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September 2013 Volume 39, Issue 1 www.hawkeyenews.net
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News
Student Life
Sports
Commentary
Baby boom
at Lowry Park
Zoo p. 7
No Cursing
Policy for
students at
Brandon
campus p. 8
Volleyball
team
prepared for
the season
p. 13
Is Florida
sinking? p. 15
Athlete
of the
month
p. 14
UCF Knights take on Westboro
VERONICA BREZINA/STAFF
BY VERONICA BREZINA
Staff
At 9:15 a.m. on Mon-
day, July 15, the infamous
Westboro Baptist Church
held out their God Hates
Fags signs on the Memory
North Lawn of the Univer-
sity of Central Florida at the
main campus in Orlando,
Fla. Before Westboro made
their appearance, the LGBT
(lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender) students, along
with allies, were already in
groups waiting for the dem-
onstrators.
As soon as it was an-
nounced that Westboro was
at the lawn, the Knights
came swarming in around
them. Westboro stood there
in silence while students
shouted statements, mak-
ing it known that contro-
versial protestors do not en-
ter Knight territory with-
out a fght. Some students
also held up opposing signs
reading, Love is Love and
Gay sex is sin-sational!
See page 4
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Hawkeye 2
September 23, 2013
News
BY ALEXANDER ROSE
Staff Writer
When frst released in
2007, the iPhone had two
colors: black or white. Six
years later, a new offcial
color has been added: Gold.
The iPhone 5S, the upgraded
iPhone 5, was released Sep-
tember 10 during Apples
usual fall reveal. The prices
start at $199.00 for a 16GB
phone with a plan, and go
all the way to $849.00 for an
unlocked 64GB phone. The
iPhone 4S had the same pric-
es at release. A new fnger-
print unlock feature has been
added for extra security.
Another phone for a small-
er budget was also revealed.
The iPhone 5C is market-
ed as a cheaper, more color-
ful smartphone. The body is
made from plastic instead of
metal, and it has an A6 chip
instead of the new A7. It is
slightly larger than the 5S and
a little heavier. It is available
New iPhone release
in white, red, yellow, blue,
and green, with mixable cas-
es. The iPhone 5C starts at
$99.00 for the 16GB with a
plan, and goes up to $649.00
for the unlocked 32GB mod-
el.
For people considering
upgrading, the 5S is the usu-
al generational step up in fea-
tures and hardware. For those
looking for a more affordable
entry into the world of smart-
phones, the 5C is a colorful
new option. COURTESY OF MACWORLD.COM
Khan Academy
BY SIRETA DIAZ
Staff Writer
Imagine being at home
stuck on a math problem.
There is no way to reach your
teacher until the following
Monday. When you go
online you come across a
website, that helps you with
the math problem step by
step as if you were in the
classroom. This is exactly
what Sal Khan is doing for
millions of people on his
website, Khan Academy.
Khan Academy presents
digital lessons and simple
exercises. It works at any
student pace, and it has
proven to be very successful.
What makes Khan Academy
so special? It is worldwide,
which means any child
around the world can access
it.
Khan has three degrees
from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology and
a Masters from Harvard.
The idea started in 2004,
when Khan was a hedge fund
analyst living in Boston. His
niece, Nadia, lived in New
Orleans, a seventh grader
at the time who was having
trouble in math.
Sal began to make
YouTube videos explaining
the math problems to her.
Other people started tuning
into his lessons as well.
Khan then came up with his
website shortly after, quit his
job as a hedge fund analyst,
and devoted his time fully to
Khan Academy.
He records his entire
lessons and you hear his
voice. Khan Academy is a
non-proft organization. The
goal for Khan Academy Is
to educate children as well as
possible. The website has
an estimated of 3000 lessons
starting from simple Algebra
all the way to Calculus.
Google and Bill Gates
have donated money to
Khans organization.
Gates mentioned in a 2009
interview that his children
used Khan Academy as well.
Since then, Khan has
been able to hire the expert
engineers and designers.
The most current goal for
the organization is to create
new learning software. The
software is being tested in 50
schools, and Khan wants to
be able to reach out to high
schools and colleges.
In San Francisco,
California, Los Altas Middle
School students use Khan
Academy in the classroom.
It resluts in less lecturing
and more class work. The
teacher is there to monitor
the students while they
work on different sections,
allowing everyone to work
at his own pace.
Some teachers are against
online assignments, and
others complain that Khan
Academy is fipping the
classroom. Khan explains
that the whole point is
to fip the classroom to
have assignments in the
classrooms and lectures at
home.
Khan does not plan on
changing his lessons any
time soon. Khan Academy
is still developing, but
continues changing the way
education is delivered to
children and students.
The book Rays of Sunshine from
the Hood is now available via
Amazon.com. Please feel free to search
the web for it!
Advisor Club Meetings
The Advisor Club (soon to be renamed Domestic
Violence Awareness Club,) meets every Thursday
at 4 p.m. in the Ybor Room at Ybor Campus. We
are open to students whom are not just victims
of domestic violence, but also those who may
have a friend or loved one who have been victim
of abuse. Also, people who want to know
about this problem are welcome to join. We are
looking forward to you joining our new club.
October will be an eventful month.
Sincerely,
Alex Suarez
President of Advisor Club
The Hawkeye is a student-
produced publication of
Hillsborough Community
College, covering all HCC
campuses.
HCC-Ybor Campus
2112 N. 15
th
St.
Tampa, FL 33605-3648
813-253-7655
Copyright 2013
HAWKEYE STAFF
Editor-in-Chief
Krista Byrd
Graphic Designers
Giannina Vallas
Kaitlan Corsell
Sports Editor
Nick Griesbach
Staff Writers
Jessica Bartels
Rob Bridenstine
Sireta Diaz
Alex Rose
Alex Suarez
Faculty Adviser
Dr. Richard Gaspar
Equal Access/Equal Opportu-
nity and Educational Equity
Hillsborough Community Col-
lege is an equal access/
equal opportunity employer
that makes employment and
education-related decisions
without regard to race, color,
gender, religion, national ori-
gin, age, disability, sexual ori-
entation, marital status or any
other bias that is or may be
prohibited by laws. Employees
and students who believe they
have been a victim of discrimi-
nation or sexual harassment
should contact: Dr. Joan B.
Holmes, Special Assistant to
the President for Equity and
Special Programs District Ad-
ministrative Offces 39 Colum-
bia Drive, Room 718, Tampa,
FL 33606 Telephone: 813-
253-7043.
E-mail: jholmes16@hccf.edu

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Hawkeye 3
September 23, 2013
News
The LGBT students and al-
lies spoke out saying, Jesus
loves us. God doesnt hate.
Even one student raised her
voice, My family is Chris-
tian and they accept me!
The church has garnered
attention all over the nation
as being a hate group, and
not just a hate group towards
LGBT people. The church has
targeted Jewish institutions,
President Obama, Christians,
Catholics, and funerals for
American soldiers. Accord-
ing to the churchs offcial
website, GodHatesFags.com,
the WBC was established by
Pastor Fred Phelps in 1955,
with his family being the ma-
jority of the members. The
church is located in Topeka,
Kansas.
As soon as someone en-
ters their website, on the left-
hand side is a sidebar titled
Numbers. According to
Westboro, the numbers in-
dicate the number of people
who are being cast into Hell
since someone has entered
their site (which grows every
second), the number of sol-
diers God has killed in Iraq
and Afghanistan (6,735), the
number of cities they have
visited (currently 909), along
with many other numbers,
there is also a list of Sister
Sites.
The church made it of-
fcial they were coming to
UCF on their website, WBC
will hold a public demonstra-
tion at the University of Cen-
tral Florida to remind this
generation that they have so
enraged the Lord their God
that their destruction is im-
minent!...They have been
taught from the cradle the
great lies that God loves ev-
eryone and Its okay to be
gaylies that will kill their
bodies, destroy their nation
and damn their souls to Hell
forever.
The university encourag-
es diversity and open-mind-
edness, one of the well-
known LGBT organizations
is Equal.
Angelica Gonzalez, Presi-
dent of Equal, said Well, to
put it simply, Equal is just one
organization in the myriad
of groups at UCF that wont
stand for the hate. These peo-
ple, like the Westboro sup-
porters, exist, and sometimes
even though people think we
should ignore them and stop
fueling the fre, its empow-
ering to know that so many
people are proud and brave
enough to show what sup-
port in a community means.
Relating that back to Equal,
I personally believe that is
what the organization is all
about, albeit on a small-
er scale, and it makes me
happy to be part of such an
amazing group of like-mind-
ed people. The Pride Coali-
tion also had A Chance for
ConversationMoving Past
the Hate Speech of Westboro
Baptist Church from 4:00
p.m.- 5:00 p.m. to allow stu-
dents to discuss the impact.
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Hawkeye 4 News
September 23, 2013
VERONICA BREZINA/STAFF VERONICA BREZINA/STAFF
www.hawkeyenews.net Hawkeyenewsnet @Hawkeyenews1
Hawkeye 5 News
September 23, 2013
Waiting no more
BY KRISTA BYRD
editor-in-Chief
She picks up her guitar
and closes her eyes. Breathe.
One, two, three... Open. She
fashes her bright smile at
the crowd as they hold their
breath in anticipation for the
frst note.
For many people, pur-
suing their dream of sing-
ing is a fantasy. Many of us
have already given up on
our dreams, or are becom-
ing weary enough to serious-
ly reconsider chasing them
with such abandon. To Me-
lissa Brethauer, 24, and a for-
mer HCC student from Riv-
erview, Florida, using her
talent and chasing her dream
was the only path she could
imagine pursuing.
Brethauer is not your typ-
ical 24 year old. She drives a
motorcycle, has a college ed-
ucation, recorded her debut
album Waiting at 19, has
played historical venues like
the House of Blues on the Las
Vegas strip, and has toured
and played music festivals
across the southeast United
States. I will stop before this
Most people just want to
know how she did it.
How did she fnd time,
resources, energy to pursue
her passion and her degree?
How, in a world full of No!
did she fnd her Yes?
Life takes us down so
many unexpected paths and
anything can happen, so I
stay most encouraged by tak-
ing things one day at a time,
she said.
The Riverview native
started singing when she was
three, and grew a serious in-
terest in instruments at seven.
She knew that she was meant
to be a musician from that
point on. In high school, she
amazed her classmates, win-
ning talent shows, and play-
ing at the local talent compe-
tition, Brandon Idol.
After high school, when
most of her peers were try-
ing to pick a major more se-
rious than Under Water Bas-
ket Weaving, she was not
only pursuing her bachelors
degree, but was also writing
music and producing her de-
but album with the help of
her music management team
at Now Hear This. We [Now
Hear This] began working
together in 2006, and I give
much credit to Now Hear
This for most of the opportu-
nities I've had to expand my
music endeavors, she said.
There was no more wait-
ing for Brethauer, and she
jumped into the studio as
soon as she could.
This was a lot of work for
someone fresh out of high
school. The high demands
of her music career and her
college career were constant-
ly fghting for her attention.
There are so many challeng-
es in this business, but for
me, the biggest challenge has
been fnding a healthy bal-
ance with my music life and
my social and working life,
she said. She adds, My col-
lege years (full-time) were
especially tough because I
had to make a lot of sacrifc-
es. When I wasn't working
my part-time job or in class, I
was traveling playing shows.
More often than not, I had to
spend my free time, or make
time if I didn't have any, in
between music events writ-
ing papers and studying for
exams. Somehow I managed
to still graduate with my
bachelors within four years
and with a decent GPA.
Her family and friends
have been a big support and
inspiration during all of the
time she has spent working
toward her goal. She is re-
cently married, and has a
wonderful support system.
As much work as being
a musician is, Melissa has
found time to enjoy incred-
ibly rewarding moments.
The title song on her debut
album made it to the top 50
in in MusicTampaBay.coms
Top 100 Songs of 2009. She
is also ranked in the top 15
on ReverbNation in Atlanta
for her genre. She has made
numerous television appear-
ances, and even completed a
radio interview in New York
with Blues Hall of Famer,
Sonny Rock.
Radio shows, TV inter-
views, and charts are not
the reason she loves to sing,
however. It is performing
that gives her a rush unlike
any talk show or news pro-
gram. I remember playing
in downtown Nashville one
night and John Legend and
John Rich (from Big & Rich)
happened to be in the crowd
listening! she exclaimed.
Playing in front of people
never gets old to me. Even
though I've done it hundreds
of times, I still get nervous
from time to time.
For Brethuaer, the sky's
the limit.
She is working on her
sophomore album and con-
tinuing to write her own mu-
sic. Waiting was a great
learning experience for me. I
now have a much better sense
of both my musical identity
and what I expect of the re-
cording process than I did
at age 19. The vision I have
for my next album is more of
a folky, stripped-down and
acoustic feel, she said.
What does the future have
in store for Brethuaer?
She predicts, In fve
years, as long as I'm still chal-
lenging myself as a musician
and pursuing some music op-
portunities, I will be happy.
Her album Waiting is
available on Amazon, iTunes,
and CD Baby.
For more information vis-
it MelissaBrethauer.com.
COURTESY OF MELISSABRETHAUER.COM
On location in the Florida panhandle.
COURTESY OF MELISSABRETHAUER.COM
Performing at the Peachtree Hills Festival of the Arts in Atlanta.
Hawkeye 6 News
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September 23, 2013
Alpha House hosts Alpha Challenge
BY ROB BRIDENSTINE
Staff Writer
Tampa, Fla.-On Sunday,
October 19, The Tampa Al-
pha House will host its inau-
gural Alpha Challenge and
Family Fun event at George
M. Steinbrenner Field, (1
Steinbrenner Dr., Tampa, FL,
33614) from 10 a.m.- 2p.m.
Steinbrenner Field has do-
nated their feld to be used
for the event at no cost and
will allow food and beverage
vendor sales for those partic-
ipating in the event.
This is not your typical
feld day event. Individual
challenges will vary from the
stroller obstacle course, ba-
by-carrier distance run, and
a diaper relay among oth-
ers. None of the challenges
requires any extraordinary
feats of strength, but rather,
they are designed for an en-
joyable experience with your
teammates.
Each team may have be-
tween six and eight members
and all teams may register
up until the day of the event.
Registration costs $300.00
to register each team. Prof-
its will go to help the Tampa
Alpha House with future and
current programs.
The Tampa Alpha House
is one of the citys few trea-
sures that is purely selfess.
Alpha Houses sole purpose
is to house, support, and ed-
ucate homeless pregnant
women and mothers with
young families. Alpha House
was established in 1981 and
has been a United Way fund-
ed Safety Net agency since
1984.
In 2012, the Tampa Alpha
House was able to help 142
women who were in need
and 115 children. This is an
organization that has been la-
beled as one of the nations
Points of Life.
The Alpha House has suc-
cess through many of its pre-
vious programs. The pro-
grams help attain their goal
of stabilizing the home-
less women and children
that have passed through
their doors. One of the pro-
grams that they have institut-
ed is Parents as Teachers,
or PAT for short. This pro-
gram brings in mothers who
were in similar situations be-
fore, or had even lived in the
very same shelters as those
who are currently in need,
and help the residents suc-
cessfully navigate the obsta-
cles that they have already
overcome.
The Tampa Alpha House
has proven time and time
again that it can help wom-
en and children in need, but
it has its limitations just like
any other organization. On
average, the organization can
manage to help house around
144 women every year.
While that is an impres-
sive number of women who
have increased their proba-
bility of success and surviv-
al, there are still plenty of
women that the Alpha House
must turn away due to a lim-
ited budget. The organizer of
the Alpha Challenge event,
Celeste Perrino, said We
would love to expand, if the
budget ever allowed it.
The Alpha House is hop-
ing to make sure that the Al-
pha Challenge becomes an
annual event that will bring
both money and attention to
the organization. If you are
looking to register for the
event or would like to vol-
unteer with the Tampa Alpha
House, visit their website at
www.alphahouseoftampa.
org.
COURTESY OF ALPHAHOUSEOFTAMPA.ORG
Will Tampa keep truckin?
BY JESSICA BARTELS
Staff Writer
Tampa residents were
stunned to fnd they broke a
Guinness world record with
the latest food truck rally.
On August 31, the I-4 exit
was backed up for miles be-
fore 8 a.m. 99 food trucks
rolled into the Florida State
fairgrounds demolishing the
62 food truck record held by
Miami earlier this year. The
Tampa Tribune, The Flori-
da State fair authority, and
98Rock were just some com-
panies to get this event roll-
ing. At 11a.m., Mayor Buck-
horn rang the dinner bell and
let the feast begin.
The competition was
ferce, especially between ri-
val trucks. There is much
more to offer than the de-
licious BBQ smoker or a
taco bus. The smells of lob-
ster bisque, lobster macaroni
and cheese, pastries, brown-
ies, empanadas, gelato and
cheesecake all lingered. In-
tense heat caused trucks of-
fering gelato, polar cups,
smoothies, and fruit pops to
sell out quickly.
Jeremy Gomez, the event
organizer, is planning to dou-
ble the trouble next year on
March 22. He expects 200
food trucks to set up at the
Florida State fairgrounds
next time.
Being the frst year, many
trucks ran out of food and
propane numerous times be-
fore the event ended at 8
p.m. Vendors say the vol-
ume of customers doubled
their expectations (32k) leav-
ing them unprepared. It will
not happen again.
Most guests were pleased
with the family-friendly
event, regardless of the hic-
cups.
Maria T. Owens tweeted,
It was a great event Satur-
day, despite that at 3:00 p.m.,
a lot of trucks were out of
food after we made the lines.
I am ready for 2014!
Mark Lastra of Tampa
shared on Facebook, The
lines were long, but we en-
joyed it so much that we are
looking forward to March
22, 2014, and will be better
prepared. [So,] get there ear-
ly and hit the more popular
trucks frst.
This will surely be an an-
nual event for Tampa, and
its expected to improve with
time. The Florida State Fair-
grounds agreed to open both
entrances in March to help
with parking. They also plan
to provide more recycling re-
ceptors for all the beer cans.
Other things like pavil-
ions, shade umbrellas, more
chairs and picnic tables,
maps and menus of the food
trucks, and more water have
been suggested by guests.
Over 100 food trucks are
already confrmed for the
next food truck rally. The
next food truck rally will be
held on March 22, 2014 at the
Florida State Fairgrounds.
COURTESY OF TAMPABAY.COM
Hawkeye 7 News
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September 23, 2013
Baby boom at Lowry Park Zoo
BY JESSICA BARTELS
Staff Writer
Lowry Park is kid
friendly. Not only because
of the Walaroo Station with
splash zones and a pet-
ting zoo, but you can also
meet a new baby animal
each month. Since spring
of 2012, Lowry Park Zoo
animals have birthed over
a dozen babies.
Also, in 2012, the
American Black Bear
Blossom was rescued
by the Wildlife Center of
Montana. The bear is one
of two American Black
Bears cubs adopted by the
zoo this past year. New-
berry, the second Black
Bear, was found in poor
conditions by the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conser-
vation.
A Pygmy hippo was
born at the zoo November
15, 2012. Guests usually
see her playful side early
in the morning. When the
sun comes out, she is ready
to swim around in the shal-
low pond, wrestling with
her mother.
It was a busy Christ-
mas for the keepers at the
zoo. The frst African Ele-
phant, Mpumi was born
December 23, 2012. She is
a descendant of a rare herd
of elephants from Swazi-
land, Africa. Lowry Park
and San Diego Zoo res-
cued 11 of the pachyderm
elephants from being cured
a decade ago. A red tailed
guenon came days lat-
er on December 29, 2012.
Ahnmom has curious big
brown eyes that watch the
crowd clinging to his mom.
The red tail guenon was
initially rescued from bush
meat markets in the Dem-
ocratic Republic of Congo.
To ring in the new year,
a rare okapi, Bahati, was
born January 6, 2013. This
unusually looking animal
has the legs and stripes of
a zebra, the body structure
of a horse, and the face of
a giraffe. This animal may
look like a mixed breed of
all three, but it is only relat-
ed to the giraffe.
After a short 7 month
gestation, a beautiful male
South African nyala was
born March 24, 2013. Fin-
ley has faint white stripes,
shaggy fur, and spiraled
horns. He is also one of
the many animals that en-
joy a shared habitat. This
provides more natural hab-
itat and takes advantage of
all available land.
An African penguin
hatched May 8, 2013. Her
name is Tampanga. This
third batch of hatchlings at
the zoo is covered in thick
fuzzy grey fur until their
black and white color ma-
tures. These penguins live
in warm weather and seem
to enjoy sunbathing instead
of ice fshing.
May 25, 2013 was the
birthday of a tiny squir-
rel monkey. This little guy
is agile, but he feels most
comfortable on his moth-
ers back most of the day.
The baby is more indepen-
dent and active when eat-
ing fruits in the mornings.
A funny story led to an-
other hatchling. Two frst
time parents, demoiselle
cranes, abandoned their
egg. Zookeepers quick-
ly moved the egg under a
sand hill crane. Both birds
have similar migration ten-
dencies and nesting tech-
niques. The bird hatched
on May 25, 2013. It stayed
with the adoptive moth-
er, the sandhill crane, until
August 1, 2013. The crane
has since been placed with
its parents and is getting
along great.
One of the most impor-
tant animal births occurred
at Lowry Park Zoo this
year. The birth of Jiyo
an Indian rhinoceros, made
national news on May 29,
2013. This was the third
time in the last 5 years that
the zoo has a helped make
a major contribution to the
conservation of wildlife.
This endangered species
has a birth weight of 75-
100 pounds.
A malnourished Flori-
da manatee was also res-
cued from the Myakka
River in Sarasota on July
7, 2013. Jobin was only
55 pounds when he was
brought to the zoo. Keep-
ers say he will need a mini-
mal of 2-3 years of care be-
fore he will be returned to
the wild.
Another mark in histo-
ry occurred July 29, 2013.
Mavi an African ele-
phant, was born. This is the
second elephant baby born
to the rescued elephants of
the Swaziland herd. The
mother elephant was bred
with a bull from a different
herd giving the offspring
a new DNA structure.
Mavi and Mpumi are
the frst with this gene pool
in the United States.
Is Lowry Park Zoo a
new breeding ground? It
may be. The male black
bellied stork was caught
making a nest. This very
rare bird could be nesting
for his mate. Although an
egg has not been spotted
yet, spectators believe it is
soon to come.
The zoo is open 7 days
a week from 9:30 a.m .5
p.m. excluding Thanks-
giving and Christmas
days. Tickets are $24.95
for adults $19.95 for chil-
dren. Annual passes start
at $95.00 for two Flori-
da residents. Lowry Park
has four special days a year
with $6.00 admission for
everyone. For more infor-
mation visit:
http://www.lowrypark-
zoo.com
JESSICA BARTELS/STAFF
Bahati, male okapi calf, born January 6, 2013.
JESSICA BARTELS/STAFF
Mavi, female elephant calf, born July 29, 2013.
JESSICA BARTELS/STAFF
Zola, pygmy hippo calf, born November 15, 2012.
Hawkeye 8 Student Life
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September 23, 2013
No Cursing Policy for students at Brandon campus:
college policy or a violation of Free speech?
BY ALEX SUAREZ
Staff Writer
(Student Commentary)
Rushing around the Bran-
don Campus on August 27,
I realized I might be late for
my interview with a recruit-
er at Workforce Brandon. I
knew that Workforce worked
with the college, so I mis-
takenly went to the Brandon
Campus and entered the Ca-
reer Center.
I am a student at the Ybor
Campus, and this was my
frst time at the Brandon
Campus. I came without any
intention of causing a prob-
lem or to create a story.
Immediately upon en-
tering the Career Center, I
asked (by name) for my re-
cruiter, and was told she did
not work there.
I gave the address of
Workforce, which I was told
was by the campus. The ca-
reer center staff member said
she did not know where it
was.
I called Workforce, and
they told me that their offce
was in another part of Bran-
don. It was at least several
minutes away.
My ride was already head-
ing back to downtown Tampa
and would be unable to pick
me up for a couple hours. I
was upset, but I composed
myself.
I saw there was nothing
left for me to do but wait for
my ride, so as I got my things
and as I left, I said under my
breathe, bulls--t. (Saying
to myself, it was bulls--t
that I came all the way there
for nothing.)
A woman who was work-
ing in the career center told
me in a very stern tone, that
if I was going to use that kind
of language, she was going to
call the dean. I told her that I
was leaving, that I was a stu-
dent, and that I wrote for the
student paper.
She then went to the Dean
of Student Services, Joe Ben-
trovato, and reported the
foul language.
Bentrovato, as I was walk-
ing out of the Career Cen-
ter, escorted me back into
the Career Center, put me in
a room, closed the door, and
demanded my student ID.
I am not easily intimidat-
ed, so I refused to provide
my student ID.
I began to walk out of the
room. The dean then threat-
ened to call security, stating,
If you do not give me your
student ID, I will have secu-
rity physically remove you
from campus.
I responded that I needed
to use the facilities on cam-
pus until my ride arrived.
We then went to anoth-
er offce, and three security
guards arrived. They made
sure I complied with the ID
request and the interrogation
began.
Bentrovato took my stu-
dent ID, and he photocopied
it.
I was in shock with how
I was being treated. He then
went on to say, he was going
to do me a favor by not mak-
ing a report against me.

Really?
I was held for about 15
minutes, and I felt like a crim-
inal being held by police; all
for mumbling, bulls--t.
In my opinion, this is a vi-
olation of my constitutional
right to Free speech and not
something you would typi-
cally see on a college cam-
pus.
It also is a waste of secu-
rity resources and the deans
time. Perhaps this happened
to me for a reason.
As I walked around the
Brandon Campus, I started
noticing warning signs all
over the place.
The signs state:
Foul language or aggres-
sive behavior is not tolerat-
ed. If you choose to engage
in such behavior, you will be
immediately referred to the
Dean of Student Services for
a Code of Student Conduct
investigation.
I waited on campus (for
my ride) for about 90 min-
utes. While I was waiting,
I ran into a man that looked
like he was of some author-
ity. I asked if he was the
campus president, and he
said Yes.
It was Dr. Soto.
When I told him I had an
incident that day that I want-
ed to see about reporting, he
said he heard all about it. I
then told him my side, and
said that I felt intimidated.
Dr. Soto said it was good
that I felt that way. I asked
him to clarify, and he said
that the rules are that stu-
dents cannot use foul lan-
guage, that if it happened to
another 100 students frst,
would I have felt that way?
I felt he did not want
to take me seriously. So, I
walked away feeling humil-
iated.
I do not know what is be-
hind the foul language
policy on campus, but the
administration defnitely de-
fends it. However, does that
make it right?
I am not saying there are
not times when a student
needs to be reprimanded for
using foul language, but this
policy seems excessive, or
radical, to say the least.
We must act professional-
ly, but there have to be oth-
er ways to deal with foul lan-
guage.
I dont think Brandon
campus students swear more
than students on other cam-
puses. However, I do think
there needs to be better
communication among stu-
dents and staff. Many of the
worlds problems could be
solved with better communi-
cation or dialogue.
What do you think?
Visit Hawkeyenews.net
and weigh-in on the issue
by responding to the follow-
ing student poll.
No Cursing Policy
Student Poll:
(Choose One)
The policy is
excessive.
The policy is
appropriate.
You exercised
Free speech.
Student Conduct:
Foul language or aggressive
behavior is not tolerated.
If you choose to engage
in such behavior, you will be
immediately referred to the Dean
of Student Services for a Code of
Student Conduct investigation.
Replica of signs posted on the Brandon campus.
Hawkeye 9 Student Life
www.hawkeyenews.net Hawkeyenewsnet @Hawkeyenews1
September 23, 2013
The Dollar Tree and me:
My gastrointestinal journey
BY KRISTA BYRD
editor-in-Chief
In the age of student
loans and bills, many of us
are wondering how we can
make ends meet. Some cut
out cable TV, some give up
cars for bicycles, and some
havent had a meal at home
in months. In all the cutbacks
and all of the setbacks, it is
easy to think you cant afford
to eat.
Imagine a world where
you can eat for just $2.00
a meal. Imagine that those
meals arent as bad as you
frst thought, although the
cheese cant legally be called
cheese and the fresh frozen
fruit hails from China. Get
the picture?
Recently, I tried to eat for
a week from food purchased
at the Dollar Tree. Like most
college students, I am liv-
ing on a waitress salary and
have little time to cook fancy
meals (even if I could afford
it). While I did not fully suc-
ceed in my Dollar Store food
quest (forgetting to bring
lunch to my work was my ut-
ter downfall), I found some-
thing I did not expect.
When you walk into the
Brandon Dollar Tree, you
might feel like you are in a
less fancy and more poor-
ly lit Walmart. The walls are
lined with things you know
you shouldnt buy, but prob-
ably will anyway, and the
back wall is a large freez-
er section. They boast every-
thing from cereal and soup to
sirloin and spaghetti.
Before immediately grab-
bing food off of the shelves,
I took a little time to inspect
the food that I would put into
my cart. However. as wrong
my preconceived notions
might have been, visions of
mold and plague danced in
my head like sugarplums on
Christmas eve.
I frst noticed that the ma-
jority of the cheese prod-
ucts were not called cheese
anywhere on the packaging,
and upon further inspection,
I noticed that they were all
oil based and did not actual-
ly contain cheese or milk in
their ingredients. They were
instead called cheese-like
product.
Leaving the cheese be-
hind, I found something a
little bit easier to stomach:
spaghetti. Canned spaghet-
ti sauce and dry noodles
seemed like a safe way to go.
After all, I wanted to write an
article, not my own obituary.
Black beans and rice,
soups, hot pockets, and mov-
ie theatre style candy began
to fll my buggy, leaving me
with the knowledge that I
would either lose weight this
week, or blow up like a bal-
loon. Still, I knew my body
would take a beating. I was
surprised at the variety of
food offered, and found it
amazing that for a whole
weeks worth of food, I spent
just $50.00. (In Dollar Tree
terms, that means 50 food
items). I did not purchase my
milk or bread at the Dollar
Tree, as they do not sell the
se items there.
What I discovered in
terms of value surprised me.
Things that at the time, I
thought were a steal, turned
out to be the same price as
they would have been at Pub-
lix or Walmart. A three pack
of Sargento brand cheese
sticks was a dollar, but at
Walmart, an eight pack was
$2.38. The sirloin (I use
the term loosely), was $1.00
per 3.5 ounce, which equals
to about $4.57 a pound, was-
more than the sirloin was
priced at Publix ($4.36 per
pound). The cereal (I opted
for Frosted Mini Spooners)
was $1.00 for a small box,
whereas a large bag of near-
ly fve times the volume was
only $3.79 at Walmart.
I did not attempt to eat
their meats or frozen fruits
and vegetables, mostly be-
cause of fear. I would like to
mention that they did have
frozen vegetables and fruits,
though the fruits and vege-
tables are not from America
(even though we boast miles
of farmland), and the meat
had a distinct freezer burnt,
sad look.
So how was all of this
food, you ask? It was not
the worst week of my gas-
trointestinal life. The spa-
ghetti was a knock off brand
of Prego, but overall I cant
complain about it. For $2.00,
it made enough for me and
one other person, and we had
leftovers!
The black beans and yel-
low rice made a few great
meals, and we had leftovers
of it as well. The off brand
of Ramen noodles tasted
as Ramen noodles typical-
ly do, like a sodium heart at-
tack in a tiny packaged noo-
dle square. The cereal is the
same brand (Frosted Mini
Spooners) that you can pur-
chase in the large bags at
Walmart or Publix, and tast-
ed the same as it would have
from those stores.
The Hot Pockets were hot
and the Popsicles were cold.
I was not able to eat as
much as I perhaps normally
would, as I cut out snacks so
that there would be enough
to stay on budget. However,
it can be done, which is what
I set out to prove.
What I found myself
thinking as I perused the
aisles, and what I contin-
ued to think as I ate my Mini
Spooners, was that it is easy
to see how America both
struggles with obesity and
hunger. It seems like a co-
nundrum, but the food I was
able to purchase at the Dollar
Tree, and the food that I be-
lieve a lot of other discount
stores sell, has little to no
nutritional value, and really
only satisfes your immediate
hunger need.
The body cannot process
so many chemicals, so we
starve ourselves as we gain
weight because we cant af-
ford better food. Fresh fruits
and vegetables are not af-
fordable on an average col-
lege students budget, espe-
cially college students who
support others.
Perhaps this is a problem
our generation will continue
to face, but in the meantime,
the lesson has been learned
that even though the Dol-
lar Tree week can be done,
you should stick to Publix,
Walmart, or even Aldi.
KRISTA BYRD/STAFF
KRISTA BYRD/STAFF
KRISTA BYRD/STAFF
Student Life Hawkeye 10
www.hawkeyenews.net Hawkeyenewsnet @Hawkeyenews1
September 23, 2013
BY ALEXANDER ROSE
Staff Writer
Florida is one of four states
that currently allows pub-
lic road testing of driverless
smart cars (along with Cal-
ifornia, Nevada, and Wash-
ington DC). The Google
Smartcars have driven over
500,000 miles in Florida as
of last year without an acci-
dent by computer fault.
The addition of the driv-
erless system will be slow
since this isnt just cruise
control. The onboard com-
puter uses precise data maps
to navigate and laser sensors
to keep track of other cars
and obstacles on the road.
Of course, this isnt I, Ro-
bot, and there will be an over-
ride function for the driv-
er to take control for stress-
ful tasks or last second deci-
sions. The car even prompts
drivers to take control in
those situations, much like a
backseat driver.
This is a not true driver-
less car, and the system is
not and will probably never
be perfect. A driver is still re-
quired to program the route
like a GPS and keep an eye
on the road. However, this
will give a new level of free-
dom for people who could
not operate a car normally
before, such as the elderly or
handicapped.
Besides Google, Bosch is
making a system to turn reg-
ular vehicles into assisted ve-
hicles, although their cur-
rent system adds at least two
more feet to the top of the ve-
hicle. Luxury car manufac-
turers BMW and Volvo are
planning to have assisted ve-
hicles as the technology ma-
tures.
It is unknown how this
new technology will affect
existing driving laws.Also,
it will be a long time before
someone can drive the vehi-
cle without at least a basic
drivers license.
Since this isnt a vehicle
on a fxed rail and anything
can happen on the open road,
drivers will still need some
level of alertness and aware-
ness of otherdrivers and the
environment.
For people worried about
the vehicles reaction time, at
40 mph, a human driver on
average stops within 12 feet,
the assisted vehicle can stop
within 9 feet.
However, whose fault is it
if the assisted car accidenta-
ly kills a person? People will
not accept a family member
dying and leaving it as, The
car killed your son, not me.
The head of the Associa-
tion for Unmanned Vehicles
International, Michael To-
scano, said If a child steps
out at 10 feet, the human kills
the child, the automated car
doesn't. At 8 feet, either one
will kill the child. We accept
humans to be faulty, but we
don't accept machines killing
human beings."
Driverless cars
COURTESY OF CBC.CA
FALL 2013 HCC
Sciences Seminar Series
October 1 Dr. Anuradha Srivastavari, Ph.D.

HCC Biology Instructor
Topic:
Leishmaniasis: An Overview of

the Efforts for New Drug
Development

October 15 Mr. John Kunzer
Biological Scientist
Florida Fish and Wildlife
Commission
Topic: Invasive Species
November 5 Dr. Mary Pacheco, Ph.D.
Crime Laboratory Analyst
Florida Department of Law
Enforcement
Topic: Serology and Forensic Science
November 19 Mr. John Bacheller, M.Sc.
HCC Biology Professor
Topic: TBA
All presentations will take place on the Dale
Mabry Campus from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Dale
Mabry Learning Resources Center Auditorium,
Room LRC106. Contact Margaret Hopson-
Fernandes for more information at 253-7023 or
mhopsonfernandes@hccf.edu.
Student Life Hawkeye 12
www.hawkeyenews.net Hawkeyenewsnet @Hawkeyenews1
September 23, 2013
Will online classes
boom at HCC?
BY JESSICA BARTELS
Staff Writer
As the high school class of 2014
heads to college, our campuses may
be less crowded. Although a degree
cannot be obtained entirely online
at HCC, many other colleges do of-
fer this option. HCC seems to be fol-
lowing the trend, and an AA degree
will be possible for online and distant
learning students in the near future.
An interview with two seniors at
Tampa Bay Tech revealed why online
courses are generating more students.
Brandi Dixon and Leslie Grant have
been working online with the website
FLVS.net (Florida Virtual School)
for the majority of their high school
careers.
FLVS was established as an inde-
pendent fully accredited education
entity in 2000. With 1,800 staff mem-
bers and 120 courses, including AP
and honor classes, public school stu-
dents of all ages (K-12) are encour-
aged to get ahead or get course recov-
ery online. FLVS is free to Florida
residents, but is not exclusive to res-
idents. Dixon and Grant say many of
their friends are already taking col-
lege courses online through dual en-
rollment. It is available to juniors and
seniors at FLVS.
The transition will be easy for
me, Dixon explains. Ive been tak-
ing online courses since my freshman
year. Taking online courses at HCC
just make sense, to continue what I
know.
When asked why they chose on-
line classes instead of night school or
summer school, both had the same
reply: convenience. Dixon works for
the city of Temple Terrace Public Li-
brary in the evenings after school and
FLVS is the most manageable for her
schedule.
Online classes allow me to work
at my own speed within my own hours
(which happen to be late at night after
work), Dixon said. I like not having
the pressure of all of my peers watch-
ing me. Although I do have interac-
tion with them, if I miss a question
or I do not understand a concept, my
teacher doesnt call me out in front
of my class. They explain why you
were wrong in laymen terms, and as
short as possible through email, in-
stant message, phone calls, and text
messages, she said.
You have to be very self-driv-
en and motivated to do study online.
You can be your biggest obstacle if
you procrastinate. The only down fall
is that many people have distractions
in their study space since theyre not
in a classroom, Grant added.
I dont really care about joining
a sorority or anything like that. If I
want to join a club, many are offered
in online chat rooms. I am planning
to transfer from HCC to USF, and,
if at that point I feel deprived, I may
take courses on campus. In the end,
the only thing I am interested in is
getting my degree and starting my ca-
reer. said Dixon (when asked if on-
line courses might cause her miss out
on the college experience).
Grant said, I will be transferring
next year to New York with a schol-
arship. I want to be a criminal biol-
ogist. I am taking classes on campus
my freshman year. I want to make
friends, but because the cost of liv-
ing is so high, I might have to work
more than expected. If so, I wouldnt
think twice before registering for on-
line courses.
Because FLVS has made it so con-
venient, will other online course con-
tinue to fourish? Will our campuses
turn into a ghost town? Probably not.
HCC offered 401 distant learn-
ing online classes in spring of 2013
and 319 during the summer of 2013.
Some members of the graduat-
ing class of 2014 think the numbers
should double upon their arrival.
Online classes are accessed
through the MYHCC portal on the
HCC homepage. All class informa-
tion and contact is handled through
a content-management system called
Blackboard. Assignments and
grades are also accessed through the
system.
Registration for online classes fol-
lows the same process as other class-
es found on Web Advisor. These pro-
grams are familiar and easy to most
students. The Distant Learning On-
line Support Desk can be reached at
(813) 259-6530.
Hawkeye 13 Sports
www.hawkeyenews.net Hawkeyenewsnet @Hawkeyenews1
September 23, 2013
Volleyball team prepared for season
BY NICK GRIESBACH
SportS editor
Hillsborough Community
Colleges Volleyball team is
starting the season with more
potential than any other sea-
son.
Currently, the team is
ranked 4th in the nation and
looking to improve on this
team best mark. This is
partly due to the success that
the 2012 squad had last year
after going to nationals and
fnishing the season as the
7th ranked team in the coun-
try. The team is also return-
ing eight sophomores, in-
cluding Mariam Maldana-
do, Nicole Higgins, Shelby
Walker and Andrea Tauai.
As a third year soph-
omore, you know the pro-
gram, you know the coaches,
you know each other well, so
its been kind of cool seeing
the difference in the teams
the past three years, says
Higgins. This year were
all really, really talented, and
in practices, its always very
competitive. Anyone of us
can play any position. This
year were taking it up to an-
other level, she adds.
It feels like this year, I
am more mature and ready
to play, and the team is re-
sponding very well. Theres
a lot more opportunities and
better chances for success,
added Maldanado.
The Lady Hawks have in-
creased their goals since last
season as well. As a team , I
feel like we want to fnish frst
in our conference, we want to
be state champs, says Tauai,
because last year we came
in second. In Florida, there
is really strong competition.
It will prepare us for nation-
als, she adds.
Last year, I felt like it
was our goal to get to na-
tionals just because none of
us had ever been. Now that
the sophomores have seen
what we can do and our po-
tential, we cant just make it
to nationals, we have to win
the championship, said Hig-
gins.
The team has already pro-
duced memorable moments
this season which include
two victories over the Col-
lege of Central Florida, who
have been a thorn in HCCs
side over the last three sea-
sons. We went to states and
were undefeated my fresh-
man year, says Higgins.
All we had to do was beat
Central Florida once to get
to nationals. We had nev-
er beaten them before when
we went into the tournament
here and we beat them. I felt
like that was a big moment
for the team. That day we
beat a great team, she adds.
We prepared the whole
week. Not just volleyball
wise, we were mentally get-
ting tough for that game, de-
clared Maldanado. She adds,
We proved that we can be
an even better team than that
sixth ranking.
This team is not content
with their early success, and
when asked about their rank-
ing, Tauai replied, Being
sixth in the nation is great.
Coaches are trying to hum-
ble us every single day. Try-
ing to keep us working hard
instead thinking were sixth,
oh were good. They want
more than for us to settle for
sixth.
Just like any team, they
want and need fan support. I
encourage everyone to come
to one game. If you come to
just one game, you will love
it. Its free for the students
with an I.D. says Maldana-
do. Just come along to the
games, were a bunch of tal-
ented girls, adds Tauai.
With an immense amount
of ability and the possibility
for the Lady Hawks to have
the best year in school his-
tory, it would defnitely be
worth your time to stop by
and see this team play. Home
games are held on Thursdays
at the Dale Mabry campus.
COURTESY OF HCCFL.EDU
COURTESY OF HCCFL.EDU
The Lady Hawks challenged themselves and conquered fears at the
ropes course. COURTESY OF HCCFL.EDU
Hawkeye 14 Sports
www.hawkeyenews.net Hawkeyenewsnet @Hawkeyenews1
September 23, 2013
Athlete of the month: Shelby Walker
BY NICK GRIESBACH
SportS editor
Shelby Walker was named
the FCSAA Volleyball play-
er of the week on September
3, 2013, and is helping a tal-
ent laden team to a current
9-1 record and a fourth place
ranking in the NJCAA. She
is 11th in the nation in Ser-
vice Aces per set (0.60), 16th
in Blocks per set (1.27) and
30th in Points per set.
Shelby is the fourth child
in a family of seven. She
went to Lakewood Ranch
High School, where for her
frst two years, she was strict-
ly a softball player. She was
cut from the volleyball team
her frst two years of high
school, but made the team
her junior year.
She recalls, I dont know
why I tried out again, I was
tall and I wanted to play. Im
glad I did. Everything is still
pretty new to me. As a junior
I made, it and as a senior, I
played again, and earned a
scholarship to HCC.
Walker is eager to see
what her team is capable of
doing this season. Im real-
ly excited about this year. We
never really had this poten-
tial. In practice, everyone is
good. We dont really have a
bad practice. I mean every-
one has an off day. I dont
know, but we just have a re-
ally talented team. Its excit-
ing to see where were going
to go. If were already this
good, what are we going to
be when we fnish? We nev-
er stop growing. Gary coach-
es so we plateau at the end,
and so that we have a strong
fnish, so thats pretty excit-
ing. Getting to nationals was
a cool experience. She adds,
Its exciting to think that with
potential, we can get there.
COURTESY OF HCCFL.EDU
BY ROB BRIDENSTINE
Staff Writer
Tampa, Fla.-Its that time
of the year, when we are told
to prepare for hurricanes,
that summer is ending (even
though it seems to get hotter),
freshmen are running around
campus with backpacks two
times too large, and the Tam-
pa Bay Rays are looking to
make a run in the American
League pennant chase. The
2013 baseball season has
been flled with all the same
excitement that any Rays
fan has come to expect over
the past few years, and it all
started in the preseason.
The Tampa Bay Rays
started the 2013 preseason
off just like every year. The
pitchers and catchers report-
ed to camp a week before the
rest of the team in Port Char-
lotte.
The difference this year
was their inning eating, work
horse had been sold to an-
other stable. James Shields
was the veteran presence in
the rotation and in the club-
house and had brought a cer-
tain hard working mentality
to the clubhouse. He is gone,
but work ethic has stuck
with the rest of the rotation.
Shields was traded to Kan-
sas City (along with reliev-
er/starter Wade Davis) for
young talent, but the obvi-
ous catch was the current mi-
nor league Player of the Year
award winner, Wil Myers.
Myers held a .314 batting av-
erage in the minors during
the 2012 season, and hit 37
home runs, while batting in
109 runners. These numbers
pointed out that Myers was
not being challenged at the
lower level. The Rays decid-
ed to take their time, howev-
er and let Myers mature into
a complete player. He now
leads most (if not all) con-
tenders for the AL Rookie of
the Year award.
Wil Myers wasnt the only
new face that brought excite-
ment and buzz to the spring
training complex. The ad-
ditions of shortstop Yunel
Escobar and frst baseman
James Loney, have shored
up any defensive defcien-
cies that the team had expe-
rienced during the 2012 sea-
son. Both players have put
up gold glove award num-
bers and Loney has not had
a batting average below .300
since the frst month of the
season.
These two additions
have brought the Rays de-
fense back to a level of pre-
cision that has been a staple
of the team since the mira-
cle World Series run in 2008.
With Loney and Longria on
the corners, and Escobar and
Zobrist making up the mid-
dle infeld tandem, the Rays
have the second best defense
in the majors right now with
a .990 felding percentage.
The Rays are second only to
the Baltimore Orioles and are
followed by the New York
Yankees.
Evan Longoria has suc-
cessfully taken over the man-
tle as not only a team cap-
tain, but as the team lead-
er. He continues to be the
Rays most effective offen-
sive weapon, hitting around
.270, with 29 homeruns, and
73 RBIs. Unfortunately, it is
not all good news at the Trop.
The Rays pitching staff
has been in disarray since
day one of the season.
With David Price (2012 Cy
Young award winner) having
pitched with a shoulder inju-
ry for the frst month of the
season, and then subsequent-
ly being placed on the dis-
abled list for a month, both
Matt Moore and Alex Cobb
took surprising steps forward
in their maturation process,
with Matt Moore tied for the
most wins in baseball for the
frst two months. However,
both pitchers had their own
issues.
Matt Moore lost some of
his velocity and control, and
the Rays announced that he
had suffered an elbow in-
jury. Alex Cobb took a line
drive to the side of his head
and somehow managed to
escape the injury without a
concussion, but still had to
be monitored and on the DL
for at least six weeks. Jere-
my Hellickson has attempt-
ed to take on the extra work-
load of innings pitched with
Shields absence, but has not
been able to live up to those
expectations.
The Rays are currently
in the second wild-card spot
with only a two-game lead
over the Baltimore Orioles.
The Rays have only a few
games left in the season to
get their offense and pitch-
ing back to the standards that
they have held themselves to
for the past fve years. If they
cannot manage to take con-
trol of games in big, clutch
moments, than they just
might be spending October
at the golf course. As we all
know, October is full of big
clutch moments.
Lets go Rays!
Tampa Bay Rays season review
ROB BRIDENSTINE/STAFF
Will Myers homrerun swing.
Hawkeye 15
www.hawkeyenews.net Hawkeyenewsnet @Hawkeyenews1
September 23, 2013
BY JESSICA BARTELS
Staff Writer
In recent news stories, Florida has
been called the Swiss cheese state.
Some tourists will change their vaca-
tion destinations. Many homeown-
ers are packing up their belongings and
feeing the state of Florida due to a se-
ries of sinkholes opening up throughout
the state.
Running from the state is not going
to help. Sinkholes are just one of the
worlds many natural disasters. Oth-
er parts of the world are more suscep-
tible to earthquakes or tsunamis. Flori-
da just happens to be the home of sink-
holes just as Alaska and California are
home to earthquakes. These sinkholes
are not something just opened up out of
nowhere, they are to be expected.
There are theories of why Florida
has sinkholes. The most commonly ac-
cepted theory is that Florida was once
under water. As it rose above sea lev-
el, the land held air pockets because of
a mixture of acidic water with oxygen.
These pockets are known as rock
caves, and exist under the states sur-
face. As the state became more devel-
oped and we began to build on top of
these caves, the pressure above these
caves causes them to collapse.
The time it takes to collapse is un-
known and immeasurable. We know
that these caves are here and have been
here longer than we have. There are
documented sinkholes in the state of
Florida since as early as the 1800s.
Home owners are feeing some sink
holes areas for good reason. A recent
tragedy in Seffner reveals the danger.
Jeff Bush, 37, and part of his house
were swallowed by a 30 feet wide by
25 feet deep sinkhole in February. Dan-
ger is a major concern to some resi-
dents. Some are evacuating as precau-
tion. Others are fnding it too expensive
to keep their homes.
Areas of recent sinkholes such as
Seffner and Ocala may also suffer a ma-
jor loss in property values. Sinkhole
insurance is not feasible for the aver-
age family in that area. Most insurance
companies do not have sinkhole cover-
age as an option. This makes it extreme-
ly diffcult for some homeowners, espe-
cially younger homeowners, because
some banks offer fnancing contingent
upon keeping costly insurance premi-
ums.
Sinkholes have opened all over Tam-
pas surrounding area. Two large sink-
holes have swallowed resorts in Orlan-
do Florida this year. The frst incident
was estimated at over $53 million dol-
lars in insurance claims. A 5-acre, 8
feet deep pond in Woodland Villages,
a housing neighborhood in Ocala, was
emptied on August 20, by an apparent
sinkhole.
In August 2012, a sinkhole was dis-
covered in the Louisiana bayou, 40
miles south of Baton Rouge in swampy
waters. Over the last year, the hole has
expanded to over 24 acres. Over 350
residents near the bayou were evacuat-
ed. More recently, on August 20, 15 feet
of treeline submerged beneath the earth
as the sinkhole devoured the land. The
disappearing trees were caught on live
camera and are popular views on so-
cial media. Florida is not the only place
worrying over sinkholes.
As for the bay area, four major sink-
holes have opened in Seffner this year.
The most recent appearance was on the
weekend of August 24. A collapsed
rock cave between 1425 and 1427 Lake
Shore Ranch Drive opened in a home-
owners backyard.
Although the 8 feet wide and 10 feet
deep hole is far enough from homes that
sheriffs do not believe it to be a threat,
people residing in nearby homes have
been evacuated as a precautionary mea-
sure. This location is within 2 miles of
the hole that opened in February.
Tourists might be thinking twice be-
fore loading the kids up for their trip
to Disney World. Some people are ap-
prehensive after the recent collapse of
Summer Bay resort in Orlando caused
by a massive 60 feet wide, 15 feet deep
sinkhole that opened on August 11,
2013. Because of the outbreak of sink-
ing spots, Florida may drop in the top
ten hot spots to visit. Unfortunately,
that will hurt the economy of our state.
People may decide to take their fami-
lies to Disney Land instead of Disney
World.
These disasters are just what the
name describes: natural. They are un-
avoidable. Tornados, hurricanes, foods,
earthquakes, tsunamis, tidal waves
you pick your disaster when you pick
your location.
Commentary
Is Florida sinking?
COURTESY OF FOX43.COM
COURTESY OF ZMESCIENCE.COM
A possible mechanism for sinkhole formation.
COURTESY OF ZMESCIENCE.COM
Underwater sinkhole.
Hawkeye 16 Commentary
www.hawkeyenews.net Hawkeyenewsnet @Hawkeyenews1
September 23, 2013
Road trip: 50th anniversary of the march
on Washington
BY ALEX SUAREZ
Staff Writer
I went on a road trip with
a couple buddies of mine to
Washington, D.C. 20 hours
later, after a number of de-
tours, we arrived just in time
for the big speeches on the
National Mall.
We stood in the shadow
of the Lincoln Memorial on
Saturday, August 24, 2013.
As we arrived, a march
for Trayvon Martin, the 17
year-old shot and killed by
George Zimmerman, was
taking place.
At the mall, I met Luna,
who told me her grandpar-
ents were at the march 50
years ago. She also shared
that her family took people
into their home in D.C., the
same home where she was
staying for this years cele-
bration.
I made it to the front part
of the mall, and peering
through the sun, I saw thou-
sands upon thousands of peo-
ple. It was just in time to see
Congressman (GA) John
Lewis come to the podium
and speak. He spoke on the
importance of keeping up the
fght 50 years later, describ-
ing that he was 23 years old
when he marched on Wash-
ington.
Martin Luther King III
also addressed the crowd.
He spoke passionately on
the lack of jobs in the brown
and black ghettos of Ameri-
ca, and expressed his indig-
nation at the suppression of
voter rights in the recent Su-
preme Court decision, which
his father fought so hard to
achieve.
Finally, Rev. Al Sharpton
spoke, and gave an analogy
that struck me.
He said that an Afri-
can American man came to
him and asked why he was
marching for civil rights, that
he did not understand the
whole civil rights thing, and
that civil rights did not write
his resume.
Sharpton responded, I
told the man, your right, civ-
il rights did not write your
resume, but civil rights made
it, so that your resume would
be read. This response re-
ceived a strong applause
from the audience.
Later that evening, I be-
came aware of an event held
at the Busboys & Poets
restaurant and bookstore on
K Street.
The event was to feature
authors and intellectuals, in-
cluding Professor Cornel
West.
I did not know Dr. West
would be in D.C. I was aware
he was not invited to speak at
the podium that day, possibly
for his stance on Obamas
drone program, which he is
strongly against.
Drones are unmanned
planes used in several coun-
tries to bomb targets.
The strikes have been in
Yemen, Somalia, and Paki-
stan. Many people fnd the
strikes controversial. Reports
indicate the strikes have also
killed civilians.
The strikes are also be-
lieved to have killed at least
three U.S. citizens. One of
whom was a minor, killed in
Yemen while picnicking with
his friends, a couple weeks
after his father was killed by
a drone strike.
However, the overall at-
mosphere was positive. It
seemed like Dr. Kings spir-
it could still be felt and his
voice heard at every event.
His statue, the Stone of
Hope, installed only a few
years ago, commemorates
the iconic fgure who spoke
on the mall 50 years ago.
The 30-foot statue repre-
sents Dr. King concentrating
on the future and hope for
humanity.
It is a reminder that peo-
ples dreams and their aspi-
rations can live on in future
generations.
ALEX SUAREZ/STAFF
Alex Suarez and Dr. Cornel West outside a Washington, D.C. cafe.
ALEX SUAREZ/STAFF
ALEX SUAREZ/STAFF
Rev. Jackson and Dr.West shaking hands.