The Reporter Spring 2019 Issue 6

THE

REPORTER BLONDE DOES IT BETTER

THE "SENIOR" EDITION Hatter Network celebrates the end of the school year with an issue dedicated to the senior hatters

An album review of Blonde, by Frank Ocean

THE PROBLEM WITH MONEY PT.3

Conclusion of the three part exploration into Stetson University's financial secrets

STAFF

The Reporter Stetson University

Design by Isabel Solorzano

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Shaylen Vitale Editor-in-Chief

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Colette Cacciola Executive Editor

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Kaitlyn Kocsis Section Editor

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Hannah Zeller Section Editor Lana Kaczmarek Section Editor

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Hali Pollard Creative Director

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Anika Hand Copy Editor

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Cat Keve Photo Editor

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Izzy Solorzano Designer

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Ruby Rosenthal Writer, Designer

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Ihsaan Fanusie Writer

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Sam Hadelman Writer

Contributing Writers Ashton Craig, Catie Brumit, Joseph Dallas, Lauren Ludlam, Nicole Rosen, Rene Campbell Contributing Photographers Kevin Vega, Natalie Bergeron

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Hello readers, staff members, panicking seniors (only kidding), When I first joined Hatter Network, it did not exist. Or at least the Hatter Network we know today. I joined what was then The Reporter, an eager Freshman who wanted to write for the newspaper.

Much changes in four years. The Reporter has transitioned from that newspaper to a magazine. WHAT Radio has traded the basement of Elizabeth for their own radio studio. Uncouth has grown and now resides in the Garage, a very different step from the now nonexistent Nightlights. Hatter Network was created my Sophomore year, the umbrella organization over all three branches of magazine, radio and literary arts journal.

And I myself have changed. I did not imagine myself in the position I am today, in both cases. Honestly, I would have laughed if you said my sophomore year I would be in my position now, only because I always felt someone else would take it. However, being the Editorin-Chief of such an organization has been both a challenge and an honor. And it’s hard to believe being a senior in my last days at college. It’s one of those inevitabilities that seems to be unthinkable until it's’ there in your face. I’m sure most of my graduating class can agree with me.

I could thank numerous people through the years to where I am today. Andy Dehnart has been an amazing guide, helping through the transition. I can’t say enough about Crystal Baroni. She has been the greatest help and has seen me at my worst (no sleep and 6 coffees deep!). She is an essential asset to our organization’s success.

More than anything, I thank the people of Hatter Network. An organization is nothing without its members. Everyone in this org wants to be here and it’s obvious with the amount of dedication each one of them has shown. You can see it in their radio shows and their articles. These people genuinely care about the student body and the work they are putting out.

If I could only express my gratitude to these staff members, but I don’t know how to. In your head you repeat to yourself different endings or ways to write your last letter, a final goodbye. I’ve tried my best and hope I have served you all well.

I could not do this without all the members of Hatter Network.

They are all incredible, dedicated people and it’s been an honor to have worked with them for so many months, and in some cases, years. I know that the next Editor-in-Chief, Ruby Rosenthal, is going to do great things and I’m excited for what the next year has in store. Please enjoy the last issue of The Reporter, 2018-2019 season.

Hey guys, I wish I had more time. Even to write this, I waited for days and had no idea what to say. I thought I would. I had grand plans for some inspiring letter to round off the year I have spent serving as Executive Editor of The Reporter. Instead, I find myself at a total loss for words. I am so grateful. And in awe. Radiant, and lost.

I joined Hatter Network before it was called that, and grew right alongside it. I’ve been writing since I was eleven. The first time I put it somewhere people would see it was for The Reporter.

This magazine has contributed so much to my confidence, to my talent, and to my future. Truly. I have no words.

As I write this it’s raining. If I close my eyes I can practically hear the earth around me growing, eagerly. It reminds me that I, too, am still growing. It doesn’t end here. As afraid as I am, I have only begun to bloom.

I want to say thank you to so many people, they certainly won’t fit here. To my professors, who have helped me so much in my development as a writer and as a scholar, my friends, who are actually excited to be stressed with me, my boyfriend Brett who I love with my whole heart, to the Hatter Network Editorial Board, which is full of people who have loved and supported me always, to The Reporter team, all of whom have been there for me when I’ve needed them most. To everyone who has taken part in who I am now.

And, of course, to you, dear reader.

I am beyond grateful. Thank you, and please enjoy my final issue of The Reporter.

Colette Cacciola Executive Editor, The Reporter

Signing out,

Shaylen Vitale Editor in Chief, The Reporter

Issue VI | 3

in this

ISSUE

VI

Design by Isabel Solorzano

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Dining in Deland: The Senior Bar Crawl

Written by Kaitlyn Kocsis & Cat Keve

Blonde Does It Better: A Review of Frank Ocean’s Masterpiece Written by Sam Hadelman

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Senior staffers, Kaitlyn Kocsis and Cat Keve, have come together to create the last edition of Dining in DeLand this semester before handing it off to some of our younger members. We hope you enjoy this special edition of Dining in DeLand: Senior Bar Crawl.

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Humans of Stetson: Senior Edition

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Written by Rene Campbell

Astrology Mixology Written by Catie Brumit

Ampersand: Hali Pollard Written by Jacob Mauser

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Join Jacob Mauser in his interview with graduating senior Hali Pollard about her creative experience and sources of inspiration.

16 Meet some unique Stetson students we found across campus.

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Thank You, Stress: A Skin Care Memoir Written by Hali Pollard

Incoming: Hatter Gaming

Written by Nicole Rosen

The “Tea” on Democratic Presidential Primary Candidates

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SGA Highlights

Written by Colette Cacciola

PSAFE Reportss

Collected by Hannah Zeller

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Written by Ashton Craig

24 Take a look inside and find out more about the new organization on campus, Hatter Gaming. It’s an all-inclusive club made for and by gamers!

The Problem With Money, Part III

Written by Colette Cacciola

Senior Statistics

Data Surveyed by Cat Keve

36 We surveyed December 2018 and May 2019 graduates about their Steetson experience. We’re giving you the inside look to some of our seniors years at Stetson!

In this final installation of The Problem with Money, we will look at a series of unreleased documents and interviews wth administrators and faculty to paint a larger picture of Stetson finances. Is our unversity in danger of closing? It’s tough to say, but you’ll have to read to find out more!

Issue VI | 5

SAYING GOODBYE: LETTERS FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD SENIORS

Design by Hali Pollard

Dear Stetson community, We're nearing the end of another academic year! Congratulations!

Now, some of you may have exciting summer plans, but if you're anything like me, you may still have no idea what you plan to do. I'm here to tell you that everything will be okay. You don't have to live up to the preconceived timelines that society has placed before you. Live your life the way you want to. If you want to spend your summer relaxing, do that, if you want to work endlessly to save money, that's great! Don't let others tell you how to live because it's not their lives, it's yours. Take these next weeks to end your academics on a strong note and then take a breath and open your eyes to the world of possibilities.

Thank you, Stetson, for all you have provided and shown me. I would not be the woman I am today without each and every experience that has molded me today. I wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors and remember to always have fun.

Sincerely,

LANA KACZMAREK

Section Editor, The Reporter

6 | The Reporter

The Reporter has been so important to me and for my journey at Stetson. Ever since I was young I wanted to work for a magazine. I always loved staring at the editorial designs of Vogue and Cosmo– the fonts, the colors, the art. Luckily for me, I became Creative Director for Hatter Network and The Reporter Magazine. I’ve been able to exercise and learn more about what I’m truly passionate about, and now that I'm grown up, I can say that I've worked for a magazine. A magazine that I'm truly proud of.

The organization has grown so much just within the past year, and it’s been amazing to watch that physically happen in front of me. I’ve met so many talented people through Hatter Network, and I’m so excited to see what they accomplish after graduation.

I’ve been in the mindset that it was February for the past two months now, but it’s May and graduation is right around the corner. Not to be dramatic, but it’s so hard to comprehend that I finally have to say good-bye to the life I built at Stetson. This time has been the beginning of my independent life. Now it’s time start over. I’m so thankful. I’m thankful for everyone I’ve met along the way, the things I’ve learned, and the experiences I’ve had. It’s all irreplaceable. Thank you.

HALI POLLARD

Creative Director, Hatter Network

Hello all!

And… well, I suppose goodbye. It’s like standing on the edge of the last four years and feeling the adrenaline, the fear, and the excitement of the next step. This has been like running towards something that has been evolving each passing year and each time I think I’m ready, something new happens and I realize I was never ready; I don’t think you can be. I know more than I ever have and it’s definitely still not everything and I suppose that’s the best anyone can get before heading into their next steps. I put off writing this until I couldn’t anymore because I have so much to say and so many people to thank and words never seem quite big enough for my experience here. What do you say about four whole years coming to an end both too fast and not fast enough? For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Cleo Koenig. I’m the Event Coordinator of Hatter Network, Environmental Science Major with a Minor in Biology, and an Honors Program student. I am also a D&D player, completely uncouth, rescuer of birds (my Ornithology class knows what’s up!), and a photographer, as Dr. Denner likes to remind me every time I talk about my future.

When I first started college, I thought I knew what to expect, but my first day surrounded by all my fellow freshmen, I knew I wanted to be connected to all the diversity I was seeing. That’s what led me to turn around at a hypnotist show during orientation and say hi to a girl who was talking about Minecraft. That person was Gabby Cassidy. You may know her as the Managing Editor of Creative Content? Or maybe Uncouth Hour hostess? Or the Touchstone Editor? More aptly, she’s one of my closest friends. And well, Touchstone and Uncouth Hour have just been one of those things that have defined such a large portion of my college career at Stetson. I started going the first week as a freshman and I haven’t stopped going ever since.

Its good I didn’t, too. Through it, I became Gabby’s right hand for a semester before Kait, our previous Editor-in-Chief, and Shay, our current one, decided to place me in the Event Coordinator position and I gotta say, this past year doing this job has been the craziest, busiest, and most satisfying. I got to know Crystal Baroni, our absolutely incredible Student Media Coordinator, who I still affectionately refer to as the mom of Hatter Network and who has so much care and motivation. I got to know The Noah and The Dylan, the heads of WHAT Radio, and share so many laughs and smile with some of the nicest, chillest guys I could ever hope to meet (and they definitely share that trait with a lot of their staff!). I got to know the Reporter staff who have made such incredible improvements to the magazine this past year and who definitely take on WAY more than they need to at times (I’m looking at you Colette!).

So, here I am. Standing on the edge. Taking a deep breath and trying to decide if I step or just dive head first. But whether it’s a step or a dive, I’m taking a little piece of every one of you with me.

So here we go.

It is currently Friday, April 19 at approximately 6:03pm as I write this.

I think I’ve started this letter over about five or six times trying to figure out what I want to say. Trying to wrap up four years of collegiate studies in such a short amount of time is truly a difficult endeavor.

Mainly because as soon as you sit down and start to type out all the things you’ve wanted to talk about for years the memories suddenly just leave your head for the evening only to eventually return three weeks later to haunt you as you read through what’s on the page.

Regardless, I want to start by giving the biggest and most sincere thank you I could ever possibly express to the members of WHAT Radio.

When I first joined WHAT Radio my sophomore year I had a show with Noah Reed. Every Friday we would hop on air and talk about underground artists we felt deserved more recognition and why we thought they did, it was the highlight of my week. Nothing beats the feeling of getting on air listening to good music and talking about it with one of your best friends. I highly recommend trying it if you never have.

The reason I mention this is that watching all the new members coming in and taking control of the station this year fills me with the same sense joy I felt back then. Noah, Megan Moran, Tony Pizzo, Casey Deiter, Nick Saffan, and myself have worked our asses off to get the station to where it is now. The last step for us is to pass it off, and I couldn’t be happier with the group we have receiving our combined blood, sweat, and tears. You all have the most hilarious, intelligent, and loving personalities I’ve ever had the absolute pleasure of working with and I have no doubt that you're going to do the station justice and take it way farther than it already has come.

I wish I had some crazy sage advice to leave you like “Find your true self through patience and forgiveness…” or some stupid shit like that but I really don’t. Everyone’s journey is different and for each their own unique mountains to climb, to which I wish all of you the best of luck. If I had to say something I’d just ask that you never settle for anything less than perfect, and in that same regard learn your personal limitations. Thank you as well to everyone on the Hatter Network crew. I love seeing each and every one of your faces each Wednesday meeting and hearing the thoughts of so many bright and beautiful minds. It was an honor to be a part of this team, thank you so much for having me. The last thing I want to leave you with is a haiku written by yours truly….

Now switch the station Brand new voices to be heard Make sure they hear you

DYLAN FOREHAND

Station Manager, WHAT Radio

CLEO KOENIG

Events Coordinator, Hatter Network Issue VI | 7

It is immensely difficult to say goodbye to student media. Hatter Network has been a huge source of my happiness while at Stetson. I have truly been blessed to work with such an inspiring, determined, and creative team. I sincerely thank Kait Forsythe and Shaylen Vitale for being my fearless leaders over the years. Thank you to Colette for keeping our staff sane and smiling. To my fellow section editors, please please keep writing. Lana and Hannah, you are both so talented. I am humbled to work alongside such strong and smart women. And to my writers, there are no words. You have grown into such incredible journalists. I hope Hatter Network continues to foster your love for creating as it did for me.

Finally, to all of our readers, THANK YOU. Journalism has no power without someone reading it. You have all empowered me to continue pursuing my passions. I call to each and every one of you readers, do what you love. The money will come, the success will come. But the joy is up to you. So take charge, work hard, and enjoy life. Catch you all on the flipside.

Signing off, sincerely,

KAITLYN KOCSIS

Section Editor, The Reporter

Helloooo, Before I leave Stetson I have two very important things I want to say: Yee and Haw. But on a more serious note, I'm kinda sorta gonna miss this place. Part of me is happy and excited to move on from here, but I'm sad to leave certain people behind. So I hope I can be back soon to visit!!

Also, make sure to stream my EP Sad Songs Vol. 1 on Spotify!

LARISSA HANSON

Tech Assistant, WHAT Radio

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As much as I’ve tried to deny it, graduation is here and I really can’t believe it. Four years have come and gone so much faster than I ever realized they would. People always tell you it’s going to go fast and to make the most of it while you can, but it’s hard to take that to heart until graduation day is here and you realize time really has flown. I have had the unique opportunity and pleasure of working in Touchstone and student media since the beginning of my freshman year. It’s odd reflecting back on the person who was hired in October 2015 because she feels like a completely different person compared to who I am now. The next year I was hired as the head of Touchstone as well as was one of the founding members of Hatter Network as we know it today, and I have been able to grow and change with this organization in so many wonderful, beautiful ways over the past four years.

Stetson is my home. It’s a place I’ve come to love so much through all its ups and downs. I’ve made so many friends who I love dearly, had so many professors who have shaped my education and future, and spent time with advisors and mentors who I will stay in contact with for many years to come. I can honestly say there hasn’t been a single moment when I didn’t feel welcomed here. I'm going to miss this place and these people so much it hurts. I wouldn’t trade a single second of it for anything in the world and that’s because of all you amazing people I got to meet along the way. So thank you. Thank you all for the laughter and tears and memories. A piece of my heart will always remain here. This got sappier than I intended but I’ve never been one to hold back emotion.

For those of you who still have time here, hold on to it, cherish it, and make it count however you can.

GABBY CASSIDY

Managing Editor, Touchstone

Dear reader,

The WHAT Radio crew has always been a team. As a team, we set out to do one thing: provide the students of Stetson a platform on which anyone can stand and amplify their voice. I would consider the past years a huge success in that regard.

It means so much to me to have been involved in the amplification of the voice of Stetson’s student body. To have watched WHAT grow from a relatively unknown organization, tucked away in an obscure room in Elizabeth Hall, to now having the space we do, in front of the student lounge areas in the CUB, and being the first thing someone sees when they go upstairs is deeply moving. It is moving because I know the work and dedication it took from the WHAT team to get there.

Alongside Co-Station Manager Dylan Forehand, I had the absolute pleasure of establishing the Station, as well as: Larissa Hanson, Tyler Thomas, Sam Hadelman, Meghan Moran, Gracie Lookadoo, Kris Villota, Gordon Silva, Destin Beaumont, Garrett McCormick, Thomas Wasman, Cole Monica.

Well here I am, among the many letters, saying my first hello and last goodbye all at once; I’ll make it brief. In the midst of senior year planning, research, contemplation and a bit of nostalgia, I decided that I would apply for copy editor of The Reporter, and have since then been utterly surprised at the mine of joy, enthusiasm, and talent I would find among my fellow team members. By choice I have stayed rather behind the scenes, but it has been a true pleasure to comb through each piece that has been published in this last year, and to witness the creativity and curiosity that drives our writers. I have loved The Reporter as a locus of investigation but also of pure fun, and that most of all, it is a site of students encouraging other students to stretch their wings and soar into the world of writing about what piques interest.

It has been a humbling experience to work with others so full of dedication and drive, and to see each issue come together before my very eyes.

In thanks,

ANIKA HAND

Copy Editor, The Reporter

This list of people comprises all those who are responsible for the advancement and newfound outreach of the Station. I am extremely proud to have been involved in the team of amazing people that breathed new life into Stetson’s first and only student-run radio station, WHAT Radio.

NOAH REED

Station Manager, WHAT Radio

CAT KEVE

Photo Editor, The Reporter

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DINING IN DELAND WRITTEN BY KAITLYN KOCSIS PHOTOS BY CAT KEVE DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY HALI POLLARD

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he time has come for Cat and I to leave Dining in DeLand in the capable hands of younger Hatter Network staff. We have truly loved writing and photographing our amazing little town and all its delectable goodies. In the spirit of our graduation we decided our final review would be a selection of unique cocktails fit for an intoxicatingly good bar crawl. We ask our readers to please drink responsibly. We hope you enjoy these crafty cocktails. Cheers to good food and great friends!

THE TABLE 100 E. NEW YORK AVENUE

Start on the boujee side of beverages with a Strawberry Mojito. An interesting spin on the usual mojito, which is typically made with white rum, The Table’s version is shaken on the rocks with Rum Haven coconut rum. This drink is a tropical lovers dream.

The sweet coconut flavor blends with fresh strawberries, lime juice, and sugary mint syrup for a perfect sip. This cocktail gets the party started quickly with a hefty pour of rum and a smooth taste. It’s gone before you know it.

Move into more sophisticated territory with the White Cosmo. Served elegantly in a curved martini glass and garnished with a raspberry, this cosmo is no ordinary martini. St. George citrus vodka meets white cranberry juice and elderflower syrup in a simple, but powerful combination. The citrus vodka is refreshing, but not overpoweringly sweet, while the elderflower brings a crisp and

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tart aftertaste. Sip on this cocktail at the bar, getting lost in the warm lighting, funky succulents, and vintage decor. Here, Stetson feels a world away.

HALF WALL 105 W. INDIANA AVENUE

Half Wall is a typical sports bar with not so typical cocktails.

Home to hundreds of craft brews from around the USA, their cocktail menu is often overlooked. Sample a beer flight if you like, but be sure to explore some of their twenty five dangerously delicious cocktails. Grab a round table towards the front for sublime sunset views and start with the Georgia Peach. A perfect pour of Southern sweet tea mingles with lemonade and Skyy Peach vodka. It’s hard to believe this drink is alcoholic until you stand up again. It’s simple, sweet, and satisfying. Keep on sippin, perhaps with a side of fried pickles or beer cheese dip, until you’re ready for something more adventurous.

Leave the Georgia Peach in the past and order a Swedish Fish Martini. This cocktail is a blend of Stoli Raspberry vodka, raspberry liquor, cranberry juice, lemon, and lime tastes surprisingly like the cherry version of its namesake. A Swedish Fish candy floats along the bottom of the sweet burgundy sea.

Reminiscent of fruit punch, but with a welcome kick, this cocktail is the best of childhood made all grown up. Be warned that this drink is very cherry. For those not so inclined, check out the Raspberry Lemon Drop Martini or the Citrus Crush, two of Half Wall’s most popular cocktails. It’s hard to go wrong here, especially after a few glasses of Georgia Peach.

ISSUES 114 E. INDIANA AVENUE

Walk down the street to this slightly sketchy dive for one amazing shot. Issues is not the most fond of Stetson students, so play it lowkey. While the atmosphere is a mix between smoky

and scary, this drink is seriously worth the yikes factor. Order a Slinky Bomb shot. A rainbow of colors from darkest blue to most vibrant red sparkle in a strangely inverted highball glass.

Seriously, this thing looks magical. It tastes even better. Imagine a melted jolly rancher or Sweet Tarts. This shot has the zippy bite of sweet and sour candy, completely masking the taste of seven different liquors. You read that right. Seven. I honestly never asked which ones. I think the mystery is better left unsolved. Two slinky bombs takes the night from tipsy to topsy turvy in a few moments. Know your limit, of course, but also know that this drink is one hell of a good time.

THE BOULEVARD 208 N. WOODLAND BOULEVARD

Our final stop on this cocktail bar crawl, The Boulevard is home to the best Old Fashioned in town. This drink is truly an artform. A plank of maple wood is torched until smoking. A traditional short and wide glass is then flipped over the smoke to infuse a sweet maple flavor. An Old Fashioned can be customized with many shelf bourbons and whiskeys, but I recommend the house Four Roses bourbon. Its smooth, rich, and savory flavors compliment the maple smoke and orange garnish without being overpowered. A dash of house bitters, a blend of dried herbs and grain alcohol, completes the drink. This Old Fashioned is not for those who like tropical or sweet flavors, but if a strong and sippable whiskey is your forte, this is the Old Fashioned for you.

Not to fear, if sweeter drinks are for you, order the Rainbow Road: a heavenly blend of Peach schnapps, cherry vodka, sprite, and pineapple juice. This cocktail tastes like a melted summertime popsicle. Sickeningly sweet with a bubbly finish, the Rainbow Road is a perfect ending to the night. Shoot some pool, if you can still stand straight, or follow the music and bust a move. No matter how the night ends, be sure to find a safe ride home. Cheers to the Class of 2019!

Issue VI | 11

BLONDE DOES IT BETTER A Review of Frank Ocean’s Masterpiece

By Sam Hadelman Design by Ruby Rosenthal

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It took one review of Frank Ocean’s album Blonde published in The Reporter to frustrate me enough into becoming the music writer for this publication.

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was studying for my finals sophomore year and I stumbled upon an article titled “Frank Ocean’s Blonde is Very Vanilla.”

It sent me over the edge. I never really take musical criticism of other artists to heart, but Frank Ocean is the millennial music messiah, so this particular sentiment unrooted me. Any critique of his work seems like a direct attack on my brand. So, I read this review and decided that I needed my voice to be involved in student media at Stetson. If anyone is going to talk about Frank Ocean, I think it should be me. This is my final review for the Reporter. I figured this should be my shot at a review of Blonde: I waited so long for Blonde that it physically broke my spirit as an adolescent. Frank Ocean’s first LP, Channel Orange, came out in 2012 and it changed my entire landscape. It quickly filled up my entire hour and a half long bus ride. The tunes of “Pyramids” and “Crack Rock” entrapped me. I craved more music, since Ocean only had a handful of tracks out at the time, which was the origin of my internet usage in regards to music. I would spend valuable time at school going on forum websites Reddit and KanyeToThe, looking for the slightest inkling of when Frank Ocean’s new music would be arriving. I hung onto any rumor or leak for dear life, swinging over an abyss of the unknown. This borderline obsession did not mesh well with Ocean’s dismissal of the constructs of fame. He often went ghost for months on end, not being on any major social media, except for the occasional Tumblr post here or there. It would not be for 4 years that I would get another Frank Ocean record. To give you a better measurement, I was a sophomore in high school when Channel Orange came out and I had to wait till my sophomore year of college for Frank Ocean’s Blonde.

The hype for Blonde was indescribable and the expectations that coupled were borderline unattainable. When albums have such a historic existence, such as Dr. Dre’s never released Detox or, recently, Kanye West’s Yandhi, they build this larger than life expectancy that can never truly be met. This was the main force Ocean was working against, astronomical presumptions. This might have been the catalyst behind Ocean’s musical hiatus, to make these projections subside and let the music truly speak for itself. This mode of presentation has led to the god-tier position that Ocean holds in our musical landscape. Criticism and the normal constructs of fame slip off Ocean’s skin like rain. In a time where artists are micromanaged and under constant ridicule on a very public stage, Ocean has been able to sift through our world untouched by the hands of judgement.

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Blonde arrived on a pedestal founded on Ocean’s insecurities, which is one of the moving parts of the record that makes it so empathetic. The depths that Ocean delves into his own psyche on tracks like “Ivy” and “White Ferrari” make the record play insufferably close to the chest, it playing out like an intense therapy session. The aspect of Blonde that truly makes it the best album of the decade is it’s ingenuity, not solely through writing, but production as well. Ocean blended the styles of his previous influencers, such as the Beatles and The Beach Boys, and coupled them with the modern gatekeepers of sound, such as Radiohead and Beyoncé, who both are featured on the record unlisted. Blonde has this quality that is so reflexive, as if the record is as much about self expression as it is about self exploration. The lyric that makes me enter the realms of dread and awe arrives on “White Ferrari.”

“I’m sure we’re taller in another dimension/You say we’re smaller and not worth the mention.” That singular sentiment of self identity and importance has prompted many late night thought sessions, as well as moments of existential apprehension for me.

Blonde is an insight into an entrapped mind, created by someone who purposefully steps out of the limelight, though it frequently follows him like a stray dog. Ocean stocked his record full of surprise features, but due to his affliction for public affirmation, you have to delve deep into the credits to get a taste of his production team. This list includes: Beyoncé, Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead, James Blake, André 3000, Rostam of Vampire Weekend, Yung Lean, Alex G, Pharrell, Tyler The Creator, and Jon Brion. The anonymity of this roster only adds to the

legend of Ocean. He is not chasing infamy, rather he is running full speed away from it. I truly believe if Ocean could put a mask on permanently and shield his exterior from the world and only offer his sentiments on record that he would do so. He is the antihero of the music landscape that we need in the spirit of Prince or Bowie. In a time when artists are frequently creating controversy and press to dredge up their fame, Ocean dives from the cameras and headlines. His biggest controversies were when Don Henley of the Eagles called him a talentless prick and when he fought Chris Brown in the parking lot of his studio. He never wanted to be the movie, just to write the music that accompanied it.

Ocean curated the sound of the lost and forgotten on Blonde.

Listening to tracks like “Self Control” and “Seigfried” defined feelings in my own mind that I didn’t know how to put into words.

It made me think of long nights and the first time I told a girl I liked her and when I learned to swim. Those defining moments have become Ocean’s backdrop. I look to his music in times of distress, angst, romance, and all the sentiments that come along with adolescence. He will be the first artist I show my child, starting with Channel Orange of course, and probably will still be the music I listen to driving work when I finally grow up. Frank Ocean is a diamond, who’s outward expression is untouchable and indescribable. His artistry, including his album Blonde, couldn’t be farther from very vanilla.

10/10

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“Blonde has this quality that is so reflexive, as if the record is as much about self expression as it is about self exploration.”

senior edition

HUMANS OF

STETSON a feature to learn & be inspired by students around campus

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER GRADUATION?

DILLON GALLOWAY

“After graduation, I am going to be a Business Development Representative for Oracle, one of the biggest tech companies in the world up in Burlington, Massachusetts, which is right outside of Boston. I got that job because I was involved with the Stetson Sales Competition Team and met the organization at the job fair there. They actually paid for me to fly up and stay in a hotel for an interview. It was a very quick process and I found out by Thanksgiving actually that I got the job. I’ve had the job secured for a whole semester. I had been searching for jobs since spring semester junior year and I beefed up my LinkedIn profile and looked at a lot of organizations that had open sales roles. I used that as a basis for what I wanted to do after graduation. Before that interview, I had done countless of over the phone interviews but not a lot face to face, so I had learned it was important for me to take my personality and put it into an interview. It’s important to prepare for those generic interview questions and worry about the more specific ones later. If you can answer the generic questions well, then the specific ones come naturally. Those cliche interview questions like ‘tell me about a time you were on a team’ are important to know because I think that’s half the reason I got the job because I was able to show my personality through those. I was offered the job within three days. I still don’t have an apartment, but hopefully, that happens soon. I’m originally from Maryland, so moving from a ‘non-sports city’ to a ‘sports city’ like Boston will be really fun.”

Issue VI | 15

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE COURSE YOU TOOK AT STETSON AND WHY?

OLIVIA DALY

“My favorite course was called ‘Slaves, Whores, and Poors’ taught by Dr. Queen-Sutherland and I took it my sophomore year. It was about reading the Bible from the margins. It did a good job of tying in a sacred text with so much history attached to it and bringing it back in touch with not the rich, white type of religion that is so prominently projected in terms of the view of Christianity. It was a completely different interpretation of the Bible that I had never heard before, and it was the reason I chose to major in Religious Studies in the first place.

It showed that religious studies is still a contemporary issue, and these things are still and will always be relevant and are things we need to talk about. It taught me that a lot of the attitudes we have towards one another in regards to religion are due to so much misunderstanding due to being out of touch with the context. The context as in when a text like this was written and why it would be written the way that it was. It also showed me that by trying to remove the Bible in particular from its own historical context throughout the ages is to do a complete disservice to what actually makes a work survive, particularly one as influential as a holy text.

Want more Humans of Stetson? visit www.hatternetwork.com for more student profiles

By Rene Campbell Photos by Kevin Vega Design by Ruby Rosenthal 16 | The Reporter

“Dr. Jimenez has been a very influential professor that I’ve had, and I’m very grateful for the two years that he has taught me. I’ve had five courses with him within two years, which is a lot. He’s also helped me with senior research and he made it seem like more outside of being an English major, that as an English major it’s more than just writing papers and poems, it’s more personal. He made me realize that the words that I write can be more powerful than what’s just laid on the paper. You can challenge the norms that go on, you don’t have to comply with what society gives you. That’s what I really like about him. We had a meeting the other day and we talked about doing your best, even when you fail. I think that really stuck with me because I’ve always done my best. I struggled in football because I used to be the starter and I was a great running back, and I did what I could as a football player, my best, and I still failed. Dr. Jimenez made me realize three days ago that as long as you gave your best effort, it doesn’t matter what everyone else says. He’s a very down to earth person and straightforward, he’s like a big brother to me in the department honestly, and I’m happy he’s my mentor. Especially for him not being a Caucasian in the English department, it’s easier for me to relate, he also had walls that he had to get over like going to an Ivy League school. It’s different to be a minority in a place, even when it’s welcoming, the outside world of that is still different. That’s one thing that he highlights: how are you helping other people like yourself, those that are faced with different problems, not just within your color. That’s what sticks with me, he’s not the typical English professor you would see, he has his own style and swag. I’m thankful for him and everything he’s done for me and taught me.”

WHICH FACULTY MEMBER HAS BEEN MOST INFLUENTIAL DURING YOUR TIME AT STETSON?

ARKEE BROWN

Issue VI | 17

astrology Written by Catie Brumit Design by Isabel Solorzano Illustration by Colette Cacciola

aries:

mixology

The Flaming Dr. Pepper Shot. ¾ shot of amaretto, ¼shot of 151 rum, ½glass of beer. The 151 goes on top of the amaretto and gets lit on fire. Blow out the flame and take the shot. Perfect for the fiery Aries that will let people know the party has started.

taurus:

Old Fashioned. Taurus’ are known for being bold and strong just like this bourbon based drink.

18 | The Reporter

gemini: Either a nice wine night with the girls or tequila straight out of the bottle on top of a pool table. No in-betweens.

cancer: Chardonnay. Cancers love spending time with those who mean something to them.

Imagine dinner with a nice glass of chardonnay.

capricorn:

Brown Derby. 1 and ½ounces of bourbon, 1 oz of fresh grapefruit juice, ½oz of honey syrup. This drink is both sweet and sour, perfect for both sides of the Capricorn. A classy drink with a twist, it’s the perfect match for this sign.

leo:

Sex on the beach. This bright colored drink is reminiscent of a burning sun, the ruling planet of Leo. This drink is sure to make a statement, just as a Leo will.

aquarius:

pisces:

Peach Bellini. A sweet and bubbly drink to match a sign that’s up for anything. The friend who is ready for the adventure and is along for the ride.

Vodka Cranberry. A classic for the empathetic friend that consoles you when it’s time to cry. If they’re not crying themselves.

scorpio:

sagittarius: Rum bucket. Always ready for an adventure and to stay awake until the sun comes up. What better way to start a night like that than with a rum bucket?

Manhattan. Dark and mysterious, this cool smooth drink is the perfect representation of the Scorpio.

This drink is for the one who appreciates a classic.

libra:

virgo:

Frozen margarita. Fun and ready to have a good time, but blended and balanced. Ready for whatever happens.

Blueberry mojito. This drink has fun and quirky side just like Virgo, but it lies on a stable and grounded interior. For the friend in the group who made the plans, and made sure everyone got home alive.

Issue VI | 19

Writing by Jacob Mauser Design by Hali Pollard Ampersand is The Reporter's hub for all things related to campus art and the Hatters who create it. For this issue, Jacob Mauser sat down with Hatter Network's very own Creative Director, Hali Pollard, a senior Studio Art major with a concentration in painting.

Photo by Jacob Mauser

Jacob: Can you think about who or what inspires you when you paint?

Hali: That’s a good question. I have a lot of contemporary artists that I’m inspired by. And I like to look back at their work. That really gets me very inspired. I have a lot of close friends that I will bounce ideas off of, and so that gets me super inspired. And definitely having deadlines and stuff like that. I have one professor that I’ve had since my sophomore year, she taught me Painting 1. She really inspires me, I love her artwork, and she definitely helps me stay in line and she’s very supportive at the same time.

J: Any specific names you can think of for artistic inspirations?

H: My favorite is Jen Mann, she’s a contemporary painter. She does some film, a lot of similar work to me in regard to the imagery, and I guess the content as well. I have a favorite photographer as well who inspires my work. Her name is Sally Mann. She’s an older woman from Virginia, and she does the really old school- where you have to put a sheet over the cameraJ: Large format?

H: Yeah. And I just love her work, there’s a lot of emotion and depth in it, so I think that really inspires my imagery as wll.

J: You’ve got a very distinctive style, I would say. You work in a lot of words- can you talk about how you developed that?

H: I’ve always been interested in the detail aspects of people and objects, I’ve always admired those all my life, and as well as capturing those details I like to use projections and project words and phrases onto my subjects as a way to control the overall composition and the feeling that it’s going towards. I tend to have this very romantic but dark feel at the same time which is inspired by my other major, which is communication.

I like to explore our relationships with people.

J: You were recently added to the permanent collection at the Hand Art Center. Can you talk a little bit about how you went from just getting started to getting added to the Hand Art Center’s permanent collection?

20 | The Reporter

Here's a sign, oil on canvas, 48x60 in H: I’m presenting my show currently in the Hand Art Center right now with the other senior art majors for our exhibition, and I had one piece added to the permanent collection already. I have had one other piece which was added last semester, it was quite a smaller piece. It was an amazing feeling because I started painting my sophomore year, so two years ago in the spring, and I really didn’t think of this as being as important and I didn’t see myself doing this whatsoever. I think a big thing for me was making art that I personally loved that I wanted to see, and it evolved into something really great- avoiding those outside biases and outside influence that would prevent me from doing something that I didn’t want to do.

J: So you started painting only two years ago?

H: Yes- I dabbled every now and then but it wasn’t a big part of my life at all. My brother was always the more artistic one, and it just wasn’t considered as an option for me. I decided to pick up the art major randomly, which was really weird, because I had never really painted in oil before. I took Painting 1 in the spring of 2017.

J: What do you do when you lose inspiration?

H: When I lose inspiration it’s really hard because it definitely affects my emotions. So I think a big thing for me is writing, journaling, writing down my ideas just to get things going, even if it doesn’t make sense. I’m not even big on sketching, even though I’m an artist. Writing definitely helps me a lot, and it pulls out the dramatic side of things which really gets me flowing into creating more artwork.

Running out, oil on canvas, 48x36 in J: So you think of yourself as a multi-genre artist in many ways?

H: I think so, I think writing has always been a huge part of my life and my career here at Stetson, and so that’s always- I used to want to be a journalist, I used to want to write, but then it developed more into the visual side of things. I think art too also has a lot of different aspects about it. If I’m a painter I’m not just a painter, I’m also all of the other things because they all contribute together.

J: Are there any themes or motifs that you find yourself returning to a lot?

H: Yeah, I tend to stray towards human expression and human emotion, so my body of work is essentially about relationships and those complexities, and the darker side of relationships and romance. I tend to want to display these in ways such that there’s a lot of contradicting aspects. I’ve made some pieces in the past when I was just beginning, and I originally wanted to display- I like the idea of “you see something, but when you really look at it you’re getting a completely different feeling.” So for example, I had a portrait of a girl who was licking a lollipop and it was super playful and fun, but there were also sexual qualities and more mature qualities. I like contradicting myself in my work as a way to get a range of responses from the viewer.

J: Which of your pieces do you think best describes you and your work?

H: I feel like it’s always changing. Now I would definitely say it’s the very last piece I did. Probably because it’s the last piece I feel I resonate more with it, but it captured all of the qualities and elements I learned as I was going through this process of creating this body of work. It was bigger and more detailed

and it really captured the essence of what I was going for.

J: Can you think back to a pivotal moment in your artistic career?

H: I feel like I’m in that pivotal moment right now. Since a lot of the people that I go to school with that are also art majors have been making art seriously for so many years before they came to Stetson, and for me it was a lastminute decision and I’m still learning a lot. I think being in three shows already and getting two purchase awards- this is a pivotal moment for me. And I’m now realizing that this is something I really want to do and this is something that I’m good at.

J: Do you have any advice to somebody else who’s just getting started?

H: Yes. I think art is a lot about taking from other people and doing a lot of research on other artists and realizing how much is possible, and trying out different things and trying to pursue the imagery that you truly want. Don’t look at other artists and say “I have to do the same thing,” just pull inspiration from them and do what you want to do ultimately. Just like any other field, doing what you want will lead ultimately to the best outcome.

J: If you had to describe yourself and your work in one sentence, what would that look like?

H: I think my work is very traditional and naturalistic in the visual aspect but explores a lot of more contemporary concepts about us as humans and how we interact with the world around us or how we view ourselves and our identities or our personas.

Issue VI | 21

READ MORE STORIES ON

22 | The Reporter

WRITING AND LAYOUT

BY HALI POLLARD

skin care tips: FIND A FEW PRODUCTS

I

t’s 2004 again, and I’m seven years old, standing in my mother’s bathroom. She’s fresh out of shower, thoroughly applying lotion all over her body, down her arms, and on her face.

“Never forget to put lotion on every day,” may be the only tattoo my mom would approve of me getting. I must also add, my mother’s make up supply has always been weak, and now that I’m an adult, I can honestly say – like mother, like daughter.

My mom’s mom, as I recall, was transfixed in an even more intense daily skin care regime. I used to gaze over the glass bottles and shiny lids of elixirs that I thought were the key to life itself. They truly did teach me that while make up is absolutely fine, skin care could be your makeup, too.

that work for you, but don’t overdo it.

FIND A GOOD CLEANSER

to take care of my skin - I wasn’t aware that doing absolutely nothing was the most natural and cheap way to do it.

I’m mad. Enraged, really. I can’t help but refrain from writing an email to Vogue’s beauty team and ask them if they knew splashing water before you run out the door may be better than cleansing and exfoliating.

I know there are a lot of factors that affect the condition of skin – diet, water intake, hormones, gut health etc. I’d say I’ve always been pretty lucky, but I really have been living in fear that my adult acne has officially entered the building. With that thought lingering, I was doing everything I could to just have clear skin again. I never thought I’d say it, but thank you, stress?

Well, fast-forward 15 years. I’m 21, and I find immoderate comfort in watching K-Beauty 18-step daily skin care routines.

I lug numerous face cleansers, serums, and moisturizers wherever I go – just in case, and I’m just waiting for the day that I can reasonably (but not so reasonably) afford the Dr. Barbara Sturm’s $200 face cream. I think it’s safe to say I’m a skin care fiend, and I’m not ashamed to say that it manages Stress and skin care negligence hasn’t to come up in the majority of my taught me to throw all my products in the conversations. trash, but maybe to just calm down a bit.

Every one’s skin is unique, but I’ve realized About two weeks ago, life came at me so it might be worth it to switch up the hard that I barely had time to breathe. routine every now and then. More often Lately, I’ve been sleeping minimal hours, than not, if I don’t know how to pronounce forgetting to drink water, not forgetting to the ingredients my products are made of, I drink copious amounts of coffee, and feel like I shouldn’t be putting it on my forgetting my beloved skin rituals. I’m skin. Would you wipe your face with a always trying to find natural, cheap ways Lysol wipe? No, I didn’t think so.

that fits your skin type, but it’s not necessary all the time. Your natural oils shouldn’t be scrubbed off multiple times a day or else the balance of your skin will off, and it will be obvious. Oil based cleansers are the best because they help retain these natural oils and draw them out.

COCONUT OIL

is so controversial, but I love it. I recommend a small amount on occasion before bed.

TEA TREE OIL

is great for spot-treating pimples. It’s too harsh to apply liberally, so apply moderately as spot treatment.

DRINK WATER

We’re like plants, we need to be watered constantly, and this helps your skin absolutely glow. I try to consume a gallon every day. I’m not a pro, but the Mayo Clinic does recommend between 2.7 and 3.7 liters per day.

GUT HEALTH

is pretty complex, but if you feel that your skin or overall health is poor, then look at your gut! The microbiome in your gut helps maintain a healthy immune system and reduce inflammation in the skin. A healthy gut can be supported with specific foods or supplements, and my favorite – kombucha!

SAVE YOUR MONEY

ou don't have to spend $200 on a face cream.

(I’ll let you know in a few years, though.

In the words of my mother, “skin is like silk.”

She’s right, so treat it like so.

Issue VI | 23

INCOMING>>> hatter gaming

Stetson University’s video gaming club, Hatter Gaming, has been working on getting eSports as a club sport on campus since the Fall semester of 2018.

Written by Nicole Rosen Design by Isabel Solorzano Illustration by Colette Cacciola & Gabe Trevino Photos by Natalie Bergeron

T

he Hatter Gaming Club was created by students Nick Gilmet ‘21 and Tabor Filipello ‘21 to have a community for gamers on campus. The mission of the club is to have a place for gamers to come together and talk with others who have similar interests, and of course, play video games together.

The club only started three semesters ago during which members have an opportunity to meet fellow gamers and play different video games together or separately in a shared space. This includes Overwatch, which is the current focus for the eSports team. The members of the club can bring their own consoles or computers if they want, but the club also owns both a PlayStation 4 and a Nintendo Switch and will be purchasing more games for the consoles in the future. The club is currently a rather small community, but it is a place for people to come together and play the games they love.

The Vice President of eSports, Luke Revis ‘22, said, “Well for me, I’ve just had video games in my life for a long time, like about the time I was four or five years old, I’ve been wanting video games. I always just enjoyed video games, they’ve always told such a fascinating story and helped create a lot of traits and personalities that I have now. And just thinking about it if I didn’t have video games I think I’d be a different person.”

The Hatter Gaming Club provides a community and sense of belonging for people who may usually prefer to stay in their rooms to play video games. Many gamers do fit into the stereotype of being introverted, so the club gives them a place to interact with others with similar interests. Tabor Filipello, the President of the eSports

24 | The Reporter

branch of the club, believes that it is more than just a place to hang out, but instead “adds to the layer [of ] opportunities the school can give to students who don’t feel like they have a place of belonging.” Although Hatter Gaming Club only started three semesters ago, there was a big enough interest that the officers felt a want to try and start a second organization, a club sport for eSports. “eSports is a really good idea for Stetson’s campus because you look back a few years and it was just starting but now, they have multimillion dollar prize pools for professional eSports. I think they [Overwatch League] got more viewers than even the Super Bowl,” said Jason Burrow ‘21, the treasurer.

Stetson would get value from having an eSports team.

In the words of Filipello, “I think it gives a bit more reputation to Stetson because it’s one of the fastest growing genres of sports in the world at the moment…

Stetson can get a following a leading edge thing. A lot of universities are jumping on this idea, but you don’t see too many private universities doing it.”

Now, some may question whether or not eSports deserve to be seen as an actual sport. “I would basically say that they’re pretty comparable. The competitive attitudes in each team is just like an actual sport especially with Overwatch League because it is very high paced, for me, it's a lot like hockey,” said Patrick Mathis ‘20, Vice President of Single Player Games.

They are currently working on making an eSports team for is Overwatch. “It’s kind of the flagship of eSports at the moment. It’s kind of in the middle between the hardcore gaming community and the rest of the world that doesn’t understand gaming. For instance, you know it [Overwatch League] was streamed on ESPN, which was a big step. It’s kind of become the mainstreamed eSport and therefore has become extremely public and recognizable and that would become a good starting point at least,” added Nick Gilmet, President of the Single Player Game branch.

There was an agreement among the officers that they want the Hatter Gaming Club and the new eSports team to gain more members and awareness on campus. Since the club is still relatively new and small, there are hopes that having the eSports team will bring more students into meetings.

“

I think it gives a bit more reputation to Stetson because it’s one of the fastest growing genres of sports in the world at the moment…

Stetson can get a following a leading edge thing. A lot of universities are jumping on this idea, but you don’t see too many private universities doing it.

”

For more information about the Hatter Gaming Club, look at the HatterSync page!

Issue VI | 25

The “Tea” on Democratic Presidential Primary Candidates Writing by Ashton Craig Design & illustration by Hali Pollard

J

ust as the American revolutionists spilled tea in the Boston Harbor, I am here to spill the tea on the upcoming Democratic Presidential Primaries. You need to pay attention this election.

It does not matter where you lie on the political spectrum, whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, or belong to a third-party. This upcoming election is going to set a precedence in American politics. Politics have changed significantly because of social media; voters want to see what is real. I believe that the rhetoric that was used by President Trump during his campaign was perceived as genuine, which swayed a lot of centrists and those who feel left

26 | The Reporter

out of Democratic party’s politics—including the traditionally Democratic-leaning blue collar workers. I recommend to you, the readers, to keep track of the news and the polls, but to also keep a critical eye of how the media represents hot topics.

The Democratic party seems more divided than ever, because young Democrats are leaning toward progressive socialism which deeply contrasts the traditional blue politics. However, Democrats across the entire liberal spectrum are united on one issue: getting Trump out of the White House in the 2020 election.

Here is my quick guide to the election thus far:

JOE BIDEN PROS: Biden has experience in the White House. He’s currently at the top of the polls. He would be a good contender against Trump.

CONS: He is reaching 80 years old and he has a predilection for sniffing professional women’s heads, which shows a lack of restraint and consideration for women’s space. His behavior is very old, odd and patriarchal.

BERNIE SANDERS PROS: Sanders is incredibly popular because of his progressive ideals, such as free college and universal healthcare.

CONS: His age and his health are a risk as well. Some Democrats feel resentment toward Sanders because they feel he stole votes from Clinton in the last election, and centrists will not favor him because he is a progressive candidate.

PETE BUTTIGIEG PROS: Buttigieg is an openly gay, married man who is a former Naval Officer. He is an extremely talented and intelligent person who is a rising star and a qualified underdog. He shows his respect of the world at large and is multilingual.

CONS: He’s virtually unknown and it’s difficult to pronounce his name, which is pronounced as Boot-edge-edge; Buttigieg’s campaign is distributing this pronounciation on shirts.

ELIZABETH WARREN CONS: Personally, I would be wary of Warren. She presents herself as a progressive candidate, but she uses identity politics to further her career. I see this as harmful to minorities, because she cannot truly claim Native American citizenship and heritage. She claims to have a small traces of Native American DNA, but this does not validate her race baiting. DNA does not equal identity.

Warren has only 0.18 percent of her DNA from a Native American ancestor (Fact Check). She is not part of the indigenous culture, hands down, as shown through the rejection of Warren by Cherokee tribal leaders.

Issue VI | 27

As of the Student Government Association meeting on April 10th, it is confirmed that “last meeting’s minutes” are never reviewed.

This month has been wild. In addition to general wildness, there has arisen a concern over a newly reduced speakers budget for student organizations. As of this upcoming year, $5,000 maximum has been allotted for speakers on campus to be distributed to student organizations. The perception of many student organizations, as evidenced

by Nelson Quezada, a student who stood before SGA at the April 10th meeting, and again at the April 17th meeting to speak on his concerns over this policy, is that this simply is not enough money.

S G Ahighlights

In his view, it is entirely detrimental to reduce the budget in this way as it restricts student organizations from bringing in influential speakers, who often charge far more than $5,000 to come and speak.

Staff adviser to SGA Ginny-Beth Joiner supplemented discussion by explaining that it is meant to encourage partnerships between organizations and departments in order to work together financially to fund larger events and to promote collaboration.

While in theory this does seem ideal, several senators responded by pointing to department budgets, which are often far less than student organizations receive for a year. Academic departments are happy to team up with organizations to host events, but it is highly unlikely that the average department can actually foot much of the bill. Speaking to a few administrative employees for various departments across campus, the general consensus seems to be that little more than a couple hundred dollars on average can be allotted to collaborative events.

Collaboration is important, especially considering the sheer number of events

Written by Colette Cacciola Layout by Isabel Solorzano

28 | The Reporter

and organizations we have on our campus, but in the opinion of several students and senators alike, reducing the speaker budget may not be the best way to encourage this.

In other news, SGA Elections were held on Wednesday, April 17. They were pushed back from April 10 following events within Senate that had to be dealt with beforehand.

During the meeting on April 17, it was very heavily emphasized that maintaining a respectful environment is essential given “recent events and circumstances.” It seems that at a previous meeting, a senator was overheard calling another senator a derogatory name. Following this, an SGA presidential candidate was investigated after it was revealed that they had been overheard using a racial slur in a fraternity house.

Further information concerning these events is confidential.

Concerning the happenings of the last several weeks, Senator Allensworth presented to the Senate on April 10 an impassioned speech about disrespect toward her and toward other senators whose identities have been marginalized and belittled. “I do not believe that our SGA can effectively say that it is the voice of Stetson University,” she said, near tears, labelling SGA as sexist, classist, ableist, and “now apparently racist as well.”

Diversity & Inclusion training occurred after the Senate’s meeting on April 17, but several senators snuck out beforehand or left early, including, according to a few senators, the person suspected of saying the derogatory things in the first place. Many felt that the training was unnecessary, or a punishment. Danny, the president of SGA, ensured the Senate that “any time we are able to learn, we need to take advantage of it.”

PSAFE reports

4/3 Report of disorderly conduct at the Catalyst House 245 4/5 Report of a suspicious incident at Lynn Hall 4/6 Fire alarm sounding at Gordis Hall 4/6 Report of criminal mischief at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house 4/7 Trouble alarm sounding at the Stetson Cove apartments 4/7 Trouble alarm sounding at the Carlton Union Building 4/10 Report of tampering with fire safety equipment at the Pi Kappa Alpha house 4/15 Report of petty theft at the Carlton Union Building 4/16 Reported bicycle theft at Nemec Hall 4/19 Power outage across the DeLand Campus 4/19 Traffic accident with injuries reported at Public Safety

4/21 Reported incident of identity theft issued off campus Issue VI | 29

THE PROBLEM WITH MONEY

By Colette Cacciola Photos by Kevin Vega & Natalie Bergeron Design by Ruby Rosenthal

PART III

Portions of the information considered within this article were provided to The Reporter by a retired faculty member, and by a student who prefers to remain anonymous.

IS STETSON UNIVERSITY IN DANGER? Based solely upon the state of higher education, I believe that we can rationally say yes. One hundred eighty private, non-profit college and university campuses have shut down in the last five years, displacing in excess of 80,000 students, several of these campuses in Florida.

How exactly do we determine the state of a university that does not have to make public a majority of its data? We need to begin with the larger picture. In August of 2018, professor of business at Harvard University Clayton Christensen said that half of the over 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States are “bound for bankruptcy in the next few decades.”

Robert Kelchen, professor of higher education at Seton Hall contests this by advocating for the tenacity of small, private non-profits and noting the dedication of alumni bases and student bodies in cases such as that of Sweet Briar, a non-profit women’s college that declared bankruptcy and was saved in part by alumnae donations in 2015.

On April 12, 2019, The University of Tulsa, a private university in Oklahoma comparable to Stetson in size with a $1.1 billion endowment, announced a total restructuring, turning away from its liberal arts base to become a STEM university with a social justice core. This was after faculty went four years without raises, and after it was found that the university was “running a structural deficit of about $16 million,” mostly due to its Division I athletics program. Stetson, based on the last several years of audited financial reports to S&P and Moody’s, a stock market index and financial services company, respectively, is in a financial situation deemed “stable.”

What is difficult here is figuring out what is being used to make this determination.

In my last piece, I dealt exclusively with information that is publicly available to paint a picture of what exactly Stetson’s financial policies are. It seems that from a comprehensive look at survey results, tax returns, and NCAA data, we were able to conclude that Stetson is putting money toward programs with the hope that they will improve retention, but has been unsuccessful judging by our 76.4 percent retention rate, our lowest since 1996. Though the claim stands that the programs are student-supported, according to survey data, the ideas behind these programs rank last in importance to students as

30 | The Reporter

15%:

The amount that net athletics operating expenses have grown at a compounded rate between 2011 and 2018

76.4%:

Stetson’s current retention rate, the lowest it has been since 1996

“Our athletics program is so expensive that it is detracting from that experience and putting Stetson on shaky financial ground.”

Issue VI | 31

32 | The Reporter

they evaluate their experience at Stetson--primarily in regards to athletics.

In this follow-up, I will be expanding upon that basis using information from sources not as immediately available to the student body, including unreleased PowerPoint presentations from a Faculty Senate meeting on March 15, 2019 and the very recently released ‘Friday Group’ Report, which has existed in some form since the spring of 2018. I was initially able to access this report, but the page it was on has since become unavailable.

On March 15, 2019, the Faculty Senate met to discuss the state of university finances, inviting Bob Huth, the VP and Chief Financial Officer of Stetson University, to present his own findings during the proceedings. The Finance Committee presented the following to those in attendance: “The state of Stetson University’s finances is strained despite being in a period of good economic times for the nation. This stress is coming from higher discounts and a lower retention rate. Additionally, rapidly growing Athletic Department expenditures and scholarships drain resources from academic expenditures and aggravates the deletion of the University’s contingency fund. The Administration remains optimistic, but their future budget projections seem overly optimistic to the Faculty Finance Committee.”

This information was originally presented within the December 2018 report from the Finance Committee to the Senate, but was additionally included in the report to the Board of Trustees in February of 2019.

There are two PowerPoints. The first was compiled by the Faculty Finance Committee and contains information that points to the conclusion that with a rising discount rate, which averages 76.29 percent for athletes and 55.75 percent for nonathletes as of 2017, and a falling retention rate, which is most recently pegged at 76.4 percent and can be broken down to 74.7 percent for athletes and 76.8 percent for non-athletes as of 2017, the university is looking at hard times if the current model is maintained. When Bob Huth went over this piece with me prior to publication, he noted that “the number of athletes that matriculated in Fall of 2017 was approximately 120. So a 2.1% difference in retention (76.8% less 74.7%) equates to 2.5 students.” That said, the faculty report indicates that “we could increase retention and net revenues by more efficiently targeting discount,” and this in addition to reducing overall expenditures could put Stetson on more solid financial ground.

The second PowerPoint was presented by Bob Huth and broke down expenses and revenue as of 2018, setting up a comparison to previous years and demonstrating that faculty salaries and the endowment have both grown. He also confirmed that budgeting must be conservative, noting that the endowment spending rate will be reduced by “0.1% per year until it reaches 4.5%.” In addition, he indicated that the performance of the endowment fund over the past 10 years has been “at the 92nd percentile of almost 600 other Colleges and Universities surveyed nationwide.”

On March 19, I met with Bob to discuss the rest of what was spoken about that afternoon.

In particular, we looked at a series of numbers given in the Faculty Finance Committee’s presentation that stated that the Athletics department had surpassed its budget by $513,231 in 2016 and by $436,507 in 2017, even with a budget that since 2011 has expanded by $5.8 million. Bob pointed at these figures, letting me know that “the actual information in the report provided to the Faculty Finance Committee had not included the appropriate authorized athletic scholarship budget.”

What this immediately tells us is that we have many different numbers that stand for similar things for different corporations and companies. Bob determined that although the most important numbers are those which are audited, there are several other sets of numbers that draw from these original figures in part that are not—thus, in exploring Stetson’s finances, we have several sets of often vastly different numbers that we must interpret.

We are given more figures by the ‘Friday Group’ Report, which was created by the Faculty Senate last spring with the intention of analyzing the budget and strategic plans currently in place and to re-evaluate their effectiveness as they now stand. It is a concern of the faculty that generous gifts, such as that of the Brown family last semester, are not necessarily being understood as “investments in supporting the work of a talented faculty and students,” and are instead being used to justify “unnecessarily aggressive undergraduate enrollment growth, administrative expansion, and DI athletics.” What this means is that when large donations come in, they are used to spearhead support for growth in enrollment as well as for auxiliary programs that do not directly contribute to the academic excellence of Stetson University.

What is important to consider, and what I believe is necessary to address is the focus of the Friday report on Division I athletics. Although it can be interpreted as an overall critique of any athletics program at all, the report puts it well by saying that athletics are not the problem. Instead, it is that faculty believe the cost of a DI athletics program is unsustainable here at Stetson—“our athletics program is so expensive that it is detracting from that experience and putting Stetson on shaky financial ground.”

Bob Huth and I spoke extensively about the importance of audited financial statements and figures. Essentially, what audited statements are intended to show is “who are the best risks, and thereby who gets less of an interest rate charge when they borrow.” These numbers are important because they are supposed to be the best representation of university finances as they actually stand.

In a separate conversation with Melissa Peters on April 18, she clarified the definition further, explaining that, essentially, a CPA, or certified public accountant, audits the numbers given by Stetson, or any other business, in order to say that these numbers present “fairly, in line with general accounting principles” that stakeholders can have confidence in the institution and in the information presented. Essentially, auditors allow the creation of a level playing field on which vastly different businesses, institutions, and corporations can be

Issue VI | 33

compared. However, she stressed, it is important to remember that numbers are all reported according to specific rules laid out by auditors or by outside corporations. For example, in the case of the NCAA, Indirect Institutional Support comes in to subsidize the negative value created by an athletics program that does not generate revenue. Thus, in NCAA statements, no school nets a loss. Instead, schools that do lose actually appear to net zero.

Athletics, specifically football, at Stetson have been a primary concern of the faculty in part for the perception that they lose Stetson millions each year. Refer to the table below for the athletics budget for the 2017 fiscal year, according to the Faculty Senate.

If these totals are to be taken at face value, the Athletics program at Stetson University netted -$10,279,249 in 2017.

This does not include athletic scholarships, which amount to around $6 million.

Melissa and Bob both remarked, looking over these presentations with me, that they had not read them very closely, but planned to in the near future. However, Melissa immediately noted, of the PowerPoint and of the Friday report, “this is meant to inflame, rather than inform.”

Expenses (not including scholarships)

Revenues

Total reported internal revenue

$10,361,873

$1,196,783

Restricted fund activity

$799,435

$526,819

Indirect Institutional Support

$841,543

Athletic camps

$153,545

Total

$12,156,386

I asked her to explain further what she meant. “As a nonprofit, we are not intended to make a lot of money,” she told me, “Stetson is intended to be able to pay its bills, balance its checkbook.” In her opinion, Stetson does not have an unreasonable amount of debt, and she does not see any “gross distortion in how we are allocating out resources.” In a cursory look at the numbers, she also said that they were most likely sourced from EADA or NCAA information, which, she reinforced, have prescribed algorithms and may not be entirely reflective of the original numbers. As a direct response, Dr. Kimberly Reiter, chair of the Faculty Senate, stated that the Friday report is “a carefully assembled analysis from a faculty perspective of the attention given to athletics spending, and its impact on the retention, number and quality of Stetson students...bolstered by data-generated evidence of student dissatisfaction, which makes itself known in declining retention patterns over several years, even as national retention averages are rising.”

Essentially, the administration and faculty are at odds concerning university goals and financial plans. It was described to me by a faculty member as well as by both Bob and Melissa as trying to reconcile two entirely different professional frameworks. It is nearly impossible. However, given the fact 34 | The Reporter

that no statement has been publicly issued to directly counter anything the Faculty Finance Committee’s presentation or the Friday report contain despite the fact that the latter has now existed for over a year, let us dig further into what it says.

In the last ten years, Stetson’s enrollment has ballooned from 2,162 to 3,213 as of spring 2019. This increase in enrollment serves several purposes. Being that Stetson is an enrollment driven school, the intake of tuition dollars is necessary to keep it afloat, and when enrollment fell from 2,273 to 2,162 between 2006 and 2009, it became clear that there was a problem. In 2009, with the beginning of Wendy Libby’s presidency, a plan was made to expand athletics.

In 2011, College Football Poll estimated that Stetson had the potential to bump its operating budget by up to seven million dollars at some point along the road by implementing a non-scholarship football program, and Jeff Altier, Stetson’s Director of Athletics, stated at the time that the “annual football operating budget will be covered by 100 students who play football and create enough of a revenue stream...that they will not only pay for the operation of football and women’s lacrosse, but will also have a net gain for the institution of roughly a million dollars. The non-scholarship portion of the plan gives

$1,877,137 us a revenue stream from which to operate the program.”

The intention of the plan was not only to attract more students, but to attract good ones. The ideal football or lacrosseplaying student would not only play well, but perform well academically and retain. What we have seen instead according to figures compiled within the report, in conjunction with publicly available Stetson records, is that retention in general has dropped, and that athletes do not become more likely to retain as their scholarship amounts increase. Instead, it seems that the higher an athlete’s discount rate, the less likely they are to retain. Men’s and women’s basketball players, for example, receive discounts with a mean value of around 125 percent, yet their retention sits at 60 percent, 16 percent lower than our average.

In addition, according to several sources, conversations have begun about making football a scholarship sport, which will effectively negate the benefits it was intended to have as a nonscholarship ordeal. Bob Huth and Melissa Peters let me know that they are unaware of these conversations. The football program, according to the Friday report, makes around $1.6 million each year, but if scholarships are provided to football players this will drop to around $200,000, tacking an additional $1.4 million to the current cost of athletics at

Stetson if we include scholarships in the calculation.

Melissa Peters explained in my interview with her that the $10 million each year is not a loss, it is a cost, and made it clear that dropping to Division II or III would signal to other institutions that Stetson is in a time of crisis. Faculty argue that dropping to a lower division is necessary for our financial future. Joel Davis, Associate Professor of English stated in my conversation with him, “To my knowledge, the Faculty Senate is not saying the only thing to do is leave Division I. I understand the ‘Friday Group’ Report recommendations to mean that we need to scrutinize athletic spending and the return on investment on that spending with the same vigor that we scrutinize other budgets.”

I would like to argue that Stetson has already signaled to us that it is uncertain of its future, albeit in other ways. Let us consider for a moment the Stetson Promise. A program designed with the intention of increasing retention, its implementation tells us that we still have not solved the problem the expansion of the Athletics Department was intended to remedy.

Faculty, though they received merit pay, did not receive cost of living adjustments this past year, administrators took reduced raises according to a conversation I had with Melissa last March. According to Bob, “in the current fiscal year…

Faculty and Staff received raises based on a 2% raise pool.

In fiscal Year 2017/18, each employee received a $360 salary increase except for Senior Administration who did not take an increase.”

The discount rate continues to rise, students are being accepted in larger numbers to make up for this in tuition.

Campus Life and Student Success (ClaSS) and other similar departments and programs continue to expand, yet retention continues to fall. Athletics never achieved its intended, stated goal, and now seems to want to drive expenses higher by instituting scholarships for football players.

I began almost every interview I conducted for this series with, “I don’t understand money,” but I believe that I now understand money just enough to see that there is a major problem here at Stetson University. Based on available information it seems that a Division I athletics program, profitable at only 24 schools, is not only unprofitable here, but is unsustainable based on our endowment and budget. It seems that the spending on athletics is in many ways taking away from the experience of the average student, and is also detracting from academic programs and departments. Stetson may not be in a financial crisis yet, but if spending and budgeting are not more closely monitored and scrutinized it is very much possible that we will very soon become another Tulsa.

Read more of this story at hatternetwork.com

Issue VI | 35

Survey by Cat Keve Design by Hali Pollard

H

atter Network asked the December 2018 and May 2019 graduates about their experience at Stetson University. 143 students responded. Here are the results:

36 | The Reporter

WHAT SCHOOL TRADITION ARE YOU MOST FOND OF?

50 PEOPLE SAID

HOMECOMING 33 PEOPLE SAID

B-DAY DIP IN THE FOUNTAIN

WHAT SCHOOL TRADITION ARE YOU LEAST FOND OF?

GREEN FRIDAY

28 PEOPLE SAID

FOCUS

47.6% GREEN FRIDAY 25.2% FOCUS 11.9% BIRTHDAY DIP IN THE FOUNTAIN 7% HOMECOMING 8.3% OTHER

WHAT ARE YOUR POSTGRADUATION PLANS? GRADUATE SCHOOL

TAKING A SHORT BREAK

DAMN, I'M SUPPOSED TO HAVE PLANS?

STARTING A JOB IMMEDIATELY

Issue VI | 37

HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR DRINKING HABITS WHILE IN COLLEGE?

BEST PLACE TO EAT

NONEXISTENT RARE LIGHT

106

MODERATE

PEOPLE SAID "ANYWHERE OFF CAMPUS."

HEAVY

DO YOU REGRET YOUR MAJOR DECISION? "No, I love it!"

76.2% 38 | The Reporter

"Eh..."

18.2%

"Unfortunately, yes."

5.6%

7

6 WORD MEMIORS TOO MUCH DRAMA FOR MY TASTE ELIZABETH HALL GAVE ME A WORKOUT MAKE MANY MISTAKES; THIS IS COLLEGE. BUY A TICKET, TAKE THE RIDE EVERY YEAR GET PAID GET LAID I AM WISER, I AM STRONGER IT'S HOT HERE, BUT WORTH IT I'M NOT GOING. WAIT, FREE FOOD? MAKE THE MOST OF SENIOR YEAR DON'T RIP YOUR PANTS IN PUBLIC AN ADVENTURE IN LIFE AND LEARNING. FOR SALE: STETSON DEGREE, NEVER USED BLACK GIRL MAGIC GOT ME THROUGH TIRED ARTIST TRYING HER DAMN BEST SNAKES IN GRASS; LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY I SHOULD HAVE READ THE BOOK THANKS FOR THE GREATEST MEMORIES STETSON LIFE CHANGED WHEN I BECAME BRAVE. GROWTH IS BEAUTIFUL; I'VE JUST BEGUN. TRAVELED THE WORLD, AND SAW MYSELF

CHASE YOUR PASSION, EVERYTHING ELSE FOLLOWS LIFE IS ABOUT CREATING YOURSELF, CONSTANTLY. Issue VI | 39