Pictured Above: The Crow’s Nest printed 14 issues this semester, highlighting both local and national news.
Patrick Tobin | The Crow’s Nest
By Sophie Ojdanic and Annalise Anderson
This fall has presented a sometimes overwhelming number of new challenges for students and faculty alike. The university saw the effects of consolidation, pandemic budget cuts, abysmal Student Government elections and more.
Despite unprecedented hurdles — like our creative director being forced into isolation for the first two print issues, The Crow’s Nest remained active, publishing 166 stories over 14 issues.
Here’s a quick recap of the fall semester’s biggest stories:
** It was revealed Oct. 14 that USF’s College of Education would be closing. The university most recently backtracked on the closure, saying it would still be offering some undergraduate programs in education.
** Joe Biden was elected the 46th President of the United States. Current President Donald Trump has called for recounts of the votes, but the presidential race has been called by all major news outlets.
** The Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup, making them the first of Tampa Bay’s sports teams to make it into sports championships this year. The Tampa Bay Rays made it to the World Series’ finals, but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rowdies have also made it to the United Soccer League Championships. The Firestone Grand Prix also returned, spanning from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25.
** Student Government saw a nosedive in its already abysmal voting numbers, with only 11 voters in its most recent interim special election.
** Perturbed at the way the USF administration and trustees have handled consolidation, Pinellas County legislators intervened to make sure the university’s branch campuses would be protected.
** As a solution to USF St. Petersburg’s declining enrollment, the university introduced Guaranteed Admission Pathways Program, a program that allows students at Title I schools guaranteed admission, as well as five new academic clusters — Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences/Technology and Sustainability, STEM Education, Visual and Performing Arts, Business – Blue/Green Economy, and Health Sciences.
** Campus cornerstone Bill Heller died on Sept. 12, leaving behind a legacy of kindness and generosity.
** All six members of the College of Arts and Sciences Diversity Committee resigned in a scorching letter to administration. The committee addressed “hush culture” in the university’s administration.
** The Tavern was unable to offer students the ability to use their meal plans to enjoy fried grouper and cold beer. After a student-led petition garnered 197 signatures, USF assured The Tavern’s owners that a Bull Bucks system would be put in place to allow students to use their meal plans.
** The Campus Grind reopened in October under new ownership — Lindsay and Emma Bixler, whose parents own The Tavern.
** The St. Petersburg arts scene has endured the pandemic. Artists and musicians have found inventive ways to create, while museums have reopened with lively exhibits and a new independent movie theatre opened just blocks away from campus.
** The Crow’s Nest shared spotlights on students from all walks of life, ranging from a young photographer to student activists to a student running for mayor.
