Courtesy of Carrie O’Brion
By Katlynn Mullins
As university officials broke ground on the new residence hall last April, ospreys watched from their nest. Now, USF St. Petersburg is paying tribute to them.
The new residence hall will be named “The Osprey,” and the food court below will be called “The Nest.”
Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock broke the news at the State of the Campus Address on Jan. 15, along with the renaming of the two pre-existing residence halls. They will become “The Pelican” and “The Ibis,” though Tadlock did not clarify which would be which.
According to a press release, the student-run Residence Hall Association held a contest to come up with concepts for naming the new hall in spring 2019.
Concepts included “Florida Palm Trees” — with names like “The Majestic,” and “The Queen” — and “Famous Florida/St. Petersburg,” — with names like “The Manatee,” and, in an overlap, “The Pelican.”
The names were submitted for administrative review and cabinet approval, and the “Florida Sea Birds” concept won.
“University of South Florida St. Petersburg recognizes the rich variety of bird life that inhabits our shoreline and inland waterways,” a press release said. The names were chosen “in honor of nature, wildlife and St. Petersburg.”
Some residents, however, have different opinions.
“I think naming the buildings after birds is very strange, considering the school’s place,” said Brandon Majercin, a freshman marine biology major. “Although the birds are typically ones associated with marine ecosystems, it’s weird to switch everything when previous naming included things like ‘The Reef’ and ‘The Cove.’”
“It’s cool that the new dorm is getting renamed, but the other two should stay the same,” said Olivia Vinson, a freshman finance major.
Savanna Carrigan, a freshman sustainability studies major, thinks nothing should be renamed.
“There’s nothing wrong with the names now,” Carrigan said. “It’s just going to confuse students.”
Residence Hall One was built in 2006 and has 340 beds. The USC was built in 2012 and has 201 beds available for students. The new residence hall is set to be completed this July and has 375 beds.
