The Oracle
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w w w . u s f o r a c l e . c o m U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I DA
A new look for USF
USF System President Judy Genshaft announced a rebranding of the university during her Annual Fall Address Wednesday afternoon.
Potential changes ahead for Center for Victim Advocacy
By Jesse Stokes E D I T O R
The logo will officially take effect Oct. 14 during Homecoming week, according to USF System President Judy Genshaft. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING By Alyssa Stewart A S S I S T A N T
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It’s a new era of sorts for USF. And it has the logo to match. System President Judy Genshaft announced a change in branding for the university in front of a nearly-filled 700-seat Oval Theatre in the Marshall Student Center on Wednesday afternoon. Following USF’s newly-gained preeminence status, Genshaft unveiled the university’s new academic logo, which features a forest-green background and a lime-green bull that resembles the first bull in front of the Marshall Student Center. The logo also features the letters “USF” next to it, also in lime green. The new logo will officially take effect Oct. 14 during Homecoming week and will replace USF’s prior
logo, which featured “USF” in a blocklike font with the “University of South Florida” under it, in full by January. USF’s Communication and Marketing team designed three potential logos before reaching its final decision. Chief Marketing Executive Joe Hice said the new logo embodies elements from all three USF campuses. “The slashes in the chest represent the different campuses, the inspiration from the three university bulls and the fact that the “Bull U” is right in the design is such a good story that will draw people in and will get them to want to know more about the university,” Hice said. Genshaft said the rebranding is going to represent all of USF’s academic units and departments, while the traditional “U” with bullhorns remaining for USF athletics.
“Like any great organization, we now have a clear, consistent brand to guide us as we continue to evolve in the future,” Genshaft said. The consolidation plan to combine the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses made establishing one concise brand important, Genshaft said, to establish an identity. “Last year, it was my desire to see the university consolidate around one clear brand,” Genshaft said. “Now more than ever before it is time for us to tell our story the right way.” After the reveal of the new logo, Genshaft addressed the audience by exclaiming “don’t you love it,” in which the audience matched her positive energy. Within the past couple of months, USF has worked closely with SPARK
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The Center for Victim Advocacy provides survivors of abuse — such as, sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking — an on-campus resource to consult with professionals about what to do next. However, according to a group of concerned students and faculty, the center could soon face major and potentially questionable changes, though administration contends that any possible alterations will not impact the services provided to members of the campus community. Caroline Jackson, the president of the N.I.T.E. (Network. Improve. Transform. Inspire.) student organization — a group that advocates for student safety and health — said there’s a plan to change the role from “victim advocate” to “victim assistant,” something she, being a victim of abuse herself, is not comfortable with. “I am a student who credits the Center for Victim Advocacy for helping me get through my freshman year,” Jackson said. “I do not know If I would have continued classes without their services. I am a concerned student, just as an ally, and also someone who has seen the importance of The Center for Victim Advocacy.” According to Rita DeBate, the associate vice president of Health and Wellness, the exact changes that come with the difference in titles are not fully laid out and are a part of a larger and on-going conversation. According to Jackson, these changes were decided behind closed doors. Jackson added that the only way she and her peers were made aware of this change was from a posting on Indeed — a job listing website — which lists a position available for “Assistant Director - Victim Assistance and Violence Prevention.”
Michelle Hughes Miller, a member of the Women’s Status Committee and a faculty member of the Women’s and Gender Studies Department, echoed the points of Jackson and added that there is concern that victim cases may be outsourced to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, approximately four miles off campus. However, according to DeBate, no plans for such changes have officially been put into place and the ideas are still in the developmental stage. “Our ultimate goal is to reduce gender-based violence,” DeBate said. DeBate also said the conversations began after a number of administrative officials — including, a Title IX Investigator, the director of Student’s Rights and Responsibilities and the director of the Center for Victim Advocacy and Student Outreach and Support — left the university, which allowed for a time to review areas in need of improvement. As a result of this, DeBate said that she is working toward developing a “Coordinated Community Response Team,” which will be comprised of students, faculty and staff, to evaluate areas in need of improvement. This is something that Chris Ponticelli, the chair of the Women’s Status Committee, said is vital moving forward. “This has all taken place, these plans to revamp, in secret,” Ponticelli said. “Something that is that big of a change impacts, not just nearly 50,000 students, but also staff and faculty, because they can use (The Center for Victim Advocacy’s) resources too. To do that in secret, without calling on experts on campus who know about victim advocacy, about how students react to things, it is unconscionable.” Jackson echoed her points and added that she is hoping for more student input in the future. “The secrecy and the real
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T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 6 , 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
Maria Ranoni @ByMariaRanoni
Sports Editor Sam Newlon @newlon_sam
Multimedia Editor Chaveli Guzman @ChaveliGuzman
Opinion Editor
Aida Vazquez-Soto
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Staff Writers
Matthew Cutillo Alyssa Stewart Brian Hattab Paige Wisniewski
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NEWS
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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ADVOCACY First on-campus Continued from PAGE 1 sexual assault of swiftness about how this is being pushed through leaves a lot of semester reported room for vagueness,” Jackson said. By Josh Fiallo M A N A G I N G
E D I T O R
The USF Police Department (USFPD) received a report of a sexual battery Saturday that occurred in on-campus housing on Aug. 25. The incident allegedly occurred at the Holly C Apartment off of Maple Drive, a building only open to rent for USF students, according to police. Due to the nature of the case, no names were made available by USFPD. Police, however, said the wanted subject is known by the victim and that they are conducting an investigation. The incident is the first reported case of sexual assault on USF’s campus in the fall semester, according to USFPD records. This is a developing story. Stay with The Oracle for updates.
“We are worried that these changes are going to be made, students will realize after the fact and it will be too late to put our voices out there and advocate for ourselves.” For Miller, the students are her primary concern. She said that faculty members need to feel comfortable with what service they are referring their students to and the “lack of transparency” about what changes are expected makes that difficult, even after speaking with DeBate and Vice President of Student Affairs and Student Success Dr. Paul Dosal. “I do not think we can speak to (administration’s) motivation of secrecy,” Miller said. “What we can say is what the effect has been … Having the opportunity to finally talk to (DeBate and Dosal) about what the plan would be was amazing, but it was clear that the plan was pretty developed, so that again was pretty problematic.” Ponticelli went on to say that this issue should not be taken lightly by members of the administration. “If administration does not take
Even though students are concerned about how the quality of services will be affected, Rita DeBate, the associate vice president of Health and Wellness, said services will bot be impacted. ORACLE PHOTO/JESSE STOKES
it seriously that this is important to students, then they need to stop and look again,” she said. Dosal referred all questions to DeBate and said she was the appropriate party to outline the potential changes. DeBate assured, however, that the health and safety of the members of the campus community is the most important aspect of this conversation.
Chief Marketing Executive Joe Hice said the logo combines characteristics from all three USF campuses. ORACLE PHOTO/JESSE STOKES
SPEECH
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— which is a branding, social media and advertising agency — to put
finishing touches on the project. “We engaged with a premiere branding agency to work with our USF Systems Communications and Marketing office,” Genshaft said. “The team conducted
“We will never get rid of any resources that we currently have,” DeBate said. The USF Police Department (USFPD) received a report of a sexual battery Saturday that occurred in on-campus housing on Aug. 25. The incident allegedly occurred at the Holly C Apartment off of Maple Drive, a building only open to rent for USF students, according to police. Due to the nature of the case, no
namesweremadeavailablebyUSFPD. Police, however, said the wanted subject is known by the victim and that they are conducting an investigation. The incident is the first reported case of sexual assault on USF’s campus in the fall semester, according to USFPD records. This is a developing story. Stay with The Oracle for updates.
more than 1,200 interviews with university stakeholders to develop a brand story that articulates what makes us unique.” About three months ago, a Request for Proposal was conducted for SPARK. The USF Communications and Marketing team turned over all work that was done up to that point and invited SPARK to participate in the brand counsel and summit. Three focus groups were conducted, which included one where 14 students from the Summer Academic and Cultural Engagement Program, three graduate students and a faculty member to vote between three potential logo designs before the decision was made. Hice said the students preferred the proud Bull because it was a better representation
of USF instead of the initials. According to Hice, the big question that was asked is, “how do we get all the elements of this new era into one picture?” After the finished product, he said he believes that the goal was accomplished. “I am a little bit prejudice because my other big campaign was Gator Nation so I know the power that something like this can have,” Hice said. “I think USF has every reason to be proud of its achievements as much as the University of Florida.” Being in a “new league” as a preeminent university, Genshaft said the development of the new brand will make USF move faster, better and smarter than ever before. “It tells the world that we are not just talking about a new era, we are actively shaping one,” Genshaft said.
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FOOTBALL
SOCCER
in 2016. “(Georgia Tech) is basically Navy with athletes,” McGee said. “We’re going at it with the same approach.” Given that Georgia Tech’s run game is its bread-andbutter — and that the Yellow Jackets ran for 452 yards last weekend against Alcorn State — fans might be concerned with the number of rushing yards USF allowed last week. The Bulls let Elon rush for 194 yards on Saturday. Only two teams rushed for more yards in a single game against USF last season, Tulane (194) and Houston (255). Last week, USF’s game against Elon was shown on the online-only network ESPN3. This weekend, though, USF will be playing on national television on ABC and ESPN2. “They’re going to be satisfied,” McGee said about the national audience. “They’re going to see a hard, 11-player defense, everyone running to the ball and a fast defense. They’re going to be satisfied.” If McGee plays the way he did against Elon last Saturday, the satisfaction is sure to be mutual. McGee set a new career high with 11 tackles against the Phoenix. USF has won five of its last six games against Power-Five opponents — including two Birmingham Bowl victories against South Carolina and Texas Tech. The last time the Bulls lost to a Power Five opponent was Florida State, then ranked No. 13, in 2016.
takes on a leadership role for his team. At the end of the Bulls’ 2-1 loss to Creighton, players from both teams were close to a brawl. Devenish-Meares ran from his spot in goal and tore his teammates one-by-one away from the crowd, which could have prevented a benchclearing fight. “It has no place in the game, that sort of violence,” he said. “I think the boys were frustrated and you can see their passion. That’s definitely a good thing, but there’s other ways to go about doing it and when you’ve got players from both sides instigating, it’s bound to happen with young men. It has no place in the game, that’s why I broke it up.” Coach Bob Butehorn was quick to sing the praises of his keeper, but shared DevenishMeares’ viewpoint that it is time to win a match. “Harry (Devenish-Meares) has been phenomenal, he really has,” Butehorn said. “We need to get him some wins.” Butehorn said that he felt USF’s losses to Michigan State and Virginia Tech should have been wins, but he’s using each match to learn more about his team. “For me right now, it’s getting these guys to understand that it is a tough road that is worth the fight,” Butehorn said. “Nothing worthwhile in life isn’t hard, so they’ve got to understand to keep going and keep pushing.” The Bulls travel to play Ohio State on Friday in Columbus, O h i o. D eve n i s h - Me a re s , Butehorn and the Bulls have their eye on their first win. “At the end of the day, that’s our main objective — getting the win,” Devenish-Meares said.
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OPINION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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Florida should restore voting rights to non-violent felons
Non-violent felons deserve the right to vote after the completion of their sentencing. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE By Paige Wisniewski C O L U M N I S T
A staple in American democracy is the right to vote. Having a voice in the election of leaders and passing of laws is a powerful tool any American citizen should be able to exercise. However, the Sentencing Project, a non-profit organization aiming to promote reforms in sentencing and mass incarceration, reports that over 1.5 million Floridians are ineligible to participate in this process. The reason? This is the number of Floridians currently living with a felony conviction on their record. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, Florida is one of three states — alongside Iowa and Kentucky — to have one of the highest disenfranchisement rates in the U.S. by prohibiting any citizen with a felony conviction from voting. Florida can and should do better for almost 10 percent of its adult population it has rendered
voiceless. Fortunately, Florida will have that chance come this November. Amendment 4 — the Voting Restoration Amendment — will appear on the ballot for Florida’s 2018 midterm elections. Voting “yes” on this amendment will support the restoration of voting rights for people with prior felony convictions, with the exception of those convicted of murder or a sexual offense, once their sentence has been served. Many argue that a person who broke the law should not contribute to making laws for their fellow citizens. Once a felon has served their time and re-enters the public, they should be able to participate in the legislative conditions that still very much affect them. A felony conviction can already make it more difficult for a person to procure housing, employment or education, and yet they are still required to maintain such
provisions to be an active member of society. It is an injustice to require a person to function in a society that does not allow them to exercise their rights. Length of sentences are determined judicially in a court of law. By barring ex-felons the right to vote, the state is practically extending their punishment to a life sentence. While an imprisoned person technically belongs to the state, they should be able to live as a free person once they are released. This freedom includes voting rights. Currently, the law — which dates back to the Reconstruction era — disqualifies felons from voting unless an official request is approved by Florida legislative administrators. There are not any concrete standards or criteria the Florida Clemency Board follows. This board includes a group of government officials who assist in granting convicted felons relief from punishment and restoration of civil rights. It appears to be a lengthy and arbitrary process. According to National Public Radio, many applicants are waiting years for a hearing, only for a decision to be made based on the subjective discretion of a governing body. On the Nov. 6 ballot, Florida’s eligible voters should help the 1.5 million voiceless members of our community have a say in future elections. A criminal record does not exempt a person from having to operate as a law-abiding citizen upon the end of their sentence, so it should not exempt them from having a role in the democratic institutions they live under. Paige Wisniewski is a senior majoring in interdisciplinary social science.
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Voters must keep Washington out of Tallahassee By Aida Vazquez-Soto O P I N I O N
E D I T O R
Florida became the center of a referendum on national politics last week. The Trump-endorsed Ron DeSantis sailed into a sound victory over the Florida political establishment in Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam. More shocking still, the Democratic primary suffered a major upset as Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum narrowly defeated former Congresswoman Gwen Graham. Gillum was endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) three weeks ahead of Florida’s primary. Gillum and DeSantis were by far the most polarizing gubernatorial candidates within their parties. DeSantis relied heavily on an endorsement, took low swings at his competitor and avoided providing his positions to stay above criticism. Gillum pushed his party to the left while viciously attacking his opponents for lacking proper progressive credentials. They do not represent the vast majority of Floridians or their politics and Florida will suffer as a result. Florida is famous for being a purple state. Moderates, specifically NonParty Affiliated voters, represent over 25 percent of Florida’s electorate. These are voters who often feel alienated by hardline positions on either side. These same voters are now faced with ideological extremes they didn’t have a say in choosing thanks to Florida’s closed primary. When people feel alienated by candidates, they tend to stay home. In 2016, only 55% of eligible voters went to the polls; turnout hasn’t been so low since 1996. Communities and states suffer when people are edged out of the political process by poor choices. Gillum and DeSantis are toxic and negative candidates, characteristics that tend to alienate even partisan voters. DeSantis took several rude shots at Putnam’s immigration stances during their June primary debate, a move widely considered taboo in party politics given the uncertainty of the coming nomination.
Leslie Wimes, a Gillum supporter and Florida politics commentator, called primary opponent Gwen Graham “[a] skank,” a remark Gillum’s campaign was slow to dissociate from. Graham also slammed her opponent’s campaign for allowing The Collective, a progressive PAC with ties to Gillum’s campaign, to run negative ads portraying her as a conservative willing to abandon liberal values. In June, Pew Research reported that nearly seven in 10 Americans reported suffering from news fatigue. Negative campaigns, like Gillum’s and DeSantis’, will only aggravate this. Speaking to the candidates’ platforms, DeSantis and Gillum each have unique issues. Voters will be hard-pressed to find any Florida specific policy positions from DeSantis. His campaign notably dodged responding to any major voter guides or requests for policy positions. Perhaps most disrespectful, DeSantis’ campaign snubbed answering the Miami Herald voter guide leading up to the primary, in spite of an editorial endorsement from the Herald. His talking points focus on national issues and his mentions of Florida’s problems only come in the form of criticisms of other candidates positions. Gillum’s key positions, such as abolishing ICE, are fringe positions, unpopular even within the Democratic party. Less than half of Democrats believe the federal government should abolish ICE. His more ambitious projects, such as establishing Medicare-For-All and a $50,000 starting salary for teachers statewide, would stress Florida’s already tight budget or require huge tax hikes. His realistic options are angering voters with tax increases or fiscal insolvency. Florida is faced with a difficult choice this November 6th. The candidates are negative with their eyes turned away from Florida and its issues. It’s up to the voters to focus on electing the right people in their local offices, true representatives who can tip the scale away from Washington and back to Tallahassee.
FOCAL POINTS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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Behind the energy of Scott Tavlin
Scott Tavlin hopes to use his energy to his advantage on the pursuit toward his dream of becoming a radio personality. ORACLE PHOTO/CHAVELI GUZMAN By Chaveli Guzman M U L T I M E D I A
E D I T O R
On the radio station HOT 101.5’s Instagram stories or at their events, Scott Tavlin, nicknamed “Scotty the Body” by the station, is typically found performing a crazy dance move or doing anything to excite those around him. To everybody who knows him, that’s what Tavlin is known for. His energy. Aside of his promotions job at HOT 101.5, Tavlin has a long list of activities and organizations he’s been involved with at USF including serving as President of Sigma Nu Fraternity, running for student body vice president, being an orientation team leader (OTL), a Golden Brahman and serving as the emcee for various on-campus
events. However, what few know about Tavlin is his dream: Becoming a famous radio personality. While Tavlin strives to gain listeners from across the nation, the native of Hollywood, Florida’s main objective as an aspiring radio host is simple to use his energy and positive spirit to uplift the lives of others as they begin their day. “I want to have a show built on positivity,” Tavlin said. “I want people to be driving to work or walking around town and crack up to something I just said and not feel that they are just a part of ton of other listeners, but feel that it’s just me talking to them.” Alongside his childhood best friend, Logan Martin, who also ran for student body vice president
the year prior, he co-hosts a radio show on Bulls Radio called the “Scotty T & Logie Log Show,” which focuses on not only keeping students connected to campus life, but telling uplifting stories that make their day better. After knowing each other for over 12 years, Tavlin and Martin’s chemistry on air is apparent. “The energy that Scott brings to the table is contagious,” Martin said. “It’s kind of impossible for me not to bring that energy when he’s there because he’s already bringing it.” To Tavlin, when he is behind the microphone, he says he can’t feel happier or more like himself. Radio hasn’t always been his dream, however. Like many students, Tavlin changed his major many times
throughout his college career three times, to be exact, starting with physical therapy. Then came an unsuccessful period as a prephysical education major. Tavlin said he felt like he wasn’t following his passion. Then, as a junior working in the Office of Orientation, one of his co-workers advised him to consider pursuing a major in communication, so he could have the ability to inflict his positive energy onto others — his favorite thing to do. Drawn to the idea of being able to learn how to work with people in a better way, he declared his major for the last time to communication. While continuing to be actively involved with his many on-campus events, Tavlin noticed a low turnout for events that had a potential of being a memorable experience for many students. Tavlin believed the lack of attendance may have been because students only found out about events through newsletters on Canvas or emails that often got lost in the mix of many other messages. “Clubs and organizations constantly are having poor attendance to things because the information just is not getting out there,” Tavlin said. “So we thought: OK, let’s get people out here and have their stories told. Having people on air not only sharing what they are doing but why they are doing it is just amazing.” In pursuit of connecting more students to on-campus events, Tavlin and Martin began their radio show. What began as a medium to excite students for events at USF, shifted to Tavlin re-discovering his
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passion for radio a love that began when he was 16 years old. While other students may have spent their morning drive to school attempting to wake up with countless sips of coffee, Tavlin spent his drive listening to his favorite radio personality, Bobby Bones. “I heard him (Bobby Bones) in my little jeep,” Scott said. “It was so positive and fun. I became so invested that it got to the point that it became my little ritual every morning. Even in college, I listen to his podcast every day.” Because of the way radio impacted his own life, Tavlin wanted to have the same effect on others. “Logan and I would do the show every week,” Tavlin said. “That’s what we did all fall and spring. It became such a thrill. That’s when I realized that this [radio] was something I really wanted to do because I wanted to do this over anything else.” Anxious to delve more into the world of radio, Tavlin applied to be a part of the promotion team at Hot 101.5, one of Tampa’s most popular radio stations, to learn from some of Tampa’s most popular radio personalities, Miguel and Holly. Through working at 101.5 and having his own radio show on Bulls Radio, Tavlin’s dream of working in radio feels more attainable than ever before. “I want to motivate people and support people, make them laugh and share positive moments with people where they leave feeling better,” Tavlin said. “If I can spread that kind of positivity, where it’s making a difference in people’s lives, that will be my success.”
Sports
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Football
T H U R S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 8
By Brian Hattab S T A F F
W R I T E R
In college football, there are few guarantees. However, one thing USF football is guaranteed to see Saturday at noon is Georgia Tech’s triple-option rushing attack in Raymond James Stadium. The Bulls, however, feel ready, as they have prepared for the triple-option since the spring. “Any time you’re going against something as unique as the triple-option, you have to be able to start the process Kirk Livingstone (94) lifts Greg Reaves (4) into the air during warm- and game planning for it early,” defensive coordinator ups before USF’s 34-14 win over Elon last week. Brian Jean-Mary said. “We just ORACLE PHOTO/SAM NEWLON
Men’s Soccer
By Sam Newlon S P O R T S
T H E O R AC L E
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wanted to make sure we were familiar with some of the base formations.” While the Yellow Jackets posted a 5-6 record in 2017, finishing third in the ACC Coastal, they still rushed for 3,622 yards, thanks to their triple-option offense. Georgia Tech returns its toptwo rushers from last season, quarterback TaQuon Marshall and blocking back — which is similar to a fullback — KirVonte Benson, who each rushed for over 1,000 yards. “I think it’s definitely a challenge that we’re up for,” defensive end Greg Reaves said. “Our coaches are doing an excellent job going over our jobs, going over our tasks.
Basically just trying to put us in the right position to make plays, to feed off each other, to read off each other and feed off each other out there on Saturday.” The triple-option isn’t going to be anything new to USF defensive veterans — AACopponent Navy employs a similar offensive scheme. “Both are really great teams,” Reaves said. “It’s just really adjusting to the offense because it’s something that you don’t see every Saturday.” Linebacker Khalid McGee agreed, but added that Georgia Tech is slightly different than the Navy team USF beat 52-45
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Personal accolades are secondary for USF keeper Devenish-Meares
E D I T O R
USF has only scored one goal in four matches this season. The team, however, has yet to lose by more than two goals. Though every match has ended in defeat thus far, one player for the Bulls has especially kept the team competitive in each match, playing every minute this season. His name is Harrison Devenish-Meares—a Sydney, Australia, native, who, last week, also earned AAC honors as the goalkeeper of the week.
But the junior keeper doesn’t care about personal accolades — he’s just wants his team to earn a victory. “Personal accolades are great, but I just want to see this team win,” DevenishMeares said. “I couldn’t care less about a personal accolade right now, I just really want a win because I know this team is good enough to win the conference.” Devenish-Meares has 17 saves this season, which is right behind Temple’s keeper, Michael Samnik, who leads the AAC with 18 saves. Though a win has yet to
come their way, the Bulls came one step closer by finally converting a chance for their first goal of the season after forward Tomasz Skublak scored against No. 20 Creighton on Monday night. “Goals are why we play the sport,” Devenish-Meares said. “You could even feel it on the pitch. As soon as that goal went in, I think everyone believed that we’d get a second one. It’s just about that goal coming earlier and keeping other goals out. That’s how we’re going to get wins.” The veteran keeper also USF keeper Harrison Devenish-Meares prepares to block a penalty kick from
n See SOCCER on PAGE 4 No. 20 Creighton in the Bulls’ 2-1 loss Monday. ORACLE PHOTO/SAM NEWLON