fall 2015
volume 5 issue 2
she can do it a UCF bodybuilder in action
inside: “two homes, one heart� the story of an israeli soldier, pg. 8
Centric // 2
Th s ssue 4
Letter from the editor
5
Mama tay In the House
8
Two hearts, one home
10
meet the boyz
12
the pronoun problem
14
one man’s trash, two brothers’ treasure
16
power in pink
20
From Knight to King
22
Operation gameday
24
making miracles
26
launching a revolution
28
snapshots from syria
31
web exclusives
16
26
12
14
5
8
3 // Centric
COVER PHOTO: NIck RUSSETT
Managing Editor: Rachel Stuart Digital Producer: Paige WIlson Art Director: Matt Fultz Adviser: rick brunson Staff: Natalia Baqueiro Christopher Bobo Tim briggs deanna ferrante alahna kindred megan loibl anne lottman daniela marin shana medel victor ng marissa norwood brianna ordenes jarred paluzzi rosie reitze nick russett harry sayer marimar toledo Production assistant: james howley
Centric // 4
Letter from the
editor
Each and every one of us has a story — all 60,000-plus of us. How is it possible to learn about one another when new faces seem to appear on campus every day? My staff and I aspire to capture and relay the inspiring stories that are roaming around this university — one story at a time. To say putting this magazine together was a lot of work would be an understatement. This staff has worked so incredibly hard to make each story its best. With plates of cookies and boxes of pizza, there have been long nights of writing, discussing and copyediting to ensure every story is at its full potential. Coming into this class, I knew I wanted to partake in a major role and make sure my fingerprints were visible throughout this magazine. Although it took a lot out of me to get up in front of the class and persuade my peers to vote for me as their managing editor, I knew I would be happy contributing to the magazine, one way or another. As managing editor for the fall 2015 issue of Centric, I have really seen the ins and outs of what it takes to truly be in control of a magazine. Some may think it’s a piece of cake to work on one article for an entire semester — that’s what I thought, too. But with this time comes an expectation to have beyond-perfect pages that hold inspiring and innovative stories that lie within the UCF community. As you read through this magazine, please don’t just skim over the words. My writers and I urge you to put yourself in our sources’ shoes, live the life they live day to day and, like us, aspire to ask others to share their personal stories with you.
Rachel Stuart
Matt Fultz Art director
The concept for this issue of Centric is the combination of traditional and modern editorial design.
Paige Wilson Digital Producer
Explore our website to get a deeper look at the UCF community through online exclusives and multimedia packages.
Photos: Nick Russett
5 // Centric
i n y t a h t e a h m o a u se m
Photo: Jarred Paluzzi
by: Marimar toledo Seventy-five-year-old Octavia Stewart, or “Mama Tay,” strolls from the back of the UCF Delta Delta Delta dining area into her room to fix her hair and reapply red lipstick before heading out. As the Tri-Delta house mom
for the past 17 years, every day has been a different adventure. Whether at an intramural sports game, philanthropy event or at the Greek house, the sorority girls run up to Mama Tay for sewing needs or advice. What brought Mama Tay to Tri-Delta was her opportunity to
reconnect with her faith. “I’ve been in church since day one, baptized as an infant; but I didn’t really have a relationship with God until I was 42 years old,” she said with her thick Memphis accent. “It wasn’t just my church; it wasn’t just the people in the church. It was who God was, and that’s how
Centric // 6
Mama Tay’s daughters “throw what they know” in front of the Delta Delta Delta house.
I learned all about him and it made a difference when I came out here.” She felt God work through her as she helped a “daughter” through a tough time. Since 1999, Mama Tay has been welcoming new daughters on a yearly basis. She has held the “Best House Mom” award for six years and was officially honored and initiated as a Tri-Delta in 2012. Unsure of what she should do on her first day at the house, Mama Tay arrived with homemade sweets, which put smiles on her daughters’ faces. She was surrounded by many college girls her first week there, as she adjusted to sleeping in a water bed for the first time. “She attends all of our events, she goes to our IM games, rain or shine. She’s sitting out there with an umbrella cheering us on at a football game or a basketball game,” said Jessica Vasquez, the Tri-Delta president.
Vasquez, a senior biomedical science major, said Mama Tay is extremely attentive with each daughter. If someone is sick, she will have soup brought to them personally. Vasquez also remembers one time when she was pulling an all-nighter and woke up with a blanket, which Mama Tay had laid on top of her. With all she has on her plate, Vasquez said Mama Tay is a blessing as she helps her and her sisters with everything throughout the year. “She goes above and beyond with everything, not just the girls,” she said. When Mama Tay first came into the Tri-Delta house, she lived with 24 girls, but when the house was expanded a few years later, it made room for 52 girls, Mama Tay’s own apartment, a new dining room and kitchen, where Chef Reed Anderson has been cooking meals for 11 years. “Tay is like an angel on Earth. She’s the best. She’s
“She goes above and beyond with everything, not just the girls.” -Jessica Vasquez
7 // Centric
always in a good mood with nothing but positive things to say,” Anderson said. “If she finds something bad, she’ll find something good about it.” Mama Tay was in charge of buying food each day for her daughters before Anderson became the chef. She also enjoys supporting Tri-Delta’s philanthropy for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which she holds dear to her heart because it is located in Memphis, her hometown. When she was a child, she would watch “The Danny Thomas Show,” which was written by St. Jude’s founder. “When I was young, I remember thinking, ‘If I’m ever a millionaire, that’s what I’m going to contribute to,’” Mama Tay said. And while time may fly by quickly for Mama Tay, she said it goes even faster for college students who are getting ready to step into the real world. “My sinking feeling comes when the girls leave around May. It’s all my daughters leaving, but I get revived when I hear the new girls are coming in,” she said. For Mama Tay, keeping in touch with her daughters is important. Whether sending Christmas cards, vacation photos, letters or photographs, she appreciates seeing her daughters grow in their fields, as well as with their families. She meets up with those who visit, and she recently met a previous daughter’s newborn baby. Mama Tay said she couldn’t help but smile the whole time she saw how well her daughter’s life had been going after college and realized she had made an impact.
Mama Tay supports her daughters during one of their intramural basketball games.
Photos: Jarred Paluzzi
Centric // 8
two homes, By: Shana Medel With his M4 rifle in hand, Ariel Hoffman proudly stands atop Ammunition Hill, the site of one of the fiercest battles of Israel’s SixDay War in 1967. After months of arduous physical training, Hoffman’s presented with the coveted red beret — adding a speck of color to his basic green uniform and marking his official entry into the Paratroopers Brigade. At first glance, he appears to blend in with the other uniformed Israeli teenagers; but the 23-yearold Jewish UCF alumnus left his home in America to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. Hoffman graduated in May 2013,
Photo: Jarred Paluzzi
knowing that one month later he would trade his bachelor’s degree in sports physiology for a one-way ticket to Israel. “I went to Israel during a very heated time,” he said. “I fell in love with the country, and I knew that this was something I needed to do.” However, even his three years as a running back on the UCF football team couldn’t prepare him for the physical and emotional austerity of the IDF service. Hoffman arrived just weeks prior to Operation Protective Edge — a military operation launched by Israel in response to incessant rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. “I learned Hebrew in between rockets being intercepted above me.
And I would wake up at night to my room shaking from the artillery,” he said. Hoffman followed in the footsteps of his American father and Israeli mother, who both served in the IDF. But his father, Jay Hoffman, said it was a decision his son came to on his own. “He understood the importance of the land of Israel as the Jewish homeland,” said Jay Hoffman, who is currently the chair of UCF’s Department of Educational and Human Sciences. “And he felt strongly enough about it to be willing to defend its right to exist as a Jewish home.” Although Hoffman was raised in a pro-Israel household, he credits his experience at UCF with solidifying his decision to leave his home in Central Florida. After traveling to Israel on Birthright — a free 10-day trip for Jewish college students — he began his final year at UCF with a newfound dedication to Israel education and advocacy. With the assistance of Aaron Weil, the executive director of Central
9 // Centric
Photo: Jarred Paluzzi Ariel Hoffman returns to UCF’s main campus after almost a year of army service.
Florida Hillel, Hoffman established a solid framework for Knights for Israel, UCF’s sole pro-Israel organization. “I worked directly with Ariel and his leaders to create a focus for the group that would not only launch them as an effective and serious organization, it would also help them achieve their goal of seriously ramping up the topic of Israel on campus,” Weil said.
And that’s just what they did. From bringing keynote speaker Sgt. Benjamin Anthony of the IDF to hosting the successful “Declare Your Freedom” pro-Israel festival, the organization’s impact reached far beyond UCF’s 6,000 Jewish undergraduate students. Weil said Hoffman’s exceptional leadership skills and unwavering commitment have contributed
Courtesy jay hoffman Surrounded by family and friends, Ariel Hoffman is awarded the red beret from the Israel Defense Forces Paratroopers Brigade.
largely to his success thus far. “It’s no doubt one of the reasons that the IDF selected Ariel for their elite Paratroopers unit,” Weil said. With five months left of training and more than a year left of army service, Hoffman has taken extensive physical and psychological exams, endured long marches in full gear and completed weeks of survival and navigation training. And despite the difficult transition from the independence of college life to the stringency of army life, Hoffman takes pride in his decision to protect and defend Israel — a country he also considers to be his home. “It’s like one big family,” Hoffman said. “I don’t have to worry about being a Jew here — people understand me.”
one heart
Centric // 10
Meet the Boyz by: Harry Sayer In 10 seconds, someone could send a tweet, check their watch or buy a pack of gum; but The Yeti Boyz are using that time to make it big. Tavan Hanley, Chaz Fisher and Corey Scherer, who make up the hip-hop dance group, The Yeti Boyz, broadcast their performances through an app called Yeti, an anonymous picture- and video-sharing service for college campuses. The videos the group posts last up to 10 seconds, and are then gone for good — similar to the Snapchat app. “No one’s taking advantage of Yeti like we are,” said Hanley, a 21-year-old acting major at Valencia College. “There’re 60,000 students at [UCF], and people will respond to a video we post a minute later. Our
Photos: Jarred Paluzzi
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videos reach an audience so fast.” The Yeti Boyz formed in June when Hanley and Fisher recognized Scherer from videos on the Vine app while waiting in line for the bathroom at Knight Library, a college bar near UCF. The night ended with the trio doing the “Nae-Nae” dance at the bar, and they realized they had the ability to form a dance group. With all three having performance backgrounds, The Yeti Boyz have experience with entertaining a crowd. While Hanley has performed as rapper TO$HA at shows since his sophomore year of high school, Scherer contributes to the talented group as a professional choreographer. Fisher credits his success to taking after his father, a music producer. “Growing up in a music studio, I remember learning rhythm by watching everyone dance and sing,” said Fisher, a 21-year-old integrated business major at UCF. “Now when we’re performing, I know how to accentuate my body’s movements to make it look better. You end up having an ear for how to work with music for when you dance.” The trio started posting freestyle dance and comedy videos in June and have gained a sizeable following since then. Their posts reach up to 1,000 or more up-votes, often putting them on Yeti’s Featured Video list, which allows viewers to see the videos for longer amounts of time.
The Yeti Boyz have made it a priority to show their UCF pride by filming on campus in places such as Memory Mall and the CFE Arena. “The only reason we even got big is because of this school,” Hanley said. “UCF is our platform. We want everyone to know we’re from UCF when we perform.” Brandon Nash, a fan of The Yeti Boyz, said he has enjoyed watching the group progress. “They’re cool, funny guys that can dance and were posting stuff before Yeti was even a popular thing on campus,” Nash, 21, said. “They’re definitely more serious now that they’re trying to really go somewhere with it.” The group has recently pivoted toward performing live to increase their awareness among students. “We want to get out there and show people we aren’t just on the app,” Fisher said. They had the chance to prove their skills when the Knight Library
disc jockey needed a group to open for rapper Waka Flocka Flame at The Venue at UCF. “When we’re filming Yeti videos, we’re just having fun. But those are just 10 seconds, and this was a 10-minute performance. We had to put a ton of stuff together,” Scherer said. As for what’s next, The Yeti Boyz have big plans, from opening up for new shows to getting going on college tours in December. The group attributes their success to one simple thing: honesty. “We started doing this for fun; I always knew we had potential,” Hanley said. “We’re entertaining people without having to be anything but ourselves.”
Centric // 12
The Pronoun Problem What do you do when the whole world can’t find the right words?
By: Deanna Ferrante “It just kind of feels like I’ve been punched in the stomach, or maybe just a little less, a slap in the face. And then it keeps happening, and it’s like, yeah, just kick me while I’m down.” Sitting at a tiny table in the middle of a crowded café in the UCF John C. Hitt Library, Taylor* is on the verge of tears. They anxiously twirl the necklace they’re wearing between their fingers, blinking rapidly to try and rein in their emotions as they describe how it feels when someone uses the wrong pronoun to address them.
You’re not reading this wrong. Taylor, a freshman English major, is one of the hundreds of young people across the country who identifies as non-binary and prefers to use they/them pronouns. “For some people, pronouns are very personal, like as personal as your name. For me, it’s more like I just want people to acknowledge that I’m not a girl, and I’m not a boy,” they said. Non-binary, or gender-neutral, individuals are unique in that they identify outside the gender binary — they do not classify themselves as male or female. Gender-neutral individuals
She
often identify as transgender or genderqueer, which means these individuals’ experiences with their own gender don’t agree with the sex they were assigned at birth. Some know something isn’t right with their identities when they’re very young, but for Taylor, the concept of gender didn’t come to mind until they were 15. “It was terrifying at first. I didn’t even know what the word transgender meant. I’d never even heard it, besides in that Lady Gaga song [‘Born This Way’],” they said. “I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to consider what that might mean for me.”
his
he
hers
it
him
her Photo: Deanna Ferrante
13 // Centric
At first, Taylor struggled with their identity. They tried to fit into categories — trans male, demiboy, genderless — but none of them felt right. They said they felt pushed toward becoming more masculine, and even in the transgender community, there’s a pressure to conform to the stigmas of one gender or another. Taylor described how their parents, folks from a small rural town, were too narrow-minded to try and figure out what Taylor was going through. “It’s a really awful feeling to have the people who encourage you and support you tell you that they will always love you and turn around and act like you’re a stranger and they don’t want you around,” they said. Amanda Anthony, an assistant professor in the sociology department, said the reason people like Taylor’s parents have a hard time dealing with the concept of gender neutrality is that gender is a vital way we classify people. “We know that sex and gender are separated, but we still look for physical traits that are often connected to our sex in order to then figure out that person’s gender and how to interact with them,” Anthony said. Taylor has to deal with a world obsessed with this gender binary every day. “It’s absolutely ridiculous, to the point where, like, men who have cats get things like ‘What are you, an old cat lady?’” Taylor said. Jennifer Sandoval, a human communications assistant professor, researches the harmful effects, such as bullying, drug abuse and suicide, which come with ignorance of gender-neutral language. “Two boxes aren’t enough for anything in terms of human identity.
hrow t o t r e k c i ho are qu otter’ than w e l p o e p “I know ‘Harry P m o r f y g o l one.” mino around ter orrectly gender some c they are to r*
- Taylo
Expanding that … makes a big difference to how people feel in terms of connections,” Sandoval said. “Human connection is a big part of our health. We need that type of connection, and feeling completely alone and isolated has really negative effects on your health.” Taylor, who for so long struggled with those feelings of isolation, has finally found a community at UCF, one where they feel respected, loved and understood. Of course, not everything has been sunshine and roses; one of Taylor’s professors continues to misgender them, despite their repeated attempts to correct the man’s pronoun use. People like this — the ones who refuse to correctly identify non-binary individuals — are the ones who really make Taylor angry. “It’s totally inconsiderate. You’re not willing to add, what, three words to your vocabulary?” they said. “I know people who are quicker to throw around terminology from ‘Harry Potter’ than they are to correctly gender someone. You know, which of those is the real world here?”
If people are so ignorant, Taylor questions why people don’t just give up and accept whatever classification people give them. “It is painful for me to try and do that,” they said. They take a deep breath and compose themselves. “It’s not something I can just push to the side. That is a ginormous part of who I am. There is no other option.” *Name has been changed for the safety of the student
Gender-Neutral Alternatives:
zie sie ey ve tey e
Centric // 14
One Man’s Trash
by: rachel stuart
Cycling through the streets of Orlando, one may notice the various buildings, parks, people and shops in the City Beautiful. But for UCF brothers Leland and Chris Carlson, the treasure lies within what most may not even give a second glance. While some may either be throwing something away or looking in the other direction as they ride by a dumpster, these brothers stop and consider digging through this filth — a pastime worth their dedication. Leland, a junior English literature major, started scoping through dumpsters at age 13 as he would ride his bike around at night and notice when businesses would fill and empty their dumpsters. “It’s an activity you just do on the fly,” he said. “My main goal really is to get anything out of the trash that I don’t consider trash.” Leland said his apartment is furnished with dumpster finds, and his friends are always surprised to learn about where he found his unique decor. “I find some pretty rad furniture,” Leland said. “Like at restaurants, there are bar tables and sets of very designer chairs for whatever reason. I think there’s always value to that exciting moment when you find something, and then it’s yours.” Brought up in a household that discourages wastefulness, senior environmental engineering major Chris said he also learned at a young age how people tend to discard items without knowing their true worth. “I didn’t start dumpster diving until I moved to Orlando, where I found stores regularly toss perfectly good food and goods away
indiscriminately,” he said. Chris tries to pursue his habits to make up for those he considers irresponsible for being wasteful. “As the value of goods and work output becomes more and more subjective and the importance of wealth and status symbols continues to inflate, our view of life becomes more and more skewed, until we pigeonhole ourselves into being completely self-absorbed,” he said. Financially, Leland said his basic and recreational needs are met, so he considers dumpster diving more of a hobby with a slight financial benefit. But he doesn’t only treasure hunt for himself; he mostly does it
for others and their hopeful projects. When his friends have ideas for future creations, such as personal projects or work for school, Leland keeps tabs on who needs what and searches for the right items that may only be found when in the right place at the right time. “I think I’ve developed an eye for the versatility of things. When I find something that looks like it can be used again, typically I take it, regardless of what it is,” he said. “If it’s like a wonderful pair of women’s shoes, something I totally wouldn’t need, I hang on to them because I know someone will need them.” Sifting through dumpsters
photo: Rachel Stuart After sifting through a dumpster on UCF’s main campus, Leland Carlson walked away with 200 square feet of unused painter’s tarp, four 3-inch binders, three 1-inch binders and about 30 feet of rope.
15 // Centric Leland Carlson said he has never had to buy school supplies for his college classes, as the most common items found in dumpsters around campus are binders of papers that are no longer relevant.
photo: Rachel Stuart
around UCF’s main campus, Leland said he has never had to buy school supplies for his college classes. The most common items in dumpsters around campus are binders of papers that are no longer relevant, he said. Leland currently works outside UCF’s Student Union twice a week fixing bicycles. He has spent three years repairing bike parts and helping other students recognize how broken items still have worth and a chance for innovation. But with his biking shoes and backpack handy no matter where he goes, he can only carry so much after his dumpster-diving endeavors.
Leland’s backpack has a strap to help harness items to his back or chest when he rides away. If he finds an item that seems as if it doesn’t belong in the trash, he makes sure to get it out, even if he can’t bring it home. “If it’s brand new or something that obviously anyone would recognize the value in, I’ll just set it next to [the dumpster]. Kind of just accentuating the fact that this item is here and will be destroyed if not used,” he said. In terms of shopping, Chris said dumpster diving inherits trendy goods that people of higher statuses have deemed worthless.
“In taking these items, you reinstall your own definition of what is valuable,” he said. “I think if more people explored the dumpsters around them, they would be surprised by what they found and hopefully would begin to understand how poorly our society allocates wealth and resources.” Although the act of dumpster diving is frowned upon by many and is illegal because it’s considered trespassing, Leland and Chris are willing to risk being caught to save what has gone unused and unrecognized. “I think dumpster diving is just my immediate solution to the problem, but I think later I’m hopefully going to get some organizations together and make people a little bit more careful about what they buy and what they throw away,” Leland said.
Two Brothers’ Treasure
Centric // 16
power in pink
Photo: Nick Russett
BY: Megan Loibl
17 // Centric
Following a strict diet plan and weightlifting schedule, female bodybuilder Natalie Falbo isn’t a typical college student — she aspires to be a woman of power.
Centric // 18
With a fresh spray tan and flexed muscles, Natalie Falbo poses on stage as hundreds of eyes look up at her. The junior marketing major is new to the bodybuilding game, having just competed in her first bikini-category competition Oct. 10. On stage, competitors must “doll up” with spray tans, fake eyelashes and 6-inch heels to strut their stuff for the judges. There are four divisions of female bodybuilding: bikini, figure, fitness and physique, and the eyeopening experience was much more of a mental game than Falbo anticipated. During her training, she confidently ventured over to the freeweight section of the UCF Recreation and Wellness Center. “I just jump in and do whatever because it’s what I need to do,” she said. “I do a lot of ridiculous-looking exercises, and it can be really awkward. People stare, but I put on headphones and ignore them.” On top of daily workout routines sent from her trainers, including an hour of weightlifting on each day’s muscle group and nearly two hours of cardio, Falbo must monitor everything she puts into her body every three hours. Falbo said her mom was worried about her becoming too skinny at first. “I’m trying to do it as healthy and natural as possible,” said Falbo, steering clear of steroids other competitors may use. She also takes vitamins to ensure she gets all the nutrients she needs to maintain her energy. And Falbo isn’t the only Knight looking to flex her muscles.
Photo: Deanna Ferrante
19 // Centric
Courteney Jacobazzi, a junior broadcast journalism major, has competed three times in the bikini category, placing twice in fifth and once in fourth. She said she likes to watch her body transform as she gains 10 pounds of muscle over her five-month weightlifting period. “To showcase your hard work is really rewarding,” Jacobazzi said. “All the work you put into it pays off.” She is taking a break from competing and is instead focusing on school and saving money; but she said she wants to compete again and move up to the figure class. With a better understanding of what to expect after her first competition, Falbo is now looking into shows in the bikini category for next summer and fall. Until then, she wants to continue working out and eating healthy, minus the occasional Lazy Moon pizza. “I want to keep it as a hobby, as a fun part of my life, not make it a job,” she said. Because she didn’t place in her first competition, Falbo said she wants to master her stage presence before she competes again. “You practice your routine, but when you get out there, it’s a whole other ballpark,” she said.
WAnt to See more of our BODYBUILDER? CHeck centric.cos.ucf.edu for more WEIGHTLIFTING action.
courtesy John hawley
Centric // 20
FROM
TO
K NG Six years after debuting for UCF, Christian Eissele is a star striker for europe’s Palloseura Kemi Kings.
By: Tim Briggs Christian Eissele glides onto the pitch for the first time as a UCF soccer player — a slender teenager with a big dream. The ball gravitates toward his 11-and-a-half-sized boots for the first time, and he scores with his first touch. Eissele, 23, graduated early from Lake Mary High School to pursue his dream of becoming a professional soccer player. He began his journey at UCF at 17 years old, and in the last six years, he has showcased his abilities in England, Sweden and Finland. He currently plays for the Palloseura Kemi Kings, a team
Courtesy Teemu Kvist Christian Eissele plays for the Palloseura Kemi Kings, which was promoted to the Veikkausliiga, the premier division in Finland, at the end of the 2015 season.
in the second division of Finnish football, the Ykkönen. He is the only American on the roster. “At UCF, Christian was young and still figuring himself out,” said Will Hetico, who was a goalkeeper on the 2010 UCF team with Eissele. “The team back then was really solid. It was fun to be on a team that had such quality and play at such a high level, and Christian was definitely a big part of that.”
After that UCF season, Eissele decided to take his development to the next level. Leaving home for the first time at the age of 18, he ventured overseas to England to train with the Bradford City Academy, a club that plays in the country’s third tier of professional soccer. “If I didn’t move to England and stayed at UCF, I feel like I would have been a good player, but I don’t think I would have been as good and trained
21 // Centric
in the things that I needed to get better at,” he said. “Sometimes I wish that I was born in England so that I could have gone through the regimen and training starting when I was 10 or 11 years old.” But ultimately, Eissele would never imagine altering his upbringing. He sports three different tattoos as reminders of his faith, as well as the delicate ink on his chest inscribing the exact coordinates of his parents’ home in Lake Mary. Although he attended UCF for only a year, he cherishes his Central Florida roots. “I mean, I’ve been so many places, but Orlando is home. That’s where my inspiration comes from,” Eissele said. “Coming home motivates me to do more, to be better.” His father, Bill Eissele, and his 90-year-old grandfather, who has written his grandson an email every
“Coming home motivates me to do more, to be better.” - Christian Eissele Sunday for the past five years, have had an incredible impact on Eissele and his daily motivation to succeed. “It’s always exciting to grow and watch your son reach his goals,” Bill Eissele said. “The key to being a professional athlete is preparation and always being prepared, and I feel like Susan [my wife] and I tried to prepare him for whatever happened in life.” Eissele plans to one day play in a premier league in a European country, possibly in England or Germany, but he also wants to be seen as something
even greater than a soccer player. “Sports teach you all sorts of things about life,” Eissele said. “Maybe now, people will remember me from the goals that I scored, but I want to be remembered for the kind of teammate that I was or the kind of opponent I was.” As it’s engraved on his chest, it doesn’t matter if it’s Finland, Sweden, England or elsewhere, for Eissele, home is where the heart is. And nothing will ever change that.
Photo: Jarred paluzzi Eissele, who was a striker on UCF’s soccer team in 2010, now plays as the only American on the roster for a second-division Finnish football league.
Centric // 22
OPERATION
GAMEDAY PHOTO: NICK RUSSETT
BY: ANNE LOTTMAN It’s dark-thirty on an early Saturday morning, gameday at UCF. The stars are still shining as Nick Bartley walks down East Plaza Drive toward Bright House Networks Stadium. Official tailgate starts at 8 a.m. for the 3:45 p.m. kickoff against the University of Connecticut Huskies. But Bartley’s not here for the party. He’s sporting a polo and khakis and he’s headed to work, armed with a long pre-game to-do list. Soon, 26,669 people will file into the stadium to watch the Knights square off against the Huskies. Few of them will notice Bartley and the eight other student workers who run gameday behind the scenes. The senior management major works all sport events and games, football included. Bartley is one of the four student Operations Supervisors who works at least a 12-hour day for
every game, doing everything from transferred down from Port Huron, putting out seats for the disabled, to Michigan. Armed with only gloves, he filling water coolers for the referees, scrubbed down the trash bins from to mopping up “protein spills.” the previous season to get ready for In between yawns, Bartley drives the new one. The hours of cleaning the golf cart, puts out trash bins and out reeking trash in the 95-degree places parking signs in each of the Florida heat made the Northerner designated lots. His momentarily question autopilot routine is what he’d signed up nearly second nature for. for him. But after working Anthony Conrath, every football game the assistant director since he transferred, of facilities and Bartley said helping operations, said make gameday students work 40 to happen makes it all 60 hours on a game worth it. week just to get it all - Jennifer Johnson ready before kickoff. “It’s all about the “When it comes to the event, details,” Bartley said. “But I love the less calls you have means you being a part of it. The atmosphere is were better prepared,” Conrath said. incredible.” “During the event, it’s really just In another golf cart sits Jennifer being on spot to react to anything Johnson, also an operations that may arise.” associate supervisor and soon-toBartley remembers his first be graduate. As the sun begins to shift more than a year ago when he rise over Bright House Networks
“THOUGH OUR JOB ISN’T ACTUALLY PUTTING ON THE GAME... IT’S THE THINGS NO ONE NOTICES.”
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Stadium, she sips her French vanilla iced coffee and sports her favorite pink and purple Nikes — ready for the long day ahead. By the time the gates open, Bartley and Johnson have been on their feet for seven hours. Yet, Johnson is ready for the unexpected, with her radio never more than a few inches away from her ear. “Though our job isn’t actually putting on the game, it’s the little things, like having a trash can at each staircase or making sure no one’s sick in the bathrooms,” Johnson explained. “It’s the things no one really notices.” Johnson said it can be difficult ensuring everyone has a good gameday experience. Once, when she saw an elderly fan who needed help to her seat, Johnson grabbed a wheelchair and wheeled her up to her place. The fan then decided the wheelchair was more comfortable and announced she wouldn’t be moving. Such moments have made Johnson really content working with people and keeping her big smile on when helping fans. The game is underway when Tom Snyder, the associate athletic director of facilities and operations,
gets a call over his radio. A refrigerator in one of the club suites is broken. Since there’s no time to do fridge diagnostics in between plays, it’s up to Johnson and Bartley to think on their feet. They grab a spare cooler, fill it with ice and lug it up to the suite. “We wouldn’t be able to do it without these guys,” Snyder said. “While most students are still rolling around in bed, these guys are running around setting up.” Besides being excellent problem solvers, the duo is humble and hardworking, two qualities that will transfer beyond this position, said Brandon Washington, also an operations supervisor. “At the end of the day, whether one person or 70,000 people show up [to the game], you’ve got to be prepared for anything,” Washington said. Close to halftime, Bartley and Johnson stand on the field and watch a play. A muffled voice crackles through the Walkie-Talkie, and Johnson’s already booking it as she listens to incoming calls and approaching sirens. An injured player was carried off the field. Bartley was right at Johnson’s heels to clear the
PHOTO: ANNE LOTTMAN Sisters Jessica and Jen Johnson, as well as Nick Bartley, go through their pre-game checklist making sure every last detail is taken care of before and after kickoff on gameday.
PHOTO: ANNE LOTTMAN All smiles, Jen Johnson sits in a golf cart ready for the unexpected during gameday at UCF.
path from curious onlookers so the paramedics can get to the scene. For Johnson, it’s a group effort, and the staff is like family. Her younger sister is even on staff with her this year. “I’ll get in there and get dirty,” Johnson said. “I’ll swing the trash bag into the dumpster and get beer juice all over me. I’m always a mess at the end of the day.” Bartley said there are definitely huge perks to the job. For one, being the first person in Garage D on gamedays makes parking a breeze. But beyond that, he’s seen how his work has opened up new opportunities for him, including the offer he got to volunteer at the Olympics in Brazil next summer — an opening he’s still pinching himself about.
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making miracles by: Paige WIlson Down a quiet hallway of the UCF Student Union, Chris Hixon stood with his cellphone pressed to his ear, his other hand interlocked with the hand of one of his best friends, as tears welled up in his eyes — tears of joy and anticipation.
On March 25, the 23-year-old cancer survivor had just received a call from the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ Dance Marathon headquarters in Utah that would make his dreams come true. Hixon, a 2015 UCF alumnus with a bachelor’s in political science, was offered the position of Dance
Courtesy Christophe Larue
Marathon manager for CMN Hospitals’ Northeast region, which meant he could continue making miracles happen after his time as the Knight-Thon 2015 event operations director came to a close. Through Hixon’s leadership positions with Knight-Thon — UCF’s 20-hour dance marathon that
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benefits kids with cancer in CMN Hospitals in Orlando — he was able to develop a relationship with Holden Flynn, one of the Miracle children who was born with a congenital heart defect. “Holden is my hero,” Hixon said. “His story is what I used when I told people about our kids. It was his story first, even before my own.” The 2-year-old boy, who was endearingly nicknamed “The Tin Man” after the character with a tinkered heart from the classic story “The Wizard of Oz,” passed away less than three months before Knight-Thon 2014 while awaiting a heart transplant. Holden’s parents, Trey and Nicole Flynn, were very involved with Knight-Thon and CMN Hospitals through appearances at events and the creation of “Yellow Brick Road — the Holden Flynn Foundation,” which continues the legacy of “The Tin Man.” “I felt so connected to him, even though he was just a baby, and I didn’t even know this baby. But I felt like I knew the family,” said Nicole Ramirez, a senior industrial engineering major and the current Knight-Thon executive director. Hixon said the foundation has united the community of people affected by congenital heart defects. He admires the Flynn family for taking such a painful situation and turning it into something positive. “I dance also, not only because someone was dancing for me, but also for the kids who will be forever dancing in our hearts,” Hixon said. “Because even though Holden may not have lived out the life that I would have liked him to have lived, he got more days than he ever would have without Arnold Children’s Hospital in Orlando.” Hixon relates to aspects of Holden’s childhood, as he also knows the feeling of childhood discomfort all too well. On Valentine’s Day in 1998, Hixon’s sixth birthday was filled with flu symptoms and a migraine. But no one expected the diagnosis that was coming.
He was rushed to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, and was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects white blood cells. “I remember being sick, I remember being uncomfortable, I remember the side effects, all that. But for the most part, I had great doctors, and I didn’t see any of the bad stuff because I was in a great children’s hospital,” he said. With the help of a kid-friendly environment complete with baseballthemed rooms, games, books, arts ’n’ crafts and his fellow hospitalmate, Carter, Hixon’s time at Joe DiMaggio’s ensured he still had a childhood. On Nov. 1, 2000, after two and a half years of chemotherapy, he was officially cancer free. Hixon now excitedly awaits the 15th anniversary this year, when he’ll celebrate how
“I dance also, not only because someone was dancing for me, but also for the kids who will be forever dancing in our hearts.” - Chris hixon
much his life has grown. He said the first of November is always an emotional day, but he uses it as a way to spread awareness for this cause and encourage people to donate to his Knight-Thon alumnus account. “What better way for people to celebrate my survival of 15 years [than] by donating so that other kids can have that 15-year mark,” he said. Due to Hixon’s experience with cancer, this is a personal philanthropy for him — whether it’s in Orlando, the Northeast region or across the nation. Kaitlyn Steininger, one of Hixon’s best friends and a previous KnightThon special projects director, remembers finding out about Hixon’s recently obtained regional position with CMN Hospitals the night before Knight-Thon 2015. The two friends, who had met through Greek life several years before this pivotal moment, stood on the stage of the CFE Arena with a large Knight-Thon backdrop displayed prominently behind them. “We both just cried and hugged on the stage,” Steininger said. Fast forward to the early morning hours of March 29 during KnightThon’s closing ceremony, the Arena was once again filled with tears — but this time with nearly 1,200 Knights who had just danced 20 hours for the cause. Participants had surpassed their goal of raising a half-million dollars with a total of $688,049.19 “For The Kids.” Hixon said during that moment of the total reveal, he felt invincible because UCF had made such a large difference in so many kids’ lives. “It changed my life, and not only in the way it helped kids, but it helped me in so many ways in college,” Hixon said. “It gave me something to believe in. “I’ve always believed in UCF. But my belief in UCF was never stronger than the moment that I was walking on stage and seeing the crowd.”
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REVOLUTION BLACKSTONE LAUNCHPAD
IN TWO
YEARS:
ideas & ventures launched
3,264
COACHING SESSIONS
STUDENT VISITS
AT LAUNCHPAD SEMINARS
PHOTO: NICK RUSSETT Pam Hoelzle kicks off StartSomething on Oct. 1, an entrepreneurial event featuring networking opportunities and talks by UCF starters.
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BY: DANIELA MARIN In the midst of an ever-changing job market, Pam Hoelzle is in the business of inspiring others to be creators of economic opportunities. The mother of two and lifetime entrepreneur also serves as a certified yoga instructor, bringing a new style of motivational teaching to her role as associate director of the UCF Blackstone LaunchPad. “My purpose is to help as many people as possible wake up to their power and see themselves as a value creator, a contributor, a server of others and, hopefully, to get economically free so that they can invest their lives in what they find meaningful,” she said. Before coming to UCF, Hoelzle spent 15 years building a hair salon company that topped $18 million in revenue before she sold it. After moving across the country from Ohio for “a high risk venture” — a failed engagement — Hoelzle found UCF; or rather, UCF found her, she said. “I think having been on both sides of the fence — having been a millionaire and having been broke — has taught me a lot about helping people who are either really resourced and hate their life or are under-resourced and are still learning how to be a creator,” she said. Her experience led to a proposition from Cameron Ford, the founding director of the LaunchPad, who was then looking to bend the entrepreneurial culture at UCF. “I talked to Cameron and told him that if he wasn’t serious, I would be the worst hire he would make in his life,” she said. “Because I wanted a revolution, but I wanted to be involved in nothing less than a revolution — a start-up revolution.” But in addition to teaching the
fundamentals of profitability and business models, Hoelzle said she’s made it her mission to instill starters with the power of being human. “If you work with me, I’ll tell you, ‘Take a deep breath, and be here, entirely here, right now.’ Making a difference is done by being attentive, and we have to learn how to pay attention again — to our lives and what matters,” she said. As one of the first LaunchPad
“She’s a good influence on all entrepreneurs that come through here for that same reason,” he said. “She runs on the highest amount of energy that I’ve ever seen [in] anybody, but stays calm, cool and collected and keeps everyone else calm — even in times of immense pressure and stress.” Her energy is contagious for starters such as Rob Starkman, who started his million-dollar company
“My purpose is to help as many people as possible wake up to their power and see themselves as a value creator, a contributor, a server of others ...” - Pam hoelzle starters who recently landed a $50,000 deal on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” Jesse Wolfe’s venture is just one of the 1,355 ideas that Hoelzle has helped incubate and accelerate since the LaunchPad’s 2013 opening. “She’s like a mom/best friend/ drill sergeant,” the business student said. Wolfe, who has gone from making hummus in his kitchen to filling grocery store orders, continues to count on Hoelzle to help him stay sane. He said she personifies balance of hustle and serenity that is often unseen in the realm of business.
Rock ’Em Apparel while a student at the LaunchPad. “She has a ton of belief, and there’s no towing the line of emotions with her — she doesn’t think something, she knows something,” he said. “And she truly believes that everyone can achieve their dreams if they put a little bit of effort in.” Once a workaholic, Hoelzle now describes herself as a believer, writer, yogi and person of faith. “Some people will still tell you there are days when I am going in 17 directions all at once, but I’m more mindful than I was a decade ago,” she said. “I am more present than I was a year ago.”
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snapshots from syria 2 million refugees have migrated to turkey
59,500 refugees have migrated to europe
1.1 million refugees have migrated to lebanon
245,585 refugees have migrated to iraq 142,543 refugees have migrated to egypt
629,627 refugees have migrated to jordan *taken from the october unchr report
In 2012, Centric covered the Syrian conflict and shared the heartbreak of two UCF students, whose families were caught in the middle of the civil war. Three years later, the conflict has escalated to where millions of people have fled the country, marking it as one of the largest migration movements in our recent history. Now we bring you two students who have a heart for their families who live amiID the turmoil.
By: Alahna Kindred Before the protests, the civil war and the terrorists, Syria was a safe place to visit. The last time Dania Fadhli, a sophomore biomedical sciences major, went to visit her family in Syria was in 2008 — before her family fled Syria and moved to the United
States. “Growing up, Syria was the safest country to visit, so that’s where I would go every summer,” Fadhli said. She used to visit family in Aleppo and Syria’s capital, Damascus, where she played cards with her great aunt. Fadhli remembers when her great
aunt asked her to buy cigarettes for her when she was only 8 years old. “My great aunt was a chain smoker, and one night she ran out of cigarettes and asked me to go next door and buy some,” Fadhli said. “This was my first glimpse of the corruption in Syria, and certainly there was much more I never learned about as a child.”
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Choosing between leaving home or staying to defend it is an all-toocommon choice many Syrians face. The numbers of those who have fled are in the millions, and there are hundreds of thousands who have died, but the people who are a part of these statistics are rarely heard about. Sammy Katerji, a sophomore biomedical sciences major, also grew up visiting family in Aleppo, where he spent summers learning about his family’s culture. “Just spending time with them and being a part of something so great is one of the things I remember most,” Katerji said. “I always knew that my family and I had a strong bond.” Katerji grew up with his aunts and uncles showing him around Aleppo. They would take him Internet cafés
and spoil him with lamb shawarmas. Some of Katerji’s family still live in Syria, and some have fled to Turkey. Those with kids fled to Turkey to start a new life that is safe and has more opportunities. Recently, one of his uncles decided he was going to join the millions of refugees fleeing to Europe, and Katerji said when his family was first made aware, they were terrified. His uncle is taking an inflatable boat, crammed with 200 people and a guide. The inflatable boat is commonly known as the “plastic boat” and has become crucial to almost every refugee’s chance of entering Europe through Turkey. The journey is dangerous, and thousands of people have drowned crossing the sea. Although refugees pay smugglers
to bring them to Turkey, there is no guarantee of their safety or survival. Katerji’s uncle plans to make his way to Germany, which is accepting 800,000 asylum seekers this year. His family members who are still in Syria are just trying to survive. “Sometimes the Internet goes out over there for a week at a time, and we don’t hear from them,” Katerji said. “It’s scary because we have no idea what is happening and no one else can contact them.” His mother is always in contact with her siblings and parents, sending money and supplies if they need it. From the United States, that’s all she can do until things become more peaceful. When Katerji does talk to his family in Syria, he doesn’t bring up the ‘elephant in the room’ because it’s all everyone hears about on the news.
Photo: jarred Paluzzi Dania Fahdli traveled to the Syria-Turkey border last summer to help refugees, including many orphans and children who made a big impact on of her life.
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Photo: ALAHNA KINDRED Dania Fahdli holds a selfie photo she took with Wallah, a Syrian child refugee she grew close to last summer.
“I try to distract from the conversation, and I try not to bring [the Syrian conflict] up because it’s not what they want to talk about,” Katerji said. Through their families’ pain, Fadhli and Katerji decided they will not sit back and watch the world they grew up in continue to be destroyed. Fadhli volunteered with the Syrian American Medical Society this past summer, where her and her father traveled to Turkey to help treat Syrian refugees. She spent two weeks on the Syrian-Turkish border and helped translate for American nurses and psychiatrists. She said she encountered many refugee children, and when she was volunteering in the psycho-social program at the Dar al-Salam orphanage, she spoke and played with the orphans. When visiting the rehab center Dar-alestshfan, she met kids who had lost their whole family. “The hardest part was keeping my composure. You have to be strong for them,” Fadhli said. “By the fourth day, I almost lost it. It was hard to just walk away.” Fadhli met and grew attached to a 1-and-a-halfyear-old girl named Wallah. She also met a 7-year-old boy named Aboodi at the rehab center, who lost his entire family and both his legs — one from the waist-down and one from the knee-down.
“I was not allowed to tell him that about his dad, who had died a few days prior, so I just asked how he was feeling and he went into a crying panic,” Fahdli said. “I had to excuse myself because he’s just a child and shouldn’t have to go through this.” Going to Turkey was a humbling experience for Fahdli, and she said she believes she helped make a difference. Although she mostly translated, she met people who were grateful that someone from the United States cared enough to come and see them. “At the end of the day, I think I got more out than what I did for them. Everyone I met touched me in some way,” Fadhli said. Both Fadhli and Katerji said they don’t see Syria becoming safe in the near future, but they plan on returning. “I plan on going back to Turkey every summer before I graduate so I can help. I can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Fahdli said. “Even after Syria becomes safer to return to, I want to go back and help rebuild the country.” Katerji plans on going back to help anyway he can when the time is right. “I want to be a doctor, but if they need someone to go and do construction, then that is what I’ll do,” Katerji said.
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web exclusives Passion for politics With a student population of more than 60,000, UCF is bound to be filled with diversity. But with that diversity comes opposing views, especially when politics are brought into the mix. The presidential elections are approaching, and it’s never too early to take a look at student leaders in a few of the university’s political organizations who favor different candidates to be the next man or woman in the White House.
Lunar Knights reach for mars Getting face-to-face time with NASA engineers isn’t the typical experience for college students, but the Lunar Knights can say differently. This team works on creating robots all year to prepare for the Robotic Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in May. The work the group does has inspired some Knights to reach for the stars — literally — as they design a functioning Mars rover and go head to head with 50 other teams from around the country.
The Sounds of Strangers Among the hustle and bustle of the UCF John T. Washington Center, a crowd gathered around two students who were performing an impromptu jam session of vocals and guitar. These two Knights had only just met, but no one was the wiser with their instant musical chemistry. The singer, who is a native of Venezuela and has been growing his vocal talents for 13 years, and the guitarist, who has been strumming for 11 years, aspire to create more musical harmonies for the UCF community to enjoy.
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centric fall 2015 staff
photo: gabe toledo