The student newspaper at USF St. Petersburg
January 20 - 26, 2014 | Volume 48 | Issue 17
Stay classy with After losing seasons, student-made T’s p. 4 Woolard’s out p. 8
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Gun law prompts distress An update to weapon regulations throughout the USF system allows students to store unloaded guns in their cars while on campus By Jennifer Nesslar Staff Reporter
All guns in cars must be unloaded and stored in a proper holding container when on campus
The Crow’s Nest talked to several students who were unaware of the change as well In order to keep guns in their cars, students must comply with the Florida State statute that outlines rules for guns stored in cars on public property. Guns must be out of sight and kept securely in a holster designed for the gun, in a locked area like a glove box or in a secured trunk separate from the vehicle. Students must also have the correct permit for the weapon. Oliver said the change will not greatly affect police operations. If necessary, they will respond to calls about policy violations, such as if a gun is spotted in plain view. Oliver said campus police have never received reports of weapons in plain sight in the past. On Jan. 10, Florida Carry filed a lawsuit against the University of Florida for failing to do more than add an “intent” footnote to the bottom of its current gun policy. Florida Carry is suing UF to allow guns in cars as well as dorm rooms, citing District of Columbia v. Heller, which ruled the banning of firearms from homes as unconstitutional. “The fact that state housing facilities run by Florida Universities continue to deprive law abiding adults of their fundamental right to keep and bear arms in their homes, years after the clear decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court that such bans are unconstitutional, is unconscionable,” Florida Carry said in a news release on its website. Justice Libby, a sophomore, said she is conflicted about her feelings on allowing guns in dorms. Dorms are public, not private, places, Libby said. But she also considers dorms as homes. “I’m trying to weigh both sides,” she said. Oliver did not give an opinion on how a ruling in Florida Carry’s favor would affect USFSP law enforcement. Tell us what you think: Should students be able to store guns in cars while on campus? What about in their dorm rooms? Find the online version of this story linked to our Facebook or Twitter, or posted on crowsneststpete.com, and leave us a comment. You can also join the conversation by shooting us an email at usfcrowsnest@gmail.com. news@crowsneststpete.com
Guns are also permitted to be stored at university police stations that have proper weapon storage ROTC cadets are permitted real and simulated guns when under supervision and must provide notification to university police Non-functioning antique or display weapons can be used in the classroom with prior approval from administration Students, faculty and staff are allowed to carry selfdefense spray or a stun gun
Graphic by Chelsea Tatham/The Crow’s Nest
Since the university-wide weapon policy was updated on Jan. 3, allowing guns to be stored in cars on campus, Lt. Reggie Oliver, of USF St. Petersburg police services, has dealt with what he calls “overreaction” from students. He is often asked why the school would allow weapons on campus. In response, Oliver stresses the policy change only applies to possession of firearms stored in cars -- guns still cannot be carried on campus. “People reading the articles or listening to the media think they can carry a weapon on their person,” Oliver said. “That is a misconception.” The policy change was a response to a December 2013 court decision. Alexandria Lainez, a student at the University of North Florida and a single mother, felt UNF’s gun policy caused her to “choose between her family’s safety and her education on a daily basis while attending college,” according to Florida Carry Inc.’s website. Lainez and Florida Carry, an organization supporting gun rights, sued UNF, prompting state public universities to amend their policies on guns. The ruling allowed guns to be stored in students’ cars while on campus. Florida State University also revised its gun policies. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the University of Central Florida and Florida International University are in the process of changing theirs as well. Opinions on the policy change vary at USFSP. Keoma Gilmore, a freshman, agrees with the change. “I think people should be allowed to protect themselves,” she said. But for sophomore Josiah Delatorre, the idea of fellow students carrying guns in their cars is less reassuring. “I understand it’s normal to allow guns in a car,” Delatorre said. “I don’t think a university is the most appropriate environment to allow that.” He cited that the university is a public institution, and universities should use the same standard with guns as they do with drugs and other objects considered illegal.
Bullet Points
crowsneststpete.com
January 20 - 26, 2014| Volume 48 |Issue 17
Sailing coach, gold medalist News Briefs
Nelson Poynter Memorial Library on Jan. 14, she told the crowd she was “lucky.” It’s more difficult to make the Olympic team in sailing than it is to actually win the gold medal, she said. “I don’t have a bad sailing memory,” she said, but went on to describe her favorite memory as “horrible.” Her final race in the Olympics was the windiest race in the history of the games to date. She and her teammate had to finish in 11th place in order to win the gold medal, but boats were capsizing all around them, so it was impossible
Wednesday, Jan. 22 If you’re thinking about the future of urban and regional planning in St. Petersburg and Florida, join Rollins College professor R. Bruce Stephenson, former secretary of the Florida Department of Community Affairs, Tom Pelham, and St. Petersburg City Council member Karl Nurse at a forum in the Harbor Hall Community Room. Doors open at 5:45 p.m., and a buffet dinner will be served. The forum runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 23 Some of us grew up dreaming about one day attending Harvard University, but realized how futile that desire was after taking the SAT. We have the next best thing. Harvard professor Dennis Thompson will discuss science and ethics in a democratic society at 4 p.m. in the University Student Center. It will be just like you went to Harvard, without having to leave the Sunshine State.
Friday, Jan. 24 An alien spacecraft left it’s markings recently on a grassy patch next to Parking Lot 2. Some, however, are reporting the circular pattern is simply a cleared path for the new butterfly garden. We like our story better, but if you’re interested in helping with the garden, students will start planting at 9 a.m. To volunteer, contact Dan McGarigal at dmcgarigal@mail.usf.edu and include your name, major and email address.
Want to work for the Nest? Join us in SLC 2400 at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesdays for our contributors meetings. Come with story ideas and suggestions to make the paper better. Getting writing experience now will make you more marketable later, whether later is when you graduate or when you’re applying for a job at the Crow’s Nest at the end of the semester (you know you want it).
never wanted a career in sailing but got a job as a sailing coach at a Tampa high school, as, unsurprisingly, an accident. She subbed for the sailing coach for a day, and then found out he quit. There was little she could do but accept the job. Two years later, Jolly was hired by USF. She is now approaching her 10th year as the women’s sailing coach. In addition to sailing, Jolly enjoys working out, planting and reading science fiction novels. “I’ll read just bad sci-fi just because it’s there,” she said. At the Olympic forum she
Long before coming to USF St. Petersburg to coach the women’s varsity sailing team, Allison Jolly was a gold medal Olympic sailor.
By Jennifer Nesslar Staff Reporter Allison Jolly described her entry into sailing as an “accident.” The USF women’s varsity sailing coach and 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist in sailing grew up in St.
sailing program stopped her. He asked her to join a race team. Jolly agreed and won a medal her first race. Suddenly, she realized she was better at sailing than she was at swimming. She continued to sail
Jolly took home a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in Korea. To this day, she calls both her sailing career and her Olympic experience an “accident.”
to tell what place they were in. After the race, they had to sail two hours to return to shore before knowing what place they finished in. She remembers crying as the news cameras surrounded her, still not knowing how she finished. Finally, the media told her: They won the gold. After the Olympics, Jolly returned to California as a computer programmer. When she moved to Florida in 2001, she couldn’t find a job in her field. She
compared her medal with the medal won by Jennifer French, the silver medalist on the U.S. Sailing Team at the 2012 London Paralympics. French’s was heavier than Jolly’s. The back of the medal was decorated with waves personalized for sailing by a London artist. Jolly rolled her eyes. “I have a scantily clad Greek goddess on the back of mine,” she said. news@crowsneststpete.com
Along with coaching, Jolly still competes in sailing competitions. She also enjoys exercising, gardening and reading sci-fi novels.
Petersburg before most houses had air conditioning. To stay cool during the summers, she said there were four choices: go to the only air-conditioned department store downtown, swim, waterski or sail. Jolly’s preference was swimming. So, when her parents put her in an introductory sailing program at age 9, she wasn’t happy. And after being caught in a horrible thunderstorm at sea, she was ready to quit. Forced by her parents to finish what she started, she completed the course, ready to be done with it. However, the man running the
throughout college and lived in Georgia and California, working as a chemist and a computer programmer. In 1984, the Olympics came to California, and for the first time, women were allowed to sail. Jolly’s participation in the Olympics was also a self-proclaimed “accident.” “I never dreamed sailing would open to the women,” she said. Her husband at the time was ambitious and told her she would regret it if she decided not to try out for the 1988 Olympics in Korea. At the Olympic Panel in the
All photos courtesy of Allison Jolly
Jolly is now entering her 10th year as USFSP’s women’s sailing coach. She previously coached at a high school in Tampa.
crowsneststpete.com
Journalism students learn from Pulitzer Prize winner By Amanda Starling Staff Reporter
act, writing and her goals as an educator.
Neighborhood News Bureau, a required course for mass communications students, is undergoing a makeover. Lane Degregory, a 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner and Tampa Bay Times reporter, is returning to USF St. Petersburg to guide students in experiential reporting. Students are scheduled to attend a city council meeting at the Gulfport City Hall and explore breaking news, police reports and other events in St. Petersburg’s Midtown district. Guest speakers for the course may include Times editors, public relations officers, radio personalities and more. Degregory studied at the University of Virginia and worked as the editor-in-chief for the Cavalier Daily. Although there was no journalism program at her university, she loved writing for the campus daily paper because she could “get out there and do it.” Degregory has been writing as a journalist since she was 18. She joined the Tampa Bay Times 13 years ago to feed her passion for reporting, but her curiosity for teaching has drawn her back to the classroom. She previously taught a graduate course in USFSP’s journalism and media studies program. Now, Degregory, 46, balances a more than full-time career as a journalist, mother of two teenage boys (and two dogs, Murphy the pit bull-chocolate lab and Taz the Australian cattle dog) and an adjunct journalism professor. She recently sat down with the Crow’s Nest to discuss the balancing
The Crow’s Nest: There was some anticipation from students for you teach this course. How do you feel about students feeling this excited? Lane Degregory: It’s cool but it’s also intimidating because I’ve never really done this before … I’m just trying to figure out how to launch them. They all have the
on campus now, which is a whole lot better from the space thing and figuring out how we’re all going to fit in there. CN: What are some of the first assignments for the course? LD: The first thing they just turned in was an obit. I had them interview family members since they’re new to that very first one. They were really good. They really picked it up and know what they’re
“When I tell [students] about being a journalist, I tell them it’s kind of like being a paramedic, because you’re always on call. I think that’s important, especially in their senior year, because they’re doing it, they’re not just reading about it or studying it.” -- Lane DeGregory skills they need, they just to do it. We’ve been talking over the syllabus and the curriculum, trying to figure out what they need and want … I’m trying to figure how to make it more practical since most of them are seniors. CN: How were the first couple of classes? LD: So far, we’re doing well … The class has been meeting at the Neighborhood News Bureau in the Sanderlin Center for the past few years and was smaller. I’ve got 20 students plus two grad students and there was just no room to get in the door. We had people standing out in the hallway, so we had to regroup and we have the class back
doing. We’re going to take a field trip on Tuesday. We’re going to the Gulfport City Council, a small town municipality, we’re going to talk about public meetings because I know that’s a lot for the first few years of journalists’ careers, you end up covering meetings of all sorts. We’ll go to that meeting Tuesday evening and then I’m going to send them out to the community and they’re going to each find their own (story) to cover for the next assignment. CN: What lessons will you offer young reporters for the first real world assignments? LD: The next assignment we’ll be working on is breaking news, so
January 20 - 26, 2014| Volume 48 |Issue 17
I’ll send them out to follow up on something in the news somehow or if they come upon something that is happening.We’ll try to go to the police station and look up police reports. I want to take them to drug court for a day so they can go sit in the courtroom and watch how that unfolds. I was in the bureau for the first seven years of my career as a reporter, so I covered every little thing; meetings, fire, trials, everything you can come across. So it’s going to help that they will have done that at least once or twice, if not with me, but with other students where they can figure it out together before they have to actually go do it for the first time for a job. CN: Your class is structured on experiential learning with students in the field. How do you feel about this learning technique and how it helps journalism students? LD: There are days I left on the syllabus as working field days because I want them to get used to juggling a sort of schedule. When I tell them about being a journalist, I tell them it’s kind of like being a paramedic, because you’re always on call. I think that’s important, especially in their senior year, because they’re doing it, they’re not just reading about it or studying it. CN: You’ve mentioned opportunities for students to be published in the campus newspaper, the St. Pete Times, and possible other news outlets. How are you preparing them for real publication? LD: I think a lot of them have
Courtesy of Lane DeGregory
never thought about it before, so I’m offering extra credit for anything they get published, five points extra credit. There’s some grade incentive there as well. I know that once you see your name in print, you get that rush of ownership and I want them to feel that. I want them to be feel proud that other people are reading it and not just me. CN: How are you stacking the hats of journalist, mom and teacher? LD: I was excited about the opportunity [to teach]. It’s close so it’s convenient. I wouldn’t be able to drive to Gainesville or Miami or somewhere to teach. I had nine extra vacation days that carried over this year, so I’ve spent a lot of time away from the Times trying to plan for this class (and) get geared up. news@crowsneststpete.com
Colloquium showcases St. Pete architecture By Matt Thomas Staff Reporter Florida Studies graduate student Kyle Pierson can tell you why the Williams Park Bandshell looks like an unfolded paper plate and why the Pasadena Community Church looks like a wing. Pierson credits William B. Harvard Sr. for bringing modern
Kyle Pierson
Courtesy of USFSP
architecture to St. Petersburg in the 1950s by designing some of the most well-known and iconic structures around the city. This was the subject of her presentation at the research colloquium held on Wednesday, Jan. 15, in the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library. Pierson has seen many of the St. Petersburg’s developments in her 30 years living here, particularly in downtown. Her major encouraged her to study the literature, arts, environment and sciences of Florida’s past. It allowed her to further connect with the state and use it as a starting point for work in different fields. For this project, Pierson’s research started with a simple question about a particular building’s design. Working with Dr. Thomas Hallock, Pierson researched details
about St. Petersburg’s architectural history: the attitude, theme and the thinking behind it all. Pierson centered her presentation on Harvard’s transitioning of St. Petersburg architecture. She said helped move the city from Europe’s highly decorated influence in favor of a more geometrical design. Her slide titled “Less is More” highlighted Harvard’s belief that a building’s beauty lied within its logic and structure. His signature “folded plate construction” can be seen on the Williams Park bandshell and the Pasadena Community Church which “looks like a wing,” Pierson. said. Looking back, Harvard’s achievements are seen as making great strides in new thinking. At the time, his designs were seen as controversial and his finished
products were not at all what the people envisioned, such as the pier’s inverted pyramid design. The William’s Park bandshell design was also not well received when it was built in 1953, yet it won The American Institute of Architects’ “Test of Time” award 30 years later. Today, Harvard’s architecture firm, Harvard Jolly, ran by his children, specializes in designing schools, libraries and universities, among other structures. Pierson was glad she was asked to do her presentation because it gave her a chance to talk about her research and also find out who is interested in it. Show your stuff: Have you been working on something worth sharing? Student research colloquiums,
The Williams Park Bandshell
sponsored by the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, are held on the third Wednesday of every month during the school year. If you’re interested in presenting your research, ask a professor or contact library dean Carol Hixson at hixson@usfsp. edu for more information.
crowsneststpete.com
January 20 - 26, 2014| Volume 48 |Issue 17
Cats, ewoks and sweet threads Career Alternatives
If you’re a senior set to graduate this spring and you’ve begun to think about the bleak, jobless reality that awaits you on the other side of the cap and gown, we hope this week’s Margin will cheer you up. A little bit. Now presenting, a list of the weirdest jobs that actually exist. Pet Food Tester - Stop sitting around on the couch! You could be crunching and munching your way to glory. Good boy, Fido. IMAX Screen Cleaner - This job is two kinds of HD — high definition and high dust. Lots and lots of dust. Snake Venom Collector - If you can milk a snake, you can milk anything. Plus you get the satisfaction of knowing the slime you are extracting will be made into some pretty useful stuff. Body Advertiser - Always wanted a tattoo but couldn’t settle on what it would be of? How about vodka, or your favorite toothpaste? This *may* be slightly less embarrassing than dancing around on street corners in various costumes. Human Scarecrow - No brain required. Fire Lookout- Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and where there’s fire, there must not have been a fire lookout. If you feel like moving to a national park and spending a lot of time straining your eyes, this job can pay pretty decently. Everglades Python “Remover” - By remove, we mean kill. And although this one doesn’t always pay, at the very least you’re allowed to sell the snakes you get for their meat and skin. Slither me timbers. Watching paint dry - Isn’t it awesome when old adages come true? Some paint companies actually pay people to monitor the drying time (and other aspects) of their products. Citrus Dyer - Despite what their name might imply, oranges don’t always get that way by themselves. Chimney Sweep - We sincerely hope that this one is no longer being performed by small underfed British children. Golf Ball Marshal - Where oh where do all those golf balls go? As a golf ball marshal, you get to find out. If you are good at dressing snappy and dodging gators this might be the position for you.
Courtesy of Rachal Chisholm
By Ryan Ballogg Staff Reporter
By Ryan Ballogg Staff Reporter T-shirts can convey messages about style, politics and allegiances to bands and teams. Sometimes, though, the message can be as simple as an intense love of cats. Rachal Chisholm, a junior at USF St. Petersburg, owns her own graphic tee and shirt making company, which features a whole line of cat-themed T-shirts, and a number of other humorous designs. They range from “The Office” character Dwight Schrute in cat form to “Star Wars” and “Lord of the Rings” references. Chisholm, 21, said she has loved “graphic tees” since high school. In her senior year she was shopping for them so much that she started to wonder how hard it would be to make her own. One small investment from her mother later, and Chisholm had enough basic equipment to start production. The first shirt making method she tried was “direct to garment,” where an image is printed straight onto a garment with a special printer. Chisholm said she quickly found out the method was strenuous and expensive, and the shirt designs eventually came off in the wash. From there, she switched to screen printing, where images are inked onto a mesh screen and pressed on to shirts, and transfer printing, where images are printed onto transparent paper and applied to the shirt with heat. Between the two methods, Chisholm was able to make shirts she was happy with. In 2011, she decided to see if other people would like them too. “The name Threadish came about through joking with friends. I wanted something short and catchy,” Chisholm said. Since opening, Chisholm said Threadish has had its ups and downs. She got some business online through her website and the online marketplace Etsy, but most of it came in the form of large orders for T-shirts for local organizations.
Chisholm said that even when she is filling a specific order, there is still a lot of room to be creative. Chisholm draws designs by hand on a tablet before editing them further on a computer. “They tell me what their ideas are and I go from there,” Chisholm said. “It’s pretty much all my artwork.” At the beginning of 2013, business was slow. Chisholm decided to take a hiatus to focus on school. Then towards the end of the year her friend and classmate Chris Carpentier posted about her business on the USFSP Know-It-AllGuide, the school’s semi-official Facebook forum, and a slew of new requests followed — mostly from clubs on campus like the Live Music Collective. Now Chisholm, an Information and Decision Sciences major, is taking all online classes this semester to focus on the increased demand at Threadish. “Computers are my backup,” Chisholm said. “Making shirts lets me be a lot more creative.” Carpentier, who is also a former president of the Entrepreneurship Club, said, “I’m a big fan of student entrepreneurs as a member of the USFSP Entrepreneurship club. I had been in at least one class with her for four semesters in a row and had no idea she was running an online T-shirt store of her own designs until two months ago. Having a USFSP student entrepreneur be able to supply the demand of clubs and organixations have for shirts is absolutely invaluable.” Right now, Chisholm runs the company completely out of her Seminole home with the help of her mother, whom she calls her “partner in crime.” However, Chisholm said she would consider opening a shop if business continues to grow. She is also interested in having other artists contribute to her line of graphic tees. “So far I haven’t gotten any bites yet,” Chisholm said. At the beginning of April, Chisholm will travel to Orlando for the Imprinted Sportswear Show
— a trade show for shirt artisans of all kinds. There T-shirt makers trade ideas, learn new techniques and explore the latest technology. “Just about any way that you can print on a T-shirt, you will see it there,” Chisholm said. She said
she hopes to look into laser printing equipment for Threadish. To see the full line of Threadish graphic shirts, visit threadish.com. arts@crowsneststpete.com
Courtesy of Rachal Chisholm
“I think cats are the coolest things,” said Rachal Chisholm, creator of Threadish. Her clothing website features a line of T-shirt designs of cats posing as famous people, called “Cat Celebritees.”
crowsneststpete.com
January 20 - 26, 2014| Volume 48 |Issue 17
Goodnight Moon A Playlist
So, you’ve survived the start of another semester! The past few weeks have found you editing essays, downing lattes and sprinting from Davis building to the PRW wing more times than you can count. And, naturally, you’re really, really tired. If it’s time for a nap, hit snooze and spin this sleep-inspired playlist until the morning.
By Erin Murphy Staff Reporter
“I’m So Tired” by The Beatles This song is brief enough to hold your attention, but droning and drowsy enough to have you slowly lulled into slumber…... zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. “Ode to Sleep” by Twenty One Pilots If you need help staying awake during that 8 a.m. class, this synthy tune is just as potent as a cup of cappuccino.
“I Guess I Should Go to Sleep” by Jack White If chaotic piano solos and White’s impossibly raspy voice don’t accurately embody end-of-week
exhaustion, I don’t know what does.
“Oh Great God, Give Us Rest” by David Crowder Band On this track, David Crowder uses his songwriting skills to offer ultimate rest for the weary soul. Bonus point: He does it all while sporting a beard that makes grown men weep with jealousy.
“Sleepwalking” by Radical Face If you like your sleepy songs somber, look no further! This tune, which includes The World’s Saddest Use of Accordion, will have you crawling into bed in no time.
“Goodnight, Goodnight” by
Maroon 5 Before he had moves like Jagger, Adam Levine used his signature falsetto to mourn the end of a tired relationship. An apology never sounded so good!
“Go to Sleep” by the Avett Brothers Banjos, harmonicas and the soulful vocals of these Southern gentlemen all encourage you to get some shut-eye. Exhaustion never sounded so … twangy.
“Comforting Sounds” by Mew Nine minutes of rhythmic, overlapping melodies will lull you to your happy place (despite the track’s less than cheerful lyrics) as this song builds momentum to a
powerfully dreamy instrumental conclusion.
“Enter Sandman” by Metallica This is the perfect song to set as your alarm to wake you up after a good REM-filled sleep. If you can’t appreciate waking up to heavy metal music filling your ears with guitar riffs and children’s nightmares, then you’re wrong.
“Dreams” by The Allman Brothers Band Waking up and pulling yourself out of bed can be pretty tough when your dreams are filled with more excitement and happiness than your reality. Gregg Allman wrote this number about his unrealized
dreams that was actually one of the songs that helped form the band.
“Mr. Sandman” by The Chordettes Can’t seem to fall asleep? Listening to Mr. Sandman and saying his name three times in a row might just summon the sandbag-carrying fairy to make your eyelids heavy with sand and sleep.
“Wake Up” by Arcade Fire When nap time is over and you’re ready to snap back into reality, rejuvenate yourself with this sad yet super catchy Arcade Fire track. Starbucks not included.
Warhol invades downtown St. Pete A group of USF St. Petersburg students, sporting short blonde wigs and red plastic framed glasses, swarmed downtown on Saturday, Jan. 18, to promote the opening of the Warhol art exhibit at the Dali Museum. In the photos at left, the group posed with local psychadellic rock band, Sons of Hippies, and even made it into their new music video.
The exhibit, called “Warhol: Art. Fame. Mortality.” lasts until April 27 and is admission is included with the normal museum entry price, which is free for USFSP students (just be sure to have your student ID). In addition to the artwork, the exhibit features free lectures and educational program. Private tours are also available upon reservation.
Courtesy of Kristin Stigaard
What happens when two iconic twentieth-century artists meet? Check next week’s issue for a review of “Warhol: Art. Fame. Mortality.” at the Dali Musuem. Courtesy of Kristin Stigaard
crowsneststpete.com
January 20 - 26, 2014| Volume 48 |Issue 17
Editorial
A different kind of killer The student newspaper at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Editor-in-Chief:
Tyler Killette
Managing Editor:
Chelsea Tatham
Creative Director:
Suzanne Sidler
News Editor:
Amanda Starling
Assistant News Editor:
Jennifer Nesslar
Arts & Life Editor
Ryan Ballogg
Assistant Arts & Life Editor:
Erin Murphy
Sports Editor
Mike Hopey
Entertainment Critic
Matt Thomas
Photo Editor
Taylor Austin
Copy Editor
Meaghan Habuda
Marketing Manager
Lazar Anderson
Advertising Manager
Jess aldrich
Community Relations
Samantha Ouimette
Staff Adviser
Rob Hooker robhooker47@gmail.com.
Mission Statement: 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. The views expressed—both written and graphic—in the opinion section of The Crow’s Nest do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit letters to the editor to crowsnesteditor@ gmail.com. The Crow’s Nest reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and e-mail address. The Crow’s Nest is provided free by the Activities & Services Fee, and advertising. The Crow’s Nest neither endorses nor takes responsibility for any claims made by our advertisers. The Crow’s Nest office is located at: Student Learning Center 2400, University of South Florida St. Petersburg 140 Seventh Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 873-4113 Press run: 1,000 Copyright 2013 St. Petersburg, FL. The Crow’s Nest is printed by: Web Offset Printing 12198 44th Street North Clearwater, Florida 33762
Facebook: The Crow’s Nest at USF St. Petersburg Twitter: @USFcrowsnest crowsneststpete.com
Imagine waking up one morning and seeing the mug shot of a familiar face on the news. The anchors say he has committed monstrous acts, recklessly endangering multiple lives. And then it hits you. You remember how you know this man, and now your life is changed forever. When 32 people decided to have sex with Michael Johnson in his Lindenwood University dorm room in Missouri, they didn’t know they were being filmed. Nor did they know Johnson was knowingly exposing them to HIV. More than likely, they discovered their fate while watching or reading the news. It’s reported that Johnson -known as Tiger Mandigo online -- found majority of his partners from his six social media accounts. While his victims willingly engaged in sexual acts, they were not aware of the hidden cameras or the life threatening disease they may have been contracting from within Johnson’s small, dark dorm room. In October, Johnson was charged with five felony counts of exposing partners to HIV. The recent discovery of the secret sex-tapes, however, may bring that count to more than 30. If convicted, Johnson faces life
in prison. None of Johnson’s victims were identifiable from the videos and few have come forward to police. From their decision to meet up with a muscular, averagely attractive, African-American man for what one might call a “good time,” these people have put their lives at risk. No news outlet has reported whether Johnson used condoms with his victims. Regardless, a thin
Knowingly infecting more than 30 unsuspecting people and filming it -- a keepsake of one’s own destruction -- seems homicidal. It’s a story one would expect to see on CSI or Dexter, except on TV, 32 dead bodies would show up along with the tapes. While Johnson may not have physically committed homicide, he did intentionally threaten lives. And though HIV is more treat-
Johnson’s victims may not have been murdered, but their quality of life has forever been diminished. Their killer did not take their lives in full, but he took parts -greedily and uselessly. layer of latex does not exempt one from criminally exposing a partner to a sexually transmitted disease. Since news broke of the sex-tape discovery, Johnson’s story has made national and international headlines. Even if his victims do not end up contracting his disease, they will have to live the rest of their lives knowing they spent the night with a worldwide criminal. What Johnson did was not only horrifying, but sociopathic.
able than ever, it remains incurable. Johnson’s victims may not have been murdered, but their quality of life has forever been diminished. Their killer did not take their lives in full, but he took parts -- greedily and uselessly. This story should serve as a warning to all; whether you’re male, female, white, black, gay, straight, rich or poor; whether you pride yourself on your “free-spiritedness” or your conservative manner.
Bloody Mary
By Kati Lacker
Throwback Jan. 22, 1973 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Roe v. Wade that a woman is legally allowed to terminate her pregnancy in the first two trimesters. States are given the ability to regulate the third trimester abortions. In the first 100 years of U.S. history, abortion was not only not uncommon, but it was also not considered
immoral. Women terminated pregnancy by “quickening” and by taking drugs. It became a serious criminal offence in the late 1800s when doctors sought to eliminate the competition of abortion practitioners.
Never in a million years would you expect something like this to happen to you. But, almost certainly, neither did the 32 people in Johnson’s sex-tapes. A situation like this should scare us, but it shouldn’t prompt us to live in fear. The guy/girl you take home from the bar this weekend is probably not a sociopathic criminal. They’re probably perfectly clean and want to take you to breakfast the next morning (or ditch at 4 a.m. and never expect a phone call -- whichever situation you find ideal). However, “probably” is not good enough when it comes to your health and your life. This is where smart, conscientious decision making must come into play. Not out of fear, but out of self-preservation. Preserve yourself: The USF St. Petersburg Wellness Center, located upstairs in the Student Life Center, offers testing for sexually transmitted infections. Make an appointment online through the university’s website, by phone at 727-873-4422 or in person. editor@crowsneststpete.com
crowsneststpete.com
January 20 - 26, 2014| Volume 48 |Issue 17
The pros of procrastinating By Matt Thomas Staff Columnist
I’m impressed with what I can do when you take choice away from me. Well, actually, I still have a choice. It's just that, in that last hour, I'd rather finally write the paper or article than see the look of disappointment on a professor’s face or earn the ire of my editor. Though it’s a familiar process for most of us, unless your last name is Nesslar, I want to explain the process of how I write a paper. Let’s say the paper is due Monday morning, and it's the weekend before. The paper is in the back of my head Friday night. I briefly consider working on it, but I don’t have
any ideas for it really. Oh well, it's not like it's due tomorrow. I think about the paper more Saturday night until I realize I have the entirety of Sunday to take care of it. Next thing you know, I’m waking up on Sunday. This weekend sure is moving fast. I have nothing to do all day, but I can’t help but lie in bed and just enjoy knowing that, for several hours, I'll end up taking what I like to call a "conscious nap." Now it's dark outside. I begin to panic a little. I even go as far as to open up a Word document, but I notice something fun to do online. I’m still keeping the paper in mind, but there’s always that point where I say screw it and give into the
distraction. It is truly a wonderful feeling. I’ll just do it Monday morning. Class is at 9:30 a.m. I wake up at 5 a.m. and decide to go back to sleep. Next thing you know, it's 6:45 a.m., and I continue to lie in bed. I faintly and half-consciously reach for my Macbook -- the thing I would not be here without. As it loads, I start thinking about my opening paragraph. By the time I have my document loaded, I have my idea. This is where the magic happens. That first paragraph is done, but suddenly, as I type, new thoughts are popping into my head. I’m making new points and connecting ideas left and right within seconds. I actually stop writing in awe of how I’m doing any of this. After a forced
and awkward conclusion, my first draft is finished. I do the once over, I fix my errors -- at least the ones I notice -- and then I think of a way to make the paper even better. After that, the paper becomes something worth turning in. Is it the best way to work? Certainly not! Has it always worked perfectly? Nah. Regardless, I promise you there are papers I have written under those conditions that could not have come out better had they been written sooner. I firmly believe it's not until there's a gun pointed straight at your head, metaphorically speaking, that you learn what you’re capable of. Professors Keeler and Silvia, I promise you I have never done what I describe above for any
of your assignments. Readers, I also promise this column was thought out and written to completion several days in advance.
the photo. The sweet cashier let me take it, free of charge. She imparted to me that someone had come and tried to give away their photo albums and old handmade scrapbooks. They had offered them to the store. They had tried to sell their memories. I wonder if we, as young people, really value the older ones in our lives. If we see them as people who understand past generations; if we can relate to them as friends. Sometimes, in my journal, I write letters to my future grandchildren. I’ll tell them about my adventures as a 20-year-old, about the things I’m learning, and my best friends. I even write about Facebook and
iPods, the technology that will be long gone by the time they’re teens. I hope that one day they will want to understand those that came before them. Next to one of my entries, I taped a photo. In it, a woman I don’t know has a smile, a story and a brown paper bag.
Matt Thomas is a senior majoring in mass communications and entertainment critic. He can be reached at matthew17@mail.usf.edu or on Twitter @handsomestmatt.
Thrifting for memories By Erin Murphy Staff Columnist
While sifting through a stack of magazines at the thrift store, I found a photograph. I didn’t notice it at first; perhaps I was too mesmerized by Thrift City’s gargantuan stack of National Geographics. But I found it, resting on the sunken seat of a chair, abandoned. It was an old photo, with rounded corners, washed yellowbronze with age. In it, an elderly woman in a blue blouse stood among a crowd of seniors, beaming
and holding up a brown bag. I immediately wondered. Who was she? And what was she doing? The next week in class, we discussed stories, memories. My peers wondered what kinds of imprints we were going to leave behind for our grandchildren. Will we be the kind of people who sit them down and tell them what life was like way back when? Will we have wisdom to pass on? Will our generation have mattered? I think of the abandoned photo, and wonder where it came from. How did it come to this? Instead of being cherished in an album somewhere, somebody’s old family photo was lying alone in a Thrift City USA.
Where were the people who had taken it? And why was it left behind? Technology may seem like a big part of our lives, partly because we’ve grown up with it. Facebook, Google, email and online classes are all common ways we use the Internet daily. Something I like to do, to break away from the click-clack-clatter of keyboard keys, is to take an ink pen and write words in a journal. I write about my day, and things I aspire to do. I write prayers and lists, memories and moments. Sometimes I’ll even tape in movie stub tickets, wristbands or old photos. I walked to the cash register that day and asked if I could keep
Erin Murphy is a sophomore majoring in mass communications and assistant arts and life editor. She can be reached at erinmurphy@mail.usf.edu or on Twitter @ sassyerbear.
Guns on campus could promote safety By Jacob Ferretti Guest Columnist
A recent court case ruled that students are allowed to keep a firearm in their personal vehicle on any Florida college campus after the issue was raised at the University of North Florida. People traveling to and from campus by car are travelling in their own private property and should be able to defend themselves. And the courts have ruled in favor of this. But what happens when you leave your car and are walking to your dorm room or classroom, whether during the day or at night? Guns are not currently allowed to be carried by students while on campus, even if the student is the
lawful owner of a concealed weapons permit. The firearm must be kept in the student’s personal vehicle or the student must request permission to store the firearm with University Police, leaving people without a means to defend themselves during their time on campus. Some say that, at best, allowing guns on campus would distract students and make them feel uncomfortable. At worst, it would result in more shootings. Many people have said that guns are not necessary on a college campus because terrible acts of violence, such as Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook, are very rare. But while such violent acts are thankfully rare, they still occur. And should something like the tragedy at Virginia Tech happen at a USF campus, wouldn’t you rather be equipped to defend yourself or
those around you? Of course, those who carry a firearm must be competent in how to use it. In a shooting scenario, any idiot with a gun -- even if it is a good-hearted idiot who is trying to help those around him -would likely just make the situation worse if he has no idea what he is doing. However, there are those civilians who are familiar with firearms and are allowed to carry them, such as people who hold a concealed weapons permits. Lawful permit holders should be allowed to keep their firearms with them on campus because it adds a layer of defense for both the permit holders and those around them. In order to have a permit, you must pass a firearms safety course, where you learn how to safely handle and utilize a firearm as well as undergo
a criminal background check and fingerprinting. While many people who hold a permit do not carry a firearm very often, those who do generally take a great deal of their own time practicing and becoming competent with their weapon, and also understand the serious responsibility of carrying a firearm on a regular basis. While this doesn’t guarantee that they are trained for a combat or shooting scenario, it does mean that they are less likely to have a foolish accident while carrying, and that they are able to better defend themselves and those around them as an absolute last line of defense. While campus police do the best they can to keep such tragedies from occurring, they cannot be everywhere at once. If only one bad guy with a gun managed to get into a filled classroom, a lot of lives
would be lost before police officers would be able to respond. Instead of banning lawful and competent civilians from carrying firearms while on campus, colleges and universities should be allowed to collaborate with police departments or other properly trained officers to offer programs for students to learn how to safely operate firearms and how to act should a terrible event, like a shooting, occur.
Jacob Ferretti is a junior majoring in business management. He can be reached at jferretti@mail.usf.edu.
No more ‘bull’
crowsneststpete.com
January 20 - 26, 2014 | Volume 48 | Issue 17
Men’s Basketball
By Mike Hopey Staff Reporter
Weekly Schedule
With Doug Woolard as the athletic Director of the University of Jan. 22 South Florida, the Bulls had a great USF vs. Louisville, 7 (ESPNU) deal of success. But with last week’s Jan. 26 announcement that a search for a replacement will begin immediUSF at Memphis, 2 (CBSS) ately, the mindset of school officials Last Week’s Results is, “What have you done for me Jan. 15 lately?” SMU 71, USF 54 Citing the poor performances Jan. 18 of the football and men’s basketball teams in the last two seasons, USF Cincinatti 61, USF 54 officials announced that Woolard Conference Standings would retire when his current con conf. tract expires on June 30, 2015. Once overall a replacement athletic director is W-L w-l found Woolard will stay with the Cincinnati 6-0 17-2 school in an unspecified advisory role until his contract expires. Louisville 5-1 16-3 The announcement comes just SMU 3-2 14-4 two years after Woolard signed
Memphis Houston UConn Rutgers UCF USF Temple
3-2 13-4 3-2 11-7 2-3 14-4 2-3 8-10 1-4 9-7 1-4 10-8 0-5 5-11
Women’s Basket-
Hockey
Holtz, was fired after two losing seasons. During Woolard’s tenure as athletic director, the attendance for football games at Raymond James Stadium fell by nearly 50 percent. In 2007, the average home attendance for the Bulls was 44,716, according to the Tampa Sports Authority, the company that runs Raymond James Stadium. This past season the attendance dropped to 20,379, the second lowest average ever for the Bulls since jumping to the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA. The season after making a run in the NCAA tournament, the men’s basketball team went 3-15 in the Big East, 12-18 overall, and their season ended in the first round of the Big East Tournament with am overtime loss to Seton Hall.
This season the Bulls got off to a 10-7 start with a 1-3 record in the American Athletic Conference at the time of the announcement. South Florida athletics have enjoyed some success with Woolard serving as athletic director. In USF’s last season with in the Big East, the men’s golf team and the softball team were conference champions. Most recently, the men’s soccer team won the inaugural American Conference Championship over Connecticut. Woolard joined USF in 2004 to replace the retiring athletic director, the late Lee Roy Selmon. Prior to joining South Florida, Woolard served as the athletic director at St. Louis for 10 years. sports@crowsneststpete.com
Football
Opinon
Finding my team, my way USF CB
By Mike Hopey Staff Columnist
When NBC landed the English Premier League television rights and planned to broadcast every single game either on television or Weekly Schedule over the Internet, I found myself in Jan. 21 the same situation as many other USF cs Cincinnati, 7 American soccer fans. I needed to pick a favorite team. Jan. 26 Fans had access and, in true USF at UConn, noon sporting spirit, you had to invest Last Week’s Results yourself into the most recognizable Jan. 18 soccer league in the world. After all, USF 63, UCF 38 fans over in Europe pick favorite American football teams. Conference Standings NBC was happy to help conf. American fans looking for a club overall to cheer for. Handy guides went up W-L w-l online and television specials broke UConn 6-0 18-0 down each team so fans could idenLouisville 6-0 18-1 tify the qualities they liked best. NBC even had a questionnaire that Rutgers 4-2 13-4 told you what your favorite team USF 4-2 9-8 would be based on one of those Temple 4-3 10-7 web-based personality tests. None of that was for me. Any Memphis 3-3 10-8 way for me to pick a favorite team SMU 2-5 11-7 seemed so arbitrary. How was I UCF 1-5 8-9 suddenly going to start investing Cincinnati 1-5 8-9 emotionally in a team I have never cheered for in a city and country I Houston 0-6 4-13 had never been to? So I decided that if it was going to be an arbitrary choice, then it would be my arbitrary choice. I Lightning Schedule would decide the criteria for picking my favorite English football Jan. 23 club. Lightning vs. Ottawa, I decided that because Great 7:30 Britain was a place I had always wanted to visit, I would pick the Jan. 25 team in the city I wanted to visit Lightning vs. Colorado, 7 most. For me, the city I wanted to
ball
a three-year contract extension worth $700,000 a year. Under Woolard’s leadership, the USF football team joined the now defunct Big East football conference and rose as high as number two in the Top 25. The men’s basketball team also reached a new level of success. In 2012, the Bulls under coach Stan Heath, who was hired by Woolard, made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years. The Bulls defeated Cal in a play in game and upset No. 5 seeded Temple before losing to the No. 13 seeded Ohio. However, since those on-field achievements, the football program has had three straight losing seasons including their first 10-loss season in program history in 201314. Woolard’s first major hire, Skip
visit the most was Cardiff, Wales. The Cardiff City Bluebirds was my new favorite soccer team. After week two I looked like a genius. In their second game of the season Cardiff upset Manchester City. The underdog team that hadn’t been in the top-flight of English soccer since before I was born had beaten the team that just two years prior were league champions. I sat in the Crow’s Nest office watching the game on my iPad as I put together an issue of the paper. When Cardiff striker Frazier Campbell scored the go ahead goal, I threw my arms in the air in silent celebration. Just two weeks before I had never heard of the team but now I was all in, fully invested. My arbitrary choice was starting to look like the right one. I could hold my head up high. I simply wasn’t a fan of whatever team was in vogue at the time. I was a fan of the plucky underdogs who were going to make a mess of the Premier League for the teams that were stupid enough to underestimate the new team on the circuit. My routine became that on Saturday mornings I would roll out of bed, take care of the dogs and turn on NBC Sports Network to see my favorite side in action. Later in the day I would tell my fiancée, who works Saturday mornings, about how the game went. I’d give her all the highlights and explain whatever I needed to -- much to her dismay. As I would recount the day’s action to my uninterested partner, I realized the results were negative
more often than they were positive. Cardiff was losing, and losing a lot. My enthusiasm was tested but I did not waver. A tie against Manchester United and a win over rival Swansea City in the South Wales Derby had me believing that this was still the scrappy underdog team I had thought they were. A disastrous Christmas holiday put the Bluebirds hovering just above the relegation zone of the table. Two losses and a tie had nearly doomed them to an uphill fight just to stay in the Premier League. In many European sports leagues, not just soccer, the worst teams in a given season are sent down to a lower league while the champions of the lower league come up to replace them. It is a true test of whether or not a team belongs. Coming off a 4-2 loss to Manchester City, Cardiff City sits as the 20th best team in the Premier League, or dead last. There may be a silver lining, Cardiff is only in last because of tiebreakers and the team is only one win away from climbing to 14th place in the table. There is no convenient way to watch the lower leagues over in England. No American network has the rights. Not being able to watch your favorite team makes them feel distant and removed. So if it happens that Cardiff is regulated then I am left with only one option. I have to start all over at the first arbitrary step.
busted for pot By Mike Hopey Staff Reporter
Kenneth Durden, a redshirt sophomore defensive back for the USF Bulls, was arrested at his oncampus residence for possession of marijuana. Durden, 21, was arrested with 21.7 grams of marijuana. The Valdosta, Ga. native was booked on third-degree felony possession. He was released from Hillsborough County Jail on Sunday morning after posting $2,000 bond. Officers were dispatched to Durden’s residence on Holly Drive after a complaint of possible drug use. The responding officer from the USF police department, Officer Michael Tinney, detected the odor. Durden allowed the officer to enter room and admitted to having the substance. “We are aware of the situation and in the process of collecting information,” USF spokesman Brian Siegrist told the Tampa Bay Times. After being redshirted in 2011, Durden played in seven games, starting one in 2012 registering 10 tackles. Last season, Durden started 11 games for the Bulls. He finished 2013 with 32 tackles and an interception. sports@crowsneststpete.com