Issue 10_Spring 2012 by The SpringHillian

The

a Springhillian

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam | April 19, 2012 | Volume 94 Issue 10

Ending the year with a splash

InsideNEWS

Obamacare: Constitutional or not?

InsideOPINION

Bullying in a different form

InsideLIFESTYLES

Finals: The ultimate guide to survival

| 10

InsideSPORTS

UFC brawl: Jones vs. Evans

| 14

THIS WEEK |

EVENTS

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SHC Celebrates Earth Day SHC’s Green Keepers will be hosting Earth Day events which include various outdoor activities. The events are a way to raise awareness about how much we take for granted just by living in the Earth’s environment. Earth Day is a day devoted to remembering just how much we receive from planet Earth as we know it.

4/19/12

Etiquette on ‘The Hill’

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4/20/12

Hillianstaff EDITOR(s) AllisonPATRICK KatelynGARDNER ADVISOR StuartBABINGTON

Honors Convocation

NEWS editor CoraALLEN LIFESTYLE reporter(s) AliciaCANDELA BrandyJONES SPORTS editor MatthewLaBORDE SPORTS reporter KieferGINGLES CARTOONIST EfrenFLORES

HillianCONTACT The SpringHillian a: 4000 Dauphin Street c/o The SpringHillian Mobile, AL 36608 e: hillian@stumail.shc.edu p: 251.380.3850 f. 251.460.2185

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John Zazulak (left) catches a fish at the Delta Gamma Fraternity’s annual Anchor Splash on Deck while Victoria Fasi (right) gets covered in shaving cream during the face-off event. The profits from Anchor Splash went to the Service for Sight Foundation. Photo by KeliMAZZA

Ms. Kathie Martin of the Etiquette School in Birmingham will be on campus for Etiquette on The Hill. A sit down dinner will be served, and students will learn professional and dinner etiquette. Admission is free and available to all SHC students who reserved their seats prior to the event. The event will be held in LeBlanc A, from 5 - 7 p.m,

Excellent scholastic and/or leadership achievement at Spring Hill College merits public acknowledgement before the assembled faculty and student body at our Honors Convocation. We hope that you will be able to attend this significant event as we celebrate our students’ achievements. Convocation ceremonies will take place in St. Joseph Chapel from 2:30 - 3:45 p.m. this Friday. For more information, e-mail Cheryl Kirkland at kirkland@shc.edu.

4/20/12

SHC Undergraduate Research Symposium Students will be presenting projects across many disciplines during the 2012 Spring Hill College Undergraduate Research Symposium. The SHCURS provides students with the opportunity to present their research, internship and classroom projects to a larger audience. The symposium also provides a space for students, faculty, and the community to examine the connection between research and education. The symposium will be held this Friday from 3:45 - 5 p.m. in the LeBlanc Ballroom, located above the Student Center. For more information or any further questions about the symposium contact Dr. Jamie Franco-Zamudio at jfrancozamudio@shc.edu.

4/21/12

Faculty/Staff versus Students Kickball Challenge Sign up with Wanda Sullivan (wsullivan@shc.edu) in the Fine Arts Department or Angel Gray (agray@shc.edu) in the Athletics Department by Friday, April 20 at 8 a.m. in order to participate in the event. Compete to win a prize and bragging rights. For guidelines and rules, e-mail: intramurals@shc.edu. The Kickball event will be held on Saturday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Dorn Field

4/21/12

Chemistry Crawfish Boil The Chemistry Club is having their 8th Annual Crawfish Boil. On the menu are crawfish and veggies, hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, sodas, beer, etc. The boil will be held on the front porch of the Chemistry building. Tickets are $5 in advance (tickets will be sold during lunch the week of April 16th in the dining hall) or $8 at the door. No charge to faculty or kids under 12. The SHC GreenKeepers will have activities for kids related to environmental sustainability.

4/20/12 - 4/22/12

Homecoming on the Hill

Alumni will return to the campus for the annual Homecoming on the Hill event April 20-22. Class years ending in 2’s and 7’s will be honored, including alumni celebrating their 50-year reunion. Events include a delta river boat tour and a reception to honor the 1992 Badgers baseball team that won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championship.

4/25/12

Late-Night Breakfast The Center for Student Involvement will host a Late-Night Breakfast for the students on Wednesday, April 25 from 9 - 10 p.m. and they need your help. If you are interested in serving breakfast for the hour, please contact Julie Lassalle at jlassalle@shc.edu or x4186.

April 19, 2012

| NEWS

Disabled students search for campus accessibility By MatthewLaBORDE Sports Editor

For students who struggle with campus accessibility, Spring Hill College is attempting to make these hardships more tolerable. Freshman Jane Carrieire is one of the many students who have been affected by some of the school’s accessibility problems. Carrieire was born with a birth defect known as spina bifida. But you wouldn’t know it by her smile and her happy-go-lucky personality. “It’s like a loselose situation when it comes to my disease, but I try to stay positive.” said Jane. You can find Carrieire, a New Orleans native, getting around campus in the only transportation possible—a motorized scooter. Walking is out of the question for Carrieire, because both of her feet are paralyzed. “Basically, my spine didn’t develop properly. You’re born wounded with a hole in your back,” states Carrieire. The nerves that run down her back are loosely connected to her lower body, which caused severe weakness and loss of feeling in her legs. According to Carrieire, getting around campus has been tough since she was a recent victim of a nasty crash. “My scooter flipped last semester and I fell on my back and my scooter fell on top of my legs. I had bruises all over my body.” Also, Carrieire says, Spring Hill has “serious issues” when it comes to accessibility. “There’s one

Photo by BrandyJONES

Jane Carriere is affected by the lack of accessibility on campus

half of campus I can’t go on because it’s just not safe.” The areas of school that she cannot access include the Wellness Center, the Arlene Mitchell Theater, the Registrar’s office, and several dorms. The college is, however, certified under the Americans with Disabilities Act for wheelchair users, but hopes to make the campus accessible

for scooters as well. “The college is indeed committed to make the campus facilities as accessible as possible and will continue to make further improvements as budgets allow on any facility that can be further improved,” said John Kerr, Director of Institutional Marketing and Communication at SHC. Kerr adds that “Spring Hill College is indeed ADA wheelchair compliant. The college realizes that persons utilizing scooters may have other needs and requests.” The administration, Todd Warren and public safety officials have met with Jane and are committed to making improvements on the campus as far as accessibility. Another student who struggles with accessibility is junior Emile Milke, who has dwarfism. “The elevators break down a lot,” says Milke, “But, I’ve started a new lifestyle of taking the stairs, if somebody were actually handicap, they would be out of luck.” Although these students struggle with these issues, Jane still compares Spring Hill College to somebody she loves: “When you love somebody, you don’t just let them do something bad, you try to correct their behavior and make them the best that they can be. That’s what I want to do for this school: I want to make it the best it can be.” You can’t see distress in the eyes of Jane Carriere. You can only see hope. Maybe it’s because she’s happy where she is. “I couldn’t imagine myself at a better school,” said Jane, “It’s almost like people don’t see my disability. They see me for me.”

Public Safety discusses possible campus police force By AliciaCANDELA Lifestyles Reporter

lege campuses in the U.S. have police on Todd Warren, director of Public campus, and due to this factor, suspicious Safety, held a meeting on Thursday April activity is kept to a minimum. Warren goes on to explain the advan12 to discuss with students the changes that may occur within the public safety tages of having police officers on campus. The first one mentioned was that department next year. To help those who attended the there would be a quick response to any meeting understand the changes that suspicious activity. Whenever someone may take place, Warren had a slide show has a serious problem and needs to call that listed his reasons and also provided public safety, it would no longer involve background information to the students. a long, tedious process. Public safety will One of the big changes that may happen be there and ready to act on the probnext year is that Spring Hill may have lem quickly. Another major advantage is their own police officers. “I went to the that the Spring Hill police officers will board and suggested to them about this be familiar with the students and suridea and then I asked some other people roundings here on campus. “It will be what their opinions were, “ said Warren. a lot easier to deal with familiar people Both the board and the individuals War- than to deal with a Mobile police officer,” ren talked to thought that having police Warren explains. Also, If Spring Hill has officers on campus is a good idea. In his their own police officers, then not only slideshow, Warren explains how most col- will they have more authority, but they

will also have access to better tools. As of right now, the public safety department does not have much authority, but once these changes take place, public safety will have the authority to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. While discussing the issue on authority, Warren gave an example of a situation explaining that if someone were to enter this campus holding a gun or any type of weapon, public safety would have to hide with the rest of campus because they do not have the authority to be armed. After the meeting was over, Warren opened the floor for discussion. “If you bring in more police officers will there be an increase in tuition for next year”, asked Katherine Able. Warren responded, “No it should not affect tuition at all.” Sophomore Kevin Macar asked, “Will there be an increase in tools like for example, cam-

eras? “ Warren then explained that they are planning on first putting a camera in Walsh to see how it will work out and then they will go from there. “We plan on having a new access control system next year and if we upgrade the control system, then we will have one recorder for the whole school.” This means that once the cameras get put in, then everything will be on one system and public safety will have a better view of the entire campus. One suggestion brought up by a student at the meeting was to have an ID scanner at the Old Shell Road gate. Warren agreed to this and said that he would like to do something like this. The first priority is to get the board’s decision and if the board agrees to this then Public safety will start making adjustments starting in June.

NEWS |

April 19, 2012

Spring Hill College offers online classes for summer semester By BrandyJONES Lifestyle Reporter

Spring Hill College offers online classes for students who wish to continue their learning throughout the summer but are unable to attend classes since they live in different parts of the nation or world. “It is for those students who are in another city or state that want to continue learning but are unable to physically be here. They can take the classes and get Spring Hill credit for them,” said Dr. George Sims, Spring Hill’s provost. The online classes cost about the same price as traditional classes. According to Sims, the similar pricing is due to the fact that the workload involved for the faculty in the online classes is equivalent if not more rigorous than that of a traditional classroom setting. According to Stuart Moore of the registrar’s office, online classes are set up in the different educational departments. “Usu-

ally a professor expresses interest in teaching a course, the head of the department agrees to the course, and then it is sent to me,” said Moore. The college is trying to make the online process easier by updating the pages to be user-friendly. “In other learning institutions, the online process is easier, and withdrawing from an online class is done off site, but with Spring Hill being a small school and more residential, we can’t do everything online,” said Moore. Moore said that there is going to be a withdrawal form set up on BadgerWeb to help with the process. “Online classes are self taught,” said Spring Hill student Tracie Lawrence. Lawrence took the classes when they first started with an adjunct from St. Leo’s Jesuit institute. The classes that Lawrence took were business and math related. “I recommend taking a class online that the student is strongest in, that way it is easier for the student

to keep up,” said Lawrence. He continued, “The student should also make sure that their technology is compatible with the class they are taking. Technology is important and if the e-mail that is being used is not compatible with your Mac then I wouldn’t recommend continuing with the class.” With more Spring Hill teachers offering online classes it’s easier for the students to find one that fits. “With an adjunct there is email only correspondence but with the teacher being an adjunct there is an option of emailing and possibly requesting a fact-to-face office appointment,” said Lawrence. “Online classes require a lot of discipline,” said Sharon Kling. According to Kling, because the classes are off-site the student is required to teach themselves the material by following the notes and discussion. “It is based on a personal preference. I prefer the classroom setting because

there are too many outside distractions when taking online classes,” said Kling. “It does require discipline. You have to set aside the time and be aware of quiz timing and the time zone to make sure that you aren’t missing any quizzes. You also have to be capable of taking your own notes outside of the ones that the teacher gives you,” she said. As of now, most online classes are offered for the summer semester to traditional students. The online classes use Moodle as the main format for posting questions and answers. The classes offered vary from semester to semester. “Some classes work well in the online setting while others don’t,” said Sims. Introductory classes such as Introduction to Logic or an introduction to a foreign language do not work well in the online setting because there is a requirement for face-to-face correspondence. Sims said that he is cur-

rently in discussion with Spring Hill faculty in getting them to consider different circumstances for online classes. For instance, if there were three or four students interested in learning Arabic, but there wasn’t a teacher that specialized in that language, the class wouldn’t be offered because the number of students interested wouldn’t be enough to warrant finding a teacher. However, we could contact an outside institution and set it up so that those students could take the class online and still get credit”, said Sims. Spring Hill’s core still consists of face-to-face classes but when the college is considering online classes they have to ask several questions: What is the college’s role in preparing the students so that they can be equal partners in conversations? What is it that the students need to get there? And, what learning tools can best be used to reach that goal?

PRIDE hosts Q-Ball, promotes LGBTQ acceptance By AliciaCANDELA Lifestyle Reporter

The PRIDE group is a club that consists of people who express themselves freely and try to get others here on campus to understand their beliefs. The PRIDE group started back in 2009 by Heidi Zavros who won the awards for the best president and accepted the award for best new organization in 2010. The president of the group this year is Treston Tyrues. Tyrues explained his own opinion of what the purpose of the club is saying, “the purpose of PRIDE is for people to have a safe place to express themselves and educate others about LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgenders). “ The events

that the club hosts is National Coming Out day and National Day of Silence. In the past for National Coming Out day, there have been panels and the National day of silence recognizes those who have been bullied because of their sexuality. Every year the PRIDE group puts on an event called Q-ball and each year there is a theme. This year the theme was roaring 20s and last year the theme was “born this way”. “Some of us weren’t able to celebrate our prom the way we wanted to because we couldn’t wear what we liked or bring who we wanted to bring as a date or just because we felt judged,” explains junior Brea Ortner. Q-ball is similar to a prom because it gives everyone a chance to dress up and come as

they are and there is even a king and queen chosen each year. Qball is co-hosted annually with South Alabama and LGBT wave of Hope. “We put this on not only to have a good time but to also raise awareness about the injustices that many high school LGBT individuals face,” says Ortner According to the club’s mission statement, “It is the firm belief of all members of PRIDE that all people deserve to be safe and feel protected from physical, psychological, and emotional harm. We hope that all people can come to recognize that innate values of all people regardless of individual differences and understand that each and every person deserves and is due mutual respect.”

Photo provided by AdamBEATHARD

April 19, 2012

| NEWS

Supreme Court to decide the fate of ‘Obamacare’ By CoraALLEN news Editor

From March 26 to 28 the Supreme Court of the United States heard arguments for and against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA,) or what is informally known as Obamacare. Obamacare is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th Congress. The Supreme Court will likely be issuing their ruling in June of this summer, and until then political pundits, Constitutional scholars, and average Joes alike will be speculating on the likelihood that the bill will live or die. Many American’s, however, don’t know what to think about the law. Senior Jessie Sumpter sums up how many are feeling by saying “The idea of health care

for all sounds good to me, but I really don’t know enough about the bill to make an informed decision.” On the other hand, Senior Catie Palmer says “Socialized health care doesn’t really seem like the right thing for America right now, but honestly I don’t know the details of the bill, so I can’t say much more.” Obamacare is an attempt not only to answer to the needs of those 40 million uninsured Americans, but also an attempt to quell the ever increasing rates charged to those who are insured. Solicitor General Don Verilli who argued in front of the Supreme Court for the bill calls the issue a “fundamental and enduring problem in the health care system and our economy.” He explained that when those who are denied health care coverage

for reasons of pre-existing conditions or unaffordable they are likely to still be given care. This “unpaid,” care in turn results in higher premiums for those who can afford insurance. Obamacare would require insurers to offer the same premium to all applicants of the same age and geographic location, despite any pre-existing conditions (excluding tobacco use.) Medicaid eligibility would be expanded to include all families and individuals with incomes up to 133 percent of the poverty line, and low income families that earn up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level will be given the option of purchasing federally subsidized insurance plans on a sliding scale. Changes will also be made to reduce co-payments and deductibles for certain pre-

ventative care benefits. It is not these changes, however, that are causing the controversy. The bill also incorporates what is being called the individual mandate. This requires that all U.S. citizens above the poverty level purchase a health insurance plan, or else pay a penalty. The penalty was created to pay for other provisions of the bill as well as to make it almost impossible for individuals to receive care without insurance, effectively forcing others to foot the bill. It is this provision that has people talking. Many say that this requirement is unconstitutional because it is outside of Congress’ power to create laws that “create commerce,” rather than regulate it. Others say that it is simply unAmerican and not aligned with

the cornerstone American value of freedom to require citizens to do anything, much less purchase something. Many who make that argument wonder if the government will continue with this behavior and in turn reduce the level of freedom enjoyed in the U.S. Professor Tom Hoffman who teaches Constitutional Law says that until the oral arguments he thought that the court would uphold the legislation. After hearing the arguments he says “I think that the most likely grounds for them to strike it down would be through the commerce clause.” He goes on to explain that they might even deem the forced expansion of Medicaid by states unconstitutional as “not being within Congress’ spending powers.”

SHC showcases students’ creative talents

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Students and community members take in the seniors work in the Fine Arts Building

The Spring Hill College Fine Arts Department celebrated the work of its graduating seniors this past weekend. “Figure/Ground” by Stacey Gallodoro, Caitlin Murphy and Jacqueline Dunsworth, “Piecing” by Grant Benoit, and “A Collective Portrait” by Kim Nichols were presented this past weekend. Gallodoro, Murphy, and Dunsworth also had their seminar presentations this past Tuesday April 17th. Grant Benoit and Kim Nichols will be presenting their seminars Tuesday, April 24, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in fine arts room 211. The Graphic Design Department is also showcasing its students talents until April 25th in the fine and performing arts center. Fredrick Norfleet presented “Simple

& Effective Design” on April 13th. “AllNighters & Coffee” by Melissa Garcia and Jacqueline Michelle will be presented tonight April 19th from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Carwie’s Upper Deck. Sarah Dollison and Jessie Sumpter will also present “Seven Minutes After Sunset” this evening in the area behind Stewartfield. Katie Hedrick and Kim Nichols will be presenting “Command Q” Friday April 20th from 5 to 6 p.m. in Carwie’s Upper Deck. For more information, contact Janden Richards at jrichards@shc.edu. The student show begins Monday April 23rd and will run for approximately two weeks.

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OPINION |

April 19, 2012

Words of wisdom for the college graduate and maybe even a little hesitant the college graduate might be feeling while the prospect of my future is looming ever so closely. Suddenly you might notice, “I’m fixing to be in the real world.” Here is some of the best advice to help you venture fearlessly out into the world. The first bit of advice is to follow your dream. You have worked diligently the past four years cultivating your dream when you began your college By AllisonPATRICK career. You might have even Co-Editor “tweaked” your dream along the way a few times, perhaps more Graduation is just around than what you planned for, but the corner for many lucky se- still it’s time to get out there and niors, and while I’m sure your go for it. Sure, you might hit a parents are surely jumping for road block or two at first (isn’t joy about the prospect of no everyone reminding you conmore tuition payments while stantly that “life” isn’t easy,” but you, the graduate, might have ad- remember what your goal was verse feelings. I can only imag- just four short years ago. Don’t ine how overwhelming, excited, let anyone stand in your way of

following your dream. Next, don’t forget your debt. Many of you may have accumulated several student loans over the past few years, and it’s important to tackle that debt when you can. It is even wise to pay extra toward your debt if you can. You may even want to think about enlisting the help of your parents and other family members who supported you throughout your college years, they still may be willing to lend a helping hand, it can’t hurt to ask anyway. As poor as the college student is, now that you are working, productive, citizens, even at your young age, it’s time to start thinking about saving for the future. With each paycheck, you should set aside whatever you can afford (once you take care of your debt), for emergencies. Even if you continue to live like

a college student for a few short years, and live without expensive things for awhile, you will be richer in the long run. Don’t run out and buy that new car right after graduation, if your current method of transportation is still getting you by, then by all means keep it. Anyway, you shouldn’t be taking on new debt if you have all those student loans! And yes, I’m even going to say the “R” word too…retirement. Many employers offer some sort of retirement plan, and it will not hurt to start preparing for that day, unless you plan on working your entire life! In the event that your employer does not offer a plan, you should seek the advice of a financial planner to help guide you in the right direction! Last of all, and more importantly, cherish the memories from the last four years of your life. Remember the people, your

family and friends, that helped you get to this monumental occasion. Remember the friends that helped get you back to campus safely, or the ones that comforted you when you felt like a total failure. Don’t forget your study partners and the words of wisdom you gained from your professors and college advisors. Don’t forget the parties, the late nights and the adventures you will never tell your parents about! Don’t forget the best friends you will ever meet in your lifetime, and the ones that helped you grow. Remember to thank your parents for their love, encouragement and financial support for the ultimate gift of a college education. Congratulations to the Spring Hill Class of 2012! May you enter the world hopefully a lot wiser and are fully prepared to tackle the “real world!”

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING THE NEXT STUDENT-EDITOR OF THE SPRINGHILLIAN? Applications are being accepted for the Fall 2012 position of student-editor of the weekly campus newspaper, The SpringHillian. To be considered, interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter (including your reason for wanting to be considered) to the Division of Communication Arts, attention: Stuart Babington. The application deadline is Monday, April 30. It is recommended that the student-editor be enrolled in the class CMM 400-401 during the Fall 2012 semester.

April 19, 2012

| OPINION

Cyber-harassment increases with social networking

By KatelynGARDNER Co-Editor

Whether it is through social networking or another type of device, we are all using some form of computer-mediated communication. It seems that the lines of respect and dignity found within face-to-face communication are being lost in our online voices. It also seems as though people think they have the right to ridicule or objectify other people and their work just

because they can do these things behind the mask of a computer. And to me, it seems as though our society is plummeting into a world of indecency, doesn’t it? Although sites such as Facebook and Twitter allow us to communicate with a large number of people at once, it has also caused us, as a society, to view these types of communication as being informal; therefore, unedited. What I mean by this is that cyber-harassment and other forms of offensive online language that cause another person or group of people emotional distress is being perpetuated through multiple social networking sites and online media. According to the bullying-victims rights website, 95 percent of social media-using teens who have witnessed cruel behavior on social networking sites say they have seen others ignoring the mean behavior.

The Center for Disease Control provides some examples of online harassment including but not limited to disclosing someone else’s personal information in a public area in order to cause embarrassment, posting rumors or lies about someone on a public forum or posting private pictures of someone in a public area online. Although bullying is something we were taught not to do in middle school, new forms of verbal harassment have risen with the advancement of technology. If we see someone dressed inappropriately or wearing some type of out-of-date clothing, we have the capability to take a picture of them and upload it to Facebook. More recently, “The SpringHillian” has been targeted numerous times for misspellings which were photographed and posted online alongside captions that blatantly identified the er-

rors as being idiotic or senseless. Without computer-mediated text, I don’t believe these errors would have been pointed out in such a jarring tone. I realize that people are entitled to their opinions; however, the various online communication systems that are made available to us have made nasty slurs and sly comments more acceptable in this day and age. It is something to be aware of and point out in the sense that it has astounding effects on students as well as the youth. According to techtoday.com, cyber-bullying can result in suicide or suicidal thoughts, stress and poor health as well as a lowered sense of self-confidence and security. In today’s world, the youth become numb to the effects of their words, feeling that if they are typed instead of spoken, they are less hurtful. With cyber-harassment, people don’t

have to face the person who they are mocking or objectifying; therefore, they feel safe behind the confines of a desktop or cell phone. The real issue at heart is the idea that new forms of media will continue to grow, especially in the realm of online social networking. While technology becomes more advanced and communication becomes less personal, people are becoming less affected by their own words. The fact of the matter is: what we type sticks with us; consequently, it should be communicated with this idea in mind. Make sure that the next time you choose to hurt someone online, you ask yourself if you would go up to that person or group of people, and say what you typed to them in person. Chances are that you will rethink your words and feel ashamed for what you said.

Cartoon

SUBMISSIONS The SpringHillian publishes guest submissions at the discretion of the student-editors and section editors. Submission should be no more than 300 words, and editors reserve the right to edit the submissions for length and content. Original articles should be mailed or delivered to: Student Editor Communication Arts Spring Hill College 4000 Dauphin Street Mobile, AL 36608

EDITORIAL POLICY The SpringHillian is published weekly from September to May, except during examination periods and vacations. The views expressed within 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.

LIFE STYLE |

April 19, 2012

I have considered Spring Hill “home” for the past four years where I have made friends that will be with me through the next stages of life and memories, adventures and good times that will never be forgotten. Badgers Forever! - Emily Stewart

“Being at Spring Hill has been the best and funnest four years of my life. I am so blessed and happy to have had the opportunity to be at such a great school. I have met so many wonderful people, who are the heart of this school and have created many memories with life long friends. Without Spring Hill I would not be who I am today and it will always be special place for me. Go Badgers!!!!” - Seth Elliot

April 19, 2012

| LIFE STYLE

“Spring Hill is my home away from home! I have an infinite amount of fabulous memories that I’ll never forget!” -Ellen Broad

Badgers say farewell, but not goodbye

“I think the entire senior class would agree: our favorite memories of Spring Hill are those that we can’t publish in the SpringHillian.” - Matthew Jordan

“I will always remember the caf, all three of them: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the omelets. But seriously, it was some of the people on the caf staff that made rough and sick days better! They always looked out for me and I will never forget that.” - SC Collins

LIFESTYLE |

April 19, 2012

Finals Survival Guide: How to get through finals alive By BrandyJONES and MatthewLaBORDE

Lifestyle Reporter and Sports Editor

Finals are the grandest finales to any academic school semester. Preparing for hours on end to take a test and then going right back to the miserably cold library just to put your face into another book for four more hours. On some nights, you can find students in sleeping bags in between the moving bookshelves on the first floor. Your diet consists mostly of McDonald’s and Starbucks, and occasionally Rally’s on those really desperate nights, the nights where you feel the most alone. Students in study groups try to be productive in a private room in the library, but soon become annoyed by loud students in the other rooms. Their loud voices cannot be contained by the walls that are apparently made of loose-leaf paper and cheap sheetrock. You become so tired that you need to use the elevator to go up to the main floor from the basement. You find yourself

retreating to the South Alabama library, which allows you to study in peace, given that nobody at South actually studies. Thankfully for us, the Center for Academic Excellence wants us all to succeed. Here are some tips that they offer for finals week: 1. Find out whether or not the exam is cumulative. Knowing this can greatly cut down or increase your workload. Also, find out the format of the test. SpringHillian advice: If you don’t study for a multiple-choice exam, you feel less badly about yourself when you miss every question. However, if your tests are in an essay format, study just enough to where you can fill out two to three sentences of mostly made-up information. 2. Attend review sessions and study early. Also, manage your time well. SpringHillian advice: Deactivate your Facebook account. Facebook is one of the most distracting social media sites ever created. Also, stay away from animal meme’s and photos of kittens. These can also be extremely distracting.

Photo by BrandyJONES

Student passes out after attempting to prepare for an intensive week of finals last Tuesday.

3. Tracy Childs, head of the CAE says “You should read all of the directions before starting the test.” Also, if you have a writing intensive exam, Childs recommends that they come to the CAE early so that they can help “brainstorm a topic and format an outline.”

‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ premieres Saturday By KatelynGardner Co-Editor

Senior Alexander Hill will be presenting his senior seminar play “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” this Saturday April 21 in the Arlene Mitchell Theatre at 8 p.m. According to Hill, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ” is a play by Tennessee Williams that features a Southern family living in crisis. “The play is about continuing with life after all your dreams and goals have been shattered,” Hill stated. The main character Brick is forced to deal with his “shattered” life after his friend dies and he discovers that his father is dying as well. Since Williams is Hill’s favorite playwright, choosing a

specific play to direct was an easy decision. “This play is both serious, and it has a lot of humor. It can really engage and capture an audience,” Hill said. On Saturday, the audience will be able to see the full version of the play with studentactors Kevin Reilly as Brick and Kat Jakuback as Maggie. Jamie Adams will play Big Daddy while Ben Butera, Abbey Roam and Katie Therkelsen make up the rest of the cast in Hill’s rendition of the play. For those wanting to attend “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Hill says to make sure you arrive early. Admission is free to everyone, and the play begins promptly at 8 p.m.

with an extra power boost of aluminum. Knowing how to get through finals will be essential to moving forward. The last day for CAE tutoring is April 19. For further assistance after the 19th, contact Sandy Mayo for math and Dr. Meg Smith for writing.

SpringHillian advice: Not only should you read all directions before starting a test, be sure that you also write your name. 4. Stay energized. SpringHillian advice: Starbucks and Redbull, RedBull and Starbucks. And, if you get hungry at any time, eat a can of RedBull. It will provide energy

APPLICATION

WEEK

of the

Instagram

By AliciaCANDELA Lifestyle Reporter

Photo provided by Alexander Hill

Kevin Reilly and Kat Jakuback star in Alexander Hill’s rendition of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Hill’s senior seminar, this Saturday, April 21 at 8 p.m. in the Arlene Mitchell Theatre.

Looking for another cool application to take up space on your phone? Then the next time you are searching through the application store, look up Instagram. Instagram is a photo application that allows you to take pictures and choose from different filters to make the picture look cool. All you have to do is to create an account, add some photos, and get some followers. This application also gives you a chance to share your pho-

tos on Facebook and Twitter. These photos can be manipulated in various ways including changing colors, creating borders and even lightning photos According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, Facebook just bought Instagram for $1 billion. When asked how Facebook’s purchase will affect the mobile internet process, the CEO of Twitter, Dick Consolo responded, “I think sometimes there is a tendency for companies to react to events in the marketplace that are inconsistent with their strategy.”

April 19, 2012

| LIFESTYLE

Continuing the Jesuit tradition on the Hill By MaryRIES Editor Emeritus

Imagine yourself in class on the first day of the semester. Typically, the professor begins with the usual first day of class type of introduction. The professor goes around the room and asks each student to say a little something about themselves. Information that follows such a prompt includes your name, major and hometown. Everyone goes around the room taking turns saying the same old useless information they have been saying since day one. However when the turn came around to sophomore Greg Overbeek, the information was slightly different. He responded with, “I would be a philosophy and psyAdvertisement

Photo by BrandyJONES

chology double major, but I’m planning on becoming a Jesuit.” Overbeek, a Hunstville, Ala. native, always knew that he wanted to enter into a religious order. “Since I was 6 years old,

I’ve consistently felt called to be a priest,” said Overbeek. He became more intrigued with the Jesuit order when he began his freshman year at Spring Hill College. After many years of only knowing about diocesan priests, Overbeek found the spiritual and intellectual aspects of the Jesuit order to be especially appealing. “The Jesuits go into higher level education with philosophy and theology,” said Overbeek. In addition to higher education in philosophy and theology, he also found the Jesuits to be more appealing since Jesuits may also study other subjects. Overbeek hopes to study more in-depth in the field of psychology. Overbeek also was attracted to the Jesuit society because of the different types of

spiritualty that Jesuits follow. “The Jesuit spirituality is attracting to me because with most religious orders there is more of a communal aspect when it comes to prayer, and the Jesuits use more of an individual based prayer throughout the day,” said Overbeek. He especially places emphasis on the Examination of Conscience and contemplations that Jesuits do throughout the day. Examination is a Jesuit method of praying twice daily and contemplations are a way of praying through the scriptures. While in contemplations, the Jesuits use more of their imagination to pray. “You read a gospel passage and relate it to your life. It helps to get you to know Christ more,” said Overbeek. Through contemplations,

Overbeek says you are to use your imagination to help you to become closer to Christ. Overbeek has had to go through a long period of discernment before he could even begin to apply to become a part of the Jesuit society. On his journey, he sought spiritual advisement from Fr, Marvin Kitten, S.J. and Fr. Anthony Wieck, S.J. During the discernment period, he had to pray to ensure that joining the Jesuit society was what God had called him to do. After working with Wieck, he put Overbeek in contact with the vocations director of the New Orleans Province, Fr. Paul Deutsch, S.J., who gave him the green light to apply to the Jesuit society. see JESUIT on page 12

LIFESTYLE|

ThingsTop we will 6 miss...

By CoraALLEN news Editor Many seniors are looking ahead to big plans or are anxious to begin a new chapter in their lives, but no doubt will soon find themselves reminiscing about those good times spent on the hill. Our memories will paint Spring Hill in the best light as we forget those things that bothered us throughout the years, but hold tight to those memories that will make us wish we could do it all over again. So, with time ticking away, use these last few weeks to appreciate what you will miss after you are somewhere out there in the real world. Here is a list of things that we are likely to miss once we’re gone.

The enlightenment

This is something that most of us take for granted. We complain about taking classes that “we will never use,” but this wealth of knowledge that has been available to us is something that we will eventually appreciate. It is this knowledge of the world that has been a catalyst for us to learn about ourselves and grow into the people that we have become. Even if you are going to graduate school, it is unlikely that you will have the chance to broaden your horizons like you have here at Spring Hill. We may not have been that interested at the moment, but the time we have spent here has made us into more well rounded individuals, and that is something that we can’t take for granted.

1 2 3 4 5 6

The lack of responsibility

Unless you end up in jail or move back home to a very, very caring mother, it is unlikely that you will enjoy as little responsibility as you have during your years on the hill. Sure we pay (a lot) for it, but where else will you have every meal cooked for you? When else will you have the luxury of skipping your Friday classes for a relaxing day at the beach? How about being able to go out on a lush without having to worry about transportation? Will you ever be able to charge BP cards among other things directly to your parents check book? I know that life hasn’t been exactly carefree for all of us for the past 4 years, but things only get more complicated from here.

Mobile What a wonderful little city we have lived in. There are few cities in America that have as much history as Mobile; a drive down Government towards downtown can take you back a few centuries. The port city really does have a lot to offer, from the fresh seafood, to battleships and everything in between. Not only is it a short drive away from some of the most beautiful beaches in America, but also a short drive from one of the party capitals of the world, New Orleans. We can’t forget about our own little bar scene here in Mobile. We all know that there are plenty of good times to be had during a night out on Dauphin Street.

The friendships The most obvious answer to the question “what will you miss most?” is our friends; the people, some of which have already come and gone, that we have grown so tight with over the years here. It is these people that have made it possible for us to make it this far. Whether it’s a roommate, professor, sorority sister, or lover, most of us have met someone that we will share the rest of our lives with, in some way, in our time at Spring Hill. While it is these relationships that we might miss the most, or that are the most important to us, they aren’t number one, two, or even three on the list because we will always have them. We might miss the people we have come to love here, but hopefully, they are only a phone call, a road trip, or a plane ride away.

The beauty

While many seniors “rep” their respective cities with a fire that can’t be put out, it is time to admit that at least aesthetically, most of our cities, Midwestern or otherwise, can’t hold a candle to the Azalea City. Tomorrow morning when you wake up and look out your window to see the sun rising over the golf course, when you walk to class passing through the palm trees, or when you take that walk down the Avenue of the Oaks, take a second to appreciate the beauty that has surrounded us for four years. It is not likely that you will ever live in a place as beautiful as Spring Hill’s campus again.

The weather

It might be one of the rainiest cities in the country, but really who can complain about the weather here? When you’re scraping your windshield one December morning a few years from now, you will remember that year in Mobile when we didn’t have a winter. You will remember walking around in shorts and a t-shirt mid-January and think why did I leave the South again?

April 19, 2012

Jesuit continued from page 11 After Overbeek spent much time completing a 15-page spiritual autobiography, psychiatric evaluations, physical tests and much more, he finally was able to submit his application. Overbeek also had to go through an intense interview process and then was told he had to wait until the Jesu-

another nine years after this process before he will be ordained into the society. Until then, Overbeek continues to enjoy his last semester at Spring Hill College, and he continues to stay focused and smiling, “from ear to ear.”

“The Jesuit spirituality is attracting to me because with most religious orders there is more of a communal aspect when it comes to prayer, and the Jesuits use more of an individual based prayer throughout the day” - Greg Overbeek

its reviewed the applications at a meeting in St. Louis, Mo. On Jan. 12, Overbeek received a life changing call from Deutsch who told him that he had been accepted into the Jesuit novitiate, “I was really excited. He said that he could hear me smiling from ear to ear,” said Overbeek. In the fall of 2012, he will continue on his journey to becoming a Jesuit in Grand Cateau, La. For the next two years, he will be living there in further discernment to ensure his decision. He will spend half of the time there praying and the other half of the time doing, “what St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, called experiments,” said Overbeek. During these “experiments,” Overbeek will be testing out different vocations to figure out which is best for him. After this time, “I’ll be allowed to put S.J. after my name,” said Overbeek. He will have to wait

April 19, 2012

| SPORTS

Baseball season coming to an end By KieferGINGLES Sports Reporter

The Spring Hill College baseball team has had an up and down season this year. The season has placed the odds against them in making it to the conference tournament, but they are keeping their heads up and trying to finish the season on a high note. The Badgers struggled last week in defending their home field against the Thomas University Night Hawks, dropping both games Tuesday afternoon. The first game of the doubleheader was plagued with a strong offensive performance by the always hard-hitting Night Hawks, and the Badgers were unable to answer the call, totaling only four hits against starter Ben Overman. The final result was a 10-1 victory for Thomas University. The second game was much closer as the Badgers came back fighting, a characteristic of Spring Hill’s season. Despite being down 5-1 after five innings of play, by the seventh inning they had the game tied up 5-5. The rally was started by a double driven by right fielder Wayne Huell and was followed up by RBI-singles by shortstop Ryan Cummings and second baseman Brian Sims. The Night Hawks came back strong in the ninth inning, putting four more runs on the board and giving them an insurmountable lead. The game ended in the

Photo courtesy JohnKERR

Freshman HadenCotton

Photo courtesy JohnKERR

Wayne Huell makes an impressive play in the outfield

bottom of that inning with Thomas University winning 9-5. Despite some crucial, dominating and well-fought wins against some good teams, including three wins against Loyola University, the Badgers have been unable to really get on a role this season which has put them a few games under .500. Nevertheless, the team has enjoyed the season and the seniors will certainly miss the camaraderie on and off the field. “It was a very fun year with a great bunch of guys.

The games never work out how you plan but that is baseball for you. I will miss it very much. Next year looks extremely promising for the program. This season can be summed up as snakefarm,” said senior Fred Rossi. The Spring Hill College Badgers will host the final series of their season this weekend. Games against the Truett-McConnell College Bears will begin with one on Friday at 6 p.m. and continue with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

Photo courtesy JohnKERR

Junior TaraMontegut

SPORTS |

April 19, 2012

Benson tries his luck with Hornets, takes ownership By KieferGINGLES Sports Reporter

At the end of last week, it was announced at the NBA’s Board of Governors meeting in Manhattan that Saints owner Tom Benson would be the new owner of the New Orleans Hornets. Reports vary slightly on the price of the deal, but all estimate it a little above $300 million, a hefty price until compared to a group led by NBA legend Magic Johnson’s purchase of the LA Dodgers last month for a record $2.15 billion. Not to mention, the cost also includes an estimated $100 million in debt. The completion of the sale will still be delayed until later in the year, as it must be approved by the Board of Governors, but changes to the team can already be seen. Benson wasted no time in expressing his desire to change the name of New Orleans’ NBA team. In a quote from The Times-Picayune, Benson said, “We need to find a name like (Jazz),” Referring to New Orleans’ first NBA team that relocated to Salt Lake City in 1979. “Whether we can get that or let us use

they should try to buy the rights back to the ‘Jazz’ from Utah,” said junior Lawrence Trunk, a native of New Orleans. Although most New Orleans residents are thrilled to have the assurance of the Hornets remaining in their city, some have expressed displeasure in the fact that the purchase was made before signing their franchise quarterback Drew Brees to the long-term contract in which he’s expressed desire. However, Benson has reassured those worried at losing Brees by incorporating him into the buying decision: As reported by The TimesPhoto courtesy of Hornet Henry Picayune, “I talked to Drew Brees this The Hornets take on the Sacramento Kings in the New Orleans Arena morning and he’s very happy about it,” that, you’ve got to know we’re working on city. Regardless, there is one result that Benson said. “He and I told each other it. We’d like to change it tomorrow. We would be certain if the name is changed; that he’s going to get in here and we’re gohave not gotten that approved, but we’re a major profit from merchandise sales. As ing to work his deal out and we’re going not letting up on it, either. Because we’ve many fans would feel obligated to pur- to get it behind us.” got a good relationship with the commis- chase jerseys and souvenirs displaying the If Benson can work any of the magic sioner and his people and we’re going to current name, it may be just the course he did with the Saints organization, things be on them daily to do something.” of action to make up the team’s debt and are looking good for the Hornets. In any Hornets fans seem to have varied start them out on the right track. account, the centralized ownership of the responses to Benson’s desire, some agree“I think it’s good that someone with city’s professional football and basketball ing that their current name is unappeal- some money bought the team so they will teams is sure to even further solidify their ing and unfitting and others attached to be able to invest money in the team to support. the name that has a ten-year legacy in the bring in good players. I definitely think

Great time to be an MMA fan By KieferGINGLES Sports Reporter

Over the past few years and largely due to the leadership of UFC president Dana White, the sport of mixed martial arts has gained tremendous popularity. The April 21 showcase fight of ex-friends and training partners Jon Jones and Rashad Evans is sure to please anyone who watches. The chances of anyone not being familiar with UFC are slim to none these days, but in that rare case there is no better time to become a fan than this weekend. The bout between Jones and Evans has been much anticipated since they had an original agreement to never fight one another. Back in 2005, “Suga” Rashad Evans was the victor of season two of “The Ultimate Fighter” in which he was awarded with a six-figure contract with the UFC. It was shortly after this that he joined Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting camp. Jackson’s list of fighters, including Jones, is a who’s who among the UFC’s competitors. It was only a short amount of time before Evans became a star at the camp located in Albuquerque, N.M.

In December of 2008, Evans defeated Forrest Griffin to become the UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion. Evans lost the belt in May of the following year to challenger Lyoto Machida. Through wins over Thiago Silva and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Evans was ready to challenge Maurício “Sho-gun” Rua and regain his standing as champion, but before the fight could take place, Evans was sidelined by a knee injury. It was announced that Evans’ training partner and good friend at Jackson’s camp Jon “Bones” Jones would step up and take the place of Evans in the title fight. To the surprise of many, Jones stepped up and delivered a dominating performance over Rua, defeating him in the third round to become the youngest UFC champion of all time. Jones has undoubtedly been on the fast-track to success, but he has proven himself on multiple occasions not only during his quick rise to stardom but also after winning the title. Jones has now successfully defended the belt against Jackson and Machida. The hostility between Jones and Evans has grown increasingly as the fight nears. After learning that he would have to face Jones, Evans left Jackson’s camp

and moved to Boca Raton, Fla where he helped start a new training camp comprised of African-American and Brazilian fighters, lending to the group being selfdubbed the “Blackzilians.” Evans’ aggression is fueled by a broken promise from his former coach Jackson who allegedly promised Evans that he would never have to fight Jones once they brought him into the camp, saying that teammates never fight. Now that the two are scheduled to face off, all friendship has gone out the window but the fact that they were long-time training partners should make for an interesting match-up. Jones, who boasts the longest reach in UFC history at 84.5 in., would definitely appear to have the striking advantage, but Evans has much more experience in the octagon which he will count on to take back his belt: “I’ve been through these types of pressure fights. Jon has never been in this type of situation and he’s never faced a fighter like me. I know I will get my title back at UFC 145.” The fights of UFC 145 begin at 9 p.m. Saturday, April 21 and they can be purchased on PPV or be viewed at local sports bars. However, plan to arrive early as the bars are sure to be filled with avid UFC fans.

April 19, 2012

| SPORTS

2012 NFLdraft: the first ten to go By contributor JoshBURNS

The Indianapolis Colts select...

ANDREW LUCK, QB, Stanford

Andrew has been hailed as the best starting quarterback to come out of the college ranks since Peyton Manning came out of Tennessee in 98’. The Colts will have been lucky enough to have now drafted both of them. Accuracy, intangibles, and overall athleticism are off the charts for this signal caller standing 6’4’’, 235 pounds. Biggest no-brain pick of the draft here.

ROBERT GRIFFIN III, The Washington Redskins select... QB, Baylor

All photos provided by stock.xchng.com

JUSTIN BLACKMON WR, Oklahoma State

The St. Louis Rams select...

Sam Bradford can finally sigh in relief. Blackmon brings an enormous amount of talent to possibly the worst receiver group in the entire league. Blessed with above average speed, good jumping ability, an exceptional ability at creating separation, and the best after catch ability out of all the receivers this year, Blackmon looks like an Andre Reed clone which should make Bradford a very happy camper.

MICHAEL FLOYD The Jacksonville Jaguars select... WR, Notre Dame

The Heisman winner brings with him into the NFL an athleticism not seen in a QB since Michael Vick was drafted by the Falcons. However, Griffin is leaps and bounds more developed as a passer. Combine that with his winning attitude and you have a play caller with the highest potential in this year’s draft. The Minnesota Vikings select... MATT KALIL, OT, Southern Cali Minnesota hasn’t had a solid left tackle in four to five years now and with new QB Christian Ponder entering a critical developmental year, the Vikings are going to want to keep him off the ground as much as possible. Kalil is the most athletically gifted offensive lineman in this year’s draft and, while he needs to gain some strength to become consistently effective, he has the highest ceiling of the entire lineman group this year.

The Cleveland Browns select...

TRENT RICHARDSON RB, Alabama

There are plenty of rumors going around that WR Justin Blackmon or even QB Ryan Tannehill could be taken with this pick, but I’m going to doubt all of the gossip and stay with Richardson at this pick. He fills a big need for the Browns and is one of the safest picks in the draft.

MORRIS CLAIBORNE The Tampa Bay Bucs Select... RB, Alabama Tampa Bay has been blessed with the Pro Bowl level play by Ronde Barber at the corner position for the past decade. Unfortunately, his time is coming to an end and a replacement leader is needed in the secondary. Claiborne was probably the most talented member of LSU’s legendary defense last year and can be counted on to play the position from day one. While he may not be Patrick Peterson, he looks like a probable Pro Bowler for years to come.

Blaine Gabbert struggled in his first year out of Mizzou and part of his problems was lack of a number one receiver to rely on. Floyd may not have the greatest hands, but he’s big (6’3’’, 220 pounds) and has an outstanding jumping ability which makes him a valuable red zone target. Not incredibly fast, but has enough speed to separate from corners. Also a fantastic blocker. The Miami Dolphins select...

RYAN TANNEHILL QB, Texas A&M

Tannehill is not a top ten caliber pick; he will be picked because of necessity. He had great offseason workouts and has good stats, but he is fringe first round talent at best. The Dolphins missed out on Peyton Manning so they will draft him to satisfy a need to influx talent at the position rather than face another year with Chad Henne as the starter. The Carolina Panthers select....

MICHAEL BROCKERS DT, LSU

Carolina is solid if not above average at all most every position on defense except tackle. This glaring hole will need to be fixed for this unit to progress positively in the future. Brockers anchored the middle of the LSU defense and can play multiple positions along the defensive line, a prized talent in linemen. The Buffalo Bills select....

LUKE KUECHLY LB, Boston College Buffalo was unfortunate to lose out on Blackmon, Floyd, Kalil, or Claiborne falling into their laps so they will take the best player available. Kuechly is an above average athlete who demonstrated at the college level that he is one of the best tackling machines in the nation. He will challenge their current linebackers and add talent to this defensive unit.

BADGER ZONE | On the Spot How do you get through finals week?

April 19, 2012

SusanaJimenez

STEphenRay Sophomore

DarielleHickman

Michaellatady

“I have already made a schedule and its right by my bed.”

“RayG.”

“A lot of coffee, no sleep, and tons of muic.”

“I bathe myself in oatmeal and drink hot milk.”

FRESHMAN

‘The SpringHillian’ staff says goodbye to a great year

see you all in the fall

Junior

SENIOR

Movers and Shakers ‘Movers and Shakers’ is a weekly series that highlights influential individuals on the Hill.

By AliciaCANDELA Lifestyle Reporter

Dr. Catherine Swender has been teaching at Spring Hill College since 2004. With her outgoing and sweet personality, she always tries to make class interesting for her students and is enthusiastic about teaching. Swender’s typical day usually starts off with morning classes. She then devotes her afternoons to meeting with students, holding peer-editing conferences, attending committee meetings, and conducting business as the English department chair. In the evenings, she prepares her classes and does some grading, which also takes up a lot of time on the weekends. When it is time for lunch, Swender heads off to the Student Center where she will strike up a conversation with some of her students, and then sits with the faculty to listen to their interesting conversations for the day. “My favorite day of the week is Friday because it’s omelet day!” says Swender. Swender did not live in Mobile all her life. She was born in Marshall, Michigan and has three brothers, a niece and nephew, who she adores. For her undergraduate studies, she attended Alma College, which is a liberal arts school similar to Spring Hill. “When I was there, I decided that I wanted to be a professor. Once I made that deci-

Lately, Swender has been active in service learning and currently has her Intro to Poetry students going to elementary schools and teaching the students there about poetry. An interesting experience that Swender has encountered, was teaching a course on Gothic Literature in Scotland over the summer. “Going overseas was such a great experience for me as a student. Being able to go back as a teacher was highly meaningful.” Photo by AliciaCANDELA

sion, everything clicked into place and I knew that I had found my true calling.” Swender explains how throughout college she changed her major several times, but always came back to English. She received her PhD and M.A. at Michigan State University, where she focused on 18th and 19th British and American literature. Swender also specializes in Gothic Literature. Her current work examines the role of the zombie figure in literature and popular culture. Whenever she is not busy teaching and has free time, Swender plays the piano. “My mom was a music teacher and everyone in my family is musically inclined in some way.” She explains that the best present she bought herself was a new piano keyboard two years ago.

Also during her free time, Swender enjoys reading. Her favorite book of all time is “Jane Eyre.” “I had to read it in eighth grade and didn’t like it at first, but then I read it again in high school and loved it.” Besides reading classics like “Jane Eyre, Swender also enjoys reading Agatha Christie mysteries and young-adult fantasy novels like C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books and Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series. Overall, Swender is very happy with her decision to work at Spring Hill. She feels that one of the most important parts of her job is herrelationships with her students and colleagues. “I feel very fortunate to be at a school that places such an emphasis on community and working together to achieve our goals.”