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THE ORACLE

T H U RS DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 9 I VO L . 5 6 N O . 3 2

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

USF will improve police vehicle fleet, mental health initiatives

By Alyssa Stewart N E W S

E D I T O R

The USF Board of Trustees (BOT) is making campus safety and student success its priority by tapping into funds from a budget plan it presented to the Board of Governors (BOG) last week.

The BOT’s Carryforward Spend Plan will use $45.4 million in funds leftover from the 2018 fiscal year that will contribute to USF’s strategic initiatives, the plan’s action

report stated.

The plan will use $260,000 of the leftover funds for “Campus Security and Safety Enhancements” which will replace some University Police cruisers on the Tampa campus and police services at the Sarasota-Manatee campus.

In addition, $1,274,228 of the fund will be used for “Student Services, Enrollment and Retention Efforts,” which will impact student mental health services.

Additional funding will also be used for faculty research, library research, infrastructure

needs to be purchased right now except for the outdated police car fleet.

“ We have a responsibility for students ... ” Mark Walsh, USF assistant vice president for Government Relations

and information technology.

Mark Walsh, USF assistant vice president for Government Relations, said there is not any other safety equipment that

“We’re spending a lot of operating funds while the fleet is continuing to age,” Walsh said. “We’re trying to replace the oldest vehicles that we

have to ensure we have enough cars operating at one time and enough coverage for the whole campus.”

The fleet currently has 24 unmarked police cars and 46 marked police cars.

Some of the police vehicles are 10 years old and have about 120,000 miles on them, which are creating maintenance issues, according to USF

n See BUDGET on PAGE 3

Inclusive and influential: Winston Jones Winston Jones is the associate dean of students and he wants to use his past to teach students that there is nothing they can’t overcome.

By Maria Ranoni M A N A G I N G

E D I T O R

At a large university like USF, it’s easy to forget about the people behind the scenes.

The people that make it possible to have things like celebrity lectures on campus, a Homecoming and all the many events that define the student experience.

Winston Jones, the associate dean of students, is one of those people.

Jones is responsible for overseeing multiple departments within Student Success (formerly Student Affairs) along with respective department heads including the Center for Student Involvement, which is responsible

This story is part of an ongoing series that highlights campus leaders during Black Heritage Month. for Homecoming, University Lecture Series, Bullstock and many other events.

Based on his leadership, it’s clear that Jones is one of the most important African-American voices on campus and in the USF administration.

Although he remained humble by telling The Oracle that he doesn’t “know that I’m an influential African-American person on this campus,” he doesn’t deny the importance of having black leaders in general.

NEWS 3

“There should be (AfricanAmerican leaders),” Jones said.

“The importance of it though is that we are struggling with identity, I think. Even though we have achieved a great deal, we struggle with this concept of ‘less than,’ of constantly having to prove ourselves because we don’t have a reflection of success readily available to us on a daily basis.

Students don’t. And so it helps students just like it would help to

n See JONES on PAGE 3

OPINION 6

This year marks Jones’ tenth year working at USF. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/USF

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T H U R S DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 9

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NEWS

BUDGET

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

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JONES

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The carryforward dollars will be used to purchase new vehicles for the University Police fleet as well as updated initiatives for mental health awareness. ORACLE FILE PHOTO Chief Financial Officer Nick Trivunovich.

The $260,000 will purchase five base vehicles for $52,000 each. Walsh said these are then modified to police vehicles, which include screens, computers and racks in the backseat.

Trivunovich said nothing has been confirmed and the funding is not something that will be implemented on a regular basis.

“It’s not guaranteed to be there every year, it’s a leftover balance from the prior year,” Trivunovich said.

Walsh said the mental health initiative is important to fund because it will significantly reduce wait times with mental health care professionals and provide more awareness, education and prevention

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programs.

“We’re using some of that funding to ensure that students don’t have to wait a week if they have a significant issue,” Walsh said.

Trivunovich said the plan for the spending of the carryforward funding allocation is to implement 16 TFE — new employment positions at the counseling center.

The budget prior to the additional allocation of funds for the student mental health initiative was $3,415,083.

T h re e non-salary expenditures — Mental Health Literacy Social Marketing ($51,300), Mental Health Outreach ($75,600) and Coordinated Care Management ($65,825) — will also potentially be funded for a total of $192,725.

Walsh said funding mental health initiatives is a priority since it will promote healthy mind sets and help students progress toward their degree.

“We have a responsibility for students to find mental health issues on campus and we feel like we need to provide assistance in any way we can,” Walsh said.

Trivunovich said updating the police car fleet and funding mental health initiatives will save the university from overspending on temporary fixes.

“The best and most prudent use of (the funding is) to put it in places where there’s more occurring expenditures, which will, in the end, save more in the future,” Trivunovich said.

see women in power.”

However, this is hardly the first time he has had an influential “voice.”

He began his college career at Arizona State University, earning a Bachelor’s in voice performance.

During a part of his time there, Jones was a resident assistant.

He would then go on to work as a hall director at Rhode Island State College before he pursued a Master’s in opera studies at the State University of New York, where he worked as a hall director again.

After spending so much time with students, Jones said he realized he was good at it and he wanted to work in that environment rather than the music field.

“That was an aha moment,” Jones said. “It was in a moment.

It came over time but it all culminated in a road trip going to New York City and I really turned the car around said ‘nope.’”

Upon this realization, Jones decided to get his Master’s in education and student personnel leadership. After various moves, various universities and various titles, Jones ended up at Colorado College as the director of Housing and Residential Education.

“I moved around to move up,” he said.

Working in this position was a moment in which Jones said he had reached a level of success in his career.

“That was a moment where I felt like I was the boss, right,” he said. “I was the person making the decisions for a large department with a large budget that had a lot of staff. That really sells that moment where you’re responsible,

3 you’re the person responsible for the staff, you’re the person responsible for the students.

“The buck stops with you. And I think that was when I felt like I had reached a level at which I was not satisfied with but appreciative of it and felt like I’d done good with my career.”

Jones would go on to apply to USF and subsequently became the director of Student Rights and Responsibilities before reaching his current position.

Before he came to USF, he said the longest tenure he had at any university was about four years This year will mark his tenth at USF. “I made a decision to settle here, not to settle, but to settle here to progress here,” Jones said.

“I’ve been successful in that and I’ve done that. But about five years ago I made the decision that I’m going to stay. I’m going to make sure that I work hard, do my thing but that I’m going to see where longevity will take me.”

Using his longevity, Jones said when he talks to student leaders on campus, particularly leaders of color, he tells them to be “on point” in ways that will help educate themselves and put themselves in positions to succeed.

Mainly, he tells them not to create their own obstacles because “they will come along the way without any help from you.”

“Focus on your goals, your vision, live your dreams because you can,” he said. “There is nothing holding you back that you cannot overcome. And I want to be clear about that. I didn’t say there is nothing holding you back.

“I said there’s nothing holding you back that you cannot overcome.”

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OPINION

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

T H U R S DAY, F E B RUA RY 7 , 2 0 1 9

Trump’s words mean nothing without action ●

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Democrats need to hold themselves accountable

By Jared Sellick

By Aida Vazquez-Soto

C O L U M N I S T

O P I N I O N

During Tuesday’s State of the Union address, President Donald Trump took the time to honor the victims of the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh last October.

Despite Trump’s kind words, they mean nothing if they are not followed up by action.

Trump has expressed repeated behavior of condoning anti-Semitic remarks as well as perpetuating conspiracies espoused by the very shooter who committed that egregious act.

“We must never ignore the vile poison of anti-Semitism or those who spread its venomous creed,” Trump said in his address. “With one voice, we must confront this hatred anywhere and everywhere President Trump’s words about standing against anti-Semitism mean it occurs.” nothing without following through with actions. SPECIAL TO THE The president should be eager ORACLE to follow his own advice.

The very man who committed from a deeply anti-Semitic place.

Arguably Trump’s most memorable line from his the atrocity in Pittsburgh, leaving The mythos of the Jewish Cabal, presidency took place after the 11 senior citizens dead, cited one a non-existent alliance of Jews vile display in Charlottesville, of his reasons for committing who are said to collectively run Virginia in which Neo-Nazis the act with his delusion that the world including the banks, and other alt-right individuals the mythical Jewish Cabal was the media and the apparent responsible for the formation of navigation of Latin American clashed with counter-protesters.

Trump’s response to the the caravan of immigrants that refugees have been around for demonstration and murder of were approaching our southern centuries.

The Soros conspiracy theory 32-year-old Heather Heyer was border late last year.

The president bought into is just a revamped version of this that there were “good people on this very conspiracy. When asked age-old bigoted belief. both sides.”

While we should all be This display was horrifying to whether George Soros, a left-wing the same Jewish-Americans he billionaire financier of Jewish encouraged by a denouncement was expressing sympathy for on descent, funded the caravan, the of antisemitism, it is important president responded, “I don’t that we put Trump’s comments Tuesday.

Trump may not hold these know who (funded the caravan), in context.

Now, the president must follow anti-Semitic beliefs himself. After but I wouldn’t be surprised. A lot his own advice and actually all, his son-in-law is of Jewish of people say ‘yes.’”

He has also blamed Soros for confront anti-Semitic hatred. descent and his grandchildren are Jewish by faith, but that allegedly hiring actors to protest doesn’t mean that he “confront(s) the nomination of his Supreme Jared Sellick is a junior majoring this hatred anywhere and Court pick Brett Kavanaugh.

These conspiracy theories in political science. everywhere it occurs,” as he said surrounding Soros are grown in his speech.

Virginia’s executive branch is on defense following a series of scandalous accusations and revelations.

Attorney General Mark Herring admitted to using blackface during a college party in 1980. Governor Ralph Northam (D) is similarly under fire after his medical school yearbook page was shown to feature a photo of a man in blackface and another person in a Ku Klux Klan hood.

His Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax is facing sexual assault allegations stemming from an encounter in 2004.

The public response has been swift and harsh, however, the Democrats in question have failed to do more than host news conferences.

If the Democratic Party hopes to retain any integrity on the issues of sexual violence or racism, it must take the appropriate steps to condemn the harmful actions and words of these men.

Northam and Herring should be the first ones to resign.

Both have admitted to using “shoe polish” and “brown makeup” on at least one occasion. While Northam is now disputing that he was the man in his yearbook photo, it is concerning that his initial reaction was to release an apology.

Herring is openly admitting to using blackface.

It is unclear if he is doing so out of guilt or concern over the existence of evidence. The fact

E D I T O R

that neither of these men have resigned puts the credibility of the Democratic Party at risk. It becomes infinitely harder for Democrats to criticize racism when major figures in power have actively admitted to partaking in racist activities.

The case of the sexual assault allegations against Lt. Governor Fairfax is somewhat distinct and for that, he deserves due process.

He deserves an opportunity to defend himself in the appropriate setting.

However, respectfully disputing allegations also means being respectful to your accuser. Two sources confirmed to NBC News on Wednesday morning that Fairfax had been disparaging of his accuser, saying “F*** that b****” in a private meeting on Monday.

The Democratic Party was quick to condemn Northam and Herring, but its lukewarm response to the accusations against Fairfax and its inability to pressure Northam out of office have put the party in a hypocritical position.

If Democrats hope to retain any sense of moral high ground on issues relating to sexual assault, they must condemn Fairfax’s language.

If they hope to retain that same sense of morality on issues relating to race and racism, they must get Northam and Herring out of office or risk the consequences: lost elections and lost credibility.

Aida Vazquez-Soto is a senior majoring in political science and economics.

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BASEBALL

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Alvarez that will take the mound attempting to finish off the opponent in the ninth inning this season. Alvarez has reached as high as 96 mph on the radar gun, but with the season opener Feb.15th, according to Mohl, Hoffman will do the bulk of the closing duties to start the season.

“Those two, [Hoffman and Alvarez] are both battling for that spot,” Mohl said. “Alvarez is on Graham’s heels right now.

Those two will battle for the closer spot going into conference play. Graham has good stuff and he has really looked good this spring.”

Ben Koff, a transfer from the College of Central Florida, figures to be a big part of the plans for Mohl and the Bulls.

With the potential to break in the starting rotation, the versatile Koff could find his role on the staff as both a starter and coming out of the bullpen. The question for Mohl, at this point, is Koff ’s endurance.

“It’s just figuring out his role,” Mohl said. “Is he better in the bullpen and we make sure that the bullpen is light-out, or does he have the stamina to go five-

SOFTBALL

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and six stolen bases. Eriksen points to her experience when it comes to his decision to play Devitt.

“Some of the guys that have game experience, like Devitt,” Eriksen said. “That is a no-brainer for us. She will probably be batting around the third spot. But you can surround her with seven or eight different people in different types of alignments.”

Even though she is not guaranteed a spot, Fung said she feels that this team is one of the best she has been on.

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innings every weekend? These are the things we are working through right now.”

Connor Eason will also return for the Bulls.

Eason appeared in 15 games last season posting a 1-0 record with a 2.70 ERA in 20 innings pitched. Eason is all-business on the field, but when the lefthander isn’t on the mound, his job is to keep the team relaxed.

“It’s always the lefties,” Mohl said. “He is like a big kid, like one of my six-year-olds. He is always in a good mood, running around and keeping it light. He has some of the best one-liners.”

With a veteran offense in place, the Bulls strive for a season that leads to postseason play. The Bulls have experience, however, it is limited. Mohl knows the pitching, and figuring out the answers to the questions regarding his staff in the early going will be the defining factor for success this season.

“I feel good about the talent we have,” Mohl said. “It’s just a matter of putting those guys in the right roles to have success...

We will go as far as our pitching takes us and we have so many unknowns right now.”

“This is probably one of the best chemistries I have had in all of my years here, that just makes you want to go out and fight even harder,” Fung said. “It is just exciting, we are all excited for it.”

USF Opening Weekend Invitational will start Thursday, Feb. 7 and USF will be facing a number of ranked opponents. The University of Florida, University of Arizona and the University of Michigan are all coming into the tournament as top10 teams.

The Bulls are no stranger to strong scheduling though, as they have played multiple ranked

BASEBALL ROSTER No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 35 37 38 42 44 47

Name Kyle Phillips Nicholas Gonzalez Jordan Feist Kevin King Jordan Santos Dylan Buck Graham Hoffman Michael Montes Jake Sullivan Dylan Burns Noah Yager Julio Cortez Collin Sullivan Nelson Alvarez Baron Stuart Carson Ragsdale Pat Doudican Joe Genord Max Holmes Alec Wisely Chris Chatfield Brandon Schrepf Connor Eason Garrett Zech Daniel Gutcher James Lyle Matt Marini Riley Hogan Alex Bello Justin Stewart Richie Cruz Tyler Dietrich Austin Bodrato JD Dutka Ben Koff

opponents the past two seasons.

Two of those teams being Florida and Michigan.

Regardless, Eriksen is not worried as he is no stranger to ranked opponents. He is confident in his new team and believes the early competition will set them up for success.

“We’re posturing ourselves well with getting great competition, challenging ourselves early and getting some (players) that don’t have a lot of game experience right into the fire right away,” Eriksen said. “It’s what we do. It’s the way we’ve always been.”

Pos. OF INF INF LHP C/UT INF RHP INF C RHP LHP C RHP RHP RHP RHP/1B LHP 1B RHP RHP OF OF LHP OF C LHP RHP OF INF RHP RHP C OF/RHP INF/C RHP

SOFTBALL ROSTER No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 29 44 72 98 99

Name Dezarae Maldonado Kyndall Williams Mia Fung Bethaney Keen Anamarie Bruni Nicole Doyle Nicole Bechtel Meghan Sheehan Jasmine Haynes Madison Epperson Tayli Filla Macy Cook Kelsey Lay Aubrey Ledbetter Jaycie Michael Brooke Leistl Georgina Corrick Brooke Hartman Lindsey Devitt Megan Hargraves Megan Pierro Alivia Sinnott Riley Gore Jordyn Kadlub Brittany Hook Cheyenne Eggens

Pos. IF IF C/OF OF/IF OF/IF P C IF/OF OF UT P C IF C OF OF P IF IF UT IF P UT P P P

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SPORTS

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T H U R S DAY, F E B RUA RY 7 , 2 0 1 9

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Baseball

Mohl tasked with replacing weekend pitching rotation

By Steven Gerardy C O R R E S P O N D E N T

The top-three pitchers on the USF baseball team were drafted by Major League Baseball clubs after last season.

Former Bulls’ starting pitchers Shane McClanahan, Peter Strzelecki and closer Andrew Perez concluded their USF careers last year, losing in the NCAA regionals with a team that went 36-22-1.

While McClanahan was the highly-touted first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays, coach Billy Mohl expressed concern about who will replace Strzelecki, who now pitches in the Brewers’ farm system, in the pitching rotation.

“The biggest piece of the pitching staff to replace from last year was Strzelecki,” Mohl said. “He was our Saturday starter and threw a lot of big games for us. That is a key piece we are going to miss...

If you ask me who our best

pitchers were last season, it was Strzelecki and Perez.”

Head coach Billy Mohl will look to regroup with a talented, but less-experienced pitching staff this season.

Mohl does have some experience coming back from last year’s team. Mohl will turn to sophomore Baron Stuart, junior Collin Sullivan and senior Alec Wisely at the front end of the rotation. The three pitchers last season combined to start 29 games, winning eight games and losing only three.

“Wisely, Sullivan and Baron are the only guys that had success at this level so it will be touch and go as we go along,” Mohl said.

While Perez, drafted in the eighth round by the Chicago White Sox, will be missed, it will be sophomore Graham Hoffmann or Miami-Dade College transfer Nelson

n See BASEBALL on PAGE 7

USF lost three of its top pitchers last season. Coach Billy Mohl says he’ll look to young and older players to fill the gaps. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/BRYANT HOWARD

Softball

Eriksen: ‘This might be one of the most intelligent teams I have ever had’

By Jeremy Johnson C O R R E S P O N D E N T

In his 23rd season as USF softball’s head coach, Ken Eriksen has had plenty of talented teams, including the 2012 squad that went to the Women’s College World Series.

Even with 13 NCAA Tournament appearances under his belt, Eriksen

said that this year’s team is unique in its own way.

“This might be one of the most intelligent teams I have ever had,” Eriksen said. “These guys have grasped a lot of concepts early, they work very hard and they bring their lunch bucket to practice every day.”

Impressed by the bright minds of the younger players, Eriksen will

have options when deciding who will be in the starting line up. The competition is high right now, and positions are up for grabs. Returning players are aware that their spots are not guaranteed and they will have to fight for their positions.

“I feel that in every position there is someone fighting right behind and that at each position there are

multiple people who could easily play,” redshirt senior Mia Fung said.

“I feel that no one has a set spot on this team. You have to fight every day.”

Fung is aware that her head coach has not guaranteed everyone a spot on the starting line up. Fung played 48 of 62 games last season and finished with a .279 batting

average, eight home runs and six stolen bases.

Some players, like senior infielder Lindsey Devitt who played 61 of 62 games last season, have seemingly solidified their starting spot on the roster. Devitt finished with a .379 average, six home runs

n See SOFTBALL on PAGE 7