January 28, 2013

VANGUARD

THE

VOL. 52, NO. 3

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

JAN. 28, 2013

South team wins Senior Bowl 21-16

Zoo a local treasure

By TIMOTHY BORLAND trb903@jagmail.southalabama.edu

“

You can’t just like animals to be a zookeeper, you have to love animals. You have to be devoted to them,” according to The Mobile Zoo’s keeper, Lacey Clarke. The zoo is the focus of this latest installment of Discover Mobile, a student guide to all things great about the Port City.

Many Mobilians are not aware The Mobile Zoo exists, but it has been serving the community for more than 19 years. A possible reason for the relatively low notoriety of the zoo is its location in rural Wilmer, about 20 miles northwest of Mobile. Despite the rustic nature of the facility, it is easy to reach from USA campus.

“Mobile didn’t have a zoo, so I donated the property to create one.

See ZOO Page 4 USA’s BJ Scott helped propel the South Senior bowl team to victory this weekend. Scott is shown wearing the number 11.

SEE FULL COVERAGE ON PAGE 10

Jasyson Curry | Sr. Reporter

INSIDE

Internet issues plague students; solutions sought The Vanguard was alerted to the issue and found that it inconveniences many students across the campus

By STUART SOX sgsox@att.net

M

any students at the University of South Alabama aren’t satisfied with the wireless internet connection on campus. There have been complaints of the Wi-Fi being inconsistent and unusually slow.

“The Wi-Fi is my dorm is pretty slow and sometimes our computers say we can’t connect to the internet at all,” says Matt Johnston, an exercise science major and resident of Delta 2.

A number of students posted on the Vanguard’s Facebook page regarding the internet connection in the Stokes Hall. “Stokes never has a connection,” commented Katie Gray, an English and education major.

Other students, however, like Me-

teorology major Briana Barr, have said that the connection at Stokes has improved. “I had connections issues all last year (2011-2012 school year), but it's been running rather smoothly this year,” Barr commented.

The patchy connection in Stokes Hall can be attributed to the use of personal wireless access points and routers by residents. On Thursday, January 24th, Marketing and Conference Housing Coordinator Lauren Gulsby sent an e-mail out to campus residents saying these devices “have the potential to interfere with the building’s network connections” and “prohibit other students from successfully connecting to the network.”

For this reason, Gulsby stated in

find us on Facebook “Facebook.com/ TheVanguardUSA”

the e-mail that personal wireless access points, routers, switches, hubs and other similar network equipment are not permitted in residence halls and asked that all students remove these devices.

Other areas with poor network connection mentioned on the Vanguard’s Facebook page were Epsilon 1 and 2, the P.E. building, the Allied Health building and Shelby Hall.

All of these areas of concern were relayed to the Computer Services Center by the Vanguard. According to Chris Cannon, the Executive Director of Information Technology, these areas have been scheduled for site surveys, at which officials from the Computer Services center will assess an area and make the adjustments necessary to

Check out our digital edition thevanguardonline.com

improve a building’s network connection.

In an interview with the Vanguard, Chris Cannon and Andy Lightbourne, the Associate Director of the Computer Services Center, said that by this summer the residential community and other buildings at South Alabama with unsecured networks will become secured with access granted via JagMail login information.

Cannon and Lightbourne want students to know that they can best serve those with internet connection issues on an individual basis. Students are encouraged to call 251-460-6161 or email helpdesk@southalabama.edu for network connection assistance.

Life, Page 6

LUNAR RING BY CASSIE FAMBRO | EDITOR

Opinion: page 13.

Is a “minority preview night” acceptable for USA to promote?

See Point/Counterpoint.

Life Spotlight: page 6.

Get your Mardi Gras on. See Life for common sense tips and a complete schedule.

Sports: page 9.

The best Senior Bowl pictures you’ll see are in our sports section.

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

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VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2013

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VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2013

PAGE three

“University of South Alabama’s Student Voice”

Weather for Jan. 28-Feb 2

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

Cassie Fambro Alyssa Newton Jake Howell Noah Logan Patrick Herring JT Crabtree Jayson Curry Matthew Strickland

Distribution Distribution Bobby Faulk Manager

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

Management Advising J. Sellers J. Aucoin Accounting Kathy Brannan

Mission

Send letters and guest columns to: The Vanguard University of South Alabama P.O. Drawer U-1057 Mobile, Ala., 36688.

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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 editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com.

The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academic year, except for exam periods and vacations, and is published twice each summer.

The Vanguard is supported in part by an allocation from student activity fees and operates in the Student Media Department of the Division of Student Affairs.

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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 accordingly.

See Something suspicious?

Report it to USAPD.

USA Police Blotter

251-460-6312

1/15/13 19:58- Engineering Parking Lot.

a gate while exiting apartment

Unlawful breaking and entering

complex.

into a building. Stolen Insulin, duffel bag and sugar water.

1/18/13

1/16/13

Traffic Offense.One male subject

8:30-South Drive Mobile, AL. 0:33- Delta Deli. Theft of Property.

was arrested for giving false

Apple iPhone 4S.

information to a police officer and

11:53- The Grove building #2.

One female subject was arrested for

Harassment and Disorderly

warrants out of Mobile County.

warrants out of the City of Mobile.

Conduct. Two roommates got into a verbal argument over the use of

1/19/2012

cooking spoons.

17:26- Beta 3. Theft of Property.

14:37- Harassing

stolen bike rack outside of Beta 3.

Victims reported her bike was Communications(2). A female received threatening messages

1/20/12

toward her on the Internet.

2:01-6718 Old Shell Rd. Driving under the influence of alcohol.

16:10-Humanities. Police responded to a Medical Emergency at the Humanities Building

1/21/13 13:22 University Bookstore.

Criminal Mischief in the Third

1/17/13 23:01- The Grove. Property Damage. A known female struck

Degree. Damage of property.

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The Vanguard, the student-run newspaper of the University of South Alabama, serves its readership by reporting the news involving the campus community and surroun ding areas.

The Vanguard strives to be impartial in its reporting and believes firmly in its First Amendment rights.

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VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2013

Mobile zoo waiting to be discovered

SGA This Week

Continued from pg. 1 I get no tax breaks for the donation.

All I get is the satisfaction of helping ensure the zoo continues,” zoo founder John Hightower said.

As a private, non-profit zoo, Mobile Zoo differs in many ways from the typical zoo experience. Picnic tables sit next to tiger cages.. Instead of molded concrete cages, animals are kept in spacious, reinforced double-layered chain link fenced areas. The zoo covers 50 acres, which is more than double the size of an average municipal zoo according to Hightower.

Much of the zoo’s success has come from donations. Fencing for animal pens was provided by local businesses that were shutting down.

The nutritious food for the animals is donated by grocery stores from surplus. The University of South Alabama donated several macaques to the zoo when the university closed its lab several years ago.

“If someone donates money here, they can have some say so on

how their tax dollars are spent,” Hightower said.

The Mobile Zoo is like an independent punk band getting by on its own terms. The zoo receives no tax dollars for maintenance or staff, a result of not being a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Becoming an AZA member is a requirement for government funding, but the process is cost-prohibitive for many privately operated zoos.

That is not to say the zoo does not provide the utmost care for its animals. Zookeeper Lacey Clark has a biology degree and lives at the zoo to take care of the animals every day.

Special care is taken to address specific dietary needs of each animal.

Part of caring for the animals, according to Clarke, is loving them and being with them. “Be willing to get dirty and messy. You can’t be afraid to go in their living area and work with them in order to make sure they are happy and healthy,” Clark said.

The zoo boasts an impressive va-

riety of animals. This is not a petting zoo for preschoolers – there are lions and tigers and bears! And many more creatures, including chimpanzees, lemurs, baboons, llamas, leopards, parrots, a Belgian draft horse and a buffalo.

“All the animals here are unique and smart and have stories,” Clark said.

A few of the animals are national stars. The chimpanzee, Joe, was an actor from California, famous for appearing in the 1997 film “Buddy.”

Joe was donated to the zoo after he reached 10 years of age, because once a chimpanzee reaches this age, they have become too mature to control.

Another star at the zoo is the Siberian tiger, Misha. Her pregnancy was filmed by NBC’s “Wild Things” as one of the first live tiger births caught on camera in the United States.

The crew actually lived at the zoo for a week to capture the event. Mi-

sha, and another tiger, were also sent to California to be ambassadors for the National Geographic Special “Tigers of the Snow.”

The zoo has successfully bred several different species. In addition to the tigers, the zoo has also welcomed baby leopards, swans, red deer, cavys, scotch highlander cattle, gopher tortoises, hedgehogs and sugar gliders.

The Mobile Zoo functions as safe haven for animals rescued from negative environments. Multiple tigers were adopted from failed circuses.

Sahara, a spotted leopard, and Magoo, a white Bengal tiger, were both in danger of being stuffed for wall mounts by their owners. The Mobile Zoo rescued them from this grim fate. This location is the “forever home” for all the animals. They will never be relocated or put down.

For more information about the Mobile Zoo, visit their website mobilezoo.cc.

SGA did not meet this week. See next week’s issue for an update.

Contact the SGA at sga@jagmail. southalabama.edu

VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2013

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VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2012

jagLIFE

JAKE HOWELL, JAGLIFE EDITOR life.editor@usavanguard.com

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Hello Mardi Gras, goodbye common sense

COURTESY OF ANN HUANG

Mardi Gras is a great time to let loose and have fun, but staying safe should always be a top priority.

By ALDYN MILLER aldyn.miller21@gmail.com

I

t’s that time of year again! While most people associate raucous Mardi Gras celebrations with New Orleans, we definitely know how to have a good time here in Mobile.

After all, we were the first to celebrate Mardi Gras (even before New Orleans). There are very few of us who won’t be participating in parties, parades or balls in the next few weeks.

For some college students, though, saying hello to Mardi Gras means saying goodbye to common sense.

By following a few simple safety tips, we can keep this Mardi Gras a memorable, positive and safe one.

1. Stick with the crowds.

While many of us know the back roads and shortcuts around downtown

like the backs of our hands, stick with the crowds that come to watch the parades.

There’s safety in numbers.

Avoid going down side streets and alleys that have few people in them.

USA police chief Zeke Aull added that students should make a concentrated effort to protect their wallets and IDs from pickpockets.

“When possible, purses and wallets should be left in vehicles,” he said. “The best place to put money and IDs is in a front pocket of your pants.”

2. Make use of the buddy system.

For the most part, Mobile’s a pretty safe city, but traveling alone downtown during Mardi Gras isn’t the wisest idea.

Take a head count before you leave campus or your house.

Find one friend that will stick with you through the night,and make sure that no one leaves unless everyone who rode

together is leaving together.

Savannah Miller, a freshman psychology major, plans to make use of the buddy system.

“I’m really excited about Mardi Gras,” she said. “But it’s my first one and I’m a little nervous about what the crowds are going to be like. I’m going downtown with two of my friends on Saturday, and we plan to stick together like glue.”

3. Learn how to park safely.

The Mobile Police Department has announced that they’re going to be cracking down on drivers who violate the no parking signs placed at various points between Dauphin Street and Government Street.

If you stray out of the designated parking zones, you will be towed for a fee of $125.

Public parking for the parades can be found in different areas along North Broad Street, Spring Hill Avenue and Canal Street.

Chief Aull cautioned against leaving valuables in plain view while at the parades saying, “It just provides thieves with an excuse to break into your vehicle.

They should be locked away in the trunk of your car.”

4. Dress sensibly.

Take a minute to check the weather forecast and plan accordingly.

It’s well-known that Mobile’s weather can be spastic to say the least. Take a jacket and throw an umbrella in your car, just in case.

Ladies, be sensible when it comes to

footwear.

It isn’t going to look attractive to anyone if you’re stumbling down the street in shoes you can barely walk in. Leave the heels at home.

If you must wear heels (i.e. for a ball), pack a pair of flip flops in your purse for later.

5. Now on to the alcohol…

Needless to say, you must be 21 and up to drink. Drinking is permitted on the streets of the city while watching parades.

It must, however, be in a plastic cup.

Glass bottles and aluminum cans aren’t allowed.

Be aware that, for 2013, Mobile has instituted an alcohol free zone between Government Street and Church Street (right in front of the Mobile Carnival Museum).

Revelers who are found with alcohol on them in this zone will be ticketed.

Campus police don’t have plans to set up checkpoints around campus, but Chief Aull stated that the number of police officers patrolling campus and the surrounding neighborhoods and roads will be increased.

USA PD will be on the lookout for intoxicated drivers, minors in possession of alcohol and underage drinkers.

“Man, I can’t wait,” said Nathan Phillips, a sophomore nursing major. “Mardi Gras isn’t just a party. It’s a state of mind.”

Let’s live Mardi Gras 2013 and enjoy it to the fullest, but let’s be smart about it along the way.

‘Third Thursday’ kicks off with ‘Nothing but a man’

By LOREN BURROUGHS llb1102@jagmail.southalabama.edu

L

ooking for a good movie? Jag Success and the Faculty-InResidence Program are pleased to announce “Third Thursday,” a film series hosted in Room 1107 of Stokes Hall.

The first film, “Nothing But A Man”, was screened on Thursday, January 17 and was followed by discussion led by Dr. Kern Jackson, Assistant Professor in the University of South Alabama’s English Department.

Filmed in 1964 by director Michael Roemer, “Nothing But A Man” eloquently depicts the plot of an African American man named Duff Anderson, played by independent movie star Ivan Dixon, struggling to live in a

society which constantly dehumanizes him, terrorizes him, and makes him feel inadequate.

Duff Anderson is forced to reexamine his definition of what a man is, as his pride is put to the test by the deep, all-encompassing racial hierarchy he is forced to live with in the South.

This film investigates the themes of alcoholism, economic instability and illegitimacy and also, gives the viewer a sense of the racial climate of the 1950s and 60s.

Based in Alabama, “Nothing But A Man” was a landmark independent film and the first dramatic story featuring a largely black cast created for an integrated audience.

After the conclusion of the film,

the room was filled with silence as students tried to grasp and absorb the immensity of the film.

Bianca Harris, a junior majoring in Radiological Sciences, states “I am so glad this movie wasn’t overly possessed with the civil rights movement; it simply depicts the life of a man trying to find his place in the world.”

Over 50 years later, “Nothing But A Man” still proves to be as influential and thought-provoking to this group of USA students as it was to the viewers at the New York Film Festival in 1964.

If you missed this film, you still have a chance to view the rest of the film series, which will last until April 18.

The remaining schedule is as fol-

lows: “The Big Lebowski” on February 21, “Repulsion” on March 21 and “Missing” on April 18.

WEEKLY LOWDOWN Monday, Jan. 28 ► 2:30 p.m. - Birmingham Art

Music Alliance Guest Artist Recital in the Laidlaw Recital Hall.

Tuesday, Jan. 29 ► 7 p.m. - The Office of

Multicultural Student Affairs presents: “The Do’s and Don’ts of Dating in College” in the Mitchell Center, Room 1101.

Wednesday, Jan. 30 ►3 p.m. - USA Career Services event: “I need help choosing my major!” in Meisler Hall, Room 2100.

► 8 p.m. - USA Rock Climbing

Club meeting in the Student Recreation Center Classroom.

►8 - 11 p.m. - ”Jag”son Square

Mardi Gras Party with “New Orleans Jazz” performed

by Blair Crimmins & the Hookers, Food, Prizes, Activities, and Contests.

Thursday, Jan. 31 ► 2 p.m. - USA Career

Services event: “Cooperative Education and Internship Program Orientation,” in Meisler Hall, Room 2100.

►7 p.m. - Science Cafe: “CSI,

Bones, and Other Lies They Told You: The Real Forensic Anthropology!” at True Midtown Cafe.

► 7 p.m. - Mu Phi Chapter of

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Interest Meeting in the University Library, Room 171.

Business attire is requested.

Friday, Feb. 1 ► 6 - 9 p.m. - USA Baldwin

County First Friday Artwalk.

Want your event featured in the Weekly Lowdown? Email the name, date, time, price, place and a brief tagline (under seven words) to life.editor@usavanguard.com STAFF ILLUSTRATION

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VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2012

VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2012

Student Health Sudoku

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

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SPORTS

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

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VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2013

Hometown heroes represent proudly in the Senior Bowl

By JAYSON CURRY jayson-curry@hotmail.com

I

BY JAYSON CURRY |SENIOR REPORTER

USA safety B.J. Scott is the third ever Jaguar to receive an invite to the Seniot Bowl and the second to play in one.

LB Jake Johnson was invited, but he ruptured his Achille’s in practice.

t’s always good to come back home.

With the 2013 edition of the Senior Bowl starting last week many fans, players and NFL teams waited to find out who had made the final roster for the all-star game.

Three of the players selected to the South roster are very familiar names and faces in the city of Mobile, where the Senior Bowl has been played since 1951.

Robert Lester and D.J. Fluker, both Foley high school graduates and Alabama Crimson Tide stars, as well as Vigor grad and South Alabama star B.J. Scott, would return to the city where they became stars.

Fluker is still healing a leg injury so he would only participate in the the weigh in Monday before leaving Mobile for Atlanta to continue training.

Fluker was one of two fourth year juniors that were allowed to enter the Senior Bowl this year. He met all the requirements of graduating in December before the Senior Bowl, being in college for four years and having the blessing of his head coach.

“It’s a great opportunity. I feel very

honored that they actually took the time to actually work on this rule and invite me. It really shows we get recognized for everything we do,” Fluker said.

Lester is projected to be the first or second safety in this year’s NFL draft.

His popularity grew after being a part of the Foley football team with Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones.

Although some thought he was riding the coattails of Jones, Lester became a star at Alabama. He started every game for the Tide since his sophomore year and become a fan favorite in that time.

“Coming to this game and it being so close to my home town, I’ve always told myself I’ve got to play in this game. It means a lot to me. It’s the last game I get to play in my home town,” Lester said.

Scott Spent two seasons at Alabama after commiting there as the top-ranked athlete coming out of Vigor. He then transferred to USA where he started at safety the past three seasons.

He was a late addition to the South squad’s roster after Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo was injured. Rambo was able to play in the game, so Scott was moved from his natural safety position to corner. This may turn out to help his stock in the NFL Draft as scouts were

MVP Manuel leads South to 21-16 Senior Bowl victory

By PATRICK HERRING sports.editor@usavanguard.com

T

he Senior Bowl welcomed future NFLers from schools all across the country for the game’s sixty-fourth installment. Players from big name programs such as Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and Florida State, to smaller schools like Rice, Southeastern Louisiana, Tennessee-Martin and Florida International filled the rosters of the North and South squads. The teams were coached by the Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions coaching staffs respectively.

After a week of interviews with scouts and coaches, practices, media obligations and community events, the players finally took the field at LaddPeebles Stadium for the game Saturday afternoon.

This year, the South squad rode the talents of Florida State’s E.J. Manuel to a 21-16 victory over the North to extend the South’s all-time series lead to 31-27 (for three seasons, the teams were not split into North and South squads). Manuel threw for 76 yards and a score and rushed for 10 more

yards and another score en route to earning MVP honors.

On the opening kickoff, Southeastern Louisiana defensive back Robert Alford sprinted 88 yards down the sidelines and drew a facemask penalty to set Manuel and company up in scoring position at the North’s 6-yard line.

Three plays later Manuel punched it in from 2 yards out to give the South a 7-0 lead.

The North squad was only able to produce one first down on their first drive and they were forced to punt.

When Manuel got the ball back, he completed all 4 of his passes on the following drive, including a 20-yard scoring toss to Alabama tight end Michael Williams. The extra point was good, giving the South a quick 14-0 lead.

The rest of the half didn’t see another score by either team, and was mostly uneventful, except for two South interceptions by Georgia’s Bacarri Rambo and Missouri’s Zavier Gooden and a blocked field goal attempt by the North’s Michael Buchanan of Illinois.

Whatever Raiders’ head coach Dennis Allen told his North squad in the locker room worked, as NC State quarterback Mike Glennon came out and produced two straight scoring drives. The first ended with a 20-yard touchdown by UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin; and after an interception by Will Davis of Utah State, Oklahoma State’s Quinn Sharp hit a 42-yard field goal to bring the score to 14-10.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Manuel came back out for the South and led another scoring drive. This one took up 6 minutes of game clock and ended in a 5-yard scamper by Miami’s Mike James.

The North answered quickly when Miami Ohio quarterback Zac Dysert tossed a screen to Oregon’s Kenjon Barner who took it in from 3 yards out to bring them to within 5, 21-16. The two-point attempt failed when Alford intercepted Dysert’s pass.

The game was completely out of reach when the ensuing onside kick went out of bounds. Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson came out and took a knee to ice the South’s victory.

able to see his versatility in the secondary.

“I’ve shown scouts I can play corner or safety, and showing them that I can play at a high level all night long,” Scott said.

All three players expressed how special being back in Mobile was for them.

“I would love to be able to play at Ladd,” Fluker said. “It would have been a great honor to play again in front of all the McGill and Foley fans.”

Lester showed his appreciation for his fans and family by using number decals on his helmet to make the 251 area code of Mobile.

“I’m definitely going to wear it in the game and just show the people from my home town the love and support I’ve gotten throughout my football career, not only at Foley but at Alabama,” Lester said. “They have been behind me the whole way and I figured wearing the 251 would be a way to show the love back. I thought about it once I got invited to the Senior Bowl and I went in the equipment room and did it.”

Scott was excited to end his college career not only in Mobile, but at LaddPeebles Stadium.

“It was a great feeling, to have support from your family and your friends, the Alabama fans as well as the South Alabama fans,” Scott said. “It was a great feeling to play my last college game in my hometown on my home field.”

BY JAYSON CURRY |SENIOR REPORTER

Alabama safety and Foley native Robert Lester was one of four Alabama players to play in the Senior Bowl

USA Sports Briefs courtesy usajaguars.com Men’s basketball tops WKU 65-57 Keyed by a 14-2 second-half run, the Jaguars outscored the Hilltoppers to move to 10-8 overall and 7-3 in the SBC. Western Kentucky drops to 11-10 and 5-5 in conference play.

Augustine Rubit tallied his tenth double-double of the season with his 19 points and game-high 11 rebounds. He also blocked four shots and had two steals and two assists. It wasn’t an allaround win for the Jags though as they lost starting shooting guard Freddie Goldstein was lost for the season to a broken collar bone when he dove for a loose ball.

Lady Jags top WKU 56-46 The women’s basketball team forced 23 turnovers in the win over East Division co-leader Western Kentucky to move to 12-7 and 5-5 in the SBC. The Lady Jags were led by freshman Brianna Wright who scored a career-high 20 points off the bench

Track and field performs well in multiple invitationals At the Arkansas State Invitational senior Latifah Johnson won the shot put by breaking her own school record with a toss of 14.94m. Freshman Jaylon Holt took home the win in the tripe jump with a distance of 14.62m.

In the 3,000-meter run, USA placed in six of the top twelve spots, including freshman Patrick Rohr’s top finish at 8 minutes and 35.16 seconds. He only finished two hundredths of a second ahead of the second-place runner. The ‘A’ team (Ian Bordelon, Alex Shields, Buddy Soto and JustinHousley) and ‘B’ team (Rohr, Robert Mann, Derrick Westbrook and Ronny Wilson) distance runners finished second and third in the 4,000-meters with 10:41.66 and 10:46.08 finishes respectively. At the Air Force Invitational, Leah Hixon finished fourth in the pentathlon with 3,466 points. Garrett Schumacher fnished fifth in the heptathlon with a 4,790-point total.

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VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2013

Top: USA S B.J. Scott closes in for a tackle on Kansas WR Chris Harper Left: The North defense gets to Landry Jones for the sack Right: Georgia WR Tavarres King runs for extra yards after a reception Bottom Left: N.C. State QB Mike Glennon barks out a call to the North offense

Photos by Jayson Curry

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VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2013

Above: FSU QB and game MVP EJ Manuel observes the North defense.

Left: FIU DB Jonathan Cyprion and Oregon State DB Jordan Poyer break up a pass intended for Arkansas WR Cobi Hamilton Right: Stanford RB Stepfan Taylor makes a cut as he runs in North territory Bottom Left: Alabama TE Michael Williams waits for the pass from FSU’s EJ Manuel to drop into his hands for the second score of the game.

Bottom Right: Southeastern Louisiana DB Robert Alford sprints 88 yards on the opening kickoff

Opinion

NOAH LOGAN OPINION EDITOR opinion.editor@usavanguard.com

12

VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2013

The Vanguard Viewpoint Support Jaguar Productions With student fees paying for a large portion of the events and activities Jaguar Productions hosts, it sure is a shame that only a fraction of USA students actually participate.

Constantly, we see people lamenting that USA is a commuter college and that people pack their suitcases and head home every Friday. Students that have transferred here say there is a lack of unity or cohesion amidst the Jags that places like Auburn or Alabama reverently cling to.

One must stop to ask themselves who’s fault that might be. The answer is collective fault; however, Jaguar Productions is trying harder than most.

With deals like $5 movie tickets to Carmike, $2 Cheap Date movies once a month to a private USA screening of a popular film and countless campus activities like final exam massages it truly is a wonder that the same faces are usually at each event.

Countless students probably paid full price to see the Christmas lights at Bellingrath, the symphony and the ballet. Jaguar Productions has discounted tickets for those traditions too and some are more than half off. Jaguar Productions has been known to bring

famous celebrities like Daniel Tosh to campus and seeks to find up-in-coming stars to practice their craft in front of college students.

On Wednesday January 30, Jaguar Productions is throwing an event celebrating Mardi Gras in the Mitchell Center. Free food, music and prizes await attendees.

The first homecoming carnival netted Jaguar Productions their highest rate of attendance of all time this past fall in co-sponsorship with SGA. Taking suggestions from students, a popular cover band as well as a racing simulator, bungee jumping, caricatures free food and more led thousands to pack the Mitchell Center.

Dozens of Jaguar Productions volunteers work for hours to set the events up for student enjoyment and they do a great job. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the average day, Jaguar Productions members are often walking around with shirts on that say “ask me what I’m doing tonight.”

It’s up for you to check the back page of The Vanguard every week, or actually ask them and enjoy what your student fees contribute towards, USA.

Look smart at the right times T

he one thing that a freshman really can’t prepare for before college is the state of indepenNOAH LOGAN dence he or Opinion Editor she has as opposed to when living with parents. This new found freedom was a major change for me and I grew up in a pretty loose household.

Leaving overly strict parents and living in a community with virtually no curfews, private housing and no daily authority figures outside of class will leave some college kids to develop bad habits. All of the tiny, perfectionist details your parents and high school teachers griped about daily are always the first to go.

It’s always small at first. Maybe you ignore your moms advice and don’t buy coasters for your desk.

Then you realize how much of a waste it is to wash dishes every time you eat as opposed to piling them up for weeks at a time. And in that way we can sometimes forget every common sense fact we were ever taught as a child.

When you get around campus, it isn’t too difficult to point out the people guilty of forgetting everything their mothers taught them.

JagPulse What are your campus internet issues?

Miranda Fritz-Derflinger: There is little if any connection in AHS it’s really bad on the upper level.

Kerri Elizabeth Gonzales: No wifi in the p.e building. Isn’t the router located in the cis building by the faculty court? So it should definitely pick up that close by.

Ali Greer: SHEC: We often download images for our Virtual Machines in our IT classes and it can

take the entire class period because of the horribly slow wireless.

occupy the side by the door) because it immediately disconnects.

David L. Loeser: WiFi sucks, facetime is blocked, Skype maybe works, blocked sites that are specific to majors - IS, unstable, low bandwidth.

Katie Gray: I live on the fourth floor on stokes and very rarely does the internet actually work. Tons of people have placed a complaint but they never do anything about it.

Chelsea Lauren Krail: It disconnects at the same time almost every night for me in Delta 2. Plus, I can’t take it to my vanity, let alone anywhere that isn’t my bed or desk (I

Cody Cassity: In Delta 2 the internet constantly losses connection and when there is a connection the connection is SUPER SLOW!!!

A car crashed into the Campus Bookstore a couple years ago.

They are the ones who stop in the middle of the stairwell at Humanities to read a text message or feel the need to challenge the Political Science professor for being racist. They have somehow de-evolved common sense to get them through routine, every-day motions only to have it replaced with the awareness and what can appear to be the IQ of something more fit for The Walking Dead than a university campus.

I might not be able to instill common sense into people, but I can offer up some basic advice to get through the day, look smart at the right times. Even easier is don’t look completely dumb at the worst times.

It’s interesting how many people will not notice you exist if you really try to go unnoticed through the day.

I can go a whole day of classes and have no one even acknowledge my presence at all and it’s not hard.

VANGUARD ARCHIVES

We need to teach those who lack knowledge of common base and at least get them to that status.

South Alabama should invest money into a common sense seminar to replace the Freshmen seminar class we have now. Curriculum would include, but not be limited to, turning your damn music down (even when girls are around), actually thinking about what coffee you want BEFORE you get to the front of line and how to correctly use a four-way stop.

All jokes aside, the school could hold an event on campus for first time freshmen to talk about the change in independence and help these students go through some of the growing pains of growing up.

One time a year investment saves a whole campus full of frustration that I’m sure everybody would be most grateful for.

EditorialBoard

The

Cassie Fambro > Editor in Chief Noah Logan > Opinion Editor Jake Howell > Life Editor Patrick Herring > Sports Editor JT Crabtree > LOC Editor

thevanguardonline.com

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VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2013

POINT Is a minority student preview night appropriate for South Alabama?

Editor’s Introduction: On Friday, February 15, USA will host Minority Student Preview Night. The schedule for the minority preview night is the exact same as the other preview nights with the one exception being a step show. Do ideas like these continue to be the cause of immense social segregation at South or are minority student events needed to show a true minority experience?

Point: An ecouraging and helpful night

Counterpoint: Detrimental to integration

“

“

Government officials and statisticians separate

very cause of brotherhood for which Dr.

based on race all the time. Does that mean the government is racist?

Robert Fornoff South Alabama put together Minority Night to welcome in families who statistically have lower access to a higher education. Minority Night encourages high school students that may not ever dream of going to college with incentives that boost self esteem, encourages better grades,and help the Mobile community as a whole. However, some people might judge the title and exclaim, “With a name like minority night, that’s gotta be racist and inconsiderate!”

Well, what is racism? A broad definition term by the Merriam Webster dictionary defines racism as anything that “divides based on biological entities and that some races are innately superior to others.” Animal Farm by George Orwell described racism in the saying that, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” So racism is a superiority complex based on biological groupings.

Government officials and statisticians separate based on race all the time. Does that mean the government is racist? Possibly.

To learn more, I went online and gathered data from The National Center for Education and Statistics (nces.ed.gov) and looked under the title, Percentage of persons age 25 and over and of persons 25 to 29 years old with high school completion or higher and a bachelor’s or higher degree, by race/ethnicity and sex: Selected years, 1910 through 2011 and found that in 2011 that while the white average to complete high school was 92.8%, blacks had an 85.3% average of graduating high school , Hispanics had and even lover 65.1% average , even lower was the statistics for a bachelor’s degree or higher: Whites: 33.1%, Black 21.7%, Hispanic 15.2% .

The University does a disservice to the

King and so many others suffered....

”

Statistics show education between minorities and whites are different. While this in itself is not racist , drawing conclusions that a minority or all whites are superior , smarter or stronger than their counterparts– in a creepy Hitler-Arianesque-fashion - that’s racism.

Racism is not looking out for the good of a stranger that is different from you. Alabama history is filled with references to the KKK, lynching, crosses burning and other ways parts of society have not displayed kindness to people that act or look different.

The opposite of racism is showing kindness. Showing kindness is looking out for another person’s best interest and treating them in a way you would like to be treated. Since we’re in the Bible belt, I might as well also remind people that, “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself ” (Lev 19:33-34 ).

In other words, be kind to people – even if you see them as different.

Back to The Minority Night. Is that racist? Well, let’s go back to the definitions: does it somehow show that one biologically different group is superior or inferior to all the others?

Nope, I’m guessing a recruiter saw statistics and acted accordingly. Does this cause harm to any group of individuals? Nope. If they offer scholarships based on need, good for them!

Can the title be taken out of context? Sure. I can choose to get offended by a lot of things. The terms “minority” and “ethnicities” are government issued terms - of course so was the term, “colored” - so if those terms offend you then I encourage you to come up with better ones and call your Congressman.

Jake Burchfield

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA ARCHIVES

OFFICE OF NEW STUDENT RECRUITING

CASSIE FAMBRO EIC

Before I address Minority Student Preview Night, I first admit my inability to see the world through any lens but my own; I cannot speak to the unique perspective of a minority student.

Then again, I cannot speak any more cogently to the perspective of any white student with a life other than my own. I have as intimate an experience of the combined weight of historical injustices such as slavery and Jim Crow as anyone filling out an application for acceptance to USA – that is to say, I learned about them in school but am a couple of generations removed from the dark stains of racial history.

And therein lies the problem: the perpetuation of differentness, the division of all the nuanced hues of mankind into white and non-white, ought not be institutionalized by the very educators charged with molding the mind and spirit of America’s rising adults.

I am not one to protest on account of there not being a “white” student preview night; I don’t want one. The very existence of such an event furthers the notion that identity depends more upon that which divides than it does upon that which unites.

Dr. King, in that dream that still reverberates throughout the American soul, hoped that “one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists; … one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.” And he dreamt of Georgia, where one day “the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”

By dividing that table such that a

”

prospective black student is invited to come to USA, tour the facilities, preview campus organizations, and so on, while being assured he will not have to take an elevator ride with a prospective white student, or sit next to a prospective white student’s family during a meal, the University does a disservice to the very cause of brotherhood for which Dr. King and so many others suffered, persevered and even died for a half-century ago.

It basically says, from day one, that white and nonwhite students at USA (because that’s where the line is drawn for “minority” events) will need neither to eschew presumptions about one another nor to form relationships based on character, creed or common interests.

Why do we need this? Please, if any administrator is reading this and shaking their head at me, please take a few moments and explain what is to be gained from a minority student preview night - Meal? Info session?

Admissions presentation? Preview Campus Organizations?

Every event scheduled for minority night, save the step show, is included in every normal recruitment event. If the goalposts have moved since Dr. King’s noble vision, can someone please point us toward the new endzone?

In 2003, the book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria examined the chronic inability of Americans of different races to look each other in the eye and confront the difficult truths that give rise to such unofficial segregation in the 21st Century. “Minority Student Preview Night” does not augment the development of racial harmony; in fact, it says that here at USA you don’t even have to make it to the cafeteria.

LEFT OF CENTER

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

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VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JANUARY 28, 2013

Dr. Erdmann: Improvements made at USA Athletic Director talks spring and beyond of USA athletics

By JT CRABTREE

jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

F

ootball is over. Basketball is in full swing and baseball and softball have started preparations for their 2013 seasons. To find out what to expect this spring and beyond from South Alabama athletics, we sat down with Athletic Director Dr. Joel Erdmann.

VG: “What are your expectations for baseball this year?”

JE: “I think we will see an improvement. You‘ve got a full coaching staff that has a year under their belt and that allows for another year of recruiting and instilling their culture. So I think we’ll have more depth, from what I’ve been told.

I would like to highlight that as a team they achieved over a 3.0 team GPA. That speaks very loudly about the priorities of the program and for the ability of the students to manage their world.

VG: “How do you think interim head coach Jeff Price has done with the men’s basketball program?”

JE: “I think he’s done a great job. Anytime you have a change of leadership in the midst of a season that can provide a unique challenge. I think not only Coach Price but the entire coaching staff and especially the team itself, the upperclassmen, have maintained to keep a great amount

of focus and a large amount of energy.

I’m pleased with where we are going, and I think we have a chance to finish the year strong.

VG: “The Track and Field team just got a locker room, are there any other facility upgrades in the works?”

JE: “We are in the process of raising money. We have a 2-4 year plan in which all our sport programs and supporting programs, strength and conditioning, athletic training, where as we able to raise money we’re very excited about what can happen in the next 24-36 months. It’s not necessarily of the construction of new faculties, but the renovation of old facilities. Our world is all about recruiting, and whether it be athletic or academic, they have an appreciation for the way things appear. We’re constantly compared to schools we recruit against so we work very hard on making sure we’re in a good place. We’re raising money to improve all facilities. It’s a combination of events that raise money and then targeting donors and alumni. We’re now targeting golf and softball.”

VG: “You talked before of trying to get speakers added to the student side of Ladd-Peebles Stadium, is that still in the works?”

JE: “I am working on that. That’s a

Jones fills out coaching staff

By JT CRABTREE

jtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

H

ead coach Joey Jones filled the remaining vacant positions on his coaching staff, hiring Freddie Roach and Travis Pearson on January 25.

Roach will team with assistant coach Brian Turner to coach the

defensive live, while Pearson will coach the linebackers. Newly hired defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer will coach the defensive backs.

Jag fans may remember Roach from his playing days at Alabama, where he played from 2002-05. While playing for the Crimson Tide, Roach was named national Freshman of the Year, a member of the Freshman

Pitcher Matt Bell during the Red-Blue Series

JT CRABTREE / LOC SPORTS EDITOR

tremendous amount of collaboration between us, the stadium, the other tenants.

But that is a priority of mine.”

VG: “What do you think of the new football coaches that have been hired and the coaches who have left for other jobs?”

JE: “I’m very happy for Coach Bill Clark and Coach Duwan Walker, but anytime an assistant coach has an opportunity to become a head coach in college football I think that speaks volumes about our program. I think Coach Jones worked very at that search for defensive coordinator. Being in and around a system that

has won national championships, I think Coach Sherrer can bring some insight into many aspects that will make us better.

VG: “What does it say for the program having coaches being hired away by other teams?”

JE: “I think it speaks volumes. In a way, you hate to lose people, but at the same time when you have people who are attractive to other programs, that means we’re doing a pretty good job. I would prefer a stable of coaches that other people have a desire for than the opposite.”

VG: “With FAU and MTSU leaving the Sun Belt after his year, how

All-American team and twice named All-SEC team. Roach comes to South after spending a year as the defensive line coach at Murray State and three years as assistant strength and conditioning coach at Alabama.

“Everything is on the rise here,” Roach said. “It’s a new program with great facilities, the administration has done a great job of helping to get it going and there are great coaches including a lot of Alabama guys.”

Pearson has spent the last two years as defensive coordinator for Colquitt County (Ga.) High School, where he helped lead the Panthers to back-to-back 5A semifinal appearances. From 2007-08, Pearson

served as the Director of Football Operations at Iowa State under former Auburn head coach Gene Chizik.

Pearson also played in the Arena Football League for eight years and was selected as a member of the league’s 15th Anniversary Team in 2003.

“The opportunity to coach at South Alabama is exciting to me, especially since I am from southern Choctaw (county) an hour and 45 minutes up the road,” Pearson said. “I want to win, particularly a conference championship and get this program where Coach Jones wants it to be.”

does that affect our football schedule in 2013?”

JE: “That left us short a game for 2013. We are pursuing a game, and actually just waiting. We have a game in principle. We are just anxiously waiting for the game to be finalized. I actually think from a personal stand point, we may pick up a home game out of it.”

VG: “Will it be an FBS or FCS opponent?”

JE: “What this provided us to do was secure an FCS opponent. Which I think is good. I think we are going to be able to do that.”

Head coach Joey Jones

JTC / LOC

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VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2013

HOROSCOPES Aries: 3/21 - 4/19 You like to take chances and hate people who are too afraid to do anything. You lie but no one loves the way you do. You also make repeated mistakes but refuse to face reality and get your crap together.

Taurus: 4/20 – 5/20 You are bull-headed, stubborn, and tend to come off a little blunt. You’re going to probably make someone mad this week or be mad with a friend for no apparent reason.

Gemini: 5/21 – 6/21 Listen to some Taylor Swift and get over that crazy ex that treated you like crap anyway. Take failing Chemistry five times and consider it a sign Medical School just wasn’t for you.

Cancer: 6/22 – 7/22 You are outgoing, lazy, and if you could major in sleeping you’d be set. This week will be good one if you decide to eventually get out of bed. Preferably before noon.

Leo: 7/23 – 8/22 You are neat, compulsive, and like things done your way. You will have a good week this week.

You’ll study for all of your tests like a good college kid and sit in your room this weekend playing Mario Cart.

Virgo: 8/23 – 9/22 You are eccentric, spaztic, and like having a good time. You’ll have a pretty boring week until this weekend where you will have a good time or don’t remember it at all.

Libra: 9/23 – 10/22 You’ve had your eye on someone for a long time and really don’t want to be spending Single Awareness day forever alone.

Suck it up and ask them on a date already. Seriously.

Scorpio: 10/23 – 11/21 You can’t have everything handed to you on a silver platter, so now it’s time to work for it. Work on being a little more open-mined, accepting and understanding. If you do you will find many people will appreciate the change and it will be a step in a new direction.

Sagittarius: 11/22 – 12/21 You like showing your emotion especially to your significant other.

Just do everyone a favor and get a room for all of your clingy couple stuff. There is love in the air… but so is the flu.

Capricorn: 12/22 – 1/19 Stop being a being afraid to fail and get out there. You settle so much you have forgotten what you deserve.

Aquarius: 1/20 – 2/18 Your life doesn’t suck, you’re just stuck in a rut. The best way to change something is to change your attitude about it. Tough times don’t last, tough people do.

Pisces: 2/19 – 3/20 The kid coloring outside the lines are the ones who have the most fun. Let loose and just go crazy.

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VOL. 52, NO. 3 / JAN. 28, 2013