October 18, 2010

Vanguard The

VOLUME 48, NUMBER 12

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Serving USA Since 1965

October 18, 2010

Admin: Central Parking Complaints ‘Ironic’

Cameron Adkins

ASSOCIATE EDITOR cja501@jaguar1.usouthal.edu

The Central parking zone has the most available parking spots on campus during peak parking hours, according to the University’s annual parking survey.

An average of 387.9 student parking spots were available during peak parking hours, which is 32 percent of the total Central parking area.

Last year’s survey also showed an average of 32 percent of available student spaces in the same zone.

According to Director of Facilities Management Chris Willis and Construction Process Coordinator Angela Smith, this is ironic because students complain the most about parking availability in this zone.

Willis and Smith believe this is because many students are unaware of all of the parking in the Gamma lot, which is part of the Central zone, but the area is being used more heavily this year than it has in the past.

The East zone has the least available parking spaces with an average of 8.3 student spaces available during peak hours, see PARKING | 3

Edward Stratton | Contributing Photographer

According to administrators who conduct USA’s annual parking survey, the Central zone has the most unoccupied parking spaces at any given time between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., hours the surveyors have deemed as USA’s peak parking hours. The least available amount of parking spaces falls in the East zone this year, according to the surveyors.

SGA

Student Group Stands for Equal Rights Alex Whalen

ASSOCIATE EDITOR alexwhalen@gmail.com

Members and supporters of USA’s chapter of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Alliance (GLBTA) gathered at last Monday’s SGA meeting for an event they called “Stand Up For Equal Rights.”

The Student Government Association (SGA) heard from GLBTA President Patrick Collins, who urged the senate to support the GLBTA in an effort to amend USA’s Policy of Non-Discrimination.

Currently, the policy offers protection from discrimination “on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or genetic information ….” The GLBTA wants to add sexual orientation and gender identification to this policy.

Collins addressed the SGA during the student forum of the Oct. 11 meeting. In a brief speech, Collins said this change

Inside

Police Blotter p. 2

University trustee candidate Thomas Corcoran, a USA alumnus and retired businessman, says that the University’s biggest obstacle will be meeting its financial goals (see page 3).

would protect faculty, staff, and students Dean of Students Michael Mitchell, from being terminated or removed from who was also present at the SGA meeting, an organization for these reasons. explained how the University’s employCollins also mentioned other schools ment policy works. in Alabama, such as the University of “Most University staff are at-will emAlabama and the University of Alabama ployees,” Mitchell explained. “That means at Birmingham, they can be that have made terminated these kinds of at any time don’t want to see anyone let go, either without any changes to their non-discriminagiven cause.” student or faculty, because of their sexual tion policies.

Mitchell orientation or gender identification.”

The speech also exwas met with plained the -Patrick Collins strong applause, flip-side of President, GLBTA both from the this policy: SGA and the these at-will 30-plus supporters at the meeting. employees could also decide to quit for any After Collins’ speech, SGA President reason without any negative ramifications.

Kim Proctor told the senate this was an Mitchell acknowledged that, in theory, opportunity for them to be advocates an at-will employee could be fired for befor change. “I encourage anyone who is ing openly gay, but added that he hasn’t interested [in this effort] to be proactive,” ever heard of this happening.

Proctor said.

“I

see SGA | 8

Arts & Entertainment p. 6

Miss De Luna Fest? Get the Highlights Inside See Arts & Entertainment., p. 6

Sports p. 10

“HIDE YO’ TRASH CANS!” Our comic artist shares some illustrated insight into the recent campus fires USAPD has determined are attempted arsons.

(See JagLife, page 15)

Houston Sets Yards Record in Victory at Lamar Read more on page 10.

Opinion p. 12

Jaguar Football Ready For Final Road Game Against UC-Davis See Sports, p. 10

Distractions p. 14

Should Children Have an Online Presence?

See Opinion, p. 13

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Vanguard The

University of South Alabama’s Student Voice Mission The Vanguard, the student-run newspaper of the University of South Alabama, serves its readership by reporting the news involving the campus community and surrounding areas. The Vanguard strives to be impartial in its reporting and believes firmly in its First Amendment rights.

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The Staff Editorial represents the consensus opinion of the Editorial Board, which is composed of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Associate Editor, Copy Editor, and Opinion Editor. All members of the Editorial Board have the same weight during weekly Editorial Board meetings.

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EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Daniela Werner Managing Editor: Matthew Peterson Associate Editor: Cameron Adkins Etc. Editor: Laura Beth Calcote Arts & Entertainment Editor: Cal Thomas Opinion Editor: Alex Whalen Sports Editor: Matt Weaver Photo Editor: Colin McGee Webmaster: Rodney Thompson DISTRIBUTION Distribution Manager: Johnny Davis ADVERTISING STAFF Advertising Manager: Wesley Jackson Advertising Representative: Regi Allen Advertising Representative: Daniel Fordemwalt Graphic Designer: Brittany Hawkins MANAGEMENT Adviser: Jim Aucoin Accounting: Kathy Brannan

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October 18, 2010

P LICE BL TTER

10/11- Theft of Property, 3rd Degree Cash, a book bag, a graphing calculator, an MP3 player, a key holder, glasses and a Jag card were reported stolen from 5901 USA North Dr. at 4:06 p.m. The items were valued at $293. The book bag, calculator, glasses and Jag card were recovered the same day.

Degree A victim reported $60 stolen from an unattended bag at 4:40 p.m. in the Humanities building.

10/11- Assault, 3rd Degree At 4:36 p.m. a victim reported being assaulted in a parking lot by an unknown person.

10/11- Harassing Communications A female student reported receiving threatening texts and calls from another female student.

10/11- Theft of Property, 3rd

10/11- Theft of Property, 3rd Degree An MP3 player and a laptop were reported stolen from 5901 USA North Dr. at 5:16 p.m. The items were valued at $400.

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Jag Growl

What You’re Saying About “Moulton: Construction Doesn’t Hurt Budget” by Editorin-Chief Daniela Werner

“How about a Employee Pay Raise?

Some of us are living below the Poverty Line.. It’s been 4 Years.”

-doh21

(comments taken from usavanguard.com)

Moulton: Students Should Pay as ‘Little as Possible’ of Tuition Bill Daniela Werner

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF danielawerner87@gmail.com

Editor’s note: This is the third installment in a series of articles from an interview The Vanguard had with University President Gordon Moulton Oct. 1.

President Moulton (Continuing on how construction projects affect the University budget): If we were to look at tomorrow, a $50 million or a $100 million building program over the next three years, we’d have to go out and sell bonds to do that. We’d be making a direct impact on the current operating budget because we’d be adding that debt service.

We’re not going to do that. We don’t plan to do that. I don’t think we can do that until times are better.

There are some needs on campus that need to be met. We have a science building need [where] we’d like to see a first-class physical sciences building built on campus that would be complementary to the other facilities, but that’s going to have to wait a while along with some other things.

The Vanguard: What do you think about the campus-wide e-mail system? Do you think it sends out too many messages?

M: I personally think e-mail always sends too many messages myself, but I don’t even have anything to do with our e-mail system particularly.

Your spam is someone else’s bread and butter. Does ours have “more” than others, [or] can you filter out so that people are spared all that? I think it’s a tough job.

The wise and benevolent dictator who does the filtering needs to really know what they’re doing.

I think you’re just touching on something that’s complete overload in our whole soci-

ety. If you’re carrying around those little devices like iPhones … you’ve got all the same junk coming through except maybe even more so because it’s coming from external sources as well.

“Can you cut …the external that doesn’t come via University control?” [is] the complaint. [People wonder why you would] let these organizations put all these notices out.

As a percentage of the total mail that flows into the e-mail system, I you would think that’s pretty small. And the spam filters are out there for the others, but if you get too aggressive with those, the first thing you know, Moulton the important stuff doesn’t come through.

Some people’s e-mails looks like spam for some reason.

I don’t have an answer to that, to be honest with you, other than we’ll be happy to listen and [Director of Public Relations Keith Ayers’] folks try to figure out ways to help control that.

I think it’s a product of who we are and where we live and what’s going on in our society at this point in time.

V: Last fall, you said you planned on still being president when USA took the field as a full Division 1 team in 2013? Is that still the plan?

M: I hope so. The Board of Trustees hasn’t given me any other message yet. It would be nice to do that.

Keith Ayers, Director of Public Relations: Well they sent it, but it got caught in the spam filter. [laughs]

V: What do you think about the proration every year?

M: I’m a strong advocate of public education and I think it’s one of the things that’s the very fabric of American society that’s helped give us a widely educated population where a lot of people would never have an opportunity.

I think an elitist system of education would be a terrible, terrible thing to happen to our country. At the same token, our ability to control what happens from public funding is limited. We all as citizens can voice our opinion about allocation of the revenues that are available.

Some people in Alabama, as you know, are absolutely convinced that if we only had gambling, then we’d have plenty of money for education. I’m not one of those, by the way, that believes that, because it hasn’t been true in other states. I don’t know why it would be true here.

If you’re asking me “What percentage of the bill should students pay?” then [I’d say that] I’d like for students to pay as little as possible as a total percentage of the bill.

And I use the words “as little as possible.”

We only have three primary sources of income: state revenues that come to us as appropriation, tuition revenues, and then other income, which is a variety of things. We might pick up some overhead here and there on grants and we may get gifts, and [we have] contracts for service.

The bulk of that comes out of tuition, but I’m talking about regular academic programs. Put our hospitals and all that aside. … Oddly enough, this year probably those curves will cross for the first time. By that I mean tuition revenue will be as much of the total educational budget here as state [appropriations.]

October 18, 2010

The

Vanguard

Trustee Candidate: Finances USA’s Biggest Challenge The University’s future is bright, says a Board of Trustees candidate, but meeting financial goals will be USA’s greatest obstacle.

Matthew Peterson

MANAGING EDITOR mwp601@jaguar1.usouthal.edu

Thomas Corcoran came to USA when its enrollment had not yet reached 5,000 and was composed of two buildings. Now, he stands to serve on the Board of Trustees of a university that has changed greatly since his time at the school.

“Getting involved in all of the aspects of the University at a deep level really excites me,” the retired businessman said. “I’m anxious to learn a lot more about the University, about the makeup and about certainly some of the challenges from an insider’s viewpoint.”

Corcoran graduated from USA in 1970 with a degree in Marketing. That degree helped him find his first job at a USA career fair.

He served as president of Fort Dodge Animal Health, the fourth-largest manufacturer and distributor of prescription and overthe-counter animal health care products, for more than 20 years. During this time, the company grew from a $26 million national business to a $1 billion global veterinary medicine company, an experience he said will help him on the Board of Trustees.

“I’m very bottom-line oriented,” he said.

“You put out a very realistic budget for operations and you live within it. You make realistic assumptions about what’s going to happen, both from a positive and negative viewpoint, then you adjust to it.”

Parking from page 1

which is about 1 percent of the zone’s area.

Parking in the area is very similar to last year, Smith said. While counting empty spaces for the survey, Smith said she noticed four or five of the same vehicles circling in the East lot looking for a space.

“Either they didn’t know about North parking, or they want to park at the door,” Smith said.

North zone parking is much more heavily used than last year, the survey shows.

This year an average of 52.6 student spaces are available during peak hours compared to an average of 137.8 last year.

Willis and Smith believe the jump in North zone usage is due to more students using the lot to reach the Humanities and Chemistry buildings instead of using the Central zone.

The South parking zone averaged 145.6 available student spaces during peak hours, which is 22 percent of the zone’s spaces.

The spaces occupied by contractors building Shelby Hall behind the Mitchell College of Business were not included in the count.

This year the parking at University Commons was excluded from the South zone because it is no longer considered zoned parking, according to Willis. That

He believes that finances are the biggest challenge for USA. “Going forward, I think meeting financial obligations and being able to fund your opportunities is probably going to be a pretty good challenge,” he said in a phone interview with The Vanguard. “South Alabama has enough positives about it, though, as far as student growth, the football team and some of the other aspects of the University.

The future looks really good.”

He has particularly enjoyed one of those positives, the football team, along with the band, after attending many of the football games.

“From the very first football game, to the one last week I went to, it just keeps getting better and better,” he said.

Corcoran “The performance of the team speaks for itself, but what I’ve been really impressed with is the performance of that band. You’d think that band had been organized for years. It is not just a collegelevel band, it is a world-class operation. The University ought to be really proud of it.”

USA President Gordon Moulton is also excited about the prospect of Corcoran serving on the Board.

“He has remained very close to the University through his alumni involvement and philanthropic support, which makes him a perfect choice for the USA Board of Trustees,” he said.

Corcoran awaits confirmation by the Alabama Senate and replaces longtime trustee Jim Nix, who served for more than 20 years.

area has approximately 500 spaces.

Both Willis and Smith agreed that parking on campus is reasonable for students, compared to other campuses.

Faculty parking availability showed an average of 37.3 spaces in the South zone, 12.4 spaces in the Central zone, 43.6 spaces in the East zone and 19.8 spaces in the North zone during peak hours.

Willis thinks that in the coming years the University will build more parking lots on the outskirts of campus to accommodate growth.

“Paving more lots is way more financially accessible for USA than creating a parking garage because it costs $30,000 to $50,000 per parking space to build a parking garage,” Willis said. “For a parking lot it’s only $2,000 to $5,000 per space.”

Willis also added that most parking garages are built on the perimeter of campuses, so it would not really cut down on students’ walking time anyway. Another problem of putting a garage on campus would be the volume of traffic that would come along with it.

Surveyors counted only empty parking spaces in the zones on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during peak hours, which were considered to be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The survey is conducted so administrators, students, parents and employees know what is going on with parking, Willis said.

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October 18, 2010

The

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October 18, 2010

News in Brief

Kohl’s Donates to USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital

USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital has renewed and expanded a safe sleeping program for infants with a $74,514 grant from Kohl’s department stores.

Kohl’s Infant Safe Sleep program (KISS) emphasizes the importance of proper sleeping positions for infants and it offers education about reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

SIDS was ruled the cause of death for 86 babies in the Mobile area in the last two years, according to a press release.

Kohl’s Cribs for Kids program also helped USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital distribute more than 100 cribs to needy families in Mobile County that

completed the KISS program.

More information can be found online at www.southalabama.edu/usawch under “Education,” or by calling USA Women’s and Children’s Hospital at 251415-1000.

Spring Semester Registration Begins at USA The Spring semester registration period begins on Monday, Oct. 18.

For information on registration or readmission for former students visit the Registrar’s office online at www.southalabama.edu/registrar or call 251-460-6251 and select “Option 3.”

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Arts & Entertainment

Cal Thomas A & E Editor

vanguardaande@gmail.com

October 18, 2010

De Luna Fest Lights Up Pensacola Beach In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, De Luna Fest raises local spirits high.

Cal Thomas

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR vanguardaande@gmail.com

De Luna Fest’s inaugural weekend was highly successful. Held this past weekend directly on Pensacola Beach, it marked the 50-year countdown to Pensacola’s 500 year existence as America’s first settlement.

But the festival was much more than that – it was the first major music festival held in Pensacola in over four years. Facing both the Deepwater Horizon disaster (which cut tourism to the entire Gulf Coast) and the volume of attendees at Mobile’s BayFest, De Luna Fest seemed to be at a disadvantage.

But if the crowds were anything to go by, neither had much of an impact.

The crowds, though huge, were dwarfed by one day’s attendance at BayFest. Chances are the $99 weekend pass deterred many attendees, especially considering the $45 BayFest charged for more acts, more stages, and betterknown bands just two weeks prior.

Additionally, the drinking at De Luna Fest was more tightly observed than at BayFest – so the drunks were largely relegated to the booths selling alcohol and little clusters nearer to the beach, rather than throwing things and vomiting on concertgoers’ shoes.

This made De Luna Fest an extremely clean and family-friendly event. In fact, whole families, many with infant children in tow, were one of the largest groups of ticketholders for Friday evening and Saturday, according to event staff.

The music at De Luna Fest varied between genres of pop, not really displaying much from other genres besides major acts like Willie Nelson and 311. The lesser-known bands were the strongest here – The Gills, a local Pensacola band, played a fantastically strong beach-pop set, while a band called Long Reef came from Sydney, Australia to perform with a clean rock sound.

But despite the fantastic atmosphere and fun music, many of those in attendance seemed thoroughly unresponsive to the music. They seemed to be more interested in comically tasteless dancing and flirting with one another. Indeed, even the lead singer of the Neon Trees, once offstage, seemed entirely unenthused about the overall lack of response from the crowd – and seemed bored himself.

In addition to the music, local merchants and organi-

Cal Thomas / A&E Editor

Tyler Glenn of the Neon Trees performing Saturday afternoon. The Neon Trees, while not the best-known band in the lineup, received one of the afternoon's most enthusiastic responses.

zations set up booths all along the festival site. From the Marines having set up a recruiting booth to the Escambia County Health Department with Tobacco Free Florida pamphlets, the present groups reached a large amount of public interest.

Food from local vendors and restaurants was available – from vegetarian entrees to more traditional festival food like $5 pretzels, onion rings, and one-and-a-half pound turkey legs. Generic festival goodies were also on sale, such as plastic devil horns and light-up halos. These, joining nothing more than bikinis on most wearers, em-

phasized the lack of dress code. Even in October, on the beach, many in the audience were shoeless or shirtless – some even moreso than that.

Overall, De Luna Fest was not a bad venture – about 50 percent of the ticket sales went to ecological endeavors, such as Emerald Coast Keeper and the Gulf Coast Energy Network, and Pensacola’s economy got a minute boost from the flux of attendees.

But maybe next year, now that those in charge have an idea of what to expect, De Luna Fest will match BayFest as one of the biggest music festivals in the region.

Musicians Wow Crowd at De Luna 2010 Timothy Borland

STAFF WRITER trb903@jaguar1.usouthal.edu

I entered De Luna Fest 2010 with a positive attitude hoping for an event that was worthy enough to become a tradition. The atmosphere was small but positive with the giant beach ball water tower acting as a trademark of sorts for the event.

Toward the entrance was a small stage designed for smaller acts, and then on the beach were two major stages side by side. This design allowed for one major act’s equipment to be set up and sound checked while another was playing.

Here at the main stage my De Luna experience began as Michael Franti played joyously to an enthusiastic crowd Saturday afternoon. This excellent show was soon followed by the bland rumblings of 30 Seconds to Mars who repeatedly insisted in the De Luna Fest guide that the group is not “emo.”

I felt unconvinced by actor Jared Leto’s constant stream of obscenities spewed in between songs that I deemed an effort to make the band appear more “adult.” On the small stage, Better Than Ezra played an excellent set to a smallbut-devoted crowd.

“Any of you who may have troubles with fainting or seizures need to move to the sides of the crowd as what my hands are about to perform on the fret board may just blow your mind!” singer and guitarist Kevin Griffin warned.

311 became the event of the night as the beach area became packed.

Even far behind the sea of people, the music was still loud and clear with a concert screen planted in the beach area for easy viewing. 311 ran through an impressive set of hits, including many fan favs off their album Grassroots.

311 claims to have never played on a beach before, which accentuated the song “Amber” as it reverberated through the night sky with the waves in the background.

After 311 concluded, a mass exodus of people began to

stream out of the venue. I had expected many to stay for headliners Stone Temple Pilots, but Scott Weiland, lead singer of STP, has faced lip synching rumors fueled by a YouTube video in which Weiland takes a stage dive and the vocals keep rolling. Eric Kretz, the band’s drummer, claims to the De Luna guide that Weiland made a heroic attempt to keep singing even once he fell off the stage, thus causing the confusion.

STP’s performance at De Luna became an important test of the band’s validity. The Deleo brothers improvised their guitar and bass solos on every song. Weiland appeared sober and sounded great. Whatever public perception, STP’s performance was an undeniably live rock and roll show.

The influx of concerts in the Gulf area is fostering a burgeoning music scene. Festivals like De Luna and the Hangout are no exception, and this growth also brings tourism dollars to the damaged economy of the Gulf Coast.

I hope to see De Luna return next year bringing positive vibes back to the beautiful beaches of the Gulf.

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October 18, 2010

Foreign In Love (Again) Interactive Murder On The High Seas Tony Roginski

CONTRIBUTING WRITER ajr902@jaguar1.usouthal.edu

AT YOUR SERVICE? Looking for an intelligent and witty foreign comedy centered on computer management? If you were in the same mind set I was, then the answer was, maybe.

“Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year” is a 2009 Bollywood/Hindi-language movie directed by Shimit Amin. The plot follows Harpeet Singh Bedi, a Sikh Business Communications major, played by Ranbir Kapoor.

After barely graduating college, Harpeet decides he wants to become a salesman. Even though his friends discourage his ridiculous venture, he sets foot into the insanity that is India’s business world. It does not take him long to realize the computer company he works for is corrupt and conniving.

Upset over the greed and lack of moral relationship between client and clientele, Harpeet forms an underdog team of fellow employees to take down The Man and possibly save the world.

SHUDDER AT “SHUTTER” Feeling the need to fulfill your October blood lust for all things horror movie-related? Getting tired of those American remakes of foreign films? Well, I know I am.

“Shutter,” originally made in Thailand, is a 2004 horror film by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom.

The plot follows Tun, played by Ananda Everingham, a photographer with a neck problem. Tun discovers a mysterious image showing up in his developed photos. Tun’s girlfriend, Jane, played by Natthaweeranuch Thongmee, investigates the identity of the image and its connection to an earlier accident involving a hit and run. The truth about the image and the figure they continue to see ties back to Tun and his previous life.

Sons of Sylvia Prepare for Tour Mary Beth Lursen

STAFF WRITER mel904@jaguar1.usouthal.edu

Sons of Sylvia knew from the beginning that music would always be an important part of their lives, but never believed that it would take them this far. The band is made up of three brothers who describe themselves as a combination of country, pop, bluegrass, and rock musicians.

Ashley, the middle brother, plays fiddle, Adam, the oldest, plays the mandolin, and Austin, the youngest brother and the one who spoke with the Vanguard, plays the dobro - an acoustic guitar with a built-in metal resonator - and the lap steel, a steel guitar. This makes their sound truly unique and gives them an identity.

Sons of Sylvia started out small, working for other bands and performing as back-ups for them. That all changed when they saw an advertisement for the show, “The Next Great American Band.”

They decided to send in a video on a whim under the name “The Clark Brothers” and managed to win the show in 2007. Austin described the experience as crazy, saying that they never expected to win.

It took a few years for them to get started. But when they signed with Interscope Records, their career took off. They changed their name to Sons of Sylvia, a tribute to their mother, before they joined Carrie Underwood on tour.

Since then, they have had many accomplishments. They debuted their first single, “Love Left to Lose,” on the hit TV show “American Idol.”

Their first album came out in April of this year. Their second single, “I’ll Know You,” has just been released.

The brothers have had to adjust to playing together because they all worked for different artists and never really toured or played together consistently.

The Sons of Sylvia are currently on tour with Carrie Underwood. Austin describes being on tour with Underwood as a dream come true.

They wrote and performed a song with Underwood on her new album, “Play On” and will perform with her Oct. 23 at the Mobile Civic Center.

Edward Stratton | Contributing Photographer

"Murder Among the Mateys" brought USA students together for murder mystery fun Oct. 14.

Sarah Wraight

CONTRIBUTING WRITER sarahwraight9@gmail.com

Upon the night of Oct. 14, the Student Center Ballroom transformed into a merciless murder mystery in which one hundred audience members scurried to find who “killed in cold blood” and what motives were behind it.

Jaguar Productions and the USA Jesters sponsored the third year of murder mysteries at South, “Murder Among the Mateys,” a pirate-themed party with some seriously scandalous details to uncover.

The rules to uncover the mystery are quite simple, but it’ll cost ya: Get to know all the dirty secrets of the characters, 12 USA Jesters dressed in pirate gear, by bribing them with your “loot;” read the Port Royal Review, a fictional newsletter with a short description of each character’s background; and be the first to cast your vote with the name of the killer, or “Who Dunnit,” as the voting card reads. And this is precisely what the audience members did in their quest for justice Thursday night.

In the middle of getting to know these rambunctious pirates, the lights abruptly cut off, sending shrieks through the crowd, and when the room lit up once more, the character “Merciless Morgan,” played by Peri Anne Bush,

was slain on the floor. After this, the audience frenzied through the room interviewing the remaining characters to find the murderer.

Ballots streamed in with possible culprits and only a few people were awarded with wins when they named the character “Sealegs Sam,” played by Paul Furlong, as the murderer.

It was revealed that his motives were to keep his pirate past a secret by killing the only one who knew about it: “Merciless Morgan.” This would then enable him to get in good spirits with the governor of “Port Royal,” who despises pirates, so that Sam could marry the official’s daughter.

Votes were also taken for best dressed, best performance and which pirate obtained the most loot from bribing.

Brittney Harrell, who played “Dirty Wiggins,” received the most votes for best dressed and highest amount of cash. Bush, better known Thursday as “Merciless Morgan,” won best performance.

Not only was this an engaging experience for the audience as well as the Jesters and Jag Productions, there were also lots of free gifts that college students love: lanyards, pens, sticky notepads, glow-in-the-dark cups, door prizes and $500 worth of fake cash to bribe with. And the best

see MURDER | 15

Discover Mobile: Greater Gulf State Fair Timothy Borland

STAFF WRITER trb903@jaguar1.usouthal.edu

There is one October tradition Mobilians look forward to just as much as Halloween parties and trick-or-treating. For 56 years the Greater Gulf State Fair has brought a variety of amusements for people of all ages.

These range from mild Ferris wheels, swing rides, scramblers and gravitrons to intimidating elevator drops, spaceships and a variety of devices designed to torture your balance (and perhaps stomach).

Your stomach might be full of funnel cakes, cotton candy, turkey legs and chicken-on-a-stick because the Fair is yet another opportunity for your junk food fix. However, before a patron can even arrive at the bright lights, screams and candy-coated dreams they will first walk through the expo hall that features arts and crafts for sale, some of which are definitely worth investigating.

For the old and very young, there are also concert performances, kids’ rides and even a rodeo. Typically, a fair’s original purpose was for farmers to show off the year’s wares, normally in the form of livestock. Many times these animals are entered into competitions, with the blue ribbon winners fetching the highest dollar.

This fair is no exception, as attendees may view stall after stall of horses, cows, pigs, and chickens. There is also a petting zoo that often features exotic animals like baby camels, llamas, ewes, goats and pot-bellied pigs.

Be warned – do not waste your money on the sideshow attractions such as the 200-pound sewer rat! There is normally a hoax involved – in this case, the rodent is not a rat, but an adult capybara, the largest rodent in the world.You can view and pet a baby capybara at the petting zoo for free.

Finally, one of the double-edged blades of the fair: the Midway, which features various games of chance. There is always a catch. The hoop at the basketball toss in not regulation, those bottles you hit with the baseball are probably much heavier than they look, and if you win, even the good prizes are of cheap quality.

If you are brave enough to venture into the Midway, play for fun and have a set limit of money you are willing to spend. Perhaps the biggest concern for most people will be price. The fair can become quite expensive by the time you pay admission, buy tickets for rides, lose money in the midway, buy fair food and perhaps visit the vendors for souvenirs.

One way to reduce cost is to take advantage of the nightly discounts that are offered on certain days, such as Coca Cola night where you get a discount for bringing a Coke can or 2-for-1 night if you have a date or friend.

Do not expect discounts Halloween night when attendance is at its peak.

The Greater Gulf State Fair is only a short distance from campus on Cody Road and Ziegler Boulevard. This year’s fair dates are Oct. 22-31. For directions and admission prices, visit www.mobilefair.com.

8 SGA

from page 1

Collins spoke with The Vanguard after the meeting and explained why this addition to the non-discrimination policy was so important.

“I’ve had faculty and staff come to me, afraid of getting fired for coming out,” Collins said. “Students could also be let go from organizations for being openly gay.”

Collins was pleased with the response he received from the SGA, calling the evening “very positive.” He believes the senate will pass a resolution in the near future to be presented to University officials for approval next semester.

“I don’t want to see anyone let go, either student or faculty, because of their sexual orientation or gender identification,” he said.

The

Vanguard

October 18, 2010

The

Vanguard

October 18, 2010

Letter to the Editor

Euthanasia Not Always Autonomous Dear Editors: I am a physician who has studied euthanasia and assisted-suicide since 1988, especially in the Netherlands. I am responding to your point/counter point articles on euthanasia, which also discuss assisted suicide. [by Imran Mohiuddin and Tory Albertson].

In the Netherlands, Dutch law calls for performing euthanasia and assisted suicide with the patient’s consent. This is not,

however, always done.

Indeed, over time, assisted-suicide on a strictly voluntary basis evolved into allowing euthanasia on an involuntary basis.

Euthanasia is also performed on infants and children, who are not capable of giving consent.

2005 is the most recent year for which we have an official report from the Dutch government. The report is “spun” to defend its law, but nonetheless concedes that 550 patients (an average of 1.5 per day) were actively killed by Dutch doctors “without an explicit request.” The report also concedes

that an additional 20% of deaths were not reported to the authorities as required by Dutch law.

Those who believe that euthanasia or assisted suicide will assure their autonomy or “choice” are naive.

William Reichel, M.D. Affiliated Scholar Center for Clinical Bioethics Georgetown University School of Medicine Washington DC

Send your Letters to the Editor to USAVanguard.Editor@Gmail.com.

9

Sports

The

Vanguard

10 Curry’s Corner

Blowouts Are Just a Part of Football

Jayson Curry

SPORTS COLUMNIST jayson-curry@hotmail.com

It’s commonly called the golden rule, doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.

In football it’s called an unwritten rule.

But if we‘re honest with each other, running up the score shouldn’t be part of that.

Don’t get me wrong, getting blown out is never a fun proposition, but if a team is scoring big why should they be frowned upon?

The only legitimate argument against running up the score is when it causes an injury.

Remember 2005, when University of Alabama wideout Tyrone Prothro broke his leg when the Crimson Tide was already up by four touchdowns. That game and boneheaded decision cost that young man the rest of his career.

But in most cases, running up the score just isn’t that bad. What else are offenses supposed to do? Defenses should be harassed and heckled for lofty blowouts – not the offenses.

Just ask the undefeated South Alabama program how they feel on the matter.

What else can a coach do but pull his starters and run the ball? The opposing team still has to make the plays.

And, like most things, there are different degrees of running up the score. In high school games, athletic commissions halve the quarters to six minutes in the second half if a team is unable to hang with its opponents.

In college, winning teams pull their starters and choose to run the ball right up the middle. It turns the game into an over-glorified scrimmage.

But what’s the point of that? It makes an already untouchable game devoid of big plays and thus even harder to watch.

It’s the NFL where this should happen the least. The teams are generally closer in talent and the player experience is off the charts. But it still happens, even at the professional level.

If the 11 players on defense are making millions then they should have to stop you.

You’re getting paid to stop any offense, so do the job or find another one.

And for those who get mad about losing by 40 or 50 points and say the coach was running up the score, look up the score of the 1916 Cumberland versus Georgia Tech score. Tech won by an astounding 222-0.

How about that for humility?

Most teams don’t score 222 points in an entire season, so to the perpetual loser who can’t stop your opponents, I say, “Shut up, coach better, play harder and then come back.”

Matt Weaver Sports Editor jmatthewweaver@aol.com

October 18, 2010

Houston Runs Wild In Texas

USA Running Back Breaks School Record in 26-0 Rout Over Lamar

Matt Weaver

SPORTS EDITOR jmatthewweaver@aol.com

Kendall Houston rushed for a school record 166 yards on 21 carries, leading his South Alabama Jaguars to a 26-0 victory against Lamar Saturday night at Provost Humphrey Stadium.

South Alabama passed its first out-of-state road contest with flair on Saturday before an announced crowd of 16,150.

Houston started in the place of injured starting back Brandon Ross, who is out for the year with a torn ACL. Houston averaged 7.9 yards-per-carry with a long run of 29. The anticipated running drop-off never came.

“Our running back got hurt and the team was depending on me,” Houston said. “I just had to run hard and get the job done.

“I felt there was a little bit of pressure on me, but I just had to go to practice each day and work hard. I feel good about how I played, but I feel like I can do even better.”

Houston received support from the South Alabama defense all night, including the pivotal play of the game, which occurred at the five minute mark of the second quarter.

Leading 10-0, a bad play by Jags special teams gave the Cardinals the ball at the USA 36, as an errant punt attempt went backward for South Alabama.

The defense responded, forcing a threeand-out and tipped field goal to preserve the 10-point lead. The Cardinals would get no closer the rest of the night.

“You have to play great defense on the road, and we did that tonight,” South Alabama head coach Joey Jones said. “I’m really proud of the staff and players. They played lights out tonight.

“They knew this was their first big chal-

Colin McGee | Photo Editor

South Alabama senior wide receiver Courtney Smith bursts pasts defenders on a deep route against Missouri S&T on Oct. 10. Smith had one reception for 15 yards during Saturday’s game against Lamar.

lenge, and answered that call.”

South Alabama took the early lead at the five-minute mark as Josh Chestang returned a Lamar fumble for a touchdown. Lawson McGlon added the PAT to give the Jags a 7-0 lead.

Starting kicker Jordan Means was sidelined with a groin strain before Saturday’s contest and McGlon filled in admirably.

McGlon displayed excellent range, kicking field goals of 22, 32, 30 and 29 yards.

Jonathan Cameron forced the key Cardinal fumble in the second and the set the tempo for the defense on Saturday’s afternoon.

“We brought it up to another level in practice this week,” added linebacker Jake Johnson, who also forced a fumble on a sack.

“We had great practices all week, and we really wanted to show what we could do on defense.

“They are known for their passing game, see FOOTBALL | 15

Final Road Game Awaits Surging Jags Jake Wasdin

SPORTS REPORTER jake-wasdin11@yahoo.com

A week following their first out-ofstate, 26-0 road victory over Lamar, the South Alabama football squad will hit the road again, traveling to the west coast to Davis, Calif. to face the University of California-Davis Oct. 23.

The Jags will take their 13-0 unbeaten record into Aggie Stadium as they look to remain perfect in 2010.

The Aggies are 3-3 on the season under head coach Bob Biggs. Biggs, who graduated from the University in 1973, brings an impressive team to the table.

Biggs also played briefly in the Canadian Football League and World Football League.

The Aggies run a spread offense with quarterback Randy Wright at the helm.

Wright is armed with a group of receivers in Sean Creadick, Dean Rogers and Anthony Soto.

“Davis should be our toughest challenge,” South Alabama head coach Joey Jones said. “They have been beating quality teams for a long time.”

Colin McGee I Photo Editor

South Alabama wide receiver Kevin Helms making a catch against Nicholls State.

Montavious Williams, a noseguard, added, “We’re going to go there and play tough and physical like we always have. We just have to do what we’ve been

coached to do, and hopefully we can come out of there with a win.”

On the defensive side of the ball, UCDavis will sport a 3-4 scheme.

The South Alabama offense will have to deal with linebacker Dozie Amajoyi, who has 54 total tackles on the season.

The Aggies will be South Alabama’s toughest challenge of the season and of their program’s history.

“It’s going to be a big challenge, and everybody has to be ready and prepared,” tight end Paul Bennett said. “It’s going to be a tough environment, so everyone has to be on top of their game.”

The Jags have already dealt with road conditions twice, and the third time should be the easiest.

“The staff has prepared us pretty well,” linebacker Jake Johnson said. “Coach Jones has done a great job of simulating road conditions at practice and we’re fairly set for Davis.”

Kickoff is set at 2 p.m. PT on Saturday Oct. 23 in Davis at Aggie Stadium.

Follow the game live on the Vanguard Sports Twitter @USAVGSPORTS

11

The

Vanguard

October 18, 2010

The Players’ Lounge

South Alabama Soccer

Lady Jags Progressing Matt Weaver

SPORTS EDITOR jmatthewweaver@aol.com

University of South Alabama soccer has achieved mixed results so far in 2010, to the tune of a 4-10-1 (2-4, Sun Belt) record.

Despite not being where head coach Mike Varga anticipated, soccer has already improved on last season’s erratic and often injury-plagued, three-win season.

And they’ve done it with a renewed commitment to depth and a youth movement.

The Jags began the 2010 season with 18 freshman on it’s roster.

Despite the changes and an improved chemistry, the wins still won’t come.

“We’ve just had a lot of bad luck,” Varga said. “We’ve played to the level of our competition and we’ve just ran out of time or had a play or two go the wrong way.

I do think we are much stronger than our record indicates and that we’re capable of making a run in the second half.”

The Jags battled several injuries last season and remedied the problem with increased depth in 2010.

Varga has made a point of having several players adjust to new positions, adding depth and new wrinkles to his game plans.

“We had to replace a lot of outgoing seniors last year,” Varga said. “And although the record is similar to last season, I’m not sure that this team is comparable to the 2009 team.

“Our program is moving in a much bet-

ter direction now and the University and community is really getting behind us.”

Varga cites the athletic field house and updated training facilities as reasons the future is bright for soccer.

He also conceded that the team may have to test a more competitive schedule in the coming seasons.

“I think that we’ve played a too-tough out of conference schedule in the past,” Varga said. “Playing good teams exposes your weaknesses but at the same time going on the road so early in the season might have worn us down before conference play began.

“It’s definitely something we’re investigating.”

The USA head coach wouldn’t place a ceiling on the program but believes South Alabama can be a Sun Belt player for years to come.

“We’re still a relatively young program and I think that we’re building something nice here and that it’s only a matter of time before we’re there.”

Varga is excited about the direction of his current team and believes they can still make a second half run.

“This team has been such a positive group to coach,” Varga said. “The girls have really bought into a team mentality at practice and that translates to game play. We really push ourselves to do better and I think we’re ready start taking that next step.

The Players’ Lounge is a semi-annual first-hand look at Jaguar athletics through the eyes of those who live it. This week features South Alabama women’s soccer goaltender and Vanguard contributor Kaitlyn Thacker. She can be reached at kdt901@ jaguar1.usouthal.edu.

Colin McGee I Photo Editor

Lauren Marsh makes a cut during the Port City Classic against Georgia State on Sep. 12

This Week in Football: South Alabama At UC-Davis Oct. 23, 2010 Aggie Stadium

The

Vanguard Sports Poll LAST WEEK:

Jag Football Notebook

THIS WEEK:

Do Blowouts Dissuade You

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH WNSP

From Attending Jag Football?

JAG FOOTBALL COVERAGE?

* Yes * No “The road trip really came at a great time for South Alabama football. I love the Jags but something had to give with some of the blowouts. They were really becoming hard to watch. The road trip, Georgia State and the promise of a close game has really reignited my passion for Jag football.”

-Kenny Mohren, USA graduate

Vote Now!

-South Alabama must use Lamar as the model for building an on-campus stadium.

Provost Humphrey Stadium is absolutely stunning.

-Brandon Ross‛ injury created a perceived depth issue at the RB position. Ken Houston responded to the claim with a school record 166 yards on 21 rushes. I think the Jags will be fine on that front for Saturday‛s game.

-To prepare the team for playing on the road, head coach Joey Jones blares loud music over the speakers at practice. His choice songs are the opposing fight songs of course.

Hard work and dedication isn’t always reflected accurately in the record of a team, and that seems to be the case for our women’s soccer program thus far.

With an overall record of 4-10-1, and a Sun Belt Conference record of 2-4 at this point, they do not look too impressive on paper.

However, as many athletes know, the score of a game is sometimes not representative of the competition.

If our soccer team didn’t believe this before August, they definitely believe it now.

From head coach Mike Varga’s mouth to our ears, “Outside of the first weekend of Jackson State and LSU, we have been competitive in every match we have played.

“There’s been a lot of positive learning in the season so far, and there is still a lot of time in conference play to make up for the rough start we have endured.”

We have a lot of new players this year with an incoming freshman class of 18 girls.

In every game, the team has started with at least seven freshmen and sometimes as many as nine.

Naturally, it takes a while to have players from all over the country come in and develop the chemistry needed to breed major success.

With so many new players, the team is working hard to find the right positions and mesh well with each other.

Although improvement may not always result in the much-coveted “W” on the record, the team is winning other battles.

“We took Kentucky down to the wire and played a tough game against #22 nationally-ranked Denver.

“Despite being such a young team, with only two seniors, we have competed well against high-quality opponents.

“We have hung with the ‘big dogs’ and continue to improve with every match we compete in,” assistant coach Brian Diaz said.

It is this type of season that builds championship quality teams. Tough losses and “down-to-the-wire” wins construct character and give much needed experience to young talent.

A team can typically improve more if they are tested during a rough season and come out with improved abilities and experience.

This is where building depth becomes so important.

Sometimes this can be more successful than a team having a weak season and easily beating their opponents.

The girls are putting in endless hours of training on the field and in the weightroom in hopes that their efforts will soon be recognized.

With luck, the remainder of conference play and the coming seasons will reflect the dividends of our efforts.

Opinion

The

Vanguard

12

Alex Whalen Opinion Editor AlexWhalen@Gmail.com

October 18, 2010

OUR VIEW

Support Your Campus Radio, Students After years of a campus radio station simply being a wishlist item for USA students, the University finally has a station to call its own.

JagRadio has been online officially since Oct. 1, and the students running it are looking for feedback so they can make the station more campus-focused.

Now is not the time to sit back and wish these students luck; they do not need luck.

This brand new organization needs us, their listeners, to examine what they’re airing and then voice our thoughts and opinions, whether it’s through e-mail or a simple Facebook message.

Jason Cooper, a student and one of JagRadio’s founders, said his group is looking for student feedback.

“It’s only in the beginning phase,” he said. “We need to know what else to get [on the air].”

The Vanguard has suggested to JagRadio organizers that they create a survey soliciting feedback from students and send it to the entire campus via the mass e-mail system.

We hope that they will follow through with this and continue to brainstorm other ways to get what students want at the forefront of their efforts.

Currently, you can listen to music play if you visit www. jagradio.net, and you can hear shows already recorded by the crew and some other students by clicking on “Show Archives.”

You may wonder why JagRadio broadcasts on Internet radio and not on a regular radio station channel. The price tag for setting up a broadcast station is around $1 million, and the maintenance costs are between $200,000 and $300,000 per year.

There’s also no broadcast license available for purchase in this area, and buying a license from another station is too

Tilting at Windmills

By Matthew Peterson mwp601@jaguar1.usouthal.

Most Parking Complaints Not Justified Once again, USA students’ No. 1 complaint is parking, and, once again, the numbers show this gripe to be mostly unfounded.

We hear horror stories of students driving around for 30 minutes before classes, trying to find that one parking spot.

“We need more parking on campus,” these people say. “Why won’t the administration build a parking garage right in front of all the buildings I need to go to / make more parking spaces that move around depending on where I need them / invent a flying car and give me one?”

Just like years past, the parking survey proved that most of these complaints are without merit.

Every year, Facilities Management painstakingly counts every empty space in every parking lot on campus, all at the worst times for parking.

These counts are taken between 9 a.m.

costly for the Department of Communication, where JagRadio is housed. Traditional broadcast stations also have to hire engineers to maintain the equipment’s functionality and purchase packaged programs to fill air space, more costs too great for USA’s new station.

With things moving toward digital media today, it only makes sense to keep JagRadio on the Internet, where broadcasting is free.

Because growing JagRadio into a more comprehensive campus station will require money to pay program personalities for their work and purchase music, a student fee is necessary. The group’s adviser, Communication instructor Matt Logan, said they have already discussed requesting a student fee.

It does not have to be any great amount – JagRadio could begin with a dollar per student per semester.

Student organizations need money to function. The Vanguard receives a $1.50 fee per student per semester, which is about a third of our entire operating budget. The rest of our revenue comes from advertising sales.

For JagRadio to become a force on campus, students need to support it, and that includes monetary support. We hope the Student Government Association will recognize and back any student fee requests JagRadio makes once it has grown a bit on campus.

Students will benefit from the content, especially once more commentary, sports and news shows are created. The station will provide training and experience for students wanting to boost their resume and/or work in broadcast media.

USA has backed its new football team all the way. It’s time to catch up with other universities that have their own stations and support JagRadio.

and noon (the peak class time), not during class breaks, and in mid-September.

This year, they found that about 18 percent of on-campus parking spots are open during these peak times. Of course, though, that doesn’t tell the whole story – what about each zone?

Central zone, the target of most of the complaints actually boasts an average of about 388 open student spaces each day, 32 percent of its total.

If you’re looking in the Humanities parking lot for these spaces, though, you’re out of luck: Only a few (read: 3 on Mondays and Wednesdays) are unoccupied each day.

Instead of tuning your radio to a sad song and driving around the Humanities parking lot, simply look across the street and discover a gold mine of parking opportunities.

The Gamma-Engineering lot, only a short ride from the Humanities building parking lot, has 386 parking spots open on Mondays and Wednesdays, so you’re sure to find one to fit your specific needs.

The South zone, too, is the land of milk and honey when it comes to parking, averaging 145.6 student parking spots open per day 22 percent of the total.

For some reason, almost four times as many spots are open on Mondays and Wednesdays than Tuesdays and Thursdays.

North has about 52 spots open per day, with drastically more open on Tuesday and Thursday than on Monday and Wednesday. That's

about 8 percent of the total.

However, the East zone tells an entirely different story.

It boasts an average of 8.3 parking spots open, a measly 1 percent of its total, showing that complaints about that area are certainly justified.

What, then, should be done about our parking problem?

For the Central zone, the solution is obvious: Students need to learn about the abundant open spaces in the GammaEngineering lot. This burden mostly falls on students – look at your parking brochure and see that there’s another lot over there.

But it wouldn’t be too much of a problem to simply add a little signage showing that there is additional parking available in the Engineering-Gamma lot.

Two or three signs never broke the budget.

As for the East Zone, that solution may be a bit more tricky.

Students can walk from the Student Health Center parking lot, but even that can fill up pretty quickly.

The long-term solution seems unavoidable: Maybe we need some more parking near the new Allied Health Building.

Though adding parking on a large scale is obviously not needed, I don’t see why the administration is so adverse to adding it where it is needed, namely in the dormitories and East lots.

The solution is definitely not the administration's current plan: Doing nothing.

With Homecoming elections happening last week, we wondered how much interest the student body had in the process. We’ll let your responses speak for themselves.

I don’t really care about Homecoming elections. I don’t know any of the candidates.

I’m an athlete, and [the candidates] are fraternity and sorority people.

They just have their own little world.

Ana Garcia Junior Accounting

It’s really nothing to me, it seems the same as high school. I may vote just to do it, but I don’t really know any of [the candidates].

Frankie Howard Junior Physical Therapy

I’m in Kappa Delta, so I have a lot of friends running. I’m absolutely going to vote. Homecoming elections gives the whole school something to do together, it can bring us closer together.

Whitley Byrd Freshman Secondary Ed.

I don’t know much about it. I don’t live on campus, so I just see the signs coming to class.

Maybe they could find a way to get off-campus students involved. Work and classes keep me busy; this just seems like it’s for on-campus students.

Jay Conrad Junior English/Education

Want a soapbox?

Well, here you go!

Just e-mail your campus thoughts, complaints, or ideas to usacampuspulse@gmail.com and we’ll print them right here!

13

The

Vanguard

October 18, 2010

POINT COUNTERPOINT Editor’s Introduction: CNN recently ran a story claiming that “82 percent of children in 10 Western countries have a digital footprint before the age of 2.”

This study, conducted by Internet security firm AVG, also showed U.S. children topping the list with a staggering 92 percent of kids under age 2 having an online presence. This is due to online social networks like Facebook where families

Let’s Not Freak Out Here

often share these photos. Experts worry that with information like a child’s date of birth, mother’s maiden name, and the child’s full name, identity thieves have easy access to what should be sensitive information.

So should parents stop posting this information online, or is this just a new kind of paranoia in the digital age?

What We Don’t Know Can Hurt Us

Many of the new parents I enough for the first babies posted A lot of parents and relatives have istration, making it an easy target know want the whole world to online to have gotten old enough been sharing photos of children genfor identity thieves. see pictures of their new baby. to get a credit card. erously within their social networking Sure, social networking sites And it only makes sense to inEven if baby identity theft circles, making it easy for Grandma allow parents to configure privacy clude the child’s name along with is becoming a widespread pheto see little Billy grow up while they’re settings so that only friends and/ the pictures. nomenon, the blame should rest half a world away from each other. or mutual friends can view snapBut does that mean these squarely on the shoulders of the What Billy’s parents don’t realize, shots of their children, but how parents are handing over their companies that are extending lines however, is that by creating an online do they know that strangers aren’t innocent child to the slimy paws of credit to infants and toddlers presence for him, they make it easy able to see the photos because of of the internet’s criminal world?

– not with the family and friends for identity thieves to piece together an online mutual friend connecAbsolutely not. posting this information online. sensitive information about him that tion? All too often, people get Alex Daniela I suppose the argument would The fear of having your or could lead to his online identity’s glimpses of the photo galleries Whalen Werner go something like this: There a loved one’s compromise in the tagging people they’ve never met, are already so many avenues identity stolen is future. simply because of the way inforfor would-be identity thieves to get their certainly justified. But we The online picture postmation is set up to flow through everyone’s hands on someone’s information, so it’s need to remain diligent and ing trend is so common that personal news feed. irresponsible to just willingly hand over this focused on the tried-and82 percent of children in 10 E-mailing photos to relatives and friends information. true methods of keeping Western countries appear in is a safer alternative, because then you know Seems pretty reasonable, until you conthis from happening and online pictures before their that it’s only Grandma who’s pulling up sider most of this information is already finding out if it does. second birthday, according pictures of your newborn. pretty easy to get. Just a quick poke around If everyone at risk of to a study Web security firm You may think that the chances of this Facebook and you could get hundreds of having their identity stolen AVG recently conducted. In happening to your children, whether they’re full names and birth dates in no time. followed these steps, then the U.S., the number jumps unborn or already alive, are incredibly small.

If you start to worry about every little maybe we would be in a to 92 percent for less-thanThat’s how I felt about credit card fraud way a potential thief could steal your iden- position to start worrying 2-year-olds who exist online until a stranger used my card information tity, you’re going to lose sight of the bigger about what information before they even learn to to purchase several hundred dollars’ worth facebook.com use a computer. picture and what information you really we post on social networkof groceries in northern Alabama this past Pictures like this can be found all over need to keep safe. ing sites.

Identity thieves are using summer.

I already have to watch what e-mails I But, as the saying goes, Facebook and other social networking this trend to their advanThe Internet makes keeping your private open, keep my antivirus software updated there’s a sucker born every sites. tage, stealing information information something of a challenge these and fully functioning and develop crazy minute; and there are like middle names, birth days, and it’s no time for parents to let their algorithms for generating unbreakable still plenty of people who dates and the children’s guard down on matters like this one. passwords for my online banking and simply aren’t being diligent and thus are mothers’ maiden names, sometimes careWe don’t care about some things until they credit card sites. I just don’t have the time leaving themselves vulnerable to identity lessly inserted into photo captions and tags. happen to us, and that’s our downfall in the or energy to worry about hackers knowing thieves.

Because children don’t apply for credit cards, privacy war against identity thieves the Intermy name or my mom’s maiden name.

So instead of taking away one of the no one thinks to check their credit until net brought along. The sad thing is, people I also have to wonder: Who on earth is best parts of having a baby – bragging to they’re well into their teen years. aren’t doing things as simple as choosing to sitting on this information until it becomes all your friends and family that you have Think no one’s interested in children’s e-mail their children’s photos instead of postvaluable? I’m skeptical that Visa is handing the cutest baby in the world – let’s relax, personal information? It’s handed out more ing them online to shield the ones they love out platinum cards to 18-month-olds, and take a deep breath and focus on the big often than you think in everyday paperwork most from online privacy invasion.

Facebook hasn’t even been around long picture. like medical forms and school and sports reg-

Clearing the Air

By Alex Whalen alexwhalen@gmail.com

Save the Ta-Tas! National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) is celebrating its 26th anniversary this month. It’s amazing what this program has accomplished; breast cancer survival rates have increased tremendously, and that’s due in large part to early detection.

NBCAM’s website expresses its mission “to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to screening services.” But the awareness the media has in mind must

be different from the goals expressed by NBCAM. Just about every day I hear some “tip” or other on how to reduce your chances of developing breast cancer. These tips are not only misleading, but they detract from the overall goal of NBCAM: breast cancer screening for early detection and treatment options for those with the disease.

I guess it’s the desire to bring something different and informative that pushes media outlets to produce new information. But this information is limited to studies and research which, if disseminated to the general public, does more harm than good.

Just in the past few days I’ve heard that fish oil, breast feeding, aspirin, and all sorts of vitamin supplements can reduce your risk of breast cancer. What these reports fail to mention is these studies only show a correlation between cases of breast cancer and, say, fish oil.

With so much data out there and so many studies being conducted, you’re inevitably going to find a correlation between low rates

of breast cancer and some other, possibly unrelated, factor.

When media outlets report something like fish oil reducing the risk of breast cancer by 32 percent, most people don’t critically assess what that really means. As a result, people are focusing on misleading reports of isolated studies rather than the original intent of NBCAM: regular mammograms for early detection and living a healthy lifestyle for genuine prevention.

So let’s clear the air and shift the focus back where it needs to be.

NBCAM.org has resources on mammogram screening and early detection that every woman should check out. But here are the basics, taken right from their site: - Obtain regular mammography screening starting at the age of 40 - Obtain annual clinical breast exams - Perform monthly breast self-exams - Obtain a risk assessment from a physician In addition, you can maintain a healthy lifestyle and good eating habits. Even if it turns out these somehow have no effect

on breast cancer rates, they are still good choices to make for living longer.

So instead of buying a bunch of fish oil or breast feeding your kid until it’s six years old, just stick with what’s been working for 26 years.

As for these studies on factors that may reduce the risks of breast cancer, they should absolutely continue. But the results shouldn’t be presented to the public as truths.

These studies have to be understood within the context they were performed and in conjunction with other relevant literature and studies.

All of this interpretation should be left to oncologists, not the media or the general public. I don’t think it’s intentional deception on the part of the media, just misguided enthusiasm.

I hope this enthusiasm will compel the media to get back to the basics so individuals and their loved ones can get the information that really matters.

Oh, and save the ta-tas!

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Caption Contest

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October 18, 2010

Do hilarious things come to mind when you see this photo? E-mail your funniest caption to usavanguard.editor@gmail.com. The winner will be published next week!

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Winner: “Mary does my pedi, how about you?”

-pdr801

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Jag Life

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October 18, 2010

Football

A Comic by Ben Lewis

from page 10

(Lyrics submitted by Wesley Williams II)

www.usavanguard.com Go there.

Murder from page 7

part hasn’t been mentioned yet: the free grub.

If you didn’t catch this awesome celebration, don’t sweat it. There are many other events to indulge in during October and the months to follow.

Coming events by Jaguar Productions include the next JP Outdoor Movie: “Nightmare on Elm Street,” which will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 8 p.m.; and the Halloween Rave “Techno Thriller,” on Thursday, Oct. 28 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

So don’t be scallywags, mateys! Come out and have some free fun with Jaguar Productions this month.

and I think it showed that we are a wellrounded defense.

“I think it was good for us to get on the road in a hostile environment. We played a great game defensively; we didn’t give up any big plays, and just really stepped up.”

Jones placed a priority on adjusting to a hostile environment in practice and the move paid dividends.

The coaches played music and the Lamar fight song over the loud speaker, a subtle attempt at simulating Provost Humphrey Stadium. The tactic was well received.

“The music was a really good idea,” Johnson said. “I’ve been in hostile environments before but I know that several of our younger guys haven’t. It’s a really hard thing to teach and describe and the simulations really worked for us.

“I really think that it prepared all of us for the road game experience.”

Jones borrowed the idea from his playing days at the University of Alabama and cited its success there as the driving force in using it on the Jags.

South Alabama faces a similar scenario on Saturday as the Jags will fly to Davis, Calif. to battle the Aggies of UC-Davis.

“We know that UC-Davis is a very good team; they’ve beaten San Jose State and won their conference last year,” Jones said.

“They’re a very sound team and we’re going to have to go out to California and see what we’ve got.

“But our kids are real excited about that.

We’re trying to take this thing with baby steps, and we’ve taken some big steps already.

“It’s yet another new experience for the players and we’re going to have to rise to the occasion.”

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. PT (4 p.m. CT) in Davis, Calif. at Aggie Stadium.

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