12.5 Updated by The Vanguard

VANGUARD

THE DEC 5, 2011

Happy Holidays!

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

VOL. 49, NO. 18

USA celebrates the holidays with lights and decorations; a new tradition

‘Heartwarming’ holday spirit on campus BY CASSIE FAMBRO Editor-in-Chief

FAMBRO / EIC

The Moulton Tower glows and surrounding trees show holiday spirit. The Mitchell Center area will feature a holiday concert December 8.

SGA extends USA Library Hours

The University unveiled holiday decorations on campus for the first time in recent years. LED energy-conserving lights adorn the trees surrounding the Moulton Tower, life-size nutcrackers anchored by sandbags guard the campus portals and Christmas trees greet visitors to the USA Alumni house and faculty club. USA President Gordon Moulton calls the lights “heartwarming” and says they give the center of campus a “spiritual feel.” Director of Facilities Chris Willis says his staff worked diligently on the decorations and believes it fosters a greater sense of spirit on campus. “It really speaks to the beauty of the campus and makes it feel more like a residential campus than a commuter campus.” Assocaite Director of Housing James Birdgeforth encourages residential students to decorate; however, windows are off-limits due to safety hazards. Candles are also prohibited. The USA holiday concert will take place at the Moulton Tower Dec. 8 at 6 p.m.

Power outage scheduled over break; res. halls included Outages are part of a large project intended to increase the quality and potential for growth in the University’s power capabiities. Students will need to leave their residence halls for three days. BY MATT WEAVER Senior Reporter

WEAVER

USA Library will remain open until 2 a.m. from Wed. Dec. 7 until Dec. 13 for students to study before their finals.

Campus residents at the University of South Alabama are being asked to leave for the holidays to allow school technicians to repair electrical issues. The power system’s shortcomings were exposed by a February fire that caused a six-hour-long campuswide power outage, leading to the cancellation of classes. Students will have to leave their rooms by noon Dec. 26 and will not be allowed back until noon Dec. 30. The reason for the evacuations is that all electricity will be turned off on the campus dur-

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ing that week with the only exception being campus police, who will use a generator to protect the campus and the technicians present. University officials first made the decision to evacuate during the summer and notified students as early as Sept. Additional alerts were provided via mass email and door fliers in the months following with the Department of Housing planning one more push as early as this week. With the notice given so far in advance, the University doesn’t have a contingency plan for students with-

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out a place to stay but Director of Housing Dr. Christina Vinet is aware of the concerns and is looking to find a compromise to help everyone find a place to stay. “We’ve been communicating with residents monthly since August floor meetings, email, flyers, etc. to announce the closing,” Vinet said. “If students haven’t found someplace to stay for the holidays, I would ask them to contact our office and see POWER page 4

in this issue (pg 8): Life (pg 12): Opinion /(pg 16): Sports

VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

weather forecast >> “University of South Alabama’s Student Voice”

December 5 - Dec. 12

editorial editor in chief associate editor senior reporter copy editor life editor opinion editor sports editor web editor

Cassie Fambro Genny Roman Matt Weaver Carey Cox Bailey Hammond Imran Mohiuddin Jayson Curry Naquita Hunter

mon

73 55

tue

65 44

wed

54 28

thu

57 34

fri

62 38

sat

53 37

sun

50 33

distribution distribution manager Johnny Davis

advertising advertising manager Wesley Jackson graphic designer Brittany Hawkins advertising sales Mohammad Al-Zarrad

management adviser James 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 surrounding areas. The Vanguard strives to be impartial in its reporting and believes firmly in its First Amendment rights.

submission and editorial policies 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. Unsigned letters will not be published. 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 of the Editor in Chief, Associate Editor, Copy Editor, Senior Reporter, and Opinion Editor. All members of the Editorial Board have the same weight during weekly Editorial Board meetings. The Vanguard has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifications. To report a mistake, call the Editor in Chief at 251-460-6442 or 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 off-campus locations. The first copy is free. Additional copies are $1 each.

We’ll start out the week wet with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Highs on Monday will be in the low 70s and lows in the mid 50s. Tuesday will be wet and stormy with highs will be in the mid 60s with lows in the mid 40s. We will clear out on Wednesday to have mostly clear skies. It will be a bit breezy at times with winds gusting to 20 mph. Highs will be in the mid 50s and lows in the upper 20s. We will start to warm up on Thursday with highs in the upper 50s with overnight lows in the mid 30s. Clouds will be on the increase Friday as a frontal system approaches the area. Highs will break into the low 60s with overnight lows in the upper 30s. A strong cold front will move through on Saturday bringing us the chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs will dive back to the low 50s with overnight lows in the upper 30s on Saturday night and low 30s on Sunday night. Showers could stick around through Sunday. for the latest on your forecast, severe weather updates, and what’s going on in the tropics, find us on Facebook search “StormTeam4Gamma9Wx” you can follow us on Twitter, too search “stormteam4g9wx” and find Patrick on Twitter search “metwxpatrick”

MERRY CHRISTMAS from all of us at ST4G9WX!

VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

Letter to The Editor: Chick-fil-A shares one reader’s personal values Two weeks ago, I read the article “Chick-fil-A is anti-gay” in The Vanguard, and I was concerned by what it was asking. Jeff Gill, the author of the article, said that the students of the University of South Alabama should boycott Chick-filA because it is “anti-gay”. Gill comes to his conclusion because Chick-fil-A has been making donations to Christian organizations, such as the Pennsylvania Family Institute, Family Life and Citizens for Community Values, which are known to support family and marriages between a man and a woman. These reasons, according to Gill, are enough to condemn Chick-fil-A, but I say no. God is the author of marriage because He is the creator of life, and He has created marriage to be between a man and a woman. Our physical anthropology speaks to this truth most profoundly. Only a man and a woman can enter into a communion so intimate that it potentially can give life to another person. This is not a random consequence of

biology but the intelligent design of a Creator. We have no right to redefine marriage. Chick-fil-A understands this truth and has been acting to promote it. So, rather than boycott Chick-fil-A, we should support it and their support of these organizations, especially in today’s society, which is sadly polluted with the broken and erroneous ideology that two men or two women have a right to marriage. I, as a student, am happy and excited to know that there will be a Chick-fil-A on campus because it is a company with not only good food but also good values. So, let’s not condemn Chick-fil-A, but instead, let’s support them and get one of their famous chicken sandwiches today!

Tim Florian University of South Alabama, Junior

VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

Transitional stress can make home life difficult over holidays BY GENNY ROMAN Associate Editor

ing major, said that for him, the stress doesn’t come immediately. “I’d say it doesn’t get to being stressful until about four to five days of being home, because After finals end, most students look you’re so used to being self-sufficient forward to being able to breathe easy and doing things your own way.” For freshman students, they might during an extended vacation. For some, though, going back home for the holi- find the transition startling due to the amount of freedom they have in college. days is stressful itself. According to New York psychologist However, the holidays might be very Jay Seitz, 25 percent of people in the stressful for those about to graduate in the spring. U.S. experience “My dad says he’s some kind of holi“You have to find what ready for me to take day stress or deyour family’s Dragonball on my responsibilipression. ties as his personal That includes Z is.” 401K,” Deal says, “so college students; there’s more presan extended holisure.” day marks the first – Jacob Deal While students’ time some stuStudent anxieties and stress dents have seen can be induced by their family since the school year started, and adjusting to temporarily losing their newfound freebeing away from home can cause some dom or having to make it rain all up in their parents’ house, there are several familial tension. Some of the tension stems from a stu- ways to manage the transition to home dent being on his or her own for a while for the holidays. According to Dr. William Burns, without a parent or guardian around. Jacob Deal, a senior chemical engineer- director of Counseling Services at St.

Lawrence University, communication is key. Talking to parents about plans to go out or road trip; they have the right to know how often you will be at home or away. If you’re going to spend time between households/families, then make your plans early and let everyone know where you will be and when. Discuss and negotiate the rules of the household when you get there; be clear about what you’re doing and be sure to encompass the needs of all concerned parties. If your grades are not what you or your parents were expecting, break the news to your parents. If grades are a source of contention, set aside a time to talk about the issue so you can spend time enjoying the holidays. If the situation is too tense or difficult in your household, you could make alternative plans for some or the entirety of break. Possibly make plans to spend the holidays with a friend and his or her family.

Even though the holidays can be extremely stressful, the best way to cope is communication with your family and early planning. “I plan to hangout with my brother Cole,” Deal says, “Cole and myself will bond over Dragonball Z.” You just have to find whatever your family’s “Dragonball Z” is so you can enjoy a (somewhat) peaceful holiday together.

COURTESY OF INDIANA U

Students can become overwhelmed when faced with the transition between independent life back into the family environment.

Jags news in brief >> when all you’ve got is the two minutes before class starts USA Holiday concert under the stars December 8 University of South Alabama faculty, staff and students and their families are invited to attend a Holiday Concert on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m., at MoultonTower and Alumni Plaza (inclement weather location Mitchell Center). Enjoy an exciting celebration of the world’s favorite seasonal music under the stars at a special holiday concert by USA’s department of music. Performances will feature faculty soloists and student ensembles including the USA Concert Choir, USA Chorale, Wind Ensemble, USA Opera Theatre, String Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, a variety of woodwind and brass ensembles, plus the Jaguar Marching Band. The holiday spectacular will include performances from more than 20 faculty members from the University’s department of music, including musical pieces by faculty vocalists Dr. Thomas Rowell, Joyce Sylvester and Linda Zoghby; pianists Drs. Jerry Alan Bush and Robert Holm; flutist Dr. Andra Bohnet; and percussionist Dr. Michael Sammons.

More than 360 USA students will participate in the seasonal concert, including a premier holiday performance by the 200-member Jaguar Marching Band. Musical numbers will range from classic inspirational pieces from great composers such as Sergei Rachmaninoff and George Friedrich Händel to traditional holiday tunes and an Irish holiday “jig.” Parking for the University’s Holiday Concert will be available in the following lots: Mitchell Center, Gamma/Engineering, Humanities, and Mitchell College of Business. Handicapped parking will be available in the Mitchell Center lot. JagTran will be providing round-trip transportation from these parking lots to the Moulton Tower and Alumni Plaza before and after the Holiday Concert. Courtesy of Renee Paul

USAPD providing car inspections Check Your Ride will be going on next week, Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in front of Campus Police Headquarters on 290 Stadium Boulevard. Students will be able to get their cars checked for safe fluid and tire pressure before heading home for the break.

Twelfth Night Honors event The USA Honors Program is proud to present a traditional celebration of 12th Night on Jan. 6, 2012. Join us as we observe the end of the Yuletide season following the 12th Day of Christmas and welcome the start of the Carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras. A traditional ball masque will be staged with the theme of “12”. USA Honors students will present the tableaux and act out the scenes with some help from the audience. There will be music for dancing before and after the tableaux. Dinner will be

served before the tableaux. The menu will be red beans and rice, Jambalaya and muffalettas with iced tea and water. Genuine New Orleans King Cakes will be imported from Randazzo’s bakery and used to select our King and Queen. A cash bar will provide beer and wine for purchase (each ticket will include two drink coupons to be redeemed at the bar). Minimum age is 21, no students will be admitted. Proceeds benefit Honors student research and travel needs. Join us as we explore the mystery of “12”. Location: Mitchell Center Waterman Globe Cost: $45/person Bar: $3/beer & $4/ wine Dress: Formal or Costume or Business attire Mask: REQUIRED

Have something for News-inBrief? E-mail editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com by the Wednesday before the following publishing week.

VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

SGA purchases Blue Books to benefit students The exam booklets are frequently used as a method to curb cheating on tests and standardize test-taking.

BY CASSIE FAMBRO Editor-in-Chief

STAFF PHOTO

SGA sponsored a senate project to enable students to obtain Blue Books for free.

Power outage over holiday

SGA recently reached an agreement with the bookstore to purchase 550 Blue Books, so that students can obtain them without the hassle of going to grab one before a test. Many teachers require a Blue Book for any handwritten portions of their tests. SGA was able to receive a discount by ordering in bulk, and the total spent was just $150. Senate sponsors included Vice-President Jessica Byrd, Senator Gray West and Senator Parker Chastain. Byrd told The Vangaurd that she hopes that this will continue as a tradition at USA by the SGA. “Many students need Blue Books last minute for their classes. We’re trying to make it easier.” Chastain pointed out the porductivity of using student fees to cover the Blue Book Project.

“As finals roll around the last thing students need to worry about is purchasing another school supply. The purpose of this project is to utilize student fees to provide students with a necessary resources during finals.” Blue Books will be located in the SGA office. The SGA office is inside of the old rec. center, which is now called the Academic Support Building. Students can show their Jag Cards and receive Blue books for free. The SGA does ask students to be reasonable and only pick up as many Blue Books as they need so that the program can be beneficial to as many students as possible on campus. The idea to purchase Blue Books came from Byrd’s effort to encourage senate projects that would benefit a large group of students. More projects are to come, and if students have any ideas, they can visit the SGA website by finding it on www.usouthal.edu’s drop down menu.

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POWER, from page 1 we’ll do everything within our means to find willing faculty and staff who wouldn’t mind donating their time and homes for students with nowhere else to go.” Vinet added that she would advise students to ask their friends and family as their first holiday options. The cumulative cost including the repairs made in February are estimated to cost $1.3 million and have been designed to cut down on future electrical costs. “We have older equipment from the 1970s,” Director of Facilities Management Chris Willis stated. “We’re installing safer equipment to eliminate the risk of failure as well as increasing efficiency with the future growth of the campus in mind.”

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VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

Legislators Thanked for Support of USA Mitchell Cancer Institute

COURTESY OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

University of South Alabama President Gordon Moulton makes a point in a recent meeting with leaders of the Alabama Legislature in which the University thanked lawmakers for $3 million in additional state support this year for the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute. Shown clockwise from lower left are Moulton; Rep. Jim Barton, R-Mobile, chairman of the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee; Rep. Jay Love, R-Montgomery, chair of the House Ways and Means Education Committee; USA legislative liaison Happy Fulford; George Talbot of the Press-Register; House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn; Rep. Jamie Ison, RMobile, chair of the Mobile House delegation; and Rep. Victor Gaston, R-Mobile, House Speaker Pro Tempore. In addition to conducting cancer research, the USA Mitchell Cancer Research Institute this year treated more than 6,000 individual patients representing 55,000 patient treatment sessions. The USAMCI is the only academic cancer research center on the upper Gulf Coast.

Holiday happenings in Mobile PATRICK HERRING Staff Writer If you’re not going to travel home for the holidays, or if Mobile and the surrounding area is where you call home, then there are a few events happening around town that you won’t want to miss. One event that is already running is Magic Christmas in Lights at beautiful Bellingrath Gardens in Theodore. A holiday tradition for decades now, the Christmas lights at Bellingrath Gardens are a spectacle like no other. It features more than 3 million twinkling lights in over 950 custom-designed set pieces in 13 scenes throughout the 65-acre garden estate. The event is open daily from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. through New Year’s Eve with tickets just $12 for adults and $6.50 for children 12 and under. To top it off, there is live music every night, with Mithril even putting on a show on Dec. 17. Also on Dec. 17, the city of Mobile will hold its annual holiday parade. Rolling through the streets of downtown Mobile, the parade will feature local high school marching bands, colorful holiday floats, giant balloons and, of course, Santa Claus. This year’s parade begins at 1:30 p.m. To accompany the parade, there will also be Christmas Kid’s Day in Bienville Square from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., which will include free, fun activities such as face painting, karaoke, balloon clowns and other various crafts. To close out the holiday season, be sure to venture downtown again to be a part of one of the newer traditions of the area, the Moon Pie over Mobile. This is a New Year’s Eve celebration that is unique to Mobile. It features a Mardi-Gras style parade, a street party with live entertainment and at midnight, instead of dropping a boring ball of lights like they do in New York City, they drop a 12-foot-tall, electronic Moon Pie from the 34-story RSA-BankTrust Building. Following the Moon Pie drop, there will be a spectacular laser and fireworks show.

jagLIFE

BAILEY HAMMOND, JAGLIFE EDITOR life.editor@usavanguard.com VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

Save the date MLK Day of Service is Jan. 16 -mark your calendars STUART SOX Contributing Writer Over the last few months, mysterious flyers have been posted around campus reading: “Save the date, January 16th 2012.” This was a “mystery” ad campaign utilized by the students of the Community Service Living Learning Community to promote awareness about 1-16-12. Recently, the students have unveiled the reason why we should “save the date.” (See flyer, right.) Jan. 16, 2012 is the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service. University of South Alabama students have played an invaluable part in serving others in the community through this event, averaging around between 500 and 700 student volunteers each year. Since the beginning of the fall semester, Professor Karen Peterson and the students of the Community Service Living Learning Community have been diligently working to organize and promote the event for the 2012 year.

“Interestingly, service to others is often the perfect solution to alleviate the pressures of college life.” “This Community Service class has been the best I’ve had,” Peterson commented. “They’ve worked so hard at getting sponsors, organizing projects, and getting the word out. They have truly done a wonderful job.” Because MLK Day is the day before spring semester starts, Peterson and the students of the Community Service LLC

realize that many students will be disinclined to serve and instead use that day to prepare for new classes. Students are, however, encouraged to finish their preparations earlier so that they can participate in such an important event. According to Peterson, “MLK Day is great way to honor Dr. King. He believed in service as a great unifier. The best way to honor him is to serve on MLK Day.” MLK Day is founded on Dr. King’s belief in the importance of serving others. Dr. King once said, “If you want to be important, wonderful. If you want to be recognized, wonderful. If you want to be great, wonderful! But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That is the new definition of greatness.” It’s easy for college students to become so busy with school, athletics and extracurricular activities. At times the stress of everything can seem all-consuming. Interestingly, service to others is often the perfect solution to alleviate the pressures of college life. Sharing in the burdens of others allows us to focus on others and not ourselves and gain perspective on the plight of our community. Serving the homeless, for example, would allow us to gain perspective of a life less-fortunate and cause us to be thankful for what we already have, making the stress and intensity of our own life situations diminish. This is not meant to say that we should serve because of the ways it benefits us. On the contrary, it is our civic duty. According to Nathan Deal, the governor of Georgia and an MLK Day advocate, “Service is an important part of what makes us human and also an important

COURTESY STUART SOX

These posters can be found on bulletin boards across campus. They are designed with a bar code that can be scanned to find out more about the event and ways you can participate.

part of what makes us good citizens.” How can you serve on MLK Day? Visit caslce.org or facebook.com/usamlkday, sign up and sign a liabilty form online or on the day of the event. Free transportation and food will be provided. Also, free T-shirts will be provided to the first 400 volunteers. Service on MLK Day can also be used as service hours for a club, scholarship or other university organization requirements. As Coretta Scott King, Dr. King’s widow, once said, “The greatest gift that Martin could receive is if people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds celebrated the holiday by performing individual acts of kindness through service to others.”

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VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

Bringing DIVERSITY back

weekly lowdown

BAILEY HAMMOND JagLife Editor After 10 years, DIVERSITY is back for a reunion show. Many of you may be scratching your heads and wondering, “Just what is DIVERSITY?” “10 years ago it began as a dream, cliche I know but that’s what it was,” answered Damon Goldman, a founding partner of DIVERSITY. DIVERSITY is a musical modge-podge of local acts that can trace its ancestry to Bubble Lounge and the minds of Damon Goldman and compatriot Chris Welch. The pair was aided by contributions from other music lovers in the form of donated musical equipment, set-up and promotional help. At its inception, this gathering of musical acts on Sunday nights at Bubble Lounge provided an outlet for DJs, MCs, spoken word poets, bands, acoustic performers and comedians to practice their art forms in front of an audience. There was even a “no booing” policy. Anyone and everyone were welcome to the fun. Sadly, this event ended when Goldman moved to San Diego 10 years ago, but in the true spirit of the season, Goldman is returning to Mobile for Christmas, and he’s arranged to get the gang back together for a reunion. “I am very proud of DIVERSITY and what came out of it. I know the night will be full of love, friends, music, and I think Santa might be stopping by as well,” Gold-

mon > dec 5 SGA Meeting

8 p.m. Biomedical Science Library. “All are welcome to attend.” JP Christmas Party

5 p.m. at John Counts Room in the Mitchell Center. “Food, games and prizes!”

tue > dec 6 USA Wind Ensemble Fall Concert

7:30 p.m. Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall. Conducted by Dr. Greg Gruner. Tickets at door only. $8 General, $5 USA faculty, staff, students, under 18 and seniors. COURTESY

One the original participants in DIVERSITY, Crucial Rhyme will be performing at the Alabama Music Box on Dec. 22.

man said. On Thursday, Dec. 22, DIVERSITY will be in full swing at Alabama Music Box. Returning veterans Crucial Rhyme, Aftershock and the Deep End, Digital Organix, DJ Kraze and DJ Tommy Tronic are just a few of the acts set to perform at the event. “This would be a great start to hopefully a new beginning of sorts. I hope someone will want to continue the event in hopes that others get the chance that these guys

did,” Goldman said. Whether the torch is passed to a new enterprising hand or not, the night is sure to be a trip, not only to the past, but to a glimpse of Mobile’s local, musical talent. It is on the shoulders of Mobile’s citizens to support local musicians and artists. Although there has been some stymying circumstances lately, that shouldn’t stop the true appreciators giving these young and old artists alike a hand (or two).

Seven tips for getting past finals week safely BAILEY HAMMOND JagLife Editor 1. Get enough sleep. This may seem self-explanatory, but you will be sorely tempted to stay up late and cram, and that, my friends, hurts more than it helps in the end. Get at least seven hours of shut-eye each night, especially on the nights before an exam. You’ll thank yourself. 2. Eat regularly. Coffee is good, but perhaps you might want to invest in actual food. Your brain, remarkable organ that it is, needs sustenance, and overloading on java only gets you so far before you break down like a fat man at a pie-eating contest. 3. Beat yourself at your own game. Definition: don’t let yourself procrastinate too much. Some procrastination is okay, healthy even, but if you’re waiting to write that

10-page paper until the night before it’s due, you won’t be alone but you will hate yourself. So much self-loathing. 4. Form a study group. These are tricky. You have to be selective when it comes to study groups because some people only want to use you for your smarts (assuming you have any) and won’t actually bring anything worthwhile to the group. Just be sure to vet each member of the study pod so you won’t have a brainsucker draining you of your time, energy and knowledge. Study groups are for collaboration not tutoring. 5. Take your vitamins and stay hydrated. Yet again, this should be pretty obvious to reasonable people. Any other time of the year, getting sick sucks like a Eureka vac, but getting sick on the week of finals adds a new layer of suck. It super sucks.

Avoid it like the plague, because in the end, you just might be. 6. Avoid other people during finals. This one is a little personal, but you folks would do well to heed the warning in these words. Final exams bring out the worst in us all; we become the beasts that we hide within during the majority of the semester. (See Symptoms of finals.) Give the easily stressed a wide berth, if only for your own peace of mind. Stress is easier to catch than a cold. 7. Recognize when you need a break. All of that studying and hermiting won’t do you much good if you go slowly insane. Go outside, go for a run, eat some frozen yogurt, meet a friend for coffee, watch some TV or just take a nice nap. Whatever you decide to do, stay calm. Finals can smell fear.

wed > dec 7 Fall Webinar Series: LinkedIn Makeover Seminar

2 p.m. Career Services, 2100 Meisler Hall. “Guidance to students on how to craft an amazing and powerful LinkedIn profile showcasing your skills and marketing you as someone who deserves to be noticed.”

thu > dec 8 Holiday Concert

6 p.m. Moulton Tower and Alumni Plaza. (Inclement weather location: Mitchell Center) “Seasonal music under the stars performed by USA Deparment of Music faculty and student ensembles.” LAST DAY OF CLASSES

fri > dec 9 FIRST DAY OF FINAL EXAMS

Want your event featured? E-mail the name, date, time, price, place and a brief tagline (under 7 words) to life.editor@usavanguard.com. Include “Weekly Lowdown” in the subject line. E-mails must be received at least 7 days before the event.

VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

How to tell if your friends may be stressed BAILEY HAMMOND JagLife Editor Do you feel the weight of finals and the lure of winter break lurking around the corner? Sure you do. It’s hard not to think about all of the wonderful things you will be doing when classes are finally over for the semester. Even professors are looking forward to a month-long break. “I don’t think students have an accurate sense of other people’s mental health,” said Dr. Mark Reed, the psychiatrist directing Dartmouth College’s counseling office. “There’s a lot of pressure to put on a perfect face, and people often think they’re the only ones having trouble,” added Dr. Reed in an article for The New York Times. However, as we get closer and closer to that promised month of paradise, you are bound to begin noticing some rather strange behaviors from your fellows.

Welcome to college, where even the carefree can be transformed into creatures of horror. If you start to notice that the normally cheerful have dark clouds on their faces or fail to laugh at a joke that you know for sure was super funny, then you have spotted just one symptom of P-FWPD (PreFinals Week Personality Dysfunction). Loss of sense of humor is only one indication that your formerly normal peer has become an Other. The disfunction progresses rapidly into the development of an inability to bathe everyday. Tell-tale signs are greasy locks shoved into a beanie or ball-cap, aversion to soap and water, over-use of deodorant and-worst of all--unbrushed chompers. Once this stage has been reached, you can be certain that the individual in question has gone to a place so far inside that he or she no longer cares about hygiene. Mentioning this lack of cleanliness is not likely to make much of a difference. The P-FWPD affected student does

COURTESY STUART SOX

Cartoon or not, this sort of situation is all too common during finals week, minus the intravenous espresso drip.

not have time for “hanging out,” and goodness forbid anyone tells said student to “chill out” because that may lead to P-FWPD Rage. P-FWPD Rage is a unique type of

passive-aggressive (and potentially, actually agressive) behavior found exclusively on college campuses across the country during any week of final exams. The affected students should not be held responsible for any “unkind,” “crude,” “reckless” or “violent” behavior exhibited when provoked. They don’t know what they are doing, and quite honestly, anyone who provokes the P-FWPD sufferer is probably deserving of any consequences. Just saying. The best thing for anyone not suffering from P-FWPD is to stay away from any libraries or coffee shops. One of the only things keeping PFWPD afflicted students from having a psychotic break and functioning on a somewhat human level are the complete dependence on caffeine and the constant guzzling of coffee. Get in the way of said students at own risk. The only cure for P-FWPD is time. Happy finals week and holidays.

USA Opera and Musical Theatre frivolity TIMOTHY BORLAND Contributing Writer This year’s USA Opera and Musical Theater Performance went off with a bang--literally. Everyone in the Laidlaw Center jumped in their seats and began laughing hysterically after Emily Muncaster shot off a prop gun inside of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center. No reason to be worried, this is all part of the show. The prop was used as a part of the ensemble’s performance of “The Gun Song” from the musical “Assassins,” by legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim. Students in attendance were treated to several other surprises during the jampacked, two-act revue. Dr. Thomas Rowell instructs the Opera and Musical Theater ensemble, and Dr. Laura Moore accompanied many of the selections on piano. This annual tradition is a favorite among students due to the addition of humor and theatricality. Many hear the word “opera” and envision rotund ladies singing glass shattering high notes in ballroom gowns. This stereotype must be laid to rest;

COURTESY TIMOTHY BORLAND

COURTESY IGOR VIEIRA/IGOROPERA.COM

USA Opera and Musical Theatre ensemble is set up in the Recital Hall at Laidlaw Performing Arts Center with an audience eager to experience the magic.

These professional opera singers give a taste of what is coming to USA in the spring with the opera “Gianni Schicchi.” It is a comedic opera based on Dante’s “Divine Comedy.”

this is not your grandmother’s opera. The difference could be no more apparent than when a chorus of witches cavort the stage cackling at the audience as they perform “S’allontanarono!” from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Macbeth.” Most operas are not in English, but the audience was able to keep up with the story thanks to translations projected behind the performers. The performance offered a perfect

introduction to opera via a couple of wellknown selections mixed in with familiar musical theater favorites like “Those Canaan Days” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Nothin’ Like a Dame” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific,” and “Mr. Cellophane” from Kander and Ebb’s “Chicago.” For a full opera experience, USA students can support the music department

by attending the Giacomo Puccini opera “Gianni Schicchi” this spring. This eagerly anticipated performance includes senior Nicholas Brownlee in his final leading role before graduation. Last year, Brownlee was selected as a semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions held at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, New York.

VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

Into the kitchen: The Vanguard’s Holiday recipes 2011 Mrs. Kathy’s Easy Caramel Pie 2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk 1 (9 inch ) graham cracker pie crust 1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping thawed ½ cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) I like pecans (optional) A small hand full of sweet chocolate morsels for topping pie A small hand full of crushed heath bar morsels for topping pie Place the cans of condensed milk unopened and with labels taken off, in a large pot and cover with water. Be sure to get cans without pull top lids. Cook on high until water comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium/high for 3 hours, only adding water to keep cans covered. Add hot water only. After the boiling process, pour water off cans and allow to cool to the touch. When condensed milk is cool mix milk and nuts together. Pour mixture into pie crust and cool pie in refrigerator. When completely cool top pie with whipped topping. Sprinkle chocolate morsels and heath bar morsels on top and enjoy!

Check out thevanguardonline.com for more staff picks for holiday recipes!

Genny’s Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping I made this vegan recipe for winter break last year and was a little scared it would turn out flavorless. It ended up being a big hit (quelle surprise!) and really sweet, reminiscent of a praline flavor. 4 large or 6 medium sweet potatoes, cooked (I used a pressure cooker) and peeled 2 tablespoons margarine 1/4 cup soy creamer or soymilk 1/4 cup orange juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping: 1/4 cup margarine 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1/3 cup unbleached white flour 3/4 cups chopped pecans 2 tablespoons maple syrup Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray (or wipe with canola oil). Mash the sweet potatoes with the margarine until smooth. Add the soy creamer, orange juice, vanilla, sugar, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Mix the topping ingredients together until well-combined. Spread or sprinkle over the casserole and bake for 45 minutes or until hot throughout.

USA: A broken family GENNY ROMAN ASSOCIATE EDITOR

If you see how South Alabama treats its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, you’re probably not seeing anything. Within the past year, a lot of talk and little action have taken place over the Non-Discrimination policy. In Fall 2010, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Alliance (GLBTA) wanted to see the addition of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression included in the Non-Discrimination policy. Since then, the 2010-2011 SGA, acting as a major advocate, passed a resolution which was presented to the administration, and what they have to show for the effort was almost nothing. Yes, the Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence policy was changed to include sexual orientation in one of its clauses, but that’s only a foot in the door for the GLBTA (now USA Spectrum) and last year’s SGA. But is there really supposed to be a foot in the door? A question left unanswered is whether USA would have included that language in either the Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence policy or Non-Discrimination policy if the Dept. of Education and Office of Civil Rights hadn’t sent the Dear Colleague letter about Title VII (prohibiting sex discrimination in education) compliance. Of course the University has to worry about being compliant with federal law to receive funding, but what if that letter had never come? Seeing the stagnancy of the Non-Discrimination issue at the moment, USA more than likely wouldn’t have budged if the federal government hadn’t come knocking. While including sexual orientation in the harassment policy is an important step, it’s hardly bold. According to the Transgender Law and Policy Institute, 415 public and private universities in the United States, like University of Florida and Yale, have policies including sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Multiple universities in the state of Alabama (public and private, like University of Alabama-Birmingham and Auburn) include protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. What is South Alabama’s excuse? Over and over again, South uses the excuse “we’re in compliance.” It’s a tired

OPINION

IMRAN MOHIUDDIN, OPINION EDITOR opinion.editor@usavanguard.com

Our view >> a staff editorial

Jag Bikes accomplished cultural change The fear that the Jag Bikes are all gone has been all but confirmed. With Housing doing a sweep of the residence halls and finding only 19 Jag bikes, it left us with a sense of disappointment. It’s estimated that there are less than half of the 500 bikes that were introduced in August. One hundred of those were never released and were instead stored for later use. They are housed at UCOM. Repairs are made constantly to the Jag Bikes at UCOM, and they see a steady stream of bikes coming in to this day. Their average turn-around for getting the bikes back out is two weeks, according to student employees that repair the bikes. The most common repair is that the chains come loose, and this can easily be explained by the challenging terrain on campus and the heavy use the bikes receive when they are out and available. The entire focus of the project was to encourage alternate methods of transportation in order to alleviate traffic congestion on campus and environmental pollution. Granted, the Jag Bikes have likely either been stolen, sold for scrap, or they really are covered in grilled chicken stickers in Tennessee being ridden by homeless people. The important and hopefully inspiring part of the entire Jag Bikes debacle is the fact that there are more personal bikes on campus than ever before. The culture has been permanently altered, even if Jag Bikes are a punch line. In front of Stokes Hall, the bike racks are brimming with bikes. People are riding on the sidewalks more than ever before. While many people may be displeased that the bikes were not introduced with a check-out system, it needs to be understood that this was never meant to be a permanent program. It was to inspire a change from the inside out. It has. You may not see a Jag Bike, but you do see bikes. That’s the point, and that’s a success for Jag Smart.

Editorial Board

Cassie Fambro > Editor-in-Chief Genny Roman > Associate Editor

COURTESY OF USA SPORTS

Jag Bikes have become a USA staple; even more so, they encouraged students to bring their own bikes and have created a permanat shift in methods of transportation on campus.

Imran Mohiuddin > Opinion Editor Matt Weaver > Senior Reporter

Bailey Hammond > Life Editor Jayson Curry > Sports Editor

Jag voice >> opinion poll

Should we get dead days before exams? I don’t think there really is a need for dead days. Last year we didn’t have any, and the exam schedule worked out just fine. We’re already getting out after most of the other schools in the state, and there’s really no reason to change this.

With the courseload that I’m taking, just one dead day would do me a world of good. Next week, I have a research paper due, and the next day I have my organic chemistry final. How am I supposed to pull all of this? Your guess is as good as mine.

Yeah, we definitely need a few dead days because the test block for exams is so short, and many classes have comprehensive exams. There’s no way to fully prepare for a class when you’re spread so thin.

Stephanie Smith Education Sophomore

Imran Mohiuddin Biological Sciences Sophomore

Chad Richards Computer Science Freshman

To find us > search “The Vanguard USA”

POINT COUNTERPOINT Should the United States allow for offshore drilling on the Gulf Coast? Editor’s introduction: Following the BP oil spill in 2010, many people have come to believe that the United States should not allow for offshore drilling in the Gulf Coast, especially when considering the enviornmental implications. Still, others believe that it might be necessary for the United States to one day utilize its own oil reserves and that it would be foolish to prohibit offshore drilling. The P/CP explains.

Point >>

Let’s not limit our options

It would be foolhardy to rule out offshore drilling for the United States. Making all those deposits of oil in the gulf untouchable with a piece of legislation would fail to consider the United States’ energy demands and the steadily declining relationships our nation has with Justin Jong most major current oil exporters. Now I know that offshore drilling has a bad reputation, especially considering the effects of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, which released roughly 4.9 million barrels of oil into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. I too watched as fish and birds were rescued from the water, covered in oil and struggling to survive. Still, that incident should not be the standard by which we consider offshore drilling as a whole. To do so would be incredibly naïve, like judging the nuclear power industry solely by the Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi meltdowns even though there are currently 440 nuclear reactors operating in 30 countries worldwide.

Furthermore, the United States is still number one when it comes to oil consumption. According to the Energy Information Administration, the United States consumes 18.8 million barrels of oil per day, which is more than the next four nations combined, and this number doesn’t look it’s going to decrease anytime soon. Another thing to consider is America’s fraying ties with the eastern world. Currently the three largest producers of oil are Russia at 9.9 MBD (millions of barrels per day), Saudi Arabia at 9.7 MBD, and the U.S with 9.1 MBD. With all the controversy surrounding Iran and its potential for creating a nuclear weapon, it’s not a stretch to say that the U.S. ties with eastern trade partners could very much be subject to change. With that being said, it is quite possible that in the future, the United States will need to adopt a more energy-independent stance, and the oil supplies in the gulf would be necessary to maintain national security at the time. When it’s all said and done, offshore drilling, while not perfect, is something that is vital for the United States, and banning it would be stupid to say the least.

Counterpoint >> We should consider alternatives Offshore petroleum drilling on the Gulf Coast is becoming a more and more equitable solution to the issue of energy. However, the reliance to carbon fuels (petroleum among them) has become an addiction that cannot be easily quelled. As a former employee of both a multinational oil/gas corporation and Jeff Gill an environmental watchdog non-profit group, I can say that there is a very heated debate on where we should allocate money for the future of energy. Advocating the extraction of petroleum adds to the risk of ruining the ecology of our own back yard and lowering the Gulf’s quality of life. Even before the environmental risk of oil spills is accounted for, a bigger problem looms: hypoxia zones. These hazards contaminate the Mississippi with nitrogen (from the breadbasket in the Midwest), which spills into the Gulf and lowers the ability for fish to feed, lowering fisheries output and severing our coastal economy. The risk of environmental disasters is multiplied when offshore drilling is added: sediment movement catalyzed by dredging (or coastal land loss), oil spills and

lower rates of birth for harvestable animals. This does not take into account the direct risk rigworkers undergo to feed our addiction, who bear the risk of injury and death on these man-made islands. Of course, the spills associated with offshore drilling are very difficult to actually clean up. Even our infamous BP oil spill from 20 months ago is not cleaned up, because of the pervasive nature of oil spills. There will not be a major clean-up until someone is held accountable. The other media frenzy you’ve probably heard, Exxon’s spill in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, is not clean either, after 20 years. Developing the Gulf Coast for oil extraction has many advantages that a Gulf wave and wind energy economy could also have, including thousands of steady jobs, and a steady source of cheap energy. Unfortunately, the infrastructure for such a source is simply not feasible when the only requirement an energy corporation has is to score a profit, and score a profit, they do. As poorly as the oil industry takes care of its surroundings (including us) in order to minimize their costs, a sustainable solution should be demanded by residents of the Gulf Coast, including you.

Opinion Editorial: The cost of freedom of speech IMRAN MOHIUDDIN Opinion Editor

We’ve all come to take our right to protest for granted. We’ve been brought up to believe that it’s both our right and duty to speak up and challenge injustice because our complaints are the force that will drive change. That’s the wonderful thing about America—or so we’ve been taught. Money and power don’t reign supreme because we are endowed with unalienable rights that protect us. Life. Liberty. The pursuit of happiness. We’ve all heard these words countless times since childhood, and it seems that constant exposure has

dulled their importance to us. They now exist as mere platitudes to be muttered customarily in elementary school history programs or before high school graduation ceremonies. It’s rare that we actually dwell upon the words and their importance in our nation’s creation. We don’t think about the discontent and frustration that drove the founding fathers to dump shiploads of tea into the Boston Harbor, nor do we consider the hopelessness and futility felt by a man who holds no stake in his own future. No, we live in America, and we’ve never been forced to confront those notions. We have a constitution to protect us and a democratic system of values that allows for anyone to express their opinions, whatever they may be.

So while that means we must occasionally tolerate Westboro Baptist Church as they picket funerals and denigrate religions right and left, it also means that no legitimate grievances are silenced. Or so it’s been up to now. According to the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin passed a piece of legislation that would require protesters to buy permits in order to protest. Explaining that protesters “shall be liable to the state . . . for any expense arising out of any such use and for such sum as the managing authority may charge for such use,” the Walker administration seeks to maintain order, but in doing so they have crafted a piece of legislation loaded with implications.

For one, the legislation essentially puts a price on the right to free speech. While they can finance it, protesters can fight for causes they believe in, but what happens when the money runs out? Do these grievances suddenly lose legitimacy? Growing up, I was taught that there were certain pillars that grounded this nation. There were values that couldn’t be undermined, no matter the circumstance. But in this year where nonviolent student protesters have been brutalized, the freedom of the Internet has been called into question, and the senate concluded that American citizens can be detained indefinitely, it’s hard to remain optimistic.

VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

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SPORTS 15

ThatGuySMOOTH Lamontis GardnerS/O to the basketball team!! Them boys progressed a lot this year! jgeezy54 jon griffin- If you ever wanna play a game of chess with a CHEATER hit up @_Kevo12_ ...he uses “show hint” in chess more than the alphabet uses letters! CJBennett15 cj bennett- I’m convinced God put acorns on the earth to be thrown at people _RusHen_ Rush Hendricks@DrewPac72 just whipped in a gas station directly after we ate dinner and said “ don’t judge me I’m really craving a little debbie” #HEAVY ShelbyOwen22 Shelby Owen- Cleaning frost off my windows<<<<< _RusHen_ Rush Hendricks- Just gave myself a wedgie getting dressed because I outgrew my jeans #footballproblems lilwaldon_81 Corey Waldon- Last Xmas my mom got me a CD player what will she think of next a VCR ChrisMay55 Chris May- With these two new games in the room there with be zero studying accomplished this week #smh Big_Lundy Peter Parker- “@King_ Carter32 Peeing on a moving bus <<<”-- whhoooooooaaaaaaaa Olivia_Mohler12 Olivia Mohler- My face is as red as my hair because it’s so hot in the library #gingerrific Bj_Scott_1 Bj Scott- Are the ribs in the cafe good ... Is a pig’s foot pork? MachineGunHeavy Drew Dearman- I recommend everybody check their exam schedules... they’re coming up vurrry fast CJBennett15 cj bennett- Those new coke machines are the coolest freekin things I’ve seen in quite some time ThatGuySMOOTH Lamontis GardnerMobile have the craziest weather UnoDosTrey123 Trey Anderson- The honeybadger is that deal...he strikes again!! Bahaha King_Carter32 J.D.C- Thanks for all who came out tonight, hope u enjoyed and if u missed then it’s another one wednesday against Southern Miss #Keepsupporting

JAYSON CURRY, SPORTS EDITOR sports.editor@usavanguard.com VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

USA Basketball’s Antione Lundy, Freddie Goldstein, Augustine Rubit, Wendell Wright and Mychal Ammons

COURTESY OF JAYSON CURRY

Defense stands out for Jaguars JT CRABTREE Sports Reporter While most students were headed home for the start of Thanksgiving break, the men’s basketball team was still hard at work on the road taking on SEC foe LSU. After being down by 11 points with eight minutes left in the second half, the Jags went on a 14-2 run to take the lead with three minutes left. Trailing by three with only 18 seconds left in the game, Freddie Goldstein made one of two free throws, with Xavier Roberson getting the rebound after the miss to keep the ball. On the ensuing possession, down by two, Goldstein hit a shot as the buzzer sounded to send the game to overtime tied at 69. “Freddie wants every big shot,” head coach Ronnie Arrow said. “If anyone’s going to make it, he will.” The Jags never looked back after that, holding the lead for the duration of overtime, winning the contest 79-75, their first win against a SEC team since the 2009 upset of 18th ranked Florida. Augustine Rubit led the team with 20 points. “To come in here and play the way we did was a total team effort,” Arrow said. “I can’t be happier with any team that I’ve ever coached.” The Jags took a week off to return home to host the Blazers of UAB this past Wednesday, the start of four straight home games. Riding on confidence from their previous win, the Jags came to win. Facing a UAB team that has made postseason play for the past four years, the Jaguars took an early 14-9 midway through the first half. A stout defense kept the Blazers to only 23 percent shooting for the first half, coupled

with the Jags shooting 6-9 on free throws and three three-pointers. The Jags took a 27-19 lead going into the half. Javier Carter led the team with seven points and three blocks at the half. In the second half, the Jags continued their torrid pace, opening on a 7-0 run to expand the lead to its larger of the night, leading 34-19 with 15 minutes remaining. At the eight-minute mark, UAB brought the score within 10 fueled by forward Cameron Moore’s 13 points. UAB proceeded to go on a 9-2 run, cutting the lead to 49-45 with 23 seconds remaining. On the following play, forward Augustine Rubit was fouled and sent to the line, where he sank both shots to ice the game for the Jags. South would win 55-47, led by the defensive efforts of Javier Carter, whose seven blocks were the most by any USA player since 1994. Rubit and Xavier Roberson tied for the team lead with 14 points. Freddie Goldstein, making his first start of the season, led the team with four assists. Coach Arrow postgame praised the team’s defensive prowess and the confidence the team has. “I think at LSU we learned how to win,” Arrow said. “We just need to run our offense better. Javier has the potential to be lead the nation in shots.” The Jags looked to extend their winning to three straight on Saturday against Alabama A&M Bulldogs, a 0-2 team who boasts the sixth toughest schedule in the country. Just as before, the Jags built off a strong defense and capitalized on several free throw opportunities to hold back a fast paced A&M lineup. With the score sitting at 14-11, South went on a 14-0 run for seven minutes, led by Freddie Goldstein’s eight points and

forward Antione Lundy’s six points during the run. Much as against UAB, the Jags defense was outstanding, holding the Bulldogs to shooting only 19 percent in the first half. The Jags went into the half holding a 2914 lead. Goldstein had 10 points at the break, and Lundy had nine points and 12 rebounds off the bench. “There’s no question that [Lundy] gave us some lift,” Arrow said. “We weren’t scoring inside. We were struggling in there, and he came in and gave us some really good minutes.” “That’s my job every game. I’m the guy that gets everybody pumped up, I feel that,” Lundy said. “Coached pulled me to the side, and he said we needed that spark. I was just out there playing.” In the second half, the Jags were sent to the charity stripe numerous times, and they took advantage, shooting 15-23 from the line. Within the first six and a half minutes of the second half, the Bulldogs committed an atrocious nine team fouls. For the entire game, A&M committed a total of 27 personal fouls, six players having three or more fouls. The Jags held a 5122 lead midway through the half, going on an 11-0 run, getting points from five different players. Ten of the 12 players that entered the game scored for the Jags. South would go on to win 67-44. Antione Lundy’s 14 rebounds were the most by a USA player since 2009. The Jags were paced by Freddie Goldstein’s career-best 15 points and Lundy’s first double-double of the season. Now carrying a 4-2 record, those two losses being to ranked teams, the Jags take a world of confidence into Wednesday’s matchup against Conference USA foe Southern Miss at 7 p.m.

VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

Lady Jags now 5-3, face Spring Hill next HANNAH BLACKBURN Sports Reporter

two turnovers. The Jags made only four baskets from behind the arc, which ties their season low. Mississippi State now leads the all-time series 10-6 and has won three straight. MSU is also 6-1 against USA in Starkville. Coach Rick Pietri is now only 1-4 versus the Bulldogs.

USA vs. Utah Once again the bench played a big role in the Lady Jags 61-53 win over Utah. Jennifer Johnson came off the bench to score a career high of 20 points to help USA grab the victory. Fifteen of those 20 points came in the final period of play. Johnson ended the night 7-of-15 from the field, and this included 3-of-7 from behind the arc. Johnson also pulled down five rebounds, recorded two steals and one block in 23 minutes of action. For their play at the UTSA Thanksgiving Classic, both Johnson and Camille Reynolds were selected to the all-tournament team. Mansa El also ended the night with double figures. The red-shirt junior had 10 points and dished out three assists. El has recorded 10 points in three of her last four games. As a team, USA shot a season best of 41.3 percent from the field. The Jags went 19-of46 from the floor and 5-of-14 behind the arc. The offense really got into gear in the second half as the Jags were 10-for-21 from the floor for 47.6 percent, which is a season high. USA also did a great job defensively in the second half as they held Utah to just 22 points. After allowing Utah to shoot 52.2 percent in the first period of play, USA held Utah to just 30.4 percent shooting (7-of-23) in the second half.

USA vs. Mississippi State

USA vs. Tennessee State

JAYSON CURRY/ SPORTS EDITOR

USA Women’s head basketball coach Rick Pietri stands in front of the Lady Jags’ bench.

pi State, the Bulldogs used a big first half to pull away from the Lady Jags in their 63-47 victory. South Alabama managed to hold a fivepoint lead over the Bulldogs, but then the Bulldogs answered back with a 19-0 run over a five-minute stretch. USA struggled offensively all night as they made just 14 of their 65 attempts from the floor for a season low of 21.5 shooting percentage. The Jags’ previous low came in its other loss to Ole Miss in which they only made 25.8 percent.

Mississippi State finished the night shooting 44.2 percent from the floor, hitting 23 of their 52 attempts. MSU shot 50 percent in the final half alone. Despite cold shooting over the beginning several minutes by both teams, the Jags pulled out an early 7-2 lead after Sarda Peterson put down a three-pointer and Taylor Ammons made a layup with under 12 minutes to go in the first half. The layup by Ammons would be the only points for the Jags for the next six-plus minutes as they would go cold from the floor, missing their next 13 attempts and having

The Lady Jags’ strong offense second half was not enough as they fell short to Tennessee State 47-69. After struggling in the first half, USA posted its best half of the season in the final period of play, but it wasn’t enough. Mansa El led all scorers with a career-high 23 points in the loss. El was 6-of-12 from the field and 9-of-12 at the charity stripe. She also pulled down seven rebounds and dished out five assists. Joining her with double figures was freshman Jennifer Johnson with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while Camille Reynolds and Sarda Peterson each put down 11 points.

Three-point shooting was huge help for TSU making 9-of-18. The Jags were just 6-of-23 from beyond the arc making just 26.1 percent. Over the second half, the Jags were 15-for-29 from the field, but just 2-of-8 from long distance. With the loss, the series between USA and TSU is tied at 1-1 The Lady Jags next two games will be at home. USA will face Spring Hill on Wednesday at 5.:05 p.m. and then will face Talladega on Saturday with tip off at 7:05 p.m.

In the Jags’ road game against Mississip-

Track stars run into success with love

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USA Track and Field Athletes Steven Nobles and Savannah Steiner.

JAYSON CURRY Sports Editor South Alabama track and field athletes Steven Nobles and Savannah Steiner are truly lucky. As college athletes, there are very few times in your career that your day can be understood by the average college student. Most of the time, the only time you can actually relate to someone is when it’s another athlete. Most athletes are restricted by their sports in every aspect of their day. Your diet is different, your schedule is different and even the smallest things like studying or just hanging out are different for athletes. For Nobles and Steiner, they have this understanding. After meeting first when Savannah was visiting USA as a high school recruit, the pair have been inseparable. The couple is now engaged and will getting married Jan. 7. “I met him on my recruiting visit, and we started practicing together in the summer. It was just us two practicing together,”

Steiner said. “We were friends for a year, Just track buddies, but he liked me the whole time.” “I’ve been doing sports my whole life, so I want to be active. It’s really nice to do them together because he understands. We both understand what each other are going through. Physically, mentally, travel. It’s just nice to be dating someone, because they know what you have gone through.” With most athletes who date other athletes, there is always a coach that isn’t too sure about it. This is no different for USA track and field head coach Paul Brueske. “When we first started dating, coach Brueske seriously thought about starting a no dating rule, and I guess we kind of sparked that,” Steiner said. “But he didn’t go through with it.” As said before, understanding an athlete is hard to do when you aren’t one. Nobles and Steiner echoed this when talking to them. “It helps me so much because only certain people can coach me, and Steven

knows how to talk to me,” Steiner said. “So he can give me pointers, and at meets he calms me down and motivates me to do better.” “I just like being around her, it is fun,” Nobles said. “For me, it’s just nice having her out here every day.” But for Nobles and Steiner, there is more to worry about than just sports. “Individually, it is a means to an end. We use athletics as a vehicle to get a college education, and school always comes first but it is fun,” Nobles said. “I get to come out and do what I love every day and get exercise.” “When I leave practice I just go home and start planning the wedding,” Steiner said. “It’s been like that for a couple months now, so my schedule is pretty tight.” The couple both agreed their performance on the field hasn’t and won’t be affected by their relationship, even with the added stress of a wedding. Both look to have a great season and help USA to a successful track and field season.

VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

COURTESY OF JAYSON CURRY

Inside the Mitchell Center, the pep band humerously tries to distract opposing teams. They also chant and guide the crowd to support the Jags.

Basketball provides extra entertainment MATT WEAVER Sports Editor

One month into basketball season and it’s good vibes all around for both of the University of South Alabama’s college hoops programs. The men’s team currently sits at 4-2, coming off a road win at LSU and home wins against UAB and Alabama A&M. The women’s team is 5-3 and has been competitive in all but one of their eight contests. After a couple of mediocre seasons, the winning is a welcome change but that’s not the only thing different at the Mitchell Center these days. There’s also a different atmosphere and that starts at the promotional level with the Director of Marketing for USA Athletics -- Travis Toth. Toth served as the General Manager of the Mobile Baybears until 2008 where he joined South Alabama. Since then, he’s revamped the way the school’s various teams are promoted and presented to its dedicated fan base. His hiring coincided with the formation of South Alabama football and his fingerprints appear all over the off-field aspects of the program. But Toth’s biggest contributions may lie within the Mitchell Center and South Alabama basketball. Toth’s crew is in charge of producing the team’s multiple video pack-

ages and pregame entrance routine and have taken care of business so which has been praised by both fans far this year, beating LSU on the road and players. and UAB at home. It’s been a great “We have good equipment and a start to the season.” high-quality video screen here at the The hot start is starting to transMitchell Center,” Toth said. “Having late to the stands with both students the opportunity to use that as a de- and the community coming back in vice to let our fans get to know their droves after two disappointed seaplayers is something that I get really sons in 2009 and 2010. excited about. “The crowd is still growing,” JT It’s something the players really Crabtree, a radiology major and Vanenjoy too and we enjoy working with guard contributor more commonly them to pick out five or six of their known as Afroman said. “Compared responses to integrate into timeout to last year, it’s already better. I just packages.” wish more people Ultimately, would actually make “Compared to last year, winning is the noise, instead of situltimate deterting, watching, and it’s already better. I just miner in exciteonly making noise ment and atten- wish people would make when they start dance and Toth throwing t-shirts.” more noise...” is excited about That duty falls – Afroman the team men’s under the authorbasketball ity of the University coach Ronnie of South Alabama Arrow has assembled for the 2011-12 Pep Band and Director of Bands, Dr. season. Ward Miller. “What Coach Arrow has done to The pep band has long been one field a competitive team this year is of the most exciting aspects of South incredible,” Toth said. “To have Au- Alabama basketball and has a repugustine Rubit be named preseason tation for being one of the more enconference player of the year as a thusiastic cheerleading forces in the sophomore is absolutely incredible. Sun Belt Conference. He also has a lot of talented kids “The pep band was already very around him and this could easily be involved in the game atmosphere a team that challenges for a Sun Belt when I arrived here in 2008,” Miller Championship. said. “They were very good at trying “These guys are really talented to create noise, distract the opposing

team, and performing for fans, all under the direction of our then-pepband-director Wayne Fillingame. “When I was hired and began plans for the marching band, we made it a priority to move toward a traditional basketball pep band, increase the size of the band, and add a second band. This allowed us to perform at all the men’s and women’s home games. Finally, it became extremely competitive to be in the pep band.” Toth hopes that sense of competition can spread through the rest of the arena on game day with his department’s new Sixth Man Initiative. The program invites all fans in the arena to move down to the floor level with less than six minutes in the game remaining in order to provide a competitive advantage for Jaguars during the most important stretch of the game. “You’ll see many of the top programs in college basketball place their student section and marching band in the endzone so they can distract their opponents from making free throws late in the game,” Toth said. “That’s the sort of energy and enthusiasm I’m hoping we can create this season.” Roughly a month into the season and Toth’s plan appears to be coming to fruition.

VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011

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Sudoku

Courtesy of Student Health 460-7151

Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come in. ~Alan Alda

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Southpaw: Why you mad bro?

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Note: The Vanguard will be back in January for the spring semester, as well as police blotter. USAPD was unable to provide the usual documentation for us to do it for the last two weeks.

VOL. 49, NO. 18 / DEC. 5, 2011