FAU Student Promotes "Going Green"

If you take a walk around FAU you might notice a common theme, "Go Green." Despite FAU's valiant effort, one student is still not satisfied. Leonardo Calle, a senior ecology major and president of SEEDS, an educational program of the Ecological Society of America. According to their website, their mission is to diversify and advance the profession of ecology through opportunities that stimulate and nurture the interest of underrepresented students.

Calle and the rest of his organization work to spread the word about the importance of doing our part, as students, to preserve our future. For this semester Calle has prepared events such as the Key Biscayne Biblitz, meetings with younger students around the area, volunteering at local nature centers and even meet with other departments to try and get funding to build an "Earthship Structure" made of can and bottles.

To learn more about SEEDS and how you can get involved try these links:

• FAU SEEDS Facebook page.
• National SEEDS website.
• Or contact Leonardo Calle here.

FAU Student Works to Teach Life After Engineering School

Florida Atlantic University has made substantial progress as a University over the last few decades. FAU's College of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering is one of these programs. The program has just celebrated their 40th Anniversary and is among seven programs nation-wide of this kind, ranking close to the top overall.

Joanna Ames is a Senior majoring in Ocean Engineering and President of SNAME (Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers). SNAME is an organization that invites speakers who discuss what life is like after you graduate from the program. Ames invites speakers who are in the area and typically either ocean engineers, mechanical engineers or even Naval architects. Ames says, "We have trouble getting people to come to the meeting so I always try to entice them with free food."

Recently SNAME participated in the Wave Energy System Competition. Ames traveled with a group of three other ocean engineering majors who represented FAU to a group of 20 students from Stranahan High School. At the event she worked to promote engineering to young students. "There is a lack of engineers in our country. So we want to promote and get them interested in engineering, not necessarily FAU," said Ames.

Ames, with the help of the rest of the SNAME organization began building an AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle, pictured below), but was forced to post-pone construction due to lack of funding.

To find out more about SNAME and how to get involved try these links:

• Facebook
• Head Quarters Site
• or contact Joanna on Facebook

FAU ROTC Student Wins Prestigious Award

On Friday, April 9th an FAU, ROTC student Marcus Nielsen, received one of the most prestigious awards given to a student, the ROTC Medal. This medal is awarded by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution National Defense Committee. It is presented to a graduating ROTC student who has demonstrated academic excellence, dependability, good character, adherence to military discipline, leadership, and a fundamental and patriotic understanding of the importance of the reserve officers training corp.

Nielsen is in his last semester of college and majoring in political science. Among Nielsen's many impressive accomplishments he has been the President of the FAU College Democrats and the FAU Cadet Club, Student Government elected representative, a member of Phi Kappa Phi honorary society and liberal arts math tutor. He was also awarded the FAU Gatlin Award as well as a study abroad scholarship from ROTC which he used to study abroad in China and learn Mandarin and Chinese political theory.

This outstanding student began his Army career after enrolling in the US Army Reserves during his Senior year of high school. He then went on to enroll in Army ROTC at FAU and after only one semester was awarded an ROTC scholarship. Since then he has been named captain of the FAU ROTC branch and in charge of 55 other students, attended US Army Airborne school and was ranked in the top ten percent of all ROTC cadets.

When I asked Nielsen why he joined ROTC he said, "I wanted to be a lieutenant instead of a private and I would also like to get paid to live in Europe." When Nielsen graduates in May he plans to travel Europe and then return to be an ROTC recruiter at FAU before leaving to be an infantry officer.

To find out more about ROTC go to GoArmy.com.

FAU Student Kicks Her Way to Giving Back

Students Advocating Volunteer Involvement or SAVI might be an organization you haven't heard of yet, but they certainly should not go unnoticed. SAVI participates and co-ordinates more community service than any other organization on FAU's campuses. This month is no exception to the work of Mariana Ortigosa and the rest of SAVI's tireless work.

Ortigosa, an FAU nursing major, is director of SAVI and chair of Kickball for Caring. SAVI's newest project is a kickball tournament to raise money for Hearts and Hope, Inc. According to the article written in FAU's University Press, "This is the second time SAVI will be hosting the tournament. In 2008, SAVI donated $906 to the center... this year they hope to raise at least $2,000."

According to their website, they are a non-profit organization that provides young children who have lost their families with a safe place to share and experience loving support while making it through the grieving process.

To find out more about the tournament and how to get involved read "Kick for care" written by the UP's Monica Victor or call (561) 297-3607 or visit SAVI's website. To find out more about Hearts and Hope, Inc. visit their website.

FAU Campus Aliyah Fellowship Member Holds Event to Honor Comrade

While the large majority of college students are fortunate enough to go through college without loosing a friend, others  are not. Meira Kreuter, a senior at FAU, was not as lucky.

Kreuter is an active member of an organization called Campus Aliyah Fellowship whose purpose is to find Jewish students. According to their website, they work to build the state of Israel by bringing 3 million Jews home, to Israel, and secure a successful integration. Aliyah Fellowships currently has 17 "fellows" across the country.

Kreuter was recently informed of a former Aliyah fellows death after a recent visit to South Florida. Kreuter's friend, Avi Schaefer, had been killed by a drunk driver while walking home from a party at Brown University.

Schaefer was no ordinary friend of Kreuter's. Schaefer decided to join the Israeli Army in a Combat Unit and eventually he became a counter terrorist instructor and served for three years. Later he moved to Providence, RI to attend Brown University where he became a stand-out member of the Aliyah Fellowship.

Prior to his death he made a huge impact on many of the students he met and was always working to promote living in Israel. Kreuter said, "He was an inspiration to all of us. We work to get other Jewish students to move to Israel and he had already done it. We all looked up to him."

Shortly after his death Kreuter held a benefit at FAU named "Seek Peace and Pursue It," a quote, from the book of Psalms, found on his dorm wall after his death. This event was intended to continue his dreams of creating an environment on campuses that promotes peace in the Middle East and coexistence.

The event was primarily a discussion of what we, as FAU students, could do to bring a more positive atmosphere on campus regarding issues in the Middle East. The event also helped raise money for the Avi Schaefer Fund. Kreuter said, "The fund will help continue his dreams of raising awareness on campuses and also help other lone soldiers in the Israeli Army."

To learn more about these people, try these links:

• Brown University News Paper Article
• Schaefer Facebook Memorial Page
• The Avi Schaefer Fund
• Campus ALIYAH Fellowship
• More about what Aliyah does...

FAU Blind Student, Sees Everything in Her Own Way

If you go to FAU, chances are you have seen a girl using a guide stick to make her way around campus. Her name is Annmarie Bedard, a junior at FAU. Bedard was born 17 weeks premature and diagnosed with retinopathy at 2 months causing complete blindness in her left eye.  Although doctors had little hope for her when she was born, she is now a self-sufficient student that requires very little help.

If you weren't already impressed you can read more about Bedard and her struggles at the Universty Press Online and their article title "Success Beyond Sight."

FAU Musician Releases New Single "Go"

Jamal Bonaparte, also know as Dheft, is an FAU sophomore and a recording artist. Dheft was discovered after displaying his talents in a local singing competition.

According to Dheft's  website, he is a solo artist who expresses his own vibe through instruments, including piano, viola and guitar. Dheft began singing at an early age. "Coming from a family of musicians it was a very easy transition from initial speech to melodic vocals," said Dheft. 

Dheft has performed in clubs all over South Florida, including Miami, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach. He has also performed in locations like Tennessee, Naples, and Key West.

You can keep up with Dheft's music at these sites:

• Facebook: Search Dheft
• Official Website
• MySpace
• Twitter

FAU on MTV

The popular TV network MTV recently came to FAU. It wasn't to feature FAU, but FAU sophomore and business major Kristy Myer. Myer was on a show called "Is she Really Going Out With Him?" The show was inspired by the popular website "Hot Chicks with Douchebags."

According to MTV, "the show aims to tear down the mystery behind pop culture's unexplainable phenomenon: beautiful and innocent who fall for overly tanned, self-absorbed douchebags."

Kristy started on this show with boyfriend Vinny Nocera and a cast of mutual friends. Nocera was titled a "Gamecock" because he seems to have a fixation with with being like a peacock.

Myer spent the episode arguing with Nocera over the common relationship problem, his friends. Myer told me that she had a great time filming the show. "Having cameras follow us around was fun and it was really cool to see ourselves on TV," said Myer.

Her episode aired once in January and is set to air again on Mar. 1, at 6 p.m, on MTV.
To check-out the full episode click here.

FAU Tennis Player Find Succes on YouTube

A popular trend in the collegiate sport world is to post YouTube videos of yourself demonstrating your talent. But what sets this athlete apart from the rest is that she has been given a scholarship to play tennis at FAU.

Dominique Wimmer is a sophomore from Guntramsdorf, Austria, and started playing when she was around 6. Wimmer has won a number of International Championships, but that wasn't enough for coaches in the United States. Wimmer said, "Coaches search for videos there, and all the coaches I spoke with wanted to see a video, so I posted them on YouTube instead of sending in a hard copy."

Wimmer said she has really enjoyed this experience and considers this a great opportunity. "We don't have a University system in Europe, with athletic scholarships, like the U.S."  Wimmer finds Florida to be the perfect place to play tennis and even finds her classes interesting. 

To watch videos of Wimmer, click here.

FAU goes Old School: Ballroom Dancing

FAU is full of many clubs that most students don't know about, but FAU senior Amanda Aandalen still managed to find a club that was perfect for her. Aandalen is the current president of the FAU Ballroom Dance Club. This club was founded in the Fall of 2006 by Jennifer Gonzalez and Kira Hays with dedicated support from sponsors Pat and Sharon Talerico. This a social and artistic student organization that works with the Department of Theater and Dance. The club currently has about 20 members and hold practices twice a week.

Aandalen got involved with the club after attending its Valentine's Day fundraiser and shortly after became the President of the club. Aandalen recently worked to put together the Polish Club Fundraiser.

The event was on Feb. 20, and raised about $400 after expenses. Aandalen said, "The event was for the club's costumes and other various expenses. We have sponsors, but we don't like asking them for money."

You can learn more about the club and its events by e-mailing Amanda Aandalen or visiting their website.