The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 17

The Student-Run Newspaper of Nova Southeastern University January 12, 2021 | Vol. 31, Issue 17 | nsucurrent.nova.edu Make a difference from home P. 9 The Biden administration: My hopes and fears Finding Fitness: Sunrise yoga Brownie cookies according to TikTok That Time I … met my online best friends for the first time P. 11 P. 7 P. 4 Sports Opinions Features Arts & Entertainment As a part of Sharks and Service (SAS) through the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, serving the community has never been more accessible. In the past traditional SAS trips have taken place in person throughout the local community and the world, but now Healing the Planet: Effects of Global Change is one of the first SAS trips to take a new virtual hybrid format. Each SAS trip focuses on a different social issue, and Healing the Planet aims to focus on different topics connected to climate change and its effects on the planet. These topics include forest fires, global warming, ocean pollution and more. “The goal for the global climate change group is that they are going to learn about a variety of different factors that are affecting global climate change, from forest fires, global warming, plastic pollution and lots of different things. The way they are going to do that is through the site leader education, but we have also invited community partners to join the group virtually so they can learn about it,” explained Concetta D’Alessio, assistant director of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement. Healing the Planet is an experience that is split up into three sessions participating students are required to attend. The sessions take place on three consecutive Saturdays, starting Jan. 30 at 10 a.m., focusing on the educational aspect of the trip. In addition, participants will take part in two designated service projects as a part of the trip. As a final added bonus, students who successfully complete this trip are eligible to receive one ExEL unit in community engagement. D’Alessio emphasized the importance of having a SAS trip such as this during these turbulent times. “We wanted to still give students an option to engage. I think it’s important that social issues don’t stop in the midst of a pandemic. If anything, it’s kind of interesting to see how the pandemic has affected these social issues in different ways, especially with global climate change. In the news you’ll see how single-use masks have affected ocean pollution and things like that, so we are trying to still incorporate the pandemic and how that has affected some of these social issues,” said D’Alessio. Occurring simultaneously to Healing the Planet, SAS is also hosting a trip focusing on the social issue of immigration. For students interested in getting involved later in the semester, in March and April, there will be two additional trips, one on hunger and homelessness and the other on education. D’Alessio also mentioned the success of this new model of SAS trips, and as such, SAS is discussing the continuation of this model for next semester and possibly beyond. Monique Reto, a junior double major in elementary and exceptional student education and one of the site leaders for Healing the Planet, said, “If you’re looking to make a difference and learn more about global climate, get closer to your community, do some service and meet other NSU Sharks, it is a great opportunity.” “While it is different this year, we still have a really cool opportunity for students who may be at home for the semester and couldn’t make it to campus but still want to make friends and connections on campus. I have made some really good friends through SAS and it’s probably one of the reasons why I have been so successful here,” said Mitchell Garrabrant, junior history major and the second site leader for Healing the Planet. Students interested in taking part in Healing the Planet should RSVP as soon as possible on the SAS SharkHub page as registration is on a first come basis and space is limited. Students who may have missed their opportunity for this trip can keep their eye out for the upcoming trips later in the semester and still have a chance to make a positive impact in their community despite current circumstances. PRINTED WITH PERMISSION BY S. PRYDE SAS 2019 Trip to New Orleans NSU Athletics break records in the classroom despite COVID-19 In the fall, as NSU students adjusted to the BlendFlex model due to COVID-19, NSU Athletics earned a record-setting 3.41 department-wide Grade Point Average (GPA) across all 16 athletic programs. This GPA record is not the only mark NSU Athletics made in the classroom. Since NSU Athletics’ first year of NCAA competition in 2002, NSU has maintained the annual standard for the past 18 years. This past fall semester will mark the 21st semester that the department GPA exceeded a 3.0. Furthermore, this fall also marked the ninth consecutive semester that the NSU Athletics earned a 3.20 GPA or higher. On an individual level, 79% of student- athletes scored above a 3.0 GPA last semester, with 32 student-athletes earning a 4.0 and 84 student-athletes named on the Director’s List. According to Molly Griswold, senior marketing major and NSU swimmer, setting a GPA record proves that NSU student-athletes are well-rounded individuals. Griswold believes even though their commitment to their sport is usually what is in focus, their success in academics on top of a rigorous team schedule is something not to be overlooked, especially since these athletes represent themselves as NSU Sharks inside and outside of their sport. This fall, the women’s golf team, which was ranked No. 1 nationally last season, led all athletic programs with a 3.77 GPA. “We strive to be the best on the course and in the classroom every single year. This year was like no other, and I am so proud of how the girls handled the situation and made the best of it. The NSU student-athletes as a whole showed how resilient they are and that they can overcome any obstacle thrown at them,” said HeatherWall, head coach of women’s golf. Women’s golf was closely followed by women’s volleyball with a GPA of 3.68, softball with a team record of 3.58, tennis at 3.57, cross- country at 3.53 and with swimming and track tied at a 3.49 GPA. The men’s golf team earned a program best of 3.43 followed by men’s cross country at 3.41 and men’s soccer at a 3.36 GPA. According to the head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming, Ben Hewitt, these athletes faced unprecedented challenges this past semester, but found a way to pursue academic excellence despite the hardships. “My hope is that it will give them the confidence to know that they are far more resilient than they know, that there is always a way to get the job done and that there are a multitude of resources out there for them. I believe it sets the standard for future semesters that they can think quick on their feet and show poise under pressure in more ways than one,” said Hewitt. According to both Griswold and Hewitt, this semester was especially challenging since regular communication and encouragement between teammates as a support systemwas restricted due to social distancing requirements and the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I often struggled not being in the physical presence ofmanyofmy teammates. Because of the separation, it was harder to give and receive words of encouragement to my team at practice and in between classes. However, despite the distance, my support team never faded. I achieved academic success because my swim family and I constantly motivated and encouraged each other. These times have brought us all closer together,” said Griswold. By: Christina McLaughlin Co-Editor-in-Chief By: Rick Esner News Editor