured speakers in the fields of science, the arts, and communications. The first series, held in the 2015-2016 school year, featured a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics, the first woman of color to go to space, and a cognitive psychologist. Hollingshead’s discussions surrounding the CotS series indicate that it is intended as a truly interdisciplinary event: something that, this year specifically, will be attended by students and professionals from all disciplines. Hollingshead doesn’t think that the committee sees the subject matter as a fullcircle return to the scientific fields. Instead, it “see[s] this year’s theme as part of a trajectory that moves the series into new and interesting territory,” Hollingshead said. “Certainly, the theme invites immediate connections to STEM fields, but we are most interested in interdisciplinary exploration.” Circular, rotational thinking would indicate that the series is interested in revisiting the same topics every few years, a reductive notion. “Sometimes a particular year’s theme will intersect with those from previous years—sometimes not—but in all instances, we are looking to move conversations about important topics forward in intellectually honest and challenging ways,” Hollingshead said. Florida Southern College partners with WUSF, a local National Public Radio station, for special promotion of the CotS series. Hollingshead described the partnership as mutually beneficial in its pursuit of public good through communication. The CotS series is free to attend for students Lakelanders.

actually vote, according to NPR article “On The Sidelines Of Democracy: Exploring Why So Many Americans Don’t Vote.” “I feel like my voice doesn’t matter,” 31-year-old Megan Davis told NPR. “People who suck still are in office, so it doesn’t make a difference.” Americans with similar viewpoints as Davis are why voter participation has been declining. Despite these declines, there is still hope for the power of the voting system. Recent studies from The Associated Press, paired with polls in USA Today, have shown that increasing numbers of young adults are registering to vote. Such studies disprove the popular theory that younger generations do not care enough to vote, or that their votes do not matter. These studies also indicate that young adults, a demographic to which FSC students belong, are becoming the most diverse group of voters in the country. A Pew Research Center study shows that only 52.1 percent of the younger generation is non-hispanic white, which is a narrow margin majority.

Along with racial and ethnic diversity, the younger generations also have more financial diversity. They also reflect more diverse living and work situations. About 65 percent of these young adults grew up in a household with two married parents, and only 58 percent of today’s younger generations are currently employed. This means that in a time of split party policies and shifting demographics, the diversity of the young adult vote will be more beneficial than ever in deciding the outcome of the coming elections. For that reason, students are encouraged to keep informed about the coming election so that when the time comes to vote in November 2020, they have a full understanding of the election and all the candidates at play. For now, U.S. citizens are still waiting to hear the extent of who all will be taking part in the next presidential election. Students can stay informed by keeping up with updates published in the Southern, as well as by looking at various news media sites such as The New York Times and The Associated Press.

3 The Southern JANUARY 18, 2019

New Year’s resolutions: past and present Abby McHenry Features Editor

Each year, millions of people around the world make a New Year’s resolution, or a promise to themselves to reach a particular goal in the new year. According to Reader’s Digest, some of the top New Year’s resolutions include losing weight, saving more money, traveling more, and spending more time with family and friends. A study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, a scientific journal, found that participants thought both enjoyment and importance are notable factors in whether they stick to their resolutions. The researchers found the enjoyment aspect to be the main reason people would stick with their goals. If they felt instant gratification and felt they got rewarded from their resolution they would stick with it. Lifestyle coach Erin Falconer, in her book “How to Get Sh*t Done”, says to avoid using the word “should” because it can be associated with shame, guilt, and an “absence of decision”. Non-committal words can lead people away from their goals. Harvard University researcher Teresa Amabile discovered that progress is the greatest motivator in achieving a goal. Our culture today promotes buying things to reward ourselves, but research has found that getting multiple tasks done in a day is more rewarding. Amabile also said it is okay to reward yourself, but make sure to do it in a healthy way, giving the example of not rewarding yourself with a drunken night out. The researcher gives the healthy examples of spending quality time with a friend, or investing in a fitness class. New Year’s resolutions help many people to begin a positive new chapter in their lives and can encourage productivity year-round. Freshman Mara Benton found a quote online which she ‘fell in love’ with, and

Relaunch!, held at the beginning of the spring academic semester, hosts clubs and organizations that can promote their group to the student body. The event, put together by the Student Government Association (SGA), brought in approximately 640 students this year according to SGA president, senior Natalie Barton. Blastoff, held at the beginning of the academic year brought in approximately 1,429 students. Although Relaunch! normally brings in less students than Blastoff each year, clubs and organizations gain more members through Relaunch!, according to junior Arjeet Tipirneni, Executive Vice President of SGA. Tipirneni estimates that about $500 was spent on Relaunch!: $300 was spent on water and catering and $200 for balloons. There are a few additional costs such as student technology workers helping with sound and student photographers. Blastoff included all of this plus a larger amount of clubs, organizations, students, a DJ, as well as outside vendors. Senior CJ Isom, SGA Chief of Staff, said he believes that Relaunch! is worth the money and resources. “If we just took it [Relaunch!] out, and

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Abby Campbell

Journey to West Africa Abby McHenry Features Editor Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

People around the world celebrate the new year with fireworks. she made it her resolution. “My resolution is to ‘withhold myself to a standard of grace, not perfection’,” Benton said. “Too often we tire ourselves out trying to...be perfect rather than learning and growing at our own pace.” New Year festivities have been going on for over 4,000 years and can be traced back to the Babylonians’ records according to The Economist. Their years were based on agricultural seasons, starting with the spring equinox. Akitu was a 12 day festival that honored the renewal of life and marked the start of the agrarian year. During this celebration, people wanted to be in good favor with the gods, so they promised to repay their debts and to return borrowed objects. The Romans and Egyptians participated in a similar ritual, but the Romans however, changed the date on which festivities were held.

The Roman year originally consisted of 10 months, starting with the spring equinox in March until two more months were added in 700BC. In 153 BC, Janus, a mythical king of early Rome, was placed at the head of the calendar. Janus had two faces, and could look back at past and forward to future events. The king became a symbol for resolutions. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar proposed a new calendar where January would mark the beginning of each year. This was also the month that newly elected officials would begin their term and it marked the shift from an agrarian to civil calendar. The term “new year’s resolution” first appeared in a Boston newspaper in 1813, and it is still utilized to this day. According to research by the University of Scranton however, only 8 percent of people achieve their New Year’s goals.

Relaunch! into the spring semester

Abby McHenry Features Editor

FEATURES

we just had Blastoff, we’d miss I want to say half the student body,” Isom said. “There is no way that you’re going to get through every organization that we have on this campus during Blastoff.” Vice President of Student Activities Amy Wallace also agrees that Relaunch! is worthwhile. “Maybe students have not really found their niche and what they thought they would be interested in, or they changed their major after first semester, or they’re just looking to get involved in something new,” Barton said. According to Barton, it’s not only great for current students to get re-connected, but for transfer students have the same opportunity to view all the school’s organizations as well. Relaunch! was first implemented last year, and drew in over 500 students, and the number increased this year. Barton estimates between 70-75 clubs and organizations came to Relaunch, including athletic teams, the Career Center and the Roux Library. Barton was happy with the attendance at Relaunch! and said she would consider anything over 500 a success. Wallace said that the advertising for Relaunch! and Blastoff are a little different due to time of year and who they are being geared towards.

“It’s very hard to advertise an event over [summer and winter] breaks,” Wallace said. “I think Blastoff is advertised more to freshmen by their orientation leaders. That [Blastoff] is a big push for mostly freshmen to attend.” Blastoff takes place in August as freshmen and transfer students are coming in, while Relaunch! is set up as “come see what’s new”. Wallace said that six organizations were added on campus and made their debut at Relaunch! this year. The Student Government members all mentioned that Relaunch! is meant to be a smaller scale event than Blastoff. “We intended for it to be a small event, and so organizations tend to like it because they do get more members even though it’s in the spring,” Tipirneni said. The Executive VP also said that differed recruitment for Greek organizations in the upcoming academic year might change the dynamic of the campus. With recruitment happening in the spring, Relaunch! might turn into a “Blastoff size event”. Tipirneni planned the event and enjoyed getting in touch with the organizations. He got to go through all the registrations on Engage and see what all their activities were and what they planned on doing. The Student Government Association plans on hosting Relaunch! in the years to come.

Sophomore Abby Campbell spent two weeks of her winter break traveling to West Africa with the Biology Department. Campbell traveled to Gambia and Senegal while she conducted research on red colobus monkeys with the department for her Junior Journey. Florida Southern, along with many other colleges and universities, participated in this conservation initiative. The group conducted education programs in local villages and schools and also got the chance to educate themselves about the West African culture. Abby appreciated how family oriented the culture was and noticed that each compound had lots of different generations of family members. Campbell stayed in a hotel in the capital city for two-thirds of the trip and stayed in little villages in the country for the rest of the trip. “It was interesting getting used to sleeping under mosquito nets, but it was a lot of fun,” Campbell said. Her favorite part of the trip was visiting and experiencing the beauty of the Makasutu Culture Forest in Gambia and seeing the animals in their natural habitat. She enjoyed getting to know everyone else traveling with her as well. Traveling to West Africa made Campbell realize how much light pollution there is in the United States. She said she could see the entire night sky, compared to the United States where there are often street lights creating light pollution blocking the view of the sky. Campbell enjoyed and appreciated her trip to West Africa, but she became more aware of the resources that she has access to in the United States. She felt that she learned a lot not only about biology and conservation, but also things that some people in the states take for granted. “On a more serious note, [I learned] how blessed we are to be in the states and how much access to technology and opportunity we have,” Campbell said. Abby misses being able to look up and see all the stars, but is happy to be back home with family and friends. She is currently working on her degree in Psychology and Biology on a predental track and would like to attend dental school after graduating from Florida Southern.

The Southern JANUARY 18, 2019 4

OPINIONS

Catholic student leadership stands with church amid scandal

Peter Edgar Editor-in-Chief

At the beginning of this year, over 200 Catholic bishops from around the nation met at a seminary in Chicago to address the series of testimonies, regarding the sexual abuse of minors by church clergy, that have emerged over the past two decades. In this article, the first of a series of articles regarding the issue, I spoke to officers of Catholic Campus Ministries (CCM) at Florida Southern College. Bailey Predko, a nursing major, and Lucas Blackwell, a criminology and theatre double-major, are both 20-year-old, selfdescribed “cradle Catholics.” “I’ve been a Catholic since I was literally born,” Predko said. “I was in the choir since I was eight; I teach Catholic classes for second-graders.” Predko and Blackwell plan the events for CCM, which celebrates Mass every week. “It’s a sacrament to go to Mass every Sunday,” Predko said, “You have to facilitate that for some people.” They have seen students attend from Southeastern University, Florida Polytechnic University, and Polk State College. CCM is affiliated with and receives funding from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, which casually refer to as St. Jo’s. They have different priests on campus every week, and their attendance has ranged from an average of 10-15 students per week in past years to nearing 35 or 40 recently. “Some parents weekends we even get 90,” Blackwell said. “And Danforth [Chapel] is really small, so it got hot in there fast,” Predko said. Investigations regarding allegations of sexual harassment and assault by members

of the clergy span back at least into the very early 2000s, when the Boston Globe investigative team published a PulitzerPrize winning exposé detailing church leadership misconduct. A movie titled in reference to the newspaper section, “Spotlight,” was released in 2015 to critical acclaim; it won two of six Oscars for which it was nominated. The church’s response to the movie, at least, was positive. The Catholic News Service described it as “hard-hitting” as well as “painfully illuminating,” and Crux, an independent Catholic news outlet, reported that the “Vatican’s official radio outlet [Vatican Radio]… described the movie as ‘honest’ and ‘compelling.’” Predko described her disgust with the ways that some priests have subverted the role of a priest, which, as she described them, are to reflect the roles of Christ, to administer the sacraments, to embody God’s fatherly attributes and to be someone to talk and confess to. “To abuse [those roles] was crazy,” she said. Yet, she doesn’t feel it should be an indictmet of all priests. “My friend’s mom is a marathon runner. She got one of the priests to do marathons with her and she’ll do confession with him on runs.” Blackwell was worried, when he became aware of the problem, that the systematic nature and cover-up of such abuse in some dioceses would become a stereotype used to stoke fear in the readers or viewers of media coverage of the events. He analogized that worry to the situation of many Muslims, who were demonized at large after the events of 9/11. Last year, discussions of clerical abuse were revived when a Pennsylvania grand

jury released an 800-page report that included allegations against over 300 Catholic priests. Less than a month after the report was released in August, Pope Francis published a letter addressed to the entire Catholic Church body. “Looking back to the past, no effort to beg pardon and to seek to repair the harm done will ever be sufficient,” the letter said. “Looking ahead to the future, no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated.” Two weeks ago, when the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) met after New Year’s, Pope Francis wrote them another letter urging them to reach a solution. Traditionally, Papal authority stands as the final word on most issues, but Catholic literature presses in the United States have found fault with the Pope’s statements--and published their criticisms. A writer for The Catholic World Report, which is published by Ignatius Press, felt that his discussion of a need for reconciliation to return the church to a position of credibility was “exactly what led to cover-ups and protection of clerical perpetrators” in the first place. Blackwell and Predko felt that credibility was an individual issue. Blackwell expressed that because of his relationships with his home priest, that he would feel no fear if his 10-year-old were alone with him. “It’s not necessarily the Catholic faith [that is incriminated], it’s the priests,” Predko said. Blackwell felt that the biggest danger to church membership was not the scandals that various dioceses had been wrapped in,

but the number of students who attend college and distance themselves from the faith there. He cited a statistic, that between 7 out of 10 and 9 out of 10 of Catholics attend college and quit attending Mass. Predko argued that change comes from within, not from outside: that leaving a church because you didn’t like a part of it doesn’t make sense. “If you go away from [Catholicism], you can’t help it,” she said. However, Catholic leadership disagrees on the way to fix the problems brought to light over the past 20 years. The Vatican shut down a proposal from the USCCB that suggested the creation of layperson advisory boards to deal with intra-church issues. Blackwell speculated that this was because of the traditional top-down approach to authority in the church. “This kind of makes me question… is this the bureaucracy getting in the way of important change that needs to happen immediately?” “As for the USCCB, I do feel like they’re going to play a very integral role in how we address this problem,” he said. “It is important that instead of waiting for a formalized, ‘Hey, this is the worldwide approach,’ there’s a problem in America right now and it needs to be addressed.” Ultimately, both Blackwell and Predko trust the governance of bishops, cardinals and the Pope, “to make sure that the Catholic Church represents the values that it projects onto us,” Blackwell said. “Sometimes we forget that the main purpose of the Catholic… faith is to love one another,” Predko said. Next issue, look to Opinions for a discussion with Father LaBo of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and other comments by Catholic students at FSC.

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Congratulations to our Mocs on the Move Award Winners! This award recognizes students who make a significant contribution to the life of the academic department or school in which they study.

Fall 2018 Award Winners, with President Anne Kerr, Provost Kyle Fedler and Vice President of Student Development Susan Freeman, enjoyed a reception to honor the winners.

David Balandi Business Administration Malique Bowen Marine Biology Melanie Calhoun Accounting Peter Edgar English Haley Faus Computer Science Zachary Fralish Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Jessie Gulbrandsen Elementary Education Jaimee Haley Theater Arts: Performance George Hambos Music Management Elizabeth Hicks Economics and Finance Sydney Johnson Nursing Carson Mitchell Political Science Danae Moss Exercise Science Emily Ready Psychology Gianna Santucci Studio Art Rebecca Smith Mathematics

5 The Southern JANUARY 18, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT

‘Aquaman’ brings new wave of comic movie

Best of 2018 Best Movie- Eighth Grade Produced by A24, Bo Burnham’s comedy-drama is simultaneously nostalgic and hilariously uncomfortable. The movie offers a realistic take on the most awkward moments of our adolescence, thanks to its spectacular writing and the sweetly authentic performance given by Elsie Fisher.

Best Comic- Action Comics

Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers Entertainment Aquaman has now become one of the highest grossing comic book movies as it has passsed $1 billion worldwide. W James Entertainment Editor When it came to comics, I have always been the person people would go to with questions about their favorite superhero TV show or movie. I remember once in high school I was asked who my favorite superhero was. Everyone meandered like fish lost in a fish bowl until the bell signaled out departure into the next class. I was in the back right corner of the sterile science classroom when my friend asked, “Who is your favorite superhero?” Everyone waited not in suspense but in apathy as they expected an answer along the lines of Iron Man, Batman or perhaps even Captain America. As my pause fell away, I confidently knew who may favorite superhero was. I said “Aquaman”. Now I can share that same love and enthusiasm with millions and millions of fans with his silver screen debut in in Aquaman. Aquaman follows half-human halfAtlantean Arthur Curry (Jason Mamoa), as he is called to stop his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) from invading the surface world. Arthur is reluctant at first but with the help of warrior princess Mera (Amber Heard) and mentor Vulko (William Defoe)

he slowly becomes the hero he is destined to be. While the story is straight forward for a comic book movie has far more heart than most superhero movies competitors. A lot of the heart came in the world they built with Atlantis. Whether it was the different kingdoms of Atlantis or the city vistas that lit the ocean depths, it all felt lived in. I thought the performances were really solid throughout. Mamoa leans into the rocker type of Aquaman we saw in Justice League. However, unlike Justice League, Aquaman has much more time to breath and grow as a character trying to find his place in the world. Mamoa toes the line well between a hokey and nuanced performance. Wilson helps carry this film and brings the best villain performance in a DC Comics movie in quite some time. He is over the top but that feeds well into the lighthearted nature of this comic book movie. Orm’s character arc from calculated to vengeful sibling was well done. Heard was an excellent Mera balancing Mera’s inexperience with Surface world while and her quest to save her fellow Atlanteans from an unnecessary war. Mera also displays quite a bit of empathy compared to her comic counterpart which

I thought was an interesting change for the adaptation. This is a large movie so both Vulko and especially Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) get a bit lost in the shuffle but still make their presences felt when they are on screen. Atlantis wouldn’t have looked as realized if it weren’t for the tremendous VFX this movie pulled off. Any scene underwater mixed elements of the fantastical and the real to paint a tangible story. All the undersea creatures in the film never looked better as giant seahorses and krakens came to life. The VFX worked flawlessly with the cinematography to bring a dynamically shot film. The film never felt static as it moved from one scene to the other. I would be remiss to not mention how well the sound design is within the movie specifically the underwater scenes. There is an echo that comes with being underwater that differentiates it from talking on land which was an added touch to keep the movie feeling grounded. Overall, I loved Aquaman from start to finish. It had a lot of heart and was an well put together movie. Director James Wan created an Aquaman movie made for all. The King of the Seven Seas has arrived not with its wrath but with its wonder.

Action Comics is a must read Superman tale. It is the most accesible the Man of Steel has been in a very long time. We see Clark at his most human trying to balance his life as a reporter and his life as Superman. The villians and supporting cast give layers to Superman albeit nuanced. The art teams is incredible with Ryan Sook, Patrick Gleason and Yanick Paquette all drawing at their A game.

Best Video Game- Red Dead Redemption II I have never seen a character arc in a game more rewarding than Arthur Morgan’s in RDR2. The gameplay is solid, the world feels lived in but the charcter of Arthur Morgan and his outlaw friends was truly what kept me hooked. This game had me feeling emotions I was not expecting. What ever gripes I have about this game are overshowed by the storytelling juggernaut that this game is.

Derrygirls brings the laughs from across the Atlantic to the states Catherine Cervone Contributing Writer

Take a break from “Bird Box” and the new season of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and stream this new Netflix series: “Derry Girls”. The first season of this comedy show actually aired in the United Kingdom before it made its way to America. It debuted on Jan. 4, 2018, but was renewed for a second season before the second episode had even been shown on television. The show was released on Netflix on Dec. 12, 2018, where it immediately popped up on my homepage. After watching the trailer, I knew I had to watch it. The show follows a group of four girls, all 16-years-old, in Northern Ireland during 1992, a time of turmoil in the country. However, these girls have bigger issues, like one of the girls’ English cousins

moving in and becoming an exchange student at the all-girls Catholic school they attend, or the five of them accidentally setting a house on fire. The show scored a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from verified critics. Of the girls, Erin is the quirky, sarcastic, leader. When watching this show with my friend, Ava Zisman, she had pegged me as Erin within the first few minutes into the episode. Erin is always trying to impress boys and challenge the status quo. She wants to be a writer, and takes a stance at the end of the season by going against direction and publishing an article in the school magazine about a girl being gay. Clare is chubby, constantly nervous she’s going to fail a test, and always drinking energy drinks to stay awake. Zisman said she identifies with this girl. “We’re both high-strung caffeine addicts,” Zisman said. Then there’s Orla, Erin’s crazy cousin,

and Michelle, who is immediately getting in trouble the first day of the new school year for bullying a younger student on the bus. James, Michelle’s cousin, joins them for the year, as he could not attend the boy’s school in town on account of his English accent, which sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the Irish girls. They were afraid he’d be bullied. The Lisa Mcgee show’s humor is quite unique. It is sometimes dark, sometimes light and witty, but it’s all extremely fastpaced comedy. Zisman and I raced through the whole first season in one sitting, though, to be fair, it only contains six half-hour episodes. The characters, beautifully acted by the cast, jump off the screen with their ambition and boldness, which sometimes gets them into sticky situations. Though the kids all look to be at varying stages of puberty, they are all in their mid20s. The only exception is Clare; though

she looks the youngest, she’s actually the oldest, having just celebrated her 32nd birthday. I would compare this show to any sitcom type show like “Parks and Recreation” or “Friends,” but the location and situation are so different that I find it hard to put them side-by-side. Zisman, a senior political science major, said she loved how the show takes place in 1990s Northern Ireland because it brings all elements of the separatist movement together into the show, which is a major part of the UK’s history. The show reminds me of a big kid’s version of “High School Musical,” but rated for a mature audience and with no singing. I hope this show sweeps Netflix by storm. The humor is easy to connect to and will keep you rolling with laughter. So next time you’re taking a break from studying, make sure to give “Derry Girls” a watch.

The Southern JANUARY 18, 2019

SPORTS

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Athletic Director Pete Meyer to step down Drew Howard named as the Interim Director of Athletics Reems Landreth Online Editor

The Florida Southern College Athletic Department has announced that Director of Athletics Pete Meyer will step down on Feb. 24, 2019, according to a press release by the college. Meyer has been the Director of Athletics and Dean of Wellness since 2008. He previously served as assistant athletic director, head baseball coach and assistant baseball coach. Drew Howard, the Senior Associate Athletic Director of Internal Operations has been named the Interim Director of Athletics and will begin work on Feb. 1 as Florida Southern College will conduct a national search for its next athletic director. “Drew Howard is a rising star in the NCAA Division II,” Meyer said. His knowledge of Florida Southern and college athletics will be a huge asset in his new role as the Interim AD.” During Meyer’s tenure, Florida Southern won four NCAA Division II National Championships, 12 individual NCAA Division II National Championships and 33 SSC Championships. “All the credit goes to the coaches and student-athletes for the victories and awards,” Meyer said in the press release. Under Meyer, Florida Southern Athletics saw NCAA postseason play 97 times while capturing six national runnerup finishes. The Moccasins won three SSC Scholar Athlete of the Year and seven NCAA Elite 90 awards under Meyer while

Photo courtesy of Mikaela Queen / Florida Southern Athletics

Photo courtesy of Florida Southern Athletics Soon to be former Atheltic Direcor Pete Meyer gives a thumbs up to the crowd during a speech at an FSC Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Event. posting a department-wide cumulative GPA of 3.42 (2017-2018). When he was its coach, Meyer’s 2005 team claimed the NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship and advanced to five other NCAA tournaments. Meyer was also named the 2005 National, Regional, SSC and Florida Diamond Club Coach of the Year. He coached eight all-

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American students, more than 20 all-South Region selections, and more than 40 allSSC honorees. “I feel very lucky to have been a part of such an amazing group of individuals,” Meyer said. “I will miss the relationships and the success, but when I leave I will always be a Moc! Thank you for the memories! Go Mocs!!”

Swimming update Andrew Pawling Sports Editor

The Florida Southern men’s and women’s swimming programs will be hostong their senior day meet today at 3 p.m. at the Hollis Wellness Center pool. “For me it’s (senior day) about having fun and enjoying it with my fellow seniors as it’ll be my last home meet at Florida Southern,” senior Krystal Karas said. On Jan. 12, the men’s and women’s swim teams both took close losses at Nova Southeastern University. The men lost 132-130 despite being ranked ahead of the sharks heading into their meet. For the Mocs, Matias Lopez picked up individual wins in the 200-backstroke and 20-IM race while All-American hopeful Matthew Holmes finished first in the 200 and 500-freestroke events. Lopez credits the closeness of the match to the team’s improved attitude from last season claiming that they have a new atmosphere as a group which has helped in individual and group events. The women’s team did not fare as well as the men’s in the meet against Nova, losing by a final of 200-62. The Sharks, who are ranked ninth, defeated the 17th ranked Mocs. Katie Moore picked up a win in the 1,000-freestyle event with a time of 10:34.81, a near seven second lead over the second-place contestant. For Moore this was her fourth win of the season in that event. Moore called the meet a “learning experience” for herself personally after losing the 200-freestyle by half a second which immediately followed her victory in the 1,000.

Jonathan Lawton lines up at the free throw line for the Mocs during a home game in Decemeber of 2018. Lawton recently scored his 1,000 career point as a Moc and has averaged more than 20 points per game through the 2018-2019 season. Mikaela Queen Staff Writer Jonathan Lawton, a 6’2” guard from Williamstown, N.J., is a part of the the Moccasins starting five. Since transferring in after his sophomore year at St. Thomas Aquinas, Lawton has played a vital role on the Mocs offense. During the 207-2018 season, his first as a Moc, Lawton was named team MVP after averaging 22.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists over the teams 32 games. In those 32 games he scored 20 points or more on 22 seperate occasions. This season he averages 21.9 points a game, has had 41 turnovers and 23 steals. He totaled 42 points against Lynn to elevate an overtime victory. His 22 points scored against Palm Beach Atlantic lead him to be the 43rd player in school history to score 1,000 career points. Lawton said his pregame routine starts about two hours before the game. His only ritual is to put his gear on the same way and listen to music. “I just put my music on and listen to a lot of Meek Mill, and get myself together,” Lawton said. After not liking his previous school, Lawton transferred to Florida Southern to get a fresh start and grow as a player. After college, he wants to find the best opportunity to play professional basketball either over seas or in the states. The senior majors in Business Administration and one day hopes to start his own business. The Mocs are home this Wednesday as they take on Saint Leo University at 7:30 p.m. in Jenkins Field House.

Get to know Jon: “My favorite color is blue. If I could be any animal I would be a leopard. They are stealthy, very quite but they’re killers. My favorite food is pasta, alfredo, I really like pasta.”

7 The Southern JANUARY 18, 2019

SPORTS

At the half: How the Mocs look for the remainder of the season Reems Landreth Online Editor MEN’S BASKETBALL The No. 22 Florida Southern College men’s basketball team started the 20182019 season with the best start (12-3) since the 36-1 season set by the 2014-2015 National Championship team. After losing their pre-season exhibition matchup against the University of Florida, the Mocs rebounded, winning nine of their opening 10 matchups. Southern faltered on their first Sunshine Stave Conference road trip as they fell to No. 5 Nova Southeastern and Florida Tech in back-to-back contests. The Mocs righted the ship as they are currently on a three game win streak featuring an overtime win against Lynn and back-to-back 14 point road victories over Palm Beach Atlantic and Barry. Florida Southern is currently 12-3 on the season and tied for third in the SSC with a 5-2 record. The Mocs only conference losses are to NSU and Florida Tech, who currently rank first and tenth in the conference, respectively. Southern is averaging almost 80 points per game over the first half of the season highlighted by a season-high 99 point victory over Lindenwood on Dec. 15. As senior Jonathon Lawton eclipses the halfway mark of his second and final season season in a Moccasin uniform, he continues to lead Southern in the scoring tally. During this current season, Lawton has increased his scoring percentage across the board by an average of 4.2 percent compared to last season. Lawton became the 43rd player in school history to record at least 1,000 career points at Florida Southern. His 1,000th point came during the first half of the contest against Palm Beach Atlantic in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Jan. 9. He currently ranks 17th in career scoring and fourth in three pointers made (252) among all active NCAA Division II players. Junior Brett Hanson has moved into the 1,000 point club as the 42nd play in history, and currently sits in the top of 20 all time. He needs just over 200 points to move into the all-time top 10 and is on pace to finish his career at Southern with over 1,800 career points.

As the Mocs head into the second half of the season, Southern is faced with a slate of conference foes including powerhouses Nova Southeastern and Lynn, rivals Tampa and Rollins, and the NCAA Division II Showcase matchup against Eckerd, which will be aired on ESPN 3. Florida Southern will take on the University of Tampa in Tampa on Jan. 30 before coming home to take on No. 4 Nova Southeastern on Feb. 2. The Mocs will also take on No. 21 Lynn on Feb. 16 in Boca Raton, Fla. before heading to St. Petersburg, Fla. to take on Eckerd on Feb. 20. Southern will end the regular season against Rollins on March 2 in Jenkins Field House. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL The No. 15 Florida Southern College women’s basketball team started the 20182019 season with the best start (14-1) since the 2015-2016 team who also recorded a 14-1 start. That team recorded a 27-6 season and advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight where they eventually lost to Lubbock Christian University. The women stormed out of the gates to a 3-0 start of the season, including a 116-48 win over Puerto Rico-Mayaguez before dropping their first and only loss of the season to date against Le Moyne University at the Eckerd Thanksgiving Classic. Since then, the Mocs have gone on an 11 game win streak, including 7 straight conference wins, to record the best record in the Sunshine State Conference. Southern set four school records in the win over Puerto Rico-Mayaguez including most points in a half (75), previously set at 66 in a 1978 contest vs. Eckerd. The Mocs also set a record for most points in a quarter (40), most made three-pointers (17), and most points (116). Senior Camille Giardina has taken a small step back this season, shooting just 17.5 points per game compared to 20172018 where she averaged nearly 20 per game (19.9). On the other hand, Giardina has increased her assists per game and rebounds per game by nearly 50 percent each. Senior Anja Fuchs-Robetin started off the season slowly, scoring an average

Photo by Reems Landreth Brett Hanson dribbles down the court during a the Mocs 90-84 win versus Merrimack College back on Nov. 23. Hanson scored a career-high 30 points in the contest, including the 1,000th of his FSC career. of 12.1 points per game over her first 7 games. Fuchs-Robetin turned her season around just before the winter break as she put up 22 in a Dec. 17 win over Saginaw Valley State. Since this turnaround, she has scored an average of 22.6 points per game, including a season high 30 points at Palm Beach Atlantic on Jan. 9. Freshman Mackenzie Steele has started off the season shooting nearly 10 points per game, including recording seven doubledigit performances, highlighted by a career high 21 points on Nov. 24 against Daemen College. As the Mocs head into the second half of the season, Southern is faced with a slate

of conference foes including a two-loss Lynn squad, Nova Southeastern and Lynn, rivals Tampa and Rollins, and the NCAA Division II Showcase matchup against Eckerd, which will be aired on ESPN 3. Florida Southern will take the University of Tampa in Tampa on Jan. 30 before coming home to take on two-loss Lynn University on Feb. 16 in Boca Raton, Fla.. The Mocs will then head to St. Petersburg, Fla. to take on Eckerd College on Feb. 20 before ending the regular season against Rollins College on March 2 in Jenkins Field House.

NEXT UP M/W Swimming 1.18 vs Indian River State

M/W Basketball 1.19 at Rollins College

1.23 vs Saint Leo University 1.30 at University of Tampa

M/W Track Photo by Reems Landreth Camille Giardina drives towards the basket in a Mocs win versus Bluefield State back on Dec. 13. The Mocs would win that game by a final of 93-41. Giardina scored 19 points coming off the bench in 19 minutes of play while shooting 6-12 from the field.

1.19 at Daytona Beach

The Southern JANUARY 18, 2019

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