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Free speech USA ranked 3rd in drug arrests lawsuit filed I against USA By CATHERINE BUTTREY Contributing Writer
► JagLife: USA theater legend to retire, “The Tempest” opens. See JagLife, page 5
► JagLife: Bartered Bride: a challenging opera that is sure to please. See JagLife, page 7
► Sports: Men’s Tennis clinches wins. See Sports, page 10
► Opinion: Is our cellphone dependence getting out of hand?
VOL. 54, NO. 13
“If it matters to the USA family, it matters to us.”
APRIL 14, 2014
By STEPHANIE FEATHER Managing Editor
T
he Students for Life organization filed a lawsuit Thursday, April 3 against the University for limiting the organization’s rights to have an anti-abortion demonstration in an area other than the designated “free speech” zone. The organization, a pro-life group of students, followed the procedure spelled out in the student handbook, The Lowdown, to arrange a display called the “Cemetery of Innocents” to discuss its anti-abortion views on campus. A cemetery of innocents consists of small crosses placed in the ground in a confined area to represent lives lost due to abortion. In October 2013, Students for Life requested permission to host the display in an empty lot at the corner of University Boulevard and Old Shell Road. The organization was granted permission to use the designated 3,600-square-foot “free speech” zone near the student center. Shelby Hall is located at the corner of the same streets and houses the College of Engineering. Dr. John Steadman is the dean of the College of Engineering and was designated to make the decision for the use of the space in accordance to “Lowdown” policy. Steadman denied the organization’s application. The lawsuit states that Steadman denied the application because it “advocates for a position that involves political and social controversy.” In February, the organization applied again to use the area in front of Shelby Hall. According to the lawsuit, the area would allow the group to express its anti-abortion message not only to students on campus, but also the wider Mobile community. The organization has commenced a
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n a recent article about college campus drug arrest numbers in Alabama, found on AL.com, the University of South Alabama reported 74 drug arrests between 2009 and 2011, placing USA at third for the most drug arrests in the state. Of course, there are many things to take into consideration. For one, these numbers are from three to five years ago. In addition, “There does not appear to be any consideration for differences in size of institution, residential population or location,” USAPD Officer Keith West said. This means that, if you look at the big picture, 74 drug arrests over a three-year period in a densely populated area isn’t as bad as, say, 11 drug arrests at a college with about 800 students. Seen in this light, the efforts of the University of South Alabama Police Department and the department’s focus on the drug front should be noted. The University is known for its zero tolerance policy when it comes to the sale and distribution of drugs, on or off campus, and throughout the years, the USAPD has vigorously enforced that policy. “We are using all of our resources to combat these drug problems,”
USA Chief of Police Zeke Aull stated. “It is especially a priority for us because students and parents have expressed their desire to eliminate this behavior, which is unconducive to an educational environment.” Aull also made clear that most of these arrests are actually made because of tips from students. These calls, and now even texts, sent into the police station reporting suspicious or conspicuous behavior could be widely associated with the department’s advertisement of the “see something, say something” strategy that is conveyed and promoted to students on campus in particular. The USA Police Department includes 33 sworn law enforcement officers and seven support personnel, each of whom is dedicated to the protection of all University students, employees and visitors. Upon reviewing the stats provided by the department on recent drug arrests made by the USAPD, the successful endeavors of these enforcement officers are made apparent. These stats could even be considered an immense display of the diligent efforts regarding aggressively fronting problems See Arrests Page 2
USA Track hosts invitational Track and field teams earn 9 victories, set record
See Page 11
See Lawsuit Page 2 ALYSSA NEWTON | SPORTS EDITOR
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In this Issue: Sports, Page 8 Opinion, Page 13
JagLife, Page 5