Volume 49, Issue13

Page 1

Single copies free Nov. 17-23 , 2014 | Volume 49 | Issue 13

The student newspaper at USF St. Petersburg

Black Friday.

Picasso comes to the dali p. 5

The employees’ perspective p. 5

University considers purchase of Poynter land

Emily Wehunt | The Crow’s Nest

USF St. Petersburg signed a document of intent to purchase 3.7 acres of land from the Poynter Institute, located along the Fourth Street S. corridor. The purchase must be approved by the USF system.

The Guy is back Research grant,

Pending approval by the USF system, USF St. Petersburg may purchase 3.7 acres of land, currently owned by the Poynter Institute.

By Andrew Caplan Staff Reporter

By Emily Wehunt and Jennifer Nesslar Staff Reporters As the campus looks toward expanding to 10,000 students, campus territor y may a lso be expanding. USF St. Petersburg has signed a non-binding letter of intent with the Poynter Institute for the $6.2 million purchase of 3.7 acres of land owned by Poynter. The land, located along Fourth Street S. and adjacent to the future building for the Kate Tiedemann College of Business, is “surplus and vacant” according to Kim Tobin, Poynter’s marketing communications strategy manager. The land has been on the market since May 2012, according to Tobin. USFSP must formally approve the purchase before the sale can be made. University officials did not

Emily Wehunt | The Crow’s Nest

The Poynter Institute trains journalists worldwide and is seeking to increase its online presence.

respond to specific questions about the purchase, but released this statement: “We are currently conducting due diligence on the land. Since a finalized agreement has not been reached, it would be premature to discuss long-term goals for the property. We look forward to sharing our plans if the USF System completes the purchase and a determination is made on the most efficient use of the space.” The Poynter Institute is focusing more on its online presence, Tobin said. This year, Poynter has trained journalists from 67 different countries, both online, at locations

Continued on p.4

Prior to the start of the second Fisheries Sy mposium held on Nov. 13-15, world-famous artist and ocean-enthusiast Guy Harvey shared his latest documentary, Sharks of the World, with USF St. Petersburg students Wednesday evening. Harvey is best known for his marine wildlife paintings and work as a marine conservationist. The film, Sharks of the World: A Guy Harvey Expedition, premiered on PBS a couple of weeks prior and counts down Harvey’s 10 favorite sharks. His goal was to provide the students, and non-students, with a chance to better understand sharks. Armed with several years of handson research, Harvey and his team wanted to shred any misconceptions about the creatures. Harvey started the night off by dedicating the festivities to his friend, Dr. Neil Burnie, who passed away on Nov. 11 in a diving accident unrelated to sharks. Dr.

Burnie helped compile some of the tiger-shark footage with Harvey in Bermuda. After the moment of remembrance for his fallen colleague, Harvey jokingly told the audience that if they were expecting or hoping to see a Shark Week-like depiction of sharks, they should leave the room immediately. “It’s a result of many different shoots that we kind of coordinated in a really nice presentation,” Harvey said. “Very educational. Gives you a completely different viewpoint from the Discovery Channel Shark Week bonanza that you get.” In t he mov ie, na r rated by Harvey, Harvey and several members of his team swim without the protection of cages. But as the swarming cloud of various shark species feast on nearby fish and bait, they pay little attention to their human guests. “I like ‘em all,” Harvey said. “I like the big ones. You know, the sharky-looking sharks.”

Continued on p. 4

monetary gift support campus By Amanda Starling and Jack Moscone Staff Reporter Grants and donations continue to flow into the university. The USF College of Marine Science, based on the USF St. Petersburg campus, was awarded a $20.2 million grant by the Gulf of Mexico Research Institute. The funds will expand research on the ongoing effects of the 2010 BP oil spill. The USF College of Marine Science researchers worked with the Florida Institute of Oceanography as some of the first research responders following the spill, according to a report by WUSF, The award is the largest historic contribution for USF’s oil spill research. “The grant will support the efforts over the next three years

Continued on p. 3


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