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The Oracle T H U R S D AY, F E B R U A R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 I V O L . 5 3 N O. 7 1

Inside this Issue

C O - N E W S

Busch Gardens to cast Cobra’s Curse.

Page 5

S P O RTS E-Sports are creating a buzz on college campuses.

BACK

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

SG candidates share platforms Committee

By Miki Shine

L I FESTYLE

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

The Index

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

E D I T O R

It’s that time of year again.

Dozens of screaming supporters crowded into the Marshall Student Center (MSC) Ballroom to watch the student body presidential debate, which featured three candidates.

Candidates Chris Griffin, Nicole Hudson and Michael Malanga spoke for nearly two hours about their platforms and hopes as president for the upcoming school year.

The debate, moderated by MSC Director Sujit Chemburkar, featured questions submitted by students ranging from concerns that Student Government isn’t accurately representing the student body to how the candidate will fulfill the promises made during their campaign.

In order to better represent the student body, Malanga’s ticket wants to take leaders from across campus with diverse backgrounds and experiences to make an advisory council.

“Often times, I think that it’s

not that we don’t have solutions to problems or that we don’t want to solve problems,” Malanga said.

“It’s that we don’t know the problem exists because we don’t understand them personally … We want to create an (SG) diversity council.”

Griffin called on his current supporters to show the diverse group already supporting his ticket.

However, he also said SG needs to be at all events on campus in order to be there for the students.

“Our team needs to be a diverse group of students,” Griffin said.

“If you take a look at the audience, you will see a diverse set of students wearing salmon(-colored T-shirts).”

Hudson’s response focused on the notion of petitions and making it easier for students to create petitions as a way to get SG to look at issues they’re concerned about.

“The American government has this website, petitions.whitehouse. gov,” she said. “At this website, you can make a petition, sign a petition and if the petition gets enough signatures then the president has to address this petition.”

Her comment sparked a response from both of the other tickets with Malanga jumping in with support, saying that it’s on his platform as well. He then questioned Griffin about why his running partner, Alec Waid, came out against a petition system at the vice presidential debate.

“We’re not against a petition system,” Griffin said. “... If you go up to the SG offices, you’ll see a box. That’s a box where average students can put in any concerns that they have.”

Each candidate was also asked a series of questions regarding their platform; what will be most challenging, what comes first and the concern that their platform won’t be followed through with. Their answers varied in several ways.

“The platform issue that I want to discuss is creating a (SG) diversity council,” Malanga said. “But the difficulty isn’t in creating a council ... The difficulty is in noticing that students feel represented by (SG).

We do have a problem that students don’t feel like (SG) represents

n See DEBATE on PAGE 3

Welcome to ULS

The University Lecture Series (ULS) has announced the last two featured speakers for the semester. After Laverne Cox cancelled her ULS talk, the lineup now includes gold medalist Abby Wambach next month and Humans of New York creator Brandon Stanton during USF Week. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

to hear further testimony

By Grace Hoyte

E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F

A meeting of the Student Government (SG) Judiciary and Ethics Committee (JEC) was held Tuesday to hear testimony regarding a grievance filed against Judelande Jeune and Wes Viola, former candidates for the student body presidential and vice presidential race.

SG Senate President ProTempore Danish Hasan, the grievance’s author, gave testimony in a Q&A session with the committee members.

Alec Waid, a vice presidential candidate and running mate of SG Sen. Chris Griffin, was also heard during the proceeding, which was closed to the public.

In a recording furnished to the Oracle by Student Government Advising, Training and Operations Director Gary Manka, per the state’s Sunshine laws, the committee questioned each individual regarding claims made in the grievance and in evidence presented.

No conclusive evidence was presented at the meeting, though further evidence may be recognized at the next JEC meeting today.

Jeune was not present, though JEC chairman Aladdin Hiba requested a statement from her, which was read during the meeting.

Hiba also requested statements from SG Supervisor of Elections Carson Sadro, Jeune and Viola’s campaign manager Maggie Hall, former-SG Attorney General Alex Johnson and SG Sen. Ralph Herz.

The JEC will hear more testimony at today’s 7 p.m. meeting.

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Students protest USF investment, smoke outside library

By Abby Rinaldi C O - N E W S

E D I T O R

A cloud of smoke rested in front of the USF library on Wednesday afternoon.

A crowd of over 40 students puffed on cigarettes, cigars and hookah while passing out flyers.

Three students stood up on the railing and held signs. Together, the signs read, “smoke our investments.”

The protest was part of an effort to raise awareness about alleged USF investment in Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco, according to protestors.

By purchasing tobacco products and using them on campus, according to Rahma Elmohd, a junior majoring in English, the protestors are sarcastically promoting university investment in tobacco, an investment she disagrees with.

The investment in tobacco companies was not the only

investment addressed in the flyers given out to passing students.

“We don’t just invest in tobacco companies,” the flyer stated. “We invest in fossil fuel companies, such as coal and oil companies.

We invest in private prisons that profit from the mass incarceration of Black Americans.

“We invest in companies that profit from mass deportation of immigrant families. We invest in companies complicit in human rights violations in Palestine.”

Student Government Senator in the College of Medicine Muhammad Imam said the investment information was gained from tracing stock tickers present in financial records from the USF Foundation. However, these records could not be located.

“The USF Foundation’s investment policy and investments are guided by its mission, fiduciary responsibilities and state or federal law and regulations,” USF Media and Public Affairs Officer Adam Freeman said in an email.

“Investment decisions are not made based on requests from individuals or groups.”

Student protestors gathered in front of the library on Wednesday afternoon to smoke in opposition to alleged university investment. ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU USF alumnus Ahmad Hussam organized the event. He feels the issue is something everyone is currently interested in and talking about. The smoking in front of the library was civil disobedience,

Hussam said. He was doing it “just because they told me I can’t.”

“We found it ironic that our university cites fiduciary responsibility and then invests in a product which they ban on campus,”

Hussam said.

The goal, according to the flyer, is socially responsible investment policies. Imam said it’s harder to lead by example and easier to tell

n See PROTEST on PAGE 7

T H U R S DAY, F E B R U A RY 2 5 , 2 0 1 6

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Meet the presidential candidates

Mike Malanga and Taylor Sanchez ORACLE PHOTO/Jackie Benitez

Advocacy Implement a Student Government Diversity Council made up of diverse student leaders to advise the President & VP on issues regarding inclusiveness and diversity.

Safety and Wellness Advocate for the use of funds to build a Student Wellness facility to provide students with increased access to physical and mental health resources Tradition Create a Student Sustainability Officer position within Student Government.

Student Experience Advocate for simplified fair parking regulations for students on campus..

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Chris Griffin and Alec Waid ORACLE PHOTO/Jackie Benitez

Parking Install a digital parking system in each parking garage that will inform students about availability of spots in the garage before entering the parking lot.

Academics Provide free Blue/Green books from student government Community Partner with dining to allow for students to donate unused swipes to local food pantries Tradition Work to make professors aware of and ask them not to schedule any big exams or tests during homecoming week and USF Week

Nicole Hudson and Amanda Hill ORACLE PHOTO/Jackie Benitez

Campus Culture • Haven of Diversity

Fight for Rights • Campus Connectivity

More Student Spaces Focused Academics • T h e Ac a d e m i c Experience

Better Resources • Focused University

Academia First

Don’t Punish Success Fight Corruption • Increase Visibility

Details Made Public SG-Span • Be Accountable

Truthful Campaigning Parking Solutions • Count Cars • Keep Drivers Updated

DEBATE

Continued from PAGE 1

them. What we need to do is do a better job at listening and actually hearing the concerns they have so we can address them.”

Griffin’s largest concern when it came to completing the tasks on his ticket’s platform focuses around academics, as it is not in SG’s power to administer such changes alone.

“The most difficult thing on our platform is academics in creating an online syllabus bank,” he said.

“This is difficult because it’s not something that (SG) can mandate but it’s something that our students need.”

Hudson, once again, turned to changes she hopes to make in SG, which has remained her primary campaign focus.

“I think that the hardest part of our platform is going to be fighting corruption,” Hudson said.

“Everybody who is getting a little larger slice of the pie than they necessarily deserve, wants to keep it … I just think that in order to accomplish this task, we’re going to have to be open with everybody.

We’re going to have to work with every member of (SG) and the administration to do the same.”

Besides accomplishing the most difficult of their campaign promises, each candidate also discussed what will be his or her first step, upon entering office, to make their ticket’s platform happen.

“The very first meeting we’re going to have, we’re going to sit down and create a position: the Sustainability Officer. That’s something we’re going to do before we get to office,” Malanga said. “But as soon as we get to office, we’re going to focus on … working with the administration to make sure that they understand our priority is wellness on campus.”

Griffin focused on the community aspect of their campaign, which works on bringing USF into the Tampa Bay community and bringing the community to USF. “We really want focus on hitting the ground running for when students come back to school …

The first thing that we really need to work on is that ticket center that we want to power.” Griffin said. “Our ticket center is going to offer discounted tickets to all of our students to any major attractive that are happening in the area … we know a lot of our students are going to those events over the summer.”

n See DEBATE on PAGE 9

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Opinion

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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

Editor in Chief Grace Hoyte oracleeditor@gmail.com Managing Editor Adam Mathieu oraclemeditor@gmail.com News Editors Miki Shine Abby Rinaldi oraclenewsteam@gmail.com Sports Editor Jacob Hoag oraclesportseditor@gmail.com Opinion Editor Breanne Williams oracleopinion@gmail.com Lifestyle Editor Jasmin Faisal oraclelifestyleeditor@gmail.com Copy Editors Zach Lowie Isabelle Cavazos Graphic Artists Luke Blankenship Destiny Moore Advertising Sales Lauren Alford Alyssa Alexander Adriana Covate Destiny Moore Dylan Ritchey The Oracle is published Monday and Thursday during the fall, spring and summer semesters.

The Oracle allocates one free issue to each student.

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Contact Editor in Chief Grace Hoyte at 974-5190.

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Obama addresses the idiocy of vetoing his Supreme Court nominee Breanne Williams COLU M N I ST

Yesterday, President Barack Obama wrote an op-ed piece on Scotusblog.com addressing the controversy surrounding his appointing the replacement to the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat.

Members of the GOP have made it clear they will not approve anyone the President recommends in hopes the party’s candidate will be elected come November and they can have a republican in the position.

In his article, titled “A Responsibility I Take Seriously,” Obama detailed exactly what he was looking for in a nominee.

“A sterling record. A deep respect for the judiciary role. An understanding of the way the world really works,” he wrote. “That is what I’m considering as I fulfill my constitutional duty to appoint a judge to our highest court.”

He heavily emphasized the fact that it is his responsibility, as our elected leader, to appoint a nominee. In fact, appointing nominees is one of the few Constitutional duties the president actually has.

By stalling, and thus ignoring his nomination, the GOP is essentially forcing the President to fail at his job and will ultimately end up hurting the general public.

This stalling tactic could be detrimental to the Court. By leaving one seat empty, there is an even balance of justices and this will undoubtedly lead to numerous ties on issues with no one to break them.

Rest assured, without a replacement, nothing will be accomplished from here on out in the Supreme Court.

Obama recognizes this very real threat and thus implored the associate justices to let him do his job.

“As Senators prepare to fulfill their constitutional responsibility to consider the person I appoint, I hope they’ll move quickly to debate

and then confirm this nominee so the Court can continue to serve the American people at full strength.”

Unfortunately, the Republican Senators have made it clear they will not under any circumstances allow the President’s nomination to go through. Party majority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he and several other senators would not even meet the potential nominee.

This is not the first time Senators have recommended ignoring a nomination. In 1992, then-Sen. Joe Biden addressed the possibility of an opening arising in the Court under President George H.W. Bush.

“It is my view that if the President … presses an electionyear nomination, the Senate Judiciary Committee should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the nomination until after the political campaign season is over,” said Biden.

This is not an issue of partisanship, but rather ensuring the Court continues to do what is best for the general public.

No case brought before the court is miniscule. Each and every decision made impacts the way law is interpreted in this country and thus plays a direct role in the lives of the American people.

The fact that Obama is in his final months of leadership does not mean the Court can simply go without a judge. Regardless of whether the associate justices are Republicans or Democrats, fans of Obama or his enemies, they need to step up and act like adults.

Seriously review the upcoming nomination. If there is a justifiable reason why a candidate should not be granted the seat, veto him or her. However, if the only complaint is that he or she was nominated by our President, then he or she should be appointed so the Court can quickly continue to go about its duties.

Breanne Williams is a junior majoring in mass communications.

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Letter to the Editor SDS calls to defend affirmative action (Today) at 5 p.m., Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) will be holding a rally at Cooper Hall to defend affirmative action programs, which are currently under attack nationally in the Supreme Court case of Fisher v. University of Texas- Austin.

In Florida, affirmative action in college admissions is currently banned by the One Florida (initiative), which has resulted in a decrease in black enrollment across the state.

At USF, 11 percent of our student body is Black while the actual demographic of Tampa is 26 percent Black. At Florida State University and the University of Florida, the rate of Black enrollment is even lower, at a mere seven percent.

Racist admissions, such as legacy policies and racist (tests) originating from eugenics programs continue to negatively impact the educational opportunities offered to the African-American community.

Affirmative action programs were valuable gains won through the struggles of African-American and other oppressed nationality students in the 1960s and 70s against segregation and institutionalized racism in education.

Because SDS upholds that education is a right for all, we believe students should join us in demanding affirmative action, an end to racist admissions policies, to ensure increased Black enrollment!

Craig Schott is a senior majoring in history.

Letters to the Editor guidelines: Letters should not exceed 400 words in length and must include name, major and year in school. They also must include phone number for verification purposes only. All letters are subject to editing for content, grammar, taste and length. All letters are published at the discretion of the editorial board. Only letters sent via email will be considered.

Submit letters to: oracleopinion@gmail.com or visit usforacle.

Lifestyle

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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New roller coaster announced at Busch Gardens

By Nicole Cate C O R R E S P O N D E N T

Busch Gardens recently announced that a new roller coaster, Cobra’s Curse, will open at the amusement park later this year.

Their website states that it is a moderate thrill ride without any water components.

Patrons will have to be at least 42 inches (3 feet, 5 inches) tall to ride.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, visitors will step into a cart that will lift them 70 feet. The cart will then turn to bring it closer to an 80-foottall statue of the “snake king,” Venymyss, before starting its 40-mph journey down the 2,100-foot-long track. Each individual car is also equipped to spin independent of the others, adding to the thrill of the ride.

The ride will be built in the Egypt section of the park. The

Concept art for Busch Garden’s new roller coaster, Cobra’s Curse.

SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

Tampa Bay Times reported that construction began in January 2015.

Busch Gardens currently has seven roller coasters. Its newest roller coaster installment, Falcon’s Fury, opened in August 2014.

While known for its thrill rides, Busch Gardens has much more to offer. The zoological amusement park is split up into 10 sections, five of which are named after locations in Africa, with others including Jungala, the Bird Gardens, Sesame Street Safari of Fun, Pantopia and the Crown Colony Plaza. Each section houses animals corresponding with traditional habitats.

The park is also known for its annual events. Thousands of visitors line up each year during October for Howl-OScream, the park’s Halloween event, November and December for their Christmas event, Christmas Town,

and select dates from June to August for their Summer Nights event.

USF graduate Jeff Hornick led the coaster’s design team.

In his first Busch Gardens blog post, Hornick revealed that the new roller coaster is being built where the replica of King Tutankhamen’s tomb used to be.

The design team did not get rid of the entire replica, as parts of the building are being used as the foundation for Cobra’s Curse’s air-conditioned waiting line.

Amanda Kelly, a senior majoring in religious studies, said the rides are not what draw her to Busch Gardens.

“I kind of like the fact that it’s got animals and the environmental stuff,” Kelly said.

“I’m not big into roller coaster rides.”

Kelly had not heard of Cobra’s Curse and said that she might visit Busch Gardens

to give the new attraction a chance.

Brianna Ciccotelli, a junior majoring in mass communications, said that she used to go to Busch Gardens at least once a month on an annual pass. Over time, she became bored and started frequenting Disney and Universal instead.

Ciccotelli said she was excited about the prospect of a new ride at Busch Gardens.

“I haven’t heard about the new roller coaster until now,” Ciccotelli said. “It makes me

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want to go to Busch Gardens so I can check it out.”

There is no official completion date for the construction of Cobra’s Curse. In the mean time, eager riders will have to keep their eyes peeled for more information from the park. The public is encouraged to keep up with Cobra’s Curse’s build on Busch Gardens’ blog.

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PROTEST

Continued from PAGE 3

people what to do.

“What we’re asking for is not unique,” Imam said.

A University Police (UP) squad car stationed in front of the library did not intervene. At one point, the car turned on its lights and drove away.

Another UP officer walked by the protest. She stared for several seconds before continuing into the library.

UP Captain Meg Ross could not be reached for comment by time of print.

The smoking ban is peer enforced, but Freeman said students protesting by smoking could be subject to disciplinary action.

“The university values the right to exercise free speech,” Freeman said. “However, individuals who smoke on campus, whether as part of a protest or for any other reason, are violating university policy.”

Some students were under the impression that the protest was against the smoking ban USF implemented in January.

“It’s more about the invest-

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T H E O R AC L E

ments than the cigarettes for sure,” Vince Gyongyosi, a freshman in biomedical sciences, said.

The cigarettes were, however, a good way to get people to come out, in his opinion. He wanted to take a stand against the investments. Gyongyosi doesn’t think it’s right that he is paying to go to a school that doesn’t support what he supports.

For the university to impose a smoking ban yet invest in big tobacco isn’t something he thinks adds up.

“It’s extremely hypocritical,” Gyongyosi said, puffing a cigarette. “That’s just hypocrisy at its best.”

Some students did complain but ultimately the protest did not face any significant challenge.

Zein Barakat, a senior majoring in biomedical sciences, said the protest was not in support of smoking.

“We are trying to display the hypocrisy that USF is portraying to the students and educate (the students) about this issue,” Barakat said. “If this is the most efficient way to educate students about this hypocrisy then we will do it.”

Protestors smoked hookah, cigarettes and cigars while passing out flyers containing information about university investments. ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU

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Classifieds UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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T H U R S D AY, F E B R U A RY 2 5 , 2 0 1 6

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DEBATE

Continued from PAGE 3

However, Hudson wants to look into the inner workings of SG first for improving transparency between SG and the student body.

“One of the first priorities of my administration is going to be to decrease my own salary,” Hudson said. “I recently discovered that the USF (SG) President actually makes more than most other SG president in the state of Florida. I don’t think that’s fair to all the students paying tuition and aren’t really getting that money back.

“Another thing that I really want to implement is something about truthful campaigning … what I realize, campaigning candidates are required to be truthful to (SG), but there’s no process about them being truthful to the students.”

All three candidates also spoke of the relationship between SG and the student body and the concern that students don’t understand what SG does — that there’s no way to know if an elected president follows through on the promises made during campaigning.

“You’re right, we don’t do a good enough job of explaining what we’re doing here at (SG),”

Presidential candidates Chris Griffin, Nicole Hudson and Michael Malanga stood in front of over a hundred students to present their platforms on Wednesday night. Voting opens on Monday and runs until Thursday. ORACLE PHOTO/JACKIE BENITEZ Malanga said. “What I’m really proud of and I know Andy is really proud of is that we sit in our office every day and check off things on our platform that we promised students.

“We treat it as a report card … the way I’m going to do it is by going off my past experience of treating it like a report card and day after day being focused on upholding and continuing to uphold our promise with the students.”

Hudson put the power in the hands of the students, supporting the idea that if she’s not following through on her promises, she doesn’t deserve the position of

president.

“How do I intend to actually follow through on my promises? I intend to follow through on them,” Hudson said. “I’m happy to sign a contract. This contract could contain things like ‘do so and so’ or ‘complete such and such’ in certain amount of time. The president can be forced to resign if they don’t follow through on this or there isn’t a good reason why not.”

Griffin’s response focused on the attainability of each platform component. He claimed that he and his running mate researched every point.

“I think the biggest thing there is the research and time Alec and I

put into our platform,” Griffin said.

“Everything from our platform has been researched and proved to be attainable, in that another university has already completed it.

“Another university president has run on that platform and they’ve done it so we can do it too … Furthermore, if I ran on a platform where I only got four things done in a year, that would be embarrassing … We’ve put a lot on our plate and I plan on getting a lot done.”

The full debate can be viewed on the Oracle’s YouTube channel.

Voting starts on Monday and runs through Thursday.

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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Sophomore Cheyenne Eggens is an undefeated 3-0 after earning the win over Jacksonville. She pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/JACOB HOAG

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POWER

Continued from PAGE 12

have that.

“It’s great, because if you have runners in scoring position, from top to bottom in the lineup, you’re thinking, ‘hey, anyone’s going to score right now.’”

After going down 2-0 in the second inning off a two-run homer by Jacksonville, USF fought back scoring nine unanswered runs to take a 9-2 lead.

USF got rolling in the second with a leadoff, two-strike single from Spivey. Fung then followed with a double to the center-field wall to put both players in scoring position before two fielder’s choices and a throwing error brought them home.

“The home runs, those are great. They’re mistakes that happen to go out,” coach Ken Eriksen said. “If you look at the small things that happened tonight — the two-strike changeup hit from Spivey or Lindsey Devitt beating out a potential double play to score a run.

“The hitting and home runs will come, but it’s those little type of things that can really make good things happen.”

The Bulls tacked on three

more runs in the third inning off an Erica Nunn double and a tworun home run from freshman third baseman Sam Worrell.

Nunn, who hasn’t hit since her freshman year, is back at the plate and showing her power. Primarily a pitcher, the senior went 2-for-3 with two RBIs before heading back into the circle to throw 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

“We can hit the ball,” Nunn said. “I think we finally settled in today.”

USF tallied eight RBIs from four batters — three of whom were sophomores — showing the depth of what is still a rather young team.

“When you look at the roster, that bodes well for us,” Eriksen said. “I think that only comes from an environment that makes it easy for freshman and sophomores. You have to credit the seniors and juniors who make it conducive for those guys.”

Sophomore Cheyenne Eggens pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up three earned runs and picking up her third win of the season.

Jacksonville was USF’s first of a four-game homestand that continues 2 p.m. Friday when the Bulls take on Kansas in the USF Tournament.

T H U R S DAY, F E B R U A RY 2 5 , 2 0 1 6

E-SPORTS

Continued from PAGE 12

publisher that offers hefty prizes for college teams. Blizzard Entertainment, publisher of well-known games World of Warcraft, Heroes of the Storm and StarCraft, holds the Heroes of the Dorm competition with prizes up to $500,000 in scholarships and prizes.

Blizzard Entertainment also teamed up with TeSPA, “a network of the top collegiate talent in E-Sports & gaming” to host an E-Sports tournament with $100,000 in prizes, in scholarships and gear.

There are other collegiate E-Sports organizations that pit universities against each other in a variety of competition.

Collegiate StarLeague (CSL) is the first college-based ESports organization, according to its website.

It aims to promote E-Sports on college campuses, with games between universities to promote campus involvement.

CSL offers matchups in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, DOTA 2, StarCraft II and Hearthstone.

The variety appeals to many who have niche gaming interests. There are two USF teams on the CSL roster: USF Bulls Tampa and University of South Florida.

Currently, spectators can watch through the TBS cable channel or online live streams, such as Twitch.tv. ESPN also broadcasts League of Legends, which topped 2014 NBA Finals

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views. According to ESPN, 27 million watched the League of Legends final in Seoul, while 18 million tuned in to watch the San Antonio Spurs claim a victory over the Miami Heat.

With sold-out competitions held around the world students, such as Persaud, who has played League of Legends since 2009, would welcome the ability to attend live events at intriguing locations.

Most major E-Sports events are held in Europe and select large cities in the U.S., which can be difficult for students to attend without proper funding. Current North American events are mostly held in Austin, Texas or Columbus, Ohio.

Electronic Sports League is running its professional league in various locations around the world. Tampa fans have opportunities to participate and watch LAN matches each year, with scheduled events viewable on Lanpartylist.com.

E-Sports can allow those who aren’t adept at sports that require more physical ability to compete and show pride for their collegiate teams as they play around the world, digitally or face-to-face.

“E-Sports have the possibility to bring all kinds of people together from around the world, just as traditional sports can,” Christian Bateman, a junior marketing major and gamer of 15 years, said.

“I believe that collegiate ESports have the possibility to become the next big thing.”

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Sports

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

The Rundown Outside USF

Hilton appologizes for bedbug incident Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving played just nine minutes in Sunday’s matchup with Oklahoma City. The team blamed flulike symptoms, but Irving said he was Irving just tired after finding bedbugs on his pillow in a Hilton Hotel, forcing him to sleep on a couch instead. “Just imagine how freaked out you’d be if you saw friggin’ five big bedbugs just sitting on your pillow,” he told ESPN. “I woke up itching, and I’m just looking around and I’m like, ‘are you serious right now?’

It was 3 a.m., and I was so tired at that point.” Hilton apologized on Tuesday saying, “the comfort of our guests is a top priority, and we are very sorry to hear about Mr. Irving’s stay.”

Note-a-Bull McMurray nears 1,000th minute The minute freshman guard Jahmal McMurray steps onto the hardwood for USF men’s basketball’s matchup with UConn tonight, he will eclipse the 1,000-minute mark — nearly 200 more than the next closest McMurray Bull (Angel Nunez, 814). The Kansas native leads the AAC in minutes per game with 35.7. McMurray was thrust into a starting role following an injury to sophomore Roddy Peters in mid-December and has led the Bulls in scoring since. USF will look to string three wins together for the first time this season. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. in the Sun Dome.

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T H U R S D AY, F E B R U A RY 2 5 , 2 0 1 6

THE NEXT BIG THING

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T H E O R AC L E

Softball

USF softball powers past Dolphins

Collegiate E-Sports are on the rise and looking to compete with other major sports.

E-Sports have become a well-known entity in the collegiate sports world. Broadcast on ESPN, the growing scene continues to gain a substantial following. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

By Shelbi Hayes C O R R E S P O N D E N T

A

cross the world, a new kind of sport is taking over where physical strength isn’t key, but teamwork, devotion and sportsmanship are.

E-Sports, or competitive video gaming, are a new phenomenon in sports. It has risen to become one of the newest broadcast sports on channels such as ESPN and TBS. Some believe it could have a place in collegiate athletics.

Spectators can tune in from around the world to support teams and bet in regulated channels. Players can even receive college sponsorships.

“Gaming seems to be the fastest growing form of media that has ever existed,” Anthony Tangeman, a junior who has been gaming for 19 years, said. “Seeing where the medium has been and where it’s moved to, one can only

imagine where it’s going to go next. It’s truly exciting to witness and be a part of.”

USF has its own gaming

“E-Sports have the possibility to bring all kinds of people together from around the world, just as traditional sports can.”

Christian Bateman USF junior marketing major

club, Video Game Club at USF, that hosts school and local competitions, as well as Local Area Network (LAN) parties for casual and competitive student gamers alike. E-Sports teams have even the club.

“We currently function

through the Video Game Club, but are working on making an independent organization,” said Natesh Persaud, a junior industrial engineering major and coach of USF’s League of Legends team. “Our goal is to be a part of the North American Collegiate Championship (NACC) — the collegiate league sponsored by Riot Games.”

Riot Games, the creator of League of Legends, hosts the NACC competition during the school year, ranging from one to two semesters long.

For the 2016 championship, four regional conferences are currently being held and will finish at the end of February, with finals in March.

According to the competition’s rules, collegiate competitors can win between $1,000 and $30,000 in scholarships per player, depending on the team’s tournament rank.

Riot Games isn’t the only

n See E-SPORTS on PAGE 11

Sophomore Mia Fung was one of four Bulls to have multiple RBIs in Wednesday’s win over Jacksonville. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ JACOB HOAG

By Jacob Hoag S P O R T S

E D I T O R

With one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, sophomore outfielder Mia Fung blasted a threerun shot over the left-field wall, which ricocheted off the green lettering of the USF batting cage that stands 20 feet back from the field of play.

This was only one of three home runs that USF powered off Jacksonville University’s Victoria Brown in a 9-4 win on Wednesday night in front of an announced crowd of 358.

“You’ll see anyone up at the plate and you’re just like, ‘that person will get the job done,” senior catcher Lee Ann Spivey said, who scored in the second inning.

“Before, we didn’t necessarily

n See POWER on PAGE 10