“If it matters to the USA family, it matters to us.” VOL. 53, NO. 13OCT. 21, 2013

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In this Issue: Life, Page 4 Left of Center, Page 8 Sports, Page 10 Opinion, Page 15

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INSIDE

LOC: Basketball scrimmage spells well for upcoming season.

See Left of Center, page 8

►

Life: Former student, Jordan Greer, inspires community to preform acts of kindness.

See JagLife, page 4

►

LOC: USA women’s tennis fi nishes fall season strong.

See Left of Center, page 9

►

Sports: Men’s and Women’s Cross Country fi nish 10th and 12th.

See Sports, page 13

►

PATRICK HERRING | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

By STUART SOXsgsox@att.net

UCUR presents findingsUCUR presents findings

Nick Grondin (right) and other students share their research at the UCUR symposium on Oct. 17.

See Exhibit Exhibit Page 2

Homecoming Queen 2013

Ann Huang

A common goal and theme that occurs at different universities across the

country is, “The great minds of today teach-ing the great young minds of tomorrow.” The University of South Alabama might prove some exception to this theme with the Univer-sity Committee on Undergraduate Research (UCUR) symposium that took place in Shelby Hall Thursday, Oct. 17. The great minds of to-

day might also be today’s students as well. Sixty-fi ve undergraduates from a variety of

fi elds and disciplines gathered to share their research, present abstracts and accept awards. Research varied, from Amber Cole’s topic of “Parent-Child Interaction in Children with Au-tism Spectrum Disorders” to Arslan Arshad’s “Design and Optimization of a High Powered Hyperspectral Illumination Source.”

The UCUR program provides students

The USA Marx Li-

brary is showcasing a South Alabama professor’s collec-tion of snapshots of eagles, cranes, woodpeckers and other wildlife from

all over the Gulf Coast.The photographer, Cindy Stan-

fi eld, is an associate professor in bio-medical sciences and the director of the health pre-professional program. Originally from California, Stanfi eld worked in Iowa and at the University of Alabama in Birmingham before coming to USA, where she has been for more than 20 years.

Stanfi eld’s collection was opened on the third fl oor of the Marx Li-brary on Oct. 1 and will remain on display until Dec. 16. The photos are of many different species of birds

See UCUR UCUR Page 2

USA biomedical professor’s USA biomedical professor’s photography exhibit on displayphotography exhibit on display

By NOAH LOGANncl1101@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Dr. Cindy Stanfi eld

from Mobile, southern Alabama and Mississippi. Some photos were even taken at the wetlands on campus at USA, according to Stanfi eld.

Stanfi eld began taking photos of the wildlife of the Gulf Coast three years ago when her husband gave her a DSLR camera. “I fi nd the water and the birds to be fascinating,” Stanfi eld said.

Her collection also includes pho-tos of herons, egrets, bumblebees,

Jags push past Kent State, win 38-21Jags push past Kent State, win 38-21See Sports, Page 10See Sports, Page 10

MATTHEW STRICKLAND | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

JOHN ADAMS | USA PHOTOGRAPHER

VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 20132

dragonfl ies and many other crea-tures. She has even photographed bald eagles catching fi sh out of the water around Municipal Park, just a few miles from USA’s campus.

“This is really just a fun hobby; taking pictures is very relaxing for me,” Stanfi eld said. “I usually spend my lunch hour going out to the wet-lands here on campus and taking photos of the birds, the wildlife and whatever else I see.”

Earlier this year, Stanfi eld invited a friend to view the photography hanging in her offi ce and on display around her workplace in the Health Sciences Building. This friend rec-ommended the photography to the Dean of the Marx Library Dr. Rich-ard Wood who then asked Standfi eld for her photography to be showcased in the library for the public to see.

“Dr. Stanfi eld’s photography is some amazing work, and we are hon-ored to showcase it here at the Marx Library,” Wood said. “The fact that she is a member of our faculty makes it that much more special to have her collection on display here.”

Abigail Sherman, one of the li-brary’s technical assistants who is also in charge of public relations for circulation and administration, inter-viewed Stanfi eld and wrote the press releases for her bird photography exhibit.

“I think it’s really interesting to see a professor who has a hobby be so successful with it,” Sherman said. “It’s also neat to see the artistic side of a professor who works in health sciences.”

Breaking away from technology and experiencing nature is very im-portant, according to Stanfi eld.

“Nobody goes outside anymore. I would encourage readers to open their eyes to all of the life that the

with the funding and mentors required to do their research. For many students, though, the degree of satisfaction extends far beyond dollar signs.

Psychology student Joshua Taylor, who won the 2013 UCUR Best Paper award, expressed his experi-ence with UCUR and the satisfaction along with it. “When I was putting in an application for the pro-gram, I did not know what to expect, but I’m glad I did. … It’s amazing how one program can lead you to some many opportunities.”

Taylor received the award for best paper and will be representing South at the National Committee of Undergraduate Research in Kentucky. He said get-ting the award came in two phases. First, getting the actual award was a very big honor for him. Learn-ing that he will represent the University at a national

UCURUCUR

ExhibitExhibitContinued from Page One.

Continued from Page One.

wetlands on campus have to offer. … There’s beaver, woodpecker, herons and much more,” Stanfi eld said.

“Students defi nitely need time to wind down and catch a break from work and classes. Going outside and seeing what’s out there is a great way to do that. … It’s defi nitely opened my eyes to a lot more things that you would otherwise miss in life,” she added.

Stanfi eld’s dream is to do a Na-tional Geographic Tour to the Gala-pagos Islands, an endeavor that Stan-

conference just added to his excitement. Some undergrads are already receiving awards

for their research. Ellis Hicks, who gave an oral pre-sentation of his work, received second place at the Mid-Southeast Chapter Fall Conference of the As-sociation of Computing Machinery for his work in robotics. Along with fellow junior Patrick Poirson, he collaborated with Dr. Michael Doran of com-puter sciences for their research, “Understanding Artificial Intelligence and Real Time Systems with Lego and leJOS.”

Arshad was one of 271 Goldwater Scholars last year as a sophomore for his research. To be honest, his research was so advanced that it was diffi cult for me to understand, let alone put into words. But in a general statement, Arshad has come up with an in-novative way to use LEDs as a better light source for endoscopes that could eventually lead to fi nding out if something in the body is cancerous or not without a biopsy.

20132013Homecoming Homecoming

CourtCourtColeman Wolf

King

Ann HuangQueen

Tiguera WhatleySenior Maid

Tiffany StallingsGraduate School Maid

Haley KellyJunior Maid

Whitney JohnstonSophomore Maid

Cortney BallewFreshman Maid

PHOTOS BY JOHN ADAMS | USA PHOTOGRAPHER

SAM ANDREWS | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dr. Cindy Stanfi eld, a USA professor of biomedical sciences, stands in front of her photography exhibit at the Marx Library, which runs from Oct.1, through Dec. 16.

fi eld said costs about $6,000. “I’m saving up,” she said, laugh-

ing. “Hopefully one day I’ll be able to do that.”

Stanfi eld’s bird photography will be on display in glass cases on the third fl oor of the Marx Library in the Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art until Dec. 16. The gallery is free and open to the public during library hours. More of her work can be found in the halls of the fourth fl oor of the health sci-ences building.

3VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 2013

“University of South Alabama’s Student Voice”

Editor in ChiefCopy Editor

Opinion EditorSports EditorLeft of CenterJagLife Editor

Web EditorSenior Reporter

Staff Reporter

Samantha AndrewsMeg LundbergKelly FicarelliJT CrabtreeAlyssa NewtonEmma MitchellMatthew Strickland

Stuart SoxNoah Logan

Editorial

Distribution Bobby FaulkMatthew Rhodes

Distribution

Advertising

Graphic Designer

Justine Burbank

Ryan KellerSheldon Hall

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 surrounding 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.

Orthevanguardeditor@gmail.com

Letters and guest columns must be received by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication. Submissions should be typed and must include the writer’s name, year, school and telephone number. All submissions become the property of The Vanguard. The Vanguard reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity. Letters will be limited to 300 words. Letters and guest columns are the opinion of the writer. The Staff Editorial represents the consensus opinion of the Editorial Board, 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 thevanguardeditor@gmail.com. The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academic year, except for exam periods and vacations, and is published twice each summer. The Vanguard is supported in part by an allocation from student activity fees and operates in the Student Media Department of the Division of Student Affairs. Issues are available at most University buildings and select off-campus locations. The 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.

PATRICK BIGBIE | STAFF METEOROLOGIST

Twitter: StormTeam4g9wxFacebook: Facebook.com/StormTeam4Gamma9Wx

Weather for Oct. 21 - 27Weather for Oct. 21 - 27

USAPD Police USAPD Police BlotterBlotter10/4/2013 16:31

Harassing communicationsGamma 6

Known female subject with intent to harass, annoying or cause alarm

contacted the victim via cellular phone text message.

10/3/2013 15:42Duty upon striking an unoccupied

vehicleILB

Student reported that their vehicle was hit and damaged by an unknown vehicle in the Instructional Laboratory Building parking lot. Suspect did not stop or leave

any of the required information.

10/3/2013 15:36Theft of property

Old engineering buildingProperty owner reported that the tag decal was stolen off of his car license

plate.

10/3/2013 15:14Miscellaneous offenses, harassing,

annoying or stockingEpsilon 2

Female reported being harassed by an unknown male

VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 20134

EMMA MITCHELL, JAGLIFE EDITOReem1002@jagmail.southalabama.edujagLIFE

The best of homecoming fashionThe best of homecoming fashion

Nicole DurhamFreshman

Exercise Science

Kristina WinterFreshman

Public Relations

Jacque UnderhillSenior

Occupational Therapy

Nicole BlissJunior

Communication

Weekly Lowdown

Want your event featured? E-mail the name, date, time, price,

place and a brief tagline (under 10 words) to

eem1002@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Tuesday > Oct. 22

Wednesday > Oct. 23• WOW “Keep Calm

and Stay Safe” - SRC, 2 p.m.

• “Using Social Media in Your Job Search” - MH 2100 (Career Services), 3 p.m.

• Dive-in movie “Ho-cus Pocus” - SRC, 7 p.m.

Saturday > Oct. 26• Paddle Magnolia

River - SRC, 7:30 a.m.call 251-460-6214

Friday > Oct. 25

Thursday > Oct. 24• Jags soccer vs. ULL -

The Cage, 7 p.m.

• JP “Rave from the Grave” - Mitchell Cen-ter John Counts Room, 7 p.m.

• Daniel Driskell Faculty Piano Recital - LPAC Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.$5 students and USA affi liates

• LAST DAY TO DROP CLASSES!!!

• Erin Davies “Fag-Bug” documentary - LPAC, 5:30 p.m.

• Jags volleyball vs. Texas State University - Jaguar Gym, 7 p.m.

Monday > Oct. 21• ISD Colloquium

featuring Margaret Wrinkle - HAHN 1013, 2:30 p.m.

• USA Piano Ensem-bles Concert - LPAC Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.$5 students and USA affi liates

Former student’s kindness inspiresFormer student’s kindness inspires

Marissa Boyd and Aaron Thomas reminisce about happy memories of their ‘sunshine,’ Jordan Greer.

STEPHANIE FEATHER | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

USA student Jordan Greer wanted to celebrate her 21st

birthday by encouraging everyone to do at least one random act of kind-ness. Greer passed away March 26 after suddenly falling ill during a vol-leyball game at the USA recreation center. After her death, her friends and family wanted to make sure they carried out her birthday wish.

Greer’s best friend Marisa Boyd and Greer’s teacher Karen Peterson created a Facebook page and made fl yers hoping the idea would spread. It defi nitely has. Wednesday, on Greer’s 21st birthday, the people who knew Greer and those who never had the opportunity were all inspired to do random acts of kindness as a pass-it-on celebration.

On Facebook, there was a fl ood of messages posted about the ran-

By STEPHANIE FEATHERsf1101@jagmail.southalabama.edu dom acts of kindness. Many people

have taken the time to do one act such as paying for another cus-tomer’s grocery items or donating to a good cause. Others have done multiple little things for people like opening the door and letting another car go ahead of them in traffi c. Some patrons, who have encountered these acts and heard about the wonderful selfl ess inspiration of Greer’s birth-day wish, have been brought to tears.

The Delta Lambda Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority helped spread kindness by making baskets and beautiful handmade cards to bring cheer to the residents at Spring Hill Medical Center.

“We wanted to do something spe-cial,” Calvilyn Hooper said. “It’s a way to give back to those who worked so hard for others.” They

See Kindness Kindness Page 5

PHOTOS BY DANIEL MORAN | CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

5VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 2013

The Delta Lambda Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. delivered baskets and cards they made to senior adult patients at Spring Hill Medical Center.Pictured from left to right: Whitney Washington, Jade Williams, Ebony Cornish, Calvilyn Hooper, Amber Blackmore, Amber Scott, Charlece Bishop.

STEPHANIE FEATHER | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

want to continue doing acts of kindness, claiming this was just the start of a continuous pledge to help others.

While these stories of kindness are amazing, it was the little acts of kindness Greer did every day that made her the special person every-one remembers.

“When I picture Jordan, I don’t see big elaborate acts that she did,” Boyd said of her best friend. “It was a lot of little things she did every sin-gle day that made her the person that she was. From simply texting people in the morning and telling them to have a good day to smiling wher-ever she was. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to make someone’s day. It’s just being a nice person. I think she wanted to help people realize that, and help make the world a better place. We called her ‘Sunshine’ because that’s what she was, just happy.”

Boyd made a memory book fi lled with pictures for Jordan’s mom Tra-

cie Brown. Boyd stated that one of the things that has helped Brown get through this hard time is hear-ing about memories Greer’s friends shared, and the way she impacted their lives. Brown likes to hear about the people Jordan had in her life, and what they are doing now. Boyd also said that it’s especially nice for days like today when everyone is post-ing on Facebook about their acts of kindness.

Aaron Thomas was Greer’s boy-friend, and for one of his acts Wednesday he passed out coupons for Krispy Kreme Donuts attached to the random act of kindness fl yer. He also talked with Greer’s mom to see how she was doing. “I talked with her mom last night,” Thomas said. “She sounded energetic, not sad at all. She knew that today would be tough, but that she’d get through it.”

The random acts of kindness in-spired many people to go above what they normally do for others. Celebrating Greer’s birthday with kindness will hopefully encourage a continuation of acts for others, not just on Oct. 16 but all year.

KindnessKindnessContinued from Page 4.

From the 21 Random Acts of Kindness Facebook event page:

VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 20136

Alpha Epsilon Delta Honor Society student volunteers, Natalie Carlisle (left) and Payal Patel (right), prepare the award medals for the run.

COURTESY OF DR. JASON RICHERSON

USA Children’s and Women’s to host Trick or TrotUSA Children’s and Women’s to host Trick or Trot

The fi rst Trick or Trot 5K and Scary Scurry Fun Run, which

sponsors plan to hold annually, will be held Friday, Oct. 25 on USA’s campus by Moulton Tower to ben-efi t the USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital Evaluation Center.

The Trick or Trot 5K will begin at 6 p.m. The Scary Scurry Fun Run will begin at 7 p.m. and is open to walk-ers and runners of all ages. After the Trick or Trot 5K event and the fun run, there will also be many family-friendly activities such as pumpkin decorating tents, an infl atable movie screening, an infl atable slide, a “ghost train” for kids, costume contests, free food and drinks and more. Contes-tants are encouraged to come to the event in their Halloween costumes. The money raised for the event will go toward the redesign of the hos-pital’s evaluation center, which essen-tially serves as a hospital emergency room.

The evaluation center is a 14-bed emergency department that sees over 35,000 patients each year. The cost of the new center is expected to ex-ceed 3 million dollars. The redesign includes plans for an expansion to 25-30 beds, smaller waiting rooms and relocation to the end of the hos-pital building with the ambulance en-trance opening directly into the ER.

“Mobile is such a great running

By STUART SOXsgsox@att.net

community, and we wanted to in-corporate the Halloween spirit into a fun, family-friendly event that will raise awareness and funds for the hospital,” said Dr. Jason Richardson, a physician at the evaluation center at USA Children’s and Women’s Hospi-tal and the chair of the Trick or Trot committee.

“We’re looking into future fund-raising efforts for the EC redesign project,” said Nancy Calhoun of the USA Children’s and Women’s Hospi-tal development offi ce and the hos-pital’s Children’s Miracle Network coordinator.

The fee for pre-registered contes-tants is $20 for adults and $10 for kids (15 and under). Late and day-of registration is $25 for adults and $15 for children. Participants who pre-register by Oct. 18 are guaranteed a T-shirt on race day. Other partici-pants will receive T-shirts as long as supply lasts.

Registrations for the event by mail should be postmarked by Oct. 18. To register in person, do so at McCoy Outdoor or Run-N-Tri in Mobile or Running Wild in Fairhope, Ala. until noon on Oct. 23. To register for the event online, visit www.cwhtrickor-trot.eventbrite.com and sign up by Oct. 23 at midnight. For running or sponsorship information, contact Calhoun at 251-415-1636 or ncal-houn@southalabama.edu or visit the event’s Facebook page.

On Oct. 15, the Alabama Mu-sic Box began an Indiegogo

campaign to save the music venue. The management of the building has been engaged in ongoing lawsuits with neighbors due to noise complaints. This has caused a fi nancial drain on the business, from court fees to re-duced ticket sales as a result of cur-tailed operating hours.

“We realized we needed some out-side help,” said Dave Mathews, man-ager of the Alabama Music Box. “Since none of us come from wealthy families, we had nowhere else to turn but to the people who have kept us open for so long all this time. Indi-

By TIMOTHY BORLANDtrb903@jagmail.southalabama.edu

egogo seemed to be a fi tting outlet for us given the nature of our business and the primary function of it—live music.”

The primary goal of the campaign will be to raise the funds needed to properly soundproof the facility. An expert recently estimated the cost of such a measure to be $30,000. The hope is that the extensive upgrade will appease courts and pacify the neigh-bors. The Alabama Music Box has already shifted operating hours and sometimes turns down larger events, yet they still manage to book three times the number of bands as other downtown concert venues.

“The noise is apparently not trans-ferring through the wall but emanat-ing from structural weaknesses on

the front and back wall as well as the ceiling and then bouncing between the buildings,” Mathews said. “It’s more of a bass frequency issue than an ac-tual noise issue.”

The Indiegogo campaign will run until Dec. 14. That day, the Alabama Music Box will throw a party for all who contributed. Other kickbacks include venue-branded merchandise such as Koozies, hand screen-printed T-shirts designed by Nick Eberlin and Rachael Robinson and even concert tickets. Unlike with Kickstarter, the Alabama Music Box will be able to keep the funds they raise whether the goal is reached or not.

“We are important because we bring a cultural value to this city that no one else does to the extent that we

do in regards to live music,” Mathews said. “We constantly bring in acts to help stimulate and enrich what it is we are passionate about—the arts.”

As a successful, independent busi-ness in the downtown area, many feel the Alabama Music Box is worth pre-serving. Aside from legal struggles, the operation has also managed to outlast being excluded from the en-tertainment districts downtown. The fact that enough patrons still support the venue in spite of these challenges should be evidence of the business’s appeal.

The Alabama Music Box is also notable for its support of local musi-cians. Bands such as Underhill Fam-ily Orchestra, El Cantador, The Vivid Verbs and many more often appear at

AMB begins Indiegogo fundraiser to save venueAMB begins Indiegogo fundraiser to save venuethe location. Additionally, the facility is one of the primary venues for the annual Southsounds Music Festival. Many bands get their start at 455 Dau-phin St., and losing that asset for mu-sicians in the area would be a shame.

Readers who have attended events at the Alabama Music Box and would like to contribute to the cause can visit the venue’s Indiegogo cam-paign at the following web address: http://www.indiegogo.com/project/preview/771cd9fe

There is no required donation amount, but larger packages will in-clude more kickbacks. For fans of the business, this is an opportunity to have a say in what features of downtown Mobile individuals fi nd most impor-tant.

7VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 2013

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Hate crime documentary Hate crime documentary to be screened at USAto be screened at USA

With unintentionally perfect timing, Erin Davies will be screening her

popular documentary “Fagbug” at South Ala-bama on Oct. 25 at Laidlaw. This comes a month after multiple vandalism incidents involving cars with the famous equality sign stickered onto them. While the timing is not intentional, it is very difficult not to notice the coincidence when you hear what her documentary is about.

Erin Davies was a victim of a hate crime in New York. Her VW beetle sported a rainbow, and consequently, Erin’s car was spray-painted with the words “fag” and “u r gay” by a vandal with obvious grammar skills. She initially cov-ered up the vandalism but later decided to em-brace the opportunity.

She took her car, now known worldwide as the “Fagbug,” on a 58-day trip around the United States and Canada. During her trip, Erin discov-ered other, more serious hate crimes, had people attempt to remove the graffi ti, and experimented with having a male drive her car.

Taken from her website, fagbug.com, “The mission of Fagbug is to raise awareness about hate crimes and homophobia, to give a voice for those who are silent, to inspire others to take a

By NOAH LOGANncl1101@jagmail.southalabama.edu

stand against bullies and to be an example of how to overcome obstacles in bringing creative projects to life.”

Founder of Secular Student Alliance Ayme Broyles expressed the overall goal of this event as, “Just to bring an educational opportunity where people have the time and opportunity to discuss civic matters. We can’t just keep going around and hating each other for reasons that we really don’t even understand.”

She continued, “The beautiful thing about the documentary is that it raises the simple question of why do you believe in something? A lot of people really don’t have an answer to that question. Even after they think about it for a while, they still don’t. Whether it’s because they were raised in this idea or for whatever reason, they just have this belief and they continue to perpetuate it until they go to college.”

After the screening of her documentary, Da-vies will hold an open forum for all students present to ask questions and seek more infor-mation.

Four different groups on campus are helping to organize the event: the Secular Student Alli-ance, Spectrum, Allies United and USA Unity. Each group will have a table set up at the event for students to gather information.

VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 20138

ALYSSA NEWTON, LOC EDITORakn1104@jagmail.southalabama.eduLEFT OF CENTERLEFT OF CENTER

Head Coach Matthew Graves gave the men’s basketball

scrimmage last Monday a passing grade, not only on the court, but in the stands.

When Jags faced each other, Graves said he was surprised at the strong fan turnout and support. And, he looks forward to seeing them in the stands again Nov. 5.

Leading the game in points was 2012 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, Augustine Rubit, who had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Both teams played for four 8-minute quarters and combined a 46.7 shooting percentage in the fi rst half and 30 percent in the second half. Ten players played for both the red and the blue team.

“I thought we did a good job taking care of the basketball for the most part,” fi rst year head coach Matthew Graves said. “The thing that concerned me as we got later on in the scrimmage was I thought our shot selection started to wane. We need to continue to move the

ball and get the best shot for our team, not necessarily the best shot for that individual.”

This year, numbers should increase for 3-pointers under Graves who has put emphasis on taking the best shot possible.

Senior Antoine Allen is a key member in scoring twos and threes. Allen averaged 9.1 points and appeared in all 30 games last season.

“His shot selection is the biggest key for him,” Graves said, according to USA Jaguars. “He has a very good, smooth-looking shot and he needs to understand that the better shots he takes, the more opportunities he’ll have for them to go in. I think his percentage was really misleading last year. He’s a lot better shooter than that percentage. It simply goes to shot preparation and shot selection for him. He has an ability to go on a run and hit three or four 3s in a row and has an ability to shoot with good range. It’s about picking his spots.”

Overall, Graves was happy with the fi rst scrimmage and the support that

attended.“First off I’d really like to thank the

fans that came out to watch” said Graves. “I was surprised at the number here and look forward to seeing them again on Nov. 5. I wanted to get these guys out here with the three offi cials and see them go up and down and execute. You could see some of the fl aws we had today but we have two weeks before we have a closed scrimmage so we certainly have some things to work but overall I’m pretty pleased with our effort.”

Dionte Fergeson had a total of 12 boards during the scrimmage matching Rubit.

“Our bigs did a really good job of going to the offensive glass,” said Graves. “I thought Dionte and Austin both did a really good job getting us extra possessions. It’s the good and the bad when you’re watching your own team: on one end, guys are going to the glass but then someone isn’t blocking out so it’s a two way street.”

The Jaguars season opener is Nov. 8 against Detroit.

By ALYSSA NEWTONakn1104@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Men’s basketball has successful scrimmageMen’s basketball has successful scrimmageLead by seniors, team puts emphasis on best possible shots, possessions

ALYSSA NEWTON|LOC EDITOR

►

►

►

►

THIS WEEK IN SPORTS

GOLF South Alabama at theMiddle Tennessee State University

VOLLEYBALLSouth Alabama vs Texas State

SOCCER South Alabama vs Uni-versity of Louisiana-Lafayette7 p.m at The Cage

Monday, Oct. 21

Tuesday, Oct. 22GOLF South Alabama at theMiddle Tennessee State University

Thurday Oct. 24

7 p.m ►

Want live play-by-play tweets of USA sporting events and

other sports info?

Follow USAVGSports

on Twitterand like

USA Vanguard

Sports on Facebook

Friday Oct. 25

SOFTBALL South Alabama vs. Northwest Florida State College 4 p.m at NWFSC

Friday Oct. 25

FOOTBALLSouth Alabama vs. Texas State 6 p.m. ESPN3

►

• Head coach Matthew Graves enters his first season at South Alabama and first overall as a

head coach

• The Jaguars have won 17 games in each of the last two seasons

• USA’s 14 league wins in 2012-13 are the program’s most since

2007-08

• Returns top three scorers from last season, including Augustine

Rubit, the 2012-13 Sun Belt Player of the Year

• Coming off first postseason appearance since 1998

• Earned second win over a ranked opponent since 2009-

10—76-71 at No. 25/24 Florida State—in season opener

Quick Facts(Courtesy of USA Jaguars)

Enters senior season seventh in school history in points (1,390), second in rebounds (891), fourth in free throws made (414) and eighth in fi eld goals made (488)

9VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 2013

Oct. 26, 2013 JT Crabtree,Sports Editor

Alyssa Newton, LOC Sports Editor

Patrick Herring,Sports Reporter

Renato Mazariegos,PxP Announcer

South Alabama vs. Texas State

Kickoff at 6 p.mBroadcast: ESPN 3

Texas State is fl at right now and they are still trying to fi nd a quarterback to lead the team. They only managed 47 total passing last week against Georgia State, who has the 108th worst passing defense in the country. The Jags will be riding high off momentum from the KSU victory, South Alabama wins 34-24.

Texas State has scheduled South Alabama for their homecoming. Big mistake. Without the leadership of a steady quarterback and poor passing numbers, the Jags will be sure to ruin this homecoming. Jags 34-17.

USA hasn’t fared too well in the state of Texas, but their luck changes this weekend. The offense is clicking on all cylinders. The Jaguars maul the Bobcats. Jags win 34-20.

South Alabama will gain another win on the road this weekend. South Alabama defeats Texas 28-17.

The The Vanguard Vanguard

Sports Sports TeamTeam

USA women’s tennis finishes fall season strong USA women’s tennis finishes fall season strong

COURTESY OF USA JAGUARS

The University of South Alabama women’s tennis

team went to Auburn, Ala., to fi nish out the fall season at the USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships this past weekend.

“Our expectations for this weekend are the same as always, trying to incorporate practice into our matches,” said USA head coach Jaco Keyser, according to USA Jaguars. “More importantly, there isn’t going to be an easy match, no matter who we play. We need to focus on our own game and not worry about who’s on the other side of the net.”

In this tournament, teams such as Auburn, Alabama, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, LSU, Tulane, McNeese State, Louisiana Tech, Samford and Louisiana-Monroe were a part of the competition.

South Alabama sent all nine players on the roster to the

tournament.The doubles teams combined for

a 3-1 record Friday, the tournament’s fi rst day. An additional fi ve wins in singles had two reach the quarterfi nals.

“It’s always nice when you can grind out wins at a strong tournament like this weekend,” Keyser said. “Every win will be a quality win this weekend. Individually we can always do things better. As a group we are really shaping up to become a very good team. I’m looking forward to tomorrow with a day that should be jam packed with quality tennis.”

Junior Mary Angela Martin and freshman Silvia Martinkova won their opener 8-6 over Isla Brock and Emma Kranendonk of Nicholls State. Sophomore Paula Sanchez and freshman Monica Mitta reached the semifi nals.

Junior Emily Newton and freshman Laura Matuskova each won in straight sets in singles with Newton defeating Anastasia Surkova

of McNeese State 6-1, 6-2, and Matuskova beating Roseline Dion of Mississippi State 6-2, 6-3.

Martin and Sanchez advanced to the quarterfi nals of the singles ‘B’ draw Friday.

Sanchez and Mitta advanced to the doubles ‘B’ draw fi nal Saturday.

Mitta and Sanchez won 8-6 against Auburn’s Paula de Man and Lindsey Whitehead.

“It was a solid day for us if you take into consideration that we had to grind it out indoors due to weather,” Keyser said. “I really thought we competed at a high level as a team and showed some good toughness even if the faster indoors does not really suit our game styles. I’m very excited for the girls that are in the doubles fi nal and still alive in singles.”

The Jaguars didn’t win any of their three singles consolation matches. Michaela Meszarosova fell 6-2, 6-3 to UAB’s Rachel Daniell, while sophomore Cinta Maria Papke was defeated by Catherine Ragan of

UAB 6-4, 6-3 and Martinkova lost to Klara Skopack of Nicholls State 6-4, 5-7, (10-3)

This is the end of the Jaguars fall

South Alabama vs North Texas PredictionsSouth Alabama vs North Texas Predictions

By ALYSSA NEWTONakn1104@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Freshman Monica Mitta reached doubles fi nal this past weekend at ITA regionals.

Tennis season in Auburn, Alabama at the ITA Southern Regional Championship

season until they start their new season in the spring.

(Statistics/scores from USA Jaguars)

VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 201310

JT CRABTREE, SPORTS EDITORjtc804@jagmail.southalabama.eduSPORTSSPORTS

Jags run past Kent State Flashes, win 38-21Jags run past Kent State Flashes, win 38-21South Alabama remains undefeated all-time on homecoming, improve to 3-3

For the fi rst time this season, South Alabama’s football

team was able to relax in the fourth quarter. The Jaguars (3-3, 1-1 SBC) held a comfortable lead over Kent State (2-6, 1-3 MAC) for virtually all of the game en route to a 38-21 victory on Homecoming weekend.

“That was a solid win for us. I thought we played well in all phases and played for four quarters,” head coach Joey Jones said. “We challenged our players all week to take it a quarter at a time and win each quarter, and I thought they did that.”

Starting quarterback Ross Metheny played a great game going 16 of 23 for 224 yards and 1 touchdown with no interceptions. He added 21 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground as well. Metheny now has at least one rushing touchdown in fi ve consecutive games, becoming the fi rst Jaguar to do so since Demetre

Baker accomplished the feat in 2011. “That’s the best team football

we’ve played since I’ve been here; all three phases for all four quarters,” Metheny said. “The last couple of games we’ve had these lulls in the second quarter into halftime. Coach Jones really stressed this week: winning each quarter individually. I think that mindset going into the game really helped us.”

With the exception of two huge scoring plays for the Golden Flashes, the Jaguar defense held tough. Kent State’s Dri Archer scored touchdowns on a 74-yard run and a 73-yard catch. Outside of those two plays, the Golden Flashes gained just 281 yards of offense. Archer accounted for 199 all-purpose yards on 12 touches.

Defensive captain Romelle Jones was proud of how his defense played.

“As a whole today, guys were motivated, and we played with a great swagger,” Romelle Jones said. “Guys were celebrating after every

play we made.”The Golden Flashes won the

opening coin toss and elected to receive. A promising drive saw Kent State drive into USA territory on 5 rushes for 44 yards and a 17-yard completion from quarterback David Fisher to Casey Pierce. The drive would stall at the USA 25-yard line and the Flashes would attempt a fi eld goal. Montavious Williams got a hand on the attempt to block the fi eld goal and give the ball to the Jaguar offense.

Metheny hit Jay Jones on the Jaguars’ fi rst offensive snap for a gain of 38 yards into KSU territory. On alternating passes and rushes, Metheny gained 32 yards to move the ball to the 5-yard line. From there, Jay Jones ran it in to put the Jags up 7-0 early.

Kent State’s offense again found themselves in USA territory on their following drive, but they turned it over on downs when a fourth-down rush by Traylon Durham came up 1

yard short. South Alabama took over at their own 34-yard line.

South Alabama’s next drive also ended in a turnover on downs as Cris Dinham was thrown for a loss of 1 yard on fourth down.

The defense got Metheny and company the ball back after forcing Kent State to go three and out. Metheny hit Wes Saxton for a gain of 10 yards and then handed off to Jay Jones who found a hole for a gain of 11 yards. The drive would again stall shortly thereafter, however, and kicker Aleem Sunanon was called on to add to the score. His 45-yard attempt was good all the way, and USA took a 10-0 lead.

On the second play of the ensuing drive, Archer broke off his 74-yard run to cut the score to 10-7.

South Alabama found themselves in a third and 12 situation on their

PATRICK HERRING|CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jay Jones (No. 8) led the Jags with a career-high 99 rushing yards.

See Jaguars defeat Kent State Jaguars defeat Kent State Page 11

By PATRICK HERRINGpwh802@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Follow us for news, updates and play-by-play tweets: @USAVGSports

Joey Jones @CoachJoeyJones:Head football coach

Great win today for JagNation!! So proud of our guys and the fans! #JagNation

Wes Saxton @ Juice_Supreme:Tight end

Just ate a sack full from krystals... Rubs belly mmmmhm

Caitlin Cox @Caycay_cox:Defensive Specialist/Libero

Might be the only girl that doesn’t care for Miley Cyrus... I just can’t do it.

Derek Westbrook @thedwestbrook25:Men’s cross country

That Go Jags chant might have been the coolest thing I’ve ever heard! We gettin rowdy!!!

Brandon Boyle @BrandonBoyle08:Pitcher

I really can’t stand manziel. Too cocky for his own good. I just don’t see him being too successful in the NFL.

Emily Messer @emily_messer20:Outfi elder

Well guys, if I die within the next week, its because of the fl esh eating bacteria in my oysters.

Russ Willemsen @RussWillemsen:Assistant men’s basketball coach

Best practice of the year today for #JagNation

@USAVGSports

11VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 2013

Jaguars defeat Kent StateJaguars defeat Kent State

next drive, but Metheny found Shavarez Smith on the left sideline for a gain of 19 yards to keep the drive alive. Dinham rushed for a gain of 15 to put the Jaguars in the red zone. Two plays later, Metheny hit Danny Woodson Jr. for a 16-yard touchdown toss. Sunanon’s extra point extended the Jaguar lead to 17-7 and ended the scoring in the fi rst half.

The teams exchanged punts to open the second half of play before South Alabama put together a meaningful drive. Metheny found Smith again, this time for a gain of 22 yards. The Golden Flashes were penalized for a late hit out of bounds on the following play to give USA great fi eld position at the Kent State 15-yard line. Kendall Houston found the end zone on a 3-yard rush a few plays later to give USA a 24-7 lead.

Kent State’s kicking team failed them again on their next drive as Brad Miller missed a 31-yard attempt wide right.

South Alabama’s ground game fueled the following drive as Jay Jones and Dinham combined for 58 yards on the drive to set the offense up at the Kent State 16-yard line. Misdirection fooled the defense and Metheny ran it in from 16 yards out to put the Jags up 31-7 just 36 seconds into the fi nal stanza.

Archer answered again with his 73-yard highlight touchdown catch. He spun out of a tackle on the sideline and stayed in bounds, made more tacklers miss and found the end zone to cut the lead to 31-14.

Special teamer T.J. Glover had an answer when he returned the following kickoff 67

yards to the KSU 30-yard line. Houston was handed the ball on four straight downs and found the end zone on a 14-yard rush to put the Jags on top 38-14. Houston fi nished the game with 43 yards on 7 rushes and became the fi rst USA rusher to have 2 touchdowns in a game since Demetre Baker did it in a contest versus Mississippi Valley State in 2011.

The Jaguar offense went into clock-running mode from there on out, not attempting another pass for the last 11:28 of the game.

KSU would put together a drive at the end of the fourth quarter to make the score look a little less lopsided. Fisher found Pierce for a 4-yard touchdown catch with 6 seconds left in the game to cut it to 38-21.

South Alabama gained a season-high 257 yards rushing led by Jay Jones who had a team-high 99 yards on the ground. Dinham added a career-best 67 yards. Terrance Timmons and Julien Valentin tacked on 21 and 20 yards respectively.

Shavarez Smith led all receivers with 63 receiving yards. Woodson, Saxton and Jay Jones all ended with 38 yards receiving.

Defensively, Maleki Harris notched a 10-tackle performance, including .5 sacks. Montell Garner added 7 tackles and a pass breakup. Alex Page recorded 2 sacks to match his output from the last fi ve games combined.

USA is now 5-0 all-time in homecoming games.

The Jaguars will go on the road next weekend to play new Sun Belt foe Texas State in San Marcos. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

PATRICK HERRING | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

LB Maleki Harris (center) led the Jags with 10 tackles.

Continued from Page 10.

VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 201312

Lady Jags drop their first Lady Jags drop their first home game of the seasonhome game of the season

The University of South Alabama’s women’s soccer team dropped their

fi rst home game and fi rst conference of the season to Western Kentucky 1-0 on Oct. 13 at The Cage.

The Lady Toppers’ lone goal came from Kelly Phipps’s cross that Lauren Moats fi red into the net from the endline in the 68th minute on a counter attack that the Lady Jags could not overcome.

South Alabama (10-4-2, 3-1-1 SBC) outshot the Lady Toppers 7-2 down the stretch, spending the majority of remaining regulation in the visitors’ half, but the Lady Jags could not tie it up.

“I thought we edged it in the second half; we had the better chances, but Western Kentucky was very well-organized defensively. Their defenders deserve a lot of credit,” said USA head coach Graham Winkworth. “Our girls, though, have played with the team picked to fi nish fi rst in the conference, and we hope

MATTHEW STRICKLAND | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Defender Nini Rabsatt-Smith is tied for third in shots (21).

By JT CRABTREEjtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

we have the opportunity to see this team later in the season, and, hopefully, do ourselves proud again.”

USA outshot WKU (7-3-4, 5-0-0 SBC) overall in the match, 15-11, and 11-6 in the second period. Clarissa Hernandez, Lauren Allison and Alyssa Mayer each produced three shots to lead the Jaguars offensively. Monique Autmon presented the best chance of the day for the Lady Jags when her header sailed just over the crossbar in the fi rst half.

Jaguar keeper Melissa Drish made three saves on the day and contributed greatly to USA’s attack in the second half, forcing WKU’s defense to track back on punts that caught a steady second-half breeze.

The Lady Jags have only two games left, both at home, against UL-Lafayette at 7 p.m. on Oct. 24 and UL-Monroe at 1 p.m. on Oct. 27 for Senior Night before heading to San Marcos, Texas for the Sun Belt Conference Championship.

South Alabama soccer loses 1-0 to conference foe Western Kentucky

13VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 2013

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Men’s and Women’s Men’s and Women’s Cross Country finish Cross Country finish 10th and 12th10th and 12th

South Alabama’s men’s and women’s cross-country teams

fi nished 10th and 12th, respective-ly, at the Crimson Classic at Harry Pritchett Running Park in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Oct. 18.

The men’s team, led by sopho-more Patrick Rohr’s 32nd individual fi nish and 25:41.90 time, fi nished the day with 269 points. Rohr’s 32nd indi-vidual fi nish was out of 187 runners. The Jags also fi nished the day higher than their Sun Belt Conference foes Troy and UL-Monroe.

Junior Robert Mann fi nished with a time of 25:56.56. Joe Gratton (26:07.19), Justin Housley (26:13.33), Alex Shields (26:40.53), Buddy Soto (26:50.92) and Derek Westbrook (26:55.84) were each one of the top seven team members to con-tribute points to the total. Daniel Carter (27:15.70) and Ian Bordelon (28:08.84) completed the race for the Jaguars.

For the women’s team, Kristin Parry led the Lady Jags, fi nishing in 18:05.27 to place 32nd overall in the 210-woman fi eld. Freshman Nicole Durham followed Parry, fi nishing with a time of 18:31.81.

Tori Lawson (18:49.33), Ashley Heitling (18:52.06), Joanna McCoy (19:05.55) and Ivy Chastain (19:49.33) fi lled out the fi nishers for the Lady Jags, who combined for 335 points.

“Overall, I’m pleased with the ef-fort given and the times run today,” said head cross-country coach David Barnett. “I think everyone got better today, and we’re defi nitely heading in the right direction as we gear up for the conference meet.”

The Crimson Classic concludes the Jaguars’ regular cross-country season, and the Jaguars will now look ahead to the Sun Belt Conference Championships Nov. 2 in Troy, Ala.

“We’re expecting to carry this positive momentum into conference and have some great results in two weeks,” Barnett said.

COURTESY OF USAJAGUARS.COM

Sophomore Patrick Rohr fi nished 32nd out of 187 runners.

By JT CRABTREEjtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 201314

Dr. Erdmann explains how guarantee games are madeDr. Erdmann explains how guarantee games are madeAthletic director sheds light on how games are scheduled and where the money goes

JT CRABTREE|SPORTS EDITOR

When the Jags traveled to Tennessee on Sept. 28, they received $800,000.

By JT CRABTREEjtc804@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Scheduling games is not as easy as calling another university

and asking if they are free that week. There is a long process involving large sums of money, and in the case of football, schedules are made several years in advance.

South Alabama Athletic Director Dr. Joel Erdmann talked with The Vanguard last week to further explain how games are scheduled and where the money made from scheduling games goes.

The Vanguard: “How are games scheduled and negotiated?”

Dr. Joel Erdmann: “Honestly, it’s amazing how much work goes into a football schedule. It takes a lot of time and communication and coordination. Basically, we have four types of nonconference games. You’ve got what I term as a regional type of home-and-home series, where we’re going to Southern Miss and they come back here. Or Louisiana Tech or Tulane. That’s a home-and-home series.

“There’s also a home game for us in which we host a Football Championship Subdivision team and we do not return to them. We are not going to Southern Utah, they came here. And when there’s not a return, there’s generally a payment. So we pay Football Championship Subdivision schools, and depending on the circumstances, it can be from $100,000 to $200,000, somewhere in there, depending on their travel requirements and the time of year. If this is last minute or it’s done far in advance, the price tag might go down or go up. We got Southern Utah late this year. Due to a shift in conference affi liation, we had an opportunity to have a home game. But we didn’t know that until January, February of 2013. In football scheduling terms, that is very late in the game. We paid Southern Utah $230,000. And really, the upper price of that game is because they had to get on a plane to get here.

“And then the third type of game is where we go to a school and they do not come back to us, such as Tennessee. And the price for those

games varies, but it might be $800,000 to $1,200,000. I personally have access to a database that through state and national open directories, the database collects all gaming contracts. So I can see what university A, B and C paid for home games over the past fi ve years and into the future fi ve to 10 years. So you can get a feel for what the going rate on that game is.

“And the fourth type of game is a two-for-one. We are in the midst of a two-for-one with North Carolina State, where we went there twice and they come to us in a couple years. We are in the midst of a two-for-one with Mississippi State, where we played them, they come to us in 2014, and we go back to them in 2016. So that fl uctuates price of the games a little bit, too, where we have an opportunity to play an SEC or ACC team where, yes we are playing them on the road twice, but they are going to come to us. In the future, we have the same deal with Oklahoma State.

“We try to, but it doesn’t always work this way, but if we play a 12-game season and we have eight conference games, we will try to have

a home side of a home-and-home and an away side of a home-and-home. We’ll buy an FCS, and we’ll get a paycheck from going to, in this year’s case, Tennessee.”

VG: “What is the money we receive from games used for?”

JE: “It goes straight into the football budget. Very similar to guarantee games in basketball. For all practical purposes, it is a revenue that goes to offset the cost of the program. Travel, equipment, recruiting.”

VG: “Can you tell me a few fi gures about some of the games we have scheduled, such as Tennessee (2013), Navy (2013), Nebraska (2015, 2019), LSU (2016)?”

JE: “For Navy, it’s a two-game series. What we’ll do in that case is trade money. They’re paying us $200,000 to go up to them this year, and we will pay them $200,000 to come down here next year. It helps manage the travel costs. We received $800,000 to go to Tennessee. Next year, we will receive $900,000 to go to South Carolina. In 2015, we will get $980,000 from Nebraska. In 2016, we will receive about $950,000 from

LSU. In 2019, we get $1.1 million to go back to Nebraska.

“It’s kind of fun and nerve-wracking at the same time. And in along with that, you have the interest of TV, which sometimes plays into your schedule and moves things around.”

VG: “When teams travel for away games, for example football, how much does it cost for the whole team to travel?”

JE: “In the spring prior to a season, we will identify what games we will fl y to. We put that out to a bid. We specify what kind of plane we need, and that’s why we always get the same type of plane. Depending on the distance, say fl ying to UC-Davis three years ago was more expensive than fl ying to Raleigh, N.C. last year, a fl ight will be anywhere in the neighborhood from $55,000-$80,000. If you factor in one night in a hotel, basically two to a room for the most part, four to fi ve meals, you are looking at a fl ight trip in the area of $120,000-$130,000.

“If we go by bus, pending it can be $25,000-$45,000.”

15VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 2013

OpinionOpinion KELLY FICARELLI, OPINION EDITORkfi carelli@gmail.com

Git’r done: always strive to find ways to improveGit’r done: always strive to find ways to improve

By KELLY FICARELLIkfi carelli@gmail.com

Staff Editorial: Let’s not deter students from SouthStaff Editorial: Let’s not deter students from South

By JOHN BLYTHEjohnblythe@gmail.com

J.R.R. Tolkien once said, “All we have to decide is what to do

with the time that is given us.” I don’t think he could be more right. We mil-lenials are known for spending more than we make and have had some less-than-comforting predictions concern-ing our ability to pay off our credit card debts. Woohoo, go team!

Everything bleeds into everything else in life. Compartmentalization is a mental trick to avoid cognitive dis-sonance and keep things tidy in our brains, but it’s not the way the world actually works. It shouldn’t be surpris-

ing that members of the most indebt-ed and overspending generation are probably going to be pretty poor stew-ards of other resources, namely time. Unlike money, though, time is spent once and only once. You can never get it back. Tolkien was right. We have but one task: choose how to spend our time.

Therein lies the foundation for making progress in any area of life. Without spending time properly, noth-ing else will work quite the way it’s sup-posed to. Our money will be blown, our relationships will shrivel, our ca-reers will falter and a slew of other important areas of life will erode. But hey, at least we were able to binge our way through every season of “Break-ing Bad” AND “Pretty Little Liars” this week, right?

So, with that foundation laid, the question is begged: how can I better use my time? I’m glad you asked! I’m not perfect at this by any means, and your mileage may vary, but here are some things that have helped me keep all the plates spinning in my life.

Time: Since I’m beating the drum of time management, this is probably a

great place to start. There is a great lit-tle app called Rescue Time (rescuetime.com) that monitors all your computer activity. You can rank programs, web-sites and the likes on a scale of -2 to +2 regarding their productivity value. Their free plan is more than enough to help you drill down into the digital habits you’ve built that are damaging to getting things done. Another great time helper is the Pomodoro method. The basic idea is to block out your time into mini-sprints and tackle things in successive fashion according to an al-lotted amount of time. Tomato-timer.com provides a nifty little tool to help you employ this method while online.

Money: Now that we’ve wrangled our time a bit more, let’s move on to the bling-bling, shall we? Hands down, the best, easiest, most-integrated and awesomely free tool out there is Mint.com. If you haven’t heard of it, then you can send me a love offering after you start saving money with it. USE IT! Tie your bank account, student loans, credit cards and anything else you can think of to this and then keep track of it all. You set up a savings plan, a vacation goal, alerts based on

spending habits, a budget and all sorts of other goodies. Better still, it’s avail-able on all your mobile devices. In oth-er words, any attempt to make excuses concerning your fi nances bounce like a bad check. Oooo, fi nance burn! Oh, and one more little hack to help: make yourself put into savings any amount of non-essential discretionary spend-ing you do. This helped me save up fast when I got engaged. If you want to buy a beer, put the same amount in savings. Everything that you want but don’t need suddenly doubles in value and you either a) don’t spend any mon-ey and thus save, or b) spend money and force yourself to save while doing so. It adds up fast, too.

Health: We all want to look good for beach season. More than that, though, we should want to live lives that aren’t complicated by health problems that could have been easily avoided if we’d just strayed from going to Foosackly’s 14 times a week. There are too many apps and sites to list to help with this, really. MyFitnessPal is a great diet diary. The Jawbone, FitBit or Nike self-quantifi cation products help ‘data-ify’ your life. Fitocracy is a great,

fun way to keep track of your exercise routine, score points and integrate into a fi tness community.

Brain: You’re really getting a good head on your shoulders by now, huh? Great, but let’s not forget to take care of the ol’ brain, too. I’ll keep this one simple: read. Pick up a book, grab a magazine, browse online, use Pocket or Instapaper (not Instagram!) and just read something. Start your day with reading. End your day with reading. Spend your 10-minute break (via the Pomodoro technique above) reading. Read broadly and read deeply. Read fi c-tion, read science. Just read. And, for a bonus round, learn to speed read. It’ll save you more time than you can throw a book at. Acceleread for iOS is a great tool for learning and a quick Google search produces plenty of other op-tions.

There you go. A few tricks of the trade. I won’t bore you with listing out why I’ve had to learn these and other life hacks the hard way, but if you’d like to talk about any of this, feel free to hit me up on Twitter, @johnblythe. Best of luck on juggling everything a little bit better.

Last month, the Board of Trust-ees revised the resident and

nonresident tuition policy. Some of the changes were motivated by law and are a positive way to go, such as allowing veterans and National Guard members the instate tuition rate. However, some of the changes were not motivated by law and will make applying for resi-dency much more diffi cult for students.

In the past, students who came to school from out of state could apply for residency after a year and receive the instate tuition rate. Now, an out-of-state student must show strong evidence that he or she is living in Ala-bama for purposes other than educa-tion to claim residency.

Students have to prove residency under some pretty strict guidelines, such as proving they have lived in the University’s service area for at least one year prior to registration and that the student, his or her spouse, or his or her parents, are working here full-time

as well (proving they begin working at said job within 90 days of registration at South). Other ways to be considered a resident are by the student or his or her spouse being employed by the Uni-versity full-time or as a graduate assis-tant, or the student or his or her spouse being a member of the military on full-time active duty. There are several problems with this policy.

The policy revision includes the statement that “if a person is in Ala-bama primarily for the purpose of ob-taining an education, that person shall be considered a non-resident student.” I believe that if a person moves to Ala-bama for the sole purpose of attending school, that should be reason enough to be considered a resident after one year. They will pay rent here, buy gas and groceries here, attend church and otherwise contribute to the community, and also pay taxes and tuition here for at least four years due to being enrolled in our school. The Board of Trustees should stick with the old policy of al-lowing a person to be deemed a resi-dent after living in Alabama and attend-

ing South for one year. There is also a problem with the

residency requirement that a student must have a full-time job. Attending college full-time and working even a part-time job can be extremely diffi cult to do. There is no legitimate reason to exclude someone from residency be-cause they hold a part-time job rather than a full-time job. Working part-time doesn’t make you less of a citizen and doesn’t reduce your chances of moving out of South’s ser-vice area while at-tending. Addition-ally, some students work two or more part-time jobs, earn more income and pay more taxes than some students with one full-time job, so it is unfair to require a full-time employment status. And having a full-time job for one year in USA’s service area within 90 days of registration or

even for the previous year doesn’t nec-essarily mean that a person will work full-time after registration; they only have to prove they are working full-time around the time of registering for school.

Tuition is steadily rising at South and most other universities, but here’s what the big fuss is about regarding

out-of-state tu-ition. Instate tu-ition ranges from $277 to $296 per credit hour, where out-of-state tuition costs between a whop-ping $554 to $592 per credit hour. Per 3-credit hour class, that’s around $830 for residents and $1,660 for

nonresidents (plus fees, books, regis-tration costs, et cetera). That’s approxi-mately twice as much in tuition. An offi cial with the University said they were making these changes to be “con-

sistent with the intent of the law,” and also to make South “on par” with resi-dency tuition policies of schools like the University of Alabama and Auburn University. While there is no disagree-ment that the policy changes regarding veterans and National Guard members are consistent with the new laws, there is an issue with South Alabama being on par with the tuition policies of these larger schools.

The fact is, the University of South Alabama is a great school, but it is not the University of Alabama or Auburn University. If we want to continue hav-ing people from all over the country choose USA, we need to give them incentives for enrolling here, not push them away with exorbitant tuition costs with no possibility of being considered a resident while attending.

By all means, make this institution friendly for veterans and military per-sonnel, but let’s not make changes that might dissuade a student from moving here and attending our school. Let’s be welcoming and inviting to out-of-state students.

Now, an out-of-state student must show strong evidence that he or she is living in Alabama for

purposes other than education, in order to

claim residency.

“

”

VOL. 53, NO. 13 / OCT. 21, 201316