December 2021 January 2022
Simonson Says... Pg. 6
The student body president promised an apology to the FAU community for his deleted offensive TikTok months ago, but it still hasn’t been posted publicly. He also said he started a Native American Student Union on campus, but there are no records of its existence.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
The UP received an anonymous tip that football player Eli Fields took a fraudulent PPP loan for $20k. He then sent the UP a cease and desist letter before leaving the team.
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Vol. 24 | 4 | 12.10.21 Staff
Editor-in-Chief: Gillian Manning Managing Editor: Kendall Little Sports Editor: Richard Pereira Web Editor: Marcy Wilder Features Editor: Darlene Antoine
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Photo Editor: Eston Parker III Entertainment Editor: Kizzy Azcarate Creative Director: Michelle Rodriguez-Gonzalez Copy Desk Chief: Bryanna Shaw Social Media Manager: Michael Gennaro Katherine Ambrosio Villegas Staff Writers: Bryce Totz Contributing Writers: Gianna Alberti Justine Kantor Contributing Designers: Judyan Centeno Trevino Deana Marie Dieujuste Advisors: Wesley Wright Ilene Prusher Michael Koretzky Want to Get Involved? Contact: Marcy Wilder Email: mwilder2019@fau.edu General Meetings: Friday 2-3 P.M. 214 Student Union Want to place an ad? For national/regional ads contact: Leen Obeidat flytedesk inc (970) 541-0894 | leen@flytedesk. com Publisher: FAU Student Government. The opinions expressed by the UP are not necessarily those of the student body, student government, or FAU. Cover Photos by Eston Parker III
5 Skin in the Game Athletes share the stories behind their tattoos. 8 Simonson Says... Student body president didn’t fulfill promises of accountability after controversial TikTok.
10 Unfinished Buisness
Former football player took out 20k loan for a business that can’t be identified.
14 Instructor Under the Microscope Instructor is under investigation after clash with his student.
16 A Journey to a New Conference FAU athletics could see more TV appearances and income.
19 Luring Opponents into Paradise Transition to new athletics conference could give FAU a bigger spotlight.
with the Wildlife 22 Walk A photo gallery of the various wildlife on campus.
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Editor’s Letter: FAU Does Not Respect the Press By Gillian Manning Public records and media requests go unanswered. Student Body President Maxwell Simonson promised open communication but hasn’t answered my emails all semester. I’ve now spent a year working for the University Press and as I graduate this semester, there is one thing I would like the student body to know: FAU officials are not as communicative as they would like you to think.
Public Records During this semester, I’ve put in three record requests that have gone unfulfilled as of Dec. 1. Due to Florida’s Sunshine Law, universities and other public institutions are required to make records available upon request, though there are a few exceptions in instances such as open police investigations. The Public Records Act does not detail a specific time period in which requests must be filled, but institutions must be able to justify any delays. One record request asked for exit interviews conducted by a particular staff member. University staff conducts exit interviews when an employee leaves to understand the employee’s reason for leaving and their impression of their time with the institution. This can be important when analyzing the state of an organization and the reasons for employee turnover. We received an anonymous tip that exit interviews were being improperly conducted. The record office acknowledged my request on Sept. 2 and the last time I was in touch with the records office was Sept. 23. The university has yet to fill my request.
In early September, I also requested documentation on FAU’s health inspection reports, specifically for the athletics facilities, as we received anonymous reports of mold and other hazardous conditions. The last time the records office and I interacted regarding this request was Oct. 21. I still have not received any records. Not fulfilling record requests after several months hinders the reporting that the UP is able to conduct. If we cannot access the information, we cannot report it to the public. In October, someone was stealing and throwing away our newspapers in bulk after we published a story about Student Government leaders’ stance on mask mandates. At least 700 issues were ultimately trashed, which is your money in the garbage. The majority of these incidents occurred in direct view of security cameras. One particular incident took place directly in front of a camera attached to the Heritage Park Towers dorm. After filing a police report on Oct. 4, we requested security footage and other documents pertaining to the investigation. Over a month later, FAU has told us they are not required to provide security footage —which is true. The state legislation says that footage does not need to be released if it could possibly reveal the location of security cameras. We cannot confirm if there are Student Government members in the video footage.
Editor’s Letter | 3
Public records custodian Rachelle Hollingsworth told the UP on Dec. 2, the public records office sent the UP police reports with redacted information as the investigation is on going. There are at least four other outstanding record requests from the UP that the university has not honored.
Media Relations FAU’s Media Relations office, which is responsible for coordinating the university’s media involvement, often creates obstacles in timely reporting for the UP. The university’s website does not indicate any rules regarding faculty and staff ’s interaction with media. In fact, under “policies,” they write, “FAU recognizes the special role that faculty and students play in cultivating a spirit of inquiry and scholarly criticism, and FAU encourages faculty and students to speak freely on, and seek changes in, academic and institutional policies and to exercise constitutional rights without institutional censorship or discipline.” The university encourages faculty and staff to loop media relations personnel into interview requests but doesn’t require them to.
After the UP published a story on Simonson’s opinions on masking and the coronavirus vaccine, we received a screenshot from a Snapchat group chat including Simonson and Edward Perez, the former SG campus budget chairman. In the screenshot, Perez said he decreased the UP’s budget in the past and Simonson said he would try to add additional cuts. I was trying to access PAC meeting minutes to understand if Simonson may have discussed this further with his peers. We cannot confirm if Simonson was joking about defunding the UP in response to coverage. Simonson gave his cellphone number to the UP’s managing editor, Kendall Little. He told her over text, “You can reach out anytime. I want to help y’all as much as [I] can, and if you ever are curious or want to know more about anything, I’m an open book.” Over the course of three weeks, Little would send periodic messages for information about Simonson’s claim that he created the Native American Student Union on campus, his involvement with the Board of Trustees, and the Morikami Museum visit he said he took after making his controversial TikTok.
Yet Joshua Glanzer, associate vice president for Media Relations and Public Affairs, will send out emails instructing UP reporters to strictly contact his office for media inquiries. “Our long-standing policy states that staff are expected to loop in media relations when contacted by the media,” Glanzer wrote in a Sept. 28 email to Director of Student Media Addiel Gomez. The UP typically doesn’t reach out to Glanzer for most interview requests, as response times from Media Relations are often slow. I sent him an email in August requesting information about a graduation ceremony for students who graduated during the pandemic, which he never answered. In his email, Glanzer described the UP’s lack of outreach to his office as an “issue.”
Student Body President “My number one priority is really to communicate with the students,” Student Body President Maxwell Simonson said during election season last spring. He told the UP his preferred email address, sgpres@ fau.edu, which I have emailed at least five times this semester regarding the President’s Administrative Cabinet (PAC), which is composed of SG leaders and advises the president; he hasn’t responded.
4 | Editor’s Letter
Empty news box after issues were stolen.
During those weeks, Little did not receive a response. She even sat outside his office in the Student Union on multiple occasions, waiting for him to arrive. While FAU has said that it’s “committed to a policy of openness,” my experience covering the campus has revealed the opposite. When institutions would rather keep information from the media, I encourage people to question what they are hiding.
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Skin in the Game By Gianna Alberti
Athletes share the stories behind their tattoos. Everett Winchester during FAU’s game against Miami on Nov. 16, 2021. Photo by Eston Parker III.
Almost every person who has a tattoo has a special meaning for it, and athletes are no exception. Most of FAU’s athletes are covered in tattoos, whether they are football, basketball, baseball, or soccer players—even cheerleaders have them. Tattoos have rapidly become a big part of sports culture. The University Press swept the locker rooms to hear the stories behind the athletes’ ink.
Men’s Basketball: Everett Winchester, Guard Everett Winchester, a guard on the men’s basketball team, got his first tattoo when he was 15. Since then, he has gotten 13 tattoos, covering most of his arm and chest. Time is ticking—on Winchester’s arm. He has a rose which symbolizes peace. Above the rose is a clock that says “God’s Timing,” which is a reminder to be patient. Above that, his forearm is adorned with three crosses, a depiction of Jesus and the two thieves that were crucified on the hilltop. “My tattoos all tell a story from my life, so they mean a lot to me. It shows my strength and my resilience to beat and overcome anything,” Winchester said. “During the time I had two knee surgeries in less than a year and had three people that meant so much to me pass away, so that tattoo helps me remember to lean on my faith. There are some things that I can’t control, but I should always remember to trust God’s Timing and trust that God has a plan.” While Winchester plans to add more tattoos to his 13, he is going to take a little break for now.
Men’s Basketball: Alijah Martin, Guard Since he was a kid, Martin always wanted tattoos. To respect his mom’s wishes, he waited until he turned 18 to get his first tattoo. Martin has five tattoos, all connected to his sleeve, but his bicep and tricep tattoos are where he put his most meaningful designs.
He chose his arm so people always see what his tattoos represent: his family, a loved one who passed away, motivation, and spirituality. Martin plans to have his leg sleeve and chest tattooed up by next year with more inspirational tattoos, motivating him to be better or focused on his goals.
Men’s Basketball: Bryan Greenlee, Guard While all seven of Greenlee’s tattoos each have a different meaning, as a whole, they symbolize the person he is today. Wrapped around his neck are the birthdates of his grandmother and mother. He explained that the Roman numeral dates give him the motivation to continue working. “I envisioned the idea beforehand, saw a few ideas online, and liked the look because I wouldn’t be who I am today without them and it is a constant reminder of what they mean to me,” Greenlee said. Alijah Martin. Photo courtesy of FAU Athletics. Skin in the Game | 5
Men’s Soccer: Filip Jauk, Forward
Baseball: Caleb Pendleton, Catcher
Jauk does not have a favorite tattoo, but rather a favorite place: his arm because he gets to show it off. His left arm is covered in a sleeve with the Joker from the DC franchise at the top and an eye by his wrist. He lost track of how many he has on his arm but believes it is around seven or eight.
What began as a joke eventually turned into reality for Pendleton.
At the age of 16, Jauk got his first tattoo. “It is my family’s name, and I did it with purpose because they are so meaningful to me,” he said. Once he got his first tattoo, Jauk decided to start filling the rest of his arm, creating a sleeve with deep and meaningful tattoos, including his mother’s eye and Jesus with the word “Believe.”
Baseball: Tibur Rivero, Pitcher Rivero believes that his tattoo artist will never come up short. His left arm is almost completely covered in seven tattoos. All of his tattoos have a similar style, primarily Tribal/Polynesian. Some might just choose a place on their body that is visually appealing, but for others like Rivero, there is a superstition for the placement. “I chose my whole left arm because I play baseball and I throw with my right arm, so it’s kind of a superstition of mine to not have anything on my right arm,” Rivero said. 6 | Skin in the Game
Pendleton’s bicep tattoo has “Exodus 20:15,” which correlates to the Bible verse “Thou shall not steal,” tattooed on him. He knew it would be a good tattoo considering his job is to throw people out on the bases. All his tattoos are Bible verses, reminding him that God gave him the ability to play baseball.
Baseball: Dylan Goldstein, Outfielder Goldstein has three tattoos and each one has a lot of significance behind it. While each one of his tattoos means something different to him, he is getting another shortly in honor of his late friend. “I am getting my friend’s initials with a dove and roses around it soon,” Goldstein said. “This is a different meaning from my other tattoos, as this is closer and more personal to me.” He has a tattoo of his father’s birthday and a wolf that represents leadership, loyalty, and the value of loved ones. The eye he has on his bicep represents what he believes to be the most beautiful thing, the idea that “every person’s eyes have many stories and experiences that they have seen,” said Goldstein.
Left: Bryan Greenlee’s tattoos have various meanings from personal motivations, family, and more. Photo courtesy of Bryan Greenlee. Right: Filip Jauk reacts after taking a shot against Florida Gulf Coast on Sept. 14, 2021. Photo by Eston Parker III.
Women’s Basketball: Juliette Gauthier, Guard Although she got her first tattoo at 18, Gauthier has tallied up 11 tattoos since. She said once she started, she couldn’t stop. Out of all her tattoos, her favorite is the matching one she got with her brother. On her inner right wrist is a phrase in Japanese that only she and her brother understand. “When we were younger, we would call each other names, but my mom was like ‘don’t call him that, call him another word,’ and I just said a random word, and it always stuck with us since. It was something that only my brother and I understood,” said Gauthier.
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Cheerleading: Caroline Zuluaga While Zuluaga has a total of seven tattoos, her most heartfelt and meaningful one is in honor of her late grandmother. Zuluaga and her grandmother had a special bond. On her inner left arm are the coordinates of where her grandmother was buried. “She meant the world to me and it represents that she is always with me,” Zuluaga said.
Cheerleading: Terri Lawson Lawson’s favorite tattoo is of a lotus flower. Though she has two lotus flowers, her favorite one is on her hip. She had always wanted a hip tattoo and when she saw a Facebook post with small tattoo ideas, magic struck. It symbolizes her growth and development. “Lotus flowers are known for growing in muddy environments and I see myself as that type of flower because I grew up from the environment I was surrounded by,” Lawson said.
All three of Dylan Goldstein's tattoos have different meanings. Photo courtesy of FAU Athletics.
Alijah Martin only has tattoos on his right arm currently but plans to get more on his chest and legs. Photo by Eston Parker III.
Skin Skin in theinGame the Game |7 |5
Simonson Says... By Kendall Little The student body president promised an apology to the FAU community for his deleted offensive TikTok months ago, but it still hasn’t been posted publicly. He also claimed that he started a Native American Student Union on campus, but COSO says it doesn’t exist. While attempting to ease concerns over his controversial TikTok, Student Body President Maxwell Simonson informed the student body that he started the Native American Student Union at FAU. The UP has been unable to find a university record of the organization. The Native American Student Union is not the only missing aspect of Simonson’s claims — he also told the student body in the same meeting that he had written an apology for his TikTok. However, Simonson has yet to release a formal apology.
Apology Two months ago, the UP reported on a deleted TikTok that Simonson made before his election. The video depicted Simonson pulling a dog out of his refrigerator alongside a caption that read, “when your Chinese friend forgets his leftovers at your house.” More than 40 students gathered the following week to talk about how to hold Simonson accountable. At that meeting, Simonson showed up unannounced and took the floor to speak for 45 minutes, taking questions from the crowd. He stated that he had written an apology and was waiting for others to review it before he could post it to the Student Government Instagram page. Simonson has not posted a public apology as of Dec.1. Student Government Adviser Donald Van Pelt told the UP that he never received an apology from Simonson to review. 8 | Simonson Says
“As [an] adviser to the SG President, at this time a letter has not been emailed for review to my knowledge,” Van Pelt said. Simonson did not respond to multiple requests for comment by the time of publication. During the October meeting with the student body, the Asian Student Union offered to educate Simonson on why the video was harmful if he wanted to learn. He accepted and said he would bring his friends as well. As of Dec. 1, ASU Executive Board Member Levi Robles said Simonson has not attended a meeting.
Native American Student Union In September, Simonson told the UP that he started a Native American Student Union. “I’m the first Native American Student Body President,” he said. “I started the Native American Student Union. [Student Government] works with them.” Simonson reiterated his involvement with the organization during the October meeting with the student body. “I started the Native American Student Union here at FAU,” he said. The Council of Student Organizations (COSO) — which keeps records of all registered student organizations on campus — cannot find any records of the union.
Screenshot from Simonson’s controversial TikTok that was briefly posted last spring. “The Native American Student Union does not exist,” said COSO Director Ella Duckworth. “Even as far back as 2015, it doesn’t exist.” Simonson clarified to the UP on Nov. 18 that the organization is not affiliated with FAU. “The Native American Student Union is not an FAU organization,” he said. “I host and attend meetings to discuss events in the Native American community, as well as support it.” The UP requested verification of Simonson’s organization on Nov. 18. He sent a link to the “classroom” tab on the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center website. The center is located in Oklahoma, according to its website. “Essentially the Native American Student Union I was referring to is organized by the tribe itself,” Simonson said. “I am involved in this organization and because FAU does not have a Native American Student Union, I like to invite FAU students to come to these meetings and learn about and embrace Native American culture.”
While FAU doesn’t have an official organization, several other universities do, such as the University of Oregon and the University of Virginia. A few Native American students on campus shared their distaste for Simonson’s claim to have created an on-campus organization, even if it was a miscommunication on Simonson’s part. “It is disheartening for my student body president to lie about something like that,” said Gaby Flyinghawk, a Native American student majoring in social work. “It seems as if he said this to justify his actions in regards to the TikTok.”
“I started the Native American Student Union here at FAU.” Oct. 6 “Essentially the Native American Student Union I was referring to is organized by the tribe itself. I am involved in this organization and because FAU does not have a Native American Student Union, I like to invite FAU students to come to these meetings and learn about and embrace Native American culture.” Nov. 18
Photo by Eston Parker III
A List of Demands Leaders from six student organizations met in secret on Oct. 7 to decide how they would hold Simonson accountable for the TikTok, which they deemed offensive. This meeting occurred the day after Simonson addressed the student body’s concerns in person.
On Oct. 7, a group of student leaders met in private to discuss the best way to hold the student body president accountable for an offensive deleted TikTok he posted earlier this year. By the end of the meeting, they decided to send a list of demands to university administration.
At the end of the hours-long meeting, they agreed to draft a list of demands to send to university administration, Simonson, and other members of Student Government.
Political science major Kyrie Bradley thought the same. “As a Native American, it makes me feel ashamed. The student organizations sent the list of demands on Using the heritage of Amerindian peoples as a political Oct. 18 and requested that university administration tool to dodge accusations and excuse actions is shame- acknowledge them by Oct. 20. ful and deplorable,” Bradley said. “Dr. Faerman and others were included on an email Bradley added that they are hesitant to join an organi- that listed a series of action items for Florida Atlantic zation led by Simonson. University. They are in the process of working with the student leaders to address those concerns,” said Joshua “Even someone as passionate as I, as proud of my Glanzer, associate vice president for media relations and heritage, and politically involved as I, would not think public affairs. to join an organization run by Simonson,” they said. Robles said that any upcoming meetings with administraAs someone of Hispanic and Native American detion are not intended to attack Simonson. scent, Bradley said they do not feel represented by Simonson. “This is a target on changing the efforts of the school to truly promote diversity and inclusiveness in all corners “These are the actions of a racist man trying to save of the school,” they said. “This isn’t a target on Maxface in an era of opposition to racism where this bewell.” havior is no longer acceptable,” they said.
DEMANDS: • • • • •
Public statement from FAU condemning Simonson’s actions, released by Oct. 22 Requiring the student body president to attend five diverse club meetings per semester Change in SG Code of Conduct Implement a board of diverse members to review SG candidates before they can run Confirm the existence of the Native American Student Union
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Unfinished Business By Gillian Manning
Lineman Eli Fields took out a federal loan for over $20k to fund a men’s clothing store, but the UP could not find any record of its existence. He sent the UP a cease and desist letter before leaving the football team.
Eli Fields, former offensive lineman for the FAU football team, received a loan for more than $20,000 from the federal government for his clothing business in April, courtesy of the Paycheck Protection Program. The UP cannot find evidence of any business run by the former player, nor can an expert accountant. A few days after the UP contacted the Athletics Department and Fields for more information, Fields announced his intention to transfer from the university. Neither Fields nor FAU officials have responded to multiple requests for comment.
Business Not Found In April, Fields received $20,666 from the federal government for a Boca Raton-based men’s clothing business, according to available public records. On his loan, Fields wrote that he was the sole proprietor of the business, meaning he runs it by himself and is the only employee. At the time, business owners could apply for money via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which the federal government created to quickly distribute loans so businesses could endure the economic stress of the pandemic. Providing loans instead of grants allowed the government to distribute funds as quickly as possible with minimal review, and the government permitted banks to disburse funds to businesses that applied.
10 | Unfinished Business
Photo by Eston Parker III
Sunbiz.org, a website housed under the Florida Department of State, lists public information about each Florida-based business in the state. Neither the UP nor FAU accounting professor Michael Crain— an expert in forensic accounting—could find a Florida-based business under Fields’ name, and Fields did not respond to requests for clarification. Fields did not provide a URL for his clothing store and he hasn’t mentioned his business on his Twitter (@elifields_77) or his verified Instagram (@lildje27). His Instagram profile is private but a source following the account confirmed it. The UP reached out to Marlene Rodriguez, a public information officer for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for the Southern District of Florida, but did not receive a response before publishing. The DOJ investigates fraud. The address attached to the loan is 960 N University Drive, which is the address for Innovation Village Apartments, a dormitory on the Boca Raton campus. After the UP received an anonymous tip that Fields had an allegedly fraudulent PPP loan, Fields became aware that the paper was investigating and sent a cease and desist letter to the UP demanding that the organization “not write any articles regarding Eli Fields.” A cease and desist letter is a document that demands the recipient halt any allegedly illegal activity. The physical address that Fields included in the letter is to an apartment complex close to campus. It’s unclear which address is Fields’ actual residence or why the business loan is linked to a dorm. He sent the cease and desist letter on Nov. 3. It was not sent by a legal professional but from Fields’ university email address, which is atypical. Crain, who is a certified public accountant, said the loan lenders have a responsibility to review loans more thoroughly after they disburse the funds. Fields’ lender is California-based Harvest Small Business Finance. Representatives from the company did not respond to repeated requests for comment. According to the federal Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, at least 75% of PPP loans that the DOJ implicated as fraudulent were facilitated by online lenders like Harvest. Crain questioned why a Florida resident would take a loan from a lender in California. “Why did somebody in Florida go to California to file the paperwork?” Crain said. “Why go across the country when there were plenty of people locally who could do that?”
It is possible that someone took Fields’ information to file for a loan, but the Boca Raton Police Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office confirmed that he has not filed a case for identity theft. If the businesses can provide the documentation to prove they used their funds as intended, the federal government will forgive the loan, meaning it does not need to be repaid. The government has not disclosed the status of Fields’ loan and if it has been forgiven.
“In a robbery, you need eyewitnesses. You don’t need eyewitnesses here.” -Michael Crain, expert in forensic accounting
Athletics, Fields, University Won’t Comment On Nov. 9, the UP emailed Assistant Athletics Director Katrina McCormack and Fields about the PPP loan. On Nov. 13, Fields entered the transfer portal, signaling his intention to attend another college or university to play football. McCormack did not acknowledge the UP’s question about Fields’ loan. The transfer portal is a digital system for student-athletes to notify schools of their interest in finding new institutions to play for.
Fields did not play during his time at FAU. Photo by Eston Parker III.
Since entering the portal, Fields’ Twitter claims Gardner-Webb University, Alabama A&M, and Colorado Mesa University have offered him scholarships. Neither Fields nor the FAU Athletics Department has explained Fields’ loan or intent to transfer. “Once a player leaves the team, your best bet is to contact them directly,” McCormack wrote in a Nov. 16 email after the UP asked about Fields’ reason for transferring. Joshua Glanzer, the associate vice president for media relations and public affairs, has not responded to multiple requests for comment. At a press conference on Nov. 18, a UP reporter asked head football coach Willie Taggart about Fields’ reason for leaving. “What I will say [is], I would like to talk about the players that are on this football team,” Taggart said. Athletics did not make a formal announcement about Fields’ exit.
Widespread PPP Fraud Crain explained that it would be fraudulent to lie on the loan application, and it would be fraudulent to use the funds for reasons other than maintaining the business. Unfinished Business | 11
“All of that can be proven just with documents. In a robbery, you need eyewitnesses. You don’t need eyewitnesses here,” Crain said.
What are PPP Loans?
In August, the Social Science Research Center published a paper, “Did FinTech Lenders Facilitate PPP Fraud?” The study was conducted by three researchers from the University of Texas: John Griffin, Samuel Kruger, and Prateek Mahajan.
The federal government started the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to provide businesses with the necessary finances to keep their employees on a payroll through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fintech is a term used to describe financial services and institutions that conduct themselves online rather than traditional, in-person services. Harvest, Fields’ lender, is a fintech company. The paper referred to Harvest as “a small lender with limited history” but was the fourth largest fintech lender for PPP loans. They reported that Harvest provided a total of $8.7 billion in loans for a total of 433,306 loans. “My guess is that Harvest was not verifying the information that Eli gave them, they don’t have enough time to verify it when they’re processing this many [loans],” Crain said. “Eli could have given them false or exaggerated information and then Harvest would just process it without verification—that would be my theory.” Harvest is one of the top 10 lenders with the most frequent discrepancies in loans, their inconsistencies ranging from 12.8% to 54.64%. About 10% of PPP loans from fintech companies were potentially misreported when the loans were first disbursed in April 2020. By April 2021, when Fields received his loan, the number of suspicious fintech-provided loans increased to over 40%. “Fintech loans are highly suspicious at a rate of almost five times that for traditionallenders,” the paper concluded. Harvest and other lenders provided hundreds of PPP loans for a payroll of $20,666, just like Fields’. Crain described this as a “red flag” but said this does not necessarily mean there’s “anything wrong.” “What kind of coincidence is there that Harvest processed, at least in this data set, 124 small businesses that had the identical odd number payroll?” Crain said while reviewing loan data. “That seems to be unusual.” Fields has not been arrested or charged in connection with loan fraud.
12 | Unfinished Business
PPP Fraud Providing false information when filing for a PPP loan is a federal crime, as is spending given funds outside of their intended use. Researchers at the University of Texas reported that at least 40% of PPP loans from online lenders -- also known as fintech companies -- include misreported information. According to the federal Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, at least 75% of PPP loans that the Department of Justice implicated as fraudulent were facilitated by fintech lenders.
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TALENTED WRITERS, DESIGNERS, &PHOTOGRAPHERS NEEDED VISIT US EVERY FRIDAY AT 2 P.M. STUDENT UNION, ROOM 214
Instructor Under the Microscope By Justine Kantor
Biochemistry instructor Alberto Haces is now under investigation by the university and is no longer teaching after telling a student to either come take an exam or drop the class following the death of her husband. The university is investigating what happened between biochemistry instructor Alberto Haces and a student who believes he treated her insensitively by telling her to either take an exam, to drop his course, or to take an incomplete in the wake of her husband’s death.
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On Sept. 13, two days before she was set to take a biochemistry exam, biology major Briana Gabriel lost her husband to pneumonia.
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Gabriel emailed her instructor, Alberto Haces, explaining her situation.
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Haces responded with the two options Gabriel could choose from if she felt she could not take the test—taking an incomplete in the class or dropping the course altogether.
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She ultimately decided to take the test, given her options. According to Haces’ syllabus, he will automatically drop the lowest of three exams from each student’s grade.
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The syllabus also states that:
“If the student presents a legitimate, documented reason for missing the exam... a makeup exam might be considered.” The UP reached out to Joshua Glanzer, the associate vice president for Media Relations and Public Affairs for the university, who responded in an email: 14 | Instructor under the Microscope
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A screenshot of Haces during instruction. Video provided by anonymous student.
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Dr. Alberto Haces, a senior instructor at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Photo courtesy of FAU.
In the recording, he then moved on to discuss Briana Gabriel, the student whose husband passed away. After she ultimately decided to come in and take the exam, Haces recalled stating to her, “I don’t know what you are doing here, because normally when I’m mourning and I’m sad, I don’t do this type of thing.” In Haces’ recollection of the incident, he said he would allow her to make up the test.
“We are aware of the concerns that have been raised in a previous article regarding Professor Haces. The concerns have been referred to the appropriate offices for investigation consistent with university regulations and policies. FAU is unable to comment further on this pending personnel matter.” Many of Haces’ students declined to comment on the situation due to the investigation. However, a few of his students confirmed privately to the UP that he is no longer teaching the Biochemistry course. Haces’ termination has not been confirmed by school officials. The only information the UP could obtain regarding his employment status was from Human Resources. They confirmed that Haces was still employed as of Nov. 10. When the UP reached out to Haces for comment on Nov. 6, he responded in an email, hinting at what could be his pending exit. “I have taught for 18 years at FAU… and this is not the way I envisioned my departure. I have dozens of emails of good students who kept in touch with me over the years,” he wrote in an email on Nov. 8. “Many are now professionals who value my teachings and my fairness. That is my legacy, not a yellow journalism pamphlet article,” Haces said. A student sent the UP a seven-minute recording of Haces’ lecture from mid-October, soon after the first article regarding Haces was published. After instructing students in his class to read the UP article, he said, “There is some comments from students from this classroom, basically badmouthing me.”
Comments under a UP Instagram post about the instructor’s conduct.
Finally, he revealed his plan to sue the University Press. “I will have to sue [because] they are giving me no other choice. They’re giving me no choice. So, I’m going to sue. I’m getting lawyers to sue them — okay?” he said. The UP checked the clerk of courts system in both Palm Beach and Broward County and Haces has not filed any lawsuits against the school. One student, who did not want to be quoted directly, mentioned a high level of tension between students and described the class as hostile since the instructor left. Classmates are making accusations about who emailed the dean and students are no longer using the class group chat. Not all of the students are unanimously upset with Haces. A few came to his defense in the comment section of the article about him on the UP website. “His syllabus was clear as day, it is unfortunate that her husband died, but the rules are very clear and he is being fair to everyone,” commented someone under the name Marcelo. Another comment, posted under the name Dylan, recognizes Haces as a valuable professor. “Haces is one of the good ones. FAU would be a poorer place without him.” A student who is believed to be in the same class as Brianna Gabriel asked to remain anonymous but was able to confirm Haces’ departure. “He is no longer teaching. We now have Dr. Du, the biochem 2 professor [who] teaches biochem 1 as well.” Deguo Du is a professor with the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication. Instructor under the Microscope | 15
A Journey to a New Conference By Bryce Totz The university will join the American Athletic Conference by 2023, which will come with monetary gain. During a press conference on Oct. 21, Florida Atlantic University officially accepted an invitation to the American Athletic Conference (AAC), where they are projected to begin playing by 2023. This will bring many financial changes to the university, including a new television agreement. “I know when coach [Howard] Schnellenberger started this [football] program, he had big dreams,” football head coach Willie Taggart said in a postgame press conference on Oct. 21. “I think that’s what we’re seeing is those big dreams [are] still alive and starting to come together slowly, but surely.” Schnellenberger was the first head coach at FAU from 2001 to 2011.
Exit Fees The university will have to pay an undisclosed exit fee to Conference USA (C-USA) before it can officially leave, then they will be required to pay an entry fee to the AAC. Yahoo! Sports reported in an article on Old Dominion’s exit that the fee to leave C-USA is $3 million, but the University Press (UP) was unable to verify those claims. FAU Athletics Director Brian White declined to provide the entry fee. AAC assistant commissioner Charles V. Sullivan projects the entry fee to be $2.5 million, as it has been in years past. University President John Kelly said in an interview with the UP that White will be in charge of the finances when he talks with the AAC.
Facilities Both Kelly and White believe that improvements upon athletic facilities will help build the school’s “brand.”
16 | A Journey to a New Conference
“There’s a lot of ways to raise reputation, obviously [our] academic reputation has been improving steadily, but when you raise the athletic reputation, you have a lot more eyeballs on you,” Kelly said in an interview with the UP. “You have a lot of people that are watching the program, they are seeing which direction you’re going with the program.” Kelly explained that the school has been building on its brand for about seven years so they can make the move to what he and other administrators believe is a better conference.
Brian White speaking at a press conference announcing FAU's move to the AAC. Photo by Eston Parker III.
Willie Taggart (left), John Kelly (center), and Brian White (right) speak following FAU’s victory over FIU on Oct. 2, 2021. Photo by Eston Parker III. Richard Schmidt is the largest donor in school history, according to Kelly. About seven years ago, the two discussed why private funding options might be necessary to improve the university’s athletics facilities. The thought was that doing so might attract representatives from other conferences. In 2019, the university opened its Schmidt Family Complex, an athletics facility adjacent to the football stadium. According to BarCharts Publishing, the cost to build the complex was over $45 million. “We have a lot of facility improvement plans right now,” White said. “I think that’s why we are fortunate to be where we are. I think the [AAC] was looking for schools that are aggressively looking to improve and they saw that.” Kelly said that there are plans to improve the baseball stadium and the basketball arena as well, but didn’t specify on details.
Television Deals One of the biggest draws to the AAC for FAU is the new monetary deals it will bring. C-USA currently gives its schools $500,000 annually while the AAC provides $7 million, according to the Palm Beach Post. Part of the funding comes from the television deals that the conferences have with major media companies. C-USA has a deal with CBS Sports, while the AAC airs most of its games on ESPN’s brand of networks. “I think the exposure is more important than the revenue,” White said. White believes anytime a nationally broadcasted sporting event is happening on campus, it is like having a three-hour-long infomercial.
“The most important thing is exposure for our student-athletes and university,” White said. “I think that us competing at a higher level is a great thing as well.” The three schools leaving will have to pay an exit fee of $10 million, but professor James Riordan, director of the university’s MBA in Sport Management program, believes FAU will not see that money because they were not involved when those schools announced their exit. “Everyone talks about extra money from the exit fees that UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston have to pay, although FAU probably won’t see any of that because they weren’t in,” Riordan said.
A Journey to a New Conference | 17
Anytime there is a match between AAC schools, the school’s name will be given exposure as there will be an advertisement airing that includes the logo of each university. A football game between Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Tulane University would be an example of this.
Brian White (left) and Willie Taggart (right) speaking before a game in 2020. Photo Courtesy of FAU Athletics.
“FAU may not be on that particular game, but they will talk about the conference, and there will always be a conference commercial on [the game], and FAU will get exposure as well,” Riordan said.
Recruiting This exposure will change the way that coaches will have to recruit athletes, too.
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“Instantly it’s a challenge in recruiting, to start recruiting at a higher level, but it also gets you in more conversation because of the conference affiliation,” men’s basketball head coach Dusty May said. The coaches can use television exposure to help recruit athletes to the school. “[Student-athletes] can recognize some of the teams in the league a little bit more easily,” said women’s basketball head coach Jennifer Sullivan. “We just talk about the national attention [student-athletes] will receive with some of the schools that are in the league.” Riordan said that these new schools are not only big football markets but big cities where there is easy access, as opposed to places like Marshall, located in Huntington, W.Va. “The travel time will be easier and the travel logistics will be much easier for schools,” Riordan said. Five other former C-USA schools will join FAU: Charlotte, North Texas, Rice, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). “We looked at schools that were in bigger markets because that’s been part of our DNA,” AAC commissioner Mike Aresco said. “It’s part of who we are.” FAU will be a part of this conference by 2023 and aims for higher academic competitiveness along with the change. “I think the athletics will help the academics, and vice versa,” Riordan said. “When I first got here [in 2000], FAU was everybody’s second choice. Now, they are coming to FAU first because they know they can’t use it as a second choice.”
18 | A Journey to a New Conference
W i
F F f ( t e t C o
N s p g t g
Luring Opponents into Paradise
By Richard Pereira
As FAU brings itself into the national spotlight entering the American Athletic Conference by 2023, Athletics Director Brian White explains what goes down in scheduling games against stronger competition.
When FAU announced its move from Conference USA (C-USA) to the American Athletic Conference (AAC) by 2023 in October this year, Vice President and Director of Athletics Brian White said that the university is moving to a “different level of success” with the decision. As the institution realized its goal of bringing itself into the national spotlight thanks to the lucrative television contract the AAC has with worldwide sports network ESPN, it has started another objective: expanding its outreach so it can schedule out-of-conference (OOC) games against new opponents and convince top-level teams to play in Boca Raton.
How the AAC will Impact FAU White said going to the AAC is “huge” because it improves the school’s brand. FAU, even with the move to AAC, is a Group of Five school. The Group of Five consists of five conferences: C-USA, the AAC, the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), the Mountain West Conference (MWC), and the Mid-American Conference (MAC). To be a Power Five school, an institution has to be a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the Big Ten, the Big 12, or the Pac-12. Nevertheless, White believes there’s a “brand stigma” from Power Five schools in scheduling and playing at a Group of Five stadium. As FAU’s brand grows, he said there can be some positives for top-level schools looking to be comfortable playing games in their stadium.
“It’s what we desire and for us to have that happen, we just need to continue to grow our brand so we’re seen as an even better brand for them to have in their state so that they can sell more tickets because FAU’s coming to town,” White said. According to AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco, heading to the conference will bring “plenty of advantages” for FAU once the university becomes a member by 2023. “Being in the [AAC] will give FAU a much higher profile. We have a good deal for more television exposure that our teams are getting now,” Aresco said. “We tend to be in the center of a lot of controversies regarding playoff access and things of that nature, and that gives our schools a lot of attention and publicity.” James Riordan, the director of FAU’s Sport Management program, said that it’s part of the progression the university started when Howard Schnellenberger came and built the football program from the ground up. Schnellenberger was FAU’s first head coach as he took the team from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with the SBC after its first four seasons and won two bowl games in 2007 and 2008. “I think moving into the AAC was a natural progression, the next step and the trajectory for having a successful program,” Riordan said. James Riordan views FAU’s move to the AAC as a “natural progression” of the program. Photo courtesy of FAU.
Luring Opponents into Paradise | 19
2018-2031
1.9 1.7
Game Contracts
1.5 1.3
More than $1 Million
1.1 900
Less than $1 Million *No compensation is needed unless a game gets canceled for any reason, therefore having the breaching party pay the non-breaching party.
700 500 300 100 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024* 2025 2026* 2027 2028 2029 2030* 2031*
How FAU Schedules its Games White stated that within a 12-game football season, the conference office schedules eight conference games so he looks to plan four non-conference games. Often, those matchups involve money games at home or on the road and a game against an FCS school since FAU’s in the FBS. It also includes a game involving a home-and-home series, which has two teams play in their respective stadiums in two or more specified years. According to White, any two of those games bring over $1 million in much-needed revenue. He said they’re constantly in conversations with Power Five schools for home games as they are taking care of the opening spots they have on future schedules. “For us, we’re just looking to bring the best brands we can into our stadium. Coach [Willie] Taggart is great to work with on scheduling, and he’s very open to playing the best names we can get to schedule with,” White said. “It’s like putting an asset in the bank; you’re still [going to] have it and be excited to have that [and] want to continue to work on [it].” White said scheduling a non-conference game usually starts with a call or a text message to the athletic director of another school. “We would always talk with our football coaches before we schedule a game and make sure it’s something that they’re comfortable with. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t,” White said. “We tend to be the ones reaching out more than we get reached out to, but we do get reached out to from programs that would like to schedule us and a lot of times, it makes a lot of sense; and sometimes, it’s not the ideal game to schedule in a given week.” 20 | Luring Opponents into Paradise
For early season contests, Riordan sees the AAC’s ESPN contract having great opportunities for FAU to capitalize on scheduling OOC games against bigname opponents. “It would be awesome [with] FAU being in the AAC now and having these opportunities because the opponents would welcome the opportunity to get on the big stage as well,” Riordan said. “The ESPN stage, the ABC stage, the CBS stage, so I think it’s an awesome opportunity for FAU to go and get that.” While Aresco said the AAC doesn’t oversee the scheduling of non-conference games, it does organize games that are within the conference as they focus on the algorithms from plenty of scheduling models to figure out the best option for its members. “The goal is to have a fair schedule to have everybody try to play each other over a period of years and with 14 teams, [it’s] a little tougher. We’ve got more teams now and we will probably stick to the eight-game conference schedule,” Aresco said. “We like the idea of being able to play four non-conference games that can really matter as we need to go out [to] play and win those games to build credibility for the conference.”
How FAU Negotiates Game Contracts Negotiating schedules involves game contracts, documents that require agreements from two teams to play one another at one or more determined dates. There are three types of game contracts FAU has regarding compensation for every game: one where the hosting team pays FAU as the away team, one where FAU pays the visiting team, and one where no compensation is involved unless a game gets canceled for any reason stated in the contract, therefore having the
breaching team disburse their payment to the non-breaching team. “Home-and-homes either have no money exchanged or [might] have a set amount that’s even on both sides,” White said. “So when an opponent plays here, we pay them $200,000 but when we go there, they pay us $200,000 and that just helps a given year offset the travel costs.” According to some game contracts spanning from 2018 to 2031 that the University Press acquired via a public records request, the lowest amount was $150,000 each for two games against the University of Central Florida (UCF) in 2018 and 2019, and the highest was $1.7 million against the University of Missouri in 2027. White states it is part of the negotiation as they can have a glimpse of the market to understand their value thanks to GRIDIRON, a website that allows teams to see open dates and available games on future schedules in real-time for any given year. “If a Power Five school wants to have seven or eight home games, they’re [going to] have to buy a couple of extra teams,” White said. “We know [the] value that we bring to the table [so] we try to negotiate the best we can for the university.” Home-and-home series are games that White sees as a way to get top-level opponents to come to Boca Raton, such as the games FAU has scheduled with the University of Missouri for 2027, 2030, and 2031. He does, however, explain the difficulty in doing so, saying that some teams and football coaches don’t want to play on the road in a Group of Five stadium.
“We would obviously prefer home-and-homes, but we understand the difficulty that some schools are harder to get to commit to that. I think it’s worth it for us to even take what is obviously a lopsided agreement to play twice on the road and once at home,” White said. “It’s worth it for us to get better teams in our stadium and in this community, so we’re willing to agree to those, and obviously the financials of it have to make sense as well.”
Scheduling Games in Uncharted Territory Attracting new opponents, whether it’s in Boca Raton or on the road, can bring interest and anticipation for many people. FAU has played two away games each against the University of Alabama and the University of Auburn and hosted the University of Miami (UM) once in years past. White believes there could be others that could be open to playing in Boca Raton, as it would bring a great experience for everyone involved. “You can just see there’s some athletic administration, university football coaches that are just willing to do it and you see it [when] a Power Five school plays on the road,” White said. “We’re working and constantly seeking to schedule teams that are open to having conversations about it.”
“If you do college sports correctly, it’s the front porch of your university.” - Mike Aresco, AAC Commissioner
FAU & In-State Games
How often the FAU football program played Florida teams since its first season in 2001.
For Riordan, it comes back to putting FAU on the grand stage, as it’s another step up and it’s where the university needs to be for student-athletes, at the academic level, and for the brand itself.
“There are similar institutions within the AAC that have the same academic philosophy and success as FAU, so it’s a match all the way around,” Riordan said. “People have to continue to come out and support FAU and put people in the stands. With the fanbase doing their part, that will help make the move look even better and make it more successful.”
Schnellenberger died in late March of 2021, and Riordan believes this is what he dreamed of when he started the football program.
“He was dreaming right from the start to be bigtime for football [and] for FAU. Him seeing FAU’s [now] moving on to the next stage, I think this is exactly Against in-state teams in Florida, the FAU football what he planned,” Riordan said. “You need to take team has faced Florida International University (FIU) steps and sometimes baby steps but as long as they 20 times, the University of Florida (UF) four times, are upward steps, you’re going up the stairs as opthe University of South Florida (USF) four times, UM posed to down the stairs.” three times, UCF three times, Florida A&M once, and the now-defunct Jacksonville University football According to Aresco, FAU will be able to generate program once. One major school in Florida they more fan interest and attention thanks to the teams have yet to face is Florida State University (FSU). joining the AAC, which will help drive attendance. Not only will the higher profile and exposure conEven though White said that FAU hasn’t had recent tribute to benefitting the institution, but he believes conversations with FSU, they are very interested in it will also lead to more applications, an expanded playing them sometime in the future. applicant pool, and increased SAT scores that will improve how people perceive the university. “It’s typically a matter of fitting the puzzle pieces in,” White said. “Their schedule is probably pretty “If you do college sports correctly, it’s the front scheduled out as well but if we can make it work, porch of your university,” Aresco said. “In the end, that’s one that would be a tremendous game for our I think it’s a mutually beneficial relationship that fans.” they’re going to be embarking on. I think they’ll be very happy in the league and I think it’ll be great for everyone.”
FAU’s Potential in the AAC
As FAU completes its transition into the AAC, White views it as an upward trajectory because it will give them the chance to schedule more games against better opponents, excite fans on and off campus, have more sold-out games that will garner more revenue for the university, and expand the potential of what the brand could be in the future. “It’s probably something that in terms of out-of-conferences, it takes some time and we’re definitely going to do our best to be flexible and open,” White said. “At the end of the day, it is what you’re willing to agree to and I think we are willing to agree to a lot of things for the benefit of our fans.”
*now-defunct
Luring Opponents into Paradise | 21
Walk with the Wildlife By Eston Parker III
FAU has a variety of animals that roam the campus, and these are a few that can be seen. Listed here are some facts about the wildlife pictured throughout this gallery.
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22 | Walk with the Wild
1. Green iguanas are not native to Florida, despite being all around campus. 2. Muscovy ducks are primarily seen in Florida, Louisiana, and Massachusetts. 3. The largest population of Egyptian geese reside in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 4. The white ibis can be see all throughout the southeast U.S. and in countries such as Cuba and Mexico.
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4
1
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Walk with the Wild | 23
January
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Grocery Bingo Free Food Friday Live After Dark Cooking 101 Mini Golf
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March Madness Grocery Bingo Cooking 101 Board Week - Astronaut Training Board Week - Live After Dark Board Week - Dinner in Space Board Week - Human Claw Machine Board Week - Festival of Nations Board Week - Movie Night
Grocery Bingo Superbowl Tuesday PB my Valentine Cooking 101 Live After Dark Mardi Gras
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Grocery Bingo Free Food Friday Kickball Tournament Retro Night Cooking 101 Stress Less Event Sunshine State Classic Step Show