The SpringHillian Volume 107, Issue 5
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Admissions Trying New Strategies Cassidi Sterrett | Reporter
This past week Badger Day invited 110 prospective students to Spring Hill College. Spring Hill Ambassador, Caroline Strand, shares that “Badger day is a day where high school students and their families come to Spring Hill for a day filled with different sessions to learn more about the school. Sessions include things like meeting with professors for potential majors, housing tours, parent and student panels, lunch and more.” These events help prospective students gain information of what life on the hill is like. Admissions puts on these programs every single year to get students to come to SHC. The Vice President of Enrollment, Gary Bracken, discussed in an interview a new process that
Admissions is testing out this year. He states that “The events aren’t necessarily to be bigger, but they’re more intensive in terms of getting students and families to meet with the faculty, and getting them to meet with other Spring Hill students. We are trying to establish relationships and rapport with the students to generate more yield.” The yield that Bracken discussed is the time from when a student applies to school to when they put down their deposit and begin the enrollment process. Last year, Spring Hill’s yield was sitting at about 5 percent. This is significantly lower than other universities. Bracken says “Usually the benchmark is about 25 percent yield. Our yield was 5 percent, so far less than it should have been by national benchmark and far
Spring Hill staff at check-in. | Photo: Cassidi Sterrett
lower than any other Jesuit college.” This entire year the Admissions department has been working on getting the yield back up a little higher. Along with having fewer events, Bracken shares another goal of the Admissions department, saying “We cut back on a number of applications we are trying to get. Last year we had 6,820 applications. This year we have 5,260, and
that is by design because when you are trying to get students to come to college you are selling something intangible. We are selling something that people can’t see, touch, or feel. So we have to tell them about the benefits and features of an institution.” Although the Admissions department is decreasing the number of applications they are getting, they are hoping to
find the right students to attend SHC. Bracken explains “Something happens here with an education and that is what we are trying to show, by not doing a volume of things and getting a volume of students, but the right students to come here and treating them the right way when they’re going through the application process.”
SHC’s Greeks Gear Up for Spring Recruitment Jordan Parker | Reporter
This spring many of Spring Hill College students will be going through recruitment in hopes of joining a fraternity or sorority on Spring Hill College’s campus. Spring Hill College is home to eight greek organizations. There are four Interfraternity Council fraternities, including Delta Chi, Lambda Chi Alpha, Sigma Chi and Tau Kappa Epsilon; and there are four Panhellenic sororities, including Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Phi Mu and Sigma Kappa. Every year there has been a decline in freshmen who are going through the recruitment process. Vice President of Student Affairs, Kevin Abel, said: “I do believe that the size of the incoming class does have an impact
on interest and the number of students interested in recruitment.” Due to this decreasing number of freshman, campus programming teams, including Panhellenic and the Interfraternity Council (IFC) have been working to encourage students
to get more involved on campus. This was the first year that the two came together to help introduce potential new members to the Greek community by hosting a Meet the Greeks event this past September. Caroline Cusick, Panhellenic President, said:
Panhellenic ladies at Greek Week. | Photo: Jordan Parker
“We had Meet the Greeks this semester and we’re just trying to make some programming to show what greek life at Spring Hill is like as well as get people interested and involved.” Cusick also mentioned how Panhellenic has been trying to be more commuter-friendly, saying: “We’ve been trying to have the interest meetings at different times of the day and on different days of the week, because we know that we have been getting a bigger commuter class each year… because it can be harder when you’re not on campus, but commuters can definitely still rush and have meaningful memberships in greek organizations.” While you are not required to attend an interest meeting, the deadline to sign up for
formal Panhellenic spring recruitment is Dec. 8 at 11:59 p.m. While Panhellenic has been holding interest meetings, IFC also plans to start promoting their spring rush soon. Interfraternal Council President, Alex Anderson, said: “We just came up with a picture that fraternities will post on social media to encourage freshman to sign up along with sending all freshmen guys an email to sign up for rush.” IFC rush is Jan. 16-19 and there is a mandatory IFC meeting Jan. 15. You can follow both Panhellenic and IFC on Instagram: @shcpanhellenic and @shc_ifc, and you can register for Panhellenic recruitment using the link in their Instagram bio.
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The SpringHillian
NEWS
November 29, 2018
Self Examen: SHC Reflects on College’s Mission Alyssa Miles | Reporter
At the start of the 20182019 school year, Spring Hill College was asked to begin the Mission Self Examen, which is a yearlong discernment process that allows students, faculty and staff to reflect on the mission of the college to see if the institution is living up to its Jesuit ideals. The Society of Jesus and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities created the Mission Examen to look at all 28 Jesuit institutions and gauge how they are actively living into their missions. The AJCU created a model document that is used to look at different aspects of campus culture regarding Jesuit spirituality. Junior Maria Mengis who is on the steering committee comments, “this past round of sessions during the fall
semester were scheduled during class or otherwise inconvenient time slots for students, so I brought it up in our meeting and it will be addressed in the next round of sessions in the spring. I’m also working on pulling a larger, more diverse student voice from the sessions.” Student participation is necessary for the examen as the college continues
to serve its students first. Junior Landy Thomas was surprised at how passionate other students are about Spring Hill. She said, “I did not realize that other people cared about Spring Hill as much as I do. At least, I didn’t realize that even in the different realms that exist here on campus that there were people who wanted to fight for Spring
Alabama has been doing better than other states in one important matter not discussed enough: recidivism. Recidivism occurs when someone who leaves jail is unable to adjust back to normal life and reenter society. Instead, parole violations or criminal activity will lead to these individuals returning to jail. In the United States, the recidivism rates are extremely high, as we do not have enough initiatives to reintegrate this population into society. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, nationwide, “An estimated 68% of released prisoners were arrested within 3 years.” Here in Alabama,
the recidivism rate for the three year mark is just 31.5% according to the 2017 Alabama Department of Corrections Annual Report. Spring Hill College has been working on a project intended to benefit the population of those who have been formerly incarcerated and returning to live in the area. In partnership with the Project H.O.P.E (Helping Offenders Pursue Excellence) subcommittee, which was sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama under former U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown, Spring Hill College faculty, staff, and students created the New Day Experience Re-Entry Resource Map to
help previously incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society. SHC instructional designer, Dr. Sandra Rogers, and sociology/criminology professor, Dr. Demetrius Semien have played a huge role in the project. Dr. Rogers explained that, “this initiative grew from an idea I had when I heard Dr. Semien present on the re-entry simulation at a local conference. He noted student feedback suggesting that re-entry simulation participants needed a map to reduce the confusion on where to access necessary resources.” The goal is to help reduce recidivism in Mobile County by providing a roadmap to re-entry resources. Thus
Fr. Greg Lucey, S.J. and Dr. Jennifer Good. | Photo: Alyssa Miles
Hill in the same way that I want to fight.” She continued, “The people’s passions that push Spring Hill along are all different but all fighting for the same Spring Hill, a Spring Hill that welcomes without discrimination, provides without leaving members wanting, and runs on the support of a willing and loving community looking out for the College’s best interest beyond what the world might deem as best for other colleges.” The main purpose for an Examen is to reflect and move forward. Director of Campus Ministry, Father Mark Mossa, stated, “The Mission Examen is important because it gives us and the Jesuits a good sense of how we are working together for a common mission, and it helps us to
gauge whether or not we are living up to that mission as we should.” At the end of the Examen Spring Hill will have two reports for the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, one created by the steering committee and the other by a group from other Jesuit colleges to examine our culture. Chancellor of the college, Father Greg Lucey said, “What we want to do is lay out our priorities, see where our challenges are, and layout where we need to go for our future priorities.” Lucy also commented that the mission examen came at an interesting time, since our college leadership is in a time of transition. Overall, the Examen is allowing the campus to reflect on where we have been and allows us to grow into where we need to go.
far, 60 service providers that offer one-stop-shop community resources (i.e., The Neighbor Center, Light of the Village) or singular services (e.g., shelter, GED training, drug rehabilitation) have been mapped. Spring Hill College
students have aided in this project by plotting re-entry service providers, bus routes/stops, and free wi-fi spots on the Google Map for Mobile County. Contact Dr. Semien (dsemien@shc.edu) to participate in the next reentry simulation.
SHC Students Participate in Compiling Re-Entry Map Aubrey Whitten | Contributing Writer
newswire.shc.edu
SHC MEDIA TEAM:
@shcstudentmedia
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The SpringHillian Editor:
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BTV Producer:
Art Director:
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Re-entry map of Mobile, AL. | Photo: Google Maps
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Stuart Babington and Johnny Stevens
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OPINION
Volume 107, Issue 5
Flavored Vape Pods: Should They Be Banned? Kate Huete | Reporter
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in September that they have an agenda to crack down on flavored vape pods. The FDA declared that minor’s usage of electronic cigarettes has reached an “epidemic proportion.” Scott Gottlieb of the FDA disclosed his plans this month of trying to ban menthol from regular cigarettes, outlaw flavored cigars and make stricter
rules regarding e-cigarettes. It is argued that flavored vape pods contain nicotine which is an addictive substance. According to Jasmine Reese, M.D. of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, vape products can be considered dangerous to anyone who uses them, especially to minors. She states, “Nicotine is addictive and causes harmful effects to the adolescent brain, which is still developing.” Along with nicotine, there are a multitude of other harmful chemicals in vape products. One of these harmful substances is aerosols produced by vapes and e-cigarettes which contain cancer-causing chemicals and other harmful substances such as volatile substances, ultra-fine
particles and heavy metals including nickel, tin and lead. “Not only are teens inhaling these substances into their own lungs but bystanders are also inhaling these toxins,” stated Reese. A recent trend among Spring Hill students is to vape in social environments. Plenty of SHC students vape on a regular basis, but the popular thing to do is vape when going out on the weekends. Students turn to vaping because the flavor of vapes is much better than the flavor of tobacco in cigarettes. The vape culture on Spring Hill’s campus is extremely prevalent. With so many students using products such as Juuls, it is highly likely that many of these students are slowly
becoming addicted to their vapes because nicotine is an addictive substance. The damage that students are doing by frequently inhaling nicotine and other harmful substances is irreversible. The FDA sent out warning letters to 1,100 retailers, stating that if these retailers
don’t prove that they can keep their products from minors, then the FDA could remove their flavored products from the markets. As stated in The Times, Dr. Gottlieb of the FDA said that he was unimpressed by the steps Juul and the other companies have taken.
Photo: Kate Huete
A Student Journalist’s View on CNN v. Trump Kayley Robinson | Reporter
On Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, President Trump and CNN reporter Jim Acosta clashed during a press conference, which later resulted in Trump’s controversial decision to revoke Acosta’s White House press pass and a CNN lawsuit against the Trump administration. Acosta repeatedly asked the president difficult questions, which antagonized Trump. The situation further escalated when a young female White House intern stepped in to take the microphone from Acosta, which he refused
EDITORIAL POLICY:
to surrender. Eventually, Acosta sat down after Trump’s persistent refusal to answer his questions, but the exchange was far from over. Trump then verbally attacked Acosta’s character. Following the press conference, the Trump administration revoked Acosta’s White House press pass. CNN later filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. On Nov. 16, a federal judge ruled in favor of CNN in the ongoing case and temporarily restored Acosta’s press pass after determining that the White House violated his due process. As a student reporter for Spring Hill College, the standoff between Acosta and Trump begged my attention and critical analyzation. While I believe Acosta’s behavior was not appropriate for White House decorum, Trump’s
decision to completely revoke Acosta’s press pass was both irrational and unconstitutional. According to a tweet from Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the administration made the decision to revoke Acosta’s pass in response to Acosta “placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern.” However, the footage from the press conference clearly shows that Acosta politely refused to hand over the microphone. Trump should have just been honest about his distaste for Acosta instead of creating a potentially damaging false allegation against him in order to justify the press pass revocation. He knew that without the allegation, the revocation would be groundless. Trump clearly just had a problem with Acosta’s persistence and the
The SpringHillian is published five times each semester from January to April. The views expressed herein do not represent the views of Spring Hill College and are not the views of the faculty, administration, staff or students. They are the views of the individual columnists.
revocation was simply an abuse of power. The revocation violates Acosta’s First and Fifth Amendment Rights, as he has the right to both free speech and due process. Trump’s irresponsible actions are concerning for the current and future leaders of journalism, as the revocation was an obvious attempt to silence someone who opposes his views and openly challenges him in front of his peers. It is obvious that Acosta tested Trump’s fragile ego through the harsh way he responded to Acosta’s opposition during and after the conference. It is clear that Trump is very easily provoked and makes illogical decisions out of anger, which the nation should be concerned about as well. Altogether, both parties contributed to the escalation of the situation, but the
SUBMISSIONS:
president should have responded presidentially instead of irrationally. The nation should be concerned that the president unfoundedly attempted to use his power to strip a person of their constitutional rights. Even though Acosta did not exactly respect the decorum of the White House through the unrelenting way he questioned Trump, his constitutional rights should not be infringed upon. Since the incident, the Trump administration has implemented a set of rules that journalists must abide by in press conferences, which should have been the initial and rational response. I strongly agree that the conference should have rules to maintain order, but Trump cannot punish a reporter for not abiding by rules that were not in place at the time of the incident.
The SpringHillian publishes guest submissions at the discretion of the student-editor and section editors. Submissions should be less than 300 words, and editors reserve the right to edit the submissions for length and content. Original writings should be mailed or delivered to: Student-editor, The SpringHillian, Communication Arts, Spring Hill College, 4000 Dauphin Street, Mobile, AL 36608. Submissions may also be sent as emailed attachments to: shcmedia@email.shc.edu.
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The SpringHillian
AROUND THE HILL
November 29, 2018
Educational Pinning Ceremony. | Photo Courtesy of the Education Department
Reporters and the management team of the SpringHillian. | Photo: Babs
Seniors Brigit Reynolds, Sydnie Lee, and Nick Meinhardt served as extras in the filming of a movie on the USS Alabama. | Photo Courtesy of Nick Meinhardt
Spring Hill College Men of Color Council Legacy Chapter pose for a photo . | Photo courtesy of MOCC
Alpha Kappa Alpha Probate. | Photo Couresty of AKA
Volume 107, Issue 5
AROUND THE HILL
Badger Day on the Hill. | Photo: Cassidi Sterrett
Students and alumni attend Drag Queen Story Hour at West Regional Library. | Photo Courtesy of Emily Buck
Christmas tree lighting. | Photo: Kayley Robinson
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The SpringHillian
LIFESTYLE
November 29, 2018
SHC Fall Play Tales of the Lost Formicans Alyssa Miles | Reporter
Spring Hill’s Fine Arts department put on their annual fall play, “Tales of the Lost Formicans” November 16th through the 18th. The play explored a dysfunctional family dynamic. Cathy and her son, Eric, return home to Cathy’s parents, Evelyn and Jim, after being left by her husband. Jim has alzheimer’s and the entire family must deal with his mental breaks. It all seems to be more than Cathy can handle but she also has to deal with the local conspiracy theorist. Instead of a basic family drama, the screen write, Congdon, takes the play from an anthropological point of view.
The cast looked forward to what the play had to say. Senior Mitchell Dembowski commented that, “The play is a satirical take on society as a whole...it’s flaws and how we don’t always like to think about the hard and tough questions so we just float through life mindlessly.” The play is all about the perspective we take on the life we live. Partnered with the underlying meaning of the play are the satirical, witty and comedic moments throughout so the audience member can catch their breath. The cast worked hard on the production. Senior Evann Campbell said the most important aspect of the play was, “Teamwork. Working together and making sure we are holding each other accountable to knowing our lines, showing up on time, having all of our props together and just being able to lift each other’s energy when we’re feeling stressed.”
Students performing in the fall play. | Photos: Tony Zelena
SPORTS 7 Badgers Celebrate Historic Post-Season Volume 107 Issue 5
Kayley Robinson | Reporter
Several SHC championship-winning sports teams have recently made school history. Women’s court volleyball claimed the 2018 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Volleyball Championship title on Nov. 7 in Birmingham, AL. With the win, the team secured its first-ever berth into the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship. Additionally, Badger volleyball shined at the SIAC’s annual awards ceremony on Nov. 4. During the awards ceremony, five Badger volleyball players were selected to the 2018 SIAC Volleyball All-Conference Team, including Kassandra Fairly, Cassidi Sterrett, Emmarose Neibert, Taylor Hurst and Bentley Odom. Peggy Martin, SHC’s Head Coach of Court Volleyball and Director of Volleyball, was named 2018 SIAC Coach of the Year. Martin described the team’s SIAC Championship victory as “a proud moment” for the Badger volleyball program. The volleyball team’s postseason efforts came to
a close in the first round of the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship. After postseason play, Fairly received honorable mention from the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Regarding her first collegiate season as a Badger volleyball player, Fairly said, “Being a part of this team is one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had by far.” The women’s cross country team also collected their first-ever SIAC Women’s Cross Country Championship trophy on Nov. 2, 2018, at Winthrop University, earning advancement to the 2018 NCAA Divison II South Region Championship. Each of the six Badger competitors placed in the Top 10 and was named AllConference, including Mary Shelton, Meghan Sullivan, Kimberly Atkinson, Grace McCann, Erika Nageleisen and Caroline Weisinger. Head Coach Craig McVey, 2018 SIAC Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, said, “I’m so proud of their season. Winning is a great tribute to each
member of our team.” The team officially closed out their season on Nov. 17, placing 17th at its first NCAA Division II South Region Women’s Cross Country Championships. The men’s soccer team captured the first-ever Gulf South Conference (GSC) Tournament Championship title in SHC history, which earned the GSC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. The GSC Championship win was the Badger’s 14th-straight
and 10th one-goal win of the season. Junior Alex Lipinski, who was named Tournament MVP, said, “I think that trust and faith in each other throughout the season definitely pushed us into winning the championship.” Head Coach, Steve Wieczorek, said, “I am so proud of them and they deserved it so much.” The Badgers concluded their postseason efforts on Nov. 10, falling to Barry University in the second round of the NCAA Division
II Tournament. Spring Hill College Rugby Club obtained the 2018 Deep South Rugby Conference Championship title. This year, the Badgers were dominant on the field, finishing with a record of 6-1. The SHC Rugby Club are also the National Small College Rugby Organization - NSCRO champions, and will potentially compete in the NSCRO’s national tournament in the spring of 2019.
SHC Volleyball Team | Photo: Kayley Robinson
Men’s and Women’s Basketball Wins Badger Brawl Cecilia Von Mann | Reporter
SHC Basketball Team | Photo: Cecilia Von Mann On Saturday, Nov. 17, the Badger’s Basketball teams battled their cross-town rivals, the University of Mobile Rams in the annual Badger Brawl. The Women’s team played first and topped the Lady Rams by six points, the final score being 80-74. The leading scorer for the
Lady Badgers was redshirt Junior Tiffany Valentine, who poured in 36 points. Junior Elise Reilly added 23 points of her own, with 12 of them coming from behind the three-point line. Reilly now ranks second in the standings among all NCAA Division II women’s basketball players for three
point field goals made. Reilly expressed her feelings about her accomplishment saying, “I’m super excited about it considering there are so many D2 schools! Hopefully, I can keep it up and still be number one at the end of the year.” The Men’s team played the second match of the
day. The Badgers came into the game with a record of 1-2 on the season, and the Rams sported a record of 0-2. The competition was evenly matched throughout, with both teams staying within a few baskets of one another for the entire game. Badger Freshman Justin Allison led all scorers with 19 points, with Junior Greysn Rogers hot on his heels with 17 of his own. In the end, the Badgers survived a last second three-point attempt by the Rams, to come out with a 74-73 win. The boys’ varsity coach, Coach Kennedy, discussed the victory explaining that “Beating your cross-town rival in any sport is huge for a program. Especially to be able to compete with an established program like Mobile is very important for our squad... I was really
proud of how our guys competed and persevered.” Kennedy also touched on what the win means for the future of the badgers. “This win, like all games for us, is a barometer of where we are at and where we need to go. The rest of the season we need to have continued incremental improvement and leadership. The reality in any sport is that the players have to make plays and it is our job to put them in a position to have success. If we can continue improving as we have I expect that we will have a successful season.” If you missed these games, you can watch both Badger Basketball teams face off against the Mobile Rams again on Saturday, December 8th at home in the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center.
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The SpringHillian
HILL YEAH!
November 29, 2018
ON THE SPOT
What is your favorite Christmas movie?
Jimmy Ackels | Senior “It’s a Wonderful Life”
Kennedy Williams | Junior “The Polar Express”
John Putnam | Sophomore “Home Alone”
Davis Le | Freshman “The Grinch”
COMIC OF THE WEEK
The holidays are approaching quickly. Whether you already have your Christmas tree up or you have yet to get into the holiday spirit, there’s so much you can do here in the Mobile area. Bellingrath Gardens’ Magic Christmas in Lights- Nov. 23-Jan. 1 Bellingrath Gardens is truly a staple of Mobile. During the year, it boasts thousands of plant and flower species as the Gulf Coast’s premier botanical garden. While the flowers and lakes are beautiful, it’s the Magic Christmas in Lights that is truly magnificent. More than 65 acres of estate is covered in over 1,100 set pieces, 3 million lights and 15 scenes. The historic home on the property is also decorated for the holidays with fresh poinsettias that grow on
the property. For ticket prices, hours and more, visit bellingrath.org. Christmas Nights of LightsNov. 9-Jan. 1 You can also get a dose of Christmas spirit at the Christmas Nights of Lights at Hank Aaron stadium. This is a drive through light show that is very affordable and very convenient. The light show is set to music that comes through your own car radio. You can pile all your friends into your car, turn up the heater and crank up the radio for a fun time. With over 1 million LED lights synchronized to traditional, modern and rock and roll themed Christmas tunes, this is a show you don’t want to miss. To learn more, visit christmasnightsoflights. com. The Lighting- Nov. 30 It is a Christmas tradition here in Mobile to have a
spectacular tree lighting. Come to Mardi Gras Park from 5-8 p.m. The event will include live entertainment and the annual Merry Market, where you can shop a wide array of Christmas decorations and crafts. Visit ncsmobile.org for more information. Wales West Arctic ExpressNov. 23-Dec. 24 Who says train rides are for kids? At Wales West there is fun for all ages. You can ride the Arctic Express steam train through over 1 million twinkling lights to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus. If train rides aren’t your thing, don’t worry. Wales West also boasts a live petting zoo, horseback rides, a hayless hayride, bounce houses and artificial snow. To purchase your tickets, visit waleswestlightrailway. heartlandticket.com.
A cartoon featuring a student feeding one of the many Spring Hill cats. | Illustrator: Wesley Grace