Issue 7_fall 2012

The

Springhillian

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam | October 25, 2012 | Volume 95 Issue 7

Saturday’s a rugby day

see RUGBYon page 3

October 25, 2012

EVENTS WEEK OF

THE

10/25 Free showing of October Baby Students for Life will provide a showing of October Baby which was partly filmed in Mobile, Ala. and will be raffling off gift cards.

Where: Student Center LeBlanc C When: 8 p.m.-11 p.m.

Thursday October ISSUE SEVEN

Springhillian

25

IN THIS ISSUE

10/26 Family Weekend Talent Show Come support fellow Badgers as they showcase their talent for a chance to win $300 in Badger bucks.

Where: Student Center LeBlanc When: 8 p.m. -10 p.m.

Contact: tcdonze@email.shc.edu

10/27 Family Weekend Casino Night The Campus Programming Board is sponsoring their annual Casino Night.

Where: Student Center LeBlanc When: 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Hillianstaff EDITOR(s) LindseyFRECHOU BrandyJONES Managing Editor MatthewLaBORDE Advertising BrendanPECHON

NEWS reporter MariahHOLLIDAY LIFESTYLE reporter AislinnSHEVLIN SPORTS reporter ThomasWILL CaleFINTA

ADVISOR StuartBABINGTON

on

the

cover

The Spring Hill Rugby Team Tommy Campbell Photo by ThomasWILL

HillianCONTACT

The Springhillian a: 4000 Dauphin Street c/o The SpringHillian Mobile, AL 36608 e: hillian@stumail.shc.edu

Inside NEWS

Inside LIFE & STYLES

Inside SPORTS

Senior Chelsea Audibert is coordinating a shoe drive for the organization Shoes4Soles and has already collected over 1,000 pairs.

Students go crazy for Taylor Swift’s new album “Red” which was released Sunday, Oct. 22 at midnight.

The Spring Hill College men’s basketball team is beginning their season next week.

PAGE THREE

PAGE TEN

PAGE TEN AND ELEVEN

The Hillian Gang

NEWS |3

October 25, 2012

Soles4Souls collects shoes for those less fortunate

By AislinSHEVLIN News Reporter

In America’s materialistic culture, there is less of a focus on having shoes and more of a focus on what type of shoes you have.

Shoes are viewed as an obvious accessory, rather than a useful comfort. This kind of spoiled and entitled mind set like not having enough closet space for an everexpanding shoe collection is what pundits on Twitter refer to as “first world problems.”

Tweeting about a shopping addiction can be humorous, but it disengages with the world-wide problem of poverty and the fact that millions of children and adults walk around without shoes everyday.

Senior Chelsea Audibert is utilizing her independent study course with Dr. Castello to draw attention to this oft-ignored issue by giving Spring Hill College students the opportunity to participate in a drive supporting the shoe charity, Soles4Souls.

According to their Website, the mission of Soles4Souls is to collect “new shoes to give relief to the victims of abject suffering and collects used shoes to support microbusiness efforts to eradicate poverty.”

The luxury of wearing shoes everyday was not apparent to Audibert until a recent trip to Cuba opened her eyes. In her blog

SHC National Society for Leadership and Success The National Society of Leadership and Success Spring Hill College Chapter kicked off the year with two broadcast speakers, and are looking forward to the third broadcast speaker of the semester.

Join the Society on Oct. 30 in LeBlanc C from 5:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. as Hill Harper, star of the hit CBS show “CSI: NY,” talks about how to succeed financially and invest in yourself.

Harper is an accomplished film, television and stage actor. He graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and earned two graduate degrees from Harvard University. He plays Dr. Sheldon Hawkes in “CSI: NY” and is the author of several books, including his most recent “The Wealth Cure,” which helps young people utilize money as a tool to find bliss.

The theme of his speech, The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in

its Place, will educate attendees on how to lay a sound financial foundation, increase the value of interactions in your life, use money as a tool to follow your passion and invest in yourself.

The entire SHC community is invited to attend the society’s speaker event series. There will be three more speaker events next semester.

The National Society of Leadership and Success, established in 2001, is an organization that helps people discover and achieve their goals while encouraging and organizing action to better the world.

For daily updates on the The National Society of Leadership and Success, follow their Twitter page at @SpringHillNSLS and like their Facebook page at The National Society of Leadership and Success Spring Hill College Chapter.

on the HuffingtonPost, Audibert

tennis shoes, and women bared the brunt of cobblestone pavement in makeshift sandals. It makes me think twice about complaining of sore, swollen feet when mine are tucked away in a sturdy fitting pair of shoes.”

Soles4Souls was developed in Nashville in 2005 as a charitable organization focused on disaster relief for victims Photo courtesy of ChelseaAUDIBERT of hurriexplained, “Children's feet spilled canes like Katrina and the Asian out of too small of shoes, men tsunamis, but it has since grown shuffled about in barely there tremendously.

They boast that in the seven years since the organization’s inception, they have “delivered over 19 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes. The shoes have been distributed to people in over 125 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States.”

On an organizational level, Souls4Shoes receives donations from multiple shoe retailers, but they also rely on the charity of individuals like Audibert.

Four Freshman LEAP classes have become involved in assisting Audibert in collecting the shoes and their time and efforts as well as the donations of students and faculty will ultimately make the drive a success.

Shoes will be collected until Nov. 9 when a UHaul truck will deliver them to a Soles4Souls warehouse in Wadley, AL. Audibert said, “Our initial goal was 1000 pairs of shoes, but we have since surpassed that goal and are now hoping for 2000 pairs.”

Presidential debate focused on foreign policy

By ThomasWILL Reporter

The presidential election is now just two weeks away. The two leading candidates, Mitt Romney and President Obama, had their final debate on Monday, Oct. 22 which focused on the topic of foreign policy.

Specifically on terrorism and the Middle East; a topic that has caused a lot of debate since the 9/11 attacks.

Since the current administration took over, the war in Iraq has ended, the U.S. military successfully carried out a mission that left Osama bin Laden dead, multiple revolutions have emerged and a recent terrorist attack in Libya left at least four Americans dead, including the ambassador.

One topic that remains at the top of foreign policy talks is the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.

During their debate, both candidates expressed optimistic views of the military presence in Afghanistan and seemed to agree that the U.S. troops will be out of the country in 2014.

“We’re now in a position where we can transition

out,” said President Obama during the final debate.

“There’s no reason why Americans should die when Afghans are perfectly capable of defending their own country.”

The big question regarding the U.S. leaving Afghanistan is whether or not the country will be able to govern and protect itself.

According to a recent article released by the Washington Post, “no Afghan army is capable of operating without U.S. advisers; many policemen spend more time shaking down people for bribes than patrolling; front-line units often do not receive the fuel, food and spare parts. Intelligence, aviation and medical services remain embryonic. And perhaps most alarming, an increasing number of Afghan soldiers and police officers are turning their weapons on their U.S. and NATO partners.”

However, both parties still remain optimistic about withdrawing U.S. troops by 2014. “The surge has been successful and the training program is proceeding apace,” said Romney. “We’re going to be finished by 2014, so our troops will come home at that point.”

There’s no reason why Americans should die when Afghans are perfectly capable of defending their own country.

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October 25, 2012

| NEWS

What do I want to take next semester?

Sometimes the best classes are the ones you never thought you’d take.

CaleFINTA News Reporter

Even though it seems like the semester just started and there’s no way we should already be thinking about next year, registration for the 2012 Spring Semester is officially open. There are a lot of courses to sift through when registering for classes, but there are always a few wildcards that stand out. Here’s a list of five interesting courses, including their descriptions from the Academic Bulletin of Information, to consider for next semester.

PHL 312: Philosophical Issues in Death and Dying This class, taught by Fr. Baylon, will dive in the philosophical and ethical aspects of death and how they apply to current real-world issues.

Description: An examination of major ethical theories and conceptions of human nature as they apply to the issues of euthanasia, suicide, the rights of the dying patient, the meaning of life, and human destiny.

PHL 422: Philosophy of Mind This class is taught by student-favorite Dr. DiFate and delves into the philosophy regarding the nature of the human mind. This three-hour course offers a look at the many theories of the mind presented by philosophers over the years.

Description: A study of philosophical theories concerning the nature of the mind and its relation to the body. Among the theories considered are dualism, behaviorism, physicalism and functionalism.

SSC 395: Issues in Social justice: Immigration and Globalization This class is perhaps the most interesting course offered next semester, especially since each class is taught by a different professor with different areas of expertise. This course will offer a comprehensive view of human migration from many different perspectives.

Description: Human migration—voluntary and involuntary—is at an all-time high. Immigrants and refugees, asylum seekers, trafficked and guest workers move across national boundaries at an increasing rate and with a range of implications for globe, nation, and locality as well as for the migrants themselves. This course draws on the expertise of eleven professors with specialization in these areas to examine different forms of migration and the related issues of identity, media and literary representation, economics, politics, psychology, and historical contexts. Professors include :Steve Almquist (English/World Literature), Matthew Bagot (Theology), Tim Carmody (Theology), Sergio Castello (Economics), Margaret Davis (English/American Literature), Jamie Franco Zamudio (Psychology), Kathleen Orange (Political Science), Pamela Shuggi (Languages), Meg Smith (English/Composition and Rhetoric), Wanda Sullivan (Visual Arts) and Tom Ward (History).

ENG 321: The Hermit and the Heretic: The Poetry of Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman This class, taught by Dr. Davis, will offer and in-depth look at the lives and works of two of the greatest American poets, Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson.

Description: We will read the poetry and study the lives of these two great nineteenth-century American poets whose works are vastly different in style and subject matter, but who both break the mold of convention in both their life styles and their writing. We will read, journal, discuss, and write.

WRI 495: Special Studies in Writing: Very Strange Things This class, which takes place in the dungeon of AB, will be celebrating the bizarre as part of a special study in writing.

Students will write their strangest works in any genre they want.

Description: This class is going to celebrate the strange, the bizarre, the unclassified and the unclassifiable. We’re going to explore strange new fiction, talk about it and try to emulate it.

We’re definitely going to read David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas and Mark Danielewski’s House of Leaves. We might read a graphic novel like Chris Ware’s Building Stories or David Mazzucchelli’s Asterios Polyp. Above all, we are going to expand our thinking about what writing is and what it can do. This is an open-genre workshop so students are welcome to produce work in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, graphic novels, really anything at all so long as it is written. Other than the English Core, there are no formal requirements for entrance in this class. However, it is expected that students will be willing improve one another’s work and open to suggestions about improving their own work.

Documentary ‘God in the Box’ encourages discussion

By MariahHOLLIDAY News Reporter

On Thursday, Oct. 18 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., people of all religions and faiths were invited to watch the documentary film “God in the Box” and join in discussion after the film in the LeBlanc Room The documentary featured Nathan Lang, the filmmaker who is Jewish, and three of his friends, who are all Catholics. All four men were at a point in their lives where they were curious about God and wanted questions answered.

Needing some reaffirmation, the crew decided to conduct an experiment. Traveling across the country with a black box

they had built, they asked people at random to sit inside the box and answer questions, such as ‘Who is God?’, ‘What does God mean to them?’ and ‘How does God look?’.

Everyone’s responses varied; while some people said God could not be described because he was not human, others could not answer either question directly because they simply did know who God was.

The purpose of the documentary being shown was to answer questions people may have had, and also to get people thinking and talking amongst each other about the diverse religions that were present.

Dr. Switzer, a theology professor, said, “I think showing this documentary helped people think outside of the box.

Everyone has this filter up when it comes to religions outside of theirs, but I believe this film makes people think and question things about their beliefs. It’s a great thing.”

Eddie Shahid, a Muslim, enjoyed listening other people discuss their beliefs and thoughts on God. He said, “I love expanding my knowledge about others’ religion and beliefs.

It is really intriguing how diverse of a topic religion can be.”

The next dialogue will be held on Thursday, Jan. 31 at Byrne Memorial Hall from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in which there will be a guest speaker with a discussion following directly after.

OPINION |

5

October 25, 2012

Through Claudia’s eyes: a new look at ‘Interview with the Vampire’

To the editor, I read Matthew Tusa’s opinion-page article on Greek life with great interest. I know that Mr. Tusa is a serious student with deeply-held Christian ideals and values and I commend him for expressing his concerns. He raises some important issues, but I also think there are some generalizations and hasty conclusions that should be addressed. I write as a Jesuit faculty member who is both an initiated fraternity member (Lambda Chi Alpha) and the longest-serving Greek organization faculty adviser (since 1994).

That two students from different fraternities got into a physical altercation is unfortunate and inexcusable, and I wonder to what extent alcohol was involved, as it is so often in campus altercations. But this altercation should not be used to judge the two fraternities in particular, or Greek life in general, much less to start throwing around the term hate, which I think is an ill-advised choice of words to describe the relations between Greek groups. Greek life, as well as athletic life, involves competition, and, as we well know, competition can bring out the very best in people, and also the very worst.

Competition among Greeks for new members as well as in campus philanthropic and intramural events can all too easily escalate into bad sportsmanship, mad-mouthing, and actual antagonism. We must be on guard about this. And any Greek organization that makes a practice of trying to recruit prospective new members by bad-mouthing other Greeks is really not worth joining.

It is true , unfortunately, that individuals can have antagonism for other individuals, and if this becomes confrontation, the individuals must be held accountable by their Greek organizations because bad behavior by individual members also reflects on the group. But I must say that I have never experienced any indication of hate between or among Greek groups on campus.

What Matthew Tusa is describing must also be set within the larger context of the lack of civility on campus in general, a fact highlighted in last year’s campus-wide discussions on this very issue. As members of the Badger community as well as the Greek community, we must not only care for each other (Jesuit cura personalis) but also occasionally have the moral courage to confront the bad behavior of our friends or Greek brothers/ sisters (tough love).

I hope that Matthew Tusa’s article will result in each Greek organization having a serious conversation with its members about matters of civility and campus behaviors. Healthy Greek life should involve both friendly rivalries as well as introspection as to how well we are living our stated values and ideals. This, in my opinion, is the recipe for success.

By BrandyJONES Editor

Before Damon Salvatore and Edward Cullen, before even Angel and Spike, there was Lestat D’Lioncourt. Lestat was and is the original vampire character that can be proudly held up beside Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” He was the character that is expanded upon in one of the best compilations of vampire novels that spans from the 1970s to the present.

Anne Rice’s vampire chronicles started with “Interview with the Vampire” and sadly ended in 2002 with “Vittorio the Vampire.” Rice

walked away from the wonderfully epic world of her vampires and mayfair witches for the world of Christian fiction. This reader was, for lack of better word, heartbroken.

I have grown up with the likes of Lestat and Armand since I was nine. I hesitantly read “Interview with the Vampire,” glowering at the whiny Louie and crying over the death of Claudia. I have since collected and devoured each of the Vampire Chronicles novels with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning. Lestat’s adventures in “Menoch the Devil” and “The Tale of the Body Thief ” are among my favorite novels.

I am not the only one. So loved are the vampire chronicles, that they have inspired two motion pictures, numerous vampire themed games and a vampire masquerade held in New Orleans. Don’t get me wrong, “Trueblood’s” Eric and Damon from the “Vampire Diaries” are sufficient distractions for the loss of Lestat.

And it is Claudia who we have to thank for the reemergence

of the vampire chronicles. Rice has announced that she will be releasing Claudia’s story on Nov. 20. You can bet that I will be prepurchasing my copy and holding it to read over the Thanksgiving holidays.

Although, Rice touches upon Claudia’s dilemma, she does it through the eyes of Louie who is speaking through a journalist in “Interview with the Vampire”.

It will be fascinating to revisit the world of Louie and Lestat through Claudia’s eyes. Rice has a knack for getting into the skin of her characters and portraying the sensuality of vampires without the pornographic, grotesque or overabundance of brooding that has become synonymous with other nocturnal fictional characters.

She does something so human, so distinctly mortal with her creatures while maintaining an authentic supernatural feel. I cannot wait to see the world through Claudia’s eyes and experience the mythical world of Anne Rice’s vampire chronicles.

Sincerely, Fr.Mike Williams, S.J. Associate Professor of English Cartoon by EfrenFLORES

Life on the Hill

LifeStyles |

6

October 25, 2012

Students gather on Dorn Field to watch the rugby game.

Sophomore Tatiana Gonzalez serves the ball.

Freshman Jordan Travis was the first to cross the finish line at Badger Brawl.

7

October 25, 2012

The women’s cross country team competed in Badger Brawl on Friday, Oct. 19.

Junior Mike Short reaches for the ball at the rugby game.

Senior Joe Rowe passes out information in the cafe about breast cancer awareness.

| LifeStyles

LIFE STYLE |

8

October 25, 2012

ROUND-UP

In a way the Lance Armstrong doping scandal proves exercise leads to cheating.

-Jim Gaffigan @JimGaffigan

No Apple, I’m not going to get your mini iPad, but you did inspire me to buy a bag of tiny Oreos.

“Hypothetical question, let’s say Israel calls you up and they say ‘we need all your hummus.’ What’s your move?” #BetterDebateQuestions -Aziz Ansari @azizansari

Update: @taylorswift13’s album is triumphant. If she’d been here when I was in college I would have written papers on her, not Sylvia Plath.

There is nothing specific about a plan to “go after the bad guys” #debate2012

-Sarah Silverman @SarahKSilverman

Michael Ian Black @michaelianblack

-Lena Dunham @lenadunham Tonight’s Winner: Anyone who didn’t watch the debate.

-Demetri Martin @DemetriMartin

Taylor Swift paints the hill red

By AislinnSHEVLIN Reporter

Unless you’ve been residing in the Sahara desert for the past five years, you’ve probably heard of a singer/songwriter named Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift is a phenomenon in every sense of the word.

Her consistent success is unmatched and she continues to write and record songs that keep her rabid fans happy and hungry for more.

Sunday, Oct. 22 at midnight, Swift released her highly anticipated fourth studio album, Red, and it instantaneously shot to number one on Itunes. Swift is known for her honest and autobiographical songs about her life experiences and especially about her romantic entanglements.

When she releases a single, critics scour the lyrics for hints about which ex-boyfriend she could be referring to and fans relate her lyrics to their own lives. According to Swift devotees, her songs can soothe any problem encountered, prompting the phrase, “There’s a Taylor Swift song for that.”

Junior Ainsley Messina, who flocked to Target for the midnight release, suggests that Taylor Swift’s appeal has to do with the

content of her songs.

Messina said, “Taylor swift is so popular because she isn’t a country singer who sings about beer, bars, and America. She sings about break-ups, friendships, and sappy life

the dubstep-laden hit, “I Knew You Were Trouble.” “I Knew You Were Trouble” is Messina’s favorite single because as she said, “It has Taylor Swift appeal, with a little dubstep action.”

problems.”

Before Monday’s album release, Swift released four singles including her first number one on the Billboard Hot 100, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and her first foray into electronic music with

Swift burst onto the music scene in 2006 as a country singer, with her self-titled country debut, but since then, her songs have been more difficult to label.

Junior Andrew Herman, who also picked up “Red” at midnight, said, “I don’t think

she is really worried about falling into a genre though. She just does what she wants, which is also why people either love her or hate her.”

Swift has sold over 21 million albums and has had over 50 million song downloads in her career so far and she’s only 22 years old.

And despite earning millions of dollars and traveling all over the world, Swift continues to go through life experiences similar to the rest of us and her lyrics translate that youthful misunderstanding that is so relatable.

In her song “22,” she writes, “We’re happy, free, confused and lonely in the best way.” Nothing she sings about seems particularly groundbreaking, but her simple and catchy lyrics are so popular it’s a wonder her songs aren’t investigated for subliminal messaging, which would explain her evergrowing fan base.

Herman remarked, “She just kind of says, very literally, what she wants to and how she wants to and somehow makes it work. That’s also why she is so popular.

Everything she sings about has actually happened to her.”

October 25, 2012

The walkers are back

By BrendanPECHON Reporter

AMC’s new season of its original series, The Walking Dead, returned to its spot on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. on Oct. 14. The third season is already on an enormous winning streak, with last Sunday’s episode reaching 10.872 million viewers, making its closest competition.

The Walking Dead has had a strong running since it first aired on Halloween night of 2010, and quickly became AMC’s number one show. The show is based on a comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman. It follows a small group of survivors, led by officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), through a zombie-filled Atlanta landscape.

The show depicts their post-apocalyptic story with intense scenes of fights for their lives mixed with the emotional hardships of loosing the normal way of life. Thankfully, there’s less of the emotional and more zombie action this season, as last season’s ratings suffered from a somewhat dry season of zombiekilling.

This season is sporting all the gore and action of the first season, as we find the characters seeking sanctuary in a not-so-abandoned prison. The characters have been going about the whole zombie apocalypse thing for a while, and seem much more capable of taking care of themselves. Even little Carl, played by Chandler Riggs, racks up zombie kills like it’s nothing.

“I’m so glad the show is back on. I love zombies, I wish I was

one,” said senior Kelsie Ramires.

This season is shaping up to be the best yet, and American viewers aren’t the only ones taking notice.

For the past 4 years, Dish and AMC networks have been in a large-scale case, with Dish having dropped AMC “claiming that its channels cost too much.”

The feud has not been pretty, as AMC has been running an aggressive campaign against Dish, letting all their viewers know that if they choose Dish, they will not be able to see “your favorite AMC shows.”

This past Sunday, however, Dish decided to drop the case in an effort to recapture AMC’s large viewing audience. As of right now, AMC is once again available on Dish Network, but you’ll have to wait until Nov. 1 for the rest of AMC’s network affiliates.

Attack of the nerds

By BrendanPECHON Reporter

The Chemistry Club and the “Skip’s Nerd Pod” hosted Games Fest last Sunday, featuring Halo 3 and Call of Duty: BlackOps tournaments, Guitar Hero and other video games. Badgers flocked to prove their virtual prowess, as well as nerd-out with other gamers with some subtle smack talk here and there.

The competitions consisted of heated rivalries between friends and professionals alike. In the end of the Call of Duty, it was sophomore Matt Franz and sophomore Jonathan McLachlin, two professional gamers. McLachlin not only won the Call of Duty tournament, but he and his partner, sophomore Ashlea Wattenbe also won the Halo tournament.

So what makes one capable of becoming a professional gamer, and essentially get payed to play video games? McLachlin explains how easy it is to

join competitions: “Gamebattles.com is probably the best place to start. It’s where I started playing for real.”

On this site, you will find information, competitions and forums all directed towards gamers looking to climb the leaderboards. Competition winnings can range from nothing but respect up to thousands of dollars.

With all this money involved, teams put in hundreds of hours of practice. “To practice for tournaments, my team and I would just binge halo. Hours and Hours of it against the best people we could find,” said McLachlin.

With high-stakes competition and sponsorship possibilities, it seems the life of a competitive gamer can be extremely exciting. At the same time, they are just video games. In the end, it all comes down to how you want to have your own personal virtual fun.

9

| LIFE STYLE

Badgers Abroad: Facing the strike

By AndrewPRINCE Contributor

It’s not an everyday occurrence that productivity is in full gear only to be surprisingly stopped by a growing roar of yells outside in the street, and to be followed by a library invasion of strikers marching and chanting at the top of their voice.

However this was my life from Oct. 17-19 as students, teachers, and parents assembled throughout the campus and parts of Cádiz in a collaborative domestic strike to voice personal grievances against the Spanish Government’s recent decision to significantly slash future educational funding.

For three days school life ceased to exist as one group organized a sit-in to insure that classes would not continue and another took to the streets to parade in front of key local offices to make their voices heard and put pressure on politicians.

The atmosphere of the rally was almost festival like as marchers played drums and sang chants against the Partido Popular (the Popular Party) and the Spanish president Mariano Rajoy.

Additionally, to compliment the forceful chants were the equally blunt signs that strikers held making clear their disapproval.

Things then really heated up at the height of the protest as the Spanish Educational Minister not only make clear his disapproval of the strike but condemned parents for allowing children to participate as they are still considered minors.

And yes, children were definitely participating as young as 14-yearsold.

However, in a quick response one news report combed the Spanish Constitution only to find that children as young as 14 can participate as educational decisions directly effect them, and immediately the Education Minister was framed as incompetent for the job.

Quickly this became all anyone was talking about. The strike had the desired effect. Monday during my Spanish grammar class, which I take with only with foreigners, it was all we wanted to talk about as we had millions of questions for our teacher, who is a strike supporter.

Slowly, she answered every question but as the discussion continued it became sort of apparent that in the long run, their work will not change anything.

What really surprised me was finding out that the current party is the only one with Photo by AndrewPRINCE 45 percent of the vote, of which only 68 percent of registered voters cased their ballot.

My host family dad told me that the reason that a large number of Spaniards do not vote is because they know only the conservative Partido Popular or the Socialist Partido Socialista Oberero España will ever win.

This is interesting because it seems to me if the other 32 percent of the people actually voted, things could significantly change. Of course this got me to thinking about US elections, and according to Wikipedia only 63 percent of Americans cased a vote in 2008, and with that kind of difference, again not a large majority at all, who knows maybe Ralph Natar could have won.

SPORTS |

10

October 25, 2012

Spring Hill rugby upsets Florida State After FSU missed an easy conversion to be up one point in the final minutes, Spring Hill kept possession and upset the Seminoles.

By LindseyFRECHOU Editor

Saturday, Oct. 20 was certainly a rugby day for the Badgers of Spring Hill College. Students and fans gathered at Dorn field to watch their beloved team take on the Florida State University Seminoles.

The final score was 23-22 with the Badgers taking the win against an incredibly difficult team to beat. “I was nervous.

I knew that we had gone and played their worst side before and beat them badly, but I knew this team we were going to play was much better. We ended up playing basically a Division 2 team with about four players from their Division 1 team. I was really proud to learn that they started four from players from their A-side and we still came out with the win,” explained junior captain Chris Montgomery.

The day would not have been complete without a tailgate, provided by the Student Government Association.

Students were able to get hamburgers and hotdogs hot off the grill and sit down to relax and watch the rugby boys defeat the Seminoles. “This tailgate was our most successful yet and we served 100 hot dogs and burgers to Badgers and Seminoles alike,” said SGA President Gabriel Wagner.

Among the spectators were veteran rugby fans and some new kids on the block. The veterans knew exactly what was going on and led the Badger chants for all to follow. “I love cheering on the rugby team because they are a group of guys who really appreciate the fan dedication. You can’t find too many sports teams who actually love their fans back as much as their fans love them,” explained junior Ainsley Messina,

who never misses a chance to support the rugby team. “I haven’t missed a game. And I don’t plan on ever missing a game. Rain or shine, I’ve seen it all,” added Messina.

forwards are generally the bulkier members of the team who use their strength to overpower the opposing team and win possession of the ball. When it comes to scoring, there are four different

results in that teams attempt at a conversion kick. A conversion kick is worth two additional points and must be attempted from where the ball was originally grounded. For the football fans out there, think

For the beginner rugby fans out there, the matches can get a little confusing. “I don’t know what’s going on, but this is a really impressive sport,” laughed junior Amanda Bradley while watching the game.

Without knowledge of the game, a rugby match can certainly just look like a bunch of angry guys running around, picking each other up and tackling one another. “The only rule I know is that you always have to pass the ball backwards.

But the huddle is my favorite part,” said junior Kirsten Bordis.

For the emerging rugby fan in every Badger, here is a little Rugby 101.

Each team has 15 players on the field and they are divided into the forwards and the backs. The

ways for a team to gain points.

The desired play ends in a try,

of it as a touchdown and a field goal attempt. The final two ways

when the player drops the ball on the ground and kicks it into the uprights. Both penalty kicks and dropped goals are worth three points.

Often the most exciting yet confusing aspect of rugby is the scrum. This is basically a battle for possession of the ball between either players on each side who huddle together and push against the opposing team. A scrum generally restarts play after minor infractions.

Simply put, after all of the confusing scrums, tackling and penalty kicks, the object of the game is to score the most points. And if there is still confusion or doubt about a penalty kick or a try, just follow the cheers of Messina and the other hardcore Badger rugby fans. Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it.

The SHC rugby team will host their next match at Dorn Field against Southern Miss University on Saturday Oct. 27 at 11 a.m. “Family weekend has always been one of my favorite rugby games each fall. We have lots of fans and we always play well for a crowd. Everyone should come support the Badgers after a resounding win to keep up campus spirit,” said Montgomery.

Photos by ThomasWILL Photo 1: The Spring Hill Badgers engage in a scrum after a dead ball.

which is when the ball is touched down within the opponent’s goal line. A try is worth five points and

to score are penalty kicks, which happen after various infractions and a dropped goal, which occurs

Photo 2: The SGA hosted a tailgate for the game, where they served burgers and hot dogs.

October 25, 2012

Cale’s Corner: BCS surprise We look at teams ranked 20 or higher in the preseason that are now making the top 10 BCS rankings in the regular season.

11

| SPORTS

Basketball set to open next week against Fisk

By Cale Finta Reporter

Florida Preseason Ranking: 23 Current BCS Ranking: 2 The Florida Gators destroyed ninth-ranked South Carolina last Saturday, thanks to the two forced fumbles on special teams and a four-touchdown performance by quarterback Jeff Driskel. The Gators are actually ranked higher than Alabama in the computer rankings due to the tough slate of games that include victories against LSU, Texas A&M and Tennessee. If they beat Georgia, who is ranked tenth in the BCS standings, the Gators will clinch a spot in the SEC championship against Alabama or LSU. Up Ahead: Florida has its toughest game of the remaining 2012 schedule this Saturday against Georgia, but if they stay focused for an away game against Florida State to close the regular season, it should be smooth sailing for the Gators until the SEC championship game.

Kansas State Preseason ranking: 22 Current BCS Ranking: 3 Kansas State’s game against West Virginia last Saturday was supposed to be a matchup of the two Heisman frontrunners. Instead, it looked like Kansas State’s quarterback Collin Klein was playing against a bunch of little kids. Collin Klein is the clear frontrunner for the Heisman after completing 19 of 21 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns and running for 41 yards and four more scores. That’s right, Collin Klein scored seven touchdowns against the 13th ranked Mountaineers. Kansas State is now sitting at third place in the BCS rankings and has three road victories against Big 12 opponents.

Up Ahead: Kansas State has two tough games against Texas and a surging Texas Tech team still left on the schedule, but there is a very good chance that the Wildcats will end the season undefeated. However, assuming the SEC produces an undefeated team, the Wildcats would likely not go to the national championship if the Oregon Ducks run the table.

Notre Dame Preseason ranking: Unranked Current BCS Ranking: 5 Notre Dame is perhaps the most surprising team of the 2012 season. The Fighting Irish have been ranked fifth in the BCS rankings for the past two weeks and have proved that they deserve their spot after a tough slate of games that include Michigan, Michigan State and Stanford. The most impressive part of those wins was the defense that did not allow a single touchdown during those games. The Notre Dame defense, led by linebacker Manti T’eo, leads the nation in touchdown percentage per red zone opportunity and total points allowed per red zone opportunity.

Up Ahead: The Irish have a tough remaining schedule, with away games against eighth ranked Oklahoma and ninth ranked USC, but it is possible for Notre Dame to run the table and end the season undefeated. However, like Kansas State, the Irish do not have the benefit of a conference championship and would likely be bumped from the national championship game by an undefeated Oregon team.

Oregon State Preseason ranking: Unranked Current BCS Ranking: 7 Oregon State started this unexpected season with an upset of 13th ranked Wisconsin followed by a road win against 19th ranked UCLA. The Beavers have been steadily climbing the national rankings in recent weeks and have done so without their starting quarterback. Starting quarterback Sean Mannion sat the last two weeks with a knee injury, but that did not slow down the Oregon State offense at all. Backup quarterback Cody Vaz went for 36-of-58 for 506 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in his two games against BYU and Utah, two teams that ranked in the top 30 in total defense.

Up Ahead: Mannion returns this Saturday against Washington, but the Beavers have a tough road ahead of them if they want to remain undefeated. To be considered for the national championship, Oregon State has to beat Stanford on the road, and come up with two home wins against Cal and Oregon before playing in the Pac12 conference championship.

By ThomasWILL Reporter

The Spring Hill College men’s basketball team will begin its season at home next Friday against Fisk University.

The team ended last season with a .500 record at 1313, and there is even greater potential this season. Their schedule this season favors them more than last year as they will play 18 games at home. “We have high expectations. We have a lot of talent on this team, and we have to keep getting better each and every day” said Senior Brett Williams.

The Badgers have worked this offseason on improving the areas where they struggled last season. “I’m really excited about the depth we have this year since that was one of our biggest issues last season,” said Junior Todd Martin, “I also believe we will be much better defensively this year with the size we have inside, as coach

Thompson has placed a bigger emphasis on that end of the court.”

Martin continued, “I am very excited about the upcoming year, as I believe we have the potential to become the best team in our conference. Anything less of making the national tournament would be a disappointment and how far we go in that tournament depends on us.”

Expectations for the season are high among the team and coaches. “I think this is one of the best teams I have been a part of since I’ve been here, and we have a chance to be a force within our conference,” said Sophomore Najgee Gatson. So come out and support your Badgers when they begin their 20122013 campaign against Fisk University next Friday November 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center.

BADGER ZONE | 12 On the Spot How are you preparing for the zombie apocalypse?

JACKWATKINS

SOPHOMORE “Standing on a wall playing the mandolin”

TJ MUSCARO

SENIOR “I’d head for the coast, pack a boat with supplies and sail for some deserted island.”

THE IRISHMAN - DAN MCCREA Story by Matt LaBorde On March 17 of every year we dress up in green and wear “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” shirts and drink as if we had just won some sort of miniature war against another nation. We tell each other stories about our great-great grandmother, twice removed, who was Irish once. This year, thankfully, on St. Patrick’s Day we will have our very own Irishman readily available to show us how they celebrate good ole’ Saint Pat. All the way from Belfast, Ireland, Spring Hill warmly welcomes Daniel John McCrea.

McCrea comes to us from Queens University school of Law, located in Belfast. Dan is part of a study-abroad program called Study U.S.A, where students from Northern Ireland get a chance to study one year of business at American schools. Spring Hill is a part of a list of around 100 church-affiliated colleges that participate in the program.

Study U.S.A was founded in the 1990s, and the original intent of the program was to send University students to America at a time when Belfast faced troubling times. “The idea was that you could take university students, give them an experience in America, and hopefully they would learn things that they could bring back to Ireland to better the country,” said Dan, describing the origins of Study U.S.A. Queen’s University has a student population of over 17,000 students. In Dan’s Law classes alone, up to 290 people sit in on the lectures. In addition, Dan

only spends about seven hours in classes a week. “Everything else is pretty similar, the geographic composition of the Spring Hill campus is like Belfast, but the buildings are just much bigger,” said Dan, “The student culture in Belfast is similar, too,” he added.

Comparing America to Ireland, Dan says that one of the strangest things he has noticed is the cars. “The cars are pretty crazy. They are just so big, we don’t have cars that big in Ireland.”

Also, for day-to-day to expenses, Dan finds things are inexpensive here: “Food, coffee, and clothes are a lot cheaper here, so that’s been a good thing.”

Dan is a golfer for his college in Ireland and continues to play here for Spring Hill. “The standard is high on the team in Ireland, but the structure isn’t really there,” said Dan, “but, the program here is far better, way more organized.” Dan also plays midfielder for the club soccer team.

The transition to America has not been a difficult one for Dan: “Everybody here is extremely approachable.” When talking about Belfast, Dan says that the people aren’t as welcoming: “I know at home if somebody came, it would be harder for them to meet people, because in Ireland people are a lot more reserved. Here, everybody is just so nice.”

Dan had every right to be nervous coming into to such a small community, and his advisors for the program even warned him of immanent struggles: “the organizers for the program were saying, you know, prepare for a bit of a culture shock, and prepare to be homesick,” said Dan, “I haven’t really experienced any of that so far. It’s the best here.”

CHRISTIEDOMANGUE JUNIOR “I’m preparing. Duh. My weapon of choice is a stick with a Nokia phone at the end of it.”

GABEEDGARDSON

SENIOR “I am going to hide in my room and indulge in Dr. Kotchimedova’s senior seminar project because that’s as much of a zombie apocalypse as I can think of.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE