VOL.20 | #4 |11.6.2018
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UNIVERSITIES MAY SEE CHANGES TO THE WAY SEXUAL MISCONDUCT IS REPORTED AND INVESTIGATED. THE CHANGES WOULD INCREASE THE RIGHTS OF THE ACCUSED AND REDUCE SCHOOLS’ LIABILITY. HERE’S HOW THIS COULD AFFECT FAU. PAGE 17
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TABLE OF CONTENTS VOL.20 | #4 | 11.6.2018
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UP STAFF
3 COLUMN
EDITOR IN CHIEF Kerri
Covington
MANAGING EDITOR Hope
Dean
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ivan
Benavides
JUNIOR DESIGNER Melanie NEWS EDITOR Cameren
Witherup
Boatner
SPORTS EDITOR Wajih
AlBaroudi
OPINION EDITOR Ross
Mellman
PHOTO EDITOR Violet
Castano
STAFF WRITERS S ophie
Siegel Kristen Grau Alexander Rodriguez
CONTRIBUTORS D an
Bartholomew Joey Sena Bianca Anicette Hope Taylor Candice Puentes Israel Fontoura
FAU BASKETBALL IS FINALLY BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Now fans must be patient through the growing pains. By Wajih AlBaroudi
4 SPORTS
FINISHING THE REBUILD In coach Jim Jabir’s first season in 2017, FAU jumped its win total by a program-record nine victories. What will the jump look like in year two? Will there even be one? By Zachary Weinberger
6 NEW LEADERSHIP, NEW HOPE First-year coach Dusty May looks to inject life into an FAU basketball squad that won just 12 of its 31 games a year ago. By Zachary Weinberger
8 FEATURES
FAU KEEPS YOUR INFORMATION SAFE, BUT YOU DON’T While the university has never had a data breach, FAU students give up their information through online scams and other types of hacking. By Hope Dean
ADVISERS Neil
Santaniello Ilene Prusher Michael Koretzky
ILLUSTRATION BY CANDICE PUENTES
2 UNIVERSITY PRESS 11.6.2018
FIGHT FOR OUR DEMOCRACY, VOTE FOR ANDREW GILLUM We need a governor who stands for the marginalized and working class, not for the privileged and wealthy. By Israel Fontoura
14
PROTECT YOUR FREEDOMS, VOTE FOR DESANTIS A vote for DeSantis is a vote to protect your wallet, your communities, and your right to defend yourself. By Ross Mellman
16 FEATURES
#TIMESNOTUP Universities may see changes to the way sexual misconduct is reported and investigated. The changes would increase the rights of the accused and reduce schools’ liability. Here’s how this could affect FAU. By Cameren Boatner
18 GALLERY
FAU HOSTS EIGHTH ANNUAL DRAG SHOW The Oct. 27 event featured musical performances, as well as various messages like expressing yourself however you want and the importance of voting. Hundreds of students and community members attended the Student Union auditorium show put on by the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and funded by Student Government. By Hope Taylor
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12 OPINION
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COLUMN
FAU BASKETBALL IS FINALLY
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Now fans must be patient through the growing pains. WAJIH ALBAROUDI | SPORTS EDITOR
F
AU AND BASKETBALL have gone together as well as oil and water in recent history — but that is soon to change. The Owls’ hoops programs have a combined three winning seasons in the past decade, leading to some warranted skepticism on whether they can turn it around under new regimes. Men’s coach Dusty May and women’s coach Jim Jabir will dissuade those doubts and turn FAU into a Conference USA power — although fans must be patient and realize those on-court results might be another season or two away. 2018 is a rebuilding year for FAU basketball with last season’s top scorers Ronald Delph and Sasha Cedeño having exhausted eligibility. But by no means does that make the season any less interesting. Talented young players on both teams will be relied upon earlier than they might be capable of doing so, which may lead to a drop in wins from the previous year. That risk would have panicked previous coaching staffs at FAU. They opted to trot out low-ceiling veterans in hopes of being “good enough,” instead of cultivating their unproven but potential-rich players that can give them a shot at greatness down the line. Having a year-by-year mentality plagues future growth and is short sighted. With May and Jabir in town, that will
WAJIH ALBAROUDI. PHOTO BY VIOLET CASTANO
no longer be the case. They will be unafraid of growing for the future — even if it takes more than a year for it to pay off in the win column. The basketball programs’ new youth movement should be refreshing for FAU fans who have been in a continuous cycle of seeing their teams perpetually hover around the middle of the conference standings. Now, fans will have an opportunity to watch budding stars develop right in front of their eyes. That is certainly more important than what a box score reads. A low-win season in 2018 will be quickly forgotten if the players who developed this season are the same ones that help FAU become a perennial Conference USA contender in the coming years. This season gives fans a sneak peek into the bright
With their forward thinking on player development, [coaches] May and Jabir are driving FAU basketball from out of the mud it has been stuck in over the past decade.
future of FAU basketball. Two teams are taking the jump to long-term relevance instead of maintaining the status quo — something their predecessors failed to accomplish. The building will take time, but it will be well worth the wait. Just look at what the coaches have done before. As head coach at Dayton, Jabir took over what was then a middling team and led them to five NCAA tournaments. After leading FAU women’s basketball to the fourth best win-loss turnaround in the country in 2017-18, it’s safe to say he’s building a similar foundation at FAU. Men’s coach May has a résumé that suggests he can do the same. As an assistant at Louisiana Tech, May won two Conference USA championships — something FAU hasn’t done since it joined the conference in 2013-14. Most recently, he helped take the Florida Gators to twostraight NCAA tournaments — FAU has only one NCAA tournament berth in program history (2002). With their forward thinking on player development, May and Jabir are driving FAU basketball from out of the mud it has been stuck in over the past decade. Come this season, FAU fans can witness the beginning of that monumental transition first hand.
11.6.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 3
SPORTS
FINISHING
THE REBUILD In coach Jim Jabir’s first season in 2017, FAU jumped its win total by a program-record nine victories. What will the jump look like in year two? Will there even be one? ZACHARY WEINBERGER | STAFF WRITER PHOTOS COURTESY OF FAU MEDIA RELATIONS
A
FTER LEADING FAU to Conference USA’s biggest win-loss turnaround in 2017, women’s basketball coach Jim Jabir hopes to recreate the magic in his second season with a talented crop of freshmen and savvy veteran guard Danneal Ford. Here is the University Press’ preview on what to expect from year two of the Jabir era.
MAKING ITS MARK FAU has a highly touted freshman class that is ready to stand out right away, as multiple former McDonald’s All-Americans will be counted on to contribute to the team this season. Their talent is clear, but what coach Jabir wants most from his young players is one trait: accountability. “Accountability, unselfishness are the overarching characteristics we like to harp on,” Jabir said during a press conference. “You can’t play on our team if you do not work hard.” This season, the head coach wants to spread the floor with five shooters on the court at once, opting for a more up tempo offense than what his team played a season ago. “Really like the kids this year,” Jabir said in a press conference. “I’m really hopeful this year with the eight freshmen and with the returning players that we’ll be able
4 UNIVERSITY PRESS 11.6.2018
FORWARD RA’KYRA GABRIEL AVERAGED NINE POINTS AND SIX REBOUNDS LAST YEAR.
to accomplish really good things.” The Owls hope to maintain their aggressive mentality on the glass, where they led Conference USA and were one of the top 20 teams in the country in rebounding (42.3) a season ago.
TAKING THE NEXT STEP Veteran guard Ford will be shouldering most of the ball-handling duties for FAU this season and has a chance to emerge as a dynamic playmaker as a result. While Jabir wants his team to share the ball as much as possible, he noted the benefits of having a skilled point guard like Ford to spearhead his new pace-and-space offense. “We’ve asked her to play the point where she’s been doing very well,” Jabir said of the guard. “When you have five shooters, it makes the defenders more honest, creating buckets for everybody and her.” Ford said her team is being underrated given its youth and the loss of key players in Sasha Cedeño and Malia Kency, who exhausted eligibility a season ago. However, she added that FAU is right where it needs to be in following up on last season’s successes. “We have a lot of people doubting us,” Ford said. “But I feel like we have an awesome team and we’re going to surprise a lot of people and the critics.”
Yes, Sasha Cedeño and Malia Kency are gone. But Jabir seems to have a game plan that will ensure this team is successful, especially in the conference. The Owls’ regular season begins on Nov. 7, when they take on the Hampton Pirates in an 11 a.m. home matchup at the FAU Arena.
“We have a lot of people doubting us. But I feel like we have an awesome team and we’re going to surprise a lot of people and the critics.” - Danneal Ford, junior guard
COACH JIM JABIR WANTS THIS TEAM TO HARP ON A FEW KEY CHARACTERISTICS, INCLUDING ACCOUNTABILITY AND SELFLESSNESS.
NEW TALENT With Cedeño and Kency no longer in the mix, FAU is counting on its talented newcomers to fill in the gaps of their production. Junior guard and Stetson transfer Myka Johnson Matthews will be one of the Owls’ go-to options offensively in 2018. “People don’t really know about her, but she is possibly our best scorer coming into the season,” Jabir said of the newcomer. Juliette Gauthier, a freshman from Quebec, will provide vital floor spacing for FAU with her three-point shooting ability from the power forward position. Fellow freshman and guard Jayla Adams will have plenty of opportunities to show her skills as well. She was described by Jabir as having a “dynamic fluidity” with the ball and could be electric playing alongside Ford in the Owls’ backcourt.
WHAT TO EXPECT As Ford said, not a lot of people expect this team to make any noise, but the Owls do have the capability to explode, especially on the offensive side of the ball with their veterans and freshman.
COACH JIM JABIR HAS SAID THAT DANNEAL FORD WILL HELP THE OFFENSE THIS YEAR AS THE OWLS CHANGE THEIR STYLE TO A MORE FAST-PACED PLAY.
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JAILYN INGRAM. PHOTO BY JC RIDLEY/OWLPIX.COM
NEW LEADERSHIP,
NEW HOPE
First-year coach Dusty May looks to inject life into an FAU basketball squad that won just 12 of its 31 games a year ago. ZACHARY WEINBERGER | STAFF WRITER
I
T’S THE DAWN of a new era for FAU men’s basketball, as the Owls enter the year hoping changes at coach and four of their five starting spots will lead them to a Conference USA title run in 2018-19. How will the shakeup play itself out on the court? The University Press previews the possibilities here.
A NEW LEADER FAU is starting fresh with its head coach, as first-year man Dusty May takes over for Michael Curry after the latter failed to reach a winning record in any of his four seasons at the helm. May signed a five-year deal in March 2018 after serving as an assistant at the University of Florida, where his Gators went 69-37 and made back-
6 UNIVERSITY PRESS 11.6.2018
to-back NCAA tournament runs. And it’s a return to Conference USA for May, as he was an assistant at Louisiana Tech from 2009-15. “We’re still learning a lot from our team,” May said during a press conference. “I’m very impressed with the intensity and enthusiasm, and our leadership from the veterans.”
PLAYMAKERS TO WATCH Jailyn Ingram is FAU’s lone returning starter from a season ago and will be a primary scoring option in 2018 after filling a complementary role for most of his Owls career. “He is blessed with a lot of gifts, but we need him to be a multi-positional threat where he can do everything on both sides of the ball,” May said of the starter. May said Ingram spent his offseason improving his perimeter shooting, and if he can consistently knock down the deep ball, he can open up the rest of the floor for FAU offensively. Another player set for a big role is Mississippi State transfer Xavian Stapleton. May said the 6-foot-7 guard will be a starter for the Owls after serving as a reserve for the Bulldogs over the past two seasons. Stapleton played under May at Louisiana Tech as a freshman in 2014 and said his relationship with the coach influenced his decision to transfer to FAU. “I know what Coach May expects of me and his players,” Stapleton said. “It was an easy decision to come here.”
STRENGTHS AND CHANGES May said one strength of his team is depth, where if one player goes down, he has plenty of quality options to choose from in their stead. Promising freshmen Michael Forrest, Jaylen Sebree, and Kevaughn Ellis round out a deep FAU rotation that May will rely on over the course of the year. Last year FAU played an isolation, slow-paced style of offense, but that will change in 2018. May expects the Owls to spread the floor and play fast, keeping opposing teams second guessing defensively. That change in pace is much needed for the Owls, as they were one of the bottom three scoring offenses in Conference USA a season ago. May admitted he is “still learning” about his team heading into his first season at FAU, but is encouraged by the progress it has made thus far.
“I’m very happy with how the team is coming together during practice,” May said. WHAT TO EXPECT
It’s hard to say if this team will be better than last year because this season is essentially part of the “rebuilding” process. However, the Owls have an experienced coach with players that can make the offense flow much faster than last year. We’ll see if May can make both sides of the ball work with his new players and transfers. It’ll be an interesting and exciting season for the Owls, as this team is much different than last year. FAU opens conference play on the road, where it faces the UAB Blazers on Jan. 3 at 8 p.m.
JUNIOR JAILYN INGRAM WILL MOST LIKELY BE THE MAIN SCORING OPTION FOR THE OWLS. INGRAM IS THE ONLY RETURNING STARTER FROM THE 2017-18 SEASON. PHOTO BY JC RIDLEY/OWLPIX.COM
11.6.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 7
FEATURES
FAU KEEPS YOUR INFORMATION SAFE,
BUT YOU DON’T
ILLUSTRATION BY DAN BARTHOLOMEW
While the university has never had a data breach, FAU students give up their information through online scams and other types of hacking. HOPE DEAN | MANAGING EDITOR 8 UNIVERSITY PRESS 11.6.2018
W
HEN IT COMES TO INFORMATION security at FAU, the issue isn’t administration’s handling of data systems — it’s students falling for scams. FAU has never had an information breach and doesn’t sell student data, according to university Chief Information Officer Jason Ball. Instead, it’s normally stolen through phishing, which is when people are tricked into giving out their personal information or downloading data-stealing programs, typically through email. And scams are becoming more and more personalized to be convincing to certain demographics — especially college students. The millennial and Generation Z age groups are the most likely to lose money through scams over any other group, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The
FBI even released a public service announcement in early 2017 about a college-focused phishing scam on false employment opportunities. Access to college email addresses is also fairly easy to obtain and can be found on the dark web, a part of the internet that can only be accessed via certain software and lets its users remain untraceable. ID Agent, an organization that keeps tabs on the dark web, found almost 14 million leaked email addresses and passwords of students, faculty, and staff from 300 universities, according to Agari Data. The University Press spoke to various campus members to find out more about phishing, as well as other kinds of hacking. We also gathered some tips to help you steer clear of online scams as the internet becomes more and more necessary in our day-to-day lives.
PHISHING: HOW IT WORKS AND HOW TO AVOID IT
making it an enormously popular pastime, according to the Huffington Post. “Research can actually pinpoint individuals. If you have a Facebook account, if you have a Twitter account, if you have a LinkedIn account, and assume you use different identities in each of the networks ... the research can identify you, link you across the network,” he said. But there’s still ways to fight against phishing and other kinds of hacking — and one approach is to simply be aware of the possibility. “Just be careful. We should be able to avoid it,” Zhu said. “You carefully try to read the emails before you click anything, and also have a common sense of don’t open or click on any links when you surf the [web].” Inguanzo suggests creating complicated passwords, and never saving passwords on computers, where they can autofill the information on command. She also recommends using Google’s device-monitoring service, which shows and timestamps where all of a person’s registered electronics have been. If an unrecognizable device appears, it could mean that someone’s hacked in and placed it under the account as a doorway to steal additional information. Users can also use this service to remotely disable a device or put a password protection on it in the event of a theft, she said.
through the Office of Information Technology, which is headed by Chief Information Officer Ball. “There have been no actual reported breaches to date,” he said. “The majority of cases we deal with are students who have their personal credentials stolen through phishing campaigns.” In the case of suspicious activity, FAU has an “incident response team” that “quickly validates that a breach has in fact occurred, immediately addresses the source of the breach, and works to communicate with the affected parties and required reporting under State and Federal law,” he added. And according to Ball, FAU doesn’t sell student data to third-party organizations either. Instead, data is used internally to track the progress of students, helping any that are falling behind through programs or advising sessions. Even after a student graduates, FAU keeps all transcript information intact, which is required by Florida State law. At FAU, most student data is stored in four “primary” systems: Banner, which holds personal information and records; Workday, where employees log their hours and complete other work-related tasks; Starfish, where students can schedule appointments; and Canvas, where class and grade information is stored, Ball said. Banner is the most important of the four, where the majority of students’ data is housed in a single server, although another copy of the information is at a disaster recovery site. “Less-sensitive data,” such as what’s collected by Starfish, is held in cloud systems, he said. To further protect against hacking, the Office of Information Technology is giving students two options to prove they’re the ones accessing sites like MyFAU’s Self-Service. The first involves an automated call to the student’s cell phone upon logging-in, at which point the student can press a button to verify their identity. The second involves smartphone verification app DUO, which involves a push notification process. The use of DUO has been available since Oct. 15 of this year, but will be mandatory in 2019, the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management said in a newsletter.
Dodging a bullet can be more difficult when it knows exactly where your brain and heart are. Many phishing scams cater to urgency and common sense — a global phishing test from KnowBe4, the world’s largest security training organization, found that the No. 1 email subject line would-be victims clicked on was “Password Check Required Immediately” — but others played on your emotions instead. Samantha Inguanzo, vice president of the Graduate and Professional Student Association for the College of Engineering and Computer Science, has a parent who recently received an email from one of her clients whose email had been hacked. The client appeared desperate: she claimed she had been robbed and was stuck in Lebanon, needing money transferred through financial services company Western Union. “You have to think logically to avoid attacks like that, because they’re using your emotion to make you give away personal information,” Inguanzo said. “You have to think for a second: if my friend was really robbed in Lebanon, they would be at an embassy, they would be calling, they wouldn’t be emailing if that was the situation because it’s A LOOK INTO FAU’S dire.” But information isn’t only lost through people being INFORMATION SYSTEMS tricked into giving sensitive details out. Sometimes all it takes is a click. There are multiple ways to get someone’s personal Phishing emails can convince people to download information aside from phishing, though, and that’s an attached link or image, which instantly installs a typically done by going past the individual to the enormous malicious program in their computer. At first, the user databases themselves. might not even know anything’s wrong, Inguanzo said. On the national level, this type of hacking remains common. Facebook revealed in September of this year that Every download comes with “metadata,” or data built into the download itself. This metadata can be manipulated to almost 50 million users’ information had been leaked, the take advantage of the program it’s running on, bridging biggest breach in the company’s 14-year-history. On the into other parts of the computer to scoop out information, local level, the University of Central Florida’s database according to Inguanzo. was compromised in 2016, releasing around 63,000 social security numbers of students and employees. “Everything we see is called the ‘front end’ in web design and cyber security … This is not what the program looks Major data systems at FAU are managed like that runs it. Even on webpages, if you bring up the developer tools, you can see the actual code that runs the program and gives you these images and the design that you’re seeing,” she said. “All you do is click to download it and it’s sending out whatever information they programmed it to send to them. It could be your name, it could be whatever information is stored on your computer, which is a lot.” And other times, even a click isn’t necessary. Social media is another common avenue through which people can lose information, even if the company’s database isn’t hacked, data mining expert Xingquan Zhu said. The professor works in FAU’s Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Algorithms are becoming - Samantha Inguanzo more adept at gathering Vice President of the Graduate and Professional information that the user Student Association for the College of Engineering and has voluntarily posted Computer Science online and can interpret that data to predict other things about them or their account — and about 98 percent of college-aged students 11.6.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 9 are on social media, PHOTO BY VIOLET CASTANO
“You have to think logically to avoid attacks like that, because they’re using your emotion to make you give away personal information.”
OPINION
FIGHT FOR OUR DEMOCRACY,
VOTE FOR GILLUM We need a governor who stands for the marginalized and working class, not for the privileged and wealthy. ISRAEL FONTOURA | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A
NDREW GILLUM GIVES voters something to vote for, not against. Gillum is a candidate I resonate with because he’s not another stuffy politician. He stands for everyday issues that matter to working class Floridians by supporting the implementation of a higher minimum wage, enforcing common sense gun control, protecting DACA, and increasing corporate taxes to move Florida into a brighter future. He is the saving grace from 20 years of conservative governorships in Florida. The momentum of radical conservative rhetoric carried by unfit politicians has violently endangered the livelihoods of Americans, specifically Floridians. And now, voters are faced with two candidates who couldn’t be further apart on the political spectrum. Former Congressman Ron Desantis, Gillum’s opponent, is a drain-theswamp, build the wall, Trump disciple. If elected, his role in Florida will be a MAGA hat-wearing puppet. Gillum on the other hand represents an exciting future for liberals everywhere, and most importantly, he represents millions of Americans like myself who are outraged at the toxic political landscape created by the Trump administration, and if given the chance, DeSantis. So just where does Andrew Gillum stand on issues that affect college students and why should you vote for him?
MAKE COLLEGE TUITION CHEAP AGAIN College tuition has steeply risen in the past few years and students are drowning in debt without a life preserver in reach. For most, financial aid isn’t enough and they’re forced to borrow
STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 10 UNIVERSITY PRESS 11.6.2018
DON’T LOSE YOUR FREEDOMS,
VOTE FOR DESANTIS
A vote for DeSantis is a vote to protect your wallet, your communities, and your right to defend yourself.
I
ROSS MELLMAN | OPINION EDITOR
F YOU DO NOT want sanctuary cities in Florida, if you are sick of giving away too much of your paycheck in taxes, and if you support your right to defend yourself, then Republican Ron DeSantis is the Florida governor candidate for you. The main difference in platforms between DeSantis and his competitor, Democrat Andrew Gillum, is that DeSantis wants to give you a chance to make your own decisions. If you want to start a business, you shouldn’t be prevented by high taxes and stiff regulations. If you want to want to obtain a college degree, you shouldn’t have to pay for the competitor sitting next to you to get the same degree. If you’re healthy and you don’t want to pay for an unnecessary health care plan that you won’t use, you shouldn’t be forced to pay for yourself or for anyone else to obtain one. But Gillum doesn’t want you to have a choice.
DESANTIS WILL SAFEGUARD YOUR HARD-EARNED MONEY There is no such thing as “free” goods and services in this country. Tallahassee Mayor Gillum wants college to be “debt free,” and institute “medicare for all” — but both of those come with a price. Instead of paying for something for yourself at your own choice, you’ll be forced to pay for everyone else against your will in the form of increased taxes. Want to pay upfront for your own college career and never pay again once you pay off your own debt? Too bad. Give the government your money to pay for your degree, along with everyone else’s, for the rest of your life. Want to decrease medical costs by maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle so that you don’t wind up with health problems? Too bad. Give the government your money to buy a health care plan you won’t use and
STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 ILLUSTRATION BY JOEY SENA
11.6.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 11
FIGHT FOR DACA
ANDREW GILLUM VISITED FAU OCT. 29 TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VOTE AHEAD OF THE NOV. 6 ELECTION. PHOTO BY VIOLET CASTANO tremendous amounts of loans. At FAU, approximately 52 percent of students graduate with debt. These horrifying loans come back to haunt students in the dead of night like an Elm Street villain. And in your early 20s, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the idea of having to cover for thousands of dollars of debt while you’re still searching for a job post graduation. As governor, Gillum intends to fight for debt-free education. To provide a helping hand to students, he wants to increase minimum wage to $15 to combat exorbitant loans and cost of living. He’s stated that if you teach for four years in Florida following graduation, the state will cover the cost of your student loan debt. This could apply to nursing as well. Gillum also supports a free college tuition program. He’s proposing a training system for high school graduates that provides them with a college education without the devastating debt that comes along with it.
INVEST IN FUTURE GENERATIONS Gillum wants to raise the corporate tax rate to 7.5 percent in order to finance a $1 billion investment in public education. He believes large corporations should pay their fair share — especially after the 2017 GOP Tax Bill cut national corporate tax rates. The need to raise corporate taxes is in response to meager teacher salaries and the mishandling of public education funds. We need a governor who is not going to give significant tax breaks to corporations, but rather invest in future generations. Investing in public education will create a multifaceted and skilled workforce, which in turn will incentivize corporations to relocate to Florida. Gillum also wants to legalize recreational marijuana so that the state can tax it, and then use its revenue to fund public education and boost the economy.
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GUN CONTROL NOW Assault-style weapons have turned public spaces into war zones. Nowhere is safe anymore: movie theaters, concerts, restaurants, sports events, and even our schools have become at risk. Ever since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, I make sure to be strategic with where I sit in a classroom. On the first day of classes, I factor in the possibility of a shooting over whether or not I can hear the professor or see the board. It shouldn’t be this way. Students shouldn’t have to fear going to class. We need to put an end to senseless violence and make it more difficult for the wrong people to get their hands on these weapons of war. Just as citizens have to take driving tests and update their licenses, we have the capacity to implement stricter regulations for gun owners. We are living under a government that caters more to gun ownership than to the safety of our people. Gillum is focused on tighter gun control legislation. He supports a ban on assault-style weapons, a requirement of universal background checks, and the prohibition of “gun possession for those with felony and misdemeanor domestic violence and stalking convictions,” according to his website. He’s stated, “Anyone who wants to fire a weapon that can fire 60 bullets in 60 seconds should join the military.” Nearly a week after the Parkland shooting in February, Gillum led thousands of protestors at Florida State University in a demand for increased gun control. We need a governor who understands that our lives are more important than the insecurities of the vocal conservative right. With Gillum in office, we can put an end to senseless gun violence and create laws that protect Floridians.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) allows U.S. residents, who typically arrived to the country as illegal minors, to live and work in the country legally. Gillum wants to protect these residents. Meanwhile, Trump keeps flip flopping his position on the fate of these immigrants. Approximately 760,000, or 6 percent, of Florida’s population is undocumented as of 2014, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In retaliation to the blatant xenophobia shown by Trump, Gillum has pledged to support DACA and he has also called for the abolishment ofthe U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Through ICE’s vicious pursuit of undocumented immigrants who don’t pose a threat to this country, the Trump administration has sent a demoralizing message: that undocumented immigrants’ lives and contributions to society aren’t valid. Although only the federal government has the power to change immigration laws, Gillum is willing to fight for DACA recipients to have opportunities to pursue higher education, careers, and a stable living environment. One of the most inspiring things about Gillum is his dedication to hitting the pavement and creating change through unyielding activism. When the Trump administration separated immigrant children from their families, Gillum canceled campaign events to march with protesters against a child detention facility. We need a governor who isn’t afraid of speaking out against those who oppress people in need and one who is willing to champion the causes of the disadvantaged.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR FLORIDA? This November, we have the opportunity to transform the political landscape of Florida and elect the strongest candidate who will propel Florida forward. Most importantly, we can send a rippling message across America — that we will no longer accept conservative legislation that benefits the wealthy, demeans immigrants, and allows weapons of war onto our streets. This year, we have seen how the Trump administration has conducted itself through its lies, deceit, and attacks on the press. We cannot allow a Trump-backed candidate to uphold the highest office in the state. Florida needs a governor that will unite us, not divide us through misogyny, racism, and bigotry. The job of the governor is to act in the best interest of the people, Desantis will only protect the interests of a select few. DeSantis opposes common sense gun control, supports redirecting funds from public education to private schools and charters, and stands by the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. In contrast, Gillum strongly opposes the NRA, assaultstyle weapons, and the gun violence that stems from the lenient regulations that are pushed forward by conservatives. He wants to invest in public education to create a strong and talented workforce. Gillum is also against tearing families apart at the border and will work tirelessly to protect hard working, undocumented immigrants from the threat of deportation in our state. Earlier in August, Senator Bernie Sanders endorsed Andrew Gillum for Florida governor. Sanders said that a Gillum victory “would be an extraordinary step for Florida and for America,” and I couldn’t agree more. Gillum will be a governor who will fight for the people, fight for democracy, and fight for the American dream. He is the leader we need to create a safer and more prosperous future for Florida, and he has my vote.
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RON DESANTIS. PHOTO BY GAGE SKIDMORE pay for the health care of someone who smokes multiple packs a day while eating chips on the couch. Want to go to a trade school or start a business without paying for a college degree? Too bad. Give the government your money to pay for your competitor to go to college. And once the value of an undergraduate degree plummets even further because everyone lacks the personal responsibility to succeed in school, which comes along with paying for your own pursuit of a college degree, they’ll be asking you to pay for everyone to go to graduate school next. Taxes suck, and I for one do not want to spend my time and effort in college with the end goal of giving nearly half of my income in taxes to a state and government that will waste my hard-earned money. Unfortunately, people think they have a right to other people’s money these days, and they plan on using the government to take and distribute it to them. People should have the freedom to spend their money on things that will benefit themselves. If they want to donate their money toward other people’s benefit they should also be free to do that. Being forced by the government to pay for something for everyone else is detrimental to people’s personal freedoms, and it takes away your right to choose what you want to spend your money on. Anytime a candidate tells you that you will be getting something for free, do not believe them. DeSantis, on the other hand, wants to lower your taxes and give you more control over where your paycheck goes. The Republican candidate currently supports the Fair Tax Act, which is a proposed legislation that will lower taxes and end wasteful government spending. If he becomes governor, he promises to veto any legislation that raises taxes in the state. This stands in stark contrast to Gillum, who has proposed a corporate tax hike of 40 percent. This will make Florida have the highest corporate tax rate in the southeast region and will make the state a less desirable place to start a new business. People often forget that corporations are businesses — and businesses employ people. The last thing we need is our businesses fleeing to other states that will offer lower tax plans.
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DESANTIS WILL PROTECT YOUR RIGHT TO DEFEND YOURSELF Just as Gillum doesn’t want you to have the choice to decide how you’ll pay for your education or health care, he wants to prevent you from choosing how you can defend yourself or your family. Gillum wants to play on your emotions to help strike away your Second Amendment right to defend yourself. This is evidenced in part by the “Gun Safety” page on his campaign website, which reads “No parent should lose sleep wondering if a stray bullet will take their baby that day.” Does anybody actually go to sleep with that fear, or is this just a ridiculous case of the Democrats using scare tactics to promote gun control? At the same time, it should be noted that not all Republicans are against all elements of gun control. Current Florida Governor Rick Scott did the right thing when he raised the age of purchase to 21 years old. As a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, DeSantis voted in favor of the Stop School Violence Act of 2018, which provided federal grants to improve school safety against active shooters. This doesn’t mean that we should then go off the rails and ban many vital elements of the Second Amendment that help keep us safe from criminals who will always be able to obtain weapons through illegal methods. Gillum’s campaign website promotes “a ban on assault weapons, and large capacity magazines,” yet another way he wants to limit your freedoms. But DeSantis is aware that placing gun control on lawabiding gun owners will only have the effect of making innocent people defenseless against criminals. He rightfully said, “We could ban every gun in the world, in America … What do you think that’s going to do to crime? Nothing!”
DESANTIS WILL MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES SAFER The Republican candidate stands for the safety of
Floridians and supports our law enforcement. Unlike Gillum, he does not support the banning of law enforcement agencies, like Immigration and Customs Enforcement, nor does he support a reduction in our safety in order to appease illegal immigrants. DeSantis has a proven record of backing law enforcement, as evidenced by his vote in favor or the Protect and Serve Act of 2018, which allows targeted attacks on law enforcement to be deemed a hate crime. He also voted in favor of the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, which appropriates funds for fighting the opioid crisis. Meanwhile, Gillum has a proven record of incompetence when it comes to keeping our communities safe. Last year, under Gillum’s leadership, Tallahassee had the highest crime rate in the entire state of Florida. Yet, even with this horrendous statistic, his website reads, “As Governor, Andrew will never back down from common sense solutions to keep our streets, parks, and schools safe from gun violence.” If Gillum had “common sense solutions” to keep the community safe, then why was the city that he controlled a beacon for crime and murder? It’s because Gillum is weak on crime and illegal immigration. In July, he pledged to “abolish ICE.” He also wants to turn Florida into a sanctuary region, which would limit the state’s cooperation with federal law enforcement when it comes to detaining illegal immigrants. This would mean that illegal immigrants who commit crimes in Florida would be allowed back onto the streets, as Gillum would not honor federal detainers rights to keep them in custody. Gillum has additionally pledged his support to a group called Dream Defenders, a radical anti-law enforcement group whose website states that police are racist and have no place in society. This is a group who espouses that “police and prisons have no place in justice” and supports diverting funds away from law enforcement agencies. While Gillum says he has what it takes to keep you safe, his policies and the groups that he supports show that he hasn’t the slightest clue.
DESANTIS HAS MY SUPPORT — AND HE SHOULD HAVE YOURS TOO I believe that America has been the most free country because we are not forced to act in favor of things that go against our core beliefs as individuals. For the longest time we were not forced to buy things that did not benefit ourselves. We were not told how or in what ways we should or should not be allowed to defend our families. Gillum and the Democrats do not want our freedom of choice to continue in the future. They want to force you to pay for everyone’s education, even if you have already fully paid for your own. They want to make you buy health care coverage for yourself, and for everyone else, even if you are young and healthy. They want to tell you how you should be able to defend your family, even if the criminals have better weapons to use against you. Do not let them tell you how to think or act, and do not let them decide for you what you should or should not pay for. DeSantis is going to uphold your freedoms, and for that reason, he has my vote and he should have yours too.
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FEATURES
TIMESNOTUP Universities may see changes to the way sexual misconduct is reported and investigated. The changes would increase the rights of the accused and reduce schools’ liability. Here’s how this could affect FAU. CAMEREN BOATNER | NEWS EDITOR ILLUSTRATION BY CANDICE PUENTES CORRECTION: THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THAT COURTS OF LAW USE BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT AS AN EVIDENTIARY STANDARD.
Editor’s note: Margaret Mifsud has previously written for the University Press.
F
AU STUDENT MARGARET MIFSUD said she was raped on campus in 2016. During the assault, she said she felt paralyzed. Afterward, she didn’t know what she should do. She’d heard from friends that reporting sexual assault was particularly difficult for the victim. The investigators would ask invasive questions, and they wouldn’t be on her side, her friends said. On top of this, she didn’t understand how to even start the process of reporting it to FAU. In the end, she decided not to report the assault. Two years later, she says she regrets it. “I thought it would become this big stresser on my life, and I wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else. Even if it wasn’t severe, people need to learn that they can’t just do whatever they want to someone’s body,” she said. “I didn’t report, but I do wonder what would’ve happened if I did. I don’t think there would’ve been much disciplinary action.” And it’s possible students like Mifsud may see a change in how disciplinary action involving sexual assault, harassment, and rape are handled. Accusing someone of sexual misconduct may get more difficult, and those accused of sexual misconduct could be
16 UNIVERSITY PRESS 11.6.2018
given more rights. These changes to the federal civil rights law Title IX (see sidebar) have been proposed by the Department of Education and would affect FAU. They would reduce public universities’ liability, allow schools to decide the level of evidence needed to discipline the accused, and tighten the definition of sexual harassment, according to the New York Times. Although, the government hasn’t said when these changes will take effect. We don’t know exactly how the proposed changes would work at FAU yet, but here’s how it works now — and what might change.
HOW ARE COMPLAINTS HANDLED UNDER TITLE IX NOW? STEP ONE
FAU College Republicans President Steven Westervelt believes the proposed changes are needed for a fair process.
The university recommends complaints of “prohibited sexual conduct” be made to the Office of Equity Inclusion and Compliance (EIC), which ensures Title IX regulations and other discrimination laws are being upheld. The accuser can report to the Title IX compliance coordinator, who is also the executive director of the EIC office, according to an FAU policy that details Title IX
regulations.
STEP TWO Once the accuser informs the Title IX compliance coordinator/executive director of misconduct, they can present evidence ranging from emails, texts, photos, and videos to witness accounts. The coordinator then decides whether an investigation into a complaint is necessary, but according to FAU’s website, the office doesn’t have one and it hasn’t for over a year. This position, which the office hopes to hire by the end of the year, would report to the Office of Compliance and Ethics, specifically Chief Compliance Officer Elizabeth Rubin, according to FAU spokeswoman Lisa Metcalf. But because there is no compliance coordinator/ executive director, the responsibilities of that role fall to Paula Behul, the EIC director, which is different than the EIC executive director.
STEP THREE After the EIC office determines the result of the investigation, the accuser and the accused both have the right to appeal. Under current rules, FAU uses the “preponderance of evidence” standard, which means half of the evidence, “and a hair,” indicates a policy was violated, according to Frank LoMonte, lawyer and director of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information. In a court of law, the standard is “beyond a reasonable doubt,” meaning the judges have no doubt the defendant is guilty, or their only doubts are unreasonable.
WHAT IS TITLE IX?
A PARTISAN ISSUE
Here’s what different groups on campus have to say about the potential changes.
Explaining the civil rights law that governs discrimination in public universities.
The Trump administration’s proposed guidelines are very different from the Obama era’s 2011 regulations.
Title IX is a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex. It has expanded in the past two decades to include sexual misconduct in education, according to the Office for Civil Rights.
Obama’s Title IX regulations said universities should use the “preponderance of evidence” standard to determine whether the accused is responsible of sexual misconduct. This is the lower standard of evidence.
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance,” the law states. Under the Department of Education, the law applies to all federally funded schools, which includes FAU. In addition to protecting against discrimination based on sex, the law extends to sexual harassment, assault, and rape on campus. Public universities are required to prevent and stop “unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it denies a person access to the school’s education program or activity.”
HOW MIGHT THIS CHANGE? The new rules would redefine sexual harassment to mean “unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it denies a person access to the school’s education program or activity.” Before, it was defined more broadly as “unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature,” that includes “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature,” the New York Times stated. FAU’s policy draws heavily from the Obama administration’s 2011 guidance on Title IX regulations. While Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos repealed these guidelines and set temporary ones, she has now proposed new rules that would take their place. If DeVos’ proposed rules become law, FAU will have the right to choose which standard of evidence they want to use: “preponderance of evidence,” or “clear and convincing” evidence. “Clear and convincing” means the evidence of guilt has to greatly outweigh the evidence of innocence. Requiring a higher standard of evidence would make it more difficult for accusers to prove they were assaulted, and it would make it harder to discipline the accused. It also would reduce the university’s liability. “It insulates them against Title IX claimants who feel their story wasn’t heard or wasn’t believed,” LoMonte said. FAU’s rules say mediation should never be used, another Obamaera guideline, because interacting
And it boils down to partisan debate over the topic of sexual misconduct. Some opinions at FAU reflect dialogues happening around the country.
This and other aspects of the regulations led some to protest that this lacked due process. Holding evidence to a lower standard made it easier to convict someone of rape, and some argued that this wasn’t fair judicial treatment toward the accused. FAU College Republicans President Steven Westervelt said this is one of the major issues with how universities handle sexual assault accusations now. “We need due process. Due process is essential in the rights of the accused. I’ve heard of schools proposing that if you are even remotely accused of rape or sexual assault, it’s put on your record forever,” he said. “We do not need that ... I feel like these proposals set a new standard of, you can question who’s accusing you and bring evidence from both sides. So, it’s very judicial.” personally after an instance of assault, rape, or harassment to “work it out” with the accused could be traumatic for the victim, according to TIME. Mediation generally means getting the two sides in a dispute to sit together with a neutral third party to reach a negotiated compromise, according to LoMonte. But DeVos says mediation may be appropriate to reach informal resolutions. “A lot of advocates in sexual assault cases will tell you they don’t believe in mediation, because it’s like asking a person who’s been burglarized to agree that the burglar gets to keep half the stolen property,” LoMonte said. “If there’s an actual crime, it doesn’t seem right to tell the victim to meet the offender halfway.” But it might make sense in some cases, LoMonte added, like if the accuser is sympathetic to the accused, or if they don’t want to see them go to jail or be expelled. Then, they
FAU Young Democratic Socialists of America Vice President Tess Moody thinks the new rules would make the already imperfect system worse for survivors.
Tess Moody, VP of the FAU Young Democratic Socialists of America, said allowing the universities to choose the level of evidence could restrict the rights of the victims further. Using the higher level of evidence could be detrimental, she said. “It’s really harmful to require that. People aren’t always in the mode where they’re ready to collect evidence at the point of being assaulted,” Moody said. “I think that these kinds of policies are just furthering the defense of people who are abusers on campus.” Moody also noted that the laws aren’t perfect now, and she thinks the new policies would make them worse. “College campuses tend to already let abusers off pretty easily because sexual assault numbers affect recruitment. Putting more policies like a restricted definition of sexual harassment, this adds to a culture of putting the accused over the victim and creates more of a problem than there already is.” FAU College Democrats President Matthew Taudien disagrees with the new rules, and thinks they will create the wrong environment for sexual assault survivors. “It will end up harming victims, and make it even harder for them to come forward,” he said. Taudien also believes that Democrats and Republicans have to stop treating sexual assault as a political chess piece, and create bipartisan legislation to resolve the issue. could reach a resolution that would provide some relief. Despite this, mediation is never supposed to be forced on people, LoMonte said. Under current FAU rules, the accusers and the accused won’t be forced to present their statements in the same room, another Obama-era guidance. The new rules, however, would allow both sides to cross-examine one another. The current rules at FAU allow the victim and the accused to appeal the decisions made by the EIC office, but DeVos’ rules leave it to the universities to decide whether they want an appeals process. FAU’s current rules state that the university is responsible for misconduct that happens on or off campus, and even online, as long as it prevents the accusers’ access to education. If passed, Devos’ changes would protect universities by holding schools responsible for sexual misconduct that happens “ o n l y FAU College on” their
Democrats President Matthew Taudien thinks the proposed changes would create a bad environment for sexual abuse survivors.
PHOTOS BY VIOLET CASTANO
11.6.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 17
GALLERY
FAU HOSTS EIGHTH ANNUAL DRAG SHOW The Oct. 27 event featured event featured musical performances, as well as various messages like expressing yourself however you want and the importance of voting. Hundreds of students and community members attended the Student Union auditorium show put on by the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and funded by Student Government.
PHOTO BY HOPE TAYLOR
HOPE TAYLOR | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
DRAG QUEEN VELVET LENORE WORE A SPARKLING BODYSUIT, KNEE-HIGH LEATHER SHOES, AND A VISOR FOR HER FIRST PERFORMANCE. PHOTO BY BIANCA ANICETTE 18 UNIVERSITY PRESS 11.6.2018
DRAG QUEEN TP LORDS WORE A SILVER, HOLOGRAPHIC COAT AT THE BEGINNING OF HER FIRST PERFORMANCE, LATER DROPPING IT TO REVEAL HER FULL COSTUME WITH BEAMS OF GREEN LIGHT (SHOWN ABOVE). PHOTO BY BIANCA ANICETTE
DRAG KING MAGIC DYKE, WHO IS PART OF A GROUP NAMED THE ELITE DRAG KINGS, GIVES THE AUDIENCE THE MIDDLE FINGER WHILE PERFORMING WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS TO “HEATHENS” BY TWENTY ONE PILOTS. PHOTO BY HOPE TAYLOR
DRAG QUEEN KAT WILDERNESS DANCES IN A SEQUINED CHEER UNIFORM AND TASSELED JACKET DURING HER FIRST PERFORMANCE. PHOTO BY BIANCA ANICETTE
JAE’S SECOND PERFORMANCE FEATURED HER IN A SEQUIN-COVERED CUTOUT LEOTARD AND A MATCHING JACKET. PHOTO BY HOPE TAYLOR
DRAG QUEEN JACKIE JAE’S FIRST PERFORMANCE INCLUDED BLACK LINGERIE, A FEATHER BOA, AND A DANCE IN WHICH SHE INTERACTED WITH THE AUDIENCE. PHOTO BY BIANCA ANICETTE 11.6.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 19
re o m e r a s erm t d i M w ns? o o i n t k c e u l o e y l a d i Di ent d i s e r P n a th important
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