The Tapestry, Fall 2018

Tapestry THE

FALL 2018

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA GRADUATION PUBLICATION The Tapestry | 2

TABLE of

CONTENTS

Photo by Sara Boone

1

Graduation Regalia

3

Graduates

17

Looking Back

35

Write a Message

37

Our Supporters

Graduation Regalia The academic regalia worn for ceremonial purposes, such as you will see in the University of South Alabama’s commencement exercises, represents a tradition that can be traced back to its origins in the European universities and ecclesiastical practices of the Middle Ages.

As early as 1321, the wearing of certain costumes by specified degree holders was quite strictly defined in the university regulations, since the costumes served to identify the status of the wearer and his role in the academic life of society.

In addition to signaling differences of rank, the garments as first devised also had functional purposes.

The long gown provided necessary warmth in the drafty, sparsely heated buildings of the times and the hood provided protection for the tonsured head of medieval scholars.

As you might expect, even though these functional attributes resulted in some similarities, each university was free to design its own regalia, and thus a great variety of academic dress developed from this European tradition.

While the European academic scene continues to display an amazing diversity of costume from one institution to another and from one country to another, American universities perceived, about a century ago, that some degree of uniformity governing the wearing of academic regalia was desirable.

Accordingly, a special convention of representatives from most of the colleges then in existence was held at Columbia University in May 1895. And, although some modifications have since been made, the costumes seen here today represent essentially the results of that convention.

In American practice, the regalia still serves to differentiate among the three degree levels used by our universities — the bachelor’s. master’s, and doctorate’s degrees.

Common to all three levels, however, ise the head wear, usually the familiar square, black mortarboard, although soft, velvet tams might sometimes be worn by those holding doctorates. Gold tassels in place of the usually black ones are also an option for that rank.

Also common to the three ranks is the color of the gown, which is black, although here again some special variation is permitted; those holding doctoral degrees from Harvard may wear crimson gowns, and those similarly credentialed by Yale may wear blue.

The gowns appropriate to the three ranks differ principally in the shape of the sleeves and in the special trim found on the doctor’s gown. The bachelor’s gown, which is unadorned, has wide sleeves pointed at the bottom. The

1 | The Tapestry

master’s gown, also plain, has a curiously designed sleeve that is elongated at the rear and reaches downward nearly to the gown’s bottom hem. The doctor’s gown has nellshaped sleeves and is distinctly trimmed with velvet facings down the front and three velvet bars on each sleeve. These trimmings may be either black or the color appropriate to the discipline.

It is the hoods, however, worn by those holding master’s and doctor’s degrees that provide color of the academic procession.

These garments, which now have only ceremonial significance, are worn fastened at the front of the collar and draped over the shoulders and back of the wearer to as to display the linings, which present the colors of the university awarding the degree.

Thus those holding degrees for from the University of South Alabama wear hoods line with chevrons of red, white, and blue — the university’s colors. The hoods also have a velvet binding, three inches wide for the master’s degree and five inches for the doctorate, in a color designating the discipline in which the degree was earned according to the following scheme: Arts and Letters Business Economics Education Engineering Fine Arts Medicine Music Nursing Philosophy Physical Education Public Administration Science

White Tan Copper Light Blue Orange Brown Green Pink Apricot Dark Blue Sage Green Peacock Blue Golden Yellow

It is, of course, impossible to list all of the individual university colors to be seen in the hood linings of a faculty as large and diverse as the one at the university, but some may be similar.

Gold honor cords can be worn to designate academic honors. Finally, we might point out it is traditional at our commencement for the candidates for degrees to wear the tassel of the mortarboard at the right front while they are still in candidate status and for them to switch the tassel over to the left once the degree has been conferred.

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Photo by Sara Boone

Graduates Pat c. covey college of allied health professions BSBS

Bell, Amanda S. Graham, Christian A.

BSEMS

Armstead, Latosha Idella Coaker, Joshua Caleb Lindsey, Donnie Ray, Jr. McConnell, Zachary Austin Phipps, Kyle Anthony Rhodes, Richard Thomas Shuford, Percy Xavier III

BSPHS

Adair, Alexander Riley Albin, Emily Elizabeth Alzaidi ,Mervat S. Anderson, Judith Ann Arnold, Monica J. Asarisi, Savannah L. Bell, Taylor Lauren Bowman , Courtney Nicholas Bromaghim, Melissa Jolene Carlyon, Andrea J. Carter, Lexis Laterca Crawford, Erin Simone Espina, Avegaile Garner, Ivy Danielle Hall, Natasha Hargrove, Jerolyn Kristan Hindman, Rebecca Avary Howard, Katelyn Nicole Jimenez, Benjamin Jeffrey Johnson, Imani Le, Rachel B. Lewis, LeAaron O’Neal Liebelt, Meagan Haley Linson, Tierra Asiane Matthews, Alicia C. McCovery, Laneisha S. McMillian, Kaishonta Moshay Mostiller, Jatavius Dionne Oakley, Savannah Lee Parker, Lindsey Brooke Pettis, Josie Elizabeth

3 | The Tapestry

Pickett, Derek Anthony Pugh, Courtney Latrice Rodgers, Shantele Alexanderia Ross, Jessica Nicole Schmidt, Sydney Elizabeth Siner, Chanler Joi Thompson, Kalyah Jani Tillman, Jared Marshall Traylor, Anetra Chanice Vannavong, Diona Warren, Keayni J. Williams, Myia Chippervere Woodruff, Ariel A.

BSRS

Jones, Annie Scott Preudhomme, Kenneth

college of arts and sciences BA

Alalawi, Hodhaifa Ibrahim Allen, Jessica Erin Alsinan, Ibraheem Anderson, Eric Hunter Andrews, Rachel Anwah, Onyekachukwu Angela Austin , Donnie Ray, Jr. Bankhead, Donald R. III Baumunk, Brittony Barrett Bennett, Erin H. Bishop, Nicholas Tyler Blackburn, Mary Blair, Kiley Elizabeth Bosarge, Cameron Semmes Bradley, Aprica Shantelle Brown, Garrett R. Brown, Kathryn Grace Busby, Trace Alexander Byrd, Grace Deanna Carlson, Abigail Victoria Carter, Alivia Leigh Carter, Antonia A. Casperson, Nicholas Thomas Chambers, Erica Breana Chambers, Jireh A. Chappell, Arissa Leigh Clark, Kayleigh Tristan

Cobb, Callye Anne Cole, Carly M. Crawford, Justin M. Davey, Aaron James Douglas, Chelsia Ivee Dvorak, Sarah Katherine Elkins, Abby Alexandra Ellis, August Laine Esculano, Shelbey Lynn Evans, Karneisha Rochelle Finneman, Jessica Rene Flowers, Timothy Caleb Fowler, George Edward III Frederick, Heather T. Gallo, Horacio Martinez Garrison , Haley Elizabeth Gibert, Megan Elizabeth Gochey, Samuel Taylor Goetz, Shaunna Ashley Golden, Josie Melissa Goodson, Mary Ashley Grissett, Morgan Elizabeth Guyton, Christopher D. Harrell, Kristy Lee Henning, Paisley Joy Hill, Alexandria Grace Holland, Dekondra M. James, Katlyn Michelle Jaroensriwanit, Tunyong Johnson, Elizabeth Ann Jones, Terrell A. Kelley, Kayla Marie Kinder, Ainsley N. King, Kyler Douglas Koller, Brooke Gabrielle Lambert, Elizabeth Louise Le, Jennifer Ngoc Tuyet Lewis, Alexis Shaiane Lewis, Jamesha Meshae Macpherson, Alaura Katlyn McCall, Estaffon D. McClenny, Katie Caroline McCraney, Marissa Nichole Miller, Jessica Lauren Morgan, Curtis Maurice Morris, Benjamin Paul Nelson, Traci Denese Newhouse, Stephen Trevor II Newman, Lacey Victoria Nguyen, Nyny Noble, Myesha Ayana

Okuly, Megan Renee Pace, Denise Nicole Patronsky, Natasha Noelle Peterson, Eliza Jane Porter, Sarah O. Presley, Andrew Cole Pryor, Sterling Alexandra Ramirez, Johana Carmen Reeves, Anna Katherine Riley, Savannah Marie Robinson, Keegan Danial Roman, Zachary Ryan, Kellie Marie Santiago, Nelson Lucas Scott, Mikaila E. Session, O’Neal Taylor Smiley, Myia Ladasha Smith, Kendall Smith, Sonya Cynethia Spafford, Candise Lynn Stanek, Alyssa Jo Sternberg, Kaylie Marie Stewart, Patricia Ann Stitt, Kenneth Jr. Summerlin, ArJaela Sweet, Kenley Taite, Craig Lamar Talbert, Emily Claire Thomas, Sara Lauren Waitman, Corliss Leendert Warren, Brittany Victoria West, Danyellia M. Wilkerson, Candace Machalene Williams, Davina E. Williams , Melvin Levelle, Jr. Wilson, Kaitlan Renee

BFA

Burkholder, Carolyn Renee Eller, Katlyn Elizabeth Foreman, Chase Joseph Gaines, Katelyn Ashley Havard, Kenley Madison Johnson, Kayla Leanne Turner, Lois A.

BM

Collins, David M. Drake, Olivia R. Lebatard, Christopher Dean Miller, Dustin L.

Morrison, Cody Lane Vizoso , Carlos Amando, Jr. Williams, Curtis E.

BS

Alabastro, Kristina Baker, Elizabeth Lynn Bellais, Kaylyn Cecile Brown, Samuel Joel Brunson, James Donald Bumpers, Randy J. Chase, Laura Ashley Cochrane , Mark Alan, Jr. Dilks, Doreen Marie Dillard, Vanessa Johneigh Dodson, Brooke Elizabeth Feeney, Timothy P. Gallo, Horacio Martinez Graves, Kayla M. Harris, Collin Destin Harris, Jaquanda Monique Hogan, Sarah Elizabeth Hudson, Wraychel Renee Kilgore, Holly Jill Kimmy, Shannon Marie Mason, Parker Raley McKeown, Kevin Patrick McKinney, Anna Lee Morales, Raelly Alvarez Mullins, Carolyn Nichole Murphy, Madison Melissa Nguyen, Kim Phuc Oaks, Shelby Michelle Oliver, Iris Renae Price, Amanda N. Reusser, Marissa Kaityln Sahori, Anuar N. Santallana, Brianna D. Seward, Megan Chestina Stewart, Hannah M. Swann, William Alexander Tanner, Misha Natoria Torres, Edwin Tran, Huy Q. Tran, My V. Truett, Sharlissa Alisabeth Walroth, Jessica Faith Ward, Tammie Mersadiez Valenthia Wescovich, Robert Jordan Westbrook, William Hunt Yates, Brittney Jewel

BSW

Belle, Toni Kristina Bilbo, Joslyn Loretha Brown, Steffany Louise Cheatham, Thezora Vonchelle Frost, Reagan Caroline Grant, Sophia Hall, Jeffrey Lamar Johnson, Alanna Irene Lee, Miesha, G. McCarthy, Karla Marie Isabel Ogle, Jessica Cearra Smith, Keandra Elaine Steele, Stephanie Alise Turner, Nicole Marie Vahle, Larry Lane Zezulka-Byers, Elizabeth

college of education BA

Armstead, Mychella Sharell Coleman, Sofia Filkins, Jennifer Ann Heiskell, Heather L. Johnson, Lisa Shawnette Taylor, D’Tavleus D’Neil Turner, Jena Marie Wade, Sara J.

BS

Allen, Jada N. Anderegg, David Louis III Anderson, Chelsi Paige Armstrong, Victoria Marie Arnold, Janie Renae Barren, Carlysia V. Bellais, Ashtyn Marie Bosarge, Hayleigh Renae Brown, Ashley Nicole Brown, Megan Elizabeth Browne, Madeline McCain Chasteen, Alana Morgan Cook, Rebecca Ann Cote, Emorie Marie Curtis, Shamond Antonio David, Claudia Susana Davidson, Danielle N.

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Davis, Calley Amber Dunning, Makenzie Rose-Lynn Edwards, Marilyn R. Elmore, Benjamin Esposito , Anthony Joseph, Jr. Fain, Allison Noel Finley, Megan Baird Fluellen, Marice Devon II Francis, Maaseiah Frazier, Reid Friedrich, Barbara Annette Gambaro, Alexandra Katlin Gorum, Caleb Christopher Gover, Carla Renea Green, Harris Grove, Joshua A. Hannah-Wansley, Nina Maria Herman, James Blakely Herman, Kristen Brooke Hightower, Jaleigha Symone Hill, Sarah-Margaret Freeman Holsenbeck, Lauren Kaye Hrabovsky, Haley Nicole Hunter, Elizabeth Ann Jackson, Edward Dewayne Jacques, Tasheena James, Tiombe Ollamaria Jennings, Anna Elizabeth John, Kenton L. St. Johnson, Jeannine Frances Jones, Terence Teray Jordan, Hudson Monroe Kinder, Justen H. King, Courtney Amanda Landry, Katie Nicole Lee, DeAsia Monet Lilly, Alexandra M. Linson, Marcus Arnez Lochner, Katelyn Karole Madise, DJaKayla Marchman, Jaylin Alexandra Mathis, Ashley Paige McBride, Stephanie McCraney, Holly Brooke Milbrath, Sarah Michelle Miller, Kandise Mills, Darian J. Mitchell, Trhae Maurice Moore, Gayle King Morgan, Allison Marie Motter, Rhyanna Munday, Lauren Collier Nolan, Kristin Sheree 5 | The Tapestry

O’Leary, Katherine Marie Ollis, Kathleen Kirkpatrick Padelford, Sequoyah Chanel Parker, Brianna Nicole Paulson, Troy Peralta, Glisa Lou B. Pinzone, Alexandra Paige Pritchett, Shanette Desiree Rabb, Shaniqua Dy shee Ralston, Olivia Camille Reed, Ramone D. Rudowski, Cheyenne Schumann, Mary Victoria Seaman, Elizabeth Ann Seymour, Baylea Elizabeth Shack, Dejha Brianna Shields, Ashley McKenzie Smith, Shelby Katlynn Smith , Andrew William Jr. Stein, Savannah Erin Stewart, Kaitlyn Joy Taylor, Jahmmir Thompson, Alona Nicole Thompson, Jessica Nicole Tincher, Abby Rose Todd, Kaleigh Morgan Vaughan, Payton Louise Vidensek, Sean Joseph Warren, Melissa Washam, Crystal Nicole Whitehead, Danna M. Whitehead, Lindsey Jane Williams, Rylee Katen Worrell, Alexis Jordan

college of engineering BSCHE

Williams, Khahlil M.

BSCPE

Alzubaidy, Abdulrahman Badawy Chan, James Saribot Day, Jordan Hagwood, Jon W. Massey, Spencer K. McAllister, Billy J. Robinson, Kysa A. Strobel, Matthew Alan Strong, Nicholas Burke Wandrisco, John C.

BSCEE

Al Jafer, Hamad Rakan H. Alhaddad, Rami Mohammed Alhajri, Aali Bani Dunham , Charlie James, Jr. Lewandowski, Steven Kyle McKeithen, Russell D. McMichael, James Judson, III Travis, David Carlton Weller, Jordan D.

BSME

Baskin, Moses Zachariah Cole, Mauricio Douyon Dozier, Slater Allen Ferguson, Alexander Kenneth Fulwood, Hayden Michael Gash , John Michael, Jr. Hill , Sherman E., Jr. McKee, Erin M. Morris, Michael Quentin Neese, Kenneth Thomas Oakley , Tommy R., Jr. Pimperl, William Micah Salisbury, Mary E. Thomas, Zachary T. Wilson, Cody Michael

Bell, John M.

BSCE

Aguirre, Martin Antonio Al Hashil, Ali Alshehri, Ali Gasem Alyami, Hamad Franklin, Hunter Allen Johnson, Jennifer L. Judkins, Cory A. Knesal, William Mark Theriot, Norma-Jean Pauline

college of nursing BSN

Andrews, Gordon Samuel, Jr. Angel, Lindsey Baugus, Morgan Maryann Benedict, Emily Anne Bhatt, Monica

Bouler, Clifford Paul, Jr. Bowman, Daniel Cullen Calcote, Ashley D. Caldwell, Wesley R. Cannon, Kawanna Canterbury, Meagan Ashleigh Chan, Chester C. Coleman, April Hill Coles, Kellie Corley, Kaylee Elaine Crocker, Kelsey Lauren Culp, Laiken Makayla Day, Alicia Erin Day, Kelley A. Decatrel, Celine Marie Deschner, Caris Anne Dixon, Hallea Lenore Dodd, Christian A. Donald, Faith Noel Dunnam, Lauren Kaa Finney, Abby Nicole Gates, Kristen Collins Gossett, Ashton Jewel Green, Emily Leann Green, Kaitlin Margaret Green, Noah R. Griffin, Hadley Millicent Hardy, Amber C. Hartley, Blake William Haynie, Charity Ruth Hennis, Jesse Eugene Hickman, Ashley Presnall Hicks, Marissa Shardae Hill, Marissa Nicole Howell, Elizabeth Brooke Huff, Natalie Anne Jarrell, Jaceigh MaryLynn Johnson, Taylor Michelle Jordan, Kaylin Alexandria Kuppersmith, Amy Marie Letson, Dustin C. Marti, Tanya Marie Maxwell, Christina Marie McCall, Joi McCall, LaTya Onjalek McCardle, Jillian Marie Mcilwain, Jennifer Blake McLallen, Stephen Tyler Moravec, Ashton Murray, Lyda Nicole Nassar, Ahlam Abdel Nataluk, Shannon Lea Nelson, Carla E.

Nelson, Joan Marie Nguyen, Jeanie Mong Padgett, Angela Stovall Patterson, Avery Faith Pfister, Christine Alexis Phillips, Abby Neil Phillips, William Joseph Randall, Christiana Louise Rensink, Jennifer Ann Rumbles, Michelle Miller Rumery, Sarah Dryden Rutledge, Madison Session, Savannah Layne Shaddix, Jordin T. Tanner, Tonya Tecola Vandenberg, Amanda Brinkman Williams, Ashe’Tanie Nicole Williams, Jessica Leah Williams, Sarah Jean Wilson, Stephany Alane Wright, Ashleigh Noel

mitchell college of business BSBA

Adams, Shawn Patrick Allen, Kyle Thomas Almutairi, Namareq Alneyadi, Fares Khalifa Ashley, Jonathan Bradford Austin, Tia L. Barton, Nicholas J. Beaugez, Brandon Jacob Boloni, Angela Bowman, Christopher Barron, Jr. Bradley, Ebony J. Brown, Jenna Kimberly Campbell, Matthew Simon Cates, Steven S. Chandler, Tucker S. Chau, Xuan Thanh Crachy, Dianne J. Davis, Wells Braddock Desai, Diven R. Dixon, Molly Marie Douville, Madison L. Dudley, Anna Michelle Ervin, Derrick Phillip, Jr. Fillingim, Benjamin Chase Fillingim, Daniel H.

Fowler, George Edward, III Frahm, Hayley R. Franklin, Blaine S. Godwin, Parker Anderson Goff, Jacquelyn Rachelle Golden, Hailey Nicoel Goldsmith, Kyle William Goodwin, Amanda Marie Gosnell, James Allen Hall, James R., IV Harris, Samuel Lisle Hunt, Johne Rashelle Islam, Mohammad Rakibul IV, Jere Austill Kelley, Kaitlin Jae Kennedy, Nina La’Trae King, Howard Davis Ledbetter, Sarah Nichole Leffard, Barry Stanton, Jr. Letson, Kaylee Michelle Loden, Shannon Bird Low, Mellisa Linh Manlangit, Nancy Elizabeth Maxwell, Teighlor Clarissa McDonald, Hayden Maddox McFarland, Elizabeth Danielle McGowin, Matthew Ernest McWilliams, Chiante’ LaToi Melton, Zachary M. Miller, Bradley D. Miller, Erica Danielle Mims, Jessica Cecelia Moore, Kristina T. Mullins, Carolyn Nichole Murphy , Gregory Keith, Jr. Mustafa, Kabira Amatun-Nur Newburn, Hunter O’Neil Ouwenga, Grace C. Parker, Jami Elizabeth Patterson, Sarah Jane Peevy, Caroline Elizabeth Perry, Mignone Abigail Peters, Sarah Gayle Pledger, Joseph Quinley, Lauren L. Ramjus, Jakaria Janiece Rodriguez, Haley Brianna Russell, Dallas C. Scelsi, Matthew William Slater, Deanna M. Staten , Charlie L., Jr. Sullivan, Taylor Brooke Taylor, Elizabeth Grace The Tapestry | 6

Thompson, Rochelle Y. Tilton, Katelyn Nicole Tucker, Ashton Taylor Vo, Phu Tuong Ward, Tamaren J. Wilson, Anthony Philip Wilson, Steven Zhuo, Chengkun

school of computing BSCS

Al-Selwadi, Akram Marwan Baum, Kimberly Chai, Sean D. Clarkson , Tremayne D., Jr. Do, Duy Trieu Larrimore, Matthew Dakota Parrent, Nikolas Alexander Sales, Christian Hunter Spaulding, Justin Jeffrey Wilson, Patrick Lee

BSHI

Grabowsky, Stephanie L. Parrett, Clinton Darrell Showers, RaShaun Tamika

BSIS

Al Hajieh, Saja Sami Ali Alanazi, Abrar Abdullah Alsaab, Meshal Abdulaziz Ballard, Brian N. Bashir, Ahmed Brake, Brendan Ashley Capers, Gregory A. Fleming, John Dillon Hale, William Grady Harris, Sabrina Lanee Najmi, Jang Safiulla, Fnu Stribling, Taneil L. Thompson, Young Nam N. Whitsett, Andrew Scott

BSIT

Al Muhairi, Ahmed Yahya Alosaimi, Raad Hamdan A. Bailey, Timothy John Branch, Regan F. 7 | The Tapestry

Cernas, Martin Miguel Deas, Jansen Bryce Edmond, David Gerald Gilles, Gregory P. Gotovac, Tatjana Greene, Zachary D. Lanier-Hunt, William Henry Rigby, Christopher Smith , Barry G., Jr.

the graduate school AUD

Davis, Shelby Tiffin

DBA

Marshall, Chad J. Smith, Lonnie Dean Wiggins, Gia Maurisa

DNP

Agard, Marcia Nadine Baldwin, Melissa Bardwell, Jennifer Lynn Bergens, Lauren Renee Birdwell, Jessica Wellette Blenkush, Alicia Marie Bonyfield, Keisha Roichelle Bowman, Ashleigh Ann Ficarino Brashears, Katherine Ann Bridges, Brandy Kamile Brooks, Jillian Rae Burge, Stephanie Ann Buschkoetter, Kathy L. Murphy Campbell-Ellis, Sheryl S. Catlin, Patricia Joy Chandler, Phoebe Grace Church, Traci Ann Coffey, Teresa Marie Lux Craft, Hayley Henderson Damien, Susan Miranda Dees, Terri Lynn Dolin, Phyllis Faye Donn, Sharon McCrary Drummond-Smith, Lynn Danielle Dudley, Amy Jo Durbin, Ludwika Z. Ehlers, Scott Daniel Evans, Jennifer Cave

Ewing, Randi Lynn Gehrman Ezeuka, Uzoma Ifeyinwa Falkner, Ashley N. Flynt, Leslie Carol Forbes-Powe, Nicole M. Foreman-Lovell, Melissa A. Gillman, Kelli Duncan Glenn, Catherine May Goddard, Lauren Elizabeth Green, Lakeecia Chanell Harrison, Cheryl Ann Hernandez, Christopher Paul Hollins, Sheldon L. Hollobaugh, Ian Edward Horn, Nia Valencia Howden-Rich, Joanne Iheme, Chinwe Inthisone, Gloria Iseyemi, Oluwatoyin Olubukola Isme, Joanne Istomina, Svetlana Y. Jones, Laverne Klick, Katherine Ireland Lampron, Shaun Carey Landry, Ryan Matthew Langford, Matthew Neal Lawal, Risikat Lee, Michelle Pam Long, Daniel Ray May, Lashandia King McGarity, Brandy McHone, Adam Jerad McNeil, Joanne Wendy Mills, Christy Lyn Mosley, Jessica Jordan Negrin, Lovie Juanita Ngo, Thao Xuan Olajide, Oluwatoyin Oman, Jesse Amanda Ononye, Tony Amaechi Orcutt, Darlene J. Osborne, Chrystie Marie Parham, Samantha June Pascal-Salkey, Phyllis Patricia Pattison, Charlotte Christine Peterson, Kirsten Anne Pickich, Rachel Lauren Pope, Jennifer Shea Sanders Poplawski, Jennifer Marie Previdi, Kayla Marie Raber, Sherry Lynn Ramirez, Christie Lynn Reid, Sonia A.

Reynolds, Angela Nichol Richardson, Caroneisha W. Roddenberry, Tommy Nathaniel Roley, Margaret Marie Romick, Amy Dobbs Rowan, Paula Jean Ruck, John Daniel Rumore, Angela Maria Russell, Jennifer Sanon, Sindy Sayre, Cassandra Rae Scott, Celia Leigh Seaman, Deanna Walker Shittu, Sabiat Morenike Smith, Kimberly Anne Smith, Martha E. Soto-Hunter, Wanda Tozier, Katrina M. Tucker, Marquita S. Ulrich, Molly Marie Waweru, Jane Welch, Regina Viola White, Traci Janelle Williams, Antonya P. Winborn, Kimberly Yule, Trace Robert Zwonitzer, Stephanie Kay

DSC

Bunge, Meagan Alyse Deal, Jacob William Salter, Richard Cody

EDD

Ard, Franklin, Jr. Balius, Kevin Benjamin Byrd, Linda Stokley Duncan, Thomas William Henry, Alison K’Ann Maness, Jennifer Scoggins McCarthy, Daniel Warner Moore, Brooke Elizabeth Elder Nord, Tajii Remi Carrington Stokley, Stan Brown Washington, TaSheila Monique Webb, Melissa Leah King

EDS

Fletcher, Heather Elizabeth Hewes, Mark Allen Lett, Tabitha A. Munday, Jenna Nicole Shutt, Taylor Lakey Walston, Lauren McGee Yates, Ashley Nicole

MBA

Bose, William J. Rodrick, Emily R.

MED

Anglado, Taylor Nicole Armstrong, Sara Nicole Batista, Melanie Britt, Lindsay Bylinowski, Crystal Carey, Maya Henson Clark, Tiffany Ryan Combs, Jeana DeBose, Jessica Lynn Dorland, Martha Anne Dupree, Leslie P. Faulkner, Ashley Pearl Faxlanger, Kyle James Fike, Kelsey Jane Gibby, Marthea James, Shernaye Johnson, Tiffany Marie Katz , Julian, Jr. Koth, Celie Miller, Robert P. Pace, Kimberly Belinda Pouliot, Mitchell Owen Respess, Haleigh Amanda Roberts, Whitney Anne Stakely, Andrea Cockrell Strain, Mary Helen Vanderkooi, Scott J. Ward, Rachel Callie Wright, Donald Eugene

MM

Klosterman , Lee Arron, Jr. Mank, Tracy Tate Waller , William Charles, Jr.

Lehman, Ashley Isabel Rease, Tarvaris Santel

MPA

MA

MS

Buerger, Lauren Elizabeth

Nelson, Lisa Tucker Alford, Tre Kantrell

Armstrong, Shermier Antoinette Cole, Sarah Marion Daigle, Kenneth David Davis, Artis Lee, III Day, Sheila Elizabeth Durham, Alexa Nicole James, Megan Elizabeth Middleton, DeCarlo Finesse’ Myers, Melissa A. Parker, Ryan Jamaal Patel, Darshankumar Bharat Powell, Ashley Alexandra Reynolds, David Walker Robinson, Carlos , II Steiner, Catherine Vo Stringfellow, Wendy Michelle Ward, Caleb FritzAllen Ward, Robert Edward Weston, Natalie Elizabeth Williams, Tara Elizabeth

MSCHE

Poiroux, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Udoh, Aniebiet Mfon Walters, Mikayla Grace

MSCE

Hayden, Marshall Weed Patterson, Chip Eugene Rahman, MD Moynur Weatherford, Aaron Stanley

MSCIS

Alamro, Zaid Mowafaq Alokam, Bhargavi Beech, Lawrence Coleman Daly, Grant Thomas Singh, Pratap Sunkara, Rudraanee

MSEE

Bandlamudi, Venkat Dileep Hye, Rafiul Saurabh, FNU Sumit

MSETOX

Colburn, Ross Eads McCants, Jamichael Hosea Willoughby, Grace Elizabeth

MSME

Swanepoel, Marina Atigh, Marzieh Khansari The Tapestry | 8

MSN

Acker, Victoria Harris Adams, Megan Irby Adkins, Jacob Randall Agent, Jamie Albrecht, Dana Haas Alicea, Lara Janelle Allen, Chad Gibb Althouse, Mackenzie Labbe Andersen, Kimberly Andjelich, Jennifer Anghel, Violeta E. Aragon, Michelle Renae Archer, Amanda Leigh Armstrong, Danielle Joyce Arnold, Brittani Brooke Aschebrook, Sara A. Auguste, Kerstine Roberta Austin, Jitlada L. Aycock, Jennifer L. Bacon, Lauren Nicole Baker, Kylee Baker, Michael John Banks, Daniel Bard, Kristie Anne Barnes, Vincensia O. Barrett, Taylor R. Bartel, Tracy Bartholomew, Bethany N. Beazley, Elizabeth Effie Beerman, Donna Belko, Natalie W. Bell, Danielle Yvette Bernard, Rebecca Anne Berry, Heather L. Berry, Lily W. Berry, Ruth Betties, Taqiyyah Zafirah Billie, Dakoyoia Demisha Billings, Jordan Bird, Cheryl Kay Black, Amy Irene Black, Tonnette J. Blum, Alexandra Blum, Melody Bollinger, Haley A’Layne Bonilla, Norma L. Bosco, Nicholas Botner, Haley Noelle Bourque, Rikki Bowers, Wendi Bowles, Jenny L.

9 | The Tapestry

Boxley, Alisha Ann Bradford, Jasmine S. Brauninger, Anna Joelle Breen, Marisa C. Bridges, Renae G. Brignoni, Luis Enrique Rios Brimhall, Brian P. Briseno, Danielle T. Brock, Amy Lynne Brogdon, Molly Megan Brown, Candyce Brown, Kaitlyn Pate Brumfield, Samantha Jo Bruton, Anne Barry Bryan, Melissa Snow Bucher, Tracy Marie Buie, Mary Elizabeth Bullock, April Lynn Burnham, Lauren Elizabeth Burt, Shannon Christian Butler, Tanita Breyannen Denae Cabasos, Maria Alejandra Moreno Cabeliza, Matthew Cadogan, Asha-Lee B.N. Caine, Jessica Calabrese, Therese J. Calender , Larry Darnell, Jr. Canterberry, Kelly Frances Carbone, Jared J. Carmichael, Julie-Ann Carpenter, Mary Katherine Carr, Kristina Marie Carver, Kimberly Jean Causey, Shauntae Cauthers, Holly N. Cavalier, Lacy L. Chambers, Starla Chaphe, Tina Thomas Chase, Marissa Katherine Childress, Isabella Chukwuzubelu, Ubachi Nonye Claverie, Christina Z. Clayton, Hattie Denice Clermont, Bianca Coatney, Gayla Breanne Cochran, Tina Marie Cohill, Nyeshia Coleman, Malene Nilaja Coleman, Wyteria Bernetta Collins, Holley L. Colson, Morgan Dyanne Colver, Michael Conaway, Yvonne

Conrad, Angela Renee Constant, Paule Francesca Contino, Amanda Kaye Conwell, Jamie Marie Coons, Anna Marie Cooper, Sarah Stroum Corser-McNeely, Jennifer Lynne Cox, Mariah Craig, Ashley V. Crespo, Dionna Simone Criswell, Jody Christopher Crosby, Ashlyn Ludwig Crowder, Catherine Elizabeth Crowley, Cierra Nichole Crowley, Maria Angelica Cruz, Al Jerome Cueli, Diana Cullity, Madeline Martin Curry, Pamela Curtis, Debbie Bacon Cushey, Kaitlin Cutchen, Amy Kay Damiano, Danielle Elizabeth Darbonne, Sabrina Lynn Davis, Emily Davis, Kimberly S. Day, Michael S. De Leon, Julia Deachin, Ashlyn M. Dean, Farrah Brown Decher, Meagan Leigh Defrancisco, Brooke Lauren Del Cid, Fairicy Adina Desimone, Heidi DeWoody, Nicole R. Dhawan, Kristen Scarborough Diaz, Tristan L. Dilman, Yana Dixon-Bowdell, Sarah Matilda Domingue, Taylor Cloy Doresca, Pascale Fils-Aime Douglas, Sumner Brown Dowdy, Laura May Doyle, Brandi Ducote, Jennifer Lynne Dudley, Karen Marcia Dummitt, Brittany A. Duncan, Sara A. Dunham, Anny Lou Mandapat Dunnam, Mindy Brooke Duray, Kathryn Jo Dvorak, Jessica Dyer, Jalisa Marie

Eaton, Shannon Eddington, Lauren Michelle Edson, Danie’La M. Edwards, Nakia Antoinette Egan, Sydney Lauren Eiriksson, Liza Ann Elder, Amy Sue Elder, Tracy Emanda Ellis, Melissa Ellison, Jacquelyn Brochard Emeka, Ijeoma U. Engel, Robin Renee Eppinger, Michelle Lynn Estes, Angela Evans, Michelle Fairley, Modesty C. Fantroy, LaWanda Sharee Farmer, Shawnte M. Ferrie, Kellie Ferry, Joseph Frank Fischer, Shawn Allen Fisher, Jeremy Fitzgibbon, Emma Flynt, Taylor Lynn Folk, Mary Teresa Fontana, Alissa Fore, Hannah Leigh Fox, Amber Francis, Leslie Dana Fulmer, Sherry Kamali Galliano, Martin L. Garbarino, Tara Lynn Garrett, Allison McKenzie Gessert-Herring, Krystal Marie Giambrone, Melanie Joy Gibbons, Mercedes Jacqueline Gilbert, Patrice A. Gilley, Allison L. Gilmer, Shannon Kathryn Glass, Laura Elizabeth Glover, Kayla Golson, Delaine Gonzales, Sheri M. Goodrich, Brian Gordon, Krystal Graham, Kimberly Sue Graham, Michelle Sloan Graves, Shellie D. Greene, Molvie Gremillion, Anna M. Griffin, Jasma Guidry, Fallon Savoy Guidry, Sarah Anne

Gunter, Lisa Dantagnan Guzman, Yelitza M. Haibach, Lindsay Jean Hales, Heather Elizabeth Hall, Jack Tyson Hall, Meisha Hamby, Ladeana Nicole Hamilton, Michelle Hamilton, Sarah Jane Hamrick, Mary Beam Handy, Jessica Young Hanebutt, Dana Gayle Haney, Amanda Hansford, Brandi Covington Hanson, Brittany Nicole Hanson, Trenton John Harbarger, Emily Worthey Harris, Andrea Nuckols Harris, Brittney Williams Harris, Kayla Harris, Lisa Gayle Harris, Melissa Gayle Harris, Molly Bea Hawkins, Kellianne Hayes, Stacey Jo Haynes, Andrew Hector, Amy Hicks Helminiak, Michael Joseph Hiebler, Jennifer Hitschler, Rebecca Treacy Holbrook, Lauren Haley Holly, Emily Holz, Jodilyn Grace Hoover, Chelsea Hopkins, Kylie Hornbeak, Gwendonean S. Horne, Ashley Rose Hoskins, Karaline Hoskins, Whitney Houser, Carley Howard, Shannon Anece Howard, Theresa Marie Hunt, Brooke Amber Hurt, Erin L. Hyder, Renee Antoinette Hylander, Spencer Allen Idoyaga, Monica Jackman, Aaron Ray Jaet-Simon, Heather James, Venus Nicole Jenkins, Angelica Vinya’ Jensen, Angie M. Jett, Veronica Dianne

Johnson, Brittnai Johnson, Joselyn Leigh Johnson, Lydia Zimmer Johnson, Michaela K. Johnson, Natalie Nicole Johnson, Rosalyn L. Johnston, Aftin Lois Johnston, Beni Johnston, Colton Kyle Johnstone, Brent Jones, Allie Jones, Jena Jones-Lindsey, Crystal N. Jordan, Jamilyn Vaughn Jordan, John Scott Jordan, Rashonda Kabanuk, Melodie Anne Dohm Kalonick, Robert Joseph Kamm, Cynthia Kang, Young Ri Kee, Virginia Tittle Khadka, Madhuri Kiggins, Sarah Marie Kim-Yang, Lynne Kyoung King, Savannah Marie Kinnett, William Jordan Kirk, Kyra Rochelle Knocker, Destiny Kolpeja, Ingrit Krupinski, Roxanne Dacuycuy Kumar, Levina Lamacchia, Michelle Lynn Lamb, Donna Marie Lampkin, Nicole Langford, Ashlynne Feely Larson, John Steven Lasseigne, Kristen Williams Launey, Stephanie Ann Le, Nhung Lebakken, Shannon Kelli LeBlanc, Heather Lynn Lester, Robin Lee Lindsey, Ashton Deone Lingen, Kerry List, Melissa Sue Little, Taylor Kathleen Lockett, Kristen D’Aun Long, JaLesa Symone Long, Miranda B. Lowder, Bradley Brent Lowe, Donald Irwin Lupe, Theresa A. Lydick, Kim Parker The Tapestry | 10

Mack, Brian Madhu, Anusha Maduell, Kelsey L. Maher, Susanna L. Makia, Emmanuel Nkongho Nfonoyim Manning, Ainsley Lil Marks, Alexa Marquez, Rachel Elizabeth Martin, Alexandria Nicole Martin, Ana Coutin Martin, Melissa Anne Mathew, Anna Mathis, Shannon Boney Mathisen, Michael Todd Matlock, Alex Elaine Matusiak, Adrianna Elyzabeth Maye, Jessica Denise McCardle, Hayleigh Pearson McElreath, Stephanie Fong McFerran, Alece Michelle McGahee, Katherine Jeniffer McMullin, Charlene McNair, Staci R. McVeigh, Danielle Mech, JayMe Millie Mendicki, Lauren Elise Merry, Susan Diaz Messerall, Tiffany Middleton, Megan F. Mihaly, Brandy Michelle Miknaitis, Lori Lynn Miller, Angela Denise Miller, Paige Mitchell, Cathy Richards Mitchell, Hayley Eckert Mitchell, Lissa L. Monroe, Amber Nicole Montanez, Isis L. Moody, Shawn M. Moore, Cadeatrizlius Moore, Marjorie Moore, Nicole Morgan, Laquinda S. Morgan, Mary Gage Morris, Kaitlin Brooke Morrison, Sharmeeka Carter Mosley, Bailey Dingwall Moss, Charlotte Annette Mushinsky, Danielle Vaccaro Nation, Kristin L. Needham, Courtney Ann Neely, Danya Elizabeth Neely, Sheira R. 11 | The Tapestry

Nettles, Stephen Derek Newsome, Joshua Jermaine Nguyen, Nhumai T. Nielsen, Kristin Nurse, Jasmine Gianni Nwaorgu, Kelechi Ihuoma Nyangau, Pacificah Moraa Nyasa, Gaelle Ofor, Chinedu Vincent Okolie, Promise Chikwadom Olajuyigbe, Olayemi Ebenezer Olson, Briane K. Ona, Elizabeth Lirio O’Neal, Katherine Elizabeth Orrick, Laura D. Osborn, Brenda Marie Ostberg, Brooke Renee Otugo, Maryrose U. Owens, Jeremy Dwight Pace, Tamara Pacitti, Lisa Monique Padgett, Laura Susan Paik, Alexa D. Parker, Donna Dudley Parrish, Kaitlin Nicole Peak, Keaton John-Lawrence Pearce, Kaci Jo Peggins, Raven Symone Pellegrini, Jourdan Skylar Pendleton, Renee Sydney Percle, Melissa Gondolfo Perlman, Rachel Perrigo, Cody Perry, Daisy M. Peterson, Joy Pettersen, Rachel Hannah Phillips, Jasmine Sade Nicole Piccicacco, Brittany Marie Pickert, Michael Alan Pink-Gonzalez, Teisha N. Pitcher, Rae Lynn Pitchford, Callie Pleasant, Santrice Poindexter, Jamesa Charmayne Ponder, Colby Blake Pope, Apple-Joe Potter, Liane Elizabeth Poussard, Kimberly Flynn Powell, Jasmine Danielle Price, Tiffany Prichard, Jennifer Lynn Pulliam, Lori Barrett Rader, Lauren S.

Ralph, Amanda Lynn Ramos, Yesenia Randolph, Erica LaShay Raymo, Michael Edward Reavis, Shannon Redden, Lydia Byrd Redmond, Aaron William Reed, Anna Pauline Reed, Ashley Beth Reed, Kelsey Ann Reilly, Stryder River Reina, Tanya Reynolds, Tiffany Nicole Rich, Jennifer L. Richardson, Maria Taylor Richburg, Kyla Sharee Austin Ritter, Rebecca Lynn Roberson, Charley Roberts, Akila Marie Roberts, Ashley Michelle Robertson, Erin M. Robinson, Brittany Lee Robinson, Jennifer Anne Rogers, Consonya Rojas, Oskar Romero, Amber Lynn Romero, Tisha Rose, Amanda Ann Ross, Marina B. Rutstein, Davida Tzivia Rydbeck, Rachel Rye, Rande Brooke Salazar, Lisa Vercellino Sanders, Brandt Sanders, Melony Lee Sarani, Brittany Dione Sarnowski, Teri Lee Saucier, Tiffany Lynn Scaramucci, Jessica Noelle Schneider, Lauren Ashley Schneider, Nathan Thomas Schofield, Valerie Violet Seicshnaydre, Alicia Seright, Michelle Anne Serrano, Traci Kay Sheehan, Courtney Sheiner, Elizabeth Irene Shows, Candice Brooke Sims, Brianne N. Singh, Wassan Six, Janessa Rose Slagle, Stacie Erin Smalley, Gregory Wayne

Smith, Haley Briana Smith, Kelsey Brianne Smith, Lauren Mariah Smith, Mary Jane Smith, Susan Soileau, Janell Deslattes Soledad, Daryl Pamaran Spicuzza, Tiffany Roper Sreng, Sreyboth Stewart, April Jackson Stewart, Latoya Candice Stockman, Sarah Katherine Stockstill, Katherine E. Swinson, Ashleigh Sy, Sheila Talbot, Ashley Nicole Tangney, Kylie Ann Taylor, Jacqueline Leblanc Taylor, Nicole S Taylor, Rachael Hughes Taylor-Amador, Sarah Teplicek, Jessica Michelle Theard, Michelle Thomas, Courtney Lynn Thomas, Felicia Paige Torgerson, Tracy Johanna Toris, Amanda Johnson Traitor, Carmen Gregg Tran, Lan T. Tran, Mai Thi Trapp, Hannah P. Troutman, Kristine Tucker, Courtney Turner, Christina Leigh Turner, Jamie Kathryn Turner, Melissa Kelly Tuttle, Amanda Tyson, Deborah A. Umbarger, Jennifer Lee Unruh, Rachel Upchurch, Amanda Fountain Valente, Vanessa Vance, Valerie Vanderwagen, Amber L. Vaughn, Casey Venugopal, Mauja C. Vitale, Kevin L. Vliet, Kayla Wade, Mason Alexander Wade, Taylor Max Wade, Tiffany Wilson Wadley, Terra Brooke Wadlington, Kieonna Keshawn

Walden, Brittney Alise Walker, Brittany Walker, Heather Haynes Wallace, Sonya Coutee Wang, Linda Van Warren, Angela O. Warren, Kimberly Watkins, Erin Elizabeth Welker, Bronte Carinn Wells, Rachelle Lynn Wertenberger, Caitlin Stamey Wickell, Rachel Wight, Sherilyn Williams, Chiara Danielle Williams, Rebecca Lynn Williams, Vanisha Faye Williamson, Heather Lynn Williamson, Laura Elizabeth Williamson, Melanie Wilson, Lauren Pollard Winters, Emily Lauren Womack, Kelsey Allen Wortham, Glinda Danielle Wright, Sharon Howell Wyrosdick, Rebekah Leigh Yance, Josiah Matthew York, Lindse Lambert Zabala, Tabbata Cristina Castillo Zendejas, Catherine Taylor

Staggs, Montana Celeste Tonsmeire, Tegan Ann VandeWaa, Elissa B. Waite, Katie Theresa White, Ashley Caroline

PHD

Abney, Kevin Alan Al-Ghadhban, Ahmed Hussein Annamdevula, Naga Srilakshmi Bendolph, Angelia L. Davis, Shelby Tiffin Edwards, Garet S. Huennekens, Alyna Ohanian Jackson, Selena Renae Kantra, Lacy McGehee Luckett, Patrick H., IV McClinton, Anna Kathleen McDonald, Ashley Mae Miller, Molly M. Murphy, James Michael Naylor, Paige Danielle Phillips, Joshua Bryant Stone, Joshua Kenneth Thongsawat, Suriya Vann, Noelle Christina Wessel, Caitlin C.

MSOT

Adrian, Carly Mack Alley, Dixie S. Andretta, Sophia Bour, Myranda M. Cumming, Adrienne Marie Drew, Kathryn Elizabeth Hatcher, Samantha Irmgard Holliday, Ashlie Singleton Lavigne, Hayley R. Lee, Lauren E. Lefebvre, Antea Grace Nicole Lewis, Sarah W. Marcellus, Summer Lyn Martin, Natalie K. McKissick, Brittney Leanne Miller, Sara Christian Naro, Jacqueline Marie Parker, Thaddeus B. Peek , Lloyd Graylen, Jr. Perry, Trevor R. Rahn, Ashley Marie Ralph, Madison Michele Smith, Kathryn H. The Tapestry | 12

CONGRATULATIONS to the

CLASS OF 2018 We wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors.

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Photo by Marissa Mason

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15 | The Tapestry Photo by Marissa Mason

Letter from the Editor Dear graduates, families and friends, The University of South Alabama is notorious for showcasing its rich history and culture. College campuses are so diverse in terms of majors, backgrounds, languages spoken, religion and other factors. Because of this rich diversity, USA proudly uses the phrase “We Are South” as a rallying call for all to yell. My goal for this publication is to share the stories that people don’t normally hear. All the stories included in ths were pulled from the Vanguard newspaper and Due South magazine, both student publications at USA. I wanted to include these stories because they show what makes USA the college it is. We are a diverse group of people with bounties of different things to offer. I have only been at USA for two and a half years, but I have seen more diversity here than anywhere else. Arguably, we learn just as much from each other as we learn from our classes. That is the college experience, and that is what I wanted to capture in this publication.

Graduates, I hope you have enjoyed your time at USA and learned a thing or two to take with you into the world. Take what you have learned here and make the college and community proud, because you are South. You are what makes the college what it is, and you set a precident for the students following you.

Families and friends, celebrate this as a time of growing and moving on to the next step in life. Encourage your graduate to follow their passions no matter how far it may take them. Never let them regret not taking an opportunity.

Good luck in the next step of your lives. I encourage you to look back at your time at USA and reflect on the positives. If anything, I hope you learn a little more about our home away from home through this publication.

Sara Boone

Editor in Chief

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SANCTUMS of

SILENCE Through all the changes in his life, libraries and books remain constant for one South Alabama student.

From Due South,

By Akshay Aluri, Photo by Chandler Hubbard

S

anctums of silence and adobes of literature, libraries have a unique smell of a musky mixture of polish, old books and shelves. As a young boy, I remember grasping my grandmother’s arm and walking astounded through walls of books on all sides towards a young woman wearing glasses. The woman, a librarian, was my guide through a remarkable treasure trove full of comics, novels and non-fiction on every topic you could imagine. I sifted through the many books and picked up tidbits of esoteric and obscure wisdom.

Beginning at the age of 11 in India, I was always the only child waiting for the library to open on a Saturday morning. These were the days when quiet was compulsory in a library, under the penalty of receiving a dark, austere frown from fellow readers. A distinct memory in my mind was the sound of the sole of my shoes against the shiny marble floor, a loud tap-tap which I avoided by walking on tiptoes.

17 | The Tapestry

For years, seeking a connection with real people but being too strange and awkward to obtain it, I turned to books.

They made me, they molded me and they broke me, but they were always present. Then after I moved to the United States and began to pursue my degree in science, I turned away from books, at least until I began schooling at the University of South Alabama.

On my tour, the most alluring building on the campus was the Marx Library with its gorgeous glass windows and elegant four floor structure. It cemented my desire to attend the university.

Beyond The Marx Library, the public library system in Mobile is spread across eight branches. While none compare to sheer beauty of the Marx Library, the two particular branches have a rich history and fascinating features.

In 2002, First Lady Laura Bush gave an inaugural address at the opening of a new West Regional Branch

Library. Closest to the University, the West Regional Branch features an astonishingly large fiction room with books and computers for all ages.

The newest branch of the public library system, the Ben May Main Library, was renovated in May 2007. In 1925, the Mobile city commissioners, under increased public pressure, assigned $250,000 to construct a building that became the original Ben May Main Library. The programs in the library include various book clubs, storytimes, chess clubs, LEGO build nights and children’s educational programs.

The small room for story time, the humble librarians inside and the tall arches of the Gothic Revival style remind me of the first library I ever visited. The transformative, quiet power of books, the contents of a library, is only overshadowed by these stunning landmarks that will always be tied to the memory of a certain exciting period of my life.

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Libraries provide a sanctuary for students who want to study, relax or dive into the world of books.

MAKING the

MOST OF IT As most college students can attest, freshman year is full of uncertainty, homesickness and confusion. Savannah Sapp shares her experience as a first year student at South.

From Due South,

By Savannah Sapp, Photos by Jacob Armistead

T

hink of a time when you were the most comfortable you have ever felt. Remember how at ease you felt? Remember how you didn’t want to change a thing? Now imagine that when you’re getting settled in, happy, content and everything flips upside down. You’re in a new place, learning a new routine, navigating new locations and feeling completely lost all while continuing your education.

That is what college felt like for me.

My name is Savannah Sapp. I am a freshman from Dothan, Alabama. By senior year of high school, I decided that I wanted to go into the medical field. Of course, what school do I choose? I chose one three hours away from everything I have ever known.

Why? Because it is the most optimal choice for my course of study.

I toured the University of South Alabama in October 2017 as my senior year had fully begun. While under a lot of pressure regarding decisions on my future, I knew what I wanted to study,

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but I didn’t know where I wanted to attend school. Additionally, I didn’t house the financial capabilities to attend absolutely anywhere I dreamed of as I am sure most students can attest to. I made my decision after looking back and forth between Troy University and South.

Fast forward past a heap of stress and student loans, and August 18 had arrived. I’m sure this day will be drilled into my mind for the rest of my life.

Move-in day. Originally, I could not contain my excitement. I was thrilled to live in a new home and decorate my own space with an amazing roommate whom I had previously interacted with months before our move-in date.

I was ready for a new chapter...or so I thought.

After a final lunch date with my family, we said our goodbyes, and I was left alone. Alone is definitely what I felt in a new city I’m not familiar with where I didn’t know anyone.

When the night started to fall, I

could feel this terrible feeling building up in my stomach. My roommate stayed with her family that night in the hotel room they booked for the weekend. I called my mother around 7 p.m. sobbing into the phone. I didn’t realize how quickly homesickness could sneak up on you and it stayed with me for about four or five days even after move-in.

Homesickness is a very different feeling unlike any other. I can only equate it to feeling trapped or imprisoned even though you have all of the freedom you could ever ask for.

How did I get over this? If I have to be honest, I really didn’t. Every day, I wish I could just bring my family here to live with me for the next four years.

However, I will tell you how I became myself again. I called my mother every night. There was no one who calmed me down better than the woman who raised me for 18 years. I cried to her claiming that I could not shake this sinking feeling. I remember one par-

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Freshman year is usually tough, but you should take advantage of the opportunities that arise.

ticular phone call during my routine crying session, she told me something that will always stick with me.

“Baby, you don’t know how hard it was for me to leave you there that day, but I wouldn’t have let you go if I didn’t think you could do it,” she said to me.

For some reason, those words were the push I needed to pick myself up by my bootstraps. I’m not sure how most students deal with homesickness, but I just needed that push from my number one support system.

Freshman year started in a whirlwind. Soon, I met face to face with five classes that begged for my attention.

Turns out, I am terrible at history even though it is one of my favorite subjects.

Upon the first couple of weeks, I joined three new clubs and got two oncampus jobs. No, I’m not busy at all. I quickly found my routine and began to adjust. Everything became easier than I was making it out to be. Before I knew it, I was a full-time college student trying to stay organized and make new friends.

Organization is definitely something I have learned to perfect during my first year of college. With so many club meetings and deadlines, it can be very difficult to keep track of when you have to be where. A planner has been my lifesaver when it comes to this. You would not believe how much I write in my planner every day. I highly recommend keeping one especially if you’re involved in different campus organizations.

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Pulling away from academics for a moment, I will say that Mobile has a significantly different culture from my hometown. In Dothan, it is not really customary to celebrate Mardi Gras every year. Moving to the birthplace of Mardi Gras definitely has the potential to be an amazing experience because I have never been involved in such festivities. I am more than thrilled to learn all about the traditions and celebrations.

Culturally, moving to Mobile from such a small area was an enormous adjustment. I have come in contact with students who have completely different

when the night started to fall, i could feel this terrible feeling building up in my stomach. interests, backgrounds and ethnicities.

Now, I find myself making friends with people I would have been too shy to speak to. I have friends who are different from me, but also teach me so much on a daily basis. This change has encouraged me to be open-minded and I have learned to explore different people more than I would have back home.

Becoming a college freshman is a very pivotal turning point in your life, and if I had any specific advice, I would

say, “Make the most of it.” I believe that the way you spend your first year is an accurate reflection of how you will spend your years to come, and the best way to do so is by finding balance. I know it can seem a little silly to tell you to find balance while you are learning to live on your own for the first time, but hear me out.

It is very easy to overwork yourself and stretch yourself too thin. It is not difficult to crumble under the weight of stress. Find your balance, develop a study pattern and schedule that helps you to fully understand the information instead of cramming it all into one place. When you’ve had a successful study session, give yourself some sort of reward. If you’re like me, you’ll have a nice date with two wonderful gentlemen named Ben and Jerry.

Enjoy personal time with friends.

Connecting with people who house the same interests as you do can be beneficial. It even helped me with the homesickness.

Most importantly, do what makes you happy. If you find that a different major is the right one for you, go with it. If you’re interested in a student organization because it excites you, go for it. If something benefits your life and spirit, chase it!

College means grasping your future by the horns and making it everything that you could ever wish for. It is more than possible. There is no reason why your future cannot be the brightest... even as a freshman.

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AIMING for the

STARS USA students and professors work on developing a NASA satellite.

Dr. Edmund Spencer developed a tool to be launced into space.

From The Vanguard,

By Marissa Mason, Magaging Editor, Photo courtesy of USA Office of Marketing and Communication

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he University of South Alabama’s Space Environment and Instrumentation Laboratory is working with NASA to send a satellite into space. The Cube Satellite, or CubeSat, is a rapidly growing option for those wishing to run experiments in space.

USA’s CubeSat, known as JagSat I, is testing an invention of USA electrical and computer engineering professor Dr. Edmund Spencer. Spencer’s invention is an instrument called the Time Domain Impedance Probe, or TDIP. The TDIP is designed to measure properties of ionospheric plasma as JagSat I passes through the Earth’s upper atmosphere.

“The ionospheric response to interplanetary disturbances during magnetic storms impacts radio waves when they are transmitted from one place to another, and can influence things such as GPS accuracy,” Spencer said in a 2016 interview. “Measuring the properties of the ionospheric plasma can help us learn more about its peculiar mixture. Nearly all matter in the Universe is in the plasma state, the physics of which are the subject of intense theoretical and experimental

investigation.”

JagSat I is built by USA students guided by professors. While JagSat I tests Spencer’s invention, many other USA engineering professors and students are helping. Dr. Carlos Montalvo, mechanical and aerospace engineering professor helps with many

“The completion of JagSat I will show that USA is capable of producing quality engineering students as well as bringing the best of the best when it comes to faculty.”

- Alan Burns of the CubeSat’s mechanical systems while ECE professors Dr. Saeed Latif and Dr. Samuel Russ lead electrical teams.

USA ECE graduate and master’s student Alan Burns worked on the hardware for JagSat I. His

undergraduate senior design project focused on the Command and Data Handling, or C&DH, board.

“It really helps to see an application of what you learn in the classroom,” Burns said. “It would be nearly impossible to see how a circuit board is fabricated just from a textbook.”

Spencer also believes in the benefits of out-of-class projects and research.

“A long-term research project like this is different than what you might think of as the typical classroom environment,” Spencer said in an interview with Bob Lowry. “Among other attributes, it encourages participants to arrive at a consensus answer and it fosters the concept of working well with others. In many ways, this is ‘real world’ training for our engineering students.”

JagSat I is planned to be sent to NASA in the summer of 2019 and is currently set to launch at the end 2019.

“The completion of JagSat I will show that USA is surely capable of producing quality engineering students as well as bringing the best of the best when it comes to faculty,” Burns said.

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BIKES for

RENT Lime brings rentable bikes to Mobile and USA’s campus.

Lime makes rending bikes easy with their app for smartphones

From The Vanguard,

By Marissa Mason, Magaging Editor, Photo courtesy of Lime

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I

nternational transportation and mobility provider, Lime, partnered with the University of South Alabama and the City of Mobile to replace Jag Bikes with new rentable bikes this semester.

The partnership came at no cost to USA or the City of Mobile.

The Jag Bike program was purchased and maintained through the university, but the infrastructure wasn’t adequate to track and service the bikes, according to southalabama.edu.

USA currently has a fleet of LimeBike 3-speed bikes featuring baskets, bells and reflectors, although more options may arrive in the future, according to Harrell.

Students can use the bikes by downloading the app “Lime - Your Ride Anytime,” signing up and scanning the QR code or entering the bike’s tag number to unlock it. Although the bikes advertise rates of one dollar per half hour, students, faculty and staff can get half off by using their .edu email address when registering their account.

“The city and USA partnered to make sure they chose the same one so that the same app can be used on campus and downtown,” Associate Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator Dr. Krista Harrell said.

When customers reach their destination, they can end their session in the app. This will automatically lock the bike even without a bike rack by using a lock on the back wheel of the bike.

Although the bikes can be parked anywhere, Lime and USA ask that the bikes remain outdoors and in sunny areas so they can recharge.

The bikes are also 3G and GPS enabled, allowing customers to find nearby bikes in the app. This feature also allows Lime staff to locate the bikes and distribute them to high traffic areas, such as the on campus dorms.

“Most people aren’t going to ride them super far,” Harrell said. “If you ride kind of around the area, they have staff that will come and maneuver them back to campus locations. It’s important to help people understand that the bikes need the sun to help charge. Try to keep them in the area, park them responsibly and don’t take them inside.”

GPS and 3G also keeps the bikes from being stolen. If the bikes are moved without being unlocked, they will sound an alarm according to Harrell.

“Vandalism/theft with our fleet has been less than 1 percent,” southalabama.edu stated. “To further enhance our operation, Lime has built-in sensors

that track bikes that have fallen/are on the ground. Our ops team can respond to issues more quickly with our algorithm on dispatching and bike status analysis.”

Lime also offers a program for people with low-income called LimeAcccess, “To qualify for Lime Access, an individual simply needs to demonstrate eligibility or participation in any state or federally-run assistance program,” Lime’s website stated. “Lime Access members receive a 95 percent discount on all Lime pedal bike rides and a 50 percent discount on all Lime-E electricassist bike and Lime-S electric scooter rides. Once you’ve joined Lime Access, you can pay using cash at one of PayNearMe’s 27,000 plus retail locations.”

With the new program, Harrell hopes to see more students using eco friendly transportation. She reminds students to obey all of Alabama’s state bike laws and urges drivers to be patient when sharing the road with cyclists.

“It’s about encouraging health and wellness and a bike-friendly campus and giving our community an opportunity for transportation that’s good on carbon emission, cost and traffic,” Harrell said. “It’s an opportunity to get outside.”

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DON'T WORRY be appy

The University of South Alabama provides its students with four resourceful apps available to them right at their fingertips. From navigating the campus to earning free food, these apps are essential to every college student. All are available on Apple and Android.

From Due South,

By Madison Allen

livesafe This app is of the most importance for any college student’s safety. It contains campus, community and national resources for sexual assault. Within it, students can report any type of crime from an accident to suspicious activity. Under Emergency Options, they can call 911 or the campus police. If they’re in a situation where they can’t talk, they can even message the police.

SafeWalk is another thing the app offers. Students, parents and friends can “watch” a person walk remotely through their devices if they feel that they are in an unsafe situation. It’s a way to feel comfortable walking somewhere alone or even with a group. It truly can be a life saver for anyone. It can put parents at ease, too.

call or message university police or call 911

“watch” a friend walk home

jagpride EVENTS CALENDAR

BONUS OFFERS

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JagPride is a great app to have if you like earning free things. If students are interested in the many sporting events USA has to offer, this is for them. It lists every event along with the location and time. To get rewards, students just have to go to an event and check in on the app, and they will receive a certain amount of points for attending. Starting out, they will receive some USA gear like a foam finger or key chain, and if they end up getting more than 100 points, they will start earning free food vouchers through the app. The best part is that your points don’t go away after you have redeemed them for prizes. They stay on your account as long as you have it. Just go up to a Jag Pride table at a sporting event to redeem your points and claim your prizes. Who doesn’t love supporting their team while earning free Jag Swag and food? Check it out or pay for queso.

university of south alabamA Most students will find themselves clinging to this app during the first few weeks of school. It is the official app of USA. It contains links to all the pages that students use on a daily basis like PAWS, Housing and USA News.

If something on the USA website is difficult to find, it’s much easier to go through this app because everything is all in one place. It even has a live JagTran tracker on it so students can better plan their commute to class. On it you can also find the official social media accounts for USA. All of the Jag Media information is also on this app under Student Media. The interractive map is helpful for finding your way across campus to new buildings or even just planning the shortest route to take to class. If you don’t know what HUMB means on your class schedule, all you have to do it type it in on the map and Humanities Building comes up. Thinking of switching your major?

Following the link under “Academics” to find a list of all of the majors offered at USA for undergraduate and graduate students. Everything that a student could ever need is on this app. It is a compact version of the official USA website.

link to usaonline

INTERRACTIVE MAP

Jag Tran Tracker

usa 360 This app is much more interactive than the University of South Alabama app. Students begin by creating a profile and listing their interests.

After that, they can receive personalized content in the form of news and event notifications based on their interests. There’s an event calendar and even a campus map, too. Many students express they love how USA 360 has helped them connect with people who are studying the same major as them. There are even Jag Swag giveaways through the app, so check it out before you buy all those shirts in the bookstore. This app is beneficial to hopeful USA students, as well. They can schedule a visit to campus right in the app.

With the personalized news feature, they can learn more about their intended major before even enrolling at USA. This app is basically a filter for the USA website. It displays the content that you most likey be interested in based off of your listed interests and preferences.

schedule a campus visit

customized topics

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GET on CAMPUS USA works towards getting an on-campus stadium From The Vanguard,

By Richard Narramore, Editor-in-Chief, Photo courtesy of CDFL Sports Architects + Engineers

T

he University of South Alabama Board of trustees unanimously voted to authorize Phase II of the construction of an on-campus football stadium.

This vote sets the USA football team on track to play in the new stadium for the first time on Sept. 12, 2020.

“The significance [of this moment] is monumental,” USA Director of Athletics Dr. Joel Erdman said. “It’s basically permission to proceed with the building on the stadium with the assumption that we are within the financial parameters that we’ve defined.

In essence, we are running as fast as we can to 2020 and we will work very diligently to get there.”

The on-campus stadium is projected to cost $74 million. Of that, USA will

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cover $68 million with bond issues.

USA President Tony Waldrop, Erdmann and The Board of Trustees stressed that funding will not be derived from student tuition or fees.

“What we continue to emphasize is this will not be funded on the backs of the students,” Erdmann said. “This will not impact tuition or fees. This is something we will only fund that will only fund through external resources and that’s a lot of work but that’s the way it will be done.”

USA launched the Get On Campus campaign, a fundraising campaign to have an on-campus stadium built by 2020.

The planned on-campus stadium will have 25,000 seats, a video board and sound system, an end-zone terrace,

16-seat suites, a club level with 800 seats and premier chair-back and benchback seating options, along with areas for tailgating, events and recreational vehicle parking, according to a USA press release.

The Mobile County Commission recently voted to donate $2.5 million towards the construction of the Mobile County Center for Academic Success, an academic service center dedicated towards helping USA student athletes, and will be located in the on-campus stadium.

“The Get On-Campus campaign is our grassroots level,” Erdman said.

“Any gift is valuable and desired and appreciated from $1 to $1 million and that campaign is going well and we continue to reach out to people

and people continue to reach out to us. Parallel to that, our continued discussions with potential large-scale sponsors and donors that will have an impact on the stadium. It’s a wellconceived overall fundraising strategy that we also think the announcement today will boost that.”

USA SGA President Grace Newcombe said she was “extremely enthusiastic” and hopes that an on-campus will increase attendance at games and make students more passionate about USA athletics.

Erdmann said the stadium would help with recruiting athletes.

“We have a beautiful state to recruit in, and beautiful campus to recruit with and now your complimenting that with a football complex,” Erdmann said It’s

comparable to anybody in the nation. It my not be the biggest stadium but your gonna have a beautiful new facilities and your gonna have practice facilities.

And locker room facilities, and a weight room and everything that is required to recruit and train and coach tremendous student athletes.”

Waldrop said he believed the stadium would benefit not only USA but the community, city, and county as a whole.

“It will provide an opportunity, if they so decide, for the bowl teams to play in a new modern stadium,” Waldrop said.

The stadiums model is hybrid of strengths from other college stadiums, according to Erdmann. It will feature a spacious concourse, an end zone terrace section, and an area to tailgate.

The stadium will also double as venue for concerts, and other large events, complete with a stage and area that would seat around 22,000.

“The fire that this will stoke is yet to really been seen, but the ultimate ripple effect of this stadium when it becomes a reality will go on 30, 40, 50, 60 years,” Erdmann said.

Waldrop is calling all South Alabama advocates to work together for the new on-campus stadium.

Donations can be made online at SouthAlabama.edu/GetOnCampus and may be split into monthly or yearly recurring payments, according to USA Jaguars.

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SOLVING ISSUES instead of

FIGHTING THEM USAPD takes a step in the right direction with mental health awareness training.

From the Vanguard,

By Marissa Mason, Managing Editor, Photo by Shannon Lundgren

T

he University of South Alabama Police Department has been working on mental health awareness training.

USAPD Chief Zeke Aull said the training focuses on de-escalation tactics and how to help people with mental illness in situations where the cops are called. All of the USAPD officers are trained with Mental Health First Aid excluding two new officers that just joined the force, although they are set to be trained within the month, according to Aull. Aull said the program makes officers more aware of resources like local doctors, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and mental health facilities.

Aull said USAPD has seen situations where they have successfully deescalated students.

“We were able to get them the assistance they needed,” Aull said.

“They became successful students and graduated. That’s a win that we’ll take. It’s because we care. I don’t think anyone wants to develop a mental

31 | The Tapestry

illness. That’s why I think it’s important for us to be on our game and to be prepared and know how to interact and then de-escalate these situations.”

Aull believes this is better than putting people with mental illness in jail.

“Jail is easy. We can always put you in jail, but that's not what we're here to do as police officers. We're here to help, not just put people in jail.”

Aull admits that sometimes an arrest still had to be made, but in many instances, they were able to intervene before anything escalated.

“Sometimes a crime had been committed and your hands were tied, but if [a crime] has not been committed, you get that person back on their meds or get them involved with their family and NAMI or other national organizations,” Aull said.

The Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) class is about 40 hours and usually has around 30 students, according to Aull.

“We can’t teach enough classes,” Aull

said. “Every class we teach, we can fill up... We could have 45 or 60 students.

The demand is there.”

Initially, the training was paid for with part of the funding from the Deep Horizon oil spill three years ago, according to Aull, but he says he hopes they will be self-sustaining in the future.

“That turned out to be something crazy positive where we've trained over 400 police officers in Mobile and Baldwin County in mental health first aid,” Aull said. “Then, it got bigger for us. We started seeing results where negative encounters were turning into positive encounters. We were able to get family involved, to get that person the assistance they needed, get them back on their medicines or whatever it was.”

Aull said they took CIT and developed a course that was applicable for Mobile and Baldwin County.

“The people who were taking the Mental Health First Aid were the ones who were really interested in expanding their knowledge and participating in the CIT,” Aull said. “Sometimes it was

USA Police Chief Zeke Aull believes taking this step will help prevent some unnecessary arrests.

because an officer just wanted to help, but a greater number of officers said, ‘Well I've got mental health issues within my own family.’ Now we have all these people who are interested and there taking the information and bring it back to their department.”

The National Institute for Mental Health reports that one in five adults in the U.S. live with mental illness. People often wait months if not years to seek

treatment according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“When you’re sick, in two or three days when you see your body is not going to lick the infection, what do you do?” Aull asked. “You go to the doctor.

With a mental health consumer, it's typically around 10 years before they go see a doctor. So now, the officers keep in mind that these people aren’t going to get help and if they do it's going to

be after an extended period of time. So we ask what can we do in that situation to help them get the help they need and lead them to recovery.”

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress at 1-800-273-8255 or suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat.

The Tapestry | 32

Our

HISTORY USA has seen a number of notable key moments in its brief 55 year history. Here, we highlight a few that make the university what it is today.

From Due South,

By Sara Boone

USA was founded on May 3 by act of the Alabama Legislature.

Five months later, the Board of Trustees met for the first time and named Dr. Frederick P. Whiddon as the university’s first president.

The jaguar was adopted as USA’s mascot in April. At one point, USA owed a live jaguar named Mischka, who has a statue dedicated to her in front of the Mitchell Center.

1964 1967

1963 1965 The first classes began in June with 276 students enrolled.

USA currently has over 15,000 students enrolled.

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USA’s first commencement ceremony was in June where 88 bachelor’s degrees were given. To date, the university has awarded more than 75,000 degrees.

Mobile General Hospital was transferred to USA. It later became USA Medical Center. Each year, the hospital handles 185,000 clinic visits and 350,000 outpatient procedures.

The inaugural season for USA’s football team and marching band.

Since then, the team has only had two head football coaches, the second of whom started this 2018 season.

2005 2010

1970 2009 The Jag Tran system was implemented for students to use as an alternate means of transportation. It currently runs five routes and has had more than 1,000,000 riders since it began operating.

Moulton Tower was constructed on campus as a beacon of togetherness and a symbol for the university. It was named in honor of President Gordon Moulton and his wife, Geri.

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Use this space to write a message to your graduate...

35 | The Tapestry

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Congratulations and Best Wishes to the USA Graduates!

37 | The Tapestry

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Site Work

Best Wishes to the USA Graduates!

79 Zeigler Blvd.

Mobile, AL 36608 (251) 633-5386 Fax (251) 633-7047 Cell (251) 331-7642

Congratulations to the USA Class of 2018!

T: 877.311.9783

39 | The Tapestry

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We have over 15,000 different products available. Call our customer service department at 800 844 5601 or visit us online at dadepaper.com.

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3044 Lees Lane, Unit B Mobile, AL 36693 (251) 460-0761 (888) 662-0123

SALES z SERVICE z RENTALS The Tapestry | 40

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800-345-2287

American’s Leading Catastrophe Adjusting Team

We applaud your Achievements and wish you future Successes!

Best Wishes to the University of South Alabama Students

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE USA GRADUATING CLASS!