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The Oracle

W E D N E S DAY, J U N E 2 7, 2 0 1 8 I VO L . 5 5 N O . 64

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U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I DA

Michael Kelly named Athletic Director

The former COO of the College Football Playoff will replace Mark Harlan to lead the Athletic Department.

By Sam Newlon S P O R T S

E D I T O R

At a meeting Monday in Downtown Tampa, the committee tasked with finding a new athletic director to replace Mark Harlan, who left USF for the same position at Utah, said it hoped to present a candidate to President Judy Genshaft later in the week.

Less than 24 hours later, USF announced the hire of Michael Kelly, its newest Vice President of Athletics.

While Kelly’s official title, vice president of athletics, is different than athletic director, USF spokesman, Adam Freeman, said the name does not change any

of the duties. Kelly will have all the responsibilities of an athletic director and he has plenty of experience to back it up.

“I am truly honored to return to the University of South Florida and Tampa Bay,” Kelly said in a press release. “I can’t wait to get started with our student-athletes, coaches, staff, Bulls fans, donors and alumni everywhere.”

Kelly was selected as the College Football Playoff ’s (CFP) Chief Operating Officer in Nov. 2012. He has held that position until now and will be leaving it to return to USF. “Michael’s ties to the Tampa Bay area make him a natural for this position,” Executive

Director of the CFP Bill Hancock said. “He has seen it all and done it all. He is an extraordinary people person and has earned the respect of everyone who works with him.

Of course, his creativity, work ethic and experience have been instrumental to the success of the College Football Playoff.”

Kelly has direct ties with USF Athletics. In 2001, he was hired by then-athletic director Paul Griffin before Lee Roy Selmon took over later that year. He was named USF’s associate athletic director for external affairs then and, according to a press release, specialized in development, ticket sales, corporate

n See KELLY on PAGE 7

Michael Kelly will officially be announced as the new VP of Athletics at a press conference on Friday. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/ GOUSFBULLS

Follett replaces Barnes & Noble as operators of on-campus bookstore The bookstore will close Thursday for four days as Follett takes over management and operations.

C H I E F

NEWS

A changing of the guard will take place on July 2, as the Barnes and Noble Bookstore’s 15-year contract with the USF Bookstore, will officially expire and Follett Higher Education Group will take its place.

As a result, the store will

temporarily close on June 28 while Follett prepares for its opening.

According to Howard Taylor, the group vice president for Follett, the company’s new contract with USF will last 10 years and includes a deal to invest $1.1 million in renovations to each of the five storefronts that the company will manage on USF’s campus.

New cybersecurity major introduces a specialized career path to students PAGE 3

“We have a commitment of over $1 million to all of the (USF) stores, so we will be splitting that up based on who needs it and when,” Taylor said. “Initially our goal is to just get transitioned, open and ready for Aug. 20, and everybody moving back. After we get in here, and up and running, we will start plans on future renovations.”

Nader Tabsh is more than a student, he exemplifies what Pride Month stands for PAGE 4

As far as what specifically will new paint and lighting fixtures. change from a visual perspective, Follett, however, is not stopping Taylor said that some of the initial the investments there. changes will be seen when Adidas Taylor said that an investment of begins its new contract of eight $50 million is being made companyyears, replacing Under Armour wide to improve online offerings, as the official outfitter for USF the company’s website and add new athletics. However, Follett will be technology. making additional changes after the “There are a couple of other start of the fall semester, including n See BOOKSTORE on PAGE 3

Private-owned businesses have the right of refusal, no matter the customer PAGE 6

SPORTS

I N

FOCAL POINTS

E D I T O R

OPINION

By Jesse Stokes

Former pitcher Andrew Perez: from high school drumline to professional baseball PAGE 8

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W E D N E S DAY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 8

The Oracle THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1966

Editor in Chief Jesse Stokes @JesseStokes813

Managing Editor Josh Fiallo @ByJoshFiallo

Associate Editor Samantha Moffett @bySamanthaMoffett

News Editor

Sam Newlon @newlon_sam

Multimedia Editor Chaveli Guzman @ChaveliGuzman

SECURITY

Continued from PAGE 3

Cybersecurity, a statewide agency housed on the USF Tampa campus, has been pushing to bring the state to the forefront of Cybersecurity through the military, government and other organizations in need of security analysts. “(The Florida Center For Cybersecurity) has been a major force behind the idea of moving the University of South Florida towards the edge of Cybersecurity in the state and in the nation,” Bishop said.

“Faculty in the department of computer science and engineering has really been components of this idea for many years, and it’s just now coming to fruition. I think there’s a deep understanding of the importance in this area.”

T H E O R AC L E

Staff Writers

Matthew Cutillo Alyssa Stewart

The Index

Graphic Artists

News.......................................................3 Focal Points.........................................4 Opinion..................................................6 Crossword............................................7 Sports....................................................8

Avery Dyen Jessica Thornton

Advertising Sales Kimberly Flores Skyler Nickols Katelyn Williams

The Oracle is published Monday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters, and once weekly, Wednesday, during the summer.

The Oracle allocates one free issue to each student. Additional copies are $.50 each and available at the Oracle office (SVC 0002).

Maria Ranoni @ByMariaRanoni

Sports Editor

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Contact Editor in Chief Jesse Stokes at 974-5190.

Many corporations, large and small are affected by Cybersecurity related crimes.

This year, over 87 million Facebook users had their personal data compromised, according to ABC News.

According to Chellappan, this shows the need of educated Cybersecurity analysts on every level.

“If you look at the Facebook privacy breach, they spoke extensively about how they aim to protect their user’s data so that things such as the privacy breach don’t happen again,” Chellappan said. “If Facebook has privacy problems in which people can exploit user’s data, it is even easier for a smaller company to be affected as well, and they will rightfully want to protect their data.”

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Staffer West Meadows Community Club seeking part-time college students that are selfmotivated, mature and assertive, to work at their clubhouse. Flexible hours.

Duties include - office and computer tasks, and pool attendant.

Email frontdesk@tpostcdd.com

NEWS

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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W E D N E S D AY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 8

College of Engineering to offer cybersecurity major in the fall

By Matthew Cutillo S T A F F

W R I T E R

As technology continues to grow and users submit more of their personal information online, the risks of that data becoming stolen rises as well.

To combat potential thieves, Cybersecurity analysts have become a major demand in the workforce.

The first undergraduate major of its kind at USF, Cybersecurity will be a fouryear bachelor’s degree program on campus available to students within the College of Engineering this fall.

Information security careers, such as Cybersecurity, are predicted to grow as much as 37 percent through 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median salary for analysts is more than $95,000.

Robert H. Bishop, Dean of the College of Engineering, said he was eager to bring a cybersecurity major to USF after hearing about these statistics.

“There’s a tremendous demand for it, not just in the area, but nationally and globally,” Bishop said. “These are really good, high paying jobs and the demand is very high.”

As the number of cyberattacks increase, industries are looking for recent graduates to help protect computer networks and systems, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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T H E O R AC L E

BOOKSTORE Continued from PAGE 1

things when we implement our systems, one of the things that we are going to be able to do is students can go on their phone and pull up their schedule and (their course materials) will all be arranged for them,” Taylor said. “All they have to do is put in their student I.D. and all of the books they need will be right at their fingertips.”

Taylor said the message of Follett is clear — providing choice.

“Our goal is to offer a new book, a used book, a digital book and a rental book,” Taylor said. “We want to have all four options available and that also brings four price options.”

With more book options comes The addition of the cybersecurity major will allow for a new prices that vary and are competitive, specialized focus for students in the College of Engineering. according to Taylor.

SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE “We do price match,” Taylor said.

“Ransomware” attacks, a type said. “These days, the human “We price match with Amazon and of cyberattack in which the side of cybersecurity is Barnes and Noble, so that is number victim must pay a ransom of becoming very important. How one. But, number two is that we are money to unlock their stolen can people themselves protect going to have choice. We have a information, has increased by from leaks? How can people 200,000-title rental library, so there 36% through the year 2017. keep their bank information is a good chance that if the book is “Industries need the talent, secure? There’s a lot of interest available here, it will be available as and they’ve been trying to coming from multiple areas of rental.” acquire talent in this area Cybersecurity and privacy.”

The on-campus bookstore is and we’d like to help,” Bishop According to Bishop, there’s more than just a place to purchase said. “There’s literally billions a very real human interaction textbooks, as many students use the of devices hooked up to the involved with the process. cafè in the store to study or grab a internet all over the world, “It’s a very broad subject bite to eat.

Cybersecurity is only going area, but really it has to do with In a message to The Oracle, to become a more critically human interaction of computers Dawn Rodriguez, the assistant important element.” and the internet,” Bishop said. treasurer for USF, said the coffee Sriram Chellappan, associate “Since cybersecurity is so broad, shop staple will remain. professor and Undergraduate there are requirements within Taylor added that a large Program Coordinator for the major to take courses outside component of the bookstore is Cybersecurity at the USF of the college of engineering. currently operated by student College of Engineering, said There’s many aspects to employees and that is expected to he’s looking forward to not cybersecurity including remain the same as well. just students understanding behavior and education and “There are 10-12 full-time the technological side of other elements. We really want employees, but all of the rest are Cybersecurity, but the human our students to get the full view going to be student employees,” side as well. of cybersecurity.”

Taylor said. “It will be up to 100 “Cybersecurity belongs in a The Florida Center For (student employees) for back to separate field because it has its school. For a store that is open seven n See SECURITY on PAGE 2 own challenges,” Chellappan days a week, we need to make sure

The on-campus bookstore will close for the extended weekend before opening under new management next week. ORACLE PHOTO/JESSE STOKES

that we have the staff to maintain that.”

According to Taylor, Follett is no stranger to Florida universities, as the acquisition of USF will set them at over 100 stores in the state of Florida alone.

Some of the in-state universities where Follett has contracts are FSU, UF, Florida Atlantic and Florida Gulf Coast, among others.

Taylor said that something different about Follett’s management of university bookstores is that they do not brand it under their own name, unlike Barnes and Noble has done. Instead, the focus is put on the university itself.

“We do not brand our stores,” Taylor said. “We have been in the business for 145 years, but we do not brand our stores, we take on the name of the university. We think the universities name is more important.

It’s the USF Bookstore.”

FOCAL POINTS

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

W E D N E S D AY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 8

T H E O R AC L E

Nader Tabsh: From suppressing his sexuality to living unapologetically

By Chaveli Guzman M U L T I M E D I A

E D I T O R

As president of USF’s LGBT PreHealth Alliance, a club dedicated to bringing together LGBT members who are pre-health students, Nader Tabsh is a prominent figure for the LGBT community on campus.

Growing up in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a country that oppresses all non-heterosexual behavior, Tabsh said reaching a point of pride and confidence in his sexuality came after countless lonely nights and hate-filled days in his homeland.

In the earliest hours of the morning in Dubai, UAE, 13-year-old Nader Tabsh would still be awake from the night before, regularly staying up as late as 3 a.m., he said.

He’d watch American youtubers and LGBT rights activists, such as Tyler Oakley, to feel a connection to somebody like himself. He would also watch music videos to memorize choreography, such as learning every move to Lady Gaga’s Born This Way’s music video.

To Tabsh, the nighttime was a time where he could comfortably express his identity of being gay — free of the judgement he regularly faced in his home country. In the UAE, all sexual relations that are not heterosexual are considered a crime, with punishments ranging from as simple as fines, to jail time, floggings, beatings, torture, death and even deportation for non-citizens.

“That time was really the introspection and self-discovery,” Tabsh said. “The internet was the tool for me to connect with the outside world that wasn’t the Arab or Muslim world, and learn about how gay people lived in countries where they were allowed to be gay (like America).”

For years, Tabsh said he was the only gay person he knew. At USF,

however, he’s now surrounded by 15-20 students in the Pre-Health Alliance alone, as well as hundreds more in other gay-friendly student clubs, which he actively participates in as well.

To him, when he came to USF in 2015, he was finally “in the real world” he always dreamed of.

At age 12, Tabsh said people in school would call him a girl. As a sixth-grader, with a “Justin Bieber” bowl cut and a high-pitched voice, he didn’t understand the reasoning behind peoples’ constant mockery.

As years passed, he said, the ridicule only grew worse.

“There were times when I felt like I was completely alone,” Tabsh said.

“I only had myself and I would cry to myself at night and pray to Allah to take away my homosexuality — but it never happened.

“Years go by and ‘girl’ becomes ‘gay,’ and ‘gay’ becomes ‘f*****,’ which becomes ‘disgusting’ — just words no one ever wants to be called. I was shoved, I was spat on, but I had good friends.”

Now, as president of the LGBT Pre-Health Alliance, Tabsh openly shares his story with members of his organization and others on campus.

On Saturday, he walked the streets of Downtown St. Petersburg for the city’s annual Pride Parade, openly displaying his true self for all to see.

Just five years ago, however, he couldn’t even be himself in his own home, he said, especially around his father. One day, however, Tabsh’s father would become aware of the secret his son hid from him for so long.

Before Tabsh’s father took his girlfriend to a concert, the girlfriend noticed a printed rainbow flag hanging from his closet, so she asked Tabsh what the flag stood for.

Tabsh discussed the meaning of homosexuality and his political views on the matter to the girlfriend, but

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never revealed his sexual orientation to her. She agreed with Tabsh’s views on accepting everybody and then went on to the concert with Tabsh’s father.

Following the concert, Tabsh said his father returned enraged after learning about his sons’ rainbow flag.

Tabsh said his father demanded to know how he could support something his Islamic faith rejected.

When Tabsh finally admitted to his father about being gay, the night proceeded in a argument full of tears and weeping, according to Tabsh.

Tabsh was crushed.

To Tabsh’s surprise, however, the following morning, his father told him that he would accept him as he is.

He even supported Tabsh’s ambitions to come to the U.S. to pursue a career in medicine.

Now entering his senior year, Tabsh’s goal in the States is to aid other students who are still going through struggles themselves — especially those looking to enter the medical field like he is.

In Tabsh’s eyes, the LGBT community is often overlooked in medicine, both as doctors and as patients.

“Our role is to create awareness, make people understand that we are here, that we are people, we are visible and we are also aspiring to do something with our lives,” Tabsh said. “We aren’t just screaming about our sexualities. But most importantly that we are here and we want to be doctors.”

As a leader of the organization, Tabsh said he tells his story to inspire anyone else who may be going through similar experiences and to, most importantly, demonstrate how they are not alone.

Yameen Khalifa, a longtime friend of Tabsh and ally of the LGBT community, who knew him in Dubai, is now the Education Chair of LGBT Pre-Health Alliance.

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Nader Tabsh is a student leader and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. ORACLE PHOTO/CHAVELI GUZMAN “He is really trying to fill the club with love, acceptance and great energy, so we as club members, all together can go out and help the community,” Khalifa said. “Nader (Tabsh) is a great person and I’m so excited to see what’s to come this upcoming year.”

Through the struggles that Tabsh faced, the month of June, Pride Month, takes on a deeper meaning for him. He said it not only accounts for the abundance of things that he has overcome, but more importantly demonstrates the bright future that

lies ahead of him.

“It’s really us lifting up our rainbow flag for others to see,” Tabsh said. “For others that are closeted right here, to see that it’s OK and know that when it’s their time, they can come out.

“The power in living unapologetically is that you get to meet yourself for the first time. You begin finally being able to do what you want to do without thinking twice.”

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T H E O R AC L E

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OPINION UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

W E D N E S D AY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 8

Business owners have the right to deny service

By Aida Vazquez-Soto C O R R E S P O N D E N T

This week, outrage emerged over reports that White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave the Red Hen restaurant in Virginia over her political affiliations. The Red Hen’s owner Stephanie Wilkinson stood by her decision to refuse service.

Speaking in an interview with the Washington Post, Wilkinson cited Sanders’ work for an “inhumane and unethical” administration as well as the concerns of the eatery’s employees. The Red Hen’s decision to ask Sanders to leave was fair. The Red Hen, along with any business or service, should have the freedom to choose what customers they associate with, without compromising their values or principles.

The Red Hen is entirely free to refuse service to Sanders. The case is a classic example of freedom of association. People and businesses should be free to choose the customers and ideas that they serve and promote. While some districts and cities choose to have expansive discrimination protections, it goes without saying that these protections put people’s ability to defend their principles at risk.

Businesses are allowed to be selective with their service. In the case of the Red Hen, the selectivity was based on the political message that serving Sanders would send.

Serving Sanders that night represented the staff’s uncomfortable tolerance toward President Donald Trump, one they were not ready to show.

This question of free speech

and tolerance was the question the Supreme Court chose to ignore in their Masterpiece Cakeshop v.

Colorado Civil Rights Commission decision. In the case, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, Jack Phillips, chose to refuse service to a gay couple that was requesting a cake for their wedding. He refused service and said baking the cake would compromise his religious beliefs regarding marriage.

When weighing the first amendment against protection from discrimination, the court wrote that states should create fair and neutral processes to ensure protected classes and business owners their due process right. However, the court could not establish whether freedom of speech or freedom from discrimination were more important.

Ultimately, the court ruled that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had been unfair in its treatment of Masterpiece Cakeshop, contrasting Masterpiece’s treatment to other Colorado bakers who refused to bake anti-gay messages and prevailed. Many celebrated the decision on the grounds that the court had decided against infringing on the First Amendment, but many mourned what they saw as a renewed pass to discriminate.

During the oral arguments for the Masterpiece case, Masterpiece lawyers used the anecdote of a bakery owned by a black family being approached by a member of the KKK, where a cake for a Klan celebration was requested.

Few people would disagree that the black family would be within their rights to refuse baking the cake. It is

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T H E O R AC L E

Single-use plastics are killing our environment

By Olivia Weber C O R R E S P O N D E N T

Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave a restaurant because of her political affiliation. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

a question of principle.

Business owners should not have to compromise their sincerely held beliefs, whether it is an objection to a policy or a religious belief, just because they are an establishment that is open to the public. The Red Hen’s decision to choose between who they would and would not serve was an exercise of free speech, and a decision to maintain the integrity of their principles.

Discrimination of any kind — political, racial or sexual — is reprehensible, but that does not mean we should force business owners to service people or events that they disagree with. Sanders can go to another restaurant and gay couples looking for wedding cakes can look for another bakery.

What is good for the goose is good for the gander, or in this case, the Red Hen and Masterpiece Cakeshop.

We may not like to acknowledge it, but human behavior deeply affects our planet, even the use of seemingly insignificant objects like plastic straws. They might seem like a small everyday item to us but, they are in fact a detriment to mother nature. It is our responsibility to care for our home. By stopping the simple act of using plastic straws, we can do just that.

On average, the U.S. alone uses about 500 million plastic straws per day, according to getgreennow. com. The straws that we use for just a few sips are then thrown away and begin polluting our earth, specifically our oceans.

According to getgreennow.com, plastic straws are the 11th most common type of ocean trash. This small item has slowly become a large problem. The site also says that every year, about one million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals die due to ingesting plastic.

Another major issue with the use of straws are that in most facilities they cannot be recycled.

They simply are too small for many facilities to process, thus leaving them to occupy our landfills. Once they are in the landfills, they take up to 200 years to degrade. The practice of using plastic straws needs to end now, so that they do not continue to harm our planet for centuries to come.

Some countries have started taking a stand by banning single use plastics. The most notable change came recently when the

U.K. became the very first country to ban plastic straws. According to Buzzfeed News, Prime Minister Theresa May said that this is the first step for the country to become free of all plastic waste by 2042.

To go along with this new ban, McDonald’s is introducing paper straws in their U.K. and Ireland locations. Soon after, it was announced that it will begin to test plastic straw alternatives in many countries, including the U.S. Other companies are following this initiative as well. SeaWorld, Ikea and Royal Caribbean have all vowed to stop their use of not only plastic straws, but plastic bags as well.

Most single use plastics are not necessary and can easily be done away with. It is up to businesses to take action now and stop distributing plastic straws to their consumers.

On the individual level, people can do their part by eliminating plastic straws in everyday life.

If a straw is truly necessary, try switching to biodegradable paper or reusable metal straws. From there, advocating for less straw use in restaurants and demanding they switch to a straw on request policy is a reasonable next step.

By every American stopping their use of plastic straws, millions of these ocean-pollutants can be eliminated. Consider this to be the first step in the process of repairing our planet and healing our wildlife.

W E D N E S DAY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 8

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T H E O R AC L E

PEREZ

KELLY

player he is today.

“They welcomed me with open arms,” he said. “They helped me take in the right protein and taught me not to do damage to my body whether it’s going out or drinking. I appreciate what they’ve done for me to this day.”

Perez set goals for his return to USF: to lead by example and become a better pitcher, but he found a new challenge ahead of him — both of his grandmothers, Andrew Perez is a former USF pitcher and now plays for Ana Rosa and Catalina Perez, the Chicago White Sox franchise. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/ passed away about two months GOUSFBULLS apart right before his sophomore with a 2.72 ERA. winner.” season.

Paciencia y Fe. Perez now pitches for the Great “I had never dealt with death,” Perez wasn’t just a dominant Falls Voyagers, a team in the Perez said. “But I saw how the relief pitcher for USF, he was Chicago White Sox organization. little things people do lead to a leader among his teammates. He earned his first professional bigger things down the road.”

Selected as the captain of the victory after being called into a Perez lived with Ana Rosa for pitching squad, Perez consistently bases-loaded two-out situation. about 20 years. He used to keep helped younger players.

He struck out the batter, then to himself before she passed “A lot of the time, I would push posted a 1-2-3 inning after that, away, but said that she taught the younger guys in practices sealing his team’s win. him to be a genuine person and and workouts,” Perez said.

Before he took the mound to help others. He took what she “Sometimes, they’d even push though, he drew “AR” and taught to heart and carried that me. When it came to making “CP” in the dirt for both of his mindset with him to USF. the right decisions off the field, grandmothers.

When he came back to USF, I’d always tell them ‘If this is Mohl said that’s the same Perez’s work over the summer what you want to be, you can’t be thing he would do for USF. showed. putting bad stuff in your body, His newest glove will have “The following year he was you can’t be eating like crap. If “Paciencia y Fe” stitched into just a man amongst boys,” Mohl you really want to do this at a the side. Perez said he is ready said. “He really just started taking high level, you have to have the for his journey to MLB. He said care of himself, getting himself mentality to do the right things.’” he sometimes thinks back to the into shape and that’s been the In the background, Perez was time he was cut from his high biggest difference for him.” constantly getting motivation school team as a freshman.

Perez started to get out of his from his own family members “At the time I was pretty self-described comfort zone in — sometimes in the form of disappointed in myself,” Perez terms of working out. He started tough love. He pinpointed a said. “At that point in school, listening to different workout text message his sister, Ashley, most guys either choose to quit strategies and reading different sent him after a mediocre baseball or stick with it. I chose ideas on how to best train. performance. to stick with it.”

Some of that work ethic came “With 2 walks that’s like being Paciencia y Fe. from his experience on the the 40th person to make it to drumline in high school. Perez space and no one cares about said there were band practices that person,” she texted him. “No where they were playing from 9 one is going to learn about that a.m. to 9 p.m. in the summertime person. That’s a loser. Focus or on concrete. just be another student athlete All that work paid off. Perez that gets a degree and that’s it. finished his sophomore season Winners write history. I need a

sponsorships, marketing, broadcasting and licensing.

Kelly also helped USF Football transition to Division 1-A. He led fundraising efforts for a new athletic center — a task that will be on his agenda with his current position.

In addition to helping USF break into NCAA Football’s top tier, Kelly has plenty of experience in the Tampa Bay Area. According to the press release, he is the only person ever to serve as lead local executive for three different Super Bowls in as many communities.

He was the president of the Super Bowl host committees in Tampa Bay (Super Bowl XXXV), Jacksonville (Super Bowl XXXIX) and South Florida (Super Bowl XLI). He also helped organize the 1999 Men’s Basketball Final Four games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

Kelly served as a senior associate commissioner of the ACC from 2007-2012 where he oversaw football, broadcasting and communications before working with the CFP. The announcement was met with delight from people within USF Athletics as well as members of the Tampa community.

“Great guy,” tweeted Tampa

Continued from PAGE 8

Continued from PAGE 1

Mayor Bob Buckhorn. “Product of Tampa. Welcome home Michael.”

USF baseball coach Billy Mohl also shared his enthusiasm over Twitter: “Great day to be a bull!

Welcome back @MKellyCFP Looking forward to working with you! #GoBulls” Rob Higgins, who was initially thought by many to be a top candidate for the position, called USF’s decision “the perfect hire,” in a tweet. Kelly also received some national recognition from ESPN’s College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit.

Details on Kelly’s contract with USF were not made available to The Oracle on Tuesday evening. USF will officially introduce Kelly at a news conference Friday.

“Michael Kelly is the perfect person to take USF Athletics to the next level in every way,” search committee leader Bill Sutton said in the release.

“During the search process, I’ve been impressed by his knowledge of the university, our communities and his clear desire to be selected for this role. Combined with Michael’s extraordinary experience and the relationships he’s built across the country, he’s exactly who we need to position USF Athletics for future success.”

Sports

8

‘Paciencia y Fe’ UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

Baseball

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W E D N E S D AY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 8

Former Bulls’ pitcher Andrew Perez has used a simple saying as his source of inspiration throughout his career.

By Sam Newlon S P O R T S

E D I T O R

Andrew Perez wasn’t always a closer for USF baseball — he didn’t even make the junior varsity team at Orlando’s Timber Creek High School his freshman year.

Instead, he spent the year on the drum line with his sister.

Perez would take home snare drums and practice alone in his family’s garage. He’d do the same with drum pads in his bathroom at home. He would sit on the floor and practice on his own, privately improving himself.

As time went on, the goal of Perez’s practice changed from percussion to pitching, but his work ethic stayed the same. His laser-focus came from his family, especially three words his late grandmother, Ana Rosa, who told him — “Paciencia y Fe,” which translates to “Patience and Faith.”

He writes her slogan on the inside of each of his baseball hats.

“He went from a drum major in high school who barely played baseball to being an eighth round selection by the Chicago White Sox,” coach Billy Mohl said. “That doesn’t just happen overnight and that’s a testament to his work ethic.”

Perez’s drive came in the form of self-discipline and self-motivation. Now, he is a professional baseball player.

“You never had to hold his hand through anything,” Mohl said. “He’s very rare in terms

of commitment that he has to improving himself. He is the hardest working pitcher I’ve ever had.”

Perez tried out for his high school baseball team his freshman year, but was cut after the final day of tryouts. He tried out for both pitcher and first base and felt that he performed well even though he didn’t make the team. Obviously, he was disappointed, but he didn’t quit.

He played with a travel team linked with the high school.

Perez said he played a lot of games in front of his future high school coach. When tryouts came along the following year; his arm strength got him called straight up to varsity.

In his first start for Timber Creek, Perez pitched a completegame, 2-hit shutout.

Paciencia y Fe. It took more than a year, but for the time being, Perez’s patience and faith paid off as he became the top pitcher for his high school before committing to USF. Perez was already committed to the team when Mohl took charge of the pitching staff. After watching him pitch, Mohl signed off on Perez to join the team.

Before finding his role as a reliever, Perez joined USF as a starting pitcher. His first start came Mar. 1, 2016 against Bethune-Cookman. He found himself in a familiar situation after the game.

“I was staring at the bus seat in front of me just disappointed

Andrew Perez. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/GOUSFBULLS

because I knew I kind of threw the game away,” Perez said. “It was like in high school where I could either quit or fix it.”

Perez gave up two hits, walked five batters and allowed six earned runs in the first inning before getting pulled from the game. The Bulls were in a 6-0 deficit from the very beginning.

“I think that was kind of an eye-opener for him,” Mohl said. “His freshman year wasn’t very good, but then over the summer, his body transformed.

He put a lot of effort into lifting and everything else. If you ask anybody on our team, that guy loves to squat more than anybody I’ve ever seen.”

The summer after his freshman year, Perez played in the Northwoods League for the La Crosse Loggers. He stayed in Wisconsin with the Boland family, who housed Perez while he played. Perez said they helped him start his journey to the

n See PEREZ on PAGE 7

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T H E O R AC L E

Commentary

Shane McClanahan should take the money and run

By Brian Hattab

C O R R E S P O N D E N T

Here are some words of advice for Shane McClanahan: do not stay in school. Leave now and never look back.

The Bulls’ former — actually, possibly still current ace — has yet to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays after being selected with the 31st overall pick in this month’s MLB Draft. Not much has come out from either side since, as McClanahan is the only unsigned Rays draft pick from the first 10 rounds.

McClanahan and the Rays have until July 6 to come to an agreement.

After that, the Rays would lose the lefty’s major league rights and McClanahan likely would return to USF for his redshirt junior season.

USF officials told The Oracle on Monday that no decisions have been made.

What’s with the hold up?

It’s about money.

Tampa Bay has a little more than $2.4 million remaining in its signing bonus pool that it could give McClanahan. If the historicallythrifty Rays were to award McClanahan more than that amount, they would face a fine and potentially worse punishments depending on how far over its allotment the team went.

McClanahan is not likely to receive more than that amount.

He’d be lucky if the Rays even offer him that much as a signing bonus, considering his pick was valued at $2.2 million. It’s time to accept that — or something similar — and sign.

Entering the 2018 season, McClanahan was projected to be a top-10 pick in the draft, but he struggled with command during the season, finishing with a 5-6 record and a 3.42 ERA. He eventually fell to the first-round compensatory picks.

The No. 10 pick in this year’s draft, Travis Swaggerty, signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for $4.4 million.

Theoretically, McClanahan’s value

dropped by at least $2 million during USF’s season.

But $2.2 million is still a lot of money and there are no guarantees that a similar offer will find its way to McClanahan in 2019.

The potential downside of not signing now is not worth the risks associated with one more year of college ball. McClanahan already has a history of injury, missing the entire 2016 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Even without injury, the chances McClanahan does better next year are not guaranteed. There were 1,214 draft picks in 2018. Only 30 players were drafted higher than McClanahan. Of all people, McClanahan should know how unpredictable the MLB Draft can be.

In 2015, McClanahan was projected to be drafted in the first 10 to 15 rounds, according to a spotlight on McClanahan published before this year’s draft by The News-Press, which is based out of Fort Myers.

McClanahan was eventually drafted by the New York Mets in the 26th round. McClanahan’s decision was easy then – sign with USF, improve his game and hope to do better next time around.

There’s always room for further improvement. Rather than spending another year at USF, McClanahan should take the money that comes with signing to an MLB club.

The Rays aren’t realistically expecting McClanahan to be major league ready until toward the end of the 2020 season — and that’s in the most expedited of timelines. There’s plenty of time to work on mechanics in the minor leagues before he sees the bright lights of the majors.

McClanahan’s decision should be easy. In fact, it should have already happened by now. McClanahan should accept what the Rays are offering, sign on the dotted line and begin his career as a professional baseball player as soon as possible.