The Oracle WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 I VOL. 52 NO. 38
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Cocco’s veto overturned
By Wesley Higgins N E W S
LI F E STYLE
The dead chase the living in 5k. Page 4
Montage
S PORTS Flowers now involved in QB battle. BACK
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Student Government (SG) Senate overwhelmingly overrode the student body president Jean Cocco’s veto Tuesday on whether the Judiciary and Ethics Committee (JEC) may issue a notification of non-compliance. A notification of non-compliance is issued when an SG member is found to be in violation of state or SG statutes by the JEC. The individual then has five business days to comply or face repercussions from SG Senate, such as suspension of funding or removal from office. The veto comes on the heels of Cocco’s censure, which resulted from a notice of non-compliance for his refusal to step down from the Local Fee Committee. Before the SG Senate passed the bill earlier this month, only the SG president, chief financial officer, attorney general, senate president and Senate Executive Committee could file notices. In the memorandum that vetoed JEC directly filing a noti-
n See VETO on PAGE 2
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Ron Paul to speak at USF By Brandon Shaik A S S T .
SG president Jean Cocco vetoed JEC’s ability to issue notifications of non-compliance because he said committee members may not have the appropriate qualifications or experience. ORACLE PHOTO / ADAM MATHIEU
Flags for Ebola
Bulls Against Ebola planted flags outside the USF Bookstore to represent the 4,922 deaths related to the 2014 Ebola epidemic. Visit crowdrise.com/bullsagainstebola to donate. ORACLE PHOTO / ADAM MATHIEU
N E W S
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Former Texas Congressman Ron Paul is scheduled to speak at USF on Nov. 19 in the Marshall Student Center Ballroom at 8 p.m. Paul, the third speaker for this semester’s University Lecture Series (ULS) sponsored by the Center for Student Involvement, will be sharing his views with students about the need for limited government and more personal liberties, addressing these topics with experiences from his 23-year background in politics. According to a press release from USF, “he’s expected to capture the attention of the audience by relating the occurrence of current national issues such as debt, privacy and freedom to the government’s neglect to follow the constitution.” Athena Bressack, Center for Student Involvement coordinator, said ULS was interested in selecting a speaker they felt would compliment election season. “This isn’t a book-signing tour or a campaign stop,” she said. “This is about getting young adults politically engaged.” Paul, whose lecture will cost $40,000, served as a member of Congress in the 1970s and early 1980s, relinquishing his seat in 1984 to focus on his medical practice. He returned to Congress in 1997 to represent the 14th district of Texas. Following a resignation from the Republican Party in 1987, Paul ran as a Libertarian in the 1988 presidential election, and returned to the Republican
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USF scientists develop natural brain supplement By Nataly Capote A S S T .
N E W S
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One of the most prevalent diseases in older adults is also one of the most disheartening; families of those stricken with Alzheimer’s disease know this better than anyone. With the average human lifespan getting increasingly longer, many more people reach the age of cognitive decline. During this decline, things such as the ability to process speed and motor cognition start to slip away. However, a group of scientists at USF have developed a supplement in the hopes of preventing cognitive decline in later years. The idea for the all-natural supplement Nutrastem Smart, a product of Natura Therapeutics Inc., came from Paula Bickford, a senior research career scientist at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital at USF, and Paul Sanberg, USF vice president of Research and Innovation. The supplement contains vitamin D and carnosine, as well as extracts of blue-
berries and green tea. The two researchers put their supplement to the test in a study conducted by Brent Small and funded by the USF Neuroscience Collaborative. “Even completely normal, highly functioning adults have slowing of how fast we can do something,” Bickford said. “Those were the kinds of measures that were done in (this) study.” While the idea came about a decade ago, the actual study began three years back, and focused on normally aging adults who took a before and after baseline cognitive performance test while on the supplement. “We really weren’t expecting to see a big effect, but what we did see was an effect on processing speed,” said Douglas Shytle, an associate professor of neuroscience involved in the project. “We thought that was fascinating.” While this lead to the development of Nutrastem Smart, Bickford said it’s difficult to perform this kind of study because cognitive decline is something that happens over a long peri-
od of time. This study was performed over two months. It’s also why, according to Dr. Jun Tan of USF Health’s Silver Child Development Center, a cure has yet to be developed for patients with Alzheimer’s. Tan especially felt the need to help after observing the behavior of elderly people in nursing homes. “Once they get in the nursing home, most people are just sitting there (doing nothing),” Tan said. “It’s sad, very sad. It (had) me thinking that we have to develop something to help them.” Tan also knew Mary Louise Silver, wife of Dr. Archie Silver, who founded the Silver Child Development Center at USF Health. Tan said that when he knew Mary, she could recall her romantic love story with her husband. When he followed up with her, she was entirely different. “She couldn’t remember your name; she’d forget after a couple minutes,” Tan said. “She couldn’t build new connections to finish the learning process. She couldn’t recognize anybody.” Tan also said there’s a 40
percent chance that patients over the age of 80 will develop Alzheimer’s. While Nutrastem Smart doesn’t serve as a cure for Alzheimer’s, it acts as a preventative supplement and Shytle even recommends it for college-age students. “I think it would be helpful for any population,” Shytle said. “All the ingredients are natural (and) have important benefits to maintain health. It’s a convenient means of getting extra dietary nutrition.” Other factors slowing risks for Alzheimer’s or even Dementia include proper diet and exercise. “The combo is definitely a benefit to aging people, to prevent or slow down Alzheimer’s,” said Tan. “We don’t have the magic pill yet.” Natural supplements, Shytle said, can also be much more beneficial than synthetic drugs, which can contain environmental toxins. Bickford, who also patented the product, believes that while Nutrastem might not have a huge impact on people already strug-
gling with the disease, it’s definitely something that can help those at risk. “This supplement isn’t designed to have benefits in that area, but it’s something that, if you can improve a little bit of function in some aspects of their behavior, then that carries over,” she said. Bickford and the others are hoping to get further funding for studies of mild cognitive impairment, though they first need to have it approved by the Institutional Review Board. Nutrastem Smart is now available at Publix and online, and other versions of the supplement, Nutrastem Active and Nutrastem Bone & Joint, are also available for purchase. While some cognitive impairment is natural, preserving as much of one’s memory as possible and helping slow the aging process are key components of Nutrastem Smart. The developers of Natura Therapeutics believe this homegrown USF method is just one way to better health.
VETO
ment for it. They’re not deciding anything.” While a notification of noncompliance is a warning without any immediate punishment, Shiflett said Cocco’s censure was proof that non-compliance notices can carry some weight. SG Senator Brandon Hartmann said allowing the JEC to file helps equalize the playing field, as currently there are more members from the executive branch able to file a notification than from the legislative. “The underlying issue is that (the legislative) is trying to increase our power over the executive,” he said. “The executive branch may seem a little threatened because it feels a little antiexecutive.” Hartmann further said SG should mirror the U.S. government, which prides itself on a system of checks and balances between the branches of government. In the veto memorandum, Cocco stated those traditionally able to file a notification are SG members with the experience and qualifications to have such a power. “If you’re a new senator and
you don’t get the training or experience, then you’re not qualified,” Cocco said in an interview with The Oracle. SG Senate President Pro Tempore Abdool Aziz said Cocco’s reasoning behind the veto wasn’t a legal concern that violates statues, but a personal issue. “It’s essentially saying that senators are stupid, that you don’t have the competency to be in a committee and make a judgment decision in JEC,” he said. In an interview with The Oracle, Cocco said he wanted to express that he felt many senators are qualified, but some don’t always have the proper training. SG Senator Chris Johnson said it should be put in perspective that most senators have less than two years of experience. “I would hesitate to say that an extra year of experience in the Senate makes you somehow more qualified to say whether someone is or is not following the rules,” he said. The vote to override the veto was 42-2-1 and the JEC has the power to issue a notification of non-compliance effective immediately.
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fication, Cocco stated the JEC should investigate grievances and then report to the SG Senate to provide a “balanced approach.” Senator Samuel Shiflett echoed this sentiment at Tuesday’s senate meeting. He said the power could allow a handful of senators the power of “judge, jury and executioner.” “The investigation should be in one place,” he said. “The decision should lie in another.” Senator Kristen Truong, chairwoman of JEC, said her committee takes the grievance process seriously and wouldn’t arbitrarily file notices against anyone. “There’s no one who is more knowledgeable than the actual committee,” she said. “We spend hours going through statutes and the constitution.” SG Senator Corey Ulloa said waiting to get an opinion from authorized parties needlessly prolonged the grievance process. “JEC is saying you did this wrong and fix it,” he said. “If they didn’t do anything wrong or it’s fixed, there’s no punish-
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PAUL
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Party the following year, running for presidency again in 2008 and 2012. Paul has written several bestselling books, most recently “The School Revolution: A New Answer for Our Broken Education System,” which he wrote with the intent of changing the way Americans think about the dysfunctional education system. Paul is following speakers Jane Goodall and Dustin Lance Black in this semester’s lecture series. The event is free and open to the public.
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Former Congressman Ron Paul was nicknamed “Dr. No” for opposing any legislation he saw as government overreach. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE
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LIFESTYLE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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ZOMBIE 5K GETS THE WALKING DEAD RUNNING By Brandon Shaik S T A F F
W R I T E R
The walking dead are putting a little pep in their step at this year’s 5k Zombie Run. A roughly three-mile “fun run,” the 5k places runners in the zombie-ridden trails of Lake Park with the objective of protecting their flag football belts — representative of their lives — and to make it out without becoming one of the living dead. Three years ago, Darren and Missy Dietsch took their passions and combined them to create the event, an attraction that began in Tampa and has since spread to include a night race in Sarasota and a run in Clearwater, both of which have attracted nearly 800 participants. “My wife is an avid runner — she’s been a runner for years — and she’s been involved in community service programs and I am a zombie and horror-movie buff,” Darren said. “Between the two of us, we were joking
around and I was like ‘I’m not going to run unless someone chases me,’ so we laughed and that’s how we came up with zombies.” Participants pay $45 to either run in the race, or take their place as a zombie, recruiting the living to join them during the event. “The zombies are placed in one of 10 - 15 zombie zones to chase the runners and pull their flags, which represent their life,” Darren said. Interestingly, The 5k is not just an event for the Halloween season. The race took place in Largo this April and Darren said they’re looking to go back next year. Aside from being a uniquely alluring event for runners and zombie enthusiasts alike, the 5k aims to support the local community by working with local charities. “We worked with Oneblood.org and we helped promote a blood drive and they collect blood donations on site, and in our last three runs, they’ve collected enough blood to save about 300 lives,” Darren said. Additionally, all of the
proceeds from any beer sales at the race will go to Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, a nonprofit organization that aims to provide environmental education and volunteer opportunities to promote environmental stewardship. Following the launch of the race three years ago, the Dietsches have seen what started out as a little joke turn into a community staple. “We’ve had a really strong response, not just from participants but from local businesses as well,” Darren said. “We’ve partnered with MOR-TV and done some contests with them, we’ve partnered with the local charities and have gotten a lot of support from the community.” Located on the corner of North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke Road, the 5k Zombie Run Tampa will take place Nov. 8 with an expected 800 - 1,000 participants. Registration for the race ends Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. Those interested can sign up online at the5kzombierun.com.
Anyone interested in running from or joining the living dead can sign up at www.the5kzombierun.com. PHOTOS SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE
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BOWL
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action in two games this season, completing one of four passes with two interceptions. Film study Taggart said he has decided to mix up the way the team watches film. Instead of watching the game film separately with offense and defense at different times, the team watched it as a whole. “Each guy had to get up and explain to his teammates what he did wrong and how he’s going to correct it,” Taggart said. “It was good because sometimes the offensive guy doesn’t see what the defensive guy does wrong or the defense doesn’t see the offense … it’s easy to put the blame on Mike White, but when the guys watched the film, they saw that it was a collective effort.” Tribute to the troops Saturday’s game against Houston is the Veterans and Military Appreciation Game. The Bulls will wear the same white helmets, but with American flag accents to pay tribute to men and women in uniform.
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“I have much respect for what (the armed forces) do,” junior offensive tackle Brynjar Gudmundsson said. “They are the true heroes and it’s an honor to put a helmet on like that and show our respect.” For Chandler, this game will hit close to home. “My uncle (Elijah), he risked his life. He’d tell me stories about some of the things that’d be going on over there. I’d be like, ‘wow, it’s a whole other world over there,’” Chandler said. “He goes over there and risks his life day in and day out to help this country — this nation — stay where we are and fight for our freedom. It’s amazing what he does and I appreciate him for it.” Chandler also has two sisters — one in the Army and one in the Navy — stationed in Tampa and Kentucky. Injury report Junior Sean Price, who suffered an ankle injury in USF’s loss to Cincinnati, was suited up for practice with the exception of cleats and is day to day, according to Taggart. Sophomore defensive back Johnny Ward is also day to day, dealing with an ankle injury.
ANTIGUA
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games a year wore Antigua down, mentally and physically, he played through the fatigue and a few injuries for the fans. “It’s difficult. A lot of it is mind over matter because your body is broken down, you’re tired and fatigued,” he said. “You don’t know if it’s a family’s first time seeing you, or if they’ve been to other games and they have a certain level of excellence they’re expecting as they bring their kids.” Antigua wasn’t one of the showmen — the players who do the trick shots. Instead, he played the competitive parts of the game and interacted with the crowd. “I was more of a supporting cast, I did a little bit of everything,” Antigua said. “Initially, my job was to come in and play the competitive part of the game. That was around four to five minutes a night – so the
rest of the time, I was enjoying the show like the rest of the fans. Then I realized, to be a bona fide Globetrotter, you have to get incorporated into the show aspect of it. So I started asking questions and started getting better.” Antigua’s favorite trick shots range from Matt “Showbiz” Jackson’s underhanded threequarter court shot to some of the high-flying dunks any one of the players would unleash. The most memorable dunk he saw was from teammate Michael Wilson in April of 2000. “Mike Wilson broke the world record at 12 feet,” Antigua said. “We were at Disney for training camp and he caught an alley-oop and dunked it on a 12-foot rim. I knew he was special, but he tried and tried and finally got it and it was really special to be a part of that.” During Antigua’s seven years with the Globetrotters, he played on every inhabited continent and met several celebrities. His
favorite trip was to South Africa to play for Nelson Mandela. “It was a great experience,” Antigua said. “We performed for him on his birthday. He had about three or four thousand kids from his children’s foundation that we performed for. Getting a chance to shake his hand and meet him face to face, you could get a sense of how special he was.” Antigua retired from the Globetrotters in 2002. He said he decided to leave the team because the rigorous lifestyle didn’t allow him enough time to be with his family. “I just thought it was time for me,” he said. “Recently, I had just gotten married and my daughter was born and I wanted to spend time with my family and start the next phase of my career.” Looking back, Antigua said he’s thankful he received that call from the Globetrotters because he doesn’t know where he would be without them.
Opinion
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How Ebola got sexy — or not
In a trendsetting culture such as ours, Halloween is the perfect time for those wishing to be both sexy and popculture savvy. The time has come to toss that sexy “Despicable Me” Minion costume from last year and find a fresh way to be sexy for the spookiest holiday of the year. The search for unique but provocative must go beyond sexy crayon or sexy pizza, as these are trite by comparison to this year’s sexy Ebola nurse costume. For those wanting to show off skin and some sense of being up-to-date on world affairs, Mashable and the blogo-
sphere have blown up recently with the latest in appalling Halloween costumes: sexy Ebola nurse. Nothing shouts topical Halloween like being suited up with an exposed sports bra, fingerless gloves and a bright yellow hazmat suit that is not exactly protecting one’s skin. The sexy Ebola nurse costume is sure to be a hit at parties. It’ll be hard not to steal the show when Spiderman and Jason Voorhees see a bright yellow hazmat-suited girl walking by. Then again, the seriousness of Ebola may not be the only reason people are pointing and looking. However, one should be advised that the night could end on a lonely note as the threat of Ebola is serious and people may not want to get too close. Still, some could find it worth the risk; after all, it’s not every day a sexy Ebola nurse walks by at a party. If Ebola is too serious a topic, but the need to offend with a hyper-sexualized costume remains, another option
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is Olaf from the hugely successful Disney film “Frozen.” Taking a recent and beloved children’s film and making it sexy could be the best — or more likely, the most horrific — gateway from childhood to adulthood. The Olaf costume consists of less snow and more skin with a white outfit essentially consisting of a leotard with buttons, thigh-highs, gloves and a carrot nose transform the wearer into a snowman. It may be hard to pass for a steamy snowman, but perhaps the general appreciation of “Frozen” will grant the costumed individual a pass. While pimping out an international epidemic and a character from Disney are vastly offensive, disgusting and vulgar, at the end of the night, Halloween serves as the only day of the year anyone can dress up in a costume with full First Amendment freedom, whether it be sexy, funny or scary. Adam Mathieu is a junior majoring in studio art.
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What you said Assistant multimedia editor Sebastian Contento asked students what is the best Halloween costume they have ever seen or worn.
“When I was little, I dressed up as a Furby.” — Krystal Victoria, a sophomore majoring in psychology
“I put on a costume once with a sign saying ‘Nudists on strike.’” Tess Puhak, a — sophomore majoring in computer engineering
“I saw a guy wearing a one night stand costume; he literally had a nightstand with him.” — Zach LeCome, a sophomore majoring in biomedical sciences
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“I once saw a large, rotund lady wearing a sign saying ‘lost dog.’ The funny thing was that she had a stuffed animal dog on the back of her butt.” — Robbie Fenton, a junior majoring in health sciences
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Football
Bulls not focused on bowl game By Jacob Hoag A S S T .
Senior nose tackle Todd Chandler said the Bulls aren’t focused on a potential bowl game. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
S P O R T S
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USF has fallen to a 3-5 record and the chances of achieving its pre-season goal of a bowl game appearance is fading, but the Bulls are still taking it game by game. “You can’t look at is as my last four games playing because then, panic sets in,” senior nose tackle Todd Chandler said. “This is my fifth season and I’ve seen what happens when panic sets in. As seniors, we’re stepping up and forcing that one-game-at-a-time mindset.” The Bulls must win three of their remaining four games to have a shot at a bowl game. These games are: Houston, SMU, Memphis and rival UCF. “That’s been one of our goals but we have to keep in mind how we’re going to get there,” coach Willie Taggart said. “We’re just not going to get
to a bowl game; it just doesn’t happen like that. We’ve got to take it one game at a time. We have to keep preaching that and not allow anybody to bring (bowl games) up when they’re around us because it really doesn’t matter right now. The only thing that matters is Houston.” Quarterback battle Taggart announced Monday he would reopen the quarterback battle heading into Saturday’s game against Houston. He said Tuesday that that battle will include all four quarterbacks, not just the two frontrunners of training camp, sophomore Mike White and junior Steven Bench. “We need some production, we need to score some points and we need to get going,” Taggart said. “I think competition brings the best out of everyone.” Taggart reiterated he is not
necessarily looking for the best player, rather the best competitor that “will not lose.” “I’m not looking for a guy to throw the ball or run the ball,” Taggart said. “I’m looking for the guy that’s going to do everything in his power to not let his football team lose, a guy that’s so competitive that no matter how tough it gets, he’s going to win the ballgame.” White and Bench lead the competition, but with Taggart’s “wide open” mindset, freshman Quinton Flowers is not out of the mix. “He’s come along,” Taggart said. “Does he know the offense as well as Steven and Mike? He doesn’t, but he knows it, he works at it and he’s getting better at it. Quinton is a really talented kid and we’ve got to get him the ball so we all can see how talented he is.” Flowers has seen game
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Men’s Basketball
Antigua has experience of a lifetime with Globetrotters By Vinnie Portell S P O R T S
E D I T O R
Coach Orlando Antigua had just graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in December of 1995 when he received a call from the Harlem Globetrotters. When they told him he was invited to try out for the team, he was taken aback. “I said ‘you sure you’ve got the right guy?’” Antigua said. “I wasn’t one of those flashy players, but I played hard and I was enthusiastic.” At the time, Antigua was excited for the opportunity, but he didn’t envision himself playing past the summer. “When I got done in December, they reached out and I thought I would do it for a couple of months to get me to the summertime to then get me
prepared for the (NBA) Summer League teams.” Antigua went to the tryout, which he said was no different than a tryout for a typical professional basketball team. They ran him through shooting drills, jumping, and ball handling, and he played 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 games against other players trying out. When he left the tryout, Antigua wasn’t sure he would get another call. “It was pretty competitive; I didn’t know if I made it,” Antigua said. “They asked me to come back to another practice and then the next day I was starting the next game in Pittsburgh where I had just recently graduated and played college ball, so it was really unique and I was happy to have that opportunity.” Even after making the team, Antigua had his mind set on trying to play basketball with the
NBA or in Europe, but as he spent time with the Globetrotters, he grew to enjoy the lifestyle. “I decided to stay because of the security of doing what we were doing with a great organization, the experience of being around great players and wanting to grow and become a part of that organization,” Antigua said. The most difficult challenge in the transition from playing at Pittsburg to being a Globetrotter was the strenuous schedule of the Globetrotters. “You practice every day, two hours before the game,” Antigua said. “You get about 45 minutes off before the game, then you’ve got the game. You’re traveling in the morning to the arenas. You get one day off a month and normally that day you’re traveling. It’s a pretty rigorous schedule.” While playing roughly 280
n See ANTIGUA on PAGE 5
Coach Orlando Antigua played with the Harlem Globetrotters for seven years after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 1995. ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU