After serving 25 years of a supposed life sentence on charges of burglary, robbery and murder, Kyle Moran was released in 2019 following the 2012 Supreme Court case Miller v. Alabama, which found it unconstitutional to sentence a minor to life without parole. Moran’s case is now under review two […]
Author: Teegan Oshins, STAFF WRITER
OPINION: St. Pete’s next mayor should be Ken Welch
The St. Petersburg mayoral election runoffs are Nov. 2, and it’s clear Ken Welch, a USF St. Pete alum, will be the candidate who best represents USF students’ needs due to his focus on education equality. Welch is a former Pinellas County commissioner and has expressed forward thinking ideas for […]
OPINION: U.S. troops should have stayed in Afghanistan
The U.S. planned to pull its more than 14,000 troops out of Afghanistan by Aug. 31, but the mission was derailed due to the expected uprising of terrorist organization the Taliban, proving the U.S. shouldn’t have begun its departure. Troops shouldn’t have started to leave Afghanistan to avoid a government […]
OPINION: USF should require masks for in-person summer courses
USF announced May 18 it will be transitioning to pre-COVID-19 operations beginning June 28, the start of the Summer B semester, ending a yearlong mask requirement for students and faculty that has helped to keep its campuses safe. The university’s plans to allow normal operation to continue followed a Centers […]
OPINION: CDC deserves more praise, less criticism for actions during COVID-19 pandemic
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced May 13 those who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks, signaling that the days of frequent sanitization and 6-foot distancing may soon come to an end. The CDC has faced intense criticism for this and many other actions […]
OPINION: Electric Bull Runner can help USF environmentally and economically
USF Parking and Transportation Services (PATS) on April 22 debuted a battery-powered electric bus to its fleet of Bull Runners, signaling a positive transition toward more economically and financially efficient transportation options. The new addition could assist in decreasing the university’s greenhouse emissions and transportation costs, as well as help […]
OPINION: Biden tackles college-aged voters’ issues in productive first 100 days
President Joe Biden reached his first 100 days in office Thursday, meeting the milestone that is often used to gauge the current chief of state’s progress and effectiveness. Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 view COVID-19 relief as the most important topic during Biden’s first few months in […]
OPINION: Florida Senate should pass bill prohibiting executions of mentally ill criminals
Senate Bill (SB) 1156, created to prohibit the execution of criminals who were mentally ill during the time they committed a crime, was favored by the Florida Senate’s Criminal Justice committee March 30 and is now in the hands of the Judiciary, the state’s committee that oversees Florida’s justice department. […]
OPINION: USF Forest Preserve needs saving to avoid environmental and social harm
USF announced April 1 that it is allowing companies to send proposals to develop on 769 acres of untouched land it owns, called the USF Forest Preserve, between the USF’s golf course The Claw and Riverfront Park, potentially destroying ecosystems crucial to the survival of many species in the area. […]
OPINION: Hillsborough County in need of juvenile arrest reform
The Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality (HOPE) lobbied local government officials during a virtual meeting in March, calling for a reform of Hillsborough County’s protocol on arresting minors while advocating for counseling and rehabilitation as an alternative to juvenile incarceration. HOPE’s request is in response to the 200-400 minors […]