12 02 15

The Oracle W E D N E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5 I V O L . 5 3 N O. 5 6

Inside this Issue

E D I T O R

Deck the halls with celebrated Christmas movies.

Page 3

Montage

S PORTS Willie Taggart deserves long-term contract extension.

BACK

w w w. u s fo r a c l e. co m

U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F LO R I DA

BOT looks to cut below-standard programs

By Grace Hoyte

LI F E STYLE

The Index

News.................................................................1 Opinion.......................................................6 Lifestyle......................................................3 Crossword.........................................7 sports............................................................8

I N

C H I E F

USF students will soon no longer be able to enroll or earn a degree in several undergraduate and graduate programs, as the university’s Board of Trustees (BOT) is hoping to put several out of commission.

The programs in question are those with ground-level enrollment and that do not meet USF’s standards.

According to Provost Ralph Wilcox, the number of degrees produced is not the only benchmark programs must clear to remain part of USF’s offerings.

Among the other requirements are postgraduate employment viability and graduate school place-

ment.

The Florida Board of Governors (BOG) also has regulations on degree termination, the reasons for which include low enrollment and a failure to meet “the needs of the citizens of Florida in providing a viable education or occupational objective.”

According to BOG Regulation 8.012, university boards of trustees have the authority to terminate undergraduate programs, but they must report their decision to the BOG within four weeks. However, in order to terminate a graduate program, such as the master’s in American studies, each board of trustees must recommend the change to the BOG with appropriate documentation.

The decision to cut several programs, such as the undergraduatelevel foreign language education and both levels of American studies, came quickly in the wake of Gov. Rick Scott’s announced reprioritization of increases in employment from state school graduates.

Scott’s “Ready, Set, Work” College Challenge was announced on the same day the BOT workgroup approved the recommendation. According to the governor’s website, Florida’s 28 state colleges will be challenged to graduate “100 (percent) of their full-time students to attend a four year university or get a job that leads to a great career.”

In October, a report on Florida’s unemployment stated the level had

reach a nearly decade-low 5.1 percent.

According to an article in the Tampa Tribune, the upshot of removing 39 degree programs in the last five years has been the addition of 27 more viable ones.

One such program in cybersecurity has earned USF national attention.

But some have said the problem is not just with the number of programs that actually get the axe.

BOT member Brian Lamb said the nearly 10 percent of below-threshold degree programs is too many.

The full board will meet Thursday to make several final decisions regarding program additions and removals.

Campus smoking ban causes mixed reactions

By Abby Rinaldi C O - N E W S

E D I T O R

The ability for students to smoke on campus is about to go up in flames, leaving students with mixed reactions.

As of January 4, USF’s Tampa campus will join USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee in being smoke-free. The ban will cover tobacco products, e-cigarettes and hookahs.

Previously, USF just wasn’t ready for a campus-wide smoking ban, as determined by the Tobacco Use Task Force President Judy Genshaft created in 2011 to steer USF gradually towards the goal.

USF Attorney Steven Prevaux told the Tampa Tribune that a larger number of students than usual gave their two cents during a comment period about the smoking policy, a majority of which were for the ban.

Students like Nick Gollab, a senior in nursing, believe the ban will do a lot of good for campus.

“I believe … in the long term, it’ll not only benefit us but our biofriendly campus,” Gollab said.

Venkata Gabbi, a master’s student in information systems, believes the ban “should be done.”

He is from India, where he said smoking is banned in public places.

Sade Cudjoe, a junior majoring in nursing, also agrees with

With the looming implementation of a peer-enforced tobacco-free campus policy, students have voiced their concerns.

ORACLE PHOTO/ROBERTO ROLDAN

the ban. She previously attended Valencia College where smoking is banned on campus. At Valencia, she said, people would still smoke, but recalled her friend would stand on the public sidewalks next to campus to smoke. She understands students who smoke will be effected, but thinks the anger will be short lived.

“They’ll be mad but they’ll probably get used to it after a while,” Cudjoe said.

Students such as Milli Schlafly, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, doesn’t mind smoking if it’s isolated, but sometimes doesn’t like walking by smoking areas like the one on the side of the library. She also recognizes the ban may pose a challenge for smokers on campus.

“I can see that being difficult for

them,” Schlafly said.

Jack Defant, a junior majoring in biomedical sciences, thinks USF’s effort for cleaner air on campus is good, but also worries about the harm the ban may do. He’s worried students who want to smoke but may not be able to get off campus to do so may just find a secluded area to go smoke instead of abiding by the ban.

Brad Mostowski, a freshman majoring in mathematics, said people might see more cigarette butts laying around.

“I mean, if you put a tobacco ban on campus then smoking is only bad if people see you do it (or) people report you doing it,” he said.

He doesn’t agree with the campuswide smoking ban, calling it “a little ridiculous” and “kind of disap-

pointing.”

“I’d hate to see the cops and hate to see the students have reasons to go harass people that want to smoke and mind their own business. I’d hate to see the side effects of … what (people) are going to try to do to avoid the smoking ban,” Mostowski said.

He feels there are bigger problems to go after than smoking, and said campus smokers aren’t doing anything wrong when sticking to smoking areas. He doesn’t think smoking should be allowed everywhere on campus, but keeping it in an area where the only people exposed to the smoke are in the area is enough.

Mostowski is not a smoker, but has friends and roommates who do smoke and who, he said, generally mind their own business. Smokers shouldn’t be getting in trouble, he said, and the excuse that USF should ban smoking because it is bad for people’s health isn’t a good enough reason, because the ban is just coming after people.

The ban is currently set to be peer-enforced, the same enforcement method currently in place for the designated smoking areas. It is this enforcement method which makes some students lose faith in the efficiency of the program.

Defant said he would report

n See SMOKE on PAGE 5

2

W E D N E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5

●

T H E O R AC L E

2016 Presidential Candidate Profile: Jeb Bush

By Grace Hoyte E D I T O R

I N

C H I E F

With the 2016 election around the corner, voters are beginning to pay more attention to the candidates who will most affect their demographic.

As the race progresses, each presidential hopeful’s position on the major issues have b e c o m e clear. Among the ever-clearer personae is Jeb Bush.

The former governor of Florida, Bush entered the race June 15 and has received mediocre ratings for his refusal to participate in the media circus propagated by Donald Trump, among other reasons. According to Real Clear Politics, Bush is in fifth place, behind

Rubio and Cruz.

Among his skeptics are many Florida students who are now of voting age. Bush was responsible, in his time as governor, for supporting the FCAT system that has received much criticism.

However, his legacy was not all bad. During his eight years in office, Florida saw an increase in jobs (1.3 million) and decrease in unemployment, which was at 3.4 percent when he left office, according to newsmax.com.

As a presidential hopeful, he has had to weigh in on various issues that will, directly or indirectly, affect students.

While the Democratic candidates have been more vocal about college affordability, Bush has historically voiced opinions on the topic.

According to The Hill, Bush was in support of a plan to allow students to attend two years of community college for free.

Such a plan, Tennessee Promise, is already in place in Tennessee and acts as a scholarship and mentoring program for students.

“We thought why not just build on what works? So we’re going to call it ‘America’s College

Promise,’” he said.

However, some have criticized Bush’s plan, as it is very similar to a proposal by President Barack Obama in January that the former governor then opposed.

But Bush is not a newcomer to the education platform. He was very active in championing educational reform and emphatically backed the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

Bush has also broken from traditional GOP orthodoxy.

According to CNN, Bush is in favor of immigration reform that would allow for “earned citizenship.”

An article in the New Yorker stated Bush doesn’t mind distancing himself from even his brother’s policy, as he hopes to be his “own man.”

Regarding medical marijuana, Bush is quite in line with Republican thinking. Last year, he stood opposed to Florida Amendment 2, the proposal that would legalize medicinal pot usage and was overwhelmingly supported.

According to CNN, Bush felt “‘allowing large-scale marijuana

operations to take root across Florida, under the guise of using it for medicinal purposes, runs counter’ to the state’s efforts to boost tourism and a businessfriendly environment.”

However, he has often been criticized for hypocrisy since revealing his recreational marijuana usage in high school.

Regarding minimum wage, a topic that has prompted protests across the country and on USF’s own campus, Bush is in favor of statewide minimum wages.

However, he is opposed to a federal minimum wage, which he stated would not serve its supposed purpose of decreasing the income gap.

“The federal government doing this will make it harder and harder for the first rung of the ladder to be reached, particularly by young people,” he said in an article on Bustle.com.

The remainder of Bush’s policies and views can be found on his website, jeb2016.com, and will be revealed at the next GOP debate Dec. 15 on CNN.

Rising sea levels cause archaeologists to look backward

By Miki Shine C O - N E W S

E D I T O R

Living in Florida comes with the unavoidable consequence of living just feet above sea level, and those levels are only rising. This year, research in the U.S. National Climate Assessment predicted Florida will be battered by extreme weather — both very dry and very wet — in coming decades.

Last year, several archaeologists from across the state met with Gov. Rick Scott to try to change his mind on climate change, a subject on which he has expressed skepticism. And their worry is not unfounded.

In 2012, archaeologists responded to an emergency call in Cedar Key about rising tides that threatened to wash away a Native American burial ground.

But what they found was that the site was actually a re-burial ground, as ancient Native Americans living in the region had

moved the remains from another site affected by the same issue.

In fact, Native Americans in AD 600 who lived near the coasts were forced to move inland due to rising sea levels when the milethick ice cap that reached down to central Ohio melted.

Archaeologists across the state investigated the effects of changing sea levels on residents throughout time. One such professional, USF anthropology professor Nancy White, has worked in the panhandle for several years with students to relocate known archaeological sites and discover new ones.

“Since USF’s anthropology program stresses applied work and public archaeology, we hope that our data will be of use not only to geologists but also those modeling climate change and sea level rising today,” she said.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, rising sea levels due to climate change pose a huge threat

to Florida’s coast. Though sea levels naturally fluctuate over time, the rates have been rising faster than the natural rate due to melting ice caps and warming oceans — heat causing water to expand.

According to Climate Central,

Island — only formed like 4,000 years ago, but now we’re finding stuff on them that are 12,000 to 13,000 years old,” White said.

“That was there when it was all land and the ocean was out (farther). So we can study the

“Archaeologists usually cooperate and share data that’s been dug up in the past to try to research these really important questions.”

Nancy White USF anthropology professor

the global sea level average has risen approximately 8 inches since 1980. In a recent Florida Atlantic University study, researchers found that a sea level increase of just 6 inches would cripple half of southern Florida’s flood control capacity.

“These barrier islands that formed — for example, St. George Island, St. Vincent Island, Dog

timing of (fluctuating sea levels).”

White is also doing a survey at Silver Springs State Park looking at materials from all time periods around the springs — including modern times.

“It was a tourist attraction.

There were the glass bottom boat rides, there still are. There was a civil war sugar plantation we got the ruins of. There was a Seminole

Indian village to draw in tourists,” White said. “There was a black beach, one of the few where African Americans could swim on the river.

Hollywood was there filming Tarzan with Johnny Weissmuller swinging — we got a piece of the metal cable, it was just laying on the ground, that they used … to have him swing through the trees. So all time periods in that park are what we’re investigating.”

White said archaeologists are concerned with not just the past but how the past relates to the current and the future.

“Archaeologists usually cooperate and share data that’s been dug up in the past to try to research these really important questions,” she said.

You can’t say there’s global warming because of climate change because of human action unless you see what the past record was.”

Lifestyle

U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I DA

●

W E D N E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5

●

T H E O R AC L E

3

Movies to get the Christmas spirit flowing

By Breanne Williams O P I N I O N

E D I T O R

Christmas is the most tradition-filled holiday of the year.

While some folks argue over real versus fake trees or the proper way to wrap gifts, one thing is agreed on across the board: Christmas movies are essential to a fulfilling holiday experience. Unfortunately, the amount of films set in December can be rather overwhelming, but four movies rise above the countless mediocre stories that filter across our screens.

It’s A Wonderful Life Nothing seems to be going

right for George Bailey, and in a moment of despair he wishes he had never existed.

With the help of his guardian angel, Clarence, Bailey begins a journey showcasing what life would be like without him.

Luckily, this classic film is hitting the big screen several times this holiday season at the Tampa Theatre, so grab your loved ones and head downtown for an experience you won’t soon forget.

Elf Will Ferrell stars as Buddy, an elf at the North Pole who learns of his identity as a human and travels to New York

City in search of his biological father. “Elf” is one of the few modern films that immediately earned its place on our yearly Christmas movie marathon list with its light humor and holiday cheer. Nothing makes you feel quite as ecstatic as finding the Christmas spirit and being true to yourself like Buddy the Elf. Home Alone Nearly every person in America has plotted along with Kevin McCallister as he outwits burglars and learns that being apart from your family may not be the heavenly experience he assumed.

The emotions are high and the laughs are loud as you’re sucked into the chaotic world of a stranded but cunning eight year old. You’ll be reaching for the phone to call your loved ones as soon as the credits roll. Like “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “Home Alone” will also be showcased at the Tampa Theatre.

A Christmas Story Ralphie Parker can’t catch a break as he accidently curses in front of his parents for the first time, falls prey to an intricate conspiracy involving his mother, teacher, and Santa and is forced to bear the

embarrassment of well meaning, but delusional aunts. Be warned, it will become impossible to open a package labeled ‘fragile’ without imitating the father’s terrible Italian accent.

This movie unites viewers of all ages and is a perfect solution to easing tension at family events.

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate the holidays, these films will make your day that much brighter.

Christmas is the happiest time of the year and having the right movies to give you a boost of holiday spirit is an essential part of pulling off a successful celebration.

4

W E D N E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5

●

T H E O R AC L E

Football

AAC makes case for elite status

By Jacob Hoag A S S T .

S P O R T S

E D I T O R

Two Septembers ago, American Athletic Conference (AAC) commissioner Mike Aresco stood at the center of Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to flip the coin for the conference’s inaugural game between Houston and Temple.

The conference, created after the Big East dissolved as a football conference in 2012 amid national realignment, had a fresh vision with eyes on tearing down the barrier between itself and Power Five programs.

Granted, the pipe dream of standing toe to toe with the likes of the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten is still out of reach. But the young league has quickly ascended the ranks, making it seem that dream may not be as far away as some might think.

With three programs claiming ranked positions among the elite in college football, the AAC has made its case to be considered along with the Power Five.

“We’re as good as any Power Five conference,” Aresco told the Orlando Sentinel in November.

“There is no question that we can

TAGGART

Continued from PAGE 8

one-way flight out of town, evolved into a beloved figure people just can’t get enough of.

He has done his part in turning around the program. Now, it’s time for athletic director Mark Harlan to do the right thing.

It’s time to lock Willie Taggart up with a long-term contract.

Oh, yes, USF has been down this road before with coaches. One of the most notable flubs that will forever remain a black eye on USF football was Doug Woolard’s embarrassing decision to give Skip Holtz a three-year extension after the Bulls flopped from a 4-0 start to 5-7 down the stretch.

Holtz has been gone for three years. USF will still be paying the remainder of that contract for another two.

These situations should not be compared.

Taggart is nine times the coach Holtz ever has been and ever will be. Holtz ruined this program with

Justin Fuente led Memphis to a stunning upset of then-No. 16 Mississippi in October before being hired as the coach at Virginia Tech on Monday. ORACLE PHOTO/ROBERTO ROLDAN compete, and there is no question that we ought to be in that mix.”

Big talk is nice, but the quickest way to prove that you belong among the best is to defeat the best, and AAC teams have gotten there during its three seasons in

existence.

This season alone, the conference notched wins over Penn State, Louisville and, of course, Mississippi’s devestating upset at the hands of Memphis in October.

The Rebels, then ranked No.

poor recruiting, poor management and poor decision-making in general, leaving it a smoldering dumpster fire when Harlan he was rightly dismissed after a three-win disaster in 2012.

Taggart took the ashes left behind and molded them back into a winner. He deserves to be rewarded for it.

No one could have predicted what transpired this season — not even Taggart. It was arguably one of the greatest mid-season turnarounds in the history of football itself and the best story to come out of the season.

But without giving Taggart a new contract and a ballpoint pen to sign on the dotted line, it is easy to predict what will happen: Taggart will be swept up by another team.

Can you imagine seeing Taggart walking the sidelines in colors other than green and gold? How about raising bowl trophies and banners in another city — another state?

That will be the reality of the situation.

Taggart is building something special around here — something more than a one-year wonder. He needs security to see it through.

The most promising part about it is the fact his fingerprints are everywhere.

Just take a gander at the players making huge impacts on both sides of the ball, if you don’t believe it.

Who are they?

There’s quarterback Quinton Flowers — a prized Taggart recruit and one of the best to play the position around here.

How about 1,000-yard tailback Marlon Mack, or USF’s single-season touchdown leader in receiver Rodney Adams? Take a glance at the secondary and see the fresh faces of Nate Godwin, Devin Abraham and Deatrick Nichols.

Those are all Taggart guys.

It’s time for Harlan to get on the bus himself and show he’s a Taggart guy, too.

If he’s not careful, it just might drive away.

16, had beaten No. 2 Alabama just four weeks prior.

Arguably the conference’s crowning achievement came in its first year at the Fiesta Bowl, when Central Florida stunned No. 6 Baylor 52-42 in January 2014.

UCF quarterback Blake Bortles, who went on to become a firstround draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars later that year, threw four touchdowns to set the foundation for what was to come.

It was the attention-grabber the conference had been looking for and has continued to build off since.

After sending six teams to bowl games in 2014, the AAC added another two to that total this season.

The depth of the league may be its biggest selling point. With no teams earning a spot in the preseason polls, undefeated starts

by Houston (10-0), Memphis (8-0) and Temple (7-0) gave the voters little choice. The Cougars received the highest ranking of any AAC team this season, rising to No. 13 before being upset by Connecticut last Saturday.

This depth made it hard to maintain those streaks, not to

mention close losses to top-tier Power Five teams.

USF coach Willie Taggart has seen the conference’s progression, as well.

“Our first year, we lost a lot of games that we were supposed to win,” Taggart said. “Then the next year, we won those games. … This year, we’re winning games that we’re not supposed to and to me, that’s a sign of progression.”

To make the conference a bit more competitive, the AAC added a conference championship game to the fold with the addition of Navy before this season.

Houston will battle Temple on its home turf this Saturday for a rematch of the league’s inception three years ago.

At stake is a possible chance to show the college football world the AAC is a legitimate threat by making it into a New Year’s bowl game once again.

That’s what Aresco has his sights on.

“It would elevate us,” he told the Sentinel. “It would provide important exposure for the conference, and it would give us a chance for play another really good team and show them what we can do.”

Willie Taggart’s current contract • Five years, $5.75 million — runs through 2017 • Annual compensation of $1.15 million per year, which includes $400,000 in base salary and $750,000 in supplemental compensation for public relations, radio and TV and endorsements • Taggart is also allotted $1.9 million per year to divide among his assistant coaches and staff

INCENTIVES • $500,000 bonus for winning a national title • $200,000 for winning the conference championship and appearing in a major bowl, plus salary increases by $200,000 the following season • $50,000 for being named AAC coach of the year • $50,000 or $25,000 for playing in a lower-tier bowl

W E D N E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5

SMOKE

Continued from PAGE 1

someone smoking on campus, but others weren’t so sure.

Cudjoe feels like people won’t be willing to call each other out.

“I think people are going to mind their own business, basically,” she said.

Schlafly admits she would show bias in the situation, as she would be less likely to report her friends.

She is for the ban but is unsure of if or how she would report total strangers.

Gabbi doesn’t think peer enforcement will be efficient, thinking a small fine would be more effective.

“Unless there’s a penalty, it’s not going to work,” he said.

Gollab is also uncertain of how peer enforcement will work. He said he would report someone if given the resources to do so, but worries about accountability.

“I don’t feel like each peer will uphold their responsibility for every individual they see smoking,” he said.

In 2012, surveys put the number of smokers at USF at four percent of student population and 19 percent of faculty and staff,

●

5

T H E O R AC L E

according to the Tribune. The American Cancer Society reports that “(among) adults age 18 and older, about 20 (percent) of men and 3 (percent) of women have ever used smokeless tobacco.

An ABC News report showed the percentage among college students may be a little higher than USF’s figures from 2012.

According to ABC News, “A third of the students said they had used a tobacco product — cigarettes, chewing tobacco and increasingly, cigars — in the last four weeks, indicating they were current users,

and nearly half of the students admitted they had used tobacco in the past year.”

Mostowski said he’d like to see USF expand resources to help people quit smoking. The university currently offers free smoking cessation services for employees, students and the community through USF’s Area Health Education Center (AHEC). USF AHEC also offers brochures and other resources through their Tobacco Training and Cessation Program.

Opinion

6

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

the Oracle the University of South Florida’s student newspaper since 1966

Editor in Chief Grace Hoyte oracleeditor@gmail.com News Editors Miki Shine Abby Rinaldi oraclenewsteam@gmail.com Sports Editor Jeff Odom oraclesportseditor@gmail.com Opinion Editor Breanne Williams oracleopinion@gmail.com Multimedia Editor Adam Mathieu Digital Editor Roberto Roldan Copy Editor Safeena Kassoo Assistant Editor Jacob Hoag Graphic Artists Ashley Barzaga Luke Blankenship Advertising Sales Lauren Alford Rachel Carpenter Abby Pereira Destiny Moore

The Oracle is published Monday through Thursday during the fall and spring semesters, and twice weekly, Monday and Thursday, 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).

BY PHONE Main . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sports ................

Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . .

Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Website: Facebook: Twitter:

974-6242 974-5190 974-1888 974-2842 974-2398 974-2620 974-6242

usforacle.com facebook.com/usforacle @USFOracle

CORRECTIONS The Oracle will correct or clarify factual errors.

Contact Editor in Chief Grace Hoyte at 974-5190.

●

W E D N E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5

Everyone is responsible for reversing climate change Breanne Williams COLU M N I ST

Gov. Rick Scott released his proposal on Nov. 23, for next year’s Everglades Restoration Plan, which totals $151 million — a $45 million increase from the current year’s budget.

The plan involves strategies to jump-start projects to decrease pollution in the Indian River Lagoon and fight for Everglade restoration. Scott hopes to accumulate $5 billion over the next 20 years for the necessary reestablishment of the Everglades.

This proposal was released a day after the United Nations Paris Climate Change Conference, which involved a variety of world leaders discussing how best to tackle climate change. The negative impact humans have dished out on our planet is appalling.

After beginning to see firsthand the effect we have played in the detriment of much of our environment, leaders began to seek a realistic and practical solution to recovering our stable environment.

“Never have the stakes of an international meeting been so high, since what is at stake is the future of the planet, the future of life,” said President Francois Hollande of France as he addressed the leaders in attendance.

While President Barack Obama joins leaders across the globe to tackle large-scale projects, it is important for those at USF to remember the part they play in maintaining a sustainable Earth.

Impressively, USF is one of a select number of universities nationwide that received a gold rating for having an environmentally conscious campus. The USF Physical Plant Recycling Program has recycled over 6,800 tons of paper alone since its initiation in 1990, according to its website.

According to the 2013 Physical Plant statistics, USF had generated a total of 3,419 tons of waste and had recycled approximately 25 percent, or 872 tons of the waste. It also installed a variety of water bottle-filling stations across campus, 12 of which saved over 150,000 water bottles in the first month and a half after installation.

Students can easily opt to carry a metal or glass water bottle and fill up with ease all day, for free. In the end, it will save consumers a vast amount of money, considering the average price of one bottle of water is $2.50. It’s no wonder the bottled water industry has yearly sales ranging between $50 billion and $100 billion worldwide, according to mnn.com.

Reducing your impact on the environment requires little effort and can ensure we have a livable tomorrow. Something as simple as students who live right across the street choosing to walk, bike or take the bus to campus instead of each choosing to drive could make an impact.

When you finish drinking that Starbucks latte, perhaps instead of tossing the cup in the garbage, you walk the extra three steps to a recycling bin. Grab a reusable water bottle, turn off the lights when you aren’t home and accept the fact that this is Florida — attempting to make your apartment the same temperature as Antarctica is entirely unrealistic.

Society is finally deciding it’s time to take climate change seriously and as great as worldwide initiatives are, it’s the actions of every person that will determine the sustainability of tomorrow.

Show you care and be sensitive of your environment.

Breanne Williams junior majoring in communications.

is a mass

●

T H E O R AC L E

What you said Opinion Editor Breanne Williams asked students what they think college students can do to be more environmentally sensitive.

“Walk more instead of using a bus or cars.”

- Jordan Carrie, a freshman majoring in biomedical sciences

“Reduce the use of water, like with showers. Also, have more recycling bins on campus, especially in the dorms.”

- Bridget Islas, a freshman majoring in biomedical sciences

“(Do) not drive around campus. Just park and walk. Don’t be lazy.”

- Jasmine Girgis, a sophomore majoring in psychology

“We should recycle more.

College students use a lot of disposable things.”

- Jacob Martin, a junior majoring in criminology

OPINION UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

●

W E D N E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5

A letter to our readers Grace Hoyte E D I TO R

Since 1966, The Oracle has diligently reported on the University of South Florida. In that time, we have sought to bring the best news coverage directly to the students.

As we continue toward that goal, we must accept that more readers are looking to their smartphone, tablet and computer for daily news updates.

And as we look to the future, we are determined to reach more students with increased emphasis on our digital coverage.

Beginning Jan. 11 — the first day of the spring semester — The Oracle will print a physical newspaper twice a week, Monday and Thursday, but will continue with daily coverage on our digital platforms. The Oracle’s new mobile app and website will include fresh news and video content, as our staff

I N

C H I E F

will continue to report and write throughout the week.

The Oracle’s mobile app went live in November, and we hope to focus more energy than before to improve our digital product to make it appealing and competitive with other online news sources.

We have always covered breaking stories online, and our commitment to news remains unchanged, but with more readers looking to their smartphones for daily news, we want to strengthen our connection with students through our app and website.

On the Internet, usforacle. com will be the premier source for on-campus news, editorials, sports updates and all the content you care about, without exception. The new mobile app, USF Oracle, is available on iTunes and in the Google

Crossword

Play store. The app has a userfriendly interface that works very much like the website.

We want to be the main source of information for the campus community. But we need to hear from you to make that possible, so comment on stories, Facebook message or tweet us and make your voice heard. The Oracle welcomes students from all majors to contribute, and with a greater online presence, we will remain a forum for diverse voices and opinions.

Keep an eye out for push notifications. We will be ready to meet you where you are: in print and on all your mobile devices.

Grace Hoyte is a junior majoring in English literature.

●

T H E O R AC L E

7

Sports

8

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

●

CHECK IT OUT

Get the latest USF sports updates right on your smartphone

Download our app for Apple and Android

W E D N E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5

●

T H E O R AC L E

The Rundown Outside USF

Price inks record deal with Boston

The Tampa Bay Rays will be seeing a lot more of former ace David Price this season. According to a Boston Globe report late Tuesday, the 2012 AL Cy Young Award Price winner has agreed to a seven-year, $217 million deal with the Boston Red Sox. The deal is the largest in majorleague history for a pitcher — $2 million more than the Dodgers gave starter Clayton Kershaw in January 2014. Price spent last season with Detroit and Toronto.

Hampton earns postseason honor USF outside hitter Dakota Hampton was named secondteam All-Conference by the AAC on Tuesday. The junior totaled a team-high 342 kills while tallying 389.5 points for the Bulls, who finished 11-21.

Quote of the day “He’s a legend and all I hear is about how bad he’s playing, how bad he’s shooting, time for him to hang it up. You guys treated one of our legends like s---, and I didn’t really like it.

Hopefully, now, you can start being nice to him now that he decided to retire after this year.” — Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant reacting to the retirement announcement of Kobe Bryant.

Scoreboard NBA Orlando 96, Minnesota 93 Philadelphia 103, LA Lakers 91 Washington 97, Cleveland 85 Brooklyn 94, Phoenix 91

Coach Willie Taggart has the Bulls a bowl-game victory from finishing with their best record since 2007. ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU

Time is money

n

AD Harlan must show faith in Taggart now with a long-term deal.

I

t’s amazing how this silly little thing we like to call college football has a way of playing itself out.

Eight weeks ago, as USF set its sights on Syracuse — arguably the program’s most important opponent in many years at the time — coach Willie Taggart stood before about a half-dozen reporters and did his best to dodge the giant elephant in the room: His job security.

With the team sitting at 1-3 off a head-scratching defeat to Memphis in which Taggart’s too-conservative play-calling led to another blown

wood frame. It game in the secwas obvious he ond half, you could wanted to be almost hear the fat anywhere else. lady warming up These were her pipes backstage. overwrought “Is there a times — probheightened sense of ably the tensurgency?” est of Taggart’s “Are you feeling coaching career. the pressure?”

Jeff Odom Another loss at “How badly does CO M M E NTA R Y the hands of the this team need a victory over a Power Five oppo- Orange — on Homecoming, no less — would likely have earned nent?”

Taggart fidgeted behind the the third-year coach a pink slip the microphone, tapping his fingers following Monday.

Then, something happened. impatiently along the podium’s

Call it what you want — a miracle, divine intervention or simply a darn-good football team finally breaking out of its shell and turning a corner. But things began to come together when the Bulls took the field that afternoon on Oct. 10.

It started with a reverse fleaflicker for a touchdown in the third quarter and snowballed into a 7-1 record down the stretch and a coveted bowl berth.

Suddenly, the man at the mercy of a three-hour grudge match to determine whether he was riding home with the team or booking a

n See TAGGART on PAGE 4