Nov 16, 2015

Aug. 10, 2015 NOV. 16, 2015

VOL. 57 57 #16 #3 VOL.

If we build it,

will they Jags trounce Tigers come? in tournament Page 9

NEWS News

Wheels Elijah Benfor Carson

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LIFE

Freshman Do’s and Don’ts Diwali

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Opinion Opinion

Consider the Source Tobacco-free campus?

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NOV. 16, 2015

Presidential candidate Ben Carson to come to Mitchell Center for campaign rally Carson to visit Mobile on Nov. 19, second candidate to visit the Port City since Donald Trump

By ALYSSA NEWTON Editor-In-Chief

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epublican presidential candidate Ben Carson will be returning to Mobile for a free rally and a fundraiser on Thursday, Nov. 19.

Carson was a neurosurgeon before becoming a candidate in the race for the Republican nomination. The nowretired surgeon, most known for his work separating conjoined twins, is a product of Yale University and the University of Michigan Medical School.

This is the second time Carson has visited the Port City. Carson spoke at the University of Mobile’s leadership banquet on April 30.

At his previous event, Carson spoke about his upbringing in Detroit as well as his plan for a conservative, Christian government. According to AL.com, he spoke about his faith many times throughout the event.

According to a Huffington Post poll that tracks over 200 polls nationwide, Carson is second in the race for the GOP primary, led only by Donald Trump.

Trump visited Mobile in August for the first stop of his campaign trail. He spoke in front of a crowd of approximately 20,000 people at Ladd-Peebles Memorial Stadium.

Ohio governor and GOP candidate John Kasich also stopped by the Port City on Nov. 3. When he visited Mobile, Mayor Sandy Stimpson thanked Kasich for his trip.

“I welcome all presidential candidates who decide to visit the great city of Mobile,” Stimpson said on his Twitter account.

Carson will appear at South Alabama’s Mitchell Center arena from 4-5 p.m. for a free rally. According to AL.com, tickets will be available for the event on Carson’s website.

The Mitchell Center, home to the South Alabama Jaguars basketball team, can hold

Nov. 16, 2015

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

Alyssa Kaitlyn Newton

Mitchell Kahalley Micaela Walley Alexander Moylan Mary Alice Wilson Natalie Franklin Bria Johnson Tori Brackett Caitlin Smith

Staff Photographer Emily Rodrick

Distribution

Distribution Bobby Faulk Alan Smith

Advertising

Advertising Cristina Werner Graphic Designer Katelyn Huff

Management

Ben Carson will visit the Mitchell Center in Mobiile on Nov. 19. (WikiCommons) 10,000 people.

There will be security screening before the rally, according to Dean Parker of the Carson campaign. Parker encourages those who want to attend the event to arrive early.

For a one-on-one audience with the candidate, there will be a fundraiser following the rally, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at a private residence. Tickets for the event are $500 per person for the fundraiser, $1000 to be a VIP.

Advising J. Sellers J. Aucoin Accounting Kathy Brannan

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USAPD Blotter

If you SEE something 251-460-6312 SAY something!

Theft of property 2nd degree Meisler Hall 10/28/15 – 22:23 A lost wallet was turned into the USAPD office. Upon return to the owner, she stated that her debit card was missing.

Attempt to commit a controlled substance crime Spring Hill Medical Center 10/27/15 – 9:42 On 10/27/2015 the University of South Alabama (USA) Police Department received information about an employee obtaining fraudulent prescriptions. The employee was interviewed and admitted to obtaining the prescriptions without a doctor’s authorization. She was booked into Metro Jail of an attempt to commit a controlled substance crime.

Harassment New Hall 10/26/15 21:55 Known subject, with intent to harass, annoy, or cause alarm, shoved the victim at the listed location at New Hall.

Unlawful Breaking and Entering a Vehicle The Grove 10/26/15 -- 18:54 Between the listed dates and times, an unknown person or persons unlawfully entered vehicle parked at the Grove.

Theft of property second degree USA Recreation Center 10/25/15 – 17:01 Victim had an orange card holder stolen from him containing two bank Visa/Debit cards, Alabama driver’s license, and Jag ID card.

Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle The Grove 10/25/15 – 15:25 Between the listed dates, an unknown person unlawfully entered a motor vehicle parked in the Grove.

Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle The Grove 10/25/15 – 16:05 On October 25, 2015 an unknown person unlawfully entered a vehicle parked in the Grove.

Burglary Third Degree The Grove 10/25/15 – 15:19 Unknown suspects used force to enter the victim’s Grove apartment via front door and bedroom doors.

Theft of Article from Auto The Grove 10/25/15 – 10:42 A female suspect’s vehicle was burglarized while parked at the Grove.

Alcohol Poisoning – Engaging in conduct that places the campus community in danger New Hall 10/25/15 – 4:50 On 10/25/2015 at 04:50, a Medical Emergency was reported at New Hall Dorms.

NOV. 16, 2015

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Sustainability Council hosts pet supply drive he Sustainability Council at South Alabama has been making huge strides in the process of creating a more green campus.

As the only environmental student group at South Alabama, the organization is dedicated to improving the status of the campus in Mobile and pushes environmental initiatives to promote a greener world to the students and faculty on our campus.

The Sustainability Council has been in action since 2009, and has been involved in several environmentally friendly programs since then.

Recently, they have established a recycling center behind the main building of the maintenance department, off of North Drive near the roundabout. The recycling center has areas for glass, paper and cardboard, plastics, and aluminum. Recycling receptacles have been placed in most buildings on campus.

The organization also placed an interactive Pepsi Dream Machine in the lobby of the student center. Over sixty-five college campuses are home to these machines across the country,

with 15.9 million products currently collected by the kiosks. The machine accepts aluminum cans and #1 plastic bottles in exchange for Rewards Points, which can be used across Mobile, with discounts at places like Satori’s Café, Office Depot, Precision Tune AutoCare, and Hot Topic. The university of South Alabama is listed as the fourth highest in the amount of recyclables collected, with a $5,000 prize going towards sustainability projects at the winning university’s campus.

Beginning in March of this year, the group hosted a food recovery drive, collecting and donating over 500 pounds of food. They have also planted a garden on campus, hosted several educational workshops on campus concerning recycling and composting and hosted a campus Cceanup of the waterways.

Currently, the Sustainability Council is hosting a pet food/supply drive on campus for the Delta Dog Project of Mobile and Project Purr. Both of these are non-profit and non-kill programs that provide shelter to unhomed animals in the area, until they can find a permanent home for the animals. Each is dedicated to saving as many cats and dogs in and around Mobile as possible, and placing them with responsible fosters or

Letter to the Editor:

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By TORI BRACKETT Staff Reporter

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Rape Awareness

By James Stork, Colby King, Nikolas Parent, Hannallisha Allen, Taylor Ragsdale, Remika Rai.

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exual harassment on campus is a total disgrace to what we stand for as a student body. What makes this problem worse is that people think that they are immune to the problem and don’t believe they would ever be in a situation where they would be harassed or even assaulted. As a group we are trying to raise the awareness to our fellow students, staff, and faculty member of just how prevalent these incidences are, and how we are fighting to stop these problem from arising. When almost 4 out of 5 rape cases are committed by someone that the victim knew, it’s good to pay close attention to just who you’re friends with, and who could get you in a very bad situation. While the university is doing all that it can to prevent these things from occurring, it is on you, the students, to heed the advice being given and learn what to do in certain situations. We are not telling you to be paranoid about everyone and everything, but if students would just take a step back and think their actions before doing them. This campus is as safe as it could be, the only thing we can do is to be aware of people who cause these kind of problems.

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adopting them to families who can provide them with the love and care they deserve.

“Ever since I’ve been at South, I’ve never seen a pet supply drive or any efforts to benefit animals,” Angela McGaugh, a member the Sustainability Council, said. “So my organization decided that it was time we hosted one.”

The drive will continue until Nov. 20 and donation boxes have been temporarily placed in the Student Center lobby, next to the Pepsi Dream Machine, as well as in the Allied Health The Sustainability Council has a Facebook and Humanities buildings. The drive is accepting page, USA Sustainability Council, where you can donations of any dog/cat related non-perishable like them and follow announcements of current items, including leashes and collars, packaged and upcoming events, including supply drives, treats, Dawn dishwashing liquid, blankets, hand campus/area cleanups, and meeting times. sanitizer, dog and cat toys, unscented clay cat litter and pet appropriate food bowls.

On Tuesday, Nov. 17, a table will be set up in the Student Center near the donation boxes with cats and kittens visiting from Project Purr, from 10 a.m.. to 2 p.m. to promote adoptions, volunteers and donations.

Both Project Purr and the Delta Dog Project will accept donations of products and supplies, as well as monetary donations. Volunteers are warmly welcomed at both organizations, with The sustainability council will hold the first pet supply drive. (Kendall Newton) contact information on their websites.

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NOV. 16, 2015

USA selects consultants for possible football stadium

By BOB LOWRY USA Public Relations

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he University of South Alabama has selected a trio of highly regarded consulting firms to assist with the exploration of the financial, logistical and infrastructural requirements associated with the possible construction of an on-campus football stadium. The consultants will explore a wide range of issues and communicate with a broad array of University officials and constituents during this phase of the process.

“The selection of these firms, all of which are respected and recognized in their fields of expertise, is the next step in our deliberative process of exploring the possibility of an on-campus football facility,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Joel Erdmann. “Each firm is highly qualified to undertake the necessary research and provide the information the University needs to reach the appropriate decision.”

The consulting firms are CDFL Architects and Engineers, based in Jackson, Miss.; Populous, an architect and design firm headquartered in Kansas City, Mo.; and Hunden Strategic Partners, a real estate development organization from Chicago.

Each company has extensive experience in the many facets of the development of stadium projects.

“CDFL and Populous will lead us through the concept, design, engineering, pricing and possible locations of a potential stadium, and assist with our understanding of key issues such as vehicle and pedestrian ingress and egress, parking, concessions and stadium technology,” Erdmann said. “Hunden will advise us on the current and projected local marketplace in relation to a stadium, potential revenue-generating opportunities that a stadium might provide, the interaction of a stadium within the campus and surrounding community, and how these issues impact design decisions.”

No decision has been made about whether or not the University will proceed with plans for construction of a football stadium. The University will continue to provide updates as the process moves forward, but there is no set schedule or deadline for completion.

South Alabama SGA update Zone time change, lighting tour and possible concealed carry resolution

By ALYSSA NEWTON Editor-In-Chief

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fter a two-week hiatus, South Alabama SGA met Monday, Nov 9, in the Student Center ballroom with some significant items on the night’s agenda.

President Ravi Rajendra addressed the new zone time change and senator DJ Parten officially presented his concealed carry resolution to SGA and the student forum.

Rajendra started the meeting with his president’s report. He opened with a round of applause for the homecoming committee after homecoming week was a “great success.”

He also touched on the soccer tournament regional, the new “Rowdy Reds” student section for basketball and the $1000 allowance from the USA Bookstore that was given to use for incentives.

Rajendra said he attended a meeting to discuss the parking zone change and came to the agreement that warning tickets will be given throughout the rest of the academic year. There may be further discussion on the change later.

Vice president Dan Currie brought up in his report that the senate needed to help with targeting areas on campus that are being affected by continued smoking on campus.

The University went tobacco-free on Aug. 1.

The annual lighting tour will be Nov. 18, at 6 p.m., according to Dean of Students Mike Mitchell. This is an annual tour around campus that administration and SGA use to see what parts of campus need better lighting.

Treasurer Marcus Williams will be giving a State of the Budget report this week. All of the bills that were presented, Williams said, would come out of the senate project fund.

The second round of appropriations motion passed the senate pending on the approval from legal affairs.

Other bills included funding MLK Day, the JagTran Tracker and “Pizza with the President,” and all three were passed. “Pizza with the President” will be held Nov. 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Center ballroom.

Senator Parten read his concealed carry resolution. The floor was opened to the senate for discussion.

Three pros and three cons were also presented for senators supporting each side. According to a couple members of the executive committee, the senate may table voting on the resolution to include more student input.

SGA meetings are held every Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center ballroom.

These meetings are open to students and faculty.

Understanding transgender issues Fourm helps students understand transgender experience

By BRIA JOHNSON Staff Repoter

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hen one thinks of the word “gender,” one may immediately think of the terms “male” and “female,” but in today’s society, that word is a little more complicated.

Today, people identify themselves in almost 50 alternative gender forms, some of which include agender, bigender, genderfluid, genderqueer, pangender and two-spirit. These forms all fall under the transgender umbrella.

Last Thursday, Students for Equality and the Southern Transgender Alliance hosted “Understanding Transgender Issues,” an educational forum for the South Alabama community to learn about transgender people and the issues the transgender community faces.

Many have seen or heard about the issues in the transgender community. These issues span from transgender inequality or discrimination, questioning sexuality, understanding your sexuality, fears, transgender suicide and homicide, the bathroom debate and Caitlyn Jenner.

Nichole Stewart, a genderfluid student at Vigor High School who also identifies as Chris, was a part of the discussion. When asked what it felt like to be transgender, Stewart gave the best answer she could to help the audience understand.

“When you’re trans, you feel dysphoric,” Stewart said. “You feel like this is not mine, this is not me.

“Here I am with this brain of a female, but I’m a male. I’m a female but I have the parts of a male.”

“Everyone is an individual,… but the reality is we’re all just people,” said Jennifer Eastep, founder of Southern Transgender Alliance and a transgender woman.

Eastep founded Southern Transgender Alliance in Mobile for transgender men and women. She said she prides herself on being an advocate to transgender men and women in the South, all while helping people “realize their trueness.”

Eastep’s organization is currently non-profit.

All finances come out of her pocket.

Eastep spoke to the audience about these issues and their effect on transgender men and women, especially in the South and on college campuses.

Isabella Heart, president of Students for Equality, a transgender woman and newly appointed youth director at STA, also helped with the discussion. She shared her experience as a transgender woman at USA. Heart says she has experienced bullying and discrimination on campus and knows other transgender people that have had similar experiences. She said she knows a few transgender people that have reported these incidents, only to have nothing done about them.

“They were just like being pushed around because it was like they were being told that they weren’t as important as the general population,

because they weren’t born the gender they identify as,” Heart said. “It’s the whole heteronormative and it’s just reincorporating with gender.”

“We’ve got to let them know that this is unacceptable, whatsoever,” Eastep said. “The best thing for students to do is be aware that we’re here.

“To step up if you see someone bullying a student, say something. Don’t allow it to continue.”

The audience and panel interacted with one another and cleared up a lot of misconceptions about the transgender topic.

Sterling Spencer, president of Spectrum on campus, attended the forum. He said he did not know that so many transgender women were being killed or that people didn’t really start acknowledging crimes against transgenders until 2009.

Spencer said he did not know the struggles transgender people face, which can include simple things like going to a public restroom. He said he has a couple of transgender friends that attend South Alabama and they all have been victims of bullying.

“We’ve talked about some things that they’ve experienced,” Spencer said. “They aren’t as drastic as Isabella’s experience, like something small like people using the wrong pronouns with them on purpose.”

Spencer said he was happy to attend the forum and that it was a great way for transgender students to have a voice.

LIFE

Natalie franklin life Editor nsf1222@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Nov. 16, 2015

Students for Bernie Sanders encourage all to vote

By CAITLIN SMITH Life Reporter

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ernie Sanders is becoming a huge name in this race for presidency, especially amongst college aged students. Mari Ponder, president of the student organization that supports Bernie, says that is because the word socialism doesn’t scare them.

“Millennials respond to a candidate that talks about making public universities free and universal health care and raising the minimum wage, these are all things that are very prominent in these younger people’s minds.”

This organization is not the only one on campus that demonstrates students these days are becoming more involved with politics and taking stances on important matters.

Generation Action, USA Democrats and Students for Life are all making their voices heard and taking a stand for things they believe in. At Get on Board Day, Students for Bernie Sanders registered over 30 people to vote and added several students to their numbers.

“Having so many freshmen interested was really exciting for me. To see such young people getting involved and who already knew who Bernie is made me even more excited about this club,” Ponder said.

Ponder really wants this organization to

At the football game on the Nov. 12, Students for Bernie Sanders set up camp in front of the student entrance at Ladd-Peebles Stadium to register students to vote.

(Facebook) give the facts to students who may have heard the name but don’t really know what Sanders is all about.

“Our goal is not to convince people to vote for Bernie Sanders, just to provide information and get to know him and what he stands for.”

Also, registering people to vote is a large component of the organization and to be involved in the political process and to learn how it all works. “Watch the debates, talk to

people, and find out the things that matter to you and select a candidate that best expresses that and if it just so happens to be Bernie, come see us!”

Being passionate about Bernie Sanders is not something new for Ponder, who has been following his political career for years.

From her “Honk if you love Bernie” bumper sticker on her car to her “Bernie 2016” hat, there is no question who she is voting for.

“I never leave the house now without some sort of Bernie on just in case there are people on the fence or want to talk about him or the presidency, I want people to know I want to talk about Bernie, especially students.”

At the football game on the Nov. 12, the group set up camp in front of the student entrance at Ladd-Peebles Stadium to register students to vote.

The banner on the table read “We will assist anyone with voter registration regardless of your political affiliation.” Ponder believes that even if Bernie isn’t their candidate of choice they should still register, and she wants to help them do that.

“I had voter registration forms on one side of me and Bernie Sanders flyers on the other. Because even if students don’t want to vote for Bernie or don’t know who he is, they should still vote and still be involved.”

Students for Bernie Sanders will be in the Student Center Friday, Nov. 20 to continue spreading the word about the Bern and helping students register to vote.

Ponder wants to encourage any students with questions about voter registration to email her at mhc302@jagmail.southalabama. edu.

“It is never too late to get involved and have a voice not only on campus but for who you believe should be president.”

Diwali Festival of Lights brings Indian culture to USA

By NATALIE FRANKLIN Life Editor

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ights, sounds and the taste of India transformed the Student Center Ballroom into a celebration of the 2015 Diwali Festival of Lights.

Diwali is a celebration of light and of good over evil. It is an extremely important holiday in the Indian culture.

“Diwali is one of the brightest and most festive holidays celebrated in India and even among other communities around the world, other Indian communities around the world,” Veena Danthuluri, the vice president of ISA, said.

The Indian Student Association (ISA) presented the Diwali Festival on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and all were invited to celebrate.

Mayank Patel, president of ISA, and Hala Al-Safarjalani were the night’s hosts.

The celebration included various Indian performances as well as a catered Indian dinner.

Patel and Al-Safarjalani kept the crowd lively between performances. At one point, they gathered a few couples on stage to play their version of “The Newlyweds.” Al-Safar-

jalani comically dubbed the game, “curry connections.”

Local Indian restaurant, Halal Cuisine of India catered the dinner.

“We got some very typical Indian dishes,” Mayank Patel said.

On the menu was Chicken Masala, rice and chick peas, among other things. Dinner

was served before the show began.

Students performed all the routines. Danthuluri and Sheenal Patel performed a traditional Bollywood dance. Several other students performed Indian routines including other dances, playing instruments and singing.

Jordan Harrison sang a soft Hindi song, and Madeline Trout and Rohan Ghosh per-

Madeline Trout and Rohan Ghosh performed an instrumental duet at the Diwali Festival of Lights. ( Natalie Franklin | Life Editor )

formed an instrumental duet. Everyone’s performances were met with cheers and applause from the audience.

“I just wanted them [the attendees] to have their stomachs full of really good Indian food and kind of get immersed in all of the music and the culture that we have,” Patel said.

ISA collected donations for Aashray Care Home, a care home for children infected with HIV in India.

“The amount that we send there, it can last months and months for these kids,” Patel said.

Throughout the year, ISA fundraises for Aashray Care Home by selling henna tattoos.

“Last year, we were able to successfully reach our goal of $600, so this year I really want to push it to $1000,” Patel said.

This year’s Diwali Festival of Lights at South Alabama was successful.

The Student Center Ballroom was packed with students eager to observe and celebrate Indian traditions.

“It’s really awesome to bring the Indian culture to all of the USA students. A lot of them are really interested but don’t really know a lot about the Indian culture, so it makes me really happy to put on events like this for everyone,” Patel said.

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Nov. 16, 2015

Student shares her study abroad experience in Russia

By KASSY URENA- RODRIGUEZ Contributing Writer

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tudying abroad was one of the best decisions I have made. I am currently a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, where I am a double major in International Studies and Foreign Language with concentrations in International Relations, French, and Russian. Also, I am working towards a minor in Applied Linguistics.

I am originally from the Dominican Republic, born and raised. I came to the U.S. seven years ago.

Coming here was really a shocking experience, maybe because I did not know the language or maybe because it was so different.

Being here all these years has made me a better person and made me learn that languages are a bridge that cross to a world of understanding.

I went to Russia this past summer. I spent six weeks in Moscow and one week in Saint Petersburg.

The trip was long so by the the time my friends and I got there we were tired but glad that we had finally made it.

It was different: the people, the streets, the way they dress, and the places to eat. I mean of course it was different, but it was a great experience. Russian food is amazing I miss drinking the Tarkhun, which is a licorice soda, and I miss tasting the amazing ice creams.

We went everywhere we could, including the Museum of Chocolate and Cocoa History where they let you taste all the different kinds of chocolates in season.

We also learned about the history of how choco-

This past summer, Kassy travelled to Russia for six weeks. ( Kassy UrenaRodriguez | Contributing Writer ) late got to Russia. One day on a quiet side street near Taganskaya we visited a nondescript neoclassical building. This is the gateway to the secret Cold War– era communications centre, ZKP Tagansky. Operated during the Cold War by Central Telephone and Telegraph, the facility was meant to serve as the communications headquarters in the event of a nuclear attack.

As such, the building was just a shell and served as entry into the 7000-sq-metre space that is 60m underground.

It was an interesting experience going to Moscow and visiting historical places like the Tolstoy’s

State, where we saw the house of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. One of my most favorite buildings in Moscow is Saint Basil’s Cathedral.

The Cathedral was ordered by Ivan the Terrible to mark the 1552 capture of Kazan from Mongol forces. I love the way I could just take the metro and travel to the station to somewhere I could just walk out of and be in front of the Saint Basil’s Cathedral.

It is the most amazing thing you can see. I love just to stand at the Red Square and look at it.

When we went to Saint Petersburg we went to many beautiful places like the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood as it marks the spot where Al-

exander II was fatally wounded in an assassination attempt on March 1, 1881.

We visited beautiful palaces like the Hermitage and the Winter Palace. I felt as if I was in the film “Anastasia.”

We visited the extraordinaire Peterhof Palace and gardens also referred to sometimes as “The Russian Versailles” because Peter the Great was driven by his desires of building an imperial palace in his new city.

The palace had many fountains which Peter the Great loved because he liked to play tricks on people who visited.

There were fountains that looked like trees and he used to tell people to get closer and figure out if it was real and when they did, Peter the Great gave the signal so the water could be turned on and the people would get soaking wet.

There are many fountains like this and to this day you can go to the Peterhof Palace and see people playing with these fountains.

My classmates and I enjoyed our stay in Saint Petersburg and staying out late to see the bridges rise and knowing that if you were at the other side of the bridge you had to stay there until 6 a.m. Russia was an amazing experience and I got the opportunity to meet many different people.

I learned many things about the culture, I got to experience having sunlight for twenty-two hours straight, the opportunity to visit the U.N. and many other places. I also met with the Dominican Ambassador.

He was happy to meet me and my peers and even gave me a gift. Russia is definitely on the list of places that I want to go back and visit and maybe live for a little while.

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NOV. 16, 2015

IMC presents Malcolm Holcombe for last show of the semester

By TORI BRACKETT Staff Reporter

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atori Coffee House hosted the last of the Independent Music Collective’s (IMC) shows for this semester on Thursday, Nov. 12.

Malcolm Holcombe filled the shop with his folksy acoustics and “rumbling baritone”, as described by allmusic.com, with close to forty attendees.

His show featured tracks from his newest album, The RCA Sessions, released in April of this year, and his debut album, A Hundred Lies.

His gruff demeanor and unique voice had the crowd laughing and dancing along with his songs.

He told stories of his wife and his recent travels, questioning the audience on their own travels, “Y’all ever been to Savannah? It’s okay if you have, I won’t judge you.”

He joked about the hardships of growing older. “Sometimes you just forget some of the words, and now I can’t remember the song I’m supposed to play next.”

This elicited laughs and a feeling of closeness with the members of the crowd.

His gruff manner and abrasive words

created a spooky and demanding presence, which made for an interesting atmosphere, one that is not generally found in today’s musical world.

He closed the show with the memorable words, “I’m ready to chain smoke and touch each other.”

His acoustics are heavy with emotion, paired with a gravelly baritone, described

by Rolling Stone Magazine as “haunted country, acoustic blues and rugged folk all meet here.”

His sound has been compared to John Prine, Johnny Cash, and Tom Waits, and anyone with an interest in bold and cryptic country/folk would definitely enjoy his sound.

Chelsea Scarcliff attended the show, and said, “Malcolm was incredibly unique. While his words became jumbled at some points during the songs, the music’s emotion and intensity was tangible, and the whole audience was feeling it.”

The crowd grooved along with Holcombe’s haunting tunes, in a concentrated listening atmosphere, with a sense of kinship growing amongst the crowd members, the music itself, and the artist.

Holcombe is originally from Weaverville, North Carolina, and has played with the Irish folk singer Maura O’Connell, on the duet classic “A Far Cry From Here” on his latest album.

SPORTS

MARY ALICE WILSON SPORTS Editor usavgsports@gmail.com

Nov. 16, 2015

Malcolm Holcombe played at Satori Coffee House on Thursday, Nov. 12.

Holcombe is the last act IMC will present this semester. (Facebook)

He toured nationally with Shelby Lynne, as a duo with Valorie Miller of North Carolina. He’s opened for such artists as Merle Haggard and Wilco.

Holcombe usually plays as a duo configuration with multi-instrumentalist Jared Tyler, who worked on his newest al-

bum, which is a spotlight of Holcombe’s 20 year musical career.

The Independent Music Collective has finished with shows for this semester, but expects to have a new lineup of four shows for next semester at Satori after the holidays.

(Alyssa Newton | Editor-in-Chief)

Soccer advances to second round in NCAA play The Jags will take on Florida State on Friday in Tallahassee after beating LSU at home

By MITCHELL KAHALLEY Managing Editor

F

lags were waving, fans were painted red and chants of US-A were ringing throughout the Cage on Friday night as crowd of over 1,000 people spilled out of the grandstand and onto the sidelines to watch the University of South Alabama soccer team host and win their first ever NCAA Tournament game. A dominating performance saw the Jaguars win 4-0 against LSU, booking them a spot in the second round in the tournament for the first time in the program’s history.

“We want to thank all the fans for coming out tonight. That was the most electric crowd probably in Mobile soccer history, certainly here since I’ve been here. It was unbelievable and to have them here, it was like having a 12th player on the field.” Jaguar head coach Graham Winkworth said after the match.

The Jaguars dominated the first half right from the blow of the whistle.

Danielle Henley opened the scoring

in the 11th minute of the game after Alyssa Mayer laid the ball off at the top right of the box. Henley found some daylight and hit the ball that curled into the far post. Henley would double her tally on the night after volleying in a Sophie Haywood cross in the center of the box which slide under LSU keeper Catalina Rubiano.

“The field was just wide open.”

Henley said. “And when you have a lot of space it’s easy just to attack and go from there.”

The Jaguars outshot the Tigers 9-2 in the first half and 5-0 in shots on goal in the first half.

“I thought the first half was immaculate.” Winkworth said. “It was a good performance from the girls and I couldn’t be more proud. This was a massive event for us and they’ve really stepped for me. I can’t praise the girls enough.

In the 51st minute, Rio Hardy headed home Jemma Purfield’s corner extending the lead to 3-0. In the 66th minute Charde Hannah boomed down the right side of the pitch shooting the ball at the tightest of angles just before reaching the touchline and finding the

far side of the net giving the Jags their fourth and final goal of the match.

South Alabama faced stiffer competition from LSU in the second half, with the Tigers getting eight shots off, however only one was on goal. The Jags managed to shoot the ball six times in the second half with two of them finding the target and the back of the net.

LSU keeper Rubiano made three saves as did Jaguar keeper Sarah Hay, who led South to their 10th clean sheet of the season. Senior defender Nini Rabsatt-Smith played her part in keeping the ball out of the net. This was her third trip to the NCAA tournament with the Jaguars. After failing to advance in the last two seasons, RabsattSmith said that couldn’t express what getting the win at home meant to her.

“Oh my gosh, it means everything.

Words can’t describe. This has been the most amazing ride ever. This has been the best season. I’m so happy to be on this team.” Rabsatt-Smith said.

The Jaguars 4-0 thrashing of LSU was the first time a school from a nonpower conference beat a power conference school by that margin since

Portland beat UCLA in the Women’s College Cup final. Winkworth said that the win means mid-major schools deserve more respect from the national media.

Winkworth said, “There’s been a lot of media outlets from across the country that don’t give enough respect to the mid-major schools and they feel like some of the purely power five conferences should be dominating who is selected to be in the show and, you know, we’re number 16 in the RPI for a reason we’ve earned that right. The girls don’t like to read those things and they wanted to make a statement today and they’ve done it in convincing fashion.”

The Jaguars are set to one of the biggest power conference schools on the road, one they have a history with, this weekend in the second round of the tournament, the Florida State Seminoles. The Seminoles have won three consecutive ACC Tournaments and are the reigning Women’s College Cup champions. The Seminoles and Jaguars have met in the first round of the tournament in the last two years, with Florida State winning both matches by a score of 5-0.

The second round matchup will be on Friday, Nov. 20 at 4:30 p.m. in Tallahassee. The winner of the match will advance to a date with Texas Tech or Auburn in the Round of 16.

Courtesy of USAJaguars South Alabama was the first Sun Belt team to host an NCAA tournament. (Alyssa Newton | Editor-in-Chief)

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10

Nov. 16, 2015

Jags one win away from bowl eligibility after Cajun win

By ALYSSA NEWTON Editor-in-Chief

I

n a crucial late season victory, South Alabama beat the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns 32-25 on Thursday to keep its bowl hopes alive.

For the first three quarters, South Alabama controlled the scoreboard, but midway through the fourth quarter, Jaguar quarterback Cody Clements attempted to throw away a pass. It ended up in the hands of Savion Brown, whose 85-yard pick-six put the Cajuns up 25-24 after a failed two-point conversion.

“Everybody could drop their head, but we didn’t,” USA head coach Joey Jones said of the situation following the interception.

“You have to respond to those situations.

That’s the way life is.”

South Alabama responded with a defensive score of its own. E.J. May picked off the ball a mere four minutes later, setting up an Xavier Johnson 16-yard touchdown. Clements ran in a two-point conversion to put the Jags back in the lead 32-25 with just over three minutes to go in the contest.

“I was just reading. I knew they were going to run an inside route, and I just sat on it and waited for the quarterback to throw it,” May said. “We knew we had to make a stop.

The defense just had to come up and make a big play.

South Alabama rallied late to beat Louisiana-Lafayette Thursday night for a 3225 win. (Alyssa Newton | Editor-in-Chief) After being stopped and turning the ball over on downs, ULL forced the Jags to make a big play on fourth-and-inches. Gerald Everett jumped over the offensive line and a pile of Cajun defenders for the first down with 2:05 remaining in the game.

The Jaguars watched the clock run down as they notched their fifth win of the season.

“We’re watching a team grow up right before our eyes,” Jones said. “We were very inexperienced at the beginning of the year, just

a very average team in my opinion.

“We had a bunch of guys who care about this team. They don’t panic when the going gets tough.

Clements went 17-of-28 passing for a career-high 281 yards, a career-best for the senior quarterback. Clements also recorded a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass on a trick play.

Everett took a reverse handoff from Dami Ayoola before tossing the touchdown

pass to a wide-open Clements in the endzone for a 24-13 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Johnson recorded 118 yards and two touchdowns on 23 touches. Terrance Timmons supplied 62 yards on the ground, and Everett caught four passes each for 59 yards.

Braedon Bowman finished with 69 yards and Josh Magee with 67 yards on two receptions a piece.

South Alabama and ULL are now tied for fourth place in the Sun Belt Conference. The Sun Belt now has four bowl tie-ins. the GoDaddy Bowl, New Orleans Bowl, Camellia Bowl and this year, the inaugural Cure Bowl.

South Alabama limited ULL to 43 rushing yards. The 2014 Sun Belt Player of the Year Elijah McGuire was kept to just 21 yards on 11 carries.

Jeremy Reaves lead the Jags defensively with nine tackles, one of them for a loss, a forced fumble, two broken-up passes and blocked a ULL extra-point attempt after the Cajuns’ first touchdown.

“Coming into this week, we knew Elijah is a great back,” the sophomore safety said.

“That was our emphasis, to stop him, not let him get going. We accomplished that tonight. I give all the credit to our big boys up front.”

“I just told the guys to trust the defense; you know they’ve got us,” Clements said.

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Nov. 16, 2015

#JagTweets

Volleyball falls, seeds sixth in SBC tournament

By MARY ALICE WILSON Sports Editor

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Follow Us! USA Vanguard Sports @USAVGSports

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Already four games left in my sophomore season... Time really flys man

he Lady Jags clinches the SBC Volleyball tournament Thursday night, but ultimately fell to Texas State.

With the loss, Michell Daniel recorded her twelfth double-double on the season. Daniel also led the team with 13 kills and 11 digs for the night. Nikki Gittens was close behind with nine kills and five total blocks.

Savannah Stewart led the ladies on digs, with a total of 19 for the night. Emily Hundt added 13 digs of her own.

“Up until these last three matches, we knew our team would fight and play tough in every match and when they did they were competitive,” South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky told USA Jaguars before the match.

“We haven’t been playing our style of volleyball the last three matches, but we have identified that as a program and will work very hard this week to return back to our level of play. Part of growing as a team is learning how to face adversity and strive to become a stronger team.”

The Lady Jags took a 3-1 loss to Texas State, but would go on to take on UT Arlington Sunday for the final game of the regular season.

Sunday afternoon the Jaguars fell to UT Arlington in three straight sets with scores of 13-

Emily Hundt recorded 17 digs in her final regular season match with the Jaguars.

(Photo courtest of USAJaguars) 25, 23-25, and 23-25, respectively.

Nikki Gittens led this match with 11 kills, while Michell Daniel was not far behind with nine for the night. This will be only the second time this season Daniel has not crossed double figure digs during a match.

Emily Hundt recorded 17 digs in her final regular-season game with the Jaguars.

As a team, South Alabama accounted for only five blocks on the night, tied for their third lowest of the season.

South Alabama will finish the season 13-14 overall, 7-9 in conference play and will go into the tournament seeded sixth and will take on the No. 3 Texas State Bobcats once again in the opening round of the tournament on Nov. 20.

Cross Country takes on Region Championship

By MARY ALICE WILSON Sports Editor

T

he South Alabama men’s and women’s cross-country teams participated in the NCAA South Region Championships this Friday in Tuscaloosa.

Johanna McCoy earned the All-Region honors after Friday’s contest. McCoy led the women’s team for the fifth time out of six contests this season with a time of 20:58.06 in the 6,000-meter race, ranking 23rd in the contest.

Ashley Heitling was not far behind McCoy, finishing in 35th place out of 208 with a time of 21:18.81.

"I was super pleased with Joanna and Ashley, they stepped up and beat some really fast people," head coach David Barnett told USA Jaguars.

After winning their first SBC Championship since 1993, the South Alabama women’s team came into the competition ranked ninth and finished at 11th out of 30 schools in the Regional competition.

The men’s team was led by Christoph Graf with a time of 31:51.17 during the 10,000 meter race to be ranked 32nd place in the contest. Graf has finished first for the Jags in each meet of the season.

Patrick Rohr finished in 46th place

Senior Johanna McCoy takes home All-Region honors after Regional Contest in Tuscaloosa. (Photo courtest of USAJaguars)

with a time of 32:12.36, while Katleho Dyoyj finished in 32:31.12 to be ranked in 58th place.

"I think the men did the best they could today," Barnett commented to USA Jaguars.

"Not having Nathan [Riech] again was a problem, but at the same time the guys who did run today competed really well. We didn't have the

low stick that we did last year, but from 1-5 everyone competed well.

The Jaguar men came into the day in 11th place and finished 14th out of 27 teams.

The men’s team will be losing Buddy Soto after this season, while the women’s team will be losing Johanna McCoy and Alivia Bryars.

Nov. 16, 2015

12

Men’s basketball wins home opener, falls to N.C. State

By MARY ALICE WILSON Sports Editor The South Alabama men’s basketball team took on the men of Auburn-Montgomery Friday night at the Mitchell Center. The Jags had a rough start, but ended up taking home their tenth season-opener within the last 11 seasons with a 88-68 win.

AUM was up on South Alabama as much as 14 points at one point during the first half.

It was a tug-of-war battle between the teams that left USA down by seven, 42-35, at the halftime break.

“We really struggled and weren’t aggressive,” coach Matthew Graves explained. “At halftime, they had made eight 3s and we committed two fouls. It was our mentality; we were soft on the ball, we were soft in rotations and we were really soft rebounding the basketball; obviously that attributed to them scoring 45 points at halftime.”

Coming back from the half, South Alabama allowed only two points before Georgi Boyanov and Ken Williams scored back-toback and the Jags were back in the game.

The offense went on to score 11 unanswered points, while the defense forced 11 misses for AUM. “In the second half, I thought we made some good adjustments on ball-screen coverage,” Graves recounted. “We limited their good looks and ultimately we go on to win by 20.”

Williams was the lead Jag on the night, recording 21 points, including three 3-pointers.

This will be Williams’ twelfth career 20-point

Football

Continued from Page 13

“They’re going to make a play, and we’re going to get the ball back and make a play to score and win the game.

“You have to have that faith throughout all 60 minutes of the game. That’s the big reason why you have seen the outcome in these last two games. We’re really trusting each other. We have confidence in the guy next to us.”

The Jaguars will next face the Georgia State Panthers (3-6) in the first of two straight games in the Peach State. The contest against the Panthers is set for a 1 p.m.

(CST) kickoff at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, Nov. 21.

“We’re obviously one step closer to a bowl, and that’s one of our goals,” Jones said. “Our guys are looking forward to the next ballgame, but we’re going to enjoy this one tonight.

“I’m just so proud of them and how we’ve come through in the last couple of games. We’ve put ourselves in position to

game. Tafari Whittingham was close behind with a total of 14 points and nine rebounds.

Junior Nick Stover made his South Alabama debut after taking a year off due to transferring from Loyola Marymount. Not only did this mark his first game with the team, but Stover also recorded career-high points with 17, including three 3-pointers, and tied his career-high rebounds with a total of nine on the night.

“I’m really proud of Nick, I thought he got us going,” Graves stated. “I certainly think this is a confidence builder for him; he hasn’t played competitively in over a year after sitting out, and in the exhibition game he was in foul trouble so he didn’t get a chance to get in a really great rhythm. His emotion, his passion, he brought that energy, that’s what we need and he did a good job with that.”

The stats reflected a close. South Alabama went 43.1% on the night for field-goals, whereas AUM went 32.8%. The Warhawks shot 47.1% from 3-point line in the first half but couldn’t complete even one in the second.

“I feel confident we have the pieces to be very successful, there is no question this is the most talented team we’ve had here in the last three years,” Graves explained. “We have to understand that it is very important that we learn to play together, and we are getting there. We had spurts where we looked pretty good together, but it is going to take some time.”

Following the at-home win, South Alabama travelled to NC State to take on the Wolfpack. The Jags ultimately fell 88-70 in this Sunday night contest.

“The start of the game was a little rough

for us,” Matthew Graves said to USA Jaguars.

“We had a couple of guys that were a little bit shell-shocked; we don’t get the opportunity to play an ACC school very often. So we got out to a slow start, but I was really proud of how our guys held their composure.”

It wasn’t until almost the five minute mark that the Jaguars put their first points on the board. The Wolfpack led the Jags throughout most of the contest, with the men trailing on 40-34 at the halftime mark.

Taishaun Johnson was the lead Jag for Sunday night. Johnson recorded a team-high 18 points, while John Brown and Barrington Stevens III recorded ten points each.

“I thought John Brown came in and gave us a quick spurt, with 10 points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes,” Graves noted to USA Jaguars. “I was really proud with how he played off the bench. I thought Taishaun in the second half gave us a spark at times. He was able to get to the free-throw line and convert. Anytime you can get to the free-throw line, it does two things: it allows us to get nice, easy points from our guards, and it also puts the other team in foul trouble.”

South Alabama’s men’s basketball team will be on the road to LSU Thursday night.

Tipoff is at 8:00pm. and the game will be televised on the SEC Network.

get into a bowl now — it’s up to us, our future is in our hands. We have to handle our business, and if we do that then we have a

chance to move on and achieve some of our dreams that we set out early in the year to get.”

Want to be a part of THE VANGUARD?

Opinion

ALEXANDER MOYLAN opinion Editor alm1323@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Nov. 16, 2015

Doubt rises as campus remains under a smoky haze

University bucks “tradition”, follows other institutions with tobacco-free policy, but is it enforced?

By ALEXANDER MOYLAN Opinion Editor

Barrington Stevens III recorded ten points in Sunday night’s contest against NC State. (Photo courtesy of USA Jaguars)

We are looking for Sports Reporters!

Contact Mary Alice Wilson, Sports Editor mw1221@jagmail. southalabama.edu Xavier Johnson poses for the Vanguard after his first touchdown of the night.

(Alyssa Newton | Editor-in-Chief)

On Aug. 1, 2015 our university officially enacted its tobacco-free policy. At first I felt the decision was very “progressive” and indicative of the positive changes the University should expect to see under Dr. Waldrop’s stewardship in the future. But what gives? Approximately three and a half months into a new academic year with this policy and people are still blatantly smoking on our campus! Have I missed something, or is the University blind to the fact that smoking still occurs on campus? Is it too early to suggest the policy has failed?

The issue As we approach December, I can’t help but notice that smoke hasn’t disappeared into thin air quite like I expected. There’s clearly been a reduction in tobacco use throughout parts of campus, yet I can’t help but notice the blatant disregard for the policy in other areas. Shortly after the policy was enacted, it appears as if that the Humanities courtyard became the glorified de facto smoking zone on campus; but unless I’m mistaken, the policy only allows for an individual to smoke inside their own vehicle. Will something be done about this?

An area of campus that has the potential to be one of the more beautiful and picturesque stops in between class is mired in smoke and filled with discarded cigarette butts. Even worse, the fact that this has gone on for so long makes me feel as if the administration is pretending a problem doesn’t exist, as indicated by the lack of an additional, publicized effort to further reduce tobacco usage on campus. Unless I’m mis-

taken, it seems that the signs placed throughout campus urging everyone to observe the policy has been the University’s only major move in handling the issue. Is this really the most effective means of establishing a tobacco-free campus? Ironically, it appears that several of these signs have become discarded themselves, just like the cigarette butts throughout campus as pictured in this article.

The University cannot idly stand by while some individuals are going to ignore the policy and smoke on a newly established tobacco-free campus. Complacency on this issue will only steadily encourage others to smoke unless the University can demonstrate that they meant business when they said tobacco-free.

Why the change in the first place?

According to the Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, as of early Oct. 2015, there were at least 1,620 smoke-free campuses and approximately 1,130 of those are completely tobaccofree, like South. That said, our University is simply keeping pace with many other institutions nationwide that have adopted this type of policy; we weren’t the first, nor will we be the last. Pivotal in the decision-making process was a recommendation by the Wellness Initiatives Committee who emphasized that a tobaccofree campus would be a healthier campus for all of us to enjoy.

Now I can easily get behind the idea that going tobacco-free will promote a healthier working and living environment for all of those who frequently visit the campus throughout the week. However, what I can’t get behind is the University’s inaction demonstrated by a failure to publicly address the fact that smoking that has continued on our campus past Aug. 1.

Can we support a policy the Univeristy doesn’t? (Alexander Moylan | Opinion Editor) How do you enforce this?

I’ve questioned how exactly the University planned to enforce this new policy ever since the announcement. Well say no more, the University has an idea for all of us to follow. No, it isn’t highlighted by casting looks and glares in the direction of smokers, but the University’s suggestion is eerily similar.

On the University’s tobacco-free page, it is suggested that those who are offended by someone smoking approach the smoker and ask him or her to politely observe the University’s policy and cease smoking. A script one can follow when talking to someone in violation of the policy is even provided. Wait, what? Will you also give me the means to start ticketing the drivers who can’t park their vehicles between the lines too?

Similarly, the same page also acknowledges that “it will take time for the educational and informational messages [regarding the policy] to reach all areas of campus and all audiences.” It’s extremely easy to understand how this policy would take time to be fully realized; however, if this was known since day one, why write the policy in a manner that banned tobacco entirely come Aug. 1, rather than slowly enforcing the ban step-by-step? As we are aware, no “grace period” of any sort was mentioned in the policy statement. As of Aug. 1, 2015 the University was to become 100% tobacco-free, plain and simple.

For example, what if the University decided to slowly implement the policy, with a zerotolerance tobacco ban beginning in August, Evidence that smoking continues near Humanities. (Alexander Moylan | Opinion Editor) 2016 rather than 2015? This whole year could

have been spent readying the campus for a new tobacco-free beginning, yet instead the change was forced upon us when much of the campus was away for the summer.

However, it’s worth noting that the University has chosen to provide “tobacco cessation resources”, like nicotine patches, to all employees through the Office of Human Resources, and to all students through the Student Health Center and the Counseling and Testing Services office. This is truly a cool way for the University to extend the olive branch, but this doesn’t assuage the issue still facing the University right now.

What if the University put more energy into publicizing the resources now available to students, faculty and staff? Only by researching the policy did I learn that such resources were made available, so I can only assume how a small number of students are aware. Call me crazy, but what if there was a big board affixed to the Humanities building walls that not only announced the policy, but also made students aware of the resources available to them?

Can South really be tobacco-free?

If the goal is to maintain a tobacco-free campus, then will issuing citations be the solution? The University could possibly pursue a model similar to parking services in the absence of a grace period to cease tobacco use. But if this even worked, would it help or hurt relations between students and the University?

Let’s say students are hired to issue citations to other students they see smoking on campus, much like what parking services does for Continued on Pg. 14

14

Nov. 16, 2015

Tobacco-free?

Continued from Pg. 13

improperly parked vehicles. As far as parking services is concerned, ticketers are typically able to leave a citation under a vehicle’s windshield wipers without the driver being present, thereby avoiding unnecessary confrontation. However, can you imagine a ticketer attempting to issue a citation to a smoker in person, with cigarette in hand?

We have to remember that smoking is a personal choice, one that I’m sure many students were unhappy to give up to begin with following the initial announcement of the policy months ago. Many students are already at their wits end as far as parking citations are concerned, so do we think issuing smoking citations is any more feasible? Citations aren’t the answer, but this means we’re no closer to making this campus tobacco-free than we were moments ago. However, some students feel a decision that favors the non-smoking population over the smoking

population has already been made without the option to protest, so what’s stopping another method of removing tobacco on campus via citations from becoming a reality, despite the concerns mentioned above?

Why is this my issue?

I don’t smoke, nor was I ever terribly affected by secondhand smoke. Conversely, my passion for this issue is similar to why I care so much about people properly disposing recyclables on campus: the after effects. Smoking is an individual’s choice, but the actions of an individual can still affect the entire campus. This campus is my home away from home, and in my home we don’t leave trash on the ground.

It’s simple: I don’t trash your home, so don’t trash mine. Sure, call me the nature freak, but again, the last thing I want is to see our squirrels walking around munching on a cigarette butt momentarily because they don’t know any better!

Though as much as I care, I’m unable to stop all the smokers from littering the ground.

I simply can’t be everywhere watching over the campus I care so much about. But here’s the thing, you can try getting away with smoking as long as you want, yet still respect me, and your fellow students, faculty or staff. Don’t treat the ground like your personal trash can and discard cigarette butts as others do throughout campus.

The Humanities courtyard is both one of my favorite and least favorite places to be on campus. The serene views of nature combined with the visuals of squirrels crazily chasing one another or munching on whatever food was left behind by a student are ruined by careless individuals who selfishly consider themselves more important than literally everything and everyone around them. The Humanities area is just disgusting and so symbolic of the work needed to truly establish a culture that values this campus.

I can’t help but question whether the University imagined this policy was going to be followed right from the get-go or not, and what their plans are to extinguish the issue once and for all. Maybe smokers don’t want to trash the ground, but this policy has removed their only means of properly disposing their cigarette

butts. Therefore, areas of campus that were already trashy have become even trashier. Even when I collect and properly dispose of the recyclables that litter places like the Humanities I still don’t feel like I accomplished anything thanks to how rife the ground is with cigarette butts.

Lingering thoughts I thought about this issue for nearly two weeks and I have still have many questions for the University. For example, are they aware that smoking stills goes on and if so, does the administration have any plans to fully realize the goals of the tobacco-free policy that haven’t been publicized yet? I don’t think the answer is to introduce “smoking zones”, but instead what if the University focused on the areas where smoking is still prevalent, like Humanities specifically? Regardless of the measure the University chooses to take in fully tackling this problem, I think we all know it has to begin with the Humanities courtyard and surrounding area.

Once this area is addressed, I’ll believe the University is serious about being tobacco-free.

“Seeing red”: The Real War on Christmas Holiday cups from Starbucks inspire two students to voice their opinions on what we should care about

By OLIVER KARCHER Contributing Writer Lately, social media has been overflown with news about Starbucks’ “controversial” holiday cup campaign. Just to put into perspective how blown out of proportion this whole incident has been, the moment that I typed in the word “red” into google the Starbucks “scandal” was the first thing to show on news articles and other reports.

Every year, Starbucks has a holiday cup that they release to signify the cusp of the holiday season. In past years, the cups have been adorned with snowflakes, snowy hills, white flurries, reindeers and ornaments as well as traditional “Christmas trees”.

This year, Starbucks took the road less traveled by choosing simplicity with their holiday cup campaign. The cup that Starbucks has released this year is a very simple, red cup with the green Starbucks design. The new Starbucks cups are really profound and it’s not pigeonholing one religion that is “allowed” to celebrate Christmas.

Anybody can celebrate the holidays and that is what Starbucks is trying to emphasize through a design that avoids being overtly reminiscent of the Christian holiday Christmas, and instead celebrating universal holidays this winter.

This has led to an uproar and argument on all social media, predominantly Facebook, because of the people here in the “bible belt” pulling the corporate antichrist accusation card.

Starbucks choosing to be simple this year is not a bad thing at all. I stand with Starbucks in their statement (via CNBC) that choosing to be simple this year allows for customers to create their own drawn stories on the cups as they have in the previous years.

People who accuse Starbucks of being Christianophobic are trying to say that the holiday decorations that normally adorn the cups are

Christian which is in a word, presumptuous. In the past, the old cup designs have never expressly named the holiday Christmas, so Starbucks accusers have an invalid argument in their attempt to associate the holiday-themed cups with Christianity. The new Starbucks cup allows for a secular appreciation of the Starbucks winter season-themed products and holiday campaign.

Before jumping on any bandwagon, think about the illustrations posted on these cups in the past.

In what way did these illustrations imply a sacred holiday of any kind? Once more, a person should think about what the holiday represents. Isn’t the holiday season about peace and love? A cartoony illustration of a frozen field on a Starbucks coffee cup does not bring peace to me.

From the capitalist standpoint, there is quiet an understandably large loss when companies create season-specific products. When the season that the company has created the products for is over and they have surplus, the company is at a complete profit loss because they can’t use the products anymore. In a way, the new Starbucks cup design is ingenious and environmentally friendly because the blank cups can be used for anything and everything.

In the big picture, the cups don’t say “AntiChrist” like some aggravated Christians are trying to accuse. Literally, it’s just a cup that has been printed red, plain and simple. Instead of concentrating on the negative and the disagreeable views, Christians who are up in arms should be concentrating on what the holiday season is about rather than bashing Starbucks.

After all, what if the time and effort people are putting into the “boycott Starbucks” posts on social media sites could instead be put to better use by going to shelters and feeding the homeless. That is what the holiday season is about, giving back to those who are less fortunate and those that don’t have families to go home to for the holidays.

By MAURICIO COLE Contributing Writer Every year, a new claim is made that someone, somewhere, is waging war on Christmas.

This year, Starbucks is on the receiving end of said claim. They have been accused of being anti-Christmas, with a redesign of their holiday cup. This year's design features a basic Starbucks logo on a plain red background, which is different than their more “holidayfriendly” cup last year. But is this simple change really an attack on Christmas by Starbucks?

Let's look past this trivial nonsense and look at the real war on Christmas: commercialization. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people abandon Thanksgiving dinner with their families early to go catch some deal on normally pricey items. They leave their families at home so that they can go spend time at the superstore, hoping to find an Xbox for $20 off. Worse, people will turn violent in pursuit of these deals. Last year, a melee broke out at a Kohl's in Tustin, California, resulting in several arrests. In 2008, a horde of Black Fri-

day shoppers trampled a temporary Walmart employee to death in Long Island, New York.

Are those deals so superb, that people need to fight and trample over others? Would Jesus, the supposed Person we center Christmas around, approve of all this chaos over temporal, material things? No, He would want us to enjoy our time with our family and friends, and help others in the community.

So who is really waging war on Christmas?

Christmas is, and has for the longest time, been under siege from the consumers who forget about what the holiday is truly about.

It is not the big multinational corporations, like Starbucks, who wish to abolish Christmas. Instead, it is the people who will leave their homes in search of discount items. The people who engage in outlandish Black Friday shopping, and will hurt others over a coupon are the real threat against Christmas. They see “low prices” and Santa Claus, instead of their neighbor and Jesus. They will trample a helpless woman to death, instead of stopping and giving her aid like the Good Samaritan. The real war on Christmas, is the abandonment of our love for each other, for the love of 20% off items.

ALEXANDER MOYLAN opinion Editor alm1323@jagmail.southalabama.edu

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alm1323@jagmail.southalabama.edu The holiday cup that caused such a stir, but why? (Alexander Moylan | Opinion Editor)

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