Felix E. Rodriguez III

University of Central Florida Journalism Student, Print/Digital track

Features

The Charge News •

UCF set to host MLV's top players in second annual All-Star Match

Major League Volleyball’s top players head to UCF to compete in the 2026 AdventHealth MLV All-Star Match at Addition Financial Arena, home of the Orlando Valkyries, at noon on Saturday.

This marks the second All-Star Match in MLV history after Purdue University head coach Dave Shondell’s all-stars defeated Georgia Tech head coach Michelle Collier’s team in a 58-47 aggregate score in February 2025 at Fishers Event Center.
Sons of UCF •

Basketball steps into the future on LED glass court at Big 12 tournament

Imagine a basketball court illuminated with dynamic graphics and real-time stats beneath the Big 12 athletes’ feet as they fight to claim a championship title.

That is the fan experience Chris Thornton, chief executive officer of ASB GlassFloor America, offers to those in-arena and viewers at home watching the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship Tournaments in Kansas City, Missouri.
Sons of UCF •

UCF anticipates tough matchup against No.1 Arizona

UCF men’s basketball faces its toughest challenges yet against the undefeated No.1 Arizona Wildcats, a team with 17 wins overall—four during conference play—and sits at the top of the Big XII in most offensive and defensive categories.

According to the Big XII 2025-2026 Men’s Basketball Overall Statistics Team Stats, Arizona leads the conference in scoring with more than 1,500 points, averaging 91 points per game and shooting 0.520% from the field.

Defensively, Arizona’s overall combined team rebounds average 43.6% per game with 742 rebounds and 511 team defensive rebounds on an average of 30.1% per game.
The Charge News •

‘It’s not a single effort’: UCF Athletics spreads awareness after recent student-athlete tragedies

Several young athletes took their own lives in 2025, and the impact has spread within and beyond their communities, including to experts at the University of Central Florida Athletics department.

Among the losses were Winter Springs High School softball player Kennedy Jackson, 15, Louisiana State University wide receiver Kyren Lacy, 24, and most recently, Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, 24.

The UCF Athletics Mental Health and Performance department, which provides mental health services to student-athletes, said its focus is prevention and figuring out other ways it can support student-athletes in light of these tragedies.
Oviedo Community News •

A look back five years later, how Greater Oviedo and Winter Springs found community during and after COVID-19 – Oviedo Community News

The search for camaraderie during the often isolating COVID-19 pandemic motivated self-proclaimed non-runner Eliza Whitmore to start Your Run Club in Oviedo. Five years later, it has become a community that has fostered lifelong friendships, introduced now-married couples, and helped dozens of people navigate tough times in life.

“I just have a megaphone and a dream,” Whitmore said. “People are appreciative of the community we bring together. I had no idea I would make this much of an impact...
Sons of UCF •

UCF men’s basketball opens Big 12 play against Kansas Jayhawks

UCF men’s basketball heads into the Big 12 2025-2026 season with an 11-1 record, the best start in the program’s history under head coach Johnny Dawkins, who said it gives the team confidence and the belief that they can compete.

This achievement comes from a new roster—with the exception of redshirt senior Poohpha Warakulnukroh and junior big man Elijah Hulsewe—and Dawkins praises the team for navigating through the challenges of developing chemistry and continuity.
The Charge News •

UCF College of Sciences community mourns the loss of Jane Goodall

Dr. Jane Goodall, a world-renowned primatologist, conservationist and humanitarian, was laid to rest on Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral after having died in October at age 91 from natural causes.

The news of Goodall's death had an immediate impact on members of the UCF community, from faculty to students.

Dr. Christina Kwapich, a UCF biology assistant professor, said she felt a great sense of loss after reading a headline on the Apple News app.

After sharing the article in a GroupMe chat with her research lab members, students and postdoctoral researchers, Kwapich described everyone as “devastated” and said the news was a shock to all of them.

“I immediately thought this is a giant of that era who's now gone,” Kwapich said.
The Charge News •

UCF instructor offers students 4D experience at Clinical Nutrition Grand Rounds: 'It was shocking'

The love of teaching nutrition to his undergraduate health sciences students led a UCF instructor to create a four-dimensional immersive experience that shows how stressful it can be to treat individuals in harsh environments.

The experience, started about a year ago by instructor Steven Burroughs, allows students to learn in environments that simulate those in which healthcare professionals regularly work, like intensive care units.

It has garnered attention from faculty and students alike, Burroughs said, motivating him to expand the accessibility to students who cannot be present.
Oviedo Community News •

Flashpoint's origin story: An escape from Cuba and a grandfather's American dream – Oviedo Community News

Danny Martinez did not believe comic book stores existed any longer growing up. Watching the portrayal of those stores on television shows, such as “The Simpsons,” led him to think it was only around in the 1980s and early 1990s.

At the time, Danny and his brother, Alex Morales, often went to a GameStop at the Palm Beach Lakes Mall, where they lived at the time. Not only did he enjoy the feeling of buying a new video game, but also the camaraderie of talking about them with other enthusiasts. Danny wanted to work at GameStop when he grew up, but Morales mocked the idea, telling him it was not a career.

After moving to Orlando in 2011, Danny said he was pleasantly surprised to discover multiple comic book stores in the area, and a place he once thought was gone became reality.
The Charge News •

Sunrise Movement at UCF plans to shine light on ICE, offer more opportunities to students in specific majors

The leaders of the UCF student hub for Sunrise Movement said they are focusing on matters beyond the mission of its national organization, including a campaign to provide resources for UCF students affected by U.S. immigration policies and an effort to offer more diverse opportunities to the student body through a referral program.

Sunrise Movement is a youth-led organization founded in April 2017 that advocates for political action on climate change. In the past, the movement played a role in pushing for climate-related legislation such as the Green New Deal and the Inflation Reduction Act, and has formed more than 100 hubs across the United States that run campaigns amplifying the organization’s mission.