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the
Mardi Gras schedule see page 6!
“If it matters to the USA family, it matters to us.”
feb. 20, 2012
vol. 50, no. 6
USA, Mobile under ‘rabid’ raccoon alert
Happy Mardi Gras 2012 >>
by genny roman Associate Editor
Courtesy of Kim Proctor
Current SGA President Colin Al-Greene (left) and former SGA President Kim Proctor (right) show support for USA at Higher Ed Day in 2010.
Higher Ed Day calls for increased funding by Genny roman Associate Editor On March 1, USA students, faculty and staff will head to Montgomery to rally for increased higher education funding from state legislators. Held once a year, Higher Education Day is an event where students from Alabama’s four-year universities gather to ask representatives for more higher education funds. Karen Peterson, co-director of the USA Center for Academic Service Learning and Civic Engagement (CASLCE), believes the event helps students understand how higher education funding works. “Students may not realize that their tuition is subsidized from state funds,” she said. “So when USA’s funding is cut, some allowances have to be made in order for the University to remain in the black.” For Peterson, this is where Higher Education Day steps in. “It makes [students] a part of that process.” Currently, the Alabama state legislature is considering the budget for fiscal year 2013. Happy Fulford, director of governmental relations, stated that Gov. Robert Bentley’s recommendation for USA’s state appropriation for the fiscal year 2013 is $98.3 million, a $4.1 million decrease (4 percent) from last year. For the fiscal year see Higher, page 4
courtesy of twila tschan
Technical theater senior Tara Gebhard joins in the festivities in downtown Mobile for a themed parade. Some of the throws included cereal and, of course, MoonPies.
Last week, the USA community was put on alert for raccoons that may appear “lethargic, sick or tame,” according to an email sent by Susan Malone, a safety and training specialist for the University. In the email, Malone stated that raccoons are being picked up by the Mobile Animal Shelter and tested by the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife for canine distemper and rabies. Director of Public Relations Keith Ayers said public health authorities released warnings about sick raccoons in the area, but there have been no reports of rabies. According to Ayers, the issue is county-wide. On Feb. 15 the Press-Register reported that 260 raccoons were captured see RACOONS page 4
Jags4Jags assists students with meals SGA partnered with Dining Services and Academic Affairs to help with student budget crunches by patrick herring Staff Reporter Jags4Jags allows for students who are running low on funds to have access to meals from the Fresh Food Co. Through student donations, other students in need are able to receive up to seven meals at a time from the program. The meal bank currently has more than 100 meals just waiting to be used. The only stipulation is that you are a student in need who doesn’t currently have a meal plan. Two summers ago a group of SGA senators went on a tour of other colleges and universities in the state looking to bring back some ideas for ways to enhance the lives of USA students. The idea for the meal donation program came from the University of Alabama, which also uses Aramark for their dining services.
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Courtesty of Dr. Michael Mitchell
Upon their return to campus, SGA teamed up with the Office of the Dean of Students to create Jags 4 Jags. It was officially started in the fall of 2011. The program works by having students donate meals from their meal plan through a collection drive done by SGA. The Office of the Dean of Students is then responsible for distributing the meals. SGA held a meal drive last spring and more than 120 meals were donated. Dean of Students Dr. Michael Mitchell hopes the program will gain notoriety
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through word of mouth and campus wide emails so that the students will take advantage of Jags 4 Jags. “So far it has been pretty quiet,” Mitchell said. “We need more people to know about the program so it can be utilized by the students who need it most.” That being said, he emphasized that this is not meant to be another meal plan or a permanent, semester-long solution. “This is for the student who is out of see JAGS page 4
in this issue (pg 6): Life (pg 12): Opinion (pg 9 ): Sports