The Reporter: Spring 2023 Issue IV

THE

HOT TAKES

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Spring 2023 ISSUE IV

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Hunting For Hot Wings The best wings in town to compliment all your hot takes

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Banning Books Only Bans Education A breakdown of Florida’s new controversial legislation

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Dildo or Dildon’t The environmental impact of sex toys

L E T T ER S Dearest readers, For our second issue of the spring semester, we centered our focus around a single theme: Hot Takes. Our staff is filled with passionate journalists, advocates, and creatives, and so we wanted to collect as many strong opinions and answers to important questions as we possibly could in a single issue. This edition has everything from a rundown of the book banning epidemic, to an analysis of the failures of feminist representation in movies, to critiques of indirect advocacy of domestic violence in a Super Bowl commercial. We’ve investigated and simplified a slough of complicated issues for your viewing pleasure and convenience. We hope it both informs and entertains our beloved community.

As our team hits our creative stride, we also look to the future. These days, I find myself thinking a lot about legacy. Before I pack up and say my farewells to this esteemed University, I want to be sure to produce as much quality content as possible for the good of our community. Greater still, I want to equip our team to carry on the torch after our administration bows out so that they can make The Reporter their own next year. This paper has had a long history before me, and it will have a long history after me too. But my time contributing to its legacy has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my young life. This issue is replete with passion and joy and inquisition, the best parts of our organization if you ask me. We hope you enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Happy reading!

Carmen Cruz, Executive Editor

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It’s a hot one out there folks, and these photos and stories have us sweating! In this Hot Takes edition of The Reporter, we’re pushing our limits to produce creative content that really gets our brain juices flowing. The photos within these pages are quite literally fire, and are the perfect opening act to a hot girl summer. We took the theme both literally and metaphorically to completely explore the motif on all sides. I found this issue incredibly gratifying and somewhat challenging because it pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to try new things; and the results speak for themselves. Thanks for tuning in, and enjoy!

Jillian Semmel, Photo Editor

It’s coming everyone, the thing all we seniors fear… graduation. The end of the 2022-2023 school year is quickly approaching and many students, including myself, are scrambling to get everything together. However, this issue comes as a pleasant non-surprise because we normally do 2 or more editions a semester, to break up the monotony of everyday academia-related stress.

This edition brings a new 50s style vibe to our journalistic repertoire with color, pizzazz, and most importantly, some spicy hot takes. From articles about Ticketmaster to critiques of banned books and Hollywood’s feminist failures, we’ve got a steaming kettle ready to spill all of the juicy controversy for you all. Our whole team jumped at the idea of a hot-take issue, and believe me, each of us had quite a bit to say. But these were the beauties that made the cut, and each has been tailored to perfection for your viewing pleasure. Feel free to read along, laugh out loud, and possibly enrage yourself off of the audacity of some people/organizations. Prepare a fan because this issue is scolding hot! Hope you all enjoy it. Happy reading.

Alexis Diamond, Managing Editor

Hello reader, We are so glad you stumbled upon this issue. There are some hot topics, hot takes, and hard work brought to you by The Reporter editorial board and their staff.

After a stellar debut of Spring 2023 Issue I, this one is even more riveting not only in visuals, but in important topics that often get swept under the rug.

Here in Hatter Network, we produce content by students, for students. The Reporter is here not only as an outlet for creation, craft, and community, but also for knowledge, news, and uncomfortable conversations.

After all, if something is uncomfortable for people to create dialogue around, the more we need to talk about it. This staff has worked and continues to work tirelessly to shine light on topics that need attention, and this issue is a great example of that.

Read this with care, read this with intention, and sit with the things that make you uncomfortable. We’ll see you in our next issue.

Xanthippe Pack -Brown, Editor in Chief the reporter

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EDIT ORS Xanthippe Pack-Brown Editor-in-Chief

Carmen Cruz Executive Editor

Hayden Collins Creative Director

W &

Eleanor King Sports Editor

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Alexis Diamond Managing Editor

Jillian Semmel Photo Editor

Sisi Small Webmaster

Chase Berger News Editor

The

r e t r o p e R y pleasu t il u g r u o y is t a h W

re?

Staff

Xanthippe Pack-Brown, Editor-in-Chief Carla M Rosario, Staff Writer Hayden Collins, Creative Director Carlye Mahler, Staff Writer Carmen Cruz, Executive Editor of The Reporter Cas Bradley, Creative Staff, Photographer Alexis Diamond, Managing Editor of The Reporter Ciara Kelley, Staff Writer Logan Warren, Social Media Director for Touchstone Hayle Simone Morgan, Staff Writer Jillian Semmel, Photo Editor Kaelyn-Rose Miranda, Staff Writer Chase Berger, News Editor of The Reporter Alis Cadena, Staff Writer Eleanor King, Sports Editor of The Reporter Madison Sepiol, Photographer Diabolik Venus Turnbull, Creative Staff Nathan Biagianti,Staff Writer Lovers Watching Toddlers Nadia Papin, Creative Staff Jackie Maze, Multimedia Editor & Tiaras Alexa Hutton, Creative Staff Sisi Small, Webmaster Bella Steiert, Staff Writer Brandy Bennet, Staff Writer Watching Bluey

JOINING US

When it comes to joining Hatter Network, we are never not excited about someone wanting to join our ranks. If you want to write, The Reporter is the place. If you like to appreciate art, music and writing, Touchstone Literary Arts Journal is where it’s at. If you want to create your own podcast, or learn how to use the tech in our radio station, WHAT Radio is there. Hatter Network is an extacurricular media program run by students, for students, to provide them with the information we think they need to know, or an outlet for their creative endeavors. If you’re interesed in getting involved, please email our Editor-in-Chief, Xanthippe Pack-Brown, at xpackbrown@stetson.edu or apply on Engage.

ABOUT US

The Reporter, as part of Hatter Network, is the oldest collegiate magazine in the state of Florida.

We publish four times per year, twice per semester. Florida Sun Printing prins 300 copies per isue on 8.5 x 11 inch, 80# Gloss Test, Most body text is set at 11 poind Adobe Garamond Pro or Times New Roman with 13 point leading set with a combination of regular, italic and bold. All pages are designed using Adobe Creative Suite Photoshop and Illustrator. For additional information please visit hatternetwork.com. Questions or concerns can be mailed to 421 N Woodland Blvd. Deland, FL 32723 or emailed to hatternetwork@gmail.com.

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CONT E

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Hunting For Hot Wings

The best wings in town to compliment all your hot takes Model, Julia Davis

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ENT S 08 13 16 21 24 26 31 33 37 40 46 51

Banning Books only Bans Education

A breakdown of Florida’s new controversial legislation

The Trouble With Stetson’s Rising Acceptance Rate More People More Problems 15 Seconds Is All It Takes Tubi’s Super Bowl Fumble Revolving Green Fund Creating a Culture of Business-Friendly Sustainability The Art of Banksy The Art of Substantive Civil Protests Holywood’s Failure At Feminism

How western media fails women with shallow feminism and imperialism in the name of female empowerment

Unpacked with Gabi Bremente The Daily Essentials of a Championship Beach Volleyball Player Hunting for Hotwings

The best wings in town to compliment all your hot takes

The Trouble With Ticketmaster May The Odds Be Never In Your Favor

Dildo or Dildon’t

The environmental impact of sex toys

Photo Story Breakdown Playlist

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Story: Chase Berger Layout: Venus Turnbull Photos: Jillian Semmel

Banning Books Only Bans Education Florida students in K-12 public schools returned from winter break this year to find something amiss inside their classrooms and media centers: the books were missing. The shelves, normally brimming with stacks of reading material, were either barren or covered. Recently, Florida public school teachers were informed they needed to get rid of their unapproved book collections as a new state law took effect as of January 2023.

What is HB 1467?

On March 25, 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 1467, which his administration has dubbed the “curriculum transparency bill.” The bill, which affects all K-12 public schools, requires transparency of learning material, allows parental review of instructional material, and sets curriculum standards. Essentially, schools now have to have a system that allows parents to see all the learning materials their children are exposed to and procedures where parents can object to any of them.

How Does This Impact Educators?

While the DeSantis administration calls Florida “the most parent-friendly state,” the new law has not been friendly to teachers as many are in fear for their liveli8

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hood. School officials in Manatee and Duval Counties were told to cover up or remove unapproved books and explicitly reminded of Florida Statute 847.12. The law states, “an adult may not knowingly distribute to a minor on school property…any material described in subsection (3) [pornography]. … Any person violating any provision of this section commits a felony of the third degree.” In short, it is a third-degree felony for anyone to knowingly distribute pornographic material to a minor on school property.

Manatee County Chief of Staff Kevin Chapman told the National Review that doing away with unapproved books was urgent because “if there was an inappropriate book found in a school, that person or persons could be charged with a third-degree felony.” Duval County Public Schools Chief Academic Officer Paula Renfro went over the pornography law in a video meant to inform educators about the new law. While HB 1467 did not explicitly state that teachers who failed to get rid of unvetted books could potentially face third-degree felonies, the implication was certainly made.

The Challenge Process In accordance with the new law, each accessible book must be pre-approved or checked by a media specialist trained by the Florida Department of Education. Addi-

tionally, each school district must establish a process that allows parents and county residents to object to any book. So, even if a book is initially approved by a media specialist, it can still be banned in the end.

If a book is challenged in the Volusia County school district, a decision will be made by a School Media Advisory Committee at the individual affected school. If someone is not satisfied with the school level decision, they can request for the book to be looked at by a district level committee. According to Volusia County Schools Deputy Superintendent Rachel Hazel, approximately 90 books have been looked at so far on the school level and 19 of those were elevated to the district level.

Public Schools has a public list of 275 books that have been reconsidered, and the Clay County School District has one with over 100 books. According to PEN America, a nonprofit organization that advocates for freedom of expression in literature, 176 books were removed from Duval County in January 2022 for review, though a Duval County Public Schools spokeswoman later said the books were never challenged or ever on shelves to begin with. The books were part of a collection called “Essential Voices,” which were meant to be diverse and inclusive. The banned collection included titles such as “Dim Sum for Everyone!” by Gracie Lin and “My Two Moms and Me” by Michael Jooestewn and Izak Zenou.

Hazel explained that a committee made of “school advisory chair people, principles, teachers, media specialists, curriculum specialists, and community members who volunteered” was made for each of the 19 books.

Committee members were required to read the entire book and record their thoughts about its appropriateness. Then they met to discuss whether they thought the superintendent should remove the book from schools or not. “Ultimately, the choice is up to the superintendent,” Hazel said.

However, those are not the only books under fire for their diverse themes.

A Trend Of Non-Inclusivity

According to a September 2022 PEN Amer ica report, Florida had 566 book bans in 21 districts during the twelve-month 20212022 school year. The majority of books banned, not only in Florida but the entire country, contained LGBTQ+ themes and characters that were people of color.

Though Volusia County Schools only has 19 books under review at the distinct level, other Florida counties are reviewing massive quantities of books. Duval County

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“Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe, “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson are just three of such books banned by a school district in Florida.

Deputy Superintendent Hazel says that Volusia County Schools is not banning books based on those themes.

“We review all of our materials for appropriateness. And that’s in all areas. Now, we’re not looking to specifically ban any book based on one author or one characteristic, but we have a constant cycle of review anyway,” Hazel said. She says the books are also reviewed for grade level appropriateness. “I will tell you that the books that we are reviewing are primarily at the high school level.

We don’t have any at the elementary level.”

Effects On Education Stetson University Director of Public Services Jennifer Corbin finds the widespread banning of books to have a negative impact on the education of children. “Well, I think it really limits their ability to learn about the world.

It also limits their ability to see themselves or their family in stories. And I think that can be very important, especially if you are young, and you know that maybe your family, or you as a person are not like other people.

To see someone, or to read something about a person who is like you, or like your family, or like someone you love is really important … It seems like a disservice to our young people.”

Hazel did not provide a comment about how banned books affect education. “I think it’s important to follow procedure and policy and legislature. I’m not gonna comment,” she said.

“I’m sure every situation is different. I think there probably are people who are concerned about the questions children will ask if they read a book, or they maybe disapprove of that. But that doesn’t make it okay for them to tell other people what to read,” Corbin said.

I think though that there"s also a move ment of groups who are out to protect peo ple.’ And I don’t think it’s about protecting people, it’s about their political agenda.”

While the wave of book bans is focused on K-12 public schools, there are questions of if and how universities might be affected next. In light of DeSantis’ conservative changes to the liberal arts college New College of Florida, the amount of power and influence the governor has is unknown. “I think what we’re seeing at New College in Florida is really eye opening,” Corbin said. “I think

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there’s a chance that this could start happening more at universities. … The states tend to have control over their K-12 education and some higher ed. As a private institution, we might be insulated from that a little bit. But we are also in Florida and a lot of our students come from Florida, so I’m not sure what that looks like for us.”

A “Fahrenheit 451” Future Banning books has morphed into a political hot button issue, typically with the right pushing for more and the left advocating for less. Florida Republican politicians heralded HB 1467 as a victory at the same time Florida Democrat politicians called it censorship. Even now, some right-wing politicians are hoping to expand political oversight in the classroom. On February 22, 2023, Florida House Representative Stanley McClain proposed HB 1609 which mandates that all challenged books must be removed from shelves immediately after being challenged. According to PEN America, this law would go against the best practices established by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the American Library Association, which say a book should remain available during the review process.

Many people have compared the current state of Florida to a dystopian society, and those people are correct in their comparison. Florida is beginning to eerily resemble a certain novel that warns against the censorship of books: “Fahrenheit 451.” The government in Ray Bradbury’s 1951 story outlaw books and firemen are required to burn any they find. The burning of books, just like the banning of books, censors free thought and limits access to knowledge.

Bradbury famously said, “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. You just have to get people to stop reading them.”

Florida’s children, the generation of the future, are being stopped from reading. They are losing volumes of knowledge and being forced to adhere to one culture without the ability to learn any others. Books are mere steps from physically going up in flames and are metaphorically already being burned. Florida’s education system is being reduced to ash and we should all recognize how truly terrifying that is.

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Story: Kaelyn-Rose Miranda Graphics: Cas Bradley

THE TROUBLE WITH STETSON''S STETSON RISING ACCEPTANCE RATE

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Back in 2019, Stetson’s acceptance rate came in at 60%. In contrast, as of recently, rates have increased tremendously with an acceptance rate of 92% in 2021.

With students having to integrate into virtual school for a few years due to COVID-19, it’s possible to say that maybe it’s good that Stetson is accepting almost everyone. However, it does bring up a few concerns as to what the value of education students are getting at Stetson is. And of course, there’s the question as to why such a huge increase occurred at all.

As a high school student applying to Stetson in November of 2018, senior Emily Shamis (‘23) shared that her college application experience was relatively an exciting and “easy” process. Her determining factors for a perfect college included small class sizes, being close to home, and having a variety of programs that she was interested in. So, when she finally received a letter in the mail saying she got into Stetson, a school that met all her requirements, she was thrilled.

According to a survey by Inside Higher Ed, 65% of current college students look for a university that offers their major/program of interest and 56% looked for academic reputation. Although Stetson is a “nationally ranked” school and has been ranked #4 in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges in Regional Universities South, an article titled “Academic Reputation: How U.S. News & World Report Survey Respondents Form Perceptions” tells us that “a move to a less favorable ranking leads an institution to accept a larger percentage of its applicants, while a smaller percentage enrolls.”

Since Stetson has been ranked well compared to other universities, it doesn’t make sense as to why there has been an increase, especially if other schools supposedly only raise their acceptance rate when institutions are performing poorly. Perhaps other issues like virtual schooling and the pandemic have caused many universities, including Stetson, to increase their rates.

When comparing Stetson to other universities across the state of Florida (including public universities), it’s quite interesting to see that no one else has changed their rates. UCF’s acceptance rate has stayed the same since pre-pandemic with an acceptance rate of 44%.

FSU’s acceptance rate too has been the same with a 14

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rate of 32%. However, Stetson’s sister school, Flagler college, a private college in St. Augustine, had a massive increase in rates as well.

Flagler College’s acceptance rate was at an average of 55% over the past ten years but is now at 74%, making it the highest it’s been in quite some time. But rates at other private schools like Rollins College and University of Miami have stayed the same even through the pandemic.

“I am curious about what they changed to be accepting that many people. With all due respect to the incoming classes, I dont think they’re more qualified than we were,” Shamis said. “Probably less so cause they had quite a few years of virtual [learning].”

Although this could be the case, the only other factor that has changed and keeps changing is the cost, which makes it plausible that the increased tuition could be a factor as to why the acceptance rate keeps rising. The tuition as of now is at about $52,000 making it more expensive than it’s been in recent years.

Because of cost, many students aren’t able to complete their education at Stetson. Charlotte Kard (‘23) knows a handful of people that ended up transferring to UCF or other affordable universities to complete their degree.

“I would not be going here if I didn’t have a scholarship with Army ROTC,” Kard said. “It’s just way too expensive, and I don’t really see why it needs to be that expensive.”

If Stetson is so costly and is now welcoming almost everyone, is there still value in coming here to get a degree?

As a chemistry major, Shamis knows that earning her degree takes a lot of dedication, determination, and discipline, which could also be a factor as to why so many students leave.

“I know my degree is hard and so if a bunch of people get in they still would have to take the same classes we took with the same standard we had. Unless that increased acceptance rate is an indicator of the standard changing,” Shamis said.

After many attempts to speak to admissions, there still is no comment or remark as to what is causing the lenient acceptance rate for Stetson University. So, we can’t really pinpoint what their opinions as to why these changes have occurred, but it is important to note that the belief amongst students is that components like the pandemic and the tuition hike is playing a huge part.

It’s possible to say that no answer from admissions is the only answer we really need.

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Story: Alis Cadena Layout: Hayden Collins Graphics: Alexis Diamond & Carmen Cruz

Tubi Super Bowl Ad:

15 Seconds Is All It Takes Millions of people were fooled during the Super Bowl LVII broadcast as Tubi released one of the most problematic commercials in advertising history. Who would’ve thought that a fifteen second commercial could cause so much chaos?

For those who might’ve missed it, the ad starts off with game commentators appearing on the screen, which is usually the sign of an end to a commercial break. However, when a menu abruptly popped up at the bottom of the screen and switched it to the Tubi platform, people were quick to point fingers at whomever they thought changed the channel. After six seconds passed of viewers all over the nation accosting each other, confusion and realization settled in as the Tubi logo appeared at the end, signaling that it was just a commercial. The brilliant ad definitely got people’s attention, that’s for sure.

I originally thought that was one of the greatest highlights of the night, placed right next to Rhianna and her marshmallow-suited dancers.

It was all fun and games to millions of watchers across America - until suddenly it wasn’t.

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When you’re having a laugh with friends and family, it’s hard to remember the other side of the coin– the side that had people rattled instead of entertained.

Social media users were quick to post about situations in which a family member, partner, or even stranger reacted rather explosively to who could’ve touched the remote. Stories of the domestic violence that some watchers experienced over this fifteen second Super Bowl commercial spread like wildfire, and it didn’t take too long to realize how much damage the ad caused. One experience in particular had people grasping the reality of the situation as a post on Reddit, now deleted, went viral. The story was from a female user, a part of the r/offmychest community, titled “I broke up with my boyfriend over the Tubi Super Bowl Commercial.” The 23-year old female revealed that her 25-year old boyfriend

believed that she was the one who changed the channel, and began to scream obscenities at her.

“Even as I told him it was a commercial he ignored me and kept blowing up at me and punched a hole in our living room wall,” she wrote in her post.

If the violent outburst doesn’t shock you, maybe the fact that she was told she was overreacting the next day will. The revelation led to many other stories trickling in as people shared their domestic violence experiences over the commercial. One TikTok video posted by user chellyreed1345 said, “Tubi, I didn’t find your commercial funny… I had the whole bar yelling at me.” Following up on that, a user commented “My husband had a pint glass smashed on his face and several of his piercings ripped out while trying to defend his female colleagues at the bar.”

In another TikTok video outkicksports posted actual footage of a disturbing live reaction. It starts off with a man yelling, “Hey, what are you doing?!” very loudly, immediately causing the household to sit up straight in fear. He proceeds to round the couch and scream for them to get up as they shrug or hold up their hands to show they weren’t in possession of the remote. The video was titled, “Fans losing it during the Tubi Super Bowl commercial” followed by a laughing emoji.

Then, there’s the social media users that tried to downplay the seriousness of it all. In fact, they used themselves as stories of how people may have reacted to the commercial. User Josh Reynolds24 tweeted, “Arguably worse than the Eagles loss, I now have my relationship with my Mother In-Law to repair after I regrettably called her a “bitch” thinking she changed the channel during the @Tubi commercial.”

The fact that something so trivial as a commercial can trigger such a reaction from a person is concerning, and when a commercial has the power to do this much damage, it clearly shows that domestic violence is a real problem in our society.

What’s strange, however, is the lingering question on whether or not Tubi could’ve predicted such outcomes. I mean, I’m no marketing major, but I’m pretty sure an idea for an advertisement should go through extensive scrutiny to prevent any company fallout. One would think Tubi would have the common sense to realize that, especially with the overwhelmingly high domestic violence statistics when it comes to sports events. Lancaster University studied a number of reports of abuse to a police force during three football World Cups and found that such reports increased by 26% when a team won, as well as by 38% when a team lost.

Joe Santagato also tweeted, “That Tubi commercial came on & I yelled at every single person in this room.”

The encounters continue to range from people getting yelled at in bars, children getting scolded by family members, and significant others being physically and mentally abusive. The whole thing is damaging, there’s no other way of putting it.

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This wasn’t the only thing suspicious about the marketing of the Tubi Super Bowl commercial. I was reading the comments of a Tiktok regarding the advertisement when I came across something odd: “Notice how in the commercial it picks the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith, too :/” user squimp. shady said. I didn’t really know what they were referring to until I came across the legal battle of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. According to the New York Times, Angelina Jolie filed a cross complaint against her ex-husband Brad Pitt… disclosing new details about what she described in court papers as abusive behavior by him on a private plane in 2016 that led to the dissolution of their marriage.

Knowing this had me at a crossroads. Of all the movies Tubi could’ve picked to include in their commercial, why did they choose one that casted actors who were dealing with a real life domestic violence case? I’d like to believe Tubi didn’t purposely instigate any violence with their marketing strategies, but evidence such as this leads to the contrary.

In America, a study was conducted in 2011 that looked at 900 NFL games over the years and found that it led to a 10% increase in the rate of at-home violence by men against their wives and girlfriends.

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How can a low-stakes comedic ad turn into a catalyst for oppression so quickly? It’s getting to the point where jokes or pranks can’t be taken lightly anymore; it can be funny for one person, and be absolutely damning for another. Quite recently in my Austen and Adaptation class, we were given a pre-lesson for the next session. The professor gave an example that ironically related to the same topic of misplaced comedy.

“I’ve taught here for a long time and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve tripped at the crosswalk. Of course I laugh and some people around me laugh - I mean, tripping over myself is funny,” Professor Snook says. “But, when a person trips on the crosswalk and suddenly gets hit by a car, it’s not so funny anymore.”

She goes on to explain how such a low stake comedic situation can quickly be turned around to be the complete opposite. The lesson that

this holds is so utterly important, and though we shouldn’t have to worry about it in the first place, in the society that we live in we have to. People could have their mixed views on the Tubi commercial, but there’s no denying the fact that it should’ve been produced differently - in a way that would let the entirety of America laugh, and not just the people who are safe from the hands of abusers. Even if it wasn’t a commercial, people shouldn’t have to panic for something as trivial as accidentally sitting on the remote. The fact that this was a commercial gives no excuse for anyone to scream or become physically aggressive towards another individual because of a sporting event that will have no impact whatsoever in their lives.

Rather, if the Tubi commercial was intentional or not, assailants do not have the option to use it as an excuse to validate their violent actions.

We need to raise awareness of domestic violence to hold abusers accountable for their actions and to make people realize that it should not be condoned in any circumstance.

For resources or support pertaining to matters of domestic abuse or violence in all forms, consider these organizations

National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233 the reporter

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Stream Stetson’s best (and only) radio station live on hatternetwork.com

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The Revolving Green Fund: Creating a Culture of Business Friendly Sustainability Story: Emily Derrenbacker Layout: Nadia Papin Photos: Madison Sepiol

Stetson has a history of pushing for sustainability on campus. The CUB roof and the Brown Hall roof have solar panels, and the energy savings they create are on display for everyone to see in the CUB. Stetson has committed to building in an energy efficient manner and has five buildings that are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, which means that they are healthy, efficient, carbon and cost-saving green buildings according to globally recognized standards. In fact, the Lynn Business Center was the first LEED certified building in the state of Florida. And yet, Stetson has also been criticized for failing to be sustainable. The Reporter even wrote a story about excessive plastic use at Stetson during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many student groups have been a part of the effort to improve Stetson’s environmental consciousness, including the environmental club, Hatter Harvest, and the Environmental Sustainability Fellows.

There’s a common misconception that business and the environment are at odds. But Stetson’s Environmental Sustainability Fellows have the hot take that environmentalism and business actually work well together.

Stetson’s Environmental Sustainability Fellows are a student-led organization with two faculty advisors, Dr. Tony Abbott, Professor of Environmental Science and Studies, and Kevin Winchell, Director of the Center for Community Engagement, and four students, Audrey Berlie ‘24, Jacob Robinson ‘24, Sugeeth Sathish ‘25, and Mackenzie Powers ‘25. The organization was started in 2014, and ever since has been the driving force behind many of Stetson’s environmental projects. Every year they do multiple projects from conducting an audit of Stetson’s total greenhouse gas emissions to improving energy efficiency on campus. In past years, the Fellows brought solar panels to the roof of the CUB, and this year, they have plans to expand what’s called the “chiller loop” system, which

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is essentially a unit of water that runs through campus and acts as air conditioning; it will save a good deal of money because it’s more efficient.

The funding for all these large projects comes from the Revolving Green Fund which is run by the Fellows.

You may recently have come across an email from the Environmental Sustainability Fellows with a survey for the Revolving Green Fund. The purpose of the survey was to get student’s opinions about what sustainability projects they would like to see on campus. Berlie explains, “It’s important to us that if the funding for the Revolving Green Fund is coming from students, we want to know that they’re interested in investing in. We can see investing in smaller work [in the future], and community focused things. We’re trying to see what students are engaged in because it’s their money, and we want to do with it what they’re interested in, too.

So that’s our reason for releasing the survey, and we do that once a year.”

Students contribute to the Revolving Green Fund every year despite not knowing. Five dollars of the student life fee you pay goes toward the fund. The Fellows then apply the money towards investments in energy efficiency on campus. Berlie explains how this works, “So we’ve invested in the passive solar panels up on top of the CUB, and we’re looking next at investing in a chiller loop. When you invest money in those things, you’re going to be saving money because you’re using less electricity, and you’re also generating less emissions because you’re using less electricity. We need to track not only our savings in carbon emissions, we also need to track our return on investment on the projects.

Then, whatever savings were generated goes back to the Revolving Green Fund to reinvest in the more projects.”

While the Environmental Sustainability Fellows are the leaders on these projects and doing the work, they’re not allowed to simply run free with the money they manage. All their proposals must be approved by both the Student Government Association and the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The EWG is composed of students, faculty, and staff, who all work together to oversee the Revolving Green Fund and other projects on campus.

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Since being established in 2017, “We’ve really been in an investment phase these first four years,” says Dr. Abbott. “Money starts coming back next year. I mean, after this chiller loop goes in, we start getting pretty significant returns on the investments.”

Berlie added, “For the return on investment of the solar panels, we’re estimating around $7,000 to $8,000 each year coming back into the Revolving Fund through that project.”

The Fellows emphasized that sustainability is a good investment. “The idea is to demonstrate that investments in efficiency and sustainability actually create significant returns through savings. And if we start thinking in those ways a little more intentionally, then we can capture those things. So this was a way of kind of getting the administration and the university into the habit of thinking of these things as returns and making it more visible to them. By tracking it, we can demonstrate how it works. They [the university] prefer economic arguments, rather than moral arguments,” continues Dr. Abbott.

For the fellows, business and sustainability go hand in hand. Berlie explains,

“Contrary to popular belief, sustainability is not in contrast to business...”

Because what would you rather be running: a university that has very high electricity bills or very low electricity bills? And so by implementing these energy efficiency projects that are in relation to sustainability and saving us on carbon emissions, we’re saving the university money.”

The Environmental Sustainability Fellows want to make students more aware of the work they’re doing and how students can get involved. Robinson says, “There are quite a few opportunities to get involved with environmental projects. I know a lot of what we do is looking at statistics and numbers, and that’s probably not everyone’s ballgame; some people like to get more hands on. Some people like to influence policy. There are opportunities for people to do that

here. You can speak with us. We have projects.

There’s the environmental club, which I know does cleanups frequently. And then in our survey, we asked what people are interested in doing so that way we can find the people who are doing those things on or off campus and kind of direct them in that direction.”

When talking with the Fellows, it’s easy to tell that they have an endless amount of ideas about improving Stetson’s sustainability practices. As a member of the Roland George Investments Program (RGIP), Sathish wants to bring in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) into the RGIP program by requiring “investments to have an ESG score that is of liking before they can proceed with any investment…to make sure that it’s a sound business for all forms of life, including sustainability.” Sathish is also interested in the upper levels of Stetson’s financial management and wants to find out what Stetson’s $300 million endowment is invested in and where it’s invested in sustainability.

Robinson is working on a bicycle program where he hopes students can check out bicycles like library books in the future: “So we have started putting together some bicycles, and those come from the end of every semester, because students tend to just leave bicycles around campus and then don’t claim them, and public safety has been storing them underneath Sage. So we’re taking bicycles from that pool and trying to do some maintenance on them.

Students can come in and they can borrow it for two weeks and then return it.”

“I wish everyone got an opportunity to be a part of this program or a program similar to this coming in so they can be connected to fellow students, faculty, staff, and they can understand what Stetson truly is underneath everything.”

Mackenzie Powers, ‘25 For a team of just four students and two advisors, the environmental fellows make a bigger impact on campus than one could imagine. It’s pretty safe to say that they are proving that combining business and sustainability isn’t as hot a take as it seems.

The group is hoping to expand the Environmental Sustainability Fellows to have a full time Sustainability Coordinator.

Powers talks about what it’s like to be an Environmental Sustainability Fellow during her first year at Stetson: “I didn’t realize the scale of everything that we do until I sat down when I got here to incredible people who are so focused and just incredible at what they do. And honestly, getting thrown into it coming right into Stetson is a kick in the butt.

Trying to learn from these guys and be as good as them is definitely a good motivator. I strive to be as awesome as these guys. I enjoy it because it really connects you to the school. I feel like I know way more than I should as a first year. I know way too many people. I love it. the reporter

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The Art of

Story: Brandy Bennett Layout & Graphics: Hayden Collins

Banksy Banksy shows that street art is capable of delivering powerful messages to the masses, and sparking a new art movement. Today, Banksy stays true to the art he creates by remaining anonymous, which has become a defining feature of street artists at large.

Graffiti, which circulated in the 60’s and 70’s, was seen as controversial for its use of public property as a canvas. It was often considered to be vandalism with little appreciation for the visuals and messages it conveyed.

Banksy began painting on public road signs in Bristol, England conveying images that were largely symbolic of societal views. Unlike traditional spraypaint street artists, Banksy used stencils to spray paint uniform images in his early works. Early works of his depict images of “Pests,” one featuring a rat with a boom box painted on a stop sign.

He makes a point of turning rats, which are often considered to be invasive, grotesque, and carriers of plague and disease, or more applicably to Banksy’s message, harbingers of anything unwanted, into art with this collection.

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Each artistic choice

by Banksy is evidently deliberate and rife with potent symbolism.

On February 18, 2023, I visited the touring exhibition “Banksyland.” According to Banksyland Orlando’s advertisement for the exhibit, this was a first of its kind with 80 art pieces and installations that have never been seen in Orlando before. These pieces and installations are “original and studio works, salvaged street artworks, and never-before-seen immersive installations.” The building that houses the exhibit at the Orlando fairgrounds established his collections in chronological order towards the end so the observer could become immersed with his artwork as it progressed over time. One featured piece was the famous pink elephant with gold leaf, and was made to look like wallpaper at a party. There’s an elephant in the room, but it was created to blend in only when seen by the trained eye. The artistic observer and even members of the general public can understand this elephant comes with a powerful message.

It demonstrates the technique that Banksy uses by making some of his pieces site specific. In the exhibition, the elephant in the room was obvious in each art piece.

The art in this exhibit features some very controversial messages about societal views on religion, war, and even capitalism. Even the untrained eye would be able to see this artist’s attempts to depict “capitalism and the culture of consumption” according to Banksyland. One particular piece featured, “An Icon of Love and Protest,” exhibits the idea of standing up against forces of power not with violence, but love.

Each piece in this exhibit allowed me to understand that great conceptual thought was taken in order to deliver art that critiques the modern day world from that of a conscious stature. Ironically, at the end of the exhibit, there was a gift shop selling merchandise, one hoodie posing the question: Who is Banksy? I may not be able to put a face with the artist’s name, but I would say Bansky is a master of art. Banksy’s ability to connect to the audience in a controversial way and yet still remain popular is what makes him a genius. If you really want to know who Banky is, know his art. A message you cannot miss both when you are coming into the exhibit and leaving it are the words of Banksy himself,

"THERE'S NOTHING MORE DANGEROUS THAN SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE"

-Banksy the reporter

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H o l l y w o o d ‘s Failure at

Feminism

How western media fails women with shallow feminism and imperialism in the name of female empowerment.

Story: Alexis Diamond Designed & Layout: Cas Bradley

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How do you envision a strong, female protagonist? Is she fiercely independent? Does she put others before herself?

What does she look like? These questions are each accounted for in the creation of a protagonist, but the answers aren’t the same in every scenario. Since the dawn of film, Hollywood has promoted the ideal female protagonist as conventionally attractive, oftentimes white, and according to recent movies, a fighter with somewhat shaky values. It seems that Hollywood is attempting to change their ways with the incorporation of powerful female characters in releases like “Ghostbusters” (2016), “Wonder Woman” (2017), and “Captain Marvel” (2019). Kicking butt in Hollywood has been declared a man’s game, but with this divergence from the toxic machismo to the feminist, we see an attempt to portray strong female leads doing the same, but better. Although Hollywood’s in desperate need of female empowerment, they’ve gone about it the wrong way. Instead of powerful women, we’re given imperialist, shallow characters lacking any depth. Here is how Hollywood has horribly failed at feminism and why screenwriters are clueless as to what makes a female character powerful.

Although Hollywood’s in desperate need of female empowerment, they’ve gone about it the wrong way. Instead of powerful women, we’re given imperialist, shallow characters lacking any depth. Here is how Hollywood has horribly failed at feminism and why screenwriters are clueless as to what makes a female character powerful.

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Wonder Woman (2017) Let’s go back a few years to the release of “Wonder Woman” played by Gal Gadot. The movie depicts Wonder Woman as she fights alongside Steve Trevor (played by Chris Pine) and other soldiers in World War I, attempting to stop the release of a noxious, deadly gas created by Dr. Isabel Maru for the German army. However, before this begins, we see her living life amongst her family in Themyscira, a fictional island home to only women. The citizens of this island are incredibly strong (as shown by their attitudes and huge muscles), independent women who each show a fierce determination to protect their home. But at the end of the day, guess who becomes the hero—the skinniest of all the women who happen to follow conventional beauty standards according to Hollywood.

Next, we get into the imperialistic nature of Diana Prince (aka Wonder Woman). She’s helping fight World War I; a notoriously destructive period in world history, so granted there will be fighting and death. She battles alongside her love interest, Steve, and his comrades, kicking endless butt along the way, but she’s still reluctant to accept that human nature is naturally violent. She’s constantly in denial until she becomes angry after Steve dies, in which she unleashes death and destruction upon those who have wronged her by taking away her true love.

She shows no mercy and it appears that she succumbs to the tragedy that is war, but then things get 28

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even more weird when Dr. Maru is faced with Diana’s wrath. Dr. Maru, the creator of the deadly gas that was meant to be used as a weapon, is confronted

by Diana, and instead of killing the woman who tried to murder millions of people, she lets her go free. In a twist of epic proportions, Diana spares the evil doctor claiming that she won’t kill her due to her respect for humanity. However, she showed no mercy to all the other people she slaughtered following Steve’s death, so why is there a double standard here? It subsequently comes across as a very backwards way of trying to establish kinship between Wonder Woman and humans. Hari Ziyad in

their article “The Success Of Wonder Woman Proves Liberals Are Ok With Imperialism As Long As Its Led

By A (White) Woman,” points out these striking missteps in the writing and subsequent message of this movie stating that Diana in this film picks and chooses the lives she deems worthy of living, adding to the idea of white liberalism being perpetuated in the film.

It becomes apparent here that though there are obvious signs of imperialism, Wonder Woman, being a white woman with a supposedly good conscience and naivety surrounding the nature of humans, is excused from hate. All imperialism should be condemned, but unfortunately, that isn’t the case as two years later, we see the creation of “Captain Marvel” where all that was wrong with “Wonder Woman” was cranked up times ten.

Captain Marvel (2019) The female imperialist trend seems to persist in Hollywood as after “Wonder Woman” came “Captain Marvel”: a blatant military advertisement. The talented Brie Larson plays the role of the hot-headed Carol Danvers—a US Air Force soldier who lost her memory following the death of Mar-Vell caused by a massive explosion, which led her to gaining superhuman abilities and join the Kree. The film follows her journey to regain her memory and fight the Kree after finding out about their true nature while attempting to send a feminist message.

As many of you probably remember, this movie garnered a lot of backlash following its release, presumably due to its feminism and portrayal of a female superhero. While it should not have received backlash merely due to there being a female protagonist, there are some more nuanced critiques that are warranted.

Let’s start with the obvious: Captain Marvel is a depiction of American imperialism, and though Captain Marvel is the “hero,” she does not represent equality in the name of feminism. One of the bigger plot twists in the film is that the Skrulls—the enemy of the Kree—are actually refugees who are attempting to flee the Kree who are inflicting a genocide on them.

Let’s dissect this. The Kree are a formidable power who are attempting to kill all Skrulls who coincidentally, look completely different, act differently, and speak differently; the Skrulls have alien-like features, whereas the Kree are primarily human-looking. Examining it this way, it’s obvious that there are extreme parallels to America’s imperialist nature toward refugees and/or immigrants. Initially, Danvers took part in these attacks against the Skrulls, but upon discovering the truth, turns against the Kree and fights for their freedom. At the end of it, she tries to come to terms with her new reality, wanting to change her suit to match the colors of the Skrulls, but in a tragic move by the screenwriters, alters her uniform to the colors of the US Air Force instead. By attacking imperialism, the film’s directors evidently end up condoning it. Not to mention the comparison of Danvers/Captain Marvel’s power to that of her male counterpart YonRogg, which only serves as another method of devaluing women’s power.

Jess Joho in her article “Captain Marvel’s shallow take on feminism doesn’t land,” makes a very interesting statement regarding the harm of female protagonists having their powers compared to another male character: “The feminist-ish sentiment of ‘girls are just as good as boys’ defines and measures women’s empowerment as it compares to men. Consequently, it devalues and trivializes feminine power in its own right.” This statement rings true as Captain Marvel from the beginning to the end of the film fights primarily male characters, and towards the end, even has feminist song “Just a Girl” playing over the back, adding another layer of irony to this movie. Women can be powerful, but why is there this constant need to evaluate their strength to that of men?

Can a woman not be powerful in her own right? the reporter

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Ghostbusters (2016) This and “Wonder Woman” are examples of missteps in female character writing, which have done little for the promotion of feminism in Hollywood.

As a little palette cleanse, why don’t we talk about a film where feminism was done right?

Though being on the receiving end of a lot of hate, the “Ghostbusters” remake from 2016 was arguably a truly good feminist film. The main cast consists of Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon, each serving as close resemblances to the original movies characters. These women being powerhouses in the world of comedy made them perfect for their respective roles. The movie is filled with humorous quips from Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, as well as occasional sarcastic remarks from Melissa McCarthy, which she is known for. McCarthy acts as the key motivation behind the ghostbusting, being incredibly invested in their mission as a group. Kristen Wiig acts as McCarthy’s right-hand in the group, at one point even participating in research on ghosts alongside her.

This film is highly unassuming in terms of being a well-executed feminist film as most of the attention was cast towards “Wonder Woman” and “Captain Marvel,” but it arguably is a better depiction of feminist values. For one, the four women in the group are of varying sizes, attitudes, and race (though there is only one person of color) which is already better than “Wonder Woman.” Even better though, is that the women are not compared to any rivaling men, nor are their stories dependent on any men, and the fighting isn’t representative of any broader imperialist messages. The only notable male character is Chris Hemsworth who plays a fairly dim man named Kevin. They’re all a formidable group in their own right with a passion for what they do, and what can get more feminist than that?

Alongside this, the movie is filled with laughs and all sorts of feminist messages that don’t put down anyone. Instead, we get to celebrate the strength and success of the protagonists. “Captain Marvel” also 30

the reporter

had no male characters that were too intrinsic to Danvers’ story, but each fight or demonstration of her abilities was automatically compared to that of a man, and that does little but feed unfair comparisons between men and women. Evidently, “Ghostbusters” marked a turn for the best in Hollywood feminism, and honestly, I argue that it received too much backlash. I mean, at least the women aren’t serving to dominate others, right?

Keep in mind, it may be difficult to write good characters, but the first step in any sort of screenwriting is to figure out the message you’re trying to send, which is the first step to creating any kind of blockbuster. Hollywood feminism has a long way to go before it really makes an impact, and “Wonder Woman” and “Captain Marvel” are evidence of that. Keep in mind those questions I asked earlier and feel free to ask yourself: what is your ideal female protagonist?

UNPACKED

Story: Eleanor King Designed & Layout: Nadia Papin Photo: Madison Sepiol

with

Gabi Gabi Bremente Bremente As a member of the reigning ASUN Conference Champion Beach Volleyball team, Gabi Bramente ‘24 has a full schedule preparing to defend her team’s title during the 2023 competition season. With matches on weekends, early morning practices during the week, lift sessions, visits to the trainer, classes, and extracurriculars, Gabi relies on her team backpack to carry anything she may need throughout the day.

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Practice Shirts

“I like to have a couple extra shirts and different options in my bag for travel and in case I am surprised by the weather.”

Bag Tag

“My bag tag used for checking a bag when traveling to away competitions has the quote ‘and I think to myself what a wonderful world.’ I was given this bag tag as a gift from my aunt and the quote makes me think of her.”

KT Tape

“I like to have it in case of emergency so that if I get hurt I can tape the injury and keep playing.”

Extra Water/Propel Packets

“Propel is great for replenishing electrolytes and all the nutrients that we lose while playing. As athletes who are out in the sun all day long, it’s great for rehydrating.”

Snacks

“I also like to have snacks on hand since we have workouts and classes back to back.”

Advil

“I have it for emergencies in case I am having pain from a headache or injury.”

Hair Ties

“It’s always nice to have extra hair ties to share with teammates or in case one breaks.”

Sarong

“It’s a beach towel/cover-up that a lot of my teammates and I use to clean our glasses, wipe our faces off during games or cover up from the sun while we are cheering.”

Warm-Up Band

“I typically use it for mobility and activation of my legs before practices and games.”

Sunscreen

“I use it every day before practice and really try to prioritize reapplying it. We are typically out in the sun for at least two hours every morning and then all day from around 8 am-4 pm on tournament weekends.”

Oakley’s Sunglasses

“I wear them for practices and games whenever it is sunny.”

Backpack

“We get backpacks issued at the beginning of each year to hold all of our gear that we need to play and for competition. I use it every day for practice and when we travel.”

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Story: Carmen Cruz Layout, Photos and Graphics: Jillian Semmel & Cas Bradley

Throughout my tenure on planet earth, I have searched tirelessly for the perfect rant meal. Sometimes, when life gets you down, you just need some comfort food to match your energy and sate your vitriol–a rant meal if you will. When I’m hot about something, I don’t have the patience for pretense. I don’t want anything light and delicate, I want something that means business. Give me carbs, give me meat, and please for the love of God, give me something fried. Better yet, give me something spicy so that it matches the fire within. This is why, as far as I’m concerned, you can find no better rant meal than the humble hot wing. While there are many establishments to choose from that serve up a version of my rant meal of choice, I’ve narrowed it down to the top three in the area. For those wanting to satiate the fire in your soul, here’s my ranking of the best local wings that’ll provide all the heat you need.

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3. Zaxby’s

You Already Know What It Is This is the tried and true, old reliable, not the goat, but she’s there for you when you need it.

The speed and service you’ll get here is really good, and their seasoned fries are just top notch. We waited all of two minutes before our food came out piping hot, barely giving us time to snag a table–a welcome dilemma to be sure. My biggest issues? The wings were kind of small and overcooked when we went, making them tough and dry. The sauces were perfectly competent, though there was nothing spicy to be found within the sweet and spicy and hot sauces. I do, however, like the addition of garlic toast and massive drinks, and I’ve gotta respect the convenience of the drive-thru and multiple locations. Overall, this get’s a 3/5 from me.

It’s the kind of food that would taste the exact same microwaved the next day, which, while not groundbreaking, certainly has its place in our hearts.

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2. Rachel’s Wing Shack

Local Legend For a Reason

Any seasoned DeLandite could tell you about Rachel’s. Their old location was quite literally a shack seemingly in the middle of nowhere. They were known for their gruff and snippy service, but excellent food. Many times I’d brave the daunting front counter to procure the rant meal of my dreams, as the food was so good I was almost unbothered by the staff ’s attitude (or maybe I just need better self-esteem). However, they have since relocated to the bowling alley on East International Speedway, and with this transition has come many others.

For starters, the staff are actually friendly now. We ate in and asked for a bunch of stuff: extra sauce, refills on drinks, water (in addition to our sodas), you name it. And after all that, we received nothing but a chipper “you got it.” I felt a wave of shock and joy wash over me, and a single tear fell down my face. The new location is also far larger, and cleaner than the last. Not to mention the added bonus of the actual bowling alley, pool tables, arcade, and full bar in back. The entertainment and food could easily amount to a full night of anger suppressants.

But how are the wings though? Absolutely solid.

They are a hearty portion, saucy and crispy, toothsome and juicy. The hot sauce is a classic Frank’s vinegar base, delivering a delightful zing without making any attempts on your life. The dry lemon pepper is downright scrumptious, packed with flavor to the bone. The sweet-n-heat lacked the boom pow kinda flavors I crave, but the Thai Chilli sauce was a surprise standout for its balance of sweet and savory goodness. Overall, the new and improved Rachael’s gets a 4.5/5 from me. I’d absolutely come back for a great meal and a good time.

Any seasoned DeLandite could tell you about Rachel’s. Their old location was quite literally a shack seemingly in the middle of nowhere. They were known for their gruff and snippy service, but excellent food. Many times I’d brave the daunting front counter to procure the rant meal of my dreams, as the food was so good I was almost unbothered by the staff ’s attitude (or maybe I just need better self-esteem). However, they have since relocated to the bowling alley on East International Speedway, and with this transition has come many others. the reporter

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1. Wing Express Hidden Gem This mom and pop, tucked away in a strip next to the Neighborhood Walmart down Woodland, is nothing short of the best wing joint in town. Though small and unassuming from the outside, this mighty mite is host to treasures within. Off the bat, you’re met with some of the kindest customer service in the game. Though they were busy at the time I visited, the proprietor made time to make small talk and offer recommendations to me, offered extra sauces free of charge, and checked my total with me because she was concerned it was wrong (it wasn’t, I just tipped without her expecting it).

The interior was organized and very clean, and even had a seasoning bar for fries or whatever you wish. The wings themselves absolutely hit. First, they were massive and came accompanied by a mountain of fries to boot. They were also incredibly juicy, crunchy, covered in the perfect ratio of sauces, and not at all greasy. The garlic parm wings were actually a dry rub, which offered all the flavor you’d expect without any of the oiliness that tends to make this flavor far too rich. The lemon pepper dry rub was perfect, packed with flavor, and still balanced. The stinging honey sauce was sweet and spicy and sticky and addictive. This one had my heart to be sure, though it’s not for those averse to sugar. And, finally, the hot sauce is the best in the game hands down. It tasted freshly made, and had a curry-like consistency. The thick sauce coated every curvature without taking away from the crunchy exterior. It was peppery yet balanced, and the kick of it made my nose run, which is how you know it’s perfect.

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I give this place a 5/5. No, it’s not fancy or frilly, but no rant meal should be in my book.

It’s messy, satisfying, entirely affordable, has friendly staff and most importantly, heals the parts of your soul that a bad day has tainted.

This is as good as wings get as far as I’m concerned.

Story: Bella Steiert Layout: Hayden Collins Graphics: Jillian Semmel

The Trouble With

ticketmaster Are you an avid concert goer or have dreams of seeing your favorite artist up close and personal? Being in a room or outdoor space with your favorite artist, singing your favorite songs, dancing, and enjoying live music can be akin to a religious experience. I believe everyone should be able to experience live music at least once in their lifetime.

Unfortunately, getting tickets to these concerts has not been an easy task as of late largely due to the problems within Ticketmaster and LiveNation. Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, live music was put on pause for a bit. Last year it became safer for shows to be put on, and with that came high demand, which has contributed to the struggle to purchase concert tickets. But outside

of that, Ticketmaster has created mess for fans just trying to score tickets to their favorite artist’s concerts.

a

In November of 2022, global pop sensation Taylor Swift announced her first tour since 2018, “The Eras Tour.” When the tour was announced, it was also announced that Swift’s team would be using Ticketmaster’s “Verified Fan” service for the sale of these tickets. For those unfamiliar, Verified Fan is a service Ticketmaster introduced in 2017 that requires people who are interested in purchasing tickets to input their personal information within a time window prior to when the ticket presale happens. A day or two before the sale, fans will receive a notification letting them know if they have been selected to get access for a presale code or if they have been waitlisted. The idea of verified fans sounds simple, as it is a way to make sure that true fans will have access to tickets in hopes to prevent bots—good concept right? Well, Verified Fan has actually caused a lot of problems and heartbreak among music fans and concert goers.

One issue with the service is that many fans were unable to get verified, because once you sign up there is no guarantee that you will get access to the presale.

And even if you do get a code, there is no guarantee

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that you will be able to secure a seat. For example, let’s say Harry Styles announced a tour and you and your friends all signed up for Verified Fan in hopes to score tickets, but only one of you got chosen: only the person who gets chosen goes to the presale. Even more issues arise when tickets actually go on sale. The sale starts and immediately you are in a line and it says that you have over two thousand people in front of you trying to get tickets. Then when the line finally moves, it’s your turn to buy tickets, but by then, the whole stadium is either sold out or all the tickets that are available are way too expensive. This has swiftly become the norm for Ticketmaster users as of late.

In addition to Verified Fan, there is another service by Ticketmaster that is causing problems called “dynamic pricing,” which was introduced in 2011 and was created to recalculate ticket prices based on how high-demand a certain event is with consumers. So if you want to see giant acts like Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, or Justin Bieber, most likely prices will increase over the basic market rate. However, if a show is not doing well, those ticket prices will be reduced, so it’s not all bad. Even though dynamic pricing has been around for over a decade, the problems it is causing is so large that it is still being talked about.

Before “The Eras Tour” was announced, the Blink-182 tour was a Ticketmaster disaster too. In October the pop-punk group Blink-182 announced that founding member, Tom Delonge was back in the band and going on his first tour with Blink-182 in over a decade. I was super excited for this tour as Blink-182 is a very nostalgic band for me, and I have always wanted to see them live. I couldn’t wait to score tickets, until I saw the prices. The morning tickets for the Blink-182 tour went on sale, chaos ensued and dynamic pricing was in full effect. If you want to see the band when they come to Tampa on July 10th,

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you’ll have to pay over $170 for nosebleeds in the 300s section, and if you want a better seat, Ticketmaster is selling them for up to $600 for pit tickets. This sale left Blink-182 fans outraged. Singer and bassist of the band, Mark Hoppus, even made a statement in his discord server saying, “I understand that the ticketing can be frustrating.

I bought tickets for two of our shows myself just to see what the experience was like. I had tickets yoinked from my cart and the whole thing crashed out.

Dynamic pricing, I’m not in charge of it.

It’s meant to discourage scalpers. We’re trying to bring you the best possible show for the best price. This is a tour celebrating new music and the band getting back together. Thank you for your enthusiasm and I hope to see all of you at the shows.”

Since Mark’s comment, things still have not changed, and if you want to see Blink-182 live and up close, you might have to take out a loan.

When seeing articles, tweets, and posts about the Blink-182 tour, I saw in the comment sections that many other artists have had similar situations. An artist who is always in high-demand is “The Boss” himself, Bruce Springsteen. Tickets for Springsteen’s spring 2023 tour had tickets going for over $4,000, or an artist like Bruce who is a hero to working class Americans, this dynamic pricing almost seems cruel.

However, not all popular artists are using Ticketmaster and some are very vocal about their dislike for the company. Country music star Zach Bryan has been passionate online with his hatred of Ticketmaster. In a tweet from December 2022 Bryan states, “I have met kids at my shows who have paid upwards of four-hundred bucks to be there and I’m done with it.” Bryan

made a big call to action by releasing a live album called “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live From Red Rocks)” and he even stopped selling tickets on Ticketmaster. Bryan’s “Burn, Burn, Burn Tour” was announced on Jan. 23 and it was said that for this tour, Bryan would be partnering with ticket vendor AXS to make sure ticket prices were fair and would go to fans and not scalpers.

The way the sale for the “Burn, Burn, Burn” tour went was that fans registered on AXS, chose the date they wanted to attend, and on Feb. 13, fans were randomly selected for tickets. Ticket prices ranged from $40-$130 and fees were no more than $10 or $20 a ticket. What is interesting from AXS is that tickets for this tour could not be transferred and it allows no reselling so scalping is prevented. Tickets were limited to 4 tickets per person. Zach Bryan has been one of the hottest new stars in music so this tour was in high demand and although many fans were lucky enough to receive tickets and the entire tour is sold out, a lot of people did not get chosen for tickets and were heartbroken. It is also important to note that AXS does not allow bots so these tickets are all in the hands of fans. Hopefully Bryan’s successful breakup with Live Nation and Ticketmaster will inspire other artists to make the change away from those vendors and side with a site who will protect the best interest of fans.

Unfortunately, it might be a while before we see a huge change because many venues are in contracts where they can only sell tickets via Ticketmaster.

If you want to stop supporting Ticketmaster here are some alternatives you can use: AXS has tons of tickets, not just Zach Bryan, and is very trustworthy. Major venues such as Red Rocks are exclusively partnering with AXS for all their sales. A lot of venues in Florida also have sites that they exclusively partner with other Ticketmaster. All live concerts and events at the Doctor

The Trouble With

ticketmaster the reporter

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Story: Cas Bradley Layout & Graphics: Alexa Hurron & Hayden Collins

Dildo or Dildon’t The Environmental Impacts of Sex Toys

Let’s talk about sex toys.

Adult toys are fantastic tools for solo use and can also elevate partnered interactions. Some are made for female pleasure while others are made for male use. There are a multitude of brands consistently coming (ha) out with new toys, and countless retailers across the country.

What happens, however, when a product like this is returned? Used or unused, it cannot be sold again. And what of products that have been used? Maybe they’ve been used a couple times and are no longer wanted, or they’ve been used to the point where they no longer function.

Regardless, these products will likely end up in a landfill, and they’ll add to the 91% of plastic Americans recycle per year that does not end up getting recycled.

Recycling at Stetson Before we get into why the adult toy industry is so difficult to account for when recycling, let’s talk about recycling at Stetson. According to Stetson’s Scott DelSonno,

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Only about 20-30% of students on campus actually recycle.

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He would know, he oversees the entire recycling process on campus. Scott has to go through everything that is recycled on campus and sort out the items based on what material they are and whether they can actually be recycled or not.

There are a lot of different recycling categories. On campus, we can recycle paper (this includes mixed paper and paper board, like what snack boxes are made of), cardboard (separate from paper because it’s corrugated), oil (from vehicles and golf carts), metal, appliances and tech, and glass. Each of these categories has a different vendor (recycling facility) that we either send our materials to or have picked up by the vendor when our large recycling containers are full. Additionally, Stetson does work with a vendor that handles hazardous materials (mostly items that come from the science labs in Sage hall), but the professors usually handle those materials on their own—Mr. DelSonno says he’s grateful, because he doesn’t want his student employees to deal with that.

If Stetson’s recycling program accepts such a wide range of materials and has connections with so many different recycling vendors, why don’t more people take advantage of it? “The amount that doesn’t get recycled… It’s a lot. I tell our custodians, ‘if everyone did what they’re supposed to be doing, my recycling bins would be pretty full and your trash cans over there would be pretty empty.’ But yeah, it doesn’t work that way,” DelSonno said.

“I actually throw away 90% of the pizza boxes that the students leave me…They get dumped because usually…they’ve just got a lot of grease in the box…Worse, they got cheese and sauce and they’ve still got pizza in there,” DelSonno said. In order to be recycled, all plastics, cans, and bottles must be rinsed and empty, boxes should be broken down, and anything recyclable that doesn’t fit into the recycling bins in the dorm halls should be left beside them. Scott and the students who facilitate Stet-

son’s recycling program don’t have time to rinse, empty, and flatten everything they come into contact with.

Stetson cannot recycle some items. PVC, acrylic, silicone, latex, vinyl, styrofoam, and greasy pizza boxes are not items accepted on campus. PVC and acrylic are both #7 plastics, meaning they are extremely difficult to recycle (#1-#6 are accepted on campus). Styrofoam can be recycled but releases carcinogens when it is, and there are no vendors near Deland that would accept it from us.

Is a recycling program profitable?

Sort of.

“It’s a very small margin of profit when it comes to metals. A little bit more profitable than the plastics, but I’m thinking we almost break even on our plastics,” DelSonno said.

What does an adult toy recycling program look like?

An adult toy recycling program would look very similar to Stetson’s recycling program, though one would probably partner with some different, niche recycling facilities that accept frequently used materials in adult toys. Adult toys are not regulated by the FDA unless they are considered “medical devices,” so the variety of materials used to construct these products is fairly wide. The most common materials, however, (and most recommended for sexual health) are non-porous. This includes tempered glass, stainless steel, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic, pyrex, and bodysafe silicone. As stated before, there are hazmat companies that process materials seen as biohazards (anything ‘used’ that has come in contact with bodily fluids). Much like how students have to rinse and empty recycling and Stetson has to sort out materials before sending them off to vendors, an adult toy recycling program would have to sanitize and deconstruct toys into separate materials before sending them to their respective vendors.

Scarlet Girl, a blog based in the United States, previously published reviews and educational information. One specific article highlighted the reporter

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Scarlet Girl’s adult toy recycling program offer: send in your used or broken toys to Scarlet Girl’s recycling program, and get a $10 gift card for anything on their website.

The process is simple: fill out the form provided on their website and print it, thoroughly clean the toy(s), remove any batteries, pack it all up and ship it out! Unfortunately, the last post made on the blog was dated March 25, 2021. I reached out to Vicki Kriner, one of the founding members of Scarlet Girl, but have yet to receive a response.

Dreamscapes LLC was a Florida-based adult toy retailer that, up until the company’s end sometime around 2011, offered a toy recycling program similar to Scarlet Girl’s.

Toys would be sanitized, deconstructed, and sent to appropriate recycling facilities, and individuals who sent in their toys would receive a $10 gift card reward for their retail site. Any profits the company made from their recycling endeavor went towards environmental efforts. After doing some digging, I was able to contact Jean Kozlowski, the former company’s Vice President. Dreamscapes was designed “not just to be another toy business, but a health and wellness business as well.”

We started talking about vibrators, incentives, and the program overall.

“There’s so many components in vibrators, right? There’s metal, which is easily recyclable, there’s even sometimes some copper, and plastic… if you really go and take it apart, there’s all kinds of gadgets, those little computer chips, and all kinds of stuff.

And that was our motivation, so we started doing a program to send us your old toys, clean, of course…The response was tremendous.” The company’s program even made it to the Rolling Stones magazine. “It was maybe an eighth of a page [long] article, but it was really exciting,” said Kozlowski.

“You have a lot of people saying, ‘well, recycling’s a joke,’ and people started losing faith in it thinking ‘oh, well I see when I throw my stuff in the trash

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it goes to the same dumpster.’ Well, y’know, okay, but how many of you people that say that actually go to the landfills and see how things are getting sorted and stuff like that?” Kozlowski said, adding how she’s proud of the fact that she can be part of the solution.

“It felt good to be doing something.”

I asked Jean if she would elaborate on the process behind Dreamscapes’ program. “I don’t think I can even express what breaking all that stuff down to its most basic components was like. We would have a bin of just rubber, a bin of silicone, a bin of computer chips, a bin of just springs, the springs of the battery [slots], and the little metal plates…

“My God, burning that in an incinerator or leaving it in a landfill just… breaks my heart a little bit.”

- Jean Kozlowski, Former Vice President of Dreamscapes

Having an external company accept and recycle a wide variety of materials from different producers or brands may help reduce the industry’s environmental damage as a whole, but the issue remains: these items are not being produced in a way that can be easily recycled. Eco-friendly change has to start internally, with the brands themselves and the products they make.

One fashion brand, Rose In Good Faith, made headlines in 2022 when they partnered with Doc Johnson to create a new type of shoe. The shoes are made of factory rejects and material samples that don’t end up on retail floors.

These materials are ground up and mixed with EVA foam (ethylene-vinyl acetate, the same thing that makes Crocs shoes so comfortable) and turned into a pair of shoes.

Though this is a step in the right direction, EVA foam is produced from petroleum and will likely not biodegrade easily when they eventually end up in a landfill. What this did, however, was raise awareness for the issue present in the adult toy industry and come up with a creative (though not extremely effective) solution.

The Gaia line (made by Blush) is a great example of eco-friendly design.

The brand itself is not entirely focused on environmental sustainability, but their entire Gaia collection is. The products are made of a starch-based bioplastic called Biofeel. Biofeel is highly degradable, reduces Blush’s carbon footprint, and doesn’t rely on non-renewable resources like petroleum.

The Natural Love Company’s Environmental Policy page on their website starts off with a message:

They go on to list the number of ways their brand has worked towards environmental sustainability. As part of their ‘orgasms4oxygen scheme’, every purchase from their site and every review posted plants a tree (currently this project is located in Madagascar). The Natural Love Company is also a 1% for the Planet member, meaning they pledge 1% of their annual revenue toward eco-friendly causes. According to their website, their offices and servers are all run on renewable energy, and their products and packaging are all free of single use plastic. Additionally, the company has partnered with The Ocean Foundation to help offset their delivery carbon footprint.

Love Not War has a page titled Sustainability on their website that goes into some serious depth on their environmental efforts. They use recycled aluminum, limit the amount of plastic in their products, and make sure what they do use is recyclable. They use cardboard packaging, soy ink, and eco-friendly glue. Not only does Love Not War offer repairs on products that have been used more than the product could handle, but if it’s too far gone, they offer to recycle it for you. What sets Love Not War apart from others, however, is their “Heads” line. They sell an aluminum vibrating base and a variety of different sizes and shapes of toys to attach to the handle.

That means there’s only one rechargeable battery unit for as many different toys as they offer—an innovative way to help reduce the amount of material used and help keep environmental sustainability accessible to everyone, regardless of price). Love Not War is a UK-based brand, but they do provide international shipping.

“Sex shouldn’t cost the earth.” the reporter

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Being a conscious consumer is an important step to take if you want to be more environmentally-friendly. Some companies don’t care about lowering their carbon footprint or using body-safe and eco-friendly materials, and they will continue to not care until they start losing money. Some brands have only just started working towards a more eco-friendly path in the adult toy industry, while others have already made it their entire mission. With awareness and more careful environmental considerations, the adult-toy industry can be as good for the planet as it is for people.

To sum it all up, environmental sustainability is a vibe and we should all dildo our best to recycle more. Let’s support Stetson’s recycling program by emptying and rinsing our cups and containers, flattening our boxes, and leaving other accepted recyclable products by the bins. If you’re looking at purchasing something (for example, an adult toy) try looking at brands that are committed to environmental sustainability. If you’re getting rid of something that could be recycled—even though it shouldn’t rest as heavily on you as a consumer as it does right now—find a way, or seek out a program that will do it for you.

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Photo Story Breakdown Breakdown with Jillian Semmel

On this unreasonably cold day (chilliest afternoon in months might I add), we shot one of the best shoots I’ve ever done. I know I say that every time, but this time I mean it. This shoot felt surreal to me because it felt the most professional so far. I’m proud of all the shoots we do, but for this one, we had a team to help me achieve the best photos possible. We secured a location on campus (thanks Hollis Center!), had outfit changes, took drone shots with the help of photographer Cas, and even had a table of props to use. And thanks to Pinup Parlor Boutique in Downtown DeLand, our outfits perfectly fit our 50’s summer theme. This felt more like a passion project than an assignment to me, maybe that’s why this was the first time I wasn’t nervous. I hope you’ve enjoyed this scorching hot issue!!

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This shoot had me on the floor... literally. I never believed that great shots could be achieved that way, but here we are.

Julia Davis (‘23) was a first time model for us, but you’d never know it! Her communication and openness to new ideas was fantastic, and she’s just a natural in front of a camera. She wasn’t afraid to sink into our concept--quite literally. She sacrificed hours of work for her signature curls to help us snap the perfect back cover. Julia created a comfortable and positive environment during the shoot, which really helped make the whole process a breeze.

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Emma Nash (‘24) is a seasoned vet with photoshoots. We’ve collaborated on multiple occasions, so she knew the sitch right away. There’s never a dull moment with her around. Her energy is infectious, and a surefire way to ensure good vibes all day.

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Pinup Parlor BOUTIQUE

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Lettertheto

Editors

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Send your letters to hatternetwork@gmail.com,, and you hatternetwork@gmail.com might just see it get published in our next edition!

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Up With Anarchy Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday What did you Learn in School Today? - Pete Seeger Revolution 9 - Remastered 2009 - The Beatles Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival Rock the Casbah - Remastered - The Clash Hurricane - Bob Dylan God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols What’s Going On - Marvin Gaye I Want To Break Free - Queen We Didn’t Start the Fire - Billy Joel Fast Car - Tracy Chapman F*ck The Police - N.W.A Zombie - The Cranberries Keep Ya Head Up - 2Pac Killing In The Name - Rage Against The Machine Fight The Power - Public Enemy This Is America - Childish Gambino The News - Paramore 1-800-273-8255 - Logic, Alessia Cara, Khalid Stand Out Fit In - ONE OK ROCK Girl In A Country Song - Maddie & Tae The Kids Are All Dying - FINNEAS This Land - Gary Clark Jr. Preach - John Legend mars - YUNGBLUD Skinny Skinny - Ashton Irwin Answer: Love Myself - BTS MAISON - Dreamcatcher Woman (feat. The Dap-Kings Horns) - Kesha Freedom (feat. Kendrick Lamar) - Beyoncé

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