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The Center for Victim Advocacy is in need of a “critical mass” of new employees
By Jesse Stokes E D I T O R
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The Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention, as it is known now, was in trouble of being changed in the spring. However, now that it has been agreed on that the purpose and goals of the center will remain as they were, one issue still persists: hiring a staff. The fear of change came in September when a job listing was posted on Indeed advertising for an open position for “Assistant Director - Victim Assistance and Violence Prevention.” This sparked an outcry from students and faculty members Currently, The Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention is operating with just one advocate alike who were advocating for and one violence prevention expert. ORACLE PHOTO/JESSE STOKES the “advocate” title. Now, Chris Ponticelli, who is the search for the assistant presented issues of its own. have to hire under that title the chair of the Women’s Status director for the center, said the “We ran into a legal of ‘Victim Assistance and Committee and is helping lead back-and-forth title change has issue,” Ponticelli said. “We Violence Prevention.’ All of the
candidates that came in were made clear that this was a center for advocacy. So, I think what the plan is that the assistant director will work more on the side of prevention and then when the director comes in they will be more on the side of advocacy.” According to Ponticelli, the center is currently operating with just a single advocate and one violence prevention specialist. Step one of the hiring phase is filling the assistant director role, according to Ruthann Atchley, USF’s associate vice president of Community Engagement, who is also serving as the interim director for the center. “We need a critical mass of bodies and we need some leadership in that unit,” Atchley said. “We recognize that serving
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Senate approves additional funding for Bullstock By Maria Ranoni M A N A G I N G
E D I T O R
The Student Government (SG) Senate voted almost unanimously Tuesday to give the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) an additional $50,000 to fund its music festival-style event Bullstock. With a vote of 38 yes and
two no, the additional money will bring the total budget for Bullstock to $173,867. Of this total, $98,437 came from money that was already allocated in CSI’s yearly budget and $25,430 came from the department’s concert auxiliary funds. The money that is used to budget CSI and many of their events comes directly from
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student tuition in the form of Activity and Service fees. Much of the auxiliary money mentioned is coming from leftover funds from Homecoming, according to comments Monica Miranda, director of CSI, made Tuesday at the Senate meeting. “The lower the budget we have for the artist, the less
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people will know who they are, the less people will want to come,” Miranda said. CSI estimates that about 3,000 people will be in attendance with the approved budget. During the discussion period in which senators voice their opinions prior to voting on the request, most seemed to
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support CSI’s request. “I think CSI should have this,” Sen. Ryan Prieto said. “I think CSI should get more of this because the funds are already set aside. Might as well use them for students.” According to Sen. Salud Martinez, chair of the Finance Committee, there is
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victims of all crime that comes to that office is a fundamental need that we have to fill immediately.” Atchley said the purpose of filling the assistant director role first is to give time to define what exactly the job description would look like for the director of the center. She added that finding the balance between filling the position with the right person and determining what their role will be and doing so quickly is not an easy task. “It is such a challenge because there is a piece of me that wants to have all of this already in place six months ago because that is what students deserve, but I also want to do it right,” Atchley said. “It is a push and pull between these two forces of building something that is sustainable and truly representing the community’s needs, but at the same time, getting it done in a way that we can serve students now.” According to Atchley, there have been a couple of other snags in the process of detailing how the center will operate — notably: the federal government shutdown and the state-mandated consolidation of USF’s three campuses into one. “Quite honestly, with the shutdown of the federal government, things like background checks — which we have to go through at a pretty high level to bring somebody in to do this kind of work — have slowed,” Atchley said. Atchley said because of these
processes and circumstances, a prospective advocate they are trying to hire — who will be brought on under a six-month appointment — has been on hold for six weeks and still has not received their offer letter. In terms of consolidation, the requirements include “equitable resources” on all three campuses. “Our accreditation process require that we provide equitable service to all USF students, regardless of what campus,” Atchley said. “We are absolutely in conversation with the folks of St. Pete and SarasotaManatee to assess where we are — and quite honestly, we are as spotty on those campuses as we are on ours — we have a lot of work to do to create service throughout. We will not remain an accredited university if we don’t do that. It is not an if, it is a when.” Atchley said that the troubles of not having a full staff are beginning to show, but she and her team are working to overcome the challenges. “We have new cases every week,” Atchley said. “So, it is absolutely critical that we keep the doors open to serve students, faculty and staff. I think we are managing that balancing act, but it is taking a toll. “Everyone is very tired.” For Ponticelli, staying optimistic is the key. “I have no reason not to believe that we are going to bring the center back up, not just to working capacity, but that it will be one of the excellent advocacy centers in the country,” Ponticelli said.
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BULLSTOCK Continued from PAGE 1
Senate allocated an additional $50,000 to the existing Bullstock budget. ORACLE FILE PHOTO
currently an account with about $250,000 remaining in it that is specifically for departments that took large cuts to their programming budgets during the budget allocation process last year, like CSI. These departments can request money as CSI did to supplement the budgets of various events. Last week, CSI presented to the Finance Committee with three tiers of funding options, the top being about $100,000 and the bottom being $50,000. The committee chose the bottom option, allowing the request to be voted on by the entire Senate. This past Tuesday, Senate could have chosen between granting the $50,000 or nothing. “They (members of the Finance Committee) were
worrisome that if they allocated more than the $50,000 that then we wouldn’t have enough money next year for funding in the next fiscal year cycle which would start July 1,” Martinez said at Senate. “That was kind of a concern … A lot of finance committee members saw this more so as a luxury than a necessity.” The newly approved budget will allow CSI to book one artist that will cost about $50,000 or less (All Time Low, AWOLNATION, LANY) one at $20,000 or less (Alice Merton, The Wombats, Clean Bandit) and one $10,000 or less (Chase Atlantic, Night Riots, Grandson). All of these artists are just examples, however, as nothing is set in stone. CSI will be sending out surveys on Thursday to determine what artists
students would like to see the most. This budget will also allow CSI to bring three “novelty items” that are all $5,000 or less. Some examples of these are bumper cars, The Cyclone ride and a zip line. There will be no fireworks at the end of the show with this budget or with any of the previously considered budget options. During her presentation at Senate, Miranda said the $173,867 budget is $72,400 less than what last year’s budget was, a 31 percent reduction. Even considering this, Miranda said she was pleased to see Senate showing support in allocating what they could. “I feel encouraged by the support that was clearly coming from Senate,” Miranda told The Oracle on Wednesday.
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TENNIS
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really see the sacrifices and hard work that she’s made kind of come to a head there,” Moros said. “It’s special to watch.” Part of the hard work came from off the tennis court. Roman Dominguez is native to Burgos, Spain and she spoke almost no English when she came to USF. She said it was almost impossible for her to have a conversation in English when she first came to America. For reference, she said the most English she knew was the equivalent of what most high school students in America know about Spanish. “We studied English back home, but I wasn’t able to have a full conversation,” Roman Dominguez said. “Then you get here (to USF) and your teammates and your coaches help you out.” As for Roman Dominguez’s on-the-court effort, Moros can point to one change that has been made over the course of a college career — Roman Dominguez’s serve. “Her serve is completely different than it was when she first got here,” Moros said. “I
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a new team, you get new tools and you learn how to play the game another way. So, we’re all really excited.” Senior Mia Fung shared Eggens’ sentiments of excitement. “I think we were all really excited,” Fung said. “It’s honestly very nerve-racking, but just for the excitement of who they are — the name — No. 2 in the world — just who it is, it’s awesome experience. We’ve never been able to do anything like that before and I’m just glad I get to do it in my last year. I get to experience
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think she’s confident enough now where she’s actually getting some free points off her serve, which I think is helping.” But one tool that Roman Dominguez had in her arsenal when she first came to USF has stuck with her all four years. She is a competitor and this season she has fought for almost every point she’s won. “In our sport, when you’re able to establish yourself that you’re always going to be there and let your opponent know: ‘In order to beat me, you’re going to have to play a great point, every point,’” Moros said. “She’s done an amazing job of being to stay in every point.” For Roman Dominguez, the competition and fighting for every point is half the fun of tennis. “I love the feeling of being in competition and not knowing what is going to happen,” she said. “I love that feeling of being super tired and trying to get that win.” Winning, she says, is the other half of a fun tennis match. As a freshman, Roman Dominguez had a lot of fun. She won 12 matches and was named the AAC Freshman of the Year. She slipped slightly her
sophomore season with an 11-10 record. But as a junior she didn’t win as often. She only won five matches last season. “She was definitely struggling a bit, she wasn’t relying on her strength of staying in every point, she was going through some things that were difficult,” Moros said. “Looking at it now, she kind of had to go through that year to learn a bit, overcome those challenges and get to where she needs to be.” Now, Roman Dominguez has an undefeated record, two backto-back weekly AAC honors, a strong case for a national ITA ranking and a goal of an NCAA Tournament berth. A list with some expectations that weren’t even on her radar before the season started. “Pretty much everybody is going to be a tough match, it doesn’t matter if they are ranked or not, I expect all of them to compete well,” Roman Dominguez said. “I feel like I’m on the right track and competing and practicing well. I think the rankings will come at some point, but if they don’t, I’ll be happy as long as I’m doing the right thing.”
that, so it’s pretty cool.” Because the game is against a non-collegiate club, the game nor its stats will count for or against the Bulls, which may help USF players stay calm. “We’ve got nothing to lose,” senior Lindsey Devitt said. The odds may naturally be stacked against USF in a game against Team Japan, but USF does have one thing on its side Team Japan won’t — home field advantage. “I think it’s awesome, honestly, because then the home crowd can come see that,” Fung said. “We have the ability to be on our own field — we know our field, so that
gives us a little bit of an advantage. It gives us a little bit more comfort because this is our home. So, I think it’ll be fun — it’ll be great.” At the end of the day, the game will be nothing more than an exhibition and valuable experience for a USF squad picked to finish first in the AAC in the preseason poll. And, of course, a fun experience for everyone involved. “I’d feel better sometimes if the team that I’m coaching has U-S-A on your chest,” Eriksen said. “But we’ll take the first two letters and we’ll have a lot of fun with it.”
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We must put an end to violence perpetrated by the Hollywood elite
By Jesse Stokes E D I T O R
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With the recent Lifetime documentary series, “Surviving R. Kelly,” one thing has been made perfectly clear: Violence and abuse within what is perhaps the world’s most fantasized industry is a real issue. Though many of the people included in the documentary are accusers, whose claims have not yet been proven in the judicial system, where there is smoke, there is fire. It is unlikely so many women, children and parents making similar claims about one man can all be false. But the buck doesn’t stop with Robert. #MuteRKelly is an important cause, and one with merit, but R. Kelly is not the only musician R. Kelly has been accused of committing some heinous acts but he or actor who needs to be shut is hardly Hollywood’s only wrongdoer. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE off. Rihanna has become the center of many jokes that he headlined before his When will accountability set surrounding violence after her retirement in 2017. in for those hateful enough to then-boyfriend and fellowActor Christian Bale seems commit these crimes? singer Chris Brown physically to have a problem keeping his The time is now. abused her in a moving vehicle. hands to himself as well. The longer society is forgiving Now, ten years later, it seems the In 2008, the former “Batman” of abusive egomaniacs who use world and music industry have star was arrested for allegedly their power and celebrity to forgiven Brown and his fans are assaulting his mother and sister perpetuate violence, the longer looking forward to the release in a hotel. This did not stop such heinous acts will persist. of his new music this year. Warner Bros. from casting him It is time that we, as Brown deserves to be in future “Batman” films, nor consumers, mute, change the permanently muted too. did it stop fans from seeing the channel and pull the plug on Boxer Floyd Mayweather movies and putting posters of abusive and maniacal celebrities Jr. was arrested on domestic him on their walls. and stop lining their pockets. violence charges in 2010. He When is enough enough? has also been charged with When will violence and battery and harassment. But abuse stop being accepted and Jesse Stokes is a junior majoring that did not stop viewers from dismissed based on how famous in political science. purchasing $100 pay-per-views a person is?
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School choice is the best choice
By Aida Vazquez-Soto O P I N I O N
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The U.S. educational system is often criticized for its failure to fulfill its intentions: to teach. According to Pew Research, in 2015 the U.S. ranked 38th out of 71 countries measured in math and 24th in science. While high graduation rates in the U.S. peaked recently at 84 percent for the 2015-16 class, that is still a full 16 percent of students leaving school without even a high school diploma. While there are many individual issues and potential solutions within the education system, one clear first step is to create and support educational choice. The phrase “school choice” encompasses many policy solutions including vouchers for public and private educational institutions as well as public school choice. All of these would be effective at giving students an opportunity to go to the schools that would best help them succeed. From a public school standpoint, tying students to a school based on their zip codes is practically a punishment. It encourages segregation and exacerbates disparities in resources. As long as neighborhoods remain segregated and property tax dollars remain the predominant form of school funding, American education will never offer parity. In 2017, the U.S. Partnership on Mobility from Poverty found that the average white person in America lived in a neighborhood that is 75 percent white and 8 percent African-American. In contrast,
the average African-American lives in neighborhoods that are 35 percent white and 45 percent African-American. If we truly want to integrate our institutions, people should be able to move freely between the available public schools. Another viable solution, actively offered in the state of Florida, is school choice vouchers. These vouchers allow low-income families to receive money to send their children to charter and private schools. For many, it is the difference between getting lost in the system and having a viable chance at graduation and further education. The Wall Street Journal reported that in the 2018 Florida gubernatorial race, more 100,000 “school-choice moms” voted for now-governor Ron DeSantis (R) over the risk that they would lose their vouchers if Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) won. “School-choice moms” are defined as Democratically registered, minority women. These numbers match the CNN exit poll showing that black women voted for DeSantis at rates of 18 percent while black men voted for DeSantis at rates of 8 percent. Education is an issue that almost universally defines opportunity, especially as labor outsourcing and automation eliminate jobs that Americans with less education could previously work. Open up our school markets and make where you go to school a choice. Zip codes should not define people’s futures. Aida Vazquez-Soto is a senior majoring in political science and economics.
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Alumna survives apartment fire but still needs help By Amelio Nazarko C O R R E S P O N D E N T
Karina McAdams, a USF alumna who graduated in 2010 with a bachelor’s in mass communications, recently moved to Denmark in October to be with her boyfriend, Mikael Kristensen. This joyous new venture morphed into her life’s worst tragedy when a fire started in her Gundsølille, Roskilde, Denmark apartment on Jan. 2. She would lose not just all of her personal effects in her newfound home, but her soulmate as well. On Wednesday, Jan. 2 at around 8 a.m., the fire ignited due to unknown causes that are still being investigated by police. Allan McAdams, Rachel Parkman, a friend of the victim, has organized a GoFundMe page to help alleviate some of the Karina’s father, suspects the tragedy ensued because of a lit financial ramifications that stem from the fire. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE candle. Now, Karina’s loved ones and as she rebuilds,” said Rachael didn’t make it out,” Allan said. beginning. Her health was in fellow Bulls are organizing a Parkman, Karina’s friend who Karina passed out in the drastic condition. GoFundMe page to help lessen set up the GoFundMe. home by her boyfriend’s side as “She was in a medicallythe financial burden caused by Allan said for those hoping the fast-spreading fire encased induced coma for several days this tragedy. to lend a helping hand, this their apartment. at a local hospital,” Parkman The GoFundMe has a goal of would be the route to go. Miraculously, Karina said. $10,000 and has raised $3,662 “GoFundMe is the best way survived because a man who Karina is awake now but toward that goal in 25 days. to help Karina because she will was near the site of the fire went is suffering from the flu and The GoFundMe reads: “We be unable to work for a while,” into the home and managed pneumonia. The burns on her need your help. Karina is an Allan said. to save her. The man was not face, shoulders and lower back amazing human. Her humor Kristensen was asleep when injured but Karina sustained are not healing quickly and and care for those she loves are the fire began. Karina put severe lung damage and burns. she is at risk of kidney failure unmistakable. She has given herself at risk in a desperate Kristensen’s funeral was held which means she might need so much to her friends and attempt to save her boyfriend Jan. 23. It was arranged by the dialysis. family and it’s our turn to help from the raging fire and hospital that Karina is staying Once she is further along in her out as a tragic accident has navigated the flames until she in so she was able to mourn the healing process, her doctors changed her life.” reached the bedroom. the loss of her boyfriend along will decide whether they will “We are raising money to help “She may have become with his other loved ones. conduct skin graft surgery for with anything and everything confused from the smoke and Karina’s battle was just her burns.
“She is able to breathe without oxygen assistance but her voice use is low,” Allan said. The extent of her injuries makes her recovery a daunting endeavor. Karina must not only cope with the loss of her home and life’s belongings but the death of the man she loved. “The psychological and financial damage is immense,” Parkman said. Hope is ever-present within Karina despite her condition. Her will to heal has not fallen prey to the tragedy. “She’s asking for prayers to recover and she is very focused on getting better,” Parkman said. Doctors project it will take several months for Karina to heal due to the extent of her injuries, but Karina, her family and Kristensen’s family have united with the common goal of Karina recovering in the easiest way possible. “(Karina) loved her experience at USF and she was often representing USF by wearing USF shirts and hoodies,” said Parkman. Now, Parkman is hoping Karina’s loved ones and fellow bulls will rally around her in her time of need. “She’s such an amazing person,” Parkman said. “She has given so much to her friends and family and it’s our turn to help her.”
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Women’s Tennis
Ana Roman Dominguez exceeds preseason expectations
By Sam Newlon A S S O C I A T E
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There weren’t very many expectations for Ana Roman Dominguez this season. In fact, the USF women’s tennis senior was coming off her worst college season yet after posting a 5-12 singles record as a junior. But this season is different. It’s quite the opposite. Roman Dominguez won her first match of the season against the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) No. 88-ranked player, Natalia Boltinskaya. She didn’t stop there, though. One week later, Roman Dominguez took on another ranked opponent against LSU — No. 13 Eden Richardson. That win earned Roman Dominguez her first AAC Player of the Week award. Next on USF’s schedule was Georgia, home to ITA’s No. 1-ranked player Katarina Jokic. “Whenever you walk up to the court, you never know
what’s going to happen,” Roman Dominguez said before she took on Jokic. Roman Dominguez beat Jokic in straight sets en-route to a perfect 5-0 start to her season, while earning a second consecutive AAC Player of the Week award. “The past three years I was looking up to these people (in the rankings) and now it is just a number on paper,” Roman Dominguez said Tuesday. “It doesn’t matter what number… on the court, that’s not going to make her win unless she actually beats me on the court.” Roman Dominguez was unranked in ITA’s preseason rankings and will remain unranked until Feb. 6, when the ITA releases its next list of rankings. “I think it would be really weird if she wasn’t (ranked),” coach Cristina Moros said. “I definitely think she’s going to be in the rankings, but the overall
Ana Roman Dominguez’s wins against three top-100 players, including the No. 1 player, were unexpected in preseason projections. PHOTO COURTESY OF GOUSFBULLS goal is to get her in the NCAA Tournament and she’s definitely established herself enough to be in that tournament.” Moros was hired just before
Roman Dominguez’s freshman season and didn’t get a chance to recruit the player, but has been able to coach the veteran player through her entire collegiate
career. “It’s really special to see your senior that you’ve put so much hard work and effort into and
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Softball
USF Softball excited for exhibition against international powerhouse
By Brian Hattab A S S I S T A N T
S P O R T S
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USF softball will be tested early and often this season. The Bulls face No. 7 Arizona, No. 19 Michigan and No. 5 Florida all within the first weekend of the season. But the biggest and most exciting challenge comes against
a team that won’t even count toward their record or rankings. USF faces Team Japan on Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. at the USF Softball Stadium. Japan, the No. 2-ranked national team, according to the World Baseball Softball Commission, is touring the U.S. as it trains and prepares for the 2020 Olympics.
Coach Ken Eriksen is plenty familiar with Team Japan, having coached against it many times during his nearly-decade-long tenure as Team USA’s head coach. “They’re a pretty good team from what I understand,” Eriksen joked. “I’ve seen them play for about the last 12 years. They’ve got a couple of gold medals
and Olympic stuff and world championships … they can play a little bit.” While Eriksen has plenty of coaching experience against high-level teams like Japan, for his players, the announcement brought excitement to the defending AAC regular season champions.
“We were all very, very excited,” senior Cheyenne Eggens said. “I’ve always watched the USA team, I’ve always watched Team Japan play, so I’m very excited to be able to play against them and just have our experiences grow because everytime you play
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