Vanguard Vanguard Vanguard Volume 45, Number 25 February 11, 2008 Serving USA SinCe 1965 Vanguard The http://www.usavanguard.com online The Vanguard z P.O. Drawer 25100 Mobile, Ala. 36688 z Newsroom - 460-6442 Fax 414-8293 Advertising - 460-6898 z Letters, press releases, announcements - [email protected]Inside The Mobile Arts Mobile Arts Council hosts Council hosts “Seats for “Seats for Social Social Justice” Justice” see page 8 Lifestyles pg. 6 Fine Arts pg. 8 Entertainment pg. 10 Sports pg. 12 Opinion pg. 16 Classifieds pg. 19 Dr. John Smith relocated from the University of Central Arkansas to serve as the vice presi- dent of student affairs at the University of South Alabama. Dr. Smith arrived on Feb. 4 and in his first week began making plans to improve all aspects of student life on campus. Vanguard: What specifically led you to seek a position at USA? Dr. Smith: What I heard about the institution was impres- sive to me. I knew Dr. Adams before I applied for the position. In fact, a mutual friend contacted me and asked me to consider it. V: What were your first thoughts when you arrived on campus? S: I was impressed with the friendliness of people. It was just a very inviting campus. V: What are some of the differ- ences you have noticed between USA and Central Arkansas? S: Central Arkansas is more of a residential campus than USA, but I think that's something the leadership at South Alabama wants to change in order to create more of a collegial environment. I think there is a great opportunity to create that collegial, residential environment here. V: What are some of your short-term and long-term goals for student life on campus? S: My short-term goals are real- ly to get to know the staff of stu- dent services and student leader- ship and to identify concerns and issues that they have that need to be addressed. My long-term goals are to try and get some work done on the Student Center, which def- initely needs to be addressed. I'd like to see us do more in our food services by providing more options for our students. The same with our residence halls, as well. We need to be asking ourselves what else we need to do in order to provide the kind of atmosphere and services that our students want and to create that collegiate, residential environment. V: What do you plan to con- tribute to the new Recreation Center? S: I think it's going to be an exceptional facility; it will be a great addition to the campus. I think the key for us at student affairs is to make sure we get it staffed appropriately. I will be working to make sure we get the appropriate personnel hired and assigned to the facility to provide the services for our students. V: Share some of your favorite memories throughout your career in higher education. S: The thing that I've enjoyed about higher education is the opportunity that you have to impact young people's lives. I call them ‘teachable moments’ that occur almost every day. That's why I'm in this profession. I enjoy the opportunity to interact with stu- dents. The opportunity to reorganize divisions and reorganize depart- ments to better serve the needs of students has also been enjoyable. Our housing system [at Central Arkansas] was not in good shape when I arrived. The opportunity to build that into a professional program and provide a lot more options for the students was some- thing I really enjoyed. Meet Dr. Smith, USA’s newest vice president For Homecoming Week, University of South Alabama students flexed their volunteering muscles to aid in local clean-up projects. On Feb. 9, students traveled to Hillsdale Middle School in an effort to revitalize its time-worn walls and neglected grounds. Some of the cleanup activities included painting the sidewalk curbs, repainting the main halls, trim- ming hedges and trees and tailoring the overall grounds and courtyards. Around 240 students from South Alabama stu- dent organizations, ranging from the Greeks to the honor societies, and even the ROTC, showed up to lend a hand, according to Circle K Advisor Barbara Shirvanian. Cleaning up USA’s campus has been somewhat the tradition for Homecoming Week for the past 4 years, but this year students decided to expand their service horizons a bit to Hillsdale Middle. "It's a better way to reach out in the community, rather than just limiting Homecoming services to on-campus,” Jeoffrey Triggs, president of Circle K International Club, said. “Plus, it's a way to stir things up a bit for Homecoming activities." "It's creating a better learning environment for the children and future students, and that's all that matters," Alicia Johnson, a nursing major in Chi Omega, said. Anna Chapman ASSOCIATE EDITOR [email protected]Marzieh K. Atigh / Staff Photographer Dr. Smith, the new vice president of student affairs at USA, has many goals in mind for the students at USA. Here he talks with The Vanguard about his improvements he would like to make. Students help in Service Day Sidra Rasool STAFF WRITER [email protected]Sidra Rasool / Staff Photographer USA students help clean the campus of Hillsdale Middle School for Homecoming Service Day, Feb. 9. More than 240 students showed up to aid in the effort. Courtesy of USA Public Relations The University of South Alabama will host the Bell Tower and Alumni Plaza groundbreaking ceremony on Feb. 16 in spirit of Homecoming Week.The event will take place at 6 p.m., following the Lady Jag’s basketball game at 4 p.m. Everyone is invited to this memorable event. SEE PAGE 3 FOR FULL STORY. Homecoming to include Bell Tower groundbreaking see SMITH, page 19
Transcript
VanguardVanguardVanguardVolume 45, Number 25 February 11, 2008 Serving USA SinCe 1965
Lifestyles pg. 6 Fine Arts pg. 8 Entertainment pg. 10 Sports pg. 12 Opinion pg. 16 Classifieds pg. 19
Dr. John Smith relocated fromthe University of CentralArkansas to serve as the vice presi-dent of student affairs at theUniversity of South Alabama. Dr.Smith arrived on Feb. 4 and in hisfirst week began making plans toimprove all aspects of student lifeon campus.
Vanguard: What specificallyled you to seek a position at USA?
Dr. Smith: What I heardabout the institution was impres-sive to me. I knew Dr. Adamsbefore I applied for the position.In fact, a mutual friend contactedme and asked me to consider it.
V: What were your firstthoughts when you arrived oncampus?
S: I was impressed with thefriendliness of people. It was just avery inviting campus.
V: What are some of the differ-ences you have noticed betweenUSA and Central Arkansas?
S: Central Arkansas is more ofa residential campus than USA,but I think that's something theleadership at South Alabamawants to change in order to createmore of a collegial environment. Ithink there is a great opportunityto create that collegial, residentialenvironment here.
V: What are some of yourshort-term and long-term goals forstudent life on campus?
S: My short-term goals are real-ly to get to know the staff of stu-dent services and student leader-ship and to identify concerns andissues that they have that need tobe addressed. My long-term goalsare to try and get some work doneon the Student Center, which def-initely needs to be addressed.
I'd like to see us do more in ourfood services by providing moreoptions for our students. The samewith our residence halls, as well.We need to be asking ourselveswhat else we need to do in order toprovide the kind of atmosphereand services that our studentswant and to create that collegiate,residential environment.
V: What do you plan to con-
tribute to the new RecreationCenter?
S: I think it's going to be anexceptional facility; it will be agreat addition to the campus. Ithink the key for us at studentaffairs is to make sure we get itstaffed appropriately. I will beworking to make sure we get theappropriate personnel hired andassigned to the facility to providethe services for our students.
V: Share some of your favoritememories throughout your careerin higher education.
S: The thing that I've enjoyedabout higher education is theopportunity that you have toimpact young people's lives. I callthem ‘teachable moments’ thatoccur almost every day. That's whyI'm in this profession. I enjoy theopportunity to interact with stu-dents.
The opportunity to reorganizedivisions and reorganize depart-ments to better serve the needs ofstudents has also been enjoyable.Our housing system [at CentralArkansas] was not in good shapewhen I arrived. The opportunityto build that into a professionalprogram and provide a lot moreoptions for the students was some-thing I really enjoyed.
Meet Dr. Smith, USA’snewest vice president
For Homecoming Week, University of SouthAlabama students flexed their volunteering musclesto aid in local clean-up projects.
On Feb. 9, students traveled to Hillsdale MiddleSchool in an effort to revitalize its time-worn wallsand neglected grounds.
Some of the cleanup activities included paintingthe sidewalk curbs, repainting the main halls, trim-ming hedges and trees and tailoring the overallgrounds and courtyards.
Around 240 students from South Alabama stu-dent organizations, ranging from the Greeks to thehonor societies, and even the ROTC, showed up tolend a hand, according to Circle K AdvisorBarbara Shirvanian.
Cleaning up USA’s campus has been somewhatthe tradition for Homecoming Week for the past 4years, but this year students decided to expandtheir service horizons a bit to Hillsdale Middle.
"It's a better way to reach out in the community,rather than just limiting Homecoming services toon-campus,” Jeoffrey Triggs, president of Circle KInternational Club, said. “Plus, it's a way to stirthings up a bit for Homecoming activities."
"It's creating a better learning environment forthe children and future students, and that's all that
matters," Alicia Johnson, a nursing major in ChiOmega, said.
Marzieh K. Atigh / Staff PhotographerDr. Smith, the new vice president ofstudent affairs at USA, has many goalsin mind for the students at USA. Herehe talks with The Vanguard about hisimprovements he would like to make.
USA students help clean the campus of Hillsdale MiddleSchool for Homecoming Service Day, Feb. 9. More than 240students showed up to aid in the effort.
Courtesy of USA Public Relations
The University of South Alabama will host the Bell Tower and Alumni Plaza groundbreaking ceremony on Feb. 16in spirit of Homecoming Week.The event will take place at 6 p.m., following the Lady Jag’s basketball game at 4p.m. Everyone is invited to this memorable event. SEE PAGE 3 FOR FULL STORY.
Homecoming to include Bell Tower groundbreaking
see SMITH, page 19
Vanguard2 TheFebruary 11, 2008
Vanguard 3TheFebruary 11, 2008
Vanguard
EDITORIAL STAFFEditor-in-Chief: Jason ShepardManaging Editor: Leigh PattonAssociate Editor: Anna ChapmanLifestyles Editor: Ashley D. McGeeFine Arts Editor: Ashley GrunerEntertainment Editor: Stephanie A. HudsonOpinion Editor: Matt FlanaganSports Editors: John Kenny, David HopperSenior Reporters: Hannah Skewes, Devi SampatCopy Editor: Jeremy Daughtry
ADVERTISING STAFFAdvertising Manager: Glen AikmanAssistant Advertising Manager: Patrick SennGraphic Designers: Jennifer Manning, RajeshChindurala
MANAGEMENTAdviser: Robert HolbertAccounting: Kathy Brannan
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Article XIV, Section 8 of The Lowdown: The editors ofthe student publications shall be free from any type ofcensorship and shall be responsible for the form, contentand staff of the publication.
SPLC Statement: The Vanguard recognizes and affirmsthe editorial independence and press freedom of all stu-dent-edited campus media. Student editors have theauthority to make all content decisions and consequentlybear the responsibility for the decisions that they make.
WE
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The 411 to Homecoming 2008The University of South Alabama will
celebrate Homecoming 2008 on Saturday,Feb. 16, with a public groundbreaking cer-emony and fireworks show for theUniversity’s new Bell Tower and AlumniPlaza.
The 6 p.m. event will take placebetween the Lady Jags and Jaguar Men’sbasketball games against Florida AtlanticUniversity.
The Bell Tower and Alumni Plaza willcreate a landmark in the center of USA’smain campus. The plan includes architec-tural elements designed to honor theUniversity’s history and encourage thefacility’s incorporation into campus lifeand celebrations.
“The University of South Alabama BellTower will be a symbol of unity for ourfaculty, staff, students, alumni and sup-porters, as well as an important iconreflecting both the growing strength of theUniversity and the ever-increasing positiveimpact USA is having each day on thepeople it serves,” said USA PresidentGordon Moulton. “The Bell Tower willbecome a campus focal point that studentsand alumni can use for importantmoments and significant events in theirlives.”
During the Homecoming basketballgames, the University will be honoringwith complimentary tickets special guestsincluding: all USA alumni; kindergartenthrough 12th grade students, teachers andadministrators from Mobile and Baldwincounties and all other area counties; andall USA students and employees. Ticketsare available for the Lady Jags game at 4p.m. and the Jaguar Men’s game at 7 p.m.Each honored guest is eligible for up to 10
complimentary tickets. (Please see belowfor ticket details.)
The Bell Tower and Alumni Plazagroundbreaking ceremony at 6 p.m. willinclude performances by USA’s pep band,cheerleaders and dance team. The eventwill feature the unveiling of a 30-foot-tallrendering of the Bell Tower. Once com-pleted, the new tower will stand morethan 130 feet high at a site just west of theMitchell Center and the Jaguar sculpture.Hundreds of balloons will be lifted to 130feet in order to illustrate the height of theBell Tower. A free fireworks show will capoff the festivities.
The project includes arbors, water gar-dens and the beautiful 130-foot clocktower, which will feature an electronic bellcarillon.
In addition, an open-sided, multi-pur-pose activity space under the tower willseat 142. An open-air amphitheater willencourage outdoor classes and perform-ances. Walls of Honor underneath thetower will list key individuals who have ledthe University, including: University presi-dents; board of trustees chairs; NationalAlumni Association presidents; StudentGovernment Association presidents; andFaculty Senate chairs. All lifetime mem-bers of the USA National AlumniAssociation will also have their names list-ed on one of the historic walls.
Other Homecoming Activities:The USA National Alumni Association
also will sponsor a Jag 5K Run at 8 a.m.on Saturday, Feb. 16, on campus. Theevent is open to the public. For moreinformation, call (251) 460-7084.Registration forms are available at McCoyOutdoor Company, 3498 Spring Hill Ave.,until noon on Thursday, Feb. 14.
An alumni reunion reception will beheld at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16, at
Alumni Hall. For reservations, call (251)460-7084, or [email protected].
The celebrated reunion classes for thisHomecoming are as follows: 1968, 1973,1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003 and2008.
The announcement of homecomingking and queen will take place at half-timeduring the men’s basketball game Feb. 16.
The court will be announced at theLady Jags game at 4 p.m. and also at themen’s game.
Ticket and Parking Details: Free USA Football T-shirts will be given
away at the games. The first 300 people atthe Lady Jags game will get free shirts, aswill the first 1,000 at the Jaguar Men’sgame.
All Homecoming events are free andopen to the public except the basketballgames.
Because record crowds are expected forthe games, tickets should be picked upearly. Tickets may be purchased at theMitchell Center ticket office from 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. weekdays. General admission tothe Lady Jags games is $5 for adults and$3 for teenagers and senior citizens.Children 12 and under are admitted free.At the Jaguar Men’s games, tickets are $12on the lower level and $5 on the upperlevel, with $3 tickets for students ages 6-17. Children 5 and under are free.
Each honored guest is eligible for up to10 complimentary tickets. Tickets for larg-er groups of honored guests are availableby calling the USA Office of PublicRelations at (251) 460-6211. Guests canpick up their complimentary tickets earlyat the Mitchell Center ticket office week-days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or at AlumniHall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Or,
The recent approval of an increaseof $150 in overall tuition fees amongstudents in effect for fall semester2008 is outrageous.The increase in a tuition fee affects all
students, but this decision was notmade known to all the students in thefirst place. Why wasn't there any vot-ing/survey posted or e-mailed to allthe students? A mere figure of 2,300students who voted in favor of thisdecision does not take into account towrite off all the students in theUniversity. We come to the Universityto study, not to support your entertain-ment. It is the students who pay forthe tuition fee, not the board oftrustees.
Flyer litter problem continues
I agree with the comments aboutthe advertising flyers. Plus, nine timesout of 10, a student will drop these fly-ers on the ground after removing themfrom his or her vehicle, contributingmore to the already horrific litter prob-lem that exists in the dorms.USA and/or the housing departmentshould put a stop to this, instead ofpassing the buck to the groundsdepartment for clean up.
Use your blinker sign
I get annoyed each day that I seepeople on campus not using theirblinker. It’s so annoying when I haveno idea which way they are turningand they suddenly slow down. Comeon, people. Have some common cour-tesy.
Raquetball courts are awesome
I’ve recently been playing raquet-ball at South, and I have reallyenjoyed. The only complaint I have isthat they update their equipment. Theracquets they lend out are so outdatedand are falling apart. Could be getsome new ones please?
Homecoming, here we come
I am so excited about theHomecoming events that are comingup. It has been fun so far participatingin the competitions this past week.Now that things are really rolling, thisis going to turn out to be a great weekand a fun weekend.
known “SuperTuesday,” Alabamavoters cast their ballotsfor the Republican andDemocratic nomineesfor the 2008 presiden-tial elections, with Gov.Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) and Sen. BarackObama (D-Ill.) winningthe popular vote inAlabama.
On the Republicanside, 21 competitionswere held. On theDemocratic side, SuperTuesday also saw pri-maries and caucusesacross 22 states.
“It’s tough for thisRazorback to saythings like ‘Roll TideRoll,’ but I’m doing ittonight,” Huckabeesaid. “I might even besinging ‘Rocky Top’before the night isover.”
Huckabee won theWest Virginia caucuses after John McCaintold his supporters to back Huckabee in thatstate’s convention.
Huckabee also cap-tured victories inArkansas, Georgia andTennessee. Huckabee’sstrong showing was a bitof a surprise, as mostanalysts thought Sen.John McCain (R-Ariz.)and Gov. Mitt Romney(R-Mass) would be bat-tling it out forRepublican front-run-ner status. InsteadMcCain had a decisivenight with Huckabeeplaying the roll of thespoiler.
Romney won sevenstates on Super Tuesday.McCain won nine
states, including the delegate-rich states ofCalifornia, Illinois, Missouri, New York andNew Jersey. By the end of the day, McCainamassed a total of 707 delegates; Romney,294; Huckabee, 195; and Ron Paul, 14,making McCain the clear front-runner. Tocapture the Republican nomination, 1,191delegates are needed.
“We might have become a little closer tothe day that mothers in Arizona can telltheir children that someday they couldbecome president of the United States,”McCain said.
On Feb. 7, Romney dropped out of therace citing the near-mathematical impossi-bility of a comeback and the need to focus
on uniting the Republican Party going intothe presidential race against the Democrats.
“If this were only about me, I’d go on,but it’s never been only about me. I enteredthis race because I love America, andbecause I love America in this time of war,I feel I have to now stand aside, for ourparty and for our country,” Romney said.
Huckabee and Paul vowed to stay in.
On the Democratic side of the aisle,Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton endedthe night just about the same way it started– in a very tight race.
Alabama Democratic favorite Obamawon 13 states on Super Tuesday. Clintonwas victorious in eight, including Californiaand New York. Results in New Mexico arestill being processed.
In spite of winning more states, Obamaended Super Tuesday behind Clinton in thedelegate count. By the end of SuperTuesday, Clinton amassed 1,045 delegates;Obama, 960. To capture the Democraticnomination, 2,025 delegates are needed.
Kansas, Louisiana and Washington heldRepublican primaries or caucuses on Feb. 9.Huckabee captured the popular vote inKansas and Louisiana. McCain edged outHuckabee and Paul in Washington.McCain maintains a commanding lead witha total of 723 delegates. Huckabee’s dele-gate count is 217.
Obama swept the Feb. 9 Democraticcompetitions in Louisiana, Nebraska and
McCain captures front-runner status; Clinton and Obama remain in a virtual tie
see CANDIDATES, page 19
Learn more at www.southalabama.edu/finaid
Learn the FinancialAid Maze
Can I drop classes andnot affect my future
aid?
You must earn 75% of all classes attempted atUSA. For example, if you attempt 12 hours one
term, you must earn satisfactory grades in atleast 9 hours.
Vanguard 5TheFebruary 11, 2008
Welcome JAGTRAKS Registration Guide
�� Replaces the Schedule of Classes
�� Contains all the information needed to prepare for advising and registration
�� Course listings no longer included. Access up-to-date course listing with current section information and availability on PAWS at http://paws.southalabama.edu
As the University of South Alabama con-tinues to add buildings and innovative addi-tions to campus, the English department andthe Boy Scouts of America are aiding in theexpansion process.
Karen Peterson, aninstructor in theEnglish department,and her son Tyler,took on a project ofbuilding an amphithe-atre for the College ofArts and Sciences.
Tyler is a part ofthe Eagle Scout groupin the Boy Scouts ofAmerica in Mobile.
The purpose of the amphitheatre wouldbe to function as an outdoor classroom forteachers and students who would choose analternative to studying and lecturing in a typ-ical indoor, cinderblock-encased classroom.
The University and the dean of theCollege of Arts and Sciences, DavidJohnson, have already approved this endeav-or.
"The University has approved it as my sonTyler's Eagle Scout project. He owes a spe-cial thanks to Dean Johnson, [USA]President Moulton and Dr. Covey for that,"Peterson said.
Tyler is 15 years old and is completing thisventure to fulfill his Eagle rank requirementsin Boy Scouts before his 18th birthday.
He is hoping for support from USA stu-dents to help build this project from theground up.
All materials and funds are donated, andall laborers are contract-ed on a solely volunteerbasis , since this is anEagle Project, accordingto Tyler.
"I expect that themajority of the volun-teers will be students atthe school and other BoyScouts from my troop,and I already have manythat are waiting for the
work days," Tyler said. "The majority of thematerials will be donated, but cash donationsare also necessary for materials that are notdonated.”
“Because I am at the beginning of thebuilding process, I am still looking for addi-tional volunteer workers and donations tohelp the cause."
Holding outdoor classes is a tactic oftenemployed for breaking up the day-to-dayteaching routine. For students and for teach-ers wishing to utilize the facility, it couldprove to be a breath of fresh air.
USA students nominated for Barry Goldwater Scholarship
Three USA students have been nominat-ed this year for the Barry M. GoldwaterScholarship, a program for students whomajor in mathematics, engineering or thesciences and plan for a career in research.
The University of South Alabama'sGoldwater Scholarship Committee nomi-nees are mechanical engineering majorJohn Maher, mathematics major JackieRauch and mechanical engineering majorCarmen Zirlott.
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarshipand Excellence in Education Program wasauthorized by the United States Congressin 1986 to honor Senator Barry M.Goldwater, a statesman and soldier for theUnited States.
The main goal of the scholarship is toalleviate the current shortage of qualifiedscientists, mathematicians and engineers.Founders attempt to provide a continuingsource of highly qualified individuals tothose fields of academic study andresearch.
The criteria for the scholarship are thatfour-year institutions are eligible to nomi-nate up to four students who are in theirsophomore or junior year during.
Each scholarship covers eligible expensesfor undergraduate tuition, fees, books androom and board, up to $7,500 annually.
Junior-level scholarship recipients are eli-gible for a maximum of two years of schol-arship support, and senior-level scholarshiprecipients are eligible for a maximum ofone year of scholarship support.
Nominees for Goldwater Scholarshipsmust include a statement of interest in acareer in mathematics, the natural sciences
or engineering, detailing how their aca-demic program and their overall educa-tional plans will prepare them for theirchosen career goal.
Students must also fill out an extensiveapplication, provide three recommenda-tions and provide supporting documentssuch as transcripts.
Then, each participating institution mustappoint a faculty representative to serve asliaison between the institution and theFoundation by publicizing the scholarshipprogram on campus, soliciting faculty rec-ommendations and helping nominees pre-pare for the competition.
The USA Goldwater ScholarshipCommittee is comprised of Dr. AnneBoettcher of biology, Dr. Gene Cioffi ofchemistry, Dr. Bob Coleman of the HonorsProgram, Dr. Frank Donovan of engineer-ing, Dr. Paul Helminger of physics, Dr.Sytske Kimball of meteorology, Dr. MikeSpector of biomedical sciences, Dr. JohnSteadman, dean of engineering, Dr. SallySteadman of arts and sciences, and Dr. BinWang of mathematics. All helped to pickthe three USA nominees.
“Being nominated for the GoldwaterScholarship is quite an honor,” committeechair Dr. Bob Coleman said. “This is acompetitive process.”
The three nominated students will findout whether or not they will be awardedone of the approximately 300 GoldwaterScholarships granted each year by thetrustees.
“I was really happy to hear that I wasnominated for this scholarship because it isvery prestigious,” sophomore John Mahersaid. “I’m not going to get my hopes uptoo high, but even if I don’t make it to thefinals, it is still a very good honor.”
Blessed to have found my purpose in lifeat a young age, I have known that being awriter was my calling for most of my life.My passion for writing in a way that notonly informs my readers but also forcesthem to feel the meaning behind eachmeticulously chosen word, undoubtedlystems from my love for reading.
I learned early in life that being able tocheck a book out of a library that con-tained an accurate account of the maliciousand violent acts which my people were sub-jected to throughout history was not alwayspossible; it is truly a privilege.
Fortunately, several educators throughouthistory became pioneers in the fight to getthe truth about the treatment of African-Americans published in newspapers andjournals across the country.
They were determined to force feed thefacts behind the lynchings, rapes and mur-ders of African-Americans into the homesof political leaders, as well as the commonman and woman, so they could no longerhide behind their blanket of ignorance onthe matter. The legendary Ida B. Wells-Barnett was one of them.
Born the daughter of slaves in HollySprings, Miss. in 1862, Wells was surelythought to have the same fate as her elders.To the surprise of many, the unforeseencivil rights and suffrage activist became oneof the most influential journalists of hertime.
During the Reconstruction Era, Wellsattended Shaw University afterEmancipation made it legal for African-Americans to be educated and beganteaching at the tender age of 14. At the ageof 22, she moved to Memphis, Tenn. andcontinued her work as a school teacherwhile attending Fisk University. The racialinjustice she endured while on a train ridein Tennessee led Wells to pursue a career injournalism in an attempt to expose racismtowards African-Americans in Southernstates.
After publishing several controversialarticles on racial injustice, her teach con-tract was not renewed. Though teach wasWells’ first passion, her banishment fromteaching in schools did not stop her fromcontinuing to enlighten the masses.
Following the 1892 lynchings of threeAfrican-American businessmen who wereclose associates of hers, Wells wrote a seriesof in-depth editorials on the tragedies.
Wells wrote that “There is, therefore,only one thing left to do: save our moneyand leave a town which will neither protectour lives or property, nor give us a fair trialin the courts, but takes us out and murdersus in cold blood when accused by whitepersons."
These words ignited a fire which had
Just athought ...
Students attempt to rebuild LASA on campus
Being such a diverse campus, it is a littlesurprising to some students that the LatinAmerican Student Association is not anup-and-running organization.
An organization not only open to stu-dents of Latin descent, LASA definitelyhas a lot to offer. LASA’s purpose it toencourage the spirit of unity among itsmembers, promote the cultural and tradi-tions of the different Latin Americancountries and help its members adjust tothe university environment.
It has been said that in previous yearsLASA was one of the largest studentorganizations on campus, being comparedin size to the African-American StudentAssociation. In recent years, the organiza-tion participated in the USA SpringFestival that is sponsored by the Council ofthe International Student Organizations.LASA was also very active in Mobile'sInternational Festival, as well as theHispanic Festival atSpring Hill College.
In an attempt torekindle these closebonds with the commu-nity, several USA stu-dents have been tryingto rebuild the organiza-tion.
A mass e-mail wassent to USA students via their Universitye-mail accounts on Jan. 22 from Directorof Campus Involvement Sally Cobbinforming students of an interest meetingwhich was held on Jan. 31 in the StudentCenter. Unfortunately, only five studentswere in attendance. With the dishearten-ing lack of student support, those in atten-
dance felt there was no need to proceedwith the meeting.
Others saw this attempt not as a failurebut as a challenge to go full force in pursu-
ing the reorganization ofLASA.
“I am so happy thatLASA is getting recog-nized,” said Cobb.“Having lived in severalLatin countries, I have aspecial interest in thisgroup, and I am confidentthey will again succeed.”
Tania Morris-Diaz, a senior and thedaughter of LASA’s current advisor, Dr.Stephen Morris, has been diligently work-ing towards getting the organization backto where it used to be.
“I've been trying really hard, but I don'tknow what else to do to get studentsinvolved,” stated Morris-Diaz when asked
about her recent struggles with member-ship recruitment.
According to Morris-Diaz, LASA hasmany supporters, such as Brenda Hinsonof the international admissions depart-ment. Hinson has always been quite sup-portive of LASA students as well as all ofthe other international students. It is leftup to the students to participate.
Current members of LASA encouragestudents to at least come out to an interestmeeting and see what they have to offer, orif LASA ever has a table in the StudentCenter Breezeway, just stop by.
Any further meetings and updatesabout the club will be sent via students’University e-mail address. For furtherinformation, stop by the office of campusinvolvement.
http://www.clubs.psu.edu/lasaMembers of the Latin American Student Association at Penn State gather for a picture at their annualpicnic. Students at the University of South Alabama are trying to gain student interest in rebuilding theonce highly active Latin American Student Association.
IGN ITE a ims to en fo rce smok ingrules, not make smoke-free campus
A student organization called IGNITE is striving to preventnon-smokers from being exposed to cigarette smoke around cam-pus. The president of IGNITE, Sara Baghaei, insists that thegroup is not trying to get smoking banned on campus.
"A big misconception that may have come across is that we'reagainst smokers. That's not true at all; we're not trying to bullysmokers. We would love their support,"Baghaei said.
Instead, IGNITE is simply trying to enforcethe rule against smoking within 25 feet ofbuildings. There are no-smoking signs on near-ly all of the buildings on campus, yet studentscan often be seen completely disregarding therestrictions.
The members of IGNITE would like to seea specific area set aside for smokers, andBaghaei believes that "a smoke-free campuswould be ideal." Baghaei received a couple of e-mails from smok-ers that are willing to join the club and even adhere to a designat-ed smoking area if one were to be set aside.
IGNITE's immediate goal is to enforce the 25-feet rule around
the buildings. The students are looking at the strategies of otheruniversities that restrict smoking or have banned it altogether.
"What we're working on right now is putting together a presen-tation to show to various organizations on campus," Baghaei said."We have to have evidence that the 25-feet rule is being brokenand also present a possible solution."
IGNITE is a nation-wide organization that prominently existsin the North. South Alabama's chapter and Auburn University'schapter are the only two Southern components of IGNITE.
Baghaei said that the group will meet inthe month of February, but a specific datehas not been set. IGNITE does not requireany membership dues. The national Website is http://www.ignitegeneration.organd the USA chapter can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
Baghaei is very optimistic about thegroup's goals and believes that an agree-ment can be reached that will satisfy bothsmokers and those that prefer to avoid sec-
ond-hand smoke. "We are taking any kind of support or information that anyone
wants to give, whether smoker or non-smoker," Baghaei said. "Ifanyone wants to know more, I would love to hear from them."
Latin American Student Association looking to gain student interest
“I’ve been trying reallyhard, but I don’t know whatelse to do to get students
“A big misconception that mayhave come across is that we’reagainst smokers. That’s not trueat all; we’re not trying to bully
smokers.”- Sara Baghaei
Vanguard 7TheFebruary 11, 2008
Now that Mardi Gras has come andgone, I have been thinking hard aboutwhat I should do for Lent.
I was still undecided until the lastparade on Tuesday night had passed, andI saw all the trash on the ground. It lookedlike the aftermath of a hurricane!
After seeing downtown Mobile coveredwith ridiculous amounts of garbage, Idecided to be more environmentallyfriendly this Lent season, and you can toowith these eco-friendly tips.
If you commute to campus, see if youcan car pool with someone who has a sim-ilar schedule to yours. For those of youwho live on campus, you can carpool ortake public transportation to take you tothe grocery store instead of using yourown vehicle.
Also, instead of using the JagTran, youcan either walk or use a bike – free exer-cise!
Another tip toward saving the world isto re-sale your textbooks to the USABookstore or donate them to a charity, asopposed to throwing them away.
Remember all that used paper youthrew away last term? Recycle it! Wastemanagement has recycled tons of paperand has saved more than 41 million treesas a result.
Aluminum cans, cardboard, plastic bot-tles and jugs are all recyclable.
According to http://www.plugintorecy-cling.org, more than 2 million tons of usedelectronics are thrown out each year. For
Window painting contest kicks off Homecoming
Homecoming is considered by many tobe the most celebrated week-long event ofthe year, as all facets of University life areinvolved in this winter celebration. Itbrings about competition, rallies, parties,tailgating and is undeniably a time whenthe entire student body can come togetherdespite their difference and act as one.This type of unity was evident at thisyear’s window painting contest.
On Feb. 8, student organizations gath-ered at the Student Center Amphitheaterfor the annual window painting contest.From 11 a.m. until around 3 p.m., studentsworked hard non-stop, hoping their artisticabilities could bring their school spirit tolife on the windows of the Student Center.
The window painting competition is along-running tradition at the University of
South Alabama and is designed to giveGreek and independent organizations thechance show off their artistic talents whileincorporating the Homecoming theme.Each organization hopes to dazzle thejudges enough to prove their dominanceand win first place for the spirit award. Atthe end of the Homecoming activities, oneGreek and one independent organizationwill receive first place recognition as theleaders in school spirit.
This year’s window painting contest wasa site to see. Students were scattered aboutthe amphitheater with one thing on theirminds: “On The Prowl,” the Homecomingtheme. Paint was flying, and people werelaughing and playing as masterpieces werebeing made. It was just a bona fide repre-sentation of school spirit at its best. Thepride everyone had in his or her creationswas so thick it could almost be felt in theair. Everybody was joyous and playful butat the same time determined to leaveknowing that each had done his or her per-sonal best.
Alpha Epsilon Delta received first placehonors for the non-Greek/independentorganizations. Their interpretation of theHomecoming theme was right on point; ajaguar was sitting, lurking about in the jun-gle shrubs while waiting on his prey so hecould pounce down on it. They truly gotthe idea with their work.
To cap things off for the independentcompetition, Baptist Campus Ministryreceived second place honors, whileStudents Today AlumniTomorrow received third.
The first place winnerfor the Greek competitionwas Chi Omega, who alsohit the theme on the headwith their window panedelight. They developed abreathtaking sketch of ajaguar grasping an owlwith one hand. This represents our reignover our upcoming Homecoming oppo-nent, Florida Atlantic, and shows that wetake no mercy when it comes to competi-tion. Coming in with second and thirdwere Alpha Omicron Pi and Pi Kappa
Phi. African-American Student Association
member and artist behind the organiza-tion’s contest design DeAnthony Dulaneywas inspired by the Jags’ determination to“devour” the competition.
“It show no signs oflosing, ever! Also, I justlove to draw and am aproud member ofAASA so, I was happy tolend a hand.” saidDulaney.
Siara Smith, a proudmember of AASA, stat-ed, “This is my first time
doing something like this, and it is reallyfun! It gives every organization a greatopportunity to come together and fellow-ship as one and shows true unity andschool pride.”
Ashley D. McGee / Lifestyles Editor
This extraordinary window design by ChiOmega sorority won the first place ribbon in theGreek category at the 2008 Homecoming win-dow painting contest.
This week, University of South Alabama students have theopportunity to become a part of a group that boasts memberssuch as Condoleeza Rice, Lance Armstrong, Sandra DayO’Connor and Rudolph Guilliani. What do these famous andsuccessful people have in common? They are all members ofthe Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society, a society thatrecognizes college seniors for exemplaryscholarship, leadership and service.
The Azalea Chapter of Mortar Board atSouth Alabama is celebrating “MortarBoard Week” and is currently looking foroutstanding new members. This year marksthe 90th anniversary of the national honorsociety and the 39th anniversary of SouthAlabama’s Azalea Chapter.
Members of the Azalea Chapter partici-pate in many community service activities throughout the year.This academic year, they have participated in the African-American Student Association Fall Festival, the Christmas TreeContest, a St. Mary’s Home Christmas Party, Trick-or-Treat forBooks, and several canned food and blood drives. Mortar Boardís a national project with a literacy campaign called “Reading isLeading.” In order to promote literacy in our area, the Azalea
Chapter has donated books to local libraries that were damagedby Hurricane Katrina and also volunteered at the Mobile PublicLibrary.
On Feb. 15, Mortar Board will be hosting the Top Prof.Banquet for its members and their favorite professors. Thisannual event is an opportunity for students to honor professors atthe University who have made contributions both in and out ofthe classroom.
There are many benefits to becoming a member of this out-standing honor society. Not only do mem-bers receive academic recognition from theUniversity, they also have access to thousandsof dollars in scholarships and fellowships,career and graduate school networking pro-grams, discounts in KAPLAN courses, andinsurance specials. There are also numerousleadership opportunities, including a trip tothe annual Mortar Board NationalConference.
Of course, not all benefits of membership are tangible, yetthey are just as valuable. Sally Cobb, the director of campusinvolvement and Mortar Board chapter advisor, explains thevalue of these benefits.
“Because members continue to contribute to the campus andcommunity, they continue to grow in all aspects of their life,
“Because members continueto contribute to the campus and
community, they continue togrow in all aspects of their life.”
Alpha Epsilon Delta’s suspenseful artwork (right)received first place honors for the non-Greek/independent organizations category at the2008 Homecoming window painting contest.
Tuesday“Soul Food Luncheon” at 12p.m. in SC Ballroom. Hosted bythe Office of MulticulturalStudent Affairs and the African-American Student Association,admission is $8.WednesdayUSA Spirit Day! Wear red tosupport the Jags!; HomecomingBlood Drive from 10 a.m. until 4p.m. in SC Lobby.ThursdayHomecoming Dance “Cupid’sShuffle” at 7 p.m. at the MCGlobe, FREE.FridayPhi Alpha Theta History Clubfilm showing of “Gone With theWind” at 6:30 p.m. in HUMBroom 150.
see RECYCLE, page 20
“It gives every organiza-tion a great opportunity tocome together and fellow-
The Mobile Theatre Guild will soonbe presenting their suspenseful produc-tion of “Veronica’s Room.” The play,directed by Michael McKee, will beshowing on Feb. 15, 16, 22, 23 and 24.
“Veronica’s Room” was written by IraLevin, the creator of “Rosemary’s Baby,”“The Stepford Wives” and “Deathtrap.”
In “Veronica’s Room,” an elderly cou-ple meets a young woman, Susan, at alocal restaurant. The couple insists thatthe young woman’s looks resemble that ofa deceased girl named Veronica. Themystery continues to unfold when Susanagrees to visit and comfort Veronica’s sis-ter, who is slowly dying of cancer. Onceentering Veronica’s room, Susan realizesthat there is no escape.
The gothic mystery encompasses aunique and suspenseful quality that ismagnified even more by the play’s setting... an antiquated Victorian home.
“Veronica’s Room” will continuouslykeep you on the edge of your seat. TheHerndon Times calls the play “com-pelling,” while Stephen King claims it is“the Swiss watchmaker of suspense.”
The Mobile Theatre Guild is a non-profit community theater and is a mem-ber of the Mobile Arts Council, theAlabama Conference of Theatre andSpeech and the American Association ofCommunity Theaters.
Cast for the production includesAngela Davis, Tracie Collier, Tony Lordand Jake Coleman.
The Mobile Theatre Guild has beenserving the community since 1947. Thetheatre is located at 14 North LafayetteSt. in midtown Mobile. For further infor-mation and to make reservations, call(251) 433-7513.
“Veronica’s Room” contains adult con-tent and is not suitable for children.
Ashley GrunerFINE ARTS [email protected] The Mobile Arts Council offers four distinct exhibits through-
out the month of February--one of which honors this month'stradition of black history awareness. An opening reception onFeb. 8 invites the public to experience a variety of mediums,styles and artistic messages throughout the remainder of themonth.
The installation "Seats for Social Justice” welcomes artgoers atthe entrance of the MAC. The project, begun by the Hands OnNetwork in 2006, commemorates civil rights leaders such as RosaParks and Martin Luther King Jr. The bus seats, decorated byMobile artists, began their display on MLK Day.
"The Messenger,” by Press-Register editorial cartoonist J. D.Crowe, depicts a pastel memorial to King and his message.Azalea City Quilters Anne Godwin and Nancy Goodman depicttheir seat in memory of Rosa Parks; various quotes appearinglike patchwork on the bus seat are attributed to a life-like Parks,who sits calmly with her booking number hung around her neckat the time of her arrest.
This work, titled "The Booking,” pays homage to a turningpoint in the history of civil rights. The final bus seat, created byJune LaVernway and Krista Kearney of Volunteer Mobile, serves
as an assemblage of more than 285 images of civil rights pio-neers throughout history.
Along the walls of the Skinny Gallery is the work of USAgraduate Frederick E. McDuffie. McDuffie's social realist series,titled "The Fruit of Labor,” was first displayed at the MobileTownhouse Gallery in a solo exhibit. Seeking inspiration fromthe laborers of Mobile, McDuffie portrays his version of themigrant worker in the United States.
"I wanted to concern these paintings less with people andmore so with the labor or rather the product gained by theirwork," McDuffie said. The artist does so through his depiction ofthe act of labor and even more so through his depiction of hard-ship.
"I have manipulated the paintings in a way to draw the view-er’s attention to the product that is gained from the work of themigrant." McDuffie does so through his obscure portrayal of thefigures faces … they are either hidden or unrecognizable. Aboveall, McDuffie longs for the viewer to gain his or her own conclu-sion of the images, keeping his personal thoughts "beneath thesurface of the painting."
Taking a trip into the Blue Room gives an eye-opening experi-ence into the work of young artists from Mary G. Montgomery
MAC honors Black History Month
‘Buried Child’ depicts family of secrets
The University of South Alabama’sDramatic Arts Department will performSam Shepard’s Buried Child at theLaidlaw Performing Arts Center on Feb.15, 16, 21, 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. andagain on Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.
“Shepard is best known to movie fansfor his acting work in “The Right Stuff,”“The Notebook” and “Black HawkDown,” among many roles. He wasawarded the Pulitzer Prize for our play“Buried Child,” which was most recentlyrevived for Broadway in 1996,” said Dr.Leon Van Dyke, chair of the dramadepartment.
Mixing intense symbolism withuntamed life-likeness, Buried Childdepicts the aftermath a family undergoeswhile hiding a dark secret … an act ofincest between a mother and one of herthree sons. The resulting baby boy wasquickly put to death by the mother’s hus-band, the offending son’s father.
The audience gets to see how the scan-dal entirely warps the family over time.
Michael Waldron, an acting major whois playing the role of Vince, said “this is avery Greek-styled tragedy set in the heart-land of America … Illinois. The ambigui-ty of the script leaves a lot of holes, whichis challenging but a lot of fun to work on.The dialogue is rugged and from theheart. Shepard’s speeches are amazingand so real,” he said.
Not only does Waldron possess a leadrole in the production, but he also helpedthe scenic design-er, ConstanceSmith, build theset.
Smith is sceneshop foreman ofthe department ofdramatic arts.“My approachfor design was tocreate a very disconnected look,” he said.“It looks like there are pieces of a set, butnot all the pieces are there. It representsthe quest for identity in the play.”
“Through this production, Shepardpays homage to his family. It’s the firstplay where he revisits his own demons and
issues with his father and his family. Thereare actual names of characters whichwere names of his real family members,”stated Smith.
In his review of the production,Francisco Miguel Valada said “… Its rootsin ritual and its approach to monumental,timeless themes of human suffering -incest, murder, deceit and rebirth - resem-ble the destruction wreaked by the heroesof Greek tragedy.”
Smith said ofShepard, “I love hiswork. We have beenwaiting a while to dothis. Shepard leaves plen-ty of room for the audi-ence to interpret differ-ent things from thisplay.”
General admissiontickets for this event are $12, and studenttickets are $8. Tickets for faculty, staff andsenior citizens are $10. The box office,located in the lobby of the LaidlawPerforming Arts Center, is open from 9a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. For ticketinformation, call (251) 460-6306.
Feb. 28, 7 p.m.Stewartfield MansionSpring Hill College
USA Chorale presents“Romance, again ... please”
Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m.Laidlaw Performing Arts Center
UPCOMING EVENTS
“This is a very Greek-styledtragedy set in the heartland of
America ...”- Michael Waldron
see MAC, page 9
Opening of “Misery”Feb. 15, 8 p.m.
Theatre 98Fairhope, Ala.
USA Symphony BandConcert
Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m.Laidlaw Performing Arts Center
Vanguard 9TheFebruary 11, 2008
Throughout the month of February,Cathedral Square Gallery will be showing“Beads and Bangles,” a Mardi Gras inspiredexhibition.
Cathedral Square Gallery is a co-op gallerywith a wide range of artists and mediums con-stantly being represented.
Each month the gallery chooses a theme inwhich the gallery members have an option toparticipate. This month’s Mardi Gras themeinspired several artists to create bold, vivaciousworks of art.
Holly Carrigan created knit and wovenscarves containing various decorative fabrics.The colors spanned throughout the spectrum …from yellow to purple to green. This helped incapturing the spirit and the essence of the sea-son. The materials appeared festive amongbeads and other bold colors.
Gordon House, a local artist, painted a brightimage of a parade float with a masked throwertossing beads. Flowers and bugs decorated theblurred, moving float while the bold colorspopped out of the painting.
Suzanne Damrich, another local artist, paint-ed Jazz Band and New Orleans Brass Band. Ineach of these pieces, there are fiery reds andvivid yellows surrounding the main subjects,which are the musicians. The performers appearsomewhat skewed as if they were shown per-forming in real life. The musicians appear to beenjoying themselves, while the many colorsdancing across the canvas adds an extra flair.
Other paintings found hanging in the gallerycontain floats, beads, masks and bold, bright col-ors that seem to vibrate against one another.The entire show is fun, energetic and reallyseems to portray the feelings and emotionsevoked during the Mardi Gras season.
Cathedral Square Gallery is open Tuesday -Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery islocated on 260 Dauphin St.
Artists add tolocal festivities
MMSSOO:: kkeeeeppiinngg tthhee rroommaannccee aalliivveeAre you searching for something
romantic and unique to do thisValentine’s Day weekend? Or perhapsyou feel stuck in a cultural wastelandand need some classical refreshment? Ifyou are tired of the trite candlelit dinnerand the obligatory box of chocolates,then broaden your romantic horizonswith the Mobile Symphony. Their"Legendary Love" concert will surelyinfuse new life into your romance.
This exciting concert features theromantic, lyrical pieces of SergeiRachmaninoff ’s “Piano Concerto No.2”and Antonín Dvorák’s “Symphony No.6.” Both musical pieces will be per-formed by world-famous Russian pianistOlga Kern. Her long and distinguished
list of accomplishments speaks for itself. Kern has won both critical and popu-
lar acclaim for her extraordinary talent.Her interpretation of the music isbound to be the highlight of the per-formance. Kern is the Gold Medal win-ner of the prestigious 2001 Van CliburnInternational Piano Competition. She iscertainly familiar with Rachmaninoff;her performance of his “PianoConcerto No. 3” won her the honor ofbeing the first woman in 30 years to winthat particular award.
Kern is no stranger to the Americanstage, as she has averaged 60 perform-ances per season. Her most recent 2006-2007 tour, with fellow Russian andworld-renowned violinist VladimirSpivakov and the NationalPhilharmonic of Russia, was a greatsuccess.
The "Legendary Love" concert willfeature several choice works.Rachmaninoff's “Concerto for Pianoand Orchestra No. 2” is characterizedby lush and lyrical motifs. The pianoconcerto is filled with Russian-infusedpassion during its first part. Its recapitu-lation allows the pianist a place to shinewith a serene piano solo.
The second piece of the concert willbe Antonín Dvorák's “Symphony No.6.” This symphony is imbued with acheerful nature, compliments of itsCzech folk music roots. Its second themeis defined by its grace and elegance. Thepiece ends with a triumphant, attention-grabbing show.
As a future concert-attendee, one may
blissfully celebrate singles-awareness day,or if a special someone is involved,Valentine’s Day. This masterful collabo-ration between a fantastically talentedpianist and inherently beautiful musiccan be enjoyed no matter what one‘sromantic status may be. "LegendaryLove" will have two performances, oneon Feb. 16 at 8:00 p.m., and a matineeperformance on Feb. 17 at 2:30 p.m.
The historic Mobile Saenger Theatreis the showcase for the sumptuoussounds of "Legendary Love." TheSaenger Theatre is located at 6 JoachimSt. in downtown Mobile. For additionalinformation and ticket prices, visithttp://www.mobilesymphony.org.
http://www.mobilesymphony.org
Russian pianist Olga Kern will be performingwith the Mobile Symphony on Feb. 17.
The “Legendary Love” concert features select-ed works of Rachmaninoff and Dvorak.
High School. Students at the high school createdJapanese-inspired images and sculptures.
The student series, titled "Spirit of Japan,"gave the emerging artists a chance to expresstheir interpretation of a Japanese heroine.Sadako was a victim of the atomic bomb inHiroshima. Sadako was later diagnosed withleukemia. Sadako sought the help of an oldJapanese legend – that one wish would be grant-ed to anyone who could fold 1,000 paper cranes.Sadako folded over 1,000 cranes before dying in1955 at the age of 12.
The last of the four exhibitions is that ofAlabama artist Ainsley McNeely. She offers oilpaintings of various wildlife, as well as pasteldrawings of life on the frontier. McNeely fore-most "enjoys the challenge of capturing thebeauty, energy and emotion of the naturalworld, as well as the people and animals whoinhabit it."
The work present at MAC is quite evident ofMcNeely's love of the world that surrounds us.Stepping into the room of her work is like step-ping into an undiscovered part of the great land.
These remarkably different yet equally intrigu-ing works are on display at the Mobile ArtsCouncil until Feb. 28. Visithttp://www.mobilearts.org for further informa-tion.
MACfrom page 8
The Mobile Opera will be presenting“Some Enchanted Valentine: AnEvening of Rodgers and HammersteinClassics” on Feb. 14.
This evening will feature selectionsfrom the best works of Richard Rodgersand Oscar Hammerstein. The programincludes excerpts from “Carousel,”“Sound of Music,” “The King & I,”“Oklahoma!” “South Pacific” and“State Fair.”
Rodgers began his work by collabo-rating with lyricist Lorenz Hart on aseries of musical comedies that werefeatured on Broadway, in London andin Hollywood, from the 1920s into theearly 1940s. According to the MobileOpera Web site, these shows set “newstandards for wit, sophistication andinnovation.”
Hammerstein began writing lyrics forthe Columbia University Varsity, includ-ing several musical comedies. He thenbegan to pursue a career in theatre byworking as an assistant stage managerfor his uncle. His first play, “The Light,”began in 1919 and led to his continua-tion in the writing of both lyrics andlibrettos. According to the MobileOpera’s Web site, Hammerstein foundhis passion in “breathing new life intothe moribund artform of operetta.”
The Rodgers and Hammerstein part-nership began with “Oklahoma!” Thismusical blended comedy with operetta
to form a whole new genre - the musicalplay. Throughout their partnership,Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musicalearned 34 Tony Awards, 15 AcademyAwards, two Pulitzer Prizes and twoGrammy Awards. Rodgers andHammerstein also produced the motionpicture version of “Oklahoma!” andfounded a musical publishing firm,Williamson Music.
Hammerstein’s last musical was “TheSound of Music” written with Rodgersin 1959. Hammerstein died in August1960. Rodgers continued to write for
the Broadway stage after Hammerstein’sdeath, until his own death in December1979. The Mobile Opera’s Web sitereminds us that even at the turn of the21st century, the Rodgers andHammerstein legacy still flourishes,marked by the enthusiasm that greetedtheir centennials in 1995 and 2002,respectively.
The Mobile Opera’s tribute toRodgers and Hammerstein will featureLaura Choi Stuart, soprano; KirstenGunlogson, mezzo soprano; Erica vanHoven, tenor; Corey McKern, baritone;and Jerome Shannon, conductor. Stuarthas been hailed by the Boston Globe as“a lyric soprano of ravishing quality,”while performing extensively in concertand chamber music settings. McKernhas been praised by the Santa Fe NewMexican as a “resonant and virile bari-tone, confident bearing and musicalastuteness.”
The evening will be filled with classicssuch as “Climb Every Mountain” from“The Sound of Music,” “I Whistle aHappy Tune” from “The King and I,”“You’ll Never Walk Alone” from“Carousel,” “People Will Say We’re inLove” from “Oklahoma!” and “SomeEnchanted Evening” from “SouthPacific.”
Be sure you don’t miss out on thisenchanted evening. The Mobile Opera“guarantees you and your special some-one the most romantic Valentine’s Dayimaginable with a lavish concert ofmusic for lovers.”
Mobile Opera to present ‘enchanted evening’Susan PruittSTAFF [email protected]
http://www.mobileopera.org
The Mobile Opera’s upcoming performancewill feature selections from several musicals.
Nationwide, 120,997 people have attended The Winter Jam2008 tour this year, and that success spilled over Saturday nightto the University of South Alabama‘s Mitchell Center. With theUSA Mitchell Center packed to capacity and many fans turnedaway at the door, the 13th annual Winter Jam 2008 TourSpectacular could only be considered a triumph. The doors wereopen at 5:00 p.m. for the pre-show, and the main show started at6:00, but it lasted well past 9:30 p.m. Tickets were only $10 at thedoor, and the audience received their money’s worth. There were
10 acts, including major stars in the contemporary Christian music circuit. The big drawsto Winter Jam 2008 were mellow MercyMe, rockers Skillet, girl band BarlowGirl, and vet-erans NewSong. Throw in some up-and-coming bands such as Echoing Angels, Group 1Crew, and Connorsvine, along with entertaining pre-show acts like pureNRG and RealEncounter’s BMX Xtreme Skate Team, and there truly was something for everyone.
The pre-show at 5:00 p.m. featured “tween” entertainers pureNRG and Real Encounter’sBMX Xtreme Skate Team. It also included the funky sounds of Group 1 Crew. The mas-sive audience in attendance seemed to be having a good time before the show started andwere especially appreciative of Real Encounter’s BMX Xtreme Skate Team. The mood waspositive when NewSong took the stage for the 6:00 show. NewSong played five songs, mix-ing worship, their hits and for a fun flavor, along with a few verses of “Shout” and “SweetHome Alabama.” With 18 albums under their belt, NewSong has been around a while andearned the respect only longevity can provide.
The audience, now warmed up, welcomed Contemporary Christian’s resident rockersSkillet. Skillet played four songs, mostly from their newest album, “Comatose,” but with acouple of old favorites thrown in as well. Lead singer John Cooper and the other membersof Skillet rocked the house with their exhilarating showmanship, complete with fire on stage.Skillet has been on tour with Flyleaf and opened for Three Days Grace and BreakingBenjamin, so they know how to rock.
There was a short break between bands where guest speaker Tony Nolan spoke. He wit-tily and compellingly spoke to the audience about salvation through Jesus Christ and after-wards took up an offering to support the Winter Jam ministry. After Tony Nolan left thestage, NewSong came out and spoke to the audience about a very worthwhile project, HoltChildren’s Services. Holt International is a philanthropic organization that provides care tohomeless children around the world. So far, 1310 children have been sponsored by attendeesof Winter Jam 2008 until they can be adopted.
After a 15-minute break, the Midwestern band Connorsvine took the stage for two songsof the calming coffee house variety. Next on stage was the all-girl band BarlowGirl. Theaudience was receptive to BarlowGirl’s brand of punk-rock. Their latest album, "How CanWe Be Silent," debuted at number one on all charts in 2007--not too shabby for a bunch ofgirls. After playing four of their hits, they cleared the stage for the main attraction,
MercyMe. MercyMe put on a great show, playing at least six or seven of their numerous hits.As one of a select few Christian bands to have all of their albums certified gold or platinum,nothing less could be expected. MercyMe ended Winter Jam 2008 in a fitting way. Their mixof powerful and catchy songs were positive and uplifting, like the whole Winter Jam 2008experience. Mobile was fortunate to have enjoyed such a talented group of artists. Butaccording to Group 1 Crew, the artists were happy to be in Mobile. The band stated,“Mobile was the loudest, most hyped crowd so far, and we’re not just saying that. Mobile hasbeen the best crowd.”
Winter Jam 2008’s variety was appreciated. There were varying levels of talent, but forthe most part every performer put on a really great show. Skillet was the cool kid, BarlowGirlthe angst filled teen, MercyMe the good child, and NewSong the father in Winter Jam2008’s happy little family. Frankly, that chemistry worked.
MercyMe’s guitarist Mike Scheuchzer plays to a sold-out show last Saturday night at the USA MitchellCenter. MercyMe was the headlining act of the Winter Jam 2008 music tour.
Megan J. Reed / Staff Writer
Want something profound to read? Anovel that will inspire you to become a bet-ter person? Well, “Big Boned” is not thatnovel. Instead it is an unpretentious, enter-taining, and well-written story of the chicklit’ variety. While chick lit’ may not be con-sidered high literature, it is a viable andpopular market. When searching throughthe myriad of chick lit’ writers, who betterto spend a rainy Saturday afternoon withthan the queen herself, Meg Cabot?
Meg Cabot has made a name for herselfin this genre, and her stories are lookedupon as the model for chick lit’ books. Herthird novel in the Heather Wells mysteryseries, “Big Boned,” does not disappoint. Itis frothy, fun frivolity. It, thankfully, is notone of those books that takes itself too seri-ously.
However, at times it seems that Cabot istrying too hard to be humorous. Some ofthe unfunny, running jokes she employsthroughout the novel are spread thin. “BigBoned” starts off as a little too forced, butit picks up pace as it progresses and finishesas an enjoyable read.
There is nothing groundbreaking in “BigBoned.” The main character in the mysteryseries, twenty-something Heather Wells, is alikable and relatable heroine. Heather, whohas never said no to a Dove Bar in her life,has a talent for solving murder mysteries inNew York City.
This novel picks up where the two previ-ous books left off. Heather Wells, a formerteen pop star, is now a college student atNew York College. She also works in a resi-dence hall that happens to be famous for itsmurders. Heather has an undeniably badhabit of being in the wrong place at thewrong time. Case in point, she discovers thebody of her residence hall director with abullet through his head. It does not helpthe situation this is Heather’s third mur-dered boss in one year.
Her penchant for getting involved in thelives of the students in the dorm that sheworks in gets her into trouble as well.Heather’s life becomes even more chaoticwhen the students of New York Collegedecide to riot. Throw in a secret relation-ship with her vegan math professor, mix itwith the fact that she is still in love with herlandlord Cooper, and it might be said thatHeather is in over her head.
It is pretty obvious to the reader thatHeather is intelligent and spunky enough tonot only take care of herself, but of themessy situation she finds herself in.
Even though “Big Boned” is the thirdnovel in a series, it is not necessary to haveread the first two Heather Wells books. Atonly 280 pages, and with user-friendly largeprint, it is a quick read. For those peoplewho do not have the time to invest in alengthy book “Big Boned” fills that “I-want-to-relax-and-have-fun” niche.
Heather gives hope to all the women outthere who are not perfect size twos andfours. They too can capture the heart oftheir hunky neighbor while dodging dangerand still be appreciated for the way theyare. “Big Boned” reads like a mug of hotchocolate that Heather Wells would defi-nitely drink with whole milk. It is an indul-gence that may not be the best for you, butit is tasty nevertheless.
Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington,Ind. In addition to her adult contemporaryfiction, she is the author of the bestsellingyoung adult fiction series “The PrincessDiaries.” She lives in Key West, Fla., withher husband. Visit her at http://www.meg-cabot.com.
Cabot caters to chick lit’ crowd with ‘Big Boned’
Winter Jam 2008 triumphs with sold-out show
“Big Boned” is the third novel in Meg Cabot’s seriesabout Heather Wells’ adventures and love life.
Saturday, Feb. 16Knights of Columbus- Mobile RockSummit featuring Sonof a Gun, Make EndsMeets,The Tiles,Roma,The Intrusive,etc.Callaghan’s - GlassJoeGrand Central - FullServiceT.P. Crockmeir’s -Small ZooSoul Kitchen - WrongWayBilotti’s - JimArmstrongThe Pub (EasternShore) - Daddy LongLegs
Sunday, Feb. 17Callaghan’s -LowdownThrowdown
The comedy genius that made the Farrelly brothers’movies such as “Dumb and Dumber,” “There’sSomething About Mary,” and “Shallow Hal” suchhuge successes is not evident in the first two episodes oftheir new television comedy series, “Unhitched.”
On March 2, FOX will premiere the new mid- sea-son scripted comedy starring Craig Bierko, RashidaJones, Shaun Majunder and Johnny Sneed as fourfriends who are back on the dating scene after comingout of serious marriages and relationships. The show isroduced by Bobby and Peter Farrelly. “Unhitched” istheir first attempt at television. The first two episodesfall far short of the standard of comedy fans have
come to expect from them.Set in Boston, the pilot episode does showcase the
slapstick comedy that they are known for with theopening scene. In the scene, Jack Gately, Bierko, walkshis date to her apartment. What occurs next involves aprimate and can be only be described as wacky andgrotesque.
The pilot and second episode attempt to use theidea of incorrect first impressions as a basis for laugh-ter. Kate, Jones, goes on a date with a guy she thinksworks in the business division of the Boston Celtics.Meanwhile, Dr. Freddy, Majunder, thinks he has finallyfound the one with his date. However, both find outthat their dates are not what they appeared to be.
The pilot episode falls flat after the opening scenebecause the background information of the charactersis rushed and not enough time is spent getting to knowthem.
The second episode titled “ Women Marries Horse”continues the previous theme of the pilot episode asthe characters head out to an exclusive club to onceagain join the dating world. While there, Jack andKate land dates - Jack with a seemly attractive blondeand Kate with a free-spirited rocker. Again, they findout the actual truth that lurks behind their dates’ realpersonalities. As a sideline to the plot , Dr. Freddystrikes up a friendship with the club bouncer.
Another problem with just the first episodes of“Unhitched,” besides the lack of hysterical comedythat made the Farrelly brothers’ movies popular, ischaracter Tommy, played by Johnny Sneed.
In both episodes Tommy seems more of a secondarycharacter than one of the main ensemble, since thereis not much focus on his venture into the dating world.Viewers may wonder why he exists at all.
There is one positive aspect of “Unhitched.” Thereis a sense of vulnerability and friendship between thecharacters and what they are dealing with at this hardtime in their lives. Hopefully, future episodes of thisshow will showcase more of the hysterical cartoonishcomedy that made “Dumb and Dumber,” and“There’s Something Like Mary” hits in theaters, onlynow available on the small screen.
TV’s ‘Unhitched’ lacks Farrellybrothers’ big screen appeal
The cast of “Unhitched” includes Craig Bierko, Rashida Jones,Shaun Majunder and Johnny Sneed. The show will premierMarch 2 on the FOX network.
http://www.tvguide.com
During the 2004 ElectronicEntertainment Expo, Criterion Gamesshowed some videos of their latest racinggame, “Burnout 3: Takedown.” Prior to see-ing these videos, I had never even heard ofthe “Burnout” series, but once I saw them, Iknew that Criterion was onto something.The release of “Burnout 3: Takedown” hascome and gone. So has its sequel, “BurnoutRevenge.” Both were well-received gamesand sold very well. In spite of the success ofthese two games, Criterion has decided tochange things up a bit for the latest in theseries, “Burnout Paradise.”
CONCEPT - The selling point of“Burnout 3” was the takedown, smashingyour rivals into anything to make them crashor having your rivals take you down. Thetakedowns were accompanied by gorgeousslow-motion shots of the crashes. “BurnoutRevenge” took the same basic concept andadded new features such as traffic checking,a method of rear-ending same-way traffic,along with a few other features. “BurnoutParadise,” however, has changed almosteverything by throwing out the mostly linear“stages” of the previous games and imple-
menting a completely open city for playersto cruise at their leisure.
Events, such as Race, Road Rage andBurning Route, are all triggered by stoppingat any given intersection and peeling out.Unfortunately, the old “Crash Mode” hasbeen replaced by the “Showtime Mode,” inwhich players hit the left and right bumperbuttons to cause their vehicle to crash andbounce along the street. As in “CrashMode,” points are accumulated based ondamage caused to other vehicles.
GRAPHICS - Paradise City is amazing-ly detailed for such a huge city that needs noin-game loading. There is rarely any pop-up(when objects or buildings are rendered sud-denly due to slow loading), and the sense ofspeed is face-melting. All of the cars featurevery realistic crash modeling, which actuallymakes you want to crash more often.
AUDIO - “Burnout Paradise” features abevy of typical Electronic Arts game soundeffects. Most of them are pretty decent,while others will make you mute your televi-sion set. Naturally, “Paradise City” by Guns‘N’ Roses makes a cameo. As far as the vehi-cle sound effects, well, they sound like cars,so there certainly is nothing wrong with theaudio in this game. The surround soundavailable on every console these days does
keep the sound entertaining.PLAYABILITY - This is where things
take a turn for the worse. Since ParadiseCity is one huge, open map, players can racedown any streets that appeal to them inorder to get to the finish line. The problemis that the only indication of where the fin-
ish line is happens to be on a small map inthe lower right-hand part of the screen.More often than not, I found myself check-ing my position on the map, only to look upand suddenly crash into something. There isalso the option of pressing the “Back” but-ton to pause the game and simultaneouslyview a larger map of the city, but that canget tedious after a while.
Another thing that keeps inline with theopen-world theme is the online portion. Atany moment, all players have to do to playonline is press right on the d-pad and selectthe appropriate option. Almost instantly,players will be driving throughout ParadiseCity with either friends or strangers from allover the world.
ACHIEVEMENTS - The Achievementsin “Burnout Paradise” are not really signifi-cant in any way. There are a lot of online“Achievements” for taking other playersdown, but you would most likely do this any-way, so it does not feel like anything special.There is even an “Achievement” that Iunlocked, but still have no idea how. Thedescription of the “Achievement” is to“Catch Criterion Fever.” There really isnothing here that gives the Xbox 360 ver-sion an advantage over the PlayStation 3version.
‘Burnout’ boasts new features, fast graphics
“Burnout 3” now allows players to interact withthe game without the need for linear gameplay.
The SportsSportsSportsJags continue tosweep the court
Late game rally propelsLady Jags to victory
Ashley Salley / Sports Photographer
USA guard Shakira Nettles puts up one of her many baskets in the Lady Jag’s thrilling win over Troy.
USA 69, Troy 66TROY - The South Alabama women’s
basketball team earned a thrilling road vic-tory over Troy Sunday afternoon at theTrojan Arena in Troy, Ala. A jumper fromShakira Nettles with under a minuteremaining and a pair of free throws withonly seconds remaining from AmandaLenoard were the difference in the 69-66win over the Lady Trojans. With the win theLady Jaguars improved to 16-8 overall and7-6 in the Sun Belt. The Lady Trojans fellto 10-14 and 3-10 in conference play. TheLady Jaguars were paced offensively byNettles who finished with a career-high 20points. Leonard was the other Lady Jaguarin double figures with 10 points.
“Tonight was a great finish for us,” USAhead coach Rick Pietri said. “We knew thatTroy had a lot of fight in them. The thingthat I liked about our effort was thatalthough they cut into the lead a couple oftimes, our team never shattered and wasable to hold it together. We were able tomake the plays at the end to win it.”
The Lady Jaguars had a 35-24 lead with2:21 left before the Lady Trojans reeled offnine unanswered points to end the half.Amy Lewis of Troy hit two free throws withless than a second remaining in the firsthalf, cutting the deficit to 35-33.
The Lady Jaguars took their first lead ofthe game at 41-40 three minutes into the
second half. On the next possession, Nettlesthen drained a trey to give the Lady Jags thelead right back.
The Lady Jaguars pushed the lead to 55-49 on a couple of foul shots from SiedahBanks with 10 minutes left. The LadyTrojans battled back though. Kylie Morissyof Troy hit two free throws with a minuteand a half remaining to cut the Jaguars leaddown to one at 65-64, but Nettles andLeonard stepped up in the clutch to lead theLady Jaguars to victory.
The Lady Jaguars will travel to MiddleTennessee to take on the Lady Blue RaidersThursday Night, and they will host FloridaAtlantic on Saturday at the Mitchell Center.
ASU 70, USA 58The South Alabama women’s basketball
team’s inability to protect the glass againstArkansas State cost them another valuableconference game on Wednesday night, Feb.6, at the Mitchell Center. The Jaguars lostto the Indians 70-58 in front of a homecrowd of 1,304 spectators.
Arkansas State dominated the rebound-ing game, winning the battle off the glass,52-36, including 21 offensive rebounds.South Alabama also gave the Indians toomany extra opportunities, allowingArkansas State to score 23 second chancepoints, including 16 in the second half."The offensive rebounding category was thecomplete story of the game tonight,” SouthAlabama head coach Rick Pietri said. “Weput ourselves in position to fight and win the
Ashley Salley / Sports Photographer
USA center Ronald Douglass puts up a dunk in USA’s commanding win over Troy on Sunday after-
USA 90, Troy 74TROY- The South Alabama men’s
basketball team won their 20th game ofthe season Sunday afternoon at theTrojan Arena in Troy, Ala. Led by 26points from Domonic Tilford and 22from Demetric Bennett, the Jaguars (20-4, 12-1 SBC) handily defeated theTrojans (10-14, 3-10 SBC) 90-74. TheTrojans were led in scoring by JustinJonus, who drilled 10-of-16 3-pointersand finished with 32 points.
“Tonight, you saw why SouthAlabama is in first place,” said Troy headcoach Don Maestri. “They played goodbasketball. They were on top of theirgame and did a good job of spreadingthe ball around.” Maestri said ofTilford’s stellar performance, “He lookedlike he could have been in the NBAtonight.” Tilford made 8-of-12 shotsfrom behind the arc.
The guards were not the only onesthat contributed offensively for theJaguars. The other two that scored indouble figures were big men DeAndreColeman and Brandon Davis, adding 13and 10 points respectively.
The first half was close with nine leadchanges and two ties. With the score 14-14 five minutes in, Bennett drained a treyfrom the corner, and Tilford followed itup with another trey to give the Jaguars a
20-14 advantage with 13:14 to go in thehalf. The Jaguars led until Jonus hit a 3-pointer at the 7:03 mark to put theTrojans up 37-35.
Daon Merritt, who had a career high13 assists, drove the lane and flipped apass to Douglas who threw down a thun-derous two-handed dunk, giving theJaguars a 39-37 lead with 2:20 left in thehalf. The Jaguars would never relinquishthe lead. South Alabama took a 44-37advantage into the locker room.
Early in the second half, Douglas hadto leave the game after hurting his ankle.USA head coach Ronnie Arrow saidafter the game that it was not serious.The Jaguars pushed the lead to 61-50 sixminutes into the second half on a treyfrom Bennett. After that the Trojansnever got within five points. The Jaguarsfinished strong, outscoring the Trojans16-7 over the final five minutes.
The Jaguars made 18-of-21 freethrows while the Trojans never went tothe line. USA out-rebounded Troy 36 to26. Bennett pulled down a game-high 11boards, giving him his fifth career dou-ble-double. The Jaguars will travel toMiddle Tennessee Thursday night andSaturday night will host Florida Atlanticin the homecoming bout.
After a very impressive first season of SunBelt Conference competition, the Universityof South Alabama softball team looks tocontinue to move the program in the rightdirection. The Lady Jags ended their 2007campaign by losing to eventual conferencechampion Florida Atlantic in the secondround of the Sun Belt Conference tourna-ment. The loss gave the Lady Jags a finalrecord of 36-23 (12-11 SBC) and somethingto improve on for this upcoming season.
“I was definitely proud of the way westarted last year, commented Lady Jag headcoach Becky Clark on how well the teamperformed for its’ first year. “I think the kidsdid a tremendous job getting our programoff to a great start.” Getting off to a greatstart is exactly what the team did as theLady Jags had a 13-9 record going into con-ference play.
Coach Clark also commented on realisticgoals for the team this season. “Our goalthis year is to just to build off of that (lastseason). We finished fifth last year, made theconference tournament, a huge accomplish-ment for us considering we were just gettingstarted. This year, we are just trying to buildon that, we want to compete in the confer-ence like we did last year, hopefully finish inthe top three, we would love to win it.” Arelatively new team winning the Sun Belttitle is nothing new as FAU was a newcomerto the SBC as South Alabama was a yearago.
With the team still being new, coachClark feels that the team has depth in moreways than one. “We are the kind of groupthat different people contribute on differentdays and I would say thatwe are very team oriented,that is the great thingabout our team is that itcan be anybody on anygiven day, and that isactually one of ourstrengths.”
With the strong show-ing that the team put onthe field their inauguralyear, the Lady Jaguars arepicked to repeat their per-formance as they start fifthin the preseason SBC poll.Coach Clark feels the rank-ing is justifiable, “I thinkyou should start where youfinish, and it is your job togo on the field and proveotherwise, so it is fair tostart us out where wefinished last year.Last year, we werepicked to finishninth, and wefinished fifth;this year ,weare picked tofinish fifth,so hopeful-ly we canimproveon thatat thee n do f
the year.”For the Lady Jags to improve their posi-
tion from last season, they have a toughroad to haul with the level of competi-
tion that the Sun Belt Conferenceoffers. “ULL is always one the
strongest teams in the confer-ence, proclaimed coach
Clark, “they havesome real
strongp i t c h i n g
and I knowthey will be good
this year. FloridaAtlantic is always good,
they won it last year, they maybe down a little this year because
they graduated a lot of seniors,but they have great coaching
and a strong program, sothey will be fine.”
Outside of the defend-ing champions, other
teams present achallenge, “Troy
is always verystrong, and I
k n o wWestern
Kentucky will also be very strong,” Clarkadded.
The 2008 team may still be young in rela-tion to the SBC, but the team returns eightof its starters from last season, as well as 13
letter winners.Getting off to a solid
start may be tough as theopening stent of the Lady Jags’
schedule includes 14 games, withonly one home game against Auburn
on Feb. 20. The beginning of conferenceplay on March 21 may be a welcomed sightfor the road weary Jags. I trip to Troy for theSBC tournament is under three monthsaway and a mere three hour trip up theroad, but the journey begins now with along road to haul for the second season ofJaguar softball.
Softball PreviewSoftball Preview
Vanguard Archives
Senior infielder Taylor Rich at bat in a game last season at Jaguar Field. Last season was USA’s first season with a softball team.
The University of South Alabama men'stennis team dropped the match 4-3 to NorthFlorida at the Bruce David Lubel MemorialCourts on Friday. The Jags fall to 1-2, andthe Ospreys moves to 2-1.
On the doubles side, the eighth rankedduo of Marek Sramek and Jack Bakerdefeated Argumendo Alejandro and YuitiLopes, 8-4. North Florida's Kurt Gattikerand Eduardo Pereira outscored JaguarsAaron Krisan and R.J. Nagel, 8-4. The Jagshad to forfeited the number three spot. Insingles, Jack Baker demolished Javier Ferrin(6-2, 6-2), Robert Hodel defeated AdrianEscarate (6-3, 6-2), and R. J. Nagel took thematch point in his victory over KurtGattiker (6-1, 6-0). Marek Sramek droppedthe ball on the pole position to AlejandroArgumedo (6-1, 6-0). Aaron Krisan andUNF netter Graham Edgar played thedeciding match and Edgar won in the thirdset following Krisan's injury which forcedhim to end the match (6-4, 7-6 (10-8), 6-5).
South Alabama returns to the courts toface Mississippi State at 1 p.m. in Starkville,Miss., Feb. 17.
The South Alabama women’s tennisteam continued their winning streak as theywon both of their matches played this week.The Lady Jags outscored North Florida, 5-2, Friday afternoon at the Bruce DavidLubel Memorial Tennis Courts andGeorgia State 4-3 on Sunday.
The Lady Jag pair of Michaela Babicovaand Erica Krisan swept North Florida’sMaria Melihova and Vanessa Sanchez,posting a blistering 8-0 win. SouthAlabama’s Sylvanie Spangenberg andAdrianna Solarova also downed UNF’sCarolina Melo and Natalia Sanchez duowith an 8-1 victory which gave the LadyJag’s an early advantage for the day.
The singles play saw South Alabama’sBabicova take control of the game as sheposted a (6-1, 6-2) over Durcakova of NorthFlorida. North Florida’s Vanessa Sanchezdefeated Krisan in two sets. Katie Welchgave the Jags the match point after shedropped the first set 7-5, but rallied back 6-3 and 6-0. Solarova also took down UNF’sNatalia Sanchez 6-1, 6-3 while fellow LadyJag Spangenberg also defeated CarolinaMelo, 6-1, 6-1. South Alabama had to for-feit a point due to an injury.
The Lady Jags stayed on track and heat-ed up the courts to take the win overGeorgia State, 4-3, Sunday afternoon. TheLady Jags advance to 3-0 while GeorgiaState falls to 3-4 overall for the season. USAplayed the match without Jalena Krivacevicand Katie Welch in singles and doubles dueto injures, but managed to stay on top oftheir game and take the win.
On the doubles end, the Lady Jag pair ofBabicova and Krisan defeated their oppo-nents, Rachel Malina and DarvanaKozmina, 8-2. Lady Jag’s Spangenberg andSolarova took the doubles point after post-ing an 8-6 win over Lady Panthers Martina
Nitkova and Katerina Gresova.Singles saw the Lady Jags continuing
their pace as they took home three of fourmatches. Solarova downed DarvanaKozmina (6-2, 6-2) and Krisan beat RachelMalina (6-1, 6-4). Spangenberg took theadvantage over Katerina Gresova (6-2, 7-6,6-3). Babicova dropped her game point to
Martina Nitkova (1-6, 6-1, 3-6).South Alabama will be back in action as
they host Sun Belt Conference’s Universityof Louisiana-Monroe at 1:30 p.m. onFriday, Feb. 15.
Marek Sramek returns a serve in his match on Friday afternoon versus North Florida.
Men’s Tennis falls short,women’s prevails
Men’s Golf prevailsUSA finished fifth in the Gator
Invitational held in Gainsville, Fla. onSunday. The team shot an 851 and finishedin front of five of the top fifty teams includ-ing ninth rated Duke University. MarkEttiene Bussieres led the Jags with a 67,three under par. Freshman Jack Hiluta shotpar and finished with an overall score of209, one under par. Bussieres ended the daytied for sixth overall while Hiluta finishedtied for twelfth.
Women’s Golf win CowgirlInvitational
South Alabama shot a 921 and won theCowgirl Invitational at Koasiti Pines onSunday. The Jags were tied with FloridaInternational at the end of the tournamentbut FIU could not play the playoff becauseof flight arrangements, which gave USA thewin. Seniors Elin Andersson and Sara Martiboth shot a 77 while Junior Shriley Harveyshot a 78 to help with the win. Anderssonfinished second in the tournament whileHarvey finished in ninth.
USA wins Hall of Fame gameUSA defeated former South Alabama
players now in the Minor Leagues in theHall of Fame game on Saturday. The Jagswon 9-5 after scoring a run in the sixth andfour runs in the seventh. The alumni teamscored first but the Jags answered right back
after back-to-back singles from Chris Davisand Clint Toomey scored Ramond Kruml.USA trailed 5-4 before scoring scoring theirruns in the sixth and seventh innings. SouthAlabama will open their season in two weekswhen Kentucky, Xavier, and Fairfield cometo Mobile to play in the 23rd annual Coca-Cola Classic.
Softball gets off to rocky startin Bama Bash
South Alabama finished the HamptonInn Bama Bash at the Alabama SoftballComplex 0-4 after falling to Purdue,Alabama, and Jacksonville State on Feb. 8and Feb. 9.
Purdue 8, USA 7On Saturday, the Jags fell to Purdue and
Jacksonville State. In their final game of thetournament, USA took Purdue to extrainnings, but in the eighth inning the defensegave up a run after a bobbled ground balland Purdue won 8-7. In the bottom of thefourth the Jaguars had a 5-1 lead, butCourtney Chigaros dropped a fly ball toallow a run to score. The Boilermakersadded an RBI single to cut the Jag lead totwo. Purdue later tied the game but endedregulation with the bases loaded due toSouth’s freshman pitcher Shannon Smithstriking out a Purdue batter.
JSU 7, USA 1Earlier that same day, USA was defeated
by Jacksonville State 7-1. With the gamescoreless, Jacksonville State’s ChrissyO’Neal hit a three-run homer to give theGamecocks their first runs of the night. JSUstretched its lead out to 7-0 before KristaRodden drove in USA’s only run of the
night with a single to center field, which wasthe true freshman’s first collegiate hit.
JSU 7, USA 5In the first contest between Jacksonville
State and USA on Saturday, The Jags werebeaten 7-5 in eight innings. The Jags stuckwith JSU throughout the game, but in theeighth inning, while the jags had a 5-4, JSUcatcher, Allie Barker, hit her second homerun of the game to tie the score. A few bat-ters later, Mary Beth Ledbetter hit a tworun, walk-off home run to end the game 7-5.
UA 8, USA 1
On Saturday night fourth rankedAlabama defeated USA 8-1. The CrimsonTide scored six runs in the first three inningsoff of starting pitcher Amanda Leggett. Inthe fourth inning, Autumn Hudson hit anRBI single to score the first and only run ofthe night for the Jags.
The Jags will travel to Hammond, La toface Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 13 at6pm before traveling to Birmingham to par-ticipate in the Panther Spring Classic hostedby Birmingham Southern on Feb. 16 and17.
A year after the last suicide bombing which leftthree Israelis dead, the Palestinian terror organiza-tions struck again.
This time, it was in the quiet city of Dimona,which is located in the Negev, the southern Israelidesert. It was the first terror attack ever to takeplace in Dimona, leaving its citizens terrified.While several organizations claimed responsibilityat first - including, the Fatah movement, which isled by the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas -it was the Hamas that isbelieved to have carried itout.
Next, the two terroristsentered to the Palestiniantown of Hebron where, sadly,the border wall has not beenbuilt yet, enabling such ter-rorists to enter Israel and det-onate themselves. The first terrorist managed todetonate his explosive belt. By the time the secondterrorist attempted to detonate his, a local policeofficer shot and killed him.
In the meantime, in the Gaza strip, Palestinianschanted in the street, giving out candy and prais-ing the terrorists. Does that sound like partners forpeace?
If the United States has a policy to never nego-tiate with terrorists, why should Israel?
The Palestinian government is led by one of the
biggest and deadliest terror organizations in theMiddle East, Hamas. Hamas calls for the destruc-tion of the state of Israel and its replacement witha Palestinian Islamic state in the area that is nowcomprised of Israel, the Gaza strip and the WestBank. Hamas has spent the better part of the pastyear continuing their campaign against Israel byshooting rockets daily towards the small town ofSderot in southern Israel. Again, does this soundlike partners for peace?
Israel will proudly celebrate 60years of existence this year. Afterfive major wars, thousands ofattacks and thousands dead, Israelis still standing strong. ThePalestinian people need to finallyaccept that the two-state solutionmust take place, and this mustoccur in the territory they now
hold. They should work towards improving theirquality of life--if not for themselves, then for theirchildren. They should fight for education and notsuicide bombers, fight for the ending of corruptionand not the burning of the Israeli and Americanflags.
Lastly, they should vote for leaders that wantpeace and can achieve it. Sadly, voting for Hamasis voting for a future with no hope, only moredestruction and death. The prospect of peace isnot dead but in dire need of resuscitation.
OUR VIEW
VanguardThe
Your opinion matters. Write a letter to the editor.
There is no place for harrasingmilitary recruitment tactics
AGGRESSIVE, DISHONESTRECRUITMENT tacticsused by U.S. military
recruiters have no place in our com-munities or on college campuses.
At one time or another, the major-ity of young people have been hunteddown and harassed by recruiters. Wehave seen it happen in parking lots,where recruiters have aggressivelypulled up behind a potential recruitand blocked him or her in as he orshe pulled into a parking space.
We have even seen it happen asyoung people browse the stores oftheir local shopping mall. Just assome well-tailored window displaycatches the young shopper’s eye, herecomes a pair of recruiters dressed infull fatigues.
Once the recruiters have forcedtheir attention upon some unsuspect-ing person – whether by way ofblocking a person into a parking spotor effectively cornering a person as heor she looks though the glass front ofa favorite store – the harassment andhigh-pressure sales techniques begin.They won’t take “no” for an answer.At least, the recruiters will never takethe first “no” for an answer. It usuallytakes three “no’s” before they willeven begin to back off.
Even the most nonchalantencounter with a military recruitercan feel worse than an encounterwith the most aggressive telemar-keters known to mankind. At leastwith the telemarketers, the personcan hang up. But with militaryrecruiters, they come in person, theycome in pairs, and they are trained totry to “trap” a person in order toguarantee a commitment of that per-son’s attention. In other words, therecruiters are trained to control andcommand the engagement.
More and more often, we are see-ing recruiters aggressively recruit oncollege campuses, too. A simple strollto the Student Center turns into anunwelcoming encounter, where somerecruiter tries to force himself uponthe student and aggressively seeks thecommitment of the student.
Having an on-campus office is per-fectly acceptable. Setting up booths atjob fairs and orientation and othersuch events is perfectly acceptable.Having a display table in the Student
Center Breezeway is also perfectlyacceptable. Recruiters have just asmuch of a right to sell their productto the college kids as any other ven-dor may, but the rules that apply toother vendors should also apply tomilitary recruiters. Simply put, thismeans military recruiters are wel-come on campus. However, theiraggressive, harassing tactics are not.
Aside from the aggressive, harras-ing tactics used by some militaryrecruiters, we have also witnessed asecond disturbing trend in recruitingtactics: the implicit presentation thatthe U.S. military can provided a“baller’s” lifestyle.
Around four years ago, this trendmade national headlines as it wasreported that the U.S. governmentwas paying in excess of $10,000 perset of after-market rims. These after-market rims were being used to outfitSUV’s that were used by recruiters.
The implicit message that the U.S.government was trying to send wasthat if you join the military, you toocan ride around in fancy cars withexpensive rims.
In their SUV’s with their fancyrims, recruiters were instructed toride around low-income areas in anattempt to grab attention and “selldreams.”
Now, these techniques have madetheir way to college campus acrossthe country. Last week, an impossi-ble-not-to-notice Hummer H2, com-plete with after-market rims and blar-ing stereo system found itself parkedright outside the Student Center, sur-rounded by military recruiters.
The over-accessorized commotionwas aimed at drawing the attention ofyoung, impressionable students. All astudent had to do was look in thedirection of the commotion and arecruiter would pop-up, telling thestudent that he or she too could beenjoying the good life. Not onlywould the student be able to ridearound in big SUV’s with fancy rims,but if the student signed up now, heor she would be able to have his orher education paid for and studentloans paid off.
What about the commitment andthe reality of the job? Nevermindthat. Glitz and glamour sells, not real-ity
Hamas stands in way of peace
PAC-to-PAC transfers should be limitedWith all of the excitement surrounding national
politics, it is easy to forget the actions occurring inour own state. Last Tuesday marked the conveningof the 2008 Alabama Legislature.
The president pro tempore of the AlabamaSenate, Hinton Mitchem, has a clear idea of whathe feels is the most important item on the docket.He wants the first order of business to concern plac-ing a ban on the transfer of funds from politicalction committees.
This is an issue that has been debated for severalyears with no meeting of the minds. The House ofRepresentatives has repeatedly passed different ver-sions of bans on PAC-to-PAC transfers,but theyhave been met with much resistance from theSenate.
A division between theRepublican and Democratsectors of the Senate haveprevented an agreementbeing reached. Now, youmay be asking yourselveswhy is this important or per-haps even wondering what aPAC is?
Political Action Committees exist to provide alegal way for candidates to receive funds from cor-porations. They are private groups who collectmoney through donations and use the funds toeither support or try to thwart a candidate or cer-tain political party.
Now, obviously, any person who has a desire toenter the political arena needs funding isn't yourevery day citizen whom they are looking to for mon-etary support.
Controversy surrounds PACS in that it allows forcandidates to get money without disclosing thesource. Can a candidate get financial backing froma private group without being swayed to look outfor the best interest of the businesses aiding theircampaigns? Elected officials should be looking outfor the interests of the general population, not the
political investors who have lined their pockets. The legislature is not looking to eliminate PACs
altogether but rather to ban the transferring ofmoney from PAC-to-PAC. A cap of $500 has beenplaced on the amount of money that a business cancontribute to a PAC but there is no limit on thenumber of PACs, they can contribute to or howmuch a PAC is allowed to give to a candidate.
A business can potentially give large sums ofmoney to a candidate, they just can't do it directlyand must funnel the money through different PACsthat has lead the opposition to liken it to moneylaundering.
While businesses have to jump through thesehoops, trial lawyers and labor unions don't have
these stipulations and are free tocontribute at their own discretion.It is argued that PACs simply allowa way for businesses to do thatwhich lawyers and unions haveengaged in for years.
There are people on each side ofthe fence: those who feel like busi-nesses should be allowed to competewith lawyers and unions in the
name of fairness and those who feel it is a bit shadyhaving funds furtively put in different places withthe intent of it all ending up for support of the samecause. It seems like a solution that would placateboth sides would be to lift the cap on the amount ofmoney that a business can contribute to a PAC or totake it a step further and eventually eliminate theneed for PACs all together.
People running for government office shouldbe allowed to solicit funds due to the high cost ofcampaigning. However, it should be transparent tothe people where the candidates' funds have comefrom. Smokescreen government causes confusionand takes away from the important issues thatshould be receiving attention as well as adding dis-trust and apathy from those who feel general publicinvolvement in government is lacking.
Ellie Marks
Contributing Writer
Jennifer Horton
Staff Writer
Vanguard 17TheFebruary 11, 2008
I
Does anyone else find it ridiculous thatSouth Alabama students and employeesonly have Tuesday off during MardiGras? I'm not complaining simply for thesake of complaining; Mobile is the birth-place of the oldest traditional carnivalcelebration in the United States, havingbegun in 1703 when Mobile was the cap-ital of French Louisiana. This alone isreason enough for Monday, if notWednesday, too, to be included as part ofthe University's Mardi Gras holiday. Ihighly doubt I'm the only person whobelieves our academic calendar should beamended in some areas, and it's a shamethat, to the best of my knowledge, no onehas specifically tackled this shortcomingin The Vanguard.
In my hometown of Ocean Springs,Mississippi, which is located roughlyhalfway between Mobile and NewOrleans, my high school was closed onMonday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Evenelementary and high schools in Mobileenjoy the luxury of having a three-dayholiday, which I noticed driving to aparade downtown on Tuesday.
But what baffles me more is that theUniversity of Southern Mississippi, locat-ed in Hattiesburg, an unusual city amongthe others hosting Mardi Gras festivities,also gives its students a three-day holiday.Simply, there is much more reason, givenMobile's historically French background,for South Alabama to have a three-dayholiday as well. It's rather strange that, incomparison to schools with a three-dayholiday, all we are given is a single day ofcelebration. Since Mardi Gras is a three-day celebration, this makes about as
much sense as showing up late for thebirth of your firstborn.
In addition to Mobile's heritage, con-venience is also one of the main reasonswhy we, too, should have a three-day hol-iday. For those wishing to take advantageof the Mardi Gras holiday, perhaps totravel out of state, their trip will be short-lived, since the majority of students willleave for their destination Friday after-noon and will have toreturn to Mobile onSunday for classesMonday morning. Thecurrent academic calen-dar essentially limitssuch a vacation to twodays, but with the addi-tion of Monday andWednesday in the holi-day, this will, of course,give students andemployees the opportu-nity to go on moreworthwhile vacations,even if only to go toNew Orleans to partakein the famous Sundaynight parades.
Like the article pub-lished in The Vanguardlast fall that advocated amuch-needed fall breakfor us students—an issuethat I hear is being seriously consid-ered—my hope is that with the publish-ing of this article, the powers that be willconsider the validity of the issue that theUniversity of South Alabama needs aswell as deserves a more appropriateMardi Gras holiday, considering Mobile'sclose relationship with the foundation ofMardi Gras in the United States.
Should USA get more days off for Mardi Gras?We should be given more time off
I hate taking the “con” side to this argu-ment, but unfortunately it has to be said: Ifwe were given extra time off for any rea-son whatsoever, we would then logicallyhave one or two less days of class andwould have to somehow make up thematerial missed in this way.
Is that a big deal?Probably not. But it isthe reality we always facewhen dealing withreforming our academiccalendar. And this is notas easy as simply “addinga few days here andthere.”
Like one of our writ-ers mentioned last fall,we only get 11 days offfor holiday/break timethroughout the entireacademic year. Thismeans that we are inclass every other singleday of the academicyear. Sure, that’s a lot ofclass time and does notamount to a whole lot ofbreak time, but the pointhere is that we work for along period of time
throughout the year. We don’t get breaksbecause our syllabi and faculty calendarswon’t allow for it.
This should not suggest, however, thatit’s impossible or improbable or wrong ora bad idea to add some break days in ourcalendar for Mardi Gras and up theschool’s load on us. I don’t even feel rightsuggesting that we shy away from ques-
tioning our school’s logic on matters thatdirectly affect us in this way. By all means,I actually believe that we should get morebreak time in (I’m a student too, remem-ber!).
At the same time, what I have to say isquite obvious: Decrease the amount oftime spent in classrooms, and you eitherlose time covering material or you losematerial to cover (I’m not going to go intothat lame analogy about mathematics Imade last semester with fall break; if youdidn’t get to read it, find it on our Web siteor something).
In the former case, you lose time cover-ing important topics relevant to your class.The teachers would probably have to onlyslightly graze upon it without covering inthe same depth you’d expect with anotherfull day’s discussion.
In the latter case, the teacher may elim-inate a day or two’s worth of materialfrom the syllabus, resulting in one or twoday’s worth of material not being coveredat all.
The result in either case? You graduatefrom USA without JUST that muchknowledge in you. Once again, this couldbe shrugged off and ignored, but I feel itstill needs to be said.
It’s always an important idea to at leastbring these matters up, however; and I’mproud to say that, even while we don’t getto have the time off some of our friends atother schools are enjoying (darn them),we’re at least willing to approach the factof this problem in an open, civil mannerthat covers both practical and conveniencelines. We’re willing to take positive stepstoward problem solving in matters thatgreatly affect (and reflect) our university.
That much probably doesn’t need to besaid. But I wanted to.
There has been much dispute over theamount of time off given to students andfaculty for the season of Mardi Gras.
Question of the week:Do you think grades are a measure of success?
Cameron AdkinsSophomore
Communications
“No. Grades are a better measure ofknowledge than
success.”
Hannah CallaisSophomoreElementaryEducation
“No. Some educated peoplestill make dumb
decisions.”
Jacey CobbFreshmanElectrical
Engineering
“No. Grades aretoo narrow a factor
to determine a person’s success.”
Sara BaghaeiSophomoreBiomedical
Science
Vanguard18 TheFebruary 11, 2008
Vanguard 19TheFebruary 11, 2008
Space Grant Undergraduate Scholarship
The Alabama Space Grant Consortium invites applications for NASA Space GrantUndergraduate Scholarships. Space-related fields include any academic discipline or
field of study (including the physical, natural and biological sciences; engineering;education; economics; business; sociology; behavioral sciences; computer science;
communications; law and public administration) that is concerned with or that is likely to improve the understanding, assessment, development and utilization of space.
Scholarships awards are $1000 per academic year and may be renewed for an
additional academic year for a total award of two years. Scholarship applicants mustbe junior or senior classification, U.S. citizens, have at least a 3.0 grade point averageand be a full-time student.
Application materials are available from Dr. John Steadman, Campus Director, EGCB
108 or on the web at http://www.uah.edu/ASGC/applications.php. Deadline for
receipt of applications is March 1, 2008 and should be submitted to Dr. John
Steadman, Space Grant Campus Director, EGCB 108. For additional information,please call 460-6140.
"Amphitheaters are a common featureon a lot of college campuses," HanneAnderson, another sophomore internation-al studies major, said. "I think adding one toSouth is a nice option for faculty and stu-dents to have, either for classes or just aplace to eat lunch."
The new addition is to be constructed onthe land between the Humanities Buildingand the library, according to the dean'soffice in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Peterson stated it would be closer to the
library, near where maintenance just laidcement for a new sidewalk.
Although this endeavor is hosted by theCollege of Arts and Sciences, this amenitywill be available for use by any class ororganization on campus that wish to utilizeit.
"He [Tyler Peterson] will be workingwith the director of facilities here,”Peterson said. “We have a Facebook groupstarted called "Let's Build theAmphitheatre," and it already has 43 mem-bers. Tyler will need volunteers to help withthe construction, so he is encouraging stu-dents and Boy Scouts to help him buildsomething lasting on this campus."
Amphitheaterfrom page 5
Washington. Obama was also victorious onthe Feb. 10 caucus in Maine.
With Obama’s most recent victories, thealready small margin between Obama andClinton has tightened. As of Feb. 10,Clinton has amassed a total of 1,148 dele-gates; Obama, 1,121.
The next round of competitions for bothDemocrats and Republican will be held on
Feb. 12 in the District of Columbia,Maryland and Virginia. On Feb. 19,Democrats will hold caucuses in Hawaii,and both parties will hold primaries inWashington and Wisconsin.
March 4 will see primaries for both par-ties in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas andVermont. Democrats will hold theirWyoming caucuses on March 8. Both par-ties will hold primaries in Mississippi onMarch 11. Reaming primaries will contin-ue into June.
Candidatesfrom page 4
been simmering in the souls of African-Americans in the area and aided in themigration of approximately 6,000 African-Americans from Memphis over the nexttwo months.
People began asking Wells to speak atvenues and give lectures to spread her mes-sage of racial quality.
Wells’ editorials were nothing more thanwords on paper to some, but proved to be achallenge to make a difference to others bytaking a stand to against racism. Her wordsare accredited with starting what came to
be known as the Anti-Lynching Campaign.In 1893, Wells’ Anti-Lynching
Campaign went global when she traveledto England after being asked there as aguest speaker. Upon her return she pub-lished “A Red Record: Tabulated Statisticsand Alleged Causes of Lynchings in theUnited States.” The book reported viciousaccounts of lynching in the United States,as given to her by a white source, from1892 to 1894.
Wells’ hunger to make this world differ-ent from the way she found it is foreverimmortalized in books and essays. Today,her words continue to inspire activisim,motive change and challenge complacency.
Wellsfrom page 6
V: What activities do you enjoy outside ofwork?
S: I love to play golf. I enjoy walking. Iused to enjoy running, but my knees don'tallow me to do that as much as I used to. Iwas distance runner in college, so I've wornmy knees out.
V: How does college life today compareto your undergraduate experience at BerryCollege?
S: There are lots of the same issues thatwe still deal with today that we dealt withwhen I was a college student back then.Issues such as looking for ways to get stu-dents involved in campus life, we're stilldoing a lot of that today. There may be a lot
more severe issues out there that we have todeal with today than when I was a collegestudent, but there are a lot of similarities.
V: What advice do you have for the lead-ers of student organizations to get othersinvolved?
S: It's more difficult today. I think thatyou see a lot more students working 10, 20,30 hours per week than when I was a stu-dent. You are going to have to show moresympathy to that as a student organizationand look at the times when you meet andthe kind of activities that you expect frommembers of your organization. Studentsare being pulled in a lot of different direc-tions today, so it’s going to require the stu-dent leaders of these organizations to findout what the members want out of theexperience and try to achieve that.
Smithfrom page 1
game in the second half and then (ArkansasState) shot until they made it. Going to theoffensive glass is one thing that they are real-ly good at and it was a point of emphasis inthe last two days of practice. In the secondhalf, when we needed to finish positions withstops, we just didn’t do it.
South Alabama started the game in a rut,failing to hit their first seven shots and allow-ing Arkansas State to pull to an 11-1 lead.
When the Jaguars finally corrected theirshooting woes and closed to within 3 points,Arkansas State’s rebounding was becominga factor. “We basically shot until we madeit,” Pietri said. “Arkansas State is good atcrashing the offensive glass and creating sec-ond chance shots.”
The Indians were led by sophomoreguard Veronica Smith, whose 23 points best-ed all scorers. Teammate Ebonie Jeffersonfollowed closely with 15 points. SouthAlabama senior Monique Jones led theJaguars with 13 points.
Women’sfrom page 12
Vanguard20 TheFebruary 11, 2008
you electronic junkies, a few items you canrecycle include your old computer (harddrive, monitor and keyboard), televisionsets, DVD and VHS players, your old cellphones and discarded pagers.
On average, each American producesaround 4 pounds of garbage, most ofwhich can be recycled a day.
That is around 1,642 pounds a year justfor one person. If you’re not really into sav-ing the environment – take into considera-tion the fact that most of what you recycleor donate is tax-deductible.
There are many recycling drop boxes intown for your convenience. Hillwood
Shopping Center on Hillcrest Road, AzaleaCity Shopping Center on Azalea Road, St.Ignatius Church on Springhill Avenue, andFred’s Shopping Center on Cottage HillRoad are a few of the local businesses thathave recycling drop boxes.
For more information on how to “gogreen” by making simple adjustments toyour everyday routine, visithttp://www.greenhome.com, or for morelocal info,http://www.cityofmobile.org/recycle/.
You can also go to the Metro MobileRecycling Drop-off Center, located at 1451Government St.
Their offices are open Monday -Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Recyclefrom page 7
close score against a tough opponent, butcame away with their 13th consecutivehome victory Thursday night. TheJaguars played its most impressive twentyminute period yet, outscoring ArkansasState 42-25, en route to the 81-58 win infront of 5,799 fans at the Mitchell Center.
“Our guys came out tonight and playeda full game of defense," head coachRonnie Arrow said. "In the second half,our offense made the extra pass and wesaw our shooting percentage go from 45to 55 percent. We got stops tonight, espe-cially in the second half. Arkansas State isa good shooting team and we held themto 28 percent from behind the arc. That'sa pretty good effort."
The Jaguars led by as many as eightpoints in the first 10 minutes, but
Arkansas State closed to within two pointswith 4:38 left in the first half. SouthAlabama would go on to score the nextfour points before trading baskets to finishthe half at 39-33.
The Indians opened the second halfscoring three straight points before SouthAlabama countered with a 9-0 run them-selves. A South Alabama 16-6 run fol-lowed, heightened by consecutive 3-point-ers from Domonic Tilford, whichincreased the margin to 64-42 with 10:36to play. Arkansas State would get no closerthan 20 points.
“What we did in the second half wasgreat,” Demetric Bennett said. “We start-ed getting stops and made some shots.We’re a good team when we’re playingtogether.” Bennett paced the team with 23points and 6 rebounds. Tilford followedclosely with 21 marks.
Basketballfrom page 12
Vanguard 21TheFebruary 11, 2008
the tickets can be picked up at the Mitchell Center ticket officejust prior to the game.
Plan to arrive on campus one hour before the events, as theMitchell Center is expecting one of the largest crowds in history.
The best parking is located by the Mitchell College of Businessor just west of the College of Engineering. For a printable park-ing map, go tohttp://www.southalabama.edu/usamaps/images/gamedaymap.jpg. JagTran will be in operation for all games.
A USA alumnus includes anyone who has ever attended USAin any capacity, whether or not he or she earned a degree. Analumnus should give his or her name and years attended to theattendant at the ticket window.
Kindergarten through 12th grade students, teachers andadministrators from Mobile, Baldwin and all other area countiescan get tickets by identifying themselves to the ticket attendant.
USA employees and students can get tickets by showing an IDcard, pay stub, name tag, business card or by wearing a uniform.Employee tickets are now available at the USA HumanResources offices on campus, at the Medical Center or atChildren's and Women's Hospital.
Summary of USA Homecoming Events on Saturday,Feb. 16:
8 a.m.: Jag 5K Run2 - 5 p.m.: Tailgating party in the Beta/Gamma/Engineering
parking lots4 p.m.: Lady Jags vs. Florida Atlantic at the Mitchell Center5:15 p.m.: Alumni reception for celebrated classes at Alumni
Hall6 p.m.: Bell Tower and Alumni Plaza groundbreaking ceremo-
ny and public fireworks show to be held just west of the Jaguarsculpture at the Mitchell Center
7 p.m.: Jaguar Men vs. Florida Atlantic at the Mitchell CenterFor more information about ticket promotions or
Homecoming events, contact the USA Office of Public Relationsat (251) 460-6211.
Homecomingfrom page 3
making them better citizens and better prepared to face thefuture,” says Cobb.
The Azalea Chapter and its members have gained nationalnotoriety for being an exceptional chapter of Mortar Board. Forthe past two years, they have been awarded the NationalGolden Torch Award for Excellence, as well as the NationalProject Excellence award for the Trick-or-Treat for Books andTop Prof. programs.
A faculty advisor, Dr. Dennis Fell, Chair of Physical Therapy,was awarded the Outstanding Advisor Award in 2006 and Dr.Sally Steadman of Engineering currently sits as the NationalPresident. For the past three years, South Alabama has hadgraduating seniors win Mortar Board graduate scholarships.This spring, the chapter was granted two national grants, “TheMortar Board Week Visibility Grant” and “The Mortar Board
Project Grant.” On our own campus, Mortar Board has wonthe “South Alabama Organization Proficiency” award for thepast five years.
Membership in Mortar Board is based on achieved senior sta-tus by this Fall 2008, but not graduating before December 2008.Members must have a 3.1 GPA as well as exemplary achieve-ment in scholarship, leadership and service to the campus andcommunity. Membership is capped at 50 members on any cam-pus, so it is a unique and excellent honor to be selected as aMortar Board member.
An application can be found on the club's web site,http://www.usouthal.edu/mortarboard and more informationabout the national organization can be found athttp://www.mortarboard.org. Applications are due February15th, so don't miss your opportunity to become involved withthis outstanding organization. As Cobb states, “it doesn’t getany better than this!”
Mortar Boardfrom page 7
Vanguard22 TheFebruary 11, 2008
!Bartending! $300 a Day PotentialNo Experience Nec Training
Proved!1- 800- 965 - 9620 x152
Undercover ShoppersEarn up to 4150 per day.
Undercover shoppersneeded to judge
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Alternate spring break for USAThe University of South Alabama Office of Campus Involvement is offering students
and faculty an opportunity to give back to the community during spring break March 10and 11.
Students and faculty can volunteer with Volunteers of America Day Training Programfor interaction with mentally challenged adults. They can work with Volunteers of AmericaLight of the Village picnicking or outing with agency Light of the Village. They can alsowork on the premises of Habitat for Humanity on local construction sites.
If you are interested in serving, please e-mail your contact information. We will makemore definite plans as we see how many students/faculty are available to serve.
Please contact Sally Cobb at (251) 460-7003 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Free Homecoming basketball ticketsThe University of South Alabama will offer free tickets to students and their guests for
the Homecoming games on Feb. 16.The University has had a tremendous response to its student appreciation events for bas-
ketball and is having some of the largest crowds ever in the Mitchell Center. Likewise, themen's team is on the path of a record-winning streak, and the women's team is also doingwell.
The Homecoming games will also feature the official groundbreaking of the USA BellTower and Alumni Plaza, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16, just west of theJaguar sculpture at the Mitchell Center. This free public groundbreaking will include a fire-works show and the unveiling of a 30-foot photographic replica of the 130-foot tower.
Here are the FREE ticket details:1) Students with ID can get two tickets in the student section plus up to 10 tickets for
family and guests in the upstairs section. Due to the large crowds, there isn't space for larg-er groups in the downstairs student section. To save time in line, you can pick up your tick-ets in advance at the Mitchell Center ticket office, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Useyou tickets to recruit friends from you high school to USA!
2) Plan to arrive on campus 45 minutes before the game to allow time to get in the build-ing.
The first 1,000 people at the men's game and the first 300 at the women's game will geta free USA Football T-shirt.
USA host Yannis SimonidesThe University of South Alabama College of Arts and Sciences, in collaboration with
Mobile’s Greek community, will sponsor a one-man show by actor Yannis Simonides enti-tled “Cavafy: Passions and Ancient Days,” at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at the USALaidlaw Performing Arts Center.
The performance is based on the life and work of Greek poet Constantine P. Cavafy.Simonides, the current president of the Greek Theater Foundation in New York City,
also will present a master class at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27, in the LaidlawPerforming Arts Center. The class is available to USA English and theatre students.
Tickets are $16, and $8 for students. They can be purchased in advance at the USACollege of Arts and Sciences Dean’s office, Humanities Building, Room 118 or will beavailable at The Laidlaw Performing Arts Center at the time of the performance.
Both events will benefit the USA Hellenic Studies Endowment.The endowment will provide partial support for a full-time faculty position in philosophy
and classical Greek, as well as fund undergraduate study in Greece. To date, the endow-ment has raised nearly $700,000 through gifts and University matching dollars.
For more information, contact Lois Wims at (251) 460-7391 or Bernie Quinn (215) 605-7434.
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