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LGBT HISTORY
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SEPT. 30, 2014 | VOL. 16 # 4
“I’m changing the rules for everyone and myself.”
Swimmer Austin Olivares, transgender former FAU student Brendon Lies, and the memebers of the LGBT advocacy group Lambda United talk about coming out and FAU’s sense of pride during LGBT history month.
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September 30, 2014 Features
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF - Lulu Ramadan MANAGING EDITOR - Kiki Baxter
News
Sports
CREATIVE DIRECTOR - Michelle Friswell ASSISTANT CREATIVE DIRECTOR - Sabrina Martinez BUSINESS MANAGER - Ryan Murphy ASSOCIATE EDITOR - Emily Bloch COPY DESK CHIEF - Carissa Giard ASSISTANT COPY DESK CHIEF - Cristina Solorzano NEWS EDITOR - Jillian Melero SPORTS EDITOR - Wesley Wright PHOTO EDITOR - Max Jackson
COPY EDITORS - Lynnette Cantos, Shafer Ross, Reimy Benitez and Sebastion Perez CONTRIBUTORS - Emily Creighton, Jason Salcedo, Johan
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WEB EDITOR - Mohammed F. Emran
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SCIENCE EDITOR - Andrew Fraieli
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Sebastion, Andre Heizer and Netanya Walton DISTRIBUTION MANAGER - Jake Stuart ADVISERS Michael Koretzky Neil Santaniello
Former student Brendon Lies shares what it was like being transgender at FAU.
The Mission Green Student Association is bringing back a community garden that it ignored for more than two years.
By Kiki Baxter
By Andre Heizer
The FAU stadium represents the increased spending on the football program. Four years in, the investment has yet to pay off. By Wesley Wright
Page 12
Page 22
Page 28
FAU swimmer Austin Olivares shares his experience as a gay athlete.
Lambda United is where LGBT students and allies talk about sex, appearance and Tumblr posts.
FAU employs car rental service Zipcar for students.
By Emily Creighton
By Johan Sebastian
By Jason Salcedo
COVER - Quote by Austin Olivares on being a gay athlete. Photo by Max Jackson
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FEATURES
Born Again
Story and photo by Kiki Baxter
Growing up, Brendon Lies never thought he would even live to 23. Now, he is working full-time at his dream job and is six months into his hormonal transition from female to male.
Brendon Lies strips down to a T-shirt and boxers and taps on his right thigh. He has nine syringes in a jar on his desk next to an issue of FTM Magazine and a copy of “Transgender History” by Susan Stryker. “I don’t know what to do with them. I don’t wanna throw them away because we have a bunch of junkies on this block,” says Lies, 23. Lies, born female, has been injecting himself with testosterone for the past four months to stimulate male puberty as part of his transition from female to male. “There we go,” he says, flicking the syringe twice. 4
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It takes 60 seconds to fully inject the shot and as a precautionary measure, Lies sits down on his bed in case his body goes into shock. He knows the perfect amount to inject. If you inject too much, the testosterone actually converts back to estrogen. “Golden. I didn’t bleed this time.” Willow, Lies’ Papshund puppy, dressed in a pink princess outfit, jumps on his leg. Lies shoos him off. A North Dakota native, Lies, has known since he was in third grade that he wanted to be male. Even growing up, his appearance was so boyish that people often recognized him as male. “[Classmates] knew I was different. They threw things at me. The boys would follow me home from school, threaten to rape me, Continued on page 6
FEATURES and throw rocks and shit at me. I used to cry to myself and wish I was a boy, but I didn’t tell anyone about it.” He takes the dress off of his puppy and puts it back in the closet. “[Willow] watched [my transition] the whole time. I wonder, if the [version] of me from a year ago walked in, how would she react? Would she like one more than the other? Or does she really see the same person?” Although he felt like a male trapped in a female’s body, Lies never questioned his sexuality. He did, though, become more open-minded about it through discovering his gender. “My experience is not everyone’s experience. Just like cisgender* people, trans people all have their unique journey to take, and no one is any more or less authentic for how they express themselves.” With this process, Lies will transition from a straight female to a bisexual male. In high school, he developed his first crush on a guy. “I tried so hard to impress him, but I basically was him. And then I saw his girlfriend. She was some painted up Barbie bitch with tight skinny jeans and long, blonde hair. She had eyelashes longer than my arms. I didn’t know what he liked her for.” Even after realizing that he wanted to be a boy, he decided that if he wanted guys to like
him, then he had to become more feminine. “I went into denial. To me, it was be what they want me to be or be alone.” After high school, Lies started dating a guy and three months into the relationship, his boyfriend accepted a job in Florida. Lies decided to follow him and try a fresh start. “I bought skirts that I thought would flow well in the Florida breeze. It was totally idealized. I was basically this misogynistic standard for what a woman should be. That’s what I thought I needed to be if I ever wanted to be happy.” During his sophomore year at FAU, Lies’ sociology professor covered transgender extensively. Shortly after that, he began researching the topic on his own and eventually came across a YouTube video. “It was five minutes long and nothing that short ever shook me so hard. I was like ‘holy shit, that’s me.’” Once he made his decision to go through with the transition, Lies came out to his mom and later to his boyfriend. “I expected by coming out that I would lose my mom, my grandparents and my friends. I expected to be treated differently, but in reality, I was lucky because I didn’t lose anything.” His boyfriend didn’t accept the news so well and, eventually, the relationship ended. “He was upset because it
Brendon fills his syringe with testosterone in his Delray Beach apartment.
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Photos by Kiki Baxter
“I should have packed for this. Like damn, there’s no bulge,” says Brendon Lies, who has completed six months of his female to male transition through hormone therapy.
wasn’t something he could control. He tries really hard even now to understand, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s still a straight guy and we just couldn’t work in a relationship. I think that was the hardest part [of] my transition.” The two stayed together for a short while after he came out. Lies lived in his apartment and was even on his boyfriend’s insurance plan at the time. Eventually, Lies cut his long hair short and started dressing more masculine. “I came around the corner in a newsboy hat, plaid shirt and jeans and he said ‘wow, you’re really completing the dyke look today.’ I was so shocked and offended, not that there’s anything wrong with being a lesbian, but even that was something he would look down upon,” says Lies, who now regularly applies Rogaine to his face to expedite his facial hair growth. His boyfriend would later tell him that he wasn’t allowed to
post any photos on Facebook because he didn’t want his family to see. His boyfriend’s mom suggested he get Lies pregnant so he could have seen what it would have been like to really be a woman. “The last couple of months of our relationship, he wouldn’t even talk to me.” Lies found the support of Lambda United, an LBTQIA organization at FAU. “That was like my safe place. It was the only place on campus I didn’t feel I was completely misunderstood.” As a school, however, FAU didn’t provide Lies with the support he needed, specifically by not providing gender-neutral restrooms — an idea currently being petitioned. “It was about a month before classes were over and we were getting ready for finals. I was very stressed and felt like I had to throw up. Right outside of classes were bathrooms in the art department, [but] I was so Continued on page 8
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FEATURES scared that people would ask me questions if I went in either bathroom. I just sat in class and threw up in my throat. That’s some heavy shit, right?” Lies left FAU this semester to finish his degree online. He now works full-time as the art director for South Florida Gay News — a Wilton Manors-based newspaper that caters to the gay community. Even there, Lies still faces discrimination. “My coworker, he’s pretty transphobic. He’s an older gay. He’s failed many times to recognized my identity. He would call me ‘boss lady,’ and he didn’t even know me before my transition.” He continues, “even though he’s gay, I think
there’s a huge level of misunderstanding because it’s not a sexuality, although it can influence a sexuality. Just because you’re gay doesn’t mean you’re going to be understanding of transgender people.” On Wednesday, Sept. 24, Lies celebrated his sixmonth “manniversary” and got a tattoo of a wasp on his neck during his lunch break. “A wasp is small, but you never forget an encounter with one. It always leaves an impression in your life and that’s the kind of person I want to be.” “For some reason, it was always in my head that I wouldn’t live till I was 23 and, in a way, I didn’t because I was reborn.”
Don’ts
• Tell someone they don’t look like a man/ woman. “Passing” is a slang term used to describe how believable one’s appearance is • Ask someone what their “real” name is or what their name was previously • Ask questions about their surgical process or what they looked like “before” • Use derogatory terms when talking to or referring to someone Brendon, Age 23
Do’s
• Respect their privacy • Identify them by their preferred pronoun • Treat them like you’d treat any other person • Understand the difference between sexuality and gender
Photo courtesy of Brendon Lies
Age 4. n Photos courtesy of Brendo
Lies
Age 23
Age 23
Photo courtesy of
Brendon Lies
Terms to know • •
•
•
• •
Age 4
Transitioning: a term used to describe the process of moving from one sex/gender to another, sometimes this is done by hormone or surgical treatments Transgender: a blanket term used to describe all people who are not cisgender; occasionally used as “transgendered” but the “ed” is misleading, as it implies something happened to the person to make them transgender, which is not the case Transsexual: a person whose gender identity is the binary opposite of their biological sex, who may undergo medical treatments to change their biological sex, often times to align it with their gender identity, or they may live their lives as the opposite sex; often confused with “trans-man”/”trans-woman” Transvestite: a person who dresses as the binary opposite gender expression (“cross-dresses”) for any one of many reasons, including relaxation, fun, and sexual gratification; often called a “crossdresser,” and often confused with “transsexual” Cisgender: a description for a person whose gender identity, gender expression, and biological sex all align (e.g., man, masculine, and male) Bisexual: a person who experiences sexual, romantic, physical, and/
Photo by Kiki Baxte r
• • • •
•
or spiritual attraction to people of their own gender as well as another gender; often confused for and used in place of “pansexual” Trans-man: a person who was assigned a female sex at birth, but identifies as a man; often confused with “transsexual man” or “FTM” Trans-woman: a person who was assigned a male sex at birth, but identifies as a woman; often confused with “transsexual woman” or “MTF” Androgyny: (1) a gender expression that has elements of both masculinity and femininity; (2) occasionally used in place of “intersex” to describe a person with both female and male anatomy Queer: (1) historically, this was a derogatory slang term used to identify LGBTQ+ people; (2) a term that has been embraced and reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community as a symbol of pride, representing all individuals who fall out of the gender and sexuality “norms” Note: It’s very important to understand that some people may take offense to certain terms, so use them with caution. Source: itspronouncedmetrosexual.com
Brendon Lies is a former staff member of the University Press 8
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NEWS
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO FAU’S COMMUNITY GARDEN? “FAU’s community garden is a “transition” phase, according to Mission Green president Johnny Yuen. Story by Andre Heizer
Photo by Netanya Walton Above: Abandonded potted plants have now become weeds.
This project was a step in the right direction for one of the nation’s most eco-friendly campuses. Photo by Netanya Walton 10
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Left: A marker in the community garden located next to the T buildings.
Center: Although some plots are infested with weeds, spectators can see that many are actually being maintained for the next growing season. Right: The irrigation system lies neglected in the community garden.
Photo by Mohammed Emran Left: High grass and tall weeds currently define the community garden, as many plots like these are abandoned.
Photo by Netanya Walton
I
n January of 2012, FAU’s Mission Green Student Association held a grand opening to celebrate the birth of its latest project: an on-campus community garden. For many at the university, this was a step in the right direction for one of the nation’s most eco-friendly campuses. But what happened to it? Although this project had high hopes, it never quite reached the scope of Florida Gulf Coast University’s natural forest like past-MGSA President Kelsey Crane had wished. In the years since its opening, the garden’s momentum has diminished, leaving a green ghost on campus. However, this is only a small obstacle for founding member and current MGSA President Johnny Yuen. At its inception, FAU’s garden had high prospects due in part to the previous success of the MGSA’s Pearl City Community Garden project located a few miles off campus. At this old site, students managed to pump out 10 pounds of veggies in one growing season, all from a little 4-by-5 foot plot. These greens were donated to Boca Helping Hands, and the students were given approval to build an on-campus garden. By the beginning of 2012, FAU had a garden to call its own. Each member was required to sign a renewable lease that gave them access to their own plot for a year. This contract was enforced by the Weppner Center, while the MGSA focused on educating the gardeners about proper maintenance techniques. This new endeavor did not come without its fair share of problems. “One of the main issues with the garden was the fact that members would [not maintain] their beds. Without
Photo by Mohammed Emran
proper maintenance, weeds and pests would ruin the plots in [as little as] two weeks,” recalls Yuen. Other more involved members would end up compensating for the lack of work from others. The neglected beds were regularly maintained by people that weren’t even responsible for them, and after being contacted about the situation, the missing gardeners would still not show up, leaving weed-andpest-infested plots that would affect the whole garden. The next year, due to a revised clause in the contract, Mission Green and other plot owners were prevented from maintaining the beds of other gardeners, no matter what condition they were in. This led to unused plots with overgrown weeds. “It is difficult to see the weeds grown sky high in the beds as I have spent countless hours trying to prevent the garden [from] ending up in the state that it is [in] now. But there is nothing that [we] can do to enforce the contract,” said Yuen. Despite all of this, the community garden is not dead. Dr. Dianne Owen, the coordinator for the environmental sciences program, uses five plots for education, and four plots are being used by both Henderson and Pearl City students. With the new semester, there will be nine beds available for students. Yuen still has faith in the future of the garden and hopes that he can usher in a new era of student gardeners. “[The garden is] in a transition stage from old members to new members … If we [can] bring students to help build [it], I definitely think we can help the garden significantly,” he says. As of now, the 2014-15 contract has not been released by the Weppner Center, but Yuen is sure that this project has yet to sprout again. To get involved in rebuilding the garden, contact Johnny Yuen at jyuen4@fau.edu
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FEATURES
A change in the tides
Story by Emily Creighton
Photo by Sean Webster
Swimmer Austin Olivares talks about what it means to be a gay athlete at FAU.
A
ustin Olivares, 20, has no intention of letting society’s perception of his sexuality hold him back. A member of the FAU swim team, Olivares is determined to prove that being gay doesn’t define who he is as a person or as an athlete. “Now I can’t stop because I need to prove a lot of those people wrong,” Olivares said. In
Q&A
recent years, more athletes have been coming out as LGBT, but the stigma that LGBT athletes are not as capable as heterosexual players still lingers in locker rooms and out on the field. When discussing his personal experience as a gay athlete in spring 2013, former NFL linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo told “Meet the Press,” that “people think
EC: Why do you think it’s such a big deal to be an openly gay athlete?
Emily Creighton: How long have you been swimming? Austin Olivares: I’ve been swimming for four years. I started my freshman year of high school. EC: Have you ever been treated differently by your team because you’re gay? AO: No, they’re always pretty good. It was definitely a change for everyone at first, but no bullying or anything like that. I’m not gonna lie — I’m changing the rules a little bit. It was a special situation, but everyone loved me for who I was and not for some stereotype or based on [my] sexual orientation. EC: In general, would you say the swimming community is welcoming when it comes to LGBT swimmers? AO: I would say, yeah. For sure. EC: What about compared to other sports? AO: Compared to other sports, definitely. [With] bigger sports like football or basketball, I’m sure it’s a lot harder to come out. For example, Michael Sam. He was a football player and because he came out, not a lot of coaches wanted to draft him. Not because of the fact that he was gay, but because the story behind it [and] all the drama that could happen with having an openly gay athlete. So, I would definitely say swimming is easier to come out.
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gayness has something to do with femininity.” As the fight for LGBT rights and equality continues to gain strength and momentum, so do those who stand for it, including athletes. Olivares doesn’t want to make a big deal out of his sexuality, and frankly, he just wants to swim. UP reporter Emily Creighton spoke with Olivares about his experiences.
SEPT. 30, 2014
AO: Probably because of the stereotype. You know, a lot of people see gay people doing things like “Project Runway” and stuff like that. There’s a stereotype and they don’t realize that there are actually so many people that are excluded from the stereotype. A lot of people tell me they wouldn’t have even guessed I [was gay] because I play sports. I know somebody — who I can’t disclose right now because he actually plays a big sport and he isn’t comfortable coming out with his sexuality — but for him nobody would’ve ever known. So, there’s definitely a lot of people that are excluded from the stereotype, more than people think. EC: Could you describe “coming out” to your teammates? Was it “coming out” or was it not discussed? AO: I didn’t want to make a huge deal out of it. It was very indirect. I actually had a team captain pull me over and she had asked me about it because she said someone in the locker room was talking and stuff like that. So, I told them, “I don’t want this be a big deal.” I walked up to her. She was the captain and I said, “You tell all the girls in the locker room there are no rumors. I’m gay and that’s that. That’s the truth.” Then I walked to the guys’ team captain and [told him], “Hey. This is what’s going on. Could you please just tell the whole team? I don’t want there to be rumors or any stories.” I didn’t sit everyone down and make a big deal about it. I didn’t think it was a big deal. I came here to swim.
Continued on page 14
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“I don’t want this be a big deal.” I walked up to her. She was the captain and I said, ‘You tell all the girls in the locker room there are no rumors. I’m gay and that’s that. That’s the truth.’ I didn’t sit everyone down and make a big deal about it. I didn’t think it was a big deal. I came here to swim.”
EC: Would you say that being gay has affected your swimming career? AO: No. If anything it’s made it better for me mentally. I know a lot of people will think [that], as someone who’s gay, I’m not as capable of doing a sport or something as a straight person [is]. Those comments have definitely been made to me, so when I swim and when I’m tired and when I want to give up, I think about [those] people that say stuff like that and I’m like, “Okay. Now I can’t stop because I need to prove a lot of those people wrong.”
EC: How would you describe the LGBT community at FAU? AO: The LGBT community here is awesome! I mean, when I was in high school I was closeted, but it was a pretty accepting community and neighborhood. Westboro [Baptist Church] actually came to our school to protest because we were so accepting. I get the same exact feeling at this school with the drag show and just all the people that I see around on campus [and]some of the friends that I’ve made in the community. The campus definitely promotes a safe environment for people to be who they are.
EC: What would you say to athletes that feel as though their sexuality may prevent them or hold them back from their sport? AO: I would say don’t be afraid of what people are gonna think or what people are gonna say. You’re determined by your character — how you treat other people, how people see you, the kindness you bring towards them [and] the work you put in the pool. If you can play, you can play whether you’re gay, straight, you have one leg [or] you’re handicapped. If you’re better and you can play, then it’s not a big deal. You shouldn’t be defined by your sexual orientation because that doesn’t define a person.
Photo By Sab rin
a Mart
inez
Austin (body painted as the F in FAU) and his teammates were decked out in FAU colors ready to support the Owls in their first home game of the football season.
20 Questions With Austin Olivares Emily Creighton: Speedo or swim
trunks?
Austin Olivares: Speedo, for sure. EC: Favorite color?
AO: Um, hard to say. I like neon colors so, probably neon orange right now.
AO: I don’t know. I really like Hugh Jackman.
EC: Biggest fear? AO: Failure. EC: Any secret talents? AO: I’m insanely good at “Super Smash
Brothers.”
EC: Favorite food? AO: Loaded cheese fries. EC: Favorite athlete or someone you look
up to? AO: I don’t want to say Michael Phelps because that’s cheesy. He was, but a while ago he stopped [being my favorite]. I really don’t have a solid answer on that one.
EC: Most embarrassing moment? AO: Probably when the coach caught me
and called me out for peeing in the pool one day.
EC: Favorite TV show? AO: “Dexter.”
EC: If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money? AO: Good question. [I’d] probably finish school and maybe travel a bit, do some crazy things. But mainly, I’d probably save it, invest it in something.
EC: Favorite sport to watch? AO: I’m gonna have to say volleyball.
EC: Where would you travel? AO: I’ve always wanted to go to Brazil.
EC: Do you have a favorite pick-up line? AO: Um, I don’t have one of those! No! EC: Celebrity crush? 14
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SEPT. 30, 2014
My dream is to go to the Olympics so hopefully Rio 2015. I can kill two birds with one stone there. But, I want to travel to France. I’ve always wanted to see Australia. I actually want to go sky diving in Dubai.
Photo Courtesey of Austin EC: Who would you want to play you in a movie? AO: I’d probably say Hugh Jackman. I love Hugh Jackman. EC: Craziest thing you’ve ever done? AO: I’ve done a lot! One of the craziest is
probably sky diving. I went sky diving on my 19th birthday. So, a lot of people have called me crazy for that.
EC: Favorite song to sing in the shower? AO: I don’t think I have one song for that!
I have a playlist for that probably. But, for the longest time I would sing “Mirror” by Justin Timberlake in the shower.
EC: What do you think about while you’re swimming? AO: To be honest, I try not to think. I try to feel what I’m doing. And we actually have underwater speakers, so I try to listen to the music and the lyrics to get me through the practice. EC: Blondes or brunettes? AO: It really all depends. I’m attracted to
darker features, so I’d say brunettes.
Olivares
EC:Do you have any nicknames? AO: I was called “Speedo Torpedo” in
high school when I broke the school record. That was for about a season.
EC: What super power you would want to have? AO: I think it’d be insane to be like the avatar and bend the elements. You know, like “The Last Airbender”? But, if that doesn’t count as a super power, [I’d] probably pick stuff up with my mind because then I could pick myself up and fly. So, it’s like two powers in one. EC: If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be and why? AO: Probably Justin Timberlake just because he’s super famous and I’d like to see what it’s like everyday to be a superstar and rich and stuff!
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SPORTS
Buyer’s
Remorse
FAU has a stadium it can’t fill, yet continues to funnel substantial amounts of money into a football program that isn’t returning on its investment. Story by Wesley Wright Photos by Ryan Murphy
I
f you look directly across from where you’re sitting in the FAU football stadium, odds are you’ll see an empty seat staring right back at you. The first game of the 2014-2015 season attracted 14,112 spectators, leaving more than half of FAU’s 30,000seat stadium empty. Not exactly the vision that former athletics director Craig Angelos had for the $70 million facility when it was erected in 2009. Pitched by Angelos and former University President Frank Brogan to the governing board of FAU, the stadium was constructed with the intent of turning FAU into a “more traditional university” and to drive revenue. To Angelos and Brogan, a more traditional university meant better housing and more places to eat and pass the time on campus. “We concentrated on raising academic standards and improving student sup-
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port services, including residential life,” Brogan said in an email to the UP. Now the Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, Brogan was in office from 2003 to 2009. “We saw the replacement of old dorms with modern, suite-style student housing, enhanced on-campus dining, added
FAU’s Average attendance in the 30,000-seat football stadium: 2011: 17,565 2012: 13,459 2013: 14,552
the new student recreation center and the Forkas Alumni Center,” he said. The crown jewel of the project was the on-campus stadium. The two men who spearheaded its creation envisioned the stadium as a place where students could enjoy themselves at a home football game, a place that they could have pride in. The stadium itself is up, but the football team that plays within it has yet to yield the return on investment that the school would like to see.
Rationale Craig Angelos and Frank Brogan both come from alma maters that have on-campus stadiums — Angelos from Brigham Young University and Brogan from the University of Cincinnati. “I ran into a lot [of pushback],” said Angelos, speaking of the process he un-
derwent in establishing the stadium. “It took me seven years to get [the stadium] up.” When Angelos arrived in 2003, the FAU Owls played in Lockhart Stadium, located in Fort Lauderdale. Angelos originally flew out members of the FAU Board of Trustees and city leaders to Syracuse, N.Y. to see the Carrier Dome. Angelos wanted a similar stadium constructed in Boca Raton. Deemed too expensive, the idea was shot down. Angelos and company opted for a cheaper, open-air stadium. They decided on a model closer to Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando — home of the Central Florida Golden Knights. By 2010, the Owls had moved themselves out of Lockhart to play football in their new home. Students fronted $25 million of the cost — paid with the athletic fees attached to each credit hour of your tui-
Continued on page 18
tion. The other $45 million came via a loan from Regions Bank. By 2011, the stadium was fully functioning, but the team lagged far behind. In their very first game in the stadium, the team went scoreless in a 20-point loss to Western Kentucky. They won one game that year, a 38-
Football Revenue 2011-2012 $1,603,761 2012 -2013 $3,490,832 2013 -2014 $-29,720
35 home win over the University of Alabama-Birmingham. The next week? A 26-0 loss to Louisiana-Monroe — at home. Now at Florida International University, Angelos reflected on the mission of the stadium, a mission which holds true even now that he has departed. “The idea was for the stadium to drive revenue,” he said. “It was a no brainer.” Revenue isn’t coming in like the university wants. There still are no naming rights for the stadium. “The whole GEO fiasco was desperation,” FAU Faculty Union President Bob Zoeller said, making a reference to the $6 million sponsorship deal with the private prison company GEO Group for naming rights to the stadium. The deal, which would have provided FAU with $500,000 over 12 years, was axed due to the public outcry from a bevy of outlets. Protests ensued, peti-
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SPORTS tions were written and FAU even ended up on the Colbert Report. The process of securing a naming rights deal has been difficult. “We’re always in the market for a partner,” athletics director Patrick Chun said. “Obviously the university did things out of sequence when they decided to launch a stadium with no partner, but it is what it is. The good thing with time is that it allows us to add value to the stadium.” Ticket revenue also isn’t where the school would like it to be. The stadium simply isn’t full enough to make substantial money. Students filled the 3,900 seat student section for the FAU home opener on Sept. 13, but the stadium wasn’t even at 50 percent capaci-
FAU football has had issues with filling its 30,00-seat stadium since its opening.
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ty when kickoff rolled around. FAU is unable to fill their stadium for any number of reasons. Just a 10th of FAU’s student population lives on campus. Many students are older adults who have priorities that trump a simple football game. Most telling of all, FAU football is nothing special. In five full seasons since their second bowl win, the Owls are a combined 19-40. Chun knows they have to sell tickets. “There is no magic formula,” he said before adding that the Florida International Panthers, Miami Hurricanes, Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins all have issues filling their respective stadiums. Chun then mentioned that FAU has hosted events for Major League Soccer, Major League Lacrosse, and the U.S. women’s soccer team, all of which add value to the stadium.
Feedback Very few football programs make a profit. The revenue that does come in trickles down to the other sports, the ones that don’t earn money for the
“Our major revenue sports, football and men’s basketball, aren’t bringing in the revenue they need to bring in right now,” - Patrick Chun
school. At FAU, that includes every sport that isn’t football or men’s basketball. “Our major revenue sports, football and men’s basketball, aren’t bringing in the revenue they need to bring in right now,” Chun told the UP in March. “There’s an effect that [it] has on the rest of the campus.” FAU is a have-not school as far as athletics are concerned. Paltry attendance and the lack of a strong alumni base both contribute to the tight budget that the athletic director has to operate under. Angelos was in Chun’s position a few years ago, trying to find a way to stretch what little money he was allocated. “All those schools in Conference USA and the Sun Belt are operating on a bare bones budget. FAU is no different,” Angelos said. “I would have liked to have more personnel. You can’t go out to dinner every night. You go to Publix, pick up some lunch meat and you have that, even though you know how it feels to eat at a restaurant, and you would prefer to eat a restaurant.” The athletics budget — the largest portion of which is allocated to the football program — is increasing each year, and Chun sees no end in sight. “Through the natural inflation of the world, it has to,” Chun said of the overall athletics budget. “Costs will go up, gas prices will go up, tuition will go up, and we’ll stay the course. As expenses increase we’re going to have to figure out ways to increase revenue.” FAU Faculty Union President Bob Zoeller is troubled by the increased spending on football. “The problem is, a vast majority of football programs — and that’s what we’re talking about is football programs, not athletics — don’t actually make money,” Zoeller Continued on page 20
SPORTS
FAU Athletics Budget the 16 sports on campus are financed primarily by student fees
2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 said. “They lose money. I can guarantee you the football program here doesn’t make money.” He referred to Kelly’s former employ$14,011,516 $22,969,903 $27,409,563 er, Clemson University, calling Kelly’s plan to max out the profitability of the football program the “Clemson model.” $14,383,211 $25,655,949 In other words, a higher-profile football program attracts more students and perhaps better students. He bristled at the notion of FAU emulating the South Carolina school. “Do we really want kids who are multiply your number of credit hours by the fee below to find out choosing our school [based on] a winhow much you paid for athletics this semester loss record?” he asked. “I would hope they choose a school because of quality USF* FSU FIU FAMU UCF FAU UWF UF faculty and research, not because of a football team.” Angelos mentioned that the amount of student applications increased three10.00 7.90 10.00 13.97 14.32 1.90 17.27 20.88 fold after the stadium was established and opened on campus. “Is it directly related? I don’t know,” he said. “But it gives students something to be proud *USF students who live in Tampa pay a ten dollar athletics fees once per term. of.” What’s the price of pride? “The stadium costs $3 million a year,” said Zocolumn about wanting to rid universities of football completely. eller. “That thing over there is an albatross “Universities are about education, not about football. FAU is not a around our neck for the next 20 years.” Zoeller overestimated the cost-per-year of the stadium — it’s $2.6 widely known school outside of the state of Florida, and if you want million — but his sentiment is one shared by many FAU academics. to raise your profile, do something unique, interesting and related to They believe that pushing football in order to bring the school na- education.” For his part, Chun seems to see the value of his department as it tional prominence is irresponsible. relates to football and FAU sports in gen“I think it’s safe to say that the general eral. feeling amongst faculty is that we don’t see “Every great athletic program is built on athletics as contributing to the core mission academics,” said Chun. “They go [hand] of the university, which is teaching and rein hand. You look at who your championsearch,” Zoeller said. ship teams are, typically they are high perZoeller relayed his view to Kelly directformers. Work hard in the classroom, work ly earlier this year. He claims that there are hard on the practice field, work hard in the many great things going on at the university, weight room and we’ll live with results on but those accomplishments are overshadthe playing field.” owed by the football program. How long can Chun “live” with medi“There are alternative ways of [raising the ocre results? Kelly mentioned during his school’s profile],” he said. “We’ve decided State of the University address that he that athletics is the way to do this, but there is thought FAU could be a top-25 football not a lot of evidence [to support] the case.” program in the near future. Chun did not To become more popular on a regional and corroborate that notion, but he feels optinational scale, Zoeller pointed to a model mistic about where the program is headed shown by his alma mater, the University of and knows that the results have to improve Pittsburgh. Pitt tore down its football stadisooner rather than later. um in 1999, opting to share Heinz field with “I feel great about the student athletes the Pittsburgh Steelers. Stressing academics instead of athletics, Pittsburgh has raised we’ve recruited and the coaches we’ve attracted, retained and hired to around $2 billion — twice the exploits of Clemson, where the foot- be a part of this,” he said. “We’re definitely trending in that direction. When will that happen? It’s a process, and we know that.” ball program is of the utmost impotance to school’s popularity. The process better not take too long. Perhaps Zoeller put it best: “If FAU is trying to use football to make the school more visible, your administration has badly lost its way,” said Forbes contributor “If you’re putting your hopes on a football team, you had better hope and Johns Hopkins professor Steven Salzberg, who wrote a 2011 that team wins.”
2014-2015 Athletic fees per credit hour
“I think it’s safe to say that the general feeling amongst faculty is that we don’t see athletics as contributing to the core mission of the university, which is teaching, and research,” Zoeller said.
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FEATURES
United In Room 224k
Story by Johan Sebastian Photos by Kiki Baxter
Spending an afternoon in room 224k, Lambda United talks about everything from measuring their homosexuality to straight men harassing lesbians.
W
alking into Room 224k of the Multicultural Affairs building is like walking into a dorm room, with students engaging in casual conversations, sharing dirty jokes and taking cat naps. Unlike most dorm rooms, the walls are covered with LGBTQIA flyers, rainbowcolored chimes hang from the ceiling and a bowl full of contraceptives greets students as they enter. “My friends and I actually have this running joke that I’m only 17 percent gay,” says Ashley Ashbaugh, president of Lambda United. An organization that focuses on LGBTQIA rights on campus, they provide a place for all students to discuss sex, school and androgyny. A couple of chairs are scattered throughout the room, never in any particular order, usually taking the form of whatever past conversation occurred. It is here that Lambda United meets every week. “Is Andy asleep back there?” asked Ashbaugh, pointing to vice president Andy Kramer whose feet are up on the desk with her head tilted back. “She’s working on it. She’s trying,” replies treasurer Sarah Cothron. Students also talk about how to define their sexuality and their experiences being gay, bisexual, undefined or straight and share intimate secrets about their sex lives. Ashbaugh is an unassuming, short young 22
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lady amidst a group of Lambda members. She seems more a newcomer to the group than the leader of the organization. A polite woman with a calm demeanor and crimson red-dyed hair, she’s in charge of Lambda and if you attended the drag show on Sept. 19 you have her to thank. Coming from Apopka, Fla. — a city with a population of just over 40,000 — the transition from a small town to the FAU campus was liberating. Ashbaugh found herself able to express her own beliefs among like-minded people. “I used to get crap all the time at home,” said Ashbaugh. “In middle school, I used to get pushed into lockers and down the stairs. High school was brutal, but it was more like catty comments, cause I was on the cheerleading team.” When a classmate in high school came out as gay and was ostracized by his friends, Ashbaugh confronted one of his friends, asking why they would do that and he responded with “I can’t be friends with anybody who is gay,” Erika Moylan, a member of Lambda who was within earshot when Ashbaugh mentioned this, subsequently made a raspberry noise and a jerk-off motion. “That’s [how] I feel about
those people.” In the room, students are constantly changing places, sitting on the backs of chairs and stretching their feet on the laps of others. Ashbaugh doesn’t seem like a leader but she’s held in high regard by her peers. “A lot of people don’t think that she gets respect from us. People are like ‘Lambda is so disrespectful to their president.’ No, we just like to mess with her. I invite her to my house, meaning I like her,” said Michel Rose, a self described pansexual. Moylan described Ashley as a “badass, awesome, cool-ass chick.” Lambda United is not just for those that may fall into LGBTQIA categories. Wilson Malek, a straight student, characterizes Ashbaugh as an “awesome person.” A student yelled “Wilsooon.” The room began to talk about the film “Cast Away,” Tom Hanks’ beard and whether it was funny or sad that the protagonist lost the love of his life and his volleyball best friend. Film critique is not all that’s discussed in room 224k. Being the LGBTQIA resource center, students also talk about being gay. “I wake up covered in glitter and when I brush my hair rainbows just come out of my curls,” mentioned Rose. Kramer moved from the desk toward the discussion in the middle of the room. Continued on page 24
the Dorothy F. SchmiDt college oF artS anD letterS and the liberty engagement Forum present
Amendment 2:
Reefer Madness or Sanity and the Relevance of Individual Autonomy.* – Debate anD Q&a – This program is open to all FAU students, faculty, and staff. Seating is limited, so admission to the program will be on a first come first serve basis. The purpose of the program is to provide students with an opportunity to learn about and discuss Amendment 2, which will be on the November 4 general election ballot.
Please e-mail five working days in advance of the event if a special accommodation for a disability is necessary or if another version of this flyer is needed.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014 6-8 pm, Live Oak Full, Student Union
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton Participants to include:
Dr. Jessica Spencer,
Statewide Coalition Director for Vote No On Amendment 2
Ben Pollara,
Campaign Manager for United for Care
Bill Wohlsifer,
Libertarian Candidate for Florida Attorney General *Amendment 2 Ballot Summary: Allows the medical use of marijuana for individuals with debilitating diseases as determined by a licensed Florida physician. Allows caregivers to assist patients’ medical use of marijuana. The Department of Health shall register and regulate centers that produce and distribute marijuana for medical purposes and shall issue identification cards to patients and caregivers. Applies only to Florida law. Does not authorize violations of federal law or any non-medical use, possession or production of marijuana. This program is made possible by a grant from the Apgar Foundation. This event is free and open to the public. For questions or comments, contact Marshall DeRosa, Professor of Political Science, at derosa@fau.edu and/or 561-723-9988.
FEATURES
races ndy emb uring a Paige Bu d Johnson Brendan . meeting Lambda
Left to right: Tyler Peter, Paige Bundy, Andy Kramer, Milor Perdomo, Brendan Johnson
“We actually have pins that say ‘ask me my pronoun preference.’” “Yeah in our first meeting we ask people their pronoun preference. You never have to do anything you’re not comfortable with. Say Andy [Kramer] wasn’t out, and not comfortable with us coming up to her in the breezeway, we wouldn’t do that,” added Ashbaugh . The room breaks into laughter, including Kramer. “If one could only imagine,” she says. Kramer mentions an instance where she introduced herself last semester in a chemistry lab and everyone automatically assumed she was a he for the duration of the term. Was she offended? “To me, I don’t carry the weight. I know I’m androgynous, I can pass as a guy, it doesn’t matter to me,” replied Kramer. “People are usually surprised,” she says. “Oh you’re a girl! People call me he, I don’t care.” Some students are squeezing past each other to get through to the computers at the end of the room, some are leaving to go to class, but Moylan hugged everyone before she left. Kramer continued with her views on her own androgyny. Almost nothing is taboo in the room. As more students begin to join in the discussion, they reflect on the dynamics of their group. “We’re open with each other to a fault,” said Cothron, treasurer of Lambda, while chuckling. Michel Rose added, “we can just be silly and talk crap, be open with one another. We care about privacy, but we’re open with one another.” Lambda prides itself on privacy. Taking pictures in the room can get you some glares. Even their Facebook group is private to respect 24
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those members that might not be out yet. By this time, the room is loud. As the door is always open and noise dribbles down to the main office of Multicultural Affairs, their adviser politely asks them to keep it down. The discussion shifted to interaction between gay and straight people. “My biggest pet peeve is when a girl says ‘I’m interested in girls’ and a guy says ‘You haven’t had me yet’,” said one student. Malek has a different take. “I’m straight, but when a guy approaches me I’m flattered,” he said. Michel tells the group that she’s had people yell at her that she’s going to hell. The group begins to diminish as students head to class, hugging one another and making plans to see each other later. Others check their phones or do their homework. Alexia Herring, a straight student and Ashbaugh’s roommate, tells everyone in the room about a post she saw online. “There was this post on Tumblr and this guy was like ‘I like masculine dudes, so like not feminine dudes because I’m gay gay,’ and I’m like that makes no sense, you still like dick.” The room erupted with laughter and the discussion continued with just a few students left. The door in Room 224k remains open. Lambda United meets Wednesday’s at 6:30 p.m. to hang out, play Cards Against Humanity and have twerking competitions. For more information contact Ashley Asgbaugh at Aashbaugh@fau. edu or visit faulgbtqa.tumblr.com
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NEWS
ZIP MY Z
ipcar, the world’s largest car sharing and car club service, became available to students, faculty and employees at FAU on Sept. 24. Different from the typical rental car service, Zipcar offers many items and services free of charge as well as a lower age requirement for rentals. According to Zipcar, depending on the area an individual lives in, the age requirement may be either 18 or 21. According to USA Today, most rental car agencies set a minimum age requirement of 25. So far, only New York and Michigan have state laws requiring rental agencies to rent to drivers 18 years or older. Intended as an alternative to traditional car rental and ownership, Zipcar for Universities offers the convenience of car ownership without the hassle of having a car on campus. “I believe that FAU decided to use Zipcar because it will help solve some of our transportation access issues for many students, especially those that live on campus,” Student Body President Michael Cepeda said. “Students who do not have a reliable means of transportation will be able to get access to vehicles that will allow them to go to classes on other campuses, go to the local beach or maybe even go to the grocery store after class.” According to Cepeda, there are certain advantages that come with using the Zipcar service as opposed to owning a car — users won’t have to search for parking or deal with the Parking and Transportation office, plus the cars have designated parking spots. FAU will start with only two cars and see how successful the program is before expanding the selection. There are five Florida college campuses already using the service: Stetson University
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(two cars), University of Miami (13 cars), University of Florida (12 cars), University of Central Florida (seven cars) and Florida State University (six cars). Since Zipcar’s early 2004 launch of its Zipcar for Business program, the company has partnered with over 300 colleges and universities across the United States. According to Zipcar’s website, all of their cars are new and replaced within two years of being on the road. Zipcar boasts a fleet of 10,000 cars internationally, offering more than 30 makes and models of cars including BMWs, Audis, Mini Coopers, Prius Hybrids, pickup trucks and more. According to the Zipcar website, Zipcar members — or Zipsters — save an average of $500 a month compared to car owners. “I wouldn’t use it, but it really depends on the rate. It would be useful for off campus purposes, but it would be smarter to use golf carts [on campus]. Cheaper too,” said sophomore undeclared major David Moreshead. The service offers three plans at low-driving rates: the occasional driver plan, the monthly driving plan and the extra value plan. For all plans, gas and insurance are free, along with the first 180 miles of your Zipcar reservation. “If I didn’t own a car, I would use Zipcar,” said freshman exercise science major Sebastian Estrada. “I would need to get around campus. Plus, I like that membership is a once-a-month fee and I would get free gas and insurance,” Zipcar offers many utilities to students, including self-service access to cars 24/7, the ability to reserve online or using your mobile device, 24/7 roadside assistance, reserved parking and easy access to cars on campus.
Story by Jason Salcedo Photos by Max Jackson
Zipcar rental service offers a cheaper alternative to car ownership and arrived at FAU on Sept. 24.
SUSTAINABILITY DAY
F
AU held its annual Campus Sustainability Day on Sept. 24, featuring demonstrations and exhibits of the many initiatives supported by the university, including the Mission Green Student Association, the Green Team Leaders, Dirt Pros, South Florida Commuter Services, Housing and Residential Life and Chartwells. Students also got the chance to learn about Zipcar and how to lower their carbon footprints. In a Zipcar factsheet posted by Avis Budget Group, Zipcar committed to providing its members with socially responsible, sustainable alternatives that support the global environment, their communities and city livability. One of the group’s studies showed that miles traveled per driver is reduced by 40 percent when car owners switch to car sharing, which means less carbon dioxide emissions. According to Zipcar’s green benefits page, every Zipcar put into service takes 15 personallyowned vehicles off the road, making the total number of cars taken off 150,000 cars. After joining Zipcar, 90 percent of its members drove 5,500 miles or less per year. According to Zipcar, that adds up to more than 32 million gallons of crude oil left in the ground—or 219 gallons saved per Zipster.
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