The Oracle MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2015 I VOL. 53 NO. 5
Inside this Issue
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News.................................................................1 classifieds..............................................7 Opinion.......................................................6 Crossword.........................................7 sports............................................................8
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Oh Myyy!
n USF ends WOW by announcing star-studded lineup including George Takei, Laverne Cox and Big Sean. By Chelsea Mulligan S T A F F
W R I T E R
Montage
S PORTS Chance leads Bulls to pair of shutouts. BACK
To end Week of Welcome with a bang, several prominent speakers were announced for future lectures on campus, and Center for Student Involvement (CSI) also announced the headliner for this year’s homecoming after party. Receiving the most applause at Friday’s Round-Up comedy show were the announcements of trans activist Laverne Cox, who will speak as part of the University Lecture Series (ULS) in the spring, and rapper Big Sean, who will perform at this year’s Homecoming in October. The day before, social media on campus was abuzz with the announcement that former Star Trek actor and LGBT advocate George Takei will come to campus in April as part of the Frontier Forum Lecture Series, presented by the USF Phi Beta Kappa Alumni
Faculty and sponsored by the USF Office of the Provost and the USF College of Arts and Sciences. The first speaker announced for ULS is RJ Mitte, who played Walter White Jr. on AMC’s “Breaking Bad.” He and his character share the condition of cerebral palsy, and his lecture will cover overcoming adversity in the entertainment industry. Mitte also works as a celebrity ambassador on behalf of United Cerebral Palsy. He will speak Sept. 16 in the MSC Ballroom, and his lecture will cost $18,500. On March 21, Cox will come to USF to share her message of moving beyond gender expectations to live more authentically. Cox is the first transgender black woman to appear on a mainstream television show, beloved for her Emmynominated role as Sophia Burset on Netflix’s hit series “Orange is the New Black.” She is the first transgender black woman to appear on a mainstream televi-
sion show. ULS is contracted to pay $40,500 for Cox’s lecture. The announcement of hip-hop artist Big Sean, who will perform on campus Oct. 9, received some of the largest cheers at Friday’s Round-Up. Big Sean is best know for hits such as “Blessings” and “Dance (A$$),” both of which have cracked the Billboard Hot 100, along with other collaborations with rappers Kanye West and Drake. After leaving hints on social media and reaching 100 new likes on Facebook, the College of Arts and Sciences revealed its Frontier Forum speakers, forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu and author Laura Schroff. Omalu, who will visit USF to speak Dec. 3, is known for performing the autopsy on Pittsburgh Steelers player Mike Webster and discovering a new disease he named “chronic traumatic
n See SPEAKERS on PAGE 2
George Takei
Laverne Cox
Big Sean
Collier donation to rename Student Success Center By Grace Hoyte E D I T O R
Barron and Dana Collier announced their $10.85 million gift Thursday afternoon, renaming the Student Success Center in the Muma College of Business. ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
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The last 12 months have been kind to USF. USF alumnus Barron Collier and wife Dana announced their $10.85 million donation Thursday afternoon inside the Muma College of Business. The gift is not the couple’s first, but is the most substantial. It is the latest in a series of large gifts to the university’s $1 billion USF: Unstoppable campaign. The campaign has received five major donations since October of last year, which total $65 million.
The Collier family, which is already highly involved at USF and in the Tampa area, has been contributing to the university for years, and its donations to the Corporate Mentor Program have been important for students. The program is designed to enable and encourage first generation college students to attend and succeed in school. Collier and his wife have attended the Muma College of Business scholarship luncheon since 2011, and the couple has gotten to meet many of the student recipients. At the announcement, a
n See DONATION on PAGE 2