Volume 6, Issue 12

Vol. 6, Issue 12 May 1, 2015

Students’ tuition to rise by $1,722

SPORTS

Check out the sports players, team, coach and moment of the year. page 16

photo by Lia Nydes Franklin Templeton houses both the business office and the financial aid office.

By Bryan Arnott News Editor Eckerd College students will see yet another rise in tuition cost for the 2015-2016 school year. This increase in cost will come out to $1,722.

Since the 2011-2012 school year, the cost of attendance at Eckerd has risen from $44,198 to $50,940 -—- a $6,742 increase. The college saw about a 3.4 percent increase in tuition from the 2014-2015 school year.

“In the business model for higher education, you’ll generally see between a three and six percent increase in price annually,” Chief Financial Officer Chris Brennan said.

“We evaluate tuition every year in accordance with our peers and national trends.”

While the cost of attendance may keep rising, the college’s revenue stays relatively low. Last fiscal year the college brought in $97,141,100 in revenue -—- not counting restricted gifts to the college -—- but spent $96,998,905, leaving it with

$142,195 left over. Since the school is a not-for-profit college, the small margin of revenue they make serves a different purpose than most.

“The school is required to demonstrate financial stability for several reasons,” Brennan said.

One of those reasons is to maintain accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The college must also satisfy the financial responsibility requirements of the Department of Education in order to continue par-

ticipation in the federal student aid programs.

There are also certain liquidity and debt service coverage ratios that the school must maintain -—the school has about $26,000,000 of outstanding debt right now, mostly related to the construction of Iota and other projects. And, similarly, they must put themselves in a position where they are able to borrow money down the road to fund projects such as the renovations of residence halls.

See Tuition, page 4

Eckerd aims to combat careless consumption

By Chelsea Duca News Editor

Springtopia is in full swing, and Kappa Karnival is quickly approaching. The carnival has earned an often over-generalized reputation among students for its party atmosphere and the participation

of some students in large amounts of drinking and drug use.

While this reputation often gets overstated and does not apply to the majority of carnival-goers, there is a portion of the student body that does abuse substances at the carnival.

According to Vice President for

Student Life and Dean of Students James Annarelli, Eckerd hopes to curb the potentially dangerous levels of intoxication in such students this year.

“I want to take an approach to Kappa Karnival that is not only reactive, but proactive,” Annarelli said.

graphic courtesy of Mara Shingleton Please Recycle

INDEX: NEWS

1-4

VIEWPOINTS

5-8

SCIENCE & TECH. 9-10

A & E 11-12

This desire has contributed to the development of #WeCareEC. Students may have noticed #WeCareEC in the window of Brown Hall or the information cards on the tables in the caf. These efforts are part of a plan that focuses on bystander behavior.

“With Kappa Karnival and finals approaching fast, students will be experiencing an increase in stress level and looking for new outlets” Resident Advisor and Junior Melody Chaplin said. “This campaign promotes the use of healthy outlets and looking to one another for support.”

Annarelli would like to introduce conversations or programs about responsible bystander behavior in the dorms, taking into consideration different students’ needs and reactions.

“Freshmen need more face-toface conversation, whereas upperclassmen know the drill,” Annarelli said.

He also provided the means for RAs to host dorm events that will best serve their residents.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

New Spring into Summer course sets sail for Cuba. page 10

VIEWPOINTS

Look back at the history of Eckerd College’s newspapers. page 6

See Kappa, page 3

HEALTH & FITNESS 13-14

SPORTS 15-16

The Current is a free, biweekly student newspaper produced at Eckerd College. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers.

2 News

the current

May 1, 2015

Editor-in-Chief

Sydney Cavero thecurrent@eckerd.edu

Managing Editors Teresa Young Gary Furrow Jr. currentme@eckerd.edu

News Editors Chelsea Duca Bryan Arnott

Assistant Editor

Timothy Lee currentnews@eckerd.edu

Viewpoints Editors Dorothy-Mae Eldemire Araesia King currentviews@eckerd.edu

Science & Technology Editor Sarah Raney

Assistant Editor

Ania Szczesniewski currentscience@eckerd.edu

Arts & Entertainment Editor Jennifer Lincoln currentae@eckerd.edu

Health & Fitness Editor Blaide Woodburn currenthealth@eckerd.edu

Sports Editor

Dominick Cuppetilli

Assistant Editors

Christina Rosetti Simon Sheidegger currentsports@eckerd.edu

Photo Editors

Nate Gozlan Lia Nydes currentphoto@eckerd.edu

Online Editor Hailey Escobar

Assistant Editor

Cassie Madden currentonline@eckerd.edu

Layout Editor

Andrew Friedman currentlayout@eckerd.edu

Graphics & Design Editor Hannah Hamontree hmhamont@eckerd.edu

Multimedia Manager Gary Furrow Jr. currentvideo@eckerd.edu

Social Media Coordinator Marissa Meleedy mjmeleed@eckerd.edu

Business Managers Gary Furrow Jr. Teresa Young currentads@eckerd.edu

Faculty Adviser K.C. Wolfe

The Current is a free biweekly student newspaper at Eckerd College.

Offices are located upstairs in Cobb at 4200 54th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33711. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of EC students, staff, faculty and administration.

The Current welcomes letters to the editor. Submissions should be typed and not exceed 400 words.

Writers must include their full name, graduation year and contact number. Faculty and staff should include their title, department and contact number. All submissions are subject to editing for the purposes of clarity, style or length. The Current holds the right to reject any letters deemed inappropriate. Letters can be sent via email to thecurrent@eckerd.edu with subject “Letter to the editor.” _______________________________ The Current will run full-length articles covering any arrests that present a clear danger to the community.

Charges that would be investigated under this policy include robberies, assaults, weapons charges or illicit drug manufacturing, such as methamphetamine. The Current will continue publishing a small police blotter for felony arrests, and misdemeanor charges against student government leaders, Residential Advisors and staff members of The Current. We learn of arrests through searching the police arrest database by entering Eckerd’s address, as well as from tips. Questions and comments can be emailed to thecurrent@eckerd.edu.

A Brief YEAR In Review

By Bryan Arnott News Editor

ELS males barred from living on campus Women’s basketball team breaks record It was made official on Sept. 22, 2014 that ELS male students were no longer allowed to live on campus.

This decision stemmed from students’ unfavorable interactions in the previous years with visiting students from ELS, including two sexual assault reports that occurred in Autumn Term. The administration decided on the move to ban them from campus in accordance with keeping students safe. The ban was later removed.

Campus renovations underway

The Eckerd College Women’s Basketball team set a team record, securing their 18th win of the season over Rollins College on Feb. 14. The team had three wins this season against nationally-ranked opponents.

Senior Melanie Beaton dies suddenly Senior Melanie Beaton died unexpectedly on the morning of Jan. 17 when she was removed from life support following an organ donation surgery at Bayfront Medical Center.

Multiple projects started on campus this year. The most notable was the construction of the new Sailing Cove that will be built near the Galbraith Marine Science Lab. The college is also creating a new walkway with a bridge, which will start at Fox Hall and extend to the Sheen Science patio. Epsilon will see their bathrooms renovated during the summer. The new art building will also begin construction this summer.

Delta James becomes gender neutral

Sexual assault awareness campaign

EC-SAR gets certificate of appreciation

President Donald Eastman hosted a campus-wide discussion on sexual assault on Dec. 4, 2014, which stemmed from his controversial email to the school.

The college also set up various Bystander Awareness CPS events and other CPS events that talked about the issue, which is gaining national coverage.

On the afternoon of March 12, EC-SAR was rewarded for their efforts. They received a certificate of appreciation from St. Petersburg’s City Council at St. Petersburg’s City Hall. The award reflects their prompt initiation of the recovery of five-year-old Phoebe Jonchuck who was thrown off the Sunshine Skyway bridge by her father on Jan. 8.

Chapel Pond mangroves removed Students voiced their concerns for the Chapel Pond project, which has already begun, in a public forum.

The project will involve the pond being drained, as well as various mangroves being cut out in order to get at the invasive Brazilian pepper species.

Beach volleyball courts redone The beach volleyball courts were completely revamped.

The new additions were new nets, signs showing the college’s name and tents for the new team. The Sand Volleyball team also made their first appearance this year, and notched their first win.

FRI

1

SAT

2

Senior Theatre Company Presents: The Zoo Story

by Edward Albee, Bininger Theater, Senior Theatre Company Presents: 2 p.m.

The Zoo Story, Bininger Theater, 8 p.m.

CPS film: “Timbuktu,” Miller Auditorium, 7 p.m.

SUN

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Senior Theatre Company Presents: The Zoo Story

by Edward Albee, Bininger Theater, 2 p.m.

Housing has announced that Delta James will join Kappa Oberg as the second gender-neutral dorm for the 2015-2016 academic year. This means that any student, regardless of their sex or gender identity, may live on either floor with any other person as their roommate and use either floor’s bathroom.

Pet park opens near Omega Eckerd College Pet Life hosted a grand opening for the school’s new pet park on Feb. 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. While the park had been open since its construction during fall semester of the 2014-2015 academic year, the ceremony marked its official launch with a traditional ribbon-cutting.

Tritons take landmark Cuba trip Eckerd students took a historic trip to Cuba during Winter Term 2015, becoming one of the first groups from an American college to visit the country.

MON

TUES

4

5

Eckerd Review Visual Art Exhibit, Cobb Gallery, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Eckerd Review Reading & Art Party, Cobb Gallery, 5:30 p.m.

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CPS: Spring Band Concert, David Irwin, Fox Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Eckerd Review Visual Art Exhibit, Cobb Gallery, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

WED

6

Eckerd Review Visual Art Exhibit, Cobb Gallery, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Eckerd Review Visual Art Exhibit, Cobb Gallery, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Pitchers with Professors, Triton’s Pub, 4:30 p.m.

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Saturday Morning Market, Downtown St. Petersburg, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Campus Activities Shuttles, 10 a.m.

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CPS: Spring Choral Final exams Concert, Brent Douglas, Fox Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Final exams

7

CPS: Spring Chamber Orchestra Concert, David Irwin, Fox Hall, 7:30 p.m.

CPS: EC Riptide Dance Team Showcase, Bininger Theatre, 7 p.m.

Mr. Triton, GO Pavillion, 5 p.m.

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THURS

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Final exams

14

Final exams

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the current

May 1, 2015

News 3

News

Programs help to increase bystander awareness English Language School (ELS) students were removed from campus housing last semester due to allegations of sexual assault, and an email sent out by President Donald Eastman in November erupted into a national controversy that, despite the disa greement, succeeded in drawing a large swath of the student body into a conversation about how photo by Connor Kenworthy we can prevent A series of CPS events sought to teach bystander awareness. sexual assault in

By Timothy Lee the future.

Asst. News Editor The most recent of these changes is the Eckerd administration’s As the year draws to a close, Eck- education and awareness initiaerd’s leadership has taken measur- tive known as #WeCareEC. This able steps to address the issue of is intended to help students better sexual assault and continue this understand the resources that are community dialogue as part of a available for them to help themsemester-long campaign. Though selves and each other -- not just to this campaign will not continue prevent sexual assault and partner next year, the specific programs and violence, but to improve student initiatives started as a part of the health and welfare overall. campaign will continue.

“We have resources that we want Life for Eckerd students this year students to be aware of and the was marked by both controversy idea is any way in which we can and dialogue about sexual assault get that message out, through the and the steps our community lead- RAs, through ECOS, through sigers have taken to prevent it. Male nage, through fliers, we’ll do it,”

Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students James Annarelli said.

This initiative has already resulted in educational signs on cafeteria tables with contact information for places such as the Health Center and Outreach Services, encouraging students to reach out if they or someone they know needs help.

Another step was the appointment in March of Continuing Part-Time Assistant Professor of Human Development Shannon Collins as Director of the Office for Advocacy and Gender Justice. As a result, Eckerd now has a staff member dedicated to community efforts intended to prevent sexual assault.

“My role on campus is [to] develop a comprehensive sexual assault prevention and education program,” Collins said. “What I’m doing right now with this position is a needs assessment and resource audit.”

She explained that she is in the process of meeting with counselors, support service providers, community leaders and students to gather information about Eckerd’s current sexual assault prevention programs.

She hopes to make an initial recommendation by the end of the semester regarding gaps that may exist in these programs and services.

Collin’s office is also in the process of hiring two student workers to help her run the office, gather information and facilitate the conversation about preventing sexual assault at Eckerd.

“The first position will emphasize education and awareness, and

the second position will emphasize men and masculinities,” Collins said in an email announcement about the job openings.

Eckerd’s Bystander Awareness Committee also put on a series of CPS events throughout the month of April entitled Bystander Intervention. The first of these events, held on April 7, focused specifically on the role of bystanders in preventing sexual assault.

The event featured trained student leaders presenting information on how bystanders can help prevent sexual assault.

“We started out by talking about what bystander intervention looks like, and then we talked specifically about what sexual assault was and then we kind of linked the two together of what are the steps you need to take to be a good bystander in cases of sexual assault,” Freshman and ECOS Bystander Intervention Committee Facilitator Shannon Tivona said.

Their presentation included slides and a clip from ABC’s television series “Primetime: What Would You Do?” This video portrayed two men who approach a woman in a bar and, when she politely rejects their advances, proceed to drug her drink while she is in the restroom.

This scenario was played out multiple times as hidden cameras recorded the varied responses of bystanders to seeing the men drug the drink. The presenters then used these responses as a starting point for discussing how Eckerd students might respond to a comparable situation.

From Kappa, page 1

“Dean Annarelli had allotted each RA with an additional $50 of programming money to help promote #WeCareEC,” Chaplin said. “I plan on having a dorm event this Thursday [before Kappa Karnival] with pizza and other snacks in order to discuss Kappa Karnival, the end of the semester and to remind my residents of the resources available to them.”

Annarelli believes that it is important for students to know the resources that the school provides, and he explained that #WeCareEC will use any method they can to make students aware of the resources and how to access them.

“It’s not so much a program as an initiative to draw students’ attention to the fact that they need to be their brothers’ and sisters’ keepers in terms of keeping an eye on their fellow students and calling them on behaviors that are unsafe or dangerous or unhealthy,” Annarelli said.

In many cases, however, Coordinator for Community Standards Mara Shingleton claims that students don’t like to report their friends because they “feel bad.”

“The important thing is that we’re not ‘the man’ out there trying to get you for things. We’re doing this, not just for that student, but for the community also,” Shingleton said. “...let’s face it, anyone who knows alcoholism knows that that’s a disease, that’s an illness. It’s not fun for anyone, and if you really cared about someone, you would want to get them help.”

Shingleton also wishes that students would utilize Eckerd’s Good Samaritan policy, which, according

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graphics courtesy of Mara Shingleton

to the EC-Book, states the following: “...whenever a student seeks medical help for him/herself or another due to the influence of alcohol and/ or drugs, he/she will not be subject to conduct action by the College.

Instead, the impaired student’s and the assisting student(s)’ conduct will be addressed by the college through education, assessment, and/or treatment. No conduct procedures or outcomes will result.”

Shingleton urges students to remember this.

“So don’t be afraid to report something,” Shingleton said. “At

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the same time, if you have an addiction problem, don’t be afraid to come forward about it. We’re not going to throw things at you that are going to ruin your life.”

According to Shingleton, in the four years that the current senior class has been at Eckerd, there have been 319 cases of students found responsible for underage drinking -- 113 females and 206 males. In that same amount of time, only 25 students came forward and benefitted from the Good Samaritan policy for underage drinking -- 22 females and three males. These numbers include second and third time of-

fenses in the count.

The data for those found responsible and Good Samaritans for excessive intoxication follows a similar trend.

“As always, if you are worried for yourself or about a friend, you can call your RA, ECERT or Campus Safety,” Chaplin said. “In the event of an emergency please call 911 first.”

As part of an effort to lower the number of alcohol and other drug violations, Shingleton said that Eckerd started Alcohol Interview this year. It is an intake assessment in which students fill out informa-

After the presentation, the crowd broke off into six small groups of less than 10 students paired with one student leader. These groups discussed what the students thought of the video and what they might do in a variety of scenarios, according to one of the facilitators, Junior Jeremy Brown.

“When I led my group we had amazing group discussions about what students think about their campus in terms of bystander intervention,” Senior and event leader Dylan Pepper said.

These students were selected and trained by the Office of Outreach Services and Health Promotion.

“We interviewed with [former Coordinator of Outreach Services] Makenzie Schiemann, who’s no longer here unfortunately, and she did an interview with us and she chose who she thought would be good practical leaders and who should be more so [small group] facilitators,” Pepper said. “We went through a lot of practices, and reviews and research and then we presented.”

Tivona and Pepper both described the importance of this event in the development of dialogue about sexual assault prevention at Eckerd.

“I think that this is a conversation that needs to take place over the four years here at Eckerd,” Tivona said. “It can’t just be something we talk about at the very beginning of freshman year. We need to continue that conversation.”

tion including their age, gender, weight and how many times they drink per week. It will then put the student in a percentile to give them some perspective on where they are compared to the average.

According to Shingleton, it also gives students tips on how to pace themselves.

“Are you the kind of person who writes on your arm how many drinks you’ve had? Or the type of person who has your friends cut you off?” Shingleton said. “...it’s a very personalized program, and I think it’s really neat.”

Additionally, Annarelli said that the school is developing “Know the Facts.” This is a social norming campaign overseen by Outreach Services.

He said that in data concerning perceptions of the habits of their peers, students tend to project much higher rates of substance use among their fellow students than is actually the case.

“In our case, I think the challenge is particularly acute because we’re a small community living in low-density residence halls, where it’s like living in a small town,” Annarelli said. “You know what your neighbors are doing, or you think you do.”

Know the Facts focuses on clarifying those misconceptions and will be launched in the fall.

“I want the message out there that we care,” he said. “I’m not convinced that arguments that exhortation won’t change behavior are reason not to continue to exhort.

Growing up, just because my kids may have ignored me doesn’t mean I am going to stop my efforts to exercise responsible parenthood.”

4 News

the current

May 1, 2015

EC gets down and “dirty,” makes a splash during Springtopia

Students rocked out with ¡Mayday! and Dirty Heads at the Spring Concert on April 24. The next day, students dove into Springtopia festivities at the Waterfront’s annual Splash Bash.

Spring Concert photos by Dorothy-Mae Eldemire, Splash Bash photos by Lia Nydes

Correction A part of an article from Issue 11 entitled “August ELS incidents prompt campus security improvements, program changes” stated that ELS students will be transitioning to homestays in the future. ELS students will not be transitioning toward homestays, but this option will continue to be available to them.

From Tuition, page 1

Tuition and fees, and room and board both combine to bring in 80 percent of the college’s revenue, bringing in $69,312,820 and $14,802,280, respectively.

The school spends $30,689,210 on scholarships — 30 percent of their expenditures, and the highest allocation of their expenses.

When the budget balances in the black, the school has a system of deciding who and

what gets more money.

“We go through a process of identifying and prioritizing the allocation of next year’s funds,” Brennan said.

“Non-discretionar y expenses such as insurance and utilities almost always go up, so we fund those first and then look at discretionar y needs such as compensation, staffing and program enhancements.”

One of the ways Eckerd brings in revenue is divest-

ment from their endowment fund.

The school’s fund is currently at $55,000,000, and ever y year they get a return on their investments.

Last fiscal year that return was $1,978,000 — 1.9 percent of their revenue.

Instructional expenses came out to $24,190,182 last year.

Instructional expenses include various collegial budgets, such as the natural

science or creative arts collegiums.

“I think that the rise in tuition is ridiculous because tuition is already really expensive,” Senior Blake Borgeson said. “And it’s already tough for many students to afford this school.”

Using the average tuition increase for the past five years, 3.4 percent per year, the price to attend Eckerd for the 2020-2021 school year could reach $60,000.

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May 1, 2015

Viewpoints 5

Viewpoints

Disconnect between Eckerd and St. Pete apparent

By Araesia King Views Editor

Disconnect. One word with many meanings. As a noun, it means a discrepancy, a lack of connection.

The word is the perfect description of students here. We walkright past each other on the way to class, headphones in and oblivious to to the world outside of our five-inch phone screens.

This disconnect is not limited to our interactions on campus. The Eckerd bubble also disconnects us from the surrounding St. Petersburg community.

We value activism here at Eckerd. We share links on Facebook that urge for support for campaigns that work towards achieving social justice around the world.

But as we’re liking these pages and posting with a whole slew of hashtags, we fail to realize that our own community here in St. Petersburg needs our help.

While we complain about our dining options, many St. Petersburg residents are struggling to feed their families, their low incomes making them have to choose between food and running water or

food and new clothes.

While we complain about the need to walk ten minutes maximum to our waterfront fully equipped with paddleboards, kayaks, I-floats and variety of other recreational materials, there are St. Pete residents who have never even seen the beach despite the fact that they live less than 20 minutes away, unable to access the transportation to get there.

This Spring Break, I participated in a Service-Learning trip on campus entitled Exploring Environmental Justice: A Yoga Retreat.

The purpose of the trip was to see what issues were affecting St. Petersburg.

On this trip, we were able to see both the positive and negative aspects about St. Petersburg, and accrued a wealth of information.

“Overall I noticed a great divide within the St. Pete communities; downtown, the south side/ area around Eckerd, and St. Pete Beach,” said Freshman Lily Curry who went on the trip. “It’s most definitely an economic division that is fueled by the social perceptions of these areas. The downtown and beach can be seen as the richer areas and more attention is put into

the upkeep of these areas to attract tourists and retain business.”

One of the most enlightening experiences of the trip was our visit to the South St. Petersburg Economic Conference. It was a community meeting in a local recreation center to discuss plans in the works for the economic future of the city, such as establishing affordable housing and raising the minimum wage.

While the conference itself was interesting, the people in attendance stole the spotlight. I was shocked to witness the overall attitudes of our community members.

They are just as disconnected from their own surroundings as we are . There was no community mindset. People were just angry.

Any plans of progress were shut down immediately out of negativity. It was almost if the community refused to let in any hope of advances, determined to force others to go through the hardships that they had to go through like barely getting by is some kind of rite of passage required to grow up in St. Petersburg.

Director of Service Learning Ronald Porter summed up the situation perfectly.

“We were able to see first hand

photo courtesy of Eckerd College Office of Service Learning Facebook page Eckerd students help local church in the Lealman area build their garden.

that service within the St. Petersburg community requires establishing spaces of trust and affirmation between different community members. Without trust and open dialogue change will not happen,” said Porter in an email.

At Eckerd, we do a great job of bringing our community together to support a cause. We help to fight for change together whether it’s for something trivial like keeping the new Pub fries or something more serious like banning plastic bottles from campus.

The St. Petersburg community could really use this drive. We need to pop the bubble of isolation and get out into our surroundings and not just to go to dinner downtown or to lounge at Pass-a-grille.

We need to go out into the poorer areas of the community and help to build them up. Eckerd needs to start acting as a pillar in the community and embody altruistic and philanthropic principles we promote.

It’s time to think outside the bubble and inspire change.

cartoon by Hunter Howie

By Timothy Lee Asst. News Editor Intersectionality is the idea that different oppressions, such as racism and sexism, compound and affect each other in unpredictable ways in the lives of people who are part of multiple marginalized groups. For example, feminists must take into account the effects of racism on black women in working to overcome sexism.

Eckerd students have a reputation for being tolerant of diversity, but our support for marginalized groups sometimes fails due to a lack of understanding of the way oppressions interact. We often lack sensitivity to the needs of people who experience these oppressions. The treatment of transgender women inmates in the United States demonstrates the need for such an intersectional understanding of transphobia, sexism and racism.

Ashley Diamond is a transgender black woman living in a men’s state prison in Georgia. In the three years that she has been confined there, Diamond has been denied her prescribed hormone therapy, assaulted, raped and put in solitary confinement for “pretending to be a

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Diamond’s case highlights equality needs, rights in prisons

woman” according to the lawsuit she filed in February against the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Diamond, 36, was diagnosed with gender dysphoria as a teenager and had undergone hormonal therapy for 17 years prior to being sent to prison in 2012. Once there, her hormonal therapy was discontinued and she was forced to dress as a man. This caused her great distress and led her to attempt to kill or castrate herself on multiple occasions.

According to her lawsuit, Diamond was treated according to a freeze-frame policy.

Such a policy means that when transgender people are first sent to prison, their physical status is evaluated and the prison takes steps to maintain that status, providing them with hormones only if provided with clear documentation that they were already on hormones. Her case is a specific example of the horrific treatment many transgender people face in state and national prison systems.

After the Department of Justice intervened in Diamond’s case in early April issuing a statement of interest on her behalf, the Georgia Department of Corrections agreed to change its policy regard-

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ing the treatment of transgender inmates, according to the New York Times. Following the federal government’s 2011 announcement of a similar change in policy, Georgia announced in an April federal court hearing that it will now provide appropriate therapy for all transgender inmates regardless of their documented status when entering prison.

But this concession, while a great victory for Diamond and the people of Georgia, does not address the other element of Diamond’s lawsuit, her allegations of sexual assault.

According to a 2007 survey conducted by a team of researchers at the University of California Irvine, 59 percent of transgender women detained in men’s facilities face sexual assault at some point during their incarceration.

Last year, a transgender former inmate known publicly as D. B. sued Florida’s Orange County for its negligence in placing her, despite her repeated pleas for increased protection, in the general population of a men’s facility with a cellmate who raped her in 2009. Despite the fact that her cellmate was convicted of the rape in 2010, a federal judge threw out her case in September,

ruling that she had no right to sue.

The cases of Diamond and D. B. are examples of what appears to be a widespread negligence on the part of prison officials in their placement of transgender inmates, particularly those who are women.

These examples indicate such inmates are often placed in the general population of men’s facilities, where they are vulnerable to assault by other inmates, or in solitary confinement, where their mental health may be compromised and they are more vulnerable to assault by guards, rather than with other people of their own gender.

Diamond’s case also raises the specter of the effects of racial prejudices on the treatment of prisoners in the criminal justice system. According to the NAACP, African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites. While racial discrimination was not alleged in Diamond’s suit, the question remains whether she might have been treated better if she were white.

This case is an example of the intersectionality of oppressions.

Someone like Diamond may be mistreated more and differently because she is black, a woman

and transgender than a white transgender man, a black cisgender man, or a white cisgender woman would be in her position.

Not only do LGBT people share some similar experiences of oppression, bullying, employment discrimination, etc., with other marginalized groups such as African Americans, there also exist at the intersection of these two identities people who are part of both marginalized groups.

This concept has the power to bring these different groups together not just around the experiences we have in common, but the people whose friendship and community we share. These are people who are among the most marginalized in our society. They need to be given a voice about their unique experiences.

This concept has the power to bring these different groups together not just around the experiences we have in common, but the people whose friendship and community we share.

These are people who are among the most marginalized in our society. They need our support, and they need to be given a voice about their unique experiences.

6The Current

6 Viewpoints

May 1, 2015

years of

Dominick Cuppetilli Sports Editor Visual Arts major; Anthropology and Journalism Minor Once The Current has you, it really doesn’t let you go. The first time I came to one of The Current’s meetings, all I wanted to do was take photos.

I enjoy writing, but I had never really considered writing for the newspaper.

I had an idea that I’d like to take photos for Sports, so I sat with them when it came time for the sections to split up.

One week later I was an assistant sports editor, writing my own column and covering at least one sporting event every issue. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had just made a commitment that

the current

S eniors say

sayonara...

would eat up more of my time than I thought was possible.

A major factor in my choosing to work for The Current was the faculty advisor at the time, Tracy Crow. Tracy was so much more than a figurehead for the paper.

We fondly called the newsroom the Crow’s Nest, because Tracy was such a motherly support system for us. Had it not been for her, I’m not sure I would have felt so passionately about working for The Current. In her last year at Eckerd, Tracy helped shape what the rest of my time here

would be like.

Fast forward to senior year, and I’ve become the head editor of the section I was thrown into, what seems like so long ago.

I’ve seen big changes with The Current in my time here, both positive and negative.

I’ve seen two sets of seniors leave before me, and now it’s finally my turn to say my goodbyes.

It’s true: once The Current has you, it doesn’t let you go, but once I joined the team here at the paper, it was me that couldn’t let go of The Current.

(Drops mic)

Four years ago, I remember coming to my own Explore Eckerd weekend and meeting with various club heads. One of the tables happened to have two representatives from The Current, which, at that point, was still a relatively young paper on campus without the awards and recognition it has now. I forget who it was I talked to, but I clearly remember their reaction to my experience with InDesign.

“You know InDesign? We have layout tonight.

You want to help?” they said.

They turned to my mom.

“Can she stay?” they asked. “We’ll drive her home.”

Thus began my journey with The Current. Every meeting, I was given nothing but encouragement from my fellow editors to fight for the stories that I wanted and to continue my growth as a writer and a journalist. It even got me a state award for my article on students dealing with cancer, a topic particularly close to my heart after my family’s own struggles with the disease. Although, I will admit that there were many times that the former faculty head Tracy Crow would have to talk me

down from taking on too many stories.

“Hailey, I’m getting concerned,” she’d say.

“Three is enough. Leave some for everyone else.”

I would just laugh to myself as I focused on the other ideas running through my mind.

Throughout my time at Eckerd, I had the opportunity to work with so many amazing writers on the paper and interview fantastic guest speakers such as Jessica Valenti, Ariel Levy and Piper Kerman. I was able to express my ideas through a feminist column and follow the inspiring stories of my fellow classmates. Now, about 85 articles later, I am leaving with more skill and experience than I could have ever imagined.

Now that I’m leaving, however, I can’t help but wonder what I will leave behind. The words on the page will fade or get lost in the recesses of the website’s history. Those I befriended at Eckerd will graduate and lead their own lives, following their dreams I hope. I will go where ever the wind takes me in my life-- a simple life as a writer doing what they love.

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned, though, it’s that even a simple life is worth so much.

Even a pebble has the ability to start an avalanche, bouncing from one rock to the next until they all become tumbling dominoes in the landslide.

They are the start of something so much bigger than themselves. In a way, that is what I have been on The Current: a small pebble in a big avalanche to tell the story of my community.

Despite any discouragements or doubts I might have faced along the way, this knowledge has made the difference.

So, this is where I leave you. If I could have any reader take one thing away from my articles and my life at Eckerd, it’s this: be the pebble.

Live life the way you want no matter how small or big you dream it up to be.

Once you achieve that, become the pebble that starts an avalanche towards something bigger in the world, whether it’s by example or as the leading force.

Then, maybe, we’ll meet again one day so that I may write a story on your life and you can tell me yourself that you once read about how to be a pebble.

I started working at The Current November of my junior year at Eckerd.

I have not been with The Current as long as many other seniors but I think of everyone at The Current as great friends. I will greatly miss our Monday night meetings when I leave Eckerd

and head out into the "real world" to become a "real adult."

As my senior year comes to a close, I would like to thank Sydney, Teresa and Gary for being great leaders.

I would also like to thank Hannah Zaremsky

and Malena Carollo for helping me when I first started at The Current.

I'm so thankful to have found an amazing family at Eckerd College, and I'll miss you all.

Thanks for letting me tweet, Instagram and Facebook the news to you these past two years.

Hailey Escobar Online Editor Interdisciplinary Arts major

Marissa Meleedy Social Media Coordinator Business Administration major

A History of Eckerd College Student Publications 1960

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Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

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Simon Scheidegger Asst. Sports Editor English and German Language major My second and last semester at Eckerd is coming to a close. As an international student from Switzerland I spent the Fall semester 2013 at Eckerd and The Current was a big part of my decision to come back for this Spring semester. It not only enabled me to gather first experiences in journalistic writing in English, but I also got the chance to explore issues and topics which I had not dealt with before. This can prove itself to be very important since for

Alexander Zielinski Photo and Graphic Design Editor Physics and Math major

I became part of The Current family quite early in my Eckerd career. While I was originally just interested in taking photographs on the side, the editors at the time saw my potential.

It was probably only two or so months in when I was asked to step up as the photography editor, a position that did not have any solid ground yet. While it was difficult at first to be one of the few photographers, the position slowly became more manageable. Over the next four years, we shifted from our reliance on public images, and as the paper grew, we shifted towards graphic artists as well. To help catalyze this shift, two editors and I took independent study classes in newspaper graphic design so we would have a foundation to work upon.

Sabrina Lolo Sports Editor Communication major

I started writing for The Current during my sophomore year with absolutely no previous journalism experience.

I was taking Intro to Journalism at the time, and I was lured in by then adviser Tracy Crow with the promise of pizza and chocolate. Little did I know that I would stay for the next two and a half years and eventually work my way up to being a sports editor after starting off as a contributing writer who didn’t know what she was doing half the time.

May 1, 2015

a journalist it is highly advantageous to be able to cover a variety of topics as opposed to just one specific issue in one field. It has been my dream to start a career in journalism for a very long time and I think that the experiences I could make when working with The Current brought me one step closer to fulfilling this dream. Comparing the two semesters is difficult because The Current has changed and developed itself, but the entire industry is constantly

changing and finding new ways to build readership, so I am sure that The Current will continue to be an important organ for the campus community for many years to come.

It has been a pleasure to be part of the team.

Getting an insight into American journalism broadened my horizon considerably and will certainly be valuable for my future professional career, wherever it may be.

It is very interesting to think about where The Current has traveled since my start. I recall being so excited that I had a photograph in the newspaper at first and about my first front cover story.

I was still always excited to see what the issue turned out like after I left layout for the evenings, because I was always out of the office before layout was finished. Over the years, The Current lost graduating editors and the founding advisor, but we’ve gained many editors and a new advisor as well. We were the editors that were smack dab in the middle of all the changes, and we’ve shown that even when there is change, we can adapt.

It is difficult to believe that my time at

Eckerd is nearly over. If I could go back in time and tell my former self everything I was going to do in college, I probably would not have believed myself. I’ve traveled abroad three times, done summer research with professors, gotten involved with so many groups and met so many amazing people.

While senior year is a stressful time, it did not really hit me that I’m leaving this little piece of paradise until this past spring break.

A word of advice: take the time and just enjoy your surroundings as your time comes to an end at Eckerd.

Walk along the sea wall, hang out at Kappa field -- just take it all in and really appreciate everything Eckerd is, and always will be.

I’ve had some of the most wonderful experiences of my college career being on The Current from taking home the 2013 ACP Award in New Orleans, to making a documentary about World War II veterans, as well as those long, yet very entertaining nights, at layout.

The Current helped me realize that journalism is something that I want to do as a career, and I’m incredibly proud to have been a part of such an awesome newspaper.

I wouldn’t trade my time with The Current and

at Eckerd for anything. Eckerd has helped me grow as a person and became a home away from home.

From my fellow Current editors to our advisor K.C.,my roommates and professors, the people I’ve met and the friends I’ve made here have become like family to me. That’s something you can’t get at any old college.

A few years ago, Eckerd was listed as one of 40 colleges that change lives, and I can say that it most definitely has changed mine.

doesn’t hurt, either.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I decided to go to Eckerd. It was third on my list of schools, mostly because of the fact that it was in Florida. But not having an agenda, or really knowing anyone within a three-hour distance, worked out better than I thought it would.

Being open to everything that happens in this melting pot we call a campus led me to meet some life-long friends, take some interesting and enlightening classes and overall have a truly unforgettable college experience.

A tip to all the underclassmen -- take the

phrase “think outside” to heart. There’s a lot of close-minded thinking in the world, but there’s a ton of progressive thinking going on here.

New experiences and meeting new people can be weird and uncomfortable at times, but living outside your comfort zone is what creates memorable moments and ideas, and can show you what kind of a person you really are.

I can’t wait to see what my classmates and I go on to do after we graduate this year; there are a ton of really intelligent people on this campus that I know will go on to do some good in this world. Thanks for all the great times Eckerd College. Stay classy.

Bryan Arnott News Editor; Ass Creative Writing major; Jourmalism and Literature minor

Wow, it really came too quickly - I’m talking about this last deadline, but graduation too.

This year of working on The Current has been an amazing experience, has helped me meet so many incredible people and made me wish I was here the last three years.

I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to have my work published in a paper that is put together as well as ours, and it serves as a good medium for any student to get started with journalism.

Late nights of putting stuff on the page can be a pain, but with the right people around you, it goes by quickly. Free pizza every Monday

Viewpoints 7

2009-Present 2000

996-2009

2009

-Best Website (2014)

SPJ Florida Chapter Sunshine State Awards

-Best Student Publication (2014)

SPJ Florida Chapter Sunshine State Awards

- 1st place - Online Pacemaker (2013) Association of Collegiate Press

- 1st place - Best (small) College Newspaper (2012) Society of Professional Journalists (Southeast Region)

- 1st place - Best (small) College Affiliated Website (2012) Society of Professional Journalists (Southeast Region)

- 2nd place - Best College Newspaper (2012)

Florida College Press Association - National Finalist for Best College Website (<5000 enrollment) (2012)

Association of Collegiate Press - 1st place - Best College Newspaper (2011)

Florida College Press Association - National Finalist for Best College Website (<5000 enrollment) (2010)

Association of Collegiate Press

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Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

8 Viewpoints

the current

May 1, 2015

Summer internships bring experience, boost resume

By Dan Whitely Columnist

With spring semester quickly coming to a close and the stress of projects and finals, it is easy to forget about what summer will entail. Eckerd students can take many different routes on their three months off, but one of the most productive routes is participating in an internship.

Internships provide great first-

hand experience and allow students to immerse themselves in a career related to their studies.

Often there is a debate between whether unpaid internships are at all worth it when the prospect of having a paid summer job is available. While there are valid arguments to the contrary, internships are more beneficial and have better long-term results.

Last summer I participated in an unpaid internship in a U.S. representative’s office and this was by far the best possible learning experience that I could have undertaken. Although I had to drive an hour early in the morning just to get to the office, then work eight hours — often through lunch — it was still worth every minute.

Often the work felt meaningless and as though I was just assisting

in basic office work, but the moments when I would actually help someone directly made all the difference.

The opportunity to assist citizens from the district and to go on meetings with other employees and congressmen was truly an experience I feel lucky to have had.

I was fortunate though; my family supported me while I interned and was willing to do whatever needed to be done to make sure I could continue.

This is where the value of internships becomes nuanced. I could have had a summer job and saved up money which would have had tremendous short-term benefits, but that’s just my point.

Summer jobs only have short-term benefits, and the argument of taking a summer job over an intern-

ship is short-sighted and hinders personal development.

Internships allow an individual to experience an area of their study in which a student can get a glimpse into a career in their field.

I am a Political Science major, which made my internship valuable, and profoundly changed my perspective on my major.

My internship reaffirmed my love for my studies, and completely dissuaded any musings of changing my major. Often it is difficult to see whether your career aspirations are possible, or if you’ll even enjoy a career in that field. I nternships allow you to peer into that world and see if the career and area of study is worth it, and if you truly want to continue on that path.

Internships act as résumé-build-

ers. Employers like to see commitment to a specific field of interest and that an individual has a diversified background. Internships show that an individual actually cares about their career and wants to work.

Will it be frustrating making no money from the long hours of work? Yes. Will it feel like you aren’t making a difference in your office at times? Yes. But you will relish in the moments when others in the office thank you for your work and use reports that you’ve compiled in meetings.

Getting an internship over this summer is one of the best longterm decisions you could make for your future.

Internships are beneficial in the long run — much more than summer jobs will be.

expected to get internships, in lieu of summer jobs, in order to get experience in our desired careers.

This turn of events wouldn’t be such a problem if the majority of internships were paid, but they’re not.

Other than looking decent on a resume and being a networking opportunity, unpaid internships tend to be a waste of a summer and have a demand that’s higher than their reward.

Unpaid interns and volunteers are in almost the same position, except that the intern is required to do the same amount of work but in a much smaller time frame.

Overall, they tend to be treated with the same level of respect as volunteers -- perhaps

less than paid interns because you’re there on your own accord.

The difference between a paid and an unpaid intern is that the company or institution acknowledges that you’re a struggling, American student who is trying to meet the monthly rent and pay off years of students loans.

The two redeeming qualities of unpaid internships are that they look good on resumes and you do have the opportunity to meet people in your field.

Networking is especially important in the scientific field, which these internships help with a lot in some cases.

A lot of people say internships are “a way to get your foot in

the door” of your desired career.

Everything is going to require you have previous experience, unless you’re willing to donate your precious time for free.

Most students have more free time during the summer.

For those who don’t have summer jobs or take summer classes, this is not a problem.

But for those who do, unpaid internships could be categorized as a waste of time and money.

Where I’m from, once you turn 14 years old, you’re expected to get a summer job.

Almost our entire economy is based on summer tourism and since the towns are so small, you tend to work for people you know

personally, if you’re not already working for your o wn family.

Pursuing a scientific career requires that I get as much early experience as I can and network with as many people as possible.

Neither of these would be hard to come by if having a summer job didn’t hold so much importance in my life.

Throughout the many internships I’ve had, I’ve found that they demand more than they can offer me during the summers.

It’s not the internship itself, but the internship offices that tend to have the high demands that you’re not aware of until you’ve committed and are given the low down of the program.

Summer internships: Not worth unpaid hours of lesser treatment

Corelle Rokicki Columnist Summer jobs are an important aspect of many students lives.

Summer is 13 weeks to make as much money as you can to put into savings or to spend throughout the school year.

Yet, once we reach college we’re

PerspECtives:

What are your plans for the summer?

Mom I’m 22 years old, you can take the baby on board sticker off the car.

Honestly, group projects make me understand why Batman wants to work alone.

Shoutout to the kid with the flip phone even though you’ll never see this

I’m on It’s -

doing an EMT course campus this summer. going to be awesome.

Bo Gurskis, freshman

My plans are to go to upstate New York and spend the summer with my grandfather. I’m taking Intro to Racing for Sailing and a Strategic and Tactical Racing course at the yacht club in Saratoga Lake and I also plan on going to Alaska with my mom. -Margaret Catrambone, freshman

I’m looking to work on a New York State Park this summer doing environment education for that park. I’d be there for seven weeks living on site. It’s unpaid but I’d be living there for free so that’s pretty cool and they’re actually going to give me a job at the boathouse or snack shack so I’ll make a couple bucks. - Tyler Cribbs, junior

My plans this summer are to get a job. One of my friends has a beach house in New Jersey so I’ll probably go there for two weeks. I also have a lake by my house so I’ll probably go boating a few times with my friends.

-Natalia McKay, freshman

I’ve been hanging out with this pretty cool girl but she just said, “cheez its are gross!” What do I do!?

The feeling after you finish a netflix show is similiar to post breakup - forced, meaningless solitude.

My grandfather is a seasoned veteran; he’s been sprayed with pepper spray and mustard gas.

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

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the current

May 1, 2015

Science & Technology 9

Science & TEchnology

Food security promotes fruitful debate

graphic by Hannah Hamontree

By Ania Szczesniewski Asst. Science & Tech Editor

drunk on

photo by Lia Nydes Freshman Roxanne Hoorn poses a question during the debates on April 24.

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nual crops already used that must be replanted each season.

Van Eenennaam is a proponent of genetic engineering as a breeding process. She argued that food security would be improved if the products themselves were the focus of regulation, not the process used to produce them.

“It [GMOs] is a very frustrating area to do scientific communication in because quite often you’re dealing with very passionate people who automatically assume if you counter with scientific information [negating GMO risks] that you’re being paid by a company to say that, but that’s generally not how scientists rock,” Van Eenennaam said.

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By Conor Sean McKenna Columnist I sipped sour red wine, staring at a computer screen full of scientific articles and an empty Word document. The amount of scientific topics is always overwhelming, each one driven by the curiosity of geologist, biologists, chemists, physicists; the list goes on. This thirst for knowledge is the same brain function we see when cats stick their little heads into bags and boxes. Strange to think that this instinct is why we know everything we do in scientific research.

Without any idea of where to start, I decided to clear my head by swimming at the Waterfront.

I held my breath to float on the surface more easily than I would in any pool. This is because I am more buoyant in the creek. Buoyancy is the force exerted from a liquid when something with weight is immersed in it. So the water wants to push me upward, while gravity pushes me down. The creek, as stu-

Visit us online at www.theonlinecurrent.com

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dents may know, is extremely salty, making the water more dense.

I think of density as dropping a ring in a glass of water compared to a bowl of Jell-O made for the Around the World party. The ring falls through the less dense water but bounces off the dense Jell-O. I continued to lay on the surface of the water and look up at the sky, into space. Thoughts of water and other planets poured into my mind.

We’ve seen evidence of water on other planets by using satellites to observe dried channels and rivers but until recently, we haven’t had an idea of what happened to it.

The last columnist for Drunk on Science, Norris Comer, proposed this question in his last submission of where the water could have gone. NASA’s Curiosity rover may have just recently found an answer.

Data found by NASA’s Curiosity rover suggests that liquid water may be hiding underneath Mars’s surface like a layer of wine between two jars stacked together.

about; you get to participate, everybody, all 100 or 200 people, get to contribute their ideas for how to solve food security.”

Each caucus group contained around 10 people ranging from students in Conrad’s class, members of the panel and observers from the previous day. Everyone in the group voiced their opinions on the topics in the first 20 minutes, then spent 20 minutes developing points of consensus and spent the last 20 minutes brainstorming actionable steps.

Every step required consensus from the group as a whole. Moderators ensured that the conversation remained civil, while scribes recorded the proceedings.

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By 2050, the world’s population is estimated to reach nine billion, according to The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Finding a way to feed so many mouths without ravaging the environment is a monumental concern. Courses of action to care for people and the planet were discussed at Eckerd’s Food Security Conference on April 24 and 25 in Wireman Chapel.

“It was awesome because my students were on the panel,” Assistant Professor of Biology Liza Conrad said. “They were fantastic and did such an amazing job. It was so much more fun and exciting for me to see them participate than it would have been for me to participate.”

Friday consisted of three interactive debates between the audience and speakers. After welcome remarks by Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP) Founder George Atkinson and President Donald Eastman, Global Sustainability Manager at Mars Inc. Rachel Goldstein took the floor. The next two speakers were plant geneticist at The Land Institute Lee DeHaan and Biotechnology and Animal Genomics specialist Alison Van Eeennaam. Panels containing Eckerd students, professors and other qualified individuals posed questions about the speakers’ proposed courses of action for food security.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines food security as “exist[ing] when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy lifestyle.”

With Café Bon Appétit, Triton’s Pub and the CEC, it is easy for students to forget that St. Petersburg struggles with food deserts.

These are areas that have no access to fresh produce and sometimes

The second day began early with caucus sessions from 9 a.m. to noon.

Each group spent an hour discussing each question relating to the three topics proposed by the speakers, ranging from multi-stakeholder collaborations and food waste, the development of perennial crops to the regulation of GE crops.

“What’s exciting about that is that everybody who attends the conference gets to put their opinion, ideas, into this caucus group,” Conrad said. “It’s not a matter of just sitting there and listening to people talk about what they know

not even fast food. Food may be available on campus, but students complain about the health of their options. Students concerned with such issues are thinking about local food security.

Goldstein’s focus was on ways to limit food waste. She suggested incorporating “uncommon collaboration” between multiple stakeholders, like farmers, businesses and the public.

DeHaan’s debate time centered on the potential benefits of using perennials, plants that grow back every year, alongside the many an-

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Eyes darting, heart pounding, mind racing — order up! Cocaine isn’t the only white powder addicting to Americans — in fact, it’d be lost if thrown among the mass amounts of caffeine we consume each morning. The 15 million pounds our nation consumes annually is a mindboggling 21 pounds per citizen.

Caffeine craze is not limited to U.S. borders. Currently coffee megalith Starbucks opens an estimated four new locations every workday across the globe. Caffeine from such natural sources as coffee and tea has been popular since the days of Taoism, but modernity has opened new doors for caffeinated concoctions. Energy drinks have become a thriving industry of chemical manipulation. Red Bull, Monster, SoBe and 5 Hour Energy are especially popular among young adults. It’s understandable that this would be so as college students jolt themselves awake to squeeze every ounce of brainpower into their studies before passing out over textbooks. After committing to a school’s price tag, the pressure is on to get the grades.

How come pumping our veins with these feel-good elixirs is so effective at propelling us into overdrive? It all begins when caffeine crosses the blood-brain barrier. Caffeine has a similar shape to the neurotransmitter adenosine, which causes our brains to slow down. Caffeine begins to stop our brain from resting by taking adenosine’s place. This is called competitive inhibition. It will also trigger the release of adrenaline, evoking flight or fight symptoms as our bodies gear up for action.

Too much caffeine is dangerous because it can cause heart palpitations and seizures. It would be practically impossible to overdose on caffeine from coffee or tea, but in recent years, energy drink binges have ended in hospitalization.

They hold many times the amount of caffeine that would occur naturally from brewed plants.

5 Hour Energy has been involved in so many emergencies that investigations by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been done in regards to its safety.

The FDA warns of its threats and is especially wary of pure caffeine powder that is now being sold on the market. According to them, a teaspoon of the powder is the equivalent of roughly 25 cups of coffee, so you can imagine how easy it could be to ingest a threatening quantity. Consumers must purchase wisely when dealing with this under-regulated industry.

It’s a fast-paced world out there, and caffeine can help us get ahead, but it’s important to put on the breaks sometimes and simply cruise. It’s not natural for a brain to always function at full throttle.

Our culture likes tricking us into thinking everything is a competition because the system thinks this will motivate us to be our best selves. The truth is that life is not a race. Once you make it to the end you will want more than a blur to reminisce upon.

By Sarah Raney and Ania Szczesniewski Science & Tech. Editor and Asst. Science & Tech. Editor

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Mars is currently too cold to hold any water on the surface of its planet, but NASA scientists beO lieve thatOHMars contains Calcium perchlorate, a salt which holds the ability to keep water liquid below freezing temperatures.

This leads O HO to water onOHMars being considered as brine, an extremely salty solution. I imagined myself floating easily on the underground waters of Mars, ignoring the fact that I wouldn’t be alive. The scientists believe that with the conditions of the atmosphere and the density of the brine, water may have seeped into the planet to form an underground oasis.

The water on Mars isn’t suitable for life, so no, no aliens, but still an amazing discovery. It was curiosity that drove Curiosity to reach out and discover something new. It’s a trait that could describe most of us here at Eckerd. I began heading back to my dorm room.

To achieve a greater understanding has always called for the hard work of scientists and the communication through science writers fueled by the instinct of discovery. All scientists try to answer the same questions: “How?” “How does this work?” or “How does this happen?” — and unfortunately we can never answer why. We know gravity works, but we don’t know why it is working. Even these functions we know must exist can

“The first day is really about collecting information and seeing what experts have to say, and the second day is about putting your own kind of two cents in,” Conrad said.

After a lunch break, the eight caucus groups reconvened for a three-hour plenary caucus. During this session, consensus had to be achieved across the eight groups.

Each caucus group had two to four representatives voice the consensus of their group members.

By the end of the session, the moderator determined some level of consensus on the topics and potential actionable steps. While many groups had varying opinions, all supported education initiatives of some form regarding food waste, perennial crops and genetic engineering.

The Institute on Science for Global Policy will compile a book describing the exact details of the reached consensus. Everyone who participated will be offered a copy.

“The book can be used by the [Institute on Science for Global Policy] that we’re working with to brief policy-makers and kind of disseminate the information collected at the conference,” Conrad said.

Eckerd scheduled TV spots for Senior and ISGP fellow Barbara Del Castello, Senior Cleo Warner, Senior Derek Godshall and Conrad to speak about the event. Channel 10 aired a segment with Warner, Godshall and Conrad on April 22 and then on April 23 Del Castello, Godshall and Conrad spoke on Channel 9 Bay News.

“It was so much fun, I never suspected that I would be asked to talk about GMOs on television and then to see my name flash up ‘Barbara Del Castello, Eckerd College student,’ it was completely mind blowing,” Del Castello said.

According to Conrad, such conferences will likely continue in the future.

“I think it went fantastically; it was an awesome experience for the students,” Conrad said.

never be “proven” or confirm to be a truth. Nothing is 100 percent in science, and all statistics and data can point to a probable truth, but not an absolute one.

Professor of Marine Science and Geosciences Gregg Brooks once told me: “A scientist uses statistics the same way a drunk uses a lamppost, for support, not enlightenment.”

We are all grasping for ideas and asking questions with no certain answers.

Still we go on, driven by our own curiosity, producing scientific articles that flood databases and online news pages everywhere on almost every day. I, for one, want to know more about the world, and other worlds, like if Mars actually does have an underground ocean.

With this drive, I feel like a cat, about to poke my head into a bag to discover the endless possibilities inside. I sat down, and my Word document was no longer empty.

This is how it has been for Norris and me, and how it will be for the next science columnist. It has been a pleasure, but my work here is finished. If you are interested in continuing this column, please contact The Current. You won’t regret it.

Best, Conor

10 Science and Technology

the current

May 1, 2015

Eckerd’s Earth Fest celebrates 45th annual Earth Day

By Fiona Maguire Columnist Earth Day has been a platform for raising environmental awareness since 1970 and is often considered the beginning of modern environmentalism. This year, April 22 was the 45th annual Earth Day, and President Obama celebrated by visiting the Everglades to speak about climate change and conservation.

Eckerd had its own celebration through Earth Fest, where environmental groups gathered on Hough Quad. Organized by EC Green Team, the festival was a part of Earth Week activities, which was comprised of several other events including a Food Security conference, beach cleanups and Harvest Fest. Students and faculty were able to learn about the clubs’ eco-friendly goals while also earning a CPS credit. Among the groups at Earth Fest were the Edible Peace Patch Project, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and EC Composting.

A stage was set up at the quad’s center for a performance by Eckerd’s improv troupe Another Man’s Trash. Behind the stage, the IllumiNation project set up their teardrop-shaped trailer. Liza and Hal

Bailstein of The Illumi-Nation project have been traveling the country to collect research on eco-villages.

According to their website, “One of our main goals is to develop a research-based, therapeutic ecovillage that will provide a healthy, sustainable home, permanent family, education and therapeutic atmosphere for abused and neglected children.”

Additionally, recycled water bottles decorated tree branches in the quad to bring attention to the ECOS Committee for Environmental and Social Responsibility’s Ban the Bottle campaign, which had their petition available for signing.

Floridians for Solar Choice, a grassroots campaign working to expand the availability of solar energy in Florida also had a petition for signing. Their goal is to create a spot for solar choice on the 2016 ballot, and hopefully end the regulations that prohibit Floridians from purchasing solar electricity.

“Earth Day is a great way to raise environmental awareness, but we should be in tune with these problems every day,” Sophomore Kasia Nowacki said. “I think Eckerd’s Ban the Bottle campaign is a good starting point.”

Senior Nicole Zavala discusses the process of composting.

photo by Fiona Maguire

photo by Fiona Maguire

Illumi-Nation set up their teardrop-shaped trailer at Earth Fest.

photo by Fiona Maguire Plastic bottles strung from the trees remind students of the Ban the Bottle campaign.

photo by Fiona Maguire Earth Fest showcased a composting toilet.

Eckerd strengthens Cuban ties with new program

By Christa Perry Staff Writer

photo by Cypress Hansen Sophomores Karl Teague and Alex Holderness work on the aquaponics system outside Galbraith. Both are in Professor Szelistowski’s Spring into Summer course.

Ten Eckerd students will venture to Cuba this June to study tropical marine environments in the offcampus component of Tropical Marine Ecology in Cuba. This Spring into Summer course is led by Associate Professor of Marine Science William Szelistowski.

Szelistowski is excited about the camaraderie between the University of Havana and Eckerd College.

“This is our first endeavor of what we hope will be a long-term joint relationship between the marine science departments between Eckerd and the University of Havana,” Szelistowski said. “We hope to develop joint research projects with them.”

The union of these two institutions could yield great scientific success. The students going on this trip are a part of something historic.

“They’re going to be the very first group of students that participate in this relationship,” Szelistowski said. “Being a part of the initial endeavor is going to be pretty exciting.”

The course gives travel and research experience to students who would not have the time to otherwise.

“I don’t have time to do another Winter Term trip or a semester abroad,” Senior Rachael Kalin said, “so this is a great travel opportunity that Eckerd offers.”

The course includes an oncampus portion and an off-campus portion. On campus, students will receive an introduction to Cuban

culture, history and geography in addition to covering aspects of tropical marine ecology the students will be studying once they get to Cuba.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity for them to see a place in the Caribbean that’s still in pretty good condition in terms of coral reefs,” Szelistowski said.

Specifically, they are studying mangroves, seagrasses, coral reefs, coral reef fish, lionfish and sharks.

According to Szelistowski, the students meet once a week for a few hours on Wednesday nights.

The students will fly directly to Havana and then to the Isle of Youth, the second largest Cuban island aside from the main island.

The students will spend five days on a University of Havana research vessel that will pick them up from the Isle of Youth.

“While we’re on the boat, we will be participating in the university’s existing research projects,” Szelistowski said.

According to Szelistowski, the University of Havana has three long-term studies that Eckerd students will have the opportunity to work on while on the boat. The first long-term study is involved in surveying the composition and any possible changes in the reef fish communities.

“Students will use underwater video cameras mounted on frames to videotape reef fish and survey the reef,” Szelistowski said.

The university also works on the impact of lionfish, an invasive species in the Caribbean that eats juvenile reef fish. The third project is the university’s Shark Research

Project, which involves catching sharks on drum lines in order to measure, tag and release them.

After five days on the University of Havana’s research vessel, the students will spend five days on the Isle of Youth. The class will be chartering a boat to work on manatee research as well as working with seagrasses and mangroves. Szelistowski also plans to bring a gill net to catch sharks in order to assess whether or not some sharks use the shallow mangrove areas as a nursing ground.

Students will dive, snorkel and conduct research while in Cuba.

“The water is really clear, it’s a great place to dive,” Szelistowski said. “It’s a good place to see marine life, and the scientists and staff have a lot of expertise.”

Kalin continues to work for her marine science degree in the geology track and is looking forward to her trip to Cuba and what the experience will give her.

“I’m really looking forward to the diving,” Kalin said. “There is a lot of research taking place, and this trip is a great chance to get research experience.”

The students will also get to experience Cuban culture. On the last two days of the two-week trip, students will spend time in Havana talking to locals and experiencing the culture.

Szelistowski also says that four Cuban marine science students will join the Eckerd class on the University of Havana research vessel, allowing the students to interact with people from a different culture than themselves.

Spring Final

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Arts & Entertainment 11

Arts & Entertainment

Cherub: The dynamic duo of electronic pop music

Big Guava expands horizons

By Cypress Hansen Contributing Writer

promotional image Cherub is a duo widely known for their hit “Doses and Mimosas”.

By Amy Delano Staff Writer If you’ve heard of the song “Doses and Mimosas,” then you’ve probably heard of the group Cherub. The group is quickly making a name for themselves in the music industry with their catchy electropop beats, humorous music videos and uniquely brash lyrics. The group came to St. Petersburg at the State Theatre, less than a 10 minute drive from campus, on April 22.

The State Theatre is a historical site in downtown St. Petersburg.

The theatre is nestled between many buildings, but is actually rather large inside. There is a large dance floor by the stage, two side areas and a slightly higher level protected by a railing for those less interested in dancing. There is even an upper balcony with a unique view of the stage and plenty of room for larger shows.

The show opened with a DJ, shortly followed by a performance

by ForteBowie. Then a DJ by the name of Mystery Skulls played for approximately 40 minutes before Cherub’s performance. The guys were full of energy. They played a variety of instruments and used a lot of

unique electronics to diversify their voices and their instruments which made for a concert experience like I’ve never seen before. A variety of songs were played from multiple albums, ending with “Strip to This” with FortieBowie, and playing “Doses and Mimosas” as an encore that the crowd went crazy for and truly ended the night with a bang.

Members Jason Huber and Jordan Kelley met in college at Middle Tennessee State University where they were both studying music production. Both guys had been playing music most of their lives, and were actually working with different bands on different projects before becoming Cherub about five years ago. The name Cherub was not chosen for any particular reason.

“We threw a dictionary up in the air and kinda let fate take its course,” Huber said. They simply chose whatever word Kelley ended up pointing at.

“Doses and Mimosas” is the song that Cherub is most well known for. “It’s one of those perfect storm situations,” Huber said.

“The visual aspect of it is something that people really enjoy” People can relate to along with a wonderfully brash chorus that en-

courages people to sing along. This song can be found on Cherub’s first full-length album “MoM & DaD” as well as their latest full-length, and first album produced by Columbia Records, “Year of the Caprese”.

In terms of how the albums were named, “MoM & DaD” is based off of the fact that Huber and Kelley called each other Mom and Dad during its production.

The guys even got Mom and Dad tattoos on their bottoms to celebrate the album’s release. As for “The Year of the Caprese,” “that album name really has nothing to do with anything other than the fact that Jordan Kelley really enjoys a really nice caprese salad,” Huber said.

Clearly Huber and Kelley have a great sense of humor.

“We’re not cool people, so if we pretended to be cool it would look like we were pretending to be cool,” Huber said. “We’d rather just have a lot of fun and hope that other people have fun with us too.”

In terms of their music videos “I don’t know where these ideas come from, they just happen sometimes,” as he described the “Strip to This” video where him and Kelley are sim-

ply lounging in inner tubes in a back bayou with some older women.

The guys were very excited about their upcoming Florida shows. “Florida is one of the places that we’ve had a lot of fun and we have not gotten the chance to play there enough” Huber said.

In regards to the upcoming show in St. Petersburg, Huber said that he was most excited to perform “Strip to This.” Normally the group does not perform their songs that feature other artists, but since ForteBowie opened for them for this segment of the tour, they had the opportunity to perform the song live, which the crowd got very into and everyone enjoyed the surprise. Of course, the Cherub humor spans further than music videos and photo shoots.

Huber’s advice for aspiring musicians would be that “You have to be your own best fan because if you don’t care about your project then nobody else is going too, ” Huber said. “Buy your gear from Greg Glaser, but more importantly you gotta really take yourself seriously, but not too seriously [and it is important to] remember to laugh, because life is fun.”

Dirty Heads plays for students at the GO Pavilion

By Riley Huff Staff Writer On Friday, April 26, Assistant Director of Campus Activities Lova Patterson sent me a message at 6:59 pm. The Dirty Heads would be arriving on campus at 7:00.

I would accompany Eckerd College’s most die-hard Dirty Heads fans and have a chance to talk to the band members in person.

As someone who knew little about Dirty Heads, I was curious to see why the Eckerd community loved this band so much. In two hours, the band would perform for an audience of eager students packed inside GO Pavillion.

I waited with fans in Cobb right outside the gallery. Freshman Cat Kearns in particular could

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barely contain her excitement.

“I could get married and it will still not be as great as this moment in my life,” she said.

At this point, Kearns began meditating on the floor in order to calm herself down. A group of students practiced taking the group “selfie” they planned to take with the band.

After approximately half an hour, the band’s tour bus pulled up and the members high-fived a path through Eckerd’s most loyal devotees and stepped into the gallery.

Students walked through the door individually or in small groups.

I positioned myself to be last in line and watched the frenzied admirers move in and out of the gallery.

Fans came out of the gallery

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laughing, screaming for joy and hugging anything they could get signed. Some even claimed that the band members had told them they would be showing up at the Omega Complex after their set.

After the last student ran out of the gallery gushing, the band and its entourage walked out the way they came. I pulled aside a woman from the entourage and asked if I could be granted the interview I came for. The band had places to be, she told me.

Figuring I could still grab an interview if I were lucky, my search to find the band again began. I left Cobb with newfound purpose.

The Dirty Heads sounds like Eckerd’s favorite band even without incorporating dubstep.

Formed in Huntington Beach, Calif., according to the band’s Twitter page, the band combines poppy ska beats and hooks with verses inflected with laid-back rapping or complacent singing.

If Mac Miller’s voice acquired a lower pitch and more even-tempered tone from years of smoking and started working with Sublime with Rome, his music would sound a lot like the Dirty Heads.

I arrived at the concert a couple songs before Miami hip-hop group ¡Mayday! finished its opening set. The crowd seemed animated but I knew that the Dirty Heads would stir the crowd into a state of greater auditory intoxication.

See Dirty, page 12

The spring season is the festival season here in central Florida.

The next music fest that has many Eckerd students talking is Big Guava at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa on May 8 and 9.

Last spring was the first year Big Guava music fest took place and it was a huge success with thousands of people and diverse lineups. With the announcement of many popular bands for this year, Big Guava is getting a lot of attention from music lovers all over central Florida.

Big Guava has backed it all up with a two-day list of bands that will draw in rock, pop, punk, electronic and indie music fans alike.

This year Big Guava has truly considered everyone in the lineup. Saturday will attract an older, punkier crowd with Cold War Kids, Hozier and The Strokes. This prepares music goers for a surprising headline

by The Pixies, who have recently put out a new album, “Indie Cindy,” 23 years since their last release.

The Pixies are sure to bring in all of the people still rockin’ from the early 90s, but the entire day will feature youthful genres of new rock, dance-punk, rising rap artists, western pop and much more.

The festival will also boast a plethora of food trucks with culinary styles from various cultures, emphasizing an availability of gluten free and vegan options to please everyone. For anyone who seeks a bit of a thrill mixed into their music, there will be almost twenty different rides from roller coasters to mirror mazes. And, as always, if one would like to support local artists, there will be various vendors selling their unique creations.

Friday will start things off with some easygoing grunge music and reggae from groups like Dreamers and Iration, with plenty of alternative rock and pop in between.

“I think the alternative scene right now has gotten incredibly diverse,” Sophomore Marina Belotserkovskaya said. “Especially with the introduction of more electronic sounds.”

Belotserkovskaya is looking forward to learning about new music at Big Guava. As the night wears on, things will mix up a little with Milky Chance, Awolnation and Ryan Adams bringing in their unique sounds. The penultimate artists to grace the night will be Passion Pit. Pretty Lights will be headlining the festival with his groovy jazz-tronic style. The organizers of Big Guava knew this would get people’s attention-- they waited to reveal Pretty Lights’ presence until weeks after many of the other artists had been announced.

“He’s not an expected name at this type of show, so I think it’ll be interesting to expose that audience to a new type of music,” Freshman Katie Wheeler said.

It seems like Big Guava is taking a turn towards a more Coachellaesque style of event, where genres of all sorts are being represented,.

It should be a weekend of fun for music fans of all ages and tastes.

Tickets range from $55 to $70.

12 Arts & Entertainment

May 1, 2015

Sun, sand crossword

crossword by Jennifer Lincoln For answers, go to www.theonlinecurrent.com

Across

1 Popular condiment that accompanies chips 6 Very large book 10 Geographic charts 14 To say something 15 Musical composition 16 The shape of the president’s office in the White House 17 Averages 18 _____ Disney 19 Small 20 View as 21 Greetings!

23 Popular messaging service from the early 2000s 24 The opposite of good intentions 26 Shade 28 Ski jacket 31 The noise a pig makes 32 Drag around 33 Mother ______ 36 Abbreviation for institution 40 Friend not foe 42 Hole punching tool 43 Plural of no 44 Killed 45 Having existed for a long time 48 A long period of time 49 Reference 51 A type of fish 53 List of errors 56 Abbreviation for academy 57 Status ___ 58 Slim and graceful 61 Some 65 Highest part of each valve on a bivalve mollusk 67 Spring flower 68 Sharp shoot 69 As previously cited 70 Not the front or the back 71 Islands 72 Sheet of glass often used for windows 73 Spanish for table 74 Shoot clay targets

Down

the current

1 Gritty substance that covers beaches 2 Soothing cream to put on a burn 3 Tenet 4 Season of the year when there is no school and it’s hot outside 5 Advertisements 6 Cloth made for drying wet skin and hair 7 Opaque gem 8 To ponder something 9 Baltic country 10 The woman who raised you 11 Variation of the flu 12 Overwhelming fear 13 What Nickelodeon dumps on celebrities 21 Walk through the mountains for fun 22 Dying star that lights our solar system 25 Basin 27 Similar 28 Regrettably 29 Void 30 Look at something with lust 31 National capital of Norway 34 Uncontrollable anger 35 Ram’s mate 37 Popular Christmas song 38 Dry or withered 39 Russian ruler 41 Young Women’s Christian Association 45 Traits reappearing that disappeared generations ago 46 Frilly material often found on old dresses 47 Molecule that encodes genetic material 50 ______ a small world after all 52 Polish city 53 Outfit or provide with 54 Vacuum cleaner robot that moves on its own 55 Batman’s sidekick 56 Afloat in the ocean 59 One of the five great lakes 60 Caps 62 Alphabetize documents 63 Dueling sword 64 Compass point 66 Poem of praise 68 Short for sister

Araesia King Viewpoints Editor

photo by Cypress Hansen The Dirty Heads performed at the GO Pavillion after ¡Mayday! opened the set.

From Dirty, page 11

A majority of the crowd had clearly ingested more wine than I had, or so I judged from the way several people fell forward or wobbled uncontrollably as I made my way up toward the stage.

The band maintained the carefree atmosphere found in its studio recordings while adapting the extended stamina necessary for live music.

Still, the members stayed in place as fans swayed to the music. Fans set the energy level while the band maintained the stoned tranquility their devotees had come to know and love.

At one point, I asked a girl from the audience how one was sup-

posed to dance, this type of music.

She raised her arm and rocked her body keeping time with the music.

I pulled aside several students to speak on the band and review the concert themselves.

“The environment I’d say is a nine out of 10,” Freshman Jake Eisaguirre said.

Next, I moved further back from the stage and hijacked a previous Eckerd concert opener, Senior Luke Burton, to hear his thoughts.

“It’s the best concert I’ve been to at Eckerd College,” he said. “I wish the school would bring in more bands like this.”

The concert ended as it had begun. I left with the intention of meeting the band

in

Omega after the show.

After the show ended, I traversed Omega looking for the everelusive Dirty Heads. I visited every open apartment, and yet no one knew of the band’s whereabouts.

As Jared Watson, or “Dirty J” as his fans know him, said in an interview with CraveOnline.com, “On to the next.” He was talking about the band’s affinity for trying on different styles in its music.

I could not help but apply this remark to the night’s event.

The restless band had moved on and the Eckerd Bubble was resealed. Students would have to wait another year before rumors about the next band’s accessibility surfaced once again.

photo by Eileen McGraw Freshman Ben Spruck is a biology major from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. If he could travel anywhere it would be to New Zealand.

“If I had a superpower, it would be to control any element. If I had this power, I would probably rob banks. Not going to lie about that one.” photo by Cypress Hansen Dirty Heads’ performance was one of many Springtopia events this semester.

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Health & Fitness 13

Health & fitness Powerlifting Club holds mock meet, plans for future

INSIDE H&F

Benefits of Chia seeds

page 14

Meals with Midge

page 14

Protein helps with weight loss goals

By Samantha Schepps Staff Writer

courtesy of the Powerlifting Club The Powerlifting club plans to expand next school year.

By Dani Cleary Staff Writer On April 24 at 6 p.m. there was a Powerlifting mock meet in the Gamble Weight Room by the pool.

This event was held by the Powerlifting Club and was the club’s third mock meet.

“We are expecting anywhere around 25 and 30 people,” Sophomore Alexander Holderness said before the event.

The first meet held by the club, last spring, attracted eight athletes, and the second meet, last semester, brought in 20.

The competition consisted of three different movements: bench press, deadlift and squat.

Each competitor had three attempts at each movement.

The highest amount lifted for all three exercises were added together and the competitor with the highest Wilks Coefficient, which is an algorithm that takes into account a contestant’s weight and movement sum, was the winner.

There were prizes for the first, second and third place winners for male and female athletes.

The first place winners won gift cards to health store GNC and oth-

er winners received protein bars, according to Powerlifting President and Senior Peter Chindavong.

For the men’s competition, Senior Seth Malhotra won first prize, Junior Jeremy Brown won second and Senior Mark Scafidi won third.

For the women’s competition, Sophomore Sam Schepps won first, Senior Michelle Baldwin won second place and Freshman Hannah Hamontree won third.

In the past, the club’s mock meets have run pretty smoothly, but the leadership is starting to master the process.

“We plan to make it go a little

faster,” Holderness said before the mock meet. “But it is the exact same process as in the past.”

In addition to updating the process for mock meets, the club will also be seeing changes in its leadership.

Chindavong will be graduating in May and Holderness will be taking his place as president.

“I plan to expand the club, get more members involved, taking more students to our off-campus meets throughout the state of Florida and hopefully get a higher attendance rate for our local mock meets,” Holderness said.

According to a recent study done by the Department of Nutrition in Copenhagen, Denmark and the Unit for Nutrition Research at the Central Kitchen in Herlev, Denmark, a five percent increase of protein content in one’s diet, known as the Diogene diet, can significantly help with weight loss.

The individuals in the study, all of which were obese, increased protein intake and reduced their carbohydrate intake.

When compared with other groups who had a different protein amount intake, the Diogene diet group lost more weight on average, 25 pounds in eight weeks.

Additionally, this group showed a decrease in body fat percentage, improvement in blood pressure, decrease of blood fats and decrease of inflammation.

When examined a year later, 67 percent of the individuals in the Diogene group had kept off the weight lost, as well as kept the healthy blood pressure.

Although there was a direct correlation with the individuals who were in the Diogene group and greatest weight loss, it is important to keep in mind that correlation does not imply causation.

This study was only done with obese individuals, so more studies should be done with a wider range of participants.

How to protect yourself from dangerous sex toy ingredients

By Emily Newcomb Staff Writer Walking into the local XTC for a shopping trip is a very different process than you would find at a supermarket. Consumers will examine a product’s details for its size, shape, packaging, texture and more, but will often overlook an important element: the ingredients.

A major factor of the quality and safety of a sex toy is the materials that it is made of. This is important to be aware of due to fact that there are currently no safety regulations in place regarding the production

of products in the adult industry.

As a result, there are toys that have been allowed into the market which may leach chemicals into the body during use.

In recent years, Germany’s Green Party has raised concerns over unsafe toys containing high levels of chemicals that are commonly used to soften plastic, such as phthalates and other carcinogenic plasticizers. A study done by ÖkoTest magazine in 2006 found that plasticizers accounted for up to 58 percent of materials in some products. More than half of the toys they examined contained so many

toxic substances that they would have failed to pass legal regulation if the same chemical compound was used to make a children’s toy.

Attempts to bring awareness to this issue gave birth to the American organization, The Coalition Against Toxic Sex Toys (CATT).

They have created some advisory guidelines to help consumers better evaluate the safety of an adult product.

One very large red flag that can be found on a product’s packaging is the use of PVC plastics, which when contained in a sex toy, should not be in direct contact with the

body. However, as the U.S. government has no labeling requirements on these items, even if a product is marked as “phthalate-free,” that does not mean that it actually is.

Two signs to look for on a toy out of the box is if it has a plastic, “new car” type smell that comes from the presence of phthalates. The other clue to the presence of toxins is if the product shows signs of what is called “weeping,” or an oily type of film on the surface that is a result of chemical degradation.

To make it even easier for consumers, CATT has made a list of “Coalition Partners” consisting of

retailers and manufacturers that only employ medical or food grade, hypoallergenic materials in the production of their merchandise.

Parliamentarian Volker Beck gives commendation and encouragement to Denmark for the statements released by the Danish Environment Ministry warning consumers against toxic sex toys, and urges consumers to utilize safety precautions when using toys that could possibly contain toxins by first covering them with a condom. This precaution is something to consider, as it is a very easy step to making the use of a toy safer.

14 Health & Fitness

the current

May 1, 2015

Benefits of chia seeds explored

Meals with Midge: Vegan Nori Wraps

By MJ Harford Staff Writer

© Joanna Wnuk / Dollar Photo Club Chia seeds are a popular health food that provide a high percentage of Omega-3 fatty acids.

By Christie Schafer Staff Writer Chia seeds, also known as salvia hispanica, are grown in southern Mexico and known for their high nutritional value. The seeds used to be a huge part of the Aztec diet and are again gaining popularity in the diets of health-conscious people today.

The reason for the increase in popularity is because of research conducted by former professor at the University of Arizona Wayne Coates, that shows chia seeds offer the highest known concentration of unsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids, which are said to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

More than half of their oil is a beneficial Omega-3 fat known as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). According to Coates, these tiny seeds contain more polyunsaturated fatty acids than any other crop by 83.2 percent.

Healthy fats are not the only nutrients chia seeds are known for though. In an article presented by Livestrong, just two tablespoons of chia seeds contain about six grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber.

Chia is also an excellent source of magnesium, calcium, zinc and certain phenolic compounds that protect cells against oxidative damage.

Fiber, an excellent nutrient that contributes to weight loss

by dulling appetite and discouraging bloating, is a huge selling point for people who use chia seeds in their everyday diet. With 11 grams of fiber per ounce, chia seeds provide more than 40 percent of a person’s daily fiber needs.

Consuming such nutrients helps with brain function and heart health, as well as boosts one’s metabolism and keeps blood sugar and a person’s appetite balanced.

Additionally, each two-tablespoon serving has more than 10 percent of the daily value for thiamine, niacin, iron, copper and calcium and more than 20 percent of the DV for selenium, manganese, phosphorus and magnesium.

Thiamine and niacin help turn food into energy, while iron and copper form red blood cells. Calcium, manganese and phosphorus are necessary for strong bones and selenium helps limit cell damage while magnesium works to form DNA. Furthermore, a systematic review by the natural standard research collaboration found on PubMed. gov states that chia components might be an effective treatment for angina, coronary heart disease, stroke and heart attack. Examiners also believe chia supplements may help conditions such as hypertension and high cholesterol, as well as benefit blood flow by dilating the

arteries and preventing blood clots.

Despite popular belief, there is currently no clinical evidence to support the claim that chia seeds equate to weight loss. In a 2009 study conducted by researchers from the Appalachian State University in North Carolina, chia seed supplementation showed no more weight loss benefits in 90 overweight adults after 12 weeks than those receiving a placebo.

Nonetheless, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics believes that chia seeds may help lower the risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease.

A potential increase in blood levels of the essential Omega-3 fat ALA, reduction of triglycerides and after-meal blood sugar levels were all reported in a 2012 review article published in the Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology.

Many people simply sprinkle a serving of chia seeds over their breakfast, but they can also be added while cooking a meal or used as replacements for certain ingredients.

Some common recipes that include chia seeds are chia chocolate cookies, chia fruit spread, chia wraps, chia pudding, chia yogurt and chia smoothies. However, the seed is so versatile that its use is becoming more widespread than ever before.

The “Big Eight” in the allergy world are wheat, soy, milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts. Creating fun, healthy meals that both avoid those top eight allergens (or at least most) and can be made in a flash is one of the best challenges I take on. Recipes like this one exemplify how an altered or restricted diet does not have to be about replacing or recreating.

It is about new and unique opportunity. So instead of focusing on finding the perfect gluten free and vegan wrap, adapt and create with what naturally works. Here, nori (dried seaweed) wraps are used as the container. Nori has an intimidating reputation of being very fragile and hard to work with but, if laid flat and wrapped horizontally or like a cone and rolled tightly, it can be sealed with a few dabs of water and hold its shape. Using nori also has an incredible range of health benefits that processed bread alternatives cannot offer. Many, including Dr. Oz, report one sheet of nori has the same levels of Omega-3 fatty acids as two whole avocados and is an anti-inflammatory helping with smooth digestion and skin health.

Filling the wraps is entirely personal, and these are a somewhat classic version of a spring roll. The combination of a protein, hard vegetable, soft vegetable and fresh herbs is a good format to follow when creating your own variations.

ts:

Ingredien

nori paper 2 sheets of ed carrots Shredd er ed cucumb Shredd iced do, thinly sl 1 avoca s onion stalk les or 2 2 green d rice nood e n so a se d an o is red ts (my go-t Cooked le fi fu to d e

a salt season powder, se ic

rl a g s, e k pepper fla

and pepper)

ntro asil and cila y sauce or Fresh b w sodium so lo , e e fr n ping Glute inos for dip m a t u n o c o c e wraps

r sealing th fo r te a w f owl o Small b

Directions: 1. Lay one nori sheet on a clean flat surface, no need to heat up as most packages explain.

2. On vertical end of the sheet lay the noodles or tofu filet with the avocado on top. Place the vegetables and herbs next.

3. Begin to wrap the sheet by gently folding the noodles/tofu over the herbs, making a tight roll. Continue the roll until the entire sheet is used.

4. Seal the sheet by spreading a dab of water on the end of the sheet, like an envelope, and press it down.

5. Serve with the dipping sauce of choice.

photo by MJ Harford Nori paper is a healthy alternative to tortillas when making wraps.

This is the last Meals with Midge, but please continue to tag me with any of your recreations (@midgesmoments) with the hashtag #mealswithmidge, I’d love to see what you’re cooking.

If you have any requests, like converting a classic recipe to its healthier version or particular kind of meal for a particular allergy, you can still send me an email (mjharfor@eckerd.edu) and I will be happy to help.

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Sports

Sports 15

SCORE BOARD Baseball April 17 @ Florida Southern University W 9-4

photo courtesy of Tyler Cribbs Eckerd’s underclassman team celebrates their win with the crowd at Kappa Field.

Eckerd wins annual Sevens tournament

By Dominick Cuppetilli Sports Editor The Eckerd Men’s Rugby team hosted its third annual 7s tournament, sending two teams to try and hold down Kappa Field for the Tritons. One team was made up of all seniors, and the other squad was the remaining members of the full 15s rugby team. The two other teams participating in the event were Florida Gulf Coast University and the Bay Area Pelicans Rugby Club.

Both the younger squad and the seniors got early wins in the round robin portion of the tournament. The younger team would go on to win all three matches in pool play, while the seniors would drop the next two games.

The tightest contest of the day was the game between Eckerd’s two teams, with the young team defeating the seniors 22-21.

Junior Josh Hurley said the underclassmen’s success was largely due to their speed and the training they put in going into the tournament. The 7s game is much different than the 15 man game, and requires a different strategy.

“A lot of the people on the underclassman team took the tournament really seriously and we had a lot of good practices leading up to the tournament,” Hurley said.

Junior Tyler Cribbs said that he enjoyed being a leading force on the younger squad.

“As an older member I was able to make

sure that everyone was on the same page on and off the field, but we have a lot of young leaders ready to make the team their own and that really showed with our performance on Saturday,” Cribbs said.

The consistent play from the underclassman team took them all the way to the finals of the tournament, where they were able to continue their undefeated streak of the day with a 36-0 win over Florida Gulf Coast.

“It felt incredible to win a tournament that we were hosting. Winning anything in front of the awesome Eckerd fans gives me a ton of satisfaction,” Hurley said.

Senior and Captain Rob Mabry didn’t see the success that the younger players did, but felt the same as Hurley did in regards to the day.

“We have the best rugby fans in all of Florida right here at Eckerd and that’s why we love hosting the tournament. The fan support has been phenomenal all year and they definitely gave us an edge in the championship on Saturday,” Mabry said.

Mabry has been a driving force of the team for all four years with the Tritons.

“Playing rugby at Eckerd was one of the best choices I have ever made. Watching the club grow over the years has been a great experience. Given the underclassmen performance at the sevens tournament I think this team is going to do some really special things next year,” Mabry said.

Senior Tom Houpt has also been a key player for the Triton’s lineup. He said the tournament was a big moment for the seniors, as it will be the last actual games the group plays together.

“It’s a culmination of everything we’ve worked for,” Houpt said. “It’s nice to see it all come together.”

The team will be losing a large group of seniors this season, but current members are still confident in the core they have returning. Cribbs said that winning the tournament really got the younger players excited for next year.

Hurley added that the team knows they are losing a lot in their seniors and captains graduating, but they are ready for the new challenges that come up.

“Losing our captains is going to be a huge loss,” Hurley said. “However, the team that I went out on the field with is ready to play rugby against anybody and it’s clear that we can put in the work to be competitive against any team.”

Mabry doesn’t have any doubt that the team he has led will go on to do great things.

“Captaining the team this year has been an amazing experience,” Mabry said. “It is going to be hard to leave the team, but so many young players have stepped up big time and I can’t wait to see what these guys can do next year.”

April 18 @ Florida Southern University L 1-5, W 14-11 April 21 @ Warner University W 11-8 April 22 @ Webber International University L 2-5 April 24 v. Nova Southeastern University W 7-4 April 25 v. Nova Southeastern University L 1-12, L 5-15

Softball April 18 @ Palm Beach Atlantic University L 5-13, L 3-4 April 21 @ Webber International University W 4-2, L 2-3 April 24 @ Barry University W 6-3 April 25 @ Barry University W 2-0, L 2-7

Women’s Golf April 11-14 @ Sunshine State Conference Tournament 9th of 9

Men’s Golf April 11-14 @ Sunshine State Conference Tournament 9th of 9 photo by Connor Kenworthy photo by Connor Kenworthy Freshman John Melchert advances the ball for the young squad. Seniors Garrett Jacobs and Garrett Dunne and Alumnus Mitch Mosser form a scrum.

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the current

May 1, 2015

Sports The 2014-15 Current Sports Awards Female Athlete of the Year

Male Athlete of the Year

Rana Thomas: Women’s Basketball

Jerrick Stevenson: Men’s Basketball

In her fourth year as a Triton, Senior Rana Thomas led the Women’s Basketball team in scoring (507) and ranked second in scoring for all of the Sunshine State Conference. Thomas earned the title of female athlete of the year by finishing the season leading the team in scoring average (16.4 PPG), three-pointers made (62) and free throws made (89). Thomas was also a two-time SSC player, first team All SSC selection and made first team for the All South Region. Her leadership on and off the court led to her becoming the female athlete of the year.

Thomas looks to continue her career overseas next fall.

Female Newcomer of the Year

Katie Shafer: Women’s Soccer

Katie Shafer joined Eckerd after a two-year stint at the University of North Florida. Prior to becoming a Triton, Shafer took a one year hiatus from the game while living abroad with her family in Germany. Shafer made an early impact on offense for the women’s soccer team scoring three goals in the first two matches.

The Tampa native ranked second on the team in points and started in 15 games for the Tritons. Shafer earned a total of 1,109 minutes on the pitch and looks to lead the women’s soccer team in the upcoming 2015 season.

In late game situations, the ball is often in the hands of Junior Jerrick Stevenson. The 6-5 forward’s versatility is seen both on the court and in the box score. The Lakeland native is not only the lone Triton to average double figures in scoring (13.1Pts/G) but he also leads Eckerd in assists (82) as well as steals (52) and free throws made (90).

Additionally, he is second in rebounds (131) and made three-pointers (42). With his contributions Stevenson was a vital part in a successful season which led the Tritons to the SSC tournament where they lost in a close game to the later-to-be national champions Florida Southern.

Male Newcomer of the Year

Alex Gott: Men’s Soccer

Alex Gott joined Eckerd this season after playing professionally for the Coventry City Sky Blues in England.

In 16 games, the freshman played over 1,400 minutes, recorded 72 saves and notched three shutouts. Gott made one of his best saves all year in a do or die match against Barry University resulting in a 3-1 victory. With his solid goaltending the freshman helped his team to secure a spot in the SSC Tournament for the first time since 2012. Gott emerged as a young leader on and off the field, earning the title of newcomer of the year.

Coach of the Year

Paul Honsinger: Women’s Basketball

Paul Honsinger earned the Coach of the Year award by leading the women’s basketball team to their first NCAA Tournament appearance. The former Eckerd basketball player has been the head coach for nine seasons. He is most praised for his strong recruiting ability, bringing in talent while keeping the identity of the team consistent. Coming off a rough season last year, Honsinger guided the team to becoming the winningest team in program history (23-8). Honsinger also boasts the best winning percentage of any coach in the program with .518 overall and .417 in conference play.

Moment of the Year Sand Volleyball home victory

On March 6 a new team stepped on the court for the Tritons. This season sand volleyball was introduced to the athletic program and after two losses, Head Coach Michelle Piantadosi and the team grabbed their first win on March 28 against Webber International University.

The pairs of Jordan Trimble and Savanna Cary, Mackenzie Redner and Morgan Jones, and Katie Arnette and Emily Carpenter all contributed to Eckerd’s historic first win. The win came for the Tritons on the first home tournament played on the newly renovated sand courts. Piantadosi looks to make the sand volleyball program a premier team in the sport’s growing market.

Team of the Year Women’s Basketball

With an overall record of 23-8, the women’s basketball team earned their first NCAA Division II national tournament appearance. The team had their winningest season in program history under the leadership of Seniors Kayla Bowlin, Ivana Grbic and Rana Thomas. Freshman Trine Kasemagi made a large impact on the team’s success and was named the Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. After regular season play, the team entered the national tournament seeded No. 3. Although the Tritons suffered a last minute loss in the first round, the team broke countless individual and team records throughout the year.

all photos courtesy of eckerdtritons.com

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