November 19, 2012 by The Vanguard

VANGUARD

THE

VOL. 51, NO. 17

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

NOV. 19, 2012

USABC campus offers more intimate class setting

INSIDE

Pay raises draw ire of those left out President Moulton sent all faculty a letter explaining

BY CASSIE FAMBRO | EDITOR

By KALYN MCCLELLAN

Football heads to ULL

kbm1001@jagmail.southalabama.edu

The petitions to secede have created an uproar. See two opinions in P/CP.

►Life Spotlight: page 6. The International Festival provides Mobile with rich cultural diversity. This year was no exception.

►Sports: page 9. Blue Raiders toppled the Jags. The Jags take on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette this weekend.

By KAITLIN WYLIE kaitlinwylie@gmail.com

hile registering for classes, many students are puzzled when they see “USABC” listed as the location for their selected course. University of South Alabama Baldwin Campus still remains a hidden secret for many students. It is nested in a quaint neighborhood that is just a few blocks from downtown Fairhope on Summit Street. The campus consists of three main buildings which are the administrative building, St. James classroom complex and the nursing complex. According to the USABC website, the Administration Building

is located at 10 N. Summit St. and includes a well equipped computer lab. The St. James Classroom Complex is on the corner of Summit and St. James Streets. The tree-lined campus has outdoor areas and a student lounge where students can gather informally to relax or study. The Nursing Complex is located at 161 N. Section St., adjacent to the Fairhope Civic Center. The USABC main campus is actually an old church that the University converted into a satellite campus, opening its doors to students in 1984. According to Dr. Cynthia Lee Wilson, director of USABC, the

They are collaborating with USA’s Computer Services and Transportation Services on the project. If possible, this application could be integrated into the current South Alabama iPhone and Android application. At the time of the SGA meeting, there was no projected timeline for the launch of the JagTran application. Special Student Services rep gives enlightening presentation As part of New Business on the agenda, Special Student Services representative Joshua Goff, a USA graduate student, came before the See SGA SGA, Page 4

See RAISES RAISES, Page 4

original goal in opening the satellite campus was to expand the University’s presence in Baldwin county. The intent of USABC is to serve students of Baldwin county and potential students of Baldwin county who may not be able to make the drive to Mobile every day for classes. Wilson explains that students of Mobile county are welcome and invited to attend any class they like at USABC, but the original goal was to expand the number of students who may otherwise leave the county to attend another university. Wilson has worked at the Baldwin campus for 20 years and, says See BALDWIN BALDWIN, Page 4

SGA introduces JagTran ap, helps deployed USA students, more By STUART SOX sgsox@att.net

Fall Lighting Tour 2012 t the SGA senate meeting on Monday, Nov. 12, Dr. Michael Mitchell, the dean of students, spoke about the annual Fall Lighting Tour. At this event, members of the South Alabama community are invited to tour the main campus and decide what areas need more light during the night. “Many lighting projects of the last few years have been a result of the Fall Lighting Tour,” Dean Mitchell said. The new halogen lights by the humanities building and

the projects in front of the sorority houses are some recent examples. Mitchell opened the floor for people at the meeting to share which areas of campus they think need more light after dark. The walkway from humanities building to the Gamma dorms, the area in front of Stanky Field, the sidewalks around the circle, the areas on either side of the tennis court, the wooded area beside Delta 2 and the space between the library and the humanities building were a few of the areas mentioned. The Fall Lighting Tour was held on Thursday, Nov. 15. JagTran Smartphone App

find us on Facebook “Facebook.com/ TheVanguardUSA”

coming soon On the meeting agenda in Old Business, First Year Council (FYC) representative Brad Harris, a freshman and chemical engineering major, gave a presentation to the senate regarding a JagTran smartphone application. According to Harris, roads on the application will be colored to according to their routes and there will be an estimated time of arrival for the next bus at each stop. According to SGA Vice President Coleman Wolf, a GPS location system will be used to show students where each JagTran is on each route at any time.

Check out our digital edition thevanguardonline.com

h e recent proposal of pay increases for USA faculty has some employees feelGordon Moulton ing left out. President The proposal, which was formally announced in a letter to faculty and staff from President Moulton gives details on who will receive a raise and a large group of USA employees are not included. According to the letter, during a December meeting, President Moulton plans to recommend to the USA Board of Trustees a salary increase for regular benefits-eligible faculty and staff in the University General Division. “I will propose a 3 percent onetime supplemental payment to be made in December, with a minimum supplement of $1,500. A minimum increase of 3 percent will be added to the permanent salary effective Oct. 1, 2013,” Moulton stated. However, this raise does not include employees in the Hospitals and Clinics Division. The proposal has been met with plenty of frustration from affected employees. “What I’ve said to them is that I share their disappointment and I wish we were in a position to offer them not only a one time supplement but a raise,” Vice President of

KAITLIN WYLIE / CONTRIBUTING WRITER

► Opinion: page 13.

Life, Page 6

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

VOL. 51, NO. 17 / NOV. 19, 2012

PAGE three

“University of South Alabama’s Student Voice”

Weather for Nov. 19-23

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

Cassie Fambro Bailey Hammond Jake Howell Noah Logan Patrick Herring JT Crabtree Jayson Curry Naquita Hunter

Distribution Distribution Bobby Faulk Manager

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

Management Advising J. Sellers J. Aucoin Accounting Kathy Brannan

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

Send letters and guest columns to: The Vanguard University of South Alabama P.O. Drawer U-1057 Mobile, Ala., 36688. Or editor.in.chief@usavanguard. com Letters and guest columns must be received by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication. Submissions should be typed and must include the writer’s name, year, school and telephone number. All submissions become the property of The Vanguard. The Vanguard reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity. Letters will be limited to 300 words. Letters and guest columns are the opinion of the writer. The Staff Editorial represents the consensus opinion of the Editorial Board, which is composed

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of the Editor in Chief, Copy Editor, Senior Reporter, and Opinion Editor. All members of the Editorial Board have the same weight. The Vanguard has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifications. To report a mistake, e-mail editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com. The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academic year, except for exam periods and vacations, and is published twice each summer. The Vanguard is supported in part by an allocation from student activity fees and operates in the Student Media Department of the Division of Student Affairs. Issues are available at most University buildings and select offcampus locations. The first copy is free. Additional copies are $1 each. Freelance writers will receive payment at the discretion of the section editor and will be notified accordingly.

See Something suspicious? Report it to USAPD.

USA Police Blotter 251-460-6312

11/08/12 15:12- 250 Stadium Drive. Gamma Unauthorized manufacture, distribution,possession, or use of any controlled substance. Drug paraphernalia-1st offense. Marijuana possession 17:21 Bedroom, Mobile AL 2204-Burgalry 3rd degree. 19:19 305 Greek Row. Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority Parking Lot. 7777-Property damage. 11/09/2012 16:39-Gamma #2-250 Stadium Dr. 7777-Unauthorized possession of illegal substance. 3550 Drug Paraphenalia-2nd offense. 11/10/12

20:47 Gamma Parking Lot. 9999-Duty upon striking an unoccupied vehicle 11/12/12 9:11-Humanitites Parking Lot. 9999-Duty upon striking an unoccupied vehicle. 12:55-Epsiolon 2. 7777-Domestic incident. 11/13/12 15:44-Delta #5. 9999-Duty upon striking an unoccupied vehicle 14:50-University of South Alabama-307 N. University Blvd. 2331-Theft of lost property second degree ($500-$2,500)

VOL. 51, NO. 17 / NOV. 19, 2012

Raises an USABC an asset to issue Continued from pg. 1 USA Continued from pg. 1 the campus continues to evolve and change over time to meet the needs of its students. “Nothing is set in stone,” said Wilson. “We are always looking at ‘OK a lot of students have requested this or expressed that they would like this changed or this tweaked,’ We try to be very responsive.” They offer an array of courses ranging from criminal justice, nursing, education, communication and more. The campus does not offer general education courses, and their curriculum picks up at the junior and senior levels. It helps students studying at Faulkner State Community College or other local colleges to transfer to a university, but still remain local. USABC is an extension of the Jaguar family, and is an excellent alternative for those students seeking a more intimate educational experience. The average class size at USABC is 16 to 18 students, according to Dr. Wilson. Laura Ellenburg, a junior in elementary education, took classes over on USA main campus, but made the switch to USABC. “I like the smaller class sizes. I feel like I get more out of my education from being able to have more class discussions with the professor. I also feel like the professors know me better,” said Ellenburg. It has maintained a small, distinct charm that is truly unique to USABC. “Everybody here has contact with students whether it’s our secretary, who is the first person you see when you walk in, our librarian, our computer person, our marketing advising person, our custodians checks on students here ‘How’s everything going? You doing OK? “That’s part of who we are being small. We are able to have that oneon-one contact every single day with our students, all of us. We try to make it a pleasurable place to come back to when you come week after week,” said Wilson.

Health Sciences Dr. Ronald Franks told Local 15 News. Franks said he had been responding to emails from upset employees all day Wednesday. The reasons Moulton and Franks have given employees is that compensation is tied directly to revenue. With the uncertainty of the immediate financial future of the hospitals division, Moulton made the final decision not to give the pay increase to all employees. According to Moulton’s letter, “Currently, through no fault of our own, the nation’s health care industry is facing historic financial upheaval, with many questions unresolved related to federal health care policy, reimbursement, and other variables that are crucial to the financial viability of all health care providers. “Health care providers across America are experiencing remarkable financial pressures that have led to budgetary cutbacks, job losses, and even closures of hospitals. “At this time, USA’s highest priorities in the Hospitals and Clinics Division are to protect existing jobs and meet the unique health care needs of the Gulf Coast region by preserving the scope of its health care programs.” Moulton stated in closing, “I truly regret that financial conditions and external uncertainties do not permit the University to provide a salary increase in the Hospitals and Clinics Division at this time without creating excessive financial risk for the USA Health System. We will all be eagerly awaiting greater clarity on the financial future of the nation’s health care system in the coming months as the impact of federal health care policy becomes better known. Meanwhile, the University expresses its heartfelt gratitude for your service.”

SGA details several projects to benefit students Continued from page one SGA senate to inform those at the meeting about the poor conditions on South Alabama’s campus for students with disabilities. “This whole campus is a hazard for the blind,” Goff claimed. “Downtown…you’re going to notice that whenever you get to a crosswalk, intersection, or anything that involves getting off the side walk, you’re going notice this ‘rubber, bumpy thing’ on the floor. That is to let the blind know that they are now stepping off of the sidewalk and into the street,” Goff added. According to Goff, there are none of these on the sidewalks on South Alabama’s campus. Another fixture missing on USA’s campus is the “ridges” at the base of indoor and outdoor stairs that warn the blind that they are approaching stairs. According to Goff, most people are under the misconception that these are for people to “get their footing.” Goff also said that there are also many places on campus with improperly painted sidewalks or where crosswalks are needed and that many of the fire alarms and warning systems do not have strobe lights, which are used to alert the deaf community of an emergency. Goff also wanted to impress on those at the SGA meeting that the campus in general needs to be more aware of and knowledgeable about students with disabilities. Goff cleared up what he thought was a common misconception about the blind.

“When you hold the door open for a blind person, you are not doing them a favor…you’ve actually disrupted a landmark,” Goff said. “The blind communicate and get around through landmarks. When you open a door, you’ve removed their landmark and, in theory, they are lost and must reorient themselves,” Goff added. “These changes would be good for campus in general because the college would save thousands of dollars in insurance every year by implementing them…it cuts back on liability and keeps the students safer,” Goff said. SGA funds Boots for Troops project Next on the agenda of New Business was the “Boots for Troops” senate project. South Alabama’s College Democrats and College Republicans, in partnership with various other organizations, are collaborating to send care packages to deployed South Alabama students in time for Christmas. Eleanor Pomerat, the president of College Democrats, came before the SGA senate to appeal for funds for the project. Pomerat brought with her an example of the paper “boots” that will be used to collect money and goods, much like the heart or balloon-shaped papers used by Children’s Miracle Network. Publication Services donated 500 sheets of cardstock for this project. The USA Bookstore donated approximately 50 SouthPaw stuffed animals to go

with the care packages. The “boots” will be sold throughout campus to raise money for the care packages. A minimum of $2000 is expected to be raised by “Boots for Troops” with each care package being worth approximately $50. $375.68 was approved by the SGA senate for this project to aid in the purchase and shipment of the care packages. SGA funds College Readership Program Also in New Business, the SGA senate granted $12,000 to the College Readership Program. For those who aren’t familiar with the program, the College Readership Program makes it possible for students to swipe their Jag Card and get newspapers out of the blue machines at the entrances of many of the buildings on campus. According to SGA President Parker Chastain, last year’s funds granted to the College Readership program totaled to about $16,000. Since the Mobile Press Register has gone to a reduced circulation, the cost to maintain this program was reduced significantly this year to $12,000. All South Alabama students are encouraged to attend SGA meetings to find out about weekly campus events and have a voice in SGA decisions as part of the student forum. SGA meets on Monday nights at 8 p.m. in the conference room in the Fresh Food Company, near the residence halls.

Contact the SGA at sga@jagmail. southalabama.edu

www.facebook.com/thevanguardusa

VOL. 51, NO. 17 / NOV. 19, 2012

Letter to the Editor Middle east conflict deserves attention The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has escalated this past week as a top military leader of Hamas, Ahmed Al-Jabaari, was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Missiles have been exchanged between the borders of Gaza and Israel since Wednesday with hostilities likely to increase. This war reignites the ongoing debate about statehood, human rights, and legitimacy between the two sides. A common reaction to this is that Israel must defend itself against all threats because it was established to be a homeland for Jews and to allow them to exist free of oppression. While the principle of this statement is indisputable, it also concedes that Palestinians do not have the same right to sovereignty and existence. Gaza is condemned each time it attempts to liberate itself from Israeli occupation. However, as Israeli militants control the borders of the Gaza strip, home to over 1.5 million Palestinians, blockades imposed often preclude necessary medical supplies and food from entering and prohibit residents from escaping. Palestinians are regularly kidnapped, tortured, and killed by Israeli soldiers. The situation within Gaza is even more disparaging. Most inhabitants live in impoverished conditions where shortages of resources and unemployment are rampant because these privileges are denied to them. Israeli government is causing the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Arabs by abusing its fallacious right to entitlement and enervating all means to Palestinian prosperity. The U.S. provides foreign military aid to Israel exceeding $3 billion each year. Israel has the Iron Dome, tanks, missiles, and chemical weapons like white phosphorous, whereas Palestinian weaponry is not nearly as effective or sophisticated. While Hamas is seen as a terrorist organization by the US and Israel, it governs

the Gaza Strip and provides funding for extensive social establishments, including schools, mosques, clinics, and housing facilities. Hamas is viewed by many as the liberators of Palestine and it will continue to fight to free its people from the tyrannies of the Israeli regime. In its blind support for Israel (to gain advances in its own pursuits in the Middle East) and denunciation of Hamas, the U.S. is effectively backing a Palestinian holocaust. This is by no means a fair fight for Palestinians, and this is not question about whether or not Israelis should defend themselves. The people in Gaza have the right, just as Israelis do, to be free from persecution. Their frustrations are understandable, and the actions of both Israeli and Palestinian governments are not making the appropriate strides to reach peace and justice between them. Rockets flying across borders and the deaths of innocent civilians is not a true reflection of the wills the people of either nation. Unwilling participants in this war are caught in the crossfire because the vision of independence on one side is viewed as a threat to its autonomy by the other. These recent conflicts go to show that the Israeli-Palestinian crisis will not be resolved by retaliating against the other like bickering children. Israel must relinquish control over the Palestinian territories, or else the bloodshed will continue. Both governments are legitimate and have the right to be self-ruling. Peace will be achieved when both sides allow the other independence and prevent the mistakes of the past, particularly genocide, from reoccurring. Hij Rah, chemistry student pidgeyhijjy@hotmail.com

VOL. 51, NO. 17 / NOV. 19, 2012

jagLIFE

Mobile’s diversity showcased at International Festival

CARI HURLEY | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Each country represented at the Mobile International Festival offered a variety of culturally iconic pieces for purchase or display.

By CARI HURLEY

cah804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

or those who have ever wanted to travel around the world and get a taste of exotic cultures, the Mobile International Festival on Nov. 16 and 17

brings an incredible diversity of cultures together into the Mobile Civic Center, all for the low price of $10. This festival is a conglomerate of booths representing different countries from around the world. Kids of all ages, adults too, are able

to grab a passport and walk through the Civic Center to visit each country. While there, visitors can peruse or buy artifacts such as jewelry, artwork and clothing that are tied to the culture of that nation. There are many arts and craft activities available at various tables, and multiple groups provide entertainment, including traditional music, dancing and other performances from various countries throughout the festival. Visitors to India could get henna tattoos; while Turkey offered traditional jewelry decorated with a blue eye purported to repel evil. Japan’s representatives entertained the “travelers” with an incredible drum performance and the Las niñas bonitas from Mexico danced on one of the two entertainment stages. In addition to the more commonly represented countries like India and Greece, countries like Laos and Nepal that most people have never heard of, much less visited, were in residence. With so much to see, it takes several hours to thoroughly investigate all that

the Mobile International Festival has to offer. The best part of the Festival, however, is the food. In addition to the culture sections, each country operates a booth devoted to selling typical, native food. Although the food costs extra, most of it is reasonably priced, so ”travelers” are able to sample things like fried wontons from Indonesia, spinach pies and crepes from Lebanon and baklava from Iran, at several different venues. The price of drinks, however, can be steep, so you should watch for the cheapest places to buy them. Beer and other choice liquors are also available at the festival for purchase. The overall experience is fun and interesting; it’s definitely time well spent, learning about a range of cultures that are present in our own community. Amber Simmons, a senior biomedical sciences major, said, “Overall, I enjoyed the Mobile International Festival and think it is a great way to generate awareness about other cultures that are present in the Mobile area”.

All-American Rejects make their mark at Soul Kitchen By REBEKAH LLOYD rebekahlloyd68@gmail.com

veryone in Mobile knows that the Soul Kitchen on Dauphin Street is a great place to go for a good time. Its underground vibe and knack for hosting excellent shows make locals clamor for more. Nov. 14 was definitely no exception. Being a non-native of the Mobile area, it can be difficult to find things to do. With New Orleans almost two hours away, and the winter weather quickly removing any thoughts of the beach, quality entertainment appears to be scarce. Yet, the Soul Kitchen is the great exception. It’s Mobile’s “hidden gem,” if you will. Hosting artists such as Matt Kearney and Brett Dennen, this joint sure does know how to please a crowd. Some may write off the small, dark space as “unappealing.” This seemingly unappealing aspect, however, only served to create a more intimate bond between the artist and the crowd this past Wednesday. Those unaware of the unique experience that resulted would only regret their ignorance later. What they didn’t know really could hurt them in this case, because in the small town of Mobile, Ala.,

the All-American Rejects brought their 10 week American tour to a close. You can be sure that questions such as “The All-American Rejects, here?” or “Why Mobile?” arose from several local fans, but that could not quell the excitement felt due to the news. With individuals queued all the way down Dauphin Street, that excitement was well represented as fans of all ages eagerly waited for the doors to open at 7 p.m. As time progressed, emotions and expectations accelerated. The opening act, Matt Toka, was everything but ordinary and can be applauded for his set list, but it was obvious that the crowd was ready for Tyson Ritter and his crew. The lights dimmed and a silence fell over the crowd after Toka finished his set. Then, suddenly, the familiar melody of “Dirty Little Secret” could be heard, smoke filled the air and the girlish screams began: The All-American Rejects were here to stay for the next two and a half hours. Equipped with a set list appealing to a wide spectrum of fans, this group came to please. For the older fans, “Swing, Swing” was the song of the night, but for the younger crowd, “Move Along” was the

tune to beat. The raw emotion found in the lyrics of “It Ends Tonight” brought some crowd members to tears, but the bitter nature of “Walk Over Me” and “Move Along” soon had these same fans dancing and screaming for more. A band that is most assuredly used to having a good time, the All-American Rejects ran, danced, fell and laughed enough to make any audience member feel as if he or she was able to truly be one with the music. The intimate nature of the Soul Kitchen proved to be valuable because it allowed the rhetoric of the lyrics to permeate the entire space, and made it quite simple for Tyson Ritter to touch every member of the crowd within his reach, much to my delight. It was obvious that the energy emanating from the audience served as fuel for the passion behind each song, thus creating a better experience for both the band and the spectators. The entire performance had fans wishing that it was possible to really make “Time Stand Still,” but, alas, even the AllAmerican Rejects could not make the night last forever. Soon, the night was almost spent, there was one song left on the set list, and “Gives You Hell” was the final choice.

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

WEEKLY LOWDOWN Monday, Nov. 19 ►7:30 p.m. - USA Percussion

Ensemble Fall Concert in the Laidlaw Recital Hall. $5.00 USA Students/Faculty/ Staff.

Tuesday, Nov. 20 ►9 a.m. - Cooperative educa-

tion and internship program orientation in Meisler Hall, Room 2100.

Wed.-Fri., Nov. 21-23 ► Thanksgiving Holidays!

Monday, Nov. 26 ►7:30 p.m. - USA Brass

Ensembles Fall Concert in the Laidlaw Recital Hall. $5.00 USA Students/Faculty/ Staff.

Tuesday, Nov. 27 ►7:30 p.m. - USA Flute Choir

Fall Concert in the Laidlaw Recital Hall. $5.00 USA Students/Faculty/ Staff.

Wednesday, Nov. 28 ► 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. - “What’s

On Wednesday” A College Student’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays in the Academic Support Center, Room 1345.

► 7:30 p.m. - USA Woodwind

Ensembles Fall Concert in the Laidlaw Recital Hall. $5.00 USA Students/Faculty/ Staff.

► 9:45 p.m. - JP Cheapdate

“Breaking Dawn Part 2” at Hollywood Theater. Tickets only available at JP Ticket Desk

Thursday, Nov. 29 REBEKAH LLOYD| CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The All-American Rejects rocked the night away as they ended their American tour in Mobile.

Joined again by their opening act, this song was the perfect way to end the night. The Soul Kitchen proved to be an excellent venue, and the All-American Rejects demonstrated their prowess as live performers. At only $20 a ticket, this was an inexpensive and entertaining way to spend a weeknight in Mobile.

►7:30 p.m. - Comedian Jason

Weems. Free show with door prizes at the Mitchell Center Globe.

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

VOL. 51, NO. 17 / NOV. 19, 2012

Redcoats and Templars beware in “Assassin’s Creed III”

ELLIS HICKS | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This next installment in the “Assassin’s Creed” franchise offers new thrills against the backdrop of the American Revolution. Redcoats and Templars beware.

By ELLIS HICKS

eah1004@jagmail.southalabama.edu

rom stealthy assassinations to the Boston Tea Party and even naval warfare, “Assassin’s Creed III” is filled to the brim with content. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal along with Ubisoft Shanghai and Ubisoft Annecy, this is one monster of a game. The premise of the game is simple: the protagonist of the game is Desmond Miles, a young Assassin who

uses a machine called the “Animus” in order to view the lives of his various ancestors. Miles does this to not only develop his Assassin skills for the never-ending war with the Templars, but also to find the secrets of an ancient civilization known only as “Those Who Came Before.” Players, however, spend the majority of the game as Ratonhnhaké:ton ( pronounced Ra-doon-ha-gay-doo and also known as Connor), a half-Native American, half-English Assassin who

plays a pivotal role throughout the American Revolution on his quest to hunt down members of the Templar Order in colonial New York and Boston. Freshman Timothy Wilson had a blast exploring the game’s environments, saying, “It’s cool to play through all the major events leading up to and including the Revolutionary War, really makes you feel like you’re a part of the history.” From the major to minute details, Ubisoft obviously did their homework on the history and architecture of this period of history. Colonial Boston and New York come to life as markets bustle with merchants, orphans beg for money and farmers talk of their crops Leaving the cities, players come to the Frontier, a massive area made up of the wilderness between Boston and New York. The frontier is a great area to play around, hunt and explore. I found I had the most fun stalking and ambushing Redcoat patrols through the trees. Much like the city management minigame from previous “Assassin’s Creed” games, you have control over your own homestead. I found that the crafting and trading in the homestead could get quite deep as I tried to figure out which of the products I could craft would make

the most money, either in the cities or in the other ports players can send trade ships to. Homesteading is definitely a neat addition to the main game as players recruit townspeople and help them with their problems. It is also definitely worth it to complete all the homesteading missions as not only can a great deal of cash be generated quickly, but players can also unlock a secret that I would rather not spoil. In this third installment, Ubisoft has taken great strides to improve both the combat and the movement of the main character. For starters, the combat feels better than ever as players are able to parry and counter attacks easily as well as use an offhanded weapon, such as a pistol or smoke bomb, as part of a combo. Movement also gets a major upgrade as players need only hold down the right trigger or R2 button in order to free run. This makes traversing the various environments a dream, as compared to previous Assassin’s Creed games where you had to hold the controller in a very awkward way in order to move your character at any pace faster than ultra-slow. One of the biggest bullet points on the back of the box was the addition of naval combat to the game. To put

it quite simply, this addition is mindblowingly great. Once players get used to the feel of the controls for it, moving ships around and engaging other vessels is extremely fluid and immersive. Overall, the naval combat is easily one of the finest aspects of the game because it captures the feeling of being the captain of a vessel. The game is not without its faults, however. I found the multi player to be exactly the same as the multi player from “Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood” and “Assassin’s Creed: Revelations,” and the game is filled with bugs. On more than one occasion I found my character either falling through the world or stuck on a piece of geometry in the environment. There were some frame-rate issues in the game as well. Ultimately, I would say that “Assassin’s Creed III” is a much better game than last year’s “Assassin’s Creed: Revelations.” However, it definitely falls behind “Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood,” which I feel is the best in the series. Regardless, this is a game you probably should play, and I would highly recommend purchasing it, despite the $60 price tag. From the combat to the free-running to the improved assassin game play, this is a game you do not want to miss.

Real photographs breathe life into “peculiar” story

JAKE HOWELL | JAGLIFE EDITOR

A young girl who is capable of holding fire in her hands plays a major role throughout the story. Riggs accentuates his storytelling by having photographs placed side-by-side with the text.

By JAKE HOWELL life.editor@usavanguard.com

s most avid readers can attest, one of the hallmarks of a great book is when the story becomes a movie inside the reader’s head. Even with the most detailed descriptions provided by the author, those movies, and their corresponding char-

acters, are molded by each individual reader so that each person “sees” something slightly different than everyone else. In Ransom Riggs’ “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” however, the reader sees exactly what the author sees, at least in some cases. This novel, set on a remote island off the coast of Wales, carries not only

words and a story within its pages, but also photographs. 16-year-old Jacob Portman has been listening to his grandfather’s fantastical stories of monsters and strange children with even stranger abilities his entire life, stories he once believed to be true. It’s only when Jacob finds his grandfather dying alone in the woods and he sees the monster, straight from the old stories, in the gloom, that he realizes that his grandfather’s stories weren’t just stories. They were memories. His grandfather’s last words, “Find the bird. In the loop. On the other side of the old man’s grave,” set the rest of the novel in motion. As is common with novels of this genre, no one actually believes what Jacob saw, so he resolves to find out the truth about his grandfather’s killer and past, with or without help. Amongst his grandfather’s things, he rediscovers photographs that used to accompany those old stories. The photographs depict the strange children, such as a young girl levitating or another girl holding a boulder above

her head. The fantastic part of this novel is that the pictures that Jacob describes are actual pictures that Riggs collected and included in the book. In fact, the photo of the young girl levitating is used as the cover of the book itself. Those photographs of his grandfather’s aren’t the only ones that Jacob finds, however. His quest brings him, and his father, to the aforementioned remote island and the ruins of the orphanage where his grandfather grew up. It’s in the orphanage that he discovers even more photographs, again provided by Riggs, and sees a mysterious young girl. As Jacob follows this girl, he begins to realize that, perhaps, the children who used to live in that orphanage and thought to have been killed in the air raid that destroyed the building in World War II might still be alive. Even without the photographs, this novel is superb. Riggs spins a tale that, despite some unavoidable clichés that accompany fantasy novels, is one of the most unique young adult novels to hit the shelves in recent years. It blends fantasy and mystery ele-

ments into a seamless whole that practically forces a reader into the “just one more chapter, and then I’ll sleep” stage. Luckily for the many readers who devoured this New York Times Bestseller, Riggs has a sequel in the works and has been scouring flea markets and the backs of closets for “peculiar” photographs.

Editor’s Note It was brought to the attention of The Vanguard that in the article entitled “Snakes slither their way into Life Sciences,” from the Nov. 12 issue of The Vanguard, Mike Casper was referred to, after the first correct mention, as Mike Cooper for the duration of the article. The Vanguard would like to sincerely apologize to Mr. Casper for this mistake and will work toward making sure that it does not happen again. Jake Howell JagLife Editor

VOL. 51, NO. 17 / NOV. 19, 2012

facebook.com/ thevanguardusa

Write for The Vanguard. Email editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com with writing samples. Slots available in all sections. The giraffe is irrelevant.

SPORTS

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

VOL. 51, NO. 17/ NOV. 19, 2012

Wide receiver Corey Besteda (right) catching South Alabama’s lone touchdown in the loss to to the Blue Raiders.

Special teamers Gabe Loper (6) and Cliffton Crews (25) leap to block a Middle Tennessee kick in the fourth quarter.

CASSIE FAMBRO|EDITOR IN CHIEF

DEBORAH CRABTREE|CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Blue Raiders use balance, turnovers to win 20-12 Metheny throws three interceptions, including one on last-chance drive

By PATRICK HERRING sports.editor@usavanguard.com

he Jaguars (2-9, 1-5) fell to the Blue Raiders (7-3, 5-1) Saturday evening in a contest that was relatively close throughout. Middle Tennessee only led by more than one score for a little under five minutes of game time. The Blue Raider’s balanced offensive attack gained 212 yards rushing and 233 yards passing on the night, and always seemed to have the defense’s number. Quarterback Ross Metheny threw 3 interceptions in the contest and only had 1 touchdown. He was 17 of 30 on the day for 189 yards, and added 32 more on the ground. Head coach Joey Jones stood behind his players after a game against a team that will likely go to the Sun Belt Conference championship game. “I’m proud of the way the way they’re fighting,” Jones said. “They certainly aren’t giving up, and (they’re) representing the University of South

Alabama in a positive way.” The Jaguars took the opening kick and quickly drove down the field. With a combination of short runs and short, dump-off passes, quarterback Ross Metheny led the offense down to the Middle Tennessee 4. He completed all 4 of his passes on the drive for 28 yards, and also ran for 7 more. Running back Kendall Houston was then stopped on the 1-yard line on third and goal. Kicker Michel Chapaseaux came out and converted the 19-yard field goal to put South Alabama up 3-0 early. On USA’s next possession, after the offense stalled, punter Scott Garber kicked the ball down to the Middle Tennessee 3-yard line. Two quick runs of 23 and 25 yards later, and the Blue Raiders were at the USA 49. And on the next play, Blue Raider quarterback Logan Kilgore completed a 49-yard pass to a wide open Jeremiah Bryson, who walked in for the touchdown to put the Raiders up 7-3.

Three drives later, after Metheny threw his second interception of the game, the Middle Tennessee offense took over at their 10-yard line. Kilgore completed a 19-yard pass and Jordan Parker rushed for 19 more on back-toback plays to move the ball into USA territory. The Jaguar defense held strong in the red zone. MTSU kicker Carlos Lopez came on and converted the 26yard field goal to increase their lead to 10-3. Before halftime, the Jaguar offense caught a break when a Middle Tennessee defender ran into Garber on a punt, giving USA a first down. Metheny completed three passes for 35 yards to get them in field goal range. Chapaseaux’s kick from 45 yards out was good and cut the Blue Raider lead to 10-6 going into halftime. Middle Tennessee would extend their lead on the opening drive of the second half. Kilgore completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to receiver Anthony

Amos to put the Blue Raiders on top 176. Kilgore finished with 233 yards and two touchdowns on 16 of 29 passing. Jereme Jones caught a 16-yard pass in the middle of the field for a first down to the USA 44-yard line on the Jaguars’ first drive of the third quarter, but Middle Tennessee’s Jajuan Harley stripped the ball out. The Blue Raiders recovered at the USA 41. The Jaguar defense continued to hold, forcing a 35-yard field goal. Lopez’s kick went wide left, so the lead stayed at 17-6. Corey Besteda caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Metheny to cut the lead to 17-12. Fetner was sacked on the two-point conversion attempt. The touchdown by Metheny puts him the top spot on the school’s single season touchdown list with 10. He supplants backup C.J. Bennett, who tossed 9 during his 2010 campaign. Metheny was responsible for 77 of the 80 yards on the scoring drive, including a 45-yard strike to Gabe Loper.

Lopez would end the night’s scoring in the fourth quarter with a 19-yard field goal. He went 2 of 4 on field goals for the day, missing one wide left and one short. After his second miss, the Jaguar offense took over at their own 30-yard line with 3:20 left in the game. On the very next play, Metheny’s pass to Gabe Loper was intercepted. Harley was again the Blue Raider to force the turnover, returning it 26 yards to the USA 25. From there, Middle Tennessee was able to run the clock out and escape Ladd with a victory. South Alabama running back Terrence Timmons saw an expanded role since Demetre Baker was out with an injury and Kendall Houston went down with an injury early in the game. Timmons answered the call, logging career highs in rush attempts (18), rushing yards (76) and all-purpose yards (75). He also had a 22-yard rush, which See Football Football, Page 10

VOL. 51, NO. 17 / NOV. 19, 2012

USA Sports Briefs Courtesy of usajaguars.com

Men’s basketball downs William Carey 82-64

fter being tied 36-36 at halftime, the Jaguars broke the game open and outscored the Crusaders 46-28 in the second half. Mychal Ammons recorded his second double-double of the season with 19 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Augustine Rubit added 20 points and 9 rebounds. The Jags, now 2-0, will return to the Mitchell Center to open conference play on Nov. 29 when they take on Florida Atlantic.

Cross Country coach leaves to take over D-2 program

Women’s basketball uses big runs to defeat Tennessee State 59-43, Southern Miss 69-67

fter trailing 39-38 with 10 minutes left in the game Wednesday night, the Lady Jags erupted for 16 unanswered points to take the lead and put the game out of reach. Mary Nixon led all scorers with 16 points and added 4 rebounds. Freshman Brianna Wright registered 11 rebounds to set a new career high, to go along with 6 points.

Want us to follow you? Tweet us @USAVGSports

Rush Hendricks @_RusHen_: Tight End Well I just guessed on 14 out of 50 questions on that test, but I made it to Chick Fil A in time for breakfast. #win

ike Barbee is headed to Eastern New Mexico where he will become the program’s newest track and field head coach. Barbee has been at USA for two years, during which he headed the cross country program and was an assitant on the track and field coaching staff. He cited having full control over his own program as one of the reasons for his accepting the position. In his 2 years at USA, he coached three allconference runners in cross country and three all-conference performers atr the SBC outdoor championships this year.

riday night, the Jaguars pulled out a close, hard-fought victory over regional opponent Southern Miss, winning 69-67 at home. Again, South Alabama used a big run to down its opponent, this time outscoring the Golden Eagles 17-2 in a four-plus minute span to go up 2720. The Jags were lead offensively by Nixon, who finished with her second 20-point effort of the season, and added 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Junior forward Ronneka Robertson chipped in a career high 10 points and a season-high nine rebounds for the Jaguars. South Alabama will go on a 5-game road trip before returning to the Mitchell Center on Dec. 4 to take on Spring Hill.

CASSIE FAMBRO|EDITOR IN CHIEF

Quarterback Ross Metheny (2) trying to escape a Middle Tennessee defender

Football Continued from Page 9

doubled his previous career long. The defense put together a solid effort with four players finishing with double-digit tackle totals. Jake Johnson paced the Jags with 15 stops, including one for a loss. This game marked the sixth time this season Johnson led the team in tackles. He also leads the Sun Belt this season with 113 total tackles, an average of just over 10 per game. B.J. Scott added 11 tackles. Terrel

Brigham and Alex Page logged 10 tackles and .5 tackles for a loss each. Tyrell Pearson broke up three passes on the day and finished with 4 tackles. Before the game, fifteen seniors were honored for USA’s Senior Day. The contest was South Alabama’s last home game of the 2012 season. The Jaguars are back in action next weekend when they travel to Lafayette to play the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Raging Cajuns.

College Football Predictions

Editor’s Note: During the 2012 football season, we here at The Vanguard Sports Section will be doing weekly predictions of South’s football game, popular in-state games and one or two nationally significant games. We will keep a running tally of who’s “winning” the prediction game. Week Season Totals in parentheses

Patrick Herring

Jayson Curry

JT Crabtree

Senior Reporter

Sports Editor L.O.C.

(33-14)

(30-17)

South Alabama picks up a crucial win in Louisiana this weekend. USA 27-20.

USA plays tough and wins a close game over ULL. USA 31-28.

The Jags are sputtering a bit, and ULL has put up good fights against tough teams, UF specifically. ULL wins it 31-21.

Honestly this one will be as bad as the Crimson Tide wants it to be. It could get ugly in Bryant-Denny. Alabama 45-20.

This won’t be a fun game for Auburn fans. Alabama rolls 41-10.

This could get ugly quick. You can never count out a team in the Iron Bowl, but Auburn is only playing for pride. Bama wins it 34-16

Notre Dame vs. USC

The Trojans couldn’t end Oregon’s quest for a national title, but they have a better shot against the Fighting Irish, and I think they pull it off. USC 41-34.

Everyone is picking USC to upset the Irish but I think Notre Dame stays undefeated winning 37-31.

This game’s probably the only thing preventing the Irish from getting to the BCSNCG. Stanford has played spoiler before, but not this time. Notre Dame wins 38-27.

Florida vs. Florida State

The Seminoles look to be getting back to their old form, but so are the Gators. If Driskel isn’t back, the Seminoles win. But I’ll stick with Muschamp. Florida 38-28.

Florida might be without Jeff Driskell again and that’s a key to the game. The Seminoles pull off a big upset 35-28.

Ever since their loss to Georgia, Florida’s offense has disappeared. FSU averages 42.9 ppg, the ‘Noles will simply be able to outscore the Gators. FSU wins 41-28.

Sports Editor (34-12)

USA vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Alabama vs. Auburn

Bryant Lavender @O_yea_ThatKid8: Wide Receiver When the sound of a phone drops....*pauses checks pockets* cool it wasn’t mine haha Derek Westbrook @thewestbrook25: Steeplechaser It does not take a rocket scientist to park a car in between the lines. I see some of America’s finest parking jobs here at South every day Ryan Onkka @Big_Onk: Offensive Lineman Why can’t school stop for thanksgiving through christmas. That would make me happy Emily Hundt @emilyhundt15: Setter Only having to be in you 8am class for 5 minutes >>> Ben Whiteside @B_Whiteside88: Wide Receiver Ryan Gonsling may be a dream boat...but he can’t play man coverage to save his life #rememberthetitans Brandon Bridge @Air_Canada_7: Quarterback When u lay down and get comfortable, but you forgot to turn off the light <<<

@USAVGSports

LEFT OF CENTER

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

VOL. 51, NO. 17 / NOV. 19, 2012

Officials blow call By JT CRABTREE

jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

AfroMan and TogaMan during their final football game.

COURTESY OF ALYSSA NEWTON

The End of an Era South Alabama students decide to hang it up and open the door for new superfans By ALYSSA NEWTON akn1104@jagmail.southalabama.edu

fter four years of being two of the South Alabama “Superfans,” Afroman and Togaman have reached the end of their last season. JT Crabtree and Sam Wicker are two students that were brought together by one thing: a crazy school spirit for the University of South Alabama. Before JT and Sam met, they started off their superfan lives two completely different ways. Crabtree started doing Afroman in January of 2010 during the basketball season. “I just wanted to do something kind of stupid,” Crabtree laughingly admitted. Even though the Afroman many people know today wasn’t a part of the original plan. “My original idea was to have a red afro and red Hulk hands, but I couldn’t find Hulk hands and the red paint didn’t stick to the afro. So I just wore an afro, a vinyl ski vest, and some aviators. That was the original Afroman.” Wicker started doing Togaman on the Halloween football game versus Fork Union Military in 2009.

“That was the costume that I wore for that game,” Wicker said. “Two weeks later when we played Huntingdon college, we had a white out. I didn’t have all white clothes, so I just wore a white toga and I’ve been doing it ever since.” So how exactly did the two superfans join forces? Crabtree described the game that started it all. “One of the best games I had as Afroman was Missouri S&T in 2010. It was the game that Sam and I joined forces. Sam sent a friend up to me and said ‘Hey, we need your help!’ and it just started from there.” “We started hanging out at basketball games,” Wicker added to the duo’s story. “By that time we became pretty good friends and we joined forces for the next two seasons.” Crabtree and Wicker have been to every South Alabama football home game and have many memorable moments from over the years as superfans. “Two years ago South Paw came out wearing a toga,” said Wicker. “That was probably the coolest moment.” “Probably the FAU win,” Crabtree

said, referring to the recent double overtime homecoming win against Florida Atlantic, the school’s first Sun Belt Conference and FBS victory. “It was freaking awesome.” But being superfans was more than just cheering and heckling at football and basketball games, it affected their lives as students. Wicker stated, “It’s been fun and definitely has made Saturdays interesting. It’s fun to be able to walk around campus and people recognize you as Togaman and yell out ‘Hey Togaman!’ That’s been pretty cool.” “It changed my major,” Crabtree laughed when asked how it’s affected his life as a student. “I was a Biomedical Science major for two years and hated it, but I didn’t know what else I wanted to do. The Vanguard interviewed me and they offered me a job to do sports reporting and I found out I really liked doing that. It caught on from there and I ended up changing to print journalism.” When Crabtree and Wicker were asked about how they want to be remembered by South Alabama, they answered in almost the same way.

“A guy who gave it all to South Alabama,” said Crabtree. “I was always behind them, I’ve seen it all. I’ve been to every game. The guy who kind of set the standard.” “Someone who cared about South Alabama,” Wicker said. “I hope future generations will keep the tradition of going for South no matter what. Putting South first and everyone else second. You give good money to go to South Alabama and should support the school you go to.” Ever thought about being a superfan? Crabtree offered some advice. “Just do whatever you want! What does an afro have to do with South Alabama? Nothing. Just do what you want and go crazy and have fun.” Wicker also added, “Have fun, don’t be scared to be stupid because that’s what makes it fun.” So after years of whiteboards, megaphones, posters and chants, it’s time to hang up the afro and the toga. These two South students changed the atmosphere of the South Alabama student section by taking school spirit and pride to a whole new level. They will be greatly missed.

he South Alabama football staff was notified last Tuesday, Nov. 13, that a call against North Texas that was reviewed by the replay officials was wrong. The Sun Belt Conference replay officials have been placed on probation and removed from consideration to work a bowl game. The call, an interception by South Alabama’s Tyrell Pearson, was ruled a fumble that hit the pylon, giving North Texas the ball back on their own 20 yard line. However, upon further review by the Sun Belt Conference, it was determined that the ball did not hit the pylon and the play should have been ruled USA ball at UNT’s one yard line. The blown call changed the complexion of the game for South Alabama. Had the Jaguars scored a touchdown and extra-point, they would have trailed 24-21 going into the fourth quarter. Instead, North Texas would add a field goal and South Alabama would go scoreless for the remainder of the game. On the same day, the replay official for the Arkansas State-LouisianaMonroe also blew a call. He has also been placed on probation and removed from consideration to work a bowl game. “Instant replay was established to ‘get calls right’ that are questionable on the field,” said Sun Belt Conference commissioner Karl Benson in a statement. “Our coaches, student athletes and fans deserve quality performance in the instant replay booth just like they do from the officials on the field. South Alabama and ULM have received apologies and the two instant replay officials are hereby reprimanded.”

Pearson against NC State

JTC / LOC

Opinion

VOL. 51, NO. 17 / NOV. 19, 2012

The Vanguard Viewpoint True friends are few and far between. Don’t waste them.

hen you think about it, the holidays can be just as bitter as they are sweet for some people. Most college kids can relate to the feeling of the first holidays spent away from the immediate family. The decorations and cheer have not changed. Children and adults alike have the same certain spring in their step during mid-November and the end of December, but you can’t shake the feeling that something is totally different. Something is missing. Mom isn’t there to constantly nag about Christmas lists, Dad isn’t around to almost kill himself putting up the new Christmas tree and a significant other might be hours away trying to find time to Skype you whenever he or she can. These feelings are completely reasonable but it is important to not let the end of the semester or beginning of the holiday blues affect what social life we have here. True friends are hard to come by for the busy college student. Yes, friends come more often through parties and school organizations but a true friend that is always there is hard to come buy. It’s not everyday that a Timon finds his Pumba or that JD and Turk

stumble upon each other. After all, what can we really know for sure anymore when a stingray kills the Crocodile Hunter and the economy causes the production of Twinkies to end forever? Don’t let feelings of sadness and helplessness cause you to push away these few constants that you do manage to find in life. Times will get tough and everyone copes in his or her own way. If you tend to deal with things alone, make sure you find that fine line of coping by yourself and alienating your friends because in reality, these friends truly want what is best for you. Life is far too short to let personal relationship problems and holiday blues drive away your friends and family that are with you at the present moment. In times like these, we learn to appreciate all the annoying habits during the holiday season because these pesky occurrences mean that we are home and with the people we love to be annoyed by. Learn to appreciate the imperfections of your friends here and embrace spending the holidays with new people no matter how unfamiliar it may be.

Representatives and Senators answer students questions at South Alabama By ZAKARY PARK GOSALEWIS

very student at our University has questions to ask the powers that be. Why is my ZAKARY LEWIS tuition inzpg01@jagmail.southalacreasing? bama.edu What do I need to do to make a difference in politics? Why are things the way they are? And most importantly, how can we make sure things get better? Well on Oct. 30, USA students got a chance to ask some very important people those questions, as well as many others. That day several legislators from the Mobile area converged on South’s campus to answer those questions and to give students an opportunity to voice their concerns. Representatives Jamie Ison and James Buskey joined Senator Vivian Figures and Senator Ben Brooks. All four represent the Mobile area in state politics. Ison, in fact, represents the district in which our campus is located. Senator Brooks is a South Alabama alumni who has two children who have graduated from USA as well as a third who will be graduating in the spring.

JagPulse

Is citing “Obamacare” as the reason healthcare employees at USA won’t get a raise when non-healthcare employees will a valid concern? Dennis Mersereau: If they haven’t received a raise since 2007, then citing “Obamacare” as the reason why they won’t get one this time around is political posturing. Of course, it’s Alabama, so that’s expected. Hannah Becton They certainly have enough money to pay for their wages AND their health insurance while still having money left over. This is just greed, and the university

NOAH LOGAN OPINION EDITOR opinion.editor@usavanguard.com

isn’t even the worst example. This is happening in mega corporations because of the greedy power elite. Mark Davis: Tuition increased by a substantial amount after I graduated. Since that money has not gone towards campus beautification where has this gone to, besides athletic programs? Yet, they still have the nerve to ask for donations from the many employees they have cut benefits to? Bold move.

Chris Hanley: If you look at national trends, tuition is ALWAYS going up. While it may be unrelated to landscaping, consider if said funds were actually put TOWARDS the students, and not pretty flowers. I don’t care where the money came from, it’s irrelevant. The focus should be on providing affordable, world class education for the students., not athletic programs and daffodils.

The luncheon was the first such event of its kind not only in USA history, but also the first in the state. Hosted by the Attorney General of the Student Government Association in conjunction with the Governmental Relations office for the University, the format was a moderated town hall of sorts in which the legislators were asked student-submitted questions by the moderators, and then the floor was opened for more questions from the students in attendance. Over 65 students came to the event, which was held in the Fresh Food Company’s second floor conference room. Several staff members were also present as well as representatives from more than 20 student organizations. The group was composed of many campus leaders, ranging from freshmen to graduate students. One such group was Dr. Mike Mitchell’s Freshman Leadership Seminar class. Mr. Happy Fulford, South Alabama’s head lobbyist in Montgomery and head of the Governmental Affairs Office, was

also in attendance and helped organize and moderate the event. When the event was over, all of the legislators echoed positive reactions to the event. The most recurring sentiment was the surprise at the number of students who were not only in attendance, but actively participated in the discussion. Students asked questions ranging from how they could become more involved in higher education to what the legislators think the role of campus media is in politics. The event was used as a way to encourage students to become more involved in state higher education legislation. In addition to the legislative luncheon, which is set to become a yearly event, the Attorney General’s office is also proud to organize the annual Higher Education day trip to Montgomery. With its high attendance and positive feedback, the event set a precedent for future events of its kind as well as an increasing role by students in in higher education legislation.

CASSIE FAMBRO|EDITOR IN CHIEF

Eric Hadley: Everyone deserves to be treated equally. Why not give raises all across the board? It’s complete crap. Matt Waltman: Quit trying to patronize the employees and assume they are incompetent. After the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare earlier this year, USA Medical Physicians were being quoted on local media outlets stating that more folks being insured would in fact help out USA’s high indigent care that it faces today. So tell me how one side of the Medical Center is speaking for Obamacare and President Moulton is basing it as the reason for no wage increase for its Health Care Employees Rhonda

Rogers Pugh: As a hosptial coder and biller I can testify that MANY parts of the affordable hc act have been place since shortly after it was signed. The voting public has no clue as to the crippling effects already slapped on the industry... Yes ! IT IS OBAMA’s fault... Wayne Swiger: Just for the record he said no raises because revenue is down and they are trying to save jobs and that he believes that “Obamacare” will increase revenue in the future. Beverly Danielle Tims No, because we won’t even see Obamacare in Alabama because of Gov Bentley. It is a concern, but that can’t be the reason they won’t be getting a raise

VOL. 51, NO. 17 / NOV 19, 2012

POINT COUNTERPOINT What is your reaction to the petitions for states to secede from the United States?  In the midst of the world ending, many petitions for state secession have received 25,000 signatures on the federal government petition website. While it is nearly impossible for this to happen, what do you think these petitions say about the state of our country right now and how should the government and the people react to these petitions?

Point: Seriously?

“

I am sure that each of the seceding states will be able to draft a constitution that guarantees all of its in habitants liberties. States really have a great track record when it comes to civil liberties.

Colin Al-Greene

Counterpoint: Not enough realistic support

ne of the current topics of interest in American political culture is state seccession. No, we are not talking about April of 1861 when Confederate forces fired on a U.S. Military installation at Fort Sumter in South Carolina and began a four year Civil War; we are talking about a string of anti-Obama rhetoric after the November 2012 election. All across the Nation, petitions are being signed to show support for leaving the United States, and to be free from President Obama’s tyrannical Marxist rule. And once we are free from the vampire-ish Federal Government, and throw off the shackles of the Constitution, we will truly be free. The first thing that must go is the Federal Constitution. What better way to retract from Obama and get back to the principles of our founding fathers than seceding from the country they founded and replacing their documents? I am sure that each of the seceding states will be able to draft a constitution that guarantees all of its in habitants liberties. States really have a great track record when it comes to civil liberties. I mean it’s not like you can go talk to your next door neighbors and ask them what it was like before we let women vote. Granted, we had to add a Constitutional Amendment to force all the states to recognize women as people, but they would have eventually come around. And really, the government was just way out of line there. That was states rights. And the states have a pretty good record on race as well. Ok, so maybe the President had to call in the National Guard to allow blacks

”

to integrate; but again, the states would have gotten around to being tolerant sooner or later. But again we see all of these major problems stemming from the federal government sticking its nose in the states business. And what is all this crap about “environmental regulations.” Yes, factories were literally dumping poison into the water supply before the Environmental Protection Agency. After a while though, I’m sure industry would have self- regulated out of the goodness of their hearts like Ron Paul likes to preach people would do in today’s world. And honestly, all of those people complaining about “pollutants” should stop being babies; a little asbestos in your salad never hurt anyone. This is what really annoys me; people that think we need a national security. Good luck fighting of terrorists by yourself Hawaii. We don’t need state sponsored research and development. We don’t need the Armed Forces. The gun safe in your garage is plenty to keep out invaders. During the next anthrax epidemic, the states will all develop their own CIA and conduct 50 investigations. Fifty is better than one. Who needed JFK when Russia put nukes in Cuba? Alabama sure didn’t. In closing, we don’t need silly things like education, rights, environmental protection or defense. Those things are wasteful, oppressive and damn near Communistic. All of the states should seriously consider leaving the Union. If a series of Independent states worked under the 1777 Articles of Confederation, it will work for us too.

The only thing unsettling that I find about this is the fact that there is a percentage of “Americans” out there who simply are not supporting America.

Michael Mascolo

THE ORIGINAL CONSTITUION

SCENE FROM CAPTAIN AMERICA IS DEAD

MIRRORONAMERICA

hile in his first term of presidency, President Obama spoke of creating a government that was more open, transparent and listened to the public voice. In an attempt to do that, he created a website called “We the People” on the White House’s website. The idea behind this website is to allow people to write their respective issues as petitions on the website. If the particular petition gets 25,000 signatures within 30 days, the petition will be sent to the administration, and they will issue a response. The idea behind this is superb. While the website is public and attracts some ridiculous claims, it can be used to bring sound and strong arguments directly to the federal government. However, a new batch of petitions has recently sprung up after the recent presidential election, bringing back radical ideas as far back as the Civil War. As of today, 40 plus states in the U.S. have set forth a petition to peacefully allow them to secede from the union. Seven states, including Alabama, have reached over 25,000 signatures, and there are more on the way. How should we take this new “secession movement?” Is it the leftover feelings of sore losers not having luck in the election, or is this a legitimate response to the “long train of abuses” handed down by the Obama administration. At this point, it is hard to tell. While the website does require 25,000 signatures, that as a whole is a small percent of people. The city of Mobile by itself holds 194,000 people, and the same goes for every other state that has sent out the petitions. It seems like there just is not enough people supporting this issue to make it relevant to the current administration. The only state that can

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perhaps make a point is Texas, with 109,000 votes. But let’s face it, Texas has always wanted to be independent, and we can probably attribute most of these signatures to old Southerners who want to go back to the “good ole days.” They also run into the same problem that the rest of the states do: Texas has an overall population of 25 million. If you are into statistics, that’s only 0.4 percent of Texas’s population that wants to secede. Not only do they have that problem, but many of the governors of the Deep South states that have the most signatures have been distancing themselves away from this movement, with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal calling it “silly” and Alabama Governor Robert Bentley releasing a statement through a spokesman saying, “Governor Bentley believes in one nation under God. While there is frustration with the federal government, Governor Bentley believes that states can be great laboratories of change.” The only thing unsettling that I find about this is the fact that there is a percentage of “Americans” out there who simply are not supporting America. Yes, these are turbulent times, and yes, I myself find much fault within the current administration and was distraught at the outcome of the elections. However, how much sense does it make for a country to break apart at the time when we need to stick together the most? People don’t call this the greatest country in the world without a reason; we are a model society of states that have joined together under a single constitution, something that some other countries cannot boast about doing. Let us remember who we are America, and remember where we came from.

OPINION

VOL. 51, NO. 17 / NOV. 19, 2012

Editorial: Campus Quarters has dangerous parking problem, denies it The Vanguard Asks: Campus Quarters has a parking overflow problem with residents/visitors parking in the UCOM parking lot at night. There is a traffic light between UCOM and Campus Quarters. Those parking then cross University Boulevard at that light. What should be done to lessen risk to those crossing?

Chad Niblett: A pedestrian bridge over University would be ideal. Doug Roberts: The University should not allow a private apartment complex to use its parking lot, unless the complex is paying to lease the parking lot. BY CASSIE FAMBRO | EDITOR

Taken at the UCOM parking lot at 10 p.m. on Saturday night, Nov. 17. No classes were in session at that time. The yellow light blinks in the distance, where students cross 4 lanes of traffic to get to Campus Quarters from the parking lot. By CASSIE FAMBRO editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com

he Vanguard published an editorial earlier this semester about the problems Campus Quarters (CQ) has with parking. On any given Friday or Saturday night, 20-30 cars can be seen parked outside of the department of communication. It’s not to go to class, either. People are parking in the University parking lot because Campus Quarters told them to. Posted on their Facebook page in September, CQ told residents “If there is no visitor parking then guests can either car pool or park across the street in the College of Education parking lot.” The University gave no such permission for CQ residents or their guests to park there. After our editorial, CQ posted emailed us this: “We would like to make certain all readers are aware that the management group and owners of Campus Quarters never approved additional parking to be advertised as an option across the street on University grounds, and we apologize if false information was relayed to any student, tenant, and guest of Campus Quarters.” Since September, we’ve communicated with Campus Quarters and fielded complains and concerns from CQ residents and their guests. Just some of them are to the right of this article. Property manager Alison Collins told The Vanguard that they would speak to their Department of Transportation contact about the traffic light between UCOM and CQ. The light switched from fully functional to blinking yellow at 7 p.m. each night. This meant that anyone crossing from UCOM to CQ essentially crossed blindly with no obligation for oncoming traffic to stop. Last week, Collins did not follow up on what the conversation between CQ

and the DOT held, but the operations manager of Campus Quarters Chad Worner sent The Vanguard an email saying to contact the University about the light, “…since it appears that people are parking in a private University owned parking lot. I am not sure if there is signage up in the University lot concerning vehicular parking and/ or towing, but again Campus Quarters does not approve of, authorize or even suggest that visitors should park across the street in an effort to visit Campus Quarters.” He goes on to say that the University should allow parking there at night for guests to cross the street. “Who knows, maybe someone could get the owner of the property to approve parking across the street during the night, which would make these discussion change course; however, I don’t think the University would want the liability.” Throughout the political drama, the issue is clear. Student lives are in danger. By not providing adequate visitor parking, CQ is forcing visitors to park across the street. The Vanguard asked Roberts and Worner to call the city, and as we heard, they did not. The Vanguard also contacted USAPD Chief Zeke Aull who replied with concern and immediately called the city. The light no longer begins blinking at 7 p.m., it starts at 9. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a start. Patrols need to be increased in that area at night as well. The amount of glass bottles and empty beer cases left littered in the UCOM parking lot show that more than just parking is happening in that lot, furthering the danger to those walking across four lanes in the dark. The University should also consider strengthening the parking policy in the UCOM light and consider banning overnight parking. The fact that CQ built their complex without adequate

parking should not become the University’s responsibility, and it’s CQ’s job to rectify this problem. 25 guest parking places for a college apartment complex? Many have brought up the land in front of CQ, but that land has been purchased for Zaxby’s and other businesses to build upon. Moreover, the new apartment complex being built near Stanky Field called The Edge has already asked the University to allow resident parking in front of the baseball stadium, to which they were denied. If the University doesn’t set a strong example that apartment complexes geared toward students cannot come in and take advantage of the University itself, then these new businesses are going to walk all over USA’s parking rules. Ultimately, it’s the residents that will affect change. The student newspaper shouldn’t have to call the city or the University police department to inquire about safety. When presented with complaints, CQ should have done so instead of Worner deflecting responsibility to the University. CQ has repeatedly said it wants to be “a friend” to the University. CQ needs to show it by working with the University to ensure student safety. People are parking in the UCOM lot, and they’re risking injury by crossing University Blvd. There’s a solution to be found, and it’s up to the two parties to find it. Meanwhile, anyone driving on University needs to watch out for 20-somethings darting across the road late at night. This isn’t about politics. This is about safety. CQ needs to treat it as such instead of placing the blame elsewhere. USA needs to set firm ground rules, and new complexes need to accept responsibility for parking.

Jessica Battles: Its sad that places dont PLAN for how much space should be alloted for student and resident. If I was a resident and couldnt park in the parking lot outside of my apartment that I’m PAYING to lease, then Campus Quarters should think of a solution fast before they start losing residents. Just another apartment complex that takes advantage of students....sad. Hunter King: CQ should have planned ahead and allocated extra space for guest and overflow parking. Aimee Cibiras: CQ will lose residents including me if they don't do something about the parking. In my opinion the University shouldn't let people park in UCOMM forcing CQ to take further actions. Jonathan Allred: How do you build an apartment complex that doesn't have the proper amount of parking? The maximum number of residents should correspond with at least the amount of parking spots, if not an extra few spots. Janell Williams: They should have allocated more than 25 visitor parking spots. In a complex of 500 possible residents, not all the resident spaces are taken. BUT the chances that any guests I have, including my parents, will have to cross a busy road at night are very high. It is only a matter of time before someone is injured. Lauren Linder: I think CQ should expand their parking, assuming that is possible--no whining from them about cost. Parking should be an integral part of your living situation and they owe it to their residents to have ample parking both for residents and guests. If they didn't plan for enough room, that is a problem they have a duty to solve, not push off onto the University parking spaces. Alyssa Wood: I live in campus quarters and ALL of the residents have a place to park and there are plenty of extra spots..however, visitors are first come first serve of the few visitor parking spots in front of the clubhouse & they are welcome to park inside the gate during business hours but at night they have to find somewhere else. Thaddeus Lee They should buy more land for parking. It is not the problem of the University but people will throw the blame on it if someone gets hit crossing late at night like they do. All costs should go towards CQ in whatever outcome they decide on. Alyson Stauder CQ just shouldn't have cars towed. Because it sucks when you don't read the tiny signs and have to get a friend to drive you 40 minutes away to pay $250 to get your car back...and I wouldn't have wanted to park across the four lane road anyway. Austin Dennis CQ was built for the people who pay to live there, the residents. It provides a parking spot for each one. For CQ to provide 30+ visitor spots is an added bonus, as it is not obligated to provide a single one John Sibley Don't park at UCOM.

VOL. 51, NO. 17 / NOV. 19, 2012