5A- Identifying local Opportunities
1.)Gasparilla goes green for 2018
For 2018, because of the hundreds of thousands of Tampa-bay residents, Gasparilla roared through the streets of Tampa just as predicted in the article. The swarm of drunk people is not the problem being presented her. Instead, the article talks about the cost of the clean up after people pour in and pack the streets. According to Tampa Bay times cleaning up the streets of Tampa will cost $35,000 and also require over 300 volunteers. The efforts of the clean up go beyond the streets and have entered the water of the bay as well. There are also volunteer divers that clean up beads and trash from the river to help support an environmentally friendly ecosystem.
In the article, some students of UT were calling on other students to help leave a positive impact for the streets of Tampa.
The city of Tampa is currently facing this issue as we struggle to keep our streets clean day to day, let alone on a day of crazy party spirits. It seems the issue is with the rules and regulations for Gasparilla. You could also pursue a route in City revenue. Would it be difficult to clean the streets after throwing a party for the people, even if the city of Tampa did not have to pay for it from overtime wages and other clean up efforts? I think the problem could be with revenue, maybe a percentage of the profits made from Gasparilla participants could go to a city clean up effort initiated by the city parks and recreations department.
2.)Recycling Petition Urges UT for a Call to Action
In January of this year, the environmental club at UT started a petition to expand recycling services around campus. Students felt that there was a need for more clearly labeled recycling bins . The students have created a piloting program to have two Trash & Recycling rooms in each of the resident floors, totaling 12 collection bins.
The article places the recycling habits of the University of Tampa under a very thick magnifying glass explaining the problem lies with the lack of recycling options, UT wants to keep their environment clean and healthy.
The University community itself has the issue. People are trying to bring awareness to what littering is doing to our communities. Even outside of littering, plastic has become a big movement around the world as companies attempt to move away from it. A great example of this would be starbucks newest “green” initiative implementing a lid that does not need a straw.
3.)Gun violence spreads to Jacksonville: Madden tournament shooting
At the moment Jacksonville, FL is currently a hot spot for news vehicles and reporters as the media tries to digest the shooting that took the life of 2 people and injured 11 others. The issue here is obvious and streams from a very long past in our country, the entire world battles this problem; gun violence. The article states the responsibility is with video games that are offered to children that contain violence. this issue of gun violence and violence in general is being linked to the early years of development.
It seems that the entire world has this issue but to be less broad id say its the problem of the parents to ensure that their children are viewing content appropriate for their age group. I would also put this problem in the hands of video game makers and gun sellers.
4.)Searching for the perfect Cuban
If anyone has ever been to Florida then they know that the Hunt for an Authentic Cuban is real. The hunt is not only real, it is rewarding when you find the right place with a perfect sandwich. New York has Pizza, Tampa wants Cubans… simple. The article directs the local culture as they search for authentic cuban sandwiches. The struggle to find the perfect Cuban sandwich here is the largest issue Tampa could face (sarcasm of course… we have hurricanes which are worse right now if you are in the Carolinas). I think the problem lies with a lack of culture and a lack of initiative.
The city of Tampa has this issue and someone should bring real Cuban sanwichs to the bay. Maybe the problem lies with not what is available but instead with how that product is advertised. Usually the mom and pop local businesses have the best cubans but lack the customers because the clientele is so spread out and the advertising hasn’t reached their desired audience. It is possible that the problem lies with the sandwich shop.
5.)Valuable leftovers: FRN combats local hunger
The issue of world hunger has been around for far to long. It seems that local efforts are being made in Tampa to try and reduce food costs and waste. World hunger is growing as its becoming less and less advertised, families are wasting more food year to year now then ever before. People are used to throwing extra food away and not thinking about it. UT is working with the Food Recovery Network to spread campus and community awareness about local hunger. Since the collaboration, 541 pounds of food has been donated. The opportunity here lies with the collection process of food. How can we collect more? How can we distribute it fast and efficiently?
Tara,
ReplyDeletethat is really interesting what you said about Gasparilla. I have always seen the parties in the streets that occur in Tampa but I have never thought about what is needed to clean up for such a celebration. I definitely agree that there is an opportunity present in terms of street clean up. Almost every city hosts different parties and I believe they would absolutely outsource that job to an entrepreneur, especially if it could save some money. Then in that case you are saving the taxpayer money and making your business money: win win.