THE ORACLE
T H U RS DAY, N OV E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 8 I VO L . 5 6 N O . 2 2 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
Changes ahead for the student experience after consolidation Consolidation will bring changes to many aspects of student life including SG, Student Publications, Orientation, Greek life and others.
By Jesse Stokes E D I T O R
I N
C H I E F
Regardless of which colleges and schools are housed on each of USF’s three campuses — Tampa, St. Pete and SarasotaManatee — one thing is clear, the student experience as it is known is bound to change after the university consolidates in 2020. One of the first on-campus experiences new students have is Orientation. According to Paul Dosal, the vice president of Student Affairs and Student Success, discussing changes to Orientation may be preemptive, but are in the works. He said that the main factor to take into consideration After the university officially consolidates in 2020, that state of the student experience could look very when planning a postconsolidation Orientation is different from what it does now. ORACLE FILE PHOTO which colleges and schools are who helps lead a workgroup A committee comprised of together in one new area — a housed on each campus. The tasked with designing what SG representatives from each single constitution. idea is for the Orientation on Student Affairs may look like campus oversee things like “The other consideration is each campus is to be uniform post-consolidation, Student communication between their that we do work off of one in some areas, such as the Government (SG) may remain counterparts and appointing a constitution for all three financial aid sessions, but unchanged. representative to the Board of campuses, so there will be unique in others. As of now, SG has separate Trustees. some work that they will need According to Dean of but fully-operational governing Though, SG from each to do to come together on that, Students Danielle McDonald, bodies for each campus. campus will have to work but then to have procedures
that meet the needs of the three campuses individually,” McDonald said. Dosal clarified that the term being used for the changes is “considerations” not “recommendations,” because it is less definitive and concrete. “There are so many variables that will impact what can and should be done later. Fees … are absolutely critical,” Dosal said. “Depending upon what is done, we might have to keep things as they are, or we might have to change them. Given these uncertainties, this is all we can do now.” The fees in question are the Activity and Service (A&S) fees, which each student pays in their tuition. Currently, the A&S fees paid by a student remain for use solely at their respective campus. According to McDonald, it has not yet been decided if the fees will remain like this, or if all of the student fees will be put in one space to then be distributed among the three campuses.
n See EXPERIENCE on PAGE 4
SG dinner gets updated theme, funding following veto By Maria Ranoni M A N A G I N G
E D I T O R
The dinner must go on. With a smaller price tag and facelift, of course. After hearing student concerns following the announcement of the Student Government (SG) Senate approving the use of student Activity
and Service (A&S) fees to fund a $7,800 dinner, Senate has changed the details of The Correspondents’ Dinner. It is now being funded from an SG auxiliary account which is not comprised of tuition dollars, according to Senate President Sarah Lucker.
The dinner is Thursday and starts at 7 p.m. Even though Senate is no longer required to have the event open to all students because of the change in the funding source, Lucker said it will remain open for those that wish to attend. She said that the biggest criticism
Senate heard was of the cost of the dinner, specifically the $4,800 price tag for professional videography services. The food itself will cost $3,000. This also comes after Student Body President Moneer Kheireddine vetoed the unallocated cash request made by Senate for the dinner, citing
a lack of large-scale benefits and “seemingly unneeded and overly priced videography service …” Although Senate could have overruled Kheireddine with a supermajority vote, they chose to not to utilize this power and to fund it with auxiliary funds instead.
n See DINNER on PAGE 3
NEWS 3 OPINION 6 SPORTS 8
2
T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 8
The Oracle THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1966
Editor in Chief Jesse Stokes @JesseStokes813
Managing Editor Maria Ranoni @ByMariaRanoni
News Editor
Alyssa Stewart
Sports Editor Sam Newlon @newlon_sam
Classifieds
Multimedia Editor Thomas Prettyman
Opinion Editor
To place a classified ad go to http://www.usforacle.com/classifieds
Aida Vazquez-Soto
Staff Writers Leda Alvim Brian Hattab
HELP WANTED Gymnastics Girls Team Coach LaFleur’s, Tampa is now hiring Optional Girls Team Gymnastics Coaches.
Graphic Artists Avery Dyen Jessica Thornton
Gymnastics experience required (coaching, judging, or competitive experience accepted). Must love kids and be enthusiastic!
Advertising Sales Skyler Nickols Katelyn Williams
Part-Time or Full-Time positions available. To apply please: E-mail: OptionalGirls@LaFleursTampa. com Call us at: (813) 264 - 5000
HOUSES & CONDOS FOR SALE 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).
BY PHONE Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . News ................. Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
***Get Married In The Backyard*** Make an appointment to see your future home. www.Sharon12.com Sharon@Sharon12.com
SERVICES OFFERED Interactive Statistics for less than the cost of a tutor https://www.thepedagogue.org/
974-5190 974-1888 974-2620 974-2620
SERVICES OFFERED
2019 PreHealth Study Abroad Program Guide CORRECTIONS Learn Spanish & Shadow Doctors The Oracle will correct or clarify factual errors. (Summer in Chile, Argentina, Peru) Contact Editor in Chief Jesse Stokes at 974-5190. Download >> PreHealthAbroad.com
●
T H E O R AC L E
NEWS
U N I V E RS I T Y O F S OU T H F L O R I DA
●
T H U R S DAY, N O V E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 8
●
3
T H E O R AC L E
Search committee looking for community input in finding Genshaft’s replacement By Alyssa Stewart N E W S
After opposition expressed from the student body, mainly about cost, the dinner is moving forward with a different source of funding. ORACLE FILE PHOTO
DINNER
Continued from PAGE 1
Lucker said Senate reached out to on-campus resources like Housing Live and the Zimmerman school but neither entity was able to charge a cheaper rate. They also looked into using students who had videography experience but the Student Business Services — a bureau of SG that manages A&S money — requires the use of a vendor. In the end, Senate was able to find an outside company to provide videography services that will charge $2,300, approximately halving the original cost. On top of this, the theme itself has changed from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner style event that was planned to a Thanksgiving theme, given it is one week before the holiday. “We’re going to have different recognition awards that students can sponsor faculty members,
departments, or student organizations for,” Lucker said. “Anyone they’ve worked with throughout the year that has made an impact on them or their programming.” A short amount of time will be allocated for the originally planned comedic sketches, as well as time to discuss new initiatives SG is working on. Toward the end, they will also be teaching attending students how to use SG’s student concern page to ensure they can bring up these possible future concerns for them to address. Lucker said that she hopes these changes will help improve SG’s image to the student body and that she and many other senators welcome the feedback because that is the only way Senate will know if an initiative is worth pursuing. “We don’t want to spend your (students) money on things you don’t actually want to see happen,” Lucker said.
E D I T O R
Upon President Judy Genshaft leaving behind her 18-year legacy, USF is asking the community for input to fill her shoes. Genshaft announced that she will be stepping down for retirement effective July 1, 2019. USF is conducting a community input survey to provide insight for selecting the next system president, who will serve as only the seventh person to fill the role. The Presidential Search Committee will discuss the results and may finalize the position profile during their meeting on Nov. 29, according to University Spokesperson Adam Freeman. Freeman said the survey is being conducted electronically and the responses have not been compiled yet. The survey is being shared on Facebook and Twitter and reads, “USF is committed to a transparent and inclusive search for its next president, and your perspective is important.” It includes preferred candidate characteristics and opportunities to discuss the USF community, whether it be challenges or highlights. Community members also have the opportunity to share general comments to the search committee. The search committee consists of 15 members including Chairman Les Muma,
President Judy Genshaft will step away from her role in July, after serving in it for nearly two decades. ORACLE PHOTO/LEDA ALVIM three trustees, a member of the Florida Board of Governors (BOG) and Student Body Vice President Shaquille Kent. Furthermore, members of the committee will be from USF’s three campuses — Tampa, St. Pete and Sarasota-Manatee. The search committee follows the guidelines established by the BOG. Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman Brian Lamb said the search committee intends to recommend a set of candidates to the BOT in early 2019, then present final candidates in the spring of 2019. The Presidential Search Committee website states that a final candidate
should be selected by the Board of Trustees by their March 5 meeting and submitted to BOG for ratification by the March 28 meeting. The results are being used to accumulate community input and to inform the presidential search committee, according to its website. “The survey is being used to help the search committee/ search firm develop the position profile and job description before advertising and recruiting for the new president begins,” Freeman said in an email to The Oracle.
4
T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 8
EXPERIENCE Continued from PAGE 1
She said since the majority of consolidation decisions will be made by 2020, budgeting decisions for that year, including how and where to distribute student fees, will be made in 2019. Dosal said the decision of fee distribution is not an easy task. “In our group, there is a lot of sentiment that because we want to make sure students have access to the same quality services and activities across the three (campuses), that there is a strong sentiment in favor of a uniform fee structure,” Dosal said. However, with the idea of equal access to activities and services, the issue of transportation to and from each campus arises. “There is a lot of talk that (developing a mode of transportation to and from each campus) might be a high priority,” Dosal said. “Can we make a Bull Runner service to link the three (campuses)? We will need to have WiFi on the bus so that we can do some work while we are waiting in traffic. All those things have to be decided before we can move forward.” One area where change seems to be inevitable is Student Publications. Currently, Tampa has their own newspaper, The Oracle, and St. Pete has The Crow’s Nest. That could change, however, as there have been discussions among the workgroup about merging the two publications into one. Though the majority of consolidation plans have to be in place by the fall of 2020, McDonald said there is no rush to implement changes to Student Publications. The idea is to see how the publications operate separately post-consolidation and taking student and reader opinions into consideration before making the change. According to Dosal, the idea that has been pushed forward by his subcommittee is to “explore a fully-online
●
T H E O R AC L E
newspaper.” Another area where changes seem imminent is Greek life. McDonald said that consolidation may bring more opportunity for involvement in fraternities and sororities. “The consideration for that is that we open up and all three campuses can get involved with fraternities and sororities, still housed at the Tampa campus,” McDonald said. “What that will mean is that organizations are going to have to figure out how to structure a little differently. They are going to have to make better use of technology, where chapter meetings may be done through Zoom now.” In McDonald’s mind, Homecoming currently acts as a standard bearer when it comes to what the student experience will look like after consolidation. “Homecoming happens on all three campuses, there is a planning committee that involves all three campuses, but there are still individualized programming that happens on each of the three campuses that are tradition and we do not want that to go away,” McDonald said. “But, we want to open up the access to see those. “The St. Pete sailboat race that they do at homecoming is really cool and we could not do that on this campus. (We want) to be able to open that up to more students to be able to see.” Though, Dosal said that all considerations are still subject to change. “These considerations are probably going to be changing over time as some of these other things fall into place,” Dosal said. “The conversations are likely to get more difficult. There are hard, hard decisions.” For McDonald, consolidation comes down to one simple thing: change. And, in her mind, the need to embrace it. “It will take change, but I think all three campuses are going to have to change, and be prepared to change, how they have done things for the past many years,” McDonald said.
T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 8
●
T H E O R AC L E
5
6
OPINION
U N I V E RS I T Y O F S OU T H F L O R I DA
●
T H U R S DAY, N O V E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 8
●
T H E O R AC L E
Democrats should use their House Consolidate the campuses, not the publications advantage as a bargaining chip EDITORIAL
The Oracle has been a key and editorially independent voice of the USF Tampa campus since 1966. But with a consolidation of USF’s three campuses — Tampa, St. Pete and Sarasota-Manatee — looming in 2020, that could change. There are ongoing talks of consolidating The Oracle, and the St. Pete campus’ student newspaper, The Crow’s Nest. A student affairs consolidation workgroup, led by Tampa’s Dean of Students, Danielle McDonald, and St. Pete’s Director of Student Life and Engagement, Dwayne Isaacs, have begun initial discussions on what student journalism will look like in the future at USF. Though the idea of a paper consolidation is still being discussed, the only official consideration put forward by the workgroup — without representation from either newspaper staff — is to pursue the options of having an fully-online publication to serve all three campuses. This, essentially, would diminish both publications. Sure, the journalism industry is changing, and as such, student publications should evolve with it. However, in order to have a true and fair documentation of the history of a university, a print publication is needed. Print publications also provide room for advertising. It is the revenue from advertisements that allow print publications, especially on college campuses, to remain independent. Journalistic autonomy is, perhaps, the most crucial component of the industry. Outlined in our nation’s constitution, the free press is a tried and true virtue of our society. Another idea being floated by the administrators reviewing potential
By Aida Vazquez-Soto O P I N I O N
Student-run newspapers that are specific to each campus are not just a novelty, they are crucial aspects of the student experience. ORACLE PHOTO/JESSE STOKES
options is to have a newspaper with a new name that represents all three campuses and includes subsections called The Oracle for the Tampa campus and The Crow’s Nest for St. Pete. The Oracle and The Crow’s Nest cover issues that are unique to their respective campuses. Expecting a single publication to cater to the arts and coastal issues that The Crow’s Nest deals with in downtown St. Pete, while also discussing the sports and medical worlds that The Oracle covers in Tampa is ludicrous. Having to divide resources and time between three campuses will result in a publication, new name or not, being a shell of what The Oracle once was. The Oracle prides itself on a history of success. Oracle alumni work at media outlets that include, Oprah Magazine, The Tampa Bay Times, The Washington Post, CNN and
ESPN Magazine. Last year, The Oracle placed as a finalist in the Society of Professional Journalists awards for Best AllAround Non-Daily Newspaper in the Southeast and was cited in an article by The Boston Globe. In a world where media outlets are already struggling to deal with fake news, how can a student publication be expected to produce continual success stories if its operations are uprooted, displaced and disproportionate? The answer is simple: It won’t. Student journalism is not merely a hobby, it is a passion. It is time that those responsible for making consolidation decisions not only recognize that but embrace it. The Oracle has proven its value for decades and deserves to be a standalone publication. The same can be said for The Crow’s Nest. A failure to recognize this is a failure to recognize the impact and importance of the free press.
E D I T O R
Last week’s midterm elections saw Democrats retake the House and Republicans strengthen their hold in the Senate. While the battle for Congress hardly produced the blue waves many Democrats hoped for, the party of “resist” has a new bargaining chip. With the power of a House majority behind them, Democrats are now faced with a choice: Negotiate for legislative wins or total warfare. Democrats have a chance to launch an aggressive assault against President Donald Trump and his administration. Articles of impeachment, which can be used against any member of the Executive or Judicial branch, must originate in the House. This means that while the Senate has the newfound strength to confirm Trump’s nominees, Democrats could easily threaten to obstruct. This would be a waste. While there is a ripe opportunity to get anti-Trump sound bites and stoke partisanship, Democrats have far more tangible gains to win through compromise and negotiation with the Senate. The “Power of the Purse” is an exclusive power of the House and, as a result, spending and tax bills must originate in the 435-member chamber. Trump campaigned on infrastructure investment, as well as reforming Social Security and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. While some of these may be difficult to work across the aisle, others, like infrastructure
spending, would provide real legislative wins to Democrats to take home to their electorates. But, this rests on Democrats being willing to propose something that would benefit everyone. Bringing a spirit of bipartisanship to the 116th Congress offers the potential for a Democratic facelift. Since Trump’s election in 2016, which brought with it House and Senate majorities for Republicans, Democrats have had few incentives but to be “no” votes. Now, Democrats can be more than roadblocks to a Republican agenda and it would serve their interests. Many of the seats flipped in 2018 went to moderate Democrats who will face heated battles for re-election in 2020. Working with Republicans will only help these Democrats hold their seats in districts where partisanship is not appreciated. In a victory speech, following confirmation that Democrats would retake the House, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D- CA) said, “We will strive for bipartisanship. We believe that we have a responsibility to seek common ground where we can.” It now rests on the shoulders of Pelosi and House Democratic leadership to follow through on that statement. All Americans stand to benefit and our elected officials should recognize that. Aida Vazquez-Soto is a senior majoring in political science and economics.
U N I V E RS I T Y O F S OU T H F L O R I DA
●
T H U R S DAY, N O V E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 8
Notebook
Women’s basketball rakes in weekly awards
By Sam Newlon S P O R T S
E D I T O R
No. 21 USF is coming off a hot start after beating Ohio State and Albany last week. Following their convincing wins, the Bulls moved up one spot from their AP preseason rankings and were named the NCAA Team of the Week. Freshman Beatriz Jordao was named the AAC Freshman of the Week after scoring 24 points, six blocks and 19 rebounds in the Bulls’ first two games of the season. Senior Kitija Laksa also received her own honors. She’s been named to the watch list for the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy and was selected earlier this season to the 2018-19 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 watch list. USF (2-0) is looking to keep its early momentum going against in-state foe BethuneCookman (2-0) on Thursday at 7 p.m. “Any time you play an in-state school, you’re going to get their best punch,” coach Jose Fernandez said. “Vanessa [Blair-Lewis] has done a great job with their program.” Even though the Wildcats aren’t the most prestigious school on the Bulls’ schedule, Fernandez said his team isn’t overlooking their opponent. “[Bethune-Cookman] has everybody back from a team in the MEAC and we need to make sure we are ready to play and not looking forward,” he said. Looking forward could mean USF’s matchup against Oklahoma on Sunday at 2 p.m. It could also mean the Bulls’ upcoming trip to the U.S.
Beatriz Jordao was named the AAC Freshman of the Week after her performances against Ohio State and Albany. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/ GOUSFBULLS
Virgin Islands to play in the Paradise Jam next week against Kentucky, UNC and UCLA. Bulls in Paradise After a 74-70 overtime win against Austin Peay on Monday, the USF men’s basketball team arrived in Jamaica on Wednesday for their own tropical tournament. The team’s twitter account posted a picture of the entire team in front of a pool with bright blue ocean water even farther in the distance. “We’ve arrived in paradise. So excited to be part of the @ jamaica_classic! It’s time to get to work. We’ve got a title to win. #RunWithUs” the team said in the tweet. USF will play against Ohio and Georgetown on Friday and Saturday, respectively, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The Bulls
will return to the Yuengling Center next Wednesday against Florida A&M. Women’s volleyball seeks win No. 20 in Texas USF volleyball will travel to Texas this weekend to finish out the regular season. The Bulls will play against Houston on Friday night and against SMU on Sunday afternoon. The Bulls are seeking their first 20-win season since 2002. With a 19-9 record so far, the Bulls need to win just one of their two matches this weekend to reach the mark. USF is ranked No. 95 in the NCAA RPI rankings. It is unlikely the Bulls will earn an invitation to the NCAA tournament even if they can piece together one of their best seasons since 2002.
●
SOCCER
T H E O R AC L E
Continued from PAGE 8
“They’re a different Florida State team than what we’ve seen in the past,” she said. “Before, they would try to break you down using their back six to create dangerous opportunities up top…You can’t give them any breathing room or they’re going to get so many numbers in the 18-yard box. It’s a little scary.” Scary or not, the Bulls have been able to practice at home, which is important for any team traveling in the postseason. “We’re still in Florida, we don’t have to go far from home,” Schilte-Brown said. “We’re going to train at our home pitch, sleep in our own beds. We only have to be displaced one night before the game, which is a good opportunity for us to come together.” Although they’ll be playing in Florida, the weather in Tallahassee is noticeably different than in Tampa, with a
FOOTBALL
Continued from PAGE 8
up early on in the season, coming off last year’s injury as well.” The touchdown reception was Bronson’s first since 2016 after being forced to sit out the 2017 season due to an injury he sustained toward the end of fall camp. “The last time I caught a touchdown was 2016,” Bronson said. “I finally got one in 2018 and I’m trying to get more as the season goes.” The senior wide receiver said he considers all of his touchdowns to be “a blessing from God,” but this most recent one is his favorite. “It just gave me a spark to fight,” Bronson said. “It gave me more confidence in myself. I already had confidence, but it
7 rainy, 50-degree evening in the forecast Friday. One of USF’s many Canadian players, Olivia Cooke, is excited to get to play in the colder weather. “I think the new Canadians are excited,” Schilte-Brown joked. “The returning Canadians, I think, quickly have acclimated to liking the warmer weather.” The Bulls will look to advance to the third round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history against a stout opponent in FSU, which is dominant at home in the postseason. Even with statistics piled against them, USF is undeterred. “I think each of us has to enter the game with a clean slate, saying ‘hey, they’re a good team, but we’re a great team too,’” Schilte-Brown said. “As long as we play the game that we’re capable of playing, that’s what the result will be…I think the moment to step up will be at game time.”
just built up even higher.” Bronson’s effort Saturday was not his first explosive reception for a touchdown. In fact, all of his touchdown receptions at USF have been explosive plays — which USF considers to be a play of 20 or more yards. Bronson’s career touchdowns have gone for 75, 42, 73 and 72 yards respectively. The catch even appeared on SportsCenter, sparking reaction from friends and family, but one in particular caught his attention. “The one that made me really happy the most was my big brother,” Bronson said. “In the text message he said, ‘Every night, I pray that you’ll accomplish your goals in life.’ That kind of warmed me up. Me and my brother talk all the time. He’s a big factor in my life, I really look up to him.”
SPORTS
8
U N I V E RS I T Y O F S OU T H F L O R I DA
●
T H U R S DAY, N O V E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 8
●
T H E O R AC L E
Women’s Soccer
USF looks to write program history against Florida State
By Sam Newlon S P O R T S
E D I T O R
After a commanding 5-1 win against Albany last weekend, No. 13 USF women’s soccer advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for just the third time in program history. USF’s opponent boasts a 42-10 all-time NCAA tournament record at home, has won 13 consecutive shutouts — they haven’t allowed a postseason goal since 2013. The Bulls will travel to Tallahassee to play against No. 4 Florida State on Friday at 5 p.m. While the statistics are in FSU’s favor, Bulls coach Denise Schilte-Brown isn’t counting her team out of the competition. “You want to go in with the confidence of saying ‘we’ve been here,’” she said. “The one practice this week that allowed us to have high-intensity minutes, I felt like the starters came out ready to give those high-intensity minutes.” What might seem obvious is
a harsh reality. The Bulls have to score to win. USF will need to snap the Seminoles’ postseason home shutout streak. While Evelyne Viens hasn’t had trouble scoring on most teams this season — she’s now up to 20 goals this season — she’ll have to get around the FSU keepers, who have allowed just 11 goals all season. Brooke Bollinger has played 1,591 more minutes for FSU than Caroline Jeffers. Bollinger left the Seminoles’ ACC Championship match after an injury in the second half. Jeffers entered and hasn’t left since. She played the entirety of FSU’s shutout against Loyola in the first round of the NCAA tournament, leaving questions as to who the Bulls will face in goal Friday. “I don’t know which one is playing,” Schilte-Brown said. “I think [FSU] felt confident they were going to win that first game, so I don’t know if they were resting their first goalkeeper
Evelyne Viens and the Bulls will look to be the first team to score on FSU in the NCAA tournament since 2013. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/GOUSFBULLS or if she’s legitimately injured. I don’t think they’ll give that information out.” USF’s goalkeeper Sydney Martinez, who has only allowed 14 goals this season, could have her hands full with FSU’s attacking positions.
“I think [FSU] has stronger points on their team,” SchilteBrown said. “I think their attacking center mids are kind of their threatening positions.” FSU’s Deyna Castellanos, native to Venezuela, leads the Seminoles with nine goals. She’s
also amassed 96 shots, 43 of which have been on target and leads the team with six assists. According to Schilte-Brown, FSU has found success this season playing differently than it has in previous years.
n See SOCCER on PAGE 7
Football
Bronson makes first touchdown catch after injury
By Brian Hattab S T A F F
W R I T E R
Ryeshene Bronson caught three passes in USF’s 35-23 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday, but none of them were as big as his first. Not just because it was a 72-yard touchdown reception — though that certainly helped —
but because Bronson caught it one-handed. “Honestly, the ball was underthrown, so I was trying to swipe from under me,” Bronson said. “Like pass [the defender] up, so I could go under him and catch the ball. But, somehow, when I did it, my right arm got
stuck in his arm … when the ball hit, I just snatched it off. I looked at him to get separation from him. As I get separation from him, I see that I’ve got the ball.” Bronson’s catch even impressed his teammates. “It was incredible,” guard William Atterbury said. “You see
both the defenders stopped. Both of them had no idea where the ball was and he reached around the dude. I had a guy in my eyesight, so I didn’t actually see him at first, but then you just see him running down and you’re like, ‘Hey!’ It was an awesome feeling.”
Offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert said Bronson’s catch was a result of hard work in practice. “Those are things that have continued to show up for us in practice with him,” Gilbert said. “He’s a guy that’s just worked his way back in since being banged
n See FOOTBALL on PAGE 7