Volume 49, Issue 21 by The Crow's Nest

Single copies free Feb 16-22, 2015 | Volume 49 | Issue 21

The student newspaper at USF St. Petersburg

Where did the plates go? p. 2

Meet your candidates

Radio Golf. Now playing at American Stage Theatre. p.7

Teral Hilliard, president-elect Year: Sophomore Major: Political Science

Victor Sims, vice president-elect Year: Senior Major: Psychology

Campaign Slogan “Together We Can”

Experience

Hilliard: Interim director of university relations, chair on senate committee of student services and audits, sustainability adviser for sex and relationships club, and a lay member of Intervarsity, the Black Student Association, and the Gardening Club. Sims: President and founder of future alumni association, chair of homecoming committee, served as senator, hall council representative, vision 20/20 committee, alumni engagement committee, spirit committee for systemwide campus and intern for USF athletics marketing. Platform Hillard and Sims want to bring a Textbook Affordability Program to campus, work on making this campus more sustainable, bring more focus to individual students and make

By Emily Wehunt and Caitlin Ashworth Staff Reporters This week, students across USF St. Petersburg will get the opportunity to vote for the future student-body president and vice president, as well as senate candidates. Voting takes place on PeteSync and extends Monday, Feb. 16 through Thursday Feb. 19. One of these four tickets will be your future student body president and vice president.

Continued on p. 1 Emily Wehunt | The Crow’s Nest

Courtesy of Nia Joseph and Chardonnay Tyson

Nia Joseph, president-elect Year: Junior Major: Health Sciences with a minor in Business

Campaign Slogan

Chardonnay Tyson, vice-president elect Year: Junior Major: Psychology with a minor in Leadership Studies

“Putting Students Back in Student Government”

Courtesy of Ziya Kardas and Kyle Uber

Ziya Kardas, president-elect Year: Senior Major: Business Management

Campaign Slogan

Kyle Uber, vice president-elect Year: Junior Major: Business Management with a minor in legal studies

“Zuber, the most unique ticket that this university has never seen.”

Courtesy of Jozef Gherman and Juan Salazar

Jozef Gherman, president-elect Year: Junior Major: Psychology

Campaign Slogan

Juan Salazar, vice-president-elect Year: Sophomore Major: Psychology with a minor in Leadership

“It’s time (#itstime); experiencing vision”

Experience

Joseph: Student leader since her freshman year, founder of the Caribbean culture exchange organization, student assistant for multicultural affairs and a part of the Capital

Kardas: “I know many people have been planning this for a long time, and I lack some of the student government

Gherman: President and founder of Political Question, treasurer for everyone’s education club, treasurer for club Hillel, treasurer and co-founder of the volleyball club,

Continued on p. 3

crowsneststpete.com

Feb 16-22, 2015 | Volume 49 | Issue 21

News Briefs CORRECTION: An article published in last week’s issue stated that Carly Chaput was removed as student government’s judiciar y a nd et hics cha ir. This is incorrect. Chaput retained her position.

Keeping elections running smooth A f ter a f ive-hou r-long Emergency General Assembly on Feb. 2, student government passed a bill, Fixing the Flow, to keep the presidential elections legal and on time. The bill arose from confusion while approving the Election Rules Committee governing documents, Rules of Procedure. SG decided that the bill is the most legal and ethical solution. Student body Vice President Taylor Russell said that if the bill was not passed, the elections would not be legal and would be recalled. Russell also said if a president and vice president aren’t elected by a certain amount of time, the senate gets to choose. However, Fixing the Flow is only fixing the flow for the time being. Russell said there are conf licting lines in the constitution and the statutes, and they lay out two separate timelines. “We will be fixing all the issues we have had in the past three elections,” said Russell. Student Government is currently reviewing their process for how they approve Rule of Procedures and how the election timeline is laid out. Candidate update Student body vice president candidate Victor Sims is awaiting trial for early campaigning due to the GoFundMe fundraising website he linked to a Facebook post. The trial is scheduled Feb. 27 and will determine if he is disqualified from the election.

Monday, Feb. 16 St re s sed out? You ju st need to pet a nice, wa rm puppy. Don’t have a puppy? Don’t worry. Head over to the library at 3:30 p.m. to see some therapy dogs. They will be on campus for an hour for students to pet and play with. Ahhhhh. We can already feel the stress lifting.

Wednesday, Feb. 18 If you want practical experience in an internship, a part time job in school or a fulltime job when you graduate, you should stop by the career fair. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., about 80 different employers will be in the University Student Center Ballrooms. Bring several copies of your resume and dress professionally. Go snag some interviews.

Plates, silverware missing from The Reef By Tamiracle Williams Crow’s Nest Contributor Over the past few months, utensils such as plates, forks and spoons have gone missing from The Reef, the campus dining room. Louis Duran, manager of The Reef, told The Crow’s Nest he has seen the utensils all around campus even though they aren’t supposed to leave the University Student Center’s dining area . Custodian services told Duran that they found plates stashed in the residence halls. As a result, housing and residence life sent out an email warning students of the consequences of taking utensils: The prices at the Reef could increase. The Crow’s Nest recently talked to some students to get t heir thoughts on the missing dishes.

Jennifer Nesslar | The Crow’s Nest

Plates like this one are being taken out of The Reef. With few utensils in The Reef, prices may increase to compensate.

Harmony Mckenzie, a first year student, said she would rather have paper and plastic utensils especially if it helped lower prices at The Reef. “It would be so much easier to recycle the paper plates, instead of having to return them after each use,” she said. Last year, at the request of students, The Reef used paper and plastic utensils. But when students told The Reef they wanted to focus on sustainability and eco friendly options, The Reef transitioned back to the original utensils. Regarding The Reef ’s prices,

Duran said The Reef examines the cost of production, labor and packaging. Duran also mentioned that the price increase on certain products, such as beverages, is a direct reflection of what the company wants. For example, if Coca Cola asks The Reef to increase the prices on its products, The Reef must comply. Students on t he mea l pla n receive a 10 percent discount on every purchase. Duran said if commuters and those not on the meal plan want to receive the 10 percent discount,

they should purchase a meal plan or

SG’s image a hot topic at debate

are involved in clubs and asked the question, “How can we create more presidents?” Other debate questions were centered on the representation of students, experience, sustainable initiatives and what it means to be a Bull. When asked what they can offer as the student body president, the candidates underlined their experience on campus and future contributions to USFSP. If elected, Kardas would be the only graduate student in SG. As a commuter and single parent, he believes he has the experience to reach out and represent a wider population of students. Kardas and Ub expressed their dedication by saying that they would divert all or some of their salaries back into the clubs and organizations, which would be more than $12,000 returning to university funds. Joseph noted her extensive leadership training and initiatives on campus. She believes that to have a successful organization, presidents should be capable and willing to perform every job within that organization -- even the smallest one. Hilliard said that bringing experience as a regular student is vital, but overlooked. “The experience that I’ve had is actually going out, shaking hands,

rubbing elbows, attending events,” he said. “Learning what it is that the student body wants by being a member of the student body.” Gher ma n to ok a p er s ona l approach to d iscussi ng t he elections. “What really affected my leadership, what really got me started and what really motivates me to be your student body president -- that was my first day on campus when I came here for orientation,” he said. Throughout the debate, all competing candidates were heavily focused on transparency, which is considered SG’s biggest weakness. Each ticket, however, shared personal and specific goals for USFSP. Kardas, who wants to establish connections with the surrounding community and take advantage of the university’s location, envisions alliances with events such as the Saturday Morning Market. Meanwhile, Hilliard was the first to refer to student health and wellness as a priority, and emphasized that racial, cultural and sexual diversity is important on campus. At the end of the debate, many students in the audience stood and applauded the candidates.

By Emily Tinti Staff Reporter Four students want to bring positive change to USF St. Petersburg and discussed why they should serve as the next student body president at Thursday’s presidential debate. Each ticket had a distinctive message to deliver to the audience and fellow candidates, but everyone had to address one thing in particular: student government’s image, reputation and representatives. President-elec t Nia Joseph believes that with communication and transparency, that relationship can be restored. Her running mate, Chardonnay Tyson, said “communication is light.” Jozef Gherman, a presidential candidate, doesn’t want students to think SG’s job is solely to hand out money, but to know that SG can solve problems and is a “professional and trusted organization that meets the students’ needs.” President-elect Ziya Kardas said that his being new to SG would create a “drama-free” organization. Vice president candidate Kyle Uber said they would be approachable, welcoming conversation about “anything -- anytime, anywhere.”

Presidential candidate Teral Hilliard admitted he can’t change the image of SG alone, noting that “by ourselves, we are just grains of sand. Together, we’re a beach.” His running mate Victor Sims said it’s not necessarily about the candidates, but rather the students. Most of the questions circled back to the students, clubs and organizations on campus, with each ticket promising to tighten the bond between them and SG. Vice president candidate Juan Sa lazar, who is running w it h Gherman, said he wants to see more collaboration among student leaders from different clubs and organizations on campus, and not just between student leaders and their corresponding members. Joseph and Tyson have been outspoken about their support of clubs and organizations at meetings and on the student-driven Facebook “Know-It-All” Guide. This was one of their key points of the night. “Realize that in an organization, everyone is at fault. Without a u nited f ront, ever yone else can see the holes,” said Tyson. “Communication is light.” Sims brought up the fact that a mere 19 percent of USFSP students

To purchase SharkBites, visit https:// usfsp.sodexomyway.com/diningplans/index.html. SharkBites, where dollar amounts are loaded onto a student’s ID card to be used at meal plan locations. The amount of money purchased in SharkBites determines the discount amount received. news@crowsneststpete.com

news@crowsneststpete.com

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Feb 16-22, 2015 | Volume 49 | Issue 21

Vote on these candidates this week Gherman/Salazar

Kardas/Uber Continued from p.1 experience. However, I have the resources downtown to get exposure to the community, as well as strong service, retail, and business experience. I have the ability to work hard and work from the ground up. Being a single parent and balancing school, I can handle high stress.” Uber: Senator in SG, president of pre-law society, fundraising officer of offshore sailing club, and a member of the marine adventures club. Platform Kardas and Uber’s platform is focused on bringing focus into the community, attention to the arts, increasing sustainability, and providing support for commuters and graduate students, as well as parents. They also want to bridge the gap between the student body and administration to improve communication. Community: Kardas: “I think awareness, exposure and creating a community culture here on campus by coordinating and teaming up with the community will help this university move further.” Attention to the arts: As the city keeps expanding and bringing more focus to the arts, Kardas and Uber want this university to do that same. They want USFSP to increase their focus and support for all art mediums. Support for commuters and graduate students: By increasing the support for these students, they

Continued from p.1

can become more involved with events on campus. Kardas said they want to develop an app that would allow students to be more easily engaged in what is happening on campus. As Kardas plans to attend graduate school here, he wants graduate students to feel part of this campus. Why are you running for office? Kardas: “I desire to represent the vast majority of non-traditional students who are under-represented; for example: commuters, graduate-students, and parents -of which all categories I am or will be a part of during my term. Also, to continue representing the more traditional students. Furthermore, as President, I will utilize my bachelor’s in business and also bring a fresh and clean image to our student government.” Uber: “I am running for vice president to be able to make a bigger impact on campus. I joined SG as a Senator to be able to listen to the students and promote the change that they want. I was told that senate has the most power because they have the ability to create and pass bill but what I have found is that senate cannot enact bills against administration limiting their ability to create change. Seeing t hat t he student body President and Vice President work directly with administration to discuss, establish, and facilitate the student needs, that is where I feel I could best serve the students.” news@crowsneststpete.com

Joseph/Tyson Continued from p.1 Investment Trust Fund committee for the USFSP system. Ty s on : V i c e p r e s i d e nt o f Caribbean cultural exchange, special events chairman of multicultural activities council, treasurer of black students association, secretary of the sex and relationship club, student assistant at the office of multicultural affairs. Platform Tyson said their platform consists of four main things: transparency, club and organization support, commuter recognition and student lead initiatives. Transparency: Tyson:“Student government is known to be very exclusive and they lack communication. Our intention is to bridge the gap and increase conversations

between the members of student government and the student body. Allowing the student body to see the good, the bad, and the ugly rather that patching everything up to look like it is perfect when in truth and in fact the organization is not.” Club and organizations support: Tyson: “Clubs and orgs need more support from Student Government. We also looked in to creating a Council of Club Treasurers meet to keep clubs abreast of changes in the budget and the processes of receiving funding.” Commuter Recognition: Joseph: “Commuters are students too and they are overlooked a lot and there are not really a lot of things geared towards commuters. And they make up the majority. We

senator for three years, vice chair of approval and chief financial officer for the past two terms Salazar: Involved with clubs and organizations, USFSP ambassador, deputy of the project office management Platform Gherman and Salazar’s vision is to elevate service for student veterans, support student careers, strengthen campus safety, recognize student leaders, foster school pride, promote tra nsparenc y, embrace graduate students, grow bike care program and expand library hours. Recognize student leaders: Students credited for leadership as a tradition of the university Foster school pride: Gherman said they want to build school pride by providing more transportation to school games, while tailgating at the games with a USFSP tent and grill as well as a custom USFSP Rocky the Bull mascot. Promote transparency: Gherman and Salazar want to improve access to student governing documents and meeting times, as well as create an online brochure on activity and service fees. Embrace graduate students: They want more study space on campus with longer hours and an event that caters to graduate students—like the commuter dine and dash. Gherman said free coffee with low cost service that would benefit students. Grow bi ke sha re prog ra m: Gherman wants to increase the amount of bikes offered to students and fix-yourself bike repair shop on campus. Expand library resources: The ticket wants to express a student demand for longer library hours really want to make sure they feel like students and getting the college experience.” Tyson: “We have talked about more commuter dine and dashes and adding something new to the campus on a whole. We would like to institute commuter assistants that will function in the same capacity as Resident Assistants with office hours, real life guidance and a wealth of information geared to get the commuter students more involved.” Student Lead Initiative: Joseph: “Inspire students to not only feel like have to be in Student Government to make a difference. We want to inspire people to be able to do great things on campus, outside of student government.” Tyson: “We always strived to

Hillard/Sims Continued from p.1

and bring a free printing program to the library. Top three issues on Campus C a mpus Sa fet y : Gher ma n and Salazar said it’s important to strengthen campus safety. They want to put together a safe and free escort team and improve lighting around Poynter Park. Gherman said if a student doesn’t feel safe walking to their car at night, a student volunteer from the safe and free escort team would drive the student to his car on a golf cart. Student Careers: Salazar said they want to team up with the career center and Bulls in the Burg discount program to help bring jobs and internships to campus. Services for Veterans: Gherman and Salazar want to elevate services for veterans by creating the SG department of veteran affairs and offering veteran services at USFSP. Gherman said currently the federal government funds public universities for student veterans. “Right now, the money that goes to these veterans goes to Tampa,” said Gherman, “They have to go all the way to Tampa to get the services they rightfully deserve.” Why should you lead the student body? Gherman: “We should lead the student body because of our experience and vision—we are able to take problems that students face that haven’t been solved before and haven’t been dealt before and get them resolved. We have a dynamic approach for t he way we w ill change the philosophy of Student Government—which is listen, learn, lead.” Salazar: “I want to make a difference; let people know what SG is all about.”

students aware of the services offered on campus - and improve those services. Textbooks: Books are collected from students at the end of each semester, and they receive vouchers to get the next books they need. Sustainability: “You can never get green enough,” Sims said. They hope to make USF St. Petersburg the greenest university in the country by making changes such as bringing reusable cups to The Reef and creating graduation attire made out of recycled materials. Greater focus on individuals: Sims: “Without the individuals we can’t have clubs and organizations. We often focus so much attention to clubs and organizations that we forget there are other students on campus.” Services: Hilliard: “We want to expand the services that we offer students. We want to expand the health and wellness center, we want to expand the study room hours and the hours of academic success center.” Why you are running for office? Hillard: “I am running for president because I want to work with the student body to make a community that is going to cause people to look at this university and say ‘that’s the place that I want to be; that’s my first choice. I am looking at all of the good things we have, and I am saying ‘how is it that we can get to the next level as a university?’” Sims: “I am running because I love this campus. The only way I feel like we can make this campus better is if we decide to lead by example. It’s easy to say what we don’t have, it’s easy to say what we can’t have, but if I want to see things happen here, I have to do it.”

news@crowsneststpete.com

lead from outside of SG. Now we are challenging other students to try and do the same.” Top three issues on campus Lack of club and organization support: Joseph:“Clubs and orgs are what make up the student body. We need to focus on their growth and their funding, making sure they have the means necessary to be successful.” Lack of transparency: Joseph: “A lot of people don’t know what’s going on in Student Government, they have no idea. We really want to make sure the students on campus know and understand what’s happening. A lot of people are left in the dark about certain issues.” Lack of communication: Joseph: “A lot of people are left in the dark about certain issues.

We want to make sure we keep students informed about the certain initiatives passed in student government.” Why should you lead the student body? Tyson: “I believe that Nia and I Should be afforded the opportunity to Lead the Student body because we have viewed the entire USFSP experience in just about every position possible before we decided to run for this very influential position. Nia and I also strongly believe, You have to always remember you are a student first. We breathe transparency, we live clubs and orgs, we extend our hands to commuters and we believe in students being able to lead from outside of student government.” news@crowsneststpete.com

Feb 16-22, 2015 | Volume 49 | Issue 21

Love-a-Bull breaks records, pairs couples By Emily Tinti

Alleviating the weight on your shoulders can be as simple as a change of scenery or a bite into some good food. With these momentary breaks, you let go of the anxiety and pressure that comes from being a college student. You can’t expect a complete 360 -- pizza and Chipotle are only temporary, I’m sorry -- but incorporating a handful of habits into your weekly or monthly schedule can really allow for some peace of mind. Go for a walk. Take away all the downtown hustle and bustle, and St. Petersburg is really spectacular. Campus residents and nearby commuters have access to seemingly unlimited pathways and diverse scenery, all within only a couple of miles. From the colorfully painted walls on Central, to the small parks going up the coast of St. Pete, to a perfect view of our bay, there’s something for everybody. Walking naturally relieves stress and calms the active mind. Plus, it’s good exercise and allows you to get some fresh air and vitamin D. Make a playlist. Take a few minutes to arrange a playlist of feelgood songs. Include timeless classics like “Don’t Stop Believin’” or “Bohemian Rhapsody,” songs you probably find yourself syncing to. Include inspiring lyrics and uplifting sounds; for you, it could be Beyoncé. For others, it could be the Lord of the Rings film score. Whatever energizes you, pack it into the mix. Change your scenery. After listening to your personalized, feelgood playlist, and once you’ve found some peace along that walk, stop. Find a wooden bench, a metal picnic table, a soft patch of grass or a block of concrete by the water. Open up your textbook and start reading. Finish an assignment. Plan your essay. Soak up the sunshine and get things done. Or, visit a local cafe and set up shop there. Whatever you do, relax. Cook a good meal. With campus dining, a local Publix and countless restaurants on the radar, taking the time to prepare something homemade may seem like a waste of time. Some people are good at math, some have a green thumb and others are natural athletes. But the good news is, you don’t necessarily have to be a chef to make something delicious. If you can read and follow directions, you’re halfway there. Find an interesting recipe online, go get yourself some ingredients and cook something for yourself by yourself. Add more sugar, add more salt -- whatever you want. Garnish the heck out of it and enjoy.

By Caitlin Ashworth Staff Reporter Chocolate fountains flowed as single students gathered in hopes of finding a date for Valentine’s Day. Auctioneer Thomas Boyd fasttalked the catwalk once again at the second annual Love-A-Bull, a charity-date auction hosted by student government on Feb. 8. Franklin Alves said the event raised almost $2,000. Proceeds went to one of three charities of the date’s choosing — Wounded Warrior Project, The Eliminate Project and ACT. The Wounded Warrior Project’s mission is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. ACT’s mission is to educate, empower and enrich the lives of youth and teens. The Eliminate Project’s mission is to help eliminate the centuries-old disease, maternal and neonatal tetanus, worldwide. “This is the only campus event that raises this much,” said Alves, “This is the only one that breaks 1,000.”

Maybe money can buy by you love — at least for a good cause. The bids star ted at $5, but quickly made their way up to $50, $60 and even $100. Angela Wilson, who had the highest bid, got the best deal. She spent $150 on a three-for-one deal on a group of boys. Wilson said it was a “pre” act of kindness for her “39 Acts of Kindness” birthday, taking a new spin on Friday the 13th. Wilson updated her Facebook event page on Friday with her acts of kindness. Wilson gave toys to the children of All Children’s Hospital and donated school supplies to Fa i r mou nt Pa rk E lement a r y School. She bought coffee for everyone in line behind her at Starbucks. She handed out two dozen doughnuts and some bagels to students all over campus. life@crowsneststpete.com

Courtesy of USFSP Connect

Choya Randolph reacts as audience members bid to date her.

Review: Better Call Saul By Duncan Rodman Crow’s Nest Contributor AMC’s series premiere of “Better Call Saul” debuted last Sunday, and it was all that “Breaking Bad” fans could have hoped for. The aptly titled pilot episode “Uno,” began with a dreary, blackand-white, post “Breaking Bad” scene that shows us a glimpse into Saul Goodman’s (Bob Odenkirk) dismal life after the fallout of his dealings with the meth kingpins of Albuquerque. Remember when Goodman said in the final season of “Breaking Bad,” “If I’m lucky, a month from now -- best case scenario -- I’ll be managing a Cinnabon in Omaha?” Well it happened. In the end, Goodman goes into hiding and becomes “Gene,” the manager of a Cinnabon in Omaha. Goodman is working at the counter when he notices a man seated at a table, staring in his direction. The man t hen gets up and begins walking toward Goodman, who, thinking the man knows his true identity, becomes rife with paranoia and fear. The man passes him, however, and greets a group of people outside the Cinnabon. Goodman’s face releases a depressingly awkward combination of relief and disgust at what has become of his life. Af ter a long day of ba k ing Cinnabon cinna mon rol ls, Goodman goes to his ordinary apartment. He pours himself a Rusty Nail—Dewars, Drambui and lemon juice—and watches a VHS compilation of his series of

commercials touting the slogan “Better Call Saul!” But this show isn’t about Gene or Goodman; it is about how a clever, desperate and morally flexible lawyer named James “Jimmy” McGill became the Saul Goodman character that we know and love from Vince Gilligan’s hit series “Breaking Bad.” “Better Call Saul” takes place in the early 2000s. The year is not made explicit in the first two episodes, but there are a few clues, like McGill’s flip phone with an extendable antenna. The time period seems to be perfectly in line to preserve continuity with “Breaking Bad,” which began in 2008. So far, “Better Call Saul” is a promising prequel to the franchise. The show is already creating tie-ins with “Breaking Bad’s” most memorable characters, like Mike Ehrmantraut (Johnathon Banks) and Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz). In this series, Ehrmantrout is a stickler of a parking lot attendant for the New Mexico courthouse where McGill begrudgingly accepts the most undesirable public defender cases — the first being his defense of three necrophiliac teenage boys. I’ll spare you the details. McGill has humble roots as an attorney. He was not always the seedy, greedy, successful lawyer with a private practice focused on defending the guiltiest of people. In this show, he begins as a struggling, morally conf licted public defender who drives a beat-up Suzuki Esteem and whose law office

Bob Odenkirk stars as Saul Goodman in “Better Call Saul,” a new AMC TV series following the success of the series “Breaking Bad.”

is in a tiny room in the back of a nail salon. “Breaking Bad” fans will be delighted to see a more complex, yet unmista kable, Sa la ma nca in the second episode, “Mijo.” We get to see the softer side of Salamanca—a loving grandson to his adored abuelita. He is, or was, more than just the strung-out, violent, irrational New Mexican methamphetamine dealer with cartel connections. Salamanca, however, lives up to our vicious and vindictive expectations of him. After two skateboarding scam artists, whom McGill refers to as “slippin’ Jimmy’s,” skate in front of Salamanca’s abuelita’s car, he takes the law into his own hands by threatening to skin the two extortionists alive out in the desert. The smooth-talking McGill comes to his clients’ rescue and mitigates the situation by talking Salamanca down to just breaking one leg each instead. A s he r u she s t hem to t he

hospital, one of the two slippin Jimmy’s calls McGill “the worst lawyer ever,” and he replies with a line that epitomizes the tenacity of Saul Goodman: “I just talked you down from a death sentence to six months probation. I’m the best lawyer ever,” McGill says. The first two episodes of “Better Call Saul” were a brilliant and satisfying beginning to the “Breaking Bad” prequel. “Better Call Saul” breaks the mold with one of the most unconventional and witty lawyers ever in a TV series. Vince Gilligan once again illustrates his command over the art of the cliffhanger ending. Each show creates more unanswered questions, which keeps us coming back for more. AMC’s “Better Call Saul” is a welcome and captivating chapter in the “Breaking Bad” franchise, and so far it has yet to disappoint. life@crowsneststpete.com

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Feb 16-22, 2015 | Volume 49 | Issue 21

OUR VISIO VISION OUR N · Elevate Services for Student Veterans H Create the Student Government Department of Veteran Affairs H Veteran Services at USF St. Petersburg

· Support of Student Careers

H Create Partnership with the Career Center H Utilize Student Government Resources to Bring Job and Internship Opportunities to Students

· Strengthen Campus Safety

H Create Safe And Free Escort Team H Improve Lighting Around Poynter Park

· Recognize Student Leaders

H Collect Student Leader Opinions on Issues H Create Wall of Fame for Student Leaders

· Foster School Pride

H Expand Transportation to Athletic Events H Get a Rocky the Bull Mascot

· Promote Transparency

H Improve Access to Student Government Documents and Meeting Times H Create an Online Brochure on Activity and Service Fees

· Embrace Graduate Students

H Support More Study Spaces on Campus H Expand Graduate Related Events

· Grow Bike Care Program

H Create a Bike Repair Shop H Expansion of Bike Share Program

· Expand Library Resources

H Express a Student Demand for Longer Library Hours H Bring Free Printing Program to the Library

2015

IT’S TIME!

Paid advertisement

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Feb 16-22, 2015 | Volume 49 | Issue 21

Editorial

Facebook and death: An unlikely duo The student newspaper at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Editor-in-chief

Jennifer Nesslar

Managing Editor

Mark Wolfenbarger

Creative Director

Josh Fuller

News editor

Emily Wehunt

News assistant

Jack Moscone

Arts & Life Editor

Emily Tinti

Arts & Life assistant Editor

Caitlin Ashworth

Sports editor

Andrew Caplan

Photo editor

Kalima Haneef

Advertising manager

Jess Aldrich

It’s always strange when one of your Facebook friends dies. Loved ones begin to tag them in pictures and statuses. Their timeline—personal page—becomes almost a memorial to them. As years go by, the deceased person’s friends will post in their honor on special anniversaries—birthdays, marriage anniversaries, even the anniversary of their death. It seems quite eerie, but writing Facebook posts directed specifically at a deceased loved one is becoming a cultural norm. Facebook and death have had a strange relationship. In the past, when Facebook realized an account holder died, it would freeze the account, so that it could not be tampered with, according to the Wall Street Journal. But this angered many people who wanted to continue to interact with their deceased loved one’s page. This week, in response to the

backlash, Facebook introduced a new feature called the legacy contact. By visiting their security settings, Facebook users can choose a friend to manage their account after they die. There are a couple of important things to note about this new setting. Legacy contacts can change the deceased person’s profile picture, accept friend requests and pin posts to the deceased’s timeline under the legacy contact’s name. If granted permission, a legacy contact can archive the deceased’s posts and pictures. The legacy contact can neither archive or view the deceased’s personal messages nor post statuses under the deceased person’s name. This means that your Facebook account will become a personal memorial to you when you die. If that sounds absolutely terrifying to you, don’t worry. You can choose to let Facebook delete your

account when you die. This option is found in the legacy contact settings. If you don’t choose either of these options, Facebook will freeze your account as it did in the past. We think this move was smart f rom a bu si ne s s s t a ndp oi nt . Facebook just found a way to satisfy all its users, regardless of whether they want to preserve their profile when they die. But we think the legacy contact option creates other unforeseen issues. As time goes by, more Facebook users will die. This means more pages of deceased people will spring up. Facebook is going to become almost an interactive, eternal obituary. Many people may not see a problem with that, but we must consider the nature of social media. Social media is becoming a place where people connect with others. A recent study done by UCLA found that college freshmen are spending more time on social

media and less time with friends. Social media is how our society is interacting. The legacy contact feature does not allow the deceased person’s name to interact with others, but it certainly fosters interaction. When people post about a deceased person, they often address this person as if they are still alive. It seems as though people are using Facebook as a means of communicating with the dead. The public nature of Facebook is also a problem. Grieving at funerals or gravesites allows for some privacy and a special moment. A Facebook post on a deceased person’s timeline will live on forever. Hundreds of people will see your post. Facebook is changing the way we mourn for the deceased. Let’s consider the consequences before we choose to allow our pages to live on forever. editor@crowsneststpete.com

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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 comm unity. 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, day time 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. Because of high production costs, members of the USFSP community are permitted one copy per issue. Where available, additional copies may be purchased for 10 cents each by contacting the newspaper’s editor in chief or managing editor. Newspaper theft is a crime. Those who violate the single copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and/or subject to university discipline. The Crow’s Nest office is located at: Student Life Center 2400, University of South Florida St. Petersburg 140 Seventh Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 873-4113 Press run: 1,000 Copyright 2014 St. Petersburg, FL

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Photo of the week

A bit of chocolate Chocolate fountains were a hit at Lovea-Bull, an event where students bidded for dates with other students. The event raised nearly $2,000 for three charities: Wounded Warrior Project, The Eliminate Project and ACT. To read The Crow’s Nest coverage of the event, see p. 4 Submit a picture with a caption for photo of the week to jnesslar@mail.usf.edu by Friday at 5 p.m. The best photo submission will run next week.

Courtesy of USFSP Connect

Throwback On Feb. 16, 1909, the Interborough Rapid Transit Co. made life easier on New York residents when it introduced the U.S.’s first side-door entry subway cars. The company installed an eight-car train, which ran from Lenox Avenue to 148th Street, at a cost of $12,000 per car. The pneumatic-lever-operated doors were invented by James McElroy of Albany, New York’s Consolidated car Heating Co. Although the doors facilitated the entry and exit of subway passengers, not everyone was impressed with the design. Many, including Interborough council member Alfred A. Gardner, worried that the doors’ positioning on the cars would give the guard controlling the doors limited visibility. “The guard cannot see the door, and someday someone is going to get hurt,” said Gardner in a Feb. 17, 1909 New York Times article.

crowsneststpete.com

Feb 16-22, 2015 | Volume 49 | Issue 21

Review: Radio Golf at American Stage Theatre By Chelsea Abrams Crow’s Nest Contributor August Wilson’s play “Radio Golf ” feels as relevant today as it did when it was first written a decade ago by the late playwright. The play, Wilson’s final work, takes place in 1997 in the Hill District of Pittsburgh where Wilson grew up. Although some of the pop culture references have since taken on new meanings, the underlying message behind Wilson’s writing has remained unchanged: on your way to the top, don’t forget where you came from. The story features a small cast of only five characters. Harmond Wi l k s is a n upward ly mobi le realty developer well on his way to becoming the first black mayor of Pittsburgh. His wife Mame is calculating and feels she knows what is best for her and her husband. Neit her one of t hem is a s blinded by greed and ambition as Harmond’s business partner Roosevelt Hicks -- who plays golf and works as a banker when he’s not helping Wilks develop The New Bedford Hills -- which is what they are calling their forthcoming development over the Hill District. The other two characters are residents of the Hill District, and

neither one of them is impressed with Harmond or by the idea of the New Bedford Hills. The first is Sterling Johnson, a childhood friend of Harmond’s, who has since been in and out of jail and works in construction. He stops by the office of Wilks and Hicks looking for a job, and then recognizes his old friend. The final character is Joseph Barlow, or Old Joe, as he prefers to be called. Joe’s house is on the list to be torn down during the renovation of the hill, but he is convinced that he still owns the property. These two characters often bring comic relief to the story and quickly become its moral center. The title “Radio Golf” is a reference to what is ultimately the divide between Wilks and Hicks. Golf is a sport that both men enjoy, but while Wilks views it more as fun and nostalgic, Hicks likes it for all of the power it brings him. In the first scene, Hicks hangs up a poster of Tiger Woods above his desk, which is contrasted by the Martin Luther King Jr. poster above Wilks’ desk. Hicks goes through an entire monologue about his golf club making him feel like a man, and how he wished he could have played when he was younger.

Trader Joe’s opens on Fourth Street By Emily Tinti Staff Reporter T he celebrat ion of u n ique and fresh foods continues in St. Petersburg with the addition of a Trader Joe’s on Fourth Street. Trader Joe’s is a neighborhood grocery store, offering a wide selection of both domestic and imported foods and beverages known for their distinctive flavors and killer prices. The store also offers standards for people just making a quick milk-and-bread run. Some of the store’s staple items include 100 percent juice, vitamins and fresh crop nuts. Trader Joe’s also boasts a colorful array of salad basics and ingredients, and a unique range of international frozen entrees. Regular shopper favorites can be found online if you need some direction, with the Speculoos Cook ie Butter spread and Mandarin Orange Chicken meal appearing on many lists. Unlike other stores, Trader Joe’s doesn’t have flash sales, and only adjusts prices when production costs change. Don’t let the absence of sales drive you away as a college student – their prices are fair and honest. You don’t have to worry

IF YOU GO: Trader Joe’s is located at 2742 Fourth St. N in St. Petersburg.

about missing a deal, because the deal is consistent. This is because Trader Joe’s offers more than 4,000 of their items under a private Trader Joe’s label; for instance, selling fried rice under “Trader Ming’s” or salsa under “Trader Jose’s” to incorporate the culture of the food into the name. Eighty percent of the store’s merchandise is privately owned by Trader Joe’s. The store also doesn’t make purchases from big-name distributors. They aim to remove preservatives, synthetic colors and other artificial ingredients to ensure a lower cost and higher value to each and every product. With every month, around 12 new products are introduced to Trader Joe’s shelves. According to the Trader Joe’s website, thousands of items are sifted through in order to “find products that both appeal to the culinary adventurer and the microwave aficionado.”

One day after playing on the golf course, Hicks excitedly tells Wilks about a business deal, offered to him after a game by a notably slimy white businessman named Bernie Smith. Hicks has been offered a partial ownership of a radio station and, as such, can use some of the airtime to boost Wilks’ campaign. Wilks warns him that he’s just being used for his skin color, but all Hicks sees are dollar signs. Golf also comes into play for Wilks later when his personal golf clubs are stolen and returned back to him for a cost. In the American Stage Theatre’s production of Radio Golf, the casting is superb. Alan Bomar Jones portrays Wilks with the perfect combination of ambition and heart, with an underlying exhausted nature at all times. Even at the beginning of the play when Wilks is at his most confident, the audience can still feel that he is being pushed around by just about everyone in his life, and it slowly begins to wear on him. Jones shines the brightest near the end of the second act in an explosive monologue about how he has been controlled and manipulated his whole life, and he won’t take it anymore.

Chrystal Bates as Mame is perfectly sharp and cordial in the first act, and is wonderfully emotional and angry in the second. In Mame’s monologue response to Wilks, she is hurt and inconsolable; she makes the audience feel her pain. While her character could easily slip into cruel and unsympathetic, Bates maintains the balance perfectly. Kim Sullivan plays hicks with unflinching energy throughout the entire show. While his character has the smallest emotional journey, he is nonetheless a joy to watch. From the time he steps on stage to curtain call, Sullivan is fast-talking, condescending and arrogant. His character starts off the play as ambitious but harmless, and ultimately becomes the villain, and Sullivan plays it to the fullest capacity. The actor known as “Ranney” plays Sterling and shows a wide range of emotional depth throughout the production. His role starts as a simple but lovable man, and grows to be smarter and more realistic than anyone else in the show. Ranney makes Sterling goofy, intelligent, intimidating and heartfelt. Sterling also ends the play with a dramatic monologue, and Ranney pulls it off without a hitch. Anthony Chisholm plays Joseph

Review: 57th annual Grammy Awards By Rebecca Rudge Crow’s Nest Contributor T he 57t h a n nu a l Gra m my Awards were full of fashion, fun and live performances -- 23 of them to be exact. There were so many performances during the live show that only nine of the 83 awards were presented. That leaves more than 50 people who received no public recognition for their achievement. During the show, top winner Sam Smith received four awards, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year for his song “Stay With Me (Darkchild Version).” No other person or group received that many; however, there were multiple people who took home two or three awards that night. One of last year’s breakout stars, Kendrick Lamar, took home two Grammys for his song “I.” Rapper Eminem took home awards for his album The Marshall Mathers LP2 and his song “The Monster,”

featuring R ihanna. Carrie Under wood accepted her seventh Grammy for her controversial song “Something in the Water” and Christian group For King and Country received their first two awards, one of which was with veteran rapper Lecrae. These names are popular in the pop media of 2015, but what about the lesser-known names? The award for Best Regional Roots Music Album went to Jo-El Sonnier’s The Legacy. The late Joan Rivers beat out James Franco and former president Jimmy Carter for Best Spoken Word Album for her book titled Diary of a Mad Diva. Frozen added more awards to their growing collection with a win for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Vi su a l Me d ia , a nd w r iters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez added a Grammy to their Oscar winning hit “Let it Go.” John Williams, the man behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones, took home

“Old Joe” Barlow, and it’s not his first time around. Chisholm introduced the role on and off Broadway, and received a Tony nomination for his portrayal. Because he plays an older man who often tells unintelligible stories about the past, which could become slapstick or boring, his character is certainly the most challenging to play. Yet, he gives Barlow heart and wisdom, along with comedic timing and wit. Because his lengthy dialogues about the past and present feel real instead of preachy or forced, Chisholm is truly the stand-out performance of this production. This production of “Radio Golf” is not one to be missed. Wilson’s writing is superb, and the cast honors his words and message in every way.

Radio Golf is playing through March 1 at the American Stage Theatre, 163 Third St. N. For ticket information, visit http:// www.americanstage.org/ radio-golf.php. On Jan. 21, a pay-what you-can viewing is at 8 p.m.

his 22nd Grammy -- his eighth in the category of Best Instrumental Composition, which he won for the film The Book Thief. Popu l a r a c app e l l a g roup Pentatonix won in the category of Best Arrangement -- Instrumental or A Capella for “Daft Punk.” Fanfavorite Beyoncé not only received awards for her song “Drunk in Love,” featuring her husband Jay-Z, but her album Beyoncé won for Best Surround Sound Album. When it came to the categories in Music Video/Film, Pharrell Williams’ Oscar nominated hit “Happy” won Best Music Video and the Oscar winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom won for Best Music Film. There are many more categories for international music, album notes, compilations, choral performance and so on. Basically, if it has anything remotely to do with music, there is a category for it.

For a complete list of winners and nominees go to www.grammy.com/ nominees.

crowsneststpete.com

Feb 16-22, 2015 | Volume 49 | Issue 21

Meet Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning Lightning goalie Ben Bishop will be signing free autographs at Elder Ford of Tampa from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 23.

USF Sailing Spring Schedule Date Coach Event/ Campus Location 2/21-2/22 Jolly USF Women’s @ USF 2/21/2014 King Old South @ UF 2/28-3/1 King Mendelblatt Team Race Silverstein @ USF 2/28-3/1 Jolly Charleston Women’s @ CoC BREAK 3/7/2015 Jolly SP-2 @ Rollins 3/7-3/8 King Bob Bavier Team Race @ CoC 3/14. - Univ. of Miami)

SP-3 @ New College-(May move to

3/14-3/15 Jolly Navy Women’s Spring @ Navy 3/14-3/15 ?

Eckerd Interconference @ Eckerd

3/21.

Jolly SP-4 (coed) @ USF

3/21.

Jolly SP-4 (womens) @ USF

3/21. Silverstein SP-4 (JV) @ USF 3/21-3/22 King Graham Hall Team @ Navy 3/28-3/29 King INVITE REQ Friis Team (50%) @ Harvard 3/28/-3/29 Jolly Duplin Team Race @ Tufts 3/28/-3/29 Hampton

MAISA / SAISA Team Race @

4/4/-4/5 King SP 5 @ JU 4/4/-4/5 Jolly Dellenbaugh Women’s @ Brown 4/11/-4/12 Jolly Wick @ Coast Guard 4/11/-4/12 King SAISA TR Champs @ USF 4/17-4/18 Jolly HS Mallory Cup Qualifiers @ USF 4/25/-4/26 Jolly SAISA Women’s @ Eckerd

NCAA Women’s AAC Basketball Standings TEAM CONF OVERALL #2 Connecticut 12-0 23-1 #25 South Florida 11-1 20-4 Tulane 10-3 19-5 Tulsa 8-4 13-10 Temple 7-5 11-14 East Carolina 7-6 16-8 Memphis 6-7 12-12 UCF 3-10 7-17 Cincinnati 3-10 6-18 SMU 1-11 5-18 Houston 1-12 6-18

Rays Fan Fest On Feb. 21 the Tampa Bay Rays will be hosting its annual Fan Fest event at Tropicana Field. The event will feature activities and games for all ages, player autograph sessions and a charity yard sale. Admission and parking for the event are free. For more details visit TampaBay.Rays.MLB.com.

USF sailing teams splash into spring season By Andrew Caplan Staff Reporter The USF coed’s and women’s sailing teams have hit the water with a splash after placing first and second in their spring-seasonopening regatta. Hoping to build off the momentum, women’s coach Allison Jolly and coed coach Tim King are staying busy preparing the sailors for their future competitions by teaching mechanics, strength and conditioning. After focusing on speed last week, King chose “goal setting” as the weekly theme leading up to the second competition. “It wasn’t a defined goal, like ‘I want to be top three at the end of qualifiers’ or anything like that,” Jolly said. “It was more activity oriented, which is good.” While Jolly is working on fleet racing, King is concentrating on team racing, which is three-onthree tournament-style racing. King said that there are 56 races over the course of the weekend. “Something I’ll work on with the team races is having a strategy that is common between all of them,” King said. King, who was a psychology major, said the purpose of the unified strategy is so the sailors aren’t pointing fingers if something goes wrong mid competition; instead, they can motivate one another in a time of need. But aside from practice and competitions, the coaches are making sure the student-athletes work out three times a week for at least one hour. “It’s under-emphasized in their mind how important physical fitness is,” King said. Jolly said there are three components to sailing: strength, flexibility and endurance. Strength helps the sailors pull the sail better and enables them to keep their legs stretched out for long periods of time. Flexibility is for the constant movement in small spaces, while endurance is for the multiple races throughout the day. Unlike football and basketball, the coaches cannot yell to their sailors during competitions. They watch from a distance or in a boat with other coaches and voice critiques after the boats cross the finish line. The sailing teams, which have

26 boats, have held open-invitation tryouts for all levels of experience and have reached their capacity with 55 members -- 35 women and 20 men. Therefore, the job of overseeing all the sailors’ particular techniques during a practice can become near impossible. “There might be someone who had an isolated problem that wasn’t like anyone else’s and you are going to miss that,” Jolly said. King said the size of their sailing program is one of the largest in the country. “I don’t think we could honestly take more in,” King said. “It would come as a cost of not being able to give everyone attention, because they all want coaching and when there’s 17/18 boats in the water, we’re looking at (the) big picture and they’re coming up to us saying

Courtesy of Timothy King

This weekend, the USFSP sailing teams competed at Eckerd College. The teams are gearing up for the spring semester.

‘Hey, did you see that tack?’ So, it’s tricky, it’s very tricky.” To help provide an extra set of eyes on the water, assistant coach Rachael Silverstein, a former USF sailor, comes in a few times a week in hopes of noticing that extra little detail that might go unnoticed. “It’s a real help,” Jolly said. King and Jolly also understand that, aside from being coaches, a lot of the student-athletes look to them for guidance outside sailing. “A lot of times, it’s the first time

they have been away from home,” Jolly said. “Mom and Dad are now out of the picture and they’ll come to me; even former students will come to me and say ‘I got this job offer; I don’t know, what do you think?’ And obviously I am not going to make those decisions, but I have the perspective of being older and can help them sometimes. They just bounce things off me, which I think is probably the bigger part of my job than the sailing part.” sports@crowsneststpete.com

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