God, I love The Oracle

[2000bull]

maybe Brett is his source for information. I agree though, if you put out an editorial, you have to be ready for some criticism. Otherwise, you're in the wrong business.

[gobulls83]

Where do Oracle "writers" go when they graduate?

Someone with their qualifications would have no trouble finding a top-flight job in either the food service or housekeeping industries.

The Oracle has, at multiple times in its history, been among the best student newspapers in America. Going to work at The Oracle was the primary reason I chose to attend USF. It seems to be in a lull right now, but you don't know what the hell you're talking about.

As recently as the beginning of this decade, it was pulling in national awards and was, I'd say, the best place to go for USF news (academics, not so much athletics) because the Times and Tribune really cover the university relatively sparingly.

To answer Bulliever's question, my work at The Oracle in the 1990s landed me an internship at the St Pete Times, and from there I could get a job at almost any newspaper in the country. I went on the work at the LA Times for a very short time before taking a break from newspapers. I'm now a reporter for an English-language newspaper in Asia.

You guys are making fun of students who are doing this as a way to learn and develop their skills. No matter how good it was or is, these are still students, in some cases 18- or 19-year-old freshman who don't really know what they are doing yet. It's one thing to say the paper isn't very good (it seems like it isn't), but do the stupid one-liners like the one I've quoted make you feel big and smart or something?

Is every student in the College of Education ready to jump right in and teach a high school or university class? Is everyone in the biology department ready to explain Darwin's work in great detail? No, of course not. These students just happen to be in a medium that means their work and development is there for all to see on a daily basis (well, now four days a week). And for taking that risk, you make fun of them personally. Congratulations?

My post was pointing out flaws in the editorial.  IMHO, when you put a strong opinion out there as the paper's editorial, you should be able to back it up and done your research.  Usually there would be a professor or someone mentoring these kids, you would think?  This is as slanted as the media during the election process.   It seems that they are teaching them at a young age to stir up the pot and create controversy where it does not exist.  Maybe Brett is his mentor, I don't know.  But it was a pretty senseless article and showed a lot of ignorance and inability to look at the topic and the position from multiple angles.  It is just an opinion, and as well all know opinions are like xxxxxxx's.   Hopefully this person learns some objective reasoning before they graduate. 

First of all, I didn't quote your post.

Second, criticizing the opinion expressed or otherwise the content is not the same as saying this:

<blockquote><i>Someone with their qualifications would have no trouble finding a top-flight job in either the food service or housekeeping industries.</i></blockquote>

... which is the quote I was responding to.

[IncrediBULL]

True.  Though with the current state of journalism and media, and so many people getting laid off across the country in those fields, he/she may have to consider the alternative.  There are not any jobs available in the field today, and certainly there won't be in the future for substandard/marginal journalists. 

[Brad]

Yeah, I my attempt at humor was not to put down a student (although I don't think they should get a pass for not doing their homework) nor to minimize a job at the Oracle.  usfbullscpa was on top of it.

Where do Oracle "writers" go when they graduate?

The Trib

;D

I realize it's not a whole lot more noble, but it ain't pickin' on kids for chrissakes!

[Guest hm101]

there is a respectful, intelligent, and less-harsh way to say what this person tried to say.

[smazza]

What do you do when you're incapable of writing a story? Generate controversy, of course!

http://www.usforacle.com/leavitt-s-assistants-do-not-deserve-raises-1.1771949

it is a great article

coaches didnt deserve a raise and are lucky they didnt get fired

[smazza]

: : : : :

I usually support these type of articles, however the person that wrote these seems clueless.

Leavitt deserves what he is making at this time. However another sub .500 season in the Big East and it may be time to give him a pink slip.

Pink slip?  He has done an amazing job.  15 yrs ago there was no USF football and now look where it is.

if usf finishes closer to the bottom than the top

\

leavitt should be fired

who cares what he did 10 years ago

[Brad]

if usf finishes closer to the bottom than the top

\

leavitt should be fired

who cares what he did 10 years ago

Well...certainly not the "L.A. narcissistic, self-gratification 'I don't support my own alma mater because I am bigger then them' crowd". 

Right?  just takin' a wild guess here. 

[Jamie]

Well, I was just quoting Ghostbusters - the part where Janine complains about being massively overworked and Peter reminds her that that job is about all she's qualified for.

But somewhere in the process of learning to be a journalist should be the part where you figure out how things work in the topic you're writing about before going to print. No school anywhere would ever get anyone to coach for them if they handed out incentive-laden contracts. And it wouldn't work in any other business either. If you're running a growth company (USF football is definitely a growth company right now) and the business is continuing to grow, your employees are not going to be loyal if you don't spread any of the wealth around. They will find their true worth on the open market if you aren't keeping them happy.

Also we all know The Oracle would be the first in line to complain if tuition was raised to help the budget shortfall. They can't have their cake and eat it too.

[IncrediBULL]

But somewhere in the process of learning to be a journalist should be the part where you figure out how things work in the topic you're writing about before going to print. No school anywhere would ever get anyone to coach for them if they handed out incentive-laden contracts. And it wouldn't work in any other business either. If you're running a growth company (USF football is definitely a growth company right now) and the business is continuing to grow, your employees are not going to be loyal if you don't spread any of the wealth around. They will find their true worth on the open market if you aren't keeping them happy.

Especially for a program which has not quite yet arrived, and is still in the building mode.  In this "instant gratification" world we live in, the expectations of some of the USF fans is amazing.  Same with the editorial.  Recruiting, building a winning team, reaching and staying in the top 25, all take years to do.  We have done this faster than any other team - which most fail to remember or recognize.  It is an iterative process and we are not done yet.  We have lost great coaches due to pay issues, so that has to continue to be addressed and rectified.  It is not about last year, but more about next year and the year after.  Also the lack of coaching consistency (folks we lost an OC and DC in the same year) can cause recruits to have second thoughts. 

The pay raises were absolutely justified, and the article was a weak attempt at journalism.