Feb 29, 2016 by The Vanguard

FEB. 29, 2016

VOL. 57 #24

Political Roundup Starts Pg. 2

LIFE

SPORTS

New American Dream

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hoops split

OPINION Staff Editorial: Go Vote

Who’s In?

FEB. 29, 2016

Looking at the 2016 presidential, Senate and House candidates

GOP Candiatates

Donald Trump Marco Rubio

Ted Cruz

Democratic Candiatates

Hillary Clinton

Bernie Sanders

U.S. Senate candidates for Alabama (R) *Expected leaders

John Kasich

Ben Carson

Incumbent Richard Shelby

Jonathan McConnell

United States House of Representatives 1st Congressional District

Incumbent Bradley Byrne

GO VOTE!

Dean Young

What to know Super Tuesday

By ALYSSA NEWTON Editor-In-Chief

uper Tuesday is finally here. For those who are registered in Mobile and Baldwin counties, Tuesday, March 1 is the day to vote in not only the GOP and Democratic primaries, but on state, national and local positions and issues. If you haven’t registered, it’s a little late for that. Registration closes fourteen days prior to an election and on election day. The procrastinators will have to register and wait until Nov. 8 to vote, but Alabamians can register online in a matter of minutes at www. alabamavotes.gov. Those who have already registered can check their registration status and locate the polling place they’re assigned to by clicking the links on the alabamavotes.gov page. Polls will be open March 1, from 7 a.m. to

7 p.m. There are multiple IDs that will be accepted at the voting locations. These include: an Alabama driver's license, an Alabama non-driver ID, an Alabama voter ID card, an ID issued by any state, a federally issued ID, a US passport, an employee ID from a government entity, a student or employee ID from any Alabama college/ university, a student or employee ID from a state institution of higher learning in any other state, a military ID or a tribal ID. If there is a runoff necessary, it will be held April 12 and the registration deadline will be March 28. There will be multiple races, aside from just presidential and state-wide. Who’s on the ballot? The GOP presidential candidates include: Donald J. Trump, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson and John Kasich. The Democratic presidential candidates include: Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders

U.S. Senate candidates for Alabama from the Republican side include: Incumbent Richard Shelby, Jonathan McConnell, John Martin, Marcus Bowman, Shadrack McGill. U.S. Senate candidates on the Democrat side are: Ron Crumpton and Charles Nana. Dean Young, R-Orange Beach, will try to replace incumbent Bradley Byrne, R-Fairhope, for the United States House of Representatives 1st Congressional District. There will be a statewide amendment proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to authorize the legislature to provide a retirement program. This program will be for district attorneys and circuit clerks of the state who are first elected or appointed on or after November 8, 2016. There will also be State Board of Education elections for District 1 and 2, Circuit Court Judge 13th Judicial Circuit place No. 11, Mobile County Commission, District No. 3, Mobile County

School Board District No. 5, and Baldwin County Board of Education District No 7. In Baldwin County, voters will decide on the renewal of two property taxes that fund public education. One is a county-wide one-mill tax, and the other is a three-mill special district tax that applies to School Tax District No. 2. This includes all but the northern extremity of the county. The two taxes have provided about $16 million per year for the schools, according to AL.com. In Alabama, only 62 percent of registered voters have cast a ballot in the last four presidential elections, ranking at the No. 33 worst average in the country. In Mobile County, over 205,000 voters were registered as active voters in 2015, while there were over 8,500 inactive registered voters, according to the 2015 Alabama voter registration statistics.

FEB. 29, 2016

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

Alyssa Kaitlyn Newton

Mitchell Kahalley Micaela Walley Caitlin Smith Natalie Franklin D’mitri Wren Bria Johnson Tori Brackett Josh Rutledge Ebonie Craft

Staff Photographer Emily Rodrick

Distribution

Distribution Alan Smith

Advertising

Advertising Cristina Werner Graphic Designer Katelyn Huff

Management Advising J. Sellers J. Aucoin Accounting Kathy Brannan

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

Send letters and guest columns to: The Vanguard University of South Alabama Alpha Hall South Room 336 Mobile, Ala., 36688. Or thevanguardeditor@gmail.com Letters and guest columns must be received by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication. Submissions should be typed and must include the writer’s name, year, school and telephone number. All submissions become the property of The Vanguard. The Vanguard reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity. Letters will be limited to 300 words. Letters and guest columns are the opinion of the writer. The Staff Editorial represents the consensus opinion of the Editorial Board. All members of the Editorial Board have the same weight. The Vanguard has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifications. To report a mistake, e-mail thevanguardeditor@gmail.com. The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academic year, except for exam periods and vacations, and is published twice each summer. The Vanguard is supported in part by an allocation from student activity fees and operates in the Student Media Department of the Division of Student Affairs. Issues are available at most University buildings and select off-campus locations. The first copy is free. Additional copies are $1 each. Freelance writers will receive payment at the discretion of the section editor and will be notified.

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Nick Grondin | Staff Meteorologist

USAPD blotter

If you SEE something 251-460-6312 SAY something! 02/10/16 22:40 Marijuana Possession Delta 5 Individual was arrested for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and criminal possession of forged instrument in the third degree. 02/01/16 9:06 Breaking and Entering Vehicle MCOB Uknown persons removed items from the victim’s work truck without concent. Value listed at over $3,000. No signs of forced entry into vehichle.

2/03/16 8:11 Theft of Property fourth degree SHAC - 1504 Springhill Ave. A temporary employee who was terminated by the University of South Alabama was seen removing folders which contained patient information from inside the office. 2/08/16 1:27 Possession of concealed weapon without permit, possession of marijuana second degree Non-student was arrested at The Grove gate for possession of marijuana second degree and possession of a weapon without a permit. He was transported to Mobile County Metro.

FEB. 29, 2016

Campus political roundup Editor’s Note:

The Vanguard staff interviewed five on-campus political groups for our first ever “political roundup” issue.

College Republicans By ALYSSA NEWTON Editor-In-Chief

t’s been more than a year since students have been able to join a national organization at South Alabama that was for conservative students who identify as republicans, according to College Republicans President Brian Craine. “The Democrats have a club, the Socialist Agenda has a club, so I really wanted the Republicans to have a club. That’s why me and a couple of other people cofounded this organization: so that we can have a club where college Republicans can call home,” the 23-year-old junior said. “On top of that, part of starting this organization, we wanted them to be comfortable, we wanted people to treat each other kinda like a family. And also, we’re looking at different ways we can be active in

the community too.” The group just became an official oncampus group last month, making it one of the younger political groups on campus despite previous Republican organizations. “Now, this whole thing has been a process since last semester, when we were trying to get everything together,” Craine said. “Finally at the beginning of this semester, we got our constitution written, we submitted it, and, after changing it three times, we finally got it approved to be an organization about a month ago. I know we were really excited about that, to get the official word.” In addition, the College Republicans officially became members of the Alabama Federation of College Republicans just recently. The state headquarters in Alabama for the College Republicans is in Tuscaloosa. The federation acts as the governing body over all the College Republicans throughout

(Photo | College Republicans) the universities in Alabama, which includes Auburn, Alabama, Troy and many others. Craine joined the executive council for the AL FED COL REP, which is represented nationwide. South Alabama’s College Republicans does not currently support a candidate. Instead, the group encourages open discussions and opinions about the current political races. “I don’t want to put emphasis on any

particular candidate. I know many republicans like many different candidates. I don’t want to make people feel like they have to be able to fit in, that they have to support a certain candidate,” Craine said. “Now, the different candidates who win the primary, we as an organization can come behind whoever wins,

See College Republicans Page 6

South Alabama students for Bernie Sanders

By NATALIE FRANKLIN Life Editor

ernie Sanders beliefs and his methods have struck a chord with people across America while campaigning for the Democratic nomination for president. Many college students have taken special interest in Sanders. His beliefs in free college tuition may have something to do with that; however, this is just one facet of Sanders’ political issues. Sanders is well represented on campus by South Alabama’s Students for Bernie Sanders Club. This organization is dedicated to informing students. “We have offered a safe and opinion friendly environment for

all students, Bernie Sanders supporter or not,” Katlin Woodson, secretary of the South Alabama Students for Bernie Sanders Club, said. Woodson appreciates Sanders’ consistency. “Bernie has stood firmly behind his beliefs since first becoming a politician. He has never sided with the popular vote just because it was popular, but always what he felt was the right vote,” Woodson said. Mari Ponder, president of the South Alabama Students for Bernie Sanders Club, has complete trust in Sanders. Sanders voted against the Iraq war, he supports the Black Lives Matter movement and he doesn’t take money from the billionaire class. “He has more than experience doing a job–he has experience making good

Kaitlin Woodson and Mari Ponder are the secretary and president of South Alabama Students for Bernie Sanders. (Photo | Courtesy of Mari Ponder) decisions as an elected official,” Ponder said. Ponder and Woodson are two different

Young Americans for Liberty By ALYSSA NEWTON Editor-In-Chief

he purpose of the Young Americans for Liberty is to educate our country's newer generations on the importance of our country's

constitution and libertarian values, according to the club’s Vice President Tori Blackmon. YAL was founded at Texas A&M in 2008, and has grown into the national organization it is today. “In the beginning the club was to unite like-minded libertarians who saw charisma in

presidential candidate Ron Paul,” the 22-year-old theater major said. “However, it has become a club with a deeper vision: defending each person's right to practice what they wish, engage in diverse activities, follow their dreams in their own ways, and do so without interference from government or authoritarian power. Creativity and invention is

individuals who support the same candidate: See Bernie Sanders Page 6 encouraged, so long as it does not inflict on the rights of others. Isn't that beautiful?” Backmon said that because many of YAL’s founders have recently graduated, the group is currently “lifting South's chapter back off the ground” this election year. “We like to refer to our stance as being ‘classically liberally, traditionally conservative,’” Blackmon said. “Again, we take the best from both sides and declare our stance the middle.

See YAL Page 6

FEB. 29, 2016

South Alabama College Democrats

By BRIA JOHNSON Staff Reporter

ichael Stevanus, president of College Democrats said that the group on campus wants to foster and advance progressive liberal ideas to provide a place where those who may feel alienated to have a family, for individuals who want to work to fight for the same things. The College Democrats hosted an event last Wednesday in the Marx Library Auditorium where a presentation for each of the primary democratic candidates was given. The presentations

been a close, competitive race for the democratic candidates so far. Sanders won big in the New Hampshire caucus. “The main thing I would say is he’s (Sanders) very inspiring to people. He has managed to get a lot of people that were completely apathetic in the solution with the political process like inspired and involved, which is a very good thing,” said Stevanus. “He’s a very strong progressive which does attract a lot of people who want the democratic party to become more progressive.” Stevanus believes that Sanders

outlined the specifics of the candidates plans, covering foreign and domestic policies, human rights, health care and immigration. The group discussed some of the pros and cons of each candidate. “Hillary has an established weight behind her name,” said Stevanus. Hillary has history with Wall Street and has served as first lady of the United States and Arkansas. “Some people like the image of a moderate, but some people want someone stronger thus they’re not attracted to a more moderate candidate,” Clinton is pulling ahead in the primaries, pulling out a win in the

Iowa and Nevada caucus, though it has

“He’s young enough to relate to us and he’s interested in the things we’re interested in. He’s not a 70-year-old dude who’s been out of high school for 50 years and doesn’t understand what we’re going through today.” Weidlich said. “He wasn’t out of college at to his working career before computers existed. I think young people see that and can kind of relate to him.” Still, attracting young voters to a Republican candidate can be difficult. Earlier this year in the Nevada caucus, Rubio led all Republican candidates with 34 percent of the youth vote, however that youth vote made up only seven percent of voters in that caucus. On the Democratic side, young voters made up 18 percent of the votes in their Nevada caucus. Weidlich said he feels that young voters have misconceptions of the Republican party. “I think that there’s a lot of skepticism because a lot of millennials see the GOP as a bunch of old, white, Christian men who are narrow-minded and bigoted.” Weidlich said. “Groups like Students for Rubio and College Republicans exist to inform students there are young people like us that do

believe in this, who understand that not every issue you may agree on, but not every Republican you know hates Muslims or hates black people.” Weidlich believes that Rubio can trump some of those misconceptions by not being afraid to broach controversial matters, such as race, without alienating groups of people. “A big issue with this election cycle has been the Black Lives Matter group showing up to rallies.” Weidlich said. “I watched a video of Rubio addressing that issue and he’s probably the only one (candidate) who was so eloquent answering and getting to the heart of the matter, how we can solve this and unite people. That’s really what we need in the Republican party right now is unity because we’re so split.” That split in the party is most apparent on the hot topic of immigration. Weidlich claims that Rubio has one of the most balanced immigration policies. He said that Rubio’s main focus is to secure the border by adding 20,000 new border patrol agents while allowing a pathway to citizenship for those undocumented workers already living in the United States. A stark

contrast to the immigration policy of competitors Donald Trump and Ted Cruz who are in favor of deporting all undocumented immigrants currently living in the country. Weidlich said, “You have candidates that say ‘let’s just deport everyone’ which isn’t feasible, even if you agree with that, it’s not feasible.” Rubio is the son of immigrants himself. He does not come from a wealthy family or a political dynasty. Weidlich said that Rubio’s unique heritage offers something different to the party and helps broaden the purview of what a Republican is. “He’s hispanic. He’s the son of immigrants. His parents and his family kind of embody that American dream.” Weidlich said. “They came here in the fifties with nothing and worked really hard. His parents got to see all four of their kids live a better life than they did.” The group is currently working on building its social media presence and have been in contact with the Alabama state campaign manager discussing ways they can help support the candidate. The can be found on Facebook and Twitter at USA for Rubio.

that advocated for the state’s public universities. The day acts as a reminder for legislators the importance of higher education through the hundreds of college students that attend the rally. During the rally, Executive Director of the Higher Education Partnership Gordon Stone urged students to fight for higher education funding. Only 23 percent of Alabama’s working population has four year degrees while the national average is 29 percent. “Why would we want to be six percent behind?” Stone yelled to the crowd. “How do we fix that? We need to make college and universities more accessible and more affordable for Alabamians. We have to do that because when you add it up, your degree will earn twice as much as someone who didn’t pursue a four

year degree.” Stone, equipped with charts, said that this change could “turn Alabama around” and the state would go from No. 45 in the U.S. for per capita income to something “much, much better.” Throughout the rally the crowd cheered “What do we want? One-third!” as to represent that higher education deserves one third of the education budget. “We're not down here to try to tell everybody that higher education is more important than anything else. What we're down here today to do is to remind every single person that Alabama public universities make a difference. Because of that, our state must fund all of education, from pre-K through Ph.D., you’ve got to have a formula.” Stone said Governor Bentley was among the few guests to speak at the rally. “Higher Education is the future of our state,” Bentley said. “Providing jobs is something we try to do in Alabama and bringing good industry

and having good opportunities for all of you so that all of you will graduate and stay in Alabama. We don’t want you going to other states, we want you to stay here.” On Feb. 3, less than a month before the rally, Bentley proposed taking $181 million from the Education Trust Fund to balance the state's General Fund next year. South Alabama SGA senator Joshua Crownover said that Higher Education Day was one of the most important days for students “It is so important for us to be here to represent higher education, but it’s also an awesome feeling to at the rally in a mosh pit of higher education while yelling at the top of your lungs representing your institution,” Crownover said. “It shows that we are important and that we do matter. It shows legislators we really do matter and are invested in our education so the state should too.” For more information about higher education and what you can do to help, visit highereducation.org.

(Photo | College Democrats)

See College Republicans Page 6

USA Students for Marco Rubio

By MITCHELL KAHALLEY Managing Editor

ith Alabama’s primary election looming, a new political organization has sprung up on campus, the only one supporting a Republican candidate for president. USA for Rubio is just over two weeks old and is dedicated to supporting the United States Center from Florida in his bid for the White House. Zach Weidlich a sophomore political science and international studies major is a founder and officer with USA for Rubio. Weidlich said that all the officers of USA for Rubio believe that his platform platform, age and heritage makes him unique among all of the candidates. Rubio is 44-years-old and he is the youngest candidate currently left campaigning for either of the two major parties nomination. Weidlich said that his ability to relate to millennials as well as older voters is one of his most appealing characteristics. He hopes that Rubio’s age will help him connect with a younger sect of the electorate.

Higher Education Day By ALYSSA NEWTON Editor-In-Chief

he streets around the state capital were filled with hundreds of college students on Thursday, Feb. 25 as young people from universities all over Alabama rallied for higher education funding in front of the Alabama Statehouse. Over 150 South Alabama students, faculty and staff and joined fellow in-state college students for the annual Higher Education Day rally. South Alabama is consistently one of the larger university groups that attends each year. Higher Education Day is an annual event sponsored by the Higher Education Partnership

College Republicans Continued from page 4 and support him and do all the things to help that [candidate].” Although Craine personally likes John Kasich stating that he is the “most reasonable Republican.” He doesn’t believe he will get the nomination and hopes to see a Rubio/Kasich ticket. “Just because I know that if that ticket can survive the primary,” said Craine. “I think that gives us the best chance to take the presidency in the general election.” This year’s presidential race has been an interesting, especially on the GOP side. When asked about the five remaining candidates, Crain said he had some concerns. “I can’t speak [for] the entirety of the group, but to give my own personal opinion: I have my issues with Donald Trump. I don’t see him

Bernie Sanders Continued from page 4 Bernie Sanders. Ponder, 39-years-old, is in her second semester of the MPA Program at South. Woodson, 19-years-old, is a sophomore majoring in psychology. Their personal opinions of Sanders are based on their knowledge of his campaign and policies. Sanders’ policies range from free college tuition to the legalization of marijuana. “I like Bernie’s position on Medicare for all. I agree with him that healthcare should be a right, and not a privilege. I believe working harder should get you a nicer car or a fancier house, not the

YAL Continued from page 4 “We believe in strong civil liberties, separation of church and state, free speech, a less powerful federal government, free market, the liberation of drug laws, gun rights and protecting our second amendment and giving the state the power to vote on marriage laws and abortion. When the state decides on these issues, it gives every unique opinion opportunity in our country.” Blackmon said that the “coolest part” is where they fall in the political spectrum. “Libertarians believe that each individual has positive and negative rights,” she said. “However, our personal rights and freedoms end where another's rights begin. Therefore, everyone has an equal amount of freedom and responsibility for self sufficiency... “We believe in maximum freedom, minimum government. It's kinda like getting the best of

College Dems Continued from page 5

my lack experience, a similar issue when President Obama was running, questioning foreign policy credentials. “My personal view of his biggest con is not necessarily with him, it's more

FEB. 29, 2016 actually being able to win the general election against Hillary Clinton. To me, it’s gonna come down to who has the best policies and who has the best common sense and understanding of what it’s gonna take to move our country to the direction we wanna go.” When it comes to down to the issues, Craine said that the College Republicans are still finding out what issues are most important to their members. “We’re still brand new, so we haven’t had a lot of chances to talk about, to debate one another about certain issues--whether you’re for this or for that, where you stand,” Crain said. “We definitely look forward to being able to not only debate those things and talk about those things but also, other republican students might not necessarily know much about a certain issue. They can ‘broaden their horizons,’ I like to say, with their knowledge on the full spectrum of issues and not just ones they look up.” Not only does the group focus on the presidential races, but also focuses on locally-

impacted elections as well. The group has discussed the race between Bradley Byrne, who’s running for reelection, and Dean Young for the Alabama's First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Craine said that the group is split when it comes to the race for the Alabama seat on the U.S. Senate. Incumbent Richard Shelby is running for his sixth term as senator since 1986, and his biggest opponent is Jonathan McConnell, a 33-year-old former marine and owner of a security business. “Local elections are very important … it seems more likely that Bradley Byrne’s going to be the Republican nominee,” Craine said. “There seems to be a little less competitiveness in that aspect, but as far as the senate… our group seems like it’s split between McConnell and Shelby. Instead of officially supporting one candidate, I wanted people to feel comfortable, to volunteer in these organizations. “I’m actually an intern with Richard Shelby’s campaign, but I don’t force that on anybody else. We have several members who are

actual volunteers with Jonathan McConnell’s campaign … I think is huge, for somebody to come in, never running for office before, running for US Senate. I think that’s very brave. I think it’s awesome to see college students getting so active in politics, whether they be republican or whether they be democrat, or whatever. I think it’s a very important thing that we’re seeing this election cycle.” As for voting, Craine said all should go out and vote, which is why the College Republicans did their part by hosting a registration drive at this semester’s Get On Board Day. “I think it’s important [to vote], whether or not your vote has the potential to change anything, though in this day it easily doesn’t. As far as these big elections, the whole way down to these local elections, everything. I think it’s important for people to get out and vote. It’s a great right that we have and it’s a right that I’m very thankful that I get to exercise.” To become part of the College Republicans, add their Facebook page or talk to a current member of the organization.

ability to see a doctor when you are sick. It is a matter of principle,” Ponder said. His stance on Wall Street has particularly raised some eyebrows, mostly among Republicans. “I agree with him about Wall Street speculators paying a tax to make public college education tuition free. I think the word ‘speculators’ is particularly important, and often overlooked. He is talking about taxing people when they buy or sell stock… Speculators are people that are basically gambling on the stock market, or ‘playing it.’ They make high risk investments in the name of quick profits,” Ponder explained. Sanders has proposed a five cent tax on every one hundred dollars traded on Wall Street. “Does that seem unreasonable? We bailed out Wall Street.” Sanders has millions of supporters, but his

challenger, Hillary Clinton, is polling better and has won the Iowa and Nevada caucus. “Those ‘wins’ for Clinton were by narrow margins– close enough to even call a virtual tie in Iowa,” Ponder said. Sanders did pull out a win in the New Hampshire caucus. “Sanders did so much better in New Hampshire because they have open polls from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. like we do in Alabama. When more people have a greater opportunity to vote, I think Bernie Sanders will do better.” Why is Sanders a better candidate for the presidency? “While Bernie is at his rallies giving speeches on how he plans to better this country, Hillary is giving out free concerts and bringing out popular allies… She has tried to turn this election into a popularity contest,” Woodson said. Ponder references Sanders’ consistency.

She mentioned that Sanders voted against the Iraq war, while Clinton voted for it, later saying she made a mistake. “They say hindsight is 20/20. I want a president that has foresight,” Ponder said. Woodson has advice for the unregistered voters. “Get out there and inform yourself. Do not go off opinions or let anyone influence you. Know what you stand for, and support the candidate whose views best align with yours.” The primary election in Alabama is March 1. What is the next step for USA Students for Bernie Sanders if their candidate wins the primary election? “We are going to tell people about Bernie, we are going to help people get registered to vote, and we are going to encourage people to participate in the political process,” Ponder said.

both worlds. Our country was built on the idea that small power is better than big power. Big power eventually leaves us in power battle for control, and sometimes what appears best on a large scale, isn't right for small communities or certain states. If the individuals are sovereign over their own lives, then no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others.” As for the mission of the chapter, Blackmon said that it based on a statement in the Declaration of Independence. “It is mentioned in our country's Declaration of Independence,” she said. “‘Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of individual liberty, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it..’ “Our chapter of YAL at the University of South Alabama aims to put the power back into the hands of the majority, the hands of the people who are suppose to run the country. We do this by making sure every individual recognizes

how important their values and opinions are. We encourage young Americans to participate in the elections on every level, and help educate newbies on how to register and get involved locally, as well as state-wide or even nationally.”

Students interested in joining the South Alabama chapter of YAL can visit their website or Facebook to find out more. “This country's movement towards liberty depends on us,” Blackmon said.

the attitude of many supporters. It's the people who, basically if he does not win the primary, they will pitch a fit. I’ve seen many supporters that have a very selfish attitude with those that don't agree. Even people that are more liberal that support Hillary instead, it turns people off of him.” “Unfortunately I see him going the

same path as John Huntsman, but it would be John Kasich. The one person who’s just moderate enough to maybe do well, but is too moderate to survive in the modern Republican Party,” said Stevanus. For now, the College Democrats are not advocating for a specific Democratic candidate, but they are providing

students with information about each candidate with it being so close to Super Tuesday. Stevanus says that after the primary is done for Alabama they plan to do more forums on the candidates and when the primaries are totally done they will start heavily working for the Democratic party.

Young Americans for Liberty set up at Get On Board Day. (Photo | YAL)

LIFE

NATALIE FRANKLIN LIFE EDITOR nsf1222@jagmail.southalabama.edu

FEB. 29, 2016

The new American Dream

South Alabama student, Gabi Vargas, becomes an American citizen By NATALIE FRANKLIN Life Editor

Events of the Week

oving can always be a challenging process. Some of us have moved homes, cities and even states. But imagine packing up and moving to a completely different country. South Alabama student, Gabi Vargas, moved to America from Colombia when she was 6-years-old, and after living in America for 16 years she became a legal U.S Citizen earlier this month. The decision to move to America was a matter of life or death for her family. Vargas' father suffered from a heart attack when they were living in Colombia, and doctors told him that he wouldn't survive much longer in Colombia's high altitude. “We sold everything, came here and started completely over,” Vargas said. Vargas didn't know anyone and she didn't speak the English language, however, she was fortunate enough to not be

After living in America for 16 years, she became a U.S. citizen earlier this month

bullied. “I got really lucky. I have seen it, I have definitely seen it, but I think I got really lucky because when I first came here my mom pushed for me to be in a private school, a Catholic private school… I never felt the pressure, I’ve never felt the bullying,” Vargas said. Most people are aware that there are both legal ways and illegal ways of coming into America. One way to maintain a status in America is to enroll in college. “My mom was always interested in studying. She’s always loved it,” Vargas said. Her mother enrolled in college courses so that her family could stay in America while they were going through the legalization process. Vargas’ mother, who was already a successful business owner in Colombia, went to school for eight years, and she now has four different degrees. Becoming a legal U.S citizen has been a lengthy journey for Vargas. Her sister was able to obtain U.S. citizenship before anyone in her family because she was a

Gabi Vargas became an American citizen earlier this month. (Photo | Facebook) study abroad student in Washington. “She became a citizen before we did, so then she asked for my parents…My sister could only ask for my parents,” Vargas explained. Essentially, her entire family became American citizens before she did. After her parents became citizens, then they could finally request for Vargas to become a citizen. Unfortunately, the process would prove to be more complicated for her. “I was underage when the process began, but then when it was almost to a close I became an adult. Then it was like, ‘you’re on your own,’” Vargas said. She had to begin the entire citizenship process completely over. “It was really funny, because my family would always joke that I’ve been the one that has been here and been raised here, but I’m like the only non-citizen in the family.” Vargas explained that the process takes years, and even when all the paperwork, background checks and waiting is done, you are still tested. “They give you a book, and you have

to study 100 questions, and they’ll ask you 10 of those questions,” Vargas explained. You’re tested on American history, the English language and you are personally interviewed. The entire process is grueling, complicated and arduous. What was the most challenging part for Vargas? “The time. The most frustrating things was that I was raised here. I grew up here. I speak the language. I consider this my home, but it’s one thing after another. It’s paper work and it’s just time…16 years is a long process.” There are some misconceptions that may arise when discussing the status of citizenship. Although Vargas wasn’t legally an American citizen, she has been a permanent resident of America since she was a child. Most people know this as having a “green card.” There are some restrictions that Vargas had to adhere to as a permanent resident. Those restrictions include the right See The new American Dream Page 9

Speaker Stephen A. Smith Mitchell Center 7 p.m.

Jags vs. Southern Mississippi (Baseball) Stanky Field 7:05 p.m.

BodySculpt Rec Center Studio 1 5:30- 6:20 p.m.

Spring Break Nooner: Custom Flip Flops Student Center Lobby 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.

Dr. Jeremy Brown Lecture on Robotics Shelby Hall 4- 6 p.m.

FEB. 29, 2016

Question of

theEdition

What is the most important issue to you for this upcoming presidential election?

“

Edduc ucat ation, nott justt fo or Al A abama but for the whole United d Statess O States. One ne of the h can candidates, ndi d dates Bernie Sanders Sanders, wants to make free education. You know most people argue with thatt because it would not only mess up the tax system and taxpayers but it would affect everybody. I feel like if we do have free education then it’s just going to be another problem that we have in the future. - Jonathan Blanchard

”

“

When it comes to selecting the next president of the U.S, I am looking for someone who is for campaign finance reform,massive banking reform, criminal justice reform, less involvement in the Middle East and someone who actually addresses the issue of systemic racism and the denying of Civil Rights. - Nixon Noblitt

”

“

Immi Im migr g attio ion. n. Wha hat’ t s go t’ goin ingg on n wit ith Syria andd th he rrefugees. efu fuge gees es It’s ’s rreally eaallllyy an iissue ssuue ffor ss orr o our u ccountry’s ur ountry’s safety safety, y an and they pose a threat to citizens of America if they come into America, in my opinion. - Grace Newcombe

”

“

I woulld say the most important issuue for me is gun controll. Gun control and gun violencce is a major is-sue, sue su e Ib believe, elieve across not just the state bu b butt th thee co coun country. untr tryy The violence, whether it has to deal with police versus people or people versus people, I think there needs to be some sort of laws put in place to be sure that, not any of the rights are taken away but at the same time be sure that guns are being placed in the right hands. - Roger Cook

”

“

Education. It’s the most critical issue for me. - Hannah Oswalt

”

Maybe I just don’t like Trump. I just don’t like what Trump says. I wouldn’t choose Trump for sure. I don’t like his position in relation to Latinos, I just don’t think it’s valid.

- Raul Basilio

”

FEB. 29, 2016

“Black to our roots”

Building connections back to Africa: honoring the practices of our ancestors By BRIA JOHNSON Staff Reporter

ast Wednesday, after the cancellation of an evening of negro spirituals due to severe weather, the Center for Academic Service Learning and Civil Engagement (CASLCE) and African American Studies presented Helping Africa Establish Schools and Homes Abroad (HABESHA.Inc) and the Jah N-I Roots Band. It was a very informational and musical evening. Students were presented with musical performances by lead vocalist Jahriffe B. Mackenzie and were even asked to join in the singing. They also watched a documentary titled “Black to Our Roots” presented by Cashawn Myers, co-founder of HABESHA. Inc. During his performances, Mackenzie shared his beliefs. “We’re all connected in someway; there is no coincidence that we cross paths,” said Mackenzie. He also gave a message about poverty, humanity, living in the present and self worth, through his songs.

Jahriffe B. Mackenzie performed at the student center on Wednesday, Feb. 24. (Photo | Facebook) Mackenzie also shared an African ritual to respect those that had died. As students named off influential people in the Civil Rights Movement and the Freedom

Riders, he poured out a drop of water into a plant. The audience joined in saying “ashe” meaning “so it is” for each person named.

“Black to Our Roots” is a documentary about a journey of self discovery and redefining what our reality is. In the documentary, Myers and a group of students discovered the architecture, arts, landscape and people of Ethiopia and Ghana, including a very unique church carved into the side of a mountain. When the documentary finished, Myers talked to students about his experiences in Africa with his organization. He shared stories and educated students on words like “Negus” meaning “King” and Sankofa, a way to live meaning you must go back to where you’re from to know where you’re going. Myers also advocated that we all have a responsibility to honor those before us and for us to maintain African culture. “Knowing the power of who we are,” said Myers. “You are your ancestors, know and celebrate their stories.” Myers and Mackenzie encourage students to know who they are and find their mission in life. For more information about the Jah N-I Roots band visit jahnirootsbandmovement.com and to learn more about HABESAHA, Inc visit habeshainc.org.

The new American Dream Continued from page 7

to vote. Now, Vargas will be able to vote, just in time for this year’s presidential campaign. “I’m really excited! The thing is, I have to make sure that I do all my research before. I have to take time to see all sides of things before I make my decision,” Vargas said. This year's presidential campaign has been a bit of a fiasco, especially in regards to Donald Trump's comments on immigrants and Latinos. “I understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I also know that a lot of those comments come from fear because they don’t know and they don’t understand what’s happening. I really do think that it’s just ignorance.” More specifically on Trump, Vargas made a poignant argument. “He has the Miss Universe pageant, which is a pageant with women from all over the world. He’ll say that, and he’s trying to give all these women opportunity, but at the same time he’s like ‘yeah but you’re not worthy enough.” Last month, after becoming a U.S citi-

zen, Vargas announced the major milestone on Facebook. “At first I was really hesitant about posting anything about it because a lot of people don’t really quite understand the whole process of it,” Vargas said. “I was truly amazed at how many people were so supportive. I’ve had faculty members come up to me…people from the police station, coworkers.” Vargas was shocked at the immense support that she received from people. Vargas is an International Business major at South Alabama. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Vargas says she’s always been a “business person.” She has always seen the opportunity in things. “I would like to do that on more of a global scale,” Vargas said. More than a decade of paper work, of waiting, has finally been rewarded. Vargas, an American citizen, has accomplished a piece of the American Dream. The sky’s the limit for her now.

University of South Alabama

Student Health Center of South Alabama Where University good health and healing Begins

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Where good health and healing Begins

t (ZO 4FSWJDFT t )FBMUI &EVDBUJPO t *NNVOJ[BUJPOT t -BCPSBUPSZ 5FTUJOH t 1IZTJDBM &YBNJOBUJPOT STUDENT HEALTH CENTER

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t 4QFDJBMUZ 3FGFSSBMT t 4QPSUT .FEJDJOF OFFICE HOURS 8:00 – 5:00 p.m., Mon., Wed. and Fri., t a.m. 45* 4DSFFOJOH BOE 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Tues., Thurs. Contraception Counseling Appointments Preferred/Walk-ins welcome t 5SBWFM .FEJDJOF ADDRESS

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SPORTS

D”MITRI WREN SPORTS EDITOR drw1422@jagmail.southalabama.edu

FEB. 29, 2016

Alyssa Newton | Editor-In-Chief

Men’s hoops split last two home games Jaguars take tough loss against UL Monroe, beat UL Lafayette on Senior Day By D’MITRI WREN Sports Editor

n Thursday the South Alabama Men’s basketball fell late to the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe 66-59. Coming into the game the Jags were 3-1 in the last four games. ULM came into this game on a hot five-game winning streak coming into the game and held the second-place spot in the Sun Belt Conference. The Warhawks would increase this win streak to six with a 6659 win over the Jags. South was down by as many as 15 points and would rally back to take the lead. However, a 16-5 run by ULM in the last six minutes of the game would be too much for the Jags to overcome. South Alabama only shot 33.3 percent from the floor and 4-of-15 from beyond the arc. The Jags only shot 63.6 percent from the free throw line by missing eight of their 22 free throws. “The first half didn’t go quite the way we wanted it,” USA head coach Matthew

Graves said. “There was really too many possessions that we didn’t value, and we didn’t have guys on the same page for what we were trying to do. Our defensive intensity was sporadic at times. In the second half, ULM’s lead was cut down to 11 by the Jaguars. Then over a 3:29 time span, The Jags would go on an 11 point run and force five straight turnovers to hold the Warhawks scoreless over this time span. “I thought the group that played the second half did an outstanding job. They were vocal, they were aggressive, they got several stops in a row, and we were attacking the basket, getting to the free-throw line, making plays, and did a nice job valuing most of our possessions,” Graves said. “Those guys saw the rewards of doing that and did really well in the second half against a team that is playing as well as anybody in this league. Those are the things we have to show the consistency of being able to do it for an entire 40 minutes.” said Graves With the loss the South Alabama fall to 12-16 on the season and play their final home game on Saturday afternoon.

Ken Williams poured in 25 points for the South Alabama Jaguars to help give them a 83-70 win over UL Lafayette on Thursday as the Jags win their last home game of the season. “I’m extremely excited, especially for our three seniors, that they had a chance to win their final home game in the Mitchell Center; that’s certainly going to be something they are going to remember forever,” USA head coach Matthew Graves said. “In coaching, if you can always have your seniors win their final home game I think that really leaves a good taste in their mouth.” After scoring only nine points in the entire first half, Williams turned things up in the second half scoring 16 points. Williams went 8-of-16 from the floor and including going 3-of-3 from the three point range in the second half. Senior Barrington Stevens scored nine points for the game and had a career-tying seven assists in his final home game at South. Shaq Calhoun and Don MueopoKelly both had a huge contribution off the bench with Calhoun racking up 11 points and MueopoKelly coming

a point short from double digit scoring with nine points. MueopoKelly also posted four of the nine blocks that the Jags put up for the game. “Ken played a really good floor game,” Graves noted. “We put the ball in his hands and he made some great plays, especially early in the second half. I thought Barrington came in and gave

him a break, and then went on a three-or four-minute stretch where he made really good plays off ball screens, especially when he dumped it down to Don (MuepoKelly) a couple of times. That was really heady, smart play from our senior point guard.” South takes on UT Arlington Thursday night in Dallas, Texas.

Brown, Barrington, and Wittingham honored Saturday afternoon for senior day. (Photo | USAJaguars)

FEB. 29, 2016

Women’s hoops win five of its last six games

By D’MITRI WREN Sports Editor

outh Alabama’s four-game streak was snapped on Thursday as women’s basketball fell to Louisiana-Monroe 67-54 ULM dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Jags 41-27. ULM snatched 27 defensive rebounds. “The big key in the game was rebounding,” South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said. “They outrebounded us at their place by 18, and tonight they just really manhandled us down there on the glass, which I thought was the big difference in the game. It wasn’t just Chyna [Ellis], I think all the post players had two fouls in the first half.” The Jags also had a poor shooting night going 37.3 percent from the floor and 2-of-11 from three point range. Taylor Jenkins and Chyna Ellis were the only two players for South with double figure scoring for the night. Ellis also put a total of five blocks for the game, her sixth game with five or more blocks in a game giving her a total of 71 blocks on the season. Ellis leads the Sun Belt Conference in blocks averaging 3.12 per game. “I’m disappointed that we just didn’t have any energy tonight — even making the run [in the fourth quarter] we didn’t. Our bench has been good for us in providing energy and we’ve been able to take that out on to the court, but today we just didn’t. It’s during tough times when we need each other more and we didn’t do that tonight.” Chelsea Tieuel for ULM led all scorers with a career high of 25 points, 15 came from beyond the arc going 5-of-10 from three point range. Tieuel shot 80 percent from the free throw line for the night. The Warhawk recorded 14 of her 25 points in the second half,after only having

South Honors its three seniors Saturday aftrernoon right before tip off agaianst UL Lafayette. (Photo | USAJaguars) nine coming into the third quarter. “She’s a great shooter,” Fowler said of Tieuel. “We missed her on two stagger screens on the baseline where she came up and knocked them down wide open; she gained some confidence from that and took it from there. She is a heck of a player and did an outstanding job.” The Jags are now 13-13 for the season, 9-8 in conference play. On Saturday, South Alabama women’s basketball team played their last home game of the season as they took on the Raising Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette. South would go on to win the game with a score of 68-59 on Senior Day. The Jags picked up their 10th Sun Belt win of the season. The win marks the first time since the 2012-13 season that the Jags have 10 confer-

ence wins. South recognized its three seniors before tip off - Jennifer Towne, Juliann Miller, and Taylor Jenkins. Marquita Daniels lead all scorers with 26 points shooting 8-of-12 from the floor and knocking two three pointers for the night. Daniels also contributed three assists and five defensive rebounds to give her six for the game. The sophomore guard was responsible for five of the six steals made by the Jags. Taylor Jenkins and Colby Davis joined Daniels with double figure scoring. Jenkins scored a career high 13 points and Davis contributed 11 points and shot a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Chyna Ellis was just one point short of a double double and

posted a career high with 14 rebounds. Ellis made three of the seven blocks for the team giving her 74 for the season. South Alabama shot 54.5 percent from the beyond the arc hitting six of the 11 three pointers attempted. The Jags went 16-of-22 from the free throw line. South also recorded seven blocks for the game giving them 162 for the season, a new school record. “It was just a great team win,” South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said. “We take great pride in trying to win on Senior Night and send them out on top, so it was great that our kids fought and battled. We knew that Louisiana-Lafayette was not going to fold their tent and quit, they battled and our kids fought back and were able to withstand the run they had at the end of the game. It came down to making free throws, and we were able to do that.” With the loss UL Lafayette fall to 18-9 on the season and 11-7 in conference play. KeKe Veal came into the game with 34-point outing against Troy Thursday night, poured in 26 points tonight going 6-of-6 from the free throw line and two three pointers. Veal went 9-of-24 from the floor. “We were able to get the ball inside, we went with some high-low action and some post ups; we told them we had to get the ball into the paint,” Fowler said of how the Jags were able to extend the lead out to double figures in the third. “We keep a stat called ‘paint touches’ and in the first quarter we were at 75 percent and playing fairly well, in the second quarter it was below 50 percent. The emphasis was to get the ball inside into the paint, and that let us get easy baskets and were also able to get them in foul trouble.” The Jaguars are now 14-13 for the season and 10-8 in the Sun Belt Conference. South now heads to Dallas Texas to take on the Mavericks of UT Arlington on Thursday night.

FEB. 29, 2016

#JagTweets Softball goes 2-3 for the week Finding the best tweets from South Alabama athletes. Jay Mitchell @CoachJayMitch

Football

Pain will push you until vision begins to pull you..appreciate adversity

Meagan Hall

Track & Field

@Meags_Hall You cannot tell me that Ashley Graham does not look exactly like Eva Mendes

Braedon Bowman

Football

@braedonbowman10 And run any route on the route tree.

Dewayne Alford Jr.

Football

@MrHennyHardaway #MustBeNice #ErbodyAintAble Dewayne Alford Jr. added, Tibbsss @t_tibbs

Emily Messer @emily_messer20

Softball

JDKCKSJFIEBSZKDK people, USE BLINKERS. it’s so easy.

Jemma Perfield

Soccer

@JemmaPerfield Even though I now live in america, I still have no idea what’s going on in the SuperBowl

Sarah Hay

Soccer

@sarahhayUSA02 I legit thought Ben Carson forgot the Preamble..

By JOSH RUTLEDGE Staff Reporter

he University of South Alabama softball team took on Bowling Green on Friday. The Jaguars took it to the Falcons with a 5-0 victory. In the first inning, Stephanie Pilkington singled up center to drive home Emily Messer, then Haleigh Lane singled up left field to bring Pilkington back around for the second score. In the second inning, Savannah Mayo sent one long and deep for a solo home run. In the third inning, A Breeden doubled to right center which drove in Pilkington and Kaleigh Todd. Vicknair carried a no-hitter into the four inning and gave up pair of Falcon hits and one walk in the total-game victory, improving her record to 4-0. Alex Breeden was 1-for-1 with two RBI, while Stephanie Pilkington scored a pair of runs. Savanna Mayo now has two solo homeruns this season. Kaleigh Todd scored a run, and Haleigh Lane plated one RBI. The Jaguars looked to continue winning when they took on Louisiana State University on Wednesday, and although Devin Brown did a fantastic job striking out 11 batters the most strikeouts dealt to LSU this season, the Jags couldn’t pull off the win. South recorded only one less hit that LSU, but the Jags spread theirs throughout the innings while the Tigers put theirs in the third and fourth. LSU is now 8-2 all-time versus South. Brown’s record fell to 3-3, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits and tying her season high strikeouts at 11 with six walks. Kaleigh Todd and Haleigh Lane each went 2-for-3 on Wednesday, with Lane also recording a walk and reaching on an LSU error. In the closer of the 2016 South Alabama Invitational tournament, the University of South Alabama softball team defeated Dart-

Kaleigh Todd had three hits, one run in the Jags 8-0 win over Dartmouth. (Photo | USAJaguars) mouth the second time around on Sunday with 8 unanswered runs, a run-rule win. Of the 8 runs scored, 6 were drawn in the third inning alone. Kaleigh Todd got the Jags on the scoreboard early in the first inning with a RBI double that brought in Messer. USA barged ahead in the third inning, led by Breeden’s two-run double that drove in Haleigh Lane and Kristian Foster. Savanna Mayo scored the next run that plated Paige Holmes. Messer tripled to bring in Holmes and Breeden that brought the lead to 6-0, and Todd doubled to bring Messer back home. Stephanie Pilkington hit a RBI double which scored Todd, bringing the Mercy Rule into effect, tying the knot in the Jags victory. Brown’s 12 strikeouts marked the second most she’s ever thrown in a game, topping her old season high of 11 that she’s recorded four

times this year and in three games prior to Sunday. Brown scattered four hits Sunday, and walked only one, thus evening her record to 4-4. The sophomore has 82 strikeouts in 50 innings altogether. This shut-out was her third this season. Todd broke even with her career high in hits, going 3-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Emily Messer went 2-3 with a pair of RBIs and runs scored. Alex Breeden drove in a pair of runs to help South achieve the shut-out victory over Dartmouth. Six Jags recorded hits, combining for USA’s nine hits total. The Jaguars, now 8-6, went 2-2 in this weekend tournament. South Alabama concludes the tournament portion of its regularseason schedule next weekend when it travels to Gainesville, Florida to take part in the Aquafina Invitational.

Men’s and Women’s golf win big By EBONY CRAFT Staff Reporter

outh Alabama’s men & women’s golf teams both had amazing finishes in their respective games this week. Peter Staalbo and Drew Cooke both posted sub-par rounds and earned top-20 finishes Tuesday. USA’s women’s golf team earned a runner-up finish at the 14th Annual USA Women’s Invitational at Azalea City Golf Club. Staalbo had a score of 1-under-par 71—the third time in two days he shot below par at the event—to place second in the individual standings. On the last day of the tournament, the Jaguars moved up one spot in the team standings after a group score of 287. “To be honest, I expected to play well because I had a good feeling about the course and I played consistently through qualifying,” Staalbo said to USAJaguars. “But I didn’t not expect to hit that many good iron shots in the second round; I hit it in to 10 feet on almost every hole, and if I just made more of those putts it could’ve been an even lower score. I just try to play consistent golf, and that was what I was able to do. We battled hard and played well, it was a good start to the spring,” said USA head coach

Ben Hannan said to USAJaguars. “There is no doubt we have some things we can build on, we were one round and a couple of holes away from having a really nice event in a pretty strong field.” USA’s Staalbo was one over through eight holes before the 596-yard 16th as well as the third, playing at 385 yards. He ranked among the top ten with 10 birdies and 41 pars to complete the week. “We will sit down and evaluate where everybody is and prepare for Auburn,” Hannan said to USAJaguars. “The tournament will be at a Robert Trent Jones layout, but it plays differently—the greens are all elevated, it will be tight, dormant Bermuda. We’ll do a lot of stuff around the edges and lag putting up and over hills to try and prepare for the style of course we’re about to play.” USA’s women’s golf team finished with a threeround team total of 890 to take second place at its annual tournament. “It was a good week,” head coach Matt Luther said in an interview with USAJaguars. “It was our three lowest rounds of the year. Each round we were under 300, and we hadn’t shot under 300 at all this season. Everyone is doing everything a little better, and I’m really happy with where we’re going this

spring. The girls are buying into the concepts and working at it, and the results are starting to show. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing. We have some things to address, obviously, but we definitely have some things that are working that we need to keep doing. We’re just going to keep trying to get better every week.” South Alabama’s own Kaeli Jones finished tied for fifth place, a career-best finish for the sophomore, after a three-round score of 220. She played her final two rounds combining 1-over-par after turning a 1-over-par in round 3 on Monday’s second round.“It was one of my best performances since I have been at South Alabama,” Jones said to USAJagaurs. “I’m really happy about it. It went really well. My iron shots were on the pin all day. I missed a lot of birdie putts, but pars work. Our goal as a team was to get under 300 every round, and we did that. It’s good for Caroline (Beebe) since she’s a senior. We just went out there and played hard this tournament.” The men’s golf team will return next month, March. 6, at the Tiger Invitational hosted by Auburn and the women will return March 7 and 8 as Southern Mississippi hosts the Lady Eagle invitational.

OPINION

CAITLIN SMITH OPINION EDITOR lcs1222@jagmail.southalabama.edu

FEB. 29, 2016

U T

N R

T U O R O F T A H W

Why millennials should go vote

illennials. We’re known for being loud, being passionate and being all over social media, but one place we still need to be is in the voting booth. Millennials, a generation most college students fall into, are defined as those who were born after 1980. According to USA Today, only six in 10 millennials said we will vote come November. How crazy is that? In the past couple of years our generation has now outnumbered the baby boomers in the labor force and have almost equaled their electoral college vote count, according to Time and Census Bureau Reports. Why should you go vote, right? “My vote won’t matter,” “It’s just the primaries” or “I’ll just write in Bugs Bunny because I don’t vote for anything other than presidential candidates.” Your voice does matter. Young people make up a fifth of all eligible voters and are becoming one of the strongest voting forces in the country. We could be the difference in the elections, whether it be local, state or national. That is, if we go out and vote. Adults between the ages of 45 and 75 are twice as likely to vote than those who are 18-35. At that age, those generations will have very different needs and visions for leaders and legislation than those of the younger generation. Some of those struggles include college debt and a lack of jobs that are crippling our financial future. We have to vote and represent the change that this generation needs. No one is going to vote with the younger generation in mind, except for ourselves. We are the most unique group of voters since the baby boomers. We are able

to be educated thanks to immediate resources and are facing an entirely new set of challenges different from the ones our parents and grandparents faced. Not only does our generation face different struggles, but we are the most diverse group as well. Currently, millennials are 61 percent white, 17 percent Hispanic, 15 percent African-American, 4 percent Asian and 3 percent Native American or mixed descent, according to USA Today. In the same USA Today study as mentioned before, it found that today’s millennials do not particularly align with a political party. For example, the study showed when it comes to economic issues, 38 percent call ourselves conservative compared to 33 percent, who identify as liberals. On foreign policy, we are also inclined to describe ourselves as conservative by 37 percent. Social issues are what has this generation tilted more to the left. Forty-two percent identify as liberal, and 32 percent call ourselves conservative on questions including race relations and gay rights. Granted, the line between these two groups is a small one. But if we don’t actually go out and vote, our ideals and voices mean nothing. Politicians won’t address our needs without our voices. In order to have significant influence, we have to show up in greater numbers than is traditionally seen, especially at the college level. So on Tuesday, go vote for who you believe will make our state and country a better place. If you’re not registered, take five minutes to change that and go vote in November. This is our right, our duty and our future. Go vote.

If you were to vote for a presidential candidate today, who would you choose? BEA ISHLER

ADAM SHUBERT Speaker of the House Paul Ryan

BACK

AND FORTH BETWEEN

SANDERS

AND

CLINTON. SANDERS HAS A VISION FOR THIS COUNTRY THAT IS NEEDED. HE ISN’T TAKING ANY PAC MONEY. CLINTON IS CLOSE BEHIND BUT STILL HAS WALL STREET MONEY. SHE MAY BE MORE ELECTABLE. EITHER WOULD BE BETTER THAN THE GOP CANDIDATES.

ALEXANDER MOYLAN

MAYS GILLIAM

SOUTH JAW

THE SHARK Obviously myself, because I think what our planet needs is a shark president.

@TINKWMOBILE

Ben Carson; Best plans, most intelligent and most sensible.

FEB. 29, 2016

Does the smoking ban really curb smoking? By TRAVIS J. KNEE Contributing Writer The smoking ban and the University of South Alabama is outrageous, hilarious, harmful to the students, harmful to the school, and against the very spirit of who we are. This smoking ban makes cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigs, vapes, and hookahs against school rules. The ban further goes on to cover the act of “smoking” defined as “... inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted or heated tobacco, marijuana or plant product whether natural or synthetic, intended for inhalation.” This is wrong foremost for the fact it removes a freedom from me isn’t hurting anybody else and is perfectly legal most any other place I go. What the ban doesn’t cover is a punishment for breaking the rule; however, they can enforce it it’s just difficult and time consuming for them to do so and only applies to students not faculty, staff or visitors. I’ll say that again, a ban only enforceable upon students. There are so many bad parts of this rule the first covered here will be e-cigs and vaping. There is no link between nicotine and long term health defects. e-cigs are a more effective quit cessation device. Those are both facts with the sources at the end of this treatise. The ingredients of these products are not dangerous and in fact most can be purchased cheaply from amazon. The ingredients are vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, nicotine extract, and artificial flavor. Nothing scary, nothing dangerous. Some people don’t even add the nicotine to the juice because they just enjoy the flavor. When you see those big clouds remember it’s just water vapor, it’s no more dangerous than a dense fog. The ban on smokeless tobacco is where this takes a dark turn because this isn’t even a product that makes a cloud that affects others. I personally have a grave concern the school is making this covered under the rule “for their own good”. Then graver concerns that it was easier to ban everything than to just ban cigarettes and vapes. In the surveys given to faculty, staff and students, dip was not explicitly mentioned on either questionnaire as something to be banned. It seems strange that the school would target

Cigarette butts found on campus. (Photo | Yik Yak) them with such a comprehensive ban. When the school made the decision to ban smoking everywhere it makes it equally bad to smoke 50 feet from the door or 10 feet from the door. So instead of staying 25 feet like people should they will now smoke where ever. Non-smokers are now being subjected to even higher levels of smoke than they were before the ban ever took place. The students who smoke are often friends and have inhabited the same areas for decades in some buildings. Some of these areas could be considered schools cultural landmarks. Dr. John Coker was the chair of philosophy and for so many years smoked right outside of humanities. While he was out there he often approached students and joined in discussion. Many of these conversations he ended up teaching us something cool or interesting. Under this smoking ban, those teaching moments would have been lost in favor of a sterile environment. Visitors to this school who don’t have experience identifying areas commonly populated by smokers are more likely to smoke in an area they shouldn’t. Visitors cannot be held to the Code of Student

Conduct nor are they under the employ of the university so no punishment can be exacted upon them. Without clear direction these people are more likely to smoke in walkways and near doorways. The facilities are being damaged every day because with the coming in of the smoking ban saw the exit of the ashtrays from commonly smoked in areas. You never appreciate how often one of those smokers posts gets used until all the butts normally disposed of responsibly are thrown on the ground. The number of butts on the ground has grown daily and it’s unreasonable to expect the groundskeepers to pick them up. The people need receptacles for properly disposing of their cigarettes to prevent our campus from getting trashed. Smokers can be our own worst enemy by smoking cigarettes to spite of people who tell us not to, or firing off ripostes and retorts at people who make comments about smoking on campus. This goes double when dealing with administrators and teachers. They don’t want to be your enemy, they are just doing what they are told to do. Granted some of them really believe smoking is worthy of a ban and have conviction to confronting you for your choice to use tobacco or nicotine products. Save yourself a hassle and extinguish your

cigarette if they both ask you to and have sufficient authority to directly bring a code of student conduct violation against you. If an administrator stops you for smoking, instead of telling them to mind their own business, try instead to tell them why you think the smoking ban is wrong and that you object to it. Smokers have a responsibility to this school as well, a mutual respect must be maintained. It’s the responsibility of tobacco user to know where to smoke, conditions in which you shouldn’t smoke in an area commonly held by smokers, and dealing with inclement weather. Knowing where to smoke is as easy; find an open well ventilated area, outside, away from doors, out of the walkways. This applies both to cigarette and vape smokers. Even though the vape only makes water vapor the cloud and smell does linger afterwards, as such they are unsuitable for consumption inside buildings. Conditions which you shouldn’t use an area commonly held by smokers include but are limited to a class being held outside nearby the area, workers performing maintenance, area being used by some sort of student group, and anytime a large group of people are using it for a structured event. This is for the mutual respect between smokers and nonsmokers. Dealing with inclement weather such as rain is especially important in Mobile as we are the rainiest city in the United States. As most smoking areas tend to be uncovered by virtue of the nature of smoking this creates a problem when it rains. On rainy days smokers should proceed to the furthest point away from the doors under large awnings if the awning covers more than just the door. Non-smokers, passing by a group of smokers briefly should not impact your health any more than any other business where smokers might patron. This school needs to come to a happy medium between the groups on campus. Designated smoking areas need to be assigned to the majority of buildings and the ashtrays put back and expanded to cover more buildings. An outright smoking ban is bad for South, every building, every student, every worker and should be reversed. A new policy drafted from student, staff, faculty, and administrative input on where designated areas should be placed.

Being an atheist in the South: the misconception By BRITNI WEAVER Contributing Writer

eing an atheist in the South. Our area is such a religious one, it’s almost inconceivable that anyone would call themselves an “atheist.” For some, the word atheist is synonymous with “devil-worshipper” or “satanist.” (I know that sounds outrageous, but I’ve honestly gotten that as a reaction before.) It may be such a foreign concept to others that they equate it with fairy tales. Or maybe it is just one of those situations where everyone knows someone who knows someone who’s an atheist, but “we just don’t talk about it.” Well, I feel like it’s time we talk about it. I feel like, because we do live in such a religious part of the country, most people have come to terms with interacting with people of different religions and

how to do that civilly, but when it comes to an atheist or secular person, it’s a completely other issue yet to be addressed. The complaints from atheists or anyone who doesn’t identify as “religious” that I’ve encountered are, I think, just like any other group in our history that have had to “come out” and ask to be accepted by society. Firstly, we’re kinda peeved that we have to “come out” at all! Whether or not I believe in the same deity as you or no deity at all isn’t something that should dictate someone else’s view of me. My actions should tell you all you need to know about what kind of person I am. But because certain groups have perpetuated certain stereotypes, the “coming out” process is a must in order to break down those untrue ideas and show people what a certain term really looks like.

A few of the false ideas about atheism: that it makes me a bad person. That just simply isn’t true. Of course, “bad person” is relative, I guess, but I’m not Hitler, for heaven sake! (He was apparently Catholic, though that’s a whole other can of worms and shouldn’t reflect on Catholics as a whole either.) According to most religious doctrine, I may technically be a “sinner,”, but I’m not intrinsically evil just because I identify as an atheist. I’m not angry or mean (at least not any more than anyone else). Also, despite what Franklin Graham says, atheism does NOT equal communism! Listen guys, for me to call myself this, it’s because I’ve taken a hard look at the options and decided, based on the evidence that we have, I just can’t see that it is enough to point toward the existence of a deity or something supernatural. But let me emphasize, we don’t want to come steal your holy books or make it to where you can’t exercise your right to believe in whatever religion

you choose. Just because we don’t believe like you do doesn’t mean we don’t want you to have to right to choose what you believe also. We just want an equal playing field for everyone. It’s becoming much more accepted to come out as atheist or agnostic in other parts of the country. I think a lot of that is because people are becoming less afraid of speaking out and I want that to happen in my area too. I want to see honest, open, civil dialogue about these things so people can work out for themselves what they think and feel, without feeling shamed into labelling themselves something they aren’t or just don’t know that they are anymore. But let me say this loud and clear, ATHEIST DOES NOT EQUAL SATANIST AND/OR DEVIL-WORSHIPPER!!! (Although if you are one, I’m completely fine with that too.) There, I feel better.

CAITLIN SMITH OPINION EDITOR lcs1222@jagmail.southalabama.edu

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