February 4, 2013 Issue of The Vanguard

VANGUARD

THE

VOL. 52, NO. 4

“If it matters to the USA family, it matters to us.”

FEB. 4, 2013

SGA stipends officially increased

MOULTON TAKES 90 DAY LEAVE; SMITH STEPS UP

By STUART SOX sgsox@att.net

t the Student Government Association meeting on Monday, January 28, the senators passed and discussed revisions to the SGA bylaws that were reviewed at the previous meeting.

One important change discussed at the meeting was the powers of the Student-at-Large position. After much debate between senators and executive council members, the decision to amend the powers of the Student-atLarge was tabled to next week’s meeting.

Provided that the revision is passed, the Student-at-Large will have a vote and be allowed to participate in senate discussion. The current Student-atLarge is Alex Wiles, a senior and psychology major at South Alabama.

A significant revision passed at Monday’s meeting was an increase in the SGA stipend amounts. Each SGA officer will receive a $75 increase in his or her monthly stipend.

Furthermore, semester stipends for senators will be doubled, the Studentat-Large will receive the same stipend amount as each senator and the associate justice will begin receiving a stipend.

These stipend revisions will become effective June 1, 2013 when new SGA senators and officers begin the summer semester.

The SGA wants students to be aware of important dates for this year’s SGA elections. Applications will be available at the SGA office in the academic support center on Jaguar drive on March 1. Applications are due at the SGA office by 5 p.m. on March 18.

Those that submitted applications must attend a mandatory candidates meeting on March 18 at 5:15 p.m. at the SGA office. Any applicants that cannot attend the meeting must send a representative to the meeting in his or her place.

Primary elections will begin via JagMail on Monday, March 25 and end on Wednesday, March 27. Run-offs will beSee SGA Page 5

Cassie Fambro | Editor

A

Dr. John Smith addresses the Board of Trustees and those in attendance on Friday at an emergency meeting regarding his temporary appointment as president of USA.

President Moulton is recovering from brain surgery in october that removed a malignant brain tumor

By CASSIE FAMBRO editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com

A

new sheriff is in town, at least temporarily.

Dr. John Smith is now the acting president of the University of South Alabama. For at least 90 days, President Gordon Moulton will be focusing on recuperation following his October 21 surgery to remove a ma-

lignant brain tumor.

Moulton had returned to his duties but the Board of Trustees encouraged him to take some time off for fear of pushing himself too hard. As a result of that encouragement, Moulton agreed to the 90 day leave of absence.

On Friday February 1, the Board of Trustees convened for an emergency meeting to make the presidential

switch official and appointed Smith to the role. Chairman of the Board Jim Yance told attendees that Moulton’s health was “interfering with his ability.”

He emphasized that thoughts and prayers were with Moulton and his family as he continues to heal.

Director of Public Relations Keith Ayers said that Moulton is cancer-free

and that he is recovering well.

After being unanimously appointed by the Board, Smith issued a statement assuring his confidence. “I am honored to be asked to serve in this role. We have a very strong administrative team that works well together, so I am confident that we can keep the University moving forward until President Moulton reSee President Page 5

Harassment at USA: Students have ways to get help

By JAYSON CURRY jayson-curry@hotmail.com

O

nly through the first three weeks of the spring semester at South Alabama, issues have arisen with roommates and other students reporting harassment. There have already been six harassment cases reported to USAPD. USAPD Lt. Tammy Orso said these situations aren’t unusual at the beginning of every semester.

“There is always a lot of drama with people who have never lived

find us on Facebook “Facebook.com/ TheVanguardUSA”

with anyone before, other than their family, moving in together,” Lt. Orso explained. “A lot of times it’s incoming freshmen.”

There is not only harassment issues involving roommates at USA, there is also an increase in harassment through social media. In many of these cases of harassment Lt. Orso explained “they are not all going to reach the point of being prosecuted.”

In instances where USAPD feels prosecution isn’t necessary, there are multiple steps students can take to re-

Check out our digital edition thevanguardonline.com

solve the issue they may have.

If you feel that your roommate in USA housing is harassing you in any way, your first step should be talking to your RA or someone in housing.

The USA housing handbook lays out the policy on harassment.

“Harassment is defined as annoying or attempting or threatening physical harm or causing apprehension of harm to another person, using abusive language, including electronic communication, tending to incite an immediate breach of the peace to any

Life, Page 6

person, persistent following or stalking of a person or engaging in a course of conduct or repeatedly committing acts that alarm or seriously annoy another person. Such actions are strictly prohibited in the residence halls and throughout the University. Those found responsible for violation of the harassment policy in the residential community may be immediately administratively relocated or removed from the residential community pending a housing judicial conference or See Harassment Page 14

In this Issue: Sports, Page 9 Opinion, Page 12

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VOL. 52, NO. 4 / FEB. 4, 2013

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VOL. 52, NO. 4 / FEB. 4, 2013

PAGE three

“University of South Alabama’s Student Voice”

Weather for Feb. 4 -Feb 10

Editorial Editor in Chief Copy Editor Life Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor Left of Center Senior Reporter Web Editor

Cassie Fambro Alyssa Newton Jake Howell Noah Logan Patrick Herring JT Crabtree Jayson Curry Matthew Strickland

Distribution Distribution Bobby Faulk Manager

Advertising Advertising Wesley Jackson Manager Advertising Mohammad Al-Zarrad Graphic Designer Rex McKay

Management Advising J. Sellers J. Aucoin Accounting Kathy Brannan

Mission

Send letters and guest columns to: The Vanguard University of South Alabama P.O. Drawer U-1057 Mobile, Ala., 36688.

Or editor.in.chief@usavanguard. com Letters and guest columns must be received by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication.

Submissions should be typed and must include the writer’s name, year, school and telephone number.

All submissions become the property of The Vanguard.

The Vanguard reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity. Letters will be limited to 300 words. Letters and guest columns are the opinion of the writer.

The Staff Editorial represents the consensus opinion of the Editorial Board, which is composed

Twitter: StormTeam4g9wx Facebook: Facebook.com/StormTeam4Gamma9Wx

of the Editor in Chief, Copy Editor, Senior Reporter, and Opinion Editor.

All members of the Editorial Board have the same weight.

The Vanguard has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifications.

To report a mistake, e-mail editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com.

The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academic year, except for exam periods and vacations, and is published twice each summer.

The Vanguard is supported in part by an allocation from student activity fees and operates in the Student Media Department of the Division of Student Affairs.

Issues are available at most University buildings and select offcampus locations.

The first copy is free. Additional copies are $1 each.

Freelance writers will receive payment at the discretion of the section editor and will be notified accordingly.

See Something suspicious?

Report it to USAPD.

USA Police Blotter

No new police blotter until next week.

Make sure to report suspicious behavior on campus to USAPD.

251-460-6312

facebook.com/ thevanguardusa

The Vanguard, the student-run newspaper of the University of South Alabama, serves its readership by reporting the news involving the campus community and surroun ding areas.

The Vanguard strives to be impartial in its reporting and believes firmly in its First Amendment rights.

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VOL. 52, NO. 4 / FEB. 4, 2013

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VOL. 52, NO. 4 / FEB. 4, 2013

SGA update

President

Cont. from page 1

Cont. from page 1

gin on April first and end April third.

At Monday’s meeting Senator Jacob Taylor, a junior and information systems major, was applauded by the senate for his efforts in this year’s school of computing senate project.

As part of this initiative, the entrances to the Shelby Hall parking lot from Jaguar drive will be widened and a sidewalk will connect Meisler Hall to the life sciences building.

As the third component to this project, which has already been completed, all speed bumps on campus have been restriped and equipped with reflective glass beads to improve visibility at night.

These projects were proposed to the senate by Taylor and approved last semester. “I enjoyed having a part in these changes…thinking outside the box and trying to figure out how I can best represent the school of computing and also branch out to the rest of the South Alabama community,” Taylor commented.

All South Alabama students are encouraged to attend SGA meetings to find out about weekly campus events and have a voice in SGA decisions as part of the student forum.

SGA meets on Monday nights at 8 p.m. in the conference room at the Fresh Food Co. near the residence halls.

turns.” Yance also stated for the record that Smith chose not to accept a pay raise for the three months that he will serve as president.

In regards to the subject, Smith told The Vanguard that it wasn’t about the money. “During these tough economic times, I feel like it would be unfair. I’m not doing this for the money; I’m doing this for President Moulton and the University,” Smith said following the meeting.

Smith has been with USA since 2008 as the Vice President of Student Affairs and has been the special assistant to the president since 2010.

Previously, Smith served as interim president at the University of Central Arkansas.

He’s also been executive vice-president, vice-president of financial and administrative services, vice president of student affairs, dean of students and director of housing while at Central Arkansas.

Smith earned his doctorate in educational leadership from Mississippi State University.

The Vanguard will continue to monitor President Moulton’s health as information becomes available.

VOL. 52, NO. 4 / FEB. 4, 2013

jagLIFE

Light of the Village changing lives everyday

COURTESY OF LIGHT OF THE VILLAGE

Light of the Village serves an incredible group of people. From after-school programs to Summer Bible Camps, this organization is making a difference.

By JAKE HOWELL life.editor@usavanguard.com

W

e all look for the light in the darkness, the order in the

chaos.

In the Alabama Village community of Prichard, one organization is committed to not only looking for the light, but being it.

For eleven years, Light of the Village (LOV) has served this community and the people who call it home.

Founded by John and Dolores Eads, LOV offers a myriad of programs and services to the Alabama Village including after-school programs and classes aimed at helping students succeed.

LOV after-school program director and University of South Alabama graduate Morgan Blankenship said, “We are first and foremost a church, so we hold church services every Sunday as well as providing Bible studies throughout the week. As for one of our biggest programs, we hold class every day so that students can study for their GEDs. We also have an afterschool program three days a week that includes our Bright Lights program which is a tutoring program for schoolage children.”

In addition to academic help, LOV offers work readiness programs designed to teach key skills for navigating the job market and everyday life. Classes can involve anything from managing and living on a budget to driver’s education.

Blankenship also described an offshoot of the work readiness program, called Yard Dawgs, aimed at serving the community.

“Our Yard Dawgs work really hard to clean up the surrounding community as well as provide lawn care for anyone in need,” Blankenship said.

In its eleven years, LOV has grown into a beacon of hope and change in the Alabama Village community.

When asked how LOV has impacted the community, Blankenship replied, “Light of the Village, as I said before, is first and foremost a church.

We are there to share Jesus Christ with everyone that we come in contact with...If you ask our GED students or our kids in the after-school program about LOV, they will describe it as their family. I think that above all else, LOV has impacted the community by being that constant presence of light in an otherwise dark place.”

This organization is changing lives and not only in Alabama Village.

LOV’s impact is also reaching the USA campus.

Each week, the Westminster Fellowship, a student organization at USA, volunteers at LOV. Junior mechanical engineering major Shelton Flores has been volunteering at LOV with the Westminster Fellowship since 2010.

“On Wednesdays we tutor the kids and help with homework. On Thursdays we have more of a fun day where we play the kids’ favorite games. Then we sit and share with them in a Bible

class after playing,” Flores said.

Flores also added that USA students don’t have to be a part of Westminster Fellowship to join in helping out at LOV. “Whatever we do we open up to the campus as well, so students who are not a part [of Westminster Fellowship] can still share their time and get service hours if needed. We have had students who are not a part of us, join us and enjoy sharing their time with the kids of LOV.” Sophomore broadcast journalism major Colton Bradford has also been impacted by working with LOV. “I think every young person needs to have a place where they can go and be humbled. Light of the Village is mine. The students don’t see the poverty that’s around them, they see the future that’s in front of them. Many times, students think they need to go out of the country or out of the state to help someone, no, these people are right in our backyards and they need help just as bad,” Bradford, who can also be heard in the mornings as part of the 95KSJ Breakfast Club, said.

LOV offers USA students an opportunity to become parts of something bigger than themselves, something that is changing lives in this community.

“We love to have college students come out and volunteer...Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, we hold our after-school program which includes our Bright Lights tutoring program. From 3:30 until 5:30 on those days, we offer tutoring, a hot

meal, a Bible story and games for the kids in our community. When I was a student at South, this is how I first got involved with LOV,” Blankenship stated when asked about how USA students could get involved.

“We also have several events throughout the year that we invite people to be a part of, such as our annual Thanksgiving Meal. We typically serve 1,000 plates to the community for that event! Our next big event is going to be Summer Bible Camp. We take applications for summer interns that would like to be a part of the 8 week camp,” Blankenship added.

While the after-school program is always in need of things like school supplies, Blankenship says that the best thing to donate is time.

“Time is always the most valuable asset. From pushing a child on a swing to tutoring one of our GED students, taking the time out to share with someone is priceless.”

Students wanting to donate their time, experience and passion can find more information at lightofthevillage. org.

“We must always remember that we serve individual people, all with unique obstacles, challenges, talents and dreams. We will help nurture and develop each person to discover their walk with Christ.” These words, found on the LOV website, encompass everything that this organization stands for and believes in.

These words remind us that service isn’t about the accolades or resume lines. It’s about people.

JAKE HOWELL, JAGLIFE EDITOR life.editor@usavanguard.com

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WEEKLY LOWDOWN Monday, Feb. 4 ►12 - 1 p.m. - Soul Food Lun-

cheon featuring the AASA Gospel Choir at the Mitchell Center Globe. Please RSVP with the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.

Tuesday, Feb. 5 ►5:15 p.m. - Students Today,

Alumni Tomorrow meeting in Alumni Hall.

Wednesday, Feb. 6 ►9 a.m. - 3 p.m. - IMC

Rummage Sale in the Humanities Courtyard.

►12 - 2 p.m. - What’s on Wednesday: Valentine Nooner in the Student Center Mall.

Make a free valentine for your valentine.

► 5 p.m. - Pre-Occupational

Therapy Club meeting in the Allied Health Building, Room 2074.

►5 p.m. - Biology Student Association Social Meeting at Satori Coffee House.

►7 p.m. - “If you really knew

me” forum in the Humanities Building, Room 150.

Thursday, Feb. 7 ►3 - 4:30 p.m. - Asian New Year (Spring Festival) Celabration in the Alumni Plaza of Moulton Tower.

Friday, Feb. 8 ► 8:30 - 10 a.m. - Autism Grand Rounds talk “Auditory Processing Disorders in Children,” in University Commons, Room 3212.

COURTESY OF LIGHT OF THE VILLAGE

Members of the Westminster Fellowship serving as tutors during an after-school program at Light of the Village.

Want your event featured in the Weekly Lowdown? Email the name, date, time, price, place and a brief tagline (under seven words) to life.editor@usavanguard.com

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VOL. 52, NO. 4 / FEB. 4, 2013

New Spanish professor plans for adventure abroad with students

COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF CASTILLA LA MANCHA

Students who embark on this study abroad adventure will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the Spanish culture, wander Spanish streets and taste the adventure that Europe has to offer.

By STUART SOX sgsox@att.net

P

rofessor Roberto RoblesValencia will be taking a group of students this summer to study at the University of Castilla La Mancha in Cuenca, Spain, a new city for the study abroad program in the foreign language department.

The six-week trip will begin June 15 and end July 27 and account for nine credit hours for each stu-

dent. Students will take two threehour classes taught by professors at UCLM and one three-hour class taught by Robles.

According to Robles, there are planned excursions during the trip to other places in Spain.

The students will also have free time on weekends to explore Cuenca as well as other parts of Spain and Europe.

The students traveling to Cuenca will be foreign language majors spe-

Painting the campus purple

cializing in Spanish.

According to Robles, studying abroad is paramount to the education of a foreign language major.

“I think it’s the best way for them to use their skills and see themselves in real situations in another country,” Robles said.

“It’s not like here where you can revert back to English…they will be forced to rely on the local language,” Robles added.

Robles also said the education in the study abroad program is just as much about the culture as it is about the language.

“Seeing another country is seeing another world…It’s a wonderful educational experience to see how the world works differently in other places,” Robles commented.

Senior social work major Brittany Llull studied in Madrid, Spain last summer for one month.

“Immersing yourself in another culture is the best way to learn how to dominate another language…I think it’s always a good experience to visit another country,” Llull commented.

Scholarships for this trip are available to foreign language majors and honors students. The total cost to go to Cuenca is $5,292, which covers tuition, housing and three meals per day.

While there are still openings for students to sign up for this trip, the expected number of students attending is between 12 and 15.

Robles said that he wants to have the group finalized by the beginning of March, but also wants students to know that he will be flexible and work with students on a case-by-case basis.

Students interested in this trip can e-mail Robles at robles@southalabama.edu.

HEY YOU

.

Into the downtown scene?

We need a Scene writer.

Bars, clubs, and night life articles are welcome.

Have bad service at a local restaurant?

Excellent service?

Tell us! Write about it and let your peers know.

COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF CASTILLA LA MANCHA

Studying abroad is an excellent way to not only become fluent in a foreign language, but also to experience a new cluture.

Email life.editor@ usavanguard.com

JagLife Organization Spotlight: Wesleyan Hot Chocolatiers

JAKE HOWELL | JAGLIFE EDITOR

By JAKE HOWELL life.editor@usavanguard.com

F

rom Feb. 4 until Feb. 8, teams for the 2013 Relay for Life will be “painting the campus purple”. This week-long event is designed to promote and fundraise for Relay.

USA Relay for Life Event Chair Elizabeth Hieb said, “We want to make it our mission that by the end of the week, everyone at South will know about Relay.”

Relay for Life is an annual walk organized by the American Cancer Society in order to celebrate those fighting or who’ve fought various forms of cancer,

all while raising money to fund research for a cure. Started in 1985, this event has grown and exploded worldwide, spreading a message of hope.

The main idea is to raise money and awareness while lifting up those who are in the midst of the fight against this disease or who’ve survived.

This year’s Relay at USA will be held on March 29 from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Teams have already started forming and fundraising.

More information on joining or starting a team can be found at relayforlife. org/USA and facebook.com/RelayForLifeUSA.

CASSIE FAMBRO | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Members of the USA Wesley Foundation giving out hot chocolate as part of their monthly outreach. From left to right: David Huggins, Kyle Clark, JT Crabtree, Alyssa Newton, Kimberly Mixon, Jayne Stewart.

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VOL. 52, NO. 4 / FEB. 4, 2013

Keep calm, and park wherever you feel like it

Oh, you wanted to park here? Let me count all the cares I give.

TAKE ALL THE SPOTS! ALL OF THEM I TELL YOU!

Faculty who park in student spots: You mad bro?

Stoop truck can’t leave his stoop...er...spots.

I like big SPACES, and I cannot lie.

Tucked away in Meisler Hall is a USA gem: The Career Services Center

By LOREN BURROUGHS llb1102@jagmail.southalabama.edu

T

he career services center, located in Meisler Hall, is committed to aiding students in developing lifelong career management skills through free services tailored to prepare the USA student for the professional world.

In line with their motto “Explore, Experience, Engage”, the career services center prides itself on being able to perform three tasks: helping students explore the educational and professional programs available to them, providing experience opportunities in those professional programs and engaging students in the career building services the career center offers to create a competitive applicant to any program or career of their choice.

Director of career services Bevley W. Green emphasizes the importance of developing career-related experience while still in college.

“Employers look for applicants with a breadth of experience, which is usually their first and most important

COURTESY OF USA CAREER SERVICES

With the help of USA Career Services, students can not only gain career advice, but also attain invaluable skills that will make them competetive in the job market.

criteria. The career center is here to help students gain that.”

On January 31, the career services center hosted the “Cooperative Educa-

tion and Internship Orientation,” one of many educational seminars hosted by the career services center.

During the orientation seminar,

students were educated on the difference between a cooperative education experience and an internship.

Students were also given information on specific internship programs that were looking for applicants in their specific majors. It was truly an enlightening experience.

Sophomore chemical engineering major Dana Anderson stated, “I’ve always heard about Co-Ops, but never really understood what they were. Being able to go to school and gain experience in my field simultaneously would be awesome!”

If you feel as if you’ve missed out, the “Cooperative Education and Internship Orientation” has five more sessions available to students: February 6 at 10:10 a.m., February 21 at 3 p.m., February 27 at 10:10 a.m., March 20 at 10:10 a.m. and March 26 at 9:30 a.m.

This seminar is only the beginning. career services has a slew of events planned for USA students over the course of this semester. Some of them include: Resume Critique Day, Spring Career Expo and Mock Interview Day. They also have many more semi-

nars planned. Anything from “How to Write a Cover Letter” to “Social Media: New Expectations for the Job Search,” will be available for students to attend.

For more information, just stop by the career services office in Meisler Hall, Room 2100 and pick up a copy of their Spring 2013 Calendar of Events.

The calendar can also be found at their website, southalabama.edu/careerservices.

JAKE HOWELL | JAGLIFE EDITOR

SPORTS

PATRICK HERRING, SPORTS EDITOR sports.editor@usavanguard.com

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VOL. 52, NO. 4 / FEB. 4, 2013

Jaguars prepare hostile welcome for the Trojans

Is the NFL Offensive

By RYAN WALLACE

award necessary?

ryanwallace2010@gmail.com

By PATRICK HERRING

T

he basketball edition of South Alabama’s fiercest rivalry has arrived. This Thursday night the USA Jaguars will host the despised Troy Trojans at 7 p.m. at the Mitchell Center for the twentieth meeting between the two teams on the hardwood.

The Jags will be looking to make it anything but a comfortable atmosphere for the struggling Trojans, who occupy last place in the Sun Belt’s East division with a conference record of 4-7 and an unimpressive 9-13 overall record.

History is on South’s side. In the previous 19 matchups, the Jaguars have sent the Trojans home as losers 13 times, including the last three in a row. As for this year, the Jaguars are enjoying a successful conference season, going 8-4 in Sun Belt play and sitting second in the competitive East. Since interim head coach Jeff Price took the reigns for the Jaguars, they have compiled a 7-5 record, part of an 11-9 overall mark.

A recent three game home win streak against Louisiana-Monroe, Western Kentucky and Florida International was snapped by a 74-62 loss to Arkansas State in Jonesboro before the Jaguars bounced back with a 70-66 win two nights later against the Trojans of Arkansas-Little Rock.

South Alabama will be looking to win at least two straight games for the fifth time this season.

The Jaguars will no doubt make good use of the break after their Arkansas road trip to rest their players and continue to figure out how to deal with the loss of veteran assists leader Freddie Goldstein, who had his senior season ended

Player of the Year

sports.editor@usavanguard.com

S

BY BOBBY MCDUFFIE|USAJAGUARS.COM

Forward Augustine Rubit has been a force against the Trojans over the course of his career, averaging 13.8 rpg and 13.5 ppg in four contests, including a 19 rebound game in his last outing against them.

by a broken clavicle suffered in the contest against Western Kentucky.

His spot in the starting lineup has been filled by freshman guard Barrington Stevens III. One constant South has come to lean on is the solid play of junior forward Augustine Rubit, who paces the Sun Belt in rebounding and ranks second in scoring. During the three-game win streak, Rubit led the Jaguars with 18.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. If the Jaguars are going to take down Troy, the big Houstonian’s scoring and rebounding ability will have to play a major role in the matchup.

The Trojans will certainly remember Rubit, who not only hit the game-winning layup in the waning seconds of last season’s 68-66 win in

the Mitchell Center, but has put up some great stats against the in-state rival. In his four career games against the Trojans, he has scored 54 points and pulled in 55 rebounds, to go with 6 blocks.

The brunt of the challenge for the Jaguars in Thursday night’s game will probably fall on the shoulders of guards Stevens III and juniors Dre Connor and Antoine Allen.

Troy ranks 10 out of 11 Sun Belt teams in scoring and the vast majority of their production comes from their guard positions, particularly senior Emil Jones, who leads the Trojans with 11.2 points per game. If the talented Jaguar guards can shut Jones down, this game could get ugly early due to the lack of other Trojan scoring options, and if the Jaguars

can put up points against an averageat-best Troy defense.

That is obviously the best-case scenario, but if the Jaguars have to grind a game out, their recent close wins against the likes of FIU and Louisiana-Lafayette attest to the fact that this team isn’t afraid to scrap and play down to the last second.

One thing is for certain: the players, coaches, students and fans would love nothing more than to send the reviled visitors from Troy back home with a humbling defeat.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of coming out and watching this Jaguar team play, there’s no better time than the game against South’s biggest rival to pack the Mitchell Center with your fellow students and cheer the Jags on to victory.

Want live play-by-play tweets of USA basketball games and other sports info?

Follow @USAVGSports on twitter and like USA Vanguard Sports on facebook

aturday the NFL held its annual awards ceremony to honor the outstanding performances of the 2012 season.

A few of the races involved pretty close races with many players building great cases for the respective honors.

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian “All Day” Peterson and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning were in close contention for two awards: the Most Valuable Player and the Comeback Player of the Year.

Both were well deserving of each award. Peterson posted the second highest rushing yardage total in NFL history with 2,097 yards on the ground, to go along with 12 scores. Manning threw for 4,659 yards and 37 touchdowns. These are easily MVP numbers.

Peterson was coming off of a torn ACL and MCL while Manning was playing for the first time in more than a season, so it’s reasonable to see why each would be considered for Comeback Player of the year.

Manning won Comeback Player of the year, but Peterson took home the real prize with the coveted MVP trophy.

Manning shouldn’t be mad since he already has four MVP trophies in his case at home.

Peterson took home another trophy Saturday night, the Offensive Player of the Year award. I believe that this award has become completely pointless in today’s NFL. The NFL MVP award has long been an offensive award. Only three non-offensive players have ever won the award (LB Lawrence Taylor, K Mark Moseley and DT Alan Page) with the most recent one being in 1985.

To take it a step further, those three men are the only players in the award’s 55-year history to win the award who weren’t either a quarterback or a running back. In other words, the MVP is the default Offensive Player of the Year.

They should just change it to Most Valuable Offensive Player and Most Valuable Defensive Player to eliminate this pointless award.

Speaking of defense, Texans defensive end J.J. Watt won Defensive Player of the Year. Earlier in the season, there were mumblings that he could win MVP, but when it came down to crunch time, offense took it again. Defense wins championships, offense wins awards.

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VOL. 52, NO. 4 / FEB. 4, 2013

USA Sports Briefs courtesy usajaguars.com Men’s basketball splits conference games on Arkansas road trip

Lady Jags Basketball drops two on road trip

Last Thursday the Jaguars (12-9, 9-4) fell on the road to Arkansas State (13-8, 7-5) after a late 8-0 run allowed the Red Wolves to pull away and ice the 72-64 victory.

Junior Augustine Rubit led the way for the Jaguars with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. He was perfect from the free throw line, hitting all 12 attempts, a career high.

Senior Javier Carter played strong off the bench in the first half, scoring 10 of his season-high 11 points in the first stanza. He added 3 blocks and two steals. It was Carter’s fourteenth consecutive game with at least one blocked shot.

No other Jaguar scored in double digits for the Jaguars, as the team converted only two of ten 3-point attempts.

The Red Wolves actually shot worse (36.4 percent) than USA (38 percent) on the night, becoming the first team this season to defeat the Jaguars when doing so. The Jags were 8-0 up to that point when outshooting their opponents.

Arkansas State had four players who scored in double digits. Leading the way were Rakeem Dickerson and Trey Finn, who each totaled 18 points in the contest.

Two nights later, the Jaguars redeemed themselves with a 70-66 victory over the then-SBC West leading Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans.

The Jags had three players scoring 16 or more points in this contest.

Sophomore Mychal Ammons scored 16 points, to go with 3 rebounds and a block. Antoine Allen and Rubit chipped in 17 points apiece.

Allen hit 3 of 7 attempts from beyond the arc. Rubit added 11 rebounds to record his twelfth double-double of the season, good for second in the conference. He also moved into fifteenth place on the Sun Belt’s all-time rebounding list with 803 in his career.

Ben Dillard and Josh Hagins led the way for the Trojans, scoring 15 and 13 points respectively. UALR only shot 34 percent from the field, compared to USA’s 41 percent.

Will Neighbour also pulled in 10 rebounds for the Trojans.

The Jaguars return home for a three-game home stand, beginning Thursday night against another team of Trojans, this time from Troy. Then they will finish it out with games against FAU and Lousiana-Lafayette.

During USA’s last home stand, the team won all three games.

The women of Arkansas State won their seventh consecutive game with a 72-61 victory over South Alabama.

The Lady Jags (12-10, 5-8) got into a rut early, allowing the Red Wolves to hit 7 of their first 9 shots and force 11 USA turnovers in the first 11 minutes.

From that point, the Jaguars would attempt to claw their way back, but would never take the lead in the game.

Mary Nixon and Meghan Dunn scored 16 points apiece for the Jaguars.

Nixon also tied for a team-high with 6 rebounds in the contest. She also tallied a game-high 5 steals. Dunn added two rebounds and 2 steals.

In her first collegiate start, freshman Brianna Wright scored 12 points and also pulled in 6 rebounds.

The Red Wolves were led by Hanna Qedan, one of four who scored in double figures for ASU. She totalled 16 points, to go with 4 rebounds and two steals.

Ball movement was a problem for the Jaguars, who only scored 6 times off of an assist, as compared to 14 by the Red Wolves.

ASU outshot USA 55.3 percent to 41.7 percent overall, as well as from beyond the arc, 50 percent to 38.9 percent.

The Lady Jaguars would fall again when they visited Arkansas-Little Rock on the last stop of the road trip.

The Lady Trojans (15-7, 7-6) extended their winning streak to four games, as the Lady Jags dropped their third straight with the 65-34 loss.

UALR was hot all night, hitting 54.9 percent of their shots from the field, as compared to USA’s 24.4 percent.

Wright was the only Jaguar to finish with a double-digit scoring total with 10 points. She also grabbed 4 rebounds.

Ronekka Robertson scored 8 for USA and pulled in a team-high 6 rebounds.

Jakeisha Wells and Taylor Ford each reached double-figures for the Trojans with 10 and 16 points respectively.

The Jaguars scored a new seasonlow with the 34 points, as well as a new season-low in points scored in a half with just 13 in the first.

USA begins a three-game home stand against Troy Wed. at 11:30 a.m. for the annual “Pack the House” game.

The home stand will also include games agaisnt Florida Atlantic and Louisiana-Lafayette.

Track and Field’s Latifah Johnson garners Sun Belt honors

By PATRICK HERRING sports.editor@usavanguard.com

A

fter an outstanding performance at the Arkansas State Invitational in Jonesboro, senior Latifah Johnson was named the Sun Belt Conference women’s athlete of the week.

At the event, Johnson bettered her own school record in the women’s shot put with a mark of 14.94m. That distance was good for first place in the event, as no other thrower got within five feet of Johnson’s attempt.

It was the third time in the young season that Johnson beat the school record. She’s currently leading the Sun Belt in the shot put rankings.

She also turned in a third-place finish in the 20-pound wight throw with an 18.20m toss. Johnson is in second place in the conference in the weight throw.

This is the second time Johnson has earned the distinction. She also earned the honor after her performance at the Blazer Invitational in Birmingham in mid-January.

Johnson and her teammates will travel to Birmingham this week to compete in the Samford Invitational, which begins Friday and goes through Saturday.

USA Track and Field doesn’t have a meet at home until the Tri-Meet against conference rival Troy and local rival Spring Hill on March 3.

Sandwiched between that meet and the Blazer Invitational is the Sun Belt Indoor championships, where Johnson will be looking to take home more honors.

There’s no telling what the school record will be by the time Johnson will get to show off in front of the home crowd in Mobile.

Want us to follow you?

Tweet us @USAVGSports

Derek Westbrook @thedwestbrook25: Steeplechaser Walking up to your car while the scum parking ticket giver is walking up to your car and jumping in & driving off while staring her down >>> Drew Dearman @DrewDearman: Offensive Lineman Everybody has those bad games on Call of Duty that make you reevaluate why you even play in the first place James Elliott @JDElliott54: Offensive Lineman

BY JOHN ADAMS|USAJAGUARS.COM

Senior thrower Latifah Johnson

Be careful outside academic center.

If you stop ur truck to get a bright yellow tennis ball... You get honked at Darius McKeller @BigDdaBasedLord: Offensive Lineman

Are you a student at USA?

Honey Boo Boo cant speak a lick of english. I havent read so many subtitles since i watched Inglorious Bastard (great movie btw)

Do you love sports?

Do you love to write?

Do you want to build your resume?

If

you

answered

yes

to

these questions, we want YOU to write for the Sports section! Just send an email with some kind of sample writing to sports.editor@usavaguard.com to let us know you’re interested.

Chris May @CmayFive5: Offensive Lineman When you have no service in class <<<< Brittany Fowler @FowlerPower6: Infielder I hate trying to walk once my leg has fell asleep... I look like I have a peg leg! #strugglebus Rush Hendricks @_RusHen_: Tight End There’s nothing more humbling than when the old ladies in my Pilates class are better than me!

You could be in an issue of

The Vanguard THIS SEMESTER!

@USAVGSports

LEFT OF CENTER

JT CRABTREE, LOC EDITOR jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

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VOL. 52, NO. 4 / FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Basketball player arrested in Texas

By JT CRABTREE

jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

S

VANGUARD ARCHIVES

Running back Demetre Baker against Kent State during the 2011 season

Jags finalize 2013 football schedule

FCS team season opener scheduled along with tough out-of-conference opponents

By JT CRABTREE

jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

T

he South Alabama Jaguars have filled out their 2013 schedule with the addition of FCS Southern Utah on August 29.

The Jags lost two opponents on their schedule, Middle Tennessee State and FAU, after both programs announced they would be leaving for Conference USA following the 2012-2013 academic year.

The Jags will now play Southern Utah in their season opener at home

on August 29, a Thursday evening.

The Jags are 4-0 all-time when playing on Thursday nights.

“A unique set of circumstances has allowed us to secure a sixth home game for the 2013 season,” athletic director Dr. Joel Erdmann said. “We are pleased to secure Southern Utah for that game and excited that this game will be on the Thursday evening prior to Labor Day. We have drawn tremendous crowds on Thursday evenings in the past and look to do the same to kickoff the 2013 season.”

Southern Utah plays in the FCS Big Sky conference. The Thunderbirds were 5-6 this past season, while upsetting No. 1 Eastern Washington 30-27 on October 27 and No. 11 Northern Arizona 35-29 on November 10. In 2011, Southern Utah rolled over FBS member UNLV 4116 on September 24 on their way being ranked 17 in the FCS. The 2013 season will mark the third straight season the Jags are scheduled to start on a Thursday.

The 2012 season opener against UTSA was delayed to the following

Saturday due to Hurricane Isaac.

Following the season opener, South Alabama is scheduled to play at Tulane on September 7, at Tennessee on September 28, Kent State at home on October 19 and at Navy on November 16. The remaining weeks will be filled with Sun Belt Conference games. The Jags’ home Sun Belt Conference opponents will be Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe and Western Kentucky. The Sun Belt Conference road opponents will be Georgia State, Texas State and Troy.

uspended South Alabama men’s basketball player Xavier Roberson was arrested on January 21 in Humble, Texas, in connection with a home burglary that occurred on December 24 in Tyler, Texas.

According to a report from KLTV out of Tyler, Roberson was a suspect in the Christmas Eve burglary that day. He was arrested in Humble on January 21 and transferred to Tyler in January, where he is being held on $300,000 bond, according to the Smith County, Texas, Sherriff ’s Office.

Roberson is being charged with burglary of a habitation, a second degree felony.

According to reports, officers found a car that matched the description of the suspect and attempted to stop it. The suspects then tossed the suspected stolen jewelry out of the car and got away.

Tyler police are still looking for two other suspects in the case.

Roberson has been suspended since December 29, and is not enrolled for the spring semester.

Roberson originally played one season at TCU, before coming to South Alabama via Paris, Texas, Junior College.

The Jags will start a three game home-stand on February 7 against rival Troy at 7 p.m. The Jags will then host Florida Atlantic on February 9 and UL-Lafayette on February 14.

Baseball scrimmages underway

By JT CRABTREE

jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

T

Infielder Robby Campbell

JT CRABTREE / LOC SPORTS EDITOR

he South Alabama Jaguars baseball team has started its final preparations for the 2013 season with intrasqaud scrimmages.

The Jags will hold scrimmages every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until the start of the season

on February 15.

The times for each scrimmage is as follows: • Tuesday, Feb 5: 3:30 p.m.

• Friday, Feb 8: 6:30 p.m.

• Saturday, Feb 9: 11 a.m.

• Sunday, Feb 10: 1 p.m.

• Tuesday, Feb 12: 3:30 p.m.

SMITH COUNTY SHERRIFF’S OFFICE

Opinion

NOAH LOGAN OPINION EDITOR opinion.editor@usavanguard.com

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VOL. 52, NO. 4 / FEB. 4, 2013

The Vanguard Viewpoint Welcome, Dr. Smith

S

ome students were quoted on local media saying that they were unaware of what the president looks like or what he does.

We’d like to encourage you to tell those students to read The Vanguard and check the University’s home page for up-to-date information about the school that they attend.

The president of a University is someone that you should definitely know about and you should be following their actions.

With President Moulton taking three months to recover from brain surgery, it’s now time to look upon Dr. Smith.

He will be the person representing USA at the highest level. The president of a university influences tuition increases, building projects and so much more. It is under President Moulton that this university has grown to over

15,000 students and seen the structural growth it has in recent years.

Dr. Smith has been an interim president before at another school and has the experience to stand for what USA needs, values and believes in.

A member of the USA family since 2008, Dr. Smith was the ideal candidate in this tumultuous time.

He has always been open and honest with The Vanguard and we want to welcome him into his temporary role.

More than just that, we’d like to commend him for not taking a pay raise for the three months he will serve as president.

He says that he isn’t doing this for himself and that he’s doing it for the University.

That is an example of the kind of leadership that students definitely need to know about.

Good luck, Dr. Smith.

EditorialBoard

The

Cassie Fambro > Editor in Chief Noah Logan > Opinion Editor Jake Howell > Life Editor Patrick Herring > Sports Editor JT Crabtree > LOC Editor

The new middle-of-the-road College students have stood their ground for years and have now set the new standard for center and moderate thinking

I

t’s no s e cret that the population of American lawmakers looks drastically different from the Noah Logan population Opinion Editor of American adults. In a government “of the people, by the people and for the people,” America has omitted the “of the people,” part.

For example, the center for responsive politics reports that nearly 50 percent of congressmen are millionaires. This number is a bit askew because lawmakers are exempt from having to report their house values when determining personal worth.

This is in stark contrast to the percentage of millionaires residing in America today, a whopping two percent. This is one of many representation problems in our government today.

College students today are presenting Republican lawmakers with another statistical mismatch that will only grow over time. We all know college tends to be filled with more progressive, liberal thinkers. Here at South Alabama, that isn’t exactly the case but

The student protest of USAPD after the Gil Collar shooting is just one example of college students making themselves heard.

I digress.

A recent report from higher education research shows that 47 percent of college students now identify themselves as “middle of the road.”

This is a significant rise from the 43 percent in 2008.

While it may appear that college students are actually moving from the left to the center, numbers don’t always tell the whole story. What was once known as liberal and progressive is now classified as center of the road. The same study also shows that 75 percent of college students support gay marriage equality, 64 percent strongly support the DREAM Act and 80 percent are concerned about climate change.

All these statistics still show growing support for progressive causes without calling themselves progressives anymore. With almost universal support for center, but not really center, ideals, the Republican Party either has to find a new angle to attack or just start cutting their losses and accept what will be. Fordham College of Republicans President Samuel Martin was quoted at the last Conservative Political Action Conference saying, “It is something that isn’t openly discussed, but I would say we generally are either in favor of it, or we see it as an inevitability. Many of us either are

gay or have gay friends and as young Republicans we don’t discuss it very often.

Much speculation has been going on about what the future of the Republican Party holds. George W. Bush has created an unfair stereotype for most conservatives and two straight losses to a candidate who could have easily been beaten out for the center votes have left the party in a leaderless and confused state. John Boehner is not a long-term relationship prospect and finding a new face is of the upmost priority. Some ill-timed remarks about rape haven’t helped the cause either.

All politics aside, this is major cause for uneasiness in the Republican Party.

Some key traditional stances will need to be looked at. It’s hard to imagine a Republican Party being a strong advocate for gay marriage rights but plenty of young Republican students will identify themselves as an advocate.

College students have been a source of forward thinking in a nation that has gone through black eye periods due to various social issues. It’s a positive sight to see college students of all political affiliations leading the now mainstream effort of progress and forward thinking that also used to land them negative labels of the liberal college kid.

NOAH LOGAN | OPINION EDITOR

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T h e ground is falling fast below the feet of political moderates right now in the wake of the Connor election. They Favreau generally do not share the president’s zealous enthusiasm for the European style of government, but they also care about the growing income gap between the rich and the poor, an issue Republicans have not tackled.

I would like to take up the cause of the moderate with the hopes that its base will grow and thus promote the election of more moderate political leaders.

Philosophically speaking, both the left and the right raise important insight into what values society as a whole should pursue. One might explain the fundamental split between the two sides as one between equality and liberty.

John Rawls, one of the most recent liberal philosophers, is known for labeling justice as “fairness”.

Fairness for Rawls and generic liberals is equality, and should therefore

be the focus of government action.

To justify equality, one could imagine a scenario in which everybody has the same conditions, e.g., the same opportunities, setbacks and predispositions. In this scenario virtually everybody would agree, or so a liberal might argue, that everybody deserves an equal share of wealth and rights. President Obama’s focus on the rich paying their “fair share” exemplifies equality as the liberal cornerstone.

Contrastingly, those on the right base their principles on the absolute freedom of the individual, a freedom often impinged upon in the pursuit of equality. Those on the right would argue against Rawls’s and the liberal conception of fairness. Instead, they would likely argue for something similar to what libertarian philosopher Robert Nozick refers to as “Entitlement Theory” in his book “Anarchy, State, and Utopia”. This theory summarily asserts entitlement as that which a person earns through his or her work or is given. The libertarian would define the conditions of fairness, then, as everyone receiving that to which he or she is entitled.

In their attempts to justify equality and liberty as the goal of govern-

Our SGA President, Parker Chastain, even identifies himself as a moderate.

ment, both sides of the political aisle encounter difficulties. The libertarian argument of Nozick illuminates the biggest problem with liberal equality: that it neglects the work of the individual. Libertarians, on the other hand, neglect an individual’s relation to society. At a certain point an individual’s endeavors will harm another’s. Considering the millions that corporate CEOs make compared to the tens of thousands of most workers, to say that the CEO works that much harder than the average worker seems silly. Though corporate CEOs may have authority to pay their workers what they want, one could argue that the system could be stacked in a way that limits the common workers’ endeavors.

The moderate, therefore, accepts the goodness of both liberty and equality. Each, when assumed to be absolutely “right” over the other, can lead to problems. Yet each carries with it a great value that would be foolish not to pursue as both an individual and as a member of society.

THE VANGUARD ARCHIVES

JagPulse

Do you attend Mardi Gras parades and/or balls?

Why or why not?

Julie Stone: We take our son to the family friendly parades.

Ryan Wallace: Went to a ball last year and had a good time, but didn’t go to any of the parades. I’ll go to both this year and see what all the fuss is about!

Khaela C Huey: I go to the parades only because I always get a roommate who has never been.

Never been to a ball and probably never will. I have a colorful array of

friends who I would want to enjoy the ball with, but some “traditions” have got to change first.

Nick Grondin: I haven’t in the past simply because Connecticut doesn’t celebrate Mardi Gras. I plan to go to a split between Mobile and New Orleans Zadora Edwards: I just love Mardi Gras and the parades. My favorite memory so far is wrestling with a lady over a giant stuffed rabbit.

I’ve never been to a ball, but I plan to change that.

Chris Browning: Never been big on the balls, but then again, I’ve always been a leg man.

Lauren Wheeler: I attend both and it is an awesome Mobile, AL tradition that everybody should experience!!

Kappa Sigma fraternity during this past Day of Service at the Military Hero’s Car Show

COURTESY OF COLIN-AL GREENE

The Philosophical Case for Being a Moderate

Campus offers more than one day of service W

e, despite all of our grumblings about the DOW and the fourth quarter shrinking of the GDP, are very Colin fortunate. We Al-Greene are privileged to live in a society where everyone has access to some level of education. We have ready access to medical and dental services.

Even among the poorest of us, we are guaranteed some level of shelter and access to food and water. We live in a nation that allows for personal liberty, the freedom of speech, thought, assembly and whatever religion we desire; or lack thereof. We have nearly limitless potential to achieve whatever dream we may hold.

As college students, we are especially fortunate. If we work hard enough, we can achieve nearly any goal. Because of this, we should remember that not everyone in the world, or even in our own nation, is as well off as we are. At the University of South Alabama, the feeling of gratitude and the need to give back is rampant.

Every January, students celebrate Dr. King’s birthday by participating in a Day of Service. They do yard work at the Dumas Wesley Community Center. They spent time with the children at St. Mary’s home. They helped out at Penelope’s Closet. Their level of service isn’t limited to one day, however.

All throughout the year, student groups roll up their sleeves and help out.

Members of Alpha Epsilon Delta, the pre-health society, rack up service hours all throughout the year. The honors program organization promotes good stew-

ardship in its members. The different campus ministry groups show compassion for their fellow human beings with their charitable acts.

Leading in the pack in terms of service are the fraternity men and sorority women. From a quote on the Greek Life web page; “Philanthropy is a major part of Greek Life at the University of South Alabama. Greek organizations pride themselves on community service participation. All Greek students are involved with philanthropies locally and nationally.

Annually, Greeks donate more than 5000 hours of community-based service and donate more than $100,000 to support worthy causes.” Whether it be the Military Heroes Campaign, Make-AWish, disease research, voter registration drives, or youth mentoring, Greeks make service to others a huge part of their college career. The list of caring organizations goes on and on.

A large part of USA’s spirit of philanthropy comes the center for academic service-learning and civic engagement.

Its goals are stated plainly. “The mission of (CASLCE) is to provide a student-centered resource for members of the USA student body, faculty, the surrounding community and international partners who are interested in participating in academic service-learning and civic engagement at the University of South Alabama. CASLCE will provide information, referrals, public relations, and faculty and student development, and will serve as an advocate for USA’s service-learning and civic engagement activities.”

There are plenty of opportunities to be great at USA since everyone has the opportunity to serve. If you are not currently involved with a group that actively engages in service, you should take a closer look.

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Harassment at USA Continuted from page 1 referral to the University Disciplinary Committee. Sanctions for violating this policy include, but are not limited to financial restitution, relocation and housing removal.”

Both Lt. Orso and USA Dean of Students Dr. Mike Mitchell explained exactly what the housing handbook says. If you feel there is a problem with a roommate you can ask for yourself or the other person involved to be removed from the room and moved elsewhere.

In the cases of harassment through social media, the best place to report those situations are USAPD and also the Dean of Student’s office.

“Harassment is a USA code of conduct violation,” Dr. Mitchell said.

“We can make a no contact order for a student and anyone can make a referral for this. We will let the person know they have been referred for a no contact order and allow them a chance to respond.”

“It’s my responsibility to resolve it,” Dr. Mitchell added.

If a major issue involving students comes about and a no contact order is issued, the University Disciplinary

Committee will meet to hear the case.

The UDC consists of the Judicial Affairs Officer or designee, tallest one faculty member or staff member and student members with no more than 15 students involved. The SGA Supreme Court Chief Justice and Associative Justices are asked to be involved but any student with conflicting interests won’t be allowed to contribute to the UDC. To avoid harassment through social media, Lt. Orso tries to advise students to not allow personal information to be out in the open.

“Don’t put your phone numbers on Facebook or Twitter,” Lt. Orso said.

The legal definition of harassment was partly given in the housing handbook and is very broad. Lt. Orso and USAPD has heard harassment claims from students who have had their personal items pushed off of their bed and in last week’s police blotter a harassment case was filed after an argument over cooking spoons.

With the wide variety and vagueness of harassment, it is useful for students and the University to have a system in place like the do to handle any situation.

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