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Opinion.......................................................4 Classifieds..............................................8 Lifestyle......................................................5 Crossword..........................................8 sports.........................................................12

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

Presidential hopeful accused of taking bribe

By Grace Hoyte E D I T O R

L I FE STYLE

Modern take on Shakespeare classic comes to campus.

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Montage

S P ORTS USF baseball debuts Friday against Liberty.

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It was not out of political allegiance, Senate President ProTempore Danish Hasan said, that he filed a grievance against Student Body Presidential hopefuls Student Government (SG) Sen. Chris Griffin and SG Director of Student Affairs Judelande Jeune.

Rather, he said, his status as a Muslim compelled him to file the grievance against the candidates, accusing them of failing to report to Student Government (SG) or university administration that they had allegedly been approached by a member of USF Hillel who offered them each $7,000.

The grievance was brought before the Judiciary and Ethics Committee (JEC) on Tuesday.

According to Hasan, he was informed by Sen. Griffin that a group of students had approached them on behalf of USF Hillel with a proposed bribe of $7,000 in

Student Government (SG) Senator Chris Griffin and SG Director of Student Affairs Judelande Jeune, both of whom submitted applications to run for student body president, are facing a grievance filed by Danish Hasan, SG Senate president pro-tempore. According to the grievance, Sen. Griffin was offered a bribe

by USF Hillel, and Jeune later accepted it. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE exchange for political favors and a break.” mate, Wes Viola, had accepted the say in the composition of the SG Chris Johnson, a party to the money. Jeune and Viola’s camSenate. meeting Hasan referred to in his paign ticket was disqualified Feb. “I was first … informed (that) grievance, said that in his meet- 12 for failing to attend a meeting an organization called Bulls for ing with Hasan, Aladdin Hiba and because of a “miscommunication.”

Israel approached (Sen. Griffin) Griffin and his running mate, Alec “We had heard that Hillel had and offered to give him $7,000 Waid, the pair revealed that they offered $7,000 to Chris and Alec’s in return for a position in Senate did not accept the bribe. campaign on the condition that leadership,” Danish said. “This was However, he said they were n See BRIBE on PAGE 2 back in December, over winter told that Jeune and her running

State performance metrics show new focus in education

By Abby Rinaldi C O - N E W S

E D I T O R

Two years after implementation, Florida state performance metrics within the state university system are still carrying a carefully articulated dialogue.

The metrics were the topic of discussion at a USF faculty senate meeting in January, with special attention given to excess credit hours.

The number of students graduating with excess credit hours is one of the many metrics the Florida Board of Governors (BOG) crafted and the Florida legislature uses to assess universities for funding.

At the meeting, faculty members were critical of the idea that students should stick to classes within their major in order to avoid accumulating excess hours.

When dialogue begins outside of meetings, however, the

conversation strays away from excess credit hours to the metrics themselves, then to state funding, before finally settling on a bigger idea: a workforce mentality some faculty feel has taken root not only in the Florida legislature, but nationwide.

Gregory McColm, associate professor of mathematics and statistics, spoke of the funding situation as “the elephant in the room.”

He feels that some of the metrics discourage a liberal arts education, shifting focus away from taking a variety of courses and instead trying to get students out of the university and into the workforce.

“Here’s a bit of ancient advice,” McColm said. “Don’t worry about getting your first job. Worry about advancing in that job. Worry about keeping that job … That’s why you need an education.”

He does, however, understand the place USF administration is in because of the metrics. A por-

tion of university funding is tied to USF’s performance on state metrics.

“The state has put (Provost Ralph Wilcox) in a box,” McColm said.

Dwayne Smith, senior vice provost for faculty affairs, said he feels that a tremendous amount of pressure comes from the state with these metrics. There is a great deal of competition between universities when it comes to getting funding.

“Every year we have to stay very focused (on) how we’re performing on these, knowing that there’s actually a considerable amount of money at stake,” Smith said.

The Florida BOG unveiled its performance metrics in January of 2014 after years of development.

Previously, universities were funded based on size. For Brittany Davis, communications director for the state university system of Florida, the shift to performance

metrics is a shift to quality. “(The state government) wanted to really place an emphasis on quality and on making sure that students are able to achieve a high-quality education and do so in a timely manner and that the benefits were for helping students attain that and not just for having more students,” Davis said.

These metrics include undergraduate employment (or graduate school enrollment) after graduation, bachelor’s degrees and graduate degrees in areas of strategic emphasis (such as STEM and middle school education), wages of bachelor’s graduates with full-time, in-state employment, percent of students with Pell grants, average cost per bachelor’s degree, six year graduation rate, second year retention rate, a metric chosen by the BOG and another chosen by the university’s Board of Trustees (BOT).

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New face for campus beauty pageant

By Miki Shine C O - N E W S

E D I T O R

Its a beauty pageant, but it’s not about beauty.

The Mr. and Ms. USF Scholarship Pageant is under new management this year, which has led to several significant changes.

These changes came about after the program disassociated with the Miss America pageant two years ago. Student Government Director of Programming and head of the pageant planning committee Danielle Fox said she considered this a chance to “spread her wings” and try new things concerning the pageant.

Aside from a name change from “Mr. and Miss USF” to “Mr. and Ms. USF,” the alterations include taking the physical scoring out of the competition, changing the policy on candidate selection and requiring every participant to be sponsored by a campus organization.

“The first initiative I took was to completely eliminate any sort of physical component to scoring,” Fox said. “On the ballot, you will not see any scores that say ‘smile,’ ‘poise,’ ‘evening gown.’

“You won’t see any of that.

The purpose of that was to make it more of an even playing field. I thought it was a little antiquated that a scholarship pageant was judging people based on their

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they wouldn’t hire any Muslim students or students involved with SJP (Students for Justice in Palestine), which included all three of us who were asking,” Johnson said.

“I’m a big supporter of SJP; Danish and Aladdin are, obviously, Muslim students. They said they turned down the bribe, but that it had been accepted by Judelande Jeune and Wes Viola’s campaign.”

Sen. Griffin said the students who approached him were misinformed in their demands and did not appear to have considered the actual powers available to the student body president.

“The conditions weren’t completely specified. It was looking to get a lot of people out of (SG).

It was to get what they defined as (SJP) in (SG) currently and make

looks. It felt weird to me.”

To replace this section, each participant is now required to pick a philanthropic cause they feel strongly about and create a platform based on that cause. The idea is if the contestant wins, they’ll follow through with that platform.

“You’ll still see the people walking across the stage in their evening gowns,” Fox said.

“If it’s a married woman, if it’s a divorced woman who’s a student here, I want her to feel comfortable with that title.”

Fox has also been working on a new method of vetting, which would allow more participants to make it to the actual pageant.

Participants will be judged based on their application and attendance to the meetings.

“They’ll still get to do all the pageantry.

It’s just that, during that time, they won’t actually be being judged on their evening wear, we’ll be reading out their philanthropic platform and they’ll be judged on that.”

Danielle Fox Student Government Director of Programming and head of the pageant planning committee

“They’ll still get to do all the pageantry. It’s just that, during that time, they won’t actually be being judged on their evening wear, we’ll be reading out their philanthropic platform and they’ll be judged on that.”

She said the drive to change the name of the pageant was to encourage diversity in the female participants.

“I want everyone to feel like they can participate,” Fox said. sure that that didn’t stay the standard for next year,” he said.

Further, Sen. Griffin said the students who approached him were not affiliated with any organization.

“I personally have never met them before. That was the first time I got to see them. I don’t really know how they knew anything about us, but they reached out to us,” he said. “They were not on behalf of Hillel; they were not on behalf of any organization. This was their own decision.”

Sylvie Feinsmith, program director at USF Hillel, also adamantly refuted Hasan’s claim.

“It is 100 percent untrue. We have relationships with many, many individuals of many backgrounds and faiths,” she said. “I, personally, as a human being, would never be OK with that — regardless of my role on campus as the program director. I can tell you that I would never allow that

All participants who meet those requirements will be allowed to walk. Currently, about 20 participants are signed up.

“Whereas before, everyone who applied didn’t necessarily make it to the pageant,” Fox said. “They were, I think, eliminated after the interview, to try to keep numbers even.

“This year, we’re trying something out ... (everyone who) makes it to all the meetings and follows to happen while I’m employed.

“That does not fall in line with anything that Rabbi Ed and I would ever approve of, nor does it fall in line with any of the Jewish students on campus.”

She called the allegations “disgusting” and “despicable.”

However, Sen. Griffin, Hasan and Johnson were in agreement that Jeune and Viola’s campaign was involved, though none claimed to have any solid evidence.

“I personally do not have any … hard evidence that the money was accepted, but when I met with Chris Johnson, Aladdin Hiba, Alec Waid and Chris Griffin — and I refer to this meeting in the grievance I filed — they did bring up the name of Maggie Hall and Alexander Johnson,” he said.

“They brought up the names then … as people who were involved in the negotiation and people who were involved with Bulls for Israel and USF Hillel.”

through with their contract will get to walk across the stage that evening.”

Participants are also required to show their involvement on campus by having an organization, department or club sponsor them. The minimum GPA requirement is a 2.75 and participants are required to submit a resume, which caused concerns that some students may not be able to meet.

“I would say it’s basically the same vetting as every other scholarship,” Fox said. “There’s scholarships that I couldn’t apply for, I’m not left handed … I feel like with any scholarship there’s going to be a level of exclusiveness and that’s kind of the nature of it.

“This is just one scholarship and this is just one opportunity and since we are looking for someone who represents the school, they have to fall under that kind of category; involvement, academics, the well-rounded student.”

All in all, Fox’s goal is to make the pageant and its title one to be proud of in the future.

“I think it helps validate students a little bit,” Fox said. “(They can say,) ‘Not only am I academic, not only am I philanthropic, but I’m engaged.’ It really reinforces the idea of a well-rounded USF student.”

The Mr. and Ms. USF pageant itself will be held April 4 at 6 p.m. in the Marshall Student Center.

In a voicemail to the Oracle, Feinsmith, offered to open Hillel’s books as proof that such a check or withdrawal was made by the organization.

Johnson said he was told that Maggie Hall, Jeune and Viola’s campaign manager, informed Waid and Sen. Griffin that her ticket accepted the bribe.

Hall could not be reached for comment.

Jeune said no one reached out to her to officially notify her of the grievance, though she had heard rumors.

“I was not approached by anyone. I knew there were rumors, ‘Oh, if Judelande becomes student body president, she’ll kick out all of the Muslims from it,’” she said.

“Where do I have the right to kick out someone out of (SG) based on their religion? As a black woman, I have faced more adversity than a lot of people.

“And to have gone through

Mr. and Ms. USF Scholarship Pageant faces changes this year with the hope of being more inclusive for students.

SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

those adversities and turn around and place them on another group of students, that would be hypocritical and … something I would never do.”

For Johnson and Hasan, the problem was not that either ticket accepted the money, rather that such a racist action could be taken and neither party involved would speak out.

“The bigger issue is that there’s two completely different tickets running against each other who have knowledge of this issue, and it’s not a public issue,” Johnson said. “I don’t know if Judelande actually accepted the money, and I honestly think it’s irrelevant. I just want to go to a school where racism against Muslims isn’t so casual.”

Hasan also said his concern was not that the money was accepted.

He felt the nature of the bribe was disturbing.

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Writers, editors, photographers wanted:

The Oracle is looking to hire writers, editors and photographers. Experience a plus, not required. Must be willing to learn. Weekly meetings Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in SVC 0002. See our Facebook page for video directions. For more information contact the editor at oracleeditor@gmail.com.

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“I’m not making any allegations toward either ticket,” Hasan said.

“As a Muslim student on campus, I feel that this bribe is extremely discriminatory in nature, and I just want the JEC committee and Senate to investigate if the claims are true.”

Johnson, an outspoken proponent and member of SJP said the presence and prevalence of Islamophobia on USF’s campus and in the country at large are disturbing.

“Maybe this will be the opportunity for the school to see that this isn’t all hype,” Johnson said.

“Muslim students have been saying for a while now that there’s been pressure against them.

“And the administration has either dismissed it or (SG) has gone out of its way to not acknowledge it in some way. I really hope that bringing this issue to light will fix some of that issue.”

Feinsmith, however, felt the allegations grievance was an example of anti-Semitism on behalf of SJP. “This is another clear example

of — and I’m going to say it; I’m going to name them — SJP (Students for Justice in Palestine),” she said. “Not Muslims. Not Arabs.

SJP. Because SJP does not stand for the Muslims on campus.”

Though Hasan claimed the grievance had nothing to do with the divestment resolution, “In Support of Student Voices,” that was hotly contested in the SG Senate since early in the semester, Feinsmith related the two directly.

“And why are they doing this?

Because we were the outspoken organization that said ‘Look: the emperor has no clothes’ when they were trying to pass that human rights bill across Senate that only focused and demonized Israel,” she said.

The grievance will be discussed at Tuesday’s meeting of the JEC. Meanwhile, Jeune and Viola plan to continue fighting for requalification to the presidential race. Sen. Griffin said he and Waid will campaign as normal.

“Lots of people approach us with different offers,” Sen. Griffin said. “It’s our job to pick the best platform for our students. I think our platform is really good and that we’ve made the right decisions up until now.”

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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EDITORIAL

USF funding highlights biased mindset towards education Some professors across campus have been expressing their frustrations in faculty senate over the lack of funding for many departments.

They criticize the fact that Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs are receiving the majority of the performance-based funding due to the unfair nature of the metrics.

USF received $58,793,869 in such funding allocation for the current school year. However, the majority of that funding was allocated to those departments that contribute the most to the rating system: science, technology, engineering and math.

Other departments see this biased funding as detrimental to the education system because the mindset of colleges is switching from delivering a well-rounded, liberal arts education to shoving students immediately into the workforce.

This change is largely due to the recession that hit the nation over the past decade. The economy was in a downward spiral and it was necessary to get recent graduates into the mainstream work force as quickly as possible in an attempt to remedy the depression.

There was a large focus on STEM programs, as they tended to immediately contribute to the workforce.

Other degrees began to be judged harshly by society, as many parents began asking their history and English-major children, “Why can’t that be your minor?”

The altered mindset began to trickle into middle schools and high schools, where students were encouraged to take advanced science classes and ditch theater.

Career programs allowing students to graduate with certified nursing assistant or certified medical administrative assistant licenses began to creep into high schools.

Students were taught they had to succeed in a STEM-based career or else they would be utter failures in life.

When it came time to pick a degree in college, students obviously rushed to the science and math programs even though they may have been far more passionate about photography or dance.

This resulted in an influx of unhappy students who graduated with degrees they didn’t care about.

According to a Gallup survey, 55 percent of college graduates are not engaged with their work.

How are those graduates supposed to contribute to the workforce if they truly are indifferent about their careers?

Thankfully, the economy is now on the rise and it is time for the country to decide how it wishes to continue higher education.

If nothing is done to counteract the current mindset, there will continue to be an emphasis on STEM programs. If faculty, students and the general public wish to return to the well-rounded education of the past they need to begin to take a stand on the overall quality.

Many faculty members at USF believe the performance-based funding will help revitalize dwindling departments that are desperate to have extra money. Unfortunately, the limited amount of funding will barely put a dent in the overall success of these programs.

If professors are truly desperate for support, which many honestly are, they need to appeal to USF for more generous allocation of funds without attacking the performancebased finances.

USF’s total budget from 2012 to 2013 was $315,061,588. The money is there. Speaking up on how it is utilized is critical to creating a flourishing learning environment.

It’s hard to point fingers at who is

to blame for the finance issue when we don’t know how the university is allocating its funds. We know funding is increasing, but we also know there is a high demand for enhancing the STEM programs on campus.

Student Government is taking a stand on the issue by pushing for transparency in how USF spends its money. Students are beginning to realize the numbers don’t add up.

When USF commits to three huge building projects — two downtown sites and a giant student living complex — but the theater can’t get funding, there is obviously a problem.

Professors undoubtedly have the right to be mad when they watch millions being poured into the STEM programs while they have to cut courses because there isn’t enough funding for their department. But the issue of unequal allocation of funds doesn’t originate or even mainly derive from the performance-based resources.

Unless professors can find a way to beat the unfair metrics with their anthropology classes, they won’t be receiving the kind of funds STEM receives. No one is arguing that art or philosophy is not important. In fact, those courses often benefit students in a way no science class ever could.

“These things are so important that if you don’t know about art and music and dance this limits you so much in even what you can relate to people and to be able to talk to people about,” Marilyn Bertch, an instructor in school of theater and dance, said.

However, until society refutes the idea that STEM careers mean prosperity while the others are simply disposable amenities, the trend of an unequal education will only continue to grow.

Lifestyle

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for the 21st century

By Sarah Violante C O R R E S P O N D E N T

T his year marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and productions of his work are still being made across the globe to commemorate and celebrate his mastery of the English language.

Taking on Shakespeare’s playful and innovative spirit, some companies are revamping the Bard’s work by reimagining roles and settings in order to give audiences a fresh spin on Shakespeare.

This is exactly what TheatreUSF is doing for their annual British International Theatre (BRIT) Program production. This year, they are bringing Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” into 21st century America. Richard Beecham and Alice

Malin are directing the play as part of the BRIT program.

“It’s still fantastical and crazy,” Beecham said. “It’s not a literal representation of Florida, but it’s using elements of modern day Florida to make the play sing out to a modern audience.”

TheatreUSF’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” takes place on a Florida beach. The fairies are ravers, and their kingdom is a fluorescent beach party made complete with a disco ball. Instead of craftsmen, a chain gang undergoing drama therapy will perform for Theseus, who is a sheriff in this modernized version of the play.

The four young lovers, Hermia, Helena, Lysander and Demetrius, are portrayed as college students.

“Shakespeare was writing for the people,” Ashley Emrick, who is playing Helena in the production, said.

“Bringing it into the 21st century reminds people it is for everybody.”

The timelessness of Shakespeare’s work stems from the ubiquity of its subject matters. Themes of love and heartbreak in “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” allow for creativity in setting without infringing upon the work’s original meaning.

“It’s about something that we all hopefully experience in our lives which is the madness and giddiness of love,” Beecham said. “So, it’s really truthful about something really key to human condition.”

While the setting in this production is changed, the original Shakespearian language is the same.

“There is something really playful and enjoyable about the clash between the classical language and the modernity of its setting and presentation,” Beecham said.

Part of the cast’s preparation

for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” included learning techniques specific to performing Shakespearian language.

“The emotions that the actor puts behind (the work) is often raw and unbridled,” Landon Leyland, who is taking on the role Demetrius, said.

“So when you have to chain them in with this structure that Shakespeare has laid out for you it creates a very interesting play space.”

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will run Feb. 18-20 and Feb. 25-27 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 21 and 28 at 3:00 p.m. in Theatre 2 on campus.

Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for non-students.

Various actors performing a rave scene in TheaterUSF’s modern take of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

ORACLE PHOTO/JACKIE BENITEZ

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The BOG chooses an approved metric that focuses on the mission of each university and its areas of improvement. The BOT chooses a metric not already in the main model. USF’s BOT chose the number of post-doctoral appointees as one of USF’s metrics.

“That’s supposed to help the universities continue with their distinct missions,” Davis said.

Overall, the metrics brought big gains. Davis called it a positive change.

The hope is to get graduates employed in Florida, helping not only the return on investment for the student but also for the Florida taxpayers. The emphasis on STEM comes from the high wage and demand that comes from those jobs, according to Davis.

Metrics such as the six-year graduation rate also have an employment factor. The metric considers the opportunity cost of a student out of the workforce, according to Davis.

On the other hand, Marilyn Bertch, an instructor in the USF School of Theatre and Dance, champions a liberal arts education.

She finds a lack of it in STEM, an area of strategic emphasis in the state performance metrics, where a majority of performancebased funding goes at USF. “(A liberal arts education) is invaluable, but we’ve left it out of STEM,” Bertch said. “We need to put the A in for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics). It needs it.

Everybody needs it.”

She feels the pendulum is swaying very heavily toward certain fields. She knows of other states starting to bring the balance back, but doesn’t think the same is seen here in Florida.

“The place to direct your attention is the state government,” McColm said.

The mathematics department has seen a lack of resources, he observed, which he feels is a direct result of decisions made by the state. Bertch said the College of the Arts has also seen setbacks in funding and resources.

The performance metric model was created by the BOG but is funded by the Florida Legislature.

The Legislature decides how much each university receives based on money allocated to performance based funding, a subset of money

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allocated to the state university system.

Neither the BOG nor the Legislature decide how the money is distributed within the university. For that, Davis suggested, it would be best to look to university administration.

For the 2015-16 academic year, USF received $58,793,869 total in performance funding allocation, a combination of $23,627,973 of state investment and $35,165,896 in institutional investment, according to records from the BOG. The amount of new funds

the BOG. In 2014-15, when the first year performance metrics were implemented, USF received $17,099,675 in new funds, with a total of $31,277,827 in performance based funding, according to records from the BOG. Although this shows a $2,021,540 drop in new money, overall university funding saw an increase of $27,516,042.

According to the BOG’s summary of state education and general operating appropriations and actual full-time equivalent (FTE)

For USF in particular, total funding per FTE student was at $12,574 in 2006-07. It declined until 2010-11, when it saw a nine percent increase to $12,321. After this, funding declined sharply, hitting $9,067 at its lowest in 201213.

The following year, however, there was a 30 percent increase to $11,757. Last year, the first year of performance-based funding USF’s total funding per FTE student was $12,558.

In the U.S., a recession began in December of 2007 and reportedly

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Florida is one of 26 states total that currently imposes performance based funding metrics at four-year institutions. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE allocated to the university was $15,078,135. Adding on the remaining money in the allocation of state investment, in total, USF Tampa received $19,075,850, USF St. Petersburg $3,023,354 and USF Sarasota-Manatee $1,528,769.

Across the USF System, of the $23,627,973 allocated, $14,158,443 were to be spent on increasing faculty in STEM and other areas of strategic emphasis.

Meanwhile $3,969,530 were set to be spent on enhancing student success, services and resources, according to documents from

students, state university system funding has seen an upward trend in the past two academic years.

Total state funding per FTE student was $12,011 in 2006-07. That year, a downward trend began and reached its lowest point in 201213 when funding per FTE student was $10,246. Florida Gov. Rick Scott took office on Jan. 4, 2011.

Shortly thereafter, an upward trend began. In 2013-14, funding was $12,527, a 22 percent increase from the previous academic year. Last year, funding was $13,137.

ended in June of 2009, according to the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research. Following this pattern, there was a decline in Florida legislative funding from 2006-07 to 2012-13.

The recession made expanding or even maintaining funding hard to do. In reference to Governor Scott, Gregory Teague, associate professor in the department of mental health law and policy, said the focus is, single-mindedly, on jobs and decreasing costs.

“So there’s less attention paid to do we want to develop a thought-

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ful, educated public, … through our education system,” Teague said.

“There’s less attention paid to that value that public universities have traditionally thought was part of their job.”

Theresa H. Chisolm, vice provost for strategic planning, performance and accountability, doesn’t know whether getting people into the workforce is the major goal of the performance metrics, but said she thinks employment is important.

“For a lot of students, this is a step in their lives and they want to know that, after you invest so much money and so much time in an education, it’s nice to be able to get a paycheck on the other end I think,” Chisolm said.

When it comes to whether or not the emphasis is on the workforce or a well-rounded liberal arts education, Davis feels the two are not mutually exclusive.

“Yes, we want our students to have a well-rounded education, but we also want to make sure that they are prepared for the workforce,” Davis said.

Not all discussion has been negative. USF Faculty Senate President Michael Teng sees the basic idea behind the metrics as something worth trying.

Teng said he feels the metrics are very biased towards undergraduate education, disregarding USF’s engagement in graduate education, community outreach and research.

“Just to focus more on one aspect of (the university) is probably a disservice to the entire university enterprise,” Teng said.

As far as individual faculty, Teng doesn’t think the metrics affect them very much because metrics don’t affect individual decisions.

According to Teague, performance-based funding is only a small portion of the money the university receives. Despite this, however, if a university is rewarded for doing something with even a small sum of money, they will work towards those things.

“So there is some impact throughout the institution in even pursuing those relatively small amounts of funds,” Teague said. “… (But) because that’s a small percentage, the immediate impact from those dollars that a faculty member might experience … will not be very large, compared with the gaping hole that people experience.”

To Teague, performance-based

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funds don’t provide enough to close gaps in resources, at least not in a way most faculty may perceive.

He and Teng feel the metrics should be changed.

“It feels at some level that people are starting to treat colleges like more of a vocational school where you go and get the skills to get a job, and I’ve never viewed college as that type of thing,” Teng said.

Teng said he understands college as place to broaden your mind and feels there is a responsibility for colleges and universities to provide more than just vocational training.

Despite his opposition to the metrics, he doesn’t think they will change. Neither he nor Teague know exactly how they would change them.

“If I were king of the land I would make some significant changes in the performance metrics,” Teague said. “I wouldn’t just have them do what they do, but I ain’t the king.

“In performance measurement systems in general, they’re always

crude approximations of something …There’s no such thing as the perfect measure.”

Teague expects the amount of money in performance funding to increase slowly each year. He also feels the metrics will continue on their current path, which isn’t an entirely negative thing.

“If you look at universities around the country, there has been a downward trend, year after year, in the amount to public support given to public universities … and this is not made worse by performance-based funding, specifically,” Teague said.

“In fact, in Florida, the one hypothesis is that performancebased funding has been a way to reduce the effect of that trend by saying ‘okay we’re not pouring money … down into a black hole, but indeed we’re making sure that we can count on getting some results from the public funding that we provide.’ At some level, one could make the argument that that’s a responsible thing for a governing body to do.”

“It’s the hand that’s been dealt us,” Smith said. “If that’s the way the money is being distributed now, then our commitment is to do our very best to be sure that USF gets its fair share.”

Since the performance-based funding is new money, Teague suggested, it isn’t as though the university is taking money away from other departments and giving it to other areas of campus by emphasizing areas of strategic interest or advising.

Instead, it’s simply a reinforcement of the things that got the university the funds in the first place.

As for those who aren’t getting a large portion of these funds, there are other options outside of performance funding to make up the differences, according to Teague.

Smith pointed out that the metrics have had some positive impact for students.

“So, if you look at some of the improvements in these metrics that we’re talking about for USF, (it’s) very clear that our students are having a better educational experience and part of that is because now we’re paying attention to qualities and aspects of student life that we really didn’t before under the old system,” Smith said.

“There just isn’t an unending amount of money in the state Legislature,” Chisolm said. “It’s not a pot that goes on forever and ever and there’s a lot of need.”

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http://www.usforacle.com/classifieds

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USF baseball coach Mark Kingston (middle) had to restock USF’s lineup this offseason after reaching the NCAA regionals in his first year with the program. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU

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RETOOLED

Continued from PAGE 10

Phoenix Sanders (Daytona State College) will start on the mound against the Liberty Flames.

Unlike USF’s tough schedule to begin last season, which featured Cal State Fullerton and Louisville, the Bulls will have a few weeks before facing their first formidable opponent of the season in Florida State.

Liberty, which USF will host for a three-game series, finished last season 33-23 with a 16-8 record in Big South play.

The Flames lost their best starting pitcher and outfielder to graduation and will give Kingston an early chance to see how all of these new players fit on the Bulls’ roster.

USF Senior outfielder Luke Maglich described the renovated team as having a different level of talent this year.

“I feel like everybody on the field is capable of playing at this level of baseball,” Maglich said.

“I think that’s a little bit different than years past. Not saying that negatively, but I

think just the average potential, between the guys that are coming in and the guys that are returning, has definitely taken a step in the right direction, and it’s a good feeling.”

How all of this new talent will work together on the field will determine if the Bulls can make it to the NCAA tournament two years in a row.

That journey begins Friday night at 6:30 p.m. when Sanders takes the mound for his USF debut.

BASEBALL OPENING DAY

Liberty at USF

When: Friday, 6:30 p.m.

Where: USF Baseball Complex TV/Radio: 1040 AM

T H U R S DAY, F E B R U A RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

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Sophomore Claudio Correa won the individual title at The Gator Invitational last spring. USF travels to Gainesville on Saturday for this year’s tournament. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/GOUSFBULLS.COM

GOLF

Continued from PAGE 12

five finishes in four tournaments in the fall.

The key to repeating their historic run, Bradley said, is to set the spring season off in a positive direction as the team travels to Gainesville this weekend for the Gator Invitational — a tournament USF won last season.

USF will play 36 holes on Saturday and 18 rounds on Sunday against a challenging field at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.

“Vanderbilt’s really good, Florida State’s really good and (University of) Florida is a lot better than last year,” Bradley said.

“The goal is to certainly go up there and win again, but we have to play really well. It’s been a while since we’ve played there, but we have three guys returning off of last year’s winning team and we’ve got the individual champion.

“So, I know there’s going to be some positive vibes and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

USF lost seniors Trey Valentine and Ryan Fricker from last year’s winning team, but have replaced them with transfers Aksel Olsen

(senior, Wallace State Community College) and Christian DiMarco (sophomore, Kentucky).

Olsen played in every tournament in the fall and has become a strong asset for Bradley.

“After our performance in the fall, I kind of sensed that they were pretty disappointed that they had not met expectations.”

Steve Bradley USF men’s golf coach

“He’s really elevated his game and stepped in nicely for us and has been a solid contributor for us for the fall and I expect him to do so as we continue the spring,” Bradley said.

DiMarco, on the other hand, had question marks surrounding him coming in — most of which have been put to rest in Bradley’s eyes.

“He’s been a pleasant surprise,” Bradley said of the University of Kentucky transfer. “I knew he had some game, I just wasn’t sure he was going to step in and help us right away, but he’s done that.

He’s going to be critical in how our team performs.”

Adding new players year after year is a staple of college sports.

It leads to coaches constantly switching around lineups. For Bradley, it leads to competition and inevitably, progress.

“They’re golfers and it’s an individual sport. They all want to be the best and so, they’re learning from each other on a daily basis,” Bradley said. “Christian thinks he’s as good as Claudio (Correa), Rigel (Fernandes) and Chase (Koepka) and that’s what you want.”

The end game is a return to the national stage. That’s clear.

But before the team gets a chance at redemption, they have seven tournaments standing in the way.

“We can’t worry about what happens in April, May and June,” Bradley said. “We need to go up to Gainesville and play the best we can and try to win. If not, then we’ll get back to work and try and win the next one.”

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

The Rundown

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Baseball

Past troubles fuel USF’s title hopes

Outside USF

Wisconsin basketball player impaled by court A 14-year-old basketball player at Wisconsin Heights High School was impaled by a piece of wood from the gym’s floor, according to ESPN. During a tournament Sunday, a member of the school’s basketball team fell and slid across the floor of a field house in Middleton, WI. Splinters reaching lengths of three to four inches long pierced her stomach, not allowing her to get up. “And the official said: ‘What do you mean? Are you hurt?’”

Tournament coordinator Perry Hibner told WISC-TV. “And she said, ‘There’s a piece of wood stuck to me.’” Spectators at the tournament were temporarily asked to leave as paramedics treated the girl and transported her to a nearby hospital where she received “some exploratory surgery,” according to the station. She had no internal organ damage and should be back on the

Quote of the day “Have you seen any animal having male-to-male or female-to-female relations? If you have male-to-male or female-to-female [relationships], then people are worse than animals.” — Manny Pacquiao said on a Filipino television station earlier this week. Despite his later appology for his comments on twitter, Nike has terminated its sponsorship contract with the 37-year-old boxer. In the tweet, Pacquiao posted a picture of himself wearing a Nike shirt that was specially made for him.

MORE COVERAGE ONLINE

Former USF quarterback Matt Grothe arrested.

Read it at USFOracle.com

Senior outfielder Luke Maglich will be a key returning starter for USF baseball after losing three feature pieces to the draft. Maglich batted .306 last season with 38 RBIs. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU

Retooled and ready USF baseball has a new look heading into Friday’s opener

By Vinny Portell C O R R E S P O N D E N T

Coach Mark Kingston led the Bulls to an NCAA regional game in his first season at the helm of USF baseball in 2015, but is facing an almost completely new roster after he lost several experienced players to the MLB Draft.

Gone are ace Jimmy Herget, closer Tommy Peterson and shortstop Kyle Teaf. Despite the loss, replacing them may not take long, as Kingston brought in 16 freshmen, which rated a top-10 class by D1Baseball.com.

“We have so many new play-

Men’s Golf

ers, there are times it feels very much like last year,” Kingston said at the team’s media day last week.

“We had to institute last year (that) this is how we practice, this is how we approach things. Last year, we were dealing with 34 or 35 new players.

This year we’re dealing with 20.”

Kingston said as many as four of those freshmen could start for the Bulls when the team opens its season Friday night at the USF Baseball Stadium.

Junior college transfer

“We have so many new players, there are times it feels very much like last year.”

n See RETOOLED on PAGE 10

USF baseball coach

Mark Kingston

USF men’s golf coach Steve Bradley talks to reporters prior to the NCAA Championship at The Concession Golf Course in Bradenton, FL. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/GOUSFBULLS.COM

By Jacob Hoag S P O R T S

E D I T O R

No one has felt the highs and lows of collegiate golf more than the USF men’s team.

After soaring past all expectations heading into last year’s National Championship rounds — finishing sixth out of 30 teams — the Bulls quickly felt the heartache of coming so close, but falling just short, losing in match play.

After the best run in program history, the expectations are at an all-time high and with that, pressure surely follows.

“After our performance in the fall, I kind of sensed that they were pretty disappointed that they had not met expectations, and I think they kind of felt that they lacked the confidence and they weren’t as good as last year’s team,” coach Steve Bradley said of his team that had only two top-

n See GOLF on PAGE 11