02.04.08

The recent implementation of a NCAA-sanctioned football program at the Universityof South Alabama will also bring several talented music students to the community.

Dr. Greg Gruner, chair of the department of music and director of bands at USA, saidthe music department would greatly benefit from the implementation of the football andmarching band program.

“I am excited about the attraction of new talent to the Mobile area. We will be able tokeep some of the local talent in the community, now that we are able to fulfill their hopesof a university marching band opportunity,” Gruner said. “It is a very exciting time.”

Gruner said the search for the associate director of bands/director of athletic bands hasalready begun.

“The person chosen for this position will begin his or her duties officially on Aug.15,”Gruner said. “I would imagine that the University will hire someone prior to the end ofthe spring 2008 semester.”

The search for a new director is nationwide. “We are looking for someone with publicschool and/or collegiate marching band experience,” Gruner said. “Since we are startingthis program from scratch, someone with experience is a necessity.”

The process of choosing a new director is very thorough. This will help confirm qualifi-cations of the applicants and ensure the hiring of an experienced director.

Within the next few weeks, the music department will begin receiving application mate-rials. These materials include DVDs of marching band shows the candidates have pro-duced in the past. A departmental committee will begin reviewing the materials and nar-

VanguardVanguardVanguardVolume 45, Number 24 February 4, 2008 Serving USA SinCe 1965

VanguardThe

http://www.usavanguard.comonline

The Vanguard P.O. Drawer 25100 Mobile, Ala. 36688 Newsroom - 460-6442 Fax 414-8293Advertising - 460-6898 Letters, press releases, announcements - [email protected]

Inside

TheOne-on-oneOne-on-one

with with Lee ShirvanianLee Shirvanian

see page 13

Lifestyles pg. 6 Fine Arts pg. 8 Entertainment pg. 10 Sports pg. 12 Opinion pg. 15 Classifieds pg. 19

USA football expected to impact fine arts department

Odyssey USA epitomizes commitment to life-long learning

More than 45 Odyssey USA studentslaughed as Irene McDonald told theancient tales of “Beowulf.”

Odyssey USA students are the oldeststudents on campus. “People our age stillhave stimulated minds,” DonnaHullibarger, secretary of Odyssey USA,

said. Every Friday, 172 Odyssey members,

the majority of them being older adultswho are retired, gather in the HumanitiesBuilding at 1:30 p.m. They attend classesthat focus on religious philosophy, trendsand issues in gerontology, the English lan-guage, birth and development of modernsculpture, international cultures and CSIOdyssey.

CSI Odyssey teaches students aboutcrime scene investigation, national securi-ty, forensic science and the justice system.

“At the core of Odyssey USA is a cur-riculum that is selected, developed and inmany cases led by members,” MarcyMatherne, director of Center forContinuing Education and ConferenceServices, said.

Odyssey USA is a learning programthrough the University of SouthAlabama’s Center for ContinuingEducation and Conference Services. It isthe USA’s Institute for Learning inRetirement and is affiliated with theElderhostel Institute Network.

“Older adults are self-motivated learn-ers who want to continue to learn andexpand their horizons,” Matherne said.

Ashley GrunerFINE ARTS [email protected]

Leigh PattonMANAGING [email protected]

http://www.southalabama.edu/publicrelations

Dr. Greg Gruner, chair of the department of music and director of bands at USA, conducts at theDecember commencement ceremony. Gruner expects football to have a big impact on the department.

see ODYSSEY, page 19

see BAND, page 18

SILP gives 2 languages opportunity

An exciting new addition to the offer-ings of USA’s Self Instructional LanguageProgram may soon be coming.

The two candidates for the languagespot have been narrowed down toPortuguese and Italian.

USA’s SILP program currently offersstudents the opportunity to learn Chinese,Japanese, Greek and Arabic, through acombined effort of rigorous individualstudy and obligatory tutoring instructionthree days a week.

"Educated native speakers instruct [thestudents], and the focus is almost entirelyon oral production and aural comprehen-sion," Dr. David Faught, SILP's coordina-tor, said. One would never be left to com-pletely fend for oneself when trying totackle a foreign language.

SILP's program provides plenty of aid,predominately for the problem area oforal comprehension to strengthen lan-guage skills.

Hina Rasool, an information systemmajor, has experienced first-hand the ben-efits of SILP through taking Arabic. “Ilearned to sharpen my reading skills withthis form of study, and I would recom-mend SILP to those familiar with a cer-tain foreign language but who do notwant to take a full-blown language

course,”Rasool said. “Do not be intimi-dated by the word ‘self-instruction,’because I always came to class with ques-tions that were answered.

The main obstacle in proposing a newSILP foreign language is making surethere is adequate student interest.

In order for either Portuguese or Italianto be added next year, at least 10 studentsmust commit to take a sequence of thiscourse.

If interested in taking either Italian orPortuguese next year, please e-mail Dr.Faught of the foreign languages depart-ment at [email protected].

Sidra RasoolCONTRIBUTING [email protected]

Leigh Patton / Managing Editor

SILP is considering offering Italian or Portugueseas part of the Self Instructional LanguageProgram next year. At least 10 students mustcommit to taking either of these classes.

Marzieh K. Atigh / Staff Photographer

Irene McDonald lectures during the English lan-guage class Friday as Odyssey USA students lis-ten. Every Friday, over 170 Odyssey studentsgather in the Humanities building to attend lec-tures on a variety of subjects.

Vanguard2 TheFebruary 4, 2008

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Vanguard 3TheFebruary 4, 2008

Vanguard

EDITORIAL STAFFEditor-in-Chief: Jason ShepardManaging Editor: Leigh PattonAssociate Editor: Anna ChapmanLifestyles Editor: Ashley D. McGeeFine Arts Editor: Ashley GrunerEntertainment Editor: Stephanie A. HudsonOpinion Editor: Matt FlanaganSports Editors: John Kenny, David HopperSenior Reporters: Hannah Skewes, Devi SampatCopy Editor: Jeremy Daughtry

DISTRIBUTIONDistribution Manager: Jolyn PicardDistribution: Brandon Phillips

ADVERTISING STAFFAdvertising Manager: Glen AikmanAssistant Advertising Manager: Patrick SennGraphic Designers: Jennifer Manning, RajeshChindurala

MANAGEMENTAdviser: Robert HolbertAccounting: Kathy Brannan

University of South Alabama’s Student Voice

MissionThe Vanguard, a student-run newspaper at the Universityof South Alabama, serves the student readership byreporting the news involving the campus community andsurrounding areas. The Vanguard strives to be impartialin its reporting and believes firmly in its First Amendmentrights.

Submission and Editorial PoliciesSend letters and guest columns to: Opinion Editor, van-

[email protected] or The Vanguard,University of South Alabama, P.O. Drawer U-25100,Mobile, Ala. 36688. Letters and guest columns must bereceived by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the Mondaypublication. Submissions should be typed and mustinclude the writer’s name, year, school and telephonenumber.

All submissions become the property of The Vanguard.Unsigned letters will not be published. The Vanguardreserves the right to edit letters and guest columns forlength and clarity. Letters will be limited to 300 words.Letters and guest columns are the opinion of the writer.

The Staff Editorial represents the majority of theEditorial Board, which is composed of the Editor inChief, News Editor, Opinion Editor and Lifestyles Editor.All members of the Editorial Board have the same weightduring weekly Editorial Board meetings.

The Vanguard has a commitment to accuracy and clarityand will print any corrections or clarifications. To reporta mistake, call the Editor in Chief at (251) 460-6442 or e-mail [email protected].

The Vanguard is a member of Collegiate Presswire andU-Wire, which syndicates to a national audience.

The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academ-ic year, except for exam periods and vacations and is pub-lished twice each summer. The Vanguard is supported inpart by an allocation from student activity fees and oper-ates in the Student Media Department of the Division ofStudent Affairs. Issues are available at all Universitybuildings and select off-campus locations. The first copyis free. Additional copies are $1 each.

Web site:http://www.usavanguard.com

Mailing AddressThe Vanguard

University of South AlabamaP.O. Drawer U-25100

Mobile, Ala. 36688

Article XIV, Section 8 of The Lowdown: The editors ofthe student publications shall be free from any type ofcensorship and shall be responsible for the form, contentand staff of the publication.

SPLC Statement: The Vanguard recognizes and affirmsthe editorial independence and press freedom of all stu-dent-edited campus media. Student editors have theauthority to make all content decisions and consequentlybear the responsibility for the decisions that they make.

WE

AT

HE

RThe

01-17-08Unlawful Break/Enter VehicleA female student reported that her car

was broken into while parked at thecomputer center. A laptop computer,valued at $700, was taken from the vehi-cle. No suspects were identified.

01-18-08Identity TheftA former student reported possible

fraudulent use of her credit and identifi-cation. The victim did not name any sus-pects, but an investigation is pending.

01-19-08Harassing CommunicationsA female student filed a report of

harassment against her female room-mate. The case is closed.

01-22-08Criminal TrespassingOfficers responded to a call about an

altercation in the Gamma housing park-ing lot. Four men were involved in theincident and several witnesses were near-by. The case is closed.

01-22-08Theft – Article from

Auto/Burglary of AutoA female student’s vehicle was bur-

glarized in the library parking lot. Thereare no suspects at this time, but an inves-tigation is pending.

01-22-08Theft of PropertyA male student reported that his wal-

let was stolen at the Rec. Center. Thestudent’s credit cards, identification and$60 cash were taken. No suspects havebeen named.

01-23-08Theft of PropertyA cell phone, valued at $100, was

stolen at the Rec. Center. The femalevictim said that her phone was takenfrom the storage bins in the weightroom. An investigation is pending.

01-24-08Criminal MischiefA female student reported that an

unknown person struck her vehicle,intentionally causing damage to thedriver door and window. There are nosuspects, but an investigation is pending.

01-25-08HarassmentA female custodial worker at the

Mitchell Center reported being harassedby an unknown male subject. Police are

investigating.

01-29-08Theft of PropertyA male student reported that his cell

phone was stolen. The $500 phone wastaken from the basketball courts at theintramural complex. There was one wit-ness, but no suspects have been identi-fied.

01-30-08Criminal MischiefAn unknown person scratched a truck

that was parked in the Humanities Southparking lot. The owner of the vehiclesaid that damages totaled $600. Thereare currently not any suspects, but aninvestigation is pending.

01-30-08Domestic ViolenceOfficers were called to the Biomedical

Library for a domestic violence incident.

BL TTERP LICE

see BLOTTER, page 18


Flyers should not be allowed

Why are people allowed to put flyerson the cars. I,for the second time,have sticky residue on my car from aband flyer. Last time it didn't come offall the way, meaning the residue fromthe first flyer is still there. The peoplewho put these on the cars of othersare damaging private property.Displaying posters on a bulletin boardis one thing; however, destroying vehi-cles that do not belong to you, all forthe sake of a lame advertisement isanother. I would like to know what theschool plans to do to stop it, or if theyplan to do anything at all.

Good work, campus police

I think the police department oncampus does a great job respondingto emergencies and sitations on cam-pus. They are effective and profes-sional when it comes to their job.

Jags, keep up the good work

I was sad to hear the Jags losttheir game this past week. They had agood winning streak, but that doesn’tkeep me from having Jag spirit.I willbe there at their next home game andthe homecoming game cheering themon.

There are enough white spaces

Students that complain about nothaving enough parking spaces shouldreally look hard before giving up. Ihave seen students parking in the bluespaces when there are plenty of whitespaces open.

Signs need to be seen clearly

I was happy when I read the arti-cle last week about the signs on cam-pus. I’m glad they are aware of theproblem and are trying to fix it. Thesigns on campus are hard to see andfind.

Take down homecoming signs

The homecoming signs that arearound campus need to be takendown. The election is over, and theyare starting to litter the campus.Please, candidates, take down yourcampaign signs.

CAMPUSGRIPESTo voice your campus gripes

or praises, e-mail us at [email protected],

or anonymously mail us atThe Vanguard, U-25100,

Mobile, Ala., 36688

UCUR deadline quickly approaching

The University Committee on Undergraduate Research is cur-rently applications for the 2008 Summer Undergraduate ResearchProgram.

The 12-week summer program stresses the promotion of allresearch in any discipline and acts as a source of information forstudents interested in extramural undergraduate research andscholarly active programs. Not only is UCURbeneficial for future resumes and job opportuni-ties, but a summer stipend and modest supplieswill be covered.

Many students at the University of SouthAlabama who have already participated inUCUR cite the program as desirable whenapplying for master’s degrees, a program thatdecreases the fear of researching and an opportu-nity to gain more knowledge in the student’sareas of interest outside of the classroom.

“For me, UCUR was very beneficial because I wasn’t really sureif I wanted to go into lab or field research, but UCUR gives you theopportunity to do both,” senior biology major Amanda Ecker said.“UCUR game me the opportunity to work in both a lab and fieldsetting. I was able to gain a lot of experience and work with the fac-ulty.”

Ecker participated in the UCUR program in the summer of2007. She conducted research with mentor Dr. Kelly Major andmeasured nutrient levels in water while looking at aquatic plant dis-tribution.

Anne Boettcher, UCUR’s program director, comments onUCUR’s ultimate ability to allow students to focus on career pathsand further peak a person’s interest in the fields of research in gen-eral.

“Past students have published their results with their mentors inpeer-reviewed journals, presented work at regional, national andinternational meetings, won extensive awards, and used UCURprojects as a starting place for Honor’s theses,” Boettcher said.

“Many have even gone on to graduate and professional programsusing UCUR.”

Some of the opportunities already existing in the program are asdiverse as NSF-REU Structure and Function of Proteins involvingfaculty from biochemisty, biology, biomedical sciences, chemistryand pharmacology or programs in physiology, lung biology andmarine science.

Deadlines for the UCUR 2008 summer application are Feb. 8 forthose students who will need assistance finding a mentor and

March 14 for students already paired with aresearch mentor.

UCUR primarily looks for rising juniors andseniors and is open only to University of SouthAlabama undergraduate students. UCUR pro-vides a limited number of summer research fel-lowships but exceptions may be decided on case-by-case basis.

Students receiving UCUR Summer ResearchFellowship will be expected to devote 20-30 hoursper week during the summer, present results of

study, meet with mentors on a regular basis, attend organizationalmeetings and workshops and present their studies to peers on cam-pus in poster format in an exhibition during UndergraduateResearch Week.

Undergraduate Research Week consists of a mini-symposium oncampus designed to stimulate awareness of various research oppor-tunities among students and faculty. The committee invites speak-ers each year to promote its cause.

Apart from personal advances and opportunities gained byUCUR students, the program also sends press releases to localnewspapers in the community and gains support and recognitionfrom all areas.

Funding for UCUR has been provided by the Alabama SpaceGrant, University of South Alabama Academic Affairs andUniversity of South Alabama colleges and departments.

For more information regarding the program and applicationsfor the program, visit www.southalabama.edu/ucur or contactAnne Boettcher at [email protected] or 460-7527.

Devi SampatSENIOR [email protected]

The film industry's largest interestgroup admitted yesterday that it overesti-mated by almost 300 percent the amountof money the industry lost to piracy bycollege kids - a figure the group had usedto lobby for legislation that would forcecolleges to crack down on file-sharing bytheir students.

In the 2005 study, the Motion PictureAssociation of America claimed thatbecause of their high illegal downloadrate, college students were responsible for44 percent of the MPAA's total lost rev-enue to piracy.

Now, the association has lowered thatfigure to 15 percent.

The MPAA - the advocacy group for sixmajor movie studios that leads the indus-try's anti-piracy campaign - originallyclaimed college students cost the industrymore than $18 billion a year.

MPAA representatives said the miscal-culation was the result of "human error,"the Associated Press reported.

The MPAA representatives could not bereached for comment when contacted yes-terday.

Although the MPAA contends that theimpact of illegal piracy by college studentsis still significant, the misreported numbersmight disrupt pending legislation inCongress.

Because the bill was largely based onthe original numbers from the MPAA,some lawmakers might remove their

endorsement from legislation. The bill was strongly championed by

the MPAA and RIAA after its introduc-tion.

"It's unfortunate that Congress hasrelied on these numbers," said JackBernard, the University's assistant general

counsel, who handles legal issues involvingfile-sharing at the University.

The bill, which is currently awaitingconsideration on the floor of the House ofRepresentatives, says that each participat-ing institution must not only make publicthe policies and procedures regarding ille-gal piracy to their students and employees,but must develop alternatives to illegalpeer-to-peer programs for its members.

According to the bill, universities whofail to offer "technology-based deterrentsto prevent such illegal activity" couldpotentially lose federal aid for their stu-dents.

Bernard said that Congress should focusits anti-piracy campaign elsewhere.

He said college campuses are "amongthe most responsible Internet serviceproviders" because they educate theirusers on the legality of file sharing.

"Before the MPAA had this researchconducted, the University was thinkingabout how to help educate people aboutpeer-to-peer file-sharing," Bernard said."We think there's a better place forCongress to spend its time," he added.

Bernard said he was skeptical of theoriginal statistic because the data used toestimate the figure were never made pub-lic.

"When those numbers came out, wequestioned them because they seemed sohigh,"Bernard said.

"Clearly the MPAA has come out andsaid they've made a mistake interpretingtheir data, and we're glad they came outand are trying to correct the record."

Jacob SmilovitzTHE MICHIGAN DAILYUniversity of Michigan

“UCUR gave me theopportunity to work in both

a lab and field setting. Iwas able to gain a lot of

experience.”- Amanda Ecker

MPAA admits to mistake in report

http://www.mpaa.org/piracy

The Motion Picture Association of America over-estimated by almost 300 percent the amount ofmoney the industry lost to piracy by college stu-dents.


Jaguar Service Day tohelp ‘beautify’ Hillsdale

As part of homecoming 2008, Circle KInternational is hosting Jaguar Service Day on Feb. 9.Jaguar Service Day is a yearly homecoming traditionin which USA organizations and students cometogether in a campus-wide community service project.

This year, Jaguar Service Day will consist of abeautification project at Hillsdale Middle School. Theproject will include painting classrooms, creating bul-letin boards, gardening the courtyards and other smallprojects.

Jaguar Productions will be providing JagTran forstudents. Two JagTrans will start at 8:15 a.m. from theJag Tran stop in the Delta parking lot and continuerunning throughout the morning.

Check-in will begin in the lobby of HillsdaleMiddle School at 8:30 a.m. Juice, water, doughnutsand muffins will be provided in the morning for allstudent participating in Jaguar Service Day atHillsdale.

Organizations that are competing in Homecoming2008 can receive homecoming points for their partici-pation. In order to receive points, a competing organi-zation must have at least 10 members working for atleast three hours.

Students and organization not competing in home-coming are also encouraged to participate.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. and end at noon.Organizations are asked to sign up by Feb. 7.Please contact Barbara Shirvanian for more infor-

mation or to sign up. Shirvanian can be reached at(251) 460-6171.

Jason [email protected]

US Senate looks into college endowments

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee is seeking answersfrom more than a hundred colleges, including theUniversity of California, about their finances in an effortto boost transparency on spending.

The UC Berkeley and UCLA foundations, as well as theuniversity system, were each issued letters from the com-mittee asking about their endow-ments and spending on financialaid.

"Tuition has gone up, collegepresidents' salaries have gone up,and endowments continue to goup and up," said Senator ChuckGrassley (R-Iowa), ranking mem-ber of the committee, in a com-mittee statement. "It's fair to askwhether a college kid should haveto wash dishes in the dining hall topay his tuition when his collegehas a billion dollars in the bank."

The letters were addressed to the nation's colleges anduniversities whose endowments exceed $500 million basedon the results of a study conducted by the NationalAssociation of College and University Business Officersreleased last week.

The UC system's endowment funds for 2007 rank 12thin the nation at more than $6.4 billion, according to thestudy. Harvard University is ranked number one with$34.6 billion, while the UCLA Foundation ranks 80th with$975 million.

The UC Berkeley Foundation, which accepts direct giftsto the campus, ranks 89th, with an endowment of $837million, according to the report.

UC spokesperson Chris Harrington said the university

has received the letter and will respond accordingly.Campus officials at the UC Berkeley Foundation said

they have not received the letter from the Senate commit-tee.

Considering the responses to the letters, which areexpected by next month, the Senate committee may poten-tially subject universities to follow specific spendingrequirements.

Unlike private foundations, colleges and universities arecurrently not required by federal lawto spend five percent of theirendowment every year. Additionally,gifts and endowment funds are cur-rently tax-exempt.

Some said universities should alsomeet the same spending standards.

"Some people are asking, 'Whydoesn't the same apply to universi-ties?'" said Richard Vedder, directorof the Center for CollegeAffordability and Productivity, basedin Washington, D.C. "I think it's alegitimate question."

About one-third of the university's endowment isrestricted to departmental, faculty and student supportamong campuses, while another 20 percent goes towardstudent scholarships, said Scott Sudduth, UC assistant vicepresident of federal governmental relations.

"(The university) only (has) discretion over about 2 per-cent of the endowment," he said.

Vedder said he expects the Senate committee to holdhearings and even consider legislation that would subjectuniversity endowments to the same requirements as privatefoundations.

"It's a good political method for politicians in an electionyear," he said.

Angelica DongalloTHE DAILY CALIFORNIANUniversity of California, Berkeley

“Tuition has gone up, college presidents’ salaries have gone up

and up. It’s not fair to ask whether acollege kid should have to wash dishes in the dining hall to pay his

tuition when his college has a billiondollars in the bank.”

- Senator Chuck Grassley

VanguardVanguardAshley D. McGee

Lifestyles [email protected]

February 4, 20076Vanguard

The LifestylesLifestylesLifestyles

In 1926, Americans began to annuallyrecognize many accomplishments made byAfrican-Americans in what was then knownas “Negro History Week,” which eventuallydeveloped in to Black History Month 50years later.

Born to two former slaves, Dr. Carter G.Woodson is credited with is often referredto as the Father of Black History.

Woodson, who received a master’sdegree from the University of Chicago andearned his Ph.D. at Harvard University,grew disturbed with the minimal amount ofAfrican-American history documented intextbooks.

In an attempt to make a change, hestarted the Association for the Study ofNegro Life and History, which published awell-respected Journal of Negro History.According to CNN.com, the journal con-sisted of several accounts of life-changingaccomplishments made by those of Africandescent and eventually played a key role inthe development of Black History Month.

Referred to by many as Black HeritageMonth, February is dedicated to acknowl-edging the sacrifices made by popular blackleaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. andIda B. Wells as well as focusing on the cur-rent efforts made by African-Americans likeDon Cheadle to aid Africans across theglobe.

In addition, Black History month is atime to celebrate many African-Americantraditions and the success of black historyawareness organizations across the country.

The month of February was chosenbecause of the large amount of events thattook place during the month which led tothe advancement of African-Americans,including the births of activists FrederickDouglass and W.E.B. Dubois.

Black History moments inFebruary:

Feb. 3, 1870 – The 15th Amendment waspassed, granting blacks the right to vote.Feb. 25, 1870 – The first black U.S. sena-tor, Hiram R. Revels, was sworn into office.Feb. 12, 1909 – The National Associationfor the Advancement of Colored Peoplewas founded.Feb. 1, 1960 – A group of African-Americans from Greensboro, N.C. began asit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s lunchcounter. Their actions were eventually rec-ognized as a milestone in the Civil RightsMovement.Feb. 21, 1965 – Malcom X was shot todeath by three black Nation of IslamMuslims.Feb. 9, 2995 – Bernard Harris Jr. becamethe first African-American to walk in space.

Just athought ...

The latest addition to the University ofSouth Alabama Department of Biology,the Biology Student Association, officiallystarted spring of 2008, with its first meetingon Monday, Jan. 28. BSA is open to allmajors with a general interest in biologicalsciences and is a way, according toPresident Jacquelyn Lytle, “to inform andintroduce students to other areas of biolo-gy.”

“I had thought about it before, but nevertook any steps to get it started until I men-tioned the club to several of my friends andfound that they had thought about it, too,”Lytle said. “We had to find a faculty advi-sors, so, luckily, Dr. Ashley Morris was will-ing to take on the project, and from therewe worked hard to get it started.”

BSA’s main goals this year are to intro-duce and inform students about differentareas of biology, allow students to interactwith their peers and faculty and incorpo-rate community service and job opportuni-ties into students’ lives.

Lytle cites her personal interests andbackground as reasons why she initiallywanted to start anorganization.

“Since I am thefirst person in myfamily to go to col-lege, I had no idea ofwhere to start orwhat came nextwhen I first camehere,” Lytle said. “Iknow you have advisors that are there tohelp, but sometimes it’s intimidating to talkto them about other concerns, so our meet-ings will help students deal with careerpreparations and for what’s after college.”

BSA’s first meeting on Jan. 28 allowedstudents to meet the organization’s officersand listen to guest speaker Dr. Brian

Axsmith lecture on “PaleobotanicExpeditions in Northern China”.

“Dr. Axsmith gave a wonderful presenta-tion about his paleobotanical expeditions toChina, which was sponsored by the

N a t i o n a lG e o g r a p h i cSociety,” Lytle said.“He and his collegesfound many fossilplants such asUmkomasia, consid-ered to be one firstangiosperms (flow-ering plants); how-

ever, Dr. Axsmith has done research thatshows it is probably not ancestral to theangiosperms.”

Formal meetings will be held on the lastMonday of every month at 4 p.m. in theLife Sciences Building Auditorium. Socialmeetings will occur on the second Friday ofevery month at 6 p.m. in restaurants

around campus. Officers will announce thesocial meeting place next week via e-mail.Interested students are encouraged toattend both meetings, e-mail Lytle [email protected], if there aretime conflicts, and look out for a new Webpage devoted to BSA.

“I think this club is important because itwill help some students realize that there isso much more out there to do in biology,and the officers (of BSA) and faculty aremore than willing to help them with anyquestions about school or what to do next,”Lytle said.

Founding members of BSA are as fol-lows: President Jacquelyn Lytle, VicePresident Znar Barwary, treasurer WesleyLumpkin, secretary Ashley Velazquez, his-torian Angela Johnson, executive officer ofadvertising Matthew Burke and facultyadvisor Dr. Ashley Morris.

Ashley D. McGee / Lifestyles EditorThe newly founded Biology Student Association is open to University of South Alabama students of allmajors and concentrations with a general interest in biological sciences. Formal meetings are sched-uled to be held on the last Monday of every month at 4 p.m. in the Life Science Building Auditorium.

Ashley D. McGeeLIFESTYLES [email protected]

Dear Dr. Sam,My boyfriend and I used to spend a lot of time

together. Not too much, but more like just enough.Now he seems like he only wants to hang out with hisfriends. What should I do? Should I take it personal?

I think the first thing you have to do is figure out what youdefine as too much. Just because you did not think spendingevery other hour of every other day together was too much, doesnot mean that he did not become overwhelmed. Not saying thathe shouldn’t have talked to you about how he was feeling, if thatwas the case, but not everyone is comfortable with expressing his

or her feelings when the or she first feel them. If it is a really bigproblem for you, then you might want to talk with him (not athim) about it. He may not even notice that he is neglecting you.Also, you have to realize that you are not the only person in hislife that wants his attention. Before you came along, he had afamily and friends that were used to spending a lot of time withhim. You never know … they may have been giving him crapabout spending so much time with you. Some to think about,huh?

Dear Dr. Sam,Because the word "love" is being used so loosely in

relationships today, do you feel as if its true meaningis being watered down?

Not necessarily. I think the word itself is not as important asthe context in which it is used. For example, saying “Aye shawty,I got much love for you” is nowhere near the same as saying “Ilove you.” On the same note, telling your significant other “I loveyou” is not the same as saying “I’m in love with you.” To keep itsafe, just be sure that the phrase is surrounded with an entireconversation that explains exactly what you mean before youstart throwing the word around.

SamSays:

“Dr. Sam”CONTRIBUTING [email protected]

ASK DR. SAM!Send your questions to

[email protected]

“I think this club is importantbecause it will help some students

realize that there is so much outthere to do in biology.”

- Jacquelyn Lytle

Devi SampatSTAFF [email protected]

New campus organization comes to life


This week in

GreekKeeping you in tune with USA Greek Life

The Epsilon Upsilon Chapter of AlphaKappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. celebrated its100 year anniversary on Jan. 15. One pro-gram featured during the organization'scentennial week included a forum for healthand studying in which the sorority gave outtips on fitness and effective study methods.AKA’s founders day program consisted ofthree empowering speeches on the historyof the sorority and details of several majorprograms that have been implement by theorganization.

The ladies of Epsilon Upsilon also host-ed a “Women vs. Women” forum whichincluded Pastor Linda Johnson, first lady ofMount Hebron Baptist Church, as thekeynote speaker. Pastor Johson encouragedwomen to get on a successful path with theirdaily living and God. The last event, a cen-tennial celebration which was held in USA’sStudent Center Ballroom, was a huge suc-cess, and the sorority would like to thankeveryone who helped celebrate its anniver-sary by attending these events.

The Mu Phi chapter of Phi Beta Sigma,Inc. will be passing out information on theMarch of Dimes on Feb. 7 in the StudentCenter Breezeway.

The National Pan-Hellenic Council willbe hosting the Greek Exodus step show Feb.22 at the Mitchell Center. The show willbegin at 8 p.m., and tickets will availablesoon.

Feb. 24 will begin “Greek Week” inwhich each organization will host a weekfull of events open to the student body.

The It ListEveryone: With Mardi Gras around the cor-

ner, everyone is starting to say “Laissez Les BonTemps Rouler (Let the Good Times Roll!)!” Youmay or may not have noticed, but you are attend-

ing a school in the city where Mardi Gras began in 1703. After you are donewith classes, you should head downtown and witness this old Mobile tradi-tion. This is a very family friendly event, so be don’t be afraid to invite fami-ly to come an experience this event with you. Its absolutely FREE to attend,although there are a few things that you might want to carry a little cash for.The parade season kicked off Friday, Jan. 18, so if you missed the first onemake sure the Mardi Gras season doesn’t end before you attend one ofMobile’s parades.

attend It

Guys: If you’re into tattoos but don’t really like the pain or the fact that it willalways be on your body, go out and grab an Ed Hardy ensemble. These are basicallytattooed clothes. All of the clothing by Ed Hardy is a remarkable and amazing masterpiece. With their T-

shirts, hats, jeans and shoes, you will be sure to make a lasting impression. Youcan find these clothes at City Gear or online at http://www.edhardyshop.com.

Girls: Whenever you want to make any type of occasionformal, you always can reach for your little black dress. Thelittle black dress is a timeless classic that’s good for job inter-views, work or a night out with the girls. This essentialwardrobe piece comes in many different styles, from a minidress that’s good for a weekend of clubbing’ to a formalevening gown fit for royalty. This must-have for every girl canbe dressed up or down depending on the event. If you put ona pair of flip flops, some studs and your backpack it instantlybecomes a casual “straight-to-class” ensemble. Afterwards, ifyour friends decide that you all should go out for a night onthe town, run in your room, kick off the flip flops, drop thebackpack, hop into some type of high-heeled shoe, grab anecklace and some lip gloss and be on your way. You can findlittle black dresses anywhere that sales women’s clothes.

Everyone: Need a way to pass time between classes? You should invest in an iPodTouch. This is a hot new gadget that isn’t just your ordinary iPod with a long list of songs.This iPod with its thin, sleek design and touch screen is a college student’s wish come true.Not only can you listen to music as you ride along on the JagTran, you can catch up ontelevision shows that you downloaded the night before. It also picks up wireless Internetsignals, so you can check your Facebook or e-mail whenever you can get a signal. You canpick up this entertaining gadget at Best Buy, Circuit City or Wal-Mart.

Everyone: If you missed “National Wear Red Day” on Feb. 1, do not thinkyou missed your chance to make a difference.The Women of Excellence and I.M.P.A.C.T.will be doing their part to raise awareness atthe WOE “Dating Game” event on Feb. 13.

According to the American HeatAssociation, heart related illnesses are thenumber. one killer of American women. TheAHA also reports that heart disease and othercardiovascular diseases kill more Americanwomen than the next five causes of deathcombined. In 2003, approxi-mately 19 females died a daydue to some heart-relatedcomplication.

During the “DatingGame,” all participantsand guests are encour-aged to wear red (which

everyone should already be doing that day to “Bleed It Red” for USA Spirit Day) in supportof the fight against heart disease. I.M.P.A.C.T. mentors and mentees will be passing out factsheets with helpful tips on how to prevent heat disease by living a healthy lifestyle.

support It

by Miranda Scorver

wear It

http://www.dressaday.com

http://www.edhardyshop.com

http://www.images.google.com

Nightlife

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EventsTravel

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HobbiesLifestyles: The ideas are limitless.If you’re interested in writing, e-mail the editor at

[email protected] or call 460-6442.

Courtesy of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs

ON CAMPUS THIS WEEK

Wednesday“Super Tuesday” Results Partyfrom 6:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.in the Delta Area Commons TVroom. Free pizza and soda;Jaguar Productions “MidweekNooner” - Comedy VarietyGame Show from 11 a.m. until 1p.m. in the Student CenterMarket; Circle K Meeting at 5:15p.m. in Student Center room222ThursdayAfrican-American StudentAssociation Gospel Choir per-formance at 12 p.m. in theStudent Center MarketFridayHomecoming Window PaintingCompetition from 10 a.m. until 3p.m. in the Student CenterAmphitheater.

buy It

Latoria CheeksVANGUARD [email protected]

Fine ArtsFine ArtsVanguardVanguardAshley Gruner

Fine Arts [email protected]

February 4, 20088

VanguardThe Fine Arts

The Arts

If you are ever looking for a new andexciting way to spend your weekends,take a short visit to Theatre 98 inFairhope. The intimate and artistic set-ting is a great way to relax and enjoy theculture of this local community.

Theatre 98, a non-profit communitytheater located in a historic building neardowntown Fairhope, is known for its widerange of live plays. The theatre has pro-duced everything from comedies andShakespeare tragedies to unique andunconventional theatrical performances.

This spring, Theatre 98 will be intro-ducing “Misery,” an adaptation of thethrilling Stephen King novel. This majorproduction is the first of the 2008 seasonat Theatre 98. The showings of “Misery”will take place on Feb. 15, 16, 17, 20, 21,22, 23 and 24.

The play, adapted for the stage bySimon Moore and directed by RandyHicks, tells the story of a popularromance novelist whose world turns des-perate when he is cut off from the out-side world by a terrible blizzard. His onlymethod of survival is to follow thedemands and instructions of an eccentricstranger, who becomes his roommate in arun-down farmhouse. The novelist’s onlyway to ensure his survival is to compose anew story for the stranger every day.

Theatre 98 has won numerous localawards, including the Mobile ArtsCouncil’s first Greater Mobile Area ArtsAward for arts organizations. The theatrehas been a part of Fairhope’s arts scenefor more than 45 years.

Theatre 98 is located at 350 MorphyAve. in Fairhope. Admission is $15 foradults and $10 for students.

The box office opens on the Mondayof the week a production opens. Boxoffice hours are Monday throughSaturday from 5:15 - 7:15 p.m. To makea phone reservation, please call and leavea message on the theatre voicemail at(251) 928-4366.

This play contains strong violence andlanguage and is not suitable for children.

Ashley GrunerFINE ARTS [email protected] Fairhope's First Friday ArtWalk was

filled with art and much more this month.The MOJ parade offered revelers a tasteof Mardi Gras. As crowds gathered alongSection Street in anticipation of the Maidsof Jubilee, various galleries opened theirdoors in hopes of adding art to the festivi-ties.

The Lyons Share Gallery, a family-owned business known for its originality,presented new works from local Fairhope

painter Randy Moberg. Randy Moberg currently paints only in

oil. His subjects consist of figures, land-scapes and still life, and he prefers to workon large canvases. His modern abstractionof traditional figures, along with hisintense color and magnificent portrayal oflight, set Moberg apart from the averageartist.

Moberg describes his work as "morerepresentative of life, though not so visual-ly sweet ... I express ideas using colors andshapes to create images that cannot beotherwise described." No image is com-plete, however, until the artist has viewedthe work in all lighting situations and at allangles, which allows him to correct hiscompositions.

The Christine Linson Gallery is hometo not only owner Christine Linson's work,but also the work of local and nationalartists. Christine's work encompasses largefloral watercolors, landscapes and figura-tive charcoal drawings. Christine beganher career in Fairhope around 1998 whenshe "fell in love with the sunshine andfriendly Southern ambiance."

Other artists featured at the ChristineLinson Gallery include Dale Brobst andMary Gates Dewey.

Dale Brobst uses wood as his medium.With over 75 major art show awards,Brobst has made an impression on the art

world with his inspiration from nature. "Ifeel that art should be beautiful, upliftingand never ugly, obscene or depressing,"says Brobst.

Brobst uses wood from trees that havebeen damaged in storms, cut down bycorporations or removed to provide landfor construction. The artist never cuts anytrees for the sole purpose of creating art.Brobst allows the coloration of the grainin his wood to dictate the form. Variousfinishes and oils complete the piece.

Artist Mary Gates Dewey finds herinspiration from her cat Kaygee, which is

Russian dance company touring U.S.

The Hermitage Ballet, Russia's most prestigious dance compa-ny, will continue their American debut at the Mobile CivicCenter on Feb. 11.

Hermitage board of director’s member Dr. Michael Donnellypraises the Hermitage Ballet as the "strongest contingent ofRussian dancers to have ever come to the United States."

The Hermitage U.S. tour has been developed over the pasteight years and is finally making its way to the Southeast and sur-rounding areas. The company is already planning a second tripin February 2009.

The Hermitage Ballet has spent the last several decades tour-ing Europe and the Far East. This opening season, however,gives Southerners in the United States an opportunity to experi-ence what so often finds its way to the hustle and bustle of largecities like New York.

"This is a tremendous ballet cast, and I hope every seat is filledin Mobile ... the United States is where my focus is, [specifically]in the Southeast,” said Donnelly.

Dr. Donnelly, who sees a demand for ballet improvements inthe South, hopes to make the Hermitage Ballet an annual eventfor the next 10 years.

Under the direction of Victor Korolkov, the Hermitage Balletwill perform the distinguished "Gala Performance,” an eventmade famous in the theater of Catherine the Great in the WinterPalace of old Imperial Russia. With several internationallyfamous dancers, as well as each lead soloist being ranked amongthe top 50 dancers in the world, the Hermitage Ballet will pres-ent 10 of the most influential scenes from Russian ballet includ-ing "Swan Lake,” "Nutcracker” and "Don Quixote.” The Balletwill feature 12 soloists, including four-year Hermitage soloistAlena Klochkova, who will perform "Dying Swan" from "SwanLake.” Dr. Donnelly compares lead soloist Irma Nioradze, amember of the Hermitage Ballet since 1998, to the late famedRussian dancer Anna Pavlova.

Each member of the Hermitage Ballet's cast is also a graduateof the world renowned Vaganova Ballet Academy in St.Petersburg, Russia. The Hermitage Theater Company plans to

fund a scholarship, allowing one student and teacher to partici-pate in 10 days of master classes at the Vaganova Academy. Thecompany also plans to offer dance classes at the Mobile CivicCenter for locals. For more information on scholarship rules,please visit http://www.hermitageballet.com.

Tickets for the ballet are priced between $50 and $65 and areavailable through http://www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at(251) 434-0033. The show begins at 7 p.m. on Feb. 11, withdoors opening at 6 p.m. A reception following the performancewill allow audience members to meet the dancers, as well asenjoy wine, cheese and one-on-one conversation with worldfamous members of the Hermitage Ballet.

http://www.hermitageballet.com

The Hermitage Ballet is touring the Gulf Coast this spring.This prestigiousdance company will be performing at the Mobile Civic Center on Feb. 11.

Amanda B. JohnsonSTAFF [email protected]

Mobile Opera presents“Some Enchanted

Valentine” Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m.Saenger Theatre

UPCOMING EVENTS

Mobile Symphony Orchestrapresents

“Legendary Love”Feb. 16, 8 p.m.

Saenger Theatre

Amanda B. JohnsonSTAFF [email protected]

USA Theatre presents“Buried Child”

Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m.Laidlaw Performing Arts Center

http://www.dale-brobst.com

Dale Brobst, a featured artist in Fairhope, useswood to create beautiful works of art.

http://www.metalbendersgallery.com

The jewelry designers of of Fairhope’s MetalBenders were featured at the First Friday ArtWalk.

see ART WALK, page 19

ArtWalk festivities provide exciting night


On Tuesday, Jan 29, the fifth annual birthday bash forthe famous Celtic band Mithril was celebrated at the USALaidlaw Performing Arts Center.

Mithril consists of four members: Tom Morley, fiddle;Andra Bohnet, flute and Celtic harp; Ben Harper, guitarist;and David Hughes, percussion and keyboards. The bandperforms a wide variety of music by blending Spanish,French, Irish and other exotic sounds.

The concert began with a packed house and an enthusi-astic set of performers. The musicians seemed confidentand at ease throughout the performance while conversingwith the audience and making jokes among one another.

Since the show was an annual birthday celebration, theperformers played several of their favorites and also severalrequested pieces from the crowd.

The show opened with a fun, energetic and fast-movingset including the “Cat's Meow.”

Music representing winter came next, with its beautifuland exotic style. In this set, Mithril played “Creston Hens,”their first piece to hit the air.

The show continued with “Celtic Silk Road,” whichincluded a drum solo performed by David Hughes. “GreenSleeves” came next and closed the first half of the show.

The second portion of the musical performance consist-ed of requests from the audience. “Sparkey at the Wheel,”

“Little Lady” and Irish tunes were only a few of the piecesplayed by the group. “Little Lady” was a song written byDavid Hughes. He received inspiration for this piece fromhis young daughter.

As the show progressed, Mithril performed a “Mardi

Gras” set while moon pies were tossed into a surprised andexcited audience. The “Lord of the Rings” was a commonfavorite that followed.

The band later performed a Led Zepplin song, and inthe spirit of the music, the guitarist played from the floor ofthe stage while resting on his side. The show ended with alively piece and a standing ovation from the onlookers.Joylyn Reese, music major at the University, said: “Mithrilrocks my socks off. I love coming to hear them play!”

The entire performance was entertaining, and the per-formers were very involved with the audience. At severaltimes during the show, CDs and T-shirts were given out tolucky fans.

The members of the group were clearly excited abouttheir performance. “We would like to take this opportunityto thank all of our fans for their fantastic support duringthe last five years. It would be impossible for us to have thismuch fun without being able to share the music with all ofyou. Love to all!”

Mithril has been performing at arts events throughoutthe United States. The group has four CDs on Flying FrogMusic, including their newest release, “The ReturnHome.” Their music has been played on several nationalairways and is continuously downloaded on iTunes.

For more information on Mithril and the group's upcom-ing performances, visit their Web site athttp://www.mithril.us.

MMiitthhrriill cceelleebbrraatteess wwiitthh 55tthh bbiirrtthhddaayy bbaasshh

http://www.mithril.us

Mithril celebrated their fifth birthday bash last week. The groupentertained audience members with lively selections.

USA Chorale to charm audience

Looking to woo that special someonethis Valentine's Day? For live entertain-ment with love and romance written allover it, look no further than theUniversity of South Alabama's choraleperformance titled “Romance, Again ...Please” that will be held on Feb. 12 at7:30 p.m.

Dr. Joe Pendleton, director of choralactivities at the University, will conductthe ensemble in classics such as “CryMe A River,” “At Last” and “SmokeGets In Your Eyes.”

The USA Chorale consists of foursections of singers including altos,sopranos, basses and tenors. There arefour singers in each section. Thechorale is comprised of some of the

most gifted and dedicated singers at theUniversity, and these vocalists performchoice works from a variety of periodsand musical styles.

The select ensemble travels severaltimes per semester to choral confer-ences around the Gulf Coast region.

Dr. Pendleton has included guestinstrumentalist Brad Turner to accom-pany the ensemble on double bass forits upcoming performance.

“My favorite selections among thosepresent in our upcoming musical offer-ing are those upon which Troy Clark,Brad Turner and I collaborate,” saidZachery Fellman, a bass vocalist andthe ensemble's pianist. “We will beoffering selections in the jazz and bluesidioms with a unique interplay of capti-vatingly current and undeniably time-less styles. Think Medeski meetsColdplay,” he said.

When asked about her favorite pieceto perform this Thursday night, sopra-no Aimee Riemersma excitedly stated,“Lee Smith and I are singing ‘Un DiFelice’ from the opera ‘La Traviata’ byVerdi. It's really challenging because webasically have to read each other'sminds when it comes to tempos,entrances and cut offs. It's fun stuff.”

“This performance is going to beunlike any other chorale performancebecause Dr. Pendleton is incorporatingdifferent instrumentalists, and we areeven foregoing our usual attire. We'regoing to dress to fit the mood of theevening,” said Marc Anderson, tenor.“This is definitely different from whatwe have done in the past. It's going tobe a refreshing change.”

Tickets for the concert will be sold atthe door only. General admission ticketsare $5 for USA faculty, staff and stu-dents and all senior tickets are $3.

Further information about this eventcan be acquired by calling the musicdepartment office at (251) 460-6136 orthe events office at (251) 460-7116.

Redefining music with Trio Virtuosi

The famous Trio Virtuosi will present anevening of redefined classical music on Feb. 7at the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center.

The trio includes violinist Gary Levinson,flutist Eugenia Zukerman and pianist AdamNeiman.

Levinson has been praised for his intensemusicality and formidable technique. He hastoured solo in Italy, as well as collaboratedwith Christoper O'Riley, Yo-Yo Ma, LynnHarrel and Anne-Marie McDermott. Hemade his U.S. debut at age 13, going on towin virtually all the competitions in theAmerican Midwest. Levinson later performedwith the Bernsetin Festival at Orchestra Hallin Minnesota, where he was a source ofpower and inspiration. He recently touredthroughout Europe and is now touring as amember of Trio Virtuosi.

Zukerman has performed internationallywith orchestras, in solo and duo recitals, aswell as chamber music ensembles. TheBoston Globe praises her as “one of thefinest flutists of our time.” Her elegantsound, lyrical phrasing and compelling stagepresence lend to her popularity as a “bonafide phenom” whose versatility and intelligentprogramming places her beyond compare.She has been the artistic director of the inter-national Vail Valley Music Festival inColorado since 1998. This festival presentsmany well-known ensembles in revenues suchas the New York Philharmonic, the RochesterPhilharmonic, the Dallas SymphonyOrchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Zukerman has recorded several acclaimedlive performances, as well as a collection ofopera favorites and solo flute recordings. Shealso enjoys a career as an author and televi-sion commentator. She has been published invarious periodicals, as well as publishing ananthology of essays focusing onmother/daughter relationships. She alsoworks with “CBS Sunday Morning” as anarts commentator.

According to the Friends of Chamber

Music’s Web site, Neiman first capturedattention of audiences and critics after hisconcerto debut at age 11 in Los Angeles'Royce Hall. He went on to become theyoungest winner of the Gilmore Young ArtistAward. After making his recital debut inWashington D.C., the Washington Postpraised Neiman for his wisdom and dazzlingdisplay of his inner voice through his music.He has since debuted with the DetroitSymphony, as well as giving solo performanc-es at New York's Lincoln Center and theWalter Reade Theater. He now performswith the Corinthian Trio and Trio Virtuosi.

As stated in an interview with theGreenville News, Zukerman described theensemble's repertories as “very interestingand ever expanding.” The trio should capturethe attention of audience members with itsintense style and engaging presence. Don'tmiss this amazing opportunity to enjoy themusic of three talented and world-renownedmusicians.

Kathryn GarikesSTAFF [email protected]

Susan PruittSTAFF [email protected]

Daniela WernerSTAFF [email protected]

http://www.communitychamberconcerts.com

The members of Trio Virtuosi are Gary Levinson,Eugenia Zukerman and Adam Neiman.

Ashley Gruner / Fine Arts Editor

The USA Chorale will be performing theirwinter concert on Feb. 12 at the LaidlawPerforming Arts Center.

VanguardVanguardStephanie A. Hudson

Entertainment [email protected]

February 4, 200810Vanguard

The

EntertainmentEntertainmentEntertainment

Two major motion picture companies, Paramount andWarner Bros., have decided to exclusively use the Blu-ray DVDformat for their DVD movie releases, according tohttp://www.engadget.com and http://www.wired.com. This isa boon to Sony’s efforts to take over the high definition DVDmarket. But according to Warner’s chairman and CEO, BarryMeyer, the choice of formats is to give consumers what theywant (more storage per disc) and to end the consumer confu-sion caused by having too many different media types availableto the public.

"Warner Bros.' move to exclusively release in the Blu-raydisc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term andthe most direct way to give consumers what they want. Thewindow of opportunity for high-definition DVD could bemissed if format confusion continues to linger,” Meyer said ina press release about Warner’s Blu-ray DVD decision.

The high definition DVD wars have been ongoing since therelease of the first Blu-ray DVD in 2005. HD DVDs and Blu-ray DVDs, created by Toshiba and Sony, respectively, havebecome the latest craze for DVD consumers. They havereplaced traditional DVDs because they offer better viewingand sound quality as well as more storage space, which allowsthem to hold the much larger high definition movie releases oftoday.

HD DVDs offer up to 15 gigabytes of storage on each side,while Blu-ray DVDs can hold significantly more data—up to50 gigabytes per side. Blu-ray’s storage capacity, as well asother factors, has ended the competition between the twomedia storage types, according to http://www.wired.com.Sony’s Blu-ray has captured an overwhelming share of the HDDVD market over the last few weeks.

The focus on a Blu-ray-only DVD format will likely bringconsumers less stress—now they can focus on buying the prod-uct they want without worrying about compatibility. Forinstance, DVD players for the new high definition formatsoften only cater to HD DVD or Blu-ray DVD formats. Withthe industry moving toward a single format, consumers will nolonger need to worry about whether the DVDs they have willwork with a new player.

Currently, the lowest priced Blu-ray and HD DVD playerscost well over $200 for in-home players and about the same forPC versions. While this is much more reasonable than the orig-inal $1,500 price of such players, it is still considered high,especially in today’s market of high-turnover consumer elec-tronics. Since the Blu-ray format is now widely adopted among

producers, the price of compatible players should begin drop-ping with time, just as with pre-HD DVD players of less than adecade ago. Within five years, consumers may see prices under$100 for players.

The latest Blu-ray technology to affect consumers is theadaptation of the technology for camcorders and other record-able media. Back in 2005, Sony announced such technologywith an expensive price tag of $20,000. In late 2007, Hitachioffered a comparable camcorder for just under $1,000. Themain consumer draw of such new technology is the Blu-raycamcorder’s ability to produce high definition video for evensimple home videos.

The most extraordinary part of the DVD wars is the sheerspeed at which technology has changed. In less than threeyears, HD technology has gotten cheaper and easier to use.While this is true of most technologies, this is just anotherexample of how the time table for change has sped up along-side the technological revolution of the last 30 years or so.Now, the question is this: How do consumers keep up?

DVD formats battle for dominance

The opposing DVD formats may be the cause of much consumer confusionabout which product is best.With Blue-ray gaining the largest share of DVDsales, consumers may no longer need to make the choice.

Stephanie A. HudsonENTERTAINMENT [email protected]

Imagine, if you will, that someone combinedthe over-the-top bloodshed of the “Kill Bill”movies, the open-world gameplay of “GrandTheft Auto” and the boss battles of “Shadow ofthe Colossus.” Actually, you do not need toimagine that, because it is here. Goichi Suda,more commonly known as Suda 51, and hisGrasshopper Studios have created it anddubbed it “No More Heroes.”

CONCEPT - Players take on the role of pro-tagonist Travis Touchdown, an Otaku (animefan) who likes to shop at Area 51. After winninga Beam Katana through an online auction andsubsequently killing the 11th ranked assassin inthe United States, he decides to kill the remain-ing 10 so that he may become number one.

Obviously, Travis is not your typical goodguy; hence the title, “No More Heroes,” but theinsane world, over-the-top action and hilariousdialogue will definitely keep gamers entertained.

GRAPHICS - “No More Heroes” features acool, grittier type of cel-shaded graphics.Unfortunately, the character models are theonly element that this applies to. While TravisTouchdown and each of the bosses look reallycool, the environments in which Travis will tra-verse are extremely bland.

The town of Santa Destroy looks as if it weremade using some technology that was devel-oped sometime between the debut of thePlaystation One and the debut of thePlaystation 2.

Unimportant non-playable characters andenemies are equally dull. On the other hand, theQuentin Tarantino-styled blood-squirting thatresults from either slashing enemies or killingbosses looks fantastic.

AUDIO - Featuring lines such as “That wasquite a move. I'll admit you've got potential. Ifchallenge had a taste, you'd be quite delicious,”the dialogue in “No More Heroes” is fantastical-ly cheesy and ridiculous. The background musicthat plays while exploring Santa Destroy is notonly low in volume, but quality as well. I did findit interesting, however, that “Heavenly Star” byGenki Rockets, which is featured in the puzzlegame “Lumines Live!,” plays in the backgroundwhen Travis enters a shop.

PLAYABILITY - “No More Heroes” isessentially a “hack-‘n’-slash” game. What sets itapart are the controls. Players will use the WiiNunchuk to move Travis around, and, when inbattle, will use the Wii remote in various ways.Simply tilting the Wii remote down a little andpressing the “A” button causes Travis to performlow attacks with his Beam Katana, while tiltingit up causes him to perform high attacks.

Once enemies are stunned, players can eitherpress the “B” button to execute a wrestling moveor move the Wii Remote in the direction of theon-screen prompt, which, typically and bloodily,results in a decapitation or splitting a body inhalf.

The combat element of “No More Heroes”works great and is a blast to play through. Sadly,the controls of the job minigames (Travis has toearn money to pay a fee in order to fight thenext assassin) and Travis’s motorcycle, the“Schpel Tiger,” are rather clumsy.

OVERALL - “No More Heroes” is a margin-ally fun game that clocks in at around 12 hoursin length. The boss battles and dialogue arereally the only things that will keep players inter-ested, though, so I would not recommend buy-ing this game at its current $49.99 price.

‘No More Heroes’filled with guts, gore

Jonathan CashonSTAFF [email protected]

The 1980s were a very interesting time, as far as cinema wasconcerned. A new breed of movie was formed by means ofburly action heroes who seemed to face insurmountable oddsand always triumphed over evil in the end. And, let's not forgetthe insane amount of gunfire and explosions that usually camewith these films as well. We are talking about classics like “DieHard,” “Terminator,” “RoboCop” and others. These were thefilms that always gave us a necessary adrenaline rush and provedthe bad guys will always lose.

My question is this: What ever happened to the good old-fash-ioned American hero who blew the hell out of every bad guy stillwalking just to save the day?

The new “Rambo” film, directed by Sylvester Stallone him-self, satisfies that void in our lives 100 percent. The plot of thefilm is simple: A bunch of missionaries believe that spreadinggoodwill will help rebels who seem to be oppressed by their owngovernment in current-day Thailand. When the missionaries aretaken hostage, “Rambo” and a handful of mercenaries rush intoaction. This gives the director an excuse to lay waste to every-thing on screen.

While words alone make a huge understatement, the violencein this film is intense. Supposedly, the level of violence nearlycaused the movie to receive a rating higher than “R.” Bodies areperforated, torn apart, sliced, blown up, limbs severed and

vaporized with the utmost glee. Many innocent people are alsomurdered in this movie, including small children, so if one has apropensity for a weak stomach, do not go see this film.Personally, it has to be one of the most violent films I have everwitnessed on the big screen.

The quick running time of the film leaves little room for char-acter development, but really who is going to see this movie forthe intricate plot line? “Rambo” is what it is: a overtly brutalaction movie where the bad guys lose (and lose everything) in theend.

‘Rambo’ filled with old-fashioned 1980s heroismEric SmithSTAFF [email protected]

http://www.latimes.com

Stallone makes lethal use of a bow and arrow in the latest “Rambo.”

http://www.ign.com


At 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9, the USA Mitchell Centerwill host the Winter Jam 2008 concert tour. Tickets will be$10 at the door. Presented by FOX Faith film studio andHolt International, Winter Jam will be hosted by NewSong,along with featured artists BarlowGirl, Group 1 Crew,MercyMe, pure NRG and Skillet.

Also scheduled to appear is inspirational speaker andauthor Tony Nolan and the Real Encounter’s XtremeBMX Skate Team.

A consistent sell out show for the USA Mitchell Center,Winter Jam 2008 is sure to be a crowd favorite. In 2007,BarlowGirl, Group 1 Crew and MercyMe all released CDsthat received much acclaim. Since these successful artistsare scheduled to perform, let’s take a look at how their discsstand up to closer scrutiny.

BarlowGirl - “How Can We Keep Silent”A never-ending cycle of being hurt, dealing with one’s

faith and outright angst is the theme of BarlowGirl’s thirdrelease, which peaked at number 40 on Billboard’s Top 200Chart.

The album easily flows from the orchestral infused andpleading “Song for the Broken” to “Keep Quiet,” a songabout trying to understand why people are afraid to speakout about the faith.

Also included is the whimsical, fun, never-give-up box-ing-themed “ One More Round.” At times the CD ispeppy; however, the lyrics of “The Guy Song” seems out ofplace considering the song’s title. Overall, “How Can WeKeep Silent” is a great CD for getting through times offrustration.

Standouts: “ I Believe in Love,” “Here’s My Life,”“Million Voices,” “Sweet Revenge,” “One More Round”and “No Regrets.”

Group 1 Crew - “Group 1 Crew”This self-titled CD is a hip-hop-infused stellar debut

from Group 1 Crew. The album kicks off with the self-explanatory, jazzy

“Love is a Beautiful Thing” and moves to the Black-Eyed-Peas-influenced “Let it Roll.” The upbeat theme of thisCD continues with “No Plan B,” “Clap Ya Hands” and“What Yo Name Is.”

However, the overall buoyant feel of the album makesthe song slow and forgettable, and “So High” seems out ofplace. Thankfully, the powerful “Forgive Me” makes up forthe lackluster appeal of “So High.”

Standouts: “ Love is a Beautiful Thing,” “Let it Roll,”“A Lot in Common,” “No Plan B,” “Forgive Me,” “ClapYa Hands,” “I Have a Dream” and “Put Like That.”

MercyMe - “All That is Within Me”Considered to be one of the most prolific contemporary

Christian groups of the 21st century, the group’s sixthrelease proves that they will continue a successful musiccareer. According to http://www.billboard.com, they onlyhad three weeks to record this CD.

The music includes songs like “All That is Within Me,”whose sound has a British rock influence, while “GoodbyeOrdinary” has a live-life-to-its-fullest theme. The song“Time Has Come” conveys the message that there is a rea-son for everything.

A strong orchestral sound is also prevalent on this albumespecially on the tracks “ God With Us” and “You Reign.”MercyMe’s ability to write powerful lyrics is evident on

“My Heart Will Fly.”Standouts: “ Goodbye Ordinary,” “Time Has Come,”

“God With Us,” “Sanctified,” “You Reign,” “Grace TellsAnother Story” and “My Heart Will Fly.”

For more information about the show, visit the Web siteat http://www.jamtour.com orhttp://www.southalabama.edu/mitchellcenter.

This year, Feb. 4 marks the 29th anniversary ofBuddy Holly’s death, sometimes referred to as theday the music died. It is amazing how one person,after only two years in the music industry, won thehearts of people everywhere and became one of themost influential musicians of his time..

Holly, originally named Charles Hardin Holly,was born on Sept. 7, 1936 in a small town in Texas.At the age of seven, Holly began experimentingwith music and by the age of 20, he was signed toDecca Records with the band Buddy Holly and theThree Tunes. After a year with Decca Records,Holly decided to record in Norman Petty’s studiounder the band name of the Crickets. Holly andPetty were a team to be reckoned with. They tookchances that others were too scared to attempt, suchas double-tracking. People noticed Holly’s skill andpassion and were drawn to him immediately.

Due to Holly’s devotion to his music, the Cricketswere such a success that by 1957, only a year afterbeing signed, they already had seven Top Forty sin-gles such as “That’ll be the Day” and “Peggy Sue.”Despite the band’s early success, Holly split with theband in order to pursue another passion, MariaElena Santiago. The two married on Aug. 15, 1958and seemed to be happy.

Times were hard for Holly and Santiago due tothe fact that Holly had no source of income sincehe had left the Crickets. In order to provide for hisfamily, Holly decided to perform at the WinterDance Party, which was held on Feb. 3, 1959.Nobody imagined that the show Buddy Hollyplayed that night would be his last.

As most know, after this show in Iowa,Buddy Holly, along with two other performers,Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, faced theirunavoidable demise. The chartered plane that car-

ried the musicians crashed just minutes after takeoff.

Holly was only 22 years old when he died, but hismusic was still alive.

Buddy Holly is one of those musicians who willnever be forgotten. His music will live on foreverthrough the musicians who come after him. Heinfluenced bands such as the Beatles and the RollingStones and he will continue to influence manybands to come.

As Buddy Holly said, “This is one night that cannever be repeated again … you’ll never see all thesepeople, all these stars on the same stage. This isphenomenal.”

The prophetic nature of this statement will forev-er haunt Holly’s fans, family and friends.

Fans remember talent of Buddy Holly

http://www.wetpaint.com

Upcoming Showsin Mobile

Tuesday, Feb. 5 Club Illusions- B.GizzleThe Garage - BoRoberts & The Port CityAll-StarsGrand Central - Waitin’on JakeBanana Docks Cafe -Lisa Zanghi

Wednesday, Feb. 6 Callaghan’s - PhilProctorBubble Lounge - JustinSimmons

Thursday, Feb. 7Double Olive - JoshEwing

Friday, Feb. 8 Boo Radley’s - BustGrand Central - Above Zero Satori Coffeehouse - Heath Underwood,etc.T.P. Crockmeir’s - OasisDouble Olive -Shifting MidnightHurrican Brewing Co. - Hyde Project

Saturday, Feb. 9Hurricane Brewing Co. - Grits ‘N’ PiecesDouble Olive - Shifting Midnight

Megan J. ReedSTAFF [email protected]

Winter Jam 2008 features popular Christian artists

http://www.southalabama.edu/mitchellcenter

The USA Mitchell Center hosted the Winter Jam concert tour in 2007and will bring the successful show back again this year on Feb. 9.

Angela LangsterSTAFF [email protected]

The Vanguard reviews CDs of top artists featured at Mitchell Center event

February 4, 2008

VanguardVanguard John Kenny & David HopperSports Editors

[email protected]

The SportsSportsSports

Entering what could have been a his-toric weekend for South Alabama, theJags came up just short on Thursdaynight as the Mean Green of North Texasended USA’s winstreak. Over the last fewweeks the Jaguars have increasinglygained national exposure as they hadreceived 23 votes in the Jan. 28 AP top25 poll.

USA 77, ULM 59The Jags had their first loss of 2008 on

Jan. 31 to North Texas before starring ina rout over Louisiana-Monroe onSaturday afternoon on ESPN2. BrandonDavis was the Jaguars’ star of the weekwith a double-double in each game.

Demetric Bennett scored 23 points in a77-59 win over Louisiana-Monroe onFeb. 3., as Davis scored 15 and had 13rebounds, while Domonic Tilford added15 points of his own.

With just over three minutes left in thefirst half, the Warhawks had a 34-33lead. The Jaguars then went on a 7-0 runto end the half with a six point lead. Therun was highlighted by a Ronald Douglasdunk and a tip-in with just under aminute left in the first half. USA finishedthe first half with 57.1 percent shootingfrom the field compared to ULM’s 42.9percent. The Jags led going into the lock-er rooms 40-34.

South Alabama came out on the floorin the second half ready to finish thegame off right. USA scored nine straightpoints, while ULM failed to score for thefirst five minutes of the second half. TheJag defense held the Warhawks to 25 per-cent shooting from the field in the secondhalf. The Jaguars outscored ULM 37-25in the second half to win the game by 18points.

Head coach Ronnie Arrow said, “A lotof people thought we may have beendown after seeing the winning streak end.We came out in the second half and didthe things that we didn’t the other nightat North Texas.”

UNT 70, USA 68Bennett missed a three pointer as the

buzzer rang in the Jags first loss sinceNovember on Jan. 31 in Denton, Texas.North Texas defeated South Alabama70-68 to snap the Jags’ 13 game winningstreak. Bennett was the top scorer for theJags with 22 points, while Daon Merrittand Brandon Davis both added 16. Davishad another 11 rebounds to assist in theJaguar effort.

The Mean Green started the game bytaking a 7-4 lead, but the Jags foughtback with a 23-10 run to take a 27-17lead with just over five minutes left in thefirst half. USA went into the lockerrooms with a 36-30 advantage. USA out-

shot North Texas by ten percent in thefirst half, while South Alabama hit nearly80 percent from the free-throw line.

The second half belonged to the MeanGreen as USA ended the game with 19turnovers, one of which allowed NorthTexas to take a 47-41 lead with just over14 minutes left in the game. SouthAlabama kept the game within reach,fighting back to just a two point deficitwith less than thirty seconds left. TheJags inbounded the ball and ran the clockdown to within 10 seconds, when theyfound Bennett outside the arc. Bennettput up a heroic shot over a defender, butcould only catch a little iron as the hornsounded. USA could only manage 26.9percent from the field in the second half,while North Texas made half of theirshots. One bright spot for the Jags on thenight was their free throw percentage,which ended at 86.7 percent for thenight.

The Jaguars will return to the MitchellCenter on Thurs, Feb. 7 to take on SBCfoe Arkansas State before traveling toTroy on Sunday Feb. 10.

Compiled by: Staff Reporter T.R. Risner

Men’s SBC Standings

East DivisionSouth Alabama 18-4 (10-1)

Western Kentucky 18-5 (10-1)

Middle Tennessee 9-11 (6-4)

Florida Atlantic 9-14 (4-7)

Troy 10-12 (3-8)

Florida Int’l 6-15 (3-8)

West DivisionUALR 14-7 (6-4)

North Texas 14-7 (5-5)

Denver 9-12 (5-5)

Louisiana-Lafayette 9-12 (5-5)

New Orleans 15-8 (5-6)

Arkansas State 8-10 (4-6)

Louisiana-Monroe 8-14 (2-8)

At least six coaches are no longer on thelist of candidates for the South Alabamafootball coaching position. Alabama defen-sive coordinator Kevin Steele has decidedto stay at Alabama according to sourcesclose to the situation. Steele had his sec-ond interview with South Alabama onThursday.

Several other candidates have recentlywithdrawn their name from the list,including Auburn assistant Eddie Gran,Clemson assistant Dabo Swinney, CentralFlorida assistant David Kelly andMississippi State assistant WoodyMcCorvey.

The hiring process is drawing to a close.Athletic director Joe Gottfried said a fewweeks ago that he and the search commit-tee should be able to hire a head coach bythe week of Feb. 11. USA director of pub-lic relations Keith Ayers said late last weekthat he expects a coach will be named thisweek.

South Alabama's first recruiting classwill sign in February 2009, and the firstteam will play five or six games in 2009.The plan is to compete in Division 1-AAin 2010, 2011 and 2012 and join theDivision 1-A Sun Belt Conference in2013.

Jags streak ends at 13,Jags rebound against ULM

Footballcoaching

candidates dwindle

David HopperSPORTS [email protected]

Ashley Salley / Sports PhotographerUSA’s leading scorer Demetric Bennett putting up a lay-up in USA win over FIU on Jan. 16.

Eye of the Jaguar

Staff [email protected]

RemainingRemainingCandidatesCandidates

JoeyJones

SparkyWoods

Dan McCarney

VicKoenning


USA 61, ULM 51The University of South Alabama

women's basketball team defeated Sun BeltConference opponent University ofLouisiana-Monroe, 61-51 on Saturdayevening in Monroe Louisiana. The LadyJags were paced by senior Monique Joneswith 17 points and senior Patriece Brunner,and sophomore Shakira Nettles also haddouble figures with 10 points each.

The Lady Jaguars jumped out to take anearly lead 7-5, following a Jones lay up with17:34 on the clock. The Lady Warhawksknotted the score 9-all at the 13:17 mark.South Alabama pushed the margin out byfive points on a Nettles trey, 14-9, with10:27 remaining in regulation. ULMbegan to claw their way back and got thescore within one point 16-15 (7:09). Thatwas as close as the Lady Jags let their oppo-nent get in the half. Brunner's trey gave theLady Jaguars a six point advantage 21-15with 5:40 to go. The Lady Jags hit the lock-er rooms leading the match 24-21.

Returning to the court the LadyWarhawks took their first lead of the night26-24. The Lady Jaguars were determinedto regain the advantage and did so follow-ing a Jones trey 30-32 at the 16:26 mark.The clubs fought hard over the next fewpoints, knotting up the match and takingturns leading over the next few points. TheLady Warhawks had a three point leadover the Lady Jags 41-38 with 11:28

remaining; this would be the last time inregulation that the opposing team wouldhold to the advantage. A Jones jumper gaveSouth Alabama the lead again, 42-41 withjust less than 10 minutes on the clock. Theadvantage appeared to give the Lady Jagsthe momentum they had been searchingfor, and the team went on to reel off 11unanswered points 49-41, at 7:11. USA ledby as many as 12 points after KarinaSproal's trey 55-43. The Lady Warhawksattempted to mount a rally and capturedfour unanswered points, but in the end fellshort. South Alabama went on to take thematch 61-51.

UNT 87, USA 53On Thursday evening, the team

dropped the ball to Sun Belt Conferencerival, University of North Texas, falling 87-53 Thursday evening.

Shakira Nettles paced the Lady Jagsoffensively with 12 points, and team matesMonique Jones and Brittney Rutledge alsocompleted the game in double digits with11 points each.

South Alabama came out of the box tosnap off an early 10-4 lead three minutesinto the game. The Lady Mean Greenreeled off 13 unanswered points over thenext five minutes to grab a 17-10 lead.Jones ended the UNT spurt with herjumper at the 12:44 mark. USA's Sproalclosed the margin to four at 27-23 with atrey with just under nine minutes left in thehalf, but North Texas continued their pace.

In his 28 years of broadcasting SouthAlabama sports, Lee Shirvanian has calledsome of the most exciting moments inJaguar history. Shirvanian sat down withthe Vanguard last week and shared some ofthose moments, and in the process,explained why the best is yet to come.

The Vanguard: Thanks for talking

with us.Lee Shirvanian: You're welcome.V: So, how long have you been associat-

ed with the University?S: I was working in Pensacola from 1979

to 1980. In '80 the play-by-play man [atUSA] left to work with Denver. So theycalled me in from Pensacola just to dohome games. So as a part-timer, I calledhome games and the Sun Belt Tournamentin Charlotte. And that was just basketball.

I didn't start calling baseball till the follow-ing year when I came aboard full time.

V: Speaking of men's basketball, whatare your feelings on their success this sea-son?

S: I am so happy for Ronnie Arrow.Understand that I knew him the first timehe coached here. I've always had a goodworking relationship with Ronnie, and ourfamilies were close. That said, I was verydisappointed when Ronnie was let go dur-ing the first half of 1994. Then, this pastoff-season when the opening occurred andhis name surfaced, I was happy. I washappy to not have to break in a new coach.I knew him, so I understood all of hisquirks. Ronnie is great, and he is blue col-lar all the way. Such a great guy to bearound, and I'm happy he's gotten off tosuch a great start; And not so much forRonnie, but because we're getting so manypeople out to the Mitchell Center. It's notall about the coach either; it's about theprogram doing better and the supportersbecoming more visible at games. Studentbodies have even increased. It's a revolvingdoor, where a coach begets success andgets the fans to start coming out here.That's the great part about it.

V: If the Jaguar men continue ridingthis streak, will that success carry over to apossible NCAA Tournament bid?

S: It did when Ronnie was here the firstgo around when he beat Alabama. As astrong supporter of the program, I'd like to

believe that that if the Jags were to win theSun Belt Tournament, that they couldmake some noise. They did just that whenthey beat Alabama, and then playedMichigan right down to the wire. Ofcourse, that was the 80s and that's notgoing to parlay itself this time around. Andit is so hard to say because it depends onthe match-ups and who we would draw.Would it be a team we match up well with?As you know, last year his (Arrow) CorpusChristi team played Wisconsin well anddeep into that game. But that's why ourconference is rated in the “teens,” andtheirs would be a top 5, 6 and 7. So there'sa reason for that. First of all, they have towin the Sun Belt Conference to get usthere. And after that it just depends ofmatch-ups. Obviously, if you're matchedup against Memphis, Kansas or a team likethat, you're going to have a hard time get-ting to the next round.

V: Are you in favor of the football pro-gram? Excited?

S: Very much so. I'm a big proponent offootball. I realize that there will be somebumps along the way. But the way thatpeople are talking about it shows me thatthis can work. Students like attending auniversity with football, because of theweekends and the buildup around it. Ithink it's great. The momentum is build-ing, people are talking about it. Just judg-ing from the resumes of the coaches, this is

Lady Jags fall to UNTLady Jags fall to UNT, beat ULM, beat ULM

http://www.wnsp.com

Voice of the Jags Lee Shirvanian in the studio delivering the Morning Sportscenter on 105.5 WNSP.

OOnnee--oonn--oonnee wwiitthh LLeeee SShhiirrvvaanniiaannMatt WeaverSPORTS [email protected]

Ashley Salley / Sports Photographer

USA’s Shakira Nettles bringing the ball down the court in USA’s win over UNO earlier this season.

Staff [email protected]

see LEE page 21

see WOMEN’S page 14


A Nettles bucket at the 7:05 mark cutthe deficit by six at 31-25. However, wenton a ground shaking 16-2 scoring streakover the next six minutes making the half-time score 51-32.

One of the most glaring stats of thefirst half is that UNT outscored USA 26-6 inside the arch.

The Lady Mean Green were able toturn in 16 points off of South Alabamaturnovers. Jones led the Lady Jags with 10first half points from the floor. The sec-ond half saw the Lady Mean Green con-tinue with the speed from the beginning ofthe game, with a 16-4 run over the firstfour and a half minutes. The LadyJaguars never answered the call fromNorth Texas for the remainder of thegame and UNT took a 34-point win, 85-44.

The Lady Jags will be back in action asthey take on Arkansas State Wednesday,Feb. 6 at 7 p.m., in the Mitchell Center.This game marks the first of the finalthree home games that the Lady Jags willhold this year. They will play FloridaAtlantic and New Orleans prior to the2008 Sun Belt Conference Tournament inMobile. The Lady Jags still must faceMiddle Tennessee and Western Kentuckyin the home stretch.

Compiled by: Sports Reporter Tiffany Griffin

Women’s SBC Standings

East DivisionWestern Kentucky 18-5 (11-0)

Middle Tennessee 14-8 (9-2)

South Alabama 15-7 (6-5)

Florida Int’l 9-13 (5-6)

Troy 10-12 (3-8)

Florida Atlantic 5-15 (1-10)

West DivisionUALR 15-6 (7-3)

Louisiana-Monroe 13-8 (6-4)

Arkansas State 12-10 (7-4)

North Texas 10-12 (5-5)

New Orleans 12-10 (6-5)

Denver 7-14 (2-8)

Louisiana-Lafayette 5-16 (1-9)

Women’s Tennis takes winThe University of South Alabama

women’s tennis team took a commanding6-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana onSunday afternoon. No. 2 team ofAdrianna Solarova and SylvanieSpangenberg overcame early woes to winthier match at 8-6. The No. 3 position thatconsisted of Jelena Krivacevic and EricaKrisan won their respective match with an8-3 final.

Men’s Tennis falls short inTallahassee

The University of South Alabamamen's tennis team dropped a tight matchto the 18th ranked Florida State, 6-1, inTallahassee, Fla.

Marek Sramek and Sergio Ramirezdefeated partners Sam Chang and BradMixson 8-2 and were the only Jag pair togo undefeated in the three matches.

In singles, the Jaguars came out withmore passion to defeat their opponents.Again, South Alabama was only able towin one match. R.J. Nagel out-scoredChris Cloer in straight sets, 7-6 (9), 6-2.

The Jaguars will return to the homecourts with a dual match against WestFlorida Feb. 8 at 1:30 p.m.

Former Jag golfer in ChinaFormer South Alabama All-American

Heath Slocum and Team USA teammateBoo Weekley fell short on hole three at theOMEGA Mission Hills World Cup ofGolf, Sunday. Hosted by the Mission HillsGolf Club in Shenzen, China, USA wasone stroke short against Scottish team-mates Colin Montgomerie and MarcWarren.

Team USA fought a gruesome battle,and Slocum putted his way into the play-off after making two birdies on the lastfour holes. Slocum and Weekley held theadvantage by one stroke after the firstthree days and completed the four-roundtournament with a 25-under par 263.

Former Jag Gareth Maybin also com-peted in the tournament playing withMichael Hoey for Ireland. They finished24th, seven under par 281.The WorldSeries of Golf has a 54-game history.

Clarisse Moh gets SBCweekly honors

Lady Jaguar senior Clarisse Moh hasbeen named Sun Belt Conference FemaleRunner of the Week, after running thebest time in the nation. She completed the800-meter run with a school-record timeof 2:06.87 to take home the victory at theTom Jones Classic.

Moh earned a provisional spot for theNCAA indoor championships, which willbe hosted at the University of Arkansaslater this season.

Compiled by Sports Reporter Tiffany Griffin

STSTAFF REPORTSAFF REPORTSStaff [email protected]

Women’sfrom page 13

VanguardVanguardMatt FlanaganOpinion [email protected]

February 4, 2008

VanguardTheOpinionOpinionOpinion 15

I have a small 15 inch TV. That was great whenI lived in a dorm room and my bed was a foot awayfrom the screen. Now that I have an apartment,and a rather nice-sized living room, I have spentmany dollars on Advil because of strainingheadaches I acquire from attempting to watch tel-evision.

So, last Tuesday I set out to buy a new TV, a rel-atively cheap but nice TV. And where would anycollege student on a limited budged head toward?Wal-Mart, of course--specifically the one onSchillinger Road.

I am not the biggest fan of the store and wasalready a tad repulsed by the employees, but hey,what would 15 minutes of shopping do to me?Apparently a lot.

I found the TV that I wanted: a big,fat 27 inch TV for $200. So I stood infront of the TVs, just looking around,waiting for one of the five employeesat the service desk to walk up to meand say, “Hi, can I help you?”

Apparently I just ask too much ofpeople.

So I walked up there myself andasked if I could get some help takingthe TV to my car. The employee replied with a rollof his eyes and an exasperated, “I guess I can dothat.” Well, I gave the kid a break. I mean, he hadbeen working since 2 p.m., and it was almost 6p.m.; his poor feet must have hurt.

He and another male took the TV to my car forme and had a field day trying to put this huge boxin my tiny 2002 Kia Rio. They were laughing,making jokes, spouting profanities and speaking oftheir place of work in an extremely negative tone,as they were crawling through my car. You get thepicture: extremely unprofessional.

Well, it got to the point that the TV had to betaken out of the box to fit in my car. No problem,at least not until they tried to put it in the front seat,

which is where I believed they broke the TV on myglove compartment.

It was raining; it was cold and windy, and therewere people walking and screaming, and my car isan old piece of crap that makes weird noises.Consequently, I didn’t think twice about the crack-ing noise I heard. The TV was finally placedupside down in the back seat. The door was closed,and I proceeded to get in my car when one of theboys, again showing his professionalism, attemptedto hit on me despite a ring on a certain finger ofmine, asking where I lived and where I went toschool. Needless to say, I quickly drove off.

About 45 minutes later, I arrived at my house inmidtown Mobile. My boyfriend took the upsidedown TV from my car, and that was when we saw

the completely bustedframe. I immediatelycalled Wal-Mart. I askedto speak with a manageror someone in charge ofthe entertainment depart-ment. A woman whofailed to identify herselfanswered the phone. I toldher what happened, and

she happily told me to bring the TV back up thereand that they would exchange it “with no prob-lem.” I repeated it to her and asked if I could bringit up now for an exchange. She assured me anexchange would take place.

So I again drove all the way to the Wal-Mart onShillinger Road. It was pouring by this time. I man-aged to get the TV into a buggy and to customerservice. I explained what happened, and thewoman told me to go to the back, get another TVand that I could then follow through with theexchange.

When I returned, there was a very unhappy co-manager, the two boys and another woman who

OUR VIEW

VanguardThe

Your opinion matters. Write a letter to the editor.

Get involved, get experience orbe prepared to Super Size meals

STUDENTS SHOULDALWAYS be thinking forward,actively preparing for their life

after they graduate.For many, this includes preparing

for their career of choice. For others,this may mean preparing for gradu-ate school. Whatever the student’schoice may be, he or she needs toknow what it is going to take for himor her to be successful down his orher path of choice.

Armed with this knowledge, it is upto each and every individual to strivefor his or her goals.

The harder a student works andthe more the student prepares forwhat lies ahead, the better the posi-tion he or she will be in to achievethese goals.

In many fields, showing up to classand making good grades is not suffi-cient to be competitive; many stu-dents need to get involved withextracurricular activities directlyrelated to their career choice.Generally speaking, this means par-ticipating in professional organiza-tions and gaining work experience inthe student’s field of interest.

It is up to the individual students toseek information pertaining to whatkind of experience future employeesor graduate schools will be lookingfor.

With this said, advisors and profes-sors also have a responsibility to makestudents aware of the realities theymay face upon graduation.

The lack of necessary involvementis noticeably rampant among com-munication majors. Many communi-cation major, especially those in printjournalism, have chosen this pathbecause of a desire to be involvedwith some medium in print journal-ism.

The field of print journalism isvery competitive. Well paying,respectable jobs are hard to come by,especially coming right out of college.

To even have a chance of landing ajob, it is imperative a student has anestablished portfolio or publicationson hand. And there is no excuse for astudent not to have one.

Students at USA have access to afairly large and comparatively wellput-together student newspaper.

This year The Vanguard has had

an extremely liberal policy in recruit-ing and hiring new writers. Basically,the policy has been that if you wantexperience and are willing to work,we are willing to give anyone whowalks through our door a chance towrite.

If someone interested in journal-ism as a career does not want to workfor The Vanguard -- whatever his orher reason may be -- he or she needsto get involved with some publicationsomewhere.

The Mobile area offers severalcommunity papers that are usuallymore than willing to give a good col-lege writer a chance to contribute.

Without a portfolio, a studentmight as well get use to asking“Would you like fries with that?”

On top of having a solid portfolio,it is also advisable that students inter-ested in journalism complete somekind of internship, or receive compa-rable professional work experience,prior to graduation. Most moderate-to larger-size publications will expectsome kind of professional experience.

Without minimal professionalexperience, most graduates will findthemselves fighting for low-payingjobs at small publications, even with aportfolio.

Professors have a key role in wak-ing up students and informing themabout what is expected of them upongraduating. Casually encouragingparticipation is not enough. From dayone, they need to be drilling into stu-dents heads that if they don’t getinvolved, they won’t get a job.

It’s ridiculous for students to be sit-ting in a senior seminar class and nothave any work published. It’s evenmore ridiculous to know that part ofthe reason why the students didn’t getinvolved was becuase no professorstressed to them the necessity of pub-lication. Most editors won’t look at aresume, unless the applicant canshow proof of publication and expe-rience. A degree can only get you sofar.

This isn’t just true for journalismmajors. With just about any careerchoice, if a student wants to be com-petitive after graduation, it is impera-tive that a student gets involved andsecures adequate experience.

‘Incompetence’-Mart

‘Oh no! The sky is falling!’Well, the sky isn’t really falling, but a U.S. spy

satellite is. And don’t even ask where it’s going to hit,

because NASA claims they don’t know—thoughI’m not sure I’d trust them, even if they claimed toknow: According to CNN, in 2002, NASA predict-ed the landing location of even more U.S. spacetrash and was off by thousands of miles.

The most recent satellite is set for haphazardarrival in late February or March. Either way, itshould make for an exciting leapyear time or Easter. The satellitecould contain hazardous materi-al and, for all we lay peopleknow, could land anywhere,including the United States.

The U.S. official who spokewith CNN about this uncertain-ty (who wished to remain anony-mous because, as CNN states, the situation “is stillsecret”) asserts that there is fear that the satellite willend up in the wrong hands, citing China and Russiaas possibilities.

That is the part that doesn’t really make sense tome. I’m used to the U.S. government neglectingprojects, and it’s not really a surprise to me that thesatellite is coming down in an uncontrolled freefall.I am surprised, however, that the United States isstill trying to instill a fear of communism inAmerican citizens.

China accounts for 15.9 percent (according to

http://www.cia.gov) of all U.S. imports, second onlyto Canada by 0.1 percent (percentage representstotal dollar value, not the actual amount of prod-ucts).

But I digress. Is it just me, or is it becoming a trademark of our

institutions to be negligent, irresponsible and tribal-istic? The satellite is just another project that theUnited States started and doesn’t have the sense tomaintain or terminate—like the educational system

or our world policing.So I’ve been trying to come up

with a way to, for lack of a betterphrase, numb the anger. I’vedecided that the best solution isto have a “Truman Show” partyin reference to the camera thatcomes hurtling out of a com-pletely clear sky and almost

crushes Jim Carrey. In reality, it doesn’t seem muchdifferent than the movie. The movie, of course, ishyperbolic of any actual situation, but this was a spysatellite, and there are wire taps—even if the FBIoften forgets to pay their phone bills and the linesare often shut down. All-in-all, there’s nothing wecan do about this spy satellite possibly coming downon top of our -- or someone else’s -- heads; so wemay as well have a party. If I’m going to die due toU.S. negligence, I at least want to be having funwhile doing it.

Amber-MarieIsenburg

Staff Writer

BrandonMcLeod

Contributing Writer

see ‘Incompetence’-Mart, page #


The last time I took a flight, my planedeparted at 10 a.m. So, of course, I hadto get up at six so I could make it to theairport by eight. Sound familiar? If youhave flown in the past seven years or so,you know exactly what I mean.

Since Sept. 11, our whole concept offlying has changed. It is understandable.Something that we thought was just asafe and very convenient mode of trans-portation turned out to be an instru-ment used to produce the worst terroristattack the nation ever witnessed.

Security was too lax and needed to beimproved upon. It began slowly at first.The first time I flew after the attacks, Iwas flying alone, and my dad took me tothe airport. I had flown solo many timesbut was accustomed to someone waitingat my gate with me until I boarded myflight. Not anymore. No ticket, noaccess into the terminal. Other thanthat, I really didn't see much of achange. Little did I know that this wasonly the beginning of safety measuresthat would make flying about as muchfun as a visit to the dentist.

Over the years, things continued tobecome more and more strict. I flewabout twice a year, and each time I feltlike the new kid in the airport. Therewere more and more rules that had beenput in place for our safety. People,including myself on more than oneoccasion, were pulled out of line andour things were searched: fingernailclippers became weapons of death, andGod help you if you resembled someoneof Middle Eastern descent. Not onlydid you receive suspicious looks from fel-

low travelers, but you were much morelikely to be the object of a “random”search.

I took a hiatus from flying for a fewyears until a couple of months ago. Iwas astounded when I checked in. I hadnot been introduced to the removal ofall coats, hats and shoes by every persongoing through the terminal. We allstood in line, most with bitter looks onour faces at the incon-venience of removing allof our winter attire,barefoot and waiting forour turn to be searched.The less-than-cheerfuldemeanor of the airportpersonnel didn't helpmatters, either. It felt alot like I would imagineyour first day in prisonwould be. My purse wasemptied, and my bottleof water deemed toodangerous to proceed,but luckily I made thecut.

I felt I would be moreprepared on my flighthome. I was aware that Iwould not be allowed totake any liquids or lotionson the plane, so I madesure I didn't have anycontraband and thought I would becleared to pass. However, I hadn'tcounted on the prohibition of peanutbutter. I stuck some in my bag, since Ihad a considerable layover and refusedto pay eight dollars for a turkey sand-wich in the airport. My jar of peanut

Do increased security measures equal ‘safety?’We should increase common sense

When I think of Sept.11 as the causefor our increased flight security, all I seeare lines of shoeless people taking flightsto vacation spots to sit and lie in the sun,not terrorist agents wanting to blow upsmall portions of our country in the nameof something they somehow connect with

religion.Maybe I’m just opti-

mistic.I mean, it seems kinda

ridiculous in the shortrun: You check in atleast two hours early fora flight that may onlyjust be across the stateborder; you wait patient-ly to be checked in by aclerk, who then ushersyou to a place whereyou’re forced to removeyour shoes and place allpersonal belongings incompact plastic contain-ers; you’re regarded aderelict if you have evena slight ounce ofmelanin in your skin.

If you come backfrom your vacation hot-spot with a tan, be pre-

pared to answer some questions! “Sorryofficer, I just felt like catching some rays. Itwas a beautiful day.”

But at the same time, it seems like whilewe’re in the middle of the small stuff, weforget why these measures are in place.They’re in place to catch potential terror-ists and otherwise keep events like thoseon Sept. 11 from ruining your vacation to

that favorite hot-spot (among many otherpeople’s).

All of a sudden, removing your shoesand standing in line seems like such asmall price to pay.

Now, don’t get me wrong: It seems verysilly to sacrifice your personal feelings ofsecurity and patience just because thereare current federal regulations that say“you’re only safe if you do.” I’ll be the lastperson to condemn someone who wisheswe had better security in not only our air-ports but all forms of mass transit.

I also won’t disagree with the personwho thinks that these measures are just abunch of fear-mongering and that we’reall being told things are much worse thanthey are. It may very well be true.

At the same time, I won’t argue with it.I won’t bother holding a grudge againstthe security officers at the end of the air-port security line who want me to take offmy shoes for the sake of keeping us all insafe hands. That would be selfish and silly,as well.

It just seems like a pity that we’re forcedto undertake such lame, ridiculous meas-ures just for some peace of mind. Andwhile I’m not in any position necessarilyto pin the blame on who is directly at faultfor getting us in the business of fearing allthat surrounds our nation, I will say thatthere are certain measures -- such as theremoval of shoes and the prohibition ofliquids in luggage -- that only continue thefeeling that we are surrounded by citizenswho hate us, who want us dead.

Using measures that help break us fromthis fear is the first step to becoming amore capable nation in the end. Until webreak the cycle of fear that coincides withour legislation, we will allow the terroriststo win.

Airports have increased airline securitydue to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, much tothe chagrin of the general public.

http://criminal-justice-online.com

POINT COUNTERPOINT

Matt FlanaganOPINION [email protected]

Jennifer HortonCONTRIBUTING [email protected]

Maybe they equal ‘more safe’ than ‘sorry’

“It’s close to home.”

Question of the week:What made you choose USA as a school?

Ashley DensonSophomoreElementaryEducation

“I won’t have to goout of town toattend school.”

Nicole MooreSophomore

CIS

“It’s one of the fewuniversities that

offers Russian as amajor.”

Erica KaempferFreshman

InternationalStudies/Russian

“It’s local, which isconvenient.”

Tommy JacksonlSophomore

CIS

see SECURITY, page 21

The mission of a university is to promote discussion and debate, to encourage a diversityof perspectives and opinions, and to foster intellectual development and enlightenment.Showing informative documentaries in class enlivens and enriches classroom discussion,thereby fulfilling the true mission of a university.

Webster’s Dictionary defines a documentary as “a motion picture that records newsevents or shows social conditions without fictionalization.” Documentaries present factualinformation collected from “documents” about real events, places, and people.Documentaries usually include a narrative or commentary, actual archival film on the per-son, place, or event, and interviews with people who experienced the event or haveresearched and written about it.

Merits

• Since we are teaching a generation predominantly weaned on television, showingdocumentaries with dynamic and powerful images is an effective way to spark students’interest.

• Research shows that the majority of people process information in their brains inthe form of images. As a cliche goes “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Therefore,showing brief documentaries that cover central concepts can improve a student’s under-standing of the course.

• Documentaries can provide depth and new perspective on textbook concepts andtheories.

• According to another cliché, “Variety is the spice of life.” Showing documentariesis a most welcome break from routine, and students can gain different perspectives on thetopics discussed in class.

• Research shows that the more senses we use, the better we remember. Filmsengage both our viewing and listening skills. Documentaries can also be used to initiateinformative and intellectually stimulating classroom discussions, thereby creating an experi-ential and memorable learning experience.

• Deconstructing and analyzing documentaries contributes to media literacy. Afterbeing taught to analyze visual media in a controlled educational environment, students willbe less susceptible to passively accepting what they see on television, on the Internet, and inthe movies.

• Students who are afraid to ask their teachers questions and make critical commentsabout their lectures may feel less inhibited in questioning or commenting on the points madein the documentary.

• Teachers can use ideas generated from the documentaries to augment their futurelectures and writings.

Demerits

• Due to time constraints, the textbook and syllabus in the class may not be complet-ed if more than a select few documentaries are shown. Important concepts and theories inthe textbook, which are central to an understanding of the course, may not have been reador discussed.

• If students find the documentary to be boring, they may consider it a waste of timeand hold it against their teacher for abdicating his or her role as the principal educator.

• It might be argued that teachers in academia should be making every effort tocounteract the current generation’s addiction to television rather than adapting their class-es to accommodate it.

Recommendations

• Documentaries must be selectively chosen to optimize learning. • Documentaries are more suited for upper level classes with fewer students than

introductory classes.• The teacher should always view the documentary in its entirety before showing it.

The teacher will then be familiar with the contents of the documentary and will be able todiscuss it intelligently with students. Moreover, viewing the documentary before class alsohelps the teacher determine whether to show the entire documentary or only parts of it.

• Finalize the dates and times of all documentary presentations and include them inthe syllabus. This will give students time to prepare intelligent questions and make pertinentcomments after the documentaries.

• Ask students to read and familiarize themselves with the subject of the documen-tary. Students should be prepared to ask at least one question or make at least one commentin class after the documentary.

• Inform students that asking pertinent questions and making relevant comments willearn them bonus points in their final grade.

• Make it a point to test the audiovisual equipment before class to avoid unnecessarydelays. The class will proceed smoothly, and the students will enjoy some much needed info-tainment.

• Teachers must play an active role during the question and answer period. Theyshould not only ask pertinent questions, but compliment students for asking questions andmaking comments. Teachers should also further develop the points being made by students.

• It may be helpful to pass out a fill-in-the-blank or short-answer worksheet prior tothe viewing. Requiring students to answer simple questions about the documentary whilethey watch ensures that they will pay closer attention.

• Documentaries shown in class should be placed on reserve in the InstructionalMedia Center of the main library. This will enable students to see the documentaries at theirown convenience.

• Always include questions from the documentaries in pop quizzes, tests, and/orexaminations.

• If the course involves foreign countries, it is always advisable to transport studentsto those countries by showing documentaries about them.

• Require students to write critiques on all the documentaries shown in class. A doc-umentary critique checklist that I have developed appears below. Encourage students torevise their critiques several times before submitting them. This exercise not only enhancescritical thinking skills, but also provides the instructor with more information about whetherhe/she should show the documentary again.

Documentary Critique Checklist

Introductory Overview • Does the title succinctly encapsulate the essence of the documentary?• Does the title capture your interest? • What is this documentary’s target audience?• Who produced and/or funded the documentary?• When was it produced?

Strengths and Weaknesses• Is the documentary informative and educational?• Is it entertaining? • Is the commentary thoroughly researched and easy to understand?• Is the principal commentator an effective communicator? • Is the layout tightly, tastefully, and effectively organized?• Are the visuals appealing, poignant, and engaging?• If there is background music, is it appropriate?• Did the documentary complement the subject matter in the course?• Is the information current or out of date?• Are the sources used and people interviewed credible?• Did the documentary have interesting archival footage?• Were the statistics presented in the documentary helpful? • Do you think the statistics provided could have been skewed or misrepresented?

Overall Opinion• Was the overall documentary balanced or biased?• How would you improve this documentary?• Did it capture and hold your attention from beginning to end?• How effective are the introduction and conclusion?• Was the information provided provocative to stimulate further research about the

subject?• What emotional response do you have to this documentary?• Was the documentary memorable?• Will you see this documentary again?• Will you recommend this documentary to your friends?• Will you purchase it for your own personal video library?• What overall rating would you give this documentary? (on a “0” to “5” scale—“0”

being the worst score and “5” being the best)


The power of visual stimulation: showing documentaries in class

http//:www..inhouse.unt.edu

Professor David Bates regularly employs the use of documentaries and other multi-media tools as class-room learning devices. Here he shows a documentary on artwork.

Dr. Mir Zohair HusainSPECIAL TO THE [email protected]


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rowing the list of candidates when all ofthe applications are complete.

“Once the list is narrowed down to ahandful, several candidates will be invitedto campus for an interview, which willinclude interaction with our current musicstudents,” Gruner said.

Student and faculty input will be consid-ered and a candidate will be chosen.

Gruner believes a 200-member ensembleforming within the next few years is not atall unrealistic.

The first performance of the marchingband program will be in the fall of 2009.

University officials believe the ensemblewill continue to grow over the next fewyears.

Student scholarship opportunities will beavailable for qualified students. The schol-arships will be based on musical ability andensemble needs. All interested students areencouraged to audition at the appropriate

time. Students may contact the musicdepartment at (251) 460-6136 to leave theircontact information.

When a director is hired, all studentswho expressed interest will be contacted.

The USA board of trustees approvedfunding for the marching band program.The funding includes scholarships for stu-dents, band uniforms and travel needs.Some appropriations will be providedthrough student fees.

Over time, more ensemble opportunitieswill be available within the music depart-ment, as well as additional classes. Grunersaid this will benefit all aspects of the pro-gram, not just the instrumental area.

“I think the marching band program is atremendous opportunity for our students.There is already a lot of excitement aboutit in the community,” Gruner said. “Inaddition to being fun for students and sup-portive of our athletic teams, a marchingband is a terrific representation of theUniversity.”

Bandfrom page 1

The female victim advised that her ex-boyfriend had been repeatedly harassingher since she broke up with him lastmonth. The female student also said thatthe offender has come onto campus look-ing for her.

01-30-08Theft of Property

A male student reported that his walletwas stolen at the Rec. Center. The walletcontained several credit cards, a driver’slicense and a social security card. Policeare investigating.

01-30-08BurglaryA male student reported his laptop

stolen. The laptop is valued at $1,000. Afemale suspect was identified, and aninvestigation is pending.

Blotterfrom page 3


Members can choose which lecture they would like to attend based on their own inter-ests and curiosity.

“We try and give a balance of classes,” Matherne said. “We like to give them a choicebetween history, art, literature and anything that sparks their interest.”

I attended McDonald’s lecture of the English language. McDonald, a former Wrightschool teacher, taught five topics: Old English, Middle English, Renaissance English,“Beowulf ” and Chaucer. More than 45 members listened as McDonald taught the classthe many ways English was spoken. Her sense of humor kept the class alive, as she read apassage written in Old English that no one understood.

“It’s a good review, good experience and it’s very interesting to learn,” Hullibarger said.“There are no tests, no grades and no note-taking. It’s just a good lecture.”

I proceeded to the religious philosophy class, led by Mike Monheit, where he was teach-ing the Reformation. “Most of our members attend this lecture because the topics areinteresting and is related to religious references and the history of it,” Matherne said. Theinterest of the audience was sparked as Monheit discussed the works of Calvin andLuther.

Ann Browning is this years Odyssey’s president. She joined the program three years agowhen friends told her about it. “I really enjoy this program,” Browning said. “It stimulatesyour mind.”

There is not much publicity about the program, Odyssey members explained. “Thereisn’t enough information about the program for people to start,” Hullibarger said. “Mostof our members hear about it from their friends. We want young people to be a part of ittoo so that they can continue to be with South after they graduate.”

The Odyssey program not only continues the education of those that yearn it, but itoffers up to $500 of scholarship money to College of Arts and Sciences students who areacademically talented but face hardships. “It is for students who left school and are return-ing or did not have an opportunity to go to college immediately following high school,”Matherne said.

“I never thought I was going to make it college,” Jason Shepard, spring 2006 winner,said. “It was great being honored for my academic achievement. It really meant a lot.”“All the people involved were extremely nice, and it’s great to see people dedicated to just

learn and not sit in a class for a grade,” Shepard said.Anyone can join the Odyssey USA program. “All ages are welcomed,” Matherne said.

“It just happens that most of our members are retired, because everyone else works.” The fees are $110 a year or $60 for six months. Members take special field trips and

attend monthly luncheons with guest speakers focusing on issues and happenings in thecommunity.

Odysseyfrom page 1

Marzieh K. Atigh / Staff Photographer

Aaron Michelson discusses with Odyssey students in the religious philosophy class Friday. Studentsmeet each Friday to learn new topics with different instructors. More than 170 students attend eachFriday at 1:30 p.m. in the Humanities Building.

short for "kiln god." Dewey's clay cats emerged in 1982 during herstay in the foothills of the Appalachians.

"My cats are handmade of clay, and the colors and patterns areproduced by an ancient method of firing called sawdust or ‘pit’firing. Once the piece has been bisque fired in a kiln, it is buriedin sawdust and the sawdust is burned. The smoke from the saw-dust, produces the permanent colors in the clay. Sizes vary slightlyand color patterns are random."

Dewey's cats continue to evolve, seeking inspiration from thepeace and beauty in the nature that surrounds her.

Craftsmen and jewelers from Fairhope's Metal Benders offer adifferent taste of art. The jewelry designers at Metal Benders seekto create distinctive jewelry from a diverse group of artists, bothlocal and national.

House jeweler and designer Bill Wismar became an apprenticeof jewelry crafting after becoming influenced by his local coastalhome of Texas. He sought to embrace natural form and free-flow-ing contours. Bill opened Metal Benders in 2006, hoping to fulfillhis dream of providing Fairhope with distinctive jewelry design.

The First Friday ArtWalk will take place each month in down-town Fairhope. Each event will offer artgoers the chance to expe-rience the work of craftsmen and well-established artists. Theatmosphere of good music, good food and beautiful art makesFairhope a prime place for families, friends and afficionados of art.

Art Walkfrom page 8

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looked incredibly unhappy. Now, I had been civil upuntil this point, but this was starting to get ridiculous.The co-manager then asked me what happened, andthen proceeded to tell me in a very sarcastic tone,“Um, I am not going to do an exchange.” Because“her boys” just wouldn’t load a broken TV. Well, Ithen proceeded to tell her that “her boys” did in factload a broken TV; it may have been accidental, but ithappened.

From that point on, I was a liar to them. I told themI had called and spoken with someone and that shetold me to come up there for an exchange. Theycalled the only woman not accounted for, and she toldthem that she only told me to come up there so thatthey “could check it out.” If that were the case, Iwould not have driven up there that night. I wouldhave waited until after school the next day. Again, itwas implied that I was lying, which angered me muchmore than being given a broken TV. I was asked toleave, and I was very happy to. I was half way out theroom when the co-manager yelled to me, “Um, youhave to take this with you.” Of course, in reply, Iyelled back, “Oh, so you want me to take THAThome with me?” I took it. No one offered to help me

bring it to my car. As a side note, NEITHER of theboys that loaded the TV would look me in the face theentire time I was up there.

I called my parents after that, fuming. My dadknows the district manager. Lucky for them, I didn’tcall anyone except my dad. Though I did return thenext day with the TV and my mother. She spoke withthe manager, and the exchange was completed.

I am not so sorry to say that Wal-Mart stores havelost my patronage forever; the corporate office will begetting a letter from me. I am sick of going to thatstore and dealing with white-trash employees that aretoo lazy to simply smile and ask a customer how he orshe is doing. I am sick of walking in there and gettingcat-calls from employees again, even though I have aring on my finger. That shows complete disrespect tome, the customer, and the company. I have to admit,though, that the company does not deserve muchrespect if they are willing to hire such people. Fromnow on, my money will be spent on better-qualityitems purchased at local stores that will support thelocals. A wise person once told me that the “smartestthing you can do with your money is to keep it withinyour community.”

I think I shall heed that advice from now on.

‘Incompetence’-Martfrom page 15


butter was confiscated and still residesin Virginia, as far as I know. The cou-ple behind me did not observe thetwo-hour check-in allowance andwere late for their flight after havingto undress their infant child to makesure she didn't have an explosivedevice strapped inside one of herbooties. My friend checked his lug-gage, thinking that the better option,and was greeted in his destinationwith a note informing him that his baghad been searched, and they were notresponsible for any damages to hisproperty as a result of that search.

We do need security at the airport,but are we being safe, or have weallowed ourselves to become panicstricken? Should we forfeit all of ourprivileges based on what might hap-pen? What about other public places?Should the same system of excessivevigilance be put into effect there?There are always going to be dangersand always more and more freedomsthat can be taken from you to makethings safer. I think that having ourfreedoms stripped from us is perhapsjust as dangerous as the things theyare trying to protect us from. It is dif-ficult to enjoy a life spent living in fearof what might happen.

The airport used to be filled withpeople being greeted by loved ones asthey stepped off the plane. Now it isfilled with weary travelers just tryingto make it to their destinations so theycan get out of the chaos of the airportand back into a life that is not domi-nated by fear and overbearing safety.

Securityfrom page 16

going to be great. There are 60-70 headcoaches, assistant coaches who haveshown an interest, who believe that thiscan be a good area to conducive to pro-ducing successful football in. So, yes, I'mvery much in favor. I just hope themomentum will carry over when we startplaying the games.

V: You mentioned possible coaches.What type of coach is best to help anupstart program like USA?

S: The coaches I'm hearing from nowhave a lot of success. The coaching staffwill have to be able to recruit well. Theywill have to adapt to and have great com-munication with the community. I think ofa coach like Jim Leavitt. He did a greatjob with a virtual unknown like SouthFlorida. It is going to have to be a guywho can get the community to see histeam. Recruiting will have to be done notonly at the South Alabama area, but fromthe Mississippi and Louisiana levels aswell. The coach will have to bring a lot ofexcitement and energy. It' going to have tobe a coach who can sell the program, sellstickets, and most importantly sells himself.I believe that would be a pretty good start.

V: Do you think South Alabama cancompete for fans?

S: I think it can, only if the schedulingis done in a way where you don't go head-to-head with an Alabama or Auburngame. I do think there is going to be inter-est, and I think people will come to see thegames. I think people are going to care,and I think there will be financial support.I just think there needs to be flexibility in

our scheduling. And I know that the ath-letic staff is doing their best on this issueas they are already at work filling outgames and dates.

V: Will you be calling the games?S: That I hope. (Excited expression) I've

been around for 28 years. I would hopethat I'm the choice. I've been asked thatquestion a lot, and I would certainly liketo. Who wouldn't? Becoming the firstplay-by-play announcer of SouthAlabama football!

V: We feel the same, and thanks for tak-ing the time to talk to us.

Lee can be heard covering SouthAlabama basketball and baseball gamesfor WNSP-FM 105.5, as well as on theMorning Sportscenter from 6 - 9 a.m.with Scott O'Brian and Issac Vasquez.

Leefrom page 13


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Join the Bottle Creek Tour Feb. 20On Feb. 20 Bonnie Gums and Debi Lawrence will lead a Bottle Creek Tour from 9:30

a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Join them on a tour to this pristine archaeological site located on MoundIsland in the beautiful Mobile-Tensaw Delta.

With 18 earthen mounds, this is the largest Mississippian chiefdom on the north-centralGulf Coast.

We will board the Delta Explorer at Lower Bryant Landing off Highway 225 just southof Stockton in north Baldwin County. The landing is about 45 minutes from Mobile. Theboat will leave at 9:30 am, so please arrive early for boarding. There is a restroom on theboat. The boat is not handicapped accessible. The boat is open so it may be a little cool onthe ride.

Bring lunch, snacks and drinks. We usually eat our lunches on the return boat ride. It isabout 1/4 mile hike to the biggest mound, about 45 feet high and a steep climb.

Then we will be walking around to see different mounds. Some strenuous hiking isinvolved. Please wear hiking boots or similar comfortable shoes.

We provide bug spray, if needed. Don't forget your cameras and binoculars. The cost is $30 per person and $15 for children.This tour is offered directly through Blakeley Park, so please contact them for informa-

tion, payment and reservations at 251-626-0798 or go tohttp://new.siteone.com/sites/blakeleypark.com/delta.asp.

Free counseling services for studentsThe University of South Alabama’s Counseling and Testing Service is offering free con-

fidential services for all enrolled USA students.The service sees students who need assistance with a wide range of concerns including

stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, test anxiety, gender issues and substanceabuse, just to name a few.

The tests that are offered include those designed to aid career planning such as theStrong Interest Inventory, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Career Ability PlacementSurvey. We also administer the College Level Examination Program, which makes it pos-sible to obtain college credit by examination.

They are located in Alpha Hall East room 326, and our telephone number is (251) 460-7051. Feel free to call the office to obtain further information or schedule an appointment.You may also visit our Web site at http://www.usouthal.edu/counseling.

ACF accepting summer interns The Alabama Coastal Foundation in Fairhope, Alabama is accepting applications for

summer interns with studies in environmental science, elementary and intermediate teach-ing or computer science technologies.

Interns will be required to work 20 hours a week and should possess strong interperson-al, organizational and written skills with backgrounds in elementary education, data collec-tion, research and development and Web design.

Applicants should also have knowledge of our coastal environment and current issues. Selected interns will work under the supervision of the executive director and programs

director. Applicants should be advised that some weekend or evenings may be required.ACF is a 501(C)(3) environmental education non-profit organization. The ACF mission

is "to improve and protect the quality of Alabama's coastal resources by identifying andsolving problems through education, cooperation and participation."

Interested applicants should contact the ACF office or Web site athttp://www.joinacf.org.

Applications may be sent to Alabama Coastal Foundation to the attention of Bethany A.C. Kraft, executive director. Their address is Box 1760 Fairhope, AL 36533.

They may also be reached at (251) 990-6002 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Physical therapist passes certificationHeather Wiggins, a physical therapist with the University of South Alabama department

of orthopaedics, recently passed certification from the McKenzie Institute. The McKenzie method focuses on mechanically assessing and treating individuals with

spine pain, emphasizing active patient involvement and education.For certification, Wiggins had to undergo an exam consisting of multi-level testing with

written and performance components designed to assess her clinical knowledge and skillsdeveloped throughout the course curriculum, as well as be a licensed or registered practi-tioner.

The benefits of the McKenzie Method for patients are that it allows them to learn theprinciples of the method and empowers the patient to take control of their pain manage-ment, reducing their dependency on medical intervention.

In Mobile there are only four McKenzie certified physical therapists, two of whom arewith the USA department of orthopaedics.

CAMPUSIN BRIEF

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

In light of the recent presentation byformer '60s radical and communistextremist Angela Davis, I would recom-mend that academics seriously considerthe fact that Davis is representative of anextremist socio-political ideology that isway outside of the mainstream ofAmerican thought and without question,the most evil and oppressive system everto have been conceived by and imple-mented upon hapless populations inhuman history.

Over 100,000,000 innocent men,women and children have been slaugh-tered under the blood-soaked banner ofworld communism between October 1917when the now extinct Soviet Union wasborn out of the ashes of Tsarist Russia,even up to this very day in the horrificgulags of communist North Korea. A

ngela Davis has openly endorsed, andto this author's knowledge, has neverrenounced her allegiance to this mon-strously evil system, thereby passively

endorsing the murder of its 100,000,000victims.

The fact that such a hidious evil as theCommunist Holocaust can be so blatantlyignored, and communist icons like Daviscan be hailed as some sort of mainstreamsage of political and philosophical wisdomis frightening.

As opposed to the well-documentedatrocites of Hitler's Third Reich, whichvirtually everyone in the world has heardof, and which literally pale in comparisonto the Communist Holocaust in terms ofshear numbers, there exists a deafeningcode of silence when it comes to the100,000,000 victims of world commu-nism, so much so that most people havenever even heard.

What's sorely needed is a program ofstudy that will address this disparity ofinformation.

- Pete Fisk

Davis represents Communist ideology

02.04.08

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Transcript of 02.04.08