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at USF St. Petersburg

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Author: Julia Birdsall

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Feature

The truth of true crime: USFSP looks past the caution tape

March 9, 2026March 9, 2026 Julia Birdsall

True crime has a tendency to paint cases as black and white and homogenize them. In reality there is a lot of gray area and cases have their own unique

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Feature

Scenes from ‘Racing City’  

March 9, 2026March 9, 2026 Julia Birdsall

Many new figures stepped onto the racing scene, such as IndyCar rookies and former Formula series drivers Mick Schumacher and Dennis Hauger.  Photo by Irena Mesa | The Crow’s Nest 

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Feature

Winning races in braces: How Gulfport native Nikita Johnson became a racing prodigy 

March 9, 2026April 28, 2026 Julia Birdsall

​​Nikita Johnson was born on May 25, 2008, the same day as the Indy 500. One of his dreams, he said, is to win the Indy 500 on his birthday. 

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Feature

USFSP alumna’s anthology explores Florida’s history through fiction 

March 3, 2026March 3, 2026 Julia Birdsall

“The process of remembering is, by definition, an act of imagination and invention, and the hardest stories to tell have become the stories we need most,” wrote Megan O’Grady for

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Local Sports Sports

Álex Palou powers past field for dominant win in 2026 St. Petersburg Grand Prix 

March 2, 2026March 2, 2026 Julia Birdsall

Álex Palou started off his 2026 IndyCar season just like last year, with a win on the streets of St. Petersburg. Photo by Makenna Wozniak | The Crow’s Nest By

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Local Sports Sports

Local driver Nikita Johnson wins Indy NXT St. Petersburg Grand Prix  

March 2, 2026March 2, 2026 Julia Birdsall

Despite not being old enough to drink in the United States legally, Nikita Johnson, Max Taylor, and Tymek Kucharczyk were able to spray one another with champagne following their podium

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Sports

How the Firestone Grand Prix came to St. Pete 

February 28, 2026February 28, 2026 Julia Birdsall

Seasoned drivers and rookies have made their mark at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, including local drivers like Nikita Johnson and Florida natives like Kyle Kirkwood, Alessandro de

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Local Sports Sports

St. Pete fired up for Grand Prix  

February 28, 2026February 28, 2026 Julia Birdsall

Sting Ray Robb was among several drivers who appeared at the annual IndyCar Party in the Park. Photo by Irena Mesa | The Crow’s Nest By Julia Birdsall and Alisha

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Arts and Life

‘The Crow’s Nest’ goes to The Castle 

February 23, 2026February 24, 2026 Julia Birdsall

The Dungeon is the first floor of the building, known for more mainstream music. The patio, which is a patron-favorite, is a small courtyard where people can listen to goth

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Arts and Life

Roses are red, violets are blue, it’s Galentine’s Day, what will USFSP student do? 

February 14, 2026February 14, 2026 Julia Birdsall

“Galentine’s can be seen as a way to love more deeply on the day all about love,” said junior interdisciplinary social sciences and mass communications major Amelia Blackwell.  Photo by

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Posts pagination

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Recent Posts

  • A recap of 2026 Homecoming
  • USF basketball looks ahead to new season
  • Amid polarizing lawsuit against Cornell University, USFSP students examine the resources provided to student survivors
  • More Than a First in the Family: Celebrating USF St. Petersburg’s First-Generation Bulls
  • New Florida Legislation eliminates student fee funding for SGEF 

usfcrowsnest

Last week, the Harborside Activities Board hosted Last week, the Harborside Activities Board hosted their annual Homecoming events on campus. 

After a two year break, the former Cardboard Boat Race saw a return to campus, now a kayak race named Rocky's Regatta. 

Anastasia Fox and Jessica Muratti were also named the 2026 Homecoming Royalty. 

🗞️ And in slide two... The Crow's Nest front page in the Sept. 21, 1999 issue, when our then-staff covered the first ever Cardboard Boat Race. 

📲 Click the link in our bio to see all of the photos
📸 Photos by Reagan Haskell and Makenna Wozniak | The Crow's Nest
🎨 Graphic and Caption by Isabella Perez | The Crow's Nest
Our Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief attended t Our Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief attended the American Tipoff event in Tampa, where they got the chance to interview new men's basketball head coach Chris Mack about his goals for the upcoming season. 

With new head coaches and new players, both the women's and the men's team look ahead after a successful past couple of seasons. 

"The results will take care of themselves when you have people who care about the
right things," coach Mack told The Crow's Nest. 

📲 Click the link in our bio to read the entire story. 
✍️ Story & Graphic by Isabella Perez | The Crow's Nest
📸 Photo Courtesy of USF Athletics
A recent civil lawsuit was filed against Ivy Leagu A recent civil lawsuit was filed against Ivy League institution Cornell University by a former student, referred to as Jane Doe, who was an undergraduate in 2024 when she went to a party at the Chi Phi fraternity house and was allegedly brutally sexually assaulted by seven members of the chapter while severely intoxicated after being coerced into ingesting multiple hard drugs. 

As a result, many students are holding a mirror to their own college campuses and questioning how universities, and the legal system as a whole, handles instances of sexual violence. 

A timeline (https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/2026/10/06/i-felt-like-bait-timeline-cornell-university-rape-allegations/) provided by The Washington Post details the resulting investigation, including the backlash for both Cornell and the Tompkins County District Attorney’s handling of the case, which many believe to be unjust, as none of the fraternity members were criminally charged and only two were expelled. 

Within the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, there are a number of resources and procedures that exist in response to such cases, such as the Patsy Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, commonly known as Title IX and USF’s Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention (CVAVP). 

However, some students say there may not be a complete understanding of the resources they are provided, or how to utilize them. 

📲 Click the link in our bio to read the entire story 
✍️ Story by Secilia Ruiz and Ashley Pena | The Crow’s Nest 
🎨 Graphic by Secilia Ruiz | The Crow's Nest
📸 Photo Courtesy of Zephyniis Wharton
“[The bill is] saying if you are funded by the gov “[The bill is] saying if you are funded by the government or if you have any types of public funding, you’re not going to be able to spend any of that money on any projects or any initiatives that help reduce any of these pollutants,” Siddarth Bahl, the USF St. Pete SGEF President, told The Crow’s Nest. 

The bill also comes after a 2025-2026 referendum in which 84% of USF students voted "Yes" on keeping SGEF in all USF campuses. 

📲 Clink the link in our bio to read the entire story.
✍️ Story by Zariya Bankston | The Crow's Nest
📸 Photo Courtesy of USF Newsroom
Lindsey and Scott Williams are the new owners of t Lindsey and Scott Williams are the new owners of the local café, The Campus Grind. 

Together, they plan to make slight changes to the business ranging from its menu to the interior design.

📲 Clink the link in our bio to read the entire story. 
✍️ Story and Graphic by Reagan Haskell | The Crow’s Nest
With the Royalty Ball taking place tommorow, four With the Royalty Ball taking place tommorow, four candidates are aiming to claim USF St. Pete Royalty: 

Jessica Murati 

Makenna Wozniak

Beverly Velasquez

Anastasia Fox

The winner will be announced tomorrow at the Royalty Ball on 10/13 at 7-10pm at the USC Ballrooms. 

📲 Click the link in our bio to read the entire story
✍️ Story by Zariya Bankston | The Crow's Nest
📸 Photo Courtesy of Harborside Activities Board
Dave Crow wishes you a happy voting! 🗳️ For more Dave Crow wishes you a happy voting! 🗳️

For more information on candidates and their policies, refer to Tampa Bay’s guide to the 2026 midterm elections; 2026 Florida election candidates: Midterm voter guide (https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/09/30/florida-election-candidates-midterm-2026/). 

If you’re voting in Pinellas County feel free to locate your polling location through this master list; Precincts in Pinellas County (https://www.voterfocus.com/PrecinctFinder/precinctDirectory?county=FL-PIN).
Ahead of their matchup against UTSA tomorrow, USF' Ahead of their matchup against UTSA tomorrow, USF's football team is faced with the offensive challenges that came to light during their Oct. 3 loss against Temple. 

“As much as it stings to have a loss,” said head coach Brian Hartline, “I think everything happens for a reason.”

📲 Click the link in our bio to read the entire story.
✍️ Story and Graphic by Isabella Perez
📸 Photos by Arianna Howell
The Tampa Bay Lightning opened their 2026/27 seaso The Tampa Bay Lightning opened their 2026/27 season at the beginning of the month. 

After losing their first game against the New York Rangers 5-1 on Oct. 1 in New York, the Bolts’ first games in Tampa were more successful as they bested both the 
Washington Capitals 3-1, and the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1.

The Tampa Bay Lightning return to the ice at Benchmark International against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, Oct 8.

📸 Photos by Makenna Wozniak | The Crow’s Nest
✍️ Caption by Cole Maines | The Crow’s Nest

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