The
Springhillian February 2, 2017
Volume 104 Issue 1 ∙ Ad Majorem Del Gloriam
HUNDREDS MARCH IN MOBILE FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS Kerri Ebanks Reporter
The day after Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 45th president of the United States of America, people all over the world marched in solidarity with women. The Women’s March was officially, but not exclusively, held in Washington, D.C. While one million women met at the National Mall, it is estimated that over 5 million “Sister Marches” were held all over the world. Members of the Mobile community attended a “Sister March” held at Public Safety Memorial Park this past Saturday. The number of attendees was not as high as the D.C. March, but the message remained the same. The march was originally planned to take place on Spring Hill’s campus. In an email released by President Christopher Puto, he said, “Due to an overwhelming interest in the student-organized event, coupled with the College’s commitment to the safety of its students and all involved” the march would not be held on campus. Spring Hill College students showed their support at the Sister March held at the Public Safety Park in midtown Mobile. Speakers for the march included Dr. Jamie Franco-Zamudio, Bethany Kraft, Lizetta McConnell, Cassi Callaway and Chandra Brown. The Rev. Ellen Sims of the Open Table: A Community of Faith Church began the event with a prayer. Rev. Sims said, “The image
of God in exclusively male terms can hinder women and little girls from seeing themselves as made in the image of God.” She then shared a prayer of empowerment with the crowd before they began their walk around the park so they could “make holy the ground beneath [their] feet.” As they marched they held signs to announce their beliefs. Some were as subtle as saying, “The Future is Female,” and others protested the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Their voices shouted cheers and chants of despair but immediately followed by resistance. With almost four hundred people in attendance, you could feel the excitement for systemic change and gender equality. Spring Hill’s very own Dr. Jamie Franco-Zamudio was the first keynote speaker of the event and shared that she marched “because she wants to see gender-based assumptions and expectations challenged.” The crowd was filled with a sense of hopefulness when she declared to all to “go inspire and be inspired”. Mobile NAACP President Lizetta McConnell, most recently known for her sit-in at Sen. Jeff Sessions’s office that led to her arrest, stood before the crowd “just proud to be a female.” Many people marched for different reasons and McConnell encouraged them to look within for their likenesses instead of
Photo by: Kerri Ebanks Pictured: Dr. April Sanders, Dr. Meg Smith, and Dr. Denise Mattey differences and focus on “standing in solidarity.” McConnell went on to question the fundamentals of President Trump’s administration and what new policies are to come and said that “if it results in an another arrest then so be it.” With the new administration, she believes that it is important to make the public more aware of women’s rights issues as well as human rights issues. McConnell says that if women come together and “focus on what [they] have in common, together [they] can have a greater impact in numbers.” March attendee Isabelle Ross, 19, said that it was important for her to march because she notices more of the “things women need to fight for as [she gets] older.” Knowing that Alabama is more conservative, she did not believe that hundreds of people in Alabama would come out in support of women’s rights. Ross said that she “is not afraid to put [her] opinions out anymore,” while standing up for what she believes is right.
SENIORS LEAD WORKSHOP TEACHING BUDGETS, LOANS, AND CREDIT SCORES Marian Cook
and debt forgiveness. They described credit scores: how they work, how they affect student Seniors Libby Crocker and Andrew Pettus led a personal loans, how they affect credit cards options and finance workshop to prepare students post-graduation on how to build proper credit. They covered budTuesday, Feb. 31 at 12:15 p.m. in LeBlanc C. geting and how to meet your list of personal At their workshop titled “Let’s Talk About Cents, Baby,” needs. they discussed student loans, credit scores, budgeting and con- In regards to student debt, Pettus said, “The solidation. They explained student loans, (how they work, what worst thing you can do is accept the first thing they mean, and repayment options), grace periods, deferment you come across because there is a plethora
Reporter
of options. And the people giving you those loans, it’s not necessarily in their interest to give all their options.” In regards to good money-saving tips, Crocker said, “[Look] into budgeting apps like Mint or seeing if your banking institution offers an app that can let you quickly assess and see where your money is at.” Article continues on page 2...