Rumor has it that the “University of the Best City Ever” isn’t USF’s only nickname. The university has apparently acquired a small variety of unofficial nicknames, all derived from the simple three-letter acronym “USF.” But how true are the stereotypes? This week we explore the facts and hear the opinions behind USF — the “University of Single Females.”
Last year, there were 6,246 students enrolled in USF’s undergraduate program, according to the USF Fact Book. Of these students, 63% were female and 37% were male, making campus home to 3,935 females.
Information on relationship status was not made available through the USF Fact Book, (this isn’t Facebook, y’all), though some students correlate the nearly 3:2 female to male ratio with USF’s rumored status as a hub for single women.
“There are more girls than guys, which means less people to date for straight women.”
“I think the fact that there is such a high percentage of girls compared to boys might give the nickname some truth,” Sarah Halvorsen, senior math major said. “I definitely noticed it a couple of years ago when so many USF girls would go to the bar scene at an early age, a lot of times, just to meet guys. However, nowadays, I’m not sure if the label fits — at this point, the majority of my USF friends are in relationships!”
Senior Sarah White, a psychology major, dismisses the stereotype, stating, “I know a lot of students here that are in a relationship. People just think there are a lot of single girls because of the guy to girl ratio.”
Kahanu Salavea, a junior psychology major, puts it practically: “There are more girls than guys, which means less people to date for straight women.”
According to one student opinion, another possible reason for USF’s “Single Female” nickname might stem from a second stereotype. “There is a big assumption that a lot of the men here are gay, so girls think there are less guys on the market,” Kristian Balgobin, sophomore psychology major and intern at the Gender and Sexuality Center said.
Halvorsen believes that whatever truth that may lay behind the nickname is something that changes with time. “Guys aren’t mature enough for a relationship early in college,” she said. “Now that we are all seniors and getting closer, it’s different.”
But is it really all about the guys? Salavea said he has never heard a male student say anything about the “University of Single Females.” “I think that it’s mostly heterosexual women who are perpetuating this stereotype,” he said.
The reason why remains a mystery.
Still, there are students who disagree with the nickname completely. “Everyone has boyfriends coming into school,” TJ Armand, senior finance major said. “And a lot of the girls are foreign.” Could language barriers be contributing to the stereotype of “single females”?
John Zamora, a counseling psychology graduate student from the Philippines, elaborated. “University of Single Females? That’s a first. The most common nicknames I hear of are either ‘Spoiled Filipinos’ or ‘Spoiled Foreigners’ — although I am not spoiled… nor consider myself privileged. I do consider myself lucky that my parents did support me, though.”
Verdict? USF may be home to more females than males, but student responses suggest that the stereotype is inaccurate. Next week, we investigate “University of Spoiled Foreigners.”
Very, very investigative reporting… Really?! C’mon Foghorn. Step up your game. This is why this publication is a joke and I refuse to write for you.
If you think you could do a better job, then why not write for the Foghorn and put your money where your mouth is? Instead of focusing your energy writing off an entire publication based on one story you didn’t enjoy, perhaps you could work towards contributing to what you’d like to see in the paper.
Nobody appreciates a whining anonymous journalist. Step up your game!
Why dont you do a story on the name “University of Spoiled Foreigners,” or am I the only one that has noticed the three brand new maserati’s around campus this semester?
But the Foghorn consistently pushes out subpar and vapid articles. Let alone actually interesting. Instead of feigning some sort of censorship headed by Fr. Privett, you could focus on honing the writing and “journalism” that the Foghorn believes it participates in. Not to mention it’s rather ironic to call out public safety for not informing the student body when the Foghorn rarely does even that. I understand this sort of low effort bottom of the barrel work is commonly used as a requirement within the media studies department, but it reflects poorly on the rest of the university. It sends the message that this is the best USF has to offer.
‘Matt Miller 2.0’ and ‘Annoyed aspiring journalist at USF’ are right. The Foghorn is a sub-par newspaper and any aspiring journalist would try their best to not be associated with the Foghorn. I would not want it on my resume or in my portfolio. There is so much going on in the USF community that doesn’t get reported. Plus the print edition of the Foghorn routinely has major gaps and empty spaces in headline spaces and articles.
Write for the Foghorn!
If you’re a student and an aspiring journalist why not contribute to the publication? Get off your high horse and pitch something you think is interesting and do a good job reporting it. That’s how student-run publications improve in quality.
If you’re too lazy to do that or too busy making angry anonymous comments on other people’s work then I invite you to pitch these stories — about the “so much going on in the USF community that doesn’t get reported” — to me and I will do my best to write it for you.
The fact that two Foghorn writers are so quick to write off legitimate concerns about their paper’s subpar reporting and completely valid design issues (that are consistently pointed out, written off, and never fixed) answers quite beautifully “why don’t you haters get out and write for us to fix things?” Writing for you won’t fix things. Why? Because you’re all way too comfortable in your culture of college newspaper mediocrity to listen to anyone who thinks differently than you.
Man, I thought my high school paper was cliquey and mediocre, but you guys really take the cake.
There’s a lot you anonymous posters probably do not know about the newspaper because you don’t contribute to it. The Foghorn undergoes a weekly critique after it’s published. With that critique, we review physical paper layout issues and errors, as well as receive commentary on the quality of our content. We take this commentary into consideration when formatting the next week’s paper. We always have more to improve upon.
While I’ll be the first to admit that the newspaper isn’t perfect, I’ll also defend the paper because a great amount of time and effort goes into producing a weekly publication. There’s always room for improvement.
In terms of the content you would like to see in the paper, I would encourage you to write about what you think needs coverage. If you’re “too good” to have the Foghorn on your resume, then you could simply write a staff member an email requesting coverage on a certain issue.
It’s really easy to anonymously comment about the newspaper, so I challenge you to take a more proactive role in improving the paper. Make the paper reflect what you want to see.
Alright Matt Miller 2.0 and Matt Miller 3.0.
First, I’d like to compliment you both on the original names. The Foghorn certainly needs inventive writers like you!
Second, in regards to Foghorn reporting reflecting poorly on the rest of the University — well, dear friends — the same could be said of you. Who are you to put down the genuine effort and countless hours of a group of students pursuing a journalism education?
If a USF athletic team ended up with a devastating loss, which, let’s admit, they most often do, would you post a comment on their blog ridiculing their existence and work? They still get up at 5 am to practice; they still spend 20 more hours a week than you pursuing something they have a passion for.
It saddens me to read your posts and think gosh is this the best USF has? Are these petty and negative anonymous students really representing the USF students body? I thought we were better than that. I thought we attended university where students supported each other and offered constructive criticism to each other. I thought we had a student bond built in the loving ideals of social justice.
Clearly, you do not take part of that loving bond, and I pity you.
Who is critiquing the paper on a weekly paper? My four year old cousin could take a green crayon to a Fourier series derivation, but I would not call that a satisfied equation. Just because something is being done, does not at all mean it is being done well. A good example of this is well, the Foghorn.
A “good amount of time and effort” is subjective to who you’re talking to. To go back to the example of my cousin, it might be really hard for him to put the square peg in the square hole, but that does not seem too difficult from our perspective. I fear that the Foghorn as a group entity is trying to put the circle in the square peg. Or that kid in fourth grade still eating paste.
I have friends involved in athletics at USF. Trying to compare the Foghorn with these students is an insult. According to the quality of the Foghorn, if the team is spending anymore than fourteen minutes the night before, then I am embarrassed for them and their future careers.
Other posters offered constructive criticism. They offered their complaints, but the Foghorn is too thick headed to take note. They only seem to respond to the Matt Miller legacy comments. I have no faith the newspaper will get better.