Confusion and Controversey: Spring Election Divides SG
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NEWS, page 3 OPINION, page 7 ARTS, page 5 INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE PERFECT VISION BLACK PANTHER The Conference on World Affairs is One student takes issue with the As the first superhero film to feature making its return to USF St. Petersburg criticisms levelled at USF St. Petersburg’s a primarily black cast, “Black once more and is bringing a more future by Rep. Jeff Brandes. Read Panther” delivered win after win. student - oriented schedule. Read about Antonio Permuy’s critique of House The movie came through with the changes planned and which panels Bill 423, and why USF St. Petersburg’s encapsulating dialogue, striking to attend. independence is paramount. visuals and a policeman’s worst nightmare: a bulletproof black man. THE CROW’S NEST THE CAMPUS NEWSPAPER AT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA ST. PETERSBURG Volume 50, Issue 6 - February 19, 2018 | Online at crowsneststpete.com @CrowsNestStPete @USFCrowsNest @USFCrowsNest @USFSPCrowsNest Confusion and Controversey: spring election divides SG By Emily Wunderlich [email protected] and Whitney Elfstrom [email protected] hen Mariah McQueen decided Wearly this month to run for student body president, she had no running mate and only 48 hours to collect the 100 signatures she needed to qualify. Panicked, she turned to Student Government’s supervisor of elections, Shannon Scanlon. According to a GroupMe message on Feb. 6, one day before the signatures were due, Scanlon offered to help. She wrote that she would DEVIN RODRIGUEZ | THE CROW’S NEST tell Dwayne Isaacs, the Figuring out who should pay for the coed sailing team’s operating expenses has re-emerged as a topic of debate, as neither administration’s director of university administration or Student Government want to pick up the full bill. student life and engagement, that she had received McQueen’s candidate packet on time but forgot to turn it in. Coed sailing team funding “(I) mean (I) wouldn’t do this for anyone else but you’ve helped me with elections a ton in the past,” Scanlon’s message headed for uncertain waters said. “Try to get it by 5 (p.m.) By Jeffrey Waitkevich approximately $3.3 million off in funding for the coed team club, so anyone can do it.” tomorrow but if not give me [email protected] raised from students’ activities in exchange for salaries in the According to the Campus your (university) number and and Jonah Hinebaugh and service fees in its budget for university’s Student Life and Rec tab of the USF St. I’ll email Dwayne saying I have [email protected] 2018-2019. Engagement Department. Petersburg website “all full- your packet but didn’t get a Two sailing teams operate In that trade-off, SG – time undergraduate students chance to give it (to him).” t’s not a club. It’s not a along the USF St. Petersburg which covered 70 percent of at USF St. Petersburg are After asking Samantha varsity sport. The USF coed waterfront, and both do those salaries in its 2017-2018 welcome to join the team.” Fiore to be her running mate, Isailing team is somewhere well in national rankings. budget – would pay 50 percent The link to fill out the McQueen began collecting in the middle, and now there’s a Team members come from next year. But SG would have recruitment form leads to an signatures for both herself and debate on who should pay for it. both the St. Petersburg and to spend 18 percent more – invalid page. Fiore. According to McQueen, For the last two years, Tampa campuses. or $41,169 – than they did Moreno disputed she did this to give Fiore time to the university administration As a so-called varsity last year to cover the team’s Thompson’s statement saying decide if she wanted to run. has paid most of the freight, sport, the women’s team gets operating expenses, while the the team is incredibly exclusive Jonah Goodman, a former SG but now administrators want its funding from the USF university is only taking on and that the only time he hears senator, also collected signatures Student Government to take system in Tampa. But money an additional 15 percent – or about the team is “when it on behalf of both candidates. on a big chunk of the cost. for the coed team – which $27,911. comes time to budget.” But on Feb. 12, the Elections Student body president has 16 men and around 30 Those who side with the Moreno is a proponent of Rules Commission led by David Thompson, who women who also compete on coed sailing team argue that using the budget to pay for Scanlon ruled that the signatures contends the coed team is a the women’s team this year the prestige and success of conferences and other learning were “obtained in violation of “really important part” of the – has been an issue since the the team justify the additional opportunities for students. the (candidate) packet rules,” campus culture, favors the team was created in 1997. expense to SG. “What we go to school which say candidates must administration’s proposal. Steve Lang, the founding “We’re not swimming for is academics – to get a obtain their own signatures. But Albert Moreno, coach of the USF sailing in money, but I think the degree, not in sailing, in The three-member chair of SG’s appropriations program, says the university sailing team contributes to soccer or flag football, but commission unanimously committee, argues that the team intended to make coed sailing a huge part of campus,” said in journalism, or English, or voted to disqualify is so small and exclusive that a varsity sport eventually, Cameron Smith, co-captain whatever you go to school McQueen and Fiore from the it does not deserve such a big but that has not happened. of the coed sailing team. for. We’re going to limit election, one week before appropriation at the expense of As a result, the team has “A lot of people know this that very, very small number the campaign was scheduled other student activities. lurched along amid uncertainty. campus by the sailing team.” while instead promoting to begin. That is one of the issues What the university At an appropriations a recreational activity,” SG is debating now as it administration is seeking committee meeting Wednesday Moreno said. >> SEE ELECTION on P2 decides how to appropriate the involves a complicated trade- Thompson said, “It’s a sports THE CROW’S NEST THE CROW’S NEST IS THE WEEKLY STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA ST. Since 1969 PETERSBURG. ALL CONTENT IN THE PUBLICATION IS PRODUCED BY USFSP STUDENTS. SINGLE COPIES FREE. February 19, 2018 THE CROW’S NEST ELECTION, continued from P1 contends the requirement evidence. McQueen said that Now, McQueen is Student Center. The remainder is not binding – and SG’s she was not alerted about the appealing, contending that the is allocated by SG to itself and attorney general, Marion grievances until 27 hours after elections commission violated other campus organizations. Nuraj, agrees with her. they were filed. its own rules and conducted a Two arguments For a rule to become The commission’s rules of “witch hunt” against her. In appealing the Elections binding, Nuraj says, it must be procedure state that “major Her case, which will Rules Commission’s decision approved by the SG senate. But violations must be reported be heard by SG’s supreme to disqualify her, McQueen is that never happened, he says. to the ERC within 24 hours court this afternoon (Feb. not citing Scanlon’s written The Feb. 12 meeting of the offense.” According to 19), has plunged the spring offer to look the other way if The elections commission Scanlon, the allegations were campaign into confusion and she didn’t meet the deadline has three members: Scanlon, filed at 4:49 Feb 8, 23 minutes controversy as student leaders for submitting signatures. deputy supervisor of elections after the cut off. debate both the legality of McQueen said she Ashley Huber and Ashley In another GroupMe their own rules and how the considered Scanlon’s offer, but Swain, the supervisor of exchange with McQueen, rules commission conducted then ruled it out. senate elections. Scanlon acknowledged that the Feb. 12 meeting that led to “I knew when it comes to When the commission met she was aware “the complaint COURTESY OF COMPASS McQueen’s disqualification. my own morals that I didn’t Feb. 12, both McQueen and wasn’t filed within the correct “They didn’t try to make Fiore were unable to attend time” for the commission to sure we were there, they If the supreme court want to put her (Scanlon) in didn’t want to hear our side eventually upholds the that position and I also didn’t because of scheduling conflicts. take action. before they made any de- election commission’s ruling, want to be in that situation,” When Nuraj asked the When asked why she still cisions.