1-12-15

If one of the Tampa Innovation Alliance’s goals is to bring community leaders together, then Friday’s kickoff was a promising first step in a unified effort to vitalize the university area.

In the atrium of USF Connect, business owners and government officials filled more than 150 seats as they listened to a series of pitches advocating the area as a place worth investing in.

Mark Sharpe, the execu-tive director of the Tampa Innovation Alliance and former Hillsborough County commis-sioner, said the alliance is less of a business opportunity and more of a “movement” for the area.

“This economic develop-ment area could be globally

The Oraclew 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 D AM O N D A Y , J A N U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 I V O L . 5 3 N O . 6 2

InsIde thIs Issue

SPORTSTulane out lasts struggling Bulls in overtime. BACK

News.................................................................1 Opinion.......................................................6

classifieds..............................................7Crossword.........................................7

The Index

Alliance aims to vitalize university areaBy Wesley HigginsN E W S E D I T O R

Mark Sharpe led the Tampa Innovation Alliance on Friday, discussing how businesses could bring prosperity to the area around the university. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE / QUINCY J. WALTERS

USF student Maryah Sullivan has traveled the country representing the Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s Youth of the Year. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

n See ALLIANCE on PAGE 3

Youth of the Year Story on PAGE 2

sports............................................................8

OPINIONObama’s plan to make community college affordable. Page 6

Queen Latifah, Denzel Washington, Timbaland and Misty Copeland are a few of the celebrities one USF student met while traveling across the country as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Youth of the Year.

This year, the national Youth of the Year was awarded to Maryah Sullivan, a USF fresh-man studying to become a neurosurgeon.

Earlier this year, Sullivan competed against Florida Boys & Girls Clubs of America mem-bers across the state before going on to compete and win in the national competition.

The national winner is selected based on leadership skills, overcoming obstacles and family values. Sullivan was awarded a $50,000 schol-arship for her title.

“I began going to the Boys &

Girls Club when I was 6 years old; my elementary school was only a few feet away from the Boys & Girls Club,” Sullivan said. “I saw all my friends going after school and so I asked my mom if my brother and I could also go to the Boys & Girls Club.”

In elementary school, Sullivan began lending a hand in the local com-munity volunteering at nursing homes and at the Ronald McDonald House in Orlando, which hous-es families of pediatric patients.

In high school, Sullivan became the president of the National Honor Society and led a volun-teer group every Saturday at the Ronald McDonald House.

“It’s very important to me to volunteer in my own commu-nity,” Sullivan said. “I believe that it’s up to the people with-in this community to change their own community.

“I don’t think we should leave it up to government offi-cials, the mayor or city coun-cil. I think that the people in the community know what the community itself needs and it’s important for us all to give

back to it.”While being an active volun-

teer, Sullivan was also a dedi-cated student. She graduated high school with a 4.4 GPA and as the first person in her fam-ily to go to college.

She said she manages to juggle volunteer work and schoolwork because, in her experience, it is easy to do work you love doing.

“It makes me feel like I broke a chain, but also started

a new path,” Sullivan said. “I know that my brother and my little sis-ter are up to higher stan-dards now and I know they’re going to follow in my footsteps. It’s the beginning of a new jour-ney for my family.”

After being named Youth of the Year, Sullivan’s life has been an adventure, though she said she tries not to let it go to her head.

Traveling to New York, Sullivan appeared on TODAY’s “Kathie Lee &

Hoda” show, in ABC’s “Disney Parks Frozen Christmas Celebration” at Magic Kingdom and has been featured on “The Queen Latifah Show.”

“I’ve always said that the

Boys & Girls Club has given me hope for as long as I can remember,” Sullivan said. “I’m able to go around and travel the country and just give that same hope to other kids. I think it’s very important to understand that you are not where you come from, that your obstacles don’t necessar-ily define you.”

While representing the Boys & Girls Clubs, Sullivan also attends USF studying to become a neurosurgeon. She said she knew by junior year of high school that neurosur-gery and studying cancer were what she wanted to do after members of her family passed away from the disease.

Sullivan said she finds moti-vation for her full workload from her mother.

“I use her struggles and her obstacles as stepping stones for myself,” Sullivan said. “I learn from all of her experi-ences that she’s had as a teen-ager and that she’s still having now.”

M O N DAY, J A N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 ● T H E O R AC L E 2

USF student becomes national Youth of the YearBy Allison LeslieC O R R E S P O N D E N T

“I think that the people in the community know what the community itself needs and

it’s important for us all to give back to it.”

Maryah SullivanUSF freshman and Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s

Youth of the Year

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recognized as the most innova-tive place, where the brightest talent around the world would want to come and work,” he said. “Not just be a place where people come during the day and go back home, but would instead come and stay because it’s exciting, with places to eat and shop.”

The Tampa Innovation Alliance is spearheaded by USF, Busch Gardens, Moffitt Cancer Center and Florida Hospital. Though already com-posed of this area’s major eco-nomic giants, the alliance still wants other businesses of any size to join in a singular vision of the area.

Frank Chillura, mayor of Temple Terrace, said business-es and local government could join together to rebrand Temple Terrace. Instead of considering Temple Terrace just a place one goes through to get to USF or Busch Gardens, he said it could be unified to become a cultural highlight of Tampa.

“There’s been a talk of a uni-

fied front for years,” Chillura said. “Downtown has it, Westshore has it, but this part of town has never had it. If we have one voice, we’ll get so much more done.”

Dormant resources in Temple Terrace, such as a 262-acre plot of land, could be used for new businesses. The area has also received grants from the city in the last few years to improve the landscape, mak-ing the area a more attractive place to live in.

Chillura also talked about pedestrian pathways and bicy-cle trails that make Temple Terrace accessible. He said that a city rail is still in the talks, and that USF would be one of the main stops of the rail.

Current advantages of the area were discussed, such as the tourist-friendly location, with traffic coming from I-275 and visitors going to Busch Gardens.

Busch Gardens President Jim Dean said the university area is located strategically between Orlando, which is the largest tourist destination in the world, and some of the best beaches in the world.

“We’re in the perfect spot to

drive tourism from all of the world,” Dean said.

For small business startups, the cost of real estate in the area is some of the cheapest in the region, one business owner mentioned.

Westshore Pizza co-owner, Paul Samson, said business-es need to keep in mind a large student base and their demands, such as pizza.

But many agreed that stu-dents were not just the con-sumers in the area, but could also feed back into the area with their innovation and tal-ent.

“We’ve got to get students engaged, because students are going to be the ones who drive this ultimate goal,” said student body president Jean Cocco. “Students should be the priority in this alliance.”

Some business owners already in the area said the university not only provided business, but also a large pool of interns.

However, a challenge is con-vincing students to stay in the area instead of taking their skills somewhere else once they graduate.

“To keep our kids here

to unleash their poten-tial, we need to have a job strategy,” said Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman. “We can’t lose our kids to other states, other busi-nesses ... we need to keep them here in Hillsborough.”

Many business owners and government officials acknowl-edged other challenges.

One of the reasons there’s a need for the alliance is the lack of communication between leaders in the area, and there-fore no focused strategy for improving the area.

Sansom said Westshore Pizza had to go through yards of red tape to partner with USF. He gave the example of hav-ing to go through 17 different divisions and talking to 24 dif-ferent people just to pitch the idea of students using dining dollars for pizza deliveries.

Tampa Councilwoman Lisa Montelione said a huge chal-lenge is considering how busi-nesses market in polar oppo-site demographics. She also mentioned the reputation Temple Terrace has for poverty and crime.

“I have the privilege to serve some of the richest people and

some of the poorest people in the city,” she said. “(The area) has a negative reputation; it’s a challenge to overcome that.”

Others noted that though there is a largely educated pop-ulation in the university area, there is also a high percentage uneducated people who find it hard to obtain a job.

Hil lsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist said the alliance, by connecting neighborhoods with business-es, would provide the oppor-tunity to pull the area out of poverty.

“The richest people, the poorest people. The biggest houses, the smallest houses ... all within walking distance,” Crist said. “If there’s one sim-ple thing we need to do, that’s focus on stabilization, which will reduce crime and increase business opportunities with jobs at all different levels.”

Pathfinder Group Manager John Foster, who helps family businesses manage risks, said a practical first step is to link businesses together by allow-ing shared services.

“We can make those hand-shakes possible,” Foster said.

ALLIANCEContinued from PAGE 1

To the likely dismay of many on campus, there are no plans to bring Chipotle on campus within the next year.

Student hopes were foiled after a student’s post on the USF Class of 2018 Facebook group, which received 387 likes and several dozen com-ments since being posted last week, showed a screenshot of a USF Health news article with the headline “Organic Fast-

Food Chain Chipotle To Open Location On USF Campus in October of 2015.”

Comments on the Facebook post included “OMG Chipotle is my life!!!” “This has got to be too good to be true,” “this is great Photoshop,” and “there’s a special place in hell for the people who lie about this…”

Spokespeople at USF Health and University Communicat ions and Marketing put a wrap on the hoax, stating there are cur-rently no plans for a Chipotle location on campus.

Hoax raises false hope for campus Chipotle

By Alex RosenthalE D I T O R I N C H I E F

U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I D A ● M O N D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 ● T H E O R AC L E4


were ahead by as much as 22 points thanks to the play of sophomore center Katelyn Weber, who grabbed 11 rebounds and shot 4-5 from the field for eight points. USF outscored Temple 38-18 in the paint, proving to be too much for the Owls to handle down low. Additionally, the Bulls came away with 18 fast break points compared to Temple’s two.

Looking forward, USF returns home for its next game Wednesday at 7 p.m. against SMU. The Mustangs (4-10) have yet to win a game on the road this season or in confer-ence play.

USF has not lost since a home game against St. John’s (13-3) on Dec. 7, when the Bulls lost by three points.

STREAKContinued from PAGE 8

U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I D A ● M O N D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 ● T H E O R AC L E

Opinion6

Editor in Chief: Alex Rosenthal .............................. [email protected]

News Editor: Wesley Higgins .......................... [email protected]

Sports Editor: Vinnie Portell ........................ [email protected]

Lifestyle Editor: Brandon Shaik ............... [email protected]

Opinion Editor: Isabelle Cavazos ....................... [email protected]

Copy Editors: Grace Hoyte, Caitlin Lochner

Multimedia Editor: Adam Mathieu

Assistant Editors: Sebastian Contento, Jacob Hoag, Polly Snover

Staff Writers: Zach Lowie, Chelsea Mulligan, Jeff Odom, Amar Rele

Graphic Arts Manager: Luke Blankenship

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

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

The Oracle allocates one free issue to each student. Additional copies are $.50 each and available at the Oracle office (SVC 0002).

CORRECTIONSThe Oracle will correct or clarify factual errors. Contact Editor in Chief Alex Rosenthal at 974-5190.

Website: usforacle.comFacebook: facebook.com/usforacleTwitter: @USFOracle

Main . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-6242Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-5190News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-1888Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-2842Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-2398Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-2620Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974-6242

BY PHONE

What you said President Barack Obama recently proposed a plan to cover

tuition costs for the first two years at a community college. Editors Isabelle Cavazos and Adam Mathieu asked students

what changes, positive or negative, this proposal could have.

“It’s detrimental because an A.A. will have less value,

but our society is also more educated because more people will have

a degree.”

— Walter Hernandez, a junior majoring in computer science

“It wouldn’t affect international students, but

I think international students should (be eligible to) apply.”

— Moin Khan, a junior majoring in mechanical

engineering

“I like the idea because a lot of people go to

community college in the first place.”

— Kat Lord, a senior majoring in nursing

“It would be positive in that people who can’t

afford a degree can get an associate, and that’s better than a high school degree.”

— Laura Solinger, a senior majoring in marine biology

Obama pushes U.S. closer to college affordability

Though the idea of all students getting their first two years of col-lege for free might sound too good to be true, it may soon become a reality.

With a proposal President Barack Obama introduced Friday, any student could attend the first two years of community college without charge as long as they are “willing to work for it.”

According to WhiteHouse.gov, federal funds would pay for three-quarters of the average commu-nity college cost for students, and the participating states would be required to cover the remainder of tuition costs. All students must do to be eligible is attend a commu-nity college with at least half-time status, keep a 2.5 GPA and make progress toward their degrees.

In addition to making college much more accessible and afford-able for students, slashing out the cost of tuition would also cut back

on the pile of student loan debt U.S. students face, which amount-ed to a national total of $1.2 trillion last year, according to New York Daily News.

One of the major questions sur-rounding the proposal, though, is how the federal government plans to pay for 75 percent of tuition costs for students. According to an Inside Higher Education article, Obama will discuss the cost of the plan and the full proposal at the State of the Union address Jan. 20.

While the full plan hasn’t yet come to light, for the time being, it’s important to judge the proposal based on the benefits it would bring students, which are substantial.

For instance, if all states chose to participate, it would make com-munity college free for about 9 million students and save full-time students $3,800 in tuition costs every year, as reported by WhiteHouse.gov. On average, the College Board reports that tuition and fees for public two-year col-leges amounts to $3,347, but this number varies by state.

Of course, students have other expenses aside from tuition, such as textbooks, housing and food. As calculated in a Chronicle of Higher Education article, community col-lege students pay about $16,325 annually for these costs before financial aid is applied.

Clearly, Obama’s plan wouldn’t

take care of all of these expenses, and it definitely wouldn’t trigger the end of student loans in those first two years. However, it would eliminate a significant cost for stu-dents and hopefully reduce the amount students need to borrow.

According to the Chronicle, if state and federal governments cover tuition not already paid for by financial aid, then students who receive grants may not receive as much as students who don’t qual-ify for any need-based aid. On the other hand, students who qualify for the Pell Grant might receive the benefits of the plan and receive their Pell Grant for other costs.

Additionally, the plan comes at the right time, as its inspiration is based on work force expectations for 2020. WhiteHouse.gov points out that by then, about 35 percent of jobs will require a bachelor’s degree and 30 percent will require an associate degree. It’s only logi-cal to boost access to an education that will make students more quali-fied for the job market.

All in all, the most important possibility of the proposal is that students who have the motiva-tion and will to attend college and advance their opportunities in the work force would no longer have factors such as tuition hikes hold-ing them back.

Isabelle Cavazos is a junior majoring in English and Spanish.

C O L U M N I S T

Isabelle Cavazos

U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I D A ● M O N D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 ● T H E O R AC L E 7

Classifieds Crossword To place a classified ad go to http://www.usforacle.com/classifieds

Part-time Warehouse WorkerWarehouse Position

Irvin, Inc., a full-service billboard supply house, is seeking to fill one part-time posi-tion in the warehouse. The ideal candidate

will meet the following requirements:- Valid driver’s license- Reliable transportation to and from work- Strong attention to detail- Forklift experience, including loading and off-loading within a racking system- Basic Computer Skills (Online freight rate quotes and familiarity with Bills of Lading a plus)- Ability to pass a background check with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)

Job Responsibilities: - Strict Adherence to a Monday - Thursday 12pm - 4pm work schedule - Pull customer orders with attention to detail.- Create bills of lading.- Receive product in from various suppliers.- Drive forklift for various functions.- Keep warehouse clean and orderly.- Complete other duties as needed. - Be able to lift 50lbs.Only serious candidates should submitresumes to [email protected]. No walk-in interviews will be granted.Email [email protected]

CLINICAL RESEARCH ASSISTANTFull-time for New Tampa clinical research

center. Must have good computer and

multi-tasking skills. Email resume: [email protected] EOE

M/F/V/D/DFWP.Email [email protected]

Gymnastics and/or Swim Instructors Needed

Must Love Kids & Be Enthusiastic!Call 813.264-5000

Veterinary Tech/Assistant or Receptionist needed for animal hospital close to campus. Part-time or full-time. Experience a plus, but

will train. Email resume to [email protected].

Happy New Year! Start the year off with a new job! We are seeking part-time customer service reps. Make your own schedule working 13-22 hours per week! $13.50/hr starting, plus

daily and weekly bonuses! Easy work, great environment!

Call (813) 988-5941 for more information.

HELP WANTED ANNOUNCEMENTS

Large Mini Storages AvailableWe currently have a great rental special for any USF student looking for storage space , we have sizes that range from 10 x 10 ‘s at $75.00 per month, 10 x 18’s that is located within 3 miles of the school. We are located

on Busch Boulevard and can accommo-date your storage needs. Give us a call at

813.931.0948

LAB TECH ASSISTANT Needed. FT/PT positions. Near HCC Brandon Campus.

Gain science experience and work around classes. Experience not necessary. Work minimum 20 hours M-F, 8 am - 5 pm. $9/hr. E-mail work schedule availability and

resume to [email protected]. Email [email protected]

SportsU N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I D A ● M O N D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 ● T H E O R AC L E8

SMU (4-11, 0-4) at USF (13-3, 4-0)When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.Where: Sun DomeTV/Radio: ESPN3/WHBO-AM(1040)

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

TheRundown

Outside USFThe No. 2 UConn women’s

basketball team defeated SMU 87-28 on Sunday. Four Huskies scored at least 11 points in the blowout, while SMU’s leading scorer had nine points. UConn will host USF on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Weekend scores

5156

USFTulane

7058

USFTemple

Conference update

Men’s BasketballSMU, Tulane and Temple are tied for second in the AAC, trailing conference-leading Tulsa by a half game. USF is tied with UCF for seventh in the conference.

Women’s BasketballUSF currently leads the AAC with four conference wins. No. 2 UConn, Tulane and Temple all closely trail with three wins.


Men’s Basketball

Green Wave overcomes Bulls in OT

It had been nearly two months since USF (7-10, 1-3) went into overtime before the Bulls were defeated 56-51 in overtime by Tulane (12-4, 3-1) on Sunday.

The Bulls’ first overtime game of the season was a 73-71 victory over UAB, but they have only won four games since.

Only one of those wins, a 58-50 victory over East Carolina, was a conference game. The Bulls needed a win over Tulane, which is tied for second in the AAC, to avoid a losing record in confer-ence play.

Though the Bulls scored the opening points of the game, they couldn’t get the offense going until the end of the second half, trailing for almost the entire game in New Orleans and didn’t lead until only 22 seconds remained in regulation.

Tulane guard Jonathan Stark made one of two free throws to tie the game at 46 with 16 seconds remaining, and USF had the ball with a chance to win.

Junior guard Anthony Collins patiently let the clock wind down and then drove hard to the right side of the basket. Collins was met with several defenders and wildly threw the ball at the back-board.

Freshman center Ruben Guerrero collected the miss, but his put back attempt fell short as time expired.

Freshman guard Troy Holston Jr. scored five of his 11 points on two shots to open overtime for the Bulls, but Tulane was able to stop USF from scoring in the game’s final 2 minutes and 37 seconds.

Tulane guard Louis Dabney out-scored the Bulls in overtime by himself. The junior scored six of his 25 points in overtime and made more than half of Tulane’s shots. Without Dabney, Tulane shot 21 percent from the field, including only 2 of 10 3-pointers.

USF made six more shots than the Green Wave, but lost because

of the disproportionate amount of free throws the Bulls allowed.

The Green Wave made 22 of its 27 attempts, compared to USF’s four out of five tries.

USF will return to the Sun Dome in search of its second conference win when it hosts AAC-leading Tulsa (10-5, 3-0) on Saturday at 11 a.m.

USF pushes streak to seven at Temple

Troy Holston Jr. was the only Bull to score in overtime against Tulane on Sunday. The guard scored 11 points throughout the game, including three 3-pointers. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/SEBASTIAN CONTENTO

Sophomore center Katelyn Weber proved to be a pivotal player in the post for the Bulls on Sunday as she recorded eight points and 11 rebounds. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU

The USF women’s basket-ball team continues to stay hot with its seventh straight win Sunday, beating Temple (7-10, 3-10) 70-58 in Philadelphia.

USF (13-3, 4-0) gained ground in the first few min-utes of the game and never looked back, maintaining the lead from start to finish. With a 15-point lead at halftime, the Bulls remained consistent in the second half, limiting

Temple to 29 percent shoot-ing from the field. This was the fourth consecutive game in which USF held its oppo-nent to less than 30 percent shooting.

The Bulls shot 51 percent and knocked down three cru-cial 3-pointers in the first half. Junior guard Courtney Williams made the Temple defense crumble, coming away with another double-double, with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

In the second half, the Bulls


By Vinnie PortellS P O R T S E D I T O R

By Zach LowieS T A F F W R I T E R

n See STREAK on PAGE 5

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