THE ORACLE
T H U RS DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 4 , 2 0 1 9 I VO L . 5 6 N O . 3 4 w w w . u s f o r a c l e . c o m
U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I DA
Britney Deas details plans for her time as student body president By Alyssa Stewart N E W S
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Once elected, Britney Deas will be the first AfricanAmerican student body president to take office. However, before she gets there she has a detailed plan for what she hopes to accomplish during her term. Deas and her running mate Travis McCloskey are building their platform — based on success, health, innovation, finance and tradition — to create a “BULL S.H.I.F.T.” Deas said traditionalists may
not think that is an appropriate slogan, however, she wanted to take the risk so that students could be attracted to the campaign. “We figured we could have a catchy slogan with some serious initiatives,” Deas said. Entering into Student Government’s (SG) 60th term, Deas said she wants to sit down with the previous administration to review previous initiatives that were funded but not accomplished, such as the prospective esports arena and representation for the National Multicultural
Greek Council (NMGC). Parking trackers in the parking garages were supposed to be implemented in fall 2018, based on comments originally
remaining uncompleted for another term, Deas said she is going to talk to administration to come up with a compromise to the situation.
“ I think it’s a wholesome platform ” Britney Deas, candidate for student body president
made by current Student Body President Moneer Kheireddine. The initiative has now been incorporated in Deas’ platform objectives. To avoid the project from
“You have to step back and reevaluate an initiative that is not going to be finished during your term and focus on ones that you can accomplish,” Deas said. “You can’t just make
initiatives for your own term, you need to make initiatives to build on for five years, 10 years, 20 years down the line.” In an attempt to build more inclusivity on campus, Deas is using Homecoming Week as a first step. “I think USF is lacking in Homecoming spirit, and that’s an area where we’ll need to improve and maybe bring back some high school traditions to get students more engaged,” Deas said.
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Inclusive and influential: Aisha Durham
Professor Aisha Durham is addressing the issues of women of color through what she and other scholars call ‘hip-hop feminism.’ By Jesse Stokes E D I T O R
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In the age of movements like #MeToo, one self-described hiphop feminist and professor of communication and women and gender studies at USF has made it her life’s work to combat the issues of marginalized groups, specifically women of color. Aisha Durham first entered into the world of hip-hop feminism through a book by one of her idols, Joan Morgan. “Joan Morgan’s book on hiphop feminism transformed my life,” Durham said. “From there, I used that as a banner to say ‘this is what I am invested in.’” But what exactly is hip-hop
This story is part of an ongoing series that highlights campus leaders during Black Heritage Month. feminism? According to Durham, it addresses the causes and concerns of girls and women of color and advances the causes. “We talk about (hip-hop feminism) not only as a cultural feminist movement but also an intellectual movement and a political movement,” Durham said. However, after idolizing Morgan, Durham would go on to become an author and editor
as well. By the time Durham finished graduate school, she already co-edited two books. One titled: “Homegirls Make Some Noise”, a book she was inspired to write after attending a hip-hop feminism conference. According to Durham, it remains the only hip-hop feminist anthology to date. “That was my first academic book, but it has also been one
n See DURHAM on PAGE 3
Aisha Durham’s journey as a hip-hop feminist began at a young age when she began to write stories about herself and other black girls. PHOTO COURTESY OF AISHA DURHAM
NEWS 3
OPINION 6
SPORTS 8