The Oracle
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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
What happens after students vote
SG wants to charge students a fee to help fund an on-campus stadium. Students will vote next week, but it may not matter. By Maria Ranoni N E W S
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With a referendum that’ll ask students if they’re willing to pay $6 to $9 per-credit-hour fee to help finance an on-campus football stadium officially on next week’s midterm ballot, Student Government (SG) is left to weigh the options of what comes next after students vote. Even if the student votes on the referendum are overwhelmingly in favor, it will not automatically begin the process of adding an extra student fee. The goal of the referendum is to gather student feedback, which SG will Even if the referendum is approved, it doesn’t mean a student fee will be immediately imposed. SPECIAL then use to pitch the fee to the TO THE ORACLE Board of Trustees (BOT). “While the results of the get from the students, if it’s of approval which carries much binding,” Yousef Afifi, who is referendum are not legally overwhelmingly in favor of the more weight than any clause that spearheading the referendum, binding, the input that we can fee, that will give us a stamp says something is or isn’t legally told The Oracle last week.
Sen. Yusuf Fattah said that if voters do give this ‘stamp of approval,’ SG will start the process of attempting to add the fee. “We’re going to have everything on our side logistically done and then we can go to the BOT and (Board of Governors) BOG,” Fattah said. “We can go to everyone we need to in order to get that fee approved because at the end of the day, we’re not going to charge students this money if we don’t have a concrete plan.” To get the fee approved, it would have to first be approved by USF’s BOT, then the BOG, and finally by the current Florida Governor.
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SAFE Team approved for three new golf carts By Alyssa Stewart A S S I S T A N T
N E W S
E D I T O R
After an hour-long discussion in the Senate Chambers on Tuesday about an unallocated cash request from SAFE Team’s director, senators asked themselves: Does SAFE Team need an extra $19,548 added to its budget for three golf carts? It depends on who you ask.
The bill passed with 24 Senate members voting yes and four voting no. Not all senators attended the meeting. Some senators were split on the decision because of the large sum of money and others were in full support to secure student safety. It would cost $33,191 to purchase three new golf carts, according to Kaelyn Steele, the
director of SAFE Team who made the request. SAFE Team sold four of its older golf carts to other departments on campus for a total of $10,500 in order to save money for a better quality fleet, according to Steele. Steele said SAFE Team was able to reduce the funding request because of the Activity & Service (A&S) fees for the 2018-19 fiscal year — $4,250 — and the
sale of the four golf carts, which makes up $14,750. Therefore, Steele said she requested $18,441 plus the six percent overhead fee — $1,107 — which would make up the $19,548 SAFE Team requested from the Senate. Senators had issues with $19,548 requested to fund the three golf carts, including Sen. Laura Diaz. “This is not something I see as
a dire need — its a golf cart — we literally see them driving around parking lots racing,” Diaz said in the Senate meeting. “Are we funding the safety of students or are we funding people to play in the parking garages.” Steele said disciplinary actions and privileges are being revoked for anyone abusing SAFE Team equipment.
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The Oracle THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1966
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T H E O R AC L E
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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).
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NEWS
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
FEE
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Governor Rick Scott has historically been against any increases to student fees. In 2017, Scott proposed to cap student fees, extend the Bright Futures Scholarship to summer courses and rid of sales tax attached to textbooks, in an initiative he called, “Finish in Four, Save More.” “Florida students should have every opportunity to earn a degree in four years without graduating with mountains of debt,” Scott said in Jan. 2017. “While we have fought to make higher education more affordable by holding the line on undergraduate tuition, there is much more that can be done to help students.”
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According to Florida statute 1009.24, when adding a new fee that isn’t already allowed under the statute, the BOG must make certain considerations when assessing a proposal. Some of these include whether there is a demonstrable student-based need for the new fee that is not currently being met through existing university services, operations or another fee and whether the financial impact on students is warranted in light of other charges assessed to students for tuition and associated fees. Travis McCloskey, a member of the SG stadium task force, said before the fee proposal gets that far, the appropriate entities must develop a solid plan when it comes to the funding and construction of the stadium.
We’re not going to give up on a stadium.
However, Student Body President Moneer Kheireddine told The Oracle last week that it may be easier to get a student fee added depending on the new governor’s stance on tuition and fees. “With the election coming up, there will be someone new in office,” Kheireddine said. “No matter who it is, they can make a decision whether they want to stay with that same mentality, or they can change it. If they change it, that opens the door for new opportunities especially when it comes to trying to secure fee increases and trying to do more innovative stuff, especially on younger campuses in Florida.”
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Yusuf Fattah, Senator
“Hopefully, if they vote yes, a lot of partnerships will be formed,” McCloskey said. “We’re beginning talks with Athletics, Facilities Management, many different parts on campus. We would also kind of get the schematics going. So if it’s voted yes, the real building and planning part will really start to become full-fledged.” Fattah said if a majority of students vote no, SG will have to go back to the drawing boards to develop a new way to fund the potential stadium. “We’re not going to give up on a stadium,” Fattah said.
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T H E O R AC L E
The bill passed with 24 Senators voting yes and four voting no. ORACLE FILE PHOTO
CART
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Senators were stating the cost of the three golf carts is minor compared to the previous SG initiatives. This included the $63,000 allocated to the Discounts and Services Store and the $74,000 on-campus ambulance. Sen. Yousef Afifi was dismissive of that claim, saying it’s like comparing apples to oranges. There were seven new golf carts purchased in 2017, but Steele said in July SAFE Team decided to downsize their fleet from 17 to 13 golf carts since they were all not being used. She said that the all the golf carts were not being used because of the reduced size of the staff. Steele said golf carts typically last five years, but with the extensive wear and tear, SAFE Team recycles their golf carts every two to three years. She said SAFE Team currently has 10 golf carts, but the goal number is 13 to prepare for unexpected damages
to the golf carts such as a nail getting stuck in a tire. On a busy night, SAFE Team receives 250 calls and can have up to an hour wait times when students request rides. Currently, 40 employees are working for SAFE Team and on their busiest days — Monday through Wednesday — 20 people are working each night, according to Steele. The 10 golf carts are used each night for the same number of groups — two people per golf cart. SAFE Team also sold nine of the older golf carts — Carryall 100 and Yamaha — this past July to purchase Carryall 300 models. Steele is requesting Carryall 300 golf carts because of the greater weight carrying capacity to allow two SAFE Team employees and two students to ride the cart together. Steele said she had an experience on an older cart in which it flipped over with her on it because of its weak aluminum frame. Furthermore, the Carryall 300 model has a larger dash
frame for more protection for the front and a tighter turning radius for more mobility on campus. Even though the Yamaha carts are roughly $2,000 cheaper than Carryall golf carts, Steele said she would never purchase them even if she was told to by SG for safety purposes. With confusion about why SAFE Team sold seven golf carts and were requesting funding to purchase three more, Sen. Melanie Marshall defended the notion by stating “it is a downsize in the number but it is an increase in the quality.” With the new leadership, Steele said securing the funding for the golf carts will provide security for years to come. “Over the last two years that I have been working at SAFE Team we have completely updated our fleet,” Steele said. “I can’t speak for any of the years before me, because I don’t know, but I do know that after this year we will not need to many (golf carts) because we would have a restocked fleet.”
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FOOTBALL
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more time to recoup. We had some guys that had some knicks and bruises. Bye weeks always seem like they come right when you need them.” UMass redshirt senior quarterback Andrew Ford just came back from an injury himself. In his return last week, Ford had his best game of the season last, throwing for 355 yards and four touchdowns. Ford is not the Minutemen’s only quarterback, however. Redshirt senior Ross Comis is also listed as a quarterback on the UMass roster, though he has only attempted 39 passes in 2018. Comis reminded Jean-Mary of another quarterback who famously wore the same jersey number. “You can see him running around — he looks like Johnny Manziel with that No. 2 on,” Jean-Mary said. “I say that as
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a compliment. He gets on the perimeter and throws the ball on the run and does some really good things, so he’s a guy that really sticks out.” Someone who will not participate in this weekend’s game, though not due to injury, is UMass coach Mark Whipple. Whipple was suspended for a comment in a postgame radio interview that used the word “rape” to describe an official’s penalty call in his team’s loss last week to Ohio. The Bulls and Minutemen kickoff Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast locally on WTTA-Channel 38. WTTA is available over-the-air on channel 38, or on Spectrum channel 6 (HD 1006), Frontier channel 14 (HD 513), Xfinity channel 11 (HD 435) and channel 38 on DirecTV and Dish. WTTA is also available on USF’s residence hall televisions on channel 38.1.
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SOCCER
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“We didn’t really give up chances,” Schilte-Brown said. “When you’re on the losing end of a game and you didn’t really give up any chances, that can be a frustrating result.” In Philadelphia, USF had to deal with the artificial turf which, according to Schilte-Brown, was a “whole different animal.” The Bulls had to prepare to play on the turf in a tough environment. Returning to Tampa, however, the Bulls will try to play on their existing strengths to beat Cincinnati. “I think we’ll continue to build confidence in our ability to break teams down with possession because I think we’re very good at that,” Schilte-Brown said. “The tactics we used against Temple probably would not reflect the same tactics we would use against Cincinnati.” The Bulls’ main focus will be on set pieces in the final third on
Despite a successful season so far, the Bulls are .500 against conference opponents. They will look to improve against Cincinnati on Thursday. ORACLE PHOTO/SAM NEWLON
offense. They had nine corner kicks, but didn’t score on any against Temple. “I think that’ll be a key factor going into the next game because I feel like we have one of the more dangerous offensive teams in the country,” Schilte-Brown said. “So we’ll work hard in our final third and be dangerous on our set pieces to make the most of our chances.” For a team that has outscored its opponents this season 27-6, USF has had a seemingly easy time
winning. Its only other loss came in August against Auburn. The team’s loss against Temple might have served as a wake-up call for some players. “I love that at the end of the game [the players] were so heartbroken and disappointed and reflected on what happened because I know that they’re destined for more this season,” Schilte-Brown said. “I think they’re excited to get another game under their belt.”
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T H E O R AC L E
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OPINION
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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Political polarization is the issue of our time
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By Jesse Stokes E D I T O R
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T H E O R AC L E
What you said Multimedia Editor Chaveli Guzman asked students if they are in favor of paying a fee to fund an on-campus stadium.
C H I E F
Some consider it to be climate change. Others think it is immigration. A few even point to the battle for the legalization of marijuana. H o we ve r, political polarization is the single-most prevalent issue of our time. Merriam-Webster defines polarization as the “division between two opposites,” and Political polarization is a detriment to our republic and needs to that’s exactly the issue. come to an end. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE “Opposites.” We, as a nation, need to realize that our political be putting the majority of his think like us is not the answer. affiliation does not make us campaign focus on falling in Voting the party line is not opposites of one another. line with topics important to the answer. Some may think and vote the national Democratic Party. Political polarization is not conservatively and others Gillum is spreading a message the answer. liberal, but the fact of the of things like abolishing What is the answer when matter is we are all Americans. Immigration and Customs going to the ballot box in We are not “opposite.” In the Enforcement (ICE), because November, however, is voting end, we have more in common they sound good to the average your conscience. Put political than we have divisions. left-leaning voter, though, if parties aside and research into We all have an equal amount elected, his role as governor every single candidate and their of stake in the game. of Florida will have little to platforms, so that you can make According to the Pew do with the management or an educated decision. Research Center, as of 2014, abolishment of a federal agency. Voting the party line further 92 percent of Republicans Ron DeSantis (R) is more perpetuates the ongoing power are to the right of the median concerned with trying to be like struggle between right and Democrat and 94 percent of Trump and telling his children left that lead us to a politically Democrats are to the left of the bedtime stories of “building the polarized nation. median Republican. wall” in campaign commercials Those caught in the middle, In the era of President than he is reaching out to with little support and suffering Donald Trump, the distance centrist voters. from broken campaign promises between right and left is only Where is the middle ground — that’s America. going to grow further. candidate? Where is our levelAnd we deserve better. Take Florida’s current headed option for governor? gubernatorial race as a prime They are certainly not on the example of the far-left and far- ballot for either of the major Jesse Stokes is a junior majoring right indoctrinated mindsets. parties. in political science. Andrew Gillum (D) seems to Hating people who do not
“I would be fine with it. I think it would be good to have on campus ... just because it would give everyone a better college experience.” — Will Turner, a sophomore majoring in mass communication. “I think it’s something that is going to need to happen because the money isn’t going to come from another source and if it does, it’s going to take a lot longer.” — Kevin Erlendsson, a junior majoring in mass communication. “Since I have financial aid, I’m OK with it. However, if it comes from my own pocket, then I would be iffy about it.” — Dennis Rossi, a sophomore majoring in cellular and molecular biology. “I’m for it, because I guess it helps us all in the end because we all get to enjoy a new stadium.” — Chandani Patel, a freshman majoring in psychology.
FOCAL POINTS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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T H E O R AC L E
African Student Association mentors local high school students
Members of USF’s African Student Association meet on the campus of King High School in Tampa to discuss life beyond their formative years. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/FODAY JAWARD By Matthew Cutillo S T A F F
W R I T E R
The USF African Student Association (ASA) has collaborated with C. Leon King High School (KHS) in Tampa to establish an affiliate program on the high school’s campus. The adoption of KHS into the ASA community is intended to educate students about African heritage and prepare them for the world outside of grade school. Any student, regardless of cultural background, is welcome to join, according to Foday Jaward, president of the African Students Association. Jaward pushed for the expansion of the ASA as he said he felt the organization’s
community presence was not well enough known. “Since I’ve attended USF, I felt as though ASA needed more of a focus on the community, whether it be local or global,” Jaward said. “KHS is a location we’re familiar with, and I felt as though they needed an ASA presence in a high school setting.” Collaboration between ASA and KHS centers around a strong sense of mentorship, according to Jaward, a graduate of KHS himself. He said the mentorship can involve not only familiarizing students with African history but preparing them for opportunities after high school. “Growing up in the United
States, you don’t really learn about your African identity, history or who you are,” Jaward said. “I feel like that’s very important, especially during the development periods of your life.” Christine Njiri, secretary of ASA, said she believes in the organization’s ability to prepare high school students for what life is like beyond high school and the transition into higher education. “As a USF transfer student, I know college itself is very difficult with not knowing who you are,” Njiri said. “With the confusion of such a big college, ASA provides a very welcoming vibe to anyone nervous about attending.”
Nishira Mitchell, vice principal of the International Baccalaureate program at KHS, said the collaboration has shown large student interest. “I think it’s a great opportunity for students of a diverse background to feel represented before they begin the college process,” Mitchell said. “Since the organization comes from a local university, the kids pick up that ASA knows what they’re going through.” Students at KHS are excited about being able to speak with more relatable young adults, according to Mitchell. “I’ve seen members of ASA interact with students quite a few times and they’re building that bridge,” Mitchell said. “The students are excited to work with ASA, not just because they’re similar, but because they’re older and represent what they can become.” Although the executive board of ASA would like for high schoolers within the program to join their organization at USF one day, Jaward said it is more important that a connection is reached than a member is recruited. “If they go to college and join another organization, that’s fine,” Jaward said. “I just hope that as long as they’re in the organization in high school they’ll have a decent sense of who they are as well as a decent sense of different
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cultures around them.” Dominique N. Clary, vice president of ASA, said she hopes that students who graduate from KHS and choose to go to USF will continue the legacy of the program as it acts as a transitioning tool for new students. “When I joined ASA, I found myself meeting people and learning things about who I am,” Clary said. “When you participate with the program in high school and then join in college, you will have a sense of bond and direction.” Members of ASA agreed they would have enjoyed the organization’s presence within their own high schools. Student preparedness and exposure to culture are important for the association, according to Clary. “For me personally, I never really saw a lot of cultures,” Clary said. “I saw people and learned a little bit, but I was never able to immerse myself in the way I’m able to here. Just to be able to learn the lives and what goes on with not just people from Africa, but other countries as well. “If in high school any organization like this existed, I feel like I would have been a little more prepared for college mentally. By ASA doing this, it’s deeper than just joining our organization. This is a bond. We’re here for these high schoolers in any shape or form.”
Sports
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Football
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T H E O R AC L E
Bye week gives Bulls chance to recover and prepare for UMass ●
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By Brian Hattab S T A F F
Running back Jordan Cronkrite (left) had to shoulder a heavier workload against ECU while teammates Elijah Mack, Trevon Sands and Duran Bell Jr. sat out with injuries. After a bye week, most of the running squad should be healthy. ORACLE PHOTO/BAILY EASTERMAN
W R I T E R
When USF football takes the field Saturday against UMass in Amherst, Massachusetts, it will do so with a much healthier team than it had at home against ECU on Sept. 22. Elijah Mack, Trevon Sands and Duran Bell Jr. did not play against ECU, leaving Jordan Cronkrite and true freshman Johnny Ford as the only running backs who received multiple carries. Tight end Mitchell Wilcox missed the second half of the ECU game due to an ankle injury. In a way, USF was grateful for the time off between games. “[The bye week] came at a crucial time,” offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert said. “We had some guys banged up, so being able to get some guys back and get some time off before you go into this eightgame stretch was critical for us. “We’ve got some guys coming
back. Over those two weeks going in[to the bye], we were banged up at [the running back position]. This week’s allowed us to get some guys back and get some guys some reps.” Gilbert also said he expects Wilcox to play Saturday. While USF hasn’t disclosed any major injuries on the defense, cornerback Ronnie Hoggins said he and his teammates appreciated the time off. “It benefited us well,” Hoggins said. “We were actually able to get some of our bodies fresher for this week and get ready for a good opponent.” Defensive coordinator Brian Jean-Mary echoed Hoggins’ sentiment. “You’re always going to be banged up,” Jean-Mary said. “That’s the nature of football. Even if the bye week came after the first game, you’ll always feel like that would get you a little
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Women’s Soccer
No. 25 USF looking to refocus after conference loss By Sam Newlon S P O R T S
E D I T O R
Though No. 25 USF women’s soccer recorded its first conference loss of the season against Temple, coach Denise Schilte-Brown said the weekend wasn’t a total waste. After the 1-0 loss in double overtime, Schilte-Brown said the
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Championship teams don’t make excuses, they just get the job done.
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Denise Schilte-Brown, USF Women’s Soccer coach
players were heartbroken. She is confident, however, that the Bulls will bounce back from the
heartbreaker. “You just have to find a way to accept the loss and use it as
character building and motivation to win your next game,” SchilteBrown said. “Championship teams don’t make excuses, they just get the job done.” The job for the Bulls (6-2-0, 1-1-0) is their Thursday night match at Corbett Stadium against Cincinnati (7-5-2, 1-2-1). Schilte-
Brown said her team will use some different tactics Thursday night, but some parts of the game will remain unchanged. USF didn’t allow Temple to have a shot on goal for 73 minutes in its weekend loss.
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