The Oracle MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014 I VOL. 51 NO. 129
www.usforacle.com
The Index
News.................................................................1 Lifestyle......................................................4 Opinion.......................................................6
classifieds..............................................7 Crossword.........................................7 sports............................................................8
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Summer to become ‘better than ever’ on campus By Alex Rosenthal E D I T O R
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As some incoming freshmen start their college careers this week and the Summer B semester begins, so does a series of new initiatives at USF to make summer campus life “bigger and better than ever.” Most students can get directly involved with the new summer atmosphere through the First Fifty Days of Summer, a campus-wide program led by New Student Connections that creates a series of social and academic events for students on campus similar to the fall’s Week of Welcome, but many are likely to see changes ranging
from increased programming to more course offerings. While USF Vice President for Student Affairs Tom Miller said fall will always be the beginning of the academic year, summer can no longer be “a nap in the hammock.” Summer vacation away from campus will continue to appeal to some, but according to Miller, there has always been a significant number of students who take summer courses and some incoming freshmen who start in the summer instead of the fall. In recent years, the campus has averaged 21,000 each summer and Miller said the university has seen an increase this year. “For those with a previous
summer experience, you’ll notice it will begin to feel different on campus,” he said. To boost student life on campus, Academic Affairs and Student Affairs created “Summer@USF” to do everything from increase course offerings to open job opportunities and other activities on campus. “Historically we’ve had students taking longer to get their degrees because of the availability of coursework,” Miller said. “So what the new Summer@USF program is doing, since its centered on the student, is giving the student the opportunity to get the courses they need and not the only ones left but the courses they want and
the high demand courses that are hard to get into at other times.” Leading Summer@USF is Cynthia DeLuca, USF assistant vice provost for Innovation Education who came to USF after working for 15 years at universities such as North Carolina State where she was in charge of enrollment management for summer sessions. “I am a true believer that the summer should be an integral part for a student’s academic experience,” DeLuca said. DeLuca said summer gives more opportunity for the university to offer courses that are in high demand and for students to take courses nec-
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ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
Art and science merge at Dali Museum By Adam Mathieu S T A F F
W R I T E R
In a blend of the art world and the science community, an exhibit at the St. Petersburg Dali Museum showcased a medley of the two. The audience for Thursday’s PLASM exhibit at the museum watched from the grass lawn as projected shapes ebbed and flowed on the building side. David Fries, systems architect for the Integrative Creative Technologies Group at the USF Institute for Research and Arts, said projected images resembled the biological appearance one might see on a microscope slide, designed to simulate biological reactions when exposed to light, sound and chemical reactions. The art-science collaboration is derived not only from the museum’s namesake, Salvador Dali, but from what Fries said is a relationship between two fields that benefit from one another. “Both artist and scientist observe the world,” he said. “Artists typically work to try to represent the world and scientists build instruments to observe it. Having different ways of viewing
the world may help with making sense of our observations with the world.” The art-science dynamic allows for a bridge to be made between two fields, both looking to examine the world, he said. USF students could study the simulation for their research as Fries is experimenting with mixing art and science and bringing that into his research here at USF. Because PLASM, created by Fries in collaboration with international artist TeZ, runs on unique mathematical algorithms, viewers will never see replicated images, making each viewing unique. “New technology is creating ways to help create an experience,” Fries said. “… There is some enlightenment that maybe through the artists, in their intuitive perspective, may help with making sense of the myriad of data that we get in the science observational space.” As one image slipped into the next, viewers repeatedly experienced something for the first and only time. “These are almost like evolutionary artworks,” Fries said. “Perpetual artworks that have a
The art-science exhibit PLASM was projected onto St. Petersburg’s Dali Museum on Thursday, displaying an evolving simulation supported by USF’s Institute for Research and Arts. ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU starting point in time and space said. really big on perception and visual that then change.” For Kathy White, deputy direc- transformation,” White said. For Fries, the fascination with tor at the Dali Museum, PLASM Fries also said the Dali philosoPLASM comes in part from the was a good fit for the museum phy fit with PLASM. fleeting quality of the work. and the Dali approach. “Salvador Dali used science “It evolves and only at that “Our mission is largely educa- to inspire his art, he primarily moment in time is each configu- tional, exposing people to new focused on using relativity, quanration; you only get to experience ways of looking at things, espe- tum physics or optics,” Fries said. it once, similar to our lives,” Fries cially (Salvador) Dali, who was n See DALI on PAGE 3
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essary for graduation, but may have limited availability in the fall and spring. On the university’s website for Summer@USF, students are able to sign up for “1,000+ courses” and many general education courses are featured to fulfill graduation requirements, such as the nine summer credit hours for state universities. In addition to offering more courses and increasing a student’s scheduling flexibility, DeLuca said summer can provide positives ranging from students using their off-campus apartments that are typically signed on a 12-month lease to utilizing campus facilities that would otherwise be underused in the summer. “Offering more classes in the summer, using those classrooms you might not be able to get a section of a certain course in the fall or the spring because it has such high demand, and using that facility in the summer is what we’re
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When Jozwiak was given the experimental medication, he was given hope. Given that a medication had worked for him in the past, he was clinging to the idea that this new medication could solve his problem. This was not the case, however. “Going through that experimental medication gave me hope, maybe I can use this as a crutch to play again,” Jozwiak recalled thinking. On the second evening, Jozwiak was administered the new medication. He vomited profusely as his body simultaneously rejected both the medication and his new hope. After a week in the hospital, hope was restored for Jozwiak. Doctors found a medication that put his heart back in rhythm and allowed him to begin working out with his teammates again after they returned from camp at Vero Beach in August. “For a while there, I was thinking I was going to be able to make a comeback,” Jozwiak said. “I was so close, and then in Week 6 I kicked back into
trying to do,” DeLuca said. To supplement more students taking more classes, Miller said more services and opportunities from Student Affairs would be needed. “One of the ways we are planning on doing that is through a dramatically expanded collection of internship possibilities,” Miller said. “We don’t want to slow down a student’s path to a degree, so if a student is taking an internship that is a 20-hour-a-week activity, they’d have to probably enroll in fewer courses: Summer is for that.” Miller also said some of these internship and job opportunities would be available on campus, as he hopes to work with various departments to increase services to students, including more dining options on campus and counseling services. The campus, he said, is “better with students on (it).” Though the financial sustainability of summer courses was previously in question with the university possibly dipping into cash reserves to
pay faculty members whose courses had low registration, DeLuca said the goal for summer is to increase to enough activity so that summer courses are self-supporting and generating enough revenue so the university can “reinvest additional revenue into summer programs.” “We’re going to grow in phases and bring everyone to the table as we discuss this — the students, the staff, the faculty, the academic departments and the academic service units,” DeLuca said. “We all have to be at the table together as we anticipate this growth. It’s not going to happen overnight.” In addition to Summer@ USF, DeLuca is working to create initiatives such as “Maymester” and “wintersessions.” While Maymester would begin the Monday following spring commencement ceremonies, wintersession would begin as soon as the fall semester ends and offer students the chance to take online courses over the holiday break. Both
would have a three-credit, or one course, cap per student and only offer classes in highest demand, usually general education courses. DeLuca said the courses would be “intense,” but provide more flexibility for students and keep them on track to graduate within four years. “Maymester is very popular around the country,” she said. “… It’s an opportunity to provide flexibility to the student so they can get that course they need and still have June and July to work or do an internship or fulfill other obligations.” Come August, DeLuca said students will receive a survey from Summer@USF to gauge which courses are in demand and for the university to receive feedback about their summer experience at USF. A full list of events for the First Fifty Days of Summer can be found at newstudent. usf.edu, and more information about Summer@USF and summer courses can be found at usf.edu/summer.
DALI
AFib. And right then, it was very dark. I had been kicked down and I was making my way back and I just got kicked down again and it was very challenging.” This final incident proved to be enough for Jozwiak. After meeting with coach Willie Taggart, his cardiologists and his family, he decided to proceed with heart surgery in one last attempt to play football again. “It was disappointing because we were counting on him to help our football team last year and then we had to use a freshman instead,” Taggart said. “That hurt us big time.” While the surgery presented the junior offensive lineman with a legitimate way to continue playing football, he nearly backed out before going under. “I’m laying there in preop thinking ‘Do I really want to do this? Is it worth it?’” Jozwiak said. “But, I had to do it, not only for football, but for my personal well-being.”
months during which he lost what he estimates to be at least 30 pounds of muscle. More difficult than losing his strength, he said, was sitting out the season and watching his teammates struggle. The Bulls only won two of their 12 games last season and an invested teammate such as Jozwiak struggled emotionally with watching his team lose. “I was feeling the same pain that they felt because I know how hard they worked, all of them,” Jozwiak said. “It was a weird role for me last year because I got an opportunity to sit back and watch and that’s strange as a player. I couldn’t do anything to help them. I would try to say something and keep them motivated, but it’s just different.” Jozwiak’s goal was to get back on the field with his teammates. He worked relentlessly in the weight room to get his muscle back. With his heart healed, his mental approach to football had changed. No longer would he take a single practice for granted because he said he now knew that everything could be taken from him in a mere moment. “My motivation was to put
the pads on and run out of the tunnel at Ray Jay,” Jozwiak said. “That’s a great feeling to run out with your brothers on the team and I never thought I would feel that again.” Not only does he have a renewed vigor in the weight room, his spirits in general are continually high. Taggart said he can usually be seen encouraging teammates in practice, or just sharing a friendly word in the locker room. “I have a completely different outlook on the game that is football,” Jozwiak said. “I would have given my left pinky just to practice last year, let alone play a game. Just being out there with my teammates and practicing is better than anything and it was hard to have that all taken away. You don’t know when your last play is going to be so I appreciate every day we come in and work.” Taggart agreed the mental change that Jozwiak has undergone is a drastic one. “He was down, and you can imagine how a kid would feel when he wasn’t sure if he could play football anymore,” he said. “But I think being around his teammates encouraged him. He’s awesome to be
around. You see him coming down the hallway now and he’s going to brighten someone’s day. He’s what you want in all of your student-athletes.” Not only did Jozwiak complete his turnaround, but said he is stronger than before and looks to be on track to start on the offensive line for the Bulls this season. Suffering from atrial fibrillation was difficult for Jozwiak and it forced him to experience some dark times. But from his journey, he has gained a fiery motivation that has pushed him to new heights. “Because I know it could be taken away from me, I have the motivation to push past what I normally wouldn’t,” Jozwiak said. “That motivation will always be with me because of what I went through.” He not only uses this motivation for himself, but gives it to the rest of the Bulls as well. “He trains hard and he holds his teammates accountable,” Taggart said. “He always reminds them that just like that, it can be gone. So he tells them not to take a day off and to push themselves to the fullest.”
Even after the successful surgery, Jozwiak’s road back to football wasn’t easy. The surgery sidelined him for three
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“I saw the opportunity to bring this form generation using math with the Dali art perspective together.” As for the future of PLASM, Fries and TeZ wish to continue showing audiences their work, as they have already done in the Netherlands and Montreal. Fries also said he would likely continue exploring the possibilities of algorithms with students at USF. Specifically, Fries would perhaps explore how these algorithms work with 3D printing. “It would be almost like the development would happen on each layer and be dropped onto the next layer,” Fries said. “So like building a building, but each of the floors have their own unique architecture.” White said she thinks bringing back PLASM next year is possible. “In the future, it would be fun to have in a formal event,” White said. “I think it would be great to do again.”
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Renewed USF paintball team aims for victory By Eric Kenny
C O R R E S P O N D E N T
The paintball team will hold tryouts early this fall. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE
Dodging marble-sized balls of paint flying through the air at 200 mph may be a hobby for some, but a competitive group of students has re-established a paintball team through USF Club Sports. “I think the team is doing really well since just starting back up,” said Russell Page, a senior studying mechanical engineering at USF. Sean Wodrich, a sophomore majoring in civil engineering who was recently named the USF Paintball Team’s president, is wasting no time in getting a team together in preparation for a tournament next month. Last semester, USF placed fifth out of 26 teams in the Central Florida Paintball Series (CFPS). As a recently re-established team, Wodrich said the tournament served as a huge
lift in confidence heading into the next competition. The team is scheduled to compete in the next CFPS event July 19-20. The outcome could be an early sign of the team’s readiness for the upcoming season, and Page said he is looking for a good start in the tournament in hopes of advancing to the later rounds. When the team begins the practice in the fall, it will travel to play other club teams within the state including Florida, Central Florida and Florida Atlantic. “The sport is a lot of fun and a challenge,” Page said. “Especially when playing schools like UCF who actually won nationals last year.” In order for the team to compete at full strength, it needs to field a full squad of players. To fill the necessary 10 slots on a tournament roster, the club will
host official tryouts sometime in the beginning of fall for new players. A $25 beginner’s setup fee is required to try out. As a club team, the Bulls have received no funding from the NCAA. Therefore, the USF Paintball Team has to survive on the help of sponsors. Aaron Vega, owner of Tiki’s Paintball Shop, coaches the paintball team since his shop is the main sponsor for the team. The shop provides equipment, paintballs and jerseys. The team is also in contact with a new potential sponsor, Ruthless Wear, which could help the team by providing additional equipment. Team practices, which usually include scrimmages and agility training, take place at West Coast Paintball in Palmetto, about 45 minutes from campus.
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“It had a really good reputation, it was young and I was fortunate enough to get my undergraduate education at a new school that had a lot of potential,” La Russa said. “It was just a really good experience.” Though La Russa was fortunate enough to go to college, his baseball career prevented him from living the typical college lifestyle. “Because I was playing baseball, I had no social interactions,” La Russa said. “I was either playing baseball, in class, or with my family so I wasn’t the typical student.”
He ended up playing at the professional level for 10 seasons, but never found true success as a player. In 1973, he realized that playing baseball couldn’t support a family so he began attending Florida State for a law degree. In 1978, he started managing in the minor leagues, and his path back to the MLB took shape. He quickly succeeded and became a manager with the Chicago White Sox in 1979. “Managing took over and I haven’t used my law degree,” La Russa said. “I have my license to practice law and I pay the dues every year.” La Russa made it back to USF last year for a fundraiser
and was impressed with the growth it made since he left. “It’s huge and it’s become very special,” La Russa said. “It had a lot of potential when I went and they have achieved all of that potential. It’s a wonderful school.” While USF had a lot of potential back in the 1960s, so did La Russa. He said his work ethic was the driving force in his success as a player and manager. Graduating from college while playing baseball taught him that hard work can get you anything you want and that is exactly what happened to La Russa in his managerial career.
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Don’t mistake hashtags for activism Yes, the FAFSA could be by the Boko Haram militants opposing education for women. Celebrities including Alicia Keys, Amy Poehler and Ellen DeGeneres took to social media donning somber faces and holding signs reading “#bringbackourgirls.” This recent incident illustrates the nature of Internet activism: everyone is now thinking about the issue, but few are willing to do more than post a sulking selfie and slap a hashtag on it. Hashtags are not the only form of slacktivism taking over the Internet. People can now retweet, reblog, share and like charities and causes they do nothing to support. However, it makes them appear as though they are informed, engaged and want all of their friends to know about global issues. Of course, hashtag activism may not be monetarily progressive for a movement, but it can have psychological benefits that can lead to world-changing action. Artist and writer An Xiao Mina recently explained at the Personal Democracy Forum, a conference about technology’s effect on politics, that this sort of activism is beneficial to building a stronger community and providing “emotional fuel.” Though it is possible this fuel can cause social change to occur over time and with enough exposure, Internet activism has been known to spread ignorance and incorrect information to the masses creating more harm than good.
For instance, a pivotal moment in the existence of slacktivism occurred in March 2012 with the release of a video titled, “Kony 2012,” created by Invisible Children, a social activism group that attempted to raise awareness of the acts of war criminal Joseph Kony against Ugandan children. Social media activists quickly took to the Internet to raise awareness for a cause they were blindly supporting. Days after the release of “Kony 2012,” Ugandan journalist Rosebell Kagumire stated on Al Jazeera’s “The Stream,” the video simplified the situation in Uganda, explaining the war was much more intricate than Kony and was initially more “about resources and about marginalization of people in northern Uganda.” Walking around town, one is likely to see faded red stickers urging “STOP KONY,” an antiquated emblem of ignorance, most likely adhered to a lamppost by someone whose efforts ended there. So when Rhimes asks Dartmouth graduates not to “be an a------,” she’s asking them to do more for the world — to commit time, efforts and resources to a cause that will be beneficial to the future. Those who have the ability to receive an education and hold opportunities for success need to support those who don’t.
only two questions long Isabelle Cavazos COLU M N I ST
Students who fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may spend less time worBrandon Shaik rying as they fill out the form in COLU M N I ST coming years. The beginning of every new In her Dartmouth College comyear comes with the unveiling of mencement address, television the FAFSA and many students realwriter and “Grey’s Anatomy” proize it is yet again time to fill out the ducer Shonda Rhimes had one 108-question application. In spite important message for the graduof the inherent hassle, it’s a necesating class of 2014: “Don’t be sary part of the love-hate relationan a------.” ship students have with a process Taking some time on the that can provide Pell grants of up podium to ask the graduates to to $5,730. meditate on the experiences they However, two senators have had during their time at Dartmouth introduced a bill that could draand to understand the privileges matically transform the FAFSA they have as graduates of an Ivy from the traditional one many League institution, Rhimes urged students know. the students to contribute to at Sen. Lamar Alexander of least one cause. Her advice was Tennessee and Sen. Michael accompanied by one stipulation: a Bennet of Colorado introduced a hashtag doesn’t count. plan to reduce the current appliIn the world of Twitter, cation down to two simple quesInstagram, and Facebook, the tions that could make FAFSA fit on hashtag has become a sacred a postcard. emblem of Internet pseudoIf the legislation passes, students activists, also known as “slackcould see a revamped application tivists,” with trending hashtags that only asks for their household such as #yesallwomen, #notallincome two years prior and their men, #takebackthenight, family size. As explained in an #bringbackourgirls, and the dated, article by the American Enterprise but infamous #kony2012. Institute, the “prior-prior” income Earlier this year, dozens of lets students apply earlier and Nigerian schoolgirls were kidBrandon Shaik is a senior know ahead of time the amount of napped in the middle of the night majoring in psychology. grant aid they’ll receive. While the application has the University of South Florida’s student newspaper since 1966 helped make college a reality for many students, it has been anyThe Oracle is published Monday through Thursday during the fall and spring semesters, and twice thing but concise. Streamlining the weekly, Monday and Thursday, during the summer. Editor in Chief: Alex Rosenthal ............................ oracleeditor@gmail.com application to ask the necessary The Oracle allocates one free issue to each student. minimum makes sense statistically Managing Editor: Mike Mallory ........................ oraclemeditor@gmail.com Additional copies are $.50 each and available at the and could help make the FAFSA Oracle office (SVC 0002). News Editor: Wesley Higgins ......................... oraclenewsteam@gmail.com more approachable for those who BY PHONE don’t complete it. Main . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-6242 Sports Editor: Vinnie Portell ........................ oraclesportseditor@gmail.com Such downsizing might call Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-5190 for skepticism and has already News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-1888 Lifestyle Editor: Courtney Combs .......... oraclelifestyleeditor@gmail.com Sports ................ 974-2842 received criticism for not solving Opinion Editor: Isabelle Cavazos ....................... oracleopinion@gmail.com Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-2398 the problem of college affordability Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-2620 and student debt. Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-6242 Copy Editor: Grace Hoyte However, a simpler application Website: usforacle.com makes it easier for students to have Facebook: facebook.com/usforacle Multimedia Editor: Adam Mathieu access to federal financial aid. Twitter: @USFOracle In a recent New York Times Graphic Arts Manager: Chelsea Stulen CORRECTIONS op-ed explaining their proposal, The Oracle will correct or clarify factual errors. Alexander and Bennet referenced Contact Editor in Chief Alex Rosenthal at 974-5190.
the Oracle
a study conducted by professors from the University of Michigan and Columbia University that showed most of the questions on the FAFSA don’t actually determine financial aid. The findings, obtained by professors Susan Dynarski and Judith Scott-Clayton and elaborated on in the New York Times’ Upshot section, revealed the differences in aid eligibility based on the longer FAFSA and one with fewer questions are quite small. For instance, 74 percent of students’ Pell grant aid wouldn’t change and 91 percent would see a change of fewer than $500. Of course, even what is considered a small change could mean having extra grant aid for a textbook. However, doing away with 90 percent of the questions would alter the average Pell grant by just $54 a year. While stripping the FAFSA results in some differences, it could make for a more accessible application for students to fill out. As discussed in the Upshot article, an experiment by H&R Block found a correlation between receiving help with filling out the application and an increase in college enrollment among low-income high school students. The conclusion, as the article explained, is that students should receive more assistance with the FAFSA or the application itself should be simplified. A shorter FAFSA would be a better deal for the approximately 22 million students submitting applications, which was the amount in the 2012-13 year according to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Such a drastic update to the lengthy form may be difficult to imagine. However, it’s one that can reduce the stress associated with the application and can soften the step toward federal aid many students need. Isabelle Cavazos is a junior majoring in English and Spanish.
Classifieds UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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http://www.usforacle.com/classifieds 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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A second chance in the game
Thor Jozwiak is ready to return to football after undergoing heart surgery last year. n
By Vinnie Portell S P O R T S
E D I T O R
As Thor Jozwiak laid in bed at Tampa General Hospital last June, he stared at the wall unable to sleep. Alone in his room he wondered if he would ever again be able to play the sport he loved. “I’m laying in that hospital bed thinking my career is done,” Jozwiak said. “It was scary, very scary.” The 6-foot-4-inch, 332-pound USF offensive lineman had discovered the previous winter that he suffered from a heart condition known as atrial fibrillation. The condition causes an irregular heartbeat that forces the heart to work harder than normal.
Jozwiak was originally prescribed a medication to keep his heartbeat under control. This worked for him for several months through spring practices, but when the summer heat rolled around, his heart started acting up again. “The second day of camp, the medicine just wasn’t working and I went down,” he said. “We were doing drills and my breathing got real heavy and my heart rate just skyrocketed. I blacked out for a second and just went down.” That incident resulted in Jozwiak staying in Tampa General Hospital for eight days while his team continued to prepare for the upcoming season. In the hospital, Jozwiak was put on several different medications to see if his condition could be remedied without surgery. At first, the doctors increased the dosage of his original medication. But this failed to make a difference and after two days they put him on an experimental medication.
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Thor Jozwiak trained for three months to gain the 30 pounds of muscle he lost from sitting out the 2013 season after heart surgery. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE
La Russa takes on new challenge with Diamondbacks By Vinnie Portell S P O R T S
Tony La Russa was hired as the Chief Baseball Officer by the Arizona Diamondbacks in May. PHOTO BY JENNIFER STEWART, ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
E D I T O R
In May, USF alumnus Tony La Russa was named Chief Baseball Officer for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he will oversee the attempted turnaround of a franchise with the current worst record in the MLB. La Russa, a first-ballot Baseball Hall of Famer due for induction on July 27 and three-time World Series champion, is hoping to apply the work ethic he developed at USF to achieve success with the Diamondbacks, just as he did in a 33-year managerial career. “You have to figure out what players you need in uniform and you need to get them to play the game correctly,” La Russa said in an interview with The Oracle. “It’s easy to
say, but it’s really hard to do.” Part of the reconstruction of the Diamondbacks involves drafting successful new players. They recently picked Lawrence Pardo, a former pitcher for the Bulls. “He’s got a chance to make it,” La Russa said. “He wouldn’t have been drafted if he didn’t have the talent and now he has the opportunity to make something out of it.” Turning around the Diamondbacks will not be easy, but the discipline and leadership skills he acquired at USF and in the major leagues could turn it into his next success story. La Russa won his first World Series as manager of the Oakland Athletics in 1989, the second of three consecutive World Series appearances with the Athletics. “It was a dream come true.
I’ve dreamed of it ever since I was a kid,” La Russa said. “It was worth every bit of hard work and adversity that I went through to get there.” He retired from managing in 2011 and had his jersey retired by the St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he won two World Series in 15 years as the coach. “After 33 years of managing in the major leagues, it was time to pass the baton and look for some other kind of responsibility in baseball,” La Russa said. “You always have to be honest with yourself and I knew the time had come.” It was a long journey to the Hall of Fame for La Russa, one that began 51 years ago as a professional baseball player who spent his free time going to college. Unlike Pardo, La Russa never played at USF.
The Kansas City Athletics signed La Russa in 1962 as a middle infielder when he was just 17 years old. During the fall and winter, La Russa attended USF to obtain a bachelor’s degree in industrial management. Playing baseball and attending college simultaneously was unheard of back then, but to La Russa, his education was important enough for him to spend the extra time to do both. “It was a commitment I made to baseball and education,” La Russa said. “I had to focus on my education in the winter, but the education I received was worth it.” Born and raised in Tampa, La Russa was drawn to USF because it was local to him and it was a new university on the rise.
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