February 25, 2022

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The Student Voice of Florida Southern College

Friday, February 25, 2022

VOL. 138, NO. 10

‘07 graduate, Senate candidate speaks at Florida Southern Salvatore Ambrosino Features Editor On Feb. 21, with softball batting practice dinging in the background, Allen Ellison, ‘07, spoke to a small group of FSC students in Babcock Garden.

Ellison was introduced by Vanessa Beckham, the director of the Simmons Center.

The Hardee county native returns to his alma mater as one of six democratic candidates running to unseat Senator Marco Rubio in the 2022 midterm elections.

Ellison won the special election when congressional candidate April Freeman died in 2018.

“I put my name in the hat to run for the United States House of Representatives

“

Photo by Salvatore Ambrosino Allen Ellison speaking to FSC students on Mr. George’s Green.

For me, that sent the idea that if we work hard enough, we can reach anyone, and we can pull anyone over to our side.

“

-Allen Ellison FSC alumnus, Senate candiate

with only 30 days to campaign, because she passed away 30 days before the general election,” Ellison said. “I won the special election against three other contenders, leaving me 28 days against a 3-term state senator, who had already been campaigning for a year, and raised over a million dollars for his campaign.”

Ellison secured 117,000 of 310,000 votes in the month he campaigned and raised $10,440—just enough money for his name to appear on the ballot. In the

general election he lost to Greg Stuebe, who remains in the seat.

Ellison says this sends a clear message about his electability.

Ellison filed for the 2022 senate race in December 2020, adopting the twitter hashtag “#RetireRubio.” He’s been on the campaign trail for a year and a half, and statistically has been the most engaging candidate so far.

“For me, that sent the idea that if we work hard enough, we can reach anyone,

and we can pull anyone over to our side,” Ellison said. “We have to be working to improve the quality of life for everyone.”

Among Ellison’s priorities are equal pay across sexes and races, universal basic income, universal access to healthcare and criminal justice reform, including the abolition of the death penalty.

Ellison owns a hair salon and says he is an advocate for small businesses.

“We teach this country to go to school, get a good education so you can get a job,” Ellison said. “What we should be telling people is ‘go to school, get a good education, and go out and start a business.’”

He is also a supporter for the expansion of general education to include trade skills.

“We need to definitely enhance our educational system because the average American does not have a trade,” Ellison said. “I have a degree in political science, but I also have a trade that I can always fall back on.”

Ellison runs for senate largely in the shadow of U.S. Representative and former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings, who has shown in early polls far more likely to be the breakout candidate in the November election.

A Feb. 16 Mason-Dixon poll projected 49 percent of the vote to Rubio and 42 percent to Demings, with 9 percent of projected voters being undecided.

Child of the Sun Lecture Series returns after two years Salvatore Ambrosino Features Editor After two years hiatus, Child of the Sun, the distinguished lecture series at Florida Southern College, returns.

The series debuted in 2016 and has hosted notable speakers such as former White House press secretary Josh Earnest and world-renowned civil rights poet Nikki Giovanni.

The event held three speakers annually until the Spring semester of 2020, when the normal activities of the college were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There were three speakers scheduled for the 2020 series, but only Rebecca Skloot gave her lecture that year. The speakers in that series were canceled,” Dean of Fine Arts Sara Harding said.

The series did not run at all in 2021 due to further complications with COVID-19.

However, in October of 2021, a faculty committee planned for the series to begin

exploring the theme of the next installment, called “Understanding One Another: Storytelling and the Human Experience.”

This installment would be what revived the series in February 2022 with critically acclaimed photographer John Pinderhughes, whose lecture was called “A Photographic Journey.”

His artwork was on display at the Polk Museum of Art during the week of his lecture.

“Not too long after [October], Dr. Alexander Rich and I were talking about John Pinderhughes’ show at the PMA and thought he would be the perfect speaker for this year’s Child of the Sun theme,” Harding said. “His talk in February was not only about the story of his amazing work, both artistic and commercial, but also the stories of his life behind the lens.”

In the midst of fairly random COVID-19 surges in Florida, the committee is looking to secure a second speaker for this year’s distinguished speaker theme.

Untitled, Sanitation Worker, Archival Pigment Print, from the Harlem Portraits series.

TD Bank Business Contest

Henley Field

Yik Yak Promotes Toxicity?

TD Bank has partnered with FSC to offer $10,000 to the best business idea.

The history of Henley Field and Lakeland’s baseball legacy.

Is Yik Yak fostering gossip and toxic effects on our campus?

NEWS - PAGE 2

CENTER - PAGES 4-5

OPINIONS - PAGE 7

‘A God Thing’ Podcast FSC Theatre’s ‘Godspell’ ENTERTAINMENT - PAGE 6

SOCIAL MEDIA

“However, planning has been a challenge in the midst of Covid surges and variants along with the uncertainty that they bring.”

Harding said. “Either way, planning for the 2023 installment of the series will begin in

May.” Currently, there has been no announcement as to who the next speaker might be.

“We are looking forward with possibility,” Harding said.

Photo by John Pinderhughes, courtesy of Polk Museum of Art press release

Service Dog Owner

An FSC student is running a podcast to help Kenzie Carlson talks about her service dog, Atlas. others build faith on campus.

PAGE 3 FEATURES - PAGE 3

@fscsouthern

MLB Lockout Effects The MLB lockout hits close to home since Lakeland is a Spring training location.

www.fscsouthern.com

SPORTS - PAGE 8

fscsouthern@gmail.com

The Southern FEBRUARY 25, 2022

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NEWS BRIEFS Mardi Gras Watch Party On March 3, the FSC chapter of the Jazz Education Network will be hosting a Mardi Gras watch party on the Annie Pfieffer lawn. The event will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. and feature an hour of New Orleans Jazz. There will also be a costume contest with two $25 Visa gift cards as a reward for having the best Mardi Gras themed costume.

Student Nurse Association Drive The FSC Student Nurse Association will be hosting a hygiene drive for students at Crystal Lake Elementary School. From Feb. 21 to Feb. 25, bins will be placed across campus to collect donations of hygiene products like shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste and also ethnic hair products to help students at the school who need them.

TD Bank hosts business competition with FSC Ariel Molinaro Staff Writer The Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship has partnered with TD Bank to develop a competition.

TD Bank Business Plan Competition provides an opportunity for students to gain first-hand entrepreneurship skills and the potential to win seed capital funding to make their business idea a reality.

Florida Southern’s inaugural TD Bank Business Plan Competition invites students to submit their unique ideas for a startup company for the chance to win $10,000 in seed capital to launch their business.

Startups must be majority-owned (50 percent or more) by a current FSC student to be eligible to compete. Applications are due March 4.

The competition is open to all current undergraduate or graduate students at Florida Southern, regardless of major declaration.

“We focus all our programs to be interdisciplinary here at the Center for Free Enterprise & Entrepreneurship,” Justin Heacock, Director of CFEE and Entrepreneur-In-Residence, said. “The great thing about Entrepreneurship is [that] it’s a complementary skill set to any major here at FSC.

Photo by Ariel Molinaro

Center for Free Enterprise has partnered with TD Bank.

Our goal is to provide an avenue of execution for anyone who is looking to make a difference in their field.”

The introduction of a Florida Southernexclusive competition that is endorsed by a nationally recognized corporate title sponsor embraces the college’s engaged learning programs. Engaged learning aims to apply academic concepts to the realworld nature of an industry.

This is the first such competition FSC has presented that offers real capital funding.

“A partnership of this size for a business

plan competition is very important to FSC and our student body,” Heacock said.

“This partnership allows us to create a new layer of experiential education where our students can learn outside the classroom through pursuing their own startup [and it] allows entrepreneurship to go beyond just being theoretical.”

Interested students can contact Heacock at jheacock@flsouthern.edu for specific information covered during the Feb. 2 competition information session or for further innovation support.

Behind-the-scenes look at campus safety operations The Festival of Fine Arts will be hosting a chamber singers Spring concert on March 1, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event will take place at the Branscomb Auditorium and will feature choir music that spans across many centuries and many themes. Admission is free to students.

Recycled Paper Making On Feb. 25 from 4 to 6 p.m., the FSC American Chemical Society and Gamma Sigma Epsilon will be hosting an event on how to make recycled paper. The event will take place in the Polk Science Building room 155 and teach participants how to take used paper and recycle it into new paper.

Glow Climb at the HWC Rock Wall The Hollis Wellness Center will be hosting its first Glow Climb event at the rock wall on Feb. 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. The event will involve black lights and ultraviolet reactive tape to create a unique experience climbing the rock wall.

Jessica Stalter Staff Writer Campus Safety has a large part in keeping Florida Southern running effectively and functioning safely.

They are most commonly seen transporting students on their golf carts, but they are also in charge of buildings and events, managing threats to students and posting crime reports.

“We do a ton of different things,” Directory of Campus Safety and Security Eric Rauch said. “Our first shift, our seven to three shift is responsible for all the unlocking. They give a ton of rides by golf carts to students.”

The second shift operates differently, Rauch explains.

“They’re giving rides back and forth, but then they get to the security of basketball games, concerts, comedian shows and buses coming and going. Then as it starts to get dark, they’re responsible for locking all the classrooms. And then overnight shift, they’re responsible for patrolling everything, making sure that students have rides back and forth.”

“

We report everything that’s reported to us. We do not try to ever cover anything up.

“

Festival of Fine Arts: Poetry in Song

-Eric Rauch Director of Campus Safety and Security

Aside from all of these daily duties, safety is responsible for responding to crimes reported throughout campus in a timely manner.

Through a call to the safety office or the click of a button in the Stanley Guard safety app, students will get a rapid

Photo by Jessica Stalter

Director of Campus Safety and Security Eric Rauch, pictured above. response to their concern, sometimes even in under a minute.

Through their partnership with the Lakeland Police Department, campus safety has caught and arrested multiple trespassers before they could cause a problem.

“If somebody wanders on campus, it’s glaringly apparent if they don’t belong,” Rauch said. “So we haven’t really had a problem picking them off and keeping the campus ultra safe.”

One resource the Safety Office consistently updates is the daily crime reports.

Students can request to see these at any time in the safety office or through emailed requests.

These reports show what safety responds to on a day to day basis including injuries, drug and alcohol usage and trespassing or other danger.

“It shows the data report, time, the general area classification, and a little brief synopsis of what’s in there,” Rauch said. “Every college is mandated by law to keep this, so it’s completely transparent.

We report everything that’s reported to us.

We do not try to ever cover anything up.”

In the future Rauch and the rest of the safety office are looking to increase their presence among the students through platforms such as Instagram to further open up dialogue between the Safety Office and the students they serve, and post resources such as the crime reports so students can stay informed.

“This campus has never been safer than this right now,” Rauch said. “We’ve added around the clock police coverage, we added our phone safety app that we have free of charge. And as we’re explaining this to our student body, they’re seeing the value of it. But for some reason we still have this perception out there that this is not a safe campus.”

To combat this, safety is hoping to encourage student dialogue and increase the number of students reaching out when they feel unsafe, whether from simply walking outside at night or from outside trespassers and threats.

“If there is something wrong, we want our students to adopt a ‘see something, say something,’ [approach] and they’re getting a ton better at it,” Rauch said.

3 The Southern FEBRUARY 25, 2022

FEATURES Students share faith testimonies on ‘A God Thing’ podcast Staff Writer FSC freshman Lauren Schreader created her own podcast “A God Thing,” which revolves around special guests and their testimonies of faith.

Schreader had always been going through the motions with her faith growing up, but her real journey with God began in 2018 at the Houston ELCA Gathering.

“I really understood and wrapped my head around God and what it means to walk in a relationship with him,” Schreader said. “Since then I’ve been on two mission trips and my last one to Bayou La Batre, Alabama this past summer was when I got saved.”

After the Houston ELCA Gathering, Schreader discovered how interesting it is to hear about other people’s stories and how they were saved because no two stories are the same.

“I think that’s where the passion stemmed from, and I absolutely love listening to people talk about the different ways God has changed, saved, and shaped them,” Schreader said.

It all started about a year ago with Schreader writing a testimonial book, but when she got to college she found that there was an opportunity to start a podcast.

She thought that a podcast might reach more people than the book would. So, she put the book on hold and decided to start the podcast.

“The bread and butter of the podcast is faith testimonies,” Schreader said. “I’m a firm believer in that no two testimonies are the same and everyone’s got a testimony that can help someone else out and move

mountains for others.”

She felt this podcast was needed at FSC because college is the time when everyone is truly alone and independent for the first time.

Students can struggle with staying in touch with their faith and become isolated from it.

“We don’t have parents holding us accountable anymore or watching us closely, it can be easy to fall into unhealthy habits and patterns,” Schreader said. “I think a podcast like this is important at FSC because it’s another outlet for faith to spark and another sense of community among ministry and faith through others testimonies.”

“

I really understood and wrapped my head around God and what it means to walk in a relationship with him.

-Lauren Schreader Creator of podcast

“

Dylan Olive

Schreader had lots of support starting up “A God Thing,” and the initial concept for it and the name of the podcast came very quickly.

Numerous times people have told her she should start a podcast for the sole purpose that she has “the podcaster’s voice.”

There were a few challenges with

Photo by Salvatore Ambrosino

Lauren Schreader hosts Tommy Anderson on Feb. 22 on ‘A God Thing.’

Schreader tries to host new guests every week. starting up her podcast, but it all ended up working in her favor.

“The initial start-up was challenging but not in terms of the actuality of it, the challenge came in the studio,” Schreader said. “There were issues with the Multitrack recording so the launch was pushed back longer than anticipated, it worked out better though because it gave me more time to brainstorm and plan.”

Currently, Schreader is seeking out people to be on the podcast. She has a form for people to fill out if they are interested in sharing their testimonials. In the future, she hopes she can just refer to that form for people she can include on her podcast.

New episodes are recorded every Wednesday and are then released that same day on Spotify and Anchor. Schreader plans on moving to more platforms in the future.

Schreader is unsure of what her future plans are with the podcast, but she does expect it to change and evolve in the future.

Later on, she plans to minister in her future while also helping others grow their own faith.

“I think sharing testimonies is vital to one’s walk with faith so I’m hoping it can inspire anyone who listens and to embrace their dark times and seasons,” Schreader said.

Service dogs are important to make life easier for handler Vanessa Hart Staff Writer As her morning alarm blares, Kenzie Carlson wakes up.

Atlas is already staring at her from his crate. Atlas is a Poodle and Carlson’s service dog.

Before she departs her dorm for her first class at 9 a.m. she dresses Atlas in his vest, which serves as his cue that it’s time to work. As they head to the morning shuttle, Carlson walks with confidence thanks to the physical support Atlas provides.

“

Understand that when Atlas is vested, he is working for me, but he is not a robot.

“

-Kenzie Carlson FSC senior

Atlas is one of several service dogs on campus. Atlas serves as a mobility device for Carlson, and must stay with her at all times. He attends classes with her and is allowed on all areas of campus, even cafeterias. Whether in the middle of a lecture or heading to the library, Atlas must be ready to perform his tasks at a

moment’s notice.

Service animals are defined as animals who help their handler mitigate a disability. These animals are classified as medical equipment and are necessary for their handlers to have more independence.

Some students at Florida Southern College are service dog handlers, and it’s important for other students to recognize the importance and impact of these animals.

As she eats her lunch at an outside table, Atlas is allowed some time to stretch his legs and take a break. Carlson not only keeps an eye on him, but also watches for other dogs on campus.

“Understand that when Atlas is vested, he is working for me, but he is not a robot,” Carlson said. “Even if he makes a mistake he is still a legitimate service dog.”

For a student to bring a service animal on campus, they must first receive permission from the Office of Disability Services, led by Dr. Marcie Pospichal. The Office is allowed to ask two questions, per ADA guidelines: Is the animal needed because of a disability? What tasks does the animal perform for their handler?

No specific documentation from any organization or trainer is required.

“We don’t ask for any sort of documentation regarding disability.

Sometimes students will volunteer that information. We don’t ask for a diagnosis,” Pospichal explained.

Once an animal is confirmed to be a legitimate service animal, vaccination

Photo by Kenzie Carlson

Atlas is Kenzie Carlson’s service dog. history and state license history are required. This license is not specific to service animals but applies to a state license collar tag issued to all animals.

A picture of the animal is sent to all faculty, particularly the student’s professors, so they know the dog is allowed to be with the student at all times.

If the student lives in a residence with roommates, all roommates must agree to live with the animal.

The handler is responsible for reaching out to a trainer to correct the behavior

or correct the behavior themselves, either through training or further accommodations. Biting is the only behavior that would result in immediate dismissal of the animal.

Carlson says that she has had no issues with professors, other faculty or roommates.

Her biggest concern involves keeping herself and Atlas safe when it comes to other dogs on campus.

Some other service dog teams or Emotional Support Animals (ESA) have become too excited or aggressive when passing by, which puts both the handler and animal at risk.

“I feel safe about seventy-five percent of the time,” Carlson admitted. She explained that most ESAs and service dog teams are perfectly fine-it is the outliers that are cause for her concern.

Emotional Support Animals provide comfort to their owners but do not perform any specific task to help their handler.

They do not have access to all areas of campus, and are only allowed in residence halls.Whether a service dog or ESA it is the handler’s responsibility to keep them well behaved and under control.

Upon returning to Carlson‘s apartment, Atlas is fed dinner and then given time to play with toys and ask for belly rubs-in short, his working day is over and he is about the opportunity to spend time with his owner just like any other dog.

“These animals are miracles. They give people access to their complete educational experience,” Pospichal said.

4 The Southern FEBRUARY 25, 2022

CENTER

Henley Field

Photo courtesy of Florida Southern McKay Archinves Center

Photo by Emma Poole

Photo by Emma Poole

Photo by Emma Poole

Florida Southern’s stadium: a baseball legacy Emma Poole The Southern Editor

An ascending ramp leads fans directly into the action. To the left is a plaque acknowledging the contributions and support of Clare “Doc” Henley to the prominence of baseball in Lakeland. To the right is a board displaying the starting lineup for the Florida Southern Mocs. Straight ahead is wide open sky, the scoreboard, and the diamond: Welcome to Henley Field.

It all started with a dream.

In 1923, the Cleveland Indians spent their first spring training season in Lakeland. This gave Lakeland Baseball Club president Clare “Doc” Henley an idea: to build a baseball stadium in Lakeland. He had already convinced the city of Lakeland to buy 70 acres of land from Dr. Pike Adair - land that would be developed into an athletic complex. Little did anyone know what Henley’s goal would evolve into.

Regarded as one of the longest standing partnerships between a spring training city and a Major League Baseball team, in 1934, the Detroit Tigers first called Henley Field their home for spring training. Since then, Henley Field has hosted the likes of Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Al Kaline.

A century after Clare Henley first approached a team about training in Lakeland, the baseball culture in the city is stronger than ever.

When the Cleveland Indians first trained in Lakeland, they did so at Adair Field.

But in 1925, something would happen that would change the course of history for the city of Lakeland and baseball. On March 17, 1925, a new complex was dedicated: Athletic Park.

For its time, the baseball stadium was nothing short of remarkable. With its ample field space and seating for 1,000 fans, Athletic Park was all that Lakeland’s baseball fans could have dreamed of. But the Indians’ time with Athletic Park wouldn’t last for long.

In 1927, as game attendance dwindled to around 100 people per game, the Cleveland Indians packed up and left Lakeland, leaving the city with a baseballsized hole in its economy and culture. Thankfully, this deficit would not last for long.

In 1933, Clare Henley had another idea: approaching the Detroit Tigers to see if they would want to move their spring training to Lakeland. They said yes, and the rest is history.

Spring 1934 was the first time the Tigers trained at Athletic Park, and this partnership would prove to withstand the tests of time. From 1934 until 1966, the Tigers called Athletic Park their home, but on March 29, 1942, the stadium got a new name: Henley Field.

No doubt, Henley’s contributions to the presence of baseball in Lakeland were major, thus making him the perfect candidate to dedicate the field in honor

5 The Southern FEBRUARY 25, 2022

CENTER of. The Tigers’ new spring training site would bear the name of a Lakeland Parks and Recreation icon Marcus “Joker” Marchant.

Henley Field isn’t only iconic to the residents of Lakeland.

In 1987, the field was the home ballpark of the fictional Tampico Stogies in the HBO film Long Gone. Ten years later, on May 23, 1997, Henley Field was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

During the years between 1966 and 2002, Henley field was used by Florida Southern College’s baseball team and the Lakeland Flying Tigers as the site of their games. But when Marchant Stadium underwent renovations in 2002, Henley Field was the recipient

of some upgrades to make it a suitable site for the Tigers to use until Marchant was ready to welcome the players and fans again.

Thirteen years later, in 2015, Florida Southern College officially acquired historic Henley Field, and to this day, the Mocs call the stadium home during baseball season.

From Doc Henley’s dream of bringing baseball to Lakeland grew a lasting partnership and a rich legacy that is arguably one of the most colorful and significant spring training relationships in Major League Baseball history. Eighty-eight years into the Tigers’ love story with the city, Lakeland’s pastime is here to stay.

Photos courtesy of Detroit Tigers photo collection at the Lakeland History and Culture Center

ROCKY COLAVITO played most notably for the Cleveland Indians, but he is remembered for his 1960 trade to the Tigers for Harvey Kuenn.

NORM CASH was second on the Tigers' all-time home run list, trailing only Al Kaline.

AL KALINE played his entire Major League career for the Detroit Tigers - a total of 22 seasons. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980.

TY COBB was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, and some of the records he set during his 22 years with the Tigers still stand today.

The Southern FEBRUARY 25, 2022

6

ENTERTAINMENT WHAT’S NEW

Theatre department performs musical, ‘Godspell’ Dylan Olive Staff Writer

Based on the hit video game “Uncharted,” this film follows Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) on his search for treasure and his lost brother. He is recruited by Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) as they search for the $5 billion treasure of Ferdinand Magellan, lost 500 years prior.

It is currently in theaters with plans to be released on Netflix in the future.

‘Euphoria’ The final episode for season two of the hit show, Euphoria, is set to come out this Sunday on HBO Max. In the previous episode Lexi’s (Maude Apatow) play that is based on her friends lives premieres. None of the friends knew the play would be around their lives and are shocked at this realization.

Also, Fezco, (Angus Cloud) mysteriously doesn’t arrive for the play, leaving the episode on a cliffhanger. The season finale will air February 27 at 9 p.m. est.

“

This show has pushed my physical boundaries more than I imagined it would...

-Giselle Meyer Cast member

‘The Batman’ Set to release March 4, “The Batman,” features “Twilight” star, Robert Pattinson, as Bruce Wayne, in the new adaption of the vigilante’s tale. The main antagonists of the film appear to be The Riddler (Paul Dano) and Penguin (Colin Farrell). As the antagonist’s plans become clear, Batman must form new relationships to save the city that has been plagued with crime for years.

“

‘Uncharted’

The FSC theatre department is currently performing “Godspell,” directed by James Beck and musically directed by Christianne Roll. The show dates are Feb. 17-20 and 2427 in Loca Lee Buckner Theatre.

“Godspell” is a show conceived and directed by John-Michael Tebelak, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.

“Godspell” follows Jesus Christ and his followers, in which they reenact parables and scenes from Jesus’ life through song and dance to learn various lessons. The score includes modern musical influences including rock, gospel and reggae.

At FSC, Beck wanted the cast to be themselves in their characters and think about how they would react to a modernday Jesus.

In his Director’s Note in the playbill, Beck described the colorful set to be inspired by the joy of the real characters and their childlike reception of Jesus.

“This is a production with that joy in mind, and we hope that you will leave feeling fulfilled, child-like, and joyous, and take life ‘Day by Day,’” Beck said.

The rehearsal process was very different for most of the cast.

Much of the show is improv, meaning that actors’ lines are created themselves and are unscripted. So, every show is different in that not all the lines are coming straight from the script.

“The rehearsal process was not only a lot of fun, but educational, explorative, and challenging in the best way,” cast member Giselle Meyer, playing the role of Morgan, said. “The parables of the show were created by the cast, our director, Jim, took a chance on us to play such a large role in giving the show a completely new meaning to us and essentially portraying ourselves onstage, and I think it turned out really beautifully.”

“It’s funny every time because you can

Photo by Aidan Border

Ariana Perera, junior musical theatre and technical theatre double major is a hands-on stage manager as she grabs a paint brush and joins in set design. just focus on someone new and get new jokes,” cast member Reagan Branch, ensemble member said.

This production of “Godspell” was choreographed by Tatiana Erikson, who was also the choreographer of FSC’s Fall 2021 production of Songs for a New World.

A major part of her choreography in this show included ASL to make the show more accessible to others while also touching on social issues through sign language.

“Tatiana brought so much subtext to the work of Stephen Schwartz with her ability to share so much passion and love with the audience (and each other) while making sure each cast member felt 100% comfortable in each number,” Meyer said. “Working with her was even more special to me as I had the opportunity to be dance captain of the production and was allowed to experience just a little bit of her responsibility and origin of choreography.”

Taking on the biggest role of the show was Luis Antonio Guzman Glados, playing Jesus.

Throughout his time playing such a significant character, he has had a great experience that included challenges and new lessons learned along the way.

During the second week of rehearsals, he suffered an injury, but he was able to preserve and continue pursuing his role.

“Playing Jesus has been such a challenging and incredible experience, being able to play such an iconic character and find a way to make it different from the

‘Death on the Nile’ This film follows the dectective Hercule Poirot, as he is invited on a trip following a romantic couple’s honeymoon on a luxourios cruise down the Nile river. While on the trip, the bride and famous heiress, played by Gal Gadot, is murded, requiring Poirot to investigate.

The movie is filled with twist and turns and is inspired by the novel and the 1978 version of the film.

Photo by Aidan Border

It was all hands on deck recently as students painted the set and prepared for upcoming rehearsals of FSC’s production of ‘Godspell.’

other performances I’ve seen and make it true to myself, has been such a journey that I’m extremely grateful,” Galdos said.

The cast and crew learned an abundance throughout their time working on this production that has helped them as artists.

“I feel like I have improved in my ensemble skills. I was so used to having a director tell me blocking and just doing it,” Branch said. “Now I feel like I can put my own input and ideas into a character and work with my fellow cast mates so much more fluidly.”

“This show has pushed my physical boundaries more than I imagined it would, it’s a lot of intense dance numbers, tricks, lifts, and more,” Meyer said. “It has improved me as an artist and made me learn how to produce performances that were up to the expectations I hold for myself while also being able to attend all of my classes, make time for my friends, and keep myself physically intact and able to give each show and run my 100 percent.”

“Artistically I’ve been able to grow so much, as an actor it has been very interesting to explore Jesus’ emotions and it has been challenging to start the show very happily and with a lot of energy and finish it totally opposite,” Galdos said.

“Godspell” is gearing up for its second weekend of performances. The first weekend went well for the cast and crew, and it was very well received by audience members.

“I think there’s something in the show for everyone, it’s a message of love, community, and hope, which I think is something we all could use a little more of,” Meyer said.

“Other than that, the music is stunning, they’re classics- so many people of all ages know them and they’re paired with Tatiana’s beautiful choreography, there’s never a dull moment.”

“People should come and see ‘Godspell,’ because you’re going to have a good time listening to good and catchy songs, with a cast that has so much fun on stage, love each other, spreading a message of love to everyone,” Galdos said.

“It was an amazing and very fun show, it really showcased the creativity of the department and the design talent of the tech majors,” freshman Delaney Thurston said.

“I absolutely recommend everyone see the show, and if you’ve already seen it, it’s a different experience every night.”

After “Godspell,” there will be FSC dance’s “Em/bodied” on March 25 and 26 in Branscomb Auditorium, and The Diary of Anne Frank on April 7-10 and 14-17 in Loca Lee Buckner Theatre.

7 The Southern FEBRUARY 25, 2022

OPINIONS ‘Yik Yak’ app proves harmful to FSC campus environment The anonymous posting forum app is a gateway to toxicity The application Yik Yak seems to be vastly popular with the Florida Southern community.

Since the start of the new school year, Yik Yak has fastly grown as the newest and hottest message board for Florida Southern comments, complaints and concerns.

It’s FSC’s personal Gossip Girl, except way more chaotic. Rather than only one person having a secret identity and the hottest tea, everyone does.

If there is a question about anything going on within a 5-mile radius, the app may have the answer.

Though it may be funny and entertaining to scroll through the “yaks’’ of the day, is this app doing more harm than good?

For those who are unfamiliar, Yik Yak is an app in which you can post messages anonymously.

Your post or “yak” will appear in a shared message board of those with the app within a certain radius. People who are a part of your local community, your “herd,” can comment and vote on the message.

Messages that are downvoted many times or against guidelines get removed, while messages that get a high number of upvotes get featured.

Yik Yak has the reputation of being the place where students can air their opinion on anyone or anything.

Throughout the app, comments typically fall into four categories: positive, negative, inappropriate, and funny.

Often these categories merge depending

on the wordage used by the author. The atmosphere is not always extremely hateful, however.

“Yik Yak can definitely get hostile and be biased at times, but it can also be a pretty funny form of entertainment and a way to stay in touch on campus,” junior Kiersten Bowser said.

There are occasions where users will

Graphic by Southern Staff

A look inside the YikYak feeds that students on campus would have.

Judd makes dating app drug busts Jameson Champion The Southern Editor In July 2021, Florida law enforcement began an initiative called ‘Swipe Left for Meth,’ a project born out of tips regarding the sale of drugs on dating applications.

The investigation lasted six months and centered on three popular apps: Grindr, Taimi and Scruff.

At a news conference on Jan. 27, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced that the ‘Swipe Left for Meth’ initiative netted 159 felony arrests and 72 misdemeanors.

Many of those arrested were drug dealers who also had prior drug arrest charges, with one individual having had 32 prior charges.

“It was clear during the conversations and ensuing undercover drug buys that the suspects’ primary purposes for being on the dating app were to sell drugs - not find a date,” Judd said in the press conference.

While the investigation seems to have been effective, there have been concerns raised about the method of investigation.

A notable point of contention is that all three of the apps whose users were investigated were apps that focused on making connections in the LGBTQ+ community.

Grindr and Scruff are apps primarily known for being aimed at men-seekingmen, while Taimi is marketed as a general LGBTQ+ dating app.

The sentiment echoed by some has been whether this set of arrests is a targeted

directly toward dating apps aimed used by the LGBTQ+ community, as well as whether or not this set of arrests may create a stigma surrounding the community.

I’d say neither is the case.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, in its news release, never distinguishes any of the apps in question as anything more than “dating apps,” not immediately specifying to the media the audience of such apps.

A more concerted effort to stigmatize these communities would make any mention of the apps’ tailoring towards LGBTQ+ individuals.

At the same time, nobody should be using or referring to this series of arrests in a manner that damages the reputation of the LGBTQ+ community or the apps that the drug dealers were found through.

Bad people crop up everywhere and will use every available avenue to do what they want. These apps most likely just acted as carriers for criminals who believed that using LGBTQ+ dating apps to do business would keep them under the radar.

Judd’s press release added up to 231 arrests between felonies and misdemeanors.

That number is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of legitimate app users.

According to a Business Wire release, Taimi alone had just grown to 10 million users in March 2021, with Grindr and Scruff at 12 million as of this year.

The 231 illegitimate users are less than a thousandth of the amount of users on just one of these apps every day.

uplift or give each other advice under posts. But even this has its downsides.

People have no problem getting up close and personal on this app, and because of the oversharing, Yik Yak can take away from in-person interactions.

A lot of controversies have gone on about the app as it has flooded and interfered with school activities, organizations, and students.

One recent example would be sorority recruitment. In this three-day affair, affiliated members prepare for an influx of conversations and voting as they meet and talk to hundreds of girls who are interested in being a part of Greek Life.

Tremendouse amounts of energy are needed to survive the weekend.

During this recruitment season, the social media forum became a cauldron of negative comments about certain organizations and people in general.

As a member of a sorority, our executive board advised us that Yik Yak was definitely a bad idea when it came to posting and viewing.

Those who acted as rho gammas, or recruitment guides, to participating girls repeatedly had to tell their groups to not look at the app for information when it came to recruitment.

It was a big problem because the nature of comments shared could affect how a potential member sees and interacts with one of our philanthropic sororities.

Apart from organizations, the typical quiet rumors and topics around campus became breaking news due to the hottest “yaks.”

Commenters have been known to name drop a specific place, person or

thing in real-time and patiently wait for interaction.

Many FSC students and staff have been made the trendy subject for Yik Yak. The comments range from silly jokes to serious accusations.

The toxicity that it allows has further divided the students apart as they read about “the drama” and start forming opinions only based on that.

“

Yik Yak can definitely get hostile and be biased at times, but it can also be a pretty funny form of entertainment...

-Kiersten Bowser FSC junior

“

Sami Beason The Southern Editor

The little good that comes out of the application is snuffed out by the overwhelming negativity it seems to bear.

So is Yik Yak harmful to the school’s environment?

A hard and definite yes, so maybe instead of “yakking” about it online, look up from the phone and practice effective communication if you have a grievance with someone or something. I promise it’s way healthier in the long run.

Editor’s note: Nathalie Moreno interviewed Kiersten Bowser to attain the quote used in this article.

SOUTHERN

The Student Voice of Florida Southern College Florida Southern College 111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr. Lakeland, Florida 33801 fscsouthern.com 863-680-4456 fscsouthern@gmail.com

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Jameson Champion

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Features Editor

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Opinions Editor

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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 FEBRUARY 25, 2022 8

SPORTS FSC women's lacrosse team kicks off 2022 season John Christovich Staff Writer The Florida Southern women’s lacrosse team has a 5-1 record as they aim to qualify for one of just three spots in the South Region of the NCAA tournament.

The Moccasins rolled through all but one of their opponents so far this season as the team looks to qualify for the preliminary round of the NCAA Division II Women’s Lacrosse Championship, set to begin on May 14.

The format of this year’s tournament, which has changed structurally in recent years, will once again be adjusted in the wake of COVID-19. This year, only 12 Division II teams will earn an opportunity to compete for the championship, in contrast to 16 last year, which was an expansion from 12 in the four years prior.

This season, the most important factor to the Mocs is that only three teams from each region will qualify for the tournament.

Florida Southern, which competes in the South Region as a member of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC), is in the midst of competition for one of the spots.

The team has outmatched their opponents in all games but one this season. The Mocs defeated Florida Tech, Saint Leo, Tampa, and Palm Beach Atlantic to start the year before suffering their first loss of the regular season against Rollins. The team outscored their opponents by a combined rate of 67 goals scored to just 21 allowed, before the loss.

There’s a lot of factors that have contributed to Florida Southern’s success so far this season, with the team leading the conference in scoring the most goals per game, while also allowing the fewest goals per game.

“I would say there is not a weak area on our team at this point,” Head Coach Kara Reber said. “We have a girl on the draw who is fantastic, so that helps us get

Photo by Kat Hostetler

Goalie Brittany Iamele goes to block a shot in a scrimmage game against Stetson University. set-up for our offensive opportunities, we certainly have some great players that can finish really well on the offensive end, and we have a lot of experience back on the defense so that helps a lot,” In the lone loss this year, the Rollins Tars beat Florida Southern 14-13, proving that they are also candidates for one of the three bids to the tournament.

As of April 24, although the schedule is subject to change, Florida Southern has just two games remaining in the regular season. Having been ravaged by injuries and COVID protocols that have prohibited some players from participating, the starting lineup could change on any given day.

“We just play with what we have and do what we can with the players we have available, trying to maintain a positive attitude and strong work ethic, and really just battling for everyone that’s able to play in that game,” Reber said.

Senior goalkeeper Brittany Iamele is looking forward to the rest of the season and hopes that it will include playing in the tournament.

“I think at this point in our season, every moment on the field counts. We recognize that the little victories both on the field and off are the difference makers,” Iamele said.

Three conferences altogether are competing for the three playoff spots, as despite the numerous talented teams in the Sunshine State Conference, some will be left out. Teams in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) as well as the Gulf South Conference (GSC) will also be vying for a spot in the South region.

In both the SAC and GSC, there will be a conference tournament to determine a conference champion, which isn’t true for the SSC, leaving some grey area in determining who is most deserving of a playoff spot. It is presumed that the outright winner of the conference tournament in the SAC will qualify for the playoff, but with only five teams competing in the GSC this year, it’s unlikely that any team from that conference finds their way into the tournament.

A conference championship for any SAC team does not technically guarantee a bid

into the national tournament, but it would make the most sense for the selection committee to choose that team to continue competition. In the SSC, the debate will come down to three teams—the Rollins Tars, Tampa Spartans, and Florida Southern Mocs.

The Spartans have bested the Tars, the Tars have beaten the Mocs, and the Mocs have beaten the Spartans. Each team has just one loss, and as of today, the teams won’t play each other for the remainder of the season.

“I think the one loss that we had hurt us more than it ever would in a normal year.

We’re trying to control what we can control and we need to win out here the rest of the way and hope that’s enough for us to be selected,” Reber said.

Another nuance in the anticipation leading up to the NCAA tournament is that Florida Southern was just announced as the host site for the preliminary round scheduled for May 14 and May 16, regardless of whether the home team even makes the tournament.

Iamele, who was on the roster when the team last made the NCAA championship game in 2018, is looking forward to the prospect of playing at home this season.

“It’s an exciting moment for sure,” Iamele said. “Especially with the NCAA tournament not taking place last year due to the pandemic, I think our team is really excited for the future that this year can hold.”

“We would love nothing more than to be able to make the regional and be able to play at home. I think being able to stay in the comfort of your own bed and near the team that you’re used to and not have to travel is a great advantage for us. We just need the opportunity to play here,” Reber said.

Selections for the 2020-21 NCAA DII Women’s Lacrosse Championship will be announced on Sunday, May 9 via web stream on NCAA.com.

MLB lockout threatens Detroit Tigers spring training in Lakeland Emma Poole Staff Writer Since the 1920s, Lakeland has been closely tied to baseball, but the current MLB lockout is threatening the presence of the Detroit Tigers in the city that they have called their spring training site for over 85 years.

From the origins of training at historic Henley Field, which is now owned

by Florida Southern College, to the Tigers’ current home at Publix-Marchant stadium, baseball has grown with the city of Lakeland. According to the MLB, the Covid-19 pandemic kept games from operating at full capacity last year, and now the lockout is presenting another roadblock to baseball.

Rachel Carter, a Florida Southern student and former intern at PublixMarchant stadium, believes that not only would the lockout impact the spring training season, it would also impact the Tigers’ regular season as well.

“Not being able to train would impact the Tigers’ performance in the regular season,” Carter said, “And people get upset about this, too. People enjoy their baseball.”

Here’s a timeline of the lockout and what it could mean for the Tigers, as well as the city of Lakeland.

Dec. 2, 2021 marked the beginning of what would turn into the second longest

work stoppage in MLB history. The longest was the 1994 strike, which, according to NBC, cost the sport 938 games, including the entirety of the postseason.

The 2021 lockout began when owners and players failed to come to terms on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which is the employment rules and financial structure of the sport, as the old one expired on Dec. 1. What is unique about this lockout is that it was imposed by the owners, who are not letting their players report.

According to the Sports Illustrated website, originally, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred intended for the lockout to expedite negotiations between owners and the MLBPA. However, the league waited until Jan. 13 to make their first proposal for the new CBA – that’s nearly six weeks after the lockout began. In the next two weeks, meetings were held and the union rejected most of the league’s initial proposal.

It wasn’t until the beginning of February that ESPN reported that the MLB had requested to have a federal mediator help with negotiations. The union would not take part in these federally mediated meetings, saying that the MLB did not make a counterproposal as promised. On Feb. 10, commissioner Manfred addressed the media about the lockout for the first time since the beginn.

The next week, the MLBPA submitted

Pictured, Publix field at Marchant Stadium. another proposal for the CBA. Changes to this proposal included the expression of a desire to expand the super-two pool, as well as the ability for teams to give discretionary raises to players. Another highlight of the new proposal was the idea of an NBA-style lottery draft.

On Friday, Feb. 18, the MLB and the union had failed to reach an agreement on the new CBA, and it was officially decided that spring training would be delayed for one week. The MLB announced that Feb. 28 is the last day in which an agreement can be made and still have the season begin on time, with opening day still being

March 31. This is because there is still a desire for four weeks of workouts before the season begins. If players and the league still cannot come to an agreement, opening day could be in jeopardy.

The Flying Tigers, Lakeland’s minor league baseball team, play an important role in the spring training season as well.

“The Lakeland Flying Tigers and the Detroit Tigers are very closely connected.

The people who work for the minor league at the stadium work for the major leagues in spring,” Carter said. “I worked in game day operations, and if there’s no one there, it would make that job hard.”