THE ORACLE
T H U RS DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 9 I VO L . 5 6 N O . 3 7 w w w . u s f o r a c l e . c o m
U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I DA
Student hit by autonomous shuttle during demonstration
By Leda Alvim S T A F F
W R I T E R
A USF student injured her left ankle after a driverless shuttle struck her from behind. This occurred during demonstrations by Autonomous Coast and USF’s Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) on Feb. 15. The purpose of the demonstration was to gauge interest in making the autonomous shuttles a permanent addition to campus, Pei-Sung Lin, the traffic operations and safety program director for CUTR, told The Oracle in an
interview earlier this month. The student, who prefers to remain anonymous, stated that the accident happened when she was walking to Campus Recreation Center, in front of Cooper Hall. She was struck from behind by the autonomous shuttle and fell to the ground. As a result, she said she twisted her ankle, her hands and knees got hurt and bruised and her head was aching throughout the day. “The shuttle successfully provided over 500 autonomous rides during the week in an area densely populated with skateboarders, bicyclists and pedestrians,”
President of Coast Autonomous Adrian Sussmann said. “This was an unfortunate event that happened
that the driver from Autonomous Coast switched over to manual mode when he noticed that the
“This wasevent an unfortunate ... Adrian Sussmann, president of Coast Autonomous under manual operation at less than 5 mph and we will evaluate training protocols and make any appropriate adjustments.” The offense report from the University Police Department states
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student was getting too close. The shuttle was driving with a speed of 5 mph when it hit the student. After the student was hit and fell to the ground, the shuttle stopped immediately.
Sussmann said that the accident would not have happened under the autonomous mode due to its sensors — which identify when people get too close to the shuttle. The people that witnessed the accident called 911 and an ambulance to check on the student. She was later taken to the hospital to do x-rays and verify the severity of the injury. She does not have the total cost of the hospital bill. Two weeks after the accident, the student said that her ankle still hurts making it hard to walk when
n See INCIDENT on PAGE 3
Inclusive and influential: Abbigayle Rambaran The president of the Caribbean Culture Exchange said she found her footing at USF after overcoming challenges as a black and international student.
By Alyssa Stewart N E W S
E D I T O R
Residing in Kingston, Jamaica, Abbigayle Rambaran was fully prepared to attend pre-law school at the University of the West Indies. After celebrating her acceptance and ready to move on to the next chapter of her life, Rambaran felt something wrong in her heart. The day before orientation, she recoiled in uncertainty and chose not to go. After expressing her dilemma to her mother, Rambaran made the decision to study overseas and pursue medicine. That’s when her journey to USF began. In 2017, Rambaran finished her degree in health sciences. She is now working on a post-baccalaureate degree in nursing.
This story is part of an ongoing series that highlights campus leaders during Black Heritage Month. “Ever since choosing USF, I have not regretted that decision at all,” Rambaran said. However, it was not an easy start. After taking a gap year and commuting from Riverview her first semester, Rambaran was finally able to find her footing. It came in the form of an organization that now holds a special place in her heart: Caribbean Cultural Exchange (CCE). “I got back that flame (for being involved) again,” Rambaran said. Rambaran ran for the treasurer position last year and is now the CCE president. She was drawn to the organization because she felt there
NEWS 3
was “so much potential” and saw how much it benefited her group of friends. “It’s basically a home away from home for all of us,” Rambaran said. “Being around my culture was very meaningful to me since I was being immersed in a whole new country.” Rambaran said people often don’t understand her because of her accent, so she speaks slowly or differently. The language barrier hindered Rambaran to the point where it stopped her from actively participating in class.
n See SERIES on PAGE 4
Rambaran struggled with coming to terms with being biracial and felt she wasn’t “black enough.” SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/ ABBIGAYLE RAMBARAN
OPINION 6
SPORTS 8
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The Oracle THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1966
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NEWS
INCIDENT
U N I V E RS I T Y O F S OU T H F L O R I DA
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T H E O R AC L E
Dancing for a cause ●
the line, should they become a permanent addition to campus. Continued from PAGE 1 “There’s a safety operator on going to class or work. As a result, board that often changes to manual the student missed three classes due in order to test the mode in case Bulls For Kids hopes to raise $200,000 by the end of its to her injury. any threat to safety happens,” “When I went to the hospital, they Sussmann said. “The whole purpose annual Dance Marathon. told me that I wouldn’t be able to of the project is that you want to walk for several days and that my feet get into a point where there are no would continue to hurt for weeks,” operators on board at all controlling the student said. the shuttle, but until then we want According to the student, neither to guarantee the safety of everyone. Autonomous Coast nor CUTR has This was just an unfortunate event contacted her yet. She said they did that happened when the shuttle was offer to take her to the on-campus on manual mode.” clinic but it does not offer x-rays. According to the student, her “It’s been two weeks and nobody insurance is currently covering the reached out to me,” the student said. hospital costs, but she hopes that “I feel like they just want to cover it either Autonomous Coast, the because I think this is a major thing company responsible for creating for USF, especially when bringing the shuttles, or CUTR will offer new technology to campus. financial support to pay all the bills “I feel that they just want to caused by the incident. pretend like it didn’t happen.” “I feel very frustrated about this The student is considering whole situation,” the student said. “I pursuing legal action if neither shouldn’t be exposed to this type of parties offer financial assistance to danger on campus especially when help her with the costs of medical walking on the sidewalk.” treatment. After the accident, the student In an official statement, has reservations about making these CUTR said, “We are aware of this shuttles a part of campus life. unfortunate situation. Our thoughts “After what happened to me, I are with the student involved. The don’t agree that this shuttle should shuttle was operated solely by the become a permanent addition Last year, Bulls for Kids raised $175,000 and had about 600 dancers participating. SPECIAL TO THE vendor, COAST, who is in the best to USF,” the student said. “It can ORACLE/BULLS FOR KIDS position to answer any questions.” be a danger to many students Sussmann added that having walking especially since there’s no By Leda Alvim an operator on every shuttle is not driver controlling the shuttle. This S T A F F W R I T E R According to Zoe Lewis, of students and that this something that would exist down shouldn’t have happened.” BFK vice chair of events, marathon is the one that For more than a decade, the hospital will also be the future years can build from,” USF’s Dance Marathon benefactor for the next years Lewis said. “Being a part of this has always kept its mission of BFK. program allows you to help statement of “for the kids” in Before this decision was someone other than yourself mind. made, Johns Hopkins All and use your resources to This year, the event Children’s Hospital at St. better someone else’s life.” organized by Bulls for Kids Petersburg was the benefitting According to Ryan Blew, (BFK) will bring 1,000 students organization. BFK board chair, choosing an and others from the Tampa The main criteria for the organization closer to campus community together to raise change was the proximity to gives students the opportunity money for Shriners Hospital campus. With an on-campus to see the impact and how it is for Children, with a goal to hospital, students and groups benefiting families around the reach $200,000 in donations involved can see the impact of community. by the end of the event. the money that they’re raising “We are excited to fundraise Shriners Hospital for and get more involved with the for Shriners Hospitals for Children will receive the cause, according to Lewis. Children because of its The student who was hit by the shuttle has complaints of persisting donation from the event for “We hope to keep reaching location of being right on ankle pain. ORACLE PHOTO/LEDA ALVIM the second consecutive year. out to different populations
n See DANCE on PAGE 4
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DANCE
Continued from PAGE 3
campus,” Blew said. “Students can schedule tours with us to get them inside the hospital to see where the magic happens.” The event will take place on March 2, from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. It will be hosted on the second and part of the third floor at the Marshall Student Center (MSC). This year, BFK is no longer doing fundraising amount updates throughout the year as a way to surprise everyone involved once the final total is revealed. The total amount raised will be announced at the end of the Dance Marathon, at 10:45 p.m. in the MSC Ballroom. As of December, BFK raised $75,000 from all the events that took place during the fall
semester. Last year, BFK raised $175,000 and had around 600 dancers participating, including USF students, alumni and other groups from the Tampa community. On the day of the event alone, BFK raised a total of $12,000 during Dance Marathon. This year, BFK hopes to raise $30,000 during the Dance Marathon, according to Blew. The money raised throughout this year will be used to fund the Motion Analysis Lab — motion capture cameras that monitor the movement of the patient’s lower body — which will help kids with special conditions receive the proper treatment. “They (Shriners Hospital for Children) are over $200,000 away from being able to purchase it, so we hope to
fundraise the rest for them,” Blew said. According to the event’s registration page, BFK has raised over $700,000 in its 15 years at USF. This year, the event will count with 1,000 participants. According to Blew, this year’s theme will be “Around the World” in 12 hours, where it will showcase USF’s diversity and how participants have a big impact in the world. “The theme will be represented in almost every room,” Blew said. “In the ballroom, student organizations can reach out to us to teach a dance from their culture or to perform, we will have a stroll call and the escape room will also include our theme.” Student Body President Moneer Kheireddine said that
supporting Dance Marathon can allow this program and the families who it supports to continue to grow in influence and impact. “Bulls for Kids at USF represents a fundamental opportunity for students in our community to directly begin to make a positive impact in the lives of others and more specifically, the lives of children who need it the most,” said Kheireddine. The main rule during the event is to remain standing throughout the whole 12 hours. If a participant does not want to dance, other entertainment options will be provided including open mic, games, an escape room, an inspiration room to learn more about the families benefiting from the event and arts and crafts. Dance Marathon is a
SERIES
Being biracial, Rambaran said she was unsure where she fits in with her Indian and black roots. However, this was not new to Rambaran, since she said she has struggled with bullying about her skin color at a young age. “I’m all these different cultures but you just want to put me in a box,” Rambaran said. This led to Rambaran being inspired to join the Black Heritage Month committee. She said she joined the committee to break the stereotype that being black meant having to look a certain way. Even though Rambaran was beginning to feel more comfortable with herself, she said there was a disconnect out of her control. “I love that the diversity is well celebrated, but the support is just not there,” Rambaran said. “As an international student, USF likes to talk about all the different cultures and that’s great but when it boils down to the support system to our processes that are different to an American student, it’s not there.” Some processes Rambaran had trouble adjusting to was with an issue with her scholarship documents.
Continued from PAGE 1
“It really struck me when I said to someone ‘hush’ but they thought I was telling them to shut up and I was so confused,” Rambaran said. “They told me what it meant in American, but in Jamaica, it pretty much means everything will be fine — don’t worry. “People here, are just different.” Rambaran said she also struggled with the differentiation with ethnic groups and races. “Back home, even on a job application form, they don’t ask you if you’re white or African-American — we’re just all Jamaican,” Rambaran said. “In Jamaica, there are Asian people, black people, Indian people, but we don’t see it as a dividing factor.” This led Rambaran to what she said was an “identity crisis.” During her first week at USF, Rambaran was approached by a “black organization” and she was confused why there was such an emphasis on the color of their skin. Rambaran said after this confrontation, she was on the fence about whether she was “black enough.”
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nationwide movement that fundraises millions of dollars every year across multiple college campuses in the U.S. The event was brought to USF in 2005, with only 300 participants and 5 hours of duration. Now, BFK is the largest student-run philanthropy at USF, organizing events all year to raise money and help families in their time of need, according to the event’s registration page. “It’s a very fun event to participate in, hang out with friends and raise money for a good cause,” Lewis said. “Participants will have a chance to see for themselves how much their money is impacting families from Shriners Children Hospital, meet the families and hear their stories.”
She said because the administration assumed she was a U.S. citizen, her information was processed incorrectly. Similarly, she said after emailing International Services in December 2017 about her missing I-20 form, which Rambaran said is more important than her passport, she has still not received a response back to date. “Any time you deal with an advisor here or administration, I don’t really think they’re that trained to deal with our criteria,” Rambaran said. Due to the current affairs in America such as the Black Lives Matter movement, Rambaran said the image of African-Americans has been construed in the media. She said, with more black leaders, there will be better representation. “Having a black leader is important for people to know that there’s more to a black person than the negative,” Rambaran said. “Just being able to have someone you can identify with or having someone to relate to you was exactly what I needed.”
T H U R S DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 9
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OPINION
U N I V E RS I T Y O F S OU T H F L O R I DA
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Consolidating the Student Governments is a mistake
By Aida Vazquez-Soto O P I N I O N
E D I T O R
With consolidation looming, USF is facing some of its biggest changes in decades. Discussions about academics, student fees and entrance requirements have dominated the coverage. Students especially have been concerned about the changes that will come to student life. Student Government (SG) is one of the most important institutions on campus, with jurisdiction over funding for hundreds of student organizations and more than a dozen departments. If USF does not want students to have a diminished By consolidating three Student Governments into one, USF would experience, giving each campus be robbing students the opportunity of having their voices heard. SG autonomy is key. ORACLE FILE PHOTO A g e o g r a p h i c a l l y the risk of inviting aggressive as more issues are loaded into consolidated SG would fail to and negative campaign tactics often crammed agendas. give students a fair opportunity into our communities. It would also force senators to voice their opinions. Open The 2017 student body to vote on issues that have no forum, a designated section president election, one of impact on themselves or their of every committee and the most competitive races in constituents, leaving them in Senate agenda for students to recent memory, saw candidates a position to vote against the speak about items that their Ryan Soscia and Logan Holland interests of the students those representatives will be voting bring in money from the issues impact. on, would be limited to students national organization, Turning As the consolidation who were able to go to those Point USA. committee moves forward, it meetings. The outside influence of needs to remember these and All of the campuses — the national group was, for other issues and consider how Tampa, St. Petersburg and many students, a turnoff. If they can best help students. Sarasota-Manatee — are so consolidation reduces the At its best, SG is a place for spread out that, in most cases, number of seats available for students to share their concerns students from other campuses students to run in, even our and improve the quality of life would face an undue burden in least competitive races could on campus. telling their Senate how they mirror a campaign like Soscia’s Consolidation should protect feel. and Holland’s. that, not sacrifice it. If the SGs are consolidated, Lastly, the three campuses Senate seats will become far face many different issues. more competitive and limit the Many of the proposals to these Aida Vazquez-Soto is a senior number of available chances problems start and end in SG. majoring in political science and to learn how funding at USF Forcing the SGs to economics. works. consolidate under a single While competition is not unit would extend meetings, necessarily a bad thing, we run
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Millennial conservatives: We exist.
By Jesse Stokes E D I T O R
I N
C H I E F
It’s a tale almost as old as time. The notion of liberalcollege elitists and educators “indoctrinating” their leftist views into the minds of students. However, isn’t college a time to have a meaningful conversation? Perhaps, even question the ideals you entered with? There is a difference between indoctrination and testing one’s beliefs. This is not to say that indoctrination never happens. But, as a Republican, I recognize that “indoctrination” is often used as a conservativebacked scapegoat to make up for our own failure to ensure that the members of our party are educated and informed. Ahead of 2020, Republicans must realize that collegeage students are not lost causes fully devoted to progressive ideals. The college conservatives are out there. We do exist, and in more numbers than one may think. According to a 2017 study done by the Pew Research Center, 33 percent of millennials — ages 18-35 — self-identify as Republican. Most college and university institutions are not a breeding ground for liberal ideas. They are a place for active conversations and an analyzation of ideas. In the divisive President Donald Trump era, Republican candidates need to indoctrinate
themselves with the idea that not all millennials are liberal. Quite the contrary, in fact. Take this into account from a local perspective. In his 2018 campaign for Governor of the State of Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis did not visit the USF Tampa campus a single time, even though it is a part of the often sought-after “I-4 corridor.” But college students are a lost cause for Republican candidates, right? Wrong. DeSantis won the election by a margin for less than half a percent. Perhaps if he had considered the impact of college voters more, he would have had a more secure election. After all, millennials are rapidly approaching baby boomers — ages 52-70 — for the title of having the most adults of voting age in the U.S. According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2018, 62 million millennials are eligible to vote in the U.S., whereas baby boomers still held the lead with 70 million. If conservative candidates want to be successful in the 2020 elections, they will stop looking at the millennial generation as indoctrinated pawns in a Democratic scheme and more as an opportunity to shape the future of their party. Jesse Stokes is a junior majoring in political science.
T H U R S DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 9
ATTENDANCE Continued from PAGE 8
a nightly occurrence. When I envision the program that we’re going to build here, I see that — I see those types of crowds on a nightly basis.” As the program continues to rebuild, students find it important that their classmates continue to support the team. “It’s very important,” said Charles Held, a freshman who attended Wednesday’s game as the “F” in a three-man barechested ensemble that spelled out “U-S-F.” “It definitely creates a better environment for the games and definitely for the players and the rest of the fans. “It’s better if the students do come out and try and fill up the student section.” Natasha Menses, a freshman, echoed Rinkus and Held and added that a good turnout is critical to helping player performance. “I think it’s very important because it gives the basketball players motivation and they want to perform well for their school,” Meneses said. And filled up the student section was. The section was rocking — everyone in the lower half stood for the majority of the game, chanting when necessary, silent when USF was attempting a free throw. And it made a difference. “The fans really helped us today,” sophomore guard Justin Brown said. “They were loud — they brought a lot of energy for us. It was really great to see all them in the stands. Just wish we could have got a win for them of course, but I hope they keep coming.” Make no mistake, Wednesday was not an exception to the rule. Attendance for men’s basketball games is up on the season. “The last I checked, we were
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48 percent on last year coming into the night,” Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly said. “I haven’t seen the final numbers yet, but clearly it seems to be the best crowd of the year so far and I’m really proud of the way the students, in particular, tonight, and the city as a whole, have come out.” For its part, USF Athletics has done what it takes to entice student turnout at games. Wednesday’s game featured the opportunity for students to enter for an expenses-paid spring break trip to the Bahamas. The trip is being paid for by Tampa Bay Entertainment Properties’ multimedia rights in an effort to show appreciation to USF students who come out to games. Tampa Bay Entertainment Properties is the company that directly runs the Yuengling Center for USF Athletics. “What we’re really trying to do is continue to show appreciation for the student body here,” said Bill Abercrombie, executive vice president of Tampa Bay Entertainment Properties. “Obviously, we’ve had a successful basketball season and we’re going to continue to drive that home for the rest of the year and get student attendance up — which has been very good for this year … we wanted to finish the season strong and show our appreciation for the student body here.” At the end of the day, the Bulls may not have earned the win, and only one student will eventually take the cruise to the Bahamas. But no matter what, finally, the War on I-4 meant something on the hardwood. “They’re the fake national champions and everything — you have to take them,” graduate student Adam Swanson said before the game. The trash talk was real. The rivalry was real. The attendance showed it.
COMMENTARY Continued from PAGE 8
USF’s offensive production stalled against No. 5 UNC last weekend. The Bulls scored just six runs in three games. ORACLE PHOTO/BRIAN HATTAB playing in the big leagues after this season. UNC’s weekend trio of starters pitched against the Bulls and have dominated this season, striking out 43 opposing hitters in 20.1 innings. Mohl even said himself that these three starters have firstround potential. If USF wants to advance past the NCAA regional, this is the level of competition it will need to excel against. In a season filled with expectations that exceed far more than another NCAA regional loss, the Bulls’ offense is showing no signs of vitality and are averaging less than four runs per game. The pitching staff, on the other hand, has been not only steady but, at points, dominant. The Bulls .228 team average is ranked 210th out of 291 teams while the staff ERA of 2.95 is top 50 in the country. Freshman shortstop Nick
Gonzalez leads the Bulls’ meager offensive-attack with a .300 batting average. The rest of the team has sputtered to begin the season, with only five players batting above .200. The amount of strikeouts is what has been most shocking. In the four losses, the home plate umpire has sent the Bulls back to the dugout 10 times per game. The s e n i o r - d o m i n a nt offensive unit wasn’t supposed to be the weak link for USF this season. The question marks were to come from atop the mound, but the consistency has come from the young pitching staff, both starters and bullpen alike. While it is said that the pitchers have the advantage over the hitters early in the season, Mohl could not have seen such a low offensive output in his crystal ball before the season. The Bulls flirted
with a .300 overall batting average (.297 for the season) a year ago. Even with their top two hitters, David Villar (.377) and Coco Montes (.336), being drafted by Major League Baseball clubs, three of the top six offensive players returned from last year. Kyle Phillips, Joe Genord and J.D. Dutka all hit for a .300 average or better. The senior trio was responsible for nearly one-third of the team’s total RBIs and 28 percent of the teams runs scored. This year they are hitting .286, .269 and .167 respectively. The 3-4 start is likely not what the Bulls wanted through their first seven games, but there is plenty of time to get the offense into the swing of things. USF will play threegame series against Western Michigan, Liberty and Dartmouth before beginning AAC play March 22.
SPORTS
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RUNDOWN USF will be absent at NFL Combine
The 2019 NFL Combine will begin its on-field workouts in Indianapolis on Friday. Of the 337 players who were invited to the Combine, nine were from the AAC. None of those players are from USF. For the first time since 2016, USF will not be represented in the NFL Combine. Last year’s Combine featured three former USF players — Quinton Flowers, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Deadrin Senat. Flowers is now a running back with the Cincinnati Bengals, Valdes-Scantling is a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers and Senat plays on the defensive line for the Atlanta Falcons. In 2017, two former Bulls were invited. Marlon Mack was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts as a running back and Rodney Adams was a wide receiver for both Minnesota Vikings and the Colts before abruptly retiring. The AAC players who will take the field this weekend will be Houston defensive lineman Ed Oliver along with running backs Darrell Henderson of Memphis and Ryquell Armstead who played for Temple.
U N I V E RS I T Y O F S OU T H F L O R I DA
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Men’s Basketball
Attendance reaches seven-year high in War on I-4 rivalry game
By Brian Hattab A S S I S T A N T
S P O R T S
E D I T O R
There was a buzz in the Yuengling Center on Wednesday night. The men’s basketball edition of the War on I-4 meant something. While UCF beat USF 75-63, it was the first time in a long time that it felt competitive. And why not? The Bulls, who entered the night 18-9 (7-7) had a team that could compete with the school out east — and students have noticed. “It’s the culture — the rivalry,” said Heath Rinkus, a graduate student who is frequent at USF games of all sports. “If you’re going to go to any game, it should be against your rival.” The good news is students, among others, turned out Wednesday night. USF announced a season-high attendance of 7,231, with another season-high 1,613 of
USF announced a season-high 7,231 attendance at Wednesday’s basketball game against UCF. ORACLE PHOTO/BRIAN HATTAB
them being student tickets. In fact, Wednesday’s attendance was the second-highest since the Yuengling Center reopened in 2012 after a $35 million dollar
renovation. The only higher number was the actual night the arena reopened — also against UCF. “Hopefully it’s a glimpse
of where we can get to as we continue to grow and build our program,” coach Brian Gregory said. “And hopefully that will be
n See ATTENDANCE on PAGE 7
Commentary
To be the best, you have to beat the best
By Steven Gerardy C O R R E S P O N D E N T
Coach Billy Mohl stated before the season that the team will only go as far as the pitching staff will take them. I assume he thought the offense would also go along for the
ride. With a series win to open the season against Samford and a 6-1 victory over then-No. 5 Florida, USF baseball (3-4) was poised to put the college landscape on notice. That is until it went to Chapel Hill,
North Carolina. series. The Bulls took the weekend In fairness to the Bulls, seven trip to play the University of games does not summarize an North Carolina (8-0) and were entire season. swept, losing the first game UNC pitchers Tyler Baum, Saturday and both games Gianluca Dalatri and Austin Sunday. The Bulls managed Bergner have expectations of just six runs in the three-game n See COMMENTARY on PAGE 7