September 22, 2014

Common Read: Connecting South one story at a time LIFE

SPORTS

OPINION

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10

Miss Greek USA

Eagles fly past Jags

Speak up to NFL

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SEP. 22, 2014

Common Read/Common World: Common students sharing uncommon stories

By KARIE FUGETT Managing Editor

T

he University of South Alabama Common Read/ Common World program is taking this year’s book selection, “Listening is an Act of Love: A Celebration of American Life from the StoryCorps Project,” a step further by offering students an outlet to make their own stories heard.

Common Read/Common World is the University of South Alabama’s “voluntary Common Read Experience.” It was cofounded by Dr. Krista Harrell and Dr. Allan Hillman two years ago to give students an opportunity to connect and “have common dialogue” no matter their background.

The idea is that each year, a committee of students, faculty and staff choose a book that, among other things, has the potential to offer “cross-cultural education, awareness, knowledge, and sensitivity” while also being relevant to a wide range of South students. The program’s hope is that the chosen book will strike up conversations and strengthen the community.

Dr. Harrell further explained the program’s purpose as more than just reading a book and dissecting it with peers. The program has turned into a social movement.

“This year’s [book] has an opportunity to represent everyone. It hones in on who we are as a community.

We’re trying to connect that to Mobile,” she said.

This year’s book by Dave Isay, is a compilation of personal interviews done around America through StoryCorps, a national “oral history project” that goes around the country collecting stories from average Americans and archiving them at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and also broadcasting some of the stories on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

To participate, volunteers make an appointment at one of StoryCorps’ recording booths and bring along someone whose story they see as intriguing to be interviewed.

The volunteers can bring anyone: a friend, a classmate you hardly know, a professor.

In the recording booth, the interviewer and interviewee sit with a trained facilitator who records the conversation. They begin by asking personal questions and, as the intimate conversation unfolds, it is recorded. Afterward, the participants are given a CD of their session, and it is archived alongside the many other interviews that took place before it.

StoryCorps’s goal is to connect people to their community and prove that each of our stories matter and deserve to be heard. With each story about love and loss, success and despair, StoryCorps hopes that the listener will feel connected to these everyday folks, and be reminded of our shared humanity.

The book describes itself as “a moving portrait of American life” and opens with a quote from Alan Lomax: “The essence of America lies not in the headlined heroes. . . but in the everyday folks who live and die unknown, yet leave their dreams and legacies.”

Now, through Common Read/ Common World, students at South will be able to make an appointment to do their own recorded interviews which will then be archived in the school’s library, some of them even compiled into a book. “This is an opportunity for students at USA to experience the same thing” Dr. Harrell said. “It’s community building. I want to know the people.”

Though the recording studios on campus will not be open to the public until October, Common Read/Common World did a few test interviews.

Two USA students, Rachel Beach and Khaela Huey, participated in these interviews and contributed their shared memories of former USA student Christopher Thomas. Recently deceased, Thomas worked with Beach and Huey for Jaguar Productions.

“We wanted to share more of the happy moments,” Beach said in reference to their friendship with Thomas, to which Huey added, “Yeah. We wanted to keep him alive.”

When asked what the opportunity to share their story meant to them, Beach said, “A lot of people don’t understand why, when we talk about him, we’re not sad about it,

FACE FA CEBO BOOK OK and we kind of wanted to let people know why we aren’t.”

In addition to recorded interviews, Dr. Harrell explained that Common Read/Common World has been doing something similar to Brandon Stanton’s famous Humans of New York by taking pictures of students around campus and asking them simple questions about their life.

The answers are documented along with a photo of the student on the Facebook page “Jaguars of South,” another platform for the stories of those who might otherwise go unheard. “The point is to make sure you’re listening. I want to get to the heart of the University,” Dr. Harrell said.

Dr. Harrell concluded her interview with The Vanguard by asking if we had read “Listening is an Act of Love” and offering us a copy under certain conditions. “You have to promise me you’ll read it,” she said, “and when you’re done, write a note about yourself, and pass it on.”

For more information on Common Read/Common World, check out their website, southalabama. edu/commonread, or find them on Facebook to get up-to-date information about how to get involved.

A de Ai ded d by Thee Pro rowl wl,, Dean Micha hael M tcheell (ab Mi above) and stu udent Tren Tr entt H en Heerrin ng (below) record d their pers pe rson rs onal on al sto t ries to be archi hived in the Marx Library.

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SEP. 22, 2014

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

Matthew Rex Strickland

Karie Fugett Alexander Moylan Jordan Knox Alyssa Newton Mitchell Kahalley Laura Havard Jenna Munday Drew Scelsi Aaron Poiroux

Distribution

Distribution Bobby Faulk Alan Smith

Advertising

Advertising Justine Burbank Graphic Designer Ryan Keller

Management Advising J. Sellers J. Aucoin Accounting Kathy Brannan

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

Or thevanguardeditor@gmail.com Letters and guest columns must be received by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication. Submissions should be typed and must include the writer’s name, year, school and telephone number. All submissions become the property of The Vanguard. The Vanguard reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity.

Letters will be limited to 300 words. Letters and guest columns are the opinion of the writer. The Staff Editorial represents the consensus opinion of the Editorial Board. All members of the Editorial Board have the same weight. The Vanguard has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifications. To report a mistake, e-mail thevanguardeditor@gmail.com. The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academic year, except for exam periods and vacations, and is published twice each summer. The Vanguard is supported in part by an allocation from student activity fees and operates in the Student Media Department of the Division of Student Affairs. Issues are available at most University buildings and select off-campus locations. The first copy is free. Additional copies are $1 each. Freelance writers will receive payment at the discretion of the section editor and will be notified.

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PATRICK BIGBIE | STAFF METEOROLOGIST

USAPD crime blotter 09/17/2014 07:46 Recreation Center Theft of property second degree, illegal possession/use of a credit/debit card A student reported that he had lost his wallet. An unknown person found the wallet and proceeded to use three of the victim’s credit cards at local stores.

09/11/2014 23:06 The Grove Burglary third degree, domestic violence third degree, criminal mischief third degree, assault third degree The mentioned crimes were committed in building three at The Grove.

09/14/2014 20:54 Stokes Hall parking lot Leaving the scene of an accident, violation of state law A female student reported property damage to her vehicle which occurred in the parking lot of Stokes Hall.

If you SEE something SAY something!

251-460-6312

09/17/2014 09:37 Recreation Center Theft of property third degree An unknown person removed a white bicycle with princess stickers on it belonging to the victim from the Recreation Center parking lot.

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SEP. 22, 2014

Mobile City Council passes amended budget 6-1 The amended budget retains cuts to arts funding, Mayor Stimpson holds the power of veto MFRD

By LEE WINGARD Contributing Writer

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Th he newly amen nde d d bu budg dget include d s cuts cu t to police and fire de ts d pa partment fun u ds.

ity Council members voted 6-1 on an amended 2015 budget that altered funding to retiree healthcare, increased performance contract funds, extended the penny sales tax and provided a starter fund for a soccer complex.

The amendments made in the new budget altered some key initiatives in the original budget proposed by Mayor Sandy Stimpson.

Stimpson was in Washington during the week of Sept. 14 lobbying for the proposed I-10 bridge and was not present for the meeting.

“I am deeply disappointed that the City Council took my request for a limited, twomonth extension of the additional 1% sales tax and turned it into a long-term,” said Stimpson in a press release regarding the budget passage, also adding, “the City of Mobile cannot sustain one of the highest sales tax rates in the State and Country.”

Stimpson did praise the budget’s capacity to deliver the basic services people need and begin to fix the city’s infrastructure. However, Stimpson did not agree with the removal of capital funds for new police and fire vehicles.

Performance contracts receive a total of

$5.2 million, which is $800,000 more than the original budget. Non-profit organizations that will receive more funding than they once thought are Penelope House, McKemie Place, AltaPointe Health Systems, Boys & Girl Club of South Alabama, and others.

According to John Sharp in a Press Register article, the council did cut funding for Housing First Inc. to $39,200, when the original budget proposed $100,000 and an increase in duties and responsibilities.

Stimpson and the council are pleased with the increase of $2.5 million in funds for retiree healthcare. However, there were no changes made to current employees’ healthcare that will increase at the beginning of next year.

Councilwoman Bess Rich was the one “no” vote in the 6-1 decision. During the meeting, Rich said she did not agree with the changes made to the budget, specifically citing the cut to police and fire department funds.

The funding cuts to the Mobile Arts Council, initially proposed in the original budget proposal, remain unchanged.

The next council meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 23, and Stimpson is expected to be at the meeting. Stimpson will have the opportunity to veto the bill before it becomes effective on Oct.1.

VANG VA NGUA NG UARD ARC UARD RCHI H VE HI ES

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson retains the po p we werr to veto the amended budget befo be f ree it go goes into effect on Oct. 1.

MITCHELL KAHALLEY LIFE EDITOR wmk1221@jagmail.southalabama.edu

LIFE

SEP. 22, 2014

Phi Kappa Sigma holds Miss Greek USA Pageant MITCHELL KAHALLEY

Byy M MIT ITCH CHEL ELL L KA KAHA HALL LLEY EY

Life Li fe E Edi dito torr

J

ust five days after Miss America was crowned, the brothers of Phi Kappa Sigma held their second annual Miss Greek USA pageant. The pageant featured ten competitors from six sororities in an effort to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The winner was Felecia Smith, a junior civil engineering major representing Sigma Gamma Rho. “It means a lot. I’m glad I could to it for a really good organization. It was unexpected but I am very excited.” said Smith, moments after the pageant had ended.

The second alternate was Jessica Taylor, a senior communications and pre-OT major representing Delta Sigma Theta.

The first alternate was Bree Burrell, a junior broadcast journalism major representing Alpha Omicron Pi. The pageant was judged by associate dean of students at USA, Dr. Krista Harrell, current SGA President Danielle Watson, Student Activities Graduate Assistant Sergio Washington, Greek Life Coordinator Landry Underwood and Dean of Students Dr. Michael Mitchell.

The pageant opened with the “Greek Wear”, the first competition in which contestants performed a dance to Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off.” Following the dance competition was the “Black and Gold” portion of the evening, so named after Phi Kappa Sigma’s colors. Here, contestants were asked to design a stylish outfit using the colors of

Fele l cia Smith answers a le question during the even ev enin ng we w ar portion of the Miisss Greek USA pageant.

M the fraternity.

The pageant continued with the talent section. For her talent, winner Felecia Smith performed Ne-Yo’s “One in a Million” in sign language.

The final section of the pageant was the “Evening Gown” portion where participants modeled their best nightwear while answering questions such as “what does success mean to you?” and “what advice would you give to an incoming freshman?”

Other awards were handed out at the end of the night.

Pooja Revanna, a freshman biomedical sciences major representing Phi Mu. was awarded Best Talent for her dancing.

Haley Butler, a junior nursing major representing Chi Omega, was awarded

Part r ic icipan nts in the Miss Greek USA Pageant ea nt perform a dance while showing off t eir black and gold outfits. th

Best Dressed.

In the week leading up to the pageant, members of competing sororities were encouraged to find the brothers of Phi Kappa Sigma on campus, take pictures with them and upload the pictures to Instagram with a certain hashtag. Alpha Omicron Pi was the sorority with the most pictures uploaded, earning them the Most Photogenic Sorority award.

Phi Kappa Sigma President Zachary Charlton spoke at the end of the event about Christopher Thomas, a brother of Phi Kappa Sigma who passed away earlier this year. Charlton also highlighted the fact that the weeks worth of events and ticket sales for the pageant raised over $2,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

MITCHELL KAHALLEY

EVENTS THIS WEEK 22

Jesse Cook Guest Faculty Trumpet Recital 7:30p.m.-9 p.m.

Laidlaw Performing Arts Center $5 for USA Students

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Vintage Inspiration:The Brides of Downton Abbey 9:30 a.m and 3:30 p.m.

Bragg-Mitchell Mansion $36

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Live Trivia 7 p.m.

T.G.I. Fridays Free

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Patrick Ismund Faculty Guitar Recital 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

Laidlaw Performing Arts Center $5 for USA Students

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Novus Percutre Guest Artist Percussion Duo 7:30 p.m Laidlaw Performing Arts Center $5 for USA Students

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SEP. 22, 2014

Greeks go head-to-head in War of the Roses Byy JJEN ENNA NA M MUN UNDA DAY Y

Staf St afff Re Repo port rter er

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ext week, Greek organizations on campus will go head to head in Pi Kappa Phi’s War of the Roses. War of the Roses is an annual event at the University of South Alabama where Greeks participate in several games and fundraisers to help benefit Pi Kappa Phi’s philanthropy, The Ability Experience.

The Ability Experience, formally known as Push America, is Pi Kappa Phi’s national philanthropy and their goal is to serve people with disabilities. This organization was founded in 1977 and “instills lifelong service in its members while helping those with special needs.”

Last year, the War of the Roses event raised a little over $2,500. But this year, Pi Kappa Phi is determined to raise even more money.

“Only Panhellinic sororities competed last year and we raised a little over $2,500,” said Pi Kappa Phi brother and War of the Roses chair, John Felschow. “This year, NPHC and Panhellinic sororities are both competing so we’re hoping to raise even more money for disability awareness.”

This year, the War of the Roses will kick off on Monday, September 22 at 5 p.m. at the sorority commons. This first event will have inflatables from Blue Rent, along with an obstacle course race, where ten girls from each sorority will battle it out for first place.

Tuesday will feature a penny drop and a blood drive that will last from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. This will take place in front of the Dining Hall.

On Wednesday, Pi Kappa Phi will host the first ever “VMA Awards”. Sororities

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will create their own music video and whoever has the best video will win. This will take place at 6 p.m. in the USA Student Center.

Thursday will feature a “blind” volleyball game and each team is allowed eight players on their side. “Blind” doesn’t mean that the participants will be blindfolded; instead, the volleyball net will be covered with a black tarp. The first team to reach 15 points will win. This will take place at the SGA pavilion at 5 p.m.

Friday night will conclude the War of the Roses event with the Push America dinner and an awards banquet to crown the winning sororities. The dinner will be sponsored by Moe’s BBQ and they are providing $1,500 worth of food for the participants from the weeklong events.

This will take place in the Student Center Ballroom at 6:30 p.m.

These awards banquet will include first, second and third place awards for the sororities with the highest amount of points, the most participation award, the most spirit award and the MVP award.

With the War of the Roses events rapidly approaching, sorority members are gearing up to participate.

“AOII is definitely looking forward to participating in the War of the Roses again this year!” said AOII sister and previous War of the Roses participant, Taylor Keith. “It’s important to raise money and awareness for disabilities because there’s nothing better than having fun with a philanthropy event and knowing that it’s benefiting someone in need.”

Shirts are also available to help raise money through this event. They can be purchased through a link on the War of the Roses Facebook page and cost $16 for a tank top and $17 for a t-shirt.

DEVERY STALLINGS

A pie eating con ntteest s opened the 20113 War off th thee Ro Rose s s. se

ALYSSA NEWTON SPORTS EDITOR usavgsports@gmail.com

SPORTS

SEP. 22, 2014

Georgi Geor giaa So outhern leaads d the Sun Beelt in ru ushing and sc scor orin ing. g.

ALYSSA NEWTON

Georgia Southern runs past South South Alabama drops conference opener to new Sun Belt opponent 28-6

By DREW SCELSI Sports Reporter

T

he triple option offense of Georgia Southern proved too much for South Alabama on Saturday, as the Jaguars dropped their conference opener 28-6 at Ladd Peebles Stadium.

South Alabama (1-2, 0-1 Sun Belt) punted on its first five drives of the game, and managed only 296 yards of offense in a game littered with costly penalties. The Jaguars were penalized six times for 50 yards, with two of those coming on crucial second half drives.

“Consistency is the key to offense,” said Jaguars head coach Joey Jones, “You got to have consistency, and we don’t have that right now. You know, it just seems like we move the ball sometimes in spurts, and we’ll break down. We’re just not doing

things consistent enough to play winning offensive football.”

The South Alabama offense moved the ball well to start drives, picking up first downs to move into good field position, but struggled once it got into Georgia Southern territory.

“We want to be clear: none of us appreciate losing. None of us like losing,” said receiver Shavarez Smith, “We work really hard, and we do our best to prepare to win.

We also have to be mature enough to understand that [losing] does happen, and when it does happen, you just have to use it as a learning experience.”

Georgia Southern (2-2, 1-0) jumped out to a 7-0 lead after running back Matt Breida broke off a 64-yard touchdown run on the final play of the first quarter.

Breida finished with 187 yards rushing on 21 carries and two touchdowns. The Eagles scored again on their next drive: a seven

play, 85-yard effort ending in a 1-yard touchdown run by L.A. Ramsby.

The Jaguars responded with a touchdown of their own: a 28-yard pass by Brandon Bridge to Smith, who shook a would-be tackler and raced to the end zone with 3:52 left in the first half to make the score 14-6. Smith hauled in 4 catches for 69 yards to go along with the touchdown. Bridge was 13-of-34 passing for 149 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Bridge was also sacked four times.

Kendall Houston posted 38 yards rushing for the Jaguars, with Jay Jones adding 37 on the ground.

After Georgia Southern pushed its lead to 21-6 in the third quarter, the Jaguars drove to the Eagles’ 9-yard line, but were unable to come away with any points, as Bridge was sacked on fourth-andgoal. Maleki Harris came up with an interception on the ensuing Georgia Southern drive, but the

Jaguars were forced to punt again.

Harris shined on defense for South Alabama, posting 10 total tackles, including two for loss, and the interception.

Georgia Southern scored once more with 3:21 left in the game to make the score 28-6, after Bridge’s second interception set the Eagles up at the South Alabama 12-yard line.

“I thought our defense fought hard all night,” Jones said, “We got some turnovers. I thought overall, we played good on defense.”

South Alabama will look to pick up its first conference win of the season next week, traveling to the University of Idaho to take on the Vandals Saturday, Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.

“

Consistency is the key to offense... we don’t have that right now.

- Head Coach Joey Jones

Check out our website! www.usavgsports.com photos, videos, stories and more

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SEP. 22, 2014

South Alabama soccer keeps its winning streak alive South Alabama shuts out both opponents in Jaguar Classic, Charde Hannah ties school record

By AARON POIROUX Sports Reporter

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he South Alabama soccer team’s winning streak continues after South defeated North Florida and Francis Marion this weekend at the Jaguar Classic in Mobile.

The Jags beat the North Florida Ospreys 1-0 on Friday Sept. 19 to improve their record to 7-2 on the season. South led North Florida 20-7 in attempted shots, and force the North Florida goalkeeper to make 10 saves.

“They did a great job; I was proud of them,” head coach Graham Winkworth said to USAJaguars.com. “They executed exactly what we wanted, and I’m really pleased with the girls tonight.”

South’s only score in the game came from freshman Steffi Hardy. Her strike came at the 64:40 mark off of an assist from Tiina Trutsi.

“It was a second ball off of a corner kick, and we’ve been talking about second balls but we weren’t talking about them

off set pieces,” said Winkworth. “ Steffi stayed focused as the ball landed on the ground and drilled it home.”

North Florida made a surge in the last few minutes of the match, forcing goalkeeper Sarah Hay to make two late saves.

Hay recorded five saves total during the match.

On Sunday, Sept. 21, the Jags took on the Francis Marion Patriots, a game that South would win 5-0. Chardé Hannah scored four goals, tying a school record for most goals in a single match.

Hannah’s first goal came at the 5:50 mark, followed by her second at the 28:57 mark. Chelsea Followell scored a goal at the 50:39 mark, followed by two more consecutive goals from Hannah in the 56th and 66th minutes.

“I praise her all the time because she’s done fantastic in getting fitter and working hard,” Winkworth said of Hannah.

“She has to continue to work hard and keep improving. I’m really pleased with her; she’s fantastic but there’s always room for improvement.”

Hannah currently leads the SBC in

Volleyball starts undefeated in Sun Belt conference play

By ALYSSA NEWTON Sports Editor

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ednesday, Sept. 17 the Jags traveled to Louisiana to open up conference play against an undefeated Louisiana-Lafayette.

The Jaguars broke the Rajun Cajuns’ win streak with a 3-2 (25-23, 17-25, 25-14, 17-25, 16-14) win over the conference opponent.

South Alabama’s Mechell Daniel recorded her fifth double double of the season with 14 kills and 13 digs. Jessica Lewis led the Jags with 17 kills. Nikk Gittens tied a career-high of 12 kills.

Defensively, Savannah Stewart recorded 10 digs in the match. Abby Baker, last week’s Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week, led all players with 25 digs.

“I knew coming into this match that Louisiana-Lafayette was executing at a high level and I knew that it was going to be a battle for our team,” USA head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. “I thought that our players came into the first set very focused on our game plan and that they executed that nicely. I give credit to Lafayette for pushing us back and battling back. It was a good, competitive match and I was glad for us to get the win in the end.”

After the win on the road, South hosted Georgia State at home on Sunday, Sept. 21. The Jags swept the Georgia State Panthers in three straight sets (25-18, 25-14, 25-18).

Daniel led the Jags with 11 kills, five digs and four block assists. Lewis and Mallory Moore both recorded seven kills apiece.

“It’s a 20-match conference season, which is the most we’ve ever played,” Hendrichovsky said. “I keep telling myself and the team that we can’t get too high or too low. We just have to take it one match at a time. It was nice to get our second win, but there are many more that we would like to get this season.”

This year’s 2-0 start in conference play marks the third time the Jags have started with such a record in program history.

South Alabama (7-5, 2-0) will travel for their next conference game against Texas State Thursday Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. South Alabama will then host Arkansas State on Saturday Sept.

27 at 6 p.m. in the Jaguar Gym.

ALYSSA NEWTON

goals per match (1.1) and points per match (2.6) Goalkeeper Sarah Hay recorded six saves during her fifth shutout and the team’s seventh of the season. South is tied for first in the Sunbelt in shutouts.

ALYSSA NEWTON

This winning streak is the second longest in the past nine seasons.

After the victory against Francis Marion, the Jags’ record improved to 8-2.

South will take on its rival Troy on Friday at 7 pm at The Cage.

Ch C har arde de Han anna nah h ti tied ed a sch choo ooll re oo reco cord rd d of fourr goa four oals ls in a ma matc tch tc h ag agai a ns ai nstt FM FMU. U.

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SEP. 22, 2014

#JagTweets Finding the best tweets from South Alabama athletes.

#JagNation

Follow Us! @USAVGSports Wes Saxton @Juice_Surpreme

Football

Austin Karazsia @eAKarazsia32

Basketball

Football

Softball

“I coulda been a quarterback if I had an arm.” - @ColeTarver #UncleRico?

Chloe Rathburn @chloerathburn

Softball

Amanda Minahan @MiniMinivan So I don’t watch college football...

Instead I draw on snapchat

Football

Football

Soccer

Austin Cole @AustinCole61

Football

USA, our yik yaks have come a long way since summer! Well done

Taishaun Johnson @Hoopdreaming1 stay in and watch Netflix every Basketball Inight.

Well grounded stay humble and never give up. I was built for bumps in the road!

Rio Hardy @riohardy_

Soccer

Sophie Haywood @SopieKHaywood Think positive, don’t settle for average. Tomorrow is another chance to be better.

#quotesfrom4111 “bosses don’t wear shoes”

Danny Woodson @IIIKing18

Drew Dearman @Drewski72_ Went out on a limb and started Danny Woodhead... one rush and he’s carted off the field. He must have wood legs too.

The perks of having your iPhone6 first, rarely being able to use it because everyone wants to see it smh lol

Zac Efron dancing at the end of New Year’s Eve completes my life.

Derek Westbrook @thedwestbrook

Track

I am officially @MaryBethHeartly’s “tea boy.” I have hit an all-time low. ..

Steffi Hardy @steffihardy

Soccer

You know you’re lazy when your mam is more worried about you laying in bed too much rather than the fact you’re in a different country!

Chris May @Cmayfive5

Football

A huge thank you to our fans especially the ones who stayed until the end. Yall are greatly appreciated! #JagNation

Column: Where, oh where, did the Jag fans go?

By ALYSSA NEWTON Sports Editor

O

n Sept. 13, over 38,000 fans filled Ladd-Peebles Stadium to watch South Alabama take on Mississippi State.

The game was built up since the moment it was announced last year and, besides the busted upset bid, it was magical. Tailgaters filled every inch of the parking lot and U-S-A chants could be heard for miles.

Unfortunately, we were forced to wake up from that dream GameDay Saturday to this weekend’s reality where only 11,348 fans were reported to have attended the game against Georgia Southern.

That’s including distributed tickets, like those already purchased by season ticket holders, that were not actually used for entrance into the game.

At the game versus Mississippi State, I felt the heat too. I understand the complaints about water and I understand that it was a tough loss to an SEC team. But these things do not excuse not supporting our school’s team.

None of this is a reflection of the Jags themselves.

I’m looking at you JagNation: Looking upon the empty bleachers, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Many fans have taken to social media, tweeting and posting how “disappointing” and “unacceptable” this season has been with those two early losses.

To those fans: many gave up on the Jags last season when the team was 3-6 with three games to go in the season, including the conference champions. Those

AARON POIROUX

fans who stuck with the team and continued to show support began witnessing history as, one by one, South Alabama fought their way to a bowl eligible season with a 6-6 record.

That’s when, suddenly, fans appeared out of nowhere to help lobby for a bowl game.

The last thing that we as Jag fans want is to be known as fair weather fans.

Our program is six years old and is making history with each game. But instead of attending, many fans were on their couches.

Attendance is a huge factor in the decision of whether or not to build a stadium on campus. If we want the Jaguars to play closer to campus, we have to show more support as a fanbase.

South Alabama, you can be a part of this history. You can watch this team learn and grow into a program that could one day possibly compete with those teams that so many follow religiously. Now I’m not telling you to give up your crimson, your orange and blue, your gold and purple or whatever colors you proudly follow.

I’m just reminding you of the hardworking young men that fight each Saturday in your own backyard. Your fellow classmates that have to walk around campus and see other collegiate teams represented on your t-shirt. Those same young men who looked at empty stands against a talented team this past Saturday.

We have the talent. We have the heart.

But do we have the support?

Maybe we should stop focusing on where our football players can improve, JagNation, and turn the mirror on ourselves. We have some improving to do.

Playerrs th than ank fans for atten ndi d ng prior to thee Mis ississsippi State gam me.

JORDAN KNOX OPINION EDITOR kjk1103@jagmail.southalabama.edu

OPINION

SEP. 22, 2014

Drug detecting nail polish provides needed advantage

By ALEXANDER MOYLAN Copy Editor “

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mpowerment through discrete functional fashion,” is the promise that a group of North Carolina State University undergraduate students make to women who purchase their nail polish.

It’s a nail polish designed to combat sexual assault by affording women the ability to sim-

ply stir their drink with their finger and observe what follows afterward.The nail polish will change color to reflect the presence of a daterape drug and thereby signaling women to avoid consumption immediately.

Originally conceived as a project for the Lulu eGames, a contest sponsored by North Carolina State University’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, the product quickly spread throughout the nation thanks to Facebook users sharing the story among friends. That’s how I first heard about it and I originally I was dismissive and uninterested. Soon however, I began a little research of my own.

I’m familiar with many statistics regarding sexual assault but one that particular stands out to me is that there are approximately 240,000 cases of sexual assault reported each year. A trip to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network website will allow you to see additional statistics that highlight how serious of an issue

sexual assault is in our nation today.

What has always worried me about statistics like the one previously is that those figures account for reported cases, not unreported cases.

With that in mind, I should expect the number to be much higher. Sexual assault doesn’t discriminate between gender however I applaud the actions of the North Carolina State University Students who have named their newly created company, Undercover Color.

I have made many trips to Undercover Color’s Facebook page out of interest and curiosity as to how far they’re progressing with their product. What will hopefully strike accord among any man or woman that views their page is their genuine concern for women. “We may not know who they [victims of sexual assault] are, but these women are not faceless. They are our daughters, they are our girlfriends, and they are our friends,” says the students behind Undercover Color. I envy these students for their

idea as it is truly an idea designed to combat real-world problems; this was a requirement of all entries into the aforementioned Lulu eGames competition.

Personally, I take safety very seriously. I treat everyone I’m not familiar with as a stranger. I constantly preach to friends and family that we cannot let ourselves, or our friends, be lulled into a false sense of security because we’re on campus, at a bar or at a house just off campus. Anything that happens to a friend of mine is something I take personally. I’d blame myself for not protecting my friends better if something happened to them. With that said, I hope that the students behind Undercover Color can finalize their product and release it to the public. If they do, I’ll purchase it for my friends if I have to.

We need every advantage we can get to protect against sexual assault. If date-rape detecting nail polish is another tool women can use to protect themselves, then by all means, I’m behind it.

What are some of the best classes to take at South, just because the teacher is really interesting, funny or smart?

KYM TRIPPE COOPER Any sociology course with Dr.

JOSHUA GOFF Dr. Joshua Foster’s Social Psychology

Marshall. He’s amazing!

class and anything with Vikki Daily.

SARAH CASTELIN HY 135 with Mr. McMenamin!

PHILIP ROLDAN Dr. Swiger for anatomy is a great professor.

CASSIDY DAVIS I love Delaney-tucker! I had here

MICAH MESSER Principles of Marketing: Dr. Sneath - A

freshman year and loved her class.

professor who actually knows how to teach and really knows her stuff!

VICTORIA JOHNSON ASL 101 with Terry Dahlgren!

NFL boycott impractical, fans’ silence unacceptable

By MITCHELL KAHALLEY Life Editor

L

ike most Americans, I love football. From September to February, I spend my weekends sprawled out on a couch fretting about the fate of the New York Giants. However, the past two weeks have been among the worst ever for the National Football League. The league that has long been marred by controversy and

cover-ups is for the first time in recent memory facing serious media scrutiny.

Two weeks ago, after a successful opening weekend to the new season, TMZ released a video of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice assaulting his wife in an elevator. Rice was originally suspended for two games in July after a video of Rice dragging his wife out of the elevator was released.

League commissioner Roger Goodell initially faced some backlash for handing down such a short ban, but the story fell out of rotation in the sports media cycle. After the release of the video showing the assault, the Ravens cut Rice and Goodell banned him from the league indefinitely.

The following Friday, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was charged with reckless or negligent injury to a child by a grand jury in Montgomery County, Texas. This past Friday, ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. re-

ported that the NFL and the Baltimore Ravens have been misleading the media in the events of the Ray Rice case.

Unfortunately for the NFL that wasn’t the first time the league had been accused of misdirection. In 2013, “League of Denial”, a book authored

by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru, accused the NFL of covering up the correlation between playing football and serious brain injury.

Despite all of this, we still watch.

This past week an NBC/Marist poll found that 86 percent of Americans will not change their professional football viewing habits despite the recent controversies.

However, that same poll finds that 53 percent of Americans and 57 percent of football fans disapprove of the way that NFL handled the recent reports over domestic violence.

There lies the problem. I’m sure some are willing to blame the play-

ers and a culture of violence around the NFL, and there is some truth to that. Benjamin Morris from FiveThirtyEight crunched the numbers and found that NFL players are arrested for domestic violence at 55.4 percent relative to the national average for men 25 to 29. Morris wrote in the same article that domestic violence accounts for 48 percent of the leagues violent crimes arrests, compared to 21 percent annually. The NFL does have a unique domestic violence problem but, by and large, NFL players are not criminals. The same article finds that players are arrested 13 percent relative to that same national average of men ages 25 to 29.

The league office has to be proactive in disciplining criminals in the NFL. Goodell’s two game suspension was completely arbitrary and much too short. This past Friday Goodell held a press conference outlining the

league’s plans for handling these cases in the future. A disciplinary committee is formed which will take some power out of the commissioners hands. Still, if ESPN’s reports are true and the NFL and Ravens purposefully misdirected the media and the public, then the league will have to clean house, starting with Goodell. No one should condone what Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson or others players charged with violent crimes have done, but it is easy to remove them from the league. However, we should also speak out against the league that that is supporting alleged abusers instead of supporting the victims.

A boycott of football is not practical. If 90 percent of Americans plan to keep watching, than it is important that those of us who love football, but are troubled by the league, keep watching with them, keep speaking out and make our voices heard.

DISTRACTIONS

JORDAN KNOX OPINION EDITOR kjk1103@jagmail.southalabama.edu

SEP. 22, 2014

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SEP. 22, 2014