The Oracle WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2014 I VOL. 52 NO. 45
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Certificate program replaces business minor By Wesley Higgins N E W S
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Even the most liberal of liberal arts majors would benefit from knowing a little about accounting when tax season comes. This coming semester, the university will offer a 15-credit-hour general business certificate program. Jacqueline Nelson, senior director of Undergraduate Affairs in the Muma College of Business, said the certificate program is aimed at non-business majors.
“By the end of it, students should have a good context of what business is,” she said. “It really should give them a leg up in the (employment) process.” The general business program replaces the business administration minor, which the university stopped offering this fall. “Students who took the business minor were sitting in classes with all business majors,” she said. “We didn’t find this to be very successful.” Before, business minors fell behind when taking classes
such as Principles of Finance, which was meant for business majors who had already taken two economic classes and two accounting classes, Nelson said. So instead, Nelson said the classes taken for the certificate are focused on general ideas of business that are amicable with all majors. “It wasn’t designed to be indepth,” she said. “It’s designed to give students that little bit of knowledge when going out into the workforce.” While the minor included 24 credit hours, students who get the certificate will only be
required take 15 credits hours worth of classes. “Twenty-four credits was a lot,” she said. “We rather have something that more people will take that is still meaningful.” Classes in the certificate program include Computers in Business, Basic Marketing, Principles of Management, Accounting for non-Business Majors and Finance for nonBusiness Majors. “I’m confident that whoever teaches those classes will have a focus on their true audience,” Nelson said. “The instructors are going to deliver
the course at an eye level instead of down in the weeds.” While the program can be completed in two semesters, Nelson said she recommended taking it one semester at a time. All classes will be online and none of the program’s classes have prerequisites except the capstone course, Finance for non-Business Majors. Nelson said interested students may register online without having to speak to an adviser. “For interview purposes, we wanted students to speak intelligently, relative to what
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USF looks into aftermath of Deepwater Horizon By Russell Nay
C O R R E S P O N D E N T
While it’s been over four years since the BP oil spill gushed 4.9 million barrels into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days, the effects of the largest oil spill in U.S. history persist. Last month, Sen. Bill Nelson announced that USF’s Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) would receive $4 million to research how the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacted the Gulf of Mexico. The grant is funded by a percentage of fines levied against Transocean Ltd., the offshore drilling contractor that owned the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. “The work that we’re doing won’t be about how to prevent (oil spills) but to make sure that we understand the impact of this one,” said William Hogarth, the director of FIO. FIO plans to examine the immediate impacts of the oil spill, such as the short-term effects on fisheries and the scope of the spill itself. “We’re looking at, for example, the use of dispersants,
how much oil is still at the bottom,” Hogarth said. “We’re looking at organisms to (evaluate) long-term impacts.” Hogarth said researchers will focus on specific areas, such as restoring the health of the Gulf’s fish population and developing technology to reduce the toxicity of chemical dispersants used to break up the oil. “Depending on if we decide to look at fisheries,” he said, “We could look at oyster populations, what could be done to oyster beds to increase oysters.” Lauren Sher, a legislative assistant to the senator, said the research might also benefit Gulf Coast communities by examining the impacts on coastal industries and how those industries can recover. “If you’re a fisherman, you rely on your commercial take of red snapper every year, and you don’t know why there’s a big drop in the population,” she said. “We need to have the science out there that’s telling us what’s causing these problems.” Sher said research into the impact might be key to pre-
USF’s Florida Institute of Oceanography has worked to understand the effects of the BP oil spill on the Gulf’s ecosystem and the industrial impact on coastal businesses. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE venting further harm to the Gulf. Like the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill that took place off the coast of Alaska, she said the effects of the oil would undoubtedly damage the Gulf’s ecosystem long after it has stopped spilling. “There’s never been a spill this size anywhere in the world,” Sher said. “There’s
never been a spill of this caliber in the Gulf of Mexico. We need to figure out where the impacts are in the food web and in the ecosystem. We need to figure out what’s wrong and restore the Gulf.” While the effects of the oil spill may seem to be subsiding, Hogarth said the long-term effects are currently unclear
and that its an issue affecting every Gulf Coast resident. Since the beginning of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, FIO has been Florida’s primary recipient of government grants to fund research on the spill. “The (government) looked to FIO because we knew they had the infrastructure,” Sher
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USF leads discussion on safer teen sex By McKenna Skope C O R R E S P O N D E N T
When talking with teenagers about the risks of sex, it takes more than facts and figures to truly convey the gravity of the message. USF Health was recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last month for its effectiveness in reducing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancy in girls ages 15-19. The Health Improvement Project for Teens (HIPTeens) was developed by Dianne Morrison-Beedy, USF Health senior associate vice president and dean of the USF College of Nursing, along with her coinvestigators, to address the health care needs of young girls. “I’ve been a women’s health care nurse practitioner for a long time,” she said. “Teen girls in my practice kept coming back with the same issues: STIs and possible pregnancy.” Morrison-Beedy said the program was designed with the teens in mind. “They needed to practice so they have a strong voice in relationships,” she said. “Not only do they understand their risks, they think ahead of their risks.” HIPTeens informed the teens about HIV and STIs and taught communication skills to express their needs in relationships. In groups averaging roughly eight teens, a professionally trained group leader guided the patients in two-hour sessions over four weeks. MorrisonBeedy said teens developed a peer support network to promote good choices. “They asked, ‘What else can we do together?’ They loved being able to talk about issues and having the group leader there as a sounding board,” Morrison-Beedy said.
HIPTeens proved to be statistically effective, as a study of over 700 teenage girls – all of whom who had been sexually active prior to the study – found those who participated in the project practiced safer sex. According to the study, abstinence rates went up while their number of sex partners went down and pregnancy rates among those studied decreased 50 percent. Considering the dramatic decreases in high school graduation rates and increases in poverty linked to teen pregnancy, Morrison-Beedy said these findings were significant. “This wasn’t something you had to go into a hospital or medical practice for. It’s in the community,” she said. “The research evidence was so strong that it was proven as a program that works.” The CDC and HHS evaluated the study to see how much behavior change was really shown and confirmed HIPTeens’ effectiveness. Today, STI, especially among young people, is one of the greatest health concerns for U.S. citizens. According to CDC data, there are around 20 million new STIs in the U.S. every year, with half of all new infections occurring in the 15-19 age group. From 2002 to 2012, reported cases of STIs nearly doubled in both Hillsborough County and the state of Florida, with an increase of about 7,000 reported cases among young people, according to the Florida Department of Health. Versie Johnson-Mallard, an associate professor at the USF school of nursing, whose research focuses on sexual and reproductive health, believes Americans are seeing these kinds of statistics because teens are only getting part of the message. “The number of sexually active teens is high, but pregnancy rates are down
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BUSINESS
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may come up in a conversation with an employer,” she said. Nelson said the classes will teach just enough for anyone to thrive in a corporate world by empathizing with management and having mandatory computer skills. “In almost any job, you need some business background even if you have to learn it on the job,” she said. “This shows a student is intuitive enough to recognize it’s a good thing to have in their pocket.” The skills learned can apply
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said. “Money … goes straight to research instead of having to create a new umbrella institution to award grants.” Though Nelson already announced FIO would receive the grant, the funding will be distributed over the next two to three years. FIO must first undergo procedures outlined by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the institute must hear input from outside scientists and citizens in a public hearing regarding how money can be best spent. Hogarth said the grant would also allow FIO to collaborate with marine scientists from other Gulf Coast states.
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among adolescents,” she said. “However, STI rates are high. They are getting the birth control message, but they are not getting the safer sex message, using a barrier method for protection.” Morrison-Beedy said she hopes the national recognition will allow HIPTeens to expand,
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outside of the workforce too, Nelson said. “I cannot imagine not having a deep knowledge of everything that goes on my life,” she said. “Your finances, your banking and all of those daily things are so essential.” Nelson said she hoped those who go through the program could even come back to school to pursue a master’s degree in business, with the certificate on their transcript when applying. “Taking one finance or one accounting course is not going to make you proficient in those areas, but it’s a start and you will be ahead of the game,” she said. “If someone in Texas is a good expert in benthic (ocean bottom-living) organisms, we want to bring them in,” Hogarth said. “We want to make sure that collaboration is wide and that we get the best.” Hogarth also said the money would help train future scientists. FIO recruits graduate students and may begin funding fellowships for marine science students. “I think our students should want to know what happened, why it happened, what we learned from it and if we can prevent it from happening in the future,” he said. “Our lives are impacted by the Gulf, so we should want to understand … how it affects our lives and how we can minimize it.” reaching a broader audience. Schools and community agencies have inquired about HIPTeens, which MorrisonBeedy said is a good sign that it’s brought the conversation of sexual health to the forefront. “It is absolutely critical,” she said. “All of these girls are at a higher risk, and this is a program we know is effective. We haven’t solved the problem yet, but this is a step in the right direction.”
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Men’s Basketball
USF player robbed near campus
Jaleel Cousins. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU USF center Jaleel Cousins and friend Leland Collins were sitting in Cousins’ parked car at 3:32 a.m. Sunday outside 4050 Lofts when two armed suspects approached the vehicle. According to a statement from Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), one of the suspects pointed a handgun at Cousins and Collins, demanding they give up their jewelry and the car. Cousins was driving a 2013 silver
Chevrolet Tahoe registered to his older brother Demarcus, an NBA player for the Sacramento Kings. During the robbery, Cousins fled. He bumped into a parking gate and sustained a cut to the forehead. Cousins declined emergency medical services. The Tahoe was later recovered at Target Towing through OnStar. The vehicle was impounded from Timberland Falls apartments at 2600 E. 113th Ave.
According to an article by the Tampa Tribune, deputies are searching for two black males. One of the men is described as about 5-foot-10 with a hitop haircut and armed with a black, semi-automatic handgun. The other man was only described as being armed with a silver pistol. The investigation is ongoing by HCSO.
ICE
Pelletier,” Silvers said. Many feel that the legitimacy of the club is tainted by the tagline “club,” but Silvers said the team is as talented and official as any varsity sport on campus. “Since hockey is a club sport at USF, it probably doesn’t get the credit that it deserves, but a lot of these guys that are in the league have played at a very high level of hockey,” Silvers said. “The team here at USF doesn’t get a lot of attention like other schools’ hockey teams like UCF or FGCU, but we’re just as competitive as those teams and if a student here at USF enjoys watching hockey, they should come out to support us during our home games.” Humphrey said the club
has plans to travel soon and compete against some elite competition. “We play all the major schools in Florida: UCF, FGCU, FAU and FSU,” Humphrey said. “We’re making trips this year to Colorado State, Metropolitan State, University of Denver and University of North Denver.” One of the main goals for Humphrey, though, is ensuring the longevity of the club once he graduates. “Our number one (priority) should be making sure we’re still a club,” Humphrey said. “I think after that it’s making sure the club has a good environment and getting out into the community and raising hockey awareness and making sure future teams can make it to regionals and nationals.”
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that everyone has to buy into. “It’s a long season and we give up a lot of Friday and Saturday nights to play, but everyone on the team knows it’s worth it,” Silvers said. “We all love the game. Even our coaches are committed, as well.” Silvers currently leads the American Collegiate Hockey Association in points (40) and assists (20) and feels honored to represent USF nationally. “Things have been going well for me this year, and I’ve been lucky to have great teammates help me reach this point so far, especially my linemates Matt Meyer and Michael
— Staff report
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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Rays’ move to Hillsborough needs to start now Currently, the Rays are locked into a contract with the city of St. Petersburg until 2027, but they are nearing a deal that would allow them to look for potential new stadium locations in Hillsborough, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Pinellas County has a population of 929,048 and has proven to be a poor home for the team, whereas Hillsborough has 1.29 million residents according to the U.S. Census Bureau and has already proved to be a successful home for Raymond James Stadium and Amalie Arena. The Rays have achieved temporary success by drafting effectively and trading their best players for prospects before their contracts ended. While this model worked until 2013, the Rays’ 2014 season suggests the current system of success may be unsustainable. The effects of the lack of community support are already beginning to show, just four years removed from the team’s last division title. The Rays won only 77 games and traded the team’s best pitcher, ace David Price, for prospects that will be making more of an impact in the future than in the immediate. Following the season, Friedman left to take a position with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Vinnie Portell COLU M N I ST
The Tampa Bay Rays have been the model of winning with a low budget since former general manager Andrew Friedman and former manager Joe Maddon joined forces in 2006. The two turned the Rays from a perennial last place team that won only 61 games that year into a team that won the division and nearly the World Series just two years later. Moreover, this impressive feat was accomplished with little help from fan-generated revenue. Tropicana Field has been criticized for being in an ill-suited location and has continually drawn an unsatisfactory number of fans, including a deadlast average of 17,857 in 2014, according to the MLB. The lack of fans in the St. Petersburg area has hindered the development and potential of the Rays since their birth in 1998. One resolution to the poor attendance numbers is to move the stadium inland. A stadium located in Hillsborough County is not only more accessible, but would be surrounded by more people.
the Oracle
and Maddon quickly followed suit, taking over as the manager of the Chicago Cubs. The two men who turned the Rays from the best bet to finish last into a legitimate playoff contender year in and year out have abandoned ship. While a new stadium in a more desirable location is tempting, the Rays would still have to pay a currently undetermined buyout fee along, as well as the cost for demolition of Tropicana Field, before they could begin to build a stadium. On top of those costs, the Rays’ purchase of a new stadium would cost roughly $550 million. In comparison, Target Field in Minnesota and Marlins Park in Miami, the only two stadiums to have opened in the past four years, cost $522 million and $515 million, respectively. It would be difficult for a team that is already struggling with funds to buyout its contract and buy a new stadium, but the process needs to begin now. Unless the Rays want to hit the rest button on the construction of their franchise, they must find a new location in Hillsborough County as soon as possible to give the team a possibility of contending again. Vinnie Portell is a junior majoring in mass communications.
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What you said Assistant multimedia editor Sebastian Contento asked students how they felt about stores advertising for early Christmas shopping.
“This is good for people that take a while making preparations for Christmas, or are very picky with what they buy. Also, it reduces huge crowds from forming during December shopping.” — Ma Su, a freshman majoring in chemistry “I think it’s a good thing because it takes away from the fiasco of rushing for Christmas during December.” — Jonathan Jean, a senior majoring in business marketing “From an economic standpoint, this is good for businesses. However, Christmas is still a religious holiday, and early Christmas shopping is simply capitalizing it; there has to be respect for the sacredness of it.”
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“I think early shopping is a little bit crazy because now it’s more about consumerism than the actual holiday. Not to mention that Thanksgiving is being kicked to the curb.” — Miriam Rodriguez, a junior majoring in architecture
Classifieds UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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Football
Flowers named starter for Saturday By Jacob Hoag A S S T .
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Though he waited until the players took the field against Houston to announce the last starting quarterback change, coach Willie Taggart decided to release this week’s starter a bit earlier. In an interview with WDAE 620-AM, Taggart announced freshman quarterback Quinton Flowers would start this week against SMU, making him the third starter at the position this season. “This past week, we gave him more reps than we had before,” Taggart said. “Before he wasn’t getting a lot of reps so he really wasn’t able to show us exactly what he could do. We burned his redshirt and he goes out in practice and shows some of the things he can do.” Taggart has spent two seasons searching for a quarterback he can stick with, but in his last 21 games as coach, he has had a total of five starters. “(Finding a stable quarterback) is something we’ve been waiting for,” Taggart said. “Bottom line,
that’s what has to happen. You have to take (the job) by the horns and say, ‘Hey, this is my offense.’ We’re really good at a lot of positions. We’re just waiting for (the quarterback) position to blossom like we know it can.” Flowers has been limited in playing time so far this season — mostly coming in for one drive a game to run the spread option — but is going to see the first full action game of his college career. “Sometimes you can limit kids because they’re young, saying they don’t know and don’t do this or that,” Taggart said. “So, last week we gave him more reps and didn’t install anything (new); we just told him to go out and play and he did a great job.” Coming out of Miami Jackson High School, Flowers was compared to former USF starting quarterback B.J. Daniels. With a one-inch advantage and similar weight, the 6-foot, 217-pound QB has many of the same qualities as his predecessor. “I tell him all the time he’s built like B.J. Daniels,” senior receiver Andre Davis said. “He has the same qualities and has the ability
to be as great as (Daniels) was or even greater. (Flowers) is everything you look for in a football player. He can run, he throws the ball nice, and he can throw the deep ball. He brings yet another element to this offense.” Flowers’ play time has been limited because he didn’t have a full handle on the playbook, but Taggart said he has come a long way and is capable of running the offense. “A lot of it was being a young guy and not having training camp and not getting reps,” Taggart said. “You kind of assume that the kid doesn’t know a lot, but last week (in practice) he was impressive. We’re going to run our offense. We’re not going to expect him to do things he can’t do.” Flowers threw for over 6,000 yards and rushed for an additional 2,000 at Miami Jackson. Taggart said Flowers “showed in practice that he can handle a little more than we thought.” Flowers will make his debut as a starter for USF at SMU on Saturday at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
Freshman Quinton Flowers has been named USF’s starting quarterback by coach Willie Taggart, despite only throwing five passes this season. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
Ice hockey thrives in 25th season at USF
The Ice Bulls, pictured on a road trip to Denver this past weekend, are 10-4 so far in their 25th season. PHOTO PROVIDED BY USF ICE BULLS
By Tito Benach C O R R E S P O N D E N T
Florida is typically known for its outdoor sports, but at USF, hockey has been a staple since 1989. Ice Hockey Club president Aaron Humphrey said the club has made strides this year and is proud of its history. “This year is our 25th year as a club at USF,” Humphrey said. “We actually have a good team this year. We’re looking to make it to regionals and our record is currently 10-4. Hopefully we can continue that trend all the way to nationals, but we’ll see what happens.” While playing for the Ice Hockey Club is a big time
commitment, it also a large financial investment as equipment doesn’t come cheap, Humphrey said. The typical cost to put one player on the ice is roughly $2,500, with the most expensive equipment being skates and essential protections such as a helmet and gloves. Despite the cost, Humphrey said the club’s member count has stayed consistent over the years. “Numbers have never really been an issue. I think my freshman year was the only real problem, which was the lowest at 15 members and that was all from injuries,” he said. “Since my freshman year, we’ve always had 20-plus
players and it’s never been a problem.” The Ice Bulls play at the Ellenton Ice Arena, just northeast of Bradenton, which can lead to some long nights of driving for the team. “Considering our rink is 45 minutes away and the time we spend at the rink, we practice for three hours, so it’s about four to five hours from going there to coming back,” Humphrey said. “We travel all across the state and the country, so it’s a big time commitment along with keeping up in school.” Andrew Silvers, a member of the Ice Hockey Club, said the dedication is something
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