09172012 by The Vanguard

VANGUARD

THE

VOL. 51, NO. 8

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

SEPT. 17, 2012

Jags set sights on Mississippi State after loss to NC State

INSIDE PATRICK HERRING | SPORTS

USAPD has new wheels; with a message By JAYSON CURRY jayson-curry@hotmail.com

See USAPD, Page 4

Next game: MS State ►Politics, something everyone has an opinion on. So how was the DNC perceived by the student eye? See Opinion, page 14.

► Jag-TV has new program-

ming and some familiar faces. Check out what’s on USA’s own television network. See Life, page 7.

Patrick Herring|Sports Editor See more pictures online on USA Vanguard Sports’ Facebook page. See full story on page 9.

SouthBARK backlash has bite Mobile County Animal Shelter facing controversy over policy change

By KALYN MCCLELLAN kbm1001@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Mobile County Animal Shelter recently banned SouthBARK Animal Rescue from their facilities, no longer allowing the group to advocate for animals in need of homes. MCAS said SouthBARK was causing too many disruptions to their business. According to a statement sent to SouthBARK from the county, “We made the decision to end the association because SouthBARK continually disrupted the operations of the Mobile County Animal Shelter to the point where their association is doing more harm than good in our efforts to shelter these unwanted animals by its failure to abide by the rules and protocols which all other partners honored.” MCAS claims that SouthBARK caused the shelter to receive an excessive number of daily phone calls about animals in the shelter because the group would post pictures of animals in the shelter on their Facebook page, claiming that the animal only had days or hours to live before being euthanized. MCAS spokesperson Nancy

find us on Facebook “Facebook.com/ TheVanguardUSA”

Johnson said these posts are exaggerated and the dates of euthanasia, fabricated. “The Facebook page is so inflammatory that it does more harm than good, as many of the calls it generates aren’t even from people who want to adopt a dog. Most are from angry animal lovers who want only to berate staff members for killing any dogs at all,” Johnson said. The shelter does agree that the animals pictured are reaching the limit on the amount of days they have to be adopted, around 30, but they do not give SouthBARK the “kill-dates” that are posted on Facebook. In a statement to the press, as reported on al.com, SouthBARK President Emily Thompson did admit to fabricating some dates by estimating the euthanasia date by the date the animal was brought to the shelter. “When sending out lists of dogs in danger, the shelter coordinator used to include a date and time by which the dog needed to be adopted in order to be kept off of the euthanasia list, but she stopped. When she did, SouthBARK started projecting its own

Check out our digital edition thevanguardonline.com

►Intramurals have a huge fol-

lowing at USA. How do you get involved and why it such a campus favorite? See Left of Center, page 11.

dates,” Thompson said. According to al.com, SouthBARK is responsible for more annual shelter rescues than any other animal advocacy group in the area, and “of the 1533 animals that rescue groups saved from euthanasia during [the last 12 months], SouthBARK was responsible for about 720, nearly as many as the other 27 rescue groups combined.” This situation has animal lovers around campus talking. Jessica Brown, senior education major, has worked at five veterinary offices and with three animal rescue groups around the area. She said that she can understand why SouthBARK and animal advocates are upset about this decision, but can also see the viewpoint of MCAS. “I know from experience that [harassing phone calls] are a burden and it is harmful to the shelters and staff. Every time someone makes a threatening call, it takes away time the staff could be using to help the animals,” Brown said. “It also brings down the morale of the staff. Their jobs are not easy and often very heartbreaking. People who choose to work with sick and abandoned animals do

ROTC leads 9/11 service

Courtesy of ROTC

he University of South Alabama has recently acquired three new vehicles for use by USA Police Department. USAPD decided the acquisition of these vehicles was necessary after struggling to keep multiple previous vehicles in use full-time as they constantly needed repairs. “The existing USAPD patrol vehicle fleet was comprised of vehicles with extremely high mileage which had begun to require constant expensive repairs. A goal of the Student Affairs Division is to provide a high quality of services in a fiscally responsible manner. In accordance with this goal the decision was made to initiate a cyclical vehicle replacement plan to provide reliable and functional patrol vehicles,” USAPD Chief Zeke Aull said. “We decided to start with replacing three vehicles. All of the vehicles that have been taken out of service were at least eleven years old, had in excess of 200,000 miles, and were incessantly in need of costly repairs. After a careful review of the vehicles available for purchase under state contract we decided upon the Chevrolet Tahoe. On state contract each vehicle costs $25,900,” Aull added. Students may notice that USAPD decided to use Chevrolet Tahoes which have been described as “Patrol Tahoes” and the choice of those vehicles was determined by a number of factors. “Our decision to choose the Tahoe took into account gas mileage (gets better gas mileage than the Crown Victoria’s that we currently have in service), vehicle reliability (five year warranty), and the functionality of the vehicle for the prescribed tasks. In

See BARK, Page 4

Life, Page 6

ROTC led USA’s annual 9/11 memorial ceremony Tuesday.

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

VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012

PAGE three

“University of South Alabama’s Student Voice”

Weather for Sept. 17 - 23

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

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

Distribution Distribution Bobby Faulk Manager

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

Management Advising James Aucoin J. Sellers Accounting Kathy Brannan

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

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

Twitter: StormTeam4g9wx Facebook: Facebook.com/StormTeam4Gamma9Wx the consensus opinion of the Editorial Board, which is composed of the Editor in Chief, Managing 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, e-mail editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com. The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academic year, except for exam periods and vacations, and is published twice each summer. The Vanguard is supported in part by an allocation from student activity fees and operates in the Student Media Department of the Division of Student Affairs. Issues are available at most University buildings and select offcampus locations. The first copy is free. Additional copies are $1 each.

See Something suspicious? Report it to USAPD!

USA Police Blotter Will return next week.

251-460-6312

VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012

The USA Foundation: What they do for USA By CASSIE FAMBRO editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com

he USA Foundation is much like a stagehand. It works behind the scenes so the play can go on. The USA Foundation is not owned by the University. Instead, it is its own entity that is designed to assist the University of South Alabama.

With over $100 million invested in timber, The Foundation’s total assets are in excess of $283 million, according to their financial reports. The Foundation bought Brookley Center from USA in order to help USA and is making $20 million in $4 million annual installments. With the addition of Airbus to

Mobile, The Foundation is working to benefit USA to the maximum extent possible in regards to Brookley. Maxey Roberts, managing director of The Foundation, stated at their Sept. 6 meeting that, “We want the property [Brookley] to reflect positively on The Foundation and the university.” At their May meeting, Rob-

erts told The Vanguard that what makes all of their work worth it is “seeing students succeed.” USA Honor’s student Sid King stated his view of The Foundation. “I genuinely admire and respect the USA Foundation’s support of the Honor’s Program and its members. It has been invaluable as they develop scholars

and leaders and gives them the chance they deserve,” King said. For the fiscal year 2012, The Foundation has contributed a total of $4,401,161, in support to USA. See table below.

2012 Gifts include: $100,000 of a $500,000 gift to support the College of Engineering and the School of Computing.  $10,000 for the Charlotte H. and Samuel Eichold Scholarships, supporting medical students.  $320,000 to support faculty travel through the Faculty Development Fund. $471,000 to support USA Foundation Research Fellowships and graduate assistantships.  $750,000 for the Whiddon/Honors Scholarships. More than $537,520 for general support of the College of Medicine faculty through the Racing Commission Faculty Fund. Cassie Fambro } Editor-in-Chief USA Foundation supports the college of engineering and computing

Source: The USA Foundation’s website

USAPD’s new wheels on campus

SouthBARK has protest

USAPD, from page 1 BARK, from page 1 addition, in order to save additional monies, our staff (professional and student employees) installed all of the vehicle equipment such as lights, sirens and computers,” Aull commented. The three vehicles that were replaced by the new USAPD vehicles may not be on the main USA campus anymore but they are not being wasted in any sense. “It should also be mentioned that the vehicles removed from the main campus patrol fleet have been recycled and are still being utilized to some degree for public education campaigns such as our “Choose Your Ride” campaign, at the Spring Hill Avenue Campus, and for parts, ” stated Aull. The Patrol Tahoes will allow for the officers at USAPD to better serve the campus. The officers will be allowed to carry all of their needed equipment with them as well as send reports with the computer systems in the vehicles. These new vehicles will be utilized just like any other patrol vehicle currently in service on our campus. However, this type of vehicle provides

some ease of use by allowing the officers to carry the equipment that he/she needs in the field with them (such as emergency medical supplies, Defibrillator- AED, as well as other necessary emergency equipment), according to Aull. The officers will also be able to complete their reports in the field via computer, therefore, increasing their visibility for the purpose of deterring criminal activity,” Aull said. Aull also made it clear that the new police vehicles were not paid for by student tuition or parking fines. They were paid for by “vending monies managed by the Division of Student Affairs.” USA student Sean Moore believes the cars should make campus safer. “I don’t mind South using my tuition for fancy cop cars, but with those new cars the campus better be safer. I can’t stand how I always read in The Vanguard about people having $500 worth of stuff stolen from their cars and nothing can be done about

it, but the second I park in the wrong parking lot it costs me an arm and a leg,” Moore said. USAPD also had a new addition to their fleet that isn’t for patrolling but will be used to create awareness for students about the detriment of driving drunk. The vehicle is part of the “Choose Your Ride” campaign. The car is painted as half of a USAPD cruiser and half of a taxi. The retired vehicle is meant to create awareness and will not be used as other USAPD vehicles or a taxi. USA student Katie Hall pointed out a paradox with the vehicle. “I find it odd that we now have a safe-drinking taxi, yet South Alabama is a dry campus,” Hall told The Vanguard. Jaguar Productions President Khaela Huey said that it’s a strong message. “A lot of our students are of age to drink,” Huey said. “This is aimed towards those with a lapse in judgement.” The car is on display at USAPD. Editor’s note: See pictures on facebook.com/thevanguardusa

not show up to work every day to play with animals. They work with sick, abused, neglected, and unwanted animals all day. To receive negative feedback from the public is not only upsetting, but uncalled for,” Brown concluded. Creative writing professor Carolyn Haines works with animals, fostering them and finding homes for them. “I honestly don’t know the right and wrong of this situation, but let me point out that if Mobile County and the city had effective spay and neuter incentives, this wouldn’t be an issue,” Haines stated. “If pet owners neutered their pets, we wouldn’t have thousands of strays roaming neighborhoods, contracting illnesses, and getting injured and dying horrible deaths,” Haines continued. “In fighting over SouthBARK, the county commission is losing a terrific opportunity to step in front of this problem and find a real solution. I’d be happy to work with any organizations and elected officials to find a real answer,” Haines concluded. A peaceful protest was held downtown

outside the courthouse Thursday by SouthBARK and its supporters. According to Tabitha Perry, junior biology major, the protest was a way for animal advocates’ voices to be heard. “I have never volunteered with SouthBARK, I just love what the organization does,” Perry said. “The point of the protest was to get the county to reverse the ban on SouthBARK from pulling dogs from MCAS. Everyone was wondering why ‘too many phone calls’ was a reason to seal the fate of literally hundreds of perfectly adoptable dogs,” Perry stated. “If they felt like they were getting to many phone calls, I’m sure SouthBARK could have directed calls somewhere else,” Perry concluded. Despite recent efforts by SouthBARK and other animal advocates, including the protest and several petitions circulating online, the ban is still in place for them at MCAS, greatly reducing the number of animals that will have a chance at adoption. There are no reports of upcoming negotiations or meetings between MCAS and SouthBARK.

VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012

jagLIFE

JAKE HOWELL, JAGLIFE EDITOR life.editor@usavanguard.com VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012

Vinyl records making a comeback in the Digital Age

ALEX WHATLEY | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Vinyl records that most college students’ parents listened to are becoming popular once again as music tastes shift.

By ALEX WHATLEY

ajw701@jagmail.southalabama.edu

n today’s music world of downloading files, dragging them into folders and scrolling through touchscreen devices, record players seem more archaic than ever. Yet even in the heart of this digital age, vinyl records are making a

huge comeback and resonating with young music enthusiasts. Record sales in 2012 are already on pace to be the highest of any year in the past two decades, looking to reach over $3.9 million in sales, according to Nielsen Soundscan, a sales and information tracking system. This also comes as CD and digital sales are on the decline.

For those of you unfamiliar with record players, records were a mainstream way of playing music from the 1910s to early 1990s. Records are normally classified by their revolutions per minute, or RPMs. This is the speed at which the record rotates, and typically are 78, 45, 33 1/3, or 16 RPMs. 45’s and 78’s are typically meant for singles, playing one song on each record side, while 33’s are usually full-length albums. The latter can also be called LPs, or Long Play records. They can be made from shellac or vinyl, but vinyl has been the primary record type that most people are familiar with, since records can be referred to simply as “vinyl.” The growing popularity with vinyl albums is evident in their availability. Along with antique stores and flea markets, records are available at major stores such as FYE and Best Buy. Record players can also be bought at Target for about $99 or FYE for around $60. Earlier this year, a local store, Mobile Records, opened up on Sage Avenue. Mint condition oldies can be found starting at $5. Compared to a $9.99 iTunes al-

bum or $12.99 CD, these prices aren’t too high. While vinyl’s comeback started off primarily with Indie bands as well as re-releases of classics, newer artists have caught on to the trend as well. Not only can you purchase classic records now, but you can also find artists from Lil Wayne and Drake to Coldplay and MGMT. At this summer’s Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Jack White’s record label Third Man Records was present with their “Rolling Record Store,” a large yellow van selling records of the artists on its label, including the White Stripes and The Raconteurs. Many point to the physical aspect of records as to why they have regained popularity. “I think people like a physical object with the art work and info together,” says Justin St. Clair, assistant English professor and faculty advisor to the Independent Music Collective. IMC holds a book sale twice a semester that also includes records. The next sale will be sometime in November. Despite shortcomings in porta-

bility, need for maintenance and delicate nature, St. Clair points out that vinyl still touts a much longer shelf life than CDS, as well as better sound quality. “Rather than a bunch of samples pasted together in digital recordings, you get a continuous sound with records,” St. Clair said. “The more a record gets used, there’s remnants of the listening history, engraved in the record.” He also points out how much the cover art helps with discovering new music when digging through records at a shop. Without a way to preview the music, people base their selections on interesting album covers, and through this, people discovered more musical surprises. Judging a record by its cover can turn out to be a good thing. A listener is more engaged with their record since they are handling it and flipping it. They are also less likely to be able to skip tracks and listen idly. It’s these little things about records that make music so much more fun, and gives soul to music enjoyment in today’s digitally inclined world.

80’s glam rock makes appearance at the Soul Kitchen with Lynam By HEATHER PAUGH hmp1102@jagmail.southalabama.edu

he Soul Kitchen Music Hall maintains its reputation for hosting entertaining musical acts by bringing the rainbow tutu clad 80’s glam-rock cover band, Lynam, to Mobile on Friday, Sept. 21. Lynam has recently been making national news thanks to lead singer, Jacob Bunton, who joined former Guns and Roses drummer Steven Adler on a new project, Adler. Adler’s first single, entitled “The One That You Hated,” was released back in April of this year and received positive reviews from the public and critics alike. The new album will be released before the end of 2012 Adler kicks off their first tour this October with rock legend Kiss on the Kiss Kruise II. Lynam is definitely not one to miss with their body paint, slashed

up clothes and ten foot high hair. These boys know how to put on a show. Lynam has previously toured with big names such as Hinder, Tesla, Skid Row, Saliva and many others. The three-piece group includes Alabama natives Bunton on the guitar, Cody Elliot with the bass and David Lynam at the drums. Each member of the band has a few songs they sing lead for, but Bunton does the majority of the singing. In addition to their normal 80’s rock line up, they have added a few new songs, including some from Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj. They also throw in some original songs such as “Porn Star,” “Tanis” and “Get Me Off.” Bunton describes a Lynam show as being “basically a big rock show in a close environment.” Freshmen biomedical sciences majors, Anu Pandit and Madeline

Trout, are planning to see the band perform live. “I’m so excited to see Lynam in concert at the Soul Kitchen. We’ve been listening to a lot of their music lately and if their performance is anything like their music, it’s definitely worth seeing. I’m not usually one for concerts, but I can’t pass this one up,” commented Pandit. Trout chimed in, “I’ve only been to the Soul Kitchen once but since my friend has introduced me to Lynam, I can’t wait to go back. I’m from a small town in Kansas so its exciting to have so many opportunities to see live acts.” Bunton was more than happy to share the band’s excitement for playing at the Soul Kitchen. “We love coming to Mobile because it feels like home. There are some true rock and roll fans out there, which makes the energy level amazing. We feed off that energy and Mobile has the people that give

it to us. So the 21 is a night for everyone to come party with us,” Bunton stated. “Forget school work, personal problems, and how messed up the world can be for one night. Just come out, have a good time, and forget everything that gets to you during the week. That’s why we play. That’s our goal,” Bunton added. Lynam provides a chance for students to get off campus, forget their troubles and have a great time while not breaking the bank. Lynam’s show at the Soul Kitchen will begin at 11 p.m. and doors will open at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are available prior to the event for $5 at soulkitchenmobile. com. Tickets can also be purchased at the door for $7 for those 21 and older and $10 for those ages 18-20. Ticket availability at the door is not guaranteed.

HEATHER PAUGH |CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jacob Bunton of Lynam performing at Top of the Bay in Daphne in August. Come out to The Soul Kitchen and party with this high energy band.

VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012

Jag TV featuring new original shows this year By STUART SOX sgsox@att.net

here have been a few changes implemented in the show-list of Jag TV for this year. Michael Brannon and Braden Cheek, hosts of the long running show “USA Sports,” graduated this past spring, leaving a gap for a new show on the lineup. Colton Bradford, a sophomore communications major, stepped up to the plate in a big way. “The Colton Bradford Show” is an “informative entertainment” talk show on which Bradford will feature a weekly guest to discuss issues regarding the University of South Alabama and other current events in the community and around the world. Considering Bradford’s achievements, he is extremely qualified as a television show host. Not only is he a former host of “USA Sports,” he spent last summer in New York City as an intern for NBC. On his goals for the show, Bradford said he wants it to be the “melting pot of student voice.”

A future episode of “The Colton Bradford Show” will feature “American Idol” runner-up Lauren Alaina. To watch new episodes of “The Colton Bradford Show,” tune in to Jag TV on Thursdays at 4 p.m. Also added to this year’s list of shows is “Melted,” which is a sketch comedy show where, according to Jag TV General Manager Deborah Crabtree, “anything and everything can happen.” “Melted” is hosted by Joshua “Jay Birg” Hybock and various guests. “Melted” features comedy segments, like “Social Advice From Master Satan.” The premise of “Social Advice from Master Satan” is, according to Jay Birg, “that too many people are going to hell. The devil, being lazy, gives people his advice on how to be a good person.” New episodes of “Melted” air every other Thursday at 7:30 p.m. “Morning Mayhem” is a morning talk show on which hosts Kaytie Simpson and Alexandria Smith discuss campus issues and events. On why students should watch “Morning Mayhem,” Simpson, a junior communications major, said, “It’s an age

Weekly Lowdown Monday > Sept. 17 •

•

COURTESY OF DARRELL JOHNSTON

From the left: Jag TV’s Darrell Johnston, The Vanguard’s Cassie Fambro, Jag TV’s Deborah Crabtree, Colton Bradford and The Vanguard’s Stuart Sox on the set of “The Colton Bradford show.”

appropriate and funny show for college students and is relatable to everyone on campus.” For new episodes of “Morning Mayhem,” tune in to Jag TV on Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m. Any student who wants to know about the newest movies should watch “Movies on Jag.” This show does an in-depth preview

of upcoming movie releases and includes movie clips, actor interviews, featurettes and behind the scenes looks at production of the movies. New episodes of “Movies on Jag” are aired on Mondays at 4 p.m. To watch Jag TV, tune in to channel 63 on the university cable system, watch on Roku or online at southalabama.edu/ jagtv.

Tuesday > Sept. 18 •

COURTESY OF THE SOUL KITCHEN

The Mobile rave scene will erupt as the “Datsik Firepower” tour makes a stop at The Soul Kitchen on Sept. 23. The tour features Datsik, Delta Heavy, Bare Noize and AFK.

By NOAH LOGAN

ncl1101@jagmail.southalabama.edu

couple of Saturdays ago, my friends and I went to The Alabama Music Box in downtown Mobile, next to Haberdasher’s. The event was labeled as Dub2 on the calendar, and the tickets were $5 each so we decided to give it a try. Even before buying the tickets, I

was impressed by the club for putting on shows that were 18 and up. It’s been rather difficult to find something in the downtown area that you don’t have to be 21 to enjoy. Dub2 was slated to be a competition between two DJ’s from Auburn, Mindflo and Brown Recluse, with a special guest appearance from San Diego DJ Corey Biggs. I expected to go and see a group of

energy and excitement. I would suggest it to anybody looking for a good time.” Artists who specialize in electric, dance and dubstep, all of which are characteristic of raves, feature names like Skrillex, Pretty Lights, Kaskade and Deadmau5. The scene has grown from some kids with a computer and delusions of grandeur to entire festivals dedicated to promoting the music and the scene. On Sept. 23, another Mobile venue will be playing host to a scene for rave goers. Datsik, one of the premier names in electronic music today, is taking the “Datsik Firepower” tour to The Soul Kitchen right here in downtown Mobile. For those who have never been to The Soul Kitchen, the venue provides great acoustics for maximum sound quality and the quality of the acts is above par. Those who have never been a part of the rave scene and feel like it might be up their alley, The Soul Kitchen is definitely the place to be when Datsik comes to Mobile. Leave comfort zones behind, dressed in as much neon and LED accessories as possible and be ready to party as The Soul Kitchen never fails to put on a fantastic experience. Go to soulkitchenmobile.com to find out how you can get tickets.

7:30 p.m. - Archduke Piano Trio Concert in the Laidlaw Recital Hall. $5 for USA students, faculty and staff.

Wednesday > Sept. 19 •

Mobile rave scene to heat up with “Datsik Firepower” teenagers standing around, awkwardly bobbing their heads while trying to look cool as Skrillex and Bassnectar tracks played. The crazy, exciting and love-filled scene that unfurled before me, however, was a kind of party that I had never come across before. The club was half full when we first got there and everybody was following the lead of a group of charismatic, oddly dressed and attention grabbing girls adorned in everything neon, Kandi bracelets and heart shaped sunglasses. One girl was actually wearing a masquerade mask hiding a fourth of her face. These strange and wonderful girls were fresh from the new rave scene. This upcoming, underground movement has turned into one of the most exhilarating cultures in dance and hiphop today. It’s not hard to like the new rave scene, as only a few rules and specifics are necessary. Lights are out (except if they are being worn), music is loud, electronic, and fast and just let go. Matthew Strickland, a freshman engineering major, said of his experience at Dub2, “I had been wondering what downtown Mobile had to offer. The venue was great and the show was exciting. Being in the rave environment definitely provides a new and fresh sense of

9 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Fall Study Abroad Fair in the Student Center Mall. Explore study and internships abroad for spring, summer and fall or full academic year. 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Constitution Day Program Supreme Court 2012 Term case review in the Main Library Auditorium.

3 p.m. - 5 p.m - Student Veterans Organization’s first meeting in USA Library Room 181

Thursday > Sept. 20 •

9 p.m. - 11 p.m. - Old School Skate Night at Sunshine Skate Center. Free with USA student ID.

Friday > Sept. 21 •

DELUNAFEST - Sept. 21 - 23 at Pensacola Beach, Fla. - Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Zac Brown Band, Florence and the Machine, Band of Horses, and many more bands will be playing. Tickets are $199.95 for 3 day passes. Visit delunafest.com for more info.

Sunday > Sept. 23 •

9 p.m. - “Datsik Firepower” tour performs at the Soul Kitchen Music Hall

Want your event featured? E-mail the name, date, time, price, place and a brief tagline (under 7 words) to life.editor@usavanguard.com.

VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012

SPORTS

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

VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012

PATRICK HERRING |SPORTS EDITOR

Wide receiver Jereme Jones catches a touchdown pass from Ross Metheny for the Jaguars’ only score of the game.

N.C. State defeats U.S.A. 31-7 on Glennon’s 3 TD tosses Wolfpack QB Mike Glennon picked apart the Jaguar defense to the tune of 257 yards and 21 points By PATRICK HERRING sports.editor@usavanguard.com

he N.C. State Wolfpack (2-1) didn’t take too kindly to the Jaguars (1-2) coming into Carter-Finley stadium, and they made it known. Quarterback Mike Glennon went 24 of 34 for 257 yards and three touchdowns in just over three quarters of play to lead his team to a 31-7 victory in N.C. State’s home opener. This is the second consecutive season the Wolfpack has defeated USA after last year’s 35-13 defeat in Raleigh. The Jaguars barely avoided being shut out when Metheny connected with Jereme Jones for an 8-yard touchdown with five minutes left to avoid USA’s first ever scoreless game. Mike Glennon went 8-of-9 to six different receivers on North Carolina State’s opening drive, capping it off with a 33-yard lob to Rashard Smith to give the Wolfpack an early 7-0 lead. After a promising start to USA’s first drive, C.J. Bennett threw an inter-

ception to All-American cornerback David Amerson. Amerson collected three tackles in the game. “They were a good defense and we just couldn’t sustain any drives,” Bennett said. “When we needed those third-and-longs we just weren’t able to convert.” It only took Glennon four plays to score on a 44-yard bomb to Underwood to put NC State up 14-0. Underwood finished with three catches for 58 yards and the score. A few Jaguar drives later, Ross Metheny fumbled after getting sacked at his own 33. Six plays later, on fourth and three, NC State scored on an 11yard rush by running back Tony Creecy to push the lead to 21-0. Creecy would finish with 68 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. The Wolfpack didn’t seem to miss starting running back Mustafa Green, who was suspended prior to the start of the game. Creecy and the rest of the running back corps for N.C. State combined to rush for 127 yards, more than

doubling the 51 yards gained by USA’s runners. Glennon completed a 13-yard pass to Quentin Payton for a touchdown on the next Wolfpack drive to go up 280. Payton had five catches for 61 yards and a score. On the Jaguar’s first shot at points on a 39-yard field goal attempt, punter Scott Garber bobbled the snap and ran the ball out of bounds to end the half. The Jags defense dug in after the half and didn’t allow another touchdown in the game, outscoring the Wolfpack 7-3 in the final two stanzas. “Positive thing is, I think we won the second half,” Jones said. “I challenged them at halftime to win the second half and we came out and won the second half.” They did give up a 22-yard field goal to make it 31-0 in the third quarter after Glennon drove the ball down to the USA five. The Pack went for it on fourth down on the drive even though they were well within field goal range and already up four scores.

South’s only points came on a drive well into the fourth quarter when Metheny completed a 43-yard pass to Corey Besteda to get the ball down to the NCSU 29. On the next play he completed a 21-yard pass to Baker, who gained a game-high 100 all-purpose yards. Two plays later Metheny found Jereme Jones in the corner of the endzone to end the scoring drought. Those would be the final points scored in the game with the score cemented at 31-7. The reception by Jones tied the school record for consecutive games with a reception at 17, tying former wide receiver Courtney Smith’s record. It was Jones’ only catch of the game. Metheny would end the game with 189 yards on 14 of 20 passing with one interception. Even in the loss, the quarterback duo of Bennett and Metheny did manage to outgain N.C. State with 263 yards to the Wolfpack’s 254. Bennett went 10 of 15 with 79 yards and a pick.

Jake Johnson set a school record with 11 solo tackles, finishing with 12.5 total, including one for a loss. It is the fourth consecutive game Johnson has led the team in tackles going back to the 41-10 loss at the hands of Cal-Poly last season. He’s totalled 28.5 tackles so far this season. “This was a learning experience for our defense,” Johnson said. “We played our asses off.” Enrique Williams added 9 tackles. The defense compiled four sacks, two by Pat Moore giving him three for the season, and one each by Clifton Crews and Anthony Taylor. Baker led the team in receptions, recording a career-high five catches for an also career-best 55 receiving yards. It was also the third consecutive game Baker has lead the team in rushing yardage, bringing his season total to 193 yards. Wide receiver Wes Saxton added four catches and a game-high 72 yards, most of which came on the Jaguars’ lone scoring drive.

VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012

Tight end Hollinger plays big role in new offense By JAYSON CURRY jayson-curry@hotmail.com

outh Alabama’s Greg Hollinger has made a few changes this season. Hollinger, a Frisco City, Ala., native, came to Mobile to be a part of a new football program and saw his future with the Jags at the wide receiver position. At 6’4” and around 230 lbs., Hollinger was a big target as receiver and was seen as a replacement for USA’s Courtney Smith who also had excellent size for a receiver. But with the hire of new offensive coordinator Robert Matthews and the new spread offense he brought, came a new position for Hollinger to master. In the spread, Hollinger would evolve into an athletic tight end; a change Hollinger has accepted with open arms. “Coming into this season first I didn’t know what to expect because I’ve never played tight end before, but I had some experience at receiver so that helped me with my route running,” Hollinger said. “I feel good now because I’ve gotten better at my run blocking skills and I still feel good about route running.” Hollinger’s progress at his new position hasn’t gone unnoticed. “He is doing an unbelievable job. Greg was a big wide receiver, a physical wide receiver and when we moved him to tight end he has really established himself at that position,” tight end coach John Turner said. “Of course he has tremendous receiver skills and can catch the ball phenomenally, he has great hand-eye coordination and can go up and

high point the ball, but he has worked his tail off to be one of the best blockers on our football team.” “Obviously having been a receiver his entire career there are still

comes from gaining weight and strength. After changing from receiver to tight end, Hollinger was able to gain weight that he fought to keep off earlier in his career. Hollinger even had a block during the Jaguar’s game against U T S A earlier this season that is still be-

some learning processes, but we are really proud of him,” Turner added. Hollinger’s work ethic will continue to allow him to become a better player, especially as he improves his blocking skills when he is attached to the offensive line. Part of that improvement for Hollinger

ing talke d about by fans a n d teammates. Hollinger and the USA coaching staff have more

film than they could hope to watch on the transformation of the tight end position as the NFL has become tight end heavy. “We went this offseason and we watched a lot of NFL tape, a lot of New England Patriots tape with (Rob) Gronkowski and (Aaron) Hernandez and we are kind of doing the same thing with Greg and Wes Saxton,” Turner explained. “We are trying to use them together to get those guys open and manipulate the defense.” “They are such big targets and they create such mismatches. Sometimes they are faster than linebackers and they are bigger than safeties and they can body up a corner. We are just trying to find creative ways to get him the ball.” Turner added. All of our tight ends can go out and compete. They are big time Division-1 football players and we expect them to go out on Saturdays and make plays and dominate and if they want to have a career in college and beyond they have to step up and make plays. After the first game of the season, head coach Joey Jones spoke about his new tight end. “We definitely need to get him the ball more,” Jones said. “He went out there and made some plays and proved that he deserves a bigger role in the offense.” Through the first two games of the season, Hollinger leads all receivers in receiving yardage (78), average yards per catch (15.6) and is tied for the team lead with five receptions.

CHIP ENGLISH | USAJAGUARS.COM

College Football Predictions

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

Patrick Herring Sports Editor (6-2)

Jayson Curry Senior Reporter (6-2)

USA vs Mississippi State

South Alabama’s first SEC opponent is one from the middle of the pack. Still too much for the Jags to handle. Mississippi State 42-14.

USA plays its second big time opponent jn a The Jags sadly won’t fair well again this week. row and they struggle once again. Mississppi MSU 31-10. State 38-10.

#1 Alabama vs. Florida Atlantic

Duron Carter will be catching passes in BryantDenny, but for the Owls, not the Tide. McCarron won’t miss him. Alabama 49-10.

Auburn vs. #3 LSU

Auburn continues its downward spiral against a stacked LSU defense. Frazier will be on the ground early and often. LSU 38-13.

#5 Florida State vs. #11 Clemson

This will be a high-scoring affair, but Florida State has more depth on defense. The Seminoles reign supreme in the ACC. FSU 45-35.

JT Crabtree Sports Editor L.O.C. (5-3)

Alabama plays its second cupcake of the The Owls have no shot. None. AJ McCarron year and makes it look easier than the first throws for 4 TDs. Alabama 45-7. game. Alabama 55-3. Auburn is having one of their worst seasons I guarantee the Tigers will win this one. But it in a while. Gene Chizick’s seat is getting hot will be LSU winning the cat fight. LSU 34-12. and this game won’t help. LSU 42-10. FSU and Clemson could decide who wins the ACC and makes their way to a BCS bowl. An offensive shoot out in the ACC will have FSU is picked as a favorite to make it to the Clemson winning. Clemson 27-21. national championship game. FSU 45-35.

Want us to follow you? Tweet us @USAVGSports

BJ Scott @Bj_Scott_1: Safety 5 minutes left in class jingling these keys like a mother father Drew Dearman @Drewpac72: Offensive Lineman I wanna kick the students who volunteer to administer parking tickets right in the shin Logan Kirkland Captain_Kirk2: Second Baseman Never thought I’d be sitting in the living room with 4 other grown men watching Message in a Bottle Rush Hen @_RusHen_: Tight End: Just bored, so naturally I YouTube Justin Timberlake classics Joseph Scelfo @jscelfo66: Offensive Lineman Shower, brush my teeth, get really comfortable in bed...then I gotta pee. Every time #why? Shaun Artz @SHaun_ARTZ73: Offensive Lineman Never a good sign when you can’t tell if ole girl is trying to flirt or giving you the stink eye... Bless her heart Austin Cole @Cole_World_61: Longsnapper Pisses me off when someone sits in the/my seat which I’ve sat in since the first day of class. Messes everything up! Desmond Jones @Dez_J0nes: Running Back I hate when there is no extra fries in the bottom of the bag!

@USAVGSports

LEFT OF CENTER

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

VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012

Tailgating made easy at USA By ALYSSA NEWTON akn1104@jagmail.southalabama.edu

eed something to do before the next South Alabama home game? Then consider heading out to Ladd-Peebles Stadium and doing a little tailgating. For every home game, the USA Student Government Association gives out 345 free parking passes to students to be able to enter the gates of Ladd-Peebles Stadium. You have to have one of these parking passes to enter and park within the gates. The gate opens at 8 a.m. to start allowing cars to enter, so, depending on game time, come early to ensure you get a good spot. If you don’t have a parking pass, you can park at Bel-Air Mall and ride The Wave Transit. Cost round trip per person is $2.50 and is a good alternative to finding a place to park around the stadium. For each parking pass, you are assigned a designated tailgating area. Each area allows one car and one 10 foot by 10 foot tent. It may sound small, but it allows plenty of room to grab a few chairs, bring a little grill and grub out before the game. Make sure you walk around and get some great tailgating gear and apparel from the USA Bookstore merchandise tent, located at the South end of the stadium, while you’re waiting on the Jaguar Prowl to start. The Jaguar Prowl usually starts two hours before game time. So grab your chairs, your burgers and your Kiss the Cook apron and have a great time with your friends and even maybe a few strangers before watching the game.

Jag fans enjoying tailgating on September 8 outside Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

COURTESY OF BRIAN ALLRED

Members of the Chi Omega and Kappa Delta sororities play intramural soccer.

Intramurals are a big hit at South Alabama As many as 1500 students a week are playing a wide range of intramural sports By JT CRABTREE

jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

outh Alabama intramurals is one of the most popular aspects of student life on campus. The intramural program offers several different sports to play, including flag football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, water polo and softball. Each sport is available to any student currently enrolled, alumni, as well as faculty and staff currently employed at South. Many of the teams are clubs, such as AASA and Jaguar Productions, while other teams are alumni that have played together for years and continue to live out their glory days. Each team is required to pay a $25 registration fee and deposit a $25 forfeit check, which will only be cashed if your team forfeits a game or misses the

COURTESY OF ALYSSA NEWTON

manager’s meeting before the season. Each team is allowed one forfeit per sport season. Courtney Sullivan, a senior at South, said that intramural sports are quite popular on campus. “We have about 1500-1600 students a week playing various intramural sports, whether it is football or soccer or water polo,” stated Sullivan. Every intramural sport is divided into Men’s, Women’s, Co-rec, Fraternity and Sorority leagues and then divided by competitive level in each league. The competitive level ranges from one to five, one being recreational and five being very competitive. Brian Allred, the director of the intramural program, said that each sport has varying rules as well, with Co-rec having separate rules altogether, such as more players on the field and women’s points being worth more. For example, if a girl scores a touchdown in flag football, it is worth nine points, as opposed to six if a guy scored a touchdown. Allred also said that these rules are nationally regulated. “We don’t come up with the rules,” said Allred. “We follow NIRSA (National IntramuralRecreational Sports Association) rules. Most colleges and universities with intramural programs follow those rules as well.”

Intramurals is almost completely student run, with all of the referees being current students. Being an intramural referee is also a paid job, and each referee must go through a training program before the start of their respective season. During the fall semester, intramurals offer soccer, sand volleyball, waterballoon battleship, intertube water polo, flag football and redzone flag football. Redzone flag football is the preseason for regular flag football and is played on half the field. Flag football is always popular, and Allred said that they have “averaged around 102 football teams over the past 3 years playing flag football.” During the spring semester, USA Intramurals offers indoor soccer, volleyball, dodgeball, disc golf, softball, basketball and shortman basketball. Several sports, like flag football and basketball, have an all-star game, where the best players from each league are selected to play as a member of the intramural all-star team. At the end of the spring semester, there is an intramural award ceremony and cookout. Awards are handed out to the winner of each sport as well as prizes which sometimes include big screen TV’s and gaming systems. Registration and manager meeting dates as well as

COURTESY OF BRIAN ALLRED

Flag football averages around 102 teams every year.

rules for each sport can also be found at southalabama.edu/intramurals. You can also stop by or call the intramural field house at 251-461-1627.

Opinion

NOAH LOGAN OPINION EDITOR opinion.editor@usavanguard.com

VOL. 51, NO. 7 / SEPT. 17, 2012

Where the hell are all the forks!?

The Vanguard Viewpoint A STAFF EDITORIAL

Traffic at USA raises safety concerns

By NOAH LOGAN

ncl1101@jagmail.southalabama.edu

cannot take it anymore. I know the majority of students at South Alabama are going through the exact same thing I am, thinking the exact same thoughts and they probably complain about it the exact same way I do. What’s the difference between us? They don’t have control of a section in a student newspaper and I cannot refrain from pointing the finger of justice at South Alabama any longer. So it’s finally time to break the ice and ask South Alabama one very important question. How come when students find time out of their busy schedules of class, work and homework to go to our new dining hall to enjoy a good meal, we have to eat pasta with a spoon? Now I will admit this is a pretty petty detail considering other universities have it a lot worse, but is it really that hard to just stock up on a decent supply of forks? Seriously, I have never been to the dining hall and found a fork in the silverware containers immediately next to where I get my food. So every time I get my food I have to go on a wild goose hunt for one of the fifteen forks that South Alabama can apparently afford. After ten minutes of making three repeating circles around all of the silverware containers I can usually find luck at the station where hamburgers are served.

BY NOAH LOGAN |OPINION EDITOR

Notice there is usually no food needing silverware there. A lot of the time though, I end up getting too flustered over the fact that our university cannot support our new multi-million dollar buildings with the minor details that are not at all difficult to get right, and then I just eat my cantaloupe with a spoon but no more! I might be wrong and forks could very well cost 100 percent more than all of the other silverware pieces, but I am fairly certain they do not. Really South Alabama, the students are not asking too much this time. I know I have been turned down in the past for my own “Opinion Editor” parking spot, a vending machine that dispenses Bud Light and my recent request to fill the university pool with Jell-O but this one is very possible to do. Just please buy some more forks.

he University of South Alawalk sections on bama has a lot to be main campus desired when it comes also add to the to on-campus roadway confusion felt safety. on the roadways Car and truck drivand intersecers speed haphazardly tions of USA. through tight curves Students and prefer to yield at who cross the stop signs rather than road in areas actually stop. A general that are not desnegligence of turn sigignated for peBY AARON ETHEREDGE |MANAGING EDITOR nals seems to be comdestrian crossWreck on Old Shell road. mon practice as well. ing could result The Grove has tight corners and a in a wreck or vehicular manslaughter. Now throw into the mix a motorcycle driver and you’ve got a serious acci- poor field of vision as one approaches What students don’t realize about these curves. More often than not, cars and trucks is that these things can dent just waiting to happen. All it takes is an F250 going around these 20-something-year-old drivers become weapons at high speeds. Or the traffic circle too fast to plow into take these corners going well over the not even really high speeds. Collisions the back of turning motorcycle to have appropriate speed. with pedestrians or motorcycles at There have been many near-acci- speeds of even 20 mph could be fatal. a tragedy on our campus. Caution and vigilance are traits dents at these places in car-vs-car situStudents just walk out into the shared among many motorcyclists, ations. street under the notion that they have Just the other day one of our edi- the right-of-way. While pedestrians do however that sometimes is not enough tors who drives a motorcycle was al- have the right-of-way, offering that as to prevent an accident. While motorcyclists are largely the most taken out by a Crown Victoria an excuse when you’re internal organs minority on the road, that is a reason coming around the corner using the are bleeding, you’re paralyzed from the to be even more aware, as most people on-coming lane to make his turn faster. waist down or even dead cannot undo These safety issues can easily be what happens. aren’t looking for a motorcycle. This problem seems to be more avoided if drivers take their operation It would do the campus a world of prevalent in the Grove than any other of a vehicle more seriously. good to remember that negligence can Pedestrians not adhering to cross- end up killing someone. place on campus.

JagPulse

Here’s another chance to rant about parking. Eric Hadley: Not enough handicap parking. Solution: add more. Also, handicap accessible is all around campus, but makes you go out of your way. More direct paths would be nice! Zack Eichhorn: My fraternity pays $56,000 a year in rent for our house. BUT if as a member you park behind our house and don’t have a housing pass you get ticketed. I think South should have Greek parking passes or

just leave the Greek areas alone. Michael Bishop: One thing that could be done is stop allowing students with resident passes to park at the Mitchell Center. There is hardly enough parking for those that live off campus in their zones. I lived on campus for 2 semesters and walked or biked to every class; it can be done. Also, increase tran service to UCOM since it is the only South Zoned lot that is not always full.

Itsmii Sally: Here is an idea.. if you live on campus use the transit or bike.. what about walking.. novel idea.. that way off campus students can park.. Will Breitfelder: Only problem with Jagbikes is they are few and never there. If they are, they are broken down. Multi-deck parking could be used?

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Opinion

VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012

SMOKE ON THE WATER: Jesus on the Jagtran By CASSIE FAMBRO editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com

O n Sept. 12, people sitting on a JagTran hoping to simply comCassie Fambro m u t e EIC to class were suddenly put in a position where they half-expected Communion. Not that it would be a bad thing, college students are broke and free grape juice and crackers sound great. Being evangelized on a mode of public transportation definitely raised eyebrows and someone on the bus sent us a video after it happened. That person so happens to work for a national blog site called DailyKOS. Admittedly a liberal hub, the particular blog that the “Jesus on the JagTran” incident was mentioned on regularly receives over 60,000 hits on entries. I posted the link on The Vanguard’s Facebook to solicit feedback on if the greater USA constituency agreed or disagreed with the events that occurred, and the overwhelming feedback was no. The blog entry is titled “Welcome to the University of South Alabama. Now accept Jesus or else.” The writer who wishes to be identified by his DailyKOS username “Weatherdude” begins the post with “I’m a little stunned this afternoon.” Weatherdude goes on to explain what transpired. “I was riding the bus on campus and we stopped at the student center to let the afternoon after-class rush on to take them back to the dorms. Everyone settled in, and this little girl ran on the bus and shouted "I'm from [some organization I didn't catch the name of] and I'd like to save your souls in the name of Jesus." She stood at the front of the bus and put her arms up on both poles, effectively blocking the entrance so people could neither get on nor off,” Weatherdude described. He explains that the JagTran bus driver shut off the radio and the engine to join in prayer with

the religious trespasser and that’s when Weatherdude grabbed his camera phone. Leading the bus in prayer the girl can be heard in the video asking riders to repeat after her in saying their hearts are with Jesus, etc. Again, the full video can be found on our Facebook page. There is a chorus of voices including the JagTran driver joining in. My first reaction was disbelief that there was a point in the day that there were that many people on a JagTran period, since this campus feels the need to drive absolutely everywhere. Then I settled in with pure disbelief. Weatherdude made an interesting comment that got me thinking. “Imagine if the girl were Muslim or Jewish and tried to do the same thing. Or better yet, if an atheist hopped on the bus and ranted about how there is no god and religion is silly,” Weatherdude said. He goes on to point out something we’re all familiar with, which is administrators leading prayers at public events like orientation. The example here is that many would think that a girl delaying and leading a prayer on a JagTran is okay because it was a Christian prayer. But here in the bible belt, could you imagine if a Satanist or an atheist started ranting? Tolerance would not go both ways. With that thought in mind, I emailed one of those administrators that prays and is a very devout Christian as well as a longtime USA family member. He’s also someone whom I respect very much. Dean of Students Dr. Mike Mitchell told me “JagTrans are not approved free speech areas for our campus.” To me, that settles the entire debate over if the girl’s behavior and the JagTran driver’s reaction was appropriate with a resounding “no.” We did a little more digging and found out who the girl was with. First of all:

Mean Girls reference in meme.

The people on campus last week trying to evangelize students were not fellow students at all. They are from New Life Christian Fellowship, a church on the corner of Cottage Hill and Hilton Drive. They were handing out pamphlets at the student center earlier that day. From Sept. 10 until Sept 15, the church says on its website that it scheduled “power evangelism” as part of its outreach program. We reached out to New Life to confirm that this outreach included ministering to USA students, but received no response. We also forwarded the blog post and called transportation and received no response. Dr. Mitchell also told us he would forward the information to Transportation and that the employees will be instructed on how to deal with situations like this, and we expect he will receive better results. The fact of the matter is that this should not have happened. First of all, JagTrans are on a schedule. Delaying them 30 seconds to pray is no different than delaying them 30 seconds to advertise for that company that wants you to sell knives. It’s still a delay. Secondly, it’s rude and it’s inconsiderate. To the girl that was on that bus and had to endure a prayer that went against her own religion, props to you. You shouldn’t have had to deal with that on a public university’s mode of public transportation. Thirdly, the driver should never have turned off the ignition and participated. What employees do off the clock is their business, but when a University employee is participating in prayer, he or she is advocating religion at a state institution. JFK said it best. “"I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute." USA is a melting pot of cultures, beliefs and attitudes. It’s not fair nor is it moral to take the most popular beliefs and force it on people trying to get to class. Some on the Facebook comment thread suggested that unwilling listeners should have just gotten off the bus. In what world does it make

sense that if someone is trespassing that you should just leave? It’s like a robber breaking into your front door and you just calmly stepping by and heading to Walmart. It wasn’t the riding student’s duty to leave. It was the duty of the driver to have told the girl that the bus was not the place to minister. Many people also decided to say that it’s Christians that are made to be quiet and not express their religion while people cater to others. This is much in the same way that “it’s okay to be gay as long as you don’t flaunt it.” It’s narrow-minded and abusive to the concept of tolerance and humanity in general. Jesus on the JagTran isn’t the entire focus of what’s wrong in the deep south or for that matter at USA. It’s respect. There are still fraternities that won’t bid on guys because they think they’re gay. There are still people mocking the women in head scarves as they walk by. There are still people up in arms when a black person gets a job instead of a white person. No matter which way you spin it, no one is superior to another. Straight is not better than gay, white is not better than black and religious is not superior to nonreligious. America was not founded upon Christian beliefs and the First Amendment reflects that. The 1796 Treaty of Tripoli states that the “United States was not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.” The treaty was written under George Washington and signed under John Adams. So the argument that separation of church and state goes against the founder’s principles is simply wrong. USA is a stateassisted university. USA is a public university. People can preach in an open area where people may choose to listen. In no way, shape or form should anyone be forced to listen in a confined space without their explicit consent. Jesus doesn’t have a place on the JagTran.

Chat from Facebook Hij Rah - That is unacceptable. If I was on the bus, I would have no problem interrupting her and letting her know not everyone shares her same beliefs. No one should be forced to sit through a religious prayer. Alicia Smith Doherty - She didn’t force them to say it. They could have just stayed silent if they didn’t want to pray. The word freedom means you have a choice. Choice to join or not to join. Freedom does not mean that one person has to remain quiet while others are free to practice their beliefs. Isaac Evans - I was on the bus when this occurred... it was after we had all boarded waiting to leave the student center, and it was rather strange. As one girl sarcastically commented after she left, “it’s not like any of us have to be in class or anywhere or anything...” Tom Forsberg - Everyone of you who condemned the bus driver or the girl need to get faith back into your life. You are what is wrong with America today. Dylan Osborne - That girl has a right to say what she wants, but the bus driver had no business joining in. That being said, she should have been boo’d off of the bus. Julie Stone - Freedom of religion means that you should be free to partake or decline participation. Blocking exits is not giving an individual the freedom to chose if they’re a willing participant. I hope the University handles this responsibly and respectfully for both the Christian student population and non-Christian student population. Rebecca Jones - She was infringing on the rights of the people on the bus. Religious freedom does not give you the right to force your beliefs or prayer on others. Charles Martin - First, I want to say I have no issue with prayer in proper situations, but the Jagtan is not a proper situation for prayer especially if the person is blocking people from getting off - student or not. In this case, I feel it was the driver’s responsibility to enforce the rules and ask the person to leave the bus to pray. Penelope Brewster - This whole thing seems like a good inspiration for an episode of “Community.” Jamie Monachino - I wonder how the people defending this act would feel if it had been an Islamic prayer instead of a Christian prayer. Senora McCracken - This double standard Christians live by is ridiculous Hij Rah - I think all public prayer demonstrations are ok as long as they don’t impede on people’s routine/ business or endorse hate speech or condemnation of other people’s beliefs.

VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012

2012 Democratic National Convention

FACT CHECK James Clyburn

 USA students recap and analyze the speeches given at this year’s Democratic National Convention

James Clyburn sheds light on Romney By BRIANNA ERVIN

bae1101@jagmail.southalabama.edu

n the recent Democratic National Convention, Honorable James Clyburn started his speech by making his views on the Republican party prominent. He did so by stating, “We are not here to curse the darkness; we are here to light a candle. This is the fundamental difference between the party of President Obama and the party of Romney-Ryan. President Obama has lit candle after candle, bringing our country out from the darkness of recession, only to see Republicans douse the flames and amuse themselves cursing the darkness.” In my opinion, Clyburn hit it out of the park with this analogy. In continuance, Clyburn took everyone on a trip down memory lane by declaring, “When the economy of our country languished in uncertainty, William Jefferson Clinton and a Democratic Congress lit the candles that illuminated the pathway to prosperity, reducing the deficit and creating over 20 million jobs. And we did so with—that’s right—every congressional Republican cursing the darkness.” Also, he let it be known that the architect of the Republicans’ backward blueprint is none other than their vice presidential nominee, Paul Ryan. He further went on to explain how

taxes will be cut for the wealthiest one percent due to The Romney-Ryan plan and the effects it will cause on Medicare. That fact simply disturbs me. Moving on, after talking about how the Democratic party has lit candles in the United States, Clyburn then goes on and purposefully points out the many accomplishments that Obama has achieved throughout his presidency, while he states the Republican Party did nothing but curse the darkness. One of my favorite quotes that he related was, “We should not run from the term Obamacare. I am glad Obama cares,” referring to the famous Affordable Care Act that has been President Obama’s most controversial decision. He then wrapped his speech up with words of wisdom, “Let us go from this place, lighting candles all across this great country and re-elect President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden so they can continue moving our country forward into the light.” The Honorable James Clyburn delivered an exceptional speech. He captured the audience’s attention. When he speaks, everyone listens. His speech had a lot of attitude and I especially loved the way he compared the Democratic and Republican parties to light and darkness. It was really inspirational and I can’t wait to see the country lit up, once again.

Barack Obama shows two paths for America By RYAN WALLACE ryanwallace2010@gmail.com

ven the President only gets so many chances to speak and have millions stop and listen to his words. So it was on Sept. 6, when President Obama addressed his party and the nation as a whole at the Democratic National Convention. The President took the stage to tell voters that America faces a choice not “just between two candidates or two parties,” but “a choice between two different paths for America.” Needless to say, this is a point that resonates on both sides of the election. What interests me and all other voters are the materials that Obama’s path is paved with. I was definitely interested in hearing how Obama planned on addressing an economy that has continued to flag during his tenure. Obama opted to attack the Republican philosophy of tax cuts, scoring one of the funnier lines of the convention when he characterized the Republican position as “Feel a cold coming on? Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations,

and call us in the morning.” The strongest part of the President’s speech came when he expressed his faith in the abilities of the administrators, educators, parents and students of the U.S. education system. This was Obama at his most inspiring, fulfilling some of the promise he was elected on in 2008: “And together, I promise you, we can out-educate and out-compete any nation on Earth.” One particularly bizarre element of the speech was that the President made no mention of the Affordable Care Act or “ObamaCare.” This was one of the elements of his speech I was most looking forward to, but the President declined to mention his signature legislation. However, Obama resonated with the energy he inspired voters with in 2008 while he ran with his famous hope and change platforms. Some may argue that the speech was not Obama’s best but for Obama’s loyal supporters present in Charlotte, the speech definitely fueled the crowd and fueled another hopeful election campaign.

► What He Said: “Democratic

President Franklin Roosevelt and a Democratic congress created Social Security, lighting a candle, while the Republicans cursed the darkness.”

► Actual Truth: On Aug. 8, 1935, the final version of the social security bill passes in the House, 372-33, and the next day the Senate passed the bill 77-16. A total of 18 Republicans voted against the bill and 97 Republicans supporting the bill as recorded by the conference report which can be found in the federal archives.

Barack Obama ► What He

Said: “My opponent said it was ‘tragic’ to end the war in Iraq.”

►Actual Truth: Obama is refer-

ring to Veterans Day 2011 at a South Carolina resturant for Mitt Romney. When asked about the recent influx of troops back home from Iraq, Romney criticized the TIMING of the withdrawal, not ending the war itself, arguing it was safer to wait until a Status of Forces Agreement was set in place.

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton steals the show at DNC By JESSE LEE

Jal1101@jagmail.southalabama.edu

f you missed the Democratic National Convention, allow me to submit an analogy to summarize the highlight of the entire DNC for you: If the DNC was a concert festival, and President Obama was scheduled as the headliner of the final night, President Clinton was the side-act scheduled to perform early on the first night that managed to draw the largest audience, stole the show and made everyone for-

get who the hell they came to see in the first place. The ex-president was on point all night while he charismatically waxed poetic shots over the bow of the opposing party in his typical southern storytelling fashion. The majority of Clinton’s speech was spent defending President Obama while he discredited attacks made by the Republican opposition. Clinton challenged Paul Ryan for attacking Obama on the $716 billion in Medicare cuts that Ryan’s own plan included after he jokingly ad-

libbed, “You’ve got to admit it takes some brass to attack a guy for what you did.” Clinton further argued that President Obama inherited a volatile economic environment that no one including Mr. Romney nor President Clinton could have rectified with just four years as President. He concluded his speech by maintaining his position that America must stay the course and re-elect President Obama in order to achieve economic stability. He said, “For more than 200 years, through ev-

Staff illustration, original image WSJ

ery crisis, we’ve always come out stronger than we went in. And we will again as long as we do it together. We champion the cause for which our founders pledged their lives, their fortunes, their sacred honor – to form a more perfect union. If that’s what you believe, if that’s what you want, we have to reelect President Barack Obama.” Quite frankly, President Clinton’s speech was more compelling for why America should re-elect President Obama than Obama made for himself during the DNC.

► What He Said: “ In those 52

years, our economy produced 66 million private sector jobs. What’s the jobs score? Republicans 24 million, Democrats 42 million!”

► The Actual Truth: This might have been the most controversial statement of the night so it HAD to be “fact checked” and Bill Clinton earns a “true” rating. According to the Labor Department study done in May, the score is 42 million to 24 million with the Democrats winning.

distractions VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012

Weekly Quotable Quote Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity; and let us put aside all selfishness in consideration of language, nationality, or religion. ~John Comenius

V ANGUARD H O RO S C O P E S

Aries: 3/21 - 4/19 During your party adventures this week, you’re going to be hit on by a really hideous girl. The more Bud Light that you have, however, the more she’s going to look like Jessica Alba. Alcohol is the grandfather of regret.

Leo: 7/23 – 8/22 That guy with the weird mustache that keeps asking for your number after class isn’t really a guy. It’s actually a girl with a sever case of facial hair. Or a balding Wookie.

Sagittarius: 11/22 – 12/21 You go to restaurant with your friends one evening because you tell them that this cute girl invited you to come see her. No questions are asked, and you don’t volunteer answers....

Taurus: 4/20 – 5/20 Your friends are going to celebrate April Fool’s day early this year, in September. Their prank? Loosen the lug nuts on your wheels and spray your brake pads with WD-40.

Virgo: 8/23 – 9/22 You’re going to be mauled by a Municipal Park goose this week. You’re going to feed it bread, and it’s not going to react kindly to when you run out of food. It will mistake your entire body for bread crumbs.

Capricorn: 12/22 – 1/19 This guy you used to date is going to show up at your work with his friends to see you. What you don’t know is that they don’t know you’re the mystery girl that he’s dated four different times. It’s more exciting this way!

Gemini: 5/21 – 6/21 You’re randomly going to decide to go to New Orleans and try to get there as fast as humanly possible. You invite your friends but they’re all “busy.” Good luck on the interstate.

Libra: 9/23 – 10/22 You’re crazy ex-girlfriend is going to call you 25 times during the night. You’re going to wake up and find out that you somehow slept through all 25 calls.

Aquarius: 1/20 – 2/18 Your recent addiction to “How I Met Your Mother” is becoming unhealthy. You’re slowly starting to say random things such as “Suit up!” for just about any situation. Even if it doesn’t apply to it.

Cancer: 6/22 – 7/22 You had a crazy dream that you stole a goat from a petting zoo. You wake up... and this is the part where you’re expecting “and it wasn’t a dream” right? Wrong. It really was a dream. You actually find out you sleep-stole a baby.

Scorpio: 10/23 – 11/21 You’re going to call your ex-boyfriend 25 times in the course of one night. Not because you have a serious emergency, but because you want to tell him good night.

Picture of the week

For Bryan Blow!

Student Health u d o k u

Pisces: 2/19 – 3/20 You need to go out and buy some deodorant. You smell horrible. Why? Well, it’s simply really. You’re a Pisces. And your horoscope sign is a fish, and fish smell bad. Therefore, you smell bad.

Cassie Fambro | Editor-in-Chief

For Student Health appointments, please call 460-7151 For Counseling and Testing, please call 460-7051

“If they only knew Shelby Hall is a disguise to build Jet Ski time machines...”

VOL. 51, NO. 8 / SEPT. 17, 2012