Issue 3_The SpringHillian_Spring 2020

The SpringHillian

SHC Experiences Recent Vandalism

Nathan Taylor | Reporter

Spring Hill College is searching for culprits of vandalism in several classrooms that caused classes to be canceled on February 14, leaving the school with a large mess to clean up right before Badger Day.

Room 325 in the Lucey Administration Center and 227 in Quinlan Hall were defaced in the prank. No cameras caught footage of the perpetrators and they have yet to come forward. However, they have not gotten away with it yet. According to the Vice President of Student Affairs, Kevin Abel, SHC is “continuing to investigate this incident.”

The morning after the prank, students and instructors discovered several classrooms covered in a film of fire extinguisher foam

that had settled into white dust. The dust covered the classrooms’ carpets, tables, and chairs. At first, some professors proposed continuing with class. However, students quickly protested against this idea, citing the dangers of inhaling or coming into skin contact with the chemicals used in fire extinguisher foam.

A similar act of vandalism occurred about a week prior on the second and third floors of New Hall. A student in one of the cancelled classes, a resident advisor named Claire Witt, was on duty when the vandals sprayed the halls with fire extinguishers, setting off the fire alarms and causing the building to be evacuated.

In the process, Witt came in contact with some of the

fire extinguisher dust, which caused her to feel nauseous to the point of vomiting and her skin to become irritated. Her unfortunate reaction proves that these pranks are much more than harmless jokes.

According to Poison Control, when used in areas with poor airflow “fire extinguishers can produce serious toxicity [that] would require medical evaluation.”

Because the incident occurred the weekend before Badger Day “The facilities staff had to focus their efforts on clean-up of the classrooms in addition to preparing the campus for the weekend. They did a terrific job of making sure everything got done despite the vandalism. It is unfortunate, however, that they were put

in that position by a disrespectful act by a member or members of the Spring Hill community,” said Abel.

Student fees for matters such as this are not assessed until the end of the semester and, because of the ongoing investigation, students in New Hall have yet to be fined. While fraternity involvement

SGA Holds 2020 Elections

Eleanor Grindinger | Reporter

The SHC Student Government Association is getting ready for its next election season for President and Vice President of the student body.

Cade Dernlan, current SGA President, explains that serving over the past year with his Vice President, Griffin Morgan, has been full of exciting events such as the December Tree Lighting and the Mardi Gras Parade. Dernlan says, “We are so excited and blessed to have so many impassioned students determined to lead our student body into the future, and we should not let this luxury slip through our fingers.” Dernlan and Morgan advise students to get to know the candidates and their platforms.

Three pairs of students are running for the title of President and Vice President of the SGA. The pairs are:

Luis

The candidates have already begun campaigning in many ways such as speaking to Greek organizations at their chapters and putting up flyers around campus.

Each pair of candidates has different platforms and approaches to the election process, for example, Hernandez says that the first thing he and Cruz plan on doing if elected is to, “Make sure the campus starts recycling again. We would like to emphasize to the student body the importance of the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle).” These two candidates are taking an environmental approach for the campaign as well as aiming to improve athletic facilities. Because both Hernandez and Cruz

play soccer for Spring Hill, their campaign involves improving the workout room and possibly making one of the racquetball courts into a room for stretching and physical therapy.

As for O’Rourke and Moseley, the team is focusing their capaign on listening to the ideas of students. O’Rourke says, “In the event that I am elected, the very first thing I will do is set up ‘office hours’ for two hours a week where students can come to me with any ideas, suggestions and concerns they have about Spring Hill.”

The duo is very adamant about working hard. Moseley states, “We hope the student body will see that Fergus and I genuinely care about Spring Hill. We want to see our full potential as a college to be realized.” The two want to focus on making Spring

Hill SGA a welcoming place where any student can come to them with any ideas.

Lash and Rudolph’s platform includes the proposal of a ‘tuition-freeze’ to the school. This is an idea that the price that tuition is when incoming students sign their enrollment form to Spring Hill will stay the same for all four years. Lash explains, “We are really excited about our proposal for a tuition-freeze on campus… It’s something that a lot of colleges around the United States are implementing, and it has been shown to increase enroll-

in the prank has been talked about among students, substantial evidence that a fraternity is responsible has yet to be revealed. Due to these circumstances, student media cannot report an official number for any possible fines issued to students at this time.

ment significantly.” The duo believes that doing this will highly increase graduation and enrollment rates.

According to the SGA social media accounts, the campaign period opened Sunday, March 8.

In addition, the school will hold the Vice-Presidential debate on March 11 and the Presidential debate on March 12. Students can vote on March 13, and the results will be presented the next day.

Hernandez and Sabrina Cruz; Fergus O’Rourke and Payton Moseley; Matthew Lash and Dionte Rudolph.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Matthew Lash

Nathan Taylor | Photographer

Luis Hernandez Fergus O’Rourke

SHC Updates Students on Coronavirus

Ashleigh Kerr | Reporter

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, SHC is taking precautions to ensure the safety of everyone on campus.

President Joe Lee announced that starting on Mar. 10, the college will be covering the co-pay fee to anyone who is experiencing flu-like or upper respiratory symptoms. Authorization from Student Affairs will be required for students who want to visit the Greater Mobile Urgent Care. While the SHC Emergency Management Team is planning for the virus if it should come, they are also in contact with the federal, state and city health authorities.

The U.S. Department of State raised the advisory to a Level 4: Do Not Travel in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto which are both just north of Bologna, Italy. All U.S. study abroad students were sent home from the SHC Italy Center after travel advisory was at a Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Spring Hill

College is working hard to make sure that all SHC students are safe as this issue continues.

According to BBC News, Italy has quarantined over 16 million people to try to stop the spreading of the virus. Pope Francis delivered his first live-streamed Sunday prayer to avoid the crowds, and said he was “close through prayer” with those affected by the virus. The measures that Italy is taking will be in effect until April 3.

The college has placed extra antibacterial and cleaning supplies throughout the campus.

Housekeeping schedules have doubled in high-traffic areas and the Aramark staff already has a preparedness plan for this kind of situation. Students will receive updated information from the college as it comes in.

The college is planning for the possibility, if it should arise, to continue classes online for the remainder of the semester.

Lee stated that as of March 2, none of the students are experiencing any symptoms nor have tested positive for the virus. By following the guidelines from the Alabama Department of Public Health, students are to stay in their homes for 14 days and be cleared by medical professionals before visiting campus. Junior Tara Summers, who was in Bologna, expressed, “We are all so heartbroken and clueless as to what we should do next. This was the best opportunity and experience I’ve ever had, and it’s being ripped out from under me. We have no control over it. We are devastated.”

Jordan Byrne, assistant director of the Italy Center, said that it is too early to determine anything for Fall semester students. This is a day by day issue. The school has yet to decide on Summer 2020 in Italy. Ashley Rains, director of media and public relations at Spring Hill, said, “As of this moment, Summer

2020 students are being told not to purchase their airline tickets as the situation with the new coronavirus unfolds.”

Some of the Italy Center students were concerned about finishing the courses they were taking. Rains explained that the school is trying to put together online and possibly streaming classes for the students. That way they can finish the semester without having to worry about being behind. Since they will be completing their current classes online, they will not be moving back to campus until the Fall semester.

Byrne stated that before the advisory level changed,

Italy Center students were asked to stay in Bologna to reduce the risk of getting infected with the disease. It is believed that the disease is easily transmitted through air travel and other means of public transportation. According to the World Health Organization, older people have a higher risk of becoming ill with the virus, but they still advise all ages to protect themselves from the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists daily habits that can help prevent the risk of getting infected.

SHC Makes Changes to Housing Application

Eleanor Grindinger | Reporter

With housing coming up fast, Spring Hill College has made changes to the housing application process. This includes a specific application for the Fairway apartments, having some residence halls missing from the application, and implementing new requirements for apartment applicants. Holly Banning, Director of Residence Life and Community Standards, explained that the housing application process will be slightly different from past years pertaining to the Fairway apartments. There will be a specific application for those wishing

to live in the apartments in addition to a selection day only for those applicants. The apartment selection day will be prior to the rest of the housing selection. In addition, mandatory housing selection meetings will be held through the month of March. Banning also explains to clear up some confusion on campus that, “Only fourth year Seniors or above are allowed to live in the Fairways. This has always been the requirement.” Sabrina Cruz, a student on the housing selection committee, tells students, “I’m hoping everything goes well and that peo-

ple follow directions to make it all go easier. I think that all the Seniors are going to have a spot in the fairways. It’s going to be fun to be all together for our last year.”

As for other students, O’Leary Hall and Walsh Hall will continue to be closed next year. Banning explains that this is because, “We want to have residential communities which are vibrant and provide the best community experience living on campus.” Spring Hill College aims for on-campus residents to have the best housing experience possible by keeping students in close

communities. These halls will be reopened once the college receives enough students that desire to live on campus. This situation occurred this semester when the Freshman baseball team along with four rugby players living in Viragh had to move to the first floor of Walsh West due to the need of extensive repairs in their pod. The water pressure in the pod was not up to standards, so the team met with Banning to work out a plan. Being student athletes, water pressure is essential to their hygiene and was not

suitable for the needs of the players. Freshman baseball player, Cade Simpson, says, “I was excited about moving to Walsh because it is so close to everything on campus.” The boys will be living in Walsh for the remainder of the semester while the repairs are being made.

However, other Viragh pods have been having similar issues with water pressure. Momo Cranley, Viragh resident, states, “Mostly everyone in Viragh has bad water pressure. Sometimes the water pressure will go out in the middle of your shower.”

Reporters: Nathan Taylor, Eleanor Grindinger, Ashleigh Kerr, Matthew Moreno, Megan Lear, Alexis Williams, Matthew Brent and Ethan Mercer

BTV Producer: Makayla Paige

BTV Director: Chase Brouillette

Advisors: Stuart Babington, Gary Wolverton and Bill Rowan

Student washing hands | Ashleigh Kerr

Coronavirus Affects European Sports

Matthew Moreno | Reporter

Milan and Juventus had to be done behind closed doors. According to BBC.com, “Italy has been the European country worst hit by coronavirus so far, with over 9,000 confirmed cases and more than 450 deaths.” With these statistics, countries are trying to be as safe as possible to keep people from coming into contact with others.

diate impact on the players who play for the hype and momentum of the fan base. For some, it is the reason they play.

Coronavirus has already caused plenty of tragic deaths around the world, but now it is also causing a huge impact on sports worldwide. Series A, a well established first-division soccer league in Italy had to refrain fans from going to these games due to this virus.

Two top teams in Italy, with a lot of history behind them, looked to match up on March 8. The battle between Inter

Refraining fans from going to the games has not only hit the Italian league but has affected the Champions League, a prestigious European Championship. The idea of keeping fans out of these professional games is hard for the players, but it needed at this time. Imagine going from playing in front of 100,000 fans every weekend to only playing in front of your team and coaching staff. This will have an imme-

This idea of not having a fan base in European soccer has also come across to the NBA platform. Lebron James, one of the biggest influences in basketball, was asked what he would do if there was not a fan base at his games. He fiercely responded by saying, “We play games without the fans? Nah that’s impossible, I ain’t playing … if there’s no fans in the arena, I ain’t playing, I play for the fans.” Would it be the same if there was not anyone to cheer these players on, or help them have that home game advantage? Can the presence of a fan base influence games differently? Although keeping players away from fans

and any outside contact is the safest option, I do agree with Lebron because many athletes play for the fans. It will be extremely difficult for some of these players to gain motivation and perform at the potential that they usually do. Although I agree that it will cause some issues, for some players they may see this as a sign of relief. Playing in front of thousands of fans can be overwhelming at times for some, but this can allow

them to take a deep breath and relieve that pressure.

We only learn more and more about this virus, and the actions taken upon it are currently needed. What does the future hold for the European soccer league or any sport, in general, that is fanbased? Time will only tell the future of the sports industry, and their plans to keep the players and fans happy while simultaneously keeping them safe.

Manipulation of Reality Television

Megan Lear | Reporter

ducer manipulation?

Season 24 of The Bachelor came to an end Tuesday following the two-part season finale. Peter Weber, of season 15 of The Bachelorette, and his choice of 30 women participated in what ABC called ‘the most dramatic season yet.’ We’ve seen champagne theft, retired pageant queen confrontations and an unnecessarily awkward Fantasy Suites weekend. But would this season truly be as dramatic without alleged pro-

EDITORIAL POLICY:

Reality television is infamous for its loosely scripted nature, with writers and producers on deck to boost what dramatics may already be present; the game show antics of The Bachelor are no exception. In ex-producer Amy Kaufman’s expose about the show, she notes several tactics the crew would use in an attempt to boost ratings. Some methods were milder than others, such as placing two head-butting girls in the same place at the same time, while other methods were borderline invasive, such as tracking girls’ menstrual cycles to coordinate increased emotions.

So, it’s far from secrecy that reality television is about as real as primetime WWE Raw, but should we be rewarding potentially invasive and unnecessary manipulation?

I think not. Admittedly, I’m not attached to The Bachelor like some of my peers are. In fact, this is the first year I’ve watched the show. While I’ve enjoyed some of the hilarious high jinks, like the great Champagne-Gate, I’ve scratched my head at others. Collectively, fans on Twitter were confused and angered the final three women had to share a single hotel suite in the show’s highly anticipated Fantasy Suites episode.

For those unaware, the last three women standing are typically invited by the Bachelor for a night of secluded relationship building in a dreamy resort. Each spends their individual time with the Bachelor while the other two women hang out in their corresponding rooms. But this year, each of the girls shared the same room because… why not? The Bachelor hasn’t

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.

experienced any public budget cuts, so one can only assume the producers thought cramming the final three ladies in the same tight space would create some type of drama. And it did - emotions ran high in the final four episodes of the season, leading

to a pretty unique season finale. While I feel it’s immoral to mess with peoples’ emotions for financial gain, I don’t believe it’s unethical in show business. In fact, I’d say it’s in the nature of reality TV.

SUBMISSIONS:

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.

Peter Weber of The Bachelor | Photo Courtesy of TVGuide.com

Juventus v. Inter Milan | Photo Courtesy of BBC.com

AROUND THE HILL

TKE sand volleyball tournament in action

| Eleanor Grindinger

Students show up to watch sand volleyball

| Matthew Moreno

Students walking to Skips

| Matthew Moreno

Kristyn Russell Accepts New CSI Position

Alexis Williams | Reporter

Over Christmas break, students were emailed about a new faculty member in the Director of Center of Student Involvements chair position.

Kristyn Russell is a wellknown staff member who has transitioned from the Foley Center to the Center of Student Involvement. Being from New York, Kristyn received her Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York. Russell later received her Masters at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY.

Russell was very active in the Foley Center and helped students connect to their perfect volunteer sites.

Along with this, she also helped students find their purpose for service. She still helps out the Arrupe Scholar LLC, which is housing for students that are dedicated to service. Although she has begun her new position, Russell still keeps in contact with her Foley Center students.

Transitioning from one de-

partment to another can be difficult, but not for Kristyn Russell. “The change has been a very rewarding experience. I have had the opportunity to meet so many more students and also see Foley Center students in a new light. Everyone has been so welcoming and appreciative of my presence. Overall, I feel like I have hit the ground running and have enjoyed working closely with my students to plan and/or support programs such as fraternity and sorority recruitment, 100 Days, Mardi Gras Ball, etc,” said Kristyn Russell, Director of Center of Student Involvement (CSI). She is enjoying her transition in every step.

Russell feels that she adds something fresh and new to CSI. Previously working in Student Affairs at other Institutions including three Jesuit Institutions, she brings what she learned from theses previous positions to her new title in CSI. Russell

states, “I feel this will bring about some more innovative ideas and collaborations to CSI.”

Of course, when coming to a new job, you have to bring ideas to the table. Russell has added great ideas in the short couple of months that she has been there. Russell stated one of her new projects for CSI is, “Leadership Development curriculum/ programs for Spring Hill College students.” She is still at the developing stages of this new project. She shared the outcome she expects from this new project by stating, “In partnership with Residence Life, we will be introducing a first-year living and learning community (LLC) in Viragh Hall for the 20202021 academic year. Badgers LEAD LLC will be a community for first-year students interested in developing their leadership skills, learn about different leadership styles including their own, and be provided with tools to

develop as a leader on campus and in the community.”

However, this is only half of the outcomes wanted from this project.

In closing with Russell, she talked about how excited she is to meet the students in CSI as she was when she was in the Foley Center. She cannot wait to spread her wings and help Spring Hill students to

“I Still Believe” Out In Theaters

“I Still Believe,” the Lionsgate Films commercial movie filmed in part on the Spring Hill campus last summer, makes its commercial debut on Friday, March 13.

The film, starring K.J. Apa, Britt Robinson, Gary Sinise and Shania Twain, tells a Christian-themed story about Jeremy Camp, contemporary Christian music artist and his wife’s struggle with cancer. A number of SHC students served as extras and crew in the production.

The Lionsgate company, on contract to shoot on the SHC campus, brought cast and crew to the college in late May and early June of 2019. Filming occurred at Skip’s Place, Rydex Commons, the exterior between Yenni Hall and the Barter Student Center, New Hall, and the Barter Room and second floor of Burke Library. Two residence halls rooms

at SHC carry a lasting memory of the film: New Hall room 150 served as the dorm room of the character played by Robinson, and Skip’s Place room 244 played the same role the character played by Apa. The film crew repainted the rooms especially for scenes shot in the rooms, and those colors remain on the walls today, said Ashley Rains, director of media and public relations at SHC.

Rains also remembers a more personal legacy left by Sinise, a Hollywood veteran known for his roles in “Forrest Gump” and the CBS television series, “CSI: NY.” Sinise, who has long supported U.S. military and veterans causes, learned that Army ROTC students were on the campus during the filming. He met with the students, talked

have better life skills. “Spring Hill is a unique place. Our faculty and staff have so much to offer our students. I hope to work more intentionally than I already have with other departments on campus. I feel this will create more cohesion and a better experience all around for our students,” said Kristyn Russell.

about leadership with them, got to know some of them, and posed for pictures with them individually, Rains said.

The film is showing locally beginning Friday at AMC-Mobile 16 on Schillinger Road, the Regal Mobile theater on Satchel Paige Drive, and on the Eastern Shore at Premier Theater in Spanish Fort and at AMC Classic theater in Daphne.

Photo Credit: Lionsgate

Staff Reporter

Renovations Begin At Stan Galle Field

Ethan Mercer | Reporter

A new brick wall started to be put in place this past Sunday at Stan Galle Field. The historic baseball field has been longing for fence renovation down the visitor side and this past Sunday started the process.

What is commonly believed to be America’s oldest active collegiate baseball field, Stan Galle Field has sourced memories of America’s past time since 1889. With great history comes great looks, and everyone on the Spring Hill Campus all recognizes the unique ivy brick wall that sides Quinlan Hall and the Badgers dugout. Now that historic look will soon be mirrored on the visitor side.

After a tough loss Sunday, the Baseball team tore down the old chainlink fence that

was there and started the process for an outside contractor to finish the job. The chainlink fence has not been the greatest look for the historic field and the team is excited about new renovation. The buzz around the locker room intrigued me to get some insight into how they feel towards the brick wall.

Veteran right-hand pitcher AJ Fell had this to say, “I think the new brick wall is going

to truly complete Stan Galle Field. The chain-link fence is out of date and I think the new brick will preserve the historic attributes of the field while making it appear much nicer.” Senior shortstop Danny Rodriguez said, “It will fit into the aesthetic look of the field and create a new nice spot for fans to enjoy the game as well”.

Not only does the wall create a better look for the field,

but it also creates a new way the field plays on the left side. For so long, the weak chainlink fence did not have a solid impact on the left foul territory. Baseballs slipping under the fence, weak ricochets, and tricky navigation all created problems for the team. But now with a solid, sturdy brick wall, the foul territory has some new learning curves. Fell went on to say “The obvious factors definitely come into play such as how the ball will come off the wall compared to the fence, but I don’t think it will be too much of an issue”. Someone who the wall affects, more importantly, is outfielder and utility player, Grayson Williams, who had something to say about the new wall. “I don’t think it

will have too much of an impact on the way it plays but players on the left side of the field will definitely have to be more aware of where the fence is. Running into a brick wall is much different than running into a chain-link fence” said Williams.

The new wall is steadily coming and has more than just an aesthetic look. With a new way to play the left foul territory, and the potential affect it has in recruiting down the road. The bricks will leave an impact on this program for many years to come. The next home game for the Badgers is March 28th, against Tuskegee University, so come out and look at the renovated field and defending SIAC Champions.

Softball Experiences Successful Weekend

Matthew Brent | Reporter

This past weekend, the Spring Hill College Badgers softball team swept Lane College Dragons across three games.

The Badgers started off the weekend by winning both of their Saturday games with scores of 3-0 and 4-0 while ending the series with a 3-1 win on their Sunday game. These wins are important for the Spring Hill team as Lane

College is one of their SIAC conference opponents, adding extra pressure to walk away with a win.

When asked about the wekend series, Spring Hill College softball coach, Steve Kittrell, was very proud of the girls for playing well as a team and working together for the wins. Kittrell discussed the strengths of the team that shined this week-

end as well, saying, “We have been focusing on our pitching and defense. If we want to win a conference championship, we have to improve on that, and I’m glad to say we are.”

This improvement may seem unneeded at first glance after the results of this weekend’s games, but Kittrell is thinking ahead to the Badger’s performance in

the conference championship. Kittrell said, “Our conference has improved as a whole. Last year we won, but I think that every team in our conference has improved, so I hope we have improved just as much as them.” With a conference tournament coming up this weekend for the Spring Hill softball team, we will see just how much the conference has improved

since last year.

Stay connected with how the Spring Hill softball team does at the SIAC Softball Crossover Tournament in Jasper, Alabama from March 12 th to March 14 th . You can learn how the team performs on the Spring Hill Badgers athletic page.

Contruction at Stan Galle Field | Ethan Mercer

HILL YEAH!

ON THE SPOT

“I want someone who not only represents the student body as a whole, but also someone who can take big stride to get things done”

“What do you expect from the SGA candidates for the president and vice president elections?”

Mateo Rivera | Freshman

Caroline Landaiche | Sophomore

“I want SGA to create better transparency between the administration and the student body.”

Brandy Lee | Junior “From SGA I would like for them to create a better representation for student athletes.”

Lia Moguel | Senior

“I want SGA to be an organization that voices the opinion of the entire student body.”