Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Volume 9 Issue 14
Citation preview
[ ]
WELCOME BACK: 33 school days until Spring Break
As FGCU grows in enrollment, students can’t help but wonder: Will a football team be in the near future?
In 2006, FGCU started the NCAA Division 1 membership process. When fall 2011 begins, FGCU will have full Division 1 membership in all sports. While this is a significant accomplishment, FGCU cannot overlook the fact that football — the most popular collegiate sport — isn’t included.
“It does bother me when I spend my Saturdays watching college football and thinking that could be our school,” said Kyle Ostroff, a junior majoring in sports management.
Often, students who complain about a lack of school spirit at FGCU attribute it to the lack of a football team.
“Everyone that’s been to a college football game knows it’s an atmosphere different than anything else,” Ostroff said. “If FGCU got a football program, there would be so much more school spirit.”
This is why FGCU hired Carr Sports Associates Inc., a search and management consultant for intercollegiate athletics; and Populous, a global design and architecture firm featuring sports facilities, to determine the feasibility of sponsoring football and to analyze the evolving FGCU athletics program.
Football lacks the big pass
n Current men’s sports:Soccer, baseball, basketball, cross country, golf and tennis
n Current women’s sports:Soccer, softball, basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, volleyball and swimming & diving for women
n Current facilities:Alico Arena, the Outdoor Sports Complex, Swanson Stadium, FGCU Softball Complex, FGCU Soccer Complex, FGCU Aquatics Center, FGCU Tennis Complex and the batting cages for both softball and baseball
n Cost:Populous estimated the Football Stadium could cost anywhere from $129,565,800 to $143,202,800 (with costs representative of 2011).
Facebook facts:
n The average FB user has 130 friendsn FB members spend more than 700 billion minutes a month on the siten The average FB user creates 90 pieces of content per monthn The average FB user is connected to 80 community pagesnThere are more than 500 million active users on FB. 50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day
Yes, it looks different. Eagle News spent winter break working on a makeover. Along with the physical changes of Eagle News we have reworked our journalistic focus to bring you even better content — the most important thing.
You can expect better storytelling all around. It is a big promise, but we are ready to deliver.
We believe this redesign is a major first step to an even better university paper. I encourage feedback, good or bad. Let me know your thoughts: [email protected]
Facebook has entered 2011 with a makeover.
Over winter break, Facebook users were greeted with a prompt to “get the new Facebook profile.” As users cautiously checked it out, Josh Wiseman, a Facebook engineer, wrote an “Introducing the New Profile” article on the Facebook Blog (blog.facebook.com) to explain the changes.
The most noticeable change is the basic information listed at the top of the page along
with a row of recently tagged photos, because “there’s often no better way to learn about a person than through photos,” Wiseman wrote.
“I think it’s kind of interesting how they have your most recent pictures up there so people can see what you’ve done recently versus pictures from five years ago,” said Gabby Nicotra, a sophomore in communication and public relations. “Some might call it creepy, but I think it’s pretty cool.”
However, Chelsi Malloch, a sophomore majoring in political science, thinks the line of
photos is unnecessary. “I don’t like the tagged photos at the
top — it’s weird,” said Malloch, who has her tagged photos blocked so her profile pictures show instead. “If I want to see their tagged pictures I’ll look.”
The two girls also have differing opinions on the basic information listed at the top of the page.
“I do like the short bio above the pictures,” Malloch said. “You don’t have to look at the Info page to see it — it’s easy to read right there.”
New Facebook: Easy read, easy lurking
After Florida Gulf Coast announced the departure of women’s golf coach Meghan Spero, who resigned last week to take a position at PGA Magazine, Athletic Director Ken Kavanagh tried to allay any concerns about the stability of the golf program.
Spero’s abrupt decision puts the women’s golf team in a bind as FGCU scrambles for a replacement — the team’s fourth coach since 2007 — before a spring season that begins in February. “This news came out unexpectedly,” Kavanagh said. “She (Meghan) was approached with an offer she couldn’t turn down. It’s a difficult situation and we feel bad, but we appreciate Meghan’s efforts. She left her stamp on the program.”
In a September interview with Eagle News, Spero discussed wide-ranging goals that spanned from winning a conference championship to attaining national prominence. Kavanagh said Spero asked PGA
Magazine to delay starting her new position until after the spring season, but wasn’t able to do so. “FGCU has been more than generous in providing an opportunity to learn and grow, and I will forever
be grateful,” Spero said in a statement.
Now, Kavanagh looks to pick up the pieces, ensuring that Spero’s two recruits for next season will fulfill their national letters of intent with the university and aiming to draw new ones.
Spero received commitments from Fort Myers High School senior Georgia Price and Braden River senior Kristin Swindell. Swindell informed Kavanagh that she still intends to play for FGCU, while Price has been out of the country and difficult to reach.
“We signed two quality recruits who are the lifeblood of the program,” Kavanagh said. “Meghan didn’t leave the cupboard bare. She
replenished an already quality team. Georgia (Price) and Kristin (Swindell) know each other, so we are hopeful that helps our case.”
FGCU posted the job opening this past Thursday and must keep it open for a minimum of two weeks. Kavanagh isn’t concerned about the rushed nature of the job search or about what kind of ramifications come from the constant turnover of coaches. “We are on red alert right now, but we’ve seen a lot of interest already because we have a good program,” Kavanagh said. “There are no issues with how Meghan left as far as if she left us in a positive or negative way, so we know we can draw a good candidate.”
Until then, Kavanagh dismisses salary limitations as a reason for the flux in coaches, saying that the youth of the program prevents opportunities for increases in pay. “A sport like golf lends itself to supplemental opportunities for coaches, like working at golf camps and clinics,” Kavanagh said. “We are a growing university so we are not really worried about compensation.”
Spero
West Lake Village has the potential to expand. The property next to the newest student-housing site is for sale at $12.1 million and being marketed as a “student housing development site.”
“We have had several people express interest,” said Jonathan Richards of Capital Markets. Richards is representing the owners of the land.
According to the executive summary of the property, the land could potentially house more than 1,400 beds on more than 25 acres.
“You could actually build five stories up. You could duplicate what is there at West Lake
Village,” Richards said.The university won’t comment on a
particular property without the intention of signing a contract, according to Susan Evans, university.
Richards has not heard anything from the university.
“We have heard rumors of interest, but we have not spoken to anyone directly,” he said.
A Fort Myers couple owns the land. “At one point they were thinking about condos,” Richards said. “They have just been hanging onto it until the market improved. The highest and best use is student housing.”
The parcel of land is in a prime location from the university and a short walk from the Gulf Coast Town Center shopping plaza.
Property next to WLV for sale, $12.1 million
EVENTS
A2 NEWS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 EDITOR: SAMANTHA LEAGUE NEWS!EAGLENEWS.ORG
POLICE BEAT
SERVICE LEARNING
Business Manager
Advertising Manager
News Editor/Asst. Managing Editor
Asst. Managing Editor
Production Manager
Arts and Lifestyle Editor
Photo Editor
Media Editor
Webmaster
Sports Editor
Opinion Editor
Distribution Coordinator
Senior staff writers
CONTACT:
MISSION STATEMENT:
Eagle News, the student media group at Florida Gulf Coast University, represents the diverse voices on campus with fairness. We select content for our publication and our website that is relevant to the student body, faculty and staff. Members are committed to reporting with accuracy and truth. Our purpose is to encourage conversations about issues that concern the on-campus community. Eagle News views every culture with equal respect and believes every person must be treated with dignity.
ABOUT US: Eagle News, founded in 1997, is the student newspaper at Florida Gulf Coast University. The newspaper is the only student produced publication on campus and is entirely student run. Eagle News is published weekly during the fall and spring semesters and monthly in the summer, with the exception of holiday breaks and examination periods. The print edition is free to students and can be found on campus and in the community at Gulf Coast Town Center, Germain Arena and Miromar Outlets.
BRIEFS
An FGCU student is organizing this event: The Surf and Song Festival needs volunteers for Fort Myers’ biggest concert ever. This fundraiser helps the Autism Center at Lee Memorial Health Systems. Needed volunteers all day long on Jan. 15 at downtown Fort Myers Centennial Park. Contact Shannon Tremblay 239-878-4079, [email protected]
Volunteers: Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Naples on Jan. 15 and 16 for Southwest Florida Nature Festival. RSVP to Donna Young, [email protected], 239-417-6310x412
Volunteers: American Cancer
Society’s Cattle Baron’s Ball on Sat. Jan. 22. Needed to help decorate prior to event and clean-up after. Contact Angeline Choo at [email protected].
Help the hungry: Harry Chapin Food Bank on Jan. 22 at Miromar Outlets with the 3rd annual WINK News Feed Families Hunger Walk. Contact Martha Hodson, [email protected], 239-334-7007x32
Register online for the FGCU Cares Team. Click “Join as a team” at http://harrychapinfb.dojiggy.com.
Help the homeless: Annual Lee County Homeless Census. Need volunteers to tally who is homeless on a given night and provide a
snapshot of who experiences homelessness throughout the year. Census begins Jan. 26. Requires volunteers to go to soup kitchens, food pantries and labor pools and fill out survey forms. Contact Janet Bartos [email protected], 239-322-6600
Be a “Big”: Big Brothers Big Sisters in Collier Country needs volunteers to provide one on one attention to a child by going to parks, playing video games, sports ext. Contact Roberto Briceno, 239-281-4414, [email protected]
Become a mentor: Take Stock in Children currently needs mentors for Caloosa Middle School, Dunbar High School, Fort Myers High
School, Ida Baker High School, Leigh Senior High School. Call 239-337-0433
Need Colloquium hours?: Rookery Bay in Naples. Volunteer training on Jan. 13 at 4 p.m. Contact Donna Young at [email protected], 239-417-6310x412
Nursing students: Help Hope Clubhouse residents by delivering a one-hour talk on nutrition. Contact Monica Loomis, 239-313-6303.
Information is provided by the Service Learning department. All opportunities are pre-approved. You can find more opportunities on Facebook at “FGCU Service Learning.”
TutorsOngoing opportunities
Events
Peter Kingsley, author, lecturer and scholar of international renown, will be speaking on campus Feb. 17 in the SU. Admission is free. This event is hosted by the Philosophy Club.
The Haitian Student Organization is hosting a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. Wed. Jan. 12 commemorating the one-year anniversary of the
earthquake in Haiti. The vigil will take place in the Student Plaza. A carnival-themed fundraiser will also be held during the day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
If you would like to submit an event, please e-mail [email protected]
dcob.ju.edu
Full-time MBA Program at Jacksonville University
2011 start dates are JANUARY 3 & AUGUST 22
The deadline for Spring 2011 is December 13.
To learn more, contact us at: [email protected] · 904.256.7459
Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 11:10 p.m.: An RA saw six students by the construction site in South Housing playing around with a port-a-potty. An officer approached the students, who said they were using the port-a-potty as a time machine in a video for a class project. Thursday, Nov. 30 at 9:37 a.m.: A complainant reported graffiti on the boardwalk between Student Housing and FGCU Lake Parkway West. The graffiti was of a large
penis sprayed in white paint. The Physical Plant was notified. Thursday, Nov. 30 at 11:41 p.m.: An RD requested an officer for a room and vehicle search. Trace amounts were found in the vehicle along with a black pipe and a small amount of marijuana. Thursday, Dec. 9 at 5:28 a.m.: Complainant stated there was a male individual sitting outside her apartment door, banging and
being extremely noisy and violent in nature. Officers responded to the call, but the male individual wasn’t found and the complainant stated everything was now well.
Friday, Jan. 7 at 7:58 p.m.: During a routine patrol, an officer discovered flashing lights at the SU, indicating an alarm. A company called “Fat Free” was cleaning the cooking hoods at the Perch and their cleaning procedure had set off the light alarm.
Monday, Jan. 10 at 10:17 a.m.: Complainant reported someone had broken into his dorm residence. The room’s items were left in disarray. Officer took the statement.
The Police Beat is compiled by Eagle News staff from public logs available at the University Police Department. Police Beat is not associated with the UPD. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
J&DLANGLOISSEEKINGSTUDENTSWANTINGPART‐TIMEWORK
FLEXIBLEHOURS
APERSONTOPERSONWORKENVIRONMENT
CallJim239‐273‐9228formoreinforma3on
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A3WWW.EAGLENEWS.ORG
!"#$%&'()*"+(,#'-.(/0%12$-%.3(4.#$2(!("#$%&'#()'*+'(,$*-%*'.
NATIONWIDE SAVINGS OVER
$60 MILLION5
AND COUNTING
www.fgcu.bkstr.com/"01*'.2(3.$4&%(502&%(+'(6+2#(+7('&8(5++9(:4*6&;(<=>?,@"==
Gator Lanes
Starting atTuesdays
Come to Gator Lanes and receive discounts
Gator Lanes7050 Crystal Drive
Fort Myers, FL 33919
$2 for shoes$2 for games
But Nicotra thinks “it looks too much like a resume” and cluttered with “everything jumbled together.”
It’s now also easier to find a user’s most important friends on their profile. Users can now “highlight” certain friends through friends’ lists that will appear on the left side of the user’s profile, similar to Myspace’s Top Friends section.
“It reminds me of high school,” said Rebecca Skinner, a junior majoring in criminal justice. “I’m afraid it will just start drama between friends.”
There are many other smaller improvements, such as “infinite scrolling” on the Photos and Friends pages and representing interests with images instead of words. Wiseman said this makes “your entire profile a more compelling visual experience.”
Wiseman explains these improvements are designed to make it “even easier for you to tell your story and learn about your friends,” and while this is the ultimate goal of Facebook, deeper privacy concerns are now being raised.
When Creativefan.com critiqued the new profile, they addressed the potential privacy issue due to the “information overload” from the default display of the Profile and not the Wall.
“Although it’s great that people can easily find out relevant information about you, it also increases privacy concerns, risks for ‘Facebook stalking,’ and it feels as though it is almost a personal Wikipedia,” Creativefan.com
wrote. Now, when users comment on
another person’s status, profile or picture, the first few words will appear on that user’s Wall instead of, “User A commented on User B’s status,” making that part of the comment viewable to every one of User A’s friends.
Not only that, but now users can click on a link that says “See Friendship” between two friends, and will be taken to a “Friendship Page” that shows all communication, tagged photos they’re in together, events they’ve RSVP’d for and mutual friends.
“I can understand a friendship page for me and one of my friends, but once I realized I could view other people’s relationships, I was creeped out,” said Ashley Johnson, a sophomore majoring in computer information systems.
Mike Melanson of readwriteweb.com had a similar
reaction, writing that, “Friendship Pages are the ultimate tool for stalkers, nosey friends and jealous significant others.”
“Were Friendship Pages restricted to relationships between myself and my friends, I would have no complaint,” he wrote. “Examining the interaction between two other people is downright stalkerish. ... It’s like thumbing through someone else’s letters or phone call history.”
Also, under the Education and Work section, users are now able to list their classes and projects. “In other words, Facebook will at least allow you the option to use it more as an online resume,” said a blogger, Larry Dignan, in his post on zdnet.com.
Some critiques, particularly those analyzing the new Facebook profile from a business perspective, are concerned with how this resume-type format will affect LinkedIn.com, a business-oriented social networking site where users can do the same thing.
Other critiques are concerned with how users are now prompted to not only give their information to their friends, but also to Facebook. Julien Brandt, a San Diego online marketing examiner on examiner.com, brings to attention how more information helps advertisers in his article.
“As Facebook obtains more detailed information about its users, advertisers will be able to better target ads and further refine their messages to appeal to their target audience. Some are speculating that this is the real reason behind the changes,” he said.
“If FGCU adds football, it will immediately enter a new era of institutional profile and relationships within higher education,” the project team wrote.
The team, which completed the study Nov. 30, is scheduled to present drafts along with a final report to the Board of Trustees on Jan. 18.
FGCU is planning on adding 1,000 students per year during the next five years, resulting in an enrollment of 17,000 by 2016.
In order to accommodate these rapidly growing numbers, FGCU has started construction for the third South Village dorm, Academic Building 8 and the Student Union additions, and has purchased multiple off-campus properties, including the former College Club apartments and the Buckingham
Property.However, while the Athletics and
Campus Recreation departments keep growing in student and staff numbers, the number of facilities has remained constant.
FGCU currently has Alico Arena, the Outdoor Sports Complex, Swanson Stadium, FGCU Softball Complex, FGCU Soccer Complex, FGCU Aquatics Center, FGCU Tennis Complex and the batting cages for both softball and baseball. These facilities include just less than 60,000 square feet of “programmable space” in addition to the competition fields and courts, according to the Existing Facilities Analysis Draft.
Slight crowding is now becoming evident in the weight room at Alico Arena, which is shared among the athletics program, students and community members.
“Not having a dedicated strength
training facility is the biggest deficiency in facilities at FGCU,” CSA and Populous write in the report.
FGCU has already started discussions of a new student recreation center in South Village that would be paid by tuition fees. However, using Alico Arena just for athletics still may not be adequate.
“Even with the potential construction of a student recreation center… the current facilities are undersized for use by a NCAA D-1 football program,” the project team wrote.
Just over 630,000 square feet of new construction could accommodate a Division 1 football program. Due to unbuildable wetlands and conservation areas, the CSA and Populous suggest FGCU build an entirely new athletic campus.
“It would still help with school
spirit but it depends on how far from campus it (would be),” Ostroff said. “If it’s relatively close, it would increase FGCU school spirit dramatically.” CSA and Populous recommend four priorities before adding football:
service five sports, including track and soccer;
administration building that would give administration more movement and higher-quality office space;
court and spectator seating;
center, which is already in the planning stage.
The project team also raised another potential problem: gender
participation. FGCU is planning to add men’s
and women’s track in 2011-13 around the existing soccer field, which will create a participation difference of 3.2 percent, favoring the women. A football program would create a difference of 9.7 percent, favoring the men.
“Both differences are significant resulting in failure to maintain proportionality… adding women’s sports should also be considered,” the team wrote.
Above all recommendations, CSA and Populous strongly advise that FGCU conduct a comprehensive athletics and facilities master plan of its own.
A4 NEWS EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 EDITOR: SAMANTHA LEAGUE NEWS!EAGLENEWS.ORG
As students make last-minute purchases through the FGCU Bookstore or online sources, they have another option to consider: Textbook Brokers, a bookstore that says it’s dedicated to “saving the college students.”
Textbook Brokers is a multistate, multischool organization that buys and sells textbooks at what it claims is the best value to students. The chain opened Nov. 15 in Estero at 20321 Grandoak Shoppes Blvd.
Textbook Brokers works under the premise that college is an expense that can become a burden — not only for students but for parents as well. Kamal Chisholm, Textbook Brokers general manager, said that students taking 12 credit hours, which is considered a full load of classes, might save money if they buy their books from his business.
“A student taking a full load of classes could save well over $100 if they bought their books here,” said Chisholm.
When questioned, however, Chisholm could not recall the title of that particular book.
The FGCU bookstore, meanwhile, stands behind its service.
“The FGCU University Store is part of the single largest physical and online bookstore network in the marketplace, efollett.com, bringing not only the largest selection of used (books), but the largest cost-saving rental and digital programs in the industry,” said Lauren Jensen, director of the FGCU bookstore.
Although Jensen couldn’t discuss the actual bookstore prices, she explained that pricing “is determined by industry standards and is part of the contract between the Follett Higher Education Group and Florida Gulf Coast University.”
For more than 13 years at 60-plus locations, Textbook Brokers says it’s committed to excellence, in the form of superior customer service, according to its website, www.textbookbrokers.com.
With the number of stores nationwide, Textbook Brokers is able to trade with their counterparts across the country, which
means a more immediate supply of books are available to students, according to Chisholm.
“We have a lot of used textbooks, which definitely save students a lot of money,” Chisholm said.
Textbook Brokers also accepts financial aid and will work with students who are unable to pay the entire cost of their textbooks upfront.
Textbook Brokers has a Whole Check Program, which means students can write a check and Textbook Brokers will hold onto it until the students’ financial aid goes through or a payment plan is developed for the student.
At FGCU, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships does make funds available for students to use on campus, including purchases at the FGCU University Store, according to Jensen.
Like the FGCU bookstore, Textbook Brokers also rents books. Last semester FGCU rented 6,759 total textbooks, and students who rented saved a total of $302,097.
Also, since Textbook Brokers goes through several companies for its textbooks, they claim to be able to give students the highest possible amount during buy-back periods. The FGCU bookstore can only give students what their companies say they can give them during buy-book periods, according to Chisholm.
Either store option won’t affect students such as Amanda Grennell, who buys the majority of her books online.
“There’s just no need to go to the FGCU bookstore. Books are so much cheaper online,” said the senior majoring in psychology.
Grennell only uses the bookstore to purchase textbooks published by the university, such as the text needed for University Colloquium.
For students who can’t decide where they’re going to buy their books, Textbook Brokers says it’s planning a raffle in which the winner will get free textbooks for a semester, according to Chisholm. To participate, ask about the raffle when you visit the store.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A5WWW.EAGLENEWS.ORG
NOW OPEN NOW OPEN
Matthew Schuld says FGCU is the perfect place to host the Southwest Regional Center of the Florida Public Archaeology Network.
“Though FGCU has only a short history, the intellectual and educational environment that exists on campus makes it an outstanding fit for FPAN,” said Schuld, outreach coordinator for the Southwest Regional Center for FPAN. “In my short time at FGCU, it is already apparent to me that the university greatly encourages public outreach.”
FPAN is a statewide program administered through the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Its mission is “to promote and facilitate the stewardship, public appreciation and value of Florida’s archaeological heritage.”
FGCU was selected from a pool of candidates in Southwest Florida that included municipalities and heritage organizations, Schuld said.
Dr. Michael McDonald, professor of anthropology; and Dr. Donna Henry, dean of the College of Arts and, were instrumental in ensuring that FGCU acquired FPAN, according to Schuld.
“I’ve met many members of the faculty and staff who strive to not only conduct rigorous academic research, but to ensure their work is made accessible and useful to the public,” Schuld said. “This environment is perfect for a program like FPAN, which is built to ensure that Florida residents feel connected to their own archaeological heritage.”
Founded in 2005, FPAN operates eight regional centers throughout the state and is headquartered in Pensacola. Serving the five counties of Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee, the Southwest Regional Center offers public events, school programs, assistance to local governments and organizations and support to the Florida Division of Historic Resources.
“We participate in a variety of events and activities and work with students, teachers, and folks from all walks of life to explore the history beneath our feet,” is a statement on FPAN’s Facebook page. “We also assist local and county governments as well as the state in order to help manage their cultural resources.”
Schuld hopes the program steadily builds interest in archaeology among FGCU students.
With the support of FGCU faculty and staff, the Southwest Regional Center opened at FGCU in November of last year. Operating out of FGCU’s Department of Marine and Ecological Sciences’ anthropology program, the center will be staffed by a director, outreach coordinator and other support staff.
FPAN events offer opportunities for the public to explore Florida archaeology through hands on activities, lectures, tours, exhibits, and workshops, Schuld said. FPAN also offers paid internships and volunteer opportunities for area residents and visitors.
FPAN will be housed in Whitaker Hall, Office 232. For more information, stop by the office or contact Matthew Schuld at [email protected] or 590-1476.
State archaeologyfinds a home it really digs at FGCU
The future of fast food value menus may be short-lived.
The economy still isn’t back to its pre-recession growth, which is making restaurants and food service industries think carefully before raising the prices of their selections in 2011. But one fast food restaurant in particular, McDonald’s, is tossing around the idea of someday doing away with its famous Dollar Menu.
That would be bad news for FGCU students who depend on the chain’s locations near Gulf Coast Town Center and Miromar Outlets as a fast, inexpensive dining option.
In 2010 alone, the price of wholesale choice beef shot up by 15 percent, according to MSN’s Money Central. With the average American eating up to 195 pounds of meat in 2000 and beef prices continuously on the rise,
the Dollar Menu will eventually make it increasingly difficult for the chain to make a profit with so many discounted offerings.
According to MSN’s Money Central, the main motive for McDonald’s not announcing the possible change is to prevent customers from prematurely taking their business to other locations that plan on keeping low-priced items.
McDonald’s did announce, however, that prices in 2011 will likely go up by 2 to 3 percent.
Some McDonald’s chains have already abandoned Dollar Menus — and some experts speculate that’s not necessarily due to rising meat costs, but perhaps because of the clientele the discount menu attracts, such as disadvantaged and homeless people. That factor, however, is only speculation. One franchise owner in San Francisco, Natalie Gonzales, recently raised 99-cent items to $1.49, but claimed that there were “a number of
contributing factors” and that she wasn’t trying to discourage undesirable customers.
Either way, if the Dollar Menu is removed, one of the biggest groups that may be affected will be college students. With busy lives and tight budgets, the Dollar Menu is a fast, cheap way to curb hunger before running off to class or work.
Andrew Applegate, a senior majoring in environmental studies, said he’d be less likely to go to the popular chain if its prices became unreasonably high.
“I’d be less likely to go if they raised their prices. People don’t go to McDonald’s because of the quality of the food — they go because the food is fast and cheap,” he said.
For now, McDonald’s prices have remained the same, for the most part, and no official word has been given from the company as to whether the Dollar Menu will be officially removed.
Possible menu change could leave college kids starving for a cheap bite
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 EAGLE NEWS NEWS A7WWW.EAGLENEWS.ORG
70%
OFFRetail Prices
Up To
INFO: HOURS: LOCATION:
ALL THE BRANDS YOU WANT AT THE PRICES YOU CAN AFFORD
VIP SAVINGS BROCHURE
!""#""$"%"
SPECIALISTSHORT SALE & FORECLOSURE
Debra J. McAlister-Brown, Realtor
Here to Assist You in Buying & Selling
Real Estate
239-898-9933
Chances are you or someone you know is facing the possibility of foreclo-sure. Today, 1 out of every 6 homeowners in America is behind on mortgage payments. These are tough and frustrating times. Now more than ever, it's important to identify your options. Foreclosure can be avoided, your credit can be saved, and your financial future can be salvaged. Through my experience handling distressed properties at ProTrend Realty Inc., I've found that homeowners today have more questions than answers about their circumstances. As an agent with the Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE) designation, I have a strong and unique appreciation for the factors affecting the market, and know that there are options available. A CDPE is a real estate professional with specific understanding of the A CDPE is a real estate professional with specific understanding of the complex issues that confront homeowners in distress. Through comprehen-sive training and market experience, CDPEs are able to provide real solu-tions for homeowners facing hardships in today's market.If you would like to know more about your options, please call me at (239) 898-9933.
Would you like to see this home?Contact Debra at (239) 898-9933
[email protected]://djmsellsswfl.listingbook.com
cros
swor
dsu
doku
wor
d ju
mbl
e
1 9 4 2
1 7 9
6 4 9 7
8
5 1 4 8 7 3
3
8 5 1 6
1 2 4
8 7 9 2
Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.56)
Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Mon Jan 10 21:22:44 2011 GMT. Enjoy!
1 5 6
7 5
5 8 6 9 2
8 1
1 9 7 5 3 2
8 2
1 5 3 4 9
7 4
2 1 5
Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.63)
Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Mon Jan 10 21:23:10 2011 GMT. Enjoy!
text
s fr
om la
st n
ight
EASY HARD
(732): I looked at you and you stared at me dead in the eyes then sprayed febreze at your crotch and winked.
(647):Everyone makes mistakes, yours just means you will forever be known as the chick that tried to steal a cheese plate from the funeral.
(407):I just had a heart to heart with a stripper I’m becoming a dentist.
(917):Found you in the bushes with fire-works, a teacup and no shoes. Decided it was a bad time to wake you.
(618):I woke up in a place I’ve never been before, with people I’ve never met before using me as a table for domino’s..
ucamgolea
birsfee
batphale
redtenp
Across
1-Timepiece, always on hand5-An avocado’s main use7-Make believe9-The opposite of drowning10-Letter collection12-Cancer causing rays13-A satire14-Recreational disc Down
2-Thief3-Reusable tissue4-Self control6-Bouncing marsupial8-Baseball shelter11-Donkey-horse combo
Ans
wer
s:
Arts Lifestylewww.eaglenews.org
&
The terrible feeling you get the day you have to go back to work after more than two days off due to a holiday, according to Urban Dictonary.
> >
B2 A/L EAGLE NEWS WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 EDITOR: KATIE SARTORIS ENTERTAINMENT!EAGLENEWS.ORG
2001 2002
2003
2004
- George W. Bush launches invasion of Iraq.
- Martha Stewart and her broker are indicted for using insider information.
“Never made it as a wise man, I couldn’t cut it as a poor man
stealin’. Tired of living like a blind
man...”
“I’m falling even more in love with you, letting go of all I’ve held onto.”
“Go shorty, it’s your birthday. We’re gonna party like it’s
your birthday.”
- George W. Bush is sworn in as the 43rd president of the United States.
- America is attacked as The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon are struck by hijacked planes.
- The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- George W. Bush signs the “No Child Left Behind Act.”
- Tiger Woods wins the Master’s.
- Hurricane Katrina, the costliest natural disaster in the United States, hits the gulf coast and kills 1,836 people. “Star Wars:
Ep. III - Revenge of the
Sith“$380.3 mil
“When you left I lost a part
of me. It’s still so hard to believe...”
“Now I gotta keep it real now, cause on a one-to-ten she’s a
certified twenty, and that just aint
me.”
- George W. Bush is re-elected as the 44th president of the United States.
- Facebook is founded at Cambridge, Mass.
This phone has a color screen AND a
built-in camera.
“Because you had a bad day, you’re taking one down. You sing a sad song just to
turn it around. “
- Steve Irwin is impaled in heart by a sting ray and dies.
2006
2005
Welcome Back Students
OPEN LATE!!
We Deliver!!Golf Coast Town Center
free TRiple play!Get a free drink, chips, and cookie with any Pita Purchase
*offer only valid on Dine In or Take Out.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 EAGLE NEWS A/L B3WWW.EAGLENEWS.ORG
1. “True Grit” $14.6 million
2. “Little Fockers” $13.5 million
3. ”Season of the Witch” $10.6 million
4. “Tron Legacy” $10.1 million
5. “Black Swan” $8.1 million
These figures are courtesy of boxofficemojo.com
Top 5 Movies of the
Weekend2007
2008
2010
2009
- Barack Obama is elected president. He is the first black president in the history of the United States.
“The Dark Knight” $533.3 mil.
“Shorty had them apple
bottom jeans, boots with the fur. The whole
club was looking at her.”
“You must not know about me. I can have another you in a minute...”
Apple’s first smart phone hits the market.
- Virginia Tech students, faculty and staff become victims of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. 32 are killed and 23 are injured.
“Avatar” $760.5 mil.
“Yo, I got that hit that beat the block. You can get that bass
overload. I got the that rock and roll, that future
flow...”
- The Swine Flu is deemed a global pandemic.
- Michael Jackson, the “King of Pop,” dies.
“Now, the dudes are lining up ‘cause they
hear we got swagger. But
we kick them to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger.”
YOUTUBE:Featured video
of the week
Search “KRAFT HOMESTYLE Macaroni & Cheese TV Commercial - Dad’s in the Doghouse”
nDad really screwed up on this one, luckily they had Kraft Mac and Cheese.
- Haiti is hit by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 killing thousands of people.
- The Deepwater Horizon oil platform explodes in the Gulf of Mexico killing 11 workers. The leak lasted for about 3 months and destroyed much of the U.S. Gulf Coastline.
- 33 miners at the San Jose’ Mine in Chile are trapped after a mining accident. They are all recovered after 69 days.
The Windows phones hit the
market, making a big a big splash.
OpinionB4 www.eaglenews.org
Sometimes one is a prime number
ENBook borrowing program checked out
As a new year and semester begins, we all look forward to changes in our lives.
Good professors, classes and a schedule that works are all things we desire and hope for.
However, for a select few, change has come in a negative manner: loss of funds. For a student working hard to earn their college education, this only adds stress to the struggle.
The Department of Education has become a nuisance instead of being helpful to those in need. The book-lending program offered through Student Support Services (SSS) for first-generation students or students with financial difficulties has been cancelled by the Department of Education, because it didn’t approve the spending.
How can there not be a budget inclusion for buying books that students borrow for the semester? There really is no better expenditure than assisting deserving students in need.
As a first-generation student, this program was something I was excited about. I have peers, who like myself who can’t find jobs, don’t have steady income and are in need of an extra hand.
Now, on top of the stress of keeping up with school
and grades, we have to worry about spending more money (we don’t have) on books we easily could have borrowed.
What I want to know is how can SSS look on and be perfectly fine with being so hypocritical? Supposedly, education will come first for this country, and has for a long time. This has been stated repeatedly, but where is the evidence?
Instead of helping to increase the volume of students and embrace different types of learning abilities, education is declining.
By taking away a beneficial program for students experiencing difficulty paying for college, we are regressing.
It’s sad how we can claim we root for those who are middle or low class to go forth and earn their education, but we are not sincere.
There are a number of us crying for help to get through school. We want to work to make this country better, but we are being ignored.
College has become all about those who can afford it and not have to deal with the financial struggle. Where is the help we were promised by a certain heavy-hitting political figure who vowed to raise morale in the education department of our country? It is disappointing to find out no one can keep their promises.
Happy new year to us.
Apparently, when the ball dropped Dec. 31 in Times Square, other fleshy spheres felt a similar surge of energy…or testosterone.
My Facebook news feed has broadcasted the melancholy “I really want a girlfriend this year” and the seemingly amphetamine-induced “A BrAnD NeW YeAr!!!! My resolution: to get myself a LaDy!” I hear tales of guys who have said, “I desperately need a girl” who then proceed to go out and attack anything that moves.
Before you get upset and wadded up, fellas, switch to boxers, and hear me out— I’m not being genderist. Though the ladies are just as guilty when it comes to wishing for a mate, all the status updates looking for a significant other I have seen have been from males.
From both guy and girl friends, I’ve heard stories about some poor “Joe Schmoe” announcing that they are tired of being single and would do anything for a girlfriend.
One of my female cronies had a guy she barely knew in high school ask her out. Flattered that he had taken the time to look her up (but not sure who he was), she checked out his profile page. This guy was obsessed with finding a girlfriend. It was his daily status. Tip number one: if you make your desperation known, and then ask someone out, you’re simply DAD — desperate, alone and dumb. You’re willing to take anyone with a pulse? Gee thanks, I’m just a step up from your “special doll.”
Go to Google sometime and type in “being single.” You get more varied results than you do when you type “gamer widows,” and that includes a Viagra hit for some reason. (Gamer widows will be discussed in a future article.) Everything from “Five reasons why being single sucks” to “being single and happy” and “inspirational quotes for singles” pops up. Let’s just look at a couple of these quotes.
“I celebrate myself, and sing myself.” — Walt Whitman.
OK, it sounds a little silly at a first read. But look at the deeper meaning. I celebrate myself, I sing my own praises. Whitman is not encouraging us to be pompous, but rather confident and self-loving. How can you love someone else if you don’t love yourself? How can you expect them to love you if you don’t even love you?
Then you have, “To be exempt from the passions with which others are tormented, is the only pleasing solitude.”— Joseph Addison.
This makes me have a Jon Stewart moment. I just stared at the screen when I read this. Really Addison? Really? Yes, I would rather live in solitude. By all means, leave the tormenting passions of the initial meeting, the chase, falling in love, the first passionate kiss, bodies entangled in a steamy unification, planning a life together, taking part in character-building spats, and building dreams together to the fools. Exemption is the only pleasing solitude. I know there are other ways to read that, but this is what jumped out to me.
I looked around at a lot of new year’s resolution lists, and I didn’t find any that said “entwine myself with another human being and their life.” There is a lot to be said for the Walt Whitman quote.
Yes, we love our significant others, but they come with lives, habits and baggage. Only when we’re able to handle our own demons should we accept to love someone else with theirs. The general population understands this concept when it comes to having children. We understand we should be prepared in our own lives first before taking on the responsibility of aiding another being down life’s treacherous path. So, why don’t we allow our mates the same respect and concern?
If you are single, you know why being single sucks. But rather than focus on the negative, concentrate on what you can gain from this solitude. Do you know yourself as well as you’d like to? Are you completely happy with yourself? Are you where you’d like to be in your life? Are you pleased with your current relationships and people skills? Take this time to work on you.
You’ve heard it before, and its true — someone will come when you’re not looking for them. It’s hard, I know. But contrary to what movie theaters, sit-down restaurants and the carpool lanes would have you believe, being single isn’t all lemons. When is the last time you heard a single person say, “I couldn’t sleep at all last night because I kept myself up snoring?” or “Damnit it! I went to get the last piece of pie and I had eaten it!”?
I think Shirley MacLaine said it well: “I don’t need a man to rectify my existence. The most profound relationship we’ll ever have is the one with ourselves.”
For some odd reason, everyone gets sentimental and uber introspective when a new year begins. How that can be paired with some pretty intense drinking binges is beyond me, but hey, many other areas of life don’t make sense either.
Either way, my issue isn’t with the celebrations of the new year as much as what I read a few days after 2011 made its appearance.
I read an article in The News-Press about a group of people who claimed the world was going to end in 2011. Specifically, Oct. 21, 2011.
Now, I realized that if this claim made its way into the news that is wasn’t made by some nut job fringe organization living in the basement of a former meth addict’s home. Instead, what I found out is that it was a pretty large nut job organization that is dead serious about what they are saying.
I visited their website on ebiblefellowship.com and saw that besides using Bible passages literally to support their claims (they also say that 11,013 B.C. was when everything came into creation), they have billboards in multiple African, American, Asian, and “Oceania” countries around the world.
Mark your calendars everyone, because these guys are deadpan. May 21 is judgment day and Oct. 21 is the end of the world.
It isn’t necessarily the fact that this particular group exists that irks me — as I said earlier, tons of things in life don’t make any sense. What disturbs me more is the existence of end-of-world prophecies in general.
Am I the only one who sees how counterproductive it is to schedule your demise? Or how nonsensical it is? These prophecies are like conspiracy theories; they are built upon faulty mechanics and are mostly sensationalist, kind of like the National Enquirer.
It might be different if we didn’t buy into this — but that isn’t the case, either. The Mayan end-of-world prophecy has attained a status of a pop culture phenomenon despite oodles and oodles of refutations.
This happens because people who are convinced by marginal amounts of “evidence” send chain e-mails with links to sensationalist websites that are then reported on by larger media. And like most other ridiculous nonsense, Americans sink their teeth into it.
Indeed, my favorite and only music news source, Alternative Press, ran their 2010 “most anticipated albums of next year” article under the title “Next to Last Call,” referencing the inane prediction that 2012 will spell the end of the world. This was a bit disappointing to see because pandering to these predictions strikes me as irresponsible.
Ultimately, end-of-world prophecies needlessly send people into frenzies and spread to the minds of others who might have a bit of sensibility, but are swayed by the energetic “facts” on websites that proliferate this mind-garbage.
With so many other issues on hand, there really are better ways to use your time than by spreading news about your belief that the “end of the world” is going to arrive soon. Like building a model railroad that feeds your cat.
Apocalypse prophecies,ridiculous hype abound
VIEWPOINT
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 EAGLE NEWS OPINION B5EDITOR: SARA GOTTWALLWES OPINION!EAGLENEWS.ORG
nn
n
n
VIEWPOINT
There remains little doubt in the minds of the American people that the United States political system is rapidly changing.
Many factions in the United States seem to be grasping for power over the political reigns of our nation.
“The Tea Party,” a loud conservative voice, has jumped to center stage in recent months. Out of the woodwork, it would seem, this new power emerged — one that is steeped in American history and has powerful goals for our future.
What started as a simple response to an “obesity tax,” organized by Young Americans for Liberty in 2009, the Tea Party has grown into an organization that seemingly has the gravitas to elect persons to office.
In November, Republicans won 231 seats, and the Democrats similarly gained 189 seats in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, the margins were a bit tighter, with Democrats coming away with 51 seats, Independents winning two and Republicans grabbing 47. Many Republican victories have been attributed to the Tea Party, or at minimum, the coalition of support the Tea Party built.
Tea Party candidates who won their election bids include Rand Paul of Kentucky, Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Paul LePage of Maine, Christine
O’Donnell of Delaware, and finally, Scott Brown, who won Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat in Massachusetts during a special election in January 2010.
Not everyone agrees on the “third party” description. According to Gallop Editor in Chief Frank Newport, the movement is not a new political group, but merely a rebranding of traditional Republican candidates and policies.
I agree, but add that many Tea Party candidates I have interacted with prefer to call themselves “conservatives” rather than “Republicans.” The case in point being newly elected Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who preferred to call himself a “conservative” when campaigning. Although eager to receive the party’s support, he knew that he could broaden his electoral base if he stayed away from party labels.
Now that the midterm elections have concluded, all eyes turn to the 2012 presidential elections. Primary committees will begin to form this year. So what of the Tea Party?
Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, is a possible “Tea Partier” who may consider a presidential run. Whether or not her hopes will pan out has yet to be seen.
In the end, it seems that President Obama at the left and the Tea Party at the right seem
to be fighting over control of the American political institution. It is up to the American people to sort through the rhetoric and demagoguery to emerge with an intelligent decision about who should be leading us and representing us in government. Candidates such as Paul and Rubio won because, among other reasons, they seemed like average Americans. That is what I perceive to be the goal of the Tea Party movement: to empower conservatives to band together and return the seat of political power back to the “the average citizen.” Unfortunately, whether or not that is the reality of the movement is a topic up for debate.
On the other hand, President Obama will be hard-pressed for victory in 2012 if he continues to move far to the left on social issues. The key for Democratic victories is to continue to poke holes in the policies of the Tea Party while simultaneously conceding some small victories to the newly elected Republican majority in the House.
If the Democrats actually practice their slogan of message of bipartisanship, they may restore some lost confidence from forced health care.
No matter what the outcome of this year’s midterm elections, both parties have some flaws. It is the job of the American people to decide which party has fewer of those flaws in the next two years.
Taxes taxing on the mind
Ah! A New Year is upon us. Many thoughts are turning to Jan. 31, the last day for your employer to give you the all important W-2 form you will use to file your taxes.
Taxes, taxes, taxes — the world revolves around taxes. I sit in my office listening to the inauguration of Rick Scott, the sound bites revolving around this five letter dirty word. As you get older, taxes will make a larger impact on your life. But what if they make a great impact now? Do you know how you should be filing your taxes — or if you file at all? What could tax status mean to your FAFSA?
More than likely, if you are a student younger than 24, your parents claim you as a dependant. In any case, if you work, you should probably file a tax return. The IRS states if you earned over $12,000 you need to file a return, regardless of dependence status.
“But, Mandie, how do I know what my status should be?” Great question. You must meet one of six testing criteria in order for your parents to still be able to claim you as a dependant on their taxes. These are relationship, age, residency, support, joint return, and a special test to determine if you qualify as a child of more than one person. Relationship is fairly self explanatory: you must be their son, daughter, or step/foster child. If you are cared for by your grandparents or sibling, they too can claim you if the age test is met.
To be claimed you must be: younger than 19 and younger than your youngest guardian, a full time-student younger than 24 and still younger than your youngest guardian, or permanently disabled (age no longer matters).
Go to eaglenews.org for full-time status info.
The residency test, while a bit more complicated in the world of separated parents, is still relatively simple to understand. If you lived with your guardian for over half the year, with exceptions made for birth and death, kidnapping, illnesses, education, business, vacation, or military service, you can be claimed by them. For more detailed information on residency issues specific to your own, visit irs.gov.
Next is the support test. If you can document that you provided more than half of your own support for the year (scholarships not included) you cannot be claimed as a dependant. Keep those check stubs and receipts!
A joint return applies mainly to lovebirds who were married young. If you tie the knot and file a joint tax return, your guardian, regardless of financial aid, cannot claim you — unless you file for a refund without having held a job. If you file a tax return to receive a refund off of interest without a W-2, you may still be claimed. Again, consult irs.gov.
The special test for qualifying a child of more than one person is used to determine who claims who in a household. For example, if a dad moves in with his mother and brings his two children. Age and residency are used to justify this situation. If the son makes less money than his mother, is 27, the sole guardian, and he and his children
live with his mother for more than six months, she can claim the children, her son may not. If he makes more money than his mother, he can claim his children.
“Wow! That’s a lot of information! What does that have to do with me, as a college student?” Another great question! Ask anyone in the financial advising office and they will tell you, beg you to fill out the Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FASFA) each year you are in school. Some departments even bribe you to apply for money from the government and to help qualify you for scholarships from groups such as the FGCU Foundation.
I had a conversation the other day with a student who said he never fills it out because his parents don’t want to give him their information. You do not always need your parents’ permission to fill out this form.
Go to eaglenews.org for exceptions to parental permission.
According fafsa.ed.gov, if you have “a special circumstance that prevents you from providing parental information you may be able to submit … [but] you must contact the financial office at your college and provide them with documentation to verify your situation.”
In plain English that means you would fill out the information online, go to the financial aid office and provide information such as pay stubs, utility bills and information on letterheads from reputable sources documenting your situation. Guidance counselors, clergy, teachers, social services case workers, lawyers, and therapists could all be looked to for help in bolstering your case.
You can also provide police reports if they add to your need to be considered independent — such as abuse, neglect or other heinous crimes. While they may be heartfelt, letters from employers and family members may not be acceptable unless they lay out specific situations affecting your ability to draw on assistance from your parents. Taking this path is much harder and time consuming, but don’t give up on qualifying for assistance you are entitled to.
Think about this information, talk with your guardians and consult an accountant or tax professional before April 15 arrives before the right decision.
I am not a tax professional. I started filing my taxes independently at 18. I was no longer in school, lived on my own and provided my own support. At the ripe old age of 19, I made the mistake of not filing a state tax form in North Carolina for a refund, and seven years later I had my wages garnished for about $1,800.
It took me a year to get copies (because what 19 year-old keeps tax forms for seven months, much less seven years) from the federal tax office, file the state taxes for that year, go to three meetings at the local state tax office and wait six more months before I was repaid the money along with the $150 refund I didn’t bother to file for that year.
I educated myself and I urge you to do the same. Also, keep documentation on paper or as a pdf — better safe than sorry. Happy New Year!
Resolution: Go back to the gym
Resolution: Stop procrastinating
SportsB6 www.eaglenews.org
Head men’s tennis coach J. Webb Horton and assistant Mark Dickinson have been working hard to find a niche and establish a program in a state flooded with talent, coming off a 2009-10 season that brought a 4-14 (3-7 Atlantic Sun Conference) record.
This past weekend, they welcomed Indiana University and Radford University in a friendly match-like setting to get a preview of what is ahead.
FGCU men’s tennis consists of nine players who come from all over the nation, and even players from Brazil and Colombia.
James Connelly, a freshman who is originally from Channel Islands, Great Britain, is looking forward to the upcoming conference season.
“On our team, we have a good squad of nine players who are all pushing hard for places (high conference finishes),” Connelly said. “Florida has a very high standard for tennis, so competition should be great.”
Connelly joins other foreigners on the team who flock to Florida due to the high level of competition statewide.
“I jumped at the chance to play Division I here (in Florida) because it brings strong players from around the nation and internationally, too.”
The team will be up against many challenging schools in spring season, such as Florida State University, the University of Florida and University of Central Florida.
Junior Matthew Rock is confident that his team will do well. “We’re prepared and ready for the adversity ahead,” Rock said. “It’s definitely a tough schedule, but our team is up to the challenge.”
Rock leads the team with co-captain Carlo Checchia from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
FGCU men’s tennis has several promising players who are expected to shine in the upcoming spring season. Many players have transferred from other major universities to help FGCU, such as Jackson Moore, a junior who transferred from Georgia State; and Dean Tsamas, is a freshman from Kentucky with very good technique and a great work ethic.
The players say the coaching staff has trained them the right way
to be successful. “Positive attributes about
FGCU men’s tennis are our coaches’ expert knowledge of the game,” Rock said.
Connelly also agrees about the coaches’ expertise. He says that Horton does a great job of continuing to hone technique during the grind of a season, when form can easily break down.
“It will be exciting to see how the young team progresses and grows throughout the season, and with our great coaching staff we will maintain good form and remain consistent throughout the season,” Connelly said.
The team expects a large fan base from students and staff as they have high hopes for the upcoming season and expect great things out of their talented team.
“What’s great about our team is our great teamwork and positive attitudes on and off the court,” Connelly said.
The next match will be Jan. 29 at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
The next home match will be Feb. 19 at the FGCU Tennis Complex against Florida Atlantic University.
The swimming and diving team continues to add to its national reputation heading into the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Championships in February after earning votes in the TYR/CSCAA top 25 poll and winning four consecutive meets.
With an overall record of 7-2, the girls are clicking at the right time.
The three meets on Saturday continued a conference win streak that dates back to February 2008.
“I am really excited that our team is getting noticed nationally for the top poll in our sport,” coach Neal Studd said. “We have worked very hard and hope to keep improving. I am particularly happy for the girls and our seniors who have seen this program grow from the beginning and are now being given consideration as a top 25 program.”
Studd doesn’t worry about any rust from the layoff during the holiday vacation.
“We really did not have that much time off compared to the other students,” Studd said. “The girls have been working very hard and have been in the weight room every day and have been doing doubles. The girls are pretty beat up but they are still racing very hard.”
Preparation throughout the summer and during the year is aimed at peaking for the CCSA Championships. The team has
definitely been improving in practice and it takes a little while for that improvement to settle in, which you will see toward the end of the year,” Studd said. “The girls are swimming fast and are setting up a good pace for the tournament in February.”
As always, there are certain areas that need to be worked on, but Studd feels that this will not be a problem.
“There’s always work that needs to be done,” Studd said. “The girls might forget a certain technique from the beginning of the season. “Right now, though, we’re coming down the home stretch because the tournament is five weeks away, and then hopefully we can win another championship.”
Over on the other side of the pool, coach Andrew Goe is very pleased with the performance of his divers.
“The girls have looked really good on the boards and we look very solid right now,” Goe said.
Like Studd, Goe has his eyes set on February.
“We have very good teams in our conference so we need to work hard and prepare to face these teams, which is very exciting,” Goe said.
Some technical issues need to be cleaned up before the divers can make a mark in the CCSA Championship.
“We plan on working on certain things such as rotation and the speed of takeoffs when the girls do their dives,” Goe said.
One of coach Goe’s divers this season, Karmin McNamara, was awarded the CCSA Diver of the Week award for the week of Dec. 13-19. McNamara earned her second diver of the week honor after winning the 3-meter event with a season-best score of 281.19.
With the score, she is
the second CCSA diver to qualify for the NCAA Zone Regional Meet. McNamara also took third in the 1-meter event with a score of 234.50.
The swimming and diving team will be back in action Friday night at home against UNF.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has a track record filled with
excellence. He has won three Super Bowls already in his career and is looking to add another ring this year.
Brady has had wonderful supporting casts in past championship seasons. Some great players such as wide receiver Troy Brown, running back Corey Dillon and incredible defenses have helped Brady become one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. But the quarterback did not have that kind of supporting cast in the 2010 campaign.
Brady has turned trash into treasure in 2010. The Patriots traded both running back Laurence Maroney and star wide receiver Randy Moss during the season. This forced unproven young players into key roles for the Patriots offense.
Brady has dealt with a daunting task of working with inexperienced talent. Many quarterbacks need lots of time to work with offensive teammates in order be on the same page as they are. Brady has done a masterful job in running the Patriots offense, and he has done it with virtually no-name players.
Two undrafted running backs, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead, have carried the load and Brady has made them look like Pro Bowlers. Rookie tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski look like 10-year veterans with Brady throwing passes their way. Wide receivers Deion Branch and rookie Brandon Tate were forced to fill the void of the incredible Moss, and have done so with ease.
In the past, the Patriots have had very solid defenses. Players such as Richard Seymour, Ty Law, and Mike Vrabel anchored their Super Bowl defenses. This Season, the Patriots have relied on inexperienced players such as Devin McCourty, Brandon Merriweather and Jermaine Cunningham to stop opposing offenses.
The talent and experience level isn’t even close to the way it was a few years
Ago, when Brady was winning Super Bowls. Brady has never dealt with a more inexperienced defense in his entire career. Head coach Bill Belichick is a
mastermind, and has done a great job working inexperience on both sides of the ball.
Incredibly, it has been 11 games since Brady has thrown an interception.
Brady has thrown 335 passes without getting picked off, an NFL record.
The streak continues as the Patriots enter postseason play.
Brady is a leader and knows how to work with what he has. The 14-2 Patriots have enjoyed success due to their incredible quarterback, and winning this many games with such an inexperienced team makes this season one of the best of his career.
SpecialsMonday Tuesday WednesdayBuy one pizzaget one 1/2 off
All you can eat $6 $10 Pizzas
239-437-8800
We Deliver!!
Come Taste the love!!
New York Style
LEARN TO RIDENEW RIDER TRAINING COURSE FGCU STUDENT DISCOUNTStandard Rate$249FGCU Student Rate$199$50 SAVINGS!
VALID ONLY AT HARLEY-DAVIDSON® OF FORT MYERS & NAPLES HARLEY-DAVIDSON®. MUST PRESENT THIS COUPON AND YOUR STUDENT ID TO RECEIVE DISCOUNT.
Super Bowl led by familiar face
Sportswww.eaglenews.org
For the Florida Gulf Coast University women’s basketball squad, staying undefeated is starting to get them recognition and pay dividends in recruiting.
The Lady Eagles, 12-0 after a 77-70 win last Saturday at East Tennessee State, find themselves in impressive company. They are one of the last four Division I teams in the nation to be undefeated, joining Duke, ranked No. 3 in the nation, West Virginia, No. 6, and North Carolina, No. 8.
If the streak continues, the women’s program should be joining the elite in the Top 25. The Lady Eagles recently received votes in the AP Top 25 Poll, USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll and ESPN Coaches Top 25 Poll. They received one vote in the AP Top 25 poll and six votes in the ESPN and USA Today Coaches polls.
“We’re glad that coaches around the nation are pay attention to what we are doing right now,” coach Karl Smesko said. “Hopefully we can continue to win to receive more national recognition”
Smesko believes that the team is deserving of the votes and the recognition. Even though this is not first time the Lady Eagles got Top 25 votes, it is an outstanding accomplishment for a team that is not yet eligible to enter the NCAA postseason.
Smesko, in his ninth season coaching at FGCU, said the key to the Lady Eagles’ quick start is team chemistry.
“Our players understand what it takes for us to be successful and they play within their roles. We’re off to a great start,” Smesko said. “We’re still running the program as we always have, it’s just a matter of being able to make the plays in close games down the stretch and hopefully the streak continues.”
Smesko is also pleased with the fact that many of players are contributing to their success at home and on the road. There are always players coming off the bench who do their part to help out the team.
Redshirt freshman Sarah Hansen is having a tremendous start and is the leading scorer with an average of 13.4 points per game and leading rebounder with 78.
Shannon Murphy, senior; Courtney Chihill, junior; and Kelsey Jacobson, junior, have also been key contributors.
Murphy, a senior, has seen the progression of the program first hand. Initially, after pre-season practices and a slow scoring start to the season, she didn’t see the success coming as fast and dramatically as it has.
“It’s not what I thought it was going to be at the beginning of the year,” Murphy said. “Practices were a little rough in the beginning, but I’m impressed with how much we’ve improved., and we’re going to build on it game by game.”
The undefeated start has also got the attention of some of the future players.
The Lady Eagles have received a verbal commitment from a PAC-10 conference standout. Brittany Kennedy, formerly from Oregon State University, will become a part of the women’s basketball team at FGCU for the 2011-12 season. Kennedy, who is a 5-foot-7 guard, played two seasons with the Beavers and is said to bring a lot of intensity to the program for next season.
As for the rest of the season, Smesko expects the Lady Eagles to improve where they can be better on defense and execute flawlessly on the offensive side of the ball.
The women’s game on Monday against the University of South Carolina Upstate Spartans was cancelled due to a snowstorm, so their next game will be Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. at Alico Arena against Kennesaw State University Owls, who are 3-10.
Losers of four consecutive games and winless in Atlantic Sun Conference play, men’s basketball has continued to run in circles in their last year of the Division 1 transition.
The Eagles (3-11, 0-5 A-Sun) have allowed opponents to shoot a staggering 48.4 percent from the field, while shooting only 39.8 percent themselves, as they have struggled with half-court defense and hitting open shots.
Coach Dave Balza has been unable to establish his preferred inside-outside transition style because of a lack of a third option on offense to back the consistent production of redshirt sophomore forward Anthony Banks (14.8 ppg) and senior guard Reed Baker (14.4 ppg).
“We really need that third scorer,” Balza said. “You see the good teams in the A-Sun like Belmont and Lipscomb have fourth and fifth scoring options. Christophe Varidel has shown signs and Kevin Cantinol has been coming along after a rough start, but we need more consistent production.”
Banks demands attention down low, sucking in defenders and leaving the perimeter open, but without shooters surrounding him, he is pressured to force the issue rather then kick the ball out.
“We’ve played transition basketball well, and we have tried to play inside-out, but we haven’t really had guys step up and make shots. Christophe (Varidel) has shot it well (29 made 3-pointers on the season) and Baker, Chase Fieler, Sherwood Brown and Hunter Miller are all capable shooters, so we expect more.”
Baker and Varidel form the best offensive combination in the backcourt on paper, with their ability to spread the court shooting the ball, but Balza says the two are too small to play together on defense.
That is just one example of how difficult it has been for Balza to hit on the right combination of players.
The instability has prompted Balza to add incentives outside of games.
“The five guys who have the best week of practice will start the game,” Balza said. “We need to find guys who jell well together. But
what matters more is who finishes games.”Conference leaders such as Lipscomb
and Belmont are able to apply Balza’s preferred style because they have the weapons to keep opposing teams honest.
“When we were scouting Lipscomb and Belmont we saw they have a post player with shooters surrounding them on the outside, so if you do double down low, it leaves the shooters with open shots, and they can knock them down.”
Balza says acquiring that depth and talent takes time, as the inability of new D1 teams to participate in post-season play for four years makes reeling in recruits a challenge.
“You have to give teams like Lipscomb and Belmont a lot of credit, but a lot of these teams started off in the same place where we are now,” Balza said. “It takes time to get the pieces in place, and up until a few years ago, a lot of the A-Sun teams didn’t have that.”
Ole Miss transfer and 6-foot-9 behemoth Kevin Cantinol was expected to form a powerful inside game with Banks, but Cantinol struggled early after being forced to sit out the first semester due to NCAA transfer rules.
Balza demoted Cantinol to the bench and he has put together two solid games since scoring 10-plus points in both.
“Kevin’s progression is going to take time,” Balza said. “He really hasn’t played competitive basketball for an extended time since high school, so it takes time to get him to play at the pace we need him to. He has been more aggressive for sure in the last few games.”
Point guard Marlon Rivera, a first year Eagle and community college transfer, has been a bright spot, leading the A-Sun in assists at 5.5 per game.
“Marlon is one of the best point guards in the A-Sun,” Balza said. “He knows his strengths. He is not a great shooter, but he doesn’t look to shoot. He rebounds, handles the press, and can spray it around.”
But until Balza finds another consistent shot-maker, the men’s basketball program will continue to run in place in their final season before post-season eligibility.
Women undefeated, men’s hoops struggles
Women’s basketball stats:
nOne of three undefeated teams in D1 as of Jan. 8
nDefeated three BCS schools in Seton Hall, Virginia Tech and Indiana
nSarah Hansen, Shannon Murphy and Kelsey Jacobson have accounted for 53.3 percent of FGCU’s scoring
n47-3 at home since moving to D1
nHave held opponents to a paltry 36.5 percent field goal percentage
nLimiting opponents to 56.3 points per game
nWinning by an average of 17.8 points per game
