March 3 issue

SOFTBALL MAKES HISTORY PAGE 12

March 3, 2016

Volume 84, Issue 23

www.FlorAla.net

Student newspaper of the University of North Alabama

CAMPUS GOES GREEN KALI DANIEL

Editor-in-Chief editor@florala.net

Move over, Pawnee: Leslie Knope has nothing on UNA’s Sarah Green.

“If you ask the people who were in Freshman Forum with me, they probably didn’t like me in Freshman Forum because I was the girl who always voted no to things that I didn’t think the students wanted,” said the Student Government Association president-elect.

“Everybody would vote yes for everything, but I was like, ‘But have we asked the students about it?’”

Considering students’ opinions has always been a primary concern for Green, said Miss UNA and Green’s roommate Jocelyn Barnes.

“I think Sarah is extremely qualified and very passionate about this position,” she said.

“Since I’ve met her, she’s always talked about wanting to be SGA president, and I’ve seen the behind-the-scenes work she’s put in. (She) and I have had major talks about how much she cares about the students. She says, ‘That’s why I want to be SGA president, because I want to make sure I’m representing them in everything that I do.’”

SGA President Nick Lang said in his experience with Green, she has proved her passion for the job.

“She has lots of experience to bring to the table. She was the chief of staff under (201415 President Kekoria Greer)’s administration when I was vice president and had a very productive year that year,” Lang said. “Being her assistant and being chief of staff, she got to see what worked and what didn’t work in that year. I think that helps her out. Sarah’s also level-headed. She’s able to look at things and how it impacts all

INSIDE

this week’s paper

students. I feel like that’s a very important quality to have as SGA president.”

Green first became a member of SGA in Freshman Forum in 2013, which she applied for during SOAR.

”

EVERYBODY WOULD VOTE YES FOR EVERYTHING, BUT I WAS LIKE, ʻBUT HAVE WE ASKED THE STUDENTS ABOUT IT?ʼ

SARAH GREEN

PRESIDENT-ELECT

“I can remember (former President) Laura Giles speaking,” Green said. “She talked about Freshman Forum, and I knew that was something I wanted to do. Actually, while she was talking in her SOAR speech I was signing up for Freshman Forum.”

She moved from Freshman Forum to Senate in 2014.

“I was on the elections and recruitment committee for one meeting because we had one meeting for the spring semester going into the next year,” she said. “I got appointed chief of staff (for former President Kekoria Greer) over the summer.”

Green ran for SGA secretary for the 2015-16 school year, but she lost to Jensen Joiner by 13 votes.

“I can remember losing last year and thinking like, ‘This is the end of the world,’” Green said. “But at the same time, in the back of my head it was like there’s got to be something way bigger for me. I think losing is sometimes so humbling. That’s what you need. That’s definitely what I needed at the time, was to be humbled. I needed to be reminded of why I was in SGA.”

NEWS . . . . . . . . 2 IMAGES . . . . . . . 4 VIEWPOINTS . . . . 7

Green said she asked Vice President of Senate Nicole Gallups if she could take the legislative affairs chair, which Gallups granted.

“I really wanted to be legislative affairs chair because it always had been kind of a committee in SGA that wasn’t the best — nobody wanted to be on legislative affairs committee,” she said.

“I was like, ‘Nuh-uh, we’re about to turn around this legislative affairs committee.’”

See GREEN, page 8

LIFE . . . . . . . . . 9 SPORTS . . . . . . . 12 EXTRA . . . . . . . . 16

KALI DANIEL I Editor-in-Chief

President-elect Sarah Green listens to a student ask questions about voting Feb. 23 outside of the Guillot University Center.

SEX SERIES ................... 9

FLOR - ALA The

Please recycle your paper.

2 News

March 3, 2016• The Flor-Ala

WHAT S BUGGING YOU? l

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EMILY KAZUNGU I Online Editor

Ladybugs cover Online Editor Emily Kazungu’s desk. Many students living in the residence halls experienced an “infestation” of the crawling critters this school year. These bugs typically swarm campus when the weather becomes colder, said Director of Environmental Services and Housing Facilities Management Audrey Mitchell.

Students: Ladybugs infiltrate residence halls ANNA BEAHM

News Editor news@florala.net

Mention ladybugs on campus and residents might fly off the handle.

Cool weather this fall sparked the migration of ladybugs throughout the Shoals and into some of the older residence halls on campus.

“At the beginning of the fall semester, around September, they were literally spawning all over campus,” said Director of Environmental Services and Housing Facilities Management Audrey Mitchell.

“It’s typical when the weather starts turning cold.”

Pest control services spray insect repellents in the residence halls regularly, Mitchell said, but the ladybugs are still in some rooms.

She said she even experienced the ladybugs inside her home, too. This problem is not unique to the residence halls. However, many students found an invasion of the bugs in their rooms.

“Ladybugs don’t bother me, but there were so many, like it was an infestation,” said junior Mai Curott. “I got really stressed out about it and didn’t sleep in (my room) the first night. I slept in my old room because I didn’t want to sleep in here with all the bugs because I was

afraid they were going to get in my bed and get in my clothes.”

Curott said she put Scotch tape over the cracks in her walls and around her window to keep any more ladybugs from entering her room.

The next day, she said she submitted a work request, and pest control came to spray her room and maintenance filled the cracks in the wall and around the window.

”

Ladybugs don’t bother me, but there were so many, like it was an infestation.

Mai Curott Junior

She said this helped reduce the number of bugs in her room, but she and her roommate still see them.

“On my end, I probably see like five or six a week now,” Curott said.“Every once in a while it’ll be one or two a day.”

See LADYBUGS, page 5

MONDAY SANDERSON I Associate Life Editor

Ladybugs make their home on a cleaning sponge in Rice Hall. Many students reported finding ladybugs in unexpected places.

NEWS 3

March 3, 2016 • The Flor-Ala

Minority presence lacking in faculty, staff KAITLYN DAVIS

Associate News Editor news@florala.net

The university strives for diversity, but minorities are underrepresented in the faculty and staff on campus.

Minorities make up 17 percent of university employees while whites make up 80 percent, according to a report from the Office of Human Resources and Affirmative Action.

President Kenneth Kitts addressed diversity on behalf of the University Executive Council at the Question and Answer Open Forum Feb 6.

“There might be four to five graduate students coming out of graduate school in a given year that have the expertise you’re looking for, and if they happen to be from an underrepresented group in the academy, a person of color or a woman for example, the competition to get that faculty member is going to be intense,” Kitts said.

He said the marketplace for minority faculty and staff is competitive, and higher paying universities often hire these candidates.

While minority races are underrepresented, women are the majority gender of university employees.

Females make up about 60 percent of university employees. The administration is 54 percent male, faculty is 52 percent female and the staff is 62 percent female, according to the report.

It is important for women to hold higher positions in the workforce, said Coordinator of Women’s Studies Emily Kelley.

“I think it’s important that women are so well represented at UNA,” Kelley said.

When women hold higher positions, the government passes better legislation, women, girls and their children receive better educations, women marry later

and violence against women and girls decreases, Kelley said.

Employing people from a wide variety of backgrounds strengthens UNA, said Director of Diversity and Institutional Equity Joan Williams in an email.

“The university supports and is actively working with departments to increase awareness of best practice strategies to recruit a more diverse workforce,” Williams said.

Having a variety of faculty and staff prepares students for a diverse workforce, Williams said.

See DIVERSITY, page 6

design by MICHAEL MEIGS | Graphic Designer Information provided by the Office of Human Resources and Affirmative Action

Fewer than half Americans hold degrees ANNA BEAHM

News Editor news@florala.net

In the halls of every high school in America are countless posters about the ACT and numerous colleges from across the country. To some students, it may seem higher education is the only option, but research suggests this is not the case.

While college seems to be broadcast as the norm in some parts of the country, the majority of Americans do not hold a degree, according to research by the Lumina Foundation.

According to the report, 40 percent of America’s workforce has an associate degree or higher. An additional 22 percent has some college, but no degree.

Over 95 percent of Americans said they think higher education is “somewhat or very important,” according to research from the Lumina Foundation.

Within that group, 73 percent of African-Americans and 67 percent of Hispanics said higher education is important compared to 56 percent of whites.

In Alabama, 33.6 percent of workingage adults hold a two- or four-year degree, according to the report. That puts

Alabama about seven points behind the national average.

However, for every $1 Alabama legislature puts toward higher education, those graduates produce $12.50 in revenue. These statistics can make a difference in the amount of funds colleges in Alabama receive, said Student Government Association President-elect Sarah Green.

“I think that’s huge,” Green said.

“When people see the financial impact higher institutions are putting into Alabama and it becomes real to them, it becomes more than just paper and numbers.”

Green said she thinks many people who graduate from colleges in Alabama are getting jobs in other states. She said she thinks Alabama needs more jobs so college graduates will stay in state instead of moving for work.

“That could be a problem,” she said.

“We want to continue to fund higher education so we can fix that.”

Creating more jobs and providing more funds for universities could help keep graduates in Alabama.

“We need to fund higher education so that we can fix Alabama’s problems,” said Executive Director of the Higher

Education Partnership of Alabama Gordon Stone. “We not only need more funding, we need a funding model.”

The Alabama state legislature currently does not have a funding model, said Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs Clinton Carter in a previous article.

The model is based on the previous

funding amount each university receives.

Stone said the Higher Education Partnership wants legislature to give higher education one-third of the education budget.

“The last time we were funded to one-third was 1995,” he said.

To read the rest of the story, visit florala.net.

ANNA BEAHM I News Editor

UNA students march to the statehouse for a Higher Education Day rally Feb. 25.

Student Government Association President-elect Sarah Green said 48 students represented UNA at the event.

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4 IMAGES

March 3, 2016 • The Flor-Ala

Practice makes perfect

SHAY REDD I Staff Photographer

Senior Miranda McAfee (left) and sophomore Cassia Mathis play violin in the Music Building. They practiced many hours for the Feb. 26 Shoals Symphony performance of the “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” score.

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The University of North Alabama has many talented students. Majority practice their talents within their majors, like music or art. Then there are those who use their talents just to have something to do during their spare time.

One talented student, junior Kijana Mitchell, told the story of a self-portrait on her residence hall room’s door, titled, “We’re Worth It.” The inspiration behind this drawing was self-love. The mind, spirit and personality are what make a person special, not looks.

“Since February was around the corner, I wanted anyone who passed my door to see this photo and know that whoever they were at that moment was enough,” Mitchell said. “Society might belittle them, a man or friend in their life might belittle them, but the purpose of

Inspiration

Junior Kijana Mitchell shows offer her painting. Mitchell draws in her spare time and decorates her door with varying themes.

Making music (left)

▶

Staff Photographer sredd@una.edu

my door was to symbolize that (women) don’t need validation from anyone.”

Junior Emily Jones uses chalk as her artistic outlet. She is currently working on a piece called “Light.”

“It is part of a series I’m working on that shows my interest in the way light is manipulated,” she said.

Senior Miranda McAfee uses music as her creative outlet.

Music, and how it works, is a very interesting topic, said McAfee, who has been a musician for 12 years.

“Music is something that can be shared with people,” she said.

McAfee said she shares her music as a member of the Shoals Symphony and Quartet.

Music and art can be a way of life for some students. Practicing these talents can one day take their skills to the next level. No matter what happens in life, music and art will be a skill these students will have forever.

▶

SHAY REDD

Chalk art

Junior Caleb Welsh plays his guitar for relaxation. Students in the music department know him as a talented individual.

Junior Emily Jones draws with chalk in the art department studio. Jones is an art major and plans to find a career that will utilize her abilities.

NEWS 5 Alliance seeks to expand veteran services March 3, 2016• The Flor-Ala

ANNA BEAHM

News Editor news@florala.net

UNA is taking steps to make the school a better place for military veterans to earn their degree and get the services they need.

Despite a slow start to the Military and Veterans Alliance, the group is picking up speed, said Advisor LTC Wayne Bergeron.

“We started this effort back in 2011,” Bergeron said. “Like most student organizations, they go through cycles.

Life happens. We’ve gone through some ups and downs.”

The group researched other

”

WE STARTED THIS EFFORT BACK IN 2011.

LIKE MOST STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS, THEY GO THROUGH CYCLES. LIFE HAPPENS. WEʼVE GONE THROUGH SOME UPS AND DOWNS.

WAYNE BERGERON

MILITARY AND VETERANS ALLIANCE ADVISOR

universities with military veteran student organizations and found most of them also had a designated space for the veterans to use, he said.

“Any university you talked to said having a place where military veteran students can call their own is the key to success,” he said. “A lot of universities take that space and put their Veterans Affairs folks in there.”

Most veteran students’ needs are different from the average college student, Bergeron said.

Having a space containing all veteran services is the ultimate goal, said Military and Veteran Alliance President Kandi Pike. She said she hopes the center will eventually contain all the services military veterans may need while in college in one location.

“When we get our bigger place, we will have offices for PTSD counselors as well as our VA rep,” she said. “We’ll also have like a conference room for meetings and anything like that for military personnel.”

UNA has a Military and Veteran Support Center on campus, but Bergeron said he thinks the group will soon need a bigger space. The university opened the center Nov. 11, Veterans Day, he said.

“Obviously, we aren’t quite there yet,

but four years after we started the effort, we now have a veterans’ center space,” he said. “More and more vet students are starting to use it. We have a new set of officers who are very energetic and are trying to push it and get things done.

Everyone thinks it’s a great idea.”

Bergeron said one of the barriers preventing having a larger space and more services is limited staffing for

military and veteran services. However, he said the university is making steps to hire more personnel.

“It’s not that people don’t think it’s a great idea or don’t want to do it,” he said. “Like everything else, in a resourceconstrained environment, you can’t just create new positions out of the air.”

See VETERANS, page 8

photo courtesy of David Montgomery

ROTC cadets present the colors at the Veterans Day event Nov. 11. The university officially opened the Military and Veterans Support Center the same day.

LADYBUGS, continued from page 2 Residents find ladybugs in unexpected places, said senior Miranda McAfee.

“I wasn’t looking at it when I took a sip of (my water), and there was a ladybug in the straw of it,” McAfee said. “And it’s the worst taste you can imagine. It’s like acidic and dirty. It’s really bad and really intense.”

The ladybugs’ presence in her room became “normal” to her, she said.

“They were constant,” she said. “I would be sitting there doing homework, and I could hear them because there were so many. I could hear them flying around the window or flying around the light.”

McAfee said she never submitted a maintenance request for her room.

It is important for students to submit a work request if they have problems with bugs in their rooms, Mitchell said. She said she found 12 work requests for Rice and Rivers halls concerning bugs since Aug. 1, she said.

“We encourage the students, and we try to make it as convenient as possible for them to be able to put the (work orders) in because we’re only as good as the information we receive,” she said.

“I want their experience to be the best possible.”

While pest control and maintenance helped fix the problem for Curott, some students had difficulties fixing the problem.

“Last semester, I killed about 10 to 12 ladybugs a day in my room,” said freshman Alex Harris, who lives in Rice Hall. “I’ve killed about seven to eight so far this semester.”

Harris said she told her area coordinator Jermaine Ferguson and submitted a maintenance request, but never saw any maintenance personnel come to her room.

Aside from filling the cracks around windows and walls, Mitchell said there are other ways to keep the bugs out of the rooms. She said a pest control technician told her ladybugs do not like lemonscented sprays.

“I had some lemon-scented pledge at home, so I put it on my window sills and my door frame, and (they) stopped (coming in),” she said. “When the scent wears off, they will come back. It’s not a one fix kind of thing.”

She said she recommends students try this method as well.

“When I spray the cleaner I use in my room, they usually go away,” said junior Menden Hall. “So, they aren’t much of a problem for me.”

Other students have trouble with more than just ladybugs. Some students reported roaches and spiders in the residence halls.

“I find it really nasty how anytime I’m eating in the (Rice Hall) kitchen I see roaches,” said junior Davorius James.

“It’s just worse because I have food with me.”

Mitchell said university personnel would need to actually see the roaches before sending pest control.

“I’ve only had two complaints on roaches and both of them were in Rivers,” she said.

6 NEWS

March 3, 2016• The Flor-Ala

Low student use prompts pool closing ALYSSA HALCOMB Student Writer ahalcomb@una.edu

The Flowers Hall pool is now closed to recreational swimmers due to lack of attendance during swim periods.

Since this semester began, fewer than 20 students have attended, Eubanks said.

“For January and February we had 14 individuals utilize the pool and 18 visits to (the) pool,” he said. “For fall, we had 180 different individuals utilize the pool and 611 total visits to the pool.”

The pool was open last semester for students. Feb. 25 was the last day for students to use the pool.

The opening and closing of the pool to recreational swimmers has happened before, and it always closes for the same reason, Eubanks said.

The Student Recreation Center is an auxiliary operation, meaning the funds come from student fees, he said.

“It’s our job to manage how that money is spent,” Eubanks said.

For the pool to be open, there must be two lifeguards present and one Mane Card checker. The lifeguards earned $10.50 an hour and the Mane Card checker earned $7.25, Eubanks said.

Last semester, the pool was open Wednesdays and Thursdays for a few

hours at night, but the SRC added Monday to the calendar per student request.

An adequate number of students attended the recreational swim periods last semester, so the pool stayed open for this semester, and the SRC added an additional day, Eubanks said.

The student employees stationed at the pool “want to work,” said Assistant Director of Recreational Sports and Fitness Glenda Richey.

The three student workers lacked work with so few people using the pool.

Both Eubanks and Richey said they believe the university could spend the money in other areas.

The money could pay for programs or equipment, and the SRC always needs new equipment, Richey said.

Maintaining the equipment in the SRC is costly, Richey said. “(The equipment) gets used, and it have to constantly be maintained,” Richey said Many people contacted the SRC to complain, Eubanks said. Not all of the people who contacted the SRC were students, meaning they could not have used the pool anyway, Eubanks said.

Many of the students who contacted the SRC claim they did not know UNA had a pool, much less that it was open

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to recreational swimmers, Eubanks said.

The SRC struggles with getting the word out about many of their events and services due to the amount of people that delete UNA emails without reading them, Eubanks said.

“It will affect UNA Swim because we used public swim as our practice time and divided up the lanes between us and the few people swimming there for fun,”

SHAY REDD I Staff Photographer

The pool in Flowers Hall was open for student use three days a week until this semester. The Student Recreation Center announced Feb. 23 that the pool will no longer be open to students for recreational swimming.

Y F R O G RA N U H T JOB? GREA y’s Is Hir

DIVERSITY, continued from page 3 “A diverse faculty and staff enriches the experiences of all students,” Williams said. “It is important to employ individuals who are in touch with different segments of our population.”

Students have a better opportunity to find guidance within a diverse faculty and staff, Williams said.

“We have a diverse student body, and a diverse faculty and staff allows students to develop mentoring relationships with employees who have similar backgrounds and cultural beliefs, who are able to serve as role models for our students,” Williams said.

Learning from professors with a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives is an ideal education, said senior Tyler Yasaka.

“You don’t want to have an education where all teachers think the same way and have the same ideas,” Yasaka said.

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“You want to be exposed to lots of different things.”

Staff and faculty diversity is ® important because it helps students learn more about themselves, said senior Carley Hall.

“I think to have a worldview there needs to be other cultures’ viewpoints coming into the classroom,” Hall said.

“If UNA is just staffed with Americans, it’s going to leave all this creativity and diverse population out and keep us closed-minded.”

It is helpful to learn from a professor who shares a similar background, said freshman Destiny Harris.

“We need more professors that are diverse, whether that’s culturally, sexually or gender wise,” Harris said. “I have a professor that is LGBT, and it has helped him understand my essays more.”

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said sophomore and swim team member Jessica Coffey.

The swim team is now subjected to sporadic practice times, sometimes meeting as early as 6:30 a.m., she said.

It is hard to organize a strong team with an inconsistent practice schedule, Coffey said.

Editor’s Note: Police Beat Writer Noel Geiger contributed to this report.

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Viewpoints 7

March 3, 2016 • The Flor-Ala

Gross’ departure inspires taking responsibility FLOR ALA The

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kali Daniel

MANAGING EDITOR Jasmine Fleming NEWS EDITOR Anna Beahm ASSOCIATE news EDITOR Kaitlyn Davis LIFE EDITOR Melissa Parker ASSOCIATE LIFE EDITOR Monday Sanderson SPORTS EDITOR Mike Ezekiel ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Savannah Vickery ONLINE EDITOR Emily Kazungu BUSINESS MANAGER Jordan Byrd GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Peyton Lawler Michael Meigs Kelsey Weathers JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jacqueline Willis CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Kaitlin Douglass STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Amandalyn Dorner Shay Redd Jackson Townsend

MIKE EZEKIEL

Sports Editor sports@florala.net

The word “entitlement,” or the belief that someone deserves special privileges, makes me cringe more than any other.

I have noticed people throwing around the word “entitlement” frequently over the last few years, specifically in reference to themselves.

Former UNA offensive coordinator Cody Gross taught me many lessons when I played for him at Wilson High School in 2011, but none stuck with me more than entitlement.

The lesson was simply this: We were not entitled to anything. He held us

Editorial Policy Content is determined by the student editorial staff of The Flor-Ala and has not been approved by the university.

The staff strives to maintain the integrity of The Flor-Ala through accurate and honest reporting. To report an error, call 256-765-4364 or email editor@florala. net.

Letters Policy Letters to the editor should be emailed to editor@florala.net or mailed to: The Flor-Ala UNA Box 5300 Florence, AL 35632 Letters must include name and telephone number for verification. Please limit letters to 400 words. The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish a letter.

coaches and parents will blame the coaches and administrators.

As a result, administrators will fire their coaches because of pressure from parents.

Fast forward to last weekend. I turn on FOX Sports Radio and listen to Arnie Spanier, a syndicated late-night radio personality on weekends. Spanier talked about entitlement’s unfortunate growth in sports, questioning why people no longer feel the need to work their way up from scratch.

I am not a prideful person, but I do take pride in one thing: playing in a clean program. If I were to ever feel entitled and my coach knew about it, he would kick me off the team.

I told Coach Gross as he was packing up his office Feb. 17, “I would rather go 1-9 playing for you than feel entitled in a 9-1 program.” He smiled, shook my hand, patted me on the back and told me that meant a lot to him.

The truth is, he means a lot to me and is one of the main reasons I’m writing this

editorial. He’s the reason I got my first job out of high school working with the UNA football team, which ultimately resulted in the jobs I have today.

Without him holding me accountable every day and helping me realize I do not deserve anything without putting blood, sweat and tears into it, I would be on a completely different path.

All coaches should hold their players to these standards. Their job is not to just win games, but to mold their players to be productive members of society.

Our society should not feel entitled because we are not.

My advice is to be happy working your way from the bottom because more often than not, the most successful people did. Almost every successful person I’ve met, heard or read all said the best time of their life was trying to make it to the top.

Do not wait on your dreams to come to you. Instead, chase them.

Beauty standards restrict individualism, acceptance

ADVISER Scott Morris

Corrections

accountable for our actions, and we earned our success.

Gross left UNA to take the head coach position at Athens High School Feb. 15. When I heard the news, I had two reactions.

The first reaction was, “Oh no, I’m really going to miss seeing him around campus all the time.” My second one was a little more unselfish. I realized that he could instill the same principles at another high school that he did for me when he coached me.

It appears entitlement is bleeding into the sports world more than ever with illegal recruiting running rampant on all levels, including high school. When it comes to players’ egos, it is a feeding frenzy.

USA Today released an article titled “Entitlement an epidemic in sports” April 1, 2010. Writer Christine Brennan foreshadowed what we could expect from athletes, fans and other coaches in the future: The blame game.

Players will blame their

MELISSA PARKER Life Editor life@florala.net

Sports Illustrated recently featured a plus-size model, its first ever, on the cover of its coveted Swimsuit Edition.

This woman, Ashley Graham, is a beautiful and intelligent business woman and model.

Former supermodel and two-time Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover girl

Letter to the Editor Adam McCollum UNA Box 7241 Florence, Alabama 35632 amccollum@una.edu

SGA Elections for the 2016-17 school year are complete, your new officers have been chosen and in a

Cheryl Tiegs did not agree with the magazine’s decision.

“I don’t like that we’re talking about fullfigured women because it’s glamorizing them, because your waist should be smaller than 35 inches,” she said.

What kind of message is this sending to our young girls and young women?

Approximately 91 percent of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape, according to dosomething.org.

What is this ideal body shape exactly? A typical female fashion model wears a size zero to four, even though the average American woman wears a size 14, according to

Cosmopolitan.

More than 90 percent of teenage girls want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance, according to a Dove global study. Body weight ranked the highest on their list.

Society has always placed pressure on women to look a certain way when the focus should be on being healthy and happy. I’m tired of seeing larger women put down, passed over and forgotten.

Yes, it is important to be healthy, but even skinny girls can be unhealthy. The point is, we are all beautiful individuals.

Who makes up this socalled society anyway? People I’ve spoken to like their girls,

and guys, in all shapes and sizes.

Maybe mainstream media is finally taking the hint. It’s time to break the beauty standard and show the world who we are and what we like. Contact clothing manufacturers and let them know all sizes are necessary, and no one should be left out when it comes to fashion trends. Don’t be a victim of the Photoshop hype. You are beautiful. You are perfect. You are amazing.

To quote an old proverb, “Beauty is only skin deep.”

Beauty is fleeting. It’s a person’s character that remains.

little less than two months the current team will pass on the torch of leadership. We’ve entered into what is considered in politics, “Lame Duck Season.”

It’s that time of transition where a whole lot of “nothing” often gets accomplished. I call it “failure to finish.” It is easy to be passionate at

the beginning. Momentum is strong, students are excited and you have that feeling of standing on top of the world.

Yet, the beginning is not what defines leaders or anyone for that matter. Leaders are forged near the finish line. A great team will step in April 21, and the old will step out.

However, I give you my word

that this current leadership team will finish what we started.

Hold us accountable. We signed a contract with the student body for a full year, and that is what you will get from us. These next two months will not be our “Lame Duck Season.” It’ll be our Swan Song.

Congratulations to our Writer & Photographer of the Week! Noel Geiger and Shay Redd

8 NEWS

GREEN, continued from page 1 “‘It’s going to be the cool committee,’” Green said. “‘We’re going to get big things done on campus.’

“Our first committee meeting, as chair, we sat down and asked, ‘OK, who all wanted to actually be on legislative affairs?’ No one wanted to be on legislative affairs. I was like, ‘OK, that’s fine, that’s what I was expecting.’

But now I think if you were to ask my committee members — and it’s definitely not because of me — the people who are on legislative affairs actually care about the things that we’re doing.”

Lang said Green has done well as chair of the legislative affairs committee.

“She brought more people to Higher Ed Day than we have had the last two years,” he said. “We had (about) 30 and this year we had 49. She has had some really innovative ideas about potentially having a Higher Ed Day on campus later on this semester.”

Now, the incoming president has planned to get the ball rolling for next year.

“As president, my first move is to sit down with my chief of staff and start emailing (registered student organizations) setting up a date for the first president’s council meeting,” Green said.

Part of Green’s platform was to organize a council of representatives from each campus RSO, meeting once a month to discuss issues and campus involvement. She said she hopes to have at least one meeting before the end of the semester.

SGA has not been the only organization Green has dedicated her time to. She is currently a member of LaGrange Society, Phi Mu sorority and club swim team. She also works in the Office of Student Engagement as a Student Leadership Consultant.

When she is not working or engaging these RSOs, Green said she is an average college student, willing to engage others.

“I love a good joke, and peanut jokes are my favorite,” she said. “I also like to bowl. No one ever wants to go bowling with me, so if anyone wants to go bowling ever, I really would like that.”

Green also has a yorkie, Ladybug, who she walks around campus. If Green feels any stress, however, the only solution is off campus, Barnes said.

“I like to go to Wal-Mart really late at night by myself,” she said. “I really don’t get stressed out much, but if you see me in Wal-Mart at 11 or 12 o’clock by myself at night, I’m stressed out. I like going to the candle aisle and just smelling the candles. I know that’s really weird, but that’s my favorite thing to do.”

Those who pass the sorority residence halls may see Green in a window - or so

they think.

“Last year when I was running for SGA secretary my hashtag was #SGandMe, so we brought around a cutout with us everywhere and she’s fistbumping,” Green said. “She lives on the Phi Mu floor. People used to put her in peoples’ rooms to scare people because she’s pretty scary, to be honest.”

Barnes said she thought of the cutout idea to catch peoples eye.

“One time someone put her in the bathroom in the shower thinking they’d open the shower curtain and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, SG’s in here!’ But they didn’t look and they turned on the water and SG’s little legs are all curled up now. Her legs are cut off, and her arms flop around.

And she’s folded so she sits. She was a good one. She’s still with us, she’s just a little broken.”

Barnes said the cutout is “a wonderful reminder” of how far Green has come.

After graduating from UNA with a degree in political science, Green hopes to attend law school at the University of Georgia — that is if they recognize her citizenship.

“I was born in the Marshall Islands on Kwajalein,” she said. “It’s a little tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Whenever I was applying to get a passport in my senior year of high school, they decided I wasn’t a U.S. citizen, (which) I am. They sent me all this paperwork back and the same thing happened when I applied for UNA.” Despite being 6 years old when she moved to the continental United States, Green said this is a recurring issue whenever she tries to obtain a legal document.

“I was born to American parents and I was born on American soil, so it’s funny,” she said.

As funny as she feels the citizenship situation is, she is quick to focus on her primary goals as a citizen of Florence. As Green begins her term, she hopes to reach out to students more than ever before.

“A lot of times people think SGA is all senate,” she said. “UPC is a completely different side. They’re two completely different personalities, and I feel like most people would fit in somewhere.

Give it a shot and go for it. The worst thing that could happen is that you don’t like it, but you’ll still get something out of it.”

Barnes said she is most looking forward to making history in the 2016-17 school year.

“I’m calling this the Powerhouse Team because I don’t think Miss UNA and the SGA President have ever been best friends or roommates,” she said.

“It’s going to be a really good year for UNA.”

March 3, 2016 • The Flor-Ala

2016-17 SGA OFFICERS

SGA PRESIDENT SARAH GREEN

military and veteran support effort.

Bergeron said administration is making plans to make UNA more veteranfriendly.

In addition to work with the veteran center, the alliance is planning a paintball tournament for April 27. Any students may participate in the event, Pike said.

Bergeron said he hopes the event will help spread awareness about the alliance.

“It’s only going to get better,” he said.

IN

REVIEW

• UPC MOVIE NIGHT SHOWING “MOCKINGJAY: PART 2” MARCH 4 AT 7 P.M. SGA IS GIVING AWAY FREE SWEATPANTS. • UPC APPROVED A RESOLUTION TO ADD AN “ITʼS ON US: SPRING BREAK EDITION” EVENT MARCH 23.

• 48 STUDENTS REPRESENTED UNA AT HIGHER EDUCATION DAY FEB. 25.

• UPC POETRY SLAM MARCH 25 IN THE GUILLOT UNIVERSITY CENTER PERFORMANCE CENTER

VICE PRESIDENT OF SENATE TYLER DELANO

FOR MEETING BRIEFS AND UPDATES ON THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION, VISIT FLORALA.NET.

CAMPUS CRIME LOG VICE PRESIDENT OF UPC NICK SMITH

• FEB. 11 AGENCY/WARRANT ARREST

PINE STREET • FEB. 10 HARASSING COMMUNICATIONS

OLIVE HALL • FEB. 9 POSSESSION OF SECRETARY JESSICA MCALISTER

VETERANS, continued from page 5 “There has to be money there and all these things,” Bergeron said.

The university is in the process of hiring VA work study students to staff the center. “(We need to have) someone (at the center) to answer questions, provide services and help (VA Specialist Michelle) Dailey out in reaching out to veterans,” he said.

University President Kenneth Kitts and all the vice presidents support the

SGA

DRUG

PARAPHERNALIA

LOT H • FEB. 8 HARASSMENT NORTON AUDITORIUM • FEB. 8 VIOLATION OF PROTECTION ORDER

TENNESSEE STREET

TREASURER NIKKI MATHEWS

FULL CRIME LOG AVAILABLE AT UNA.EDU/POLICE/CRIMELOG

LIFE 9

March 3, 2016 • The Flor-Ala

A series on sex and millenials

KAITLIN DOUGLASS I Chief Photographer

Many people take photos or videos and share them on social media apps such as Snapchat without realizing the consequences. “Anything on social media, anything on the Internet in general — especially with things like Snapchat where they say it’ll disappear after a certain amount of time — it never really disappears,” said Associate Director for Digital Communications Jeremy Britten.

ʻFull-body nudity, breasts and buttsʼ flood Snapchat MELISSA PARKER Life Editor life@florala.net

All actions come with consequences, and posting pictures and private information on the Internet is no exception.

Students have been posting pictures of “full-body nudity, breasts and butts” as well as sexual videos on various Snapchat accounts, said Title IX Coordinator Tammy Jacques.

Snapchat, which allows users to share images or video clips with friends, boasts approximately 100 million daily active users and an estimated 200 million monthly active users, according to businessinsider.com.

Although the posts are only meant to stay visible for a short time, this might not be the case.

“Anything on social media, anything on the Internet in general — especially with things like Snapchat where they say it’ll disappear after a certain amount of time — it

never really disappears,” said Associate Director for Digital Communications Jeremy Britten. “There (are) ways to find it and see it or to screenshot it without people knowing. You never know where it’s going.”

Posting these types of pictures and videos are not the best way to portray UNA, said junior Bradley Bullock.

“You know at any college campus stuff like that is going to go down, but you wouldn’t expect people to just put it out for anyone and everyone to see it,” he said. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, personally.”

Taking pictures or videos of another person without their consent is another important issue students should be aware of, Jacques said.

“If they take nude pictures without consent and start sharing them with other individuals and start putting them out there on social media, that can cause them some issues,” she said.

“That’s considered sexual exploitation. If somebody does

a recording of somebody in a sexual act and puts it out there without consent, that’s just as bad as somebody being sexually assaulted or raped. We take it seriously.”

This behavior can result in expulsion from the university, she said.

Students need to know the dangers of posting on social media and the larger implications of it, she said.

Faculty, staff, potential employers and community members can see these postings, she said.

“There’s all kinds of potential repercussions,” Britten said. “I think it’s the nature of it being anonymous. You can sign up with a fake screen name, and if you never show your face there’s not really any direct repercussions made that you can see.”

However, there is always the chance someone will recognize something in the background of a photo or video and be able to tie it back to someone, he said.

”

IF SOMEBODY DOES A RECORDING

OF SOMEBODY IN A SEXUAL ACT AND

PUTS IT OUT THERE WITHOUT CONSENT, THATʼS JUST AS BAD AS SOMEBODY

BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULTED OR RAPED.

WE TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.

TAMMY JACQUES

TITLE IX COORDINATOR Students should also understand once they send pictures or videos to someone, those items become the other person’s property, Jacques said.

“If you send a private message to somebody, you have really no way of knowing if they’re going to pass that on to someone else,” he said. “That could turn around and bite them when it comes to job interviews or anything.”

Social media has changed

the way people share pictures and information, said Associate Professor of Sociology Andrea Hunt. Anything posted can go across the campus or around the world.

“There’s this kind of blurring now with social media between these kind of public and private boundaries,” she said.

People should keep the sexual images off Snapchat, said freshman Sara-Anne Murray.

“They do it for attention,” she said. “It’s such a cool thing for us to have a Snapchat, but these people ruin it for everyone.

They think they can get away with it because their name isn’t on there.”

Jacques said she encourages students to pay attention to what they are sharing and who they are sharing it with.

“Take care of yourself,” she said. “Think about things before you post it out there and who might see it. Think about things before you send it to an individual.”

10 LIFE

March 3, 2016 • The Flor-Ala

Womenʼs history month becomes ʻherʼstory month MONDAY SANDERSON Associate Life Editor life@florala.net

March is Women’s History Month, and the Center for Women’s Studies has created the Women’s “Herstory” project to celebrate it.

In the month of “herstory,” women will tell their own stories and name their heroine, said Coordinator of the Center for Women’s Studies Emily Kelley.

“It’s an effort to get young women on campus involved with Women’s History Month,” Kelley said. “The challenge was to either dress as their heroine in history or get a picture of their heroine and hold it.”

All participants decided to use a photo of their heroine instead of dressing up, said Director of the Center for Women’s Studies Lynne Rieff.

Kelley said senior Claire Eagle, a public history student, will place these photos in an exhibit in Collier Library in early March.

People should discuss Women’s History Month more, said junior Kevin Williams.

“I didn’t even know there was a Women’s History Month,” he said.

“It’s not marketed as well as Black History Month.”

Kelley said she decided to do this project after reading about the women’s center at the University of Connecticut doing a similar event.

“The Center for Women’s Studies is always looking for different ideas for programming and ways to involve students and faculty,” Rieff said. “We had thought about doing something like this in the past, and finding this done in another school gave us that push. We thought with Women’s History Month

coming up, this would be a great time to do this.”

Kelley said her main goal for this project is to have more participants in the future.

“This year we only had a few people agree to do this,” she said. “One student, one professor, one alumna and two staff members. I’m really hoping that as time goes by that we will have more participants, students in particular.”

Kelley said she has already chosen her hero.

“My heroine is Eleanor Roosevelt,” she said. “It’s for a number of reasons.

She did not have a happy marriage, but she overcame this unhappiness. She was one of the first ladies who took their role seriously. When the president couldn’t walk, she was his legs.”

Rieff said her hero was Barbara Jordan, an African-American congresswoman from Texas.

The first time I ever heard Jordan speak on television was when I was 15,” she said. “It was during the time of the Watergate Scandal. What I remembered about her was her voice. That’s what drew me in, that commanding, strong, eloquent voice.”

This is an important project for women to get involved with, said senior Ashley Smith.

“If you want this to be recognized and you want these things to keep happening, then you have to make sure to be involved,” she said.

Kelley said she hopes students enjoy the exhibit.

“This exhibit can create a powerful experience for students,” she said.

“I want students to be able to leave with more knowledge. I also hope students will be motivated to come to the Women’s Center.”

design by MICHAEL MEIGS | Graphic Designer

Sources: unstats.un.org | National Center for Education Statistics

Fashion Forum participates in Fashion Week CHELSEA YARBER RSO Beat Writer cyarber1@una.edu

Fashion Forum, a Registered Student Organization intermingling fashion and community service on campus, is preparing for Fashion Week Alabama happening in Huntsville March 1-5.

Members of the organization will attend the event March 4 and 5.

During Fashion Week Alabama, Fashion Forum members will assist models backstage and local designers in Alabama. Fashion Forum members will also work with Mychael Knight,

a Montgomery native and season three Project Runway contestant who has designed looks for Toni Braxton, Khloe Kardashian and Jennifer Hudson.

“We volunteered last season at Fashion Weekend Alabama, which was a condensed version of what is now Fashion Week Alabama,” said senior Amber Lyons, Fashion Forum president and Fashion Merchandising major. “I am looking forward to working with the Alabama Fashion Alliance for an extended period of time this season and improving upon my skills as a fashion major.”

The Alabama Fashion Alliance is

an all-volunteer group of professionals, community leaders and business owners working together for the common goal of uniting and advancing the fashion and fashion art industries — locally, statewide and nationally, according to their website.

The AFA created Fashion Week Alabama in 2011 in an effort to inspire designers and Fashion Merchandising students to share their talents and designs with one another and with the general public, according to their mission statement.

Lyons is no stranger to the fashion world, she said.

“I’ve worked in retail for years,” she said. “I recently worked with local designer Nicole Huckaboom and her brand Nicole Nicole Clothing and Design. Immediately after graduation, I will be interning at Ix Style Inc., a sandal company in New York City that donates clean water to Guatemalan communities in need with every shoe purchase.”

Lyons became the Fashion Forum president in 2015 after serving as an active member of the organization for three years.

See FASHION, page 11

LIFE 11

March 3, 2016 • The Flor-Ala

The Flor-Ala file photo

Participants in Bowl for Kids Sake 2015 bowl at Lauderdale Lanes to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Shoals. This year’s event is March 11 — 13. “All the money raised goes directly to our program services and matching a child with a mentor,” said CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Shoals Gina Mashburn.

Annual event raises money for local organization CHELSEA YARBER RSO Beat Writer cyarber1@una.edu

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Shoals’ annual Bowl for Kids Sake event is March 11-13. The event takes place at Lauderdale Lanes on Florence Boulevard.

Bowl for Kids Sake is a fundraiser that benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Shoals, and it is important that the community gets involved, said CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Shoals Gina Mashburn.

Individuals get teams of at least four to six people together and register online for the event, she said.

There is no registration fee, but the organization appreciates donations, she said.

“All the money raised goes directly to our program services and matching a child with a mentor,” Mashburn said.

Participants bowl for free and have the chance to win door prizes and a grand prize, she said.

“To get a free T-shirt, we ask each bowler to raise at least $25,” she said.

“We won’t turn you away if you only come in with $15, but we hope that each team can raise $250.”

The individual raising the most money wins a custom bowling ball, bag and shoes, she said.

“Big Brothers Big Sisters is an organization dedicated to bettering the lives of adolescents across the Shoals community,” Mashburn said. “BBBS seeks to provide adolescents with a Big Brother or a Big Sister that will spend quality time with a child they are

FASHION, continued from page 10 “Fashion Forum allows fashion majors and students on campus interested in fashion who may not even be fashion majors an outlet to volunteer at events and shows throughout the state of Alabama,” Lyons said.

Members meet every first Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m. in the Stone Lodge.

Lyons said Fashion Forum welcomes new members throughout the school year.

“I joined Fashion Forum so I could be around people with the same interests on campus,” said junior and Fashion Forum Vice President Courtney Moore.

“Fashion Forum has exposed me to fashion events that are happening right here in our area.”

In addition to Fashion Week Alabama, members participate in seasonal service

projects throughout the school year. Last semester, they took part in Little Dresses for Africa.

Little Dresses for Africa is an event allowing all members to create pillowcase dresses for young girls in African communities in need, Lyons said.

Members have also held events on campus raising donations and awareness for TOMS shoes.

Fashion Forum is beneficial to students who are interested in fashion, said senior Claire Eagle.

“As someone who works in retail, I encourage students who may be interested in fashion to join in on the fun,” Eagle said. “I wouldn’t miss out on an opportunity to meet amazing designers

”

IT COSTS AROUND $800 A YEAR TO SPONSOR ONE CHILD WITH BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS. THE MORE MONEY WE HAVE SUPPORTING OUR PROGRAM, THE MORE WE WILL BE ABLE TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THESE CHILDREN AND ABLE TO MATCH THEM WITH A MENTOR.

GINA MASHBURN

CEO, BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF THE SHOALS

partnered with on a weekly basis.”

Supporting these children comes with a cost, and every dollar amount helps.

“It costs around $800 a year to sponsor one child with Big Brothers Big Sisters,” Mashburn said. “The more money we have supporting our program, the more we will be able to financially support these children and able to match them with a mentor.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters is Alpha Tau Omega’s philanthropy, and the fraternity has participated in the event since the beginning, said junior and ATO President Josh Sanderson.

“Big Brothers Big Sisters has always been great to us, so giving back is the least we can do,” he said.

All greek organizations should join the event, said senior and Alpha Delta Pi alumna Kathryn Smith.

To read the rest of the story, visit florala.net.

Lauderdale Lanes $2 Student Deal! $2 Shoe Rental

$2 Games

Monday through Thursday 12pm-4pm.

Monday through Thursday 7pm to close.

Must show current college ID. Limited lane availability, first come, first served.

Not valid with any other coupons or offers.

Prices do not include tax.

12 SPORTS

March 3, 2016 • The Flor-Ala

Alumnus scores job with MLB

SCOREBOARD FEB. 25-28

MIKE EZEKIEL

Sports Editor sports@florala.net

Feb. 25

Tennis at Christian Brothers Women: 9-0 Win Men: 8-1 Win

Feb. 27 Womenʼs BB at UAH 58-51 Loss Menʼs BB at UAH 108-88 Loss Softball at Shorter (DH) 3-0 Win, 8-1 Win Baseball at Shorter (DH) 8-7 Win, 10-0 Win

Feb. 28 Softball at Shorter 7-5 Win Baseball at Shorter 8-1 Win Tennis vs Delta State Women: 7-2 Win Men: 7-2 Win

UPCOMING Basketball

GSC Menʼs Basketball Tournament March 4-5 at Samford University Birmingham

Softball

March 5-6 vs West Florida (TH) March 9 vs Montevallo (DH) March 12-13 at Lee University (TH)

Baseball

March 5-6 vs West Florida (TH) March 8 vs Lemoyne-Owen March 12-13 at Lee University (TH)

Tennis

March 6 at Tuskegee (M & W) March 8 vs UAH (Women) March 10 vs UAH (Men)

Games continued at roarlions.com

JACKSON TOWNSEND I Staff Photographer

Junior first baseman Anna Gayle Norris awaits the pitch against Valdosta State Feb. 12. The Lions are off to their best start in school history with a 21-4 record and a No. 8 ranking in the NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.

Softball sets school record SAVANNAH VICKERY

Associate Sports Editor sports@florala.net

The UNA softball team (214, 7-2 Gulf South Conference) reached its highest ranking in school history last week at No. 8 in the initial NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.

Despite the record-setting accolade, the team is not concerned with the rankings, said head coach Ashley Cozart.

“The No. 8 ranking is awesome, and it’s a testament to how hard they work,” Cozart said. “But it is just a number, and no number could ever say how proud I am of them.”

The team added another accomplishment to its belt Saturday, as junior right-handed pitcher Hillary Carpenter earned career win No. 49, setting the record for most wins in school history.

Carpenter said she believes the team has potential to play for a championship, given its strength of schedule.

“We play in one of the toughest conferences in the nation,” Carpenter said. “I think that prepares us to go all the way.”

Carpenter said the high

ranking is a big accomplishment, but where they finish matters most. Carpenter, who is a threeyear letterman for UNA, said this may be the most cohesive unit she has played with.

“I think this year’s team chemistry has the potential to take us even further,” Carpenter said. “It is definitely our biggest strength.”

The No. 8 ranking is a great accomplishment for the team, but the Lions do not plan on stopping, said sophomore outfielder Bailey Nelson.

“Rankings are great, but they don’t win championships,” Nelson said. “I think if we continue to play up to our potential, then we can be in the mix at the end.”

Nelson said she agreed unity is the biggest strength for UNA so far.

“Everyone in the lineup is dedicated to improving and accomplishing their role to be a better team,” she said.

Cozart said not only is this team talented, but it has remarkable chemistry, making her the luckiest coach around.

“Our best quality is how well we work together,” Cozart said. “You can have all the talent in the world, but if you’re not

playing together, then you’re not going to succeed. That has been a big part for us.”

Compared to last season, Cozart said hitting throughout the lineup is the biggest improvement.

“Areas we’ve improved from last year include our strength at the plate from batters one through nine,” Cozart said. “At any point in our lineup, we have the ability to change a game. We also have more leadership on this team.”

The Lions face West Florida (17-4, 7-2) in GSC action March 5-6. The series will be three games long, all played at the UNA softball complex.

Cozart said this week’s matchup with West Florida (174, 7-2 GSC) could factor into where the team ends up later in the year.

“There’s no doubt in my mind this team has the ability to play for a championship,” Cozart said. “But we’re taking things game by game, and there’s a lot of games left till we get to where we need to be.”

UNA hosts the Argonauts in GSC action March 5-6. The series will be three games long, all played at the UNA softball complex.

Not many people can claim they started their professional baseball career in the same minor league organization as MLB all-stars Ryan Braun, Lorenzo Cain and Jonathan Lucroy.

UNA alumnus J.R. Dawson, who graduated spring 2015, can now use that statement as his claim to fame.

The former head football equipment manager for the Lions accepted a clubhouse manager position with the Helena Brewers last summer, a minor league baseball team in Montana. The advanced rookie ball team is an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

After his time ended with the Brewers, Dawson accepted the clubhouse attendant position with the St. Louis Cardinals organization, working at the team’s spring training facility in Jupiter, Florida.

“I may not be an athlete, but I want to be in the major leagues,” Dawson said. “I want to be at the top of whatever I’m doing, just like the players. This is where major league players start out at, and this is where I’m starting at as well.”

Dawson said his “road to the show” is very similar to a minor league baseball player’s journey to the majors.

See DAWSON, page 13

photo courtesy of Sports Information

UNA Alumnus John Robert Dawson tosses a football to an official during a game against Jacksonville State in the 2013 season. Dawson works as a clubhouse manager for the St. Louis Cardinals spring training facility in Jupiter, Florida.

SPORTS 13

March 3, 2016 • The Flor-Ala

Football team begins competitive spring practices MIKE EZEKIEL

Sports Editor sports@florala.net

Spring training is officially underway for the UNA football team.

With over 20 players graduating from last season’s team, the Lions will experience a competitive spring, said UNA head coach Bobby Wallace.

“I think competition is the most important thing for us right now,” Wallace said. “Repetition (of plays for the main players) is always important, but we’re not to the point where we know who needs those repetitions.”

The Lions started practice Feb. 22, but did not start full contact until the second practice Feb. 24. After a third practice the following Friday, the Lions scrimmaged at Braly Stadium.

“I think we’ve implemented a lot of stuff on offense and defense,” Wallace said. “To do that in one week is good.

Having so many returning players helps that. I think we’re ready to compete.”

The Lions return 17 starters and 45 lettermen to the team.

Many people expect last year’s backup quarterback, senior Jacob Tucker, to start next season. Wallace said Tucker looks confident in practice.

“He’s a great leader,” Wallace said.

“He knows it’s his turn to step up with Luke (Wingo) through playing. It’s really his team right now, and he knows it. He has great leadership skills.”

Tucker said people often throw the idea around of him filling Wingo’s shoes, and he embraces it.

“For three or four years, I’ve been on

AMANDALYN DORNER I Staff Photographer

Senior quarterback Jacob Tucker drops back to throw a pass during a UNA football spring practice Feb. 24. Tucker played as a backup quarterback the last three years, and many people expect him to start next season.

the sideline ready to go when they called my name,” Tucker said. “Sometimes, they needed my name called, like in 2014 when Wingo got hurt. I’ve always been ready.

“Now, people do come up to me and

tell me, ‘It’s your time now.’ I just kind of laugh and say I feel like I’ve paid my dues. Whether I get to play four years or one year, just getting the opportunity to play is a blessing.”

Redshirt freshman Blake Hawkins

will be eligible next season, and the team expects him to backup Tucker. UNA brought in transfer sophomore Matt Markham to build depth at quarterback, Wallace said.

After former offensive coordinator Cody Gross left the Lions for the head coaching position at Athens High School Feb. 15, UNA wide receivers coach Steadman Campbell is working with the quarterbacks for the spring.

Wallace said he is in no rush to fill the offensive coordinator position.

“Right now, we haven’t named anyone to that title,” Wallace said.

“Coach Campbell and Coach (Scott) Harper are running the offense and are both capable of doing it. We have to make the decision within a reasonable time and get it settled, but right now we’re in no big hurry.”

Defensively, the Lions plan to experiment with different players in new positions before this spring is over.

“We’re not moving anyone right now, but we may put some people in different positions in a week or so,” Wallace said.

“There has been a few moves, but not with the players that played last year.”

Preparing for the team’s first game against Football Championship Subdivision opponent Jacksonville State starts in the spring, said senior defensive end E.J. Parnell.

“We have a lot of work to do for Jacksonville State Sept. 1,” Parnell said.

“I feel like we have a lot of work to get in at the spring game. We have to show up as a unit and continue to mold all the way through the summer and up to that first game.”

DAWSON, continued from page 12

Maybe this..

What if we run an ad that looks so strange people look at the bottom to see who in the world did it?

/UNA_CAMPUS

www.unacampus.com

“Players can be moved up during the season, but I have to wait until the season is over, and maybe there will be an opening,” Dawson said. “Not only can you move up levels, but you can also skip levels if you do a good job.”

Dawson’s duties as a clubhouse manager vary day-to-day. He said his job is being each player’s caretaker.

“This isn’t your typical nine-to-five job,” he said. “I may work 16 to 18 hours a day and be off a while when the team is on the road. I’m the one who feeds (the players), cleans the clubhouse and I do their laundry.”

Dawson said the most rewarding perk of his job is being around baseball every day.

“I don’t have to sit in an office and feel like I’m doing nothing all day,” he said. “I get to be around baseball the entire day. Part of me working is getting to watch part of a baseball game and watch batting practice. There is nothing better than that.”

Dawson has been taking care of athletes since middle school. He started in 2006 as an eighth grader at Colbert County High School helping the varsity baseball team as a manager for coach Phil Bates.

Dawson also worked for UNA offensive coordinator Cody Gross during Gross’ tenure as head football coach at

Colbert County in 2007.

“He did everything,” Gross said. “He was the manager, the trainer, he washed the laundry and he did the field setup, the whole deal. He basically ran the whole thing by himself. It really allowed me to coach and not worry about that stuff.”

Gross said he feels like it should be him thanking Dawson instead of the other way around.

“When J.R. sent me a text thanking me, I was very appreciative,” Gross said.

“My response back to him was that he has done a lot more for me than I ever did for him, but I’m glad he looks at it that way, and that means the world to me.

I’m glad our paths crossed.”

Junior Aubrey Champion, the current head football manager for UNA, worked with Dawson in his first season.

Champion said Dawson helped him get on the right path for the head position.

“J.R. taught me everything I needed to know about being a manager,” Champion said. “He taught me the right way to do things but also showed me how to have fun while doing it.”

In all circumstances, Dawson always gave his best effort, said senior Ryan Mason, a former UNA football player.

“He’s an example of perseverance,” Mason said. “One thing about J.R. was that he had a good reputation and always came to work. I wish him the best.”

14 Sports

March 3, 2016 • The Flor-Ala

UNA Women’s Basketball Possible Returning Players 2016-17 #00 Tionne Herron Senior Guard #4 Jennifer McMahan Freshman Guard #5 Keke Gunter Junior Guard #10 Kierra Groce Sophomore Guard #12 Savannah Stults Sophomore Guard #20 Katelyn Nunley Sophomore Forward #21 Shay Trent Sophomore Guard #22 Katelyn Kostelc Sophomore Guard #24 Jaclyn Heath Junior Guard AMANDALYN DORNER I Staff Photographer

Redshirt freshman guard Savannah Stults defends a Union University opponent Feb. 18 in Flowers Hall. The Lions finished 5-22 on the season, but will return the majority of their roster next year.

Rebuilding season ends, optimism begins MIKE EZEKIEL

Sports Editor sports@florala.net

A disappointing year came to an end Feb. 27 for the UNA women’s basketball team, as the Lions fell 58-51 to AlabamaHuntsville, closing the season with a 5-22 record.

The Gulf South Conference coaches picked the Lions fifth in the preseason poll, but many factors hindered the team’s success, including a number of injuries. UNA lost seven of its last 10 games, but five of those were by four points or less.

Although the Lions did not do well in the 2015-16 season, the team is building for success in the years to come, said UNA head coach Missy Tiber.

“I think about (next year) every day,” Tiber said. “Our job as a coach is to make the team better, so I spent two days in gyms (last week) watching junior college games and high school games to prepare our team for the future.”

Pending approval from the NCAA for senior Alexus Patterson’s eligibility, the Lions only lose senior guard Janae Lyde next year.

The only signings so far for UNA is Lauderdale County High School

standouts Emma, Ella and Ivy Wallen.

Tiber said she plans to add a few more players who can bring an athletic presence to the team.

Tiber said improvements throughout the season from this year’s team give her hope for a better basketball team for next season.

“We’ve been a much better basketball team the last five weeks or so,” Tiber said. “I think we’ve made progress.

I think some of our kids have gotten better, and that’s been the goal. It’s been disappointing that we haven’t had more wins, but at the same time, they are working hard and giving their full effort.”

The injury-plagued Lions started numerous freshmen and sophomores throughout the season, helping a multitude of players gain experience early in their careers.

Junior Tionne Herron is the team’s only guaranteed senior for next season.

Herron said she hopes to see the exact opposite result of last season next year.

“I want a ring (next year),” Herron said. “I want to win. I want next year’s record to be the opposite of what it is now. I think everybody is starting to get the picture of what we were trying to paint. Now, it’s a matter of putting it together (for next year).”

Herron, who started 10 games in 2015 and the two opening games of 2016, saw less minutes toward the end of the season with the emergence of younger role players. Herron said the drawback on her playing time helped her realize the direction the team is heading.

“There were some games where I wondered why I didn’t get in,” Herron said. “From sitting on the sideline I have (seen a lot of improvement from the team). We have to keep those standards high for the newcomers.”

Letting close games slip away was the frustrating for the Lions, but showing enough improvement to hang with talented teams was a positive, said sophomore Jaclyn Heath.

“Throughout the year, we got increasingly better,” Heath said. “It may not have shown up in our overall record, but it showed in practice and in many games that we we’re in right until the end.”

Heath said working harder in the offseason would be key for UNA’s turnaround next season.

“I think the whole team is ready and willing to get in the gym this spring and next fall so that next year, we are winning those games that we were in right until the very end,” Heath said.

#25 Alexus Patterson* Senior Center #30 Madelyn Lindsey Freshman Forward #32 Elise Holden Sophomore Guard #34 Brynn Holden Sophomore Forward #44 Rachel Carter Junior Center

Probable Incomers Ella Wallen Freshman Guard Lauderdale Co. High School Emma Wallen Freshman Guard Lauderdale Co. High School Ivy Wallen Freshman Guard Lauderdale Co. High School * Awaiting NCAA’s Approval

EXTRA 15

March 3, 2016 • The Flor-Ala

Thurs., March 3 3 — 4 p.m.

Active Minds Stone Lodge (Lower) 3:30 — 5:15 p.m.

SGA Meeting GUC 200 4 — 5:30 p.m.

Circle K Meeting Stone Lodge (Upper) 6 — 8 p.m.

Zeta Phi Beta Relationship Goalz GUC 208 6:30 p.m.

Three Wheel Drive FloBama 7 — 9 p.m.

UPC Poetry SLAM GUC Performance Center 7:30 p.m.

Percussion Ensemble Concert: Old and New Norton Auditorium

Fri., March 4 11:30 a.m. — 1 p.m.

One Love Interest Table GUC Atrium 7 — 10 p.m.

UPC Movie Night “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2” GUC Performance Center 9 p.m.

Sailour + The Acorn People the end. Theatre

The Flor-Ala file photo

Guests enjoy food and music during the 2015 George Lindsey UNA Film Festival Awards Show. This year’s awards show is March 5 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Mane Room.

Sat., March 5

6:30 p.m.

George Lindsey UNA Film Festival Awards Show The Mane Room 7 p.m.

March Madness the end. Theatre

8 - 9:30 p.m.

Diversity Education Week “Sticks and Stones Hurt” with Jessica Pettitt GUC Performance Center

Sun., March 6

3:30 — 5:15 p.m.

SGA Meeting GUC 200

6 — 8 p.m.

The Rock Worship Gathering GUC 200

5 — 6 p.m.

College Democrats Meeting CMS 307

8 — 9:30 p.m.

ENCOUNTER Stone Lodge (Upper)

8 — 10 p.m.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes CMS 330

Mon., March 7 9 a.m. — 12 p.m. or 1 — 4 p.m.

Diversity Education Week GLBT 101 Introduction to SafeZone Training GUC Performance Center

Tues., March 8 8 — 11 a.m.

ALICE Stone Lodge Lower 11 a.m. — 1 p.m.

Mix it Up Lunch GUC Atrium

4 — 7 p.m.

ALICE Stone Lodge Lower

Wed., March 9 9 — 11 a.m.

Diversity Education Week Diversity Workshop Session One GUC Banquet Halls A and B 2 — 4 p.m.

Diversity Education Week Diversity Workshop Session Two GUC Banquet Halls A and B 4:30 — 6 p.m.

SAFE Stone Lodge (Upper) 6 — 8 p.m.

Diversity Education Week “Let’s Talk About You” GUC Banquet Halls A and B

16 EXTRA

SOCIAL MEDIA OF THE WEEK

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March 3, 2016 • The Flor-Ala