Feb. 03, 2014 Vanguard

VANGUARD THE

VOL. 54, NO. 4

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

FEB. 3, 2014

INSIDE

USA fires officer for sexual misconduct

By MATTHEW POIRIER mfp902@jagmail.southalabama.edu

T

► Campus: Students volunteer during inaugural homeless-care day.

See Campus, page 2

he University of South Alabama Police Department recently announced the dismissal of one of its officers for misconduct revealed during the Mobile Police Department’s investigation of three members of its Narcotics and Vice Unit.

Kristopher Guy’s termination, according to USA’s Office of Public Relations took place Dec. 4, 2013. Information released stated Guy was dismissed

for admitting to having sexual relations while on duty.

USA Interim PR Director Bob Lowery told The Vanguard Friday he could not disclose any other information than what was earlier released to the media.

Lowery said the information was distributed in response to inquiries from AL.com and Fox 10 TV. He forwarded that information, which stated: “On Nov. 18, 2013, Officer Kristopher Guy of the University of South Alabama Police Department was suspended without pay pending a Mobile Police Depart-

ment investigation into alleged misconduct while on assignment with the Mobile Police. Kristopher Guy admitted to having sexual relations while on duty and disclosing sensitive information. On Dec. 4, 2013, his employment was terminated by the University.”

In an AL.com article, filed by Theresa Seiger on Jan. 27, 2014, it was stated that Guy’s actions were revealed during MPD’s investigation of vice squad misconduct. The article explained that during “the conclusion of MPD’s internal investigation, (Mobile Police Chief

James) Barber said one Mobile police officer had exchanged sexual favors in return for failing to turn in citations on local strip clubs.” Guy, however, according to MPD’s Internal Affairs Office, See Guy Page 3

STAFF ILLUSTRATION

Presidential finalist stresses partnership between higher education and community

► JagLife: First Year Council is voice for underclassmen.

By STEPHANIE FEATHER sf1101@jagmail.southalabama.edu

See JagLife. page 6

U

► Sports: Lady Jags fire up, defeat ULAR Trojans.

See Sports, page 9

SAM ANDREWS | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dr. Tony Waldrop speaks at a press conference Jan. 27 after being announced as a presidential search finalist.

SA’s presidential finalist, Tony G. Waldrop, spoke to the community and answered a variety of questions in a public forum Friday night at the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center.

About 200 people, including faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members, were at the forum to meet Waldrop.

Waldrop is provost and executive vice president at the University of Central Florida, and he began the forum by speaking about the projects he has been involved with at UCF and other schools he has worked at in the past.

He said that he has really learned the importance of teamwork and how the University needs to work with and be engaged in the community.

He spoke about this being a critical time for

higher education, and that universities don’t have the image they once had. “The public perception is that we cost too much and don’t train our students for the future,” Waldrop said. “We need to be sure we’re seen as something that’s important and desirable.”

He said that the solution would be to work closely with the community. “We need advocates in the community who are talking about the value of a higher education,” he said. “We need to partner with various entities so that we are providing what they need in the community.”

He said that it works both ways because the University would do a tremendous amount for the community also.

Waldrop spoke about the importance of student internships and the community providing students with real-world experience, which can often lead to a position after graduation.

See Finalist Page 3

Do you want to build a snowman?

USA students took that challenge last week.

► Opinion: International students get hands-on learning experience on football.

See Sports, page 12 find us on Facebook search “The Vanguard USA”

COURTESY OF KARIE FUGETT

See photos and a special winter storm report on Page 5

Check out our digital edition thevanguardonline.com

COURTESY OF JULIUS SPICCIANI

In this Issue: Sports, Page 9 Opinion, Page 14

JagLife, Page 6

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VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

Dean to retire, national search to find replacement

Dr. Carl C. Moore Dean of Mitchell College of Business

By JENIA PARKER

jnp1321@jagmail.southalabama.edu

W

ith the start of a new semester came the search for a new dean of Mitchell College of Business.

Dr. Carl C. Moore, the current dean, has been with the University of South Alabama for 43 years and held the dean position for 25 of those years. On Jan. 9, USA announced that they would be looking for someone to replace Moore.

The dean of business, like any dean, has many jobs that must be done on a daily basis. According to the Mitchell Business online profile, these jobs include providing guidance and structure to a growing program, expanding the international business program, recruiting new students, enhancing scholarship fundraising, and promoting internships, externships and student mentoring programs.

In the past 25 years, the business program at South Alabama has seen success under Moore. The most recent is the start of the Doctor Business Administration Program that

was launched in 2012.

“It is just time,” Moore said when asked why he is retiring now. “I’ve been the dean for 25 years, and with the start of the DBA (Doctoral Business Administration) program, it just seemed like the appropriate time to make that transition.”

While Moore will continue to teach classes occasionally where needed, he says he is looking forward to having a more flexible and unstructured schedule in his years of retirement. Moore hopes to retire in August, before the fall semester commences at South Alabama, and let the new dean take the reins.

The Search Committee is eager to begin their hunt for a new leader, who should have, according to the job posting, a “vigorous entrepreneurial perspective, a competitive balance of academic and business

experience, and an informed understanding of the complexities of an academic community.” Among those qualities, the successor should also be goal-driven and have a history of a transparent managing style, strong communication skills and commitment to diversity, according to the job posting.

Having had plenty of experience, Moore has weighed in on qualities that he thinks his successor should possess in order to excel in this highly demanding position.

“First of all, he should have a strong commitment,” Moore said, “as well as be eager to work with the business community. He should be interested in the students as well as dedicated to attracting new students to help the program continue to grow.”

When asked whether he had an

individual in mind for the opening, Moore said, “I don’t have anyone particular in mind.” He continued, clarifying, “Not to say that there aren’t people that are qualified within the department. I just think it is best if I stay neutral.”

Moore explained that the majority of the process will be the responsibility of the search committee. The job posting further explains that the committee is presently accepting candidate names, anonymously if requested. The primary considerations will be given to those who are nominated on or before March 6, 2014.

Initial interviews will begin in late March 2014.

“Don’t take yourself too seriously,” Moore advised his new successor. “Always maintain your sense of humor, and enjoy and appreciate this University!”

Students volunteer during inaugural homeless-care day

By STEPHANIE FEATHER sf1101@jagmail.southalabama.edu

P

roject Homeless Connect was held Friday in the Mobile Civic Center, and students from USA volunteered their help to provide services such as medical care to those in need.

There are many members of our community who are homeless and need help as was shown in the civic center Friday, where people from Mobile and Baldwin County came to receive the help from services provided.

Project Homeless Connect was put together for the first time in Mobile thanks to the efforts of Housing First Inc. and the Continuum of Care Board for Mobile and Baldwin County.

The event used every square inch of the building, with booths and rooms set up to provide much needed services. Eric Jefferson, Housing First’s director, said, after seeing the event put together, they will need even more space next year.

Jefferson said this will become an annual event, and he hopes they can even provide this type of service twice a year. He said that this event coincides with the Point-In-Time Count.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development mandates that all states count the number of people who are homeless annually.

The number of identified people who are homeless determines the funding required for each community as well as the homeless status of the nation. Jefferson said that since they need to gather everyone, they should use the opportunity to help.

Jefferson spoke with Amanda Shipp, Housing First’s management information specialist, to do a preliminary count of the homeless attendees

during the event. Her count was more than 300 people. They also counted how many volunteers signed up that day. There were more than 400.

Michelle Dees, Housing First Director of Program Operations, said this event is historical because it is the first of its kind in Mobile.

One of the services offered was legal counsel.

The event had more than 15 volunteer lawyers from South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Group.

They provide free services year-round, but this event was unique because the lawyer could bring the client into the courtroom where a judge could hear out cases, said Dees. She also said that these could be minor offenses, but could be holding them back from finding a job or even a place to live.

Dees said it can be incredibly difficult for the homeless to schedule appointments or even to have transportation to make it to appointments.

She knows how difficult it can be for the homeless on a daily basis. They are trying their hardest just to survive.

Students from USA also served as volunteers.

Anna Willoughby and Roslyn Jones, both on the Bachelor’s of Science and Nursing track at South, served as health coaches for the homeless. They said they helped by taking vital signs and blood glucose levels. They felt that the event was successful and felt privileged to help the less fortunate.

Mason Wade, also from USA, helped as a health coach. He said he was glad to see the College of Nursing be involved in the community.

Also he thought that it was a very successful first year for the event and is optimistic for next year.

He was happy to see so many professors working together to make the event happen.

STEPHANIE FEATHER | MANAGING EDITOR

USA volunteers (from left to right) Roslyn Jones, Mason Wade and Anna Willoughby serve as health coaches for the homeless Jan. 31.

One of those professors helping to get students involved with this project is Margaret Moore-Nadler, assistant professor at USA’s College of Nursing. She is passionate about helping the less fortunate and shared some of her views on the homeless in our community. She explained that there are many misconceptions that they like or choose to be homeless, and that this is not the case.

“There are many reasons for homelessness,”

Nadler said, “that generally have a basis of early childhood distress (mental, physical or sexual abuse) that influences a person’s entire life. ... Another factor influencing the number of homelessness is military personnel who have experienced a traumatic event.”

Sponsors of the event included Housing First, Exxon-Mobil, Alabama Power, the city of Mobile, United Way and the Sybil H. Smith Charitable Trust.

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VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

Weather for Feb. 3 - 10 “University of South Alabama’s Student Voice”

Editorial Editor in Chief Managing Editor Copy Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor Sports Editor JagLife Editor Web Editor

Samantha Andrews

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

Distribution Distribution Bobby Faulk Alan Smith

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.

Twitter: StormTeam4g9wx Facebook: Facebook.com/StormTeam4Gamma9Wx

Guy USAPD Police

Continued from Page One.

Blotter 01/30/2014 10:37 One injured Shelby Hall Female slipped on a patch of ice on the sidewalk while walking toward Shelby Hall. The fall caused injury to her ankle. Mobile Fire and Rescue responded to the scene and transported the injured female to an area hospital.

01/26/2014 12:57 Possession of marijuana second degree Old Shell Road and West Drive During a traffic stop, a male was arrested for possession of marijuana.

01/24/2014 21:11 Domestic dispute Delta 3 A male student and a female student were involved in a domestic dispute.

If you see something, say something!

Call USAPD at 251-460-6312

was not an MPD employee.

According to Lowery, Guy was loaned to MPD to work alongside members of the MPD’s Narcotics and Vice Unit. But he was not an MPD employee. “Loaning is not unusual,” Lowery explained, “especially in ongoing investigations.”

Guy began working for the USAPD more than two years ago on Jan. 17, 2012. Unfortunately, little is known about Guy, and the sources from which information about Guy can be ascertained have thus far been unreachable or unwilling to disclose information.

Allegations against Guy began a little more than a year and a half after his employment at the University.

In October 2013, an MPD officer filed a complaint alleging sexual misconduct, which initiated the investiga-

Finalist Continued from Page One.

He addressed the issue of graduation and retention rates, saying he would be looking into the issue at any university where he works. His argument is, if we help the students to graduate sooner, then it would help the affordability. He said that at UCF the calculations of graduating a semester early would save about $12,000 of debt. So the University needs to get the student out quickly but also trained fully.

Waldrop wanted to make sure everyone knew why he was interested in being the next president of the University of South Alabama. He said the people he has met have really made him feel like this is a good fit. “If you see me in the way I’m seeing (USA), there could be a very good fit there,” Waldrop said. He clarified that it is extremely important for the candidate to be a good fit for the University, and important that the University be a good fit for the candidate.

PATRICK BIGBIE | STAFF METEOROLOGIST

tion against the three officers in the MPD’s Narcotics and Vice Unit. It is still unclear as to how Guy was implicated in the case.

USAPD Police Chief Zeke Aull would not add much to Lowery’s statement concerning Guy’s termination. However, he did explain that mutually beneficial task forces, such as the one consisting of Guy and the three MPD officers, are common between surrounding city law enforcements. He also advised The Vanguard that it was unlikely that any information beyond what AL.com had in its story would be released by the University.

One MPD officer was able to state the following: “I don’t know what Guy did, but the rest (the MPD officers) were writing tickets for no pasties and then tearing them (the citations) up later in return for favors.

They (the strippers) are required by law to wear ... coverings when they dance.”

This still does not explain Guy’s relation to the case.

Waldrop was announced as a presidential finalist Monday, Jan. 27 after an interview with the board of trustees. According to an AL.com article, Waldrop was one of the search committee’s top six candidates, and in August he was invited for an interview. However, he was unable to attend because of the death of his father.

At the forum, the attendees were encouraged to fill out surveys about their impressions to help the trustees in their future decision. Students, faculty, alumni and University supporters are encouraged to give their feedback at USA’s website, www.southalabama.edu/ trustees/presidentialsearch, or to email members of the search committee.

According to Dr. Steve Furr, chairman of the board, the board of trustees will meet Thursday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. to discuss Waldrop’s candidacy and to evaluate the surveys along with other feedback. Furr said that the trustees may make a decision at that time, but that will depend on whether or not the board members feel that they have had adequate time to evaluate the surveys.

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VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

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VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

COURTESY OF BRITTNEY GERS

Brittney Gers, USA education major, and Jon Gers, College of Florida ministry major, spend their first snow day together as husband and wife.

COURTESY OF KARIE FUGETT

COURTESY OF CAITLYN BARTON

The ladies of Chi Omega, Amanda Sherrill, Heather Garner, Caitlin Jackson, Caitlyn Barton, Jessica Schulte, Ashton Smith, Tiphanie Evans and Rebecca Walter, use improvised sleds at USA’s intramural fields.

Ice leaves drivers stranded, creates wonderland on campus for students F

By Patrick Bigbie Staff Meteorologist

or days, meteorologists watched every run of the forecast models to create a forecast for a oncein-a-generation ice storm along the Gulf Coast. The forecast called for 0.3 to 0.6 inches of ice accumulation with a changeover to 1 to 3

inches of snow.

While we never saw snow in Mobile, it did snow as far south as Choctaw County and Waynesboro, Ala. Last Tuesday’s winter storm did live up to its historic forecast by dumping 1.1 inches of sleet at the National Weather Service’s office in West Mobile.

Winter weather, while rare, isn’t unheard of along the Gulf Coast. Snow fell in Mobile in 1993, 1996 and, more recently, in 2010. What made it so rare was the ice storm forecast along the coast.

Streets around the Mobile area quickly iced over, becoming skating rinks. Alabama Department of Transportation brought in loads of salt and plows from Huntsville, Ala., to be used on I-10 and I-65. Mobile and Baldwin County Public Works used sand elsewhere on selected roads. Sand is normally used on roads along the

Gulf Coast because salt is more expensive and that cost can’t be justified for use two or three times every 10 to 15 years.

While the forecast was almost spot-on for the Mobile area, the same can’t be said for northern Alabama. For days, models only forecast a dusting of snow across the Birmingham metro area. It wasn’t until the event began that they forecast what really happened. Because of that, northern Alabama became victim to a freak surprise by Mother Nature, catching everyone, including meteorologists, off-guard.

Snow started to fall around Birmingham Tuesday morning and continued to fall through the early afternoon. The area that was supposed to receive only a light dusting wound up with 1 to 2 inches of snow. State and local officials were caught off-guard. Schools went about normal routines, roads went untreated and all state equipment to salt and scrape roads was sent to central and southern Alabama.

Children who became stranded at school had to spend the night while their teachers and administrators did their best to keep students comfortable under the unique circumstances.

Drivers became stranded along I-65 and US 280 and abandoned their cars to walk more than 5 miles home in the cold, snowy weather.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley issued a state of emergency for the entire state and mobilized the National Guard to help rescue stranded motorists by road and by air.

“One of the things I’m proudest of, I’m so proud of the way our school systems have handled that situation,” Bentley said in his State of Emergency address. “If you trust your teacher during the daytime, you ought to trust your teacher at night. ... We still have a number of students around the state who may have to stay at schools overnight, but they will be taken care of and protected.”

Even with all of the new advances in technology and weather forecasting during the past several years, events like this can still happen.

Winter storms in the Southeast are always problematic to forecast anyway due to exact timing of cold air and moisture content changing in both time and distance. Any tiny changes can throw forecasts off by several hours and/ or 20 to 100 miles.

The story is a little different for the Atlanta area. While the forecast models did the same thing at first, they did change and forecast the crippling storm 18-24 hours in advance. This gave the NWS in Atlanta enough time to issue a Winter Storm Watch for Fulton County at 4:53 a.m. EST Monday and a Winter Storm Warning at 3:38 a.m. EST Tuesday.

In the end, Mobile residents handled the situation very well and came through with flying colors. While there were hundreds of fender benders, no fatal accidents were reported along the Gulf Coast, and that’s something to be thankful for.

COURTESY OF STEPHANIE DIAZ

Stephanie Diaz (right), music education major, and Kaitlin Nelson, nursing major, build a “sleetman” in front of The Grove.

COURTESY OF CAITLYN BARTON

Caitlyn Barton, education major, and Allen Bley, mechanical engineering major, spend their snow day atUSA’s intramural fields.

jagLIFE

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EMMA MITCHELL, JAGLIFE EDITOR eem1002@jagmail.southalabama.edu VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

First Year Council is voice for underclassmen

Weekly Lowdown Monday > Feb. 3 •

Dress for Success workshop - Career Services, 11 a.m.

•

USA launch of Bama Covered - Humanities room 170, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. OR 8 - 9 p.m.

By JAMIE REID

jlr1226@jagmail.southalabama.edu

T

he First Year Council is the voice of the freshmen class at the University of South Alabama.

After forming two years ago, the FYC council is ready to make a difference. The council took last year to test the waters and see what needed to be done. This year they have really organized their efforts and are getting their goals met.

The FYC is made up of 22 freshmen. These students are chosen through an application and interview process. This process allows the council to have a diverse membership population.

The members of the council are proud of what they are doing. They believe their differences help show varying points of view, and they are working diligently to reach their goals.

FYC has set many goals for the 2013-2014 school year.

They want to help ease the transition between high school and college.

One of their ideas for doing this is creating a survival guide that contains useful information such as maps and explanations of what the maps’ build-

Tuesday > Feb. 4 •

How to prepare for a career fair workshop - Career Services, 2 p.m.

Wednesday > Feb. 5 •

Preparing for the interview - Career Services, 3 p.m.

Thursday > Feb. 6 •

Cooperative education and internship program orientation - Career Services, 10 a.m.

•

How to create a professional resume workshop - Career Services, 2 p.m.

EMMA MITCHELL | JAGLIFE EDITOR

President, Ravi Rajendra, addresses First Year Council members at their weekly Thursday night meeting in Stokes Hall. ing abbreviations mean.

They hope to build a community where freshmen branch out both with other freshmen and upperclassmen.

The FYC is working with the Student Recreation Center on a program

entitled Fit Freshman to beat the “freshman 15.”

FYC wants to help implement recycling on campus. Their recycling project aims to make South’s campus more eco-friendly by placing recy-

cling bins in the residence halls and other central campus locations. The FYC is really excited about this.

Ravi Rajendra, FYC president, See Council Page 8.

Question of the Edition:

Friday > Feb. 7 •

Resume critique workshop - Career Services, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

•

LAST DAY TO SUBMIT SUMMER 2014 DEGREE APPLICATIONS!

How did South students spend the snow days?

Sunday > Feb. 9 •

Dr. Thomas Rowell’s Faculty Voice Recital of Franz Schubert’s “Winterreise” - Laidlaw Performing Arts Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. $8 general, $5 USA faculty, students, affiliates and senior citizens (cash or check only) See Lowdown Blurbs for more upcoming events!

“I spent both days at a friend’s house relaxing and staying warm.

It was a nice little break from classes!” - Mary King

“Best way to enjoy a snow day, participate in a snow ball fight.” - Josef Hobdy

“We tried to stay warm while playing on the intramural field.“ - Emily Nadeau (right) pictured here with sister Amanda Nadeau (left)

Want your event featured?

E-mail the name, date, time, price, place and a brief tagline (under 10 words) to eem1002@jagmail.southalabama.edu

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VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

Lowdown Blurbs Award-winning USA film students to debut new piece

By MARY BETH LURSEN mel904@jagmail.southalabama.edu

T

he USA student filmmakers who brought you “The Dreamers” will be showing their award-winning film along with their two latest films at the Marx Library.

Stuart Sox, Melody Brickhouse, Erin Weninegar, Dylan Glass, Steven Spears, Colin Rains and Joe Pannone will be showing “The Dreamers,” “One of Them” and their newest film, “A History of Lies.” All of the students are excited to share their work with the USA community.

“A History of Lies” is the group’s first trip into period pieces.

“It was stressful, incredible and oddly satisfying, all at the same time,” Spears said.

“You have these ideas in your head of how it’ll look, and you hope it will turn out even remotely like that on screen, and it did. Doing a period film like we did was definitely chal-

lenging, but I think we knocked it out of the park.”

Spears continued, “It’s as if Nicholas Cage in ‘National Treasure’ hung out with Indiana Jones, and they went out and had drinks with Liam Neeson in ‘Taken.’ It’s pretty adventurous.”

The students have been overwhelmed by the reaction their films have gotten.

“It’s been really crazy,” Spears said. “It’s something I know I didn’t fully expect. We just put together these films for class and put them up online hoping some people might watch, and the people absolutely loved it!”

“It’s been great,” Weninegar said. “Never thought we would get as much positive feedback, the way we have been. It’s definitely exciting to know that so many people like the work you do.”

The showing is open to everyone and will start Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Marx Library in the auditorium.

Archaeology presentation to show sea level changes

By MARY BETH LURSEN mel904@jagmail.southalabama.edu

T

he Archaeology Museum and Jaguar Productions will host a lecture featuring Dr. Brian Fagan, one of the world’s leading archaeological and historical writers.

A native of England and graduate of Pembroke College, Cambridge, Fagan will be discussing his new book, “The Attacking Ocean: Rising Sea Levels, Sea Surges, and Humanity,” which discusses the impact of rising sea levels.

“Students will learn how past cultures have dealt with changing sea levels over the past 15,000 years,” Barbara Filion, Education Curator for Archaeology Museum, said. “This overview serves to inform our present-day challenges and potential future impacts of rising sea levels. This talk exemplifies how the study of the past informs our future and better equips us to deal with the environmental concerns of the day such as climate change.”

This lecture is something to which all stu-

dents can relate. Fagan specializes in communicating archaeology and the past to audiences through lecturing, writing and other media.

“Dr. Fagan has devoted most of his career to public archaeology--that is, to making archaeology accessible to everyone,” Filion said. “Anyone who is interested in the future of the planet may be surprised by the lessons the past has to offer.”

Fagan’s lecture ties in well with the theme the museum is focusing on this year.

“This lecture advances the Archaeology Museum’s main mission,” Filion said, “learning from the past to help better inform our future. Our specific focus this year is the environment, so Dr. Fagan is a natural fit.”

For those interested in Fagan’s book, it’s available for sale at the Archeology Museum.

A book signing will follow the lecture.

The lecture will be held Thursday, Feb. 6 at Laidlaw Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m.

For more information, visit southalabama. edu/archaeology/museum or southalabama. edu/jaguarproductions.

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VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

Council Continued from Page 6

said, “We are working alongside the Student Government Association and the Student Sustainability Council. Previous attempts at recycling lacked unity and failed to engage the student body. This is where FYC comes in. When we have recycling on campus next fall, we hope to institute a ‘Harry Potter House Cup’ style tournament in which residence halls compete against other residence halls, fraternities compete against fraternities, sororities compete against sororities, and organizations compete against organizations to see who can collect the most recyclable goods in their recycling receptacles. The competition would occur semesterly.

FYC doesn’t just want recycling bins. We want a new tradition here at South that engages students, builds community and adds to the lifestyle here. Our plan is on a large scale, but we believe that we can implement it. However, we do need the support of the student body to help us in our quest to bring recycling to campus.

“The First Year Councilors put in a lot of hard work last semester to come up with those projects. This semester it’s all about implementing those projects,” Rajendra said. “It’s going to be exciting for, not just freshmen Jags, but all Jags to see these projects being implemented on campus.”

Meetings for the FYC take place at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday when school is in session in the Stokes Hall first floor classroom. These meetings are also open to students, who are free to ask questions, voice opinions or just sit in.

Roadshow Tour to come to USA Mitchell Center

By EMMA MITCHELL eem1002@jagmail.southalabama.edu

T

he Roadshow tour, a Christian, multiartist concert, will be passing through the Gulf Coast Feb. 7 as they come to the South Alabama Mitchell Center. The concert series, which includes artists such as GRAMMY-nominated Skillet, multi-GRAMMY-award winner Third Day, and GRAMMY-nominated Jamie Grace, started its annual tour six years ago with frontrunning artist MercyMe, who has headed up the concert for the last five years. Though MercyMe

is not in attendance this year, the line-up has proven to be just as entertaining.

Other groups also joining in this year’s tour include hip-hop artist Andy Mineo, Royal Tailor, Soulfire Revolution, The Neverclaim and Vertical Church Band.

The tour begins at 7:30 p.m. and will run until around 9 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 at the door. Pre-sale tickets are also $10 and can be purchased at the Mitchell Center Ticket Box. To purchase a VIP package, see the tour’s official website at theroadshowtour.com.

SPORTS

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

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VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

Lady Jags fire up, defeat UALR Trojans After a loss in Atlanta against Georgia State Panthers, Jags fight to defeat UALR

By ALYSSA NEWTON akn1104@jagmail.southalabama.edu

A

Follow us for news, updates and play-by-play tweets: @USAVGSports Kelley Little @kelleylittle Volleyball Defensive Specialist If anyone wants to make me dinner, I’ll be sitting on the couch continuing to watch GG the rest of the day and lolin at Dorota Drew Dearman @Drewski72_ Offensive lineman The weirder the snapchat=the closer the relationship. It’s proven Ross Metheny @RMetheny15: Quarterback Watching the ppl of Mobile handle a “snowstorm” is like watching @_ RusHen_ dance. Sad yet hilarious..

Derek Westbrook @thedwestbrook25: Men’s Cross Country Only in Mobile can you have a snowball fight and go sledding on Tuesday and Wednesday and be outside tanning by the pool on Saturday Rush Hendricks @_RusHen_: Tight end R.I.P. to the days we used to go to our friends MySpace just to listen to their profile song.

Austin Cole @AustinCole61 Long snapper I downloaded and deleted flappy bird in a matter of 5 minutes Chloe Rathburn @chloerathburn Infielder/Catcher I think I’d feel better about myself if there wasn’t a medal for every TEN levels on flappy bird. It should be an achievement every 5.

@USAVGSports

fter a week of obstacles in iced-over Atlanta, including a frigid 2-mile walk to their hotel and a loss to Georgia State, the Lady Jags finished strong with a rally win against the University of Arkansas-Little Rock this past Saturday at home.

The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team took off for Atlanta early Tuesday morning as the winter storm hit the South.

Leaving at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Lady Jags did not arrive to their hotel in Atlanta until 9:30 a.m. Wednesday— on foot.

Along with thousands of other motorists in the Atlanta area, the Lady Jags were stuck overnight in the icy road conditions.

The team arrived safely to the hotel after walking 2 miles in the ice and snow and traveling for more than 24 hours. The game against Georgia State set for Wednesday night was moved to Thursday.

On Thursday afternoon, the Lady Jags faced Georgia State but came up short in the contest.

“It was a tale of two halves for us,” head coach Terry Fowler told USAJaguars. “We scored 16 points in the first half and then come out and score 39 in the second half. We were getting shots (in the first half), but they just weren’t falling. We started hanging our heads a little bit and that carried over

ALYSSA NEWTON | SPORTS EDITOR

Meghan Dunn finishes with a total of 17 points to help the Lady Jags come out with a win against UALR. to defense, where we gave up some transition baskets. I told our players to just keep shooting the same shots and they were going to start falling, and in the second half, they did. We have to be able to play through the bad times though.”

Breanna Hall recorded 10 rebounds, a new career-best for the junior guard. Meghan Dunn finished the game with 17 points.

The Lady Jags would fall to the

Panthers 63-55 before heading home to prepare for a matchup against the University of Arkansas-Little Rock Saturday, Feb. 1.

The Lady Jags were able to break a seven-game skid to UALR with their 61-56 win.

South Alabama shot for 47.2 percent from the floor and hit five of their 10 three-point attempts in the contest.

Hall lead the Lady Jags with 19

points, two points shy of her careerhigh and hit 10 of her 11 free throw attempts. Dunn finished 5-of-12 from the floor and four assists.

“I thought after coming back from our trip to Georgia State, we had one of our best practices of the year and it paid off today,” Fowler told USAJaguars.

The Lady Jags hit the road again Feb. 6 as they face the Troy Trojans in Troy, Ala.

Pearson promoted to defensive coordinator Inside linebacker coach Travis Pearson to replace Kevin Sherrer for 2014 season

By ALYSSA NEWTON akn1104@jagmail.southalabama.edu

T

ravis Pearson, hired in the spring of 2013 to work with inside linebackers, has been promoted to defensive coordinator by head coach Joey Jones.

“Travis is a great football coach and a great person,” Jones said, according to USAJaguars. “He was here with us last season and part of a defense I like running, so I think the carryover with his knowledge of our system will be very helpful in maintaining what we’ve done through the next few

years. I’m real excited about having him in this role.”

Last season the Jags ranked second in the Sun Belt in passing (224.6 ypg), defense (25.2 ppg) and total (384.3 ypg).

Pearson will be taking the place of Kevin Sherrer, who was hired Jan. 22 to be a defensive assistant for Georgia.

Pearson served two years as defensive coordinator at Colquitt County (Ga.) High School. During his time there, Colquitt’s defense recorded 89 takeaways.

Before Colquitt County, Pearson

was head coach and athletic director at Jefferson Davis High School in Montgomery, Ala. from 2009-2012.

Pearson was also defensive coordinator at Oxford (Ala.) High School for two seasons, helping the Yellow Jackets to consecutive state playoff berths and held the same position in the 2004 Alabama North/South All-Star Game.

From 2002-2004, Pearson held the head coach position at Elmore County (Ala.) High School for three seasons, earning the Metro 4A Coach-of-theYear from the Montgomery Advertiser in 2004. He was head coach at Central

Hayneville (Ala.) High School for two years from 1998-1999.

Pearson is a 1997 Alabama State graduate. He played eight seasons in the Arena Football League and was named to the league’s 15th Anniversary Team in 2003, according to USAJaguars.

“I am really excited to say the least.

I’m blessed, and just thank God and Coach Jones for this opportunity,” Pearson told USAJaguars. “This is something I really wanted to do, and appreciate that Coach Jones had the faith and confidence in me to even approach me about it.”

10

VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

Men’s basketball rally comes up short, falls to UALR South falls short to Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans, Jaguars drop to 7-14 overall, 1-7 Sun Belt conference

By SAVON MORRIS

scm1201@jagmail.southalabama.edu

T

he South Alabama men’s basketball team came out flat in the first half of their game against the UALR Trojans, shooting only 35 percent from the field.

“I thought we started off the game really tentative, “ head coach Matthew Graves said. “We came out in a non-attacking way. It was really the opposite of how we wanted to start.”

The Trojans didn’t waste time.

UALR’s leading scorer, forward Will Neighbour, went 4-5 FG for 14 points going into halftime. The Trojans led for the majority of the matchup. Their largest lead in the first half was 10 points.

Despite the “Neighbour Show,” the Jags rallied to bring their deficit within eight before the half.

At the start of the second half, the Jags came onto the floor with more confidence. Sharpshooters Ken Williams and Steven barrington helped steer momentum to the home team with an “arsenal of 3-pointers,” giving the Jags their first lead of the game.

“In the second half, we started moving the ball; we did some really good things,” Graves said. “Fifteen assists on 20 field goals is outstanding.”

Williams finished 3-7 behind the arc for nine

points. Even Augustine Rubit joined in, shooting a deep three from the left wing to extend the lead to three. Trojans guard Josh Hagins didn’t go out without a fight.

Neither team could shake the other down the stretch until a Hagins’ 3-pointer and three free throws put the Trojans up 59-56.

With 15 seconds remaining, the Jags scored inside but still trailed by one point. The Jags had a shot to tie the game, but Antoine Allen drove to the paint and tried an off-balance layup and missed the goal.

Hagins (18 points) made two more from the penalty stripe going into the buzzer, assuring the win.

Two things killed the Jags’ momentum: points that were left on the court and a total of 18 turnovers.

The Jags missed seven near-and-dear free throws that could have been game changers.

When momentum was high, costly turnovers and miscues had an affect on the game. Graves said, “Eighteen turnovers is not the direction we wanted. Eight or nine of those turnovers I would call un-force turnovers. Things that are very correctable in fundamental basketball, we didn’t execute.”

The Jags will travel to Atlanta to face division leader Georgia State Monday at 6 p.m. In order for the Jags to keep conference tournament hopes alive, they will need a win (1-7).

ALYSSA NEWTON | SPORTS EDITOR

Rubit made his 600th career field goal during the UALR game and moved to 18th place in Sun Belt history in rebounds.

Coach Vincent to UAB Player Profile: Aakim Saintil South loses QB Coach Bryant Vincent, hired on as UAB offensive coordinator

Basketball freshman talks to The Vanguard

By JENNA MUNDAY

jjm1103@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Left of Center jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

S

outh Alabama head football coach Joey Jones will once again have to fill a void in his coaching staff as quarterbacks coach Bryant Vincent has been hired as the offensive coordinator at UAB. Vincent has been with the Jags for the past three seasons, spending the last two as quarterbacks coach after one season as the tight ends coach.

“First of all, he’s a great man and a great coach, and he did an excellent job at South Alabama these last three years,” Joey Jones told AL.com. “We wish him the best. He deserves to call plays, and I think that’s what he wanted to do, and they’ve got a good one in him.”

Vincent came to South Alabama after five years as a successful high school head coach.

Vincent served as head coach at Spanish Fort (Ala.) High School from 2007-2010, winning a 5A state championship in 2010. Vincent was also named Baldwin County Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2010 with the Toros.

In his one year as head coach at Greenville

(Ala.) High School, Vincent won the 5A Coach of the Year award in 2006 after a 10-3 record and place in the 5A state playoff quarterfinals, one season after the Tigers posted a 1-9 record.

Vincent owns a career record of 49-16 (75.4 percent) overall, with a 12-3 (80 percent) record in the postseason.

COURTESY OF USAJAGUARS.COM

By JT CRABTREE

Quarterback Coach Bryant Vincent

T

ransitioning from high school to college can be stressful enough, and with the added pressure of being a student-athlete, it would seem easy to become overwhelmed. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case for Aakim Saintil, a freshman communications major from Roselle, N.J. on the University of South Alabama’s men’s basketball team.

Not only is it Saintil’s first year on campus, it is also the first year for men’s basketball head coach Matthew Graves. Previously an assistant at Butler University, Graves’ efforts helped the Bulldogs advance to back-to-back NCAA Tournament championship games.

While both are new to the University of South Alabama, we sat down with Saintil to find out more about him, what it’s like playing under the new head coach, and his goals for the rest of the season.

Vanguard: What made you choose the University of South Alabama?

Aakim Saintil: I felt like I was at home when I first visited, and I was excited about the new staff that was coming here. Also, the fact that I would be

able to play as a freshman helped, too.

VG: What is your favorite thing about the University?

AS: My favorite thing is probably the Caf. I also like how the gym is always open and really just like the people here in general.

VG: This is your first year at South and also the first year for new head Matthew Graves. How has playing for him been so far?

AS: It’s been great. There have been some ups and downs, but you can see how we’ve grown and gotten better. He’s very understanding of how there will be struggles along the way, and he’s just very supportive.

VG: As a freshman, do you think that being on the team helped you transition better from high school to college?

AS: Yeah, definitely. It’s a different game, and there is a completely different meaning of being a leader. Especially coming from high school where you go from being at the top as a senior to starting all over again from the bottom as a freshman in college. But they still look to you as a leader.

VG: Do you have any pregame rituals?

AS: I have to eat before games, something like a granola bar or crackers. I like to listen to music, too, before we play.

See Saintil Page 13.

11

VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

The Prowl to broadcast multiple sports in spring Student radio station planning to have variety of sports in broadcasting lineup this semester

By JENNA MUNDAY

jjm1103@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Left of Center

H

osting everything from societal issues to sport programs, The Prowl is known as South’s go-to station for current information.

Online-based and completely student-run, The Prowl offers a variety of content focusing on student-produced shows as well as music, promotions and live sports broadcasts of all South Alabama sports.

JT Crabtree, The Prowl’s director of sports, took over the job in May 2013. He made it his mission to completely revamp the department and try to make it as professional as possible.

Crabtree is now a part of the shows “The Sports Preys” and “Jaguar Sports Report.”

“Renato Mazareigos and I kind of spur-ofthe-moment put a show together and based it off ESPN’s ‘Pardon the Interruption,’” Crabtree said. “The format was a little loose to start, with us just talking about whatever was going on in the sports world. Then we solidified

it, and now it is such a good program. It’s been very successful.”

This past season, The Prowl carried every South Alabama home football game, in addition to the road game in New Orleans against Tulane that brought in more than 500 listeners, the highest number ever. During the spring semester, The Prowl will broadcast around 40 games between four different broadcasters and cover men’s basketball, baseball and softball.

“What excites us most is covering softball games,” Crabtree said. “We are the only station anywhere that covers South Alabama softball, and we’re really banking on that to bring our numbers up. Those girls have had two straight seasons of tremendous success, and we’re really looking forward to being the ‘Home of the Lady Jags’ this spring.”

Being a student-run radio station, The Prowl has five directors who make sure everything runs smoothly. Under these directors, there are more than 20 on-air talents, whether it is disc jockey personalities, broadcasters or specialty shows.

“When we started, we were struggling to have people join us,” Crabtree said. “Now we

have to start turning people away because we simply can’t fit anyone else into the schedule. It’s a great problem to have.”

Currently, The Prowl is undergoing some major changes as the FCC approved South Alabama’s request to broadcast on 97.1 FM, which will now allow the station to reach all of Mobile, as opposed to only on campus.

With this transition from strictly onlinebased to FM, The Prowl started to “tighten up” on rules and regulations last semester in anticipation of this opportunity.

“This station is a big deal,” Crabtree said.

“We are treating it as such to make an accurate image of the University and the communications department and for ourselves. Several of us, myself included, are interested in this field after

graduation, but South Alabama doesn’t offer a radio concentration, so we are taking this very seriously.”

With all of the new changes happening to The Prowl, only time will tell what the newfound success will bring the young student-run radio station.

“It’s an exciting time for the radio station and for South Alabama,” Crabtree said. “We are going to be ‘The Voice of Jag Nation.’ You’re going to be able to hear us on JagTrans or in the bookstore. You can listen to us in your car on the way to class, work or home. Whenever you’re in Mobile, you’re going to be able to hear us. Every student has a voice in this station, and we want to make sure everyone who can hear us, knows what that voice is.”

ALYSSA NEWTON | SPORTS EDITOR

Sports broadcasters Noah Logan (left) and Samuel Brown (right) broadcast at USA vs. UALR men’s basketball game for The Prowl.

Softball complex update, interview Dr. Joel Erdmann Athletic Director Dr. Erdmann sits down with The Vanguard, talks softball complex progress

By JT CRABTREE

jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

I

f you have driven down Old Shell Road, you have probably seen construction occurring at the softball complex.

Jaguar Field is in the middle of a complete renovation and, with less than a week before the season opener against UAB Feb. 6, fans are concerned the field might not be completed in time.

Athletic Director Dr. Joel Erdmann sat down with The Vanguard to discuss what the progress was on the field and what South Alabama will do if the entire complex is not finished in time.

The Vanguard: What’s the current situation at Jaguar Field?

Dr. Joel Erdmann: I feel confident in spite of the weather that we will be ready for the UAB game and the opening weekend tournament. Let me define ready: the dugouts will be habitable and functional, the backstop will be complete and functioning, the perimeter, gameday fencing will be up and ready to go. So as far as the playability of the field, I feel very confident it is going to be a very safe and a good playing

surface. We’re actually doing some work to the clay infield where we’re going to bring in some additional soils and mixtures and make that more player friendly. That’s going to happen Monday (Feb. 3) or Tuesday (Feb. 4).

Now off the field of play, I feel pretty confident that the hitting facility will be functioning and primarily, number one, have access to the bullpens for pitchers to warm up and get ready for the games. Secondarily, we’re hoping the hitting tunnels and turf will be down in the hitting areas.

The areas behind first base and third base will be leveled off, and we will, beginning Monday (Feb. 3), put up a temporary press box like we’ve done for the Regional we hosted last year and the conference championship the year before. That’ll be a two-day build. We have all the power and technology ready to go. We hope that the footing for the press box will be complete; that means all the underground conduit for sewer, drainage, electrical is all finished, which means we can pour the footing and the weather’s OK, there’s a high probability we can pour the pad where the stands will go. If that happens and the footing for the

pad is complete, then we’ll simply move the three pieces of grandstand onto the pad, and we’re not perfect, but people can watch the game and we can play games.

If for some reason the footing and the pad are not complete, I would anticipate there being some gravel (under the stands) like they were last year.

We would spread gravel and create walkways with gravel in a temporary fashion. That would work.

It wouldn’t be ideal, but again it would work.

The timeframe is tight, but we’ve got very good people on the project and we’re very grateful for them, and they’ve put in some long days and weekends to get us where we are today. I think once we get past the first weekend and the team is on the road for the first long stretch, we’ll make some very good progress.

VG: Where is the temporary press box going to be located?

JE: The first baseline. The dugouts are 8 to 9 feet recessed from where they were and they are 3 feet lower. We’ll put about a 3- to 4-foot gap between the dugout and the front of the press box. Very similar to what it was last year.

VG: Was the field originally expected to be

completed before the start of the season?

JE: The original plan did not have it finished before the season starts. We had not projected the press box or the seating before the season.

Phase 1, the hitting facility and the dugouts, are still targeted for the beginning of the season. And I think for the most part, that will be done.

Phase 2 and 3 will be completed during the season, that’s the press box, the pad and ultimately the grandstand. There’s two windows of time in our schedule in March and in April where the company that got the bid for the seating would have the time to come in and build the seating structure. The goal really is as we approach the end of regular season, we are up and running, the press box, the seating, the whole nine yards.

VG: Have any of the plans changed since the last time we discussed the plans for the field?

JE: No, little things, but nothing big. Nothing of any substance. There were changes in the drainage, but as far as major component that fans and players will notice, there isn’t anything.

South Alabama opens the softball season Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. against UAB.

12

VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

Super Bowl party serves as a learning opportunity for students International students have hands-on learning experience about American football

By ALYSSA NEWTON akn1104@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Left of Center

I

magine you have never watched a football game in your entire life. Almost impossible to imagine, right?

For many international students at the University of South Alabama, that’s a normal thing.

In the South, football is a part of our culture and, for many, our everyday lives. For international students, American football can come off as completely ‘Greek’ to them.

The English Language Center decided to throw a Super Bowl party for the students and give them the basics of football to share a little insight on this part of American sports culture.

Jake Crain, a graduate assistant for the football team who works with special teams, came in to give a lesson breaking down football and how

it is played.

“I think football is a good teaching tool,” Crain said. “Maybe this can give them some reference when they go to a game. I hope through this they can learn a little more about it.

It’s something I enjoy talking about, and hopefully they will enjoy it, too.”

Crain started the party off by writing on a chalkboard all the positions and key terms to know when watching a game. From there he explained what an offense and defense do, how many yards are in a first down and broke down positions and other terms in hopes to make the game a little easier to understand.

After the lesson, the students were able to eat tailgating foods, such as wings, cookies and chips and salsa, and watch highlight film provided by the football video department.

The athletic department also provided pads, helmet and a jersey to allow students to try on and experi-

Where’s Left of Center?

Y

ou may have noticed The Vanguard seems to be a section short, and you would be right. Our former sports editor, JT Crabtree has stepped down from his position to focus on broadcast. We appreciate all he has done for The Vanguard and his coverage of South Alabama athletics.

This promoted the Left of Center editor Alyssa Newton to sports editor for the rest of the 2014 academic school year.

At The Vanguard, we want to ensure that we will have the same coverage for all sports, varsity and club alike, right here in the sports section.

Left of Center will return next semester, but until then we hope that you will continue to read the sports section and find all of your favorite sports just as you would in both the sports and left of center sections before.

You will notice a gray box to indicate where a story would have been according to the story.

Thanks for reading. Go Jags!

-Alyssa Newton, Sports Editor

ence what it feels like to dress out as a football player.

Many students tried on pads, jersey and all and took photos in the equipment posing and throwing a football as Crain had shown them in the lecture.

Hassan Binmohmes was one of the many students who attended the party.

“It’s cool,” Binmohmes said. “I didn’t know anything about the game.

I want to see it again. I learned a little.

It looks fun.”

Through this party, the students were able to experience a little bit of the American culture that the rest of us take for granted.

There is one thing for sure: fun speaks all languages. Although these students may not have left as football experts, through involvements such as this, students are able to experience American culture one fun experience at a time.

ALYSSA NEWTON SPORTS EDITOR

Turki Alghamdi poses in full pads, jersey and helmet during the Super Bowl party.

ALYSSA NEWTON SPORTS EDITOR

Jake Crain talks to more than 20 international students about the basics of football.

VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

Saintil

The Stanky in Snowmageddon

13

Continued from Page 10.

VG: Where do you hope to see yourself in a few years as a senior on the team?

AS: Just a leader, really. I hope to be the person that everyone can look to and count on all the time.

I’d really like to be one of the more poised, experienced players on the team by then, too.

VG: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Will you be coaching?

AS: Ten years? Oh wow, I’ll be 28 then. I’ll hopefully be playing pro basketball somewhere then, and after my career I can see myself eventually coaching.

VG: What is something that most people don’t know about you?

AS: That’s a tough one. Hmm, well, I’m ambidextrous. I also can’t see at all; I have to wear glasses.

VG: What do you want to do in the communications field?

AS: I’ll probably go into sports journalism or broadcasting.

VG: How do you manage your time while being a student-athlete?

AS: When I do have time, I sleep. I try to get as much sleep as I can. I also get as much work done as I can in the free time that I have.

VG: What are your goals for the rest of the season?

AS: Just to build on what we’ve already started with and to make sure that we keep getting better as the season continues. When the season is over, I want us to look back and see that we’ve gotten better from we started at. I want us to be proud of what we’ve done.

COURTESY OF ZACH WILARD

The ice and snow from last week’s storm covers Stanky Field.

Opinion

14

KELLY FICARELLI, OPINION EDITOR kficarelli@gmail.com VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

Be aware of identity theft this time of the year

By KELLY FICARELLI kficarelli@gmail.com

S

o much has changed in the last 30 years. In this age of technological advancement, everything is geared for convenience and efficiency. We file taxes, read books, take college courses, order pizza and buy clothes all online. Online banking and bill-paying are the norm.

I’m a subscriber of all of these easy options, and I’m actually frustrated with the few businesses I can’t access from the comfort of my own home.

Like many people, I’ve come to depend heavily on these Internet services. Most of us never give a second thought to security. We just assume the websites of the banks and businesses we trust are safe to use. We

don’t hesitate to provide our identifying information--name, Social Security number, credit card information and so on. People simply don’t think about identity theft or don’t believe it can happen to them.

The frightening truth is that identity theft and fraud is very real and can happen to anyone, even the most careful consumers. It can devastate your finances and credit, cause severe mental and emotional distress, and take months or even years to resolve.

I can attest to this devastation and stress because, in 2011, I was a victim of identity theft. After filing my taxes electronically as usual, I discovered that someone else had already fraudulently filed using my identifying information. To this day, I still have no idea how they got my name, Social Security number and birthdate, but they used my information to file taxes and had already received money from the IRS, which was deposited onto an unsecured credit card. That’s all the information the IRS would give me. They told me the investigation could take a year or more. As a single mother and fulltime student, this put me in a terrible financial situation, as I use my refund

A.)“If I was a woman over 50, I wouldn’t need gynecological services.”

to supplement my income and pay bills throughout the year.

Thankfully, I discovered the National Taxpayer Advocate service.

They worked hard for me and closely with the IRS to investigate and settle my case. I had my full refund three months later. However, it was a daunting event. I spent countless hours gathering information and filing reports to the Mobile Police Department, the IRS, the Federal Trade Commission, the three credit bureaus and the Taxpayer Advocate service just to prove my identity and file the fraud claim. Later that year, I found that the thieves were still attempting to use my identity to take out loans for a mortgage and a vehicle. Luckily, I had been advised to put my credit on a temporary freeze with all three credit agencies.

It was a very stressful experience.

Today, I monitor my credit regularly and use a special pin number from the IRS to file my taxes. This is done for my protection, but it is a constant reminder of the dark side of humanity and the exasperating situation I went through. To my knowledge, the perpetrators were never caught.

In 2012, 7 percent of individuals

B.) “I think gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman.”

ages 16 and older were victims of identity theft, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. That’s more than 16 million people. Additionally, 85 percent of those incidents involved the fraudulent use of existing accounts, such as bank and credit card accounts. While more than half of victims resolved fraud cases in a day, 29 percent spent more than a month resolving problems and 14 percent experienced out-of-pocket losses. So sometimes it’s more than just a headache. In some cases, you can’t recoup your money and are unable to repair your credit.

There are many agencies, such as banks and private companies, that provide identity theft protection that you may purchase. I think it’s a good idea to have this protection set up with your bank and creditors. But there are other simple precautions you can take to to protect yourself.

FBI Agent Jeff Lanza has a few tips for protecting your identity.

First, don’t carry your Social Security card around or have the number on any document you take with you. If someone steals your purse or wallet, the thief has all he or she needs to wreak havoc on your finances. Sec-

C.) “The crazy thing is, I never knew that a wiener could actually make me nauseous.”

ond, lock your mailbox or stop your mail if you’re going to be out of town. Third, shred any trash that has personal information on it before dumping it. Lanza even suggests that we be careful discussing personal information in public because you never know who is listening, especially when you’re on your cellphone.

Next, be sure you have a firewall or anti-virus software on your computer or some type of program that prevents and removes spyware. I can attest to this next suggestion: monitor your credit regularly. You are entitled to one free credit report per year, or you can even subscribe to a credit monitoring agency that alerts you when an entry is made on your credit file. Lastly, if your identity, purse, wallet or other personal information is stolen, take immediate action. Make reports with the police, your bank, the credit bureaus and your creditors to report the theft and freeze your accounts.

It’s an extremely unfortunate fact of life, but identity theft does happen frequently in this country. Be proactive in prevention by protecting yourselves and don’t think for a second that it can’t happen to you.

D.) “Part of the beauty of me is that I am very rich.”

Ridiculous celebrity quote guessing game Match the ridiculous quote with the celebrity who said it.

1.) Donald Trump 2.) Gary Busey 3.) Rep. Allan Rothlisberg

4.) Britney Spears 5.) Jessica Simpson 6.) Arnold Schwarzenegger

F.)“Nothing changes like changes, because nothing changes but the changes.”

A: 3 B:6 C:5 D:1 E:4 F:2

E.) “I get to go to overseas places, like Canada.”

VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014

POINT COUNTERPOINT

15

How should America react to Russia’s anti-gay laws?

Editor’s Introduction: The 2014 Winter Olympics are to be held in Sochi, Russia, this February. However, Russia has passed laws recently that discriminate against the LGBT community. How should Americans react going into the Winter Games?

America should worry about itself

Lydia Christian

I

f anyone has been following the news, they would know that there are a few issues regarding this year’s Olympics. Aside from the obvious safety concerns, many westerners seem to be wondering how Russia’s “anti-gay laws” will affect them and whether or not Americans should even be going to Russia.

Like most hot topics, the media have had a field day hyping up the issue and creating more tension between the United States and Russia. As if we need another reason to be distrustful of Russia, western news channels have made it clear that Americans might not be safe or that Americans will be targets of anti-gay hate crimes. But how much of that is reality?

And how much of it is drama fabricated by a media intent on selling a story?

News sources would have Americans believe that anyone with an alternative lifestyle will be quickly snatched up and stashed in prison to rot forever. But the fact is that the law President Vladimir Putin signed in June 2013 doesn’t mention not being allowed to be homosexual or being punished for being in a same-sex relationship.

Reserved personal protest is best

According to CBSnews.com, the laws are only meant for “banning ‘propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations’ and imposing fines on those holding gay pride rallies.” So as long as Americans go quietly to Russia and are respectful of the country’s laws, then everything should go fine...right?

We seem to want it all. We want people to understand our wishes and our beliefs, but we have no room to tolerate theirs.

We believe that our way of life is the only way of life, and anyone who tends to disagree quickly becomes our enemy. As Americans, we seem to think that if other countries don’t subscribe to our progressive, “correct” belief system, then they are wrong and are simply an obstacle that must be overcome.

Which brings us to now, as we “stir the pot” hourly and try to incite anger, which should be directed instead at changing ourselves. We have larger concerns to tend to than trying to pressure other countries into revising their laws simply because we don’t agree with them. Like the fact that, even though our way of life is so superior, the rate of people starving in our own backyard is increasing. Or the fact that violent crimes in the U.S. are rising.

Or maybe, consider that the U.S. is $17.27 trillion in debt and it increases $2.49 billion per day.

Instead of fear-mongering or trying to start a riot because Russia doesn’t agree with us, maybe we should focus that energy into becoming a better country. Maybe we should clean up our own house, before pointing our fingers at other people. Maybe instead of talking about our neighbors, we should first become good neighbors.

THANK YOU This past week, USA students were out of class for almost three days due to icy roads. Classes were canceled due to concern for traveling student’s safety. However, on those three days, many USA employees still risked their safety to come into work to serve the students food, ensure payments were made and maintain the campus.

The Vanguard would like to thank these employees for their dedication to this University, its staff and its students. Here are a few thank you messages posted on our Facebook page.

T

he 2014 Winter Olympics are fastly approaching, and you may have heard that there is already a worldwide controversy in the air. This year’s host, Sochi, Russia, has gotten everyone worked up about gay rights during the Olympics.

In the summer of 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new law that prohibits the encouragement of nontraditional sexual relationships to minors. This was understood as a beneficial move to prevent teenagers from experiencing gay pride parades, same-sex strikes or any open display of homosexuality deemed “encouraging.”

Naturally, this is going to spark global outrage in the world of athletes, spectators and liberal advocates. Seeing as we live in a country with freedom of speech and freedom of expression, it is harder for us personally to wrap our heads around this thought. By creating and enforcing this law, they are renouncing any and all nontraditional identities among their own citizens as well as those of hundreds of visiting countries.

The biggest concern is easily the safety of the LGBT spectators and Olympians traveling to Sochi for the games. According to the International Olympic Committee, Russia is not violating Olympic anti-discrimination principles. The IOC turned a blind eye to the issue and candidly brushed it off their shoulder. Shouldn’t we, as a country, do something?

Obama rebuked the Russian law. However, he has renounced any form of protest to the law. The Washington Post claims the mayor of Sochi has no worries for the LGBT community in this controversy. “It is their right to be as they are,” he said. “We

Jessica Thornton just don’t want them to force their ideas on others.” It seems like a reasonable notion.

Is it morally acceptable for us to sit back and let others be tormented for their sexual orientation and beliefs? In America, gay rights have evolved into a smaller point in question just during the past several years.

Who is to say this isn’t the beginning of a revolution for Russia. As a country, we should put our best, most positive foot in this doorway of opportunity. This isn’t an issue to be solved by boycotting during a multinational gathering of sports. Obviously, violence and barbarous revolts are not the answer. But this is an extreme turning point for this issue in Russia.

Greg Louganis, former diver and Olympic gold medalist, told USA Today that he urges American Olympians to dedicate their performances at the Winter Games to their LGBT friends and relatives--in personal protest instead of political protest.

This gentle and controlled protest is what America needs to promote. Boycotting against Russia will only spark more hate and controversy. Personal protest is the perfect recipe for bliss and common ground during these controversial times in Russia.

From: Jessica Zylinski

From: Kendall Goldman

From: Lisa Nash

“I just want to thank the maintenance team for keeping our school regulated and ready for our return. They went in when they really didn’t have to. Thank you for all you do for us students!”

“I appreciate the administration for making the difficult decision to cancel classes for two and a half days.

Students joke that South won’t cancel classes for anything, but I know they do their best to keep students in class so they are learning and getting what they paid for. But I am glad they are putting the safety of students above all else.”

“I would like to thank the people in Payroll for staying late Monday so that we can get paid tomorrow. Also, I would like to thank the people in Accounts Payable for running all of our paperwork so that our vendors get paid.”

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VOL. 54, NO. 4 / FEB. 3, 2014