Urgent News for USF Students, Alumni, and Supporters: Save Our School!

We don't venture far from sports usually, but it appears now that our university is in a bit of trouble as far as funding. Admittedly, I am not too big on the political side, so you'll have to forgive me if some of these things are not properly stated. I will, however, not be posting any opinions on here. You all are welcome to post what you feel in the comments or anywhere else, but this post is meant strictly to inform those who aren't up to date on the whole situation.

Yesterday it became apparent that the Florida state senate had entertained a proposition by state Senator J.D. Alexander to cut an egregious amount from the state of Florida's financial contribution to the state public university system. You may have heard Alexander's name in the recent months in the talks of the potential, and now probably impending, split of the USF Polytechnic satellite campus from the University of South Florida system. If you've heard of the cuts, you've surely heard that USF is the one shouldering a very significant amount of the load, suffering a cut of over 58% of their state funding. USF released an illustration of what they plan to do to cope with the losses this morning. I'll explain the situation after the jump.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Building Tradition at USF Links Fans to the Athletics Department

Any real USF fan knows that the Bulls' athletics program is rather unestablished. Yes, they've competed in soccer and baseball for decades, and they're in one of the major conferences in the NCAA, but what the USF athletics department lacks is tradition. It's likely due to the fact that football is what people care about most in college athletics, and South Florida only started playing football less than 15 years ago. In recent years, many fans such as myself have implored the fans to support the Bulls any way they can to build a stronger fanbase and increase awareness of the teams. A bit of national exposure didn't hurt either, with USF jumping up in the football polls in various years and the soccer team succeeding nearly every season, but seats at USF games still remained empty.

Biggest Big East Fan: Challenge Number Two

Volvo's Biggest Fan of the Big East contest has begun the second challenge of the contest and this one is perfect for me. For this challenge "Pick five or more things that you HAVE to do when you return to your Alma Mater-places to see, best bars, best food, cool places on campus, etc." For those who know anything about USF and Tampa, we have the greatest places to visit ( you can check out our first challenge here in case you missed it somehow).

I'm very fortunate to live close to USF, but when I visit for games or other events held on campus, there are a few places that are a must see for me. For those who went or still attending USF, these places hold a special heart, for those who don't, prepare to learn that USF and the Tampa area is the best.

Welcome to USF, New Students! Bars Edition

Many students are going to get tired of hanging around campus all the time and not having much to do. Luckily, USF students can choose from a selection of bars around the area to spend their nights with their friends or to catch a game. Here are some places where you can grab a drink or two (or 10)*.

Peabody's - Peabody's made the list yesterday for sports bars, but they're more than that. They have nightly drink specials, including BOGO pitchers on Mondays, $1 drinks on Wednesdays, and Ladies' night on Thursdays. They've got USF specials, including 2 free hours of pool on Thursdays. The atmosphere is always fun and you'll meet some interesting people.

World of Beer - One of the newer bars around the Tampa area, WOB has hundreds of beers on tap from all over the world. Here, you can have several types of beers for weeks and never get tired of it. Their loyalty card program encourages trying all the different beers they have and rewards different milestones along the way. Wednesday night is college night, so students with a college ID get half off select drafts after 9 p.m.

Mr. Dunderbak's - An institution for USF bars, Dunderbak's is one of the oldest bars in the North Tampa/Temple Terrace area. For 40 years Dunderbak's has served Bulls students with great food and better drinks. It's a German-style restaurant, so you know you'll be able to get a great beer here. They also have a selection of nightly events, including live music on weekends.

Tia's Tex Mex - Another recurring member on the list, Tia's has great margarita specials with a new flavor every night. They stay open until 3 a.m. on Friday nights, and once a month they've got a "Yappy Hour", where people around town can bring their dogs to share a night out.

Copper Top Pub - Three words: Best. Wings. Ever. Copper Top is right across 50th street from USF, which means it's a prime location to have some good drinks and not have to drive home. They've got a room of pool tables and some good bar food to help space out your drinks, but the bartenders are always happy to grab you a pitcher for a decent price. In the same plaza as Cop Top, CDB has great Italian food and better prices on beers.

Other Places to Grab a Drink: Chili's, Beef O'Brady's, Gladstone's Grilled Chicken (awesome food and 25 cent Yuenglings or $1 pitchers).

*We know you college kids like to have a few drinks, but these places are all pretty serious about I.D. Be cautious with their rules and drink responsibly.

Welcome to USF, New Students! Food Edition

Whether you're returning to campus, coming as a new freshman, or transferring from another college or university, we at The Bull Rush would like to welcome you back and congratulate you on making the right choice in picking the University of South Florida for your education. A rising school, USF has made great strides in its short history, now recognized as one of the top research universities in the nation. But as a new student here in Tampa, you need to know the places to go when you're taking a break from all the studying (or not studying). I'll guide you through the top five places to eat, hang out, and spend a night on the town for the best of your money.

First, I think every student should always have an off-campus place to eat, so in today's post I've put together the best places for all different tastes to go grab some food if you're tired of eating at the dining halls. For more in-depth information check out the Bulls Guide Dining section.

Pizza
Broadway Pizza - Broadway has great pizza, and it's pretty cheap. On weekdays before 4 p.m. they have a pizza special with two slices and a drink for just $5. But pizza isn't the only thing on their menu, they have outstanding calzones, sandwiches, soups, and salads. The other great part is that they're right across the street from the USF Botanical Gardens, and you can catch a Bull Runner to get there.

*Other Pizza Places: Gumby's (Don't go there unless you want to get one of two things: Fat or diarrhea.), Five Star (Pretty good, super cheap), Little Caesar's, Pizza Hut, and Cici's.

Burgers
Five Guys Burgers & Fries - There are plenty of fast food places around campus, but if you really want to get an outstanding burger for a pretty good price, I strongly recommend going to Five Guys. Their burgers are fresh and made-to-order, and their massive servings of fries make it all even better. The best part is that USF students get free fries with the purchase of a burger and a drink, and trust me, you're going to want the fries. I recommend getting the Cajun fries if you like a little spice too.

*Other Burger Places: Evos (healthier options, great fries), Chili's

BBQ
Lupton's - Although there's a new BBQ place right on campus (Smokehouse in the Juniper-Poplar dorm), the tradition for USF students who love good barbeque belongs to Lupton's. Located on Busch Boulevard just east of 56th Street, you'll probably need a car to get there. But it is absolutely worth the trip to try some awesome ribs, brisket, or BBQ chicken. They're also renowned for their sides too, so don't forget about those.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

*Other BBQ Places: Cole's BBQ (typical BBQ places little more expensive), Smokehouse (on campus)

Mexican
Tia's Tex Mex - Everyone knows the regular places like Moe's (on campus), Qdoba (Fowler and 56th), and Chipotle (Fowler, just west of Five Guys), but if you're hunting for a restaurant that actually serves Mexican food, go to Tia's. Between great food and daily margarita specials, Tia's, located across the street on Fowler Avenue and just west of the University, is the place to be.

*Other Mexican Places: Chipotle, Moe's, Qdoba.

Sports Bars
Peabody's - I want to preface this by saying Peabody's is definitely not for everybody. It's one of the few places that still allows smoking indoors, so the place is sometimes pretty smoky. But aside from all that, USF students are always welcome to play on one of the many pool tables or dartboards in the main room. They always have specials on wings and other types of foods and drinks depending on the day. On weekends Peabody's is a great place to catch all the games, especially in the back room where they have a huge projector screen.

*Other Sports Bars: Beef O'Brady's (On campus in the Marshall Center), Chili's, Buffalo Wild Wings.

Order Food Online for Delivery!

Sometimes the most important thing about being a college student is flexibility and convenience. That is why Feed-A-Bull, founded in 2007, became a revolutionary game changer in lazy, convenient college meal consumption. Feed-A-Bull allows you to order from their menu from a list of Feed-A-Bull associated restaurants in the area and have it delivered right to your door. It was founded by college students and run by college students. Its prices are reasonable and the best part is your helping your fellow college students out. Great for nights when you just don't feel like leaving your dorm or apartment and have fresh food brought right to you.