The Crow's Nest - Volume 50 Issue 7- February 26

NEWS, page 3

NEWS, page 4

ARTS, page 8

St. Petersburg: known for sandy beaches, diverse culture and famous archaeological sites. Every two years, USF St. Petersburg anthropology students set out to Weedon Island in search of ancient artifacts— read about their most recent expedition here.

Experts from around the world came together in St. Petersburg to discuss and debate hot-topic issues ranging from opiods to diplomacy at the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs.

Despite notoriously low compensation, adjunct professors across the nation pursue their craft out of passion. Kate Alboreo, graphic design adjunct professor at USF St. Petersburg, is no different.

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Volume 50, Issue 7 - February 26, 2018 | Online at crowsneststpete.com

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Student Government elections begin today

By Whitney Elfstrom welfstrom@mail.usf.edu and Jonah Hinebaugh jonahh@mail.usf.edu

W

hen students begin voting today in the Student Government spring election, they will encounter a slender ballot and a history of voter apathy.

Only one presidential candidate is on the ballot — Daniel “Kaeden” Kelso and running mate Ysatis Jordan. They will be elected if a simple majority of voters endorse their ticket.

The other presidential ticket — Mariah McQueen and Samantha Fiore — was disqualified earlier this month for violating SG rules on collecting signatures for their campaign.

Also on the ballot are seven candidates, only one of whom is running for re-election, for the 30-member senate.

In recent years, voter turnout in SG elections has been poor. Last spring only 650 of the campus’ 4,475 students voted.

But the students who gain office hold sway over a big budget and a number of important student groups and activities.

Atop their duties is the annual $3.3 million budget

that is generated by students’ activities and service fees.

A little over half of that goes to help fund the University Student Center, but the rest is appropriated by Student Government to student organizations, programs and student life salaries.

The student body president, who makes a $10,687 salary under the 2017-2018 budget, and the vice president, who makes $8,700, hold powerful positions at USF St. Petersburg and play a vital part in student operations.

The president represents the student body before the faculty, administration and Campus Board of Trustees.

The president is also responsible for appointing the executive cabinet and the supreme court.

Once elected, the senators OF YSATIS JORDAN must join two of four Kaeden Kelso (right), is running unopposed for student body presidentCOURTESY with running mate committees: appropriations, Ysatis Jordan (left). Their campaign slogan is “commitment you can count on: there’s policy, special funding or strength in unity, and with unity we take action.” university and committee affairs. A fifth committee running on a platform centered includes the senate around student success and committee chairs that is head university enhancement.

Voting, which is held in The Reef, began at Kelso, a junior, said he fell by the senate pro tempore.

8 a.m. today and ends at 5 p.m. Thursday.

The senate president makes in love with the university at an early age because his father $7,290 and the senate pro Results will be announced at 6 p.m. tempore makes $5,467. The Kent Kelso was once the Thursday. regional vice chancellor for other senators are unpaid.

Meet the senate candidates on page 2. >> SEE VOTING on P2 Kelso and Jordan are

Vote now in the USC

Former presidential candidate resigns from senate

By Emily Wunderlich ewunderlich@mail.usf.edu

M

ariah McQueen resigned from the senate Friday after a lengthy battle with the Student Government election rules commission and supreme court following her disqualification from the general election.

“Recent events have challenged me to rethink the ethics and environment of this group,” McQueen’s email to SG said. “I have decided that my

THE CROW’S NEST Since 1969

time and energy is more worthy and appreciated elsewhere.”

After her case was denied by the SG supreme court Feb. 19, McQueen turned to regional vice chancellor of student affairs Patricia Helton, who requested that the commission reconsider McQueen’s eligibility for candidacy.

McQueen was told by the commission that her disqualification still stands, even though the commission failed to provide her with the minutes from the meeting.

“I feel like this has been going in a circle,” McQueen said. “I’ve gone to the dean of students, I’ve gone to Dwayne Isaacs (director of student life and engagement) twice, I’ve gone to Patti Helton, I’ve gone to Dr. Tadlock. I’ve basically been pointed in a circle.”

McQueen and her running mate, Samantha Fiore, were disqualified from running for student body president and vice president Feb. 12 after the election rules commission unanimously decided that they “submitted signatures obtained in violation of the packet rules.”

The duo needed to obtain 100 signatures each on their campaign packets in order to be eligible for candidacy.

McQueen collected signatures on Fiore’s behalf, and Jonah Goodman, a former SG senator, helped collect signatures on behalf of both candidates.

The disqualification left presidential candidate Kaeden Kelso and running mate Ysatis Jordan to run unopposed.

After the disqualification, McQueen brought her case to

SG’s supreme court, stating that the rule regarding signatures was not binding and that the commission violated its own rules in how it conducted the Feb. 12 meeting.

In a general business meeting Feb. 19, the supreme court decided it would not take McQueen’s case after an hour and a half of deliberation.

Shannon Scanlon, SG supervisor of elections, waived her right to having SG’s attorney general serve as her legal counsel in the meeting. Instead, she was represented by student body president David Thompson.

“My job was supposed to be to represent the supervisor of elections, and I understand why she may not have wanted me to represent her,” SG attorney general Marion Nuraj

said. “However, that’s why we have deputy attorney generals.

In this case, a special counsel could’ve been appointed to represent her.”

Although he believes that Thompson’s move was unethical, Nuraj decided he would not pursue the issue further because “there is no statute that prevents (Thompson) from representing a member in court.”

When McQueen was elected to senate in October 2016, her goal was to eventually run for student body president. As a junior, she is disappointed that this was her “last chance” to achieve that goal.

“If you had asked me how long I wanted to stay in Student Government three >> SEE MCQUEEN on P3

THE CROW’S NEST IS THE WEEKLY STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA ST. PETERSBURG. ALL CONTENT IN THE PUBLICATION IS PRODUCED BY USFSP STUDENTS. SINGLE COPIES FREE.

THE C ROW ’S NE ST

February 26, 2018

Meet the 2018 senate candidates

By Anna Bryson annabryson@mail.usf.edu and Delaney Brown delaneybrown@mail.usf.edu and Jonah Hinebaugh jonahh@mail.usf.edu

COURTESY OF TYRA WARREN

Tiffany Porcelli, 20, is a sophomore political science major from East Lake, Florida. She was elected as a student government senator last year and is running for re-election. She serves as the University and Community Affairs Chairwoman, and sits on the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Special Funding.

She wrote “We Stand With Parkland,” a joint resolution stating that USF St. Petersburg stands behind those affected by the mass shooting at Marjory Douglas High School. A main goal for her is to create equal opportunities for all students.

She enjoys talking with students to hear concerns and solve problems.

Tyra Warren, 18, is a freshman English literature major from Coral Springs, Florida.

Her goal if elected is to represent the marginalized, including the freshmen and sophomores who feel like they don’t have a strong voice.

She describes herself as an objective leader who doesn’t let emotion play a role in her decision-making.

A goal of hers is for student government to be more involved with people on campus.

Warren said she feels like student government seems closed off to students and a goal of hers is to make it seem more open and to make students feel more comfortable participating and talking to their leaders.

“I want to bridge that gap between the people that are officials and those that are constituents,” Warren said.

She also has a creative side that she shows through her painting and crocheting.

COURTESY OF ARIEL DUHART

Ariel Duhart, 19, is a freshman environmental

science major who dreams of becoming an environmental lawyer. As an environmental science major, Duhart is running on an environmental platform. She plans to promote environmentally conscious policies and support environmental initiatives such as banning single use plastics in the Reef.

“A major goal I would like to see come to fruition would be greater student involvement and a generally more informed student body,” Duhart said.

Duhart is a programming team member in Compass, an on-campus organization that supports first-year students’ transition from high school or other colleges to USF St. Petersburg.

LUKE CROSS | THE CROW’S NEST

Mychael Sherill, 19, is a freshman psychology major who wants student government to be a voice of the people. Sherill believes that senators are public servants and plans to be just that if elected. He wants students to feel like they can approach their senators and feel like they’re having their voices heard.

Sherill was motivated by his love of USF St. Petersburg to run for office.

“I saw how accepting, not tolerant but accepting, this campus was, and I really wanted to contribute to that,” he said. “This is the safest

I’ve ever felt on any school campus in my life, and I want to help keep this campus like that for other students.”

Sherrill is a member of Pride at USFSP, Black Student Association, and the Caribbean Club. When he’s not busy there, he indulges in the occasional Garden Club meeting and crochets or reads to relax.

Philopateer Rizkalla is a sophomore biology major with a biomedical concentration. If elected, Rizkalla hopes to use his office to help students connect with student government.

Rizkalla is focused on partnerships between Student Government and campus clubs. He’s a big fan of clubs and extracurriculars and plans to push for bigger budgets so that student-led clubs and organizations can flourish.

Outside of class, he works as a pharmacy tech at Publix.

He’s also an avid soccer player in the school’s soccer club

LUKE CROSS | THE CROW’S NEST

Senate candidate Mary Jacobsen can often be found hanging out at the Tavern at Bayboro. As a junior, she has attended USF St. Petersburg for almost three years and she feels that she has a comprehensive understanding of the university and its needs.

Jacobsen is running for senate because she wants to create a more positive relationship between SG and the student body through greater transparency of elected officials. She cares about students’ experience at the university and wants to make that experience better for every student by increasing student engagement.

LUKE CROSS | THE CROW’S NEST

Joseph Sook, junior political science major, believes representing USF St. Petersburg and its students is and honor.

The Dunedin, Floridaraised transfer student has been involved with election campaigns including one for Mayor Rick Kriseman. He transferred because of the unique and beautiful campus environment, and because of how accepting everyone is at this institution.

Sook is disappointed by the lack of turnout and wants to encourage students to be involved with SG because it will allow them to become more informed and engaged.

COURTESY OF RIZKALLA

VOTING, continued from P1 student affairs here.

He was born in Texas, but moved around as a child – living in Florida three separate times as well as Kentucky and Indiana.

The political science major said he wants to leave USF St. Petersburg a better university.

Jordan, a junior, was born in San Diego but raised in Kissimmee in central Florida.

She said she knew she wanted to run for president or vice president as soon as she arrived at the university.

She said she and Kelso are a good choice because they know the inner workings of campus and student government.

Kelso is the senate special funding chair and Jordan is the senate pro tempore.

Together they hope to be the voice of the student body and to engage with students on a personal level.

“I want to make sure we focus more on the students than we did in the past because those are the people

who elected us and those we represent,” Jordan said.

They see their lack of opposition as a sign it was meant to be.

“It’s like my mother always told me, ‘For every choice you make you will either reap the benefit or have to face the consequences of your actions,’” Kelso said.

Kelso attended a campus town hall meeting Thursday that was marked by the apathy that has dogged student elections in recent years. Jordan was unavailable to attend because of a commitment with the Student Leadership Institute.

About 20 students attended.

Seven were candidates, two were members of SG and three are on The Crow’s Nest staff.

Two senate candidates stepped down before the election — Albert Moreno, the former SG appropriations chair, and Thomas Ryan, an

SG associate justice, who wishes to remain on the supreme court.

Student body president David Thompson and Shannon Scanlon, the SG supervisor of elections, led the candidates through a series of questions regarding how USF St. Petersburg has affected and what they hope see change in SG. Mary Jacobsen, a junior senate candidate, said that if she is elected she hopes to see more civic engagement from the student body. This hope was echoed by Tiffany Porcelli, incumbent SG senator.

Porcelli said that SG could do a better job informing students of when and where its meetings are held.

“I personally feel like it’s not public knowledge. I’ve talked to a lot of (students) and told them the opportunity to come in and express their concerns and they said, ‘Oh I didn’t know any of your meetings were public,’ and they’re all open door

policy,” she said. “So I feel Student Government could have marketed better to let (students) know their options.”

But why is it so important that students are tuned into what is happening at SG meetings?

The executive, legislative and judicial branches are responsible for being the voice of the student body and in order for them to represent students they need to be aware of student concerns.

“This campus shouldn’t (think negatively about SG).

We’re all students, it’s not like we’re a federal government and we’re way up here, like we’re all on the same playing field,” said Jacobsen. “Student Government is here to help the school — to help us.”

Considering the amount of money they control and the power they wield on campus the questions asked to senators were surprisingly tame. The questions focused on what brought the candidates to

the university and what their most significant academic experience has been.

The questions brought answers that sang praises for the university’s small class sizes and the beauty of the waterfront campus.

The presidential questions were more hard hitting and focused on transparency — one of Kelso and Jordan’s platform values — sustainability and collaborating with fellow student organizations.

Kelso said that he hopes to focus on getting more students involved in both SG elections and other student organizations through student partnerships. He also stressed the importance of advocating for students on issues like the proposed consolidation of the three USF campus’.

Though six of the seven senate candidates haven’t held office before, they seem confident in their ability to bring positive change.

TH E CROW ’ S N E ST

February 26, 2018

Senate critic seeks input from Tadlock

By Jeffrey Waitkevich jwaitkevich@mail.usf.edu

T

he state senator who says USF St. Petersburg is a school without a vision now apparently wants to ease some of the campus’ concerns about legislation that would abolish its independent accreditation.

Through an aide, Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, asked interim Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock to assemble concerns from the community about House Bill 423, which would consolidate the three campuses in the USF system under the control of Tampa.

Brandes and Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, the chief sponsor of the measure, did not respond to calls and emails from The Crow’s Nest last week.

But the Tampa Bay Times reported that Brandes has shared with Sprowls what he has heard from Pinellas County, where the proposal has prompted strong opposition.

According to an editorial in

the Times, which has called for guarantees that St. Petersburg will be treated fairly, Sprowls plans to “add details” designed to ease criticism of the proposal.

Tadlock said last week that he sent a list of five primary concerns to Brandes.

The list, he said, was assembled with the help of USF St. Petersburg Campus Board chair Stephanie Goforth and based on conversations with business and economic leaders in Pinellas County and retirees, faculty and students of the university.

Those five concerns are: 1. We will lack the research support needed to contribute to pre-eminence.

2. We do not have the same university model and resources needed that are available at USF Tampa to support student success (degree completion) at the level expected of a preeminent university.

3. We will be less accessible to Pinellas County students and lose our identity as St.

Petersburg’s university.

4.Campus-based leadership/governance structure will be lost and local control of governance, budget, curriculum, faculty and staff qualifications, etc. will be lost.

5. There will not be equitable distribution of funds.

Central to the current debate is the “pre-eminent state university” status that USF Tampa has achieved this year for the first time. With that designation, USF Tampa will get substantially more money from the Legislature.

Sprowls has said his consolidation proposal would ensure that the St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses would eventually get some of that pre-eminence money, too.

But in St. Petersburg, where leaders remember years of Tampa neglect, there is fear that the campus would be shortchanged if it loses its independent accreditation.

Last month, Tadlock took 12 concerns of his own to Tallahassee, many of which

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, who previously said that USF St. Petersburg has no “vision,” now wants to know what community’s concerns are and enlisted interim Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock to find them.

overlap with the five he sent to Brandes.

In an interview with The Crow’s Nest two weeks ago, Brandes brushed aside concerns about the consolidation proposal and how it was sprung – without advance notice – in the second week of the legislative session.

He also criticized the St. Petersburg campus, saying it lacked vision.

In Tallahassee, where legislators were absorbed last week in debates about gun control, there has

been no action on the USF consolidation proposal since it was unanimously approved by a House subcommittee on Feb. 6.

Its next stop, the House Education Committee, could come this week.

Rep. Ben Diamond, D-St. Petersburg, said that he had heard amendments are in the works, but he declined to comment on them because he is working with fellow legislators on possible solutions.

The legislative session is scheduled to end March 9.

MCQUEEN, continued from P1 weeks ago, I would’ve said, ‘I want to stay until I graduate,’” McQueen said. “But the last couple weeks, a lot of the true colors of Student Government have been revealed.

“As an outsider or even someone who wasn’t directly working with the top leadership in Student Government, I didn’t necessarily see the toxicity.”

McQueen said she pushed for serving students as a senator.

During her term, she attended

conferences in Washington D.C. and Jacksonville seeking strategies to improve elections on a campus with low voter turnout.

Two months into her term as senator, McQueen became policy chair and assumed the duties of conducting committee meetings, updating the senate at general assembly meetings and taking an unbiased stance on policy proposals.

“No matter how I felt about a bill — while it wasn’t stated in the rules — I felt obligated

to have (no) bias because that’s really a role the chair should play, especially when it comes to policy,” she said.

Now, McQueen said she plans to focus her energy on her academics and looks forward to “gaining a different experience professionally.”

“I’ve spent a year and a half in Student Government, and while I wish I emotionally could’ve stayed longer, I think it’s time that I move on and earn more skills in a different

environment,” she said.

Aside from advocating against consolidation, McQueen wants to establish a lobbyist club to help keep students informed and involved.

“I noticed as a senator, when I talked to students, not a lot of them really (know) what happens in Student Government,” she said. “If I’m able to pass on the knowledge of process of what goes on in Student Government, what goes on in our public

government, that would really help students become more involved on this campus.”

McQueen hopes her resignation will serve as a learning experience for leaders in Student Government.

“This is not a battle I want to fight anymore,” she said. “I hope that Student Government members become more aware of their procedural errors and how to learn from making mistakes, and also to respect who you work with more.”

By Anna Bryson annabryson@mail.usf.edu

found in the excavation.

The site the students excavated is the type site for Weedon Island, meaning it is considered the model of the Weedon Island people’s culture.

Dr. John Arthur is president of the Alliance for Weedon Island Archaeological Research and Education, which is a non-profit organization that facilitates long-term archaeological research on Weedon Island.

The class, which is for undergraduate students but has graduate student volunteers, uncovers the rich cultural history of the indigenous people by uncovering and analyzing artifacts they find on the site.

“A lot of times I’ve done archaeology where you dig and dig and you don’t find anything,” Dr. John Arthur said.

This recent expedition is far from the case.

Students this semester have made incredible discoveries, including post holes, which suggest the remnants of an open house. Marsh mussels were used to stabilize the posts, which leads students

to investigate the possible symbolic meaning.

“We found multiple artifacts laying flat, which suggests that it was a house floor,” said Liz Southard graduate anthropology student and USF St. Petersburg general education assistant. “This is evidence of a structure or living surface, which was really exciting.”

Southard spent two summers in Ethiopia with Dr. John Arthur and his wife, Dr. Kathy Arthur, who is also

an anthropology professor at USF St. Petersburg.

“They continue to serve as mentors for me post graduate, which is a unique thing that students get at USFSP as opposed to huge campuses,” said Southard.

It’s unique for students to be able to conduct excavations and get real field work experience during their undergraduate studies. They gain firsthand experience in proper excavation techniques and learn how to look for

anomalies that describe human behavior.

Students are working with Dr. John Arthur on an article that they intend to publish in a peer-reviewed journal.

On the site, students also found what looks like an activity area, filled with remnants of shell-based tools such as hammers.

Through excavations, students have found clues about the indigenous people of Weedon Island; their diet, activities and everyday lives.

Student archaeologists find remnants of past

T

ucked away in the most densely populated county in Florida is a 3,190-acre coastal system that indigenous peoples occupied for thousands of years.

USF St. Petersburg anthropology students conducted excavations at this natural area on Old Tampa Bay called Weedon Island. Led

by John W. Arthur, associate professor of anthropology at USF St. Petersburg, 16 students unearthed artifacts of indigenous people every weekend in February.

Weedon Island, located in North St. Petersburg, is home to one of the most famous archaeological sites in the Southeast known for unearthing beautiful pottery.

Students who participated in the excavations are enrolled in the class Seminar in Archaeological Methods and Theory.

The class was created by Dr. John Arthur and is only taught once every two years because it takes students two years after the class to analyze all of the materials

ANNA BRYSON | THE CROW’S NEST

Junior anthropology major Stephanie Pereira unearths fragments at Weedon Island archaeological site, searching for clues to the lives of past civilizations.

THE C ROW ’S NE ST

February 26, 2018

ST. PETERSBURG CONFERE

TIM FANNING | THE CROW’S NEST

Martin Tadlock (center), USF St. Petersburg’s interim regional chancellor, joined a panel at the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs on Thursday to discuss whether students are getting schooling that is relevant to their futures.

More than 70 experts gathered Tuesday through Friday for the sixth annual St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs.

The event, which was held at the University Student Center and the nearby Kate Tiedemann College of Business auditorium, was expected to have in excess of 2,000 people in attendance.

The conference featured nearly 40 discussion panels, ranging in topics from health care, international trade, foreign affairs and more.

Former ambassador Douglas L. McElhaney and political science professor Thomas Smith started the conference in 2013 as a one-day, 10 panel event that drew 200 people.

By Whitney Elfstrom welfstrom@mail.usf.edu

marketing and public relations at Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.

To Michael Francis, music director of The Florida Orchestra, the key to increasing cultural tourism is the local arts scene bonding through partnerships. He cited the orchestra’s collaborations with the Museum of Fine Arts and the Dali Museum to transform artwork into music. “(In St. Petersburg) we have something spectacular,” said Francis. “We have the glorious Dali Museum. We have the Museum of Fine Arts.

We have the Morean collection (of Dale Chihuly art). We have the Florida Orchestra, and when we work together this is something very exciting.”

Increasing cultural tourism in St. Petersburg would feed even more revenue into small businesses and the community, according to Susana Weymouth, executive director of Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts.

Weymouth cited a nationwide arts and economic study conducted by Americans for the Arts that found that the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates over $166.3 billion in economic activity every year.

Of that number, $63.8 billion is spent by arts and cultural organizations and $102.5 billion is from tourists’ spending on meals, drinks and clothing.

“The revenue is feeding into, directly into, small businesses and our community and making them stronger and more prosperous,” Weymouth said.

Orchestra music, museums make city hop

D

owntown St. Petersburg is overflowing with murals, galleries and live music, but what makes it an “arts mecca”?

Four people who ought to know agreed Thursday that the Museum of Fine Arts and the Florida Orchestra are key magnets in attracting cultural tourists.

“We draw visitors from all over because no matter where you’re from, the arts are for you and you can find yourself through the art,” said Kristen Shepherd, executive director of the Museum of Fine Arts.

Art helps bridge gaps and understanding between individuals, she said, and the museum specializes in illuminating points of human experience through works of art from across different cultures and time periods.

Shepherd also said that international visitors have told her that their visit to the museum “was one of the marvelous surprises of being in St. Petersburg.”

She joined panelists from the orchestra, an arts support organization and the local tourism marketing agency to discuss “international cultural tourism in the Sunshine City” – one of 40 panels during a world affairs conference on the USF St. Petersburg campus.

St. Petersburg is the third most visited tourist destination in Florida, right behind “Mickey and Miami,” said Leroy Bridges, head of digital

Daughter of photojournalist recounts his legacy

By Martha Rhine Contributor

O

f the many examples of African-American leaders in United States history, Griff Davis stood out for his unique contributions as a photographer, journalist and diplomat.

That was how Griff wished to be remembered.

His daughter, Dorothy, shared her father’s story alongside many of his photographs during a presentation for the sixth annual St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs on Feb. 22.

Griff’s photographs exhibited his penchant for capturing thoughtful moments of African-Americans in a

segregated United States. The photographs featured influential moments and figures in U.S. history such as Langston Hughes, Thurgood Marshall and Martin Luther King Jr. Griff worked as the campus photographer for Spelman College and Morehouse College, where he attended, and as a freelance photographer for the Atlanta Daily World and Hughes, who was a mentor and friend.

He served in the Army during WWII as a Buffalo Soldier and later as the first roving editor for Ebony Magazine before attending Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Griff’s photographs for the Palmer Memorial Institute

in North Carolina was his breakthrough project for Ebony Magazine. The school was the first black boarding school that prepared students for college. His photographs depicted black youth dancing at prom, playing tennis and praying before meals.

“Photography was the only way he could express himself as a black man,” Dorothy said.

Griff’s pioneering role with the U.S. Foreign Service lead him to Liberia, where he continued to work as a freelance photojournalist and diplomat.

After her father’s death, Dorothy set out to compile his work – a process that took her two years. It took another 25 years to piece together his story.

Expert panel mulls the pain of opioid addiction

By Anna Bryson annabryson@mail.usf.edu

D

espite accounting for only 4 percent of the world’s population, the U.S. uses 96 percent of its opioids.

At least that’s what Iqbal Paroo, a moderator at the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs, told a crowd of about 60 people at a panel on Feb. 22.

Paroo, a Tampa Baybased consultant on health care systems and investment strategies, moderated a panel titled “How’d we get hooked?

The opioid pandemic and what to do about it.”

The panelists sought to clear up confusion surrounding the crisis, explain its deadly breadth, clarify the numbers thrown around by the news media and suggest solutions and preventive measures.

Opioid overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans under 50, said Susan Tuite, a Florida Bar boardcertified health care attorney.

How did we get here? Tuite explained that when Purdue

Pharma petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to approve OxyContin in 1995, the company marketed it as a drug that was different from other opioids and would not cause addiction.

But since OxyContin hit the shelves in 1996, she said, more than 560,000 Americans have died from opioid abuse.

The opioid crisis has become a global issue, said Gilles Raguin, a medical doctor and infectious disease specialist who works with drug users internationally.

In Europe, substitution treatment for opioid addiction is free, Raguin said. But in the U.S. there are not a lot of facilities that use substitution treatment, and it is very expensive where it is available.

Another part of the disparity in addiction rates between the U.S. and other countries could be Americans’ attitudes toward pain relief, said Dr. Donna Petersen, dean of the College of Public Health and senior associate vice president at USF Health.

“Americans have the idea

that they should not have to feel pain and it should be able to be managed,” said Petersen.

Petersen emphasized the importance of a public health approach, instead of a criminal one, because the opioid abuse crisis is a multifaceted public health challenge.

All of the panelists conveyed that compassion is a key part of the solution.

People did not just wake up and decide to become addicts, they said.

As part of a comprehensive approach, they said, stigmas about substance abuse and mental health need to be addressed as part of the solution.

Prevention is key.

Petersen cited a Los Angeles Times article about how Purdue Pharma and a network of international companies known as Mundipharma are moving into Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to promote opioids for pain relief.

“As the credits roll on the U.S.’s horrible experience, I hope the sequel is not about this moving out into the rest of the world,” Petersen said.

TH E CROW ’ S N E ST

February 26, 2018

ENCE ON WORLD AFFAIRS JONAH HINEBAUGH | THE CROW’S NEST

“Americans have the idea that they should not have to feel pain,” said Dr. Donna Petersen (right), dean of the College of Public Health and senior associate vice president at USF Health.

NANCY MCCANN | THE CROW’S NEST

It is important to recognize that the world’s problems are “deeply intermeshed,” Thomas R. Pickering declares at the campus’ sixth annual conference on world affair.

Former ambassador: US Diplomacy vital

By Nancy McCann Contributor

T

oday’s international environment is the strangest and most unpredictable he has ever seen.

That assessment came Tuesday from Thomas R. Pickering, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, who told an audience of almost 500 at the opening of St. Petersburg’s Conference on World Affairs that the art of diplomacy is changing very quickly.

In the conference’s keynote address, Pickering said the rapid decline of democratic norms in Washington and high-speed electronic communication don’t leave us with “much time to think these days.”

China and Russia are “particularly challenging,” he said, but this does not mean we are “inevitably destined to enter into broad conflicts with either of them.”

Pickering said because of the “diminishment” of the United States’ popularity around the world, diplomatic relationships are vital.

It is also important to avoid unintended consequences

Diplomacy or a big stick?

By Jeffrey Waitkevich jwaitkevich@mail.usf.edu

D

by understanding how the problems of the world are “deeply intermeshed,” such as energy policy, the environment and climate change, he said.

Pickering’s career as a U.S. diplomat stretched over five decades. He was the under secretary of state for political affairs in 1997-2000 and served as ambassador to Russia, India, Israel, Nigeria, Jordan, El Salvador and the United Nations.

He has the title of career ambassador, the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service, and is now chairman of the board of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

Pickering’s address kicked off four days of presentations from more than 70 diplomats, academics, authors and business executives on the USF St. Petersburg campus.

The sixth annual international affairs conference is expected to draw about 2,000 people to hear from nearly 40 panels of experts. It ends Friday.

In his keynote address, Pickering offered an overriding message: Avoid

single solutions, like relying solely on the military to solve problems in countries like Iran, Syria and North Korea. He said he is nervous “in this day and age where presidents speak lightly of using nuclear weapons.”

Diplomacy should be “out in front” and the military should be used in instances where we have to defend the country, he said. “Diplomacy always works best when we have the world’s best military, the world’s best economy and the world’s best set of principles and values.”

Pickering said he agrees with President Donald Trump in “ratcheting up pressure on North Korea,” but said that it needs to be linked with the opening of diplomatic channels.

He likened toughness without diplomacy to welding the top of a pressure cooker shut. If it keeps on going, he said, it will explode.

“We are not as a government well configured with this rapidly changing world,” said Pickering.

But in the end, he said, the fundamental checks and balances of our system will prevail.

iplomacy has changed the way people go to war, and America has played a heavy hand in it.

At the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs on Friday, four diplomats discussed how important diplomacy is in every international conflict and how it is evolving.

Their panel was titled “War vs. diplomacy: Which one, when?”

Moderator Pierre Guerlain, a professor emeritus of American Studies at Université Paris-Nanterre, France, said that the early description of diplomacy was summed up in Theodore Roosevelt’s famous quote, “speak softly and carry a big stick.”

Now, Guerlain asked, “When do you use the big stick?”

During World War I, all the world’s powers wanted to avoid war but accepted it because diplomacy was absent, said Charles Skinner, a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer who teaches courses on foreign policy and diplomacy at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

According to Paul Berg, a member of the U.S. Foreign Services since 1983, diplomacy originated on the ideology that using words were important for countries to win wars. Then the U.S. brought in

majors to St. Petersburg.

His comments came during a discussion titled “How do we make our education systems more relevant?”

Although they are still in the discussion stage, the three potential majors are gaining the interest of businesses in the Pinellas County community, Tadlock said.

TradeWinds Island Resorts on St. Pete Beach was part of a conversation last week with the Sarasota-Manatee campus and St. Petersburg administrators, he said.

“We got what the big picture would look like for students,” Tadlock said.

“We talked about what (the resort’s) needs are, and what they’re looking for.

We talked about internships and other opportunities they (would) have for our students so we can eventually build that relationship.”

Tadlock said he and Robert H. Bishop, the dean of the College of Engineering in Tampa, have begun discussions on a feasibility study that would identify the needs of Pinellas County and the specific engineering fields the college could offer in St. Petersburg.

Engineering is one of the three programs that leaders of

the USF system have promised to invest in here if a proposal to abolish the St. Petersburg campus’ separate accreditation is enacted by the legislature.

The others are health care and marine science.

The controversial consolidation bill, which would put St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee under the control of Tampa, is still pending in Tallahassee.

Insurance risk management, a program tied to the Tampa finance major, would be on the table for St. Petersburg, Tadlock said. The SarasotaManatee campus began offering a risk management

the “uniquely American winwin proposition,” he said.

This idea that would allow everyone to benefit is the key to diplomacy, said Skinner, since a reconstruction project with everyone involved would make terrorism extremely difficult because “they’re attacking the whole world.”

“There are problems in the world,” said Skinner. “Usually these problems are bigger than any country in the world, bigger than the United States.

What (the world) needs to solve them is cooperation.”

Former ambassador Herman J. Cohen, who retired after serving as assistant secretary of state for African affairs under President George H. W. Bush, noted that the biggest change has been in communication.

Before the instant messaging of today, Cohen said, he was only able to receive messages during a set time frame at his location in Africa. He said that he found out President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated when he received a call that required phone lines to be turned on after hours.

Despite the revamped communication abilities and realization that unity was necessary for success, there is still room for improvement, Berg said.

America still doesn’t have the necessary institutions for success, he said, and when it does succeed, it is usually because of the efforts of individuals.

Campus may get 3 new majors, says chancellor

By Tim Fanning Contributor

U

SF St. Petersburg may be getting engineering, hospitality and insurance risk management majors in the coming years.

Interim Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock made that announcement Feb. 22 during a panel discussion at the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs.

Although light on specifics, Tadlock said talks have already begun with the Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee campuses to bring those

and insurance major last fall.

The potential majors in hospitality, engineering and insurance risk management, like many of the majors at USF St. Petersburg, would be geared to meet future career needs in Pinellas County, Tadlock said.

Tadlock also discussed an increase in campus jobs for students. Since the school has established more relationships within the community, he said, the number of students involved in internships off campus has “dramatically increased” in the last five years.

THE C ROW ’S NE ST

February 26, 2018

USF football needs stronger conference

THE CROW’S NEST The Crow’s Nest is committed to providing its readers with news relevant to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and its surrounding community. The Crow’s Nest abides by the highest ethical standards and focuses on stories that help readers make informed decisions on current issues. We take seriously the public’s trust in our news reporting and strive to uphold the highest standards of reporting as defined by the Society of Professional Journalists. Opinions in this newspaper do not necessarily represent those of the administration, faculty or student body.

Reach Us USFSP Student Life Center Office 2400 140 Seventh Ave. S. St. Petersburg, FL, 33701 (727) 873-4113 usfcrowsnest@gmail.com

Staff Michael Moore Jr Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Whitney Elfstrom Managing Editor Emily Wunderlich Online Editor Jeffrey Waitkevich News Editor Anna Bryson Arts & Life Editor Luke Cross Opinion & Features Editor Delaney Brown Assistant Editor

By Michael Fergusson Contributor

I

f USF wants to be taken seriously in football, they need to be in a better conference.

But first they need to crush the conference they’re already in.

What the Bulls have accomplished over the past two seasons is no easy task.

They had double-digit wins and came in second place in the American Athletic East.

Coming in second is the problem though — it’s good, but not good enough. They also didn’t even make it to the American Athletic Conference championship game in either of those seasons.

A large problem with being in the AAC for football is the lack of competition.

University of Central Florida, Houston and Memphis have shown that they’re threats, but teams like UConn and Cincinnati are barely blips on the radar for the Bulls — let alone the rest of the country.

Beating the weaker teams

Brianna Rodriguez Creative Director

Operations Brenden DelaRua Business Manager Rob Hooker Adviser

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Letters can be sent to michaelmoor@mail.usf.edu with subject title “Letter to the Editor.”

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this is that the Big 12 is seen as the weakest of the Power 5 conferences because it hasn’t won anything major during the playoff era.

The Big 12 passed on expansion in 2016, but USF has shown improvement in the following years, with two double-digit win seasons and an improvement in television ratings, as well as attendance.

It is only a matter of time before the Power 5 adds a couple of teams, and USF should be one of them.

Moreover, the PAC-

12 Conference and the Big 10 Conference are out of the question. Putting geographical location aside, Big 10 ball is too dominant on both sides of the ball.

USF just isn’t good enough yet to compete.

The PAC-12 should also be crossed off of the list because their style of game, which is full of offensive weapons and respectable defense, run plays and formations that would confuse the life out of the Bulls’ defense.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

The USF Bulls failed to make the American Athletic Conference championship game, despite the conference having little competition for football.

Letter to the Editor: Tragedy’s lessons

Design

Jonah Hinebaugh Photography Editor

isn’t something to brag about.

The Bulls are expected to win, so those wins are just avoiding embarrassment.

The second biggest problem is on the homefront.

Despite playing easier teams, USF hasn’t been able to overcome the hump of losing crucial games that would send them to the AAC championship game.

Last season, even with a home loss to Houston, USF was only one game away from the championship game. This is obviously easier said than done as conference rival UCF went on to finish the season undefeated with a win over Auburn, but the rivalry game was still decisive.

In the season before that, if USF beat Temple, the Bulls could’ve gone on to host the championship game.

Despite not playing in the championship game, USF did beat Power 5 teams at the Birmingham Bowl two years in a row. The problem was that the teams they beat, South Carolina and Texas Tech, were 6-6 and still gave the Bulls, who were 10-2 one year and 9-2 the other, a run for their money.

Nevertheless, USF has shown dominance in the AAC throughout the years, so the next item on the “USF shopping list” should be looking for a better conference.

The Big 12 should be at the top of the list because it is a perfect fit as both feature highscoring offenses.

The only problem with

By Alyssa Winston USFSP 2016 Graduate

W

henever I tried to describe my hometown to people, I’d say it was a tiny town with a few traffic lights and more horses than people.

Now that tiny, quiet town has been shaken to its core and is being covered on news stations across the United States.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is one of the focal points of our town.

You really can’t go anywhere in Parkland without passing the high school.

But now my high school has become both a crime scene and a memorial.

I was in the first freshman class to use Building 12, and now, less than ten years later, it’s going to be destroyed because no one will ever want

to enter that building again.

My memories of that building involved worrying about whether I’d make it to class on time or if I’d pass a test that day.

Douglas students’ memories of Building 12 will now be of their friends and teachers being shot in front of them, and having to hide in closets and pray for their lives.

Seventeen families lost loved ones. Faculty and students’ lives will be forever changed. And our community will never be the same.

My senior research at USF St. Petersburg was a 30-page paper advocating stricter gun regulations for those with mental health illnesses, with a focus on mass shootings.

Never did I think that my home town, which was recently voted “Safest Town In Florida,” would be the site of the next mass shooting.

I’m back in my home town now, working on my master’s degree and the scene of the latest mass shooting that I’m seeing on TV every day isn’t a high school that’s a thousand miles away. It’s my own.

Since that horrible day, the surrounding community has been gathering almost every night for vigils and candlelighting ceremonies where we hold each other, cry with one

another and vow that we will be the change together.

We are the generation that is standing up and saying “enough is enough!”

There were 39 phone calls to the local police about this shooter, many of which expressed extreme alarm — and the possibility that he might even target a local school.

Instead of taking action, our government officials parrot cliches like “we hear you” and “our thoughts and prayers are with you.”

They hope that those platitudes will hide the fact

that they’re cutting funding for mental health and refusing to consider bills that would strengthen gun regulations.

We want action now.

Military-grade firearms should be kept out of the hands of civilians. We need our elected officials to put country before party and unify for the common good.

Our souls — and the souls of seventeen dead students and faculty — cry out for justice. We are on a mission to ensure that their voices are heard and that no other town in America suffers the way we’re suffering now.

COURTESY OF MARIA XIMENA

School shootings across the nation, such as the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, drive concerned citizens to push for stricter gun control laws.

TH E CROW ’ S N E ST

February 26, 2018

Legal aid program offers guidance to students

By Luke Cross lukecross@mail.usf.edu

S

tudent Government’s office of the attorney general is offering a program that provides USF St. Petersburg students with free legal advice.

The Legal Aid program pairs students with local licensed attorneys looking for pro-bono work. The attorneys provide students with advice on any legal issue – including criminal charges, traffic tickets, misdemeanors,

felonies, divorce or civil law.

“When I was contacted by the solicitor general for the Tampa campus, I jumped on that ship right away,” said Marion Nuraj, Student Government’s attorney general. “It’s just so beneficial for students. Certainly now, with all the negativity going around.”

While the attorneys can provide legal guidance, the program does not include free representation in court.

“Students can get free legal advice, but hiring one of the attorneys needs to be paid for and depends on if the attorney

wants to take the case or not,” Nuraj said.

There is no limit to the amount of legal aid appointments a student can request, but the program hasn’t seen much use since it came to USF St. Petersburg.

“USF Tampa has had a Legal Aid program for about a year,” Nuraj said. “We’ve had this program in place for about six months; however, we haven’t had much media coverage so not many students know about it.”

Due to the low demand,

there are currently two attorneys partnered with USF. St Petersburg’s Legal Aid program.

“If we get more requests, I’ll look into bringing more lawyers to match student needs.

I’m confident we can get more if we need to,” Nuraj said.

Students looking to request legal aid should contact Nuraj, who will provide them with a waiver to fill out before any advice can be given.

“The form and request won’t go on the student’s record or file or anything. It’s here to hold us liable that they

won’t use the services to sue the university,” Nuraj said.

The program cannot be used against the university, but legal issues with fellow students are fair game.

“One student can be another student’s tenant, and they can get legal advice on how to fight their tenants decisions,” Nuraj said. “Anything with a legal process surrounding it, the attorneys can help with.”

For more information or to request legal aid, contact Marion Nuraj at nurajm@ mail.usf.edu.

W hat to do this week: Feb. 26-March 4

By Ashley Campbell Contributor MONDAY Hey Bulls! This week is Spring Wellness Week.

To start off the week there will be free massages and refreshments from noon until 2 p.m. on Harborwalk. Also, from noon to 12:30 p.m. take a meditation break in SLC 2200. There will also be Safe Zone Ally Training from 2 until 5 p.m. in SLC 2100.

Be sure to sign up, spots are filling up quickly.

TUESDAY On day two of Wellness Week you can enjoy games while getting free safe sex supplies and spring break kits. “Sextravaganza” will be from noon until 2:30 p.m. on Harborwalk. For the second event of the day enjoy a free massage again. To claim your free 20 minute massage, head to SLC 2200 from 1 until 4 p.m.

Be sure to call ahead (727-8734422).

Ken Nwadike Jr., the founder of Free Hugs Project will be on campus in the USC Ballrooms. This event is open to the campus and community.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY A free suicide prevention training will be in SLC 2200 from noon to 1:30 p.m for all students, staff, and faculty.

Space is limited so be sure to sign up! Also,there will be free HIV screening in SLC 2200 from 1 until 3 p.m. there will be in SLC 2200. Your results will be ready within 20 minutes. All you have to do is call (727) 873-4422.

THURSDAY The Metro Wellness Mobile Testing Unit will be providing free Hepatitis C and HIV screenings from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. To continue the free goodies trend, there will be free health and

wellness screenings, and more free spring break kits from 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. on the SLC Patio.

FRIDAY Head on over to Open Mic Night: Social Media & SelfEsteem at The Edge from 6:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.. Students may submit original work about mental health and how social media plays a role in your self esteem. Enjoy free food, music, poetry and more!

SATURDAY Are you a fan of seafood?

Then check out the 2nd Annual St. Petersburg Seafood & Music Festival from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Saturday and 11 a.m. -7 p.m. Sunday in Vinoy Park.

There will be live music and plenty of food to eat. General admission is $7 at the gate or $5 in advance. There will also be a variety of marketplace arts and crafts and products that will have a nautical theme.

SUNDAY Join The Righteous Brothers, comprised of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Bill Medley and Bucky Heard, for a rendition of their radio hits in concert at the Mahaffey Theater from 7 until 9 p.m. Tickets range from $39 to $69.

THE C ROW ’S NE ST

February 26, 2018

Passion outweighs pay for adjunct professor

By Andrea Perez Contributor

A

s a fine arts undergraduate, Kate Alboreo knew that she’d find joy in teaching.

Preparing for it, however, has become a persistent race against the clock. Now a 30-year old graphic design adjunct professor, the artist juggles to find time for lecture planning while attempting to provide students with a space to discover their creative mark.

“What I love to do is really challenging and it’s a taxing profession. There’s a performative aspect of it that is physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting,” Alboreo said.

On Mondays and Wednesdays Alboreo wakes up anywhere between 5:30 and 6 a.m. in order to make the drive from Seminole Heights to USF St. Petersburg. She teaches until 8:45 p.m.

Alboreo teaches at the Tampa campus and works at the Contemporary Art Museum in Tampa the remaining days of the week while filling in part time at a restaurant on the weekends.

“As an adjunct and as a new teacher, I spend a lot of time developing lessons, demos and lectures,” Alboreo said.

Although Alboreo is paid

for working 28 hours a week, which includes 4 office hours, she spends roughly 10 to 20 hours planning lessons. As an adjunct with a master’s degree, she makes $3,000 per course but still relies on her two other jobs to cover daily expenses and student loan payments.

“I have to keep other jobs because adjuncting is so unpredictable,” she said.

“Last semester I thought I was going to have three classes and then one of them didn’t get enough enrollment.

So when I don’t get enough classes I have to kind of hold on to something else.”

When asked about time management and its effect on class performance, she was quick to emphasize that although her dedication is strongly consistent, not getting paid enough for the time spent on planning lectures is frustrating.

Alboreo said she would rather spend time preparing quality lessons for her students than splitting her time across her other jobs.

“I’m paying more in my student loans right now than I pay for rent and utilities combined,” she said. “Just because I don’t get paid enough for the time that I spend working doesn’t mean that they should have less of an educational experience.”

Alboreo earned her master’s degree at USF St. Petersburg in May. On Mondays, after reviewing the instructions during a typical drawing class, she’ll play a Spotify playlist curated by the students and walk around the classroom giving feedback.

“Learning by doing is huge. I try to avoid too much demoing. I’m interested in saying to the student ‘here’s a hint of what you need to do and now go do it.’ Then I walk around the classroom and help each one individually,” she said.

Alboreo doesn’t feel strongly for, or against the adjuncts’ efforts for higher pay, but says that job security is a probable gain for all of them in the coming union election.

“Though unions are in theory a great idea, I saw too many instances of union employees losing out on benefits the company was able to offer non-union employees, and rarely were they paid any better,” Alboreo said.

“The best thing I saw most unions offering was job security — it is tough to fire union employees.” she said. “Because working as an adjunct is so fickle any way, and largely dependent on student enrollment. I’m not sure that would do much good.”

ANDREA PEREZ | THE CROW’S NEST

Teaching is something Kate Alboreo has always dreamed of doing, but she also has to keep other jobs because of the unpredictability that comes with being an adjunct professor.

ANDREA PEREZ| THE CROW’S NEST

Even though she relies on two other jobs to cover living expenses, adjunct design professor Kate Alboreo believes job security takes precedence over higher pay for adjuncts.

Campus Grind hosts student art gallery

By Dylan Hart Contributor

A

longside the aroma of brewing coffee and the laid-back atmosphere of The Campus Grind comes a new addition: student art.

The Grind hosted a student art gallery on Feb. 23, that displayed fascinating paintings, drawings and photography for visitors to enjoy.

“A few years ago, The Grind used to do art shows, but then it stopped for a variety of reasons,” said Chris Campbell, multimedia specialist for VideoWorks and adjunct professor of

photography. “[The Grind] asked if we wanted to do it again, and I thought it would be a great opportunity for students to show their stuff.”

Campbell expressed a desire to return to more regular student art exhibits in partnership with The Grind and has encouraged his students to submit their work.

The Campus Grind, a coffee bar tied to USF St. Petersburg, is located on the east end of campus, sharing a building with The Tavern at Bayboro.

Art from the exhibit ranged from Campbell’s students’ landscape photography to abstract paintings and drawings

displayed separately from the photography on the wall.

Haley Jordan, a senior journalism major, submitted two art pieces to the gallery.

“One of them is an undead chihuahua and the other is my cat,” said Jordan, who makes art in her spare time, expressing the tediousness of painting for her.

Submitted art ranged vastly in theme. While landscape photography was a well-represented artform, paintings, drawings and more avant garde mediums such as a large cereal advertisement were sparse in comparison.

DYLAN HART | THE CROW’S NEST

Freshman graphic design student Kevin Brown admires student-made art at the Campus Grind Art Gallery.