Jan. 13, 2014 Vanguard

vanguard the

vol. 54, no. 1

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

jan. 13, 2014

Inside

► Life: Mitchell Center Hosts Winter Jam

Visit the Moving Week for The University Physicians Group Happiest Place on Children’s and Women’s Earth pediatric patients also on

By Mary Beth Lursen

the move to a new tower

mel904@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Registered Nurse Taronya Jackson pulls La’Veydrian Coleman, 22 months, in a red wagon along the corridor connecting the old and new towers as he is moved to his new room Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. The pediatric patients were moved to the new Children’s Tower at USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital.

t’s the start of the spring semester and that only means one thing. No, it’s not buying textbooks or looking over syllabi—it’s planning for spring break.

But instead of taking a trip to the beach again this year, look into going to Disney World and Universal Studios.

And if you’re thinking, “There is no way I can afford this,” Jag Productions is here to help.

“The price of $470 for USA students includes round-trip transportation to Orlando, 3-night stay at an Orlando hotel, 2-day Park Hopper Pass to Disney World and 1-Day Park to Park Pass to Universal Studios,” Heather Sprinkle, coordinator for University Programs and Jaguar Productions, said.

“Transportation to and from the parks is also provided.”

If you’re trying to do the math, this would normally cost you about $500 on tickets and hotels alone, not including transportation. And that’s provided in the cost as well, so Jag Productions is making this cheaper than you could get on your own.

It’s not just less expensive. It’s a chance to be a kid again and have some fun. You can see Mickey Mouse and become a wizard at Harry Potter’s Wizarding World.

“The most interesting thing?”

Christopher Thomas, a USA student who went on a previous trip, said. “I guess that would be having the chance to ride Mount Everest seven or eight times in a row.”

And if you don’t think you could go a spring break without seeing the beach, the trip only lasts March 1 through March 5, so you would still have some spring break left to hit the beach.

“One of the reasons students should go on this trip is because it’s

I

See JagLife, page 4

► Life: Remembering China Barber, Candlelight Vigil See JagLife, page 8

Courtesy of Children’s and Women’s Hospital

By Jamie Reid

jlr1226@jagmail.southalabama.edu

LOC: Bass fishing team com► petes in regional qualifier See Left of Center, page 10

► Sports: Jags football receives Sun Belt honors See Sports, page 14

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he University Physicians Group opened the doors to its new location in the University Commons building at the corner of University Boulevard and Old Shell Road Thursday, Jan. 2.

The University Physicians Group used to be located at the Infirmary West Hospital Campus. There were plans to build a health care campus, but the time for the project elapsed and the site was sold. The group decided to make a move to a new site.

Since moving out of the Knollwood area, University Physicians Group has changed its name from the Knollwood Physicians Group. The new name of University Physicians Group gives a more correct descrip-

find us on Facebook search “The Vanguard USA”

tion of the group’s clientele because it mainly serves the University area.

University Physicians Group usually caters to USA’s faculty and staff, but would like students to know they are welcome as well. Students more commonly use the student health center, but may find University Physicians Group works well with their needs.

University Physicians Group’s practice is a primary care facility, which means they remain a patient’s longterm doctor who can direct you to a specialist when needed. Students who do not currently have a primary care provider may want to consider this.

Also, if students only have a primary doctor at home and not near campus, they may find it more convenient to have a provider near school.

University Physicians Group shares a waiting room with the Digestive

Check out our digital edition thevanguardonline.com

Health Center. The Digestive Health Center specializes in taking care of patients’ digestive needs, from smaller issues to anything more serious. If the treatment is an inpatient procedure, the patient is referred to the University hospital nearby.

The building these two centers share was once a shopping center, and this gives the centers ample parking and plenty of space inside for the patients.

Also recently moved are patients from the USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital. They settled into the new 195,000-square-foot pediatric tower Wednesday, Jan. 8.

The move started at 6 a.m. Wednesday with the first patient, and it was only three hours later when all the patients were moved in.

See Physicains Group Page 3

In this Issue:

See Happy Place Page 2

Life, Page 4 Left of Center, Page 10

Sports, Page 14 Opinion, Page 17

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vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

Project Homeless Connect By stephanie Feather sf1101@jagmail.southalabama.edu

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riday, Jan. 31 the less fortunate, homeless members of the community will be provided with medical services in the Mobile Civic Center from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There are many members of our community who have no place to live, and unforeseen circumstances brought them to a state where they have no

access to medical care or mainstream resources.

The Mobile Project Homeless Connect is designed to provide medical services, legal assistance, dental and vision screenings, along with access to housing assistance and mainstream resources like food stamps, state IDs, Social Security cards. The Project is asking for the community to help those less fortunate get back on their feet by volunteering.

This community event will bring together government agencies, academia, health care facilities, faith-based organizations, transportation, legal assistance, United Way, workforce development and other nonprofit agencies to provide needed services at no cost

to the homeless in the community.

Some volunteers who are already signed up to help with the event are students from USA. The Student Nurses’ Association will be providing service Thursday, Jan. 30 to help set up the event. Also Friday, Jan. 31, SNA will be helping as health coaches. They would like more volunteers, especially medical students, for this event.

Beth Lawyer, the Student Nurses’ Association community service coordinator and senior nursing student, said, “This community wide event would be great for pre-professionals to be involved in.” According to Lawyer, this event would be great for physician assistant students, nursing students, biomedical, pre-med and med stu-

dents.

Lawyer is also in the Chi Omega sorority and said that they will also be helping out with the event.

Several nursing professors were involved in creating the event. Two professors from the College of Nursing, Dr. Margaret Moore-Nadler and Dr. Bettina Riley, put a great amount of effort into the event and getting students and professionals involved. The professors are excited about SNA’s and other students’ involvement. They said that many hands are necessary for the event to be a success for less fortunate citizens of the Mobile area.

If anyone is interested in being a volunteer or donating items such as socks, hygiene items or clothes, please

contact Krystal Sitthivong at kls1105@ jagmail.southalabama.edu. Visit handsonsal.org/ for more information.

Disney Continued from page one.

hassle-free,” Sprinkle said. “All the details have been planned for them. They simply need to decide which Disney Park to go to first!”

If you’re wondering how much time you would have to go where you’d like, don’t worry.

“Our itinerary usually has us arriving at the park when it opens, and we have a couple different pick up times throughout the evening,” Sprinkle said.

“However, the students are on their own once they get to the park. In the past, students chose to not go to the parks one day and instead took a cab and went shopping.”

“This is a great way to see some of the other things that we try to offer at the University of South Alabama,” Thomas said. “The experience was amazing—getting a chance to spend spring break there and meeting new people from campus.”

If you’re interested in going on the trip, stop by Jag Productions in the old rec center for more details. So avoid sand in your swimsuits this spring break and visit Disney and Universal instead.

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vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

“University of South Alabama’s Student Voice”

Editorial Editor in Chief Managing Editor Copy Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor Left of Center JagLife Editor Web Editor Staff Reporter

Samantha Andrews

Stephanie Feather Meg Lundberg Kelly Ficarelli JT Crabtree Alyssa Newton Emma Mitchell Matthew Strickland

Noah Logan

Distribution Distribution Bobby Faulk Matthew Rhodes

Advertising Advertising Justine Burbank Graphic Designer Ryan Keller Sheldon Hall

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 P.O. Drawer U-1057 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, which is composed of the Editor in Chief, Copy Editor, Senior Reporter and Opinion Editor. 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.

Physicians Group Continued from page one.

Jennifer Ekman, interim senior associate director of public relations, described the day as an interesting sight.

She described how everyone hustled around transporting things in little red wagons.

Pediatrics and the pediatric intensive care units were moved to the new building addition with no need to leave the hospital.

USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital has the leading number of births in Mobile, with nearly 2,800 per year.

It is also the only hospital in the area with a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit.

The NICU treats some 1,000 infants each year, with one-quarter of the infants coming from other hospitals in the region. The NICU also added 12 private rooms for patients and five new isolation rooms.

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit added six more beds, which brings its total number of beds up to 20.

The hospital also received two “family rooms” generously donated by the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile Inc. The total cost of the building addition was $72.6 million and was funded

by USA Health System, USA Foundation and private gifts.

CLASSIFIEDS Room for rent in private home.

Within walking distance of USA. Prefer nonsmoking male student.

International students welcome.

Call Gordon: 689-3271

jaglife

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Emma Mitchell, jaglife Editor eem1002@jagmail.southalabama.edu vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

Winter Jam 2014 drew unforgettable crowd By jamie reid

jlr1226@jagmail.southalabama.edu

T

he Winter Jam 2014 Tour Spectacular performed Jan. 9 at the Mitchell Center. Winter Jam is a well-known, annual Christian music tour that has accumulated a huge fan base along the Gulf Coast.

Admission for the event was $10 per person, which is quite reasonable for a concert of this size. The price difference is met by several sponsors.

The concert consisted of 10 groups, a speaker, an artist and a minister. The first three groups, or the Pre Jam, were Derek Minor, Love and the Outcome, and Everfound, in that order. Derek Minor opened, and he pumped up the crowd with his rap skills. Canadian due Love and the Outcome had a very full stage presence. Their music was upbeat, but meaningful. The lyrics seemed to touch the crowd. The last group of the Pre Jam was Everfound. This group had more of a rock feel and even head-banged for a portion of one song. This was the only group that included dub step in their act.

After Pre Jam, Colton Dixon took the stage. Their enthusiasm for Dixon’s music was contagious, and the audience was enraptured.

The following act, Newsong, actually formed Winter Jam in 1995. They were the only band with a tambourine player. Plumb went next.

jamie reid | contributing writer

Jeff Owen, guitarist of Tenth Avenue North, performing one of their more famous songs.

The lead singer talked about her son and even sang a few songs she wrote about him. She also told a touching testimonial about her husband. She talked about how her marriage fell apart and ended in divorce. She turned to God and ended up remarrying her husband

this year.

Thousand Foot Krutch was a hard core rock group. The audience members headbanged to some songs. Tenth Avenue North was well liked and got a great amount of cheering.

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vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

Following these acts was a word from one of the sponsors for Winter Jam, Holt International. They are an organization that sponsors less fortunate children from other countries.

There was a 20-minute intermission, during which guests could sponsor a child for $30.

The minister, Nick Hall, gave a riveting account of an overseas experience of his before the intermission, which set the mood for the break in which people swarmed the tables filled with pictures of children in need.

Lecrae was one of the most famous performers among the viewers. The audience came in from surrounding hallways for the duration of his performance. His song “Turnt,” which talked about partying completely clean, had the majority of the audience dancing and singing along.

After Lecrae, Nick Hall came up and spoke about the cost of the tour and how they pride themselves on making the concert as inexpensive as possible. He then led a prayer and took up an offering. Love and the Outcome played during this time.

There was a break next, during which the last band, Newsboys, finished getting set up.

The lights went off when the finale started.

One at a time, the lights clicked on, singling out each band member one-by-one.

Krysta Holsen, of Foley, Ala., said “Even though I have school in the morning, work and Colorguard practice, this late night and drive home are worth it!”

Winter Jam at a glance

jamie reid | contributing writer

Gamers N Geeks comic, gaming store appeals to all

By Timothy borland

Magic the Gathering, Yu Gi Oh! and pretty much anything customers fancy toting to the location. Tables are set up for gaming and ffering a variety of card and tabletop couches for relaxing. There are even refreshgame supplies, the store has every- ments available for purchase.

Owner Eliot Woodworth said, “A lot of thing one needs to play games such as Magic the Gathering and Warhammer. The location people just want to play a casual game, and is also a social hub for gamers to meet, inter- that’s what we let people do. We don’t charge table fees for people who just want to bring in act and test their skills against opponents.

As a gaming store, GNG features a variety a game and play.”

Friday night Magic is one of the biggest of popular games, including Dungeons and Dragons, Warhammer 40k, War Machine, draws of the week, with fans arriving to play casual games and enter tournaments that last well into the night.

Many also gather on Wednesdays to join in the immensely popular collectible card game.

As a game with more than12 million fans, players naturally come from eclectic backgrounds.

“We have ages from 8 to 70,” Woodworth said. “Blue collar, white collar, high school, colTimothy borland | Contributing Writer lege, military, teachers; it’s literally a hodgeEliot Woodworth, owner, displaying a variety of podge.” trb903@jagmail.southalabama.edu

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tabletop games and sets.

Timothy borland | Contributing Writer

Tables in GNG are set up for miniature figurine games and card games.

More events that attract gamers are the regular Warhammer 40k matches during the week, Yu Gi Oh! on the weekend and War Machine multiple days of the week. There is a journeyman league for the latter, which is a small-scale miniature table top game. Every last Sunday of the month, a Warhammer ruck-

us is held, which is essentially a melee with as many as 19 players battling it out simultaneously.

GNG proudly reinvests in the local community that supports their store. Twice a year, the store holds a food drive for Bay Area Food Continued on Page 7.

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PDQ in review: chicken fingers and milkshakes By laura carpenter lhc1001@jagmail.southalabama.edu

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nytime new construction pops up around campus, we as students have a tendency to let our curious natures shine. As many of you may have noticed, there is a new addition to the Jaguar block, a restaurant called People Dedicated to Quality, better known as PDQ. From the moment you walk through the door, you are greeted by the friendly staff. The restaurant presents a clean environment and a varied selection of choices. While the staple item would be the chicken tender meals, there are several sandwiches and salads from which to choose. If you select the tender meal, you then have an assortment of sauces to select from including bleu cheese and chipotle BBQ. As opposed to other establishments, PDQ does not charge you if you would like extra sauce.

PDQ has a sandwich for a multitude of cravings. A few of the selections from which you may choose are a spicy buffalo ten-

emma mitchell | jaglife editor

Located on University Boulevard, PDQ offers a variety of chicken meals as well as several healthy options. ders sandwich, a grilled chicken sandwich and even a grilled turkey breast sandwich, which they advertise as a “Handheld Thanksgiving.”

For those in search of a healthier alternative, there are a few salads to choose from including a crispy

chicken salad, a grilled chicken salad and last, but not least, a chicken Caesar salad. PDQ offers a variety in their sides selection including fresh-cut fries, blueberry coleslaw, fresh apple slices with toffee dip or even simply an extra ten-

der.

PDQ offers a unique way in which to wash your hands before selecting your choice of drink.

There is a small fountain, which features a foot pedal that turns on the water, and there is a foaming

soap which you can use to cleanse your hands. PDQ is up on the technologically advanced world as they offer a touchscreen drink dispenser with more than 100 options to choose from. The options consist of a unique variety even including a selection of flavors for Sprite.

As you are enjoying your meal, the staff walks around to check on you and ask if you need anything.

It’s always nice to feel as if you matter as a customer. I believe this small detail shows they are truly committed to their service and the name of the establishment.

PDQ offers a catering menu similar to their main menu. Box lunches are also available. These may be options as you consider tailgating at Ladd as you cheer for our beloved Jags. You even have the option to call ahead to place your catering order, but it is suggested that you allow them a recommended 24hour notice.

I found the price range to be a little high for the amount of food you receive, but it is evident that they put forth the effort to make See PDQ on Page 7

vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

PDQ Continued from Page 6

their food with healthier ingredients.

The overall presentation of the establishment is nice. There are plenty of tables to serve many guests. The high ceilings allow you to enjoy the music playing in the background, but it does not drown out your conversation. PDQ offers Wi-Fi capability, which is perfect for the college crowd.

I was slightly disappointed to see that a place so close to campus did not have any Jag decor with the exception of a few basketball schedule posters toward the back, around a corner. I would recommend PDQ for students looking for a quick and easy meal between classes. PDQ also keeps the community in mind as it offers opportunities to give back to the community through donations. Last but not least, PDQ offers half-off shakes from a variety of flavors from 3-5 p.m. every day.

Gamers N Geeks Continued from Page 5

the store holds a food drive for Bay Area Food Bank. During these events, gamers bring five cans of food as their entry fee for that particular night’s tournament.

There are several college students from South Alabama who frequent the location on a regular basis. The original location of the store on Old Shell Road, a few blocks from The Grove, became a destination of choice for college gamers thanks to the close proximity. The independent business became so popular, they were forced to relocate into a more spacious location on Moffett Road in order to serve the needs of their fervent customers.

Daniel Fincher, a junior at USA studying criminal justice and forensic anthropology, said, “I come here because of the atmosphere; it can be really relaxed here. It’s where anybody can come to take a break from real life, get your game on and have a good time.”

There are very few places for gaming fans to interact in Mobile. Many who play games such as these have a difficult time locating opponents. GNG is yet another unique business providing a positive environment for a niche crowd, while contributing to the diversity and unique appeal of our city.

Those interested in finding out more information can visit the store’s website or Facebook page at, respectively, www.gamersngeeks.com and www.facebook.com/GamersNGeeks or call them at 251-725-6640.

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vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

USA student remembered after heroic life, tragic death By emma mitchell eem1002@jagmail.southalabama.edu

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hroughout her life, China Barber survived a variety of hardships. A student at South, Barber excelled in all she attempted and encouraged those around her to do the same.

However, on Dec. 10, Robert “BJ” Sprinkle, Barber’s estranged husband of just less than a year, shot and killed Barber and her boyfriend Gus Bennett. Sprinkle then turned the gun on himself.

Though her death was untimely, Barber’s friends and classmates are working to keep her memory alive. Jessica Davison, a close friend of Barber said, “She was so silly. All the time.

Everyone keeps talking about how much of a great person she was and how she almost always was smiling. It sounds so generic, but it’s true. She went through so much and came out on the other side more beautiful and stronger than ever.” Davison continued, “She kept her head high and grew from every little thing that happened. It was beautiful.”

Davison and Barber attended middle school together and briefly lived together as Barber’s family experienced hardship.

“She taught me to not let life get me down,” Davison said. “Things happen. We go through trials and tribulations, but we shouldn’t let them get in the way of where we are going in life. She never let any of her setbacks become an excuse and that was so amazing about her.

She really was an inspiration to anyone who is going through hardships in life and don’t know what to do. Through everything, she smiled.

She talked. She wrote beautiful poetry and helped other people see the beauty in life, even whenever it seems impossible.”

Karie Fugett, a friend of Barber and student at South, said of Barber’s work ethic, “She was a very hard worker. I don’t think working

hard was something she really thought about —it was just something that came naturally to her. … She knew she needed to work hard to attain a better life for herself, and she was OK with that. I believe she took pride in that. Anytime a new opportunity would present itself, she wanted it. Some might have thought her plate was full already, but she was ready to fill it even more. … Student’s could learn from her work ethic. I know I did.”

Fugett continued, “Her greatest accomplishment was probably getting into college.

Not only that, but excelling there. She had plans to go to grad school. The girl was going places. She was beating the odds. It was amazing to watch.”

A candlelight vigil was held in Barber’s honor on Jan. 12 to gather her friends and those she impacted in her time at South Alabama. Negative Capability Press, a poetry organization in Mobile, has also opened up a scholarship fund in Barber’s honor.

“

emma mitchell | jaglife editor

Photo of China Barber (top) and her candlelight vigil held Sunday at Campus Quarters apartments (bottom).

vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

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left of center

vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014 alyssa newton, loc Editor akn1104@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Continued from page 10.

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vol. 54, no. 1 / Jan. 13, 2014

USA Athletes increase overall ARP

By ALYSSA NEWTON akn1104@jagmail.southalabama.edu

S

Alyssa Newton LOC Sports Editor

Arkansas State fans rush the field after the Red Wolves’ 23-10 win against MAC conference’s Ball State University.

Sun Belt ends up on top in bowl wins Despite a lack in bowl bids, Sun Belt goes undefeated in bowl games

By ALYSSA NEWTON akn1104@jagmail.southalabama.edu

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he Sun Belt came out on top as the only conference to be undefeated in bowl games with 2-0 record against teams from C-USA and MAC. At the end of the regular season, 80 schools became bowl eligible, including seven Sun Belt teams.

These teams included South Alabama (6-6), Troy (6-6), LouisianaMonroe (6-6), Louisiana-Lafayette

(9-4), Arkansas State (8-5), Texas State (6-6) and Western Kentucky (8-4).

Despite multiple negotiation efforts and financial offers by the Sun Belt Conference to bowls, only two of the seven Sun Belt teams were offered bids.

“The Sun Belt made very significant offers to both bowls (Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl and AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl),” Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson stated.

“That clearly exceeded anything the Sun Belt has done in previous years.”

Even students and fans of Sun Belt teams got involved in lobbying to multiple bowls. South Alabama students tweeted the LCP Bowl and the In-

dependence Bowl more than 3,000 times in efforts for one to pick up the bowl-eligible team in their first season of eligibility.

The two teams picked to represent the Sun Belt were co-league champions ULL and Arkansas State.

Louisiana-Lafayette faced Tulane in the New Orleans Bowl Dec. 21 in the Superdome in hopes to become a three-peat victor in the Crescent City.

After coming off a 30-8 loss to South Alabama, ULL started the contest with a 21-14 lead in the first half. They were led by starting quarterback Terrance Broadway with a cast on his right forearm, which Broadway broke in late November.

In the second half, interceptions controlled the fates of the rivaling teams. Broadway threw an interception in the late third quarter to allow a Tulane touchdown.

Just a few drives later, after Broadways interception, Tulane’s quarterback Devin Powell also threw an interception, only this one would

be in Tulane’s end zone and cost the Green Wave 7 points and a chance for ULL to kick a field goal to gain the lead.

In a 27-yard field goal attempt from Hunter Stover, a converted linebacker who had never kicked a football in his life and who had just come off his third ACL surgery, nailed the kick giving the Ragin’ Cajuns a 24-21 lead.

Tulane’s hopes of taking away the title were crushed with a 48-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds as Cairo Santos, the 2012 Lou Groza award winner as the nation’s best kicker, missed with the ball going just left.

First win for the Sun Belt. CUSA would finish the bowl season 3-3.

Then it was Arkansas State’s turn.

The Red Wolves were looking for their second win at Ladd-Peebles Stadium for the GoDaddy Bowl.

The Red Wolves faced off with Ball See Sun Belt on top Page 11

Sun Belt on top

outh Alabama’s studentathletes have not only been working hard on the field, but also in the classroom.

The most recent NCAA Academic Progress Rate for the 2011-2012 academic year for South Alabama has risen to 968.

The NCAA tracks the performance of scholarship student-athletes each year on every Division I team. The APR scores measure a student’s eligibility as a returning athlete term-by-term and shows the academic performance of each individual sport.

The benchmark score for the NCAA APR is 930, a perfect score being 1,000. Teams that do not make the threshold are subject to sanctions.

South Alabama’s most recent score of 968 is a huge improvement from just five years ago. In 2008, the combined sports scored a 922, eight points and eight teams marked below the benchmark score. In the newest rating, all teams have met or exceeded the benchmark score.

South Alabama had the second-lowest APR in the Sun Belt conference in 2008, but is now holding second place in the conference.

According to AL.com, USA Athletic Director Dr. Joel Erdmann told USA’s Board of Trustees at its December meeting that, in the 2011-12 year, 9.68 percent of South Alabama’s student-athletes’ grades were high and had completed enough credit hours to remain in good academic standing.

The GPA for South’s 17 teams in fall 2013 was 2.87, according to Erdmann. Out of the 17 D-I teams, 15 averaged a 3.0 GPA or higher.

Derek Westbrook, a member of the track and cross-country team, tweeted concerning the fall 2013 student-athlete GPAs, “Women’s XC (cross-country) with a 3.76 team GPA and men’s XC with a 3.45 for the highest two team GPA’s on campus! #JagNation.”

The NCAA will release the 201213 APR scores in June 2014.

State in the contest that would prove to be one of the most memorable bowls of the season.

For the second time in a row, Arkansas State would enter the bowl with interim coach John Thompson.

Thompson, a defensive coordinator, not only took the place of Bryan Harsin, who left for Boise State in December, but also Gus Malzahn the year before who took Auburn to the National Championship in Pasadena in his first year as head coach.

In the same fashion as their fellow Louisiana Sun Belt team, the game came down to the final seconds in the fourth quarter.

After a 1-yard touchdown, the score was in favor of Ball State at 16-20.

With 1:33 left to go in the contest, the Red Wolves needed to make every second count. With 53 seconds left in the ball game, Fredi Knighten made a 13-yard touchdown pass to Arkansas State’s Allen Muse for the 3-point lead.

By this time all those who had not left from the mist and cold wind were on the edge of their seats.

Ball State still had a chance to tie and go into overtime. The Cardinals drove down field and after a helpful

personal foul call, lined up for the 38-yard field goal with two seconds left.

But Ball State’s dreams of finally claiming a bowl game were smacked down with the blocked kick, sealing Arkansas State’s win.

Two wins for the Sun Belt.

MAC finished 0-5 in bowl game wins.

“This is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the Sun Belt teams this season, not focus on the negative,” Benson said. “The Sun Belt continues to evolve, grow and mature as one of 10 FBS conferences. ‘Together we Rise’ is the theme of the Sun Belt Conference because we stand firmly to our membership and our communities and we embrace the growth and evolution of the Sun Belt.”

As for next year, the Sun Belt’s chances of bowl bids will grow. Not only will the Sun Belt aim to have a team in the newly formed college football playoff system, the conference will gain the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. as a primary bowl partner as well as other spots in the Bahamas Bowl and the Miami Beach Bowl.

#PICKUSA #JAGNATION

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Students join together on social media, lobby for bowl game

Students used twitter to lobby to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

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vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

USA bass fishing team competes in regional qualifier

Team travels to Okeechobee, Fla. for BASS regionals over holiday break

Courtesy of Travis Johns

Jennings Earnest holds up his catch during the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional.

By JENNA MUNDAY

jnm1105@jagmail.southalabama.edu

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uring winter break, the University of South Alabama Bass Fishing team traveled to South Florida’s Lake Okeechobee to participate in a regional qualifying event for the 2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Conference Regional. BASS, the organization that runs Bassmaster, is not only the one of the largest names in fishing, but also the host to the largest professional fishing circuit.

BASS is one of the oldest fishing associations in the country. They run bassmaster.com and Bassmaster magazine along with professional and amateur tournaments.

This College Bass Southern Regional qualifier is part of five regional qualifying events, in addition to a wild-card event, where only the top 18 finishers advance to the BASS National Championship.

Courtesy of Travis Johns

Travis Johns practicing in the marshes of Okeechobee, Fla.

The University of South Alabama sent two teams to compete in this event against 130 boats from more than 75 various schools.

By participating in this event, the team has gained recognition and exposure for the University through some of the most well-known names in fishing, such as bassmaster.com.

They also had the chance to meet with potential sponsors and build connections for future job opportunities with national companies, such as Carharrt, Lowrance and PowePole.

The USA Bass Fishing team was in Okeechobee, Fla. for seven nights, which consisted of four practice days and two tournament days.

During practices, the teams experienced decent fishing weather, but during the first tournament day, the temperature dropped 30 degrees and the winds picked up to nearly 40 mph.

These factors caused extremely rough fishing conditions and South’s two teams were not able to successfully fish their spots, resulting in their placement at the bottom portion of the field entering Day Two. During the second day of the competition, weather conditions improved greatly and one team from the University of South Alabama jumped nearly 35 spots in the rankings.

Although South’s two teams did not qualify in this event, there is still hope for the South Alabama’s Bass Fishing team to attend the BASS National Championship.

Both teams are set to attend the wild-card event at Lake Pickwick in Florence, Ala. later this year, giving them another chance to qualify for the championship.

The University of South Alabama’s Bass Fishing team’s next event will be Feb. 1 at Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga.

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sports

vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

Basketball drops road game to UALR

JT Crabtree, sports Editor jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

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By JT CRABTREE

jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

S

Follow us for news, updates and play-by-play tweets: @USAVGSports Joey Jones @CoachJoeyJones Football head coach I’m so proud of the seniors that have done so much for this program. Great win for JagNation!! We are Mobile’s team!

Drew Dearman @Drewski72_: Offensive lineman My favorite alarm wake up song is “Amber”-311, it’s the chillest wakeup I’ve ever experienced Rush Hendricks @_RusHen_: Tight end Thank you to everyone who has their iMessage set to let me know if they’ve read my text. It provides closure to every conversation Derek Westbrook @thedwestbrook25: Men’s Cross Country The most productive thing I’ve done all break is getting out of bed in the morning... And I’m okay with that Terry Fowler @Tfowl24: Women’s basketball head coach BREAKING NEWS: The sun is shining in Arkansas!

Emily Messer @emily_messer20 Outfielder People are complaining about the cold. All it makes me wanna do is go to the gym and workout to get warmer.

Chris May @CmayFive5: Offensive lineman Man I miss football season already..

@USAVGSports

Chris May (55) and Ross Metheny (2) earned first- and second-team All-Sun Belt honors.

jt crabtree|sports editor

Jags football receives Sun Belt honors

Ten different players earn All-Sun Belt picks, Joey Jones wins Coach of the Year

By JT CRABTREE

jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

F

ollowing their 6-6 season, South Alabama football received several Sun Belt Conference accolades, including head coach Joey Jones being named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year.

Jones, the only head coach South Alabama has known, led the Jags to a 4-3 conference record, tied for third in the SBC, and a 6-6 record, making South Alabama eligible for a postseason bowl game in their first year eligible at the FBS level. Jones is 31-21 overall in his five years at South Alabama.

Four different Jags were named firstteam all-conference. Tight end Wes Saxton, offensive lineman Chris May, and defensive linemen Romelle Jones and Alex Page were all named to the All-SBC first-team. Page was also a preseason AllSBC selection.

Quarterback Ross Metheny, wide receiver Shavarez Smith, offensive lineman Ucambre Williams and linebacker Enrique Williams were named second-team all-SBC. Running back Jay Jones and kicker Aleem Sunanon were named Sun Belt Conference honorable mentions.

Saxton, a junior from Hueytown, Ala., was the only tight end to finish the season in the Sun Belt top 10 in receptions and receiving yards per game after catching 50 passes for 635 yards.

May, a sophomore from Tuscumbia, Ala., played 931 snaps and led the team with 63 knockdowns, finishing with an 87 percent overall rating. May had a season-best nine knockdowns against ULM. Jay Jones finished the season with a career-high 42 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, tied for the team lead and school record. The senior from New Orleans tied for second in the SBC in sacks and third in tackles for loss.

Page tied with Jay Jones for the team lead in sacks and finished second in the SBC in tackles for loss with 14. The Prattville senior finished with 51 total tackles, two passes broken up and an interception.

Metheny led the Sun Belt in total offense while averaging 268.8 yards per game. Metheny finished the season 201-of-324 for 2622 yards and 15 touchdowns in the air. The Stephens City, Va. native also added 10 rushing touchdowns. Metheny finished with 604 yards on 132 carries. Metheny was the only quarterback to rank in the top 10 in

rushing yards in the Sun Belt.

Smith tied the school record for receptions (50) in a season with Saxton while shattering the school record for receiving yards in a season, ending with 940 yards. Smith was named the SBC Offensive Player of the Week after the Jags’ win over Georgia State, when he caught 10 passes for a school record 194 yards.

Ucambre Williams finished the season with the highest grade on the line (89 percent). Williams added 43 knockdowns while not surrendering a single sack all season.

Enrique Williams followed his 100plus tackles season in 2012 with another

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vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

100-plus season in 2013, finishing with 105. Williams is the first player in history to record back-to-back 100-tackle seasons. Williams also had a career-high 7.5 tackles for loss.

Jay Jones, the junior running back from Horn Lake, Miss., finished the season ranked sixth in the SBC with 737 yards, 5.2 yards per carry and five touchdowns. Jones also added 18 catches for 135 yards.

Sunanon, a redshirt freshman from Orlando, Fla., led the SBC in field goals made and second in overall scoring, leading the Jags with 91 points. Sunanon finished the season 18-for-23 on field goals and 37-of-39 on extra points.

outh Alabama men’s basketball team was shut down on the road against ArkansasLittle Rock on Jan. 9, shooting just 19.4 percent in the second half on their way to losing 65-60 to the Trojan.

The Jags, who led 40-31 at halftime, went more than eight minutes without a field goal in the second half, going 6-for-31 on field goals and just 2-for-17 on 3-pointers.

“I thought we came out and played well early in the game,” head coach Matthew Graves said. “We moved the ball, took great shots, and we were in a really good rhythm attacking inside and out. We went 7 of 17 on 3-pointers in the first half and had eight assists. We really moved the ball well and did some good things. Defensively, we did a pretty good job of covering their guys.”

Graves continued, “We get to the second half and some of those shots that were falling in the first half just weren’t falling. We need to have better resolve and step up, know it’s a good shot and when a team goes on a run, we have to be able to make a ‘3’ or drive and finish an ‘and-1.’ In the second half, we went through a long dry spell and didn’t score the ball.”

After shooting 7-for-17 on 3- pointers in the first half, the Jags did not convert another 3- pointer after 15:48 left in the second half, when Augustine Rubit drained a shot to give USA an 11-point lead.

Rubit led the Jags with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Antoine Allen finished with 13 points and 4 rebounds.

Mychal Ammons couldn’t seem to find his shot as he finished with 4 points, going 1-for-11 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.

As a team, the Jags shot 15-for-19 (78.9 percent) on free throws.

“We allowed our slump to affect our effort defensively,” Graves said. “In the second half, they shot the ball just like they did in the first half, but we allowed the pace of the game to halt our energy, our effort and our excitement for each other.”

UALR was led by Will Neighbour, who had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. James White added 13 points and 3 rebounds. DeVonte Smith had 7 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists while playing all 40 minutes.

“He’s obviously an all-league player, and he’s capable of doing some really nice things for them,” Graves said of Neighbour.

The Jags committed 11 turnovers, which the Trojans converted to 14 points.

The Trojans dominated the paint, scoring 20 points inside, opposed to South Alabama’s 8 points.

USA slated to play UAB in 2015, 2016

By JT CRABTREE

jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

U

niversity of South Alabama Athletic Director Dr. Joel Erdmann announced that USA has agreed to a home-and-home football series with UAB, starting in 2015.

The first game is slated to take place at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. on Sept. 19, 2015, while the Blazers will travel to Mobile to play the Jags at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Sept.

10, 2016.

“Playing UAB is going to be good for our program as well as theirs. Any time you can play teams instate, it’s a good thing. We are looking forward to that rivalry,” head coach Joey Jones said. “I think this will be very similar to the UAB-Troy series, which has been going on for a while now. Both those schools have benefitted from that rivalry. I feel that these games will be very similar in that respect.”

This matchup will be the second time South Alabama plays a Conference USA opponent.

Their first came this past season when the Jags traveled to New Orleans to face Tulane. The Jags defeated the Green Wave 41-39 on Sept.

7. USA also has three other two-game agree-

ments with current members of Conference USA: Louisiana Tech in 2017 and 2018, Tulane again in 2019 and 2020 and Southern Miss in 2020 and 2021.

The Jags matchup against the Blazers will be the first instate opponent not in the Sun Belt Conference since USA opened the 2011 season with a 20-0 win against West Alabama.

“This is truly a great instate series for the fans,” Erdmann said. “Each institution has a substantial amount of alumni and current students located within a reasonable driving distance of both Mobile and Birmingham. We are excited about playing UAB and encourage our fans to mark their calendars far in advance.”

South Alabama finished the 2013 season, their first season as a full FBS member, with a record of 6-6, including a three-game winning streak to end the season. The Jags also finished 4-3 in Sun Belt Conference play, good for third in the SBC. UAB finished the 2013 season 2-10, with a 1-7 record in Conference USA. The Blazers ended the season on a six-game losing streak, including a 62-27 loss to Southern Miss in the season finale on Nov. 30.

Vanguard archives

Mychal Ammons (13) and the Jags lost an 11-point lead in the second half to the Trojans.

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vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

USA coach leaves for North Carolina Central

By JT CRABTREE

jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

J

Kirkland was named a second-team All-American his freshman year in 2011.

jt crabtree|sports editor

Kirkland looks to return from injuries After two injury-plagued seasons, second baseman is back to 100 percent

By SAMUEL BROWN sjb1102@jagmail.southalabama.edu

S

outh Alabama baseball’s second baseman Logan Kirkland made a splash when he first arrived at USA back in 2011, batting .339 while earning second-team all-American honors.

However, the last two years, Kirkland has been slowed by injuries, including an ankle injury that ended his 2012 campaign after six games and a back injury that held him out for nearly the entire 2013 season. After redshirting his sophomore season and rehabbing last season, Kirkland is on track to return to Jags lineup this season. The Vanguard sat down with Kirkland to talk about the upcoming season.

Vanguard: How are you feeling health wise?

Logan Kirkland: I feel awesome. I worked hard this summer and fall with our athletic trainer, Chris McDonald, to get fully healthy from the foot surgery and the back injury. We had to work back slow, but now I’m 100 percent and going at it full-speed. I’ve had a few misfortunes the past two years, but I’m extremely blessed to be able to get back out and play the game I love so much.

VG: Looking back a few years to your recruitment, why did it end up being South Alabama?

LK: You know, I’ve actually been here a long time. I’ve been here longer than anybody on our roster this year.

This is my fourth year here and when I signed, I was recruited by our former coach Steve Kittrell and our now infielder’s coach Alan Luckie. All this before Coach Calvi was named the next head coach. I’m from the Mobile area, Grand Bay to be exact, and growing up I always looked at USA’s baseball program in the same eyes as a big league program. I only wished to play here; I never knew I would actually get a chance. So when Coach Kittrell called me on July 1 of my senior year to offer me a scholarship, it was like a dream come true. I committed to USA that same day. There were several factors that solidified my decision. Of course, I’m a local guy, so my family can watch me at any home game. That’s huge for me. I never thought twice, and I am very blessed to be a part of this traditionrich program and great University.

VG: What is your favorite thing about South Alabama?

LK: My favorite thing about our University is knowing that I have helpful resources and people all around me. No matter what I need help with, from tutors helping with schoolwork to Jag Productions saving you money on movie tickets. It’s just a very friendly

environment all around.

VG: How do you handle the load of athletics and schoolwork?

LK: Having to juggle between school and ball is truly a tough act. It’s hard to find time to want to focus on your schoolwork because you’re either at practice, playing a game or lifting weights. Once you finally find some down time, you’re usually worn out from everything that went on that day.

You just have to remind yourself that for most of us, baseball will never pay our bills so keeping up in school is vital for our future after baseball is over and that a degree will stick with us for life.

VG: After making it to the NCAA Starkville Regional last season, what are your expectations for this year?

LK: Last year was a special year for our program. We got back to the winning ways that this University is accustomed to. We rolled the dice in the Starkville Regional last year and came up short. That only makes this team even hungrier to exceed last year’s mark.

It would be crazy to host a regional and possibly even a super-regional here on our own turf. We want to experience the College World Series and be the first team from this institution to make it to Omaha. Coach Calvi has been a part of the Omaha experience and a national championship team. And the

way he describes it, makes you want it even more.

VG: What are your individual goals for this season?

LK: My individual goal for this season is to hopefully get into a groove early in the season and do everything I can to help our team win. Whatever I hit in the lineup will determine my role at the plate so if I’m top of the lineup, my goal is to get on base as much as possible, move runners and score as many runs as I can. If I’m in the middle of the lineup, my goal is to drive in as many runs as I can. I want to play solid defense throughout the year and keep my errors to a minimum. As long as I can contribute to a team win, I am satisfied.

VG: What do you want to most improve on this season?

LK: I just pray that I can stay healthy throughout the entire season. That will be the improvement I want the most.

As long as I can stay on the field and out of the training room, I am confident that I can contribute to our team and help us win. I can’t wait to get after it with my brothers. There’s nothing like competing and knowing that guy beside you is playing for the name on the front of the jersey and not the back. We have a locker room full of grinders, and I feel good about our chances this season.

ust two years after finding a new wide receivers coach, head coach Joey Jones will again be tasked with finding a replacement after his assistant left to take a job with another program. Wide receivers coach Jerry Mack was named the head coach at North Carolina Central on Dec. 19.

Mack’s deal is for five years, worth $180,000 per season.

Mack, who will be in his first year as a head coach at any level, will be the third youngest head coach at the Division I level (33).

“I’m elated to be here, I think it’s a great situation. There’s a lot of upside to this program and I am happy I was tabbed as the next head football coach,” Mack told AL.com. “Going through the transition at South Alabama and learning each day from (USA head) coach (Joey) Jones about staying the course, I learned a lot of small details over the course of my two years.”

Mack came to South Alabama following the 2011 season after serving one year as the wide receivers coach at Memphis. Mack served as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff for the 2010 after serving as passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach at Central Arkansas from 2008-09.

Mack, a former collegiate wide receiver, played one year at Jackson State (1999) before playing three years at Arkansas State (2001-2003), where he completed his bachelor’s in management information systems.

Mack earned his master’s degree in physical education in 2006.

Mack also completed three internships in the NFL with the New York Jets (2009, 2010) and Buffalo Bills (2008).

vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

Opinion

kelly ficarelli, opinion Editor kficarelli@gmail.com

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Continue selling Plan B without prescription JagPulse

By RYAN WALLACE ryanwallace2010@gmail.com

I

am not, so far as I know, a parent. But if years of network TV and my mother’s lamentations are to be believed, it is the most difficult of jobs.

There can be no doubt that having sole responsibility for a tiny, defenseless version of yourself that lacks the ability to tell you its needs or why it’s crying for the 50th time today sounds like a daunting, if not impossible, task.

This is why, for perhaps as long as babies have been born, it has been considered normal and desirable to have two capable adults on hand to raise and nurture children so that they can one day take care of themselves and be

productive members of their society.

It’s the oldest form of redundant systems in the book, allowing parents to raise and provide for their children as well as tell them to “ask your mother/ father.”

Unfortunately, this model is crumbling at an alarming rate in America today. According to data published this month by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 40.7 percent of all births are to unwed mothers. Even worse is the voluminous amount of data that supports the commonsense conclusion that children raised in single-parent households do worse in school, are more likely to commit crimes and are more likely to become single parents themselves, thus perpetuating the cycle.

The point, of course, is not that single parents are villains. Many are in that situation because of some uncontrollable occurrence such as the death of their spouse. The point is, in this age of nearly unlimited access to information and contraceptive methods, there is seemingly little excuse to become a single mother in the first place.

One of the tools in what has become a veritable contraceptive arsenal

is the so-called “morning-after” or Plan B pill. These are not, as the Plan B One-Step website explains, the infamous “abortion pills” that eliminate a fertilized egg, but rather a medication that prevents the fertilization from ever happening. The real revelation, of course, is that this pill allows a woman to wake up the morning of what may be delicately termed a “mistake” and still be able to prevent the actual conception of a fetus from taking place.

Recently, the Plan B pill was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be sold over-the-counter without a prescription to anyone of all ages. This has, perhaps predictably, sparked an outrage amongst social conservatives around the country.

Although I usually find myself on the same side as many of these individuals and organizations, this is one instance where I find myself on a different path.

Contrary to arguments that the easy availability of the Plan B pill promotes sexual relationships between teenagers, history and common sense show that teenagers allow little if anything to keep them from sex when they decide to engage in it. More than a little opposition to the pill comes from

the Catholic Church and other various religious denominations that prohibit birth control of any kind. They are, of course, allowed to believe and engage in whatever behaviors their beliefs permit on the matter of birth control, but as a Christian myself, I submit that the energy spent opposing the Plan B pill is better spent speaking with teenagers to make sure they understand the power that their bodies wield to control their future with just one foolish mistake. This particular piece of advice goes for all parents in any case. After all, the reason we have such an outrageous proportion of our children being born with one metaphorical hand tied behind their back isn’t because some kids saw a condom in the pharmacy and decided to start having sex, but because they were never properly warned of the dangers of sex in the first place.

Limiting contraceptive options is a wrongheaded approach to limiting births to single mothers, and instead should be embraced by everyone for the wonder that it is while personal responsibility is taken by parents everywhere to make sure nobody has to buy one of them, ever.

Don’t promise pensions you can’t keep

By SAMANTHA ANDREWS thevanguardeditor@gmail.com

A

ll kinds of incentives are offered in exchange for military service: education benefits, bonuses, travel and, yes, a great pension. So individuals put on the uniform and take

the job of defending our nation--a job that is a federal offense to quit before the contract runs out. It might then shock those individuals later to find that all of the initial incentives they signed up for are subject to change.

The Senate approved a bill in December which could cut government

RYAN KELLER | GRAPHIC DESIGNER

spending by about $6 billion. However, the cut comes at the expense of one of America’s most celebrated groups: veterans. Military retirees under the age of 62 will see a 1 percent deduction from their annual cost-of-living adjustments each year from the time they retire until age 62. With this cut, the pensions of soldiers who join in their 20s and retire in their 40s “could result in more than a 20 percent reduction,” according to CNN Money.

Senator Kelly Ayotte, R-N. H., told NPR that she doesn’t believe the reductions are fair. “A sergeant first class who retires at age 40 could stand to lose $72,000 by the time he turns or she turns age 62,” she said. The time to budget government spending is now, but the very last place Congress needs to start is with the men and women who have earned their retirement by protecting this country with their sweat and blood.

In USA Today’s editorial in which they defend the military pension cuts, one of their larger arguments is that

“40 percent of servicemembers… have never seen a combat zone.” This means that more than half of service members suffering from these cuts are combat veterans. It makes more sense to see deserving soldiers rewarded rather than punish those who supposedly aren’t deserving.

Regardless of whether people think the soldiers are worthy enough for these pension benefits, the fact is that they were promised them. From recruitment, soldiers are enticed with pensions that can be obtained after only 20 years. But when the same military benefits they signed up for are altered, there’s nothing they can do.

A soldier should be grandfathered into the benefits offered to them upon sign-up. When the government can no longer fulfill those initial promises, then the soldier should be free to leave his or her contract.

If the government can turn its back on its soldiers, why shouldn’t the soldiers be able to turn their backs on the government?

What advice do you have on how and where to buy textbooks?

Karie Fugett: Wait until the second week. Check Amazon first.

Darla Deason Howorth: Rent at knetbooks.com.

Free shipping both ways.

Shenice Charmaine Davis: Check to see if you need the books to pass the classes before you buy them. If you need them, avoid the school bookstore at all cost! Try Amazon or Chegg! Let the school bookstore be your absolute last resort!

Hunter King: Don’t.

Brittney Elizabeth Gers: I download mine to my iPad. I saved $500! The most any of my books cost was around $68.

Phteven Purnell: Thepiratebay.se sometimes has PDFs of your books for the low low price of free.

Ian McClendon: I agree with waiting. Half of my professors won’t ever use the book. Find out if it’s needed before plunking money out on it. And if I want to go electronic, Library Genesis is gen.lib.rus.ec.

Daniel Moran: The bookstore will rip you off! If you don’t have financial aid, go anywhere else!

Amanda Whatley Sessions: Amazon. I got a new book $15 off the bookstore’s used price.

John Sibley: It’s a trap!

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vol. 54, no. 1 / jan. 13, 2014

See what this group does next Set yourself up for academic success

By BRIANNA ERVIN brianna.ervin@ymail.com

T

he Prancing Elites is an African-American all-male gay dance group from Mobile, Ala., which is currently climbing to the top no matter the obstacles. Prancing Elites is making a name for itself. With flashy costumes, over-the-top dance moves and fierce attitudes, the group is becoming an instant sensation not only in their hometown, but across the Internet and in the media as well.

When Shaquille O’Neal tweeted about them early in 2013, people instantly wanted to know more about the group. With more than 500,000 views on YouTube, an appearance on “The Real” and the “Tom Joyner Morning Show,” you can tell the Elites are definitely getting recognized for their talent.

Although controversy has stirred up about their performance in the Semmes Christmas Day Parade on Dec. 21, 2013, their performance went off without a glitch. With their faces made up to perfection and costumes on point, Prancing Elites showed the crowd how they express themselves through dance.

However, not everyone was receptive to the way that they expressed themselves. Some residents of the Semmes, Ala. community felt that they should have been notified about the group being in the parade so that they could have made a decision whether they wanted their children to attend.

According to dance member Adrian Clemons in a Fox 10 news report, “Oh my God, what’s that?” was just one of the many negative statements heard while dancing in the parade.

After participating in the parade, the group was uninvited to dance in the New Year’s Eve Parade. Some felt that their moves were inappropriate, while others just weren’t comfortable with them being in the parade at all.

Dance is a form of art, and no matter how one feels, all should be able to enjoy it. Who cares what they have on, as long as they’re not naked.

The Prancing Elites say that this

isn’t the first time they’ve seen this reaction, especially in the South. They weren’t trying to offend anyone. They just really want to dance, and that’s it.

If I had been at the parade, I would have been excited, cheering them on the whole time. It takes courage, strength and maturity to do what they do. With all the other problems going on in the world, is it really that serious to be disrespectful to another human being whom you don’t even know?

Others were also outraged at the negative attention. Local arts and entertainment web publication Mod Mobilian then invited the Elites to participate in the festivities that would be held in downtown Mobile to make up for them not being in the parade. The group did a four-hour dance marathon with performances at Hayley’s, Cathedral Square, Alchemy Tavern and BBob’s Downtown and has already been booked for Mardi Gras.

“I can’t wait to see them again,” USA student Morgan Fowler said.

“They’re amazing.”

With the New Year in effect, I can’t wait to see what this group does next!

In the wise words of Prancing Elites Captain Kentrell Collins, “Be who you are, love what you do and embrace yourself.”

Do your part to alleviate parking woes this semester

By KAYLA TROSCLAIR kkmichelle5@gmail.com

A

s of 2010, statistics show that there are roughly 21 million students who enroll in a university every year and those numbers continue to grow.

According to the U.S. News website, for the 2013-14 school year at South, there are an estimated 11,315 undergraduate students enrolled. Currently, more students are waiting to be enrolled as orientation sessions are still taking place at this time.

An estimated 25 percent of the students who enroll at South live on campus. The remaining 75 percent is comprised of commuter students, who more than likely drive to campus each day, myself included.

The big question is, are there

enough spaces for everyone? Most people would say no when asked this question. Unfortunately for us students, it clearly states on the University website, under Traffic Rules and Regulations, that lack of space is not an acceptable excuse for making a violation, and there is no guarantee of a space where needed for anyone.

With that being said, instead of complaining all the time in hopes of the University doing something about it, which I am guilty of myself, what could we as students do to help make parking a little easier for us?

Ask yourself which method is safer and which will get you where you need to be quicker. Walking may not be the best idea in terms of safety, especially if you have to cross busy roads, and depending on the area you are in and the time you have between classes, the JagTran may not be your best option either.

Besides just breaking down and driving yourself, how about riding with a friend or roommate? It is convenient, it saves gas money and it opens up a parking space for another student.

Another way is figuring out which

zone would be best for you based on where you have classes. I have parked in all of the zoned areas at least once.

All except Central are fairly easy to get in and out of. Central is harder because it’s in the middle of everything so you have a lot of traffic to deal with, but finding a spot has always been easy for me. With North, I have had only a few problems with finding a spot, but the only buildings right in front of you are Humanities, Life Sciences and the library. East, I have always had trouble finding spaces, even with two lots. South is almost always filled with cars also, but every time I have parked there, I do find some open spaces.

Both on-campus and commuter students also have access to the Mitchell Center and the lot hiding behind the sorority and fraternity houses.

Problems with parking continue to grow as more and more people enroll here each year.

Fortunately, we as students and future alumni of this fine school can help resolve this issue by working together and finding efficient ways of making parking a little easier and better for everyone.

By KELLY FICARELLI kficarelli@gmail.com

B

ad habits can be so easy to fall into that you sometimes don’t even notice they’ve become habits until you try to stop them. Over the past few weeks, many of us have overspent, overeaten, overslept and stopped studying. Holidays, semester breaks and vacations can sometimes result in falling into out-of-the-norm routines as we attempt to relax and alleviate stress. Sometimes breaking these bad habits and reestablishing your normal routine, or developing a new routine and good habits, can be stressful and time consuming.

Much research has been done to determine how long it takes to unlearn and relearn behaviors. Different psychologists and research studies present varied findings. A study by Dr. Maxwell Maltz in the 1960s concluded that it takes 21 days to adjust to major life changes. In 2009, Phillippa Lally and colleagues at University College London also determined that automaticity is correlated to repetitive practice, and they suggest it takes 66 days to reach automaticity.

Well, classes started today! So, in the words of the now-infamous YouTube sensation Sweet Brown, “Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat!” I believe lifestyle change depends on how badly a person wants to succeed in a given

area. To be truly focused on academic achievement, you may have to muster up all the willpower and self-discipline you have to motivate yourself and make schoolwork your top priority.

Develop a time budget for homework and assignments, practice good study habits daily, seek assistance as soon as you realize you need help and, if you find yourself backsliding or falling behind, work twice as hard to catch up.

Everyone is different, and some things are more difficult to change than others. You have to do what works best for you to get back into school mode.

Prepare mentally for a lot of hard work, time restraints and a little healthy stress. Creating good work habits, or any type of self-improvement, definitely requires metacognition and selfevaluation.

For some blessed people, school is easy and doesn’t necessitate significant effort. But for the rest of us, a plan to reach goals must be drawn up and started in a timely fashion.

As a senior, I know semester breaks are necessary to reset your burnout level. Although the road to the finish line may be rugged and steep, envisioning the light at the end of the tunnel can be really helpful in establishing good habits at the beginning of the race and staying the course. Prioritize, set goals, plan your steps for reaching them and practice walking that walk daily.

Keep your resolutions!

By KATHRYN SEGERS kjs901@jagmail.southalabama.edu

W

ith the new year comes New Year’s resolutions. People usually make resolutions, from starting good habits to stopping bad ones. The possibilities are endless. The question is: what can one do to keep themselves motivated to fulfill their resolutions without losing hope or determination throughout the year?

Individuals should try to set achievable goals and realistic deadlines. For example, one should not expect to lose 10 pounds in a week. By expecting immediate results, individuals are setting themselves up for failure and discouragement. Rather than closely monitoring their weight, they should focus on changing their eating and exercising habits. Patience and hard work can be rewarding.

Organization also plays an important role in goal setting. One may find themselves making excuses for not following through with their resolutions if they do not keep their goals and progress well-recorded. By simply

writing down and prioritizing tasks to be completed, individuals can be more aware of their plan. Investing in a good planner, small dry erase board or Postit Notes are great ways to chart progress. Looking at the progress being made can be motivating in itself!

Setting incentives to reward progress is also very important. One may be more motivated to eat better throughout the week if they know they are going to splurge one night a week and eat dessert. Changes may be made in small increments as long as progress is made.

Lastly, achieving New Year’s resolutions requires a large amount of selfdiscipline because changing habits can be very difficult. Individuals must change their mindsets from “I can’t” to “I will.” Abraham Lincoln said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

New Year’s resolutions allow individuals to decide what they want to change in their lives and the steps they need to take in order to make change happen. I encourage everyone to set at least one New Year’s resolution, and I wish everyone good luck!

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Horoscope foR The week of JAN. 13-19 Capricorn 12/23-1/20 New year, new you. OK. Maybe just a new year. Save time and energy and just forget about those resolutions today. Think of all the money you will save on juice cleanses.

Pisces 2/20-3/20 Put your Netflix binge skills to good use. Consider binge studying. Or not. Ten straight hours of “Friends” is entertaining. Ten straight hours of chemistry is not.

Aquarius 1/21-2/19 After weeks at home with your family all you could think about was getting back to school. Enjoy the entire month before all you can think about is going back home.

Aries 3/21-4/20 The winter in Alabama has been crazy, but it’s a good excuse for hot coffee, or rather, more stops at Starbucks.

Taurus 4/21-5/21 Your professor is serious about

the biweekly papers. Be grateful you read the syllabus, unlike the other 95 percent of your class.

Gemini 5/22-6/21 You realize you have been home far too long when you call your professor “Mom” on the first day. He’s not impressed.

Cancer 6/22-7/22 You have been more likely to go to bed at 8 a.m. than get up then.

Wear sunglasses and pretend it’s night.You will be fixed in no time.

Leo 7/23-8/21 The first week of school is about anguish and hope. Anguish when you realize you forgot to register for the class only taught once every year. Hope that someone drops it.

Virgo 8/22-9/23 It’s been so long, you almost believe you have missed the taste of Ramen noodles. Almost.

Libra 9/24-10/23 Half the people in your lot will drop out of class soon.You won’t

have to circle forever.

Scorpio 10/24-11/22 Your obsession with school supplies has mystified your friends, but they love you anyway.

Even after they caught you sniffing your new notebooks.

Sagittarius 11/23-12/22 You have told everyone that you have started seeing someone new.You don’t have to tell them his name is Sherlock and you only see him Sunday nights on PBS.

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