Nov. 28, 2016

If it matters to you, it matters to us.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA

anguard V THE

MONDAY NOV 28 2016 VOL 59 ISS 15

w w w.t he vang uardus a.com

USA Offers Free Counseling Finals are stressful, and students should know about services available.

Page 4

USA Football Makes History

Holiday Art Sale

The Jags win all four nonconference games for the first time. Page 10

Students and faculty will sell hand-made art this Friday. Page 9

NEWS

SPORTS

A view of the Visual Arts Building located on the East side of campus. Photo courtesy of southalabama.edu

Editor’s Note:

Retraction, explanation of tenure

USA men’s bascketball guard Herb McGee shoots past Youngstown guard Francisco Santiago. Photo by Briana Cunningham.

By Alanna Whitaker | Managing Editor

Last week, The Vanguard fully retracted an article published in issue 12 titled “Renowned head of galss (sic) blowing department loses tenure.” The retraction is posted on The Vanguard website and social media.

The Vanguard failed to accurately describe the academic tenure process and views its mistake as an opportunity to educate students and readers about the procedure.

It is also necessary to provide a complete description of the tenure application review process for the sake of those who read the previous article and may have drawn conclusions without an adequate understanding of it.

A tenured professor has the right to

due process, which means the professor is safeguarded from arbitrary denial of employment and is contractually employed with the university until retirement, unless there is just cause for removal.

Non-tenured professors are employed by the university for the academic year or on a semester-by-semester basis.

The University of South Alabama Faculty Handbook describes the importance of tenure as “a means to certain ends, specifically: (1) freedom of teaching and research and of extramural activities; (2) a sufficient degree of economic security to make the profession attractive to men and women of ability.”

This means that teachers are free to pursue research that is potentially

controversial without fear of termination.

According to Tony Wright, tenured professor of ceramics at USA, the tenure process generally takes six years for an applicant to be accepted or rejected.

A department with an open tenure position, Wright explained, first creates a search committee to review credentials of all applicants. Applicants are then vetted based on personal strengths and the department’s vision for the program.

The agenda for a program may include a variety of factors, such as a desired skill set, specialties or demographic needs within a department.

Once hired for a tenure-track position, the candidate must wait five years before

See page 3

USA men’s basketball has best season opener since 80s

By Marissa Mason | Sports Editor

The USA men’s basketball opened their 2016-17 season with five consecutive wins.

This is the second time in school history since the 1982-83 season that the Jags began a season with an undefeated

See page 11

2

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28 Monday

29 Tuesday

30 Wednesday

November 28 7:30 p.m.

Piano Studio Recital Laidlaw Performing Arts Center 1205

November 29 4:30 p.m.

Lights of Love Tree Lighting Ceremony USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital

November 30 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

“Darkness into Life” Archaeology Exhibit Archaeology Museum

Jaccob Hearn Alanna Whitaker Micaela Walley Joel Goode Richard Narramore Marissa Mason Cydnei Nettles

November 29 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

JP Christmas Cards for nursing homes and hospitals Student Center Mall

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December 1 6:30 p.m.

USA Holiday Concert Mitchell Center

December 2 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Visual Arts Holiday Art Sale Visual arts Building A See pg. 9

December 4 6 p.m.

Holiday Havoc Student Recreation Center Indoor Soccer Field

December 2 Last Day of Classes

December 4 1 p.m.

USA Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble and Studio Recital Laidlaw Performing Arts Center 1205

December 1 5:30 p.m.

Free lecture “Healing Power of Meditation” Shelby Hall 2119

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**December 4-7 all day Finals Frenzy Entire Student Center**

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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December 10 2 p.m.

USA Commencement Mitchell Center

December 6 6 p.m.

Canvas Painting Student Center North Lobby

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NEWS Continued from page 1

submitting an application.

Prior to tenure application, the candidate must complete a three-year, mid-tenure review by a department committee who assesses the teacher’s strengths and weaknesses.

“Mid-tenure review is when tenured professors in the department, as well as the department chair, assess what the candidate has done in terms of teaching, research, service and collegiality,” Wright said.

To assess the quality of teaching, professors submit examples of their coursework, including student evaluations, syllabi, assignment sheets and other pertinent material.

The type of research necessary to qualify for tenure status differs according to department, but academically accepted research is always peer-reviewed.

Within the USA’s Department of Visual Arts, for example, juried exhibitions are the equivalent to peer-reviewed publications in another department, according to Wright.

In a juried exhibition, submitted work is judged by a panel convened to assess

Managing Editor | Alanna Whitaker acw905@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Nov. 28, 2016

the artwork according to a set of criteria.

Work is presented anonymously to the judges, and only hand-selected artists who meet all criteria are allowed to exhibit work.

Service refers to a tenure-track professor’s contributions through involvement with departmental committees or community needs.

Collegiality is judged as the relationship the candidate has with department colleagues.

“Are you a good colleague? Do you work well with others in your department?

It’s important to be able to work with other instructors,” Wright said.

Each of the four criteria is assessed independently at the mid-tenure review.

The tenure-track instructor is then given feedback from the department chair on his or her performance and is given suggestions for improvement.

“This gives you two years to respond to any concerns that may be raised,” Wright said.

Previously, The Vanguard incorrectly reported that: “Tenure is typically voted on by all the tenured professors in the department of the applying professor.”

The tenure application process begins when the candidate submits an application in the fifth year to a department committee of tenured professors.

The committee either recommends a

professor to receive or be denied tenure based on the four criteria from submitted materials mentioned earlier.

The candidate’s application will continue through the entire chain of command and be reviewed by all authorities, even if the departmental committee recommends against tenure.

The candidate is also responsible for submitting a list of potential external reviewers who specialize in the tenuretrack professor’s area of expertise and can provide insight into the candidate’s work.

Within the Department of Visual Arts, external reviewers are given the candidate’s curriculum vitae and images of artwork to assess style, taste, craftsmanship and design.

The recommendation of the department committee is accompanied by a minimum of three external reviews.

The recommendations from the department committee and the external reviews are reviewed by a chain of command in the following order: the chair of the department; a college committee, such as the College Committee of Arts and Sciences; dean of the college; and the vice president of academic affairs at USA. Each of authorities reviews previous recommendations and the candidate’s submitted materials to make an additional recommendation that continues up the chain of command.

3 Finally, all recommendations, supporting documents and reports make are submitted to USA’s board of trustees and the university president. They collectively decide whether the professor will receive tenure.

Tenure is only granted by USA’s president and board of trustees. Among its 16 members, students are most likely familiar with at least two: Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson.

All candidate applications are reviewed by the entire chain of command, including the USA board of trustees and the USA president, whether the initial department committee makes a recommendation for or against tenure.

“There have been cases where bias has been identified by a college committee further up and decisions at the departmental level have been reversed to the benefit of the university,” Wright said.

When the USA president and USA board of trustees uphold previous committee recommendations, it is a reasonable indication of a lack of bias on the departmental level.

“Tenure gives a lot of academic freedom,” Wright said. “Having a department where everyone respects one another and tries to work together toward mutual goals is ideally what we’re searching for.”

7,000 miles apart, two cultures cross paths

By USA Marketing and Communications

Nearly 7,000 miles separate the hometowns of Patricia Bellido Jara and Rebecca Fitz, but the University of South Alabama’s international student exchange program has erased that distance, offering each a taste of the global experience driving their studies.

Bellido Jara, a senior double majoring in psychology and German, spent her spring 2016 semester at the University of Passau, a public research university located in Lower Bavaria, Germany.

Meanwhile, Fitz is a Stuttgart, Germany, native studying international culture and business studies with a focus on American culture, and isn’t shy about admitting she selected South from Passau’s list of partner universities partly because of its warm Gulf Coast climate.

“Obviously Study Abroad helps your language skills,” Fitz said in practically flawless English before adding the experience allows participants to “get out of the everyday, routine life you’re living.”

“We’re young, and we should not settle down yet. And it’s simple things, really. You have to figure out if you like it better when the sun is shining or when it’s snowing. I want to leave my heart in different places of the world. Traveling makes you feel more connected,” she said.

Fitz noted that South’s strong focus on international students creates a microcosm of global engagement, offering a de facto

one-stop shop for insights on new cultures and experiences.

The University has more than tripled its number of Study Abroad students in the last two years, and has bilateral foreign exchange programs with ten Universities.

“Our students, and those from other countries who visit South, have found intercultural exchange to be incredibly rewarding,” said Bri Altier Ard, assistant director of international education and Study Abroad. “They are having experiences, both inside and outside of classrooms, that are shaping their view of the world and giving them a global educational perspective that will be useful no matter their discipline.”

Ard’s office this week hosted a series of events for International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to promote programs that prepare Americans to succeed in the global economy, foster cultural exchange, and encourage future leaders worldwide to engage in study abroad and exchange experiences.

Despite their overlapping experiences, Fitz and Bellido Jara only met in person one month ago when Fitz began tutoring Bellido Jara in German through the Language Resource Center.

“I knew Rebecca was here, and everyone kept encouraging me to take

Rebecca Fitz, left, is visiting the United States through a bilateral student exchange program. Patricia Bellido Jara, a South student, attended Fitz’s University of Passau in Germany in the spring. “There’s no question the cultures are different – and that can be a shock – but each place I visited was unique in its own way,” Bellido Jara said. Photo by USA Marketing and Communications

advantage of that because she’s a native speaker, but I was nervous and a little intimidated, I guess,” Bellido Jara said.

Fast-forward four weeks, and the two giggle about her hesitation.

“She was avoiding me,” Fitz joked of Bellido Jara, “and I don’t have any idea why. Her German is very, very good.”

It helps, Bellido Jara said, that her early education in Peru taught German – not English – as a second language to Spanish, yet by the time she began her studies at USA she felt she had lost much of that foundation after moving to Mobile in high school.

Her professors disagreed, though, and encouraged her to pursue the double

major. In turn, she said the experience might redirect her career path.

“I’ve had a couple of internships in the psychology field, but I am not sure if it is something I want to continue to do.

Lately, I have been leaning more toward teaching,” Bellido Jara said.

Meanwhile, Fitz, who is only in her second of three years at Passau and might pursue a master’s degree, said she’s definitely thinking globally about her career options.

See the full story at: http://www.southalabama.edu/ departments/publicrelations/ pressreleases/111816exchange.html

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NEWS

Managing Editor | Alanna Whitaker acw905@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Nov. 28, 2016

USA offers free counseling to help students deal with stress

By Joel Goode | Opinion Editor

The college years can be the most challenging time period for students.

Luckily, USA provides a valuable remedy in the form of free counseling.

Resources offered by Counseling and Testing Services on the third floor of Alpha Hall East include individual and relationship counseling, group counseling, career counseling, substance abuse counseling, and sexual assault counseling, as well as educational counseling to help students manage coursework and take evaluative tests.

Privacy is respected. Information disclosed during sessions is kept confidential unless is the student is a threat to himself or herself and others.

"Our counselors are fully qualified and licensed to practice in the state of Alabama," said Dr. Darlene Dempster, associate director and prevention coordinator. "Some of them have been working in the field for over ten years."

Dempster, who has been employed with the university since 2007, emphasised that services are completely free for

students. In addition to one-on-one sessions, USA offers support groups in order to connect members of the community who have undergone similar experiences.

One project Dempster recently initiated was a ‘family of origin’ group for students and community members who come from dysfunctional families.

Her colleague, Dr. Robert B. Hanks, also recently ran a group for people overcoming shyness.

Dempster has an advisorship role for the student group Active Minds, whose members have contributed significantly to community advocacy over the past several semesters with events focused on causes like the reduction of social stigma towards mental illness and raising awareness of suicide prevention resources.

Suicide, a crisis which affects people through all walks of life, is the leading cause of death among college students in the United States according to data collected by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.

The Student Health Center is located in the heart of USA’s campus. Photo courtesy of southalabama.edu

"We all have to confront difficult, sometimes painful circumstances involving things like relationships and death," said Dempster. "I'm very happy we have a community of students here in Active Minds willing to provide support."

Counseling and Testing Services receives the highest volume of traffic around midterms. "That's when course loads become heavy,” explained Dempster.

“But really, we get students all year-round.

For more information please visit MK9 G^Ú[] g^ >afYf[aYd 9a\ ppp'lhnmaZeZ[ZfZ'^]n(ÛgZg\bZeZb] YYY UQWVJCNCDCOC GFW ƂPCKF ÛgZb]9lhnmaZeZ[ZfZ'^]n

New students often come at the beginning of the semester in order to seek help adjusting to college life, or to living in a new location."

Counseling and Testing Services is located in Alpha Hall East, Room 326.

Appointments, which can be made inperson or by phone at (251) 460-7051, can usually be reserved within a few days, if not the day-of.

NEWS

5

Managing Editor | Alanna Whitaker acw905@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Nov. 28, 2016

What Donald Trump’s victory means for the future of academic freedom at universities

By Krisha Amin | Reporter

The unforeseen headlines proclaiming the name of the newest president-elect, Donald Trump, stunned the members of academia.

According to the American Association of University Professors, throughout the election season Trump made audacious remarks about women, immigrants, and minorities. He attacked the First Amendment with respect to freedom of religion and expressed interest in limiting the freedom of the press.

It is unsurprising that that the AAUP responded to Trump’s staggering win with disappointment.

The AAUP states that when Trump calls for ideological screening tests for immigrants entering the U.S., colleges and universities are to face the consequences because such remarks discourage international students from considering and attending these institutions.

Dr. Ted Poston, philosophy professor at USA, expressed his views on this timely subject.

“Academic freedom and viewpoint diversity is the lifeblood of a university,” Poston said.

An amalgam of internationally diverse

ideas and perspectives is the core of academic freedom and in turn, American democracy.

“Many, no doubt, fear that Trump’s election threatens some of the core institutions of our democracy and may be the greatest threat to academic freedom since the McCarthy period,” the AAUP said.

“There are certainly worrisome remarks that came out of Trump’s candidacy,” Poston said.

In addition, Trump has questioned the science underlying global warming and the validity of science itself.

Using Twitter as an outlet to establish his anti-science record, Trump had made a series of tweets from the span of 2012 to 2014, making bold claims such as vaccines cause autism in children, environmentally friendly light bulbs cause cancer and global warming is a phenomenon created by the Chinese.

Trump has remained very coy about the topic of science during the course of his campaign, talking primarily around the issue at hand.

“It’s crucial that a university serves its community, and when the views of the

USA Crime Report

If you SEE something

251-460-6312

DO something!

11-17-2016 11-14-2016 Possession of Marijuana, Alcohol The Grove Listed students were found to be in possession of marijuana and alcohol.

Theft of Property Fourth Degree Rec Center Listed subject, with intent to deprive the victem of her property, did so by taking four temporary Rec Center ID cards, with no legal right to do so.

11-14-2016 11-18-2016 Burglary Third Degree Beta 4 Unknown subject(s) stole a guitar from a dorm in Beta 4.

community are not represented within the university, that weakens us all,” Poston said.

However, according to the AAUP, Donald Trump’s election is not to blame for higher education’s current troubles.

Prior policies introduced due to bipartisan politics are.

“It’s no secret that many areas in academia are dominated by certain political viewpoints,” Poston said. “That is unfortunate.”

Trump spent most of the election season ignoring the issues of higher education, leaving most of academe in limbo.

“Respect for the individual person is fundamental, and each individual has their own perspectives,” Poston said.

“Any attempt to repress individuals from reasoning about their honest beliefs cripples us all.

“A university should be an environment aimed to strengthen individuals and communities.”

The AAUP claims that Trump and his supporters in Congress should listen to the voices of educational frontrunners in order to restore the nature of higher

education in America, while safeguarding the academic freedom inherent to the success of higher education.

Despite the controversy surrounding Trump since his announced win he has laid out a detailed and surprisingly radical plan for student dept.

“We would cap repayment for an affordable portion of the borrower’s income, 12.5 percent, we’d cap it. That gives you a lot to play with and a lot to do,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Columbus, Ohio.

According to Trump, if borrowers work hard and make their full payments for 15 years, they will be able to get on with their lives.

The terms proposed by the presidentelect are more generous than all of the existing government programs that let borrowers cap their monthly student loan payments to a percentage of their earnings.

“Students should not be asked to pay more on the debt than they can afford,” Trump said. “And the debt should not be an albatross around their necks for the rest of their lives.”

WE’RE

HIRING! Due South, South Alabama’s lifestyle magazine is hiring an editor-in-chief, an assistant editor, and reporters.

Possession of Marijuana Gamma 3 University Police were called to the Gamma housing area on the suspicion of the smell of marijuana coming from the area.

For more info or application details contact: duesouth@southalabama.edu

6 Senior Spotlight: Graduates 2016

By Charisse McDaniel | Reporter

Life Editor | Richard Narramore ran1422@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Nov. 28, 2016 Ralph Carmichael and Devon Varney are two seniors graduating in December who majored in strategic communication.

Although they share the same major, their goals post graduation will take them in two very different directions.

Upon graduation, Carmichael plans to continue to grow his daycare business and search for a doctoral program in business administration. One of his favorite memories at USA was the announcement of the new football team in 2010.

As a business owner with a hectic schedule, Carmichael is looking forward to not being tied down to a rigid class schedule and instead focusing more on his real estate properties.

LIFE

After graduation, he plans to continue to grow his business and probably go into some other ventures and search out a doctoral program.

Varney is from Pensacola, Florida. His favorite memories at USA include being involved in various intramural sports and clubs that he has been a part of. He is looking forward to graduating and gaining hands-on real world experience.

He said that the biggest thing he has learned since his freshman year is the importance of networking and making the most of his college experience.

“After graduation I hope to chase after my dreams and goals and I have recently.

I don’t know what I want to do, but I want

to travel after graduation,” Varney said.

According to Dr. Marjorie Icenogle, management professor at Mitchell College of Business, she also heads the student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management Club.

She gave words of advice to graduating seniors and said that seniors should obtain internships and make connections with professionals as soon as possible to be able to compete with their counterparts.

“We need to encourage students to do internships or projects for companies or non-profit organizations so that they make the connections before they graduate,” Icenogle said. “They should have some offers when they walk across that stage.”

LIFE

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Life Editor | Richard Narramore ran1422@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Nov. 28, 2016

Senior Spotlight: The Leadership 2016

By Charisse McDaniel | Reporter

Student leadership is an essential part of a student’s collegiate career. Tiffany Martin is a senior student leader looking back on her time at the University of South Alabama to shed light on what she has learned about leadership.

Martin is currently the president of Public Relations Student Society of America, as well as a resident assistant.

Soon after graduation, strategic communication student Martin has her sights set on graduate school. She also has dreams of joining the U.S. Air Force.

“I am going to be solidifying, this week,where I plan to go to grad school and finishing up my application for that,” Martin said. “I will be doing OTS for the Air Force, in the hopes of being a public affairs officer.”

Her favorite memories at USA include meeting Heather Stanley, assistant communication instructor. Stanley taught her that it is normal to struggle, and Stanley has worked hard for years to get the school’s radio station, 97.1 The Prowl, off the ground.

“It’s great to see how human a professor can be and not everything is as

USA’s graduation ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 10 at the Mithcelle Center. Photo courtesy of southalabama.edu

intimidating as you think,” Martin said.

Martin does not fear the future. She is looking forward to where her journey takes her. She wants work, from the bottom up, and to learn from the entrylevel job. She believes that there is always something to be offered in every position even if it is not the one she expected to have. She said she believes it is all part a person’s journey.

CONGRATULATIONS

GRADUATES, from the Vanguard

The biggest thing Martin has learned is that networking is key. She met the CEO of a company on a flight to Oklahoma and after having a normal conversation, he handed her his business card. During her freshman year, she was the secretary for PRSSA and by her junior year, she had become the local organization’s president.

The biggest challenge Martin has faced

in her leadership position in PRSSA is working with such a young organization and helping to rebrand it. “The organization was pretty young, started in 2013, which is great, but there was no foundation. I had to learn to push for what I want. Membership is great this semester and only more people are registering to become a part of it.”

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Freshmen share opinions about meal plans, prices

By Krisha Amin | Reporter

With college comes new experiences: $1,775. This small disparity in prices does a new home, a more independent lifestyle, not account for large differences in the a plethora of new friends, and a new food provided to its students. eating diet, hence the dreaded “Freshman According to Campus Dish, an Fifteen.”

Aramark service that allows students If the Class of 2020 freshman expected to check the cafeteria menu, the food a love-at-first-right swipe relationship with provided to UA students is remarkably the University of South Alabama cafeteria, more variant than that provided to USA “caf,” they were in for a shocking surprise students. These differences include more their first semester. options for students, such as a pasta bar, As part of USA’s meal plan policy, more vegetable options, and a section students living on campus are required to catered specifically to vegetarian eaters. purchase a meal plan. Freshman living on While USA dining does provide a campus are required to buy the unlimited vegan station, the options are limited. meal plan their first semester, with the Kayman Strickland, a freshman most affordable majoring in option available at Biomedical Sciences, “I am paying my way $1,745. expressed how her With the lifestyle through college and I feel like vegetarian semester winding clashes with the down, students voice I am wasting my money by dining services. their opinions about paying for a caf that does not “They offer a their experience with vegan station which satisfy my needs.” the caf their first has the same rice and semester at USA. noodles with a spicy Nadan Kreitz, mixture every day,” a first-year biology student, noted the Strickland said. “I am usually only able to disparity in the food quality and the high eat a salad, often not with fresh lettuce, prices for the unlimited meal plan. or cheese pizza, which does not offer a “With the prices as a freshman that we sufficient amount of protein or nutrients.” are paying the quality of food should be in While the freshman fifteen a different ballpark,” Kreitz said. “The fact phenomenon is a tad over-exaggerated, that it is an option to ask to real eggs or this does not shy away from the common “fake” eggs is disturbing on many levels.” knowledge that a low quality daily diet The foodservice provider that oversees contributes to weight gain. several colleges and universities across “The quality of food needs to be the country and abroad is Aramark. In addressed,” Kreitz said. “The food we addition to distributing food to USA are eating is cheap and holds no flavor. through the Fresh Food Company, If South Alabama is going to promote Aramark also offers its services to the healthy eating, they should start by not University of Alabama. However, the shunning you when asking for real eggs at services and food provided at these two breakfast.” universities are quite different.

Both Kreitz and Strickland are The most affordable unlimited meal having to pay their way through college. plan required by USA freshman costs Strickland says the limited amount of $1,745 while the most affordable unlimited options at the caf forces her to eat out at meal plan required by UA freshman costs least once a day. She estimates that she

Life Editor | Richard Narramore ran1422@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Nov. 28, 2016

LIFE

A view of the front of the USA Dining Hall is open Mon-Fri: 7 a.m. - 9:oo p.m. and Sat-Sun: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Photo courtesy of usouthal.com

spends an average of $10 on each outing, cumulating to a total $70 every week.

“I am paying my way through college and I feel like I am wasting my money by paying for a caf that does not satisfy my needs,” Kreitz says. “I should be able to just make a sandwich if I didn’t like the options that were presented.”

Both students also noted that the food on the weekdays differ significantly from the food on the weekends.

“The weekends offer fewer choices than the weekdays and usually are out of an item or more that should be offered,” Strickland said.”

Strickland mentioned that she was at times refused a veggie burger, a staple for vegetarian students at USA, because the station was closed.

This presents a major issue for those freshman who do not have a car with them on campus.

As for their sophomore year, Kreitz and Strickland note that the caf plays a major role in their living location.

“If South Alabama wants to promote students to live on campus, then the cafeteria needs to be addressed and reformed,” Kreitz said.

“South Alabama is growing in class size every year and I would say most students would be more willing to live on campus if the meal plan was more appealing,” Strickland said. “The caf is one of the primary reasons I would move off campus. I would be able to spend less than the amount I pay for my meal plan on groceries and have better quality food.”

Aramark choose to comment about this issue on hand.

“We utilize a variety of menu options and each school and campus menu meet the needs and taste preferences of the campus community,” Aramark stated.

“USA Dining meets regularly with the dining advisory committee to obtain feedback and ideas about the dining

program. We also survey students each semester to gauge their needs and preferences, and enhance the dining program based on student feedback.”

Students who have any issues and suggestions with the food services should provide feedback at yourdiningvoice.com

OPEN 7AM-10PM M-S KITCHEN OPEN 8AM-6PM 5460 OLD SHELL ROAD

251-344-4575

LIFE Annual holiday art sale this Friday

By Marissa Mason | Sports Editor

Looking for Christmas gifts for those special people in your life?

Purchase handmade artwork crafted by students and faculty at USA’s Visual Arts Department’s annual Holiday Art Sale this coming Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Visual Arts Complex on campus.

The art sale will include artwork from faculty and students from all art departments.

Proceeds are split between the artists and the Visual Arts Department Patrons may purchase handmade work in a multitude of mediums. Gifts including items such as oil and acrylic painting, printmaking, photography, metal

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Life Editor | Richard Narramore ran1422@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Nov. 28, 2016

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA’S

Visual Arts Department presents the annual

2016 Holiday

ART SALE

The department-wide sale features student and faculty work in drawing, graphic design, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics and glass. This is a wonderful opportunity to purchase unique, one-of-a-kind artworks as gifts or for yourself.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

8am–5pm Building A of the Visual Arts Complex #usaArtSale2016

501 NORTH UNIVERSITY BLVD @ THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA

sculpture, ceramics, and hand-blown glass art.

This sale offers students, as well as

|

251-461-1438

the public, the unique opportunity to purchase art pieces made locally at the University of South Alabama. Stop by to

shop and browse.

Call the Visual Arts office at 251- 461-1438 for any questions.

10 USA Jaguars suffer defeat, may lose bowl game opportunity

By Casie Carr | Reporter

USA football teeters on the brink of missing out on a bowl game. The Jaguars suffered a close defeat to the University of Idaho Vandals with a final score of 38-31.

Idaho ranked No. 4 and USA ranked No. 9, both coming to the game off of a win.

“We knew this would be a tough game out here, we played one of the most improved teams in this league,” head coach Joey Jones said.

USA had more total offensive yards,

Sports Editor | Shawna Mason smm1421@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Nov. 28, 2016 down easy, so when I get the ball I keep going. We had a great game plan we just came short.”

Shortly after, Davis was back on the field, and in the second quarter passed two touchdowns to Francis, and James Bynes, who was also a backup tight end for Everett.

Early in the third, Davis ran in a touchdown himself.

In the fourth, the USA offense was held by the Vandals and they only managed to score a field goal by Gavin Patterson, off of an interception drive by defensive lineman Jalen Thompson, who filled in for injured Quinten Dent.

After the USA defense held off the Idaho offense, Dami Ayoola ran a punt return all the way to the end zone, but there was a call on an illegal block in the back and the touchdown was not counted.

“We scored some points and had a chance for a punt return touchdown, but I don’t really know what happened,” Jones

Pictured USA punter Brandon McKee. Photo by Marissa Mason.

but with 3 fumbles, 3 interceptions, and 11 penalties, as well as about 10 injured starters.

By the end of the first quarter, there had already been one interception per team, and USA trailed by a touchdown. In the second and third quarters USA trailed by only a field goal, keeping up with the Vandals closely.

In the fourth quarter, USA made up that field goal difference, but Idaho scored again. USA stayed down one touchdown, and was unable to successfully score again in the game.

“Their quarterback is one of the best I’ve seen in this league in awhile,” Jones said. He made a lot of completions, and we had a hard time containing them.”

Early in the game, USA quarterback Dallas Davis was out for a few plays on a tweaked knee. Backup quarterback Cole Garvin filled in and passed a scoring touchdown to Maaseiah Francis, who was in as tight end for injured Gerald Everett.

“I had to step up because Gerald was down,” Francis said. “It’s hard for me to go

said. “I guess it was a low block, it is what it is and we came up a little short tonight.”

With a little over 2 minutes left in the game, USA had the chance to tie up the game with a touchdown. Davis could not pull out any successful passes to his receivers, and the game ended with all of USA’s timeouts used and only 6 seconds left on the clock to run out.

“I knew our guys would step up, Maaseiah and James did that,” Davis said, “but I put this game on my shoulders, I didn’t come out the first half like I needed too and turned the ball over way too many times, didn’t make smart decisions.”

“We have one more shot, that’s all we can ask, a lot of people don’t have a shot for a bowl game,” Jones said. “We have many guys who care about trying to win every game and make every play.”

“We know what’s at stake and we have one more week, one more game, and we don’t want the seniors to go out without a bowl game. I’m going to give everything I have next week,” Thompson said.

SPORTS

USA Jaguars win all four non-conference games

By Casie Carr | Reporter

USA football made history by winning all four non-conference games as a Sun Belt Conference team. USA pulled off a huge victory against the Presbyterian College Blue Hose on Saturday, Nov. 19, and held them to one touchdown. The final score was 31-7.

Quarterback Garvin Cole started this game, filling in for Dallas Davis who was too injured to play. Garvin had 15 completed passes for 167-yards.

“Dallas’s shoulder was banged up, probably could’ve played, but didn’t practice much so we went with Garvin,” head coach Joey Jones said. “Davis should be ready to go by Monday.”

Garvin, filling in for Davis in his second game of the season, played a great game. He completed 15 passes for 167-yards.

“We did very well, we’re going to use this win as momentum for our next two games,” said Garvin. “It’s always fun when I get to play, no matter who we play it’s always humbling.”

Maaseiah Francis had a career high five catches for 36-yards. Running back Xavier Johnson had a career long rush for a 70yard touchdown, the first in the game.

“Xavier has always been a big play guy for us, he’s just one of those guys you need in the game,” Jones said.

Other touchdowns for USA were from Tyreis Thomas, Dami Ayoola, and Jalen Thompson on the defense returned an interception for a 30-yard touchdown.

Gavin Patterson also completed a 30-yard field goal attempt.

“We played a good game, defense didn’t

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Pictured USA running back Deonta Moore. Photo courtesy of usatoday.com

let them put any points on the board, but like coach said there’s a standard and we could’ve played better with some minor things it could’ve been a great next level performance,” said defensive lineman Darrell Songy.

The Jags had doubled the total yardage in the game, and half the penalties for less than half the lost yardage than the Blue Hose. After playing Idaho, the record for USA is now at 5 wins and 6 losses, 4 nonconference and 1 conference win, as well as 6 conference losses.

“I think it was a good win,” Jones said.

“I thought we played solid just not at a very high level. If we want to go to a bowl game, we have to play better.”

The Jags will will face off against New Mexico State on Dec. 3. Regardless of the outcome of their next game, the Jags still have a chance to become bowl eligible.

The SBC rules committee has decided to accredit 2 FCS wins as 1 SBC win if Texas state remains 0-X in the conference, this would make USA will be bowl eligible.

SPORTS

Sports Editor | Shawna Mason smm1421@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Nov. 28, 2016

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Cont. from pg. 1 record. The Jags previously won five straight games in the 2007-08 season.

USA won three consecutive games during the Red Diamond Roundball Classic at the Mitchell Center, which took place from Nov. 18-20 and hosted USA, Florida International University, Youngstown State University and Jacksonville University, and won two games prior to the classic.

“It’s the first time as a head coach that I’ve been 5-0, but again it’s a credit to the coaching staff, the players, the trainers, the strength coach and the managers,” head coach Matthew Graves said.

Graves said that everyone is putting in work and the team is putting in extra time getting shots and are being rewarded for their hard effort.

“When you can see the results by getting the win, the confidence is extremely sky high,” Graves said.

Before the Red Diamond Roundball Classic, USA beat 76-68 against University of Nevada Las Vegas on Nov. 11, followed by a 88-35 win against Blue Mountain College.

During the classic, the Jags beat Florida International 65-64, Youngstown State University 84-75, then finished with a 71-

Miss Pawla, USA cheerleaders and the Prowlers entertain the crowd during a timeout. Photo by Briana Cunningham.

USA men’s basketball forward Nick Stover shoots a free throw against Youngstown. Photo by Briana Cunningham.

Sunbelt Conference champions lose to Auburn at NCAA tournament

By Casie Carr | Reporter

After the Jags won the Sun Belt Conference championship for the fourth year in a row, they went on to the NCAA tournament, but lost 4-0 against Auburn University.

"It's been a tough season," USA head coach Graham Winkworth said. "We have had some adversity. In the middle of the year, we lost games that we would normally expect to win. I want to praise the character of my players and the way that we managed to fight back during the season and postseason to get ourselves

here today. Unfortunately, I was not able to prepare the girls well enough and create the right mindset coming in here to Auburn."

Before heading into the SBC championship tournaments, USA had 14 wins, 5 losses and 1 tie for their record. During the championships, the Jags won gmaes against Troy University, Appalachian State University, and to win the Conference title they beat Coastal Carolina University. They had the opportunity to continue their

58 win against Jacksonville University.

“The guys were hungry to win and it’s nice that we have a lot of depth and a lot of balance,” Graves said. “I looked the other day and we had five guys averaging in double figures. When you’re doing those sort of things, you’re going to be a hard team to beat.”

A win this past Saturday in Charleston, Illinois would have been the first time in the program’s history that the Jaguars won six straight games to start the season.

Unfortunately, USA lost against Eastern Illinois University, 72-62.

“I’m certainly disappointed with the outcome,” Graves said. “We shot the ball

well enough overall – 44.6 percent – to be in the game, but when you turn the ball over 23 times, especially on the road, you really limit your opportunities to be successful.”

The men’s basketball team plans to go up against Southern Miss on Wednesday, Nov. 30 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

More information about South Alabama’s men’s basketball and other Jaguar athletics can be found at www. usajaguars.com.

Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1872.

season through December, but lost against Auburn University in the NCAA tournament. With their season at an end, but as the conference champions, what will USA do for women’s soccer?

“Our athletic director, Dr. Erdman, and staff have been very supportive to the soccer team, our facilities have massively improved. We’ve got a new set of bleachers, new area for tailgating, new press box, as well as some great new goals.

And fortunately, our team has been able to repay their faith in us with some great victories,” Winkworth said.

As the season has come to a close, coach Winkworth is looking towards next season, and is happy to say that the team is only losing four seniors, and they have already started recruiting.

“We will lose four excellent young ladies, as well as excellent soccer players, but the starting lineup will not change

too much. As of right now we only have one of those seniors starting that we will need to replace,” Winkworth said. “The returning players can definitely be excited for another year of success, but they need to remember to come back ready for next year. Every season is a clean slate for every player and no one is guaranteed any minutes. Our expectations will be at least at the level that they have been this year.”

Because of conference rules, coach Winkworth was not able to give out any specific recruitment information, but students can expect to see some great players from local areas, as well as from around the country. The Jags are proud to have yet another conference championship title under their belt.

“I think that the 2017 team, again, will be even better than the 2016 team,” Winkworth said.

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Opinion Editor | Joel Goode jdg908@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Nov. 28, 2016

OPINION

A brighter future through student action

By Joel Goode | Opinion Editor

As students we should not take for granted the significance of living in a democracy, nor the impact we have as participating citizens. Unfortunately, many of us find the political world too depressing to pay attention to, let alone engage in.

Staying engaged is difficult. Oftentimes reading political news can feel a lot like reading other people’s problems, and it may be hard for some people to understand how these issues affect them.

What students must realize is that politics have a real, physical reality in shaping the world around us. Everything from basic income to healthcare access is determined by the structure of laws in place, which are themselves determined by where we concentrate our political support.

University students are at the frontline of the new generation, so what the world looks like in 20 years is very much determined by how engaged we are in educating ourselves on politicians and legislation now.

Everyone’s life is affected by politics,

whether it be through changes they see in their own surroundings or through the retainment of the status quo. On a personal level, most of us want to live in a world with less poverty and less violence, but on a professional level, not every elected official shares the interests of those in poverty and those who experience violence. In many cases a lack of support for the least well-off is the result of competing interests between the most powerful and the most vulnerable among our society. Which groups students choose to throw their academic hats in the ring for comes down to personal beliefs and values.

In a recent survey, many USA students expressed a desire to become more politically engaged, but shockingly few were aware of who represents Alabama in the Congress and Senate, or even who Mayor Sandy Stimpson is.

Familiarization with who our politicians are is just the beginning.

Calling their offices personally, whether it be Congressman Richard Shelby here in Alabama to express dissatisfaction with

his voting record on public education, Governor Robert Bentley for not providing disaster relief money to the Gulf, or the Governor of North Dakota to protest his support for an oil pipeline being built across the Standing Rock Indian reservation, phone calls are a very literal way for students to make their voices heard. Calls are tallied and the information is brought to the officials.

Additionally, there are many organizations within the USA student community which engage in political and social outreach, including the Political Science Club, Spectrum, Generation Action, The International Justice Mission, Active Minds, and various other student groups.

More than anything else, the social issues underlying politics are a fascinating and sometimes tragic window into the society students cohabit as a whole.

The view from that window can be ugly, but confronting such ugliness may be the first step towards uncovering the egalitarian beauty a truly civil society can bring.

List of Alabama Polititions: Local Officials Governor- Robert Bentley; R. Lt. Governor- Kay Ivey; R. Attorney Gen.- Luther Strange; R. Secretary of State- John Merril; R. Alabama U.S. Senators Richard C. Shelby; R. Jeff Sessions; R. Alabama U.S. House of Representatives Bradley Byrne; R. Martha Roby; R. Mike D. rogers; R. Robert B. Aderholt; R. Mo Brooks; R. Gary J. Palmer; R. Terri A. Sewell; D.

Scattered Hamlet’s Swamp Rebel Machine The worst, best album I’ve heard all year

By Jaccob Hearn | Editor-in-Cheif

If you’re a human being, you probably have respect for your ears and what noises they hear. If this is true then you’ve probably never listened too, let alone heard of Scattered Hamlet.

Scattered Hamlet is a band who recently released their sophomore album Swamp Rebel Machine - an 11-track garbage record filled with “honky tonk metal” that I sincerely hoped was a joke when I first listened to it.

The band’s first single and title track Swamp Rebel Machine was my first taste of so called music from the unholy union between metal and country. It sets the tone for the whole album: a hilarious, generic, and overdone mishmash of ideas that sound more like a fever dream than actual music.

Scattered Hamlet’s whole theme to “capture the essence of growing up in the country while giving nods to the original classic rock and outlaw country pioneers,” is skitzy and gross. Even if you’re into this kind of music just listen to the actual pioneers, like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet.

It’s not good music and the album is the worst thing I’ve heard all year but

despite all of that I did enjoy it. I didn’t enjoy it for its music or artistic value but because of how bad it was. With lines like “I’m a honky tonk devil gonna steal your soul” how could I not. Scattered Hamlet is garbage music but it’s the kind of garbage I want to cover myself in. It’s like a train wreck that you can’t turn away from except the train is filled with filth and you hope there’s another one.

Final words: Don’t buy this album; I’m not even going to tell you to listen to it. But if you’re someone who wants a genuine laugh maybe go check out their music videos.

Track Listing: 1.Battle Hymm 2. Whip-Poor-Will 3. Stonewall Jackson 4. Four Barrel Mojo 5. White Trash 6. Swamp Rebel Machine 7. Green Bastard (featuring Johnny T. Crash) 8. Outlaw Breed 9. Rimfire 10. Buckshot 11. The Lesson

November 4th, 2016 – Scattered Hamlet have released their new album “Swamp Rebel Machine” via Buck Moon Productions today. The album was produced and mixed by Jason Donaghy and Jake Rodenhouse.

OPINION

Opinion Editor | Joel Goode jdg908@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Nov. 28, 2016

13

Filmmaker Allie Humenuk screens “The Guys Next Door” at the Fairhope Film Festival

By Joel Goode | Opinion Editor

Last Thursday at the Fairhope Film Festival, Emmy-nominated filmmaker Allie Humenuk presented her latest project, a fly-on-the-wall documentary which she co-directed with collaborator Amy Geller. The film, “The Guys Next Door,” follows three years in the life of a gay couple, Sandro and Erik, about to have their second daughter.

The daughter was birthed by Rachel, the same surrogate mother who carried Sandro and Erik’s first child, Rachel Maria.

Rachel had been best friends with Sandro for over 20 years before carrying his first child.

The film largely focuses on the day-today experiences of the budding parents.

The characters in the documentary are pleasant, good-hearted people. The film

never gave way to sentiment beyond a few moments such as when Eleonora is born, toasts given at dinner parties between Rachel, Rachel’s husband Tony, Sandro, Erik, and their friends, or a shot of a six year old Rachel Maria and her younger sister Eleonora three years after the former’s birth playing with a mosaic puzzle tower.

The bulk of the film is about the difficulties of becoming a new parent, a major life change for both Sandro and Erik. Rachel, who has three children of her own, is a bedrock of support, so much so that she is considered a close part of Sandro and Erik’s family.

A significant portion of the film follows a sojourn in Sandro’s homeland of Italy, a place where both gay marriage and gay

adoption are illegal.

“The Guys Next Door” speaks to common anxieties involving relationships and parenthood. Erik and Sandro lead busy lives and expect mutual participation from each other, which sometimes leads to confrontations.

Humenuk takes an admirably nonintrusive approach to her subjects. This leads to frank discussions, some of which touch upon how toxic masculinity and unconsciously discriminatory gender dynamics negatively impact relationships.

A revealing scene involves one of the couple explaining how neither of them “wants to be the woman.”

The difficulties of parenting are also fully present, the most apparent of which is the large amount of time consumed by

the role. Despite all this, Sandro and Erik prove to be an effective and determined couple. Combined with the film’s sincerity, their story is inspirational as an undistilled representation of the work that goes into building a family.

The film comes at a time when US courts are battling over gay rights.

Although nothing in the documentary is explicitly political, Humenuk’s film carries weight as advocacy cinema. What is depicted onscreen is both natural, normal, and in many ways traditional, but also something precious that may be threatened by the new administration.

For more details on “The Guys Next Door,” please visit http://asquaredfilms. com.

Pictured are adoptive parents Erik Mercer and Sandro Sechi with their surrogate child bearer Rachel. Photo courtesy of asquaredfilms.com

Have an opinion you want to share? Want it to be published in next week’s Vanguard? Send it to Joel at jdg908@jagmail.southalabama.edu or email thevanguardeditor@gmail.

Or contact us on social media @ The Vanguard News at South Alabama

@TheVanguardUSA

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