September 21, 2015

AUG. 10, 2015 SEPT 21, 2015

VOL. 57 #3 VOL. 57 #9

Jags upset Aztecs in overtime win 34-27

If we build it,

will they “This is the biggest win by far come? in the program’s history” - Head coach Joey Jones

NEWS NEWS Elijahcase OfficerWheels clearedfor in Collar

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LIFE

Freshman Do’s and Miss Greek USADon’ts

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OPINION OPINION Consider Trump leaves the bill Source to Mobile

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SEPT. 21, 2015

South Alabama officer cleared in 2012 shooting of Collar District Court Judge dismisses civil lawsuit filed by slain student’s parents

By ALYSSA NEWTON Editor-In-Chief Almost three years after the death of 18-year-old Gil Collar, a federal judge ruled in favor of University officer Trevis Austin on Sept. 15.

The civil case dates back to July 2014 filed by Collar’s parents Bonnie and Reed Collar against Austin. District Court Judge William Steele found that Austin “shall have and recover nothing of the defendant.”

On Oct. 6 at approximately 1:30 a.m. Austin used deadly force against the freshman student, killing him.

Collar had attended BayFest where he had ingested the 25-I drug that was not illegal at the time. After attacking motorists, Collar stripped completely naked and approached the police department and banged on the windows.

Austin came out of the police department equipped with a .40 caliber Glock, pepper spray and a police baton according to a 2012 Vanguard article.

AL.com writer Cassie Fambo was the editor-in-chief of The Vanguard at the time of Collar’s

death, along with two other staff members were given the opportuity to see the survalance footage from that night.

Fambro’s article on the second anniversary revisits the silent tape that she watched as a senior at South Alabama.

“Collar can be seen in the grainy footage walking back toward the (police) department building when USA officer Trevis Austin emerges, gun drawn.

Austin backs up from Collar, and Collar keeps advancing before falling to his knees,” Fambro wrote.

“Collar stands back up, walks toward Austin, and the two go in a counter-clockwise motion around the pillars of the building. They are obscured behind a banner when a man in a grey hoodie comes out of the building, surveys the situation and darts back inside. That is when Austin fired, hitting Collar in the chest, according to Sheriff Sam Cochran, who showed the tape to the media in the days that followed the death.

In the video, Collar, who has collapsed, gets up once more, then crumples again. Within seconds, other officers arrive on

Students, community members held a vigil, protests after Collars death in 2012. (Vanguard Archives) the run.”

Austin was cleared by any wrongdoing by Mobile County grand jurors and allowed to return to work after being placed on administrative leave. Austin still currently is an officer for the University.

The case brought national attention to South Alabama, making national headlines and being discussed on national shows such as Nancy Grace and Piers Morgan.

“[My son] is, I’m sure, getting up to all the ridiculous things I got up to as a freshman. Gilbert Collar could have been my son,” Peirs Morgan said on his show on CNN in 2012. “He could have been your son. He may have been a silly boy, a disturbed boy.

We don’t know. But he didn’t deserve to die.”

South Alabama spokesman Bob Lowry released a statement following the dismissal of the civil suit against Austin last week.

“The University of South Alabama is aware of the ruling of the U.S. District Court.

The events surrounding this incident are tragic. However, the University believes the court has reached the correct conclusion.”

Lowry said.

Oct. 6 will be three years since Collars death, he would have been a senior this year. The Collars are currently faced with the decision of whether or not to appeal the ruling.

Engineers find problems with parking through senior project Two former students see parking in new light after project to design a parking garage at USA

By ALYSSA NEWTON Editor-In-Chief Parking has been an issue at South Alabama for years, and with the growing enrollment it only seems to get worse.

Complaints have poured in from students as the University has claimed that parking is not the biggest issue for South Alabama and that parking is ample throughout the campus for students.

Former South Alabama engineering students Tyler Noland and Steffan McDaniel disagree, and they have the research from a senior project to back it up.

Both now working as civil engineers, Noland and McDaniel know more about South Alabama’s parking problems than many students do.

The two were assigned to address the parking issue on campus and “solve

it” for their senior engineering project last year and were given three months to complete it.

“When we heard our topic, we were excited,” Noland said. “That’s the one we wanted, that’s what we always talk about, what everyone talks about.”

That is when they decided to build their hypothetical parking deck. Within their project they had to include a location, the design and justifying their decisions. This project gave the two an idea of how bad the parking situation on campus really is.

“There is absolutely an issue with parking, especially after the enrollment increase,” McDaniel said.

This month the University announced its highest enrollment in the school’s history at 16,462 students.

“I think this is going to be an A 2012 survey of parking availability during peak hours.. (Facilities Utilization ongoing issue, it’s not going to get section of the University of South Alabama Engineering department) better,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel is also a graduate student campus. “I have to get here an hour zone.”

The team designed a multi-story for the University’s civil engineering early in hopes of catching breaks in department and still has to park on classes to get a parking spot in my own See Parking pg. 5

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SEPT. 21, 2015

3 Editorial Editor in Chief Managing Editor Copy Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor Life Editor Staff Reporters

Alyssa Kaitlyn Newton

Mitchell Kahalley Micaela Walley Alexander Moylan Mary Alice Wilson Natalie Franklin Bria Johnson Tori Brackett Caitlin Smith Briana DiGiorgio

Staff Photographer Emily Rodrick

Distribution

Distribution Bobby Faulk Alan Smith

Advertising

Advertising Cristina Werner Graphic Designer Katelyn Huff

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 surrounding 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 Alpha Hall South Room 336 Mobile, Ala., 36688.

Or thevanguardeditor@gmail.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. 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 thevanguardeditor@gmail.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. Freelance writers will receive payment at the discretion of the section editor and will be notified.

To request additional issues at a stand near you, email: vanguarddistribution@gmail.com

Nick Grondin | Staff Meteorologist

USAPD crime blotter

If you SEE something SAY something!

251-460-6312 08/22/2015 9:44 Simple Assault-Family The Grove Apartments A female victim reported a domestic incident that occurred in her residence at The Grove.

08/24/2015 11:58 Burglary Second Degree The Grove Apartments In building 8 assorted school books were taken from resident’s room without permission.

08/25/2015 9:58 Theft-From public building Bookstore Unknown male left without paying for a black 16 GB Apple iPad mini, valued at 399.00.

08/25/2015 3:58 Theft of Article from Auto Beta 5 A tailgate was stolen off of a female student’s pickup truck.

08/25/2015 4:10 Theft of Property Second Degree (Greater that $500 to $2000) Recreation Center Unknown person(s) removed items from victim’s possession without consent.

08/25/2015 1:39 Theft of Property Third Degree ($500 or less) Grassy Area in Traffic Circle An on campus fraternity house’s sign was stolen.

SEPT. 21, 2015

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USA faculty political donations among most conservative in the country

By LEE HEDGEPETH Contributing Writer The University of South Alabama’s faculty has consistently ranked as one of the most conservative in federal political donations of any higher education institution in the United States.

According to statistics collected by Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on money in the political system, USA’s faculty has given overwhelmingly to Republican candidates since the 1994 election season.

In the last campaign cycle, 96 percent of the just over $20,000 spent by USA’s faculty on individual political contributions went to GOP politicians, not just here in Alabama, but across the entire country.

While no rankings were compiled for the 2014 elections, the Center ranked USA’s faculty ninth most conservative in the nation based on their collective $30,000 in donations that year, 98% of which went to candidates on the right.

USA came in just behind other southern universities like Georgia and Alabama in its conservative ranking only because of the relatively low total amount of contributions; if re-ranked based on percentage, South would have made the top three.

Among the top ten, USA was the only college whose staff donated to PACs, or political action committees, sometimes

South Alabama faculty political contributions throughout the last 15 years.(Center for Responsive Politics) shadowy organizations whose use has been criticized by many on both sides of the aisle.

Topping the most liberal faculty donors to national political candidates were the University of California, Harvard, and Stanford.

Employees at these institutions gave about five or six times more than those at the top conservative-donating colleges, with the University of California donating just shy of a half million dollars in the 2010 election cycle.

Interestingly, conservative faculty

members gave more at these elite institutions, too. For example, Harvard’s faculty gave nearly $100,000 to Republicans in that same campaign season, numbers that would top the GOP donor list were it not heavily outweighed by Democratic donations.

Even further, these numbers from the Center of Responsive Politics represent only a portion of the faculty’s political activities, as they only reflect national elections. Most law is made at the state level, and that is frequently illustrated in the choices of political donors, including

those at USA. Many South faculty members that donate federally are also involved as much or even more so at the local level.

USA’s Executive Director of Governmental Relations, William J. “Happy” Fulford III demonstrates this dynamic, playing a central financial role in both state and national politics.

That involvement includes participation in a state PAC set up for USA employees called the South Alabama PAC for Higher

See Donations pg. 5

Jags4Jags provides meals for struggling students Program allows students to give back a meal for other students in need

By BRIA JOHNSON Staff Reporters As college students, we all know the ramen noodles, peanut butter, PopTarts, and pizza rolls every night struggle. When you’ve run out of Bonus Bucks and that broccoli pizza in the cafe isn’t looking too bad anymore. We all know the struggle too well.

Some students have a meal plan, some don’t. Others can buy groceries each week, some can’t afford to even look at a Snickers in the gas station.

But, the University has come up with a program to help Jags that are in a time of need.

Jag4Jags is a meal donation program that allows students to donate unused guest meals to a fellow Jag in need.

Initiated through a partnership with the Dean of Students office and SGA, it is designed for students who already have a meal plan to be able to donate. Students can donate one of those guest meals to a pool of meals that can then be used for students who do not have a meal plan or unable to afford a meal.

“It’s enough to get a student through a rocky period,” Dr. Michael Mitchell, the dean of students, said. “They may be waiting on a loan check to come in or has been displaced with a job or is looking for a job and needs something to help them temporarily.”

Jags4Jags is an ongoing program on campus. Over one hundred meals have already been collected by the SGA from helpful Jags during lunch and dinner hours in the Fresh Food Company on campus. Those meals are available and

ready for students to use immediately.

SGA Arts and Sciences senator LaTya McCall headed up this year’s Jags4Jags drive on Sept. 9 and plans to have another in the spring.

“I was more than honored to head up the Jags4Jags meal program,” McCall said.

“To know I was able to help provide 101 meals for students in need is just another entity that makes my experience here at South Alabama worthwhile.”

A student can be awarded up to seven meals at a time, just enough to get them through that rough patch. So always keep Jags4Jags in mind and donate an extra friend meal you probably won’t miss.

“It provides a way for students who have a meal plan to not really lose anything, but provide a meal to somebody who needs a meal,” said Dr. Mitchell.

There are no requirements to apply

or receive meals from Jags for Jags other than a demonstrated need and current enrollment.

Students have been referred by faculty members, the counseling center, staff members, and fellow students. So, the next time you find yourself struggling or you know a fellow student who is in a bit of a rough patch, do not hesitate to be a helping hand to a Jag in need. There are hot meals waiting to be eaten.

Keep in mind, Jags4Jags is only designed for students with a short-term, immediate need. Students who have long term needs are encouraged to visit the financial aid office to seek any additional financial aid available or that they may qualify for.

Students can apply for these meals online or in the Office of the Dean of Students in the student center.

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SEPT. 21, 2015

Parking

Continued from Page 2

parking garage in the Northwest corner of the South lot, where the administration building parking is now located. The senior engineers determined that the hypothetical structure they designed would increase parking availability by 20 percent.

The two said that a structure like the one they designed would cost over $5-6 million dollars and take over a year to build.

“We knew there was a problem, but after this (their project research) we know there definitely is one,” Noland said. “and we have the research behind it to support that” McDaniel, Noland worked with University engineers while designing the project and found that parking has really been an issue over the past few years.

In a 2012 parking survey, Facilities Utilization section of the University of South Alabama Engineering Department conducted a survey during peak hours.

“It might not be the most important thing on the University’s list, but it is something that needs to addressed.

There are four lots with zero percent

Donations

Continued from Page 4

Education.

During September of last year, the South Alabama PAC spent over $10,000 on political donations, all to Republican candidates.

The PAC is inextricably linked to the USA, with Nick Lawkis, the Assistant Director of Government Relations for the University, listed as the entity’s treasurer.

To be clear, all University employees are allowed to make political contributions of any kind, as long as they do not use state time, property, or resources, or do so on behalf of the college with an expectation of something in return.

The reaction from South students has been mixed. Many students have said that they don’t find the donations surprising, but others either find it disturbing, or are apathetic.

One USA student, senior Criminal Justice major Victoria Gillett, said she is concerned by the overwhelming GOP donations.

“I am alarmed that an insane amount of faculty have been contributing to those who have continuously shown disinterest and complete disregard for the importance of affordable and accessible education,” she said. “These educators are pouring money to Republican politicians who

availability during peak hours. Four main lots with no open spaces,” Noland said.

McDaniel admits that at times when there is no parking, students choose class over $15-$20 tickets.

“Prior to graduation I paid more than $300 of parking tickets,” he said.

“I was faced with parking in a wrong zone and get to class on time, or park in my zone and be late for class. It just made more sense to pay the ticket.”

When the project was presented after three long months, the pair said that their presentation was by far one of the most visited.

“It’s something everyone talks about and knows about on this campus,” McDaniel said.

Next semester there will potentially be a traffic study senior engineering project based off of their idea and parking garage design.

“The one thing I did gain from this project is that the parking issue is word of mouth, people have always just talked. The administration isn’t going to do anything about it if it’s just word of mouth,” Noland said. “Once they have evidence, proof, facts, thing should start happening. We’ve done all that. There just needs to be action“

have decreased higher education funding, blocked legislation to reduce student loan interest, and supported for profit universities.”

Gillett also said she thinks the faculty members donating to the GOP should think about their contributions.

“I assume they are not aware of how hypocritical they seem: working to help students achieve a higher education while spending their tuition driven paychecks on candidates and committees who could care less about the students.”

According to a College Niche survey of dozens of South students, 35% consider themselves moderate, liberal, or very liberal. 34 percent consider themselves conservative, very conservative, or libertarian, and 26 percent say they don’t know or don’t care.

Even those who lean politically left may not feel strongly about what staff does with their pay as far as donations go.

When asked, the president of the only Democratic organization on campus asked to not even be mentioned in the article, saying of the political donations, “Personally, I don’t care.”

The next election cycle is already heating up, even more so nationally this year, and if the number of Republican candidates is any sign of the number of political contributions they will receive, USA’s faculty is sure to start shelling out the shillings sometime soon.

Amphibian, reptile population healthy in growing campus

By USA BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT Column Submission The University of South Alabama has grown exponentially in the past decade.

According to the University fact books, student body increased by 10 percent from 2009 to 2014 and many buildings and other infrastructure have been added or modified.

In conservation biology, studying how such growth affects the number of species and the number of individuals per species living in an area can provide information on the health status of the organisms living there.

In particular, it has been observed that amphibians and reptiles may be very sensitive to environmental change.

We were therefore interested in understanding the impact of the university growth on the health of amphibians and reptiles populations on campus.

Joel Borden, a USA alumnus and now full time instructor for the Biology Department, began surveying the reptile and amphibian populations on campus in 2009.

This was accomplished through harmless trapping systems that allowed him to monitor species presence.

Various species were caught and counted as they passed through the traps. Volunteers continued to gather data over the years and in 2015 two Biology graduate students, Regis Burkhardt and Jared Elmore analyzed the data under the supervision of Dr. Ylenia Chiari and Dr. John McCreadie, both Professors in the Biology Department.

The results of this indicate that despite South Alabama’s growth, the number of species and individuals per species have remained mostly unchanged.

Therefore, even though the university has grown, amphibians and reptiles living on campus appear to be relatively undisturbed.

As this growth progresses, the Biology Department will continue studying the impact of environmental and humanmediated changes on campus and spreading environmental awareness.

Many of the amphibian and reptile species inhabiting Mobile and Baldwin counties can be found on campus roads, sidewalks, and trails; keep an eye out while you are walking between classes or are out for a stroll and you may see them.

Regis Burkhardt, Jared Elmore, Joel Borden, Ylenia Chiari are graduate assistants for the Biology department

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SEPT. 21, 2015

LIFE

NATALIE FRANKLIN LIFE EDITOR nsf1222@jagmail.southalabama.edu

SEPT. 21, 2015

Aleksandra Knepper takes Miss Greek USA 2015

By TORI BRACKETT Staff Reporter The third annual Miss Greek USA pageant fell on Friday, Sept. 18 this year. The event is hosted by South Alabama’s Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. Each sorority on campus nominates two candidates for the pageant. The winner is crowned Miss Greek USA, and the contestants are awarded numerous prizes throughout the evening.

The event is the first of its kind at the university, and all proceeds are given to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which is the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity’s philanthropy.

The event hoped to bring awareness for the society and fund research, as well as offer edu-

cational programs and patient services for those suffering from the diseases.

The crown and Miss Greek USA title went to Aleksandra Knepper, an Alpha Omicron Pi at the university.

She said, “It’s been a fantastic experience, AOPi has been a huge support system and all of the panhellenic sororities that participated this week really went 110 percent. It was a ton of fun, and the nine of us that competed have a group chat going. We’re all really good friends. It really brought all of us closer together, forming new friendships and making new bonds.”

The president of South Alabama’s Phi Kappa Sigma chapter, Tre McCarden, said, “The purpose of Miss Greek is to bring awarePageant participants with the men of Phi Kapppa Sigma after the third annual Miss Greek USA pagent. (Tameron Floyd | Contributing Photographer)

The crown and Miss Greek USA title went to Aleksandra Knepper, an Alpha Omicron Pi at USA. (Tameron Floyd | Contributing Photographer )

ness of leukemia and lymphoma. September is blood cancer awareness month. Everything we do helps raise money towards it, and we give ourselves a goal every year to top the previous year in funds. It’s to get people involved, and it’s the first month with our new members and it gives us a chance to get the ball rolling with philanthropy and community service.”

The fraternity hosted events throughout the Miss Greek week to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, including a penny drop across campus, and a Dunk a Cop booth set up on Tuesday, Sept. 15. They also hosted a “Spot a Phi Kap” competition, with sorority members taking photographs with members of the fraternity to raise points for their chapter during the week.

On Wednesday, Sept. 16, more funds were raised at PDQ, with portions of customer’s to-

tals donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at the mention of the fraternity. The sororities that participated in Miss Greek week were also awarded points at a sign-in for the week’s festivities.

Last year, the fraternity raised about $2,100.

This year they raised over $1,000 with the penny drop alone last week. After the silent auction they hosted, the brothers of Phi Kappa Sigma raised over $2,300, exceeding their goal for this year.

The chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma is working to create more events surrounding their philanthropy, and will be involved with the winner of the pageant’s sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, and the winner herself, to show appreciation for the support they received and to grow closer to other Greek organizations on campus.

IMC brings singer, podcaster Otis Gibbs to South Alabama

By MITCHELL KAHALLEY Managing Editor South Alabama’s Independent Music Collective will be bringing folk music veteran Otis Gibbs to Satori this Friday night, Sept. 25.

Gibbs has released eight full length LPs since 2002. His most recent, “Souvenirs of a Misspent Youth” was critically acclaimed. Esquire Magazine said “Equal parts roots-y and country and heavy folk, the songs on “Misspent Youth” will call to mind many a comparison, but his is the rare voice that stands on it’s own.”

Listeners of his music can tell that Gibbs has a knack for storytelling, but that’s not his only means of expressing himself. Gibbs is also the host of “Thanks For Giving a Damn” podcast. Gibbs has hosted dozens of singers and songwriters over the course of the podcasts 120 episodes, including artists that have

been hosted by the IMC before such as Lydia Loveless, Kevin Gordon, Tim Eastwood and Will Johnson.

South Alabama’s Independent Music Collective sponsors a listening-room style concert series throughout the school year. They focus on bringing nationally acclaimed roots and Americana acts that might not come through Mobile. The IMC has played host to artists such as Lydia Loveless, Charlie Parr, Will Johnson, Tim Easton and Hurray for the Riff Raff.

The group calls themselves a “collective” because everyone contributes their time from the sound engineer that volunteers his or her time to Satori that volunteers the space.

The show will be held this Friday Sept. 25 at Satori. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Admission is free for all South Alabama students with their student ID. A donation of $5 is requested for all others.

Otis Gibbs isn ot only a singer-songwriter, but the host of the acclaimed podcast “Thanks for Giving a Damn.” (Courtesy of otisgibbs.com)

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SEPT. 21, 2015

Mobile Fashion Week Preview ual runway looks. Young women and men waited eagerly to be measured and to see for the first time what they’ll be wearing.

Patton Short, a student in the College of Nursing at South Alabama, will be walking in this year’s event. This will be Short’s second year walking in MFW. “Modeling has always been something I wanted to do. I just started googling different fashion shows a couple of years ago and I saw Mobile Fashion Week,” Short said.

Kyron Timmons, also a student in the College of Nursing at South Alabama, will make his runway debut this year at MFW. “I’ve always wanted to be experienced to the fashion world and so starting here in Mobile is a wonderful place to start,” TimPatton Short meeting with Alexandrea West, mons said. makeup artist.(Natalie Franklin | Life Editor) These young women and men walk in MFW for the experience and for fun. What makes this experience so worthwhile? “I found out when I was parBy NATALIE FRANKLIN ticipating last year that it goes to a really good cause Life Editor and you get to see people that the money and profits go to. It’s really rewarding and really cool,” Short The coming of fall brings the changing of said. MFW is not merely about the fashion.

The event showcases eclectic styles while manleaves, cool weather and football. Also, with this new season comes new fashion. New York has it, aging to benefit charity. Each year, the majority of and more recently, Mobile, Alabama hosts its very MFW’s donations go to Camp Rap-A-Hope. Camp own fashion week. Richard McGill, founder and Rap-A-Hope is an organization that supports chilevent coordinator, began Mobile Fashion Week five dren with cancer. The organization provides a week years ago. MFW features various designers and local long summer camp to these children, free of charge, retailers. With the event only a week away, prepara- each year.

Opening night for MFW will begin Thursday, tions have to be made to in order to ensure the sucSept. 24, with the Hair Show. The following night cess of the event.

Saturday, Sept. 19, MFW models flocked to the will exhibit Fashion’s Night Out, and the week will Hampton Inn & Suites in downtown for fittings. conclude on Saturday, Sept. 26 with the Finale. TickModels met designers to be fitted for their individ- ets are available online at mobfashionweek.com.

University of South Alabama

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Poetry corner with Carlos Andres Gomez

By NATALIE FRANKLIN Life Editor Spitting and snapping filled the Student Center Terrace Friday night, Sept.

18. Poetry Corner with Carlos Andres Gomez, presented by Jaguar Productions, was a great success.

Before the main act, three local poets, Cara, Eterniti Everlasting, and Catharsis Poet, spit their verses for the captivated crowd. “My lyrics are just as vital as my blood flow,” Catharsis Poet said.

She and the two other poets are members of the PowerLines Poets, a local poetry troupe.

Carlos Andres Gomez, the main act, is a native New Yorker. He is an author as well as an actor. He has performed at more than 300 colleges and universities across the country. Gomez’s poems related to topics such as family, heritage and love.

He also performed poems that dealt with heavier topics like the black lives matter movement. “And before you can breathe/ six shots at the base of his skull/ sprinting with back turned/ is self-defense for a police officer armed like a mercenary.”

Gomez is quite a well-known poet.

When Amanda Sherrer, freshman, found out that Gomez would be performing at South, she was excited. “I’ve seen YouTube clips of him [Gomez], and when

Carlos Andres Gomez, poet, taking pictures with the audience. (Natalie Franklin | Life Editor)

I saw he was coming here I thought that was pretty cool,” Sherrer said. “I’ve checked out other artists on YouTube that do this kind of stuff. I would definitely say he’s one of my favorites.”

The last poem Gomez performed for the night was extremely moving. The audience sat and listened, fascinated as he performed “What is genocide?” The poem conveyed a heavy message about the society we live in today. “There are no words to describe the experience,” Hong Nguyen said about Gomez’s performance.

He left the stage to a standing ovation and stayed afterwards to take pictures with the audience. “My favorite poem was ‘What is genocide?’ I wish he would get back up there and do it again,”Errieol Milliner, freshman, said.

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SEPT. 21, 2015

USA celebrates Constitution Day with Supreme Court preview

By LEE HEDGEPETH Contributing Writer “Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on Sept. 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution.”

That is the provision of federal law that required all federally funded schools to hold a Constitution Day program on Sept.

17, the day the founding document was signed by convention delegates in Philadelphia.

It was slipped into a major spending bill by a US Senator in 2005, but Dr. Ron Nelson, a political science professor, says that for USA, “It’s interesting, but of course we’d do it anyway.”

Dr. Nelson, who also advises pre-law students, led a preview of next year’s Supreme Court term last Thursday as part of a Constitution Day program here at South Alabama.

The event included a discussion by Dr. Nelson and two students on cases pending before the United States Supreme Court, which begins hearing oral arguments in its new session, as always, on the first Monday of October.

“Cases before the Court have wide implications on everyday life, and that’s really why we should care,” said one of the

students on the panel.

Upcoming cases will cover areas as diverse as the death penalty, affirmative action in higher education, government regulation of power companies, and even how long a US employee has to file a discrimination claim against their employer.

The Supreme Court, unlike other lower courts, chooses its cases. The Court receives requests to hear thousands of cases every year, but only chooses less than a hundred on which to hear arguments, read briefs, and ultimately decide. Typically, that means choosing those cases where other appeals courts across the country disagree on what the law should be in a certain situation. In these cases, the Supreme Court has the final say on what the law – including the Constitution – actually means.

Dr. Nelson overviewed many of the cases, including two that may turn out to be monumental decisions for the country.

The first – Fisher v. University of Texas – considers whether the college’s affirmative action program complies with a previous Supreme Court opinion that ordered its further review by a lower court.

The case began after Abigail Fisher, a white student, was denied admission into the University of Texas and filed suit claiming she was discriminated against because of her race in violation of the Constitution’s mandate that all citizens receive the equal protection of the law.

The Supreme Court of the United States photographed in 2010. (Wikicommons) Fisher’s case could decide the fate of affirmative action programs at colleges that aim to increase diversity in college admissions.

Previously, the Court had approved the use of race to increase diversity if it was only one of many factors in any ultimate admissions decision. However, the Supreme Court’s willingness to take this case for a second time, after the lower court again ruled the plan legal, may be an indication that the Roberts’ Court’s tolerance of affirmative action in higher education has come to an end.

“When it comes to affirmative action,” Dr. Nelson told the crowd assembled at the preview, “this could be it.”

The panel also discussed a case that could lead to serious changes in the death penalty in Alabama.

State law allows a judge to override the opinion of a jury on whether a capital defendant should be sentenced to death or life in prison. This rarity of law, which also exists in Florida, combined with Alabama’s election of judges, has led to a seemingly arbitrary application of the death penalty, which even Supreme Court justices have weighed in on.

Justice Sotomayor wrote about the issue in Alabama when she disagreed with

her colleagues’ decision not to hear a case determining its constitutionality.

She commented on the fact that elected Alabama judges rarely switch a sentence from death to life, instead override the decision of a jury in a vast majority of cases from life to death: “What could explain Alabama judges’ distinctive proclivity for imposing death sentences in cases where a jury has already rejected that penalty?” She asked. “There is no evidence that criminal activity is more heinous in Alabama than in other States, or that Alabama juries are particularly lenient in weighing aggravating and mitigating circumstances. The only answer that is supported by empirical evidence is one that, in my view, casts a cloud of illegitimacy over the criminal justice system: Alabama judges, who are elected in partisan proceedings, appear to have succumbed to electoral pressures.”

Come next year, the Supreme Court may rule on the issue in a Florida case, ultimately deciding the Alabama law’s fate as well.

South will again have Constitution Day festivities come next Sept. 17, something Dr. Nelson reminded the audience.

“Happy Constitution Day! And don’t forget, we’ll see you next year!”

AUG. 31, 2015

SPORTS

MARY ALICE WILSON SPORTS EDITOR usavgsports@gmail.com

"We challenged them all week long about fighting from start to finish, and I told them it was going to come down to a one-play game. Our guys never panicked...

This is the biggest win by far in the program's history."" history.

- Head Coach Joey Jones Alyssa Newton | Editor-In-Chief

Jags upset Aztecs after overtime victory 34-27 Big plays help rally South Alabama over San Diego State

BY MARY ALICE WILSON Sports Editor South Alabama Jaguars come back from an ugly loss last week to the greatest win the school has ever accomplished.

“This is the biggest win by far in the program’s history.”

Head Coach Joey Jones said after South Alabama victory.

Xavier Johnson and Gerald Everett were the star players on the day, each recording over 100 offensive yards and leading the Jags to a 34-27 victory over the San Diego State Aztecs.

Jeremy Reaves led the Jaguar defense, tying his all-time record of 10 tackles.

A long back-and-forth game led the Jaguars to compete in their first overtime game since defeating FAU in October of 2012.

After only three plays, a handoff to Johnson makes for a Jaguar touchdown. That play would go on to be reviewed, but was confirmed. The PAT was

Roman R B Buchanan h FOLLOW US!

good, bringing the Jaguar lead to 34-27.

After a quick tackle and a fumble-for-a-loss on the play, the Aztecs try all four downs, but fall short giving South Alabama the victory on the night.

“It’s probably the most excited I have been after a football game, and one of the craziest games I have been a part of since I started playing football,” Roman Buchanan said.

With a little under seven minutes remaining in the first quarter, Aleem Sunanon tied his personal record of 12 consecutive successful field goal attempts and became the school’s all time leading scorer with 175 points after kicking a field goal and starting the Jaguars off with a 3-0 lead.

That score would remain until San Diego State would score 17 unanswered points in the second quarter. The Aztecs scored a field goal to tie, followed by two touchdowns and successful PATs. “We knew this team was going

to come with a lot of fire-power,” Jeremy Reaves explained. “Our key was to play fast and smart, just play ball, build a wall.”

Momentum appeared to be slipping for South Alabama.

Redshirt freshman punter Corliss Waitman has been escorted off of the field for a possible ACL injury, almost immediately followed by Tyree Turner being carted off after an unknown injury leaving him unable to get off of the field for quite some time. A big play appeared to be necessary to get the boys’ heads back into the game.

That’s when Cody Clements threw to a 46-yard pass to Josh Magee for a touchdown with 12 seconds left in the half. After the PAT, the Aztec lead would dwindle to 17-10 at the half. This was exactly what the Jags needed going into halftime.

San Diego State elected to receive the ball at the top of the game, so the Jags got the football coming back from the half.

Two plays in, South Alabama ties

the game 17-17 after Johnson recorded a 74-yard touchdown run.

SDSU answered with a 55yard field goal, putting them ahead 20-17 with a little over four minutes left in the third quarter.

The Jags are fighting. The motivation from this team is radiating. Another big pass flies across

the field. A 65-yarder to Everett puts the Jags back on top with a 24-20 lead with six minutes left in the game. It’s a game of tugof-war at this point as the Aztecs immediately answer with a touchdown of their own, bringing the score to 27-24 with only 2:05 left in the game.

USA answered by driving all the way down to the 29 yard line

COURTESY OF USAJAGUARS

Jeremy Reaves yells in excitement as team members embrace after the South Alabama win. (Alyssa Newton)

Twitter - @USAVGSports ||| Facebook | USAVGSports

11

AUG. 31, 2015

Vo l l e y b a l l falls to two SBC opponents

BY BRIANA DIGIORGIO Staff Reporter The South Alabama Volleyball team took two hard Sun Belt Conference losses to both Arkansas State and Appalachian State this weekend in the Jag Gym. On Friday September 18, the Jags took on Arkansas State and fell short 3-0 after the Wolves won three straight with scores of 1725, 22-25 and 14-25.

USA Senior Emily Hundt pulled out a phenomenal defensive record for the Jags as she was able to ring in 17 digs for Friday’s match up.

Offensively, Juniors Mechell Daniel and Nikki Gittens were able to finish the match up with 10 and 9 kills, respectively. Freshman Kristina Alabastro was also able to bring in 6 kills for the Jags. Unfortunately, The Lady Jaguars were unable to find a comeback, leaving Arkansas State to take home the win.

Saturday, The Lady Jags once again entered Jag Gym territory to take on cross opponent, Appalachian State. What seemed to be a scratching and clawing fight to the finish, South Alabama suffers another loss to Appalachian State with a 3-1 matchup, resulting in consecutive scores of 20-25, 1525, 25-22 and 17-25.

South Alabama seemed to let the Mountaineers take the first two wins of the match until they came back for a win in the third set, but was unable to take another win in the fourth, leaving Appalachian State to take home the game altogether.

Offensively, Daniel led the Jags with 13 kills; Gittens with 10; Sarah Richardson, Emma Anderson and Kolby Meeks also finished with 6 kills apiece. Defensively, Hundt was able to lead South Alabama with 12 digs.

“We had some good moments tonight.” said Coach Hendrichovsky to USA Jaguars.

“Kolby Meeks came in and was able to provide and a spark off the bench. We also saw people that got pushed in the match and were able to come back and compete.

We saw the competitiveness come out in our team in the third and fourth set, but we didn’t start the match that way.”

“We have very competitive athletes in this program and they have to deliver that every night and play together as a team.” Final words from South Alabama head coach to USA Jaguars.

South Alabama will have to shake off these two tough losses in order to take on their next opponent, Alabama State, on Tuesday in the Jag Gym starting at 6.PM.

Previewing the enemy: NC State

By ALYSSA NEWTON Editor-in-Chief North Carolina State comes out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, better known as the ACC. They are coached by Dave Doeren who has a 14-14 record with NC State. The Wolfpack went 8-5 last year including a 34-27 win over Central Florida in the St.Petersburg Bowl.

The Wolfpack has 15 returning starters.

7 on offense and 8 on defense.

The key returning starter on offense is quarterback No.12 Jacoby Brissett. Brissett is a 6-4, 235 pound senior from West Palm Beach, Florida. He is 56-for-72 with 591 yards passing and four touchdowns so far this year. He has yet to throw an interception this year.

The key returning starter on defense is linebacker No.4 Jerod Fernandez. Fernandez is a 6 foot, 231 pound sophomore from Lake Mary, Florida. He has 8 tackles and a sack so far this season. The only player named to the All-ACC Preseason team is runningback No.10 Shadrach Thornton.

Thornton was suspended for the first two

Football

Continued from Page 10

with only two seconds remaining. Sunanon lines up for the field goal to tie the game. He kicks, and it is good to end the regulation. The score is tied at 27-27 and the Jags are going into overtime in San Diego.

“We wanted this game really bad,” Xavier Johnson said. “I just kept telling my team to calm down, that we were going to get one. If we got a stop, we were going to win the ballgame.”

“We had complete and total faith in what we were doing and that we were going to execute it,” Clements explained after the victory. “We just took it one play at a time.”

“Our guys never panicked. ” Joey Jones explained. “We didn’t play great the first half. I thought we played good, we just made some mistakes. We overcame those mistakes. … The guys kept playing. I saw no panic on the sidelines.”

The Jags recorded a total of 511 offensive yards on the day. 270 of which belonged to Cody Clements who went 18 for 35 and recorded two scores on the day.

Xavier Johnson finished with a total of 142 rushing yards, while Gerald Everett executed 164 receiving yards. That would be a career-high record for Clements and Everett.

South Alabama meets North Carolina State Sat. Sept. 26 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium at 7 p.m.

Jacoby Brissett ranks ninth in NC State history with 23 career touchdown passes. (Steven Muma | SB Nation) games of the season due to a violation of team rules. He did return in week 3 and ran for 92 yards and one touchdown. NC State is 3-0 so far on the year. They have defeated Troy (49-21), Eastern Kentucky

(35-0), and Old Dominion (38-14). The Wolfpack have a strong secondary with all five starters from last year. The Jags will need to have a strong running game again to win this one.

SEPT. 21, 2015

12

#JagTweets

USA soccer soars over Golden Eagles

BY MITCHELL KAHALLEY Managing Editor

Follow Us! USA Vanguard Sports @USAVGSports

Amanda Minahan @Minivan__

Softball

I might have made Halloween cookies in September at 8:41am, judge me bro.

Cameron Blankenship @Big_Red71 Honestly, this debate should be labeled “comedy“

Football

Hunter Vaughn @HVaughn3 Visited south’s library tonight for the first time. Kinda proud of myself. #OnlyCauseWeHadClassThere

Football

Sarah Hay @sarahhayUSA02 Trump.. please stop talking. My ears can’t take it anymore.

Soccer

Maggie Pierce @maggie_pierce16 Actually being in class on a Friday feels wrong

Soccer

Hannah Godfrey @hann_godfrey Caf or back to bed before next class, shouldn’t be made to chose.

Soccer

Matthew Peacock @map1108matthew Casually wore pajama pants to class today. Judge me.

Baseball

Seth Tatman @Tatdude_seth There is a direct correlation between focus and success.

Baseball

Ryne Long @Ryne_Long And let National Excuse Week begin.

Baseball #bamafans

Jacob Chaffin @jtchaf

Football

I’ve been in mobile too long when I think 63 is cold

Jan-Louw Kotzé @janlouwkotze

Track

“Awkwardly extroverted” Yay, a new label for me!

The South Alabama soccer team saw their first overtime match, and first draw of the season against the Marquette Golden Eagles.

The Jags bounced back in a big way with a 4-0 trouncing of Southern Miss as their nonconference schedule came to a close.

On Friday South faced Big East opposition when the Marquette Golden Eagles visited the Cage on Thursday night. The Golden Eagles struck early when Erin Holland’s low rolling shot through traffic found it’s way past keeper Sarah Hay into the Jaguar net in the fifth minute. The Jags and Golden Eagles were level at seven shots in the first half, but Jaguar coach Graham Winkworth thought his team was unfortunate not to get more out of the match.

“If you look at the statistics, I know it was seven shots apiece but the shots that count, well they didn’t count, but four shots on target to one. We really worked their goalkeeper and we just had a lapse on a set piece early in the first half.” Winkworth said.

The Jaguars leveled the game in the 79th minute after Steffi Hardy volleyed in Jemma Purfield’s long free kick. The game was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, forcing two 10 minute periods of sudden death extra time.

South only allowed two shots in overtime, but couldn’t convert one of their five chances meaning the game would end in a draw.

Winkworth said this win along with other

Freshman defender Hannah Godfrey (Photo courtesy of USA Jaguars) performances this season proves that this team can play with teams in the upper echelon of teams in major conferences such as the Big East and SEC. “We’re very unfortunate to come out with just a tie from the last two games. I thought we could’ve come away with two victories.” he said.

The Jags have played a much harder nonconference schedule than the one they played last year and it seems to be paying off.

Winkworth said “We’ve played a very tough nonconference schedule. We were 8-2 and the end of our nonconference slate last year. I think we’re 5-2-1 now. At the end of our nonconference slate last year, we were ranked 205th in the nation. Right now, going into this game (against Marquette) we were 47th.”

On Sunday the Jags traveled to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to take on the Southern

Mississippi Golden Eagles. Ashlynn Jones scored in the 3erd, 33rd, and 62nd minutes giving her her first career hat trick. Danielle Henley found the back of the net in the 64th minute to score the fourth and final goal of the match.

South was dominant in their 4-0 win over Southern Miss outshooting the Golden Eagles 21-6 and 11-1 in shots on goal. Courtney Baum only had to make one save for the Jags in goal.

In an interview with USAJaguars, Winkworth said "With 21 shots and 11 on target, it means we were working their goalkeeper. I was happy offensively and pleased for Ashlynn that she managed to get herself a hattrick."

The Jags are 6-2-1 as the head into Sun Belt play. Their first match of the league season will be on the road against their in-state rivals, the Troy Trojans.

USA golf opens in Hattiesburg, Memphis

BY MARY ALICE WILSON Sports Editor MENS: South Alabama men’s golf opened the 2015 season at the Sam Hall Intercollegiate in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on Monday, Sept. 14.

After day one, Daniel Jansen and Brooks Rabren were tied for fifteenth place, while Matt Sheenan placed twenty-third in the contest.

Jansen began the day with a pair of par 71s.

This was after the senior was four over par throughout the first seven holes. A birdie was made at the thirteenth hole that set the mood for a three birdie trend over the final five holes.

Rabren was close behind with a 73 in the first round and a 2-under-par 69 on the second, recording the lowest score of the day. Rabren scored two birdies in each round and recorded no bogeys in the second round.

Sheenan competed as an individual in the tournament. He shot a 74 and recorded one birdie in the morning, followed by three birdies in the afternoon, recording a score of 69.

The Jaguar men ended the day 11 out of 15 teams with a total of 585.

"Those three competed hard today, each of them had stretches of very good golf," coach Ben

Hannan told USA Jaguars. "Daniel and Brooks did a good job of hanging around par all day, and at the end they made a few birdies coming in to close well and hopefully build some momentum for tomorrow."

Day two of the tournament started at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Jansen tied his career-low score of a 67, four under par. After recording three birdies on the final day, Jansen ranked in the top 10 in the field of 86 individuals with 5 under on par-five holes and tied for 11th with 12 birdies over 54 holes.

Rabren recorded a 72 and one more birdie on the final day. He tied for 19th in the individual standings. Rabren finished as the event's leader with 41 pars over the two day contest.

South Alabama shot a total of 290 on the day for a two-day total of 875. The Jags finished 13 among the 15 schools in the contest.

Men's golf will be back in action on September 26 in Sandestin, Florida for the Sun Belt Conference Fall Preview.

WOMENS: The South Alabama women’s golf team opened the season at the Memphis Women’s Intercollegiate on Sept. 14.

Caroline Beebe shot an even-par 71 in the opening round of the contest and a seven over

score of 78 on the second round. Beebe recorded a total of five birdies on the former, three of which were consecutive from holes six through eight. This sets her tied for seventh place going into day two of the competition.

Carianne Wright started her day with an eight over par score of 79, but came back with a score of 73 in the second. Wright took down four birdies in round two. She will go into day two tied for seventeenth place.

Kaeli Jones tied her career low score in round two with a three over par 74. Jones finished at nine over par 80 in round one and would enter the final round tied for 24.

The Jags went into day two in eighth place with a team total of 616.

“We did a lot of things well, and we have a lot of things we can improve on,” head coach Matt Luther said to USA Jaguars. “We had a good round from someone different each round. Caroline and Madison each shot a career low on a tough golf course, so there were a lot of good things that happened. “ Day two began early in Memphis on Sept. 15.

Wright tied for 14 overall with one recorded birdie for the second day, Beebe finished tied for 20, and Jones tied for 25.

The lady Jags will return Sept. 27-29 for the JSU Chris Banister Classic.

OPINION

ALEXANDER MOYLAN OPINION EDITOR alm1323@jagmail.southalabama.edu

SEPT. 21, 2015

Mobile left with expenses after billionaire’s visit Billionaire presidential candidate skips out on bill, makes laughingstock out of Mobile

By ALEXANDER MOYLAN Opinion Editor Whenever a political figure visits a city, it’s not uncommon for that city’s staff to help ensure the visit goes by smoothly. Sometimes this involves a financial expense.

FOX 10 News recently ran a story that covered comments from Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, specifically regarding an expense of approximately $17,000 following the visit from Republican candidate Donald Trump in late August. Apparently Trump’s people agreed to pay the city back for the rally’s expenses, but this has yet to happen according to Stimpson.

When a FOX 10 correspondent questioned Stimpson on his plans to seek some sort of reimbursement from Trump’s campaign after the city was so accommodating, Stimpson responded with “Well, I’m-I’m-I’m not gonna do that.”

Stimpson continued to contend that his reasons for not seeking any type of reimbursement were due to the fact that it’s apparently not uncommon for cities to foot the bill for such high-profile visits. He cited the media

recognition from “all around the world” as another reason not to seek any payment.

To handle the large rally Stimpson authorized an increased police presence around Ladd Peebles stadium, requiring the city to pay these officers overtime. Additionally, the large number of people in attendance required buses to ferry supporters, opponents and other interested parties to the stadium.

For the time being it appears that Mobile will be footing the bill for Trump and his people. This seems kind of ironic. After all, as far as I’m aware Trump’s candidacy is lauded so warmly by people who think that a businessman is what this country needs to lead. These same people are probably also mistakenly under the impression that governing bodies like the Congress or Senate are nonexistent as far as decision-making is concerned. Even worse, I worry that a large portion of registered voters believe that the United States President is some autonomous figure devoid of any accountability with no reason to answer to anybody.

Jay Z once exclaimed “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man!” I can’t help but think of this lyric whenever I ponder Trump’s

candidacy. With this lyric in mind I can see a similarity between Jay Z and Trump. Both are products of mass consumption.

Trump isn’t a businessman, he’s a face that sells things like advertisements, hats, books, etc. He’s marketed so well that people are fooled into thinking he’s some business mogul that can use his business prowess to run this country.

But before Trump even has the opportunity to dive further into the presidential race, he has chosen to play “dine and dash” on Mobile, leaving a bill of $17,000 on the table.

Worse, I feel that the city I call home has become a laughingstock thanks to Trump.

I would never say I’m ashamed to share my home with supporters of Republicans, Democrats or Independents during this election cycle. However, I am ashamed to share it with people who refuse to think impartially and instead see everything through their own subjective lens.

Stimpson believes that the coverage of Trump’s Mobile visit brought the city some positive press. Maybe it did. I know it also emphasized our fellow citizens’ race-laden views as exclamations of “white power” were not

only heard in person but rightfully reported in the national media coverage as well. Good ole Mobilians at work reinforcing Alabama’s reputation for the rest of the country.

The Republican party’s inability to put together a serious group of legitimate presidential candidates isn’t funny. For a brief moment I thought Trump was some House of Cards-esque Democratic plant within the Republican party in order to out the Grand Ole Party’s archaic viewpoints on today’s most relevant issues.

I feel bad for reveling in this mockery in the first place. Again, it’s not funny. Trump has no qualms about voicing his opinions on women, of which clearly demonstrate he’s unfit to run a country whose women are still currently fighting for equality in society and especially in the workplace. Don’t even get me started on his ideas for immigration reform.

But not only was a man with such horrible viewpoints on how this country should be run cheered in our city, our city’s government refuses to call out this “businessman” and make him pay the bill! Mobile becoming somewhat of a laughingstock to the rest of the nation thanks to Trump was enough. Now we’re literally paying for it.

Colorful Netflix series lessens the severity of incarceration

By OLIVER KARCHER Contributing Writer The Netflix original series, Orange Is the New Black (OITNB) is very loved among many people, especially those within the LGBT community. The majority of viewers could even say that some of the characters’ attractive, childlike qualities are relatable.

However, you can also argue that the the show’s storyline, and the characters’ backstories, are a bad influence on today’s youth.

Many of the show’s characters committed crimes to be incarcerated and continue to bend the rules while serving their sentences.

Impressionable viewers may be influenced to commit very similar crimes since the Netflix series, let alone many prison-based dramas, are unable to encapsulate certain elements of real, hard time served in prison. In general, the over romanticising and dramatization throughout the series has some negative key points. For example, the characters that are so easy to identify with may help blur the line between fiction and realism.

Since the show’s main focus is about time being served in prison, a person could easily say that jail time might be not as they first feared before OITNB. Other shows that have similar elements to OITNB include Scared Straight and The First 48. Such shows leave no mystery up to the mind of the av-

erage person thanks to the reality television format. Meanwhile, if some of the impressionable OITNB viewers commit crime and are jailed for any reason they might not take the officers as seriously or treat them with the respect they deserve. Inmate characters in OITNB tend to show “sass” and backtalk the prison staff. The viewers of OITNB could be blindly mistaken into thinking that such talk is taken lightly from the prison staff as it is in the show.

Additionally, since OITNB documents a day in the life of an inmate, this could also be a conflict in the whole mystery element of being in prison. Prison needs to have a form of unknown fear. Basically what unknown fear means is that people may not know the severity of prison but they know it’s bad. This being said the series ruins the whole unknown fear of prison.

Meanwhile, with all of the camaraderie that is seen in the series among the characters, a person who could potentially be put in prison might think that being arrested is a joke. Which is obviously not the case. The camaraderie in OITNB is a nice sentiment but it doesn’t necessarily hold true to how prison really is a majority of the time. Experiencing such familial sentiments should not be “banked on” if you will. If someone earns prison time, the main focus should just be to do the assigned time and to get out with no extra charges.

“Orange Is the New Black” just concluded its third season earlier this year. (Extra) My uncle is a police officer in Louisiana and knowing what him and other policemen go through day by day, the last thing I think they need is an increase of crime thanks to how crime and punishment are portrayed on a serialized drama from Netflix.

I love the series just as much as the next fan but I feel like the United States is on a road to desensitization and OITNB is just a stepping stone in the path of it all. European countries, have never censored the female body as much as the states. World travelers have come back to the states saying that they’d seen scandalous pictures of women on buses advertising various things.

That being said, foreigners have often stated

that Americans are coddled. Maybe if the American viewer of OITNB frequently watched the show it wouldn’t be a big deal.

Then again, what about the desensitization?

Maybe we need to be further desensitized but not through the means of OITNB. In the end, if viewer discretion is applied, the cases discussed above won’t happen. Still, some people could label the series as being problematic. As long as the viewer remembers that while Orange Is the New Black is based off of the real life prison sentence of Piper Kerman, known to viewers as Piper Chapman, it includes fictionalized elements and is essentially “sugarcoated” compared to what prison might actually be like.

14

SEPT. 21, 2015

Pay up, white people, it’s long overdue For years reparations have only been a pipe dream, but is it time to re-open the discussion?

By LEE HEDGEPETH Contributing Writer It’s time to pay up, white people.

Actually, it’s long past time to pay up.

It’s millions of lives, uncast ballots and broken American dreams past time to pay up.

It’s thousands of mob lynchings over crimes that never happened, brutal beatings over voter registration and slave rapes over no reason at all past time to pay up.

It’s many, many foreclosed homes, many undereducated youth and incarcerated black men and women past time to pay up.

And the debt is only growing larger.

According to a recent study of middle class Americans, a vast majority of African-Americans – 69% -- will move down economically and become poorer than their parents, while a majority of whites – 67% -- will either stay in the middle class or move up.

Another study reveals that white women in their prime working ages have a median net worth of about $42,600, while a black woman in the same age bracket’s financial net “worth” amounts to a whipping $5.

When you consider the constant brutalization, exploitation, terrorism and taunting of AfricanAmericans in the United States from the founding to Ferguson, though, these outrageously disparate outcomes are hardly a surprise. They’re the result of the intersection of black pain and white power and it’s time we (yes, we whites) adopt a public policy of truth and reconciliation to recognize and respond to it, using the very mechanism we have used to enforce the oppression in the first place: the government.

Is it a surprise a woman of color may have only

a $5 net worth when you consider that her greatgrandmother may have been a slave, her grandmother may have been terrorized by the KKK and her mother may have been denied employment, housing and dignity by white Americans?

Even more, is it a surprise that $5 is the net “worth” America assigns to her when her sons, or her husband, is being killed like Tamir Rice, or Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin or Michael Brown, at the hands of white police officers? Or when she could die in jail, arrested after a simple traffic stop like Sandra Bland?

I’m not surprised. I’m ready to do something about it.

Historically, reparations have never been out of the question.

Germany paid millions in reparations to various countries as a result of the Potsdam Conference after the Holocaust, an action that eventually culminated in the symbolic Warsaw Genuflection, when former German Chancellor Willy Brandy kneeled on both knees in apology at a memorial for victims of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Even in America, the idea of reparations is nothing new.

Sherman’s famous Field Order Number 15 perpetuated what only became another broken promise for African-Americans: that of forty acres and a mule.

For the last quarter of a century, Congressman John Conyers, a veteran African-American House Representative from Michigan, has proposed legislation that would merely study the issue of reparations for slavery and its continued effects on black society.

Conyers’ efforts underscore a particularly salient point: if the objections to reparations are the typical ones (Who will we pay? How much?

When?), then even those who may find it im-

The disparity in median wealth cannot be understated. (Pittsburgh Post Gazette) practical can support the Congressman’s bill, as studying those question and others by Congress, just like dozens of other issues every year, would surely be a positive development, regardless of the outcome.

Honestly, the answer to these common questions don’t seem too difficult to me, though.

Who will we pay?

Members of those communities so obviously suffering from the lingering effects of slavery, Jim Crow and mass incarceration. We could start with those women of color I mentioned before, supplementing their $5 net worth with the financial respect and recognition of dignity that such an action would bring.

How much?

I’m not saying we have to repay all that African-Americans have lost because of slavery and its aftershocks. Not even white people have that much money.

Even a small, symbolic gesture – like the German Chancellor on his knees – could be significant.

Some have suggested a penny per AfricanAmerican per year of chattel slavery.

I’m down with that.

Others have suggested giving black Americans 5/3 a vote in all elections for as many years the ballots of their ancestors were counted only as 3/5 of a person by the US government.

I’m okay with that, too.

What I’m not alright with, though, is doing nothing.

African-Americans are the only population in the United States brought here in chains, denied their basic human rights from the moment they stepped foot here.

It’s time we recognize that, and work towards doling out some real liberty and justice for all.

It’s long past time.

Kim Davis isn’t as hypocritical as she might seem

By MICAH MESSER Contributing Writer Where does this story begin? Well, it begins twenty-seven years ago. Kim Davis began working in the Rowan County Clerk office at the age of twenty-two. Her mother, Jeanne Bailey, was the County Clerk. Davis began working as a deputy clerk and later, when her mother retired, ran for County Clerk. She won the primary by twenty-three votes and later beat out her competitor in the election with fifty-three percent of the vote. Here is the surprising thing, she ran as a Democrat. That’s right, the Republican-uplifted Kim Davis is a Democrat.

When the homosexual couples asked for her to issue a marriage certificate to them, Kim Davis said no. Uh-oh! The war began, Kim Davis steadfastly refused to issue the marriage certificates while homosexual couples sought to be married. It went back and forth for a while before U.S. District Judge David Bunning is-

sued a court order for her to issue the marriage certificates.

The main issue came when she still refused to issue the marriage certificate following the court order. But, why did she refuse in the first place?

The answer is religious convictions. This is interesting because of her past. If she believed so heavily in the sanctity of marriage why did she get divorced three times? She also had two children out of wedlock. She claims to be a Christian but does those things and then expects others to respect her? The fact is, yes she does.

Kim Davis converted to Christianity at the age of forty-five when her mother-in-law, a devout Christian, died with her deathbed wish being Davis would attend a church service. She did and felt called to surrender herself to God. This means that all of the divorces and children out of wedlock occurred before she converted to Christianity, basically nullifying those who claim she is a hypocrite.

But, she did refuse a court order. Refusing a

Kim Davis stares ahead for her mugshot. (Carter County Detention Center) court order is punishable by fines and jail. The Judge ordered her and her son to jail. They both were in jail for six days before being released.

She has been commanded to not interfere in any way with deputy clerks issuing licenses to homosexual couples and has complied with this court order.

Kim Davis was jailed for a legitimate reason

but she isn’t as much as a hypocrite as some people would like. Her refusal to personally not issue the marriage licenses to homosexual couples begs another question. If she knew what the duties of the County Clerk were and had convictions to not issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples, why did she run in the first place?

DISTRACTIONS

ALEXANDER MOYLAN OPINION EDITOR alm1323@jagmail.southalabama.edu

SEPT 21, 2015

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BIG FRATERNITY PANHELLENIC RUSH SORORITY BROTHERHOOD LITTLE

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SEPT. 21, 2015