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April 10, 2018 VOL.19 | #15

The Media Firestorm of Marshall DeRosa For 28 years, Marshall DeRosa has been a professor of political science at FAU, but some students want to make 2018 his last — and it’s making national headlines.

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Political science professor Marshall DeRosa speaks to his Issues In American Politics class April 5. Alexander Rodriguez | News Editor

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#TABLE OF CONTEN TS 2,673 likes @NEWS

News Briefs

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@FEATURES

Counseling Crisis

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@SPORTS

Powerful in his cleats, soulful on his beats

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@PHOTO GALLERY

Walk A Mile In Her Shoes

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@NEWS

The Media Firestorm of Marshall DeRosa

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@FEATURES

Mind the Mold

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The UPʼs top news stories from the past several weeks.

Due to inadequate funding, FAUʼs maintenance of international mental health standards isnʼt up to par.

FAU defensive lineman Charles Cameron balances his football prowess with an aspiring R&B career.

Students, university police, and athletes gathered April 5 to raise awareness of sexual assault through the international movement “Walk A Mile in Her Shoes.” Owls Care Health Promotion organized the annual event.

For 28 years, Marshall DeRosa has been a professor of political science at FAU, but some students want to make 2018 his last — and itʼs making national headlines.

On-campus residents are battling mold in their bathrooms.

04.10.2018 University Press 3

News Briefs JAMES TRACY LECTURES AT FAU FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HIS FIRING The former professor spoke to students about the CIA’s involvement in the media.

Cameren Boatner | Staff Writer

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ames Tracy took his first steps on the Boca campus April 5 since clearing out his office over two years ago.

About 70 students attended his two-hour guest lecture in professor Marshall DeRosa’s Issues in American Politics class. The former communication professor gave what he called a “condensed” version of the CIA’s past involvement in American media.

“Obviously this lecture is something I’d like to cover in a whole semester, but I can’t do that given the situation,” Tracy said, referencing his 2016 firing over a failure to report outside income.

Although, Tracy believed his controversial blog, “Memory Hole,” led to his termination.

Specifically, he claimed he was fired over posts claiming the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was staged by the government.

He later sued FAU for wrongful termination, eventually losing the case in December 2017.

Political science professor DeRosa, a long time colleague of Tracy’s, said he invited him to give a guest lecture even before his dismissal from the university.

The General South classroom was quiet throughout Tracy’s PowerPoint presentation, except for a “this should be interesting” comment from a student beforehand.

DeRosa thought the lecture, titled, “The CIA and the Media: A Brief History of America’s Unfree Press,” would teach students to be skeptical of what they hear because most of it is

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Former professor James Tracy speaks to political science professor Marshall DeRosa’s Issues in American Politics class. This was his first time stepping foot on campus since his 2016 firing. Alexander Rodriguez | News Editor “filtered” through the news.

“We are at a default to the media, and that can be dangerous,” he said.

DeRosa then announced that students wouldn’t be permitted to record Tracy’s presentation.

To start off his lecture, Tracy played a video from Russia Today. In the video, German journalist Udo Ulfkotte claimed the CIA bribed him into writing positive stories about the U.S. and negative pieces about Russia.

Ulfkotte said there are, “respected journalists, but if you look behind them, you’ll find that they are puppets on a string of the Central Intelligence Agency.”

Tracy then lectured for almost 90 minutes, presenting “historical evidence” of the CIA’s involvement in American media. This ranged from books on the subject to interviews with ex-CIA agents.

At one point, he brought up the media’s use of the term “conspiracy theorist.” After referencing the New York Times coverage of his firing, Tracy said the term is used “to chill speech and to discipline intellectuals.”

Afterward, DeRosa opened up the floor to questions.

One student sitting in the front row challenged the credibility of the Russia Today video. He asked how the public could trust Ulfkotte if he had apparently been swayed by the CIA in the past.

“I’m not saying I don’t believe him, it just seems, well, suspect,” he said.

Tracy responded by saying that Ulfkotte was just sharing his experience, leaving the interpretation up to the public.

After the class ended, Tracy told the University Press his first experience teaching in front of a class at FAU again was “both exhausting and exhilarating at once.”

News Briefs

FAU RELAY FOR LIFE RAISES THOUSANDS FOR CANCER RESEARCH The annual event hosted 33 teams of FAU students, faculty, and members of the community to take laps around the Boca campus track and field.

Anthony Spataro | Contributing Writer Katrina Scales | Managing Editor

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G Relay for Life drew hundreds to the Boca campus track and field March 23 to honor the lives lost to cancer, celebrate survivors, and raise money for a cure.

The Disney-themed event was led by sophomore neuroscience major Sarvika Bommakanti of the Relay for Life Event Leadership Team. She was inspired to become a leader after she lost her grandfather to cancer.

“My inspiration when putting Relay for Life together is and has always been my grandfather who passed away from cancer years ago,” Bommakanti told the Boca Voice. “[He] was so strong during his battle with cancer. I Relay for him and for all those who have had to fight the same battle that he did.”

Close to $16,000 was raised by 33 participating teams, many of the top contributors being FAU Greek life organizations. All donations go to the American Cancer Society, which goes directly to various cancer research and outreach programs, Bommakanti said.

Freshman biology major Courtney Searles attended the event with her sorority Delta Phi Epsilon and said this was her fourth time participating in Relay for Life. Her Delta Phi Epsilon team raised $1,000 in two days.

Sophomore neuroscience and chemistry major Varad Gharat also walked the track. Gharat is a hospice volunteer at Vitas in Deerfield Beach and said he feels a special connection with Relay for Life.

“I wanted to show cancer patients they’re not alone,” said Gharat.

The most successful individual fundraiser was Pi Kappa Phi chapter president Jonathan Schantz who raised $1,000. His fraternity raised the most out of all Greek Life teams.

“I raised 1,000 by really engaging on social media, as well as utilizing the love and support from my family,” Schantz said. “My best friend’s older brother had leukemia in high school and I really saw how cancer affected his family financially and emotionally so this cause has meant a great deal to me, and I’m glad I was able to have my chapter behind me with support.”

MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS MEMORIAL ITEMS STORED AT FAU

The mementos left by members of the community were boxed up by volunteers for safekeeping.

Genesis Cubas | Contributing Writer Hope Dean | Features Editor

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undreds of plaques, stuffed animals, notes, and photographs remembering the 17 lives lost in the Parkland school shooting can now be found at the FAU Wimberly Library.

The memorial items were packed up and moved to the Boca campus March 28, according to WSVN. The City of Parkland and the Parkland Historical Society teamed up to store the items that extended all the way up to the corner of Pine Island and Holmberg roads outside the school.

Volunteers said taking the memorial apart was challenging, and some were left in tears as they worked. In place of the items, 17 flower beds in the shape of hearts were planted by the school’s entrance.

“We want this stuff to be here in 100 years, 150 years, so that people can look back and see not only what took place, unfortunately, but what was left behind by the community and the hearts and tears that were poured out,” said Parkland Historical Society President Jeff Schwartz to WSVN. The items have been temporarily placed in climate-controlled storage in the FAU library.

The library’s curator and archivist are in charge of caring for the collection while it’s under their care, Schwartz said to the UP via email.

SUICIDE PREVENTION ORGANIZATION HOSTS THIRD ANNUAL WALK The walk raised over $14,000 to support families affected by suicide.

Alexander Rodriguez | News Editor

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parade of students and local residents walked the Boca campus April 1 to show support and share stories about loved ones lost to suicide.

The third annual Out Of The Darkness suicide prevention walk ー in collaboration with the FAU Counseling and Psychological Services and the FAU Dean of Students ー raised more than $14,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

“I think everybody that comes to the walk has in some way shape or form been touched by suicide,” Florida area Director for AFSP Tara Larsen said.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, according to the AFSP. More than 44,000 Americans die each year from suicide.

The FAU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), a mental health outreach program for students, faculty, and staff, tabled at the event.

“The services of CAPS are free and confidential and professional,” said Rhonda F. Seiman, suicide awareness and prevention coordinator. “Really the idea of this walk is to raise awareness.”

Seiman, who is also a licensed psychologist, mentioned FAU is part of a statewide initiative to prevent suicide in Florida.

FAU freshman engineering major Erika Herrera attended the event hoping to spread a message of support for people struggling with depression and suicide.

“Hold on to any support or self love that you have because that’s what is really going to save you at the end,” Herrera said. “This is a beautiful world and I also know it’s a dark world but it’s worth holding out for.”

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Features

Counseling Crisis

Due to inadequate funding, FAU’s maintenance of international mental health standards isn’t up to par. Hope Dean | Features Editor

The Counseling and Psychological Services office on the second story of the Breezeway. Joshua Giron | Photo Editor

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cross the state of Florida, a need for increased mental health funding at universities has been steadily increasing.

And FAU is no different, ranking 9th out of 12 in the state’s public universities’ counselor to student ratio.

“That has been a problem with FAU for a long time now, and the issue isn’t with FAU but with the state not funding us,” said Active Minds President Onur Baseman. “They don’t have enough money right now to get the counselors. They also don’t have space to put them.”

Baseman said his organization works with FAU’s Counseling and Psychological Services office to bring educational programs, team-building activities, and other mental health resources to the university. He added that he views CAPS assistant vice president Kirk Dougher as his mentor.

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Dougher said that the Board of Governors requested a $14.4 million mental health counseling budget for Florida’s public schools in the 2017-18 year — out of which $1.6 million would have gone to FAU — but the proposal “found no traction in the legislature … So there were no dollars coming that way.”

The board did set out to balance the number of counselors that Florida public universities have however.

While FAU currently has 28 counselors along with six graduate student therapists, their respective hours all add up to the working time that 17 full-time counselors would have.

And to meet the board’s demands, FAU will be hiring more mental health employees in the next year to improve its counselor-to-student ratio.

According to the International Association of Counseling Services, the ratio of college counselor to student should be around 1:1,000-1,500, but as of

2017, FAU’s ratio is 1:2,014 , a good 500 above the upper reaches of the goal, reported the Board of Governors.

But by the end of fall 2018, CAPS should have a counselor-student ratio of 1:1,000-1,250. CAPS has expanded three times in the last six years, but will need to expand yet again to make room for the new positions, said Dougher.

Dougher said that this increasing need for mental health resources stems from stress carving a path for anxiety to slide in through, which is closely followed by depression. Although, Baseman credits it to the nature of college itself — brand-new environments, crowds of strangers, unfamiliar class styles, and different learning methods.

“You have to manage your time better, and most people aren’t good at that at first. It’s a lot being thrown [at you] at once,” he said.

His club recently aided with the Out of the Darkness suicide prevention walk at the Boca Raton campus, which raised over $14,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Despite any organization’s efforts, however, the numbers continue to pile up.

Baker Acts, in which a person is hospitalized for a mental health evaluation and subsequent treatment on a voluntary or involuntary basis, have been on the rise, with 11 occuring in the last two months alone according to FAU’s police records.

In the meantime, though, steps are being taken to make the best of the resources the university currently has.

An upcoming Student Government program, dubbed “PEP Talk,” has a two-step goal: to educate students about mental health and to reduce the stigma associated with such subjects, said Student Government Gov. Der’Resha Bastien, who’s spearheading the initiative. She added that as of right now, the program doesn’t exist on paper, but aims to be a middle man between students and CAPS. Other focused topics would be diversity and internationalism, a “multi-disciplinary approach” in which biological, psychological, and social factors would be taken into account with mental health, and “sociological imagination,” the ability of students to see how society impacts their lives, she said.

The program would have a director, associate director, and mental health ambassadors.

Bastien said that not only would this pave a way for students in social science fields to obtain professional experience, but it would also take some of the weight off of CAPS. “One thing that I noticed when I was a peer coach, [learning communities] would request CAPS to come out a lot, but little do people know CAPS doesn’t have the up-to-date ratio that they should … so if you have CAPS officials who have Ph.D.’s out there tabling and promoting and providing workshops, they’re spending clinician hours when they should be with the students instead,” she said.

If students were the ones tabling and raising awareness, however, not only would CAPS be under less pressure, but program members would be able to connect with fellow students as well.

According to a Student Government survey, 98 percent of those polled said they would be more likely to utilize CAPS if put in contact with a student about it, Bastien said.

Another benefit of the program would be the fact that it’s through Student Government instead of CAPS, an unusual layout that Bastien believes would give students more power.

“If a student doesn’t have the autonomy to go to their supervisor and say, ‘Hey, this is something that the students are complaining about,’ it won’t get done, versus them being afforded that autonomy in Student Government,” she said.

Bastien has been working on the proposal since January 2018.

“There were so many talks about mental health … a lot of students had issues with it. I remember when I was running to become governor I knew a freshman student who committed suicide … so I made it a part of my platform to make sure that students have an overall good sense of wellness, so not just their body, but also their mind,” she said.

The roadblock with the plan, however, is a familiar one: lack of funding.

Bastien brought the case up to the Campus Budget Appropriations Committee, but the request was denied, forcing her to look for money in other places for the 2018-19 fiscal year.

CAPS has been on campus for more than 30 years, said Dougher, but you’d never guess it.

Baseman would seem to agree.

“Most of our students don’t even know we have a dentist on campus. They don’t even think about mental health,” he said. “Right now, 1,100 students die from suicide every year … 1 in 4 college students are diagnosed with a mental health disorder. I think the problem is not if we have it, but we should start talking about it and trying to eliminate it.”

Students increasingly visit university mental health services statewide

State data shows that the number of students taking advantage of counseling services at universities has gone up by 55 percent since 2008-09.

Number of students served: 2008-09: more than 15,000 2014-15: more than 20,500 2015-16: 24,700 Number of individual/group sessions: 2008-09: more than 112,500 2014-15: more than 163,000 2015-16: more than 185,900 *Information courtesy of the State University System of Florida Board of Governors*

Campus counseling across the state: FAU lags behind

The Florida government put together 2017 stats comparing public universities’ counselor-to-student ratio. And it turns out, FAU only ranked 9th out of 12.

The lower the number of students to a single counselor, the better.

Florida Polytechnic University - 1:618 Population: 1,236 New College of Florida - 1:1,182 Population: 861 Florida Gulf Coast University - 1:1,324 Population: 14,957 University of North Florida - 1:1,508 Population: 15,944 University of Florida - 1:1,660 Population: 52,367 University of Central Florida - 1:1,828 Population: 66,183 Florida State University - 1:1,908 Population: 32,812

Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University - 1:1,923

Population: 11,000

Florida Atlantic University - 1:2,014

Population: 30,530

University of South Florida - 1:2,044

Population: 50,577

University of West Florida - 1:2,166 Population: 13,000

Florida International University - 1:2,449

Population: 54,000

*Information courtesy of January 2018’s State University System Counselor and Advisor Staffing Levels* 04.10.2018 University Press 7

Sports

Powerful in his cleats, soulful on his beats FAU defensive lineman Charles Cameron balances his football prowess with an aspiring R&B career.

Wajih AlBaroudi | Contributing Writer

Charles Cameron waits for a play to start during spring practice. Photo courtesy of Jake Elman 8 04.10.2018 University Press

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ix-foot two, 305 pounds and built like a tank, FAU defensive tackle Charles Cameron doesn’t just channel his passion on the gridiron, but also on the microphone.

One of FAU’s highest touted 2018 football recruits, Cameron doubles his dominant work on the field with an aspiring rhythm and blues career. His voice — like his presence on the Owls defensive line — is larger than life.

Growing up in Mississippi — home of the Delta Blues — shaped Cameron’s view of music. The soulful voices of his home state’s artists gave Cameron an affinity for love songs.

“It’s not what they are saying, it is what the message is,” Cameron said. “I like songs that speak to you, speak to your soul, what you are going through, and how you feel.”

Cameron shares his Dec. 11 birthday with his late grandmother, Maria Cameron, but according to his family, that may not be their only similarity.

Cameron’s grandmother was a singer, and although she passed away early in his life, his family believes her heart — and voice — carried on to her grandson.

He said that when he was a child, he began singing along to a record that was playing.

His voice grew stronger as the song progressed, and by the end he was belting out full melodic verses. It was at that moment Cameron knew music would be a part of his life forever.

Soon after his musical epiphany, Cameron began songwriting. In sixth grade, he wrote a song titled “Running Through My Mind.” Little did he know that in a few years he would be in Boca Raton running through offensive linemen.

Whether he is in class, at home, or at practice, music is always on his mind. While he still enjoys listening to other artists, Cameron prefers creating and listening to his own songs, which he said can be a spontaneous process.

“I just think of some lyrics and start singing out of nowhere,” he said.

Although, none of Cameron’s teammates or coaches have heard him sing before and he plans to keep it that way. He said he worries his coaches would make him perform at practice if they discovered his vocal talent.

What he has shown his coaches however, is disruptive play on the field.

“You can see how quick he is off the ball,” head coach Lane Kiffin said. “If this were the fall we’d be saying we wish we had him earlier.”

Cameron said he values the importance of keeping his passions of football and music separate, as he uses the latter as an escape from the daily grind of the former.

“I see it as a gateway to my place to stay calm,” he said.

Cameron added there’s a stereotype that musicians

his size can only be rappers, and said it’s harder to break through in the R&B genre if one fails to fit its cookie cutter aesthetic mold. Cameron said even his friends doubted his vocal ability, until he finally sang for them.

“They [were] shocked at first, when I first started singing,” Cameron said. “I am big and tall, muscled, so they [were not] expecting that out of me.”

Cameron said music is more than a hobby and added he could see himself becoming a professional singer or songwriter in the future. He describes himself as an R&B artist first and a football player second, but said he loves both equally.

“It never mattered to me which one I would say because one of them is going to be my career,” Cameron said. “Which ever one gives me a shot to be successful.”

While he still must decide between a music or football career, his life goals are set in stone: making his family proud and traveling the world.

Cameron had zero scholarship offers coming out of Morton High School, but after an incredible 2017 season playing for Copiah-Lincoln Community College, he was ranked the No. 17 juco prospect in the state of Mississippi, according to 247 Sports.

The chip on Cameron’s shoulder didn’t fall off when he signed his letter of intent to FAU. He said the next step in proving his doubters wrong is becoming the best player in Conference-USA. Cameron said he would be interested in performing the

halftime show at one of his football games, strictly love songs of course. He also expressed a desire to sing the pregame national anthem, although he might run into a small problem.

“I got to learn it first, I am not going to lie I don’t know some of the words. But I can do it one day,” Cameron said.

He dreams of one day performing at Madison Square Garden, just a slightly bigger stage than the one he took for his eighth-grade talent show victory.

During a pass blocking “one-on-one” drill, Cameron slipped past the outstretched arms of the offensive lineman facing him and stormed into the backfield with ease. He celebrated by breaking into a worm-like dance in the end zone, his teammates erupting with laughter behind him.

According to Cameron, that was just a sample of what he can do on the field — and on the stage.

“I could dance though — when I sing, but that was just for fun,” he added.

He said he’s grateful for his opportunity at FAU and promises to give maximum effort in hitting both high notes and quarterbacks in the near future.

Charles Cameron receives instruction from an assistant coach at spring practice. Photo courtesy of Jake Elman 04.10.2018 University Press 9

Photo Gallery

Walk A Mile In Her Shoes Students, university police, and athletes gathered April 5 to raise awareness of sexual assault through the international movement “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes.” Owls Care Health Promotion organized the annual event, which sees FAU members wear red heels and walk the length of the Breezeway every April as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Joshua Giron | Photo Editor

Students and staff walk along the Breezeway in heels prevent it.

An FAU student sports red heels while riding his longboard through the Breezeway.

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Students and faculty came together to “walk a mile in her shoes” to start a conversation about sexual assault.

Along with pam rested on the t

A student carries a pair of red heels after walking the length of the Breezeway.

s to start a conversation about sexualt assault and how to

mphlets about sexualt assault and prevention, a pair of jeans Captain Larry Ervin and other FAU police officers joined students and faculty for the walk. table saying, “Jeans that are tight do not make it right.�

Lieutenant Tracey Merritt took part in the Breezeway walk.

04.10.2018 University Press 11

News

The Media Firestorm of Marshall DeRosa

For 28 years, Marshall DeRosa has been a professor of political science at FAU, but some students want to make 2018 his last — and it’s making national headlines.

Katrina Scales | Managing Editor

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t USA added their Boca campus last month. Turning Poin the nd arou d foun ral seve of one ersity Press newsbin.

This poster was ident discovered the poster on a Univ pres pter cha the r afte ers stick ks” “Socialism Suc

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ome students say he’s a white supremacist.

Others say he’s “opening their minds.”

He says he’s bored.

Marshall DeRosa entered the national spotlight last month after details surfaced about his ongoing collaboration with private prison company GEO Group and his grants from conservative billionaire Charles Koch. (See sidebar “Who’s Who?”) Last month, nearly a dozen anonymous flyers declaring “Marshall DeRosa is a white supremacist” with Confederate flags around a photo of the tenured professor’s face appeared around campus.

They were removed by the university within several days.

“I’m kind of bored with the whole thing,” DeRosa told the University Press. “I couldn’t care less what people think about me. I’m kind of tired of the harassment, people putting those flyers out. If they have a problem with me, why don’t they come to me instead of doing it behind the scenes.”

Students are targeting DeRosa’s published essays, specifically writings that praise the Confederacy during the Civil War. FAU Student Power, an unofficial student organization that aims to mobilize students to fight injustice, is leading the campaign against DeRosa.

President Allie Jacobs said her group wants to “demand action” from the university. “[DeRosa’s] just a symptom to the problem, not actually the problem itself. It’s, like, the institutional structure of FAU in general because it’s funny that they’re so proud that we’re such a diverse university while they obviously have ties to white supremacist groups through the work of DeRosa but also through the work with GEO Group,” said Jacobs.

Tensions between student protesters and faculty reached a peak April 2 during a Faculty Senate meeting. Four times per semester, an assembly of professors from each college meet to discuss university policies.

The room erupted into a heated argument when DeRosa gave a statement in response to the “white supremacist” allegations against him.

“The fact of the matter is, there is not an iota of truth to these charges. I could parade a thousand people in here that would show and demonstrate those charges are false,” said DeRosa to the crowd.

“But to be quite frank, I don’t care what you believe because many people aren’t concerned about the truth, the facts. They react emotionally.”

He continued to say he was determined to “root out” the faculty he believes are encouraging the student protests. It was then that students in the room began heckling DeRosa, demanding

political science professor.

Another student who spoke, Wesley Chau, a political science major, referenced an article written by DeRosa about his views on Caitlyn Jenner, a former athlete and transgender woman.

DeRosa defended his writings saying he has no misgivings and that nothing about them is racist — only political. He told the students that if they have a problem, they can debate him in person and that posting the anonymous flyers was “spineless.”

“And those putting up those posters, jeopardizing my family, it’s not right or at least put your name to it. Don’t be a coward,” DeRosa said. “Tell your faculty advisors who are stoking you to do it, to stand up and put their names on it. Stop being cowards about it. Put your names on it.”

That faculty advisor may be Christopher Robé, who oversees the FAU Young Democratic Socialists.

When asked, Robé said in an email, “I am aware of the controversy. No, I didn’t talk to the [Y]DSA about this matter beforehand. I was unaware it was going to happen as anyone else, which is fine. Student groups have the autonomy and right to make their own decisions.”

Jackson had more to say.

“I pay your salary. I come to this school for an education. I come here to have a free, just, opportunity for education,” Jackson said to the room. “And if my

Morgan Sachs, chapter president of Turning Point USA at FAU. Photo courtesy of Morgan Sachs faculty members have ties to people who have lynched my folks, I deserve to know that.”

When DeRosa refused to engage, chairman Chris Beetle jumped in to comment.

“These articles raised a number of red flags for

Who’s Who?

A rundown of the organizations involved in the controversy surrounding Marshall DeRosa.

The Charles Koch Foundation focuses on

Jonathan Ray Jackson, a graduate student of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Katrina Scales | Managing Editor “transparency.”

The protesters were from FAU Student Power and the FAU Young Democratic Socialists (YDSA), with the exception of a few students speaking on their own behalf.

Women, Gender, and Sexualities graduate student Jonathan Ray Jackson was the first to raise his voice.

“I want the faculty here to know that we employ someone here with ties to white supremacist groups … So how can we say we are ethnically, racially, politically diverse?”

Jackson said he wants an investigation into the

providing grants to higher education, research, and training programs. On their website, they say they’ve gifted money to more than 300 colleges and universities nationwide. According to The Nation, they gave $32,000 to FAU in 2016.

In 2011, it was reported that the Charles Koch Foundation required final approval of hiring economics professors in return for their donation at Florida State University in 2007. Ralph Wilson, cofounder of action group UnKoch My Campus said, “Koch and DeRosa both subscribe to a fierce version of anarcho-capitalism that views civil rights, and any other government ‘intervention,’ as an overreach of the state.” When the UP filed a public records request for the dollar amount of Koch Foundation donations to FAU, the department responded saying, “please be advised that this information is exempt from public record pursuant to F.S. Section 1004.28(5).”

UnKoch My Campus is an action group that

promotes a nationwide campaign to expose “corporate influence” at universities receiving donations from Koch family foundations. The group is “founded by students and activists who are fighting to maintain the university as an institution of high-quality learning,” according to its website.

The League of the South Institute is the

educational department of the League of the South, a self-described Southern nationalist organization which aims to “promote the survival, well being, and independence of the Southern People.” The Institute employed DeRosa to teach “Constitutional Law” from 2000-09, according to archived web pages. League of the South President Michael Hill told the UP, “Dr. DeRosa has not been affiliated with The League of the South since the 1990s.

His contributions were teaching at our summer institutes and writing scholarly articles on Southern history and politics. Nothing more controversial than that. All this was before the Southern Poverty Law Center designated us as a “hate group.” Liberal magazine The Nation says DeRosa is still associated with the LOS Institute’s successor publication, the Abbeville Institute.

GEO Group is a multi-billion dollar private prison

company based in Boca Raton, with facilities all over the world. The company has been the center of more than a hundred lawsuits in recent years involving human rights violations and drug-fueled gang riots in their detention facilities. The company pledged $6 million for naming rights to the FAU football stadium in 2013 but the contract ignited protest from students, eventually terminating the deal. DeRosa currently teaches civics and literature courses to inmates at GEO’s South Bay Correctional Facility alongside graduate students.

04.10.2018 University Press 13

Allie Jacobs, the president of FAU Student Power, aims to mobilize students to fight injustice and elicit action from administration. Joshua Giron | Photo Editor me. They select a few quotes from Marshall’s writings and present them in a certain light … Even if he meant exactly the worst interpretation of what these quotes seem to imply, then that’s OK. ” It was at this point Jackson interjected, “No, it’s not OK! You have to be right! You have to be right!” and a loud argument ensued.

“I have the floor! I have the floor! No no no I do not have to be right I have the floor,” Beetle shouted.

After 15 minutes of tense back and forth, Faculty Senate President Kevin Wagner adjourned the meeting.

The details of DeRosa’s extracurricular pursuits come from the non-profit action group UnKoch My Campus and were first published by left-leaning magazine The Nation. The story charges the professor with the following (see sidebar “Who’s Who?”).

• Serving as a “faculty member” at the League of the South Institute • Scholarly contributions to the Abbeville Institute • Requesting and utilizing grants from the Koch Foundation • Using Koch grant money to fund teaching prison education program “The Inmate Civics Education Enhancement Project” at a GEO Group prison DeRosa identifies as a “paleolibertarian” and thinks his critics fail to discern the difference between his admiration of the Confederacy with condoning slavery.

“People that know me know I’m not a racist. But they called me a national white supremacist so people might think I’m a nationalist,” DeRosa said. “I consider that an insult too because I’m not, I’m a Jeffersonianrepublican. Because I don’t believe in the concentration of political power, I’m an advocate of individual autonomy and freedom.”

Many students who know DeRosa believe the accusations of white nationalism are slanderous.

Morgan Sachs, FAU chapter president of Turning Point USA, said DeRosa is the conservative club’s faculty adviser and that she’s used to antagonistic left-wing groups targeting them. As soon as she noticed the flyers, she covered them with TPUSA “Socialism Sucks” stickers.

14 04.10.2018 University Press

“It’s cowardly to post anonymous flyers attacking him, he’s still a man with a family, a man with a job. You can disagree all you want but this is defamation, it’s not a discussion at that point it’s just name calling,” Sachs said.

Max Jackson, a former student who had DeRosa for several political science classes, said he was one of the few professors at the university with a right-of-center perspective.

“He is teaching students to open their minds and challenging their beliefs, which is what college is for,” he said. “We shouldn’t pay $100,000 to be coddled.”

While Max said he’s not surprised DeRosa is getting heat for some of his opinions, he feels students are reacting without thinking.

“All one article has to say is, ‘Oh, he gave a talk to this one group that was considered racist and now he’s a racist and now we need to burn DeRosa at the stake,’ he said. “And now, all of the hardcore liberals on campus are on board with something they know nothing about.”

FAU Student Power President Jacobs believes DeRosa’s writings are indicative of his strong prejudice against minorities and questioned, “If you are transphobic and if you are racist, how can you be teaching a diverse student body and have no bias whatsoever?”

Jonathan Ray Jackson, who spoke at the Faculty Senate, calls himself a Christian and a community mobilizer, saying his agenda is not partisan, only “peace.”

“Before I am an activist, I’m a human being. I’m not Muslim and I am not trans but my position as a human being means I’m empathetic and I don’t think it’s hippie of me to want all people to be respected.”

Flyers scattered around DeRosa’s classroom in General South called for students to complain to Larry Faerman, associate vice president and dean of students. According to Faerman, no complaints have been filed.

Following the commotion at the Faculty Senate meeting, the Miami News Times, The Washington Examiner, and the Sun Sentinel picked up the story.

Despite making national headlines, DeRosa isn’t exactly laying low.

He invited former FAU tenured communication professor James Tracy to give a guest lecture about the “CIA in the Media” to his Issues in American Politics class. (See page 5) Tracy made national headlines in 2016 for his controversial conspiracy theories posted to his blog, “Memory Hole” and subsequent firing by the university.

While FAU hasn’t released an official statement addressing the allegations, DeRosa is publicly denying any recent ties to white supremacist groups.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about what people think of me, to be quite frank. They better just not vandalize my truck or mess with my family.”

Critiquing the Media

Recent headlines from well-known media outlets are spreading misinformation regarding DeRosa’s views.

Sun Sentinel - Education reporter Scott Travis reported the controversy surrounding DeRosa on

April 6. The next day, the previously justifiable headline, “FAU students in uproar over prof ’s very controversial essays on slavery,” was changed to “FAU students riled as professor blames slavery on blacks.” The notion that “blacks created slavery,” which appears in the first sentence of the article, is misattributed to DeRosa’s writings. The professor’s direct quote, “First, black supremacy is the origin of Southern slavery,” isn’t mentioned until the end of the article. The phrase “black supremacy is the origin of Southern slavery” does not mean the same thing as “professor blames slavery on blacks.”

Besides spelling Caitlyn Jenner’s name wrong twice, the journalist said DeRosa called her a “freak of nature,” when in reality, he said, “I would never refer to the new Bruce as a freak of nature, because he/ she is not a natural product.”

The Nation - Labeled a “liberal magazine” by the Sun Sentinel, the Nation is the longest continuously published magazine in the country and is known for its left-leaning slant and readership. Two striking characteristics of biased storytelling in the article are the author’s exaggerated language, despite it being labeled a news story, rather than an opinion piece. This is demonstrated first in the headline “How Charles Koch Is Helping Neo-Confederates Teach College Students,” which identifies DeRosa as a “neo-Confederate” with no concrete proof. Alex Kotch, the article’s author, hints at how he believes the readers should feel by using loaded language, or words that specifically evoke an emotion, such as a “staggering” situation or a “notorious, predatory private-prison company.”

The story by The Nation led to various re-writes by other newspapers who saturated the reporting with the same biased language. The Miami New Times, RawStory, and The National Memo all used this same technique in their write-ups.

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Features

Mind the Mold On-campus residents battle mold in their bathrooms.

Mackenzie Guiry | Contributing Writer Photos by Violet Castano | Staff Photographer

Trevor Creamean, Saint Paul Allen, and George Naranjo’s bathroom in Algonquin.

16 04.10.2018 University Press

Trevor Creamean (left), Saint Paul Allen (middle), and George Naranjo (right) stand in their shared bathroom that houses mold.

E

very year, FAU encourages students to live on campus to make their lives easier.

But some residents maintain that living in the dorms has only made things worse, like Erin O’Donnell.

The freshman education major lives in Glades Park Towers and has been struggling with mold since last semester.

“Oct. 29, 2017 is when I was cleaning the bathroom and realized that there was mold on our ceiling, and ... that night I put in a request for the bathroom to be looked at,” she said. “They came back the next day and painted over it.”

But her issues with mold were far from over. Two weeks into the spring semester, O’Donnell noticed that not only was the mold back, there was more.

“Now there was new mold growing underneath the paint, and new spots all up on the ceiling,” she said.

She then went to the housing office to request help with the mold and specifically asked them not to paint over it.

O’Donnell said that after she put in her request, two men came by her dorm to look at her ceiling.

“Maintenance came by the next day and painted over more of it,” she said. “Now there are three layers of paint, and mold underneath the leaking light socket.”

“They’re not really doing their job, we’ve asked them several times to help us out.”

- Freshman political science major Saint Paul Allen on housing’s response to the mold

She added that she’s allergic to mold, saying, “I was sick first semester because of it, and now I’m sick this semester because of it.”

She said her doctor told her that if she was exposed to mold for too long, the spores can make their way into her lungs and cause health issues.

“If I’m paying $3,000 a semester to live on my own in a dorm room, I would expect maintenance to be serious about disgusting black mold growing in and through the ceiling,” O’Donnell said.

And the education major isn’t the only resident who claims their health is affected by the mold.

Freshman Eliza Miller lives in Heritage Park Towers and maintains that the mold has made her sick since the new year.

“I’ve had a cough since I moved in in January,” Miller said. “It’s not gone away and it’s been three months, and I’m pretty sure that’s the main cause of it.”

The freshman said the mold has been growing in her shower.

“It’s gross, it’s unhealthy, it’s unclean, and it’s making me sick,” she added.

FAU biology professor Herbert Weissbach said, “Mold spores can cause allergic reactions and I believe even infections in highly sensitive individuals.”

According to Student Accessibility Services, FAU 04.10.2018 University Press 17

“Dealing with housing is the true definition of talking to a brick wall. You say what the problem is but no one listens to you.”

- Sophomore nursing major Laie’Danielle Ohwovoriole Laie’Danielle Ohwovoriole does accept requests for housing accommodations for students with food allergies, but they can not provide a mold, dust, chemical, animal, or allergenfree accommodation for students with allergies.

Mia Younger, a freshman studio art major who lives in Glades Park Towers, said that it took housing around a month to respond to her work order.

“We reported it to maintenance our first semester a couple of weeks in and it took them around a month for someone to come, and by that point we already cleaned up and everything,” she said.

She said that the mold had spread from a corner of her shower and a section between the shower wall and toilet to halfway up the wall of her bathroom.

Younger added that there has been mold in her bathroom since she moved in.

“I think that there are steps that can be taken to prevent it from spreading as bad as it gets. And I think that if they take it seriously we don’t have to live with it,” she said.

Saint Paul Allen, a freshman political science major who lives in Algonquin, said that he and his suitemates have reported the mold in their bathroom to housing three times.

“After the third time, they finally responded,” he said. “They only fixed certain parts of the bathroom.”

“They’re not really doing their job, we’ve asked them several times to help us out,” he said.

He added that the mold was in their bathroom when he and his suitemates moved in.

Allen’s suitemates George Naranjo and Trevor Creamean all expressed similar frustrations with housing’s response to their mold.

“The mold is evident upon walking into anyone’s 18 04.10.2018 University Press

bathroom,” Naranjo said.

Creamean, a freshman biology major said that in addition to the mold, Algonquin has been plagued with both insect and rat problems.

“Sometimes I’ll actually hear scratches on the wall, it’s concerning because the bacteria they bring in can really contaminate stuff,” Cremean said. “Lower the price if you’re going to keep it like that, but if you want to make a change then you better do something before something happens.”

Freshman Devon Christenson lives in Parliament and said she has mold all over the inside of her shower curtain.

“It doesn’t come off and I’m a little grossed out,” Christenson said.

“There was no mold when we moved in, it appeared to be a brand new shower curtain then,” she said.

Phillip Badaszewski, FAU director of residential education, said that facilities will check residents’ rooms within 24-48 hours of a work order being submitted.

“Complaints about mold are going to vary semester to semester,” Badaszewski said. “More often than not, what a student reports as mold is actually mildew and they have not cleaned their shower.”

“They’ll assess what is going on and then address what it is,” he continued. “If mold is identified by maintenance, they will identify what the problem is, they’ll fix the problem, they’ll clean the mold that’s there, they treat it with a problem that prevents future growth and paint over it if needed.”

Badaszewski said that protocol is typically successful and that the mold is typically caused by leaks from bathrooms above them.

“We really don’t have that many issues with mold in our buildings, and there’s no trend in, ‘Oh this one building has way more than this other building,’” he

Laie’Danielle Ohwovoriole’s bathroom wall.

said.

Sophomore nursing major Laie’Danielle Ohwovoriole lives in Indian River Towers and said that it took housing three weeks to fix a damaged pipe in her room that led to mold in her bathroom during fall 2017. She added that during the spring semester, housing didn’t deal with the mold in her bathroom for two weeks after she submitted a work order.

“Dealing with housing is the true definition of talking to a brick wall. You say what the problem is but no one listens to you,” Ohwovoriole said. “I want them to know that people live here and we are individuals that love to breathe in a healthy environment.”

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