10 Things To Do In South Florida During The 2015 NHL Draft

By Nathalie Sczublewski

Originally Published to FloridaPanthers.com/DraftCentral on June 14, 2015

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Morikami Museum and Japanese Garden

South Florida is a hub for tourist attractions. From slots to sloths, we got you covered. Check out a few of these places while you’re down for the 2015 NHL Draft.

1. Everglades National Park (64.8 miles via Florida 821 Toll S; 1 hr 9 mins)

Spanning over 1.5 million acres, Everglades National Park offers plenty of sights and adventures for you and your family. Spot wildlife like turtles, alligators and herons on the Anhinga Trail or climb Shark Valley’s 65-foot observation tower for a bird’s eye view of the Everglades. Everglades National Park offers hiking, canoeing, biking, tram and boat tours and ranger led programs.

2. Wynwood Arts District (33.1 miles via Florida’s Turnpike; 35 mins)

Home to over 70 art galleries and the Art Basel fair, the Wynwood Arts District is a must see for the art lover. Developers transformed old warehouses and factories into art complexes, performance spaces and galleries. Wynwood Arts District is also home to cafes, restaurants and retailers.

3. Fort Lauderdale Beach (21.3 miles via I-595 E; 26 mins)

Spanning 23 miles of waterfront beauty, Fort Lauderdale is home to beaches that are a quick walk from hotels and restaurants. Beaches include Hollywood, Dania Beach, Deerfield, Pompano, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Fort Lauderdale. Swimming, surfing, fishing, stand up paddle boarding and parasailing are just a few of the many activities Fort Lauderdale offers.

Know Your Cats: Jimmy Hayes

Originally posted in FloridaPanthers.com on March 19, 2015

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Jimmy Hayes (Photo by Getty/Florida Panthers)

Jimmy Hayes immersed himself with hockey at a young age. A Boston native, the Panthers forward grew up cheering for the Boston Bruins as well as college hockey teams like the Boston College Eagles. At age two, Hayes laced up ice skates for the first time and played organized hockey by the time he was six-years-old.

Know Your Cats: Aaron Ekblad

Panthers rookie completes 50 NHL games, continues to exceed expectations

Originally published in FloridaPanthers.com on February 7, 2015

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The Ekblad brothers raced down the stairs to their basement and set up a shooting range in the corner. The older brother Darien strapped on his goaltending gear and stopped his little brother’s shots for hours.

“We had a blocker and a stick; sometimes we played with no shoes on. I remember breaking my brother’s foot one time,” Aaron Ekblad chuckled, as he shook his head. “It was pretty fun and we enjoyed it! We were always competitive and always pushed each other.”

Drafted first overall by Florida in 2014, Ekblad has just completed his 50th NHL game and has proved a difference maker for the young Panthers roster.Panthers rookie defenseman Ekblad grew up in the small town of Belle River, Ontario, Canada with his parents and older brother.

Know Your Cats: Willie Mitchell

Panthers Captain brings two rings and a wealth of experience to team

Originally published in FloridaPanthers.com on December 2, 2014 

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via Florida Panthers

Hockey has always been in Willie Mitchell’s blood. Raised in a hockey household and growing up in Port McNeill, British Columbia, Canada, it was only natural for this Panthers defenseman to play the game.

Hockey Fights Cancer hits home for Gudbranson

Gudbranson a strong supporter of Hockey Fights Cancer and Movember

Originally published in FloridaPanthers.com on November 14, 2014

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via Getty/Florida Panthers

Tonight, the Florida Panthers will host Hockey Fights Cancer Night when they take on the New York Islanders at BB&T Center. The cause hits home for Panthers defenseman, Erik Gudbranson. Gudbranson’s little brother Dennis, is a cancer survivor.

Giving his heart to the game

Originally published in Williston Northampton Alumni Bulletin on July 26, 2014

Inseparable UMass Minutewomen: The Farnham twins

Originally published in Amherst Wire on May 5, 2014

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Kate and Anne Farnham.
Photo by: Nathalie Sczublewski

The sun shone over McGuirk Stadium as the University of Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team took on George Mason on April 13th. The Minutewomen bench has a diverse group of girls. All from different backgrounds, some have freckles on their cheeks, others have dark hair and some have lighter hair. Then there is Kate and Anne Farnham, who are identical twins.

The Farnham sisters play defense for the women’s lacrosse team. In a recent interview, the girls say they enjoy being on a team together because they learn from each other.

Kids, let me tell you what I learned from watching “How I Met Your Mother”

Originally published in Amherst Wire on April 15, 2014

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March 31, 2014 marked the end of an era. The CBS comedy, “How I Met Your Mother” aired its final episode. Fans, like me, grew close to Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor), Lily Aldrin-Eriksen (Alyson Hannigan), Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segal), Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) for nine years. We’ve seen these characters go through marriages, fall in and out of love, interventions, death and moments that were, as Barney would say, legendary. From those nine wonderful seasons, “How I Met Your Mother” has instilled life lessons that I hold near and dear to my heart.

Marky Ramone visits UMass

Originally published in Amherst Wire on March 31, 2014

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“Yeah!” hollers Joey Ramone in a video clip from the US Festival in 1982. “We are, we are the Ramones, yeah! And you heard it here first. Right here,” he said, catching his breath. The Ramone’s pounding drum beats from the old video clip filled the Student Union Ballroom on Monday, March 24th when halfway through the song, drummer, Marky Ramone, hopped onto the stage to talk to students. Students listened as Ramone told them about growing up in New York, the rise of punk music, The Ramones, substance abuse, the road to getting clean and life after The Ramones.

UMass Amherst searches for ways to remain ‘vet-friendly’

Originally published in Amherst Wire on December 17, 2013

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by Eric Bosco, Michelle Liu, Dan Peltier, James Petroskey, Nathalie Sczublewski, and Veronica Stracqualursi

Despite a student veteran population that has grown ten-fold in four years and having a reputation as a “vet-friendly” campus, the state’s flagship university has limited space on campus dedicated to veterans, while basic services to treat and diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury are underutilized.

“The (veterans) office is very, very small and there’s a lot of us,” said Casey Tylek, a 27-year-old Army veteran and UMass student.

Space veterans can call their own has been an issue at UMass Amherst. For years, the Veteran Services drop-in center has operated out of a small, cramped and rectangular office. The office has included a welcome desk, two computers, one lounge chair, a small round table and little space to walk. A new drop-in facility is opening in January — space some vets say is long overdue and some question whether it will be enough.