Single copies free Sept 8-13, 2015 | Volume 50 | Issue 3
The student newspaper at USF St. Petersburg
We could have been ‘Suncoast University’ p. 2
51-3
USF wins p.3
USF
St. Petersburg turns
By Kris Daberkoe Crow’s Nest Contributor When it began, 50 years ago this week, it was a tiny place with modest ambitions. It was called the “Bay Campus” of the University of South Florida, a temporary outpost selected hastily because there was not enough dormitory space at USF’s campus in Tampa, where classes had begun just five years earlier. Nearly 260 turned out for the first day of class in St. Petersburg on Sept. 7, 1965. They lived and attended class in old barracks that had housed training programs for thousands of young men in the U.S. Maritime Service between 1939 and 1950. Students attending those first classes at Bay Campus were inconvenienced by having to travel between the bayside barracks and the Tampa campus, according to historian James Anthony Schnur, the Nelson Poynter Memorial L ibr a r y ’s spec ia l col lec t ions librarian. Though the campus served as an overflow site for freshman and sophomores, the role changed in 1968 when USF President John S. Allen kept the facility as a place to offer a few upper-level undergraduate and graduate programs for the convenience of Pinellas County residents. A year later, the legislature approved USF-St. Petersburg as the first branch campus in the Florida public university system. Throughout the ’70s, collegial entertainment and academic opportunities grew for students, faculty and staff. Students who attended during this time may recall sharing one another’s company while watching the popular Friday Night Film series, or when Jacques Cousteau, an internationally renown oceanographer, docked in Bayboro Harbor. Some may remember the women’s soccer team, the Sandspurs, and their funny slogan “a pain in the grass.” There was a time when everyone would cool off between studies
and play volleyball near
the pool. The college grew through leadership and community partners, such as the St. Petersburg City Council and the vision of longtime St. Petersburg Times editor Nelson Poynter. Once things were more established, students and faculty sought to expand academic programs and extracurricular activities. Fast forward to 2000, when the university began the process of acquiring separate accreditation from the Southern Association of College and Schools. The campus gained this level of autonomy in 2006. After all the development, renovations and achievements in the last 50 years, it may seem that there is little left to be done. But as it turns out, Sophia Wisniewska, USFSP regional chancellor, is leading innovations to expand the university through a five-year plan called Vision 20/20. “The plan’s purpose is to take inventory of where we are today and choosing how we are going to develop for tomorrow,” Schnur said.
Future holds big changes By Caitlin Ashworth Staff Reporter
Courtesy of the Nelson Pynter Memorial Library The original campus consisted of buildings erected in 1939 for the U.S. Martime Service Training Station. The univserity’s College of Marine Science and the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are located there now.
Ten thousand students in 10 years. That’s the goa l for USF St. Petersburg - to nearly double in size by 2025, and to ultimately become a pedestrian campus by closing off Sixth Avenue S, Second Street and Third Street. Changes have already begun. The university is implementing the five-year strategic plan, Vision
Continued on p.4
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Compiled from the work of James Anthony Schnur, a historian and the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library’s special collections librarian; websites of USFSP; the Tampa Bay Times; the Tampa Tribune; and “From Mangroves to Major League: A Timeline of St. Petersburg, Florida,” by Rick Baker. Why is our school called the University of South Florida? St. Petersburg and Tampa are not in south Florida. When the Florida Legislature authorized a new university in Tampa in 1956, it became the southernmost university in the state. (The existing universities were the University of Florida in Gainesville and Florida State and Florida A&M in Ta llahassee). State Rep. Sam Gibbons (who later served in Congress for many years) thought the name South Florida would help get the support of legislators in the southern part of the state. He was right
Once the southernmost state university in Florida What about the rest of the campus? The university began expanding to the north and west in 1978, when it broke ground on t he buildings along the north shore of Bayboro Harbor that are today called Bayboro and Davis halls. They supplanted a hotel, a venetian blinds manufacturer, marine repair shops and other businesses. As the city of St. Petersburg bought more land over the years, the expansion eventually reached its present day boundaries of Fifth Avenue S on the north and Fourth Street S on the west. So the city of St. Petersburg has been a partner of the university and its expansion? Yes. City officials have long embraced the university and recognized its importance in the social, economic and intellectual fabric of the city. They were galvanized into action in the mid-1970s when uni-
almost all of the Bayboro buildings and programs there. Suncoast University? Yep. That was the idea of a powerful state senator named Don Sullivan, who was unhappy with St. Petersburg’s role as a stepchild of the big Tampa campus (and who apparently had notions of becoming an administrator at the new institution). His idea was defeated, but it was a wake-up call for university leaders on both sides of the bay. They agreed to expanded programs, new buildings and increased autonomy for the St. Petersburg campus. In 2006, USFSP was awarded separate accreditation by the Southern A s s o c iat ion of C ol lege s a nd Schools. W ho was Nelson Poy nter, whose name adorns our library? For 40 years, Poynter ran the St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times), which during his tenure became one of America’s best newspapers. Poynter was a fervent champion of St. Petersburg and education, and his support of the university reflected both passions. He was a generous contributor to the university. He died of a stroke on June 15, 1978, just hours after he proudly took part in the groundbreaking for the first major expansion of the then-tiny campus.
Courtesy of Gary Brown USF alumnus The original entranceway to USF’s Bay Campus.
How did Tampa become the site of the main USF campus? Why not St. Petersburg or another location in Pinellas County? In fact, there was spirited competition between civic leaders and newspapers in Hillsborough County and their counterparts in Pinellas. The St. Petersburg Times and its feisty editor, Nelson Poynter, campaigned to put the university here. But Tampa, which was bigger than St. Petersburg and had more clout in the state capital, prevailed. Our campus now covers about 52 acres, with plans for expansion. What used to be here? For the first 13 years, the campus was confined to about 11.8 acres on a finger of land that juts out into Bayboro Harbor and today is home of the USF College of Marine Science, the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and our swimming pool. The first campus buildings had housed the U.S. Maritime Service Training Station between 1939 and 1950 and the provisional campus of Florida Presbyterian College (now Eckerd College) from 1959 until it moved to its present location in 1963.
versity leaders toyed with the idea of moving the campus to a larger site in Clearwater. There were proposals to move the campus to Clearwater? Yes. But in Februar y 1975, voters in Clearwater rejected a proposal that called for the donation of more than 100 acres for a campus there. That got the attention of St. Petersburg, which began condemning the land for a dramatically expanded campus footprint here. Has our campus, which first opened for students in 1965, a lw ay s b e en c a l le d USF St . Petersburg? No. For the first three years, it was known as the Bay Campus. T hen i n 1968, it bec a me t he Bayboro Campus of USF or USF Bayboro – monikers that stuck for years. The name USF St. Petersburg dates back to 1969, and until the 1990s many called it the “USF St. Petersburg Campus,” a branch of USF. Separating USFSP academic programs and services from the direct control of USF Tampa came after an unsuccessful legislative effort to create a new school called Suncoast University and transfer
Lowell E. Davis.
Who was Lowell Davis, the namesake of Lowell E . Davis Memorial Hall? Dav is, a biologist and academic administrator who came to St. Petersburg from Syracuse University in 1986, was dean of the campus and its top executive for three years. It was a heady time for the fledgling school, and the popular Davis led efforts to expand its ambitions, footprint and curriculum. The community was stunned when he suffered a stroke and died in 1989 at the age of 58. Why isn’t Coquina Hall named for somebody? Before the building was dedicated in 1984, then-Dean John Hinz and the faculty recommended that it be named in honor of Zora Neale Hurston, a renowned author and Florida native. But then-President John Lott Brown decided to name the building after the shells that covered it.
What’s the story behind the bull statute on Harborwalk in front of the University Student Center? The 850-pound bronze statue was installed in February 2013. The anatomically correct bull cost $10,000, which came from Student Government’s capital account. How long has Albert Whitted, the nearby airport, been here? Far longer than most of the buildings and institutions in St. Petersburg. The airport, which is owned and operated by the city, covers 110 acres. It opened in 1929, but the downtown waterfront had seen aviation activity since 1914, when a Benoist “airboat” based there began America’s first scheduled commercial flight service with twice-daily flights to Tampa. When the novelty wore off several months later, the flights ended. Who was Albert Whitted? He was a native of St. Petersburg and aviation pioneer who was killed when his plane crashed near Pensacola in 1923. Anything notable about the airport? The tiny facility figures in aviation history. Goodyear stationed one of its famous blips there for 15 years starting in 1930. One of the nation’s first airline companies – National Airlines – was based there. And in 1985, the airport made national news when a retired couple from Chicago got lost, mistook one of the runways for Interstate 275 and drove off the seawall into Tampa Bay. They were fished out of neck-deep water, unharmed, by firefighters training nearby. Has the airport impeded the growth of our campus? Yes, at least vertically. Under city codes, Florida law and rules of the Federal Aviation Administration, buildings that lie underneath the airport’s flight patterns can’t exceed certain heights. Over the years, some campus leaders have supported proposals to close the airport or at least close its eastwest runway. Those proposals went nowhere. How d id t he impressive Salvador Dali Museum end up in St. Petersburg just northeast of campus? It’s an improbable story. In 1980, a young St. Petersburg lawyer named James Martin read in the Wall Street Journal that a Cleveland couple were looking for a place to showcase their $70 million collection of paintings by the famously weird artist. Martin cold-called them to pitch St. Petersburg, then helped marshal a charm offensive by civic leaders, city officials and the state Legislature that ultimately persuaded the couple to pick St. Petersburg over Denver and Austin, Texas.
Is USFSP affiliated with the Dali? The university and museum have a formal collaboration agreement. Students, faculty and staff have free access to the museum, museum staff lecture at the university and the museum hosts regular community conversations between faculty and members of the community. When the museum moved into its new, $36 million home in 2011, the university got its former quarters, now called Harbor Hall, at 1000 Third St. S. It is home for the Department of Verbal and Visual Arts. St. Petersburg and its downtown are known as a hip destination for pleasure-seeking young people, tourists and opportunityseeking millennials. Has the city always been this cool? Hardly. For years, television comedians and national magazines derided St. Petersburg as “God’s waiting room” and the “city of green benches,” where hordes of seniors shared the downtown sidewalks with pigeons. (See images directly opposite) What happened? A happy confluence of stuff. The Vinoy Hotel, which had been closed for 18 years, was lovingly restored – at a cost of $93 million -- and when it reopened in 1992, it became a crown jewel of downtown. A nowdefunct international museum brought hundreds of thousands of people downtown between 1995 and 2010. Major League Baseball arrived in 1998, and on-again-offagain auto street racing, which began in 1985, morphed into a highprofile Grand Prix race in 2005 that draws an estimated 140,000 fans each spring. The 1990s brought stirrings of an art renaissance that has snowballed in recent years, and numerous condo and apartment towers have been built, with more on the way. What role has the university played in St. Petersburg’s surge? It’s been huge. The growth of the university has brought thousands of young people to the city, which led in turn to stores, restaurants and night spots that serve them. The university itself is a partner to a number of museums, hospitals and research institutions that lie within a few blocks of the campus in an area that city leaders call the “Innovation District.” What’s the story on those two old homes on Second Street S just south of the Welcome Center? They are two of the city’s oldest buildings. The Snell House, built in 1904 by developer C. Perry Snell, was moved to the campus in August 1993. It’s the headquarters for the university’s honors and Florida Studies programs. The Williams House was built in 1890-91 by John C. Williams, a co-founder of the city. It was moved here in March 1995.
Sept 8-13, 2015 | Volume 50 | Issue 3
crowsneststpete.com Courtesy of the St. Petersburg Museum of History
University librarian has lived and chronicled campus history By Jeffrey Zanker Staff Reporter THEN In the early 1940s , Central Avenue was the domain of senior citizens and the city’s oftenderided geen benches.
NOW Central Avenue thrives with trendy night spots for fun-seeking millennials.
The University Advancement staff has offices on the second floor; the first floor is used for meetings and special events. How long has the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer team played at Al Lang Stadium, three blocks north of the campus? For five years. The stadium is much better known as a home for Major League Baseball spring training. It is named for Al Lang, a former mayor who persuaded the St. Louis Browns to train here in 1914. Over the years, seven teams trained at Al Lang and its predecessor, Waterfront Park, including the St. Louis Cardinals of Stan Musial (1938-1942 and 1946-1997) and the New York Yankees of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle (1925-1942, 1946-1950 and 19521961). When St. Petersburg got a
major league franchise in 1998, the Tampa Bay Rays (first called the Devil Rays) played spring training games here until 2008. The Rowdies, who on most nights draw several thousand fans – and lots of USFSP students – moved into Al Lang in 2011. Babe Rut h t r a i ne d i n St . Petersburg? Yes. And nobody enjoyed the city more than the Bambino. He played golf, fished in the gulf, went to the dog track, visited sick kids in the hospital, partied with the ladies and drank gallons of Prohibitionera hooch. Oh, and he also played a lot of baseball. According to legend, he hit a home run here that traveled more than over 600 feet. That would make it the longest blast in Major League history.
Courtesy of the St. Petersburg Museum of History When he wasn’t carousing, Babe Ruth - shown here with twin bat boys from the circus - played a little baseball.
Just a few weeks before the first classes at USF “Bay Campus,” James Anthony Schnur, 50, was born at a hospital three blocks away. For 13 years Schnur has been the special collections librarian at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, but he has been at USF St. Petersburg for much longer. “What started out as a historical coincidence seems very fateful today,” said Schnur. He grew up in Redington Beach, graduated from Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport and went on to earn an A.A. in history at the University of Tampa. “I was more of a Viking historian,” said Schnur, whose history classes were mainly on medieval Europe. At first, Schnur pursued a bachelor’s in education at USF Tampa, but later decided to study history at the St. Petersburg campus in 1986. “I enjoyed the smaller classes and dedicated faculty at the time,” he said. “The campus was really tailored for people like me.” After working with histor y professor Gary Mormino in writing two award-winning historical essays on former Florida Gov. LeRoy Collins and a witch-hunt group called the Johns Committee, Schnur was inspired to take up Florida studies.
“He was such a foc u sed a nd l i kable st udent,” sa id Mor m i no, 6 8 . “He exemplifies the best in scholarship research here.” Schnur graduated in 1989 and later went for a master’s in history and library science in the early ’90s while he worked as a of James Schnur graduate student assis- Courtesy Much of Schnur’s work for the 40th anniversary exhbit was used tant for the Nelson in this issue. Poynter Library. “I want readers to understand He participated in historical works during his stu- Florida more v iv id ly w it hout dent years such as restoring the watered-down academic talk,” he Snell and Williams houses in the said. Schnur considers teaching stumid-’90s. “There is much rich history for a dents his best achievement. He assists graduate students in the very small area,” Schnur said. In 1996, Schnur married his wife USFSP Florida Studies program and Phuongdung on campus in front of teaches part-time at the USF Tampa Davis Hall, room 130, and in 2002, School of Information on archival Schnur joined the USFSP faculty management. He also serves as an as the special collections librarian adjunct history instructor at Eckerd College. where his still works today. “One of the things I appreciate Schnur preserves and provides USFSP history, along with the St. the greatest is being here today to Petersburg community, through support the academic needs of our archival collections of historical current students,” he said. USFSP has become a home to artifacts. He has also helped create the Schnur and he looks forward the library’s digital archives and exhib- days to come. “It never gets boring here,” he its on historical periods such as World War II and has published said, “and if it does, I need to take a five books on Pinellas County little vacation to clean the dust out of my ears.” history.
Defense dominates in season opening win By David Stoner Crow’s Nest Contributor The 2015 football season got off to a winning start Saturday night. The Bulls posted a 51-3 home win over the Florida A&M University Rattlers. The much vaunted new up-tempo offense was upstaged by a new swarming defense that allowed just one first down in the first half. The defense was led by sophomore linebacker, Auggie Sanchez, with 10 tackles. S c or i n g by t he B u l l s w a s started with a field goal by Emilio Nadelman late in the first quarter. By the middle of the second quarter, the offense began to roll. The offense benefited from great starting field position ending up with five scoring drives under a 1:06. Sophomore starting quarterback, Quinten Flowers, made his second career start and went 12 of 16 passing. Senior quarterback, Steven Bench, played the majority
of the second half. Bench went 8 of 10 passing. Sophomore running back, Marlon Mack, rushed for 131 yards. This was his second highest total of his career including a 1 yard touchdown run. The student section was nearly full as part of an overall attendance
of 30,434 at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. Up nex t for t he Bu l ls is a trip to Florida State University in Ta lla hassee to ta ke on t he Seminoles. Students can enjoy a watch party at the University Student Center as part of the 50th
Courtesy of Travis Pendergrass USF quaterback Quinton Flowers attended Miami Jackson highschool.
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USFSP over the years September Because the 5-year-old University of South Florida i n Ta mpa had ad m it ted more freshmen than it could house, nearly 260 frosh begin their college careers in St. Petersburg. They live and attend class in buildings on a small peninsula in Bayboro Harbor where the universit y’s Col lege of Ma rine Science and the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are today.
1965
1968
Summer Moving without the approval of t he L eg i slat u re , USF President John S. Allen and a dynamic young administrator named Lester Tuttle begin creating a “Bayboro Campus” on the 11.8-acre peninsula. Among their first moves: offering classes to juniors, seniors and graduate students in a “2+2” partnership with St. Petersburg Junior College.
June Civic leaders from both sides of Tampa Bay join university officials in a groundbreaking for the expansion.
The Legislature makes the new campus official and gives it the name University of South Florida – St. Petersburg. It is the first branch campus in the state university system.
January The Campus Activities Center (now ca lled t he Student Life Center) opens. It is expanded in 1994 to include a fitness center and racquetball court and remodeled in the summer of 2015.
The city of St. Petersburg acquires and clears land along the north shore of Bayboro Harbor for an expansion of the campus.
1969
1975
1976-77
February Voters in Clearwater reject a proposal calling for the city to donate land for a new home for the campus there.
1978
USFSP is very much a commuter campus. Up to 85 percent of the students are juniors and seniors, and well over half take classes in the evening.
The university’s expectations for the years to come
20/20, and updating the master plan, as required by Florida law. Revision of the master plan is led by Joe Trubacz, the regional vice chancellor for administrative and financial services, and the consulting firm Gould Evans. Plans are tentative, but are set to be revised in the coming year. The university plans on increasing the retention rate by heightening the “freshman experience.” This means more space for students
USFSP by the numbers Source: University of South Florida St. Petersburg
1980-86
1981
1984
1989
April Coquina Hall is dedicated.
1990
June T he U. S. Geolog ica l Survey’s new Center for Coastal Geology moves into a historic building that once housed a Studebaker auto dealership at 600 Fourth St. S. In the years that follow, the USGS and the university forge a collaborative partnership.
May Officials dedicate two new buildings – the Nelson Poynter Me m o r i a l L i br a r y (n ow Bayboro Hall) and Bayboro Hall (now Davis Hall).
October Student editors produce the first issue of the USFSP Bay Campus Bulletin. The mimeographed publication is renamed the Crow’s Nest in 1970 and adopts a newspaper format in 1993.
Continued from front cover
This chronology is based largely on the work of James Anthony Schnur, a historian and special collections librarian at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library. Information from the Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Tribune and websites of USF St. Petersburg was used in this report.
to socialize and relax, as well as a new dormitory geared toward traditional campus living instead of the apartment-style housing in current dormitories. In the next 10 years, the university plans to have a total of 1,400 beds on campus. With the rapid growth planned to the future, Paulien & Associates Inc. conducted a utilization study and found a limited need for additional classrooms.
Classrooms are used an average of 29 hours per week, well below the Florida guideline of 40 per week. Paulien & Associates suggests the university utilize classrooms more efficiently. Dennis Strait from Gould Evans met with faculty and staff in June and August to discuss the master plan and get a firsthand look at the wants and needs of the campus. Faculty have suggested that Davis Hall is outdated and needs
renovation and that there is a need for new and updated biology labs as well as a formal writing center for students. However, with the growth of the campus there are no plans for expansion of the library, and the crowded parking garage could mean restricting freshmen who live on campus from having cars. This is the policy at many large universities.
11.8
52
26
3
24
Numbers of acres the campus covered in 1965
Numbers of acres today
Number of campus buildings
Number of colleges - Arts and Sciences; Business; and Education
Number of undergraduate programs
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Early State Sen. Don Su l liva n, R-Seminole, peeved at the way the Tampa campus governs the St. Petersburg campus, shakes things up with a startling proposal: He files legislation that would transfer most of the St. Petersburg programs to a new school that would be called “Suncoast University.” Fall The campus accepts its first freshman class since the “overflow” classes of 1965 and 1966.
1996
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August The school’s first dormitory, Residence Hall One, opens at the corner of Fifth Avenue S and Second Street.
2000
Late Sullivan’s proposa l comes to naught in the Legislature, but it helps spark fundamental changes for the St. Petersburg campus – an expansion of course offerings and degree programs, increased autonomy, and planning for separate accreditation.
2001
September International entrepreneur Kate Tiedemann donates $10 million to the university – the largest gift in its history. The university names its College of Business in her honor, and late in the year it breaks ground on a new building along Seventh Avenue S at Third Street. The building is scheduled to open in fall 2016.
April Scientists at the College of Marine Science are among the first researchers to begin researching the impact of the disastrous Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Their findings make national news. Their studies continue today.
June Bill Heller, who led the campus as dean and CEO for a decade, is ousted by USF President Judy Genshaft. He goes on to champion higher education during four years in the Legislature and is now dean of USFSP’s College of Education.
1998
September The USF Board of Trustees approves a strategic plan – called Vision 20/20 – that would increase USFSP’s enrollment to 10,000 over the next decade while strengthening the university’s commitments to teaching, research and ties to the local community.
2002
2006
2010
2012
June After 43 years under the control of the Tampa campus, USFSP is awarded separate accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – the state’s first regional campus to earn that distinction. Accreditation is crucial to a school’s credibility. Without it, recruitment suffers, its degrees lose their value and students are not eligible for financial aid.
A day of remembrance A memorial for the lives lost in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks By Alex Gomez Crow’s Nest Contributor
2014
2015
October Citing Ebola-related fears from students and faculty, the university cancels the visit of 14 African journalists traveling to the U.S. under the State Department’s Edward R. Murrow program. Twelve of the Africans – minus two from countries where Ebola had become a serious problem – come to St. Petersburg any way when the Poynter Institute for Media Studies agrees to play host.
February Officials dedicate the Florida Center for Teachers building, which today houses the Department of Journalism and Media Studies and Florida Humanities Council. In 2010, t he bu i ld i ng is na med i n honor of Peter Rudy Wallace, a St. Petersburg lawyer, former speaker of the Florida House of Representative and longtime friend of the university.
August The new Nelson Poynter Memorial Library opens.
2013
July Sophia T. Wisniewska, 61, a scholar of Russian language and literature and chancellor of Penn State Brandywine, is named regional chancellor at a salar y of $265,000.
August The University Student Center, which features a dining facility, banquet hall, meeting rooms and six-story dormitory, opens at Sixth Avenue S and Second Street.
In commemoration of the lives lost in the 911 attacks in 2001, “A Day of Remembrance” event will take place on Friday, Sept. 11, hosted by Student Government’s Department of Veteran Affairs. The ceremony will take place from 1-3 p.m., beginning with a soft opening of the new Military and Veterans Success Center in Terrace 301. The event will continue at 6 p.m. with a complimentary Carrabba’s catered dinner in
March The USF Board of Trustees approves the purchase of nearly 4 acres from the Poynter I n s t it ute for Me d i a Studies for $6.2 million. The land, between Eighth and 11 avenues S and Third and Fourth streets, might eventually be the site of a new building for science, technology, engineering and math.
For more information and photos on the university’s history, see “From Fiddler Crabs to a Harbor with Class,” a 32-panel display prepared by James Anthony Schnur and the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library for USFSP’s 40th anniversary: http://dspace.nelson.usf.edu/xmlui/ handle/10806/387
the USC ballroom, followed by a performance of the Star-Spangled B a nn e r by USF SP ’s Aut u m n Hollowell. There will be multiple tables to make donations to 9/11 memorial organizations. The event is open to all of the USFSP community. “My goal and reasoning in creating the Day of Remembrance is to have an event on campus for all of us to be able to have an uplifting day full of unity, remembrance and
reflection,” said Kaitlyn Mollo, student government secretary of veteran affairs and event coordinator. And for Mollo, there is more to the day than just sadness. She wants her peers to feel that, too. “Even though Sept. 11 marks a cheerless day, I also wanted to make sure there was some fun involved,” she said. “I deeply hope that this event will fulfill all of these goals.”
12
580
6,700
3.85
1153
26
22 to 1
Number of graduate programs
Number of students who live on campus
total enrollment, fall 2014
Average high school GPA of incoming freshmen, fall 2014
Average SAT of incoming freshmen fall 2014
Average ACT of incoming freshmen, fall 2014
Student-faculty ratio
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The nifty fifty
Celebrate USF St. Petersburg’s 50th history and future with special events that are scheduled throughout the year. By Angelina Bruno Staff Reporter Editor-in-chief
Samantha putterman
Managing Editor
caitlin ashworth
Creative Director
Erin morgan
News editor
Emily Tinti
News assistant
Jeffrey Zanker
Arts & Life Editor
angelina bruno
Arts & Life assistant Editor
julia marcuzzo
Staff Reporter
Lauren Hensley
Photo editor
Sean Le Roux
Advertising manager
Jessica Jagodzinski
Web Manager
Liz Howard
Distribution Manager
dennis geyer
adviser
Rob Hooker
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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Innovation Panel Listen to a panel on innovation and learn answers to big questions like ‘What is innovation?’ The panel will include business leaders and entrepreneurs, such as the founder of Groupon, Shawn Bercuson. Sept. 10, 2-3:30 p.m. // USC Ballroom USFSP Block Party Celebrate USFSP turning 50 at the USFSP Block Party. The event will feature food trucks, live music, and free t-shirts. Come out and meet Mayor Rick Kriseman and see the co-naming of Second Street S, soon to also become University Way. Sept. 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. // USFSP Screen on the Green Watch a movie on Harborwalk lawn with your friends. Grab a blanket and head over and enjoy the show. Food and free gifts will be provided. There’s no need to worry about rain either, USFSP will move the show into the University Ballroom in the USC if needed. Sept. 16, 8-11 p.m. Andrei Codrescu: Avida Dollars – Art is the New Currency NPR commentator Andrei Codrescu will be giving a talk on the commercialization of art. Codrescu, who is also an author will discuss how Salvador Dali plays a role in such matters. Sept. 24, 6-7:30 p.m. Homecoming 5K Run the perimeter of the campus. Nonstudents can gain entry with a fee. Oct. 4, 5-7 .pm. //USFSP Homecoming Opening Night Kick off homecoming week with a pep rally celebration on campus. Oct. 5, 5-9 p.m. // USFSP Harborwalk Cardboard Boat Race Bring your homemade boat and sail across the harbor at this annual event. Oct. 7, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. // USFSP Bayboro Harbor Homecoming Carnival Oct. 7, 1–5 p.m. // USFSP Harborwalk USF Ho m eco m i n g Football Game USF vs. Syracuse Oct. 10, TBA. // Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium St. Petersburg Science Festival Oct. 16–17, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. // USFSP USFSP Night at the Rowdies From 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm, tailgate at the Tavern and then head to the Rowdies game. Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. // Al Lang Stadium
TEDx USFSP Speakers will be selected from the campus community to speak at this event. Nov. 13, 5–10 p.m. // USFSP University Student Center Ballroom MLK Day Parade at Downtown St. Petersburg Students can march in this annual parade with an on campus club or organization. Jan. 18, 11 am to 1 p.m.
CROSSWORD
Food for Thought Lecture Watch the documentary “The Search for General Tso,” and discuss the film with the director. March 21, 7 p.m. // USFSP University Student Center Ballroom Florida Food Conference at USFSP April 2, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. // University Student Center Ballroom USFSP Celebrates 50! A fundraising ball to celebrate USFSP’s 50th year. April 7, 6-10 p.m. // University Student Center Ballroom
crowsneststpete.com
Sept 8-13, 2015 | Volume 50 | Issue 3
Sept 8-13, 2015 | Volume 50 | Issue 3
crowsneststpete.com
Alums have fond memories, big jobs By Julia Marcuzzo Staff Reporter
Pioneers recall special times, special people
For many, diplomas led to achievement
By Ivelliam Ceballo Crow’s Nest Contributor A 13-time sailing world champion. A Guinness world record holder. Several current and former elected officials. A marine biologist renowned for her study of Florida’s red tide. And a former marine, blinded in Iraq, who now works with guide dogs. These are some of the many USF St. Petersburg alumni who went on to achieve success after earning their degrees. As the university celebrates its 50th anniversary, the alumni relations department published a section on its website called the “Green and Golden” to recognize successful alumni.
J.M. “Sudsy” Tschiderer
Eileen D’Angelo Mattioli
Sue Porter
Environment:
Environment:
Environment:
Class of ’71
Her last name is Tschiderer, but three generations of university students know her as “Sudsy.” When she was a student, she said, it was “a brand new entity” with a diverse student body that included returning veterans, local parents and junior college grads. Friendly faculty and an average class size of 15 to 20 students created a family-like environment at the Bay Campus. Hangout Spots:
In t he ea rly ’ 70 s st udents noticed a pool littered with leaves and animal carcasses. Determined to fix it, students rallied together; they dug for plumbing, cleaned and repainted the neglected pool. “W hi le people didn’t live on campus, they lived in the community, and the pool was the real hub of our social life,” Sudsy said. School Activities:
As a new campus, a student affairs department didn’t exist. When Sudsy saw an invitation to start developing student life, she joined the Student Affairs Committee in 1969, which later served as the foundation for the Student Government Association. That same year, Sudsy started the Bay Campus Bulletin, the campus newspaper. A year later, Professor Bill Garrett won a contest that changed the name to what it is today, the Crow’s Nest, referencing the on-site marina. A crow’s nest is the tower atop a ship that serves as the lookout. Memorable Moment:
“One of the most profound stories to me is when we broke ground for phase one of campus expansion – which is today’s Davis Hall and Bayboro Hall,” said Sudsy. After the 1978 ceremony, university people, civic leaders, and St. Petersburg Times editor Nelson Poynter went to lunch at the Yacht Club. Hours later, Poynter tragically suffered a stroke. He was taken to a hospital and died soon after. “Brea k i ng g rou nd was his dream come true,” Sudsy said. “He accomplished what he wanted to do. It was his unfinished business, and when it was finished, it was okay.”
Class of ‘68
In those days, all campus buildings were barracks, having been an old military port, and classrooms were plain. “People there came from all careers and lives to get that elementary [education] degree,” Mattioli said. Education professors took this program seriously and kept a strict environment that was focused on getting their students involved in local elementary schools to teach children. Hangout Spots:
With Mattioli’s busy schedule in the education program, which was similar to an internship with hands-on teaching at local schools, it left her with little extra time. However, she found excitement around lunchtime because of Freddie Crawford, who would join her and her friends. “He was the first black policeman in this area to kind of mingle with whites,” she said. “He protected us...it was very exciting and I’m so glad I had that experience.” School Activities:
Mattioli found herself more i nvolved i n her job at Dav is Elementary than at the campus. “It was a really great experience to work with the other teachers – it was team teaching,” Mattioli said. Her professors, Dr. Shannon and Dr. Bubois, discussed methods on how to properly teach children, which was especially important during a time period that public schools were being desegregated. They would tell her, “You don’t have to know everything as long as you know where to look it up.” This motto was considered the basis for most of the program: finding knowledge. Memorable Moment:
One of Mattioli’s most treasured memories was in 1967, when Sha nnon a nd Bubois published a book, Pyramid of Learning: Physicians, Visions and Propositions, which was comprised of papers written by the education class. Mattioli had contributed a piece called “Reorganize the Elementary school.”
Class of ‘89
The small campus size made it difficult to “goof off ” because the professors affectionately knew all their students. The school’s layout in the late ’80s differed significantly from today’s campus - many of today’s buildings didn’t exist and there was a bookstore where the Grind is. Hangout Spots:
Porter enjoyed spending time at the same tables that still sit along the harbor today. During her first week of school, she sat there as a small plane headed straight toward her. “I could see the pilot inside the plane,” she said. Having no idea that a small airport was next to the campus, she thought her life would end at the age of 40. Luckily, the plane flew off, and she could breathe again. School Activities:
Porter got involved on campus in the ambassador program and honor society. As an ambassador, her obligations included helping out and participating in various campus activities. In the late ’80s, she attended a homecoming concert by the band Chicago at the Sun Dome in Tampa. Ambassadors were expected to act a certain way, but she couldn’t resist being the first one to take off her shoes and green jacket to start dancing on a chair. Memorable Moment:
When “Dr. Rich” interrupted Porter’s class to announce her appointment into the ambassador program, she first took no notice, and was busily chatting away with her friends. But the moment Porter realized what he had said, she couldn’t believe it. Having been the oldest person to interview for one of three positions in the program, she never expected to be chosen.
Ph i l ip “E d ” B a i r d , B.A., General Business Administration ’82 The sailing competitor and coach is a 13-time world champion. A sailing career was not something he imagined possible, according to the Quantum Racing Team Courtesy of the Ed Baird Baird in Geneva, Switzerland in 2007 holding America’s helmsman. Cup after winning the Alinghi syndicate. “When I was a kid the sport was amateur only. It wasn’t until after I got out of the made available from the school,” university that the sport changed its he said. “That makes that school rules and allowed professionalism,” very, very special. There aren’t Baird said. “I’ve always loved it.” a lot of universities in the world After completing his first two that can provide you that unique years of college, Baird took two opportunity.” years off to join an Olympic camThe sailor is competing with a paign in sailing. He said USFSP was 22-man crew in Sardinia, an island the right place for him to complete off the Mediterranean, in the Maxi his education. Yacht Rolex Cup, a 12-day world “I would suggest to anybody championship race for 72-foot who’s going to school at USF St. boats. Pete to make sure to take the opporBaird isn’t the only bull whose tunity to enjoy the waterfront that’s passion is to be out at sea. David Mearns, M.A, Marine Science, ’86 A s d i r e c t o r o f B lu e Waters Recoveries Ltd., an ultra deep-sea operations company, Mearns has led the discovery of more than two dozen major shipwrecks. He a nd his compa ny hold three Guinness World records for the discoveries. One was the German World War II blockade-runner Rio Grande at 5,762 meters, the deepest shipwreck located in history. As a student, Mearns switched disciplines and worked several parttime jobs to pay his way through school. But most of his time was spent at sea, collecting and analyzing geophysical data. The aspiring marine scientist sent about 80 resumes after earning his degree. Only three companies showed interest in him. One was performing groundbreaking work, and offered him opportunities to become an expert in his field, “There is no way I could have imagined what kind of career I
Courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times Mearns is one of the world’s most acclaimed shipwreck hunter.
would wind up having when I graduated,” Mearns said. “I can only say what has worked for me and that is to follow your interest and passion because by nature you’ll do far better in a field you truly love.” Alumni relations officer Heidi Hamlin has the opportunity to connect with some of the university’s distinguished alumni. “It is impressive to know what different folks have done with their degree since graduating,” Hamlin said. “They’ve done some incredible things.”