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Hate speech in JP elevator causes security to be hired Merger bill goes By Jessenia Rivera S T A F F
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Trashed elevators have been the usual sight for students living in Juniper-Poplar Hall (JP), but the sight of derogatory words written across walls and doors recently has sparked a sense of discomfort for residents in the hall. While the gum on the floor buttons and the food stuck on the roof is something students don’t want to see as they head toward their rooms, the offensive words written across the doors of the JP elevator have been the root cause of much anger. Tiffany Longsworth, a health science major living at JP, saw the hateful language and said she was disgusted. “It was 3 a.m. when I saw ‘f***
n******’ as the doors closed,” Longsworth said. “I remember being filled with rage over the fact that someone thought this was funny.” After seeing these two words written in big letters across the elevator doors, Longsworth called the help desk and then decided to post about the situation on her Facebook class page. On Facebook, she learned that other students living at JP have seen other instances of offensive language inside the elevators as well. “After posting the photo on the One student complains that the extra security that was hired fell USF 2021 page, I learned that other asleep on the job. ORACLE PHOTO/CHAVELI GUZMAN remarks were written toward white people, Jewish people and the safety in the place she calls home. USF, the derogatory vandalism on LGBTQ community,” Longsworth “At USF, you would expect to feel the elevators is being discussed said. safe,” Longsworth said. “For the first considering it is not the first time the Even though everything on the time, I did not.” incident has occurred. elevator got cleaned up quickly, According to an email from “Over the past few weeks, there Longsworth said she questions her Adam Freeman, a spokesman for n See JP on PAGE 3
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On Feb. 14, USF students waited anxiously wondering if they’d hear from their loved ones that attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. In the wake of the Parkland massacre, students are taking matters into their own hands to prevent another senseless shooting by protesting gun violence at the March for Our Lives event on March 24. Austin Gregory, a graduate student who majored in accounting, helped organize an event to send Florida-based alumni of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSD) to Washington for the March for
Our Lives event. Gregory said he was initially alerted of the shooting because his girlfriend’s little sister and cousin are current students of MSD. “At first when she told me, I was so sad about it, and the next day, I felt angry about how this could even happen,” Gregory said. Gregory said it is important for not just MSD alumni to go to the event, but anybody who cares about gun law reform. “It’s one thing to hear about the school that got shot up because they happen so often,” Gregory said. “But when it happens to you, it’s a totally different feeling.” After a friend reached out
to Gregory about organizing a bus for MSD alumni, he felt compelled to help out as much as he could. “There are so many MSD alumni — the more of us that show up, the more we are able to be heard,” Gregory said. Gregory said President Donald Trump is taking the first initiative by increasing the age restriction from 18 to 21 for purchasing an assault rifle, but the government still has room for improvement. “There are so many loopholes in these laws right now when it comes to purchasing a gun, and there is a mental health aspect that still needs to be addressed,” Gregory said. The most important
By Miki Shine E D I T O R
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regulation Gregory said needs to be changed is getting assault rifles off the streets and out of the hands of the mentally ill. “I don’t see the personal need for anything other than a handgun. People may argue differently, but other than to protect yourself and your family, there no need have an assault weapon,” Gregory said. Gregory said he hopes the outcome of the March for Our Lives event will prove to representatives in Congress the importance of gun control. When midterm elections come around, Gregory said he believes the results will show whether a change will happen. “Once they see how many
The consolidation of USF’s three campuses into a single university is one step away from being official after passing through both the Florida House and Senate. The last thing the bill needs is to be signed by Gov. Rick Scott before going into law. The bill unifies USF Tampa, USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee under one accreditation by June 2020. However, according to Provost Ralph Wilcox, a plan for the unification will be submitted to the Board of Governors (BOG) by March 15, 2019. In order to ensure details of the unification are mapped out, amendments to House Bill 423 instruct USF to create a 13 member task force with representatives from each of the three campuses. This task force will include two appointees from the Florida House president with two from the Senate speaker of the house, two representatives appointed by the chair of the Board of Trustees (BOT), the regional chancellors for each satellite campus, System President Judy Genshaft and one student appointed by the Alumni Association. Setting up this task force will be the first step in hammering things out. “That’s the first step because, in essence, they will be doing the heavy lifting necessary to compile a report due to the Board of Trustees by February
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Tragedy sparks activism: students plan trip to march in capitol By Alyssa Stewart
to governor