The Oracle
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Andrew Gillum speaks to students about planned gubernatorial plea By Jesse Stokes N E W S
E D I T O R
Tallahassee mayor and gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum (D) met with students on campus and discussed issues including student loans, college affordability and fouryear degree alternatives on Wednesday. “First and foremost the loan business, largely in the private sector, will require congress to engage and start to crack down on some of the predatory lending practices that exist,” Gillum said. He also said while his campaign has not yet introduced its plan for college affordability, they do have one in the works. “We have not completely rolled out our plan on this, but one of the ideas that you are going to be hearing from us is going to be our commitment to students who are willing to go in critical need hiring areas in the state and make college free for them,” Gillum said.
U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F LO R I DA
Gillum said these critical-need hiring areas include teachers, nurses and forestry, as all are currently experiencing shortages of new hires. “For those high need areas where we should be growing the kind of talent and potential that we need in Florida, we are going to make it accessible and affordable and free for those who are willing to go into those critical need areas,” Gillum said. Gillum also said businesses should support employees morally and financially in achieving their higher education goals. He said this will help stimulate the state’s job market. “While we have a governor that calls himself the jobs governor, almost fortysix percent of the folks in this state say that they do not make enough at their job to make ends
n See Gillum on PAGE 3
Hispanics stand strong during heritage month Page 4
Investigate Exxon for misleading the public Page 6
USF ready for season opening Page 8
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the Oracle the University of South Florida’s student newspaper since 1966
Editor in Chief Miki Shine oracleeditor@gmail.com News Editor Jesse Stokes oraclenewsteam@gmail.com Opinion Editor Renee Perez oracleopinion@gmail.com
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NEWS
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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CAM features new virtual art exhibit
News Briefs
By Maria Ranoni C O R R E S P O N D E N T
Pete Davidson headlines Round Up Live from USF, it’s Friday night! Comedian and star of Saturday Night Live Pete Davidson will be the main attraction for the Bulls Nite Out: Round Up Comedy Show. The event will be hosted by the Campus Activities Board and will take place in the Sun Dome from 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Davidson has brought his jokes to hit shows in the past such as, Guy Code, Nick Cannon Presents: Wildin’ Out and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In order to gain entry to the event students will need their ID and seating is on a first come first serve basis.
Charolettesville statues cannot be seen
Statues of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson still watch over the town of Charlottesville, Virginia. However, the statues were covered with black tarps on Wednesday after the city was filled with protests, hate and violence. The demand for the removal of the statues still exists not only in Charlottesville, but also around the nation. MORE COVERAGE
Keep an eye out for Friday’s special edition of The Oracle focused on the start of the football season.
Deomcratic candidate for governor, Andrew Gillum, met with students at the first Bull Market of the semester. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE
Gillum
Continued from PAGE 1
meet at the end of the month,” Gillum said. Gillum said his vision for postgraduate Floridians is for them to remain local in their careers. He hopes to see Florida communities booming with new business opportunities and ventures that can adequately compensate employees in salary and work opportunities. “I believe that we can do that here in Florida, but it takes a governor who is committed to try and create the kind of economy that will work for
everybody,” Gillum said. Gillum also said a four-year education program should not be the only option for students in Florida. “I think it is absolutely critical that we get back into investing in vocational, technical, skill building, certificate programs and training,” Gillum said. Gillum said the nature of jobs is changing. He said fortune five hundred companies are not necessarily citing that they are in need of employees with a bachelor degree. They are more so focused on potential employees with specialized training. Though Gillum said four-year degrees are still a beneficial
aspect of our society, “you do not need to be on a college bound track to get access to skill building, that you could then monetize and get a good job.” Gillum said the idea of vocational programs is not a new idea, but rather one that needs to be reintroduced into Florida’s educational program. “I think that we have to make everybody body in our society is useful and purposeful, and part of that is making sure that they get access to the kind of training that they need,” Gillum said.
The USF Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) and the Honor’s College hosted “Art and Ice” on Wednesday as part of Week of Welcome. Students came out to CAM for a virtual exhibition by Belgian artist David Claerbout. They were asked to take creative selfies with the art and received free snow cones afterwards. “Art and Ice is trying to incorporate social media with how we experience art. So, we’re hoping to bring in a bunch of people from our campus to experience art in a fun new way,” said Natalie Bohin, Honor’s College student liaison for the graphics studio and CAM. Jeannie Ambrosio, a second year graduate student in the art history program, said “I think it’s crucial for [students] to experience the art education programs the museum offers.” According to CAM, C l a e r b o u t ’s “skilled manipulation of still and moving images appears to capture another dimension of existence, shifting between past and present. The resultant works are immersive environments in which the viewer is invited to engage both philosophically and aesthetically.” The museum took viewers on a tour of Claerbout’s art and encompassed them with large screens showcasing digital videos and moving images. “The arts are always important to have a presence on our campus, but for this specifically, I think it offers a unique perspective and it really opens your mind and allows you to think deeply about things you wouldn’t normally think about,” said Olivia Davis, a senior majoring in business management.
LIFESTYLE
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Hispanics stand strong during national heritage month Snapshot of events By jENNIFER RUGHOONUNDAN L I F E S T Y L E
E D I T O R
Kicking off a new semester, USF celebrates diversity with National Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. University organizations gear up to highlight new advances in the community while exhibiting solidarity during current U.S. political affairs. “Hispanic Heritage Month keep us united,” said Hadrian Cortes, Treasurer of the Latino fraternity, Lambda Upsilon Lambda. “It reminds us that we still play a big influence in other people’s lives.” Cortes and his fraternity brothers stay active with the off-campus program Pasos Al Futuro to provide outreach to Hispanics in need. Their service involves helping immigrant families navigate the process of standardized testing, obtaining scholarships and applying for college.
“It’s played a pretty big effect in our community,” Cortes said. “There’s like four or five sessions every semester, at least 100 kids every single one. It’s very influential to these kids. There’s literally some who don’t any English and it helps a of kids like that.” According to the United States Census Bureau, Hispanics in the U.S. amount to 17.6 percent of the entire national population The demographic is the largest ethnic minority in the country, as of 2015. “Every year we’re growing and growing,” said Hernan Benavides from the USF Latin American Student Association. “We are part of the economy, we are becoming more embedded with the culture here. Our culture is getting into the mainstream. The political climate is not so good toward immigrants, so I think it’s a way to make our voices heard.”
Leonor O’Relly, Chair of the Status of Latinos (SoL) Committee at USF, said current political turmoil is not a set-back to empowering individuals from the Hispanic community to persist with their success. “You have to be aware and you have to be informed,” said Dr. Leonor O’Relly, Chair of the Status of Latinos (SoL) Committee at USF. “But I don’t let that personally affect the goals and what we set out to do. We have to continue regardless of what could be happening. The university shows the commitment to diversity, and our scholarship has continued to be effective.” The Status of Latinos Committee is a presidential advisory committee that informs President Judy Genshaft of matters affecting the Latino community on-and-off campus. They take great pride in being another source of continuity for USF’s Hispanic heritage
celebration, which according to O’Relly, began in the early 1990s with ‘Que Papa USF.’ During SoL’s annual Hispanic Heritage Award Luncheon individuals who help to advance the Hispanic culture and demographic will he highlighted. The Pathway Award will be presented to recognize faculty, students and community members and the SoL Scholarship will be conferred to a student who cannot qualify for financial aid because they are undocumented, or have parents who are undocumented. “To me, that’s what it’s all about,” said O’Relly. “The significance of helping others to succeed and in life in general. It’s about the people, and advancing through the people who are making a difference. We have to improve whatever needs to be. It’s a celebration of moving forward.”
9/5 Hispanic Heritage Award Luncheon: USF Ballroom, 12 PM 9/15 - 10/15 Lambda Bodega - Bull Market 9 AM - 4 PM •Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. will host a table at Bull Market and feature different Hispanic places at random through food and music. 10/5 Noche Latina - MSC 2100 7 - 11:30 PM •Sponsored by Mexican American Student Association, Latin American Student Association and Boricua Student Association 10/12 Spanish Spelling Bee - MSC Amphitheater 5:30 - 8 PM •Sponsored by Latin American Student Association and Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc.
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The media needs to cover news besides Charlottesville
Investigate the government and Exxon for misleading the public
By Miki Shine E D I T O R
A newly published Harvard study concluded that ExxonMobil ‘misled the public about climate change’ for nearly 40 years; government officials with ties to the oil company should be investigated and held accountable. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE By Renee Perez O P I N I O N
E D I T O R
ExxonMobil has deliberately “misled the public about climate change” for nearly 40 years according to an empirical study conducted by a team of Harvard researchers, and it needs to be held accountable. The study examined 187 documents about climate change that were created and circulated by ExxonMobil between 1977 and 2014 and “compare[d] their positions on climate change as real, humancaused, serious, and solvable.” The texts analyzed by the researchers included companysponsored peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed publications, private company communications and editorial-style advertisements in the New York Times known as “advertorials.” Researchers Supran and Oreskes found that “83% of peer-reviewed papers and 80% of internal documents acknowledge that climate change is real and humancaused, yet only 12% of advertorials do so, with 81% instead expressing doubt.” In other words, texts intended for public consumption—most notably the New York Times advertorials— consistently casts doubt on the credibility of climate science. In contrast, the company’s private records nearly always affirm that climate change is real and caused by
human activity, a hypothesis upon which 97 percent of scientists agree. The researchers identified the trend that “as documents become more publicly accessible, they increasingly communicate doubt” about whether climate change is real, human-caused, serious or solvable. For instance, one internal 1979 text bluntly acknowledges “the increase [in atmospheric carbon-dioxide] is due to fossil fuel combustion,” while advertorials from the same year propagate the false narrative that climate science is too dubious to be taken seriously. Supran and Oreskes’ findings, although not entirely surprising, are demoralizing and infuriating. They not only demonstrate that ExxonMobil has known about climate change for nearly 40 years, but they also reveal that the company has fully understood its own industry’s negative impact on the planet for the same amount of time. Further, ExxonMobil’s inconsistent messages about global warming offer indisputable proof that the only reason there is a debate about climate change in this country is because fossil fuel giants disseminate falsehoods even they do not believe simply for the sake of protecting fossil fuel empires. This calculated, decades-old deception campaign would not be so deeply disturbing if the ties between the American government
and ExxonMobil—the 13 largest oil company in the world, according to Forbes—were not so strong. Open Secrets, a non-profit, nonpartisan research group that tracks the activity of lobbying groups in the United Sates, reports that ExxonMobil spent $11,840,000 on lobbying efforts in 2016. Additionally, Open Secrets notes a staggering 73 percent of the oil giant’s lobbyists have previously held government jobs. Additionally, current Secretary of State Rex Tillerson joined the ranks of Exxon in 1975 and served as its chairman and CEO from 2006 to 2016. The data strongly suggests ExxonMobil and the U.S. government have colluded for decades to stall the crucial transition away from climatewarming fossil fuels by controlling public opinion through propaganda that contradict the company’s own sentiments. There is no debate: the effects of human-made climate change will fundamentally devastate life on this planet. Given Supran and Oreske’s conclusion, Exxon has been consciously deceiving the public about this since at least 1977 and it is unconscionable to not investigate to what extent current and former government officials with links to Exxon were involved in this conspiracy.
Renee Perez is a junior majoring in political science and economics
I N
C H I E F
Since the Charlottesville riot on Aug. 13, people have received a consistent stream of media stories and TV segments concerning the latest ridiculous thing a politician said on the matter or who is to blame. Meanwhile, more important stories are being missed. The attack in Barcelona that happened five days after the Charlottesville riots had far less attention. In Barcelona, a van was driven into pedestrians and left 13 people dead and 130 people injured. One of those killed in Barcelona was American. While that attack did receive more attention than others, the coverage was a blip on the radar in comparison to Charlottesville. Rather than looking at the violence in Libya that included the beheading of eleven people on Wednesday, CNN talked about “Trump voter says Charlottesville was a setup,” and Fox News was making fun of ESPN for pulling announcer Robert Lee from a Virginia game because he shares a name with the Confederate general. Networks have moved away from 24-hour coverage of Charlottesville, but it still receives daily reports ten days later. It would be one thing if the coverage was talking about those impacted by the riots or investigating the systemic issues that lead to the violence. However, that’s
not the conversation. It’s time to move on. That’s not the same as forgetting what happened or forgetting those who were hurt – it should be remembered – but constant coverage is serving as a distraction from other events. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Florida is struggling to keep up with medical marijuana demands as thousands of patients receive doctor’s certifications to use it. A Reuters report said 153 autopsies specifically cited tasers as a contributing factor to the person’s death. However, the company producing these tasers say they have killed 24 people and it wasn’t by the charge, but rather from falls or a fire caused by the discharge. M e a nw h i l e, multiple states including Florida and New York are starting to plan for constitutional conventions to amend, tweak or improve the state’s founding documents. These, along with other stories, aren’t receiving much attention because in news violence sells and the industry is trying to stay afloat. However, that’s not enough reason to stretch an event into weeks of coverage just looking at the violence. It’s time to take a more serious look at what’s going on in the world rather than staying focused on the violence of a single event. Miki Shine is a senior majoring in mass communications
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Math and/or reading teaching assistants for all ages, 3 years old to high school. Monday and Thursday, 3 pm to 8 pm. Flexible. No experience needed. Email kumon.wesleychapel.s@gmail.com Juicerista The first certified organic juice bar in Florida is here! We are currently looking for enthusiastic, customer service orientated, and motivated candidates to join our team! Hours are flexible ranging from early morning to evening. The position includes preparing juice, smoothies, acai bowls, and small bites for our guests. Please send resumes to carrollwood@cleanjuicebar.com and/or apply online at https://www. cleanjuicebar.com/juicerista-applications Email carrollwood@cleanjuicebar.com
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Sports
USF ready for San Jose State
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New service coming to USF tailgates in 2017
Football
USF and UConn are the only non-power-5 schools the Tailgate Guys will offer services to in 2017. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/JACOBHOAG By Sam Newlon C O R R E S P O N D E N T
QB Quinton Flowers dives for a touchdown in 2016’s season opener. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/JACOBHOAG By John Black C O R R E S P O N D E N T
USF coach Charlie Strong won’t be the only coach making his program debut when USF plays at San Jose State on Saturday at 7 p.m., but he will be the one with the more proven team. While the Bulls went 11-2 in 2016, San Jose State recorded just four wins en route to their fourth straight losing season and the firing of their former head coach Ron Caragher. Despite last season’s success, the Bulls recognize they haven’t proven anything in 2017. “Right now, it’s good everybody has recognized all the hard work we put in over the summer and over last year,” RB D’Ernest Johnson said at Tuesday’s press conference. “But it’s a new year and we’ve got to keep it moving.” Despite many unknowns concerning the new staffs of both teams, the Bull’s have a significant advantage with QB
Quinton Flowers, a potential Heisman candidate. Meanwhile, Spartans firstyear coach Brett Brennan has yet to name a starting quarterback for the opener. There’s currently a threeman battle for the job, and sophomore Josh Love is the only Spartan QB that has played in a Division I game. Though it’s still unknown who’ll be running the Spartans offense on Saturday, it’s possible that San Jose State will have an similar offense to USF as the Spartan’s Offensive Coordinator, Andrew Sowder, worked under USF Offensive Coordinator Sterlin Gilbert at Texas, Bowling Green and Eastern Illinois. “He was with us last year at Texas, and actually him and Sterlin have the same background being at Bowling Green and everywhere,” Strong said about Sowder. “But the key thing for us on defense is not so much worry about what he’s gonna do, but we have to worry about ourselves.”
USF finished last season with the fifth best rushing offense in the nation and averaged over 285 yards per game. With seniors Quinton Flowers, Darius Tice and D’Ernest Johnson, the Bulls run game will try to emulate last year’s success against the Spartans, who finished 2016 with the 122nd ranked rushing defense (246 YPG). Despite the Spartans dismal defensive numbers from last season, Johnson emphasized the importance of taking things one game at a time. “Can’t overlook them, we have to take this game like it’s the last game,” Johnson said. “I’m just going to go out and be the best I can be.” Possibly stemming from the top down, Strong shared the same mentality as Johnson. “I love our overall attitude,” Strong said. “We just cannot allow complacency to set in. We have to think of every game as a one game season. One game at a time.”
USF football fans can have a tailgating experience without the preparation with a new service from Tailgate Guys. Tailgate Guys will be offering a full service tailgating experience for USF’s first home game against Stony Brook on Sept. 2. Five package options will be available for purchase during the 2017 football season starting at $250 per game. The company will offer a 10-by-10-foot tent, five tailgate chairs, a 6-foot table with linens and a personalized sign in their cheapest package. Larger tents, more chairs, ice-filled coolers, television sets, catered food and beverages are all offered by Tailgate Guys at an additional cost. Certain packages include parking passes. In addition to amenities, the company handles all set-up and cleanup of the tailgate. “You pick a package and we do the rest,” Deaven Phillips, a Tailgate Guys Tampa employee said. “People order tents, chairs, coolers and food if they want it, then we set it up before they get there on game
day. After they leave for the game, we pack up everything from the location.” All tents will be located in the 6D parking lot outside Raymond James Stadium’s south end zone, which will be blocked off for the exclusive use of the new service in 2017. USF is one of the recent additions to the company and is one of two non-power-5 schools the Tailgate Guys serve. The other 15 schools are UConn, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Alabama, Florida, Georgia Tech, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M and Auburn, where the company was founded eight years ago. Several university organizations have already reserved spots for Tailgate Guy’s inaugural season in Tampa, according to Phillips. Individuals interested in reserving spots for the 2017 season can find and request more information on tailgateguys.com. Fans will still be able to independently tailgate as in years past, but should know some parking may change.