Salsa Night on the Hill Celebrates Hispanic Heritage
Aubrey Gaudet Reporter
Spring Hill students participated in an instructional hands-on lesson on Latin dances in the Barter Student Center on September 22 as part of the Center for Student Involvement’s National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations.
Sister Nelida NaerosCordova, the graduate program director and assistant theology professor, organized the event. “Dr. Paula Celis-Salazar [assistant professor of chemistry] came with the idea to do something special during Spanish heritage month,” Sister Nelida said.
Celis-Salazar and Sister Nelida started with the idea to celebrate Hispanic Heritage by hosting a picture contest and a salsa
night. Sister Nelida agreed to put on the event, “Especially for those who are not so familiar with Spanish culture and the music, the food. We want them [Spring Hill students] to know a little more about our culture, and who we are.”
With the help of Sister Nelida, Celis-Salazar taught students how to salsa, merengue and bachata
before allowing students to “freestyle” the rest of the evening to an assortment of Latin music.
The event aimed to bring an appreciation and awareness to hispanic culture.
“The Hispanic Heritage month is an event that is supposed to celebrate the culture and the heritage of Hispanic countries, the richness, geographically, histor-
ically and culturally but also the contributions of Hispanic people to the United States,” Celis-Salazar said.
SHC sophomore Nicole Balcazar said, “This is the first time I’ve celebrated Hispanic Heritage and I am super happy to hear my music and dance my dances and you see that somebody cares.”
Celis-Salazar said the Hispanic Heritage celebrations are only halfway through. “The kickoff event was the photo contest. We had like 57 participants, and we had around 200 people voting for the best picture. We had [Associate Professor of Communication Arts] Ryan Noble as the expert judging the pictures. We also had a writing hour with Dr. [Stephanie] Balmori [instructor of Modern
Language], and today was the salsa night.”
Upcoming events include a movie night on October 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria and Latin Fest on October 14 at 4 p.m. in downtown Mobile. The celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month ends on October 15.
For more information on the upcoming events for Hispanic Heritage Month, email the Center for Student Involvement at CSI@shc.edu.
Students Dodge Balls to Help Suicide Prevention
Aubrey Gaudet Reporter
Over 50 Spring Hill College students participated in a dodgeball event at the Arthur Outlaw Recreational Center on September 27 that raised money in support of suicide prevention.
DiMya Evans, President of Campus Programming Board said, “It is the end of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and I feel like our on-campus exposure has not been as good about it, so we wanted to make sure we had an event to shed light on suicide prevention,” Evans said.
The Spring Hill College Campus Programming Board, Men of Color Council, and Women of
Color Council sponsored the dodgeball event. Evans stated that all the money raised by the three campus organizations at the dodgeball event went to suicide prevention resources in Mobile.
“For Spring Hill College and the community, this event shows we are aware, and we have unity with everyone. You never know what anyone is going through, so I feel like this event made sure people understood that Campus
Programming Board does care,” Evans said.
According to Evans, she expected no more than 10 students to come out to the event. “I am extremely happy about the turnout,” Evans explained. “I’m glad people are out and having fun just out on campus together.”
Participants played in teams of 15 to 20 people per team during each round.
Sophomore Elisa Di Stanislao, participant in the event, said, “I think it’s really great. I love it when people get together and work on many events together.”
According to Evans, CPB hopes to make the dodgeball night an annual event as part of a week-long campus event for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Spring Hill offers
counseling services to students. To seek assistance, email counseling@shc.edu or call 251-380-2271.
Back the Badgers Sports Campaign Exceeds Expectations
Fae Fox ReporterBack the Badgers
September campaign members raised over $106,000 for numerous sports teams, more than doubling their original goal of $50,000.
Jacob Ludwikowski, Director of Annual Giving said, “I was surprised by the number of people we were able to reach from social media and their willingness to make a contribution.”
This year, the athletic department plans to improve the weight room, training room, and more using the money raised from Back the Badgers. Last year, the donations helped the sports programs provide nutritional supplements to
their athletes and improve transportation for travel.
A total of 709 donors backed the Badgers this year. This was a lower number of donors compared to 2021, yet this year the campaign still raised $20,000 more overall. “The amount of effort from our coaches is amazing and the amount of outpour of
support from our alumni and parents has been significant,” Ludwikowski said.
Back the Badgers was started in 2017. In its first year, members raised about $14,000. Since then, this campaign has reached out to parents, alumni, coaches, and students to raise money to support Badger Athletics
every year.
“No matter where you are in today’s world, athletic departments don’t have what they need to be competitive in today’s world. Back the Badgers offsets some of the cost to make sure our athletes have the best, whether it is equipment or nutrition,” Ludwikowski said.
“The five-year span of Back the Badgers is an amazing testament showing if you put in work then everything works out,” Ludwikowski said.
For more information about Back the Badgers or Annual Giving visit www. givecampus.com/schools/ SpringHillCollege.
Art Professor Gets First Solo Exhibition at Local Museum
Fae Fox ReporterSpring Hill art professor Wanda Sullivan gets her first solo exhibition, “Garden of Hope”, at the Mobile Museum of Art until April 2, 2022.
The exhibit aims to get people thinking about climate change, according to Sullivan. She explained that she takes inspiration from the flowers in her garden and used them to reflect on environmental issues. “I see them as visual metaphors for climate change, biomorphic Frankensteins designed to seduce the viewer, just like our addiction to fossil fuels and technology, ” said Sullivan.
“It is really special to me to be in the museum
because I grew up in Mobile, Alabama and I can’t believe I got asked to have a showing in the museum. It is one of my greatest accomplishments,” said Sullivan.
Sullivan has lived in the South all her life and says this has heavily shaped her
art. The flowers and ginkgo leaves she painted are autobiographical.
“Hydrangeas were always in my relative’s yards growing up, and now they are in my yard,” said Sullivan. She explained that she had avoided painting flowers for years due to the challenge
of separating the floral composition from personal emotions.
“I want my paintings to be beautiful but intimidating in their complexity. I use technology to rearrange flowers into symmetrical designs. The symmetry and order give them a commanding presence in my mind. They are beautiful but serious, complex and measured” said Sullivan.
Sullivan’s exhibit was a small part of her larger vision and motivations. “Art is my motivation. It informs every decision I make, and it is the one area of my life where I am truly disciplined. I would rather paint than take an afternoon off to go to the beach or take a nap at home. I am driven to paint. Any trip I take, I will see
art and look for new ideas,” Sullivan said.
The Mobile Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 pm to 5 pm. Prices vary depending on age; however, Thursdays are free for Alabama residents. For more information, visit the Mobile Museum of Art website at mobilemuseumofart.com.
@shcstudentmedia newswire.shc.edu
The SpringHillian Editor: Victoria Ellis
Art Director: Peri Carr
Web Editor: Codi Clemmons
Advertising Manager: Madeleine Braham
livestream.com/ springhillcollege SHC Student Media
Spring Hill Now Producer: Carson Reeves
Spring Hill Now Director: Kira Babiarz
Reporters: Val Dixon, Fae Fox, Aubrey Gaudet, Natalie Marrs, Sharon Nilsen, Zoe O’Donnell, Isabelle O’Neal, Beau Reed, Natalie Williamson
shcstudentmedia@gmail.com
OPINION
Was Starbucks on Campus Worth the Investment?
The campus Starbucks sales were only 34% of what Einstein’s sold from August 22, 2022 to September 20, 2022, according to a product movement spread sheet prepared by general manager of Spring Hill dining, Alex Tholl.
The spreadsheet calculated how many coffee drink sales were made for the two on-campus businesses. Einstein’s sold 306 coffee cold brew
classics in the last month and Starbucks sold 46 iced coffees, based on the spreadsheet. From the start of the semester to September 20, Einstein’s sold 345 medium caramel macchiatos. Starbucks fell behind and sold only 32 medium caramel macchiatos. “We [Starbucks] did start with a limited menu,” Tholl reminded. “We wanted to make sure that it can be successful with limited items before expanding to other menu items such as refreshers and teas.”
Since the renovations in the winter of 2020 concluded, the talks of adding a Starbucks swarmed around campus. Espresso machines and other equipment were purchased to help this dream become a reality.
Einstein’s is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. while Starbucks is open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m, giving students an opportunity for more drink options.
“After Einstein’s and Carpe Diem close, there’s a void of coffees. Opening a Starbucks at three fills that void,” Tholl said.
In my opinion, opening the Starbucks was a neat idea. Students who wish to
fuel up with caffeine later in the day can now do this without driving elsewhere or making coffee in their dorms. However, Einstein’s is tough to beat and the information that was found proved this.
As I see it, Starbucks might have filled a void, but it is not getting the same business as Einstein’s.
Based on the spreadsheet
of product movement, Einstein’s stayed dominant throughout the one-month period. I believe that adding this popular coffee chain to our campus was ineffective. The number of sales at Starbucks does not compare to the sales at Einstein’s. I think the money that was spent towards acquiring a Starbucks could have been spent on something more useful for all students.
To view the product movement spreadsheet, visit https://bit.ly/ StarbucksvEinsteinsSpread Sheets.
Why Finishing College is the Financially Smart Decision
whether to stay or leave a relationship, we look to see if the benefits outweigh the costs,” Babington explained.
Nilsen Columnist
According to a report published last spring by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, nearly a third of all college students are pressured to drop out. Dr. Babington, Ph.D., associate professor and Chair of the Division of Communication, Visual and Performing Arts at Spring Hill College, addressed this discourse on whether or not it pays to finish college in his recent lecture on social exchange theory.
“When deciding
EDITORIAL POLICY:
With costs rising, students are pressured more than ever to drop out of college and get a full-time job. Despite this, I have decided to finish college because college graduates generally earn more than nongraduates, most jobs require a college education, and college graduates are more likely to afford health insurance.
A recent report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) showed that college graduates enjoy greater annual earnings than those who do not earn a degree. The report indicated that the median earnings of people with a bachelor’s degree were 63% higher than the earnings of those with a high school diploma only.
Additionally, college
graduates have an 86% employment rate compared to 65% for those without a degree. This employment trend is expected to continue over the next five years as the Center on Education and the Workforce projected that 70% of all jobs will require a college education by 2027.
With greater income and employment opportunities, college graduates are also
The SpringHillian is published four times each semester from August until December. 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.
more likely to afford health insurance, which is an important consideration due to skyrocketing health care costs. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the benchmark premium for single-person policies through the Health Insurance Marketplace is $462 per month or $5,544 per year.
The College Board, a nonprofit organization
SUBMISSIONS:
expanding access to higher education, has found that 64% of college graduates have employer-provided coverage, compared to only 52% of high school graduates. Although some may choose to go uninsured, this is a risky move since illnesses requiring medical attention can occur at any time, which would leave an uninsured person paying medical bills at full price and out of pocket.
Although rising costs have pressured students to quit college and enter the workforce, I think this is a bad decision in the long run. Sure, you can pay off some college debt by taking a part-time job, but a college degree leads to greater financial freedom. The benefits of finishing college far outweigh the costs, so this is one “relationship” worth keeping.
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.
Around The Hill
Senior Logan Clark pitches from the mound.
Picture By: Natalie Williamson
Women’s soccer player, Hanna Einarsdotter, looks to get out of Montevallo pressure.
Picture by: Val Dixon
Around The Hill
Peri Carr and Erthaly Thomas walk around campus.
Picture By: Kira Babiarz
Senior TJ Gennari plays dodegball to support Suicide Prevention Month efforts.
Photo by: Aubrey Gaudet
Baseball players get ready to recieve a pitch.
Picture by: Natalie Williamson
Senior Michael Reilly gives a thumbs up during the rugby match against Auburn University.
Picture By: Isabelle O’Neal
LIFESTYLE
SHC Partners With Ingalls Shipbuilding
Beau Reed ReporterSpring Hill College partnered with Ingalls Shipbuilding to provide more tuition assistance benefits to employees with eligibility through the college’s Center for Online Learning.
Ingalls Shipbuilding is a division of Huntington Ingalls Industires located in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
“Ingalls Shipbuilding is proud to partner with Spring Hill College in providing our employees with affordable education opportunities,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding Training Representative, Sherry Joubert. “This partnership not only encourages our employees to enhance their skills and knowledge in their current position but also allows Ingalls to invest in the developmental growth of our employees, further creating a shipyard
where the best ideas and technology can be leveraged to meet the needs of our customers.” Ingalls is the largest military shipbuilding company in the country and provides professional services to partners in government as well as industry.
Spring Hill will extend preferred tuition benefits
(10% discount and payment deferment) to eligible employees of Ingalls Shipbuilding through the company’s pre-approved Education Assistance Program.
“We are extremely excited about this partnership. Ingalls Shipbuilding has an outstanding Education Assistance program, which
provides up to $5,250 per year towards their education,” said Director of Operations for Spring Hill’s Center for Online Learning, Patrick Sprague. “Ingalls is offering its employees the opportunity to further their education and career goals. The flexibility of our online degree and certificate programs allows
them to take classes at their own pace and provides the guidance and support necessary to ensure that they become graduates of Spring Hill College.”
With this partnership in place, when Ingalls employees choose Spring Hill College, tuition is discounted, and they are able to defer the cost of classes until after classes are completed. This makes going to college more affordable for the individual.
SHC will also work with select departments to host virtual “lunch and learn” events.
For more information about Ingalls Shipbuilding go to ingalls.huntingtoningalls. com. For more information the partnership with SHC visit www.shc.edu/springhill-college-announcesparntership-with-ingallsshipbuilding/ or email EducationAssistance@ hii-ingalls.com.
A Look Inside Mobile’s Oldest Restaurant
The Dew Drop Inn introduced Mobile to the hot dog 98 years ago. Since the restaurant opened in 1924, many SHC students and Mobile residents have visited the establishment. The menu features American cuisine.
Historically, the Dew Drop Inn is the oldest restaurant in Mobile, loacted on Old Shell Road. The restaurant became widely popular amongst Mobile’s locals once the original Dew Drop hot dog recipe was perfected.
Kenneth Hamlin is the current owner of the Dew Drop Inn. According to Hamlin, the founder Mr. Whitney and his wife are responsible for the original Dew Drop hot dog. While the pink hot dog was the first item on the menu, the Dew Drop hamburger was not far behind. Mr.
Whitney’s original chili hot dog and hamburger recipes are still on the menu.
According to the Southern Living magazine, “some mobilians even claim that Jimmy Buffett’s famous Cheesburger in Paradise song was inspired by the burgers from Dew Drop Inn.
Hamlin took over the
business after his father. He is the fifth owner and has worked at the restaurant since he was a young child. Being the oldest restaurant in Mobile, many locals have been coming to the Dew Drop Inn for many years.
“I’ve been coming to the Dew Drop for a while, I usually get the onion rings
and a hot dog,” junior, Keegan Abell said. “Dew Drop is a great restaurant and a lot of us locals come here all the time.”
At this family-owned restaurant, you can see the Hamlin family sitting at a table watching a football game together. “The fact the Dew Drop has been here for generations that people just want to come back because
their parents were here, their grandparents were here, and it’s just a tradition,” Hamlin said.
Hours for the Dew Drop Inn are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information about the Dew Drop Inn visit the restaurant’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ DewDropInn.Mobile.AL.
Team Bonding Unites New Tennis Recruits
Zoe O’Donnell ReporterThe Spring Hill 2022-2023 women’s tennis team has developed a strategy for uniting six new recruits to their team this fall.
After ending their 2022 spring season, the tennis team said goodbye to six seniors, leaving only three members. This fall, the team recruited six freshmen and a junior transfer, restoring the membership total to nine.
Co-captains Emmie Gage and Juleah Scarlett said they made team-bonding a priority in hopes to boost morale and create a more competitive program this year. The two juniors valued the time spent on and off the court.
“College athletics can be tough and grueling at times,”
Scarlett admitted, “But when you’re competing with people you actually enjoy hanging out with and being around, it makes the whole process a little bit easier, which is better for everybody including our coach.”
Gage and Scarlett both expressed that they had felt disconnected with the team in previous years.
“Last year and the year before, our coach recruited four girls from the same junior college,” Gage explained, “So they were all very close and it was kind of a divided team.”
“Our team typically never hung out, traveling was super awkward, and we all just didn’t really know each other.”
Scarlett added.
During their offseason, the team competed in two tournaments. In the first
tournament, only four of the new recruits traveled with the team, ending in a loss.
On October 1, all seven new members traveled to Birmingham Southern, and the tennis team won the game 4-3.
“I think it has definitely improved the performance and has made tournaments as a whole more enjoyable for everybody,” Gage said. “They want to hang out, they want to practice hard and they want to win.”
In preparation for their upcoming spring 2023 season, Gage and Scarlett expressed that they plan to continue creating an inviting environment for the new team.
To follow along with the women’s tennis team, visit their instagram, @shcwomenstennis.
Support for the Rugby Team Fosters Growth
The Spring Hill College rugby team has experienced substantial growth with the aid and support from the college and the community.
On Saturday, students and family were at Dorn Field to support the Badgers during their match against the Auburn Tigers. Prior to the start of the game, students filled their social media feeds with upcoming tailgating festivities in support of the team.
Spring Hill College’s match with Auburn resulted in a loss of 31-14, but the lingering support of fans helped preserve the team’s morale.
“The support of the students and staff here is so overwhelming,” senior Danny Conners said. “You would never even know this is a club team.”
As a club team, the Spring Hill College rugby team is sponsored by the college. However, they do not receive funding from the NCAA like collegiate sport teams.
“Even though we might
be a club sport, we still wear the Spring Hill College name and colors,” Head coach Phil Dembowski said. “So we’ve got to play as if we are representing the school as a whole.”
Dembowski finds that within the team, the same passion and support can be passed from player to play-
er. He describes this phenomenon as “the bug.”
“Once one player gets the bug for the sport, it spreads among all the other players, and it really brings the club together,” Dembowski said.
According to the official rugby club page, SHC’s facilities provide professional training environments for
the players to develop their skills. Dembowski shared that the athletic director of the college is also very helpful. Support from alumni funding has also financed many overnight rugby trips.
Founded in 1969, Spring Hill’s rugby team has continued to compete with many colleges and univer-
sities throughout the years with continued support from the faculty, students and staff.
For more information on this event, the rugby team and upcoming games, visit deepsouthrugbyconference. com/SHC.
HILL YEAH!
ON THE SPOT
