7-7-14

8
After three years of sac- rifice for his country, troop supporters gave Marine Cpl. Michael Leslie something back — a new home to celebrate Independence Day with his fiancee and three dogs. Representatives from Bank of America and the Military Warriors Support Foundation handed Leslie the keys to his new Auburndale residence Thursday, as dozens of veter- ans applauded from the flag- lined street. Leslie was eligible for the mortgage-free house because of his Purple Heart and Combat Action Ribbon through the Military Warriors Support Foundation. Though Leslie was able to walk up the steps to his new home, he faces one of the most common injuries among veterans from the conflict in Iraq: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). On Dec. 17, 2006, Leslie’s brain was jolted by a 250- pound improvised explosion device (IED) in some of the bloodiest days of the Iraq War. “It’s like getting hit by a bank door at 40 miles an hour,” he said. Until that point, Leslie had served in the Marines since going to boot camp on his 18th birthday in 2005. Three months later, he was deployed to Iraq where his unit endured 31 IED blasts. “A lot of them hit, a lot of them missed,” he said. Though explosions didn’t have an immediate effect, the repeated concussions com- pounded over time. “You know how football players get hit in the head with the helmet?” Leslie said. “It’s like that times five when you get hit by a roadside bomb. You’re going to cough blood, your ears will burst.” For seven months, Leslie fought in places like Fallujah before President George W. Bush ordered the surge for backup. Leslie said he slept maybe four hours a day and showered once a month given the chance. “The first couple of times, you’re freaking out thinking you’re going to die,” he said. “But after the first couple of months, nothing phases you.” After the blast that sent him to the hospital, Leslie contin- ued to serve until 2008. “Nothing else does it for me. It’s the adrenaline,” he said. “That’s why guys in the military buy motorcycles when they get home.” When Leslie arrived back in Tampa, he said he struggled with anxiety and an uncer- tainty of his role as a private The Oracle www.usforacle.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA MONDAY, JULY 7, 2014 I VOL. 51 NO. 131 Follow The Oracle on Twitter @USFOracle or take a photo of the QR code below with a QR reader app on your smartphone. I NSIDE THIS I SSUE MONTAGE SPORTS Bulls reveal new look for 2014. BACK LIFESTYLE Adventurers fly with hang gliding. Page 4 Oracle online News ................................................................. 1 Lifestyle ...................................................... 4 Opinion ....................................................... 6 classifieds .............................................. 7 Crossword ......................................... 7 sports ............................................................ 8 The Index The day before Independence Day, Marine Cpl. Michael Leslie received a new mortgage-free home in Auburndale from the Bank of America and the Military Warriors Support Foundation. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/MIKE BOSLET Land of the free, home of the brave By Wesley Higgins NEWS EDITOR n Marine veteran and USF student receives new mortgage-free home. n See HOME on PAGE 2 Though representatives from the USF Chapter of the United Faculty of Florida and the university declared an impasse in April with nei- ther side seeming to budge, after more than a year of negotiations, an agreement was reached with university administrators for a three- year contract. The agreement followed over a year and a half of bargaining that resulted in an impasse late April. The university rejected the fac- ulty union’s request for a 2.5 percent base salary increase and a one time 2.5 percent bonus. The union also reject- ed the university’s offer for a 2.5 percent base salary increase with a 1 percent discretionary raise given for merit. The contract was settled by a third-party magistrate, and will be presented to the Board of Trustees Labor Committee. Once the new agreement goes into effect, faculty who satisfy annual performance evaluations will qualify for a 4 percent salary increase. New hires without an evalu- ation will not receive the raise. A 1 percent discretion- ary raise that university can distribute at its preference is also included. Additionally, the con- tract included an updated sick leave buy-pack pro- gram. Faculty may opt for a one-time cash payment up front instead of receiving cash from the university for Faculty union reaches bargaining agreement n See FACULTY on PAGE 2

Upload: usf-oracle

Post on 01-Apr-2016

219 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

DESCRIPTION

 

TRANSCRIPT

After three years of sac-rifice for his country, troop supporters gave Marine Cpl. Michael Leslie something back — a new home to celebrate Independence Day with his fiancee and three dogs.

Representatives from Bank of America and the Military Warriors Support Foundation handed Leslie the keys to his new Auburndale residence Thursday, as dozens of veter-ans applauded from the flag-lined street.

Leslie was eligible for the mortgage-free house because of his Purple Heart and Combat Action Ribbon

through the Military Warriors Support Foundation. Though Leslie was able to walk up the steps to his new home, he faces one of the most common injuries among veterans from the conflict in Iraq: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

On Dec. 17, 2006, Leslie’s brain was jolted by a 250-pound improvised explosion device (IED) in some of the bloodiest days of the Iraq War.

“It’s like getting hit by a bank door at 40 miles an hour,” he said.

Until that point, Leslie had served in the Marines since going to boot camp on his 18th birthday in 2005. Three months later, he was deployed to Iraq where his unit endured 31 IED blasts.

“A lot of them hit, a lot of them missed,” he said.

Though explosions didn’t have an immediate effect, the repeated concussions com-pounded over time.

“You know how football players get hit in the head with

the helmet?” Leslie said. “It’s like that times five when you get hit by a roadside bomb. You’re going to cough blood, your ears will burst.”

For seven months, Leslie fought in places like Fallujah before President George W. Bush ordered the surge for backup. Leslie said he slept maybe four hours a day and showered once a month given the chance.

“The first couple of times, you’re freaking out thinking you’re going to die,” he said. “But after the first couple of months, nothing phases you.”

After the blast that sent him to the hospital, Leslie contin-ued to serve until 2008.

“Nothing else does it for me. It’s the adrenaline,” he said. “That’s why guys in the military buy motorcycles when they get home.”

When Leslie arrived back in Tampa, he said he struggled with anxiety and an uncer-tainty of his role as a private

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 U L Y 7 , 2 0 1 4 I V O L . 5 1 N O . 1 3 1

Follow The Oracle on Twitter @USFOracle or take a photo of the QR code below with a QR reader app on your smartphone.

InsIde thIs Issue

Montage

SPORTSBulls reveal new look for 2014. BACK

LIFESTYLEAdventurers fly with hang gliding. Page 4

Oracle online

News.................................................................1 Lifestyle......................................................4Opinion.......................................................6

classifieds..............................................7Crossword.........................................7sports............................................................8

The Index

The day before Independence Day, Marine Cpl. Michael Leslie received a new mortgage-free home in Auburndale from the Bank of America and the Military Warriors Support Foundation. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/MIKE BOSLET

Land of the free, home of the brave

By Wesley Higgins N E W S E D I T O R

n Marine veteran and USF student receives new mortgage-free home.

n See HOME on PAGE 2

Though representatives from the USF Chapter of the United Faculty of Florida and the university declared an impasse in April with nei-ther side seeming to budge, after more than a year of negotiations, an agreement was reached with university administrators for a three-year contract.

The agreement followed over a year and a half of bargaining that resulted in an impasse late April. The university rejected the fac-ulty union’s request for a 2.5 percent base salary increase and a one time 2.5 percent bonus. The union also reject-ed the university’s offer for a 2.5 percent base salary increase with a 1 percent discretionary raise given for merit.

The contract was settled by a third-party magistrate, and will be presented to the Board of Trustees Labor Committee.

Once the new agreement goes into effect, faculty who satisfy annual performance evaluations will qualify for a 4 percent salary increase. New hires without an evalu-ation will not receive the raise. A 1 percent discretion-ary raise that university can distribute at its preference is also included.

Additionally, the con-tract included an updated sick leave buy-pack pro-gram. Faculty may opt for a one-time cash payment up front instead of receiving cash from the university for

Faculty union reaches bargaining agreement

n See FACULTY on PAGE 2

M O N DAY, J U LY 7 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E 2

USF Women’s Soccer ScheduleOpponent Date/Time Location

FAUFloridaNavyFGCU

Mid Tenessee St.Kennesaw St.

South CarolinaTexas

Boston CollegeTulsa

MemphisHouston

SMUUCF

UConnTemple

CincinnatiEast Carolina

Aug. 22 / 7:30 p.m.Aug. 24 / 1 p.m.

Aug. 29 / 7:30 p.m.Aug. 31 / 6 p.m.Sept. 5 / 8 p.m.Sept. 7 / 2 p.m.Sept. 12 / 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 / 11:30 a.m.Sept. 18 / 7 p.m.Sept. 25 / 8 p.m.Sept. 28 / 2 p.m.Oct. 3 / 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 / 1 p.m.Oct. 10 / 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 16 / 7 p.m. Oct. 19 / 1 p.m.

Oct. 24 / 7:30 p.mOct. 26 / 1 p.m.

Corbett StadiumGainesville

Corbett StadiumCorbett Stadium

Murfreesboro, Tenn. Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Corbett StadiumCorbett Stadium

Chestnut Hill, Mass.Tulsa, Okla.

Memphis, Tenn.Corbett StadiumCorbett StadiumCorbett Stadium

Storrs, Conn.Philadelphia, Penn.

Corbett StadiumCorbett Stadium

citizen.“I had to detach myself a

little bit from society after a military life,” he said.

Leslie also struggled with the symptoms of his brain injury, such as a tingling sen-sation on the left side of his face that caused him to fear a stroke.

“It’s still painful,” he said. “I’ll get migraines every day for the rest of my life.”

Only since the Vietnam War have researchers tried to grasp the consequence of hidden wounds, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and TBI.

“They’re the main killers,” Leslie said.

According to the Brain Injury Association of New York State, about one in five veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from a brain injury, making it the most common injury from the two conflicts.

“There’s so many guys who have TBI but don’t even real-

ize it,” Leslie said. “There’s memory loss, speech prob-lems, anger.”

Ready to start working again, Leslie trained to be a police officer. However, his supervisors noticed his anxi-ety issue and advised him to find something else.

It was Leslie’s fiancee, Danielle Botvidson, who told him to give the free house a shot.

Over the past three years, Bank of America has given more than 240 houses in Florida to non-profits, such the Military Warriors Support Foundation, for donation to troops like Leslie.

Leslie said he and his fian-cee were in disbelief.

The couple even drove past the house on arrival.

“He asked, ‘where do I do park?’” Botvidson said. “I said, ‘right in the driveway.”’

Before receiving the three-bedroom house in Auburndale, Leslie lived with Botvidson and three dogs in a small Tampa apartment. Now, Leslie said he is proud to have a new home with a big yard for his dogs to run in.

After a key ceremony, the couple took a tour of their new home. Though the house had barely begun to fill with new furniture and memories, a favorite picture hung in the bedroom and made the couple engage in a tearful embrace.

“That’s from the Lightning’s playoff game,” Leslie said. “We lost the game, but what-ever, it’s a great picture of us.”

Leslie said he looks forward to meeting the neighbors whom he hopes won’t hold Thursday’s loud celebration against him.

Leslie will drive to Tampa almost every day for work and school as he will attend USF this fall to finish the last year of his bachelor’s in criminol-ogy. He said he hopes to get into graduate school for crimi-nal justice administration to eventually become a juvenile corrections manager.

For now, Leslie said he couldn’t express his gratitude for the charity of those who care about the well-being of military veterans.

“I don’t know what else to say,” he said. “Semper Fi.”

HOMEContinued from PAGE 1

accrued sick leave upon quit-ting the university. Faculty may no longer donate sick leave to other faculty who request additional days.

“Although this has been one of the longest negotiation processes in a decade, I’m delighted that we have been

able to successfully resolve the issues and come to an agreement,” USF President Judy Genshaft said in a letter to faculty last week.

The contract will remain in effect until Aug. 17, 2014. However, salaries may be renegotiated in the second and third year of the agree-ment.

— Staff report

FACULTYContinued from PAGE 1

M O N DAY, J U LY 7 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E 3

Short of sprouting wings or riding an airplane, hang glid-ing is the closest many will get to actually flying.

When the glider leaves the ground there’s a feeling of weightlessness that lasts until touchdown. Apart from the wind whistling past, it’s quiet and surprisingly peaceful as the glider soars thousands of feet over the ground.

Alyssa Prieto, a first time hang glider, said it is unlike anything else.

“It was really fun,” Prieto said. “I’d definitely do it again.”

Lauren Tindle, who works at Florida Ridge Air Sports Park, has been tandem hang gliding since she was 9 years old.

“Getting in the clouds, especially around sunset, that’s the best part,” Tindle said. “It’s amazing.”

Florida Ridge Air Sports Park in Clewiston has been giving Floridians the chance to soar through the clouds for the past 14 years.

After checking in, first-time hang gliders must go through a brief safety presentation and sign a few waivers before hitting the skies. They are then guided to the takeoff point where they meet their designated instructor and are

strapped laying on their stom-ach into the hammock-like harness hanging above the instructor.

Because Florida is short on mountains, Florida Ridge uses an ultra-light airplane to tow gliders into the air. After reaching the predeter-mined height, a minimum of 1,000 feet at Florida Ridge, the instructor unhooks the towline and the glider is fly-ing free.

Derreck Turner, a tandem instructor at Florida Ridge and competitive hang glider, has been hang gliding since he was strong enough to lift the glider.

“When I’m doing tandems, (my favortie thing is) see-ing the people change from sometimes how nervous they are before the flight to how exhilarated and excited they are after the flight,” Turner said. “Sometimes it’s when they’re yelling and screaming up there like they’re riding a roller coaster and I can see all the emotions. This is some-thing extreme.”

In his free time, Turner competes in hang gliding competitions and has traveled everywhere from Arizona to Italy for competitions. He said flying over the Swiss Alps was some of the best flying he’s ever done.

“You could see the gla-ciers back behind the moun-tains over the tops of the ski

slopes,” Turner said. “That was pretty incredible, seeing over 300 years worth of gla-cier. You could see from one end all the ways back up to the other end. You fly almost over the top of all of them.”

Hang gliding competitions work much like sailing regat-tas. Gliders follow a course with turning points marked on GPS. Whoever completes the course first or whoever get the furthest on the course wins.

In order to stay in the air longer, Turner said gliders use drafts of rising air called ther-mals as a sort of filling sta-tion.

“You go where you see those soaring birds going around and around,” Turner said. “That’s hot air rising, so you go to where you can use the birds or you can some-times feel it in the glider.”

Using this method, gliders can stay airborne for hours at a time. In order to fly in competitions, interested hang gliders must first get certified. Florida Ridge offers certifica-tion classes at their facility.

“The best way is to go to a school,” Turner said. “It takes between 15 and 30 flights depending on the individual and (his or her) aptitude to go up and learn how to fly.”

After those first flights, students are usually ready to fly solo.

“Then you can learn to soar

LifestyleU 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 U L Y 7 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E4

DAREDEVILS ‘SOAR WITH THE BIRDS’By Courtney Combs L I F E S T Y L E E D I T O R

Florida Ridge Air Sports Park is located at 12671 E State Road 80 in Clewiston. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/ COURTNEY COMBS

M O N DAY, J U LY 7 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E 5

able to add Bronson, even though he did not originally sign with the team.

“Kevin is great young man and a player whose size and athleticism fit very well in our defensive system,” Taggart said in a press release. “We recruited him very heavily leading up to signing day and are happy that some things

evolved and he now has the opportunity to be a Bull. Kevin had scholarship offers from a lot of major programs, and we are excited that he is joining our football team.”

Bronson declined offers from Florida, South Carolina, Miami (Fla.), Arkansas, Nebraska, UCF and Vanderbilt to play for the Bulls. He’s ranked as a three-star recruit according to ESPN.com.

—Staff report

COMMITContinued from PAGE 8

SeaWorld lacks credibility with misleading research

C O L U M N I S T

Adam Mathieu

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 U L Y 7 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E

Opinion6

USF students may want to rethink the I-75 drive to SeaWorld in Orlando this summer, given the park’s continuing reputation since last summer’s documenta-ry that shed light on the effects of captivity.

Since the release of “Blackfish,” the curtain has been lifted and it’s now clear SeaWorld is not as magi-cal as its commercials might let on.

While having orcas on display is a great opportunity for people to see animals they will likely never encounter in the wild, the cost is too high. It’s time for the park to admit having such large animals in captivity has negative mental effects, such as stress and aggres-sion, as reported by the Humane Society of the U.S. and Humane Society International. Also, accord-ing to OneGreenPlanet.org, physi-cal effects can include a lack of exercise because of confinement.

According to Slate.com, SeaWorld has defended captiv-ity as a way for the park to have easier access to orcas and to allow more opportunity for scientific research. However, the truth may be that SeaWorld is less concerned about producing useful research and more focused on distorting facts to hide the negative effects of captivity.

While recently investigating reports made by SeaWorld, marine biologist Ingrid Visser, who works with New Zealand’s Orca Research Trust, found a lack of credibility as well as a surprisingly small amount of research to speak for nearly 50 years of having orcas in captivity.

Visser noticed three duplicated reports, which suggests SeaWorld tried to increase the apparent amount of research it has done. This is undoubtedly a poor and blatant attempt to appear more productive than it actually is.

SeaWorld also had question-able reports that have no relevant link to captive orcas. Specifically, one report involved research done

entirely with wild populations. Yet the most bizarre, perhaps, was a review written by a SeaWorld employee on a book about a man that claims to speak to orcas.

Other troubling finds in the research were that some weren’t peer-reviewed and others didn’t have traceable sources.

Given all of these issues, the scientific credibility of SeaWorld plummets when it’s known research is not taken seriously and the park can’t fully support its own claims that captivity offers better research opportunities.

According to GlobalAnimal.org, SeaWorld had misused Visser’s own research in an effort to claim collapsed dorsal fins, or back fins that begin to curl, are normal. However, these fins only appear in less than one percent of the wild, as Dr. Jeffrey Ventre, a for-mer SeaWorld trainer, mentioned in “Blackfish.”

Though the orcas’ conditions won’t likely change, the research problems can. Chris Dold, vice president of SeaWorld veterinary services, claimed to be unaware of the errors and said they have since been fixed.

But, since it seems the orcas aren’t going anywhere soon, SeaWorld should prove it genu-inely wishes to help marine life by producing research that is reli-able and actually useful to the scientific community.

Aside from making sure all of the research is peer-reviewed, SeaWorld can expand on what is already known about orcas, espe-cially since the park has direct access to them. For instance, the park can further explore the orcas’ emotions, intelligence and behav-ior in general. This could help show these animals as more than a cir-cus act and at least gather more knowledge about them if they are going to be held in captivity.

Adam Mathieu is a junior majoring in studio art.

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

Managing Editor: Mike Mallory ........................ [email protected]

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

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

Lifestyle Editor: Courtney Combs .......... [email protected]

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

Copy Editor: Grace Hoyte

Multimedia Editor: Adam Mathieu

Graphic Arts Manager: Chelsea Stulen

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

Facebook users should be cautious after intrusive study

When users scroll through Facebook feeds, pausing to watch cat videos and make witty com-ments on their friends’ status-es, most don’t expect the social media site to have any impact on what they choose to post.

According to the New York Times, a recent study by Facebook and researchers at Cornell revealed the site has been altering its users’ news feeds without them knowing it to control the amount of posi-tive and negative posts to which they’re exposed in order to see how emotions spread via social media.

This wasn’t for just a few of users, either — over half a mil-lion users were studied. As it turns out, there is a correlation between exposure to positive posts and making positive posts, and vice versa for negative posts.

The study has received monu-

mental backlash. The Electronic Privacy Information Center, a pri-vacy group, complained about it to the Federal Trade Commission.

Those who are concerned about the ethics of the study certainly should be. Facebook wasn’t just manipulating the con-tent of almost 700,000 feeds: It was manipulating the users themselves. The only reason it was able to do so in the first place was because of a loophole — if users agreed with the site’s terms of service, they had already given their consent to be tested.

While it was a despicable move for the site to make its users vulnerable to its own pur-suits and Facebook shouldn’t be commended for using psycho-logical stunts to check if emotions are contagious, especially when it comes to testing negative posts, one NY Times columnist sug-gests it might not be a bad thing to have a defense against such a powerful entity.

The study was meant to see if emotions could be contagious without physical contact, and it found they are. This defense, as the writer said, can be used by the site’s critics to argue it is much too powerful since they can pull up the research conducted by Facebook itself as proof.

Aside from ways the study can be used against Facebook, its results have inherent value

just because they prove users should approach the site with more awareness, if not skepti-cism. When relaxing and watch-ing those cat videos or ramping up online cleverness, users can’t be too complacent.

When Facebook stops being the platform people have to share and communicate and starts affecting its users on a personal level, users should be more per-ceptive to the ways the site can manipulate them.

People have long argued Facebook is too intrusive — from concerns of the site requesting private information such as cell phone numbers to more recent criticism of the site catering its advertising to users based on one’s Internet history.

Along with the ethical ques-tions of the study, the results have made it even harder for Facebook users to enjoy the site comfortably, without having to worry about how their information is used or how Facebook is controlling what they see.

It’s the reason why those who want to continue using Facebook should be more aware when doing so. Or, as tends to be an option when the public doesn’t like the choices a company makes, there are always boycotts.

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 U L Y 7 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E 7

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

CONDO FOR RENT2bdrm/2bath 1200 sqft available in guarded/

gated community, 3 miles from USF, partially furnished,

$750/mos. Call Lindsay at 813-469-1802.

LAB TECH ASSISTANT Needed. FT & PT positions. Near HCC Brandon Campus. Gain science experience and

schedule work around classes. Experience not necessary.

Work minimum 20 hours M-F, 8 am - 5 pm. $9/hr. Fax: 813-793-4429 or e-mail hr@

randglabs.com. Send work schedule avail-ability.

Email [email protected]

APTS & HOUSES FOR RENTHELP WANTED

Interested in working for The Oracle?

There will be an information session Tuesday, July 8 at 3 p.m. in SVC 0002

for new students.All interested writers, photographers and editors are welcome to attend.

Contact Editor in Chief Alex Rosenthal: [email protected] or

813-974-5190

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 U L Y 7 , 2 0 1 4 ● T H E O R AC L E8

USF hires Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year

Men’s Golf

When former USF men’s golf coach Chris Malloy announced he had accepted a job at Ole Miss on June 14, Athletic Director Mark Harlan was left to search for a new coach.

Now, three weeks later, USF has hired Steven Bradley to fill the vacant position.

Bradley takes over at USF after leaving the same position at Mercer, where he completed his fourth year during which he won the 2014 Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year.

Bradley captured the award by leading Mercer to the conference championship, which aided in qualifying for the first NCAA post-season berth in school history.

This past season, Bradley also coached the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year, Trey Rule. While Bradley will no longer be coaching Rule, he will inherit former Big East

Conference Player of the Year, Chase Koepka.

Bradley has a long history of competing in golf in the state of Florida.

“I was born in Bradenton and went to high school in Ocala, so I’m a Florida boy,” Bradley said in a press release. “For me to be able to get back to Florida is very exciting. It’s really perfect timing and combined with the athletic department, being in Florida and in a great area, the USF job is just a home run.”

In college, he played two years for both Florida and Florida State. After a 10-year break from golf, during which he worked as an account executive, he began his coaching career with Florida serv-ing as an assistant coach for three years, helping the Gators reach the NCAA National Championships every season.

—Staff report

The USF football team officially revealed its new helmets Friday afternoon.

The football team’s Twitter account tweeted “Bulls have some fireworks of their own on 4th of July…new helmets for 2014.” Attached to the tweet was a link to the team’s Instagram account

where there was a video display-ing current players showing off the new gear.

The team held a photo-shoot earlier this month to debut the helmets. Players such as Nate Godwin, Mike McFarland and Mike White were featured in the display. The two new USF helmets include

one matte green helmet with a gold “U” and the other is a chrome gold helmet with a green “U” out-lined in white.

USF will wear the new helmets for the first time Aug. 30 when the team hosts Western Carolina in the season opener.

—Staff report

USF will change up the football team uniforms this season by adding two different helmets. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/USF FOOTBALL TWITTER

USF unveils new helmetsFootball

Bulls acquire new 2014 commit

Kevin Bronson will join the Bulls’ 2014 recruiting class as the 29th commit. The 6-foot-3 235-pound defensive end ini-tially signed with Virginia Tech on National Signing Day but ran into academic problems during the admission process.

According to a report by ESPN, when Bronson com-mitted to Virginia Tech his scores of 16 on the ACT in both English and Math were one point shy of the required score to be admitted. When Bronson was deciding between schools in February, he was assured that his low scores wouldn’t be a problem in the admission process. But as time wore on, school repre-sentatives were less assuring to Bronson. Eventually, the

school informed Bronson he would not be admitted.

After he was released from his National Letter of Intent, the Delray Beach native made the decision to commit to the Bulls, who had already made him an offer earlier in the year.

At Village Academy High School, Bronson totaled 58 tackles, nine sacks and forced six fumbles in his senior sea-son. His play earned a first-team Class 2A all-state selec-tion, making him the 10th Bull in this year’s recruiting class to have earned first or second-team all-state recognition in Florida.

Coach Willie Taggart was pleased that the Bulls were

FootballUSF Men’s Soccer ScheduleOpponent Date / Time Location

n See COMMIT on PAGE 5

FGCUAkron

PortlandOld Dominion

BrownWashington

UConnGeorgia Southern

TempleTulsa

CincinnatiDenverSMUUCF

MemphisClemsonUConn

Aug. 29 / 7 p.m.Sept. 4 / 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 / NoonSept. 12 / 7:30 p.m.Sept. 18 / 7:30 p.m.Sept. 21 / 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 27 / 7 p.m.Oct. 1 / 7:30 p.m.Oct. 4 / 7:30 p.m.Oct. 8 / 7:30 p.m.Oct. 11 / 7 p.m.

Oct. 15 / 7:30 p.m.Oct. 18 / 8 p.m.Oct. 22 / TBA

Oct. 25 / 7:30 p.m.Oct. 28 / 7 p.m.

Nov. 1 / 7:30 p.m.

Fort MyersCorbett StadiumCorbett Stadium

Norfolk, Va.Corbett StadiumCorbett Stadium

Storrs, Conn.Corbett StadiumCorbett StadiumCorbett StadiumCincinnati, OhioCorbett Stadium

Dallas, TexasOrlando

Corbett StadiumClemson, S.C.

Corbett Stadium