The Oracle THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2014 I VOL. 51 NO. 128
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Higher learning: Library to lend out drones By Wesley Higgins N E W S
E D I T O R
Not long ago the most advanced technology checked out of a library was VHS tapes, but soon students can borrow drones from the USF Library to learn from a bird’s eye view. Starting in fall, the newly renovated USF Library plans to allow students to check out a remote-controlled aircraft equipped with an underbelly camera, similar to how a student would check out a book. Nancy Cunningham, director of academic services for the Library, said the drones would let architecture students inspect a building’s dimensions or allow an environmental student to reach
rough terrain inaccessible by foot. “The fact that you could collect digital footage from a height that normally you would need a helicopter — I think — expands the possibilities for students,” she said. With grant money left over from renovations, the Library purchased two drones: Phantom I and Phantom II. They weigh approximately 25 pounds each, with a flight time of up to 25 minutes and can hover up to 400 feet. The Phantom II’s controller can also sync with an iPhone for a first-person view while in flight. But no one can take it out for a joy ride on a whim, Cunningham said. All students will need a teacher approved reason and will be supervised by a trained fac-
ulty member. “You can’t just walk in and say, ‘I want to check out a drone,’” she said. Students will also take an “intensive” training course, said Maryellen Allen, assistant director for instructional services. “You’re going to have to understand how it works and how it operates,” she said. “And prove you can maneuver it correctly so you’re not crashing into stuff.” Though there is a “you break it, you buy it” policy set at $1,500 per drone by the Library, Cunningham said students shouldn’t be concerned with drones crashing. They’re equipped with a backup battery and programmed to return to the point of take off if communication with the
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The Phantom II, a remote-controlled aircraft equipped with an underbelly camera, may be available on loan from the Library for students in the fall semester. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/EILEEN THORTON
Scholarship gives relief to struggling mother of three By Adam Mathieu S T A F F
W R I T E R
Jessica Bartels was pregnant with her second child and working as a housekeeper at Florida Hospital when she realized she needed to do more if she was going to give her children a better future. “I felt like I was trapped,” Bartels, now a USF student majoring in mass communications, said. “I was working a minimum wage job and I knew that would be my future if I didn’t change it.” So in 2008, while on maternity leave from her housekeeping job, Bartels began looking into her options and chose to attend Hillsborough Community College (HCC) to get her associate degree. Bartels had to accept the difficulties of attending classes, including the financial pressure and raising her children. During her final year at HCC, Bartels faced another battle: her third daughter was born with a
heart disease that required surgery. “I spent a lot of time in the hospital with her instead of dropping out of classes when it was very hard for me,” Bartels said. “I actually chose all my classes as online classes and took my classes in the hospital with her so that I could continue doing what I had to do, so that when she got out we could go home and have something better.” After leaving HCC in 2010 with her associate degree, Bartels set her sights on attending USF to continue her education. Beginning in the Spring 2014 semester, Bartels actively sought scholarships offered by the university. After growing accustomed to being turned down for scholarships, Bartels was selected as the winner of the Tampa Palms Women’s Club Scholarship, beating out 38 candidates for the $1,000 award. The scholarship is sponsored by the Tampa Palms Women’s Club, but it is
the Women in Leadership and Philanthropy (WLP) program at USF that select the winner. Similar to other scholarships offered through WLP, the Tampa Palms Women’s Club Scholarship has a preference for women of “non-traditional age” attending USF. For Sharon Hamisak, assistant director of the USF Foundation Scholarship Office, non-traditional students such as Bartels can have a difficult time entering college after having been away from school for a period of time. “Often times non-traditional students have to take a break from their education because of life,” Hamisak said. “You start a family or you have to work because you can’t afford your education.” At 27 years old and mother to three children, Bartels had begun to feel scholarships lacked concern for non-traditional students. “I applied for many scholarships and over and over I was
denied,” Bartels said. “I’m a decent student so I couldn’t figure out why. I thought maybe it was because of my age and the fact that I have children.” However, when Bartels won the Tampa Palms Women’s Club Scholarship, she said it proved there are supporters in the local area wishing to see women in such situations succeed. “It felt really good to have these women in leadership positions to give me encouragement,” Bartels said. As part of winning the scholarship, Bartels was able to meet with members of the WLP as well as the donors from the Tampa Palms Women’s Club, which are elements of any WLP scholarship. Bartels said she believes this is important for creating a support group. “Not only is she getting the financial support of the scholarship but there is that networking and mentoring component which is what makes WLP unique,”
Hamisak said. For women in difficult financial situations, attending school could be a way to break the pattern of minimum wage. Yet, as seen in Bartel’s case, the costs of school can discourage those looking to create a better future for themselves. “I rely a lot on loans and I have thousands and thousands of dollars of loans and debt and I haven’t even gotten my bachelor’s degree yet,” Bartels said. It is women such as Bartels that WLP has been supporting at USF for the past nine years en route to awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships annually. For Bartels, receiving such a scholarship is just a reminder that the expenses and work are all to ensure the best for her and her family. “It’s like everything in life, you have to weigh the pros and the cons and I think that the cost is a very big con,” Bartels said. “But for me the pros just outweigh the cons.”
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DRONES
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controller is interrupted. “It doesn’t just fall out of the sky,” she said. C o i n c i d e n ta l l y, the Library’s announcement coincided with Federal Aviation Administration regulating unmanned aircraft. Model aircraft must remain in sight of the operator, avoid crowds and cannot be used for nonrecreational purposes. The Library is finding out whether the planned usage is compliant with the regula-
tions, Cunningham said. “We need to find out if we can fly them and where we can fly them,” she said. “Or if we can take them off campus.” The regulations follow reports of reckless flying and public skepticism. Recently, Los Angeles hockey fans knocked down a drone flying over a Stanley Cup celebration and smashed it with a skateboard and another drone in Seattle was reportedly used to peep on a woman undressing. Cunningham also said the Library’s aircraft shouldn’t be associated with what many
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think of drones — a term that is now somewhat loaded due to a controversy over foreign military and domestic spying. “(Drone) is kind of a catchall name,” she said. “(This is) like a flying helicopter with a video camera.” Allen said most of the reaction from the academic world is positive and the aircraft fits well into the evolving philosophy and purpose of the Library in a digital age. “We’re in information literacy,” she said. “And media literacy has become a big component.”
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football.” While Taggart was gearing up fans for noticeable improvement this season, new men’s basketball coach Orlando Antigua didn’t make any promises, at least not immediately. “I ask that you be patient with us,” Antigua said. “It’s going to be challenging, but we’re up for the challenge and excited for the opportunities ahead.” Antigua is retaining only six players from the 15-man roster last season. With new players and a new coaching staff, Antigua said there will be an adjustment period. “Whenever you’re taking over a program and trying to change a culture or a mentality, that takes time,” Antigua said. “How long, I don’t know.” Though he preached patience during his speech, Antigua isn’t worried about living up to fans’ lofty expectations of him as a coach. “Fans are going to have their own perceptions and expectations of the program and that’s good, that’s why they’re fans,” Antigua said. “We have our own expectations as a staff and I don’t think the fans’ expectations are going to be any greater than what we have for (our players).”
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handed pitcher will be one of several key factors against international teams such as Japan. “(Nevins’ style) is a little bit different from what a lot of people are used to because she moves the ball from left to right, right to left, and up and down in the zone,” Eriksen said. “There are not a lot of lefties outside of (Catherine) Osterman that will do those types of things, and the difference between her and Osterman is that (Nevins) can throw the ball 10 miles per hour faster.” The USA Softball Women’s National Team coach also noted Nevins’ hard late breaking ball, which she used to become the Bulls’ career strikeouts leader (1,103) while cracking “about five or six” aluminum bats in the process. In addition to building a team to beat Japan, Eriksen is
Both Antigua and Taggart spoke highly of the future of their respective teams, but women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez focused on the key to making the NCAA Tournament this season rather than the NIT Tournament as his squad did last season. “We have a very exciting nonconference schedule this season,” Fernandez said. “We’re playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. We will play eight teams in the top 50.” His team nearly made the NCAA Tournament with a 23-13 record last season. By playing such a tough schedule, he is ensuring that his team’s RPI won’t be brought into the equation come tournament time. The coaches said they enjoy events such as these where they can meet the fans and speak of their visions for USF Athletics. But for a new coach such as Antigua, it was especially exciting to reach out to the fans. “For someone fairly new, it’s great to connect with the folks that support you in the community,” Antigua said. “It’s great to see the span of support throughout the state.” The Around the Horns Tour will conclude Friday in Miami when Athletic Director Mark Harlan, Taggart and Antigua will try to gather support in South Florida. also looking to build a team for longevity. Team USA currently has an average age of 22, and he hopes Nevins can stay with the team into what he said are the prime years of a softball career, between the ages 26 and 31, to hopefully compete in the 2020 Olympics. However, before she or anyone plays in the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has to vote softball back in. Eriksen said the sport has a 60 percent approval rating, enough to be voted back in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. “I hope to keep playing and I’m pretty sure (softball) will be back up in 2020,” Nevins said. She is still considering all of her options, including enrolling in nursing school and playing professionally on an international level. Nevins and the USA Softball Women’s National Team begin exhibition games July 2 in West Virginia.
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Kakehashi Project brings students to Japan By Courtney Combs L I F E S T Y L E
E D I T O R
Through the lens of technology, the world has never looked smaller. Google Earth allows one to walk the streets of far off lands from the comfort of home while simultaneously researching another culture with a quick trip to Wikipedia. But the only way to fully understand a different way of life still involves trekking across the globe. On Monday, 23 USF students set off on a 16-hour journey to spend 10 days exploring Japan and its culture as a part of the Kakehashi Project. The name of the project comes from the Japanese word “Kakehashi,”
meaning bridge, and lends itself to the slogan “bridge for tomorrow.” The program, which offers American and Japanese students from a different school each year the chance to further explore the others’ world through a cultural exchange, was founded in response to the aid provided by the U.S. government following the 2011 earthquake disaster in Japan. Since it’s founding, Miami Palmetto Senior High School and Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando have sent students to Japan, and now USF is the first university in the state to participate in the exchange. “For me it’ll be experiencing hands-on everything I learned in class and everything I’m interested in,” said Cody
Buchanon, a USF student studying Japanese. Mako Nozu, an instructor in the USF Japanese department, said students will visit Kyoto Sangyo University and students from the Japanese university will visit USF sometime within the next year. Nozu said the Kakehashi program is funded by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Everything from students’ airfare to daily meals will be provided. “Usually a lot of students here cannot afford traveling,” Nozu said. “Airfare to Japan costs almost $2,000 roundtrip, so it is a great opportunity for these students. I’m happy for them.” Mark Machado, who studies Japanese at USF, is one such
case. “I normally, being a poor college student, wouldn’t be able to go to Japan very easily,” Machado said. “Then to find out I was one of the 23 chosen was like a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to go to Japan.” Machado and other students will have the opportunity to experience several Japanese cultural sites and lead a presentation on American and Floridian culture for their hosts. “We are going to visit Kyoto, the old capital of Japan and there are a lot of temples and shrines that are very old,” Nozu said. “Some of them were built in the 1200s so I’d like them to see those. At the same time we’ll be in Tokyo. (The) Tokyo metropolitan area
is the biggest in the world and very, very different from Kyoto so I’d like them to compare and contrast the differences of the two cities.” In preparation for the trip, Machado said he had to purchase “omiyage,” or traditional gifts, to exchange with Japanese students and dignitaries. Roughly 40 students applied to participate in the program and 22 students of the 23 going on the trip are currently studying Japanese at USF. “Japan is very different from the U.S.,” Nozu said. “Some people unfortunately think the U.S. is the only world. I really want them to see, not just Japan, but different parts of the world.”
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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EDITORIAL
New rule on crime statistics could create safer campuses
In April, as part of the administration’s task force to combat sexual assault, President Barack Obama released a report giving universities proper steps to deal with an issue that is all too common throughout the country. Now, the Obama administration is taking the fight a step further in a way that could address other serious, even life-threatening, problems many college-age people face in order to improve campus safety. Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced a proposed rule to create a more inclusive understanding of sexual crimes, requiring universities to collect statistics on stalking, dating violence and domestic violence. These additions will be included in the Clery Act, which requires universities to report their crime statistics. Gathering data from universities on these issues will not only shed light on their association with sexual assault, but could also show how often they happen individually and how much of a problem they are. For one, there is a connection between sexual assault and other forms of predatory action. A survey conducted by the U.S.
Department of Justice found that a stalker forced or attempted sexual contact in a little over 10 percent of stalking incidents. Additionally, 13 percent of college-age women report having been forced into sex by a dating partner and 60 percent of acquaintance rapes on campuses happen in casual or steady relationships, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Along with getting school-byschool data on the frequency of stalking and partner violence to understand sexual assault, these statistics could provide more information on these problems individually. This is especially necessary since they affect those within the age range of many college students at the highest rate. According to a study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, stalking occurs most frequently among those between the ages of 18 and 24. This age range is similar for intimate partner violence, or harm caused by a partner or spouse; a report from the same source showed women between 16 and 24 are more likely to experience this form of violence than any other age group. Since these problems occur
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most often between these ages, a better understanding of the prevalence of these issues at each school could ideally help universities improve safety and spread more awareness. Doing this across the country could help encourage victims to report these dangerous behaviors, which is especially important considering the already drastically low reporting rates. Like sexual assault crimes, underreporting is a problem for both dating and domestic violence. According to the Department of Justice, over 80 percent of stalking occurrences weren’t reported to either police or campus police. Having more information on stalking, dating violence and domestic violence at universities, in addition to statistics on sexual assault, could help schools further protect students who might be vulnerable to these particular issues. It could potentially create an environment where students feel safe to seek help and recourse. USF students in need of support can visit the university’s Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention, which provides services for victims of violence and abuse.
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What you said In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear a case to determine when threats on social media become criminal behavior, editors Isabelle Cavazos and Adam Mathieu asked students if they think monitoring threats on social media interferes with free speech.
“If it affects other people in a negative way, the government has the right to be invasive under certain conditions.” — Suhad Ali-Mohammed, a sophomore majoring in biomedical science “You can speak your mind and not have to be aggressive.” Lenieka Murdock, — a senior majoring in health science
“It interferes a little bit, but at the point when someone’s threatening another person, some action should be taken.” — Dru Curtis, a sophomore majoring in psychology “It depends on the threat, like how severe it is.” — Justin Burke, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering “You are allowed to say what you want to say. There is a thin line between being within your rights and being straight out mean.” — Ketura Discot, a junior majoring in cell biology
Classifieds UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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http://www.usforacle.com/classifieds
Check out The Oracle online www.usforacle.com HELP WANTED LAB TECH ASSISTANT Needed. FT & PT positions. Near HCC Brandon Campus. Gain science experience and schedule work around classes. Experience not necessary. Work minimum 20 hours M-F, 8 am - 5 pm. $9/hr. Fax: 813-793-4429 or e-mail hr@randglabs.com. Send work schedule availability. Email charles@randglabs.com
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Going Around the Horns
Coaches go to Sarasota to discuss future of USF Athletics on regional tour. n
By Vinnie Portell S P O R T S
E D I T O R
In front of more than 100 fans, USF football coach Willie Taggart described his competitive nature at the forefront of the future of USF Athletics, part of a regional tour that made its stop in Sarasota on Tuesday. “I hate losing,” Taggart said. “If you watch me walk in the hallway, I’m trying to walk better than you.” As part of USF Athletics’ Around the Horns regional tour, Tuesday’s presentation included an open forum moderated by ABC 7 sports anchor Don Brennan. Earlier this month, the tour kicked off to connect USF Athletics with the community and gain support for the teams and new coaches with stops in Lakeland,
St. Petersburg and Orlando. One of the biggest questions for Taggart was who will be under center for the 2014 Bulls. “Right now they’re competing,” Taggart said. “I feel like we have two quarterbacks that we can win with. We’re going to let it go through training camp for at least the first two weeks and then we’ll name a starting quarterback and roll with it from there.” For the majority of his time, Taggart spoke of the progress the football team has made and how the fans will be able to see the difference this season. Part of this change involved the players gaining muscle in the offseason. Taggart said when he walked into the locker room for the first time last year he was unimpressed with the physique of his players. “When you have me benching more than some guys, then we’ve got issues,” Taggart said. “Player development was not where it needed to be.” But Taggart insists players have gotten stronger and now look the part of a Division I football team.
USF coaches Jose Fernandez (left), Orlando Antigua (center) and Willie Taggart took questions from fans at USF Sarasota-Manatee on Tuesday. ORACLE PHOTO/VINNIE PORTELL Specifically, he said the offensive line has seen the most improvement, with their average weight increasing from 297 to 310 lbs. Another reason Taggart believes
his team will be better this season is the focus he is enforcing on the players’ social and academic lives. “Before, our guys wanted to have too much fun, but there’s
no fun in losing,” Taggart said. “That’s doing something that they weren’t brought here to do. They realized they have to focus on
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Nevins returns to global stage with Team USA By Chris Lemus C O R R E S P O N D E N T
Former Bull Sara Nevins was the only left-handed pitcher selected for Team USA. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
Former USF softball pitcher Sara Nevins is moving from what USF and USA Softball Women’s National Team coach Ken Eriksen calls the minor leagues onto a bigger stage, and Nevins said she couldn’t ask for it any other way. “It’s pretty exciting to keep representing your country and to play with a bunch of good teammates,” Nevins said. “Just knowing that even though I’m done with college ball, I can continue to compete at the pro level.” For the second straight year, she is one of 17 players from around the nation selected to play for the team, which will compete this summer at the International Softball Federation Women’s World
Championship in Haarlem, Netherlands. Last year on Team USA, Nevins pitched 33 2/3 innings and struck out 38 batters. As preparation for the World Championships, Nevins will play in tournaments and exhibition games throughout North America. The team will later travel to Italy, which Nevins said she is excited to visit. “Not only do you get to play the sport you love, you’re with a bunch of great people and you get to just go around and explore the place in general,” Nevins said. As the lone left-handed pitcher on the team, she will accompany current and former All-Americans. As the team travels around the world playing in tune-up games and smaller tourna-
ments, Eriksen and Nevins share the same goal: beating Japan. “You put a team together to beat Japan,” Eriksen said. “If you put a team together that can beat Japan, you can beat a lot of other teams too.” As a 22-year-old, Nevins doesn’t have extensive experience against Japan, but she said she is well aware of the skill and preparation that takes place on the other side of the world. “Their game is just so quick paced,” Nevins said. “They practice nine hours a day over there so that’s why they are so good at everything. They only have one day off a week. They are always on the go and quick with everything.” Eriksen believes his left-
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