Single copies free The student newspaper at USF St. Petersburg
Apr 11- Apr 17, 2016 | Volume 50 | Issue 28
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A recap of USFSP Week p. 5
p. 8
Humans of New York founder comes to USF Tampa campus By Samantha Putterman Staff Reporter
Devin Rodriguez / Crow’s Nest
Brandon Stanton, founder of the successful photo-centric storytelling blog, Humans of New York, said he didn’t pick upw a camera until the age of 26. For anyone who’s familiar with HONY knows how shocking this statement is – and the surprise showed from the wave of silence that fell over the capacity crowd during his lecture at USF Tampa on April 5. T he 32-ye a r- old nat ive of Marietta, Ga., an Atlanta suburb, has built a worldwide phenomenon that has gained over 17 million followers on Facebook and close to 5 million on Instagram, in only six years. But he made sure to remind the room that it took major failures to find the success. Stanton majored in history at
Brandon Stanton, founder of the popular storytelling blog Humans of New York, took questions from the crowd after his lecture at USF Tampa on April 6. Here he signs his book for a fan.
the University of Georgia – but didn’t graduate the first go-around. “I ended up f lunking out school,” he said to the auditorium of college students. “And I didn’t just flunk out ... I flamed out.” Stanton said he tried to turn things around when he went back to community college and started getting good grades. Although he did graduate from the University of Georgia in 2008 with a bachelor’s in history, Stanton said finding a job in the field was difficult without a master’s or Ph.D, and later landed a job as a bond trader in Chicago. But his obsession over keeping the job grew and eventually took over. “It was all I thought about,” Stanton said. “I could’ve been in the front row of my favorite band at a concert and I would
Devin Rodriguez / Crow’s Nest
USF student Maria Fuentes reads the “Humans of New York” book next to her friend Irene John while waiting for Brandon Stanton to take the stage for his USF Tampa lecture. Published in 2013, the book spent almost 30 weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list.
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Rowdies fanbase lacks student support By Grace Cunningham Crow’s Nest Contributor Not many schools can call a professional soccer team its neighbor, but USF St. Petersburg can. The Tampa Bay Rowdies kicked off their 2016 season on April 2 with nearly 6,000 fans packed into Al Lang Stadium just north of campus. Even though the sport’s popularity is growing in the area, however, there seems to be a missing link between the team and the potential fan base at the university. Blame it on a lack of awareness or on students’ busy schedules, but the Rowdies have made one thing clear: They would like it to change. The Rowdies have been around
since 1975. They play in the North American Soccer League, the second-tier league below Major League Soccer. wThough the team is not in the primary U.S. soccer league, the Rowdies boast a rich history. “This club is a historic club,” said Rowdies forward Tom Heinemann. “A club with a great amount of tradition, a club with a great amount of pride, a club that wants to win and wants to win right now. To be connected to a club that has supporters who have those ambitions and those desires is special.” Game days are filled with tradition, and the seats at Al Lang Stadium are filled with fans who exhibit almost as much passion as the players.
However, t here has been a noticeable group missing from this crowd – USFSP students. While some students attend a match now and then, widespread support for the team is missing. According to Heinemann, there are many reasons for students to immerse themselves in the action. “It’s a great night out; it’s a great weekend experience for students to come and be a part of,” Heinemann said. “We could use some of their support; we could use some more voices. The more support we have, the better. Our fans are unbelievable, and to be able to add to that would be great for us.” The desire for USFSP support spans across Rowdies players – not
Continued on p. 8
Courtesy of Grace Cunningham
Forward Tom Heinemann, 28, signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in December 2015. He made his debut with the team during its April 2 season opener vs. Indy Eleven, which ended in a tie.