The Oracle T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 4 , 2 0 1 6 I V O L . 5 3 N O. 7 7
Inside this Issue
C O - N E W S
Netflix brings back the Gilmore girls. Page 5
Montage
S P ORTS Four things to watch during spring practice. BACK
U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F LO R I DA
SAFE Team extends hours for trial period By Miki Shine
L I FE STYLE
w w w. u s fo r a c l e. co m
The Index
Opinion.......................................................4 Classifieds..............................................8 Lifestyle......................................................5 Crossword..........................................8 sports.........................................................12
E D I T O R
Students who frequently use the Safe And Free Escort (SAFE) Team may have noticed a change this week in the form of an extra hour of service. Since Monday, the team has opened at 5:30 p.m. rather than 6:30 p.m. and continue to do so on a temporary basis until the end of June. The pilot program is designed to assess the need for SAFE Team in order to look at expanding hours so the service would be available from 5:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. “I think it would be more beneficial if we extended them at the back end, but that’s a lot harder because we have to take into account student schedules and hiring students who are able to work until three in the morn-
ing,” Student Body Vice President Michael Malanga said. “What we decided is that we would do a pilot program where we would extend it an hour in the beginning to see if the demand was there before we put it full scale into the budget for next year.” This initiative was included in Malanga’s campaign last year as part of improving safety on campus. “When (student body president) Andy (Rodriguez) and I were campaigning over a year ago now, we talked to students about things they’d like to see changed and one of the things a lot of people said they liked but could use improvement was SAFE Team,” Malanga said. “It’s one of the most recognizable things with Student Government but we thought that it could be more accessible. One
of the ways I really wanted to do that is by extending hours.” In order to be able to use this pilot program while still paying the students working for that hour, the program is dipping into payroll savings from this year. That means SAFE Team didn’t increase its budget for the year but used money already set aside to pay drivers. “I’ve put in a request for the next budgetary cycle for increased hours — one hour at the beginning and one hour at the end,” Malanga said. “We’re going to wait to see if this is successful. If this is successful, ideally we’ll extend the hours. “If this isn’t successful, we’ll re-evaluate and say maybe this isn’t the best move and try to find new ways to make things better. But that will be more on next year’s administration to figure out where they want to go once they
have that data.” SAFE Team keeps track of all rides and calls each night. These numbers allow the team to look at the busiest times of night and the busiest days, the response time of carts and gauge the need for the number of carts or the extension of hours. Malanga expects to be able to look at this data within the next month in order to see how effective the pilot system proved to be and if extending the hours of SAFE Team further would be worthwhile. “We’ll want to give it probably a month to a month and a half,” Malanga said. “One of the things I’ve insisted on with SAFE Team is that they keep really good records on how many rides they’re doing per night, how many calls they’re getting. That allows us to keep track.
n See SAFE on PAGE 7
Presidential debate-a-bull
The second round of Debate-a-Bull, organized by Student Government, featured students answering questions from the platform of each of the current presidential hopefuls: Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Respectively, students Michael Varicak, Graham Stacy, Hunter Johnson, Amanda Hill and Krishna Sharma represented the aformentioned candidates. The event was organized in an effort to spread awareness among students regarding the candidates’ platforms. ORACLE PHOTO/JACKIE BENITEZ
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Travellers in Europe advised to remain vigilant By Abby Rinaldi C O - N E W S
E D I T O R
After two explosions went off at Brussels Airport, at least one of which was caused by a suicide bomber, the U.S. Embassy in Italy issued a travel warning for American citizens abroad. The explosions killed about 10 people. Nearly an hour later, another explosion occurred at Maelbeek subway station in Brussels. This attack killed almost 20 people. The terrorist group ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attacks and called Belgium “a country participating in the coalition against the Islamic State” in a bulletin they released. A message from the U.S. Embassy in Italy warned citizens to stay vigilant in using public transportation and visiting crowded places, as well
as paying attention to local news and authorities. The notice from the Embassy also urges travelers to contact their families and prepare for additional security. “European governments
Aside from those planning to travel to Europe, USF World and Education Abroad sent out a letter to those USF students currently in Europe. The letter informed students the office was monitoring the situ-
“We ask that you remain vigilant, be aware of your surroundings and report any suspicious activity to local authorities. Follow the directions of your local hosts and monitor local news reports. USF World and Education Abroad continue to guard against terrorist attacks and conduct raids to disrupt plots,” the Embassy wrote in its alert. “We work closely with our allies and will continue to share information with our European partners that will help identify and counter terrorist threats.” The Embassy’s travel alert will expire on June 20, 2016.
ation and any disruptions it may have caused. Because of the attacks, transportation in Brussels, as well as in the rest of Europe, and to some extent in the U.S., was either delayed or completely halted. This included air travel, train services, like Eurostar and Thalys, and the Brussels Metro system. The threat level in Belgium
reached Level 4 after the attacks, meaning the country has increased security and boarder patrol. The FrenchBelgian border closed down and other border closures were warned of in the letter sent out by USF. “We ask that you remain vigilant, be aware of your surroundings and report any suspicious activity to local authorities,” USF World said in the letter. “Follow the directions of your local hosts and monitor local news reports. “Please check in with your family and friends here in the U.S. to let them know you are safe and aware of ongoing events.” The letter urged students abroad to call the International Assistance Line with any concerns.
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Opinion
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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Candidates resort to fear tactics after Brussels attacks
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Tuesday, terrorists launched two attacks in Brussels, causing the world to pause once again and reflect on growing tension across the globe. More than 30 people were killed and dozens more injured, according to the BBC. This recent strike has brought the issue of terrorism to the forefront of the presidential campaign and candidates are dishing out their anti-terror plans. Ted Cruz, who has made countless promises to “carpet-bomb” ISIS, responded to the attacks in Brussels by demanding the U.S. secure its southern border. “We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized,” he said. When faced with the threat of terrorism, Cruz resorts to fear tactics by condemning an entire religion and encouraging the isolation of our neighbors. Yet, hours after the tragic attacks, citizens and tourists alike gathered in a plaza outside the Bourse — the Belgian stock exchange — and
began to pay tribute to the victims in the best way they knew how: spreading love and hope to the masses with messages of courage and national resilience. One message said, “Terror has no religion,” said one message. “Hate is a tool of power” and “Love is our resistance” filled the square as people brought flowers and candles to pay their respects. Obviously, the reality that terrorists could be living among us and plotting to do harm is not something to take lightly. But breeding hate will only further divide an already tense nation. Bernie Sanders finally declared the U.S. should “put together (a) coalition in the region to destroy ISIS.” This of course, is exactly what President Barack Obama has been attempting to do for three years. Hillary Clinton also promised to continue Obama’s policy but she reiterated she would make even greater efforts to stand “in solidarity with our European allies” by tightening the visa system and admonishing Donald Trump’s insistence that torture is the best solution to getting answers. One thing remains clear. The realities of the Iraq war are looming
at the front of candidates’ minds. Despite universal displeasure with the state of international affairs, not one of the contenders is willing to send forces to the ground. It is crucial for the government to not ignore the very morals the U.S. was founded on. Unfortunately, when fear radiates through the nation, the government resorting to violating citizens’ rights has become the norm. Addressing the lawsuit regarding the New York Police Department being accused of spying on Muslims in New Jersey, U.S. Circuit Judge Thomas Ambro said, “what occurs here in one guise is not new. “We have been down similar roads before. Jewish-Americans during the Red Scare, AfricanAmericans during the Civil Rights Movement, and JapaneseAmericans during World War II are examples that readily spring to mind,” he said. “We are left to wonder why we cannot see with foresight what we see so clearly with hindsight — that loyalty is a matter of the heart and mind, not race, creed, or color.“ No one is feeling the worst of the terrorism more than Brussels. Yet they are seeking a rational
and effective method of tackling violence rather than ostracizing an entire group. As the elections continue to progress, it is important candidates and citizens alike remember what it truly means to be an American. Americans do not prevent their brothers from living a life full of liberties they have fought for generations to protect. Americans do not cave to fear and lash out with hate. We must embrace the strength of those in Brussels. By refusing to give in to fear we refuse to let the enemy win. As U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said, “America is a nation of nations, made up of people from every land, of every race and practicing every faith. Our diversity is not a source of weakness; it is a source of strength, it is a source of our success.” No matter what happens in the future, it is imperative that we learn from our past mistakes. We need to unite as a nation, not divide ourselves based on prejudices and hate. Breanne Williams is a junior majoring in mass communications.
Lifestyle
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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Sex, love and coffee — Gilmore Girls returns By Averi Goetz C O R R E S P O N D E N T
It’s time to start brewing the coffee and pulling out the junk food — the Gilmore girls are returning to the screen. Netflix recently announced that it will revive the popular television series “Gilmore Girls.” The stars of the show, Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, play the dynamic mother and daughter duo: Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. Fun and loving, singlemother Lorelai dreams of opening and inn, while best friend and daughter Rory has her sights set on a career in journalism.
Unlike many shows past and present, “Gilmore Girls” was not plot driven, rather character-centric. The focus was on the relatable relationship between Lorelai and Rory. The show revolves around the relationship of the two while they deal with the dramas of life and boys in the quirky small-town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. “I’m thrilled this revival is happening, because this show is something I grew up watching with my mom,” Natasha Harris, a junior majoring in biomedical sciences, said. “Even now that I’m away at college, it’s something we’re looking forward to doing together again.” The show aired from 2000
to 2007, with seven total seasons, all of which are available on Netflix for streaming. The final season ended with Lorelai rekindling her muchanticipated relationship with diner-owner Luke Danes, and Rory rejecting the marriage proposal of college sweetheart Logan Huntzberger before leaving for her first post-grad journalism assignment. The revival will take place in present day, roughly 10 years after the original show’s tenure. There will be four 90-minute episodes, each taking place during a different season, beginning with winter. It has not yet been announced whether or not the episodes will be released
all at once or individually on Netflix. Almost all of the original cast members have been confirmed for the revival, as well as a few new faces. According to Bustle, much to fans’ delight, all three of Rory’s past boyfriends have also been confirmed to make appearances at some point throughout revival. According to tv.com, “Sherman-Palladino has said that Rory will be single — as in not married — but dating when the series returns.” Debates and speculation on who Rory will end up with have already begun online and around campus. Morgan Eng, a junior majoring in advertising, said
“‘Gilmore Girls’ was one of my favorite shows to watch in high school, and I’m excited to see how the characters have changed over the years. I especially want to see Rory and Logan together again.” Although a release date has yet to be announced, it can be confirmed that filming has started. Several actors and actresses from the show have posted pictures on social media of them once again on the set of Stars Hollow. This long-awaited revival will give fans the chance to enjoy even more of the beloved characters in the show, as well as possibly receive the closure that they’ve been waiting for.
SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE
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“Do we need more services? Do we need less? Can we scale it back? Can we increase it? They’re going to be keeping track of it and we’ll look at it once we have a solid pool of data.” According to Malanga, the main goal is to publicize safety on campus. This includes spreading the word about SAFE Team hours and a week-long campaign during April that will emphasis safety resources available for students.
T H E O R AC L E
“We’re going to have a whole week in April where we actually publicize not only SAFE Team but all the safety resources we have on campus,” Malanga said. “Again, it’s another thing we promised during the campaign; that we would do a better job at advocating and letting students know about the resources we have. “I think that by doing a good job of letting them know and also having that increase service, hopefully will be two good changes we can make for the rest of March and April.”
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Classifieds UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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Camp Mataponi is hiring for paid summer internships and jobs. We are a premier children’s summer camp on Sebago Lake, Maine. Over 100 different positions available. Salaries start at $2100+ room/board. 561-748-3684 or campmataponi.com.
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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Softball
USF’s streak nears record high Despite a 2-7 start to the season, USF softball has responded with only two losses in their last 26 games. With its current 18-game winning streak, USF is only one win away from tying the program record. During this stretch, the Bulls are averaging 6.8 runs per game with six shutouts. USF had a similar streak last season, winning 16-straight before losing to Towsend. The Bulls enter conference play against East Carolina (18-13) in Greenville tonight at 6. -Staff report
Junior outfielder Juli Weber ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
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Despite junior Quinton Flowers being tabbed the starting quarterback entering spring practices, sophomore Asiantii Woulard is tight on his heels fighting to take his job. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
WATCH
Continued from PAGE 12
NO ROOM FOR COMFORT
With as impressive a season as USF had in 2015, it’d be easy to fall into the trap of complacency. That was something Taggart nipped in the bud early by reminding his team of a not-so-fond memory. “I reminded them about how everybody felt back in November when we were out here practicing while Houston and Temple were playing in the American Conference championship game,” Taggart said. “It ticked everybody off, it ticked me off and I’m still ticked off about it.” A coach driven by competition, Taggart is firm in his belief that his team hasn’t done anything special yet. With USF lurking as a contender for the AAC crown, being comfortable isn’t an option. “You either get better or you get worse, no one stays the same,” Taggart said. “We got better, but we didn’t get a lot of the things that we wanted to get accomplished, we didn’t get them accomplished. We can’t get complacent because we haven’t reached the top where we want to be.”
NEW YEAR, NEW STAFF
It’s been a challenge for Taggart to maintain a consistent coaching staff in his four years with USF. What is usually attributed to poor results, this year’s coaching tweaks were because his staff was sought after by other teams. Most notably was defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who left to take the same job at Indiana near his hometown. Allen’s 4-2-5 scheme vaulted USF from 72nd in the nation to 35th. Although the 4-2-5 will remain under recently promoted assistant Raymond Woodie, the true effects of Allen’s departure have yet to be seen. Other changes include wide receiver coach Ron Dugans heading to South Beach to take the same job under newly hired Miami head coach Mark Richt. Dugans was replaced with former Michigan assistant T.J. Weist. Former co-offensive coordinator Danny hope also left the program to be closer to his family. The offense will also see a boost with the hiring of former Tampa Bay Buccaneer dual-threat quarterback Sean King who will coach the quarterbacks. “The good thing about Sean is he has proof,” Taggart said of King, who took the Bucs to the NFC Championship game in 1999. “Some coaches just talk, where he has the proof.”
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The Rundown Outside USF
Rays travel to Cuba for historic game Major League Baseball returned to Cuba for the first time since 1999 on Tuesday when the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cuban National Team 4-1 at a packed Estadio Latinoamericano in Havana. In attendance were President Barrack Obama, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and future hall of famer Derek Jeter. James Loney dominated the game going 2-for-2 with an RBI single and a two-run home run. Cuba got on the board in the ninth inning with a solo home run by Rudy Reyes. Following the game, the Rays plane sat on the runway for six hours before returning back to U.S. soil.
USF spring game USF football’s spring practices are all open to the public. The spring will conclude with the annual spring game held at Corbett Soccer Stadium on April 16 at 4 p.m. A block party will also be held during the festivities including a postgame concert by The Daniel Sprouse Band.
Upcoming practices 9 - 10:45 a.m.: Friday, Monday, March 30, April 1, April 4, April 6, April 8, April 11, April 13, April 14 2:30 - 5 p.m.: Saturday and April 2 11 - 1:30: April 9 (at Pinellas Park High)
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Spring football notebook
THINGS TO WATCH BY JACOB HOAG, SPORTS EDITOR
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ith a clear sky hanging over the Frank Morsani Football complex, the Bulls — amped up by a miraculous 2015 turnaround— took the field Wednesday for their first spring practice. Bouncing back from a 4-8 season in 2014, USF trounced all expectations with an 8-4 record in 2015, even knocking off a ranked Temple team. But since then, much has changed and looking ahead, here are the major talking points expecting to surface throughout spring.
FLOWERS IS THE MAN, FOR NOW
The opening morning of practice — the type of high-energy affair synonymous with a Willie-Taggart-led team — was capped off by a dart from Asiantii Woulard to former quarterback-turnedreceiver Evan Wilson, who leapt over a defender and made the snag. This was just a snapshot of Woulard’s USF spring practice debut. Woulard — a 6-foot-3 transfer from UCLA — was ineligible for 2015, and will start the season behind USF’s newest gem Quinton Flowers, who enters his junior year holding the reins of the offense. The question is for how long? “My job is to recruit guys to come take other guys’ jobs,” Taggart said. “It’s up to the guys that have those jobs to keep their jobs. Quinton understands that, it’s Quinton’s job right now.” Flowers came alive last season with a shade under 3,300 all-purpose yards and 34 touchdowns. He enters the spring as the clear favorite, but in the back of his mind, the next man up — in this case Woulard — is lurking in the shadows.
RESTOCKING A DEPLETED O-LINE
USF has three 300-pound holes to fill on the offensive line with the departures of guard Thor Jozwiak, center Brynjar Gudmundsson and tackle Mak Djulbegovic. The 2015 offensive line started all 13 games together and, following some early hiccups, became one of the team’s stronger position groups. New co-offensive coordinator Darren Hiller, who replaced Danny hope, is also tasked with finding a replacement for tackle Reilly Gibbons — a contender for a starting job who was forced to leave the team due to a knee injury. One of two remaining starters from last year, senior tackle Kofi Amichia, is embracing the veteran role and looking to mesh quickly with whoever steps in on the line beside him. “We’re looking to take it to the next level,” Amichia said. “Every year we look to set the bar higher and higher. As for the young guys that are coming in, I think they’re going to be a special group. We might even be better than last year.”
n See WATCH on PAGE 11
“Every year, we look to set the bar higher and higher. As for the young guys that are coming in, I think they’re going to be a special group. We might even be better than last year.” Kofi Amichia Senior tackle
After turning USF around in his third season as head coach, Willie Taggart looks to keep up the pace to top last year’s performance. ORACLE
FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU