04 29 16 graduationissue by USF Oracle

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Table of Contents

A softball legacy ...................................................... 7 Commencement fast fact ...................................... 9 The green robe effect .......................................... 10 Post-grad relaxation ............................................ 11 Got employment? ................................................. 12

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Building and sustaining her legacy Senior Lee Ann Spivey leaves USF with it all on the field

By Jacob Hoag S P O R T S

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The campus seemed huge to her. Building after building after building as she drove around in a golf cart driven by USF softball coach Ken Eriksen, touring a foreign USF campus for the first time. It was Lee Ann Spivey’s first time setting foot on campus. A freshman at Flagler Palm Coast High School, Spivey was taking her first official visit to the school where she would build a lasting legacy just three years later. Now, she stands two weeks away from graduating college. Looking back on her four years at USF, she has no regrets and a bevy of memories — both good and bad, joyous and frustrating. They all shaped her legacy. “I’ve gained so much knowledge in four years, I wouldn’t be able to begin to explain everything I’ve learned since I’ve been here,” Spivey said. *** Spivey didn’t intend to play soft-

ball in college. She was a lifetime baseball player, having switched to softball in middle school. It wasn’t until a catching camp hosted by Eriksen that Spivey realized her own potential. “Once it was over, Ken Eriksen came over to my dad and said, ‘If I could sign her today, I would.’ That was before I had thought anything about colleges or anything.” Early recruitment is the norm in softball. Coaches know what to look for and tend to get a jump if they see the right fit. For Spivey, USF was the perfect fit. “We visited a couple of other schools, but I kept telling my parents, ‘I have to come back to USF,’” Spivey said of her recruitment. “There was something about the feel, I really liked Ken Eriksen as a person and I really felt he was the best fit for me and the school was the best fit for me.” Once at the school, the transition from high school was seamless. She started as a freshman and Eriksen was surprised, even after recruiting her since age 14. “She’s hit some of the hardest

balls I’ve seen leave the ball park in the last year and a half at South Florida, and she can run like the wind,” Eriksen told reporters back in 2013. “She’s the total package of a great athlete.” But when it came time for her first game, her nerves overshadowed her talent. “I just remember feeling a rush of emotion. You’re excited because it’s finally here, you’re nervous because you’re a freshman and I was a freshman starting,” Spivey said. “That in itself was really nerve-racking. I remember going out there and being so jittery and in my first at-bat, I’m pretty sure I struck out. “I get in the dugout and coach looks at me and says, ‘Ok, you got your first one out of the way and now you can breathe finally.’ I felt like once I settled in and got into my natural habitat and let my confidence take over, it was a lot easier. But the first time ever, it’s unexplainable.” The mishaps wouldn’t end there. At the tail end of her freshman season, USF was in position to

secure the No. 1 seed in the Big East tournament heading into the final game of the regular season. “We were winning the ballgame with players on first and third and I wasn’t supposed to throw the ball to second if they stole, I was told to hold it,” Spivey said. “But the girl took off running and she just looked so dead to me. I hesitated and then launched it into center field and all of the runners scored.” USF lost the game, but still found its way into the conference championship game where Spivey would make up for her youthful mistake. In a scoreless 10-inning game against Notre Dame, a young Spivey looked at then-freshman Mo Santos and the two had an exchange in the dugout that would seal the game. “We’ve got this,” Spivey remembers telling Santos. “I’m going to get on base.” To which Santos responded, “And I’m going to hit you in.” Just like they drew it up, Spivey hit a double to put herself in scoring position with Santos up next.

The rest is history. “She slides in to home and jumps up and we’re huggin’ each other because we did exactly what we said we were going to do,” Spivey said, reminiscing on one of her proudest moments. “Obviously it was a huge team win, but I remember that moment specifically.” *** Spivey has evolved since those freshman years, transitioning from a “loose cannon” to a poised leader of a surging team. Coming into her final season, it was hard to imagine she would eclipse the stellar play of her junior season — Spivey hit 52 RBIs in 56 games. But her senior season didn’t start the way she had intended. Through the first nine games of the season, Spivey was batting just .144, the lowest mark of her career. “For me it was more about being comfortable and getting back to doing my thing rather than trying too hard,” Spivey said. “Once I finally let myself just have

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Spring 2016 graduation: fast facts and then some By Abby Rinaldi C O - N E W S

E D I T O R

Between May 6 and May 7, an estimated 4,730 graduates will cross the stage at the USF Sun Dome earning bachelor’s to doctoral degrees. USF System President Judy Genshaft will preside over the six separate graduation ceremonies. A total of 6,545 degrees will be awarded for the Spring 2016 semester between the three USF campuses. At USF Tampa, 4,366 bachelor’s, 1,235 master’s, 198 doctoral and 4 specialist degrees will be awarded, for a total of 5,803 degrees. At USF St. Petersburg, 480 degrees will be awarded, and 262 at USF Sarasota-Manatee. The college with the most graduates is the College of Arts and Sciences, with 1,800 bachelor’s degrees, on top of master’s and doctoral degrees. There will be three announc-

ers for the ceremonies, including Associate Athletic Director Jim Louk, Vice President and COO of USF Health Dr. Edmund Funai, and WUSF Producer and Host Mark Schreiner. The USF system will honor 27 King O’ Neal Scholars who have earned a cumulative 4.0 grade point average during their college career. Other awards include the President’s Fellow Medallion, which will be given to Dr. Ernest Boger, and four honorary doctorates in pharmacy, engineering, education and marine science. USF’s youngest graduate is Ahmed Mohamed at 18 years old. Mohamed will receive his bachelor’s in biomedical sciences and another bachelor’s in political science. He is a King O’ Neal Scholar, and has expressed interest in attending medical school and law school. The oldest graduate is 71 years old and attends USF SarasotaManatee. However, this individual declined to be named or interviewed.

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A green (and gold) change to be proud of By Grace Hoyte E D I T O R

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Two semesters after the change, students who have to buy the new cap and gown should pat themselves on the back because those colorful robes are making a tangible impact on the environment. Students who graduate this semester will not be the first to wear the green cap and gown, but they are certainly playing their part in reducing the size of landfill mountains all over the place. According to Oak Hall, the company that manufactures the gowns, “an average of 23 plastic bottles are removed from landfills for each gown made. While that may not seem impressive on an individual level, more than 13,000 students applied for graduation in 2014-2015.

“Given our amount of graduates, we estimate the USF System’s shift to these gowns will allow for about 200,000 plastic bottles to be reused per year,” USF Media and Public Affairs Manager Adam Freeman said in an email to the Oracle. Additionally, the carbon dioxide emissions that result from traditional gown manufacturing are reduced by more than 50 percent. The robes were the result of an initiative by the office of USF System President Judy Genshaft. A resolution to change the official robes to the current set was brought before Student Government (SG) and passed. “(The SG Senate) was approached by the Office of the President. One of the things they had been looking into doing … was getting new robes,” former

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How to celebrate newfound freedom By Jasmin Faisal L I F E S T Y L E

E D I T O R

The end of the school year is upon us, and that means two things: final exams and graduation ceremonies. However, for some, it’s more. It’s time for a brief interlude between the hectic demand of college classes, and the prospect of entering an evershrinking job market. With so much to prepare for, graduate students need to celebrate their triumph and enjoy their time. Here are just a few ways to celebrate upcoming graduates newfound freedom. Travel Just about everyone dreams of taking a trip to new, exotic locations in order to explore things they’ve never seen before. Well, there’s no time like the present. After graduation, book a trip to somewhere you’ve never been before, whether it’s a couple towns over or on another continent. That sunburn won’t hurt as bad as feeling that you missed out on some awesome adventures when adult life sets in and you’re busy 9-5 p.m. Get a Job It’s never too early to start your career. Apply for a job, whether it be full- or part-time work. It doesn’t necessarily have to be related to what you majored in, although it would help. Now is the time to give miming one last shot before you commit to bigger and better things. Apply to Graduate School In some fields, a master’s degree means a higher chance of being employed — and a higher paycheck. Applying to

graduate school may be the best move for those who want a competitive edge on the ever-thinning job market. If you have the money and time, this maybe a good option to invest in your future. In the meantime, get some life experience and find some constructive ways to spend your time (and boost your resume). Get an internship

More often than not, experience is a huge factor when a new graduate applies for a job. Even “entry level” jobs can be difficult to land without any experience on the ground. Internships are a great way to get it, as well as provide opportunities for you to network with industry professionals and make connections. You can learn more about the field you’ve majored in and experience the different types of jobs in the industry. Spend time with family After being away at college for so long, it might be nice for some to just go back home to spend time with their loved ones. A well-deserved break should be spent with those you care about. Spend some quality time with your loved ones by taking a family vacation. If going out of town is out of the question, consider a stay-cation. Florida natives have a host of attractions available — think, beaches, nature preserves, theme parks and more — while outof-towners Party Another popular thing to do after graduation is party. There are tons of other graduates who are ready to celebrate their newfound freedom, so go out to party or event with a group of friends from your graduating class and make some last minute memories. But partying for some may

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Alumni welcome at Career Services By Miki Shine C O - N E W S

E D I T O R

By graduation, students expect to be ready for the world and particularly the workforce. They expect to have a ‘toolbox’ of different skills from interview preparation to handling conflict with co-workers. But not all graduates prove to be as prepared as they expect. As such, Career Services is working to provide somewhere for those alumni to come back to for help. “The goal would be that when you go to graduate, you would have a lot of these career readiness tools in the toolbox,” Russ Coughenour, Assistant Vice President of Career Services, said. “You go out there to the world of work with interviews, resumes, resume writing, cover letter writing, career management skills and you would be applying those tools that you’ve learned throughout those four years at (USF).

“Can all that be done; can you build your toolbox during the senior year? Yes. But it’s like cramming for a test. What you would retain after you’ve crammed would be questionable. If you’ve made it a point to learn throughout the entire career development process, we think you’ll retain those things a lot better.” Career Services has always been there for alumni, but Coughenour is trying to improve that aid. In the past, alumni have been able to come use the Career Services programs for three months after graduation free of charge, but any later than that and there was a fee. However, Coughenour has pushed to extend fee-free aid until a year after graduation. He reported seeing an increase in the number of recent graduates coming to Career Services within that year and a decrease in the number coming in after the first year. But he said that was a good thing and the revenue loss was something the

program could afford. “I’ve extended it to a year and if I have any say in it long term, we will never charge an alumni for using USF Career Services,” Coughenour said. “I’m not there yet, but hopefully that’s something that I can accomplish; that our doors will always be open for USF alumni.” Some events put on by Career Services such as the career fairs are open for alumni to attend. Although it is open for alumni looking for a career, some also return as recruiters to talk with current students about job opportunities. “We do special things with alumni who are recruiting,” Coughenour said. “We give them ribbons. We want them to feel welcome to come back to the campus and we want a student when they walk up to a table and they see the recruiters, we want them to see the ribbons to say that person is successful … I can see myself doing the same thing in

the future.” Within a year of graduation, 75.4 percent of USF graduates are either employed or continuing their education, according to USF Media Relations, with similar numbers coming up across the state. Those alumni working full time have an average salary of $36,300. However, not all graduates are ready to be in the work force right after graduation. “Some (students) are very ready to go out and meet the demands of a stressful career. Other people, there’s no way in the world,” Coughenour said. “They only half know what they want to do so they’re only half-heartedly committed to something and it shows in their work. They may stumble for a couple years before they find themselves in the work place.”

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ROBES

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Student Body President Andy Rodriguez said. “The old robes … were plain black robes that you would see at any high school graduation.” The significance of the robes, he said goes beyond a gesture of environmental friendliness by a group of students. “When looking to do it, one of the things that was really important to them was that it was something that was sustainable and went along with the theme of the university, in terms of being a global university,” Rodriguez said. USF’s Quality Enhancement Project — announced last year during the university’s reaccreditation process — is the

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Global Citizens Project. However, while the robes are environmentally friendly, the green robes cost more than their predecessors and new graduates were required to purchase a whole new set, rather than possibly borrowing a set. “The biggest heartache and the biggest hiccup was going to happen in that first year because students … who would have borrowed a robe from a friend or someone else weren’t going to be able to do that last year, and maybe even this year,” Rodriguez said. “But a couple of years down the road, that won’t be an issue anymore.” This semester, USF Tampa will award 5,799 undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as 4 specialist degrees.

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SPIVEY

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fun and stopped caring what my stats are going to be, that’s when I started getting out of my slump. “If I’m doing my last year and I’m giving it my all and having fun, that’s all that matters.” That trait — the ability to forget the past and fix what’s broken — has not only helped Spivey in her career, but other young guns on the team. “She’s always been a leader on this team, she’s always someone you can go to and she will always help you whether it’s batting or defense, anything,” sophomore catcher Mia Fung said of Spivey. “Especially me being a younger catcher, helping me with signs or getting to know other players was a big help.” Just like her freshman season, Spivey overcame obstacles, but in this case, she had some help. Spivey has experienced many key moments in her life in the sanctuary of the USF Softball Stadium, including watching her boyfriend Nick get down on a knee in center field and pull out a ring. Since that day, Spivey has batted .338 on the season with

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another 39 RBIs to her name. “I’m going to attribute that to a ring around her finger,” Eriksen said of the catcher following USF’s win over UNLV on Feb. 26. “When she’s happy, she’s playing well.” Spivey has one regular season series left in her senior season. But she’s looking past it, for now. With one last run in the tank, for Spivey and the other seniors, it’s College Softball World Series or nothing. “I expect nothing less than for us to make it to the World Series and I’ve expected nothing less than that every year I’ve been here,” Spivey said. “We just have to be willing to go out there and get it.” Looking even farther than that, Spivey will take her Criminology degree and her fiancee to Gainesville to pursue a master’s degree. But her lasting memories of USF will never be left behind. It’s the place where she grew up and the field she built her legacy on. It’s a place that will stick with her long after she walks across that Sun Dome stage. “You’re never really leaving anything behind,” Spivey said. “Once you’re a part of USF, you’re always going to be a part of it.”

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FREEDOM

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be nothing more than Harry Potter binge watching with a group of friends or spontaneous dance parties. Get creative and have fun. Take a breather For some, the best option may be just to do nothing. Sleep in, read a book, binge watch TV, you can never go

wrong with a little rest and relaxation. Take it slow and don’t rush yourself. Before you renter the world, do something your passionate about: start a vlog, plant a garden, go see the world — the sky is the limit. The important thing is that you enjoy yourself while you can and figure out what direction you want your life to take. And by the way, congratulations.

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