Usf week by USF Oracle

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Table of Contents About USF Week ............. 5

Ultimate Bulls Talent Show . 6

Humans of New York Lecture . 8

Undergrad Research Colloquium . 15

Bullstock 2016 ............ 16

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USF Week tradition in the making By Grace Hoyte E D I T O R

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If you started at USF four years ago, you will have been part of the first freshman class to celebrate USF Week. But if you’re new to campus, you may have absolutely no idea what USF Week is. A tradition that began six years ago by then-mayor of Tampa, Pam Iorio, USF Week began as USF Day: April 9. It’s was an officially designated day. Look it up. “(It was) a day to celebrate the founding of USF, the history of USF, everything it means to be USF,” said Athena Bressack, Campus Traditions Board coordinator. “And then, four years ago, Student Government came to the Center for Student Involvement and said that they wanted to expand USF Day

to a whole week in order to enhance what we’re celebrating.” USF Week began with a few staple programs like the Ultimate Bull Talent Show and Rocky’s Birthday, each which served different purposes. “We decided we wanted a more dressy event, kind of like the Homecoming Ball,” Bressack said. “So we designated Rocky’s Birthday Bash, since Rocky D. Bull is our mascot, everyone loves him.” And the agenda has just grown since. This year, the week will begin with a pep rally-style kickoff event in the Marshall Student Center (MSC) Amphitheater. A ULS speech by Humans of New York creator Brandon Stanton and the end-of-week Bullstock music festival will punctuate this year’s celebration. But the question remains:

what is USF Week? Bressack suggested it’s in the motto. Today, Tomorrow, Forever Bulls. “That tagline stays every year, and I think that’s why it’s so important. It talks about who we are today and where we’re going,” she said. “So, I think this is a time to focus on the students who are currently here. It also works out nicely that it’s near the end of the year; it’s a good reflection time for our seniors. (It’s) one more week to celebrate what it’s like to be here.” The point of the week, Bressack said, is tradition. USF Week has been fairly uniform since its inception, with a core selection of events to which a few have been added in hopes of fostering a tradition. “What the Center for Student Involvement did, with (SG’s) directive, was make sure Bullstock happened during

USF Week and added some other signature programs to make sure we celebrated other pieces of what it means to be USF,” she said. Creating these traditions is something current USF students get to experience firsthand, as the university is only as old as some of their parents. Something Bressack emphasized about USF Week is its youth. This semester’s fourth year seniors will be the first graduating class to have celebrated USF Week during freshman year, so the tradition is still under construction. The week also serves as encouragement and inspiration for other student organizations to establish traditions. “I didn’t attend undergrad here, so I don’t know the pulse (of the university) the way a student does,” Bressack admitted. “I think they establish

traditions by not just working with us — The Campus Traditions Board, we just provide the signature traditions — but there are so many traditions that exist organically on this campus that we don’t take part in but just try to highlight.” Ultimately, she said, USF Week is a way to encourage students to “feel connected” to the university — a sort of Spring semester Homecoming week — and remain optimistic about the future. “It’s a time for USF to celebrate who USF is and what USF can be; I think it’s a very optimistic week,” she said. “And that’s what the tagline is about. It’s about who we are now, who we — as a community — want to be tomorrow, and what’s going to last.”

Bulls got talent By Abby Rinaldi C O - N E W S

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The USF Center for Student Involvement (CSI) is rolling out the red carpet on Wednesday for the fourth annual Ultimate Bull Talent Show. Students will be able to walk the red carpet and take photos as they enter the show, which is free for students and open to the public. The show will be hosted by the improv group Got Jokes and will feature 12 different acts and a surprise special guest. “The event will really mirror somewhat of America’s Got Talent or … American Idol,” Ron Palmer, graduate advisor for the Campus Traditions Board, said. Palmer has been working with the Campus Traditions Board for two to three months planning the show. The process involved auditions, organizing, procuring judges, run-

ning through the show and promoting the event. “(There are) just a lot of things in the background that will all come together on the night of,” Palmer said. Palmer said that 19 students applied and auditioned, which was then narrowed down to the 12 acts that will be at the show. The acts include music, stand-up comedy and spokenword poetry. “The highlight of the event, at least from... the graduate student perspective, is really getting to see the creativity that the students here at USF have,” Palmer said. “It’s not that often that we’re able to kind of put together an event like this and have close to 700 people come out and attend and really put together almost the actual full level production for this event.” The show is set for 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. in the Marshall Student Centers Oval Theater.

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Humans of USF

By Morgan Blauth C O R R E S P O N D E N T

Humans of New York creator Brandon Stanton will speak in the Marshall Student Center (MSC) Ballroom on Tuesday as the last of the University Lecture Series (ULS) of the semester. Stanton created the photo blog Humans of New York (HONY) in 2010. He takes photos of people around New York City and posts them with a quote or short story from that person. Since then, he has gained almost 14 million followers on his blog and published two bestselling books of the photos and accompanying stories. Stanton has taken two trips to the Middle East in association with the United Nations and crowd funded more than two million dollars to help the Bonded Labour Liberation Front end bonded labor in Pakistan. Stanton was named one of TIME magazine’s “30 under 30” in 2013. “The story that [the HONY]

initiative talks about is how storytelling can relate to any student regardless of what their story is…the appeal to a broad student audience is something that [ULS] is always looking for,” said Athena Bressack, campus traditions board coordinator. Stanton’s lecture will cost $51,000, according to his contract with USF. During his lecture, Stanton plans to focus on storytelling, which he also does via the Humans of New York blog. This event is part of USF Week, a celebration of the past, present, and future of USF. “[USF Week] is a good celebratory time for the students, but it can also help us to think about our own USF community through the lens of storytelling,” Bressack said. Other USF Week events include Bullstock, Rocky’s Birthday Bash, and the Office for Undergraduate Research Colloquium. Doors for this event open at 7:30 pm.

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Bulls research for show

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By Miki Shine c O - N E W S

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With over 450 students presenting research projects, the Undergraduate Research and Arts Colloquium will be the largest to date and include research from across the disciplines. Some projects include “Is Art Failing You?” and “Green Infrastructure & Engineering with K-12 for Nitrogen Management.” “For those not presenting research, the Colloquium is a great way to get involved in research and meet, network with current researchers and their mentors,” Richard Pollenz, associate dean of undergraduate studies, said. “I have observed students getting research positions during the event, especially if they are coming into a project after a senior student who is graduating.”

The colloquium emphasizes research from a variety of different disciplines across the school including Marine Science, Humanities, Public Health and the Arts. The event isn’t just about presenting research. It also provides a platform for researchers to receive feedback from other mentors along with peers and for students to gain inspiration from current research projects. “Attending the colloquium also provides all students a chance to truly see the huge diversity of research that is ongoing across all disciplines and that a student can work in any discipline they want regardless of their academic major.” Pollenz said. “The colloquium also serves to inspire undergraduates who are not engaged in research to get involved by having them say ‘I want that to be me next year.’” Additionally, members of

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the Tampa Bay community get involved with the colloquium as sponsors and volunteers. This year, charter graduate from 1959 will be attending the colloquium as well. “The event is designed to connect USF to the Tampa Bay community to showcase the impact of undergraduates to the USF research outcomes,” Pollenz said. “This year we have over 133 volunteers who will serve as facilitators to come in and speak with the students about their projects and 63 are USF alumni.” The colloquium, which takes place during USF Week every year, is comprised of students who applied during early March. The application required students to detail a mentored research experience and submit an abstract of their work. According to Pollenz, 95 percent of applicants are accepted for the event.

“In addition to showcasing the power that undergraduates provide to the USF research outcomes, and the importance of presentation to validate the projects, the event also provides the presenters evidence of key transferable skills they will need to be competitive for jobs and grad school,” Pollenz said. “Presentation at the Colloquium can be used as evidence for all of these skills on the resume, CV and many students comment that discussion of research is an important topic during interviews that sets them apart.” The colloquium will be held Wednesday starting at 9:30 a.m. in the Marshall Student Center Ballroom.

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Get ready for Bullstock 2016 By Breanne Williams O P I N I O N

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USF week will wind down with Bullstock, an annual outdoor music festival that is one of students’ favorite yearly USF traditions. Starting at 5:00 pm and running until midnight, Bullstock will include food, music and much more. This year, USF announced the headliners for the annual event at the Battle of the Bands concert at the beginning of March. Students loudly cheered as they announced Mayday Parade and New Politics as some those booked to perform for Bullstock. Much like Next Big Thing and Warped Tour, Bullstock features alternative and rock music each spring to wrap up USF week. In the past, USF has had bands like AllAmerican Rejects, Owl City, Young the Giant and American Authors perform to a packed-

out crowd. The official lineup for Bullstock 2016 includes Rising Down, Saved by Friday, Reckless Serenade, Assuming We Survive, Borns, the Maine, Mayday Parade and New Politics. New Politics is a Danish indie rock band from Copenhagen best known for its singles “Yeah Yeah Yeah,” “Tonight You’re Perfect” and “Harlem.” The album, “Vikings,” was released in August 2015 and is the third album for the group. Borns, an indie pop artist from Michigan, is a newer artist that has begun to make waves in the music industry. After releasing his debut single in November 2014, Borns released an album called “Dopamine” in October 2015. The Maine, an American rock band from Arizona, is known for showstoppers like “Into Your Arms” and “The Way We Talk.” Its latest album, “American Candy,” was

released in March 2015. Mayday Parade is an American rock band from Tallahassee. With fan favorites like “Miserable At Best,” “Terrible Things” and “Jersey,” they have become a household name in the rock industry and are sure to draw a massive crowd Friday. Every year, USF shuts down the Sun Dome parking lot and erects a massive stage, food trucks and activities like rock walls and bungee jumping for students to kill time prior to the show and in between acts. Due to the location and expected crowds for the event, USF will be restricting parking, and students should take that into consideration when planning for the event. Since USF offers the outdoor concert as a free event, people from all over the Tampa community come to be a part of the music and fun activities. USF week begins Monday, April 4 with the annual kickoff

at the MLK Amphitheater at 5:30 pm and will be concluded with Bullstock on Friday, which is considered the “biggest tradition of the semester,” according to USF studentaffairs. Students who attend other USF week events like Patio Tuesday and Rocky’s Birthday Bash should be on the lookout for free green and gold Bullstock 2016 bracelets. This unique merchandise will only be given out at USF week events and are a great way to prep for the concert. Remember to stay hydrated and be careful of your surroundings. Like all large outdoor concerts, personal space will be nonexistent once you get near the stage and due to the high temperatures over the last several years, USF has encouraged students to prepare for the packed conditions.

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