The Reporter Fall 2019 Issue 3

reporter

the

ISSUE III

VOL. CXXVII

the line up

Woodstock because peace, love, music and listening to legends.

Ruby Rosenthal

Hannah Zeller

Natalie Bergeron

Isabel Solorzano

editor-in-chief

photo editor

Julia Gray

social media director

Joseph Dallas opinion editor

executive editor

creative director

Ashton Craig

news & local editor

Rene Campbell

arts & culture editor I’d want to be a part of the women’s suffrage movement or something that monumental.

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Ihsaan Fanusie sports editor

Arnaldo Chow webmaster

the reporter

december 2019

hatternetwork.com

What moment in history do you wish you had experienced?

staff

When Dr. Martin Luther King recited his speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 for the March on Washington.

Anjana Srinivasan, Copy Editor Caitlin Bhagwandeen, Photographer Kevin Vega, Photographer Gabriela Molina, Photographer Jillian Semmel, Photographer Madison Gray, Designer Bella Steiert, Designer Robert Che-Bonilla, Designer Lauren Barney, Designer & News Writer Maxx Smith, News Writer Naomi Johnson, News Writer Nicole Rosen, News Writer Vivianne Skavlem, News Writer Gabriel Rey, News Writer Julia Gray, Arts & Culture Writer Samantha Jenkins, Art & Culture Writer Kendall Couture, Arts & Culture Calista Headrick, Opinion Writer Jay Stearman, Opinion Writer Vivianne Skavlem, Opinion Writer D’Andre Lewis, Sports Writer Allie Wilson, Sports Writer Josh Miller, Sports Writer

The moon landing because it happened at a time when everyone was scared for their lives and everyone came together and tuned into one major milestone.

contributors Jenny Fang, Writer

JOINING US

When it comes to joining The Reporter, we’re not picky. Whether

you’re interested in writing an article, designing a page, taking

photos or creating some graphics for us, we want to hear what you have to say. A Hatter Network contributor is someone whose occasionally takes part in Hatter Network as a reporter, photographer, show host, or designer, but does not attend regular meetings and nor does he/she necessarily have an in-person relationship with his/her editor. A Hatter Network staffer, on the other hand, attends all meetings and abides by deadlines set by his/her editor, and regularly contributes to the online and in-print content that Hatter Network produces. The Reporter is an extracurricular/volunteer operation made for students, by students, and we aim to cover the full spectrum of student life here at Stetson. If you’re interested in getting involved or have any questions, comments or concerns, email our editor-in-chief, Ruby Rosenthal, at rrosenthal@stetson.edu or apply on HatterSync.

ABOUT US

The Reporter is the collegiate oldest publication in the state of Florida and has received a multitude of awards over the years. The magazine is

produced six times per year, three a semester. Florida Sun Printing prints 450 copies per issue on 8.5 x 11inch, 80#Gloss Text. Most text is 11 point Adobe Garamond Pro with 12 point leading set with a combination of regular, italic, and bold. All pages were designed using Adobe Creative Suite CC software InDesign with photographs and artwork handled in Photoshop and Illustrator. For additional information, please visit hatternetwork. com. Questions and comments can be mailed to 421 N Woodland Blvd., Unit 8416 DeLand, Florida 32723 or emailed to thereporterstetson@gmail.com. We plan to forge a media group that meets our own high standards of excellence and integrity through expression in print and online. Ultimately, student media at Stetson University will be a representation of just that: the students. And because we are serving our peers, we will be honest in the stories we tell. Because if we don’t tell them, who will?

CORRECTIONS

As an official media outlet for students on campus,

we strive ourselves on constantly improving our

standards and correcting our mistakes. We care about accuracy and providing you with the most accurate information we can give. If there are mistakes, let us know by emailing us at thereporterstetson@gmail.com. In the Issue 2 of The Reporter, we mispelled Larry Correl-Hughes. Additionally, we stated that he is the Vice President of Housing and Residential Living and Learning however, he is the Assistant Vice President of Campus Life and Student Success and the Executive Director of Residential Living and Learning.

Letter editor chief from the in

This is our Nostalgia Issue, or, as the kids are saying, our Throwback Issue (that definitely warranted an “okay, Boomer,” and I’m aware, for more on that check page 14). We wanted to revisit Stetson’s past as well as our own, and as this decade comes to an end, all I can really say is wow, 2010 feels like it was 100 years ago.

Picturing a world where I wore Abercrombie Kids and listened to Justin Timberlake unironically on a first generation iPod touch while I played Doodle Jump, climbed trees, watched Jeopardy at 7:30 p.m. on the dot every night, and read 34 books a week (you can guess what parts of this are hyperbolic) doesn’t feel quite fathomable in 2019 as a workaholic college kid.

So welcome back to the past! We’re super excited to share our final issue of the semester with you and for a well-deserved winter break. And although we don’t have 2020 vision of the future (ha ha ha), we think you’ll enjoy this magazine as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Ruby Rosenthal

Letter executive editor from the

Ah, nostalgia, the emotional craze that has seemingly swept up our society. It’s easy to understand why. We have archives of our lives stored on little computers we keep in our pocket, available for our perusing any time we want.

We’ve got the content of our childhood (and our parents’ childhoods) at our fingertips 24/7.

How can you not indulge in all the nostalgia goodness?

Especially now, at the end of a decade, it seems we’re poised to look back. On the edge of the roaring 2020’s, I find myself being reminded of just how far we’ve come (I mean, come on, who let me have aqua blue hair in 2012?) This is the decade I - and many of you - grew up in. The decade we became semi-functioning adultish people with thoughts and opinions that are going to change the world in.

So, as your read through this, our Nostalgia issue, take a moment to revel in the past decade.

Let yourself wade through all the fun memories, and toss the bad ones out to sea. See just how far we’ve come, and most importantly, enjoy. See you in the new year!

Hannah Zeller the reporter

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the

Throwback

issue table of contents

On the cover, Julia Gray poses wearing early 2000s themed clothing for Natalie Bergeron.

06 08 10 12 14 16 18

Dining in DeLand: The Historic Edition A Shadow Cast

By Racism In A Haze: Hazing in the Past and in our Present Come On, Aileen Ok, Boomer Hollywood’s Rejection of Originality Yeah, Retro’s Back, But Why?

20 22 26 28 30 32 35

Albums of the Decade The Evolution of Title IX Efforts in Flux: Looking Back at Stetson’s Environmental Commitment Are We Better Off? The Future is Female Starting From Scratch Unpacked with Britney Bertram

here’s

WHY

we covered it Want to know why we covered something?

Look no further! Hear it first from our writers!

pg. 12

Vivianne Skavlem, News & Local Writer Everyone has heard of “Florida Man,” and I wanted to take a look at a notorious Florida woman. Aileen Wuornos’ story is larger than life; countless movies, documentaries, podcasts, and books have been written about her.

pg. 28

Calista Headrick, Opinion Writer As the end of the decade approaches, it’s important to look back. Going forward we wanted to consider how society has gotten better, or if there is still improvement to be made in the future.

pg. 32

Ihsaan Fanusie, Sports Editor Current Stetson students are used to having a school football team to root for. Yet for decades this wasn’t the case. I wanted to know why Stetson went so long without a football, and why they brought it back.

the reporter

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news & local

in

DeLand

Need dinner plans? Check out these historic places in downtown DeLand.

Story by Lauren Barney Photo by Natalie Bergeron Design by Isabel Solorzano

Cook’s – 704 North Woodland Blvd

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Cook's Buffet, Cafe, Bakery is a true DeLand original. Prided on family heritage and tradition, the restaurant has been open since 1959 when Bob and Willa Cook founded the Holiday House restaurant. As they began to grow, 14 Holiday House restaurants were soon established throughout central Florida. Despite a kitchen fire that closed the restaurant in 1986, Michael Cook, who grew up and worked in the family business, set out on his own. Cook opened the Sandwich Stop in 1983 and after a few years, moved into the Main Street Center, where the restaurant remains today, and changed the name to Cook’s Cafe. Despite its long history, the restaurant still retains its original recipes. Michael Cook states his philosophy as, "Food that is time tested and taste perfected.”

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Santorini’s Greek Cuisine 210 N Woodland Blvd

With their rich and interesting menu, Santorini’s has been a DeLand favorite for nearly 20 years. Located directly on the downtown strip, the restaurant continues to pour in new and returning customers alike. In fact, the restaurant has become so popular, they are planning on changing locations to a larger restaurant space in DeLand at the beginning of next year. The owners originate from Greece and pride themselves on delivering the most authentic Greek food to DeLand.

Boston Coffee House – 109 East New York Avenue

Despite the name, Boston Coffee House was originated in DeLand in 1996 by owner Joe Valente, a Boston native who moved to Florida for work. Valente loved the atmosphere of downtown DeLand, but soon felt that a local coffee and sandwich shop was missing from the town. After renovating an old building New York Avenue, Boston’s was established.

Boston’s is known today for their assortment of specialty drinks and the award winning sandwich and dessert selection.

With a cozy atmosphere and free WiFi, it has become a favorite among Stetson students.

Doug & Lil’s Potato Patch – 635 South Woodland Blvd

Since the 1950’s, Doug and Lil Rand have been serving the DeLand area with home cooked meals and southern favorites. As you enter the restaurant, you’re overcome with hospitality as you are seated among the many tables of patrons enjoying a delicious breakfast. With a comfy home-like atmosphere, Doug and Lil’s Potato Patch makes you feel like you’re enjoying your meal with close family and friends.

the reporter reporter the

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news & local

Shadowracism cast by

Story by Ashton Craig Photos by Natalie Bergeron and Stetson Archives Design by Isabel Solorzano

DeLand has presented itself as a deeply nostalgic city to tourists and locals alike. Americana murals that are painted across downtown present a rose tinted view of the town’s history, but according to history professor Andy Eisen, Ph.D., “Nostalgia is dangerous.” Looking at history through the lens of nostalgia is damaging because it erases violence. DeLand is like any other Southern town: it has a complicated history with race. In some ways, resistance to white violence is deeply integrated into our history, but the message is not often shown. In our local history, the Ku Klux Klan had influence in Volusia County during the 1920s, and DeLand was the center of many rallies and marches.

Five lynchings have happened in Volusia County, one of which is not far from Woodland Blvd. Stetson also has allowed for white supremacy in the past such as the 1959 minstrel show acted out by Stetson professors in Elizabeth Hall, just years within integration of black students.

I spoke with Irene Laws (‘20), president of the Black Student Association who speaks on behalf of her three years of acquired knowledge and experience in DeLand and at Stetson.

Have any aspects of Stetson and/or DeLand’s history made you feel alienated as a student?

“Yes, Stetson’s history of having the KKK on campus is obviously a little off putting to hear about. Stetson as an institution has still failed to implement all of the original 12 demands submitted by the [Stetson African American Society], S.A.A.S., and the four that they claim to have fulfilled are lackluster or filled at the bare minimum. I’m referring to requests like the Africana Studies [program] which is only a minor, [is] poorly funded, and has only a small amount of faculty who are black. I am also referring to having the Cross Cultural Center which we only recently were moved into a renovated space

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due to there being rats in the old space, it took months to get out of there, and the new space cannot accommodate many [Multicultural Student Council] (MSC) organization sizes like BSA and [Caribbean Student Association] (CSA).

Stetson is known for being one of the first schools to be integrated in Florida, but as many today know diversity isn’t as big as a hurdle as it once was, the problem is inclusion. Historically and statistically Stetson does not have the best retention rates for students of color nor do they have the best track record when it comes to tuition. What is most alienating is seeing people who look like me, struggle like me, and work hard to be here leave because they don’t feel like they belong or that they run out of money to be here. Knowing that DeLand’s history is built on the backs of slaves and black folk makes me sad because the murals in downtown do not showcase people of color and somewhat romanticize the [town’s] history. Knowing the extreme redlining that occurs in DeLand has truly made me sad.”

How do you feel about Stetson’s efforts to make the campus inclusive and diverse?

“Stetson has always shown progress, but they are very, very, very, very slow at it. When we think of dining, Stetson will happily make adjustments for vegan and G8 options, which is limited but still present. However they fail to make accommodations that are Kosher and food available for Muslim students. There are less than 12 full-time faculty of color.. Sure, they have added some new hires in director positions and even associate directors, but proportionately these faculty and staff members are not found evenly throughout the business or music school. If you break it down to departments, the numbers are even more disproportionate. I’m not just talking about race, I’m talking about gender, ability, age, etc.

As far as efforts go everything

DeLand erases its dark history with the rosy glow of nostalgia. Here’s our effort to dismantle that.

has remained relatively the same since implementing a campus climate survey a few years ago, having the Equity and Inclusion group, and including report it resources such as the BEST reports. These all can measure the climate and status but do not prevent or stop the incidents of bias, discrimination, and anguish students, faculty, and staff face. The newest effort has probably been the addition of the Woke Independent Student Empowerment (WISE) program, this being the second year, the program has doubled. This sounds great but unfortunately with only two full-time staff to manage more than 40 students it seems like an uphill battle from the start. Ask yourself: is it enough to have the inclusive program without successfully integrating and including enough staff that are well trained and able to handle the workload of managing a whole department (Office of Diversity and Inclusion), oversee MSC, oversee 8 club organizations, manage the WISE program, look over bias related incidents, put on events, and so many more duties?

More than anything, often the job of diversity and inclusion falls on the backs of student based organizations, a few departments, but none of this is a campus initiative. The culture of the campus is simple: they don’t care enough. If only we put up decorations, posters, put on events like we do for Homecoming as we do for Hispanic Heritage month or Black History month but no, that is led by identity based cultural groups and a few related departments: it is not emphasized by the whole of the campus, schools, departments, and certainly not from the top (administrators).”

Is Stetson a good place to share the voices of minority students?

“Yes and no. In some spaces and places yes, but these are spaces that we ourselves have created not by Stetson itself. I could use the example of BSA’s

Town Hall, but I must point out that it would not have happened had members of BSA not thought it necessary. Instead of Stetson University, Stetson administrators, student leadership organizations like SGA, and other aspects like them creating their own open forums for us, we have to do it for them.

To get them nervous, uncomfortable, to listen and to bring them to our table instead of them inviting us to theirs. Stetson could easily be a place to share voices, but the question is who is willing to listen [and] not get defensive, dismiss, or put [it] on the back burner. It’s not enough to voice our issues and concerns through resources like the radio or even in a club meeting anymore… not if we want anything done. We need someone to pick up the mantel and say ‘I saw that,’ and ‘I heard what you said,’ and “this is what we can do.’”

Members of the 2019 Stetson Black Student Association; Corenelius Hunter (‘66) pictured with his wife. He is the first black student to graduate from Stetson; A white Stetson student in blackface at a fraternity dance. (1950)

the reporter

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news & local

Pi Kappa Phi members hanging out in their house. (1968)

in a HAZE

hazing in the past and in our present Story by Nicole Rosen & Naomi Johnson Photos by Stetson Archives Design by Ruby Rosenthal & Isabel Solorzano

Hazing has been occurring at Stetson for many years now. From looking in the archives, it appears that hazing on Stetson’s campus started sometime in the 1940s. From traumatic events in the past to more recent situations, hazing is something that students should be aware about.

Recently, a senior member of a sorority personally witnessed hazing by a fraternity while talking to some of her friends.

She told us, “[I think that hazing is] bullsh*t. I feel like hazing is a thing on campus. It’s bullsh*t if you want someone to be a part of your organization that you have to bully them into it. “I’ve seen a fraternity refer to their pledges by specific names depending on what they did. One of them was called [the] Milk Pledge because he was made to run out and buy milk. They would pay him back, but it’s still hazing.”

She continued, “I feel like a lot of organizations take hazing as a joke and of course we joke about little things, like calling each other mom, but we can get in trouble for that because it’s an authority thing, but I think it’s something that we should take seriously.”

Another student, a sophomore member of Lambda Chi Alpha, personally witnessed hazing this semester. On bid day, he saw some of the new Sigma Phi Epsilon pledges “running down Bert Fish” while a truck driven by active members of the fraternity

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chased them down with a truck while yelling at them.

When asked whether he believed it was all of their pledges, he said that originally, he did, but after talking to one of the pledges was led to believe it wasn’t all of their new members, but still a majority of them. He says he saw around “20 to 30 pledges” which, according to the fraternity member, “looked like a majority of their new members” from the Fall 2019 pledge class.

From talking to other students and members of Greek Life, it definitely appears that it is the fraternities, not the sororities, that have trouble with hazing. This seems to also be the case in the past, at least on our campus. Current director of Greek Life, Rene Dubois, said she was unsure if she could comment on any chapters being currently under investigation or in trouble for hazing.

We decided to go digging through the archives for some past situations where hazing occurred. After almost an

hour of searching through the archives with the help of our archivist, there was actually very little reported hazing.

However, there was one article in particular stood out the most.

Pi Kappa Phi, which originally chartered here at Stetson in 1921, is a fraternity that was reinstated on our campus in 2018, was banned from Stetson for a year after a hazing incident in 1987. The article from the archives is entitled “Fraternity banned at Stetson” with a subheading of “Electric Shock Hazing Earns Year Off Campus.” The fraternity did not deny the charges against them, nor did any of the members comment on the situation. The article reports: “The fraternity’s national headquarters had feared there were hazing activities at the Stetson chapter even before it received an anonymous letter… Stetson and the national headquarters received copies of a letter saying six pledgers were prodded with a device that delivered electric shock…. The letter also said that week-long hazing activities included sleep deprivation, calisthenics, verbal abuse, and psychological harassment.”

They were taken off of campus again in 2011, according to Jonah Helwig (‘22), one of the founding fathers of Pi Kappa Phi’s restart on campus in 2018. He is in charge of risk management for Pi Kappa Phi. “[The] Pi Kappa Phi chapter [on Stetson’s campus] was removed from campus in 2011 due to a hazing incident,” Helwig said. “[Our] chapter was restarted in 2018 with a plan of officially being rechartered in early 2020. Due to our complicated history with hazing, we have enacted a strict no hazing policy with severe consequences should hazing ever occur. It is our goal to foster a supportive brotherhood where all members can feel safe and without fear of hazing.Our chapter is a historic chapter to Pi Kappa Phi and our national office wanted to reinstate it due to its significance to the fraternity as a whole.”

When Pi Kappa Phi was working on returning to Stetson, they had two men from their headquarters

come to the chapter meetings of other Greek life organizations to see if they could recommend current male students that would be interested in being founding fathers.

“I actually did join a fraternity on campus as a freshman but I realized after a few weeks that it wasn’t the right fit for me,”Scott Epting (‘21), the Archon and another founding father for Pi Kappa Phi said. “Come sophomore year I heard that Pi Kappa Phi was coming on campus so I met with the leadership consultants to learn more about the brotherhood. What I took away from the meeting was the concept of being a founding father and creating a foundation for many members to come after myself and my brothers.”

I was able to speak with Stetson graduate Halden LaPoten (‘09), an alumnus board member of Pi Kappa Phi. He rushed in fall of 2005 and joined Pi Kappa Phi. Being a part of the fraternity made his Stetson experience. When asked about why Pi Kappa Phi was removed from campus in 2011, LaPoten said he had no comment, but also that part of it was due to the “cyclical nature of fraternities” and that in the fall of 2010, they just had too small of a rush class so they didn’t meet quota nor did they didn’t meet the minimum requirement for housing.

However, it seems that he thinks things are definitely looking up for Pi Kappa Phi on Stetson’s campus.

He said that he’s “impressed so far, [they] have a lot of high character guys” and he has faith in the direction that the chapter is going in. The men are being held at a higher standard since they are basically starting over.

He also said that the charter class for Pi Kappa Phi is “A small chapter but a united chapter [that are] close friends and willing to put in the work.”

LaPoten also said that some of Stetson’s top donors, Hollis, Rinker, and Meadows were all apart of Pi Kappa Phi. When you have three men that have given so much to this university that their names are on multiple buildings, it is no wonder that

Pi Kappa Phi members from 1968 playing in intramural sports on campus.

Pi Kappa Phi House from the 1950s.

Pi Kappa Phi wanted to recharter at Stetson University.

Considering the fact that there is a strict no tolerance policy on hazing at Stetson, looking forward, this should be a campus that we don’t see much occurance of hazing on. Stetson’s official website states, “Because Stetson University values the equality of all people, recognizing its responsibility to protect human dignity and promote positive personal growth, hazing is strictly prohibited by any member of the university community. Stetson defines hazing as an act that threatens the mental, physical, academic health, or safety of a student through actions or situations that endanger, embarrass, harass, demean or ridicule any person regardless of locations, intent or consent of participants” (Stetson Website).

Also, due to there being so few reports of hazing overall, it is safe to say that Stetson is a mostly hazing-free campus.

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news & local

Come on, aileen The Florida Judicial System has sentenced 15 women to death. Only two of them were ever executed. Of the two executed, one is perhaps the most notorious female serial killer in the United States. This is her story.

Story by Vivianne Skavlem Photos by Gabriela Molina and courtesy of The Serial Series by Pennsylvania State University Design by Julia Gray

Early History

Aileen Wuornos was a product of her environment; from her birth on Feb. 29, 1956 in Troy, Michigan, her home life was fraught with violence, sexual abuse, and drugs.

By the age of 15, she was thrown out by her grandfather and began her life as a drifter, supporting herself by turning to sex work.

Wuornos hitchhiked to Florida at 20 years old, and quickly married and then annulled her marriage to a man 49 years her senior, yacht club president Lewis Fell. By the summer of 1981, Wuornos was back in Florida, and between May 1981 and 1986, was arrested multiple times on charges including battery, armed robbery, forged checks, petty theft, resisting arrest, car theft, and obstruction of justice.

Sometime during 1987, Wuornos met Tyria Moore in a Daytona Beach gay bar, called Zodiac, and they began a relationship, moved in together, and Wuornos supported the couple on her earnings as a prostitute. It is said that up until the day she died, Wuornos was still in love with Moore.

the murders June 1, 1990:

Nov. 30, 1989:

Richard Mallory was the first victim of Wuornos. Mallory was a convicted rapist whom Wuornos said she killed in self defense. She abandoned his vehicle, and on Dec. 13 his decomposing body was found in a wooded area. The cause of death was deemed to be two bullets in the left lung.

May 31 1990:

Charles Carskaddon was the third victim. His badly decomposed body was found wrapped in an electric blanket on June 6 1990 in Pasco County. He had been shot eight times.

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The naked body of David Spears was found along Florida State Road 19. Cause of death was six gunshot wounds.

The Arrest

Wuornos was finally arrested for an outstanding warrant on January 9, 1991 at The Last Resort Bar, positioned less than 30 miles northeast of Stetson. As recounted the Associated Press by the bartender who only goes by the name Cannonball, “When they first come in she goes ‘My name is Lee and this is my girlfriend Ty and we’re gay.’” In a very progressive for the time response, Cannonball replied “Well my name’s Cannonball and I don’t care. Pay for what you get, don’t cause me no grief and I’ll treat you square. I don’t care what anybody is.”

The trials and verdict

Wuornos stood trial for the murder of Mallory in the Volusia County Court House, only a short walk away from Stetson on Dec. 13, 1989. She pled no contest to the murders of Humphreys, Burress, and Spears. She went on to plead guilty to the murder of Carskaddon.

In total, Wuornos received six death sentences. The judge who oversaw Wuornos’ case and sentencing, Uriel Blount, was a Stetson University Law School alumnus ‘51.

On Oct. 9, 2002, Wuornos was executed via lethal injection and was pronounced dead at 9:47 a.m. She declined a final meal. Her last words were “I’d just like to say I’m sailing with the rock, and I’ll be back like Independence Day, with Jesus June 6. Like the movie, big mother ship and all, I’ll be back.”

in the media

Wuornos has been the topic of many true crime documentaries, as well as some movies. The most notable movie being 2003’s Monster, starring Charlize Theron. Her case has been the topic of podcasts, YouTube videos, and other forms of media, due to the fact that while she was a female serial killer, she killed ‘like a man’.

the mind of aileen wuornos

To further understand Aileen Wuornos, I interviewed Dr. Chris Ferguson, a professor of Stetson University’s psychology department. He provided valuable insight into not only Wuornos, but the relationship of nature versus nurture in raising children.

Firstly, he told me that Aileen was diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder. However, he said “It’s also difficult to know whether a pattern reflects genetics or learning. For instance if a parent abuses a child and that child then shows antisocial behavior, is that because the child learned to be antisocial, or because the parents had antisocial genes that made them abusive and then passed those genes from the child, who then became antisocial?”

July 31, 1990:

November 19, 1990:

Troy Burress was reported missing. On Aug. 4, 1990, his body was found along State Road 19. He was shot twice.

June 1990:

The car of Peter Siems was found abandoned in Orange Springs with a palm print matching Wuornos’. His body has never been found.

The nearly naked body of Walter Antonio was found in Dixie County. He had been shot four times.

September 11, 1990:

Charles Humphreys was the sixth victim of Wuornos. His fully clothed body was found the next day in Marion County. He had been shot six times in the head and torso.

the reporter

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bo0mer

arts & culture

OK,

Amidst stereotypes about judginess, laziness, and clinginess, Centennials attempt to distinguish themselves as people who spent their early years without technology yet are working hard every day to fix the world’s problems.

I

Story & Quiz by Julia Gray Photo Illustration by Caitlin Bhagwandeen Design by Isabel Solorzano

n the past year, I’ve read that millennials have killed the diamond industry, the real estate industry, the television industry, and even the doorbell industry. These statements are to be debated, but it has been said by many that these attitudes come from those born in Generation X (Gen X-ers) tired from all of the work they did in their younger years, looking to blame their exhaustion on millennials.

This negativity is something that comes from lots of older generations to younger ones, but issues arise when people who do not identify with their generation are then assigned associating attributes. It can feel restricting to be known as technology-obsessed or lazy when one does not feel connected in the first place with a group of people generalized with a huge age range. Some do identify with their generation, and of course the only tangible thing grouping generations together is a set range of years, but many simply do not, and a sizeable amount of people currently between the ages of 18 and 24 feel disconnected and unrelated to the generations in which they were born.

There seems to be a consensus that the term “centennial” works well to describe this niche generation, as we were born around or during the turn of the century. These people range from being seniors in high school to seniors in college, and what sets them apart has a lot to do with the age of technology.

Generation Z has been closely

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associated with the digital and growing up in the era of smartphones and technology. Charlie Taylor (’20), has strong opinions on the subject: “[Gen Z-ers are] super reliant on [technology] and really can’t do much without it. They always have their phones in their hands and it’s glued to their face at all times.” Many who share similar yet less fervent feelings agree that the generation born after 2001 grew up with technology, spending their formative years already immersed in digital devices and not having early experiences with things like VHS tapes, CDs, or even floppy disks.

Gen Z is has been called “weird,” “annoying,” and “against work” by folks from older generations. Some say that technology has made Gen Z soft and clingy; staying at home, marrying, and having kids later. “I think that Gen Z has a negative reputation,” Vice President for Campus Life and Student Success Lua Hancock said,”They are often seen as coddled and overprotected. [They are] unable to make relationships and always on technology…they are driving later, moving out later, having sex later, and have tighter relationships with their parents than past generations did.”

On the flip side, millennials grew up without technology and were already at least a decade old when technology boomed, having to completely switch their lives over to the Internet.

Centennials often feel disconnected from these sides because we grew up partially with

dial-up Internet, flip phones, VHS, and TVs chunkier than we were tall, yet we adapted to smartphones, streaming services, and apple products towards the end of our formative years. We experienced both sides, and we do not share as stark a view of evil technology as some Gen X-ers, yet we are detached enough to be able to put our phones down and acknowledge that there is indeed a growing problem with technology dependence. From this side of the equation, the generation in between feels more distant than Gen Z.

One thing that can be said for Gen Z, and one thing that Centennials identify with, is that they will be the ones to inherit the world and potentially solve all of the current crises. Hancock stated, “[Generation Z] lives in a world that causes anxiety- with active shooter drills in schools and systems (whether it be political, educational, health care, etc.) that are failing. This generation wants to make a difference and cares about the needs of others. I believe that if they work on gaining a deep understanding of the complex systems they are inheriting, they will play a pivotal role in changing their local, national and global communities and systems.”

Daniel Hendrick (‘23), strongly identifies with his status as part of Generation Z for this reason: “One of the things I’ve always liked and that I’ve resonated with is the kind of spirit of, ‘I’ve got to do something’ because the people older than me aren’t going to do anything,” Hendrick said.

There is a strong sense of duty within people growing up now and preparing to enter the world to fix systemic problems fast, and that is something that we as Centennials identify with. We grew up seeing the world’s problems arise, and we will work with the younger generation to solve them, no matter what.

Generation Quiz

two descriptors best describe 1 Which the awesome parts of your personality?

A. Open-minded and social B. Ambitious and realistic C. Hard-working and ethical D. Self-reliant and adaptable

two descriptors best describe 2 Which the worst parts of your personality?

A. Anxious with a short attention span B. Entitled and vain C. Smug and petty D. Rigid and overcommitted

do you consider yourself 3 Where with technology?

A. My phone and computer are like actual body parts for me B. I love trying out new technology but like taking a break C. New technology confuses me and I feel a bit out of touch, but I enjoy it D. I’ve adapted to accepting it as fun part of my normal life

Results

If you chose mostly As, you belong in Gen Z! If you chose mostly Bs, you are a Millennial!

If you chose mostly Cs, you belong in Gen X! If you chose mostly Ds, you are a Centennial!

would you describe your religious beliefs?

4 How

A. I’m agnostic or atheist B. I have my doubts but still sometimes enjoy attending services C. I’m religious D. I’m not religious, but spiritual

5 Which app do you use the most?

A. Snapchat B. Twitter C. Facebook D. Instagram

the reporter

15

arts & culture

Hollywood’s

n o i t c e j e Rof Originality

While live-action remakes of Disney classics flood the silver screens, audiences are conflicted with this attempt to bring past successes back to life.

Story by Rene Campbell Graphics & Design by Isabel Solorzano

S

tudents are often told not to cheat off of tests in order to obtain good grades that they seek. But it seems that in today’s Hollywood spotlight, there is more than enough “cheating” to go around. Between prequels and sequels that audiences have never asked for, there are also Disney remakes of classic successes which have flooded cinemas, and this method of revamping past influences does not always turn out to be a noteworthy nod to nostalgia.

The idea of twisting old classics into live-action movies began in 2010 with Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.” Audiences may have been attracted to the nostalgia which is attached to a remake; it represents a chance to have a new viewing experience while connecting back to what a lot of audience members grew up with. Box office numbers label this movie among other Disney remakes a success, but our student body seems conflicted on this idea.

Disney fans tend to be conflicted when it comes to these remakes. Molly Parsons (‘22), who has always been a huge fan of Disney movies and their original classics said, “I enjoy some of them on a surface level… they are great attempts, but you can’t beat a classic.”

Since Burton’s “Alice in

16 issue 3

Wonderland,” the silver screens have debuted 11 other movies this decade including “Dumbo,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” all of which hit theaters in 2019. Joshua Edmands (‘21), a digital arts student and avid film viewer said, “I believe that the remakes lack originality and highlight the plight of nostalgia that has been plaguing Hollywood… right now people will go out in droves to go so a critically and commercially mediocre remake of “The Lion King,” and won’t pay to see original films.”

This most likely does not come as a surprise considering Disney remakes are some of the most advertised films in Hollywood. Disney’s huge reach on the public allows these movies almost guaranteed profit from the start. By banking on the nostalgia value, Disney has created a new Hollywood trend which has changed the film industry as we know it. Parsons recognizes this as well, “I think that Disney has gotten lazy and a lot of people are doing the same. Think about how many movies in the past year were original and not taken from another book, or movie… not much.”

There are already twelve more Disney live-action remakes in the works. Right now some of the most talked about are “Mulan” and “The Little Mermaid.” The latter has picked

up more attention after Halle Bailey was cast to play the coveted role of Ariel. Deciding to cast Bailey as a black woman representing Ariel, who is white in the 1989 version, is important to the trend of diversifying casts. The casting decision created a divide amongst anyone with access to any social media platform, so basically, everyone.

Whether or not someone was a Disney fan, almost everyone had to have a say in Bailey’s casting and Disney’s decision to follow suit in the current Hollywood efforts of inclusion.

Although Disney may be attempting to make amends with a white-washed history within these remakes, there is still the sad truth that overall, the goal is to create profit on an

Tickets

old story. Edmands also wanted to comment on this subject, “I personally think it all comes down to money. They [Disney] saw how much of a cultural and monetary impact “Black Panther” was, so they know they can make money again… it doesn’t make up for years of white-washed history.” Disney could have used new films to right their wrongs like they did with “Moana,” but instead the hoards of reboots are still in line to hit the screens.

The use of casting stars has been one of the reasons that these Disney remakes have been so successful. When Emma Watson, best known for her role as Hermoine in the “Harry Potter” movie series, was cast to play princess Belle in the “Beauty and the Beast” live-action remake, audiences were eager to see her take on a new role, especially those who had grown up watching her as Hermoine. This trope was again repeated with the star-heavy casting of “The Lion King” which included popculture stars such as Beyoncé, Donald Glover (Childish Gambino), as well as KeeganMichael Key. Even “Aladdin” featured Will Smith as Genie which drove the advertising for that remake to new heights. Fans of these famous stars then, of course, are attracted to new adaptations of classic Disney movies, if not for the nostalgia, but to see some of their beloved figures take on new roles.

Parsons, who mentioned that “Aladdin” was personally her favorite of the 2019 remakes, said that was so because, “they kept parts of the original movie, but didn’t try to follow it exactly. In order for these movies to succeed, you need to keep the nostalgia of the original, while also not trying too hard to be the original.” It’s important to note that even though fans are happy to look back and pay tribute to the old classics, they are also looking forward to new material from the franchise, which is something that can not be done while the focus is so “reboot heavy.”

Although there are positives about these Disney remakes, such as seeing stars again on the silver screen, Disney’s reboots have ultimately taken up a huge part of Hollywood productions. So much time is being wasted on redoing what were perfectly successful classics on their own, and in the case of Hollywood, this nod to old success is something that has done more harm than good to the film industry.

your

thoughtson...

We surveyed students around campus and through our Instagram @hatternetwork.

Here’s what our students said.

Do you like the Disney live-action remakes?

No

Yes

42% 58% *The Reporter conducted a survey of 72 students in November 2019.

30

What’s your favorite 2019 Disney remake?

25 20 15 10 5 0

Aladdin The Lion King Dumbo Maleficent: Mistress of Evil *The Reporter conducted a survey of 65 students in November 2019.

the reporter

17

arts & culture

18 issue 3

YEAH, RETRO'S BACK

?

Y H W BUT

A

s 2020 gets closer, it’s easy to dream of that high-tech future all those cheesy ‘80s movies promised us. However, whether it’s music, fashion, or art, it seems like “the older the better.” Stetson’s campus is filled with 18 to 22-year-olds who have chosen to bring the past into the new decade.

Is this love for the old just the latest trend? Does that girl wearing the Pink Floyd band tee really listen to their music? Some students would probably admit that it’s mostly for the aesthetic, but many insist that they love vintage items for a reason, and it’s much more than a fad.

“Stranger Things,” one of 2019’s hit shows, and its ‘80s looks are driving fashion in the real world. High waisted jeans and wide-leg pants are coming back around. Even synth pop is making a come-back. Vintage is undeniably back in style in a sort of superficial sense, but if you look closely you can see that it runs deeper than just surface level.

More and more, young people complain about a sense of superficiality that runs beneath our modern lives of interconnectivity. The internet has made things instant and plentiful, but at what cost? Reconnecting with the past may be fashionable, but it also brings us back to a world long since perished--a world where individuality felt genuine, in which the things you paid for were yours, in which a simple repair could breathe new life into a worn-out thing. Those days may not be coming back, but when young people attempt to revive them for a bit, it’s no simple fad. Underneath the retro exterior is a deep yearning for simplicity.

Sami Dunlap (‘21), expresses her love for vintage through clothes. Dunlap says her interest began when she learned how to style her hair in old pin-up fashion. Now, she recycles vintage clothing from Goodwill to create her own unique style. “It’s a more sustainable, more fun, more unique shopping experience that I personally love,” she said when describing how she finds pieces at Goodwill and creates something new, simply by hemming a pant leg or adding a patch over a hole.

When discussing how she describes vintage, Dunlap said, “I think a lot of people forget that the early 2000’s are vintage, which is funny. Styles recycle a lot, so I think a lot of people assume that if you dress vintage you have to dress very old-fashioned— which I adore…But you can absorb vintage into your daily life.”

Anisah Majeed (‘22), absorbs vintage into their daily life through music. In a world of streaming and airpods, Majeed prefers records.

“One of my old friends had a record player and whenever we would get stressed we would just sit there and watch it, which

From Sami Dunlap’s (‘21) vintage styles to Anisah Majeed (‘22), and Nikita Shinn’s (‘19) analog technology, people in our generation are returning to classic trends more and more.

The search for simplicity behind the vintage trend.

Story by Jacob Mauser & Kendall Couture Photos by Jacob Mauser Design by Ruby Rosenthal

is kind of a sad thing to do—just sit there and watch a record spin.

But it’s the way that I cope with anxiety, or if I’m ever feeling alone,” Majeed explained how they originally got into vinyl.

Being a music student, Majeed explains that at times music can get really stressful. Records were a new way of listening to the music that Majeed described as vastly different than Spotify or Apple Music.

The simplicity of vinyl is what intrigues Majeed. They explained, “They put you in a different place, I think. I feel like all music is escapism, and if you can find ways to unplug—being detached from technology is a big thing for me, so being able to listen to music without having to touch my phone or be accessible to other people is really important.”

Like simplicity, uniqueness is another reason why vintage items have found their way into the 21st century. In a world where you can take a thousand photos in ten seconds, the idea of a single image, no edits, no Facetune no captions, seems almost scary.

That element of suspense is exactly what Nikita Shinn (‘19), loves about Polaroid photography:

“I just liked the fact that when you take the photo you never know how it’s going to end up. When you take a photo with a digital camera or with your phone you know what it’s going to look like. But with a Polaroid, the picture, the coloring might be a bit blemished… You just never know what it’s going to look like. I like that part of it.”

Shinn explained her concern with digital cameras and how the ability to delete the images and retake them, takes away that unique quality she loves about her Polaroid.

The idea of hearkening back to a bygone age is not new. Medieval woodcuts complain of the sensibilities of youth culture. Ancient texts lament the degradation of society since even more ancient times. Even media from the eras now coming into popularity complains of young people abandoning the virtues of the past. Missing from all of these, however, are the opinions of the youth themselves. Yet listening to students explain themselves, it becomes clear that simple nostalgia cannot explain everything, especially when many have no connection at all to the eras they attempt to emulate. The simplicity, however, is universal. One does not need to remember the dominance of old-school technology and clothes to understand that they possess certain qualities not found in the modern, and that inherent in these qualities is a sense of disconnection nearly unknown to many young people. No wonder, then, that we look backwards even as 2020 draws nearer--the past still holds an appeal that the present could not hope to compete with.

the reporter

19

ALBUMS arts & culture

of the

decade

The music industry has evolved over the last decade. As the generation that came of age during this time, we can look back over this music to find memories and reflections of our culture.

20 issue 3

Story by Samantha Jenkins Design by Isabel Solorzano Graphics courtesy of Pablo Stanely

A

lthough 2010 doesn’t seem like that long ago, the vast majority of undergraduates were in elementary school or early middle school at that time. The past decade has been the growing period of our age group, and with us, music has evolved in unexpected ways. In 2010, Taylor Swift was still a country artist, Adele was taking over the United States with her song “Rolling in the Deep,” and “Memphis” was the top musical.

Some of the artists featured frequently in the early 2010’s are nowhere close to the top of the charts today. These albums and songs were quite popular in their day, and even appeared on the top of Billboard’s charts. They might surprise you, or they might throw you back to your younger years. Either way, you have probably heard these albums and artists before, and you might be happy to remember them.

Starting with 2010, the best-selling albums have been: “Recovery” by Eminem, “21” by Adele, “The 20/20 Experience” by Justin Timberlake, “1989”

by Taylor Swift, “25” by Adele, “Views” by Drake, “Divide” by Ed Sheeran, “The Greatest Showman” soundtrack, and currently for 2019 it is “Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent” by Lewis Capaldi.

Even though these are mostly in the pop genre and played on the radio every other song, these do not exclusively capture what people play through their headphones. Nkosi Watts (‘23) fondly remembers growing up with indie music, none of which made bestseller.

“I was really into indie music in middle school,” Watts said. “My favorite song then and now was ‘Dog Days Are Over’ by Florence and The Machine. I love the message of pushing on until the troubles are over and how it reminds us that good days are on the horizon. My other favorite artist was Ingrid Michaelson, who wrote ‘The Way I Am.’ Indie music is something you can listen to in any mood.” As a huge Florence and The Machine fan myself, I was excited and encouraged to know someone else did not exclusively listen to the famous pop songs that topped the charts.

In the first half of the decade, other popular artists included Susan Boyle, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Lorde, Imagine Dragons, and Mumford and Sons. The “Frozen” soundtrack also was a bestseller, proving that music comes from other avenues.

Dennis Claros (‘22), advocates for video game scores, “There’s a lot of really good video game soundtracks,” he said. “For me, music has been my source of solace and that hasn’t changed one bit in the past years. Whether it’s actual songs from groups like A Day To Remember to any of the soundtracks from the Halo video game series, music has been a way to keep some peace in my life.”

From the second half of the decade, artists like Ed Sheeran, Drake, Sam Smith, and Kendrick Lamar were chart-toppers, as well as soundtracks from “Hamilton”, “Moana”, and “The Greatest Showman.”

Deanna Lodi (‘21) regularly listens to a few songs that were released in the past few years. “I jam to ‘99’ by Barns Country almost every week,” she said. “I listen to it so often because it makes me feel like today will someday be ‘the good old days’ to me and I like that atmosphere.” That’s exactly why we love music so much, it allows us to look back on memories or times in our lives where that music became a part of us.

Admittedly, the only music I listen to that appeared as top-sellers are Adele, Sam Smith, Mumford and Sons, Imagine Dragons, and also “Hamilton.” In 7th grade choir, we sang “Royals” by Lorde, “Roar” by Katy Perry, and “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons. I don’t remember if there was an “R” theme in addition to singing the only three songs that came on the radio, but that’s what we did.

And just like that, I had a total throwback moment. In ten years, people will be having memories of listening to Lewis Capaldi and Billie Eilish, where they were in life when they first listened to these albums that made more money than we will ever make.

But music changes over time, just like we do. We influence it to change as we change. That’s not a bad thing. It captures the mindset and journey of the generation making it. As a professional first-year History minor, I can say this is the 21st century version of storytelling, a reflection of culture that both older and younger generations will never understand, but that we will cherish.

“

It allows us to look back on memories or times in our lives where that music became a part of us.”

-Deanna Lodi (‘21)

the reporter

21

opinion

evolution

the

Title IX looked a little different at Stetson in 1972 than it does now. So how has Stetson’s Title IX policy and implementation evolved since it was first put in place?

of title IX

Story by Calista Headrick Photo by Jillian Semmel Design by Isabel Solorzano

It applies to everyone. No matter your gender, race, sexuality, no matter an issue in sports, a relationship, something that occurs in the classroom, at work, at a party—it all falls under Title IX. 22 issue 3

-Calista Headrick (‘22)

the reporter

23

opinion

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

This is Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, a federal law put in place across the nation that works to prevent sex discrimination in education. It is the most vital part of ensuring that college campuses are working to protect the safety of students against any form of sexual violence, ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault, intimate partner violence, or any degree of this that you can think of. But while today I think we tend to associate Title IX with issues of sexual violence on campuses, it held a slightly different idea of sex discrimination back when it was first established—that of equal representation in sports.

The point of Title IX beginning from 1972 was to allow for the equal representation of women in varsity sports as men. An issue of The Reporter from 1997 reported that the law required that “the number of men and women participating in varsity sports must be proportional to academic enrollment.” It was a push for equal representation, but purely for athletic reasons.

This is exactly how it stayed for many years on Stetson’s campus—purely in relation to sports. And this is exactly where we see the evolution of Title IX in the nation, and at Stetson as well.

In 1975, according to an issue of The Reporter, there was controversy over the use of funds from the men’s sporting events to put toward scholarships to allow for women’s participation. An issue from 1999 reported on the administration's lack of adherence to Title IX’s goals, after providing a “top-of-the line” baseball field for the men’s Division I team but nothing new for the women’s team. Issue III of 2003 included the Athletic Director at the time recognizing much needed efforts to improve the university’s compliance with Title IX and athletics. It wasn’t until an issue from 2014—over ten years later—that I came across a headline that included a mentioning of sexual assault in relation to Title IX.

The year 2003 had Stetson responding to a White House sexual assault report. In 2015, Stetson held a sexual assault awareness forum hosted by the campus Title IX coordinators, but also revealing that out of nine schools, “We were the school with the highest rates of ‘worried someone would get back at you’” and “ranked the highest of the surveyed colleges in terms of sexual harassment reports, with 11.4 percent of female students surveyed saying that they had been coerced into sexual contact.” Although undoubtedly a significant issue on campus, this was also an important change from Title IX previously focusing solely on athletics. While issues of sexual assault are always prevalent across college

24 issue 3

campuses, it seems as though its prominence at Stetson was finally being recognized among the student body and administration.

So the last decade is where we have seen the most change in relation to Title IX, and this is a huge step. We’ve seen this shift where Title IX without a doubt remains to include athletics in their policy of nondiscrimination, but also focuses on sexual assault that in today’s society can no longer be ignored as it has in the past.

In my opinion, Title IX at Stetson has only gotten better. Lyda Costello Kiser, Executive Director and Title IX Coordinator at Stetson University, gave me some of her thoughts about Title IX on campus. In her opinion, “Major societal change takes a long time. So I think when you're talking about interpersonal violence but specifically sexual assault, sexual harassment, those kinds of things, it takes a while before people hear and send the message constantly of no it's not okay. And Title IX is just a little piece of that.” The Office of Title IX on campus is completely committed to ensuring the protection and representation of students, and Kiser told me that “It’s important, I think, for people to understand that we want to help. We don't want someone to not disclose and then end up failing the semester or leaving because they can't handle it. We want to step in as early as possible to help because we really want our students to finish their education and achieve the goals they want to achieve.”

Stetson and Title IX have evolved with the times. So many things are possible now that may not have been 20 years ago or when Title IX was first established in 1972. Kiser pointed out that “It has been kind of a natural evolution for it to include all of the things that we see that are related to issues of gender in education and perceived gender. And if you did Title IX right, the best part about it is that then you're going to improve the diversity, and inclusion, and equity in your institution because people will be comfortable.

People will come to your institution and participate fully because they feel safe. They feel that if they have an issue, it'll be addressed.”

It applies to everyone. No matter your gender, race, sexuality, no matter an issue in sports, a relationship, something that occurs in the classroom, at work, at a party—it all falls under Title IX. And I believe that Stetson has become fully committed to ensuring the protection and representation of its students. Things may have been different in 1972 than they are now. We can debate its effectiveness or if enough has changed from then to now, but one thing has stayed the same. Title IX is here for us.

Pat & Toni’s Sweet Things In historic Downtown Deland, we do things the old fashioned way.

Hand dipping and crafting each of our chocolate treats, carrying candies from your childhood, and dedicating ourselves to knowledge of our craft to give you the best service possible. ​ While we are constantly growing and improving, we always keep the values of the good ol' days in Pat and Toni's.

stop by for some

&

ICE CREAM AÇaÍ Bowls chocolate

don’t forget You get a FREE chocolate covered strawberry everytime you come in with your Stetson ID.

Graphics courtesy of Kate Garfield, www.misskatecuttables.com

the reporter

25

opinion

Efforts in Flux: Looking Back at Stetson's Story by Jay Stearman Photo by Gabriela Molina & Stetson Archives Design by Ruby Rosenthal

26 issue 3

Environmental Commitment

While the exact moment the term

sustainability entered the consciousness of Stetson can't be traced down, you can view its legacy through the campus' built environment or the vision of its leaders. For simplicity's sake, let's focus on exclusively this century.

Only two presidents have presided since the new millennium, Doug Lee and Wendy Libby, Ph.D. The first served 22 years and was responsible for initiating not only key buildings on campus but also his dedication to diversity and social responsibility.

Dr. Lee’s passion was exemplified through his adoption of what is now known as Stetson’s seven core values and his support for the native plant policy for landscaping, especially around University Village Apartments (UVA) which, before the Rinker Environmental Learning Center (RELC) and the Lynn Business Center (LBC) were constructed, was visible from the President’s Mansion. Laboratory Coordinator for Stetson’s Biology department, John Jett, remembers the late Doug Lee as believing that the “university had a responsibility to society to show what can happen when you do the right thing socially and environmentally.”

Unfortunately several offices and employees were cut in a downsizing effort in response to the University’s financial hardships from 2003-2009.

One of these was Dr. John Jett’s position as the first and only Director of Environmental Affairs. As books were balanced, sustainability efforts fell to the wayside. Stetson employee for more than 10 years now, Jackee Brame relates how environmentalism slowly lost its edge, “the conversation has been going on a while, but sometimes even the most driven people don’t know where to apply themselves.”

Some may call it the golf course look or

the Disneyland aesthetic, but President Libby’s administration focused on bringing more interest and students to Stetson. The physical face (i.e. visible landscape) was certainly a critical part of her plan for Stetson’s emergence from the rocky financial situation of the school she inherited. Senior studio arts major Solstice Backus-Little ‘20 relates how Stetson’s ‘Era of Growth’ was certainly successful but that the development and housing became more reactionary. While it may be hard for students to imagine how different Stetson could have been 5 years before they attended, the Libbyan aesthetic was a tangible example of how different the direction was. Dr. Jett calls the Native Plant Policy under Lee’s administration a “crowning achievement” diligently, however painfully arrived at, by dedicated staff, faculty, donors, and even students, “it really had the potential to be extraordinary.”

However, new people inevitably end up bringing new ideas and priorities. With the nomination of Libby’s successor, Christopher Roellke, Ph.D. a new administration can provide new opportunities for sustainability to take precedence.

A great way to start is the renewal of a Sustainability Office on campus, a captain’s headquarters for the ship towards a net-zero emissions campus. There is no shortage of environmentally driven people willing to put in time to help Stetson achieve a greater level of sustainability, but having a coordinator bringing their minds together, in the words of Dr. Jett “someone who wakes up everyday, who is being paid to move the University in a sustainable direction,” would really change the game. Brame expressed her support for a potential Sustainability Office, saying it’s a “very real need, something that we need to have addressed.”

the reporter

27

betteroff?

opinion

are we

Our society looks very different than it did 10 years ago.

Socially, culturally, politically, and more, are we better off than we were at the beginning of the decade?

point:

T

he end of 2019 marks the beginning of a new decade, filled with new and exciting ideas for humanity. But before we take a step forward, it’s time to take a look back and see how we have fared since the beginning of the decade. Are we better off now than we were at the beginning of the 2010s?

To put it simply, yes. The 2010s were a decade fraught with political polarization, terrorism, and some steps backwards in terms of culture and cooperation, but these issues are merely at the forefront of the spectacular changes that have been made over the course of the decade.

One of the biggest advancements we have made is on the level of social justice. While it is true that not enough is being done in many areas of our social justice system, it is important to remember the progress that we have made. Gay marriage became legal in the United States just within this decade, a great sign of progress to most functioning members of society. Female and minority representation in government has also seen a jump, with star examples Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar leading a charge against a corrupt government.

Some of the biggest growth in this decade has been on the internet.

Access to the internet has skyrocketed within this decade, with more than half of the world now having access.

We have seen the internet as a place of communication across cultures, with people being able to inform the world

28 issue 3

Story by Joseph Dallas (point) & Calista Headrick (counterpoint) Design by Isabel Solorzano Graphic courtesy of Katerina Limpitsouni

about their problems. The Hong Kong protests against the Chinese government, for example, have grown in support and strength largely due to the spread of information on the internet. With access to such a massive base of information, the public is both greatly informed and greatly uninformed at the same time. While fake news may be spreading like a wildfire online, we still have access to information at our fingertips that much of the world did not have for generations.

Culturally, we have become much more self-aware as a society. I believe the internet is largely responsible for this, as with access to more information than ever we are able to be more aware of ourselves and our place in the world.

Music albums about more and more personal tragedies continue to be released, and the idea of the artist has bled through with the idea of the artist’s personality, feelings, and experiences, allowing for more introspective, thoughtful work to be released.

Overall, going into the 2020s, humanity is on a track meant for greatness. The problems of today will be mere text in a history book once humanity is able to come together as a species and solve them for the greater good.

Problems today are everywhere in our society, and each and every problem we experience grows by the second. But we have to focus on the good we have gotten done, so that we may have hope to do more.

counterpoint:

I

t’s the end of the year, which also means the end of the decade. ten years and a lot has happened. But are we better off now than we were then?

Politically speaking, there seems to be more of a divide now than ever. When 17 people were killed and 17 others injured in the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in February of 2018, walk outs took place across the nation in protest. I was told to join if I wanted; to walk out and stand up for what I believe in.

But others were not.

They were told that if they did then they would get suspended, some even expelled. They were told to keep their voices silent and unheard. Only one singular example among many. It has only gotten worse. And that’s the sad part.

Huge strides have been made for equal opportunities and equal rights. In my opinion, our society is more accepting than ever, yet in some ways there seems to be more judgement than ever on issues of race, sexuality, gender identity and expression, and everything in between.

While individuals have more rights than in previous years, there are some major ones that are being challenged. The issue of reproductive rights has been a prominent one within the last year for example, as women now have to question what they are allowed to do with their own bodies.

In terms of sexual assault, more women are speaking up than ever. We’ve seen things like the “Me Too” movement, letting their voices, stories, and support be heard. But we can’t deny that we still place the blame on the victims instead of the real issue at hand.

In today’s age, arguably one of the biggest changes we’ve seen is that of technology and social media. I’d say there’s a bit of a love-hate relationship in the capabilities that technology has brought. Technological advancements have improved society in countless ways, but at a cost of what it does to us as a society of individuals. We’re more out of communication with each other than ever, as all that today’s technology does is divide our connection with one another. Reaching all time highs of addiction, it’s scary when we start idolizing social media stars, wishing to be exactly like them and nothing like ourselves. It has become toxic.

There has been so much bad among so much good. This means that there’s still a lot of work to be done. We’ve made so much progress, more than we ever have. But that only means that we have to keep going and can’t give in to complacency. It’s our responsibility and our future—we have to decide what we want to do with it.

So are we better off than we were ten years ago? It seems almost like a paradox. So much change seems to be happening yet at the same time so much regression juxtaposes it. So I’m not sure that we can define it as one way or another. But I do know that although we have to recognize the tremendous progress we’ve made, we still have to strive to do better. And I’d like to believe that we can only go forward from here.

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sports

featured Stetson women’s basketball, shown here in 1906. It’s the oldest female sports team on campus, founded only six years after the men’s team in 1900.

the future is

E L A FEM

A brief take on the history of female sports at Stetson.

Story by Allie Wilson Photos courtesy of Stetson Athletics/Simon Simoneau & Stetson University Library Archives Design by Lauren Barney & Ruby Rosenthal Graphic adapted from The Noun Project

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S

chool sports have been an extracurricular at Stetson for over a century. They became popular back in the days when the sociological divide between genders was wider. In other words, there was clear preferential treatment of men over women.

At the same time, the women’s rights movement was in action, which could be why female sports had any chance at all. That being said, women’s sports weren’t always the most important branch of the athletic field.

Women’s sports were seen as inferior to men’s in a world where, most of the time, women themselves were held as just that, inferior. Most women’s teams were overlooked and turned down until fairly recently, especially compared to the history of men’s teams.

At Stetson, the oldest female team is the basketball team. It dates back all the way to 1906, only six years after the men’s team was founded. It’s unclear exactly who founded the team or why it was spurred into action. An interesting fact, though, is that it was established during a year in which men’s basketball was discontinued.

Unfortunately, there’s no real way of knowing whether these events were related or coincidental.

Women’s basketball remained the only female team at Stetson until volleyball was founded over seventy years later.

Kaylee Oscarson (‘23), a freshman on the volleyball team, guessed that the team had been established in 1986. “It’s crazy,” she explained when she learned the date had actually been 1980. “Obviously, I was just a little off, but crazy to think the program had such an extensive history.”

It is surprising that volleyball, a femalecentric sport, was created as early as it was with no male counterpart to go along with it. But why is that shocking?

We’re ingrained to expect a male sport to outweigh the female counterpart in some way. This most likely comes from the sociological divide between genders. Men have always been seen as stronger and more athletic than women. Take A. Miller, for instance, who wrote an article titled Gender differences in strength and muscle fiber characteristics, on the differences in strength between genders and believed men to be superior. So the idea that a sport came to be without male players to compare them to is surprising, but it shouldn’t be.

“[Female teams are] not viewed as highly as men’s teams… they don’t get advertised as much,” Oscarson continued. Similar to most colleges and universities, football at Stetson is the most advertised sport on and off-campus. Unless they have a personal link to the sport, most students have no idea what’s happening with most female sports.

“I wish I had a better overview of the other teams. I, of course, know mostly about my own team,” Sunniva Helland-Hansen (’20), a senior on the beach volleyball team, said.

This isn’t an uncommon trait to have; most students, on teams or not, don’t seem to know much about sports when they don’t have to. It doesn’t help when the little limelight shed on sports by advertisements

goes straight to the men’s teams. “We’re a small school, I don’t feel like people come here to play sports… everyone chooses Stetson because it’s so good with academics.”

The beach volleyball team is one of the youngest at Stetson, having only been in action for eight years. In that time, though, the sport has grown exponentially. Many of the teams have been growing more recently.

According to a freshman on the soccer team, Maggie Struble (‘23), “This year a lot of teams are going through building years,” or years when there are more new players and/or coaches who need to get acclimated to the team.

When asked about when she thought the female soccer team had been established, Struble guessed 1952. This is actually closer to when the men’s team was founded in 1957, but it’s a surprising difference from the actual date being 1993.

“[It’s] surprising that it’s such a large gap compared to the basketball team, maybe there wasn’t enough initiative or there were administrative restrictions,” Struble said.

It shouldn’t be surprising that a player expects her team to have been founded at the same time as other sports, but the unfortunate truth is that it seems to be. The fact is that most people expect female sports to be younger, less successful, and inferior.

The idea that women’s sports need to be put on the back burner to make way for the men is an outdated way of thinking. Our expectations should be reflecting our hope for these teams, which is that they be successful and long-lasting.

WOMEN’S ATHLETICS THROUGH THE AGES 1906

Stetson women’s basketball is established

1980

Stetson women’s volleyball is established

1993

Stetson women’s soccer is established

2011

Stetson women’s beach volleyball is established

The 2019 women’s basketball team cheers on their team to a victory on Nov. 5, starting a winning streak for the team.

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STARTING : scratch from

Story by Ihsaan Fanusie Photos courtesy of Stetson University Archives and by Kevin Vega Design by Ruby Rosenthal

A Hatter Football Story

The Stetson Board of Trustees voted to terminate the Hatters football program on January 22, 1957. After a 1956 season in which no game, except the Homecoming game, sold more than 60 seats, it wasn’t exactly a surprising decision.

But it ended a 55-year old team that had been formed within two decades of the University’s founding. Fifty-five years later, the team rose from the proverbial ashes to bring football back to Stetson.

Instrumental to the decision to revive the team were President Wendy Libby, Ph.D and Director of Athletics Jeff Altier. President Libby was not available for comment. The primary motivations for starting the team back up were rooted in aspirations for greater enrollment.

“In many respects it was a hugely brave decision,” said Head Coach Roger Hughes said. “In some respects, it was a no-brainer decision because she wanted to increase enrollment and grow the institution a little bit into prosperity.”

In the summer of 2011, faced with relatively small levels of enrollment, President Libby saw untapped potential in the defunct Division 1 football team. Largely, the effort to increase enrollment was successful. “Our application pool went from 2,500 to over 12,000 when we added football,” Coach Hughes said.

Within the broader strategy to increase enrollment, there was a second, more defined purpose to restarting Stetson Football: increasing male enrollment.

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Members of the 1956 football team pose for a picture. This was the last year the football team was active until its revival in 2013.

“

The team was brought on as an enrollment strategy for two reasons. One, to get more people here, and [two], most importantly, -Coach Roger Hughes to get more males here.”

The ratio between male and female students was lopsided during the early 2010s; to help even the balance, President Libby, Director Altier, and the board of directors greenlighted the football team as a method to make the school more desirable to prospective male students.

After the decision was made to bring back Hatter Football, the funds had to be acquired to give the team the resources they needed to compete.

“The start-up costs were 11.5 million,” said, “and that includes everything.” This money paid for the athletic training center, among other things.

“We promised that we would raise every penny of that; it would not cost the university anything in terms of startup costs.”

The team has paid for most of the startup costs by now; the remaining amount is covered by an estate gift that has not yet been liquidated but will be given to the university soon. This money has been paid for by athlete

tuition revenue and ticket revenue, among other financing methods.

“The number of full-time faculty grew significantly, the University’s merit scholarship went from 50 million a year to 70 million a year in the same time frame,” Altier said, although he noted that these were correlated and not necessarily caused by the team’s start-up.

“Alumni engagement for homecoming went from 836 alumni returning for homecoming in 2013 to 1200 returning in 2017.”

In total, the team covered most of the goals that it made for itself when it restarted.

“We hit [expectations] in many areas, but not in every area,” Altier said. “Some of them may have just been faulty assumptions when we walked into it. But from a revenue standpoint, we far exceeded it; from an enrollment standpoint, we far exceeded our objectives.”

Also involved in the financial side of the project were City Manager Michael Pleus and Mayor Robert Apgar. The two convinced the city that Stetson could be treated as a partner in that capacity.

With the relative ubiquity of football teams at colleges today, not to mention the

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The 2019 Hatters football team conducts a drill during a season practice. The 1911 Stetson football team poses for a team shot on the steps of Elizabeth Hall.

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history of football on Stetson’s campus, it’s easy to wonder why the team went so long without one.

This has more to do with the larger vision of the university. In 1957, the team had low attendance and was consistently losing money. It is also important to note that during that time, the team was a scholarship team, whereas now it is a non-scholarship team. This means that students do not receive a scholarship to play football for Stetson.

Beyond that, however, the university was also operating under a different financial model than its current one. For several decades, the school kept its enrollment numbers low and grew at a relatively low rate.

“I went back to the president at the time, Doug Lee, and shared with him what my thoughts were about football and how I thought it could enhance the university and at the time there wasn’t the desire or the capacity to grow.”

And that’s essentially what the decision to bring football back was about: growth and expansion. In the 90s and 2000s, Stetson was not looking to expand. They favored the small private-school vibe and supported a lowcost, low-enrollment model.

“Our classrooms were fuller and our dorms were fuller, and we didn’t have as many dorms,” Altier explained.

“So [President Lee] looked at it and said it doesn’t make sense for us. Because, whatever way you put it, a student athlete, from a business model only, costs more than a normal student costs because there’s other investments in staffing and trainers and coaching and all that. So from his perspective, … it did not make financial sense to add a program that would actually take away normal students and reduce the revenue generation from those students.”

It’s fair to question whether those concerns may still be relevant. Does the existence of a football team negatively affect Stetson’s small-school atmosphere? Is the financial strain that a large program like football brings to a school offset by increases in revenue and marketability?

The decision to bring back football has been controversial, to say the least. Some members of the university left their positions because of the reinstatement of football and the perceived change in school vision.

Regardless, when President Libby joined Stetson, she brought with her an entirely new vision. Emphasizing growth and expansion, President Libby almost immediately commissioned the return of Hatter football. Along with football, beach volleyball, and women’s lacrosse were also started at this time.

Fresh off a 55-year hiatus, Stetson football is back.

And after starting from scratch, the Hatters are beginning to put the pieces of a successful football team in place and compete at a higher level.

UNPACKED Britney Bertram This edition of Unpacked we talked to Britney Bertram (‘23), a freshman on the Stetson Women’s Soccer team who has made an immediate impact on the team in her first year. Bertram didn’t become the star she is today without help from the little things, from her technique on the field to even the little things in her backpack.

with

Story by D’Andre Lewis Photos by Caitlin Bhagwandeen Design by Madison Gray & Isabel Solorzano

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1. “My graduation gift

from my loving parents that support me in everything I do.”

2. “Represents working my summer job of babysitting in order to be prepared for college.”

3. “To keep my body hydrated and healthy for soccer every day.”

4. “My car keys allowed me to make the nine hour [drive] from Slidell [Louisiana] to Stetson.”

5. “To listen to music that I listened to back home.”

6. “My hard work in school with the notes I take reflect my grades and the hard work I put in on and off the field.”

7. “To organize my weeks so I don’t get stressed out because life as a college athlete can get pretty hectic.”

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@hatternetwork