The Buccaneer Fall 2020 Edition

FALL 2020

BLACK LIVES MATTER A CATALYST FOR future movements pg. 28

inside this issue What It's Like to Have COVID Pg. 4 Sports Organizations Support Black Lives Pg. 10 10 Reasons to Wear a Mask Pg. 24

THE TEASE

BUCCANEER STAFF

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FALL 2020

Layout and Graphics Editor MELISSA MANOHAR

Copy Editor

BRIANNA LOPEZ

Web Editor

ANNA GALAKTIONOV

Assistant Copy Editor EMMA JAMES

Corporate Liasion

Stimulus check update pg. 5

MELISSA TUMBEIRO

Social Media Coordinators SUZANNAH YOUNG JIMMY MUNIZ

Staff Writers

ANA CAROLINA AGUIAR LIZ CALVO MATEO GOMEZ AMANDA GONZALEZ GARCIA LORI HUERTAS JIMMY MUNIZ SUZANNAH YOUNG NICOLE VALDES

Staff Photographers EMMA JAMES JIMMY MUNIZ MELISSA TUMBEIRO NICOLE VALDES

The Buccaneer welcomes student contributions.

Editors assign stories for pay at this time. Letters to the editor, story ideas, news releases, photos and artwork can be submitted to The Buccaneer office in Garner Hall or through campus mail or email.

All contributed material must include the signature and the mailbox or telephone number of the contributor. The Buccaneer reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for style and length.

Contributed material does not necessarily reflect the opinions and policies of The Buccaneer editorial staff or those of Barry University. “Interested in advertising your business in the Buccaneer?

Contact Professor Tiffani Knowles, 305-899-3456” Circulation: 500

Latino vs. Latinx: Ungendering the Spanish Language pg. 16

360 Photographer MELISSA TUMBEIRO

Contributing Writer SANDRA PAJOVIC

Faculty Adviser

TIFFANI KNOWLES

Cover photo by Emma James.

A star too soon in the sky: remembering chadwick boseman pg. 21

FALL 2020

news

3 Photo courtesy of TIME

California In Flames: Gender Reveal Parties to Blame

By Amanda Gonzalez Garcia

“The burnt smell took over my home.” Anonymous (California resident) “It has not been as bad as it was four weeks ago.” - Anonymous (California resident) Gender reveal party turned violent on Sept. 5 and started yet another fire in California, known as the El Dorado fire.

The cause was a smoke-emitting pyrotechnic device, which typically ignites blue or pink smoke to signify the sex of an expected child.

The family involved has yet to be identified and is pending charges, if any. According to the InciWeb (Incident Information System), the incident took place in San Bernardino County in California and is not expected to be contained until Dec 31.

California’s climate can be best described as dry and warm during the summer and wetter during the winter. The dry and warm climate serves more as a risk when trying to contain these wildfires. A current total number of 590 fire personnel have been placed in order to accelerate the containment process. There has been a confirmed firefighter fatality of Charles Morton.

Many families have had to evacuate their homes, and road closures have been

established as a necessary precaution. This is many have pointed out their problematic not the first time this has happened, however. origin when it comes to the social constructs In 2017, a gender reveal party in Arizona they perpetuate. Critics have said that sparked a wildfire. This wildfire burned gender reveal parties can come off as closeroughly 47,000 acres and caused over $8 minded and even sexist because they attempt million in damages. The expectant father to create an “identity” on behalf of the child.

A California resident who has decided and off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent, Dennis Dickey, pleaded guilty in 2018 and served five to remain anonymous retells the horrible years in probation. Dickey was ordered to moments she experienced due to the wildfires in California, pay $8.2 million as her family in restitution. had to evacuate Blogger Jenna their Fairfield, Karvunidis is the California home individual behind after their county the “gender reveal of Solano was party” trend and given a red flag did not expect warning.

These for her post to Photo courtesy of CBS News red flags are receive as much indicators of when controversy as it did. Karvunidis threw a party where she conditions will worsen within the next 24 announced her baby’s sex by cutting into a hours and are the highest alert level there is.

After this warning is declared, a fire cake filled with pink icing. Since then, many others have seen this event as an opportunity weather watch is issued as a means to to get creative and extravagant by popping monitor fire activity. In their home, they have fireworks or confetti cannons, and Karvunidis made sure to establish clear communication feels some responsibility for the fires that have and understanding of what to do in these emerged from these reveals. However, aside situations. Objects such as a fireproof safe from the dangers these parties can cause, box that protects their essential documents, a

packed bag with essentials and an established evacuation plan that can be enacted at any time are among some of the precautions they have taken.

As of Aug. 18, Solano County was overpowered by a series of fires that burned over 353,000 acres through Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties. They are recognized as the LNU Lightning Complex fires. The aforementioned California resident notes that these fires are not uncommon. Moreover, she explains how humans are not conscious of how their actions can have a lasting consequence, such as overall air quality. Low air quality can lead to short and long-term health consequences.

As seen, these tragic events can be prevented by remaining aware of our surroundings at all times, especially when using fire-starting devices like fireworks and matchsticks.

Individuals who are concerned can volunteer at organizations or institutions that cater to these issues, ensure that family and peers are aware of the current dangers and how climate change is vital to all. Acts such as these can lead to a collaborative change.

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FALL 2020

Barry Professors:

What It’s Like to Have COVID-19 A Day in the Life of a Virtual Teacher

By Sandra Pajovic

With COVID-19 at the forefront of all of our minds and with so little known about it, it is helpful to understand how the virus affects people around us. The Buccaneer spoke to two students who had very different experiences with the virus, the first being Lauren Llauro and the second being Marie DeFabio.

Llauro and her family had a horrific time healing from the virus, having dealt with a long recovery process and barely any attention from medical professionals.

DeFabio revealed that her mother only lost a sense of taste and had a slightly higher than normal body temperature when she was infected with the virus.

“We all got sick at different times, which made it difficult for us to fully recover,” said Llauro, a junior studying nursing.

Her mother, a nurse practitioner, had to take a seat from caring for her family and Llauro instead had to step up and take care of her mother, father, and sister all while beginning to show symptoms herself.

Llauro also mentioned how intense the headaches, coughing, and fevers were, saying that “most medications did nothing to help.”

She described her recovery process as a game of “tug of war,” with one family member healing while the rest fought their way back to health.

Her family went to a hospital for help, and Llauro explained how intense protocol was.

“They had tents set up outside and all the nurses were in full gear,” she said.

Unfortunately, they were not able to do much.

Since so little is known about the virus and how to treat it, they inevitably had to wait it out and simply let the virus pass through their systems.

She described it as a “waiting game,” but as far as handling the illness while quarantining, they did the best they could. Staying inside the house for six weeks and not being able to see family and loved ones was a struggle—but on a more positive note, Llauro mentioned that she and her family discovered new

hobbies to help pass the time, and of course, built up strength during the course of their battle with COVID-19.

Their symptoms cleared up after a few weeks, but Llauro still has a loss of taste, even though it’s been almost a month since she recovered.

“I can barely taste sweet stuff which is so weird!” she said.

Conversely, DeFabio offers a whole different perspective to the virus, her story a bit of a refresher compared to the harsh experiences we usually hear about.

After flying back to her hometown in Brandford, Connecticut for summer vacation, her family all got tested. The results revealed that everyone tested negative except for her mother, so they all self-quarantined with her mother in a separate room. She lost her sense of taste, that being the only symptom for a while. Eventually her body temperature became a little warmer than normal, but she ended up healing completely within a week, despite being 60 years old and within the “high risk” age group.

“It was not bad at all,” DeFabio said.

“There are worse illnesses out there.

Coronavirus seems to be a little exaggerated in the media.”

The Llauro family likely would disagree.

These two differing viewpoints from the Barry community are quite eye-opening when it comes to the many possibilities of how the virus can affect someone. One side wonders whether the media has been dramatizing the virus’ effects, and the other gives insight into the dangers that COVID-19 poses to humanity.

Luckily, both students and their families are doing well and moving on quite impressively, despite the virus killing thousands every day.

During this time, it is important to question everything, while staying mindful of our environment. With consciousness and awareness, our communities can not only bring the numbers down but heal and get stronger, on a literal and an intellectual level.

By Amanda Gonzalez Garcia

committee work as I am a current member of the Faculty Senate and the University's Virtual learning has required many Grade Appeal committee,” said Perez.

Perez also attempts to use his preparation adjustments to be made by students and time to figure out how to increase class professors alike.

While the student experience is often involvement, which he says the use of the voiced, students very rarely get insight into Canvas site has done for his classes. Students are now able to access how their professors are course information coping with the realities at any time they may of the new education need it, which has led to system. Some professors students staying on top at Barry shared with The of the coursework like Buccaneer how they are assignments and exams. getting by during the He also uses pandemic.

PowerPoint, videos, and At Barry, professors other visual learning are concerned with tools to engage students. maintaining student’s Finley does the interest in their course same, taking it a step material while teaching forward by dressing up on virtual platforms. in different costumes For Dr. Laura for each one of her Finley, professor in the Sociology professor Laura Finley makes online Finley has department of sociology learning fun for her students by dressing up in fun classes. costumes. Pictured here: her homemade Joe Exotic also seen an increase in and criminology, this means additional preparation time for participation, which she partially attributes to the Zoom chat box, which students can use if courses.

“I have had to learn more about the they prefer not to verbally speak up.

Despite all of their continuous preparation technologies needed to make classes successful and interesting and have to ensure and the current success of their classes, however, both Finley and all my material is uploaded Perez believe that there may on Canvas before classes,” be issues as the semester said Finley, who wakes up at continues.

9 a.m. daily to complete this To combat these issues, preparation.

Perez believes students and Dr. Fernando Perez of the -Dr. Fernando Perez, professors need to be flexible same department prepares for Sociology Department as the semester proceeds. This classes in a similar manner to Finley, as he has extended resources for his classes through means being willing to adapt to circumstances the Canvas site. However, Perez adds that as they change and constantly rethink our approaches to online learning. preparations go beyond the length of class.

“In the end, I am confident we will all “Once my day's lectures are finished, I begin numerous other tasks that faculty come out better, stronger, and smarter,” he engage in, including: finalizing the next said. day's lectures, answering emails, taking care of student advising issues, handling departmental issues, as well as university

“In the end, I am confident we will all come out better, stronger, and smarter."

FALL 2020

news

Stimulus Check Update

By Liz Calvo

We can all agree that the year 2020 has been the most stressful year of our lives.

These uncertain times have made many things difficult, including making money.

Thankfully, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed to help compensate people who are struggling to get by during the pandemic via a stimulus check.

In addition to the CARES Act, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act was proposed, according to Nancy Pelosi, to act as a $2.2 trillion (about $6,800 per person in the US) stimulus package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This new stimulus check will be the second passed this year if the HEROES Act gets approved by Congress.

So, what is the stimulus check?

As mentioned, the stimulus check was created through the CARES Act and is sent by the United States government to taxpayers to increase spending power and continue the economic activity. It was primarily created and used during the Great Recession of 2008 by the United States Department of Treasury.

The stimulus check is often mailed or direct deposited, depending on how you filed your taxes.

What are the details of its arrival?

As previously stated, this new stimulus check was created under the newly proposed legislation, the HEROES Act, and will be taken to Congress for voting and approval process. This will be a continuation of the previous stimulus check.

However, President Donald Trump suggested on Twitter that Republicans should end negotiations over the new stimulus check until after the presidential election.

Additionally, Trump also rejected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s request for economic aid.

“Nancy Pelosi is asking for $2.4 Trillion to bail out poorly run, high crime money that is in no way relating to COVID-19. We made a very generous offer of $1.6 Trillion and she is not negotiating in good faith. I am rejecting their request and looking to the future of our Country. I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business," Trump stated.

How much will it be?

If we do follow through with the stimulus checks, we will be offered as follows: most Americans who live independently will receive up to $1,200; married couples who either file their taxes separately or jointly will receive up to $2,400; and if you have

children, who are 16 years or younger, you will receive $500 per child.

How do you qualify?

If you applied for the last check, then you may know how to qualify for this one.

However, for those of you that did not, what follows is the criteria required to qualify for the stimulus check.

You qualify for the stimulus check if you are a United States citizen or resident, you have a work-eligible Social Security number, and you are not claimed as a dependent on someone else’s federal income tax return.

Contrarily, you are ineligible for stimulus payment if you earn more than the income limit. That applies to anyone whose reported adjusted gross income for tax years 2018 or 2019 was at least $99,000 for individuals and married couples filing separately; $136,500 for heads of household; and $198,000 for married couples filing jointly.

You will receive a reduced payment if your income is lower than the limit, but above the following thresholds: $75,000 for individuals, $112,500 for heads of household, and $198,000 for married couples filing jointly.

Who is it for?

This stimulus check is primarily aimed at those living in middle-class and low-income households.

Do immigrants pass?

Immigrants do qualify for stimulus checks.

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However, non-resident immigrants qualify if they hold a current green card from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), not electing to be a resident immigrant, and have spent at least 183 days (about 6 months) in the United States in the present year.

Is this different than unemployment?

The stimulus check works with unemployment to enhance the benefits by adding an extra $600 in weekly benefits.

Even if you are self-employed you can still collect these benefits if you are at a loss of income.

Therefore, if you are newly unemployed, please apply through your state unemployment insurance website to obtain these benefits.

If you want to find out your present status and if you qualify for the stimulus check, please do so here on the IRS website. https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-mypayment

NEW STiMULUS CHECK $1200 for Americans who live independently $2400 for Married couples $500 per child who are 16 or younger

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news

FALL 2020

The Un-Presidential… Presidential Debates

By Mateo Gomez

It is hard to imagine a presidential race in the United States without presidential debates.

These debates became “a thing” back in 1960 with JFK and Nixon. Because of the political unrest after JFK’s assassination and the Watergate scandal, the next debate took place in 1976 with Carter and Ford.

Fast forward 40 years later to 2016. The U.S. witnessed three brutal debates with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. These three debates were criticized by opposing T.V. news networks and ridiculed on "Saturday Night Live."

Fast forward 4 more years later to present day. On Sept. 29, America and the rest of the world had a front seat to the first Joe Biden versus Donald Trump debate. It took place in Ohio, a state that many political analysts, academics, and experts consider to be a swing state in this election.

These debates require a lot of preparation.

The Commission on Presidential Debates must choose the format, the moderators, the length of each segment and how much time a candidate has to answer the questions, and all the way to the height of the podium.

Candidates also have to prepare. They study the opposing candidate and even have

someone role-play their opponent in a mock debate.

FiRST DEBATE The first presidential debate of 2020 was a single moderator debate. Chris Wallace from Fox News was the moderator. Many on social media, on political programs and in print media criticized his moderating of the event.

Visibly, he lost control of the debate within the first ten minutes. The main focus was the new U.S. Supreme Court nomination and it ended up focusing on the Affordable Care Act. Wallace spoke with the New York Times the next day. It was a “terrible missed opportunity,” he said.

According to the New York Times and CNN, around 73 million people watched the debate -- 11 million less than the most watched debate in history, which the first debate of Trump versus Clinton in 2016 with 84 million views.

Based on many scholars, debates can change the outcome of an election, but it is not very common. The campaign trail spans two years, if not more. By the time the first debate in September occurs, most voters have already decided.

What debates actually do is solidify the

perception of a viewer and potential viewer.

Many party followers tend to watch debates in order to cheer on their favored candidate.

THE ViCE-PRESiDENTiAL DEBATE… WiTH THREE MEMBERS That is what many said during the VicePresidential debate. The viewpoints about both Senator Kamala Harris and current Vice President Mike Pence stemmed from their past performances.

The real conversation that emerged after the Oct. 7 Vice-Presidential debate in Utah was the third member – a fly. For 123 seconds, or 2 minutes and 3 seconds, a fly remained on Vice President Mike Pence’s head. Within minutes, memes circulated the internet.

Flies are actually becoming part of the debate tradition. During the second debate in 2016, Hillary Clinton was also visited by an insect. President Trump and President Obama have both had special moments with insects, as well.

PRESiDENTiAL DEBATE 2?

On Oct. 2, President Donald Trump tweeted that he tested positive for COVID-19, exactly 3 days after the first Presidential Debate. This tweet was in the early morning, so some may say it was two days after, since he was tested

on Oct. 1.

The public and media started asking a question – what about the second debate?

The second debate was slated for Oct. 15 in Miami, Florida at the Adrienne Arsht Center.

This debate was important because it was a town hall style debate. Voters in Miami would have had the chance to ask the questions they cared about – like healthcare, immigration, and climate change.

On the morning of Oct. 8, the Commission announced that this debate would be staged virtually. Thirty minutes later, President Trump stated that he refused to attend.

Instead of the debate with President Trump, Joe Biden agreed to a town hall event in Philadelphia on Oct. 15 like the one at which he appeared in Miami on ABC. President Trump staged another town hall in Miami on the same night on NBC. The final presidential debate is slated for Oct. 22 in Nashville, TN.

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FALL 2020

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Election survey results from barry students WHAT NATiONAL iSSUES CONCERN YOU? WHO WiLL YOU BE VOTiNG FOR THiS ELECTiON?

A Transcription of Joe Biden's Town Hall on Oct 5

Host Lester Holt: All right, we've got time for one more question as Mateo Gomez joins us now; first time voter, came to the U.S. from Colombia at age two. Welcome.

Mateo Gomez: Thank you, Lester, for the introduction. Vice President Biden, thank you so much for coming to Miami and speaking to us today. If you win in November, there will be a 56-year age gap between you and myself.

My generation, Generation Z, is growing up with school shootings, police brutality and protests, and the inability to earn a livable wage even when holding advanced degrees like myself. How can someone like yourself, an older white male, represent my generation over the next four years? And please, Vice President Biden, can you guarantee me that the American Dream still exists?

Photos courtesy of NBC News.

Joe Biden: I guarantee you it still exists, number one. Look, with age comes wisdom hopefully. I've been there. I've watched. I'm the guy that’s talked about when the 9/11 generation getting so badly damaged. I'm the only one you've heard speak in the last five years about how your generation... My granddaughter just graduated with honors from Columbia Law School, in fact, is having trouble. The fact that all my...I have two granddaughters that are in school and in college and two more children who are in high school. They, in fact, your generation has been really, really put behind the 8-ball. You get all these degrees, you end up with all this debt, and you're in a position where you can't get a job because no one's hiring. Or if they're hiring, they're hiring at very low wages. And so, what we have to do is we have to make sure that you get the opportunity. That's why I'm going to eliminate a lot of your student debt, if you in fact come from a family with less than $125 grand and you went to a public university. I'm going to make sure that everybody

70% 60% CLiMATE CHANGE

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GUN POLiCY

25% FOREiGN POLiCY

10%

35%

ViOLENT CRiME

25%

45% CORONAViRUS

60%

65%

SUPREME COURT iSSUES

OTHER

85%

55% HEALTH CARE

JOE BiDEN

UNDECiDED

80%

70%

5%

ECONOMY

DONALD TRUMP

90%

in this generation gets $10,000 knocked off of their student debt, as we try to get out of this God-awful pandemic. I’m going to make sure that the opportunities you have are consistent with, for example, you’re a first term homebuyer, you haven't even had the opportunity to gain enough income to be able to have a down payment. The first term homebuyers are going to get a $15,000 credit to be able to buy their first home, because that's how people accumulate wealth, that's how they get started, that's how they move.

We're going to make sure we recognize you, advance you, and make sure that you... Look, my children, my grandchildren, they, you are the future. You are the future. I owe, as I said, for example, I made the comment that I view myself as a transitional president, transition to your generation. You're the best educated, you're the most open, you're the least prejudiced generation in American history. The future is yours, and I'm counting on you.

news

8 Senior English major Viktoria Velika takes notes during an online class in her dorm room. Photograph by Emma James.

Do barry students like online learning?

By Ana Carolina Aguiar

For the first time in the history of our university (and many others), almost all classes are being taught online. Barry University students are watching and listening to their professors from the comfort of their homes through videoconference applications such as Cisco Webex and Zoom, while Canvas remains the main source of information for assignments and other class material.

For many, there is no more commuting, no more walking through our beautiful campus, no more sitting down in classrooms and socializing, no more studying in the library.

We can all agree that this semester is very different from semesters past, and this new experience has both positive and negative aspects.

The Buccaneer recently conducted a survey asking students for their opinion on virtual classes. Out of five stars, students voted a 3.2 average on how much they are enjoying virtual classes, five being a lot and one being not at all.

When asked if they prefer virtual or inperson classes, 69.23% voted that they prefer in-person classes while 30.77% voted that they prefer virtual classes.

When it comes to the positive aspects, 53.85% voted that a positive aspect of virtual classes is watching classes from their own beds. Fifty percent said that they appreciate that no transportation is needed to go to class, and 61.54% said that they like that most classes are recorded and they can watch whenever they want. Fifty-three percent said that they like virtual classes because they enjoy staying at home, and similarly, 34.62%

claimed that they are not very sociable, and enjoy virtual classes because they don’t have to socialize.

Three students shared their own positive aspects. One student wrote that they like how convenient it is to be able to attend class from wherever they want.

“As a full-time student and a 50-hour full-time worker, online classes give me the flexibility I need to make both happen! My grades are great, 4 As 1 B! It’s perfect for me honestly, such a blessing,” said a polled students.

“Attending class is easier, all you have to do is log onto Zoom/Webex without having to walk into class late,” wrote another student.

As for the negative aspects of virtual learning, 53.85% voted that connection and audio problems annoy them and affect their learning experience, and that due to not leaving the house, their daily lives are not very active anymore. Sixty-one percent voted that they miss socializing with friends, classmates, and professors. Sixty-nine percent claimed they miss the Barry campus and the classroom environment. Fifty percent said that they don’t like to turn their cameras on and dislike when professors make it mandatory. Two students shared with The Buccaneer the same negative aspect: the over-load of work due to inactivity during online classes.

Virtual classes have their drawbacks and their benefits, and students are still trying to adapt to this new reality since there isn’t any other option. However, the health of our students and professors comes first, and social distancing is necessary at this point in our history. Barry students and professors are indeed experiencing a historical moment.

FALL 2020

Graphic courtesy of The Daily Beacon.

How Are Students Staying Active During Quarantine?

By Brianna Lopez

Since the COVID-19 pandemic flared across the country, students have had to choose whether to attend Barry University in-person or online. Students that opted for an at-home learning environment have been tasked with adjusting their schedules to incorporate exercise, social hours, and study halls. Some students have found these adjustments easier than others.

Senior psychology major Claritza Macias, for example, appreciates remote learning because it holds her accountable for maintaining her class attendance. According to Macias, her laziness would get the best of her when she didn’t feel like going to class. Now, she can be more academically productive from the comfort of her own bed.

Macias also likes that quarantine hasn’t changed too many aspects of her life.

“Too much change can be overwhelming,” said Macias.

Beyond school, Macias notes that her physical activity level hasn’t changed much since quarantine began, either. She admits that she was always very inactive, having only worked out three or four times in her life.

However, the pandemic introduced her to yoga and stretching practices, which are now a part of her daily schedule.

Physical activity is also a part of senior finance student Adriel Solorzano’s daily schedule. Each morning, Solorzano wakes up at 7 a.m. to work out in his at-home gym, which he has equipped with dumbbells, weights and a bench.

In response to the many jokes about quarantine decreasing the activity levels of

many people, Solorzano says that people need to develop a disciplined mindset if they wish to be healthier and more active.

“It is literally putting a commitment and being disciplined to that commitment,” said Solorzano.

In addition to workouts, Solorzano has packed his daily routine with chores, homework, personal projects and Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) meetings to assure that he is constantly keeping busy.

Despite his full schedule, Solorzano notes that remote-learning has taught him that online classes are not his strong suit.

“I hate it, honestly,” said Solorzano, adding that he finds it difficult to stay focused during class and really grasp the concepts he is learning. To him, nothing beats being physically present in class.

Joselie Laguerre, senior English major, disagrees. Laguerre likes that she no longer has to commute to Barry’s campus each day because it gives her time to add different things to her schedule.

One of the additions she’s made is exercising. Laguerre takes walks between her Zoom classes so she’s not sitting down all day.

For her, the key to staying active is music, which she says makes exercising more fun.

In addition to exercising, Laguerre has made a habit of eating and going to sleep at the same time each day so that she gets into a routine.

Overall, despite the “new normal” we’ve been forced into this semester, it seems Barry students are remaining productive as they continue to adjust to online learning.

FALL 2020

Sports Ben Terwilliger wishing for a full season. Photograph by Jimmy Muniz.

Barry Bucs Benched by the Pandemic

By Brianna Lopez and Sandra Pajovic At the end of the Spring 2019 semester, Barry athletes had their worlds turned upside down when the university decided to cancel sports for the remainder of the semester due to the threat of the Coronavirus. Seniors lost their final season, freshmen lost their first, and overall, athletes were ripped from the one thing that had consumed their schedules every day prior — their sports.

Since the start of the pandemic, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has worked on creating policies that would guide the fall 2020 sports season, allowing athletes to participate while protecting themselves, their teammates, and their communities.

While the NCAA did not prohibit any sports from being played, they published a set of guidelines for teams to follow, most recently updated on Aug. 14.

The guidelines include strategies for testing and training and practice requirements. The NCAA recommends that athletes perform daily self-checks, wear face masks during all practices, games, and conditioning sessions, implement 14-day quarantines for any athlete that has experienced a high-risk exposure, and follow basic social distancing, hand sanitizing and coughing and sneezing etiquette.

To supplement these guidelines, Barry has implemented a system of daily temperature

checks. Athletes are required to get their temperature checked and recorded each day between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.

After being checked, the athlete is given a bracelet indicating that they completed this requirement. To prevent athletes from falsifying their attendance, they are given different color bracelets each day.

Barry has also implemented outdoor training facilities, per the NCAA’s suggestion.

A tent has been set up beside the baseball field where teams can be seen doing conditioning practices. In addition, Barry has postponed fall sport league games, including basketball and volleyball. These teams still meet for practices and workouts, but their competitive games have been delayed.

While there is mixed information spreading about which schools or divisions can continue their sports programs, Barry Director of Athletic Communications Dennis Jezek Jr., said that “all NCAA schools do follow the same protocols. But some schools cannot afford the rather rigorous safety precautions that have been set.”

Some colleges and universities are therefore approaching their sports seasons differently based on what resources and safety equipment they can afford to supply to athletes.

Based on Barry’s facilities and resources, most sports programs have continued regular practice and conditioning schedules.

Andrew Rapoza, a senior baseball player

at Barry, says his baseball practices occur on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, with lift and conditioning practices twice a week.

“Practices with masks are definitely different and annoying at some points but we must do what is asked and what is best for everyone's safety,” said Rapoza, adding that he tries to stay positive and make the most of what the athletes are permitted to do.

On the other hand, Mirko Ronchi, a senior men’s soccer player, notes the discomfort of following safety guidelines in the Miami heat.

“Working out with masks on the field in Miami I think is nearly impossible because when a person starts to sweat with a mask on, it is almost impossible to breathe,” said Ronchi.

Despite these difficulties, both Ronchi and Rapoza have a positive outlook for the remainder of the season.

“My expectations are extremely high for next season. We have great talent and a great group of kids, some from last year and a lot of new players,” said Rapoza.

The NCAA encourages athletes to stay on top of their protocols and continue to take proper precautions on and off the field to ensure the safety of themselves and their teammates and to avoid the potential cancellation of their seasons.

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Sports Organizations Support Black Lives

Sports

FALL 2020

FALL 2020

By Jimmy Muniz Jr The Black Lives Matter movement, reignited by the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, forced the response of professional sports organizations to take a stand on behalf of communities of color this summer.

Flashback to 2016 when NFL player Collin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem. It sparked major backlash from many fans and news outlets. Kaepernick went from sitting during the anthem to kneeling that entire season until that off-season when he was informed that he would be released by the organization which led to him to opt out of his contract and become a free agent, which he is still today.

While Kaepernick was looked down upon then, today we look back and understand the important message Kaepernick was trying to spread about racial injustice and police brutality.

Now the Major League Baseball Association (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Football League (NFL), have stepped in and started supporting the Black Lives Matter movement along with promoting it among several news outlets and during games which are televised worldwide daily.

While several organizations released videos in support of the movement along with having fields or jerseys changed with players' approvals, the NFL appeared to be one of the organizations who “appears to be tone deaf,” according to Triplepundit.

The NFL, unlike other sports organizations, failed to put forth any visual statements until September 1, 2020 when they announced they would be joining many

Photos courtesy of the NBA, MLB, NFL, and ESPN.

SPORTS other sports leagues and organizations to use their facilities and resources to promote social justice, according to NBC Sports.

Their initial silence led to Nike rebooting its famous “Just Do It” campaign, the face of which is Kaepernick. As of Sept. 1, the NFL pledged to financially support the Black Lives Matter movement after the NBA did so in late Feb. 2018.

WE WILL NOT WAIT ANY LONGER, WE WILL MAKE OUR VOICES LOUDER FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO CAN AND ALL OF THOSE WHO CAN'T. -MLB Players Alliance The NBA began to demonstrate their allegiance with the movement after a 2018 incident when Lauren Ingraham told basketball star LeBron James to “shut up and dribble.” Ingraham’s comment came after James was featured in an ESPN podcast where he shared his opinion on how President Trump was failing to acknowledge the serious issues faced by African Americans in the United States.

“You’re great players, but no one voted for you. Millions elected Trump to be their coach,” said Ingraham on a live Fox newscast. “So, keep the political commentary to yourself.”

The MLB has made sure to do as much as enlisting the Players Alliance, a nonprofit organization consisting of 150 current and former major league baseball players,

to create a video which was played on the jumbotron and was shown on national television, featuring baseball players of color who state that there is a need for change.

“We will not wait any longer, we will make our voices louder for all of those who can and all of those who can't,” they said.

According to the New York Times, on opening day of July 23, players all joined before the game and kneeled while holding a 200-yard black cloth that stretched around the foul line as they took a 60-second kneel of silence. This act was a sign of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Forbes Magazine reported on Aug. 6 that “the NBA is to donate $300 million over the next decade to boost economic growth in the Black community.”

The primary goal for this financial gift is to overcome inequities in communities surrounding educational and youth employment.

In addition, the NBA has allowed players during warm-ups to wear Black Lives Matter t-shirts and, on their own preference, to kneel during the national anthem.

A fan favorite to the new changes this season was when the league allowed players to choose, instead of their last names, to place a message or quote on the back of their jerseys.

An example that drew a lot of attention was Portland Trailblazers Guard Damian Lillard, who chose the phrase “How many more?” and his jersey number is #0 so it’s one of the few that fans jumped on.

Senior business administration and sports management major Ben Terwilliger agrees with

11 how the different sports organizations are responding to current issues faced by the black community.

“The NBA, MLB, and NFL have taken great strides by shining light on the social justice issues in our nation,” said Terwilliger.

“I’m so glad that athletes like LeBron, Collin Kaepernick, Damian Lillard, etc. are using their social media platform to express their feelings towards the issue and spreads awareness.”

While people may agree with Terwilliger, there are several others who echo Ingraham's 2018 statements.

For example, Twitter user - The New Americanist - commented on the Player Alliances video on June 17.

“Thanks for destroying the game by politically weaponizing it. We know it's been tough for you struggling with those multimillion dollar contracts. I hope your teams can still afford you when we fans stop buying tickets. Cuba has leagues,” stated the fan.

Additionally, one fan went as far as to denounce the MLB after the release of the video.

“No respect for MLB anymore. #GoodbyeMLB,” tweeted Anthony Hogan.

Junior sports management major Courtney Chisholm believes it is very important for athletes to speak out on how they feel because “athletes are seen as role models and luckily have the platform that most people don’t have to speak out.”

One thing is certain, now that three major sports organizations are on board, the media has no choice about spreading the message of racial equality to their millions of viewers on a consistent, daily basis.

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FALL 2020

Graphic courtesy of YouGov

Strategies of College Success: Understanding Your Learning Personality

Mine is ENFJ, same as Oprah Winfrey.

The results of the MBTI include four main When I was pursuing a graduate degree areas: Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I) The in counseling psychology, my professor took the concept of strategies of college success first letter reveals if people prefer spending further by discussing the importance of time with others or being alone.

Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N) The second understanding one’s own personality as a letter demonstrates key to be effective as a With a careful look at each if people obtain data college student. personality, students can from paying attention He gave us a become aware of areas that to evidence and facts, or personality assessment will increase their likelihood of from their instinct. known as the Myersuccess in college.

Thinking (T) vs.

Briggs Test. I learned Feeling (F) The third letter shows how people how the results of this test can help students maximize their strengths and use their make choices in their life based on the challenging personality traits to make a information about a subject or the opinions personal positive impact at their university of the people the matter affects.

Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P) The fourth with their academic studies and at their letter tells whether people respond externally, future careers.

Many people refer to this test as The according to a set of rules or spontaneity.

With a careful look at each personality, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI. The students can become aware of areas that will idea of this test stemmed from the personality philosophies of Carl Jung. Carl Jung was the increase their likelihood of success in college. one who founded analytic psychology. His Barry University students both traditional work has been influential in the study of (those that just graduated from high school) and non-traditional (extended learning adult religion and psychology.

A mom and daughter, Isabel Myers and learners) can benefit from learning about Katherine Briggs developed this test as a way how their unique personality type can impact of helping others recognize their assets as them as they pursue their degree.

Are you ready to apply your results as well weaknesses or areas of growth based on a college student? Here are the 16 possible their personality.

Curious to what your personality results: ISTJ (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, is? Take the free online quiz: https:// Judging) AKA: The Inspector www.16personalities.com/personality-types

By Lori Huertas

Use your attention to detail to meet deadlines.

ISFJ (Introversion, Sensing, Feeling, Judging) AKA: The Protector Use your nurturing skills to enhance connections with classmates.

INFJ (Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, Judging) AKA: The Counselor Use your creativity to solve problems.

INTJ (Introversion, Intuition, Thinking, Judging) AKA: The Mastermind Use logic and reasoning to solve complex problems.

ISTP (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving)AKA: The Crafter Use natural analyzing data skills to find practical solutions.

ISFP (Introversion, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving)AKA: The Composer Use quiet time alone to recharge.

INFP (Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, Perceiving)AKA: The Healer Use open, nonjudgmental nature, to accept people for who they are.

INTP (Introversion, Intuition, Thinking, Perceiving)AKA: The Architect Use your inquisitive nature to find discrepancies.

ESTP (Extroversion, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving)AKA: The Promoter Use your energetic nature when solving problems.

ESFP (Extroversion, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving)AKA: The Performer

Use your active learning style.

ENFP (Extraversion, Intuition, Feeling, Perceiving)AKA: The Champion Use your ability to connect with people to motivate others.

ENTP (Extroversion, Intuition, Thinking, Perceiving)AKA: The Visionary Use your resourcefulness to find ingenious answers to life’s questions.

ESTJ (Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging)AKA: The Supervisor Use your conscientious temperament to take on leadership positions.

ESFJ (Extraversion, Sensing, Feeling, Judging)AKA: The Provider Use your harmonious nature to understand people’s feelings.

ENFJ (Extraversion, Intuition, Feeling, Judging)AKA: The Teacher Use your leadership to inspire people.

ENTJ (Extraversion, Intuition, Thinking, Judging)AKA: The Commander Use your skills at coordinating tasks to make decisions.

Incorporating the above strategies throughout your academic career at Barry University can allow you to leave a legacy through positive impact. Sharing these strategies with others is a way to put Barry University’s mission statement into action. As you reflect on your personality type, you can work better in groups and successfully take on leadership positions.

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FALL 2020 Photograph by Jimmy Muniz.

Teenage CEO Nathan Sykes:

Biz Whiz Kid Hates School but loves Marketing

By Liz Calvo

At a young age, no one would expect that a six-year-old boy would be bitten by the business bug not that he would start his first small business venture at the age of 12 by selling resources to supplement large multiplayer servers for Minecraft.

At the age of 14, through research and newer ventures, he decided that his passion for business should extend into events and marketing.

Now, at the age of 17, Nathan Sykes is the founder of the leading monthly flat-rate marketing agency, Howdy Interactive, which has partnered with many large corporations such as Five Guys, Amazon, NBC and hundreds more.

Sykes began his business by hiring those who were well-versed in marketing, which led to the steady growth of the company due to a high demand of marketing teams for large corporations.

Although Sykes became a successful CEO at such a young age, he is still very humble and admits he cannot take all the credit.

“I only act as a financer for my business, the ones who deserve all the credit are those who work behind the scenes who know and understand the fundamentals of everything that occurs in the company,” he said.

Sykes also mentions his faults throughout his journey not only with Howdy Interactive, but also in life.

“I came to realize that many people have things that they are passionate and good at doing, which for me is business and marketing; however, not everyone is good at

everything,” he said. “In fact, I hate school, I was not on track to graduating on time, I flunked out of two private schools, and I’m an outspoken critic of the public education system.”

Although Sykes is not fond of traditional education, that does not mean that there is anything stopping him from obtaining his high school diploma.

“Right now, I’m a high school senior, currently enrolled into two high schools and a college online to make up for whatever I missed in order to graduate,” he said.

“My business is still my top priority and I’m doing my best to minimize the amount of schoolwork I need to do.”

F u r t h e r m o r e, when asked about interests, Sykes said he loves theme parks.

“Not only do I enjoy dissecting and analyzing the theme park industry, I enjoy going to theme parks whenever I have a few days available — my favorite has to be Disney World because I look up to Walt Disney and their rides are fun,” he said.

Sykes also expressed his love for film, turning his hobby into another business endeavor —The Maine Student Film and Video Festival.

“I wanted to create a place where anyone can celebrate and share their own films they worked hard to create,” he said.

As of now, this film festival has received submissions from 52 countries around the world as well as being a place of inclusivity.

The annual Student Film Festival took place on Oct. 9 – 10, 2020.

“Our Student Film Festival will be taking place virtually. This will be beneficial to those living out of state or out of country.” He continues “I wish to make this virtual event interactive for attendees in order to give them the full experience.”

Moreover, Sykes was asked about his experience as a TEDx speaker at Barry University last year on Feb. 20, 2020.

“I remembered I was doing a presentation for my class the same day I received an invite to speak for a TEDx presentation,” he said “I spent a few days preparing my speech, went down to Miami for the talk, I can easily say I am one of the first to go to a TEDx dress rehearsal in just a tee-shirt and shorts.”

He speaks about what his mindset was for his presentation on TEDx. “A big part of what I wanted to preach is surrounding yourself with people who will be

beneficial to your success will only drive you further in life,” he said.

Sykes opened on how he felt throughout the TEDx event.

“I remembered that I was very anxious, which is a lot for someone who has a stutter and has anxiety. I remember the Mayor of South Miami, Philip Stoddard, he explained to me that this anxiety I was experiencing, I can transform it to optimal anxiety which can help you perform better, this is very true as I felt I did really well speaking,” he said.

When asked about his book, “Retire Before College: The Secrets and Methods of Teen Entrepreneurs,” he said writing it was probably the most challenging thing he had to do.

“Even I can’t come up with the motivation to finish regular schoolwork at times,” he said.

“I also wanted to do everything myself which gave me more control over the final product.”

Sykes explains the ideas and philosophies he wanted to share with readers.

“Not only did I want to do it while I was young when my ideas are relevant to young readers, I also wanted to help readers set a foundation for their business,” said Sykes.

Sykes is currently writing his second book and has plans to move his company to San Antonio, Texas as his company is now a private equity.

“I grew up in Bangor, Maine and, although it is a safe place to live, there is little to do there and is no opportunity for expansion, that’s why when I turn 18 I plan on moving my company,” he said.

If you want to learn more, check out Nathan-Sykes.com

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Business Attire in the Time of Zoom Meetings:

Pandemic Effects on the Barry Student Workforce

How Should I Dress?

By Liz Calvo

by Ana Carolina Aguiar Working from home has become the new normal during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many professions were forced to move from office spaces to personal spaces. This means conference calls, sales pitches, and even academic presentations are being held via Zoom. While virtual meetings mean your audience has a very limited view of you, many people are wondering what constitutes appropriate and what borderlines unprofessional when attending a Zoom meeting.

In normal office circumstances, appearances are made up of anything from the wrinkles on your shirt to the cleanliness of your shoes. However, the pandemic eliminated many of these aspects, with your “appearance” now referring to your head, shoulders, and your Zoom background setting.

According to The New York Times, “People who have managed to stay employed during the pandemic will confess to owning a Zoom Shirt: a top, typically kept on the back of the computer chair or a hanger nearby, that they pop on in the moments before their webcam lights up.”

However, this lack of professional attire is something Jordan Stolch, wardrobe consultant at MiKADO Personal Styling, says decreases productivity.

“Your subconscious mind associates putting on formal clothing with going to work and is strongly correlated with confidence and productivity,” wrote Stolch.

This makes dressing in proper office attire crucial to the amount of work you get done.

Although getting in an office mindset may be difficult at home, Stolch encourages athome employees to remember that clients and colleagues are aware that they are working from home. While this means there

Barry Student Roy Lewis wearing professional top as attire for an online zoom meeting. Photograph by Nicole Valdes.

are lower expectations for office attire, Stolch advises employees to only dress down one level from what they would typically wear to work.

For example, Stolch says men can sport a collared shirt without the jacket and tie.

This look maintains professionalism while accommodating for the at-home nature of employment.

Women, on the other hand, should wear blouses or sweaters as the perfect professional yet comfortable outfit. Specifically, men and women should avoid attire that may cut too low around their chest area to avoid potential distractions to the audience.

Another potential distraction to avoid is the background of your Zoom call. Molly Nevins, a writer for Jobscan, a professional resume-perfecting company, says that there are two approaches to setting up your Zoom background.

The first is to keep your background simple with a blank wall.

“It’s boring, but it’s neutral,” Nevins writes.

According to Nevins, however, the better option is to be seated in some sort of home office.

“This communicates that you’ve spent time and resources creating a space that allows you to work effectively,” she said.

These adaptations to the new reality that COVID-19 has created may be intimidating, but Nevins believes following these tips and embracing the new normal will provide tranquility in the hectic times of Zoom meetings.

"Stay calm [and] embrace the subtle awkward moments that come with video conferencing.”

As this pandemic continues to sweep the nation, forcing students to stay at home, Barry students wonder what their future in the workforce will look like.

The main problem— many job listings are closed or out of market due to the current state of our economy because of the pandemic.

Sidney Vest, recent Barry alumna and criminology major, said it has been very difficult looking for a job post-graduation during the pandemic.

“Trying to learn how to use the search sites and boards to find employment is very strenuous and tedious,” said Vest. “It takes a lot of time and can be very draining when you put in all of that work in trying to find a job but you do not hear anything back from any of the jobs that you have applied for.”

As for students looking for internships, just like looking for a job, there aren’t many options there either.

Barry senior Andres Guillen is a senior and television and digital media major who struggled during an internship over the summer.

“It was awful. My boss was unwilling to let us work remotely so I ended up moving full-time to California as a result,” he said.

“She also refused to properly follow social distancing orders, asking us to meet in the small office on occasion.”

Moreover, another issue that students are facing relates to the quality of their education.

Do students feel as though they are prepared for their careers or internships while taking their classes online?

“Although having my classes virtually has somewhat prepared me for my internship, remote work wasn’t an option,” said Guillen.

“So, my experience at my summer internship was just like before the pandemic when everything was done in-person.”

Vest felt that she was very prepared to tackle the workforce.

“I was blessed to have such amazing professors my last semester at Barry University, they made sure to have a class when needed and continued their office hours and made themselves always available,” she said. “Although I missed out on conducting

some laboratory experiments in my class, my professors made sure I had all the skills necessary for my career.”

Director of Barry’s Career Development Center John Moriarty said that the center has experienced some drastic changes since the start of the pandemic this spring.

“Prior to the pandemic, the center averaged around 50 individual career counseling appointments per month. When the pandemic first hit, the numbers of individual appointments dropped significantly, almost about 15 percent decrease when compared to the summer of 2019,” he said.

Moriarty said the center also had to pivot quickly to be able to provide students with virtual services.

“We began having weekly video workshops every Monday and Wednesday to educate students on how to adjust to this new virtual world and answered questions that they had,” he said.

Moriarty said his staff surveyed employers to see how the pandemic was impacting them and invited them to participate in their virtual workshops.

“We researched and sent out emails identifying those companies that were/are actively hiring for critical jobs and converted our resume walk-in hours to virtual walk-in hours,” he said.

Overall, Moriarty expressed that the Career Development Center faced their own set of difficulties in the virtual environment.

“Like everyone else, the Career Center has had to find new ways of doing things by learning new technologies and adapting them to fit our needs, this has been both frustrating and rewarding at the same time,” he said.

“Another challenge has been getting the word out to let students know that we are here to help them during these difficult times.”

Moriarty advises students that they should be spending time reflecting on what they have learned from this experience so that they may articulate that to an employer.

If you are looking for assistance in your resume, or seeking out a job or internship opportunity, please seek out the Career Development Center in the R. Kirk Landon Student Union in Suite 205 or online at www. barry.edu/career-development-center/.

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FALL 2020

Graphic courtesy of The Economist.

Latino vs. Latinx:

Ungendering the Spanish Language

By Suzannah Young

College is undoubtedly one of the most turbulent times in a person’s life. As students struggle to find their sense of self and purpose whilst transitioning into adulthood, many must also grapple with labeling their identity.

For Hispanic and Latin students right now, this issue is especially prominent as a new term, LatinX, has recently gained attention, raising the question – should LatinX be used in replacement of Latino?

Dr. Laura Alonso-Gallo, chair of Barry’s department of English and Foreign Languages, explains that “we're trying to find a new word that is inclusive of exceptions, or what is not mainstream.”

“In the academic world of philosophy, in literature and humanities we look for new ways to name things… we try to be more inclusive,” said Alonso-Gallo.

Alonso-Gallo says that although she does not know the exact origin of the term Latinx, she also believes that popular culture played a large part in its formulation.

The term Latinx came about sometime in the late 1990s when academic institutions began using it to be more gender sensitive, according to Mark Hugo Lopez, the director of global migration and demography research at the Pew Research Center.

“Sometimes, in popular culture, ‘X’ signifies a mark of an individual who does not want to reveal, or does not want to be identified with certain gender categories”

Alonso-Gallo said.

“For example, there was a time when illiterate people would sign with an ‘X.’ It was a way for them to say ‘I am a person, I exist, and I have a voice.’”

In history, individuals using the letter X to disassociate themselves from a particular group is not an uncommon phenomenon.

Most famously, Malcolm X changed his name after joining a black nationalist and Islamic group called the Nation of Islam.

Members of this group used the X to replace last names that they believed had originated from white slaveholders.

“As a scholar, I tend to look at the world from a different lens, but we must remember, only a small portion of the population are academics,” Alonso-Gallo said. “People have to use a term that they feel comfortable with, not necessarily the term that sounds cooler.

They may not have a connection with a term like ‘Latinx’ which may sound a little bit too foreign or artificial for their use.”

Alonso-Gallo is right because in a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center it was observed that while 20 percent of the population is familiar with the term Latinx, less than five percent of people actually identify under the name.

This makes sense, especially considering the study also shows that while collegeeducated people are more likely to use the term, most of those familiar with it are between the ages of 18-29.

“I think young people are more sensitive

to the realities of gender identity issues at this time. They seem to better understand the predicament of marginalized people,” Alonso-Gallo said.

As far as people who actually identify as Latinx, the study finds that most of them are Hispanic women.

“As a portion of the population that has historically been discriminated against, a woman might use [latinx] to hide her gender identity… in this sense, it is a flock of equality.” Alonso-Gallo said. “It’s a tool of self-definition."

Victor Zamora, a senior studying television and digital media, said that although he is aware of the term, he does not use it to identify himself.

“I usually call myself Mestizo, just because of where I was born,” Zamora said.

“Although I use Latinx as an umbrella term for all Latin Americans, I don’t call myself that because I don’t identify as gender nonbinary, so I don’t feel it’s my place to identify as Latinx.”

Amanda Escalera Torres, on the other hand, uses both Latinx and Latina, to describe herself.

“I’m a strong believer that at the end of the day we are all people - we are not just male and female - we are people and so we are the same,” Escalera Torres said. “At the same time, I wouldn’t want to leave behind what being Latina is because I feel like it’s so heavy and it’s so meaningful to me.”

But all terms and labels aside, ungendering a Romance language such as Spanish is in

itself a very difficult task.

Alonso-Gallo explains how while in English it is possible to use terms such as “them/they,” it is not possible to orally ungender the Spanish language in the same way.

“In Spanish, you cannot speak without using a gender because it’s a genderized language,” Alonso-Gallo said. “The same thing happens with Italian, French Portuguese, and Russian.”

For example, in Spanish, ‘los’ and ‘las’ are definite articles used before nouns to indicate the gender of the noun. Both have the same meaning which is ‘the’ in this case, but one is masculine and one is feminine.

"Potentially you can use the ‘e’ in exchange for ‘o’ or for ‘a’ because it is a middle vowel, but you would also have to change a lot of things, such as the adjectives,” she explains.

“But how do you transform the whole language? I just don’t think it’s going to happen.”

To add to the linguistical problem is the logistical one. In Spanish, the Academy of Language holds the power when it comes to officially changing words and grammar in the language.

“Romance languages typically have an economy,” Alonsa Gallo said. “This means that there is an institution taking care of the health of the language.”

According to Alonso-Gallo, there must be a strong social movement behind changing a language because “changing a whole system is not just changing one word.”

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FOREIGN & CULTURE A portion of the population that has historically been discriminated against, a woman might use [latinx] to hide her gender identity, in this sense... it is a flock of equality.

While 20% of the population is familiar with the term Latinx

actually identify under the name

-Pew Research Center -Dr. Laura Alonso-Gallo, chair of

FIVE WORDS GENDERIZED IN SPANISH BUT NOT IN ENGLISH Children...los ninos Bridge ....... el puente world ....... el mundo

Sometimes, in popular culture, X signifies a mark of an individual who does not want to reveal, or does not want to be identified with certain gender categories.

la school....... escuela la apple..........manzana El and Los are masculine while La and Las are feminine, both mean "the," but indicate the gender of the noun.

“changing a whole system is not just changing one word.”

-Dr. Laura Alonso-Gallo, chair of Barry’s department of English and Foreign Languages

While collegeeducated people are more likely to use the term, most of those familiar with it are between the ages of

18-29 -Pew Research Center

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FALL 2020

The 2020 Election in the Eyes of Barry’s International Students

by Ana Carolina Aguiar 2020 has been a year filled with complex issues, including decisions made by the U.S. government that could be life-changing for many immigrants and international students, one of which was the decision to prohibit any foreign nationals from travelling to the U.S. if they had been in certain countries during the pandemic, including Brazil, the United Kingdom, and China.

This made it impossible for some Barry international students to come back to the U.S . to start the fall semester.

Another pressing issue for international students is the increase of application fees for immigration and naturalization benefit requests starting this October.

As the Nov. 3 presidential election approaches, concerns about government policy are harvested within Barry University’s 354 international students who represent 63 different countries.

Although these students are unable to vote in the election, they have much to say about the current government and how it can be improved.

For example, while junior Psychology major Michelle Lozada from the Dominican Republic does not identify herself with Trump or Biden, she notes that immigration policies are key when thinking about the future of the country.

According to Lozada, in the Dominican Republic, there are many immigrants who contribute positively to the nation, due to its pro-immigration policies. She believes the United States President needs to consider the value of immigrants when creating immigration policies.

“Immigrants can [lend] a helping hand to the economy and development of any nation,” said Lozada, who cites Silicon Valley, California as a prime example.

“Silicon Valley, home to one of the largest concentrations of venture capital, is filled with companies that were started by immigrants, companies that provide employment to society, and that diversify and improve [the] American economy,” said Lozada.

In Lozada’s opinion, the United States maintains a “win-win relationship” with immigrants and the next president should ensure that this continues.

Tara Marinkovic, a senior finance major from Serbia, seconds this. Marinkovic has had a “great experience” as an international student at Barry and hopes whoever is elected continues to develop this exchange.

Citing a 2019 Open Doors report from the International Educational Exchange

(IEE), Marinkovic notes that there were more than 1 million international college students in the United States in the 201819 academic year. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, international students contributed $44.7 billion to the U.S. Economy in 2018.

“Both [the] U.S. and international students have benefits from this program,” says Marinkovic.

In addition, Marinkovic hopes that the elected candidate expands job opportunities for international students.

However, Barry’s international students from Venezuela have very different views of the U.S. government, a government which criticizes the regime of President Nicolás Maduro while wanting support from Venezuelans both in the United States and in Venezuela.

Javier Bracho, a senior psychology student from Venezuela, believes the upcoming elections will be a tragedy if people do not vote based on their personal values.

“This administration has been nothing short of a clown fiesta and a scandal after scandal,” said Bracho. “I hope people vote with their values and not for their ‘team.’”

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Addresses issues such as:

Addresses issues such as:

Enforcing immigration laws to protect American communities and jobs

Economic protections for all low-income workers and fast food industries

Plans to block illegal immigrants from becoming eligible for:

Adding a public option to the Affordable Care Act

Taxpayer-Funded welfare

Bracho’s comment is a result of his desire to gear away from “these times of division and lack of leadership” and turn toward peace and progress. This, he believes, would be done with the leadership of Joe Biden, the candidate Bracho says he would vote for if he could.

Biden’s administration plans to address issues such as strengthening economic protections for low-income workers in manufacturing and fast food industries and adding a public option to the Affordable Care Act. Biden also promises to modernize America’s immigrant system and welcome immigrants into American communities.

President Trump has enforced immigration laws to protect American communities and jobs. With plans to continue this work, Trump plans to block illegal immigrants from becoming eligible for taxpayer-funded welfare, healthcare, and free college tuition.

These intentions and others are listed on his campaign website.

“Joe Biden is the better choice [because] his administration will bring progress and peace to the current turmoil caused by the lack of leadership and division caused by this administration,” said Bracho.

Regardless of their standpoint, Barry’s international students are very invested in the outcome of the upcoming elections, as the candidate who prevails could change their academic lives in unprecedented ways.

Modernize America's immigrant system

Healthcare Free college tuition

Welcome immigrants American communities

into

Photos courtesy of the White House.

FALL 2020

A&E

Picture of Sunrise view at South Pointe Park during Covid Times. Photograph by Nicole Valdes.

rule is only enforced at certain locations and you won’t be fined unless you’re at a private location where it is required.

How Are Barry Students Enjoying Miami During the Pandemic?

Out on the Town in Miami

By Nicole Valdes

As we all know, Miami is a vibrant city that is home to many attractions and fun places to visit, with a multi-cultural environment featuring a variety of restaurants where one can enjoy a nice brunch or dinner with friends.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, many places have closed or implemented safety measures according to safety orders from The Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. This has caused a major change to many people’s lifestyles as limitations became mandatory for preventing the spread of Coronavirus; especially since Miami was at one point considered the epicenter of the virus, with 282,435 cases and 4,277 deaths during the month of July alone.

Due to these changes, the vivid and youthful scene in Miami has diminished as college students are forced to stay home and be mindful of their safety. Although it took a while for confirmed cases to lessen—due to students coming from out of state to enjoy spring break at the beach and refusing to follow health and safety guidelines—some have used common sense and cooperated with Miami’s set phases to ensure a full recovery and safe reopening.

Miami is now at the start of phase three, where everything is operating at full capacity with minimal safety limitations being enforced by business owners for people who desire to eat inside restaurants and use public transportation. Not only are restaurants reopening for inside dining, but bars are also now open at full capacity, where the mask

Barry Boasts Safe Small Group Fun

By Brianna Lopez

Safety restrictions like social distancing, limited capacities, and closures of restaurants, malls, and movie theaters have made small group activities all the rage since the beginning of quarantine. Students oncampus at Barry have had to find new ways to have fun while keeping each other safe.

Barry has hosted a few events since the start of the semester, including the Conscious Carnival and “drive-in” movie nights on the

campus mall. Sophomore Spanish language and literature major Shanieya Harris has attended these events and found that they were entertaining, but not as much as they would have been prior to the pandemic.

This sentiment is shared by Angela Rodriguez, a junior criminology major who was uncomfortable during the Conscious Carnival due to the 90-degree heat that made wearing a mask unpleasant.

Despite this, Rodriguez enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with her friends in

Barry students Jada Mohammed, a senior Public Relations major, and Victor Zamora, a senior Broadcasting major, shared how they are enjoying the city during quarantine and the precautions they are taking.

Mohammed mentioned that she enjoys driving around Miami, so she doesn’t have to be exposed to a lot of people. She also stated that she takes walks with her dogs at the park and has scheduled picnics while the dogs play.

“When it comes to dining at restaurants, I make sure to take social distancing seriously and always asks for booths that are sanitized,” Mohammed said.

Zamora, on the other hand, mentioned that many activities and plans never changed for him, since he previously only hung out with his friends indoors and got food delivered even before the pandemic started. Since it hasn’t impacted him as much, he hopes the reopening phases happen slowly so that cases don’t go on the rise all over again. “I don’t really go out anymore, because I feel like it would be irresponsible; I just keep doing what I did before and keep [my] distance from everyone,” Zamora said.

19 you to social distance. You can have a nice picnic and watch the sunset after a relaxing afternoon. A great place I recommend for a nice socially distanced sunset and picnic is Maurice A. Ferré Park that is right next to the Peréz Art Museum.

Restaurants are now open, why not visit an outdoor restaurant with a beautiful view as you socially distance and have brunch outside with your friends? Friend’s Market & Bistro is known for a great time while enjoying brunch, right at the heart of Brickell. They are socially distanced outside, and a beautiful view is guaranteed.

Why not social distance at the beach? The beach provides fresh air as you sit on the sand with a small group of friends or family. South Pointe Park located in Miami Beach gives you great options to walk around and enjoy the beach while socially distancing.

Visit gardens and museums, there are beautiful open parks at Coral Gables where you can socially distance and enjoy architecture built in the 1920s. Driving around this area is also nice as you can view beautiful homes and scenery.

Enjoy virtual events from home! If you want to avoid groups of people and stay completely isolated, there are concerts and events that you can find online at no cost.

Do your research and find something of your interest.

Safe Places to Visit for Fun While Social Distancing Go to a park! Many parks are now open, and there is tremendous space for

a way she hadn’t been able to do since the pandemic began. Even though Rodriguez has found that “it’s a lot of work now to have any type of fun,” she manages to spend quality time with her friends by having Netflix watch parties of their favorite shows.

This is something that junior English major Liam Bouza also does with her roommate when she feels herself getting too stressed about schoolwork. Bouza believes that this quality time with her roommate is good for her mental health.

Besides watching Netflix, Bouza spends her free time “jamming to music, coloring, playing with a Rubik's cube, [and] playing Among Us with [her] roommate.”

Despite the new creative ways that students have found to interact with their friends and family, being forced to spend time apart from loved ones has made many reminiscent of the pre-COVID world. Rodriguez remembers when she was able to go to a restaurant without any worries, something she finds more value in now that she can’t.

Rodriguez referred to those times as “the good old days.”

“This made me definitely value all the time I spend with my friends and family because that can all go away in a heartbeat,” said Rodriguez.

Harris seconds this gratitude, adding that she cherishes this time more than ever before.

To her, the “basics” were worn out before quarantine; there was nothing special about watching movies or having game nights. Now, however, the little things are what matters.

Part of Harris’ “little things” are the FaceTime calls and painting sessions she has with her relatives.

“It does great justice to see the faces of friends and family [over the phone] even if I can’t physically,” said Harris.

Bouza agrees, thanking Apple for FaceTime so she can keep in touch with distant friends and family members during quarantine. She adds that if this pandemic has taught the world anything, it’s the value of spending time with people face-to-face.

“Spending time in person with someone means so much more now,” she said.

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A&E

FALL 2020

quarantined concertsthe new cool By: Amanda Gonzalez Garcia The COVID-19 pandemic has created many new realities for the community, including the change in concert-going due to necessary safety regulations like social distancing. In response, many artists have decided to participate in at-home concerts, where they perform via a livestream on YouTube or other streaming platforms.

For example, on May 16, media news company EscapeTracks partnered with YouTube to fundraise through MusiCares, an organization which offers assistance to artists and music creators who have been affected by COVID-19.

The partnership produced EscapeTracks Fest: A Virtual R&B Music Festival which was free of charge, but donations were accepted as part of the fundraiser. The experience featured artists like Elhae, Xavier Omär, and Queen Naija.

Katy Perry continued the trend on July 25 and 26 when she headlined a two-day virtual Electric Dance Music (EDM) festival called Tomorrowland Around the World. The athome concert featured more than 60 artists, including Steve Aoki, David Guetta, and Afrojack. Fans are still able to relive this experience for free through YouTube or the Tomorrowland website.

Most recently on Sept. 20, singer and Latin Grammy award winner, Bad Bunny, recently joined the trend by holding his own virtual concert in which he performed on a moving flatbed truck all over New York City, stopping traffic as fans watching the stream scoured the city to find him.

The concert, hosted by Uforia Music, was streamed on YouTube and Uforia Music media channels on Twitter, Twitch, and their official website.

The Latin trap artist included surprise guest performances from other Latin artists like J Balvin, Sech, and Mora. He also discussed how his quarantined life was going, how he came up with the idea of a remote

concert, and even shared his hope to be performing in-person again soon.

At the end of the concert, Bad Bunny was stationed outside of the Harlem Hospital where he thanked his fans for all of their support and paid homage to the frontline workers who continue to fight during the pandemic.

As the most recent remote musical event, Bad Bunny’s concert was in social media headlines with fans, including some Barry students, who had much to say about the experience.

Junior psychology major Lillian Rodriguez, for example, recalled that the concert setup was as close as possible to that of an in-person concert. Rodriguez also appreciated Bad Bunny’s discussion of the continuing effects of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, the fraudulence within the Puerto Rican government, and the importance of voting in the upcoming election.

Further, because the pandemic caused many artists to reschedule their concert tours or cancel them altogether, Rodriguez encourages others to attend at-home concerts like this in the future.

“Give it a shot,” said Rodriguez. “It’s a different experience, and something eventful

to do in quarantine whilst staying safe.”

People will be able to give the virtual concert experience a shot by attending some upcoming at-home concerts.

The 2020 IHeartCountry Festival, for example, will livestream through streaming platform LiveXLive on Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. The lineup includes Sam Hunt, Kane Brown, Riley Green, and Kelsea Ballerini.

Singer Billie Eilish will follow this with the Oct. 24 livestream show on her website called Where Do We Go? The virtual concert is a replacement for her cancelled tour and will air at 6 p.m. Fans can buy tickets through her website for $30.

Finally, Rolling Loud, the largest hip-hop festival in the world, will continue this trend with “Loud Stream by Rolling Loud,” a series of music streams to replace the annual three-day music festival that would have been in Miami this year.

The festival will stream a second edition of “Loud Stream,” which features live performances and interviews with artists, on Oct. 30 and 31 at 6 p.m on Twitch.

The first “Loud Stream” aired on Sept. 12 and 13, featuring performances

by Ski Mask the Slump God, Swae Lee, and NLE Choppa.

Barry students can refer to Billboard, an American media brand known for their music charts, to stay up-to-date on the upcoming at-home concerts.

“Give it a shot, it’s a different experience, and something eventful to do in quarantine whilst staying safe.”

-Junior psychology major Lillian Rodriguez

All photos courtesy of Complex and NY Post

A&E

FALL 2020

21

A STAR TOO SOON IN THE SKY REMEMBERING CHADWICK BOSEMAN

by Ana Carolina Aguiar “To be young, gifted, and black,” Chadwick Boseman began his acceptance speech at the 2019 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, quoting singer and activist Nina Simone after the cast of “Black Panther” won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

The speech, given over a year before Boseman’s untimely death on Aug. 28, 2020, went viral and inspired many in the Black community. Those inspiring and uplifting characteristics were cornerstones of Boseman's career.

At 43 years old, Chadwick Boseman left behind his family, fans and a versatile career as an actor, director and screenwriter, after losing his battle with colon cancer. The news devastated fans all over the globe, many of whom know him from his iconic role as T’Challa in the groundbreaking film “Black Panther."

As the first Marvel film with a predominantly Black cast, “Black Panther” paved Boseman’s path as a catalyst for changing the lack of representation of his community on the big screen. Children, teenagers, and adults were able to resonate with T’Challa in a way they

42 Boseman delivers an authentic performance that adds to Jackie Robinson's legacy

had not experienced before. remembers Boseman not only for his Boseman’s success, however, began in portrayal of T’Challa, but as an activist on 2010 when he got his first major role as a and off the screen. series regular on “Persons Unknown." His “He was beloved in my community, but he breakthrough performance represented all of humanity came in 2013 with his well,” said Scales, adding depiction of baseball icon that his persona made him a -Senior business major Jackie Robinson in the “real-life superhero."

Johanne Saint-Juste biographical film "42." The This sentiment is film earned $27.3 million on its opening shared by senior business major Johanne weekend, the best-ever debut for a baseball- Saint-Juste who believes Boseman will themed film according to Entertainment Weekly. be remembered for the respect and He also played Thurgood Marshall in sincerity he showed the people “Marshall” in 2017, which earned him around him. the award for Best Actor in the 2018 Black “[Chadwick] exhibited Entertainment Television (BET) Awards. a level of strength and Offscreen, Boseman’s honorable qualities nobility within the were echoed when actress Sienna Miller Black community while disclosed that Boseman took a pay cut to simultaneously inspiring boost her salary for the film “21 Bridges” in people to never let go of 2019. their dreams and to be “He said that that was what I deserved proud of their roots,” said to be paid,” said Miller, adding that this Saint-Juste. “astounding” gesture was a testament to who “He was and forever will Boseman was. be a hero,” Saint-Juste said.

Due to his esteemed character, Boseman’s In continuous mourning death stunned the world, including students of Chadwick Boseman, his in the Barry community. fans will hold his memory Senior English major Courtney Scales as a reminder to pursue their

dreams and fight for opportunities due to the immeasurable impact he had on every member of the community.

He was and will forever be a hero

Get on up

Marshall

In this biopic about James Brown Boseman stars as the lead and sings for some parts of the film

Varying his confidence as Thurgood Marshall, Boseman matches the time and place the film is set in

Black Panther Boseman plays the role of T'Challa, becoming the first black lead actor in a Marvel film

21 Bridges While playing his role as Andre Davis, Boseman was also a director for the film

student hacks

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FALL 2020

Top Virtual Learning Apps By: Liz Calvo While 2020 has been a brutal year for everyone, taking classes virtually will probably be the most memorable part of this quarantine.

Future generations will never hear the end of their parents and grandparents saying, “Back in my day, we had to take classes online because of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

However, we can also agree that without virtual learning apps, we wouldn’t have been able to continue our education while staying isolated.

Imagine how frustrating it would be if the pandemic lasted four years and we all had to pause our education in order to stay home because we didn’t have the technology to continue.

Thankfully, we don’t have to imagine, because we are in a time where technology is advanced, and we can take our education anywhere.

Virtual Learning Apps As mentioned, virtual learning apps such as Zoom, Blackboard, WebEx, Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom, have been a life saver when many schools transitioned from in-person teaching to online learning.

Zoom is a popular app that is often used by many students around the nation as it offers high quality video, audio and other features that make it stand out from the others. It is also a newly accessible app found on our student portal app, Canvas. WebEx is another app found on Canvas that is commonly used by Barry students to engage with their professors; it offers features like Zoom.

Jordyn Hawkins, Barry senior and biology major, has expressed her opinion on these apps, saying, “I have used both WebEx and Zoom and I have to say WebEx has a lot of connection issues, but it is easy to access. As for Zoom the sessions are timed and it can be difficult to access a link.” She continues, “I like Zoom more simply because the

connection is ten times better and because it is easy to hear each other clearly.”

Elenie Gordillo, a biology and pre-med sophomore said that her favorite app was "Zoom because you can personalize your own background and you can ask to annotate during the class meeting, plus it can split people into breakout rooms.”

Other apps like Blackboard and Google Classroom function as a student portal that allows students to submit their assignments, similar to Canvas, but unlike Canvas they have their own built video conference system to allow students to interact with their professors.

Michael Chan, a Miami Dade College sophomore who majors in graphic design, uses Blackboard and Zoom most often.

“Zoom is very useful, but I wouldn’t say that it doesn’t have the features necessary for a classroom setting, it’s more for everyday use outside of a classroom," he said. “My favorite app for classes would be Blackboard because it feels like a digital classroom with features

that include taking roll, asking questions and so much more.”

If you’re looking for an app that allows you to collaborate on group projects, then Microsoft Teams is the app for you. It offers features such as creating groups and being able to connect with every Microsoft Office app, as well as easy document sharing.

Eric Yang, a Barry alumnus and former SMIF President used Microsoft Teams during club meetings to connect with members and because it connected directly with the Barry email.

“Not only is it convenient, but the platform is also user friendly and it allows students to create their own groups," he said.

Overall, we know that if this pandemic continues, we have no choice but to use our online learning apps to continue our education.

All in all, this may be short-lived as soon we can go back to breathing fresh air, walking to our classrooms, and enjoying in-person learning.

Easy to access Call in feature Easy to schedule meetings Collaboration and annotation tools

Lots of connection issues

Better connection Better audio and video Breakout rooms

Timed sessions

Moderator can unmute participant's mics Call in feature sometimes has issues

Personalized backgrouds

Links can be difficult to access More for everyday use rather than educational purposes

Serves as a student portal Feels more like a classroom Includes features such as taking roll and asking questions

Not very user-friendly Interface is unappealing Mobile app has many issues

Serves as a student portal Connects with Office apps Easy document sharing Able to create groups

Limited flexibility Confusing file search system Meeting features are not user-friendly

FALL 2020

student hacks

Working Through Dorm Room Woes in a Pandemic

By Ana Carolina Aguiar

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many noticeable differences to the way society functions. These differences followed students onto Barry University’s campus.

Safety regulations like wearing a mask, social distancing, and limited outdoor ventures are enforced in the dormitories.

In addition to the new rules, many students have struggled with getting on the same page as their roommates and dormmates when it comes to dealing with a global pandemic.

Although most classes are being taught virtually, there are currently 853 students in on-campus housing as compared to the Fall 2019 number of 1,289 students, many of whom have roommates who go out with people they may not know.

This could put students at risk of being infected by their roommates in addition to other dorm inhabitants who share common spaces such as the laundry room, the study lounges and the elevators.

Sharing common spaces is something that junior marketing major Veronica Ospina expresses concerns about. In Kolasa Hall, she says she sees people who do not wear masks

23

Student Courtney Chisholm spraying un-masked roommate Ayana Andrade-Zygmunt. Photograph by Jimmy Muniz Jr.

or who wear them incorrectly. This makes a Dade County protocols. Non-Barry guests simple chore like laundry scary due to the are still prohibited in the residence halls.

Despite these guest policies, Ospina doubts small space that residents of the four-floor that people are following these rules because building must share.

Another small space that concerns Ospina she can hear people entering and leaving the room that neigbors her own each night. are the elevators in her hall.

“Just the other day, a girl at the end of the “The elevators are also scary to take because of the closed space and the fact that hall had a party broken up at 2 a.m. on a I have seen people come out of them without school night,” said Ospina.

In addition to a mask,” said “The elevators are also scary to the change in guest Ospina.

Concerns such take because of the closed space policies, lounges and the fact that I have seen in residence as these are met with changes people come out of them without halls have been reconfigured to be made to housing a mask." used as temporary life since the pandemic began, as the Director of Housing computer labs. This limits the need for and Residence Life Matthew Cameron resident students to use the computers at the on-campus library, and attempts to keep explains.

One of the major changes is that guests are students contained within their units.

The university has also increased cleaning prohibited from entering a resident’s assigned room. This modification aims to mitigate the measures throughout the residence halls and spread of COVID-19 by keeping only those other on-campus spaces. The housing and residents assigned to a certain unit in the residence life team has decreased the density of residence halls and set aside dorm rooms space.

However, as of Sept. 21, students can have for use as isolation and quarantine spaces as one guest from the residential community in needed.

Cameron adds that Barry University is their room due to recent changes in Miami-

doing what they can to prevent the spread of the virus, but students also have a part to play.

“Each resident student is asked to take the lead in promoting health and safety on campus. Part of this role is being mindful of student’s actions because they can most certainly impact the lives of their roommates and those in the residence community,” said Cameron.

Simply put, Cameron and the housing and residence life team ask that residents care for their roommates and dormmates the same way they would for their family members.

Student responsibility is something Cameron sees as one of Barry’s core qualities. To Cameron, Barry is a community that always aims to care for one another, and during a time like this, each member of the community is called on to do more.

The new protocols implemented at Barry University are a direct result of the pandemic effects. Students must continue to be diligent in their ventures as the safety of their roommates, friends, neighbors, family, and themselves is dependent on it.

24

SOCIAL JUSTICE

10 Reasons to Wear a Mask By: Emma James

(In case you needed any reasons other than, you know, protecting the health and safety of the entire population.)

Let’s start with the obvious: It hides your face.

Not everyone can be blessed with natural good looks and the easiest way to remedy a less-than-ideal appearance is to keep half of your face covered up. You’re doing the world a favor by not forcing your ugly mug on us, especially if you’ve got braces or yellow teeth.

Trust me, no one wants to see that. Plus, it adds an element of intrigue. When people can’t see your whole face, you automatically come off as mysterious. Everyone will wonder: what is going on under that mask? Congratulations, you’re finally interesting.

You save money.

Why empty your pockets paying for skincare products (let’s face it: they aren’t working anyway) when you can throw on a face mask to cover up your insecurities? Plus, for those of you who wear makeup, you only have to apply it to half your face. That’s full coverage for half the price!

RBF? No problem.

Normally, you'd feel obligated to give a pity smile to every person you walk past, but thanks to Miss Rona you don’t have to. With a mask on, no one can even see your mouth, so give those muscles a break and scowl on!

You could lick your lips like a weirdo while making full eye contact with someone and they’d be none the wiser. Don’t... do that, but the point is that you could.

People are less likely to recognize you.

I’m talking to all my introverts for this one. That feeling of terror at the prospect of running into someone you know in public is no longer a problem. Constantly ducking behind walls and grocery aisles gets old pretty quick and pretending not to see someone while they’re literally waving at you is just embarrassing. If you think about all the time you’ll save not having to avoid people, wearing a mask is definitely worth it. (Plus, if you’re on the run from the law, you’re less likely to be turned in!)

We don’t have to smell your breath.

Your loved ones are too nice to give it to you straight, but I’m not. Here’s the cold hard truth: just because you had garlic chicken for lunch, doesn’t mean everyone around

FALL 2020

Juniors Veronica Ospina Alejandro (left) and Liam I. Bouza Díaz (right) converse outside Landon while the former wishes the latter were wearing her mask. Photograph by Emma James.

you needs to know about it. Ever heard of a mint? Thanks to good old face masks, you don’t even have to brush your teeth! (And by the smell of things, you haven’t been.) Your classmates and professors will thank you.

You can use it as a snack holder.

Not hungry now but you will be later?

Stash it. Have classes back to back and no time for a food break? No need. Make like a horse and turn that mask into a portable feedbag. You might get some weird looks, but they’ll secretly think you’re a genius. (As a side note, this is yet another reason why those mesh face masks some people have been wearing are a bad move. Lana Del Rey, I’m looking at you.)

It can count as exercise.

There’s a lot of stuff that we rely on our ears to carry. Things like glasses, sunglasses, hearing aids, headphones, and jewelry put a lot of weight on them, which makes for quite the ear-workout. But hey, at least you’re burning calories, right?

Face mask tan lines are all the rage in fashion nowadays.

No, seriously. You haven’t seen people doing that online? It’s literally a thing. They purposely apply makeup to look like they fell

asleep at the beach with a mask on; look it up.

But more importantly, don’t spend another second being ashamed of your unfortunate tan line. If people are doing it on purpose, your accidental one can’t be that bad.

Halloween is right around the corner.

Chances are you’d be wearing a mask as a part of your costume anyway, and there are so many characters to choose from. Iron Man, Spider-Man, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Kakashi Hatake from Naruto, Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul, and that’s just naming a few. Not to mention, you could go the more classic route and be something like a doctor or a surgeon. (These ones will probably be pretty popular this year for obvious reasons, but if you’re okay with that then go for it.) The possibilities are endless!

Everyone is doing it.

You thought you escaped peer pressure when you graduated high school? Think again. Welcome to peer pressure on a global scale: Actors, musicians, athletes, world leaders, TikTokers, even your fellow classmates are doing it. Health and safety have never been more in. Why not jump on the bandwagon? If Cardi B can do it, so can you.

FALL 2020

SOCIAL JUSTICE

25 Photo courtesy of Miami New Times.

Fish Killed in Biscayne Bay: A Lesson for Change?

By: Amanda Gonzalez Garcia

A mass of fish was found dead in Biscayne Bay on Aug. 10, leaving South Floridians concerned about what environmental conditions could have been the cause. City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez deemed this as an “environmental disaster” and called for action.

Unfortunately, incidents like this are not uncommon, according to Dr. Michael Robinson, an associate professor in the biology department at Barry. However, causes can vary depending on the location where these incidents occur.

According to Channel 7 News, Miami Waterkeeper, an environmental activist organization which aims to educate locals on the importance of clean water, confirmed nutrient pollution as one cause of the fish kill, which Robinson notes can lead to low oxygen.

“Typically, with terrestrial run-off comes things like fertilizers. The fertilizers then can cause a lot of algae to grow very rapidly,” he said.

The rapid growth of algae, or an algal bloom, can cloud the water and prevent photosynthesis, according to Robinson.

Consequently, the algae dies and decomposes, leaving the bacteria to use up all of the oxygen. This creates low-oxygen areas, like dead zones.

According to Robinson, dead zones have

Another way to get involved is by joining

become more common over the last 30 years

local environmental activist groups, like

possibly due to human activity.

Miami Waterkeeper. Other groups include

Robinson seconds this, adding that the

These organizations aim to emphasize that when our ecosystems fail, so do we.

“Seawater has less oxygen in it than air and

The Audubon Society, a national nonprofit

responsibility is in our hands to do better

as water heats up, the amount of dissolved

that promotes the protection of “land, water

and look after our environment for ourselves

oxygen drops further,” said Robinson. “In

and wildlife,” and the Natural Resources

and future generations.

warmer water, the oxygen levels can drop

Defense Council, an international nonprofit

so much that there isn’t enough for fish to

which aims to guard the Earth’s clean air and

breathe and they suffocate.”

water.

Robinson notes that this is a problem in Biscayne Bay due to human development, which has changed the water flow. Factory production, human waste, uncontrolled sewage, and trash disposal are some of the factors contributing to this change.

“If the water does not move as much as it once did, the warm water can sit in one spot, heat up and there is no cooler water with more oxygen, like from offshore, that can come in and replace it,” said Robinson.

Robinson believes the way to prevent an incident like this from reoccurring is by reducing our carbon emission by driving less, using less plastic, and eating food provided by local markets.

In addition, those who are passionate about the environment should attempt to contact their local officials and encourage them to tackle climate change. Local politicians can reduce the use of fertilizers on land, redirect run-off from rainwater, and repair the sewage system.

Graphic courtesy of Clean Water Action.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

26

FALL 2020

BLM and Defund the Police banners at a Miami, Florida, Black Lives Matter protest. Photo courtesy of ProCon.

Defund the Police:

Demystifying the Battle Cry

By Suzannah Young

Despite what it may look like at first glance, “defund the police” does not literally mean defund the police.

“A lot of people think defunding the police means to get rid of the police but that's not what it means,” said Charles Bell, a graduate assistant for Barry intramurals and panelist on the Deliberative Dialogue forum “Why Race Matters.”

“It’s not so much about not giving money to the police, but instead around reallocating that money to areas that are better fit to serve and protect people,” he said.

According to The Cut, the style section of New York magazine, ‘defund’ in the 2020 call-to-action means to ‘reduce’ and ‘reallocate.’

It means to reduce the amount of government money spent on the police force and reallocate that money to social services that prevent crime and enhance the community.

Although defunding the police gained national attention through increased media coverage this year as it became a focal point of the Black Lives Matter movement, the notion has actually been around for quite some time.

“The term defund the police has been around since the 90’s, but Malcolm X was saying the same thing during the civil rights movement,” Bell said.

According to an article from Politico, the idea for the abolishment of the police began as an offshoot of W.E.B. DuBois’ prison abolition movement.

An article from Dispatch explains abolitionist theory as the way that the framework of policing and incarceration in the United States “makes up a complex system of social control and domination and is therefore both unnecessary and

actively oppressive.”

As the prison abolition movement grew in the ‘80s and ‘90s, two prominent black female activists at the time - Angela Davis and Ruth Wilson Gilmore – further developed the idea to encompass policing, which eventually led to the contemporary movement of “defund the police.”

The motion to defund the police really started moving forward. However, immediately following the murder of George Floyd, protestors in Minneapolis started to be more adamant in their demand for change.

In an article published by Bloomberg Businessweek comparing data collected from both the U.S. Census and FBI, investments in policing in the U.S. have almost tripled since 1977, increasing from about $42 billion to almost $115 billion.

“We need more social workers and better education. The money should go toward social workers, counselors and especially teachers,” said Bell.

To add insult to injury, despite the increase in funding, trends actually show an increase in crime rates.

Amanda Knight, a co-facilitator at Barry’s Deliberative Dialogue forum “Why Race Matters,” explained how this phenomenon has been reflected in our society.

“Local funding has [recently] been decreasing for education, social services, mental health services, recreation, etc., and we’ve seen a major increase in police funding,” Knight said. “These funds are being used to obtain military equipment, essentially militarizing our police forces, yet there has not been a commensurate decrease in crime.”

The essential idea here is that by putting more money into schools, youth

services, and public health, societal problems such as mental illness and crime - problems that the police are tasked with handling - would decrease and be met by more proactive solutions.

“We are spending millions of dollars to give the police all these guns and technology - and some of them some still abuse their power - when you could be putting that money into something that everybody's benefiting from,” Bell said.

For Bell, the best way to use government funds would be to put them back into schools, investing in education and children in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods.

“Inconsistencies in education mean that if you live in a poorer area, you’re probably not going to have the psychological resources you need,” Bell said. “We have to give teachers the tools they need to deal with these kids.”

In the most recent presidential debate, Joe Biden announced that he “is completely opposed to defunding the police,” although he does believe that “they need more assistance” and that he wants to reimplement “community policing.”

Although this is a rejection of the movement, it may also just be a way for the campaign to encompass more moderate voters intimidated by the movement, as many of Biden’s policies reflect reformations that are very similar to those of defunding the police.

Bell also explains the importance of putting taxpayer’s dollars into education to prevent crimes rather than using violence to stop them as they happen.

“When you take those millions of dollars and put it into the school system, you’re going to have more educated people and those educated people are less likely to commit crimes,” Bell said.

“Then, there’s no need to have this arsenal of weapons because people are going to be more civilized.”

Dr. Laura Finley, professor of criminology and sociology, admits that while she thinks that police do more harm than good, she does see how police budgets and unions have come at the expense of social services.

“As we discuss redistribution of funding, we also need to discuss training for police in de-escalation,” Finley said.

“Most do not receive this, yet it would be helpful if rather than use force in tense situations, officers knew how to use communication to de-escalate.”

One example of successful demilitarization and reallocation of money from police departments occurred in 2012 in the crime-ridden city of Camden, New Jersey.

According to an article published by Upworthy.com, not only was the city proclaimed the “most dangerous city in the US,” but it also possessed a severely corrupt police force that had a history of “planting drugs” on local citizens.

As crime continued to increase, the city decided to start over by dismantling the old department and instead hiring only 100 new officers and reducing their wages. Not only did crime rates decrease by 42 percent, but the city was able to use the old police funds on community building programs in education and the workplace.

Bell sees the increased popularity of the movement as a larger ripple effect.

“The pandemic has made us have to slow down,” Bell said. “Now, because we're at home, we are watching more TV and there is no outlet to get your mind off of [Floyd’s murder]. Everybody was forced to see this and actually have to say, ‘oh my god this is actually a problem.’”

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Graphic courtesy of Ben & Jerry's

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SOCIAL JUSTICE

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Juniors Liam I. Bouza Díaz (left) and Veronica Ospina Alejandro (right) stand with graduate student Charles Bell (center) in the fight for Black lives. Photograph by Emma James.

Why race matters at barry u

By Emma James

The Black Lives Matter Movement has been prevalent in the U.S. since 2013 when Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi teamed up to start the #BlackLivesMatter project in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch coordinator who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed, African American 17-year-old.

Since then, the movement has reached all corners of the U.S., gaining traction and attention due to the continuous murders of members of the Black community.

In response, Barry’s Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) has joined the conversation about race by organizing a series of forums called “Deliberative Dialogue.” On Sept. 24, the series began with a discussion titled “Why Race Matters,” in which participants discussed the relationship between race and identity, what it means to be conscious of race, and how to combat systemic racism.

Deliberative Dialogue was designed to encourage people of all social groups to engage in discussions about race.

Over 160 Barry students and faculty joined in on the discussion, according to cofacilitator Amanda Knight, and the Facebook livestream of the forum had over 2,000 views in the first 24 hours.

“I truly feel the reason this movement has Knight, a member of Barry’s Antiracism and Equity Coalition, hopes that the forums blown up so much is because the world had will inspire people to become activists for no choice but to see George Floyd's death,” said Bell. “[Due to quarantine], we were all Black lives.

“There are so many examples from the in the house doing one thing: watching TV.” In response to these protests, Gov. Ron distant past or even a week ago that show Black lives don’t matter in this country,” DeSantis announced the Combatting said Knight. “It is crucial that people get Violence, Disorder, and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act on Sept. 21. involved.”

Students interested in getting involved can According to DeSantis’ administration, this attend the next forum on Thursday, Oct. 22 legislation “creates new criminal offenses and increases penalties for those who target law at 4 p.m.

Advocates for Black lives have also enforcement and participate in violent or participated in other forms of engagement. disorderly assemblies.”

The legislation Despite the continuing concerned many peaceful threat of COVID-19, protestors who fear the after the death of George actions that officers may Floyd in Minneapolis on take to enforce it.

May 25, protests sparked -Dialogue Co-Host Amanda Knight Still, the movement across the country.

Floyd was arrested for allegedly using continued, beginning the fight for defunding a counterfeit bill and was killed by officer the police after details regarding the death of Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck for 26-year-old Breonna Taylor were released to several minutes despite Floyd's repetition of the public.

According to the Louisville Metro Police the words, “I can’t breathe,” which became Department (LMPD) Public Integrity Unit’s the mantra for protests against this injustice.

Charles Bell, one of the forum’s panelists (PIU) investigative file, three LMPD officers and a graduate student majoring in sport, shot and killed Taylor in response to shots exercise, and performance psychology at fired from her boyfriend, who believed that Barry, believes the pandemic forced people to they were intruders. The officers had forced witness the effects of police brutality, which is their way into the apartment without a search warrant, claiming that they were conducting why the protests began.

RACiSM iS A PANDEMiC ALL iTS OWN.

a drug investigation.

None of the involved officers were indicted for Taylor’s murder.

In response to Taylor’s death, Knight argues that the training and education requirements for police forces should be put under review.

“Until this happens, we cannot begin to repair the negative relationship that many of our communities have with our police forces, whose function is supposed to be ‘to protect and serve’ those communities,” said Knight.

Members of Barry’s Black community note that it is because of cases like this, where officers go against protocol with no repercussions, that they protest.

“It is sad and horrific news, but it is fuel,” said Bell.

As police brutality continues, Barry students believe the activism surrounding the movement will not die down. Bell notes that he thinks the current movement will act as a catalyst for the future, emphasizing the importance of activism.

“We cannot address newer issues until the oldest issue in our history and the root to all other issues is resolved,” he said.

Knight seconds this, adding that systemic racism and police brutality have such deep roots in the principles this country was built on that they can’t be fixed by any one person; everyone must educate themselves and come together to fight against prejudice.

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BARRY STUDENTS CASTING BALLOTS In the coming weeks, Americans will cast their vote for the general election. As the election approaches, Barry students should remain aware of the importance of their participation, whether through in-person or mail-in voting.

A survey polled 166 Barry students, revealing that 83 percent of students have an interest in participating in the upcoming elections, while 17 percent expressed otherwise. Students who plan to vote noted that their preferred voting method is inperson.

Senior criminology major Camila Lavastida has chosen to vote in person rather than by mail in order to make the most of the experience.

“I wanted to actually experience what it is to get up and go vote on Election Day all while respecting the CDC guidelines,” said Lavastida.

Other students have chosen not to vote by mail due to the backlash faced by the United States Postal Service (USPS). The backlash comes due to the U.S. Postmaster General

Further, as of Aug. 18, DeJoy said that he and CEO of USPS Louis DeJoy’s desire to alter important aspects of USPS service like would postpone any changes in USPS until after the 2020 election taking letter sorting to “avoid even the machines offline, appearance of any removing collection impact on election boxes in Western states mail,” according to and cutting back on CNBC. He believes post office hours.

USPS will be able However, professor to manage mail-in of political science ballots. at Barry, Dr. Sean Due to the variety Foreman, attributes of voting options, part of the backlash Fo r e m a n , w h o at USPS to comments founded the Campus President Donald Democracy Project Trump has made (CDP) at Barry in about the potentially 2012, urges everyone fraudulent nature of to take advantage of by-mail voting. their chance to vote.

On May 28, “Whether it's your President Trump tweeted, “Mail-in Student Avery Pollard holding an “ I am a voter” mask trying to first time voting or voting will lead to encourage Barry Students to vote. Photograph by Nicole Valdes. you've done it before this is one of the most important rights you massive fraud and abuse.”

In response, FBI Director Christopher have and now is the time to exercise it,” said Wray notes that the FBI has seen no evidence Foreman.

As a nonpartisan group for students, CDP of voting fraud on behalf of USPS.

allows students to inform one another about voting and election resources. Foreman believes students will listen more to their peers than they will to a professor. As a result, students in CDP are well-informed on political topics.

“Students who form part of CDP are trained with the necessary skills and resources to then meet with other students and share in hopes of creating more engaged voters,” said Foreman.

The main goal of CDP is to encourage students to vote. Although voting requires students to educate themselves about candidates and their political stances, it is essential for students to cast a ballot.

“Get informed and vote. We always hear that this is the most important election of our lifetimes and probably to some extent each election is more important than the last one,” said Foreman.

Students can find resources at the Florida Division of Elections website and the CDP section of Barry’s website.

HOW WiLL YOU BE VOTiNG THiS ELECTiON?

WHAT EXPECTATiONS DO YOU HAVE OF THE ELECTiON?

DO YOU BELiEVE VOTiNG iS iMPORTANT?

By Amanda Gonzalez Garcia

IN-PERSON

NOT VOTiNG

43%

CURRENTLY HAVE NO

35% EXPECTATiONS

14% WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE THE

BY-MAiL

TO SEE A FAiR 10% WANT ELECTiON

AND ELECTiON 21%VOTiNG PROCESS SERiOUSLY

43%

WiLL THiS BE YOUR FiRST TiME VOTiNG iN AN ELECTiON?

HOPE THERE iS MORE

JUSTiCE AND 15% SOCiAL EQUALiTY

WANT THE CURRENT

TO BE 6% PRESiDENT RE-ELECTED

3%

WANT BETTER STRUCTURE OF MAiL-iN BALLOTS YES, YOU'RE VOiCiNG YOUR OPiNiON AND iT iS YOUR RiGHT

WANT A NEW PRESiDENT TO

12%BE ELECTED 61%

37%

1%

YES

NO

NOT VOTiNG

2%

WANT TO SEE MORE VOTiNG AWARENESS AND MiNORiTY iNCLUSiON iN LOW CLASS AREAS

YES, iT iS ViTAL TO CHANGE iN THE COUNTRY SiMPLY SAiD YES NOT iMPORTANT

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SOCIAL JUSTICE The Buccaneer and Department of Communication present

Speech and Debate Competition

Students will articulate their positions on issues of social justice in a speech and debate format that caps off the fall semester.

Stay Woke /sta wok/ verb To remain vigilent about one’s place in the world as it relates to policy, government, cultures, institutions, etc.

Speech Contest Finals Thursday, Nov. 19 David Brinkley Studio The Preliminaries/auditions will be taking place the week of October 22 in Garner 162.

Guidelines

1) We welcome persuasive speeches of at least 5, but no more than 7 minutes that engage the contest's theme.

2) All speeches MUST be accompanied by a PowerPoint visual aid, which is consistent with the Program's requirement for the persuasive speech.

3) Students must be coached by speech faculty in order to ensure the highest quality presentations.

4) Each student must CHOOSE one topic with a 'yes' or 'no' position that they will prepare to defend at the preliminary round. They do not have to be formally coached for the preliminary round. However, they must have a coherent argument that they can present persuasively and with a strong delivery in 1-2 minutes.

5)After the preliminaries are over, the Buccaneer speech committee will choose WHO will defend what topics when they go to the finals.

Register no later than October 22 with Professor Tiffani Knowles at tknowles@barry.edu

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editorial

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Quarantine Doesn’t Have to Steal Our Souls: How I Embarked on a “Senior” Service Project during the Pandemic

By Lori Huertas When we became quarantined due to COVID-19, as a Barry University staff member and graduate student, I thought, how can I help others during these times? As a recruiter, the desire for human interaction was a part of my inner being, especially since my love language is physical touch and my Myers Briggs personality is an ENFJ (you will have to read my other article for details on this).

I thought of how to put Barry University’s mission statement of “Learn, Reflect, and Serve” into action.

I had to be intentionally outwardly focused, which at first was not an easy task.

My only son was away in the Army. My first

grandson was also born, and I had not had an opportunity to hold him since he was living in a different state.

Suddenly, I remembered Mother Teresa and how one day they brought her a widower.

This man had lost his wife and daughter in a car accident. After Mother Teresa prayed with the man, she asked him, "What are you going to do with all of that love?" He shrugged his shoulders.

She looked at him with eyes of compassion and said, "Go share your heart with others."

In that same Barry University spirit of service, I prayed about ways to help others.

I was asked to be a part of an adopt-a-senior

program. Senior came to mean more than one age group.

Firstly, since high school seniors were unable to attend their commencement ceremonies, community members adopted them to encourage them. I, myself, adopted three seniors and gifted them with Barry swag.

The mother of one of the seniors worked at a -Mother Teresa local nursing home. I asked how the elderly were doing and she explained that they were depressed because they cancelled in-person bingo games due to COVID. I asked if they would be interested in a Virtual Bingo. They got excited. After I did the first one, the director emailed to thank me, stating that she

What are you going to do with all of that love?

had not seen them smile and laugh in a while.

In that moment, I remember my spiritual mom telling me that life is all about the three T’s, giving of your time, talent, and treasure to serve others.

May each Barry University student remember that your kindness to others during these times makes a difference. I also used my isolation time to write a song that was recorded for my grandson called “Abuela’s Love” that is now shared with military children.

That is not all. I started a YouTube channel, called “Story Time with Abuela,” which teachers are now using for their virtual reading classes virtually.

We are BARRY. Our heart of service is what sets us apart.

Photo courtesy of Online Bingo.

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Election Day is November 3.

You can vote early.

You can vote by mail.

You can vote on Election Day. Go to voteamerica.com/students

VoteAmerica.com