The Oracle WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014 I VOL. 52 NO. 56
Inside this Issue
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News.................................................................1 Lifestyle......................................................4 Opinion.......................................................6
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Students protest police brutality By Chelsea Mulligan S T A F F
LI F E STYLE
Language classes take students back in time. Page 4
Montage
S PORTS Bulls struggle with fouls in loss to Alabama. BACK
W R I T E R
Students gathered outside Cooper Hall on Tuesday in solidarity with protesters across the country to demonstrate against police who act with an excessive use of force. The demonstration took place in the wake of Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri and the decision not to indict officer Darren Wilson for the shooting. The students initially stood in silent protest. They held signs that brought attention to their objections, with slogans such as “Doing Nothing, Saying Nothing, Changes Nothing” and “You are a sheep if you think we live in a post-racist society.” Many signs included hashtags such as “#USF4HumanRights” and “#BlackLivesMatter.”
n See PROTEST on PAGE 2
Students stood outside Cooper Hall on Tuesday protesting police violence against minorities, recently escalated by the verdict not to indict an officer in Ferguson, Missouri. ORACLE PHOTO/SEBASTIAN CONTENTO
New contract to benefit graduate assistants By Wesley Higgins N E W S
USF Graduate Assistant Union votes today on a contract negotiated at the collective bargaining meeting on Nov. 19. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE
E D I T O R
Graduate assistants, the unsung heroes of writing lesson plans and grading papers, will likely receive more recognition from the university soon — at least financially. The USF Graduate Assistant Union (USF GAU) is voting today on the 2014-17 contract that university negotiators approved at the collective bargaining meeting last week. “We think overwhelmingly that this bargaining session was a positive outcome for the GAs on campus,” said Megan Flocken, USF GAU co-president and a graduate assistant (GA) for the philosophy department. If the union members pass the contract, and the Board of Trustees also does so later in the month, then the new pro-
visions will include significant changes, including support for union operations, unpaid leave for family medical emergencies and a one-time bonus. The university agreed to a one-time, tax-free bonus of $500 for all GAs who work at least 20 hours a week. “It will really help us through the holiday season,” Flocken said. “Any amount of money in the pocket is a great victory.” GAs who work fewer hours would still receive a prorated bonus. For example, a person working 10 hours a week would receive $250. Those who work more than 20 hours, however, would not receive more than $500. During the first bargaining meeting in summer, the USF GAU demanded a $700 stipend increase for full-time GAs. Instead, the university
n See CONTRACT on PAGE 2