By Samantha Fiore
I am emailing you regarding the front page of The Crows Nest from Oct. 16. As a student on this campus, I think the placement of this headline paired with a picture of the Homecoming King and Queen was insensitive and poorly planned out.
First, let me make clear who the Homecoming King and Queen are. Sadandré and Shani are two high\ly regarded student leaders here at USF St. Petersburg. They are tour guides, orientation leaders, Compass First Year Experience peer coaches, academically successful and are making a huge impact on hundreds of students here at USF St. Petersburg; they should be celebrated and used as an example of the types of students we have representing us on this campus. They are what USFSP embodies.
Rather than using your platform to making this an opportunity to highlight some of the amazing students that have been able to grow and succeed and become the best version of themselves because of what this campus offers, it’s paired with a headline that says more than what meets the eye. It reminds us of a dark time on our campus that impacted our peers. This is not a copy of The Crow’s Nest that Dré and Shani want to keep as a memory to show their grandchildren one day. Don’t you want your hard work to be remembered that way?
I think The Crow’s Nest has an amazing opportunity to increase the overall spirit and happiness on our campus. So many amazing things happen here. Our students are so transparent and intentional, diverse and talented. They should be used as an example of what it means to be a Bull at USFSP.
While it is important to talk about the bad news too, you could have used Volume 49 Issue 7 of The Crow’s Nest as something that would be cherished by so many students forever.
