Nov. 11, 2013 Vanguard

“If it matters to the USA family, it matters to us.” VOL. 53, NO. 16NOV. 11, 2013

VANGUARDTHETHE

In this Issue: Life, Page 4 Left of Center, Page 7 Sports, Page 9 Opinion, Page 14

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INSIDE

Life: Alpha Gamma Delta to host dodgeball tourna-ment.

See JagLife, page 5

►

Life: Kohl’s gives back to USA hospitals.

See JagLife, page 4

►

LOC: USA Rugby ends season with tournament.

See Left of Center, page 7

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Sports: Jags start Matthew Graves Era with a 74-58 win.

See Sports, page 12

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Mayor Sandy Stimpson speaks at the Coastal Innovation Hub’s open house, located in USA Technology and Research Park, on Nov. 6.

See International International Page 2

By STUART [email protected]

Trustees vote to Trustees vote to continue searchcontinue search

MATTHEW STRICKLAND | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

USA aids local economyUSA aids local economy

Elected offi cials, businessmen and USA offi cials gathered to witness the un-

veiling of USA’s Coastal Innovation Hub on Wednesday. The new hub is an incubator dedi-cated to helping grow the technology sector and regional economy by diversifying it.

The dedication ceremony included com-ments from a few of the dozens of dignitar-ies and elected offi cials in attendance. Nearly every one preached messages of cooperation and support for startup businesses.

“I don’t think there is any way to put a value over what is happening in our city today,” said Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. “The reason I say that is that where we stand today, we have an outstanding reputation for the business re-

cruitment, going outside and bringing people in. We need to have the same kind of reputa-tion about developing from within and grow-ing our own businesses.”

“We’re here to support (Stimpson’s) goals for diversifying the economy, by providing a nurturing environment,” said Lynne Chronis-ter, USA’s vice president of research and eco-nomic development. “In this resource-rich and supportive environment, we’ll be able to pro-vide these companies, (and) the university will be able to promote economic development.”

The center will provide tenant companies with concrete resources like conference rooms, more space for offi ces and labs. It will also pro-vide services like on-site consulting, network-ing opportunities and access to student interns.

By NOAH [email protected]

Students share culture, embrace USA familyStudents share culture, embrace USA familyBy SAM [email protected]

JAG SOCCER WINS FIRST SBC TITLE

SEE SPORTS, PAGE 9.

South Alabama’s Board of Trustees met Nov. 6 and voted unanimously to consider additional candidates after Dr. Ar-

thur Ross withdrew from the race. This was the committee’s fi rst meeting since Ross, the dean of

medicine at West Virginia University, spoke at the latest candidate forum in the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center on Oct. 28. He of-fi cially withdrew from the presidential race on Nov. 5.

The other two candidates, Dr. Sheri Everts and Dr. Jerome Gil-bert, spoke at candidate forums earlier last month. Everts is the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Illinois State Uni-versity and Gilbert is the provost and executive vice president at Mississippi State University.

The board also voted to continue the presidential search because they could not come to a consensus about the remaining two can-didates, according to Bob Lowry, the interim director of South Ala-bama Public Relations.

See Search Search Page 2COURTESY OF USAJAGUARS.COM

Beginning today, USA’s International Education Week will encourage inter-

national students to converge and celebrate the cultures they left and the culture they embrace here.

Bader Almutairi, president of the Counsel of International Student Organizations, holds

weekly meetings with the intent to make the stay of more than 750 international students at the University of South Alabama more com-fortable.

“We’re a family that speaks many languages and comes from many cultures,” Almutairi said. “We’re a family because we have one aim and that aim is a world without war and with-out races.

Brenda Hinson, interim director of inter-national student services and admissions, has taken up the role of international mom for this unique family.

“Mrs. Hinson is my mother and she is mother for all international students,” Almu-tairi said. “Since she’s come back, the life has come back to her offi ce.”

Bader AlmutairiCISO President

See Hub Hub Page 2

VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 20132

By ALONZO [email protected]

Meet your offi cersSearchSearchContinued from Page One.

Dr. Steve Furr, the chair pro tempore of the board of trustees, said minutes before the meet-ing on Nov. 6 that the trustees were hoping to decide on a president by the end of the month.

Because the board voted to consider addition-al candidates and continue the search, the chanc-es of this happening are slim.

“We’re not going to fi nd another Gordon Moulton and Geri Moulton,” Furr said, “but we’re going fi nd someone to take the University to the next level.”

The board of trustees will reconvene Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. to begin discussing other possible candi-dates for South Alabama’s next president.

David TurppaUSAPD

Hinson came out of retirement and returned to international services on July 1, after previously serv-ing 25 years at USA. Since her department includes recruitment, admissions and accommodation of in-ternational students, she gets to know her students from the time they express interest in USA until their graduations.

“The students mean the world to me, and I love them,” Hinson said. “I’m fortunate that I love what I do.”

Hinson commented further on her labor of love. “I have three sons,” she said, “and I’d like to think that if I sent my child to India or Germany to study, there’d be a friendly face on that end.”

The events for International Education Week in-clude cultural exhibits set up along the breezeway between the USA Bookstore and the food court Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a potluck of cultural, home-cooked cuisine served at The Grove Clubhouse Thursday at 6 p.m. and a foreign language poetry jam at the Honors Center, located inside the Seaman’s Bethel Theater, Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

For the potluck event, in true motherly fashion,

One of the fi rst tenants for the center is Ex-scien, a biotechnology fi rm that develops drugs to repair damage to mitochondrial DNA. The company was awarded $54,000 in May from the 2013 Alabama Launchpad Startup Competition. Another of the fi rst tenants is MiliTherm, a com-pany that is developing a technology to gauge blood fl ow to a region of the skin without making physical contact. MiliTherm was the 2012 winner of the Alabama Launchpad competition.

“It is important as a region we not only focus on recruiting large businesses to the area, but also work to cultivate small, technology-focused busi-nesses that will provide high-paying jobs,” said Dr. Mark Weaver, director of the Coastal Innova-tion Hub, and executive director of the Melton Center.

Bill Sisson, president of the Mobile City Chamber of Commerce, echoed this message. “Now is the time for us to pull our team together and foster entrepreneurship so that we can have that element of economic development,” said Sisson. “We were ranked second out of 385 met-ropolitan areas for economic growth potential over the next fi ve years. That puts us in a pretty good position, but we have to do things like this to foster and to round out that economic devel-opment process.”

The Vanguard spoke with TALA Professional Services, another charter tenant. TALA designs, deploys and manages specialized technology ap-plications and business solutions.

Development Executive Danny Patterson ex-pressed his enthusiasm about this new partner-ship with the hub. “I’m pumped,” said Patterson. “I’ve been living in Mobile for 24 years. … When I saw what South was doing, I got a little more excited. And then when Lynne (Chronister) start-ed talking about this idea of the hub, I got even more excited. I live here and I want to see this city do well. I want to see this school do well. You hear about Alabama and what they do. You hear about Auburn and what they do. South is where it’s at.”

Other speakers at the ceremony were David Johnson, USA’s vice president for academic af-fairs, and Mike Dow, a former mayor of Mobile who serves as CentraLite’s executive vice presi-dent and chairman of the USA Melton Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation’s advisory board. The ceremony was followed by tours of the new 10,000-square-foot technology center.

A policeman for 30 years and a South Ala-bama police offi cer for 20 years, David

Turppa has made his mark on campus. He said he tolerates no excuses. If you are in the wrong, he said, then that means you are going to pay the price. “There is no other way around it,” according to Turppa.

Offi cer Turppa says he is not afraid of anything, and if you are a policeman, you can’t be. He said he is also not afraid of any wildlife. So, if you ever try to go into the woods to get away from him, you probably won’t make it. He says the woods are his terri-tory.

Turppa graduated USA with a criminal justice administration degree in 1978. Even though he knew he wanted to become a police offi cer, he still got his criminal justice degree. A degree is not required for a job as a police offi cer, Turppa explained, but if you have your degree, you will put yourself in a better situation to one day hold a high-er law enforcement position.

Turppa said the physical requirements for offi -cers include ability to run a course in a certain amount of time. He said he can’t do that now be-cause of the two knee surgeries. The offi cer said he used to run 3 to 5 miles three times a week, in the heat. He said he ran in the heat because he felt that was the best way since he had to work in the heat. And, the equipment he carries weighs 24 pounds.

Turppa said before his knee problems he was a good runner, who could “run them bad boys down to the ground.” If they were faster than him, he said, he would just “outsmart them.” During his ca-reer, he said, he has only lost four people in a chase.

Hinson has invited students to her own home to cook using recipes from each of their cultures.

“They’re all excited about cooking different dish-es and sharing with people,” Hinson said, “like may-be their favorite thing their mom cooks back home.”

Hinson is interested in growing her international family as well, inviting all students to represent their international culture this week.

“Anyone is welcome,” Hinson said. “Like if you’re from Korea and we don’t have a Korean stu-dent association, if they wanted to come and put up an exhibit, I would jump through hoops. The more the better.”

Those interested should email Brenda Hinson at [email protected] or call her at 251-460-6050.

Some international organizations involved are the Counsel of International Student Organizations, Saudi Student Association, Chinese Student and Scholar Association, Indian Student Association, Latin American Student Association, Pakistani Stu-dent Association and German Society.

With these events, Almutairi hopes to share knowledge and raise awareness about other cultures.

Almutairi, originally from Saudi Arabia, studies cardio respiratory therapy and said that out of the 13 countries he’s visited, the U.S. is the best one.

HubHubContinued from Page One.

InternationalInternationalContinued from Page One.

This is pretty good for a 30-year career. When asked if offi cers get paid more when they

pull someone over and ticket them, Turppa said, “No. That is not true. That is only a myth. The only time we get paid more is when we work more than 40 hours.” He said he gives lots of tickets and added that, “99.9 percent of the time when I pull someone over, I am going to give them a ticket.”

Turppa said he believes in one chance. Those who break the law and are punished, he said, probably will not do it again. The offi cer said he believes that by work-ing this way, he has helped at least fi ve people get their acts together.

He said he was at a high school football game once and a man came up to him and said, “I know you might not remember me, but you arrested me for drinking and driving and put me into counseling for drinking.” He said the man just wanted to thank him. He told Turppa his life was saved that day and he felt the need to get his life together.

Another person he remembers was a lady he arrested for shoplifting. He said the lady came up to him, but he did not remember her. She thanked him for being hard on her. She said it had been easy to get around her probation offi cer, but not Turppa. She told him she has paid her debt and now has a job.

These, he said, are examples of why he gives one chance. It wouldn’t be fair to let one person slide and not the other.

Turppa said he believes his greatest weapon is his pen. It can take rights away, give tickets and can also take away freedom.

Turppa’s favorite saying is “being a cop is like being a fi sherman.” He said you never catch all of the fi sh or the biggest fi sh. And, you may not catch a lot of fi sh. But, when you make an arrest, you can always say, “I caught you.”

3VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 2013

“University of South Alabama’s Student Voice”

Editor in ChiefManaging Editor

Copy Editor Opinion Editor

Sports EditorLeft of CenterJagLife Editor

Web EditorSenior Reporter

Staff Reporter

Samantha AndrewsStephanie FeatherMeg LundbergKelly FicarelliJT CrabtreeAlyssa NewtonEmma MitchellMatthew Strickland

Stuart SoxNoah Logan

Editorial

Distribution Bobby FaulkMatthew Rhodes

Distribution

Advertising Graphic Designer

Justine BurbankRyan KellerSheldon Hall

Advertising

Advising

Accounting

J. SellersJ. AucoinKathy Brannan

Management

MissionThe Vanguard, the student-run newspaper of

the University of South Alabama, serves its read-ership by reporting the news involving the campus community and surrounding areas. The Vanguard strives to be impartial in its reporting and believes fi rmly in its First Amendment rights.

Send letters and guest columns to: The Vanguard

University of South Alabama P.O. Drawer U-1057 Mobile, Ala., 36688.

[email protected]

Letters and guest columns must be received by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication. Submissions should be typed and must include the writer’s name, year, school and telephone number. All submissions become the property of The Vanguard. The Vanguard reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity. Letters will be limited to 300 words. Letters and guest columns are the opinion of the writer. The Staff Editorial represents the consensus opinion of the Editorial Board, which is composed of the Editor in Chief, Copy Editor, Senior Reporter and Opinion Editor. All members of the Editorial Board have the same weight. The Vanguard has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifi cations. To report a mistake, e-mail [email protected]. The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academic year, except for exam periods and vacations, and is published twice each summer. The Vanguard is supported in part by an allocation from student activity fees and operates in the Student Media Department of the Division of Student Affairs. Issues are available at most University buildings and select off-campus locations. The fi rst copy is free. Additional copies are $1 each. Freelance writers will receive payment at the discretion of the section editor and will be notifi ed.

PATRICK BIGBIE | STAFF METEOROLOGIST

Twitter: StormTeam4g9wxFacebook: Facebook.com/StormTeam4Gamma9Wx

Weather for Nov. 11 - Nov. 17Weather for Nov. 11 - Nov. 17

USAPD Police BlotterUSAPD Police Blotter10/30/2013 20:04

Theft of property third degreeAcademic Support Center

Victim’s 21-speed moutain bike worth $180 was stolen from

rack outside Academic Support Center.

10/31/2013 16:56Theft of property second degree

University CommonsUnknown person(s) removed listed items from open-type vehicle without the owner’s

consent. The value of the items taken was approximately $102.

11/01/2013 18:20Criminal trespass third degree

Delta 5 parking lotNon student was arrested for

criminal trespassing.

11/04/2013 9:11Theft of property second degree

Humanities buildingAudio/visual equipment was

reported stolen from humanities.

11/04/2013 16:22Theft of property second degree and illegal possession/use of a

credit/debit cardDelta 4

A wallet was stolen from student living quarters in Delta dorms.

If you If you seesee something,something,

saysay somthing! somthing!251-460-6312251-460-6312

EMMA MITCHELL, JAGLIFE [email protected]

VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 20138

Weekly Lowdown

Want your event featured? E-mail the name, date, time, price,

place and a brief tagline (under 10 words) to

[email protected]

Tuesday > Nov. 12

Wednesday > Nov. 13• CoMeTrY leadership

development - MC Globe, 2 p.m.

• “How Fair is Fair Trade?” by Dr. Mo-berg - Archaeology Museum, 4 p.m.

• USA Woodwind En-semble Fall Concert - LPAC, 7:30 p.m.

• CoMeTrY perfor-mance - MC Globe, 7:30 p.m.

• MLA vs. APA Docu-mentation - HUMB room 306, 3:45 p.m.

• USA Percussion En-semble Fall Concert - LPAC, 7:30 p.m.

Friday > Nov. 15

Thursday > Nov. 14• USA Flute Choir Fall

Concert - LPAC, 7:30 p.m., $5 USA students and affi liates

• USA Children’s and Women’s “A Cause for Celebration” din-ner fundraiser - True Midtown Kitchen, 5:30 - 8 p.m., $30

• Three Musketeers - LPAC, 7:30 p.m.$10 students, $12 faculty, $14 public

Monday > Nov. 11• Sources and Impacts

of Microfi nance on Social and Eco-nomic Development - MCOB room 265, 6 p.m.

• USA Percussion En-semble Fall Concert - LPAC, 7:30 p.m.

CoMeTrY performance returns to SouthCoMeTrY performance returns to SouthBy MARY [email protected]

Continued on Page 6.

South Alabama’s Jaguar Pro-ductions is sponsoring the

third annual Cometry event Wednes-day, Nov. 13, 2013.

Cometry is a new art that blends performance poetry and stand-up comedy into one form of entertain-ment. Every show is designed to highlight the similarities, habits and other traits that everyone shares. During each show, the performers, Ignatius “Iggy” Mwela and Chad Songy, will tell moving stories, raise

awareness or deliver an inspirational message all while making the audi-ence laugh.

The first Cometry show at South Alabama was hosted in February 2011. The show was so impressive that Jaguar Productions asked Mwe-la and Songy to return last year and again this year.

“Students relate to Iggy (Mwela) and Chad (Songy) and what they have to say,” said Paula Duke, the director of University Programs. “Their message is delivered in such a positive and fun manner that ev-eryone goes away feeling good.”

Songy and Mwela have known each other for 10 years. They first met at basketball camp in 2003, but didn’t become close friends un-til they began working together in 2005. The concept of Cometry was sparked in 2009 when Songy had the idea of joining Mwela to create a show that would bend the emo-tions of the audience from funny to heartfelt and thought provoking. A year later, they began booking shows for their new business.

“Performance poetry is a thera-peutic outlet for me,” said Mwela. “When I realized I can inspire oth-

ers via my story, it became a pas-sion.”

While Mwela focuses on the po-etry aspect of the show, Songy works on the comedy portion.

“I knew I wanted to do comedy, but I wanted to do it for a purpose,” said Songy. “Cometry allowed me to use comedy to inspire others to be the best version of themselves.”

Mwela and Songy perform the bulk of their shows on college cam-puses. College students tend to be easier to connect with because the

Kohl’s gives back to USA hospitalsKohl’s gives back to USA hospitals

Beyond the stylish clothes and top of the line ap-

pliances that are stocked on the shelves of their department stores, Kohl’s offers so much more to the communities it is housed in.

Last Wednesday, Kohl’s contin-ued giving back by presenting a check for $82,560 from their

By EMMA [email protected]

Left to right: Cassandra Odom, Alicia Lassiter, Nicole Smith and Lalita Holder of USA Children’s and Women’s hospital after their safe sleep demonstration.

EMMA MITCHELL | JAGLIFE EDITOR

K.I.S.S. Program to USA Children’s and Women’s to support the hospi-tal’s MOM Care program. USA Chil-dren’s and Women’s Hospital is one of 160 hospitals across the nation included in the K.I.S.S. Program, which helps to “educate kids and their parents about injury preven-tion, asthma, immunizations, child-hood obesity and more.” According to the Kohl’s Corporation website mission statement, they “support

Nicole Smith displays some of the stuffed animals and matching books sold to fund the Kohl’s Cares program.

EMMA MITCHELL | JAGLIFE EDITOR

community outreach programs fo-cused on issues affecting kids and work with… hospital partners to tailor the programs based on their community’s individual needs.”

The MOM Care program, which is Mobile’s Medicaid Maternity program, has received more than $400,000 since the partnering with Kohl’s in 2007.

The MOM Care program teaches mothers in the community about the importance of ensuring and practic-

ing safe sleep with infants. With an outreach of more than 1,000 people per year, the program also teaches caregivers how to correctly swaddle and prepare the infant for sleep. All of the money donated by Kohl’s goes to educational materials, adver-tisement and the purchase of Pack ‘n Play portable cribs.

The majority of the women take the class through Medicaid, but the

Continued on Page 6.

jagLIFE

5VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 2013

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Alpha Gamma Delta to Alpha Gamma Delta to coordinate dodgeball coordinate dodgeball tournament for diabetes tournament for diabetes

By STEPHANIE [email protected]

The second Alpha Gamma Delta dodgeball tournament, featuring

superhero-costumed Greek and independent teams battling it out, will be held Friday, Nov. 15 at 9 a.m. The tournament will take place at USA’s indoor soccer field, and students will need their IDs to enter the recreation center.

Alpha Gamma Delta’s Theta Epsilon chapter is hosting this year’s tournament to raise money for the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation, a nonprofit foundation that helps raise money and awareness for diabetes and diabetes research.

The foundation also gives grants to sisters in financial hardship, scholarships for both members and non-members and runs its own educational leadership program called Wom-en with Purpose.

All of the proceeds from the tournament will go straight to the foundation. “We will be having a donation bucket being passed around that day also,” said Kori Carr, Alpha Gamma Delta’s vice president of finance and philanthropy chair.

Each year, USA’s Alpha Gamma Delta chapter hosts various fundraising events. These have included a kickball tournament, a spaghetti dinner and bake sales.

The Theta Epsilon chapter was awarded the Daisy Keeton Award for Community Ser-vice in 2010-2012. This award is given at the annual Greek Awards Banquet in the spring. Theta Epsilon takes pride in helping out with other fraternity and sorority groups’ philan-thropic events throughout the school year.

The sisters also donate their time to the Ani-mal Rescue Foundation, Ronald McDonald House and St. Mary’s Home.

The theme for this year’s tournament is superheroes, and they encourage all teams to dress up in their finest costumes. There will be a best dressed award for costumes, along with awards for first place teams. There is a sorority and fraternity division while indepen-dent teams will compete against each other.

One of the teams competing Saturday is from the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. Their cos-tumes are button-down shirts, ties and khaki pants to represent the superhero working class. “We will be dressed as teachers and pro-fessors,” said Chase Lunsford. “They are the real heroes.”

Lunsford also talked about his team’s preparation for the event. They play on an in-tramural team and use their games as practice for the big event. They are excited to help out such a good cause, and some friendly compe-tition doesn’t hurt. Lunsford said that they are looking forward to taking on the rival frater-nities. He also said the other teams are really good, so it will be challenging.

There are still available spots to sign up if anyone is interested in creating a team. The registration fee is $35 for one team consisting of eight people. Contact Kori Carr at [email protected] with any questions, concerns or to register a team.Chase Lunsford gets ready to

take down his opponents.

STEPHANIE FEATHER | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jacob Bartz-Broussard and Andrew Augustine show a preview of their superhero working-class costumes.


VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 20136

Continued from Page 4.


Phi Mu sorority sisters fi ne-tune their basketball skills in preparation for the Hoop-A-Paluza.

Phi Mu holds charity concert, tournament Phi Mu holds charity concert, tournament By STEPHANIE [email protected]

Local country music artists Len Bentz and Joe Garrett

will be performing at a benefit con-cert Friday, Nov. 15 from 6-9 p.m. at the SGA Pavilion on campus.

The concert is hosted by Phi Mu sorority and will be raising money for Children’s Miracle Network Hos-pitals. The money raised from this event will go toward the USA Chil-

dren’s and Women’s Hospital. Tick-ets to the concert are $5, and every entry will include a dinner plate.

The sorority came up with this event after Bentz and Garrett of-fered to play a benefit concert for the patients. Patients from USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital will be attending the concert to en-joy in the fun. The sorority hopes to make this an annual event to help raise money for the hospital.

Phi Mu is known for being a na-

Practicing for the Hoop-a-Paluza. Phi Mu sisters anticipate a great turn out for Saturday’s event.


tional sponsor of CMNH and has raised more than $7 million since 1986. All of the events Phi Mu hosts are inspired by their creed which states, “to lend to those less fortunate a helping hand.” Locally, South’s Phi Mu chapter lends help to others through fundraisers such as their annual Hoop-A-Paluza. The ladies raised $10,000 last year alone.

Hoop-A-Paluza will be held Sat-urday, Nov. 16 from 1-3 p.m. at the Jaguar Gymnasium. First held in the

spring of 2009, this event is a 3-on-3 basketball tourna-ment composed of teams from three categories: frater-nity, sorority and independent. Each Greek fraternity and sorority will be rep-resented by a team. There will also be several teams com-peting in the inde-pendent organiza-tion category. A prize will be given to the first place team in each category.

“We rarely miss an opportunity to support a sorority,” said Andrew Augus-tine, a Pi Kappa Phi brother, who has been preparing for the tournament by

practicing with his team for a few weeks.

All proceeds from this event, which is a fundraiser for the CMNH, will be given to the USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital. Phi Mu sis-ters visit USA Children’s and Wom-en’s patients year-round bearing a variety of “goodies” such as books, toys and seasonal gifts including Val-entine’s Day cards, Easter baskets and Halloween games.

Philanthropy Director Sarah Campbell hopes everyone will come out to participate since all proceeds will go to CMNH. “We are hoping to have more teams and raise even more money this year,” said Camp-bell.

For any information on either of these events, or how to sign up a team for Hoop-A-Paluza, con-tact Campbell at [email protected].

Kohl’s gives to USA’s Kohl’s gives to USA’s MOM Care programMOM Care program

performers are more liberal with their personality on stage. On col-lege campuses, Mwela and Songy are typically allotted more time on stage, allowing for a more personal and successful show.

In addition to performing Com-etry for college students, Mwela and Songy perform entertainment programs that also educate. These shows, which are referred to as “edutainment,” are performed for colleges, high schools and diversity/leadership conferences.

Mwela and Songy have also start-ed to perform for church groups, student retreats and community programs.

“We love being on stage, so

wherever they will allow us, we will make something happen,” said Mwela.

The amount of energy after a show is what keeps Mwela and Songy motivated. The audience is always filled with different emo-tions, from smiles and tears of joy to hugs and high fives. Mwela and Songy said that an audience’s energy is “instant gratification.”

“It reassures us that the hours and weeks spent writing is time well spent,” said Mwela.

South Alabama, along with other schools, has turned the show Com-etry into a tradition on our campus. Mwela and Songy have a lot of fans at South, and with every new per-formance, their fans have essentially

become friends. “It’s joyous to learn about who

has graduated and gone on to life outside of college,” said Mwela.

Songy and Mwela still keep in touch with many fans via email and social media.

The Cometry show is scheduled for Nov. 13, 2013 at the Mitchell Center Globe. There will be two shows, and both are free to at-tend. The 2 p.m. performance will focus on developing life skills. The 7:30 p.m. show will be Mwela’s and Songy’s signature performance Cometry.

For more information about the event, contact Coordinator of Uni-versity Programs Heather Sprinkle at [email protected].

CoMeTrY comes backCoMeTrY comes back

program is open to everyone. “We basically go over safe sleep tips and myths,” said Alicia Lassiter, a registered nurse at USA Children’s and Women’s. “The whole purpose of the program is to bring aware-ness to people.”

Lassiter also explained that ideas of correct sleeping habits have changed over the years, and it is important to update people. “The things your mom did for you are not the same things recommended [by infant sleep care experts] today.”

Upon completion of the pro-gram, those who meet the existing qualifications are also given a free

portable crib. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

(SIDS) and poor sleep environment are two of the leading causes of infant death. Nicole Smith, a regis-tered nurse and Quality Assurance Coordinator of the MOM Care pro-gram at USA Children’s and Wom-en’s, said that provision of the cribs certifies preventable measures have been taken to give infants of quali-fying families an appropriate and safe sleeping habitat.

For information on the MOM Care program or the Kohl’s – USA partnership, call 251-415-8585 or visit their website at http://www.usahealthsystem.com/cwhkiss


ALYSSA NEWTON, LOC [email protected] OF CENTERLEFT OF CENTER

The University of South Alabama’s rugby club team

completed its competitive season this past weekend with a trip to the Battleship Tournament in Mobile, Ala.

Last year’s team fi nished the regular season undefeated. This year’s young team may not have had quantity in the win column with a 1-4 season, but the team has grown both in talent and in their relationship with the school.

“Game wise, this season had been a little rough,” said CJ Leggett, the team captain. “Our commitment has been down this semester. But we’ve been playing well and have the numbers. Club wise, we have grown a lot and have come a long ways with our relationship with the school and organization. It may not look like much progression with our wins this

season, but as a club, we have grown a lot.”

USA’s matrix season comprised of contests with teams from schools such as Troy, LA Tech, Southern Mississippi, Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette.

“Most of our games have been the difference of only a couple scores,” said Leggett. “We just don’t have the numbers yet to match up with schools that have the alumni support, scholarships and a longer history of rugby than we do. We are getting there, we just have a lot more to do.”

While they only won against Southern Mississippi, senior player Cameron Douglas has seen progress in the young team.

“They have done really well,” said Douglas. “They have picked it up fairly quickly. You have to play the game to really get to know it. It can’t really just be explained but they have done a good job of learning the game.”

But that’s not where their season ends. USA and other schools from the Deep South Conference had a chance to play each other one more time all in one place.

The 35th Battleship Invitational Rugby Tournament this past weekend was held at USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. Not only were teams able to match back up and play each other again, but it was also the weekend Troy and Louisiana-Lafayette squared off in the championship.

Schools that competed in the event included South Alabama, Loyola, Spring Hill, Tulane, Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, West Florida, Georgia Tech, Sewanee, LSU and Kennesaw State.

This weekend South participated in two games Saturday and one game Sunday.

Early Saturday afternoon, South Alabama played the University of West Florida, losing 38-21. But South bounced right back in their second

By ALYSSA [email protected]

USA Rugby ends season with tournamentUSA Rugby ends season with tournamentAfter a season with a young team, rugby takes part in Battleship Park Tournament

MATTHEW STRICKLAND | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

South Alabama plays the University of West Florida in their fi rst match at the Battleship Tournament on Nov. 9.

►

►

►

THIS WEEK IN SPORTS

►MEN’S BASKETBALLSouth Alabama at Texas 7 p.m. Longhorn Network WNSP

WOMEN’S BASKET-BALLSouth Alabama at Southern Mississippi 7 p.m.at Troy University

FOOTBALL South Alabama at Navy 2 p.m. CBS Sports Network

VOLLEYBALLSouth Alabama at Western Kentucky 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 12

Friday, Nov. 15

Want live play-by-play tweets of USA sporting events and

other sports info?

Follow USAVGSports

on Twitterand like

USA Vanguard

Sports on Facebook

game against Georgia Tech, winning 17-12 and moving them on to play Sewanee for their third game of the tournament Sunday. The Jags would go on to lose that game, but Leggett shook off the last loss.

“We were pretty upset,” said Leggett. “But it was a good tournament.”

This tournament may have ended South Alabama’s matrix season, but rugby will be back once again in the spring for the “friendlies” season. Rugby encourages anyone interested in becoming a part of the team to contact CJ Leggett or coach Wes Darwin.

Not interested in playing but still want to be involved? You can support the team by purchasing merchandise. Fundraising is how the team is able to compete in and travel to events such as the Battleship Tournament. To learn more, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SouthAlabamaRugbyClub.

Saturday, Nov. 16

Sunday, Nov. 17

VOLLEYBALLSouth Alabama at Georgia State 1 p.m.

►

CROSS COUNTRY South Alabama vs. NCAA South RegionalsTuscaloosa, Ala.

►

7VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 2013

VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 20138

During the fall of 2009, South Alabama was in the midst of its inaugural football sea-

son and planning for its fi rst homecoming with the newly added sport.

With it came the responsibility of ensuring the fi rst homecoming was one to remember. Paige Per-ry, the homecoming chair on SGA in 2009, took on that responsibility and came up with an idea that she believed generations of students would enjoy for many years to come.

The idea was to roll the traffi c circle with toilet paper and name it ‘Junk the Jungle.’

“I wanted to create a tradition that I thought I could realistically see future generations of students appreciating,” Perry said. “An event that I could come back to the Gulf Coast in 50 years and watch my own grandkids enjoy. I have personally always reveled in rolling with toilet paper, and thought it was an event that I could get a large number of my fellow students to support.”

SGA, homecoming committee members, Dean Mike Mitchell and former president Gordon Moulton supported Perry’s idea, and SGA went on to buy more than 5,000 rolls of toilet paper for the students to take part in the fi rst ‘Junk the Jungle.’

But creating a new tradition is not an easy task. “Coming up with a ‘tradition’ is tough work,

much harder than you would think,” said Perry. “Most schools’ traditions just happen because stu-dents and alumni love doing a certain ritual, so they continually do it year after year. That’s really the very defi nition of the word tradition, so cognizantly creating a ‘tradition’ is a huge oxymoron. I always was, and still am, Junk the Jungle’s biggest advocate. I really believed it would catch on and be success-ful when I was planning the event. I was certain it would be a success when I walked to class the morn-

ing after the fi rst time we Junked the Jungle and I saw the truly impressive sight we had created and I remembered the vast numbers of students it took to make that site.”

With the popularity of the event and the vast diversity of students who participate in the event, why not make it into a bigger tradition?

After the huge win against Tulane in New Or-leans on Sept. 7, 2013, a section of the traffi c circle was found rolled.

Should South Alabama students celebrate every big win by rolling the traffi c circle with toilet paper?

Auburn has Toomer’s Corner. Stanford has fountain hopping. Penn State has the ringing of a victory bell. Clemson has the Graveyard for their wins against ranked opponents. Many other schools have formed and shared their own postgame win traditions.

With South Alabama still a young football pro-gram, it still has time to form its own traditions. But when it comes to expanding Junk the Jungle, Perry believes it should be up to the students.

“I think this is the decision of current students and student leaders,” said Perry. “Logistically, I think that would be tough, for now, because Ladd-Peebles is pretty far from campus, but if students want to do it, then I am not going to discourage them from that. Too many people tried to discourage me when I was planning the initial Junk the Jungle.”

As for the tradition itself, Perry hopes that it will continue to be a part of South Alabama’s traditions, even if it remains limited to homecoming.

“This event unites a multitude of South’s diverse student body through their shared love of our uni-versity and their desires to publicly display their enthusiasm for South,” said Perry. “I hope Junking the Jungle continues for many more years. I really do hope to come back to watch my own grandkids ‘junk that jungle.’”

By ALYSSA [email protected]

USA’s Junk the Jungle USA’s Junk the Jungle Should South Alabama’s homecoming

tradition expand?

(Left to right) Sydney Hansard, Keli Melton and Emilee Hughes “junk the jungle” for homecoming Oct. 16, 2013, at the USA campus traffi c circle.

FRANK HENDERSON | CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

9VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 2013

JT CRABTREE, SPORTS [email protected]

Lady Jag soccer secures first-ever SBC titleLady Jag soccer secures first-ever SBC titleSouth Alabama soccer defeats WKU 1-0 to win first-ever conference title

The South Alabama women’s soccer team did something

the program has never done before: win the Sun Belt Conference championship. They did so on a 1-0 victory over top-seeded Western Kentucky.

This is the first ever Sun Belt Conference championship in school history.

“This is a great feeling,” said head coach Graham Winkworth, who claimed his first Division I conference title. “This was some excellent passing soccer, the best all season. And the girls defended magnificently today.

“We’re going to enjoy every moment of this and the rest of our season,” he added.

The No. 2 seeded Lady Jags were

led by freshman Lauren Allison, the Sun Belt Conference’s leading goal scorer, who put South up 1-0 at the 22nd minute.

South Alabama never looked back, leading to Melissa Drish’s seventh clean sheet of this season.

The Lady Jags soccer team started their journey to the championship with a 2-0 victory against the No. 7 seed Georgia State Panthers on November 6.

The win was the Lady Jags’ first victory in the SBC Tournament since 2005.

“I was very pleased with how we played today,” said head coach Graham Winkworth. “The weather played a major factor in today’s game; we really couldn’t play the style of soccer we wanted to, but we got goals right before and

after halftime, and we defended extremely well. This team is full of confidence on a personal level at the moment; they’re scoring goals and just recorded another shutout, but this is tournament play, so you never know what’s going to happen.”

USA was led by the foot of Clarissa Hernandez, who was named First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference prior to the game on November 5. Hernandez fired in her first of two goals from Morgan Moats’ cross at the 32nd minute to give the Lady Jags a 1-0 lead. Hernandez again found the back of the net at the 50th minute when she was able to redirect a free kick from Nikki Shirtcliffe.

Melissa Drish picked up her sixth shutout of the season, giving her 19 for her career, one shy of

the school record set by Kelsie Langford. Drish also added seven saves in her shutout, giving her 371 total saves for her career, just two short of the school record.

The Lady Jags then advanced to the semifinal round, where they faced the No. 6 Arkansas State Red Wolves, a game that would go down to the wire and see the Lady Jags win 6-5 in penalties.

South Alabama would go through two overtime periods tied 1-1 with Arkansas State before heading to penalty kicks to decide who would advance to the championship round.

Samhia Simao gave the Red Wolves an early 1-0 lead at the 9th

COURTESY OF USAJAGUARS.COM

The South Alabama women’s soccer team will advance to the NCAA Tournament for the fi rst time in program history.

See Lady Jags pick up fi rst ever SBC Lady Jags pick up fi rst ever SBC soccer title soccer title Page 10

Follow us for news, updates and play-by-play tweets: @USAVGSports

Maha Maarouf @MahaMaarouf_:Midfi elder/Forward

First time ever in school history the women’s soccer team wins the SBC conference! #makinghistory #BLINGBLING

Emily Hundt @emilyhundt15:Setter

This is a big year for South Athletics..... #JAGNATION

Terry Fowler @Tfowl24:Women’s head basketball coach

Excited to start our journey. We must learn from the positives and negatives of the season. I look forward to our growth as a TEAM!

Derek Westbrook @thedwestbrook25:Men’s Cross Country

I defi nitely should’ve walked outside before heading to class to fi nd out that there is a wind coming straight from Antarctica

Jay Jones @_JayJones8:Running back

I couldn’t fi nd useless clothes to go hunting in this morning then I ran across my Troy hood

Antoine Allen @TweezMrNutty:Guard

Just fi nished putting that work in no days off over here my hunger for this game is at a all time high so focus it’s #TTE (Time To Eat)

Drew Dearman @Drewski72_:Offensive lineman

Halftime entertainment: miss universe swimsuit competition right now!

@USAVGSports

By JT [email protected]

VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 201310

Lady Jags pick up first Lady Jags pick up first ever SBC soccer titleever SBC soccer title


Lauren Allison is the fi rst player in SBC history to be named Freshman of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year in the same season.


minute when she was able to push an indirect free kick from Ashley Jackson into the back of the net.

SBC Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year Lauren Allison soon answered back, tying the match at 1-1 when she was able to convert Nini Rabsatt-Smith’s blocked shot into a rebound goal at the 22nd minute.

After remaining tied after two overtime periods, the Lady Jags and Red Wolves headed to penalty kicks. Each team converted their first four of five kicks, forcing the sudden-death format.

After South Alabama took a 6-5 lead in PK’s, goalkeeper Melissa Drish saved Jenna Duerst’s shot,

sending the Lady Jags to their first championship game since 2005.

Drish finished the game with five saves, becoming the all-time school leader in saves in South Alabama history.

“I told the girls when I first met the here that they would play for a championship,” said USA first-year head coach Graham Winkworth. “This was an emotional game which changed momentum from our side to theirs early on, and we needed to finish some chances, but credit to our girls for their passion to grind out a win.”

USA (14-5-5, 5-2-1 SBC) advances to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Jaguars’ opponent will be announced on Nov. 11 at 3:30 p.m. (CT) on NCAA.com.

11VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 2013

VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 201312

Jags start Matthew Graves Era with a 74-58 winJags start Matthew Graves Era with a 74-58 winMen’s basketball defeats University of Detroit to start the season with a win for second straight season

VANGUARD ARCHIVESMychal Ammons’ sixth career double-double (13 points, 14 rebounds) led the way for the Jags on Nov. 8.

The South Alabama men’s basketball team started the

Matthew Graves coaching era on a high note, defeating the University of Detroit Titans 74-58 on Nov. 8 to give the fi rst-year head coach his fi rst career victory.

The Jags were led by Mychal Ammons, who collected his sixth career double-double and a career-high 14 rebounds. Antoine Allen led the team scoring 17 points, 11 of which were in the fi rst half. Allen was also four for fi ve on 3-point attempts. Freshman Aakim Saintil added 12 points and two assists off the bench.

Preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Augustine Rubit fell one point shy of picking up a double-double of his own, fi nishing with nine points and 12 rebounds.

“First and foremost, I was really proud of our team’s effort,” Graves said. “I thought they came out right from the start and played aggressive. They shared the basketball, and

I was so happy to see us go from taking a good shot to taking a great shot. We did a great job sharing the ball. In the fi rst half, I think we had eight assists on 13 fi eld goals, which is outstanding. Defensively, we did a great job rebounding the basketball, especially from our guards’ standpoint. Our guards had over half of our defensive rebounds, so in our two areas of emphasis in the fi rst half, we did a great job with both.”

“I thought Antoine (Allen) did a great job of coming in and getting us off to a great start like a senior should,” Graves said. “Even though he didn’t play Tuesday, he didn’t pout about it. He was prepared and ready to go today.”

Allen was suspended for the Nov. 5 exhibition game against Mobile for a violation of team rules.

The Jags won the battle in the paint for rebounds, besting the Titans 53-51 on the boards, and fi nished with the higher free throw percentage, shooting 68 percent from the line compared to the Titans’

62 percent.The Jags defense also held Detroit

to shoot just 28.9 percent for the game and 25.6 percent in the second half. Detroit only converted on one 3-point attempt (1-for-14) on the night.

“I would be remiss not to mention our defensive effort,” said Graves. “This is the second game in a row that we held a team under 30 percent fi eld goal percentage. And if we continue to do that night in and night out, it’s not going to matter what we shoot. We’re going to put ourselves in a great situation.”

South Alabama fi nished the night with just 15 turnovers, with an underclassmen group of Saintil, Ken Williams and Barrington Stevens III combining for nine assists to just four of the total turnovers. All of this happening after the Jags committed 24 turnovers against Mobile in their exhibition matchup.

“I thought they responded really well and part of that was the fi lm session that we had on Wednesday,” Graves said. “Mobile did an

outstanding job of preparing us for what we were going to see tonight. Our freshmen really listened and learned, and we have to continue getting our post guys to handle the ball a little bit better. It’s new for them. We want them to play out on the perimeter, and when they play out on the perimeter, it allows our guards better angles to drive and kick and make those extra passes. So I think our bigs will continue to get more comfortable handling the ball. I think ultimately our guards at the end there need to understand time and score and shot selection a little more. I think that will come with those young guys.”

Rubit fi nished with his 52nd career double-digit rebounding game, breaking the school record set by Terry Catledge (1982-1985) for fi rst all-time in South Alabama history.

“Certainly we want all of our guys to play well,” Graves said. “I think it does show we have confi dence in any of our guys to step up and make plays. I think we’ve shown that our

system allows other players, and we’ve got it set up that certainly we want to get Augustine (Rubit) the ball as much as possible, but we’ve got a lot of other weapons we can use on any given night. When you can do that, you’ve got a chance to be really good.”

The Jags will next travel to Texas to face the Longhorns on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. as part of the CBE Classic. The game will be nationally televised on Longhorn Network.


Matthew GravesMen’s basketball head coach

13VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 2013

Lady Jags soccer has four All-Sun Belt selectionsLady Jags soccer has four All-Sun Belt selections


Four South Alabama women’s soccer players were named All-Sun Belt Con-

ference on Nov. 5. One of these players is Lau-ren Allison, who was named Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year and is the fi rst player in Sun Belt history to win both awards in the same season.

Allison and midfi elder Clarissa Hernandez were named First Team All-SBC, while defend-ers Jess Oram and Shelby Owen were named to the Second Team All-SBC.

This is the fi rst time since 2008 that South Alabama has had a player named to the post-season all-conference, and the Lady Jags’ four selections is the most from the school since 2002.

“I am delighted that these girls have been recognized by the coaches in the league,” said head coach Graham Winkworth. “It is a huge honor to be an all-conference player in what is a league full of talent. I am delighted for our three seniors: Riz (Hernandez), Jess (Oram) and Shelby (Owen). They have been wonder-ful leaders in this squad, and their work ethic since my arrival has been truly unbelievable. I am also very excited for Lauren (Allison). I knew from when I was recruiting her she would provide us with an additional threat up top, and

I cannot speak highly enough of her work for this team.”

Allison fi nished the regular season with 39 points, the fourth-most in USA single-season history, on 14 goals and 11 assists. The Bices-ter, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom native also led the SBC in goals, goals per game, assists, assists per games and game-winning goals this season and was twice voted SBC Offensive Player of the Week.

After being selected as 2013 Preseason all-SBC, Hernandez scored fi ve goals and assists. Hernandez was also named CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District for the third year in a row.

Oram and Owen were the leaders of USA’s defense, combining for seven shutouts in the 2013 regular season. The pair, along with Her-nandez, set a new Jaguar record for games played after South Alabama advanced to the championship match against Western Ken-tucky on Nov. 10.

“One of the greatest things about all these girls is that they always put their team fi rst,” Winkworth said. “This team has worked magic over the last 10 months moving from number seven to number two in the league, and I am so proud of every one of them. They have also improved over 80 places in the NCAA RPI rat-ings. This team can really hold their heads very high with all they have achieved.”

South Alabama soccer program has most posteason accolades since 2002


Senior Clarissa Hernandez fi nished the season with fi ve goals and fi ve assists.

VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 201314OpinionOpinion KELLY FICARELLI, OPINION EDITOR

kfi [email protected]

RYAN KELLER | GRAPHIC DESIGNER

By KELLY FICARELLIkfi [email protected]

KELLY FICARELLI | OPINION EDITOR

A plea to professors: consider students near end of termA plea to professors: consider students near end of term

EDITORIAL BOARD Samantha Andrews | Editor-in-ChiefKelly Ficarelli | Opinion Editor

JT Crabtree | Sports Editor

Alyssa Newton | Left of Center EditorEmma Mitchell | Life Editor

No student likes to be bom-barded with schoolwork the

fi rst week of classes, but no student wants to be overwhelmed with proj-ects, assignments, papers and tests all at the end either. Sometimes, it seems that classes stroll along as slowly as can be until the very end--then BAM--a ton of bricks, or books to be accurate, is thrown at you. I feel there is a lot that professors could do to stretch the workload out over the entire semester instead of overwhelming students in the last few weeks.

When you have several classes that

do this all at once, it can be nearly im-possible to get everything done. Of course, not getting everything done means your grades suffer.

Before students ever begin a course, they are handed a syllabus list-ing all the requirements of the class and books and materials needed, among many other things. Some in-structors are kind enough to offer a calendar containing test dates, as-signments, projects and due dates, but most do not. Of course, students can create their own calendars using Google Calendar or a paper version, but if professors won’t let students know what is due and when, then a student-made calendar is useless. The absolute worst thing a professor can do is spring a huge assignment on you with a short due date at the end of the semester. And it seems like they all do this at once, usually a week or two be-fore the fi nal.

Professors, please hear me out. Many students don’t mind working hard, and I would wager that most

probably love learning. They may even enjoy your class! Simply spread out the workload. If the entire semes-ter will be busy, start students off the fi rst week doing large assignments. Let them know what they’re in for. Every semester, just as you teach more than

one class, students take multiple class-es. And like you, students have jobs, children, spouses, friends and other responsibilities that need attention, too. Don’t make it impossible for your students to complete all the work you assign.

People don’t truly learn when they

have to cram or put together large projects in haste. Most of the time, the information is placed in short-term memory, then forgotten as soon as the test is over or work is completed. If the material you’re testing on is impor-tant, give students ample time to learn it, even if that means jump-starting the semester with assignments and proj-ects.

Also, test regularly instead of ad-ministering just two or three large tests. Students want to know how they are progressing in your class on a regular basis. This also allows students a chance to learn how you write test questions so they know how to study for the larger tests. Not only that but having multiple quizzes or tests gives students the opportunity to bring their averages up. Many students prefer to be challenged intellectually, but no one enjoys being put under excessive, un-necessary stress. Professors, please, think about these things and consider your students’ needs when planning your next semester.

JagPulseTis’ the season... of large holiday meals. So where is your

favorite place to work off those extra pounds? The campus rec center, a local gym, a track or nature trail, a park or jog-

ging on the sidewalk in the city somewhere?

Lauren Wheeler: I love jogging along the

nature trail. It’s so relaxing and pretty out there! Stephanie Feather:

I like a mix of places to work out, like the rec center, my house and the beautiful

outdoors. Emma Estelle Mitch-elle: Planet Fitness!

Lisa Shiver Denham: I like to work out at home.

I have a busy life, so I just do stairs at my house, a little yoga, some squats and some-times, just for fun, a little

“Sweatin’ to the Oldies!”

Ryan Wallace: I like a good game or 20

of racquetball or handball. I like to move with a purpose.

Noah Logan: The rock climbing wall is

my favorite place to work out on campus.

Amber Ann Busby: Christ United Methodist

Church off Grelot has a free indoor track.

Katarina Rook: I like Planet Fitness on

University. I also like walking the sidewalk down Hillcrest from the Shell to the Circle K. There is a nice sidewalk

and the hill is killer.

Email Kelly Ficarelli at [email protected] to write for The Vanguard

Opinion section

Expres

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Yourse

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15VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 2013

By RYAN [email protected]

Search thoroughly for South Alabama’s new president Search thoroughly for South Alabama’s new president

As Auburn fans know from re-cent experience, few things

are more exciting for a university than the search for a new head football coach. With a new coach comes a fresh feeling of rejuvenation to a program and school and new feelings of hope after what was (usually) a bad exit by the previous coach. Yet coaches these days rarely make it to 10 years with the pressure of winning immediately. A new football coach isn’t seen as a 10- or 20-year investment when he or she is hired.

The same cannot be said of univer-sity presidents. Being a university presi-

dent amounts to running a multimillion dollar company while churning out quality professionals and producing valuable scientifi c research and artistic production, so it is understandable that the search for a new president would concentrate on fi nding an ideal candi-date with the hopes of retaining him or her for as long as possible. Another difference between the search for a head football coach and the search for a university president is the level of at-tention the two receive. The search for a coach can captivate an entire cam-pus and indeed several thousands of people who no longer attend (or never attended) the school. In contrast, the search for a new president happens in relative silence. It somewhat resembles the ‘muzak’ in an elevator: you’re aware that it’s going on but can’t be bothered to actually pay attention to it. This is a bit of an unfortunate phenomenon. After all, a football coach only affects his part of a school’s athletic depart-ment, which is itself a small part of the school’s operations as a whole.

South’s ongoing presidential search is no exception. It could be argued that we have become somewhat spoiled

by years of stability and good ser-vice from the late President Gordon Moulton. As the search labors on, the normal progression of these searches has played out: the search committee identifi ed three fi nalists. These candi-dates visited the school and gave their pitches to the school’s administration and students. But then the production deviated from the script. Dr. Arthur Ross, the current dean of the Univer-sity of West Virginia’s School of Medi-cine, withdrew his name from consid-eration for the position. By the next day, the presidential search committee announced that it would be continuing its search beyond the original three fi -nalists. I have a great deal of respect for this move. With all due respect to the three original candidates, if there was some quality that the search com-mittee felt was lacking in the candi-dates that would keep them from con-tinuing to grow South Alabama into a great institution of higher learning for the state’s benefi t, then I would rather the time be taken to make sure the search is thorough and as exhaustive as needed to fi nd the best possible fi t for our school.


I want a president who is respon-sive to the needs of the students, aggressive in expanding the USA “brand” and identity, and dedicated to pushing South ever forward as a re-search institution. Our location in rela-tion to other four-year schools along the coast gives us a unique opportunity to be the pre-eminent school in the region, and other factors (such as the staggering amounts of generosity of

the Mitchell family) are in place to give us an advantage for which we should be grateful. I want a president who un-derstands these things and uses them to our advantage. Not just anyone can be a Gordon Moulton, but the work he and many others labored years for can be continued and expanded. And however long it takes to fi nd our next leader, I say we take our time and do it right.

Board of Trustees will continue search for USA president.

Give feedback in online classes Give feedback in online classes

Life is such a kaleidoscope of possibilities, and if you’re

anything like me, it’s tough to narrow down your passion. We live in such a fast-paced society, it’s almost impos-sible to attend all traditional classes anymore. This makes online classes an extremely viable option for students who are trying to balance school with family, work and other responsibilities. The issue that needs to be discussed is not whether online classes are bet-ter than traditional classes. The more important issue is how well (or poorly) we are doing when it comes to execut-ing online classes at South.

First and foremost, (admitting I don’t have a lot of experience because I have been so frustrated with the pro-cess) online classes are more expen-sive. Why is that? What extras does the student experience for his money? I will admit that one may receive the

comfort of working from home, but regular access to the course professor is no longer guaranteed. Sometimes an instructor doesn’t even respond to an email until after a test. It’s much easier for a professor to hide in an online course. My question is does the extra money charged for the online course go to the instructor? If not, why? I think it would help to connect the teacher more in the process.

Secondly, after all of the quizzes have been graded, why can’t you see what you missed? I need feedback. I want to know what I did wrong in order to better prepare for the next test, especially in a cumulative learning course. The whole point of taking an online course is because you are too

busy for a regular class, but if you have to arrange an appointment with your instructor after every quiz to see what you missed in preparation for your next exam, what’s the point? It’s a drain of time on both parties involved. I’m not going to class just to pass. I’m here to learn, and most of my classes are the building blocks of future classes. Feed-back is lacking when it comes to online courses, and this is unacceptable.

In closing, I would like to invite students, professors and staff to put on their thinking caps and try to fi nd a solution to this problem. There must be a better way to approach online education than we currently have, and I know I’m not the only one who be-lieves this.

By LISA [email protected]

A zinger used to persuade people to vote is “If you don’t vote, then you can’t complain.” Personally, I think this line is a tad overused be-cause, for people in states such as Alabama, California and Texas, there is a legitimate reason not to vote in large-scale elections due to a sizable portion of the votes being rendered useless by the Electoral College. However, this same philosophy can be applied to students at South who complain and then ignore or refuse to take University surveys, the only meaningful, quantitative method to measure their opinions.

Unfortunately, university officials do not keep a running tab of opin-ions voiced on Facebook and Twit-ter. Yet students feel the need to voice complaints and opinions on these various social networks. That isn’t to say that the complaints don’t have any place on social media, be-cause they do, but if you aren’t will-ing to fill out any of these surveys that actually have the potential to change things, then why even bother complaining online? If you do not participate in the surveys the school provides, then you cannot complain.

Ultimately, it is in everybody’s best interest to complete surveys of-fered to students. The student ben-efits from having his or her opinion heard and also by knowing that the arrangement of the fees we all pay to the university are not funding point-less surveys that garner no useable feedback at all.

The university gets to key in on what the students want in a more efficient way. And if the university wishes to increase future enrollment, the answer does not lie in fancy aca-demic buildings and student centers, but rather in making the current students happy. Happy students tell prospective students about all the ways the university is making them happy, and it provides a higher num-ber of students wishing to attend said university.

If you really have a problem with something, don’t automatically ig-nore the next email with “Class Cli-mate Admin” in the subject. Take 10 minutes out of your day and fill it out. If there hasn’t been a survey about something that is really both-ering you, simply attend an SGA meeting and tell them you want a survey about it. The tools to make change are there, just not on Face-book.

Do the surveys!Do the surveys!By NOAH [email protected]


VOL. 53, NO. 16 / NOV. 11, 201316

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