April 9 2018 by The Vanguard

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA

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MONDAY APRIL 9, 2018 VOL 1719 ISS 19

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Student spotlight: Grace Newcombe SGA Presdient-Elect Grace Newcombe draws inspiration from her family. Page 3

Sixth annual Mega Musical Chairs USA gets ready for MMC this Friday.

Coach Campbell Q and A

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Head coach Steve Campbell answers questions about the upcoming season.

SGA elections party results

(Left to right) Jordan Griffin, Shaun Holloway, Grace Newcombe, Broderick Morrissette, Caleb Santa Cruz and Breanna Healy at the SGA call-out party. Photo by Kenyan Carter BY: KENYAN CARTER | REPORTER

The SGA announced the winners of the 2018 SGA elections at the

call-out party on Wednesday, April 4. Grace Newcombe won the bid for the president’s seat.

“I am so excited to be putting my platform to work,” Newcombe said. “I believe my opponent would agree that this has been a tough, hard fought election. But this campaign has shed light on a variety of issues that will be undoubtedly addressed under my administration.” I have so enjoyed meeting ever student along the way and I look forward to everything in between. Newly elected SGA Treasurer Caleb Santa Cruz, said he was eager to push the boundaries on his new position. “I think there are some great opportunities and some great things that can be done in the treasurer

position.” Cruz said. “I’m ready just to see how this position can be used to it’s fullest extent and what things I can build upon.” Jordan Griffin won the chief justice position. Griffin explained how he was ready to get to work with his newly elected cabinet. “This campaign season has been very phenomenal,” Griffin said. “I’m just ready to see what the 2018-19 SGA will accomplish.” Broderick Morrissette won the race for the attorney general position. Morrissette said a goal in his new position was to help promote student involvement and awareness. Continued on page 3

Football players workout in front of NFL scouts BY: HANNAH BLACKBURN | REPORTER

Darrell Songy working-out at Pro Day. Photo by Hannah Blackburn

University of South Alabama football players had the opportunity to display their athletic prowess for NFL scouts at Pro Day in the football field house on April 6. Scouts representing the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons were among the teams from the National Football

League. So far, only one player from the USA has made it to the NFLtight end Gerald Everett, who was drafted in 2017 by the Los Angeles Rams. Players participated in various events such as the 40-yard dash, bench pressing weights, vertical jump, long jumping as well as defensive and offensive drills to show off their abilities. Safety Jeremy Reaves has already visited with multiple teams including the Dallas Cowboys and

New Orleans Saints and plans to continue his journey to the NFL this weekend as he heads to see the current Super Bowl champions, the Eagles in Philidelphia. During his college career, Reaves recorded 208 solo tackles, including one game last season in which he had 11 solo tackles. Reaves also recorded eight interceptions, eight forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks. On Pro Day, the Senior Bowl participant recorded a 31-inch vertical leap, a 9-footContinued on page 8

NEWS

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University of South Alabama Alpha Hall South Room 336 Mobile, Ala., 36688 Tel: 460-7966 I Fax: 380-2850 Advertising: 460-7966 thevanguardeditor@gmail.com STAFF Editor in Chief Managing Editor Asst. Managing Editor Copy Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor Web Editor Electronic File Mgr. Reporters

Shannon Lundgren Marissa Mason Richard Narramore Amber-Lynn Boothe Rachel Goodman Charles Harrison Krisha Amin Tricia West Hannah Blackburn Kenyan Carter Christian Hinkel Elaine Russ Natasha Spradlin Rachel Sullivan Photographers Briana Cunningham Cartoonist Clay Lolley

Advertising Advertising Manager Preston Smith Graphic Designer Jennette Bago

2018-19 SGA members Presidental Candidates Grace Newcombe

Vice-Presidental Candidates Vice-Presidental Candidate Shaun Holloway

Attorney General Candidate Broderick Morissette

Chief Justice Candidate Jordan Griffin

Treasurer Candidates Caleb Santa Cruz

Student-at-Large Candidates

Breanna Healey

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Engineering run-offs Adriana Bailey Callie Wales

USA Crime Report 03/31/2018 Theft of Property Third Degree ($500 to $1499) USA Medical Center On March 31, 2018, a female patient of USAMC reported that her wallet had been stolen out of her purse. 03/31/2018 Assault Third Degree Gamma 4 On 03/31/2018, at 18:55, the crime of Assault 3rd Degree and Burglary 3rd Degree were committed. 04/02/2018 Harassing Communications University Police Department A male employee for the University of South Alabama reported that

he has been receiving threatening phone calls on his personal cell phone from an unknown number. 04/04/2018 Disorderly Conduct/Disturbing Peace USA Medical Center The subject was arrested in the East Wing ER of USA Medical Center for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and illegal possession of a credit/debit card. 04/04/2018 Duty Upon Striking an Unoccupied Vehicle Mitchell Center Victim’s vehicle was damaged while parked at the Mitchell Center.

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NEWS

3 SGA election party results continued Continued from page 1

“One of the things I want to do as attorney general is increase political activism on campus and to get students involved with the political process,” Morrissette said. The new Student-at-Large is Breanna Healy. Healy admitted to feeling anxious awaiting her election results.

“I was going up against a really great competitor, Maniysha Marshall,” Healy said. “So, I was really nervous about it.” Healy said one of her goals is to promote student involvement on campus. “I plan to engage students and offer them more leadership opportunities on campus,” Healy said, “I really want to connect students to

those opportunities.” Current SGA President Carl A. Thomas, Jr. commented on the new wave of executive board members. “I’m very excited about the new leadership and SGA,” Thomas said. “I feel it’s full of potential and fights for the student body and the university as a whole. We have a board full of qualified candidates and I think they will continue the mis-

sion of what we’ve done in student government.” For more information on the new SGA officials, visit them on Facebook @USASGA and on Intsgram at @USA_SGA. For more information about the USA Student Government Association, call (251) 460-7191.

Student Spotlight: Grace Newcombe

SGA President-Elect Grace Newcombe pictured at the SGA election party. Photo by Briana Cunningham BY: RICHARD NARRAMORE | ASSIST. MANAGING EDITOR

Grace Newcombe is living by her family’s motto of doing more as she prepares to lead USA’s student body as SGA president next year. Newcombe said her inspiration to lead stems from her father. “He has motivated me my entire life,” Newcombe said. “No matter what it is, he told me to ‘go for it.’” She recounted how her dad wanted to help when tornadoes had damaged her hometown, Huntsville, and the community’s power went out. “Ever since I was young my dad and I have always thought ‘what

more can we do,’” Newcombe said. “My dad has always pushed me to have that mentality and when I left home it carried on and stayed with me.” Newcombe said her father was very proud of her successful SGA presidential campaign and told her, “the tears have not stopped pouring down my face.” “My dad is my best friend in the whole world,” Newcombe said. “What he says means the most to me.” Founded on her father’s principle of doing more, Newcombe’s journey to SGA president is one filled with just that. Whether it is organizing and coordinating events for Phi Mu or leading the charge to create a new student organization, Newcombe has continually placed herself in positions to do more. Newcombe became a panhellenic delegate in her first semester on campus and helped organize a Greek Swap at USA. She then followed up by serving as the Phi Mu alumni relations chair, where she acted as a liaison between the sorority and its alumni in the spring and fall of 2016. Newcombe organized Phi Mu’s first alumni egg hunt. She then served as Phi Mu’s secretary in her sophomore year. Newcombe’s SGA career started when she filled a vacant senate seat for the College of Arts and Science. Newcombe then moved into the Attorney General position durinf her junior year after an incumbent

AG stepped down. As AG, Newcombe attended a conference in Destin, Florida where she learned how to better advocate for Higher Education Day and how to educate people on the importance of a college degree. Also, as AG, Newcombe was mentored by William J. “Happy” Fulford III and Nick Lawkis, executive and associate directors of governmental relations at USA. Newcombe had orginally planned to run for AG this spring before stepping into the postion early. said she was already preparing to run for AG her senior year before she stepped into the position. She said the after attending the conference and serving as AG she knew she wanted more. “When the opportunity rose for me to be AG I thought this was perfect timing and I was thrilled and now I am here, presidentelect,” Newcombe said. Newcombe said before deciding to run as SGA president, she had thoughts of running for president if Phi Mu. Ultimately, Newcombe chose the position she thought she could do the most in. “I love them both equally, but I had been involved with Phi Mu for so long and I wanted more,” Newcombe said. “I don’t want to be just representing my sisters, I want to be representing everyone. I want to be able to be that liaison between students and our administration and the rest of our universities.”

Newcombe held leadership positions throughout her college career and around campus. She was a driving force behind the creation of USA’s student organization College Republicans and served as president. Newcombe fielded questions about her personal political views on the campaign trails. “I am working to address that divide and how we can strengthen relations within SGA externally and internally because I know it’s gonna be an issue,” Newcombe said. “I’ve been working with executives officers, consisting of the president, vice-president and treasurer, and I have begun creating that conversation about how to decrease that divide.” Newcombe was also recently tapped to serve as the alumni relations chair for USA’s Mortar Board. Newcombe is a member of the political science club, a member of the pre-law society Phi eta sigma and a leadership scholar. Newcombe also served as an intern to Alabama Senator Luther Strange. Newcombe said she gained valuable experience from this internship and it piqued her interest in unexpected areas, such as agriculture. Newcombe said she is looking at several different paths in the future such as serving as a senator or working in higher education.

4 NEWS Indian culture taught through music

Students have to opportunity to learn about Indian culture through music. Photo courtesy of Dr. S. Raj Chadhurry BY: NATASHA SPRADLIN | REPORTER

University of South Alabama students looking for new opportunities in music and culture can enroll in USA’s Indian Ensemble. Students can participate in the ensemble for credit, and also as a non-credit course to the community through South’s Center for Continuing Education. The Indian ensemble is different from other ensembles performing at a university level, according to ensemble leader Dr. S. Raj Chaudhury. Every semester, he starts from scratch. Students are not required to have experience with Indian instruments, vocal practice or music before taking the course. Students are introduced to instruments such as the Tabla drums and the vocal traditions of India throughout their time in the course. For some students, the instruments can seem familiar to a western instrument they already play. Acoustic western instruments can generally be worked into the ensemble, according to Chaudhury. Chaudhury invites students contemplating whether they should join the ensemble to try it out. According to Chaudhury, the hardest thing people sometimes find is

sitting on the floor cross legged for two hours, but there are stretching breaks. He recommends watching Youtube videos of the Auburn Indian Music Ensemble to see what past musicians have done. “It’s a challenge and it’s an opportunity,” Chaudhury said. “Ask any professor, he or she would love to have a blank slate to operate on. At the same time, there aren’t teaching materials and in this day and age it’s an advantage to be able to use the internet in certain ways to teach so the oral tradition can be supplemented with that.” Chaudhury said social media has provided valuable feedback for the course. During his time at Auburn University they posted several videos to Youtube and received and international audience. In the future, he hopes to see an increase in student participation at USA. He hopes the program at USA will develop with more feedback. Chaudhury has led the ensemble for three semesters. Every semester concludes with a concert performed in front of local Indian community members. Chaudhury is the executive director of the Innovation and Learning center and USAonline, otherwise known as Sakai. He was

“It’s a challenge and it’s an opportunity.” - Dr. S. Raj Chaudhury

born and raised in Kolkata, West Bengal’s capital in northeast India. Chaudhury came to the United States for college. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vassar College and received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California in LA. He began teaching Indian Music while attending UCLA. Accord-

ing to Chaudhury, the opportunity motivated him to ponder how he could teach Indian music to people who didn’t have familiarity with the traditions or know the languages. Chaudhury has taught at three universities to date including Christopher Newport University located in Virginia, Auburn University and USA. “I think I’m a good teacher,” Chaudhury said. “Most people come in and they love it. At the performances there is usually really good Indian food too, so that’s another attraction. The Indian Music Ensemble is scheduled to next perform on Aug. 14th from 7-9 p.m. at the Unitarian Fellowship on Old Shell Road to celebrate the Bengali New Year. Admission is free.. For more information, contact Chaudhury at schaudhury@southalabama.edu

LIFE

USA students participate in local art show BY: ELAINE RUSS | REPORTER

Mobile Arts Councils galleries are now hosting 5, an art competition honoring student artists. An awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on Friday, April 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. Twelve students from the University of South Alabama participated in the competition. “Several years ago, artist and teacher Wanda Sullivan, assistant professor of fine arts at Spring Hill College, suggested that MAC organize an exhibition of work by students from the area’s five colleges and universities,” MAC Program Director Lucy Gafford said. “The result was Take 5 in April 2008, and its success convinced us to make it a biennial event. We retitled it, simply, 5, and this year, we present our sixth exhibition.” Students from the area’s local universities submitted artwork for the competition and it is currently

on display. “Entry was open to any student – not only students studying art - enrolled during any part of the 2017 -18 academic year at Bishop State Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College, Spring Hill College, the University of Mobile or the University of South Alabama,” Gafford said. “Our goals for the 5 competition are to give students the opportunity to participate in a juried exhibition, provide a professional public setting for them to showcase their work, and bring together the diverse talents exhibited by all five Mobile-area schools.” In order for the artwork to be displayed, it had to go through an initial round of judging. “Students submitted images of their entries digitally to us months prior to the competition, along with a $20 entry fee to pay for the

Grilled Cheese Day BY: TRICIA WEST | ELECTRONIC FILE MANAGER

University of South Alabama students are scheduled to gather to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day by selling grilled cheese sandwiches to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House of Mobile on April 12 in the Student Center Mall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Ronald McDonald House provides home environment to families with seriously ill and injured children being treated at local hospitals, according to rmchmobile.org National Grilled Cheese Day is an unofficial U.S. holiday that celebrates the combination of bread and cheese seared on a hot skillet, and then served for others to enjoy, according to NationalDayCalender. com. Event Co-Coordinator Sara Thomas stated that the celebration is part of an Strategic Event Management class taught by Nadia Bush in the department of communication. As far as the group is aware, this

is the first time USA has celebrated National Grilled Cheese Day. “Each year the class breaks into smaller sections to plan and implement a variety of events,” Thomas stated. “In this year’s class the groups are planning the National Grilled Cheese Day Cheese Sandwich Day event, a bingo night, a Strategic Communication Day, and an event called Cold Ones for Cajones. The class gains valuable experience in planning events. I would guess most students in the class have never planned an event from an idea all the way to completion before.” The group also plans to collect donations, In addition to selling grilled cheese sandwiches. “We will be selling grilled cheese for 50 cents and will have a photo booth and music....” McCraney stated. “We wanted to have something where students could come enjoy grilled cheese and have a little silly fun.”

judge and towards prize money,” Gafford said. “From the 90 works submitted, Judge Wendy DesChene of Auburn University chose 60 pieces by 34 artists: three from Bishop State Community College, 10 from Coastal Alabama Community College, six from Spring Hill College, three from the University of Mobile and 12 from the University of South Alabama.” Gafford was impressed by USA students’ work. “The students have very impressive work, and a wide range of mediums used – from glass sculptures to oil paintings and illustrations,” Gafford said. Gafford has a personal reason to favor USA artwork. “I’m a little biased when it comes to discussing USA’s visual arts programs, since I’m a USA graduate with BFA degrees in Painting and Sculpture,” Gafford said. “I think

USA has a fantastic visual arts program with a very talented and fun staff of professors. I would recommend it to anyone!” The exhibition will offer financial rewards. “The exhibition will hang in our galleries from Monday, April 2 through Friday, April 27, with a reception and awards ceremony during the LoDa ArtWalk on Friday, April 13 between 6 - 9 p.m,” Gafford said. “Prizes, including cash and gift certificates, will be awarded the evening of the reception. Prizes are provided by Ashland Gallery, the Mobile Art Association, and the Mobile Arts Council. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on weekdays and it will be open on Saturday and Sunday during the SouthSounds Arts and Crafts Market hours.” MAC galleries are at 318 Dauphin Street. To find more information, visit mobilearts.org.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE AND WORK AT THE

beach?

University housing is available this summer

University housing is available in Gulf Shores for USA students who wish to serve internships or have summer employment in Foley, Gulf Shores, or Orange Beach. Assistance with internship placement or summer employment is also available.

For more information, contact Dr. Jenny Manders at jmanders@southalabama.edu.

LIFE

Mega Musical Chairs returns to USA

The winner of Mega Musical Chairs will get to choose the chairity that will receive all the proceeds from the event. Photo courtesy of Kaitlyn Roberts BY: RACHEL SULLIVAN | REPORTER

The sixth annual Mega Musical Chairs event at the University of South Alabama is scheduled for Friday, April 13. This on-campus event at USA raises awareness for charities around the world. “The event is just as it sounds; it is a huge game of musical chairs, but the winner of the game decides where to send 100 percent of the proceeds raised throughout the year to any accredited, nonprofit charity of his or her choice,” MMC Director Reed Miller said. “The ideology behind the fundraiser is to underscore an understanding that adversity and exploitation are ongoing international problems.” MMC began in 2010 when two USA undergraduate students, Raj Paladugu and Arjun Jadhav, thought of a way to support and raise funds for the Haitian earthquake victims. Since 2010, the event has grown to involve dozens of charities and organizations from around the world. Last year, the event hosted approximately 300 competitors and raised over $5,000 for the winner’s charity, Family Promise of Coastal Alabama. For this sixth annual event, the MMC executive board, consisting

of Reed Miller, Juan Pardo, Aly Nguyen, Emily Cleveland and Rula Al-Awazzi, has worked to develop what Miller called “the biggest and best event yet.” They wanted to build around the experience of MMC by including carnival games, door prizes, guest speakers and a horror movie themed event. MMC is planning a Jason and Friday the 13th theme for this year’s event. “As an executive board, we also hope the ideology of this tradition is absorbed by the participants, causing them to develop a more well-rounded understanding of obstacles faced by those around the world,” Miller said. “By affecting one person, ripple effects may reach others, ultimately proving that each person’s attendance, contribution, and desire to improve society matters.” Currently, the MMC board is asking students, faculty and staff to purchase a $5 ticket for the event. This ticket covers participation in the game, a t-shirt and food. A ticket booth will be open in the Student Center Mall on campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every week day from April 9-13. They are also accepting donations through their Venmo account @USAMMC.

“This year we are hoping to bring out more people than ever and raise awareness about charities across the world,” Cleveland said.

“We will be having a DJ, carnival games, food from Boiling Pot and of course a game of musical chairs!” “This year we hope to continue the tradition of Mega Musical Chairs as a staple event on campus,” Miller said. “Through this event, not only do we aim to raise proceeds for a charitable organization, but we also hope to spread awareness of the other represented charities. As a result, MMC can help support local, national and international foundations supporting all walks of life facing adversity.” MMC is scheduled for Friday, April 13 in the Student Center Amphitheatre at 5 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in the Student Center Mall all week or through Venmo. For more information and updates on this event, follow the event 2018 MMC on Facebook.

111 S. Royal Street, Mobile AL 36602 | 251.208.7569 For more information, visit historymuseumofmobile.com

SPORTS

Jags lose two in a road trip to CCU

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Drew Labounty is one of the Jaguars players missing this season due to injury. Photo courtesy of USAJaguars.com

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The University of South Alabama baseball team dropped two of three games in a weekend series against the No. 18 Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers. USA won the first game of the series in Conway S.C. 11-6. Senior right-hander Tyler Carr picked up his fifth win of the season and got a season high seven strikeouts in eight innings pitched. “Our approach was to get ahead early, pitch them in and throw the offspeed for strikes,” Carr said about the strategy coming into the game. “My changeup was working. We didn’t throw the slider much; it wasn’t that effective. I knew they [CCU] had good offensive numbers coming into the weekend.... I wanted to beat him real bad and we needed a win.” The Jaguar offense then took advantage of an off night for CCU junior right-hander Jason Bilous. The Chanticleers game one starter threw a record-setting 10 walks in his 3.1 innings pitched, which the Jags took advantage of scoring eight unanswered runs. The Jags luck didn’t last as they took a 14-7 defeat in game two, and take a beating in a 12-0 shutout to

end the series. The Jags fell to 17-13 on the season and 7-4 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Saturday and Sunday losses also took the Jags to 3-8 when facing ranked opponents. “We have lost some guys for the season and when you looked at our schedule before the season started, it was tough with everybody you thought was going to be on the roster, and it got even tougher when some guys went down, but it is what it is,” USA baseball head coach Mark Calvi said following Friday nights win. “We just had to establish what normal was without some of those [injured] guys. Our guys have kept playing hard, practicing hard and have kept at it. I’m proud of their effort.” The Jags next game is scheduled for April 10 in Montgomery, Alabama against Alabama State University. The next home game is slated to be an April 13-15 home series against Georgia Southern University. For more information about USA baseball check out The Vanguard Facebook page @thevanguardusa or our website www.thevanguardusa.com. visit USAJaguars.com for more information about Jaguar Athletics.

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SPORTS

Football players workout in front of NFL, cont’d

Defensive end Finesse Middleton works out for NFL scouts at USA Pro Day. Photo by Hannah Blackburn

Continued from page 1

-2-inch broad jump and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.66 seconds. “It feels great to be out here, to be back home and get a workout in,” Reaves said as he adorned cleats with signatures of encouragement written on them.

“I feel like I did my chain of direction stuff well and also did my skill really well and that was my whole goal. It’s a blessing, and you put your best foot forward, anything can happen. Throughout my life there have been guys that said I was too small or not fast enough and that’s just my motivation to

help me work harder. This is every kid’s dream.” Defensive end Finesse Middleton who recorded 21 bench press reps, ran his 40-yard dash in 4.81 seconds and ran his 3-cone drill at 7.03 seconds, has been waiting his whole life for this opportunity. “I have already met with New

Orleans and Cincinnati, and will be visiting other teams over the weekend,” Middleton said. “Nothing is set in stone yet, but I would be happy going anywhere. I have played ever since I was five and have always had a football in my hand ever since then. I thank God for giving me this opportunity. I feel truly blessed.” Other notable highlights from Pro Day include Xavier Johnson, USA’s all-time leading rusher who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds. Wide receiver and defensive back Quinton Lane, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 and 4.47 seconds, and his vertical and broad jumps came in at 40.5 inches and 10-feet-1-inch respectively. Linebacker Darrell Songy recorded 24 reps at 225 pounds. From knocking down tackling dummies, to running sprints and routes, the Jaguar football program has produced a lot of potential professionals. To find out more about USA athletics visit The Vanguard’s Facebook page @thevanguardusa.com.

Spring practice Q&A with Coach Campbell

BY: CHRISTIAN HINKEL | REPORTER

The University of South Alabama football team is finishing up spring practice for the first time under new head coach Steve Campbell. The Jaguars’ spring game is scheduled to kickoff April 14 at noon. The Jags have many question marks heading into the season, and Coach Campbell was able to provide some clarity heading into the spring game. Campbelll listed a few standouts athletes during spring practice. “Noah Fisher and Ryan Alexander have done very well on the offensive line.” Fisher is a returning starter for the Jags this season and was also a selection to the second team allSun Belt roster in 2017. Campbell is also impressed by

defensive backs Nigel Lawrence, and Darian Mills. “Nigel Lawrence has really shown up in the defensive backfield, along with Mills who has really stepped up at the cornerback spot.” Defensive back play will be key this season with the loss of Jeremy Reaves to the NFL. Moving on to talk about the quarterback spot, Campbell wasn’t ready to state who will be taking first team reps at quarterback when the spring game arrives. “We have no idea yet. Cole and Dallas have both had a good spring. Evan looked really good today, and Cephus has looked good every day. That battle is ongoing, and will be ongoing.” Quarterback isn’t the only position battle happening in spring

practice for the Jags. Center, wide receiver, and tight end are all positions that have ongoing battles, according to Campbell. Perhaps the biggest position battle that isn’t quarterback though would be running back. The Jags lost Xavier Johnson, who was the leading rusher in school history, and Campbell and his staff are working hard to find Johnson’s successor. “Running back Tra Minter has looked really good. Deonta Moore has also done some good things.” Campbell also spoke about the Jags upcoming season and the many challenges that the 2018 schedule presents. He said that the players and coaches are excited for these games, but as a team, the Jags are much more focused on getting better each and every day.

“The players will be excited for those big games, but right now our focus is on trying to get better and trying to build our football team to a point to where we can win all those games.” To wrap up, Campbell had a few encouraging words for Jaguar fans and what they can expect to see in 2018. “Expect to see a team that will compete and play hard for four quarters and leave everything on the field,” Campbell said. “That’s our deal. We want to be a passionate football team that play hard and unselfish.” The Jaguars is scheduled to open up their 2018 season at home on Sept. 1 vs. Louisiana Tech.

OPINION

Being the child of a transgender parent

Shannon Lundgren and her father prepare to say farewell at the end of an infrequent visit. Photo courtesy of Shannon Lundgren BY: SHANNON LUNDGREN | EDITOR IN CHIEF

From an early age, I knew that my parents were keeping a secret from me. Even though I was too young to understand the full context of their words, I understood the tense conversations that stopped as soon as I toddled into a room. I certainly understood the loud voices that came later, hurling abuse at each other, even if I didn’t quite grasp the meaning of the words. The exact words are blessedly lost to the fog of time. When I was three years old, my parents informed me that while they both loved me very much, they no longer loved each other. As such, they were getting a divorce. The news upset me for reasons even I couldn’t name or comprehend. Toddlers have notoriously short memory spans, however. They wake up, they live lives segmented by little rituals: meal time, snack time, nap time, story time, television time. Bedtime was the reset button that erased most of the previous day’s memories away. I was no different in this regard. My father faded from my life and I barely noticed. Every once in a

while - days, weeks or months, I’ll never know - my father would pop back into my life and whisk me off for a magical time. The visits grew further and further apart. Eventually, my visitation settled into an rotation of two to three days approximately every six months. My mother made it clear that she had full custody of me and that these visits were at her pleasure. I didn’t think to ask why she had full custody of me, or what the options to full custody were. Around the age of seven or eight, I began to ask about my father sometimes. I don’t remember the questions or the answers, but I remember getting the sense that I wasn’t being told the full truth. Unsatisfied with the answers, I grimly resolved to gather information by any means necessary. At my mother’s family get-togethers, they would eventually send me, the only child in the family, to bed or out to play so they could have adult conversation. I became adept at creeping into the hallway to sit at the top of the stairs and listening to the conversation going on downstairs. Their conversations filtered up the wooden stairs like an echo chamber. Over time, I learned which

spots in the floor creaked. I learned to sit perfectly still and take tiny, even, shallow breaths, because the stairwell echo chamber worked both ways. My persistence paid off, and finally I began to hear snippets of conversation directly relevant to my interests. I overheard a conversation about the time my father got drunk and passed out in the bathtub wearing a face full of my mother’s makeup. Another time, I overheard a conversation about the time my father got drunk and passed out wearing my mother’s clothes. The news didn’t really surprise me. Substance abuse issues ran in my mother’s family, so even as a small child, I understood that being drunk made adults do stupid things. Besides, I was raised on late 80’s feminism. “You’re a girl and you can do anything a boy can do and do it better,” my mother told me determinedly one day. It had never crossed my mind that wasn’t the case, but I accepted this universal truth for no other reason than the fact that my mother imparted it to me. But, if girls could do anything boys could do, didn’t that mean that boys could do anything a girl could do? Clearly, that meant that boys could also wear dresses and makeup. It’s not like wearing makeup or dresses hurt anyone. I began to fish for information from family members on both sides of the family by dropping hints about things I overheard. At first, no one would confirm or deny the rumors. I asked deliberately incendiary questions designed to provoke a reaction or to try to trick them into giving me more information. But, I was a child and the adults were able to deftly sidestep my ploys. Through the course of my childhood, several events which seemed unrelated to me at the time occurred. My mother, on the other hand, surely must have correlated these events and jumped to some

conclusions which likely terrified her. First, after my first day of kindergarten, I refused to wear dresses ever again. Initially, this was because I slid down the playground’s metal slide on a hot summer’s day. I was traumatized by the feel of the scorching metal on my tender back side. My mother refused to accept my new style and coerced me into wearing dresses on a few memorable occasions. I double-downed on my refusal to wear dresses, but she ultimately prevailed. Our relationship was irreparably harmed. Second, at some point in the second or third grade, I decided that I was tired of wearing pink. One day, I looked at every stitch of clothing I had and couldn’t find anything that didn’t have pink on it somewhere. My room was pink. Nearly every accessory I had was pink. I craved variety and begged my mother to stop buying me pink things. She continued to buy me pink items until I asked my beloved stepfather to intercede on my behalf. My mother compromised by buying fewer pink clothes. I felt ignored. Third, in the mid 90’s, when the Atlanta Braves were routinely making it to playoffs and the World Series, I became enchanted with baseball. I watched every game. David Justice, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Chipper Jones were my heroes. I repeatedly begged my mother to let me put a Braves poster in my room. “You’re a girl, Shannon!” my mother yelled at me in frustration during one fight. “Be a girl!” I stared at her in bewilderment and broke down into tears. If girls and boys could all do the same things, why was it a problem if I loved the Braves? Several months later, for Christmas, my mother hung a framed poster featuring my heroes in my room. I still remember her tentative, nervous smile. It didn’t make sense to me, but I didn’t care. I won one battle. At the time, I never understood Continued on page 10

OPINION

Child of a transgender parent, continued Continued from page 9

why any of these things were a big deal. As I grew up, I continued to make many choices that could be interpreted as gender-nonconforming to people who put stock in such things. I took jobs in male-dominated career fields; the military, emergency medicine, forklift operator and truck driver. I also continued to hear whispered allegations regarding my father’s fashion choices. My relationship with my father was never great, his absenteeism being only one reason. I was very angry for a long time about my father not being around. My father eventually remarried, had my halfsister, then divorced. My half-sister was the only reason I stayed in touch with my father. During one visit, shortly after my father and stepmother divorced, my father came out to me as transgender over beers one night. I took the news with aplomb. It wasn’t a shock to me. In a lot of ways, I felt like I had been waiting my entire life to hear this news. I felt vindicated. The truth was finally in the open.

I peppered my father with questions. Was he transsexual? No, my father preferred the term transperson. Did my father have a name for his female identity? Yes. Did this make my dad gay? No, my father insisted, he still liked women. Many years later, my father revised that statement, deciding to identify as gay. How did my dad know he was a she? “My first memory is of having my hair cut and it just felt wrong,” my father said to me. My father had two questions for me. First, she asked me whether or not I was okay with her trans-ness. I was. The second question my dad asked me was if I too, was struggling with my gender identity. “I thought about it once or twice, but no,” I said. “Oh,” my dad said. “You always kind of seemed butch.” I shrugged and we ended the

conversation on that note. After the visit ended, my father emailed me with a few book recommendations about coming to terms with having a transgender parent. I never read a single one. I didn’t need to. The great question from my childhood - what was everyone hiding from me - was finally answered. I came to terms with having a transgender parent a solid decade before anyone ever told me I had one. Many times through the years, my dad continued to ask me if I was ok with her being transgender. I tried to reassure my father every way I could imagine. Finally, one day, I gave up in exasperation. “Do you want me to not be ok with it?” I demanded. “I don’t know what you want from me. I can be not ok with it if that’s what you want.” My father lapsed into silence and

“You’re a girl and you can do anything a boy can do and do it better.” - My mother

never asked that question again. I was ok with my father’s transness because on some level, I always knew it. This was compounded by the fact that I rarely saw my father as a child and we didn’t have much of a relationship. Since I never got to know my father while she was living as a man, I never mourned the passing of my father’s male identity. However, I can’t help but wonder what toll my father’s trans-ness took on my relationship with my mother. As I look back, I recall all of the fights about the color pink, dresses and my interests and question whether or not my relationship with my mother would have been less tumultuous if she weren’t constantly trying to force me into a gender identity I neither wanted nor needed. She lacked the vocabulary to talk to me about transgender issues. Surely, she feared that being transgender was a genetic issue. I suppose all she could do was stand by and try to berate me into making different decisions. For this and many other reasons, I was estranged from my mother when she died, so I will never know. I will always wonder.

Can you measure up as a mentor? for Gainful Employment USA – is a program that works with students with intellectual disabilities to Patience. Compassion. Commit- provide them individual supports ment. These are each great characand services in academic and social ter traits to have, but are a necessity inclusion in academic courses, for our Student Mentors. Student extracurricular activities, and Mentors work alongside the stuother aspects of University life. The dents in the PASSAGE USA proprogram’s students are paired with gram here on campus, providing Student Mentors to provide both them with age-appropriate relation- parties with a better, more positive ships that a teacher-student relalife experience. tionship can never provide. Celest Student Mentors are not babyCreamer, sophomore, explains that sitters, however. What Student she mentors “to give these students Mentors are is advocates, friends, the same college experience that I and role-models. In a typical day, am getting here at South.” Student Mentors may escort their PASSAGE USA – Preparing All Mentees to class, play ball with Students Socially and Academically them at the rec center, eat lunch BY JOHN B. HEINL | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

with them at the student center, give relationship advice, or provide job coaching to their Mentees. Regardless of what the specifics are, the Student Mentors are accepting friends throughout. As Naden Kreitz, sophomore, puts it, “A mentor equips PASSAGE students with social, academic, work, financial, and emotional tools so that PASSAGE students can excel outside the gates of the University of South Alabama.” What’s in it for the Student Mentor? If wanting to help others is not your motivation, documented service hours and the occasional free meal might be. As none of us can predict the future, it may turn out

that your time as a Student Mentor becomes one of the most useful aspects of your college career; it will certainly be one of your most rewarding ones. Heather Barsukoff, freshman, sums up her experiences as such: “I absolutely love being a student mentor! Being a mentor has been very rewarding and tons of fun! I have definitely enjoyed getting to spend time with the PASSAGE students and getting to form new friendships with them. I can’t wait to continue to work with PASSAGE USA for the rest of my time at South.” To become a Student Mentor, contact Alexandra Chanto-Wetter at achantowetter@southalabama.

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