“If it matters to the USA family, it matters to us.” VOL. 52, NO. 12APR. 8, 2013

VANGUARDTHETHE

In this Issue: Life, Page 5

Sports, Page 8Opinion, Page 13

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TheVanguardUSA”TheVanguardUSA”

Check out our digital edition thevanguardonline.com

Cassie Fambro/ Editor

Blue team earns bragging Blue team earns bragging rights at spring gamerights at spring game

By JAYSON CURRYjayson-curry@hotmail.com

See CHANGE CHANGE Page 2

See SGA Page 2

Students at the University of South Alabama should be

looking forward to changes in their academic lives starting in the 2013-14 school year.

“On November 7, 2012, the Reten-tion Task Force met and reviewed a proposed policy change that would reduce the required hours for a bac-calaureate degree at USA,” Dr. Nicole Carr explained. Dr. Carr, a director at South Alabama’s Student Academic Success and retention, went into detail about the new policy change that will require students at USA to only need 120 hours of classes down from 128.

The policy was reviewed by the Dean’s Council in November and was then passed along to the USA Faculty Senate voted to support the change in their January meeting.

“The change does several things,”

QEP: Quality Enhancement Program will benefit USAQEP: Quality Enhancement Program will benefit USA

South Alabama’s Student Gov-ernment Association spent

$14,184 on various senate projects and co-sponsorships at their last meeting on Monday, April 1.

$3,400 went toward the University of South Alabama’s Mesonet Station, one of a network of 25 weather sta-tions located along the Gulf Coast. These highly sophisticated weather sta-tions are utilized by local news stations and the National Weather Service.

South Alabama’s station, located on campus, is additionally used as part of the university’s meteorology curricu-lum. The $3,400 will be used for re-pairing and recalibrating instruments, maintenance supplies, student assistant salaries, service vehicle costs and IT services.

$8,701 went toward the school of computing and college of engineering co-senate project. The money will be spent on new furniture to be placed in the patio area behind Shelby Hall. The furniture will include benches and picnic tables that will give a place for students to study and socialize between classes, according to college of com-puting Senator Jacob Taylor.

As the second part of this project, a smoking area will be constructed by the Shelby Hall loading dock. At the new smoking area, a new picnic table and smokers urn will be placed on a new 10-foot by 17-foot concrete slab.

SGA spent $2,013 on a co-sponsor-ship for the American Society of Civil Engineers’ competition materials. The materials were used by the members of ASCE to build a concrete canoe and a steel bridge for a past competition.

SGA will hold a collection date for ‘Jags 4 Jags’ on April 17 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Fresh Food Company, otherwise known as the cafeteria or dining hall.

Jags 4 Jags is a meal donation pro-gram run through the dean of stu-dents offi ce. There are collection dates

By STUART SOXsgsox@att.net

SGA drops SGA drops 14k on 14k on projectsprojects

TE Rush Hendricks raises his hands in victory. Th e Jags had the best spring game ever according to Coach Jones. See full coverage on page 10.

Graduation Graduation requirements requirements changedchanged

This year South Alabama is un-dergoing a Quality Enhance-

ment Plan, an accreditation require-ment enforced by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

The Quality Enhancement Plan has been named “TEAM USA” by the offi ce of academic ffairs, which has spread awareness of the program and the reaccreditation process by plac-ing TEAM USA fl yers and literature around campus.

The USA Quality Enhancement Program will be conducted from 2013 to 2018 with the 2012-2013 school year serving as a project pilot, according to

the Quality Enhancement Plan web-site.

Dr. Ronald A. Styron, the director of South Alabama’s Quality Enhance-ment Plan, came before USA’s Student Government Association and the stu-dent forum in February to speak about the Quality Enhancement Plan.

“South Alabama is going through reaccreditation…which essentially makes your degrees have value. With-out accreditation we cannot receive federal funding, grants, or any type of outside funds,” Dr. Styron said at the meeting.

According to Dr. Styron, two years ago various committees were formed to gather and assess student data at South Alabama. Upon review, these

committees determined that the main areas of academic weakness among South Alabama students were “critical thinking” and “collaboration.”

“A plan was developed to improve critical thinking and collaboration…which is the Quality Enhancement Plan,” Dr. Styron said.

Last week, a team of visitors from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools visited South Alabama to ask students and professors on campus if they know what the Quality En-hancement Plan is.

According to the Quality Enhance-ment Plan website, “The purpose of TEAM USA is to improve student learning in STEM courses by increas-ing student critical thinking and col-

laborative skills through the utilization of team-based learning instructional strategies.”

“Team-based learning is a special form of collaborative learning using a specifi c sequence of individual work, group work and immediate feedback to create a motivational framework in which students increasingly hold each other accountable for coming to class prepared and contributing to discus-sion,” according to the Quality En-hancement Plan website.

“Team-based learning is an active learning strategy,” said. Dr. Styron.

As defi ned by the Quality En-hancement Program website, STEM courses are “any class where science, technology, engineering or mathemat-

You’ve seen the signs around campus; learn what they mean and why they’re important to USA’s future

See QEP Page 2

By STUART SOXsgsox@att.net

VOL. 52, NO. 12 / APR. 8, 20132

SGAContinued from Page 1throughout the year where students can donate extra, unused meals to this program. Students who are strug-gling fi nancially can apply through the website, southalabama.edu/deanofstu-dents/jags4jags.html.

The SGA encourages all South Ala-bama students to attend their weekly meetings to fi nd out about campus events and issues and have a voice in SGA senate decisions as part of the student forum. The SGA meets on Monday nights at 8 p.m. in the confer-ence room behind the registers at the Fresh Food Company.

ics is integrated into course content.” “Outside of the college of educa-

tion, most professors are experts in content areas but have never been taught how to teach, so accreditations have been pushing on universities to teach their professors how to teach,” Dr. Styron said.

Dr. Styron believes that the Quality Enhancement Program will also set South Alabama apart from other uni-versities. “This helps establish us as a leader in this area because I’m not sure that I can name any universities that have decided to take on a proj-ect that deals with improving student achievement…I consider us ahead of most from that standpoint,” Dr. Sty-ron commented.

For more information about TEAM USA, visit southalabama.edu/qep.

QEPContinued from Page 1

Dr. Carr said. “First, it reduces the cost for students. Lowering required credit hours by eight represents a cost savings to in-state residents of over $5,300 in tuition compared to gradu-ating with 128 credit hours.”

Some USA students are already looking forward to the changes.

Credit hoursContinued from Page 1

“I think lowering the hours helps out greatly. I’ve changed majors twice, and so the lowering kind of offsets the new hours I need to complete,” USA Junior journalism major J.T. Crabtree said.

Crabtree was once a Biomedical Sciences major as well as Radiological Sciences.

“It’s also cheaper. Those are eight hours I don’t have to pay for and mon-ey I can use for something else,” Crab-tree added.

Other students at USA won’t be af-fected by the change. Senior Engineer-ing major Cody Poyner explained that some majors require more than the minimum credit hours for a degree.

“As an engineering major we take 130 hours before graduation and I honestly don’t see them removing any courses from the program other than general education classes,” Poyner said.

According to Dr. Carr the change in policy will also help graduation rates at USA. “This change will make it possible for students who take a full load of 15 credit hours per semester to complete an undergraduate degree in eight semesters and graduate in four years,” Dr. Carr said. “Finally, it will make us more competitive with our peer institutions. A review of our peers shows that we are out of line with other institutions’ baccalaureate degree requirements; this includes nearly all

of the other colleges and universities in our state.”

Auburn University, the University of Alabama and Troy University all require only 120 credit hours to gradu-ate.

3VOL. 52, NO. 12/ APR. 8, 2013

“University of South Alabama’s Student Voice”

Editor in ChiefCopy Editor

Life EditorOpinion Editor

Sports EditorLeft of Center

Senior ReporterWeb Editor

Staff Reporter

Cassie Fambro

Alyssa Newton

Jake Howell

Noah Logan

Patrick Herring

JT Crabtree

Jayson Curry

Matthew Strickland

Stuart Sox

Editorial

Distribution Bobby FaulkMatthew Rhodes

Distribution

Advertising

Graphic Designer

Wesley Jackson

Mohammad Al-Zarrad

Rex McKay

Advertising

Advising

Accounting

J. SellersJ. AucoinKathy Brannan

Management

MissionThe Vanguard, the student-run newspaper of

the University of South Alabama, serves its read-ership by reporting the news involving the campus community and surroun ding areas. The Vanguard strives to be impartial in its reporting and believes fi rmly in its First Amendment rights.

Send letters and guest columns to: The Vanguard

University of South Alabama P.O. Drawer U-1057 Mobile, Ala., 36688.

Oreditor.in.chief@usavanguard.com

Letters and guest columns must be received by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication. Submissions should be typed and must include the writer’s name, year, school and telephone number. All submissions become the property of The Vanguard. The Vanguard reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity. Letters will be limited to 300 words. Letters and guest columns are the opinion of the writer. The Staff Editorial represents the consensus opinion of the Editorial Board, which is composed of the Editor in Chief, Copy Editor, Senior Reporter, and Opinion Editor. All members of the Editorial Board have the same weight. The Vanguard has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifi cations. To report a mistake, e-mail editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com. The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academic year, except for exam periods and vacations, and is published twice each summer. The Vanguard is supported in part by an allocation from student activity fees and operates in the Student Media Department of the Division of Student Affairs. Issues are available at most University buildings and select off-campus locations. The fi rst copy is free. Additional copies are $1 each. Freelance writers will receive payment at the discretion of the section editor and will be notifi ed.

PAGE three

USA Police BlotterUSA Police Blotter

251-460-6312251-460-6312

3/27/2013 14:27Harassment

University Police DepartmentVictim reported to Police that she was being harassed by an unknown black male in front of the Humanities Building.

3/28/2013 9:38

Criminal Mischief First Degree (Greater than $2,500)

Lab of Infectious DiseasesFour counts of Criminal

Mischief were committed at the New Construction site of the Infectious Diseases

Laboratory Building.

3/28/2013 14:02

Duty Upon Striking an Unoccupied Vehicle

Stokes HallVehicle was seen hitting

another vehicle in the parking lot of Stokes Hall and driving

off. 3/29/2013 7:36

Theft of Property First Degree (Greater than $2,500)

Parking LotMotorcycle was stolen from

the Delta 6 parking lot by unknown person(s).

3/29/2013 14:42

Duty Upon Striking an Unoccupied Vehicle

Delta 4 Parking Lot

Reportee came to the USA Police Department to report

damage to her vehicle.

3/29/2013 21:16

Domestic Incident

Humanities South Parking Lot

Two individuals had a verbal altercation in the parking lot of

Humanities

4/2/2013 20:12

Driving Under the Infl uence (Other Substance

Cleverdon Pkwy @ Old Shell Rd.

Offender was involved in a traffi c accident and arrested

for Driving Under the Infl uence.

4/3/2013 3:29

Possession of Marijuana Second Degree

Delta #3

A female student was arrested for Possession of Marijuana

and Drug Paraphernalia.

During the SGA Candidates Forum the presiden-tial candidates were asked where they see South Ala-bama in 10 years.

Both candidates said glowing things about a vi-brant, larger campus, rivaling the larger state universi-ties, such as Troy or Auburn.

That vision will not be achieved at the rate we are going.

For the past two election cycles (2012 and 2013), only 10% of the student body voted for their SGA representatives. That is roughly 1,500 students out of 15,000 who voted. To put it in another perspective, in a class of 30 students, 3 students in the entire class would have voted.

Yet, social media seemingly contradicts the apathy refl ected at the voting booth. Anyone can see posts replete with complaints about parking tickets, meal plans, student organizations, and poor student gov-ernment visibility.

Where were these individuals when voting time came around?

They only sit behind a computer screen. That is the limit of their campus involvement.

According to the statistics above, they more than likely did not vote.

Students are quick to criticize SGA and complain about campus problems on Facebook, but rarely at-tend meetings or voices concerns during the Student Forum.

Students even have an entire issue of The Van-guard dedicated to elections every year that would provide them with background about issues and can-didates.

We are here for you, but you need to come to us. SGA is your representation to the university admin-istration.

If you do not vote, contact your senators, or get involved, SGA cannot properly represent your inter-ests. We WANT to help you make South’s campus the best it can be, but you have to be willing to put forth some effort.

Nothing gets done without hard work, but hard work cannot get done is we are unaware of where to start.

Students are also quick to criticize the Greek community for controlling SGA. Yet, with the new

Senate having fewer than half being members of one of these organizations, that claim cannot be verifi ed.

Why blame these organizations? Student organi-zations, BOTH Greek and independent, are often times the saving grace for many college students.

Numerous studies have show that student in-volvement in organizations increases GPAs, offer nu-merous leadership opportunities, and create familial bonds in our home away from home.

These students don’t simply sit behind computer screens and complain; they take the initiative to be-come involved and inspire change.

In ten years, if you really want to see this place rivaling major universities, or if you just want a more fl exible meal plan, you have to be empowered to do something. If you want to see changes, you have to throw your hat into the ring or just VOTE.

Elizabeth McDonald Stephen Purnell Rebekah Lloyd

SGA calls students out for failing to participate

VOL. 52, NO. 12 / APRIL 8 , 2013 4

NOAH LOGAN OPINION EDITORopinion.editor@usavanguard.com

OpinionOpinionThe one ma-

jor obstacle I see facing South Alabama in the future is student involvement on campus. With a commuter per-centage greater than 75, many students only

fi nd themselves on campus for a short period of time during class and then leaving once classes are done for the day. On weekends residents like my-self are often faced with boredom due to lack of that certain university atmosphere that students can pride themselves on. Allowing alcohol on campus would help with this problem and many more that the university cur-rently faces.

Allowing alcohol on campus is only allowing the same rights guaranteed by the law of the United States. A public university that receives public funding from the federal government has no place in deciding what is best for adults over the age of 21.

While the fear of promoting under-age drinking on campus, this argument is a fantasy at most.

I am 19 years old and have been to a fair share of parties on campus and around campus. While at these parties, I have met people that drink way too much and people that have never even touched alcohol.

However, I have never met an un-

derage student who refrains from drinking because “the university says so.” That student doesn’t exist.

Allowing alcohol on campus could also contribute to the parking dilemma South is facing with the majority of students. Our recent JagPulse found a great number of students hold parking as their “biggest USA related concern.”

If alcohol was introduced on cam-pus, university offi cials would be smart to stop trying to come up with $122,000 (how much parking ticket money was collected in Fall 2012) a se-mester in parking tickets and start get-ting the money by jacking up the ticket fees of crimes with an actual victim or at least the potential for a dead victim. DUIs, Public Intoxications and under-age drinking will be more of a problem but the university will be able to stop angering so many students with strict parking policies and start extracting money from rule-breakers whom break meaningful rules.

College students are supposed to represent a top tier of the intellectual population. If students are conscious enough to choose to get a four year degree to help them in the future, the same students are more than likely more than aware that binge drinking isn’t healthy.

I encourage any group of students who agree to help organize a movement to show administration how adults feel about being treated like children.

South Alabama could kill South Alabama could kill multiple birds with one stonemultiple birds with one stone

JagPulseWhat is your greatest USA-related con-What is your greatest USA-related con-cern right now?cern right now?

David L. Loeser: The odor in the Humanities building that has been present since my freshman year.

Lara Bishop: The lack of security... In September was at the ILB building only to come out and my window had been busted and my car alarm going off and no one in security saw anything... The high tuition we pay for no cameras!

Shawn William Ulmer: Ever infl ating tuition

Nick Grondin: How to keep the campus attractive to those students from all backgrounds and all parts of the country.

Katie Gray: The fact that USA has spent $526,769.06 on landscaping and only $9,727.99 on paved areas. I don’t pay my tuition to go towards $70,000 in pine straw. Fix the parking, it’s ridiculous.

Deborah Gasque Hovater: Classes I need to graduate in

December are not offered in summer.

Kayla Leigh Cobbs: Parking when the new dorms are built. It scares me to think that the stokes parking lot is going to get even more crazy than it already is.

Melvin Dixon: I want the campus to go wet!

Khaela C Huey: I didn’t have one, but now I’m concerned about the desire for a wet campus.

TheTheEditorialEditorialBoardBoard

Editor in Chief Opinion Editor Life Editor Sports Editor LOC Editor

Cassie Fambro >Noah Logan >Jake Howell >

Patrick Herring >JT Crabtree >

thevanguardonline.com

The Vanguard The Vanguard ViewpointViewpoint

SOUTH POLLS

Question: Do you think having a dry campus benefi ts South Alabama?

Yes 40.0%►

Alcohol Policies

►

►

►

No 60.0%

Yes 60.0%

No 19.0%

Question: Do you think having a wet campus would increase residency rate and university atmosphere?

►

►

Residency rate only 13.0%

University atmosphere only 8%

Question: Would you prefer USA to be a wet campus?

►►

►Yes 54.5%

No 21.2%On certain days and at certain times 24.2%

Question: Do you think having a wet campus would contribute to more crime on campus?

►

►Yes 52.0%

No 48.0%

fi nd us on Facebook “Facebook.com/“Facebook.com/

TheVanguardUSA”TheVanguardUSA”

NOAH LOGANOpinion Editor

And read page 3. We couldn’t have said it better. And read page 3. We couldn’t have said it better.

VOL. 52, NO. 12/ APR. 8, 2013 5

I r e m e m -b e r

watching the 1995 World Series with my g r a n d f a t h e r . I remember catcher Javy Lopez’ snap throw behind the runner at first – which

never works except for that time; Maddox, Glavine and Smoltz; The Crime Dog(first baseman Fred Mc-Griff), the new kid at third base and David Justice; I can still see Marquis Grissom jogging under that lazy pop in shallow center to end the series. I never thought during that series, nor have I in the seventeen years since, about the fact that both teams had Native American (Indian) mascots. It never occurred to me that those two great teams, playing those six close, hard fought games, wore In-dians and Braves on their jerseys be-cause they were racists.

Much has changed since 1995. In the intervening years, thoughtful people discovered the dark stains of bigotry at the bottom of the Indian-team-mascot-nomenclature trend. Sports teams at all levels have given up their Indian logos, mascots and traditions.

I would simply tell them that those names I ran off were my boy-hood heroes. They were black, His-panic and white men who played a game greatly. I cannot fathom an anti-Indian prejudice underlying the uniforms that millions of children dream of one day wearing. There is no insult in that, no insinuation, just the worship of little boys who want to grow up and be Braves. One must conjure offense in this, for surely none is given.

This Spring, the Braves made a mess for themselves by replacing the A on their batting practice caps with an actual brave. As it was to be stitched onto a hat, it lacked the at-tention to detail and subtle nuance of a real Indian.

This did not go unnoticed by Kevin Gover at the Smithsonian, who takes offense to the fact that, “The screaming Indian is an image of an imaginary Indian.” Perhaps Mr. Gover would sit for a portrait next season. In the meantime, he may want to look at the image of an imaginary Irishman, diminutive and farcical, adorning Notre Dame para-phernalia; or perhaps the image of the imaginary Spartan at Michigan

State, the Trojan at USC, the Patriot on Tom Brady. He might discover that this is the only way team logos are stitched onto team caps.

Mr. Gover runs the National Mu-seum of the American Indian, and he “was deeply disappointed that the Braves may be choosing to go backward.” Why is a stitched In-dian figure backward, but an A with a tomahawk forward? The mystical front and backsides of progress are, as always, beyond comprehension.

Try to think in a straight line, and you will drive yourself crazy trying to understand the logic behind for-ward and backward.

For instance, the Seminole Tribe gave permission to FSU to use the mascot. If you have not seen Chief Osceola ride out and thrust his flam-ing spear into the ground at midfield, you should before someone finds a way to ban it anyway. But the broad-er point is that the Seminoles are the ones that get to decide! Is FSU racist for using the Seminole mascot?

The answer, apparently, is that that depends on whether or not the Seminole feels insulted. FSU could get a letter tomorrow, saying that their license is void because it has been decided that FSU is racist. But today, they are not racist. In no way will they have changed, except they will be racist tomorrow. How has progress led us to that?

Mr. Gover goes on to inform the reader that “What this does is con-tribute to the casual racism native people are subjected to in our soci-ety.” As a native person, having been born in these United States, I cannot

see it. It seems to me like we call our

teams the Braves and Seminoles and Indians because there is in our na-tional psyche a sense of awe at the bravery and fierceness with which the Native American defended his home. Fans only wish our teams could summon up that kind of fight-ing spirit.

If we want our teams to press on with unshakable will against impos-sible odds, to hate dishonor, to give the other guys hell – then I would tell Mr. Gover that our team names pay tribute to the unconquerable spirit of the native warrior, whom we shall never forget. Unless we begin to unwrite his name from the national ledger. Unless, that is, Mr. Gover succeeds in banning him from the ballpark.

Braves not in wrong with screaming IndianBraves not in wrong with screaming Indian

Jake Burchfi eld

While the screaming Indian logo is offensive according to some “experts”, the Braves organization still remains innocent of any racism

United States should warn United States should warn North Korea, be weary of allies North Korea, be weary of allies

Wi t h t h e

m a i n s t r e a m news churn-ing out the latest with North Korea’s threats against South Korea and the Unit-

ed States, including the most recent closing of the industrial factory co-owned and operated by both South Korea and North Korea, many ques-tions arise. However, the main ques-tion being asked is what should the United States do about North Ko-rea? Should we heighten security, prepare for war or just do nothing?

Many different speculations swirl around North Korea and what Kim Jong Un’s intentions are with the threats and military movements along the DMZ (De-militarized Zone). With North Korean short and long range rockets being aimed

at South Korea, the statement that said the Korean peninsula is in a state of war, and the recent oath to start producing nuclear material for nuclear weapons, the question is what will the United States do? Once again, the entire world looks upon the United States to take the first step. But, has the United States already done this?

On April 1, the United States sent F-22 fighter jets, the most ad-vanced fighter ever built, to join the battle drills with South Korea. Also, a missile-defense capable ship was moved to the coast of South Korea, but is not taking part in the drills. But, the first movement by the United States was the B-2 Stealth Bomber making practice runs on a deserted island just off the cost of South Korea. The thing is, the B-2 flew all the way from the United States for a practice run. That is a little but much for a practice run. Is

the United States already respond-ing?

It very well could be possible that these small movements are a signal to Pyongyang that the United States is strong and will back South Korea, even in the threat of nuclear war. Although a much greater amount of forces would be required to effec-tively neutralize the threat of North Korea, the show of strength is nev-ertheless impressive.

However, I believe the United States should send a very clear mes-sage, something like a verbal shot across the bow. A clear statement sent to Pyongyang stating that any act against the United States or its ally South Korea would be met with the full force of the United States military.

This would give North Korea three options: keep making verbal threats with no attack, back down from verbal threats all together or to attack South Korea or the United

States. Either way, the United States is in no real danger from North Ko-rea. The way our government is set up and how we run the United States allows us to withstand incredible at-tacks and function honorably in the chaos, just look at 9/11.

Even though a nuclear strike, most likely by suitcase type nuclear devices, would be terrible in the United States, the likely hood of it happening is extremely unlikely. If in the case of attacks on either South Korea or the United States, our air force alone could reduce North Korea to ashes in a day with traditional weapons.

The real trouble lies with the un-foreseen allies of North Korea, the ones hiding in the dark waiting for a chance to attack. But, the United States should stand up to threats against its allies and its citizens whether or not they have allies.

Micah Messermjm1202@jagmail.southalabama.edu

ATLANTA BRAVES LOGO WORN DURING SPRING TRAINING

KOREAN CENTRAL PUBLIC NEWS AGENCY

SOUTH POLLS

Question: What do you think of Vanderbilt University having a bar on campus with Tuesday Night Trivia as a major tradition?

Good idea 62.0%►

Alcohol Policies

►Bad idea 13.0%

►Not sure 25.0%

fi nd us on TWITTER @TheVanguardUSA@TheVanguardUSA

VOL. 52, NO. 12 / APR. 8, 2013 6

JAKE HOWELL, JAGLIFE EDITORjsh803@jagmail.southalabama.edujagLIFE

WEEKLY LOWDOWN

10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Free Airbrush T-shirts and Tattoos at the Student Center.

7:30 p.m. - USA Symphony Orchestra Spring Concert in the Laidlaw Recital Hall. $5 for USA Students/Faculty/Staff.

7:30 p.m. - “Batman Begins” movie showing in the Stokes Hall Classroom. Free.

6 p.m. - Oozeball Captain’s Meeting at Alumni Hall.

10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Free Spin Art Frisbees at the Student Center.

10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Free Personalized Dog Tags at the Student Center.

Theses/Dissertations due in Offi ce of Graduate Dean by 5 p.m.

7:30 p.m. - “The Dark Knight” movie showing in the Stokes Hall Classroom. Free.

10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Free Flash Friday Photos (Green Screen Pictures).

6 p.m. - 10 p.m. - Jag Jam Music Festival in the Mitchell Center Arena. Free.

Monday, Apr. 8

Tuesday, Apr. 9

Wednesday, Apr. 10

Thursday, Apr. 11

Friday, Apr. 12

Want your event featured in the Weekly Lowdown? Email the name, date, time, price, place and a brief ta-gline (under seven words) to jsh803@jagmail.southalabama.edu.

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7:30 p.m. - “The Dark Knight Rises” movie showing in the Mitchell Center, Room 1101. Free.

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The Heligoats bring clever, curious music to Satori Coffee HouseThe Heligoats bring clever, curious music to Satori Coffee HouseBy HANNAH KINARDhlk801@jagmail.southalabama.edu

The Independent Music Col-lective (IMC) will be kicking

off the month of April with a con-cert event featuring The Heligoats, a band based out of Bellingham, WA.

This event will be held at Satori Coffee House on Friday, April 12, with doors opening at 7:30 p.m. and The Heligoats taking the stage at 8 p.m.

Admission is free to all USA stu-dents with a valid student ID and only $5 for the general public.

This must-see show will be the eighteenth concert hosted by the IMC as part of its ongoing concert series.

As a student organization dedicat-ed to enriching Mobile’s local music scene, the IMC sponsors a concert series featuring (mostly) roots musi-cians and Americana acts, and strives to book national performers who otherwise might not stop in Mobile.

The IMC also manages musicin-mobile.org, a website that features .mp3s from the concert series and

helps advertise other music events in the Mobile area.

This long-awaited performance will feature The Heligoats’ Chris Otepka, who, in the eight years fol-

lowing the dissolution of his pop-rock band Troubled Hubble, has dedicated himself to The Heligoats.

While diffi cult to pigeonhole, the Heligoats’ music can be described as

a blend of rock, pop and folk. With straightforward honesty,

Otepka’s songs showcase his supe-rior song writing skills though his moving, warm and catchy lyrics.

NPR describes Otepka’s elabo-rately orchestrated lyrics as intellec-tual and captivating: “Chris Otepka writes songs that are brainy in the best way: clever without straining for cuteness, wry but never smug . . . it’s no surprise that his songs practically burst with intellectual curiosity.”

After touring across the United States and even into South America with the like-minded folks from Clem Snide, The Heligoats recent-ly released their fourth full-length album,“Back to the Ache”, on Grey-day Records.

The album features twelve tracks and is the fi rst musical collaboration between Otepka and drummer Nate Lanthrum since their time together with Troubled Hubble.

Otepka’s vocals lead this group of talented musicians into a harmony rarely achieved, and this show prom-ises to be one of the IMC’s most ex-citing yet.

COURTESY OF THE HELIGOATS

The Heligoats will bring their interesting and curious mix of rock, pop and folk music to Satori Coffee House on April 12. Admission is free to USA students with valid student ID’s.

JagLife Spotlight: Relay for LifeJagLife Spotlight: Relay for Life

COURTESY OF SANDRA HUYNH

These luminaria bags were lit during the March 29 Relay for Life at the Moulton Bell Tower. Each luminaria shines in memory of a loved one who lost their battle with cancer.

PharmaFIT to host 5k runPharmaFIT to host 5k runBy JAKE HOWELLjsh803@jagmail.southalabama.edu

On April 28, the University of South Alabama fam-

ily will have the opportunity to raise money for Ozanam Charitable Phar-macy and the American Heart Asso-ciation through the inaugural Phar-maFIT 5k Run/Walk.

This event, presented by the Har-rison School of Pharmacy-Mobile Campus and Little Red Hen Pro-ductions, will consist of a 3.1 mile course through USA’s campus.

PharmaFIT committee chair and PharmD candidate Valerie Regaliza said, “I feel this race is going to be a blast, and also really unite the stu-dents both at our school and at USA. On top of all that, it’s benefi ting two great organizations, Ozanam Chari-table Pharmacy and the American Heart Association, and we’re pro-moting fi tness all at the same time!”

While the American Heart Asso-ciation is familiar to most USA stu-dents, Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy doesn’t have quite the same notori-ety.

According to the pharmacy’s website, “The Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy is a non-profi t organiza-tion that provides life-sustaining medication to persons with severely limited income and resources. We of-fer the medications free of charge to qualifying individuals.”

With rising healthcare costs, many people, especially those in low-er income areas, are unable to afford the medications they need. Organiza-tions like Ozanam help ease this bur-den for many in the Mobile/Baldwin County area.

“I think people hear 5K and think ‘Oh my gosh, I’m not a runner, I can’t do that. I haven’t even started training.’ But I assure you everyone can! You don’t have to run. You can walk, stroll, or even skip. It’s really all about philanthropy, fellowship and promoting health,” Regaliza added.

The event will start and end at the SGA Pavilion near the intramural fi elds. Pre-registration is $10 and $20 on the day of the race.

There will be things for the en-tire family at the event, including a bouncy house, food and drinks.

7VOL. 52, NO. 12 / APR. 8, 2013

Into the downtown scene in Mobile?

We need a Scene writer.

Bars, clubs, and night life articles are welcome.

Have bad service at a local restaurant? Excellent service?

Tell us! Write about it and let your peers know.

Email jsh803@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Opinion and Sports need writers too, and you can fambro@jagmail.southalabama.edu to fi nd out how to get involved.

Build your resume.

Raise your voice.

Make a difference.

HEY YOU.

Unravelling the mysteries of building and keeping good creditUnravelling the mysteries of building and keeping good credit

“There is nothing mysterious about establishing good credit,” Dr.

Ross Dickens, professor of fi nance and chair of the department of economics and fi nance, said when asked for advice on how to keep a clean credit record.

Dickens offered a few tips on estab-lishing good credit for the general public and a few pointers directed specifi cally to

By KANDACE RAYBONklr802@jagmail.southalabama.edu

college students.A person’s credit rating is determined

by three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experi-an and TransUnion. These agencies look at a number of factors when calculating a credit score, which can range from 300 to 850.

These factors include payment his-tory, amounts owed, the length of time credit has been used, the number of newly opened accounts and the different types of credit in use.

According to the New York City de-

partment of consumer affairs’ offi ce of fi nancial empowerment, there are three primary types of credit: Installment cred-it, revolving credit and open credit.

Installment credit is accrued when money is borrowed and paid back in equal amounts over a period of time. Examples of this type of credit are mort-gages and student loans.

Revolving credit is built when a limit is given, as with credit cards, and the amount borrowed can be paid in full or in small installments.

Open credit is when all money bor-rowed must be paid in full every month.

Knowing how to establish good cred-it is important, but one small detail might make the knowledge useless.

Credit has to be built before it can be-come good or bad. No credit is worse than bad credit, as strange as that sounds.

One major roadblock to building credit is that it’s almost impossible for someone to get approved for credit with-out a credit history – a simple catch-22.

The offi ce of fi nancial empower-ment listed a few ideas of how to break into the system.

Get a secured credit card. This is a prepaid card that reports to the credit agencies.

Get a cosigner, or become an autho-rized user on a friend’s credit card. Piggy-backing is a great way for a young person to establish credit.

STAFF ILLUSTRATION

Obtaining a credit card just to go shopping or pay bills isn’t a good way to build credit responsibly says USA fi nance professor Dr. Ross Dickens.

This could end badly if the friend or family member selected is unreliable, though, so choose wisely.

Applying for a gas card or depart-ment store card is another great way to start building credit. These are credit cards for which approval is relatively easy to obtain.

Once in the system, learning how to play the credit game wisely is crucial.

Dickens’ main piece of advice to credit card users, especially college stu-dents, is to use the card only when there’s no other option. Getting a credit card just to go shopping, for instance, is an awful idea.

“If you do use a credit card, pay off the balance each month. If you are not going to be able to pay off the card at the end of the month, do not buy the item,” says Dickens.

He also suggested that student loans be kept at a minimum and to get only one credit card while in school.

“Reduce the amount you borrow by lowering your lifestyle until after you graduate. Live at home, drive a used car, keep “fashion” items to a minimum -clothes, games, shoes, phones, etc. and rarely eat out,” Dickens added.

Living below your means is some-thing that many college students must learn, but the lesson is one that could save you money in the long run.

Phi Kappa Sigma makes comeback with Miss Greek USAPhi Kappa Sigma makes comeback with Miss Greek USA

The Beta Mu Chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity (Phi

Kap) is making a comeback on cam-pus.

Many current students have nev-er heard of this fraternity at South, but the chapter was a part of campus in the past.

“We were here before,” said Mathew Schlehuber, the Phi Kap re-cruitment chair. “The charter was re-moved early 2000s because of finan-cial problems. We brought it back.”

The brothers of Phi Kap have been busy reestablishing their in-volvement on campus this year by hosting several events, both social and philanthropic, and participating in other Greek organizations’ phi-lanthropies.

Philanthropy chair Christopher Thomas has plans for Phi Kap to of-fer more opportunities to give back to the community.

“We have high hopes to bring

Alabama Adopt-a-Mile/Clean Cam-pus program to South. The school would be divided into sections for different organizations to sign-up to maintain its appearance,” said Thomas.

“We would have one day a semes-ter that would be “Clean your mile day” where all organizations can give back to the school and main-tain a campus that we are proud of,” Thomas added.

Most recently, students had the opportunity to “Pie a Phi Kap” in the Humanities courtyard, which raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), Phi Kap-pa Sigma’s national philanthropy.

According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society website, LLS helps fund blood cancer research to find cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma.

It’s also the largest voluntary health agency in the world of its kind, which is dedicated to blood cancer.

After much time and effort this

semester gathering sponsors from the community, Thomas was pleased to announce a new campus event to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: the Miss Greek USA Pag-eant.

“This will be the first of its kind at the University of South Alabama,” said Thomas.

Whitney Washington, a contes-tant representing Zeta Phi Beta said, “There are 8 beautiful young ladies representing both National Panhel-lenic Council and Panhellenic Coun-cil.”

“No matter the letter, the bond of sisterhood isn’t broken. We have had a lot of fun preparing for the pageant and raising money for a cure,” Washington added.

Washington is also looking for-ward to the pageant because of her support for the philanthropy.

“I have been a volunteer and caretaker of many cancer patients, so participating in the Miss Greek USA Pageant is just another way I can be a friend to man,” Washington

said.The categories of the pageant

are: Sorority Wear, Phi Kap Wear, Talent, Formal Wear and Question and Answer.

The Q&A will be geared towards how Greek life has influenced one’s life or how it will continue to do so.

“We want this to highlight the positives of Greek Life,” said Thomas.

Thomas hopes that the pageant will become a new South tradition.

“In fact, I hope that the philan-thropy chairs who follow me are able to raise more funds,” Thomas said.

Miss Greek USA will take place on Friday, April 12 at 7 p.m. at the Davidson High School auditorium.

Tickets are $5 at the door, and proceeds will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Washington commented, “I be-lieve it’s going to be a great event with a lot of competition. I’m thank-ful that Phi Kappa Sigma gave us this opportunity to be beautiful and serve others at the same time.”

By SANDRA HUYNHsbh804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

8VOL. 52, NO. 12/ APR. 8, 2013

On April 12-14 a new and improved Southsounds

festival will return to downtown Mobile. The event is already receiv-ing huge buzz all over the Port City and Mobilians from as far out as West Mobile and Tillman’s Corner are making the trek downtown for what is sure to be an unforgettable weekend.

Southsounds is an exciting event because many of the bands are just as excited to be involved as the fans.

The festival will provide Mobile bands with possibly the largest audi-ence they have ever had the privilege to perform for

. One such band is 20,000 Leagues

Under The Sea, who describe their sound as “delta psychedelia.”

“Southsounds not only provides an opportunity for bands to per-form in front of large crowds and network with other regional bands, but it brings attention to Mobile as a music city,” says vocalist/guitar-ist David Maclay of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

There will be a multitude of dif-ferent genres represented, including rock, metal, punk and folk. Some bands, however, defy genre bound-aries.

Local musical luminary Ryan Balthrop has played with a large number of Mobile’s finest musi-cians.

“I consider myself a singer song-

writer first of all, and, as a songwrit-er, it’s hard to narrow down to one genre because I love songs from var-ious genres and don’t want to limit what I can do creatively. I sometimes call it island blues,” says Balthrop.

Advance purchase tickets are currently available for $10. The ex-clusive concerts at Callaghan’s are an additional charge, but one can ob-tain a Callys Gold wristband for the advance price of $25.

There is even a VIP Music Lover package including entrance into an after party meet and greet with the artists at Hayley’s.

With nine different locations, the price of the event represents a huge bargain. Each venue will be a unique experience.

Cathedral Square is the only out-door venue, and concerts at this lo-

Southsounds 2013 to rock downtown MobileSouthsounds 2013 to rock downtown Mobile

cation will be free to the public. A number of the best independent

bars such as Alchemy and The Hab-erdasher will showcase smaller acts. At OK Bicycle Shop festival-goers can listen to the bands while enjoying great Mexican cuisine.

The largest, most well-known bands will be featured at The Blind Mule, Alabama Music Box and Soul Kitchen Music Hall, all well-estab-lished independent concert venues.

The Malaga Inn is an excellent choice for a place to crash during Southsounds because it’s also one of the music venues.

Exclusive concerts will occur at Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, another food vendor, where entry will only be granted with a gold or VIP wristband.

Another unique thing about Southsounds is that all the participat-ing bands are independent or local musicians from the Southeast.

“Independent musicians have a stronger conviction about the delivery of their material. They are providing and actual service instead of just sell-ing advertising,” says Landon Miller, a member of Space Western band En-gine.

Coinciding with Southsounds is Mobile’s Arts Alive Weekend. Those in attendance can participate in fun art activities held during the day and purchase merchandise from local ven-dors.

More events occurring downtown include the Artistic Fashion Expe-rience at Lunatix, the SOAL Film Scramble and the Mobile Symphony’s performance of Alexander Nevsky by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev featuring The USA Concert Choir.

All Mobilians should go out and invest back into the local economy while supporting the arts with their attendance during Southsounds 2013.

By TIMOTHY BORLANDtrb903@jagmail.southalabama.edu

COURTESY OF SOUTHSOUNDS MUSIC FESTIVAL

Southsounds Music Festival 2013 brings together bands from all over the Southeastern United States and gives them the chance to play for an entirely different audience than they normally do.

COURTESY OF 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is just one of the many groups slated to perform during Southsounds 2013 weekend. Their interesting “delta psychedelia” sound will be a treat for the festival-goers.

Southsounds 2013 Music Line-

upGrayson Capps and the Lost Cause MinstrelsLost Bayou Ramblers Hurray for the Riff RaffSt Paul and the Broken BonesThe PolliesBanditosEl CantadorSam Doores + Riley Downing and the TumbleweedsUnderhill Family OrchestraClear Plastic MasksDaikaijuNo One Knows, Unknown Areas The Great Book of JohnGreat PeacockTedo StoneBaby BeeRyan BalthropPromised LandGashcatJesse Payne20,000 Leagues Under the SeaLuke Winslow KingCallooh! Callay!Handsome ScoundrelsPioneers! O PioneersEvil ArmyBelle AdairFargoAndrew DuhonChillakaya 1Chase KnightonDigital OrganixGold and the RushGrandaddy GhostlegsPlainsGregg FellsBlaine Duncan and the LookersThe Sunshine FactoryTanksMississippi ShakedownCrowned JewelzEngineTony Tornado and the Birthday BoysMoonguysGround Level Fall

PATRICK HERRING, SPORTS EDITORsports.editor@usavanguard.comSPORTSSPORTS

9VOL. 52, NO. 12/ APR. 8 , 2013

Quarterbacks, defense win spring game for blue squadBlue team quarterback Brandon Bridge cocks back for the game’s fi rst touchdown pass, just escaping the clutches of lineman Alex Page BY CASSIE FAMBRO|EDITOR IN CHIEF

By CASSIE FAMBROcaf707@jagmail.southalabama.edu

The Jags squared away against the most formidable rival

they could oppose on Saturday; themselves. Jags faced Jags on the line of scrimmage in the annual spring game with the blue team earning bragging rights winning 33-24 against the red team.

The red versus blue game is an abbreviated version of a typical football game. The fi rst and second quarters are only 10 minutes long and the third and fourth quarters are 12 minutes with a running clock.

The blue won the coin toss and elected to receive. Alcorn State transfer Brandon Bridge started as quarterback. After a successful fi rst down pass to Bryant Lavender, Bridge threw an interception. “I threw that pick early, but you have to come back,” Bridge said after the game.

The blue team did. Just minutes

later the red team’s QB Ross Metheny threw an interception back into the hands of the blue team’s EJ May. Bridge took the helm again at QB and threw to freshman tight end Kyle Sappington who caught a 25-yard pass for the fi rst touchdown of the game. The blue team took an early 7-0 lead with a successful extra point by freshman punter Logan Gunn.

The red team responded by having Metheny throw deep passes to drive down the fi eld. At the blue 39 Metheny threw to Jay Jones who ran in it for a touchdown and tied the game 7-7 with another successful kick by Gunn. “All the hard work we did through the spring practice we came out here to showcase and we looked pretty good,” Jay Jones said after the game. “Both teams look pretty good.”

At the beginning of the second quarter the red team had an unsuccessful drive. The blue team then executed the most exciting play of the game. QB Trey Fetner threw

a backwards pass to sophomore Jake Howton, who then threw to Jereme Jones for a gasp-worthy touchdown followed by the third successful extra point attempt by Logan Gunn. Head coach Joey Jones ran in the middle of the fi eld with his hands thrown up in exclamation and the crowd went wild at the trick play. “We have more players that can make plays. We have more depth,” Jones said in post-game remarks.

With the blue team leading 14-7, the red team drove down the fi eld but only made it into fi eld goal range. With three minutes left in the second quarter, Gunn kicked a 41-yard fi eld goal for the red team bringing the score to 14-10.

The blue team’s Fetner threw an interception to linebacker Desmond LaVelle. Freshman quarterback Grant Powell rushed for 20 yards in the fi rst two plays of the red team’s drive followed by Jay Jones rushing for 7 yards to score a touchdown. Gunn

missed the kick for the extra point making the score 17-14 red team to close out the second quarter.

The third quarter only had one scoring play with both teams trading defensive licks. Metheny threw another interception.

With the running clock ticking and seven minutes left in the game, sophomore wide receiver Tyrome Bivins caught a 44-yard pass from blue team’s Brandon Bridge to put blue back on top at 27-17.

On the fi rst play of the fourth quarter sophomore running back Derric Burrell rushed for a red touchdown and Logan Gunn kicked for the extra point to make the game close at 27-24 blue team.

The blue team struck hard on the fi rst play of their drive when Bridge threw 52 yards to Tyrome Bivins for a fi rst down. Bridge then threw two incomplete passes resulting in a turnover on downs.

The red team didn’t do anything with the ball with Powell throwing three incomplete passes resulting in a turnover on downs back to the blue team with 5 minutes left in the game. Dennis McMillan forced the ball up the fi eld, rushing for 31 yards. Fetner then rushed for 13 more yards to the goal line.

Perched on the goal line, Fetner leapt over the defense of the red team and into the endzone as the fi nal seconds ticked by and secured the win for the blue team 33-24.

Coach Jones summed up the game positively.

“This was the best spring we’ve ever had from start to fi nish.” On the topic of what the future holds, Jones was even more optimistic.

“We are a much better team and I’m excited, I’m excited,” Jones said.

The Jags begin the fall season against Southern Utah at home on August 29.

VOL. 52, NO. 12 / APR. 8, 201310

Upcoming Jaguar athletics home games

Want us to follow you? Tweet us @USAVGSports

@USAVGSports

Tommy Hicks @TheTommyHicks:USA Sports beat writer/ Blue Team spring game guest coach

Thanks Blue team. Great win. I can now retire with an undefeated record as a football coach. Thanks for the invitation. I had a great time.

Brittany Fowler @FowlerPower6:Infi elder

Leading the nation in hit by pitches at 18.... #ouch #bruisecity

Trey Anderson @UnoDosTrey123:Guard

Is there anything more precious in this world than cory and topanga’s relationship? Yeaaaa...didn’t think so.

Darius McKeller @BigDdaBasedLord:Offensive Lineman

Coach Schwind walks in the cafe just in time to see me woofi n down some cookies. Dammit..

Ross Metheny @RMetheny15:Quarterback

Last spring game...FOREVER (sandlot voice)

Tripp Cecil @Tripp_WarHawk18:Pitcher

Just saw a wild female Snorlax attempt to walk up the campus quar-ters stairs.... #Priceless

Terrell Brigham @T_BRIGGS18:Safety

Class on a Friday, by far has to be the worst class schedule...#FML

Kyle Bartsch @Kyle_Bartsch:Pitcher

There’s just somethin about the sound of a child singing the Star-Spangled Banner that gives me goosebumps #nextgeneration #proudAmerican

USA Sports Briefs courtesy usajaguars.com

Friday, Apr. 12:

Track and Field South Alabama InvitationalJaguar Track

Wednesday, Apr. 10:

Softball vs. Florida State6 p.m. at Jaguar Field

Tuesday, Apr. 9:

Baseball vs. Nicholls State6:30 p.m. at Stanky Field

Track and Field’s Hixon, Kotze earn Sun Belt weekly honors

It was announced last Wednesday that USA Track and Field members Jan-Louw Kotze and Leah Hixon were named SBC fi eld athletes of the week for their record-breaking performance in the Jaguar Invitational.

Hixon set a new school record in the women’s javelin throw with a distance of 46.90m in a fi rst-place effort. She holds the top spot in the conference in the event, as well as being sixth best in the NCAA Div. 1 East Region and seventeenth in the country. This is Hixon’s second time receiving the weekly honor.

Blue squad second string quarterback Trey Fetner dives into the endzone on the game’s fi nal play to ice the blue victory.

BY PATRICK HERRING|SPORTS EDITOR

Kotze set the new school mark for the men’s discus throw with a distance of 57.60m, passing the old record by more than a meter and also taking fi rst place. He too leads the conference in his event, while sitting at sixth in the NCAA Div. 1 East and thirteenth in the country.

Men’s Tennis downs Troy

After losing the doubles point, the USA men rallied to take fi ve of the six singles matches to win 5-2 over Troy.

Juan Troglia, Gerhard Gruindelingh, Cody Hall, Alex Bernard and Shayann Vaezzadeh all recorded singles wins for South Alabama, who defeated Troy for the second time this season.

Blue-Red Spring Game Gallery

BY PATRICK HERRING|SPORTS EDITORBlue tight end Kyle Sappington looks for space. The rising sophomore caught 3 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown.

Saturday, Apr. 13:

Women’s Tennis vs. UAB11 a.m. at Bruce David Lubel Memorial Courts

Softball vs. North Texas1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Jaguar Field

Track and Field South Alabama InvitationalJaguar Track

BY CASSIE FAMBRO|EDITOR IN CHIEFRed team running back Jay Jones runs to the outside in search of paydirt. The ris-ing junior accounted for 40 all-purpose yards and a pair of touchdowns.

BY CASSIE FAMBRO|EDITOR IN CHIEFQB Grant Powell (4) cuts to avoid CB E.J. May (7). Powell was the game’s leading rusher with 40 yards, while May snagged two interceptions in the contest.

By JT CRABTREEjtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Freshman third baseman Haley Fagan went 4-for-f in the second game of a doubleheader against Middle Tennessee on Saturday.

By PATRICK HERRINGsports.editor@usavanguard.com

No. 23 Softball rides undefeated week to 33-7 record

After dropping their first series of the season to Western Kentucky two weeks ago, the USA softball team had a bitter taste in their mouth. Well last week served as mouthwash for the Lady Jags. The team rallied to go undefeated on the week with doubleheader victories over Florida Atlantic 11-0, 7-0 and Middle Tennessee 9-1, 13-3. The Lady Jaguars improved to 33-7 on the season and 10-3 in the Sun Belt.

After a weather delay moved the FAU doubleheader back a day, South Alabama finally got the chance to prove they are still the head of the class in the Sun Belt on Thursday.

Senior outfielder Britany Campbell turned in a dominant performance, going 4-for-6 with 2 RBI and 3 runs. She played well on defense as well, registering two putouts, including a homerun-robbing snag.

Junior pitcher Hannah Campbell got the win in game one with five scoreless innings to earn her sixth shutout of the season. She only allowed 3 hits and recorded 2 strikeouts. In game two she earned the save after not allowing a hit in the two innings of relief for sophomore Farish Beard. With five strike outs and no walks, Beard moved to 14-0 on the season.

On only one day of rest, the Lady Jags turned around and made the eight-plus hour drive up to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to take on the Blue Raiders. The fatigue of the ride and lack of rest prove to be insignificant for South Alabama as they absolutely dominated the home team.

In the first game, the Blue Raiders (4-32, 1-12) kept appearances by going into the third inning tied at

BY BOBBY MCDUFFIE|USAJAGUARS.COM

1-1. But then the Jaguar bats caught fire, resulting in the Jags scoring the final 8 runs of the game to take the 9-1 victory. The win went to H. Campbell who moved to 15-7 in the season.

Then in one of their most dominant offensive outputs of the season, South Alabama recorded a school record for hits with 19 in the second win over MTSU.

Freshman third baseman Haley Fagan led the way for the Lady Jags going 4-for-4 at the plate, including a homerun. She finished with 4 RBI and a run.

Senior Britany Fowler and junior Julie Moss added three hits apiece. Both went 3-for-4, scoring 3 runs and hitting one runner in each. Fowler also knocked one over the fences.

Senior Meghan Collins and freshmen Clara Bowen and Emily Messer added a pair of hits. Collins also hit a homerun, her second of the day after she knocked one out in the first game.

Beard added another complete game effort to her resume with a six-inning effort. She gave up 5 hits and 3 runs, all earned, but she struck out eight Blue Raiders. The win moved beard to 15-0.

South Alabama has now outscored its opponents 244-76 on the season. They’ve scored in the double digits on seven occasions, and recorded 13 shutouts. The squad is 13-3 at Jaguar Field and 10-1 on the road, dropping its lone away game to Alabama back in February.

Fowler leads the nation in hit by pitches with 18.

The Lady Jags played one more against MTSU on Sunday, but the game occurred after this edition went to the presses. South Alabama is in action again Wednesday against Florida State (30-13).

After being swept by FAU, falling out of the Top 30

rankings and losing a heartbreaker to No. 17 Mississippi State, the Jags came back to their winning ways, taking the first two games against FIU at home.

The Jags were able to take an early 1-0 leading in the third against the Bulldogs on April 2, but failed to keep that lead as they would lose 6-4.

After finding themselves down 4-1 in the seventh inning, the Jags put together a string of hits after Whitt Dorsey reached on an error.

Robby Campbell reached on a single, followed by a pinch-hit dou-ble by Dustin Dalken that scored Dorsey. Hayden Jones then drove in two runs off an error off a MSU er-ror to tie the game 4-4.

Closer Kyle Bartsch worked the ninth inning and gave up a single and hit the next batter to start the inning.

The Bulldogs took advantage of early baserunners, and after a one out walk loaded the bases MSU hit a two-run single to right to give them the lead and the victory 6-4.

“This is a good team, and every

team goes through its spells where things just aren’t going your way – where you’re not playing well,” head coach Mark Calvi said of the four game losing streak. “But this is a good team. It is a locker room full of tough kids, and they know how to win. They just need to play better, be aggressive and go to the game instead of waiting on it to come to them.”

In game one against FIU, the Jags rode the arm of Jarron Cito as he continued his good pitching, shutting down the Panthers on the way to an 8-1 victory.

Cito worked 7 2/3 innings, giv-ing up nine hits, allowing one run, while striking out five and walking three.

“Cito is a senior, and we were kind of searching for who to throw on Friday,” said Calvi. “Who else is better to throw out there than a senior who won some games for us last year? I’m glad we did it. He did a nice job, and put us on his back for almost eight innings. Hopefully he solidifies Friday night and runs with it.”

The Jags also swung the bats well. Jeff DeBlieux finished 3-for-4 with a double, a RBI and a run scored. Nolan Earley added two

more RBI’s. Bud Collura went 1-for-2 with an RBI, two runs and three walks. Hayden Jones also scored twice and had three walks.

In game two, the Jags had to fight to hold off the Panthers, as a 6-1 lead quickly dwindled down to a 6-5, where the score would stay to give the Jags the victory.

Brandon Boyle picked up the win with two innings of relief.

He allowed one run on two hits while striking out three and walking two.

Kyle Bartsch picked up his sev-enth save of the season working a perfect ninth. Dylan Stamey struck out every pitcher he faced in 1 1/3 innings of work.

Cole Billingsley led the Jags at the plate, finishing with a triple, a walk and three RBI’s during his 2-for-4 performance.

Whitt Dorsey, Robby Campbell and Hayden Jones all drove in one run.

Due to game three occurring af-ter deadline, please visit thevan-guardonline.com for a recap of the game.

The Jags will host Nicholls State at 6:30 p.m. on April 9 before going on the road to face SBC foe Arkan-sas State April 12-14.

USA baseball falls to MS State, take series against FIU

Catcher Whitt Dorsey continues his hot hitting, batting .426 with one home run and 15 RBI’s

BY JT CRABTREE|LOC SPORTS EDITOR

11VOL. 52, NO. 12/ APR. 8, 2013

JT CRABTREE, LOC EDITORjtc804@jagmail.southalabama.eduLEFT OF CENTERLEFT OF CENTER

14VOL. 52, NO. 10 / APR. 8, 2013

We’ve already seen several teams changing confer-

ences in the last six months, but now even more teams are on the move.

Fans may not recognize the new teams that are set to join the Sun Belt in the next few years. The cur-rent conference will be a shell of its former self after North Texas, Flor-ida International, Florida Atlantic, Western Kentucky and Middle Ten-nessee State have left for Conference USA.

To offset these losses, Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson added Georgia State, Texas State, Idaho, New Mexico State, Appalachian State, Texas-Arlington and Georgia Southern. Texas-Arlington will be joining as a non-football member, while Idaho and New Mexico State will be football-only members.

After all of the realignment, the conference members will be South Alabama, Troy, Arkansas State, Tex-as State, Texas-Arlington, Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Geor-gia State, UL-Monroe, UL-Lafayette, Arkansas-Little Rock, Idaho and

By JT CRABTREEjtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Sun Belt Conference adds teamsSun Belt Conference adds teamsFive new members added for 2014, two added for 2013

PATRICK HERRING | SPORTS EDITORSouth Alabama may be left out of all the realignment

Women’s soccer Women’s soccer open spring season, open spring season,

defeat LSUdefeat LSU

New Mexico State. Of those 13 teams, only six are currently in con-ference.

Some suspect that the Sun Belt will try to add another member for at least football, to make it an even 12. As it stands, there are 11 confer-ence members playing football, one shy being able to play a conference championship.

So who would the Sun Belt add? Would they go to Conference USA or the American Athletic Confer-ence (formerly known as the Big East) to try and lure a team away? Do they dip into the FCS and try to bring a team up, such as they did with Georgia State, Georgia South-ern, and Appalachian State?

What does South Alabama do?Let’s say the Jags remain in the

Sun Belt Conference. With many of the conference powerhouses leav-ing, South Alabama faces a much weaker in-conference competition. Each of the last football and basket-ball champions will be leaving. Not much will be standing in the Jags way to securing more champion-ships. Football will be significantly weakened as well. Only eight of the

thirteen teams will have prior FBS experience.

On the other hand, propose that the Jags leave the Sun Belt for Con-ference USA, for example. They would basically be moving to an-other version of the current Sun Belt. Of the current members, only Marshall, UAB, Southern Miss, Rice, UTEP will still be member of Con-ference USA in 2014.The teams that will be joining them will Charlotte, Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion and UTSA, as well as the other Sun Belt members moving over.

Imagine playing conference games against Southern Miss and UAB. The rivalries that occur from it would have fans from each side easily travelling to see games. Hat-tiesburg is only two hours away, and Birmingham is an easy four hour drive straight up Interstate 65.

There are many advantages to staying in the Sun Belt, but one could also say that to be the best, you must beat the best. The times are a-changing in the world of col-lege athletics. Perhaps South Ala-bama will be a part of those changes.

By JT CRABTREEjtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

South Alabama women’s soccer team opened their

2013 spring season at home with a 2-0 win over LSU on April 3 and a 3-0 win over Montevallo.

The Lady Jags scored two goals in the second half to shutout the Tigers, with goals from midfi elder Clarissa Hernandez and defensive-mid Shawn Meach.

“It’s exciting. I’m very proud of the girls,” head coach Graham Winkworth said. “We’ve really only practiced one week, properly, with a ball. We worked on some things defensively, and the girls responded. The one thing I asked was that we fi ght and battle for 90 minutes, and we battled for 90 minutes and defended brilliantly.”

Hernandez scored at the 68-minute mark, striking a volley from Jordan Duncan to put the Lady Jags up 1-0. Meach followed up with a goal of her own, when she scored on a breakaway chance at the 80-minute mark.

The Lady Jags followed their win over LSU with another shutout, this time a 3-0 win over Montevallo.

The Lady Jags outshot Montevallo 20-2, adding goals from Clarissa Hernandez, Anne Baumhower and Jordan Duncan.

Hernandez scored fi rst from just outside the penalty box, followed by Baumhower putting a shot in the back of the net to give the Lady Jags a 2-0 lead going into the half. Duncan fi nished the scoring with a blast off of a rebound into the goal.

“I feel that, once again, we defended pretty well and really limited our opponent to the occasional long-range effort,” Winkworth said following the match against Montevallo. “I felt that we caused them problems out wide more tonight, and were able to put a few more crosses in.”

The Lady Jags will play Auburn on the road on April 13 before returning home for the season fi nale against Mobile on April 27.

COURTESY OF USAJAGUARS.COMFreshman forward Jordan Duncan scored a goal against Montevallo

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