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the Oracle the University of South Florida’s student newspaper since 1966
Editor in Chief Jacob Hoag oracleeditor@gmail.com Managing Editor Miki Shine oraclemeditor@gmail.com Sports Editor Vinnie Portell oraclesportseditor@gmail.com Associate Editor Breanne Williams oracleopinion@gmail.com Lifestyle Editor Nicole Cate oraclelifestyleeditor@gmail.com
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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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CORRECTIONS The Oracle will correct or clarify factual errors. Contact Editor in Chief Jacob Hoag at 974-5190.
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News Briefs USF student honored at Trump address USF graduate student, Denisha Merriweather was honored at President Donald Trump’s first congressional address Tuesday night. She served as an example of students who have benefitted from federal credits for school choice — a program Trump wants to expand. Merriweather failed the 3rd grade twice at her Jacksonville public school before receiving a scholarship through Step Up for Students that allowed her to go to the private school of her choice. Step Up for Students creates scholarships for lower income families through the Florida Tax Credit school choice program. She was the first in her family to graduate and is currently studying social work.
Tallahassee mayor to run for governor Andrew Gillum, mayor of Tallahassee, announced Wednesday morning his intent to run for Florida governor in 2018 through a YouTube video. He’s been referred to as a rising star among the Democratic Party, so his announcement didn’t come as a surprise. Other Democrats who have been rumored to run are Miami Beach mayor Philip Levine, former Tallahassee U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham and Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan. Current Gov. Rick Scott (R) is termlimited.
news
A call for help
Over 6,000 votes have been cast in Universities search for solutions to growing mental health problems SG elections UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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By Abby Rinaldi S T A F F
By Jacob Hoag E D I T O R
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t’s not unusual for college students to feel the weight of school, work and their personal lives bearing down on their shoulders. But when the pressure becomes too strong, some students don’t know where to turn. This has led to a surge in mental health issues among college students, causing the number of Baker Acts on college campuses to soar, according to Rita DeBate, assistant vice president of Wellness at USF. Florida universities, including USF, are now pushing for the funding to help reverse the trend. “We’ve seen an increase in students who reported stress, anxiety and depression as the leading academic impediments,” DeBate said in a presentation to the USF Faculty Senate on Feb. 22. “This
is important because this is what the students are saying is an impediment to their academic success.” According to DeBate, USF specifically has seen an increase in the diagnosis of depression, diagnosis and treatment of panic attacks, suicide ideation and attempts, Baker Acts and other depressive symptoms. USF had 94 Baker Acts — a call for involuntary examination of a person that is believed to be of harm to oneself or others — since the beginning of the fall semester, averaging roughly three a week. “We have seen an increase in Baker Acts both in last academic year and this academic year at USF,” DeBate said in a separate interview with The Oracle, citing better information and reporting techniques as possible contributors to this upward shift. “But that trend is the same at most universities.” USF began tracking Baker Acts in 2016, according to USF
Counseling Center Hours
Mon., Wed., Thur.: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 24-hour phone 813-974-2831 spokesman Adam Freeman. At other universities across the state, the trend is consistent. UF has seen a 93 percent increase in Baker Acts since 2012, with 62 reported in the 2015-16 school year. UCF has
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W R I T E R
Student Government (SG) elections are coming to a close this evening. The polls will close at 11:59 p.m. and results will be announced at noon on Friday. Jennifer Bielen, assistant director for SG advising, said that as of Wednesday morning, over 6,000 votes had been cast in this year’s elections. Supervisor of Elections for SG Jalen LaRubbio said polling stations have run out of the more than 1,000 shirts SG purchased and pizza they hand out to students who vote at the polling stations. LaRubbio said SG has been giving out close to 40 pizzas a day. “It’s kind of hectic, but it seems like we’re having good numbers,” LaRubbio said. “Everything is running smooth.” All voting is online, but students can vote via iPad at polling stations. SG has been advertising the election through social media, mass emails and through the polling stations to try to entice students to vote, LaRubbio said. “Other than that, I think it’s actually great that the candidates are also doing a great job of getting their people out,” LaRubbio said. LaRubbio said he thinks it is important for students to get out and vote in the elections because those who win will serve as the students’ voice and make decisions on spending the money from the fees students pay. “I mean, it’s ultimately the people that end up being your voice and the people that end up allocating your money,” LaRubbio said. “There’s millions of dollars in (Activity and Service) fees that SG’s ultimately responsible (for) and it’s a fee that everyone pays on their tuition.”
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Opinion
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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EDITORIAL
Funding needed to combat students’ mental health issues Over the past few years, there has been a surge of mental health issues reported at colleges across the country. According to Rita DeBate, the assistant vice president of Wellness at USF, our university has seen an increase in the diagnosis of depression, panic attacks, Baker Acts and suicide ideation and attempts. Other colleges have noticed the unsettling increase as well, and the Florida Board of Governors submitted a legislative budget request of a recurring $14 million, which is supported by all 12 presidents in the Florida university system. The trend is not new, it has been steadily increasing for years. And it’s not being ignored. All major universities are stressing the importance of mental health. However, they aren’t receiving the funding needed to effectively combat it. President Judy Genshaft spoke out on the issue at the last Faculty Senate meeting, stating the money would be “divided up depending on the need per campus in a very fair and formulaic approach.” Counseling centers are understaffed, with students having to wait weeks in some instances to get an appointment. There have been 94 Baker Acts — a call for involuntary examination of someone who is believed to be a threat to themselves or others — at USF since the beginning of the fall semester, averaging at three a week. That is unacceptable. Our administration says they are ready to begin tackling the overwhelming issue
Two-thirds of students who are struggling do not seek treatment, according to the American College Health Association Spring 2015 assessment. Source: USAToday
running rampant through campus. Other universities are saying the same. The government needs to ensure the universities have the funding to do so. Of the $14 million requested, $7 million will go toward resources for treating mental health issues, while the other $7 million will go toward resources for campus safety. At the end of the day, $14 million is not an obscene amount of money. In reality, $14 million divided amongst 12 universities will not be enough. But it’s a decent start. Students are facing immense levels of stress. Many work multiple jobs, run on little sleep and are taking intense class loads. The expectations weighing on their shoulders cause such exhausting levels of stress that many begin to spiral.
The university needs to be able to pick them up when they do. Mental health is not some imaginary diagnosis made to coddle privileged “snowflakes.” It is real, and if not properly cared for, it can be destructive. There is no reason the student-to-counselor ratio at USF should be 2,000-to-1. There is no reason we should be understaffed. There is no reason why our government cannot make the necessary adjustments to fund $14 million to ensure the mental wellbeing of the students who call Florida home. The fact that the administrations of 12 colleges and universities are rallying behind the measure proves this is a real and pressing issue. Students have been lobbying for increased support for years. The universities are too. It’s imperative they receive
Source: USAToday
support. If students know there is little help for them, they won’t take precautionary measures to protect their mental health. They’ll bypass the warning signs and wait until it’s too late. We can’t wait until they are Baker Acted. We can’t wait until depression overtakes
them and they drop out of school. We absolutely can’t wait until they attempt to take their own lives. There are incredible students that call USF home. Whatever adjustments need to be made to obtain the funding will be worth it.
ULS event challenges audience to share their story
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By Breanne Williams A S S O C I A T E
E D I T O R
If you had one story to share with the world, what would you say? That’s the question Dear World, an interactive portrait project, asked hundreds of students and faculty members Wednesday in the Marshall Student Center Oval Theater. They voluntarily shared their stories and wrote an iconic phrase on their neck, hands or arms that was unique to their narrative. Their portraits were then taken and displayed in a video at the Dear World lecture brought by the University Lecture Series on Wednesday night. “The reality is some of our life experiences don’t have a big bam boom that unites people to us,” said Katie Greenman, a Dear World photographer and lecturer. “There isn’t a loud screaming
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that gets people to say, ‘Oh you need my help and I’m here for you.’ But the reality is that everyone in this room has their own story and their own experiences and has been through something. “Obviously, life can be hard and I know from all the stories today, there’s a reason you’re still in this chair. If we don’t have these moments uniting us and reminding us how much we need each other, that’s what I hope tonight becomes, a reminder that you all need and are hungry for each other.” Four students as well as Danielle McDonald, dean of students, shared their stories on stage before the crowd, explaining in three minutes what the words on their skin meant. After each speaker, Greenman asked the audience if they related to some aspect of the speaker’s story. Every time, nearly everyone
in attendance raised their hands. McDonald opened the evening by sharing her portrait. On her arms was written “because of my sophomore year.” She explained on her 20th birthday she received a phone call from her mother informing her that her father had an affair with a family friend. She flew home to take care of her mother and sister. She lost two friends in a car accident two weeks after she received the call on her birthday. McDonald said another of her friends was killed in a racist attack that year. However, she recalls the year was impactful in many positive ways as well. She became a resident assistant, found her major and began a new relationship. “During that time I experienced loss, hate, love and found my resilience,”
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Katie Greenman, photographer and lecturer from Dear World, addresses the crowd at the University Lecture Series. ORACLE PHOTO/JACKIE BENITEZ
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CRICKET
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with (the men’s cricket club) and they saw that I was interested in cricket, so they’d invite me over and teach me how to play cricket, give me pointers,” Pinnamaneni, also a member of SIA, said. “They were the ones who originally suggested that we start a team and keep doing it.” However, by fall 2015, the club was inactive. “Around that time, I became a senior in college and I had to focus on school and what I was going to do next,” Pinnamaneni said. “I had to give the club over to some of the other e-board members. They tried their best, but I guess they weren’t able to hold on to as many of the people.” She attributes this to many of the players being master’s students or seniors who graduated. She decided to try and restore the club during her final semester as an undergraduate last fall, but she found that because she wasn’t as involved on campus as before, this proved more difficult that originally starting the club. “I never really knew the gravity
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of it, I think, when I took it on in 2013,” Pinnamaneni said. As an alum, there are now limitations to what she can do to help the club, but she is determined to get it up and running. “I would definitely be more of a guidance than anything. I’d teach them how to do practices, I’d come up with drills and motivate them,” Pinnamaneni said. “I’ve made more connections since I first started it, so I know more ways for us to get involved with the national scene, and I feel like that’s something that might really motivate people.” She has kept in contact with some of the previous e-board members who still attend USF and are interested in rejoining it, as well as several “alumni students who live in the area are willing to come in for practices and teach some of the newer students.” The men’s cricket team has also resolved to aid the club get back on its feet. Sai Santosh Sala, a master’s student majoring in computer science, mentioned that the men’s squad has had unofficial discussions on what their helpful role will be, but a final decision hasn’t been made. Something that he said could
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Though the USF women’s cricket team was originally formed in April of 2014, it was inactive by the fall semester of 2015. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE help would be regularly scheduled, routine practices and friendly matches, a sentiment that is echoed by current WCC president Krithika Venugopal. “That’s something that we didn’t have, mostly because we had a greater turnover than other sports clubs,” Venugopal, a junior majoring in accounting, said. “People would come, they would join, they would play for a little bit, and they would leave, either
because they were graduating or they simply lost interest.” She also said that another major issue was the members not knowing about the sport or not being taught it properly. She said this is where Pinnamaneni’s connections will come in handy. The former president is hopeful for this resurrection, as she said the timing couldn’t be better. “The cricket scene in America is completely changing. The crick-
et scene is completely different than it used to be, and women’s cricket is becoming a lot more popular now, and that’s why I want America to have a really good cricket team,” Pinnamaneni said. “The American women’s cricket team might actually qualify for the World Cup this year, and so I think this is the perfect time to restart everything and get in on it.”
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seen a 109 percent increase in that span, with 115 reported in 2016. At USF, Baker Acts have peaked between the fourth and sixth week of each semester, varying evenly from freshmen to seniors. With the increasing need for resources to combat the rise in mental health issues, DeBate looks not only to the overwhelmed and understaffed counseling centers, but the campus as a whole. “The Counseling Center is not solely responsible,” DeBate said. “It takes a community to help solve this issue.” The student-counselor ratio at USF is around 2,000-to-1, which is nearly 500 more than the target amount, according to Lisa Ferdinand, interim co-director of the Counseling Center at USF. With the need for counseling services increasing by 48 percent since 2008-09, according to Communications Director for the State University System of the Florida Board
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of Governors Brittany Davis, the need for more resources is becoming more apparent. “I think it’s important for everybody to know that this is a national trend,” USF System President Judy Genshaft told the Faculty Senate. “This is something that’s occurring on all of the Florida campuses.” In an attempt to aid the struggling counseling centers, the Florida Board of Governors submitted a legislative budget request of a recurring $14 million with the support of all 12 presidents of the State University System. The funding will be broken down with $7 million going toward resources to help treat mental health issues, and the other $7 million funding resources for campus safety. Genshaft said the money would be “divided up depending on the need per campus in a very fair and formulaic approach.” “We don’t know if we’re going to get (the funding) yet,” DeBate said. “But because of the mental health issues affecting college students and the rise of Baker Acts, the members of the State University System got together
and requested additional (funding) just for that.” This funding would be the backbone of projects the school hopes to implement such as success and wellness coaching that will offer more resources on stress management, time management and relationship difficulties. Another is the Cognito program, which would train faculty and students on how to identify the warning signs of mental health issues before it’s too late using the “recognize, relate and refer” process. Recognize the warning signs, relate and talk to the person and refer them to the appropriate resource. “I do think we need to take a public health approach,” DeBate said. “Some of the things I think we can do as a university is create a culture of mental health literacy, meaning that all faculty, all staff, all students are aware of mental health issues and can recognize behaviors that may indicate mental health issues. “If we can get people doing that, we can be identifying students earlier, which would increase the rate of them getting help.”
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,McDonald said. “But what I also remember was that it was university staff, friends and that boy I was dating who helped me through it. “Because of that, I decided to work on a college campus and help college students with their experiences they were going through … Because of my sophomore year I have the family I treasure and the career that I love.” Kenny, a senior, said she was a victim of sexual assault. She said through her time at USF, she was able to begin the process of healing. Greenman had the audience look around after Kenny’s story. Nearly everyone had raised their hands saying they knew someone who suffered from sexual assault. She said this was a reminder that people need to talk about the issue. Greenman asked the audience to partner up with someone near them and share their stories with each other.
Payton Booker, a senior majoring in mass communications, said the experience showed people are listening and are there for students. Booker had written, “Beauty has no color” for her portrait and said it stemmed from growing up in a small town where women of color were not considered to be beautiful. She said it hit her selfesteem hard and it wasn’t until she came to college that she realized she was beautiful in her own skin. Booker said she wished the activity was utilized more on campus because it might help people understand each other better and diminish some of the divisions students create on different issues. Jenifer Ollis, a junior majoring in pre-social work, was partnered with Booker during the activity. Neither girl knew the other, but both said the activity was beneficial. “I thought it was really awesome,” Ollis said. “It was really community building and definitely opened my eyes to a lot of the struggles other people are going through on campus.”
Sports
Up to the challenge
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Women’s Basketball
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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Henshaw has overcome her small size and injuries to earn starting role for USF By Vinnie Portell S P O R T S
E D I T O R
Every time Tamara Henshaw jumps up to fight for a rebound, she knows she’s at a disadvantage. Standing at 6-foot-1, the USF forward is often several inches shorter than the opponents she fiercely battles with. But as she’s proven time and time again throughout her freshman season, Henshaw is up to the challenge. “I don’t use me being undersized as something that holds me back from anything,” Henshaw said. “I have to fight for everything, and I knew that coming in to this. I knew I was going to be undersized and playing against juniors and seniors in college. “It doesn’t matter because you have to fight, that’s what you have to do. It doesn’t matter who you are or how big you are, you have to fight.” That fight Henshaw brings each night she plays for USF women’s basketball is something that’s quickly endeared her among teammates and fans. The lone freshman starter, Henshaw has averaged 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 points on a team-high 62.9 percent shooting through 29 games, but what she provides the Bulls night-in and night-out can’t be summed up in a box score. “We’re out there cheering after she gets a big rebound over a bigger post player,” sophomore forward Kitija Laksa said. “We really lack that length that we need in the post, but she goes hard. She gets a rebound and then a put-back and everyone gets really excited about it all.” Playing a style of basketball that coaches and teammates describe as “blue-collar” and “tough,” Henshaw said she’s more than willing to do whatever it takes to win.
In the second quarter of a home game against UCF on Feb. 14, Henshaw leapt into the air for a put-back layup, but fell to the court in agony as she rolled her ankle on her descent. Her cries of pain could be heard from any seat in the Sun Dome, and coaches doubted her return that night. “She turns the ankle unusually, so I go out on the floor with the trainer and strength coach and usually when you untie the sneaker, it’s never a good sign,” associate coach Jeff Osterman said. “It means you’re done. Usually you tighten it up, if anything. It looked excruciating. They took the shoe off and we carried her to the locker room and she was loud and in visible pain. By the time I came back to the bench, I didn’t think I’d see her again.” Though she left the game with the Bulls leading by one, when she returned minutes later to the surprise of her team, UCF had taken a nine-point lead. “I can’t be on the bench, I can’t sit,” Henshaw said. “Especially with close games, it’s really hard for me to sit. I know what I can do to help and get the team up or at least do something to help. When I rolled my ankle, I knew I had to go back out there. It didn’t matter, I had to. When I came back out and we were down by nine, it bugged me a lot. I was like, ‘What the heck happened? I was gone for like two minutes.’ “It made me mad that that happened and that we went down. So, I knew I had to keep going.” That burning desire to help her team win pushed Henshaw to earn a starting role just 10 games into the season, even after a preseason injury delayed her conditioning. After injuring her back as the result of a hard fall early in a preseason practice, the freshman was confined to the exercise bike until the season began.
Club Sports
Women’s cricket team aims for return to USF By Nyki Cate L I F E S T Y L E
Since becoming a regular starter on Dec. 20, USF forward Tamara Henshaw has the second-most rebounds on the Bulls. ORACLE PHOTO/JACKIE BENITEZ
“I hated being stuck on the bike,” Henshaw said. “I knew I wasn’t out there showing what I can do and how I can help the team. I definitely don’t like sitting on the bike watching, I want to be in it.” There was an open opportunity for a freshman to step in and earn valuable minutes, but Henshaw was far behind the pack in terms of conditioning because of her injury. However, it was on Dec. 20 — just over a month into the season — when Henshaw learned she would be starting for the first time in a Bulls uniform.
USF was playing in the Play4Kay Tournament in Las Vegas and had opened with an unexpected 73-68 loss to Long Beach State that prompted USF coach Jose Fernandez to change his lineup. “It was right before the game (against Santa Clara) he told me I was going to start, and I was just shocked,” Henshaw said. “I was like, ‘Wow, thank you for this opportunity.’ It was amazing, it was just something I wasn’t expecting. “Kit (Laksa) knew before I did, and she was excited for me before I knew. I was so confused why she
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E D I T O R
On the list of revered American sports, cricket does not rank highly. However, USF does have bragging rights when it comes to the sport seeing as how, not only is the men’s team ranked No. 1 in the U.S., but the USF Women’s Cricket Club (WCC) is the first women’s collegiate cricket team in the country. The WCC is relatively new, and while there has been an unofficial team going as far back as 2012, it wasn’t anything too serious. During that year, they played a few matches in the USF Student Premier League (SPL), a tournament put together by students, and realized that they could be an actual team. According to Reshma Pinnamaneni, the founding president, the team officially started in 2013, but apart from playing several matches in that year’s SPL, the only thing they really did was work on having a more established and experienced club. The team was formally launched in April 2014, and was made up of mainly master’s students and alumni. It started with 12 members and, at its highest, recruited 30 people. There also happened to be a large crossover between both the men’s and women’s cricket teams with the Students of India Association (SIA), as the sport is most popular in the East. “I was able to get in touch
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was coming up to me and telling me to get ready. But she was the first one I told. I was excited. I was nervous and anxious. But Kit told me before the year, ‘When you play, just think like it’s a normal high school game. Don’t think of it as being in college, just go out and play your hardest.’” The Bulls won that game 63-54, and Henshaw has started all 28 games since. Though USF (22-7, 11-5) has had its share of ups-and-downs this season, Henshaw has remained a steady presence in the lineup. She’s been named the AAC Freshman of the Week twice and is second on the team in rebounding since she was named a starter. On some nights, Osterman said he has to make himself remember she’s just a freshman. “Really, she comes out rarely, when she’s just exhausted,” Osterman said. “I think she’s the kid who gives you everything she’s got in the gas tank until she’s at that point of exhaustion. She comes out, needs about a minute and a half, and then goes right
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back in.” Though Henshaw said she still grits her way through pain in her back and ankle, she’s also excited at her first taste of postseason action at the collegiate level. With USF’s regular season over, the Bulls will first play in the AAC tournament, beginning Saturday with a game against the winner of SMU and East Carolina. Following the conclusion of the conference tournament, the Bulls will then head back to the NCAA Tournament, something Henshaw has looked forward to and worked tirelessly toward since committing to USF. Though the Bulls will have to match up against the giants of women’s basketball such as No.1 UConn to reach their goals, Henshaw isn’t deterred from the fight. “I always want to prove people wrong,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to think we’re playing a good team, so we’re going to lose. I want to play a good team and know we’re able to win. “I definitely want us to win the NCAA championship, I want to win the conference, I just want to win. That’s my biggest thing, I love to win.”
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