Stories:
Work at The Crow's Nest (Editor-in-Chief, 2020-2021)
Halloween spirit holds fast against pandemicBy Sophie Ojdanic
In a year plagued by a pandemic, children only had one thing on their minds this Halloween: Reese’s. Blake, Charlie and Dexter Clark sought the sweet treats on Halloween night, trekking from their home on 38th Avenue N in St. Petersburg to Harris Park. Diversity committee resigns in stinging rebuke of administrationBy Sophie Ojdanic and Catherine Hicks
All six members of the Diversity Committee at USF Tampa’s College of Arts and Sciences have resigned in a scorching letter to President Steve Currall, Provost Ralph Wilcox and Arts and Sciences Dean Eric Eisenberg. The letter came from former Diversity Committee (DC) chair Pablo Brescia, a professor of Latin American Literature and Culture. “Given that the task of the DC requires us to publicly acknowledge if and when voices are being ignored, the members of the DC have decided we are no longer able to fulfill our duties and thus must hereby resign,” Brescia said in the letter. Family, friends and USF St. Petersburg mourn loss of student killed in home invasionBy Sophie Ojdanic
When Owen Melin was deciding where to complete his college education, he considered several schools, including the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida, before settling on USF St. Petersburg. He attended orientation sessions for potential students and watched videos that the schools provided. “I kept saying, ‘You should go to USFSP,’” said his father, Charles Melin, who joined Owen on a tour of the waterfront campus. “Within 15 to 20 minutes at most, he turned to me and said, “Dad, this is it – everything I ever wanted, right here in my backyard.” |
Student Spotlight: A girl, her van and endless possibilitiesBy Sophie Ojdanic
To Charley Majeski, a van is more than a mode of transportation. A senior mass communications major, Majeski came to USF St. Petersburg two years ago after transferring from St. Petersburg College. But Majeski is not new to changing schools. Majeski, 24, was born in New York, but moved to Las Vegas at 3 years old, then Florida at 5 years old. At 6, she moved back to Las Vegas, where she stayed until she was 12, when she made her final move to Florida. “I think I went to six elementary schools and three middle schools,” Majeski said. “I lived in 10 houses. “I never really minded it though. As a kid, I never felt like I fully fit in anywhere, so every time my family was like ‘oh we’re moving again’ I was kinda stoked on it. I was like ‘oh fun, a change’ and I still feel that way. “I still like a change in atmosphere and I think that’s probably why.” Allegations of sexual misconduct rock Tampa fraternitiesBy Catherine Hicks and Sophie Ojdanic
For three years, Chelsea Engel struggled to repress the memory of the night she says she was raped by a fraternity member at USF Tampa. She dropped out of her sorority, where friends downplayed or ignored her ordeal, earned a degree and tried to get on with her life. That ended on June 23, when Engel took to Twitter to tell her story and urge other women to come forward as well. Dozens of women responded with similar accounts in a tweet storm that touched off a scandal that is now rocking the fraternity and sorority system in Tampa amid apologies, calls for reform and an investigation ordered by USF President Steve Currall. Farewell to the College of EducationBy Sophie Ojdanic and Annalise Anderson
When junior education major Conner Diefendorf started a Facebook petition to rally support for the College of Education, he had a modest goal of 100 signatures. As of Oct. 18, the petition had 7,872 signatures. “I have been in awe of the response and we couldn’t be more motivated to try and create change at USF,” Diefendorf said. |
Lakewood High School Swim Season (2015)BY ANNIE GJINECI AND SOPHIE OJDANIC
SNN Staff Writers As swim season began in early September, Lakewood swimmers did not disappoint. “At the very beginning of our district swim meet, my team started a cheer that echoed through the whole building. I was not expecting it, and I don’t think the other teams were either, but it just showed how passionate and focused they were. It sent chills down my spine as they were doing it,” Coach Andrew Holzbog said. After all their hard work, the boys finished off districts by winning the championship. “Winning districts was my favorite moment, seeing the excitement in all the guys’ faces was really great,” said senior Jonathan Long, a homeschooled student who swims with his brother Ethan Long. |
A little girl with a big voice pursues even bigger dreamsBy SOPHIE OJDANIC
SPCHS Student Journalist Out of a sea of students, she was called to the stage at the Rawlings Elementary Christmas Festival, only 4 years old. Sara Risk, a kindergartener at that time, was the girl heading for the stage. The small girl hopped onto the stage and began to sing “Silent Night.” It was the first time her parents had ever heard her sing. “We were surprised, because she usually was so shy,” Risk’s mother, Tammi Risk said. “It was the first time we ever heard her sing… it was like a little girl with a big voice.” Risk, now a sophomore at St. Petersburg Collegiate High School, has been singing since. |