The SpringHillian by The SpringHillian

SpringHillian the

September 9, 2010

Volume 91, Number 1 Mobile’s 1st Collegiate Newspaper

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

New student center will add new additions JACOB BROWNING News Editor The new student

center opened in June, but it is only now being put to the test. The building may be complete, but plans are still in the works. According to Joe Deighton, Dean of Students, improvements to the Cloister are at the top of the priorities list. Additions to the Cloister include shadowboxes with athletic memorabilia, more stools at the bar and a system to display student art. Improvements to the dining and lounge of the student center include more tables and chairs as needed, more televisions to display informational messages, a new custom-made information desk, and umbrellas for the outdoor tables. Students may have noticed a large crowd during meal times, es-

pecially lunch. Deighton assures the student body that despite appearances, there still remains room to grow. “The way classes are scheduled, and people are not coming all at once despite it appearing that way, with the hours they’re open and the staggering of the classes, we seem to be okay,” says Deighton. Deighton emphasizes that he has heard of no one searching for a place to sit, but concedes that perhaps it may be harder at peak times to find an empty table for a larger group of students. Despite the student center being officially open for more than three months, the Aramark staff and others are still learning to properly and efficiently use the facilities. See STUDENTS page 2

Above: Fr. Anthony Weick enjoys the new scenary in front of the new campus center.

Photo by Amanda Hymel

Right: Students take a relaxing break in the new student center lounge. Photo by Jacob Browning

Badger Expo gets students Students willing to work involved at the Hill for free during recession

Photo by Jacob Browning

JASMINE WILLIAMS Op-ed Editor As a result of the econ-

See additional pictures on page 7

omy’s downturn, more college graduates are opting to participate in service opportunities rather than immediately entering the job market, according to America Magazine. The number of programs registered with the Catholic Volunteer Network (CVN) have seen a drastic intake in their applicants; unfortunately, due to funding decreases, CVN has also seen a decrease in its programs. Jim Aguirre, regional Peace Corps director, cited on the Peace Corps Web site that

“when the economy goes down, our applications tend to go up.” Peace Corps applicants are often appealed by the opportunity to learn language skills, receive a living wage, a loan deferment, health benefits and work for the greater good, according to the Peace Corps Web site. The Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC), the largest lay Catholic long-term volunteer program, has seen a dramatic 36 percent increase in the past year, according to America Magazine. This past year, See VOLUNTEER page 2

News

Page 2 The SpringHillian September 9, 2010

Jacob Browning News Editor jpbrowning@stumail.shc.edu

Volunteer jobs increasingly filled by students Continued from page 1

the JVC office had to stop accepting applicants after receiving 650 applicants for 370 placements. Spring Hill College graduate, Elizabeth Farren will be working through JVC this year at the Catholic Charities of Central Texas in Austin. Farren will be working as a Case Manager and Food Pantry Assistant. Like a lot of applicants, the state of the economy helped shape her decision.

Campus Briefs

Farren said, “I originally started looking into JVC and other service organizations because of the economy. Right now the job market is not exactly open to the recently graduated crowd of job seekers. I found myself thinking of another way for me to help society, but also gain the experience which is only gained through work. This is really how I came to start researching Jesuit Volunteer Corps and Teach for America.” As far as the increase in applicants, Farren said, “This past year, Jesuit Volunteer Corps had more applicants than ever before. Unfortu-

Students adjust to new campus center Continued from page 1

Only recently has there been a large number of students using the building at once. It Former Spring Hill College will certainly take time president Rev. Gregory F. for everyone to adjust Lucey, S.J., will join the staff to the ins and outs of of the Association of Jesuit the building. Colleges and Universities Deighton would (AJCU) on Jan. 1, 2011, and like to make it very will succeed Rev. Charles clear that when the Currie, S.J., as the president of building was scaled AJCU beginning July 1, 2011. down, the dining area was unaffected. SerFirst Christus Lecture is vices like Wellness and Sept. 30 Public Safety and some Fr. Lucey chosen for AJCU post

Dr. Ted Mashburn, professor and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Mobile, and Rev. David Tokarz, pastor of Our Savior Catholic Church, will present “Blessed John Henry Newman: from Oxford to Rome.” This first in the series of Christus Theological Institute lectures for 2010-2011 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010 in Byrne Memorial Hall on the Spring Hill College campus. Scramble postponed The Spring Hill College Department of Athletics has postponed the first Badger Scramble that was originally set for Friday, Sept. 10 at the college’s Golf Course.

nately, they had to stop accepting applications before round three. The main office worked with other service organizations to make sure the individuals who applied, but were denied because of a lack of availability, were able to work with other organizations to find a placement.” Farren states that Spring Hill College provided an atmosphere for her to explore her options. “I learned about JVC through Emily Reznicek who’s older sister did JVC in 2008-2009. After my initial introduction, I learned more through SHC’s Campus Ministry.”

Residence Life services were dispersed to existing buildings on campus which allowed the dining room to remain the size it had always been planned to be. According to a previous SpringHillian article, the pool area is not going to hold a pool. Dean Joe Deighton explains that option is back on the table along with many others. Some options for

the pool space include: turning the space back into a pool, opening a new fitness/wellness area, adding an alternate gym space, or installing an expanded weight room. Ultimately the decision will be up to the Director of Athletics, Jim Hall, and the President, but student input is desired. The LeBlanc room on the second floor of the new stu-

dent center is already showing its worth. Last week it hosted the well attended tribute to “To Kill a Mockingbird.” This space frees up areas like Byrne Hall for outside rentals, providing another avenue of income for the school. The new student center is a functional and useful facility that will serve the Spring Hill College community for many years to come.

Another record breaking freshman class JACOB BROWNING News Editor

The freshmen class of 2010 has increased nearly 9 percent over last year’s class and 12 percent over the class of 2008. According to the numbers released by Spring Hill College’s institutional researcher, Joan Seigwald, the 2010 freshmen class size is 392. Numbers are up in the face of rising tuition and amid fears of a deepening recession. The increase can be attributed to the qualities that differentiate Spring Hill College from other colleges around the nation. Students are looking for small class sizes, great facilities, excellent professors and a beautiful campus; all of which Spring Hill provides. Although the freshmen class sizes are getting bigger, the personal touch still remains. The campus is remaining optimistic and positive

regarding the freshman class. Senior, Andrew Bingham said, “As a senior this is my third time to see a group of freshmen come to Spring Hill. I think this year’s group is very cohesive and I think they’ll bring a lot to the school this year.” Even professors are remaining positive about the new group. Dr. Joanna Forstrom has been teaching freshmen for the past nine years. “I like teaching first year students, and I noted a number of siblings in the class to some of my favorite upper class students,” said Forstrom. The male-to-female ratio and altering the traditional single-sex dorms is more of a problem for at least one senior, Ashley Foxworth, than is the actual size of the class. “Well, I have noticed that the campus has been a lot more crowded recently, but the freshmen class size doesn’t bother me. I just wish they would’ve kept the tradition of single sex dorms, and

maybe worked on the male to female ratio a bit more with this freshmen class,” said Foxworth. Regardless of the size of the new freshman class, the administration of Spring Hill College is dedicated to maintaining the qualities that separate SHC from other colleges around the country. According to Dean of Students, Joe Deighton, more students are not a bad thing. More students mean more revenue, and more revenue means more services. Deighton emphasizes that there is still room to grow. There are classrooms that are not used at all during the day and there still remains room for more faculty if the need ever arises. The campus may be more crowded than it has ever been before, but it will still remain the magical place that current and former students have come to know and love.

News Day & Date Thursday September 9, 2010

Saturday September 11, 2010 Sunday September 12, 2010 Wednesday September 15, 2010

•

Page 3 The SpringHillian September 9, 2010

Coming up this month on campus...

Event

Time

Location

Contact Person

Immersion Trips Interest Meetings Praise and Worship

5:00 pm 9:00 pm

LeBlanc Room C St. Joseph chapel

Campus Ministry Campus Ministry

Women’s Soccer Men’s Soccer

1:00 pm 3:30 pm

Library field Library field

Community Mass Student Mass

11:00 am 9:00 pm

St. Joseph chapel St. Joseph chapel

Holy Hour

9:00 pm

St. Joseph chapel

Campus Ministry

Sign-ups for intramural co-ed sand volleyball and co-ed kickball begin this week. The sign-up sheets can be picked up at the rec center by Friday Sept. 18. For more information, contact Angel Gray 380-4461.

Gulf drilling disaster: What’s being done? ALICIA BARBOUR Life and Culture Editor A collective speech

on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was given on Tuesday, Aug. 31. Dr. Charles Chester opened the presentation with a description of the extent of the damage. “The rig burned for approximately 36 hours and finally sank on April 22, 2010. A temporary cap, finally sealing the ruptured well, was in place on July, 15, 2010, after having released an estimated 200 billion gallons of crude oil into the northern Gulf of Mexico,” said Chester. Following Chester, speeches were given by members of organizations directly involved in the aftereffects of the spill, including Dr. John Valentine, Senior Marine Scientist and Chair of the University programs for the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Commander Doug Nash, Operations Officer at the Coast Guard Aviation Center in Mobile, Casi Colloway

from the Mobile Baykeepers’ and Grace Sciré representing Boat People SOS. Valentine explained the Sea Lab’s new resources, including a new LEED Certified research center named the Richard C. Shelby Center and two new vessels named the E.O. Wilson and the Alabama Discovery that are used primarily for the summer program offered to students through the Sea Lab. “BP made a couple of attempts to hire us,” said Valentine before explaining their refusal. “This got a lot of national attention because of early efforts to include us in their study teams would mean that we could not make our data freely available to the attorney general’s office or the scientific community at large.” Valentine also mentioned that MESC received a 5 million dollar check with no strings attached from BP on July 26, 2010. “We are not in BP’s

pockets,” said Valentine. Currently, the organization is deciding what to put the money toward. Nash opened his speech with the question, “Who does not know what the Coast Guard is?” When no hands were raised, he joked that he could skip over the slides he had prepared explaining the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard in Mobile trains pilots to fly for their specific missions, which recently included flying over the Gulf of Mexico in search of oil. “We patrol 10,000 square miles of the Gulf,” Nash said. “We captured over 35 million gallons of oil and water mixed. For the first time in the Coast Guard’s history, we did a controlled burn and burned over 11 million gallons,” explained Nash while showing photos of the procedure. “At the peak, we had over 40,000 responders working in the Incident Commands System.”

Calloway opened her speech by giving background on Mobile Baykeepers, a 13 year old organization that formed originally in protest to a chemical plant being built in Mobile. Calloway has personally been appointed to the Gulf of Mexico program because “what happens on the Gulf affects the Bay watershed,” which is the Mobile Baykeepers’ main focus. Mobile Baykeepers is working to encourage people to look at how much they depend on oil, while also working to make Alabama more friendly toward renewable resources, which Calloway said the state is not at this time. The Baykeepers are working on restorations in preparation for future incidents, such as the oil disaster as well as hurricanes and other natural disasters that affect the Gulf coast so that we are better prepared in the future. Sciré followed Calloway with details of the

affect the oil spill has had on communities along the Gulf Coast, most specifically on families that do not speak English. Many people living in communities on the Gulf Coast are immigrants who speak no or poor English while almost all of the support centers offered only English as a means of communication. “The claims office finally said ‘Okay we’ll put a translator in the claims office.’ Well, we still complained,” Sciré explained. While there was a translator in the claims’ office, you had to dial another number to file a claim and the phone only offered English directions. Through the efforts of Sciré and Boat People SOS, people who do not speak English are also now able to file their claims and receive compensation from BP, especially as many of these people are fishing families located directly on the Gulf Coast.

Page 4 The SpringHillian September 9, 2010

Opinions & Editorials

Jasmine Williams Opinions & Editorials Editor jrwilliams@stumail.shc.edu

A college student’s guide to living on a budget

ALICIA BARBOUR Life and Culture Editor

College expenses increase every year and living on a college-student’s budget has never been easy. According to a Bankrate. com article, “12 moneymanagement tips for college students,” many students don’t realize how much they spend on small things like

coffee runs and sodas. This article encourages students to track their spending for two weeks in order to identify and eliminate unnecessary spending. Last semester, I easily spent at least half of my part-time job income on food even with an unlimited meal plan. I know I’m not alone, because I’ve often run into groups of Spring Hill students while on my own “food runs.” Thankfully, budgeting has saved me from making the same mistakes this semester. When budgeting, you should note what income you get from your job (if you have one) as well as money received

from home on a regular basis. Then, begin listing expenses such as bills you have to pay (cell phones, books, etc.), gas for your car and your allowance for groceries. If you have a set amount of money for the whole semester, “12money-management tips for college students” encourages you to set a spending limit each week and make sure not to exceed that limit because after it’s gone, it’s gone! In recent years, students also have had a tendency to build up credit card debt. In 2008, half of college undergraduates had four or more credit cards, according to Sallie Mae’s

article “How Undergraduate Students Use Credit Cards.” This is a significant increase from the 43 percent of students who had credit cards in 2004. However, according to the Student Monitor Annual Financial Services Study in 2008, 65 percent of students owning credit cards pay their bills in full every month, “which is higher than the general adult population.” Another great tip from the Bankrate.com article is that “You can do what you want, but you can’t do everything you want.” If you want to be able to afford having fun, you have to plan accordingly and rank things.

You have to be honest with yourself about what you can and cannot afford and let some things go if you can’t afford them. If you know you want to go to, be sure to save the money for tickets in advance! You also have to realize that sometimes accidents happen. Saving money will save you a lot of heartache. It’s best not to learn this from experience, trust me! Make sure you have a comfy cushion in your savings account for when your car breaks down or your computer dies for good, that way you’re not left out in the cold when it happens.

My name is...and I am a celebrity addict Testing the They’re beautiful whether someone to like our Facebook that they can receive instant waters statuses and Tweets. 10,000 updates on celebrity life. Even naturally or surgically

JASMINE WILLIAMS Op-ed Editor

At 9 p.m. a lot of working adults are tuning into the local news. I, on the other hand, tune into shows like; “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”, “Jersey Shore” and a lot of other shows about people who are famous for doing nothing in particular. Twitter users admit to using Twitter to follow celebrities so

CNN has joined in the mix covering the Paris Hilton’s newest drug incident. My question is why are we so obsessed with celebrities? In my Communication Arts senior seminar, we discussed the importance of theories when asking a question. Many theorists have already tackled this mind boggling question. Some believe that we are ultimately afraid of death and view celebrities as immortal. Others feel we are obsessed with celebrities because they come from a parallel universe. I think our love for celebrities come from a combination of sorts.

enhanced, in a culture where beauty is everything. We are drawn to them like a gnat to a barbeque. They never go away. Celebrities are public figures. Their personal lives are plastered on the Internet and the news. We listen to their music, watch their shows and see them in movies. Even when celebrities die, it is a media frenzy and it seems that their image lives on forever. Tupac, for example, has been dead for years and his music is still heard on ipods. They’re rich. Money is power and everything that glitters is gold, or so we think. Everybody loves them. That’s what we all want;

EDITORIAL POLICY

The SpringHillian is published weekly from September to May, except during examination periods and vacations. The views expressed herein do not represent the views of Spring Hill College and are not the views of the faculty, administration, staff or students, but are the views of the individual columnists.

SUBMISSIONS

The SpringHillian publishes guest submissions at the discretion of the student-editor and

The SpringHillian Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

E-mail: hillian@stumail.shc.edu

Spring Hill College 4000 Dauphin Street Mobile, AL 36608

Phone: (251) 380-3850 or 380-3840 Fax: (251) 460-2185

friends and none of them we know. But most importantly, everyone wants to ride the fame machine. Historically, people have always been slightly fascinated by public figures whether it’s the President or Marilyn Monroe. Unfortunately, social networks make the average person believe that the fame is a very tangible thing and this is precisely where the obsession comes from. With all of the social networks and our instant lifestyles, all of the things celebrities have suddenly seem tangible. Unfortunately, this is not true. “Photoshopping” your profile pictures and writing down rhymes in an attempt to be a rapper does not make you a celebrity; it just makes you like everybody else. Celebrities just create this cut-out for what talent is and what the pretty people should look like. My theory: find your own talent and be your own celebrity. 800-742-6704 251-380-4000 www.shc.edu

»Katelyn discussing the importance of interning

KATELYN IKNER Co Editor-in-Chief

Every summer I give countless tours as a Springhillian tour guide. At the beginning of every tour, each tour guide must tell the visitors basic information about themselves: name, year, major and hometown. However, there is one word out of this basic information of myself that sets off a mountain of questions, this little word called senior. This leads to the inevitable question, “What do you want to do when you

See INTERNSHIPS on page 5 Advisor Stuart Babington sbabington@shc.edu

Opinions & Editorials

Page 5 The SpringHillian September 9, 2010

Why should we choose the longer path not taken ? »DeMarco reflects on the importance of accepting life’s many challenges

DEMARCO WILLS Co Editor-in-Chief

I don’t know what it is, but I just prefer going through things the hard way. I had a teacher once tell me that I can see the entire forest, but I still like looking at every single tree in that forest. Attribute it to my hero complex or my high tolerance for pain, but the idea of coming out triumphant over such immense odds gives me the warm and tinglies inside. Take my senior seminar for my Communication Arts degree for instance; we have the option of either putting together a project or writing a research paper. The choice

is obvious right? I should definitely go for the project. Of course, it would take exerting some creative effort and all of that thinking outside of the box kind of stuff, but the more I think about it the more the idea of doing a project doesn’t appeal to me. I’m tempted to write the paper just because it seems like it is the more challenging of the two. And if I wasn’t a big enough glutton for punishment, I don’t exactly have the lightest course load, or the most free time to spare. On top of being the co-editor of the SpringHillian, I have this huge research project for my Marketing class, I’m deciphering the basics of language in Communication Theory and I’m taking International Business with Dr. Castello, but I’ll spare you the description of my other three classes. I could go even further into all of the different

Spring Hill College students responding to The SpringHillian’s weekly poll seem to favor slight or moderate growth in the college’s enrollment. SHC added more than 400 new students this semester and now has an enrollment of about 1,400 students. Of the students responding to the poll, nearly 28 percent preferred an enrollment of between 1,400 and 1,700. Twenty-five percent supported an enrollment of between 1,100 and 1,400, and an enrollment of between 1,700 and 2,000 received equal support. An enrollment of between 2,000 and 3,000 was favored by 11 percent of the respondents.

800-1,100

25 1,100-1,400

20 15

1,400-1,700

10 1,700-2,000

5 0 Percentages

2,000-3,000

Visit The SpringHillian at www.shc.edu/hillian to vote in next week’s student poll. The question will be: What is to blame for today’s struggling U.S. economy? • Policies of the previous presidential administration. • Policies of the present presidential administration. • Neither. It’s the result of events outside the responsibility of an American president.

Printer Signature Offset http://www.signatureoffset.com

without breaking some kind of sweat. The research paper is going to make me clock in a lot of hours at the library. I’ll be searching through the library stacks for relevant literature and funneling through the countless websites I’m going to get from search engines for days. In the end, I know I’m going to get something truly stellar out of the experience. I can imagine how differently things would have been if I did some things in my life an easier way, but I would have missed out on so much if I had. What if I never decided to play through Halo on the Legendary difficulty? Then I wouldn’t be the terror that I am when I have an Xbox controller in my hand. What if I had just opted to just major in Marketing and never picked up Journalism as a second major? Then I would have missed out on meeting

some of the best friends I’ve ever had. Nothing against people who prefer to keep things as simple as possible in their life, but I feel you have to push your limits to see where it can take you. Borrowing the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” As simple as that project might be, I’ll think I’ll accept the trial by fire and do the research paper. Facing challenges is about opening yourself up to the fact that you may not be successful. You may not finish whatever it was you set out to do, but failing due to the fact that your goal was just out of reach changes a person for the better. It can be quite the humbling experience.

Internships are a priceless experience

Poll respondents in favor of moderate enrollment growth

roles and positions I have around campus, but every SHC student knows you can’t just be a part of just one club or do just one activity on the Hill. It’s just not natural here. I’m not asking for a pity party by giving a laundry list of all the things I do. I’m just trying to put this article in perspective, but if someone just has to throw me one, I love me a good batch of hot wings and a cup of homemade lemonade. The thing about taking the most difficult course of action is the struggle that comes along with it, but there’s no such thing as a great story without struggle. Think about all of the crap Napoleon Dynamite put up with to get Pedro elected class President. Of course I know things will not be easy, but that’s the way I like it. I hate having the feeling that I managed to finish anything

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Continued from page 4

broadcast journalism. Since then and 100 credit hours later, I got a little lost in my pursuit. After taking so many classes I kind of got clouded in my vision of what I wanted to do with my life. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely want to go into journalism, but it then became a battle between print and broadcast. Lately though, this battle has been laid to rest by a little thing called an internship. I came to the conclusion to do an internship after discussing my dilemma with my advisor. An internship has many benefits including receiving

college credit hours and getting hands-on experience in your chosen field. Plus, it looks really good to have on a resume, which will hopefully assist me with employment in the all too close future. So, three weeks ago I began my internship at a local news station. The experience so far has been priceless, and has cemented my choice of going into broadcast journalism. Broadcast journalism has everything I am looking for in a future career. However, many people have a misconception that all broadcast journalists do is read off a teleprompter and look pretty. Let me tell you that from my experience so far, it is not. It is about immersing yourself in a

Photographer Amanda Hymel alhymel@stumail.shc.edu

Advertising Manager Kylie Babb kmbabb@stumail.shc.edu

graduate?” My reply is, “I do not know.” I originally came to Spring Hill College to pursue

story and walking through a junkyard in three inch heels, which I recently have done. For the first time in a long time I am extremely excited and confident about my future career choice. My recommendation to anyone who is stuck between majors is to do an internship. Who knows? You may absolutely despise your internship and safely cross that major off of your list. Or, you may find what you love to do and say with confidence, “This is what I want to do with my life.” Now, when I am on tours and get the unavoidable question, “What do you want to do when you graduate?” I can smile and with confidence say, “I want to go into broadcast journalism.”

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myself that sets off a mountain of questions, this little word called senior. This leads to the inevitable question, “What do you want to do when you graduate?” My reply is, “I do not know.”

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Alicia Barbour Life & Culture Editor adbarbour@stumail.shc.edu

Page 7 The SpringHillian September 9, 2010

Life & Culture

Exploring Badger Expo

Billy Brown watches a student play video games.

Students browse the tables at Badger Expo.

Dr. Sharee Broussard, Caitlin Teahan, Mea Thomas pause for a photograph.

Johnny Ngamvilay and Jamie Johnson offer candy at the Math Club exhibit. Delta Chi Fraternity is represented at the Expo.

Emily Landrieu and Kelly Mullins enjoyed representing the Tri-Delta Soroity.

Top row of photos by Amanda Hymel, bottom row by Jacob Browning

Get to know: Dan Sepion JACOB BROWNING News Editor Over the summer,

Spring Hill College welcomed a new Director of Residence Life, Dan Sepion. This position was previously filled by current Associate Dean of Students, Margarita Perez. Sepion, a native of St. Paul, Minn., has been working with students since he graduated from Cansius College with a Master’s Degree in College Student Personnel Administration. “I worked for five years at Washington University in St. Louis. I did basically the same thing I’m doing here, but on a different scale,” said Sepion. Sepion hopes Spring Hill will be the perfect fit he has been looking for. “I was looking for a job at a smaller school and

I went to a small Catholic school and Cansius is a Jesuit school. I like the Jesuit values [and] Jesuit history,” said Sepion. He admitted that he has enjoyed his five or so weeks on the Hill, but there were some minor set backs. “I got here in late June when it was really hot. But, everything has been very good. The school is beautiful, the students have been very nice to me; the staff has been great. I have no complaints,” explained Sepion. Sepion said, Spring Hill College is a lot like the other schools he has attended. Though compared with schools like Washington University, Spring Hill is much smaller. But, he is not lacking in experience working with smaller schools. “My first job

out of college was at St. Scholastica way up in Duluth, Minn., and it had about 1,600 students. I was the Director of Student Activities there, so I’ve kind of been around to many different schools,” added Sepion. His new job comes with plenty of responsibilities. Sepion has to ensure that Housing and Residence Life as a whole functions smoothly. “Our big picture is to make sure R.A.s are well trained, Area Coordinators are working well, that our facilities are working well and that our policies are correct. When you get right down to it, my job is to make sure our office is creating a safe, comfortable living, learning environment,” said Sepion. As for the future of Residence Life, Sepion wants not only to grow, but also consider facility

improvements. He hopes to explore the possibilities of wireless internet in all the residence halls and general hall improvements. Sepion wants to make his philosophy coming in to Spring Hill abundantly clear. He wants to treat students as adults, and wants everyone to follow his community principles.

Photo by Jacob Browning “My philosophy coming in here is that our office is going to treat every single person coming in like the adult that they are, at least until they prove to us otherwise. If our students follow four simple rules: respect for oneself, respect for others, respect for property and honesty, it will be a very good year.”

Page 8 The SpringHillian September 9, 2010

Life & Culture

Students mingle with SHC alumni JASMINE WILLIAMS Op-ed Editor Career Services, Alumni

Affairs and AHANA launched its multi-cultural student/alumni networking mixer Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010, at 5 p.m. in the Gautrelet room. AHANA, Spring Hill’s African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American group, has been operating on Spring Hill’s campus for four years according to Tracey Childs, head of the Center of Academic Excellence. “AHANA used to operate under another name as a scholarship opportunity. It is currently a committee of alumni, faculty and staff working to connect minorities back to the campus and foster relationships with minority students,” said Childs. The student/alumni mixer hosted about 15 alumni. Students were allotted time to meet and greet with the alumni, particularly in their field of studies, in a roundtable discussion. Students and alumni shared conversations about internships, career paths and longterm goals. Junior, Sammantha Phillips, is a student alumni ambassador and member of the AHANA committee who attended the event. Phillips said, “I love it! I love all of the opportunities to meet with alumni. It allows for good advice from people

who have been here before and a chance to explore different paths in life.” Spring Hill 2009 graduate, Kendra Wesson was in the mix of alumni, students and faculty. Wesson stated that Spring Hill prepared her for the real world, “everything except the bills. I didn’t learn much about that in school. I can honestly say I miss the ‘caf.”’ Spring Hill 1986 graduate, Roxanne Eaton attended the mixer. Eaton has been working as an auditor at the Department of Defense for 23 years and credits Spring Hill College for helping her get the job. “This job was my first job after college,” Eaton said, “and Spring Hill was an integral part with this particular job. With a liberal arts environment, Spring Hill teaches how to write in every course. I was interviewing for an accounting job and I had to write an essay. As an auditor they wanted to ensure that I had good writing skills. Your writing skills are your product and Spring Hill definitely provided that.” As for being back on the Hill, Eaton said she is “having a great time! I must admit I don’t come back as often as I should, but the college is really making an effort to get alumni back on campus, especially minority alumni. It is a great endeavor!”

Student Reaction

Do you think the Gulf Coast oil spill has been exaggerated by the media?

“Absolutely not, I think the media showed the extent of it and if anything the media helped it.” - Alejandra Tovar Senior

“No, because what happened may not be visible right on the coast but it is still severe miles out.” - Coleman Hengesbach Senior

“I do believe the Gulf Coast oil spill has been exaggerated by the media. It is important to keep the public informed about such an event, but the truth seemed to be stretched.”

CARPE DIEM

Coffee & Tea

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Page 9 The SpringHillian September 9, 2010

Life & Culture Coming up this week in Mobile... Date

Event

Time

Location

Friday Sept. 10

LoDa Art Walk

6-9 p.m.

Cathedral Square Arts District

Saturday Sept. 11

Last Band Standing

10 p.m.

The Blind Mule

Sunday Sept. 12

Jazz Brunch Open Studio Artist demonstrations

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Ozio’s Pizzeria Cathedral Square Gallery

Tuesday Sept. 14

Karaoke for a Kause

9 p.m.

Veet’s Bar & Grill

Wednesday Sept. 15

Open mic night

8 p.m.

The Blind Mule

A magical sport is being introduced to Spring Hill ALICIA BARBOUR Life and Culture Editor A new sports

league is making its way onto Spring Hill’s campus this semester in the form of “Muggle” Quidditch. Junior, Maggie Poole admitted that she’s had the idea to start a team for quite some time, “Well, I originally wanted to start a team the summer before my sophomore year when I had come across some videos of people playing. Unfortunately, no one else was really interested at the time.” However, Poole was able to gather more interest at the Greek Leadership Retreat last semester. “This summer J.R. offered to help me start the team and we began with a Facebook page and it just really shot off!” Sophomore, J.R. Valdez helped Poole organize the Facebook group and raise interest in this new sport. “I was really scared at first to start the team. I was like

‘What if we go through all this work and only like five people sign up?’ I had emailed the Southeastern director asking about starting teams and he said, ‘A few people will make fun of you, but you will be blown away by the number of people that will want to play.’” The director couldn’t have been more right. Since the summer, the Spring Hill College Quidditch Facebook page has gathered 101 members, a logo and discussions among students on everything from team organization to equipment needed to play. Some students are skeptical, however. Senior, Ashley Foxworth expressed her concern with the fact that the game is hard to recreate outside of the books. “I think running around on broomsticks with a ball is not my idea of a good time.” There was also a Quidditch table at

Badger Expo, where Poole said they filled three sheets of paper with people interested in playing Quidditch. While some people found the idea of a Quidditch team funny, many students were excited at the idea. “We were anticipating around maybe 30 supporters and maybe ten people playing, but we ended up with around 40 people for sure playing and 100 supporters on Facebook.” The rules of “Muggle” Quidditch are simple if you’ve read J.K. Rowling’s books. “You run with a broom, it’s a tough contact sport, you play the same way with the same balls except obviously they are not magical,” said Poole. “The quaffle is what you score with in one of the three goals. The bludgers are like dodge balls that you hit people with. I always get the question See Quidditch on page 10

DORN FIELD 12pm

A X L melon r e H S t A a B W te

Sep For team info contact

jmgirault@stumail.shc.edu

1, 20

r1 mbe

Page 10 The Springhillian September 9, 2010

life & CulTure

Mobile Arts Council’s September Exhibitions Quidditch coming soon to Spring Hill For the month of September, Mobile Arts Council will be presenting three exhibitions: fashion photography by DWest, a mixed media series by Skye and figure paintings and drawings by Conroy Hudlow. Two of these artists, either by chance or fate, share similar stories of leaving their art and returning to it after a long time. The exhibitions will be on display 9AM-5PM, Wednesday, September 1 through Friday, October 1 at the Mobile Arts Council office, located at 318 Dauphin Street. In addition, there will be an artist reception held September 10, 6PM -9PM during ArtWalk. Admission is free. Hudlow’s series entitled Yesterday Once More was created after a trek through life. He mentions in a statement that “once upon a time, long, long ago and far away” he was an art-

ist. He earned his BFA in painting from the Atlanta School of Art and his MFA in painting and printmaking from Tulane University. But Hudlow somehow found himself wandering “into the wilderness of architecture.” Fortunately, about three years ago, he returned to art. He shares that the idea behind Yesterday Once More was “… to try to take up where I left off. It wasn’t easy. I was different and life was different. When I quit, I was a figure painter.” Despite his coming and going from art, Hudlow still has the passion to share his experiences through his talent and creativity. “The artist allows the viewer to see through his eyes, by transposing space, objects and colors into a unique experience-I’m just trying to do that again.” Skye’s story is similar in that he journeyed through a

web of non-arts related endeavors, only to find that the pull to create was much too strong. Skye has a formal education from the University of Colorado at Boulder in fine arts, along with various minors. Out of college, he found himself in an advertising career. At the time, he created only when he could; now retired, he finds fulfillment in his creativity full time. He states, “I’m doing what I’ve spent too long wishing I could do: Concentrating on arts and other creative pursuits.” Skye’s exhibit The Denim Diaries is a series of autobiographical mixed media pieces that have denim incorporated into them. The works are inspired by the fact that, as Skye puts it, “most everything worthwhile I’ve done or expect to do involves pulling on a pair of comfortable old jeans, at least as part of

the adventure.” Also included in the exhibit is the works of DWest, a young fashion photographer on the cusp of his artistic adventure. His photos are of garments by designer Sean Christopher and are intended to communicate that fashion reflects an individual’s character. Or as stated by Coco Chanel, “Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” DWest has captured that notion in his series Style= Life. For more information about Mobile Arts Council and other events in the community, please visit our website at http://www. mobilearts.org/, become an ArtStart subscriber, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. PRESS RELEASE Hillary Anaya, Intern Mobile Arts Council

Rap artist T.I. arrested and scheduled to appear at Bayfest JASMINE WILLIAMS Op-ed Editor

Rapper T.I.’s appearance at Bayfest may be in jeopardy after his arrest on Wednesday, Sept. 1, according to al.com T.I. and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Cottle were arrested on drug charges Wednesday night in Los Angeles. T.I. whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr. is still on probation after he was released in 2009 for federal weapon charges, al.com stated. According to al.com, police smelled a “strong odor of marijuana” and T.I. and his wife were arrested for possession of a methamphetamine. T.I. is scheduled to headline Bayfest on Oct.3. President of Bayfest board,

Bobby Bostwick said festival organizers, according to al.com, were trying urgently to contact T.I.’s management since the arrest, and as of mid-morning still have no answers. According to al.com, Bostwick stated “It’s a shame that somebody who looked like he was turning things around apparently has made a mistake.” Bostwick did say that if the rapper is able to make it, Bayfest will not attempt to cancel the booking. Bostwick stated, “I know in some parts of the community he’s extremely, extremely popular. And we did want to continue to be diverse and offer something for everybody. And it’s a very big, big disappointment that potentially he may not be joining us.”

Continued from page 9

‘Well what about the snitch?’ Well, that is a person instead of the flying tiny ball. The person dresses in all yellow and has a flag football belt with one flag attached. The snitch is allowed anywhere on campus to hide and the seeker must find the snitch and retrieve their flag.” Poole mentioned that at some schools the “Snitch” has been found hiding in classes or the cafeteria. Plans for the sport encompass interschool games as well as an intercollegiate league. “We want everyone to be able to participate so we are doing intramurals first, then if we can play any schools we will. There are over 200 colleges with teams so why not!” exclaimed Poole. Spring Hill College is registered as a developing team by the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association and have sent an official IQA handbook to Poole. The new club has also found an advisor in Lisa Train, Residence Life Area Coordinator. Poole hopes to begin games fairly soon and is confident that the people who have signed up will continue to show the enthusiasm they showed over the summer.

Page 11 The SpringHillian September 9, 2010

Sports Conference change isn’t the only change

Amanda Hymel

Photography/Sports Editor alhymel@stumail.shc.edu

AMANDA HYMEL Photography/Sports Editor Are you ready to

spread your Badger pride to new turf? If so, then you will be excited to hear that the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference is now part of Spring Hill’s past as the Southern States Athletic Conference welcomes the SHC Badgers to its list of 16 competitive colleges ranging from Georgia to South Carolina. Students will still be able to enjoy classic rival games because all schools in the GCAC have merged into the SSAC, forming a much bigger conference. Spring Hill College has been a part of the GCAC for more than 20 years, consisting of five teams. This year, however, the Spring Hill Badgers call the SSAC their new home. Athletic Director, Jim Hall, explains why SHC has made the conference change. “We

have formed a NAIA super conference with 16 schools so that all of our sports have automatic qualifiers into the post season. If we are not the most competitive conference in the country, we are one of the top two of three.” Before upgrading to the SSAC, it was not guaranteed for some sports to qualify for the post season due to not enough schools sponsoring each sport. To resolve this issue, Spring Hill has accepted the SSAC’s invitation. The conference will be split into two divisions: Western and Eastern. The Badgers will mark their territory in the Western division, which consists of familiar opponents, while the Eastern division consists of new teams. Because of

the enormous conference expansion, the SSAC will offer new enhancements that the GCAC fell short on. Hall explains, “Because it’s a stronger conference, we will gain more market

Courtesy of ssacsports.com

ability. This means Fox Sports South television will cover our games every week. We will have more brand awareness compared to staying with the GCAC.” The GCAC has never had

the opportunity to air games, but the SSAC will allow students to catch their favorite games from the comfort of their own dorm or home. In response to joining this more competitive conference, Jim Hall expects a renewed sense of school spirit in the hopes of more wins on the Badger scoreboards. “I expect our student athletes to take this season to a higher level than we have in our past as a whole department. I am excited about that. We have more resources at our disposal this year which will equal better student athletes,” according to Hall. “Let’s face it, it’s more fun to come out and support teams that win.” With the new resources and motivation to be a better overall athletic department,

students can be assured that this year will consist of fierce Badger athletes on the court and field, fighting to produce more wins. In the eyes of Jim Hall, he sees the SSAC as a building block in helping SHC regain their athletic dominance among colleges. Hall explains his vision by stating, “My hope in what will set us apart from other colleges is that we are going to do it the right way. We are going to strive to be excellent, but we are going to do it the right way with integrity, character, and sportsmanship.” This is the dawn of a new age for Spring Hill College athletics. A new athletic conference leads to a new goal: sports becoming an intricate part of SHC’s identity once again. It’s time to file and sharpen your badger claws this season, Spring Hill.

The South catches football fever KATELYN IKNER Co Editor-in-Chief It’s that time of year

again, the boys of fall are back and the rivalries are just as strong as ever. Last year’s football season was a very successful one for some Spring Hill College students’ favorite teams. The University of Alabama Crimson Tide claimed the National Championship for the thirteenth time and the New Orleans Saints did the unthinkable and won their very first Super Bowl; only time will tell how this season will measure up. In the meantime, here is a recap of last week’s games and a preview of this

week’s big games. No. 1, University of Alabama defeated San Jose State in a 48-3 victory last week. This week, the tide will take on No. 19, Penn State at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be broadcast on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. No. 22, Auburn University took on Arkansas State last week and ended in a victory for Auburn with a 52-26 final score. Auburn will play Mississippi State tonight at Davis Wade Stadium and will be aired on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET. No. 21, Louisiana State University defeated

North Carolina with a 30-24 final score last week. The tigers will face Vanderbilt on Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium. This will be aired on ESPN U at 7:00 p.m. ET. Last week, No. 4, University of Florida beat Miami-Ohio in a 34-12 victory. On Saturday, the Gators will take on South Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The game will be available online on ESPN3. com at 12:21 p.m. ET. A big surprise in football occurred last week when Jacksonville State narrowly defeated the University of Mississippi with a 49-48

win for Jacksonville. The University of Mississippi will play Tulane this week at the Superdome and will be aired on ESPN 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET on Saturday. In their last preseason game, the New Orleans Saints lost to the Tennessee Titans in a 2427 final score. Tonight in the first game of the regular season, the New Orleans Saints will faceoff against the Minnesota Vikings in the Superdome. The game will be broadcast on NBC at 8:30 p.m. ET. Mobile’s very own University of South Alabama Jaguars are still undefeated. In their season two opener, South

Alabama shut out Pikeville College in a 56-0 win for the Jags. South Alabama is off this week, but will return on Saturday, Sept. 18, at home against Nicholls State. All home games are played at LaddPebbles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. Tickets are available at www.southalabama.edu/ gamedayticket or by calling 251-461-1USA(1872).

Courtesy of overstock.com

Page 12 The SpringHillian September 9, 2010

Sports

Upcoming Games TEAM VB

DATE

OPPONENT Concordia College Selma

LOCATION Away- 6:00

Sept 9

VB MCC

Sept 10 Sept 11

Sept 11

Shorter University Radisson Hotel Wolfpack Classic Radisson Hotel Wolfpack Classic Southern Wesleyn

Home- 4:30 Metairie, La 8:30 am Metairie, La 8:00 am Home- 1:00

WCC

Sept 11

WS MS

Sept 11

Southern Wesleyn

Home- 3:30

Sept 11

Brenau University

Home- 10 am

Sept 11

Columbia College

Home- 3:00

KEY MS - Men’s Soccer VB- Women’s Volleyball MCC- Men’s Cross Country WS- Women’s Soccer WB- Women’s Basketball

MT - Men’s Tennis WCC- Women’s Cross Country MG- Men’s Golf MB- Men’s Basketball WG- Women’s Golf