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Inside this Issue

Why Hollywood shouldn’t whitewash roles.

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Montage

BOG report reveals nurses and physicians in short supply.

By Russell Nay A S S T .

S PORTS Bulls pitcher drafted into MLB. BACK

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Though USF graduate student Carly Paterson obtained both a bachelor’s and a master’s in nursing before working as a registered nurse, she said these degrees weren’t enough to develop the career she desired.

“While I was working as a nurse, I realized there were a lot of areas (in nursing) that still needed empirical investigation,” Paterson said. “I think that motivated me to go back to school and pursue a Ph.D. so I could do the research I thought needed to be done.”

Now entering a teaching role in nursing with a post-doctorate fellowship with the National Cancer

Institute, Paterson is urging future nurses to plan on also pursuing higher nursing degrees — not only for themselves but for the profession as well.

“I always try to tell the students I teach to remember there are (positions) past an RN (registered nurse),” Paterson said. “(They should) keep in mind a goal to pursue a nurse practitioner degree or higher degree to support the nursing profession.”

This impetus for a higher number of nursing graduate students is driven by a statewide shortage of nurses, highlighted in a recent health gap analysis by the State University System’s Board of Governors (BOG).

The periodic analysis examines if Florida universities are producing enough medical professionals to meet the needs of the state’s health care industry, and the draft of the BOG’s latest report (the final version will be presented next week at the BOG meeting at

USF) found Florida lacking in both nurses and physicians.

The draft projected 6,979 annual openings for RNs, 357 annual openings for nurse practitioners and 1,934 annual openings for physicians from 2014 to 2022.

While the draft of the BOG’s health gap analysis was just performed in May, professionals and educators in the state’s health care industry have known about the shortage of nurses and physicians in Florida for years.

Additionally, according to the Dean of USF Health’s College of Nursing Dianne Morrison-Beedy, the lack of nurses in Florida is not expected to improve in the near future if current trends continue. Dianne Morrison-Beedy “Florida has faced a nursing Dean of the College of Nursing shortage for quite some time,” she said. “Over the next few years, the shortage will be about 50,000, and that’s just for RNs; it

“We all need to work together because … how we’re going to figure out the answer requires everybody being on the same page.”

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Doctoral student studies water in the desert

By Grace Hoyte N E W S

E D I T O R

This summer, while Florida residents splash it up in pools, at beaches and in the sprinkler, many Californians will feel the effects of drought with the California governor declaring a state of emergency, One USF doctoral student has been awarded a fellowship that allows her to partner with top professionals in the field of water preservation and recycling to deal with the growing issue of water scarcity while spending a year in Israel at the National Center for Mariculture in Eilat.

B ox m a n d i s c ove re d the US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development (BARD) Fund

Post-Doctoral Fellowship from a colleague who had been awarded a different grant a few years ago.

“Someone from Israel came and visited one of my committee members, and through their meeting and discussion, they suggested I apply for this fellowship,” she said.

During her time in Israel, Boxman will investigate the country’s water resource management with hopes of bringing her knowledge stateside to aid the U.S. in the ever-growing water scarcity problem.

According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the entire Southwest Coast is experiencing serious drought conditions, and several other regions are feeling the heat as well. The Carolinas and Virginia are all

experiencing abnormal dryness, and New England is in varying degrees of drought as of June 4.

However, water has not always been Boxman’s academic focus. She received a bachelor’s in wildlife ecology from the University of Florida but decided to pursue a master’s in a field that involved “more problem solving and less direct research.”

“I decided to pursue engineering, which led me to the University of South Florida,” she said. “There, because … I have a background with fisheries and I also have a background with agriculture because of my bachelor’s degree, I started working on a grant that I could do with agrin See WATER on PAGE 3

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USF students go global as Gilman scholars

By Grace Hoyte N E W S

E D I T O R

For many years, Bulls have been charging around the globe with the help of scholarships.

This summer, another round of winners have been chosen for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program.

The scholarship, which is exclusive to Pell Grant recipients, is sponsored by U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for underrepresented study abroad students.

Among those considered “underrepresented” are community college students, those with significant financial need and those traveling to non-traditional study abroad destinations.

According to the program website, international exchange is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.

This year, out of the 1,000 accepted students, 12 are from USF. Those who received the award are traveling all over the world, from Costa Rica to China.

Many of the USF recipients said they were surprised to receive the award.

Lisette Ortiz, a senior in

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doesn’t include what the shortage for nurse practitioners will be.”

Despite this large need for nurses in general, Morrison-Beedy said one of the shortage’s largest contributors is specifically the scarcity of nursing educators and faculty who are responsible for educating the overall nursing workforce.

As the average age of a nursing professor in Florida is currently over 61, she said finding the next generation of nurse educators is of utmost importance. As of the spring 2015 semester, USF had only 51 students in the nursing education program with only three on the doctoral level according to USF’s InfoCenter.

“The most pressing issue in nursing … not just for the state of Florida, but for the nation, is the faculty shortage in nursing,” she said. “Without sufficient faculty, no matter how many people want

anthropology and public health, said she applied to the scholarship without any expectation of winning but was awarded the scholarship for her expedition to Costa Rica.

While abroad, she said she will work to help repurpose used water, which is often lost in mountainous villages.

Meanwhile, as Ortiz works to filter and redirect flowing water in the hills, Stephen Peck, a junior majoring in geology, will work elsewhere on the isthmus of Costa Rica with rocks.

During each of the students’ abroad experiences, they will be required to take at least two classes and complete a followup service project that reflects their experience abroad. When he returns from Central America, Peck plans to volunteer at the study abroad fair in order to “maximize” the experience for others who attend.

For his follow-up project, recipient Marco Funez, a sophomore majoring in psychology, will create a “touring gallery” akin to “Humans of New York.” He will be in London and said he plans to ask the locals what significant event in their lives brought them to their current circumstance.

Scholarship winner, Alexander Elmy, also applied for the scholarship without high expectations.

She had already signed up and been accepted to USF in London when she was waitlisted for the Gilman scholarship. However, she said, her story is different from the others because she was a teen mom and now has a 2-yearold son.

Even though she had obstacles, Elmy said she always found a way to overcome, and other students can, too.

“If you want something, go for it,” Ortiz said.

She emphasized that students should apply with low expectations so they are not disappointed if they are not chosen but very happy if they are.

Overall, different though the recipients are, all of them had the same message for potential applicants: go for it.

Three of the 12 USF winners are going to Costa Rica, including Peck, Ortiz and Tiffany O’Brien.

Three are going to South Korea: Moe Muang, Myla Nguyen and Kathy Vu. The United Kingdom will be receiving two recipients this summer, Elmy and Funez.

Alexandra Bolen is going to China while Laura Flores, Islam Ibrahim and Indira Ranaweera are going to Argentina, Italy and Spain, respectively. Each will spend at least four weeks in the country, per the regulations of the scholarship.

to become a nurse there will not be enough faculty to educate the nursing workforce.”

Another significant cause of the nursing shortage is the quality of the nursing education programs in the State University System.

Morrison-Beedy said while there are plenty of nursing programs available, the state is not increasing its nursing workforce at a proportional rate.

“That is a major challenge in Florida — you don’t see that existing across the nation,” she said. “(There are) hundreds and hundreds of programs available, but yet (there’s) a workforce shortage.”

In order to improve the quality of the nursing programs available, she said universities and hospitals in the state need to prioritize support for programs which focus on preparing students for the nursing workforce by graduating them in a timely manner with, at the very least, a baccalaureate degree and

the ability to enter the workforce as a licensed nurse in a professional practice.

Morrison-Beedy said one new nursing program USF has created was designed specifically for those leaving the military and will help veteran students find employment in the nursing workforce. “(There) was a great need to take our veterans and move them through programs where they’ll be employed at a high salary (in) the profession of nursing,” she said.

The expense required in properly training nurses combined with Florida’s need for so many, however, makes supporting new programs a costly endeavor, and Morrison-Beedy said this is a problem which requires more than just the effort of Florida’s universities.

“Politicians, health care agencies, universities, professional organizations — we all need to work together because … how we’re going to figure out the

TOP LEFT: Lisette Ortiz; TOP RIGHT: Stephen Peck; BOTTOM LEFT: Marco Funez; BOTTOM RIGHT: Alexandra Elmy answer requires everybody being on the same page,” she said.

Concerning the shortage of physicians in Florida, Dr. Charles Paidas, vice dean for clinical affairs and graduate medical education at USF, said the lack of physicians is largely due to the gap between the amount of physicians who graduate from Florida colleges and those who stay to practice here.

This is because of the limited number of medical residency slots in Florida, which allow graduate medical students to continue their education after medical school at a residency and obtain medical board certification in order to practice at hospitals.

“We are considered exporters of medical students because we have no place to put them,” Paidas said. “We only have slots for 3,600, but we’re graduating almost 500 more than that.”

Florida’s passage of the Balanced Budget Act in 1997

placed a cap on the amount of residency slots hospitals and medical institutions in Florida could fund with Medicare.

Besides certain exceptions for rural hospitals made by the Medicare Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999, Paidas said the cap on the amount of residencies funded by Medicare has remained the same since the 1997 bill’s passage. Over time, this has led to a disproportion amount of physicians compared to Florida’s growing number of citizens.

“It’s generally accepted…in the United States that (states) should have a ratio of 35 residents per 100,000 lives,” he said. “Florida has 17.2 residents per 100,000 lives … We need to double our workforce … (which) means we need to add close to 3,000 positions.”

Paidas said one solution to the physician shortage in Florida

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culture in my department.”

At USF, she completed her master’s in environmental engineering and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in engineering science. Though her first degree was in ecology, she said she is more interested in water and its management.

“One of my main interests is in water conservation and water reuse. Israel is a very arid country, and they are the

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would be for Florida Legislature to adjust the cap on residency slots. This, however, would require additional funding from the federal government or possibly state funding.

“That’s a two-edged sword because the federal government … has no idea where they’re going to get money for release of the cap,” he said. “We’ve seen most congressional panels close the door on it.”

world leader in water re-use,” Boxman said. “I want to work in that field, it’s the ideal place for me to go and learn about that.”

Specifically, she will be researching marine aquaculture, which Boxman said is “farming saltwater fish in contained systems.” According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, marine aquaculture “refers to the culturing of species that live in the ocean. U.S. marine aquaculture primarily produces oysters, clams, mussels,

shrimp and salmon as well as lesser amounts of cod, moi, yellowtail, barramundi, sea bass, and sea bream.”

After the fellowship, Boxman said she hopes to continue researching aquaculture in order to learn better technologies and management of natural resources for better sustainable practices.

“I would like to pursue science policy, or the development of science policy, specifically targeted with our food systems,” she said.

Another remedy for the physician shortage would be for Florida universities to focus on acting as consultants to new hospitals and help them create brand new residency programs for accepting new graduate physicians — something Paidas said USF has been recently exploring.

“We can act as consultants to make that … decision about whether or not they would like to get into the business of training physicians,” he said. “USF GME (Graduate Medical Education) has played a major role in the state as a consultant … and we look

for ways to enhance our GME portfolio.”

Regardless of how the shortages of nurses and physicians in Florida are addressed, both Paidas and Morrison-Beedy said either will affect the way patients are cared for if they go unchecked.

“It won’t be just about wait times,” Morrison-Beedy said. “It will be about the quality of the caregiver you have — the nurse at your bedside, the nurse in your home taking care you of, the nurse in your school taking care of your children — it’s going to impact all of that.”

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Football

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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Get your own rival!

UConn tries to force a rivalry with USF’s in-state foe UCF and fails

By Jacob Hoag C O M M E N T A R Y

If a program wanted to take a page out of UConn’s book on how to build a football rivalry, it only needs to follow two easy steps.

Step one: Pick a team in conference, any will do.

Step two: Build a trophy commemorating the newfound rivalry.

One tip though ... make sure both teams are up for it.

In hopes to create a more traditional atmosphere in the two-yearold American Athletic Conference, UConn coach Bob Diaco decided to make UCF, the in-state rival of USF, its new annual grudge match.

The only problem is UCF had no clue about the game, which was nicknamed “Civil Conflict” by the Huskies, and wants little to do with it.

The Knights found out about their new “rivalry” after a picture was posted on UConn football’s Twitter page on June 1 of the trophy, which was designed by UConn.

The photo’s caption read: “First day back on campus for #UConnFootball! And just 130

days until the next Civil Conflict with @UCF_Football!”

The brown and black trophy shows each team’s logo with plaques below showing the score from UConn’s 37-29 win over the Knights last season – UCF’s only conference loss in two years.

The Knights’ 62-17 win over the Huskies from the season prior was conveniently left off.

UCF coach George O’Leary denied any knowledge of the “Civil Conflict” to local reporters prior to an event in Orlando and said he doesn’t see the point in a rivalry with a team so far away, according to USA Today.

“My experience is you’re more likely to have a rivalry against a team closer to where you live,” O’Leary said. “When you go 10 states away, I think it’s hard.”

That doesn’t mean Diaco is backing down. The coach combated the ensuing criticism.

“They don’t get to say whether they’re our rival or not,” Diaco told reporters during a Monday conference call. “We might not be their rival, but they don’t get to say whether they’re our rival.

That’s for us to decide.”

The Huskies aren’t exactly a

team worthy of calling out the two-time AAC champion Knights.

UConn finished the past two seasons with a 2-10 record and hasn’t had a winning record since 2010 when it won eight games.

USF fans can relate to the nuisance of an unwanted rivalry.

Back in the Bulls’ heyday, when the target was on their back, UCF continually tried to produce a rivalry game.

But now with the Bulls and Knights both in the same conference, the two schools are finally investing themselves in the rivalry.

Although not a long-standing rivalry, it is longer than UCFUConn’s two-game series.

The USF-UCF matchup is aided by the hour and a half that separates the two schools; not just taking a shot at the top team.

Rivalries and sports go hand in hand, but are not simply decided to be. They are brought about through close games, long series or in-state battles.

UConn can try all it wants to add this as a “rivalry” game to their schedule, but in all reality, it’s just an attempt to better Even with several states between them and little competitive their name by piggybacking off history together, UConn tried to start a rivalry with UCF this week another’s. with little success. PHOTO VIA TWITTER

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He was eager to try nearly anything he had time for as he played soccer, basketball, ran track and was in the band throughout school.

O’Neal was constantly consumed with trying to master a new craft growing up, but when he was in eighth grade his focus shifted when his father grew sick from a sickle cell condition.

“My father passed when I was in the eighth grade and since then my relationship with God has helped me to let me know that everything is going to be alright at the end of the day,” O’Neal said.

The oldest of two boys in the family, he said he felt it was his duty to step in for the void his father left.

“I picked up responsibilities around the house like taking out the trash, cutting the grass, things like that my father used to do,” O’Neal said. “I also tried to be an example for my younger brother as well by being strong for him.”

Even with the grief of a lost father and the added responsibilities, O’Neal pushed forward with his dedication to improvement.

But it wasn’t long before he

started to lose sight of what was important to him.

“The next year, I had an F in my Algebra class and my teacher took me aside and said, ‘I know you miss your dad, but is this what your dad would want for you?’

That helped me to focus me and get me back on the path of doing everything to the best of my ability,” O’Neal said.

He had his sights set on playing basketball and soccer, but stumbled into the triple jump when his high school track team needed more points to win a city championship.

He had never practiced the event before, but his length and slender frame suited him well for jumping.

After fully investing himself in jumping and soccer, O’Neal received offers to play both sports at USF, Clemson and Eastern Tennessee.

He said the opportunity he saw for himself at USF was too much for him to pass up. “(USF) was a better environment for me to grow,” O’Neal said.

“Especially when I came on my visit, I thought the coaching staffs for both soccer and track were the best at getting the most out of their

athletes.”

He excelled immediately, winning the conference and becoming an NCAA All-American in his freshman year.

Since, he’s won a conference championship in every season and will try to become the first Bull in school history to become a fourtime NCAA All-American on Friday when he competes in the NCAA Championship in Eugene, Oregon.

When O’Neal steps on the track at 7:30 p.m. Friday, he’ll have his sights set on an NCAA Championship, but his father and the rest of his family on his mind.

“He would tell me: I’m proud of you, I’m praying for you and remember to keep God first.”

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Senior pole vaulter David Shepherd ended his career at USF after missing each of his three attempts Wednesday in the NCAA Championship in Eugene, Oregon.

After transferring to USF for his senior season, Shepherd jumped the second-highest in school history in the AAC Championships to earn Second Team All-AAC.

Opinion

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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

Editor in Chief Alex Rosenthal oracleeditor@gmail.com

News Editor Grace Hoyte oraclenewsteam@gmail.com

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Opinion Editor Isabelle Cavazos oracleopinion@gmail.com

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Graphic Artist Ashley Barzaga

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

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Hollywood needs to stop overlooking race in lead roles Isabelle Cavazos

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What you said In light of the New York Times’ Learning Network asking students if they would pay for Facebook in exchange for privacy after a recent op-ed arguing for the option, editor Isabelle Cavazos asked students if they would pay to avoid user-based advertisements and have more privacy on the site.

COLU M N I ST

Director Cameron Crowe dedicated some effort to have his latest film “Aloha” depict Hawaii as more than a romantic backdrop, hiring Oahu locals to work with the crew and check the script for authenticity.

However, Crowe, known for “Almost Famous” and “We Bought a Zoo,” overlooked an important point: the fact that Emma Stone, the film’s lead, is not the partChinese, part-Hawaiian character she plays.

After facing the expected social media backlash for his casting choice, which is deemed just another example of Hollywood whitewashing, Variety reported last week that Crowe blogged an apology explaining Allison Ng, Stone’s role, is a quarter Hawaiian. But since it’s not outwardly obvious, she frequently reminds others of her heritage. After taking the blame for the controversy, he then closed with his hope to tell stories with “more racial diversity.”

While it might not have been important to Crowe to cast an actress with more similar heritage just because the character doesn’t physically show it, he’s still contributing to the infamous trend of hiring white actors to play characters of other ethnicities.

“Aloha” is about a military contractor returning to Hawaii to launch a satellite, meeting an old flame again and becoming attracted to an Air Force pilot, Stone’s character.

Crowe attempted to show he deserved a pat on the back for trying when stating in his apology that he hired Asian-American, NativeHawaiian and Pacific-Islanders onand off-camera.

Yet, this apology only works if one pretends his lead isn’t white and if, as a consequence, he couldn’t have expected to make more money.

As mentioned in a study conducted at the University of Southern California, of 100 top-grossing films in 2012, over 73 percent of speaking characters were white.

The economic impact is clearly considered, and, as mentioned in a Huffington Post article, director Gavin Polone, known for producing “Gilmore Girls,” even admitted to being told he couldn’t cast a black lead because of how it would affect the international audience.

It’s obvious the film industry has a problem with racial representation, but the worst part is that it’s intentional.

It was seen in the 1956 film “Teahouse of the August Moon,” where actor Marlon Brando wore face prosthetics to play a Japanese interpreter. Actor Jim Sturgess played the character Hae-Joo Chang in “Cloud Atlas” and Jeffrey Ma, MIT Blackjack Team member, in “21.” George Clooney was cast for a Hawaiian role in “The Descendants.”

Casting Stone, then, can’t just be attributed to not knowing better.

While Stone is a talented actress, she was definitely not the only one he could have cast to play Ng’s character.

As pointed out in a Vulture column, actresses of Chinese descent such as Olivia Munn, Sandrine Holt and Janel Parrish, who is also Hawaiian, could have also played this role.

Representation is crucial in film, and it’s absurd that directors continue to overlook that. Rather than squander opportunities for other actors and treat race as a character trait others can act out, directors should aim for inclusivity and diversity in their films, especially when it’s a major plot point.

Isabelle Cavazos is a senior majoring in English and Spanish.

“I don’t really mind the ads. I don’t think the student population would pay.”

— Ashley Phelps, a senior majoring in health sciences

“I would give it up before I pay. It’s something used more for events now.”

— Dalina Tran, a senior majoring in integrative animal biology

“I would pay, but they might still have the ability to monitor you.”

— Jonah Dingle, a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering

“Honestly, no. I wouldn’t be willing to pay to socialize with people.” ­— Julie Tran, a sophomore majoring in nursing

Classifieds UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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CHILD CARE

Summer/Fall Employment Looking for Certified life guards and poolside food service personnel at Avila Golf and Country Club.

Call 813-962-2472 to set up interview.

Veterinary Technician/Assistant needed for animal hospital close to campus. Part-time or full-time. Experience a plus, but will train. Email resume to acahhiring@gmail.com.

Mother helper Immediate opening for part time Mother helper position in S. Tampa. pick up kids from school, running errands and mild house chores.please email to Yasir@cancerconsult.us Email yasiralhassani@yahoo.com

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Sports

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

The Rundown The NBA announced Wednesday it agreed to terms with Nike on an eightyear deal to be the exclusive apparel provider for teams.

The deal will begin in the 2017-18 season and is worth roughly $1 billion.

Four Bulls taken in MLB First-Year Player Draft Jimmy Herget (6th round) by Cincinnati Reds Tommy Peterson (12th round) by Washington Nationals

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By Vinnie Portell E D I T O R

Jimmy Herget was the first of four Bulls selected in the MLB Draft on Wednesday when he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth round.

The junior led the Bulls to an NCAA Tournament win over FAU on May 29 and he finished his three-year career at USF with 24 wins and a 1.96 ERA. Pitcher Tommy Peterson was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 12th round after a dominant season as the Bulls’ closer.

In his first season in the role, the redshirt sophomore had a 1.93 ERA and finished the season third in the nation in saves with 16.

Senior shortstop Kyle Teaf was taken by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 30th round.

He started nearly every game at shortstop since arriving at USF in 2011. The leadoff hitter for most

games, Teaf finished his senior season with a .419 on base percentage.

Casey Mulholland was the final Bull to be drafted Wednesday when he was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The senior finished his two-year career at USF with a 3.86 ERA. Women’s basketball earns Preseason WNIT bid Following the USF women’s basketball team’s run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the team has been selected as one of 16 teams to play in the 2015 Preseason WNIT. The tournament begins Nov. 15 and games will be hosted by the participating schools.

Shepherd out in NCAA Championship

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Pitcher Jimmy Herget was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday after winning 24 games over three years at USF. PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

Race to the finish Matthew O’Neal competes to be first four-time NCAA All-American in school history.

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Casey Mulholland (37th round) by Los Angeles Dodgers

NCAA Championship Update

By Vinnie Portell S P O R T S

USF pole vaulter David Shepherd ended his NCAA career Wednesday when he was unable to clear the bar in each of his three attempts in Eugene, Oregon.

Track and Field

NCAA Championship Matthew O’Neal

T H E O R AC L E

Four Bulls selected in MLB Draft

Kyle Teaf (30th round) by Tampa Bay Rays

When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Eugene, Oregon USF athlete competing:

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S P O R T S

Outside USF

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Matthew O’Neal looks to become the first four-time NCAA All-American on Friday when he competes in the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon. PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

E D I T O R

Matthew O’Neal returned to the USF Track and Field Stadium in January after winter break with his eye the upcoming competition that weekend.

O’Neal had taken time off from training and first-year assistant coach Kiamesha Otey didn’t think he was ready to compete. The 6-foot-1 junior persisted and Otey agreed to let him go through trial jumps.

“We went out there one day and we got some jumps from a short approach and he jumped 50 feet,” Otey said. “From that point on, I knew he would be fine. He’s got timing and rhythm that just

doesn’t go away. Usually when people don’t do something for a while, it takes some time to get back into it and regain that muscle memory, but it was pretty much immediate for him. It was actually refreshing to see, this is a kid who gets it.”

O’Neal, who is the school record holder for the triple jump at 53-feet-11.25 inches, credits his success to his religion and family.

His parents, Valeria and Major, both played basketball at Jackson State University in Mississippi and stayed there after graduating to raise O’Neal and his three siblings.

Immersed in sports and religion since he could walk, O’Neal grew up practicing both on a daily basis.

“He’s a very religious, Godfearing guy and I think that keeps him grounded,” Otey said.

“Everything he does, we wants to do well and he comes out with that attitude. He’s not out there just to be doing it. He wants to be good and he takes pride in that.”

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