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NEW ORLEANS – Researchers tracking the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say computer models show the black ooze may have already entered a major current flowing toward the Florida Keys, and are sending out a research vessel to learn more.
William Hogarth, dean of the University of South [...]
Continue reading about USF dean: Gulf spill to hit Gulf Stream soon
ORLANDO, Fla., May 9 UPI — Florida gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink probably wont be invited back as commencement speaker after getting the University of Central Floridas name wrong.
Graduates interrupted her address with boos and groans Saturday afternoon after Sink, a Democrat, called the University of Central Florida — “USF” — at least twice during her [...]
Continue reading about Graduation speaker goofs on school name
How is this for special irony?
Kathy Lovelace lost her job and was about to lose her house, too. But then she made a seemingly simple request of the bank: Show me the original mortgage paperwork.
And just like that, the foreclosure proceedings came to a standstill.
Lovelace and other homeowners around the country are managing to stave [...]
Continue reading about Banks have to halt some foreclosures as original documents went missing
The Bush administration said Sunday it sees no wisdom now in ending an economic embargo against Cuba, a longtime demand the Havana government renewed as a way to speed aid after Hurricane Gustav swamped the island.
A U.S. offer to send a disaster assessment team was declined Saturday by the Cuban Foreign Ministry, which did not [...]
Continue reading about Rice: Bad time to end embargo on Cuba
“Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean said Wednesday the party was committed to seating Florida’s delegates at this summer’s convention as long as any agreement is supported by the party’s two presidential contenders.” AP
Florida knew the rules established by the Democratic National Committee: Have the primary on the date you want (too early) and we [...]
Continue reading about Dean: Dems will seat Fla. delegates if Obama says it’s ok
For the record, Florida is now teaching evolution:
Florida’s public school science standards for the first time will use the word “evolution,” although the biological concept already was being taught under code words such as “change over time.”
The new standards, part of a set of overall science changes adopted by the State Board of Education Tuesday [...]
Continue reading about New FL education standards use word ‘evolution’
Florida’s schools suck. But since we weren’t sure just how badly the Florida public school system was, the FCAT was devised to tell us just how much our children isn’t learning, to paraphrase president Bush.
Year after year the inevitable happened: the FCAT came and went and told us that Florida’s schools suck.
So the test was [...]
Continue reading about Jesus loves you, but you still get an F* (*as in Florida)
Bye bye, USA. It was fun while it lasted.
The U.S. government is collecting electronic records on the travel habits of millions of Americans who fly, drive or take cruises abroad, retaining data on the persons with whom they travel or plan to stay, the personal items they carry during their journeys, and even the books [...]
The St. Petersburg Times is the latest with accounts on how international tourism to the US, and particularly to Florida, is falling because international travelers are treated like criminals. Courtesy of that story comes this absolutely priceless quote from a British national waxing on about how not going to America is really not all that [...]
Continue reading about SP Times: Some overseas visitors are over Florida
Sometime this weekend, I stood in front of an exhibit at Busch Gardens and watched a throng of people point at a number of white birds that sat in the oak trees above. The birds — white ibises, to be precise — were native to Florida and were as much a part of the display [...]
I am 27 years old, and I hate living in Tampa. Any other city might brush such a statement off, but in Tampa’s case, it doesn’t bode well, as it also casts a damning shadow over the city’s most recent strategy to market itself to would-be citizens.
In recent years, Tampa has been attempting to re-brand [...]
Continue reading about Tampa needs to spend less time being creative
Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s visit to the USF campus last week was celebrated by the University’s administration as a public relations coup. It was, no doubt, and the University milked the $150,000 event for all it was worth, cleverly tying it to the yearlong celebration of USF’s 50th anniversary.
But for many of the attendees, the event [...]
Continue reading about Tutu’s message would be well served at home
In Friday’s Oracle, University of South Florida students read this quote: “Everything ages, and with other schools, their facilities and the things they can offer their students (are up to date). We need to have the most up-to-date offerings as well.†Students may have hoped the quote concerned the crumbling Fine Arts building or crowded [...]
Continue reading about Pool overhauled while buildings crumble further
Disney’s newest theme park is facing investigations concerning poor working conditions and bad pay. The government is also very unhappy with the Disney corporation throwing around its corporate might to receive preferential treatment. Such allegations have been raised before, so astute readers may ask themselves: Why is the government stepping in all of a sudden? [...]
Continue reading about Chinese reign in mighty Disney empire
With the opening of the Library’s new Information Commons earlier this semester also came a room where students can meet, study or simply hang out. Such amenities are vital to a campus’s social life, yet they are largely missing from the University of South Florida’s campus.
One of the University of South Florida’s main strategies for its development is to establish a stronger sense of community and identity. An effective way to achieve this started in summer 2000 when the USF shuttle service route was established, connecting the overwhelmingly student-populated blocks north of campus with the campus itself. This semester, though, [...]
A two-class society is being created at USF: One part of USF receives money, buildings and other perks because they are associated with prestigious research. The other, more “traditional†part of USF, is told that money is short, leading to a steady decline in USF’s general education quality.
USF already fell several ranks on U.S. News [...]
As the University of South Florida continues to grow, it is undergoing tremendous change. Students both new and old recognize these gradual changes every day, but the University’s administration will also have to take the growth into account when planning for the future. As it stands, it is apparent that past planning has not created [...]
Continue reading about Campus hit by avoidable growing pains
Student Government officials don’t earn much money; that much is clear. But SG’s logic that because its members are underpaid it has the right to party on student funds is an affront to the trust students put into their supposed representatives.
Last week The Oracle detailed how SG had chartered the StarShip, a luxury cruise ship [...]
Continue reading about Use of A&S funds for SG banquet, retreat unacceptable
When something goes amiss in USF’s mazelike bureaucracy, it usually doesn’t bode well for students. But if this happens to an international student, the experience can be outright frightening. Thankfully though, International Student and Scholar Services exhibits a sense of professionalism that often goes well beyond what USF is required to do for students. And [...]
The four year old who collapsed and died after experiencing a ride at Disney World?s Epcot Center certainly received some media attention. The death has raised concerns over the safety of not only the ride on which the incident occurred, but also about America?s theme parks in general. While it is important not to over-react, [...]
Continue reading about Safety standards at theme parks worth a closer look
Tropical depression Arlene visited Florida over the weekend, serving as a reminder of the four hurricanes that pelted Florida last year. University of South Florida students may also remember the absurd way in which the University handled information concerning hurricanes. Whether Arlene was a sign of things to come remains to be seen, but judging [...]
Continue reading about USF continues to cause confusion when storms hit
he trial of former USF professor Sami Al-Arian is slowly moving forward, but the jury selection process, as well as the location of the trial, cast doubt on how well justice will be served.
Al-Arian stands accused of helping an organization called the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. His arrest was one of the few instances that allowed [...]
Continue reading about Al-Arian trial tests nation’s justice system
Two beaches close to the University of South Florida have been named among the nation’s best, one even taking the top spot. For Floridians as well as the tourism industry, this is good news. It also stresses the need to protect our shores, as there was a time when most of Florida’s beaches would have [...]
